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Perplexity's Comet AI browser is now free for everyone worldwide. The browser had previously only been available to Perplexity Max users at a cost of $200 per month.

The company says that it has "become the most sought-after browser on the internet with millions signed up to the waitlist." Now that waitlist is gone and everyone can get to downloading. Perplexity went on to note that this isn't a limited-time promotion as Comet "will always be free."

Comet is here.

A web browser built for today’s internet.pic.twitter.com/cFPeghl2YM

— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) July 9, 2025

For the uninitiated, Comet is a browser that uses Perplexity AI as the default search engine. A chatbot accompanies each search in the sidebar and users can ask it to answer questions, summarize text and, in some cases, take actions like sending emails or looking up directions. Comet pulls information from the web and correlates that data into AI-generated responses, so make sure to double-check the important stuff.

This is just the latest step for the company. Perplexity is currently working on a mobile version of the browser and an integrative AI assistant. It's also far from the only company stuffing AI into a web browser. Comet joins Google Chrome and The Browser Company's Dia in this effort.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/perplexitys-comet-ai-browser-is-now-free-for-everyone-170017509.html?src=rss

Now that Threads has grown to more than 400 million users, Meta is adding more features that could help the platform establish an identity. The company is testing a new "communities" feature that creates dedicated spaces for people to chat about specific topics and interests.

Meta describes the feature as an evolution of its custom feeds and topic tags, with the goal of creating "casual spaces for you to share unique takes on topics like basketball or TV with other people who love them too." The company has already created more than 100 communities around topics that already have large followings on the platform, like "NBA Threads," "Book Threads" and "Tech Threads." 

Several users have already reported seeing the feature and joining these spaces over the last few days. (Meta says that "leading voices" in these communities will get to add blue badges to their profiles to showcase their involvement in the groups.) 

Threads communities have custom emoji for likes.Meta

For now, community feeds don't look all that different from Threads' topics feeds, but there are subtle differences. According to Meta, posts in communities will be ranked to surface more relevant posts higher up in the feed (the app's current topic-based feeds tend to be more of a random jumble of posts from anyone who has tagged the topic). And, when you're browsing a community's feed, liking posts will trigger a custom emoji, like a basketball for the "NBA Threads" community.

Meta isn't the first to try out the idea. Twitter created a communities feature back in 2021, and X said last year that the feature had seen a "495% jump" in "user active minutes."Communities could also make Threads feel more cohesive. Since Threads' algorithm so heavily emphasizes recommended posts from random, unconnected accounts, users have regularly complained about the app's feed. Now, Meta says that the communities people join will also influence the content they see in their main feed, so joining more communities could also help tune its recommendations overall.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-getting-a-communities-feature-for-better-conversations-170006903.html?src=rss

Fresh off its Jimmy Kimmel suspension saga, Disney is giving its app a makeover. The Disney+ app will soon add a navigation bar and UX overhaul. The update also brings Hulu into the fold outside the US. After reportedly bleeding subscribers during the Kimmel saga, the company would surely welcome a renewed focus on its fictional epics.

The Disney+ homepage now has a new navigation bar at the top. "For You" is now the default landing tab. That's where you'll find personalized recommendations based on your viewing history. (Disney also updated its algorithm in hopes of serving up better suggestions.) The new nav bar also has dedicated tabs for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN content.

The vertical navigation bar (the existing one on the left side of the screen) now includes a live hub. Here, you'll find live news, sports, events, and 24/7 streams.

Disney+

As it prepares to fully integrate Hulu into Disney+, the company is making big changes for non-US users. On October 8, Hulu will replace Star as the app's global entertainment brand. That's where you find shows from ABC, FX and more. It also includes more mature content than its typical fare. American users won't see any changes there. However, for everyone else, Star becomes Hulu next Wednesday.

The Disney+ app is also getting some love. iOS widgets are launching, providing a one-click entry point into the app's content. The company says its mobile app will eventually host "mobile-first and mobile-exclusive experiences" to expand its reach. However, those are coming "in the year ahead."

Jimmy Kimmel Live / YouTube

All of this follows the Jimmy Kimmel suspension that dominated headlines in late September. Disney-owned ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely on September 17, following pressure from officials in the Trump administration. That included FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who told the company, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." Disney, which recently wrapped up the anti-fascist epic Andor, chose the easy way.

The company changed its tune and reinstated Kimmel on September 22. Its official line was that it was the result of "thoughtful conversations with Jimmy." However, the company reportedly lost 1.7 million Disney+ subscribers during that period, following widespread calls for a boycott.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-design-and-navigation-changes-are-on-the-way-165513106.html?src=rss

A few years ago, Microsoft offered some of the best deals in gaming. The spartan Xbox Series S was well-priced at $300 (and you could often find it even cheaper if you hunted for deals). A $15 monthly subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offered a vast catalog of games new and old. But my, how things have changed in 2025.

The nearly five-year-old Xbox hardware lineup got not just one but two price bumps this year; the Series S with 512GB of storage now costs a whopping $400, while the Series X starts at $600 for a digital-only model or $650 with a disc drive — $150 and $100 than they retailed for just a few months ago. Adding insult to injury, Microsoft also jacked up the price of Game Pass Ultimate by 50 percent this week — it will soon cost $30 a month, up from $20. And that’s hardly the only price bump it has received recently — it was only $17 as recently as July of last year. It's a positively wild move. 

Sure, Microsoft isn't alone in increasing console pricing —  Nintendo is charging more for the ancient original Switch than ever before, and the Switch 2 is no bargain at $450. Sony also increased PS5 pricing this year, albeit to a less dramatic extent. It's not a huge shock given the roller-coaster ride of uncertainty that is the US economy in 2025 (and for at least a few more years to come), but Microsoft's approach feels egregious.

And that was before the Game Pass bump. It seems Microsoft is betting that increased revenue from die-hards will offset the inevitable losses from people who decide that the new price isn’t worth it. Subscriber inertia is definitely a real thing, and devoted Xbox owners who get a lot of use out of Game Pass may not bat an eye (or may forget to check their bank statements).

$30 for hundreds of games, as well as high-profile launch day availability for titles that would normally cost $70 or more each, is totally reasonable. By the same token, $30 or $40 for something like Apple Music would be more than fair when you consider how much purchasing a single album costs. (Not to mention fair compensation for all the artists involved in making music, or games, but that’s a story for another time.)

But in a desperate effort to get people signed up for music streaming, $10 a month became the industry standard. Sure, streaming services cost a few bucks more than that now, but they've thus far avoided the big price jumps we're seeing in video and now game streaming. As the first big company to offer a subscription gaming catalog, Microsoft had a chance to set market rates — but to get as many people on board as possible, it seems like it aimed too low and is making up for it now.

And those who used to pay $15 or $18 or even $20 a month for Game Pass for years will likely struggle with this bump, no matter how devoted an Xbox gamer they are. A year of Game Pass now costs more than double the annual rate for a PlayStation Plus Platinum subscription. And while Sony still has no plans to bring high-profile, first-party studio games like Ghost of Yotei to its service on day one, the various PS Plus plans offer a ton of value without that. Especially for people who don't need to play the hot new game the week it comes out.

For my part, I've been considering breaking up with Xbox for most of the year, and I think this will seal the deal. In a lot of ways, I was the exact target market for the Series S and Game Pass. There weren't a ton of Xbox games I wanted to play, but there were enough I was curious about. So the combo of a reasonably-priced console and Game Pass was a great way to both try some new games and explore others I had missed.

Getting new players into the Xbox ecosystem feels like a massive challenge now with the prices we're looking at. My year-one cost for an Xbox Series S and Game Pass was $480; it would be almost double now at $860. That is a positively brutal increase, and you can get far more for your money in the PlayStation ecosystem, to say nothing about Steam's frequent (and often more generous) sales. And more and more former Xbox exclusives are coming to other consoles — like Forza Horizon 5, the game that got me to buy an Xbox in the first place. That’s yet another reason to not buy an Xbox, especially at these prices.

Sure, part of Microsoft's strategy is that anything can be an Xbox, streaming games to your TV or set-top box. But you'll need a really strong internet connection for that to be your only way to play games, and the kind of people who are going to shell out $30 for Game Pass are probably going to want the increased performance and fidelity that'll come with a dedicated console. At the very least, though, game streaming is available on all Game Pass plans, so they’re making that part of the equation more accessible to more users.

Microsoft seems to have decided anything can be an Xbox without considering the people who already bought one. The new strategy appears to be shifting consumer costs away from hardware (which is usually a loss leader anyway) to its increasingly-expensive subscription service. That’s been a clear part of the Xbox plan for a while now, but people have come to expect a certain price point for things like Game Pass (regardless of whether or not that price is ethical). Now, Microsoft looks like it’s gouging Game Pass customers and leaves people who did buy into the Xbox ecosystem feeling taken advantage of.

The big bet is that fewer customers paying more will work out in the long run. I have no idea if that’s the right strategy — but I'm one gamer who won't be sticking around to find out. I bet I'm not alone.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/why-im-breaking-up-with-xbox-160000545.html?src=rss

Neon, a service that pays you for recordings of your phone calls and then sells those to AI companies for training data, seems set to return in the wake of a privacy breach. The app swiftly went viral after its debut, but it has been on ice since last week after a security flaw emerged. 

According to CNET, Neon founder Alex Kiam apologized for the incident in an email to users and said the app would return “soon.” It went offline after TechCrunch found users were able to access other people’s call recordings, along with transcripts and metadata. Neon pledged to add extra layers of security during the outage before making a comeback. 

While the app has been offline, users have been unable to cash out their payments. Neon pays them up to $30 per day for call recordings — 30 cents per minute for chats with other Neon users, and 15 cents per minute for calls with anyone else. It offers $30 for referring a newcomer to the app as well. 

In the email to users on Tuesday, Liam wrote that, "Your earnings have not disappeared -- when we're back online, we'll pay you everything you've earned, plus a little bonus to thank you for your patience!" 

Neon says it only records the user’s side of the conversation when they place a call through the app. If the person on the other end is a Neon user as well, it records both sides of the chat. The company claims its tech automatically filters out personal information like names and phone numbers. Some privacy experts have warned people not to use Neon, in part because of potential pitfalls related to two-party consent laws for recording conversations in various jurisdictions.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/viral-app-neon-vows-to-return-to-sell-more-of-your-phone-calls-to-ai-companies-150233035.html?src=rss

For the third generation of its Kindle Scribe line of reading-and-writing tablets, Amazon is giving the device a makeover and two new configurations. Since its introduction in 2022, the Scribe hasn’t changed much physically, with the sophomore model mostly getting a new color. This year, Amazon is launching three flavors of the Scribe. At the entry level is a model with a monochrome screen and no front light. Next is the Kindle Scribe 3, a version that has LED front lights but with a black-and-white display. Finally, at the top of the line is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft — Amazon’s first writing tablet with a color display.

I was able to briefly check out the three new tablets ahead of the company’s launch event, and was quite impressed at the responsiveness and color saturation on the demo units I saw. Also, Amazon hasn’t given these devices a name that indicates what generation they are, simply calling them the “all-new Kindle Scribe lineup” and adding the Colorsoft label to the color model. To make things easier for this article, I’ll be occasionally referring to these as the Kindle Scribe 3.

The first thing I noticed was the Scribe 3’s shape. I’m used to the slightly thicker bezel along one long side of the display that, on the older Scribes, has been a handy place to grip the device without touching the screen. But it wasn’t just there for my thumb to hold onto. That area was also where Amazon placed many of the Kindle’s components like the processor and memory.

To reduce the size of the bezel, Amazon’s Kindle vice president Kevin Keith said “we had to engineer basically the electronics to fold behind the display.” The result is a symmetrical-looking device with a barely-there bezel that’s the same size along all sides of the 11-inch display (slightly bigger than its predecessor’s). It weighs 400 grams (or 0.88 pounds), which should make it easier to hold with one hand while taking notes. Keith also said that, at 5.4mm, the new Kindle Scribe is “thinner than the iPhone Air.” I should point out that a lot of tablets are similarly sleek. The 13-inch iPad Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra both have barely-there profiles of 5.1mm, while the 11-inch iPad Pro measures 5.3mm.

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

Another way Amazon was able to make the latest Scribe so thin and light was by reducing the number of layers in the display. It removed the anti-glare film on the device, using a glare-free display instead, as well as a textured glass that mimics the friction you’d get when putting pen to paper. The company also got rid of a touch layer that was on top of the display before, since it was able to use a screen with integrated touch input support. Keith said that Amazon also considered the size of the casing around the USB port to aid in shrinking the device further.

On models with front lights (all but the entry-level configuration), Amazon had to use miniaturized LED front lights since there was no longer a chunky bezel to contain them. In addition to making them smaller, the company also doubled the number of bulbs to ensure consistency of lighting across the page.

I couldn’t help reaching for the new Kindle Scribe when I saw it, mostly because it looks a lot different than its predecessor. I already found the original Scribe satisfyingly svelte and this latest model is similarly attractive. I do wonder if I might miss having something to grip onto that isn’t the screen, but that might not be a problem if Amazon’s palm rejection technology is effective.

I did notice a slight dullness in the model without the LED front lights, but it remained as easy to read as an older Kindle. The other two certainly looked a lot brighter, with the higher contrast making onscreen text and drawings look fresher and more vibrant. I’ll get to the Colorsoft model in a bit, but I appreciated how clear and saturated colors appeared on its screen.

One of my favorite updates this year is magnets. Specifically, the magnets holding Amazon’s stylus to the Scribe itself have gotten stronger. Keith said “we added more magnetic force so that it’s harder to fall off,” and when I tried pulling the pen off the tablet it required noticeably more effort than with previous models. It also snapped back on more easily. Considering this was one of my complaints about the older Scribes, I’m very encouraged to see this improvement.

At Amazon's event, I got to spend a bit more time with the new Scribes and, at the suggestion of a rep at the demo area, picked up the Scribe Colorsoft just by holding onto the pen attached magnetically to it. The fact that I was able to do so without the tablet falling off seems like a testament not just to the strength of the magnets on this model but also to the light weight of the device.

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

The stylus itself has also been refined, with a slightly thicker, rounded silhouette that Keith said is “a little bit more ergonomic.” It still has a rubberized top that works as a digital eraser and when I used it on the new Scribe I felt the urge to brush off eraser dust, just like I did with the predecessors. The programmable action button remains present as well.

Inside the new Kindle Scribes sit a new custom chip and more memory. Amazon also added the oxide display from its Paperwhite reader, and together with the new processor, that brings a “40 percent faster overall experience with page turning,” according to Keith. The response rate also makes a significant difference in writing, which on the new Kindle Scribe is now down to under 12 milliseconds. That enables a much smoother writing experience with barely noticeable delay between putting the nib on the screen and the digital ink appearing, and because of the changes to the display, any parallax effect is “virtually gone.”

During the few moments I had to scribble on the new Kindle Scribe, I found it hard to tell if there was a big improvement in fluidity or parallax effects compared to the previous models. It’s about as responsive as before, perhaps just a touch faster at showing what I’ve written. Without a side-by-side comparison, it’s not something I can evaluate right now.

I will say that I found the latest Scribe a lot easier to hold with one hand, even in spite of the thinner bezels. That is with the caveat, of course, that I have yet to spend more than a minute writing on it. I usually have a hard time writing on the Scribe without a surface on which to prop it up, so I’m curious to see if it’ll be easier to do so with the newest model.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is surprisingly vivid

I was able to get a good idea of how the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft’s color rendering compares to some of its competition, though. Every morning, I write three pages of free-flowing thoughts by hand, and I currently do so on the reMarkable Paper Pro. All my entries include highlighting of the date and time, and my experience with the color rendering on that device has been underwhelming. Technically, I can choose from yellow, green, blue, pink, orange and gray, but honestly I can barely tell the difference between yellow and orange, while blue and gray are also very close. So instead of five usable highlighter shades, I really only have three (gray is barely a hint of a tint).

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft not only renders colors more vividly, but hues are more distinct from each other. I’d say the reMarkable Paper Pro is like reading a faded newspaper’s comic strip while the Colorsoft looks more like a glossy graphic novel. It’s still a bit muted, but you can at least see variations in shades.

Part of what makes the Colorsoft look nice is the fact that the device itself comes in a nice purplish hue that Amazon calls “fig.” With the selection of colors on its screen, I got a very autumnal vibe and was reminded of berries, for some reason. (It’s also possible I was hungry.)

Like the Kindle Colorsoft that Amazon announced in 2023, the Scribe Colorsoft uses a color filter and LEDs. What’s slightly different is a new rendering engine that Amazon said “enhances the color and ensures writing is fast, fluid and totally natural.”

While the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has the same dimensions and weight as its monochrome counterpart, it has a slightly slower response rate of 14ms. I have only written on the Colorsoft so far, and will wait till I can spend more time with both tablets to see if this different latency makes a big difference.

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

In addition to the new hardware, Amazon also updated the Scribe’s software. All Kindles will be getting a redesigned home page that better surfaces your recently added and edited content. Based on what I saw, instead of having rows of covers on the main screen, there is now a Search bar at the very top, followed by an area on the left half below that for “quick notes.” This is basically a notepad for you to continuously update whenever you need it, so you won’t need to create a new notebook every time you want to jot down a thought. To the right of this top half is the “Jump back into” section, which will show things you were recently working on.

Below those two portions is a row of titles called “Recently added,” where things you just downloaded into your library will appear. So if you have been reading, say, The Body Keeps the Score and just bought Katabasis, you’ll find the first one at the top right and the latter in the “Recently added” section.

The search bar at the top is now powered by AI, because there is no escaping that. Thankfully, Amazon has been fairly cautious about its approach, which is particularly important for a product like the Kindle Scribe where people go to read and produce original content. The new AI feature here is a smarter search that not only indexes all your handwritten notes, but understands and groups common topics so you can search for something like “What have I told Panos Panay before?” The Scribe will scan your notebooks, find all your relevant scribblings and present everything you’ve written down across all your files and summarize its findings for you.

I didn’t have time to try this out but I am intrigued at the potential here. I make so many different to-do lists for Engadget’s events coverage that it would be nice to be able to ask “What are the tasks I need to do by the end of October” and possibly get a neatly organized list. The usefulness of this feature depends almost entirely on how intelligent the AI is, so I’ll have to wait till I can review it more thoroughly to say anything more evaluative.

Amazon is also bringing support for Google Drive and OneDrive, so you can create a folder in either service, add documents to them and the system will download them onto your Kindle Scribe. This is just an easier way to get files onto your Kindle, in addition to sending an email to the associated address or finding a way to add them to your Amazon account. OneNote support is coming as well, and it’ll allow you to export your notes as an embedded image or as a converted text document.

A “Send to Alexa+” feature is coming early next year, so you can share your notes or documents from the Kindle Scribe to the assistant. It will be able to pull information from your pages and remember or refer to them in your conversations, so you can ask it about what’s next on your to-do list or what items are already on your shopping note.

One more update on the redesigned home page: Instead of the existing “Notebooks” tab, Amazon is rolling out the “Workspace” section. Keith described this as “essentially like a new folder system.” Functionally, it didn’t appear too different from the Notebooks setup, other than making it easier to group your related documents so you can access, say, all the lists you’ve written up for your wedding planning or writing projects.

The redesigned home page will be launching later this year, and older Kindle devices will be able to update to the new software. The latest generation of Kindle Scribe will be available later this year, with the entry-level model going for $429, the version with the front light costing $499 and the Scribe Colorsoft starting at $629.

Update, October 2 2025, 10:30AM ET: This story has been updated to include more impressions of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft's increased magnetic force as well as pictures from Amazon's event this week.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-scribe-colorsoft-hands-on-vivid-and-responsive-145147981.html?src=rss

Despite coming out just a couple of weeks ago, the Apple Watch Series 11 is already discounted at Amazon. You can pick up one of the smartwatches for $10 off, starting at $389 right now. Apple revealed the latest generation of its wearable at its iPhone 17 event in Cupertino.

The Series 11 packs some new features like 5G connectivity on cellular models, a more scratch-resistant screen, new sleep features, improved battery life and a hypertension alert system that just received FDA clearance. The GPS-only version is our top pick for Best Apple Watch in 2025.

In our hands-on review, we gave the Apple Watch Series 11 a score of 90 out of 100, noting its thin and light design, the excellent battery life, a nifty new wrist-flick gesture and its comprehensive approach to health and fitness monitoring. It is relatively pricey however, and the Watch SE 3 is probably enough for most users, but the Series 11 has a brighter and larger display, a thinner design, longer battery life and more advanced health features.

For anyone who hasn't bought a new Apple Watch in a few years, the Series 11 is a worthy upgrade. If you're in the market for your first Apple Watch, then this model would be a great one to start with. If you're rocking a Series 10, then you probably don't need to upgrade now unless the improved battery life will mean that much to you.

If your budget is tighter and you don't mind getting a slightly older model, you can save on the Apple Watch Series 10 and SE 2. The former is on sale for $329, while the latter is down to only $189.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/you-can-already-get-a-discount-on-the-apple-watch-series-11-at-amazon-135020356.html?src=rss

OpenAI has overtaken SpaceX as the largest startup and most valuable private company in the world. Bloomberg has reported that the company has authorized a secondary share sale, which allowed its former and current employees to sell their stocks. OpenAI had authorized the sale of $10.3 billion in shares, but they ultimately sold $6.6 billion to investors that include Softbank, Abu Dhabi government's MGX fund, American investment firm Thrive Capital and global investment management firm T. Rowe Price. As Bloomberg explains, that has boosted the company's valuation to $500 billion from $300 billion, overtaking SpaceX with a $400 billion valuation and TikTok developer ByteDance at $220 billion. 

In early September, OpenAI said it was getting closer to transitioning to a new structure that will turn it into a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) controlled by its nonprofit arm. The company's nonprofit division received an equity stake of more than $100 billion, making it a major shareholder of the PBC. SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk is one of the biggest critics of OpenAI's decision and has been trying to block the company's for-profit transition in court. Musk was one of OpenAI's founders and funded its initial operations. He claimed in court that OpenAI and Altman are breaking their contract with him and violating the company's founding mission of building AI "for the benefit of humanity" by changing its structure. 

OpenAI is hoping that being a PBC would make it more appealing to investors, as it would remove the cap on the financial returns they can get. It needs a lot more money than what it has raised so far, after all: OpenAI chief Sam Altman previously said he intends to spend trillions of dollars on building out data centers to run artificial intelligence services. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is-now-the-worlds-most-valuable-private-company-at-500-billion-133028221.html?src=rss

About two years ago, I tried a facial treatment in Singapore that had left me feeling refreshed and my skin smooth and taut. I found out it was called an “aqua peel” and started investigating how I could replicate the experience at home in the United States. Back then, the available options were either too costly or looked dubious. At the time, devices like the BeautyBio GloFacial weren’t showing up in my searches, and the Dermaflash Dermapore+ Pore Extractor and Serum Infuser just didn’t seem like what I was looking for.

When I first read the description for Shark’s FacialPro Glow, I felt a spark of hope ignite. It sounded like the aqua peel I had experienced, and it wasn’t until I actually was able to try it out recently that I was convinced. The company says its latest gadget is a “hydro-fueled, skincare-enhanced facial device that delivers spa-level results.” Basically, imagine a nozzle being dragged around your face as it sucks gunk out of your pores while also flushing them clean. That’s the refreshing sensation I experienced and was, to use a Singaporean term, “damn shiok.”

There are two parts to the FacialPro Glow system: the “cleanse” or exfoliating attachment and the Shark Depuffi, which will be sold separately starting October 17. Both of these components can snap onto a handle that houses the power unit. The “cleanse” portion is made up of a dual-pump system that applies suction and also sprays water or a hydrator into your pores so it infuses as it cleans. From all the descriptions I’ve read of “aqua peels” or “hydra facials” the FacialPro Glow seems to do pretty much the same thing. 

I’ve only had the chance to try it out once so far but I’m already pretty impressed. But before I get into that, a word on the setup. You can choose to use the Depuffi to warm up your skin before moving on to the exfoliating attachment, but I didn’t do so. The Depuffi is basically like a bigger, rounder gua sha (Asian smooth-edged tool for scraping your face to sculpt it) with a much larger surface area. It can either heat up or be cold, and uses similar technology as the undereye plates in Shark’s LED mask that launched earlier this year.

I missed that suggestion as I didn’t see it in the manual and was eager to begin with the suction, but I did use it after I was done with the exfoliation session to relax and cool my face.

The very first step in the process is to apply a thin layer of the included “Derm Detox” exfoliating gel on your face and leave it there for three minutes. It’s a combination of glycolic and salicylic acids that Shark says “gently dissolves impurities.” So far, I haven’t found anything noteworthy about the formulation. It didn’t have any smell or fragrance, didn’t leave my skin feeling tingly and despite being called a gel it had a mostly watery consistency that was reminiscent of facial treatment essences.

There are two tanks on the FacialPro Glow — a smaller one near the nozzle for clean water (or the BHA hydrator that Shark includes) and a larger one behind it labeled “gunk tank.” For your first pass, which is mostly about suction and cleaning, you’ll need to fill the front section with clean, cool water. 

A close-up look at the Shark FacialPro Glow after one round on my face. Cherlynn Low for Engadget

Shark includes five tips for the device: gentle wide, gentle T-zone, normal wide, normal T-zone and self-cleaning. Once you’ve attached your preferred head and filled up water to the “max” line, you can turn on the FacialPro Glow and adjust the intensity using the “plus” button above the power button. 

Then, as you would with a microdermabrasion device like the PMD or even a makeup brush, glide the nozzle over your skin. Shark also includes a guide on how to do so, going over the types of motion you should use and the general direction (outwards and upwards) to sweep in. As I dragged the machine around my face, I felt a tug on my skin and suction that felt similar to the pore vacuum devices used in salons, and whenever I caught sight of the gunk tank I noticed it slowly filling up with cloudy water. This wasn’t as murky as I was anticipating, and frankly whatever mild coloration I did notice in the gunk tank seemed more like the removal of the Derm Detox essence than any actual build-up from my pores. (I did just have a facial a week prior, so there likely wasn’t a lot to extract.) 

The instruction manual suggests using the wide head for about two minutes and the T-zone option for the remaining minute of the three-minute sessions. The device will keep track of the time and simply pause after your three minutes is up, so all you have to do is switch out the attachments when you’re ready. I found this part slightly confusing as I wasn’t sure if I could just hit the power button to pause the machine while I switched out the tips or if there was a time it would stop on its own. Eventually I just went with the former method and pressed the power button again to resume the suction and it did end on its own afterwards.

The next step in the process was to fill the clean tank with the BHA hydrator essence that Shark included, called “Hydro infuse,” and launch another three-minute session with it flushing your face. This was the part I really enjoyed. The gentle stream of liquid swooshing against my skin felt very refreshing and relaxing. I never felt like there was too much moisture — nothing dripped and I performed the whole session standing up without any of my clothes or surroundings getting wet. 

It’s worth pointing out that Shark says its two formulas were dermatologist-tested and “developed in a Korean lab specifically for the Shark FacialPro Glow routine.” According to the company’s vice president of design and engineering Chris Hedges, you’ll have to use these products instead of third-party options because “the exfoliating AHA/BHA percentages were carefully managed to balance well with the device flow rate, amount of suction provided and the amount of time the tip is covering your face.”

Hedges added that “this mix of chemical and mechanical exfoliation is the key to the efficacy and safety of the process” and that use of other formulations with the device is not advised “as it could unbalance the system, leading to over or under exfoliation.”

The Shark FacialPro Glow with its exfoliating attachment and with its Depuffi head. Shark

I’m not a fan of being limited to a company’s products, especially as someone who has already found a skincare system that I’m committed to (shoutout to the Jan Marini range of products). Hopefully, Shark might be able to develop a range of offerings or work with third parties in a way that would make it easier to use the FacialPro Glow without needing to consistently repurchase exfoliating gels from the one company. Plus, Shark is selling $50 replenishment bundles that come with one bottle of each, which is quite pricey. Depending on how frequently you perform the treatment, you might find yourself shelling out an additional $100 a year.

Once you’ve finished your three-minute pass with the Hydro Infuse, you’re technically done with your treatment. If you like, you can detach the cleanse module (the one that contains the two tanks and the nozzle) and swap in the Depuffi attachment. After you do so, slap on some moisturizer and turn on the device, you can run the cool plate all over your face for a calming effect. I have sensitive skin that turns red at almost any touch, so having the Depuffi cool my face down was nice. It’s also just very comforting and enjoyable, like running a cold, dry bottle on your skin on a hot day.

Like I mentioned earlier, you can also turn the Depuffi into heating mode, in which case you’d be running a warm plate all over your face. This should help open up pores ahead of your cleansing treatment and might make impurities easier to suck out. Shark offers six temperature levels for the Depuffi, though I should note that when I accidentally left the Depuffi in its warmer state, it took awhile for it to feel cool again after I toggled back to the chill mode. 

If you’re only interested in the Depuffi, it will be available separately for $200. The whole FacialPro Glow system, which includes the cleansing attachment, the Depuffi and the exfoliating gel and hydrating essence, will be available from October 6 for $400.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/sharks-latest-skincare-gadget-will-suck-gunk-from-your-pores-and-rinse-them-133000385.html?src=rss

Apple had big plans for the the future of the Vision Pro, but it has reportedly put them on the back burner and has prioritized the development of smart glasses that can compete directly against the Meta Ray-Bans. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company told staff last week that it's moving team members working on a cheaper and lighter version of the Vision Pro to accelerate the development of its smart glasses. Apple is apparently developing two models, one of which, called the "N50," has no display of its own and will pair with iPhones. The company reportedly intends to launch it sometime next year and will it release in 2027. 

Bloomberg says Apple is also working on smart glasses with an augmented reality display that can rival the Meta Ray-Ban Display. It was going to release the model in 2028, but now Apple is looking to expedite its development, presumably so it could be available at an earlier date. Like Meta's smart glasses, Apple's devices will rely heavily on voice interaction and AI commands. Bloomberg previously reported that Apple is releasing an updated Siri next year that's powered by large language models, meant for use on displays, speakers and, yes, glasses. 

Apple's smart glasses will reportedly come in a variety of styles, will be powered by a new chip and will have speakers for playback, as well as cameras to capture images and videos. The company is looking to equip it with health-tracking capabilities, as well. 

It has long been reported that Apple's ultimate goal was to release augmented reality glasses of its own, since they could rival phones in the future. If this report is true, Apple is merely adjusting its timeline, especially since it's now fairly behind Meta in the space. While Apple's priorities have shifted, it hasn't abandoned the Vision Pro altogether. The FCC recently uploaded documents referencing an updated "Head Mounted Device" by Apple, though it's unclear if it's the upcoming lighter version that's supposed to be cheaper than the $3,499 original model. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-is-reportedly-pulling-staff-from-the-vision-pro-to-work-on-its-smart-glasses-130050475.html?src=rss

When Lego announced its near 1:1, 421-piece Nintendo Game Boy set I wrote that it was charming, but "sadly not playable." Now that it has started shipping (as of yesterday), creator Natalie the Nerd proved me 100 percent wrong. She added the power to play genuine Game Boy cartridges, using real hardware and not an emulator, according to her post on Bluesky and a story on The Verge. 

The project was right up Natalie's alley as she specializes in circuit board design, having even created a transparent one for another Game Boy project. To make the Lego Game Boy run, she created a custom circuit board with Game Boy chips soldered on, including working buttons. She then added the "smallest screen kit on the market," she told The Verge, removing a few bricks to make it fit. You won't even have to worry about batteries as it has a USB-C port to run everything.

Natalie the Nerd

It's fully functional but not quite complete — on Bluesky, Natalie pointed out that the A and B keys are currently held in by an elastic band. To fix that, she plans to 3D print a lego piece that will hold a custom PCB for the buttons. Once it's all ready, she'll share her designs as she has with past products. "I am going to release it once I am happy with it," she wrote on X. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/a-creator-has-made-legos-non-playable-game-boy-set-playable-120044617.html?src=rss

They’re not complicated, but smart plugs can make life a bit more convenient and, honestly, a little more fun. I like saying “Goodnight” to Alexa and having all the lamps and the holiday lights click off. In the two years or so that I’ve been testing smart plugs, I’ve come across good ones and bad ones. I think TP-Link’s EP25 will work best for most people, but a few others have their advantages. Say, perhaps you need an outdoor plug, one that monitors energy or one with dual outlets. Based on our testing, and many conversations with Siri, the Google Assistant and Alexa, these are our top picks for the best smart plugs you can buy, along with how to get the most out of your plug once you buy it.

Table of contents

• Best smart plugs for 2025

• Best outdoor smart plugs for 2025

• Best uses for a smart plug

• What to consider when buying a smart plug

• How we tested the best smart plugs

• Other smart plugs we tested

• Smart plug FAQs

Best smart plugs for 2025

The best outdoor smart plugs for 2025

Most people will likely use outdoor plugs for two things: patio lighting and holiday string lights. The devices are designed for the outdoors with a weatherproof protection rating of IP64 or higher, which means they’re impervious to dust and can handle splashing water from rain and sprinklers. They have a longer Wi-Fi range than indoor plugs, for obvious reasons, and many have dual outlets, with individual control over each one.

Setup is the same as for indoor plugs: you’ll use your phone to help the plug find your Wi-Fi using its companion app. The only tricky part is getting your phone within Bluetooth range of the plug (which it uses to initialize setup) and in Wi-Fi range at the same time. I had to awkwardly stand at a triangulated point in the middle of my driveway to get things communicating properly. Once set up, the plugs will communicate using your router for voice and app control and your phone needn’t be anywhere near the plug.

Best uses for a smart plug

Before you buy one, it helps to know how a smart plug works best. They are designed for things that have an on/off switch, making them great for doing things like turning regular ol’ lamps into smart lights. If you want a fan to move some air around before you get home, a smart plug can help. You can load a basic coffee maker with grounds and water the night before and wake up to a fresh pot in the morning. And instead of an air purifier running all day, you could set it to just run when you’re away.

But gadgets that need to be programmed further, or require a stand-by mode, aren't ideal. If you want to control built-in lights, you’ll need a smart light switch, which are more involved than smart plugs as they can involve in-wall installation. Smart bulbs are also an option for automation, and we have an entire guide devoted to those.

Some smart plugs can even monitor how much energy they use and display those figures within their companion app. That might not be much use on its own, as lamps with LED light bulbs consume very little energy, but it could help you keep tabs on your overall energy consumption.

What to consider when buying a smart plug Setup and use

Adding a smart plug to your home is relatively simple. You’ll use the manufacturer’s app to initially connect, after which you can add the plug to a compatible smart home ecosystem so you can use voice control and other features. Both the brand’s app and your smart home app will let you name the plug, set schedules and program “routines” which provide automation for multiple smart devices at once. But as you can guess, a manufacturer’s app only lets you control products from that brand. If you want whole-home automation, operating, say, a plug from TP-Link’s Kasa, a smart bulb from Philips Hue, a smart thermostat from Honeywell and a camera from Arlo without switching apps, you’ll need to use a smart home platform, which means you’ll need to consider compatibility.

Compatibility

Smart home devices connect through wireless protocols, often using more than one to communicate with your phone, smart speaker, router and in some cases, one another. The majority of smart plugs use Wi-Fi, but some have recently incorporated Matter, a relatively new wireless standard intended to solve integration issues between different brands and manufacturers, while also improving security and reliability.

More of these smart plugs are coming to market and, for now, most Matter devices work via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a low-power mesh network called Thread. Matter requires a controller that stays at home, like a hub or smart speaker, to manage things when you’re out and about.

As for Bluetooth, most plugs, including all Matter plugs, use the short-range protocol to get the device set up for the first time. Some can continue to run on Bluetooth in the absence of another option, but the connection isn’t as reliable and you won’t be able to control the plug when you’re away from home, or perhaps even just on the other side of the apartment.

Because Matter is relatively new, it may be easier to consider the manufacturer’s system you’d use the most. There are four major “branded” smart home platforms: Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, Apple’s HomeKit and Samsung’s SmartThings. The first two work with the widest range of brands and are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. HomeKit not only limits app access to Apple devices, but it’s also compatible with fewer plugs. You can also turn to open-source software like Home Assistant or go with the larger functionality of IFTTT if you want to, say, have your lights turn off when your Uber arrives. For the purposes of our testing, we stuck with the four big players. Nearly every plug we looked at clearly stated which platforms it works with, both on the packaging and retail product pages.

Of course, there’s no rule that says you have to stick with one home assistant. You might have an Echo Dot in the basement, a HomePod in the living room and a Google Nest Mini in the kitchen, each controlling any compatible devices. My kid has a great time telling Alexa to turn on a light then asking the Google Assistant to turn it back off.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget Hubs and smart plugs

All of our top picks recommended here don’t require a hub and connect directly to your home’s Wi-Fi router. That means if you already have wireless internet and a smartphone or tablet, you can quite literally plug and play. The exception is Apple’s HomeKit. If you want to pair up a compatible plug with that platform, you’ll need a HomePod speaker, Apple TV or an iPad that stays in your home to enable remote control when you’re away.

Some smart plugs require a hub regardless of which platform you use. For our guide, we focused on the simplicity (and lower cost) of options that work on their own, but hub-dependent devices may make sense in certain situations. Some companies, like Aqara and Lutron for example, make a vast range of smart home products, adding automatic shades, window sensors, smart locks and air quality monitors to the more traditional cameras and plugs. If you’re going all-in on one brand and plan to get a plethora of connected devices, a hub can keep your Wi-Fi network from getting too crowded and provide a more seamless setup with reliable connectivity. Zigbee devices use their own protocol (different from Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) and also requires a hub. 

Sharing

Once a plug is set up with your platform and voice assistant of choice, anyone can control the plug just by talking. If someone else wants to control things with their phone, things get more complicated. Google makes it easiest, allowing you to invite another person just by tapping the + button within the Home app. Whomever you invite will have full access to your connected devices – including cameras – so this is only for people you trust the most.

HomeKit makes it similarly easy to grant app access to someone else, but as with most things Apple, it only works for other iOS users. Amazon only allows you to share access to your Echo, not your connected home devices.

Many smart plug manufacturers allow you to share control through their app by inviting another person via email. But this only grants access to devices of that brand. Hopefully as Matter expands, multi-admin features will become more widespread.

If you get a new Wi-Fi network

Most people will wirelessly connect their smart plugs to their home’s Wi-Fi router. Matter, Z-Wave, Thread and other smart home protocols can work over local networks, but for most setups, the signals telling your plugs what to do will be dispatched through your router. If you happen to get a new one (like I did when it became clear my very basic gateway could not handle the number of smart home devices being tested) you’ll need to take a few steps to get everything reconnected.

Depending on the brand, the steps may simply involve using the plug’s companion app to update your credentials (network name and password). Or it will require deleting the device in the companion app, doing a factory reset (typically by pressing the onboard button for 10 seconds) and setting up the plug like it's brand new. GE Sync and Emporia plugs allow for a credentials update via their apps, others, like TP-Link Kasa and Meross plugs require deletion and a factory reset to get along with your new network. Amazon’s smart plug updates automatically after updating the associated Echo device.

How we tested the best smart plugs

Before we decided which smart plugs to test, we considered brands Engadget staffers have had the best experiences with, both in review capacity and personally. We also checked out other online reviews. We then looked at factors like price, compatibility and relative popularity. I got ahold of ten indoor smart plugs and four outdoor versions from eight manufacturers.

I set up each one using its companion app, then added it to all compatible smart home platforms. Plugging in a cadre of lamps and string lights, I tested the plugs using an iPhone 11, Galaxy S10e, Echo Dot, HomePod mini and Nest Mini. I accessed the plugs via the apps and through voice commands and controlled them in my home and away from it. I programmed schedules and routines and moved the plugs to different outlets, including ones in the basement to gauge range. For the outdoor devices, I plugged them into an outlet in the garage (approximately 85 feet from my Wi-Fi router) and an outlet attached to the back of the house.

Here’s every smart plug tested before settling on our top picks:

• The Amazon Smart Plug

• Emporia Smart Outlet*

• GE Cync Indoor

• Wyze Plug

• Roku Indoor Smart Plug SE

• Belkin Wemo smart plug with Thread

• TP-Link Kasa EP25

• TP-Link Kasa Ultra Mini EP10

• Meross Wi-Fi Dual

• TP-Link Kasa KP125M (Matter)

• Eve Energy (Matter)

• Aqara Smart Plug (hub required)

• AmazonBasics Outdoor Smart Plug (outdoor)

• Wyze Plug Outdoor (outdoor)

• TP-Link Kasa Outdoor EP40A (outdoor)

• TP-LINK Outdoor Dimmer KP405 (outdoor)

*Emporia issued a recall on its smart plugs purchased before August 1, 2023 due to a potential fire risk, though no incidents were reported. The plugs have since been updated to resolve the issue and are back on sale. We tested the revised version and recommend it as the energy-monitoring pick.

As new smart plugs are released, we'll continue to try them and update this guide accordingly. We plan to add smart power strips to this guide as well. 

Other smart plugs we tested Meross Matter plug (MSS115)

I wasn’t able to test the Meross Matter plug fully. It requires Wi-Fi splitting, a process that’s certainly possible for the average consumer, but more involved than it should be, considering the more than dozen other plugs I’ve tested don’t require such a step. The plug itself also blocked the other outlet. Meross has an updated version of the Matter device on the way, one that looks to solve both issues and we’ll update this guide accordingly once we’ve had a chance to test it.

Roku Smart Plug

Roku’s smart home gear is basically Wyze equipment with an app and packaging that are more purple. The Roku smart plug performed just fine with both compatible voice assistants (Alexa and Google Assistant). The companion app doesn’t offer scheduling that revolves around the timing of the sunset in your area, but the plugs go for less than $10 each and if you’ve got a Roku TV or streaming device set up and want to keep everything on-brand, it could be a fit.

Aquara Smart Plug

The Aqara plug requires an Aqara hub. In tests, the connectivity was solid and the companion app allowed for useful if/then automations that can rope in other Aqara devices like locks, window shades, cameras and more. The plug also worked well with voice assistants from Amazon, Google and Apple. As a stand-alone plug, however, it’s tough to recommend the nearly $100 combo to anyone who isn’t planning to get a complete Aqara smart home setup.

Smart plug FAQs What should you not plug into a smart plug?

Anything with controls that are more complicated than on/off won’t work well with a smart plug. For example, a dimmable lamp with touch controls won’t turn on when the smart plug does. A programmable coffee machine, smart TV, microwave, Instant Pot, robot vacuum — none of these make sense to use with a smart plug as they all require further input from you to start working. Appliances like a lamp with a twist knob, a basic humidifier, a coffee maker with a red-rocker switch are all good options for using with smart plugs.

You’ll also want to pay attention to the wattage and amperage rating of your smart plug. All smart plugs work with 120V outlets, and most are rated to 15A, which should handle even power-hungry appliances like a 1500 watt space heater. But be sure to check that the plug can handle whatever you’re plugging in. It’s also not wise to use a smart plug to automatically turn on appliances that require supervision, like things with heating elements (heaters, curling irons, etc).

What are the disadvantages of a smart plug?

While they’re great when everything is working properly, smart plugs can be frustrating, adding a layer of complication to the simple act of turning on a light, if something goes wrong. For example: If your Wi-Fi goes out, your smart plug won’t work. If the smart plug loses its connection to your router, it won’t work. If you change your Wi-Fi password or provider, you’ll have to re-program your smart plugs. If you forget what you named a particular plug during setup, you may be faced with an irritating conversation with your voice assistant. The best way to avoid some of those problems is to get a plug that works reliably, which is one of the features we considered for this guide.

How much power does a smart plug draw?

Smart plugs don’t draw much more power than whatever you’re plugging into them. True, they remain on standby to await instructions from your smart assistant or other controller, so they’re always using a small amount of power. But if, for example, you set a light to automatically turn off at night, and that light would otherwise stay on unnecessarily, the smart plug will save far more energy than the watt or two extra that it draws.

Do smart plugs use Bluetooth?

Some smart plugs use Bluetooth to connect to your phone during setup. After that, most connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network.

What appliances should not be plugged into a smart plug?

Common sense will help you determine what not to plug in. Obviously anything dangerous like power tools should not be plugged into a smart plug. Appliances that require supervision, such as space heaters and curling irons, shouldn’t be set to turn on automatically if no one will be around. You also shouldn’t bother with anything that needs further programming. Simple on/off appliances like lamps and fans work best.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-smart-plug-131542429.html?src=rss

Two Amazon delivery drones reportedly collided with a crane this morning in Tolleson, AZ. The incident occurred about two miles from a fulfillment center run by the tech company and involved two of its Prime Air drones. No injuries have been reported. Law enforcement were called to the scene, however Sgt. Erik Mendez of the Tolleson police told local radio station KTAR that the Federal Aviation Administration would be taking over the investigation.

"We're aware of an incident involving two Prime Air drones in Tolleson, Arizona," Amazon representative Terrence Clark said. "We're currently working with the relevant authorities to investigate."

Amazon began offering a drone delivery option in the Phoenix area last year. The drones only fly during the day and if weather conditions are favorable. The company received FAA approval to ship several more products by drone in May.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/two-amazon-prime-air-drones-crashed-in-arizona-224857013.html?src=rss

After a few years of mostly humming along in the background, Amazon's game streaming service is receiving a bit of an update. Amazon Luna will still act as a game streaming service with a rotating library of free games for Prime users, but now, Amazon also plans to offer "GameNight," a collection of social party games that you can play with your friends with just a smartphone. The expansion is about more than just new games: Amazon's Prime Gaming brand is now also part of Luna.

Amazon says the new GameNight collection includes over 25 multiplayer games, some that are reinterpretations of classic games like Angry Birds, Exploding Kittens or Ticket to Ride, and others that are entirely original and developed by Amazon, like Courtroom Chaos: Starring Snoop Dogg. If you've played any of Jackbox's various multiplayer games, GameNight seems to use a similar setup. You load up the game in Luna, whoever's playing scans an onscreen QR code with their phone and then they can join the game using their device as a controller.

The hope is that these smartphone-controlled games will lower the barrier to entry for anyone intimidated by a controller, or who hasn't already taken advantage of Luna as part of their Prime subscription. For everyone else, though, Amazon says the service is getting a collection of new high-profile games in the near future, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Dave the Diver. As before, if you're willing to pay for one of Amazon's add-on subscriptions you can add even more games to your library, too. Unlike GameNight games, though, all of these titles will require a controller to play, whether it's Amazon's Luna Controller or a Bluetooth controller connected to the Luna app.

As far as Prime Gaming is concerned, Amazon's not retiring the benefits of the plan, but rather using them to bolster Luna. Prime Gaming launched as Twitch Prime, a program that unlocked unique emotes, one free Twitch sub and free PC games every month if you linked your Twitch and Amazon accounts. Those benefits will still be available after Prime Gaming is retired, and Twitch says that any free PC games you redeem will be available "wherever Amazon Prime is available as part of Luna Standard." That includes regions where you can't stream Luna yet.

While confusing, adding more games and folding Prime Gaming into Luna suggests that Amazon views the service as the gaming project it's prioritizing moving forward. It doesn't have the library of Xbox Cloud Gaming and it's not clear if Amazon is as gun-ho about streaming as Microsoft is, but if the company is willing to pay, offering more games and more ways to play them seems like a good move.

Update, October 1 2025, 6:07PM ET: The story and its headline have been updated to include details about Amazon's changes to Prime Gaming.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amazon-luna-will-offer-controller-free-party-games-in-an-attempt-to-woo-prime-subscribers-130004416.html?src=rss

Forbes has published an investigation into Amazon's efforts to court law enforcement clients for artificial intelligence and surveillance services. The article reveals that not only is the company promoting Amazon Web Services as a potential police tool, but it has been partnering with other businesses in that sector to use its cloud infrastructure. According to the Forbes report, Amazon's partners that are pitching police departments include car tracking tools and license plate readers from Flock Safety, gun detection by ZeroEyes, real-time crime center apps from C3 AI and Revir Technologies, and AI that helps compose police reports from Abel Police and Mark43. The piece estimated that the police tech business is worth $11 billion. Based on emails sent by members of Amazon's law enforcement and safety team, the company is working awfully hard to get a share of those billions.

The company's aggressive sales work has raised outcry for privacy issues around how police officers might use these tools, which is unsurprising given that AI tools can create inaccuracies and easily be misused. Regulation is still a piecemeal affair and some law enforcement departments have failed to follow what laws do exist about tech use.

"​​It's dismaying to see one of the largest and most powerful companies pushing authoritarian surveillance tech in this way," ACLU Senior Policy Analyst Jay Stanley told Forbes. "I didn't realize Amazon was serving as a midwife for AI law enforcement technologies."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-is-reportedly-aggressively-pitching-law-enforcement-on-its-cloud-services-215334082.html?src=rss

Ubisoft has launched — and named — its Tencent-backed subsidiary. Vantage Studios is the first of the company's "creative houses" under a previously-announced reorganization. The new studio will oversee the company's tentpole franchises: Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six.

The news follows Ubisoft's March announcement of a new subsidiary with a €1.16 billion ($1.36 billion) investment from Tencent. The Chinese company took a minority ownership stake in Vantage as part of the deal. In July, Ubisoft named the new subsidiary's co-CEOs: Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot.

"Our focus is on evolving Ubisoft's operating model to bring more focus, more autonomy and more accountability to the teams so they can stay closely attuned to our players," Guillemot said at the time. "Decision making will be quicker, and it will also be easier to pivot when we need to change course."

Ubisoft

Ubisoft's announcement today reflected that language. The idea is to give its developers "a higher level of autonomy" at Vantage and future studios. It wants the new structure to enable "a shorter pathway between gathering and implementing player feedback."

Vantage is the only creative house the parent company has announced. The company will set up future ones "under the banner of a shared DNA and development expertise." However, it's unclear what other creative houses will work on, with Vantage taking over Ubisoft's bread-and-butter franchises.

Vantage's team will be spread across Ubisoft's offices in Montréal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona and Sofia. Multiple gaming publications, including GamesIndustry.biz, reported that the studio began operations today. Ubisoft is said to have chosen "Vantage Studios" based on a vote by its 2,300 employees. As for Tencent, it will reportedly act in an advisory role, with the co-CEOs having the final word.

Ubisoft was due for some big changes. The company has endured big-name flops, studio closures and layoffs. At least Assassin's Creed: Shadows has done well.

Incidentally, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six titles were among those added to Game Pass on Wednesday. Microsoft seems to have intended for the announcement to soften the blow of the service's 50 percent price hike. I'm not so sure it worked.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-launches-its-new-tencent-backed-subsidiary-194750403.html?src=rss

If raising console prices wasn't enough to scare you away, Microsoft has also increased the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by 50 percent. That makes the subscription cost $30 per month when it used to be $20. Even if it comes with more games and the benefits of a Fortnite Crew subscription, you wouldn't be wrong for wanting to cancel. 

Cancelling means you'll also lose ability to play online multiplayer games, but cheaper tiers of Game Pass received new benefits without getting a similar price hike, so downgrading might be worth considering. Whichever you choose, the process of managing your subscription is relatively easy, provided you remember your login information.

How to cancel your Game Pass subscription Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget

Rather than managing your Game Pass subscription on your Xbox, you'll need to log in to your Microsoft account through a web browser. To get started:

1. Access your account by clicking the profile icon in the top-right corner of Microsoft's website, or by heading to account.microsoft.com and logging in.

2. Click on the Subscriptions tab in the left sidebar.

3. In the Game Pass section, click on Manage.

4. Then click on Cancel subscription, the last option in the menu.

Depending on when you subscribed and when your next billing date is, Microsoft might offer to refund a portion of your subscription if you choose to unsubscribe immediately, rather than wait to the end of your billing period. Whichever you choose, once you confirm, you'll be unsubscribed.

How to downgrade to a cheaper Game Pass subscription Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget

If you'd prefer to just switch to a more affordable subscription, like Game Pass Premium for $15 per month or Game Pass Essential for $10 per month, the process is nearly the same.

1. Log in to your account through Microsoft's website or account.microsoft.com.

2. Click on the Subscriptions tab in the left sidebar.

3. In the Game Pass section, click on Manage.

4. Then, click on Change subscription plan.

5. Consider your options, then click on Switch subscription to change plans.

Microsoft will ask you to confirm your decision and potentially choose a payment option, but once you click on Subscribe, you'll be all set.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/how-to-cancel-or-downgrade-your-xbox-game-pass-subscription-191801458.html?src=rss

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing home-search website Zillow, alleging that it paid rival Redfin $100 million to eliminate competition in the online listing business. The suit refers to a deal inked back in February between the two companies in which Redfin allegedly agreed to become "an exclusive syndicator of Zillow listings."

The allegations suggest that Redfin began copying over listings from Zillow instead of creating its own listings, which gave Zillow much more control over the space. The suit also accuses Redfin of agreeing to end contracts with advertising customers in an alleged attempt to cede more ground to Zillow.

The FTC went on to suggest that this anti-competitive practice would lead to higher prices and worsening terms for both renters and advertisers. “This agreement is nothing more than an end run around competition that insulates Zillow from head-to-head competition on the merits with Redfin for customers advertising multifamily buildings,” the lawsuit said.

Zillow released a statement on the suit, which was published by CNN. The statement called the previous deal with Redfin “pro-competitive and pro-consumer" and noted that “our listing syndication with Redfin benefits both renters and property managers and has expanded renters’ access to multifamily listings across multiple platforms."

Redfin also disagrees with the allegations from the FTC, saying that "by the end of 2024, it was clear that the existing number of Redfin advertising customers couldn’t justify the cost of maintaining our rentals sales force." The company went on to suggest that "partnering with Zillow cut those costs and enabled us to invest more in rental-search innovations on Redfin, directly benefiting apartment seekers."

The FTC further alleges that Redfin laid off hundreds of workers as part of the deal, going on to help Zillow hire some of these employees. Basically, the agency is accusing Zillow of acquiring a large part of Redfin’s business, all while hiding behind the idea of a partnership to avoid scrutiny. The FTC has asked the court to end the agreement and consider a divestiture of assets.

This isn't the only current legal dispute that Zillow finds itself in. A real estate brokerage company called Compass issued its own lawsuit back in June, accusing Zillow of engaging in anticompetitive practices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftc-sues-zillow-and-accuses-it-of-buying-off-rival-redfin-184539492.html?src=rss

Mars isn't our only neighbor that may harbor life. The odds have risen that Saturn's moon Enceladus may, too. On Wednesday, scientists published a paper outlining the increasing complexity of molecules emitted from beneath the moon's surface. "We now have all elements required for Enceladus to harbour life," the ESA's Dr Jörn Helbert told The Guardian.

Enceladus gives researchers a unique window into its subsurface world. The Cassini mission already taught us that plumes of water ice shoot 6,000 miles into space from Enceladus. The source of those icy jets is believed to be a subsurface saltwater ocean, around 30 miles deep, that envelops the entire moon. The space geysers shoot out from its South Pole.

Previous analysis of the moon's icy particles already revealed the chemical building blocks for life as we know it. But before, the organics were inferred from studying Saturn's E ring, which is composed mostly of material from the icy jet. In contrast, this study looked at data from the Cassini mission's flyby of the plumes themselves. What's different today is the variety of organic signatures and the freshness of the samples. "These grains were just minutes old," lead author Dr. Nozair Khawaja told The Guardian.

NASA / JPL / Space Science Institute

"The detection of organics directly in the plume rules out space weathering as the sole production pathway," the paper's authors wrote. Space weathering refers to radiation and other processes that potentially alter or spoil the samples. "The grains are fresh, unaltered and proof of survival through ocean transit and plume emission" for the compounds.

"These grains were just minutes old," Khawaja said. "It means that what we are capturing here is actually the pure sample from the subsurface." He said the results also increased the known complexity of Enceladus' sub-surface organic chemistry. "When there is complexity happening, that means that the habitable potential of Enceladus is increasing right now," he said.

The results still don't prove that there's life on Saturn's moon. However, they do suggest a chemically rich subsurface ocean that could seed the building blocks of life. Your move, Mars.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/saturns-ocean-moon-looks-more-hospitable-to-subsurface-life-than-we-thought-174149814.html?src=rss

Xbox owners got a bit of a nasty surprise thanks to Microsoft’s sudden announcement today that the monthly cost of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription is getting a 50 percent increase. The new $30 monthly price, up from $20, is going to really sting for a lot of people, especially with no cheaper annual or quarterly options offered.

Fortunately, the rough price hike isn’t all that Microsoft talked about today — there are a lot of games being added to the service, particularly for the two most expensive plans. In case you aren’t up to date, Game Pass is now split into three slightly revamped tiers: Essential, Premium and Ultimate, two of which are confusingly also names Sony uses for its cheapest and most expensive PS Plus offerings. You can read a full breakdown of each tier and what they cost here.

More than 45 new games have joined the Ultimate library, with certain Ultimate games trickling down into the Premium and Essential tiers. If that sounds confusing, that’s probably because it is, but the main headlines are that Hogwarts Legacy is now part of Game Pass Ultimate and Premium, while the priciest Ultimate lineup has ballooned in size thanks to the introduction of Ubisoft Classics+. This curated catalogue of Ubisoft’s extensive back catalogue joins EA Play, which was already part of Ultimate, and is a pretty significant addition to the service. Especially if you like old-school Assassin’s Creed. 

Here is the full list of games joining each Game Pass tier today.

Ultimate

• Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Assassin’s Creed II (PC)

• Assassin’s Creed III Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag: Freedom Cry (PC)

• Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (PC)

• Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD (PC)

• Assassin’s Creed Revelations (PC)

• Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection (Cloud and Console)

• Assassin’s Creed Unity (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Child of Light (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Far Cry 3 (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Far Cry Primal (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Hungry Shark World (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Monopoly Madness (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Monopoly 2024 (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• OddBallers (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show (Cloud and Console)

• Rabbids: Party of Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Rayman Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Risk Urban Assault (Cloud and Console)

• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Skull and Bones (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/S)

• South Park: The Stick of Truth (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Steep (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• The Crew 2 (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• The Settlers: New Allies (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Tom Clancy’s The Division (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Trackmania Turbo (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Transference (Cloud and Console)

• Trials Fusion (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Trials of the Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Trials Rising (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Uno (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Valiant Hearts: The Great War (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Watch Dogs (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Wheel of Fortune (Cloud and Console)

• Zombi (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Premium (all games also in Ultimate)

• 9 Kings (Game Preview) (PC)

• Abiotic Factor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

• Against the Storm (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (PC)

• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (PC)

• Age of Mythology: Retold (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

• Ara: History Untold (PC)

• Arx Fatalis (PC)

• Back to the Dawn (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Battletech (PC)

• Blacksmith Master (Game Preview) (PC)

• Cataclismo (PC)

• Cities: Skylines II (PC)

• Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

• Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

• Diablo (PC)

• Diablo IV (PC and Console)

• An Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire (PC)

• The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (PC)

• Fallout (PC)

• Fallout 2 (PC)

• Fallout: Tactics (PC)

• Football Manager 2024 (PC)

• Frostpunk 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

• Halo: Spartan Strike (PC)

• Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC)

• Minami Lane (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Minecraft: Java Edition (PC)

• Mullet Madjack (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

• My Friendly Neighborhood (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• One Lonely Outpost (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Quake 4 (PC)

• Quake III Arena (PC)

• Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC)

• Rise of Nations: Extended Edition (PC)

• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

• Sworn (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

• Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC)

• Volcano Princess (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Warcraft I: Remastered (PC)

• Warcraft II: Remastered (PC)

• Warcraft III: Reforged (PC)

• Wolfenstein 3D (PC)

Essential (all games also in Premium and Ultimate)

• Cities: Skylines Remastered (Cloud and Xbox Series X/|S)

• Disney Dreamlight Valley (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Hades (Cloud, PC, and Console)

• Warhammer 40,000 Darktide (Cloud, PC, and Console)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/here-are-all-the-games-microsoft-added-to-game-pass-today-including-a-whole-lot-of-assassins-creed-171525929.html?src=rss