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Anthropic now has a design assistant too
3 hours ago
by Igor Bonifacic
Software, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic
In hindsight, I suppose it was only a matter of time after Anthropic made Claude capable of generating charts and diagrams that the company would then begin offering a more robust image editor. Now, a little more than a month after that release, Anthropic has announced Claude Design, a new research preview that allows subscribers to use Claude to generate designs, prototypes, slides and more.
"Claude Design gives designers room to explore widely and everyone else a way to produce visual work," Anthropic says of its newest product. As with its previous forays into image generation, the company isn't calling this,
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Roblox agrees to a $12 million settlement with Nevada
3 hours ago
by Sam Rutherford
Education, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sam Rutherford
Amidst ongoing legal trouble with several states and more than 100 pending lawsuits, this week Roblox announced a $12 million settlement with Nevada, allowing the company to avoid going to trial in this case.
Following the agreement, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said "this settlement will create a safer environment for our children online, and I hope that it will serve as a bellwether for how online interactive platforms allow our state's youth to use their products." As part of the deal, Roblox has agreed to give $10 million over three years to local children's support programs like the Boys and
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Donut Lab's battery claims reportedly subject of whistleblower complaint
4 hours ago
by Daniel Cooper
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Daniel Cooper
Startup Donut Lab made a splash at the start of the year with some astonishing — and suspicious — claims about its solid state batteries. Now Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reports an individual has filed a criminal whistleblower complaint against the company over those claims.
Until recently, Lauri Peltola was listed as the Chief Commercial Officer at Nordic Nano — the firm reportedly contracted to handle portions of the manufacturing on Donut's behalf, and which Donut Lab has invested in. He reportedly filed a criminal complaint that Donut Lab’s promises of energy density and longevity have been overstated and that the
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TCL's RGB-Mini LED TVs will start at $8,000
5 hours ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
TCL introduced its new flagship X11L SQD-Mini LED TV at CES 2026, and now a few months later, the company is ready to expand its lineup with more SQD-Mini LED models and its first RGB-Mini LED TV. All sizes of the TCL QM8L SQD-Mini LED TV are available now. Meanwhile, both the TCL QM7L SQD-Mini LED TVs and the RM9L RGB-Mini LED TVs are available to pre-order.
SQD-Mini LED panels are TCL's latest iteration of its Mini LED display technology, where "SQD" stands for "Super Quantum Dot," a layer of tiny crystal dots that help filter the light from the LEDs
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Engadget Podcast: Allbirds goes from shoes to AI
6 hours ago
by Devindra Hardawar
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Devindra Hardawar
So a shoe company turned into an AI company…. That’s it, that’s the joke. In this episode, Devindra chats with Engadget’s Daniel Cooper about Allbirds’ sudden transformation and what it says about the AI economy. Also, they chat about the Artemis II moon mission, Meta being warned about the dangers of facial recognition (again) and how teens think social media is really shaping them.
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TOPIC
* Near-dead shoe company Allbirds is doing AI now – 1:47
* Artemis II safely returns to Earth, did you know they had DSLRs
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The Morning After: Our verdict on the DJI Osmo Pocket 4
7 hours ago
by Mat Smith
Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mat Smith
You’ve probably seen DJI’s stick vlogging cameras everywhere. At trade shows and tech events I’ve attended, it’s often the de facto video camera used by reporters and influencers alike. The Osmo Pocket 3 was easy to use, had sharp focus, potent image stabilization and handled vertical and horizontal video recording with minimal compromises.
That was two years ago, so naturally it’s time for an update. According to our review by James Trew, the Osmo Pocket 4 is the one to beat. It’s still incredibly easy to record with, whether you’re doing talk-to-camera vlogs or ambitious, more cinematic-quality videos. With a new
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PSA: Stop using your Casely Power Pods wireless charger immediately
12 hours ago
by Steve Dent
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Casely has reannounced a recall of its Power Pods 5,000mAh MagSafe E33A charger after dozens of people were injured and one even killed by the defective devices, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) announced. It's recommended that you stop using the devices immediately, dispose of them safely and seek a replacement from the manufacturer.
A year ago, Casely and the USPSC published a recall of 429,000 units of the power bank with the model number E33A. That followed 51 incidents of the devices "overheating, expanding or catching fire" and burning users in multiple cases.
However, many of the devices have remained
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Reed Hastings is leaving Netflix after 29 years
20 hours ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Board & Management Changes, Investment & Company Information, Finance, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
Netflix co-founder and current chairman Reed Hastings is leaving the streaming company’s board in June to focus on "his philanthropy and other pursuits," according to a shareholder letter released alongside Netflix's Q1 earnings. Hastings has served as chairman of Netflix's board since 2023, a role he assumed after stepping down as co-CEO and promoting Greg Peters in his place.
"Netflix changed my life in so many ways, and my all‑time favorite memory was January 2016, when we enabled nearly the entire planet to enjoy our service," Hastings said in a statement. "My real contribution at Netflix wasn’t a single decision; it
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Perplexity brings its Personal Computer AI assistant to Mac
a day ago
by Igor Bonifacic
Software, Computing, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic
Perplexity has just released Personal Computer. The software, which is available starting today for Mac, builds on the multi-model orchestration capabilities the company debuted with Perplexity Computer at the end of February. Like Claude Cowork (and, as of today, OpenAI Codex too), it's a suite of computer use agents that can work with your files, apps, connectors and the web to complete complex and "even continuous workflows."
Perplexity suggests a few different use cases for Personal Computer, starting with the obvious. “You can ask Personal Computer to read your to-do list,” the company states. “In fact, you can ask it to
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Call of Duty movie arrives on June 30, 2028
a day ago
by Anna Washenko
Movies, Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
A Call of Duty movie is still happening, but don't hold your breath for it to hit screens any time soon. Today, the popular FPS' social media revealed that the movie's theatrical release date will be June 30, 2028.
A film adaptation of the game franchise was first revealed last year, and shortly after, we learned that Taylor Sheridan and Peter Berg would be serving as the producers. The duo, whose past credits include Friday Night Lights and Yellowstone, will also be co-writing the project under Berg's direction. We still haven't heard anything about the cast, or even what era of
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Blackmagic Camera for iOS now has a companion Watch app
a day ago
by Steve Dent
Software, Cameras & Photography, Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Blackmagic Camera is one of the more powerful third-party smartphone camera apps available and it's now even more useful for solo creators. Blackmagic Design just announced that the latest iOS version 3.3 now supports Apple Watch, letting you control the app and monitor video remotely from your wrist. It also includes ATEM camera control so you can use your iPhone as a live studio camera.
With the new Camera Apple Watch companion app, you can remotely control and monitor your iPhone from anywhere within Wi-Fi range. It lets you start and stop recording, control zoom and adjust settings like frame rate,
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Meta is giving Threads on web a redesign that finally adds direct messages
a day ago
by Karissa Bell
Software, Mobile Apps, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell
Meta is starting to test a long-overdue facelift for Threads on web. The company's head of Threads Connor Hayes showed off a new look for the web version of Threads that finally adds direct messaging and makes it easier to navigate between multiple feeds.
The new layout adds a bunch of new shortcuts to the site's left rail, including saved posts, insights, activity, and the ability to move between different feeds. Those features have all been accessible on web before, but many were hard to find. For example, the only way to currently get to "insights" is to navigate to your
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The European Commission wants Google to share search engine data with competitors
a day ago
by Anna Washenko
Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
The European Commission has proposed new measures for Google aimed at bringing the tech giant's search business into compliance with the Digital Markets Act. In order to allow third-party online search engines to be competitive with Google, the EC has recommended that Google permit those services to access its treasure trove of search engine data. As it stands, the proposal would require Google to let rivals see data points "such as ranking, query, click and view data, on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms."
"Data is a key input for online search and for developing new services, including AI," said Teresa Ribera,
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Blizzard just made Overwatch’s best mode much worse
a day ago
by Kris Holt
Sports & Recreation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
While I dabble in other Overwatch modes, I spend the vast majority of my time there in Mystery Heroes, a casual mode in which you load in as a random character and automatically switch to another one when you respawn. It's by far my favorite way to play Overwatch (which I do a lot!), since it helps me switch off and relax. Others play it as a warmup for competitive action. It requires a particular skillset, as players need a working knowledge of all 51 heroes to help them coordinate with teammates and know what the opponents have on deck.
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Playdate Season 3 is coming later this year
a day ago
by Cheyenne MacDonald
Sports & Recreation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cheyenne MacDonald
Playdate is getting a third season of curated, surprise games, Panic announced today. We don't know much beyond the fact that Season Three is officially happening, but Panic's Head of Playdate Greg Maletic said in an announcement video that it will be here "in time for the holidays" this year. Considering we had to wait a whole three years for Season Two to come out following Season One's release with the console in 2022, that doesn't sound so bad.
Panic hasn't yet said how many games Season Three will include, or how much it will cost. While Season One had a
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A first look at Metro 2039 shows how its Ukrainian developer turned the darkness up to 11
a day ago
by Nathan Ingraham
Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Nathan Ingraham
If the real world isn’t grim enough for you, Ukranian developer 4A Games has your back: Metro 2039 has been announced and is scheduled to arrive this winter. And based on the developer’s first look at the title, Metro 2039 looks to be an even darker affair than previous titles in the series. A tall order, but the real-world turmoil that has enveloped 4A Games since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sounds like it has turned into a painful inspiration for the developer.
The lengthy cinematic reveal, which also contains a brief bit of gameplay at the end, doesn’t give much of
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OpenAI's latest Codex update builds the groundwork for its upcoming super app
a day ago
by Igor Bonifacic
Software, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic
Last month, following reporting from The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI confirmed it was working on a desktop super app that would combine ChatGPT, its Codex coding agent and Atlas web browser into one cohesive experience. OpenAI is not releasing that application today. Instead, it's pushing out a major update to Codex that significantly expands what that software can do. However, the new release offers a glimpse of what OpenAI hopes to build with its latest effort.
"We're building the super app out in the open," said Thibault Sottiaux, the head of Codex, during a press briefing held by OpenAI. "This release
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Google Chrome makes it easier to wrangle different tabs in AI Mode
a day ago
by Igor Bonifacic
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic
Love 'em or hate 'em, no modern browser is complete without robust tab support, and so too would it seem Google's AI Mode. Starting today, the company is rolling out an update to users in the US that makes the tool better at interacting and understanding tabs.
To start, the next time you use AI Mode on Chrome for desktop and click on a link, the chatbot will open a new side-by-side interface that allows you to both browse the new webpage and ask questions of AI Mode. The connection allows the chatbot to maintain the context of the search that
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Intel launches new Core Series 3 chips for mainstream laptops
a day ago
by Matt Tate
Computing, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
Intel has unveiled its new Core Series 3 chips, the official title for its Wildcat Lake-codenamed series intended for mainstream and value-oriented laptops. Built using the same Intel 18A process as its Core Ultra Series 3 chips, they’re significantly more powerful than the previous generation and promise "exceptional battery life" and "boosted AI-ready performance."
Intel says the Core Series 3 offers up to 47 percent better single-thread performance and 41 percent better multi-thread performance, as well as 2.8x better GPU AI performance compared to a five-year-old PC. Stacked up against its last-gen Intel Core 7 150U processors, the new mobile chip
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Gemini can now draw on your Google data to personalize the images it generates
a day ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Software, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
Your Google Photos library could soon influence the kind of images you can generate with Gemini. After letting users personalize the AI assistant's responses with data from Gmail, Search and YouTube, Google says it's bringing that same "Personal Intelligence" to Nano Banana 2 to make it easier for users to create personalized images with the AI model.
The goal is to have the data affiliated with your Google account — your YouTube history, emails, Google Photos, etc. — provide context to Nano Banana 2 so you don't have to. Rather than prompting Gemini's image generation model with information about you or
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The first real trailer for the Street Fighter movie is filled with crowd-pleasing moments
a day ago
by Lawrence Bonk
Movies, Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk
We finally have a real-deal trailer for the upcoming Street Fighter movie, after a short teaser dropped at The Game Awards last year. This is nearly three minutes of fighting, silly dialogue and, of course, Easter eggs from the games.
To the latter point, there's a scene of Ken beating up a car like in the bonus stages from Street Fighter II and footage of Ryu powering up one of his famous Hadoken fireballs. There's even a cheeky reference to Chun-Li's notoriously-large and powerful thighs. This is all helped along by the fact that the actors all look very silly and
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Meta isn't setting its Oversight Board free just yet
a day ago
by Karissa Bell
Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell
The Oversight Board — the policy body Meta created to weigh its most impactful moderation rulings — has seen its role within Mark Zuckerberg's empire come into question due to shifting content policy priorities and dwindling investment. The Oversight Board has taken steps to formalize its long-contemplated desire to work with other companies, but Engadget has learned Meta has thus far declined to move forward with that process.
Over the last year, board members have become increasingly interested in artificial intelligence policy and how their experience shaping Meta's content rules could translate into advising companies in the generative AI space. That
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Meta Quest headset prices are going up on April 19
a day ago
by Kris Holt
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
The RAM crisis has prompted another company to jack up hardware prices. Meta says it will be increasing the price of Quest headsets on April 19. The Meta Quest 3 will get a $100 hike to $599, while the Quest 3S will be $50 more expensive at $350 (for a version with 128GB of storage) and $450 (256GB).
Meta is blaming the increases on the rising costs of RAM, which has skyrocketed in price due to a shortage of chips as AI companies gobble up as much memory as they can for their data centers. Sony recently bumped up the prices of
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Anna's Archive told to pay Spotify and record labels $322 million over unprecedented music scraping
a day ago
by Matt Tate
Media, Company Legal & Law Matters, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
The open-source library and search engine Anna’s Archive has been ordered to pay Spotify and the three of the world’s largest music labels $322 million in damages after it claimed to have scraped the entirety of the streaming platform’s library of music.
Spotify, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, sued Anna’s Archive in January for a slightly comical $13 trillion. They alleged Anna's Archive had illegally scraped 86 million songs — a significant chunk of all the music on the planet — and intended to make them available for download via BitTorrent. At the time, Spotify called
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Spotify debuts a new UI just for tablets
a day ago
by Anna Washenko
Software, Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
Spotify has a new look today for listeners on tablets. The streaming service’s updated tablet UI now provides adaptive orientation, switching between portrait and landscape layouts rather than simply resizing the interface when changing how the device is held.
Spotify's tablet app now sports a collapsible sidebar so listeners can take advantage of their larger screen space when watching a music video or podcast. Parallel browsing lets you continue to scroll through the app while a video or lyrics are in the sidebar, and the "switch to video" toggle has been made more prominent.
The new design had appeared for some users
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Canva starts previewing a more powerful version of its AI assistant
a day ago
by Igor Bonifacic
Software, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic
Adobe isn't the only company releasing a new AI assistant this week. Ahead of its Create event in Los Angeles today, Canva announced Canva AI 2.0. Building on its existing AI assistant, the company is billing the release as its most significant update since the platform first launched in 2013, and the culmination of years of investment to build its own foundational design models.
As you might imagine, it all starts with a conversational interface that allows you to describe an idea or goal and the system will start generating a design to match. Under the hood, there's a new orchestration
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DJI Osmo Pocket 4 review: The only vlogging camera you'll ever need
a day ago
by James Trew
Cameras & Photography, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|James Trew
DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3 gimbal-camera was a category-defining camera. Two years since its launch, everyone from vloggers to pro film makers continue to upload how-to guides and gushing reviews to YouTube. When the Osmo Pocket 4 landed at the FCC at the end of 2025 (followed by a credible leak), creator forums and Reddit threads started to chatter with excitement. Over the following months the Pocket 4 leaked again and again, to the point where there’s very little that someone with a passing interest and an internet connection doesn’t already know about the camera. But DJI chose today to give
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Anthropic will ask Claude users to verify their identities 'for a few use cases'
a day ago
by Mariella Moon
Financial Fraud Prevention, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon
Anthropic has started rolling out identity verification on Claude “for a few use cases.” The company didn’t list out those use cases in its announcement, but we’ve asked it for details and will update this post when we hear back. Anthropic says you might see a verification prompt upon “accessing certain capabilities,” asking you to verify your identity. You would have to show a valid and physical government-issued photo ID. You’d also have take a selfie with your phone or computer camera that the system will compare against the ID you present.
The news, as you’d expect, wasn’t well-received. Many users
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Amazon MGM's 2026 theatrical slate includes 'Highlander' and 'Spaceballs: The New One'
a day ago
by Steve Dent
Movies, Media, Celebrities, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Fresh off the box office success of Project Hail Mary, Amazon MGM Studios has announced its theatrical release lineup for the next year. Most of the titles aren't likely to hit the highs of the Ryan Gosling starrer which has grossed $515 million in theaters. However, there are a number of promising releases like Spaceballs: The New One and Highlander starring Henry Cavill, both sequels to '80s films. Another is The Sheep Detectives with Hugh Jackman, the trailer for which has been a hit on YouTube.
Earlier this year, Amazon MGM promised to release up to 14 films in theaters over
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YouTube now lets you hide Shorts
a day ago
by Mariella Moon
Software, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon
You now have the power to remove short-form videos from your YouTube feed if you don’t want to see them. YouTube has rolled out the capability to set your Shorts feed limit to zero minutes, which could help you stop doomscrolling, at least on mobile. The video-sharing platform originally launched a Shorts feed limit back in October last year, but the lowest option you could choose was 15 minutes. Once 15 minutes are up, you’ll get a pop-up reminding you to take a break.
Earlier this year, it integrated the feature with parental controls, allowing guardians to set time limits for
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Opera adds Browser Connector for integrating AI chatbots
a day ago
by Anna Washenko
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
Opera is offering a new choice for looping in an AI assistant during browsing. Today, the company introduced Browser Connector, which allows Opera One and Opera GX users to integrate either ChatGPT or Claude into the platform. The chatbots will be able to access page content while a person is browsing and will draw context for queries from the information in your open tabs. The free new feature can be enabled through the AI Services section of the Settings menu.
Opera is one of the many browser companies that has been experimenting with an AI-focused service. It began rolling out the
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Apple and Google are reportedly pointing users to 'nudify' apps
a day ago
by Steve Dent
Software, Mobile Apps, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Earlier this year it was revealed that Apple and Google were offering "nudify" apps on their stores despite having clear policies barring such content. Nearly three months later, such apps are not only still available, but being actively promoted on the iOS App Store and Google Play, according to a new report from the Tech Transparency Project (TTP). Many of those were labeled "E" for Everyone, meaning they can be downloaded by children.
Searching for "nudify," "undress" and other terms in those stores gives users access to apps that can make real people nude or put them into pornographic videos. The new
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Microsoft's new college deal is a half-hearted answer to the $500 MacBook Neo
2 days ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Computing, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell
Apple's MacBook Neo is a $600 (or $500 for students) shot across the bow at affordable Windows laptops, and it seems like Microsoft has ready its first response. The newly announced "Microsoft College Offer" is a bundle of Microsoft 365 Premium, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, custom Xbox controller and discounted laptop that the company thinks could woo students away from Apple's new deal.
With the purchase of a discounted machine directly from Microsoft, retailers like Amazon and Best Buy or PC makers like HP, ASUS and Acer, you can get what the company says is an extra $500 of value from
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Federal jury finds concert business Live Nation is a monopoly
2 days ago
by Anna Washenko
Crime & Justice, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko
Live Nation, which operates the Ticketmaster platform, has been determined to be a monopoly. A federal jury handed down its decision today that the company violated federal and state antitrust rules. This finding won't surprise anyone who has used Ticketmaster and been sticker-shocked by their final bill. However, it's unclear what the jury’s decision will mean in practice.
For starters, the judge overseeing the case hasn't determined what remedies will be applied. The actions could go as far as requiring Live Nation to sell off Ticketmaster. There are also monetary damages to be awarded, which haven't been set yet. And whatever
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PlayStation Plus April catalog adds include Horizon Remastered, Squirrel with a Gun and Frank Stone
2 days ago
by Jessica Conditt
Video Games, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jessica Conditt
For PlayStation Plus subscribers, April is going to be a little bit spooky, a tad sporty and extra squirrelly. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium players will get access to The Crew Motorfest, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Football Manager 26 Console, Warriors: Abyss, Squirrel with a Gun, The Casting of Frank Stone and Monster Train. Additionally,Wild Arms 4 will be exclusive to Premium libraries. Expect the full lineup to go live on April 21.
The Crew Motorfest, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Warriors: Abyss and Wild Arms 4 will hit PS4 and PS5 consoles, while the rest of the month's additions are PS5
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There's yet another study about how bad AI is for our brains
2 days ago
by Lawrence Bonk
Teaching & Learning, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk
A group of researchers from across the US and the UK have conducted a study on what AI does to our brains and the results are, in a word, grim. These results were published in a paper called "AI assistance reduces persistence and hurts independent performance" which kind of tells you everything you need to know.
“We find that AI assistance improves immediate performance, but it comes at a heavy cognitive cost,” the study declares. Researchers went on to state that just ten minutes of using AI made people dependent on the technology, which led to worsening performance and burnout once
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Google unleashes a native Gemini app for the Mac
2 days ago
by Kris Holt
Software, Mobile Apps, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt
Not content with stuffing Gemini into all of its own apps and services, Google wants you to adopt its AI assistant on desktops and laptops too. The company released a Gemini Windows app on Tuesday and it's following that up a day later with one for Macs.
Google says the macOS Gemini app is a "native desktop experience" that you can access with a keyboard shortcut. By default, pressing option and space will open a mini chat, while a combo of option, shift and space will open the full Gemini chat experience. You'll be able to adjust these bindings in the
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Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 review: A smart grill that pulls double duty
2 days ago
by Billy Steele
Food & Cooking, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Billy Steele
Occasionally, you really can have it both ways. For the most part, pellet grills are great for smoking and mid-temperature cooking, but you’ll typically need other grills for high-heat searing and 1,000-degree temperatures(with a few exceptions). Sure, some pellet grills allow you to move the heat deflector for direct access to the fire pot for searing, but that’s still not a cooking experience that will be familiar to gas grill users.
With the X-Fire Pro 825 ($1,550), Recteq is putting its pellet grill expertise to work in a dual-mode design that’s meant to bridge the gap between gas and wood fire.
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Snap is laying off 16 percent of its workforce, blames AI
2 days ago
by Matt Tate
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
Snap is laying off around 1,000 staff, amounting to 16 percent of its workforce, which it will seemingly replace with AI. The cuts were announced in a company-wide memo from CEO Evan Spiegel, who added that more than 300 open roles are also being closed.
Spiegel said the "incredibly difficult" decision would likely save Snap more than $500 million by the second half of 2026, in turn helping it to "establish a clearer path to net-income profitability." Impacted staff were notified by email and the company’s North America-based team were instructed to work from home. Snap said it would provide four-month
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Shoe company Allbirds pivots to AI compute in sign of a totally normal and healthy economy
2 days ago
by Lawrence Bonk
Investment & Company Information, Finance, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk
The shoe company Allbirds, famous for its wool trainers, is pivoting to AI. You read that right. The San Francisco company has plans "to pivot its business to AI compute infrastructure, with a long-term vision to become a fully integrated GPU-as-a-Service and AI-native cloud solutions provider." It's also changing its name to NewBird AI.
This is subject to shareholder approval, with a vote scheduled for May 18. Once approved, the company will raise $50 million from an unnamed investor to assist with this enterprise. This money will be used for the "acquisition and monetization of graphics processing units, related high-performance computing
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Traeger debuts Westwood smart pellet grills that start at $700
2 days ago
by Billy Steele
Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Billy Steele
Traeger gave backyard pit masters something more affordable last year with the Woodridge, but now the company is back with an even more budget-friendly option. With the Westwood series, the company offers very basic pellet grill functionality with a simplified controller and a no-frills design. You’ll still get Wi-Fi connectivity that works with the company’s app, and the Westwood grills are compatible with Traeger’s rail-based accessories. As you might expect at the $700 and $800 prices, there are a number of caveats compared to the company’s more expensive options.
The new Westwood grills have an even more streamlined controller than the
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The Vivo X300 Ultra is a powerful camera phone aimed at videographers
2 days ago
by Mat Smith
Cameras & Photography, Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mat Smith
Chinese phonemaker Vivo has been pushing the limits of smartphone photography in the last few years. However, the availability of its phones — like last year’s X200 Ultra, with its beefy add-on telephoto — has been intermittent in the West.
The company says the X300 Ultra its first global flagship launch, although there’s still no word on a US launch or pricing at the time of writing. Like the latest phones from Xiaomi and Oppo, Vivo is also obsessing over larger camera sensors, peripherals and a dizzying array of technical photography specs, with a particular focus on cinematic video recording.
Collaborating with
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Spotify is selling books now
2 days ago
by Matt Tate
Books & Publishing, Technology & Electronics, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate
A collaboration between Spotify and Bookshop.org that allows readers to purchase physical books in the Spotify app is now live in the US and UK.
Rather than positioning audiobooks as the hard copy-killer, Spotify is encouraging you to see them as complimentary to one another. First announced back in February, the new partnership with Bookshop.org appears to be an acknowledgement from Spotify that physical still reigns supreme in the book world. Bookshop is a digital marketplace that enables indie booksellers to take their businesses online, and Spotify says any purchase made through its app will "directly support those bookshops and the
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Most US teens say TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat aren't hurting (or helping) their mental health
2 days ago
by Karissa Bell
Family & Relationships, Cultural Groups, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell
Most teens in the United States say that Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat aren't harming their mental health, though a slightly higher proportion report negative effects on their sleep and productivity, according to a new report from Pew Research. The report offers fresh insights into how teens perceive the effects of social media at a time when there are increasing calls to ban younger teens from social platforms altogether.
The report is based on a survey of 1,458 teens between the ages of 13 and 17. Teens were asked about their use of Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok and how those apps affect
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Adobe's Firefly AI Assistant works across Photoshop, Premiere and other apps
2 days ago
by Steve Dent
Software, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent
Few creative software companies have embraced AI like Adobe, with the company embedding image, video, audio and vector generation tools into nearly all its apps. Now, Adobe is taking on AI apps like Gemini's Nano Banana with its new prompt-based Firefly AI Assistant. You simply describe the outcome you want and it will execute "complex multi-step workflows" across Photoshop, Premiere, Lightroom, Illustrator and other apps to achieve that result, Adobe says.
The complexity of apps like Photoshop creates a "barrier to entry" for users who may have a vision but lack skill, according to Adobe. That's where the FireFly AI Assistant