Google's software fix for older Chromecasts devices that weren't casting is rolling out now, according to an email the company sent to impacted owners. You can view the text of the email in the Google Nest Community pages. If you didn't factory-reset your device, it may already be working.
If you're still not able to cast, though, Google recommends rebooting your device and trying again. Any Chromecasts that were accidentally reset to factory settings will need to be reconnected in the latest version of the Google Home app (either version 3.30.106 on iOS or version 3.30.1.6 on Android). The app update is apparently still trickling out to all devices, so if you don't see it now, you will in a few days.
Some second-generation Chromecasts and Chromecast Audio dongles first became unable to cast early last week. Before Google promised a fix, many assumed this was the beginning of the slow death of Google's Chromecast line. Google no longer sells Chromecasts, retiring the name and dongle-style device after the Google TV Streamer was released in August 2024. As this relatively speedy fix suggests, even if it isn't selling them, Google doesn't intend to end support for existing Chromecasts — at least not yet.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/googles-fix-for-busted-chromecasts-is-out-now-211334639.html?src=rss
The release of the Pixel 9a is apparently very near, because after a regular cadence of leaks about the yet-to-be announced budget phone, at least two YouTubers have reviewed it early. Both The Mobile Central and Sahil Karoul have Google's new phone and released reviews that confirm a lot of the information that trickled out about the budget phone since the Pixel 8a was released.
The biggest and easiest to grasp are the visual changes. The Pixel 9a doesn't have Google's trademark camera bump, opting instead for cameras that are nearly flush with the plastic back of the phone. The aluminum frame and front of the 9a are more familiar if you've used Pixel 9, though the 9a does have to have a lower-resolution 6.3-inch 1080p display, with what looks like slightly larger bezels, too.
The main reason you opt for a Pixel over another budget Android phone is access to Google's custom camera and AI features, powered by the company's in-house Tensor chips. Both videos confirm the Pixel 9a uses the Tensor G4 and features a 48-megapixel wide and 13-megapixel ultrawide for photos and video. Photography performance seems on par with the Pixel 9, but video seems to suffer at night. The phone is rumored to come in multiple finishes: a light purple "Iris," black "Obsidian," hot pink "Peony," and a white "Porcelain." Only the purple and white models are shown in the videos, but that seems like as good a confirmation as any that the other colors will be available, too.
Google originally released the Pixel 8a a week before its I/O developers conference in 2023, so a March announcement of a Pixel 9a would be a bit earlier than usual. It does fit with the rumored March 19 launch Android Headlines reported, though.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-pixel-9a-has-leaked-so-thoroughly-that-youtubers-are-reviewing-it-200943966.html?src=rss
The original Looney Tunes animated shorts that aired between the 1930 and 1969 are no longer available to stream on Max, Deadline reports. Warner Bros. Discovery removed them from the streaming service as part of its ongoing shift away from children's shows and towards adult and family programming.
For now, newer Looney Tunes series and spin-offs remain, like New Looney Tunes and Baby Looney Tunes, but the decision still feels odd because Warner Bros. Discovery just released The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Story in theaters on March 14. Of course, the company is no stranger to ill-conceived (frequently anti-art) decision making.
The original Looney Tunes were last on the chopping block in 2023, when a press release covering shows and movies that were being added and removed from Max included the iconic animated shorts. Warner Bros. Discovery walked back that announcement, saying it was an error, but apparently plans change. While it seems strange to remove something Warner Bros. Discovery owns and doesn't have to pay an exorbitant licensing fee to offer, pulling shows and scrapping the release of movies has been the company's recent strategy to save money and earn tax breaks — see another Looney Tunes-related release, Coyote vs. Acme, or Batgirl.
As far as this recent deprioritization of children's programming on Max goes, Warner Bros. Discovery has been working on it for a while. The company shutdown Boomerang, Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service for classic cartoons, in 2024. Warner Bros. Discovery decided to not renew its distribution deal for Sesame Street last year, too, but removing around 200 old episodes of the showin 2022 was probably a good sign the company had lost interest way earlier.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/warner-bros-discovery-pulled-the-original-looney-tunes-shorts-off-max-190500556.html?src=rss
Those stranded Starliner astronauts are finally coming back to Earth, with a touchdown expected on Tuesday evening. Coverage begins on Monday night at around 10:45PM ET, with streams available on NASA’s website and via the NASA+ app.
Monday night’s stream will focus on the hatch closing and the undocking procedure. The stream will go dark until 4:45PM ET on Tuesday as the crew approaches splashdown. The arrival is scheduled for around 5:57PM ET and a live press conference is set for 7:30PM ET.
The two NASA astronauts returning (Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore) were part of Boeing’s Starliner crew to the ISS. This was supposed to be a one-week stay but, just like Gilligan and the rest, was extended to nine months when the ship was deemed unfit for a crewed return to Earth. Five of the thrusters failed enroute. This is forcing the pair to hitch a ride on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX also ran into a delay, as this mission was originally scheduled for February.
The Starliner returned, but without the crew. NASA planned to retrieve Williams and Wilmore back in September via a crewed mission with two empty seats. However, that launch faced technical issues and was delayed until April. This partnership with SpaceX will bring the pair home a couple of weeks early.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/you-can-watch-the-starliner-astronauts-return-to-earth-after-an-unplanned-nine-month-visit-185308418.html?src=rss
Eight days. That’s how long Boeing Starliner’s mission — its first flight test with crew aboard — was supposed to last. But this mission has been singular in almost every way, and astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have instead spent the past nine and a half months aboard the International Space Station.
Now, finally, they're headed home. Their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is slated to begin undocking from the ISS at 1:05 am ET Tuesday and is scheduled for splashdown at 5:57 pm ET, according to NASA's timetable. (Portions of the mission will stream live on the agency's website.)
The Starliner crew was never truly stranded, to be clear. They always had a way off the space station in an emergency. But if this mission's foibles taught us one thing, it was to expect the unexpected. Even now, six months after the troubled spacecraft autonomously undocked from the ISS and landed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, leaving its crew behind and effectively ending the flight test, the mission is still making headlines. Boeing Starliner CFT went from a symbol of the myriad struggles in Boeing’s aviation business to a political punching bag, courtesy of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Why did it take so long to bring the astronauts home? And did NASA cave to political pressure in setting the return date? Lets take a look at how we got here and what the evidence suggests.
Starliner was floundering well before liftoff
Boeing Starliner had a long, troubled history before it even got off the ground. Back in 2014, the Space Shuttle era had ended, and the United States was dependent on Russian Soyuz capsules to fly its astronauts. To remedy this, NASA awarded two companies — Boeing and SpaceX — Commercial Crew contracts to build new spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS.
The official target date for a crewed flight test for these two companies was flexible. But, according to a 2016 report from William Gerstenmaier, the agency’s head of human spaceflight at the time, it was clear NASA expected these demonstration flights to occur in 2017. (Gerst now works for SpaceX.)
Obviously, that did not happen. SpaceX’s uncrewed orbital test occurred in 2019, while the crewed demonstration flight was in 2020. Boeing also finally launched its Starliner capsule to the ISS for an uncrewed test in December 2019. However, that flight went so badly (the capsule did not reach its intended orbit or dock with the station) that NASA required Boeing to implement fixes and perform a second test in May 2022. That test went mostly well, though two of the capsule’s thrusters failed during the orbital insertion burn, and post-flight inspections revealed nearly a mile of flammable tape in the capsule wiring which required removal.
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner attached to an Atlas V rocket.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The May 2024 launch was delayed a few times due to rocket issues and problems with ground systems. NASA and Boeing also detected a helium leak in the propellant system (helium is used to push propellant to the thrusters). They attributed it to a defective seal, but after the spacecraft launched on June 5, it sprung a total of five helium leaks. What’s more, five thrusters failed on approach to the ISS.
Astronauts Wilmore and Williams were able to successfully dock with the ISS, but their mission changed significantly in those few hours; they had to figure out what, exactly, was wrong with the spacecraft and whether it was safe to bring them home.
It’s important to remember that NASA has only tested six total new crewed spacecraft (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, SpaceX Crew Dragon, and Boeing Starliner). It’s a very difficult process, and everyone expects there to be problems — that’s why NASA does these tests. But even for a test flight, this was bad.
Eight days to nine months
Over the summer of 2024, NASA quietly tested and re-tested Starliner’s thrusters, both in orbit and on the ground, to find out why the thrusters failed. In the absence of meaningful updates from NASA, people started to seriously question whether the agency thought Starliner was safe to bring the astronauts home.
In mid-July, NASA paid SpaceX to study bringing more than four astronauts home on a single Crew Dragon capsule, as well as launching two astronauts on a Crew Dragon instead of the usual four. The agency insisted this was related to Frank Rubio’s extended stay on the ISS the year before. However, at a press conference in early August, Commercial Crew program manager Steve Stich confirmed that, in July, NASA had started working with SpaceX on contingency scenarios for Butch and Suni’s possible return, as they continued to troubleshoot Starliner’s faulty thrusters.
Finally on August 24, NASA announced that Starliner would return to Earth uncrewed. There were serious issues with Starliner’s propulsion system. NASA was concerned about a worst-case scenario in which the thrusters failed and, at the same time, the helium leak rates increased. This could have left the astronauts in orbit, unable to perform a re-entry burn. Butch and Suni would become part of SpaceX's ninth Commercial Crew flight (aptly named Crew-9), which would launch on September 28 with just two astronauts. They would serve out the remainder of this mission, which would keep them on the ISS through mid- to late-February.
But why leave them in space until 2025? The bottom line is that the agency chose the least risky option. An extra return mission would have added unnecessary complexity. “Relative to sending up a new Dragon so that Butch and Sunny didn't have to stay up until February, we really never considered that option,” Steve Stich, the program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, explained at a press conference on August 7. Plus, it takes around four months to prepare a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for launch, and the extra cost would have been too much for NASA to absorb.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the ISS.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Astronauts are accustomed to mission delays and extensions; Frank Rubio had his ISS long-duration stay extended from 6 months to over one year because of a leaky Soyuz capsule, finally returning to Earth after a record-breaking 371 days in space. NASA astronauts can handle a year in space.
“While it's not great to stay up there longer, the ISS has the appropriate countermeasures to maintain their health out to a year at least,” Dr. Dan Buckland, a space medicine researcher at Duke University explained to Engadget in an email. “Put another way, the expected recovery time on Earth might get longer the longer they stay, but the health plateau they are currently at is probably sustainable for the next few months at least.”
This was NASA’s return plan for the Starliner astronauts, which it began working on in July 2024 and announced to the public that August. Fast forward to March of 2025 and almost nothing has changed, except that the mission has become a political punching bag.
Delays and political posturing
The story got even more complicated in mid-December, when NASA announced that Crew-9’s return would be delayed because of a problem with the Crew-10 SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. When a relief crew arrives at the International Space Station, NASA schedules their missions to overlap for a few days. These are called handovers, and they typically run about five days long.
Crew-10 was scheduled to fly on the brand new Crew Dragon, but problems with the batteries on the spacecraft meant that it wouldn’t be ready for a mid-February launch. As a result, Crew-10 wouldn’t launch until late March, and Crew-9 wouldn’t return until after the in-person handover.
Delays with space missions are extremely common, so no one expected that on January 28 Boeing Starliner would come roaring back into the headlines. On Truth Social, President Trump posted the following:
“I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to “go get” the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration. They have been waiting for many months on @Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!”
The same day, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, published a post on X claiming that the Biden administration had left the astronauts aboard the ISS. He later said in a Fox News interview on February 18 that the decision to leave Wilmore and Williams in orbit until the end of the Crew-9 mission had been politically motivated.
However, Steve Stich confirmed in a March 7 press briefing that the decision to return Butch and Suni as a part of Crew-9 was made between himself and ISS program manager Dana Weigel, after which it was run up to the administrator. This was not a top-down decision.
What about the return date for Crew-9, though? After this political kerfuffle with Trump and Musk, NASA announced February 11 it was swapping the Crew Dragon capsule for Crew-10 to a previously flown spacecraft. This meant that they could move up Butch and Suni’s return date by two weeks, to mid-March.
Well, as far as anyone can tell, this was also not the result of political pressure.
At a Crew-10 media briefing on Friday, March 7, Stich made it clear that the capsule swap was driven by other motivations, including needing to fit the Crew-10 launch in between the Intuitive Machines mission which launched on February 27 from the same pad (RIP Athena) and the Soyuz handover on the ISS in April. Officials were discussing swapping the capsules a month before the president’s Truth Social post (though it's possible the President was aware of the discussion when it was happening.)
Intuitive Machines' Athena lander nearing the lunar surface.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“The president’s interest sure added energy to the conversation,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations, during that media teleconference. In the end, it’s hard to believe any narrative in which the timeline of Butch and Suni’s return was politically motivated, whether by the Biden administration or the Trump administration.
It’s incorrect to say that NASA isn’t subject to political whims, because it’s a government agency, with a budget proposed by the president and determined by Congress. The agency is bracing itself for drastic budget cuts to its science operations this year. Generally speaking, that means it’s likely that if NASA can safely and reasonably do something that the president asks for, it will try.
But changing around mission timelines and sending up “rescue” missions for astronauts who aren’t in danger? A NASA spokesperson refused to comment on this directly.. But it’s unlikely this was the case, especially considering they stuck with a flight plan that’s been in place since August 2024.
“They simply make the best decisions based on the evidence that they have at the moment, taking into account that their top priority is the lives of the astronauts,” Laura Forczyk, founder of the space consulting firm Astralytical, explained. “NASA makes the best decisions that it can in the moment, regardless of what the popular opinion is.”
What's next for NASA and Boeing?
Once the Crew-9 capsule splashes down, that will truly bring an end to the Boeing Starliner mission, but its ramifications will be felt for a very long time. There are serious questions about the direction of the agency going forward, given the political climate and the new administration’s priorities.
NASA acting administrator Janet Petro has already eliminated the Office of the Chief Scientist, in compliance with the Trump administration’s Reduction in Force order. More cuts are likely; rumors suggest that as much as half of NASA’s science budget will be slashed. This raises questions about whether NASA will be able to operate iconic observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope.
And NASA’s incoming administrator, Jared Isaacman, is a friend of Elon Musk and works closely with SpaceX. Isaacman conducted the first private spacewalk with Sarah Gillis on Polaris Dawn, a flight he paid SpaceX for, last year. Isaacman still hasn’t been confirmed as administrator, but if he is, he will likely change NASA’s human spaceflight program, starting with the return to the moon: The Artemis III moon landing is currently scheduled for no earlier than mid-2027).
What’s more, we still don’t know the fate of the Starliner program. While NASA continues to work with Boeing to close out in-flight anomaly investigations, it’s uncertain when (or if) the next flight of Starliner might occur. There are also questions surrounding whether Boeing even wants to fly another mission. Back in October,The Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing — which also built many modules for the ISS — was considering selling off its space business altogether. As of February 2025, Boeing’s total losses on Starliner had reached $2 billion.
Whatever happens with Boeing Starliner, the massively disproportionate political backlash to a routine NASA decision that prioritized the health and safety of their astronauts is a troubling indicator of what’s to come for the agency.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/boeing-starliner-astronauts-finally-head-home-nine-months-later-184546850.html?src=rss
FILE - In this photo released by NASA, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, both Expedition 71 Flight Engineers, make pizza aboard the International Space Station's galley located inside the Unity module on Sept. 9, 2024. Items are attached to the galley using tape and velcro to keep them from flying away in the microgravity environment. (NASA via AP, File)
Twitter may be dead, but the 12-foot tall bird logo from its San Francisco headquarters can be yours forever if you have enough money. The sign — one of two birds that formerly adorned Twitter’s office — is up for auction.
The massive logo that marked the company’s headquarters on San Francisco's Market Street is undoubtedly one of the most iconic symbols associated with the social media company. (The sign was unceremoniously removed after Musk’s rebranding of the company to X.) Unsurprisingly, the unique piece of social media history won’t come cheap. At the time of this writing, bids are at $21,664, though auction house RR Auction estimates the sign could go for as much as $40,000.
RR Auction
Would-be buyers should also be aware that they are also responsible for costs to move the sign from the San Francisco storage facility where it’s currently located. That alone will be no small feat. The sign is 145˝ x 105˝ (roughly 12 feet by 8 feet) and weighs in at 560 pounds, according to the listing. A YouTube video accompanying the listing shows that it took a crane and a team of several workers to remove the sign from the building.
Notably, this isn’t the first “Larry” (the nickname former Tweeps gave to the site’s iconic bird logo) is hitting the auction block. Following Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter in 2022, much of the contents of Twitter’s former offices were auctioned off in 2023. Other, slightly smaller versions of the logo proved to be popular at the time, with one statue that decorated the office selling for $100,000. The building’s other large bird logo was auctioned off in that sale for an undisclosed price.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/the-560-pound-twitter-logo-from-its-san-francisco-headquarters-is-up-for-auction-180326992.html?src=rss
If you woke up to a Windows PC suddenly without Microsoft's Copilot app installed, you didn't dream the last few years of AI hype, Microsoft just made a mistake. The latest monthly Windows 11 update that rolled out on March 11 "unintentionally uninstalled and unpinned" the AI assistant, according to a Microsoft support article spotted by The Verge.
Microsoft is aware that Copilot's gone missing and is "working on a resolution to address this issue." For now, if you want Copilot back, you can redownload its app from the Microsoft Store and manually pin it to your taskbar. Just like any new feature, since Copilot was added to Windows in 2023, there's been people interested in removing it. If you weren't satisfied with unpinning the AI from your taskbar, you previously had to do a bit of work to actually remove it. Microsoft's update saves you some time — at least until it's fixed.
Whether people like it or not, proving Copilot is useful in a variety of settings is still a priority for Microsoft. In March, the company shared its plans for a "Copilot for Gaming" that will live inside the Xbox app and help players with games. Microsoft has also started to offer some of its premium AI features, like the Copilot's Voice mode, for free. Based on The Verge's reporting, Microsoft is planning to announce even more new Copilot features at an event celebrating the company's 50th anniversary in April.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsofts-latest-windows-update-accidentally-uninstalled-copilot-174850009.html?src=rss
You can save on some of our top picks for the best security cameras as part of a sale on Blink gear. For instance, the Blink Mini 2 is available for $20, which is half off the list price. It matches a record low.
A two-pack of the Blink Mini 2 is down to $38 as well. That's not quite a record low, but you'll still save $22 due to the 46 percent percent discount.
We reckon the Blink Mini 2 is the best budget security camera around. You can adjust the webcam-style camera to a variety of angles. It's weather-resistant, so you can place it outside if you have a special power adapter. The camera picks up decent (but not great) images, particularly those captured in the infrared nighttime view. It also has a built-in LED spotlight.
Since Blink is an Amazon company, of course the Mini 2 ties into the Alexa ecosystem. You'll just need to have a Blink account before you can actually use it. As you might expect, you'll be able to view images captured by the Mini 2 via the Alexa app on an Echo Show, Fire Tablet or Fire TV but, curiously, not iOS or Android. To see the captures on your phone or tablet, you'll instead need to use the Blink app. You'll get some extra features — such as cloud storage and people and pet detection — if you sign up for the Blink Subscription ($3 per month for one camera, $10 per month for any number).
Elsewhere in the sale, a five-pack of the Blink Outdoor 4 cameras is half off at $200. This is our recommendation for the best security camera for Alexa users. Having five of them should be enough for many folks to keep an eye on everything that's going on around their property.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-blink-mini-2-security-camera-has-dropped-to-only-20-171417083.html?src=rss
The dating app Bumble is adding a few new safety features, including an ID verification tool. This lets users submit a government-issued ID to the system. Once confirmed, profiles will get a nice and shiny verification badge to let potential connections know everything is on the up and up.
Bumble users can now filter profiles based on who is ID verified. There’s even a request tool to ask a match to complete the process. ID verification is now available in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and several other countries, with more to come in the near future.
The platform has also introduced something called Share Date. This safety feature lets users share details of a date with a trusted contact. The date details include who they’re meeting with, when it starts and where the meeting is set to take place. If plans change, the information can easily be updated via the app. Match has something similar, which is called Date Check-In. Tinder even has its own version of this tool.
There’s a final safety update, as Bumble has updated the Review Before You Send tool. This alerts members when a message may be inappropriate. It started as a pilot program that was rolled out as part of the Compliments feature, but has now been extended to all chats.
Bumble
Finally, today’s update brings something called Discover. This is a “personalized experience and a fresh way to find common ground on Bumble.” To that end, it displays the most compatible people based on similar interests and dating intentions. The list is refreshed daily. Bumble says that the Discover page will continue to improve and provide more accurate connections as users update preferred interest badges and complete profiles.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/bumble-adds-id-verification-and-other-safety-features-170228333.html?src=rss
Now that Apple’s recent slew of hardware releases are behind us, we got some news on the software side last week. First, the company publicly announced that it was delaying the smarter, more personal version of Siri that’ll be powered by Apple Intelligence. Then, rumors sprang up again that Apple was giving an extensive visual update to its software platforms, including iOS 19 and macOS 16 which are expected to be revealed at WWDC in June.
The sources for this redesign rumor are solid. Jon Prosser dropped a video on his YouTube channel Front Page Tech back in January where he said that he had seen a redesigned Camera app for the next version of iOS that had a number of interface changes that made it feel more like a visionOS app. His thinking is that Apple wouldn’t redesign a core app like Camera without bringing changes to some of the rest of the OS, as well.
Mark Gurman at Bloombergfollowed up on that, reporting that iOS 19, iPadOS 19 and macOS 16 “will fundamentally change the look of the operating systems and make Apple’s various software platforms more consistent.” He also specifically mentioned visionOS, which runs Apple’s wildly expensive ($3,500) Vision Pro headset, as an inspiration for the new design.
This rumor could definitely have legs. Even though visionOS doesn’t feel radically different to Apple’s other software, it does make sense that the company would unify visual themes across all its platforms and devices as it usually does. But at a time when the company is struggling mightily with its Apple Intelligence rollout and delaying a new Siri (which feels to me like the most significant update the company could deliver), slapping a new coat of paint on iOS and macOS feels like a distraction at best and misguided priorities at worst.
The delay to a more intelligent Siri is a major blow to Apple’s AI ambitions. Since it was first introduced at WWDC 2024, it’s been the single thing that might make me upgrade my phone to one that works with Apple Intelligence. The promise is an assistant that has a better understanding of the apps on your phone and can use them more extensively on your behalf; it can do things like automatically adding addresses to a contact card. Another example Apple showed was asking Siri to find an image of your driver’s license, take the ID number on it and put it into a form you’re filling out. It’ll also have more awareness of what’s on your screen and better natural language understanding.
That, of course, is all just a promise right now. Apple commentator John Gruber, who typically takes a fairly positive view of the company, absolutely ripped the company a new one over the Siri delay. He says that at WWDC 2024, he and other members of the press saw controlled demos of Apple Intelligence features, but no proof of a smarter Siri — thus far, all we’ve seen are product videos showing what it could do. In retrospect, Gruber says that a smarter Siri is nothing more than “vaporware.” “They were features Apple said existed, which they claimed would be shipping in the next year, and which they portrayed, to great effect, in the signature ‘Siri, when is my mom’s flight landing?’ segment of the WWDC keynote itself,” he says. “Apple was either unwilling or unable to demonstrate those features in action back in June, even with Apple product marketing reps performing the demos from a prepared script using prepared devices.”
Apple's presentation of Siri at WWDC 2024 can be seen above.
It’s a bad look for Apple, and was made worse when Bloombergpublished a piece showing the turmoil inside the Siri team following the delay announcement. The publication reported that Apple senior director Robby Walker held an all-hands meeting for the Siri team saying the delays have been “ugly and embarrassing,” and that the decision to promote these features to the public before they were ready compounded the issues. To be fair, Apple has shipped a few Siri improvements since the fall (most significantly the addition of ChatGPT), but they’re not things that have radically changed the voice assistant’s most glaring weaknesses.
Additionally, Gurman’s sources claim that we won’t see these features until sometime in 2026 at the earliest, long after iOS 19 would be released. With all that in mind, these redesign rumors feel like a fresh coat of paint to distract people from the structural issues with Apple Intelligence as a whole and the delays on a massively important feature.
The timing also feels strange. While Apple hasn’t embarked on a full-scale redesign of iOS since it released iOS 7 way back in 2013, the company has made small but significant changes and refinements nearly every year since that have added up to software that’s far more customizable and refined than it was more than a decade ago. Since iOS 14 in 2020, Apple added home and lock screen widgets, major customization features for lock screen visuals, and the wild notion of not having all your apps aligned to an inflexible grid. Apple also added the ability to color-tint the icons to match your background image (or just make them any color you want, dark or light). These all add up to an iOS that is a lot more visually customizable than ever before.
Android has had these features for years, so I’m not praising Apple for being some paragon of user freedom. But it’s clear from these changes that Apple is finally interested in giving users more control over how their phones look. With all this as well as many smaller visual tweaks the company has made over the years, it’s fair to say that iOS 18’s design language has evolved far beyond what we saw with iOS 7’s complete and abrupt makeover.
As for macOS, Apple has given it several notable visual updates over the last decade or so. In 2014, OS X Yosemite largely brought over the flatter design from iOS 7 that removed skeuomorphic elements that had littered iOS and the Mac for years. Apple continued to tweak it over the following years before giving it another big visual overhaul in 2020 with macOS Big Sur. That was the first OS that supported Apple’s M-series Macs and as such the company dropped the OS X branding and moved to macOS alongside the new design.
While I was initially skeptical of a major macOS visual refresh, I am a little surprised to remember that it’s been almost five years since Big Sur launched — maybe we’re right on schedule for a visual refresh. And in recent years, Apple has wanted to keep its platforms as aligned as possible, both from a feature perspective as well as how they look. It’s not hard to imagine designers wanting to unify things across platforms again.
Given that the user interface is literally how we interact with all these devices, a design refresh can certainly keep things feeling new, even if the functionality hasn’t changed much. And without a smarter Siri to look forward to at WWDC this year, a fresh coat of paint might be Apple’s best option to make its next software updates feel new. That said, I don’t mean to suggest that the people working on the visual design of Apple’s software platforms could or should abandon their work and rush a better Siri out the door — the skill sets and priorities of those two teams are surely completely different. But at the very least, Apple’s going to have to more forcefully address the elephant in the room that is Siri than it has before it can try selling us on a new design.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-should-focus-on-fixing-siri-not-redesigning-ios-again-164446205.html?src=rss
Taara now has two dozen staff members and is “hiring aggressively.” It has secured backing from Series X Capital. Alphabet will retain a minority stake, but it remains tight-lipped regarding seed funding details or potential financial targets.
“They’re going to be able to get connected quickly to market capital, bring in strategic investors and generally be able to scale faster this way,” said Eric Teller, X’s Captain of Moonshots.
Taara already operates in 12 countries throughout the world and has provided supplemental service during events like Coachella. The tech works by firing beams of light to and from various terminals. Alphabet says the system can transmit data at 20 gigabits per second over an area of around 12 miles. The company also says that these systems are relatively easy to build and maintain, especially when compared to satellites in space.
It has its origins in an Alphabet-created concept called Loon. This was a modified version of the same idea that shot beams of light to and from groups of balloons floating on the edge of space. There are strict governmental and regulatory hurdles to flying thousands of balloons near space, however, so it wound down in 2021. Loon’s loss was Taara’s gain, as the newer entity uses the same lasers.
Mahesh Krishnaswamy, Taara’s general manager and a lead engineer, says that the next step is to develop a silicon photonic chip that will eliminate the need for many of the mirrors and lenses currently positioned on system terminals.
The newly-minted startup has a long way to go to catch up to Starlink, which has over four million subscribers worldwide. Taara doesn’t even sell subscriptions directly to consumers. Instead, it partners with existing telecommunication companies like T-Mobile to extend their networks to remote locations.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/alphabets-starlink-competitor-taara-is-spinning-off-into-an-independent-company-154653176.html?src=rss
Although the future of TikTok remains uncertain, the app continues to get new features. The latest is called Security Checkup, which is a centralized dashboard designed to help you protect your account.
You can find the tool by going to Settings and privacy > Security & permissions in the TikTok app. The idea behind Security Checkup is to make it easy for you to do things like link a phone number and email address to make sure you have a backup login method, turn on two-factor authentication, set up a passkey and enable biometric login options such as facial recognition.
In addition, you'll be able to see which devices are logged into your account, so you can revoke access for any that you don't recognize or no longer use. Handily, TikTok will flag any unusual behavior that it detects on your account and you can review any oddities here.
We've seen other major platforms introduce similar features in the past. Instagram, for instance, rolled out a tool that's also called Security Checkup back in 2021. Still, it's better late than never to add handy features, especially when it comes to helping users secure their accounts.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-rolls-out-a-security-checkup-tool-to-help-protect-your-account-152819724.html?src=rss
ARCHIVO – Un visitante pasa frente a los espacios de exhibición de TikTok en la feria de juegos de computadora de Colonia, Alemania, el jueves 25 de agosto de 2022. (AP Foto/Martin Meissner, Archivo)
Apple's over-ear headphones are back on sale at one of the best prices we've seen all year. The AirPods Max have dropped to $480. That's $69 off the list price.
It's not quite a record low price for these headphones. We've seen them drop to $450. But this is still a solid deal on the AirPods Max, especially if you've been waiting for a solid discount. It's also worth noting that this is the updated model with USB-C charging, rather than the old Lightning port that Apple has phased out.
We gave the AirPods Max a score of 84 in our review back in 2020 (yes, they've been around for that long without an update save, for the new charging port and colorways!). We felt that the sound was excellent and balanced with solid active noise cancellation (ANC) and an excellent transparency mode so you can hear what's going on around you. In our testing, the AirPods Max met Apple's promise of a 20-hour battery life with both ANC and spatial audio switched on.
We enjoyed the simple control system, which uses an Apple Watch-style rotating crown. The AirPods Max are lightweight and comfortable to wear as well.
On the downside, the AirPods Max still use Apple's older H1 chipset, meaning that certain features available on some in-ear AirPods models aren't present here. There's no support for high-res music streaming services either. Still, if you're embedded in the Apple ecosystem and are looking for an otherwise high-quality set of over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max are worth considering.
Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apple-airpods-max-with-usb-c-charging-are-back-on-sale-for-480-142052420.html?src=rss
Qualcomm unveiled its next generation of processors for gaming handhelds at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) on Monday. Fortunately, it isn't all just dry specs; the chip-maker also previewed some of its partners' portable consoles that the new silicon will power. These include new models from Ayaneo, OneXSugar and Retroid Pocket.
Meanwhile, the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 may be the mid-range option, but it has the biggest performance jump of the trio: 2.3 times faster CPU and 3.8 times faster GPU speeds than the G2 Gen 1. It, too, supports up to 144Hz on QHD+ displays.
Finally, the G1 Gen 2 is the entry-level processor — not something you'd want in a hardcore portable but ideal for strictly cloud-streaming (devices like the Logitech G Cloud) or emulation handhelds. It supports up to 120Hz on FHD+ screens.
Upcoming handhelds
Qualcomm
Now for the fun part: Qualcomm's hardware partners are teasing upcoming devices powered by the new silicon. On the other hand, we don't yet have pricing info or firm shipping dates for any of these models.
Ayaneo's Pocket S2 uses the high-end chip (G3 Gen 3) and has a 6.3-inch, 2K "ultra-clear" display. It has a higher battery capacity than the Pocket S and a better cooling system. You won't have to wait long for this one because it arrives this month.
Qualcomm
The OneXSugar Sugar 1 is a dual-screen (Nintendo DS-style) foldable console. But it also transforms: You can detach its smaller screen and (from the looks of it) reattach the controller to the larger display for a more Switch-like form factor. It's an interesting setup, to say the least. It will be available for pre-order in May also runs the high-end Qualcomm processor.
Meanwhile, the Ayaneo Gaming Pad will also run on the flagship Snapdragon G3 Gen silicon. This device looks like an iPad mini with controllers gripped onto each side and has an 8.3-inch LCD with 2K resolution at 120Hz. It also includes an "esports-grade turbo fan" and a "high-capacity battery." It launches in May.
Qualcomm
Finally, the Retroid Pocket PR Classic uses the G1 Gen 2 silicon. This Game Boy-esque retro emulation portable has a 1080 x 1240 AMOLED screen (up to 500 nits brightness), 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery and active cooling. You can pre-order it this month.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/next-gen-snapdragon-g-series-chips-will-power-handhelds-from-ayaneo-onexsugar-and-retroid-pocket-131733930.html?src=rss
If you’ve held on to an aging Windows laptop for too long, it’s now a great time to upgrade. With all the hype around AI PCs, computer makers are rushing to release new designs featuring efficient new chips from Intel and AMD. And thanks to Microsoft’s Copilot+ initiative, which launched last year, we’re finally seeing decent notebooks powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, which are leading to better battery life and lighter designs.
Whether you need a premium ultraportable, a powerful gaming rig or a versatile mobile workstation, our current list of the best Windows laptops highlights our favorites that have been rigorously tested by our team. You may even find a Windows laptop that suits you better than an Apple MacBook if you’re looking to make the switch. For those on a budget, check out our list of the best cheap Windows laptops to find great options that won't break the bank.
What to look for in a Windows laptop
Performance
How much power do you actually need? That’s the main question you need to ask yourself when choosing a Windows laptop (or any computing device, to be honest). It’s easy to overspend and get far more computer than you actually need, or skimp too much and find yourself with an under-powered processor and too little memory. We’ve broken down our recommendations into a variety of product categories below, but generally you’re looking to get a laptop with at least 16GB of RAM and a modern Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen processor. If you’re a gamer, you’ll also want to make sure you get a decent graphics card. (That’s all explained in our guide for best gaming notebooks.)
What are AI PCs, Copilot+ and Arm-based laptops?
Any computer that includes an NPU (neural processing unit) is an “AI PC,” since that chip can offload some tasks from the CPU and GPU. And since every chipmaker has rushed to join the AI bandwagon, most systems released today count as AI PCs. The exceptions are some higher-powered workstation and gaming laptops, which may have NPU-free chips, or extremely cheap notebooks running low-end chips.
To make it easier to find premium AI PCs, Microsoft unveiled its Copilot+ program last year. It calls for notebooks with NPUs that support at least 40 TOPS of AI processing power, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The first batch of Copilot+ systems included the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, as well as the revamped XPS 13.
To make things even more confusing, Copilot+ systems include PCs powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Arm-based CPUs, which can run modern Windows apps but may have trouble with older software and drivers.
Display and webcams
Regardless of whether a notebook has a touchscreen or a more traditional panel, we look for bright displays (300 nits or more) that are easy to use outdoors or in sunny rooms, with accurate colors and wide viewing angles. Screens with high refresh rates are great for competitive gamers (or anyone who wants smoother document scrolling), while those with wider color gamuts are important for content creation and video editing. And even if you don’t plan on spending a ton of time on video calls, every laptop needs a decent webcam — 1080p or higher is preferred.
Ports and connectivity
Even with advancements in cellular modems and Wi-Fi, dedicated ports for transferring data or connecting peripherals can make or break a laptop. Ideally, all but the thinnest and lightest systems come with three USB-C ports, while things like built-in SD card readers can be extremely handy when trying to import media from a camera. And if a notebook is saddled with a slow or outdated Wi-Fi modem (we’re looking for Wi-Fi 6 or later), that’s basically an immediate disqualification.
Battery life
It doesn’t matter how powerful a laptop is if it conks out when you need it the most. Typically we look for runtimes of at least ten hours on a charge, but when it comes to good battery life, longer is always better. That said, on gaming machines with thirsty graphics cards, you may have to settle for a bit less. And on bigger machines, it’s also important to consider if the system can charge via USB-C or if it needs a larger, proprietary power brick.
Best Windows laptops for 2025
Windows laptop FAQs
What's the difference between a Windows laptop and a Chromebook?
The main difference between a Windows laptop and a Chromebook lies in their operating systems. Windows laptops run on Microsoft’s Windows OS, whereas Chromebooks use Google’s Chrome OS.
Aside from using different operating systems, performance is one of the major differences between a Windows laptop and a Chromebook. Windows laptops can be equipped with powerful processors and discrete graphics, making them suitable for demanding tasks like gaming or video editing. Chromebooks, on the other hand, are generally optimized for speed and simplicity, focusing on lighter tasks like word processing and web browsing.
In terms of software, Windows laptops support a range of desktop programs, whereas Chromebooks primarily use web apps or Android apps from the Google Play Store. Because of their differences, Chromebooks tend to be more affordable since they are primarily designed for basic, everyday tasks. Windows laptops can range in price from budget to premium, with the latter suitable for gaming, professionals or creatives.
What's the difference between macOS and Windows?
When it comes to macOS and Windows, they’re basically two different worlds in the realm of computers, each with its own personality. MacOS is sleek, minimal and feels pretty intuitive, especially if you like things that just “work” out of the box. Apple designs macOS to work in tandem with its hardware, so if you have an iOS device like an iPhone or an iPad, the whole ecosystem syncs up seamlessly.
Windows is more like the jack-of-all-trades. It's known for being super flexible and customizable. Whether you want to tweak how things look or run a wide variety of software, Windows gives you that freedom. It's also more widely used in business settings, mainly because it's been around longer and is compatible with tons of different programs and hardware.
Recent updates
March 2025: Updated one of our top picks and added new information about AI PCs.
September 2024: Added an FAQ section.
July 2024: We updated our top picks to include the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-windows-laptop-130018256.html?src=rss
Evan Feinman, who directed the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program meant to bring high-speed internet access to rural areas, exited the role on Friday after he was not reappointed for a new term, according to ProPublica’s Craig Silverman. In an email sent to staffers, which Silverman shared screenshots of on Bluesky, Feinman warned against changes proposed by the new administration that could “benefit technology that delivers slower speeds at higher costs to the household paying the bill” in order to line Elon Musk's pockets.
BEAD was established in 2021, and the new Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick recently announced that the Commerce Department would be overhauling the program, which he said has “not connected a single person to the internet” due to the previous administration's handling of it. In a statement, Lutnick called for a “tech-neutral stance,” which would do away with the preference for faster fiber connections and open the door for a shift toward satellite internet like that offered by Elon Musk’s Starlink. Lutnick also slammed “woke mandates, favoritism towards certain technologies, and burdensome regulations.”
In the email shared on Sunday, Feinman urged colleagues to speak up in favor of removing “needless requirements,” but warned against a shift away from fiber. The bottom line is, he wrote:
The new administration seems to want to make changes that ignore the clear direction laid out by Congress, reduce the number of American homes and businesses that get fiber connections, and increase the number that get satellite connections. The degree of that shift remains unknown, but regardless of size, it will be a disservice to rural and small-town America. Stranding all or part of rural America with worse internet so that we can make the world’s richest man even richer is yet another in a long line of betrayals by Washington.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/director-of-rural-broadband-program-exits-with-a-warning-about-shift-to-worse-satellite-internet-223204374.html?src=rss
American flag displayed on a laptop screen and Starlink logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on March 11, 2025. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
If ever a game presents me with an opportunity to perform completely absurd aerial tricks, you best believe I will be flipping as much as possible. InJump Truck, a 3D solo racing game for Playdate by Tabortop Games, flips can work either to your benefit or detriment as you try to score the fastest finish time for each of a series of race tracks. Throwing in some flips may help to shave several seconds off your final time, but it could also send your truck hurtling into the abyss. It’s a delicate balance that I’ve been having a real hoot pushing to its limit.
Jump Truck features seven levels made up of straightaways, tight turns, long winding roads, ramps and short platforms with abrupt dropoffs to navigate at high speeds on your way to the floating vortex that serves as the finish line. You need to find the shortcuts to get the gold, and successfully making use of those often requires clearing huge gaps. That’s where flipping really comes in handy. Frontflips will give you more speed and help you cross greater distances in the air, while backflips will slow you down so you don’t overshoot your landing. You can flip using either the D-pad or the crank, but the latter can be pretty hard to coordinate if you want to seamlessly resume driving and steering.
There are a bunch of silly achievements to unlock as you progress (or die over and over), like the “Soar Like an Eagle” award for spending a quarter of your time flying through the air on any given level. Jump Truck seems like it’d be the type of game that only holds your attention for a little while at a time, but I keep getting sucked into it for much longer than I expect to, thanks to the challenge of trying to hit certain shortcuts. It’s unexpectedly addicting.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-playdate-game-jump-truck-is-a-flippin-good-time-203140598.html?src=rss
A still from the Playdate game Jump Truck showing a pickup truck on a winding race track with speed lines all around it, and the moon in the distance ahead
The so-called iPhone 17 Air, which is rumored to be coming this fall, is said to be Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever. But, if the company had gone through some of its earlier plans for the device, slimness may not have been the most talked-about element. In the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes that Apple at one time planned to ditch the USB-C port “to make the Air device Apple’s first completely port-free iPhone.”
The company reportedly shelved the idea to avoid sparking fresh problems with EU regulators. According to Gurman, however, Apple is still holding onto it for future slim iPhones depending on the success of the iPhone 17 Air. Apple is expected to release four iPhones this year, in line with its strategy of the last few years, with the one currently nicknamed the iPhone 17 Air being roughly 2 millimeters thinner than the rest. Leaker Sonny Dickson this weekend shared a series of photos said to be of iPhone 17 dummies, showing just how slim the Air could look alongside the rest of the family.
Gurman reports that the iPhone 17 Air will be priced at around $900, sitting between the entry-level iPhone 17 and the two higher-end models with similar battery life to what we’re already used to, a roughly 6.6-inch screen, Dynamic Island and the Camera Control button. Of course, nothing’s been confirmed officially yet, but the iPhone 17 rumors and leaks are sure to keep coming over the next few months.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-considered-making-the-rumored-iphone-17-air-completely-port-free-according-to-report-165334942.html?src=rss
We’ve recently heard rumors that Apple is working on the next generation of its Studio Display, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman now reports that there may actually be two new models in the works. Building on his previous reporting about a potential update to the 2022 Studio Display that could be released next year, Gurman writes this weekend in the Power On newsletter that sources have told him “Apple is working on a second new monitor.” The first is code-named J427, while the second is reportedly being referred to as J527.
It’s been three years since Apple introduced the $1,599 27-inch Studio Display and twice that since the release of the $5,000 Pro Display XDR. Considering the age of both monitors, Gurman says one of two scenarios may play out, either that “Apple is developing both and will choose one to launch, or it’s a second model with a different screen size or set of specifications.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/apple-is-reportedly-working-on-two-new-versions-of-the-studio-display-145521711.html?src=rss
According toDeadline, Humans writers Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent are working on an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1953 novella, The Variable Man. The show is being produced by Motive Pictures in a partnership with Electric Shepherd Productions, which is run by the late author’s daughter, Isa Dick Hackett. The Variable Man follows a tinkerer turned accidental time traveler named Thomas Cole, who is transported from 1913 into the future and suddenly finds himself a reluctant player in an interplanetary conflict.
It’s being written for a UK broadcaster, according to Deadline, but there may be hope for a US release. “When you’ve got Sam and John doing what they did so brilliantly with Humans and exploring the modern world through a genre lens, it is something that can absolutely attract broadcasters in the US,” Motive CEO Simon Maxwell told the publication. I really enjoyed The Variable Man back when I read it and I’ll give any PKD adaptation a chance, so here’s hoping we get another good one in this series.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/a-show-based-on-philip-k-dicks-the-variable-man-is-in-the-works-221301434.html?src=rss
