Keyboards are infuriating, right? With their long, thin layouts require you to move your hands left and right in order to hit specific keys. If it's a sentiment you agree with, then Chassepot / Royal Kludge's new hardware will be perfect for you. The C1000 is a keyboard that, rather than putting the numpad and extra keys to the right of the keyboard, stacks them above the letter rows.
Read MoreIf this week's Computex is anything to go by, the laptop industry is sharpening its ax in order to kill the keyboard. It won't happen overnight, but in the pursuit of thinner and lighter bodies, the mechanical, physical input will have to go. If, like me, you think that typing on screens will never be as accurate, or as fast, as hitting real keys, then it's not great news. The pitfalls of an all-screen laptop are the same as using a tablet as your primary machine for work. You'll need to pack a wireless keyboard (more clutter in your bag) and remember to keep it charged (more clutter in your mind). Soon after, Logitech or some other company will crank out a case to fix the issue, but you'll spend an extra $150 for something you used to take for granted.
Read MoreMophie, the makers of a popular line of external batteries, announced today an update to its Powerstation family of portable chargers. The refreshed versions of the Powerstation line come in four different capacities, a variety of colors and now includes a shared USB-C input and output port.
Read MoreBose has a spiritual successor to its well-regarded QC35 wireless headphones... plus a little more. The company's newly unveiled Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 tout a serene listening environment like their ancestors, but now use a total of four microphones to isolate your voice and "dramatically improve" quality. You shouldn't have to raise your voice to be heard clearly over a loud city or chatty commuters. While that's useful for calls, Bose pitches it as particularly handy for voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant (both built-in like with the QC35 II) as well as Siri.
Read MoreAZIO is a company that makes keyboards that look as good as they feel when you type on them, and at Computex it was showing off the prototype for its next device. The AZIO Iris draws inspiration from the design of old-fashioned rangefinder cameras, from Leica and Fujica / Fujifilm, with unashamedly analog dials and switches. It may not be going on sale until the end of the year at the earliest, but I'm already in love.
Read MoreArchitects, product designers and concept artists just got a ground-breaking new tool in their creative arsenals: Logitech's VR Ink Pilot Edition, the world's first VR stylus that draws on both two-dimensional surfaces and in the air in three-dimensional room-scale spaces. Unlike previous iterations of similar technology -- usually unwieldy controllers -- this stylus puts all the power in the designer's fingertips for complete precision and accuracy.
Read MoreElgato's Stream Deck systems offer streamers quick access to a variety of actions and macros, such as to start and end streams, tweak lighting and audio levels, switch between profiles, control music or perform multiple actions at the same time. Less than a year after releasing a smaller version of the Stream Deck, Elgato's going in the other direction with Stream Deck XL, while it has also released an iOS app.
Read MoreIf you pine for the nostalgia of Microsoft's revived IntelliMouse but want the performance of a thoroughly modern gaming mouse, you're in luck. After months of availability in China, Microsoft has released the gaming-oriented Pro IntelliMouse in the US. It's mostly similar on the outside (more on that in a bit) but touts a much more powerful 16,000DPI sensor with a 12,000FPS refresh rate. You should have more precise aiming than with its 3,200DPI predecessor, then. You can also customize three of the five buttons, although no one's going to mistake this for an esports-ready mouse with loads of options.
Read MoreThe watchword for any gaming peripheral worth its salt is customization, because you want to make sure that everything is in sync with your hands. SteelSeries has taken this to heart, and is launching a pair of new keyboards that let you customize how hard you need to press the keys. The Apex Pro and Apex Pro TKL — short for TenKeyLess — will let you tweak how far you need to push down before a keystroke is registered.
Read MoreEarlier this year, NVIDIA began testing a wide range of gaming monitors to determine which play nicely with its GeForce GPU. Initially, the company tested 400 monitors and said only 12 met its standards. Now, NVIDIA has expanded its list of "G-Sync Compatible" monitors to 28. But, the company tested 503 variable refresh rate (VRR) monitors, meaning the vast majority (94.4 percent) failed.
Read MoreWhen you look up WiFi 6 routers, you tend to get a bunch of nightmare-inducing designs that resemble gigantic dead spiders. Luckily, brands like Netgear and TP-Link have shown that such products can don a more humble outfit, and ASUS is finally following suit for this year's Computex. The company's freshly announced AiMesh AX6600 kit consists of two RT-AX95Q routers that, to our surprise, look very much like standard networking hubs (remember the Blue Cave?). Most notably, all six antennas are hidden inside each device, with two of them placed diagonally in the middle to boost reception.
Read MoreIt's been a while since we've heard about Petzval lenses, but Lomography just unveiled an interesting (and much needed) model for the latest full-frame mirrorless cameras. The Petzval 55mm f/1.7 MK II Art lens works on Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon RF cameras, but it's definitely not your typical lens. It not only has an offbeat antique-y brass look, but lets you take dreamy photos with very unique, swirley bokeh. You can make the effect either subtle or strong, thanks to a bokeh lever with seven different settings.
Read MoreJust because Apple has stopped selling the UltraFine 5K doesn't mean it has given up on LG's monitors altogether. In sync with the launch of the eight-core MacBook Pro, the company has quietly started selling a new version of LG's UltraFine 4K. The new version is lower resolution (it's 'just' 3,840 x 2,160), but it jumps from 21.5 inches to 23.7 inches and now includes two Thunderbolt 3 ports to let you daisy chain devices.
Read MorePeak Design is known for its trendy (and pricey) camera bags and straps -- it's the kit du jour for photographers and vloggers. And now it's adding a travel tripod to the fold. It might not be the most exciting product launch ever, but it looks like the company has put a lot of thought into its design, and it packs a pretty powerful punch in terms of on-the-go features.
Read MoreHigh-end electronics manufacturer Bang and Olufsen is back with a set of headphones that are made for the power listener. The latest version of the company's flagship Beoplay H9 headphones promise a whopping 25 hours of wireless playtime from its built-in battery. That's seven hours longer than the company's previous Beoplay H9i managed on a single charge.
Read MoreHave you been salivating at the thought of stuffing a 1TB microSD card into your phone? You can finally act on that impulse. SanDisk has made the record-setting Extreme card available both through its own store and (when it's in stock) through Amazon, giving you a cavernous amount of space for your phone's media collection. It's a U3-rated card, too, so it shouldn't have trouble keeping up with your 4K video recordings.
Read MoreWe haven't heard much from Livescribe in the past couple years, but today, the company announced it's back with a next-gen smartpen, improved apps and an Office plug-in. Like past models, the streamlined Aegir smartpen lets you digitize handwritten notes. But this model is sleeker -- about the size of a traditional ballpoint pen -- and powered by new Livescribe+ apps for mobile and desktop. There's also a Microsoft Office plug-in that lets users to print any document with the Livescribe dot pattern. Notes made with an Aegir pen will be synced to the master document when the smartpen is connected to the computer.
Read MoreAt long last, Logitech is releasing a wireless version of its popular G502 gaming mouse. It redesigned the G502 from the ground up for the Lightspeed variant, which uses Logitech's PowerPlay charging system. You should get up to 48 hours of use on a single charge with default lighting, or up to 60 hours with the lights off.
Read MoreAfter developing an AI system that can beat Go and chess, Google-owned DeepMind started tackling a different class of games: multiplayer ones, which usually require teamwork. In a paper published by Science, a group of DeepMind researchers have detailed how they designed an AI system that was able to master capture the flag mode in Quake III. The system uses "AI agents" to represent its players in the game, which can play with or against human opponents. DeepMind trained those agents with 450,000 rounds of capture the flag, which total four years of gameplay completed over the span of a few weeks.
Read MoreThe Lockport City School District in New York will start testing a facial and object recognition system called "Aegis" on June 3rd. According to BuzzFeed News, that will make it the first in the US to pilot a facial recognition surveillance system on its students and faculty. The district installed cameras and the software suite back in September, using $1.4 million of the $4.2 million funding it received through the New York Smart Schools Bond Act. Funding provided through the Bond Act is supposed to go towards instructional tech devices, such as iPads and laptops, but the district clearly had other plans.
Read MoreResearchers used over 1,700 photos of students and others without their permission for a facial recognition study sponsored by US military and intelligence services, according to the Colorado Springs Independent and Financial Times. While technically legal, it has raised questions about privacy around facial recognition tech, especially considering how the photos might end up being used. "This is essentially normalizing peeping Tom culture," the Electronic Frontier Foundation's David Maas told CSIndy.
Read MoreFor the record, the appropriate response to being called a slut isn't, "I'd blush if I could." But that's what Siri is programmed to say. According to a report by the United Nations, the fact that most voice assistant are gendered as young women is reinforcing harmful stereotypes that women are docile and eager to please, even when they're called lewd names.
Read MoreVirtual humans are gradually scaling the uncanny valley, and like artificial intelligence, they're coming for our jobs. A case in point is Imma, a digital Instagram model who has garnered over 50,000 followers thanks to her (its?) trendy, street-style selfies and photos. Imma just entered uncharted territory for 3D rendered humans, appearing in a makeup spread with two real models for Kate cosmetics in Vice's i-D site in Japan.
Read MoreThe state of California's legislature is considering a new bill that would ban the use of facial recognition technology in police body cameras, according to CNBC. The proposal, which has already passed the state Assembly and now awaits a vote from the Senate, would follow in the footsteps of the city of San Francisco, which took action to forbid government agencies from adopting facial recognition software earlier this month.
Read MoreAmerican companies have fostered ethical uses of AI before. Now, however, the government itself is posed to weigh in. Politico understands that the US, fellow members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and a "handful" of other countries will adopt a set of non-binding guidelines for creating and using AI. The principles would require that AI respects human rights, democratic values and the law. It should also be safe, open and obvious to users, while those who make and use AI should be held responsible for their actions and offer transparency.
Read MoreDrums. Synth. The faintest hint of a vocal track. For a moment the song is familiar and I'm teleported back to the late '90s, listening to worn-out cassettes in the backseat of my parent's saloon. But then the track shifts in a way that I didn't expect, introducing samples that, while appropriate in tone and feeling, don't match up with my brain's subconscious. It's an odd sensation that I haven't felt before; as if someone has snuck into my flat and rearranged the furniture in small, barely-perceptible ways. I can't help but stand rooted to the spot, waiting to see how the song shifts next.
Read MoreFor the last few years LG has been pushing integration of AI features in all kinds of products with its ThinQ brand, and now it's designed custom hardware to enable on-device AI processing in "future robot vacuum cleaners, washing machines, refrigerator and even air conditioners." Google and Apple both use custom AI hardware (Pixel Visual Core and the A12 Bionic's Neural Engine) in their phones, Tesla has unveiled its own processor to handle self-driving features and Amazon is reportedly working on a chip to help Alexa processing work offline. These "neural processing units" have had a lot of hype, but being able to handle complex tasks without a cloud connection could come in handy.
Read MoreSince eBay added artificial intelligence translations for product listings in 2014, sales from the US to Spanish-speaking Latin American nations increased by almost 11 percent, according to a study. Researchers from MIT and Washington University in St. Louis scraped data from the ecommerce platform, and found that the translations helped buyers and sellers overcome language barriers.
Read MoreSan Francisco is following through on talk of banning facial recognition tech. The city's Board of Supervisors has voted 8-1 in favor of a bill, the Stop Secret Surveillance Ordinance, that bans city government (including police) from using facial recognition technology. It also demands a public oversight body for surveillance technology purchases such as license plate readers and Stingray cell tower spoofers. The move makes San Francisco the first city in the US to outright ban government adoption of facial recognition tech.
Read MoreEver, a free photo storage app, has been using the billions of photos and videos uploaded by its users to train a facial recognition tool it plans on selling to private companies and the U.S. government. Users who rely on the app's facial recognition to tag friends or group together photos are unknowingly helping its algorithm learn to identify faces, NBC reported today.
Read MoreUS senators aren't giving up on their dream of promoting AI use in government. A bipartisan group including Cory Gardner, Kamala Harris, Rob Portman and Brian Schatz has reintroduced the AI in Government Act in a bid to foster the adoption of AI in the federal government. As before, it would task government branches with exploring and implementing the use of the technology where possible.
Read MoreMIT researchers have invented a new AI-driven way of looking at mammograms that can help detect breast cancer in women up to five years in advance. A deep learning model created by a team of researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Massachusetts General Hospital can predict -- based on just a mammogram -- whether a woman will develop breast cancer in the future. And unlike older methods, it works just as well on black patients as it does on white patients.
Read MoreThe US may be set to hang onto the crown of having the world's most powerful supercomputer for some time. Cray Computing and AMD are building an exascale machine with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The system is set to debut in 2021, the same year Cray and Intel are scheduled to deliver the Aurora exascale supercomputer to the Argonne National Laboratory.
Read MoreDespite all the advancements in artificial intelligence, most AI-based products still rely on "deep neural networks," which are often extremely large and prohibitively expensive to train. Researchers at MIT are hoping to change that. In a paper presented today, the researchers reveal that neural networks contain "subnetworks" that are up to 10 times smaller and could be cheaper and faster to teach.
Read MoreA glaucoma diagnosis typically requires multiple painstaking tests to accurately gauge vision loss. If IBM has its way, though, you might just have to ask a computer to do the hard work. The company's research wing has used AI to discover retina imaging data that could be used to detect and manage glaucoma. A deep learning system estimates the visual field index (the degree of visual function) based on a single 3D scan of the optic nerve, giving an idea of how glaucoma has developed with greater accuracy than conventional tests.
Read MoreLyft announced today that it is hiring Tal Shaked, an engineer who previously worked at Google, to serve as its first-ever head of machine learning and artificial intelligence. According to the company, Shaked will largely be focusing on improving technologies used to match riders and drivers and finding new ways to apply machine learning to the ride sharing firm's platform. Essentially, Shaked's job will be to make Lyft's services smarter.
Read MoreIf helping to create a competitor is a necessary condition to get the Sprint/T-Mobile deal done, then perhaps Amazon can help. A report from Reuters suggests the retailer is interested in buying Boost Mobile from the combo, particularly because it would come with the ability to use T-Mobile's network for six years. The unnamed sources also claimed the company could be interested in spectrum the newly-merged pair would have to divest. Amazon has tried to get into the mobile business before -- remember the Fire Phone? -- and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see it add wireless to the suite of services it offers. Yesterday's report pointed to the possibility of a cable company trying to rise up as the fourth major mobile operator, but if Amazon can pass regulatory scrutiny, maybe Prime will cover one more thing pretty soon.
Read MoreAmazon has launched a new offering called Textract for its Web Services customers, and it's like optical character recognition on steroids. It more than just extracts text from documents like its name implies -- Amazon says it can actually identify different document formats and their contents so it can process them properly. The product was designed to be able to recognize if it's taking text from tables and forms from documents, including scanned receipts, tax paperwork or inventories. It then generates structured data that doesn't need human input.
Read MoreAmazon usually saves its big product reveals for the fall, but it's shaking things up this year. Today, it unveiled its latest take on the smart display, the Amazon Echo Show 5. That's right, I said 5, even though this is only the third iteration of the Echo Show to date. The reason behind this appears to be the size of its display, which measures just 5.5-inches across. It comes in both black ("Charcoal") and white ("Sandstone"), and each display will retail for $89.99.
Read MoreAs Amazon announced the brand new Echo Show 5 today, it also introduced several new features that will come to all Alexa-enabled devices. One of them is focused squarely on privacy. Instead of having to delete your Alexa voice history manually, you'll soon be able to just say something like "Alexa, delete everything I said today" to wipe out your recordings for that day. You can also say "Alexa, delete what I just said" to remove a recent utterance.
Read MoreAmazon has slowly been expanding the circle of devices that can use Alexa Announcements, but now it's throwing the gates wide open. The company has made the intercom-like feature available to any device with Alexa support built-in -- you could use your thermostat or fridge to tell the kids that dinner is ready. In theory, you won't have to visit a specific room like you might today.
Read MoreAmazon been expanding the number of languages and alphabets the Kindle supports over the years. This time, the company has given the Kindle apps and e-readers the capability to support books in Traditional Chinese. In fact, Amazon has launched a portal in the Kindle store with 20,000 Traditional Chinese titles you can download, including translations of popular books like George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series. You can now also self-publish ebooks written in the characters through Kindle Direct Publishing.
Read MoreIf you're a fan of dimly lit shows about terrible criminals, then keep your eyes on Amazon Prime. The streamer announced it has signed Glenn Kessler to an overall TV & film deal. As Deadline reports, he'll be working on TV series and films for Amazon's service as it continues to stock up on original content. Kessler is most well know for his series Damages that aired on FX and DirecTV, as well as Netflix's Bloodline. You can see what we thought of the latter right here.
Read MoreA patent made public today and filed by Amazon would allow the company's voice assistant Alexa to start recording audio before users say a "wake word." According to the patent, it would allow users to more naturally communicate with their devices, saying phrases like "Play some music, Alexa" rather than starting each command with "Alexa" or another chosen wake word. Currently, the voice assistant is unable to listen to or understand commands until the user utters the wake word.
Read MoreAmazon is reportedly working on a wrist-worn gadget that's able to detect your emotional state. The device would pair with a smartphone and use microphones to perceive your emotions from your voice, Bloomberg reported. The device would eventually be able to offer suggestions on how to better interact with other people, according to internal documents.
Read MoreAmazon shareholders have voted against a proposal to limit the company from selling its facial recognition technology to law enforcement and government agencies. The proposal, which highlighted concerns over the Rekognition system related to "civil and human rights and shareholder value," failed to pass at Amazon's annual investor meeting Wednesday, on the same day the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on facial recognition tech.
Read MoreAmazon has turned to video games to make warehouse work a bit less tedious while boosting worker productivity in the process, according to The Washington Post. The e-commerce giant has "gamified" warehouse workers' tasks by reflecting their progress in a video game format displayed on small screens at their stations. If they need to pick up a particular item to put into a bin, for instance, the object could light up on the screen, depending on what the game is. The approach is merely an experiment at the moment, but it has already rolled out to five warehouses in the US and the UK.
Read MoreAmazon is building dedicated warehouses to store hazardous goods, with the first one it constructed from scratch set to open this summer. It follows an incident at the tail end of last year, in which an exploding can of bear repellent led to 24 workers being hospitalized.
Read MoreAmazon's restaurant delivery service in the UK folded in late 2018, because it couldn't keep up with rivals like Deliveroo. Now, the corporation is subscribing to the old adage "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" by becoming Deliveroo's largest investor for a funding round that's seeking to raise $575 million. While neither company has revealed how much Amazon is giving its former rival, being the biggest investor in the round most likely means the tech giant is infusing the service with hundreds of millions of dollars in fresh funds.
Read MoreAmazon Fire TV has over 34 million monthly active users, further widening its lead over competitor Roku. Jenn Prenner, head of global marketing, growth and engagement for Fire TV, confirmed the numbers this week in a panel on the Pay TV Show. Furthermore, Fire TV has become the most popular streaming player in the US, UK, Germany, India and Japan, at least according to Amazon's metrics. It's a big leap for Fire TV, which back in October announced it had 25 million active users.
Read MoreIt took more than half a year to come to fruition, but Amazon's Alexa Guard is finally a reality. Starting today, Americans can use their Echo speakers as home security devices -- tell Alexa "I'm leaving" and your devices will alert you through phone notifications if they hear glass breaking, a CO2 alarm or a smoke alarm. You can use a Drop In call to verify if there's anything wrong, and send alerts to ADT or Amazon's own Ring if you have professional security services through either brand.
Read MoreWalmart has introduced its answer to Amazon's one-day shipping for Prime subscribers. The retail giant's NextDay delivery offering is rolling out in Phoenix and Las Vegas today, May 14th, and will be available for online customers in Southern California over the next few days. It's more of a curated shopping experience than an option shoppers can choose for any item on Walmart's website. But so long as they find the products they'e looking for among the 220,000 items listed on the portal, Walmart's might even be a better deal than Prime's. It's free and requires no membership, after all -- they just need to meet a $35 minimum order.
Read MoreThe wait for Amazon's Ring video doorbell to integrate with Apple's HomeKit could soon be over. Ring has long promised HomeKit support, but it's faced repeated delays. Now, it looks like Ring's Video Doorbell Pro and Spotlight Cam have earned HomeKit certification. A Twitter user spotted the change on Apple's MFi licensing page.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, Amazon said it will be at least 10 years before the company is running fully-automated warehouses. But partial automation is already underway. According to Reuters, Amazon is considering installing two machines at dozens of warehouses that have the potential to replace at least 24 jobs at each location. If Amazon were to roll the machines out across its 55 US fulfillment centers for standard-sized inventory, that could lead to more than 1,300 job cuts.
Read MoreAmazon's growing ad business may have produced some unintended casualties. CNBC has learned that Amazon staffers were mistakenly removing ads with religious content, explaining to sellers that a "policy update" reportedly banned promos for products "related to a specific religion." A company spokesperson said that the policies hadn't changed, however, and that it was implementing "corrective training" to make clear that religious material was acceptable.
Read MoreAmazon has agreed to enforce more stringent rules nationwide when it comes to selling children's school supplies and jewelry after an investigation by the Washington Attorney General's Office. The probe has discovered dozens of children's products sold on the e-commerce giant's website, which contain levels of lead and cadmium much higher than what's allowed. Those items include pencil cases, backpacks, necklaces and bracelets, most of which are colorful or adorned with cartoon characters.
Read MoreA month after we found out Amazon employees might listen to your Alexa conversations, Amazon is facing more privacy concerns. This time, they have to do with how the company stores data collected by its Echo Dot Kids. Today, a coalition of privacy and child-advocacy groups plan to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging that Amazon stores kids' conversations and data even after parents attempt to delete it. According to the The Wall Street Journal, the group is asking the FTC to investigate.
Read MoreIt's now clear what the Blink team has been up to since Amazon acquired it in 2017 -- namely, a much-improved version of their core security camera. The newly-unveiled Blink XT2 looks similar on the outside, but packs several upgrades that include a dramatic improvement to battery life. The outdoor-capable camera lasts for two years of motion-activated use on a pair of AA lithium batteries. You'll also get two-way talk to ward off intruders, and refined motion detection that lets you define "micro-activity zones" to minimize the chance of false alerts. When recording video, Amazon says the XT2 will last twice as long as the previous model.
Read MoreAmazon's app-powered supermarket chain, Amazon Go, opens its twelfth branch today. Located on Vesey Street in New York, the store is the city's first branch of Amazon Go, which started out in Amazon's home territory of Seattle.
Read MoreAmazon is rolling out a number of new options for Alexa routines. Starting today, you can set up a routine to trigger actions when your alarm stops. You might prompt Alexa to read your flash briefing a few minutes after your alarm goes off, or perhaps to turn on the coffee machine once you've finally stopped hitting the snooze button.
Read MoreAre you worried your job is going to be taken by a robot? You needn't be if you work for Amazon, which has dismissed the idea of fully-automated warehouses becoming a reality any time soon. According to Amazon's director of robotics fulfilment, Scott Anderson, such technology in its current form is "very limited."
Read MoreAmazon has launched its first officially branded Arabic website in the United Arab Emirates, and is set to expand in the Middle East. Visitors to Souq.com are now redirected to an entirely new website, Amazon.ae. Souq, which was bought by Amazon in 2017, is the largest e-commerce platform in the Middle East. An Amazon official told Gulf News that no timeline has been set on when Amazon will move to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern markets, but it will happen soon.
Read MoreIn-game purchases are now par for the course on mobile, so it wasn't going to be long before the same principle was applied to voice assistants. Last year, Amazon opened up in-skill purchasing to all developers in the US after limited availability for select games publishers -- now the capability is rolling out internationally.
Read MoreIf you have some time this weekend, maybe open up iTunes and double check your MP3 tags again, just for old-times sake. On Monday Apple's WWDC 2019 event starts with a keynote, and as we've heard before, it could mark a final shift away from the company's overburdened media app. Apple has already launched a TV app that will help its Apple TV+ video service reach more platforms this fall. According to Bloomberg, what we'll see on Monday will mark the end of iTunes once Apple shows off macOS desktop apps that mimic their counterparts on iOS, with separate ones for Music, TV and Podcasts. If you need to manage your iThings (local backups, OS updates, etc.), the Music app will take over there just as iTunes always has. The timing makes sense, and not just because Apple is now making billions of dollars from services that didn't exist when it launched the iTunes Music Store in 2003. We're also expecting to see the "Marzipan" apps that devs can port from iOS to the Mac, and iTunes is too old-school to fit that mold.
Read MoreThis morning, as I've done regularly since moving to New York City years ago, I left my Brooklyn apartment to head to Engadget headquarters in Manhattan. In an ideal world, I would've been able to use my iPhone to get through the turnstile at my nearby subway station. But, even though the MTA is now supporting contactless payments services such as Apple Pay, only a handful of stations and buses have so far been upgraded to the new One Metro New York (OMNY) system. The one close to my apartment isn't one of them. Still, I wanted to get the full experience beyond a quick demo from Apple. Thankfully, there's a subway station near our office that has the tap-to-pay turnstiles.
Read MoreBelieve it or not, Apple has kept iOS' cellular download limit to 150MB per app since September 2017 -- and that's a problem when many apps can be larger. The company is changing with the times, though, and has quietly upped the cap to 200MB. And that's being modest. This should let you download larger apps in practice (9to5Mac believes the 'real' app size is around 240MB) due to compression and the omissions of assets your device doesn't need.
Read MoreAs tech companies grapple with safety and privacy concerns, Apple will reportedly limit third-party tracking in kids apps starting next week. While the company hasn't announced the change, a source told The Wall Street Journal that it's in the works. Given that Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is Monday -- and that Facebook and Google have used their respective developer conferences to tout privacy initiatives -- it wouldn't be surprising for Apple to announce increased privacy for kids.
Read MoreNext week, thousands of people will flock to San Jose, California; nestle into their seats at the convention center; and listen to Apple unspool its vision for the future of software. They'll get their first concrete look at iOS 13 and learn what it means for their phones and tablets. They'll hear more about how the gap between iOS and Mac apps is starting to shrink -- albeit slowly. They might even get an early look at some new Pro-level hardware. And since we'll be there covering the show in full, you'll hear all about that stuff as soon as we do.
Read MoreApple has published a lengthy post explaining and extolling the App Store's guidelines and developer program, following the Supreme Court's decision in an antitrust case related to its application emporium. On May 13th, the Supreme Court has ruled against the tech giant in a long-standing price-fixing suit, which accuses the company of maintaining a monopoly over iOS app distribution to keep prices high and to be able to take a 30 percent commission.
Read MoreEver since I moved to New York City nearly ten years ago, I've had to buy physical MetroCards to ride the subway almost every day. But last week, for the first time ever, I didn't have to swipe my card to get trough the turnstile and catch my train. Instead, the entire process was done on an iPhone, thanks to a demo I tried of the Apple Pay Express Transit feature -- one that will start rolling out to MTA subway and bus stations on Friday, May 31st. This contactless system, which also works with Apple Watch, is as seamless as you might expect: You just hold your device next to the screen on an upgraded tap-to-pay turnstile and, within a second, you'll see a message on the reader that says "GO" and you're on your way.
Read More"Oh shit, the Forbes list just changed," Tyrese Gibson proclaimed in a 2014 Facebook video. "The first billionaire in hip-hop, right here from the motherfucking West Coast," Dr. Dre chimed in.
Read MoreNo, your eyes aren't deceiving you -- after four long years, Apple has updated the iPod touch. The new version packs a much faster A10 Fusion chip -- think iPhone 7 era -- that can keep up with modern iOS experiences like group FaceTime calls and augmented reality, not to mention newer mobile games. Apple has also given the storage a much-needed boost, with a new 256GB version joining the mix for those who need to hold absolutely everything.
Read MoreIf you were a teen hoping to land a job at a tech giant, how would you go about it? Plan your education and hope you eventually land an internship? An Australian had another, less conventional method. The teen hacked Apple and pleaded guilty while admitting that he hoped this would land him a job at the iPhone maker. He'd heard that Apple hired a European who'd done the same thing, and had assumed that a job was waiting for him the moment he was discovered. Clearly, law enforcement had other ideas.
Read MoreCanucks won't have to sit on the sidelines while their Apple Watch-toting friends in the US, Europe and Hong Kong perform electrocardiograms. Apple has confirmed that it's bringing the Watch Series 4's ECG app and irregular heart rhythm detection to Canada "as quickly as possible" following an approval by Health Canada on May 16th. While the company hasn't narrowed down a time frame, the most likely candidates for a debut are either watchOS 5.3 (which entered beta testing in mid-May) or the expected watchOS 6 release in September.
Read MoreApple has snapped up a company called Tueo Health, which was working on an app to help parents monitor asthma symptoms of their sleeping kids, according to CNBC. The startup's CEO and chief operating officer switched their employer to Apple on LinkedIn late last year, which is when the deal seems to have closed. Apple declined to comment to Engadget on the report.
Read MoreApparently, some counterfeit iPhones are good enough to fool Apple itself -- especially if they can't be switched on. Quan Jiang, a Chinese national living in Oregon, allegedly took advantage of that by running an elaborate warranty scam that ultimately defrauded the tech giant out of almost 1,500 iPhones. According to Bloomberg, Jiang imported the fake iPhones from Hong Kong and has now pleaded guilty to trafficking in counterfeit goods in federal court. Previous reports say he operated with a partner named Yangyang Zhou, who was accused of submitting false information on an export documentation. Zhou has pleaded not guilty.
Read MoreApple became more upfront with iPhone users after it was compelled to admit that it deliberately slowed down iPhones in older devices to balance out performance and battery life. Now, the tech giant has promised UK watchdog Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to clearly notify users if a software update is bound to throttle or change the performance of their iPhones.
Read MoreApple's privacy push is extending to an area where you might not expect it: web ad tracking. The company's John Wilander has outlined a new system, Privacy Preserving Ad Click Attribution, that would help marketers track the success of ads without tracking individual users. Host sites would store generic ad clicks, while the advertisers' sites would match the number of conversions (people who went on to make transactions) with a 24- to 48-hour delay to prevent profiling. Your browser would send ad click attribution data for those matches, but only in a special, optional private browsing session that prevents cross-site tracking.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. If you've been waiting to upgrade to a new MacBook Pro, then today's news could be just what you need to hear. Otherwise, we've got a detailed breakdown of PS5 info straight from Sony, an esports lawsuit worth paying attention to and a big update rolling out for Windows 10.
Read MoreThe MacBook Pro is getting an upgrade today and yes, it's the upgrade you've been waiting for. After acknowledging problems with the "butterfly" mechanism in its MacBook keyboards and later offering next-day repairs, the company is now attempting to address the underlying design. For over a year, users have been complaining about stuck and unresponsive keys, with the outcry culminating in a March Wall Street Journal column that was published without certain letters, as if written on a stuck butterfly keyboard. It was for that story that Apple finally issued a statement acknowledging the problem. The following month it began offering next-day keyboard repairs. Now, Apple says it's using different materials in the keyboard mechanism, which it hopes will address these complaints. Additionally, the company is extending the standard one-year warranty for keyboard issues that would normally be covered by the care plan. So, even if your one year is up, you still qualify for keyboard repairs as if you were still in-warranty. Of note, this isn't the first time Apple has tweaked its Butterfly keyboard to address user complaints. Last year's refresh quietly added a membrane meant to keep debris from working its way in. Here's hoping the fix that Apple announced today actually does the trick. In addition to that revised keyboard design, Apple announced some CPU upgrades today, with the 15-inch MacBook Pro receiving an eight-core processor option for the first time. The $2,799 configuration of the 15-inch model will come standard with an eight-core, Core i9 processor offering base speeds of 2.3GHz (up to 4.8 GHz with Turbo Boost). The less expensive $2,399 SKU starts with a six-core, ninth-generation Core i7 processor with a base clock speed of 2.6GHz and Turbo Boost speed of 4.5 GHz. For those who can afford it, there will also be a higher-end CPU option: a 2.4GHz, eight-core Core i9 processor with a Turbo Boost speed of 5.0GHz. Meanwhile, the 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro is getting slightly faster eighth-gen Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors. It'll come standard with a 2.4GHz quad-core Core i5 chip that reaches Turbo Boost speeds of up to 4.1GHz. It will also be configurable with a 2.8GHz quad-core Core i7 CPU that reaches 4.7GHz through Turbo Boost. These new MacBook Pros are available now, at the same starting prices as before: $1,799 for the 13-inch Touch Bar model and $2,399 for the 15-inch machines.
Read MoreYou can now use Apple Pay to make purchases from iTunes, the App Store and Apple Books. MacRumors spotted the change in a recently updated support document. The added Apple Pay options are coming to users in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates, but they might not be available in all of those locations just yet.
Read MoreThis morning, the Supreme Court decided to allow iPhone owners to proceed with a lawsuit against Apple. The plaintiffs claim that Apple has a monopoly through the App Store. Apple tried to argue that developers are the ones who pay Apple's commission, so they would need to file a lawsuit on the issue. But the Supreme Court has ruled that the case may continue as is. In a statement, released to CNBC this afternoon, Apple says it is confident it will prevail when the facts are presented.
Read MoreApple is reportedly working on a new NFC feature that will allow iPhone users to make Apple Pay purchases by tapping special, NFC-equipped tags. That means retailers won't need bulky terminals, and iPhone users won't need to download a third-party app before, say, buying clothes or adding miles to their scooter rental. According to 9to5mac, Apple is partnering with Bonobos clothing store, PayByPhone parking meters and Bird scooters on the initial roll out.
Read MoreJust seven weeks after rolling out iOS 12.2, Apple has released iOS 12.3. The biggest update this time around is a major refresh of the TV app ahead of the Apple TV+ streaming service debuting later this year. Through the new-look app, you can subscribe to various TV networks through Apple TV Channels and watch their shows all in one place.
Read MoreIf you've been patiently waiting for Apple's redesigned TV app, which was revealed back in March, today is your lucky day. The company is now rolling out the updated application to iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and compatible Samsung smart TVs, complete with a fresh look, the new Channels feature and curated sections such as "For You" and "Kids." Aside from the overhauled design, which focuses on offering big, beautiful imagery for movies and TV shows and a UI that's intended to help you swipe/scroll less, the biggest changes to the TV app are the addition of Channels and the full iTunes library.
Read MoreThe Supreme Court has ruled against Apple in a long-standing case over price fixing in the App Store, in a decision that allows iPhone owners to proceed with a lawsuit against the company. The court heard arguments in the case in November, and the decision was expected sometime this spring.
Read MoreIt looks like Apple has unceremoniously dropped another third-party display option from its online store. 9to5Mac noticed the LG UltraFine 5K display appears to be no longer available for purchase from Apple. This comes just a few weeks after Apple stopped selling the 4K model of the monitor. The apparent removal of the LG's offerings come as Apple is reportedly working on its owns 6K display that is rumored to be released later this year.
Read MoreApple doesn't do gags by half-measures, apparently. Tim Cook made an appearance at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting where he jokingly suggested in a short film that Warren Buffett could have a newspaper-tossing iPhone game, but it turns out that this wasn't just empty banter -- the game is real. Apple has released a Warren Buffett's Paper Wizard title for iPhones that has you tossing papers (much like Buffett did as a child) to earn "Warren Bucks" based on your delivery skills. Think of it as a first-person, touchscreen Paperboy for would-be billlionaires.
Read MoreIt's no secret that Apple has plenty of software updates in store for WWDC, but the biggest improvements may come to one of its smallest devices -- namely, the Apple Watch. Bloomberg sources claim to know many of the software introductions planned for the June developer event, and watchOS would receive major updates that make it considerably less dependent on an iPhone. To start, the Apple Watch would get an on-device App Store -- like Google Play on Wear OS, you wouldn't have to load apps on your smartphone first.
Read MoreNot that long ago, Apple was going to build iPhone screens using sapphire glass, but that didn't work out so well. It loaned $578 million to a company called GT Advanced Technologies, which was supposed to build highly scratch-resistant screen covers from synthetic sapphire crystals. Instead, it produced flawed "boules" of sapphire that couldn't be cut into displays and went bankrupt months after it started. Now, the SEC has announced that it's charging the company and its ex-CEO with fraud for allegedly withholding key information from stockholders.
Read MoreThe European Union might just believe that Spotify's complaint against Apple has some merit. Financial Times sources have claimed that EU competition commissioners have decided to launch an antitrust investigation into allegations that Apple unfairly hinders Spotify and other rivals to Apple Music through App Store policies. The investigation would start in the "next few weeks," according to the outlet.
Read MoreThe costs of Apple's truce with Qualcomm are now much clearer. Qualcomm now estimates that it will pull in revenue between $4.5 billion and $4.7 billion from the settlement in the third quarter of the year, including both the one-time payment from Apple as well as the elimination of obligations. It's certainly not a trivial amount, although Qualcomm made clear that this won't dramatically alter its fortunes.
Read MoreTwo years after Apple announced plans to turn Washington, DC's Carnegie Library into a retail store, the company will open the doors to its latest flagship on May 11th. This comes after years of planning and months of restoration and renovation.
Read MoreToday, Emtek pulls the plug on BlackBerry Messenger. The company announced last month that it would shut down the consumer service, which has been steadily losing users and failing to attract new ones. As a consolation for diehard fans, BlackBerry opened BBM Enterprise, its enterprise-grade encrypted Messenger (BBMe), for personal use. That's available on Android, iOS, Windows and Mac.
Read MoreGiphy is moving past just GIFs and getting into the business of everything animated. Starting today, the company is rolling out two new formats: Giphy Emoji and Giphy Text. The new features expand upon the company's huge reservoir of GIFs by adding new collections of animated emoji and text stickers that can be shared across conversations. Both features will be available through the Giphy app for iOS and Android starting today, as well as the Giphy Keyboard available for both operating systems. The company plans to open the features up to developers in the near future.
Read MoreGoogle has made some major alterations to its Play Store policies that tighten rules surrounding sexual content, hate speech and loot boxes. Android Police has spotted the changes, noting that they were designed to make the platform's ecosystem more suitable for children. Under the policies' Monetization and Ads section, Google now notes that games offering randomized virtual items for purchase "must clearly disclose the odds of receiving those items in advance of purchase." In other words, you'll now know how hard it is to get particular items from loot boxes or gacha, so you can better manage your expectations.
Read MoreGoogle updated its Play Store policy today to prohibit apps that either directly sell or help facilitate the sale of marijuana, even in states where the drug is legal. Apps that offer features such as weed delivery are now at risk of being removed from the Play Store unless they are able to comply and remove the offending features within the next 30 days, according to a report from Android Police.
Read MoreDropbox has spent much of the last few years focused on its products for enterprise business, but the company got its start by offering a simple, reasonably priced cloud storage and sync option. With major competition in the space from Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Apple iCloud, Dropbox today is making its plans a bit more enticing. The first Dropbox paid tier, called plus, now has 2TB of storage, double what it had before and the same as you'll get with similar $10/month plans from Google and Apple. The catch is that Dropbox Plus only costs $10 per month if you sign up for an annual plan -- otherwise, you'll now be billed $11.99 per month. That's still a bit more expensive than the competition, but it's definitely closer than it was before. And Dropbox was quick to point out that it makes all its revenue through subscriptions, so it's not selling your personal information. Given the intense interest in user privacy these days, it's not surprising to see them taking an Apple-like stance when comparing its service to Google's products.
Read MoreMicrosoft Excel is making its "Insert Data from Picture" feature available on the iOS app. The AI-powered tool lets Excel users take pictures on their phone of data and convert it into a spreadsheet in seconds. The new function debuted at Microsoft's Ignite event last September and has already been released for Android. Combining a mix of image recognition and AI, it's a useful perk for both chronic and occasional Excel users that will eliminate hours wasted on manual input.
Read MoreIKEA's mobile apps have so far been focused on enhancing the retail experience, not replacing it. You can preview furniture in your home, but you'll have to either visit the web or travel to the store to make a purchase. That's poised to change, digital chief Barbara Martin Coppola told Reuters in an interview. The big-box store is prepping an app that would let you shop remotely for that couch or desk while still visualizing how it appeared in your home. The new app would allow you to enter your room dimensions to ensure a good fit, and choose from different styles and "life stages" to narrow down the selection.
Read MoreGitHub announced today that it is opening up the beta of GitHub Sponsors, a new feature that will let users financially support their favorite developers and open source applications. The digital tip jar will operate similarly to Patreon, with donors able to select a certain sponsorship tier and set up monthly recurring payments. For the first year of the program, GitHub is offering to match contributions up to $5,000 through its GitHub Sponsors Matching Fund.
Read MorePaying for delivery is so passé, and Uber Eats knows it. Like Postmates, DoorDash and the UK's Deliveroo, which all offer unlimited food delivery subscriptions, Uber is set to offer a monthly $9.99 pass that includes free delivery from any restaurant at any time (although just to be clear, you've still got to pay for the food).
Read MoreLast year Valve released Steam Chat for the desktop, and now its messaging service is fully mobile with a dedicated app for Android and iOS. Naturally, it cribs the desktop version's features, including: Friends List - See who's in game or online at a glance. Never miss an opportunity to play. Rich Chat - Your chats get even better with higher fidelity links, videos, tweets, GIFs, Giphy, Steam emoticons, and more. Invite Links - Add new friends on Steam with a link. Generate an invite link you can text or email. Customizable Notifications - Mobile notifications mean you'll never miss a message or game invite. You can customize your notifications per friend, group chat, and chat channel. Group Chats - Get everyone on the same page. Groups make it easier to do things like stay in touch with your communities and organize game night with your best friends. You'll have to try it out to see if that's enough to pull people away from other options like Discord, but at least now there's proper competition and voice chat should be the next feature added. According to Valve, now that Steam Chat has its own app, and Steam Link is available on both mobile platforms, the main Steam Mobile app will see upgrades that focus on security. Expect to see a better Steam Guard soon, with one-touch login, QR codes and the like.
Read MoreAbout a year and a half after it first popped up on our mobile screens, HQ Trivia is launching "season four" tonight at 9 PM ET with several gameplay tweaks and a refreshed cast of hosts. The trivia game streams live to player's phones and offers real cash prizes, however now you don't have to get all the way to the end to cash in. Instead players can choose to bank a smaller amount like $50 -- or keep playing for the big prize.
Read MoreAdobe has brought Premiere Rush CC to Android after debuting the video editing app on iOS, macOS and Windows last year. However, you'll need a recent Android device to run the app, such as from the Google Pixel 2 and 3, Samsung Galaxy S9 and S10, Galaxy Note 8 and 9 or OnePlus 6T lineups.
Read MoreFirefox got speedy last year when its Quantum browser rolled out -- now it's set to get even faster. The latest release rolling out today prioritizes its performance management "to-do" list with a set of features that'll load pages up to 40-80 percent quicker. The browser will now suspend idle tabs, delay lesser-used scripts and skip unnecessary work during start-ups.
Read MorePandora has finally rolled out a desktop app, so you don't have to be stuck using its web player on a browser anymore if you want to play music on your computer. It doesn't play podcasts yet, and it doesn't quite have all the features of the mobile application, but it does give you access to handy keyboard controls that lets you play, pause, replay, skip, shuffle and even rate songs. It also shows on-screen notifications that display the artist and the song that's playing, as well as the album the tune came from.
Read MoreGoogle is making Live Transcribe, its Android app for easy voice transcription, a lot more useful. Now, in addition to jotting down spoken words, it'll also make you aware of things like a dog barking or audience clapping. It'll give deaf and hard of hearing users even more context around their environment. Additionally, you'll also be able to copy and save transcripts locally for up to three days. That'll be useful when you're juggling several conversations, or if you're using the app to transcribe a class or meeting. And of course, it'll give you a bit of time to move that text to a more permanent location for safe-keeping.
Read MoreYou won't be lacking in video when the Oculus Quest arrives. YouTube has announced that its VR app will be available for the Quest when the headset debuts on May 21st. There's no mention of technical advantages over the YouTube VR app on the Oculus Go, but that's not really the point -- you don't need six degrees of freedom to watch a National Geographic series. This is more about ensuring that you're a YouTube viewer from day one.
Read MorePC gaming is ready to meet iOS, now that Valve's Steam Link app is available for Apple's devices. You can even play them on your TV easily via the Apple TV, streamed right from your PC. Apple had blocked its release last year, but evidently that has been worked out -- likely because you can't purchase games with it anymore -- and you can grab it from the App Store now. Valve has also renamed "In-Home Streaming" as simply Remote Play in the latest beta Steam release, so that it's the same whether you're using it at home or beta testing it from further away. As long as the connection is good enough, it will work. When Steam Link launched you needed another PC or dedicated hardware, but apps for iOS, Android and even Raspberry Pi are making it much more widely available. It's not quite cloud-streamed gaming, but anyone with a Steam account full of games, a decent connection and any of those devices suddenly has a lot more options for how they're going to play.
Read MoreResearchers are working on a smartphone app that could help diagnose ear infections. As NPR reports, the app uses the phone's microphone, its speaker and a small paper cone. In its current form, the app sends short, sound pulses through a funnel and into the ear canal. It then measures the echo of that sound, and an algorithm uses the reading to predict if there's fluid behind the eardrum, one of the common symptoms of infection.
Read MoreYet another Pokémon game is coming to smartphones. Pokémon Rumble Rush appeared in Australia's Google Play store today, and according to EuroGamer, it's "coming soon" for iOS and Android.
Read MoreBeing in a car accident is stressful -- even the smallest bump can send your nerves sky high, and in times of extreme tension it's easy to forget the usual protocols. But Volvo is here to make the whole unfortunate experience a little easier to manage. The company has just released a mobile service, Car Accident Advisor, that will guide you through what to do in the event of a crash.
Read MoreIt's been difficult to spend cryptocurrencies at retail due to the technical and regulatory headaches associated with it, but that might not be an issue at some stores in the near future. Flexa has launched a payment network and a companion iOS app, Spedn, that should let you spend digital currency at major retailers like Baskin Robbins, Gamestop and Whole Foods. You just bring up a barcode at the register and the merchant scans it in -- if they don't directly accept crypto, the payment network converts your funds into conventional money in real time.
Read MoreInstagrammers and portrait photographers alike use Facetune-style skin smoothing techniques on photos, but it often gives your subject an overly unnatural "plastic" effect. Adobe is addressing that issue with a new plugin called Texture in its latest release of Lightroom and Lightroom Classic. It lets you do subtle retouching on portraits to reduce wrinkles and blemishes without eliminating them completely, while preserving or enhancing fine detail in pores and hair.
Read MoreRather than build the Statue of Liberty in such a way that its 200,000-lb copper shell stood upright on its own, Gustave Eiffel — the man behind the eponymous tower — designed it around a massive inner framework. You might have already known this, but it's the kind of detail that doesn't often spring to mind unless you're 1) a French/American history buff or 2) someone who has already been inside the thing. Thankfully, to coincide with the opening of the official Statue of Liberty museum this week, there's a new AR-focused iOS app to give visitors and the far-flung curious an up-close look at France's majestic gift to the US.
Read MoreOnline dating is its own big, scary jungle, and often users are left on their own when it comes to problems like ghosting or mixed signals in texts. Match thinks it can help users navigate that jungle -- by offering some human assistance. The online dating site is launching a new service, AskMatch, that will connect its paid users to a dating coach for a chat over the phone. The service is launching in New York City this month, with the goal of expanding nationwide by 2020.
Read MoreKunlun, the Chinese mobile company that owns Grindr, has to sell the popular gay-dating app by the middle of next year. It has reached an agreement with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to sell Grindr by June 2020 after the agency raised concerns about national security related to its ownership. In addition, the agreement prohibits the company from accessing Grindr users' information, which include their location and HIV status. It also forbids Kunlun from transmitting sensitive data to any entity based in China.
Read MoreAdobe Creative Cloud subscribers who haven't updated their apps in a while may want to check their inboxes. The software company has sent out emails to customers warning them of being "at risk of potential claims of infringement by third parties" if they continue using outdated versions of CC apps, including Photoshop and Lightroom. These emails even list the old applications installed on the subscribers' systems, and in some cases, they mention what the newest available versions are. In a response to a customer complaint on Twitter, the AdobeCare account said users can only download the two most recent variants of CC apps going forward.
Read MoreCount Spotify among the ranks of internet giants duping Snapchat's Stories feature. The streaming music service has confirmed an Android Police report that it's testing a Storyline feature where musicians can share Stories-style content, whether it's making-of trivia or a song's influences. This isn't the same as Behind the Lyrics, which pulls data from Genius -- artists and their managers have to work with Spotify directly.
Read MoreAdd Tinder to the growing list of tech giants launching lightweight apps to reel in more users. As part of an earnings call, Match Group divulged plans for a Tinder Lite app that would be smaller and better-suited to area where cellular data "comes at a premium." CEO Mandy Ginsberg made no mention of features or a release date (other than "soon"), but did point to Southeast Asia as a high priority when there's an influx of young people into packed cities.
Read MoreWhen Francesco Grilli and his peers were working on the 4G standard, they had a few ideas as to what the popular use cases might be. Video calls over the internet, perhaps, or rich messaging content, they thought. "In the end, none of that really happened on a larger scale," Grilli said. "Other stuff we were thinking about didn't materialize." As vice president of product management at Qualcomm Technologies, Grilli's job largely revolves around imagining how people would use advanced networks.
Read MoreFirefox Chief Technology Officer Eric Rescorla has written a detailed blog post explaining exactly how the browser's add-ons came to break all at once last week, how it was fixed, and how the company will avoid another 'armagadd-on' in the future.
Read MoreAndroid users have had Google Podcasts since last summer, but iOS and desktop users will now be able to take advantage of the search giant's straightforward listening interface.
Read MorePandora users can now access their music through Waze, meaning you won't have to flip between the apps as you drive. From the Waze app, iOS and Android users can simply click the music icon in the top right corner and select Pandora. If you're in the Pandora app, you'll also see the next step of your Waze journey.
Read MoreNike has been experimenting heavily with augmented reality for a few years now, and the company is continuing to work on new experiences powered by the technology. The sportswear giant is now introducing Nike Fit, a feature that uses a combination of computer vision, scientific data, artificial intelligence and recommendation algorithms to scan your feet and find the right shoe fit for you. And you can do it all in augmented reality, using the Nike app on your smartphone. Nike says that, according to industry research, over 60 percent of people wear the wrong size shoes. With Nike Fit, the company is hoping to solve that problem.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Morning! We're getting close to finding out what's up with the Galaxy Fold, but right now we're focused on the upcoming Android Auto redesign and Intel's Project Athena laptop plans. Also, don't forget to check back at 6PM ET for news from Sony's next State of Play live stream.
Read MoreA few years ago, Google added carrier billing to the Play Store to make paid apps and in-app payments more accessible, even in emerging markets. Now, the tech giant is making it even easier for users in developing regions and other primarily cash-based societies to get their hands on paid content. It's rolling out a new payment option called "pending transactions," which Play Store Director of Engineering Aurash Mahbod describes as a "new class of delayed form of payment -- like cash, bank transfer and direct debit."
Read MoreIn an age when we all have a tiny computer in our pockets, it's important that we learn to limit screen time in favor of actual human interaction and productivity. It's even more essential that we limit media consumption for children, especially since they're being exposed to things like phones and tablets at an increasingly younger age. Those devices are part of kids' lives earlier than ever, so it's important to keep tabs on how often they use them or watch TV. There are a number of reasons why you should do this as a parent, and, ironically, there's also a range of tech available to help with the task.
Read MoreWhat's left of Fox after the Disney deal is venturing into uncharted territory for the company -- namely, a betting app. Fox Sports has unveiled a partnership with gambling app giant Stars Group, Fox Bet, that will release a self-titled real money betting app in the US this fall. Precious few details are available, although it'll cover a "wide range" of sports events and place nicely with the law.
Read MoreEvery year, Android gets a chance to reinvent itself on smartphones with new features and new design flourishes. The same can't be said of Android Auto, Google's phone-powered in-car interface: It's tremendously helpful for drivers, and its feature set has grown over the years, but the UI hasn't changed since it debuted in 2014.
Read MoreToday, the secondary sneaker seller GOAT released an augmented reality feature that will let users see pre-release sneakers in AR. This isn't the first time a company has let users view sneakers in AR, but GOAT users will be able to preview the shoes before they launch.
Read MoreIf you use the Vivaldi browser with a Razer Chroma-enabled device, you'll find your surroundings lit up with a different color based on the website you're visiting. The browser's latest version comes with Chroma integration, which dynamically syncs colors from the website on your screen -- Facebook will switch a Chrome-enabled keyboard's lights to blue, for instance, while YouTube will change them to red. To activate the feature, simply go to Themes under Settings, tick the box next to "Enable Razer Chroma integration" and then choose which device (keyboard, mouse, mat or link) you want to sync.
Read MoreYou'll soon get to hack and slash your way through the ever-changing castle of Dead Cells on mobile. Motion Twin's roguelike 'Metroidvania' hit is coming to iOS this summer and Android later. It arrived on consoles last August after a spell in early access on Steam.
Read MoreYou'd think that dating app developers would be sure to keep children from signing up, but that's not always the case. Apple and Google have removed three Wildec dating apps (FastMeet, Meet24 and Meet4U) from their respective stores after the FTC found that the titles were allowing sign-ups from kids under 13, violating COPPA and the FTC Act in the process. The developer was aware it had underage users, the FTC said, and there were "several" people who'd faced criminal charges for contacting kids through these apps.
Read MoreAmazon's Alexa app for Windows 10 now behaves more like you'd expect it to -- that is, it behaves more like an Echo speaker. An update to the software has introduced the option to invoke Alexa solely through your voice, whether or not the app is in the foreground. As long as you're within earshot of the microphones, you won't have to sit right at your PC to turn on the lights or check the weather. Push-to-talk is still an option if you don't want to risk accidentally waking your voice assistant.
Read MoreAs helpful as Android Auto is, it's hard to deny that it feels a bit dated when you can still see some of its 2014 roots. Thankfully, it's about to get a serious makeover. Google has unveiled a new Android Auto interface that's designed to keep more of your attention on the road and, ultimately, adapt to the reality of modern touchscreen-centric cars.
Read MoreStaff at Mozilla have issued a comprehensive fix for the Firefox browser after users endured three days without any add-ons, caused by the expiration of a signing certificate. The company has been scrambling to fix the issue since it appeared on Friday, with frustrated users turning to workarounds to try to get their adblockers, password managers and other extensions working again.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to your weekend! The weekend got off to a bad start for the Firefox team, but other notable stories this week included the Sonic trailer and Samsung's odd vertically-oriented TV. Check out some of the highlights below, as well as fresh updates like a new Star Wars-branded Lego Boost kit.
Read MoreMany Firefox users around the world are browsing without their usual set of extensions after they suddenly stopped working earlier this evening. The event occurred as the clock rolled over on UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, aka GMT or Greenwich Mean Time), and impacted users quickly narrowed it down to "expiration of intermediate signing cert" -- as it's described on Mozilla's bug tracker. This same problem almost happened three years ago, but "armagadd-on" 2.0 has torn things up once again. In a statement provided to Engadget, Product Lead Kev Needham said: We're sorry that there is currently an issue where existing and new add-ons are failing to run or be installed on Firefox. We know what the issue is and are working hard to restore add-on functionality to Firefox as soon as possible. We'll continue to provide updates via our Twitter channels. Please bear with us while we get the problem fixed.
Read MoreMoment has announced its biggest ever update for Pro Camera, which adds a bunch of cool new features to the app, and brings the Android version up to parity. And to celebrate, if you download the app for the first time you'll get 15 percent off in the Moment Shop, which carries more than 20 photography and travel brands.
Read MoreChina isn't taking kindly to the Trump administration's de facto Huawei ban. The country has revealed that it's creating an "unreliable entities list" of foreign companies, organizations and people that it believes interfere with Chinese businesses. This includes firms that break the "spirit" of contracts, violate "market rules," block supplies to companies for "noncommercial reasons" and otherwise harm the "legitimate rights and interests" of those outfits.
Read MoreUber's first earnings report as a public company shows that while its revenue is higher than last year; the company is still hemorrhaging money. Still, there's no doubt that the company is getting bigger. The company earned $3.1 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2019, a 20 percent increase from the same period last year. But its losses were considerable; the company reported a net loss of $1.1 billion.
Read MoreUber might be developing a feature that lets riders add drivers as a "favorite" so they can ride with them again in the future. App researcher Jane Manchun Wong revealed the potential app addition on Monday, noting that Uber was apparently testing the feature -- no other details have been given so far.
Read MoreHuawei is stepping up its fight against American bans. The tech giant has motioned for a summary judgment in its lawsuit to invalidate Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, arguing that it violates the "Bill of Attainder, Due Process and Vesting" clauses of the US Constitution. The law explicitly bans Huawei by name despite "no evidence" of a security risk, Huawei's Song Liuping said, and bans third-party contractors who buy from Huawei even when there's no link to the US government.
Read MoreSony is quietly launching a chip that could change how e-bikes, cars, street lamps and all kinds of other connected devices can relay information. The module, when installed on any IoT object, will allow it send data to Sony's proprietary low-power wide area (LPWA) ELTRES network launching this fall. It can transmit up to about 60 miles and work in noisy urban environments on objects moving at high speeds, opening up a lot of new applications in security, monitoring, tracking and more.
Read MoreHuawei's rapidly escalating fight with the US has taken a rather unusual direction. The company has accused FedEx of diverting two of its packages meant for China, and trying to reroute two other packages sent from Vietnam to other Asian offices. Both of the diverted packages went to the US, Huawei told Reuters, and reportedly contained "no technology" -- just commercial documents. The tech giant went so far as to provide images of tracking records, although it didn't offer a reason as to why it thought the packages went the wrong way.
Read MoreBefore Canon and Nikon even launched their all-new full-frame mirrorless camera systems, I figured they'd have a tough time against the entrenched leader, Sony. They needed to be very aggressive with the pricing and features, something neither company tends to do. But the opportunity was there. Both were building all-new camera systems from scratch, so they could examine what made Sony's stellar A7 III and A7R III cameras successful and then try to do better. Canon's EOS R and EOS RP, and Nikon's Z 6 and Z 7 have now been on sale for a few months, so what's the verdict? Well, the market has spoken loud and clear. At least in Japan, the home market of all these companies, the Sony A7 III is the clear leader in sales while Canon and Nikon have dropped. So what went wrong? After testing all the cameras, I believe it's a tale of Sony's technological superiority and missed opportunities by its rivals, especially Canon.
Read MoreThe very concept of a quantum computer can be daunting, let alone programming it, but Microsoft thinks it can offer a helping hand. It and Alphabet's X are partnering with Brilliant on an online curriculum for quantum computing. The course starts with basic concepts and gradually introduces you to Microsoft's Q# language, teaching you how to write 'simple' quantum algorithms before moving on to truly complicated scenarios. You can handle everything on the web (including quantum circuit puzzles), and there's a simulator to verify that you're on the right track.
Read MoreAirbnb and New York City are inching closer to making peace over data sharing. To start, the home rental outfit has reached an agreement to hand over semi-anonymized host and reservation data for over 17,000 listings in the city. It's also providing data for every NYC listing rented between January 1st, 2018 and February 18th, 2019 that might have violated the city's short-term rental laws.
Read MoreCorrection 5/29/19 8:32PM ET: This story reported Huawei was banned from using SD card branding on future devices and that the company was barred from being a member of the SD Association. Both points are inaccurate and we regret the error. The SD Association has confirmed to Engadget that Huawei's status was temporarily "modified" in order to comply with the Department of Commerce order mentioned in this original post. The company's temporary absence from the SD Association's website was due to "a technical issue." The original post can be read below with the appropriate corrections. The previous update was also incorrect. Again, we regret the error.
Read MoreAt CES, LG announced that its 2019 ThinQ AI TVs would support Amazon Alexa, and now the voice assistant has arrived in 14 countries. On top of Google's Assistant, you'll be able to use it on any of the ThinQ AI 4K models including NanoCell and OLED models. If you own one, you'll be able to access numerous Alexa Skills, ask questions, control smart home devices and more, without needing an Echo or other Alexa devices as before
Read MoreRoughly five months after the Federal Trade Commission and Qualcomm entered the courtroom over charges that Qualcomm engaged in anti-competitive behavior, a federal judge has sided with the FTC. In a decision shared Tuesday night, US District Judge Lucy Koh stated that Qualcomm violated antitrust laws, The Wall Street Journal reports. In her decision, Koh said the company charged unreasonably high royalties for its patents and eliminated cell phone chip competitors.
Read MoreUK-based chip designer ARM told its employees to stop all their dealings with Huawei, according to the BBC. It reportedly notified its personnel in a memo to suspend "all active contracts, support entitlements and any pending engagements" with the Chinese tech giant right after the US government added it to its Entity List. That's what the US Commerce Department calls the roster of banned companies that can no longer do business with American firms without a special license. While ARM is a British company, its memo says it uses "US origin technology" and is thus covered by the US ban. In a brief comment to Engadget, ARM said that it is "complying with the latest restrictions set forth by the US government and is having ongoing conversations with the appropriate US government agencies to ensure [it] remain[s] compliant. ARM values its relationship with [its] longtime partner HiSilicon and it is hopeful for a swift resolution on this matter."
Read MoreSony's new CEO has confirmed that the company will keep faith in its mobile division, despite its numerous struggles. Kenichiro Yoshida (pictured), who replaced Kaz Hirai as head of the Japanese giant, told journalists that he wouldn't walk away from the moribund smartphone biz. Reuters quotes Yoshida, who said "we see smartphones as hardware for entertainment, and a component necessary to make our hardware brand sustainable"
Read MoreEven telecom giants can't resist the temptation to hop on the smart speaker bandwagon... or can they? CNBC sources say the news site's parent company, Comcast, is developing a smart speaker focused on health. You wouldn't use this to turn on the lights or perform other smart home tasks -- instead, it would use sensors to detect trips to the washroom, long sleeping hours and falls. You could also use it to make emergency calls. Comcast confirmed to Engadget that it's working on a device, but the company says the technology is solely a sensor to detect motion, not a gadget that's built to function as a smart speaker. Comcast also says there's no function for the device beyond health.
Read MoreHuawei's consumer business CEO Richard Yu reportedly said the company's own mobile OS will debut as early as this fall. Huawei hasn't confirmed plans to launch its OS, and Yu supposedly shared the information in a private WeChat group. But that timeline wouldn't be surprising given the recent US trade restrictions and Google's subsequent decision to suspend Huawei's Android support.
Read MoreTo no one's surprise, Huawei isn't reacting calmly to losing key suppliers in the wake of the US' trade restrictions. Representative Abraham Liu said the company was the "victim of the bullying by the US administration," and that this was an attack on the "liberal, rules-based order." He added that the company wasn't taking the loss of Android support lying down. Huawei was "working closely" with Google to see how it could "handle the situation," Liu said, noting that Google had no motivations to block the company beyond complying with US law.
Read MoreLast week the US Commerce Department added Huawei and 68 subsidiaries to its "Entity List" that bans it from doing business with US companies without a special license. Today, as anticipated, the Commerce Department loosened that restriction a bit with a temporary 90-day license. According to Wilbur Ross, the Secretary of Commerce, it "will allow operations to continue for existing Huawei mobile phone users and rural broadband networks." Because many operators, or owners of various handsets might not have any other way to get software updates or look into backups for necessary equipment, Huawei can continue to service those existing customers -- for now at least. For the long term, however, it's still looking at the loss of access to technology like Google's Android OS, not to mention any business deals in the US. Update: Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei made a rare public statement, telling media in China that his company had already made preparations for a ban, and said that its 5G would not be affected by the restrictions. He also said the temporary license "bears little meaning."
Read MoreHuawei has more to worry about beyond Google's decision to suspend Android support. Bloomberg sources said that American chipmakers Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom and Xilinx had told staff they wouldn't supply Huawei with parts "till further notice," leaving the Chinese tech giant without potentially vital components. Nikkei tipsters also claimed that Germany's Infineon had cut off "certain shipments" to Huawei out of caution, although a spokesperson since said that most of its products wouldn't be subject to the US blacklisting that had prompted companies to back away.
Read MoreThe Trump administration might ease its Huawei trade ban... if ever so slightly. A Commerce Department spokeswoman told Reuters in a statement that it might soon grant Huawei a temporary license to "prevent the interruption" of service for existing networks and gear. Numerous internet providers and wireless carriers in rural and other low-population areas (including eastern Oregon and Wyoming) still have Huawei equipment, and the Commerce Department's trade ban would leave them hanging in the event of a system failure.
Read MoreYesterday, Lenovo shared a promotional video for the rumored foldable Motorola RAZR. While the 30-second teaser was shared with members of the media during a group interview and was accompanied by the Lenovo logo, it appears that the company used video from a fan and branded it as its own. The footage that was played by Lenovo was actually spliced together from a render created by tech YouTuber Waqar Khan. According to Khan, he didn't give Lenovo permission to use the concept images that he created. Engadget has reached out to Lenovo and Motorola regarding the video and will update this story if we hear back.
Read MoreHewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has a shiny new toy. The information technology firm announced today that is spending $1.3 billion to acquire supercomputer manufacturer Cray. HPE, which is a business-facing spin-off of the Hewlett Packard company, will instantly become a bigger presence in the world of academia and the federal government, where Cray has a number of significant contracts. It will also enable HPE to start selling supercomputer components to corporate clients and others.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. It's Friday. We'll have to wait until next week for SpaceX's Starlink launch, but, for now, there's a review of Beats new true-wireless earbuds and an unexpected online-gaming alignment between Sony and Microsoft.
Read MoreHuawei issued a statement today objecting to the recent actions of the US government to effectively ban Chinese telecom firms from doing business within the country. "This decision is in no one's interest," the company said. "It will do significant economic harm to the American companies with which Huawei does business, affect tens of thousands of American jobs, and disrupt the current collaboration and mutual trust that exist on the global supply chain." Huawei also claimed it is committed to finding ways to remedy the current situation and wants to "mitigate the impacts of this incident."
Read MoreIn an unlikely turn of events, Microsoft and Sony announced today that they are to tackle the future of entertainment. The companies are planning to work together to build future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure that will support gaming and content streaming. Sony will also use Microsoft data centers for its existing game and streaming platforms. The agreement could open up the possibility of cross-play in the future, despite previous reluctance between the competing firms.
Read MoreIn the two months since the Christchurch attack in New Zealand, social media companies have struggled to remove videos of the violence from their platforms. And they've grappled with the role they may unintentionally play in the spread of terrorism. Today, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Google, YouTube and Amazon signed their support to the Christchurch Call, which aims to address terrorist and violent content online. The companies join several countries -- though the US has not pledged support -- and are committed to a nine-point plan that outlines next steps.
Read MoreWhen AT&T sold its shares of Hulu last month, Disney and Comcast were left as the company's sole owners. Today, Comcast relinquished its control, leaving Disney in charge of the streaming platform. This means, since its acquisition of Fox's 30 percent stake in 2017, Disney has slowly chipped away at its fellow Hulu owners.
Read MoreIt's been another week of gaffes from the tech industry's marquee companies -- but then again, when aren't firms living the "move fast, break stuff" credo not shooting themselves in the foot? Google is in antitrust trouble with Indian authorities, Amazon is in hot water with the FTC over child privacy, and even Facebook's co-founder thinks Zuckerberg has strayed too far into Elliot Carver territory.
Read MoreElon Musk hasn't had success avoiding a trial over his accusations that cave rescue diver Vernon Unsworth was a "pedo guy." Judge Stephen Wilson has determined that the defamation lawsuit is strong enough to go to trial, with the court battle due to start on October 22nd. While Musk's attorneys argued that he was just stating his "opinion," the judge pointed to emails Musk sent to BuzzFeed where he made detailed (and unsupported) claims that Unsworth had a child bride. In the context, the judge said, an observer would likely conclude that Musk was making "assertions of objective fact" rather than sharing his thoughts.
Read MoreToday, eBay opened a brick and mortar concept store in the UK's Wolverhampton. The month-long retail experiment will offer wares from 40 small, local businesses and will host a series of free, interactive workshops. While eBay has opened pop-ups before, this is the first of its kind in the UK, and it's meant to test how physical and online retail might work together.
Read MoreUber's much-anticipated IPO happened this morning, with shares hitting the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UBER. The IPO raised $8.1 billion, with shares set at $45 and the company valued at $82.4 billion. This comes amid outcry over Uber's low driver wages and a $1.1 billion profit loss in the first three months of 2019. According to The New York Times, the IPO was "less lofty" than expected.
Read MoreChina's e-commerce giant Alibaba is now allowing businesses from a select few other countries to sell goods on its platform. AliExpress, which enabled small and medium-sized companies in China to sell goods to over 150 countries, has opened up to businesses in Italy, Russia, Spain and Turkey reports The Financial Times. The company hopes to expand AliExpress to retailers in other countries.
Read MoreIt's now that much quicker for Brits to pay for official services online -- if you use the right services. The UK government now supports Apple Pay and Google Pay for a handful of online services as part of a trial. Right now, it's primarily useful for travel. You can use your mobile device to quickly pay for Global Entry (fast-tracking entry to the US), the Registered Traveller Service (for frequent non-EU visitors to the UK), the Electronic Visa Waiver Service (for some Middle Eastern visitors to the UK). It'll also work for "basic" DBS checks for work.
Read MoreUber is no stranger to lawsuits on any continent, but a new class action filing from four Australian states looks set to become one of the largest in the country's history.
Read MoreAirbnb announced a new initiative designed to help displaced people find housing solutions. The company launched a new Donations tool that will let Airbnb hosts kick back a portion of their income to organizations designed to help people who are in need of temporary housing. Airbnb hosts will be able to select a percentage of fares that they would like to give, and 100 percent of those donations will give to nonprofits. Donors will get regular updates to let them know how their contributors have helped others find places to stay.
Read MoreHuawei is reportedly working on the first 5G 8K television and could unveil it as early as this year, according to Nikkei Asian Review. The Chinese tech giant, which makes its own 5G chips, would be a newcomer in the television space. Few companies, if any, have floated the idea of a 5G TV, but that kind of connectivity would allow users to quickly download VR and other data-heavy content and watch it on an equally high-res display.
Read MoreGifts don't always have to be toys or games to be appreciated. They can even be a little practical without your resorting to boring presents like (ugh) socks. If a kid really likes a particular video game, you can pick up some kind of branded decoration for their room, which they'll appreciate every time they go in there. If their game of choice is Overwatch, this adorable little mood light will look nice on a shelf next to all their Funko Pops (because every kid has Pops now) or next to their bed if they need a nightlight... even if they'd never admit it. READ ON: Kid-friendly gifts that won't make their parents hate you
Read MoreThere's plenty of reason to get your kid into coding. The next question is how. We've scoured the internet (and a few brick-and-mortar stores) for some of the best toys and kits to take your children from curious toddler to preteen inventor. READ ON: The best coding kits for kids
Read MoreRattlers are pretty basic, in that they make noise to get a baby's attention. But the SmartNoggin NogginStik goes a step further: It also lights up, which could help to snap your kid out of an epic freak-out session. It has a goofy face, something that helps little ones learn to recognize human faces. And it also has a ridged handle, which encourages motor development, as well as a mirror on the bottom. That variety means there's less of a chance your baby will get bored with it, and makes it essential for every diaper bag. READ ON: The best baby gadgets to buy for new parents
Read MoreMany photographers keep a cheap compact 50mm lens in their bags, but that is not what Canon has made here. The Canon RF 50mm F/1.2 is over 2 pounds and costs more than $2,000, but what you're getting for that is an incredible sharp lens with an ultra-wide aperture, perfect for super-blurred backgrounds or letting in tons of light. With no image stabilization and a noisy focus motor this is not a lens for video, but if you need a top-performing lens that takes full advantage of the new RF mount, the RF 50mm F/1.2 is the top of the class. READ ON: The best lenses for Canon RF mount
Read MoreMention video-editing software and two products will immediately spring to mind: Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro. There's a third option, though, that every professional and aspiring filmmaker should consider. DaVinci Resolve 15 is a single application for editing, color correction, audio postproduction and visual effects. It's made by BlackMagic -- the Australian company that builds those fancy video cameras -- and works on Mac, Windows and Linux. The best part is that it costs $299 and doesn't require an ongoing subscription. If you want to try before you buy, or don't feel like you need all those features, consider DaVinci Resolve 15 -- it includes a lot of the paid app's features free of charge. READ ON: The best software for camera lovers
Read MoreWhile Canon went big in both price and performance with its low-light specialist $2,300 RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens, Nikon elected to release the cheaper, slower $600 Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S. Don't be fooled by the price, though. While it's a stop slower than Canon's offering, this is still a very speedy lens, as f/1.8 is plenty fast enough for most shooting situations. Of course, it helps that this might be Nikon's sharpest, most flare-resistant lens ever. And to top it all off, it has great bokeh characteristics. READ ON: The best lenses for Nikon Z mount
Read MoreTired of waiting for the Steam Sale? Starting today, you can find some of your favorite games for up to 75 percent off. The "Epic Mega Sale" runs now through June 13th, and during the sale, Epic Games is also offering an additional $10 off for every game purchase over $14.99. Plus, it's throwing in one freebie a week. Today, you can snag a free copy of World of Goo, and according to the site, you'll soon be able to download Stories Untold at no cost.
Read MoreHere's why a 3-year old camera is on this list: The Panasonic Lumix DC-GX85 mirrorless camera is really cheap and still really good. For just $500, you get a capable Micro Four Thirds camera with 4K video, 8 fps shooting speeds and 5-axis in-body stabilization. Panasonic has squeezed a lot into the GX85's compact, stylish body. Its small size and big feature list make it an ideal street-photography or walking around camera -- especially when paired with a lens like Panasonic's tiny Lumix G 20mm f/1.7. READ ON: The best mirrorless cameras
Read MoreIf you have an interest in portrait photography, and if you can afford it, the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R is a no-brainer. Images are sharp edge-to-edge, even when wide open, and out-of-focus areas are buttery smooth. It's not quite as fast to focus as the 50mm on this list, but optically this is perhaps the best Fuji lens money can buy. READ ON: The best lenses for Fujifilm X mount
Read MoreMotorized gimbals are a big part of filmmaking these days, as they can smooth out dramatic camera movements or, if you're less adventurous, just help you capture clean footage while you're walking. Our top pick is the Zhiyun-Tech Crane 3 LAB, which packs powerful motors while remaining fairly lightweight. The handle design also makes it easy to carry in a number of different positions for creative shots. It can support the weight of most mirrorless cameras, and runs over seven hours on a charge. At $900, it's not exactly an impulse buy, so if you're looking for a cheaper option, the Crane 2 isn't as versatile and can't support heavier cameras, but it costs just $350. READ ON: The best tech for improving your photography
Read MoreHere at Engadget, we don't do Mother's Day gift guides. Nor Father's Day either. But as the site has grown up over the past 15 years, so has our staff. Whereas we used to just have one or two token parents on the team, we now have around half a dozen, each of whom has some strong opinions about where tech does (and doesn't) belong in child-rearing. In our not-Mother's Day guide launching today, our resident moms and dads sift through the sometimes-gimmicky world of parenting tech -- a growing class of products that promise to make kids safer, healthier and in some cases smarter. Throughout, the parents of Engadget weigh in on what to buy, and what to skip, and along the way make recommendations on things like kids' streaming services, STEM kits, techie sleep aids, tools for managing screen time and tips on how to raise a good internet citizen. And for those of you who don't have kids of your own but still know a few, we'll tell you how to buy tech toys for someone else's children without making enemies of their parents (nothing like a loud gadget to ruin a friendship!). Find our series here -- and yes, you should probably call your mom this weekend.
Read MoreOn the surface, it seems like a great idea. YouTube is home to all kinds of quality video content, so a dedicated, age-appropriate version for children sounds great. However, even with a host of parental controls, YouTube Kids is still plagued with issues in regard to content. Whether it's conspiracy videos or obviously disturbing clips, YouTube Kids is flooded with terrible content. But that's not surprising. With 10 hours of video uploaded every second, trying to police YouTube content is like trying to slow the water coming out of a fire hydrant. A spokesperson said last year, "We've taken a series of tough actions to better protect families on YouTube and YouTube Kids, including getting content down faster through technology, hiring more people to help us tackle content that breaks our rules and cutting the revenue streams to content that misleads families." But those actions haven't always been enough. In response to criticism, YouTube has tried to deter users from posting offensive videos. In 2017, it altered its policy on what types of content would be eligible for ad money. Those changes kept clips that show "family entertainment characters engaged in violent, sexual, vile or otherwise inappropriate behavior, even if done for comedic or satirical purposes" from earning money. YouTube also improved its parental controls. Last April, the company added the option of only seeing content that had been approved by "partners and the YouTube Kids team." Then in September, it expanded that feature so that kids using the app would only see what their parents approved. When asked about any improvements since September, YouTube explained that it has added a number of new features, including stronger controls for parents. Things like timers, profiles, an option to disable search and the ability to approve both videos and channels are all on that list. And the company also reiterated that is offers collections that have been curated by trusted partners and YouTube Kids, which include channels like Sesame Street and PBS. Even though these changes have made a difference, YouTube Kids is still YouTube. And like the main version of the site, the quality of content ranges from acceptable to stuff that's just... weird. I don't know about you, but I'd rather my four-year- old play with his own toys than watch YouTube videos of kids playing with theirs. That's not offensive per se, but it's a little strange to me. Thankfully there are alternatives to YouTube Kids -- ones that are less likely to serve your little one up some nightmare fuel.
Read MoreGift giving for kids has gotten a lot more complicated over the past two decades or so. Gone are the days when you could just buy a doll or toy truck and know that it would be enjoyed by the child and fairly noncontroversial with the parents. A lot of that recent complication comes from how tech-heavy toys have gotten, from robot kits to drones to AR-enabled playsets. And that's before you even consider video games and consoles like Xbox or PlayStation. When it's your kid it's a little easier: After all, you should know what they like, what they'll take care of and what rules you've set for them. But what about your best friends' kids, your nieces and nephews or young cousins? While there's no silver bullet gift since every kid is different, there are some general guidelines you can follow when purchasing a tech gift for kids, one that won't have the other adults glaring at you or the kids tossing it to the side in favor of something shinier.
Read MoreI'm going to let you in on a little secret. Part of the reason I write about technology for a living is that I couldn't cut it as a coder. It's not that I regret my career choice (I definitely don't), but I do regret having never really learned the art of programming. And it's not because I want to build apps or games or anything. It's because you pick up a lot of peripheral skills. This is the primary reason I want my kid to learn to code. I don't necessarily want him to become an engineer (though I certainly wouldn't be upset if he did). Instead, I see coding as a great teaching tool. It's a way to teach cause and effect and problem-solving skills. And mastering the logic behind simple routines can even make your kid a better and more convincing communicator.
Read MoreContrary to what you might think and hear, apps and screens aren't the best tools for kids to learn STEM concepts, even coding. Why? Innovation, pattern recognition, exploration, experimentation and creation underlie STEM principles. Kids need to manipulate tangible things. It's how they learn. While there are some great apps that supplement STEM learning, the best STEM activities for kids are blended ones -- the ones that require hands-on exploration, screens optional. Those that do require screens, like ones with coding apps, should augment the experience, not be the sole focus. Many of these toys and kits are designed for classroom use but are perfectly adaptable and suitable for home use, too, as my two kids, ages five and seven, will shout from the rooftops (supervised, don't worry). Check out these awesome blended learning STEM kits and toys. They'll have your little inventors ready to apply for their first patent in no time.
Read MoreWhen you start life as a parent, you hope that buying every gadget on sale will make your life easier. But that's not always the case in the realm of baby tech, which often offers solutions to problems that don't exist. Because you don't have the time, or money, to try everything out on your own kids, let us guide you toward what you really need.
Read MoreThe road to parenthood is paved with endless anxiety and preparation. You have countless choices to make, and in the heat of the moment, they all seem like life-and-death decisions. That makes would-be parents an easy target for the baby-gear industry, which is expected to surpass $100 billion by 2025. If you thought buying a new phone or laptop was hard, just wait until you're confronted with countless "smart" baby gadgets that promise to prevent SIDs, track every bowel movement and make sure your child isn't screwed up for life. That's basically the life I've been living for the past year. But now that my daughter Sophia is nearly six months old, I have a better sense of the gear she actually wants to use and what's a waste of money.
Read MoreThis week, Senior Editor Roberto Baldwin gives us a behind-the-scenes look at one of the many instruments he uses in one of his many bands. Not only is the 32-slimkey Arturia Keystep MIDI controller a great little MIDI controller and sequencer, it's also surprisingly user-friendly.
Read MoreMore often than not, there's no wow factor to standard zoom lenses. But that's not necessarily the case with the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8GM lens, which is designed to be ideal for portrait and travel photography. The best feature of this G Master glass, without a doubt, is the ability to keep the same exposure and depth of field even at its widest aperture of f/2.8. That should give your great level of bokeh, a signature feature of all G Master lenses, including the FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM. Like that lens, the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM is also priced at $2,200. READ ON: The best lenses for Sony FE mount
Read MoreLooking for a trusty point-and-shoot with a versatile lens and don't want to spend $1,000? The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II -- with a 20MP sensor and strong low-light performance -- might be the camera for you. The G7 X Mark II's lens is 24-100mm equivalent, and it comes with a tilting screen, manual control ring that can be used to adjust aperture, focus or zoom (among others), and even a tilting pop-up flash. Its 12-bit raw files give a lot of flexibility in editing, and while its battery life falls a little short of the competition, if you need a travel or social camera, the G7 X Mark II has a lot to offer. READ ON: The best companion cameras
Read MoreThe support shared among readers in the comments section is one of the things we love most about the Engadget community. Over the years, we've known you to offer sage advice on everything from Chromecasts and cameras to drones and smartphones. In fact, our community's knowledge and insights are a reason why many of you participate in the comments. We truly value the time and detail you all spend in responding to questions from your fellow tech-obsessed commenters, which is why we've decided to bring back our "Ask Engadget" column. This week's question concerns dumb houses and smart doorbells. Weigh in with your advice in the comments -- and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com! My parents have an older home but really want a smart doorbell. Which ones are easy to install (and offer the best security)?
Read MoreOur week in Taiwan is coming to a close, and as Team Engadget bids goodbye to the dumplings and beef noodles, it's time to look back on all the news we saw this week. As always, ASUS was the star of the show in its home turf, and this year was especially significant as the company celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. It unveiled attractive new special editions of the ZenBook and ZenFone, as well as a dual-screen laptop.
Read MoreI'm mesmerized by the way liquid-nitrogen vapor flows across the motherboard. There's something oddly therapeutic about extreme overclocking, especially when the cold air gently touches my skin, making even the tiniest bumps in clock speed the more worthwhile. There's probably no better place to see it in action than Taipei's Computex, where gaming PC memory maker G.Skill gathers the world's best overclockers for its OC World Cup event (with a $10,000 top cash prize). Our previous attempt to tame the 18-core Intel Core i9-7980XE was already rather ambitious, but this year, we decided to go all the way with the massive 28-core, 255W Intel Xeon W-3175X, a rare CPU gem that costs at least $3,000 -- if you can even find one. Our goal was to break the chip's records at the time: pushing it from its 3.1GHz base frequency to beyond 5.68GHz on Cinebench R15, or at least beyond 6.5GHz via the more lightweight CPU-Z validation. With this many cores, it posed a much bigger cooling challenge to run at higher speeds, especially compared to the quad-core i7-7700K I tinkered with the year before.
Read MoreWhen AMD launched its third-gen Zen 2-based Ryzen processors, it also introduced the next generation PCIe 4.0 controllers. Now, Gigabyte has launched one of the first PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs that shows the incredible speed potential of the new tech. The AORUS NVMe Gen4 SSD can hit up to 5,000MB/s read speeds and 4,400 MB/s write performance. That's about 56 percent faster read and over double the write speeds of Samsung's 970 EVO, currently one of the fastest NVMe SSDs on the market.
Read MoreVR/AR startup Leap Motion has been sold to a rival business named UltraHaptics, according to the Wall Street Journal. The price for the company was reportedly around $30 million -- it was said to be valued at ten times as much in 2013.
Read MoreFor a long time, the PC industry was stagnating. Computer makers had grown comfortable with iterative annual updates to their devices, relying on yearly processor advancements to push consumers to buy new laptops. But recently, things changed. PC makers started borrowing features from smartphones to make their laptops stand out, just as phones keep trying to become more like computers. There were plenty of examples at Computex 2019, but instead of displaying purely imitated features, the PC industry showed it can actually do some of them better.
Read MoreYou can thank AMD and Intel for the influx of news out of Computex over the past week. Both chip companies announced some major new products: Intel showed off its 10-nanometer 10th-gen laptop chips, and AMD gave us details on its third generation Ryzen CPUs and first Navi GPUs. At first glance, that might all sound like typical tradeshow news, the next steps in a boring, iterative upgrade cycle. But each announcement spoke volumes -- they're not just showing us what Intel and AMD are working on for the next year, they gave us a preview of what's to come for the next decade.
Read MoreIt's the battle of the chip makers here at Computex 2019 and in addition to companies like NVIDIA, AMD, ARM and Qualcomm, Intel had a slew of new products to unveil. It showed off 11 new 10nm Ice Lake SKUs and shared specification details for the Project Athena platform it first announced this CES. The company also showed off some impressively effective AI demos running smoothly on its processors, as well as its Core i9 CPU that can run all its cores at a beastly 5GHz. We've taken all the most fun parts of this presentation and compressed it into a snackable clip that you can enjoy, so bon appetit!
Read MoreASUS crammed in an awful lot of press, gaming enthusiasts and their own execs to celebrate 30 years in the business, as well as its latest range of laptops, phones, routers and more. While the ZenBook Pro Duo, a dual-screen laptop that holds on to its physical keyboard, might have been the stand-out announcement, there was a lot to get through. We've honed down over an hour of specs, product proclamations and sizzle reels into an even... sizzlier 10-minute recap.
Read MoreComputex has kicked off in Taipei today, so probably before you were even awake, AMD revealed its ambitious new CPU and GPU hardware additions. It's going after NVIDIA's middle-weight RTX 2070 graphics with the Radeon RX 5700. Not only will it be the first 7nm consumer video cards out there, the series will also tout PCIe 4.0 and GDDR6 memory support, ensuring the cards won't be irrelevant a year or two down the road. Meanwhile, AMD's third-gen Ryzen 9 CPU is a 12-core beast that's priced to shake up Intel's dominance, striking a strong balance between power efficiency, performance, and sheer bang for your buck. Want specific numbers? We've got them for you.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. While those in the US mark Memorial Day, Computex 2019 is in full swing with hardware from Intel, AMD, ARM and NVIDIA setting new performance and efficiency benchmarks for laptops and phones headed our way later this year. For people who love FLOPS, there's no better place to be.
Read MoreAMD finally unveiled its first Navi-based "RDNA" video cards this morning, the Radeon RX 5000-series. But, curiously, it's still keeping plenty of details under wraps. In particular, the company hasn't said anything definitive on real-time ray tracing, the technology that NVIDIA banked on with its RTX GPUs. It allows for more realistic lighting, reflections and shadows -- you can think of it as the next major visual upgrade after HDR.
Read MoreAMD just dropped the mic when it comes to ultra-fast consumer CPUs. At Computex today, AMD CEO Lisa Su introduced the company's third-generation Ryzen CPUs, which are also the world's first 7-nanometer desktop chips. Its crown jewel is the 12-core/24-thread Ryzen 9 3900X for $499. And if you're wondering why that's such a big deal, it's because it's going up against Intel's 12-core i9-9920X, which sells for around $1,189. Even better, AMD says the thermal design power (TDP) of its chip is 105W, compared to Intel's far less efficient 165W TDP. The Ryzen 9 3900X speaks to AMD's broader philosophy: It wants to beat Intel when it comes to performance, value and efficiency.
Read MoreJust as we expected, AMD took the wraps off of its first 7nm Navi consumer GPU's today at Computex, though the company is still playing coy with details. The Radeon RX 5000 series is the name of the new lineup, and the first featured card is the RX 5700, a mid-range offering that will go toe-to-toe with NVIDIA's RTX 2070 GPU. At this point, the Radeon VII keeps top billing for the company. You won't see Navi on the box, though -- AMD is officially calling its new architecture RDNA, or Radeon DNA.
Read MoreIt wouldn't be Computex if Intel didn't have some sort of geek-friendly CPU reveals. This time around, it's the Core i9-9900KS, a "special edition" upgrade of its flagship 9900K. The biggest improvement? It'll be able to reach 5GHz boost speeds across all eight of its cores, instead of just on a single one. Intel isn't giving us many details about the chip until its Tuesday Computex keynote, but the company confirmed it'll have a 4GHz base speed, a slight leap beyond the 9900K's 3.6 GHz. Curiously, they wouldn't reveal the chip's TDP, so it's unclear if it'll demand more power than the original model. During a brief demo with press, Intel showed the chip running via Windows Task Manager, which had every core maxed out at 5GHz. So, at the very least, we know the silicon is real.
Read MoreIn December, Intel promised that its upcoming 10nm laptop CPUs will feature integrated graphics with over a teraflop worth of computing power. Ahead of its Computex keynote later this week, the company gave us a better sense of what that improvement means for real-world gaming in 1080p. How does a 72 percent performance jump in CS: Go sound? Or maybe you'd prefer the 42 percent faster speeds in Overwatch? The big takeaway is that its 10nm CPUs and their 11th generation integrated graphics will actually be able to handle plenty of titles in 1080p without leaning on a dedicated GPU.
Read MoreEvery summer, the PC industry descends on the capital of Taiwan to show off the latest in components, laptops and gaming gear. It's an opportunity for us to see the shape of things to come, and get excited about how much more powerful our machines are about to get. After a series of very long flights, we have congregated in Taipei to bring you the best of this year's show. So, stay tuned through the next week for all of the most exciting technology to come out of Computex 2019.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Computex is just around the corner, so companies like NVIDIA are already touting some powerful incoming PC upgrades. As of today, SpaceX has delivered its first large batch of Starlink internet satellites, and Amazon is reportedly working on a high-tech mood ring.
Read MoreAMD is set to announce more GPUs based on its 7-nanometer Navi tech, according to a leak from Sapphire, one of its largest graphics card partners. At Computex, CEO Lisa Su will reportedly unveil the Navi XT that can best the NVIDIA RTX 2070 for $499. AMD will also launch the Navi Pro, with performance between the RTX 2060 and RTX 2070 for $399. The Radeon VII, meanwhile, will remain AMD's flagship GPU.
Read MoreComputex offers us a chance to check in on the health of the PC market in an era when it was expected to wither on the vine. At last year's show, the PC industry, either through desperation or a newfound confidence, started to innovate once more. We saw designs with multiple screens, attempts to kill off the keyboard and better ideas around portability. It may have taken far longer than expected, but PC makers have realized they can't simply expect people to buy their products just because. So this what we're expecting, and in some cases hoping, to see this year at Computex when we hit the ground in Taiwan next week.
Read MoreMicrosoft is rolling out Windows 10's May 2019 Update, and it should be good news if you're hoping for a refreshed look -- or just don't care much for passwords. The most conspicuous change is the addition of a long-in-the-making light theme that brightens up the interface if you find it too grim. It also splits Cortana and search on the taskbar, although Windows Central noted that this appears to be more in spirit than in practice -- you can still perform Cortana tasks in the search box.
Read MoreAs if Spectre and Meltdown weren't bad enough, researchers recently unveiled a quartet of new CPU flaws: Zombieload, RIDL & Fallout, and Store-to-Leak Forwarding, known as MDS vulnerabilities. They're serious enough that Intel-powered PC owners need to patch them immediately, which will unfortunately impact performance -- especially in multi-threading mode. However, AMD owners are in luck. On its website, Intel's rival said that its chips are immune to the problems thanks to built-in hardware protection checks.
Read MoreSome governments might have fallen out of love with Linux, but South Korea appears ready to start a torrid affair. The country's Ministry of the Interior and Safety has outlined plans to switch government computers from Windows to Linux due to both lower costs and a reduced dependency on a single operating system. The Ministry will trial Linux on its PCs and roll it out more broadly if there aren't any major compatibility or security issues.
Read MoreArduino's Nano line will soon welcome four new products. They're all small boards like the classic one, making Nano a family of small boards meant for compact projects. All the new boards boast low energy consumption and processors more powerful than what the classic has. Even better, they're all pretty affordable: the most basic entry called Nano Every, which you can use for "everyday" projects and can replace the classic Nano, will even set you back as little as $9.90.
Read MoreNow that stand-alone virtual reality has become more of a... reality, ARM wants to eliminate some of the technology's remaining headaches. It's launching a new display chip design, the Mali-D77, that aims to both fix visual artifacts and improve performance. It can reduce motion sickness by re-projecting scenes (to adjust for the headset's position) and correcting lens artifacts like distortion and chromatic aberration. Your VR headset might also last longer on battery power -- ARM expects a 12 percent power savings and a 40 percent drop in bandwidth.
Read MoreIntel is nearly ready to ship 10-nanometer processors in large volumes -- no, for real this time. After years of delays, the semiconductor giant has announced that its 10nm mobile Ice Lake processors will start shipping in June. It's not certain just when you'll see the first laptops based on the new parts (Intel offers a generic in-time-for-the-holidays figure), but Intel is boasting that a future Core i7 quad-core chip will tout twice the graphics performance over its 8th-gen counterpart, twice the video transcoding speed and up to three times the AI brawn. You still aren't likely to be doing heavy duty number-crunching with it, but that's still an improvement over years of modest upgrades to Intel's long-in-the-tooth 14nm technology.
Read MoreIf you're into synths and grooveboxes at all, chances are you're familiar with Elektron's Digitone. It's part of it's mid-range "Digi" line of instruments, and it's loaded with all sorts of gorgeous FM sounds. It's not quite as cold as the classic FM synths of yore like the DX7, but it's still capable complex digital tones, metallic chimes and retro pads. The Digitone Keys is basically the same instrument, but with a keyboard attached.
Read MoreThe suddenly-cozy relationship between Linux and Windows is taking another step forward, as Microsoft announced in a blog post that it's going to ship a full Linux kernel in Windows 10. It will arrive first with Insider preview builds by the end of June, underpinning the new Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. The first release will be based on version 4.19, the latest stable Linux release, and will keep up with each stable release going forward. According to Microsoft this isn't its first release of a Linux kernel -- that came last year on Azure Sphere -- but it is the first time on Windows. By making this switch as a "drop-in replacement" for the current emulator, it should speed up performance significantly, with faster bootup and more efficient use of memory. Users can interface with it either by installing a distribution from the Microsoft Store or sideloading. Also, the kernel itself will be open source, with instructions available to create your own, and Microsoft has pledged to contribute changes it makes open for others to use. All of this news also came after Microsoft earlier announced a new version of its Windows Terminal command line app.
Read MoreSilicon Valley's biggest companies have partnered with a single organization to fight sex trafficking -- one that maintains a data collection pipeline, is partnered with Palantir, and helps law enforcement profile and track sex workers without their consent. Major websites like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and others are working with a nonprofit called Thorn ("digital defenders of children") and, perhaps predictably, its methods are dubious.
Read MoreThe current federal government might not be keen on privacy rules for internet providers, but Maine certainly is. The state's Senate has passed a bill that requires consent before ISPs can sell or offer access to their customers' private data, paralleling an earlier approval in the state House. It just needs Governor Mills' approval to become law.
Read MoreMajor players within the tech industry have long-opposed the idea of government access to users' messages and chat conversations -- now they're continuing the fight with an open letter to GCHQ (the UK's government communication headquarters) lambasting proposals that could allow officials to eavesdrop on encrypted chats.
Read MoreIf you get a password reset request from Flipboard next time you log in, don't worry -- it's not just you. The social news aggregator has revealed that an unauthorized party infiltrated some of its databases more than once and "potentially obtained copies" of the user information they contained. The unauthorized activities took place between June 2nd, 2018 and March 23rd, 2019, as well as between April 21st and 22nd, 2019. While the security breaches didn't affect all its users, Flipboard has chosen to roll out password resets to all its 145 million accounts as a precautionary measure.
Read MoreToday, bidding on a laptop packed with some of the world's most dangerous malware closed at $1.345 million. Dubbed "The Persistence of Chaos," the Samsung NC10 contains six viruses that have caused an estimated $95 billion in damages. Despite what you might think, it's not meant to be a tool for any world domination scheme. It's intended strictly as an art piece -- though it could be used for academic purposes -- and it's currently isolated and air-gapped to prevent foul play.
Read MoreWhen the US pushed Grindr's owner to sell the app over national security concerns, it made only vague allusions to what might have prompted the decision. Now, however, the situation is clearer. Reuters sources have claimed that Beijing Kunlun triggered alarms after it gave engineers in Beijing access to Grindr's database for several months. While there wasn't evidence that the company misused the data, the tipsters believe the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) was worried that the Chinese government could comb the database to find info on US intelligence and military personnel.
Read MoreBeing a good digital citizen means being a responsible one: educating yourself and your kids about the digital world, participating in it in positive ways, questioning it and using technology as a tool to make the world a bit brighter (and not in some post-apocalyptic-neon-shroom-cloud way). So how do kids learn digital citizenship? The same way they learn how to be good citizens: They watch good role models, and they practice. READ ON: A parent's guide to raising a good digital citizen
Read MoreApple may have another Gatekeeper security flaw on its hands. Researcher Filippo Cavallarin has detailed a macOS vulnerability that he said would let attackers install malware without the usual permission request. As Gatekeeper considers network shares to be 'safe' locations that don't require permission checks, an intruder just has to trick the user into mounting one of those shares to run the apps they like. A maliciously crafted ZIP file with the right symbolic link could automatically steer you to an attacker-owned site, for example, and it would be easy to trick someone into launching a hostile app -- say, a virus masquerading as a document folder.
Read MoreThe ransomware attacks in Baltimore and other US cities appear to have a common thread: they're using NSA tools on the agency's home soil. In-the-know security experts talking to the New York Times said the malware in the cyberattacks is using the NSA's stolen EternalBlue as a "key component," much like WannaCry and NotPetya. While the full list of affected cities isn't available, San Antonio and the Pennsylvania city of Allentown have reportedly been victims of EternalBlue-based campaigns.
Read MoreFirst American Financial Corporation left as many as 885 million real estate documents dating as far back as 2003 exposed, according to Krebs on Security. The company, one of the largest real estate title insurance firms in the US, has already fixed the vulnerability as of Friday afternoon after the security researcher notified it of the flaw. Before the patch rolled out, however, anybody armed with a link to one of the documents hosted on its website could simply change a single digit in the URL to access somebody else's files. The documents didn't require a password or any kind of authentication.
Read MoreA bombshell Motherboard report reveals that employees across several departments at Snapchat can view user location information, saved Snaps, phone numbers and email address through a tool known as SnapLion. It's not clear exactly how widespread abuse of the tool is; a former Snapchat employee quoted in the report said that data access abuse happened a "few times" at the organization.
Read MoreFederal prosecutors have charged WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange with 17 more criminal counts, including accusations that he violated the Espionage Act. The US charged him last month with conspiracy to commit computer hacking following his arrest in London. The superseding indictment includes that previous charge.
Read MoreFor years, US border agents have been demanding access to digital devices as people pass into and out of the country. The practice has raised red flags and lawsuits, and the number of searches has spiked under the Trump Administration. Last month, the ACLU charged federal agents with wielding "near-unfettered authority" to search phones, PCs and other devices. Yesterday, Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a bill that would require agents to obtain a warrant or written consent before they crack open digital devices and snag users' data.
Read MoreThis article was produced in partnership with Point, a YouTube channel for investigative journalism. In an industry rife with scams, one cryptocurrency trading startup -- USI Tech -- was paying real dividends on its customers' investments. At least, it appeared to be. In reality, USI Tech was a classic Ponzi scheme. It offered outrageous rates of return and encouraged investors to boost their earnings by introducing more people to the USI Tech family, with the fees from new investors then used to pay off existing customers. It wasn't long before authorities in the United States, Canada and New Zealand caught up with the company and issued cease and desist orders. Just a few months later, an estimated tens of millions of dollars had vanished from investors' accounts. But that wasn't the end of USI Tech's story. The model soon reappeared with a new name: Eyeline Trading. The former USI Tech website was redirected to Eyeline, but when authorities caught on to the seemingly rehashed scam, Eyeline rebranded to its current form: WealthBoss.
Read MoreA bipartisan group of lawmakers is calling for regulations to restrict the use of facial recognition technology before "it gets out of control," according to the Washington Post. Members of the Congressional House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing on the topic today, during which legislators from across the political spectrum expressed concern over the use of software that is used to identify individuals, raising questions as to the technology's accuracy and its impact on privacy and civil rights.
Read MoreTransport for London, the UK capital's transit authority, will start collecting data on how people move around the Underground system by tracking phones and other connected devices using its extensive WiFi network. The agency's systems will depersonalize the data automatically and won't pick up any browsing or historical information from the devices. The data should offer sturdier details on how people move around the Tube system and even within stations, which will help the agency with long-term planning and providing effective updates to travelers.
Read MoreVPNs and incognito modes can help, but if you want to jump to a whole 'nother privacy level, there's the infamous Tor Browser. It has finally come out of beta and arrived on Android in a stable release, the Tor Project announced. That will make it a lot easier to browse on the Tor network in complete anonymity without having to jump through hoops to get connected.
Read MoreFacebook isn't the only big tech company found to be storing passwords in plain text. Google has warned G Suite users that an "error" in a password recovery implementation left some of their passwords unhashed on its internal systems since 2005 until that method was discontinued. Other plain passwords had been temporarily stored since January 2019, Google said. All those systems were encrypted, and there was "no evidence" that someone had misused the info, but it still raised the possibility that an intruder could have direct access to logins if they cracked the encryption.
Read MoreToday, the Department of Homeland Security issued an alert warning that Chinese-made drones may be sending flight information back to their manufacturers, who could share it with third parties. According to CNN, the alert warns companies and organizations that the US government has "strong concerns about any technology product that takes American data into the territory of an authoritarian state that permits its intelligence services to have unfettered access to that data."
Read MoreA database containing contact information for what was originally thought to be millions of Instagram influencers was reportedly found online, exposing info like phone numbers and email addresses for celebrities, influencers and brand accounts. According to TechCrunch, the database was hosted on Amazon Web Services and left without a password. Original reports claimed it contained as many as 49 million records, but Instagram has since confirmed that the database contained records for about 350,000 accounts.
Read MoreThe UK's move to treat revenge porn as a specific crime was supposed to catch perpetrators who'd otherwise slip through the cracks, but that doesn't appear to have worked out in practice. The Revenge Porn helpline has collected police data showing that the number of related charges dropped 23 percent between the periods of 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 despite the number of investigations more than doubling over the same space of time. Just 158 people faced charges, the helpline said. The shortfall is pinned on both shortcomings in the law itself as well as a lack of understanding from police.
Read MoreOnline account hijackers received a taste of ironic punishment this week. KrebsOnSecurity has learned that hackers stole the database from the popular hijacker forum OGusers on May 12th, obtaining email addresses, hashed passwords, IP addresses and private forum messages for 112,988 accounts. The administrator initially told users that a hard drive failure had wiped out the information and forced the use of a backup, but that tall tale fell apart when the administrator of a rival forum made the data public.
Read MoreIn case you haven't already set up a recovery phone number for your Google account, and enabled extra security features like multifactor authentication, the search giant is using hard data to explain why you should. Interestingly, studies (1)(2) researchers presented this week at The Web Conference found that simply adding a recovery phone number to an account blocked 100 percent of automated attacks, 99 percent of bulk phishing attacks and 66 percent of targeted attacks during the period they investigated. That's why you should take advantage of a tool like the Security Checkup now, while your account is still secure, and get at least that level of protection enabled.
Read MoreCertain Linksys WiFi routers might be sharing far more data than their users would like. Security researcher Troy Mursch has reported that 33 models, including some Max-Stream and Velop routers, are exposing their entire device connection histories (including MAC addresses, device names and OS versions) online. They also share whether or not their default passwords have changed. Scans have shown between 21,401 and 25,617 vulnerable routers online, 4,000 of which were still using their default passwords.
Read MoreHave you noticed a conspicuous absence of hacktivist attacks lately? You're not the only one. IBM's X-Force has published data showing that activist hacks dropped 95 percent since 2015, falling from a peak of 35 known incidents to just two in 2018 -- there were zero in the first few months of 2019. Researchers credited the plunge to a combination of Anonymous' downfall and sustained efforts on the part of law enforcement.
Read MorePeople say they care about privacy but they continue to buy devices that can spy on them Rani Molla, Vox In the wake of Cambridge Analytica, concerns about personal data privacy abound. Of course, Facebook isn't the only company that's been caught collecting and sharing user details it shouldn't have. What's most interesting about this entire saga is the fact that we continue to trust the likes of Amazon, Google and others despite these lapses. We continue to buy devices with cameras, microphones and other tech, and willingly put them in our homes. Recode data reporter Rani Molla explains why our trust hasn't entirely eroded in a piece for Vox.
Read MoreWelcome to Hitting the Books. With less than one in five Americans reading just for fun these days, we've done the hard work for you by scouring the internet for the most interesting, thought provoking books on science and technology we can find and delivering an easily digestible nugget of their stories.
Read MoreThe European Union has agreed to an automatic set of sanctions to punish any future cyber attackers. Just a week ahead of the EU Parliament elections, officials in Brussels on Friday approved a cyber sanctions regime that would impose asset freezes and travel bans on individuals. While no specific targets have been named yet, the EU hopes the new system will make it easier for the 28 member nations to act quickly in the event of a cyber attack.
Read MoreSlack has fixed a bug that could have allowed hackers to intercept and redirect downloads in the Windows desktop version of the messaging app. However, it seems no Slack users were affected before the service fixed the vulnerability.
Read MoreThe US, five other countries and Europol have dismantled an elaborate cybercrime ring that relied on one piece of malware to pull off heists. Officials have charged 10 people across five countries with using GozNym malware to grab banking login credentials in a bid to steal about $100 million from over 41,000 target computers, most of them linked to US businesses and their associated banks. It's not certain how much money the team obtained.
Read MoreChina has blocked Wikipedia to varying degrees over the years, but now that censorship appears to be farther-reaching. A recent Open Observatory of Network Interference report has shown that China started blocking Wikipedia in all languages sometime in April, not just the Chinese-language version as has been the case since 2015. The Wikimedia Foundation told AFP that it hadn't received any notices regarding the block.
Read MoreTicketmaster is trying a new way to combat ticket fraud: make the ticket change on its own. It's introducing a SafeTix system that gives ticket buyers a unique, encrypted barcode that refreshes every few seconds. You can't copy the ticket by taking a screenshot or otherwise copying the barcode data. The barcode will continue refreshing if you sell or transfer your ticket -- the recipient just gets a new ticket linked to their account and cellphone.
Read MoreIn January 2018, a pair of security exploits dubbed Spectre and Meltdown showed how attackers could take advantage of commonly-implemented CPU technology to access data they shouldn't have been able to. They were followed by a similar bug, Foreshadow, late last year, and now researchers have uncovered four different techniques that exploit Intel's speculative execution technology in a similar way. The website CPU.fail has collected information about each vulnerability -- they're collectively referred to as Microarchitectural Data Sampling (MDS) -- including Zombieload, RIDL & Fallout, and Store-to-Leak Forwarding. Example code shows how the attacks could be launched using malicious JavaScript, for example, and researchers state that it would be difficult for antivirus software to detect it, however they have not found evidence of anyone using the tech in attacks so far.
Read MoreMicrosoft is trying to head off another WannaCry-style malware outbreak before it starts. The software giant has released fixes for a Remote Desktop Services (aka Terminal Services) vulnerability that could allow "wormable" malware that spreads from computer to computer without requiring any user input. The exploit affects Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and older releases. Not surprisingly, Microsoft isn't taking any chances. While it's no longer officially supporting Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, it's patching both platforms to prevent ancient PCs (like those used in some business and government scenarios) from falling prey to attacks.
Read MoreHackers from Russia gained access to voter databases in two Florida counties before the 2016 presidential election, Gov. Ron DeSantis said. While the hackers didn't compromise election results or manipulate any data, the fact that they gained access at all is significant.
Read MoreWhatsApp appears to have been the inadvertent conduit for a surveillance campaign. Both WhatsApp and Israeli software developer NSO Group have confirmed that an exploit in WhatsApp's voice calling allowed attackers to load NSO's Pegasus spyware on to Android and iOS devices. The tool could infect a device even if a user didn't answer, and the malicious calls would frequently disappear from logs. Pegasus can use the camera and mic in addition to scooping up location and message info.
Read MoreSprint-owned virtual mobile network operator Boost Mobile quietly informed customers that it suffered a data breach that allowed hackers to access some user accounts. In a notice posted on the Boost Mobile website, the company said a previously undisclosed breach occurred on March 14th, 2019 and resulted in a number of customer phone numbers and PIN codes being exposed.
Read MoreTwitter says it fixed a bug that caused it to inadvertently collect and share some users' location data. It affected some people who were logged in to more than one account on its iOS app. If you had the precise location feature activated on one account, Twitter may have collected location data when you were using another account on which you didn't have that feature activated. Employees discovered the bug, Twitter told Engadget, and it noted it will tell users whenever there's an issue.
Read MoreMangled software updates are a headache for everyday users, but they created serious trouble for Dutch law enforcement in recent days. Officials have revealed that a software update created a "disruption" for hundreds of ankle monitors used to track bail releases and house arrests, leaving police without a way to locate suspects and criminals. The issue was fixed hours after it began on May 9th, but it lasted long enough that officers had to check in with wearers and even preemptively arrest some of them to ensure they stayed put.
Read MoreAmerican law enforcement just took down a significant SIM hijacking ring. Federal agents have charged nine men with wire fraud and identity theft charges for participating in The Community, a group that transferred phone numbers to SIM cards in their possession, used those to take control of online accounts (particularly those with two-factor authentication) and promptly stole cryptocurrency. The group has been accused of perpetrating seven attacks that stole more than $2.4 million in digital currencies from targets.
Read MoreFour years after hackers committed one of the worst data breaches in history, the US Justice Department has charged a "sophisticated China-based hacking group" with the attacks. An indictment released yesterday charges two members of the group, Fuji Wang and another listed as John Doe, with four counts of conspiracy and intentional damage. According to the indictment, Wang and Doe allegedly broke into and stole data from computer networks in four distinct business sectors. The most high-profile hit was the 2015 Anthem breach, in which prosecutors say the hackers stole personal information from nearly 80 million people.
Read MoreAmazon and its sellers are now believed to be the victim of a substantial fraud campaign. A newly public legal filing obtained by Bloomberg has revealed that Amazon reported a "serious" campaign that compromised the accounts of roughly 100 sellers between May and October 2018, draining them of cash earned through loans and sales. While most details of the heist weren't specified, the internet giant understood that the intruders changed account details at Barclays and Prepay Technologies.
Read MoreA ransomware attack brought Baltimore city government's computers to a halt yesterday. The hackers are reportedly holding the city's files hostage, demanding up to 13 Bitcoins (about $76,280) to free the city's systems. As of this afternoon, the city has quarantined the ransomware, the Baltimore Sun reports. But, in a press conference, the city said it is not sure when all of the systems will be functioning again.
Read MoreSamsung was reportedly leaking sensitive source code, credentials and secret keys for several internal projects. According to TechCrunch, independent security researcher Mossab Hussein discovered dozens of exposed files in a GitLab used by Samsung engineers and hosted on a company-owned domain. The projects were reportedly set to "public" and not protected with a password.
Read MoreThe landlords of one Manhattan apartment building have agreed to provide physical keys to tenants who don't want to use smart locks. The decision was reached in a preliminary settlement after tenants sued their landlord for installing Latch smart locks last year. As CNET reports, this marks one of the first times legal professionals have had to weigh in on how landlords can use smart home technology.
Read MoreBinance, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, announced that it lost $40 million (7,000 Bitcoins) in a "large scale security breach." The company said that hackers accessed a hot wallet that contained about two percent of its total BTC holdings. They used phishing and viruses to obtain user data and managed to bypass security checks, preventing Binance from blocking the transaction. The company said that "no user funds will be affected," as has an emergency fund that will cover the incident "in full."
Read MoreA group called Shadow Brokers leaked sets of hacking tools back in 2017 that led to massive security breaches around the world, including the infamous WannaCry ransomware attacks. While the group maintained that it stole the tools from the US National Security Agency (NSA), it was a mystery how it got its hands on them. Now, a Symantec report has revealed that prior to the Shadow Brokers leak, NSA tools were captured by the Buckeye, a hacking group that the US government has linked to Chinese intelligence agents. As to how Buckeye got its hands on those tools? It seems they reverse-engineered them after the NSA first used them to attack their computers.
Read MoreThe infamous Magecart card skimming hack has been used to make life miserable for college students. Trend Micro has discovered that a hacking group, currently nicknamed Mirrorthief, relied on the scripting technique to steal card data from 201 online campus stores across the US and Canada on April 14th. The team slipped its scripts into the checkout pages of the sites (all created by a common developer, PrismRBS) to harvest full card details, names, addresses and phone numbers. The number of people affected by the heist isn't yet clear.
Read MoreIt's no longer novel for militaries to respond to cyberattacks with physical force (the US used a drone strike in 2015), but now they're being treated with the same urgency as real-world bullets and missiles. Israel Defense Forces have launched an airstrike on a Gaza Strip building believed to house Hamas digital warfare operatives after the militant group reportedly failed in an attempted "cyber offensive." Details of the virtual attack weren't available, but the IDF said it was "ahead of them all the time."
Read MoreIn another example of a problem that is sadly familiar, Bill Demirkapi found a vulnerability in the support software that Dell installs on most of its new PCs. His method tricks the SupportAssist software -- intended as a way to easily update drivers, adjust settings and clean out unused files -- into allowing an attacker to remotely install malware. It's worth noting however, that it would require an attacker being on the same local network as their victim and have the victim view a website controlled by the attacker. The write up of the issue explains how it works and his process for finding the flaw after replacing his old MacBook Pro with a Dell G3 gaming laptop. It also details his timeline from finding the issue in October until Dell was able to address it earlier this year. At this point, owners of Dell PCs running Windows should check to see if they have SupportAssist installed, and if so, make sure it has been updated to version 3.2.0.90 or higher (the current latest version is 3.2.1).
Read MoreThe US just made a dark web bust that makes AlphaBay's 400,000-user peak seem modest by comparison. Federal prosecutors have charged three unnamed Germans for allegedly operating Wall Street Market, a dark web marketplace that sold drugs, counterfeits and hacking software to more than 1.15 million customers. The trio reportedly maintained the site, including transactional chats, forums and financial transactions.
Read MoreA security researcher discovered that AMC Networks had inadvertently exposed more than 1.6 million records of subscribers to the company's two premium streaming video platforms, Sundance Now and Shudder. The publicly accessible database included the names and email addresses of subscribers as well as details about their subscription plans. It included more than 3,000 invoices processed by Stripe that listed the last four digits of a user's credit card.
Read MoreI made a beeline for Stealing ur feelings when I entered the Tribeca Film Festival Immersive Arcade last week. Officially, I'll say that my reason for doing so was because it was the most relevant exhibit for Engadget's scope of coverage: This interactive AR short studies what companies like Snap, Facebook and Google are doing (or can do) with the data they have on your facial expressions. But let's be honest, I'm pretty sure I was drawn to it because of the big selfie camera perched over the display.
Read MoreServer maker Super Micro is moving production out of China in a bid to allay US customer's concerns about spying, even though independent tests have shown no evidence of cyber espionage. The company has also announced its plans to expand its own in-house manufacturing facilities to help mitigate any perceived risks. A spokesperson for the company said Super Micro wants to be more self-reliant "without depending only on those outsourcing partners whose production previously has mostly been in China."
Read MoreIn an attempt to secure the millions of connected devices that find their way into homes in the UK, the government is considering baseline security requirements for Internet of Things products. The new rules could include mandatory labels that tell customers how secure a device is, and retailers could be prohibited from selling anything without an IoT security label. The UK has only just begun the consultation process, though, so these rules won't be written into law just yet.
Read MoreWith his hit podcast, Hardcore History, Dan Carlin brought his love for the past to the masses. It was only a matter of time until he wanted to move beyond audio -- but instead of moving into the crowded world of documentaries, he turned to VR. War Remains, his first virtual reality project which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival this week, puts you right in the trenches of World War I. And it's more than just another VR short: Co-producers MWM Immersive built a massive installation for the experience, allowing you to touch and feel the virtual environments in real life. (Thankfully, without recreating the smells of mud, death and gunfire.)
Read MoreOne year ago, Lyft launched its self-driving ride service in Las Vegas. Today, the company announced its 30-vehicle fleet has made 55,000 trips. That makes it the largest commercial program of its kind in the US. Unsurprisingly, Lyft says it's thrilled. "So far, we've been very pleased with what we've heard from our passengers taking a self-driving ride with us in Las Vegas," the company wrote in a blog post.
Read MoreBritish Columbia has just passed the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act (ZEVA) into law, and it could transform the Canadian province's roads in the coming years. Under the new rules, 10 percent of all light-duty cars and trucks sold in BC by 2025 must be emission-free (electric, plug-in hybrid electric or hydrogen fuel cell) vehicles. By the time 2040 rolls around, the province will completely prohibit the sale of gas-powered vehicles -- that is, if the law's terms don't change within the next 30 years.
Read MoreTesla is finally accepting Model 3 orders from buyers in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland and Macau. It's been a long wait for some of those locations: In Australia, for instance, reservations opened as far back as three years ago when Model 3 was first launched.
Read MoreOver 15 years ago Cadillac unveiled the V-Series. A luxury Caddy with an engine and handling meant to compete with BMW's M-Series and Mercedes' AMG lineup. Now the automaker is expanding the performance brand beyond the CT6, CTS and ATS line with the new CT4-V and CT5-V.
Read MoreFlying taxi designs are seemingly ubiquitous these days, but a startup is betting that its choice of powerplant could help it stand out. Alaka'i has unveiled Skai, a flying taxi that will run on hydrogen fuel cells (the first of its kind, the company claimed) you normally only see on the ground. The technology will reportedly allow Skai to fly for up to four hours with a 400-mile range, but without an environmental hit or long downtimes -- it can top up in less than 10 minutes. It will also carry up to five people or a maximum payload of 1,000lbs.
Read MoreWaymo -- Alphabet's autonomous vehicle company -- announced that it would resume testing its trucks on Phoenix freeways. The company had pulled its Class 8 trucks off the road back in 2017, after some brief tests in the state. Tests of the self-driving trucks will commence in Phoenix this week, a Waymo spokeswoman told Engadget over email. Each truck will be operated by two "trained" drivers, with the eventual goal being to move towards a completely driverless model.
Read MoreTrunk-mounted sound systems are often about bragging rights, but VW might have more reason to boast than usual. It's showing a Golf GTI Aurora concept car whose centerpiece is a hologram-controlled audio system accessible from the back. You can push floating buttons, grab 3D sliders and, of course, produce eye-catching visuals. VW hasn't outlined the exact technology at work, but you don't need glasses, gloves or other extras to operate it.
Read MoreYou can throw out notions that Ferrari is completely averse to electric cars. The Italian supercar maker has unveiled its first production plug-in hybrid, the SF90 Stradale, and it's a clear attempt to bridge the gap between the gas-powered tradition and the electrified future. The machine mates a 4-liter, 769-horsepower turbo V8 with a trio of electric motors (217HP effective horsepower) that, combined, can take the car to 62MPH in 2.5 seconds while offering a modicum of eco-friendliness. If you like, you can drive just over 15.5 miles purely on electric power -- confusing to onlookers expecting a roar, no doubt, but helpful if you'd rather not consume gallons of fuel while you're stuck in traffic.
Read MoreRude behavior or leaving trash behind could get you booted from Uber. The company has added "ratings-based rider deactivations" to its safety policy. Users can now get kicked off the app if they develop a "significantly below average rating."
Read MoreMuch of the technology developed for new cars has to do with safety, and that's for good reason -- in 2017, distracted driving killed 3,166 people in the US. Like other manufacturers, Jaguar Land Rover hopes it can prevent fatalities, but the way it wants to get there is unique. The company has developed a steering wheel that heats up to give drivers signals, like when to turn or that they're approaching an intersection. According to Jaguar, the "sensory steering wheel" will help drivers keep their eyes on the road.
Read MoreI'm sitting in a Volvo XC60 in Italy when a moose appears from out of a doorway. Except that none of this is real. I'm actually sat in an office chair in a San Francisco office building, wearing Varjo's XR-1 mixed-reality headset. It's a ridiculous scenario, but both virtual reality and augmented reality are adding a new twist on the car design process.
Read MoreDaimler Trucks is creating a global organization focused on putting automated trucks on the road over the next decade. The Autonomous Technology Group will be in charge of building an automated roadmap for the trucks, as well as setting up the appropriate operations infrastructure and network. The new initiative comes right after Daimler announced a $570 million investment into automated trucks at CES in Las Vegas back in January.
Read MoreAutomatic made its mark by launching an ODB-II car adapter and app that can monitor many of your vehicle's functions, but it just made a move that may upset its original buyers. The company announced that it's not just ending support for the original first and second-gen (Legacy and Silver) adapters, but killing the apps altogether. That will essentially turn the device into an unusable piece of plastic, even though the second-gen version has only been on the market for four years.
Read MoreNot only will Honda's cool little electric vehicle, the Honda E, come with cameras instead of side mirrors, they'll be offered as a standard feature. The compact cameras will sit where their mirror predecessors did, and inside, drivers will find a six-inch screen at each end of the dashboard. Honda says they'll reduce drag, boost efficiency and offer a better perspective.
Read MoreWe wouldn't blame you for feeling that pedestrian crossing buttons are frustrating at best, and useless at worst. You might not always have a free hand, and they're so slow and clueless that it can be tempting to defy the red light. Austrian researchers might have a solution, though: have the traffic lights themselves determine your intentions. They've developed camera-equipped traffic lights that detect people who want to cross the street. The computer vision system scans a 26-by-15 feet area and sends a signal to the lights when it sees one or more people in the right position, all within a matter of seconds. It's three to four seconds faster than it would take to reach for a button, according to the scientists.
Read MoreTesla's entry-level Model 3 has been available to order for a while (lately in limited form), but early buyers have technically been getting more -- without the promised software lock, drivers were effectively getting the upgraded Standard Range Plus car. Unfortunately for them, the party appears to be over. Electrek has learned that Tesla is starting to sell Standard Range cars with the features locked down. Reader Marc Bunton noted that his new Model 3 came with a 220-mile max range, no Autopilot, no live maps, no fog lights and limited seat heating.
Read MoreFiat Chrysler hasn't been on the cutting edge of automotive change as of late. Unless you count concepts like the Centoventi, the company hasn't done much with EVs -- and its support for autonomy mostly involves supplying minivans to Waymo. The automaker might make a huge deal that could prepare it for the future, though. Financial Times sources have claimed that Fiat Chrysler is in advanced talks to create "extensive ties" with Renault to help it cope with a changing industry. It might even join the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance in the future, although the tipsters cautioned that nothing was set at this stage.
Read MoreTesla has started putting a limit on some Supercharger stations in an effort to reduce wait times. In an employee memo seen by Electrek, the automaker said it has released a feature that will limit customers' State of Charge to 80 percent, giving more people a chance to get a turn at a charger faster. That said, it will only affect select high traffic sites, particularly 17 percent of all its stations in North America
Read MoreLondoners have seen multiple bikeshare companies come and go -- including ofo, oBike and Urbo. When Lime introduced its e-bikes in December, it seemed like the tide could be changing. Now, Uber's Jump will give it a go. As part of a pilot program, Uber dropped 350 of its bright red, dockless electric-assisted bikes in Islington today.
Read MoreIn the past 20 years, more than 800 children have died of heatstroke in cars in the US. Now, a group of lawmakers wants to require alerts that would remind parents to check for children in the backseat before exiting the vehicle. Legislation announced today would mandate "a distinct auditory and visual alert," and it would require a feasibility study for retrofitting existing vehicles with the system.
Read MoreLyft's frugal Shared Saver option is now available to many more people. The ridesharing service ahs trotted out its most affordable option to six more large US cities, including Atlanta, Las Vegas, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle. The principle remains the same: if you're comfortable with both sharing a ride and walking short distances, you can save a bit of cash versus demanding exact pick-ups and drop-offs.
Read MoreLyft users in New York and Jersey City can now rent a Citi Bike on the app. After some beta-testing with 20 percent of users, Lyft has now fully-integrated Citi Bike onto its mobile app. Lyft users won't need a Citi Bike account to locate or rent a bike. The announcement comes nearly a year after Lyft bought Motivate, the company that owns Citi Bike, in a bid to become an all-purpose transportation company with options for cars, bikes and electric scooters. Lyft already operates bike-sharing programs in Washington, DC and the San Francisco Bay Area, so app integration with those cities is likely forthcoming.
Read MoreThe European Commission is reviewing what could become the first set of industry-wide hyperloop guidelines. Today, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) and TÜV SÜD presented the EU with generic guidelines for hyperloop design, operation and certification. In a press release, HTT said the recommendations could inform future regulation.
Read MoreElon Musk's Boring Company has officially landed its first commercial contract: A $48.7 million project to build an underground transportation system around the Las Vegas Convention Center. The initiative has been dubbed the Campus Wide People Mover (CWPM), because its primary purpose is to move people around the facility. Authorities conjured up the project to go with the LVCC's expansion -- the whole facility will span 200 acres after all construction is done, and people would have to walk two miles to go from one end to the other. The Boring Company's "LVCC Loop" can take event attendees to their destination much faster.
Read MoreDJI has announced that all its consumer drones over 250 grams will use "AirSense" tech to help operators see and avoid airplanes and helicopters. They'll be equipped with so-called ADS-B sensors already installed in many aircraft and air traffic control (ATC) towers. Drone pilots will be able to see air traffic on their controllers and take evasive action if the system will warns of any potential collisions. "ADS-B was designed for airplanes and helicopters, but already there are more drones in the sky than any of them," said DJI VP of policy Brendan Schulman.
Read MoreAirbus has been working on its Vahana project for years. It's an attempt to create an autonomous passenger drone network that could operate like a flying version of the Waymo's self-driving cars. In January 2018, the company's flying taxi took to the skies for the first time. Now we're getting a glimpse of what the interior might look like. In a blog post, the Airbus Vahana team shared photos of Alpha Two -- its first demonstrator with a finished interior.
Read MoreWe found that Tesla's Navigate on Autopilot has its quirks, but Consumer Reports is... slightly more concerned. The publication has claimed that the latest version of the semi-autonomous driving feature poses "serious safety concerns," making automatic lane changes (when enabled) that are overly aggressive and don't properly anticipate human behavior. In tests, it would frequently cut off other drivers, pass on the right and have trouble anticipating fast-moving vehicles approaching from behind.
Read MoreWhen Tesla got rid of free Supercharging as a referral reward, it said the perk was "adding too much cost to cars." Even so, the automaker clearly knows it's something potential customers would appreciate, because it's sorta, kinda bringing free Supercharging back. Electrek has discovered that it's back as a perk again, though only for inventory Model S and X vehicles. In addition, it only applies to the older models that don't come with the hardware upgrades Tesla announced in April.
Read MoreAutonomous deliveries and self-driving vehicles may be the future, but there are still a few gaps that need to be addressed -- namely that it's not always possible for people to leave their homes to retrieve deliveries from the roadside (and if you're hungover and ordering take out, you definitely don't want to). Ford is working on a solution for this final stretch, though, and it's come right out of a sci-fi movie.
Read MoreAs companies from Boeing and Uber to Lilium work to develop flying taxis, Bosch wants to make the sensors they'll require more accessible. The company says conventional aerospace technology is too expensive and bulky to use in autonomous flying vehicles. So, today, Bosch announced a plug-and-play sensor box that adapts automotive industry sensors for use in flight.
Read MoreIt's not just ridesharing drivers that merit some safety concerns -- the car might be a risk as well. Consumer Reports has conducted a study indicating that 16.2 percent of the nearly 94,000 ride hailing cars it identified in New York City and King County (including Uber, Lyft and smaller outfits like Juno), Washington had at least one unaddressed safety recall. About 1.4 percent of total rides had Takata's faulty airbags, while 25 had "at least" five open recalls.
Read MoreBecause a chiming dashboard alert isn't enough to get teens to buckle up, Chevrolet introduced a new feature that prohibits drivers from shifting out of park until their seat belt is fastened. The "Buckle to Drive" system includes visible and audible alerts, and the company says it's an industry first. It only runs when Teen Driver mode is active -- so adults can risk driving seat belt-free if they choose -- and it will be standard in the 2020 Chevrolet Traverse, Malibu and Colorado.
Read MoreLyft is joining Uber in responding to the death of a college student with improved safety features. To begin with, it's adding an Uber-style option to call 911 from within the app -- if there's an emergency, you won't have to switch apps or lose track of your whereabouts. This should be available in the "coming weeks." Lyft will also require feedback for any rating under four stars, so it should be clearer when a driver's behavior is problematic.
Read MoreResearchers want to give cars, planes and drones "spidey senses." That is, they want to give autonomous machines sensors that mimic nature. In a paper published in ACS Nano, a team of researchers -- from Purdue University, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and ETH Zürich -- propose integrating spider-inspired sensors into the exterior of autonomous machines. Doing so, they say, would allow vehicles to selectively process data faster than currently possible.
Read MoreInvestigators might know what triggered the software panic aboard an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max before its fatal crash, and it could be something Boeing considered months earlier. Unnamed officials talking to the Wall Street Journal claim that US aviation overseers "increasingly believe" that a bird collision may have sent flawed sensor data, leading to the jet's anti-stall code automatically pushing the nose down. Black box recordings show that a sensor was "sheared off" or otherwise broken soon after takeoff, experts said.
Read MoreThe USPS is thinking of hauling your mail and packages across the country with the help of self-driving trucks. It has awarded San Diego self-driving truck company TuSimple with a contract for a two-week pilot, wherein the firm's vehicles will perform five round trips while hauling USPS trailers. The trips will cover 1,000 miles between the postal service's Phoenix, Arizona and Dallas, Texas distribution centers. TuSimple will also run the trucks for 22 hours each, including overnight driving along highways.
Read MoreGM's car-sharing program, Maven, is leaving eight out of the 17 cities it serves across North America, according to The Wall Street Journal. Maven never quite made it big and only ever became available in a handful of locations -- in fact, while WSJ mentions 17, the service's list of cities only has 12 entries. It sounds like instead of expanding to more locations, the automaker decided to focus on its strongest areas instead. A spokesperson told the WSJ: "We're shifting Maven's offerings to concentrate on markets in which we have the strongest current demand and growth potential."
Read MoreToday, General Motors unveiled its new electronics system. The platform will make "smartphone-like" over-the-air software updates possible, and it should be rolled out in most GM vehicles by 2023, the company says. We'll see it first in the 2020 Cadillac CT5 sedan, which should go into production later this year.
Read MoreTexas is set to become the 11th state in the country to ban the use of red light cameras. The Dallas News reported the state Senate passed a bill that would outlaw the devices designed to catch drivers speeding through red lights by a 23 to eight vote last week. It now awaits the signature of Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign the bill into law. Abbott campaigned on ditching the cameras last year as he ran for re-election.
Read MoreEV infrastructure company EVgo has teamed up with Chevron to install fast chargers at select filling stations in California. The chargers, with up to 100 kW of capacity, are now running at Menlo Park and under construction at other locations in Los Angeles and Bay Area communities including Aliso Viejo, Manhattan Beach and Venice. "EVgo is helping everyone -- including traditional fueling stations -- take advantage of the benefits of EV adoption," EVgo CEO Cathy Zoi said in a statement.
Read MoreChevy has talked about producing more electric crossovers besides the Bolt EV, and it now appears much closer to fulfilling that goal. Our sister site Autoblog has obtained photos and video of Chevy testing a more utility-focused crossover, rumored to be named the Bolt EUV, on public streets. It's heavily disguised, to put it mildly, but you can see a more SUV-like design with a larger back and a more vertical snout. While the current Bolt is officially labeled as a crossover, the EUV would bet better-suited to grocery runs and family vacations.
Read MoreRivian has shown off its upcoming electric truck at the Overland Expo West, and it certainly looks different -- and a lot more extra -- from the previous times we've seen it. The automaker has debuted a camp kitchen for the R1T, and it's even powered by the EV's battery pack. Because, you know, why rough it in the wilderness when you can slide a fancy camping stove out of your truck and cook a full English breakfast to perfection?
Read MoreTesla will push an updated Autopilot in Europe that scales back on a couple of functions in order to comply with new regulations. The changes will require faster lane changes and limit how far you can turn the steering wheel on Autosteer. Electrek reports that while Tesla's Autopilot was approved under older rules, it had to be dialed back in order to comply with the new UN/ECE R79 regulation on driver assistance systems. The update only impacts Model S and Model X vehicles; Model 3 already complies with the new rules.
Read MoreSpotify will begin testing its first hardware device today. Dubbed "Car Thing," it's a voice-controlled music and podcast assistant that reportedly plugs into a car's 12-volt outlet and connects to both the car and the user's phone via Bluetooth. The select group of Premium users who will test Car Thing will be able make requests by saying "Hey, Spotify." And the device will tap into the user's Spotify account for easy access to playlists.
Read MoreAlphabet announced that Wing deliveries are about to start in Finland's capital of Helsinki and detailed more about where they the drones would operate and what folks could order. The pilot program will start in the Vuosaari district, an ideal spot for drone deliveries because it's bordered by water on three sides and has a dense population.
Read MoreNissan's ProPilot driver assist could comfortably control the car with little to no input already, as Autoblog experienced on a road trip last year, but it still required a driver's hand on the wheel. Now the company has announced ProPilot 2.0 will launch first on its Skyline sedan in Japan, which supports hands-off driving within a single lane. Nissan says its next-gen driver assistance system is a world's first, but we've seen similar technology from Cadillac's Super Cruise over the last two years, which also allows for hands-off operation as long as the car doesn't need to change lanes.
Read MoreSwedish AV startup Einride has begun testing its all-electric delivery truck on a public road in Sweden. As a part of a year-long trial, the Einride T-Pod truck began the first of what will be many daily freight deliveries this week in the city of Jönköping. The 26-ton truck, which we took for a test spin during MWC, is operated completely remotely via a 5G network -- the vehicle doesn't even have a driver cabin for a backup driver.
Read MoreThe National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report that Tesla's Autopilot system was active at the time of a fatal Model 3 crash in Delray Beach, Florida. Data showed the car's driver, who died in the March 1st incident, activated Autopilot around 10 seconds before the collision. In the approximately eight seconds before the Tesla crashed into a semi truck, the car didn't detect the driver's hands on the wheel.
Read MoreBritish motorcycle manufacturer Triumph has announced a new program that'll help speed up its development of electric motorbikes. The project, working title TE-1, aims to develop an electric motorcycle powertrain in just two years, and it's got some pretty heavyweight partners involved to help it achieve this goal.
Read MoreTesla has responded to reports about a Model S bursting in flames in Hong Kong by rolling out a software update to beef up its vehicles' battery life and safety. The incident happened three weeks after a video of a parked Model S exploding in Shanghai made its way around Chinese social media. While the automaker is still investigating the incident and continues to maintain that its vehicles "are 10 times less likely to experience a fire than a gas car," it says it released the update out of "an abundance of caution." The update has already started landing on Model S and X vehicles -- it doesn't sound like it'll be available for Model 3 sedans.
Read MoreThere are a number of flying taxi startups out there, but Lilium has stood out with its unique airplane-like design and serious aeronautical cred. Now, the company has unveiled an all-new prototype and flaunted the first successful tests with the craft. In a video, it shows the craft taking off vertically, hovering just above the ground and then landing, complete with the de rigueur employee cheering and hollering.
Read MoreWhen Boosted launched a new series of boards in 2018, including the Stealth and Mini options, it claimed its mission was to redefine transportation -- at least from the electric rideable standpoint. Now, it's finally broken out beyond the skateboard mold and added the Boosted Rev electric scooter to its stable of products.
Read MoreWe've all been there. You've had a long, tiring day, and you hail a ride to get home. Your driver is nice, but they're perhaps a little too eager for some chit-chat and to play their favorite radio station, when you'd like a modicum of peace and quiet. Sure, you can ask them to turn down the volume and hold the small talk, but that's invariably awkward. So, if you're riding in an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV, you'll be able to request a silent ride using a Quiet Mode option in the Uber app.
Read MoreLast February, Citroen introduced its Ami One, a tiny electric vehicle (EV) meant to replace bikes and scooters. It was envisioned as a way to make short, all-electric trips around downtown areas. Now, Citroen has revealed its 19_19 Concept, an EV for customers who want to travel beyond the city's limits. The 19_19 Concept boasts a range of up to 800 km (about 497 miles), and thanks to its autonomous driving tech, "drivers are able to entirely delegate driving."
Read MoreLast year, Owlcam debuted its first cloud-connected dashcam. It was unique because not only did it record your trips, but it also doubled as a real-time security camera for your vehicle. The cost of the Owlcam was $349, and that includes a one-year trial of 4G LTE service, which then costs $99 a year (or $9.99 a month) thereafter. Last December, Owlcam introduced a 911 Assist feature that would call for assistance whenever your car got in a crash. It used to cost an additional $79 a year, but starting today, 911 Assist will now be a part of the standard 4G LTE $99-a-year package. As we wrote about last year, the Owlcam acts very similar to a Nest or Ring camera. You can view live feeds of what's going on in your car as well as what's in front of it (there are two cameras) and it'll send an alert to your phone if it detects something suspicious. Moreover, if you get into a fender bender or a crash, a video is instantly sent to your phone, which you can use as evidence for the authorities or the insurance company. The addition of the 911 Assist service means a live operator will call you after the crash, to make sure you're ok. According to Owlcam, more than 25,000 devices were sold in just the past year, making it one of the fastest-selling connected camera companies. In addition to the 911 Assist bundling, Owlcam also announced that its camera will be sold at all Best Buy locations. You can also buy it on Amazon or Owlcam's own website.
Read MoreLyft wants to speed up airport pickups with some changes to how it matches drivers. The rideshare company is debuting a PIN-based pickup feature at Portland International Airport today, with the plan of eventually expanding to other airports. Instead of waiting for the system to match them with a specific driver, Lyft riders join a designated line and receive a four-digit PIN they can use for the first available driver. Uber launched a similar feature today.
Read MoreFinding your Uber at a crowded arrivals curb while several other passengers are doing the same can be daunting. To help alleviate that pain, Uber is piloting a PIN feature today at Portland International Airport in the hopes of cutting down on lengthy airport wait times and traffic congestion. Instead of wasting time hunting for their Uber, passengers can just hop in the first available car and share a six-digit code. If successful, Uber could expand the PIN feature to airports across the country.
Read MoreLast week, Japan started testing its latest and fastest bullet train. The Shinkansen ALFA-X is capable of reaching 400 kilometers per hour (249 mph), and it's expected to enter operation around 2030. When it does, the ALFA-X will likely become the world's fastest bullet train, carrying passengers around 360 kph (224 mph).
Read MoreHey, good morning! We're back. SpaceX's internet satellites are ready for launch, Germany starts testing its electric highway and the best coding kits for little ones. Phew. Let's get this week started.
Read MoreGermany is joining the ranks of those countries betting on "electric highways" to foster eco-friendly trucking. The country has started real-world tests of an eHighway system on a 3.1-mile stretch of the Autobahn between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, with an electric-diesel hybrid truck merging into everyday traffic while it received power from overhead cables to keep it from using its combustion engine. Earlier tests in the country relied on either slow nighttime tests or the safety of an unused military airfield.
Read MoreWelcome, dear readers, to Hitting the Books. With less than one in five Americans reading just for fun these days, we've done the hard work for you by scouring the internet for the most interesting, thought provoking books on science and technology we can find and delivering an easily digestible nugget of their stories.
Read MoreBMW owners in both the US and UK have been locked out of Apple's CarPlay interface on their vehicles due to system-wide outages of ConnectedDrive. 9to5Mac reported that complaints from drivers on both sides of the pond began racking up on social media earlier this week. The German car company's subscription-based connectivity service lets drivers to connect to Apple's CarPlay, which manages everything from navigation to phone calls. With ConnectedDrive being down, cars are unable to confirm that drivers have paid for the CarPlay options in their vehicle.
Read MoreBetween offering on-demand rides and peppering cities with electric scooters, Lyft has been pushing hard to minimize the need to actually own a car. Now, the company is exploring yet another way to further those ambitions (and boost its bottom line after a turbulent IPO in the process). Engadget has learned that, as of this week, Lyft has begun to experiment with longer-term car rentals, offering them to a small group of customers in San Francisco.
Read MoreSir James Dyson has revealed some early details about the company's electric car in a memo sent to employees and seen by Bloomberg and The Telegraph. A set of patents that recently became public also includes diagrams that make it seem like the vehicle will look like a Range Rover. However, Dyson said they "certainly don't reveal what [its] vehicle will really look like or give any specifics around what it will do." Instead, they "show an androgynous vehicle and provide a glimpse of some of the inventive steps [the company is] considering." The company aims to use it as a platform to introduce advances in aerodynamics and efficiency.
Read MoreRidesharing drivers for have acted on promises to go on strike over labor conditions. Workers for Uber, Lyft and other companies in 10 cities (including Chicago, New York City and LA) are staging actions to demand better pay and job security. The exact conditions vary from city to city, but there are common demands for minimum guaranteed pay, caps on the companies' fare portions and an end to sudden, opaque deactivations that leave drivers with few options to get their access back.
Read MoreVW is finally ready to take €1,000 deposits for the production version of its I.D. electric hatchback in 29 European countries. Now called the ID.3, the finished car (which won't come with the colorful camouflage above) is initially available in a loaded, limited-edition "1st" model that includes the mid-tier, 261-mile battery as well as navigation, voice control and large wheels. Pricing will start at "less than €40,000" (about $44,800), but there will also be a 1st Plus variant with additional lighting and design touches as well as a 1st Max with an augmented reality heads-up display and a panoramic glass roof.
Read MoreThe e-scooter market feels like it's growing faster than you can speed down the street on one, which is pretty fast indeed. Today, micromobility company Bird has unveiled its newest model, Bird One, which promises to be significantly more durable than existing e-scooters, especially when used as part of a shared fleet.
Read MoreGood news for aspiring Tesla Model 3 owners: the promised official tow hitch has arrived on the Tesla site, at least in Europe.
Read MoreFord has slowly but surely been expanding GoRide's reach ever since it launched the non-emergency medical transportation service. Now, the automaker has revealed its plans to deploy the system to 40 cities nationwide over the next four years after a testing period in Southeast Michigan (Detroit included) and Toledo, Ohio. It will start by expanding its vans' availability to Ohio cities Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus later this year -- not surprising, since it's already in Toledo. Miami, Florida residents will be able to book rides for their doctors' appointments by the end of 2019, as well.
Read MoreWaymo and Lyft have clarified how their self-driving technology partnership will work in the short term. As an initial move, Lyft customers in the metro Phoenix area will have access to 10 Waymo vehicles in the next few months. You'll just have to pick the vehicle type from the Lyft app, much like you would with any other ride option. The move will both expand the reach of Waymo's fledgling self-driving operations and provide "valuable feedback."
Read MoreThe Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has unveiled its predictions for the future of drones, and the findings came as a surprise, even to the FAA itself. Non-commercial drone growth has greatly exceeded expectations, increasing by 170 percent last year, despite officials thinking that it would only grow by 44 percent. This also forced experts to race back to the drawing board and re-write its predictions for the entire industry as a result.
Read MoreHow do you illustrate the inner workings of electric cars without resorting to plain cutaway images and videos? If you're VW, you make a rolling skeleton on wheels. The company has unveiled an eGon model that strips the e-Golf down to its inner workings, but remains driveable -- you wouldn't take it on the highway, but you could get a feel for how everything comes together when it's moving. You'll also find QR codes across the car to provide more information about individual components.
Read MoreTesla has a rough history with leakers, and it's apparently eager to remind employees of that fact. CNBC said it had obtained an email from Tesla's security team (yes, the irony is thick) warning staff against leaking sensitive information. The message asserted that outsiders were "targeting" employees hoping to get vital data in a bid to "see us fail," and pointed out that Tesla would crack down on leakers by firing them, making damage claims and filing charges.
Read MoreHyundai is refreshing its Ioniq line-up with the hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric models all getting design tweaks and new features. The EV in particular will get a larger, 38.3 kWh battery pack that has 36 percent more storage capacity than its predecessor.
Read MoreWhen Toyota unveiled its revamped Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, we largely liked everything about it -- except for the wonky infotainment system. With the 2020 model, Toyota has corrected that shortcoming, now offering it with both Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa support. They'll come as a standard trim option for all Prius Primes, which start at $27,600, not including the $4,500 federal tax credit.
Read MoreWhile Tesla continues to tout the benefits of its Autopilot driving assist and insist that true self-driving capability is close to release, its latest updates work even when Autopilot isn't on. As described in a blog post, Lane Departure Avoidance and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance use the cameras, sensors and radar in its cars to avoid dangerous situations. Other manufacturers use their car's driving assist sensors in similar ways, and it's good to see Tesla enhancing safety at all times. The features are coming to Model 3 cars first, and eventually all of its cars built after October 2016, which are the ones equipped with NVIDIA-powered Autopilot 2.0 hardware or newer. When the new hardware first rolled out, it lacked some of the earlier setup's safety features including basic lane departure warnings, but eventually added them with calibration and updates. Even with the updates, the Autopilot system has also faced controversy due to accidents and claims drivers aren't paying enough attention while the system is enabled -- today's post notably specifies that "Autopilot is designed to reduce fatigue by helping drivers stay in their lane, while also ensuring that they keep their hands on the wheel."
Read MoreUber customers in Denver can now use the app to purchase transit tickets. This makes Denver the first city in the world to get the added capability, but it won't be the last. It's all part of Uber's goal to make the platform a one-stop shop for transportation needs, from carsharing to bikesharing, busses and more.
Read MoreThe New York Supreme Court ruled today to uphold New York City's minimum wage for drivers working for ride-sharing services, shooting down a challenge to the rule from Lyft. The ruling will maintain the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission's (TLC) minimum wage requirement of $17.22 per hour after expenses, which is one of the first wage floors for ride-share drivers in the country.
Read MoreWashington has become the eighth state to greenlight the use of delivery robots on sidewalks and crosswalks. Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill yesterday, following support from Starship Technologies, which specializes in autonomous last-mile and local deliveries.
Read MoreIt's been a long road, but the right-hand drive Tesla Model 3 has at last gone on sale in the UK. Elon Musk previously teased a May launch date for the most "affordable" car in Tesla's range, after a rocky start to deliveries in Europe.
Read MoreLast spring, Apple engineer Walter Huang aka Wei Lun Huang died in a crash when his Tesla Model X hit a median on Highway 101 in Mountain View while the car's Autopilot driving assist was engaged. Now ABC 7 News and NBC Bay Area report that Huang's family has filed a lawsuit against Tesla and the state of California. According to ABC reporter Dan Noyes, the lawsuit claims Huang's Model X was "defective" in its design, and blames the state for not making safety repairs on a safety barrier within the required amount of time.
Read MoreBioWare's loot shooter Anthem has suffered through some significant issues, but many gamers have been holding out hope that the promised "Cataclysm" events may make them forget the rocky start. Details of the first planned Cataclysm were revealed on a Twitch livestream yesterday and the early reaction seems to be underwhelming, as the event doesn't appear to be as game-changing as it was once promised.
Read MoreA collection of classic BioWare roleplaying games will be arriving on consoles later this year. Physical and digital copies of Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate ll and Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment will all arrive in stores on September 24th in North America. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition will be available on December 3rd. All of the titles will be available for PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Read MoreWe're barely a week away from the start of E3 2019 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California! This year's event may be missing one of its stalwarts now that Sony has announced that it will not have a presence but there will be news aplenty from the show floor. Let's take a look at some of the anticipated high points.
Read MoreRespawn has a straightforward way to keep its hordes of Apex Legends players coming back: it's borrowing a page from other battle royale shooters. The studio has teased Season 2 Battle Pass plans that will include daily and weekly challenges to speed up your progression. While there aren't specifics of what they'll entail, Respawn is trying to avoid "wacky" challenges that force you to play in odd ways. And don't panic if you have to skip Apex while on vacation -- you can finish earlier weekly challenges when you get back.
Read MoreThe highly anticipated Beyond Good and Evil 2 won't be making an appearance at E3 this year, but fans will get more information about the game's status before the major gaming conference. Ubisoft announced today that it will be holding a livestream to provide an update on the game's development on June 5th at 12PM ET/9AM PT.
Read MoreJaws, not Saw. That's one of the guiding mantras for the developers building Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, this year's installment of the legendary first-person-shooter franchise. Modern Warfare comes out on October 25th and it's at once an homage to the series' history and a completely new vision for Call of Duty, with the single-player campaign thrusting classic characters like Captain John Price into overwrought situations that are ripped from current, real-world headlines.
Read MoreThe next Call of Duty game is called Modern Warfare. Yes, just like the 2007 game. Yes, it's kind of confusing. Now that's out of the way -- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is scheduled to hit Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on October 25th, complete with cross-play capabilities. Plus, it won't have the series' traditional, paid Season Pass for post-launch maps, gear and events. Instead, developer Infinity Ward plans on shipping more free content than they have with past Call of Duty installments.
Read MoreIf you haven't quite come to terms with Game of Thrones ending, you might be pleased to learn there's a VR title based on the series arriving this week called Beyond The Wall. You'll join the Night's Watch and defend The Wall against an army of the dead in the game, which will be exclusive to HTC's Viveport Infinity subscription service.
Read MoreElectronic Arts revealed the schedule for this year's EA Play, its annual showcase of its flagship games that takes place during E3. The roughly three-hour livestream will air on June 8 and devote a segment each to six different EA titles; Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Apex Legends, Battlefield V, FIFA 20, Madden NFL 20 and The Sims 4. But what sticks out is the agenda's exclusion of Anthem, a decision probably made in the interest of optics. The much-anticipated BioWare shooter had a disastrous, bug-filled launch in April. Multiple patches have been released since then; the game's latest update was unveiled today. BioWare plans to drop some more Anthem-related news on May 30th during a separate livestream.
Read MoreIt's been a long two and a half years since Square Enix and Marvel teased plans for an Avengers game, but they're nearly ready to show the fruits of their labor. They now plan to unveil Marvel's Avengers at Square Enix's E3 event, which starts June 10th at 9PM Eastern. There's little else to show right now, but this confirmed that Crystal Dynamics (of Tomb Raider fame) and Eidos Montreal (modern Deus Ex games) are still attached to the superhero title.
Read MoreThere have been plenty of over-the-top game bundles in recent years, but the one for Death Stranding might top them all in terms of sheer audacity. When the game arrives on November 8th, a Collector's Edition will include a life-size "bridge baby" pod. That's right -- you too can creep out friends and family by placing what looks like a pickled infant on your desk. You probably don't want to decorate your office with this one.
Read MoreIn recent years, Pokémon games have made their way to mobile devices and Nintendo Switch. While that's great in terms of accessibility, The Pokémon Company had to conjure up a new way to make trading and moving monsters between platforms a possibility. Enter Pokémon Home, a cloud-based service the company has introduced during a press conference in Tokyo. It's not tied to a single system and will work with Pokémon Go, the Pokémon Lets Go games and even the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield. You'll even be able to connect it with Pokémon Bank, if you have an account for the monsters you've collected in the 3DS games.
Read MoreKonami has outlined the full game lineup for Contra Anniversary Collection, and it's good news for, well, collectors. In addition to the four already-announced titles (Contra, Super Contra, Super C and Contra 3), the anthology will include both more familiar games (such as Hard Corps and Operation C) as well as examples you probably wouldn't have bought when new, including the European adaptations Probotector for the Mega Drive and Super Probotector for the NES. You'll even get the slightly upgraded original Contra for Nintendo's Famicom.
Read MoreEA's emotional adventure game Sea of Solitude has been a long time coming, and you'll finally get to delve into its story when it arrives on July 5th. It's a third-person journey in which you'll guide a young woman named Kay through a flooded city to help her overcome her loneliness. Along the way, you'll confront creatures and monsters, and tackle challenges to remove "tainted memories" from the world and reveal more light and color.
Read MoreAfter almost four years, YouTube is closing its dedicated gaming portal and merging it with the main platform. It announced the move late last year, but missed the original March shutdown date. YouTube Gaming will cease to exist on May 30th; visitors will get directed to a new channel for games on the main YouTube site instead. The app will also shut down.
Read MoreThe launch of Phoenix Labs' co-op hunting RPG Dauntless was such a huge success, the developer has announced that the game attracted 4 million players in just a couple of days. In fact, the game drummed up so much interest that Phoenix Labs had a hard time keep up with demand. According to Destructoid, some players had to wait for up to three hours to get in, though the developer has already started working on a solution to reduce those lengthy queue times.
Read MoreIf it wasn't already apparent that Epic Games is serious about competitive Fortnite, it is now. The company has confirmed that it hired Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer (shown at middle) to oversee Fortnite esports at Epic. The chief of Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues, Pete Vlastelica, is filling Nanzer's shoes at Overwatch League "effective immediately."
Read MoreDestiny 2's World First raid races are supposed to provide glory and rewards to anyone with a sufficiently committed fireteam, but that's not how it works in practice -- and Bungie wants to level the playing field. When the shared-world shooter's Season of Opulence kicks off June 4th, it'll introduce a Contest mode that should give more players a shot at finishing the matching Crown of Sorrow raid before others. Bungie will effectively minimize the advantages of those hardcore players who can afford to spend many hours building their characters up before the assault even begins.
Read MoreBlizzard is on a bit of a relative tear when it comes to major Overwatch updates. Soon after adding the Workshop customization tool, it's offering players the chance to watch back their matches from any perspective with a handy replay feature. It's available through the PTR test server on PC now, and Blizzard says it's coming to consoles soon.
Read MoreWelcome back to Engadget's Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where we run down what our editors are playing. For the most part, we've been carving our way through Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the latest bit of gamer punishment from the From Software folks. And one of our editors decided to dive into some classic Blizzard titles: Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2. We'd also love to know what you've been playing, shout out in the comments below!
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. The new game system everyone is talking about can't do 4K, 8K or even 1K, but we're still excited about Panic's surprise Playdate portable console. On the other hand, it's time to say goodbye to Ouya and Consumer Reports has concerns about the latest Tesla Autopilot update.
Read MoreJust a couple of days after pro Fortnite player Turner "Tfue" Tenney filed a lawsuit against his esports team FaZe Clan, the gamer himself is speaking out in a new video. As we explained yesterday, Tenney's lawsuit seeks to sever ties with FaZe Clan, claiming he is an artist and should be protected under California's Talent Agency Act from the team which he says is limiting his opportunities and taking up to 80 percent of revenue he earns from third parties. FaZe responded two days ago with a couple of statements claiming that it has only collected $60,000 from their partnership while Tenney made millions, and posted a single clause from the lawsuit regarding the 80 percent claim. The team claims it has never collected on that clause and has been working to improve the agreement.
Read MoreNow here's an entrant in the game console wars that you didn't see coming. Veteran software developer Panic (best known for writing Transmit and publishing Firewatch) has unveiled a handheld game system, Playdate, that aims to break the rules of game consoles. Most conspicuously, it has a hand crank -- you'll have to treat your system like a fishing rod to play some titles. It looks silly, but Panic is clearly betting that the added whimsy will help it stand out. There's a black-and-white screen, too, so the creators (including Teenage Engineering) are undoubtedly counting on a bit of Game Boy-style nostalgia for simpler times.
Read MoreWhen the Atari VCS team decided to remake the retro console, it knew the controllers would be just as important as the box itself. After all, there's no gaming accessory quite as iconic as the Atari CX40 joystick. Earlier this spring, we got a glimpse of what the VCS will look like, and now, the company has revealed more details about the Atari VCS Classic Joystick and Modern Controller. Both are a carefully crafted mix of essential features, both old and new, the company said in a blog post.
Read MoreSeven years ago, Ouya was going to change the face of gaming. Now it's dead. Razer, the company that bought Ouya back in 2015, announced today that it will be discontinuing support for the gaming console. Owners of Ouya will have until June 25th to continue using the device. After that, Razer will be deactivating user accounts and shutting down all online elements of its service. Gamers will only be able to play games they have downloaded directly to their console.
Read MoreLeague of Legends might eventually take up residence on fans' iOS and Android homescreens. Developer Riot is said to be working with parent company Tencent on a mobile version of the ultra-popular MOBA.
Read MoreThree years after its launch, Blizzard's team-based shooter Overwatch is still rolling along, and the latest Anniversary event has begun. A celebration of the game's history so far, it's rotating through many of the special minigames that come and go, and in the patch that was just released, finally giving all players the tools to make new modes of their own.
Read MoreFortnite has played host to a dazzling number of themed events, featuring collaborations with some of entertainment's biggest franchises including Avengers: Endgame and John Wick. However, for its latest crossover, Epic Games is teaming up with one of the world's biggest sportswear brands, Jordan, ahead of the NBA Finals on May 30th.
Read MoreTurner Tenney is the most popular Fortnite player in the world. He plays as Tfue on YouTube and Twitch, where there's a small red logo for FaZe Clan, the esports organization he signed with in April 2018, built into the border of his selfie box. At 21, Tfue has earned millions playing Fortnite. He has more than 10 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.65 million followers on Twitter, where his bio says simply, "Professional athlete."
Read MoreMan of Medan, the first installment in Supermassive's Dark Pictures Anthology interactive horror series, will hit PS4, Xbox One and PC August 30th. It centers on a young group on a diving vacation that doesn't quite go as planned -- the quartet are kidnapped and trapped on a ghost ship. Much like Supermassive's previous game, Until Dawn, characters will live or die depending on the choices you make throughout.
Read MoreRad, the latest game to come from the minds of indie game darlings Tim Schafer and Lee Petty at Double Fine Productions, officially has a release date. With the help of publisher Bandai Namco, the roleplaying adventure game will arrive on August 20th and will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Read MoreA lawsuit might just redefine how esports teams treat their players. Turner Tenney, better known as the pro Fortnite player Tfue, has sued FaZe Clan for allegedly hurting his opportunities with an "oppressive, onerous, and one-sided" contract that violates California law and the Talent Agency Act. It can take up to 80 percent of his team earnings through a "finder's fee," according to the suit. Tenney also said his contract limits him to sponsorship deals obtained through the team (a possible problem when he produces Twitch and YouTube content), and that FaZe doesn't have the talent agency license it needs to secure work on his behalf.
Read MoreOpen-world space exploration indie Outer Wilds will arrive on Xbox One and the Epic Games Store May 30th. It emerged last week the crowdfunded Mobius Digital title would be a timed exclusive for the Epic Store. Outer Wilds will arrive on other platforms later.
Read MoreWhile you can't warp time to see the twelfth season of Doctor Who any sooner, this September, you'll be able to dive into the show in a new way. BBC Studios is bringing the series to life as a VR video game, Doctor Who: The Edge of Time. This is the second recent VR interpretation of the classic -- earlier this month BBC released The Runaway, a short animated VR film. And it could be yet another consolation for fans who are eagerly awaiting the next season, set to air in early 2020.
Read MoreBlizzard is holding its third Overwatch anniversary event on May 21st, and this year the focus appears to be on welcoming in as many as people as possible. The occasion will revive many seasonal cosmetics, Arcade brawls, emotes and skins, but it'll also include a week-long free trial (until May 28th) to give you a better feel for the team shooter -- it's not just a weekend this time. You can also expect genuinely new legendary and epic skins as well as fresh dances for more recent characters like Ashe, Baptiste and Wrecking Ball.
Read MoreActivision's Call of Duty release schedule has been predictable for years -- the company has rotated between three studios, with Treyarch pumping out a Black Ops game every three years like clockwork. However, you might be in for a surprise in 2020. Kotaku sources claim Activision has changed from its original plan, where Raven and Sledgehammer would produce a single-player oriented game, in favor of Treyarch taking the lead with Black Ops 5. It would still be set in the Cold War as intended, but Raven and Sledgehammer would be relegated to support studios adding a story to Treyarch's (presumably multiplayer-heavy) title.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to your weekend! Microsoft is hoping that its augmented reality Minecraft game will top Pokémon Go this summer, and did Lenovo really steal a fan-made video to promote a foldable RAZR? Check out some of this week's highlights below, plus a look at how we got all this foldable screen technology in the first place.
Read MoreSince the explosive launch of Apex Legends and its deliberately quieter evolution over the last few months, the game is still dealing with some annoying issues. According to the team at Respawn, an update coming to all platforms next week will target some audio problems that caused sound to drop out, or repeat when it shouldn't, and also increases the volume of close enemy footsteps so that maybe you can avoid getting third partied for once. Other audio tweaks include a reduction of Wraith's kunai knife sound that was annoying for some people, while sounds from character select through dropping in have seen their volume drop, and the music that plays for winners is getting louder to let all your neighbors know they're in the presence of a champion. Respawn is also still tweaking some hitbox issues, and dealt with a very specific crash bug that could occur on Intel-powered PCs. You can check out their post for the full changelog, however any word on exactly when it will arrive is still TBA, and news about what players can expect in season two will have to wait for the EA Play event in June.
Read MoreMicrosoft announced that it has sold 176 million copies of Minecraft, quite a big hop over the 156 million figure they revealed just seven months ago. Despite more buzz around games like Fortnite, Microsoft has kept the game fresh with things like the Dungeons online co-op, a free browser version, a forthcoming movie and now, an augmented reality version called Minecraft Earth. Microsoft added that it has passed 200 million registered users of the Microsoft China edition and completed 130 million Minecraft "Hour of Code" sessions.
Read MoreWhen the SEGA Genesis Mini arrives in September, it's set to come with 40 games. We already knew 20 of the titles, and today, SEGA revealed another 10.
Read MoreJohn Wick will be back in theaters this weekend, but the assassin will take up residence on small screens too, as he's starring in a Fortnite event. The Wick's Bounty limited-time mode pits you against other players in a race to earn the most gold tokens. You'll start with several tokens and claim another player's tokens when you take them out. You start with have three lives, and the more tokens you have, the more visible you are to other players on the map.
Read MoreWe hope you didn't base your gaming calendar around Skull and Bones, the other multiplayer-focused pirate title. Ubisoft has revealed that the game has been delayed again, this time until sometime after the company's fiscal 2019-2020 (that is, after March 2020). The game won't be showed at E3 2019, either. The company didn't go into great detail explaining the move, although producer Karl Luhe noted in an explanatory video that the team was focused on "quality first."
Read MoreNow that Red Dead Online has had several months to build an audience, how is it faring? Quite well, apparently. During an earnings call, Take-Two chief Strauss Zelnick stated that the Red Dead Redemption 2 multiplayer component was "performing better" than GTA Online was at a similarly early point in its history. He didn't elaborate on the criteria (users? Money generated?), but it's a good sign for the company when GTA Online is still considered the cash cow.
Read MoreEpic Games will add another award to its trophy cabinet next month, when it picks up a BAFTA Special Award for its contribution to game development. Not only has the company created several hits of its own, including the all-conquering Fortnite, but it's helped other studios build games using Unreal Engine and distributed them through the Epic Games Store.
Read MoreOddworld: Soulstorm, the upcoming remake of 1998's Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus on the PlayStation 1, is taking shape -- and going by the latest trailer, it looks like it's been worth the wait.
Read MoreTo celebrate the release of wireless VR headset Oculus Quest, Polyarc is releasing new content for Moss, the adorable puzzle adventure that's made waves on the VR gaming landscape. Our swashbuckling mouse heroine Quill will now be able to explore the Twilight Garden, a new chapter that unveils vast new chambers, a fresh realm of puzzles, unknown enemies and unique weaponry. The Twilight Garden, along with the rest of Moss, will be available for Oculus Quest when the headset launches on May 21st. Players on other platforms, including PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift/S, HTC Vive and Windows MR will get the update for free in June.
Read MoreAn awkward, staged Twitter conversation between Netflix and the E3 gaming convention has revealed that Stranger Things isn't the only Netflix Originals videogame on the way.
Read MoreMost modern incarnations Snake involve only slight twists on the original formula, but you can't accuse Stovetop of playing it safe. The indie developer has released Snakeybus, a title that has you winding through cities with a bus (what else?) that grows longer with every passenger. Do well enough and your own bus quickly becomes the biggest threat -- but that's where the game's unique mechanics come into play.
Read More"I'm Unicorn_farts and welcome to your official Habbo Intelligence Agency Training Session!" I was in a strange room filled with black couches, ebony walls and various elevators trapped behind glass gates. It would have felt like a bank or government building were it not for the ice-cream stand and Easter memorabilia, which included a giant rabbit plush and some egg-shaped statues with human-sized chicks inside. Many spaces in Habbo, a virtual world created by Finnish developer Sulake, feel like this one. The platform is loosely modeled after a hotel, but its user-designed chat rooms span a broad set of themes. Jungles, high schools and coffee shops -- they're all in here.
Read MoreEver dealt with a teammate in an online game who was clearly there just to leech on your success? You might not have to in Apex Legends. As part of a broader update on its plans, Respawn has warned that it will issue temporary bans to players who piggyback -- that is, mooch off the success of their teammates without participating in matches. The policy won't take effect right away, but it could result in permanent bans in "extreme cases."
Read MoreJust because Rage 2 is a single-player game doesn't mean its gameplay will remain all that static. Avalanche and Bethesda have published a 2019 roadmap for the open-world shooter, and it's evident that the developers want to treat the game almost as if it were an ever-evolving multiplayer title. There are two paid expansions in the pipeline, one in August ("Rise of the Ghosts") and one in November. While there aren't many specifics about the plot, there are promises of new stories, areas and gear for both add-ons.
Read MoreFinal Fantasy VII Remake is a big deal. It's the upgraded, high-fidelity version of a legendary installment in the Final Fantasy franchise, and it's been blanketed in mystery since its announcement four years ago. Today, Sony revealed a new trailer for the game, complete with a promise from series shepherd Tetsuya Nomura that more information is coming in June.
Read MoreUbisoft revealed the latest entry in its long-running Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon franchise at a world premiere event Thursday. Set on a remote Pacific island called Auroa, home to a mysterious tech company called Skell Technology, Ghost Recon Breakpoint places you behind enemy lines. You'll be hunted by a group called the Wolves, a group of special ops soldiers who went rogue. They've reprogrammed Skell's autonomous drones to become powerful killing machines.
Read MoreThe volcano has erupted, and in its ashy wake Fortnite Season 9 is born -- and it looks decidedly futuristic. As players say goodbye to a successful Season 8, Epic has revealed what's in store for the game's next chapter, teasing it this week with the strapline, "The Future is..."
Read MoreMinecraft is celebrating its 10th birthday by making its Classic version easily playable on web browsers. You don't need to download any files to make it work, and you don't have to pay a cent for access. Since Classic was only the second phase in the game's development cycle, its features are pretty limited. You'll only have 32 blocks to work with, most of which are dyed wool, and it's strictly creative mode only. But who needs zombies, skeletons and other mobs when you have the version's decade-old bugs to contend with, anyway?
Read MoreThe next installment in the John Wick movie series will hit theaters next week, but that won't be the end of the line for the Keanu Reeves action franchise. A "fast-paced, action-oriented strategy game" based on the series is in the works.
Read MoreEfforts to crack down on loot boxes in the US might be underway in earnest. Senator Josh Hawley has introduced a bill, the Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act, that would bar games from including paid loot boxes, pay-to-win mechanics and other potentially exploitative elements in games that are either aimed at kids under 18 or knowingly let those children make microtransactions. These practices spur "compulsive habits," Hawley said, and developers shouldn't be permitted to "monetize addiction."
Read MoreFollowing months of regulatory challenges, games publisher Tencent has pulled the blockbuster PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds out of China and replaced it with a game more in keeping with the country's socialist views.
Read MoreHow will Respawn and EA keep Apex Legends' momentum going? Do what Epic did, apparently -- bring the game to phones and tablets. As part of a call discussing its latest quarterly earnings, EA said it would release versions of the Titanfall-based battle royale title for mobile devices. There weren't specifics about platforms or release dates, but it's safe to say Android and iOS have made the short list.
Read MoreMore than 150 employees from Riot Games walked out of the League of Legends publisher's offices in Los Angeles yesterday to protest forced arbitration and sexist culture, and say they are prepared to take further action if the company does not commit to meeting their demands by May 16th.
Read MoreSomething is about to kick off in the world of Ghost Recon, although exactly what remains unclear. The official Twitter account tweeted Monday that fans can expect a Ghost Recon "world premiere event" on May 9, scheduled to start at 11.30am PT / 2.30pm ET. Ubisoft has given absolutely zero indication of what this event will involve, although some have speculated it means there's a new game on the way. You'll have to log on to the "official" Skelltech website on Thursday to find out.
Read MorePokémon used brand synergy. It's super effective! To celebrate Detective Pikachu hitting theaters on May 10th, Pokémon Go is getting a heap of new content. From May 7th to May 17th, players of the popular mobile game will find themselves encountering Pokémon featured in the film, having a chance to participate in special Raid Battles and Field Research events and collecting limited edition items for their avatars.
Read MoreAs much as Epic might like to mess with Fortnite's environment, Tilted Towers has remained sacrosanct. It's not hard to see why -- it's widely considered the most popular drop spot in the game, and it's where you go if you're determined to score good loot quickly (or are just itching for a fight). However, you'll have to say goodbye. The culmination of a weeks-long in-game vault event has destroyed Tilted Towers, leaving the urban battle virtually unrecognizable. In other words, millions of gamers will suddenly have to switch their play styles -- they can't just choose to "drop Tilted" and expect an instant brawl.
Read MoreEA's Madden esports ambitions appear to have borne fruit. The gaming giant has revealed that the Madden NFL 19 Bowl, the final match in the Championship Series, broke franchise viewing records to become the most-viewed event in Madden's history. In some cases, it wasn't even by a small margin. The simultaneous audience topped out at 97,000 viewers, or 650 percent more than for the 2018 finale, while total view count jumped a whopping 850 percent to 2.5 million. Those aren't records for livestreaming by any stretch (Ninja would have something to say), but they certainly put Madden on the map.
Read MoreJust over a week ago Respawn announced that it's taking a stronger stance against cheating in Apex Legends. Today, it revealed that it's blocked 770,000 players, 300,000 account creations and 4,000 cheat seller accounts. The company says this is just the beginning of its battle to takedown cheats.
Read MoreActivision Blizzard has announced the first five global cities to take up the Call of Duty esports franchise, at a reported cost of $25 million per team.
Read MoreSaber Interactive has announced a post-launch DLC schedule for World War Z, the cooperative third-person shooter game that was released in April. Beginning in May, players will be able to access a new mission set in Tokyo, complete with zombies that can spit out deadly viruses and resurrect if not properly destroyed. A new six-skull difficult setting with rewards and bonus cosmetics comes to players in June.
Read MoreAfter a long, long development cycle, the spiritual successor to Castlevania finally has a tangible release date. ArtPlay and 505 Games have announced that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will hit PS4, Xbox One and PC (both GOG and Steam) on June 18th, with the Switch version arriving a week later on June 25th. The extra time may have paid off -- the team made a point of showing how the side-scrolling action RPG has evolved over the past year, with spruced-up artwork and more overall panache.
Read MoreSorry, Half-Life fans, you'll have to wait at least another year to see the classic FPS make it into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The National Museum of Play has announced this year's batch of inductees: Mortal Kombat, Super Mario Kart, Colossal Cave Adventure and Microsoft Windows Solitaire.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Are you ready for the first 5G-connected TV? Huawei may have one on the way; however, we're probably closer to seeing all of Google's Pixel 3a and the Moto Z4. Also, NASA uncovered a fraud scheme that resulted in a couple of destroyed rockets, and tinkerers should check out this DIY smartwatch project.
Read MoreNiantic is giving Harry Potter fans in Australia and New Zealand the chance to be among the first to wave their augmented reality wands and vanquish rogue magical objects. The beta version of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is now live on the Apple App Store and Google Play in those two countries. Since it's just a test run, the company says the available features, languages, design and even the game's overall appearance aren't final -- they'll likely change based on the first players' feedback. Also, testers can expect to encounter bugs and unstable environments common to most beta software.
Read MoreEpic's determination to score exclusives for its game store now includes buying well-known studios. The company has acquired Rocket League creator Psyonix for an unspecified amount, and will bring the vehicular soccer game to the Epic Games Store by late in 2019. Needless to say, that has people worried about Rocket League's fate -- will it disappear from Steam? Epic said it had "not announced plans" to stop selling the game on Steam, but it's only guaranteeing that existing customers will "continue to be supported."
Read MoreAlthough it's been two years since Ubisoft released Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands, the developer isn't quite done with the game. On Thursday, it's adding two free story missions starring Jon Bernthal (The Punisher). Best of all, if you're interested in checking out the latest missions but don't own Ghost Recon Wildlands, it'll be free to play from May 2nd-5th.
Read MoreIt's been 20 years since there was a genuinely new Earthworm Jim game, and longer still since the original team was involved. However, the gang is coming back -- if you're willing to take a chance on a retro console. Intellivision Entertainment is reuniting ten members of the Earthworm Jim team to work on a new game in the franchise made solely for the Intellivision Amico. The title is still in the very early stages. In fact, Intellivision is livestreaming part of the first design meeting on May 4th at 3PM Eastern. However, it might be comforting news if you want to see more of the anthropomorphic annelid beyond remasters and ports of the classics.
Read MoreLate Friday, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reported, based on it anonymous sources, that the Department of Justice is preparing an antitrust probe of Google. The company has faced several similar inquiries from EU officials with billions in fines as a result, and in one case it caused Google to separate Chrome and Search from Android in the region. There was also a major 2011 investigation in the US from the FTC -- that concluded in a settlement where the company promised to change its policies -- but this may be the first time the DoJ takes the lead. There aren't many details about what may be scrutinized, beyond search and other businesses. Late last year DoJ antitrust head Makan Delrahim said there needs to be "credible evidence" of anticompetitive practices before his department issues corrective measures. What's particularly notable now, however is that it comes amid growing calls from politicians like Senator Elizabeth Warren to break up big tech companies. We don't know if that could be on the table for giants like Google and Facebook (which is still in the middle of its own negotiations with the FTC), but this is only the beginning. Both the DoJ and Google have not commented publicly on the reports.
Read MoreGoogle announced new rules that will restrict access to user data for third-party add-ons in Chrome and Drive. From now on, Chrome extension developers must request the least amount of user data their app requires to function. Apps that connect with Google Drive -- such as Pixlr and many popular document signing apps -- will be barred from accessing the entirety of the user's files. The changes are a result of Project Strobe, an audit Google launched in October to study how third-party services handle user data.
Read MoreGoogle is trying to take some of the guesswork out of trying a new restaurant. The company is trotting out an update to Google Maps that uses machine learning to highlight the popular dishes at an eatery. Tap on a place and it'll show the most popular meals in the overview section, with the menu tab showing the most discussed options. If you're curious to know more (and prevent any rude surprises at the table), selecting a dish will show reviews and photos.
Read MoreGoogle announced Manifest V3 earlier this year -- a proposed change to Chrome's extension system that would essentially stop ad-blockers from working effectively. Despite the significant backlash Google faced in the aftermath of this decision, it's now doubled down on the changes with one major exception -- enterprise users will be unaffected.
Read MoreAfter running limited tests in the US and elsewhere, Google Maps is rolling out speed limit warnings and both fixed and mobile radar locations in over 40 countries, Google has confirmed to TechCrunch. The features are borrowed from Google-owned Waze and will appear in the iOS and Android Maps. The speed limit signs are located in the bottom corner of Maps and the radar and photo radar traps appear as icons on the virtual roads.
Read MoreWhen a magnitude 8.0 earthquake hit Peru Sunday, the Alphabet spinoff Loon was quick to respond. Within 48 hours, Loon delivered its internet-relaying balloons and began providing LTE coverage to users below. While more balloons are on the way, Loon says the speed at which it responded is a testament to the company's potential.
Read MoreGE's lineup of connected microwaves can now be controlled by the Google Assistant. Owners can use voice commands to set their microwave and perform basic functions like starting, pausing, stopping or adding time. The microwaves also have a "scan-to-cook" feature that automatically sets the microwave after you scan a frozen dinner's barcode. GE's smart microwaves are already compatible with Alexa, so this update lets owners go with the virtual assistant of their choice.
Read MoreGoogle is acting quickly on its plans to bring clever new filters to Lens. The search firm is starting to roll out its promised Dining and Translate filters to Lens on Android and iOS, giving you some potential time savers. Translate is likely to be the most practical if you're a traveler -- aim your camera at text and Lens can overlay a translation in the language of your choice. The Dining filter, meanwhile, can highlight popular dishes on a menu (complete with photos and feedback) as well as use your receipt to calculate bill splits and tips.
Read MoreGoogle started its mobile-first search indexing over a year ago, and now it's ready to make that approach the law of the land. As of July 1st, 2019, Google will index the phone-oriented sites by default for any new web domain it registers. If you're starting a new site, you'll want to be sure its mobile version is polished and full-featured -- that's the version Google will use to parse the site's structure and extract useful snippets.
Read MoreGoogle is making Duo more useful as it's rolling out group video calls to everyone on Android and iOS. You can have up to eight people on a call at once (a far lower limits than FaceTime's 32 and Skype's 50). Group calls gradually went live in some markets this month, but now they'll be available for everyone.
Read MoreStarting today, you'll be able to order food via Google Assistant, Search and Maps in the US. At the outset, Google is working with DoorDash, Postmates, Delivery.com, Slice and ChowNow, with support for Zuppler and more on the way.
Read MoreIf you have Google Pay, you might be able to tap your phone for subway or bus payments in NYC in the near future. The tech giant has teamed up with The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to conduct a pilot test for Google Pay covering select subway stations and Staten Island buses. Starting on May 31st, the MTA will switch on the "pay per ride" feature on your device, giving you a way to just tap your phone and ride. You don't even need to fire up the app itself.
Read MoreGoogle's Duplex reservations might be more widely available, but that doesn't mean the AI is ready to handle every call. The company has confirmed to the New York Times that about 25 percent of the Assistant-based calls start with a human in a call center, while 15 percent require human intervention. In the newspaper's tests, the ratio was higher -- real people completed three out of four of their successful bookings.
Read MoreGoogle is bringing a new Search layout to mobile, and it's rolling out the changes beginning today. Now, when you search on your mobile device, you'll see a website name and logo at the top of each results card. If Google has a "useful ad" to show you, it will appear with a bolded ad label and the web address. The new design will also allow Google to add new actions, like the ability to buy movie tickets or play podcasts, to the results page.
Read MoreIt's been a tumultuous week for Huawei. Five days ago, President Trump declared a national emergency to ban the sales and use of telecom equipment that pose "unacceptable" risks to national security. While the executive order didn't explicitly name countries or companies, it tasked the Commerce Department with drafting enforcement plans. Hours later, the department added Huawei to its so-called entity list, indicating it believes the company is violating "national security and foreign policy interest."
Read MoreOf all cancers worldwide, lung cancer is the deadliest. It takes more than 1.7 million lives per year -- more than breast, prostate and colorectal cancer combined. Part of the problem is that the majority of cancers aren't caught until later stages, when interventions tend to be less successful. Google is determined to change that, and with its new AI-based tool, it hopes to make lung cancer prediction more accurate and more accessible.
Read MoreThe third generation of Google Glass has arrived for tech-savvy workers. Google has introduced Glass Enterprise Edition 2 eyewear that largely sticks to the familiar formula on the outside, but should be far more powerful both in hardware and software. For one, it's "built on Android" -- it should be easier for developers to write Glass-friendly apps, and you can even enroll it in Android's enterprise device management to help IT maintain control. Creators might want to write apps for it, too, since there are some big changes under the hood.
Read MoreGoogle's Pixel 3a might have been good news for fans of mid-range phones, but it marked the death knell for one of the company's signature phone features: its customizable cases. The 9to5Google crew has discovered that Google axed the personalized My Cases it introduced alongside the Pixel 3, leaving you with just the ordinary fabric cases if you insist on getting official protection. The company's support page now says that the accessories are "no longer sold by Google."
Read MoreHuawei was already facing serious trouble following the Trump administration's de facto ban, but it might get considerably worse. Reuters sources claim Google has suspended transactions with Huawei that require transferring proprietary hardware and software, hobbling much of its smartphone business outside of China. It "immediately" loses access to future OS updates beyond the Android Open Source Project, according to the insider, and upcoming phones would have to go without official apps like the Google Play Store and Gmail.
Read MoreGoogle introduced an updated Smart Display interface alongside the Nest Hub Max, and now you don't need that new hardware to see what the fuss is about. The 9to5Google team has discovered that Google is rolling out the refreshed interface to the Nest Hub (formerly the Home Hub) and, presumably, third-party devices. The new home screen ditches the all-white Material Design appearance in favor of a more personal carousel of cards that keeps your wallpaper in the background. You won't see as much of the weather forecast, but you should have more overall info at a glance.
Read MoreAt Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, we're looking at the Google Assistant, which was announced three years ago today.
Read MoreGoogle's Jump VR platform will go offline by the end of June, and it has started telling users to download their data before it shuts down completely. The tech giant launched Jump back in 2015 to simplify the creation of 3D 360-degree videos using shots and videos captured by compatible camera rigs, which are typically composed of over a dozen action cameras. Once uploaded, Google uses the power of the cloud to automatically stitch them together.
Read MoreAs we become ever more aware about the data companies are tracking about us, we're even more concerned about how they're using it. During I/O 2019, Google highlighted efforts to streamline the way people can view and manage the data it stores about their activities, but a CNBC report points out one oddly-designed page that isn't as easy to access or use.
Read MoreAs part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google revealed a series of video tutorials meant to help people with disabilities set up and use their Assistant-enabled smart devices. The videos are available in a YouTube playlist, and so far they cover topics like how to control your smart home with Google Assistant and how to set up a Google Home using a screen reader. You'll also find videos on understanding Google Home's audio accessibility features and more.
Read MoreGoogle angered more than a few smart home enthusiasts when it announced that it was shutting down Works With Nest, but it at least has some news to reassure fans of the Nest ecosystem. The company has shared an updated plan that explains what happens after the August 31st cutoff. Existing Works With Nest devices and integrations will continue to work with Nest accounts, Google said -- you just can't add new connections after that date. The company also vowed that it would be easy to transition from a Nest account to a Google account once equivalent features are available on Works With Google Assistant, such as "home" and "away" statuses that will reach Assistant later in 2019.
Read MoreGoogle is recalling its Bluetooth Titan security keys due to a vulnerability that could allow attackers to connect to your device. No need to panic -- the bug only seems to apply to a very narrow set of circumstances, according to a blog post published by Google on Wednesday. The attacker would have to be within 30 feet of you during the moment you press the button on your Titan Key to activate it, and also know your username and password. In this scenario, the attacker could then use their device to act as your security key and access your device.
Read MoreSpeaking another language may be getting easier. Google is showing off Translatotron, a first-of-its-kind translation model that can directly convert speech from one language into another while maintaining a speaker's voice and cadence. The tool forgoes the usual step of translating speech to text and back to speech, which can often lead to errors along the way. Instead, the end-to-end technique directly translates a speaker's voice into another language. The company is hoping the development will open up future developments using the direct translation model.
Read MoreIn episode five, season one of the podcast Serial, Sarah Koenig navigates the strip malls and parks of Baltimore, attempting to fulfill a challenge set down by Adnan Syed -- the convicted murderer whose case she's investigating. Over a prison phone, Syed tells Koenig the state's timeline of the murder is impossible, so she gathers reams of call logs and cell tower records, and pieces together the route he supposedly took the night he killed his girlfriend in 1999. Memories from witnesses have changed over the years, but the data points on the cell tower map tell the same story every time.
Read MoreIf you're one of the few people who wish for more advertisements across Google platforms, you're in luck. The search giant announced this week a whole heap of new ads that will be served up across a number of its mobile services. The personalized Discover feed in the Google app will be getting ads for the first time, while more promotional posts will be inserted within Google Images search results, YouTube feeds and Gmail inbox tabs.
Read MoreFar too many kids struggle to read at an age-appropriate level, but Google is betting that technology could help them get up to speed. The company's experimental Area 120 unit has released Rivet, an app for Android and iOS that aims to make reading practice both accessible and rewarding. It offers more than 2,000 books ranked by difficulty, and uses speech technology to coach kids on their pronunciation. Rivet can read words or whole pages, highlighting words as it goes along, but it can also listen to a child's own reading and offer feedback on the words they didn't get right.
Read MoreGoogle has launched a portal for travel planning, which can help make it a lot easier to organize trips on the web. It's the desktop version of the upgraded hotel and flight search experience the tech giant rolled out for smartphones last year, and it's about time -- some people might prefer doing their planning on a bigger screen, after all. To access it, you simply have to go to google.com/travel or just do a search for travel-related queries, such as "hotels in Tokyo" or "flights to Vancouver," to get results that take you to the new experience.
Read MoreA group of OG Pixel and Pixel XL owners filed a lawsuit against Google back in 2018 accusing the company of knowingly selling devices with faulty microphones. Now, the tech giant has agreed to settle the class-action complaint and will pay those customers up to $500. Some early adopters of the first Google-branded smartphones started reporting that one or more of their devices' three mics stopped working shortly after the devices were released. The company admitted in early 2017 that users were experiencing problems due to a "hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec."
Read MoreGoogle's Shopping experience has gotten a big upgrade -- one that turns the tech giant's various products into one seamless shopping portal. The company has introduced a universal shopping cart that allows you to purchase products from thousands of merchants across its products. In the US, the feature is now live in Search, Assistant and the redesigned Shopping tab, which now features filters, as well product videos and reviews. Later this year, the cart will also make its way to Google Images and even YouTube. And it doesn't come as a surprise: Google has been testing shopping links under YouTube videos for a couple of weeks now.
Read MoreIt took well over a year, but Sonos is finally ready to offer native voice control on its speakers beyond Alexa. Sonos is rolling out a promised software update that enables Google Assistant control, whether it's directly through supporting speakers (like the One or Beam) or through connected Google Home devices. Notably, this makes Sonos the first company to offer a choice of voice assistants on a single speaker -- you can choose whichever AI helper makes sense to play songs or check the weather. This also lets you use different assistants in different rooms, even if you're controlling the same task.
Read MoreOne year later, restaurants are still confused by Google Duplex Natt Garun, The Verge Google had us in awe when it debuted the AI-powered Duplex tech at I/O 2018. The system can be used to make reservations on your behalf, and it can even make a call if one is required. A year later though, it seems restaurants are still confused by the technology. From calls that look like spam to using different voices and accents in immediate follow-ups to confirm reservations, Duplex still has its quirks. But there's also an interesting wrinkle: it can be more polite than a human.
Read MoreAt Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, we're looking at Google's 2011 I/O event, where it announced the first two Chromebooks that would go on sale later in the year.
Read MoreIndia is said to be investigating Google over Android antitrust concerns. The details of the probe are fairly thin for now, because the Competition Commission of India hasn't yet publicized the order. However, it could spell trouble for Google in an important Android market.
Read MoreIt's been more than a year in the making, but Sonos will finally roll out support for Google Assistant next week. The company confirmed the launch in its quarterly earnings release, saying that support for the Sonos One and Beam would arrive in the US, with other markets to follow. We knew the feature was likely to launch in the first half of this year after Sonos demoed it and launched a closed beta in January, and now its speakers will be the first on the market to work with both Alexa and Google Assistant.
Read MoreThis week, Google rebranded its Home products as Nest, finally bringing the company's smart home products under one umbrella. Going forward, all of Google's connected home products will have the Nest brand, starting with the new Nest Hub Max. Even last year's Home Hub will be renamed Nest Hub (The original Home and Home Mini speakers will remain as is). It's a smart move, and could give Google a leg up over Amazon and Alexa. Yet, Google needs to tread carefully, as its smart home push could also test the ever-growing privacy concerns of a wary public.
Read MoreGoogle introduced the Android App Bundle last year, a publishing format designed to shrink the size of app installs. It's now out of beta and available to all developers, which means all apps now have the potential to be kinder to your phone in terms of storage and memory.
Read MoreThe variety of emoji has skyrocketed from 176 since the initial release of the symbols back in 1999, to more than 3,000 today. During that time they've steadily become more inclusive, expanding to feature same sex couples, redheads, female scientists and people of every skin tone. Now, Google is adding 53 gender ambiguous characters, according to Fast Company.
Read MoreEven as subscription services eat up an ever-growing portion of the overall music business, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal report that Google's packages are not expanding at the same rate. RIAA numbers showed subscription services added more than a million customers a month during 2018, meanwhile the Wall Street Journal cites sources claiming YouTube Music and Google Play Music subscriptions have been "essentially flat" over four recent months. While Spotify has over 100 million customers, the reported numbers put Google's music offerings at 15 - 16 million. Google told the outlets that subscription numbers and the reports of flat growth are inaccurate, and that as of March, combined subscribers to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music are up 60 percent over last year. Still, the numbers claimed by the sources paint an interesting picture as Google continues to slowly shift from Google Play Music to YouTube Music. A year after launching the YouTube-branded service, it's only just adding features like the ability to play locally-stored songs and still has not replaced GPM's cloud locker for user's own music files. Meanwhile, YouTube continues to be a way many people access music and music videos for free with Google's ads. While it would certainly like to turn those folks into more paying subscribers, having that backdrop means that even with fewer customers, its potential is a bit different than the offerings from Apple, Spotify and Amazon.
Read MoreHey, good morning! Google kicked off its big developer conference with a mix of intriguing new hardware (cheap flagship phones, big smart displays), as well as new AI and internet features coming to its services. If you're visually inclined, we cut together all the important stuff, here. And we already tested out and reviewed Google's cheaper Pixel phones. They're pretty convincing.
Read MoreRemember Android TV? Google does, and not just so it can throw some unexpected advertisements on it. During the opening day of I/O 2019, Google revealed that over 80 percent of Android TV devices are already running version 7 or higher, and the company expects to have more that 60 percent on 8+ / Oreo by the end of the year -- even if it didn't discuss any upgrades on the way to software based on P or even Q. It's also counting over 1,000 streaming content providers on the platform these days, with more than 5,000 compatible apps.
Read MoreStarting today, developers will be able to create games for Google's smart displays. Google is opening up access to a Google Assistant-based framework called Interactive Canvas, which will allow them to build full-screen apps (or Actions) on smart displays that bring together touchscreen inputs, voice and visuals. For the time being, games are the only type of Actions they can create for smart displays using Canvas, with more categories coming soon.
Read MoreTo say that Google had a busy I/O keynote would be an understatement. There were new Pixel phones and a Nest smart display, but those were really just the start. Google also had an avalanche of AI and software updates, including a next-gen Assistant, AR search and of course Android Q. That's a lot to digest, but don't fret about catching up. We've assembled the highlights of the keynote in a 13-minute clip that will get you up to speed on Google's many plans.
Read MoreIn recent years, the price of flagship phones has skyrocketed. What used to cost about $700 now goes for $1,000, albeit with more advanced features packed in. At the time of this writing, the iPhone XS starts at $999, the Galaxy S10 is $900, and the Note 9 costs $1,000. The existing Pixel 3 might be a bit cheaper at $799, but the larger 3 XL starts at $899.
Read MoreA better, faster, stronger Google is in store for 2019. During its I/O developer conference on Tuesday, the company unveiled dozens of updates to every corner of the Google ecosystem; from search and Google Assistant to the next generation of Android. In the keynote, Google CEO Sundar Pinchai said the company's mission is shifting from a company that "helps you find answers" to one that "helps you get things done." Whether it's hailing a Lyft, translating foreign languages or transcribing video in real-time, the theme today was how Google can help users perform more tasks than ever before.
Read MoreIn addition to its new Pixel 3 and Nest Hub Max, Google revealed a host of recent advancements in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The Assistant is getting a significant speed boost -- not just because you no longer have to say "Hey Google" -- thanks to onboard algorithmic models, Duplex is coming to Chrome, search will soon have AR capabilities, and the upcoming Android Q will host even more smart features. Here are the highlights of Google I/O 2019:
Read MoreThe rumors were true -- Google plans to let you block cross-site tracking in Chrome. The search firm has unveiled efforts to improve its cookie controls by distinguishing between single- and multi-site cookies, giving you the option to delete trackers without losing the cookies you use for logins and other important tasks. To make that work, Google will ask web developers to specify which cookies work across sites -- if they don't, Chrome won't play nicely.
Read MoreFor most users, voice assistants are helpful tools. But for the millions of people with speech impairments caused by neurological conditions, voice assistants can be yet another frustrating challenge. Google wants to change that. At its I/O developer conference today, Google revealed that it's training AI to better understand diverse speech patterns, such as impaired speech caused by brain injury or conditions like ALS.
Read MoreAt I/O last year, Google announced it was adding Linux support to Chrome OS, a move that made it a lot easier for web and Android developers to use Chromebooks. One year later, the company says that more than half of all Chromebooks now work with Linux, and all new devices released this year will support Linux as well. And today, Google has a handful of developer-focused updates that'll make building Android apps on Chrome OS a good bit easier.
Read MorePixel phones are getting a new camera mode. Google announced today during its I/O developer conference that a time-lapse option will be coming to all Pixel smartphones. The feature is available out of the box on the new Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL, and will be made available in the camera app on Pixel, Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 devices following an upcoming update.
Read MoreGoogle's integration of the Nest brand may have some downsides for smart home enthusiasts. The company has revealed that it's phasing out its Works With Nest program in the summer in favor of a Works With Google Assistant framework. The new program will allow data sharing between connected devices and apps, but only for a handful of tightly screened partners, Google's Rishi Chandra told Variety. While that's potentially helpful for security and privacy, it's also likely to break a number of smart home tie-ins -- including some you may miss.
Read MoreGoogle Assistant's Actions are about to become decidedly more useful in daily life. Google has expanded App Actions' reach to offer shortcuts for health, finance, food and ridesharing. You could tell your fitness app to start tracking a run, pay a friend for last night's dinner or order your favorite tacos without having to wade through their respective apps first.
Read MoreGoogle has been publicly working on an AI-driven flood-prediction system since September, and that service is about to get a lot more data points. Google's flood forecasting service, which predicts where floods are likely to break out and alerts people nearby, will expand to new areas in India before summer monsoons strike. The software will hit regions around the Ganges river in particular.
Read MoreAfter first showing off augmented reality directions last year, Google is finally starting to roll out the feature for Google Maps. Starting today, Pixel device owners will be able to view walking directions in AR, with arrows appearing in real world environments to show them which direction to go. The company called the feature an "early preview" at Google I/O and didn't provide any details as to when it will arrive on other devices.
Read MoreGoogle is planning to push out some security updates directly through its Play Store, a feature that will be part of Android Q. As The Verge reports, Google is calling this "Project Mainline," with the goal being to deliver important updates to your smartphone in a more timely manner. It's worth noting that these updates will be focused on security, as Google can't update your entire phone in this way. According to The Verge, at launch Project Mainline is going to be update 12 different "modules," such as media components. In practice, this will allow Google to patch bugs or flaws in the same way it can, say, update one of its first-party apps -- like Chrome or Play Music.
Read MoreDuplex, Google's AI reservation feature, already knows how to dial a phone. Starting later this year, it will also be able to rent you a car or buy you some movie tickets online.
Read MoreWhen we saw a leak of a device called the Google Nest Hub Max in March, we thought it was a little unusual. Why would a Google Hub device have the Nest branding on it? Now, we know why. At Google I/O, the company announced that it is finally folding its Home brand of products into Nest, and the first product from this Home-Nest team is, indeed, the Google Nest Hub Max.
Read MoreGoogle likes to drop plenty of surprises at its annual I/O developer event, but there's one thing we always know we'll hear about: the state of Android. Specifically, the next version of Android, currently only known as Q. As usual, Google released a developer-only beta back in March, and today senior director of Android Stephanie Cuthbertson was on stage going through more details about the forthcoming release.
Read MoreAmong the new developments announced at Google I/O 2019, CEO Sundar Pichai revealed tweaks that will impact data retention and privacy. Filters that auto-delete web & app activity will become available starting today with support for auto deleting your location history "in the coming weeks," and he also announced extensions for the Incognito Mode you're familiar with from Chrome. Google rolled out a version for YouTube last year, and soon, it's coming to Google Maps too. After that, it's coming to Google Search "this year." If course, Incognito Mode doesn't mean all tracking is disabled, but just like Chrome, that activity shouldn't show up linked to your profile. And as Google continues to expand the use of machine learning and accumulate more data about us, the company is as concerned as ever about making sure users feel like they're in control of it. One final tweak will make your Google Account (and associated privacy settings) easily accessible from within its apps under your profile photo.
Read MoreGoogle Assistant will be able to use information you share with it about the people, places and events in your life so it has a stronger understanding of queries related to them. Google Assistant VP of engineering Scott Huffman said, with the Personal References feature, it'll have better context for queries such as "weather at Mom's house" or asking it to remind you to buy a gift before someone's birthday. With an eye on privacy, Huffman said you'll be able to add, edit or delete those details at any time from the You tab in the Assistant app settings.
Read MoreSometimes, the smallest changes are the most welcome ones. Google has removed the requirement to say "Hey, Google" before turning off an alarm or timer, streamlining the Assistant process while simultaneously making millions of mornings just a little better. Instead of mumbling, "Hey, Google, stop," three times into your pillow, at increasing levels of sleep-deprived frustration, you're now able to simply shout, "Stop," as many times as necessary. Assistant head Scott Huffman capped his presentation about a suite of new features with the news about alarms and timers, to a ringing round of applause. Apparently, there are a lot of snoozers in Silicon Valley.
Read MoreGoogle Assistant is about to become a much more helpful passenger while you're on the road. The assistant is getting a new "driving mode" with voice commands that should make it easier to interact with your device and access the information you need without ever taking your hands off the wheel. The new feature, announced during Google I/O, will be made available to all Android phones with Google Assistant later this summer.
Read MoreIt's been a year since Google first introduced Duplex, its automated reservation-making feature for Assistant. The AI phone caller has rolled out to customers in 44 states, as well as non-Pixel handsets, and even spawned a corollary service for small businesses: Calljoy. At the I/O 2019 conference in Mountain View, California on Tuesday, Google announced that it will be expanding the service to web tasks as well, starting with vehicle rentals and movie ticket purchases. The new feature, Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained to the assembled crowd, will work very much like the current phone-based reservation system: users simply open Assistant and, in the case of renting a car from National, say "book me a car through National." The Assistant will then automatically open the National website and begin filling in the required fields on the user's behalf. The user will be prompted to confirm details like the rental dates and class of vehicle throughout the process, but Assistant will be doing the data-entry drudgery. Pichai also points out that this process requires no work or modification on the part of online businesses. Rather the new feature is an early example of Google's "Duplex on the web" program. Duplex's ability to understand your commands relies on a complex series of machine learning models. Typically, running these algorithms on a mobile device requires around 100GB of storage and an internet connection, Pichai explained. "Think of it as putting the power of a Google data center in your pocket," he said. However, he continued, Google has made a breakthrough in deep learning techniques and has managed to condense and combine that 100GB of models down to just half a gigabyte (0.5GB). That's small enough to fit onto mobile devices, allowing them to run the algorithms locally, thereby drastically reducing network latency. It's so fast, Pichai quipped, that it makes tapping your phone to activate Assistant seem slow. This "next generation Assistant" as Google VP of Engineering, Scott Huffman describes it, is so fast that it operates in real time. In the subsequent demo, a Google employee activated the Assistant and then rattled off a litany of commands and request, which the system handled without a hiccup. It also enabled the employee to quickly look up information and multitask between apps without having to flip back and forth between various screens. The next Assistant will also be far more personalized to the preferences of individual users thanks to the new Picks for You function. As Huffman demonstrated during the keynote, if the Assistant has previously helped you look for barbecue or Italian recipes in the past and you ask it what you should make for dinner tonight, it will likely recommend bbq and Italian recipes to make tonight. "What I love is that different people get completely different results," Huffman exclaimed. It will only be available on smart displays like the Home Hub when it launches later this summer. Recipes, podcasts, and events will be the first subjects available for personalization. As for the new Assistant, it's expected to roll out to Pixel phones later this year.
Read MoreGoogle is going to start displaying search results in augmented reality, the company announced today at its I/O 2019 developers conference. "Sometimes what's most helpful in understanding the world," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said on stage, "is being able to see it visually." The idea, he added, is to bring visual information directly into search by letting users take advantage of their smartphone's camera. Google said it will use a combination of computer vision and augmented reality to turn your phone into a powerful search tool, whether you're looking to shop or wanting to learn more about the Solar System.
Read MoreWhat a beautiful time of year this is: it's finally, properly warm again, the rains have (temporarily) subsided, and we'll be at Google's I/O developer conference to get a better sense on what the search giant has been working so diligently on. Some of Google's biggest announcements might not actually be surprises anymore, but no matter — we'll be covering the big, day one keynote live right here.
Read MoreThis year's Google I/O keynote promises to be a special one. For the first time in a long while, Google has confirmed there will be new hardware -- new Pixel phones are virtually certain, while a Nest smart display could also be in the cards. And that's not including the usual news about AI, Chrome and the seemingly inevitable surprises each year. Thankfully, you don't have to miss a minute of it. Google is livestreaming the keynote both below and on its I/O event page starting at 1PM Eastern. And if you can't watch or just want to stay one step ahead of the action, you can tune into our liveblog to follow the developer conference as it unfolds.
Read MoreAs it has done with several of its products, Google is aiming for greater transparency about a core aspect of its services: news. It opened a website to detail its objectives, principles and approaches to managing news experiences across its various platforms.
Read MoreGoogle might not be done tightening privacy controls. Wall Street Journal contacts claim that the search firm is poised to launch a "dashboard-like" element in Chrome that would not only show more detail about tracking cookies, but give you options to limit them. While the concept isn't novel (Mozilla practically builds Firefox around tracking protection), it would be a significant break for a company whose very business revolves around advertising and user data.
Read MoreGoogle is looking at more options to boost its bottom line, and one of them seems to be shopping links tucked under YouTube videos. The company is running a test where it displays recommended products along with prices on its video-sharing platform, according to The Information.
Read MoreHey, good morning! Welcome to Friday! We've lined up everything you can expect to see from Google's big I/O showcase next week, while cable viewers in the Philippines got to see Avengers: Endgame, when they probably shouldn't have.
Read MoreGoogle Maps has long since shown crowdsourced photos of the dishes at listed restaurants, but a new tab will flag up the most popular choices with photos to match.
Read MoreIn the first three months of 2019, Google manually reviewed more than a million suspected "terrorist videos" on YouTube, Reuters reports. Of those reviewed, it deemed 90,000 violated its terrorism policy. That means somewhere around nine percent of the million videos were removed, suggesting that either the videos must be rather extreme to get cut, or the process that flags them for review is a bit of a catchall.
Read MoreYou don't have to wait until May 10th to see Pikachu come to life in new ways. Ahead of the long-awaited Pokémon movie, Google released Detective Pikachu, Charizard, Jigglypuff and Mr. Mime as Playmojis for the Pixel's Playground mode. As you can with Google's other Playmojis (previously called AR stickers), you can drop these characters into scenes around you and interact with them through the Pixel's cameras.
Read MoreMay has begun, and that means the latest iteration of Google's I/O developer conference is right around the bend. Usually, that translates to a deluge of new software, AI breakthroughs and web technology. And we're still expecting plenty of that at this year's show. This time around, however, there's a bit of a twist: Google confirmed during its latest financial results call that it will make hardware announcements at I/O, breaking a device drought from the past few years. But what does it plan to reveal, exactly? Here's a primer on what to expect so that you're prepared for whatever appears onstage on May 7th.
Read MoreRoses are red, violets are blue, poetry is hard, but now a machine will do it for you. From today, you can use Google's AI to create a unique "poem portrait," an ethereal image of your self-portrait overlaid with an exclusive poem generated from a word of your choice (so basically a recreation of every image ever from DeviantArt circa 2002).
Read MoreYou don't have to be quite so picky when you start a search on your Chromebook. Google has released Chrome OS 74, whose cornerstone is a reworked search experience that unifies Google Assistant, on-device and web search. Tap the search box and you just have to enter whatever you're looking for, whether it's an app or tomorrow's forecast. Suffice it to say this could be less confusing if you're a newcomer, or just don't want to switch search methods.
Read MoreAround a year ago, Google unveiled Duplex, an AI-powered feature that can call businesses and book appointments for you. Ahead of this year's I/O, Google revealed the other half of the equation, a virtual customer service agent that can automatically handle inbound calls for small businesses.
Read MoreNow that Google has a full-fledged car infotainment platform in Android Automotive, it's opening the door to apps built for that platform. As of Google I/O, developers will have the power to create media apps for Android Automotive-equipped cars like the upcoming Polestar 2. It's using the same underlying framework as Android Auto, which should ensure that a favorite music or audiobook app will work properly across different touchscreen sizes and car customizations.
Read MoreIf you're worried about your Google data history coming back to haunt you, you'll be glad to hear that there's now an easy way to keep that history brief. Google is rolling out auto-delete controls for your activity data and location history, letting you automatically scrub information after three or 18 months. While that's not particularly fine-grained, it does save you from having to manually wipe info just to avoid leaving a permanent record.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Remember the iPod touch? We finally have some evidence that Apple does, and, of course, there's a new dual-screen laptop concept to investigate at Computex. Also, some astronomers have questions about SpaceX's Starlink satellites, and the Galaxy Fold delay might go on for at least another month. Finally, the email version of this newsletter is taking a short break while we fix an issue with the links -- we'll let you know once it's fixed.
Read MoreAfter NVIDIA revealed its Quadro RTX 5000 designed for laptops, a number of manufacturers announced machines that'll pack the new gear. Acer, ASUS, MSI, HP and Razer have all launched machines that offer the most powerful in professional mobile-graphics hardware. Here's a brief run-down of what's going to be available in the near future, and how much you can expect to pay for it. Now, these aren't all the RTX Studio laptops, which NVIDIA is using as branding for all devices that it will supply special drivers for. These are just the models packing, specifically, the new Quadro RTX 5000 GPU.
Read MoreHP is still trying to make VR backpacks happen. But its latest offering, unlike its 2017 release, is intended for workplace scenarios such as training and VR development instead of gaming, and packs a powerful punch for tether-free VR creativity.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Ready to catch up on more news from Computex 2019? Intel's new 10th-gen CPUs are here, and ASUS has a dual-screen laptop that just might make the whole concept worthwhile. In other news, a malware-laden laptop sold for $1.3 million, and we're hours away from finding out more about Hideo Kojima's next game Death Stranding.
Read MoreIt wouldn't be a trade show unless Dell opened a small shipping container's worth of new PCs and dumped them across all of our tables. Computex 2019 has seen the company offering up a number of updates to its machines, including its mid-range of Inspiron laptops and all-in-one PCs. In the former category, the company wants to talk about the elegant new additions to its 13-inch 5000 and 15-inch 7000-series models.
Read MoreIt was just about a month ago that Intel showed off its powerful new ninth-gen laptop CPUs, but now it's finally ready to talk about its upcoming Ice Lake 10nm chips. For one, they're officially known as 10th-gen Core. And they won't be taking much limelight away from those beefier laptop chips, as Intel is focusing on ultraportables first with U-series processors. 10th-gen CPUs will be available in Core i3, i5 and i7 variants, as you'd expect. And, just like Intel already teased, they'll feature its powerful new 11th-gen Iris Plus integrated graphics, which are fast enough to run games decently in 1080p.
Read MoreFollowing on from the stylish business casual, leather-clad Spectre Folio, HP is showcasing its first convertible PCs with authentic wood paneling. In fact, it's sharing the alternate material option across Envy 13, Envy x360 13, Envy x360 15 and the bigger Envy 17. Naturally, these will all come with options for either the latest Intel processors or second-gen Ryzen mobile chips.
Read MoreEarlier this year, Acer announced its ConceptD range of high-end notebooks designed to woo away folks who had gone sour on the MacBook Pro. The company touted the range's sharp looks and sharp specs paired with a commitment to color accuracy on the display. Now, with the advent of NVIDIA's new Quadro RTX graphics for laptops, Acer will now offer the RTX 5000 inside its ConceptD 7.
Read MoreNVIDIA has succeeded in shrinking its beefy Quadro RTX 5000 graphics hardware to bring it to laptops. The silicon offers 3,072 CUDA cores and 48 RT cores, paired with 384 Tensor cores and 16GB GDDR6 RAM, same as the version available for desktops. And, much like the previous version of the RTX 5000, the mobile edition is designed for professionals who do a lot of heavy graphics or video work.
Read MoreHot on the heels of NVIDIA announcing the arrival of its Quadro RTX 5000 for laptops, comes the parade of companies who have signed up to offer the new silicon. First off, is Razer, which is upgrading its line of Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17 professional laptops to support the new gear. Both machines will pack the RTX 5000, pack 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe storage and come in an eye-catching Mercury White finish.
Read MoreMSI's Titan-series laptops can only be described as an Absolute Unit, and with a laptop this beefy, you need a chip that can keep up. That's why the new GT76 Titan is packing an unlocked, desktop-class Core i9 into its hefty frame.
Read MoreAcer isn't just sticking to Intel for chips in its latest laptops. The company has rolled out versions of its Nitro 5 gaming laptop and Swift 3 thin-and-light that pack second-generation Ryzen Mobile processors. The 15.6-inch Nitro 5 (above) carries a 2.3GHz quad-core Ryzen 7 3750H and dedicated Radeon RX 560X graphics to handle a moderate amount of gaming. The 14-inch Swift 3 uses the more modest (but still quad-core) 2.3GHz Ryzen 7 3700U and defaults to integrated Vega graphics, but you can get Radeon RX 540X video if you'd like to squeak in some Overwatch when you're not writing reports.
Read MoreApple isn't just trying to fix the MacBook Pro's keyboard. The company has launched a repair program that offers free fixes for 2016 13-inch MacBook Pros affected by an issue with flex cable stress (aka "Flexgate") that produces a stage lighting effect on the display's backlight before it eventually dies altogether. You won't have to risk a costly out-of-warranty repair just to keep using your machine.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. This morning, we're checking out the latest update in Walmart vs. Amazon, and Lenovo's bright new idea for a laptop is going to feel very familiar.
Read MoreNow that most gaming laptops are thin, light and powerful, what can a company do to stand out from the crowd? HP has the answer with the Omen X 2S, which packs the "world's first dual-screen design," the company said. The primary 15-inch panel is a 1080p, 144Hz G-Sync IPS (or optionally, a 240Hz G-Sync or 4K) model, which is pretty standard on high-end gaming laptops. However, the second 6-inch, 1080p display located above the keyboard lets you watch streaming videos, play music, monitor system performance or chat on your favorite platform -- simply hit the dedicated key on the far right when your desired window is in focus. You can also window sections of the main screen (like maps, for instance) to give yourself better situational awareness. If you want a better aim in first-person shooters, this feature comes in handy, too (but surely that's cheating?).
Read MoreIt's not often that Lenovo starts a brand new laptop range, and this one may be worth a look if you're getting one with work in mind. The PC maker has introduced the ThinkBook series, which promises "business-grade" features and security in a fairly sleek package. Both the ThinkBook 13s and 14s (shown above) have dedicated Skype keys, TPM 2.0 security chips, fingerprint readers and webcam privacy shutters. However, they're also relatively sleek with extra-thin display bezels and bodies under 0.65 inches thick. We wouldn't quite call them stylish, but you won't feel guilty for slipping one out of your bag while you're waiting for your flight.
Read MoreIt's been five months since Intel teased its Project Athena program, and until now, all we really knew was that it'd be similar to the Ultrabook scheme, which paved the way for slim yet efficient premium laptops. With just three weeks to go until Computex, arguably the biggest PC event in the world, Intel shed more light on what it thinks a Project Athena laptop will offer, and how it's helping build them.
Read MoreLenovo has announced the newest additions to its ThinkPad line-up, each boasting improved battery life and increased performance neatly packaged in slim models under three pounds. The T495, T495s and X395 come with up to the 2nd gen AMD Ryzen 7 Pro mobile processors and integrated AMD Vega graphics, Radeon FreeSync for a stutter-free display and, for the AMD series, a brighter 14-inch full HD display at 400 nits.
Read MoreIntel is opening three laboratories in Taipei, Taiwan, Shanghai, China and Folsom, California to test vendors' laptop components and ensure they adhere to Project Athena's specifications. The tech giant first announced Project Athena at CES earlier this year with the intention of developing a new class of thin laptops with at least nine hours of real-world use, 5G connectivity and the capability to run AI technologies for productivity. "Project Athena Open Labs," it says, "will be the first step in readying the next wave of Project Athena designs for 2020 and beyond."
Read MoreFacebook will have to hand over emails and records related to how it handled the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In September, shareholders sued the company in order to obtain information pertaining to the leak. Today, a US judge sided with shareholders, ordering Facebook to release the documents.
Read MoreFacebook is investing heavily in a massive solar farm in Texas as it rumbles towards its goal of running entirely on renewable energy by the end of next year. Renewables company Longroad Energy has started building the Prospero Solar project in Andrews County, Texas.
Read MoreFacebook game players will soon encounter more advertising tied to in-game rewards. The social media platform will be giving publishers more options to monetize their mobile games. Developers can now display in-app "rewarded video" ads and advertise their games with previews that play right on News Feed.
Read MoreToday, Facebook removed 51 accounts, 36 Pages, seven groups and three Instagram accounts that were involved in "coordinated inauthentic behavior" based in Iran. According to the company, the individuals responsible pretended to be located in the US and Europe, impersonated news organizations and journalists in the Middle East and tried to contact public figures under the guise.
Read MoreMark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg have snubbed an official summons and risk being held in contempt of the Canadian Parliament. The pair were called to a hearing in Ottawa, due to be held later this week, but have confirmed that Facebooka's head of public policy Kevin Chan and director of public policy Neil Potts will instead go in their place.
Read MoreFacebook won't remove a viral video that purports to show Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nacy Pelosi slurring her words. Instead, according to a Gizmodo report, the social network will display an article from a third-party fact-checking site that will highlight the fact the video has been edited. Facebook also plans to limit the reach of the video, though it hasn't specified how it will accomplish that.
Read MoreBuried in Edge Magazine's exclusive feature on Playdate, is an interesting revelation. Apparently, Mark Zuckerberg once expressed interest in buying Panic, the developers behind the new handheld, hand-cranked console. Perhaps even more intriguing, Panic co-founder Cabel Sasser didn't respond. He didn't want to be part of another Silicon Valley software company gobbled up by a giant.
Read MoreAs Facebook continues to poke around at the possibility of creating its own digital currency, it's created the possibility for the unlikeliest of reunions. According to the Financial Times, the social networking giant has held talks with the Winklevoss twins to discuss the possibility of using Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange founded by the brothers, to store and distribute the planned Facebook coin. Engadget reached out to Facebook for additional information but the company declined to comment.
Read MoreFacebook isn't just interested in cracking down on fake accounts. While discussing the firm's latest Community Standards Enforcement Report, company VP Justin Osofsky revealed during a call that the social network will run a pilot program where some of its content reviewers focus solely on catching and removing hate speech. It's not certain how many will be involved or what the timeline will be, but the experiment might be necessary given Facebook's track record.
Read MoreFacebook took down 2.19 billion fake accounts during the first quarter of 2019, the company has announced. In addition to that, Facebook said it disabled 1.2 billion fake accounts in Q4 2018. These numbers are quite staggering when you consider that Facebook has 2.38 billion monthly active users, as reported in its Q1 2019 earnings. "For fake accounts," Facebook said in a blog post, "the amount of accounts we took action on increased due to automated attacks by bad actors who attempt to create large volumes of accounts at one time."
Read MoreFacebook has created highly detailed population maps to help health organizations, researchers and universities tackle disease outbreaks and plan public health campaigns. They focus on population density with demographic estimates, how people move and network coverage.
Read MoreAs a social media platform with global reach, Facebook leans extensively on its artificial intelligence and machine-learning systems to keep the site online and harmful content off it (at least, some of the time). Following its announcement at the start of the month regarding self-supervised learning, computer vision, and natural language processing, Facebook on Monday shared details about three additional areas of research that could eventually lead to more capable and curious AI.
Read MoreYou can use the Oculus Quest standalone and the Rift S tethered headsets to watch movies and play games on a massive virtual screen as soon as they become available. Bigscreen, the popular VR movie theater, has confirmed that it's one of the the devices' official launch titles -- simply put, you can enjoy it on the Facebook-owned company's new headsets as soon as they come out on May 21st.
Read MoreFacebook has unveiled a one-strike policy for live streaming violations in the wake of an extreme right terrorist attack in New Zealand, the company announced. It said users who violate community standards just a single time on Facebook Live could be banned from streaming for a set time, depending on the nature of the violation. "Our goal is to minimize risk of abuse on Live while enabling people to use Live in a positive way every day," wrote Integrity VP Guy Rosen.
Read MoreFacebook and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are edging closer to negotiating the tech giant's multibillion dollar penalty for security failures. Reuters reports that the deal "could be a month away" and could put the company under 20 years of privacy oversight.
Read MoreIt's no secret that Facebook depends on contract laborers, who do everything from moderate content to help train AI. But the work those contractors do is often anxiety-inducing and under-paid. In response to an exposé by The Verge earlier this year, Facebook said it would improve moderator job conditions. Now, the company says it will increase contractors' pay and offer additional benefits to content moderators.
Read MoreSenator Elizabeth Warren isn't the only major presidential candidate eyeing the possibility of breaking up Facebook. Fellow Senator Kamala Harris stated in a CNN interview that she believed the US should "seriously take a look" at splitting the social network. It's effectively an unregulated "utility," she argued -- when "very few people can get by" without using Facebook in some capacity, you have to treat it more like a vital service.
Read MoreFacebook wasn't content offering a brief statement rejecting co-founder Chris Hughes' call to break up the social network. Global Affairs and Communications VP Nick Clegg has published an opinion piece in the New York Times criticizing Hughes' argument and reiterating the company's desire for more regulation instead. When Hughes said that politicians ignored their responsibility to ensure competition, Clegg argued, he supposedly "misunderstood" both Facebook and the goals of competition law.
Read MoreFacebook is trying to preempt Cambridge Analytica-style scandals with legal action. The social network has sued the South Korean analytics firm Rankwave for allegedly misusing its app data for ad targeting (thus breaching its contract) as well as failing to comply with a mandatory audit to show that it honored Facebook policies. Rankwave reportedly used data plucked from its "social influence score" app (such as post interactions and location check-ins) for its own business purposes, including consulting for marketers, rather than improving the functionality of the app itself.
Read MoreFacebook's executive shuffle in its VR team continues. The company's vice president of VR, Hugo Barra, is stepping down from the role to take a new position "building a global AR/VR partner ecosystem" within the company. Erick Tseng, Facebook's current product management director, will fill Barra's shoes by assuming the newly created role of head of VR product management. He's the "right person" for the job thanks to his experiences both at Facebook and leading the Android product team at Google, a spokesperson said.
Read MoreFacebook co-founder Chris Hughes has joined the chorus of prominent voices calling for regulators to break up the social networking colossus. In a New York Times op-ed, he wrote that his college roommate and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had "unchecked power" and that his "influence is staggering, far beyond that of anyone else in the private sector or in government."
Read MoreFacebook is further loosening its limitations on blockchain ads... if only somewhat. As of May 8th, the social network will no longer require pre-approval for ads tied to blockchain tech, news, education or events linked to cryptocurrency. While marketers will still need clearance if they want to run ads promoting cryptocurrency itself, this should lead to considerably more publicity for blockchain as a whole.
Read MoreFake news, conspiracy theories and misinformation aren't just problems for Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. They're also rampant on Instagram. While Instagram has been working to reduce the reach of false posts, starting this week, it will go a step further. Soon, the platform will run potentially false posts past Facebook's fact-checking partners.
Read MoreAt any given time, Facebook has thousands of third-party staffers around the world looking at and labeling Facebook and Instagram posts. The work is meant to help train AI and to inform new products. But because the contractors see users' public and private posts, some view it as a violation of privacy.
Read MoreFacebook is now using "war room" to fight election interference for most of Europe. The social network has debuted a 40-person team devoted to tracking and fighting misinformation campaigns ahead of the European Union election on May 20th. The team, based in Facebook's European headquarters in Dublin, includes a mix of data scientists, engineers and security experts whose goal is to intercept bogus content before it has much opportunity to spread.
Read MoreDuring Facebook's F8 keynote this week, the company repeatedly hammered one idea: the future is private. While its privacy-focus might be flawed, it looks like Facebook is putting its money where its mouth is. According to The Washington Post, the company told the US government it's open to greater oversight of its data-collection practices, in exchange for ending a federal probe into a series of privacy flops that surfaced last year.
Read MoreBack in 2018, Bloomberg revealed that Facebook was developing a cryptocurrency backed by the US dollar that users can transfer to each other via WhatsApp. According to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, though, Facebook has bigger plans for its "stablecoin." The social network has apparently started hammering out deals with dozens of online merchants and financial firms in an effort to amass support for a cryptocurrency-based payment platform that could rival Apple's own payment system.
Read MoreFacebook is continuing with its stricter responses to hate and violence. Both Facebook and Instagram have banned several predominantly far-right personalities and groups, including Infowars, its creator Alex Jones, Louis Farrakhan, Laura Loomer, Paul Nehlen, Paul Joseph Watson and Milo Yiannopoulos. Infowars was particularly hard-hit on top of earlier crackdowns. The two social networks will remove any content shared from Infowars, with repeat offenders facing their own bans.
Read MoreWhen Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at F8 2019, he once again outlined the company's new "privacy-focused" vision. It's a message he's been spreading over the past few months, and it will focus on six key principles: encryption, interoperability, ephemerality, safety, secure data storage and private interactions. While Zuckerberg went all in on how Facebook-owned apps will soon work seamlessly together, and how private conversations will play a key role, he seemed unaware the new plan could create problems of its own.
Read MoreWhile previous rumors about a possible settlement between Facebook and the FTC over its privacy failings focused on dollar figures and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Politico reports that it could also create new executive positions. That could mean "appointing a federally approved privacy official" in addition an oversight committee that could include Facebook board members. The New York Times also reported on the negotiations, and both outlets followed up previous reports that suggest Zuckerberg could add the title of "head compliance officer" in a move to make him personally liable for any potential failings in the future. This week at Facebook's F8 event Zuckerberg pushed a "The future is private" mantra, but it fell flat to many ears. Facebook and its CEO have told the world, and the FTC, that they will do better when it comes to privacy and we've seen how that turns out -- even after a potential $5 billion fine and some C-suite restructuring it still sounds like the same promises all over again.
Read MoreFacebook kicked off the second day of F8 2019, its annual developers conference, with a keynote about the technologies it uses to combat abuse on its platform. As the company detailed last year, artificial intelligence is key to keeping its apps and services safe. Facebook says AI is now proactively taking down more than 99 percent of spam, fake accounts and terrorist propaganda, though it's still struggling with hate speech (51.6 percent) and harassment (14.9 percent). Another area where Facebook is looking to improve the technology is inclusivity. What that means, essentially, is that it wants to teach its machines to work the same for everyone, regardless of skin color or other physical attributes.
Read MoreOn Tuesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at F8 -- the company's annual developer conference -- and made the case for a pivot to a more privacy-focused social network. Core to this idea is a phrase that was displayed on the screen in large, bold letters: "The future is private." According to Zuckerberg, "personal" conversations make up the fastest areas of growth in online communication. "Privacy gives us the freedom to be ourselves," he said. "We need the intimacy more than ever. That's why I believe the future is private."
Read MoreWelcome back. Facebook's big annual event kicked off yesterday with a lengthy keynote and lots of talk of privacy, features to find your secret crush (no, really) and a new-look social network. F8 runs for a few more days, so expect more stories later this week. If you have Facebook fatigue, don't worry: There's a Sonic the Hedgehog movie trailer that has to be seen. And then unremembered.
Read MoreIt's been several years in the making, but Microsoft has finally announced an opening date for its flagship store in London. Its first physical retail premises in the UK will open to the general public on July 11th in Oxford Circus, covering 21,932 square feet over three floors.
Read MoreMicrosoft made a nod towards a possible new operating system at Computex in Taipei this week, when corporate vice president of consumer and device sales Nick Parker took to the stage to outline the company's future OS ambitions. While the event would have been a prime opportunity to reveal the much-rumored Windows Lite, no official announcements were made, but the company did discuss -- albeit cryptically -- what's in the pipeline.
Read MoreText-to-speech conversion is becoming increasingly clever, but there's a problem: it can still take plenty of training time and resources to produce natural-sounding output. Microsoft and Chinese researchers might have a more effective way. They've crafted a text-to-speech AI that can generate realistic speech using just 200 voice samples (about 20 minutes' worth) and matching transcriptions.
Read MoreLast month, Microsoft released a preview of its new, Chromium-powered Edge browser for Windows 10. Now, you can test drive the browser with macOS, too. For the most part, the macOS Canary build comes with the same features you'll find in the Windows 10 preview, but Microsoft promises subtle changes to "make it feel at home on a Mac."
Read MoreToday marks the eighth annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and for the second year, Microsoft is awarding grants to AI projects meant to make the world more inclusive. The grants are part of a five-year initiative that will invest $25 million in AI-based accessibility tools. This year, seven recipients will receive access to the Azure AI platform (through Azure compute credits) and Microsoft engineering support.
Read MoreWith its Windows 10 May 2019 update, Microsoft is getting one step closer to eliminating passwords. The company's Windows Hello has earned its FIDO2 certification -- an industry standard that deems Windows Hello a secure authenticator. Now, users running Windows 10 version 1903 will be able to login to devices, apps and online services using biometrics or PINs, rather than passwords.
Read MoreThe Microsoft of today would have been unrecognizable just a few years ago. That was clearer than ever at this week's Build conference, where the company once again did its best to court developers. Azure, AI, Edge and Office 365 were all hot topics -- but, surprisingly, the running theme throughout the show wasn't about tech, it was about people. Practically everything Microsoft announced, from adding a complete Linux kernel in Windows to simply bringing Internet Explorer into Edge, was meant to make the lives of both developers and consumers easier.
Read MoreMicrosoft has something big in store for Minecraft fans. The company used the start of Build 2019 to offer a teaser for an augmented reality Minecraft experience for phones. The clip doesn't say much about what the experience entails, although it's safe to say you won't be building entire virtual worlds in your neighborhood -- the limitations of the real world will likely dictate what you can do.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. The week started with Microsoft's big developer conference, and at 1 PM ET, we'll be coming to you live from Google I/O 2019. Until then, check out the big news about Linux, and the first new iPhone game we've seen from Apple in over a decade.
Read MoreVirtual assistants like Microsoft's Cortana, Amazon's Alexa and Google's have finally made voice-controlled computing a reality. But talking to them still feels basic -- shouting commands isn't exactly how you'd interact with another human being. At its Build developer conference today, Microsoft gave us a glimpse at how Cortana could improve on that.
Read MoreMicrosoft is about to challenge Grammarly (not to mention Google) on its home turf. The company is developing an Ideas feature for Word's online version that uses AI to suggest grammar changes, among other assists. In addition to catching basic errors, it can recommend rewriting phrases to improve concision, clarity and inclusiveness. Your report might be more to-the-point without requiring quite so much proofreading.
Read MoreGet the jokes about voting booths crashing left and right out of your system: Microsoft announced today that it's taking a few steps towards election security. First up is ElectionGuard, an open source software development kit that will offer public verifiability and other security measures for elections. Since it's open, Microsoft is hoping developers will integrate it into existing voting systems -- it's not trying to replace things that already work. Additionally, Microsoft says it'll offer "guidance and tools to build more accessible voting systems," though it didn't elaborate on specifics. Developers will be able to get their hands on ElectionGuard's SDK when it hits GitHub in the summer.
Read MoreThere are some big changes ahead for Microsoft's Edge browser. In December, the company announced that it'll be moving over to Chromium, the open source project that powers Google's Chrome. But that's not all: Microsoft announced today that the next version of Edge will come with an Internet Explorer mode, allowing you to run older websites that don't support modern browser tech. That probably won't mean much to most consumers, but it's a boon for corporate users and their IT departments, as they're often stuck using aging web apps.
Read MoreWhere do we go beyond web-based productivity apps like Google Docs and the Office 365 suite? That's what Microsoft is aiming to explore with Fluid Framework, a "componentized document model for shared interactive experiences." In plain English, it means you won't have to be restricted to working in just a Word document, or an Excel spreadsheet. Instead, Fluid Framework is going to let you create files that can be many different things at once. Microsoft says it'll lead "to the beginning of the free-flowing canvas," where you'll be able to just get your ideas down without worrying about how they're formatted from the start.
Read MoreWe're thick in the middle of developer conference season -- Facebook's F8 event took place last week, and Google I/O kicks off tomorrow. Today, however, all eyes are on Microsoft: Build 2019 starts in just a few hours with a keynote presentation from CEO Satya Nadella. While Microsoft's event is historically light on consumer-focused news, there's no doubt the company's announcements will be significant to its massive developer community. We'll be on the ground in Seattle bringing you news from the event for the next few days, but if you want to tune in to the keynote, check out the livestream on YouTube below. You can also find a stream on Microsoft's own site here.
Read MoreAt Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, we're looking back at Microsoft's first "real laptop," the Surface Laptop.
Read MoreMake that three big US carriers that have hopped aboard the 5G bandwagon -- Sprint has launched its 5G service in parts of Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Kansas City. You'll need to wait until May 31st to buy the LG V50 ThinQ or HTC 5G Hub to take advantage of those speeds, but the experience might be better than for some rivals when Sprint is boasting of the biggest "initial" 5G coverage to date.
Read MoreGogo plans to launch in-flight 5G on business and commercial flights in 2021. According to an announcement made today, the 5G will be available in the contiguous US and Canada. "We expect to launch Gogo 5G at the same time as the terrestrial telecommunications companies are deploying the same generation of technology on the ground," said CEO Oakleigh Thorne.
Read MoreWhile FCC commissioner Ajit Pai is ready to recommend approval of a merger between T-Mobile and Sprint, the Department of Justice has been reportedly unconvinced. Now Bloomberg reports that one thing the two could do to convince unnamed "top" officials is to "lay the groundwork" for a new national wireless carrier. In previous years the Justice Department has balked at seeing the national wireless market from below the four major options, so it's a surprise to see this is as a condition, but it may not be one they're willing to meet. The report's source claim Justice Department antitrust chief Makan Delrahim specifically is unconvinced by the claim that the two combining would make for a stronger third player against AT&T and Verizon. These concerns helped scuttle AT&T's attempt to take over T-Mobile in 2011, and a previous merger attempt by these two in 2014. Finally, an analyst interviewed suggests that a fourth option could come from a cable company combining spectrum it owns with a virtual network deal -- similar to Comcast's Verizon-powered mobile service. It's unclear whether or not any of this will happen, but if it doesn't, then we could be looking at yet another failed attempt once the deadline passes on July 29th.
Read MoreHave some spare bitcoin kicking around? You can put it toward your phone service. AT&T says it has become the first big US wireless carrier to accept cryptocurrency for online phone bill payments. Choose the BitPay option at MyAT&T and you can cover your bill with bitcoin instead of conventional funds. You can't use this in-store, alas, but it could make sense if you'd rather save old-school money for other purposes.
Read MoreT-Mobile and Sprint are still determined to secure a merger, and they've just made a fresh round of promises to win regulators' hearts. The carriers have made new commitments to the FCC that would guarantee wider access to high-speed mobile internet and home broadband, not to mention address concerns about a lack of competition. They've vowed to deploy 5G service that covers 97 percent of the US population within three years of an approved merger, and 99 percent in six years. About 90 percent of Americans would have mobile internet at speeds of "at least" 100Mbps, while 99 percent would have speeds of 50Mbps or more.
Read MoreYou might not have to worry quite so much about carriers selling your phone location data to less-than-diligent third parties. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon (Engadget's parent company) have provided responses to FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel's request for an update on the practice, with all four saying they'd halted sales to aggregators sometime after promising to do so back in June 2018. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all said they'd terminated their last sales at varying points in March 2019, while Sprint said it was ending its last deal with a location aggregator on May 31st.
Read MoreWe've reached the point where we're running out of 11-digit phone numbers. Japan plans to release 10-billion 14-digit numbers by 2021, in response to concerns that the country may run out of its 11-digit phone numbers by 2022. The rapid adoption of IoT devices (which require their own phone number in Japan) has almost depleted the nation's supply of 11-digit phone numbers it released for that purpose, reports The Japan Times. Japan's roll-out of 5G in 2020 is expected to use up even more of the current phone numbers.
Read MoreThe US government now has some pretext for outright bans on doing business with Chinese telecom firms like Huawei and ZTE. President Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency banning sales and use of telecom equipment that poses "unacceptable" risks to national security, including critical infrastructure and the online economy. "Foreign adversaries" are exploiting more and more security holes through communications tech, Trump argued, and there were "potentially catastrophic effects" if this behavior went unanswered.
Read MoreIn March, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began auctioning blocks of the 24 GHz spectrum, which could be used to implement future 5G networks. Shortly afterward, the US Navy released a memo warning that 5G in the 24 GHz band could interfere with weather satellites. Now, Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) are urging the FCC not to allow wireless companies to operate 5G in that spectrum until weather forecasting operations are protected. The Senators wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai yesterday, citing the Navy's memo and accusing the FCC of ignoring "the serious alarms the scientific community is raising."
Read MoreThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been fighting robocalls for years, but as anyone with a cell phone can tell you, they're still getting through. Now, the Commission wants to make it legal for phone companies to block unwanted robocalls by default. Chairman Ajit Pai has circulated a declaratory ruling that, if adopted, would give carriers permission to develop new call blocking tools. The ruling could also allow consumers to prohibit calls from numbers that aren't on their contact lists.
Read MoreThe UK is finally getting 5G, and Vodafone will be the first network to provide it. The company says its 5G will go live on July 3rd, with 5G roaming following later this summer. And, crucially, it won't cost any more than 4G.
Read MoreFCC Chairman Ajit Pai signaled that he wanted to reject China Mobile's application to become a telecom provider in the US, and the agency has just acted on that promise. The Commission has unanimously denied China Mobile's eight year old bid over national security concerns. Officials said the carrier didn't show that its application was in the "public interest," and that the Chinese government's control of the company raised "substantial and serious" law enforcement and security risks that couldn't be mitigated.
Read MoreJust two years after taking control of Tumblr as part of its acquisition of Yahoo, Verizon is looking to offload the blogging platform. According to the Wall Street Journal, the telecommunications giant has spent that last few weeks approaching other companies to gauge their interest in purchasing Tumblr. While the search is ongoing, the report notes that it may not result in any transaction.
Read MoreAubrey Graham, better known to the world as Drake, is basically a human meme. He has this uncanny ability to make people on the internet want to turn anything he does into viral content. Drake also happens to be an ultimate troll. Last night, during game one of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, he exchanged some words with superstar Steph Curry. As that was happening, Drake seemingly took a moment to pull lint out of Curry's hair. That may seem strange, but you should know that Drake has Curry's number tattooed on his arm. Yes, even though he's a Raptors fan. After the game, which the Raptors won, Drake then had an exchange with another Warriors player: Draymond Green, who was on the receiving end of something along the lines of "you're trash."
Read MorePanasonic has added a third full-frame mirrorless camera to its L-Mount lineup with the launch of the video-oriented Lumix S1H, revealed at Cine Gear Expo 2019. It packs many of the specs we were hoping for but didn't receive with the S1, like 6K video, 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording and V-Log/V-Gamut with a Sony A7 III-beating 14+ stops of dynamic range.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. June is almost here, and with it comes Apple's WWDC event. We're preparing for the show to start on Monday, but first we'll find the big winners from Computex and take a look at the future of Call of Duty.
Read MoreContrary to what you might think and hear, apps and screens aren't the best tools for kids to learn STEM concepts, even coding. Why? Innovation, pattern recognition, exploration, experimentation and creation underlie STEM principles. Kids need to manipulate tangible things. It's how they learn. While there are some great apps that supplement STEM learning, the best STEM activities for kids are blended ones -- the ones that require hands-on exploration, screens optional. Those that do require screens, like ones with coding apps, should augment the experience, not be the sole focus. Many of these toys and kits are designed for classroom use but are perfectly adaptable and suitable for home use, too, as my two kids, ages five and seven, will shout from the rooftops (supervised, don't worry). Check out these awesome blended learning STEM kits and toys. They'll have your little inventors ready to apply for their first patent in no time. READ ON: STEM kits that will get your kid's hands dirty
Read MoreEcobee is reportedly working on a new SmartThermostat and SmartSensors. The items haven't been announced yet, but they're listed on the Lowe's website. The specific product pages have been removed, but Zatz Not Funny managed to spot the details before they were scrubbed.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. If you were looking for a fast car that's also a little more eco-friendly, we have a Ferrari you should see, and Google Maps is getting a lot better around the globe. Oh, and, of course, we saw another dual-screen laptop at Computex 2019.
Read MoreWhere can iRobot go next after giving us a Roomba that can dump its own dustbin? How about a Roomba that can also tag team floor cleaning with a robot mop? The new Roomba s9+ and Braava jet m6 work in tandem: Once your floors are vacuumed, the mop automatically wakes up and gets to work. The Roomba s9+ ($1,299) is even more powerful than the previous version, with a new design that finally lets it clean walls and corners better. The Braava ($499) is the company's largest robot mop yet, with the ability to clean around 1,000 square feet at once. Together, they're iRobot's biggest play yet to keep your home sparkling.
Read MoreFrom launching a record label to helping Panic with its crank-operated handheld game system, Teenage Engineering has had a busy spring. The company has at least one more project in the works. It's teaming up with Rick and Morty co-producer Justin Roiland on a limited-edition Pocket Operator, PO-137. The vocal synthesizer and sequencer will come with a built-in microphone and eight different character sampling options -- all voiced by Roiland.
Read MoreThe Netherlands will be the first country in the world to display Amber alerts on ATMs when a child is reported missing. The initiative, which went into effect last week, will display the photos of missing children as the screensaver on more than 300 ATMs across the country. To start, the alerts will be displayed on machines located in airports and shopping centers, but the country's authorities plan to expand the service to other ATMs over time.
Read MoreRobot pets have come a long way since the heady days of Tamagotchi -- we've got Sony's adorable Aibo that requires training and Groove X's fuzzy Lovot that follows you affectionately around the house. But none have quite captured the spirit of the delightful Nabaztag, the cute internet-connected robo-bunny released in 2005, which communicated information through color, motion and sound. Now, thanks to a crowdfunding endeavor, Nabaztag is hopping back into our lives.
Read MoreThe most straightforward way to keep track of your baby's data is the trusty spreadsheet. We recommend Google Sheets, since you can easily share it with your partner, and it has most of the features you'd want from a proper spreadsheet application. With the freedom of endless customizability comes complexity though. Now that there are plenty of baby-tracking apps out there, diving into spreadsheets is something we'd only recommend for serious stat-hounds. READ ON: Tools for tracking your child's progress
Read MoreASUS turned 30 last month, so it's no surprise that the company saved some special edition products for Computex. What we have here are the ZenFone 6 Edition 30, ZenBook Edition 30 and Prime X299 Edition 30 motherboard -- a fitting trio to reflect the company's expanded portfolio over the decades (though a new Zenbo would have been nice, too). While the hardware isn't brand new, they all feature ASUS' 30th anniversary "A" logo, along with some exclusive looks and specs.
Read MoreThere's no doubt that Bob Moog had a massive influence on music by making synthesizers popular and accessible, and now there's a dedicated place to pay homage to his legacy. The Bob Moog Foundation has opened the Moogseum, a museum in Asheville, North Carolina that includes static and interactive exhibits devoted to its namesake's synths as well as other electronic instruments.
Read MoreThis week's theme is waiting. Sonic the Hedgehog fans will have to do three months of it after complaining about Sonic's oddly human teeth, while Julian Assange won't have to do any more to know what charges the Feds are leveling at him. Let's get started already.
Read MoreThe EU's contentious copyright law is already facing some opposition from one of its existing members. Poland has submitted a complaint to the European Court of Justice arguing that the law's requirement for filtering content had the potential for censorship. This would violate both the Polish constitution as well as EU treaties, Deputy Foreign Minister Konrad Szymanski told TVP Info.
Read MoreSmart home connected devices can control everything from lighting and temperature to security systems and music. But with products from so many different companies, they don't always work together. Control4 wants to change that. Yesterday, it debuted its Smart Home OS 3.
Read MoreCannabis vaporizers have come a long way. As weed becomes legal in more states, companies are free to devise new methods to administer the herb. Enter Omura and the Series 1. At first glance, it looks like a conventional — if not more stylish — flower vaporizer. The Series 1 takes a different approach to most though, using pre-filled "flower cartridges" over the bring-your-own approach of rivals like PAX.
Read MoreTeenage Engineering is well-known for doing things its own way. The Stockholm-based synth company's latest project isn't another compact instrument, it's a record label. Teenage Engineering Records will release songs that adhere to only two rules: "It needs to be a good song (easy)" and it has to feature at least one of the company's instruments.
Read MoreIn an age when we all have a tiny computer in our pockets, it's important that we learn to limit screen time in favor of actual human interaction and productivity. It's even more essential that we limit media consumption for children, especially since they're being exposed to things like phones and tablets at an increasingly younger age. Those devices are part of kids' lives earlier than ever, so it's important to keep tabs on how often they use them or watch TV. There are a number of reasons why you should do this as a parent, and, ironically, there's also a range of tech available to help with the task. READ ON: How to manage your child's screen time
Read MoreSenators have overwhelmingly backed a bill to combat robocalls. They voted 97-1 to pass the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act, which would empower law enforcement to tackle robocallers, and bump up civil penalties to as much as $10,000 per call.
Read MoreWhile there are four full-frame mirrorless cameras battling it out for supremacy, Fujifilm is content to stick with APS-C and medium-format. Now, it has announced that its impressive flagship medium-format camera, the 102-megapixel GFX100, will soon go on sale. On top of the insane resolution -- the highest of any mirrorless or medium-format mirrorless camera -- the GFX100 has some seriously impressive specifications. The sensor is back-side illuminated, so you'll be able to crank up the ISO and capture clean images in low light. Fujifilm said it's the first medium-format camera with full-coverage phase-detect autofocus, with subject tracking and face/eye detection. Thanks to that system, it'll shoot up to to 210 percent faster than the contrast AF-equipped GFX 50R.
Read MoreVizio has released its 2019 4K TV lineup to the market and announced that Apple's AirPlay 2 and HomeKit will be coming to current and older models. While the company is best known for budget 4K TVs with impressive image quality, this time it's going after the premium market with its flagship P-Series Quantum X. The new 65-inch ($2,200) and 75-inch ($3,500) sets are pricier than you'd expect from Vizio, but feature quantum dot displays with 384 or 480 local dimming zones. That enables black levels nearly on par with OLED displays, but with brightness levels up to 3,000 nits.
Read MoreCould simply visiting a website bind you to its terms of service? Luckily, not in the near future. A controversial vote of the American Law Institute on Tuesday on a sweeping change to consumer contract law was postponed after hours of heated debate and not much consensus. If approved, the nearly 134-page Restatement Project would have opened the door for businesses to take data from unknowing consumers. Critics of the project, including consumer rights groups, more than 23 state attorneys general and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) had called for it to be voted down.
Read MoreThe truth is, technology probably does more to interrupt a child's sleep than help induce it Both exposure to screens and addictive routines can keep a kid awake. That said, certain gadgets, like a sleep clock, could help establish a healthy sleep cycle. READ ON: The dos and don'ts of helping your kid to sleep.
Read More23andMe has partnered with Airbnb to let users literally explore their roots. The travel website now has a special "heritage travel" section divided into the genetic populations you'd find in a 23andMe ancestry report. The regions include Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and West Asia, Central America and Mexico, South America, East and South Asia, the Caribbean and Europe. After finding out where their ancestors hail from, 23andMe customers can click through to a specific region and plan a trip.
Read MoreWhen Bose debuted its smart speakers and voice-controlled soundbars last year, the company promised support for other voice assistants besides Alexa was on the way. Today, it makes good on that promise. Bose says starting tomorrow in the US, an automatic software update will bring Google Assistant to all existing smart speakers and soundbars. That list of devices includes the Home Speaker 500, Soundbar 500 and Soundbar 700. The company also announced a new, smaller smart speaker today: the Home Speaker 300.
Read MorePicoBrew's all-in-one homebrew appliances put a brewery on your countertop. They're relatively easy to use, and give novice beer makers detailed steps to make their own suds -- no previous experience required. There was one huge hindrance for the Pico C, Pico Pro and Pico S though: you couldn't buy ingredients from your local homebrew shop and pop them into these small appliances. You could do that with the $2,500 modular Pico Z, but it simply wasn't an option on the more affordable models. Well, that changes today with the so-called UnPak'd Kit.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. More bad news for Huawei, but the company seems prepared to face the repercussions of stalled US-China trade discussions. Elsewhere, Sony improved its great noise-cancelling cans in the best way possible: announcing a new, cheaper model.
Read MoreWelcome back! We kick off the week with bad news for Huawei as Google complies with US government requirements regarding the phone maker, suspending the transfer of proprietary hardware and software. In better news for the planet, we go behind the scenes at Impossible Foods and the development of its non-meat meat. Burgers, it seems, were just the beginning.
Read MoreLittle Caesars, the nationwide pizza chain, will be the first restaurant to sell Impossible's new plant-based sausage product -- as a pie topping. Starting today, the Impossible Supreme Pizza will launch at Little Caesars branches in Yakima, WA, Ft. Myers and Naples, FL and Albuquerque, NM for $12. The Detroit-based chain will sell a spicy-sweet version of the sausage.
Read MoreAfter three years of selling convincing plant-based burgers, Impossible Foods is on the verge of releasing its next product: sausage. We first learned about and tried the product during a trip to Impossible's headquarters in Redwood City, CA -- which you can read about here. In the test kitchen, Impossible cooked up a sausage patty for a breakfast sandwich and folded the ground meat into steamed siu mai, showing its versatility. The sausage is one of many new foods the company has been testing the waters for -- including eggs and steak -- as it bills itself as a "platform" for creating custom proteins rather than a vegan burger manufacturer.
Read MoreThis April Fools' Day, Impossible Foods was behind a prank video. Customers in a St Louis branch of Burger King were surreptitiously filmed eating the restaurant's flagship Whopper. First they rhapsodized about their love for beef. Then they were told they'd just eaten a plant-based Impossible Burger."It's made of fucking beef right here, you see that?" one customer told the camera -- expletive bleeped out -- peeling back his sandwich to reveal the monochrome disc beneath. "That's impossible. It tasted just like a Whopper should taste," said another. Cue close-ups of flames, blackened grills and fat-spitting patties.The minute-long video announced Impossible's biggest partnership yet: a Burger King Whopper made of plant-based meat that sells for $1 more than a regular one. The deal is a stamp of approval from fast food royalty that will eventually insert Impossible's vegan patty right into mainstream America's daily dietary choices.
Read MoreTerrible news, everyone! The internet's favorite maladjusted kitteh has gone to the Great Cat Tree in the sky after succumbing to a urinary tract infection earlier this week. She -- yes, Grumpy Cat was a girl -- will be missed. Likewise, Cray Supercomputers' independence, Japan's phone number system and China's access to Wikipedia have come to similar ends over the past seven days.
Read MoreThe European Union has had net neutrality regulations in place since 2016, but some are concerned that internet service providers are playing fast and loose with those rules. A group of 45 advocate organizations, companies and individuals (including the Electronic Frontier Foundation) have sent a letter to EU officials accusing 186 ISPs of jeopardizing net neutrality though the use of deep packet inspection, which verifies the content of data traffic well beyond the basics. Existing rules allow carriers to shape traffic to optimize their network resources, but at least some ISPs are using this for "differentiated pricing," prioritization or throttling.
Read MoreCan I get by in class with a tablet, or do I really need a laptop? Which tech companies offer the best student discounts? Who makes the quietest keyboard?
Read MoreGrumpy Cat, the adorably grouchy-looking meme machine kitty, has passed away. The family of the dearly departed cat said she suffered complications from a urinary tract infection. She died on Tuesday at the age of seven.
Read MoreWith GPS now a basic cell phone feature, and more vehicles rolling off the production lines with built-in satnav systems, the role of standalone satellite-navigation devices is diminishing. Why have an extra bit of kit in your car that needs additional maintenance? But Garmin thinks there's still a place for them, particularly in the world of off-roading and overlanding.
Read MoreToday, Boeing announced that it has completed the software update to its 737 Max planes. The update is meant to correct the software flaws that contributed to the Lion Air and Air Ethiopia crashes that killed 346 people in total. The update was expected in April, but Boeing needed extra time to guarantee that it had "identified and appropriately addressed" the problems that led to those crashes.
Read MoreMaster & Dynamic just got a big step up thanks to NBA star Kevin Durant and his company, Thirty Five Ventures. The investment business, which has backed the likes of Postmates and Coinbase, will become an equity partner in the New York City-based audio brand, and work with them to create and build products with a focus on sports and music. In June, for example, the partnership will launch a special edition "Studio 35" colorway of the newly released MW65 noise-cancelling headphones, with other projects in the pipeline. Durant is well-known for his Beats by Dre endorsement, so he's clearly a man who loves his music.
Read MoreNoted biohacker Josiah Zayner says he's under investigation for practicing medicine without a license. The former NASA scientist, known on social media for his DIY medical procedures, was sent a letter by the California Department of Consumer Affairs after it received a "complaint of unlicensed practice of medicine" against Zayner. As MIT Technology Review highlights, while anyone can file a complaint with California's medical board, the fact it is now investigating means it considers the accusations credible.
Read MoreFollowing up on political arguments over charges of "censorship" on social media, the White House has linked to a questionnaire on TypeForm.com where it's collecting reports of bias. In a tweet, the White House encouraged entries "no matter your views" although it doesn't guarantee any response to submissions.* (If you've been suspended for explosive statements like "Boyz II Men Are Trash", then you may also want to try contacting the EFF -- or just contact the EFF, whatever you prefer.)
Read MoreThe audio world just got noticeably smaller. Sound United, the parent company for brands like Denon, Polk Audio and Marantz, has reached a deal to buy Onkyo's home audio division, including everything from smart speakers to receivers and turntables. Crucially, that gives it control of the Pioneer, Pioneer Elite and Integra labels -- that's a lot of major names under one roof. The purchase will help Sound United offer "premium" gear designed for "specific needs," targeting a wider range of listeners.
Read MoreBurger King is taking its Impossible Whopper on tour. The meatless Whopper's debut in St. Louis, Missouri, earlier this month, was such a success, that Burger King has plans to roll it out across the country. Today, it arrived in three new markets: Miami, Montgomery, Ala. and Columbus, Ga. To kick things off, an Impossible Whooper tour bus will roll through each city, offering games, music and freebies.
Read MoreWhen it comes to tiny synthesizers, Teenage Engineering's Pocket Operators immediately come to mind. Korg may give the company more competition later this year though, and it may take a more DIY approach to do so. At Superbooth 2019 last week, Korg showed off a prototype NTS1 Digital Kit, a diminutive digital synth that's "the evolution" of the development board it released last year for the Prologue's oscillators and effects. Details are scarce for now, and the only thing Korg is saying officially is that it's a prototype.
Read MoreFor tech companies, going public is often fraught with pressure -- they're suddenly expected to deliver positive news every quarter, and they might push innovation to the wayside in the quest to become proftiable. They should soon have a better alternative, though. The SEC has approved the creation of the Long-Term Stock Exchange, a Silicon Valley-based platform aimed at tech startups that want to go public while taking their time to develop products and services. The exchange will have rules to limit executive bonuses, require more disclosure for milestones and reward long-term shareholders with more voting power.
Read MoreTiVo, one of the early makers of DVRs, has been on the hunt for potential buyers. The company announced it is splitting its product and intellectual property licensing divisions on Friday, perhaps in hopes of becoming more attractive to buyers. It hopes to complete the split by the first half of 2020.
Read MoreKorg debuted its Nutube tech a couple years back, but so far the tiny vacuum tubes have only surfaced in select products. Nutubes have been used in a distortion pedal and a mini guitar amplifier head, one of which was made by another company. Now Korg is putting the tiny Nutubes to work in its line of compact analog synthesizers with the $200 Volca Nubass.
Read More"Do you know what you're looking at?" I ask my five-year-old and seven-year-old when we're on the iPad. "Yeah, yeah," they grumble as they swipe and tap during their 10-minute dip into deviceland. While we peruse pictures of dinosaurs or exploding volcanoes on YouTube or whatever it is that piques their interest, I ask a bunch of questions. Not surprisingly, they never know the answer to my favorite internet-safety question, "How do you know this one's not a joke?"
Read MoreGone are the days of trusty Moleskine 18-month planners, scraps of to-do lists and family calendars hanging on the fridge. Full-time jobs and older kids mean more clubs, more appointments, more social life. Making a move to digital organization can take a load off and breathe new life into the family. It's never too early to help children learn to manage their time and be responsible for themselves too (to a point, obviously). It's a skill that will help them on their path through life. And it's surprising how little you need to do to organize family life. Often you have the apps and software on hand -- you just need to rethink how you use them.
Read MoreIK Multimedia surprised many last year expanding beyond its normal niche of portable MIDI controllers and iPhone recording interfaces by launching an actual synthesizer. And, not only that, it turned out to be quite a capable competitor to the Volca's of the world. Now the company is expanding its line of standalone instruments with the Uno Drum.
Read MoreUrbanears is back with a connected home speaker, but this time it's both portable and shareable. The Swedish company's new Rålis speaker is small enough to transport and comes with a carrying strap, so you can listen at home or bring it poolside -- where Urbanears promises it's water resistant (IPX2).
Read MoreMusic legend Neil Young has spent several years trying (and failing) to push high-resolution music to the masses. A new book by Young tells the story of how the Canadian songwriter set out to develop Pono, his $400 portable digital music player that went out of business in 2016. Co-written by Young and former Pono Chief Operating Officer Phil Baker, To Feel The Music: A Songwriter's Quest to Save High-Quality Audio is set to be released on September 9th. Along with details on Pono, readers will also learn about how Neil Young came to develop Xstream, his high-resolution streaming platform, as well his decision to release his entire catalog online for free.
Read MoreAfter a months-long investigation into the practices of the crowdfunding campaign for iBackPack, the Federal Trade Commission announced today that it will sue the company's founder for misusing funds provided by backers. According to the agency, project creator Doug Monahan used much of the more than $800,000 raised via Indiegogo and Kickstarter for personal use, including the purchasing bitcoin, making withdrawals from ATMs and paying off credit cards.
Read MoreLadies and gentlemen, I come to you this week a broken man. My childhood dream of seeing a speedy video game rodent hero break the fourth wall and go on a road trip with a middling white male actor I only sort of recognize has been shattered. Not because he doesn't do exactly that, but because of those teeth. Those human, human teeth.
Read MoreThe impressive broadband growth numbers the FCC reported in February were actually off by millions, and now the agency has admitted in a revised draft that its figures were indeed inflated. It was advocacy group Free Press that originally revealed (PDF) the inaccuracy in March, though commission chief Ajit Pai didn't even mention its role in the discovery. The organization found that a new ISP called BarrierFree falsely told the FCC that it has started serving 20 percent of the country just six months after it opened.
Read MoreA month ago, I received a big, hefty magazine in the mail. It included stories such as a guide on where to go in Buenos Aires, a feature on tiny houses, and a deep dive into the history of African-American jockeys. The magazine was part travel, part lifestyle and part interior design; which are all topics I gravitate toward. What's more, the stories were well-written, the photographs were beautiful and the graphic design was on point. There was just one weird thing about it: It was published by Airbnb.
Read MoreRemember daily fantasy sports? Before increased scrutiny, threats of regulation and a failed merger between industry giants DraftKings and FanDuel, it went from niche element to nearly inescapable in 2015. A flurry of interest and investment spurred ads that stretched from ESPN to gas station pumps, and it was in that storm of activity that I created an account on each site just to test things out while writing about them. The mistakes of the past became my present this afternoon when I got a friendly email from FanDuel. It said that in accordance with recently updated Terms of Use, it planned to charge me $3 per month as a "monthly inactivity fee," starting 30 days from now. That's because my account has not received a deposit or entered a contest in at least 24 months.
Read MoreRussian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill into law on Wednesday that will tighten government control over the internet. The new law requires that internet service providers in Russia unplug from foreign servers. It also calls for the creation of a national domain system that would allow the country to stay online if it was ever cut off from the global internet. The law will go into effect on November 1st, the Financial Times reports.
Read MoreUK Prime Minister Theresa May fired the country's Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson today over his role in a recent Huawei leak. Last week, we learned that the UK plans to use Huawei tech in "non-core" parts of its 5G infrastructure. That news was shared with The Daily Telegraph following a meeting of the National Security Council. Now, after an investigation, the UK believes Williamson was the source.
Read MoreWikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching his bail conditions in the UK.
Read MoreIt looks like you'll soon be able to beat up your friends in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from an entirely different perspective. It seems the hit Switch fighting game is getting a virtual reality mode via the Labo Toy-Con VR Goggles, according to a Twitter bot for SSBU patch notes (which has a track record of revealing them around 12 hours before Nintendo does).
Read MoreThe Pokémon Company is working on another mobile game in addition to Sleep, which is designed to track your sleeping time to unlock new characters. It's called Pokémon Masters, and it will give you a way to fight alongside trainers from the previous main games in the franchise, appealing to the nostalgia of long-time fans. The company has revealed the project at a press conference in Tokyo, where it has also announced its Home cloud service for monster trading between platforms and Detective Pikachu for the Nintendo Switch.
Read MoreNow that the Detective Pikachu movie has had success at the box office without incurring internet outrage and a delay -- we're looking at you Sonic -- there's a new game in the works. At a press conference today, execs said "Plans are under way to bring this crime-solving Pikachu to Nintendo Switch!" They didn't reveal many details about the game other than that it's following the 3DS version and will apparently have a different ending compared to what happened in the movie. We don't have a release window either, so if you just became a fan of the character after seeing Ryan Reynolds' performance, then you should have plenty of time to catch up.
Read MoreSo how will the Pokémon Company follow up the success of Niantic's Pokémon Go? At a press conference today they revealed Pokémon Sleep, a new mobile game that tracks your time sleeping to unlock new characters. It's being made by Pokémon Magikarp developer Select Button. There's also some new hardware with a Pokémon Go Plus + that works as a sleep tracker thanks to its integrated accelerometry, and also works just like the $35 Pokémon Go Plus accessory for use with that game.
Read MoreNintendo is pulling two of its popular mobile games in Belgium due to the nation's anti-gambling laws aimed at loot boxes. Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be removed from app stores on August 27th, according to an announcement on the company's website. Upon that date, neither game will be available to download or play. Players who have Orbs or Leaf Tickets can still use them until the game's removal. Due to the law, Nintendo also will not release any future games with similar earnings models in Belgium.
Read MoreNintendo is selling vouchers exclusively to Switch Online members that you can use to purchase some of the platform's most popular games at a discount. A pair of vouchers will set you back $100, and you can use each one to redeem any eligible title. While the list of compatible games is pretty short, it does include Breath of the Wild and the Pokémon Let's Go games -- it's also mostly titles that'll cost you $60 when you buy them from the eShop, with some $50 games in the mix.
Read MoreSuper Mario Maker 2 is an update to 2015's level-creating masterpiece for the Wii U, and it features a slew of new tools. Nintendo broke down a few of these fresh features during a livestream today, including details about the game's story mode and online multiplayer options.
Read MoreIf you're excited for Super Mario Maker 2, you'll want to watch the dedicated Nintendo Direct livestream tonight at 6PM ET (3PM PT, 11PM GMT).
Read MoreReleasing Tetris 99 as a free-to-play Switch game was a canny move by Nintendo, as the popular online-only title motivated users to get a Switch Online membership. Now, Nintendo is introducing a paid component with the new $10 Big Block DLC. You get two new modes: "CPU Battle" lets you play 98 virtual opponents offline, while "Marathon" is just classic line-clearing action. Both are available offline, meaning you'll no longer need Switch Online to play it.
Read MoreNintendo fans, grab your diaries: the company has announced its plans for E3. The house of Mario will start with two tournaments, the Splatoon 2 World Championship and three-versus-three Super Smash Bros. Ultimate World Championship, on June 8th. It will then broadcast its now-traditional Nintendo Direct presentation on June 11th, at 12PM ET/9AM PT. The company says the video will focus "entirely on software," reaffirming what we already knew -- Nintendo has no plans to reveal a new Switch at the show. Instead, we expect the company to focus on Super Mario Maker 2, Pokémon Sword and Shield, and the new version of Link's Awakening.
Read MoreThe original Devil May Cry is coming to Nintendo Switch this summer. The game's official Twitter account made the announcement earlier this week, although no release date or pricing has been revealed. We do know, though, that the game will only be available as a download, with no physical release.
Read MoreNintendo keeps adding heavyweight game titles from years past to Switch Online, making the subscription service more and more tempting. Now, the service is adding three new games to its list: Donkey Kong Jr., VS. Excitebike and Clu Clu Land. They're joining other big titles from the NES and SNES era, including Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda, bringing the total number of games for Switch Online to over 40.
Read MoreHTC is continuing to widen access to its Viveport VR store. As of June 5th, all Windows Mixed Reality headsets will have access to Viveport, including its Viveport Infinity subscription service. Only about 200 of the 600 Infinity titles will work with WMR headsets out of the gate, but this should still significantly expand the catalog of titles you can try using Microsoft's official headset platform. Pony up for Infinity and you'll also get access to 'premium' material on Viveport Video.
Read MoreEarlier this year, a team inside NVIDIA took Quake II and ran it through its ray tracing system to see if the 1997 title could be gussied up. The resulting tech demo, shown off at GDC, received more than half a million YouTube views and more than a little hype. From June 6th, the company will allow people to play a limited version of the game — Quake II RTX — for free.
Read MoreLeague of Legends isn't just one of the biggest games on the planet, it's perhaps the most popular eSport too. Starting with the upcoming Summer Split of the League Championship Series (LCS) and European Championship (LEC), Riot Games will offer a way to watch matches from pros' points of view, and see everything they do, including mouse clicks and keystrokes.
Read MoreNVIDIA's Computex press event will likely represent big news for PC gamers. The GPU maker has posted a teaser on its GeForce YouTube channel hinting that "something super is coming." The brief clip only shows an embossed metal "super" logo, but that's enough to suggest that it could represent one or more souped-up graphics cards. If so, there might already be an inkling of what to expect.
Read MoreWindows 10's May 2019 Update includes one more notable feature: an overlay made just for gamers. Microsoft has detailed an Xbox Game Bar that provides quick access to controls and social features while you're playing. Invoke the Win-G keyboard shortcut and you can chat with Xbox friends (regardless of what platform they're using), look for groups, control Spotify tunes, capture media and livestream on Mixer. You can also customize the interface to provide quick access to those features you use the most.
Read MoreDota 2's hugely popular custom game mode Dota Auto Chess is set to get not one but two standalone spin-offs. Dota 2's publisher Valve made the announcement on its blog this week, noting that its developers loved the mod so much the company invited creators Drodo Studio for a visit to discuss how they could work together.
Read MoreWhen Beat Saber became available for the Oculus Quest on Day 1, it also left early access and entered stable release. For some of you, that might not mean anything at all: Its creator, Beat Games, says it's just a formality and that it released the full version for the PlayStation VR months ago with all the features it wanted in the first place. The full release makes the game identical across platforms, though, unifying all the versions for Steam, the Oculus Store and the PS VR. In fact, version 1.0 has just rolled out for the Steam platform.
Read MoreYesterday, Epic launched a "mega sale," offering games at up to 75 percent off and additional $10 credits for purchases over $14.99. It looked like Epic was preparing to go head-to-head with the Steam Sale, which is scheduled to arrive at the end of June. But by the end of the day, fans noticed two titles mysteriously vanished from the Epic Store, and the price of another seemed to increase.
Read MoreYou now have a date to add to your calendar if you're hankering to revisit World of Warcraft's early days. Blizzard plans to launch World of Warcraft Classic on August 26th in the Americas and the UK (August 27th in most other places). It'll be available to all regular WoW subscribers at no extra cost. If you missed the demo, you'll have more chances to play ahead of launch. "Select" WoW subscribers will get into a closed beta test that starts May 15th, while a trio of "focused" stress tests will begin May 22nd for veteran players who opt in.
Read MoreIt's not surprising to see Epic snapping up exclusives for its Games Store, but now it's making moves on crowdfunded titles. Mobius Digital has revealed that its space exploration title Outer Wilds (not to be confused with The Outer Worlds) will be a timed exclusive for the Epic Games Store, with other platforms "coming later." While that wouldn't be so much of a shock with a conventional release, many people pledged money to the Outer Wilds campaign in 2015 on the assumption they'd get it through Steam on launch day -- they now don't know how much longer they'll have to wait to play on their preferred platform.
Read MoreLeague of Legends has been online for nearly 10 years. During that time, it's competed with newcomers like Dota 2, PUBG, Overwatch, Fortnite and a slew of online first-person shooters, yet it's managed to remain one of the most popular games on the market, reporting 100 million monthly active players in 2016. One reason for this is the fact that League of Legends is free to download, with tiers of characters and items unlockable via microtransactions and playtime. However, a game can't survive for long if players don't stick around, which is why developers at Riot Games are constantly working on ways to evolve and enrich the League of Legends universe, both on and off the screen.
Read MoreTen years ago the original Ghostbusters: The Video Game debuted. Now, the game is being remastered for PS4, and according to the trailer released today, it should be available sometime this year.
Read MoreWith Borderlands 3 arriving in just a few months, it seems like a good time to start catching up on or revisiting Gearbox Software's FPS series. And, what do you know? Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is one of the titles Sony is giving away to PS Plus subscribers in June.
Read MoreAfter an hours-long looping stream of handprint silhouettes covering footage from the game, Sony has revealed more details about its upcoming PS4 blockbuster, Death Stranding, which arrives November 8th. The new trailer for legendary Metal Gear Solid director Hideo Kojima's latest creation is packed with gameplay footage.
Read MoreHideo Kojima's Death Stranding has so far existed as little more than a collection of strange cutscenes and brief gameplay snippets, but it's about to make considerably more sense... hopefully. Kojima Productions has teased a countdown to a news announcement on May 29th (May 30th in Japan). Just what you'll see is in the air, but the mention urges people to "create the rope" -- hopefully that line makes more sense after the unveiling.
Read MoreSony might have grander virtual reality ambitions for the PlayStation 5 beyond a headset and traditional controllers to let you play games Ready Player One-style in a body suit. It filed a patent for a VR glove with haptic feedback, and suggested it may even bring the tech to other clothing, meaning you could potentially "touch" an in-game item when you pick it up, feel every blow in Call of Duty or get a sense of what it's like to be sacked in Madden.
Read MoreSony's next-generation console isn't due to launch anytime this year, but the tech giant has been surprisingly generous with details. During a corporate strategy presentation, the company has listed all the information it has revealed so far, confirming yet again that the PS5 will have backwards compatibility. Since it has a similar architecture to the PS4, it will be able to play games designed for the current-gen console and will also be compatible with the current version of PlayStation VR.
Read MoreSony has revealed that the next-generation PS5 will have "immersive" gameplay and "seamless" PlayStation Now online performance thanks to "dramatically" improved graphics performance and a revamped cloud system. During a corporate strategy presentation, it also demonstrated the speed of the new console compared to the PS4 (in a video captured by WSJ's Takashi Mochizuki) , showing much snappier (ten times) loading and faster speeds with complex scenes.
Read MoreSony is no longer content to wait for media giants to produce shows based on its games. The company has formed a PlayStation Productions studio that will produce movies and TV shows based on games. Sony Studios will help distribute the material, but it's otherwise in-house -- it won't license brands like other gaming giants have in the past. The company's Shawn Layden told Hollywood Reporter that this wasn't just an opportunity to extend the experience of a game (and thus make more money), but also a chance to address Hollywood's notorious inability to translate games to the big screen.
Read MoreGod of War was one of the biggest games of last year. It was among the top ten best-selling titles of 2018 and it scooped up numerous plaudits, including the top prize at the Game Awards and a coveted spot among Engadget's favorite games of the year. Bringing the game to life took an immense effort, and it took Sony's Santa Monica Studio a long time to revamp the action-adventure series for PS4.
Read MoreA new take on Predator is coming to PS4. At yesterday's PlayStation State of Play, we learned that IllFonic, the studio behind Friday the 13th, is working on Predator: Hunting Grounds. Due out in 2020, the game is still in early development, but we know that it will be a competitive, online multiplayer experience. And it's being created by a team of Predator fans, loyal to the 1987 film and subsequent takes on the Predator universe.
Read MoreSince Sony is scheduling occasional live-streamed press conferences in the vein of Nintendo Direct instead of going to E3, it's time for the second State of Play. For this PlayStation event, the company has teased a new look at a game we've already heard about, MediEvil, as well as the first look at an unnamed PS4 title. Plus, unlike the first one in March this should only take about ten minutes. Otherwise, we're not expecting to hear anything more about the PS5, but you can watch the entire event and see what's unveiled right here when it begins at 6 PM ET / 3 PM PT. Update: It's over, and the biggest reveal was some new footage of the FFVII Remake.
Read MoreAfter nearly five years of being available only on Microsoft platforms, subscription gaming service EA Access is finally making the move to PlayStation 4. The service offers gamers previews of new EA titles, a sizable library of popular games and discounts on purchases. PS4 owners will be able to purchase a subscription for $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year through the PlayStation Store.
Read MoreBack in October when we reviewed it, Samsung's Galaxy Book 2 was the first device available featuring a Snapdragon 850 CPU. The 2-in-1 performed admirably for editor Cherlynn Low, completing tasks faster than the ASUS NovaGo's Snapdragon 835 could, while also delivering over 15 hours of battery life. The package includes a keyboard and S Pen which, combined with a vibrant display and gigabit LTE connection, earned the Galaxy Book 2 a respectable score of 83.
Read MoreIt's not unusual for leaks for spoil surprises to smartphone makers gearing up for a launch. What's less common is seeing a completely unannounced device pop up on Amazon and actually make its way to a customer. Oops. As at least one widely viewed hands-on video has already confirmed, the Moto Z4 is a real thing. For the unaware, it's a mid-range device from a company that excels at mid-range devices, and it packs a slew of more modern flourishes you won't find in Motorola's first, Verizon-exclusive, "5G-upgradeable" phone. It's also pretty short on thrills, though considering the Motorola we've seen in the US recently, that isn't much of a surprise.
Read MoreWe've heard Intel talk up its Project Athena program to provide long-lasting, high-spec laptops for months now, and the company finally shared the specifications a few weeks ago. Here at Computex, we're getting our first look at the initial slate of devices that are part of Athena, which include the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, HP Envy x360, an Acer Swift laptop and the Lenovo S940.
Read MoreHave you ever toiled on something, only for a rival to release something just days before your own effort is completed? No matter your intentions, the timing makes you look like a copycat. It's a fact that must rankle MSI, which spent four and a half years developing a laptop with a desktop CPU. Alienware may have gotten there first with its Area-51M, but MSI thinks that the GT 76 Titan is worth the wait.
Read MoreIntel surprised us last Computex with unique dual-screen prototypes like its Tiger Rapids device with an e-ink screen. This year, the company had even more concepts to show off at its technology open house. It showcased laptops from its Project Athena program and an intriguing Honeycomb Glacier idea that envisions different ways to make powerful laptops with integrated companion screens. Intel also gave us a glimpse at its new dual-screen prototype called Twin Rivers, demonstrating how its eighth-generation (and newer) processors are able to power such a resource-demanding device. As I played around with this prototype and Intel's other experiments, one thing became clear: The future of PCs is incredibly exciting.
Read MoreIntel's Open House event at Computex was filled with Project Athena devices, prototype demos, new chips and more, but the company's dual-screen prototypes were the ones that drew the crowds. Its new Honeycomb Glacier form-factor concept is for some of the most discriminating (and most PC buying-inclined) customers: gamers and creators.
Read MoreThe theme of Whose Line is it Anyway? is always the same: "Everything is made up and the points don't matter." That's what playing 'Trover Saves the Universe' is like -- but instead of funny Canadians, I was sworn at by a video game. You know, for fun.
Read MoreAcer's pro-grade family of laptops, ConceptD, is getting an upgrade already, less than two months since it broke cover. Following up on the company's promise of making a strong bid for the PC-buying dollars of high-end laptop users, the ConceptD 7 the first laptop we've actually handled that packs NVIDIA's new, powerful Quadro RTX 5000 GPU.
Read MoreIn 2019, OLED laptops are nothing new. ASUS even took this feature to the next level on its dual-screen ZenBook Pro Duo. At Computex, Gigabyte is the latest company to join the trend, with a refreshed Aero 15 featuring a Samsung 4K AMOLED panel, wrapped in a 3mm-thin bezel. Inside, you get up to a Core i9-9980HK octa-core CPU, up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU, DDR4 2,666MHz RAM and a speedy SSD. It's quite the beast. But what Gigabyte has been focusing on is the fact that every Aero 15 OLED has its screen tuned by X-Rite Pantone before leaving the factory, and with its 100-percent DCI-P3 gamut plus DisplayHDR 400 certification, this laptop is clearly designed with video makers in mind. Likewise, this is one of the very few laptops that feature a UHS-II SD card slot. This means you no longer have to whip out a dedicated card reader to reach full speeds -- up to about 300MB/s or at least three times faster than UHS-I cards. For on-the-go video editors and creatives, it's a very tempting feature.
Read MoreSuper Mario Maker single-handedly justified the Wii U's existence. Not only did it finally deliver on my childhood dream of designing my own Mario levels, it proved that the console's gigantic tablet could be genuinely useful. It's just a shame Mario Maker came too late in the Wii U's short lifetime to save it, which also drastically limited the amount of potential players. And while the portable 3DS version of the game was impressive, it was weighed down by the curious omission of online level sharing.
Read MoreIf you've been drooling over the Alienware Area 51m's sci-fi aesthetic, but wanted something a bit more compact, Dell has got you covered. The slim Alienware m15 and m17 are finally getting the company's new "Legend" industrial design, giving them the same light and dark case options as the 51m. Those new frames also include plenty of visual flourishes, like the rounded LED lighting around their rear ports and cleaner lines across the board. On the whole, they look a lot more modern than the last batch of slim Alienware laptops.
Read MoreI don't throw the word "perfect" around a lot, but that was honestly the best way to describe the latest XPS 13. But what if you wanted something more than a traditional laptop? That's where the new XPS 13 2-in-1 comes in. Like other convertibles, you can flip the screen all the way around to turn it into a large tablet. But while it brings over many of the hardware improvements from this year's XPS 13 -- a webcam above the screen and HDR displays -- it also takes Dell's XPS design to a whole new level.
Read MoreIt's only been about a year since ASUS introduced the ZenBook Pro with a touchscreen trackpad called a ScreenPad, and the company is already back with an updated version. To celebrate its thirtieth anniversary, ASUS unveiled a slew of intriguing laptops at Computex this year, as well as the ScreenPad 2.0, which will launch on an array of its notebooks as well.
Read MorePortable USB monitors are no stranger to Computex, but this year, ASUS brought us something a little more ambitious: the world's first 240Hz portable gaming monitor. The ROG Strix XG17 features a 17.3-inch 1,920 x 1,080 IPS LCD, and it's a high-end affair that offers an adaptive refresh rate of up to 240Hz, along with a 3ms response time. In fact, this is apparently the same speedy matte panel made available on ASUS' Strix Scar III and Hero III laptops. The monitor also comes with built-in stereo speakers, a magnetic kickstand flip cover plus an internal battery. The latter is good for three hours when maxed out at 240Hz, and it supports Quick Charge 3.0 plus USB Power Delivery.
Read MoreEvery once in awhile, a briefing pleasantly surprises me. And that's what happened when ASUS brought the new ZenBook Pro Duo to our office in New York last week to give us a preview prior to its Computex debut, today. It's hard to describe this bizarre-looking machine, but think of it as an almost dual-screen laptop. We're not talking about the fully dual-screen Project Precog notebook that ASUS unveiled last Computex, but the Pro Duo feels like the middle stage of an evolutionary process towards that dubiously glorious end.
Read MoreWhen you name a product Project Limitless, it better truly have no limits. But the 5G laptop that Lenovo so boldly named and teased here at Computex 2019 was precisely the opposite: limited. Granted, this was a prototype device that isn't entirely ready, but we still wanted to get an early preview of what it's promising when it launches. Lenovo and Qualcomm don't have many details to share, other than the fact that Limitless will use a Snapdragon 8cx chipset and support 5G connectivity.
Read MoreThe EV market is growing. More people are realizing that the majority of their drives don't stray far from the cities or towns they live in. While a robust charging infrastructure still isn't in place (unless you own a Tesla), topping up the battery at home and at work is typically enough to keep an electric vehicle on the road without range anxiety creeping in.
Read MoreWhat did Apple mean when it said it changed materials to improve the keyboard on 2019 MacBook Pros? You should now have a better idea. iFixit has torn down the laptop to reveal at least a pair of changes to the butterfly mechanism that might affect reliability. To start, the switch cover now appears to be made from polyamide (aka nylon) instead of polyacetylene -- it's not certain just how this improves the situation, but it's a conspicuous change. There also seem to be changes to the metal dome switch, possibly involving either a new alloy or heat treatment. The added resilience could prevent the switches from breaking or deforming due to wear and tear, heat or other common culprits.
Read MoreWhen Apple released the newest version of the MacBook Air back in October, Engadget editor-in-chief Dana Wollman was torn in her review. On one hand, the Air was a long-awaited refresh that many Apple fans had been looking forward to. On the other hand, the popular laptop was now only $100 cheaper than the entry-level MacBook Pro, while including many of the same features. Did the addition of TouchID and a sharper Retina display make up for a minimal selection of ports and a relatively low-powered processor? That depends on your priorities, and Dana ended up giving the Air a pretty favorable score of 84. Readers were more critical; the Air earned an average score of 75 on our user reviews page.
Read MoreBy law, I have to mention the 1990 Acura NSX before telling you about the 2019 NSX. It was a big deal -- supercars were supposed to be from Europe, not Japan. The NSX changed that with an outstanding vehicle that caught everyone's attention. People adored it, then Acura stopped it.
Read MorePeople have been arguing about the utility of robot vacuums for as long as there have been robot vacuums. Some feel they're just expensive gadgets with extensive limitations, while others see them as important steps toward a real-life Rosey from The Jetsons. While reviewing the Roomba i7+, Engadget's Devindra Hardawar thoughtfully weighed the pros and cons of iRobot's latest model, the i7+. It's quieter and offers a much-requested self-emptying feature, but it's also quite expensive and requires proprietary bags. Despite these trade-offs, it still earned a solid score of 87.
Read MoreStar Wars and virtual reality always seemed like the perfect mix. Long before the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive were released a few years ago, I was eager to slip on a VR headset, hop in a rusty smuggler ship and wield a light saber of my own. While we've seen a few stabs at Star Wars VR experiences, they've either been too simplistic or hard to access. But just as I was about to give up hope, along comes a guy cloaked in black, carrying a red light saber. It turns out, Darth Vader was my Star Wars VR savior.
Read MoreDriving fatigue can set in after just a few hours behind the wheel. Even when you're behind the wheel of some of the most luxurious vehicles in the world, you're going to want to pull over, stretch your legs and give your backside a rest. The same is true for the Audi A7. But while driving it, those rest stops were few and far between.
Read MoreMaster & Dynamic has been making some of the world's best-looking headphones since 2014. The company uses premium materials like leather and anodized aluminum for its high-end products, while the competition settles for cheaper plastic even on flagship models. Despite a lineup that boasts on-ear, over-ear, in-ear, wired, wireless and true-wireless options, M&D still hadn't entered a key category: active noise-cancellation. With the $499 MW65 introduced earlier this month, the company is making a belated debut, all while maintaining its premium style -- and premium price.
Read MoreMany video games are set in space. Most cast you as a human super-soldier or plucky science-type trying to untangle a truly terrible situation. Not Observation. The latest game from No Code, the Scottish studio behind Stories Untold, makes you play as a piece of artificial intelligence instead. It's a fascinating choice that changes how you move around the spaceship, solve basic puzzles and interact with the game's protagonist, a medical officer called Emma Fisher. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to live inside a computer, or hack your way through a modern spacecraft, this is the game for you.
Read MoreEver the pragmatist, my grandma always told me that a "third-class ride was better than a first-class walk." That may not be the case when it comes to dirt-cheap smartphones, which can be so bad that you almost prefer no phone at all. Companies like Honor are bucking this trend, building phones that make you feel like you're riding in first class with a third-class ticket. And that's the ethos behind the company's latest phones, dubbed the Honor 20 series.
Read MoreSony's WH-1000XM3 headphones are the gold standard for wireless, noise-canceling headphones. Not only are they comfortable, but they sound amazing. And while their biggest downside is the $350 price tag, Sony has a solution for that too. The company's new WH-XB900N Extra Bass headphones offer noise-canceling for $100 less than the flagship model.
Read MoreMicrosoft wants you to see Minecraft everywhere you look: a virtual tree on your lawn, a life-sized castle sticking through your house and an elaborate cave system hidden beneath your local park. This is Minecraft Earth, a free-to-play version of one of the most popular games ever made, rebuilt around augmented reality for the iPhone and Android. Similar to Pokémon Go, which popularized AR gaming in a massive way, it relies on your smartphone as a window into a virtual world. But unlike that game, Minecraft Earth is completely committed to the notion of augmented reality. You're not just running into a random Pikachu on the sidewalk, you're building elaborate Minecraft creations that everyone else can see. The title says it all: It's a planet-wide Minecraft takeover.
Read MoreIt's no secret that ASUS had been struggling in the smartphone world, but following the resignation of its previous CEO, the company has since shifted its focus from the masses to power users, with last year's ROG Phone already hinting at a new direction. That said, ASUS also needs to offer something that's less niche but still stands out from the crowd. This is where the new ZenFone 6 comes in: It's a flagship all-screen device with a flipping camera. It's an implementation once used by the likes of Oppo and Huawei years ago, and more recently, Samsung.
Read MoreApple's approach to digital video can best be described as slow and steady. While iTunes and the iPod effortlessly transformed the way we purchased and listened to music, it took the company years to figure out how to position the Apple TV. For the most part, films and TV were just additional categories in iTunes, which, as its name implies, was primarily focused on music. But now that Apple finally has a solid 4K set-top box, the next issue is helping people organize everything they have to watch.
Read MoreDespite being a hugely popular headphone brand, Beats has had one glaring hole in its wireless headphone lineup: true wireless earbuds. Thanks to a hint in iOS code, the Powerbeats Pro weren't exactly a well-kept secret, and as expected, they carry the latest Apple tech that's also found inside version 2.0 of the AirPods. At $249.95, the Powerbeats Pro is near the top end of the true wireless spectrum price-wise, and its over-the-ear hook design isn't for everyone. However, the combination of features and sound quality makes quite the impression.
Read MoreIt's been six months since OnePlus released the 6T with an unusual dewdrop notch and in-display fingerprint reader. As the first OnePlus phone to get a US carrier deal (through T-Mobile), the 6T was met with mostly positive reviews. Engadget senior editor Richard Lai even called it a "no brainer for those seeking a stylish flagship Android phone." Despite lacking a headphone jack and being saddled with a slow fingerprint reader, the smartphone's exceptional camera, long-lasting battery and AMOLED screen performed well enough for Richard to award it a solid score of 89.
Read MoreAmid all the drama in the full-frame mirrorless camera world, Fujifilm quietly unveiled the world-beating APS-C sensor X-T3, last fall. With an all-new 26.1-megapixel X-Trans 4 backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor, it was a major improvement on the X-T2 in speed, autofocus capability, ergonomics and, especially, video. Then, to further press its advantage on Sony, Fujifilm subsequently launched the X-T30 with the same sensor and image quality as the X-T3, for $600 less. Despite that price gap, the X-T30 is packed with features. It has full APS-C 4K video, shooting speeds up to 30 fps and AI-powered face- and eye-detection autofocus. All of that is squeezed into a lightweight, well-designed body that's ideal for travel and street photography. You can't have everything, though, so the X-T30 is missing some features found on its higher-end sibling. To find out how it would fare against rivals, like Sony's A6400, I took it for a spin on the streets of Paris.
Read MoreThe action camera space has a new player: DJI. Today, the company revealed Osmo Action ($349), its first ruggedized, compact shooter. The Osmo Action, which is designed to compete with GoPro's Hero line, features a 1/2.3-inch sensor capable of capturing 12-megapixel photos, 4K and 4K HDR video. It also comes with electronic image stabilization (EIS), which is going to come in handy during your adventures. But what really makes the Osmo Action stand out are its dual displays: There's a 2.25-inch touchscreen on the back and a 1.4-inch on the front, the latter of which has 800 nits of brightness that will help it be useful in direct sunlight.
Read MoreWell, here's a surprise. After GoPro trod on DJI's foot with its ill-fated Karma drone, DJI is stomping right back with a rugged camera of its own -- the Osmo Action. It looks like a GoPro, is similarly priced ($349 -- $51 cheaper) and pretty much goes toe-to-toe with the Hero 7 Black on key specs. Can DJI pull off what GoPro couldn't, and give its rival a run for the money? We'll get to that, but at the very least, the king of action cams has a new challenger to fend off, and that can only be a good thing for video-loving action fans.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Good morning, there! We've test-driven Mercedes' luxurious EV, reviewed the just-released OnePlus 7 Pro and heard about a dual-screened gaming laptop. We need a little more convincing on that last one.
Read MoreThe interior of the EQC is quiet. Well, it would be if the rain would let up. But the whir of electric motors has all but been eliminated from the cabin. Mercedes actually created subframes to detach the powerplants from the main body of the car. The automaker might have built an electric SUV in the EQC 400 4Matic, but first, it made sure it built a luxury vehicle worthy of its three-pronged star logo.
Read MoreIf you can get your hands on the OnePlus 7 Pro -- one of two flagship phones released today -- one of the first things you'll notice is that it's done away with the front-facing notch camera. Instead, OnePlus opted for a pop-up camera. And to prove just how durable it is, the company released a video of the camera lifting a 49.2-pound block of cement.
Read MoreOnePlus can be funny. Sometimes, the company reveals top-notch smartphones with minor flaws. Other times, new devices land with new features that were a flop. The 6T I reviewed earlier this year is a prime example of the latter: OnePlus' first in-display fingerprint reader wasn't very responsive, and even though I was a fan of the dewdrop-notch design, the phone's selfie camera often took blurry shots. Today, OnePlus makes another attempt, and it's more ambitious than ever. For the first time, the company is releasing two flagship models simultaneously: the OnePlus 7 and the larger OnePlus 7 Pro. I've spent the last five days living with the $749 maxed-out OnePlus 7 Pro (with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage), and yes, with its $669 base price, it's the most expensive phone ever from the company. Still, this is easily my favorite OnePlus phone to date, and if all goes well, it may even end up being my favorite smartphone of the year.
Read MoreSure, foldable phones are intriguing, but have you considered foldable laptops? Lenovo has clearly been thinking about the concept for awhile, and today, it's ready to unveil an early preview of its latest experimental efforts. At its Accelerate conference in Florida, the company showed off the world's first foldable PC prototype, and we got to check it out at a recent briefing in New York.
Read MoreIt's not hard for us to guess what the oil vape in your pocket looks like. If it's a 510, chances are it looks pretty much like every other 510 in existence. Even the new generation of vapes with specialized pods all tend to look reasonably the same. But the Stone from Hanu Labs doesn't look like any that's come before it.
Read MoreBeep. Beep. Beep! The constant refrain of an unhappy Tamagotchi. Or any Tamagotchi, really. '90s kids learned to both love and dread that sound when the egg-shaped Japanese toy hit American shores over twenty years ago. And, while Tamagotchi never really went away, most people left it behind in favor of more robust smartphone simulations like Pokémon Go and Neko Atsume. Now Bandai has a new creature built for the smartphone era, one that stays true to its roots as a single serving device but also includes a boatload of connectivity, so you can get super social with your virtual pets.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. The weekend is a perfect time to catch up on everything announced during Microsoft's Build 2019 conference and Google's I/O event. Of course, the news wasn't all Android Q and Windows 10 -- check below for other highlights from the last week.
Read MoreThough he's well-known around the Engadget office for being a Chromebook enthusiast, deputy managing editor Nathan Ingraham found little to recommend about Google's Pixel Slate. It would appear, given the responses from our user reviews page, that many real-world owners feel the same. Despite having a lovely 12.3-inch display, a comfortable keyboard folio and solid battery life, the Pixel Slate floundered on the software side: Its poor implementation of Android apps ultimately earned it an embarrassing score of 69. However, the Pixel Slate owners in our user reviews section were a bit more forgiving, giving it an average of 77.
Read MoreLuxury vehicles are expensive. German luxury vehicles are very expensive. Sure, you get bottom-of-the-barrel trim on the cheapest fancy car, but typically that means you end up longing for the models that are the next level up. The Mercedes A-Class changes that.
Read MoreNow that Google has come back to the midrange phone market, the folks at iFixit have peered inside the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL to see what you do (or don't) get for your money. Just like their more expensive Pixel 3 counterparts, both of these pack Samsung OLED displays, as well as the same rear facing camera. However, expensive hardware items like the Pixel Visual Core chip, wireless charging coils and waterproofing bits aren't in there. If DIY work interests you, some of the changes seem to make these more modular and potentially easier to repair, but for the most part they are what they appear to be, with components and well-established designs that aren't on the bleeding edge of tech, but will work just fine. Whether you're a big fan of headphone jacks, hate smartphone prices that approach or surpass $1,000 or just want to replace a USB-C port without sending your device in for repair, there's something to appreciate about Google's newest phone family.
Read MoreThe Android Q beta 3 is here, and like the first public beta of this OS, there's not much to get excited about. This beta doesn't offer the meatiest update, but it is our first look at some of the user-facing features coming to Android Q. Things like Dark Mode and full gesture navigation are here, but more exciting highlights like Live Caption and Focus Mode are both missing. You can try the beta yourself if you're not afraid of potentially buggy software, and if you own one of the 21 handsets that will work with it. That's double the number of devices that supported the beta last year.
Read MoreWhen NVIDIA unveiled RTX ray-tracing GPUs for laptops, a lot of new models launched: 40 of them in all. Origin, a company best known for its customized models, tried to separate itself from the pack with an interesting hook. Rather than releasing a 15.6- or 17.1-inch model like everyone else, it unveiled something in between -- the 16.1-inch EVO16-S. While packing a bigger screen, it's just as thin and no heavier than most 15.6-inch laptops, but much lighter than any 17.1-inch model. Packing up to a 9th-generation Intel six-core CPU and GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU, it crams in top-flight gaming performance and ray-tracing, to boot. The EVO16-S is also pretty well-priced compared to rival models with smaller screens, so let's find out how it measures up.
Read MoreIt used to be that if you wanted flagship level-specs and a large screen at a lower price, your only option was a OnePlus phone like the 6T. But now you have another option: Today Google announced the Pixel 3a XL. It makes some sacrifices in processing power, but it still delivers a great camera and decent screen. And it has a headphone jack! To see how the specs stand up to the 6T, as well as the more expensive Galaxy S10+ and iPhone XS Max, check out our table below. And, if you want the full scoop on this new budget handset, check out our full review.
Read MoreFrom the moment Google's Pixel 3 and 3 XL went on sale, us reviewers were largely in agreement: The phones' software was far more impressive than the hardware. Fair enough; Google is still pretty new at this "making its own devices" thing. But somewhere along the way, things took a turn. Shortly after launch, we started hearing about a litany of issues plaguing those Pixels, from increasingly sluggish performance to worrying battery life to camera-stability problems. It's not clear whether any of these failings specifically led to the disappointing sales Alphabet spelled out in the company's most recent earnings call, but they surely didn't help. So, what does a company like Google do when its flashy, premium smartphones aren't doing so well? In this case, the answer wasn't "launch some new flagships so everyone forgets about the last ones." Instead, Google decided to take the fundamentals of the Pixel experience and squeeze them into two new, affordable spinoffs: the $400 Pixel 3a and $480 3a XL. I know what some of you are thinking: Taking a phone with a shaky track record like the Pixel 3 has and stripping it down to its bare bones could be problematic. And on paper at least, it doesn't seem like the Pixel 3as should be all that interesting; they're cheaper versions of devices we've already seen, designed to appeal to people who don't want to drop $750 on a smartphone. After testing the Pixel 3a XL for a week, though, I'm starting to think Google might be onto something here. Yes, it's more limited in some ways, but those limitations never, ever felt like dealbreakers. If nothing else, the 3a XL is a surprisingly capable take on the Pixel formula that, in some ways, proves to be more valuable than either of the models that came before it.
Read MoreI was surprised by how much I liked last year's Google Home Hub. The 7-inch smart display won me over with its beautiful screen and adorable design. It was also popular with other reviewers, who praised its clever Assistant features, affordable price and Photos integration. This year, Google has a bigger, more powerful model: the Nest Hub Max. Unveiled at the company's I/O developer conference today, the Hub Max is a 10-inch display that looks like a stretched-out Home Hub. But there are a few other differences besides the size that make it more useful than the smaller version.
Read MoreIf you're in the market for over-ear, wireless headphones, you've probably noticed how pricey they can get. Good over-ear models can often set you back two or three hundred dollars, if not more. But budget-minded music lovers may be in luck: Urbanears just released a new line of Bluetooth, over-ear headphones for $149.99.
Read MoreWelcome back. Ahead of this Monday morning, you might have missed our attempts to bake a pickle-infused sweet treat (science!), as well as the fact that one of the most popular areas in Fortnite is no more. We also give guidance on which smart doorbells are worth your time.
Read MoreWho needs the Rift S, really? That's the question I kept asking myself as I tested out the latest PC VR headset from Oculus. It's not a sequel to the original Rift, which helped kick off the modern VR era in a spectacular way. And even calling it an incremental upgrade isn't quite right -- there's some new tech, like built-in sensors, but it's also worse than the Rift in some ways. So while the $399 Rift S could be a good option for a VR newcomer with a gaming PC, it might make more sense just to find a discounted Rift.
Read MoreWhen photographer and Engadget editor Steve Dent spent some time with Nikon's full-frame mirrorless Z6 model last December, he found it was a serious competitor to Sony's exceptional A7 III. The 24.5-megapixel sensor, 1080p shooting capability and 5-axis in-body stabilization all earned the Z6 points. However, the single card slot, limited lens selection and slow autofocus tracking were drawbacks. The Z6 still wrangled a solid score of 89, with Steve saying it was "bested only by the A7 III."
Read MoreVirtual reality devotees scoffed at the introduction of Google Cardboard five years ago: Why would anyone settle for such a limited, feeble-looking piece of paper when "real" headsets were on the horizon? But Cardboard was never about competing with Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. Instead, it was a way to give non-early adopters a low-cost taste of immersive technology. Years later Cardboard has faded into the background as the VR scene has taken off, but Nintendo never forgot about the promise of low-tech VR. Labo VR builds on both the initial ideas of Cardboard and the inaugural Labo sets to create a unique, endearing and most important, playful experience.
Read MoreBorderlands 3 is achingly familiar. It's as if Gearbox distilled the grimy, viscous essence of Borderlands into a crisp new game highlighting the core aspects of the franchise, battle royale be damned. As most studios are focused on adding online multiplayer modes and social features galore to their games, Gearbox is going back to basics. When it comes out on September 13th, Borderlands 3 will have four-player online co-op, and it'll also support local, split-screen multiplayer for up to two people. It has more than 1 billion guns, comic-book-inspired visuals, new narrative arcs with famous in-game folks, customizable skill trees and heaps of enemies to mow down. Perhaps most importantly, every scene is dripping with crass sarcasm.
Read MoreResearchers have spent years trying to teach robots how to grip different objects without crushing or dropping them. They could be one step closer, thanks to this low-cost, sensor-packed glove. In a paper published in Nature, a team of MIT scientists share how they used the glove to help AI recognize objects through touch alone. That information could help robots better manipulate objects, and it may aid in prosthetics design.
Read MoreIn 2015, Buddy the social robot first appeared on Indiegogo. Nearly four years and $657,000 later, the friendly robotic companion has yet to ship to any of its backers. Now the creators of Buddy, Blue Frog Robotics, are reaching out to backers to apologize for the extended delay and ask for more money to finally bring Buddy to fruition, with the ultimate goal of shipping by April 2020.
Read MoreAt the start of 2019, supermarket chain Giant Food Stores announced it would begin operating customer-assisting robots -- collectively dubbed Marty -- in 172 East Coast locations. These autonomous machines may navigate their respective store using a laser-based detection system, but they're also outfitted with a pair of oversize googly eyes. This is to, "[make] it a bit more fun," Giant President Nick Bertram told Adweek in January, and "celebrate the fact that there's a robot."
Read MoreIt's all well and good having a virtual assistant like Alexa or Siri in your lounge, but they make for a pretty useless robotic companion when it comes to shifting a sofa or getting a heavy box from a cupboard. MIT CSAIL has a solution in its sights though, and has developed a robot that can help lift things by studying a human's biceps.
Read MoreImparting vision upon machines has been a massive, multi-decade undertaking by the scientific community. And while the acuity of today's state-of-the-art computer systems can match or exceed a human's high-resolution optical anatomy, training these machines to understand what they're looking at is still a labor intensive task. But thanks to the work of Dr. Pawan Sinha, Professor of Vision and Computational Neuroscience at MIT, and his Project Prakash (Sanskrit for "Light"), we may have stumbled upon a faster and far more efficient method of machine learning. Also, thousands of congenitally blind children in India have had their vision restored, so there's that.
Read MoreRobots with dog-like talents are nothing new, but it's not exactly practical to buy one that can do more than the basics. The new Aibo is cute, for instance, but not very athletic. A group of Stanford students might have a better solution. They've created Doggo, a four-legged bot that can dance, backflip, jump and trot without requiring exotic hardware. The mechanical canine is made of readily available supplies that achieve the intended acrobatics at minimal cost -- less than $3,000. Instead of using springs to bounce around, it uses force-sensing external motors that continuously determine the levels of force and torque needed for each movement. If the robot's ever out of position, the motors are ready to counteract.
Read MoreIt's difficult to make an insect-like flying robot -- realistic four-winged bots are typically too heavy, while lighter two-winged models tend to fly erratically. USC researchers have edged one step closer to the dream machine, however. They've created Bee+, a four-winged bot (pictured at right) that flies with more of the agility and poise of real insects while weighing just over 0.003oz. The trick was to drop earlier bimorph actuators, cantilevers made of two layers of piezoelectric material with a passive layer in between, with unimorphs that only have one piezoelectric layer. The four actuators combined weigh half as much as bimorphs would at just under 0.002oz, reducing the wing loading and significantly improving control.
Read MoreThere was outrage and disbelief earlier this year when the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) -- the organization behind the major CES annual tech show -- revoked its Robotics Innovation Award from women's sex toy Osé.
Read MoreWhether it's a meditation app or looking at puppy videos, much of today's technology focuses on replacing your negative feelings with positive ones. But what if you want to act on all your feelings of anger, sadness and anxiety -- in a healthy way? Going off the idea that facing negative emotions head-on can be good for a person's well-being, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University created "cathartic objects" that are designed to be hit, stabbed and even sworn at. Lead by researcher Michael Luria and co-authors Amit Zoran and Jodi Forlizzi, the team presented their paper on the cathartic objects at the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems held this month in Glasgow.
Read MoreAll Lego Boost kits have the power to teach kids (and kids at heart) how to bring machines to life with coding, but the latest one has an edge over previous sets. The new Star Wars Boost kit has the adorable R2-D2 in its corner, supported by two other recognizable machines from the franchise: the mouse and the Gonk droids. It comes with 1,177 pieces that can be used to build the three droids, as well as a Bluetooth Move Hub that kids can insert into the figure they want to control.
Read MoreFor the first time, a drone has delivered a kidney to a transplant patient who had waited eight years for a donor. The organ was carried on a short, 10 minute, 2.7 mile test flight from Baltimore's St. Agnes Hospital to the University of Maryland (UMD) medical center, and successfully transplanted a few hours after the delivery. "There's a larger purpose at stake," said UMD engineering dean Darryll J. Pines. "It's ultimately not about the technology; it's about enhancing human life."
Read MoreA momentous thing is happening in New York City today: They're finally fixing the subway! Just kidding, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is rolling out contactless payments for select stations and bus lines. (Because that will address overcrowding, broken air conditioners and aging signal systems!) We already knew that Apple, Google and Fitbit's payment systems would each be supported, and today we're learning that Samsung is a-go too. If Samsung's press release seems light on details, that's because it's the MTA that's charting a course toward a new system that only uses contactless payment methods. The agency's plan is called One Metro New York, or OMNY for short, and today's limited roll-out represents just one early step. The big milestone for 2020 will be enabling mobile ticketing through a forthcoming OMNY app. That move alone would help bring the MTA in line with other public transportation systems, including New York's own Metro North and Long Island Railroad. Looking further ahead, in 2021, the MTA plans to issue a new card that's meant to ultimately replace the yellow swipeable one we use today. That will be available at unspecified retail locations to start, and will expand to vending machines in subway and commuter rail stations by 2022. And, if all goes according to plan, the MTA will retire the swipeable card in 2023. For now, OMNY is only available on Staten Island buses and 4, 5, and 6 stations between Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center and Grand Central. Again, you can use it with other payment systems too, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Fitbit Pay. It'll also work with contactless credit and debit cards. Check it out if you're so inclined, and remember: be safe, don't look anyone in the eye and avoid the pole-dancing rats.
Read MoreSamsung released two new USB Type-C power delivery (PD) controller chips for power adapters, SE8A and MM101. The chips included built-in security safeguards and are able to communicate with devices that meet USB-PD 3.0 specifications to deliver the optimum power for each device. With up to 100W-charging, they support fast charging on power-hungry products like laptops and tablets, too.
Read MoreThe Galaxy Home smart speaker hasn't hit stores yet, but that hasn't stopped Samsung from working on a miniature version of the Bixby-powered device. As spotted by CNET, a smaller version of the Galaxy Home was revealed in an FCC filing released on Tuesday. The "mini" will use Bluetooth 4.2, which may disappoint Samsung Galaxy S8 owners who are used to the newer Bluetooth 5.0 standard on their phones. Also notable is that the smaller Galaxy Home connects by micro USB, instead of the USB-C which has become standard on most new devices.
Read MoreYou don't have to spring for the Galaxy Watch Active to put Samsung's latest software features on your wrist. The company is rolling out an update that brings the Active's One UI interface, health features and other optimizations to the regular Galaxy Watch, Gear S3 and Gear Sport. You should now have a livelier, easier to parse interface that matches One UI on more recent Galaxy phones. There's more control as well, with settings that can toggle waking on touch, the Goodnight mode and the frequency of Daily Briefings. Some of the Active's watch faces are also available to download if you've been pining for them since the newer wearable's February premiere.
Read MoreSamsung will decide about a new US launch date for the Galaxy Fold by tomorrow, according to a report from the Korea Herald. In response, a company spokesperson in the UK told Engadget in a statement that it's still planning to announce the date "in the coming weeks." CEO Dong-jin Koh told the Herald that it "has reviewed the defect caused from substances [entering the device] and we will reach a conclusion [about the launch] today or tomorrow." When the Herald asked whether the phone would launch this month, Koh replied that "we will not be too late." If the company can't launch the device by May 31st, it could be forced to refund US pre-orders for the $1,980 device.
Read MoreFor a short while, the future looked rosy for the Samsung Galaxy Fold: so many people pre-ordered the $1,980 foldable smartphone that the company had to stop taking registrations as they'd sold out.
Read MoreScientists hope to perfect a new blood test that can detect the early signs of eight different types of cancer. Thrive Earlier Detection, a company founded by three Johns Hopkins cancer researchers, has raised $110 million from investors in order to bring ts early screening tool CancerSEEK to market, reports MIT Technology Review. Known as a "liquid biopsy," CancerSEEK works by detecting genetic mutations in tumor DNA and protein markers in blood plasma that are implicated in cancer.
Read MoreIt turns out headphones are the perfect product to showcase the potential for growing electronics. The typical set has a mix of plastic, leather and mesh -- not the most environmentally friendly ingredients. To prove that we could swap those out for yeast, mushrooms and other microbe-grown materials, Finish design studio Aivan created headphones made from bioplastics and microbe derivatives.
Read MoreWe've lost some parts of our natural world. Swathes of plants and animals have been consumed by evolution, shifting climates or the often-damaging expansion of humankind.
Read MoreFor the first time ever, researchers have detected chemical traces of red pigment in an ancient fossil. The discovery, which was published today in Nature Communications, was made using advanced X-ray imaging techniques applied to an exceptionally well-preserved fossil of a 3-million-year-old extinct species of field mouse. It presents a potential breakthrough that could help scientists better reconstruct animals that have long ceased to roam the earth and improve our understanding of evolution.
Read MoreOn May 20th, World Metrology Day, the scientific community will officially change the definition of the kilogram. For 130 years, the kilo has been defined by a physical cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy, known as Le Grand K and stored in a vault outside of Paris. But every time scientists handled it, the cylinder lost atoms -- an estimated 50 micrograms over its lifetime. So, beginning Monday, the kilogram will officially be measured by a physical constant known as the Planck constant.
Read MoreA UN chief is concerned that a Cold War-era nuclear 'coffin' could be leaking radioactive material into the Pacific. The concerns are both alarming and oddly similar to the plot of Shin Godzilla -- including the part about it being the US's fault.
Read MoreA new study from Stanford's School of Humanities and Sciences has found that augmented reality (AR) experiences significantly affect people's behavior in the real world, even after they've taken the headset off.
Read MoreCO2 levels on Earth have officially hit 415 parts per million (ppm), according to readings taken at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawai'i. That's the highest level since homo sapiens came onto the planet, meteorologist Eric Holthaus tweeted, and represents an increase of 15 ppm over just the past three years. "We don't know a planet like this," Holthaus said.
Read MoreDoctors normally resort to bacteriophages (bacteria-killing viruses) to kill antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" only when they've run out of options, in part because it's difficult to find the ideal example. It can take months or more just to find a viable candidate. However, they might have a faster solution -- researchers have successfully used genetically modified viruses to treat a chronic, resistant infection in a teenage girl who otherwise faced a bleak prognosis following a lung transplant.
Read MoreRoy Orbison has been dead since 1988 but that didn't stop him from going on a North American tour last winter. Nor has it stopped Whitney Houston, Ronnie James Dio and the Notorious B.I.G. -- or at least their estates -- from reincarnating these deceased celebrities as holographic projections. And this is just the start. The technology is already seeping into sports, porn, even political campaigns. But is holographic technology the future of communications and entertainment or is it an exploitative sideshow leveraging the likenesses of dead celebrities for the profit of their heirs?
Read MoreThe US apparently has a unique approach to minimizing bystander casualties from drone strikes: replace the warhead with old-fashioned knives. The Wall Street Journal has learned that both the CIA and the Pentagon have been using a variant of the Hellfire air-to-ground missile, the R9X (aka "Ninja bomb"), that deploys six blades moments before impact to cut through virtually anything in its path, including buildings and cars. The idea is to take out a terrorist leader or a similarly prominent target without risking the lives of nearby civilians.
Read MorePharmaceutical giant Gilead has agreed to release its exclusive patent to manufacture and sell the HIV-prevention drug Truvada. This means we could see a generic version of the pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) on the market earlier than expected. The news is seen as a win for individuals who may be at a greater risk of contracting HIV.
Read MoreWe're drowning in plastics. That's why the world's brightest minds are trying to find a way we can effectively deal with plastic waste and make sure we don't add more in the coming years. Now, researchers from the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have created a plastic material that's fully recyclable. It's called poly(diketoenamine) or PDK, and it can be disassembled at a molecular level and then reassembled into another object with a different texture, color and shape again and again "without loss of performance or quality."
Read MoreIf you played Pokémon video games extensively as a kid, there's a good chance that a specific region of your brain gets fired up when you see the characters now. In a recent study, researchers from Stanford University showed test subjects hundreds of Pokémon characters. As you might expect, the brains of longtime Pokémon fans responded more than those unfamiliar with the game. But what's more surprising is that, in all of the fans, a specific brain fold responded, an area just behind the ears, called the occipitotemporal sulcus.
Read MoreArchaeologists use satellite photos to spot potential archaeological sites, but urban sprawl and other human development has erased many traces of ancient civilizations. To get around that, Harvard's Jason Urs and Emily Hammer from the University of Pennsylvania figured out how to effectively go back in time to when the land was less despoiled. They dug up and archived a trove of U-2 spy photos from the '50s and '60s, eventually finding ancient canals and "desert kite" stone structures built in northern Iraq by the Assyrians up to 8,000 years ago.
Read MoreYou probably weren't expecting a feel-good nature report from the UN after its alarming findings on climate change, and you won't get one. The organization's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has published a summary of an upcoming study that concludes nature is declining at a pace "unprecedented in human history," and that there are "grave impacts" likely for people around the world. While the finer points of the report aren't available, it makes certain grim facts clear.
Read More350 parts per million. That's the figure scientists agree is the "safe" upper limit of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Beyond that point, it's increasingly likely that our planet will become inhospitable for the humans that cling to its surface. Crops will fail, sea levels will rise and millions, if not billions, will die in catastrophic weather events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Mauna Loa Observatory reports that levels have now reached 409.9 parts per million.
Read MoreThe US Air Force just edged closer to its goal of outfitting aircraft with laser weapons. Testers at the White Sands Missile Range have successfully shot down multiple air-launched missiles using the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD), proving that it can hold up under intense situations. While SHiELD is currently a ground-based behemoth (see below), the finished technology should be portable and rugged enough to be used aboard aircraft.
Read MoreA breakthrough in studying light might just be the ticket to the future of quantum computing. Researchers at EPFL have found a way to determine how light behaves beyond the limitations of wavelengths, opening the door to encoding quantum data in a sci-fi style holographic light pattern. The team took advantage of the quantum nature of the interaction between electrons and light to separate beams in terms energy, not space -- that let them use light pulses to encrypt info on the electron wave and map it with a speedy electron microscope.
Read MoreWelcome to Hitting the Books. With less than one in five Americans reading just for fun these days, we've done the hard work for you by scouring the internet for the most interesting, thought provoking books on science and technology we can find and delivering an easily digestible nugget of their stories.
Read MoreAlthough I haven't had any formal training as a chef, I consider myself an above-average eater. So when I was presented with a whipping siphon -- the ruffian responsible for the foam craze that once plagued high-end restaurants and now appears in trendy cocktail bars -- I was confident my taste buds would make up for my lack of what you might call skills. It all started earlier that week when I'd learned how to use the siphon from James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Michael Laiskonis. At Manhattan's Institute of Culinary Education, he'd demonstrated how to make his famous three-component pre-dessert from Le Bernardin called the Egg.
Read MoreA recent paper published in International Journal of Behavioural Biology found a novel way to make people more generous. All it takes is some eyes. Researchers found by sticking eye images on charity donation jars in a supermarket resulted in people giving 48 percent more compared to standard, undecorated buckets. The findings could indicate a way to get people to respond more positively in certain situations, including reacting to robots.
Read MoreThere's a chance you've seen a movie car or two if you've visited a convention, but the Petersen Automotive Museum's offering should be more... elaborate. It's opening a "Hollywood Dream Machines" exhibit that will showcase 40 vehicles from sci-fi games and movies. Some of them are practically expected, like the DeLorean from Back to the Future, Deckard's sedan from Blade Runner and a lightcycle from Tron: Legacy. Others, however, are harder-to-see items like the GM Ultralight from Demolition Man as well as Lexuses from Black Panther and Minority Report. And how many times are you going to see life-size recreations of a Warthog from Halo or a Sparrow from Destiny?
Read MoreBioengineers are one step closer to 3D printing organs and tissues. A team led by Rice University and the University of Washington have developed a tool to 3D print complex and "exquisitely entangled" vascular networks. These mimic the body's natural passageways for blood, air, lymph and other fluids, and they will be essential for artificial organs.
Read MoreIt has been more than a month since Samsung announced a delay in launching its Galaxy Fold, and we still don't have a new release date. A few weeks ago, exec DJ Koh said "we will not be too late" and representatives indicated a date would be announced in the coming weeks but there has been no official update since then. Now Korean media outlets like Yonhap and The Korea Herald report, based on anonymous industry sources, that the flexible device won't launch next month either. While company officials maintained that a new launch date will be announced in a few weeks, Yonhap has heard that stabilizing the hardware quality in its units is taking longer than expected. It also apparently has to recertify the device for use with mobile networks, which may give more people in the industry a look at the process. Another official quoted mentioned that Huawei's US problems and their impact on its foldable Mate X could give Samsung more time to work out any issues. The FCC deadline for Samsung to either cancel preorders for the nearly $2,000 device or obtain consent for the delay is Friday, and it doesn't seem like we'll see anything official before then. All the reports indicate that Samsung still plans to release the Fold, it just might be a little later in the year than they were hoping.
Read MoreThe first wave of 5G devices carried a high premium, but MediaTek is working hard to ensure that budget handsets aren't left behind. The company has announced a new 5G-compatible system-on-chip that will offer decent performance and 5G connectivity to lower-end devices. The elegantly-named Integrated 5G SoC combines MediaTek's M70 5G modem with Arm's Cortex-A77 CPU and Mali-G77 GPU.
Read MoreMotorola hasn't formally announced its upcoming Z4, but someone already got their hands on it and has shared specs as well as first impressions. YouTuber and Redditor JETFIRE007 ordered the handset when Amazon listed it for sale early, and the retailer, incredibly, delivered it a couple of days later. Yikes.
Read MoreApple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is less than a week away, but if you just can't wait to get a glimpse of the changes coming to iOS, you're in luck. 9to5Mac posted screenshots showing off some of the new features expected to appear in the upcoming iOS 13, including Apple's new Dark Mode and redesigns to some of the company's first-party apps.
Read MorePrivate music listening might not be a solitary affair on iPhones in the future. A Mac Otakara rumor has claimed that the next iPhone will support streaming Bluetooth audio to two devices at once, similar to what you find on recent Samsung phones and a handful of other devices. A friend could listen to the song you're playing without having to share your headphones or use speakers, for instance.
Read MoreTikTok's owner ByteDance may have grander ambitions than chat apps and streaming music -- Financial Times tipsters have claimed that the company is working on its own smartphone. The device would draw on acquired patents and talent from Chinese phone maker Smartisan, and would unsurprisingly come loaded with ByteDance apps. The rumor didn't include specs or a launch schedule, although founder Zhang Yiming had supposedly "long dreamt" of a phone, according to one source.
Read MoreARM isn't boasting about PC-crushing performance like it did in 2018, but it still has plenty of swagger going into Computex 2019. The designer has unveiled two new chip architectures that promise giant strides in performance, especially for AI. The Mali-G77 GPU touts 40 percent faster overall graphics than the G76, and a whopping 60 percent increase in machine learning speed. Your phone could handle computer vision, device optimization and similar tasks far more gracefully. The G77 might also avoid killing your battery when it's 30 percent more energy-efficient and uses 40 percent less bandwidth.
Read MoreIn another blow to Samsung's Galaxy Fold, Best Buy announced that it's canceling all current Galaxy Fold pre-orders. That's not entirely surprising given all of the drama around the Fold and the lack of concrete details from Samsung. But Best Buy could be the first of several retailers to make the call. Samsung itself is canceling pre-order for people who don't confirm that they still want one by May 31st.
Read MoreIt hasn't even been two full weeks since Google's 3a and 3a XL were released to the public and some users are already reporting phone-breaking bugs. According to users on a number of forums like Reddit and Google support pages, the new handsets suffer from an issue that causes random shutdowns throughout the day. Users have to perform a hard reset to bring their phones back to a working state, but in some cases, the problem persists. Engadget has reached out to Google for more information and will update this story if we hear back.
Read MoreStarting tomorrow, customers in select cities can preorder Sprint's first two 5G devices -- the LG V50 ThinQ 5G and HTC 5G Hub. They'll be available in Sprint's first four expected 5G markets -- Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Kansas City -- by May 31st. And in the next few weeks, they'll hit Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, DC. Sprint's announcement suggests its on track with its goal to launch 5G in those cities this spring.
Read MoreSony has revealed when you'll be able to get your hands on its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1. It goes on sale in the US July 12th for $950.
Read MoreIt's no secret that Motorola is working on a foldable phone. According to Sina Tech, Lenovo shared a video with media today that shows the new, RAZR-like phone in action -- Engadget has since learned the video was an edited fan render Lenovo was using for a press demo. The video offers a glimpse of the device folding in half and opening flat.
Read MoreApparently, lifting a 49-pound block of cement by the OnePlus 7 Pro's pop-up camera wasn't the only publicity stunt the company has planned for its new phones. Today, Robert Downey, Jr. shared a photo of himself holding a 7 Pro and standing in front of a McLaren on his Weibo page. "Good to work with a technology brand I can vibe with," he wrote.
Read MoreWhen Samsung said it was delaying the release of the Galaxy Fold to fix its design issues, it didn't really say how it would address the flaws. You might have a clearer idea after today, though. Yonhap News claims Samsung will tuck the protective display layer into the body, preventing users from peeling it off under the mistaken belief that it's an everyday screen protector. It will also block the gaps at the top and bottom of the hinge to prevent debris from wrecking the foldable display, according to the South Korean news outlet.
Read MoreSamsung has revealed the Galaxy S10 5G will go on sale in the UK June 7th, initially on Vodafone and EE, and it'll be available in its majestic black and crown silver finishes. Pre-orders will open on May 22nd, though pricing is not yet clear.
Read MoreWe don't often highlight mid-range smartphones these days, but when we do, there's a good reason. Following yesterday's flagship OnePlus 7 Pro, today we have yet another Chinese phone, the Realme X, with a pop-up selfie camera. But it was actually the design that caught our attention: the X comes in a "Garlic Edition" and an "Onion Edition," both of which are the work of Muji's iconic designer, Naoto Fukasawa, who is also known for his quirky Infobar phones. According to Realme, these final looks came after 72 gradient tests plus over 300 prototypes.
Read MoreWe're not even halfway through 2019, but Motorola already has a handful of notable hardware launches under its belt. For its next trick, the Lenovo-owned brand is trotting out a fascinating, inexpensive smartphone — the Motorola One Vision — for markets around the world. Normally, we wouldn't fuss much about a mid-range Motorola phone, let alone one we can't buy, but the One Vision is so unusually ambitious that we can't help but pay attention.
Read MoreOnePlus has marched out an entire new family of phones for the first time, starting with the OnePlus 7 through to the OnePlus 7 Pro and a 5G-primed device imaginatively titled the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G. While the Pro model might be the head turner (and you'll hear more about that later), the OnePlus 7 does what the company has always done: field an attractive capable device for hundreds of dollars less than the cutting-edge smartphones from Samsung and Apple. There's no pricing on the OnePlus 7 in the US, but in the UK it'll cost £499 (roughly $645) with 6GB of RAM and 128 gigs of storage, when it launches next month -- specific date still TBC.
Read MoreHTC is dead serious about its foray into crypto-phones. Today, the Taiwanese company announced the Exodus 1s, a cheaper version of the Exodus flagship that was launched last year. We don't know much about the mid-range device beyond its price -- somewhere in the $250 to $300 region, according to a spokesperson -- and its release date, which is currently slated for "the end of Q3." The basic specs, including its processor, display and camera setup, are all a mystery for now.
Read MoreAt last year's developer conference, Google gave us our first taste of Android Pie's gesture-based navigation system. It was, uh, pretty rough: the classic, three-button navigation scheme was replaced with a back button, a "pill" and a handful of swipe gestures that, to me at least, never felt particularly elegant or natural. Thankfully, Allen Huang, Google's product manager for Android's system interface, explained it was always meant to be a transitional step and never meant for it to last "in its current form" for more than a year.
Read MoreSamsung has leapt ahead of Sony in the smartphone megapixel wars with the launch of the ISOCELL Bright GW1, the world's' first 64-megapixel sensor for smartphones. The chip, while packing more resolution than Samsung's current 48-megapixel sensor, will use the same .8-micrometer-sized pixels. That means it'll be physically larger and have more light-gathering capability.
Read MoreGoogle left people in the dark regarding Android Pie's adoption for more than half a year, but it's finally lifting the curtain -- and Pie is doing better than its predecessors. Updated stats supplied to VentureBeat show that 10.4 percent of active users were using Pie after eight months. That may not sound like much, but it took about 10 months each for Oreo and Nougat to reach the 10 percent milestone. Google's efforts to spur Pie's uptake appear to have paid off, even if it's not a night-and-day difference.
Read MoreIn interviews leading up to this week's Google I/O event, the head of Google's Pixel division faced questions about foldable devices. Talking to CNET, Mario Quieroz acknowledged "We're definitely prototyping the technology. We've been doing it for a long time." Google's announcement last fall that Android would natively support foldable phones should've shown that it's at least considering the technology, however the question of when, or if, it should offer a product is hard to answer. Talking to Business Insider, the exec said that the technology will be important, but Google doesn't have anything to announce right now. For Samsung, jumping out of the gate with its Galaxy Fold has a number of potential benefits, since if the segment becomes popular it can license the underlying hardware technology to others. For Google, it makes more sense to wait and see if anyone can actually build a working device before investing heavily in something it's not sure people will want at the current price. That's why it's unveiling the midrange Pixel 3a this week instead of a $2,000 device that might not last an entire week.
Read MoreIt's only May but we're already getting new a Pixel phone, just in time for Google I/O. But this release isn't a full-fledged Pixel 4, which we'll probably see this October. Instead, it's the 3a, a slightly stepped down version of Google's flagship with a discounted price to match. How stepped down is it, exactly? We've lined up all the important details about both the 3 and 3a as well as 2017's Pixel 2 to see what corners got cut. However, to see if it's really worth your time and money, we recommend giving our review of its larger sibling a peep.
Read MoreGoogle's worst-kept secret in a long time is now official: meet the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. As expected, both phones are mid-tier devices aimed at people who want the Pixel line's photographic chops (not to mention a 'pure' take on Android) without the flashier hardware of the high-end Pixel 3. You still get the single 12.2-megapixel rear-facing camera along with Google's AI photography tricks (such as HDR+ and portraits), but they're now attached to more modest phones. There's 'just' one 8MP front-facing camera, no Pixel Visual Core, slightly lower-resolution displays, plastic bodies (without wireless charging or water resistance) and a Snapdragon 670 instead of the Snapdragon 845 from the flagships.
Read MoreApple's plans to expand support for mass transit now appear likely to hinge around its next big iOS 12 update. Tap Down Under has found code within iOS 12.3 that hints at support for EMV payment cards (think credit cards like AmEx, Mastercard and Visa) within Apple Pay Express Transit, letting you pay for public transportation fares in New York and other areas where EMV is an option. You could set a preferred card for transportation if you don't want to use your usual card for subway rides.
Read MoreDon't expect OnePlus to slap water and dust resistance ratings on its phones any time soon. Co-founder Carl Pei has posted the company's rationale for declining to get an IP rating. The company wanted to do things based on "what you really need" rather than the industry, Pei said. An IP rating would be the "simplest" way to prove resistance, but OnePlus figured it was better to show what phones can "bring to you in real life."
Read MoreGoogle's Pixel 3a XL has been spotted at a Springfield, Ohio Best Buy, removing any remaining mystery about what the search giant is about to announce. The handset was seen in its packaging by an Android Police tipster in plain view (but under glass) in both of the previously leaked colors, "Purple-ish" and "Just Black." The sighting all but confirms the imminent launch and availability of the device, expected to happen on May 7th at Google's I/O event.
Read MoreThe next entry of Motorola's Z series has likely been revealed, as noted leaker Evan Blass tweeted out these shots of the Moto Z4. Matching specs and a smaller picture that leaked earlier, the Z4 shown here features a teardrop front-camera design, single-lens rear camera setup, with a headphone jack and no visible fingerprint sensor. It's also visibly ready for Moto Mods, which right now notably gives Moto Z3 owners the only way to have a 5G-capable smartphone in the US. The specs posted by 91Mobiles suggest that's because this phone will include an in-display fingerprint scanner, as well as a 48 MP rear-camera that uses Motorola's Quad Pixel tech to deliver a higher quality 12 MP image and Google Pixel Night Sight-ish "Night Vision" abilities. It also listed a Group Selfie mode for the 25 MP front camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 CPU and 3,600mAh battery. It's not intended to keep up with a flagship phone like the Galaxy S10 family and will likely cost half of the price. but if it really does arrive with an older-generation CPU and single-lens rear camera that likely lacks tricks like OIS, we'll need to know exactly how much it costs to tell if it's competing with upper tier mid-range devices like the highly-anticipated OnePlus 7 series that we expect will feature triple lenses in the rear, a bigger built-in battery and a more powerful CPU
Read MoreIf Google wanted to preserve what few secrets were left about its Pixel 3a phones, it's probably out of luck. Droid Life has obtained images and extensive feature lists for both the 5.6-inch Pixel 3a and its 6-inch 3a XL counterpart, including what appear to be graphics for the devices' promo website. It's now virtually certain that they'll come in purple (described in one leak as "Purple-ish") in addition to the usual black and white options, and they'll come with photographic perks of the high-end Pixel 3 like Night Sight.
Read MoreAfter Facebook refused to take down a doctored video of Nancy Pelosi that made her appear drunk, the House Speaker went on the attack. She said that the social media network's willingness to leave up an obviously false video shows it wasn't an innocent victim of Russian intelligence, as it had claimed. "I think [Facebook] have proven -- by not taking down something they know is false -- that they were willing enablers of the Russian interference in our election," Pelosi told KQED News.
Read MoreTwitter has a longstanding problem with white supremacists on its platform, but is banning those racists the best option? Not necessarily, if you ask the social network. The company told Motherboard that it's researching how white supremacists use Twitter, and whether it would be better to ban them outright or keep them on to de-radicalize them through "counter-speech and conversation." The company can't say much about the study as it's working with academics bound by non-disclosure deals, but the aim was to see "what actually works," according to Twitter's Vijaya Gadde.
Read MoreTwitter will start letting broadcasters on its app open up their livestreams to guests, similar to what it brought to Periscope in February. The new feature, which is now rolling out to Twitter's iOS and Android app, is going to allow up to three people to call into your live videos during a stream, making it easy for them to ask you questions or just have a conversation with you about anything that may be on your mind.
Read MoreFacebook wants to make reporting bugs as easy as shaking your phone. In fact, that's all you'll have to do. Thanks to a new feature, when you encounter a bug, you can simply shake your phone and file a report through a pop-up menu that will appear on the screen.
Read MoreParents are poisoning their children with bleach to 'cure' autism. These moms are trying to stop it. Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News Don't believe everything you read on the internet, especially in 2019. An autism "cure" is currently making the rounds in Facebook groups that advises parents to give children bleach to remedy the condition. This is completely untrue -- there is no cure for autism -- and some moms are going undercover to fight back.
Read MoreSnapchat is reportedly looking to make it easier to incorporate music into its ephemeral messages, so users don't have to resort to using tricks and loopholes. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is currently seeking broad rights to Universal Music Group's, Sony Music Entertainment's and Warner Music Group's catalogs. Snap typically secures song licenses on a case-by-case basis only, but if any of the deals it's pursuing pushes through, then it'll permanently be able to offer a wide variety of tracks as background.
Read MoreInstagram's video platform, IGTV, will now feature videos in landscape view along with its traditional portrait format. The addition of horizontal videos isn't just a new feature for IGTV -- it's a shift in the product's original purpose. The company originally hoped that sticking to a vertical, hard-to-reuse format would force creators to come up with new content just for the app rather than just repost YouTube videos.
Read MoreSnapchat has deleted Naughty America's account and taken down the X-rated AR lenses it debuted this week. However, the porn studio isn't backing down quietly, as it's distributing the source files and directions for the lenses, and encouraging fans to build their own versions.
Read MoreTikTok's owner, ByteDance, has jumped into the wide world of messaging apps. The company has released Flipchat (aka Feiliao), an "interest-based social app" for Android and iOS that combines the usual chats and video calls with a social network-style feed, chat groups and forums. While you can communicate like you would in other chat apps, the emphasis here is on participating in a community. If you're a fan of a movie, you can discuss it in a myriad of ways.
Read MoreIt's not shocking to see Twitter bots latch on to a political campaign, but it's not often they do so soon after a campaign starts -- let alone on a large scale. That appears to be the case with the UK's Brexit Party, however. The no-deal EU withdrawal party is only a few months old, but researchers talking to BuzzFeed News found that many of its Twitter accounts are networks of bots and other inauthentic users. The exact amount isn't clear, but F-Secure's Andy Patel noted that over 8,800 users -- roughly 7 percent of the party's Twitter base -- were both recently recreated and disproportionately responsible for retweeting party material.
Read MoreFacebook is once again changing up the News Feed. The company announced Thursday two ranking updates to the algorithm that drives the News Feed. One is meant to prioritize a user's closest friends, and another the links they'll find most relevant. Changes are nothing new to the much-maligned News Feed. In recent months we've seen updates to how videos are ranked, new tools to detect clickbait and the demotion of certain ad-filled websites.
Read MoreStories are an increasingly important part of Instagram, and the social network wants to be sure you see more of them. It just unveiled a revamped Explore tab that will feature personalized Stories recommendations. You won't have to track down a specific person (or rely on the carousel on your home feed) to watch ephemeral videos. The feature will roll out in the "coming weeks," Instagram said, so don't worry if you don't see Stories right away.
Read MoreIt looks like Instagram is killing its standalone Direct messaging app and laying it to rest very soon. Social media consultant Matt Navarra and a few reviewers on the application's Google Play page have reported getting a notification that says Instagram will no longer support the Direct app "in the coming month." It didn't mention an exact date for Direct's demise, only that your conversations will automatically be transferred to the main Instagram app -- the move won't actually delete your DMs with friends.
Read MoreNearly every social media platform has introduced tools to stop the spread of misinformation around vaccines. The latest change comes from Twitter. Now, when users search for vaccine-related content, they'll first see a link to vaccines.gov, which is run by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Twitter announced the change in a blog post late last week.
Read MoreToday, Facebook announced two changes that could make it easier to manage your publicly visible info. First, Facebook is bringing back the "View As Public" feature that allows users to preview their profiles as they appear to the general public. The company is also adding an "Edit Public Details" button directly on profiles.
Read MoreJust one day after coming under fire for inconsistent practices in its handling of misinformation about vaccines, Instagram told Engadget that it will block hashtags that surface "verifiably false" information regarding vaccinations. The new policy will extend Instagram's ban policy to hashtags that may seem unrelated or innocuous but are used to spread debunked claims.
Read MoreTwitter has released its latest transparency report, covering July-December 2018. During that time, it suspended 166,513 accounts for promoting terrorism. It said 91 percent of them were identified by internal systems, and the figure is 19 percent lower than in the previous six months. The company suggested there's a steady decrease in terrorist groups trying to use the platform, party due to its "zero-tolerance policy enforcement." It noted that, in most cases, it takes action against these accounts while people are setting them up and before they ever post a tweet.
Read MoreEver sent a Facebook friend a greeting through Stories? Facebook is making that much easier to do with a new feature that levels up its birthday reminders and poses a challenge to the greeting card industry. Birthday Stories takes you to an interface where you can easily create a card by adding a photo, a video or a written greeting for the celebrant. The cards will be visible for 24 hours like other Stories, and the recipient will be able to control who can see them -- sort of a like a mixed-media slideshow made especially for them.
Read MoreWith the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup drawing closer, fans of the US Soccer Women's National Team have one more way to show their support. The creatives at Nike have put together an AR Lens that slaps a team jersey on you, and of course links to Nike.com for a quick purchase. The USWNT soccer Lens will only be available tomorrow, May 9th, and the timing is close enough that users can snag a jersey in time for the team's "Send-Off Series" of matches begin on the 12th against South Africa, followed by Belgium and Mexico. Meanwhile, Snapchat is trying to deal with its identity crisis, but Lenses people like and using its login to power a popular new quiz app could help change the story.
Read MoreLess than a week after banning Alex Jones and other far-right extremists, Instagram has revealed that it is working on a new policy for account removals. These upcoming guidelines, which the company told Engadget will start rolling out "soon," are going to change how Instagram determines when an account should be removed from its app. Right now, it relies on a policy that allows "a certain percentage" of violations within a window of time before it decides to ban someone, but Instagram says this can create leniency for users who post often. Basically, the more an account posts, the higher the number of violations they're allowed. You can see why that would be problematic.
Read MoreWhile Instagram has made it easy for users to report posts that may violate its policies, there hasn't been a way for people to contest those decisions. But that will be changing soon. In a media briefing in New York City, the company said it is going to start rolling out a new appeals feature over the next few months. This will give users the chance to request a review of content that was taken down, all from inside the app. Instagram says that, if it realizes it made a mistake, it'll restore posts. Any appeal will be sent to a completely different reviewer than the one who made the original decision, in order to ensure that the posts are thoroughly inspected.
Read MoreAs of today, Twitter users can include GIFs in their retweets. Users can also include up to four photos or a video. The update is rolling out on iOS, Android and mobile.twitter.com, and accounts like @GameOfThrones and @NASA are already putting it to the test. It's a function many Twitter users have called for and just one of several recent changes the platform has made.
Read MoreFacebook wants to make it easier for filmmakers to grow their audiences and for viewers to connect with content creators. To do so, over the coming months, Facebook will change how it ranks videos. It will give more weight to videos based on their originality, intent and viewing durations. In a press release, the company said this will affect how videos are distributed across platforms like News Feed, Facebook Watch and Facebook's video recommendations.
Read MoreA one-time YouTube star is facing the consequences of apparent abuse of his audience. A judge has sentenced acapella cover producer Austin Jones to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in February to receiving child porn. The internet personality admitted encouraging six girls, including one who was 14 years old, to produce sexually explicit videos to show they were his "biggest fan." He'd also acknowledged using Facebook on about 30 other instances to ask underage girls to send explicit photos and videos, and told some targets that these were part of a "modeling opportunity," according to the Department of Justice.
Read MoreWhen it comes to spreading President Trump's false and misleading remarks, Twitter is a perfect storm. A study by Media Matters found that when tweeting about Trump's statements, major news outlets include false information 30 percent of the time. And 65 percent of the time, news outlets fail to provide corrections or context in the body of those tweets. That's especially troublesome given that so many people get their news via tweets and headlines and do not fully read most stories, where they might find more context.
Read More2014 was a year of reckoning for online news media. Following increasingly fractious and aggressive behavior by users, a number of marquee organizations threw their collective hands up and shut down their comments sections. Within weeks of each other, Recode, The Week, USA Today and Reuters joined with Popular Science and The Chicago Sun-Times in announcing that they would be shuttering their public forums in favor of holding those discussions on other social channels.
Read MoreTinder is rolling out a new feature for summer music festival-goers looking for romance. The popular hookup app announced a "Festival Mode" that will let users sort through matches who are attending the same music festival. If you opt-in, your Tinder profile will receive a badge identifying you to other festival-goers.
Read MoreAmidst announcements of a new Messenger, a new Facebook app and new VR headsets, the company snuck in a quieter, less flashier update: it's now allowing creators to make and publish their own AR effects and filters on Instagram. Right now, the only Instagram camera effects you see are made entirely in-house. Thanks to Facebook opening up its Spark AR Studio tool to Instagram, however, you might eventually see all kinds of AR effects made by, well, pretty much anyone.
Read MorePaul Allen's space company, Stratolaunch Systems Corporation, is reportedly closing down its operations. According to Reuters, the company is shutting up shop, but it's also exploring the possibility of selling its assets and intellectual property. A spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the report, telling Engadget that "Stratolaunch remains operational" and that it "will provide an update when there is news to share."
Read MoreThe first batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites has been orbiting Earth for about a week, and now SpaceX has released a status update on the mission. According to a spokesperson, "all 60 satellites have deployed their solar arrays successfully, generated positive power and communicated with our ground stations." The statement didn't directly mention concerns by astronomers about their brightness and visibility, but Elon Musk already has, and they aren't expected to reach their full altitude for three to four weeks. According to SpaceX, "observability of the Starlink satellites is dramatically reduced as they raise orbit to greater distance and orient themselves with the phased array antennas toward Earth and their solar arrays behind the body of the satellite." Parabolic Arc notes that during a speech at MIT this week, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell mentioned four of the units had unspecified problems, while today's update said "most" are using their Hall thrusters to reach operational altitude and have already made contact with their broadband antennas, but all of them have maneuvering capability to avoid each other and other objects.
Read MoreNASA has edged one step closer to fulfilling its dreams of returning to the Moon. The agency has chosen its first three commercial Moon landing service providers, each of which will carry NASA-supplied science and technology missions as part of the Artemis Moon program. The first, OrbitBeyond, will deliver up to four payloads to the Moon's Mare Imbrium by September 2020 thanks in part to a $97 million contract. Astrobotic is receiving $79.5 million to send as many as 14 payloads to the Lacus Mortis crater by July 2021, while Intuitive Machines will get $77 million in return for flying up to five payloads to the Oceanus Procellarum "dark spot" in a similar time frame.
Read MoreThe 50th anniversary of the human race's first trip to the moon is fast approaching, and Lego is marking the milestone with a NASA Apollo 11 lunar lander set. It'll be available June 1st for $100.
Read MoreAs helpful as SpaceX's Starlink satellites may be, they could be a pain for astronomers. The Harvard-Smithsonian Center's Jonathan McDowell and others have observed that the internet satellites are bright enough to cause a "problem" for astronomy, and the eventual constellation of roughly 12,000 satellites could complicate humanity's view of the night sky. It would triple the number of satellites in orbit, CNET noted, forcing telescope operators to account for the objects.
Read MoreWelcome to Hitting the Books. With less than one in five Americans reading just for fun these days, we've done the hard work for you by scouring the internet for the most interesting, thought-provoking books on science and technology we can find and delivering an easily digestible nugget of their stories.
Read MoreNASA has awarded space technology company Maxar a $375 million contract to develop the first Lunar Gateway segment that's flying to space. Maxar, which (according to Ars Technica) now has bragging rights for being the initiative's first commercial partner, will work on the lunar orbiting outpost's power and propulsion element. That component will provide the station's power, maneuvering capabilities, altitude control, communications systems and initial docking capabilities.
Read MoreAfter a pair of scrubbed launch attempts last week, SpaceX's first rocket loaded with 60 Starlink satellites has successfully taken off from Cape Canaveral. One hour and two minutes after the 10:30 PM ET launch the satellites are scheduled to begin deployment, heading toward their operational altitude of 550km above the Earth. The 227kg units will use Hall thrusters and energy pulled in from a single solar array to form a network that provides internet access around the globe. The rocket's first stage has already landed safely on a waiting drone ship -- this was its third flight -- and having a reusable booster will be key to launching all the satellites required. Plans SpaceX filed with the FCC said it intends to have 12,000 of the Starlink units in orbit by the mid-2020s, providing internet connections capable of up to 1Gbps even in rural areas.
Read MoreFederal investigators believe a quality assurance engineer responsible for inspecting parts for SpaceX had been falsifying reports. The engineer works for New York-based PMI Industries and is accused of forging signatures on at least 38 inspection reports for parts intended for use in SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. Authorities also found at least 76 parts that were rejected or not inspected but shipped to SpaceX anyway.
Read MoreTo say that SpaceX was unhappy with losing out on the US Air Force's rocket development contracts would be an understatement. The company has sued the US government under claims that the Air Force "wrongly awarded" contracts to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman and United Launch Alliance. The military branch handed out offers to the competition despite their "unproven rockets" and "unstated metrics," while allegedly ignoring SpaceX's own real-world record. The company had completed numerous missions with its Falcon rockets, according to the lawsuit, but was deemed "highest risk" because of its largely untested Starship.
Read MoreYou probably won't visit Mars for a long time, if ever. You might have a way to go in spirit, though. NASA has introduced a "Send Your Name" campaign that will put your name on the Mars 2020 rover, leaving a long-term record of your name on the Red Planet. It won't be easy to read -- JPL is using an electron beam to etch over a million names on a dime-sized chip -- but you will get a "boarding pass" to prove that your name is Mars-bound.
Read MoreNASA just inched closer to having robots take care of spacecraft. The agency recently completed its first hardware checkouts for Bumble (above), one of three Astrobee robots that will research automated caretaking aboard the International Space Station. The bot won't float on its own until later in the spring, but it should be good to go -- including for automated recharging at its docking station, Kibo.
Read MoreEarly this year, China's Chang'e-4 lunar lander made history when it became the first spacecraft to touch down on the far side of the moon. Now, according to a study published in Nature, the lander's rover, Yutu-2, may have detected the first signs of lunar mantle material. If the minerals it found prove to be part of the moon's mantle, the discovery could help scientists better understand how both the moon and the Earth formed.
Read MoreBack in February, NASA released the clearest images of Ultima Thule -- the Kuiper Belt object New Horizons got close to in a flyby, which makes it the farthest world we've ever explored. Now, the New Horizons team has published the first scientific results of the data the spacecraft beamed back, giving us more information on the ancient remnant of an era when our Solar System's planets were still in the midst of forming.
Read MoreNASA has revealed its efforts to create a human landing system shortly after it announced the Artemis lunar exploration program. The space agency has teamed up with 11 private space companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, to conduct studies and build prototypes of a lander that can carry astronauts to the surface of the moon. NASA is awarding the companies a total of $45.5 million to work on the project over the next six months under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships program.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Good morning! Black Mirror is returning for its fifth season, and there are trailers to watch. Meanwhile, we're raving about the FujiFilm X-T30 camera, and SpaceX is trying to launch more stuff into space.
Read MoreSpaceX already revealed more about how its Starlink internet-providing satellites will work, and now it has to put the first 60 in space. According to Elon Musk, this is the heaviest payload ever for SpaceX, and each launch will "deliver 1 terabit of bandwidth to the Earth." The launch window is scheduled to open within the hour at 11 PM ET / 8 PM PT, and as usual, will be live streamed. The booster SpaceX is using has already flown twice, highlighting the Falcon 9's reusable capabilities, and it's scheduled to once again land on a droneship at sea after the launch. The window for launch is open until midnight ET, and if the launch doesn't occur for some reason, the same window will be available on Thursday evening. At last check, all systems and weather were go, you can expect the live stream to begin at around 10:45 PM ET. Update: Just as the stream came on around 10:45 PM, SpaceX announced tonight's launch has been scrubbed due to excess upper level winds. As mentioned above, there is a backup window for Thursday night between 10:30 PM ET and midnight.
Read MoreEarlier this week Elon Musk gave us a sneak peek at Space X's Starlink internet satellites before they're propelled into orbit. We can already see that it's a bit of a squeeze for the 60 production satellites inside the Falcon 9 rocket faring, so we know they're pretty flat-pack. Now, SpaceX has revealed a little more about how they actually work.
Read MoreAfter a poster on NASASpaceflight.com uploaded pictures of another Starship vehicle (f.k.a. BFR) under construction in Florida -- to go along with prototypes being built in Texas -- Elon Musk explained what's going on. The CEO tweeted that "SpaceX is doing simultaneous competing builds of Starship in Boca Chica Texas & Cape Canaveral Florida." He said the plan is to find out which location is the most effective even if the answer "might be both." Still, if the plan is to get these on the moon ASAP -- with other billionaires making plans for lunar travel as we speak -- doubling up on production seems like a good idea. For now, SpaceX's next launch is scheduled for tomorrow to launch 60 of its Starlink internet satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket.
Read MoreThe Large Magellanic Cloud is what Austin Powers might call a quasi galaxy, just one percent the Milky Way's size and orbiting it like a hanger-on. At a distance of 163,000 light-years from Earth, you might think it would take a space telescope like Hubble or a huge observatory to do it justice. But the 204-megapixel image above, showing the Magellanic Cloud in incredible, colorful detail, was shot by a small group called Ciel Austral using a telescope in Chile just 160mm (6.3 inches) across.
Read MoreThe Trump administration isn't convinced the $10.7 billion set aside for space exploration in the proposed 2020 budget is enough to help put astronauts on the Moon by 2024. The President has submitted an amendment to the fiscal 2020 budget that would add another $1.6 billion. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine characterized the additional money as a "down payment" that would fund a lunar landing system, Orion, Space Launch System, "exploration technologies" and robotic explorers at the Moon's poles.
Read MoreThis might be your best chance to get a peek at SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites before they're hurtled into orbit. Elon Musk has posted a photo (below) of the first 60 production satellites packed into the fairing of a Falcon 9 rocket ahead of their launch this coming week. As you can tell, the housing is stuffed to the gills -- Musk added that the satellites are "flat-packed," without the dispenser you might expect for some missions.
Read MoreWere you fortunate enough to watch the Apollo 11 Moon landing as it happened, or know someone who did? NASA wants to hear from you. It recently launched a story program that asks the public to submit audio recordings of their Apollo 11 memories in a bid to create an oral history of the event in sync with its 50th anniversary. All you have to do is record a story or interview (shorter ones are preferred, email it and details to a special address (apollostories@mail.nasa.gov) and check your inbox in case NASA wants a follow-up. There are suggested questions if you're not sure what to ask.
Read MoreVirgin Galactic's deal with New Mexico entails moving its commercial spaceflight activities to Spaceport America when its vehicles and operations are ready for primetime. Looks like the company is nearly there, because, Sir Richard Branson and company have decided that it's time. Virgin Galactic has announced that its "program had advanced sufficiently to move the spaceline staff and space vehicles from Mojave, California to [its] commercial operations headquarters at Spaceport America, New Mexico."
Read MoreAs SpaceX and Boeing continue with their commercial crew space race, Boeing posted this video showing a test of the parachutes on its Starliner vehicle. The plan is for the crew to parachute down in the American southwest after departing the ISS aboard Boeing's spacecraft, and keep it in good enough shape to be reused up to ten times. We've seen video of similar tests for the SpaceX Dragon capsule, and even close-up images of the Starliner crashing down on its airbags. The spacecraft's first uncrewed flight test has been pushed back repeatedly and is now on the schedule for August -- while we hope we never see these features deployed, they're important to test before anyone actually takes a ride in the thing.
Read MoreThe current US government relishes the thought of bringing business to space, and it's now eager to make deals with countries that share the same dreams. The US has signed a memorandum of understanding with Luxembourg in a bid to cooperate further on space exploration, research and, to no one's surprise, a "business-friendly regulatory framework." Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister Étienne Schneider didn't mince words when talking about the pact -- his country is eager to make asteroid mining a reality, and the US relationship could be an "important step forward" in making use of those resources.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Happy Friday! This morning, we've got Nike's augmented reality-powered sneaker-fitting app, our new guide to all the parenting tech you might need (and everything you don't), and a new $80 AirPods rival.
Read MoreBlue Origin is building a lunar lander aptly called the Blue Moon. Jeff Bezos has announced his space company's shared goal with NASA to go back to our planet's fateful companion in the next few years at an event for media and space industry executives. There, the tech exec has also revealed that Blue Origin is developing a new engine called BE-7 with a 10,000 lbf thrust, strong enough to power the rocket that's ferrying the lander and its large payloads to space. Its first test fire could happen as soon as this summer.
Read MoreAirbus might just make it easier to use the growing treasure trove of high-res satellite imagery. The aerospace giant has launched a space tech startup, UP42, that promises to make satellite (and drone) image data accessible to individuals and small shops. In addition to providing the imagery itself, the fledgling firm offers "ready-to-use" algorithms that can do everything from detecting clouds to revealing changes like new buildings and shrinking forests. You wouldn't have to bend over backward to use overhead photography in an app, even you're on a relatively tiny budget.
Read MoreA SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft successfully made its way to the International Space Station (ISS), with approximately 5,500 lbs of NASA cargo and science experiments. It launched Sunday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and it arrived today, joining five other spacecraft currently docked at the station.
Read MoreIn May 2018, Opportunity had been doing science on Mars since 2004, and there was no reason to think that the plucky rover wouldn't carry on. Then, a dust storm hit that completely obscured the planet from view. After fine dust coated Opportunity's solar panels, the rover apparently lost power and was declared dead by NASA in February 2019. Now, scientists think similar storms may have also delivered a coup de grace to water on Mars, stripping it from its surface for good.
Read MoreJapan can finally include itself among the ranks of countries with successful private spaceflight outfits. Interstellar Technologies has successfully launched its MOMO-3 sounding rocket into space, with the vehicle easily crossing the Kármán line (62 miles in altitude) before splashing into the Pacific. It's a modest start -- the rocket only stayed aloft for 8 minutes and 35 seconds -- but it's also a relief after Interstellar's previous two attempts ended in failure.
Read MoreThe Hubble Space Telescope has been capturing tons of space images since it entered orbit in 1990. Now, NASA has put together a mosaic photo using 16 years' worth of data to create one of the widest views of the universe we've ever seen. The image, called Hubble Legacy Field, was created from 7,500 individual exposures captured in wavelengths spanning from ultraviolet to near-infrared light by 31 different programs.
Read MoreA SpaceX official confirmed Thursday during a press briefing that one of the company's Crew Dragon capsules meant for crewed spaceflight was destroyed, according to CNBC. The update from the company confirms reports that followed the failed April 20th test. SpaceX has yet to provide more details about the incident other than to say it was the result of an "anomaly." The company still moving forward with a plan to launch another Crew Dragon capsule that is set to dock with the International Space Station.
Read MoreWhen the launch of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory and Glory missions failed in 2009 and 2011, the agency said it was because their launch vehicle malfunctioned. The clamshell structure (called fairing) encapsulating the satellites as they traveled aboard Orbital ATK's Taurus XL rocket failed to separate on command. Now, a NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) investigation has revealed that the malfunction was caused by faulty aluminum materials. More importantly, the probe blew a 19-year fraud scheme perpetrated by Oregon aluminum extrusion manufacturer Sapa Profiles, Inc., which Orbital ATK fell victim to, wide open.
Read MoreNetflix's terrific '80s wrestling saga GLOW is crashing back onto to our screens August 9th. The ten-episode third season of the comedy-drama promises even more neon than ever, as the grapplers turn Sin City into Suplex City.
Read MoreSpotify appears to be working on a "Social Listening" feature that will let multiple users control a playlist from separate devices. They'll also be able to listen to the same songs in real-time. The company hasn't announced the added capability yet, but researcher Jane Manchun Wong spotted a prototype and shared images on Twitter -- where she's previously leaked other updates. The group DJ feature could work like Dubtrack.fm and the former Turntable.fm. It will likely allow users to listen to the same songs while they're apart or collaborate on a playlist when they're together.
Read MoreNetflix is raising prices in the United Kingdom for the first time since 2017, according to The Guardian. The streaming service will bump up monthly fees for subscribers by as much as 20 percent. The cost of the company's HD streaming plan will increase by £1 to £8.99, while the premium subscription that supports 4K video and additional simultaneous streams will increase by £2 to £11.99. The basic, standard definition service is the only plan that won't see a price spike, remaining at £5.99.
Read MoreNetflix has finally offered Dark Crystal fans a deeper look at its prequel series beyond some still images. The gorgeous first trailer for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance arrived Thursday, and the show seems to faithfully recreate Thra while building on upon the movie's depiction of the mysterious world.
Read MoreTrue to its word, NBC has launched its free news streaming service. NBC News Now will air live programming between 3PM and 11PM Eastern through both the web as well as the NBC News apps on mobile devices as well as Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku. It'll offer an ad-supported mix of live programming (both on-the-hour segments and breaking news) as well as pre-recorded features and interviews.
Read MoreTwitch just learned first-hand about the challenges of moderating live video. Trolls have hijacked the site's largely unused category for Valve's Artifact (which previously had few if any streamers) to livestream material that most definitely violated Twitch's terms of service. Motherboard noted that it started out with memes, but on Memorial Day weekend included pirated Game of Thrones episodes, porn and in one case video from the Christchurch mass shooting.
Read MoreIf you want to watch the hottest soccer (or rather futbol) tourney in the Americas, you'll have to pony up for an ESPN+ subscription. The service has struck a deal to become the sole home for English-language coverage of the 2019 CONMEBOL Copa America in the US, with every game streamed live. That's not hot if you were hoping to watch elsewhere, but it is a rare chance to see games with several of the world's best footie players in one place, including Messi, Neymar Jr. and Suarez.
Read MoreNetflix isn't done pushing back against Cannes for rejecting its movies -- if anything, it's escalating the fight. The company has acquired international rights for two winners at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, with its crown jewel being Mati Diop's Atlantics. The tale of a perilous love in Dakar won Cannes' Grand Prix, the second most prestigious award at the festival. It also stands out as Diop's first feature-length movie as well as the first movie helmed by a black woman to be in the running for the Palme d'Or.
Read MoreWarnerMedia is slowly developing its own content for its upcoming streaming service, as Pitch Perfect's Anna Kendrick will star in and produce a half-hour romantic comedy series called Love Life, according to Deadline. Each season, the series will follow a new main character's quest for love, with a different relationship each episode. Kendrick will star in the first season, and series creator Sam Boyd will direct. The series comes from Lionsgate TV and Paul Feig's Feigco Entertainment,
Read MoreAMC's movie ticket subscription service has now hit the 800,000 subscriber mark, the company announced this week. AMC Stubs A-List, which just launched last June, has secured its spot as the number one movie subscription service in North America at a particularly sour time for its competitors. Rival Sinemia shuttered back in April following legal problems. MoviePass, once a success story in the space, fell from a peak of 3 million subscribers to just over 200 thousand in under a year, following rapid changes in pricing and more restrictive caps on movies watched.
Read MoreDJs are used to lugging their music around on vinyl and less back-breaking external drives, but they soon might not need to bring much of anything for their next gig. Beatport recently introduced its $15 per month Link service that streams tracks directly to DJ hardware and software, including Pioneer's entry-level WeDJ app and now Denon's Prime Series decks. So long as there's an internet connection, you can play Beatport's newest releases without hooking up your laptop or some form of storage. And if there's no reliable broadband at the festival, don't panic: You can store 50-100 tracks offline with the Pro and Pro+ versions, including directly on Denon's gear.
Read MoreNetflix packed May with new movies like Wine Country, the animated series Tuca and Bertie, a Ted Bundy biopic and more. Now, it's bringing just as much new content and star power to June. In just the first half of the month, Netflix will release season five of Black Mirror -- a three episode run, which you can watch trailers for now -- and the third and final season of Jessica Jones.
Read MoreNetflix has lined up a release date for its Dark Crystal prequel series. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will be available for your enjoyment via your preferred streaming device on August 30th.
Read MoreWith season five of Black Mirror set to debut on June 5th, Netflix released trailers for each of the season's three episodes. They star Anthony Mackie and Miley Cyrus -- along with Topher Grace, Andrew Scott and Pom Klementieff. The show sticks to its critical stance on humanity's relationship with technology and features a voice-enabled robot pal gone awry and drama intertwined with meditation, fertility and dating apps. As Black Mirror Executive Producer Annabel Jones told Entertainment Weekly, the three episodes are socially relevant and have the show's signature "sense of mischief and romp."
Read MoreByteDance, the owner of the Vine-like social media app TikTok, might challenge Spotify with a paid streaming service in emerging markets, according to Bloomberg. It could introduce an app (not named after TikTok), in several non-first-world countries where Spotify, Apple Music and other music streaming services have yet to take hold. As for content, it has reportedly secured music rights from several of India's biggest labels, including Times Music and T-Series.
Read MoreNetflix is creating a TV series based on Mark Millar's The Magic Order and has tapped James Wan, the director behind Aquaman and Furious 7, to direct its pilot episode. The Magic Order is the first comic book title the streaming giant published shortly after it acquired Millar's comics publishing house Millarworld. It revolves around five families who live seemingly ordinary lives by day but who turn out to be sorcerers, magicians and wizards sworn to protect our world. In the story, they battle an enemy who's hunting and picking them off one by one.
Read MoreDisenchantment will be returning to Netflix on September 20th. Fans of the animated show from the mind of The Simpsons creator Matt Groening will get 10 more episodes that will pick up right from where the show left off when it debuted back in August 2018.
Read MoreThe NBC News true crime series Dateline is muscling into Serial's territory for its latest story, as it has released a podcast. The show is called 13 Alibis, and it tells the tale of Richard Rosario, a man who served 20 years in prison for murder even though he said he had 13 alibi witnesses ready to testify to his innocence.
Read MoreTwitch streamers can now celebrate their victories with musical GIFs. The Amazon-owned platform is getting a new extension that will add support for TuneMoji, a service where users can create and upload short audio and visual mash-ups. Streamers will be able to incorporate TuneMoji content into their live broadcasts and give viewers the ability to share GIFs in the chat.
Read MoreIf you've wanted to try a paid streaming music service but have been skittish about the costs, you now have as good an excuse as any to give it a try. Spotify has brought back its twice-per-year Premium offer, giving you three months of full service for 99 cents (£0.99 in the UK) if you sign up between now and June 30th. And yes, there's a deal if you gave up on Spotify and are considering coming back -- if you canceled Premium at any time before April 15th, you can get three months for $10.
Read MoreDon't expect Warner-made shows like Friends to persist on existing streaming services once AT&T's WarnerMedia launches its offering. AT&T chief Randall Stephenson said at a JPMorgan conference that the company "will be bringing" many of its media rights back in-house to put those shows on its own as yet unnamed service. The platform will be a "significant driver" for the company over the next few years with "tens of millions" of customers, Stephenson said, and it reportedly needs exclusives to make that happen.
Read MoreYou'll have an opportunity to watch CBS' Jean-Luc Picard series outside of North America -- if you're willing to subscribe to Amazon, that is. CBS has revealed that the Star Trek production will be a Prime Video exclusive outside of the US and Canada, with episodes appearing within a day of their US premieres. That's likely to make things complicated for international fans, unfortunately. When Star Trek: Discovery is only available on Netflix in those markets, you'll have to subscribe to two services to keep up.
Read MoreNetflix has revealed it will release two movies based on beloved Nickelodeon animated shows this summer. Viacom said in its earnings call last week it had sold the rights to Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling and Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus to the streaming giant, which has at last given fans an indication of when they can see the films.
Read MoreSpotify has been snatching up companies left and right. One of the odder acquisitions was Soundtrap, an online music production tool. It just didn't really seem to fit with the rest of the company's moves. With Soundtrap for Storytellers, though, things are finally starting to come into focus. It's taken its audio editing and cloud-based collaborative chops, and used them to build something specifically for podcasters. Which, obviously, is something Spotify has become quite obsessed with. See: its recent purchases of Gimlet, Parcast and Anchor.
Read MoreAT&T's WarnerMedia may debut new episodes of popular shows on its upcoming streaming service, right before they hit cable. Sources told The Information that WarnerMedia wants to prioritize its streaming service going forward. Given the shift in media consumption towards streaming platforms, it's likely a strategic move on Warner's part. WarnerMedia did not respond to Engadget's request for confirmation of the news.
Read MoreTwitch streamers don't have great options for legal music -- if they're not willing to pay for licenses, they typically have to either rely on free-to-use fare or accept that parts of their on-demand video will be muted. They'll have a better option from now on, though. Dance music label Anjunabeats has cleared 350 tracks (over 29 hours' worth) for use in Twitch streams, giving you a thumping soundtrack when you're chatting with viewers or just want to hear more than game sounds.
Read MoreThe redesign of the Apple TV app goes live today, and Samsung is claiming its spot as the first TV manufacturer to support it. The company announced that 2018 and 2019 models of Samsung smart TVs will offer access to the updated Apple TV app and AirPlay 2. Owners of the TVs will have to download and install a firmware update, which will be available starting today, in order to use the Apple services.
Read MoreIn this month's installment of our audio IRL, we're back to podcasts. Senior Editor Daniel Cooper explains why Stuart Goldsmith's show is a delight and Senior News Editor Billy Steele expresses gratitude for the short pod that keeps him up to speed on the world outside of tech.
Read MoreIt's not often that streaming services are willing to release new versions of their shows to cater to fans, but CBS All Access is willing to make an exception. It's launching a black-and-white version of Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone on May 30th to cater to fans who wished the show harkened back to the look of the original. It shouldn't alter the actual content, but it might help if watching in color feels like a crime.
Read MoreShe-Ra and her squad of kick-ass magical princesses are coming back for a third season -- this time with Geena Davis as part of the cast. The award-winning actress and champion of female representation on screen will voice a new character named Huntara. True to her name, Huntara is a hunter and the leader of the Crimson Waste who reluctantly teams up with Adora, Glimmer and Bow on a quest.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, Netflix mentioned it would experiment with releasing "weekly top 10 lists" across various categories, and the first test has gone out on social media. For now it's only releasing data tied to UK viewers, but for Netflix, which has famously kept information about viewers closely-held, it's an interesting first step. These first lists cover all of April, but going forward they'll be refreshed on a weekly basis. It explained that the includes "the most-watched individual season of a show, film or special (regardless of when it launched)" and that "watched" is defined as finishing at least 70 percent of one episode. It still doesn't give much away about exact numbers, but it takes some of the guesswork out of determining what is buzzy on streaming, even if we don't know whether or not people finished a series or dropped out after one episode. For the first set, the Sir David Attenborough-narrated nature documentary series Our Planet topped the overall list at number one, followed by Noah Centineo-starring The Perfect Date (also the most-watched film), The Highwaymen, The Silence and Black Summer (the service's most-watched series). The interactive Bear Grylls series You vs. Wild topped the reality TV list, while Quicksand was the number one non-English show.
Read MoreThe trailer Netflix has dropped for I Am Mother will have you wondering which character to trust in a post-apocalyptic world where humans are supposed to be done for. Do you put your faith in the soft-spoken robot raising a girl who's the first of a new generation of humans, or do you trust the unexpected human interloper who might not be who she says she is? The sci-fi thriller stars Hilary Swank as the injured stranger who breaks into the bunker where Mother (voiced by Rose Byrne) is raising the girl played by Clara Rugaard.
Read MoreNetflix has acquired StoryBots, the children's educational brand created by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, the founders of JibJab. The Spiridellis have entered into a deal with Netflix to expand the StoryBot brand into new areas, including a series and short-form specials, Variety reports. StoryBots has been a great success for the streaming service so far. The Netflix Original series, Ask the Storybots, which debuted in 2016, won three Daytime Emmys.
Read MoreRoku is finding that there are benefits to being the neutral player in the bloodthirsty wars for our hearts, wallets and streaming service subscriptions. The company's most recent financial figures show that it's possible to get ahead even when you're not backed by a big tech player like Amazon, Apple or Google. In the most recent quarter, Roku devices were used on an average of 3.5 hours a day, making it one of the most used devices in your home.
Read MoreUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fans will get one more episode of the series, which ended its four season run on Netflix in January. During a Netflix FYSEE panel about the series tonight, creator and executive producer Tina Fey announced plans for a Bandersnatch-style interactive episode that's set for release next year. According to Fey this will officially complete the series, as she said "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was one of the first original comedy series on Netflix, and now it will be its first interactive comedy event. Fans will be able to make choices on behalf of our characters, taking different story paths with, of course, different jokes." Netflix has used its interactive tech for some kids shows, before branching into sci-fi with the one-off Black Mirror episode late last year and a choose your-own-adventure survival series starring Bear Grylls. There's no word on exactly what this episode will include, but it's no surprise we're getting it -- Netflix VP of product Todd Yellin told press in March that for future settings, "It could be a wacky comedy. It could be a romance, where the audience gets to choose, should she go out with him or him."
Read MoreThe Disney Corporation held its Q2 2019 earnings call on Wednesday, taking the opportunity to announce that Avengers: Endgame, which has passed $2 billion is ticket sales in just 11 days, will arrive as a streaming exclusive to Disney+ on December 11th.
Read MoreIf YouTube Music is going to fully replace Google Play Music, it will need to handle many of the features that listeners take for granted -- and now, local playback is one of them. After an initial rollout for some users, YouTube Music's Android app now supports locally-stored songs for many (if not necessarily all) users in a "Device Files" section. You might not have to worry about missing out on a hard-to-find tune just because you want one app to handle both your local and streaming music collections.
Read MoreYou'll soon be able to watch YouTube's original shows without having to pay for them, so long as you don't mind sitting through ads. The platform has announced at its eighth annual Brandcast event that it's changing its strategy to make all new originals available as free, ad-supported content. That includes the third season of Cobra Kai, which the Google-owned website has just renewed after two stellar seasons that made it one of the most popular web series today. In addition, the platform is releasing shows previously exclusive to its $12-a-month YouTube Premium service to the general public for a limited time.
Read MoreThe Clintons are getting into podcasting. Former president Bill and his daughter Chelsea, the vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, have revealed they're starting a show called Why Am I Telling You This?. It'll include conversations with the Clintons, foundation staff and guests. They'll "share their unique experiences and stories to help explain the factors shaping our interconnected world -- and why we should be optimistic about its future," according to the podcast description.
Read MoreIf you're a free user on Spotify's streaming music service, you may hear an ad soon that asks you to respond verbally. Spotify has started testing voice-enabled ads on a small number of free subscribers in the US. The voice-enabled ads will only be deployed to users who already have their microphone permissions turned on to use Spotify's voice search feature, the company confirmed to Engadget on Thursday.
Read MoreThe cult-classic fantasy movie Willow (directed by Ron Howard) might be revived as a series for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service. According to Deadline, Howard has said Jon Kasdan -- who worked with Howard as a writer on Solo: A Star Wars Story -- has been pushing for a reboot on Disney+. Apparently, Howard and George Lucas have long talked about the potential for a Willow series, which might give them an opportunity to build on existing characters.
Read MoreThe rumors were true: Vudu will offer original shows, including a few with twists. Vudu confirmed at a presentation that it would introduce a variety of exclusive programming, including "interactive content" produced with the help of the startup Eko. While the streaming service didn't delve into specifics, it promised a mix of genres like comedy, drama and thrillers when the interactive material arrived later in the year.
Read MoreIn the past couple months, Spotify has doubled down on its podcasting efforts. It's invested hundreds of millions and acquired Gimlet, Anchor and Parcast. One thing the company lacks is a way to recommend podcasts to its audiences. But, according to The Verge, that could be changing. An early test shows podcast recommendations alongside personalized music suggestions in a new feature called Your Daily Drive -- hinting that Spotify wants to secure a spot in your commute.
Read MoreSpring break in Neptune has always been sketchy, but according to the expanded Veronica Mars trailer released today, this one will be worse. Hulu's reboot of the series is set to premiere on July 26th, and thanks to the new trailer, we're getting a better idea of how the show will unfold.
Read MoreNetflix announced today that it's bringing "studio quality" sound to its audiences. The company is increasing its audio bitrate up to 640 kbps on devices that support 5.1 surround sound and up to 768 kbps for Dolby Atmos -- though you'll need to be a Premium subscriber for that. It's also bringing adaptive streaming, a feature it's long used for video, to your speakers. So, your audio bitrate will be based on network conditions and device performance limitations. The goal is to make the sound more crisp, more immersive and to "bring the viewer closer to the story." It also helps out users with slower internet connections, since the adaptive streaming can scale down audio quality, instead of stopping the video and forcing it to re-buffer.
Read MoreUnder an expanded deal with Marvel (which is under the wing of its majority owner Disney), Hulu has announced Ghost Rider and Helstrom shows, both of which are set to debut next year. They join other Marvel series including Runaways and several upcoming animated shows on the platform.
Read MoreJust in time for beach reading, Barnes & Noble is releasing a new Nook with a 7.8-inch screen and waterproof design. The new GlowLight Plus has the company's largest E-Ink screen to date, and as with past models users can choose between a cool white light or warmer, orange-toned glow. It has the same "soft touch finish," page-turning buttons on the left and right and 8 GB of storage.
Read MoreAmazon is giving its starter Fire 7 tablet a much-needed upgrade after two years. The revamped Fire 7 and its Kids Edition counterpart share the familiar 7-inch design, but now include faster processors (still quad-core 1.3GHz chips, though) and twice the storage with either 16GB or 32GB of expandable space. They should be decidedly more futureproof, then. You'll also get a long-overdue 720p front camera (the 2017 model is just 480p) and the obligatory new color options, including Plum, Sage and Twilight Blue.
Read MoreEver bought clothes primarily to impress your online friends? Now you might just get the chance to buy clothes that exist solely online. Dutch startup The Fabricant, Dapper Labs and artist Johanna Jaskowska recently sold a digital dress, Iridescence, for $9,500 on the blockchain. It's not like buying a costume in a video game -- the creators will 'tailor' it for you based on a photo, and its nature as a blockchain asset both makes it unique and gives it value like cryptocurrency. It's also based on 2D patterns used for conventional clothes, so you could theoretically create a real life equivalent.
Read MoreEven though virtual reality has been in the mainstream for several years now, it's still not very accessible. It often takes trained engineers to create, release and distribute VR content. That could soon change, however, thanks to a new project called Reach, a VR platform created by Emblematic Group and VR pioneer Nonny de la Peña (whom we've featured on the Engadget Experience stage before). Built on top of WebVR and in partnership with Mozilla, the project was initially announced at Sundance 2019 earlier this year in its alpha stage. Starting today, however, it's finally moving into beta. The end goal: to make web-based VR easier to create and consume.
Read MoreIn our show Upscaled we try and dig into the science and engineering behind our favorite bits of tech. In this episode, we're taking a close look at foldable OLEDs. Despite Samsung's Galaxy Fold being delayed, the Huawei Mate X is expected within the next few months, and Xiaomi and Lenovo have both showed off foldable prototypes.
Read MoreDuring his closing remarks at the I/O 2019 keynote last week, Jeff Dean, Google AI's lead, noted that the company is looking at "AI that can work across disciplines," suggesting the Silicon Valley giant may soon pursue artificial general intelligence, a technology that eventually could match or exceed human intellect.
Read MoreGetting kids to sleep is tough for any parent. Getting them to sleep in a world with so much to distract them is even tougher. The devices in our homes and pockets are designed to stimulate, excite and command our attention for as long as possible. Kids need quiet, darkness and nothing exciting going on in order to drift off, something that technology rarely offers. So check out our guide to the things you should do, and what you shouldn't, to help your little ones get the rest they need.
Read MoreInside the Future Reality Lab at New York University, there is a cart with 50 headsets on it. It sits by a 10-by-10-foot square that's sometimes used as a motion-capture stage for the lab's offshoot startup Parallux and its ambitious projects in VR and XR (cross reality). The team's latest effort is Cave, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival's Immersive Arcade, and uses what Parallux is calling "a new shared XR technology."
Read MoreAt Wednesday's Billboard Music Awards, Madonna performed her latest single, "Medellín", with Latin singer Maluma. However, they (and their flesh-and-blood dancers) weren't alone on the Las Vegas stage. Several virtual versions of the pop icon joined them: a secret agent, a musician, a cha-cha instructor and a bride. Augmented reality brought Madonna's personas to life with the help of volumetric capture -- essentially 3D video -- and Unreal Engine.
Read MoreSilicon Valley will return to HBO later this year for its sixth season. Unfortunately for its fans, it will also be the end of the show's run. Variety reported today that the upcoming season of Mike Judge's tech-centric comedy will be the last. Season six will consist of seven episodes -- an abbreviated run compared to previous seasons -- which will be used to wrap up the story of upstart compression company Pied Piper.
Read MoreNetflix has bought global rights to The Power of the Dog, a feature film directed by Jane Campion (The Piano, The Portrait of a Lady) and starring Elisabeth Moss and Benedict Cumberbatch. The streaming giant plans to release the film in 2021, both on the platform and in theatres, making it eligible for Oscars consideration.
Read MoreWhen The Good Fight debuted on CBS All Access, it became the streaming service's first exclusive show. It's kept audiences hooked since 2017 and was recently renewed for a fourth season. Now, season one is coming to CBS, meaning you'll be able to view the first episodes without an All Access subscription.
Read MoreThis week the NBA and NHL are both entering their final championship rounds. For scripted entertainment we've got the arrival of Captain Marvel on video on-demand services, plus the return of Archer on FXX. Netflix as usual has a slew of new options including Always Be My Maybe, a rom-com starring Randall Park and Ali Wong, a new round of interviews from David Letterman, the Central Park 5 movie When They See Us and Killer Ratings, a documentary about a Brazilian TV host accused of causing murders he'd highlight on his show. Other streaming options are coming from Amazon Prime with Good Omens, and DC Universe is premiering its Swamp Thing series. The Twilight Zone will wrap up its first season on CBS All Access this week, and for gamers, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is out on Switch with support for co-op play. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Read MoreThe end to new Marvel content on Netflix is close at hand -- the streaming giant has announced that the third and final season of Jessica Jones will premiere on June 14th. While many details are under wraps, the conclusion to the show will have Jessica facing a psychopath (the man calling her a "fraud" and "cheater" in the teaser) at the same time as she tries to mend her relationship with Trish. Familiar stars like Carrie-Anne Moss and Eka Darville will be back for these last episodes.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to your weekend! We'll recap some highlights from the last week, plus new stories from Friday including a new release date for Sonic the Hedgehog and reader's impressions of the most recent MacBook Air.
Read MoreYou don't have to wait until June 5th to get your next fix of Black Mirror -- although it might not be what you were expecting. Netflix has announced a trio of Little Black Mirror short promo films with thematic links to the technology-gone-wrong series. They're aimed at a Spanish-speaking audience and will star a host of Latinx social network luminaries offering their take on the franchise, including Rudy Mancuso (who also directed and scored the series), Lele Pons and Juanpa Zurita.
Read MoreSorry, Sega fans, you'll need to wait a little longer to see the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Paramount pushed back the release date three months to give the filmmakers "a little more time to make Sonic just right."
Read MoreWhile the Star Wars franchise will take a new direction after the Skywalker arc ends with Episode 9, the next movie might still tell a familiar story. According to BuzzFeed News, a Star Wars film based on the classic LucasArts RPG Knights of the Old Republic is in the works. Further, Laeta Kalogridis, whose credits include Altered Carbon, Avatar and Shutter Island, is reportedly almost done writing the first script of what could become the KOTOR trilogy.
Read MoreCBS has offered the first real peek at its upcoming Star Trek: Picard series with a minute-long teaser trailer. It doesn't offer much in the way of detail beyond a look at some vineyards, a case of Chateau Picard wine and a noticeably older Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). It seems as though he's leading a peaceful lifestyle, but there's almost zero chance Picard's world will stay that way for long.
Read MoreRotten Tomatoes has revealed its latest effort at fending off trolls who send user ratings on a movie plummeting before anyone has even seen it. A new-look Audience Score includes ratings from those who can prove they bought tickets for a film. These verified ratings will be the default Audience Score on a movie's page, though you can toggle to a score that includes non-verified ticket buyers by clicking a "more info" option.
Read MoreGerman studio Constantin Film has acquired the film rights to open-world action game Just Cause, and hope to start shooting in 2020, reports Deadline. Derek Kolstad, the creator and writer of the John Wick trilogy, has been tapped to write the script. Kolstad will serve as a producer on the project, along with Constantin's Robert Kulzer and Prime Universe Films' Adrian Askarieh.
Read MoreHumans, the AMC and UK Channel 4 robot drama often compared to Westworld, has been cancelled after three seasons, said executive producers Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley on Twitter. The show, which was a critical but not a ratings success, ran for a total of 24 episodes before being cut. "We know we left some threads hanging," said Vincent. "Maybe one day we'll get a chance to pick them back up. If there's anyone out there with a few million quid and an interest in AI stories, we're all ears. DM us Elon."
Read MoreEven though Game of Thrones has finished, HBO will try to keep viewers engaged with a post-series show on Sunday night. For others, there are finales of Killing Eve and Doom Patrol to watch this week, while Netflix premieres include the social media thriller anthology What/If, She's Gotta Have It and a new comedy special from Wanda Sykes. For gamers, Team Sonic Racing is launching across platforms, and the Switch has a few Resident Evil games to play through again. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Read MoreFor this month's video IRL, we couldn't miss talking about the conclusion of one of the biggest TV series ever, HBO's Game of Thrones. After years of speculation about how the epic story would end, we finally have (some of) our answers. But is that enough?
Read MoreThe Game of Thrones finale may have aired last night but the show isn't over yet -- at least in China, where the episode has yet to air. Tencent Video, the streaming platform that controls the rights of HBO's series in China, didn't broadcast the show's conclusion Monday morning when it was supposed to air. Instead, the service displayed a message that the show wasn't available due to "transmission medium problems," though HBO believes it is fallout from the recent trade dispute between the US and China.
Read MoreWhile everyone figures out what they think of the Game of Thrones finale, HBO has pitched a reason to stick around with its first trailer for the third season of Westworld. This one doesn't take us back to the Old West, India or an age of Shoguns and samurai warriors, instead it focuses on Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul walking around in a futuristic -- and maybe real -- city. Tessa Thompson is returning to the show this season, and Evan Rachel Wood makes an appearance in the trailer. Otherwise, Lena Waithe and French actor Vincent Cassel are joining the cast, but we'll have to wait until next year to see how it all (probably) goes wrong again.
Read MoreDoctor Who fans who can't bear the long wait for the twelfth season are in for a treat. The BBC has released Doctor Who: The Runaway, an animated short VR film based on the classic British sci-fi series and voiced by its own Jodie Whittaker, who reprises her role as the show's time-traveling protagonist. Based on the BBC's description, The Runaway throws you into the topsy-turvy universe of Doctor Who right away. You wake up inside the TARDIS after being in a collision with a teenage space bomb named the Volta. In a race against time, you and Doctor Who must get Volta home to his parents before he falls prey to some dangerous distractions.
Read MoreBlack Mirror, the show that exists to answer the question "what if smartphones, but bad?" is back with a very on-brand trailer for its fifth season.
Read MoreNetflix's Stranger Things already has a number of unusual if appropriate tie-ins, but this latest might top them all if you're a die-hard fan. Lego is releasing a 2,287-piece Stranger Things set that recreates both the Byers' home and its Upside Down equivalent in uncanny-if-blocky detail, including eight of the core characters. There are plenty of little touches -- you'll see functioning Christmas lights in the Byers' living room, while Eleven can travel with an Eggo waffle in hand.
Read MoreMore than two decades after the last movie, another Mortal Kombat film is on the way. Pre-production will start this month and the cameras are scheduled to start rolling in Adelaide, Australia later this year. South Australia Premier Steven Marshall said it'll be the biggest film production in the state's history.
Read MoreDisney may not release another Star Wars movie until 2022, but that isn't stopping it from loading its streaming service with Star Wars shows. As part of a presentation (skip to around 46:05) at a media conference, chief exec Bob Iger said he expected "at least one more" Star Wars series on Disney+ beyond The Mandalorian and a known pseudo-prequel to Rogue One. He didn't shed light on what it might entail, but it would arrive before movies resume in 2022.
Read MoreThere's just one episode left of Game of Thrones and the creators of the HBO phenomenon are looking ahead to a project with an even bigger canvas: Star Wars. Disney CEO Bob Iger said today at the MoffettNathanson Media & Communications Summit the next movie in the franchise (after this year's The Rise of Skywalker) will be from David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Read MoreThis weekend, the Game of Thrones series wraps up its run on HBO. Still, there are other TV events occurring this week, including the season finale of Barry that will air directly after Thrones. US audiences can tune into the second season of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag as it debuts on Amazon Prime, while Hulu premieres its new show from George Clooney, Catch-22. Netflix is hardly falling behind in the streaming wars, with See You Yesterday, season two of The Rain and 1994 all set to premiere this week. For fans of sports there's NHL and NBA playoffs plus the NBA Zion Williamson lottery on Tuesday night, and ESPN2 will air the Overwatch League's All-Star game on Wednesday. Otherwise, gamers can check out Rage 2 or Castlevania Anniversary Collection. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Read MoreThe adventures of the USS Orville will continue, as Fox has renewed The Orville for a third season. Seth MacFarlane's show concerns the crew of the eponymous spaceship, as it explores the depths of space. The show's second season was not a ratings winner, and viewing numbers dwindled as time went on. But, Fox's close relationship with MacFarlane, and a hefty tax credit from the state of California, made a third season a cheaper proposition.
Read MoreNetflix might become home to lot more Dark Horse Comics show and movie adaptations. The streaming giant has forged a deal with its production arm, Dark Horse Entertainment, giving it first look at all the comics companies' titles for TV and movie projects. Some of the more popular Dark Horse properties include Hellboy, The Mask and Frank Millar's Sin City. All three had previously been adapted for the big screen -- with the Hellboy reboot being the most recent -- but it's not outside the realm of possibility for Netflix to create its own version of the stories.
Read MoreThis week Lucifer returns from the dead for a fourth season on Netflix, while the streaming service also offers up its first season of The Society, with a description that includes the text "a modern take on Lord of the Flies." It also has Wine Country starring Amy Poehler and Rachel Dratch. Showtime is kicking off its Wu-Tang Clan docuseries, and ABC is starting a new season of its Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. show. For movie fans, sadly Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old has not received a Blu-ray 3D home release, however gamers can enjoy Puyo Puyo Champions or a new episode of Life is Strange 2. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Read MoreDisney hasn't quite wrapped up the Star Wars Skywalker saga, which will come to an end this December with Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker. However, it's looking ahead with the franchise, as it updated its release schedule with dates for three new Star Wars films. The first will hit theaters in December 2022, followed by December 2024 and 2026. They'll alternate with the Avatar sequels, the first of which arrives in 2021 (it was previously scheduled for December next year).
Read MoreIf you hadn't already heard, HBO accidentally left a coffee cup in a shot from episode four of Game of Thrones' final season -- millions of TV viewers learned that Daenerys can't function before she's had her latte. However, you won't have much luck trying to revisit that production blunder online. HBO has digitally removed the cup from the episode on digital services like HBO Go, leaving an empty spot on the table where the caffeination once stood.
Read MoreA plagarism case against the creators of Netflix hit Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer, has come to an end after plaintiff Charles Kessler withdrew his lawsuit. A trial was scheduled to take place this week, but that'll no longer be going ahead.
Read MoreIf anyone can appreciate the struggle of translating a beloved videogame character for the big screen, it's the team behind Detective Pikachu. Their flick is about to arrive in theaters, at the same time the first trailer dropped for Sonic the Hedgehog and immediately met with so much resistance that its director Scott Fowler promised changes are on the way. While we're still not sure what exactly went wrong when it came time to render a CG Sonic, comments from Pikachu's director and director of photography reveal their informed-by-experience takes on the situation.
Read MoreThat the internet had an uneasy reaction to our first look at the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog live action movie isn't surprising, but the absolute horror induced by some elements of the furry hero's design has not gone unnoticed. This afternoon director Jeff Fowler tweeted "The message is loud and clear... you aren't happy with the design & you want changes. It's going to happen." He didn't say what changes were in store, but Sonic's detailed teeth, under-stylized body type and widely spaced eyes seem like potential places to start. Take a look at the trailer again and let us know what, if anything, would make it better in your opinion.
Read MoreMaybe the Russo brothers should've added a postscript in their "don't spoil Avengers: Endgame" letter to remind fans not to pirate it either. According to the Philippine News Agency, a cable company in the country aired the much-awaited movie after it premiered on April 24th -- and, yes, it showed a bad pirated copy, because there was absolutely no way Marvel would've given it the right to show Endgame on TV that soon. Now, the provider has to deal with not only irate fans who were accidentally exposed to spoilers, but also with the lawsuit Teatro de Dapitan, a local movie house, plans to file.
Read MoreStrange, fantastical things are brewing in VR, and the Tribeca Film Festival's Immersive Arcade is a great place to find them. One of the most intriguing things I saw at the festival this year was a stop-motion experience that also uses CGI and 3D 360-degree video to craft a creepy gymnasium. Sure, stop-motion is relatively low-tech, but the combination of technologies produces something truly unique.
Read MoreThis month's IRL focuses on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's latest achievement -- Avengers: Endgame. While we can already tell you how to watch the movie (go IMAX or go home), now it's time to talk about how we felt once it was over and the lights came back on. Note: If you have not seen the movie yet, we are discussing plot points and "spoilers" below.
Read MoreThe tag team partners of Dwanye Johnson and Under Armour have teamed up again for a new product in their collaborative line. the activewear company announced today the Project Rock True Wireless In-Ear Headphones. The fitness-focused earbuds are designed to be sweat proof and to stay in the wearer's ear even in the most intense workouts. Under Armour claims the headphones get about 5 hours of continuous playback on a full charge. they also come with a charging case that can add up to 20 hours of listening. The wireless earbuds retail for $199 and will start shipping on June 7th.
Read MoreFirst unveiled at CES 2019, Nreal's Light mixed reality glasses are almost ready for their commercial debut. According to the Chinese startup behind the glasses, they'll cost $499 and a limited quantity will ship to customers sometime this year. They'll enter mass production in 2020, and starting today, developers can place orders for the $1,199 developer kit, which will ship in September. Nreal announced the news at the AWE 2019 conference.
Read MoreAt this year's CES, Rokid showed off Glass, an AR headset that's meant primarily for enterprises. Though it was a little rough around the edges when we saw it in January, the company announced today that the Glass is finally ready for mass production. But that's not Rokid's only unveiling. At the Augmented World Expo today, the company also offered a sneak peek at its next-generation AR glasses. It's called the Rokid Vision, and it's designed to be used by consumers too (though you probably won't be able to buy it; more on that below).
Read MoreAdd Fitbit to the growing list of device makers that will support tap-to-pay in New York City's mass transit system. When the city's contactless fare pilot program starts on May 31st, Fitbit Pay-equipped wearables like the Versa Special Edition, Charge 3 Special Edition and Ionic will let you pay per ride on the MTA's Staten Island buses as well as the 4, 5 and 6 subway lines running between Grand Central and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center. You could use your watch to track your gym session one moment and get a ride home the next, in other words.
Read MoreLast year, Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon XR1 chip just for virtual reality devices, but so far, we haven't seen any headsets built to use it. Now, for Augmented World Expo, the company has released its own "Smart Viewer Reference Design" headset in order to reduce AR and VR headset development time. It looks to hold a lot of potential, packing just about every feature you'd want in a VR/AR wearable.
Read MoreNorth's Focals smart glasses can put important data in your eyeline from the gym to the board room. The glasses can sync with Google Fit and Google Slides as a part of recent software updates announced by the company.
Read MoreLenovo is continuing its expansion into new, unexpected categories outside of its PC business and today the company announced it's launching a new AR-and-VR system targeted at businesses. It's called ThinkReality, and from the looks and description of the device and platform, it looks like a competitor for Microsoft's HoloLens.
Read MoreWith flexible screens being all the rage nowadays, more and more companies are building products touting the technology. But there's an unexpected one joining the craze: Louis Vuitton. The luxury brand has introduced a set of handbags that feature built-in flexible displays, which Louis Vuitton tells Engadget are AMOLED and have a 1,920 x 1,440 resolution. There were two prototype handbags shown off during LV's Cruise 2020 runway show in New York City this week: One with a single screen and another with two, and both displayed videos of random city views and what appeared to be a demo of an internet browser.
Read MoreLast summer, Fitbit introduced its kid-focussed fitness tracker, Ace. Now, the company is back with a new model, Ace 2, and it's dropped the price by $30. Fitbit teased Ace 2 in March, when it announced its Inspire and Inspire HR wearables, but the kid-friendly device is just now available and listed at $69.95.
Read MoreIf I've learned anything in the time since Apple's original AirPods debuted, it's that there are a lot of people who don't mind wearing earbuds that extend down from their ears. Apple is currently on version 2.0, and today Skullcandy revealed its take on the polarizing design. With the Indy, Skullcandy managed to pack a lot of features in an $80 package, including a handy charging case.
Read MoreThere are plenty of ways to be a data-conscious parent today, including gadgets, apps and some decidedly old-school methods.
Read MoreSmart glasses have been kicking around for more than half a decade now, so it's a bit jarring when a new model is released and they look, well... ugly. Google has already demonstrated that it's possible to build a pair without bottle-thick lenses and chunky frames, and yet the market's newest arrival, Epson's Moverio BT-30C smart glasses, boast exactly that.
Read MoreLast year, Master & Dynamic filled a gap in its headphone lineup with the MW07 true wireless earbuds, but the company was still missing one key feature: noise cancellation. That changes today as M&D has announced the MW65, a set of over-ear wireless headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC). The company's attention to detail is on display once more, with its trademark aesthetic that mixes leather and metal. The additions of ANC and a dedicated Google Assistant button do come at a cost, pushing the price tag on the MW65 to $499.
Read MoreWith the HoloLens 2 Development Edition, Microsoft is doing everything it can to get devs onboard its new mixed reality headset. It'll come with free three-month trials of Unity Pro and the Unity PiXYZ plugin for CAD data. Additionally, it'll include Azure credits, giving developers an easy way to put their creations online. And best of all, HoloLens 2 Development Edition will come in a bit cheaper than what Microsoft previously announced: Devs can snag it for $99 a month, instead of $125 monthly. It's still $3,500 if you want to buy it outright, though.
Read MoreThe smartwatch market is still growing at a breakneck pace several years in. Counterpoint Research estimated that smartwatch shipments jumped by 48 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2019 -- no mean feat in a season that's typically quiet. The Apple Watch's leading share barely budged at 35.8 percent, although that came precisely because its shipments grew a sizeable 49 percent. The real stars of the show were some of Apple's rivals, though, as they enjoyed success they haven't had in a while.
Read MoreSwiping is one of the easiest and most intuitive gestures in the touchscreen armory, especially when you've got limited space. Google clearly gets that, having added swiping to Google Fit and Google Assistant on Wear OS smartwatches. Now, it's announcing Tiles, a new quick-access interface for more watch functions.
Read MoreDIY projects can be a lot of fun, and if Raspberry Pi has taught us anything it's that people love to tinker. But for most folk, forays into the world of build-it-yourself tech start and end with a specific kit and a whole bunch of instructions to help them along. Not so for one inquisitive Redditor, who recently revealed that he built an entire smartwatch from scratch. And since he's been kind to enough to share details of the process down to the smallest minutiae, you can too.
Read MorePC players, rejoice: Microsoft is bringing its previously console-centric subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, to Windows 10. The company is promising a new, "curated library" with more than 100 titles from various third-party developers including Bethesda, Deep Silver, Devolver Digital, Paradox Interactive and Sega. That's a big increase on the current crop of PC-compatible titles (made possible via Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative) that are currently offered with the console-focused Game Pass. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, also confirmed the company's "intent" to make first-party exclusives available through the new, PC-specific Game Pass on the same day as their general release. These include upcoming titles from Obsidian Entertainment, inXile Entertainment, and the other studios that Microsoft bought last year. Subscribers will also get a few other perks including discounts of up to 20 percent for games in the Microsoft Store.
Read MoreMicrosoft's rumored Fortnite Xbox One appears to be real... and it wouldn't just be a basic software bundle. WinFuture claims to have obtained images and details of the system, and the Xbox One S variant would come in a very, very conspicuous "Gradient Purple" shade with a similarly-shaded gamepad -- there would be no mistaking that you bought a limited edition. Buyers would also get a ready-to-play copy of Fortnite itself, a month of Xbox Live Gold, 2,000 V-Bucks and an exclusive Dark Vertex skin to be the coolest kid on their block.
Read MoreA major selling point for Xbox One is its broad backward compatibility with an array of Xbox and Xbox 360 games, giving it an enormous library of more than 3,500 titles. When Project xCloud debuts, it'll be capable of streaming any of those games out of the gate without developers needing to make any changes. Microsoft also says when a developer updates an Xbox One game, those changes will be automatically applied to Project xCloud versions.
Read MoreLast year, Scuf introduced its Vantage customizable PS4 controller. It offered PlayStation fans a more comfortable grip and the ability to increase speed by cutting down on hand movements. Now, Scuf is ready to unveil a controller for Xbox One, the Prestige. The gamepad builds on Scuf's previous customizable features and adds perks like a longer battery life -- thanks to a lithium-ion battery that boasts up to 30 hours on a full charge.
Read MoreXbox head Phil Spencer has laid out some measures to combat some of the more negative aspects that pervade gaming communities such as toxicity and abuse. He wrote in a blog post that "gaming is for everyone" and people everywhere, from all backgrounds and walks of life, "are welcome to play and welcome to all the fun and skill-building that comes with gaming."
Read MoreMicrosoft is clearly invested in adaptive gaming controllers. Its Xbox Adaptive Controller for Xbox One and PC was the star of its latest Super Bowl ad. The company spent more than a year designing accessible packaging, and it recently teamed up with the Department of Veterans Affairs to bring Xbox Adaptive Controllers to rehabilitation centers across the US. Now, it looks like Microsoft could be working on a controller for blind and visually-impaired gamers. The company filed a patent application for a controller with Braille inputs and outputs.
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