A couple of days after announcing its first open-weight models in six years, OpenAI is releasing the long-awaited GPT-5. What's more, you can start using it today, even if you're a free user. With GPT-5, the company is touting across-the-board enhancements, claiming the model is its best yet when it comes to coding, writing, safety, accuracy and more.
"GPT-5 is the first time that it really feels like you're talking to an expert in any topic," said OpenAI CEO (and hypeman) Sam Altman during a press briefing the company held before today's announcement. "It reminds me of when the iPhone went from those giant, old pixel [screens] to the Retina Display, and then I went back to using one of those big pixelated things and I was like, 'Wow, I can't believe how bad we had it.'"
At the start of the year, Altman said GPT-5 would offer a unified experience for users, and the new model delivers on that promise. For the first time, OpenAI's default offering is a reasoning model, meaning the system is programmed to tackle complex problems by breaking them into smaller parts. Previously, if you wanted to force ChatGPT to use one of OpenAI's reasoning models, you had to select the "Think Longer" option from the prompt bar. This meant most free users didn't even know OpenAI had more capable models. With GPT-5, the company has significantly simplified the ChatGPT experience.
On the consumer side of things, there are only three versions of the new model. One of those — GPT-5 mini — only crops up when free and Plus users run into their regular GPT-5 usage limit. The other variant, GPT-5 Pro, is, as the name suggests, only available to subscribers of the company's $200 per month Pro plan. On the subject of query limits, Plus users can use GPT-5 "significantly" more than those with a free account, while Pro customers can chat with GPT-5 as much as they want.
OpenAI
When it comes to reasoning, GPT-5 is much faster than o3, OpenAI's previous state-of-the-art AI. "It's so fast that I've had the psychological experience of wondering, like, is it really thinking enough? And then it gives a great answer," said Altman. Perhaps more importantly, it suffers from fewer hallucinations, with OpenAI claiming the model delivers more accurate answers than any of its previous reasoning systems. For instance, when thinking, GPT-5 is approximately 80 percent less likely to include a factual error in its answer than o3. We'll see how GPT-5 responds in real-world use, but if OpenAI has made meaningful improvements here, it would be a big deal; hallucinations have typically been a major weakness of reasoning models, particularly relative to traditional large language counterparts.
At the same time, OpenAI says GPT-5 is its safest AI to date. For one, it includes a new feature called Safe Completions. "In the past, we've approached this from a sort of a binary, if we thought that the prompt was safe, we would comply. If we thought it was unsafe, the model would refuse," said Alex Beutel, safety research lead at OpenAI. "This worked well, but as a challenge that there can be kind of carefully worded prompts that could be confusing. So if someone says how much energy is needed to ignite some specific material that could be an adversary trying to get around the safety protections and cause harm, or it could be a student asking a science question to understand the physics of this material."
With Safe Completions, GPT-5 will try to give the most helpful answer within the safety constraints OpenAI has imposed on it. In tricky situations like the one Beutel outlined above, the model will only provide high-level information that can't be used to harm anyone. "On average, the system is both safer and more helpful for users, and we think that'll be much better," Beutel added.
Additionally, when it comes to health-related questions, GPT-5 is better at flagging concerns and suggesting questions the user should ask of their healthcare provider. It will also answer those prompts more precisely, thanks to the ability to adapt to the person's knowledge level and geography.
On top of everything else, OpenAI says GPT-5 is its best model for coding yet. It's supposedly a better writer too, with the company promising the chatbot is better at translating your drafts into "compelling, resonant" copy.
Alongside GPT-5, OpenAI is adding a handful of new features to ChatGPT. To start, users can now choose a color for their chats, with a few exclusive options available for paying customers. OpenAI has also made it easier to connect ChatGPT to Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Contacts. Once you enable the connections, the chatbot will know when to automatically reference your Google accounts; you won't need to select anything before you start chatting. OpenAI will begin rolling out this feature to Pro subscribers starting next week, with availability for other users to follow.
Over in the Custom Instructions pane, where you can write system prompts to tweak how ChatGPT interacts with you, OpenAI is introducing a handful of pre-set personalities. The four options — cynic, robot, listener and nerd — are available as part of a research preview, and can be changed or disabled at any time.
Last but not least, OpenAI is releasing an updated version of its Advanced Voice feature the company introduced last summer. OpenAI says the tool is better at understanding instructions and adapting its speaking style to the moment. As part of this change, OpenAI is retiring Standard Voice Mode. In practice, that means the company can now offer a better voice experience to everyone since it doesn't need to fall back on Standard Voice Mode, which isn't natively multi-modal like Advanced Voice and therefore worse at understanding the nuances of human speech.
If you're wondering where this leaves OpenAI on the path toward artificial general intelligence, Altman had this to say when asked about the topic. "I kind of hate the term AGI, because everyone at this point uses it to mean a slightly different thing, but [GPT-5] is a significant step forward towards models that are really capable. We're still missing something quite important," he said, noting GPT-5 can't continuously learn on its own. "But the level of intelligence here, the level of capability, it feels like a huge improvement. Certainly, if I could go back five years before GPT-3 and you told me we have this now, I'd be like that's a significant fraction of the way to something very AGI-like."
Update 2:00PM: Added more context about hallucination rates.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gpt-5-is-here-and-its-free-for-everyone-170001066.html?src=rss
The upheaval continues for gaming at Microsoft. The latest victim appears to be Contraband, a planned release from Avalanche Studios with Xbox Game Studios as publisher. The co-op open-world game from the studio behind the entertaining Just Cause series was teased in a brief, mostly atmospheric trailer at E3 2021. But very little had been heard since about the project, and it seems the axe is currently hanging pretty precariously above Contraband.
"Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project's future," Avalanche said in a post on its website. "We're thankful for the excitement we've seen from the community since we announced and will give an update on what's next as soon as we can."
Microsoft announced in May that it would cut 7,000 jobs, or about 3 percent of its global workforce. That news was followed by another cut of 9,000 positions later in the summer. Gaming has been hit hard by these changes, with several studios and planned projects shuttering as Microsoft consolidates. Here's the rundown of other projects that have been reported to have ended so far under Microsoft's auspices:
Several of the aforementioned studios, and many others under the Xbox umbrella, have also been hit by the layoffs. Some, like The Initiative, have been completely shut down.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-has-ended-active-development-on-contraband-175333930.html?src=rss
Another major streaming platform is set to crack down on password sharing. JB Perrette, head of streaming and gaming at Warner Bros. Discovery, just told investors that HBO Max will begin an "aggressive" messaging campaign about the practice beginning next month, according to an earnings report.
Beyond stricter messaging, the company is looking to close any and all loopholes that allow users to share account passwords by the end of the year. Perette said the company has been testing to determine “who’s a legitimate user who may not be a legitimate user."
“The message language right now has been a fairly soft, cancelable message,” he said. It will “start to get more fixed and such that people have to take action as opposed to right now sort of having to be a voluntary process.”
The company hopes that these actions will reap financial rewards, with Perette saying that “the real benefit will start probably in the fourth quarter and then kick in in 2026.” This isn't a desperation move. HBO Max has actually been doing pretty well, despite consistent name changes, as it added 3.4 million new subscribers this quarter.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/hbo-max-plans-aggressive-crack-down-on-password-sharing-starting-next-month-164357329.html?src=rss
The PS5 might be lacking the cadence of first-party exclusives that made its predecessor so successful, but that doesn’t appear to be slowing it down. Sony has announced that the console had shifted just north of 80 million units as of June 30, 2025. This puts it just behind the Xbox 360 (84 million) and well on the way to overtaking the PS3 (around 87 million) in lifetime sales.
The 80.3 million figure was confirmed in Sony’s first set of quarterly results for the current financial year, during which time it sold 2.5 million PS5s, a slight downturn from 2.8 million in the previous quarter. Compared to the same period in the last financial year, however, the company has actually shifted around 100,000 more consoles in the last three months.
Sony also sold approximately 66 million PS4 and PS5 games this quarter, almost 7 million of which were first-party titles. That’s around a 12 million year-on-year increase in overall software sales. Digital accounted for 83 percent of PS4 and PS5 games sold in the last quarter, which is a larger share than in any three-month period in the previous financial year.
The last few years saw Sony briefly shift its focus towards live service games, but one of those was a well-documented disaster, and others have since been cancelled. Clearly none of that has noticeably hurt software sales, though, as Sony has continued to grow in that area.
The PS5 turns five this November, and attention will then turn to whether it will hit the all-important 100 million mark in its lifetime. The PS4 managed that in five years and seven months, and at the time it was the fastest console to reach that number. It also didn’t have to contend with tariffs. PS5 prices increased in the UK, Australia and New Zealand earlier this year, with Sony blaming a “challenging economic environment” in which it is fighting against high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates. The company has since said it is not ruling out moving PS5 manufacturing to the US in the future.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ps5-sales-have-passed-the-80-million-mark-161131719.html?src=rss
Truth Social, President Trump's social media platform, is beta testing an AI search feature powered by Perplexity. Truth Search AI is launching first on the web version of Truth Social, with plans to begin a public beta for the feature on iOS and Android in the near future.
"We're excited to partner with Truth Social to bring powerful AI to an audience with important questions," said Dmitry Shevelenko, chief business officer at Perplexity. The controversial AI company has found itself embroiled time and again in accusations of copyright infringement, plagiarism and stealth crawling websites for content and this latest partnership will likely only continue to fuel the turmoil around the company.
The partnership is the latest example of big tech finding opportunities to cozy up to the president. Just this week OpenAI announced that it would be offering its ChatGPT Enterprise subscription to more than 2 million federal workers at practically zero cost. Choosing Perplexity as the engine for Truth Search AI also puts Trump Media in business with Jeff Bezos, one of Perplexity's largest backers. This week Apple CEO Tim Cook presented Trump with an engraved glass plaque set in a 24-karat gold base, to commemorate domestic investments by the company in an effort to avoid the president's ire at the company's foreign manufacturing of iPhones.
With the addition of Truth Search AI, Truth Social gains an AI layer to its platform without the expense of building one, presumably in efforts to keep up with the likes of Grok on X. Perplexity, for its part, gains exposure to a new base of users to further train on.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/trumps-truth-social-launches-ai-search-powered-by-perplexity-152250137.html?src=rss
The latest Apple iPad mini, which was released at the tail-end of 2024, is on sale for $399 via Amazon. That's a discount of $100 and close to a record low price. The only caveat? The deal doesn't apply to the iconic Space Gray colorway, but all other hues are on sale.
The iPad mini 7 made our list of the best Apple tablets because, well, it's the only one the company makes at this size. However, the specs haven't been hobbled here. It's a real iPad, through and through. We said it was everything we want in a small tablet in our official review, and that holds true today.
The tablet supports the Apple Pencil Pro and the integrated A17 Pro chip is plenty powerful. It's not an M-series chip, but you probably won't notice. The entry-level model, which is the one on sale today, ships with 128GB of storage. It's also small and can therefore fit just about anywhere.
On the downside, we found the bezels to be a bit thick. We were also a bit disappointed with the 60Hz refresh rate, though the display does look great. This model lacks a Face ID sensor, but that suits me just fine. I prefer fingerprint scans or passcodes.
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/the-latest-ipad-mini-is-100-off-right-now-151127280.html?src=rss
Framework builds modular, repairable laptops that anyone can take apart and put back together again. It’s a big deal in an era where laptops are regularly sold as a single unit that, should one part break, goes in the trash. Since every part of a Framework machine can be swapped out, you can keep one going for as long as your patience, and the supply of spare parts, allows. Desktops, however, are already modular and repairable — company founder Nirav Patel said “desktop PC ethos was one of the core inspirations for the Framework laptop to begin with.” So, if desktops are already modular and repairable, why do we need one from Framework?
When the Desktop was announced, Patel said the genesis of the product came from seeing a preview of AMD’s Ryzen AI Max. It’s an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) — AMD’s term for a chip combining a CPU, GPU and NPU in a single package, much like Apple Silicon — with plenty of hyped-up claims about its performance. Those claims were so compelling that Patel added the Desktop to the company’s roadmap just to harness that potential power. The big selling point for this chip is the sheer volume of RAM you can employ (up to 128GB) and the massive memory bandwidth (up to 265GB/s) it can take advantage of. AMD described it as a “workstation-level” chip that’ll work in a regular ‘ol PC, with the base model priced at $1,099.
But there’s a devil’s bargain in opting for such a powerful chip, since to get it means Framework has had to give up a lot of its founding principles. As someone probably once wrote, for what shall it profit a computer manufacturer if it shall gain searing power but lose its own soul?
Hardware
The major issue with the Ryzen AI Max is its inflexibility since it’s made as a single package. Much like Apple Silicon products, you’ll need to pick your chip spec in the knowledge that you don’t get to change things later. Consequently, you’ll be ordering the Framework Desktop in one of three unchangeable flavors:
Ryzen AI Max 385 with 32GB RAM, Radeon 8050S GPU
Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with 64GB RAM, Radeon 8060S GPU (the model I’m testing).
Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with 128GB RAM, Radeon 8060S GPU
With every other Framework machine, the mainboard has the CPU and fan soldered in place, but that’s it. Every other component can more or less be removed and reinstalled on the replacement mainboard. Here, if that APU goes or if your needs do evolve, then you’re losing pretty much everything (including the heatsink) since it’s all soldered to the mainboard. We'll get into pricing considerations later, but replacement mainboards from Framework run between $799 and $1,699. Otherwise, the only things you can recover here are the Wi-Fi module, SSD (there’s space for two), power supply and case.
Speaking of which, the Framework Desktop is a Mini-ITX desktop in a 4.5L case, complete with optional carrying handle. It’s less understated than the cases you’d have seen at a LAN party circa 2006, but that’s not the point. While the box itself is a stark black, you can add a big chunk of personality to it with the front panel, which has space for 21 plastic tiles. These tiles come in a variety of colors (including black, green, orange and lavender) for you to mosaic to your heart’s content. You can also pick up single tiles with specific images printed on, including the Framework, AMD and Linux logos, plus this fetching pride heart. Naturally, if you’re crafty, you can also make your own.
Below the front panel and irritatingly small power button, you’ll find two of Framework’s trademark expansion card slots. These are USB-C ducts into which you can slot any of the company’s expansion cards, letting you pick and choose what I/O you have up front. But the flexibility, so necessary on a laptop, is less of an issue here since this is a Mini-ITX mainboard. Lean over to the back and you’ll find two USB-C, two DisplayPorts, two USB-A sockets as well as dedicated connections for HDMI, Ethernet and 3.5mm audio.
Installation
Framework is only selling its desktop in a “DIY Edition,” but that’s less of a big deal than you might initially expect. Whereas the company’s DIY laptops require you to put every component in the chassis, on the Desktop there’s very little to do at all. Everything bar the SSD is already in place, and all you need to do to add that is remove the heatsink and slot your drive into the M.2 slot. After that, you just need to attach the beefy 120mm fan to the equally beefy heatsink, pop the cowl on top and screw in the four screws. Framework’s wonderful iFixit-style guides claimed getting the hardware together would take between 30 and 45 minutes. I hit stop on the watch after 15 minutes and 15 seconds, and can’t imagine many folks will take much more time than that to put everything together. From there, you just need to install your operating system of choice and you’re ready to go.
In use
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
With the Desktop, Framework is targeting two groups: gamers, and developers eager to use AMD’s Ryzen AI Max. The pitch to the former group could easily be boiled down to ‘this is a fast PC you don’t need to do much to build.’ That’s an easy enough metric to judge it by, since we can just run some games on it and see how well it performs. I’ll admit that I am not an AI developer, and so can’t speak as authoritatively on the latter or how effective it would be at running large models if you — as the company expects — buy several mainboards to run in a cluster.
I basically ran every title in my admittedly limited game library with the settings dialed up to max, and it didn’t break a sweat. AMD claims the Radeon 8060S GPU inside my machine goes toe-to-toe with an RTX 4070 laptop GPU. This is a ten pound hammer for the one ounce nail that is Fortnite, but even demanding titles like Hardspace: Shipbreaker breezed through. My gut tells me, however, that people wouldn’t be eyeing this up as a primary gaming machine. That’s not where this unit’s power lies, really, but in the more work-y tasks that better suit the APU.
As I said, I’m not an AI developer but I did mess around with LM Studio, which I tested with a chatbot running Google’s Gemma 3 27B model. Performance was a little slower than you may see on a web-based AI client, but not enough for it to be an issue. LM Studio, too, suggested that running this was only taking around a third of the Desktop’s CPU power, so there’s probably plenty more headroom there to run bigger and more demanding models.
I am, however, on surer footing with big workstation tasks, like video editing and exporting, and I was impressed with the results here. For this, I took a 39GB HD video file with a runtime of 2 hours, made a few minor trims, and then compressed and exported it as an MP4 file. Crunching the file down to 6GB took just one hour and 12 minutes, a staggering speed boost for a job that could take half a day to export on lesser hardware. It’s worth remembering, too, that I’m testing the middle-tier version of the Desktop with 64GB RAM.
When announcing the Desktop, Patel said the machine would run quietly even at peak power. He described it as “silent while sitting on your desktop under normal loads, and even under gaming, it’s impressively quiet.” If you’re familiar with Framework’s track record and products so far, that quote will have instantly provoked scoffing. The company does many things well, but it wildly overpromises on how quiet and cool its machines run.
Framework trumpeted how much better its cooling was on its recently-released Ryzen AI 300 mainboard for the Laptop 13, which was noisy and lap roasting. Here, you’ve got a beefy APU expected to run for sustained periods of time at 120W and up to 140W in boost. I half expected to be able to use this thing as a space heater but, mercifully, the company does seem to have made good on its promises. The 120mm fan barely got noisy at all, and I can only recall it becoming noticeable when running heavier AI models in LM Studio and when I started exporting the video file.
Pricing
The starting price for the base model Desktop with the Max 385 and 32GB of RAM is $1,099. For that, you’ll get the case, power supply and mainboard, which includes its own Wi-Fi module. What the company is listing as optional extras, however, includes the SSD, CPU fan, OS and even the power lead. So, if you were looking to buy the base model as an essentially off the shelf purchase, including decorative tiles and two front-facing expansion cards, the price rises to $1,386. If you want to opt for the mid-tier option (the 395 with 64GB RAM) add $500 to the base model price. If you want to go for the high end 395 with 128GB RAM, then you’ll be adding $900 to the base price, bringing the total for an off-the-shelf model to around $2,286.
Because of the distinct nature of the Ryzen AI Max, an apples-to-apples comparison isn’t going to be perfect. But, if you were looking to spend around two grand on a high-performance PC, you could snag something like Lenovo’s Legion Tower 5 with AMD. $2,200 buys you a Ryzen 7 with 16GB DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD and NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 Ti with 12GB RAM. Alternatively, that figure could get you an ASUS ROG G700 with a Ryzen 7, Radeon RX 9070 XT Prime (with 16GB VRAM), 16GB RAM and a 2TB SSD. The real differentiator is how much you would value the faster memory bandwidth and speed the AI Max offers over its discrete rivals.
Framework will also sell users the Desktop’s mainboard on its own, with the base model priced at $799. Certainly, if you’ve got boxes full of spare parts and the necessary Mini-ITX case, you could save a chunk of change that way. This will also be the most cost effective way for power users to run clusters of boards for bigger projects. Pre-orders are open, but the company won’t start shipping boards on their own until it’s fulfilled all of its system orders.
Wrap-up
In my time with the Framework Desktop, I’ve flip-flopped a few times on if this product is a hit or a miss. Framework was open about the fact this was something akin to a side project, outside its regular remit to build modular laptops, based on a particularly exciting chip. So while I think the all-in-one approach is a backward step compared to regular PCs, I get the rationale for doing so here.
Where I think Framework whiffed was to pitch this as a machine to make “PC gaming more accessible” by reducing “the mental and physical load” associated with building your own. Nightmares about thermal paste aside, I don’t think that’s a real issue for would-be gamers as they could easily pick up a pre-built system for similar cash. And I suspect most gamers would much rather use a PC with a standalone graphics card rather than slum it with an integrated GPU.
Because even mentioning gaming, really, does the machine a massive disservice, pulling the focus from its real strength. Which is the ease at which this machine handled productivity tasks, like running AI models and crunching video. The effortlessness at which it handled that brought to mind products like the Mac Studio, a creative powerhouse in its own tiny package. It’s this that Framework should have led with, especially since it’ll do all of those tasks and play games on the side.
I’m not sure I’d recommend this product to people who are just looking to buy a powerful PC or a gaming PC. It’s a tool for a specific group of users capable of taking advantage of the AI Max’s benefits that you’d otherwise need a workstation for. So while its review score is justifiably high when the Framework Desktop is judged on its own merits, that doesn’t mean you need to own one.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/framework-desktop-2025-review-powerful-but-perhaps-not-for-everyone-150011909.html?src=rss
Image of the Framework Desktop, with a tile mosaic on its removable front cover, sat on a pine table in front of some books, which are blurred as they are in the background.
When UFO 50, the dizzyingly ambitious fictional game compendium from the creator of Spelunky, landed on PC last year, a Switch port felt inevitable. We’ve had to wait nearly 12 months for that to happen, but it’s finally here.
Rudely shadow-dropped into a sizzle reel at the end of Nintendo’s (otherwise largely underwhelming) Indie World showcase this morning, UFO 50 is available on Switch (and presumably Switch 2, barring any strange compatibility issues) for $25 right now. For those who missed it on PC, you’re getting a wildly varied set of retro-styled games belonging to a console that never existed, all designed by a made-up developer called UFO Soft from the 80s. Confused?
The high concept fictional premise is basically just a good excuse for the six modern-day indie developers actually responsible for the game to pay tribute to the 8- and 16-bit games they remember so fondly. The included games span just about every genre of the era, from platformers and puzzle games, to turn-based strategy, pure arcade titles and bafflingly fully-fledged RPGs. UFO 50 really is a remarkable achievement, and the Switch is the perfect platform for it.
The end of the game’s PC exclusivity could mean that Xbox and PlayStation ports will also arrive at some point, but it arrives on Switch as a console exclusive for now at least.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ufo-50-a-brilliant-tribute-to-retro-gaming-is-out-for-the-switch-right-now-141756694.html?src=rss
Back in June, publisher Devolver Digital decided to switch up its usual Summer Game Fest showcase format and dedicate it to a single game, Ball x Pit by indie developer Kenny Sun and a few collaborators. The demo sunk its claws into me, and I've been looking forward to the full game ever since. During Nintendo's Indie World stream on Thursday, it emerged that Ball x Pit is coming to Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass on October 15. A Switch 2 version will arrive later this year.
Ball x Pit is a bit like if Breakout, Vampire Survivors and Space Invaders were blended together with a pinch of base building thrown in for good measure. Your character will (manually or automatically, it's up to you) fire destructive balls at waves of enemies that approach from the top of the screen, trying to destroy them before they reach the bottom and cause more damage. You'll collect more types of balls and augmentations throughout each run and upgrade both.
The action really kicks up a notch when you're able to fuse two balls and combine their effects. A fusion might grant you a ghost ball that passes through enemies but sticks a lightning rod into each one it makes contact with, dealing recurring damage to both that particular bad guy and others nearby. There are more than 60 different balls to play around with and combining a pair frees up a slot for another one, so you can end up with truly wild builds. You'll also unlock more characters with unique skills that you'll want to experiment with too.
Along with the brick-breaking action, there's a base-building element to Ball x Pit. You can help expand the settlement of New Ballbylon (chef's kiss on that name) with dozens of different buildings that can help you unlock more power-ups, characters and so on. The two sides of the game feed into each other and make for a very sticky, satisfying loop.
According to Devolver, Ball x Pit had the 12th most-played demo during the most recent Steam Next Fest. More than 270,000 people have tried it out on Steam (demo progress carries over to the full game). Ball x Pit is easily one of my most anticipated games for the rest of the year. My only dilemma now is to figure out which platform to play it on.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-spellbinding-ball-x-pit-will-hit-pc-and-consoles-on-october-15-141156022.html?src=rss
Grok's responses to users on X could include paid advertisements in the future. According to the Financial Times, X owner Elon Musk told advertisers in a live discussion that his company would let marketers pay to appear in suggestions from Grok. He said that after making Grok the "smartest, most accurate AI in the world," the company is now focusing on paying "for those expensive GPUs." Musk added that if a person is asking Grok to solve a specific problem, then "advertising the specific solution would be ideal at that point."
What exactly does including ads into the chatbot's responses mean? Will the advertised products or services be clearly labeled as such? Will they compromise Grok's responses? Musk didn't delve into specifics. Instead, he talked about how xAI will automate the ad process for brands and improve targeting overall. Musk also said that xAI will assess the aesthetics of an ad and will prioritize those that appear more pleasing to the eye. He shared that his company has plans to build a checkout feature so that users can make purchases within the app, as well.
Musk said he wants to "overcome the curse of Twitter," in that users "never bought a single thing [for a decade] because the advertising system never actually showed the participants what they wanted." Some advertisers, the Times noted, still don't want to advertise on X because they deem it too toxic. In May, Grok repeated claims of a "white genocide" in South Africa on X, even when the user's question had nothing to do with it. And then a mere two months later, the chatbot went on antisemitic and pro-Nazi rants on X, which Musk then blamed on rogue users.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/x-plans-to-show-ads-in-grok-chatbots-answers-140058660.html?src=rss
INDIA - 2025/07/11: In this photo illustration, the Elon Mask X Profile is seen displayed on a smartphone with a Grok AI 4 logo in the background. (Photo Illustration by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Between 2017 and 2022, 400,181 Uber trips resulted in reports of sexual assault or sexual misconduct in the US, or around one every eight minutes, according to sealed documents seen by The New York Times. The company had only disclosed 12,522 accounts of serious sexual assaults during the same time period. The report is based on interviews with current a former employees, internal documents and court records under seal as part of "large-scale sexual assault litigation against Uber."
"There is no 'tolerable' level of sexual assault," Uber's US head of safety Hanna Nilles told the NYT. She added that about 75 percent of the reports were "less serious," including comments about a passenger's appearance, flirting or using explicit language. In addition, reports had not been audited by the company and could have include incorrect or fraudulent reports submitted by passengers.
Publicly, Uber has stated in marketing campaigns that it's one of the safest options for travel, citing the rarity of assaults. However, the NYT notes that the company had failed to take actions that would likely have improved passenger security — like pairing female passengers with female drivers, using sophisticated matching algorithms and warning passengers about factors linked to attacks.
In several cases cited by the report, drivers with a recorded pattern of inappropriate behavior were kept on the platform and then proceeded to sexually assault passengers. It also shows that Uber rejected safety measures like cameras in cars so as not to disrupt its business model dictating that drivers are contractors and not employees. It also stopped a potential feature pairing female drivers with female passengers over fears of stoking culture wars, among other business reasons.
Uber told the NYT that millions of rides happen each day and vast majority in the US, around 99.9 percent occur without incident. However, with details of horrific assaults and Uber wilfully failing to deal with the problem, the report is yet another damning indictment of the company's growth-above-all culture.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-received-400000-reports-of-sexual-misconduct-from-2017-to-2022-130007123.html?src=rss
Facade of Uber headquarters with logo prominently displayed on glass building, San Francisco, California, August 20, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Sonos plans to raise prices across its products later this year in order to minimize the impact of tariffs on its earnings, the company has revealed alongside its financial results for the third quarter of 2025. It hasn't listed the products and their new prices yet, but it said that it's evaluating any changes it might need to its promotional strategies and that it has flexibility to move production between Vietnam and Malaysia as needed. To note, the Trump administration had imposed a 20 percent tariff on imports from Vietnam and a 19 percent tariff on imports from Malaysia. Sonos also said that it will invest on diversifying its geographic footprint and expanding its presence in markets that represent only a small share of its revenue today to drive growth.
The company took steps to diversify its supply chain last year, which led to its manufacturing facilities in the two aforementioned countries. It now only relies on Chinese plans for products bound to the US for a limited number of accessories, such as speaker stands. Still, for the third quarter of 2025, tariffs reduced Sonos' gross margin for the third quarter by $2.1 million and its cash flow by $3.5 million. In the fourth quarter of the year, which covers the holiday shopping season, Sonos expects tariffs to reduce its gross margin by $5 million and to remove between $8 to $10 billion from its cash flow.
Overall, Sonos posted a revenue of $344.8 million in the third quarter, which is almost $100 million larger than its revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024. It's not a secret that 2024 was a tough year for the company. It rolled out a major update that broke its app, which led to the delay of product releases as it worked to fix the issue. Former Sonos CEO Patrick Spence even stepped down in the beginning of 2025 and was replaced by ex-Snap executive Tom Conrad.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/sonos-is-raising-prices-this-year-to-make-up-for-tariff-expenses-123031336.html?src=rss
Finding a laptop that can juggle both gaming and schoolwork isn’t as tricky as it used to be. These days, you don’t have to choose between a machine that can handle your homework and one that can keep up with your favorite games. Whether you’re diving into an essay, editing video for a project or hopping into a round of Fortnite or Baldur’s Gate 3 after class, there are plenty of laptops that strike the right balance between performance, portability and price.
The key is knowing what to look for. A solid schoolwork and gaming laptop should have enough processing power for multitasking, a GPU that can handle modern games (even if you're not cranking settings to ultra) and decent battery life to get you through a day of classes or study sessions. Some are sleek and lightweight enough to slip into a backpack while others double as full-on gaming rigs when you’re home and plugged in. We’ve tested a range of laptops to help you find one that fits your student schedule and your Steam library.
Best laptops for gaming and school in 2025
Best laptop for gaming and schoolwork FAQs
Are gaming laptops good for school?
As we’ve mentioned, gaming laptops are especially helpful if you're doing any demanding work. Their big promise is powerful graphics performance, which isn't just limited to PC gaming. Video editing and 3D rendering programs can also tap into their GPUs to handle laborious tasks. While you can find decent GPUs on some productivity machines, like Dell's XPS 15, you can sometimes find better deals on gaming laptops. My general advice for any new workhorse: Pay attention to the specs; get at least 16GB of RAM and the largest solid state drive you can find (ideally 1TB or more). Those components are both typically hard to upgrade down the line, so it’s worth investing what you can up front to get the most out of your PC gaming experience long term. Also, don’t forget the basics like a webcam, which will likely be necessary for the schoolwork portion of your activities.
The one big downside to choosing a gaming notebook is portability. For the most part, we'd recommend 15-inch models to get the best balance of size and price. Those typically weigh in around 4.5 pounds, which is significantly more than a three-pound ultraportable. Today's gaming notebooks are still far lighter than older models, though, so at least you won't be lugging around a 10-pound brick. If you’re looking for something lighter, there are plenty of 14-inch options these days. And if you're not into LED lights and other gamer-centric bling, keep an eye out for more understated models that still feature essentials like a webcam (or make sure you know how to turn those lights off).
Do gaming laptops last longer than standard laptops?
Not necessarily — it really depends on how you define "last longer." In terms of raw performance, gaming laptops tend to pack more powerful components than standard laptops, which means they can stay relevant for longer when it comes to handling demanding software or modern games. That makes them a solid choice if you need a system that won’t feel outdated in a couple of years, especially for students or creators who also game in their downtime.
But there’s a trade-off. All that power generates heat, and gaming laptops often run hotter and put more strain on internal components than typical ultraportables. If they’re not properly cooled or regularly maintained (think dust buildup and thermal paste), that wear and tear can shorten their lifespan. They’re also usually bulkier and have shorter battery life, which can impact long-term usability depending on your daily needs.
Gaming laptops can last longer performance-wise, but only if you take good care of them. If your needs are light — browsing, writing papers and streaming — a standard laptop may actually last longer simply because it’s under less stress day-to-day.
What is the role of GPU in a computer for gaming and school?
The GPU plays a big role in how your laptop handles visuals — and it’s especially important if you’re using your computer for both gaming and school.
For gaming, the GPU is essential. It’s responsible for rendering graphics, textures, lighting and all the visual effects that make your favorite titles look smooth and realistic. A more powerful GPU means better frame rates, higher resolutions and the ability to play modern games without lag or stuttering.
For schoolwork, the GPU matters too — but its importance depends on what you're doing. If your school tasks mostly involve writing papers, browsing the web or using productivity tools like Google Docs or Microsoft Office, you don’t need a high-end GPU. But if you’re working with graphic design, video editing, 3D modeling or anything else that’s visually demanding, a good GPU can speed things up significantly and improve your workflow.
Georgie Peru contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-laptops-for-gaming-and-school-132207352.html?src=rss
Apple has announced that it's working with Samsung at its Texas plant to "launch an innovative new technology for making chips." Those chips are reportedly cutting-edge image sensors for iPhones, according to The Financial Times. That in turn means that Sony may no longer be Apple's only supplier of smartphone camera sensors for its upcoming phones.
The chips in question are reportedly three-layer stacked image sensors that will allow for fast smartphone camera shooting speeds and high-frame-rate 8K video, along with reduced rolling shutter "jello" distortion. Both Samsung and Sony (along with Canon) have recently said that they're working on such chips.
The news marks a reconciliation of sorts between Apple and its frenemy Samsung. Apple stopped using Samsung in favor of TSMC as its primary contract manufacturer back in 2011, kicking off a decline in Samsung's chip business. Now, Samsung has scored back-to-back foundry wins with Apple and its recent $16.5 billion deal to build chips for Tesla.
Samsung may have won the business due to its likely exemption from upcoming tariffs on foreign chips announced yesterday by Trump that could be as high as 100 percent. It looks like companies with manufacturing in the US like Samsung, TSMC and SK Hynix will dodge those import taxes. However, Sony's image sensors are built under contract by TSMC in Taiwan, and Sony itself doesn't have any such chip plants in the US.
Sony has about a 45 percent share of the $21.8 billion image sensor market, compare to about 19 percent for Samsung. One big reason for Sony's domination is its cutting edge technology, having been first to market in nearly every major advance, including backside illumination, two-layer stacked sensors and global shutters on mirrorless cameras. According to a recent rumor, Sony was contemplating a spin-off its sensor division but held back due to Trump's tariffs.
"We remain confident that we are advanced in providing sensor technology to our customers, and we will focus on continuing further technological advancement through larger sensor size and density," Sony said in a statement in response to the news from Apple.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-is-reportedly-working-with-samsung-to-build-iphone-image-sensors-in-texas-120021281.html?src=rss
TAYLOR, TEXAS - APRIL 16: A general view of the Samsung Austin Semiconductor plant on April 16, 2024 in Taylor, Texas. The U.S. has awarded Samsung $6.4 billion to support the company's chip manufacturing plant in Taylor, Texas in an effort to help further generate domestic production of semiconductors, alongside expanding Samsung's manufacturing plants. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Choosing the best laptop can be a bit of a challenge — there are so many models, sizes and specs out there that it’s easy to feel lost in the shuffle. But the good news is that modern laptops are better than ever. Whether you're looking for a powerful AI PC, a travel-ready ultrabook or an affordable machine that can handle everyday tasks, there's something out there for everyone. Today’s systems combine improved performance, longer battery life and smarter features in sleek, lightweight designs that are built to keep up with work, play and everything in between.
Out of all of the notebooks we've tested and reviewed recently, we consider Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air M4 to be the best laptop for most people, and this is still the case for our top picks to start off the new year. It's powerful enough to handle most tasks (even light video editing); it has a great screen and built-in speakers; and its battery could last over 18hours (depending on what you're doing, of course). The MacBook Air M4 is also one of the lightest and thinnest systems we've reviewed, and it's dead silent, thanks to a fanless design.
Of course, not everyone wants a MacBook, and there are excellent Windows laptops and Chromebooks out there, too. Windows systems offer a range of configurations, from budget to high-end UHD screens with stunning IPS panels that boast high nits for vivid brightness. Chromebooks, on the other hand, tend to be more affordable and are great for users who mostly work online. Whether you need a powerhouse for creative work, a compact system for note-taking, or a laptop that can handle family movie night, there’s something for everyone in today’s laptop market.
Engadget has been reviewing laptops for two decades, and while the definition of what a portable PC is has changed considerably since, our obsession with testing their limits and serving up informative buying advice remains the same. Be it a hybrid tablet like Microsoft's Surface machines, a rotating 2-in-1 convertible like HP's Spectre x360s or a plain old clamshell notebook, our review process follows similar beats. How does it look and feel? How fast is it? Whether it’s a Windows device powered by an Intel Core i5 or higher, a MacBook or a Chromebook, we aim to answer the most important question: Is it actually worth your hard-earned cash? We also pay close attention to portability, webcam quality and display features, including IPS panels and nits of brightness, as they can make a big difference in daily use.
There's a good chance you've already committed to an operating system, but my advice is to be as flexible as possible. These days, most major software is compatible with both Macs and PCs. (Of course, it's another story if you've become dependent on an Apple-only app like Final Cut Pro.) Web-based apps, naturally, will work on any platform with an internet browser.
If you're an Apple-loyalist, there aren't many reasons to consider Windows laptops (unless you want a secondary gaming machine). But for Windows users, macOS is becoming more tempting every year. Apple's MacBooks, powered by its M-series Silicon chips, are among the fastest and most efficient laptops we've ever seen. They're incredibly well-built and have outstanding battery life to boot. MacOS itself is also an easy platform to learn, especially if you're used to iOS and iPadOS.
That brings up another point: iPhone users may want to consider Macs because of the seamless integration with Apple's other platforms. You can't respond to iMessage conversations easily or hop into FaceTime chats on Windows PCs, but doing so is simple on Macs. (Microsoft's Phone Link app lets you send iOS users individual texts, but not media or group chats.) Android users, meanwhile, may be better off with Windows, as Phone Link can make calls, synchronize all your texts and also access your phone's photos.
If cloud gaming is your priority, Windows laptops with NVIDIA’s GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming compatibility may offer more flexibility and decent performance, especially when paired with fast internet speeds. Chromebooks also make a compelling case here as an affordable, lightweight solution for casual cloud gaming sessions.
As for whether you’ll want a PC with a dedicated Copilot AI button on the keyboard, that depends on how often you see yourself using Microsoft’s generative tools. Given we’re only just seeing the first slate of AI PCs, it would be wiser to wait out the hype and see what improvements might come over time.
And what about ChromeOS? Chromebooks are a smart and (typically) inexpensive way to do things like web browsing and hopping on a few video chats, but for most, they're not the best choice as a primary computer. There aren't many apps or games that work offline, and they also don't work with powerful software suites like Adobe's (you can use the stripped-down Adobe Express and Photoshop online tools, though).
Chromebooks are great secondary machines to use alongside a more powerful Mac or PC, and they're popular in schools because they're cheap and easy for IT workers to manage. And if all you need is web browsing access, or a notebook for a kid, a Chromebook might be enough.
If, for some reason, you’re looking for a powerful ChromeOS system, there are also Chromebook Plus models to consider. These machines sport faster processors and more RAM than typical Google notebooks, and they can also tap into a few of the company’s online AI features, like AI image generation and photo processing.
Price
You can expect to spend between $1,000 and $1,800 for a new laptop these days, depending on the configuration. If you're looking for more of a workhorse, that could cost you well over $2,000 for additional RAM, storage, as well as a beefier graphics card and CPU. But you can also find some good laptops under $1,000 if you're willing to overlook build quality (or buy a refurbished or previous generation machine, which we highly recommend). Systems with AMD chips tend to come in cheaper than their Intel counterparts, but the bulk of their cost will come down to other components like RAM and storage.
I’ve included our favorite affordable model in this best laptop buying guide, but we have a list of the best budget laptops that you can check out as well.
Laptop size and weight
So how portable do you want your laptop to be? That's the ultimate question you need to ask when choosing between various screen sizes. 13-inch machines have become a solid starting point for most shoppers — it's enough real estate for the majority of tasks like emailing and writing, and it also helps keep machines relatively light (typically between two to three pounds). Thanks to manufacturing advancements, these dainty machines sometimes even come with larger screens (the smaller MacBook Air actually has a 13.6-inch display).
If you have trouble seeing fine text, we’d recommend going for a display larger than 13 inches. ASUS’s Zephyrus G14 is a solid 14-inch option for gamers, and we’re also seeing more productivity-focused machines aim for that size, like the Dell 14 Premium and MacBook Pro. While 14-inch notebooks are a bit heavier than 13-inch models, coming in between three to four pounds, their screens are noticeably roomier.
For artists, or anyone else who needs a large canvas, a 15-inch laptop may make the most sense. They typically weigh between 3.5 and 4.5 pounds, but that extra heft may be worth it to fit wider video editing timelines or Photoshop windows. And, as you'd expect, you'll also pay a bit more for a 15-inch notebook compared to smaller ones (the 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,199, while the smaller model goes for $999). PC makers are also replacing 15-inch systems with 16-inch versions, which will give you even more space to work.
If you're in the market for a business laptop, size and portability might be key considerations. A lightweight yet powerful system with a long battery life can make a world of difference if you travel frequently for work.
You can still find laptops with 17-inch or 18-inch screens, but those are typically gaming systems or souped-up workstations. They're not meant for mere computing mortals.
Ports and connectivity
These days, most laptops ship with a few USB-C ports, which can handle both charging and speedy data transfers. Apple's MacBooks also include a separate connection for MagSafe power, and you'll find custom power connections on some PCs like Microsoft's Surface. Older USB Type-A connections are less common now, but they still pop up in systems like HP's Spectre x360 14, as well as many models from ASUS.
For gamers or creators who rely on discrete graphics, ensuring your laptop has the right ports for external monitors or GPUs is crucial. DisplayPort or HDMI connections can also ensure you’re ready for dual- or multi-screen setups for more immersive experiences. Similarly, if you want to save high-resolution files or install multiple games, you might need to consider additional hard drive space; external hard drives are pretty affordable, as long as you have a proper port to connect them.
If you're a fan of wired headphones, it's worth keeping a close eye on headphone jack availability. They usually include a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, but that's a clunky solution, and it also takes up a USB port. Sure, most people use wireless earbuds and cans today, but it's still helpful to have a wired one around for when those devices run out of juice.
Most laptops today offer Wi-Fi 6 or 6E and Bluetooth 5.0 or later, which should mean faster and more stable connections if you have compatible routers and devices. While Wi-Fi 7 routers have started appearing, that spec hasn't made its way into laptops yet. As for cellular coverage, there are notebooks like the Surface Pro 9 and Samsung Galaxy Book models that offer integrated 5G. But from our testing, that feature may not be worth the cost of a separate data plan. Instead, you could tether to your smartphone or invest in a wireless hotspot that can keep multiple devices online.
Battery life
A laptop's battery life depends on several factors: The power draw from the screen and other hardware, the optimizations used to avoid unnecessary power drain, and, of course, the size of the actual battery. One of our previous favorite systems, the Dell XPS 13, lasted 13 hours and 15 minutes in the PCMark 10 battery benchmark. In real-world testing, I was able to use it for a day and a half without needing a recharge. The MacBook Air 13-inch, meanwhile, more than 18 hours in our benchmark and kept running for more than two work days of my typical workflow. In general, you should expect a modern laptop to last at least eight hours.
If battery life is your absolute priority, I'd strongly suggest looking at Macs over Windows PCs. Apple's M-series chips are essentially mobile hardware, with all of the power efficiency you'd expect from something originally designed for phones. Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon chips could help Windows PCs compete with Apple’s astonishing battery life, but we’ve yet to see those in action. Chromebooks also typically get decent battery life (as long as you don’t overstuff them with power-draining tabs).
Refresh rate
A laptop's refresh rate refers to the amount of times its screen is cycled every second. Modern displays like IPS LCDs and OLEDs support 60Hz refresh rates at a minimum, but we're seeing more devices offering 120Hz, 240Hz and beyond. The higher the number, the faster the screen is refreshed, which ultimately leads to a smoother experience while mousing around or scrolling through web pages. (If you want to get a sense of what a slow refresh rate looks like, just grab an e-reader like the Kindle and try to flip between book pages.)
While high refresh rates used to be reserved for gaming laptops, nowadays we're seeing more mainstream machines like the Dell 14 Premium offer 120Hz (or variable rates that move between 60Hz and 120Hz).
CPU & GPU
If you’re buying a new laptop, you’ll want to make sure it’s powered by the latest CPUs. For Windows PCs, that includes Intel’s Core Ultra chips for thin-and-light machines or the 14th-gen HX chips for beefier systems. The Core Ultra series have NPUs for handling AI tasks, while the HX hardware does not – they’re based on Intel’s previous chip architecture, and they’re more focused on delivering raw horsepower. Intel's older 13th-gen and 12th-gen laptop chips also don't have NPUs, so keep that in mind if you're looking at used systems.
You'll also see AMD's Ryzen 8000 and 9000 chips in plenty of new systems like the ASUS Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 14. Those CPUs mainly target gaming laptops and high performance systems, while you'll still find AMD’s older Ryzen 7000 chips in ultraportables. AMD's main advantage is that its chips also include Radeon graphics, which are far more capable than Intel's Arc hardware (though those are getting better).
Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus are also an option in Copilot+ PCs (more on those below). Since they’re based on mobile chip designs, they’re likely also more power efficient than AMD and Intel’s hardware. In the past, we’ve avoided recommending Snapdragon chips because they led to a slow and frustrating Windows experience. But Microsoft claims it’s rebuilt Windows 11 around Snapdragon’s Arm-based architecture, which should lead to far faster performance and better app compatibility.
As for Apple's laptops, you'll be choosing between the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max, each of which is progressively more powerful.
On the graphics side of things, a GPU, or graphics processing unit, is the component that communicates directly with a laptop's display. Laptop CPUs all have some form of integrated GPU: Intel has either its standard graphics or beefier Arc hardware, while AMD's chips include fast Radeon mobile graphics. If you want to play demanding games at high speeds (measured in frames per second, or fps), or if you need some extra power for rendering video or 3D models, you can configure a laptop with a dedicated GPU like NVIDIA's RTX 40-series hardware or AMD's Radeon RX 7000. Just be sure to leave room in your budget if you want a powerful GPU, as they typically add $300 or more to the cost of a laptop.
Apple's M-series chips, meanwhile, have GPU cores that can perform as well as NVIDIA’s and AMD's lower-end dedicated GPUs. That's quite the accomplishment for systems like this (especially the MacBook Air and 14-inch MacBook Pro), and it's another reason we highly recommend Apple's notebooks.
AI PCs, NPUs and Copilot+
Simply put, an AI PC is a computer equipped with a neural processing unit (NPU), which is designed to handle AI-related tasks. Much like how GPUs tackle heavy-duty gaming and rendering workloads, NPUs are designed to handle the complex math necessary for AI workloads. They’re also far more power efficient than CPUs or GPUs, which could lead to better battery performance in laptops. While many factors go into NPU performance, for the most part we measure their potential speed by TOPS (tera operations per second).
We were primed for AI PCs based on the chips Intel and AMD announced in 2023. Intel unveiled its "Core Ultra" CPUs in December, its first to include an NPU for AI work. AMD also announced its Ryzen 8040 AI mobile chips that month (and it couldn't help but say they were faster than Intel's new hardware). But in May, Microsoft announced its Copilot+ initiative, which is pushing major PC makers to deliver premium AI PCs with specifications including 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSDs and NPUs with at least 40 TOPS of AI performance.
Copilot+ is more than just a marketing term: Microsoft is also launching AI-powered features in Windows 11 that take advantage of powerful NPUs. That includes Recall, which can help you locate anything you’ve done on your PC (whenever it finally launches), as well as Cocreator in Paint, which can generate AI images based on text prompts and doodles.
If you buy an AI PC that isn’t Copilot+ certified, you’ll still be able to use some features like Windows Studio Effects, which can blur your background in video calls or keep you in frame. Developers like Adobe and Audacity are also building features into their apps that can take advantage of NPUs.
At the time of this post, Chromebook Plus notebooks can also access a few of Google’s online AI features, like image generation and photo processing.
The ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Edition is a great spiritual successor to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, offering the best that business laptops have to offer. That includes long battery life packed into a thin and light chassis. This is an optimal ultraportable business laptop.
While the price might give you some pause, we tested the lowest configuration, and found that the X9-14’s performance is excellent for casual business users. The only issue with quality is that the keyboard is lacking. It’s mushier than we’d like, which could get a bit tiresome throughout the day. You’ll still miss out on a USB Type-A port, so you may need to carry a Type-C hub with you.
Where the ThinkPad X9-14 will win you over is its bold OLED screen. Combo that with its well-rounded audio, and the ThinkPad X9-14 makes for an excellent multimedia device in and out of the workplace.
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED
Aside from its lovely OLED screen, the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED doesn't stand out from the crowded laptop field in any way. It just looks dull and boring, especially compared to the strikingly beautiful ASUS Zephyrus G14, which also came out this year. While you can probably find the Zenbook 14 for a decent price, I'd recommend holding out for something with a bit more personality (and with a less wobbly screen hinge).
Razer Blade 14
The Razer Blade has almost everything you'd want in a 14-inch gaming notebook, but it's far pricier than the Zephyrus G14 on this list, and it doesn’t even have an SD card reader. It would be a solid competitor once its price falls a bit, and it's certainly a great option if you just have to have a jet-black laptop.
Framework Laptop 16
Framework gave its modularity magic to the Laptop 16, delivering a gaming notebook where almost every single component is user replaceable. But you'll have to pay a pretty penny to snag it with upgraded hardware, and its optional Radeon 7700S GPU was surprisingly slow.
Alienware m16 R2
The Alienware m16 r2 has been revamped with a slimmer case, but it’s otherwise a fairly typical gaming laptop. It’s a solid option for Alienware fans, but you’ll find better hardware and deals elsewhere.
ASUS Zenbook Duo (2024)
The Zenbook Duo is a fascinating dual-screened notebook, and according to my colleague Sam Rutherford it’s the first of its kind that’s worth buying. But its unique hardware isn’t really meant for mainstream consumers, and Windows 11 still doesn’t support multi-screen setups well enough to make full use of the Zenbook Duo’s ample canvas.
Dell XPS 16
Dell’s XPS 16 is big and beautiful, but it’s far too expensive compared to the competition. Plus, it uses a capacitive row of function keys that you basically can’t see under bright light and has too few ports for a machine of this size.
What is the average battery life of a laptop per charge?
It’s hard to come up with an average battery life for laptops, since that will ultimately depend on what you’re doing with them. An ultraportable like the MacBook Air that sips power can last around 20 hours in our battery benchmark, and around two full work days of real-world usage. But a gaming laptop may last only a few hours if you’re actively playing something while on battery. At this point, Macs are delivering far better battery life than PCs, thanks to Apple’s Silicon chips, but Microsoft claims Copilot+ systems with Qualcomm chips will also get over 20 hours of batter life.
How much RAM do I really need?
The more RAM you have, the more things your computer can do simultaneously. For that reason, we recommend buying PCs and Macs with at least 16GB of RAM. That gives you enough memory to have several applications open at once, as well as web browsers filled with RAM-hogging tabs. Many PC games also require at least 16GB of RAM. While you could use a system with 8GB of RAM for basic tasks, you’ll quickly run into slowdowns and error messages as your apps stack up. Many laptops, especially ultraportables, don’t let you upgrade RAM, too – so you’ll have to buy an entirely new computer if you didn’t equip enough memory at the start.
If you’re a hardcore gamer, programmer or planning to render videos or 3D models, then you may want to go for 32GB of RAM or more. And if you just need a secondary laptop for lighter work – perhaps a no-frills system for writing – then you can probably get by with 8GB. Just be sure to keep those browser tabs in check.
What is the best storage capacity for a laptop?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to laptop storage. You’ll typically find configurations between 256GB and 1TB SSDs (solid state drives) on most laptops, and I’d recommend most people get at least 512GB. That’ll be enough space for large apps, music and video files without stressing your system too much. If you’re a media hoarder, or want to play a ton of games, then it’s definitely worth getting a 1TB SSD.
If you’ll mainly be streaming your shows and music, and would rather invest in RAM or other hardware, then 256GB of storage would be serviceable. I’d recommend staying away from any machine with 128GB of storage though. Most of that will be taken up by the operating system, and you’ll likely run into issues cramming in large apps after a few months.
We recommend springing for extra built-in storage or investing in a portable SSD for backing up your most important files. It's also worth noting that Chromebooks tend to come with less built-in storage — 32GB, 64GB or 128GB — since ChromeOS encourages users to save their files in the cloud rather than on the device. In that case, 128GB is plenty.
What's a good price range for a decent laptop in 2025?
You can expect to spend between $1,000 and $1,800 for a typical 13-inch laptop today. As I explained above, you'll pay more if you want to stuff in more RAM or better GPU hardware. But you can also find deals below $1,000 if you look for refurbished or older-generation models.
What’s the difference between macOS and Windows? Which is better?
Simply put, macOS is the operating system in all of Apple's notebooks and desktops, while Windows powers the vast majority of PCs. You'll also find Chromebooks running Google's ChromeOS, but those are basically just web browsers running on top of Linux.
Debating the differences between Windows and Macs is something PC nerds have been doing since the '80s, so we won't be declaring a winner here. There are some small, negligible distinctions, like using a Command versus a Control key, how file explorers work and concerns about viruses and security. For the most part, those are minor issues or have become moot thanks to better built-in security.
But if you care more about playing the newest games, you'll want to have a Windows system. If you're more focused on creative apps, like Photoshop, Premiere and Final Cut Pro, then macOS may be a better fit (especially if you're running an iPhone).
What are the best laptop brands?
There is no single "best" laptop brand, but judging from this guide alone, we're generally impressed by notebooks from Apple, Dell and ASUS. They all offer fast, reliable and sturdy machines. HP also makes some eye-catching devices if you want an option that’s the most aesthetic. Those four brands, along with Lenovo and Acer, dominate laptop sales worldwide. We'd avoid systems from any retail store brands, or companies that don't have a major presence in the US.
Tea bills itself as a safety dating app for women, allowing users to anonymously share details about men they have met. A new app called TeaOnHer has emerged that attempts to flip the script, with men sharing information about women they date. And while Tea drew scrutiny last month after a data breach revealed user information, including potentially identifying details such as phone numbers and personal anecdotes, the copycat app seems to be suffering from the same problem.
TechCrunch discovered several security issues at TeaOnHer, which is currently second most popular lifestyle app on iOS. (Tea is the current leader despite the issues). The publication reported that it identified a security flaw that allowed anyone to access TeaOnHer user data, including usernames, email addresses, uploaded driver's licenses and selfies. It also found a possible second issue where the email address and plaintext password for Xavier Lampkin, founder and CEO of the app's developer, was left exposed. These credentials appear to offer access to TeaOnHer's admin panel, which is another security risk.
The full report at TechCrunch also raises concerns about the content shared on the app, which included spam posts with nude photos of women. It's unclear how many of the roughly 53,000 users for TeaOnHer might be bots, or whether the app was ever meant to be used seriously; chunks of its description in the iOS store use near-identical language to Tea's listing.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/theres-a-tea-app-for-men-and-it-also-has-security-problems-224435459.html?src=rss
Apple plans to invest an additional $100 billion in the US, the company announced on Wednesday. The investment follows President Donald's Trump's announcement yesterday that he would impose a 100 percent tariff on chip imports, with an exemption for any companies "building in the United States."
Also relevant is the White House's previously announced plans to raise tariffs on India by an additional 25 percent (bringing the total tariff to 50 percent) for purchasing oil from Russia. Apple relies heavily on manufacturers in India to create the iPhone, so adding to its already $500 billion investment in the US is likely a way to avoid being impacted by the tariffs.
"Today, we're proud to increase our investments across the United States to $600 billion over four years and launch our new American Manufacturing Program," Apple CEO Tim Cook shared in a statement. "This includes new and expanded work with 10 companies across America. They produce components that are used in Apple products sold all over the world, and we’re grateful to the President for his support."
Apple is expanding our US commitment to $600 billion over the next four years. And our new American Manufacturing Program will bring even more jobs and advanced manufacturing to the US. pic.twitter.com/6KWkTGJN3O
In February, Apple said its original $500 billion investment plan would go towards building Apple Intelligence servers in the US, and that the majority of the new jobs the funding would provide would be focused on R&D, silicon engineering, software development and AI and machine learning. As part of this additional investment, Apple says it's also deepening its relationship and investment in component makers working in the US, like Corning and Amkor.
Corning produces the glass for iPhones and Apple Watches, and the company says that "soon, every iPhone and Apple Watch sold around the world will be built with Kentucky-made cover glass." Apple is investing in Amkor to take advantage of the company's "advanced chip packaging and test facility in Arizona." Apple says its "leading the creation of an end-to-end silicon supply chain in the United States" through its investments.
In addition, Apple said it would be working with Samsung "to launch an innovative new technology for making chips, which has never been used before anywhere in the world." Those chips will reportedly be cutting-edge image sensors for iPhone cameras and be built in Texas, according to The Financial Times. Apple may be shifting at least part of its sensor purchases to Samsung from Sony due to tariffs — Samsung has chip plants in the US and Sony doesn't. Apple said that Texas Instruments, Broadcom and GlobalFoundries would expand component manufacturing in the US as well.
In a statement to Bloomberg before the announcement, a White House spokesperson suggested the new investment would "help reshore the production of critical components to protect America’s economic and national security." The Trump administration has previously called for Apple to make the iPhone in the US, something CNN reports is difficult to downright impossible.
Apple's current strategy for dealing with Trump is similar to how it handled the President during his first term. In 2019, Cook and Trump "opened" a Mac Pro factory in Texas. The factory had been up-and-running since 2013, but the President was pleased by the optics of making a deal. Apple's partnership with Amkor was similarly announced years ago in 2023, but is being trotted out now because it fits with Apple's "American Manufacturing Program."
Apple is a trillion-dollar company that can afford to spend a few billion to avoid paying tariffs, but it also likely planned to increase its investment in the US anyway to keep up with competitors. It's entirely possible the company is just packaging its spending in a way that flatters the President.
Steve Dent contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-to-invest-another-100-billion-into-the-us-to-avoid-tariffs-210250020.html?src=rss
RedOctane Games is back and ready to make more rhythm games. The studio announced its re-launch today and said it is already in production on its first title. Charles and Kai Huang, who co-founded the original RedOctane back in 1999 and launched the Guitar Hero franchise, will serve on a special advisory board for the new company. The first RedOctane was acquired by Activision in 2006 and shuttered in 2010.
The team is small, but it has some heavy-hitters from the rhythm game world. Its head of studio is Simon Ebejer, who was the production director for multiple Guitar Hero games, and many of its employees worked on Guitar Hero and DJ Hero. RedOctane will operate within parent company Embracer Freemode, which also houses CRKD, a gaming accessory company that also has history in rhythm games.
There are some interesting competitors to this revived RedOctane on the market, such as Clone Hero and Fortnight Festival, not to mention legions of arcade titles. It should be exciting to see what new ideas RedOctane will bring to the party.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/redoctane-relaunches-and-will-continue-to-make-new-rhythm-games-211816411.html?src=rss
Last month, a Pew Research Center report shed light on Google's AI Overviews' effect on web publishing. In short, the analysis painted an abysmal outlook for anyone relying on web traffic. But on Wednesday, Google Search head Liz Reid penned a blog post that puts quite a different spin on things. The Google VP claims traffic from search to websites is "relatively stable" and that click quality has increased.
Reid's framing boils down to everything is peachy, and AI is making things better — even for websites! She wrote that Google Search's total organic click volume to websites has been "relatively" stable year-over-year. Reid also claimed Google sends more "quality clicks" (visitors who don't quickly bounce) to websites than a year ago. The company says people are also happier with the search experience.
The company didn't share any numbers — the post has no data whatsoever — to support its claims.
Google's explanation for the rosy outlook? "With AI Overviews, people are searching more and asking new questions that are often longer and more complex," Reid wrote. "In addition, with AI Overviews, people are seeing more links on the page than before. More queries and more links mean more opportunities for websites to surface and get clicked."
Reid does highlight a shifting landscape. She says user trends are resulting in lower traffic for some sites and increased traffic for others. Of course, the Google Search head didn't call out any specific websites. But she claims forums, videos, podcasts and posts with "authentic voices and first-hand perspectives" are thriving. Reid added that content like "an in-depth review, an original post, a unique perspective, or a thoughtful first-person analysis" does well.
Google / Engadget
The Google VP said people seeking simple Q&A types of searches are leaning more on AI. "For some questions where people are looking for a quick answer, like 'when is the next full moon,' people may be satisfied with the initial AI Overviews response and not click further," Reid wrote. "This has also been true for other answer features we've added, like the Knowledge Graph or sports scores. But for many other types of questions, people continue to click through, as they want to dig deeper into a topic, explore further or make a purchase. This is why we see click quality increasing — an AI response might provide the lay of the land, but people click to dive deeper and learn more, and when they do, these clicks are more valuable."
It's quite the contrast from the Pew report. It found that visitors who saw an AI summary clicked a traditional search result in eight percent of all visits. Those without an AI summary? They clicked on a traditional result in 15 percent of their visits. As for those source links in AI summaries? Pew found that only one percent of people clicked on those. Users were also more likely to end their browsing after visiting a page with an AI summary.
That aligned with comments Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince made in June. He said search traffic referrals keep plummeting. "The future of the web is going to be more and more like AI, and that means that people are going to be reading the summaries of your content, not the original content," he said. Prince said that a decade ago, Google sent a publisher one visitor for every two pages it crawled. Early this year, it dropped to one visitor for every six pages. He said that, in June, it was down to one for every 18.
I can't tell you who to believe. But here's what the ultimate source had to say:
Google / Engadget
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-actually-ai-in-search-is-driving-more-queries-and-higher-quality-clicks-204946965.html?src=rss
The Game Devs of Color Expo is returning for its 10th year from September 16 to 19. The online conference both celebrates the games industry's developers of color, and acts as a showcase for new upcoming game through its companion GDoCExpo Direct showcase.
This year's GDoCExpo Direct kicks off the conference on September 16 at 4PM ET / 1PM ET on the Game Devs of Color Expo YouTube channel. The direct is supposed to feature "more than 30 games" and it'll be paired with a Game Devs of Color Expo Steam Sale with discounts and demos to try for some of the games featured in the showcase.
Watching the Direct is free, but to view the Expo's developer interviews and live panels, you'll have to pay for a ticket. A regular ticket costs $50, but the Game Devs of Color nonprofit organization also offers cheaper ways to attend for anyone who can't afford the ticket price. This year's conference includes talks on budgeting, design leadership and "Decolonizing Cozy Games."
Game Devs of Color has been running the Game Devs of Color Expo since 2016, with the explicit mission of amplifying "the creative power held by people of color in games." The Expo and Direct attempt to make industry knowledge and marketing opportunities accessible to creators, but the organization also helps directly fund game projects through grants. Game Devs of Color says it'll award $15,000 in "no-strings development grants" to developers at the Expo this year, and that it's awarded "a total of $405,000" since 2019.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/game-devs-of-color-expo-2025-starts-on-september-16-204559199.html?src=rss
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