Meta said on Friday that it won't sign the European Union's new AI code of practice. The guidelines provide a framework for the EU's AI Act, which regulates companies operating in the European Union.
The EU's code of practice is voluntary, so Meta was under no legal obligation to sign it. Yet Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, made a point to publicly knock the guidelines on Friday. He described the code as "over-reach."
"Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI," Kaplan posted in a statement. "We have carefully reviewed the European Commission’s Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models and Meta won’t be signing it. This Code introduces a number of legal uncertainties for model developers, as well as measures which go far beyond the scope of the AI Act."
So, why kick up a (public) fuss about not signing something Meta was under no obligation to sign? Well, this isn't the first time the company has waged a PR battle against Europe's AI regulations. It previously called the AI Act "unpredictable," claiming "it goes too far" and is "hampering innovation and holding back developers." In February, Meta's public policy director said, "The net result of all of that is that products get delayed or get watered down and European citizens and consumers suffer."
Outmuscling the EU may seem like a more attainable goal to Meta, given that it has an anti-regulation ally in the White House. In April, President Trump pressured the EU to abandon the AI Act. He described the rules as "a form of taxation."
Mark Zuckerberg at Trump's inauguration in January
Pool via Getty Images
The EU published its code of practice on July 10. It includes tangible guidelines to help companies follow the AI Act. Among other things, the code bans companies from training AI on pirated materials and requires them to respect requests from writers and artists to omit their work from training data. It also requires developers to provide regularly updated documentation describing their AI features.
Although signing the code of practice is voluntary, doing so has its perks. Agreeing to it can give companies more legal protection against future accusations of breaching the AI Act. Thomas Regnier, the European Commission's spokesperson for digital matters, added more color in a statement to Bloomberg. He said that AI providers who don't sign it "will have to demonstrate other means of compliance." As a consequence, they "may be exposed to more regulatory scrutiny."
Companies that violate the AI Act can face hefty penalties. The European Commission can impose fines of up to seven percent of a company's annual sales. The penalties are a lower three percent for those developing advanced AI models.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-says-it-wont-sign-the-eus-ai-code-of-practice-190132690.html?src=rss
Apple announces the new additions to its smartphone lineup in the fall, and the iPhone 17 is the upcoming collection. We learned a lot about what to expect on the software side during the company's WWDC presentation, but there have also been several leaks and rumors about the hardware side ahead of the phones' official introduction. Here's what we know and what we're expecting from Cupertino this autumn.
When will the iPhone 17 series be announced?
Most years, the flagship smartphones are introduced in September. It's a little early to have the specific dates; some years, Apple only gives a week or two of lead time between sending invites and hosting the event. But years of past precedent show that sometime in September should be when the 17 models make their debut. This family of smartphones may be the last to follow that trend, however. There have been hints that the introduction of the iPhone 18 collection in 2026 will be split into a pro-tier announcement in the fall and a standard model announcement the following spring.
What will the new iPhone 17 lineup include?
Design leaks suggest that Apple is building an ultra-thin smartphone, likely to be named the iPhone 17 Air to match Apple's ultralight laptop designation. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, often a solid source of advanced intel about Apple, reported in January that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a basic A19 chip and will only have a single camera lens. It may also use Apple's new in-house modem, which was introduced in February on the iPhone 16e. More details about this development may leak ahead of September, but that's what we know for now.
An investor note from Apple analyst Jeff Pu indicated that the Air will have a titanium frame. If his reports are accurate, the lightweight smartphone will be the only entry in the iPhone 17 lineup to use that metal; the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to be made of aluminum, which is oddly a lighter material than titanium. Other speculation had suggested that the Air would use a blend of aluminum and titanium, so the exact materials may not be known until the official announcement.
Each new roster includes a base model, but over the years, Apple shakes up the variety of phones it offers. Most likely there will be an iPhone 17 and an iPhone 17 Pro. Apple has also committed to the size matters philosophy, and has been building an iPhone Pro Max option with an even bigger screen and better battery life; the 17 roster will almost certainly have one as well.
The iPhone 17 Air seems primed to take the place of a potential iPhone 17 Plus. Since the iPhone 16e was only just introduced in February at a surprisingly high price point, it seems unlikely that there will be a new addition to that lower end of the spectrum, the models that were previously called SE.
At the very least, it sounds like the iPhone 17 Air won't take away the charging port and rely only on wireless connectivity. Bloomberg said that while Apple had investigated making the iPhone 17 Air without a single port, the company (fortunately) changed plans. He also says that the rumored phone will have a 6.6-inch screen and include the Dynamic Island and Camera Control button. Finally, the price is rumored at $900 — likely more than the standard iPhone 17 but less than the Pro.
We've also gotten what seems to be a reliable look at what the color lineup will be for the new smartphones. Macworld reported that the iPhone 17 will be available in black, white, steel gray, green, purple and light blue. The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly have four color options: black, white, light blue and light gold. While the Air colors will be less saturated, the visuals for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will go bold. The options for the Pro models are expected to be black, white, gray, dark blue and orange.
What will iOS 26 be like?
Apple upended its numbering conventions with WWDC 2025, and will match the name of each new operating system to the year it's released. So when the next wave of iPhones hits, they'll be running on iOS 26.
On the design side, the smartphone OS introduced during the big developer showcase took a contentious approach dubbed Liquid Glass. Apple has been scaling down the amount of transparency effects in the subsequent beta tests of iOS 26, but it will still have a glass-like visual.
The feature list includes big and small updates. On the more impactful side, the Phone and Photos apps have been redesigned. There will be several features leveraging artificial intelligence, such as live translation capabilities coming to Phone, FaceTime and Messages. Apple is also currently testing a sensitive content warning for child accounts that will freeze FaceTime video if nudity is detected by on-device machine learning tools. And the company is also launching Visual Intelligence, which will use AI to search for elements in an image.
iOS 26 also has a litany of minor, quality of life improvements. Group texts are getting support for polls. And for the slow risers out there, iOS 26 will finally let you escape the tyranny of the nine minute snooze alarm. Here's a rundown of everything we've heard about iOS 26 so far and which smartphones, aside from the upcoming 17 collection, will support it.
Update, July 17, 2025, 4:40PM ET: Added latest information about iOS 26, possible materials for the Air, and the color options for the different models.
Update, March 17, 2025, 2PM ET: Added details about the rumored price and features of the iPhone 17 Air.
Update, April 11, 2025, 3:45PM ET: Added details from Front Page Tech's new video that claims to reveal details from a leaked iOS 19 build.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-17-pro-max-and-air-everything-we-know-about-apples-new-phones-153024282.html?src=rss
Add this to the list of "things that might be fun if you had a buttload of money": Someone forked over $5.3 million in a Sotheby's auction to own a piece of Mars. The Red Planet meteorite was discovered in 2023 in a remote area of the Sahara Desert in Niger.
Martian meteorites of any size are incredibly rare. To get here, an asteroid first hits the Red Planet to eject material from its surface. (Sotheby's says there are only 19 Martian craters large enough to have spit out this one.) That chunk then has to travel 140 million miles through space to reach Earth. Only 400 of the 77,000+ officially recognized meteorites hail from Mars.
The meteorite is known as NWA 16788. Its reddish-brown, scarred exterior almost looks like the Red Planet's surface in miniature.
Sotheby's
This is also an exceptionally big Martian meteorite. It's about 70 percent larger than the second-biggest piece of Mars found on Earth. It measures 14.75 x 11 x 6 inches and weighs over 54 lbs. It's big enough to represent about 6.5 percent of all known Martian material on our planet.
The winning bid was for $4.3 million. After fees, that comes out to over $5.3 million, making it the most valuable meteorite ever sold.
Before bidding, the auction house sent a small piece of the space rock to a lab, which confirmed its distinctly Martian chemical composition. Over 21 percent of the rock is composed of maskelynite, a glass produced when the asteroid struck the Martian surface.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/someone-paid-53-million-for-a-piece-of-mars-191502853.html?src=rss
Hollywood video game adaptations continue to have a moment. Following the success of HBO's The Last of Us and Amazon's Fallout, Netflix has officially greenlit an Assassin's Creed series. The news comes nearly five years after the company signed a deal with Ubisoft to adapt the franchise.
Two Emmy nominees will helm the series. Roberto Patino (DMZ, Westworld, Sons of Anarchy) and David Wiener (Halo, Homecoming, The Killing) will serve as showrunners and executive producers. No casting has been announced yet.
"We've been fans of Assassin's Creed since its release in 2007," Patino and Wiener wrote in a statement. "Every day we work on this show, we come away excited and humbled by the possibilities that Assassin's Creed opens to us."
Ubisoft
The pair says the series will focus on "people searching for purpose, struggling with questions of identity and destiny and faith." (But it'll also include plenty of parkour and spectacle.) Above all else, it will be about "human connection across cultures and time."
Netflix hasn't said when the show will premiere. So, we're probably still a ways off.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-takes-a-leap-of-faith-on-an-assassins-creed-series-153958591.html?src=rss
On Tuesday, Nintendo published an interview with the creators of Donkey Kong Bananza. The second big Switch 2 tentpole title comes from the team that made Super Mario Odyssey. The developers explained how they laid the foundation for DK's first 3D adventure since the Nintendo 64 era.
Destruction is at the heart of Donkey Kong Bananza. Everything in his environment can be smashed to bits. Not only is that a fun mechanic, but it also adds an element of verticality and freedom of exploration. That's an ideal fit for showcasing the Switch 2's processing power.
Nintendo
As with so many other Nintendo creations, the first step in getting there was a no-brainer. Consult with Shigeru Miyamoto.
"We'd built up a lot of expertise in gameplay development for 3D action games through our work on 3D Mario games, including Super Mario Odyssey," producer Kenta Motokura said. "But we needed to dive deeper into the fundamental question of 'What is Donkey Kong?' So, our first step was to seek out Miyamoto-san and Nintendo Executive Officer Yoshiaki Koizumi."
In their talk, Miyamoto emphasized DK's moves like hand slaps and blowing. Along similar lines, Koizumi pointed to the ape's massive arms, which he uses to punch and hoist heavy objects. That got the team thinking. After all, who doesn't want to control a giant ape who runs around, breaking shit?
DK slapping a platform in the 2010 game Donkey Kong Country Returns. Shigeru Miyamoto emphasized the move as a starting point for the new version.
Nintendo / Retro
The Super Mario Odyssey team was uniquely suited to handle that challenge. First, the 2017 title included some light environmental destruction. (Think the cheese rocks in the Luncheon Kingdom and Bowser's smashing in the final level.)
The team experimented with fully destructible environments soon after Odyssey's release. (That was long before they knew they'd make a Donkey Kong game.) That included the adorably strange idea of putting smashing fists on a Goomba and setting it loose. Part two of the interview includes a short video of one of these tests.
On a technical level, the key to that mechanic is using voxels (3D pixels). "In Super Mario Odyssey, we started using voxels midway through development, so the areas where we could apply them were limited," Motukura said. "But the trial and error we went through back then directly led to what we were able to do in Donkey Kong Bananza."
Another interesting tidbit from the interview is that they started working on the game as a Switch 1 title. "We originally began developing Donkey Kong Bananza on Nintendo Switch, but we ran into some challenges," Motokura said. "I think it was around 2021 when we started to think about moving development to Switch 2." In the comparison image below, you can see a much richer environment in the Switch 2 version.
Nintendo
Art director Daisuke Watanabe explained that the new console's hardware opened new doors. "We first looked into how we could upgrade what we'd originally built for Switch to take advantage of Switch 2," Watanabe said. "One of the most obvious improvements was that we could place far more objects in the environment than before. Being able to place more objects in the terrain didn't just enhance the game's visual richness. More importantly, it increased the amount of things players could destroy, which amplified the exhilaration of being able to demolish anything and everything."
There are many more nuggets in Nintendo's interview. This includes animal transformations and Pauline's role in the game. (She must be the forgiving type, given how they started.) The chat also explores how DK's modern art style evolved.
You can visit Nintendo's website for the full lowdown. Donkey Kong Bananza will be available tomorrow, July 17.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/donkey-kong-bananzas-creators-reflect-on-the-games-path-to-delightful-destruction-201600462.html?src=rss
If you were having trouble viewing Reddit today, you weren't alone. Downdetector showed a spike in outages and problems at the site. Reddit acknowledged the problem on Wednesday. At 12:38PM ET, it said the situation had been resolved.
Reddit told Engadget that an update was the culprit. "An update we made caused some instability," a company spokesperson said. "We reverted and are seeing Reddit ramp back up." As to what that update was, we don't yet know, but it was probably a standard tweak to the site that just had some bugs on board.
If you tried to visit Reddit this morning, you likely saw a message reading, "Server error: We have encountered an error. Please try again later." The company's system status page showed a "partial outage" for the desktop web, mobile web and mobile apps.
Downdetector
Meanwhile, Downdetector's status page (above) showed a sharp upward trend in problems starting at around 11:20 AM ET. The graph dropped again after Reddit implemented its fix.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/reddit-is-back-online-after-a-brief-outage-161522867.html?src=rss
Xbox's "Stream your own game" feature continues to expand. You can now use your PC to play supported games you own on Xbox. (The games stream from the cloud, not your console.) You'll need to be an Xbox Insider and Game Pass Ultimate subscriber to use it.
The idea is the latest chapter in Microsoft's mission to make Xbox software more device-agnostic. Hop on whatever device is available, and start playing without waiting for installations. That makes sense from a business perspective, given Sony's commanding lead in their two-way console race. It's increasingly more about selling Game Pass subscriptions than fighting a losing hardware battle.
The company says the collection includes some console-only titles. But you'll be hard-pressed to find many that aren't already available (natively) on PC. On the other hand, this method could free up storage and save you the hassle of downloading them.
There are some caveats. You'll need to own digital copies of those you want to stream to your PC. (Physical copies won't cut it.) The feature is only available in the 28 countries where Xbox Cloud Gaming is supported. You'll also need a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which costs $20 per month. If you're interested, you'll first need to sign up for the Xbox Insider program, which is free.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xboxs-stream-your-own-game-feature-now-extends-to-pc-204049103.html?src=rss
Discoveries keep pouring out of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Researchers observed an unusual cluster, which they dubbed the Infinity Galaxy. It appears to support a leading theory on how some supermassive black holes form.
Although "Infinity Galaxy" sounds like a place Thanos would hang out, it merely describes its appearance. Two compact, red nuclei, each surrounded by a ring, give the cluster the shape of an infinity symbol.
What's inside is more interesting. (After all, this is a much lower-res image than some of the eye candy the Webb telescope has yielded.) Researchers believe the Infinity Galaxy formed when two spiral galaxies (the nuclei in the image) collided. Between them lies a young supermassive black hole within an enormous cloud of gas.
Supermassive black holes can range from hundreds of thousands of times the size of our sun to millions or billions of times its size. This one is about a million times as big.
The Infinity Galaxy, overlaid with a contour map indicating the supermassive black hole
NASA / JWST
The Infinity Galaxy lends weight to the direct collapse theory of black hole formation. As you probably know, most black holes form when massive stars collapse. The presence of supermassive ones is harder to explain.
One theory proposes that smaller black holes merge over time to form a supermassive one. The problem there is that some supermassive black holes formed soon after the Big Bang. So, scientists think some supermassive ones form instead from the collapse of gas clouds, much like the one we see here. The Infinity Galaxy may be the best evidence yet for that direct collapse hypothesis.
One of the paper's lead authors summarized the findings. "By looking at the data from the Infinity Galaxy, we think we've pieced together a story of how a direct collapse could have happened here," Pieter van Dokkum wrote in a press release. "Two disk galaxies collide, forming the ring structures of stars that we see. During the collision, the gas within these two galaxies shocks and compresses. This compression might just be enough to form a dense knot, which then collapsed into a black hole."
The team can't definitively confirm the theory from their current data. "But we can say that these new data strengthen the case that we're seeing a newborn black hole, while eliminating some of the competing explanations," van Dokkum added. "We will continue to pore through the data and investigate these possibilities."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/webb-spots-infinity-galaxy-that-sheds-light-on-black-hole-formation-183900161.html?src=rss
Lucid is about to roll out its first hands-free features. On July 30, Lucid Air sedan owners with the DreamDrive Pro add-on will get automated drive assist and lane-change features. If you have a Gravity SUV you'll have to wait until later this year.
The features will arrive via an OTA update for vehicles with DreamDrive Pro hardware. The optional add-on has 32 sensors, including LiDAR, radar, ultrasonic sensors and cameras. DreamDrive Pro already supports semi-autonomous features like lane change assist and curve control.
The new drive assist and lane-change features take the automation further, letting you go hands-free. (Your eyes will still need to be on the road, of course). The features will only work on compatible divided highways.
As for Lucid, it's been a rocky ride lately, reflecting the industry's broader turbulence. It had two rounds of layoffs, cutting 400 people last year after reducing its workforce by 1,300 in 2023. On the bright side, its Gravity SUV has had a positive reception. (It's rolling out now, joining the Air sedan in the lineup.) Lucid is also expanding its real estate. Earlier this year, the automaker acquired an Arizona plant previously owned by the bankrupt Nikola.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/lucid-will-add-hands-free-driving-options-later-this-month-162816263.html?src=rss
Here's a sweet Prime Day deal on one of our favorite streaming devices that's still available during the last day of the sale. You can get the Google TV Streamer for $84. (It typically retails for $100.) That's nearly an all-time low for the wedge-shaped gizmo.
The Google TV Streamer is Engadget's pick for the best all-in-one streaming device. It has a top-notch interface that makes it easy to organize your content. That holds even if your series and movies come from different sources.
Its upgraded processor and RAM make it quick and easy to switch between apps and load media. It supports 4K streaming. Its remote has an intuitive button placement and a programmable key. The device supports smart home controls via Matter and Thread.
In our review, Engadget's Amy Skorheim was impressed. "The Google TV Streamer is responsive and quick, packing the best streaming interface out there with smart home features that are useful and properly integrated," she wrote.
One of our only nitpicks was that it costs so much more than its Chromecast predecessor. Today's deal helps to ease that concern. Google also didn't bundle an HDMI cable with it. So, if you snag this deal, make sure you have an extra one on-hand.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-google-tv-streamer-4k-is-still-available-for-84-thanks-to-this-prime-day-deal-121026677.html?src=rss
The best value in security cameras is back for Prime Day and still available right now. Two Blink Mini 2 cameras are on sale as a bundle for only $35. That's half off — and $5 less than you'd usually pay for only one of them. This matches a Black Friday record low for the pair.
The Blink Mini 2 is a recent offering, arriving in 2024. The compact camera has a built-in LED spotlight, a low-light sensor and color night vision capabilities. It supports 1080p live view, which should be plenty sharp enough for regular use. Its field of view is wider than that of the original model. (It's 143 degrees diagonally vs. 110 in its predecessor.)
Being an Amazon product, it's no surprise that it works with Alexa. The camera has two-way audio, so you can chat with your pooch while you're out. It also supports person detection, but you'll need a subscription for that. (They start at $3 per month or $30 per year for one device.)
Although it's primarily an indoor camera, you can also use the Blink Mini 2 outdoors. However, that requires a $10 weather-resistant power adapter. The camera is available in black and white. Both colors are available for the $35 deal.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-a-bundle-of-two-blink-mini-2-cameras-for-only-35-in-this-prime-day-deal-201819919.html?src=rss
Microsoft isn't the only gaming company talking about layoffs this week. MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) notified around 300 employees that they risk losing their jobs. However, the drama doesn't end there. The studio has reportedly blamed saboteurs for its woes… again.
BARB workers posted on LinkedIn this week about receiving "risk of redundancy" emails. (That followed confirmation last month that the company formally began a layoff process.)
Unfortunately, layoffs are par for the course these days. As for the rest of BARB's story? That's where things get weird.
IGNreported that BARB founder Leslie Benzies addressed staff in a video call this week. (He's a former Rockstar North president and GTA producer.) Benzies is said to have blamed BARB's and MindsEye's problems on internal and external saboteurs.
That echoes comments made by co-CEO Mark Gerhard ahead of MindsEye's launch. He claimed pre-release negative feedback was "100 percent" financed by someone. Who did Gerhard blame? Well, he didn't say outright. But he seemed to hint that Rockstar was involved. "Doesn't take much to guess who," he said. (Benzies departed the GTA developer on rocky terms, legal disputes in tow.)
BARB / IOI
In yesterday's call, Benzies also reportedly vowed to relaunch MindsEye. That's a tough trick to pull off. Just look at the industry's few success stories. Final Fantasy XIV is part of an established franchise that has been a gaming household name for decades. And then you have titles like No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 that were gradually updated. They both arrived with considerably more interest from the gaming world than MindsEye. The latter's appeal largely came from Benzies' involvement. Will that even carry much weight after all the drama surrounding the launch?
That isn't to say MindsEye couldn't improve dramatically and find a following. The single-player action-adventure game has a noticeable GTA influence, which will appeal to many. Criticism was aimed at its bugs (fixable), well-worn storyline (greedy humans and robot armies) and gameplay (drive, shoot, repeat). But it also has impressive cinematics and a tight linear arc. A tighter, bug-free version could scratch an itch for fans of Cyberpunk and Watch Dogs.
MindsEye is also published by IO Interactive, which worked on Hitman: World of Assassination for years after launch. If BARB can hustle to regain players' trust, perhaps it could at least live to fight another day.
Still, MindsEye's list of ingredients doesn't exactly scream "gamers will come back." And with around 300 fewer employees working on it, that's an even taller order.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mindseye-dev-warns-staff-about-layoffs-amid-talk-of-saboteurs-and-relaunch-183934780.html?src=rss
In a mad, mad world, speedruns for charity can be a calm oasis. Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) has your fix with the 2025 edition of the marathon. You can tune in starting on Sunday, July 6. As usual, the lineup includes loads of fun games and bonkers challenges.
It's fitting that this year's lineup includes a Switch 2 game. On the event's last day, the speedrunner Peas will take on Mario Kart World on the new console.
Nintendo
Perhaps to commemorate the new console's launch, Nintendo is everywhere at this event. There are three Zelda games on tap: Majora's Mask, Phantom Hourglass and Link's Awakening. The company's plumber mascot is peppered all over the place, too. You'll find Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Paint and the Super Mario World hack, Sayonara Mario World 2. (Not done yet!) There's also Super Mario Maker 2, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario 64.
There's plenty of non-Nintendo stuff, too. The week kicks off with an "All Emeralds Glitched" run of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. One of Engadget's all-time favorites, Balatro, has a run scheduled on July 11. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle makes an appearance. And two speedrunning legends will try to beat Cuphead during an allotted 35 minutes. (Say what??!) Anyone who can finish that bloodbath in less than that should be named the leader of the free world.
Andy "j0kerr" Sturm / Games Done Quick
The event will raise funds for Doctors Without Borders. The humanitarian nonprofit has a legion of nearly 63,000 medical personnel. It offers clinical and humanitarian care in over 70 countries. Last summer's event raised $2.5 million. To date, Games Done Quick events have raised over $50 million for charity.
SGDQ 2025 runs from July 6 to 13. If you're in or near Minneapolis, you can register to attend in person. Otherwise, you can stream the festivities on the SGDQ Twitch channel, which is also embedded below.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-summer-games-done-quick-2025-184618273.html?src=rss
In today's gaming world, a decade of development can sometimes amount to nothing. Parent company Microsoft has reportedly cancelled Rare's long-in-development project Everwild. The news comes amid broader layoffs across Microsoft's Xbox division.
Rare employees will likely be part of the Xbox layoffs, according toVideo Games Chronicle. VGC and Bloomberg's Jason Schreier were the first to report the game's cancellation. (Schreier added that an MMORPG project from Zenimax, codenamed "Blackbird," was also scrapped.)
Rare officially announced Everwild in 2019. But the game had been in development since around 2014. Its trailer finally arrived five years ago, hinting at a lush and magical atmosphere. However, the footage offered no hints about gameplay. That may have been intentional. Its development reportedly suffered from a lack of clear direction.
Rare / Xbox
It was even said to have survived a "restart from scratch" in 2021 when Gregg Mayles took over direction. (He's known for titles like Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Viva Piñata and Sea of Thieves.) Xbox explained the lack of official updates by saying it was waiting until it had "something cool to show."
As recently as February, the game seemed to be on track. Microsoft's Phil Spencer said, "It's nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they're making." Words, words, words…
That brings us to today, with the coda of an all-too-familiar story. Developers lose jobs. Gamers miss out on the chance to play something that had countless resources poured into it. And the gaming industry tightens its belt even further. How much tighter can it get?
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/everwild-has-reportedly-been-cancelled-amid-xbox-layoffs-162200526.html?src=rss
The US Supreme Court has upheld a Texas law that could have broad implications for online free speech. The court ruled 6-3 in affirming Texas law HB 1181, which requires websites that host adult content to implement age verification.
The nonprofit Free Speech Coalition petitioned the top court in April 2024 to review the law. (The organization represents the adult industry.) Texas was one of many states passing age-verification laws aimed at porn websites. Pornhub has exited 17 states due to similar legislation.
Critics across the political spectrum have noted that HB 1181 has concerning implications for the First Amendment and online privacy. The EFF notes that no age verification method exists that is both accurate and respects user privacy. (Unlike flashing an ID in person, online verification requires data retention.)
HB 1181 requires websites that contain at least "one-third" of their content as "material harmful to minors" to implement age-gating. The age verification applies to all users visiting the sites. The mandate applies to the entire website, not only the parts with adult content.
Another concern is that experts consider age-gating to be largely ineffective. After all, teens who are unfamiliar with VPNs can easily learn about them.
US Supreme Court
Before today's ruling, the Supreme Court had previously struck down attempts to age-gate online content. In 1997, it rejected Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union primarily due to concerns over First Amendment rights. Under US law, adult content is considered protected speech.
Justice Elena Kagan summarized the concerns of critics in her dissenting opinion. (Justices Sotomayor and Jackson joined her.) "Adults have a constitutional right to view the very same speech that a State may prohibit for children," Kagan wrote. "And it is a fact of life — and also of law — that adults and children do not live in hermetically sealed boxes. In preventing children from gaining access to 'obscene for children' speech, States sometimes take measures impeding adults from viewing it too — even though, for adults, it is constitutionally protected expression."
Another concern about the ruling is the "slippery slope" factor. Today's ruling doesn't only exist in a bubble — it will also shield other states from criticism about similar laws. That may also mean we see laws that continue to push the envelope and move the Overton window in increasingly autocratic directions. The far-right Project 2025 agenda presidential blueprint wants to ban porn altogether. It even proposes imprisoning those who create and distribute it and forcing them to register as sex offenders.
The ACLU lambasted Friday's decision. "The Supreme Court has departed from decades of settled precedents that ensured that sweeping laws purportedly for the benefit of minors do not limit adults’ access to First Amendment-protected materials," Cecillia Wang, ACLU national legal director, wrote in a statement. "The Texas statute at issue shows why those precedents applying strict scrutiny were needed. The legislature claims to be protecting children from sexually explicit materials, but the law will do little to block their access, and instead deters adults from viewing vast amounts of First Amendment-protected content."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/supreme-court-upholds-texass-porn-site-age-verification-law-155007840.html?src=rss
"ExpressVPN never keeps data that could tie you to any online activity," the VPN provider claims on its website. An independent audit from late February supports those claims. Accounting firm KPMG found "reasonable assurance" that the VPN provider's system prevents the logging of user activity. The product is one of Engadget's top VPN picks.
RAM-based VPN servers
The firm's audit put ExpressVPN's TrustedServer system under a microscope. That's the company's RAM-based system. In theory, this approach means user data is wiped with every server reboot. (Doing so would prevent even the possibility of long-term storage.) Some competitors, including NordVPN, also use RAM-based servers. Meanwhile, ProtonVPN counters that properly encrypted hard drives are just as secure.
Another counter-argument to RAM-based servers is that they're only effective if they're rebooted. In theory, a company could run RAM servers for marketing purposes, but then never restart them. That's where audits can help.
KPMG's findings
KPMG has a high level of confidence that the no-logging system functioned as advertised in late February. "Controls provide reasonable assurance that the ExpressVPN TrustedServer does not collect logs of users' activity," KPMG's paper reads. That included "no logging of browsing history, traffic destination, data content, DNS queries or specific connection logs."
KPMG's assessment was an ISAE 3000 Type I audit. That means it focused on ExpressVPN's control design and implementation at a specific point in time. (Meanwhile, a Type II audit would have gone farther, testing the effectiveness of those controls over an extended period.) If you aren't familiar, KPMG is one of the Big Four accounting firms. It's a trusted name that corporations shell out big bucks to for audits like this.
The assessment looked at several factors. These included documentation reviews, observing the system at work and interviewing ExpressVPN personnel. The audit's conclusion applies "as of February 28, 2025." So, it represents KPMG's conclusions for a specific point in time rather than a blanket statement of permanent trust. The assessment also didn't include stress-testing the entire system or a full-fledged security analysis of the company.
You can read KPMG's full paper for a more detailed breakdown.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/expressvpns-external-auditors-confirm-no-logs-policy-as-of-february-171957335.html?src=rss
Insta360's new gimbal isn't quite "Pro," but its pricing isn't, either. The Flow 2 includes many of the features from the Flow 2 Pro while costing $50 less.
The Insta360 Flow 2 ticks most of the boxes that its Pro sibling does. (The more expensive gimbal launched earlier this year.) Like that model, the Flow 2 features a built-in selfie stick and a tripod. It supports advanced subject tracking, golden ratio subject framing and a built-in spotlight. Also carrying over is NFC one-tap pairing and teleprompter mode.
But if you're an iPhone user, there's one big omission. The Flow 2 doesn't support Apple DockKit, which enables seamless control of motorized docks. You can make up for much of that with Insta360's AI tracker accessory. However, it costs extra. At that point, your total price will creep closer to that of the Pro model. So, it would be wise to break down your specific needs before making a decision.
Insta360
There are a few other differences. The standard model also lacks the Pro's selfie mirror, which lets you check your framing and appearance on the fly. Its tracking mobility is more limited than the Pro model's 360-degree version. There's no Free Tilt mode either. (That's the feature that lets you angle your phone in unique and creative ways.) Nor is there a tracking ring light on the standard gimbal.
If none of those omissions affect your workflow, the Flow 2 could help you save a few bucks. The Insta360 costs $110. The company also offers a bundle with the AI tracker accessory for $130. (Otherwise, the AI tracker is a separate $40 purchase.) The gimbal is now available from the company's website and retailers like Amazon.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/insta360-has-a-cheaper-flow-2-gimbal-for-the-masses-130016631.html?src=rss
When Philips Hue’s US prices go up next month, you can officially know who to blame. (Hint: It rhymes with "rump.") Parent company Signify told Hueblog (viaThe Verge) that its price increases are "a direct result of tariffs." See how easy that was, Amazon?
Before that confirmation, the company vaguely referred to an upcoming price increase. "Hurry, prices go up on July 1," marketing copy from earlier this month stated.
Signify’s statement to Hueblog doesn’t mince words about Trump’s trade war being the culprit. "Signify will increase prices on our Philips Hue portfolio in the US, effective July 1, 2025, as a direct result of tariffs," it wrote. "We remain committed to providing consumers with high-quality products and features that make smart lighting extraordinary. Signify reserves the right to modify prices based on new or additional tariffs becoming effective in the future."
We don’t yet know the exact price increases. The company says it will reveal them when they take effect on July 1. But there are some hints. The newly upgraded Hue smart button costs $32 compared to the old model’s $25. If you think that’s because it’s a new version, the product stayed at the same €21.99 as its predecessor in Europe. Up to this point, the company’s US pricing had been around a 1:1 conversion.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/philips-hue-says-us-prices-will-go-up-in-july-because-of-tariffs-183434777.html?src=rss
As AI reignites Big Tech's push for smart glasses, here's a tech that could play a central role. xMEMS, which debuted a solid-state "fan on a chip" last year, has a new one for wearables. This could help future smart glasses melt your face figuratively — and not literally.
Founded in 2018, xMEMS specializes in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The California-based company started with solid-state speakers. Last year, it introduced its µCooling "fan on a chip" for phones and other thin devices. Now, it's applying its technology to wearables.
As smart glasses incorporate more advanced tech, the devices require cooling. But you can't exactly walk around with fans blowing on your face. That would be… noisy. Mechanical fans would also take up precious real estate, leading to diminished performance or bulky glasses. The tech that xMEMS made its bones on could offer a solution.
xMEMS
xMEMS says its µCooling chip can help smart glasses use their full power without overheating. The company claims the silicon gives glasses 60 to 70 percent more power to work with. (They could use more power before hitting their thermal limit.) The chip also kept the devices up to 40 percent cooler. It also reduced thermal resistance by up to 75 percent.
The company states that this translates to cooler skin-contact surfaces, crucial in a face-worn device. (That's where you avoid melting your face the wrong way.) It also leads to sustained performance, improved comfort and long-term reliability.
The chip architecture doesn't have any motors or bearings. It operates silently and vibration-free. It's also tiny: as small as 9.3 x 7.6 x 1.13 mm.
"Heat in smart glasses is more than a performance issue; it directly affects user comfort and safety," xMEMS Marketing VP Mike Housholder wrote. "xMEMS' µCooling technology is the only active solution small, thin and light enough to integrate directly into the limited volume of the eyewear frame, actively managing surface temperatures to enable true all-day wearability."
xMEMS has samples available for interested manufacturers. The company expects volume production to begin in early 2026.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-xmems-fan-on-a-chip-is-ready-for-smart-glasses-130032660.html?src=rss
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