Meta will stop allowing political advertising on its platforms in the European Union as of October 2025, blaming the EU’s new "unworkable" transparency rules for what it called a "difficult decision." In a statement released by the company on Friday, Meta said the EU’s incoming Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulations presented it with "significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties."

As of early October, users on any of Meta’s platforms in the EU will no longer see political, electoral or social issue ads, which Meta says can currently be placed by advertisers who complete an authorization process proving their identity. Ads of this nature are also required to include a "paid for by" disclaimer, and information about how much was spent on them must be publicly available.

Meta argues that the TTPA rules put extensive restrictions on ad targeting and delivery that create an "untenable level of complexity" for advertisers. The EU introduced the new regulations in order to address widespread concerns over foreign interference in elections, as well as the potential manipulation of important information that might influence how someone votes.

As well as labelling political advertising as such and providing information on its source and intention (which Meta says it already does), the soon-to-be-instated EU rules also list a number of conditions about how personal data is processed. The TTPA regulations will also forbid political ads from sponsors outside the EU sooner than three months before an election or referendum.

Meta said that users of its platforms will see less relevant ads as a result of the restrictions, and that it made its decision after "extensive engagement with policymakers" in which it made its concerns about the threat to the "principles of personalized advertising" clear. The company’s decision only applies to the EU, and Meta users, including politicians, living in member states will still be allowed to discuss and share political content provided it isn’t via paid advertising.

Meta isn’t the only company objecting to the incoming EU rule changes, which are also set to come into effect in October. Last year, Google stopped serving paid-for political ads in the EU, including on YouTube, and the company ultimately avoided fines for its allegedly "abusive" online advertising practices in 2019.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-will-stop-running-political-ads-in-the-eu-162232948.html?src=rss

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© Reuters / Reuters

The annoying thing about coffee is that its ideal temperature is fleeting. Get caught up in a particularly lively debate in your morning meeting and by the time you return to your cup of joe, it’s cooled right down. That’s where Ember’s smart heated mugs come in, and right now one of its best models is $30 off.

The Ember Travel Mug 2 — this one is the 12-ounce variant — usually costs $130, but right now can be snagged for $100 when purchased online from Walmart. It can keep your beverage of choice at your preferred temperature between 120-145 degrees Fahrenheit for up to three hours on a full charge, thanks to the extended battery life. If that isn’t long enough, the included charging coaster can maintain optimum heat all day.

You can pair your mug with the Ember app to tweak the temperature (there’s also a touch display on the cup itself if you don’t want to open your phone), and this model also supports Apple’s Find My service, so you can locate it on your Apple device using the Find My app’s map if you misplace it.

The Ember Travel Mug 2+ is IP67-rated but bear in mind that it’s washable by hand only. This model is available in black.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/embers-travel-mug-2-with-find-my-is-30-off-right-now-135059507.html?src=rss

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© Ember

The latest version of iOS will arrive officially this fall, but you don’t need to wait to start testing the software on your iPhone, thanks to Apple’s public beta rollout. Here’s everything you need to know about setting up the iOS 26 beta, along with the respective betas for iPadOS 26 and watchOS 26, which Apple also revealed in its WWDC 2025 keynote.

Before we get started:, no, you haven’t accidentally slept through eight versions of major Apple OS updates. In case you missed the news, from now on all of the company’s various operating systems will be named after years to keep everything aligned and easy to follow. So rather than iOS 19, we’re getting iOS 26 this year, which refers to the year after each update rolls out. Presumably that’s because we’ll be using it for longer in 2026 than what will remain of this year once the full version is in the wild.

It’s also important to keep in mind that any beta is software in a pre-release state, meaning it's far more likely you’ll encounter bugs, crashes and other issues with apps and in general use, which Apple and third-party developers will attempt to fix before the final version rolls out to users worldwide.

Install any beta at your own risk and think carefully before doing so with the device you use every day. It’s also very important that you back up any device you want to test software on before you download it.

iOS 26 supported devices

iOS 26 is supported on a wide range of iPhones — but not all of them. You’ll need one of the following models:

• iPhone SE (second generation or later)

• iPhone 11

• iPhone 11 Pro

• iPhone 11 Pro Max

• iPhone 12

• iPhone 12 mini

• iPhone 12 Pro

• iPhone 12 Pro Max

• iPhone 13

• iPhone 13 mini

• iPhone 13 Pro

• iPhone 13 Pro Max

• iPhone 14

• iPhone 14 Plus

• iPhone 14 Pro

• iPhone 14 Pro Max

• iPhone 15

• iPhone 15 Plus

• iPhone 15 Pro

• iPhone 15 Pro Max

• iPhone 16e

• iPhone 16

• iPhone 16 Plus

• iPhone 16 Pro

• iPhone 16 Pro Max

If your iPhone isn’t listed above, that probably means it’s too old to run iOS 26, so you’ll need to upgrade to one of the listed models.

How to install the iOS 26 beta

Installing betas used to be a fiddly process, but it’s very easy these days. If it’s your first time installing an iOS public beta, you’ll need to first visit the Apple Beta Software Program website and sign up using your Apple credentials.

After that, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on your compatible iPhone, and choose “iOS 26 public beta”. You should then see the option to download and install the beta software.

You can read about our first experiences with iOS 26 here.

iPadOS 26 supported devices

Here are the supported models for the iPadOS 26 beta

• iPad Pro (M4)

• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation or later)

• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)

• iPad Air (M3)

• iPad Air (M2)

• iPad Air (3rd generation and later)

• iPad (A16)

• iPad (8th generation and later)

• iPad Mini (A17 Pro)

• iPad Mini (5th generation and later)

How to install the iPadOS 26 public beta

Like with iOS above, you’ll need to first visit the Apple Beta Software Program website and sign up using your Apple credentials if you’ve never taken part in one before.

After that, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on your supported iPad, and choose “iPadOS 26 public beta”. You should then see the option to download and install the beta software in the Software Update screen.

You can read about our experiences with iPadOS 26 here.

watchOS beta: Use caution

While Apple Watch users can also participate in beta programs in the same way as iOS and iPadOS testers, doing so carries greater risk. That’s because if you’re not enjoying the experience and decide you want to downgrade to watchOS 11, well, you can’t. Apple doesn’t allow it. And if you downgrade your watch’s paired iPhone to iOS 18, your Apple Watch won’t work correctly with your phone until it’s back on the new software version. You can, however, leave your Apple Watch on watchOS 11 when your phone is on the iOS 26 beta.

Be extremely sure, then, that you’re comfortable with the possibility of waiting it out for a few months with an Apple Watch plagued with issues before downloading the watchOS 26 beta. For most people, it likely isn’t worth the hassle.

watchOS 26 supported devices

You’ll need one of these models to run the watchOS 26 beta

• Apple Watch SE. (2nd generation)

• Apple Watch Series 6

• Apple Watch Series 7

• Apple Watch Series 8

• Apple Watch Series 9

• Apple Watch Series 10

• Apple Watch Ultra

• Apple Watch Ultra 2

How to install the watchOS 26 public beta

If you've assessed the risks for your Apple Watch and still choose to install the watchOS 26 beta, you’ll first need to have already updated your paired iPhone to the iOS 26 beta (see above).

After that, make sure your Apple Watch is paired to your iOS 26-running iPhone and open the Watch app on your iPhone. Then, navigate to General > Software Update, and choose the watchOS 26 public beta. After doing that, you should be able to download the beta software.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-install-the-ios-26-public-beta-171117199.html?src=rss

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It’s always a good time to invest in an air purifier, but in the summer, when seasonal allergies can force sufferers to keep the windows closed, they’re especially useful. And right now our favorite overall air purifier can be picked up for 17 percent off when purchased from Amazon.

Down to $183 from its usual price of $220 (the same deal that was running during Prime Day), the Levoit Core 400S Smart Air Purifier reigns supreme in our guide thanks to its easy on-board controls, relatively quiet fan and, crucially, solid performance. This smart air purifier can clean the atmosphere in spaces of up to 1,733 square feet in no more than an hour. It’s also fairly cheap and easy to replace the filter if needed.

There’s an auto mode that ensures the air quality is maintained, but it plays nice with Alexa and Google Assistant too. All that said, don’t buy Levoit’s air purifier if, for whatever reason, you’re fashion-conscious about your household appliances. This barebones white cylinder is as un-fancy as it gets.

Amazon is also running a deal on Levoit’s Core 300S, which is our top choice for small rooms. It’s basically a smaller version of the aforementioned 400S, and has a lot of the same things in its favour. This model is 10 percent off right now, down to $135 from its usual list price of $150. This is the best price we’ve seen for this model all year.

If you only need an air purifier for even smaller rooms (like a bedroom), the Levoit Core 200S is $10 off with Amazon right now. We haven’t tested this model, but given the strength of the rest of the range, you can be confident it’ll likely be up to the job.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-smart-air-purifier-is-currently-17-percent-off-154251338.html?src=rss

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© Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Amazon finally launched its first-ever color Kindle last year, and while the Kindle Colorsoft was an impressive first effort, the high price of entry likely put it out of range of a lot of people. Well, we have good(ish) news. Amazon has now added a slightly cheaper Colorsoft to its lineup. At $250, it’s still very expensive, but $30 cheaper than the original model, albeit with some sacrifices made.

At 16GB, the cheaper Kindle Colorsoft has half the storage of the more expensive variant, but given that most ebooks rarely ask for more than around 2MB of space in your library, this might be good enough. If you own a lot of digital graphic novels and comics (ie the kind of media that really makes good use of color display), you can expect those to hog more storage, but you’d still need a very large library to start pushing towards that 16GB limit.

The cheaper model also loses the auto-adjusting front light and wireless charging from the Signature Edition, but beyond that, it’s the same ereader. Like its pricier counterpart, the new Kindle Colorsoft has a 7-inch color E Ink display with up to eight weeks of battery life, a handy pinch-to-zoom feature and an adjustable warm light. Amazon has also fixed the yellow-band issue that plagued some early units, including our first review unit.

Amazon is also offering theKindle Colorsoft Kids, which comes with an illustrated cover, one year of Amazon Kids+ and a two-year guarantee. It also has child-specific features such as Vocabulary Builder and Word Wise to help kids learn new words as they read, as well as support for the OpenDyslexic font and Bluetooth for audiobooks. There are two covers available — Fantasy River and Starlight Reading — and parents can use the Amazon Parent Dashboard to manage and monitor what their child is reading.

The Kindle Colorsoft with 16GB of storage costs $250 and comes with three months of Kindle Unlimited included, and the Kindle Colorsoft Kids costs $270. Both are available today, while the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition remains $280.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/amazon-announces-a-slightly-cheaper-kindle-colorsoft-with-half-the-storage-140137967.html?src=rss

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© Amazon

Sonos’ Very Bad 2024 is well documented. Its redesigned app endured a disastrous launch, to the extent that it was initially fundamentally broken. The company was then forced to delay two product launches in order to fix the botched software that its devices are so reliant on. And in the wake of the mess, the company’s then CEO Patrick Spence stepped down at the beginning of 2025. He was replaced by Tom Conrad on an interim basis, but after seemingly steadying what looked like a sinking ship, the former Snap executive has been handed the job permanently.

Conrad had been on the board of directors at Sonos since 2017 and conceded after taking the top job back in January that the company had "let far too many people down." Shortly after that he announced that around 200 jobs would be cut as part of a "reorganizing' of the company’s product division, before it reportedly canceled its long-rumoured video streaming device far into its development. This was followed by Sonos ending its partnership with IKEA in May.

Former CEO Patrick Spence said in an earnings call last year that the total cost of fixing the many issues with the Sonos app was between $20 and $30 million. In a significant recent update to its flagship Sonos Ace headphones, the company finally introduced the TrueCinema feature that was promised when the headphones launched in 2024. This uses a supported Sonos soundbar to measure the acoustics of your room and then channels the data into the delivery of spatial audio in the headphones, making it sound more convincing.

In a statement, Sonos’ now-permanent CEO said he was "excited to move from rebuilding to imagining the next generation of experiences."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/sonos-gets-to-keeps-its-ceo-as-a-treat-164559137.html?src=rss

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© Billy Steele for Engadget

Apple has introduced a new tier of its AppleCare insurance policy called AppleCare One. This allows you to cover up to three of your Apple products under a single plan for $20 per month. If you want to add extra devices beyond that, you can do so for an additional $6 per month, per product.

Apple first introduced AppleCare+ in 2011 as a means of insuring your iPhone against accidental damage, and has since expanded the plan to its entire product line, adding coverage for theft and loss. Currently, AppleCare+ costs from $10 per month to insure an individual iPhone, with subscription prices starting at $3.49 per month for a Mac, and $5 for an iPad, depending on the model you own. You can also insure your Apple Watch, Vision Pro headset, AirPods, Apple TV and HomePod either individually, or as part of your new AppleCare One plan.

AppleCare One features all the same benefits as AppleCare+, including unlimited repairs for accidents such as drops and spills, round-the-clock support from Apple experts, servicing and battery coverage. The theft and loss protection that was previously exclusive to iPhone plans now also covers iPad and Apple Watch if they’re included in your AppleCare One plan. You can make up to three claims a year for theft or loss of an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch.

The $20 monthly price is fixed regardless of which products you include (as is the $6 you pay to add an additional device), meaning the amount you actually save will depend on what they would cost to insure individually, so it’s worth looking into that before you take out the new plan. Apple says that people who cover their iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch could save as much as $11 per month on AppleCare One compared to what they’d pay if each device was insured under AppleCare+.

Also new with AppleCare One is the ability to add devices you already own to a protection plan. Previously you’d have to decide within 60 days of purchasing an Apple device. Apple says that providing they’re under four years old, are in good condition when added and are in your Apple account, they can be covered under AppleCare One. You may need to run a diagnostic check either on the device itself or at an Apple Store to get it approved.

AppleCare One also simplifies the trade-in process. If you trade in a product covered by your plan directly to Apple, it is automatically taken out and replaced by the new device. Unlike AppleCare+, though, there doesn’t appear to be a way to pay annually for your plan. Instead, it rolls monthly for as long as you need it, and Apple will let you move products in and out of coverage whenever you want.

AppleCare One launches tomorrow in the US, and can be activated either on your iPhone, Mac or iPad, or in an Apple Store.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/applecare-one-lets-you-protect-three-devices-under-one-subscription-135559271.html?src=rss

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© Apple

Supermassive Games, the developer behind story-driven games like Until Dawn, The Quarry and The Dark Pictures Anthology, is cutting its workforce due to the ongoing "challenging" state of the games industry. The studio says it’s having to adapt its team structure and as a consequence expects to lose up to 36 employees.

The current size of the Supermassive’s staff is unclear, but in February last year it cut somewhere in the region of 90 jobs, at which time Bloomberg estimated the studio had more than 300 employees.

"This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be an incredibly difficult time for everyone," the UK-based developer said in a statement published today. "Our absolute priority will be to offer full support to all those affected."

Supermassive is currently working on Little Nightmares III and the sci-fi horror adventure Directive 8020, which is the fifth entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology. It said the layoffs will have no impact on the development of the former, which is still due out October 10. Directive 8020 has been delayed to the first half of 2026, which it says will allow it to "deliver the very best experience for our fans." The game had been scheduled to release on October 2.

Supermassive is the latest developer to be hit with job losses, following Candy Crush studio King reportedly laying off at least 200 employees as part of the wide-ranging cuts at Microsoft. Virtuos, the studio behind Oblivion Remastered, also shed around seven percent of its staff last week, while Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic let an unspecified number of its team go at the beginning of the summer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/supermassive-games-is-delaying-directive-8020-and-laying-off-staff-165815343.html?src=rss

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© Supermassive Games

CMF, the budget-friendly sub-brand from Nothing, has announced its latest smartwatch. Billed by its maker as the ideal entry-level fitness watch, the $99 Watch 3 Pro is the most advanced CMF wearable to date, promising updated health tracking and various built-in AI coaching features.

The Watch 3 Pro introduces dual-band GPS, which should make its route tracking more accurate, as well as a new four-channel heart rate sensor that Nothing says offers "improved accuracy across all skin tones and workout intensities." You can choose from 131 sports modes, which is 11 more than its predecessor, with a personalized AI coach providing post-workout summaries and guidance. This includes long-distance running endurance predictions to help you train for that looming 10K.

In addition to the updated heart rate and sleep tracking, the Watch 3 Pro is also capable of blood oxygen (SpO₂) monitoring, stress tracking, guided breathing exercises, hydration and inactivity reminders, as well as women’s health tracking.

On-wrist ChatGPT integration allows you to ask questions and set reminders using "natural language" voice prompts, and there’s a voice recorder with autotranscription for when you want to quickly log a mid-run thought. You can also use AI to generate custom watch faces using the Watch Face Studio, in which you’ll find more than 120 styles premade out of the box. Widgets can be applied for fitness, weather, music or reminders, with a full-screen option available.

CMF’s latest wearable has a 1.43-inch AMOLED, always-on display, and you’re getting a 10 percent increase in screen-to-body ratio compared to the Watch Pro 2 before it. Battery life is 13 days with "typical" use, which Nothing says is a two-day improvement over its predecessor. If you're hitting the tracking hard you can expect around 11 days of juice on a full charge. With the always-on display enabled, battery life unsurprisingly takes a significant hit to around 4.5 days.

Nothing says the Watch 3 Pro and all other smartwatches in the CMF lineup now use the Nothing X app, with the new control centre promising improved stability and a more intuitive UI. It also plays nice with Strava, Apple Health, and Google Health Connect

You’re getting a fair bit of bang for your buck, then, but we’ll have to wait and see how the Watch 3 Pro fares against pricier alternatives where everyday performance is concerned. When TechRadar reviewed the Watch 2 Pro earlier this year, it had lots of positive impressions of the watch, but noted some spotty fitness tracking and sensor detection. 9to5Google was even more critical, finding fault with the heart rate tracking and concluding that the product felt unfinished. And while the Watch 3 Pro covers a lot of the bases for fitness watches with its various sensors, it still lacks NFC for payments, which could be a deal-breaker for some people.

Available in Dark Grey, Light Grey, and Orange colorways, the CMF Watch 3 Pro costs $99 (a not insignificant $30 bump on the Watch Pro 2) is available to buy now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/nothings-99-cmf-watch-3-pro-offers-better-battery-life-and-ai-fitness-coaching-151058055.html?src=rss

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© Nothing

Microsoft has rather abruptly closed down its Movies & TV app, which is accessible on Xbox and Windows PCs via the Microsoft Store. This allowed people to rent or buy movies or TV shows natively through their console or computer’s storefront, but in a newly updated support page Microsoft said the service has ended.

"Microsoft no longer offers new entertainment content for purchase, including movies and TV shows, on Microsoft.com, Microsoft Store on Windows, and the Microsoft Store on Xbox" the statement reads. "However, you can continue to access your purchased content in the Movies & TV app on Xbox or Windows device."

Microsoft added that downloaded movies and shows will remain in your account and continue to play in their maximum supported resolution, but there’s no way of moving your purchased content to another service. However, you can sign up for Movies Anywhere, a service that lets you register movies that you purchased on different storefronts and sync them to other ones so you aren’t locked into one platform. According to the Microsoft support page, it’s still possible to do this with your Movies & TV purchases if you’re in the US.

You can also continue to install other third-party video streaming and purchasing apps on both the Xbox and Windows stores, including Prime Video and Apple TV, and right now nothing is changing with those. The company does not offer refunds on previous purchases.

Microsoft Movies & TV was first introduced as Xbox Video in 2012, which replaced the Zune Video Marketplace it had been operating since 2006. It was Microsoft’s answer to the likes of Apple’s iTunes Store and Amazon’s various on-demand offerings. Microsoft also made a concerted effort to position the ill-fated Xbox One, which first launched in 2013, as an all-in-one multimedia box, but today’s closure of the Movies & TV app is yet another sign that it has now completely moved on from that era.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/microsoft-unceremoniously-kills-off-the-xbox-movies-tv-store-171554115.html?src=rss

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© Microsoft

Chinese President Xi Jinping has bluntly questioned a nationwide rush of investment into the AI and EV industries. As deflation anxiety grows and Trump’s trade war with China ramps up, the world’s second largest economy is turning to fast-growth tech industries to remain competitive.

But Xi appears to think that the strategy is flawed. As reported by the Financial Times, China's President sent out a pointed message about over-investment at the two-day Central Urban Work Conference in Beijing.

"When it comes to projects, there are a few things — artificial intelligence, computing power and new energy vehicles," he said in a speech that made the front page of the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party. "Do all provinces in the country have to develop industries in these directions?"

The Financial Times reports that Xi went on to criticise officials who encourage hasty development but don’t hang around to face the consequences. “We should not only focus on how much GDP has grown and how many major projects have been built, but also on how much debt is owed,” Xi told conference attendees. "We should not let some people pass the buck and leave problems to future generations."

For now though, there’s no suggestion that China is shifting its focus away from the sectors Xi directly referenced. This week, NVIDIA was granted permission by the US government to resume selling its AI chips to China, with the company reportedly holding $8 billion in unshipped orders. It was initially blocked from selling the H20 AI GPU to China over concerns it could aid the nation’s military.

China is the global leader of the EV industry, and the country is taking on the US in the robotaxi race too. It was announced this week that Uber is partnering with Baidu to bring thousands of the Chinese company’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles onto the Uber network in mainland China and other non-US markets.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/xi-jinping-warns-against-chinas-overinvestment-in-evs-and-ai-154054773.html?src=rss

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© ASSOCIATED PRESS

It’s likely that you predominantly associate Spotify with music and podcasts, but if you’re a Premium member, you also get 15 hours of audiobook access per month. For some members, though, that clearly isn’t enough, as Spotify has introduced a new add-on subscription that doubles that listening time.

Audiobooks+ was first trialled in Ireland and Canada, and is launching initially for Premium Individual and Plan members in a number of countries in Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Once you’ve added it to your existing subscription, you’ll get an additional 15 hours of listening to audiobooks included in Spotify’s catalog, on top of what’s already included in the base plan. For individuals, Spotify Premium on its own costs $12 per month.

For those on Premium Family ($20 per month) or Duo ($17 per month) plans, the plan manager has to purchase the add-on, and they’re also able to buy a one-time top-up of 10 hours if they run out before their entitlement resets each month.

Spotify does already offer an Audiobooks Access plan to customers in the US only, which is separate from the Premium offering and also includes access to music and podcasts with ads.

Pricing for Audiobooks+ varies by market, but will cost £9 per month in the UK (around $12), where an individual Premium plan costs £12 (about $16). We’ll find out what it costs here when it arrives in the US, which Spotify told Engadget will happen in the "coming weeks".

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/spotifys-audiobooks-add-on-is-now-available-to-some-premium-subscribers-165030551.html?src=rss

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© Spotify

Uber is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Nuro and Lucid, the latest step in the company’s plan to build an extensive robotaxi program that can roll out globally. Uber’s partnership with EV manufacturer Lucid will see it deploy at least 20,000 of the Newark-based company’s vehicles over a period of six years. These will be equipped with the AI-powered Nuro Driver autonomous technology. The vehicles will be owned and operated by Uber or one of its third-party partners, and the service will be exclusive to Uber users.

The robotaxi service is expected to launch in late 2026 in an unnamed "major US city," and Uber said that a prototype of an operational autonomous Lucid-Nuro vehicle is currently being tested on a closed circuit at a Nuro facility in Las Vegas. According to the new partners, the robotaxi will benefit from the Lucid Gravity SUV’s "advanced technology platform, redundant electrical and controls architectures, and long range," with the latter estimated to be around 450 miles.

Nuro will be responsible for overseeing the extensive safety checks. These range from simulations to on-road testing and are marked on "dozens" of categories. The approved Lucid Gravity robotaxi will operate at level 4 autonomy, which essentially makes it almost fully self-driving and able to perform the majority of its functions without any human intervention.

Uber has spent much of this year expanding its robotaxi ambitions through various team-ups with the likes of Volkswagen and British AI company Wayve, with whom it plans to bring robotaxis to the UK for the first time next year. Back in March, Uber launched its robotaxi service with Waymo in Austin, building on the existing offering in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Waymo One covers 37 square miles of the city, and Uber users can ride in one by ordering an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric.

Earlier this week, Uber also announced a new partnership with China-based Baidu, which will see the two companies bring Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles to mainland China and other non-US (no surprise there) markets around the world.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ubers-latest-robotaxi-plan-involves-20000-lucid-evs-145943920.html?src=rss

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© Uber/Lucid

If you’re all caught up on The Last of Us (the TV version that is) then you’ll know that season two made clear that when the show returns it will focus a lot more on Kaitlyn’s Dever’s Abby. But it sounds like we’re going to have to wait a while to see that side of the story unfold.

Speaking to Variety off the back of The Last of Us netting HBO 16 Emmy nominations this week, the company’s CEO, Casey Bloys, said season three is "definitely planned for 2027." Bloys didn’t offer any more specific information about the release window, but the next batch of episodes arriving in the first half of 2027 would be consistent with the roughly two-year gap between seasons one and two.

The HBO Max chief also told Variety that a decision has yet to be made on whether the remaining chunk of narrative from The Last of Us Part II will be adapted into more than one additional season. Bloys said that the decision is being left to showrunner Craig Mazin. Mazin’s decision likely won’t involve input from Neil Druckmann, though. The Naughty Dog studio head and co-creator of the eponymous video game series stepped away from his role on the show after season two. But Bloys unsurprisingly doesn’t think (publicly at least) that Druckmann’s departure will affect the development of season three.

"It was fantastic to have Neil involved. A lot of people don’t realize that Neil has a full time job creating video games and running Naughty Dog. It’s a really big job that he’s got. So I understand why he needs to focus on that," he told Variety. "But I believe he’s given us a good blueprint with the show. And obviously Craig is a pro, so I think we’ll be in excellent shape. I’m not worried at all."

If you are looking for a way to bridge the gap between now and what could be the final season of The Last of Us, a replay of the game it’s based on might be the way to go. Last week, Naughty Dog introduced a new Chronological Mode to the remastered version of the sequel that ditches the game’s frequent flashback sequences to focus on Ellie and Abby’s respective Seattle plotlines as they unfold.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/hbo-confirms-the-last-of-us-season-3-will-arrive-in-2027-161150871.html?src=rss

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© Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO

If you're on the market for a new pair of AirPods, you're in luck. The latest AirPods 4 are down to some of the best prices we've seen. You can pick up the standard AirPods 4 for $90, a 30-percent discount, or the AirPods 4 with ANC for $120, a 33 percent discount.

While neither deal is quite as good as the ones we saw during the Prime day sale that just passed, you’re only going to be an extra dollar down regardless of which model you go for. The non-ANC AirPods 4 were $89 for Prime Day (a record low), while the noise-cancelling buds could be snagged for $119. If you missed out then, these deals are virtually the same.

You really can’t go wrong with the AirPods 4. While the AirPods Pro 2 remain our number one pick for the entire product category, we think the former are the best choice if you’re on a budget. Apple’s “regular” earbuds were given a long overdue spruce-up in 2024, offering the option of ANC on the non-Pro AirPods for the first time, as well as an improved design and better sound quality.

Whether you go for the ANC or entry level model, you’ll benefit from the various features afforded by the H2 audio chip. These include Voice Isolation, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Personalized Volume and Adaptive EQ. The AirPods 4 with ANC add Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio and a Transparency mode to the spec sheet.

Downsides? You still can’t change the volume using onboard controls, and the cheaper AirPods 4 don’t come with a case that supports wireless charging via MagSage or Qi, which is a disappointment. The AirPods Pro 4 with ANC do a pretty good job of banishing low-frequency background noise, but the noise-canceling capabilities aren't quite as strong as what you get with the AirPods Pro 2.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-airpods-4-are-up-to-33-percent-off-right-now-141631725.html?src=rss

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Microsoft’s extensive gaming portfolio was hit hard by sweeping layoffs earlier this month. The situation appears to have been particularly galling for staff at Candy Crush developer King who are reportedly set to be replaced by AI tools they worked on.

Multiple anonymous sources have told MobileGamer.biz that a number of narrative, UX, level design and user research staffers at King have spent several years helping to build and train AI models that can do their jobs more quickly. Those same employees are now being told their jobs are at risk. They added that the copywriting team is facing the same fate, with the London-based group working on Farm Heroes Saga expected to effectively be cut in half.

"The fact AI tools are replacing people is absolutely disgusting but it’s all about efficiency and profits even though the company is doing great overall," a source told the mobile gaming-focused outlet. "If we’re introducing more feedback loops then it’s crazy to remove the developers themselves, we need more hands and less leadership."

The same source estimated that the company-wide staff cuts could end up being more than 200, which was the number reported by Bloomberg when it broke the news of the broader layoffs.

The impact of the recent staffing upheaval is being felt across Microsoft’s gaming division. Engadget’s Jessica Conditt recently spoke to employees at Halo Studios, with one developer telling us they were "super pissed" about the layoffs. At least five people within Halo Studios were told they no longer had jobs shortly after receiving an all-staff email from Microsoft Gaming SEO Phil Spencer allegedly celebrating Xbox’s current profitability. The same developer said Microsoft was trying its "damnest to replace as many jobs as [it] can with AI agents" as it increasingly pushes Copilot on its staff.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/laid-off-candy-crush-studio-staff-reportedly-replaced-by-the-ai-tools-they-helped-build-174141524.html?src=rss

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Google has closed a $3 billion deal to secure 3,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power, as it looks to meet the data demands of its growing AI and cloud computing platforms by harnessing low-cost clean energy. Brookfield Asset Management's renewables division says that its deal with Google is the largest deal of its kind for hydroelectricity. The first phase of this deal will provide Google with 670MW of carbon-free electricity from Brookfield’s Holtwood and Safe Harbor plants in Pennsylvania.

The Hydro Framework Agreement (HFA) allows Google to upgrade or develop the existing facilities as it sees fit in an ongoing commitment to adding more power to the grid. At the outset, Google’s efforts will largely be focused on the PJM, the largest grid in the US with 65 million customers, which is currently struggling to keep up with the data demands of big tech’s seemingly insatiably power-hungry AI projects. In time, the new partners will have the option of expanding into other regions in the country. Google said in a statement that it was dedicated to "responsibly growing the digital infrastructure that powers daily life for people, communities and businesses."

Google’s latest energy deal comes in the same week that AI rival Meta said it will spend hundreds of billions of dollars on a number of gigwatt-sized data centers, as part of its quest to create better-than-human-level "superintelligence" in all of its AI domains. The new campuses will be among the largest on earth, with the first to arrive being the Ohio-based Prometheus at some point next year.

A typical data center consumes around 500,000 gallons of water each day, but the emerging AI-focused complexes being built by tech giants could reportedly push this figure into the millions, as recently reported by The New York Times. When the volume of water needed to power these facilities eclipses what is readily available, local communities often bear the brunt through rising prices and potential water shortages in the future.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-spends-%C2%A33-billion-on-securing-energy-for-its-data-centers-and-ai-expansion-145145966.html?src=rss

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One of the most popular sites for Nintendo Switch piracy has been taken down as part of an ongoing FBI investigation. As reported by Kotaku, Nsw2u was known for hosting Switch ROMs, which users could download to play on a hacked Switch or PC emulator capable of running them.

At the time of writing, when you enter the site’s URL you’ll see a notice confirming the seizure, which the FBI says is in accordance with a warrant issued by the United States District Court in Georgia. The notice also features a logo for the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD), which is a Dutch government agency that investigates financial crimes.

Nintendo has been cracking down on piracy of its games for a number of years. Back in 2019, the company sued the illegal ROM-sharing site RomUniverse, after it became aware it was offering unlimited downloads of new and old Nintendo games for an annual fee. Last year it filed a lawsuit against streamer EveryGameGuru who it accused of broadcasting footage of pirated — and in many cases unreleased — Switch games, as well as providing access to illegal ROMs. In March of 2024 the makers of popular Switch emulator Yuzu paid $2.4 million to settle charges filed by Nintendo.

Nintendo’s latest anti-piracy move was inserting a clause in an updated version of the Nintendo Switch User Agreement that effectively enables it to brick your Switch if it runs illegal emulators or pirated games. This revised agreement came into effect just ahead of the Switch 2 launch on June 5.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/fbi-seize-well-known-nintendo-switch-game-piracy-site-152216405.html?src=rss

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Disney and the British free-to-air broadcaster ITV have launched a new partnership that will allow them to show each other’s shows in an effort to reach new audiences. ITV viewers will be able to watch shows including Only Murders in the Building, Andor, and The Bear – which lives on Disney+ in the UK – while Disney will take advantage of ITV’s various dramas and reality TV offerings.

Mr Bates vs The Post Office, ITV’s BAFTA award-winning four-part dramatization of the British Post Office scandal, will be available to Disney+ subscribers, as well as selected seasons of the ever-popular Love Island dating show. The thinking seems to be that ITV’s typically older viewing demographic could be drawn to Disney’s more adult-focused shows, with ITV’s output likely to appeal to streaming audiences that skew younger. That said, family-friendly Disney+ shows including Lilo and Stitch: The Series and Phineas and Ferb will also make their way to ITV as part of the deal.

ITV has its own streaming platform, called ITVX, which is free to watch in the UK with ads, or ad-free as part of a monthly subscription. Disney’s content will live on ITVX in the UK, and will be badged as "A Taste of Disney+", with Disney+ offering its "A Taste of ITVX" library to its own subscribers. Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of Media and Entertainment at ITV, said in a press release that the plan is for both libraries to be regularly updated.

Traditional broadcasters striking deals with streaming platforms is nothing new. Netflix has been licensing shows from the BBC and Channel 4 in the UK for a number of years, for example, and back in 2022 Disney and the BBC started co-producing Doctor Who, with Disney+ becoming the home of the long-running sci-fi show outside of the UK. More often than not, though, these relationships tend to be one-way affairs in terms of where the content is distributed, so this even divide between two platforms seems more novel.

The selected shows and movies for the launch window will be available to stream on their respective platforms from July 16. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-and-itv-partner-up-to-show-each-others-shows-on-their-streaming-services-150109825.html?src=rss

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Prime Day deals are still available today, and key among them in the tech space are big discounts on the Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro smartphones. The Pixel 10 might be just around the corner, but $250 off two of the very best Android phones you can buy right now is well worth considering.

The Pixel 9 is down to $549 while Prime Day deals are live, and you can grab the Pixel 9 Pro for $734. Again, that’s a whopping $250 and $265 savings, respectively. We’ve never seen the Pixel 9 cheaper than it right now when purchased from Amazon. If you're looking to spend less, the Pixel 9a is on sale for $424 at the moment, too.

When Engadget’s Sam Rutherford reviewed Google’s non-Pro flagship last year, he called it the go-to Android phone, praising its slick redesign, excellent 6.3-inch OLED display, and solid performance from Google’s Tensor G4 chip. As tends to be the case with Pixel phones, the cameras got a big upgrade, too, with the new 50MP main sensor consistently outperforming the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in situations where plenty of light was available. There isn’t a lot to dislike about this phone, barring the omnipresence of AI bloat in Google phones.

The Pixel 9 Pro is rated as the best overall Android phone available right now in our guide; its a Pro-grade Pixel that can be wielded by those with smaller hands thanks to its 6.3-inch display (those who want the biggest possible pocketable canvas will need to stump up for the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL). An upgraded 48MP telephoto sensor improves what is already an excellent array of cameras, while the 5,060mAh battery is pretty superb, running for nearly 25 hours in our looped video rundown test.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-up-to-250-off-google-pixel-phones-113049357.html?src=rss

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