If anyone was holding out hope that the Oversight Board would provide some kind of check on Meta's rewritten hate speech policy, Meta has just made it clear exactly where it stands. The company published its formal response to the board's criticism, and has declined to commit to any substantive steps to change its rules.

The Oversight Board previously criticized Meta's January policy changes as "hastily announced" and wrote that it was "concerned" about the company's decision to use the term "transgenderism" in its rewritten community standards. The company's policy, announced by Mark Zuckerberg in January shortly before President Donald Trump took office, now permits people to claim that LGBTQ people are mentally ill.

"We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words such as 'weird,'" the policy now states. In a decision related to two videos depicting public harassment of transgender women, the Oversight Board had sided with Meta on its decision to leave the videos up. But the board recommended that Meta remove the word "transgenderism" from its policy. "For its rules to have legitimacy, Meta must seek to frame its content policies neutrally," the board said.

The word has a long association with discrimination and dehumanization, human rights groups have said. Human Rights Campaign noted that the term is "socially and scientifically invalid" and "often wielded by anti-trans activists to delegitimize transgender people." GLAAD has likewise noted that "framing a person’s transgender identity as a 'concept' or 'ideology' reduces a core identity to an opinion that can be debated, and therefore justifies dehumanization, discrimination, and real-world violence against transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people."

In its formal response, Meta officials said they were still "assessing feasibility" of removing the word from its policies. The company said it would "consider ways to update the terminology" but added that "achieving clarity and transparency in our public explanations may sometimes require including language considered offensive to some."

Meta also declined to commit to the board's three other recommendations in the case. The board had recommended that Meta "identify how the policy and enforcement updates may adversely impact the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, including minors, especially where these populations are at heightened risk," take steps to mitigate those risks and issue regular reports to the board and the public about its work.

It had also recommended that Meta allow users to designate other individuals who are able to report bullying and harassment on their behalf, and that the company make improvements to reduce errors when people report bullying and harassment. Meta said it was "assessing feasibility" of these suggestions.

Meta's response raises uncomfortable questions about just how much influence the ostensibly independent Oversight Board can have. Zuckerberg said that Meta created the Oversight Board so that it wouldn't have to make consequential policy decisions on its own. Previously, the social network has asked the board for help in major decisions, like Donald Trump's suspension and its rules for celebrities and politicians. But Zuckerberg's decision to roll back hate speech protections and ditch third-party fact checking took the board by surprise.

Meta has always been free to ignore the Oversight Board's recommendations, but it has allowed it to influence some of its more controversial policies. That seems like it could be changing, however. Zuckerberg's decision to roll back hate speech protections and ditch third-party fact checking took the board by surprise. And the company now seems to have little interest in engaging with the board's criticism of those changes.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-tells-the-oversight-board-it-isnt-removing-the-word-transgenderism-from-its-hate-speech-rules-180438796.html?src=rss

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© REUTERS / Reuters

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Microsoft is making it harder to use Chrome on Windows. The culprit? This time, it's Windows' Family Safety feature. Since early this month, the parental control measure has prevented users from opening Chrome. Strangely, no other apps or browsers appear to be affected.

Redditors first reported the issue on June 3 (via The Verge). u/Witty-Discount-2906 posted that Chrome crashed on Windows 11. "Just flashes quickly, unable to open with no error message," they wrote. Another user chimed in with a correct guess. "This may be related to Parental Controls," u/duk242 surmised. "I've had nine students come see the IT Desk in the last hour saying Chrome won't open."

A Google spokesperson pointed Engadget to a statement in its community forum. "Our team has investigated these reports and determined the cause of this behavior," Community Manager Ellen T. wrote. "For some users, Chrome is unable to run when Microsoft Family Safety is enabled."

Curiously, Microsoft hasn't fixed the bug after 17 days. (Go figure!)

Microsoft

Windows Family Safety is an optional parental control feature for families and schools. It lets them manage children's screen time, filter their web browsing and monitor their activity.

There are a couple of workarounds while we wait for the company to take action. One is to turn off the "Filter Inappropriate Websites" setting in Family Safety. However, that removes the security feature, letting the kids run wild on the World Wide Web. (Weeee!!) A simpler fix is to navigate to your Chrome folder and rename chrome.exe to something like chrome1.exe.

Engadget emailed Microsoft for a comment. We haven't heard back, but we'll update this story if we do.

If you've ever installed Chrome on Windows, this bug may trigger deja vu. Microsoft has a long history of desperate tricks to keep you on its default products. That has included obnoxious prompts, pop-up ads for Bing and begging users to stick with Edge. At least European users will get some relief. Microsoft is scaling back its cheap tactics there to comply with EU regulations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/windows-parental-controls-are-blocking-chrome-170247515.html?src=rss

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© Google

Members of the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union have ratified the contract agreement with parent company Microsoft. This agreement with the union representing the video game studio's quality assurance employees marks the first time Microsoft has entered into any union contract in the US. ZeniMax Studios is probably best known for its work on The Elder Scrolls Online. Stephen Totilo first reported on this news; we've reached out to Microsoft and the Communications Workers of America for additional comment.  

As with many organizing efforts, this step has been a long time coming. The group of employees voted to unionize in 2023, and Microsoft immediately recognized ZeniMax Workers United-CWA following the vote results. Microsoft also made its policy of neutrality toward union organizing at ZeniMax official in 2024. The QA workers from ZeniMax and Microsoft reached a tentative contract this May.

The contract includes provisions for wage increases and minimum salaries, as well as industry-specific content such as a clearer crediting policy recognizing the role of QA and protections for the employees regarding use of AI.

Update, June 20 2025, 12:18PM ET: Microsoft provided Engadget with the following statement, attributed to the company's Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Amy Pannoni: “This agreement reflects our ongoing commitment to employee voice and collaborative labor relations. Reaching this milestone with the ZeniMax quality assurance team and CWA is another step toward helping everyone here do their best work.” 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/zenimax-and-microsoft-ratify-union-agreement-224148192.html?src=rss

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© Bethesda Softworks

Snap has acquired Saturn, a calendar app for high school and college students. The company didn't disclose the terms of the deal but said that close to 30 of Saturn's full-time employees will be joining Snap as part of the acquisition.

It's not clear what exactly Snap has planned for Saturn, but the company confirmed to Engadget that the calendar app will continue to operate as a standalone service. It also suggested that the acquisition could help Snap bring calendar-focused features into Snapchat.

A calendar app may seem like an odd choice for Snap, but there's clearly a lot of overlap between the two services' users. According to Snap, about 80 percent of US high schoolers attend schools that support Saturn (its App Store page says it's available at more than 17,000 high schools). Snap is used by more than half of US teens, per Pew Research.

Saturn is also much more social than the typical calendar app. It has a Snapchat-like design that allows teens to easily share and compare their schedules with friends. It also supports features specific to many high school students' routines, like block schedules, rotation calendars and extracurricular activities. Saturn also has features for college students, though it doesn't seem to be as widely used among that slightly older demographic.

The startup, founded by Dylan Diamond (Saturn's CEO) and Max Baron (COO) has previously raised money from a number of high-profile investors, including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions. Forbes reported in 2021 the startup had raised $44 million.

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Jim Lanzone, the CEO of Engadget’s parent company Yahoo, joined the board of directors at Snap on September 12, 2024. No one outside of Engadget’s editorial team has any say in our coverage of the company.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/snap-is-acquiring-saturn-a-calendar-app-used-at-thousands-of-high-schools-160046915.html?src=rss

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© Saturn

Amazon Prime Days begins again on July 8, but early deals are already starting to trickle out. For instance, the 8BitDo Micro gamepad is on sale for just $17. This is a record-low price and represents a discount of 33 percent. However, the deal only applies to the green colorway.

The Micro is a Bluetooth controller designed for the Nintendo Switch and Android devices, but it should also integrate with gadgets like the Steam Deck and iPhones. The company has released a firmware update for Switch 2 compatibility, so that should work too. We've tested other 8BitDo controllers with Nintendo's new console and came away impressed.

This is an extremely tiny gamepad that still manages to pack in 16 buttons. It's a near-perfect way to play retro-tinged 2D platformers. Did we mention it's small? This thing will easily fit in a pocket or just about anywhere else. The company wasn't kidding around when they named it Micro.

There's one caveat. The diminutive size of the 8BitDo Micro doesn't allow for actual joysticks and there's no haptic engine for rumble or anything like that. This isn't the best controller for brand-new AAA games. If you absolutely must have a pair of joysticks, for FPS titles and the like, the 8BitDo Lite SE is also on sale for $22.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/early-prime-day-deals-include-the-8bitdo-micro-gamepad-for-only-17-151924406.html?src=rss

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© 8BitDo

Nothing has probably made its biggest impression in the tech world with its distinctive mid-range Android phones (like the 3a Pro pictured above). But the UK-based brand’s first product was actually wireless earbuds, and now it’s preparing to unveil its first over-ear headphones on July 1. As is often the way, though, we don’t have to wait until then to get our first look at the upcoming cans, as pictures have leaked online ahead of the London launch event.

As you’d expect from a Nothing product, the Headphone 1 – if these leaked images are indeed legitimate – looks like nothing else on the market. A number of photos uploaded to Instagram by Nothing Fan Blog show off a typical transparent design, which looks a bit like someone has glued a cassette tape to a slab of smooth metal. It looks like the headphones will be available in black/gray and silver/white colorways.

It’s hard to determine what materials Nothing has opted for from the leaked photos, but it looks like there are at least three buttons: two on the side of the left earcup and one on the top. In one photo you can also see a wire attached to the bottom of the headphones, so presumably they’ll have a 3.5mm connector.

Again, we don’t know for certain if this is the final design of the Headphone 1, but aesthetically speaking they could definitely stand out in what is an enormously crowded market.

Nothing CEO Carl Pei confirmed that the Headphone 1 will arrive on July 1 alongside the brand’s new flagship phone, the Phone 3, during a live appearance at SXSW in London earlier this month. Engadget’s Igor Bonifac was impressed by Nothing’s Phone 3a and 3a Pro when he reviewed both phones earlier this year, with the caveat that they carry a limited US warranty.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/nothings-first-over-ear-headphones-leak-ahead-of-july-unveiling-150631940.html?src=rss

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© Igor Bonifacic for Engadget

The next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event could be announced any day now. The summertime event usually happens in July or August. No date has been officially set, but at least one rumor suggests that it will all go down on July 9 at 10AM ET, and New York City is being floated as the likely location.

Whenever it happens, we expect that the next Unpacked will center on the latest developments to Samsung's lines of foldables and wearables. A lot of it may be business as usual, but the company has hinted that some possibly exciting new additions are in the works.

Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold Ultra

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Based on the usual annual cadence, this summer Unpacked 2025 will most likely introduce the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7. One recent leak claimed that Gemini Live will be a core part of the foldables' presentation, and considering AI is the buzzword for every tech presentation these days, it would be strange if Unpacked didn't follow suit. AI features got a positive reception from both our Fold 6 and Flip 6 reviewers, although they fell more under the umbrella of parlor tricks than valuable assets.

Android Headlines is back with renders of what it claims show the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The foldable sports a slimmer profile than the prior model and the navy blue chassis is certainly pretty. It also indicates that both the cover display and inner display are reportedly bigger in this design, up to 6.5 inches and 8.2 inches, respectively. The publication also showed purported images of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 that also pointed to increased screen real estate.

There may be a third player in the foldables lineup for this Unpacked. A teaser from Samsung last month pointed toward a Galaxy Z Fold Ultra that will come with Galaxy AI. There are no specs in the blog post, but the company insists that this will have "industry-leading hardware, cutting-edge performance and seamless AI integration optimized for the foldable format." This doesn't appear to be the tri-fold design we've heard rumblings about, but that would be a fun reveal if Samsung does pull that off as a surprise announcement.

Galaxy Watch 8

Amy Skorheim for Engadget

On the wearables front, the only thing we're really anticipating is news about the Galaxy Watch 8. But the anticipation is pretty mild.

This smartwatch collection from Samsung hasn't really pushed the envelope for several years; the Galaxy Watch 7 was the third iteration where our reviewers felt the new model offered only incremental improvements over the previous generation. So either this Unpacked will be yet another round of small gains on the specs or Samsung will surprise us with some substantial upgrades. Improved battery life would be a big plus.

Galaxy S25 FE

For the past few weeks, Samsung fans have been speculating that a new smartphone announcement could be on the way soon. Although the company's standard mobile hardware is usually unveiled at the start of the year, we've seen some credible rumors that a new Galaxy S25 FE is in the works. If Samsung is looking to release a new version to that line in the fall, it would make sense to announce and open pre-orders at the summer Unpacked.

The Galaxy S24 FE had some solid specs but was a little pricey to be a true budget model, especially with an underwhelming set of AI features. So far, the leaks about the S25 FE also point toward continued underwhelm, with claims that its cameras won't be seeing much in the way of upgrades, although it may be getting a boost to performance and battery if rumors that it will use the Exynos 2400 processor turn out to be true.

We'll be keeping you posted with all the Unpacked news as it happens, as well as covering the event with a liveblog, so stay tuned!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/what-to-expect-at-the-next-samsung-galaxy-unpacked-150001731.html?src=rss

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© Reuters / Reuters

Meta is expanding beyond its popular Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses with a new lineup of frames created in collaboration with Oakley. The Oakley Meta HSTN (pronounced HOW-stuhn, apparently) will be available in several variants, not unlike Meta's other smart glasses. Meta first teased that it had a new partnership on the way earlier in June, and rumors that the company was expanding beyond its current frames were reported by Bloomberg back in January.

Despite rumors that the Oakley glasses would feature a camera embedded in the bridge of the frame, these first models keep the lens on one side and an LED privacy light on the other. The ultra-wide 12MP camera can capture footage in 3K, compared with the 1080p video that the Meta Ray-Bans are capable of recording. Along with taking POV video calls, shooting photos and livestreaming what you see, the camera can be used to answer questions about what you're seeing with the help of Meta AI.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Threads that these frames, which are based on Oakley's HSTN style, are "built for action." So they're perhaps designed to be more durable than Meta's older models, though they have the same IPX4 water resistance rating. They feature Prizm and Prizm Polarized lens tech from Oakley, which are designed to protect wearers' eyes from ultraviolet light.

The battery is rated for eight hours of typical use on a single charge (which would be double that of the Meta Ray-Bans) and up to 19 hours on standby. With the included charging case, you should be able to juice up Oakley Meta HSTN glasses from zero to 50 percent of battery capacity in 22 minutes, and to 85 percent in 45 minutes. The case, which is not water-resistant, is said to deliver up to 40 additional hours of on-the-go charging.

The new frames have open-ear Bluetooth speakers, five onboard microphones and speakers for talking to Meta AI and the ability to take calls, send messages and play music from your phone. There are touch controls on the side of the frames where you can adjust volume and so on. 

Meta has also been rolling out live translation features for its smart glasses. The company says the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses can help with accessibility too. You'll be able to send messages and take photos hands-free. Meta notes that its AI will be able to describe what the camera is seeing. In addition, wearers will be able to connect to the Be My Eyes network and receive assistance from sighted volunteers.

Meta/Oakley

Meta and Oakley say these are "Performance AI glasses." You'll be able to ask Meta AI for contextual information that might help in the moment, such as the wind speed so you can try to adjust for that while you're playing golf.

Meta working with Oakley shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Oakley is owned by EssilorLuxottica, the same fashion conglomerate that owns Ray-Bans. The companies extended their partnership with a new long-term agreement in September 2024 so that they could "collaborate into the next decade to develop multi-generational smart eyewear products."

The first, limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN have gold accents and 24K Prizm Polar lenses. They cost $499 and will be available to preorder starting on July 11 in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. Meta and Oakley plan to bring the lineup to Mexico, India and the United Arab Emirates later this year.

Other models will arrive later in the summer and start at $399. They'll be available in the following frame and lens colors:

• Oakley Meta HSTN Desert with Prizm Ruby Lenses

• Oakley Meta HSTN Black with PrizmPolar Black Lenses

• Oakley Meta HSTN Shiny Brown with Prizm Polar Deep-Water Lenses

• Oakley Meta HSTN Black with Transitions Amethyst Lenses

• Oakley Meta HSTN Clear with Transitions Grey Lenses

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/meta-and-oakley-announce-new-perfomance-ai-smart-glasses-for-athletes-140312796.html?src=rss

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© Meta/Oakley

A new computer is a big purchase, no matter how you slice it. But if you can get your next machine at a discount, all the better. Those looking for a new desktop have a solid deal to consider right now on Apple's M4 Mac mini, which is down to a record-low price of $469.

That price will get you the base model, which has 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. If you're willing to pay a bit more, you can get the 16GB/512GB model for $689, down from $799. The top-of-the-line configuration will set you back $849, $150 less than usual, and it gives you 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

We gave the newest Apple Mac mini a 90 in our review thanks to perks like the impressive speed of its chip (though we did test the M4 Pro). It also offers front USB-C and headphone ports for easy use, along with an overall smaller design. Plus, it's great that even the base version starts at 16GB of RAM. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-mac-mini-m4-drops-to-a-new-record-low-price-141523239.html?src=rss

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© Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

Companies that develop generative AI always make it a point to say that they include links to websites in the answers that their chatbots generate for users. But Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince has revealed to Axios that search traffic referrals keep plummeting. Publishers are facing an existential threat, he said, because people aren't clicking through those chatbot links and are relying more and more on AI summaries without digging deeper. 

Prince told Axios that 10 years ago, Google sent a publisher one visitor for every two pages it had crawled. Six months ago, the ratio was one visitor for every six pages, and now it's one for every 18. OpenAI sent one visitor to a publisher for every 250 pages it crawled six months ago, while Anthropic sent one visitor for every 6,000 pages. These days, OpenAI sends one visitor to a publisher for every 1,500 pages, whereas Anthropic sends one visitor for every 60,000 pages. 

People have come to trust AI chatbots more over the past few months. The problem for publishers is that they don't earn from advertisements if people don't click through links leading to their websites, and that's why Prince is encouraging them to take action to make sure they're fairly compensated. Prince said Cloudflare is currently working on a tool to block bots that scrape content for large language models even if a web page already has a "no crawl" instruction. If you'll recall, several outlets had reported in 2024 that AI companies have been ignoring websites' Robots Exclusion Protocol, or robots.txt, files and taking their content anyway to train their technologies. 

Cloudflare has been looking for ways to block scrapers since last year. But it was only in March when Cloudflare officially introduced AI Labyrinth, which uses AI-generated content to "slow down, confuse, and waste the resources of AI Crawlers and other bots that don’t respect 'no crawl' directives." It works by linking an unauthorized crawler a series of AI-generated pages that are convincing enough but don't actually have the contents of the site the tool it's protecting. That way, the crawler ends up wasting time and resources. 

"I go to war every single day with the Chinese government, the Russian government, the Iranians, the North Koreans, probably Americans, the Israelis, all of them who are trying to hack into our customer sites," Prince said. "And you're telling me, I can't stop some nerd with a C-corporation in Palo Alto?"

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/cloudflare-ceo-says-people-arent-checking-ai-chatbots-source-links-120016921.html?src=rss

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© Noam Galai via Getty Images

When the Trump family announced its debut into the glitzy world of phone carriers with Trump Mobile, it came with a phone, too: a not-gold slab called the T1. The biggest heady claim (beyond the fact that its sole $47.25 plan would be ‘true value”) is: how can any modern smartphone claim to be made in the US?

Alex Cranz takes Trump Mobile’s sales pitch to task. While we know a lot of the specs, there’s no reference to a processor — and that’s because practically all smartphone processors are not made in the US. That’s just the start.

— Mat Smith

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The news you might have missed

• Midjourney adds AI video generation

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• Meet the Corvette ZR1X: America's 1,250-horsepower hybrid hypercar

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SpaceX's Starship explodes again during a routine test

It was the 10th test flight in Starbase, Texas.

A SpaceX Starship vehicle has exploded yet again, and this time, the incident occurred before it even took off. NASASpaceflight captured the event in a livestream, wherein you can see the spacecraft (Ship 36) suddenly explode into a fireball after the company tested its forward flap and just before it was supposed to conduct a static fire test. The company said it was due to a “major anomaly”. Yeah, I’d agree.

Continue reading.

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There’s a 1-800 number you can text for ChatGPT images

Is it for the boomers?

OpenAI has decided that there are not enough ways to generate sloppy AI images with ChatGPT. It announced that users can tap into the image generator by texting 1-800-ChatGPT on WhatsApp. The WhatsApp chatbot is "now available to everyone." Anyone?

Continue reading.

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Framework Laptop 12 review

Doing the right thing comes at a cost.

Engadget

Framework’s latest repairable laptop is a smaller 12-inch model, with the same modular features of its predecessors. With a bright plastic build, it’s aimed at students, and there’s a lot to like. According to Engadget’s Daniel Cooper, it’s a little too expensive, especially in the face of the cheap (and disposable) laptops it’s looking to supplant.

Continue reading.

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Garmin’s newest wearable is a sleep tracker with a week of battery life

It’s meant to work with your Garmin smartwatch.

Garmin

It doesn’t look like the usual Garmin affair. The fitness tracking company is getting into bed. Literally. The Index Sleep Monitor offers week-long battery life with continuous pulse ox tracking for monitoring your blood oxygen saturation while you sleep. Garmin’s tracker is worn on the upper arm and tracks multiple metrics, including skin temperature, light, deep, and REM sleep stages as well as variations in heart rate and breathing.

Skin temperature tracking provides a clearer understanding of how your sleep environment impacts the quality of your sleep, even identifying potential illnesses based on your body temperature. It also features menstrual health tracking, with skin temperature changes useful for tracking cycles.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111557952.html?src=rss

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© Trump Mobile

Whether you’re chasing cinematic landscapes or just want to snap the ultimate selfie from above, finding the best drone comes down to knowing what kind of flying experience you're after. From compact options you can slip into a backpack to advanced models that shoot silky-smooth 4K footage, today’s drones come packed with features that cater to everyone — from total beginners to seasoned pilots.

If you're new to the skies, a beginner drone with built-in safety features and multiple flight modes is a great place to start. If you prefer portability, a mini drone might be the perfect travel companion, especially one with a decent flight time and a responsive remote controller. For creators, the best camera drones often include a stabilized 4K camera and are just as comfortable pairing with an Android device as they are with iOS. And if you’re working with a tighter budget, there are plenty of budget drone options that don’t skimp on core features like quadcopter stability or intelligent flight paths.

We’ve tested drones across a wide range of categories to help you find the right fit — whether you're capturing epic sunsets, learning the ropes or just having fun in the backyard.

The best drones for 2025

What to look for in a drone

Camera features

For this guide, we're looking only at drones that are basically flying cameras, so you want the best video and photo features possible. Bigger devices like DJI’s Mavic 3 Pro or Air 3S carry relatively large sensors, offering superior picture quality for nighttime cityscapes or other low-light scenes. Smaller models like the Mini 4 Pro and HoverAir X1 Max use smaller camera sensors, so they aren’t as good in dim light.

Field of view and minimum aperture are also important, with most drones typically having a wide-angle focal length, though a few others like the HoverAir X1 Max carry an ultrawide lens. Some models have multiple cameras including a wide and a zoom. As for aperture, lower numbers are better and allow for shooting in dim light. Most DJI models are solid in this regard, while the HoverAir models don’t perform as well.

Video resolution and slow-mo are also essential camera capabilities. Most drones these days can shoot at 4K with a frame rate of at least 30 fps, though some offer 6K or even 8K at up to 30 fps. Higher-end models can shoot 4K at up to 120 fps, allowing you to slow down the action dramatically to create a cinematic look.

Other noteworthy features include log or HDR video that supports higher dynamic range, particularly in bright and sunny conditions. Finally, the camera’s gimbal and stabilization are important factors to keep your footage looking as smooth as possible. Some drones have gimbals that can rotate the camera 90 degrees to give social media creators the maximum resolution for vertical formats.

Drone features: Speed, range, safety, battery life and obstacle detection

By and large, there are two types of camera drones to consider. The first are standard drones (usually with open propellers but not always) designed to fly outside and take scenic shots. Often there’s nothing to stop the props from striking skin or objects, so they can’t really be used indoors or around people. Some models like the DJI Neo and Flip have prop guards that better protect bystanders and property, as well as the drone itself.

Then there's first-person-view (FPV) camera drones, which often have propeller guards and are meant to be used both indoors or outside to capture exciting footage. Standard models don’t need to go particularly fast as they’re mainly used to shoot fun videos for social media, but FPV drones need to move at high speeds to create excitement. Because of that speed, they’re also better in breezy conditions as they can fight gusts and return home more quickly. Acrobatic abilities (often promoted by the manufacturer in ads or packaging) are also important for FPV drones, as it allows the user to perform tricks and zip around obstacles.

Battery life is another important factor. The best drones boast a battery endurance of up to 45 minutes, while FPV drones like the Avata 2 can only fly for about half that time as they tend to be heavier and carry smaller batteries to reduce weight. As a general rule, a single battery isn’t enough for any serious shooting so you’d do well to buy your drone in a kit with a few batteries and a charger.

As for range, DJI tends to dominate in this area, with its latest models able to maintain a video signal at a distance up to 20km (12.4 miles). HoverAir’s models are weaker with the top-end X1 Max model limited to just 1km (0.6 miles) when using the optional beacon system. DJI also offers multiple ways to control its drones including headsets, joystick-type controllers, motion detection controllers and smartphones.

The best drones have sensors to detect obstacles in all directions. Others are limited to only avoiding obstructions coming at them from the front and some only rely on the main camera to prevent crashes. Finally, if you want to have your drone follow you around automatically, you’ll need it to be able to track you around when you’re vlogging, riding a bike or skiing, while also avoiding obstacles.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/best-drone-120046775.html?src=rss

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© Steve Dent for Engadget

The long-promised launch of Tesla's robotaxi service in Austin is scheduled for June 22, and it sounds like the company's initial offering will be modest at best. The Financial Times writes that Tesla will only have around 10 cars available for rides and that the company plans to make them "avoid the city’s most challenging intersections." If issues arise, remote operators will also reportedly be able to take control of the cars to make sure they reach their final destination.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk told CNBC in May that the robotaxi service might launch with less than a dozen cars, so that's not necessarily a surprise, but the actual scope may be even smaller. Analysts The New York Times spoke to believe rides in Tesla's robotaxi will only be available to "company employees or invited guests." It could take months before the service is made available to the wider public.

Musk formally introduced the company's robotaxi service and its self-driving Cybercab at an event in October 2024, but the idea has been a promised feature for Tesla owners for even longer. The pitch goes that since all Teslas are equipped with the cameras necessary for the company's self-driving system, any of them can be converted into a cab while not in use. Musk believes autonomous transport could be so widespread that it becomes as cheap as mass transit, while being safer than relying on a human driver.

Whether the company's Full Self Driving system can pull that off is an open question. Tesla is currently being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for autonomous driving-related crashes. The company has also reportedly blocked the city of Austin from handing over its robotaxi records, which suggests it's at least somewhat self-conscious about how it will perform.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/teslas-robotaxi-debut-will-reportedly-be-limited-to-only-10-cars-in-very-specific-areas-205802818.html?src=rss

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AI company Midjourney has released its first video model. This initial take on AI-generated video will allow users to animate their images, either ones made in Midjourney or uploaded from a different source. The initial results will be five-second clips that a user can opt to extend by four seconds up to four times. Videos can be generated on web only for now and require at least a $10 a month subscription to access.

Midjourney was one of the early names in the space for AI-generated still images, even as other platforms have pushed the forefront of the discussions around artificial intelligence development. Google's latest I/O conference included several new tools for AI generated video, such as the text-to-video Veo 3 model and a tool for filmmakers called Flow. OpenAI's Sora, which debuted last year, is also a text-to-video option, while the more recent Firefly Video Model from Adobe can create video from a text or image prompt.

But being a little late to the video game hasn't stopped it from drawing the ire of creatives who allege that its models were trained illegally. In fact, this video announcement follows hot on the heels of a lawsuit against the company. Disney and NBCUniversal sued Midjourney last week on claims of copyright infringement. And as with any AI tool, there's always a potential for misuse. But Midjourney has nicely asked that people "please use these technologies responsibly" so surely nothing will go wrong.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/midjourney-adds-ai-video-generation-192557140.html?src=rss

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Steam has introduced a new batch of features for improved accessibility in the latest beta of the gaming client. The platform is adding a sliding scale for adjusting UI size, a high contrast mode to make text and buttons more distinct from the background, and a reduce motion setting to disable select animations and page transitions. These three features are available for devices running SteamOS and in Steam's Big Picture Mode, which displays a full-screen user interface for easier legibility.

In addition, SteamOS devices are getting support for a screen reader. This feature has adjustments for the volume, rate and pitch of the audio output. The new beta also offers color filters for SteamOS devices, allowing the user to choose modes of grayscale, invert brightness or invert colors. This change to visual output with colors applies to both the Steam client and to games. For now, only the Steam Deck and the Lenovo Legion Go S run Valve's gaming-focused operating system, but the company is clearly planning to add more devices in the future.

"These new settings are only the first available of the accessibility features we're working on, and we're excited to put even more tools in the hands of our players," the company said in the blog post announcing the new updates.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-adds-more-accessibility-features-181606704.html?src=rss

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Not content with a real estate empire and the presidency of the United States, the Trump family is wading into the phone wars like it's 2011 with a shiny gold monstrosity called the T1, the marketing of which leans extensively on the narrowest idea of patriotism. Beyond the immediate question — why do this, like, at all? — the T1 invites a question that's perhaps easier to interrogate: How can any modern smartphone claim to be made in the US?

Over the last 40 years America has led a massive globalization effort that allows companies to pick and choose where they develop and build hardware that finds its way back to the US. The best chips to run your phone are built in Taiwan — regardless of the phone maker. The best phones are built in China, India or Vietnam. The displays are often produced in Korea. The glass is actually made in America. The sand that will eventually become the silicon wafers chips are made of is sourced here too. But most phones, and virtually all smartphones found in America, are globally produced devices. An all-American golden Trump phone is about as fantastical as the big, beautiful bill's promise to make all Americans rich.

The phone has reasonable specs for the $499 price tag. There’s a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a punch hole for the 16MP front camera, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage. Its rear array of cameras includes a 50MP main camera, a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens. Notably lacking in the spec list is the processor. Perhaps that’s a typo, or perhaps that’s because nearly all smartphone processors are made overseas.

Multiple analysts have suggested the Trump T1 is actually a reskinned Revvl 7. That’s a $200 Android phone currently offered by T-Mobile in the US and manufactured by Wingtech, a (partially) state-owned Chinese phone maker and semiconductor manufacturer. However the specs and outer appearance better align with the €180 (also about $200) Coolpad X100, which is mentioned as a “related phone” to the T1 on the smartphone database GSMArena. Similarly, that phone has a 6.8-inch AMOLED display, 256GB of internal storage and up to 12GB of RAM, but its cameras are significantly higher resolution and it has a flash built into its camera module. It, like the Revvl 7, is manufactured in China by a Chinese company.

Don Jr and Eric Trump haven't said if the T1 is a reskin of the Revvl 7 — or any other existing phone for that matter — instead insisting their device will eventually be made in the US. (Note that word “eventually.” It is doing a lot of work.) The Trump brothers have chosen their words like lawyers are watching, likely because the Made in America claim they’re making isn't just marketing, it's enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission. You can’t just slap it on a crummy Chinese phone and call it a day.

“The FTC actually has very strict regulations on how you label products and country of origin,” Todd Weaver, CEO and Founder of Purism, told me. Purism is an American company that produces its own operating system to compete with iOS and Android and is the only company in the US which can actually use any part of the “Made in America” claim for its phones. In our call he sounded a little irritated about the T1’s claims, but was eager to explain how the labeling works.

Purism

“I don’t make that claim and I manufacture all the electronics in the US,” Weaver said. Purism had to go with a non-phone processor for the Liberty phone because no company based in America makes phone processors (yet). Even with a non-standard chip, Purism’s processor comes from its supplier’s fabrication in South Korea. He found it financially challenging to source a chassis in the US as well. An unqualified Made in America claim would mean that a phone was not just assembled here, but every single part of the device was manufactured here as well. That's an essentially impossible task for phone makers. It’s why Purism’s phone has the label Made in America Electronics instead. Weaver could get a lot, but not all of the parts manufactured in the US.

While it’s certainly theoretically possible the Trump brothers could take all the wealth they’ve been amassing since their father reentered the Oval Office to brute force a more American phone, it isn’t happening any time soon. The Trump T1, which they claim will be sold in September, cannot carry that label, at least not legally. (Whether the current FTC would prosecute the president's sons for misrepresenting the T1 is another story entirely.) We’ve reached out to the FTC for comment and as of publishing have not heard back.

So what about other pro-American manufacturing labels? The Trump Brothers have hinted that the phones will be assembled here — even if the Revvl 7 (or Coolpad X100) is currently not. Those labels are also governed by the FTC and they’re not easy to get around. A simple "screwdriver" operation (importing almost entirely foreign parts and fitting them together in the States) is even provided by the FTC as a straightforward example of consumer deception.

That’s a lesson we all learned when Apple promised to start building computers domestically again. In 2019 it announced a big factory in Texas under pressure from the Trump administration to bring more manufacturing jobs to America. But even though people are putting screws into Mac Pros stateside, those can’t carry the label “Assembled in America.” Instead they're “Designed in America” and a “Product of Thailand” with “Final Assembly in America.” It’s a global device.

Electronics are global devices and no amount of gold gilding or misleading claims from the sons of American presidents can change that. The best estimates from manufacturing experts claim it will be half a decade, minimum, before Apple or Samsung could be building phones in the US.

Weaver has already mused about reporting the Trump brothers for claiming their gold-gilded T1 is Made in America, and noted that anyone (even you, dear reader) could do the same.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/the-golden-trump-phone-is-almost-certainly-not-made-in-the-us-174536590.html?src=rss

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The Fairphone 6 is widely expected to get an official unveiling in the next week but the leadup to the repairable smartphone’s launch has been leakier than a bad tap. In a new report from WinFuture, purported images of the Fairphone 6 show that it’ll feature two back covers: one for the main body covering the cameras, and a lower panel that can be easily removed by loosening a few visible screws.

Doing so grants access to the battery, which WinFuture notes is not glued down, though swapping it out will require you to remove a few additional screws. The back plates are available in three different colors – black green and white – which you’re free to mix and match with to give the phone a more personalized look.

This being a Fairphone product, the battery unsurprisingly isn’t the only removable component. If you know what you’re doing, you can also replace the 50- and 13-megapixel main cameras and the 32–megapixel front-facing camera, as well as the display, speaker and USB-C charging port.

In terms of specs, the Fairphone 6 is fairly unremarkable, but you’d expect it to be at the rumored €550 (around $630) price point it’ll reportedly retail at. As well as the aforementioned trio of lenses, it’ll reportedly have a 6.31-inch 120Hz display, 256GB of internal storage (expandable via a MicroSDXC slot), 8GB of RAM and a 4,415mAh battery. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, so we’re firmly in mid-range territory. The Fairphone 6’s expected IP55 rating for water and dust resistance means it’ll comfortably withstand a bit of rain, but likely won’t take well to a dunk in the bath.

Of its predecessor, the Fairphone 5, released (though not in the US) in 2023, Engadget’s Daniel Cooper said: "If you’re looking to pick up a mid-range handset that you can keep going for twice as long as any other phone on the market, and you want to do a bit of good in the process, this is probably the phone for you. It’s not often the view from the moral high ground is this comfortable."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-fairphone-6-leaks-ahead-of-its-rumored-late-june-launch-163630181.html?src=rss

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© Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget

Everything old is new again. Netflix just inked a deal to air live television broadcasts in France, turning the streaming giant into, well, regular TV. The platform will host five traditional broadcast channels from French TV behemoth TF1. Subscribers in the region will have access to live programming and on-demand content.

The partnership officially begins next summer. The channels underneath TF1's umbrella air everything from reality shows like The Voice to live sports, including the French national football team’s matches.

The deal brings a whole lot of content to Netflix, as TF1 has a massive back catalog. This includes popular local dramas like Brocéliande and reality shows like Koh-Lanta. Greg Peters, co-chief executive of Netflix, told Financial Times that TF1 is a “producer of great, premium content." This move could help the platform with customer retention in the region.

TF1 gets access to a large pool of potential viewers, as Netflix's subscriber base in France passed 10 million in 2022. That's around 13 percent of the country's total population.

This isn't the first time the two companies have teamed up. TF1 and Netflix have collaborated on scripted shows like Les Combattantes and Tout le bleu du ciel. This is likely due to a mandate in France that requires streaming services to reinvest in local content. It's also not the first time Netflix has experimented with live TV in the region. The platform tested a live TV channel called Direct back in 2020.

This is fascinating because Netflix began as an alternative to live TV and now it's becoming live TV. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflix-signs-deal-to-host-live-tv-channels-in-france-153852590.html?src=rss

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© Unsplash/BoliviaInteligente

Summer Game Fest might be in the rear-view mirror, but the gaming showcases are still coming. Capcom has announced that its next Spotlight livestream will take place on June 26. Planned to last around 40 minutes, the showcase will focus on upcoming titles Pragmata and Resident Evil Requiem, which was announced during Summer Game Fest proper earlier this month. As well as news, the event will include developer interviews.

Capcom is also promoting Monster Hunter Wilds and Street Fighter 6 as featured games, so expect new information on updates or fresh content for those existing titles in the showcase. We already know that the Title 2 Update for Monster Hunter Wilds is due at the end of the month, which will add new monsters and a new seasonal event.

The last Capcom Spotlight took place in February, where Capcom announced the remaster of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny. We wouldn’t expect any new game announcements this time, but it could happen. More exciting is the possibility of new footage of Resident Evil Requiem, which was arguably the biggest announcement of SGF 2025. We know we’ll be playing as a new character, named Grace Ashcroft, and that you’ll be able to choose between a first and third-person perspective throughout the game.

Engadget’s Mat Smith got to play Pragmata at SGF, where he called it a “satisfying sci-fi shooter” and came away impressed by the elegance of its dual-protagonist gameplay. Capcom first announced the game way back in 2020, so it’s a long time coming.

The next Capcom Spotlight livestream will kick off on June 26 at 6pm ET.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/resident-evil-requiem-headlines-the-next-capcom-spotlight-livestream-143001469.html?src=rss

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A SpaceX Starship vehicle has exploded yet again, and this time, it happened before it even took off. NASASpaceflight has captured the event in a livestream, wherein you can see the spacecraft (Ship 36) suddenly explode into a fireball after the company tested its forward flap and just before it was supposed to conduct a static fire test. The company said on X that on June 19 at approximately 12AM Eastern time, the Starship it was preparing for its 10th flight test "experienced a major anomaly" while it was on a stand in its Starbase, Texas facility. 

Since SpaceX maintained a safety clear area around the vehicle, all its personnel were safe and accounted for. It also said that there's no danger to nearby residents, but it's asking people not to approach the area. According to local authorities, the explosion happened due to a "catastrophic failure." No injuries have been reported, and investigation is already underway to determine the root cause of the incident. 

Starship is the super-heavy-lift launch vehicle SpaceX is developing for bigger launches with more payload and for missions heading farther than low Earth orbit, such as to the moon and to Mars. Based on its most recent tests, however, it's far from ready. During its seventh and eighth flights, its second stage, which is known as the "Ship," exploded during ascent. It was the Ship that exploded on Wednesday night. The second stage managed to reach space during its ninth test flight in May, but SpaceX lost contact with it and wasn't able to achieve a controlled splashdown into the ocean. SpaceX also lost contact with its Super Heavy booster stage upon re-entry, and it went through a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" six minutes after launch.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacexs-starship-explodes-on-the-ground-during-a-routine-test-130025133.html?src=rss

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