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Amazon’s Zoox will test its robotaxis in Dallas and Phoenix
4 hours ago
by Andre Revilla
Transportation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
Amazon’s self-driving subsidiary Zoox announced on Monday that it will begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Dallas and Phoenix. The company will initially deploy retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs with human safety drivers to map the new cities before eventually rolling out its purpose-built robotaxis.
Zoox says these two cities will offer a chance to test its sensors and battery performance in unique conditions its cars haven't yet encountered in existing markets. Phoenix experiences extreme heat, dust and high-speed roads, while Dallas has more sprawling roads and varied weather compared to other cities where Zoox operates. The company is also opening new
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iPad Air M4 review: Still Apple's best overall tablet, with a few caveats
5 hours ago
by Nathan Ingraham
Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Nathan Ingraham
Perhaps one of the most surprising things about the Apple Silicon era is how quickly Apple now updates its products. Take the iPad Air, for example. It’s been less than two years since the company released the M2-powered iPad Air in 11- and 13-inch sizes. We’re already on our third iPad Air iteration, one with the M4 inside. That’s the same chip that was inside the iPad Pro that was unveiled alongside that M2-powered Air in 2024. (The Pro was updated with an M5 last fall.)
Just as I said a year ago when Apple unveiled the iPad Air M3, this
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iPhone 17e review: The economical choice
5 hours ago
by Cherlynn Low
Smart Phones, Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cherlynn Low
By introducing the iPhone 17e just a year after the iPhone 16e, Apple is closing some gaps. Before, the company would only roll out a new entry-level iPhone every few years, with the iPhone 5c (2013), iPhone XR (2018) and iPhone SE (2016, 2020, 2022) all having two to four years between their releases. But Apple is getting into an annual groove now, and having renamed the device to integrate better with the rest of the iPhone lineup, Apple is making a clear statement: It cares about the midrange now.
With the current state of global economics, Apple’s focus on lower
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The 10 best sleep apps and gadgets for a better night's sleep in 2026
6 hours ago
by Amy Skorheim
Social & Online Media, Personal Finance - Lifestyle, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Amy Skorheim
Tech has a bad (and deserved) reputation as a sleep killer. Blue light, incessant scrolling and information onslaught conspire to keep us on edge and exiled from dreamland. But a few gadgets and apps out there may actually help us sleep. We’ve tried many such products over the years and have gathered the ones that actually did some good in this list. But first, take the arguably most important step towards good sleep: Use the sleep schedule on your phone (Android, iPhone). Once you’ve done that, check out the best sleep gadgets below and prepare to shuffle off to the
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The best air purifier for 2026
6 hours ago
by Amy Skorheim
Allergies, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Amy Skorheim
As houses and apartments get more energy efficient, they also get more airtight, limiting air exchange with the outside world. That’s partly why indoor air is often far more polluted than outdoor air. Synthetic building materials, cleaning products, pet dander, cooking emissions and smoke all conspire to muck up what we breathe in. In our tests, the best way to get the green light from our air quality monitors was opening the windows. But bad weather, wildfires and high pollen-count days mean you can’t always do that. Air purifiers are your next best option. Their combination of specialized filters, fans
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Qualcomm's new Arduino Ventuno Q is an AI-focused computer designed for robotics
7 hours ago
by Steve Dent
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Qualcomm, which purchased microcontroller board manufacturer Arduino last year, just announced a new single-board computer that marries AI with robotics. Called the Arduino Ventuno Q, it uses Qualcomm's Dragonwing IQ8 processor along with a dedicated STM32H5 low-latency microcontroller (MCU). "Ventuno Q is engineered specifically for systems that move, manipulate and respond to the physical world with precision and reliability," the company wrote on the product page.
The Ventuno Q is more sophisticated (and expensive) than Arduinio's usual AIO boards, thanks to the Dragonwing IQ8 processor that includes an 8-core ARM Cortex CPU, Adreno Arm Cortex A623 GPU and Hexagon Tensor NPU
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NetEase is reportedly pulling funding for Yakuza creator's studio
a day ago
by Jackson Chen
Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen
The hype for Gang of Dragon, the debut game from Nagoshi Studio, may already be getting derailed. According to a Bloomberg report, Chinese tech giant NetEase is going to stop financing Nagoshi Studio starting in May. Bloomberg confirmed the news with the studio's employees and a NetEase spokesperson.
The report explained that NetEase decided to cut funding to Nagoshi Studio, which was founded in 2021 by Yakuza franchise creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, after finding out the studio needed $44.4 million to complete the project. Bloomberg reported that Nagoshi Studio is trying to find new sponsors but hasn't had any success so far.
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Apple is reportedly looking into 3D printing aluminum iPhones and Apple Watches
a day ago
by Jackson Chen
Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen
There could be even more 3D-printed Apple products coming in the future. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is exploring ways to 3D print aluminum to make the manufacturing processes for iPhones and Apple Watches more efficient.
Gurman reported that this new production process could specifically change how Apple makes its watch casings as well as iPhone enclosures. It's not the first time Apple has tapped into 3D printing, since both the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11 were partially built with 3D-printed titanium that's 100 percent recycled. More recently, Apple used its 3D printing process to create the titanium
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OpenAI's robotics hardware lead resigns following deal with the Department of Defense
a day ago
by Jackson Chen
Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen
OpenAI's robotics hardware lead is out. Caitlin Kalinowski, who oversaw hardware within the robotics division of OpenAI, posted on X that she was resigning from her role, while criticizing the company's haste in partnering with the Department of Defense without investigating proper guardrails. OpenAI told Engadget that there are no plans to replace Kalinowski.
Kalinowski, who previously worked at Meta before leaving to join OpenAI in late 2024, wrote on X that "surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got." Responding to another post, the former OpenAI exec
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OpenAI is reportedly pushing back the launch of its 'adult mode' even further
2 days ago
by Jackson Chen
Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen
Here comes another disappointment for ChatGPT users. As first reported by Sources' Alex Heath, OpenAI is yet again delaying its "adult mode" for ChatGPT. A company spokesperson told Heath that "we're pushing out the launch of adult mode so we can focus on work that is a higher priority for more users right now."
More specifically, OpenAI's spokesperson said that things like "gains in intelligence, personality improvements, personalization, and making the experience more proactive" were being prioritized instead. However, the company still wants to release an adult mode, but it would "take more time," according to the company spokesperson.
The reveal of
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NASA's DART spacecraft changed a binary asteroid's orbit around the sun, in a first for a human-made object
2 days ago
by Cheyenne MacDonald
Science, Space & Astronomy, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cheyenne MacDonald
When NASA crashed a spacecraft into the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022, it altered both Dimorphos' orbit around its parent asteroid, Didymos, and the two objects' orbit around the sun, according to new research. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in a press release that this "marks the first time a human-made object has measurably altered the path of a celestial body around the Sun." It's a promising result as scientists work to find a feasible method of defending Earth from hazardous space objects.
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission was designed to demonstrate one possible way of deflecting such
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Indonesia announces a social media ban for anyone under 16
2 days ago
by Jackson Chen
Politics & Government, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen
Following in the footsteps of Australia, Indonesia will be the latest country to limit social media usage for children under 16. Meutya Hafid, Indonesia's communication and digital affairs minister, announced that a new government regulation will require "high-risk" platforms to delete any accounts from Indonesia that are under 16, starting on March 28.
Hafid said in the announcement that the implementation would be done in stages, starting with major platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Roblox and Bigo Live, a live-streaming platform based in Singapore. The minister added that all platforms will have to fulfill compliance obligations from the
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Roblox introduces real-time AI-powered chat rephraser for inappropriate language
2 days ago
by Mariella Moon
Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon
Roblox has launched a feature powered by AI that can rephrase inappropriate language in real time. The online game has been using AI filters to block out any language that goes against its policy for a while now, but it has been replacing censored chats with a series of hash signs (####). Roblox admits that encountering too many hashmarks can be disruptive and make conversations hard to follow. This new feature will instead replace words and phrases with what the AI deems as more appropriate substitutes.
Rajiv Bhatia, Roblox’s Chief Safety Office, said the game is starting with profanity. For instance,
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Engadget review recap: Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy Buds 4, Dell XPS 14 and more
2 days ago
by Billy Steele
Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Billy Steele
It’s a busy time for the reviews team and Engadget, and with Apple announcing new devices this week, we aren’t letting up any time soon. New products from Samsung, Dell, Google and ASUS headline the roundup this time, and we’ve got a few unique items to discuss as well. Read on to catch up on anything you might’ve missed, including the latest installment of Pokémon.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S26 ULTRA
This year’s Samsung flagship phone may not impress you with a load of new features, but there’s one in particular that senior reporter Sam Rutherford was wowed by. “This goes double for the
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Dell XPS 14 (2026) review: A beautiful laptop that excels at almost everything… except typing
2 days ago
by Devindra Hardawar
Computing, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Devindra Hardawar
There is so much to love about Dell's new XPS 14, it's hard for me to discuss it without sounding like a total fanboy. Its new design makes it incredibly thin and light. And Intel's Panther Lake chips give it a ton of power, even when it comes to games. After reviving the XPS brand from last year's ignominious rebranding, it's as if Dell was laser-focused on fixing all the issues we've had with the XPS 14 so far.
Unfortunately, a shallow, unresponsive and hilariously error-prone keyboard kept me from truly loving the XPS 14. Simply put, it has trouble recognizing
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Slay the Spire 2, Scott Pilgrim EX and other new indie games worth checking out
2 days ago
by Kris Holt
Media, Video Games, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. We've got a lot of new and upcoming games to highlight this week, and those are on top of all of our coverage of the Nintendo Indie World stream the other day. Nintendo packed a lot of news into that 18-minute stream, including the sudden arrivals of three great games — Blue Prince, Minishoot' Adventures and Öoo — on Switch and/or Switch 2.
The company revealed release dates for a bunch of games we've had on our radar, such as InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories (April 30),
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Valve doesn't sound confident the Steam Machine will ship in 2026
3 days ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
As part of a Year in Review blog detailing changes Valve made to Steam in 2025, the company shared a minor update on its hardware plans that doesn't sound good for anyone hoping to buy a Steam Machine, Steam Controller or Steam Frame in 2026. Specifically, the company is now opening up the possibility its new hardware won't ship this year at all.
In February, when Valve acknowledged the ongoing memory and storage shortage had delayed the launch of its hardware and could lead to higher prices, the company was still committing to a (fairly wide) window of when its hardware
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Netflix's version of Overcooked lets you play as Huntr/x
3 days ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Media, Arts & Entertainment, Consumer Discretionary, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
Netflix's library of streamable party games is expanding today with a custom version of Overcooked! All You Can Eat. Netflix launched its cloud gaming program with games like Lego Party and Tetris Time Warp, but Overcooked feels a bit unique because it features a roster of Netflix-affiliated characters from KPop Demon Hunters and Stranger Things.
For the uninitiated, Overcooked plays like a more manic version of Diner Dash, where teams attempt to prepare food together in increasingly elaborate kitchens filled with obstacles. The original version of Overcooked! All You Can Eat was released in 2020, and includes DLC and stages from
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Nintendo is suing the US government over Trump's tariffs
3 days ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Politics & Government, Company Legal & Law Matters, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
Nintendo of America is suing the US government, including the Department of Treasury, Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection, over its tariff policy, Aftermath reports. The video game giant already raised prices on the Nintendo Switch in August 2025 in response to “market conditions,” but has so far left the price of its newer Switch 2 console unchanged.
Nintendo’s lawsuit, filed in the US Court of International Trade, cites a Supreme Court ruling from February that confirmed a lower courts’ opinion that the Trump administration’s global tariffs were illegal. Nintendo’s lawyers claim that the video game company
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Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro review: Impressive audio, imperfect ANC
3 days ago
by Billy Steele
Technology & Electronics, Consumer Discretionary, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Billy Steele
Samsung caught flak for the Galaxy Buds 3. The company’s mimicry of Apple’s AirPods was all too obvious last year when it opted for a stem or “blade” design after several generations of putting touch controls on the main housing of its earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro continue that trajectory, as Samsung keeps adding new features with direct parallels to AirPods. The good news is, both models have been improved in various ways, all while their prices stay the same.
A REFINED DESIGN THAT’S STILL TOO FAMILIAR
On last year’s Galaxy Buds models, Samsung introduced its “blade”
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Pokémon Pokopia review: Possibly the most charming Pokémon game yet
3 days ago
by Sam Rutherford
Video Games, Consumer Discretionary, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sam Rutherford
One of the biggest issues with mainline Pokémon games is that you're often so focused on catching, battling and trying to be the very best that you don't have time to stop and smell the flowers. But in Pokémon Pokopia, you're rewarded for doing just that while building a loving community of friendly monsters. The game is one part Animal Crossing and one part Dragon Quest Builders sprinkled with a touch of Minecraft and Stardew Valley. he result might be one of the coziest, most wholesome life sims on the market.
SETUP AND GAMEPLAY
In Pokopia, you play as a Ditto, who
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COPPA 2.0 passes the Senate again, unanimously this time
3 days ago
by Anna Washenko
Politics & Government, Government, Legislative Branch, Social & Online Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
Today the US Senate unanimously passed proposed legislation known as COPPA 2.0. This measure, fully named the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, aims to create new protections for younger users online, such as blocking platforms from collecting their personal data without consent.
COPPA 2.0 is a modernized take on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, attempting to address recent changes in common online activities, like targeted advertising, that could prove harmful to minors. Lawmakers have made several attempts to get this bipartisan bill through. While it has made varying amounts of headway in the Senate, none of
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Capcom's long-delayed Pragmata is now arriving a week earlier
3 days ago
by Andre Revilla
Media, Video Games, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
Capcom revealed during its March 5 Spotlight showcase that Pragmata, its repeatedly delayed dystopian sci-fi adventure game, will release on April 17 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam. The game had been set for April 24 since its appearance at The Game Awards in December.
The game’s new trailer shows previously unseen locations and gameplay moments, and new elements within the Shelter, the in-game lunar base. Pragmata was first revealed in 2020 with a 2022 release window. Capcom then delayed it to 2023, then went radio silent on the project before resurfacing with a
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Rad Power Bikes gets a new owner, pledge to build bikes in the US
3 days ago
by Matt Tate
Investment & Company Information, Finance, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
Life EV has completed a court-approved acquisition of Rad Power Bikes, granting a second life to the troubled e-bike brand.
The Florida-based Life EV now owns Rad’s brand, intellectual property, inventory and certain unspecified operating assets, and will continue to operate as Rad Power Bikes in the US, with plans to expand to "select key markets."
Rad’s new owner has committed to honoring certain warranties and gift cards purchased prior to the acquisition, and says new bikes will be built in the US going forward. Life EV will adopt a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) structure for its manufacturing operations, allowing it to
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Engadget Podcast: Is the MacBook Neo the one?
3 days ago
by Devindra Hardawar
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Devindra Hardawar
It's been a wild week for Apple. After announcing a slew of new hardware, the company capped things off with its cheapest laptop ever: the $599 MacBook Neo. It's low on specs, but high on character and value. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham dive into the MacBook Neo, as well as the refreshed MacBook Air M5, MacBook Pro M5 Pro/Max, iPad Air M4 and iPhone 17e.
Also, Devindra chats with Spencer Ackerman, author of Forever Wars and recent Iron Man comics, about the ongoing battle between Anthropic and the Department of Defense. It turns out the
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The Morning After: Apple takes on cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks with the $599 MacBook Neo
3 days ago
by Mat Smith
Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mat Smith
Right off the back of the iPhone 17e, new iPads and MacBook Airs, Apple also announced a keenly priced new laptop. The MacBook Neo is a multi-colored low-cost Mac ($599), running on an iPhone chipset with most but not all of the hardware features you find on the MacBook Air and Pro. All models of the MacBook Neo ship with an extremely scant 8GB of RAM, which might be the main productivity bottleneck for demanding tasks.
The Neo has a 13-inch Retina display, a 1080p webcam, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack and optional Touch ID, if you're willing to pay
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UK government delays AI copyright rules amid artist outcry
3 days ago
by Steve Dent
Politics & Government, Government, Celebrities, Information Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
The UK government is working on a controversial data bill that would allow AI companies like Google and OpenAI to train their models on copyrighted materials without consent. However, following a two month consultation, it looks like passage of the law will be delayed. "Copyright is going to be kicked down the road," a person with knowledge of the matter told The Financial Times.
Responses by stakeholders during the consultation period weren't favorable to any of the government's proposed ideas for use of copyrighted materials, the FT's sources said. There's no expectation now that an AI bill will be part of
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Anthropic says it will challenge Defense Department's supply chain risk designation in court
4 days ago
by Mariella Moon
Politics & Government, Government Agencies, Government, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon
In a new blog post, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has admitted that it received a letter from the Defense Department, officially labeling it a supply chain risk. He said he doesn’t “believe this action is legally sound,” and that his company sees “no choice” but to challenge it in court. Hours before Amodei published the post, the Pentagon announced that it notified the company that its “products are deemed a supply chain risk, effective immediately.”
If you’ll recall, the Defense Department (called the Department of War under the current administration) threatened to give the company the designation typically reserved for firms
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X's Exclusive Threads feature lets creators paywall the end of tweet threads
4 days ago
by Anna Washenko
Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
Today, X announced some updates to its creator subscriptions platform. The leading change gives participating accounts the option to make part of tweet threads only visible to subscribers. This new Creator Subscriptions feature is called Exclusive Threads, an ironic name choice given X's main text-based social media posting competitor is called Threads.
> Creator Subscriptions 2.0 is here: powerful new tools to grow your subscribers and earn more.
>
> Introducing Exclusive Threads — lock any post in a thread for subscribers only. Tease in the parent, monetize the rest. Subscribe buttons are now embedded directly in the conversation. pic.twitter.com/j8Bg3bMDiW
>
> —
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Amazon.com is on the mend after experiencing technical issues
4 days ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Internet & Networking Technology, Professional Services, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
Amazon's website appears to be stabilizing after experiencing technical issues that kept users from logging in and prevented prices from displaying correctly. DownDetector reported a spike of outage reports around 2PM ET, but as of 5:56PM ET, user complaints have fallen significantly.
The Amazon.com homepage currently loads, and Engadgets staff have been able to load product pages and view prices without any problems. During the peak of the site’s issues, neither were loading consistently, and clicking through in some cases showed an error page with text that says "Sorry, something went wrong on our end." Users also reported being unable to
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Xbox CEO confirms next-gen 'Project Helix' console will play PC games
4 days ago
by Devindra Hardawar
Technology & Electronics, Game Consoles, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Devindra Hardawar
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is gearing up to spill the beans on Microsoft’s next-generation console. In a post on X today, she revealed that the system is codenamed “Project Helix.” Confirming previous rumors, she says it will “lead in performance” and play both console and PC games. Sharma also notes that she’ll be discussing the system at GDC next week with partners and developers.
The next-gen console tease follows Sharma’s appointment as Xbox CEO a few weeks ago, after former Xbox head Phil Spencer stepped down. Last year, it was clear that things were rocky for Microsoft’s storied gaming brand, and
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How to watch Frost Fatales 2026, kicking off on March 8
4 days ago
by Anna Washenko
Sports & Recreation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
It feels like we could all use a little (or a large) boost of joy and optimism right now, so it's a perfect coincidence that a Games Done Quick event is on the horizon. Frost Fatales 2026 is running from March 8 through March 14. This week-long livestream will be raising money for the National Women's Law Center, a nonprofit working toward gender justice for women and girls.
GDQ events have been branching out with more ways to tune in for the speedrunning fun. Frost Fatales 2026 will be a streaming on the GDQ Twitch channel as usual, but the organization
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The Playdate Catalog's 3-year anniversary sale is here
4 days ago
by Cheyenne MacDonald
Video Games, Consumer Discretionary, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cheyenne MacDonald
If your Playdate wishlist is anything like mine (endless), here's a good excuse to actually go ahead and free some of those games from limbo: Panic is running a two-week-long sale on the Playdate Catalog to celebrate its three-year anniversary. Sure, the majority of Playdate games are pretty cheap as is, but they can still add up when you're on a wild purchasing spree. Ask me how I know! The sale will be running from March 5 until March 19 at 1PM ET (10AM PT), so take advantage of the discounts while you can.
There are 423 games available in the
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Google reportedly muzzles Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney until 2032
4 days ago
by Mariella Moon
Business, Company Legal & Law Matters, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon
Epic Games’ courtroom battle with Google is over, but it’s reportedly going to affect how its CEO can speak about the tech giant for years for years to come. According to The Verge, part of the settlement terms Epic had signed has a clause stating that Epic and Sweeney will have to speak positively about Google’s competitiveness and app store operations going forward. “Epic believes that the Google and Android platform, with the changes in this term sheet, are procompetitive and a model for app store / platform operations, and will make good faith efforts to advocate for the same,”
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Roku is launching a trivia game called... Roklue?
4 days ago
by Will Shanklin
Media, Consumer Discretionary, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Will Shanklin
Who needs Half-Life 3 or Beyond Good & Evil 2? Roku, in an attempt to gamify content discovery on its platform, has cooked up a gaming announcement for the ages. Behold: Roklue. Yes, that's a real name that someone with a job title and (likely high) salary came up with.
Roklue (shudder) will quiz players on "the movies and TV shows that everyone is talking about," along with classic "beloved favorites." When it references a movie or show, it will provide a link for you to tune in on your device. The initial version is an Oscar season tie-in ("Roklue: Awards
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Netflix just bought an AI startup founded by Ben Affleck
4 days ago
by Lawrence Bonk
Celebrities, Finance, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk
Netflix has acquired an AI filmmaking startup called InterPositive, according to a report by Variety. This is a company that was founded by actor Ben Affleck back in 2022. Don't worry if you haven't heard of it. Affleck has been operating the company in stealth mode for the past few years, so this is pretty much it's big coming-out party.
The terms of the acquisition haven't been disclosed, but Affleck will remain on as a senior advisor to Netflix. Additionally, the entire staff will be absorbed into the streaming platform.
Affleck says he started the company after "observing the early rise of
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Meta hit with a class action lawsuit over smart glasses' privacy claims
4 days ago
by Karissa Bell
Financial Fraud Prevention, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell
Meta is facing a class action lawsuit for false advertising related to its AI glasses following reports about the company's use of human contractors to review footage captured from users' glasses. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco, alleges that Meta's claims about the devices' privacy features have misled users.
The lawsuit comes after a Swedish newspaper reported that subcontractors in Kenya have raised concerns about viewing footage recorded via Ray-Ban Meta glasses. According to Svenska Dagbladet, workers have reported witnessing "intimate" material, including bathroom visits, sexual encounters and other private details as part of their job labeling
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I hope you like spreadsheets, because GPT-5.4 loves them
4 days ago
by Igor Bonifacic
Software, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic
OpenAI is releasing a new model today, and like GPT-5.2 before it, GPT-5.4 is all about professional work. OpenAI is calling GPT-5.4 its most capable frontier model for tasks like coding and data analysis. OpenAI claims the new model produced presentations with stronger, more varied aesthetics and made more effective use of its image generation tools.
It's also the first model from OpenAI built with native computer-use capabilities, making it better at carrying out tasks across several apps at the same time. When it comes to computer use, one noticeable improvement OpenAI has recorded is the way GPT-5.4 issues mouse and
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The National Videogame Museum has acquired the mythical Nintendo Playstation
4 days ago
by Matt Tate
Technology & Electronics, Game Consoles, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
It might sound like the stuff of daydreams now, but once upon a time it was briefly the very real intention of Sony and Nintendo to collaborate on a console. Nicknamed the Nintendo PlayStation, the idea was that a new CD-ROM format backed by Sony would be added to the cartridge-based Super NES, resulting in a hybrid console that could play both.
The partnership didn’t last long, though, with Nintendo backing out before it ever really got off the ground, announcing that it would instead be working with Philips. Sony decided to make the PlayStation on its own instead, in an
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Google begins calling out battery-killing Android apps
4 days ago
by Will Shanklin
Software, Mobile Apps, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Will Shanklin
Google is living up to its word and posting warning labels for battery-killing apps. 9to5Google spotted Google's rollout announcement, which the company previously said would arrive on March 1.
The label says, “This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity.” If you don't yet see the warnings, they may not have reached you yet. Google says the banners will "roll out gradually to impacted apps" in the coming weeks.
Play Store battery warning
Google
Warning labels aren’t the only stick in Google’s fight against infringing apps. They may also be excluded from discovery services like Play Store recommendations.
Google's definition
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Google pledges roughly three hours of its annual profit to fight climate change
4 days ago
by Andre Revilla
Science, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
Google has pledged "at least" $50 million through 2030 on "projects designed to eliminate superpollutants." The company will be joined by a handful of other companies including Amazon and Salesforce in the newly formed Superpollutant Action Initiative.
In total, these companies have committed $100 million to the project, hoping to "accelerate the reduction" of superpollutants like methane, black carbon and refrigerant gases. Google says these are responsible for close to half of all planetary warming.
"Superpollutants are a major part of the equation to limit atmospheric warming. Experts agree that eliminating them where we can is one of the most powerful levers
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Canadian government says OpenAI will take further steps to strengthen safety protocols
4 days ago
by Lawrence Bonk
Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk
The Canadian government says that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has agreed to take steps to immediately strengthen safety protocols, according to a report by Wall Street Journal. This follows a mass shooting incident at a high school in which OpenAI flagged the suspect and suspended his account, but did not alert authorities.
These changes look to primarily involve law enforcement, with commitments to notify police about potentially suspicious use of ChatGPT. We don't have any confirmation from the company at this time, but Canada's Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon says he "asked OpenAI to take several actions, which Altman has agreed
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Oura buys gesture-navigation startup DoublePoint
4 days ago
by Matt Tate
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
Smart ring maker Oura has acquired Doublepoint, a company that specializes in gesture recognition for wearables. The Finnish startup uses smartwatches and wristbands as examples of products that benefit from its technology, but Oura will clearly be looking to incorporate it into its rings, in theory allowing you to control your connected devices with hand movements.
Oura said in a press release that the deal sees it inherit an "exceptional team of AI architects and builders from Doublepoint," including Doublepoint's four founders. The newly-acquired company will remain in its native Helsinki, where it will work with Oura’s international teams.
It added that
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Everything you need to know about streaming F1 on Apple TV
4 days ago
by Billy Steele
Motor Racing, Technology & Electronics, Sports & Recreation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Billy Steele
We’ve known Apple would follow up its blockbuster film F1: The Movie with live coverage of F1 races in 2026. Now that we’re approaching the first grand prix weekend of the year, the company has provided details on what fans can expect to see inside the Apple TV app and beyond.
There’s already a dedicated F1 channel in the Apple TV app, which is where you’ll stream races live when the time comes. You can also watch practice sessions, sprint races and both pre- and post-race coverage. Apple offers a number of additional F1 videos there (I’d recommend watching the one
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Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review: The stealth upgrade
4 days ago
by Sam Rutherford
Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sam Rutherford
You'd be forgiven for thinking that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra looks a lot like the last four models. That's because it does, right down to its general design and rear camera layout. But on Samsung's latest flagship phone, some stealthy upgrades are hidden beneath its classic blocky silhouette that might go unnoticed by the casual observer. Those help make this year's release feel like a better deal than its most recent predecessor. It remains rather expensive, starting at the same $1,300 as before, but considering the price of RAM these days, that almost feels like a blessing. So while