Netflix has all kinds of intellectual property to make a theme park. But ... it won't.
Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI
Netflix is opening two "Netflix Houses" in the US this year.
Are those theme parks? Kind of. But they're really marketing programs for Netflix superfans.
A few years ago, it seemed hard to imagine Netflix having enough popular, home-grown shows to stock a theme park — even a tiny one. Now it's much more plausible.
Netflix, the DVD-by-mail company that became a streaming company, is about to open two … I'm not sure what to call them. Let's use Netflix's term for the moment: "immersive experiences."
Does that mean Netflix is going to become a theme park business?
Easy answer: Nope!
The new "Netflix Houses" coming online this year in the Dallas and Philadelphia areas — a third one is planned for Las Vegas in 2027 — are marketing programs for the service.
Albeit one where you, the consumer, can pay the company that's trying to market to you, which is a little bit of a twist. Entrance to the venues is free, but once you're inside, you'll have the chance to pay for food, merch, and participate in some activities, which will include novelties like Netflix-themed mini-golf and arcade games.
Posting photos of your visit on social media and becoming an unpaid Netflix influencer? Very much encouraged.
This isn't Netflix's first foray into physical attractions: The company has been doing pop-ups around shows like "Bridgerton" and "Squid Games" for a few years. Which prompts investors to periodically wonder whether Netflix will take on Disney (and Comcast), and eventually build out a real theme park business.
Here's where I dutifully point out that theme parks and cruises, etc., are a huge part of Disney's business: In its 2024 fiscal year, its experiences unit generated $9.3 billion in operating income — more than Netflix's entire profit of $8.7 billion in 2024.
And yes, just because Netflix isn't building out a real theme parks business in 2025 doesn't mean they won't do it eventually. And if you squint, you can imagine the company taking the path it has taken in the past when it moves into a new business, whether that's original content or gaming — tentative steps at first, then a lot more once things get going.
But if you assume Netflix would one day like to make a real commitment to the theme park business — Comcast's newest Florida park cost a reported $7 billion alone — in order to diversify its revenue streams, I don't think money will be the issue. I think the question will be: "Do we have intellectual property we can turn into rides and restaurants and cruise ships?"
Would a Netflix theme park ever happen?
That would have been a resounding "no" a few years ago, when Netflix had a smattering of original hits it made itself, and relied heavily on movies and shows owned by its Hollywood competitors.
Today, it's more nuanced: Netflix definitely makes and owns shows lots of kids like, but it also makes lots of stuff. And some of it won't lend itself to a theme park, no matter how hard you try.
One estimate has them hitting a billion dollars in sales this year.
I smell a bubble that could burst one day. Remember Beanie Babies?
Labubus are having a moment. That much is clear. I don't have to tell you that.
You see them on Dua Lipa or Lisa from Blackpink. You hear a British woman on TikTok claiming to have the world's most expensive gold one. And you see people turning them into Dubai Chocolate matcha "Crumbl" cookies. (If you have actually eaten one of these, I suggest taking a day or two away from your phone.)
And Labubu's parent company, Pop Mart of China, is on its way to selling $1 billion worth of the toys this year, according to a new estimate from EMARKETER, Business Insider's sister company. So it's a trend that's not slowing down anytime soon.
But I do have some sobering news for you Labubuheads out there: It's a trend that will end. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day, this Labubu bubble will burst. Remember Beanie Babies?
Here's where the bubble starts: Labubus are a trendy item, and there's a limited supply and "blind box" packaging, which means certain colors or styles can be hard to come by. That means that there's a healthy secondary market where some rare ones will sell for way over retail price, which can be as low as $27.99.
Consider, for instance, that you can buy a desirable pink Labubu doll right now on the secondary market for $501.99, through Walmart's marketplace website in a partnership with StockX.
And a 4-foot-tall statue of a Labubu (confusingly described as "life-sized," as if Labubus could be alive) sold at auction in China for $170,000, although this is arguably a real art piece and not just a toy or bag charm.
There's also a robust counterfeit market — "Lafufus," as people call them. So, without ordering directly from Pop Mart, it can be hard for normal shoppers to tell if they're getting a genuine toy or a fake.
The trendy ugly dolls have become such a hit that Pop Mart is on track to sell $1 billion of them in 2025, EMARKETER estimated, noting it's already reported $671 million in sales of its so-called Monsters line, which includes Labubus. That's up nearly 670% from the same time last year, the report said.
I'm going to assume you don't live inside a Faraday cage and know what a Labubu is by now. (If you don't know: They're little plush monsters designed by artist Kasing Lung, and they've been made trendy by various celebrities wearing them as purse charms.) They're sold in the aforementioned blind boxes, which is a lucrative tactic: The buyer doesn't know the color or style of the Labubu he or she will get when they buy it, which means that the more rare and desirable ones can resell for way above retail price.
Is this like Beanie Babies all over again?
I'm also going to assume you, dear reader, are thinking the same thing everyone has been thinking about Labubus: It's Beanie Babies all over again.
Beanie Babies were a huge trend at one time.
: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
I would argue Beanie Babies had a lot more sophisticated business. The bubble had a vast network of humans (everyone, it seemed, had at least one Beanie Baby at some point), and it was accelerated by a major technological shift: the early days of the internet as a form of communication, and also the start of eBay.
If we look at this from another angle, Beaniemania was less about a plush toy craze and more of a necessary condition to push forth the mass acceptance of online payments and usher in our current digital era. Without Beanie Babies, there's no eBay, and without eBay, there's no PayPal, and without PayPal there's no Elon Musk, and without Elon there's no sexy anime waifu on Grok. And where would we all be then?
Labubus, on the other hand, are just … well, they're just a trendy one-off, in my estimation.
It's hard to imagine that Labubus will have the staying power to remain a popular toy a few years from now, or that you won't regret spending $500 on that pink Labubu. Although it might be a little more straightforward than the Beanie Baby craze, it is, at the end of the day, a toy fad driven by hype.
Still, it's possible that Pop Mart will be able to leverage its Labubu hit into some lasting success. Already, there are retail locations opening up around the US. (I just noticed a sign for a new store coming this fall in my local mall.)
Labubus are the runaway hit for now, but if Pop Mart has a deeper bench of collectibles that connect with kids and adults, they may be able to become a staying brand.
US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Hannah Fry
A US Navy destroyer practiced reloading missiles at sea last month, officials said Saturday.
The Navy said the drill highlights logistics operations that are essential for a Pacific fight.
Recent Navy operations around the Middle East have underscored the need to master this capability.
The US Navy is figuring out how to rearm its warships at sea, a crucial logistics skill it could need in an intense missile fight that doesn't immediately offer a respite to pull out and reload.
Off the coast of Australia last month, the American destroyer USS Higgins simulated rearming with an SM-2 missile at sea, officials said Saturday, characterizing the reloading capability as "essential" for sustained combat operations in the Indo-Pacific.
US warships have been working on reloading at sea, with this type of exercise becoming more important in recent years. In Navy operations around the Middle East over the past two years, hundreds of missiles have been expended for air defense against Iranian threats and those presented by the Tehran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
During these challenging fights, US warships occasionally had to leave the region to rearm.
US officials and analysts have cautioned that a conflict against China, which maintains a deep arsenal of capable ballistic and cruise missiles, in the Pacific would put a much greater strain on the Navy's missile stockpiles than in the Middle East.
Sailors aboard USS Higgins simulate loading ammunition from a barge.
US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Trevor Hale
The threat of a potential conflict between the US and China makes it critical that the US Navy can reload on the fly at sea rather than force warships to return to a friendly port with the ability to provide rearmament, which takes more time and keeps them out of the fight for longer.
The July exercise is the latest in a string of vertical launching system reloads focused on rearming the missile tubes near Australia. US destroyers also practiced this tactic in September 2023 and September 2024.
In October 2024, the Navy achieved what it called a "breakthrough in combat readiness" by demonstrating the Transferrable Reload At-sea Method (or TRAM) on a warship in the ocean for the first time.
The reload process involved moving a missile canister from a support ship to a cruiser using cables, tilting the canister into an upright position, and then lowering it into one of the cruiser's many VLS cells. Navy leadership said the service expects to field TRAM in a few years.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kevin Kodrin, the ordnance officer for the task force that led the July drill, said in a release that "this successful rearm event was the result of exceptional teamwork between the ship's crew, shore support teams, and technical experts."
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Higgins.
US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lucas J. Hastings
"Exercises like this are critical to validating our ability to safely and effectively reload at sea, ensuring our ships remain combat-ready whenever and wherever needed," he added.
USS Higgins operates under Task Force 70, the command responsible for forward-deployed surface assets in the Indo-Pacific region. The US 7th Fleet is the Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet, with 50-70 ships and submarines at any given time.
"We are strengthening distributed logistics capabilities that enhance our collective operational readiness across the Indo-Pacific," Rear Adm. Eric Anduze, the Task Force 70 commander, said of July's reload simulation.
"This gives our warfighters a tremendous amount of agility to strike from sea, move, reload, reposition, and strike again," he said. "It represents a lethal tactical advantage that helps us protect the safety and prosperity of the region."
A screening of "The Kingdom," an ESPN series about the Kansas City Chiefs, was held on Sunday.
Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and other members of the organization attended the Missouri event.
They showed their respective styles with sharp suits and luxurious accessories while there.
When Travis Kelce walked across a red carpet on Sunday, he did so in $995 Louboutin sneakers.
The shoes were part of a simple yet sophisticated outfit that he wore for a special screening of "The Kingdom," a new ESPN series about the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes, Kareem Hunt, and other members of the football organization were also in attendance, bringing style and luxury to the Missouri event.
Here's what everyone wore, from sharp suits to a limited-edition watch.
Patrick Mahomes wore a handful of luxury accessories with a fall-ready outfit.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
He posed on the red carpet in a full Amiri ensemble, which included the brand's $1,150 brown trousers, a $350 cream-colored tank top, a $1,190 velvet shirt, and $850 loafers.
His accessories, though, were even more luxurious. The Chiefs quarterback donned black sunglasses, layered diamond necklaces, two Van Cleef & Arpels bracelets, and a 20th anniversary version of Hublot's Big Bang watch.
The latter is one of only 250 made, and it retails for $38,400.
Brittany Mahomes opted for a cream-colored gown from a London-based fashion label.
Charlie Riedel/AP
The $470 dress is the work of De La Vali. It's made from spandex, sold in numerous colors, and features draped detailing across the chest and hips.
Mahomes wore it with $1,090 Gucci heels, a small silver clutch, and a statement silver bangle.
Travis Kelce sported what's arguably considered a casual pair of Louboutins.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Though Louboutin is known for its red-bottomed heels and dress shoes, the designer brand also makes sneakers. That's what Kelce wore on Sunday.
He paired his $995 high-top sneakers with a gray suit, a white undershirt, and $645 Louis Vuitton sunglasses.
Kareem Hunt embraced diamonds and Chiefs red.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The running back arrived at the event wearing cropped trousers, a black button-up top, and a statement blazer decorated with a red swirl print and sparkles.
Styled by Tom Marchitelli, the outfit was made even more luxurious with a thick diamond chain and a diamond-encrusted watch seemingly made by Rolex.
Andy Reid and Tammy Reid wore opposite styles.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
While the Chiefs' head coach walked the carpet in a navy-colored suit, red tie, and brown dress shoes, his wife turned up the glamour.
She wore a $6,395 Brunello Cucinelli gown in gold and accessorized with leopard-print shoes and a matching bag.
Each member of the Hunt family took a different approach to their red-carpet looks.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Clark Hunt, the owner and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, kept his outfit simple. He wore a gray suit, red tie, and dark dress shoes.
His wife, Tavia Hunt, chose a flashier outfit. She paired a $3,295 Dolce & Gabbana floral dress with a black Lady Dior bag and diamond jewelry.
Gracie Hunt posed alongside her parents in a gold Ralph Lauren gown, and Ava Hunt did the same in a $288 ruffled gown from NBD.
SpaceX's massive Starship rocket was scheduled to lift off from the company's Texas launch site this evening for its 10th flight. After scrubbing the launch initially planned for Sunday, August 24, things were apparently back on track for Monday, August 25. The launch window opened at 7:30PM ET (6:30PM CT) and was even livestreamed on the SpaceX website and on X, with a webcast starting 30 minutes before the supposed launch. However, SpaceX ultimately stood down from the test flight due to weather conditions at 8:02PM. The company is still determining the next launch opportunity.
Yesterday, the weather looked iffy for launch, as well; SpaceX said on Saturday that conditions were looking only 45 percent favorable. Ultimately the Sunday (and then the Monday) launch was cancelled "to allow time to troubleshoot an issue with ground systems," according to a SpaceX post on X.
Standing down from today's tenth flight of Starship to allow time to troubleshoot an issue with ground systems
Flight 10 follows a series of failures this year during SpaceX's seventh, eighth and ninth test flights. And in June, a Starship vehicle exploded on the ground during preparations for a static fire test of its six Raptor engines. If all goes according to plan for Flight 10, Starship will deploy eight dummy Starlink satellites and perform "several experiments focused on enabling Starship’s upper stage to return to the launch site." It won't actually be returning to the launch site this time, though. The test is expected to last a little over an hour, and end with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Update, August 25, 2025, 11:30AM ET: This story was updated to note that Sunday's launch was scrubbed and that SpaceX will try again tonight.
Update August 25, 2025 8:47AM ET: This story was updated to note that the August 25 launch was scrubbed due to weather conditions.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacex-is-about-to-launch-starship-for-its-10th-test-flight-215652105.html?src=rss
Despite all the division and controversy rife in the modern era, sometimes the Internet does manage to collectively agree on something. Right now, they agree that they hate Imgur parent company MediaLab.
After being acquired by MediaLab in 2021, the once famously open-to-anything image-sharing service began placing restrictions on content in 2023. More recently, the site has experienced service issues, including problems with notifications. Many members of the Imgur community have claimed that MediaLab fired most of its US content moderation team in favor of AI, while others have said that the site is deleting or hiding content that is critical of the owner and its policies.
The exact timeline, as well as what brought things to a tipping point, is still fuzzy at best. But for hours today, the Imgur homepage has been dominated by spammed images of a John Oliver meme in protest of what users see as MediaLab's poor management of the platform. Whatever team is currently working at Imgur appears to be unable to handle the rate that the memes are being posted, so it's anyone's guess how long the spam protest will dominate the front page.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/imgur-protest-covers-the-front-page-in-anti-medialab-memes-225502091.html?src=rss
The next season of Overwatch 2 will bring more than the usual new hero and battle pass to the team shooter. Blizzard announced that Season 18 will introduce a new take on the progression system. As they currently stand, the progression numbers feel pretty divorced from the gameplay; this revamp introduces new ways to display your prowess to teammates and foes in matches as well as some welcome changes to how you see and equip your rewards.
The new Progression 2.0 system has overhauled the visual side. For starters, there will be new portrait frames that increase in fanciness every 20 levels, capping at level 60. These Ascended borders will be displayed when you pick your hero for a match. Between the different Ascended frames, players will unlock five tiers of hero badges that also display in Hero Select under your portrait.
Overwatch 2 Hero Badges
Blizzard
In addition to the new flash, the Hero Select screen will show your allies a card with your top heroes on it. I doubt anyone will pay too much attention to cards in the Open Queue matches, so this seems like a Competitive-angled addition. It could help make it easy to build a team composition based on the whole group's strengths, creating a test of your crew's cooperation ability before the game even starts. Blizzard clarified that in Competitive, opponents won't be able to see your portrait borders until 10-15 seconds after a match begins, and hero cards won't be displayed to an enemy until one of you eliminates each other. That means nobody should be able to use your hero card against you in the ban phase.
I've almost never thought about the rewards I get for progression stats because it's unclear when I've gotten a new item and I rarely bother searching for them in my cosmetics collections, so having a dedicated progression menu added should place a new focus on tracking how far you've gotten with a particular character. The hero-specific rewards on the horizon will be displayed on that page, and already-unlocked items can be equipped directly from that menu. Blizzard is also offering occasional Epic and Legendary loot box freebies as you rise through the ranks for each hero, which is always welcome.
The progression levels will be rewarded retroactively when the season starts. For long-time fans, that means you can expect to see a whole bunch of rewards to browse through when you first log in during Season 18. For new players, there will be more credits and cosmetics available to unlock in the first 20 levels. That first set of 20 levels will also be scaled to be quicker to complete, while later levels will require more time.
The new season kicks off tomorrow, on August 26. Season 18 will also bring a new option for keyboard and mouse controls on console and the permanent addition of watery support hero Wuyang.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatch-2-will-overhaul-its-progression-systems-to-show-more-visual-flair-in-matches-214336004.html?src=rss
Perplexity is launching a new revenue-sharing plan for publishers that will pay them every time its AI assistants use an article to answer a question, The Wall Street Journal reports. Perplexity is launching the plan (and partially paying for it) with a new Comet Plus subscription that gives subscribers access "to premium content from a group of trusted publishers and journalists."
Comet Plus costs $5 per month, and based on Perplexity's description, it's primarily designed to account for the actions its Comet Agent (included in the Comet browser) takes on websites, which aren't considered in existing publisher deals. "When you ask Perplexity to synthesize recent coverage of an industry trend, that's indexed traffic," the company writes. "When Comet Assistant scans your calendar and suggests articles relevant to your day’s meetings, that's agent traffic."
The company's existing Publisher Program, which counts publications like TIME and Fortune as participants, shares ad revenue based on the traffic a Perplexity search is stealing away by providing a summary of an article. The money shared through Comet Plus will presumably account for what's lost when an AI agent visits a webpage on your behalf, zooming past ads you'd normally see or hear.
Publishers will get 80 percent of the revenue of Comet Plus, according to Perplexity, with the remaining 20 percent allocated to "compute." The Wall Street Journal writes that Perplexity will initially pay participating publishers out of a "$42.5 million revenue pool" that will expand over time, presumably as sign-ups grow for Comet Plus, and the Comet web browser becomes available to more people. That starting sum likely takes into account Perplexity's existing Pro and Max subscribers, who will receive Comet Plus as part of their subscriptions and are paying into the revenue-sharing scheme by default.
It sounds generous on its face, and maybe with a large enough volume of subscribers it will be, but 80 percent of $5 is $4. That's $4 that will presumably unlock unlimited access to a publication's entire library of content. Most newspapers charge anywhere from $20 to $30 per month to access all of their articles. Why would they settle for less?
It's not clear if this plan replaces Perplexity's existing Publisher Program, or will exist alongside it. It's also hard to say if not paying for Comet Plus will change the quality of responses you receive in Comet or Perplexity. Engadget has contacted Perplexity for more information and will update this article if we hear back.
Perplexity likely wouldn't be exploring new revenue-sharing plans if it hadn't already been caught plagiarizing articles in the first place. The company wants its agentic browser to be a success, and that ideally requires a certain amount of participation from the people who create the articles, images, and videos agents browse. It remains to be seen if Comet Plus is the kind of arrangement that will make publishers play ball.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/perplexity-has-cooked-up-a-new-way-to-pay-publishers-for-their-content-204255019.html?src=rss
Google wants to get Gemini in your smart home, and it looks like it's planning to release a lineup of new Nest Products to make it happen. The company teased a new smart speaker during its Pixel 10 launch event, and now Android Headlineshas new images and details that confirm the look of the speaker and a collection of other Nest products that are on the way.
Based on the images Android Headlines sourced, Google's new smart home lineup looks nearly identical to the cameras and doorbells it's already selling. The exception is the new smart speaker, now called the Google Home Speaker, which is smaller and rounder than the Nest Audio, and could be a replacement for the puck-shaped Nest Mini. The new speaker will come in what looks like red, light green, black and beige color options, and offer "360-degree sound." Android Headlines writes that the speaker also supports Gemini Live, Sound Sensing for detecting smoke alarms or glass breaking and pairing with a Google TV Streamer.
Google's not done releasing new products this year.
🔊 Google Home Speaker 📸 Nest Cam Indoor (3rd Gen) 📸 Nest Cam Outdoor (3rd Gen) 🚪 Nest Doorbell wired
The rest of the smart home lineup will feel familiar, save for some new colors, internal tweaks and software features. The biggest change is that all of the new Nest devices built-in cameras will reportedly record in 2K resolution, rather than 1080p. They'll also come in a selection of new colors. The Nest Cam Indoor comes in "Snow" (white), "Berry" (red) and "Hazel" (gray). The camera will include a new "Zoom and Crop" feature that lets you crop a camera feed to focus on a specific area, and be able to store up to an hour of footage locally if your Wi-Fi goes out. Google also plans to expand how long it'll store video previews of events Nest Cams detect, taking the library of 10-second previews from one hour to three.
The Nest Cam Outdoor will only come in Snow and Hazel, but it'll reportedly include all the new features of the Nest Cam Indoor. The same goes for the new Nest Doorbell, except it'll be available in Snow, Hazel and "Linen" (beige). The decision to largely use the same design on its Nest devices and focus on changing internal components and software features is a similar strategy to what Google used with the Pixel 10 lineup. The phones largely look the same, but they feature improved internals and plenty of new software features.
Android Headlines writes that Google plans to use this hardware launch to also rebrand its Nest Aware and Aware Plus subscriptions. The new name for Google's entry-level smart home subscription will be Google Home Premium. The company also plans to sell a Google Home Premium Advanced. As far as which subscription offers what, and if certain Gemini features will be locked behind a higher price, we'll have to wait until Google details its smart home plans. The company said Gemini for Home will launch in October, so expect more official announcements in the coming months.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/googles-new-smart-home-hardware-looks-mostly-familiar-in-leaked-images-190011191.html?src=rss
The long-awaited cyberpunk platformer Replaced has been delayed once again. Now it's not coming out until next spring. Developer Sad Cat Studio apologized for the delay and said that this is simply "what's right for the project" and that the team remains dedicated to creating a "truly special experience."
This isn't the first time the game has suffered a delay. It was originally announced back in 2021, with a pending release date of 2022. That didn't happen. In 2024, the company announced a release date of 2025. As today's news indicates, that also isn't going to happen.
Why all of the delays? The company wants a polished finished product, sure, but the real world intervened on its original release plans. The company was based in Belarus before relocating after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This was the primary factor behind those earlier delays.
For the uninitiated, Replaced is a nifty-looking sidescrolling platformer that takes inspiration from old-school games like Out of this World (also called Another World) and Flashback. It looks soaked in cyberpunk vibes. Assuming there are no more delays, it'll come out next year for PC and Xbox Series X/S. The trailers have gotten us amped for this one.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pixel-art-cyberpunk-platformer-replaced-delayed-again-this-time-until-spring-2026-182908044.html?src=rss
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is bullish on the future of robotics, and sees it as the chipmaker's biggest opportunity outside of AI. Today the company announced the next generation of its Jetson AGX system-on-module called Jetson Thor. The developer kit and T5000 production modules are computers designed for physical AI and robotics.
The company has been iterating on these robot brains for a few years now, with each model more powerful than the last. The newest generation is powered by NVIDIA's Blackwell GPU architecture and offers 7.5 times more AI compute and 3.5 times greater energy efficiency than its predecessor, the Jetson Orin. These chips can run generative AI models, including large language and visual models, to help robots interpret the world around them. “We've built Jetson Thor for the millions of developers working on robotic systems that interact with and increasingly shape the physical world,” said NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.
The module is powered by NVIDIA's full-stack Jetson software platform, which is purpose-built for physical AI and robotics applications. The company counts Amazon, Meta, Agility Robotics and Boston Dynamics among its robotics clients using Jetson chips, which should give you an idea of who the target audience for this technology is. The Jetson AGX Thor is now on sale for $3,499 as a developer kit, and NVIDIA will sell the Thor T5000 modules for installation in production-ready robots. These will be sold at a wholesale price of $2,999 per module for a minimum order of 1,000 or more.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidia-releases-the-next-generation-of-its-cutting-edge-robot-brain-180434373.html?src=rss
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI is suing Apple and OpenAI, as reported by Reuters. The suit accuses the companies of illegally conspiring to stop rival AI companies from getting a fair shot on the App Store, alleging they have "locked up markets to maintain their monopolies and prevent innovators like X and xAI from competing."
The complaint suggests that Apple and OpenAI have been conspiring to suppress xAI's products on the App Store. "If not for its exclusive deal with OpenAI, Apple would have no reason to refrain from more prominently featuring the X app and the Grok app in its App Store," xAI told Reuters.
Apple has integrated OpenAI's ChatGPT into several of its products, but it remains to be seen if that has translated to any anticompetitive practices. It's worth noting that rival AI apps like DeepSeek and Perplexity have both spent time on the top of App Store charts since this partnership began, according to CNBC.
This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn't like. https://t.co/HlgzO4c2iC
This lawsuit comes after Musk threatened legal action a couple of weeks back after making similar accusations regarding Apple and OpenAI. Apple has yet to respond to the complaint but OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to Musk's original allegation by calling it "a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn’t like."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/elon-musk-and-xai-are-suing-apple-and-openai-because-grok-isnt-topping-the-app-charts-170020376.html?src=rss
FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
When Subaru's first electric car launched in late 2021, the Solterra had something of a problem: It wasn't exactly competitive in any of the major factors that EV buyers typically look for. Its 220-mile range and 215-horsepower output were middling at best when compared to vehicles like the Tesla Model Y. Its quirky styling didn't exactly help, either.
For 2026, Subaru is giving the Solterra a significant up-do. Don't call it a reboot, as it's still very much the same SUV as before, but with more range, more power and better tech (though we're still waiting on the pricing). The result is a much more compelling car. Now, with Tesla's international appeal falling to an all-time low, which takes the Model Y off the table for many buyers, Subaru's first EV feels like it's finally found its time to shine.
More of what you want
Tim Stevens for Engadget
I'm the first person to tell a potential EV buyer that range is not the first criterion they should be considering when EV shopping. There are many more important factors that impact your quality of life on a daily basis than how many charging stops you'll need to make on your annual road trip. Still, when the original Solterra was doing 220 miles on a charge, while the Tesla Model Y did well over 300, that made the thing a bit of a hard sell.
Thankfully, the 2026 Solterra gets a big bump in that department, up to 288 miles on a charge. It’s not class-leading by any means, but as someone who's lived with EVs for years, I can confidently say that's plenty of juice to eliminate range anxiety for most.
Impressively, the new Subaru does that on a battery pack that's barely any bigger: 74.7 kWh vs. 72.8 before. Where does the extra range come from, then? Subaru and Toyota engineers (this car is mechanically identical to the 2026 Toyota bZ) deployed a raft of subtle improvements that result in substantial efficiency, everything from aerodynamic tweaks to updated electronics and new motors.
When it's time to plug in, the Solterra and the Model Y can now use the same chargers. For 2026, the Solterra switches over to a Tesla-style NACS port, though the car comes with adapters for using J1772 and CCS ports. Outright charging speed is up by 50 percent over last year's car, but that only equates to a maximum charging rate of 150 kW. Again, it’s a big improvement, but not class-leading.
It can at least burn those electrons more quickly. Outright power is up, with the Solterra now putting down 338 horsepower through all four wheels on the XT trims, a nice boost from the old car's 215.
Big display, big safety
Tim Stevens for Engadget
All those updates are nice, but potential buyers will be more immediately wooed by a completely rethought dashboard layout that's still quirky but significantly less awkward than before. A new, 14-inch touchscreen dominates proceedings, giving you quick and easy access to everything from navigation to media playback. It serves as a generous canvas for either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, both of which are offered wirelessly.
There's not one but two wireless charging pads to keep your devices juiced while slinging tunes and navigation, plus a pair of USB-C ports in the second row for passengers. With 60 watts of output, back-seat productivity hounds can keep happily typing away even if they forgot their adapter.
They'll be comfortable, too. There's a good amount of headroom and legroom in the rear seat, plus 23.8 cubic feet of cargo space in the rear.
When it comes to keeping everyone safe, the new Solterra offers Subaru's EyeSight system standard, including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and a lane-centering system. I got a good chance to sample these systems in the increasingly heavy traffic in and around Denver, Colorado. The adaptive cruise brought the car to a complete stop and resumed on its own when traffic came to a crawl, while the active lane-keep system ensured the Solterra stayed centered.
The drive
Tim Stevens for Engadget
For my day behind the wheel of the new Solterra, Subaru provided me with a model in top-shelf Touring XT trim, the highest performance. That meant I got to sample the car's full 338 horsepower, but I have to admit that in terms of acceleration, the thing still isn't a rocket ship. It has the instant torque of an EV and is certainly quick, but the power is delivered in a somewhat more relaxed way than many of the peppier EVs on the market today.
That character continues throughout the Solterra drive experience. Steering is quite sharp and responsive, but the suspension doesn't really encourage any overly dramatic cornering antics. The traction and stability control systems quickly and abruptly kill all power at the first hint of loss of grip. For many Subaru enthusiasts, that's just when things start getting fun.
It won't be a terror on your favorite gravel road, but the Solterra is reasonably competent when the asphalt ends. Subaru set up a short dirt course, which was more meander through the trees than proper expedition. Still, it proved the SUV capable on the sorts of terrain a mass-market machine like this is liable to see.
In terms of comfort and ride quality, the Solterra handled most road imperfections and bumps without issue, but felt a little harsh over bigger stuff. There's no real wind noise or the like, making it a quiet and calm highway cruiser, but a fair bit of road noise did come up through the suspension on rougher stretches of asphalt.
Wrap-up
Tim Stevens for Engadget
In many ways, this improved Solterra feels like the electric SUV that the brand should have launched in the first place. Better late than never. The big boost in range and performance, plus all the other tech and feature upgrades, make for a significantly improved car. It still comes up a little short of the competition from Hyundai or Tesla in terms of key metrics that EV shoppers tend to hyper-fixate on — particularly range — but it's close enough now to be judged on its other merits. Thankfully, those merits are good.
Update, August 25, 2025, 11:14AM ET: This story was originally published with a placeholder for the Solterra's price, which hasn't yet been announced. When Subaru reveals the 2026 Solterra's price, we'll update this story.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/subaru-solterra-first-drive-big-improvements-in-all-the-right-places-for-2026-130023352.html?src=rss
We now have the opening dates for Netflix's branded entertainment complexes that we first learned of in 2023. The 100,000-square-foot amusement centers will be centered around all things Netflix and will include a retail component, a restaurant called Netflix Bites and numerous "immersive story-driven experiences" based on the company's most successful properties.
The Netflix House in Philadelphia will open November 12 at the King of Prussia Mall, and the Dallas location will open December 11 at Galleria Texas. A third location is planned for Las Vegas in 2027. As part of the branded build-out, the Philadelphia location will house large-scale immersive experiences such as Wednesday: Eve of the Outcasts, while Dallas will feature Stranger Things: Escape the Dark and Squid Game: Survive the Trials.
These entertainment hubs come after Netflix has already undertaken dozens of live interactive experiences based on its most popular shows. Aside from these experiences and the Netflix Bites restaurant, the locations will also showcase immersive virtual reality games where guests will play as the main characters from some of the company's hit shows. There will also be themed mini-golf, a theater showcasing Netflix shows and movies, themed arcade games and more.
Netflix isn't the first tech company to step into the world of brick-and-mortar. Amazon has spun up a few branded stores to varying success. Meta also opened physical stores to showcase its virtual reality headsets, taking a page out of Apple's book.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-sets-opening-dates-for-its-destination-entertainment-hubs-150851082.html?src=rss
As an iPhone user who has watched the release of foldable Android mobile phones with envy, I can't wait for 2026. Yes, Apple's 2025 iPhone launch event is next month, but I've been eyeing Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored to launch next year. It's part of three years of Apple's planned iPhone redesigns.
While this would be a new addition to Apple's lineup, Bloomberg reports that it will come with a throwback feature: Touch ID. Why it's reverting to Touch ID from Face ID is unclear as the last use was on the third-generation iPhone SE. Apple did something similar when it brought back its MagSafe charging line with the iPhone 12's release — it initially worked with MacBooks.
According to Bloomberg, Apple was initially going to give the new iPhone on-cell touch sensors, but pivoted to an in-cell option, similar to the current iPhone. An in-cell screen builds the touch sensors directly into the display, while an on-cell adds a layer on top, creating a thicker end product, which can be more noticeable in folding phones where its display creases. The foldable iPhone is also rumored to have four cameras and come in white, black, light blue and light gold.
While we'll have to wait a while for the foldable rumors to be confirmed, this year's event shouldn't be without its interesting moments. There will likely be an ultra-thin device called the iPhone Air, reported to have just one camera and a basic A19 chip.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-will-reportedly-bring-back-touch-id-on-a-foldable-iphone-135831748.html?src=rss
If you're thinking about getting some of Apple's AirTags, now's the time to act — Amazon currently has a four-pack on sale for $70. That's one of the lowest prices we've seen outside the big sales on Black Friday and Prime Day.
For Apple users, AirTags offer some large advantages over rival trackers. The ultra-wideband functionality offers precise tracking with iPhones less than five years old, so you can narrow your search between a couch and love seat in the same room. Over larger distances, the AirTag network enabled by all Apple device users lets you track down an object you might have misplaced in a café.
It offers a simple coin-sized design and seamless experience thanks to the Find My app. You can also force an AirTag to emit a chime to help you home in an object's location, and and that sound is nice and loud to better help you locate it.
It does lack a built-in keyring like rival trackers, so you'll need to pay an extra for that. And it works best with Apple devices, so Android users may want to look at trackers from Chipolo or Pebblebee that use Google's Find My Device network. However, if you're in Apple's ecosystem and have been waiting for a discount, now is the time to act.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/a-four-pack-of-apple-airtags-drops-to-70-for-labor-day-130740384.html?src=rss
Google is changing the way you confirm if contacts are legit. The company has begun rolling out a QR code to verify that the person you're communicating with is, in fact, who they say they are, 9to5Google reports. The feature is currently available in beta.
An end-to-end encryption card isn't anything new, but verifying the encryption meant seeing an 80-digit code you could compare. Now, you'll still go Google Messages, tap their name and then go to their details page. But, instead, there will be an option to show your QR code or scan their code.
Verify keys "ensure only you and your contact can read the RCS messages you send each other," Google states. The 80-digit comparison is still available if there's an issue with the QR code.
Google first announced the new feature last October, stating, "We’re creating a unified system for public key verification across different apps, which you can verify through QR code scanning or number comparison." At the time, it said the feature would be available on all Android 9 devices and newer.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/google-tests-qr-code-verification-for-text-messages-114357424.html?src=rss
The air in our homes can be five times more polluted than outdoor air. Energy-efficient homes are designed to be tightly sealed, too, so they trap more pollutants inside. Cooking emissions, cleaning chemicals and fragrances all contribute to less-than-healthy air. Pets, smoke and off-gassing furniture do their part as well. If the air quality outside is good, the best thing to do is open up your windows for at least 15 minutes a day. But if wildfires, car pollution, or high pollen counts prevent you from letting in fresh air, an air purifier may be your best bet. These machines can reduce pollutants, remove odors and trap some bacteria and mold. We tested over a dozen to see how they perform and how nice they were to live with. Here are the best air purifiers we could find.
There are three key categories of air pollution that adversely affect the quality of the air you breathe: volatile organic compounds (VOC), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and carbon dioxide. VOCs are emitted gasses that can come from cleaners, off-gassing plastics, paint, solvents, fragrances, cooking food and, ironically, air fresheners. VOCs are most closely related to odors you can smell. High levels can irritate your breathing passages, cause headaches and may become cancer-causing over time. Air purifiers with activated charcoal components can help clean VOCs from the air.
Particulate matter is usually discussed as PM2.5 and PM10, with the numbers indicating particle size in microns. This is dust, dirt, mold, smoke and, again, emissions from cooking food. Higher levels of PM can lead to respiratory irritation, allergy symptoms, respiratory infections and potentially lung cancer. Air purifiers that include a HEPA or particle filter can help remove airborne particles from your space.
Carbon dioxide is what humans and pets breathe out. Elevated levels can cause dizziness and lethargy. But no air purifier can reduce CO2 levels because the molecules are so small. Plants can help to some extent, but really the only solution is opening a window or otherwise ventilating the space.
There are no federal standards for air purifiers, but the state of California does require all air cleaners sold in the state to be certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). All of our top picks here have met that certification.
What to look for in an air purifier
HEPA filters and other filter types
An air purifier isn’t an overly complicated device. Smart modes and app connectivity aside, they’re not much more than a filter and a fan, which you can certainly DIY. The fan pulls air through the filter to capture particulate matter and other unhealthy elements so you don’t breathe them in. The type of fan can make some difference — it should be powerful enough to pull in air quickly, but also quiet enough on its low speed so it can unobtrusively clean all day long.
Filters, on the other hand, are more varied. Most have two or more layers, typically a pre-filter, an activated carbon filter and sometimes a particle or even a true HEPA filter. The pre-filter is made from a fine mesh that captures big stuff like pet hair and larger chunks of dust. Sometimes this part is separate from the more technical filters — which means you can remove and clean it without needing to swap out the whole thing. For all-in-one filters, you can vacuum the outside of it to remove larger particles.
An activated carbon or activated charcoal layer is extremely porous, tightly packed coal that presents a vast amount of microscopic surface area to the passing air. Gaseous chemicals, VOCs and other molecules become lodged in the crannys and stick. This is the layer that gets rid of odors.
Nearly all types of air purifiers include a particle filter. Some of those can be called "true HEPA" (high-efficiency particulate air) filters — meaning they conform to the standards set out by the DOE. Particle filters are made up of pleated masses of ultrafine fibers that force air to take a convoluted path in order to pass through. This traps and absorbs tiny molecules of smoke and dust, allergens like dander and pollen, and some viruses and bacteria.
Since all of these air filters physically trap particulates, they’ll eventually fill up and become less effective. Most manufacturers recommend replacing the filter every six months, while others claim a year-long life span. Most smart air purifiers will let you know in the app when it’s time to replace. When you’re considering a unit’s cost, be sure to factor in the expense of replacement filters, which you may end up buying twice a year.
Room size
Air purifiers list their air filtration capabilities in terms of room size and frequency of air exchanges, sometimes listed as clean air delivery rate (CADR) or you may see a number for cubic feet per minute (CFM). A smaller unit might say it can exchange the air in a 500-square-foot room twice per hour. So that model should be able to pass all of the air in a 250-square-foot room through the filter every 15 minutes, but a 1,000-square-foot room would probably be outside its effective range. Of course, there’s no standard for manufacturers to adhere to when it comes to these calculations, but typically, larger air purifiers can handle large rooms.
Controls
In our testing, we focused on Wi-Fi-connected “smart” air purifiers with companion apps that can monitor air quality and adjust the fan settings as needed. Within the apps, you can control auto-clean settings, set timers and schedules and check the health of the filter as well. Most will remind you when it’s time to get a replacement, and let you order one directly from the manufacturer through the app. You can also see the current and historical readings from the internal air quality (AQ) sensor. Most determine air quality through an optical particle meter, though some brands like Dyson and Molekule also include chemical sensors for VOC measurements. When levels of particulates become elevated, the fans switch up to high speed to move more air through until the quality improves.
Most smart purifiers also work with voice assistants, so if asking Alexa to turn on your air purifier makes your life easier in some way, you can do so. If you don’t want to talk to an AI or grab your phone to control your purifier, getting a unit with simple on-board controls is a good idea. These can be as basic as buttons with indicator lights or as elaborate as a touchscreen panel. At minimum, it’s good to have a way to control the fan speed and turn on or off auto mode on the device itself.
Design
As we mentioned, sticking the device as close to the middle of the room is helpful for getting the best performance. That means you’ll be looking at it a lot, so design considerations matter. Most purifiers are cylindrical towers with fan vents up top. Units meant for larger rooms are not small, weighing between 12 and 20 pounds and reaching two feet tall (or in the case of the Dyson Purifier Cool, three and a half feet). Some, like Coway’s Airmega IconS, take on more furniture-like designs to blend in. Others, like Dyson's, are conspicuously designed to stand out.
How to set up an air purifier
Even the best air purifier can’t do much without airflow. So ideally, you won’t shove your air purifier off in a corner right next to a wall. Most manufacturers recommend at least a foot of clearance between the machine and anything that could block circulation — walls, couches, cabinets and the like. Most cylindrical models have intake vents all around the outside, but box models may have them on just one side, so make sure you point the vents outwards towards the center of the room. Smaller air purifiers work better if they’re up off the ground by a couple feet, such as on top of a stool or end table. And of course, make sure the cord isn’t stretching across trafficked areas to avoid tripping.
Before you plug your air purifier in, make sure to check that the filter isn’t wrapped in plastic inside the machine. I probably don’t need to tell you how I know this is a very important first step. The purifiers we recommend are smart home models, so the next step will usually involve downloading the manufacturer’s app to your phone and connecting the air purifier to the app as well as your home’s Wi-Fi.
Additional steps for clearing the air
Air purifiers, as the name suggests, clean the air. Once dust, dander and smoke settle onto surfaces, there isn’t much these machines can do to eradicate them. So vacuuming and good old-fashioned dusting are important steps to keep allergens and particulate matter at bay. If you have an HVAC system, changing or even upgrading your system’s air filters can help keep bad air in check. The American Lung Association recommends filters with at least a MERV-13 rating. The association also recommends not burning candles in your home, foregoing air fresheners and opting for homemade cleaning supplies over chemical cleaners.
When an air purifier just isn’t enough
The most striking bit of knowledge I picked up from testing air purifiers is how effective opening windows can be on indoor air quality. What took an air purifier a half hour to clear out took mere minutes when I opened my front door and a few windows. Every variable measured by the air quality sensors, including VOCs, PM, and particularly CO2 levels (which air purifiers can’t alleviate), improved dramatically after exposure to fresh air — significantly faster and better than any machine we tested.
Letting in fresh air for just fifteen minutes each day can help, according to the Lung Association. On very cold days, do it midday. When it’s hot, open windows in the early morning when it’s coolest. When I did it in the middle of winter, my HVAC system had to work a little overtime afterwards, but venting a room was the most surefire way of getting air quality quickly back in the green.
Of course, if the air outside is unhealthy from wildfire smoke or run-of-the-mill pollution, or if you're dealing with seasonal allergies, throwing open the windows won’t work and an air purifier might be the best way to consistently clean things up.
How we test air purifiers
My living room is not a science lab; there’s far too much pet hair for that to be the case. Still, I went beyond just turning stuff on and sniffing the air by acquiring two consumer-grade indoor air quality monitors that performed well in laboratory assessments, the Element from Awair and the uHoo Smart Air Monitor. I conducted burn tests in this medium-sized room by measuring the ambient air quality, then burned a brick of piñon incense for twenty minutes and measured the air again. Then I ran one purifier at its highest speed for thirty minutes and recorded levels, then ran the unit on the lowest setting for a half hour and remeasured. I made note of the sound levels using a simple iPhone app to compare one machine’s noise level to the next.
Over the course of a month, I used each unit in different scenarios (such as in the basements where the cat litter box is) and tried out each device’s smart features, controls and auto modes. I also just lived with them and evaluated how they fit into everyday life. As new purifiers come on the market we continue to acquire units that seem worthy of inclusion. Most recently, we tested purifiers from Blueair, IQAir, Windmill and others, adding our findings to this guide.
Other air purifiers we tested
IQAir HealthPro Plus SE
The IQAir HealthPro Plus SE is a formidable piece of equipment. The boxy tower looks like something you’d see in a hospital and weighs 35 pounds, making me appreciate the included wheels when I needed to move it around. It’s designed and made in Sweden and each unit comes with an impressive certificate of performance. I’m certain the testing processes IQAir employs are more scientific than my tests — after all, the company is probably best known for its air quality monitors — but I found the filtration efficiency to be on par with and, in one test, worse than that of other models I tested.
I was also disappointed that a $1,000-plus air purifier from an air monitor device company was only capable of measuring particulate matter — and not VOCs — to trigger the auto-clean function. That said, setup was simple and the app can integrate data from public air quality sources as well as other AQ monitors you may have set up.
Coway’s Airmega Icon S
Coway’s Airmega Icon S was our previous pick for best design. It looks more like a tiny mid-century-modern credenza than an air purifier and the little shelf up top doubles as a wireless phone charger. The PM2.5 sensor reliably kicked in the auto mode as I used it and the three-speed fan is quiet, even on high, yet powerful. I had a little trouble getting the app to connect, but the onboard touch controls worked better anyway. It’s expensive at $699, too, but it does have a washable pre-filter.
Sensibo Pure
At $229, and nearly always on sale for $130, I had the Sensibo Pure pegged as a contender for a budget pick. Unfortunately, replacement filters are $99 unless you subscribe to automatic shipments and many of the app features are behind a paywall as well. It’s not certified by CARB and underperformed many of the other units in the burn test, though it did return the air back to a “good” rating according to the air monitors after 30 minutes. The design is inoffensive, it’s not overly loud and it does integrate with Sensibo’s smart AC devices, so if you’re already happy with one of those, this may be a decent option.
Dyson Purifier Cool
Like all Dyson products, this air purifier is dripping with design. It looks like no other unit on the market and it’s up to you to decide whether you like that or not. I was indifferent to the looks, but appreciated the slick and informative app, which not only displays indoor air quality, it also shows what conditions are like outside, using a clever house graphic to differentiate the two sets of numbers. I also like that it detects VOCs as well as particulates and the auto mode seemed to read the room accurately. The air coming out of the fan did indeed feel cool, though at first had a strong plastic odor. Unfortunately, it was the lowest performing unit during two separate burn tests and had repeated connectivity issues.
Molekule Air Pro
The Molekule Air Pro comes from a brand that pays keen attention to aesthetics. It and the app have that Instagrammable, muted-modern look that countless clothing and bedsheet brands emulate these days. That style doesn’t come cheap as the Air Pro costs over $1,000 and requires $140 filters. The company came under fire for and had to stop making many of its claims about its filtration system, which may have led to it filing for bankruptcy in 2023. Molekule is still able to tout its patented photoelectrochemical oxidation, which the company says destroys pollutants at a “molecular level.” In my tests, it performed almost as well as the others in improving VOC and PM2.5 levels. But it’s also very loud: When auto mode kicked the fan into high gear, it would make me tense. Also, I found the unit often indicated “bad” or “very bad” levels when my two monitors indicated the air quality was actually pretty good.
Air purifier FAQs
What settings should you run an air purifier on?
There aren’t many settings to adjust on an air purifier. Most have low, medium and high fan speeds and possibly an auto-mode that detects impurities in the air and increases the fan speed on your behalf. Air circulates through a purifier faster at higher fan-speed settings so it cleans the air more efficiently. Higher speeds also make the air purifier louder. That means you typically want to find the balance between cleaning power and noise levels.
Other settings like timers and dimming the LED lights make the unit more comfortable to live with, particularly if you use yours in your bedroom. For everyday cleaning of the air, you’re probably best off leaving the air purifier running on low, only kicking it up to high at certain times when the air is murkier, like after you cook.
What is a HEPA filter?
A HEPA filter is a type of particle filter. Every air purifier has a particle filter, but not all are considered “true HEPA” filters. The specifications are determined by the US Department of Energy and require a minimum efficiency of 99.97 percent when filtering airborne particles of 0.3 microns. HEPA filters can remove dust, pollen, mold and bacteria.
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