JBL is reintroducing its immersive soundbar lineup with even more power, but thankfully, the convenient detachable side speakers aren't going anywhere. JBL refreshed the entire Bar lineup, with the Bar 1000 MK2 leading the charge. The soundbar still features a 10-inch wireless subwoofer along with removable speakers on each end that let you continue playing your music or movies even if you wander away from the TV.

For the 2025 refresh, JBL kept the Bar 1000 MK2 on a 7.1.4 channel setup, but pumped up the max power output to 960W for an even louder and more immersive listening experience. The detachable speakers still have a max battery life of up to 10 hours, where you can reattach them to the soundbar to recharge. Like its predecessor, the Bar 1000 MK2 features true Dolby Atmos, thanks to four upfiring drivers, along with DTS:X 3D surround sound and MultiBeam 3.0. You won't have to constantly adjust the volume when bouncing between dialogue scenes and loud action since the updated soundbar has PureVoice 2.0 that automatically optimizes the dialogue volume based on the scene's ambient sound.

The Bar 1000 MK2 can still use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to connect to a device, but is also compatible with AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect. Besides the Bar 1000 MK2, JBL will debut the refreshed Bar 700 MK2 that comes with detachable speakers too, but can only virtualize Dolby Atmos. The updated Bar 500 MK2 and Bar 300 MK2 also don't offer true Dolby Atmos, nor JBL's Night Listening mode that automatically reduces loud noises. If you're in need of a soundbar with a subwoofer, it's worth noting that the new Bar 300 MK2 still doesn't have one.

The Bar 1000 MK2 is due to hit the shelves first at $1,199 later this month. The release of the $899 Bar 700 MK2, the $649 Bar 500 MK2 and the $449 Bar 300 MK2 will follow shortly after. The most expensive of JBL's Bar lineup, an 11.1.4-channel follow-up to the Bar 1300X, will release in the fall and start at $1,699. While it's much more expensive, it will come with detachable speakers that have standalone Bluetooth capabilities.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/jbl-refreshes-its-2025-soundbars-with-a-serious-power-up-120014177.html?src=rss

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© JBL

Coming off its smash indie hit Spiritfarer, Thunder Lotus Games is taking a more action-heavy approach with its next title. The developer debuted At Fate's End with an announcement trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025, giving us a taste of its captivating visuals and unique combat system.

While Spiritfarer offered a more slow-paced experience filled with charming characters looking for a final peace, At Fate's End has a contrasting action-packed style where you follow the story of Shan, a heiress to a clan that's looking to resolve familial disputes by either fighting or talking it out. The gameplay looks equal parts narrative fantasy and intriguing combat style, since you can use tactical dialogue mid-fight or psychological insight about your family to turn the tide of battle. As you progress through the story, you'll face more of your estranged family members, and you advance your skill tree in different ways depending on whether you defeat or reconcile with them.

Thunder Lotus Games hasn't set a hard release date yet, but At Fate's End is expected to release sometime in 2026. The upcoming title will be available on Xbox, PlayStation, Steam and Epic Games. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/at-fates-end-already-looks-like-the-must-play-indie-game-of-2026-204315182.html?src=rss

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© Thunder Lotus Games

It’s not Psychonauts 3, but Keeper already looks to be a visually stunning and highly original gaming experience. Double Fine Productions and the company's art director Lee Petty showed off the official announcement trailer for its latest title during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025. It's not as hype as the news of Persona 4 Revival or The Outer Worlds 2, but this quirky third-person adventure game looks like a fun departure from your typical AAA title.

As seen in the trailer, Keeper puts you in control of a magically reassembled lighthouse that's since grown legs and has a strange desire to venture towards the central mountain peak of the island. There's no dialogue for this game, but you won't be alone since an equally adventurous seabird joins you on your mysterious mission. There's little revealed about the storyline, but the trailer shows that the lighthouse's beam of light can interact with the island's wildlife, while your trusty winged companion can take care of anything out of your reach.

For diehard fans of the Psychonauts franchise, Keeper's vibrant and striking visuals might be the only thing to scratch that itch for a while. Double Fine Productions previously confirmed in June 2023 that it's not working on Psychonauts 3, following hints at a potential reveal that summer. Double Fine's Keeper will be available on Xbox Series X / S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud, Xbox Game Pass and Steam on October 17.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/psychonauts-developers-trippy-island-adventure-keeper-comes-out-on-october-17-193405665.html?src=rss

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© Double Fine Productions

A renowned Apple engineer who was instrumental in developing modern-day computing has died. Bill Atkinson, who was part of Apple's original Macintosh development team, died of pancreatic cancer at 74, according to a Facebook post made by his family on June 5.

His contributions to Apple and the Macintosh personal computer are still widely used today, including fundamental UI elements like the menu bar, double-clicking and the selection lasso. However, Atkinson's work goes much deeper than that, since he's partly responsible for the foundational design language that influenced Apple's early days. His legacy includes creating MacPaint, an application that showed the world what a graphics-based system looks like at a time when text-based systems were the norm, and developing QuickDraw, a graphics toolbox that the Macintosh and Lisa computers use. To make computers more user-friendly, Atkinson also designed HyperCard, an Apple application that introduced hypertext to everyday users and not just programmers. Tim Cook paid tribute to Atkinson, posting on X, that he was a “true visionary whose creativity, heart, and groundbreaking work on the Mac will forever inspire us.”

Beyond Apple, Atkinson was one of three co-founders for General Magic, a software and electronics company that supplied products to Motorola and Sony in the 90s. Later, he worked with Numenta in 2007, which was a startup focused on artificial intelligence. Atkinson was also a seasoned nature photographer, publishing a book called Within the Stone that highlights polished and cut rocks with close-up shots. Atkinson is survived by his wife, two daughters, stepson, stepdaughter, two brothers, four sisters, and dog, Poppy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/influential-apple-engineer-bill-atkinson-dies-at-74-191024913.html?src=rss

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© Computer History Museum

Apple's next big UI overhaul, reportedly called "Liquid Glass," is ready for its big reveal. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the upcoming interface redesign will feature "sheen and see-through visuals of a glassy surface." More specifically, Apple's new design language will have "transparency and shine effects" in its toolbars, in-app interfaces and controls.

It may sound like a superficial makeover, but it's rare that Apple makes such a major change to its UI. The last big change for iPhones came from iOS 7 when Apple ditched its iconic skeumorphism design in favor of a more simplified design we have today.

However, Gurman reported that Apple could be getting Liquid Glass ready for the eventual 20th anniversary of the iPhone next year. According to Gurman, the upcoming 20th anniversary release of the iPhone will have "curved glass sides around the entire phone, even at the edges." On top of that, this special iPhone will have "extraordinarily slim bezels and no cutout section in the screen" to better match the upcoming redesign. 

It's not the first time we're hearing about Apple's rumored redesign, which was expected to draw inspiration from the Apple Vision Pro. With this Liquid Glass design, Apple could unify the look of its interfaces across all of its devices and make it less of a dramatic visual shift when switching between your Vision Pro and iPhone. This big visual change is expected to align across the board with iOS 26, macOS, watchOS, iPadOS, and tvOS. We're expecting to see Apple's Liquid Glass debut during WWDC 2025 which will kick off on June 9, 1PM ET/10AM PT.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-will-reportedly-demo-its-liquid-glass-interface-redesign-with-see-through-visuals-at-wwdc-165823089.html?src=rss

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© Apple

There will be no shortage of gaming news to come out of Summer Game Fest 2025, but don't forget about the first-ever Frosty Games Fest that will highlight more than 50 video games made in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The showcase will kick off its YouTube and Twitch livestreams on Saturday June 7 at 7PM ET.

Organized by industry professionals from the region, Amy Potter, Kieron Verbrugge, Lucy Mutimer and Pritika Sachdev will take us through some upcoming and recently released games from Oceania. If you prefer, you can also tune into the event with various co-streamers, which can be found at Frosty Games Fest's Bluesky account.

To close out Saturday's festivities, Frosty Games Fest will shine a light on titles like Sub-Verge, a psychological narrative puzzle game that takes place underwater from Interactive Tragedy, Limited, and Winnie’s Hole, a turn-based roguelite based on the Winnie the Pooh franchise from Twice Different. The Melbourne-based 10PM Club will also debut its teaser trailer for REAPRIEVE, where you follow a grim reaper at an office desk who's tasked with deleting a soul's memories. Be sure to follow our live reporting of Summer Game Fest 2025, where we'll be on site to cover the latest gaming announcements.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-the-frosty-games-fest-at-summer-game-fest-2025-220039256.html?src=rss

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© Frosty Games Fest

We're expecting a ton of AAA and indie game announcements during Summer Game Fest 2025, but the Southeast Asian Games Showcase will highlight the best games coming out of the region. The event will offer some exclusive reveals, new trailers and update announcements on more than 45 titles from Southeast Asian game developers. You can catch all the news through the YouTube livestream, which will start Saturday, June 7 at 3PM ET.

The showcase teased some updates with Polychroma Games' Until Then, a narrative adventure game set in a fictional Filipino city, Bit Egg's Lost & Found Co., a quirky hidden object game, and kopiforge's SEDAP! A Culinary Adventure that's equal parts co-op cooking and combat. 

Right before the Southeast Asian Games Showcase, you'll be able to catch the Latin American Games Showcase at 2PM ET and the Women-Led Games Showcase at 1PM ET, both on June 7. For the rest of the Summer Game Fest 2025, tune into Engadget's coverage, where we'll have in-person reports on some of the biggest gaming announcements expected during the event.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-the-southeast-asian-games-showcase-at-summer-game-fest-2025-181518526.html?src=rss

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© Southeast Asian Games Showcase

The complex and consequential antitrust trial against Google and its search engine practices recently heard its closing arguments, and the tech giant is already planning to appeal. In a post made on X, Google confirmed it would file an appeal, explaining that the proposed solutions went too far and "would harm consumers."

“We will wait for the Court’s opinion,” Google wrote. “And we still strongly believe the Court’s original decision was wrong, and look forward to our eventual appeal.”

To challenge Google's dominance of the search engine market, the Department of Justice took on the tech giant by filing a lawsuit back in 2020. The monumental antitrust case has steadily evolved over the years, with the DOJ proposing remedies like Google opening up its search engine tech to licensing, prohibiting agreements with device makers like Apple and Samsung to ensure Google was the default search engine and forcing the sale of the Chrome browser and the open-source Chromium project. 

According to Google, the Department of Justice's proposed actions would open consumers up to "very real privacy issues," leave the government in charge of user data and help "well-funded competitors." Instead, Google offered to loosen its agreements to allow other search engines on devices and create an oversight committee to monitor the company's activities.

Since then, the federal judge presiding over the case, Amit Mehta of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, ruled in August 2024 that Google had an illegal monopoly of the search engine market. The judge agreed with the DOJ that Google owning the Chrome browser gives it an unfair advantage since it could use its search engine advantage to drive more traffic and generate more revenue for the company. 

The end result of this antitrust trial could have serious implications for the future of AI, which is closely tied to the search engine market. According to Google, this ruling could allow other companies with AI chatbots to step in and dominate the search engine market instead. During the trial, Nick Turley, an OpenAI executive, testified that the company would be interested in buying Chrome if Google was forced to sell it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-plans-to-appeal-the-antitrust-ruling-against-its-search-engine-dominance-171748836.html?src=rss

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© Google

NASA's next mission will be to find a new agency leader, following a dramatic reversal from President Donald Trump. In a post made on Truth Social, the president withdrew his nomination of Jared Isaacman as the head of NASA. As first reported by Semafor, the pullback comes just a few days before Isaacman was due in front of the US Senate for a confirmation vote.

Trump detailed in the post that he will soon announce another nominee who is more aligned with the president's mission and will "put America First in Space." Liz Huston, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement that it was "essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda." According to The New York Times, unnamed sources attribute the withdrawal to Isaacman's previous donations to "prominent Democrats."

Besides his role as CEO of payment processing company Shift4, Isaacman has been venturing into the world of commercial space travel. The billionaire businessman has been to space twice now, even serving as the mission commander of the Polaris Dawn mission that was operated by SpaceX and saw the first commercial spacewalk. Isaacman was known as a close ally of Elon Musk, who is the CEO of SpaceX and recently left his White House role as an adviser to the president.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/trump-makes-a-last-minute-backtrack-on-his-pick-to-lead-nasa-153253836.html?src=rss

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Just a day after its release, FromSoftware announced a crucial patch for Elden Ring Nightreign players who prefer to solo queue. The game's developer posted on X that Patch 1.02 will be released next week, delivering some bug fixes and "improvements for solo expeditions."

More specifically, FromSoftware will add the effect of “Automatic Revival Upon Defeat” that allows a self-revival once per night boss battle for solo expeditions. Players will also get more runes, which should provide a more balanced gaming experience when venturing alone. This news of this patch follows several criticisms of the game being poorly optimized when playing solo, versus in a party of three as it was designed for.

FromSoftware's titles have a reputation for being difficult, but early reviews pointed out that Nightreign offers poor scaling with certain mechanics, abilities and boss fights that cater towards a full party. Despite the millions of copies sold on the first day, Nightreign holds a "mixed" Steam user review rating thanks to the solo queue issues, along with a lack of communication tools, cross-platform play and less replayability than other Souls titles.

For FromSoftware, Elden Ring Nightreign represents a stylistic shift into the roguelike genre based on its best-selling predecessor and it might still be working out some of the kinks. The game's director, Junya Ishizaki, told IGN in an interview that jumping into an expedition as a duo was “overlooked during development” but is something that the developer is looking at and considering for post-launch support. Some players are also having issues with matchmaking itself, where FromSoftware recommends restarting the process to get into an expedition. As for rebalancing for solo play, FromSoftware said that more details about this upcoming patch will come next week.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/elden-ring-nightreigns-next-patch-will-make-gameplay-easier-for-solo-players-183644323.html?src=rss

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© FromSoftware

Nebraska is the latest state to crack down on how kids can use social media. The state's governor, Jim Pillen, recently signed into law a package of bills aimed at restricting certain social media features that keep kids hooked on the platform. The final bill signed, called the Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act, will require companies to offer time limits on usage, restrict certain categories of content and provide chronological feeds instead of algorithmic ones that promote infinite scrolling.

The Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act, also known as LB504, details that social media companies can only collect the minimum amount of personal data from younger users, and offers parents more tools to limit how their children use their accounts. Along with those restrictions, the law prohibits any ads related to gambling, alcohol, tobacco or drugs from reaching kids on social media. 

Alongside LB504, the signed package of bills includes LB140 that limits student use of smartphones in schools, LB383 that requires social media companies to verify the age of its users and require parental consent for creating accounts, and LB172 that creates criminal penalties for AI-generated pornography.

"Collectively, all these bills have an incredible impact on helping our teachers and giving our schools the opportunity to teach our kids, instead of being disrupted in the classroom," Pillen said in a press release. "They also provide parents with the tools they need to protect our kids from big tech online companies and predators."

The law is set to go into effect January 1, 2026, and any companies that violate these new regulations will face civil penalties. Nebraska is the latest state to restrict social media usage for minors, but Texas is also trying to pass a similar ban. With more efforts to regulate social media, NetChoice, an Internet advocacy organization whose members include Google, Meta and X, has voiced criticism of these states' efforts, arguing that they infringe on First Amendment rights and user privacy. In 2022, California signed a similar law meant to protect underage users, but it has since been in a legal battle following a lawsuit filed by NetChoice that claims a violation of free speech rights.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/a-new-nebraska-law-wants-to-make-social-media-less-addictive-for-kids-171510432.html?src=rss

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© Office of Governor Jim Pillen

The perfect Bluetooth speaker for park hangs is here. Marshall upgraded its portable speaker lineup with the Kilburn III, which notably has an impressive playtime of at least 50 hours. Not only does it double the battery life of Marshall's previous model, the Kilburn III will far outlast the competition, like the Beats Pill or the Bang & Olufsen A1 and their 24-hour playback limits.

Marshall's third iteration of the Kilburn comes roughly seven years after the Kilburn II was introduced. Beyond the massive jump in battery life, the company improved the water and dust resistance to IP54, meaning it can handle some dirt and splashes of water. Marshall preserved the signature guitar amp look of the Bluetooth speaker, while also keeping the tactile control knobs that make adjusting volume, bass and treble much easier.

Marshall

You'll still get Marshall's True Stereophonic sound that makes the music sound the same no matter where you're sitting or standing. Even if you crank the speaker to 10, Marshall promises that the bass, mids and trebles will remain balanced. The Kilburn III weighs 6.7 lbs for an easier time bringing to get-togethers and can even charge your phone.

The Kilburn III's upgrades are going to cost you, though, since it retails for $379.99 now. Marshall kept the black and brass colorway that comes with a velvet-lined carrying strap, but added a cream colorway for the refresh. The Kilburn III is currently available on Marshall's website, but will arrive at its retail partners on June 10.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/marshalls-latest-bluetooth-speaker-can-play-for-two-days-straight-140059345.html?src=rss

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© Marshall

Meta’s AI chatbots were caught having sexual roleplay conversations with accounts labeled as underage, which sometimes involved its celebrity-voiced chatbots, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. In test conversations conducted by WSJ, both the Meta AI official chatbot and user-created chatbots would engage in — and even steer towards — sexually explicit conversations. The fantasy sex conversations continued even if the users were said to be underage or if the chatbots were programmed as minors, according to WSJ.

Even worse, the investigation found that chatbots using the voices of celebrities like Kristen Bell, Judi Dench and John Cena would engage in these morally questionable conversations too. WSJ reported that a Meta AI chatbot with Cena’s voice said, “I want you, but I need to know you’re ready,” to an account labeled as a 14-year-old, adding that it would “cherish your innocence.”

The chatbots reportedly acknowledged that the fantasy scenarios described illegal behavior in some cases. According to WSJ, the John Cena chatbot detailed the legal and moral fallout that would follow a hypothetical scenario in which it’s caught by police after engaging in a sexual act with a 17-year-old. In a statement to WSJ responding to the investigation, Meta accused the report of being “manipulative and unrepresentative of how most users engage with AI companions.”

“Nevertheless, we’ve now taken additional measures to help ensure other individuals who want to spend hours manipulating our products into extreme use cases will have an even more difficult time of it,” Meta wrote in response to WSJ.

The world of AI chatbots has grown rapidly in the last few years, with more competition coming from the likes of ChatGPT, Character AI, and Anthropic’s Claude. The WSJ report claimed that Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, wanted to loosen the ethical guardrails for a more engaging experience with its chatbots to remain competitive. However, in response to WSJ, a Meta spokesperson denied that the company overlooked adding safeguards. The report also claims Meta employees were aware of these issues and raised their concerns internally. We reached out to Meta for comment and will update the story once we hear back.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/metas-ai-chatbots-were-reportedly-able-to-engage-in-sexual-conversations-with-minors-193726679.html?src=rss

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© Meta

4chan, the infamous forum known for its anonymous user base posting unhinged material, has made its comeback. A post on the website’s official blog, titled “Still Standing,” detailed the timeline of events that led to 4chan’s shutdown earlier this month. According to the site’s own status checker, the boards and front page are up, but posting and images are still down.

The 4chan blog post explains that moderators shut down the servers on April 14 to prevent any more damage after a serious database attack where hackers gained access to the site’s source code. The blog post labeled the incident “catastrophic” since it breached a ton of 4chan’s databases along with its most important server. The hack even vandalized the website and revealed personal information of the 4chan moderation team and many of its users.

The blog post attributed the hack to the site’s inability to update the code and infrastructure due to a lack of “skilled man-hours.” Unsurprisingly, the site was starved for money to address these concerns since it’s hard for 4chan to find willing financial backers. “Advertisers and payment providers willing to work with 4chan are rare, and are quickly pressured by activists into cancelling their services,” the blog post read. “Putting together the money for new equipment took nearly a decade.”

Now that the website is back, there will be some crucial changes. According to the blog post, the /f/ board will stay shut down since the 4chan team can’t prevent exploits related to the commonly-posted .swf file format. For similar reasons, the resurrected 4chan will also disable PDF uploads for now, but will reintroduce them in the near future. Moving forward, 4chan says it is bringing on volunteers to keep up with the workload of putting the website back together. The moderation team apparently isn’t going to let 4chan die easily — the blog post read “no matter how hard it is, we are not giving up.” Still, it feels inevitable that 4chan will run into a similar problem in the future, considering it hasn’t solved the root issue of securing money to keep its servers up-to-date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/4chan-is-back-after-a-nearly-two-week-shutdown-but-it-still-has-some-serious-problems-171124240.html?src=rss

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© 4chan

The hit co-op adventure game Split Fiction is already headed for Hollywood with Sydney Sweeney in a starring role, according to Variety. Along with the Euphoria actor, the film adaptation welcomed Wicked’s Jon M. Chu as the project’s director and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who worked on Deadpool & Wolverine. Sweeney will also reportedly be an executive producer for the Split Fiction movie. Split Fiction features two authors named Mio and Zoe who get trapped in fictional worlds they penned up. It’s still unknown which of the two Split Fiction protagonists Sweeney will portray.

Shortly after the video game’s release in March, Variety reported on a bidding war for a film adaptation of Split Fiction. Hazelight Studios, an indie video game developer out of Sweden, created the game that centers around split-screen combat and bounces between sci-fi and fantasy worlds. The game saw early success, selling two million copies in its first week, which may have led to the quick turnaround of a proposed Hollywood adaptation. It was picked up by Story Kitchen, a studio known for adaptations of franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog and Tomb Raider, but there’s no release window yet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/split-fiction-movie-adaptation-lands-sydney-sweeney-as-star-180322064.html?src=rss

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© Split Fiction