When GoPro unveiled the Hero 8 Black, the company also teased some "mod" accessories for the camera. GoPro has dabbled with this idea before -- you may remember the "backpack" mods of yore which added either an LCD display (before they were standard) or much-needed extra battery life. With these new mods, it's all about adding extra camera functionality, particularly those features which appeal to vloggers rather than athletes.
Read MoreIt's not very fun to lug the Apple Watch's included (and fairly lengthy) charger around with you, especially if you don't have any spare USB-A ports or wall outlets. From now on, though, all you'll need is a spare USB-C port. Satechi has released a USB-C Magnetic Charging Dock that will top up the Apple Watch using any powered (you guessed it) USB-C port. You could recharge from a battery bank on a camping trip, a 12V car adapter on the road or even an iPad Pro while you're sipping coffee.
Read MoreLG is fond of unveiling monitors before CES, but its newest batch may be particularly interesting if you value every inch of free space on your desk. The headlining monitor for 2020 is the UltraFine Ergo (32UN880), a 32-inch 4K screen that floats on a post that clamps to your desk. It's like you're buying a VESA mount at the same time, in other words. This helps make room, of course, but it also lets the monitor swivel up to 280 degrees horizontally and tilt 25 degrees vertically. You can position the display right where you need it for your creative workflow, or spin it around to show a project to a colleague.
Read MoreWireless headphones are perpetually hamstrung by their batteries. They only last a few hours on a charge, and you're sapping energy from the electrical grid every time you top them up. JBL believes it has an alternative, though, and it's asking for your help to make it a reality. The Harman brand is crowdfunding Reflect Eternal over-ear headphones whose solar power theoretically gives you "virtually unlimited" listening.
Read MoreIt took nearly an entire year, but Roland's voice-savvy GO:PIANO keyboard is now available. Spend $500 (and enable a Roland skill) and you can use Alexa to choose sounds, turn on the metronome and control numerous other settings while you play -- you don't have to lift your fingers off the keys or wade through indecipherable menus. This also turns your keyboard into a full-fledged Alexa speaker, making it one of the few Amazon-powered devices that you can use to perform alongside the music you're listening to.
Read MoreApple's newly available Pro Display XDR promises exceptional image quality, but there's one glaring omission for some users: there's no webcam. You can edit video in grand style with your $5,000 monitor, but you can't use it to hold a video chat with the production team. Logitech has a remedy, though. It just released a 4K Pro Magnetic Webcam built with the Pro Display XDR in mind. As the name implies, it sticks to your display without clips or other mounts, even when you rotate the monitor into portrait mode.
Read MoreCES is right around the corner, and that means we'll once again meet a slew of new home theater equipment. LG is unveiling its 2020 soundbar lineup right now, and a new headline feature for this year is "AI Room Calibration." Exactly what separates this tech from non-AI automatic calibration we've seen is unclear, but LG is openly committed to applying machine learning and related technology across its products. Combined with content mastered in Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, it should make everything sound more accurate no matter what kind of room you're in, how many speakers are hooked up or where they're located. We'll have to get some demo time to see how effective the technology is, but this year's new SN family of soundbars (SN11RG, SN10YG, SN9YG, and SN8YG) have 4K passthrough, eARC and more tech designed to make sure they work in any kind of setup. The SN11RG is the top of the line, a 7.1.4 package with wireless rear speakers that can also project sound up for a true 3D effect. It's also still integrating audio tech from Meridian, and in 2020 LG says that Google Assistant will be built into more models. If the package you buy only comes with the main soundbar, there's also the SPK8 Wireless Rear Speaker Kit to add-on surround speakers later for maximum flexibility. There's no word on pricing or ship dates, but we should learn more about these -- and the sleek TVs LG will pair them with -- next week at CES 2020.
Read MoreResearchers have studied the potential for bias in facial recognition algorithms before, but now it's the US government's turn to weigh in. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has published a study indicating "demographic differentials" in the majority of the facial recognition algorithms it tested. The report, which examined both one-to-one matching (such as verifying a passport photo) and one-to-many matching (looking for criminals in a crowd), saw noticeable surges in false positives based on gender, age and racial background -- but cautioned against this representing definitive proof of systemic bias.
Read MoreOne of the most devastating outcomes of motor neuron disease (MND), more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease in the US, is that it eventually takes away the ability of those who have it to speak. But like it promises to do in a lot of other areas, artificial intelligence could soon help MND patients better cope with their condition thanks to a new tool developed by Rolls-Royce and its R² Data Labs.
Read MoreGoogle is quickly putting its wildlife-spotting AI to good use. The internet giant has launched a Wildlife Insights tool that helps conservationists track wildlife by not only parsing their photos, but sharing them in a searchable public website. The AI automatically tosses out photos that are highly unlikely to include animals and tries to label the animals it does spot, dramatically speeding up a laborious task. That, in turn, helps researchers track animal populations as they're affected by climate change and direct human intrusion.
Read MoreIntel just spent approximately $2 billion to acquire Israel-based AI firm Habana Labs. The partnership will "turbo-charge" Intel's AI offerings for data centers, Intel said in a press release.
Read MoreModern parents are faced with a bit of a tech dilemma. You want the kids to learn STEM skills, but you also don't want them spending all their time in front of screens. To combat this problem many coding tools incorporate some kind of physical element that kids have to put together or manipulate; with building toys like LEGO the marriage of physical play and computer programming makes a lot of sense. Then there's something like Hot Wheels, which never really claimed to be educational. This year the brand upgraded its basic racing experience with Hot Wheels ID, which added NFC to the cars and Bluetooth to the track, allowing the playset to keep tabs on how fast your vehicles are going and how far they've traveled. Now the product has a new coding aspect, via Apple's Swift Playgrounds. And it sounds great in concept. But after some time spent with it, I'm not sure this is a very good use of a very expensive playset.
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 MoreWhen it comes to competitive games, AI systems have already shown they can easily mop the floor with the best humanity has to offer. But life in the real world isn't a zero sum game like poker or Starcraft and we need AI to work with us, not against us. That's why a research team from Facebook taught an AI how to play the cooperative card game Hanabi (the Japanese word for fireworks), to gain a better understanding of how humans think.
Read MoreWe often think of artificial intelligence as a tool for automating certain tasks. But it turns out that the technology could also help give us a better understanding of ourselves. At least that's what a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) think they'll be able to do with their new AI model.
Read MoreThe use of facial recognition technology is continuing to expand, despite concerns about its accuracy and fairness and about how it could be used by governments to spy on people. These concerns have been heightened following a report by the Financial Times which shows that Chinese groups have a significant influence in shaping international standards regarding the technology.
Read MoreAmazon may be in hot water with the UK's Competition & Markets Authority (CMA). Earlier this year, the watchdog expressed concerns that Amazon's acquisition of a minority stake in Deliveroo, a UK food delivery company, could hurt competition. Now, CMA says Amazon has failed to address those initial concerns, and it has referred the deal for an in-depth investigation.
Read MoreNow that Walmart and others are chasing Amazon's convenience with shipping that's nearly instantaneous, deep discounts for third parties and convenient in-store pickup of online orders, what's next? According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Walmart might use its stores to go after AWS. Yes, you read that correctly. Apparently CEO Doug McMillon's pitch is that the large footprint and locations of Walmart's superstores gives it an advantage in "edge computing," where servers are physically closer to where the data is needed. That could be crucial for services like autonomous cars and drones that need information with less lag, or maybe even for something like cloud gaming. The plan doesn't sound like it's a certain thing, but it is surprising, and strikes Amazon in the heart of a business that brought in $25 billion last year. Other business opportunities include selling shopper data to digital advertisers. Your phone may not be listening to you, Walmart -- and anyone willing to pay for access -- could track exactly which products you stopped and looked at, or what you typically buy using a credit card. It could also follow Amazon in providing delivery services for other companies, and has reportedly looked into leasing space on its roofs for telecom companies to install 5G antennas. The one thing that apparently isn't included in future plans? Digital video store Vudu, backing an earlier report from The Information that it's up for sale -- if Walmart can find an interested buyer.
Read MoreThere are three things you need to know. One, Amazon is building an open-world MMO called New World. Two, New World is set in a supernatural, 17th century environment filled with bears, spears, bows and arrows, and legions of undead creatures desperate to remove you from their land. And three, New World is due to hit PCs in May 2020.
Read MoreThe spirit of Samuel L. Jackson is ready to possess your Alexa devices. If you want to make your smart speakers 1,000 times more fun and would rather hear the weather report and wake up to the actor's dulcet tones, you can get things started by saying "Alexa, introduce me to Samuel L. Jackson." This rollout is part of Amazon's Celebrity Voice Program for its voice assistant first announced back in September. Installing his voice will cost you $1, but that's a tiny price to pay to be owned by SLJ in a game of rock, paper, scissors.
Read MoreAmazon is reminding customers yet again to check out their carts if they want to get those last-minute gifts before December 25th. The e-commerce giant publishes its timeline for Christmas deliveries every year. For 2019, it's advising all non-Prime customers to click Buy as soon as December 14th to get free shipping for orders over $25 -- unfortunately the company doesn't offer free deliveries with no minimum purchases this year like it did in 2018 -- though everyone has until December 18th to order items eligible for Standard Shipping.
Read MoreRing is branching out from its usual doorbells and security cameras to produce truly connected lighting, although it's probably not going to replace your corner table lamps any time soon. An FCC filing has revealed that the Amazon-owned firm is prepping a Bluetooth-capable light bulb. It appears to be a floodlight that would complement Ring's existing security systems, but it's still a significant step for a company whose dedicated lighting has so far been limited to self-contained systems rather than screw-in bulbs.
Read MoreLast month, Amazon said it would formally challenge the US Department of Defense's decision to award the $10 billion JEDI contract to Microsoft, instead of Amazon Web Service (AWS). The lawsuit, unsealed today, reveals the details behind Amazon's argument. The company claims that "AWS was the consensus frontrunner" and that not only was the Pentagon's decision based on "egregious errors on nearly every evaluation factor," it was "the result of improper pressure from President Donald J. Trump."
Read MoreGood morning! Amazon's boss says that military contracts and Big Tech need to figure things out for the sake of the country. Meanwhile, Apple's long-time-coming Mac Pro hits preorder and OnePlus might return to very cheap smartphones, in a way.
Read MoreDon't expect Amazon to follow companies like Google in changing its mind on military contracts. Jeff Bezos told guests at the Reagan National Defense Forum that the US is in "big trouble" if large tech companies are "turning their back" on the Defense Department. He further argued that Americans were "the good guys," and that it was imperative that the US maintained advantages over rivals in areas like spaceflight, where China appeared to be catching up.
Read MoreEarly this year, Amazon pulled the plug on plans to build an "HQ2" in Queens after a number of local leaders and activists pushed back against the $3 billion in tax breaks and incentives it would receive. Now the online retail giant has confirmed plans to lease 335,000 square feet of office space in Manhattan, according to the Wall Street Journal. The new NYC expansion will be located in the Hudson Yards neighborhood with more than 1,500 employees. It's a much smaller footprint than what Amazon had proposed for HQ2 -- which shifted to other locations in Virginia and Tennessee -- but it comes with no tax breaks or incentives, and no nationwide contest to lure the company's business. US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in response to the news "Won't you look at that: Amazon is coming to NYC anyway - *without* requiring the public to finance shady deals, helipad handouts for Jeff Bezos, & corporate giveaways."
Read MoreAmazon's AWS and the NFL plan to use AI and machine learning to protect players. The partners announced today that they'll co-develop a "Digital Athlete" platform, which will create a computer simulation model of an NFL player. Using the computer simulation, they'll be able to test different game scenarios without putting actual players at risk.
Read MoreThe US Federal Trade Commission is expanding the scope of its Amazon probe to include its cloud business, according to Bloomberg. In addition to looking into the company's e-commerce business, investigators have reportedly started asking the software companies Amazon works with about Web Services' practices to figure out it's been harming competition or violating any antitrust laws.
Read MoreAmazon hasn't built a portable Echo device since the little-loved Tap, but that situation has now changed. The retail giant has unveiled the Echo Input (Portable Smart Speaker Edition) exclusively for the Indian market. It has 360-degree sound and comes with a 4800mAh battery that powers it for 10 hours of continuous music playback and 11 hours of standby life.
Read MoreAmazon continues to face criticism for its lack of environmental commitments, but it's making at least some strides toward reducing its impact on the planet. The internet giant has unveiled plans for three new solar power projects, two of them in the US and one in Spain. The American plants in Lee County, Illinois and Northern Virginia will offer a combined capacity of 180MW and produce about 400,000MWh of electricity per year. A solar farm southeast of Sevilla, meanwhile, will offer up to 149MW of capacity for Amazon's Spanish efforts.
Read MoreYou probably bought something on Amazon this weekend; the online retailer had plenty of alluring Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals across technology, toys and home goods. So many people took advantage of the savings on Cyber Monday that, in terms of the number of items sold, the retailer had its "single biggest shopping day." Black Friday was a big success too -- the company broke its own sales record for the pseudo-holiday. Amazon says that it sold "hundreds of millions" of products between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, and while that's a vague number, it's certainly impressive.
Read MorePolice departments partnered with Amazon's Ring security service had access to maps that revealed where Ring video doorbells were located, CNET reports. While Amazon has said police do not have access to the location of devices -- which they can request footage from -- the heat maps provided to police allowed them to zoom in on specific locations.
Read MoreThere's no such thing as regular ol' TV anymore. There's cable and satellite, and a seemingly endless selection of streaming services and content platforms, so clicking around your options can be a bit time consuming and clunky. But TiVo is trying to streamline the process. From today, Amazon Prime members will be able to access Prime Video content directly through their TiVo box. Sitting alongside other video streaming apps already offered by TiVo, the Prime Video app will also include select 4K Ultra HD and HDR content, as well as behind-the-scenes exclusives for top movies and TV shows. Find it through TiVo's OneSearch function.
Read MoreQuantum computing is arguably the next major milestone for tech companies, but unless you're the likes of Google or IBM, it's a fairly costly endeavor. But Amazon -- which up until now has been pretty quiet on the quantum front -- has plans to offer a quantum computing service to companies through the internet, thereby eliminating some of the costs and other challenges associated with pursuing the technology.
Read MoreAmazon has just announced AWS DeepComposer, what the company claims is the world's first machine-learning enabled musical keyboard. In practice, the actual device is a lot simpler than Amazon's grand statement might make it seem.
Read MoreAmazon believes its latest Web Services tool will help doctors spend more time with their patients. The tool, called Amazon Transcribe Medical, allows doctors to easily transcribe patient conversations and add those interactions to someone's medical records with the help of deep learning software.
Read MoreThe heart monitoring technology inside the Apple Watch may be useful for scientific studies and even saving lives, but one doctor believes it's also straight-up theft. New York University cardiologist Dr. Joseph Wiesel has sued Apple over allegations the Watch violates a patented method for detecting atrial fibrillation. Wiesel claimed that he shared details of the patent with Apple in September 2017, but that the company "refused to negotiate in good faith" and left him no choice but to file a lawsuit.
Read MoreThere's a quote by Henry Ford that's often wheeled out by Apple kremlinologists who claim to know the company well. It's the infamous line that Ford never asked people what they wanted because all they wanted was "faster horses." The implication is that Apple's designers, locked in their steel and glass monastery, are far better placed to know what we want than we do.
Read MoreApple warned that it would eventually want notarization for non-App Store software running on macOS Catalina, and now there's a firm deadline for that request. The tech firm has informed developers that all of these apps will have to be notarized from February 3rd, 2020 onward if they're going to run "by default." Older apps will still run trouble-free, and you can still run non-notarized apps if you're willing to jump through a few hoops -- this will just prevent you from launching newer apps from beyond the Mac App Store without doing something else first.
Read MoreIt's something of a long shot, but the iPhone could one day connect to its own satellite network. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has a "secret team" working on new satellite and wireless data technologies. This group consists of "about a dozen" software and hardware engineers who specialize in aerospace, satellite and antenna design, as well as a number of executives from those same fields. In particular, the team is led by two former Google executives who worked at a satellite observation startup called Skybox Imaging before it was acquired by the search giant in 2014 for $500 million.
Read MoreApple's bug bounty program is now open to all security researchers, and it now also covers macOS, tvOS, watchOS and iCloud. The tech giant's bug bounty used to be invite-only and exclusively offered payouts for iOS bugs. A few months ago, however, the company revealed that it's expanding the program's scope and paying up to $1 million in rewards. Now, the expanded program is live, as Ivan Krsti?, Apple's Head of Security and Architecture, has announced on Twitter.
Read MoreApple Arcade is already a fairly good value at $5 per month, but it's now more affordable still -- provided you're willing to make a deeper commitment, that is. iFun.de has noticed that you now have the option of a $50 annual subscription (£50 in the UK and €50 in the EU) that should save you about $10 per year. Much like Apple Music's yearly plan, this makes the most sense if you fully expect to stay subscribed and don't mind paying up front.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to your weekend! On the Engadget Podcast we're discussing Apple's pricey new Mac Pro, while separately Porsche showed off its idea for a Star Wars ship. Story highlights from last week included Elon Musk's Cybertruck tour of LA, the Xbox Series X and NASA's most powerful rocket yet. Also, our holiday gift guide is ready and waiting whether you're the one who needs some ideas or if you're making sure someone else gets you the right present this year.
Read MoreThis week, Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar and UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith explore who may need a $52,000 Mac Pro (it's not as crazy as you think!). And when taken together with the 16-inch MacBook Pro and the AirPods Pro, they discuss what this means for Apple's hardware prospects. Is this a sign that Apple is doing a better job of listening to its users? Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News! Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Play Music Links The most expensive new Mac Pro configuration costs $52,599 MacBook Pro 16-inch review: The ultimate Apple laptop AirPods Pro review: Apple's latest earbuds can hang with the best Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Terrence O'Brien Mac OS Startup sound by bigmanjoe/Freesound
Read MoreiOS 13.3 just arrived recently with new parental controls, particularly a feature called Communication Limits. It's designed to block children from communicating with people not in their contacts unless their parents let them by entering a code. However, the system can be easily defeated by a simple text message, according to a report from CNBC.
Read MoreApple has reportedly purchased a UK-based startup, and it could lead to brighter and sharper iPhone photos. According to Bloomberg, the tech giant has snapped up Spectral Edge Ltd., based on filings which show that Apple is now in control of the company. Spectral developed a technology that takes infrared shots and blends them with standard photos using machine learning to produce crisper images with more accurate colors.
Read MoreApple isn't just offering in-depth election news -- for 2020, it'll have a degree of participation in the process. Apple News will partner on its first political debate on February 7th, when it cooperates with ABC and WMUR-TV for the eighth Democratic debate in Manchester, New Hampshire. Apple hasn't outlined just what it will do as part of its co-hosting duties (we've asked it for details), but it's safe to presume that the debate will receive priority coverage in the News app.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. This morning, we're still playing around with possible Mac Pro configurations and considering what might be necessary to pay for them. Google's discounted Titan security keys are a cheaper option, but you'll have to move quickly before they sell out completely. In other news, NASA showed off a huge rocket, and Walmart is testing autonomous grocery deliveries.
Read MoreIf you've been waiting to get the best Mac money can buy, well, today's the day. Apple's new Mac Pro is on sale, and it starts at an eye-popping $5,999. That's a lot of cash for the average user, but maybe not so much if you make your living on how fast your computer is. The Mac Pro is highly customizable, though, and Apple is letting potential buyers upgrade it to a ludicrous level. What do I mean by "ludicrous," you may ask? Well, the top-of-the-line Mac Pro costs $52,599. That's not a typo.
Read MoreRight on cue, Apple has started taking orders for the redesigned Mac Pro and its optional Pro Display XDR. The workstation is available starting at $5,999 with an eight-core 3.5GHz Xeon processor, 32GB of RAM, Radeon Pro 580X graphics and a 256GB solid-state drive. In a pleasant twist, there's also a rackmount version for servers and other non-desktop uses -- it's only listed as "coming soon," but it's poised to start at $6,499.
Read MoreA former Apple executive is claiming the company spied on his text messages before suing him. In February, Gerard Williams III, who spent almost 10 years working on mobile device chips at Apple, left the company. The same month, he joined NuVia Inc -- a company founded to develop processors for data centers -- with several other Apple developers. In August, Apple sued Williams for breach of contract. Now, Williams is disputing the lawsuit and claims Apple illegally snooped on his texts and phone records.
Read MoreApple hasn't had an official presence at CES since the Newton's debut in 1992, but it's about to come back... in a very modest way. The company's Senior Director of Global Privacy, Jane Horvath, is due to speak at a roundtable where she and her peers will share their beliefs on what customers want for privacy protections. There won't be an announcement, a keynote or a booth, then -- this is really about articulating views to industry and the press.
Read MoreApple's flurry of iOS updates might include one more substantial tweak before the holiday break. Vietnamese carrier Viettel has posted a page that hints at a release for iOS 13.3 (plus a minor watchOS 6.1.1 update) this coming week, most likely on or before December 11th. The new software could represent a big deal for parents thanks to the ability to limit access to contacts in Screen Time -- you can specify who your kids can talk to and when. This only applies to voice calls, FaceTime and Messages, but it could be helpful if you'd rather not let your child hold all-night video chats with their friends.
Read MoreAfter half a year -- or two years, if you really think about it -- Apple's reworked Mac Pro is close at hand. The company has notified interested customers that both the workstation and the Pro Display XDR will be available to order on December 10th. There's still a lot Apple hasn't said about the possible configurations and their respective pricing, but you can still expect the base system to sell for $5,999 with an eight-core Xeon, 32GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Radeon Pro 580X graphics. Expect those costs to spiral upward if you need a heavy-duty machine, especially if you intend to make the most of that 1.5TB RAM ceiling. At least you can add memory and storage yourself.
Read MoreNo, you're not crazy: you probably are hearing a popping or a cracking sound after audio stops playing on your new 16-inch MacBook Pro. A lot of other users have been reporting similar experiences online, and now Apple itself has admitted the issue, according to MacRumors. The publication reports that it has obtained an internal document sent to Apple Authorized Service Providers, informing them that the "pop" coming from the speakers is software-related and telling them not to replace customers' laptops. Further, the tech giant says it's rolling out a fix with a future update.
Read MoreMemoji and Animoji haven't seen much outside of Messages since Apple introduced them, but you'll be able to get a bit more out of your creations. Apple is bringing them to its Clips video app.
Read MoreSecurity researcher Brian Krebs recently raised eyebrows when he discovered that the iPhone 11 Pro (and by extension, the iPhone 11) is constantly checking for your location, even if you've disabled Location Services. Is Apple tracking your every move? Not really, it turns out. The company told TechCrunch in a statement that its newer iPhones need to perform location checks to legally use their ultra wideband chips. "International regulatory requirements" force Apple to turn off UWB in certain places, a spokesperson said, and the location checks are necessary to do that while making the technology available most of the time.
Read MoreAnalyst Ming-Chi Kuo is known for his frequently accurate Apple predictions based at least in part on supply channel connections... and if he's on the mark this time, he might raise some eyebrows. Kuo has claimed that the "highest-end" 2021 iPhone will ditch the Lightning port in favor of a "completely wireless experience." While there have been portless concept phones before, this might be one of the first production devices (certainly the first iPhone) to go without any cables.
Read MoreApple loves Billie Eilish. It didn't only name her as Artist of the Year for the first Apple Music Awards, it also reportedly paid her $25 million for the right to stream a documentary following her life after she released her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. The documentary, which was co-produced by Eilish's own record label, will not be available through Apple Music, though: It will be released through Apple TV+ instead.
Read MoreApple's MacBook Pro issues are still ongoing, as it recently issued a support document confirming an unexpected shutdown problem on the entry-level 13-inch 2019 MacBook Pro. According to MacRumors' forum, the model can suddenly shut down when it hits about 25 to 50 percent of its battery life and you can only turn it on again by connecting the charger.
Read MoreAs expected, Apple's event today wasn't about heralding any new hardware -- it was about shining some light on some of the year's standout apps. (If Android is more your thing, expect Google's own list of first-class apps to drop shortly, too.) Apple's selections this year run the gamut from artsy -- Spectre Camera helps people take long-exposure photos with their iPhones -- to practical fare like Affinity's desktop publishing app for the Mac. With that said, a few of the choices here are particularly interesting.
Read MoreApple will have to face a class action lawsuit over faulty MacBook keyboards. Federal Judge Edward Davila has tossed out Apple's attempt to dismiss a suit accusing the company of not only hiding the fragility of MacBook butterfly keyboards, but of failing to provide an "effective fix" or full compensation for customers who paid for repairs. The suit claims that Apple violated multiple states' consumer protection laws, potentially leaving the company on the hook for many users who dealt with sticky or unresponsive keys when even a slight amount of debris slipped into their keyboards.
Read MoreNever mind Apple expanding the use of OLED in its devices -- it may go one step further with its future hardware. Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who has a reputation for largely accurate Apple predictions) believes that Apple will start using mini LED displays in its devices in late 2020, starting with updated versions of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (what, no love for the 11-inch model?) and the 16-inch MacBook Pro. There will eventually be four to six products in Apple's lineup using mini LED, Kuo claimed, but there will be a gradual transition.
Read MoreIntel completed its sale of the "majority" of the company's smartphone modem business to Apple today. The deal -- which was announced in July -- is valued at $1 billion, though Intel claims it is still taking a "multi-billion dollar loss," according to Reuters. By owning Intel's modem technology, Apple will be able to source more components for its connected devices in-house rather than turning to vendors like Qualcomm -- a company with which Apple has a bitter relationship.
Read MorePaying for daily necessities using your phone might feel like the future, but the reality can sometimes be slower as mobile payments require authentication that can take time to approve. To combat this issue, Apple has brought its Express feature to London, making it far quicker and easier to use Apple Pay on services like the Tube.
Read MoreThis week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced changes that will hopefully make it less stressful for a lot of Americans to file their taxes in 2020. In an addendum to the almost 20-year-old Free File agreement, the agency has put new protections in place to make it easier for Americans to file their taxes for free.
Read MoreProtonMail is known for its encrypted email service, which it offers as a more secure alternative to products like Google's Gmail. In recent years, the company started by CERN researchers has begun to branch out further, offering encrypted contacts through its mobile app and a free VPN service. Now, it's offering another privacy-focused Google alternative with the launch of an encrypted calendar.
Read MoreWhatsApp runs on a huge range of operating systems, but even the ubiquitous messaging app doesn't think it's worth supporting Windows Phone any more. The company has announced it is ending support for older versions of Android and iOS as well as the rarely-used Windows Phone OS.
Read MoreWhether you're a longtime user or you have a new iPhone waiting under the tree, the company is celebrating the holidays with some App Store stocking stuffers. According to 9to5Mac, App Store users in Australia and some Asian countries who navigate to the Today tab are seeing an announcement that Apple will be offering a free download each day between December 24th through the 29th. Engadget's Canadian team already has access to today's free download -- Looney Tunes World of Mayhem, an action RPG from 2018 -- so a wider roll-out seems imminent.
Read MoreYou can now search for videos with your voice on YouTube mobile even while you're casting to a bigger screen. The Google-owned platform has announced the feature, which works on both iOS and Android devices, along with the revelation that it's now possible to watch YouTube in HDR on the PS4 and the PS4 Pro. YouTube's post also talked about the other capabilities it rolled out over the past year. Those include "Who's Watching," a feature that lets you switch between the profiles linked to the device you're watching on, as well as YouTube's debut on Amazon Fire TV devices.
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to know exactly what DJs are doing during sets besides cuing the next track? You now have a good opportunity to find out. Minimal techno pioneer Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman, F.U.S.E. and other pseudonyms) has released a Closer app in beta for Android and iOS that goes well beyond the usual concert footage. You can switch between multiple camera angles and track audio layers to see exactly how Hawtin puts together a set using all his on-stage equipment. If you want to know how he put together a killer synth sequence, you can mute everything else and switch to a view to see Hawtin's fingers fly over the controls.
Read MoreSophisticated web apps can make videos and other files available offline, but finding that media is tricky if the website doesn't give you an easy way to find it. Soon, though, that search might be trivial. Google has released a Chrome 80 beta whose centerpiece is a Content Indexing framework that lets progressive web apps list all their offline-capable content. You could find a must-have photo or report without wading through pages to get it. The framework is just in an an "origin trial" phase between now and Chrome 82, but relief is in sight.
Read MoreOne of the more frustrating aspects of modern web browsing is that it's easy to forget which tabs have videos or songs playing. This makes it difficult to pause your media quickly when you have to answer a call or pay close attention to an email. The latest Chrome update helps fix that by adding a new button that gathers all the media playing in your browser and displays play, pause and skip buttons for each one.
Read MoreIt looks like Flickr needs more paying members to continue existing. Don MacAskill, the CEO of SmugMug, which purchased the photo repository from Verizon-owned Yahoo last year, is asking users for help. "...Flickr -- the world's most-beloved, money-losing business --... needs your help," he wrote in separate emails sent to free and Pro members.
Read MoreThere's no better way to find new music than to get recommendations from someone whose taste you share. Spotify is capitalizing on that by testing out a new feature called Tastebuds, which lets you see what your friends have been listening to and discover new music though them.
Read MoreOutside of podcast apps from the likes of Apple and Google, or converted music playing options like Spotify and Pandora, Pocket Casts is one of our preferred options for multiplatform listening. In its latest mobile version -- available on Android and iOS for free with some premium subscription options -- there are some tweaks that change how it looks and give listeners more control over how it works. Now users can customize the bottom toolbar of the Now Playing screen, with the ability to choose which settings are available right away (from options like a Cast button, Share Podcast, Sleep timer and the like) and which ones are hidden in the more menu. It's also added a quick tab slider that makes it easier to see where show notes are while you're listening, while the Up Next list has been moved to its own screen so it has more room and it's easier to see what's going on with each episode in it.
Read MoreSatellite Studio, a team of designers and developers, has created a fun way to make use of all the information people add to the OpenStreetMap database. It has launched OpenStreetMap Haiku, a website that generates a random haiku based on location -- all you need to do is drag the map around or click "Locate Me" to make a poem automatically appear on screen.
Read MoreWhen Adobe released Photoshop for iPad last month, the response was less than enthusiastic. Users complained about the lack of functions of the mobile app compared to the desktop version, and in response Adobe announced it would be rolling out new features to improve the abilities of the software. Today, the company has begun that process by updating the iPad app to enable the Select Subject feature.
Read MoreBelieve it or not, TiVo has required that iOS users stream recordings on WiFi for the past seven years. Yes, despite the rise of fast and (theoretically) unlimited mobile data, you couldn't catch up on shows during your commute. Reason has prevailed at last, however. TiVo has updated its iOS app to support cellular streaming, letting you watch live and recorded shows as long as you have a solid internet connection.
Read MoreThe Google Podcasts app just got a recommendations tab. The new feature will suggest individual episodes, rather than full shows. That could make it easier to discover content if you don't know where to start, and it may help track people you like across different shows. As an added perk, you won't need to subscribe to the show to listen to the episode.
Read MoreFirefox is making it a little easier to bounce between VR and real life. In a new update for Reality, Firefox has introduced the ability to send videos and tabs straight to your VR headset from your phone or desktop, and vice versa -- you'll be able to send tabs straight to your phone or desktop to access as soon as you take your headset off.
Read MoreJust because you can't use the Force in real life doesn't mean you'll never get the chance to see yourself wielding a lightsaber. FXHome, the company behind the visual effects software HitFilm, has created and released a trailer entitled The Rise of the Dark Side as an homage to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. (Not surprising, seeing as its founder is a Star Wars fan.) And similar to what the company did when it released an Avengers-themed trailer, it's also releasing a series of tutorials on how to use its software to recreate the effects you'll see in the video.
Read MoreComcast has teamed up with wearable tech startup NuEyes to help people with low vision see more of the TV shows and movies they enjoy. Under the partnership, the company's Xfinity Stream app, which gives users access to live TV and On Demand content, will be pre-installed onto NuEyes' e2 smartglasses and VR magnifying device.
Read MoreWherever you side on the pronunciation of GIF (JIF?), it's undeniable that they've become a critical part of our everyday communications. WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook support them as standard, and you've likely received more than one email from zany creative types with them embedded in their signature. Now, like the silent movie coming of age, they're getting a voice: Giphy is adding sound to its library of animated GIFs and stickers.
Read MoreIn addition to releasing enhanced parental controls with iOS 13.3, Apple has also rolled out an update that will give you more opportunities to use your NFC-enabled YubiKeys. The update has enabled Yubico to introduce NFC support for the company's authenticator app, which allows you to use the company's keys with any service or application as long as it supports two-factor authenticators like Authy and Google's.
Read MoreWinter is full of driving challenges, particularly unplowed roads -- they're slogs at best, and downright dangerous at worst. Waze might help you steer clear, though. It just updated its Android and iOS apps with the ability to report unplowed roads in real-time. You'll know if last night's snowfall will lead to some detours on your way to work.
Read MoreiOS Lightroom users rejoice, the long-awaited direct import feature is finally available. As of today, you'll be able to import photos directly from an SD card or USB drive into Lightroom iOS and iPadOS, instead of using the previously time-consuming workaround of importing images to camera roll and then copying them over to Lightroom's library.
Read MoreYou no longer need an Android phone if you want to keep your Google Maps activity (mostly) private. Google is rolling out Incognito Mode to iOS users as of today, giving you the same ability to search for and navigate to locations without leaving records behind on your account or Location History. Again, this won't affect Assistant queries or prevent outsiders from theoretically snooping on your Google Maps traffic -- this is mainly so that Google (and anyone with access to your phone) won't know what you've been looking for.
Read MoreTech companies and device manufacturers have long touted ways to reduce a screen's dreaded blue glare -- the light that disturbs the natural circadian rhythms of the body and affects sleep. Now, Opera is rolling out a revamped night mode function that promises even dimmer night-time scrolling.
Read MoreConsidering the App Store has been around for 11 years and Craigslist for 13 years before that, it's astonishing the bastion of online classified ads hasn't bothered to create an official, first-party iOS app until now. It just hit the App Store and, like Craiglist's website, it's pretty straightforward with a simple design.
Read MoreSerato has made its name as one of the top digital DJ platforms available and I've also become fond of its recent Studio software which offers music production tools that are easily approachable. In fact, we've recommended both products in our holiday gift guide this year. If you've been considering either, the company just launched some updates to Studio that sweeten the pot. With Serato Studio 1.4 there's a reduced monthly subscription fee of $10 per month (down from $15). But now there's also the option to buy the software outright for $200, which includes all the perks associated with the subscription. That is, at least until version 2.0 arrives further down the line. Even then you can keep using the current version on its own or pay an upgrade fee instead of a new license to keep the updates flowing (price TBD). More importantly, Studio 1.4 now has a new audio tracks interface, giving you the ability to import and edit complete songs (or acapellas), rather than just limited-length samples. This finally opens up the possibility of making quick and easy edits, mash-ups and remixes of tracks for your next DJ set.
Read MoreWhen it came out earlier this year, there was one small omission to the otherwise excellent package that was Teenage Engineering's diminutive but powerful OP-Z synth: you couldn't use its handy companion app if you had an Android phone. Nine months after the fact, the company has addressed that issue with a new beta release that you can download from the Google Play Store.
Read MorePeloton isn't just adding an app for your wrist -- there's now one for your living room as well. The fitness firm is releasing a Fire TV app (the exclusive app for TVs, Amazon said) to guide you through live and on-demand fitness classes, particularly those beyond its signature bike and treadmill. While there are bike and treadmill workouts for those who'd rather use their own gear, the emphasis is on strength training, yoga and other more complementary exercises. You can hit the weights after you've built up your heart rate on the bike, or practice meditation to clear your head after work.
Read MoreIf you're a Peloton fan, you might be pleased to learn the company has released an Apple Watch app. Though you would have already been able to view exercise data via Watch's native workout tracker, the Watch app should offer more options and detailed metrics.
Read MorePandora started rolling out its redesigned and more personalized mobile experience in October beginning with a select few, and it's now available for all the service's users across various tiers. The redesigned app, which came out shortly after a redesigned desktop application, has simpler navigation and features a "For You" section the shows a curated list of music and podcast recommendations. Meanwhile, the new Pandora Modes feature gives you a way to customize your listening experience, like using the "Crowd Faves" filter to hear songs liked by other listeners or the "Artist Only" filter to hear only songs from a particular artist.
Read MoreThe big problem with owning a smartphone is that every temptation is just a finger tap away -- ooh, Twitter! -- making it hard to knuckle down on a single task. Earlier this year, Google promised to remedy this with "Focus mode," a new tool that stops you -- ooh, YouTube! -- opening apps that could distract you. You just select which apps like -- ooh, better check Facebook -- you find distracting, and lock them down until you choose to release them.
Read MoreOne of the hardest things to do while multitasking is watching a video. Even if you open a clip in a new window, you often have to keep moving it around your screen so it's not blocked by all the clutter on your screen. Mozilla's new Picture-in-Picture feature for Firefox pins just about any video to your screen and prevents other tabs or windows from obscuring it.
Read MoreRussian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation that bans the sale of smartphones, computers and Smart TVs without Russian apps pre-installed. The law will come into force on July 1st of next year, but before that, the government will create a list of Russian applications that must be pre-installed on various devices, according to Reuters.
Read MoreStarting today, iOS users can fall asleep to their Spotify playlists without having their rest disturbed later. Spotify Sleep Timer -- which has been available on the Android version of the app since May -- lets you select a countdown timer between five minutes and an hour. After the time has elapsed, the audio fades out so that "Pure Moods" isn't playing all night.
Read MoreMore than a few well-known developers pulled their Apple Watch apps in the past couple of years due to technical obstacles or just a lack of interest, but one of those apps has come roaring back. As promised back in September, Transit has re-launched its Apple Watch app after a nearly two-year break -- and with significant improvements, to boot. The popular public transportation tool is now a native app, of course, but it also gives you considerably more detail than just arrival times, including future arrivals and a map indicating where to go. This isn't the only app that can help you take mass transit, but it could be vital if you're racing to catch a can't-miss bus or train.
Read MoreThe days of simply remembering to buy some AA batteries are over. Parents now spend more time in the lead-up to Christmas and birthdays performing system updates and charging controllers than wrapping boxes or installing batteries. But there's another wrinkle in gifting electronics to children that, if you don't get right, will make your life way more difficult than it needs to be: family controls. While it's not for me, or anyone, to dictate your parenting style, I am constantly surprised at how poor a grasp my friends have on their children's electronic lives. Every horror story about a kid racking up hundreds of dollars of in-app purchases is absolutely preventable, and, when used correctly, family plans and controls can serve as a solid way to educate your family on online safety, controlled spending, the power of advertisements and other aspects of digital wellbeing. My family uses iPhones and iPads, so this article will largely focus on those devices, but Google has a similar suite of options for Android, which I'll briefly touch on and link out to for more information.
Read MoreBooking.com has become the latest US tech company to draw the attention of Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). On Monday, the agency said it plans to investigate the hotel and hostel reservation website for anticompetitive practices.
Read MoreIt wasn't so long ago that tech CEOs and their wares were changing the world. In fact, we heard that quite often: This or that "innovation" will make the planet a better place. Silicon Valley was clearly getting high on its own supply as it ramped up the hype that the earth was a wasteland until the titans of tech had graced us with an easier way to post a filtered photo or share our thoughts on the finale of Lost.
Read MoreHuawei may not be as much of a self-made success story as founder Ren Zhengfei has consistently made the company out to be. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Chinese government has granted as much as $75 billion worth of financial assistance to Huawei, allowing the company to spend more freely than it would have otherwise been able to.
Read MoreFormer Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is taking another step back from the company he helped found. On Tuesday, Uber announced that Kalanick plans to resign from its board of directors on December 31st. Moving forward, Kalanick plans to "focus on his new business and philanthropic endeavors."
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 MoreUber will set up a $4.4 million fund for current and former employees who were sexually harassed at the company. The move is one of the terms the ride-hailing giant has agreed to in order to resolve a probe launched by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2017. If you'll recall, that was the year an essay written by former employee Susan Fowler brought its problematic company culture and sexual harassment issues to light. The EEOC says it has "found reasonable cause to believe that Uber permitted a culture of sexual harassment and retaliation against individuals who complained about such harassment."
Read MoreSmart home devices are a godsend for the busy, the disorganized and the plain ol' lazy, but getting them up and running can still be a complicated pain in the backside. Some products work with others while others only work in specific ecosystems, so even deciding which devices to go for in the first place can be a hassle. But now, three of the biggest names in smart home tech are working together to simplify matters.
Read MoreThe US is growing increasingly suspicious of foreign-made apps. House national security subcommittee chairman Rep. Stephen Lynch has sent letters to Apple and Google asking whether or not they require app developers to disclose "potential overseas affiliations" before software shows up in their respective stores. The congressman is worried about claims that apps like TikTok, Grindr and FaceApp may be providing sensitive data to the governments of China and Russia.
Read MorePayPal is a hugely popular option for transferring funds, but the legal status of digital payment systems continues to be contentious. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, PayPal is suing the consumer protection agency for the financial sector in the US, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The company is challenging regulations introduced by the CFPB in April this year which required PayPal accounts and other digital wallets to guarantee the same consumer protections as prepaid credit cards.
Read MoreSince the end of last year, reports indicated that AT&T was planning to add pause ads to its video platforms. According to Variety, the telecom has flipped the switch. AT&T is currently testing the ads on DirecTV, its satellite TV service, and "other" video platforms it owns. They're also more like traditional ads than the pause ads you might see on Hulu. Variety initially reported that they include both sound and motion, though since this article was originally published, AT&T clarified to Engadget that these ads would not include audio. They'll start playing 30 seconds after you stop a video to take a break.
Read MoreTech companies have been caught in corruption scandals before, but seldom on this scale. Telecom giant Ericsson has settled with the US Justice Department and SEC for just under $1.1 billion over charges of extensive corruption in several countries, including China, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. The company had been accused of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act between 2000 and 2016 by bribing officials to land customers, falsifying its records and failing to use "reasonable" accounting controls. The SEC, meanwhile, charged Ericsson with bribery that took place between 2011 and 2017.
Read MoreOver the last few years Uber -- among other ridesharing services -- has been accused of failing to respond adequately to reports of sexual assault and other crimes linked to those on its platform. Now the company has released its first safety report (PDF), along with a number of notes about steps it's taking to make things safer for passengers and drivers. The nearly 6,000 reports of sexual abuse Uber said it has received over 2017 and 2018, or the 19 fatal physical assaults jump out of the pages of the lengthy report. While Uber correctly notes that even these are from just a fraction of a percent of the 2.3 billion trips taken during that period, each one is devastating for those involved. While the report, commissioned two years ago by current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, also accurately describes the problems as pervasive throughout society, it doesn't extend to an explanation of why methods for reporting and dealing with these issues is something that's happening after billions of trips, instead of before.
Read MoreHuawei has filed a lawsuit against the FCC, formally challenging the agency's latest action against the company. If you'll recall, the FCC recently approved an order banning carriers from using Universal Service Fund subsidies to buy equipment from Huawei and ZTE -- two companies the US considers a national security threat. As The New York Times notes, big carriers don't use Huawei gear anymore, but a lot of smaller and rural carriers depend on the Chinese tech giant's products.
Read MoreMore women have accused Lyft of failing to protect them against sexual assault. A group of twenty women has sued Lyft over claims they were sexually assaulted or raped when the ridesharing company let "known sexual predators" offer service. The firm's response to these problems over the past four years has been "appallingly inadequate," according to the lawsuit.
Read MoreEarlier this year, Sony announced that some of its higher-end TVs would add support for Apple's AirPlay 2 and HomeKit protocols. Now, Sony is bringing that support to more TVs.
Read MoreThe Trump administration may already be pulling the US out of the Paris Agreement, but a large chunk of the tech industry wants the country to stay in... with some glaring exceptions. The CEOs of many companies, including tech giants like Apple, Adobe, Google, HP, Microsoft and Tesla, have signed a United For The Paris Agreement letter calling on the US to remain part of the effort to keep climate change in check. They argued that the international pact would "strengthen [US] competitiveness" by helping it lead the way in technologies that will usher in an eco-friendly future. It also sets "clear goals" that help with planning and spur innovation, the companies said.
Read MoreTech companies often like to mine nostalgia for a few quick bucks, but Comcast is probably pushing that emotional exploitation a little too far. The telecom has posted a short film that reunites E.T.'s namesake alien with human pal Elliott to pitch Xfinity internet and TV service. Yes, it's exactly as cheesy and manipulative as it sounds -- it shows E.T.'s comic struggle to adapt to tablets, voice remotes and VR (complete with that music), and basically rehashes major themes of the 1982 movie in the space of four minutes.
Read MoreIf you didn't get a pair of noise-cancelling headphones over the holidays, Amazon is closing out the year by offering a steep discount on Jabra's Elite 85h. While they're typically priced at $300, the retailer has cut the price of the "Titanium Black" model by almost 50 percent. They're currently $157, making them the cheapest Amazon has ever sold them. You can also get the "Gold Beige" and "Copper Black" models for less than full price, but they're only about 20 percent off.
Read MoreIf you were lucky enough to get an iPad Pro this Christmas and want to use your new Apple tablet to its fullest, both Amazon and Best Buy have discounted the second-generation Apple Pencil by $30, making it $99. According to price tracker Camelcamelcamel, $99 is the cheapest Amazon has sold the stylus for. With how infrequently Apple products go on sale, now is the time to buy the accessory if you want it and have the cash to spare.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Was 2019 a good year for you? If you weren't in charge of getting the Galaxy Fold out the door, then maybe it was. Samsung's foldable phone needed a last-minute delay before it came to market, and once it went on sale, it still seemed more like an expensive gimmick than something sent from the future. I hope more companies take big swings in 2020 -- the Motorola RAZR and Microsoft Surface Duo are on deck -- but I also hope they'll do so in a way that's a little more affordable than a nearly-$2,000 phablet. It's also time that we thought about issues like privacy, security and safety at the start, instead of waiting for a years-later postmortem explaining what went wrong. --Richard
Read MoreEvery week, we ask our readers to tell us their thoughts on a different product or device -- because no one knows better than the people who have purchased and used these things for weeks, months or even years. Last year we received 650 reviews and scores on everything from cars and robot vacuums to smartphones and graphics cards, detailing what you loved... and what you most certainly did not. Below, in no particular order, are excerpts from the best reviews our users posted in 2019:
Read MoreFollowing years of shoddy third-party consoles, Sega took matters into its own hands and produced a replica console worthy of the Genesis name. The Genesis Mini has everything we look for in a miniature: a faithful design, a great collection of games and solid performance. It scored 89 in our review back in September, with praise for its large selection of titles, faithful emulation, high build quality and intelligent interface. The only negatives we found were the controllers (they're fine, but we would've liked to see the six-button rather than the three-button controllers) and that some games don't quite hit the mark.
Read MoreWe love Fujifilm's X100F, but it's definitely not for everyone. It's a fixed-lens APS-C camera best suited for street photography, blending the excellent 24.3-megapixel X-Trans sensor found in mirrorless models like the X-T2 with a 23mm (35mm equivalent) f/2 lens. As is par for course with Fujifilm cameras, you'll find a ton of traditional dials for controlling ISO, aperture and exposure compensation. The X100F is also fairly flexible, with a hybrid viewfinder that can operate like a rangefinder, a traditional EVF or a blend between the two. One thing it's not, though, is cheap. At $1,300, you've always had to really want the X100F to even consider buying it. What about $900, though? That's the price it's just dropped to on Amazon, and... I'm very tempted.
Read MoreI love doing The Big Picture series for Engadget, even though it can take a lot of hunting to find a striking photo with a tech angle. I believe in the idea that, by creating some emotion, dramatic images help us grasp heavy concepts in a way that words alone can't. Another is that I learn a lot of interesting stuff while researching them. That includes things about art, astronomy, science and even weaving. That information seems to stick in my head as it's indelibly associated with a powerful image. Many of this year's Big Picture images make interesting statements about the impact of technology on humanity. And although some of the images were created by accident or without artistic intention, they're often full of symbolism and irony like any other works of art. I think a great example of that is the first item on my list.
Read MoreLooking for a console upgrade before the Xbox Series X hits shelves? You may have some time left to get a 1TB Xbox One X for as cheap as a price as we've seen. GameStop is offering last year's 2K19 console bundle for just $250, while the store's Game Days promotion throws in a second controller for free. That gets everything you need for some 4K HDR gaming as well as Ultra HD Blu-ray capability with the most power available until the new consoles arrive late next year. A year-old copy of NBA 2K isn't particularly attractive as a pack-in, but at this price you should have plenty left over for a Game Pass subscription or a few of the top Xbox One games available. If it's still available at a local store you might be able to pick one up today, but if not you'll have to hope it's still in stock online -- shoppers have reported seeing it flicker between available and sold out. Buy Xbox One X 2K19 1TB Bundle on GameStop - $250
Read MoreThe end of 2019 is nigh, which means it's time for us to take stock of this year's crop of games. And it's been quite a year -- not quite the heights of 2017, to be sure, but still more than we here at Engadget can reasonably play between all the gadgets we review and events we attend. So rather than declare a list of winners, we'll tell you about the titles that captured our hearts and minds this year, the games of 2019 that made our days just a little better and will stick in our memories as we round the corner into the next decade and beyond.
Read MoreIt's the end of the year, and everyone from Santa to Time is making lists. Engadget is no different. Each year, we take stock of the hits and misses from the past twelve months to inform us as we look ahead. But as we hurtle towards the close of a decade, our picks feel even more important and telling of how far we've come.
Read MoreThis week, Devindra and Cherlynn tackle the best and worst tech of 2019. Among the winners: Wireless earbuds and premium ultraportables. As for the losers well.... There's a lot to cover. If anything, it seems like this year is a stepping stone towards some real innovation in 2020. Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News! Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Play Music Links The best true wireless earbuds you can buy this holiday season Microsoft is right: Dual displays are a safer bet than folding screens The (Day)dream is over: Phone-based VR is well and truly dead Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
Read MoreThis week's question asks about apps that can help break bad habits and keep New Years resolutions going. Weigh in with your advice in the comments -- and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com! What smartphone apps will help me actually stick to my New Year's resolutions?
Read MoreI'm pretty handy around the kitchen if I do say so myself. You need something seared, roasted, grilled, braised, boiled, bronzed or blanched, I'm your guy. But through most of the year my culinary aptitude is geared towards cooking for one, maybe two people, and a cat. Whipping up a full holiday feast for my extended family can pose a bit of a challenge. Thankfully, kitchens in the 21st century are a wonderland of helpful gear and gadgets. Here are a few that I hope will handle the heavy lifting on throughout the holidays.
Read MoreApple Arcade surprised us. It had an entertaining launch lineup and followed it up with many tempting new additions to the all-you-can-play service. Apple may be more selective with their Arcade entrants than the free-to-play, in-app-payment-loaded games found in the App Store, but there are already 100 games to choose from -- it's already hard to know where to start. So we've given you ten options. While most of you will be playing Arcade from your phone, don't forget you can play across, iPad, Mac and even your Apple TV, too. Some of them benefit from bigger screens and the addition of a Bluetooth controller. (Protip: Your Xbox and PS4 controllers are compatible.) Are we missing something incredible? Get in touch.
Read MoreSo how do you categorize a beast like gaming on the PC? With decades of titles to pluck from (and the first port of call for most indie titles, too), there's so much to choose from.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our gift guide focuses on the best gifts for console gamers.
Read MoreNintendo's Switch is on a roll. The youngest of the games consoles is punching above its weight with a mix of core Nintendo games that have pushed iconic characters like Mario and Link into the modern gaming age. The Switch is also a portable console, which has injected new life into older titles and indie hits that have never made it a Nintendo device before.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our guide focuses on the best gift cards and subscriptions, which could come in handy if you find yourself shopping last minute.
Read MoreA series of missteps put Microsoft in second place before the Xbox One even came out. While it's likely to remain there until the next generation begins, there are a lot of people out there who have never experienced what the console has to offer. With the Xbox One X having a clear advantage over Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro when it comes to gaming on a 4K TV, there's never been a better time to jump in.
Read MoreDeals during Black Friday week don't always represent the best discounts on a device, and you're looking at a textbook example of this. Amazon is selling Fitbit's Versa 2 smartwatch for $130, or $20 less than the steeply discounted price from late November. That could make it ideal if you're scrambling for a last-minute tech gift, or just want a full-fledged smartwatch at the price of a simpler fitness tracker.
Read MoreA couple of our editors went on a buying spree over Thanksgiving break, and bought "gifts" for themselves. In a complete coincidence, both Managing Editor Terrence O'Brien and Senior Editor Chris Velazco purchased devices of a musical bent; the Slo Multi Texture Reverb from Walrus Audio and a Glarry electric bass.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our gift guide focuses on our top picks for fitness-related tech.
Read MoreIf you're still trying to finish your holiday shopping, Best Buy has an intriguing offer. The retailer is currently offering a Nest Hub two-pack for $100. Normally, if you were to buy two of them separately, they would cost you $260.
Read MoreSony's PlayStation 4 just hit its sixth birthday, and that poses a problem. You see, game developers have seen fit to release a game for almost every day the console has been available, leaving you with well over 1,500 titles to choose from. The sheer volume of games on offer, coupled with the subjective nature of the medium, makes it impossible to definitively name "the best," and that's not what this list is about.
Read MoreIf you missed out on Black Friday discounts for massive TVs, you still have some time to pick up the TCL 65R615 at Best Buy. The 65-inch 6-Series Roku TV was consistently one of the best-reviewed models available last year at its starting $900 price, and $500 is the cheapest price we've seen for it since then. The sale price is valid through 1 AM ET tonight in-store or online, and while the platform does have some drawbacks, it's still a sharp, Dolby Vision HDR-ready 4K display that will impressively dominate your living room. Buy TCL 65R615 on Best Buy - $499.99 If you're willing to spend a big more, CNET editor David Katzmaier points out you can use the CNET600 code at Best Buy to grab this year's 65-inch TCL 8 Series TV -- that adds even more precise miniLED lighting -- for $600 off of the retail price, dropping it to just $1,000.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our gift guide focuses on our top picks for camera and photography enthusiasts.
Read MoreIf you're interested in getting into drone flying but you're not sure where to start, we have a deal you'll want to hear about. Engadget is offering an exclusive discount on the DJI Mavic Mini, one of the most popular miniature drones.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our guide focuses on the best gift ideas for PC gamers.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of the gift guide focuses on our top picks for toys and STEM kits.
Read MoreWhether you use Android or iOS, a hardware security key can provide even more protection against password theft or phishing. It's even more secure than other forms of multifactor authentication, because the site you're logging into has to verify itself to the security key too, which can help protect you against increasingly-tricky phishing attacks. Now, on the same day that Apple increased support for security keys on iOS 13.3, Google has kicked off a sale on its Titan security keys that makes them cheaper than we've ever seen before. Using the code "B-TITAN35OFF" can take up to $35 off of a purchase of security keys, so you can snag the wireless-equipped key that connects over USB, Bluetooth or NFC for just $3.99 (the price of shipping), instead of $35, or a pair of keys that adds a USB unit, at just under $20 instead of $50 plus shipping. It even appears that the code will work on multiple orders, so you could order them separately and use the discount on each one. Looking for the USB-C key that Google teamed with Yubico on? Apply the coupon code and it can be yours for a total of $9.29.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our gift guide focuses on the best mobile gifts, from phones to wearables.
Read MoreIt's holiday travel time, and for many that means enduring the racket of an airliner to visit family. Mercifully, some of the best headphones for fighting that noise are now on sale. Bose's 700 noise-cancelling headphones are on sale at Amazon for $349, or $50 off the usual price -- not bad for audio gear that's mere months old. It might just hit the spot if you'd rather listen to a podcast than the outside world.
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. This week's question asks which are the best gift-giving charities. Weigh in with your advice in the comments -- and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com! What charities donate gifts to people in need?
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our guide focuses on the best home theater gifts.
Read MoreWhen I think about how many milligrams of cannabis I've consumed on my quest for a good-tasting edible, I imagine their little strings of THC DNA orbiting Earth at least two or three times, flipping me the finger as they whiz by. I didn't realize this would be such a massive endeavor a few years ago when, as a food writer focused on craft chocolate, I wondered if anyone was combining quality cocoa beans with marijuana. Since then, I've sampled dozens upon dozens of products, each figuratively dashing my taste buds' hopes against a rock -- along with my few remaining brain cells.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our gift guide focuses on the best speakers, DJ gear and music-making devices for that special someone on your list.
Read MoreIf you missed the chance to pick up a discounted laptop or 2-in-1 during Black Friday, you now have another chance to do so. Amazon continues to offer steep price cuts on Microsoft's Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3, matching or exceeding its all-time low prices for both models.
Read MoreWhether you're a musician always on the go or just tight on space, there are plenty of reasons to pick up a portable MIDI controller. I've been on the hunt for the perfect portable and affordable controller. (You don't want to lose or break something expensive while you're traveling, after all.) But honestly, there is no perfect controller. There are some very good ones out there, but none has ticked every box for me. Similarly, you'll need to figure out which one best addresses your specific needs, with the fewest trade-offs. None of these controllers rises head and shoulders above the rest to make it the clear winner. So I've laid out the strengths and weaknesses of what I think are the five best options currently on the market.
Read MoreLast month, Corsair's K95 RGB Platinum gaming keyboard dropped to $130. Now, it's even cheaper. The mechanical keyboard is on sale for $110 on Amazon. That's nearly a 50-percent discount from the usual list price of $200, and it's the lowest price we've seen on Amazon, according to Camelcamelcamel.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our guide focuses on the best gifts for the kitchen and smart home.
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our gift guide focuses on the best laptops and 2-in-1s for someone in need of an upgrade.
Read MoreSony's WF-1000XM3 are still the best true wireless earbuds, even though they debuted a few months ago. The combination of great sound quality and powerful noise cancellation put these ahead of the rest of the pack. And they've been more affordable at $230 since they arrived. Well, right now they're an even better value at Amazon. The WF-1000XM3 is down to $198, and that's the best price ever on Amazon for these stellar true wireless earbuds.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. After a weekend of deal hunting, it's time to get back to news, and Apple is ready to take a victory lap by highlighting some of the best apps released on its platforms this year. Meanwhile, T-Mobile has launched 5G service, and an amateur helped NASA find India's crashed lunar lander.
Read MoreAmazon has dropped the price of its Samsung Galaxy bundle to $624. The package includes a Galaxy S10 (unlocked with 128 GB in Prism black), Galaxy Buds and a $50 Amazon gift card. Valued at $1,078, the bundle has most recently been on sale for $850. At this new Cyber Monday price, it's an even better deal (while it lasts).
Read MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our gift guide focuses on the best accessories for computer and mobile users.
Read MoreConsole deals are everywhere this time of year, but some are better than most. Amazon is offering a PlayStation 4 Pro "Only On PlayStation" bundle with God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn and Spider-Man for just $300 on Cyber Monday. That's substantially below the $338 we've seen recently, and certainly better than the one-game bundles. If you're new to the PS4 and want a primer on some of the top-tier games that defined this console generation, it might be hard to do better.
Read MoreDid you pass on the Oculus Go's discounted Black Friday price because it was still a little too dear? Your patience is being rewarded. Amazon is selling the stand-alone VR headset for $120 on Cyber Monday, or another $30 off the already fairly low price of $150. That's the lowest price we've seen, and it makes the Go that much more viable if you want to try VR or just enjoy a private Netflix viewer.
Read MoreWe called DJI's Osmo Action 4K camera "a worthy rival" to GoPro's Hero 7 Black, missing only a few options like a GPS, editing and social features. The action cam is available today exclusively for Engadget readers on Cyber Monday at Wellbots at its cheapest price yet.
Read MoreIt took Dell long enough to make a thin and light gaming laptop, but the Alienware m15 was worth the wait. While it's a bit chunkier than rival models at 18mm and 4.8 pounds, the latest m15 model has performance to burn, along with a great display, keyboard and trackpad. For Cyber Monday, Dell has marked down a fully specced out Alienware m15, with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, top-tier Intel Core i7-9750H CPU, 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 240Hz display, 512GB PCIe m.2 SSD and no less than 32GB of RAM. That's nearly a fully-loaded model with a ray-tracing GPU and a display that's a good fit for it. The extra RAM and good-sized GPU will also be handy for productivity and content creation chores and you've got room for another M.2 and regular SSD, should you need it for video editing chores. Best of all, it costs just $1,399.99 on Dell's website, or a generous $750 off the regular $2,149.99 price.
Read MoreTV deals are everywhere during the Cyber Monday period, but this is one you might want to consider. Best Buy is selling a 65-inch version of TCL's latest 6 Series TV (the R625) for $700 during the Cyber Monday period, or about $200 less than the usual sticker. That gets you a 4K set with very good picture quality for the money, a Roku smart interface and, of course, a giant screen that should do justice to your high-res content. Just be aware of the quirks -- it might not be suitable for everyone.
Read MoreIt used to be that Cyber Monday deals were the consolation prizes for those that missed Black Friday, but that doesn't appear to be the case at Target. It's already running a Cyber Monday sale that includes some steep discounts, including one that's even steeper than on Black Friday. Most notably, the 10.2-inch iPad is selling for $230, or $20 less than the already hefty sale price from Friday -- this may be your best shot at getting Apple's no-frills tablet.
Read MoreBetween the hellish travel conditions (looking at you, Colorado), consuming a week's worth of calories in a single sitting, scrubbing the mountains of resulting dirty dishware and getting stuck listening to your weird uncle explain his latest flat Earth conspiracy theory, Thanksgiving is far and away the year's most exhausting holiday. This is why we get the following Friday off by default -- tis the season for napping. So if you, like I, were zonked out through Black Friday, don't stress. Those same products are going to be right back on sale less than a month from now. But here's a quick roundup of what could have been.
Read MoreIntel's 10th-generation Core desktop processors appear to be right around the corner, and the biggest improvements may come to those who don't splurge on the most expensive models. Leaks at Informatica Cero and VideoCardz have detailed a Comet Lake-S CPU lineup where every Core chip, from the i3 to the i9, reportedly includes Hyperthreading. You might not need need to buy a Core i7 or better to wring truly strong multitasking performance out of your system.
Read MoreChuck Peddle, one of the most important engineers of the early home computing era, has died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 82. He's best known as the lead designer for MOS Technology's 6502, a low-cost processor (just $25 in 1975) that found its way into first-wave home computers like the Apple II and Commodore PET. Variants of that core design found their way into influential consoles like the Atari 2600 and NES. If you have nostalgia for the days when 8-bit computers were cutting edge, you likely owe a debt of gratitude to Peddle.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. At last, we've reached the end of the third Star Wars trilogy. I don't know what that earns us, but there should be an Xbox Achievement or something. If you're preparing to see The Rise of Skywalker over the next few days then, first, good luck avoiding any spoilers, and second, don't forget there's an exclusive sneak peek to go along with this week's episode of The Mandalorian, which arrived last night. For me, the big event of a new thing arriving is only enhanced by iFixit pulling it apart to see what's inside. Sure, repairability matters, but as I prefer PCs, it's unlikely I'll ever need to replace the $400 wheels on a Mac Pro. After you're done with this morning's roundup, keep an eye on the site to see our review of the new Razer Blade Stealth 13. -- Richard Lawler
Read MoreNow that NVIDIA's RTX graphics cards are boosting performance for Adobe's Creative Cloud suite and Blender, it was only a matter of time until Maya, the 3D creation tool widely used for Hollywood films and TV shows, joined the party. NVIDIA announced today that the upcoming Maya 2020 release will ship with a few new GPU-powered features. But most importantly, the app's default renderer, Arnold 6, will also take full advantage of the RTX cards' RT cores for ray tracing, as well as the Tensor Cores for AI-powered denoising. Basically, anyone running one of the new RTX notebooks, desktop cards or servers should see some helpful speed boosts when rendering with the new Autodesk software.
Read MoreQualcomm began its effort to make Windows on Snapdragon machines with the Snapdragon 835 chipset. That was first designed to power smartphones, and the company later developed chipsets specifically for PCs, like the Snapdragon 850 and the 8cx. These resulted in laptops like the Surface Pro X and the Galaxy Book S, which are both gorgeous pieces of hardware that cost $999 to start. For PCs that don't run all the Windows apps you might need, that's exorbitant. Qualcomm seems aware, and announced today a couple of new additions to its made-for-PC series. The 8c and 7c are midrange and entry-level processors for the Windows on Snapdragon platform that help the company provide "various price points, allowing partners to design always on, always connected PCs for a wide array of consumers."
Read MoreWe still haven't gotten to the point where everyone and their mothers routinely strap on extended reality (or XR) headsets, but Qualcomm seems convinced that's what the future should look like. So far, the company's processors and components have wound up in more than 30 VR and AR headsets, so it's little surprise that Qualcomm announced some new hardware to further its extended reality ambitions at its Snapdragon Summit today.
Read MoreA key bill to curb the robocall scourge is now the law of the land. President Trump has signed the TRACED Act, toughening the punishments for illegal robocalls and accelerating telecoms' efforts to block spam. Fines for robocalls now reach up to $10,000 per illegal call (and don't require a warning), and carriers must implement call authentication (already in use) to help prevent spoofing. The FCC has work to do, too -- it'll have to set rules determining when networks can block calls, and to prevent unauthenticated calls and texts from reaching phone subscribers.
Read MoreOur situation became clear when my friend ran through Trader Joe's screaming "ALEXA WHAT TIME IS IT?" This wasn't a cringey mockumentary comedy segment. It's the way we live now. I'm certain San Francisco's sea of terrified Postmates and Prime delivery runners parted for her, trampling an Instacart personal shopper already wallowing in the misfortune of crawling along the baked goods aisle, feeling blindly under tortillas for lost earbuds. Everyone wondering if they should yell at Google or Siri to call 911. Several cameras are trained on everyone, of course, to memorialize and broadcast these special moments forever.
Read MoreYou buy a home monitoring camera to improve your security, but Wyze customers might have wound up achieving the opposite. The company, which makes $20 security cameras to pepper around your home, has admitted that data on more than 2.4 million users has been exposed. A database was left exposed, allowing people to access key pieces of data, although financial information was not included.
Read MoreConcerns over the security and privacy of Ring cameras are coming to a boil. Alabama resident John Orange has filed a class action lawsuit accusing Amazon and Ring of failing to do enough to secure their security systems against hacks, including Orange's. He alleged that a stranger compromised his Ring outdoor camera and spooked his kids as a "direct and proximate" result of the company's inability to protect its devices "against cyber-attack." He pointed to other incidents to support the argument for a class action, including a highly publicized event in December where a remote intruder harassed a Mississippi girl.
Read MoreIf you play Fallout 76 you might want to avoid public servers for a while. According to multiple posts on the game's Reddit forums -- and confirmed by publisher Bethesda -- hackers have attacked public servers and wiped out the inventories of more than a few players. A post from one of the Overseers warns that "Your weapons and armor, and any other inventory items are not safe." It also appears that Bethesda is unable to restore lost items, so if they're gone, they're gone for good.
Read MoreYes, it's another Twitter security issue in the space of just a few days. Security researcher Ibrahim Balic told TechCrunch that Twitter's Android app had a flaw that allowed him to match 17 million phone numbers with their respective user accounts. While Twitter's contact upload feature doesn't allow phone number lists in sequential format, Balic discovered that he could generate phone numbers, randomize them and upload them to Twitter to learn who used a given number.
Read MoreThe takedown of a massive malware crime network is now leading to consequences for some of its alleged participants. The US and the country of Georgia have sentenced three people for their roles in using GozNym malware to steal upwards of $100 million. Krasimir Nikolov was sentenced in the US to the 39 months he'd served in prison for serving as an "account takeover specialist," and will be retirned to Bulgaria. Two others, the "primary organizer" Alexander Konolov and his assistant Marat Kazandjian, have also been prosecuted in Georgia for their roles. The US Justice Department didn't detail their punishment.
Read MoreIt's no secret that some messaging apps are favored by authoritarians, but one app may be explicitly designed with spying in mind. Unnamed US officials speaking to the New York Times say that the chat app ToTok is believed to be a surveillance tool for the United Arab Emirates. According to a classified intelligence report, the UAE uses ToTok to follow users' conversations, track locations (under the guise of weather), determine social connections and look at media. Most of the app's million of users live in the UAE, but it's popular elsewhere in the world and has seen a surge of demand in the US.
Read MoreThe FBI thinks it has a way for companies to limit the damage from data breaches: lure thieves into taking the wrong data. Ars Technica has learned of an FBI program, IDLE (Illicit Data Loss Exploitation), that has companies plant "decoy data" to confuse intruders looking to steal valuable info. Think of it as a honeypot for would-be fraudsters and corporate spies.
Read MoreTwitter has updated its Android app to fix a security vulnerability that could have allowed someone to see nonpublic information about your account, as well as take control of it to send tweets and direct messages. According to a blog post from the company, taking advantage of the bug involved "a complicated process" of inserting malicious code into the restricted storage areas of the Twitter Android app. The bug may have also allowed malicious individuals to access someone's location information and their protected tweets.
Read MoreReaders on the East Coast ,are getting some bad news after yet another retailer has uncovered malware in its systems stealing card numbers. The victim this time is Wawa, with its line of convenience stores and gas stations that stretches across several states. A letter from CEO Chris Gheysens explains that the company discovered the malware in its payment processing systems on December 10th, and believes it affected potentially all Wawa locations since March 4th, 2019, although some were infected later and some not at all. If you used your card at the payment terminal or gas pump, then the attack probably got your information -- store ATMs were apparently unaffected. According to the company, the information leaked "is limited to payment card information, including debit and credit card numbers, expiration dates and cardholder names, but does not include PIN numbers or CVV2 numbers." The statement also says it is not aware of unauthorized use of payment information from the attack, but has rolled out the usual warnings and offer of free credit monitoring services. Even in 2014 the FBI was predicting these types of incidents would become more common, and they have, affecting everyone from Target to Forever 21 to Wendy's. For advice on paying as securely as possible, we've listed some tips, in case you don't just want to go back to carrying cash.
Read MoreMore than 267 million Facebook users allegedly had their user IDs, phone numbers and names exposed online, according to a report from Comparitech and security researcher Bob Diachenko. That info was found in a database that could be accessed without a password or any other authentication, and the researchers believe it was gathered as part of an illegal scraping operation or Facebook API abuse.
Read MoreAn appeals court may have just shaped how the US treats the NSA's bulk data collection. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that American communications scooped up under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's Section 702 and PRISM is protected by Fourth Amendment rights baring unreasonable searches and seizures. Judges found that the "vast majority" of the evidence collected in a terrorism case against Agron Hasbajrami was permissible under the Fourth Amendment, but that the querying that data "could violate" the amendment -- and thus that it was fair to challenge the data use on constitutional grounds. It also believed that the accidental collection of Americans' data raised "novel constitutional questions" that could be answered later.
Read MoreIn 2016, a troll deliberately tweeted a rapidly flashing GIF at writer Kurt Eichenwald, who's a known epileptic, to cause a seizure. It unfortunately worked, demonstrating how social media can be weaponized and used to cause bodily harm. Now, the Epilepsy Foundation has revealed that it suffered a series of similar attacks on the platform.
Read MoreWhatsApp may be one of the most popular messaging apps, but it has had its share of security issues. Security research group Check Point Research today announced the existence of another one, having recently uncovered a defect through which a single malicious user could crash the apps of all members of a group chat.
Read MoreFacial recognition technology is increasingly used for everything from government surveillance to convenient online logins, especially in China. A new test reported by Fortune casts doubt on the accuracy of some such systems, however, by showing that they can be fooled by users wearing masks.
Read MoreCybercrime groups are actively exploiting a weakness in gas station point-of-sale (POS) networks to steal credit card data, Visa has revealed. The company's fraud disruption teams are investigating several incidents in which a hacking group known as Fin8 defrauded fuel dispenser merchants. In each case, the attackers gained access to the POS networks via malicious emails and other unknown means. They then installed POS scraping software that exploited the lack of security with old-school mag stripes in card readers that can't read chips.
Read MoreIt didn't take long for federal officials to convict people operating two of the largest pirate streaming sites in the US. Darryl Polo and Luis Villarino have pleaded guilty to copyright infringement charges (and money laundering for Polo) for operating iStreamItAll and Jetflicks, streaming sites that each offered tens of thousands of bootlegged TV episodes and movies. Both Polo and Villarino admitted to using automated software and scripts to harvest pirated videos and make them available as streams and downloads across a variety of platforms -- effectively, they helped run Netflix-like services for ill-gotten goods.
Read MoreTech companies have long disclosed the number of national security letters (NSLs) they get from authorities, but the credit reporting agencies that often dictate your financial future have been silent -- and Congress wants answers. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden and Rand Paul have sent letters to the CEOS of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion asking why the companies don't divulge how many NSLs they receive from the FBI, or release those requests once the non-disclosure orders end. These companies have the "responsibility" to come clean about their information handling when they have loads of "potentially sensitive data," the senators said.
Read MoreNew Orleans is the latest city to fall victim to a cyberattack, although it appears to have fared better than some of its peers. The city both declared a state of emergency and shut down most of its computers after detecting suspicious activity, including ransomware and a flurry of phishing emails. It's not clear if the ransomware compromised any systems, although Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that there had been no ransom requests or evidence of employees being tricked into handing over login details.
Read MoreIt seems Facebook just couldn't make it through to the end of the year without another privacy-related incident. Only this time around, its own employees are affected. A thief broke into a payroll worker's car and stole hard drives that reportedly contained unencrypted payroll information for around 29,000 current and former US employees.
Read MoreThe latest version of India's Personal Data Protection bill could require companies to gain permission before using individuals' personal data, and citizens would be able to demand their data be erased, The New York Times reports. The rules would also place fewer restrictions on the government, which would be allowed to request anonymized and non-personal data from companies. The latest version of the bill circulated this week. According to Financial Times, it was introduced to India's parliament today.
Read MoreIf you want to stream The Mandalorian but don't have a Disney+ subscription, there's a new, albeit illegal option: The Pirate Bay. A new green "play" button, or in some cases a "B" button, allows you to stream popular pirated streams on a new site called "BayStream," as spotted by TorrentFreak. It works with most film or TV show via a very simple YouTube-style interface that lets you play or skip to any part of the show, according to some quick testing.
Read MoreGoogle is adding several new features to Chrome to keep you safe while browsing online. To start, the next time you try to login into a website, Chrome will warn you if your username and password were compromised in a data breach. It will also suggest you change any passwords you've reused.
Read MoreAccording to a report from TechCrunch, an online company that allows people in the US to obtain a copy of their birth certificate has exposed more than 752,000 applications. The case of negligence was discovered by Fidus Information Security, a company that conducts online penetration testing, and verified by TechCrunch. The two found that the company is storing the applications on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) cache that's not protected by a password. By simply entering the "easy-to-guess" address of the cache in a browser, a malicious visitor could access the documents held within. TechCrunch didn't disclose the name of the company to protect the privacy of those who used its service.
Read MoreTwo of the world's larger car makers were the victims of a sophisticated (but still not very successful) hacking campaign. Bayerricscher Rundfunk has learned that intruders from the hacking group OceanLotus slipped into the networks of BMW and Hyundai in an attempt to find trade secrets. BMW, at least, found the hackers quickly -- instead, it let them operate for "months" to gather data before blocking them at the start of December. No sensitive data would have leaked out of BMW, according to an anonymous security expert, and the attackers wouldn't have breached the central data center in Munich.
Read MoreEarlier this week, reports circulated that Homeland Security wanted to scan the faces of travelers, including US citizens, as they enter or leave the country. Naturally, critics raised concerns that the practice would violate citizens' privacy and that the "intrusive surveillance technology" could lead to abuses of power. Now, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says that it will allow US citizens to voluntarily participate in the program. In other words, US citizens can opt out.
Read MoreOfficials are offering a $5 million reward for information that leads to the capture of Maksim Yakubets of Moscow. Yakubets is one of two Russian nationals charged with cybercrimes that resulted in tens of millions in losses. The $5 million reward is the largest amount offered for a cyber criminal's capture to date.
Read MoreThe latest in a long line of privacy scandals happened last week, after Google was found to have been pulling unredacted data from one of America's largest healthcare providers to use in one of its projects. Despite assurances that it won't use this information to supplant its ad business, that's not the issue here. How was Google able to acquire this knowledge in the first place?
Read MoreBrowser security extensions aren't automatically safer -- they might even make things worse. Mozilla has pulled Avast's Online Security and SafePrice extensions for Firefox, plus their AVG-branded equivalents, after AdBlock Plus creator Wladimir Palant found they were collecting much more data than necessary. This included a detailed web history that went well beyond site addresses and search history, including when and how long you visit a site, what you click, the number of open tabs and even when you switch to another tab. Mozilla's policies explicitly forbid this kind of fine-grained collection.
Read MoreHomeland Security is joining the ranks of government agencies pushing for wider use of facial recognition for US travelers. The department has proposed that US citizens, not just visa holders and visitors, should go through a mandatory facial recognition check when they enter or leave the country. This would ostensibly help officials catch terrorists using stolen travel documents to move about. The existing rules specifically exempt citizens and permanent residents from face scans.
Read MoreYet another exposed database has left public data out in the open, and this time it affects something you might use often: the systems businesses use to text you for appointments. Researchers at vpnMentor recently discovered that TrueDialog, an SMS solution provider for businesses, left "millions" of accounts and "tens of millions" of text messages unprotected on the web. The messages sometimes included sensitive info like recipients' full names, email addresses and phone numbers, but the accounts' data was noticeably worse. You could find usernames, email addresses and a mix of clearly visible and lightly-encrypted passwords, including for commonly-used sites like Facebook and Google.
Read MoreHitting the Books has been running for nearly two years now, so first off, thank you all so very much for continuing to read along. 2019 has seen some solid science and technology nonfiction titles. Unsurprisingly, one of the most popular excerpts this year ran on 4/20 yet, oddly, nobody seemed interested in slinging cats through interstellar space. Just look how cute he is, his spacesuit has footpads and everything.
Read MoreFor many people, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington and the famous "I Have a Dream" speech exist as little more than photos and soundbites -- only the 200,000-plus people who were there can give you a sense of what it was really like. Time Magazine, however, hopes to recreate that experience as best it can. It's releasing a virtual reality museum experience, The March, that will recreate King and his speech in VR for the first time. The exhibit will use a mix of photogrammetry (taking measurements from photos), motion capture, AI and 3D rendering to give a sense of what it was like to see King speak in front of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963.
Read MoreHow William Gibson keeps his science fiction real Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker While a lot of sci-fi is obsessed with the distant future, one of the best authors of the genre takes a different approach. The New Yorker explains how William Gibson "has imagined the near future more convincingly than anyone else" to create his stories. That includes his concept of "cyberspace" that first appeared in his work in the early 1980s.
Read MoreNot long after Spotify announced its upcoming music awards show, Apple has done the same. The Apple Music Awards is a "celebration of the best and boldest musicians of 2019 and the enormous impact they have had on global culture this year." The event takes place at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park this Wednesday December 4th, and will be live streamed at 9:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM PT.
Read MoreWhile Ford hasn't revealed exactly how many people are lining up to pre-order the Mustang Mach-E, the company has released some stats showing which versions people prefer so far. Apparently battery life is important to buyers of the sporty electric SUV, with 80 percent opting for versions with the long range battery that lets it go up to an estimated 300 miles between charges. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive version is also popular, at 55 percent of orders, and 30 percent of those interested have opted for the GT trim level. The First Edition vehicles are already sold out, but, as Autoblog notes, if you find the Mustang-branded crossover appealing, you can order one with $500 down. You'll have to wait until 2021 for a GT, but other trim levels may ship before the end of this year.
Read MoreNio has been a darling of China's fledgling EV market for a few years, but it appears to be facing an uncertain future. The company has reported third quarter results that saw it sell 4,799 cars, 4,196 of them being the more affordable ES6 SUV -- a significant improvement over earlier quarters, but not what you'd call earth-shattering. And while it's trimming costs through staff cuts and smaller stores, it still lost the equivalent of $352.8 million the three-month span. The company warned that it didn't have enough cash for "continuous operation in the next 12 months" without either taking on more debt or landing new investments.
Read MoreWonder why Mazda's MX-30 only has a modest 35.5kWh battery when its competition frequently has more? According to the brand's European research director Christian Schultze, it's to help the planet. He told Automotive News that the small pack is "responsibly" sized to have an overall CO2 emission footprint (including manufacturing and energy consumption) comparable to a diesel Mazda 3 hatchback, even after you replace the battery 100,000 miles into ownership. Long-range batteries would be worse for the environment, Schultze claimed, pointing to Mazda's calculations for long-term CO2 output.
Read MoreUber is now much closer to becoming a major force in the Middle East. Egyptian regulators have approved the ridesharing giant's $3.1 billion acquisition of Careem, giving it the most significant clearance needed to complete the deal. There are still other approvals needed if the union is going to close as planned in January, but it now appears to be more a matter of time. However, this isn't a carte blanche approval -- Uber will have to abide by some conditions.
Read MoreKia's Imagine EV won't remain a concept for too much longer. European operations chief Emilio Herrera told Automotive News in an interview that a production version of the crossover should arrive in 2021. He didn't say how the street-going car would differ, although we'd expect it to be wildly toned down compared to the version that debuted in Geneva. Those 21 displays, the aircraft-style steering column and giant wheels likely aren't long for this world.
Read MoreTurkey has long been partly dependent on foreign automakers, but it's about to claim independence in a big way. TOGG, a consortium of Turkish companies, has unveiled an electric crossover SUV as the country's first fully homegrown car (outside of help from Italian design firm Pininfarina, that is). It won't be a modest undertaking, either. While the base options will provide a single 200HP rear-axle motor (good for 62MPH in 7.6 seconds) and a 186-mile range, you can spec it out to a 400HP dual-motor setup (0-62MPH in 4.8 seconds) and 300 miles of range.
Read MoreElectric vehicles have been helping Americans get around for more than a hundred years. At the start of the 20th century, a third of the vehicles on the road were battery powered. Ferdinand Porsche, founder of the sports car company that still bears his name, was among the first to develop an electric vehicle, debuting the P1 in 1898. Even Henry Ford dabbled with the technology in the early 1900s. Then again, it was also his mass-produced Model T that decimated demand for EVs in the first place.
Read MoreTesla likes to brag about racking up sales without a lick of advertising, but it's apparently not averse to some product placement. Rapper Travis Scott has shared the video for "Gang Gang," and the car-centric video includes extensive, conspicuous shots of Scott and crew performing around (and occasionally using) both the Cybertruck and the Cyberquad electric ATV. There's even a Boring Company Not-A-Flamethrower thrown in for good measure -- the supercars in the rest of the clip are practically window dressing in comparison.
Read MoreAfter weeks of waiting on approval from the Chinese government, Tesla will deliver the first Model 3 cars made at its Gigafactory 3 plant in Shanghai on December 30th. The 15 customers who are slated to get their Model 3s first are Tesla employees. The company says it hopes to begin making public deliveries before the start of the Chinese New Year on January 25th.
Read MoreVolkswagen is still struggling to repair its reputation following the Dieselgate scandal which began in 2015. In an attempt to rebuild confidence in its brand, it is going hard on electric vehicles and has revealed it will be significantly ramping up production of EVs in the next few years.
Read MoreThe Federal Aviation Administration wants to implement new rules that would enable the remote identification and tracking of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones. Under its proposal -- available for viewing on Federal Register's website -- UAVs will be required to broadcast their location and identification info directly from the unmanned aircraft and to transmit the same information to the FAA's location tracking system via internet connection.
Read MoreDisney+ is coming to Tesla's theater mode, at least according to a tweet from CEO Elon Musk. In response to a question about bringing Disney's service to Tesla vehicles, Musk responded "Coming soon." It means that, at some point in the not-too distant future, you'll be able to enjoy The Mandalorian in your car. And that there's another thing you can boast about to your friends who can't watch TV -- while parked -- on their ICI.
Read MoreNew York had been set to legalize electric bikes and scooters, which would have allowed sharing programs like Bird, Lime or Jump to come to markets including New York City. However, Governor Cuomo has vetoed the bill, meaning e-bikes and scooters will continue to be illegal in the state.
Read MoreTesla isn't the only car maker with grand visions of EV charging robots. Volkswagen has created a prototype charging robot that would navigate to your car in the parking garage, saving you the trouble of hunting for a coveted (and likely rare) EV charging spot. The autonomous helper would hitch itself to a "battery wagon" at a base station and deliver a combined 50kW to your EV on request, whether it's through an app or a smart grid. While that won't be enough to fully recharge most EVs, it should give you plenty of range for your ride home.
Read MoreIf you've ever wished that your car could turn on a dime, then the folks at Rivian have just given you a reason to buy one of their EVs. The company posted a video on Dec 25th, spotted by Electrek, showing off how its R1T and R1S electric vehicles can make tank-turns. At least, if you buy the quad-motor version, which allows each wheel to be driven independently, giving you the ability to spin around on the spot.
Read MoreDriver assists can help make our trips much safer, but integrating software decisions into the control of a vehicle could cause serious problems if the system glitches at the wrong time. According to Mazda, "Incorrect programming" in its Smart Braking System (SBS) can make fourth-generation Mazda3 vehicles to falsely detect an object in their path while driving and automatically apply the brakes while driving. The problem affects 35,390 2019 and 2020 model year cars in the US, but Mazda says it is not aware of any injuries or deaths as a result of the defect. If the issue occurs, the driver will notice because their car has suddenly stopped, and also as an alarm sounds and a message is displayed on the in-car warning screen. Some Reddit posters report experiencing situations of the system activating while driving with nothing around, and note that while the system can be disabled, it appears to re-enable itself every time the car starts.
Read MoreNever mind kicking back with some TV shows while you're waiting in your EV -- if Tesla has its way, you'll be creative during your downtime. YouTuber Oliver Ryan and others have discovered that Tesla's recently released holiday update includes a Trax app for creating your own tunes. It's not sophisticated, as you might imagine (it makes GarageBand look like a professional tool), but it does let you produce multi-track, keyboard-based compositions that include familiar instruments like Roland's TR-808 drum machine.
Read MoreFord's electrification plans might include an eco-friendly version of a hot hatchback. Car sources claim the 2021 Focus RS will be a hybrid with a beefy 400BHP gas engine driving the front wheels while an electric motor exclusively drives the rear. It's not a completely unique concept (this is somewhat reminiscent of Volvo), but it would certainly be unusual for Ford. And like you'd imagine, this would be as much about a performance boost as it would fuel efficiency.
Read MoreUber and Lyft have won a major legal battle in one of their most important US markets. On Monday, a state judge ruled that a New York City law designed to control how much time ride-hailing drivers can spend looking for passengers was "arbitrary and capricious," reports Reuters.
Read MoreToday, Tesla began pushing its "holiday update" to its vehicle fleet. The changes include one present for EV owners who appreciate the great outdoors (though not enough to sleep on the ground): Camp Mode. The feature, reported by Electrek, allows Tesla's vehicles to maintain airflow, temperature and interior lighting. You can also play music and power devices, which could come in handy for tailgating too.
Read MoreA significant chunk of carbon dioxide emissions come from the transportation sector, and within Europe nearly 40 percent of transport emissions come from trucks. Now, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Lausanne (EPFL) have come up with a new concept for capturing carbon dioxide from truck exhausts which could reduce emissions by up to 90 percent.
Read MoreTesla's Model 3 might get features normally reserved for its larger, more expensive siblings. Code sleuth Green has discovered references in Tesla's software to a number of potential improvements to the 'entry' EV, most notably a 100kWh battery. It's hard to say if this would deliver the range and acceleration of the Model S, but you'd certainly get closer. Accordingly, Green also found code suggesting Ludicrous Mode might reach the Model 3 to provide extra-quick launches.
Read MoreThere are few experiences more pure in this life than getting a borrowed car sideways in your local Nordstrom's parking lot. Now, digital denizens are afforded the same benefit as humans thanks to a multi-year effort by a Stanford-based research team. They've taught a DeLorean to powerslide like a pro through more than a kilometer of test track.
Read MoreTesla owners might soon find it easier to use fast charging stations outwith the Supercharger network. EvGo is adding Tesla connectors to its stations.
Read MoreLucid's CEO Peter Rawlinson is tired of hearing the term "Tesla killer." Yes, the Lucid Air will be an electric sedan with a proposed range of 400 miles, but Rawlinson is aiming at the luxury market. "Our main competitors are Mercedes, Audi, and BMW." He wants the automaker to build the electric version of the S Class, the pinnacle of German luxury. Pulling that off would be a coup. Fortunately, Rawlinson knows a thing or two about coups.
Read MoreIt wouldn't be CES without companies showing off wildly ambitious tech, and Hyundai plans to accommodate. On January 6th, the South Korean automaker will introduce the public to its first Personal Air Vehicle (PAV), as well as two other concepts: An autonomous land vehicle and a hub where passengers can transfer between the two modes of transportation.
Read MoreOnce again, Volkswagen is using a Christmas card to tease a new vehicle. The automaker sent the card, which appears to show a smaller entry-level ID, to journalists this week, Autocar reports. The sketch is purposefully vague, but it could offer a glimpse of the more affordable electric car VW is working on.
Read MoreA company called Nawa has unveiled an electric motorcycle with a racy hubless rear wheel and a lot more range than most other e-bikes. However, the one-off "Racer" prototype is actually designed to help the company show off what it really sells: ultracapacitors. Above the 9 kWh battery is a 0.1kWh ultracapacitor that can harvest 80 to 90 percent of the braking energy, much more than lithium-ion batteries alone can store. As such, it can go 300 km (186 miles), compared to 180 km (110 miles) for a bike with the same battery pack alone.
Read MoreIt's been a few months since Tesla's 10.0 update brought Cuphead, Netflix and YouTube to some of its in-car systems, and it appears more options are around the corner. Elon Musk tweeted tonight that a "holiday" update will add farming RPG Stardew Valley as a playable game, and include a Full Self-Driving "sneak preview," as well as other things. Late last year, Tesla expanded testing of full autonomous features among employees, and Musk has continued to promise it will arrive for the customers who've ordered it on their existing cars to go well beyond the capabilities of its current Autopilot driver assist. We've seen a lot of clips of the carmaker's sedans and SUVs roaming the roads without human input over the years, but if the beta expands beyond employees then such sights could become more common. Earlier this year Musk said Teslas would be capable of self-driving by the end of 2019 before robo-taxi Teslas are a thing in 2020, and there's not much time left to get that done. Update: And if you'd like to know when it will arrive, in a subsequent tweet, Musk told a Tesla fan it "Needs a few more days of validation, then early access, then wide release."
Read MoreHonda plans to showcase a bunch of concepts and prototypes at CES 2020 next month, including an augmented driving concept that brings back memories of Hasbro's wheel-like Bop It toy. See, the technology puts all the vehicle's controls on the steering wheel: pat it twice to start the vehicle, pull it to slow the car down and push it to accelerate.
Read MoreAt CES 2020, Honda says it will finally show off its long-promised in-car personal assistant. The automaker has been working on its own digital helper since 2018 when it announced a partnership with SoundHound. Aside from the usual claims of "unprecedented" speed and accuracy, the company doesn't say too much about how the tool compares to AI like Google Assistant and Siri. It does note you'll be able to wake it by saying "OK Honda," and that it'll be able to infer context about a question based on your current location, as well as any previous queries.
Read MoreUber has suffered another major setback in Europe. According to Reuters, a court in Germany ruled on Thursday that the company doesn't have the necessary license to operate a business that employs for-hire drivers.
Read MoreThe number of electric vehicles on the road is growing exponentially. While it might have previously taken BMW three years to shift 100,000 models, the carmaker has now announced it's since sold five times that number -- 500,000 -- in the same amount of time, marking not only a major milestone for the brand, but for the EV market overall.
Read MoreAmber Alerts play a vital role in child safety within the US. Launched in 1996 in honor of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was snatched and murdered in Texas, the alerts send out emergency messages to law enforcement, broadcasters and civilians with details of child abduction. The more people that see information about the child in question, their last known location or the vehicle they're suspected to be traveling in, the greater the likelihood of getting them home safe and sound. And today, the program is expanding to utilize AI and vehicle recognition technology.
Read MoreLike numerous states, Connecticut has pro-dealership laws that industry groups have used to block competition from Tesla and other brands that prefer direct sales through stores. However, Tesla appears to have found a loophole. According to Electrek, Tesla told a local owner's club that it's now offering leases through its showroom in Milford. The key, the EV maker said, was to only focus on leases. While it still can't sell cars at retail in Connecticut, it is "eligible" for a leasing license.
Read MoreCar sharing in the US is about to take another hit. Share Now is shutting down its Car2go service in North America by February 29th, 2020, with "fewer vehicles available" as that date approaches. The company was blunt about the reasoning in a statement: it didn't feel it was in a position to make the "level of investment necessary" to succeed in North America. High costs and the "volatile state" of mobility services worldwide were key problems, Share Now said.
Read MoreSelf-driving delivery vehicles could soon become a relatively common sight on California streets. The state's Department of Motor Vehicles will allow "light-duty" autonomous delivery vehicles under 10,001lbs for testing and commercial uses. Companies will need permits that vary depending on whether or not a backup driver is involved, but this will allow everything from modified passenger cars to purpose-built vans to carry groceries, pizza orders and other forms of cargo.
Read MoreElectric vehicles will play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but they are not yet a perfect solution. Today, most EVs run on lithium-ion batteries made with heavy metals like cobalt, of which there is a limited supply and less than ideal mining conditions. The IBM Research Battery Lab may have a solution: a new battery built without heavy metals. It's made, instead, with materials that can be extracted from seawater.
Read MoreThe state of Virginia has taken a big step toward greener school transportation by ordering 50 of Daimler's Thomas Built electric buses, Daimler announced. The Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley models with 134 miles of range will go into service in the first phase of a plan to replace over 1,000 diesel models. The e-buses have an upfront cost that's about $120,000 higher than diesel models, but Virginia power company Dominion is reportedly paying the difference and setting up charging stations for select schools.
Read MoreMercedes has posted a teaser for the production EQA, and it doesn't appear share much of anything in common with the 2018 concept EV. The near-finished vehicle is now positioned as an "electric brother" of the 2021 GLA crossover, complete with a virtually identical side profile. Mercedes hasn't said much more, but it is promising "off-road features" for more adventurous drivers. You can expect an official debut sometime in 2020.
Read MoreThe all-electric Mini Cooper SE will go on sale in the US in March, but if you've already made your mind up about getting one, you can stake your claim now. BMW has opened up pre-orders for the first mass-market EV take on the classic car.
Read MoreFor all of the lofty promises around Hyperloop, we're now at the point where the companies making it have to stop speaking in poetry and start selling, in prose. Especially when you're talking to the lawmakers and public servants who'll need to justify spending up to $25 billion on the world's first working Hyperloop system to connect Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Read MoreA number of companies are building autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircrafts -- like Uber's air taxi -- but the technology is very much a work in progress. Today, a company calling itself Skyryse is introducing some technology that might help make it more accessible, and it also is showing off what it says is the world's first fully autonomous flight in an FAA-approved commercial helicopter.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. It's the season for staying indoors, away from the cold, and streaming your favorite shows and movies. For my family, it means I have to sit through Elf and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation -- whether I want to or not. But now that Disney+ has arrived, alongside even more made-for-Netflix Christmas movies of questionable quality, you could watch holiday movies the entire season and not run out. For me? I'm more interested in Studio Ghibli's movie collection, now available on demand from iTunes, Google Play and, er, Vudu. Spirited Away introduced me to Japanese animation and is partially to blame for me wrangling my way to live and work in Japan (twice!). Until now, the movies have kept their price on DVDs and Blu-rays, and I've avoided building out my own library. The benefit is three-fold: prices might come down, I can build out a bookshelf of my favorites and, finally, I might actually watch Tales from Earthsea. - Mat
Read MoreFrequent scooter riders now have an option for a more convenient rental system, with the launch of Lime's LimePass subscription service. Starting today, Lime riders in the US, Australia and New Zealand will be able to sign up for unlimited scooter and e-bike rides without paying the unlock fee.
Read MoreNinebot acquired Segway and its personal transports a few years ago, but now their combined transportation aspirations are growing up with two devices announced at an event in China ahead of CES 2020. The Ninebot eMoped and eScooter can both carry riders for miles and will come in a range of models to suit different needs. The eMoped (above) is described as a "smart electric bike" that comes in three versions, with a keyless airlock system that lets riders unlock it and take off by unlocking it with NFC. Its storage compartment is big enough to hold one helmet inside, and the high-end C80 model can travel up to 46 miles on a charge with the 24Ah battery inside.
Read MoreMercedes' EQC all-electric SUV was initially scheduled to arrive in the US in early 2020. If you were hoping to buy the vehicle stateside, you'll have to wait a little longer. Mercedes has rescheduled the launch date to 2021.
Read MoreIn a teaser video published today, Cadillac offers a glimpse of the 38-inch, curved OLED screen that will arrive in its 2021 Escalade. Cadillac says the display will have "twice the pixel density of a 4K television." It didn't share much beyond that but plans to reveal the Escalade during Oscars week, on February 4th.
Read MoreGoogle Maps can help you find available EV charging stations, but that doesn't mean they're stations you can use -- and that might be a problem if you show up at the wrong station with a low battery. Thankfully, Google might help you avoid that slip-up in the future. It recently updated Maps on Android (it's not clear that iOS has this yet) to allow filtering stations by those that your car supports. If you need a CHAdeMO station and don't have an adapter, you'll know just where you can go to recharge.
Read MoreJust because Ferrari unveiled its first production plug-in hybrid doesn't mean it's ready to completely embrace electric cars. Company chief Louis Camilleri told reporters that he didn't expect the Italian supercar brand to produce an EV until sometime after 2025. It's not due to hostility or skepticism, though -- rather, it's that Camilleri doesn't believe the technology meets Ferrari's expectations.
Read MoreIf you visit Qatar in the next few years, you might find yourself riding in a driverless vehicle. Volkswagen and Qatar have struck a deal that will bring self-driving electric vehicles to the public transportation network in the capital city of Doha before the end of 2022. A total of 35 autonomous ID Buzz vans will carry up to four people each on semi-fixed routes in the Westbay area, while Scania buses will handle larger groups. VW's MOIA and Audi's AID will handle the software needed to run the service.
Read MoreHere's a Star Wars marketing tie-up you may not have seen coming: Porsche has teamed with Lucasfilm to create a fantasy spaceship based on the Taycan EV. While the "Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter" won't appear in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker next week, it will be presented as a five foot scale model at the film's LA premiere, Porsche said.
Read MoreGoogle's parent company, Alphabet, has been pushing the self-driving car industry forward through its subsidiary Waymo. To date, the company has operated primarily within the US, but a recent acquisition demonstrates its interest in expanding internationally as well. As reported by The Guardian, Waymo has bought the UK-based AI company Latent Logic, which specializes in the testing of autonomous vehicles.
Read MoreLyft's car rental service now exists as more than just an experiment. Rentals are now available for "select users" in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, giving you an option when you'd rather drive yourself. As expected, the service relies on both tie-ins with Lyft's usual ridesharing and the elimination of a few typical rental headaches. To start, you'll get $20 in ride credit each way for the trips to and from your rentals. Lyft will also refuel your car for you (at a "local market price"), offers unlimted miles and promises cars with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and optional gear like car seats, ski racks and tire chains.
Read MoreIf you're waiting for big companies to reduce their carbon emissions, you can forget about 2020. Apparently, 2030 is when we'll start to see changes. That's the year Amazon wants to make half its shipments carbon-neutral and Microsoft promises a 75 percent reduction in carbon emissions. Now, GM has another promise for us: by 2030, the majority (and possibly all) Cadillacs will be electric vehicles.
Read MoreBMW's effort to drag its phone integration into the modern era extends beyond ditching Apple CarPlay fees. The automaker is finally introducing Android Auto to its cars as of July 2020, when it'll be available in any vehicle using BMW Operating System 7.0 or later. It's a wireless connection, so you'll initially be limited to certain Google- and Samsung-made phones, but it should save you the trouble of plugging in when you just want some quick directions home.
Read MoreYou can't often rely on ridesharing services for skiing trips. Few cars will have a rack, and even drivers of larger vehicles might balk if you try to stow your gear in the back. With Uber, at least, this won't be a problem going forward. It's debuting an Uber Ski feature that guarantees a ride with either a roof rack or sufficient cargo space to carry your skis or snowboard. You'll pay a surcharge, but it'll beat having to rent a car (or depend on the generosity of a friend) to hit the slopes or the trail.
Read MoreAn aircraft designed in 1946 might become the first commercial electric plane, following a short but successful test flight. Vancouver-based Harbour Air's took its "eBeaver" on a ten-minute hop on the Fraser River in Richmond, BC, with CEO and pilot Greg McDougall at the controls. "Today, we made history," he said in a statement. Harbour Air expects the eBeaver to go into commercial service in 2022.
Read MoreThe new mid-engined Corvette Stingray will debut with GM's new "digital vehicle platform," which it shares in common with these super-sized SUVs and allow the vehicles to receive over-the-air updates that add new features in the future. As Autoblog points out, the 2021 Tahoe and Suburban enjoy a refreshed appeal with more interior space and improved ride, mostly thanks to some added length, adaptive suspension tech and a switch to independent rear suspension.
Read MoreWalmart is about to experiment with autonomous grocery delivery in a big way. The big-box retailer is launching a pilot program in Houston that will use Nuro's self-driving R1 vehicle to shuttle food from "select" stores to customers who've opted into the program. The companies didn't outline how customers would enroll, but Houstonians can expect service to start in the "coming weeks."
Read MoreBike sharing schemes make it convenient to rent a bicycle for a short trip, but they can give rise to safety concerns as riders aren't provided with protective equipment like helmets. To tackle this issue, bike share company Wheels is introducing helmets to go with its bicycles.
Read MoreVolkswagen's "dieselgate" woes continue as Canada has accused the automaker of importing 128,000 vehicles that contravene its environmental laws, according to Reuters. The nation charged VW with 60 counts of violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and two counts of providing misleading information. A VW spokesperson said that it's cooperating fully with the ECCC (Environment and Climate Change Canada).
Read MoreSo what is there to do after you win a defamation lawsuit? If you're Elon Musk, apparently ride down the 405 in an electric pickup truck. Many people spotted the Tesla Cybertruck riding around Los Angeles this weekend, while celeb-watching sites like TMZ got footage of the CEO at Nobu on Saturday night surrounded by people including the actor Edward Norton.
Read MoreCar makers frequently make vague claims that their racing technology leads to improvements in road-going vehicles, but this is one of those precious few moments where the gains are very tangible. Jaguar is delivering an update to its I-Pace EV that promises up to 12 miles of extra range thanks partly to know-how gleaned from the eTrophy race series. The automaker has boosted the efficiency of the car's AWD torque distribution, reduced use of the radiator vanes that keep it cool (improving aerodynamics) and allowed the battery to run to a lower state of charge without compromising performance or durability.
Read MoreCadillac is moving some of the car shopping process online... if not necessarily the parts you'd want the most. The automaker has launched a Cadillac Live service that lets you check out car features and ask questions through a live video connection to a showroom with iPhone-toting specialists. Effectively, you can conduct the usual dealership tour without having to travel halfway across town. Representatives can also share options like accessories, colors and wheels through a digital interface -- just in case that Escalade on display isn't baller enough.
Read MoreDo you know the way to San Jose? It doesn't matter if you're in a self-driving car. As they previewed earlier this year, Bosch and Mercedes-Benz have commenced trials for an automated ride-hailing service in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose. To start with, autonomous S-Class Mercedes-Benz vehicles (with safety drivers at the wheel) will shuttle "a select group of users" between North San Jose and downtown.
Read MoreTesla has said precious little about its Cyberquad electric ATV, but it's now sharing one of the most important details: when you can expect to get one. Elon Musk told Twitter followers that Tesla was planning to release the ATV at the same time as the Cybertruck, or late 2021. Pricing, performance and other details are still unknown, but you won't be deprived of electric off-roading if you're an early adopter.
Read MorePorsche's follow-ups to the Taycan may make its powerplants seem conservative by comparison. The Stuttgart crew has revealed that it's working on a four-motor powertrain for electric SUVs, twice as many as what you'll find in the Taycan. This isn't about improving quarter mile times, though. Instead, the design is focused on control -- one motor for each wheel lets Porsche rapidly shift the power distribution based on where it's needed, whether it's to counteract slippery roads or take corners at high speed. You could have the "agility of a sports car" in a large people carrier, the company claimed.
Read MoreTesla wasn't entirely accurate when it said it would start charging for some in-car data on July 1st of last year, but it looks like owners have finally been asked to cough up. The automaker is notifying customers who ordered on or after July 1st, 2018 that it's switching them to 30-day trials of Premium Connectivity (i.e. the full data services they're used to), and that they'll have to subscribe for $10 per month to keep using the functionality. Anyone who ordered before July 1st, 2018 still has access to all features for free.
Read MoreI ride my trusty Vespa scooter all around San Francisco. In the Bay Area, it's more convenient for getting around than a car, and I can park almost anywhere. Riding on two wheels places you above most drivers and makes you hyperaware of others on the road, and what I see more often than not terrifies me. Most of you are on your phones when you should be driving. It's time for automakers and the US regulatory agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to do something about it.
Read MoreIn a call today with reporters, GM CEO Mary Barra announced that the company would be teaming up with LG Chem to supply battery cells for the automaker's upcoming electric vehicles including EV trucks. Overall, the company is expecting to have 20 EVs for sale by 2023.
Read MoreFor years BMW has charged customers for access to Apple CarPlay. Initially, the automaker charged a $300 lifetime fee, but this summer, it introduced a yearly subscription model at $80 per year. That didn't go over well with drivers, especially because Apple doesn't charge car manufactures a fee to use CarPlay. Now, BMW says it will no longer charge a subscription fee for cars equipped with Apple Car Play in the US.
Read MoreUber is getting some new features in California. While the favorite driver option has been live in the UK for some time, passengers in CA will, from early 2020, have the option to bookmark drivers they'd like to ride with again. Drivers will also now be given more trip information upfront -- such as a passenger's ultimate destination -- allowing them to make more informed decisions about the rides they accept. Finally, drivers will be able to accept only the trips they want to take without it affecting their Uber Pro status.
Read MoreIf safety ratings are a major criteria for you when it comes to choosing a car, your best bet is probably an EV. Tesla's Model X has just received a 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), building on its existing credentials from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Porsche Taycan -- one of Tesla's biggest rival models -- also achieved a five-star rating.
Read MoreIt seemed like things were going well for Ford's GoRide Health, a service that offered non-emergency transportation to hospitals and other health care facilities. This spring, it outlined a plan to expand into 40 cities over the course of four years. Instead, Ford is shutting the service down in the five cities it currently operates. According to TechCrunch, Ford is relocating GoRide Health to Miami, where it will focus on autonomous vehicles.
Read MoreAs much as Formula E has grown, it still plays second fiddle to Formula 1. It's about to get more legitimacy going forward, though. The FIA is granting World Championship status to the electric racing league starting with the 2020-2021 season, making it the only FIA single-seat competition beyond Formula 1 to receive that distinction. It'll now be known as the (lengthily-worded) ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, and the driver who wins will be deemed a world champion. There's no mention of Formula E getting practical benefits from the title, but it does show that the race series is important in the FIA's eyes -- it's not just a sideshow next to the main event.
Read MoreNot long ago, the Bloodhound supersonic car was on the brink of bankruptcy, and the project came close to shutting down altogether. But after test runs at the Hakskeen Pan dry lake bed race track in South Africa, the car seems to be pulling ahead. It reached 628MPH (1,010 km/h) in 50 seconds, making it the sixth fastest car ever.
Read MoreFew would question the beauty of classic cars from the 1950s and 60s. Unfortunately, these vehicles are increasingly rare on British roads as they fall into disrepair or become a treasured possession that is only driven on weekends, after hours of meticulous maintenance in a private garage. David Lorenz, however, is desperate to keep classic cars on the road. He's driven them for years, knowing full well they'll probably break down every six months. "It didn't really bother me," Lorenz said. "I could laugh it off and say it was part of the experience of owning a classic." One particular mid-drive malfunction stung, though. Lorenz recalls sitting on the side of the road, in the freezing cold, with no vehicular heating to keep him warm. Breakdown services showed up 90 minutes later. "My brain was going 'How do we change this?'" he said. In that moment, Lorenz realized that classic cars would eventually become too hard to fix and, therefore, inaccessible to his daughter Luna's generation. "She's just not going to [own] these types of vehicles," he thought. "Because people will not continue like this." Instead of wallowing in this automotive bleakness, Lorenz sought a solution. He stewed on the idea of electric conversions until April 2018, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drove a Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero at their wedding. "That really cemented it as an idea I had to go ahead with," Lorenz said.
Read MorePhone use while driving remains a problem in many parts of the world, in no small part due to the difficulty of enforcing laws. How do you catch someone in the act? Australian police might not have that problem. The New South Wales government has started using the first cameras that can automatically detect when drivers are using their phones. The system uses AI to review photos for telltale signs of phone use, with human reviewing the flagged images to prevent any false positives. There will be both fixed and trailer-mounted cameras on hand to spot distracted motorists.
Read MoreDubai's police force is well-known for incorporating supercars and other oddities into its fleet, but its latest might be the most eccentric to date. The law enforcement agency has revealed that it'll add Tesla's Cybertruck to its stable -- it claims this will happen in 2020, but that's clearly not happening when production doesn't start until late 2021. Commander-in-Chief Maj Gen. Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri explained that this would help "enhance security presence" in tourist spots like the Burj Khalifa. Goodness knows you're less likely to speed if an electric death wedge is likely to hunt you down.
Read MoreUntitled Goose Game hasn't just melted the hearts of mischievous gamers -- apparently, it's also a commercial success. Panic's Cabel Sasser has revealed that House House's chaos-creating title has racked up 1 million sales since its debut on September 20th. He didn't break down sales by platform, although we wouldn't be surprised if the PC version was the frontrunner. The PS4 and Xbox One releases no doubt helped, mind you. And remember, the PC edition is currently an Epic Games Store exclusive -- we'd expect another boost once it reaches Steam in late 2020.
Read MoreThe Engadget staff's favorite video games of 2019.
Read MoreThe 10-year challenge swept social media in January, with people posting images of themselves from 2009 and 2019, usually accompanied by a cute remark about things being the same yet totally different. It's a fun, heartwarming way to train machine learning algorithms in facial recognition.
Read MoreFacebook still isn't done snapping up big-name Twitch streamers. Corinna Kopf, who's also known for her YouTube presence, is switching to Facebook Gaming for livestreams. Her first stream on the service will take place December 30th at 7PM Eastern. She explained the move as "expanding [her] gaming career," and saw Facebook as a place that "empowers" both her as a woman gamer and her community. Facebook is providing the "support and tools" to make that growth happen, she said.
Read MoreGoogle is bolstering Stadia Pro's 'free' game lineup once more, although you might not be quite so thrilled with the consequences. The game streaming service is adding both the adventure sequel Rise of the Tomb Raider and the rhythm title Thumper to its no-extra-charge selection as of January 1st. However, Google is also taking away Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on December 31st at 12PM Eastern. It'll still be available to play after that date if you claim it in time, but you'll have to miss out on the start of Lara's journey if you sign up in 2020.
Read MoreFor the longest time, Twitch was the undisputed champ of video game live streaming. The Amazon-owned platform has the highest number of 'broadcasters' and, more importantly, viewers watching, chatting and donating in real-time. For most full-time streamers, switching to any other platform felt like economic suicide. Then, on August 1st, the most popular and recognizable gamer in the West, Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, signed an exclusive streaming deal with Mixer, a rival platform owned by Microsoft. "I'm going to get back to the streaming roots," he said in a short video posted on Twitter. "That's what this is all about. I love you guys, and obviously [my] streams are just going to be the exact same. I'm looking forward to seeing you guys on the platform."
Read MoreThe Call of Duty: Modern Warfare team is marking the holidays with decidedly kinder, more lighthearted gameplay. Infinity Ward and Activision have introduced a Snowfight mode that will only be available until December 31st at 1PM Eastern. It's exactly what it sounds like: you and a partner have to take down foes using snowballs instead of the usual guns and explosives. If you're looking for a break from the usual violence, this might be the relief you're looking for.
Read MoreYou don't have to fire up a Nintendo console or launch a phone app to play Pokémon video games from now on. The Pokémon Company has released its first two Facebook Gaming titles, Pokémon Medallion Battle and Pokémon Tower Battle, through both the Gaming tab on the social network as well as is in-beta Facebook Gaming app. Tower Battle (shown at right) is available worldwide and has you fighting other players in real time by creating the tallest Pokémon towers -- it's not Jenga with Jigglypuffs, but it's getting there. Medallion Battle, meanwhile, is a more traditional card battler for the Asia-Pacific region that has you tracking down new creatures (new ones are available each month) to build your dream deck.
Read MoreIf watching Stranger Things has inspired you to look for '80s-era gaming, your search might be over. Stern Pinball has introduced a Stranger Things pinball table that, like the Netflix show, blends nostalgia with 21st century technology. Your quest is to unravel the supernatural mysteries of Hawkins and defeat the Demogorgon (complete with a model on the field), but it's how you get there that matters -- the table has a modern feature or two that helps it stand out from the crowd.
Read MoreValiant wants some of that money you're setting aside for superhero stuff. In addition to making a Bloodshot movie with Vin Diesel, the company has also teamed up with indie developer Blowfish Studios to create multi-platform video games based on Valiant characters. They didn't reveal much about the scope of their team-up, but they said that it's a multi-game partnership for a "slate of all new action-packed video games."
Read MoreFollowing the news that it's exiting the game rental business, Redbox has put its entire stock of PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch games on sale. While supplies last, you can a lot of recent games at a significant discount. For instance, PlayStation 4 exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man is a mere $10, while Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima's latest opus, is only $25. You can see all the titles that are on sale by visiting Redbox's website.
Read MoreGoogle is slowly but surely expanding Stadia's feature set. The Stream Connect split-screen mode emerged with the release of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint on the service this week, and now another aspect of the service is live: achievements. You'll receive notifications on your PC or TV (if you're playing on Chromecast) when you earn them. You can check out achievement lists on the web, but not the mobile apps just yet.
Read MoreFancy a few extra games to play over the holiday season? Start logging into the Epic Games Store. The deep-pocketed Fortnite developer is celebrating the festive season with 12 free games between December 19th and January 1st, 2020. A new offering will pop up each day -- the first was the excellent turn-based strategy title Into the Breach, by FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games -- and be available to download for 24 hours. (If you can't get to a computer, they're also redeemable through a mobile browser.) Once they're in your library, you'll be able to play them forever just like the weekly giveaways that Epic has been offering since June. In addition, the company is offering everyone a $10 'Epic Coupon.' There are a few restrictions -- the game has to be priced above $15, and it can't be used for in-game purchases, DLC or season passes -- but otherwise you can spend it however you like. As soon as your order goes through, Epic will give you another $10 coupon that you can be spent on a different game. Not a bad way to catch up on the platform's best PC exclusives, which include Borderlands 3, Control, Detroit: Become Human, Journey, John Wick Hex, Metro Exodus, Shenmue 3, The Division 2, The Outer Worlds, Observation, Outer Wilds, Untitled Goose Game, Wattam and What the Golf?
Read MoreSeveral months ago, Panic unveiled the Playdate, a tiny gaming handheld with a crank that is perhaps the most adorable gadget we've seen this year. As cute it is, however, it's not quite ready for pre-orders just yet. But the hardware itself is effectively done. That's why Panic is announcing a new preview program where developers can get their hands on one early, so they can start creating games for it.
Read MoreScavenger Studio's Darwin Project made waves at Microsoft's E3 conference all the way back in 2017. It's been sat in Xbox Game Preview ever since, and despite going free to play in 2018, there's not been a whole bunch of activity around the battle royale brawler. Until now, as Scavenger has announced it's getting a full release in January 2020, which will also see it -- to the delight of the 3.6 million players the game has already attracted -- make its way to PlayStation 4.
Read MoreBlizzard announced Warcraft III: Reforged just over a year ago, promising a top-to-bottom refresh of the landmark real-time strategy title and its Frozen Throne add-on. Now, we know when it's going to land. The game, which features seven single-player campaigns spanning more than 60 missions, plus a total graphics and audio overhaul, releases on January 28th in the US, and on the 29th in the UK.
Read MoreSports and fashion have gone hand in hand for decades, so it's no surprise that esports is slowly but surely making a similar impact. Nike has launched esports jerseys, Adidas has signed Ninja, and now Puma is getting in on the action with the launch of its "active gaming footwear." Or, more specifically, "gaming socks."
Read MoreFor years it was the stuff of legend -- a games console that incorporated both a CD drive and SNES cartridge slot made with the official backing of PlayStation and Nintendo? But back in 2015 we saw the magical prototype for ourselves and even had a play with it. Now, after years of touring the world to show off the system to classic gaming fans, the owner of what is believed to be the only remaining Nintendo PlayStation system is putting the console up for sale.
Read MoreGoogle is slowly but surely expanding the number of games available on Stadia, giving you and your friends (thanks to those buddy passes) more titles to play together. It emerged back in August that Borderlands 3 was coming to the game streaming platform, and today's the day you can hop into the looter-shooter on Stadia. Joining Gearbox's game on Stadia is fighting RPG Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2.
Read MoreIt was probably only a matter of time, but Apex Legends is about to get its own esports league. Starting early next year, EA and developer Respawn Entertainment will invite the game's top PC players to compete in the Apex Legends Global Series.
Read MorePokémon Go developer Niantic is close to putting the finishing touches on a feature that will likely fulfill a longstanding wish for a lot of the game's fans. By 2020, Ninatic says you'll be able to play with and feed your favorite Pokémon in augmented reality thanks to the "Buddy Adventure" feature the studio plans to add to the game.
Read MoreCorsair wasn't done growing after it bought Elgato Gaming and Origin PC. The peripheral maker has acquired Scuf, an Atlanta outfit known for its highly modular gamepads. The move will make Corsair a key player in "performance controllers," while Scuf sees this as a chance to grow through its soon-to-be-parent's "operational scale." As with earlier deals, Scuf will still work as a separate brand and keep its existing offices. Don't expect a radical change in direction, at least not at first.
Read MoreWelcome back! This week should be less busy, with fewer oblong-shaped gadgets to discuss (we got the new Xbox and talked all about the Mac Pro last week). In the run-up to the holidays, there's simply not as much big tech news. If you're planning to travel home or visit family, we've got gift guides that you might want to peep at. Something that we missed, though, are the dongles and cables to smooth your transit. I just flew back from New York to London on Saturday, and while it's no nine-hour flight (that's CES in Las Vegas next month), it's long enough to demand some gadget charging. The curse of an early adopter struck, however -- my bag was filled with USB-C cables for my iPhone 11 Pro, Switch and wireless headphones. Airplanes seats, if they have any charging ports at all, are old-school USB-A, so there's another difficult transition on the horizon, just after we accepted the death of the headphone port. A USB-C to USB-A dongle is now on my Amazon wishlist if anyone needs a last-minute stocking filler for me. Now, onto what happened over the weekend. -Mat
Read MoreIf you wanted to attend Fortnite's Star Wars event but missed out, you're probably experiencing a twinge of regret right now. The event included an expected Rise of Skywalker clip and a virtual appearance by director J.J. Abrams, but it also gave people lightsabers (and blasters) -- and yes, they're available outside the event. Suddenly, the notorious mechs from earlier in the year seem a bit weak by comparison. It's not certain how long they'll last, but you'll have to track down special Star Wars crates to arm yourself like a Jedi or Sith.
Read MoreDid you enjoy Obsidian's RPG The Outer Worlds, but just wished there was a bit more to explore? We have good news. In a forum post celebrating the three awards it was nominated for at The Game Awards, the team revealed it will be expanding the story next year with DLC. Details on what that includes will be revealed "at a later date," but maybe just don't uninstall that one from your system yet.
Read MoreTHQ Nordic is testing the waters for a possible reboot of the 2001 fantasy RPG Gothic with a playable trailer. It's hoping for feedback from players on whether it should go ahead with a full rework. The prototype, which is called Gothic Playable Teaser, is free for those who own a game from original Gothic developer Piranha Bytes on Steam. It'll pop up in their Steam library.
Read MoreTelltale's critically acclaimed title The Wolf Among Us will have a sequel even though the original studio no longer exists. The studio effectively shut down in 2018 when it laid off 225 out of 250 employees. A few months ago, though, holding company LCG Entertainment announced that it purchased Telltale's "key assets, trademarks, technology and select intellectual properties." Now, LCG has revealed that the The Wolf Among Us 2, which was previously canceled due to financial issues, is back in development. Even better? LCG is working with AdHoc Studio, a company made up of former Telltale employees, for its development.
Read MoreThe Fast & Furious franchise is about to roar onto PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Bandai Namco and Project Cars developer Slightly Mad Studios are working on Fast & Furious Crossroads, which will drop this May. That's the same month the next installment in the massive movie franchise, Fast & Furious 9, hits theaters.
Read MoreBeat Saber is going modern-retro with the addition of the Green Day Music Pack, on sale now for $9. The pack includes six songs: "American Idiot" "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" "Father of All..." "Fire, Ready, Aim" "Holiday" "Minority" Green Day participated in the reveal of the Beat Saber pack at The Game Awards with a live performance.
Read MoreThe second planned update for Control, Expeditions, is live now in conjunction with The Game Awards. Expeditions are a new game mode that thrust Jesse, the main character, into an alternate dimension connected to the Black Rock Quarry and overrun with the Hiss.
Read MoreWeird West doesn't look as strange as it does stylish. The game comes from WolfEye Studios, whose co-founders include Dishonored and Prey veterans Julien Roby and Raphael Colantonio, and it's being billed as an immersive sim set in a dark fantasy reimagining of the Wild West.
Read MoreCD Projekt Red's highly-anticipated next game is still a few months away, but tonight during The Game Awards it announced what players will hear in Cyberpunk 2077. The soundtrack is star-studded, with performers like Run the Jewels, Grimes, Refused, ASAP Rocky, Gazelle Twin, Deadly Hunta, Rat Boy and others contributing to an "industrial" feel. Cyberpunk 2077 is due for release next April, so if you want to start your Keanu Reeves marathon a month early, it should be perfectly timed.
Read MoreThere was some disappointing news out of The Game Awards if you've been looking forward to Ori and the Will of the Wisps: it'll now arrive on Xbox One and PC March 11th, instead of February 11th as previously announcd. However, developer Moon Studios might have softened the blow a bit with a new gameplay trailer for the Ori and the Blind Forest sequel.
Read MoreDo you ever miss the days of classic 16-bit sports games like NBA Jam and NHL 94? So does the indie developer Bit Fry. So much so, that it's spent the past six years in stealth mode developing a bold new franchise, Ultimate Rivals, which debuts tonight exclusively on Apple Arcade for iOS, Apple TV and Mac users. It combines the frenetic arcade-like gameplay '90s kids grew up with, along with an insane new twist: You can use players across different sports leagues. Think of it as a playable version of the classic cartoon ProStars.
Read MoreFortnite and Star Wars are two of the largest entertainment brands the world over, so of course they're being mashed together, repackaged and sold all over again to hungry fans. Fortnite now has Rey, Finn and Sith trooper skins, plus a First Order TIE Fighter glider. There's also a Star Wars emote and banner (for gifting only), but those feel a bit underwhelming after the TIE Fighter news.
Read MoreIt's almost time to find out who'll walk away with the game of the year trophy at The Game Awards. Death Stranding, Control, The Outer Worlds, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Resident Evil 2 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are vying for the top prize. Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding has the most nominations overall with nine, one more than Control.
Read MoreIf the news that Square Enix is delaying Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition has bummed you out, the company may have something to make up for it. Without any leadup or prior announcement, the Japanese publisher has released The Last Remnant Remastered on iOS and Android.
Read MoreAngry Birds fans can get creative with their pig-destroying shenanigans, as Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs just received an update that adds a stage editor to the game. This is the first-ever level builder for the series, according to developer Resolution Games. Players can place blocks, planks of wood, explosives and pigs in an environment, setting up challenging structural puzzles or cathartic domino-effect demolitions.
Read MoreIf you've been patiently waiting to play Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition, you'll have to wait a bit longer to get your hands on the remake. Publisher Square Enix has delayed the launch of the game to summer 2020.
Read MoreFortnite players on PS4 and Xbox One might not have to yell at their teammates through a headset anymore -- they could just complain (or give props) to their buddies IRL while they play on the same screen. Following Epic's latest update for the battle royale behemoth, you can team up with friends for split-screen action in duo or squad games. Sure, you'll have a little less screen real estate than if you were playing solo, but Fortnite joining the ranks of couch co-op titles is a great move for friends who like to hang out and play games together.
Read MoreIt looks like Fortnite is getting an annual battle pass. As reported by Fortnite News, data miners have found files that point to this new option in the v11.30 update, released today. The salient info reads: "Purchase the 2020 Annual Pass and receive all upcoming 2020 Fortnite Battle Royale: Battle Bundles and 7 Annual Pass exclusive cosmetics. Battle Bundles unlock 25% of content in each Battle Pass instantly upon release."
Read MoreAs EA and Bioware reportedly work out a new approach for Anthem, the game is trudging forward with the promised "seasonal" updates. After the "season of skulls" wrapped up in November, a new "Icetide" event has blanketed its world in snow and frost, while also mixing up the enemies and inventory that are available. Following its lore, the "Shaper" devices that create Anthem's world are responsible for the localized ice storms. As far as gameplay, each week it's rolling out a new seasonal stronghold for players to team up and take on complete with leaderboards. There are also time trials, new collectibles and more. EA said it would increase its focus on "live services," and before Anthem launched, developers talked about how they would continue to update it over time. While the launch of the game turned out to be a disappointment, this is at least a tiny step in that direction, and perhaps a treat for players who picked it up via EA Access or Black Friday sales.
Read MorePublic hands-on time at shows like E3 and PAX is great, but it's not much use if you can't be there in person. The Game Awards might have a simple solution for that problem: bring the show to you. It's introducing The Game Festival, an experimental event that will make demos for a dozen-plus indie games available through Steam for 48 hours starting on December 12th at 1PM Eastern. You might recognize some of the selections, including Nightdive's System Shock remake and Glass Bottom's charming-as-hell Skatebird.
Read MoreIf you're already struggling with the idea of entering a whole new decade in a couple weeks' time, here's something that's going to make you feel even older: Angry Birds is 10 years old today. In kid terms, it's on the cusp of middle school and it's probably started answering back.
Read MoreBegun, the streaming wars have. In a year filled with high-profile defections to rival services, Twitch has been forced to put down the cash to keep its top personalities on the platform. In an announcement, Benjamin "DrLupo" Lupo, Saqib "LIRIK" Zahid and Timothy "TimTheTatman" Betar, confirmed they will remain with the Amazon-owned streaming service after signing "multi-year content deals."
Read MoreAfter first teasing the game at E3 2018, today's State of Play livestream finally offered us a glimpse at Babylon's Fall, the latest collaboration between Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix and Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames.
Read MoreFollowing its acclaimed remake of Resident Evil 2, Capcom is going back to Raccoon City to rework the next entry in the survival horror series. The Resident Evil 3 reboot was confirmed during Sony's State of Play stream Tuesday, along with an April 3rd release date for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Read MoreThe honkin' good Untitled Goose Game is coming to PS4 and Xbox One on December 17th. The internet fell in love with the title -- which lets you steal things and generally cause havoc as a super-crafty goose -- when it launched on PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch earlier this year. It's like a bizarre mix of Hitman and Postman Pat, chock-full of humor and mischievous missions that take place in an otherwise quiet English village. In a blog post, Sony confirmed that the game will cost $14.99 for PS4 owners at launch, down from its usual price of $19.99. Xbox fans, meanwhile, will have the option to play it through Xbox Game Pass.
Read MoreRedbox has been handy for renting video games to get through their stories without buying a copy outright, but that won't be possible from now on. The company has confirmed circulating reports that it's no longer renting games at its kiosks. Not only that, but it's bowing out of sales, too. While Redbox said on Twitter that it was ending sales "early next year," a spokesperson told The Verge that purchases would only be available "through the end of the year." Don't expect to buy a game to usher in 2020.
Read MoreMLB: The Show will no longer be a PlayStation exclusive by 2021. The franchise debuted on the PlayStation in the late '90s, and its games were only released for the PS2, the PS3, the PS4 and the Vita over the next two decades. Now, Major League Baseball (MLB), the Major League Baseball Players Association, Sony Interactive Entertainment and San Diego Studio have announced a multi-year extension of their partnership. Further, they've revealed that they're bringing the franchise "to additional console platforms beyond PlayStation platforms as early as 2021."
Read MoreLast week, multiple retailers leaked the existence of a Bayonetta and Vanquish bundle for PS4 and Xbox One. Today, we have confirmation that the compilation is on its way and that the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X owners will be able to play the games in 4K at 60 FPS. Collectors will be happy to learn that the physical version will come packed in an embossed SteelBook case.
Read MoreLouis Vuitton's League of Legends apparel line is here, and as you'd expect, it is expensive. On the lower end, there's a $670 t-shirt with League of Legends champion Qiyana on the front and back. On the other end of the spectrum, you can nab a $5,650 leather biker jacket or a $2,420 hoodie.
Read MoreWelcome back to Engadget's Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where we run down what our editors are playing. This month, we couldn't help but plow through Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and devote plenty of time to FIFA 18. And we made some time for classic real-time strategy with Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. We'd love to hear what you've been playing, chime in on the comments below!
Read More2K Games has announced the formation of a new studio, Cloud Chamber, which will take the lead on a new title in the Bioshock series. Cloud Chamber has offices in California and Montreal, and will be headed up by 2K veteran Kelley Gilmore, who has previously worked on Civilization and XCOM.
Read MoreIt's not a good time for card battle games, apparently. Bethesda has put all The Elder Scrolls: Legends development "on hold" for an indefinite amount of time, effectively canceling both the console version and a planned card set. The game will still be fully playable, and you can expect in-game events and rewards. Beyond that, though, the game is effectively frozen in time.
Read MoreFortnite's tie-in with Star Wars is about to extend beyond a stormtrooper skin. Gamers have discovered that Disney is premiering a scene from The Rise of Skywalker at the game's Risky Reels drive-in theater on December 14th at 2PM Eastern, with 'doors' (such as they are) opening at 1:30PM Eastern. This isn't just playing a clip, either -- director J.J. Abrams will also be present in some capacity. If you don't mind spoiling some of the movie, it might be a good respite from the usual battle royale brawl.
Read MoreBlacksad: Under the Skin has been available on Steam since mid-November, but don't worry about buying it if you'd rather play on a console -- you only have a few more days to wait. The noir detective game, based on a graphic novel series, will be out worldwide for the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on December 10th. Some European gamers report having early access.
Read MoreGTA: Online's Diamond Casino & Resort is set to become a more exciting place, starting on December 12th. Rockstar is rolling out The Diamond Casino Heist that day, which it describes as the "biggest, most audacious, most complex criminal operation ever to hit Los Santos." The developer opened the luxury virtual location's doors in a big update back in July, but now it's more than just a place where you can gamble and take on missions.
Read MoreRiot Games plans to release more titles to expand the League of Legends universe, but the company won't be making those entries itself. It's teaming up with independent third-party studios under a new publishing label called Riot Forge, which it says will "complement [its own] research and development program."
Read MoreEA has been letting loose a bit with NHL 20, having recently added the likes of Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowery, Minnesota Vikings' Adam Thielen and Pittsburgh Steelers' Juju Smith-Schuster -- none of whom are pro hockey players. Another big name you might not immediately associate with the NHL has just joined the ranks: Snoop Dogg.
Read MoreFinally, the trend for randomized loot boxes in games is dying as publishers move away from the unpopular mechanic. As announced in today's update notes, Rocket League has changed its approach to cosmetic items to be less chance-based.
Read MoreStrategy game Plague Inc. has been around for ages, but its makers are still working on ways to keep it relevant and interesting. The game, which sees players do their best to wipe out the world with infectious disease, was given an anti-vaxxer scenario earlier this year. Now, the potentially-devastating phenomenon of fake news is on the agenda, too.
Read MorePokémon Go is holding its first ever evolution-themed event and will be giving out items that could help you finally get that elusive species. From December 5th at 4PM until December 12th at 4PM EST, you'll encounter more monsters that evolve in "unique ways" in the wild, in raids and in the game's Field Research quests.
Read MoreYou're about to have one less option for card games on your console. CD Projekt Red has warned that it's shutting down Gwent on PS4 and Xbox One to focus on the PC and mobile versions. Between the recent release of the Witcher-themed title on iOS and its upcoming Android edition, there would be too many versions to support while still "improving feature parity between them," the studio said. You'll have a while to keep playing, but you'll start to notice the shutdown process very quickly.
Read MoreIf you've been craving another Netflix-linked video game, you'll have to wait a little bit longer. BonusXP and En Masse have revealed that The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics will debut on February 4th, 2020 -- so much for that 2019 target. It might be worth the extra wait if you felt the Netflix series wasn't enough, though. The title for PS4, Switch, Xbox One, Mac and PC has you playing both through "and beyond" the story from the show, including its main characters (such as Aughra and Deet).
Read MoreMany artists and labels are constantly exploring different methods through which to release their music beyond streaming and CDs. Some have sold USB drives featuring their tunes over the last decade or so. However, there haven't been too many instances I can think of where a selection of tracks will only be available on a Sega Genesis cartridge.
Read MoreDid you get nervous when multiple former Campo Santo developers pulled mentions of In the Valley of Gods from their Twitter profiles? Your trepidation might have been justified, although it's not as bad as it sounds. Studio co-founder Jake Rodkin has revealed that the team has placed In the Valley of Gods "on hold" while its various members work on other Valve projects, including Half-Life: Alyx, Dota Underlords and Steam. Rodkin characterized it as a voluntary shift -- Valve wasn't forcing the developers to work on its existing titles.
Read MoreNow that the first season of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is over, what's next? A trip down memory lane, in more ways than one. Bungie has teased what to expect when the Season of Dawn starts on December 10th, and the focus this time is on a return to Mercury. You not only have to help Osiris manipulate time to stop the Cabal from undoing your victory against them, but use time travel to save the legendary Saint-14 (who you've discovered in a past quest) from meeting an untimely end. Cooperative multiplayer fans might also like a new Sundial activity that has six players defending Osiris' prized machine against a horde of Cabal.
Read MoreRed Dead Online players can test their luck as moonshiners beginning Friday, December 13th. Rockstar Games is adding a new moonshiner role (aka Frontier Pursuit), which will let you set up a bootlegging business.
Read MoreEarthNight made waves when it was revealed at in 2015. The endless runner mixes hand-drawn visuals with catchy chiptune music and old-school sound effects, resulting in a game that could please both today's mobile-first gamers as well as those who grew up in the 2D era. And of course, there are giant dragons. After four years of waiting, the game is finally hitting consoles and computers today.
Read MoreIn August, Riot Games settled a class action lawsuit over gender discrimination and its sexist culture, though details of the settlement weren't clear. Now according to new court documents seen by Los Angeles Times, the developer has agreed to pay at least $10 million to employees and contractors who identify as female and who've worked at the company over the last five years. Around 1,000 workers will be entitled to a payout from the pot, but the amount they're getting will depend on how long they worked for the company. Full-time employees are also getting more money than contractors.
Read MoreYour Google Search results may now be a lot more helpful when it comes to keeping track of all the shows and movies you're keeping an eye on. The tech giant has rolled out a new card for the mobile results page that lets you add TV series and film titles to a "Watchlist" and a "Watched" bookmarks collection, 9to5Google has discovered.
Read MoreAfter a four-year investigation, France's competition watchdog is fining Google €150 million ($167 million) for opaque and unpredictable advertising rules, Reuters reports. The investigation began after French company Gibmedia accused Google of suspending its Google Ads account without notice. According to Reuters, the French regulator alleges that, by changing its terms of use and rules at will, Google abused its market power. Google plans to appeal the decision.
Read MoreColoring your hair is a fun way to change your look -- but you never quite know how the end result will turn out before you pull the trigger. Until now, that is, as L'Oréal has partnered with Google Lens for a pilot which offers a fast way to try out hair colors virtually.
Read MoreGoogle is quickly bolstering its in-house work on Stadia games. The internet giant has acquired Typhoon Studios, an indie created by industry veterans (including from Batman: Arkham City and Far Cry 4) that's close to releasing its first game, Journey to the Savage Planet. The team will join the existing Stadia Games and Entertainment Studio in Montreal, but don't worry -- Journey is still on track to reach multiple platforms on January 28th.
Read MoreIf you own a Chromecast, TV with Chromecast built-in or Google smart display, you'll soon be able to ask Assistant to play and control content from Hulu. The update, first spotted by Android Police, is currently rolling out to the Google Home app, according to a statement from the search giant.
Read MoreAndroid users can now update their Chrome browser without having to worry that it would affect their other applications. Google has resumed Chrome 79's rollout for the platform after a bug forced the team to put it on hold. Users reported that the update "wiped" data from third-party apps that use the WebView framework, though the tech giant explained that it didn't actually erase anything -- it just made their information invisible.
Read MoreGoogle stands accused of firing a fifth employee who was suspected of attempting to organize a labor union at the search giant. Kathryn Spiers, who worked on the Chrome security team, says that she was fired for adding a pop-up to an internal browser telling colleagues about their labor rights. Spiers says that the company has "overreacted in an egregious, illegal and discriminatory manner."
Read MoreA couple of years ago, Google starting warning users that certain third-party apps that access its business-oriented G Suite might not be secure. Now, it's taking that to the next level by blocking any "less secure apps (LSAs)" that try to access G Suite with only a username and password. Going forward, Google will only support the much more secure OAuth system, which it first adopted for Gmail way back in 2010.
Read MoreGoogle's latest flagship phone, the Pixel 4, is renowned for its exceptional camera software. If you're curious about how that was achieved, Google has revealed more about how Portrait Mode works, describing how its dual-pixel auto-focus system functions.
Read MoreStadia Founder's Edition purchasers will be getting a holiday surprise, with an extra Buddy Pass that can be gifted to a friend or family member so they can test out Stadia for themselves. The cloud streaming service allows users to stream any game to a TV, phone or laptop in up to 4K resolution.
Read MoreNew Android phones released in Turkey won't come with Google apps if the tech giant fails to resolve its issue with the country's authorities. According to Reuters, the company told its Turkish business partners that it will not be able to work with them on new Android phones to be released in the Turkish market. Its problems in the country started when its Russian competitor Yandex filed a complaint against it, prompting the Turkish competition board to open a probe.
Read MoreChrome updates are normally good things, but some Android users have good reason to complain about the latest release. Google has paused the rollout for Chrome 79 on Android after reports of the update 'wiping' data from third-party apps that use the WebView framework. The data is technically still intact, but there's no way to access it -- and that's a problem when some apps depend heavily or exclusively on WebView. It's not clear which apps are the hardest-hit, but Twitter Lite is an example of one that relies heavily on Google's platform.
Read MoreGoogle makes its mapping products more informative and immersive with the use of imagery, and now the tech giant is giving us a deeper look into its map-making process. The tech giant says it has captured over 10 million miles of images for Street View, thus far, which is distance enough to circle the globe 400 times. Also, it says Google Earth has 36 million square miles of HD satellite images you can browse, and those images cover areas where 98 percent of the entire population lives. As CNET notes, this is the first time Google released figures revealing the scope of Maps, which is one of its most popular products.
Read MoreMost people in the US agree that the country needs to reform its criminal justice system. In 2017, for instance, a poll conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union found that 71 percent of Americans said it was important for the country to reduce its prison population. Of course, the question of how to tackle the issue is where there's little consensus.
Read MoreBusinesses often send one-time passwords, account alerts and appointment confirmations via text. But if you've ever received one of those, you know they tend to come from a random number, and bad actors can take advantage of that by disguising phishing scams as one of those messages. To protect users, Google will soon verify SMS messages from registered businesses.
Read MoreEarly this year, Google brought its real-time translation feature, interpreter mode, to Assistant-enabled smart displays and speakers. Now, the feature is rolling out to Assistant-enabled Android and iOS phones worldwide.
Read MoreGoogle is making it a little easier to sift through news stories -- and potentially find more informative stories in the process. It's rolling out a search feature that uses AI to organize news articles by story in carousels. This not only helps you focus on a specific topic, but increases the chances that you'll see stories with different or deeper perspectives. You might be at less risk of trapping yourself in a news bubble.
Read MoreDisney captured the 2019 zeitgeist in multiple ways, according Google's annual year in search roundup. While the streaming service is just a month old, "Disney Plus" was the top-trending search term of the year in the US, meaning it had the highest spike in traffic over a period of time. A lot of that may be down to the big Disney+ outage, along with The Mandalorian series featuring "Baby Yoda" that has been one of the biggest reasons to sign up for the streaming service.
Read MoreBoth the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) apparently aren't thrilled with Google's Fitbit acquisition. According to a New York Post report, both agencies are concerned that the purchase would give Google access to even more personal data, and they both sought authority to investigate the deal. Since the DOJ is already looking into Google's practices as part of a larger anti-competition probe, though, it was reportedly put in charge of reviewing the merger. A Post source said: "The DOJ's handling of Fitbit will give an early read on the Google investigation."
Read MoreAn update on its way to Lenovo Smart Clock will add a Google Assistant option that can switch up the alarm ringtone based on factors such as the time of day and the weather. In fact, Google's AI can create and curate the piano ringtones for you.
Read MoreA new Google Shopping microsite just went online, and it could help make your last-minute gift shopping spree a bit less stressful. The tech giant says Google Shopping 100 will feature products that show a recent increase in searches in the US. In other words, it's meant to give you fresh gift ideas if you're not exactly familiar with somebody's hobbies, or just fresh ideas in general if you're totally out of them. Hey, it's not easy coming up with gifts for everyone year after year.
Read MoreGoogle has introduced a solution for those times when you have to forward several separate emails to the same people. A new Gmail feature gives you a way to attach emails to a new email without even having to download or copy them first. Say, you need to send a team member multiple emails from your inbox so they can get started on a project: all you have to do is select them and then drag and drop them all at once into an open draft window.
Read MoreThe National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has launched another investigation into Google. This time, the NLRB is investigating whether Google violated federal labor laws when it fired four employees late last month. The investigation will determine if Google discouraged employees from engaging in union activity, an NLRB spokesperson told CNBC.
Read MoreGoogle has been experimenting with ARCore for the better part of two years, adding more features to its AR development platform over time. Back at I/O this year, Google introduced Environmental HDR, which brings real world lighting to AR objects and scenes. Today, it's incorporating a Depth API that will introduce occlusion, 3D understanding, and a new level of realism.
Read MoreGoogle is rolling out one more update for the Explorer Edition of Glass before cutting off support for its old wearable. The tech giant introduced Project Glass back in 2012, opening it up for preorders for $1,500 each. Despite people raising privacy concerns about its ability to record videos, the company quickly released an upgraded version of the device. It soon decided to change its approach and target businesses, though, releasing an Enterprise Edition of the device in 2017. The company will continue supporting the enterprise version, suggesting that it's doing better than its older sibling.
Read MoreGoogle just added a handful of voice control features to Google Assistant. You can now manage notes and lists in select third-party apps, ask Assistant to search your photos, search for podcasts by topic and set reminders for the whole family. You can also place Dunkin' Donuts orders -- just what everyone was hoping for.
Read MoreConcerns about working conditions at Google continue to escalate, and now Reuters reports that a labor union has taken up the case of former Google employees who say they were fired after participating in workplace activism.
Read MoreGoogle Maps is great for getting directions while driving and using public transport, but in the last year it has been rolling out more features focused on traveling by foot as well. Recently, the company introduced AR walking directions and detailed spoken walking directions for people with vision impairments. In the future, Google may be adding a new feature to help people find safer streets to walk at night.
Read MoreOver its last few Pixel cycles, Google has made a point of bringing some features of its most recent phone to other devices. This week, for instance, Pixel 4's live audio captioning tool expanded to Pixel 3 and 3a devices. Now, owners of older Pixel handsets can check out one of Pixel 4's niftier aspects: the Recorder app that can capture and transcribe audio simultaneously.
Read MoreLast month Google updated the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max so that they could use ultrasonic sensing to tell when a person is nearby. While the Hub Max includes a camera that it could already use to surface Proactive Notifications when people are around, the original Hub doesn't have one at all. By sending out a high frequency chirp and listening to the echoes on embedded microphones, the smart displays can detect a person-sized object in the room without pulling in a video feed. In a new blog post, a team member explained more about how the technology works, and that it changes the available information based on distance. When someone's further away, it features larger text, as they move closer it can shift to include more details and touch controls. So far the technology has been used for timers, commute times and weather, but over the next week an update will add "reminders, appointments and alerts."
Read MoreGoogle Fiber's main selling point has been its gigabit internet access, but there has usually been a low-cost option like the $50 100Mbps plan. However, that choice is going away. Google has announced that it no longer offers the 100Mbps tier to new customers -- it's either the $70 gigabit plan or nothing. If you ask the company, it's a reflection of evolving internet technology and usage habits.
Read MoreEarlier this year Genius announced it suspected Google of copying its lyrics data -- now it's thrown its weight behind a lawsuit accusing the company of exactly that. According to Genius, lyric licensing company LyricFind pulled lyrics directly from Genius' pages, which Google subsequently used in its search results.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. This morning, there's a change in leadership at Google's parent company, and Qualcomm has given us an idea of what to expect in next year's phones. And the iFixit way to celebrate the PlayStation's 25th birthday is to open one up and look inside.
Read MoreGoogle is now ready to offer live help for accessibility features regardless of your hearing. The search firm now offers Disability Support through American Sign Language, letting you troubleshoot through video chat if you're deaf or hard-of-hearing. Google reps can walk you through setting up Live Caption on your Pixel, for example.
Read MoreWhen Google unveiled Stadia, its cloud-based streaming games platform, it showed off a button on the controller that linked directly to its Google Assistant AI helper. The idea is that players will be able to easily pull up tips and relevant information without even losing their game, however it wasn't quite ready for the service's playable-but-fragile launch last month. In a community update the company confirmed that it has rolled out "some Google Assistant functionality for your Stadia Controller." On Twitter, @StadiaDaily and @theStadiaCrowd confirmed that the feature works for players who are using it via a Chromecast Ultra. However, at the moment it only works on the Stadia home screen and isn't usable in-game. On Reddit Google said that right now players can use it to launch games, and the videos posted show players using Assistant pretty much as normal to answer questions. Eventually Google Assistant may bring some exclusive experiences to gaming in the cloud, but right now it's less functional than the Xbox One integration that can turn the system on and off, launch games and take screenshots.
Read MoreGoogle just revealed the year's most downloaded apps, movies, TV shows and books on the company's Play Store, as well as users' and editors' favorite picks. But with Call of Duty and Marvel hogging the charts, it doesn't feel like there are many surprises this year.
Read MoreOne of the best things about Google+ (RIP) was its engrossing photography community, where people from far and wide shared and discussed their images. Google's stab at a social network might be dead and buried, but it's doubling down on ways for people to message each other across its various services. Now, it's marrying those two notions by bringing a chat feature to Google Photos.
Read MoreGoogle's co-founders are taking a backseat. Alphabet has announced that Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down as the respective CEO and President of the company, with Google CEO Sundar Pichai taking the lead at both companies effective immediately. Page and Brin will still be involved as co-founders, board members and shareholders, but they're relinquishing their leadership roles for the first time in a long while.
Read MoreFour Google employees fired last week say they were let go for engaging in protected labor organizing, and that they plan to fight back. In a letter shared today, they say they're filing unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
Read MoreWhen Google announced the Pixelbook Go, it promised a top-of-the-line model with 4K display for those willing to pay over a grand for one. Well, those who've been holding off on buying until it becomes available can now get it -- or ask for it -- in time for Christmas. As Android Central has noticed, the Pixelbook Go's $1,399 configuration is now available on Amazon and the Google Store.
Read MoreLG has unveiled the 2020 versions of its Gram laptops, and the lineup for the year includes a flagship 17-inch model, a 14-inch and a 15-inch model, as well as a 2-in-1 convertible. Like the previous iterations, they were still made to be lightweight and portable with long battery life, though LG promises better performance and more efficiency by using newer components.
Read MoreThe Cambridge Analytica data scandal may have come to light nearly two years ago, but the former company -- and as a result, Facebook -- is still feeling the effects of the fall out. Brazil's government has imposed a $1.6 million fine on Facebook for its role in the fiasco -- a considerably higher sum than the $644,000 fined by the UK, where the incident took place.
Read MoreYou'll no longer be able to sign up for Messenger if you don't have a Facebook account. Back in 2015, the social network started allowing potential users to sign up for its messaging app using only their phone numbers. Now, an entry in the website's Help Center clearly states that "you'll need to create a Facebook account to use Messenger." The company has also confirmed the change to VentureBeat, telling the publication that "the vast majority of people who use Messenger already log in through Facebook" and that it merely wants to simplify the process.
Read MoreFacebook has removed a network of foreign actors that was spreading misinformation aimed at US users. The operation posted content related to current affairs in the US, with much of it in support of President Donald Trump. According to the company, approximately 55 million accounts, the majority of which it claims are from outside the US, followed one or more of the operation's pages. The group frequently used fake accounts to direct people to news sites off of Facebook.
Read MoreFacebook may soon bring music videos to Watch. The company is reportedly negotiating new licensing deals with Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group. According to Bloomberg, it's asking each label for rights to music videos.
Read MoreIn an attempt to free itself from other tech giants like Google, Facebook is developing its own operating system (OS), The Information reports. In the future, Facebook's hardware products, like Oculus and Portal devices, could run on the OS, Facebook exec Ficus Kirkpatrick said.
Read MoreFacebook and Instagram have banned misinformation related to the 2020 census. They won't allow posts or ads with false information about when, where and how people should participate in the census, who can do so or what information and materials people need to take part.
Read MoreFacebook is expanding its gaming efforts and has acquired PlayGiga, a startup that ran a cloud gaming service in Europe and some parts of the Middle East. The social network has confirmed the acquisition to Engadget after a report about the deal was published by business publication Cinco Días. While the tech giant didn't elaborate on the terms of the acquisition, Cinco Días reported that the deal cost Facebook 70 million Euros (US$78 million).
Read MoreReuters has released a new 45-minute online course designed to help give journalists the tools they need to spot and avoid sharing manipulated pictures, videos and audio clips. While deepfakes are obviously a major component of the material, there's also advice on how to approach real media that's been co-opted so that it presents an entirely different story than it did originally. Even if you're not a journalist, you can check out the course for free.
Read MoreWhile many are focused on Facebook's unwillingness to curb false political ads, there appears to be another misinformation campaign going unchecked. The Guardian and GLAAD have noted that personal injury law firms continue to run Facebook ads making false claims about the risks of Truvada, a drug meant to reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission. Some float the specters of bone loss and kidney damage despite evidence that the risks of either are "not clinically significant," according to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
Read MoreThe US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly weighing an injunction against Facebook to stop it from integrating WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger into its own services, according to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. The news follows reports that the the FTC has been investigating Facebook as part of an antitrust investigation, on the grounds that it's policies are anticompetitive.
Read MoreOver the past year, Facebook has been working to put together a content oversight board. We've heard Mark Zuckerberg's vision, and Facebook shared a charter outlining its rules. Now, Facebook is committing $130 million to the effort.
Read MoreAlong with Quest hand tracking, one of Facebook's big announcements at Oculus Connect 6 in September was a batch of social VR features. You'll get to try them over the coming days, as Oculus is starting to roll them out.
Read MoreEarlier this week, an unspecified bug caused as many hundreds of thousands of political ads to disappear from Facebook's Ad Library, a tool the company rolled out globally earlier this year to provide more transparency on political spending. According to CNN Business, the bug caused ads to go missing in several countries across the world, including the UK.
Read MoreIf officials were hoping that Facebook would stop end-to-end encryption in its messaging apps just because they sent a strongly-worded letter, they had another thing coming. Facebook has sent its own letter to US Attorney General Bill Barr, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and relevant Australian and UK ministers telling them that it wouldn't weaken encryption in apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Its defense revolves largely around telling, well, the truth: that it's not possible to create an encryption backdoor that only law enforcement and government can access.
Read MoreFacebook is adding a slew of new features to Portal, and just in time for all the video calling the holiday season demands. First up, Facebook Live -- you'll now be able to livestream from Portal directly to your Facebook profile, a feature which is arguably overdue given what Portal is all about. Watch Together is now available on all Portal devices -- not just Portal TV -- so you and your loved ones can snuggle up in front of videos together even if you're apart.
Read MoreFacebook's effort to label state-backed media has hit some snags. The social network was due to start labeling outlets in November, but CNN Business found that the company clearly missed the target, and didn't have a specific answer as to when the transparency move might be ready. A spokesperson would only say that Facebook will "begin [labelling] soon," and that there would be a gradual rollout as the firm worked with publishers and third-party advisors to ensure it "get[s] this right."
Read MoreFacebook has filed a lawsuit against a Hong Kong-based company and two people behind it, accusing it of tricking users into clicking bogus links to hijack their accounts. According to the social network's announcement, ILikeAd Media International Co, its software developer Chen Xiao Cong and marketer Huang Ta tricked users into installing malware they created.
Read MoreIf you think your dinners over the holiday period are awkward, spare a thought for Facebook employees who face a grilling from family members about the social media giant's disastrous reputation. In typical Facebook style, the company is tackling this problem through automated technological innovation instead of addressing the underlying human issue.
Read MoreYou can add Gonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios, one of the most popular Smash Bros. players, to the list of high-profile Twitch streamers who recently jumped ship. ZeRo has entered an exclusive streaming rights deal with Facebook Gaming, which now also serves as the home of former Twitch streamer Jeremy "Disguised Toast" Wang, known for League of Legends among other games. According to ESPN, he will continue posting videos on YouTube, but he'll no longer be on Twitch.
Read MoreGoogle isn't the only tech giant facing an investigation from European Union antitrust regulators over data collection and monetization. The European Commission has Facebook in its sights too.
Read MoreFacebook users will soon get more control over their data, with the introduction of a tool that lets them bulk export their media, rather than having to save and re-upload things one by one.
Read MoreOver two and a half years after Microsoft said it'd one day kill to-do service Wunderlist in favor of its own To Do app, it has revealed when it'll drop the ax: May 6th. After that time, Wunderlist's to-do lists won't sync anymore and you'll have a limited time to export lists from there into To Do. As of today, Microsoft won't accept any more sign-ups for Wunderlist.
Read MoreThe end is nigh for Windows 10 Mobile. We already knew that technical support for the mobile operating system would end on December 10th, 2019 (yep, that's tomorrow). Now, we have an official end-of-life date for the Windows 10 Mobile Office apps, too: January 12th, 2021. From that point onwards, the much-loved software suite -- including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote -- won't receive any bug fixes, security updates and general technical support. The apps will still work, Microsoft confirmed, but you won't be able to install them on any new devices.
Read MoreMicrosoft just unveiled redesigned versions of its Outlook, OneDrive, Word, Excel and PowerPoint mobile apps. Designed with Microsoft's Fluent Design system, the changes are meant to "take mobile productivity to the next level," Microsoft wrote in a blog post.
Read MoreMicrosoft's Seeing AI has been helpful for describing objects and text to the blind, but there's been a key problem: it has only been available in English, making it a non-starter if you don't speak the language. That won't be a problem for some people from now on. Microsoft has updated the iOS-only app with support for Dutch, French, German, Japanese and Spanish, letting many more people read signs, interpret someone's facial expressions and otherwise navigate the world using spoken cues in their native tongues.
Read MoreAmerican 5G is in a poor state right now, but carriers are making at least some attempt to rectify that situation. AT&T is following up on its mid-December launch of real 5G by adding coverage for six major cities. You should now have lower-band 5G data in New York City, Washington DC, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Detroit and Philadelphia if you're using the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G. You'll also have access to extra-fast millimeter wave 5G ("5G+" in AT&T-speak) in parts of Baltimore and Detroit as well.
Read MoreVerizon (Engadget's parent company) has been rushing to make its 5G coverage goals for 2019, and it just completed them at the last minute. The carrier has trotted out 5G service in Cleveland, Columbus and Hampton Roads (Virginia), putting ultra wideband access in 31 cities. That's one city more than the company hoped to reach by the end of the year. This also includes Verizon's first 5G service in an airport, at John Glenn Columbus International, although you might not want to celebrate too loudly. In many ways, that rollout epitomizes the patchwork nature of 5G coverage at the end of the decade.
Read MoreIf it wasn't already clear that Verizon (Engadget's parent company) is in a rush to meet its 5G coverage goals, it is now. The carrier has switched on 5G in parts of six cities, including Miami, Salt Lake City, Charlotte, Grand Rapids, Greensboro and Spokane. As with earlier deployments, though, you shouldn't expect far-reaching access. Miami's access, for example, is limited to parts of downtown along Biscayne Boulevard as well as landmarks like American Airlines Arena, Hard Rock Stadium and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Read MoreToday, Senate approved the TRACED Act, or Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement Act. The legislation could give the government new powers to prosecute robocallers, The Washington Post says. It would also require carriers that authenticate and block spam callers to share those services with customers for free.
Read MoreAs promised, Wireless Emergency Alerts should now be more sophisticated -- and importantly, more relevant. The FCC has announced that a slew of improvements are now in place for alerts, including significantly improved geographic accuracy that doesn't let alerts overshoot their intended areas by more than a tenth of a mile. The messages themselves can be much longer, jumping from 90 to 360 characters, and can arrive in Spanish. You'll also see a new type of alert, a Public Safety Message, that can recommend lifesaving measures like shelter locations.
Read MoreAT&T is making good on its promise to validate calls and fight robocallers. The carrier has enabled validation displays that let you know when a call really did come from a given number. You'll need a Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ or LG V40 ThinQ to use this away from home (it's also available for digital home phone users), but it works same way regardless of platform. If a call has been validated ,you'll see a green checkmark next to the number as well as "valid number" below.
Read MoreThe UK's communications regulator is proposing a rule to ban carriers from selling phones that are tied to their networks. O2, Sky, Three, Virgin Mobile and some smaller carriers already offer unlocked phones, but Ofcom wants the likes of BT Mobile/EE, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone to do the same. It's also seeking better clarity for customers about whether their handset is locked.
Read MoreVerizon (Engadget's parent company) is still rushing to meet its 5G coverage goals for the year, and it just crossed another big city off its list. The carrier has launched 5G ultra wideband access in Los Angeles, including areas in downtown, Chinatown, Del Rey and Venice. As elsewhere, though, you'll have to stick to certain major locations to have a hope of getting those promised speeds. The initial rollout focuses on landmarks like the LA Convention Center, Staples Center, Grant Park and the Venice Beach boardwalk. You may notice the speeds if you're attending a Lakers game or E3, then, but you won't have much luck keeping a signal as you walk to get your morning coffee.
Read MoreAT&T promised that in 2019, it would bring real 5G to millions of customers, and now it has. In November it revealed five markets on the list to get 5G this year, but today the list of launch cities has doubled to ten: Birmingham, Ala. Indianapolis Los Angeles Milwaukee Pittsburgh Providence, R.I. Rochester, N.Y. San Diego San Francisco San Jose, Calif. Coverage maps (PDF) show exactly where you can access 5G, although most people will need a new phone and to fill that need AT&T is also beginning sales of Samsung's Galaxy Note 10+ 5G. Shipments begin today for people who've preordered the $1,300 device, and customers can obtain them either online or in stores. With trade ins and eligible unlimited plan, that price could drop as low as $350. This network is what AT&T is calling "low-band 5G," which is for consumers on mobile devices unlike the high-band 5G+ built to serve businesses or large stadiums and campuses. Both are based on new 5G tech, as compared to the LTE-based 5G Evolution service that customers have had access to until now. Whatever you call it, the company's plan for rapid expansion calls for nationwide 5G service by mid-2020.
Read MoreGoogle has been extending its cell carrier service, Fi, by offering an unlimited calling and data plan and expanding to cover the iPhone as well as Android devices. However, there were issues with the Fi experience, with some customers complaining about the number of spam calls they received. Google aims to address that problem with an update to Fi which rolled out this weekend.
Read MoreAnother year, another round of Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into the Snapdragon 865 and 765 to see what they tell us about next year's devices. They're faster than before, of course, but they'll also come with a slew of useful new features for smartphones, tablets and even laptops. Of course, they're also built with 5G support in mind -- though not in the way you'd expect.
Read MoreThe FCC is creating a $9 billion 5G Fund to support rural high-speed connectivity. The funding is intended to help carriers deploy 5G in hard-to-serve areas, those that are sparsely populated and/or have rugged terrain. At least $1 billion will be reserved for 5G to support precision agriculture.
Read MoreFirstNet, the nationwide broadband network for first responders being built with AT&T, just added a giant blimp to its arsenal. The 55-foot aerostat, dubbed FirstNet One, is meant to hover over disaster sites and provide wireless communication for first responders. AT&T says it will provide better coverage than FirstNet's other assets and be able to remain in the air for longer.
Read MoreQualcomm just outlined the performance landscape for many of 2020's Android phones -- the company has introduced the Snapdragon 865, 765 and gaming-oriented 765G. They should improve performance in categories like AI and 8K video capture (Qualcomm won't share much more until December 4th), but this time around the highest-end chip isn't the star. The upper mid-range 765 series represents Qualcomm's first systems-on-a-chip with integrated 5G, saving them from using separate, power-hungry modems to take advantage of next-gen wireless. That could extend battery life, of course, but it should also make 5G handsets more affordable.
Read MoreLast month, T-Mobile promised its 5G network would go live in 5,000 cities and towns on December 6th -- if its merger with Sprint went through. That deal is not yet final, but today, a few days ahead of schedule, T-Mobile says it's launching its nationwide 5G network. The catch is that, for now, T-Mobile is offering 600 MHz "low-band" 5G.
Read MoreChina is as determined as ever to link real identities to the digital world. As of December 1st, anyone signing up for a new cellphone or cellular data contract is required to not only show their national ID card, but submit to a face scan to verify that identity. It's ostensibly meant to reduce fraud, but it also reduces your ability to use phone services in an anonymous way -- it'll be that much easier for the Chinese government to silence dissenters.
Read MoreA few days ago, the FDA officially raised the minimum age of sale for tobacco products from 18 to 21, and according to a Wall Street Journal report, it's close to announcing a new set of restrictions specifically for e-cigarettes. In a move that is supposed to address teen vaping by targeting products they're interested in, the new rules will reportedly apply only to pod-based vaporizers, like Juul or NJOY, and remove any flavors from sale other than tobacco or menthol. In anticipation of the ban, Juul stopped selling sweet fruit-flavored pods -- that represented a significant part of its business -- in October, and pulled mint flavors in November. The WSJ report suggests that meeting at this point represents a compromise between the Trump administration and the tobacco industry, avoiding a wider ban on all flavored vapes -- that had been suggested -- ahead of the 2020 election. It would also avoid banning flavors in "open-tank" systems that allow people to mix their own flavors.
Read More2020 is just around the corner, and another decade will soon come to an end. A lot has happened over the past ten years, and not all of it was pleasant: 3D television came and went, the headphone jack slowly died and the intersection of tech and politics frequently became front-page news. But amidst the downers, there was still plenty of groundbreaking tech that came about between 2010 and now that have made an impact in our lives. Here's a not-at-all-comprehensive list of a few of them.
Read MoreFor cameras and photographers, 2019 was another banner year... but for manufacturers? Not so much. Sales were down in all categories as of mid-year because everyone just uses their smartphones now. While that's pretty gloomy news, it's working out nicely for buyers, especially in the enthusiast and high-end categories. Companies like Sony, Nikon, Canon and Fujifilm are pulling out all the stops to create desirable models and are dropping prices, too. In a major milestone, mirrorless sales passed DSLRs for the first time ever. Some banner 2019 models include Panasonic's S1H, the first mirrorless camera approved for Netflix productions. In the enthusiast category, we saw the stellar Fujifilm X-T30, Canon's M6 Mark II, Sony's A6400 and the Nikon Z50. At the high end, Sony jolted the market with the 61-megapixel A7R IV. And on the weird side, Fujifilm unveiled the eccentric X-Pro3 with a display it wants you to not use. However, smartphone cameras keep improving with new AI tech, extreme high-res sensors and multiple lenses. To survive, manufacturers could try to get more creative by making it easier to snap and share photos -- or just accept that cameras have become a niche market and adjust their business plans accordingly. In any case, let's take a look at all the best models that came out in 2019.
Read MoreSonos has a good reputation for building quality speakers, but its latest move has disappointed some buyers. Recently, the company offered a trade-up program, giving legacy customers 30 percent off the latest One, Beam or Port. In exchange, buyers just had to "recycle" their existing products. However, what Sonos meant by "recycle" was to activate a feature called "Recycle Mode" that permanently bricks the speaker. It then becomes impossible for recycling firms to resell it or do anything else but strip it for parts.
Read MoreIt didn't take long for tech companies to take legal action in hopes of thwarting California's gig economy labor law. Uber and Postmates have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block AB5, which makes it harder for companies to define workers as contractors, just as it takes effect. They (along with two workers, Lydia Olson and Miguel Perez) claim the law violates both US and state Constitutions by denying the guarantees of equal protection. The companies alleged that the bill, and its sponsor Lorena Gonzalez, unfairly singled out the gig economy while letting other industries off the hook.
Read MoreFor the last After Math of both the year and the decade, we're talking cars and trucks!
Read MoreLG wants to hop on the vegetarian bandwagon, and it's venturing into unfamiliar territory to make that happen. The company will use CES 2020 to launch its first-ever indoor gardening appliance. The modular device you see at left grows lettuce, arugula, basil and other plants by matching outdoor conditions through time-sensitive LED lighting, air circulation and fine-grained water control. All you need to do is plant all-in-one seed packages (with fertilizer and peat moss) and keep an eye on your crop through a mobile app. Even a "complete novice" could grow a garden with this device, if you believe LG.
Read MoreSonos is moving production of some of its products from China to Malaysia, and at the same time the company is increasing the price of the Sonos Amp and Sonos Port by $50. Sonos told The Verge that its decision to move production is less of a response to tariffs, which it reportedly called a "one-time hit," and more about diversifying production for the future.
Read MoreTwo years ago, Turkey banned Wikipedia after the site refused to remove content tying the country to terrorist groups. That decision was reversed today in the nation's highest court, which called the ruling a violation of freedom of expression, and ordered the site to be unblocked. The timeframe isn't clear, but it's likely that Turkish citizens will soon be able to access the community-powered encyclopedia.
Read MoreRussia has ramped up the balkanization of its technology and infrastructure over the past few months. The government's "sovereign internet" law -- which allows content to be blocked in an "emergency situation" -- took effect in November, and President Vladimir Putin recently signed a law that bans the sale of devices without pre-installed Russian apps. Today, Russia's Ministry of Communications announced that it has successfully tested a countrywide alternative to the internet, according to the BBC. How this network functions isn't clear, but the Ministry of Communications claims that users didn't notice any changes to their typical web use during the testing phase.
Read MoreThe Pentagon has recently circulated a memo advising military personnel not to do at-home DNA tests, according to Yahoo News. It reportedly warned military members that mail-in commercial DNA tests are "largely unregulated and could expose personal and genetic information." They could also "potentially create unintended security consequences and increased risk to the joint force and mission," the memo read.
Read MoreDrones could soon be key to keeping New Yorkers safe from crumbling architecture. Members of the New York City Council have proposed legislation that would require drone inspections within 48 hours of a complaint or confirmed violation. A robotic vehicle (not the Mavic 2 Pro pictured) would use infrared and a pair of conventional cameras to both look for the telltale temperature changes of cracks and inspect roof conditions. The intended drones would cost $2,500 each, but the proposal would reduce costs by offloading the inspections to private companies that would charge building owners.
Read MoreControl over the .org internet domain is close to changing hands, and American politicians aren't happy. Senators Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden have joined Rep. Anna Eshoo in sending a letter demanding answers over the Internet Society's sale of .org and the Public Interest Registry (which manages the domain) to a private equity firm, Ethos Capital. The congresspeople want everyone involved to both outline how transparent they'll be as well as assurances that they'll keep the domain accessible, neutral and safe for non-profits.
Read MoreFollowing the months-long fallout from the two fatal 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg is stepping down from his position as the top executive at the aerospace manufacturer. Boeing announced the change in a press release on Monday. Muilenburg will be replaced by David Calhoun, the company's current chairman of the board, on January 13th, with CFO Greg Smith leading the company during the short interim period. From the wording in Boeing's press release, it sounds like Muilenburg resigned after it became clear that the board no longer had confidence in his leadership.
Read MoreLike burritos stuffed with french fries or labradoodles, the last few days have been just entirely too much. Politics aside, we were treated to Uber setting up a litigious warchest, Chipotle reinventing the drive-thru, and the debut of Soylent's successor. Check out the weirdest headlines to cross Engadget's newsdesk this week.
Read MoreIt's a sad week if you've ever posted on a social network or an internet forum. Randy Suess, the creator of the software for first online public bulletin board, died on December 10th at the age of 74. He and Ward Christensen built the Computer Bulletin Board System (CBBS) in 1978 to give users a central place to float ideas, post notices and otherwise coordinate without meeting in person. Of course, it wasn't nearly as sophisticated as the giant internet services you see today -- CBBS revolved around a customized personal computer that required a dial-up modem to access.
Read MoreOn Friday the Department of Energy announced it will not allow amended standards for incandescent lamps to go into effect. Following the passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 there was talk of a "ban" on incandescent lights, but that wasn't exactly what the rules mandated. While there has been a regulatory push toward more efficient LED lighting that's cheaper to use over time and better to reduce climate change-causing emissions, stricter definitions finalized by the Obama Administration would have blocked the sale of bulbs under a certain level of efficiency beginning on January 1st, 2020. In combination with another change announced in September, the Energy department is now blocking stricter rules and keeping older-style, less-efficient lighting on the shelf. The current administration has argued that it favors consumer "choice" of bulbs that may be available for cheaper up front and says that LED bulbs dominating the marketplace shows new rules aren't needed. Conservationists and many others claim that is not true at all, and incandescent bulbs have already been phased out by law in many other places. According to them, the move is backed by bulb manufacturers who want to dump their inefficient products -- that haven't been made in the US for years -- on US consumers. In response, the Natural Resources Defense Council notes several states, including California, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and Vermont, have established their own higher standards for lightbulbs. Also, 16 attorneys general are suing the administration over the moves, and in November New York AG Letitia James said "The United States cannot and will not be the exception to the international movement to phase out the inefficient, unnecessary, and costly use of incandescent bulbs."
Read MoreA few months ago, some of the top YouTubers like Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson and former NASA engineer Mark Rober launched the TeamTrees campaign. The initiative aimed to raise $20 million dollars, which would allow the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 20 million trees. The goal seemed a bit lofty, but the campaign reached its goal with over a week to spare before the self-imposed December 31st deadline.
Read MoreFor months, the CDC has warned people against vaping until it could determine the cause of a mysterious vaping-related lung injury. Now, the CDC confirms speculation that vitamin E acetate is "closely associated" with EVALI, or e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury.
Read MoreCongress just raised the legal age to smoke or vape to 21, BuzzFeed News reports. The law will go into effect sometime next year, and it will cover all nicotine products.
Read MoreIf you find yourself constantly without time to prepare food, there's a new "healthy" option when it comes to nutritional snacks. Huel, the British-equivalent of Soylent, is launching its snack bars in the US. Starting today, you can purchase the company's v3.1 snack bars through its website. They're available in two flavors, chocolate and salted caramel, with a single order of 30 bars priced at $62.22. You can also buy 30 bars for $56 if you sign up for Huel's subscription service. That works out to $2.07 and $1.87 per bar respectively.
Read MoreTiVo is scrapping plans to split its product and licensing divisions. Instead, it's merging with the entertainment tech firm Xperi. The new, $3 billion company will take on the Xperi name, but it will continue to sell TiVo-branded products.
Read MoreNo one wants to wait in line for their Chipotle order, and honestly, most people don't want to talk to anyone either. For those reasons, Chipotle's "digital business" -- orders placed through the app, online or via third-parties like DoorDash -- has grown to $1 billion. Now, Chipotle says it's going to make the digital ordering process even better with new restaurant designs optimized for pickups.
Read MoreSneaker collaborations used to be the domain of world-class athletes. These days, pro gamers are getting their own shoes, too. Video game streamer Ninja teamed up with Adidas back in August, and the brand has finally revealed the gamer's signature sneaker.
Read MoreCarl's Jr. started 2019 by adding plant-based Beyond Meat burgers to the menu at 1,000 of its locations across the US. It now plans to end the year by adding new Beyond Meat breakfast and lunch options -- something sister chain Hardee's will do as well.
Read MoreCES is just around the corner and that means two things: the opportunity to get up close and personal with exciting new tech, and horrifyingly long lines for the men's bathroom. It's no secret that tech is still a very male-dominated industry, and to highlight the inequality that continues to abound, breast pump brand Willow is aiming to replicate the famous bathroom queues at its booth, which it is turning into a comfortable pumping space for conference-going moms.
Read MoreInsider trading among tech companies is nothing new, but some of these unscrupulous workers are more 'successful' than others. The SEC has charged former Palo Alto Networks IT administrator Janardhan Nellore and four friends with conducting insider trading that earned the group over $7 million between 2015 and 2018. Allegedly, Nellore exploited his "IT credentials and work contacts" to access his company's financial data and make illegal share trades. The group was also aware it might be tracked -- Nellore reportedly had the group use variants of the codeword "baby" in emails and texts to refer to the company stock, and the friends made small transactions to avoid tipping off the bank.
Read MoreIf you're concerned that FOSTA-SESTA seems built more to kick sex workers offline than to fight sex trafficking, you're not alone. House representatives and senators have introduced the Safe Sex Workers Study Act, a bill that would analyze the impact of FOSTA-SESTA on the health and safety of sex workers and help Congress make "informed" decisions. The politicians are concerned that banning sites from the "promotion of prostitution" only served to hurt the consensual sex industry by shutting down resources where workers could screen customers, set limits and discuss issues with their peers. This not only increased the chances for violence and health issues, but may have thwarted the very purpose of FOSTA-SESTA by pushing sex traffickers further underground.
Read MoreIt took a while, but Nikon has finally delivered 12-bit external RAW video recording for its Z6 and Z7 full-frame mirrorless cameras, along with new storage options. Starting today, owners will be able to bring those cameras into any authorized Nikon service center and pay $200 to get the upgrade. After that, they'll be able to record 12-bit RAW video via the HDMI connector to select Atomos video recorders.
Read MoreAs you've probably noticed, Boeing's flawed 737 Max still hasn't received the regulatory all-clear as 2019 draws to a close -- and that's now affecting manufacturing. Boeing said it will suspend 737 Max production in January now that the FAA expects its safety evaluation to continue in 2020. It's uncertain how long the freeze will last, but that's likely to hinge on when (and if) the aircraft is allowed to fly again. While airlines have ruled out using the 737 Max until March or later, there's no guarantee they'll be allowed to fly by then.
Read MoreYouTuber and former NASA engineer Mark Rober is at it again with the Glitter Bomb 2.0 designed to give porch pirates some stinky karmic justice. After experiencing a package theft last year, Rober decided to exact revenge by creating the original glitter bomb. It looked like a real delivery and was designed to go off when opened by thieves, covering them with glitter and emitting a fart smell, while recording the whole thing. He made another one this year with an even nastier stench, and got an assist from the man who inspired the idea: Home Alone's Macaulay Culkin.
Read MoreThis morning the president tweeted that "We have agreed to a very large Phase One Deal with China........The Penalty Tariffs set for December 15th will not be charged because of the fact that we made the deal." The 15 percent tariffs that would have raised prices on Chinese-made items --including consumer electronics products like iPhones and laptops -- had already been delayed during negotiations, and now won't go into effect at all.
Read MoreNomiku, one of the companies that helped make sous vide immersion circulators mainstream, is shutting down. The small kitchen appliance maker announced the news on Friday afternoon, noting that it plans to discontinue both its WiFi Sous Vide Smart Cooker and prepared meal service, and is suspending operations, "effectively immediately."
Read MoreIf you find Amazon's Echo Wall Clock a tad too drab but still like the idea of a connected timepiece on your wall, Citizen might have what you're looking for. The company has introduced a Smart Clock thatcan accept Alexa commands through other devices to set timers, much like its Amazon counterpart, but offers a more stylish package that could better fit in with your decor. Set a timer and blue LEDs in the minute markers will show the remaining time without making you reach for your phone or twist your arm to look at a watch -- helpful if you're cooking or otherwise don't have a hand free.
Read MoreThe Philips Hue smart lightbulb lineup already includes some outdoor lighting, but rumor has it that Philips will introduce more outdoor options, likely at CES. According to a leaked product catalog, found by Hueblog.de, Philips Hue is planning a pretty big expansion of its offerings.
Read MoreAccording to documents reviewed by CNET, Ivanka Trump is scheduled to speak at CES 2020. Supposedly, she's slated as a headline speaker in a panel with Consumer Technology Association (CTA) president Gary Shapiro.
Read MoreVSCO, the popular photo editing app and inspiration for the VSCO girl meme, just acquired Rylo, a video camera and editing company. With the deal, VSCO is doubling down on its commitment to video and plans to "accelerate the delivery of innovative video editing features."
Read MoreFive years later, it's time to put a pin in the saga of "Coolest," the all-in-one entertainment system/cooler that broke crowdfunding records on Kickstarter in 2014. The Oregonian reports that in 2017 the Portland-based company and its founder Ryan Grepper reached a settlement with the Oregon DOJ that included a provision to send just $20 to backers outside the state who never received their promised hardware. In a message that blames the Trump administration's tariffs on products made in China, Coolest has finally admitted the remaining 20,000 or so backers (out of 60,000) will never receive their coolers -- a statement that comes after it was selling off coolers in a "cyber week" sale at prices of just $100 a few days ago.
Read MoreNikon plans to kill its authorized US repair program in March 2020 by cutting off access to official parts, tools, software and manuals to 15 official repair shops, iFixit has reported. The move will force owners to send busted cameras to just two Nikon-operated repair centers in the US, significantly delaying repairs. Nikon made the move in the wake of a steep decline in profits as smartphones continue to decimate camera sales across the industry.
Read MoreEarlier this year, Domino's Pizza said it would let you track your pizza deliveries using GPS. And, well, the company is now delivering on that promise. Domino's announced today that approximately a quarter of its locations across the US will have the technology in place by the end of this year. In 2020, a "significant portion" of Domino's remaining locations will allow you to track your order through the company's mobile app.
Read MoreIt was only a matter of time before China started offering trade bans to US companies in return for the ban on Huawei's gear. The Financial Times is reporting that Beijing has ordered all government institutions and public bodies to get rid of their foreign (i.e. western) computer gear. According to the report, China will spend between now and 2022 transitioning off American hardware and software in favor of local alternatives.
Read MoreWith Elon Musk narrowly avoiding $150 million in damages in his "pedo guy" defamation case, let's take a look at some of this past week's big ticket headlines.
Read MoreA lawyer representing Vernon Unsworth called Elon Musk a "billionaire bully," and sought up to $190 million in damages but a jury decided in the CEO's favor anyway. They ruled that his series of tweets last year that referenced Unsworth as a "pedo guy" and promised a "signed dollar" if it was true were not defamatory. Musk also called Unsworth a "child rapist" in emails to a Buzzfeed reporter, but the court case was not a judgement over that statement, or his decision to pay a private investigator $50,000 to investigate the man. The diver became a target of the comments that Musk called a "common insult" after he disparaged Musk's unused plan to involve a miniature submarine in the rescue of 12 boys and a soccer coach trapped in a cave. Unsworth participated in the rescue effort and is credited with helping recruit divers who helped bring the boys to safety.
Read MoreBernie Sanders has unveiled his plan for US broadband if he wins the 2020 presidential election, and it won't surprise you to hear that his strategy would focus on making high-speed internet as widely accessible as possible. He intends to earmark $150 billion (as part of the Green New Deal) for infrastructure grants and technical help for "publicly owned and democratically controlled, co-operative or open access" broadband. He would also ensure free broadband in public housing and override state laws (frequently written by private ISPs) that block municipal internet.
Read MoreWith Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker coming out on December 20th, you're bound to see a lot of products that tie into the upcoming movie, but few will probably be as unique as these Coca-Cola bottles. They feature main characters Rey and Kylo Ren, with lightsabers that light up anytime you touch the labels.
Read MoreAirbnb has confirmed that it will ban all "open-invite" house parties, the company said in a blog post. It also will provide a "clear and actionable enforcement framework" for other issues including excessive noise, unauthorized guests, unauthorized parking, unauthorized smoking and "major cleanliness concerns requiring excessive cleaning after checkout."
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Read MoreIf you livestream on Twitch or YouTube, you may have thought about getting a multi-camera switcher to boost your production values. The problem is that devices that can handle that while doing picture-in-picture and other effects can cost up to a grand. However, Blackmagic Design'sATEM Mini is a four-input switcher that can handle transitions, picture-in-picture, pro-level audio control and more for just $295.
Read MoreThere's more than one way to turn a guitar into a synthesizer. But Boss and Roland have always gone for the most elaborate and complicated approach. While the new SY-1000 can be played simply by plugging in a guitar or bass via a standard 1/4-inch instrument jack, it really shines when connected via Roland's proprietary GK pickup. Unlike a lot of other guitar synth pedals, the GK pickup system allows for polyphonic tracking of notes on a guitar without the use of MIDI, which can be a little unreliable. The SY-1000 builds on the tech in the SY-300 which turns your guitar licks into everything from a gnarly synth lead to a rich pad, or even a thick Leslie-like organ.
Read MoreNestle is expanding its plant-based 'meat' offerings to a category seldom covered in the meatless world: the frozen Italian food you buy when you'd rather not order in or start from scratch. It's introducing both a DiGiorno pizza (the Rising Crust Meatless Supreme) and a Stouffer's lasagna (the Meatless Lasagna) that use Sweet Earth's Awesome Grounds in place of ex-animals. While Nestle hasn't outlined their exact nutritional value, the mix of yellow pea protein, wheat gluten and multiple veggie oils promises the usual meat-like taste while delivering plenty of protein, fiber and, of course, reduced guilt.
Read MoreReebok is expanding its efforts in sustainability by launching a plant-based performance shoe. The Forever Floatride Grow uses natural materials in place of petroleum-based plastics and should help protect the environment while also holding up to the rigors of running.
Read MoreIf you needed any more evidence that we are in fact living in the worst possible timeline, here it is: Lil Bub, one of the world's favorite internet-famous cats, has died. Her human dad, Mike Bridavsky, shared the news on Monday.
Read MoreNorth Korea has long been accused of using cryptocurrency to avoid sanctions, but the US is now accusing a man of giving the country some help American law enforcement has arrested crypto expert and Ethereum project member Virgil Griffith for allegedly providing North Korea with information on how cryptocurrency and blockchain tech could help the isolated nation evade US sanctions. He presented at a crypto conference in Pyongyang despite being denied permission to travel to North Korea, and reportedly discussed how the country could "launder money" and otherwise skirt trade barriers. There were several North Korean officials in the audience who asked him questions, according to the Justice Department.
Read MoreNintendo's long-dead Wii U is getting a "new" game this Wednesday. If you're so inclined, you'll be able to dust off the system, power it on and download Drop It: Block Paradise! for a mere $2.
Read MoreWe knew it was coming, and now the multiplayer mode for Mario Kart Tour has arrived just in time for the holidays -- but it's only in beta and it's only available to Gold Pass holders.
Read MoreAs 2019 winds down, it's a time of reflection on the year that was, which includes how we used products and services. Spotify, for instance, has long offered a way to see your most-played songs of the year. Now, Nintendo's getting in on the action with its own year-in-review tool for Switch.
Read MoreNintendo has announced two DLCs for Luigi's Mansion 3, and they can both make playing with friends more fun. The first add-on will come out on April 30th, 2020, while the second one will roll out on July 31st -- you'll have to buy them as a bundle for $10 from the eShop, though, because they won't be sold separately.
Read MoreNovember is always a big month for videogame sales, and just ahead of tonight's Game Awards, the NPD has dropped off some sales stats for the US. The most notable part that we saw is the news that "Super Smash Bros Ultimate is now the best-selling Fighting game in U.S. history." It has dethroned the 2008 Wii title Super Smash Bros. Brawl in lifetime dollar sales. This new title arrived quickly after Nintendo announced in November that SSBU is the best-selling fighting game worldwide, with more than 15.71 million copies sold compared to Street Fighter II's 15.5 million. It's no surprise then, that Nintendo plans even more fighters for its hit game, even as it rests at number two in sales this year topped only by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The shooter is also number one for November and the last twelve months overall, with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order coming in at number two for the month. Hardware sales dropped by 26 percent from last year as a new console generation approaches, but the Switch is still the best seller. In accessories, the best-selling item (by dollar sales) is the new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2.
Read MoreTetris 99 is one of the best reasons to grab a Nintendo Switch Online membership. The free game pits 99 players against one another in crowded and tense matches. But the game isn't just about endurance; by clearing lines of blocks, players push their competitors' bricks closer and closer to the top line -- and the resulting KO. The title's new Team Battle Mode changes the formula by pitting four groups against each other, but adds some twists.
Read MoreNintendo has already curated a library of wonderfully weird independent games on the Switch, and it's not slowing down in 2020. The company today revealed a handful of indie titles heading to the Switch next year, including heavy hitters like Axiom Verge 2 (a sequel fans have been waiting for since 2015), Sports Story (the follow-up to Golf Story), and Streets of Rage 4 (which we've found to be shockingly fun).
Read MoreNintendo brought the first batch of SNES games to its Switch Online subscribers back in September, and now it's ready to add some more, despite intentionally irregular scheduling. Star Fox 2 is one of the additions, which marks the only time it's ever been playable outside of the Super NES Classic Edition console that was released in 2017.
Read MoreAs expected, Nintendo will officially launch the Switch console in China on December 10th in partnership with Tencent. It will sell as a bundle for 2,099 yuan ($298) with a copy of New Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. In addition, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Oyssey are now available to pre-order, and "additional first party games are being prepared for the China market later," Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad wrote on Twitter.
Read MoreSuper Mario Maker 2 level creators will have a few more tools to play with when the 2.0 update for the Nintendo Switch game drops Thursday. The biggest addition this time around is Link of Legend of Zelda fame.
Read MoreYou'd think that a single player game over four years old would be long past its prime, but don't tell that to CD Projekt Red. The studio's community lead Marcin Momot has revealed that the PC version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt broke its record for the most number of concurrent players, with nearly 94,000 people playing on December 29th. Polygon noted that the number has climbed higher since, and that the game was eighth in Steam's top ten games by player count (a position that holds true as we write this). For context, Witcher 3 set its previous record all the way back at launch in May 2015, when 92,268 people fired up the action role-playing title.
Read MoreThe Epic Holiday Sale is still going, and today's daily free game is Hyper Light Drifter. The top-down action RPG was crowdfunded a few years ago before it was eventually released in 2016, and now you can try it out yourself for zero dollars. Hyper Light Drifter's 88 Metacritic score and list of awards won indicates it's at least worth your time among the slew of retro 2D games that fill digital store shelves. Plus, now is a great time to try it out before Heart Machine drops its next game, Solar Ash Kingdom, which features "wild high-speed traversal" and massive enemy encounters in a surreal world. Epic's free offer lasts through 11 AM ET on Saturday, although if you miss out or just prefer to fill your Steam library, it's available there for $10, 50 percent off the usual price, until January 2nd.
Read MoreIf you're the sort of person who thought Dead Cells was better as a beta, then you can now get access to every major iteration of the title through Steam. The Legacy Update will let you roll back the title to any of the key variations, from its Early Access build through to the current edition.
Read MoreIn the nearly four years since the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive hit retail shelves, VR has gone from being the most exciting new computing medium around -- something that could be as transformational as the internet itself -- to a niche accessory for gamers with too much money. New headsets have come and gone, cheap mobile VR was briefly popular (before going extinct) and standalone virtual reality devices have finally arrived. It'd be wrong to say there's been no progress in the world of VR, but it still feels as if we're waiting for it to truly take off as a medium. Where's the killer app? Where's the affordable hardware that everyone can buy (that doesn't deliver a dumbed down experience)? How, exactly, will developers make money without releasing yet another zombie game? There's still so much left up in the air for a medium that arrived amid a torrent of hype. Looking ahead to 2020, though, there are signs that things could shape up. Valve's upcoming Half-Life: Alyx is exactly the sort of VR exclusive that could push gamers to pick up a headset. There's already an uproar among Half-Life fans about the game being available only in VR, with no way to play it on a traditional monitor. Clearly, Valve is leaving money on the table by doing that, but it's also a sign that it's dedicated to the new medium. And if it's a success, Half-Life: Alyx will also prove to other developers that it's worth taking a risk on VR.
Read MoreAssemble With Care, one of our favorite Apple Arcade games, is making its way to PC. Developer UsTwo (Monument Valley) says it'll be available on Steam sometime in the first quarter of 2020.
Read MoreNow that Halo: Reach has kicked off the launch of Master Chief Collection for PC, what's next? A return to basics, apparently. The team at 343 Industries now expects to start public testing for the anniversary PC version of the original game, Halo: Combat Evolved, in January. It should incorporate "many" of the same upgrades that came to Reach, including visual touch-ups, support for modern displays (such as different aspect ratios) and player customization. This won't just be a straightforward Xbox conversion.
Read MoreSteam is, once again, poised to make a dent on your holiday budget. Valve's gaming platform has launched its Winter sale for the year, and it includes some of the most popular titles for 2019. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which won Game of the Year at the recent Game Awards, is now available for 35 percent less. You can also get detective RPG Disco Elysium, another Game Awards winner for several categories, for 20 percent less than its original price. The other notable titles on sale include Red Dead Redemption 2 (20 percent off) and Star Wards Jedi: Fallen Order (17 percent off) -- there are also a lot of older games on sale with much bigger discounts.
Read MoreBlade Runner, Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi noire, has had a complicated history. The production was plagued with setbacks, it bombed in theaters, multiple versions of the movie exist and fans can't agree on whether or not the protagonist is an android. The point-and-click PC game adaptation fared a bit better, until the source code was lost. This meant that the release of a digital download version of the title was extremely unlikely. Fans intervened, though, and together with GOG.com they've reconstructed the game, which is available for less than $10.
Read MoreRiot announced its new publishing arm for new League of Legends-related games, Riot Forge, just last week, and tonight at The Game Awards it revealed the first title to spawn from this business: Ruined King: A League of Legends Story. It's a narrative-driven, turn-based role-playing game developed by Darksiders: Genesis studio Airship Syndicate, featuring "fan-favorite champions" and locations from League of Legends.
Read MoreIf you're one of the many people that play games on your Mac, one thing you may not appreciate is a resource-hog browser. The answer might be Opera's GX, unveiled earlier this year on PC, which is finally available on macOS in early access mode. Opera said that it solves resource problems via limiters on CPU, RAM and network bandwidth. "What this means in practice is that everyone's machines are left with more resources for running games," the company said.
Read MoreAMD is finishing 2019 with a big software update, particularly for gamers who'd rather not leave their PC games at home. It just released Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020, and the most eye-catching feature is support for game streaming to phones over the internet, not just the local WiFi network. This is far from a new concept, but still helpful if there's a slower-paced game you'd like to play during your commute. The feature is already enabled for Android devices and should come to iOS on December 23rd.
Read MoreThe 2006 reboot of Sonic the Hedgehog was supposed to be a turning point for the blue blur. It was the character's first outing on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 hardware, and Sega clearly wanted to make an impact. The game, simply titled Sonic the Hedgehog (commonly referred to as Sonic 06), was a visual leap forward for the franchise and offered three playable characters, including telekinetic newcomer Silver, with separate but interwoven story lines. But the game was a massive flop. Critics slammed the ambitious but poorly written story, which combined time travel, all-powerful gods and a post-apocalyptic future filled with nothing but fire and abandoned skyscrapers. They hated the finicky controls, too, as well as the uncooperative camera system, agonizingly long load times and glitch-riddled levels. Patient players were rewarded with a passable-at-best blend of platforming and action as well as open-world zones that were barren and seemingly half finished. Oh, and it was also the game that had a universally hated kiss scene between Sonic and a human princess. Many consider Sonic 06 to be the lowest point in the franchise. The PS3 version has a 43-percent rating on the reviews aggregation site Metacritic, which is lower than Sonic Forces, Sonic & the Black Knight and Shadow the Hedgehog -- the hugely divisive game where Sega's black-and-red antihero skated around with sub-machine guns and said "damn" a lot. Most Sonic fans want to forget the game was ever released. But not Ian Moris, a developer known online by his handle ChaosX. Instead of condemning and ridiculing the title, he's one of a select few trying to fix it.
Read MoreAfter it was first announced three years ago, co-operative horror shooter GTFO is now available through Steam Early Access. If you haven't heard of this one before, it attempts to scratch the same itch as titles like Left 4 Dead, pitting you and three friends against hordes of monsters inside of an oppressive and dark underground facility. 10 Chambers Collective, a studio that includes several designers who worked on the Payday series, developed GTFO.
Read MoreAt last, your Oculus Quest is ready to double as a PC VR headset. Oculus has released a Link beta that lets you use Rift titles on the Quest when you're physically connected to your PC. You'll want a long, "high quality" USB 3 cable (Oculus suggests 10 feet), and the system requirements are fairly stringent. The beta currently supports only most recent NVIDIA GPUs, and it's recommended that you have the same processor and RAM specs you'd need for a decent Oculus Rift or Rift S experience. GPU support should improve toward the end of the beta.
Read MoreAfter launching in a limited, invite-only beta earlier this year, GOG Galaxy 2.0 is now available to anyone who wants to try it. You can join the open beta by visiting the GOG Galaxy website and downloading the new client on your PC or Mac.
Read MoreA new PlayStation controller may be in the works at Sony HQ. The tech giant has secured a prototype for a new controller design on December 26th, according to Dutch publication LetsGoDigital, which found its documentation on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) database. Based on the illustrations on the website, the new design looks pretty much like the current DualShock 4 controllers, except it doesn't have a PS button and there are two additional buttons on its backside.
Read MoreIt's winter holiday time, and you know what that means: big sales on video games. If you've been waiting to pick up some titles, you'll have plenty of options between the Steam winter sale and PlayStation Store's holiday sale. The sales repeat a lot of the offers we saw on Black Friday, but if you're looking to pick up a game for the holidays or you have PS4 credit to spend, then you'll want to check this out.
Read MoreSony is getting into the controller customization game late into the PS4's lifespan. The company has unveiled a DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment that, as the name implies, lets you map two of the gamepad's buttons to easier-to-reach locations on the back. If you'd rather not lift your fingers to reload or perform a special attack, you don't have to. You can specify up to three different profiles, and an OLED screen on the back illustrates your current button setup.
Read MoreThis weekend's Red Dead Redemption 2 update isn't just about running a moonshine business -- it's also about bringing more parity between PC and console players. PS4 players now have access to the Photo Mode and Story Mode features that premiered first on computers. The photo option is fairly self-explanatory if you've seen features like it in games before, but the story additions are considerably more elaborate. There are bounty missions to track down wanted criminals, gang hideout raids, treasure maps, a "To the Ends of the Earth" stranger mission and a slew of new guns, horses and trinkets.
Read MoreAs revealed during Sony's State of Play stream Tuesday, The Game Awards had an extended look at Ghost of Tsushima, along with a release window: summer 2020. The PlayStation 5 is set to arrive next holiday season, so if this is Sony's last big first-party title for the PS4, it's shaping up to be a heck of a pretty swansong.
Read MoreAt The Game Awards, Gearbox Publishing and developer Counterplay Games revealed one of the first few confirmed games for PlayStation 5. Following its own Borderlands 3, Gearbox is kinda staying in the looter-shooter arena, but Godfall will be somewhat different from the popular space western series.
Read MoreEarly this year, to celebrate its 35th anniversary, game developer Naughty Dog did a physical reissue of its classic PS2-era Jak and Daxter games for PlayStation 4. Fans apparently loved it. The collector's edition sold out in hours and the standard editions sold out in less than a week. Now, instead of pocketing the cash, Naughty Dog is donating all of the proceeds to a bunch of charities.
Read MoreThere was little doubt that Final Fantasy VII Remake would be a premier PlayStation title, but it's now clear just how long everyone else will have to wait to play it. Deal-finder Wario64 has discovered box art showing that the reborn RPG will be a PlayStation exclusive until March 3rd, 2021 -- a year after its planned release date. Xbox and PC fans will just have to settle for older (or really, newer) Final Fantasy titles until that point, although the timing suggests VII Remake for other platforms is more a matter of "when" rather than "if."
Read MoreMedia Molecule, the developer behind PlayStation series LittleBigPlanet, has been working on its next game, Dreams, for literally years. But in today's State of Play event, the company finally announced a release date: Dreams arrives on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2020.
Read MoreSony has set its final PlayStation State of Play event of the year for this morning. It'll last for around 20 minutes, and you can expect PS4 and PS VR game reveals, release dates, gameplay footage premieres and updates from PlayStation Worldwide Studios among other news. What this State of Play won't include, however, is anything related to PlayStation 5.
Read MoreMinecraft fans on PlayStation 4 will be able to play with their buddies on other platforms such as Xbox One, PCs and mobile devices starting Tuesday. Mojang is at last updating the PS4 version of its colossally successful title to the Bedrock version, which will finally enable Minecraft's cross-platform play on Sony's console.
Read MoreOne of the more prevalent criticisms of Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding is that the onscreen text is often pretty small and difficult to read. Kojima Productions has been working on a fix for the issue, and you'll be able to increase the font size.
Read MorePersona 5 fans in Japan have had a little over a month to delve into an expanded version of the title after it debuted there at the end of October. It was always going to be the case that fans elsewhere would have to wait longer for Persona 5 Royal, but we now know when it'll be available on PS4 in North America, Europe and Australia: March 31st.
Read MoreIf you're a gamer of a certain age (cough), you're about to feel very old. Sony released the original PlayStation 25 years ago on December 3rd, 1994, and iFixit has marked the occasion by tearing down the very first, Japan-only model that never officially made it to other countries. To say it's a throwback to another era would be an understatement. It's not just the inclusion of now-quaint technology like a CD-only disc drive, a modest 32-bit MIPS CPU (the base PS4 is roughly 50 times faster), an S-Video port and slots for 128KB memory cards -- the post mortem highlights a fundamentally different approach to electronics design.
Read MoreWhen it comes to phones, there hasn't been a year like 2019 in a while. Between the introduction of the first foldables and the rollout of technologies like 5G, 2019 wasn't just another year of comfortable iteration for manufacturers. Instead, it saw the introduction of devices that are likely to define the space moving forward, but none more so than the modest Pixel 3a.
Read MoreHP has been treating its premium Spectre line like fine jewelry for several years now, with an emphasis on flashy designs and thinness. They've looked good, especially for HP laptops. But now with the latest Spectre x360 13-inch, the company finally has an ultraportable that would look right at home alongside gold and diamond wear at the mall. In a word, it's stunning -- HP finally modernized the x360 with vastly thinner screen bezels and a smaller footprint. It's a high point for the company, and together with Dell's XPS 13 2-in-1, the new x360 is a sign that PC-makers are truly beginning to perfect their convertibles. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised about how much progress HP has made with the Spectre though. Last year's leather-bound Folio was also a major design triumph that truly stood apart from every other laptop on the market. The new Spectre x360 isn't a dramatic reinvention like the Folio, but it builds on everything HP has been doing with the convertible since 2015.
Read MoreThis year, Apple made some moves to simplify its laptop lineup, including an upgrade to the MacBook Pro which included an eighth-gen Intel quad-core processor, better speakers and a True Tone display. At $1,299 (to start), the newest model of Pro is now only $200 more than the Air. Deputy Managing Editor Nathan Ingraham found the slight price upgrade was well worth it for users who intended to push their machines performance-wise. He wound up awarding the device a respectable score of 86.
Read More2019 was full of hype. From excitement over foldable phones and laptops to plenty of noise about 5G, the year was packed with news about promising new technology that had the potential to monumentally change the industry. But many of these were first-generation efforts, and what we ended up getting, instead of piles of functional new toys, were buckets of disappointment.
Read More(This article contains spoilers for 'Mr. Robot' season four) When Mr. Robot debuted in June 2015, it was the show's commitment to authentic hacking that attracted eyeballs. For so long, cybersecurity had been shortchanged on-screen -- an ever-changing field that needed to be simplified, producers thought, for mainstream audiences and dramatic pacing. Mr. Robot was unique in part because it veered in the other direction, embracing the skill and complexity of modern-day hacking and taking time -- exponentially more than the average TV drama, anyway -- to explain the vulnerabilities that were being exploited and the knowledge or leverage it would give each character. Hacking, though, was never the central theme of the show. Not really.
Read MoreWith 2020 fast approaching, it's time for our editors to look back on the year in tech. The first three articles of our year in review went live this morning, covering Spotify's big podcast push, the best games of the year and our favorite gadgets. Over the coming days we've got a lot more for you to read.
Read MoreNow that companies are on at least their second or third generation of true wireless earbuds, many of them are worth recommendations. A lot of these new models address earlier issues like poor battery life, connectivity issues and subpar sound quality. Thankfully, some companies have introduced more affordable options that will cost you less than $250 -- and in a lot of cases, less than $200. In 2018, Audio-Technica debuted its first true wireless model, the ATH-CKR7TW. Those earbuds lasted six hours on a charge and were priced at $249. This year, the company took things a step further with the ATH-CKS5TW ($169). Not only are they more affordable, but they offer more than double the battery life: 15 hours on the earbuds alone. There are some caveats, but at that price, are Audio-Technica's latest earbuds too good to pass up?
Read MoreSenior editor Chris Velazco's first experience with the Sony Xperia 1 was a mixed bag -- while the handset featured a gorgeous 4K HDR OLED screen and a speedy Snapdragon 855 chipset, its 3,300mAh battery was underwhelming and the speakers didn't do justice to the viewing experience. While the 6.5-inch panel and 21:9 aspect ratio made for easy split-screen multitasking, the inclusion of a vibration motor was distracting and the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack was (as usual) disappointing. In the end, Chris gave the adventurous device a decent, but not outstanding, score of 76.
Read MoreI am simultaneously deeply fascinated by and deeply skeptical of strange niche instruments. As fun as a classic Stylophone is, for instance, it's pretty tricky to make decent-sounding music with. Even quirky controllers like Roli Blocks have a hard time finding a foothold in my life. But I still can't resist their allure. So of course when I heard about Orba, the new instrument from Artiphon, I had to check it out.
Read MoreStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a disappointment. That's not to say it's a bad movie -- it delivers the wild set pieces, operatic drama and unique characters we've come to expect from the franchise. But The Rise of Skywalker is a supremely unchallenging film. It's predictable to the point of being dull, and it does nothing to push the series forward. Coming off of The Last Jedi, a film that dared to innovate with what a Star Wars movie could be, Rise of Skywalker feels like a missed opportunity. It'll undoubtedly be a crowd-pleaser, but as I sat in the theater, watching the gang run through yet another set piece on the brink of death, I couldn't help but sigh. We could have had so much more.
Read MoreToday's camera landscape is ultra-competitive and not terribly lucrative, so it takes a lot of guts to launch a new system. Nikon has done that (again) with the 20.9-megapixel Z50, its first ever APS-C mirrorless camera. Unlike rival Canon, Nikon decided to use the same Z mount lens system for both its full-frame and APS-C mirrorless cameras, a decision that has been surprisingly controversial. Nikon doesn't have the luxury of slowly perfecting its mirrorless lineup like Sony did five or six years ago. The market is mature now and the Z50 is going up against formidable models in its price range, including Sony's A6400, the Canon M6 Mark II and Fujifilm's X-T30. In an early hands-on look, I was impressed by the Z50's ergonomics and its petite size. Now, let's see how it stacks up against the competition in the crucial areas of autofocus, image quality and 4K video features.
Read MoreRazer has finally done it: The new Blade Stealth 13 features a powerful gaming GPU in a three-pound ultraportable. Typically machines this small rely on integrated graphics or weaker NVIDIA chips like the MX 150. The new Blade Stealth is the first machine at this size that can be configured with NVIDIA's GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU, allowing it to play most modern games in 1080p. Normally, you'd have to live with a laptop closer to four pounds to get that graphics card. As you'd expect, though, that sort of power will cost you much more than a typical gaming PC. And while the GTX 1650 is faster than other ultraportables, it can't always reach a smooth 60 FPS frame rate. The Blade Stealth is clearly built for a specific type of gamer: one who wants a very light machine but still wants to play a quick match of Overwatch.
Read MoreIt won't shock you to hear that Apple's new Mac Pro is easy to upgrade in many ways -- that's the whole point. But how easy it to service beyond the obvious parts? It's mostly easy, according to iFixit. The DIY repair outfit has torn down the Mac Pro, and it's now clear that many components beyond the memory and PCIe cards are trivial to remove and (if you can track down parts) replace, such as the fans. There are even instructions printed on the hardware for some repairs. This is a system designed for pros who may need rapid turnarounds for fixes, and it shows.
Read MoreAffordable, fast and with excellent dual-fan cooling, NVIDIA's two new ray-tracing cards (the RTX 2060 Super and the 2070 Super) took the place of the company's excellent Ti lineup. NVIDIA's release of the GPUs was, according to senior editor Devindra Hardawar, "clearly a response to AMDs new midrange" cards. Dev managed to get impressive frame rates and gaming performance out of each, awarding the 2060 Super a score of 87 and the 2070 an 86.
Read MoreAround a year and a half ago, Skydio blew my mind. The then-unknown company presented the R1 drone to the world, and it was quite special. Typically, follow features and obstacle avoidance aren't very effective, or only work in certain modes (i.e. with compromises). Skydio's R1 put these features front and center, and it did them incredibly well. But there were still caveats. The R1 was prohibitively expensive ($2,499 at launch), large, clunky and limited in what it could do beyond all that following and obstacle avoiding. Enter the Skydio 2, the company's second take on a drone. It's cheaper, smaller and much more versatile. The hope is that it will be the much-needed DJI rival we deserve, and I'm excited about it enough to say right here that it is. But, and yes there are some buts, it still has some edges that need smoothing out. I'll get to those in good time, but for now, let's start with the positives.
Read MoreIn 2018, Master & Dynamic joined the true wireless fray. The company had been making headphones for years, including a number of wireless models, but it had yet to jump on the latest earbud bandwagon. With the MW07, M&D was able to bring its trademark sound to a new niche, but that model had some key issues. Battery life was abysmal compared to the competition, and the Bluetooth range wasn't great. The company fixed both of those problems with the MW07 Plus, and added active noise cancellation (ANC) and increased water resistance to meet IPX5 standards. And it did all of that while keeping the price at $299.
Read MoreIf you livestream on Twitch or YouTube, you may have thought about getting a multi-camera switcher to boost your production values. The problem is devices that can handle that while doing picture-in-picture and other effects can cost up to a grand. However, Blackmagic Design's ATEM Mini is a four-input switcher that can handle transitions, picture-in-picture, pro-level audio control and more for just $295. As a video editor, I was intrigued. Blackmagic Design sells other ATEM-branded video switchers that cost 10 times that price, yet it promises much of the same capability in a far tinier, cheaper package. It seemed too good to be true, so I decided to test it out by simulating a game stream with multiple cameras.
Read MoreWith the release of the 7 Pro, OnePlus showed it learned from the mistakes on the 6T: The company kept everything that users loved about the previous model while addressing its most glaring issues. Senior Editor Richard Lai was pleased to see that the dewdrop notch of the 6T had been replaced by a pop-up front camera; that the fussy fingerprint reader had become faster and more responsive; and that the 7 Pro maintained a sleek design with ambitious features. But was it enough to satisfy those who actually bought it? Here's what our user reviewers had to say about their experiences with the $549 device.
Read MoreIn the battle of graphics cards, AMD and NVIDIA have been duking it out for space in your custom-built gaming tower. With the release of the Radeon RX 5700 and 5700 XT, AMD threw down two solid mid-range offerings showcasing its Navi architecture (now known as Radeon DNA or RDNA). Both 7-nanometer cards feature a minimalist design, a blower-style cooler (using a single fan to pull in air) and 8GB of GDDR6 RAM. Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar gave them scores of 85 and 86 respectively, dinging both slightly for their high temperatures and lack of real-time ray tracing.
Read MoreThe old adage "jack of all trades, master of none" is generally considered a warning against trying to be or do many things. But that didn't dissuade Mercedes-Benz from giving the 2020 GLS SUV as many features as possible, including its amazing MBUX infotainment system and adaptive suspension system. While the majority of the time the vehicle will be cruising on the highway and dodging shopping carts in the parking lots of boutique shopping districts, it's also an SUV that's ready to traverse the mountains when society goes sideways.
Read MoreDJI has quite a gamut of drones and gimbals, but most are either handheld or airborne. However, the company seems to have ground-based ambitions too, as a new Chinese patent seen by Weibo user "Machine Power" and others shows. The document shows a rugged looking land-based "all-in-one" vehicle with an elaborate suspension holding a stabilized camera. It might be a way for DJI to compete against Tero's ground-based Freefly camera platform.
Read MoreFor some people, rummaging through a bunch of Lego bricks is part of the fun. But if you've got an enormous collection or take on complicated builds, you probably have a system for sorting your pieces. Your solution probably doesn't involve AI, though. YouTube user Daniel West combined his love for Lego with his engineering skills to build a universal Lego sorter that uses a neural network to identify, classify and organize the plastic pieces more efficiently than a human could.
Read MoreYou might not have to wait until CES to see Samsung's fabled 'zero bezel' TV. German site 4KFilme has posted what it says are the first pictures of the 8K set, which might be called the Q900T or Q950T. If these are accurate, it's not literally a zero-bezel TV, but it's very close. The most you see is a tiny chin. It would also have a soundbar-friendly stand, and there appears to be a gap-free wall mount like before.
Read MoreSamsung might soon make good on its promise of bezel-free TVs. The Elec sources say the company plans to introduce a zero bezel TV at CES 2020 in early January, with mass production starting in February. While the finer details aren't available, the design reportedly welds the display and main body "more closely" to eliminate the usual borders on sets 65 inches and larger. And we do mean eliminate -- this supposedly "really doesn't have a bezel," one source said.
Read MoreIt wouldn't be CES without Samsung unveiling projects from C-Lab, and the latest batch is once more trying to solve common problems through unusual methods. For some, the most practical may be SelfieType. As the name suggests, it uses your device's selfie camera and AI to translate finger movements into keyboard input. You wouldn't need to grab your phone to reply to a text when your hands are grubby.
Read MoreIf I was going to start my own tech site or media vertical, with no intention of turning a profit or even being all that knowledgeable, I'd do food gadgets. I won't shut up about the Instant Pot, I own a sous vide machine (that I now have a guide for) and the contents of my kitchen drawers are the equivalent of the crying face joy emoji. The festive season and the epic-scale meals that accompany it make it a peak opportunity for simplifying your established cooking norms, but it's also a gamble. My mum has an Instant Pot, sure. Will she use it for sauces or sides for this year's Christmas dinner? Probably not. It's about consistency. She's cooked more Christmas meals than I've had... Christmas meals. I'm not going to suggest she shake things up. The best kitchen tech is simple. I own a Nespresso Barista milk frother. It can heat and whip up milk, making at-home flat whites a possibility. Is it smart, though? It has Bluetooth connectivity and a companion app, but besides downloading new recipes (more or less milk; hotter or colder) that's not remotely necessary. It makes silky milk for my latte nonsense, though, so it keeps its place on the kitchen worktop. Crucially, the metal jug and magnetic stirrer are both incredibly easy to clean -- something all kitchen gadgets could benefit from. - Mat
Read MoreIt'll likely be a couple of months before Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy S11, but leaks are already starting to paint a picture of what's in store for its next flagship phone. A render that emerged last month offered a peek at what the S11 may look like, while a SamMobile report stokes the flames of rumors it'll be capable of 8K video capture.
Read MoreLast year, a Stanford-trained scientist stunned the world by revealing that he had created the first genetically-edited babies using the CRISPR/Cas9 tool.
Read MoreRussia's vaunted hypersonic missile is now in service -- though to what degree isn't clear. The country's Ministry of Defense has announced that the Avangard system is in use with its first regiment as of the morning of December 27th. The addition theoretically gives Russia the ability to strike targets around the world with relative impunity. The weapon launches like a conventional ballistic missile, but the re-entry vehicle glides into the atmosphere at extreme speeds while staying highly maneuverable at high altitudes -- it could be virtually impossible to stop using existing anti-missile systems.
Read MoreA month ago the European Union issued marketing authorization for a vaccine to prevent the Ebola virus in adults, and now the FDA has approved it. While noting that Ebola cases in the US have been very rare, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Peter Marks said in a statement that "Vaccination is essential to help prevent outbreaks and to stop the Ebola virus from spreading when outbreaks do occur." Studies supporting its approval included one with 900 subjects in Canada, Spain and the U.S., where antibody responses matched with those seen elsewhere. Side effects included "pain, swelling and redness at the injection site, as well as headache, fever, joint and muscle aches and fatigue." An ongoing outbreak of Ebola in the Congo has killed more than 2,000 people, and more than 200,000 people have received the vaccine. A study during an outbreak in Guinea " determined to be 100% effective in preventing Ebola cases with symptom onset greater than 10 days after vaccination." The EU marketing approval precedes increased manufacturing of the dose, called V920, in Germany later in 2020.
Read MoreTwo months after expanding across California, the state's Earthquake Early Warning system sent out its first real alert, notifying residents of shaking in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, along the San Andreas fault. While the quake eventually registered at 4.3 on the Modified Mercali scale, the USGS data shows it was initially estimated at 4.8, high enough to warrant an alert.
Read MoreToday, the FDA granted "breakthrough status" to an algorithm that could make screening for heart failure more accessible -- both in traditional clinics and telehealth settings. The algorithm uses a deep neural network developed by digital health company Eko and Mayo Clinic. With as little as 15 seconds of electrocardiogram (ECG) data, it can identify Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF), a measure that's commonly used to diagnose patients with heart failure.
Read MoreIt might soon be decidedly easier for Americans to manage diabetes -- the FDA has approved the sale of an interoperable, automated insulin pump for the first time. Tandem Diabetes Care's updated t:slim X2 can pair with a Dexcom G6 glucose monitor to dynamically adjust your insulin levels and keep you in a safe glucose range for longer. It can accommodate exercise and sleep, and the Dexcom tie-in spares you from having to stick your finger when you're either dosing yourself at meal time or calibrating.
Read MoreAs debate continues around how e-cigarettes should be legislated, vaping companies promote their products as less health-damaging than smoking regular cigarettes. However, a new three-year study from UC San Francisco shows that vaping is associated with an increased risk of developing lung diseases like asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, and is also a risk factor for pulmonary disease.
Read MoreThe effect of climate change on oceans is likely more extensive than you think. A study from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) indicated that climate change and the ensuing hotter water reduced the amount of oxygen dissolved into oceans by 2 percent between 1960 and 2010. While that may seem like only a modest amount, oxygen levels in some tropical regions dropped by up to 40 percent. Moreover, scientists warned that even a slight dip could be particularly troublesome for big, energy-dependent fish like marlin, sharks and tuna. Lower oxygen levels drive them to shallower water, putting them at greater risk of overfishing.
Read MoreWhy the paper on the CRISPR babies stayed secret for so long Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review A year has passed since Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui presented work on editing the DNA of two girls while they were still embryos. Ethical issues with his actions abound, and even after all this time, there's still missing details on exactly what did/didn't happen. MIT Technology Review has several pieces on the story this week. Those include unpublished portions of the research manuscript and an explanation of why it hasn't been published by either of the two influential scientific journals He sent it to.
Read MoreYou may not think of your bones as buildings, but researchers do. A team from Cornell University, Purdue University and Case Western Reserve University believes that by studying the internal structure of bones, they may be able to 3D-print stronger construction materials for homes and buildings.
Read MoreIn order for self-driving cars to park themselves, they'll need to be able to see around corners. A team from MIT's CSAIL may have a new way to do that. Using video footage of shadows, they've developed an algorithm that can recreate video of what's happening off the screen.
Read MoreThe 56th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination was last month. Early next year, you'll be able to see, in almost nauseating detail, the bullets that took his life. The National Archives will upload high-definition 3D images of the projectiles to its online catalog.
Read MoreSerious lung disease has a high rate of mortality, and the only curative treatment is a lung transplant. This is a complicated procedure that has other adverse health effects and oftentimes simply doesn't work, so for scientists in this field, organ regeneration -- that is, growing an organ from the body's own tissue -- is the ultimate solution. Now, researchers from Yale say they're on track for this very eventuality.
Read MoreFord and McD's have teamed up for a project, but you don't have to worry about seeing any vehicles emblazoned with the fast food chain's famous logo. The two corporations are working together in the name of sustainability: specifically, the automaker will soon start using coffee chaff from McDonald's to manufacture auto parts like headlamp housings and other interior and exterior components. In addition to making Ford vehicles a little bit "greener," the coffee chaff -- or the waste produced by coffee during the roasting process -- will apparently also help the company make parts that are 20 percent lighter.
Read MoreScientists can track the movements of an atom's nucleus relatively easily, but electrons have proven elusive -- they move so fast that they tend to be reduced to blurs. Now, however, those movements could be crystal clear. Researchers at the SLAC National Accelerator Lab have developed a technique, X-ray laser-enhanced attosecond pulse generation (XLEAP), that can observe even the fastest motions of electrons. The laser pulses at just 280 attoseconds, or billionths of a billionth of a second, and can create snapshots of electrons to track their progress. The trick was to modify the laser in a way that squeezed electrons into tighter groups, making for shorter X-ray bursts.
Read MoreA new blood test could use a single plasma sample to assess health and predict the likelihood of developing a range of diseases. Thanks to Theranos, this may sound familiar, but unlike that debacle, this proof-of-concept is backed by research published in Nature Medicine.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. It's New Year's Eve! I'm knee-deep in CES preparation, but there should be time to pause and celebrate flipping over two digits in the year column later on tonight. Hopefully, 2020 finds you well -- or at least better than this Tesla driver, who crashed while recording his car driving with Autopilot at 75MPH in the rain -- and if it doesn't, then this is a great time to start making better choices. The Morning After will take tomorrow off, but we'll be back strong on January 2nd to get things moving on the way to Las Vegas. -- Richard
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. We're almost done with 2019. The year included cheaper 4K TVs, tons of foldable phones and some very forgettable tweets. At least one of those areas could use some significant improvements, and who knows, maybe I'll get my hands on the first great flexible device at CES 2020 next week. -- Richard
Read MoreThe Pixel 3a was as much a step forward for Google phones as it was a scaled-back budget phone, and that might true for its sequel. Well-known tipster OnLeaks and 91Mobiles have posted renders purporting to show the upcoming Pixel 4a, and its centerpiece would be a 5.7- or 5.8-inch display with a hole-punch selfie camera -- yes, the low-cost handset might have a slicker-looking display and thinner bezels than the full-on Pixel 4. That would likely rule out face-based sign-ins (there's a fingerprint reader on the back) and hands-free radar gestures, although some might consider those omissions a positive given how finicky they can be.
Read MoreWe weren't far into this year when the trend pieces arrived. "2019 is going to be the year of the bendy phone," one read. Another declared that "2019 is shaping up to be the year of the foldable smartphone," or, at least it did before someone quietly edited it within a few hours. Hell, I'm probably guilty of this too. In our defense, that was because for a while there, it really did seem like this was the year foldable phones would become devices worth splurging on.
Read MoreOppo introduced the Reno 2 barely two months ago, but that isn't stopping it from releasing a third series before 2019 is over. The company has introduced the Reno 3 and Reno 3 Pro, both of which pack 5G but have dual-mode chipsets (more on that in a moment), four antennas and software that combine to supposedly deliver the battery life of an LTE phone. Algorithms both choose ideal antennas and manage network usage to keep the connection feeling only as fast as it needs to be -- you shouldn't kill your battery just because you want to check email in a 5G area.
Read MoreWhen Samsung releases the successor to the Galaxy S10 next year, it may call the phone the Galaxy S20. The rumor comes from frequent Samsung tipster Ice Universe, who tweeted this week that the company will skip S11 for its next flagship.
Read MoreSony is struggling to keep up with demand for its image sensors, according to a Bloomberg report. Although smartphone sales have largely plateaued in recent years, manufacturers appear intent on squeezing an ever-increasing number of cameras into our phones. This has led to a corresponding rise in sensor orders.
Read MoreSamsung teased a new foldable phone concept back in October, and leaked images from earlier this month suggest the next Galaxy Fold may well come with the unique clamshell form the company had hinted at. Now, if new rumors are true, it's pushing the envelope even further and will be making the display -- the foldable display -- out of glass.
Read MoreAll signs point to Samsung launching two cheaper flagship phones, the Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite, in the not too distant future. Both devices have been rumored for months and could, according to a report by The Korea Herald, be unveiled at CES next month. The publication doesn't cite any sources, though, so we would take that particular tidbit with a pinch of salt (CES isn't known as a smartphone show these days, though OnePlus is bringing a fancy concept device this year). The timing would make sense, though, given Samsung will almost certainly want to announce its next Galaxy flagship (the S11, we assume) at Mobile World Congress in February.
Read MoreEarlier this month, Google announced that instead of regular Android updates, Pixel 4 devices would get a "Pixel Feature Drop" to show off splashy new features. That update has now arrived, and on top of expected changes like robocall screening and Duo call centering, there are a few welcome surprises, as spotted by XDA Developers and Android Police.
Read MoreSan Francisco is learning first-hand about the risks of blanket bans on facial recognition. City supervisors have voted to amend a ban on facial recognition in local government to allow the use of FaceID-equipped iPhones and other devices where the technology is included, but other features are considered vital and don't have alternatives. Workers aren't allowed to use the facial recognition tech (they'll have to enter passcodes on iPhones, for example), but they don't have to give up a modern handset just to take calls and answer emails.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to your weekend! I'm probably the only one with any holiday shopping left to do, so there's no way this gift guide is still useful for anyone else, right? Either way, it's right there if you need it. Sure the plan was to have everything in-hand before today, but things don't always go according to plan -- just ask Motorola, Boeing and SpaceX. The newsletter will be an abbreviated schedule next week, but until then, you can check out some of last week's highlights plus a few new stories from Friday. --Richard
Read MoreWe hope you weren't too excited about pre-ordering the revamped, foldable Motorola Razr on December 26th. The company announced today that it's slightly delaying the phone's pre-order and launch timing due to significant consumer demand. We don't know when, exactly, you'll be able to secure your Razr, but Motorola says it doesn't "anticipate a significant shift from our original availability timeline." It's a bit strange that Moto didn't foresee high demand for the Razr-- perhaps the company thought phone's high $1,500 price would only attract a small portion of consumers . After all, it's running a fairly old mobile Snapdragon 710 CPU, and its cameras and battery capacity pale in comparison to other premium smartphones. But I suppose many people are willing to overlook those flaws to get a sleek, foldable phone that fits into the slimmest of jeans. Here's Motorola's full statement about the delay: We would like to share an update on Motorola razr's pre-sale and in-store availability. Below is our official statement regarding the update: Since its announcement in November, the new motorola razr has received unparalleled excitement and interest from consumers. Demand has been high, and as a result, has quickly outgrown supply predictions. Motorola has decided to adjust razr's presale and launch timing to better meet consumer demand. We are working to determine the appropriate quantity and schedule to ensure that more consumers have access to razr at launch. We do not anticipate a significant shift from our original availability timeline.
Read MoreShortly before Motorola revived the RAZR, Samsung made it loud and clear that it was also working on a clamshell foldable phone, so it's no surprise that a prototype would eventually show up in China. Earlier today, Weibo user Wang Ben Hong shared five photos of what he claims to be Samsung's latest foldable prototype -- one that appears to be half the size of the Galaxy Fold. There's no word on internal specs, but we can see the punch-hole camera right below the earpiece, and the lack of chin allows the unfolded screen to extend all the way to the bottom. Both characteristics match the clamshell concept art at this year's Samsung Developer Conference.
Read MoreAfter years of delays and very limited rollouts, next-generation texting is finally available to all Android users in the US. Android Messages product manager Sanaz Ahari has confirmed that the American RCS rollout completed on December 9th, or a few weeks ahead of Google's end-of-2019 target. If you still don't have the rich chat technology, you'll want to be sure that both Android Messages and Carrier Services are up to date.
Read MoreDespite its absence in the US, Oppo is still known for its occasional fun attempts in the smartphone photography space, namely its 10x hybrid zoom and its experimental under-screen camera. As Engadget learned from a discussion with Oppo earlier today, its next flagship phone, the Find X2, will focus on something more fundamental: a faster and more accurate autofocus (AF), courtesy of a custom-made Sony sensor.
Read MoreThat inadvertent confirmation of iOS 13.3's imminent release was on the mark. Apple has released the new software (plus iPadOS 13.3), whose centerpiece is an improvement to Screen Time parental controls. You can set limits on who your kids can call, text or FaceTime, including managing contacts and setting time-specific limits. If you don't want your kids starting video chats with friends after 9PM, for instance, you can. This won't help if your kids use third-party apps, but it's a start.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. This morning, we're heading into Sony's last PlayStation event for the year, but first you should check out the new Ghostbusters trailer, and find out why it's such a big deal that Apple is coming back to CES. Other major news on Monday included confirmation of a new Bioshock game, Elon's Cybertruck tour of Los Angeles and Gmail's new email-attachment trick.
Read MoreTo keep its phones from steadily getting worse over time, Google plans to roll out bigger updates, called feature drops, to its Pixel devices. The first feature drop, rolling out this month, will bring the latest Call Screen features and improved Duo video calls to the Pixel 4. And even if you have a slightly older Pixel, the feature drop will let you add Portrait Blur to photos you've already taken.
Read MoreOnePlus might be returning to truly low-cost phones years after the OnePlus X faded away. OnLeaks and 91Mobiles have posted renders and early tidbits of what they say is the OnePlus 8 Lite, a budget model that would sit below the rumored OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. Not surprisingly, this phone would scale back to 'just' two cameras on the back versus three on other variants (though there appears to be a depth sensor), and it wouldn't have flashy features like a curved display. Given the name, we'd also expect a lower-cost processor and other sacrifices.
Read MoreThe leaks regarding Samsung's upcoming flagship phone, the Galaxy S11, are coming thick and fast. Last month we saw a reported render of the device, and earlier this week we heard it may be capable of capturing 8K video. Now, more rumors suggest that it'll feature considerable battery capacity and that the camera will be significantly upgraded in order to compete with the iPhone.
Read MoreIt's time once again for Qualcomm to unleash a slew of new chips from its annual Tech Summit in Hawaii, and after we got a quick preview yesterday of what to expect, we're now getting the details of the latest Snapdragon products. In addition to unveiling its first integrated 5G chipset today, the company also showed off the next generation of its premium flagship series, the Snapdragon 865. It features a revamped image signal processor (ISP), an updated AI engine as well as compatibility with the company's X55 5G modem.
Read MoreYesterday, Qualcomm gave us a preview of the array of chips it's announcing at its Tech Summit event this week, including the new flagship Snapdragon 865 which is sure to feature in many of 2020's most prominent phones. But it also teased a pair of 700-series chipsets that are the first to offer integrated 5G modems. The Snapdragon 765 and 765G are built on a 7nm process, like the 865 and the 855 before it, and support a range of 5G technologies like mmwave, sub-6 GHz, TDD, FDD and DSS. That's a whole mouthful of alphabet soup, but what it means is the 765 chips will be able to support 5G networks worldwide.
Read MoreLenovo-owned Motorola has unveiled the One Hyper, an ambitious mid-range phone with a near bezel-free display and some pretty nice camera features. It packs a 32-megapixel, pop-up front camera that delivers as much resolution as you'd ever need for selfie shots and retracts automatically if you drop the phone. It also features a rear 64-megapixel camera that delivers either high resolution or low-light sensitivity when you enable the Night Vision mode and Quad Pixel tech.
Read MoreGoogle has rolled out Live Caption to the Pixel 3 and the 3a like it promised back in October. The tech giant debuted the feature, which enables captions for all audio in real-time on your device, at I/O in May. It first landed on the Pixel 4, but now it's also out for the phone's older and more affordable siblings.
Read MoreQualcomm took a different approach from the rest of the smartphone industry last year when it announced its 3D Sonic in-display fingerprint sensor. Instead of relying on an optical image of your finger for authentication, the 3D Sonic system uses ultrasound to get an impression of the surface texture of your prints. That method has a couple of benefits, namely the ability to use the scanner with wet fingers as well as better security over optical sensors. Today, the company is announcing the 3D Sonic Max fingerprint sensor that it says is the world's largest and is 17 times larger than its predecessor. It's so big, in fact, that it can authenticate two fingers at once.
Read MoreDid you get your Black Friday shopping done while you were waiting in line for coffee? You definitely weren't the only one. Adobe shopping data indicates that 39 percent of online Black Friday purchases were made with smartphones. That's a big jump from last year, when just over 33 percent turned to the devices in their pockets. People were willing to splurge, too. Shoppers spent about $2.9 billion using their phones versus 'just' $2.1 billion a year earlier.
Read MoreThe Navy isn't the only American military branch clamping down on TikTok. The Army has banned the use of TikTok on government-issued phones, with Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa telling Military.com that it's "considered a cyber threat." The Army started warning soldiers in mid-December, roughly at the same time the Defense Department was telling employees to delete TikTok to "circumvent any exposure of personal information."
Read MoreSnapchat's Bitmoji will soon have a role to play beyond the usual stickers, games and Stories. Snap has previewed a Bitmoji TV series for Discover that will feature the avatars of you and your friends in the leading roles. There will be a steady stream of hijinks, including secret agent missions, becoming zombies and crewing a Star Trek-style spaceship. The series doesn't premiere until February 2020, but you can subscribe to it in advance if you want to give it a try when it does arrive.
Read MorePoliticians and others complain that YouTube fosters extremism, but how caustic is it, really? Not all that much, according to researchers. Data scientist Mark Ledwich and UC Berkley researcher Anna Zaitsev have published a study suggesting that YouTube "actively discourages" radicalism through its recommendation system. Their reviewers classified over 760 politics-oriented channels based on overall leaning, topics and proximity to the mainstream, and found that YouTube removed "almost all" suggestions for conspiracy theorists, white identitarians and "provocateurs" (read: purposefully offensive creators). For the most part, there's only a significant likelihood of being matched with questionable content if you're already watching that material.
Read MoreChinese company ByteDance's TikTok app is popular with young people across the globe for posting fun videos. However, recently security concerns about the app have been raised in the US, with senators requesting an assessment of its potential as a national security risk and the US Navy banning the app from government-issued phones. Now, the company's leadership is considering how to address these concerns, according to Bloomberg.
Read MoreTwitter will no longer animate PNG files after trolls hijacked the Epilepsy Foundation's handle and hashtags last month to send potentially seizure-inducing images to epileptic and photo-sensitive individuals. The company says it recently discovered a bug that had allowed people to add multiple animated images to a tweet and bypass Twitter's autoplay protections using the file format. That said, Twitter also says it isn't aware that anyone used APNG to try and trigger seizures; it just wants to avoid the possibility that people do so in the future.
Read MoreChina is once more tightening its grip on internet content, and this time algorithms are in the spotlight. The Cyberspace Administration of China has published upcoming rules that dictate how internet companies manage content, including a push for recommendation algorithms that promote "positive" ideas (read: government policies) while excluding "bad" material. The measure explicitly forbids content that "endangers national security, leaks state secrets, subverts state power [and] undermines national unity." In other words, internet companies can't challenge the political status quo.
Read MoreDon't expect to post often on TikTok if you're serving in the US Navy. The military branch has banned use of the social video app on any government-issued mobile devices. ByteDance's software is allegedly a "cybersecurity threat," according to a bulletin. The Navy's Lieutenant Colonel Uriah Orland didn't offer specific reasons for the ban, but the notice asked troops to take action to "safeguard their personal information."
Read MoreTwitter isn't exactly fond of Saudi Arabia's alleged attempts to manipulate its platform, and that became particularly clear today. The social media company has shared details of 5,929 now-banned accounts that it says were part of a state-backed effort to promote the Saudi government's message. The accounts used "inauthentic" and "coordinated" activity to spread the word, including replying, retweeting and liking pro-Saudi messages. Many of the accounts used automation to "mask the overall platform manipulation," Twitter said, peppering the accounts with non-political material to hide their real intent.
Read MoreFacebook has attempted to overcome a year of PR disasters with some high-profile adverts for its services featuring celebrities, such as Portal commercials starring Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Facebook taking this one step further by airing a Super Bowl ad.
Read MoreFacebook and Instagram already ban ads for guns and e-cigarettes, but now they're shutting down a loophole that let merchants pitch the products regardless. The social networks have announced that they're banning "branded content" (read: influencer posting) that promotes weapons, tobacco and vaping. You'll also see "special restrictions" on posts that market products like alcohol and diet supplements.
Read MoreToday, Instagram is rolling out new Layout feature that will let you include multiple photos in a single story. When you open the Stories camera and select the Layout option, you'll be able to choose between two and six photos to combine in a grid-based collage.
Read MoreInstagram is once more stepping up its efforts to fight misinformation, and that now includes automatically flagging some bogus posts. It's expanding its fact-checking program worldwide, and as part of that move will label any known false Facebook material if it's shared to Instagram. You'll see a similar process if false Instagram material is sent to Facebook, too. If you do run into one of these sketchy posts, you'll see a "false information" overlay that can explain why the content is dodgy.
Read MoreInstagram's anti-bullying efforts now extend to discouraging abusive behavior in posts, not just comments. It's introducing a feature that warns people when their post captions might be offensive, using AI to detect language similar to posts that have previously been reported. In theory, this makes bullies second-guess their vitriol, stick to kinder language and learn about the social network's rules. You can ignore the warning if Instagram made a mistake.
Read MoreAmanda Palmer wouldn't exist in her current form without Patreon. That's not to say Amanda Palmer the person would dematerialize if Patreon didn't exist, but Amanda Palmer the artist would be a completely different beast. As it stands, Palmer is an independent musician churning out music videos, new songs, complete albums, blazingly honest social media diaries and bits of international activism on the daily. She's constantly online, sharing her life as a touring artist, mother, wife and modern human with more than 1 million people on Twitter alone. She responds to a shocking number of tweets. All of this is funded through Patreon. Every month, more than 15,000 individuals send some of their money to Palmer, in amounts ranging from $1 to $1,000. She takes that cash and turns it into art, bypassing restrictive corporate contracts and pop-obsessed music labels. Palmer fled the traditional system in 2010, after years of fighting for creative control over her solo albums and those of her debut band, The Dresden Dolls. So, sure, it's fair to say Amanda Palmer wouldn't exist in her current form without Patreon. It's also true that Patreon wouldn't exist without Amanda Palmer.
Read MoreLooks like the famous stock photo egg that broke Kylie Jenner's Instagram record dominated Twitter, as well. In its Year on Twitter report for 2019, the platform has revealed that "World Record Egg" has one of the most retweeted tweets for the year. It's joined by a tweet from the official BTS Twitter account, showing a member of the K-pop band lip-syncing to bad guy by Billie Eilish. As you'd expect from the internet, the other tweets in the list feature cute animals, including a duckling chasing a group of men, a cat that won't let a baby gate block its way and a bird that'll attack anybody its little human screams at.
Read MoreAhead of the US elections next year, Twitter says it's bringing back election labels, a feature the company introduced during the 2018 midterms to help increase the visibility of political tweets.
Read MoreIn case you hadn't heard, there's a little indie movie coming out next week called Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As if tie-ins from the likes of Le Creuset weren't enough for the future arthouse classic, Facebook is getting in on the act with its first branded chat theme for Messenger.
Read MoreTwitter is offering iOS users another way to get more out of Live Photos by letting you turn them into GIFs "anywhere you upload photos on Twitter." It's not clear whether this'll work for Pixel motion photos as well. Engadget has asked Twitter for clarification.
Read MoreYouTube is enacting a stricter anti-harassment policy to curb hate speech and threats that might have otherwise skirted past its moderators. The online video giant no longer allows material that "maliciously insults" people based on traits like gender identity, race or sexual orientation. It'll also bar "veiled or implied" threats, not just direct ones. You could face penalties if you simulate violence toward someone or suggest that violence might take place, YouTube said. Also, channels that routinely "brush up" against the policy will be kicked out of the YouTube Partner Program. A creator that's purposefully testing the limits of YouTube's resolve could find itself unable to make money, and might find itself banned outright if its behavior continues beyond that point.
Read MoreTwitter is funding a team to develop an open and decentralized standard for social media. CEO Jack Dorsey announced the effort, called Bluesky, today. In a series of tweets, Dorsey said Twitter will fund a "small independent team" of up to five open source architects, engineers and designers, and that the platform will provide just one direction: find an existing decentralized standard to advance or create one from scratch.
Read MoreTwitter is making some changes to the way it processes image uploads, and photographers on the platform are delighted. According to Twitter engineer Nolan O'Brien, JPEG encoding will now be preserved in images uploaded to Twitter via the web. Previously, images were transcoded, which meant lower quality pictures, much to the rightful annoyance of talented creators.
Read MoreSnapchat's secret weapon is its uncanny face-swapping and -tracking algorithms, and it has just deployed those to great effect in a new chat feature called Cameos. The feature, which leaked out yesterday, inserts your selfie into short, looping videos featuring cats, shopping carts, cars and more. The idea is to send your pals an expressive GIF, starring... you.
Read MoreGIFs are great for conveying your reactions, but they're not usually very personal -- and recording yourself probably won't be that exciting. Snap might have found a way to bridge those two worlds. The company has confirmed to TechCrunch that it's testing a Cameo feature which inserts your face into a selection of (currently pre-made) GIFs. You just take a selfie, pick a generic body type and your face will animate as if it were you, including mouth movements. Think of it like a deepfake, but this time friendly instead of creepy.
Read MoreLabour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn presented leaked documents to back claims that the British government put its NHS on the table as part of trade talks with the US. Earlier this week, network analysis firm Graphika Labs linked the leak of the documents and the posts on Reddit from a month before to techniques used by a Russian influence campaign on Facebook dubbed "Secondary Infektion" that had been uncovered in June. As DFR Labs described it "The operation's goal appears to have been to divide, discredit, and distract Western countries." According to The Guardian it's unclear how the documents ended up with the Labour Party, although they'd clearly been floating around and may have been the source of a report published in The Telegraph back in July, long before Corbyn showed them or they were posted on Reddit. Now, Reddit has announced that it went back to the original post and "along with indicators from law enforcement" linked it to a "pattern of coordinated behavior." As a result, it has banned the r/ukwhistleblower subreddit and 61 accounts from the platform, with their names published in a post so people can see which accounts are known to be involved.
Read MoreInstagram is getting more serious about curbing underage use. As of December 4th, the social network will start asking for your date of birth when you sign up.
Read MoreToday, Twitter launched a Privacy Center, where it will share announcements, new privacy products and communication about inevitable security incidents. "By using Twitter, you've shown us that you trust us with your data," the Twitter Privacy Center states. "We do not take that trust lightly."
Read MoreSpaceX knows firsthand that spaceflight tests don't always go as planned. Earlier this year, an explosion during one such tests destroyed its Crew Dragon capsule. But those working on the project remain optimistic. NASA has said the capsule could be ready for its first crewed "Demo-2" test flight to the ISS in the first quarter of 2020, and today, Elon Musk tweeted a video simulation of what that flight might look like.
Read MoreChina's competitor to GPS is nearly finished after years of work. Project lead Ren Chengqi has revealed that the Beidou Navigation Satellite System's core was completed earlier in December, and that the last two satellites should reach orbit "before 2020." This will technically be the third phase of Baidou, which first rolled out in 2000, but it represents the culmination of the satellite system. in its present form. You won't see a major upgrade until 2035, Ran said.
Read MoreNASA's Christine Koch just made history. As expected, the astronaut just broke the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman as of December 28th, eclipsing Peggy Whitson's 288 days from 2016-2017 thanks to an extended stay at the International Space Station. She should hold a comfortable lead, too. Koch is poised to spend a total of 328 days in orbit before she returns to Earth in February 2020.
Read MoreThis week in Engadget's Hitting the Books series: How America's Space Race sought to renew our 'New South.'
Read MoreThe inaugural Starliner test flight didn't go according to plan, but it still made a little bit of history. Boeing's spacecraft landed safely at New Mexico's White Sands Missile Range at 7:58AM Eastern, making it the first US-made, crew-ready capsule to touch down on solid ground. Previous capsules from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs all landed in the sea. This capsule didn't have any humans aboard (the test dummy Rosie doesn't count), but this is still a watershed moment.
Read MoreBoeing's Starliner fell short of the main goal for its inaugural test flight, but the company and NASA are hoping to end the mission on a better note. They've committed to a landing attempt for the (currently uncrewed) capsule on December 22nd, with coverage starting on NASA TV (below) at 6:45AM Eastern. The deorbit burn is due to start at 7:23AM, while touchdown will take place at 7:57AM if all goes according to plan.
Read MoreEarly this morning, Boeing launched the Starliner capsule for its first uncrewed test flight. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned and while the Starliner made it into orbit, it did not achieve the correct orbit.
Read MoreLast year around this time we talked about all of the delays going into the new space race between SpaceX and Boeing, who are competing to build a new spaceflight system that NASA can use to take astronauts to the ISS. Since then, SpaceX successfully sent its Crew Dragon on an uncrewed test flight in March, and this morning Boeing will attempt to do the same with its CST-100 Starliner vehicle. The two companies were chosen as candidates to build NASA's "space taxi" in the Commercial Crew Program back in 2012, with the chance to secure billions in funding. Despite a number of delays, today appears to be the day we'll see the CST-100 in action on a mission to perform a number of test maneuvers and show its ability to dock with the ISS. Like SpaceX's flight, this mission is uncrewed, however the anthropometric test device "Rosie" will be along for the ride to collect data.
Read MoreThe Mars 2020 rover has completed its first drive almost half a year after getting its wheels. Rich Rieber, the project's lead mobility systems engineer, says the rover has "earned its driver's license." According to NASA JPL's announcement, it successfully steered, turned and drove in 3-foot increments over small ramps covered with special static-control mats. The rover's first drive happened during a 10-hour marathon, which demonstrated that all its systems were working well.
Read MoreNASA's experimental X-59 jet, which could make supersonic commercial travel a reality, has been cleared for final assembly. The X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft, designed by Lockheed Martin, could take its first flight as soon as 2021.
Read MoreLater today, in what will likely be its last mission of 2019, SpaceX will attempt to recover the entire nose cone section of one of its Falcon 9 rockets. If successful and the rocket itself is able to land on SpaceX's recovery ship, it'll mark the first time the company has caught both pieces following a single launch.
Read MoreTo explore the solar system beyond our planet, one important factor is the ability to locate water which can be used for drinking and for creating rocket fuel. To assist in the hunt for water on neighboring Mars, NASA has released a "treasure map" of potential ice locations on the red planet.
Read MoreNASA's Space Launch System, or SLS, aims to carry astronauts to the moon in 2024 as part of the Artemis project. This weekend at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gave the public its first up-close look at the system, which he described as "the most powerful rocket ever built."
Read MoreNASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a startling discovery shortly after arriving at its target, a 1614-foot-wide rock called Bennu: the asteroid was ejecting particles from its surface. While that's common behavior on icy comets, it's much rarer on asteroids. The phenomenon has stumped scientists, but NASA has now offered a few explanations based on observations by OSIRIS-REx and hopes that a sample collected next year will offer a more definitive answer.
Read MoreAs promised, NASA has presented the first results from the Parker Solar Probe -- and they're already providing a treasure trove of insights regarding the Sun. Most notably, the solar wind doesn't behave entirely like scientists expected. There are flips in the Sun's magnetic field direction (nicknamed "switchbacks") that manifest in the solar wind inside Mercury's orbit, but not further. Moreover, the sideways movement of the solar wind near the Sun was not only "much stronger" than expected, but straightened out sooner than predicted as well.
Read MoreNASA is ready to present its first findings from the Parker Solar Probe mission and will reveal what it has discovered to the public on December 4th. The probe flew closer to the sun -- three times -- than any other spacecraft before it over the past year, collecting data as it went along using four science instruments. Shortly after it launched, its team members discovered that the probe is capable of a higher downlink rate than they thought. They used that capability to their advantage and retrieved a lot more data from its first two flybys than they expected to get.
Read MoreIn September India lost contact with its Vikram lander just a mile above the Moon's surface, and now NASA has confirmed photos taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter show where it impacted. The actual discovery, however, has been credited to an amateur, Shanmuga Subramanian. As the New York Times reported, he is an Indian programmer and mechanical engineer who noted subtle differences in before/after mosaic photos back in October. The debris kicked up by the impact was small enough that it's barely recognizable in the orbiter's resolution. According to NASA, the debris Shanmuga found is about 750m from the main crash site. Last week the ISRO said Vikram crashed within 500m of its intended landing point, but didn't release any pictures. The crash was apparently due to a problem with its braking thrusters, although the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft that released it is still operational and orbiting the moon, collecting data.
Read MoreEuropean ministers in charge of the ESA space agency have approved Hera, a mission that will test whether deflection could save humanity from a rogue asteroid. During the $320 million mission, ESA and partner NASA will send a pair of spacecraft to a double-asteroid system called Didymos. NASA will first crash its DART probe into the smaller asteroid (Didymoon) at a speed of around 13,320 MPH, with the event recorded by an Italian cubesat called LICIACube. Hera will arrive later to map the impact crater and measure the asteroid's mass.
Read MoreJust because there's a picture of a black hole doesn't mean astronomers have figured out how they work. Chinese-led researchers have detected a stellar black hole in the Milky Way with a mass so large that it breaks current stellar evolution models. LB-1, a black hole 15,000 light-years away, has a mass 70 times greater than that of the Sun -- previous estimates suggested that no stellar black hole would have more than 20 times the Sun's mass. Scientists expected many dying stars to shed most of their gas, making something this large impossible without readjusting theories.
Read MoreStreaming has completely reshaped the face of the music industry over the last decade, with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music proving to be overwhelmingly popular with music fans. The Recording Industry Association of America has revealed some stats that underline the mammoth sea change. The organization says streaming accounts for 80 percent of the US music market, compared with seven percent in 2010. Streaming subscriptions rose from about 1.5 million to around 61 million between 2010 and the first half of 2019, according to the RIAA.
Read MoreToday, YouTube shared the trailer for "Justin Bieber: Seasons," its 10-part docuseries on the artist. The first episode will drop on January 27th, and YouTube says the show will chronicle the making of Bieber's first album in four years. It promises a "raw, powerful and intimate look" at Bieber's creative process, and it will undoubtedly promote Bieber's 2020 tour.
Read MoreSpotify, not Facebook, has become the latest tech company to rethink its approach to political ads. Starting early next year, the streaming giant will stop running political ads. Spotify told Ad Age it will "pause" political advertising across both its free ad-supported tier and during any original podcasts it makes. The move will apply only to the US, since it's the one market in which Spotify currently airs such advertisements. Third-party podcasts will still be able to embed political ads in their recordings as long as they adhere to Spotify's content policy.
Read MoreJacques Slade is a 43-year-old father of three who lives an hour north of LA. He has worked in real estate, taught at a charter school and written music; he also spent nine years at Washington Mutual bank before its collapse. But it was his YouTube channel, which he started in 2013, that's given him a career. He now has more than a million subscribers and recently showed Jeff Goldblum how to unbox a pair of Nikes, on the actor's new Disney+ show. On a Wednesday in October, Slade stood on a pedestrian bridge in suburban southern California's over-90 degree sun, held a brand-new Puma sneaker in his outstretched palm and tossed it in the air. In his other hand he held his camera, trying to snap the shutter to get the perfect floating shot. A couple times the shoe tumbled to the floor. Slade swore. He reviewed his shots. "Trash!" he said.
Read MoreIf you're keeping track of the internet TV landscape there may be change incoming, as the Wall Street Journal reports Comcast -- which is preparing to launch the NBCU-powered Peacock streaming service -- is in advanced talks to buy Xumo TV. While Xumo isn't as familiar of a name, its app is readily available on mobile devices and many smart TV platforms, with the draw of offering free, ad-supported video streaming. Mostly, it pulls together streams from other providers like ABC News, the Today Show or Wired in its front end so cord-cutters can have their usual TV experience, albeit without paying a dime, and the company also licenses its tech on apps or integrations for companies like LG, Vizio, Sharp and Hisense. While Peacock may have ad-supported or discounted elements and could be free for current pay-TV subscribers, it's not quite clear what it would have in common with Xumo. The WSJ suggests Xumo could provide technical and business support. Of course, the deal isn't done, but with Peacock set to launch in April, then Comcast may want to get things cleared up well before it launches a new streaming home for The Office and Parks and Recreation.
Read MoreYouTube's copyright claims system can be a headache for creators. Content ID -- the platform's automated cross-checking system -- is often overzealous in demonetizing or removing videos. Plus, filing disputes against erroneous claims isn't a clear-cut process and gives copyright holders the final say in most situations. YouTube has made things a bit easier for creators with an update to the YouTube Studio Dashboard, though. Users now have a clearer view of which videos contain copyrighted material and have the option to quickly remove the offending sections.
Read MoreAs a Boxing Day gift to the UK, the entire library of classic Doctor Who content is now available on BritBox. The streaming service now has 627 pieces of content -- a mix of episodes, spinoffs, documentaries and more. That includes 558 episodes with the first eight doctors, an unaired story entitled Shada, which is presented as a 130-minute special, and two solely animated stories -- The Power of the Daleks and The Macra Terror.
Read MoreYouTube paid the FTC a $170 million fine this year, which was pocket change for Google. However, the charge of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act will remain a very costly stain on its reputation. In fact, things got so bad for YouTube when it came to kids last year that the site reportedly considered individual screening for every YouTube Kids video, according to Bloomberg.
Read MoreAfter years of declining cable subscriptions, the bundle is back. Smaller bundles at slightly lower prices, sure, but still bundles. While Netflix had some competition from Amazon and Hulu when it came to one-price-fits-all streaming in the past, the last quarter of this year has been a whirlwind of launches with just Disney+ and Apple TV+ alone.
Read MoreYouTube TV's Live Guide for the web is now much more useful for your holiday entertainment planning: It now shows seven days of programming schedules instead of only telling you what's currently airing like it used to. The over-the-top internet television service's Twitter account says YouTube TV implemented the change after listening to user feedback, and that the guide now also features a "fresh new look."
Read MoreSling TV is a worthy choice for viewers who want live TV -- the service offers plenty of channels, doesn't lock customers into long-term contracts and is one of the cheapest options out there. But now it might be a little bit harder for Sling to convince new subscribers to join, as the company increased the monthly price of its two base packages -- Sling Orange and Sling Blue -- from $25 to $30 a month. Customers can still save by bundling the two together for $45, up from $40.
Read MoreBy February, 2019 was already a huge year for Spotify. As part of its earnings announcement, the company revealed that it had finally made a profit -- a benchmark that seemed somewhat unattainable given the service's expensive operating costs. In that same news drop, Spotify also proclaimed it was ready to become a power player in the world of podcasts. It spent big, locked down exclusive shows and introduced several new features for users. And the effort won't end as 2019 comes to a close.
Read MoreIn the latest installment of our audio IRL, contributing writer Kris Holt introduces us to a brass band that's covering some big hits with their own spin. Database editor Ian Levenstein explains why you need to add a culinary-themed show to your regular podcast rotation.
Read MoreNBC might rely on more than a mix of free and paid tiers to reel you into watching its Peacock service. CNBC sources say the plan is to launch the app or website by immediately playing video, including live material -- you might see NBC News Now before you've even thought about choosing a show. Just what you'll watch may depend on how much you're willing to pay, mind you.
Read MoreWith so many streaming services available, finding which platform has the content you want to watch can be a pain. Google has addressed this issue by allowing users to search dozens of streaming services through its Play Movies & TV app, but it was previously missing two of the most popular: Netflix and Disney+. Now, Play Movies is finally integrating both platforms' content into its search options.
Read MoreUbisoft's mysterious Apple TV+ series Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet will soon see the light of day. Apple has revealed that the video game spoof will debut on February 7th, with all nine episodes of the season available at the same time. The story is the brainchild of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creators Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day, and tracks game developers as they "navigate the challenges" of running a major video game.
Read MoreIf you've ever had a question about artificial intelligence or how it works, YouTube's latest Originals series, The Age of A.I., tries to answer those questions. The new eight-part show, which is available to watch today after a lengthy wait, features Robert Downey Jr. as he attempts to demystify terms like machine learning and computer vision while showing off some of the latest advancements in the field.
Read MoreDish has unveiled a new version of its AirTV media box, and it's good news for those who want their over-the-air broadcasts in a subtler package. The AirTV 2 once again shares up to two streams of OTA material with the devices in your home, but it's now smaller, subtler and overall sleeker. You'll have a better chance of tucking the box away where it won't command attention. The device also boasts improved connectivity, although you're still looking at an 802.11ac WiFi connection.
Read MoreNBCUniversal's Peacock service might be free for some viewers, but the network also appears willing to charge money for the ad-averse. The Information tipsters claim that NBC is mulling a $10 ad-free tier as well as a $5 plan with limited ads. That would provide more flexibility and lower prices than Hulu, which has no free tier and starts at $6 per month for limited ads. Of course, Hulu isn't just limited to one broadcaster's content -- you're paying more to get more.
Read MoreIt took a few months to become a reality, but PBS channels are now available on YouTube TV. Over 100 member stations for PBS and PBS Kids are streaming live (the mix depends on where you live, of course), with on-demand content also on-hand if you can't tune into broadcasts. More stations should be available sometime in 2020.
Read MoreYouTube Music's new personalized playlists are now available to users worldwide. Today, YouTube introduced its Discover Mix, New Release Mix and Your Mix. The playlists will curate your favorite songs, new releases and unheard tracks by your favorite artists, plus others you might like.
Read MoreIt took more than a year, but Netflix finally has a release date for the second season of Narcos: Mexico. The dramatization of the war on drugs will continue right before Valentine's Day, on February 13th. We're not quite sure that tales of violent Mexican drug lords are romantic, but this will give you something fresh to watch if you're marking the special occasion at home.
Read MoreFor the first time, Netflix is reporting its international business operating results by region. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Netflix shared its streaming revenue and membership info for the US and Canada; Europe, Middle East and Africa; Asia-Pacific and Latin America. This change in how Netflix reports its earnings data highlights how important markets outside the US have become -- especially as Netflix faces new competition.
Read MoreHulu will premiere a Greta Thunberg documentary in 2020 for those who want to see how she became the face of the fight against climate change over the past year. According to Deadline, the documentary is being produced by B-Reel Films, which has an office in Stockholm, and directed by Nathan Grossman. Apparently, they've been following Greta's efforts since her early school strikes in Stockholm until she started speaking in front of government leaders and heading international protests. Deadline says Hulu also came onboard "a while back" and is involved in the behind-the-scenes process.
Read MoreClearly, nostalgia can be profitable. Disney used it to create hype around its Disney+ streaming service, and within a day of launch, Disney+ had more than 10 million subscribers. Now, Quibi is using nostalgia to its benefit. According to a tweet, Quibi is rebooting the once-popular Nickelodeon show Legends of the Hidden Temple.
Read MoreEarlier this month, music fans took to social media to share their results from Spotify's Wrapped campaign. The streaming service created infographics that depicted each user's favorite artists, songs and genres, as well as data points like the countries where their most-listened-to bands were from. To keep the hype rolling, Spotify has just released a 10-episode podcast called The Decade Wrapped. Each entry covers one year of pop music between 2010 and 2019 and features commentary from critics, comedians and music journalists.
Read MoreThanks to virtual reality, you don't always need to take a trip to the movie theater to enjoy a fully interactive cinematic experience. Movie-watching service Bigscreen is leading by example, today announcing that it has signed a multi-year deal to virtually distribute movies by Paramount Pictures.
Read MoreOne of YouTube's best-known stars is close to taking a hiatus. PewDiePie (aka Felix Kjellberg) has used a video critiquing YouTube's new harassment policy to announce that he's "taking a break" from the site in early 2020. While he said a more detailed explanation would come later, he hinted that it might be due to burnout. "I'm feeling very tired," he said. He'd alluded to this in August, suggesting that he'd like to think about something besides YouTube "for the first time in 10 years."
Read MoreVudu's latest feature could help prevent feelings of regret after watching a movie you didn't quite enjoy. The Walmart-owned media company has launched "Rental Redo," which allows you to switch a movie you rented for another one, so long as you stop watching it within the first 30 minutes.
Read MoreBillboard has included streaming music in its top 200 chart for years, but now it's ready to consider music videos as well. The industry publication has revealed that it will count official online music video plays from YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify and other services in the Billboard 200, starting with the charts for January 18th, 2020 (covering the first full week of January). The reasoning is quite straightforward -- this is meant to "accurately reflect the changing landscape" of music listening, Billboard's Deanna Brown said.
Read MoreAlmost a year to the day after Amazon announced its Echo devices were compatible with Apple Music, the speakers (and other Alexa-enabled devices) now work with Apple Podcasts in the US. The setup process seems pretty straightforward: just connect your Apple ID to the Alexa app.
Read MoreIf you were planning to dive into season four of The Expanse later tonight, then you may need to adjust your plans -- it's available on Amazon Prime Video right now. Following the early release of Jack Ryan in October, Amazon has posted up its first original season of the show it saved from cancellation. Unlike the Syfy broadcast, this one is a bingeable full season drop so you can jump through all ten episodes right away. This release is coming so early that a pre-release marathon of the three previous seasons is still ongoing over at Twitch. Apparently the early drop is becoming Amazon's move -- we'll see if Netflix ever recreates its surprise primetime Orange is the New Black season three release in response.
Read MoreLittle America, the anthology series based on true stories about immigrants in the US, arrives on Apple TV+ on January 17th. Apple will release all of season one's episodes at once, rather than weekly as it's done with other shows, and more than a month before Little America's debut, Apple has already committed to a second season.
Read MoreAs part of its ongoing push into the increasingly lucrative world of podcasting, Spotify is making it easier for free users to get hooked on the audio format. If you've never listened to a podcast through Spotify before, the next time you scroll through the app's home screen, you'll see a new icon titled "Get podcasts for you." Tapping on it will prompt you to pick a couple of topics that interest you, after which Spotify will generate a list of personalized recommendations.
Read MoreHulu knows many of its viewers watch show episodes back-to-back, and it's determined to bank on that with its advertising. As AdWeek hinted back in the spring, Hulu is rolling out an ad system designed for binge watchers. The approach uses machine learning to predict when you're likely to marathon a show, and then sends "contextually relevant messaging" that acknowledge your viewing spree. When you reach the third episode, however, Hulu pulls out all the stops. It'll either give you an ad-free episode (with an ad beforehand, mind you) or a special offer from one of its sponsors. You're looking at an example above.
Read MoreIf you're going to throw megabucks at a show about AI, you'd better make sure you've got the right host for it -- and most would agree that YouTube's decision to get Robert Downey Jr, aka Iron Man, on board for their multimillion dollar The Age of AI endeavor was a pretty good shout. Announced last year, the eight-part show lands on YouTube on December 18th. Episodes will be released weekly, but if you're a YouTube Premium subscriber, you'll be able to binge the first four straight away.
Read MoreWhen Mighty arrived in 2017, the device offered the convenience of offline playback for Spotify. In other words, you could take your favorite tunes anywhere -- and you didn't need your phone to do it. Basically, it's an iPod Shuffle for any albums, songs, playlists or podcasts you've made available offline. The company (which goes by the same name) returned in 2018 with the updated Mighty Vibe, a device with much improved Bluetooth range and more consistent battery life. Of course, there was still a key issue: it only worked with Spotify. Well, that changes today. Mighty now works with Amazon Music.
Read MoreTidal is following Amazon Music by adding Dolby Atmos Music-encoded tracks to its Tidal HiFi tier, the company announced. That means you'll be able to listen to Universal and Warner Music artists like The Weeknd, Blondie and Ariana Grande with Dolby's surround-like 3D sound. The caveat is that you'll need a compatible Android (not iOS) smartphone or tablet, including models like the OnePlus 7 Pro, Sony Xperia 1 and Samsung's Galaxy S10.
Read MoreLine Friends, a group of cute characters that started as stickers for the Line messaging app, are getting their own Netflix series. Line, as you may know, is huge in Japan and other parts of Asia. Brown, Cony, Sally, Moon, James and the other Line Friends characters even have their own merch -- an official store opened in New York's Times Square a couple of years ago -- and mobile games.
Read MoreYou no longer have to worry that you'll miss out on a big sports extravaganza just because you're a Sling TV subscriber. The cord-cutter service has switched on Cloud DVR for key ESPN channels, including the main channel, ESPN2, Desportes, Bases Loaded, Goal Line, ACC Network and SEC Network. There's a good chance you can catch that big college basketball match game if you know you'll miss the live match. This doesn't extend to digital-only channels like ESPN3, ACC Network Extra and SEC Network+, however, so you'll still need to tune for some programming.
Read MoreIt's the start of a new year and a new decade, but for Netflix this will be a bittersweet January -- it's as much about what's going away as what's coming. The company is ready to offer a helping hand, at least. It has released a schedule that not only tells you what to expect at the start of 2020, but what merits a marathon viewing session before it's gone for good.
Read MoreWhile we wait for Aaron Sorkin to pen a sequel to The Social Network, Netflix hopes to tide people over with a story about another tech startup gone global. On Wednesday, the company announced it's making a new original series based on Spotify and its co-founders Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon.
Read MorePaul McCartney is about to have much more of a presence on Netflix than the occasional documentary or Beatles homage. Netflix and Gaumont are producing an animated movie based on McCartney's children's adventure novel High in the Clouds, which was also written by Philip Ardagh and Geoff Dunbar. The book follows the tale of a teenage squirrel who lands in a group of rebels after he inadvertently makes enemies with a tyrannical owl.
Read MoreNetflix had a lot riding on The Irishman -- the Martin Scorsese crime saga starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. The film has been in the works for almost a decade, and Netflix, which reportedly invested as much as $200 million, has been involved for years. So, the company is understandably braggadocious that, in The Irishman's first seven days on the platform, it was watched by 26.4 million accounts globally -- 26,404,081 to be precise.
Read MoreUnless you closely follow some of the biggest content creators on YouTube, you're probably unfamiliar with the company's Creators for Change initiative. Since 2016, YouTube has worked with some of its most popular stars, such as AsapSCIENCE, to create videos that highlight important social issues. Now YouTube plans to create an original series inspired by the initiative, starting with an episode that will star Michelle Obama.
Read MoreWhen OnePlus made its TV debut, releasing its OnePlus TV Q1 series in India this September, it noticeably left Netflix out of the picture. Now, Android Police reports that OnePlus is bringing the Netflix app to its TVs via a system update. Newer models will ship with Netflix preinstalled, and a redesigned remote will come with a dedicated Netflix button.
Read MoreIf you and your nearest and dearest have been meaning to check out Game of Thrones but haven't gotten around to it yet (or don't have an HBO subscription), you can stream the first season for free on Roku over the holiday season. The monstrously popular series' first 10 episodes will be available at no cost during Roku's second annual Stream-a-thon, which runs December 26th to January 1st.
Read MoreThe Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced the nominees for the 2020 Golden Globes, and this could be a milestone year for streaming. Netflix is even more of a frontrunner among streaming services than it was last year, with 17 TV network nominations and a flood of nods for movies like Marriage Story (six), The Irishman (five) and The Two Popes (four). In some cases, it's even the dominant force -- in both the best picture and best supporting actor categories, three out of five nominees are Netflix projects.
Read MoreIt looks like Punk'd isn't the only mid-aughts TV series that's coming back thanks to Quibi. Comedy Central says it's making a seventh season of Reno 911!, 10 years after the series came to an abrupt end, for the mobile-first streaming platform.
Read MorePodcasts like S-Town, Serial and Believed aren't just enthralling, they're also great examples of hard-hitting, in-depth reporting. With that in mind, the Pulitzer Prize Board is adding a new journalism prize category for audio reporting.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. 2019 isn't quite over, but everyone is looking back, from YouTube to Spotify. Qualcomm's latest chip will power even more powerful mixed reality headsets, and Uber has released its first safety report. Oh, and a future iPhone could lose the Lightning port entirely.
Read MoreGapless music playback, the hot old-is-new feature when Spotify and Google Play Music added it on some platforms in 2012, is finally widely available to YouTube Music subscribers. Listening to playlists or albums with nary a pause between tracks is currently possible for premium members using Android or the web, and will be available on iOS "soon." Some users had noticed the feature being switched on back in October, but now it should be available to everyone. As we noted when YouTube Music launched last year, it arrived late to the party and very light on key features. There's still a long list of additions users are waiting for the service to work through, but hopefully this is just the first of many updates to expect as we head into a new year.
Read MoreAnother year is drawing to a close, and that means it's time for YouTube Rewind, which looks back over the last twelve months to highlight the platform's most popular videos.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. In some end-of-the-year housekeeping, BMW said it will stop charging drivers for CarPlay, Craigslist finally releases an iOS app and YouTube is revealing the top videos for 2019.
Read MoreAs we near the end of the year, it's fun to take a look back on what you and others have been listening to over the past 12 months, but also the decade. Spotify has released 2019 Wrapped, its latest showcase of the most popular songs, artists and genres.
Read MoreYouTube's annual Rewind look back is here, and while this year's video isn't live yet -- let's hope the service avoids another most-disliked debacle -- it has revealed some statistics. Mostly, YouTube's charts show that being embroiled in controversy hasn't pushed top creators down very far. PewDiePie, aka Felix Kjellberg is still the number one most viewed creator in a year where he surpassed the 100 million subscribers mark, and saw his "subscribe" meme referenced by a mass shooter. A New York Times headline in May said beauty vlogger James Charles had gone from "CoverBoy to Canceled," which didn't stop him from hitting number one on the Top Trending and Most Liked Beauty video lists.
Read MoreWe've known for a while that Plex, a company best known for helping people organize their own media collection, is getting into streaming. In September, it announced that it had teamed up with Warner Bros. to deliver ad-supported content by the end of 2019, with the promise of more partnerships to come. That has now come to pass, as from today, thousands of "free movies, TV shows, extreme sports films, music documentaries, Bollywood musicals" have been unlocked inside the Plex app.
Read MoreIn 2017, Tidal owner Jay-Z removed his music from several competing streaming services. While much of his catalog returned to some of them, like Apple Music, pretty quickly, it hasn't been on the largest one ever since. Until now. Spotify announced at midnight ET that on the rapper's 50th birthday, his catalog is once again part of its library. There's no word on what arrangement was necessary to make that happen, but fans should be happy to have easy access to his hit songs once again.
Read MoreIn this installment of our audio IRL, senior editor Andrew Tarantola's affinity for anime leads him to an unlikely musical discovery. Senior editor Jessica Conditt is addicted to true crime podcasts, but her recommendation is an audiobook with podcast roots.
Read MoreWhen Netflix shared that it was working on a new series entitled Clickbait, it was clear that the show would delve into the dangers of social networking and how people portray themselves online, but that was the extent of the information the company made available at the time. However, thanks to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, key details regarding the plot and its stars have now been revealed.
Read MoreEsteemed Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli's movies will finally be available for digital download. The studio's animated catalogue includes classics like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro and Howl's Moving Castle, all of which will soon be made available to purchase online by US distributor GKids.
Read MoreYouTube is making a significant change in how it will moderate content that shows video game violence. Starting today, the company says it will treat "scripted or simulated" violence in games the same way that it approaches violence in TV shows and movies.
Read MoreIf you're on the fence about whether to get a Disney+ subscription with access to all the Star Wars movies, Marvel's Cinematic Universe, The Mandalorian and a lot more, now might be the time. A one year Disney+ subscription is now available for $59.99 on Cyber Monday for one day only, or $5 per month. That's $10 off the normal $69.99 price.
Read MoreA version of Samsung's Galaxy Tab S6 with 5G is likely to arrive in the coming months, according to the company's Korean website. SamMobile has found a reference to the device on a page on Samsung's Korea website, with the model number SM-T866. It confirms long standing rumors that Samsung had a 5G version of the S6 cooking after a device carrying the name was granted approval by Korea's National Radio Agency.
Read MoreFuturist and artist Syd Mead has passed away at 86 due to complications from lymphoma. Even if you don't know his name, you've probably felt his impact on Hollywood, especially on the science fiction genre. Mead designed Blade Runner's world and technologies by serving as Ridley Scott's concept artist, and he conjured up the lightcycle for Tron, among other fictional vehicles and gadgets. His ideas of the future also helped shape other sci-fi films' universe, including Elysium and Tomorrowland.
Read MoreOur last collection of listings for 2019 looks into the new year, where we'll dive into another season of Doctor Who. Blu-ray and videogame releases largely take the week off, but there's still going to be a lot of new stuff on streaming. Meanwhile, former Sherlock and Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat is releasing a new Dracula series on Netflix this weekend. Netflix's controversial Messiah series arrives this week, as well as the premiere of its weekly reality show The Circle that's adapting a popular UK show for its worldwide audience. In a blend of social media and the Big Brother show format, contestants all live in the same apartment building, but never meet in person. Instead they interact via profiles that don't have to represent who they really are, all in order to become the most popular influencer and win the game. If you prefer comedy, Amazon Prime has a new special from Ilana Glazer, while Netflix has prepared its second collection of standup performances titled The Degenerates. 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 MoreSo much for the Uncharted movie gaining some semblance of stability. Deadline sources claim Bumblebee's Travis Knight has to give up the director's chair due to the timing needed to accommodate lead actor Tom Holland. Apparently, his filming schedule for the third Spider-Man has created its share of headaches. The currently chosen cast members should remain intact, including Mark Wahlberg, but the release is expected to move once again. Don't count on that previously reported December 2020 premiere.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. The holiday rush is finally wrapping up and a new year right is around the corner. The only thing I can't figure out now? How, after playing Fallen Order, watching Rise of Skywalker and streaming The Mandalorian season finale, I'm at all excited for more Star Wars stuff next year. No matter what you've seen, this weekend is a good time to prepare for the year ahead, which for us starts with CES 2020. Things are quiet as we consider what went right (or wrong) in 2019, but next weekend we'll be arriving in Las Vegas for a week of screens, flashing lights and AI everywhere. Until then, enjoy the silence. --Richard
Read MoreIt's no secret that a second season of The Mandalorian is in the works, but when does it show up? Roughly a year from now, apparently. Series overseer Jon Favreau has confirmed that the follow-up will premiere on Disney+ in fall 2020, or roughly a year after the Star Wars live action series began. He's still not saying what it'll entail (the Gamorrean isn't necessarily a clue), but this will be reassuring to anyone panicking at having to go without a fix of their favorite bounty hunter.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. And we're back! Hopefully everyone is enjoying the holidays while we continue our year-in-review series of articles looking back at 2019 and forward at what's in store next year. Right now, though, the only thing I'm looking forward to is The Mandalorian finale on Disney+. --Richard
Read MoreThe holiday is throwing a wrench in this week's TV schedule, but no matter what, the highlight this week would be that other Star Wars finale. The Mandalorian is wrapping up its eight-episode run on Friday morning, and that might be the gift I'm looking forward to the most this week. Beyond the flagship Disney+ series, Netflix is bringing a second season of two highly-anticipated shows, You and Lost in Space. Also new this week is Ang Lee's Gemini Man -- you won't get a 120fps copy, but at least you can own it at home in 4K and HDR. There isn't much new this week in the way of video games or Blu-ray releases, but sports fans can check out college bowl games and a full slate of NBA action on Christmas Day. 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 MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Ready for a winter break? After today, the newsletter will return on Friday morning while we recharge a bit. I'll be spending some time with the family, binge-watching The Witcher and a Korean remake of Suits on Netflix while getting prepared for CES. One thing I won't do is check out the updated theatrical version of Cats -- I get enough digital patches via Xbox One and PS4. When we return, we'll be ready to step carefully into 2020, which should include some welcome updates for The Morning After (it's the newsletter you're reading right now, remember?). See you then, and thank you to everyone who has enjoyed these messages this year. -- Richard
Read MoreYou've seen movies receive visual touch-ups in special edition re-releases, but Universal is trying something new: it's updating a movie while it's still in the middle of its initial theatrical run. The media giant has informed theaters that it's giving them a new version of Cats that delivers "some improved visual effects," according to a memo Hollywood Reporter saw. Insiders talking to the publication said that director Tom Hooper wanted to alter some of the effects after rushing to get the movie ready in time for its December 16th premiere screening.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. The final chapter of the third Star Wars trilogy is out, and Devindra has thoughts on it. Mat (me) also has feels about avoiding The Rise of Skywalker spoilers across Twitter, work Slack channels and inadvertent WhatsApp messages. Devindra's review is spoiler-free, but I'm steering clear for now. The jury remains out on what entails a decent amount of time between a movie premiere and when one is (digitally) allowed to discuss that iconic part or twist, whether all the Marvel female superheroes charged on Thanos or when Stark family member X died in season X of Game of Thrones. Don't even mention The Good Place surprise that got half-spoiled for me a few years back. I'll probably see The Rise of Skywalker this weekend if I can convince the uninterested SO to endure it. Two weeks after release is fair game for post-match analysis, I think. More enthused film fans, franchise stans and angry internet people seem to whittle it down the opening week. Barring an entire digital lock-down and hiding in your garage till you see the thing, how do you avoid spoilers? All tips will be gratefully received. - Mat
Read MoreThis week the billion-dollar villain movie Joker is becoming available digitally, while Netflix is preparing to release season one of its The Witcher adaptation. If neither of those are for you then there's still a lot to pay attention to when it comes to streaming. This week the entire Studio Ghibli catalog is going on sale over VOD for the first time, Disney has shifted The Mandalorian to a Wednesday morning debut so it doesn't bump into The Rise of Skywalker viewing, and a couple of Apple's first TV shows are marking their season finales: The Morning Show and For All Mankind. Also this week it's time to say goodbye to Mr. Robot, as its series finale airs on USA Sunday night. For sports fans, bowl season is starting to spin up, while gamers can enjoy Untitled Goose Game on PS4 and Xbox One. 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 MoreNeal Stephenson's influential Snow Crash is finally poised to reach screens, although you'll have to be picky about where you watch it. HBO Max has ordered work on a TV series adaptation of the sci-fi novel that will be written and co-run by the Scott Pilgrim movie's Michael Bacall, and directed by Attack the Block's Joe Cornish. The L Word's Angela Robinson will run the show alongside Bacall.
Read MoreWhen Silicon Valley premiered in 2014, it came out swinging as the Office Space of our time: a hilarious and sometimes all-too-real reflection of a tech industry high on its own supply. Over the past five years, the show, created by Mike Judge (Office Space, King of the Hill) and Alex Berg (Barry), lampooned everything from VC Peter Thiel's curious interest in young-blood transfusions to the smugness of Tesla owners. And it did so while weaving a dense (if often crude) tapestry of humor. Who could forget the legendary -- and mathematically sound -- dick-joke algorithm from the first season's finale?
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Tonight we'll be watching The Game Awards, but first we're plotting out a dual Matrix/John Wick marathon that will take place next May. Also, Twitter is building a new future for social networks, and Skydio's new self-flying drone is the best one yet.
Read MoreYou didn't have to wait long to find out when the fourth Matrix movie will be ready. Warner Bros. has set the sequel's release date for May 21st, 2021, or right smack in the middle of blockbuster movie season. It clearly has confidence that the revived sci-fi franchise will pan out. Not only that, but the title is scheduled to arrive the same day as John Wick 4 -- if you can't get enough Keanu Reeves, you'll be in paradise.
Read MoreAudio-based augmented reality has taken something of a backseat to the more visually-driven stuff, but that doesn't mean there's a shortage of cool things happening in the area. Today, Bose is launching a brand new audio AR experience through the official Star Wars app, to coincide with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Read MoreThis week Netflix is taking its foot off on the gas with just one major release, a new comedy special from Michelle Wolf. Meanwhile, Amazon is firing off a new season of its big sci-fi acquisition, The Expanse, and Hulu is delivering the third and final season of Marvel's Runaways. There's also a special episode of The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime, while most cable and network TV shows wrap things up for a midseason break, and HBO closes out the first season of Watchmen. On Blu-ray, there's Hustlers, the It sequel and a special release of Twin Peaks that includes some 4K content. Gamers can try out Blacksad: Under the Skin on consoles or Mechwarrior 5 on PC. 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 MoreAfter months of thinking, curating, photographing, more thinking, we've come up with a holiday gift guide that covers all the bases (and budgets), from laptops and mobile devices, to toys, to the smart home, to book and media recommendations (only on nerdy subjects, of course). All told, there are more than 150 items in our guide, spanning 13 categories, with advice from 25 of our writers and editors. You know, the people testing and reviewing this stuff all year long. This section of our gift guide focuses on movie and book ideas.
Read MoreNearly a year after audiences got a super short tease of the new Ghostbusters movie, we finally have a full trailer. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a continuation of the original series -- unlike Paul Feig's 2016 reboot -- and is being directed by Jason Reitman, the son of series director Ivan Reitman. Finn Wolfhard and his sister arrive in a rural town after inheriting a mansion from a mysterious family member. After paranormal activity shakes the area, the kids discover their grandfather's trove of ghost hunting equipment -- a jumpsuit labelled "Spengler" is among the PKE meters and proton packs.
Read MoreIf you suspected that Twin Peaks VR would be a head trip, you guessed correctly. Collider and Showtime have released a trailer for the series' official virtual reality experience ahead of its debut later in December, and it feels like a mirror of David Lynch's psyche with the same strangeness as the series. The return to the Red Room is really just one part of your journey -- you'll also return to the train car where Laura Palmer was killed, a log cabin (but whose?) and Sheriff Truman's office, complete with an unsettling Killer BOB orb. It's clear this is tailor-made for the sort of fan who could quote whole scenes verbatim.
Read MoreYou won't have to wait very long for the third season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Netflix has confirmed that the next installment of the Riverdale offshoot will premiere on January 24th, 2020, just several months after season two's April 2019 debut. The teaser video doesn't say much besides welcoming you and Sabrina to Hell, but it's evident that this won't be a kid-friendly romp.
Read MoreApple TV+ has bagged its first award nomination less than two months after launch, although Apple might not want to flaunt its critical acclaim just yet. The Critics' Choice Association has nominated The Morning Show's Billy Crudup (pictured at left) for a Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award, pitting him against the likes of Game of Thrones' Peter Dinklage and This Is Us' Asante Blackk. This is no mean feat given that it took rivals like Netflix years to get their first big award nominations, but it's also clear that Apple has a long way to go before it's raking in trophies.
Read MoreFox has posted the first trailer for the video game action-comedy Free Guy, and it appears ready to answer a lingering question: what if the trivial non-player characters in your favorite shooter realized they were in a game? The clip shows actor, producer and new wireless magnate Ryan Reynolds as a blissfully oblivious NPC who fulfills his background role in a Grand Theft Auto-style game until he questions his purpose and, naturally, becomes a hero that saves his virtual world.
Read MoreAmazon is ready to show a glimpse of The Boys' second season mere months after greenlighting more episodes... and this most definitely won't be family-friendly. The company has posted a teaser for the season that steers clear of revealing the plot, but makes patently clear that Billy, Hughie and their growing crew will take care of rogue superheroes in the bloodiest way possible -- don't watch if you're squeamish. It's also clear that the new episodes will pick up where the first season left off, including that ending (we don't dare spoil a thing) and Homelander's psychotic brand of patriotism.
Read MoreGuy Beahm IV, a popular Twitch streamer known for his alter ego DrDisRespect, is developing a narrative scripted series about the character he created. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he's working on the project under a deal with Skybound Entertainment, the multi-platform production company founded by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. The WWE-inspired persona has almost 4 million followers on Twitch and is known for playing video games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds in his streams with over-the-top production values.
Read MoreThis weekend, Silicon Valley ends its run on HBO after six seasons lampooning tech culture. This is also the week that you can get Game of Thrones on Blu-ray either as a Complete Series or just season eight, which is also available on Ultra HD Blu-ray. Either way, you should finally be able to see what's going on in the Battle of Winterfell. Other big releases include a new Tiffany Haddish comedy special on Netflix, and a new season of Amazon's award-winning series Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. For gamers, the Halo: Master Chief Collection is making its debut on PC, while players on Xbox One and PC can both revisit Halo: Reach. In sports we have a slew of college football conference championships. 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 MoreHey, good morning! Welcome back to Cyber Monday, which already sounds far too dated to be used in 2019. As stores wring the last tenuous bargains and discounts from old stock today, the long weekend is over. According to figures from Adobe, those Black Friday sales got us good.
Read MoreIf you can't bear to be away from Steam for a moment least you miss one of its famously great sales, then Smoke, a new app for the Apple Watch, has you covered.
Read MoreIf you're planning to counter all those holiday dinners with rigorous exercise, Polar might have your back. It's updating its Vantage V and Vantage M watches with some particularly useful coaching features, most notably the FitSpark personalized training tool. As on earlier hardware, it provides a daily training guide that suggests exercises based on your history, fitness level and sleep quantities. You'll have a better sense of whether you should be burning calories with cardio workouts or hitting the weights instead.
Read MoreFor a fully immersive VR experience, one piece of equipment which still hasn't become widely available is a haptic glove which can provide tactile feedback to let users 'feel' virtual environments. Now, the company working on a full-body VR suit has announced a VR-powered glove, the Teslasuit Glove, which can detect movements of the wearer's hand and provide tacticle feedback.
Read MoreMagic Leap's augmented reality headset reportedly hasn't sold well so far, but the company might have a way to turn its fortunes around: pitch the device as a business tool. It's launching an Enterprise Suite that includes a Magic Leap 1 headset (an update to the One Creator Edition) as well as two years each for dedicated support, device management tools, fast device replacements and extended warranties. You'll also have access to a host of AR-friendly work apps from third parties that cover areas like collaboration, "location-based experiences" (think museums and product tours) and 3D visualization for design and medicine.
Read MoreNorth only made its smart glasses widely available in September, but it's already thinking of the future. The Canadian wearable tech maker has revealed that it's releasing its next-gen eyewear, Focals 2.0, sometime in 2020. It's not saying much about what they'll entail besides showing a teaser image (which doesn't add more). However, it is promising that the new glasses will operate at a "completely different level" -- hyperbole aside, they're supposed to reflect a year of learning how to make and sell these devices.
Read MoreIf you hate the fact that you can't use wired earphones with a lot of mobile devices anymore, we've got bad news for you. We doubt phonemakers would change their minds about moving towards a future without headphone jacks -- not when global shipments for wearable devices nearly doubled, mostly thanks to wireless earbuds (like the AirPods) and headphones. According to IDC, 84.5 million wearable devices shipped in the third quarter of 2019. That's a 94.6 percent year-over-year increase and a new record for quarterly shipments.
Read MoreYou don't have to wait until 2020 to try Oculus Quest hand tracking, at least so long as you're willing to accept some limits. Oculus is trotting out the controller-free input method as an option in the "Experimental Features" menu this week. You can only use it in the main interface as well as first-party apps like the web browser and Oculus TV, but that still allows you to ditch the grips for common tasks. You can switch back to controllers through a quick toggle in the home screen.
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to your weekend! While this week has included plenty of 2019 recaps (Apple App Store, Google Play, YouTube, Spotify), there's still some time left on the clock. Well, not as much for Google Glass Explorer Edition, but we'll get to that. Also, a jury decided in Elon Musk's favor on that "pedo guy" defamation lawsuit. Check below for the details plus a few other key stories from the last week.
Read MoreAfter years of hype, it looks like reality is starting to catch up with Magic Leap. According to a report from The Information, the augmented reality startup and Silicon Valley darling only sold approximately 6,000 units of its $2,300 Magic Leap One Creator Edition mixed-reality headset through the first six months that it was available.
Read MoreThe Boss Katana 50 is one of Engadget's favorite guitar amps. Unlike tube-based amplifiers, digital units like the Katana series can be played at low volumes without losing much tone. But even low volume is too much volume in some cases. If you have a baby, sensitive neighbors or late-night urges to rip, the company's new Waza-Air -- which packs an amp into a set of headphones -- can help you keep noise to a minimum while theoretically still providing lively tones.
Read MoreQualcomm didn't only reveal its new and more powerful chip for extended reality headsets at the Snapdragon Tech Summit, it also announced its partnership with Niantic. The chipmaker and the Pokémon Go creator have teamed up to create reference hardware, software and cloud components for augmented reality glasses. It's a multi-year collaboration meant to accelerate the development of AR software and hardware, though it remains to be seen how long you'll have to wait to enjoy the results of their partnership.
Read MoreSnap is going all out to promote its latest Spectacles 3 AR glasses with a Gucci fashion collaboration and strange arty film by Spring Breakers director Harmony Korine. The limited edition "Spectacles x Gucci" design was also done by Korine. "Hand-painted in highly saturated tones, the color palette can be seen in Harmony's paintings and photography work," Snap wrote in a press release.
Read MoreWhat a week for gaming and entertainment news! While Sony was showing off a slew of new games that will be hitting its console over the next year, Microsoft finally revealed its next-gen gaming system. If you still pine for the chunky stylings of a mid-90's desktop PC, you're going to love the Series X. That's not all -- Netflix got to gloat over its latest hit, The Irishman, and Warner Bros let us know when to expect the latest installment of The Matrix (hint, it's the same day that we get John WIck 4).
Read MoreHey, good morning! You look fabulous. Last night, The Game Awards was a showcase for industry stars and served as an unveiling for Microsoft's next Xbox... box. Also, Alexa can get answers from Samuel L. Jackson, and AT&T's 5G wireless service is available in a few cities.
Read MoreMicrosoft revealed its next-generation console, the Xbox Series X, in a surprise announcement at The Game Awards -- and no debut would be complete without a fancy, detailed, in-engine demo. To that end, players got another world premiere in the form of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II from Ninja Theory.
Read MoreThe Game Awards kicked off with a bang as Microsoft offered a first proper look at the next Xbox and revealed the console's name: Xbox Series X. Previously known as Project Scarlett, the next-generation Xbox resembles a PC tower and it arrives holiday 2020.
Read MoreAre video games legal any more if they don't have a battle royale mode? Even Civilization VI joined the fray a few months back. The latest game to hop into the battle royale arena, including the shrinking play area popularized by PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, is Forza Horizon 4.
Read MoreIt appears that Platinum Games will release current-gen remasters of Bayonetta and Vanquish, two of the studio's most popular games, early next year on Xbox One. This week, separate listings for the two titles, along with a bundle that includes both of them, have appeared on the Microsoft Store. They were first spotted by Siliconera.
Read MoreJust when it seemed Microsoft's plans for Project Scarlett, its next-generation Xbox console, were getting simpler, there's a new wrinkle to the narrative. According to Kotaku's Jason Schreier, Microsoft is working on a more affordable, disc-less version of the device codenamed "Lockhart."
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