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The best VPN deals: Up to 88 percent off ProtonVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and more
9 hours ago
by Sam Chapman
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sam Chapman
In a chaotic world, one thing you can count on is your own common-sense steps toward better cybersecurity. January is a great time to grab a subscription for yourself or a loved one, as a few holiday sales are (inexplicably) still happening. With access to a virtual private network (VPN), you can stream TV shows and events from all over the world, protect your information from hackers and thwart online trackers.
We strongly recommend using a VPN, but you might get stuck with a substandard app if you jump on the very first deal you see. You might also mistakenly end
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Civilization VII comes to Apple Arcade in February
9 hours ago
by Will Shanklin
Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Will Shanklin
The App Store is a home for many kinds of apps (including, inexplicably, one that lets users undress strangers without their consent). But hey, it also has games! And soon the store's Apple Arcade service will include one more: the not-so-highly rated Civilization VII.
Apple announced on Wednesday that Sid Meier's Civilization VII will arrive almost exactly a year after launch. The game is already available for Apple devices, but its arrival on Apple Arcade will be a first.
Civilization VII arrives on Apple Arcade on February 5.
Firaxis Games / Apple
“Free (for Apple Arcade subscribers)” may be the right pricing for the
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California is investigating Grok over AI-generated CSAM and nonconsensual deepfakes
10 hours ago
by Karissa Bell
Society & Culture, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell
California authorities have launched an investigation into xAI following weeks of reports that the chatbot was generating sexualized images of children. "xAI appears to be facilitating the large-scale production of deepfake nonconsensual intimate images that are being used to harass women and girls across the internet, including via the social media platform X," California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said in a statement.
The statement cited a report that "more than half of the 20,000 images generated by xAI between Christmas and New Years depicted people in minimal clothing," including some that appeared to be children. "We have zero tolerance for
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Save up to 78 percent on ExpressVPN two-year plans right now
10 hours ago
by Andre Revilla
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
ExpressVPN is back on sale again, and its two-year plans are up to 78 percent off right now. You can get the Advanced tier for $101 for 28 months. This is marked down from the $392 that this time frame normally costs. On a per-month basis, it works out to roughly $3.59 for the promo period.
We’ve consistently liked ExpressVPN because it’s fast, easy to use and widely available across a large global server network. In fact, it's our current pick for best premium VPN. One of the biggest drawbacks has always been its high cost, and this deal temporarily solves
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PS Plus Game Catalog additions for January include Resident Evil Village and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
12 hours ago
by Lawrence Bonk
Video Games, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk
Sony just announced January's Game Catalog additions for PS Plus subscribers and it's a fantastic lineup. All of these titles will be ready to play on January 20.
First up, there's Resident Evil Village. This is a direct sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. It's a full game with plenty of jump scares and an engrossing narrative. It's set in a spooky village, thus the name, and a nearby castle. This shouldn't disappoint fans of the franchise and will be available for both PS4 and PS5.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a 2024 sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It
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He could just turn it off
12 hours ago
by Avery Ellis
Society & Culture, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Avery Ellis
Generative AI, we are repeatedly told, is a transformative and complicated technology. So complicated that its own creators are unable to explain why it acts the way it does, and so transformative that we'd be fools to stand in the way of progress. Even when progress resembles a machine for undressing strangers without their consent on an unprecedented scale, as has been the case of late with Elon Musk's Grok chatbot.
UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer seems to have so fully bought into the grand lie of the AI bubble that he was willing to announce:
> "I have been informed this
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How to turn off a VPN on iPhone
12 hours ago
by Sam Chapman
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sam Chapman
Look, virtual private networks are great — I wouldn't have made a list of the best VPNs if I didn't recommend using them. But being able to control your own technology is also important. A VPN can provide protection and peace of mind when used properly, but you may not want it active on your phone all the time.
For example: Are your Google search results suddenly in German? That’s one example of what can happen if you leave your virtual location set to Berlin or Vienna. Or maybe a VPN you installed for work or to watch a single tennis
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Get three months of Audible for only $3
12 hours ago
by Lawrence Bonk
Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk
Have a hankering for some audiobooks? Audible is holding one heck of a sale right now, giving users three months of access for $3. That's a dollar per month. This is something of a winter tradition for the Amazon-owned platform and the promotion ends on January 21.
An Audible subscription grants one audiobook per month to keep. This can be selected from a massive catalog of new releases and bestsellers. The collection here has just about everything.
However, it's easy to plow through a single book in a month. Users also get streaming access to thousands of curated titles. Think of it
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The first-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are $150 off right now
13 hours ago
by Andre Revilla
Audio Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
The first-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are on sale right now for $280, marked down from $430. That 35 percent savings is an even steeper discount than we saw last year Black Friday.
In our review of the first-generation Ultras, we gave them a score of 86 out of 100, noting their best-in-class active noise cancellation (ANC) and comfort. Bose improved its stock tuning for these headphones, which we could immediately tell sounded warmer and clearer. Bose has typically lagged behind the likes of Sony and Sennheiser in raw sound quality, but the first-generation QuietComfort Ultra was a big step toward
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The latest Animal Crossing: New Horizons expansion has arrived earlier than expected
14 hours ago
by Matt Tate
Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
For a number of very obvious reasons, we don’t want to roll back the clock to early 2020. No thank you. But if there was a feel-good lockdown story, it was the perfectly timed arrival of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which allowed friends who could no longer meet up IRL to do so virtually on their carefully pruned islands.
The game will almost certainly never be as popular as it was back then again, but Nintendo is hoping a good chunk of lapsed islanders will return for its latest DLC drop, which has arrived a day earlier than planned. As spotted
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The Mac mini M4 is back on sale for $499
14 hours ago
by Sarah Fielding
Shopping, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sarah Fielding
The holiday season may be behind us, but that doesn't mean you can't still find good deals on some of our favorite tech. Take the Apple Mac mini M4, which is on sale for $100 off. The 17 percent discount gives you 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD for $499, which is only about $20 more than its Black Friday sale price. Its beefier models are also on sale: opting for 512GB of SSD will cost you $689, down from $799, while also upping your RAM to 24GB is available for $890, dropping from $999.
We gave the Apple Mac
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Gemini can now pull context the rest of your Google apps, if you let it
14 hours ago
by Andre Revilla
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
Gemini is adding a feature that’s designed to feel more tailored to individual users. Once enabled, "Personal Intelligence" can pull context from across your Google ecosystem, including Gmail, Google Photos, Search and YouTube History, to gain specific insight that will shape its answers and recommendations. Personal Intelligence is available starting today in the US for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. The feature is opt-in only and is off by default.
Google
Google says users will have the ability to control what apps Gemini pulls from and, in the future, which chats it uses Personal Intelligence for. The company says this new
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YouTube adds more parental controls, including a way to block teens from watching Shorts
15 hours ago
by Kris Holt
Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
YouTube is rolling out some additional parental controls, including a way to set time limits for viewing Shorts on teen accounts. In the near future, parents and guardians will be able to set the Shorts timer to zero on supervised accounts. "This is an industry-first feature that puts parents firmly in control of the amount of short-form content their kids watch," Jennifer Flannery O'Connor, YouTube's vice president of product management, wrote in a blog post. Along with that, take-a-break and bedtime reminders are now enabled by default for users aged 13-17.
The platform is also bringing in new principles, under which
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Our favorite 3-in-1 wireless charger from UGreen is 32 percent off right now
15 hours ago
by Anna Washenko
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
You can easily spruce up your nightstand or desk by decluttering a bit, replacing some of those annoying charging cables with a good wireless charging setup. One of our favorites that can handle three devices at once is the UGREEN MagFlow Qi2 3-in-1 Charger Station 25W. Normally $140, it's on sale right now for $95; that's 32 percent off and only about $5 more than its record-low price.
This is our top pick for a 3-in-1 charging pad thanks to its versatility. The UGREEN can work equally well as a permanent fixture in your home or act as a portable charging
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The Nintendo Switch 2025 year in review is finally here
15 hours ago
by Matt Tate
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
We’re almost exactly halfway through January, but Nintendo has clearly taken a better-late-than-never approach to its 2025 year in review feature, which finally went live this week for Switch and Switch 2 users. All you need to do is head here and sign into your Nintendo account to see your 2025 breakdown.
Like most annual gaming wrap-ups, Nintendo's shows how many games you played over the calendar year, as well as your total playtime. It also shows you your most-played titles for each month, your preferred genres by percentage, and if you scroll all the way to the bottom you can
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Pick up Apple's 25W MagSafe charger while it's down to $30
15 hours ago
by Steve Dent
Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
If you want a wireless charger for your iPhone and prefer to stick with Apple, Amazon has a sale that may pique your interest. The retailer is selling the one meter Apple Magsafe charger for $30, saving you $10 off the regular price, while also selling the two meter model for $40 ($10 off).
If you have an iPhone 16, iPhone 17 or iPhone Air, this cable can charge your device at 25W as long as it's connected to a 30W power adapter on the other end. While you'll need a more recent iPhone to get the fastest MagSafe charging speeds,
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NVIDIA rolls out DLSS 4.5 to all RTX GPUs
16 hours ago
by Kris Holt
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
Just a week after announcing the latest version of its image-upscaling tech at CES, NVIDIA is rolling out DLSS 4.5. The company released a beta version of the update last week. Starting today, all NVIDIA app users with a GeForce RTX GPU will be able to upgrade to the full release of DLSS 4.5.
NVIDIA says DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution (to give its full name) delivers sharper visuals and improved temporal stability. The 2nd Generation Super Resolution Transformer reduces ghosting and improves anti-aliasing in more than 400 games and apps, the company claims. "This second-generation model is our most sophisticated yet,
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Monarch Money deal: New users can get one year of access for only $50
16 hours ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Personal Budgeting, Banking & Budgeting, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
A new year is the perfect time to get your spending in order, and if you're not trying to build your own spreadsheet, budgeting apps are one of the best ways to do it. To save yourself some money in the process, you can pick up a year-long subscription to Monarch Money, one of Engadget's favorite budgeting apps, for just $50 if you use code NEWYEAR2026 at checkout and you're a new subscriber. That's a 50 percent discount on the service's normal $100 price.
Monarch Money makes for a capable and detailed budgeting companion. You can use the service via apps
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Fender's guitar lessons are coming to Samsung TVs later this year
16 hours ago
by Matt Tate
Software, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
We’ve all heard of couch surfing, but Fender and Samsung have made it their 2026 mission to make couch shredding a thing. Samsung TV users will soon be able to take guitar lessons from the comfort of their living rooms, with the first TV edition of the Fender Play app set to arrive in the first half of this year.
Debuted at CES, players can choose from video-based lessons for both electric and acoustic guitar, as well as bass and — for all the wannabe Jake Shimabukuros or George Formbys (one for the Brits) among you — the ukulele. There are
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Bandcamp prohibits music made ‘wholly or in substantial part’ by AI
16 hours ago
by Steve Dent
Music, Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Bandcamp has addressed the AI slop problem vexing musicians and their fans of late. The company is banning any music or audio on its platform that is "wholly or in substantial part" made by generative AI, according to its blog. It also clarified that the use of AI tools to impersonate other artists or styles is “strictly prohibited” by policies already in place.
Any music suspected to be AI generated may be removed by the Bandcamp team and the company is giving users reporting tools to flag such content. "We believe that the human connection found through music is a vital
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Elevation Lab's extended battery AirTag case is down to only $16
17 hours ago
by Andre Revilla
Electronics Accessories, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
AirTags already have a decently long battery life, but you will end up needing to replace the coin cell every two years or so. If you don't even want to be bothered with that, Elevation Lab made just the accessory for you: its AirTag battery case that can power the tracker for up to 10 years is on sale for 30 percent off. You can pick one up for only $16, and it's available in two- and four-packs as well at a discount.
The TimeCapsule case uses two AA batteries to offer up to 14 times the lifespan of the CR2032
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Get one month of the Disney+ and Hulu bundle for only $10
17 hours ago
by Valentina Palladino,Georgie Peru
Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Valentina Palladino
The peak time for deals on streaming services — the holiday shopping season — has come and gone, but Disney is back with a fresh offer for the new year. New and eligible returning subscribers can get one month of the ad-supported Disney+ Hulu bundle for just $10. That's $3 off the usual monthly rate for the bundle, and more than 58 percent off if you consider the prices for each service individually (Disney+ at $12 per month and, separately, Hulu also at $12 per month).
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that this isn't quite as good as the
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Matthew McConaughey fights unauthorized AI likenesses by trademarking himself
17 hours ago
by Mariella Moon
Celebrities, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon
Matthew McConaughey filed trademark applications to prevent his likeness from being used by AI companies without permission, and the US Patent and Trademark Office has approved eight so far. According to the Wall Street Journal, the trademarks were for video and audio clips featuring the actor staring, smiling and talking. One was for a video of him standing on a porch, while another was for an audio recording of him saying “alright, alright, alright,” his signature catchphrase from the movie Dazed and Confused.
Under the law, it’s already prohibited for companies to steal someone’s likeness to sell products. However, McConaughey is
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Tesla's Full Self-Driving is switching to a subscription-only service
18 hours ago
by Steve Dent
Social & Online Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Tesla will stop selling its $8,000 Full Self-Driving (FSD) option and make it strictly a monthly subscription service after February 14, CEO Elon Musk announced on his X platform. Musk didn't reveal the price or why he's making the switch, though FSD is already available by subscription for $99 per month or $999 per year.
The shift could be advantageous for buyers, particularly if they decide to dump their new Tesla or trade it in. It will also allow prospective owners to hedge their bets, as Tesla has overpromised on the feature since it was first announced.
> Tesla will stop selling
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UK scraps digital ID requirement for workers
19 hours ago
by Kris Holt
Politics & Government, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
The UK government has backtracked on a plan to require all workers to have a digital ID following a backlash. It will no longer be mandatory to register with the digital ID program to prove one has the right to work in the country, as the BBC reports.
The government announced the now-scrapped digital ID requirement in September. "You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID," Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said at the time. "It's as simple as that."
The government still plans to fully transition to digital right-to-work checks by
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The best USB-C hub for 2026
20 hours ago
by Amy Skorheim
Computing, Technology & Electronics, Personal Finance - Lifestyle, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Amy Skorheim
Having fewer ports makes laptops and tablets lighter and more affordable — but that also cuts down on your connectivity options. If you’ve got a MacBook Air, a slim Chromebook or a tablet you’d like to get more utility out of, a USB-C hub can help. Using just a single port on your device, these multiport adapters will let you hook up screens, tap into Ethernet cables, connect mice and keyboards, and transfer data to drives and memory cards. Most also give you a way to power your device through the hub to maximize port availability. We tested over a
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Meta has closed three VR studios as part of its metaverse cuts
a day ago
by Karissa Bell
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell
Several of Meta's VR studios have been affected by the company's metaverse-focused layoffs. The company has shuttered three of its VR studios, including Armature, Sanzaru and Twisted Pixel. VR fitness app Supernatural will no longer be updated with fresh content.
Employees at Twisted Pixel, which released Marvel's Deadpool VR in November, and Sanzaru, known for Asgard's Wrath, posted on social media about the closures. Bloomberg reported that Armature, which brought Resident Evil 4 to Quest back in 2021 has also closed and that the popular VR fitness app Supernatural will no longer get updates.
“Due to recent organizational changes to our Studio,
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Roblox's age verification system is reportedly a trainwreck
a day ago
by Will Shanklin
Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Will Shanklin
Roblox's age-verification system was designed as a response to allegations it has a child predator problem. Less than a week in, how's it going? Well, Wired reported on Tuesday that, in some cases, it's classifying children as adults and adults as children. So, not so great!
Last week, Roblox made age verification mandatory for anyone using the platform's chat feature. That process involves either submitting a facial age estimate via selfie or (optionally for anyone 13 or older) uploading a government ID check. After verifying, you can only chat with groups of players around your age.
The move came after reports grew
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Instagram wants you to personalize your Reels algorithm for 2026
a day ago
by Karissa Bell
Media, Arts & Entertainment, Social & Online Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell
Last month, Instagram began rolling out a new set of controls that allowed users to personalize the topics recommended to them by the Reels algorithm. Now, Meta is making that feature available to all English users of the app globally, along with the ability to highlight their top topics for the coming year.
The feature begins with a selection of topics Meta's AI thinks you're interested in based on your recent activity, and has controls to remove them or add new categories. There's also a separate field for identifying what you want to see less of, and a new "build your
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Senate passes Defiance Act for a second time to address Grok deepfakes
a day ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Politics & Government, Government, Legislative Branch, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
The Senate has passed the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits (DEFIANCE ) Act with unanimous consent, according to the bill’s co-sponsor Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). The bill lets the subjects of nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfakes take civil action against the people who create and host them.
Deepfakes are a known issue online, but without the proper protections, easy access to AI-powered image and video generation tools has made it possible for anyone to create compromising content using another person's likeness. This has become a particular problem on X, where the integration of Grok, the AI assistant created by X's
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Proposed legislation opens the door to robotaxi services in New York
a day ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Politics & Government, Government, Transportation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car company, tested its autonomous vehicles in New York City in 2025, and as part of proposed legislation from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the company could soon offer its services across the state, Wired reports.
Governor Hochul's proposed legislation was formally announced during a State of the State address covering policy proposals for the upcoming year. The new law, if passed, would loosen the state's restrictions on self-driving car companies by forming a pilot program that would allow for "the limited deployment of commercial for-hire autonomous passenger vehicles outside New York City." Applicants to the pilot program
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Taiwan issues arrest warrant for Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus
a day ago
by Anna Washenko
Smart Phones, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
Taiwanese officials have issued an arrest warrant for OnePlus CEO Pete Lau on allegations of illegally employing workers in Taiwan. Two Taiwanese citizens who worked for Lau have also been indicted. The China-based smartphone company has been accused of illegally recruiting more than 70 engineers from Taiwan.
Members of the Shilin District Prosecutors Office claim that OnePlus reportedly set up a shell company in Hong Kong with a distinct name, then launched a branch in Taiwan in 2015 without government approval. The branch reportedly worked on research and development for OnePlus mobile phones. Taiwanese officials claim these actions by OnePlus violated
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EA delays Battlefield 6 Season 2 to February 17
a day ago
by Will Shanklin
Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Will Shanklin
The second season of Battlefield 6 is being pushed back based on “community feedback.” On Tuesday, EA and Battlefield Studios said Season 2 will now arrive on February 17.
Season 2 of Battlefield 6 had previously been scheduled for January 20, so we're looking at a delay of almost a month. As a consolation, the team is extending Season 1 through the start of the next season.
"During our ongoing development, we've continued to review community feedback and, in order to keep our promise, determined that our best path forward is to extend Season 1 and give ourselves extra time to further
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NBA League Pass is up to 55 percent off right now
2 days ago
by Andre Revilla
Basketball, Sports & Recreation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
NBA League Pass, the streaming service that lets you catch hundreds of out-of-market NBA games, is on sale right now for up to 55 percent off. The League Pass Premium subscription is on sale for $75, down from $160, while League Pass Standard is marked down to $50 from $110. We're almost halfway through the season at this point, so it makes sense for a service like League Pass to start offering some discounts.
The Standard plan includes commercials and support for only one device at a time, while the Premium tier offers no commercials, in-arena streams during breaks in the
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Anthropic launches Claude Cowork, a version of its coding AI for regular people
2 days ago
by Igor Bonifacic
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic
If you follow Anthropic, you're probably familiar with Claude Code. Since the fall of 2024, the company has been training its AI models to use and navigate computers like a human would, and the coding agent has been the most practical expression of that work, giving developers a way to automate rote programming tasks. Starting today, Anthropic is giving regular people a way to take advantage of those capabilities, with the release of a new preview feature called Claude Cowork.
The company is billing Cowork as "a simpler way for anyone — not just developers — to work with Claude." After
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reMarkable E Ink tablet bundles are up to $90 off right now
2 days ago
by Andre Revilla
Tablets, Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
E Ink tablet maker reMarkable is running a bundle deal right now that can save you between $80 and $90 when buying a reMarkable 2 along with a Marker stylus and a folio case. The savings vary depending on the bundle you configure, but this can bring your out-the-door cost down to $449 from $529 for the tablet, Marker stylus and polymer weave book folio.
The company also sells a newer stylus called Marker Plus that lets you erase by flipping it around just like a real pencil, but that will cost you an extra $50. If you’ve been eyeing a
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Meta refocuses on AI hardware as metaverse layoffs begin
2 days ago
by Devindra Hardawar
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Devindra Hardawar
As we expected, Meta has begun laying off more than 1,000 employees from its Reality Labs division, which focused on virtual reality and metaverse products, Bloomberg reports. The company will refocus on developing wearables, like its recent batch of AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses, according to a memo from CTO Andrew Bosworth.
The news isn’t too surprising. Reality Labs has lost more than $70 billion since the beginning of 2021, and while Meta has done a solid job of delivering desirable consumer VR headsets and smart glasses, that business hasn’t been nearly profitable enough to justify the cost. And of course, Mark
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Apple bundles creative apps such as Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro into a single subscription
2 days ago
by Kris Holt
Software, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
Apple has been putting more onus on its services for the past several years — the company makes tens of billions of dollars in revenue from that side of the business, which it claimed had a record year in 2025. Apple is nudging a little more in that direction with a new subscription bundle called Apple Creator Studio.
This allows creators to pay a single fee ($13 per month or $129 per year) to use Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage. Subscribers will get access to “premium content” in Pages, Keynote and Numbers (as well as
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Anker's Solix E10 battery backup can power your entire house in a blackout
2 days ago
by Steve Dent
Renewable Energy & Energy Saving, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Anker is going up against Tesla in the home battery backup segment with Solix E10 that promises "whole-home backup" at an affordable price. The system delivers enough power to handle heavy-duty air conditioners and other high-power appliances in the event of a blackout. It also claims that the E10 supports DIY-friendly installation thanks to the stackable, plug-and-play design.
Each Anker Solix E10 unit can deliver up to 37.2kW of surge power and stacking two boosts that to 66kW. It also comes with a "turbo output" mode that can output 10kW per unit for 90 minutes maximum. That level of power, along
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Tesla launches a seven-seat version of the 2026 Model Y
2 days ago
by Steve Dent
Autos, Transportation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Tesla's 2026 Model Y is now available on the company's site and it comes with a new (and old) option: a seven-seat version via a third row. The extra seating costs $2,500 and is only available if you order the Premium All-Wheel-Drive Long Range model. Tesla first teased the option last year via an email to prospective buyers with the promise of "seating for up to seven and enough room for everyone's gear," Electrek reported at the time.
The new seats appear to be designed mainly for children as they don't offer much legroom, according to images on Tesla's configurator. Tesla
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Star Wars Outlaws developer Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm face layoffs
2 days ago
by Kris Holt
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
We aren't even two weeks into the new year and Ubisoft is already looking to carry out its second round of layoffs in 2026. The company has informed workers at Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm of a "proposed organizational restructure" that could affect around 55 roles across its two Swedish studios. Workers at Massive (the developer of The Division series, Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora) were offered voluntary buyouts late last year as part of Ubisoft's ongoing cost-cutting efforts.
"This restructure follows the completion of the Voluntary Leave Program launched during the fall of 2025, a finalized long-term
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A Resident Evil showcase is taking place on January 15
2 days ago
by Kris Holt
Video Games, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
Resident Evil Requiem, the first new mainline entry in the series since 2021’s Resident Evil Village, is just over a month away and Capcom is ready to share more details. The publisher will air a Resident Evil Showcase on January 15 at 5PM ET. You’ll be able to watch it on Twitch and YouTube (in English and Japanese).
The stream will run for around 12 minutes. It will feature “all the latest info on Resident Evil Requiem,” which will almost certainly include some gameplay ahead of it hitting PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam on February 27. Capcom
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AirTags are back on sale, with a four-pack going for $65
2 days ago
by Anna Washenko
Shopping, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
Most Apple products are pretty expensive, but some of the most affordable (and useful) ones are AirTags. The Bluetooth trackers are priced pretty reasonably even when not on sale, but they can be a steal if you can get them on a discount — like right now. A four pack of AirTags is on sale for $65 at Amazon, which is only a few dollars more than the record-low price we saw during Black Friday this year.
AirTags can be useful for people who travel frequently, helping you to keep track of essentials like your passport as well as a way
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Insta360 releases AI-powered follow-up to its Link webcams
2 days ago
by Andre Revilla
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla
Insta360, a company most known for its action cameras, has released two new AI-powered 4K webcams, the Link 2 Pro and Link 2C Pro, aimed at creators, educators and remote professionals. The company's goal with these models is "a webcam experience that looks and sounds remarkably close to a professional camera and microphone setup."
Both models use a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor with dual native ISO for improved low-light performance over the previous generation, and both support HDR. Insta360 says the audio on both models leverages beamforming technology as well as AI noise canceling to help voices sound clearer in noisy environments.
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The Morning After: Apple will use Gemini to power Siri AI
2 days ago
by Mat Smith
Robots, Celebrities, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mat Smith
Apple and Google have confirmed that Gemini’s models power the new version of Siri and other generative AI features. CNBC broke the news, but Apple and Google soon followed up with a lengthy joint statement. Here’s part of it: “Apple determined that Google’s Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models… Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards.”
In June, it was reported that Apple was considering partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic for Siri (the voice assistant can currently tap ChatGPT for certain queries as part