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T-Mobile just announced that its T-Satellite with Starlink service now integrates with several apps. These include AllTrails, AccuWeather, X, WhatsApp and several others. Certain native apps also now integrate with the service, like Google Messages, Apple Music and Samsung's weather app.

It's important to note that users won't always have access to the full app experience here, as satellite connectivity is limited. Some features may be limited and everything is likely to be noticeably slower. Still, being able to look at a map on AllTrails while actually on a trail in the middle of nowhere will be incredibly useful. It'll be less useful to read some random screed on X while sitting next to the campfire, but whatever gets you through the night.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile promises that WhatsApp will allow for "sending voice notes, sharing photos or even calling your entire group chat." This is a potential game-changer but it really depends on how slow everything is, which we won't know until some explorers get out there to put the app through its paces.

The company has also integrated a number of business-focused apps into T-Satellite for those subscribed to the SuperMobile or T-Priority plans. These apps include the communications platform MultiLine and the AI-powered messaging service Dialpad.

T-Satellite uses Starlink satellites to provide coverage in remote parts of the world. It became broadly available back in July after months of testing. The service is available for both Android and iOS devices. It's free for T-Mobile customers but everyone else can sign up for $10 a month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/t-mobiles-starlink-satellite-service-now-works-with-a-handful-of-apps-165732659.html?src=rss

Microsoft has announced some major changes for Game Pass. It’s rebranding some of the tiers, which should make it a little easier to keep tabs on what games and features are available on Game Pass across Xbox consoles, PC and cloud gaming.

However, there is a painful price increase here. The high-end plan, Game Pass Ultimate, now costs $30 per month — 50 percent more than the previous $20 per month. and there’s no annual or quarterly option available to make that sting less.

That means the price of a Game Pass Ultimate membership has nearly doubled in 15 months. Microsoft previously raised the price from $17 to $20 in July 2024. The latest change now means that, at $360 per year, Game Pass Ultimate is now more than twice as expensive as PlayStation Plus Premium, which is currently $160 on an annual plan.

Microsoft recently announced a price increase for its Xbox Series X/S consoles as well. The systems will be more expensive to buy in the US starting this Friday. Also, pre-orders for the ROG Xbox Ally handheld just went live, with Microsoft confirming that the higher-end model would cost $1,000. PC Game Pass is going up from $12 per month to $16.50 too. It’s getting really expensive to be an Xbox fan, folks.

A breakdown of the Xbox Game Pass tiers.Xbox

In fairness, along with a price increase, Microsoft is expanding Game Pass Ultimate in other ways. It’s adding more than 45 games to that tier today, including a whole bunch of Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry titles, as well as other Ubisoft games. That’s due, in large part, to Microsoft adding Ubisoft+ (which costs about $16 per month) to Game Pass Ultimate today.

On November 18, Ultimate members will get Fortnite Crew as part of their subscription. That gives players access to the Fortnite battle pass, 1,000 V-Bucks added to their account each month and other perks. That usually costs $12 per month, so the Game Pass Ultimate price increase might actually work out in some Fortnite players’ favor — if they ever stop playing it long enough to check out other games and get more value for their $30 per month.

Microsoft also notes that Ultimate subscribers will be able to play more than 75 day one games (i.e. those that join the service on their release day) every year across Xbox consoles, PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming. That works out to at least six per month, on average. The Ultimate library now includes more than 400 games, including titles from EA Play.

As part of these changes, Xbox Cloud Gaming is officially out of beta and Ultimate subscribers have access to what Microsoft claims is its highest-quality streaming option with the lowest wait times. They’ll be able to earn up to $100 worth of rewards per year by playing games too.

Microsoft can talk up the new Ultimate features as much as it likes, but there’s no denying that a 50 percent price increase is a heck of a jump. Of note, games news curator Wario64 pointed out that the Game Pass cancellation web page appears to be overloaded:

the website to cancel Xbox Game Pass subscriptions is overloaded https://t.co/tnUjhmg1GS pic.twitter.com/vLzPsodAdf

— Wario64 (@Wario64) October 1, 2025

There are changes afoot on the other two main Game Pass tiers. Standard subscribers are moving over to Premium, and Game Pass Core members will be on an Essential plan. (Essential and Premium are the same names PlayStation uses for the base and high-end PS Plus plans, fact fans.) Those tiers aren’t getting price increases, as Premium will run you $15 per month and Essential is still $10.

Premium and Essential now include PC games. The Premium plan includes more than 200 games, all of which are playable on consoles and PC. Microsoft added more than 40 to the Premium library today, including Diablo IV and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.

The company said that Xbox-published games will hit the Premium tier within a year of their release, but not that doesn’t include Call of Duty titles. This tier includes in-game perks for the likes of League of Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X, as well as the option to stream some games you own via the cloud and the ability to earn up to $50 per year in rewards.

As with the other two tiers, the Essential plan now includes “unlimited cloud gaming” (though perhaps with longer wait times), online multiplayer access and in-game perks for certain titles. It has a library of 50-plus games and the ability to earn up to $25 in annual rewards through playing games.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-jacks-the-price-of-game-pass-ultimate-up-to-30-a-month-142441307.html?src=rss

Microsoft is adding another subscription plan to its already confusing list of offerings. The new Microsoft 365 Premium plan, which costs $20 a month, bundles the company's standard Office productivity suite together with access to OpenAI's latest models and extended AI usage limits. 

Microsoft positions it as a more valuable subscription than OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus, which also costs $20 a month and doesn't have the benefit of Office apps or the 1TB of OneDrive storage you get with all Microsoft 365 subscriptions. (That's certainly an odd way to treat a close partner.)

Thankfully, Microsoft isn't touching the pricing of its $10-a-month MS 365 Personal plan, or the $13 monthly MS 365 Family subscription — for now, anyway. The company just announced today that it's pushing its GamePass Ultimate subscription to $30-a-month, much to the chagrin of gamers everywhere.

In a way, the Microsoft 365 Premium plan simplifies Microsoft's offerings a bit. If you had one of the cheaper MS 365 plans, you'd still need to pay another $20 a month to get access to higher AI usage limits with the Copilot Pro subscription. A Microsoft representative tells us that Copilot Pro is no longer available to purchase, but existing subscribers can continue to use it without issue. Microsoft won't be automatically moving those users over to MS 365 Premium.

According to the company, Microsoft 365 Premium will get you access to GPT-5 and 4o, as well as AI agents including "Actions, Researcher and Analyst." That's directly comparable to OpenAI's plan, which uses ChatGPT Agent's instead of Microsoft's. MS 365 Premium users will also be able to test new AI features as they're available, but they won't have access to OpenAI's custom GPTs or Sora video generation.

Update 10/1/25 3:33PM: Added details about Copilot Pro plan ending.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-365-premium-aims-to-deliver-more-ai-value-than-chatgpt-plus-160008060.html?src=rss

Meta will start scraping conversations with AI chatbots to gather data for the purpose of ad targeting. The company says this data will be used to "personalize the content and ads" that people see across apps like Facebook and Instagram.

The "feature" goes into effect on December 16 and Meta will start sending out in-product notifications and emails about the move on October 7. The company says this change is coming to "most regions" throughout the world, but the launch won't impact the EU and South Korea at first.

Meta

Meta gives an example of a user talking with an AI chatbot about hiking and then seeing ads about, you guessed it, hiking. "As a result, you might start seeing recommendations for hiking groups, posts from friends about trails or ads for hiking boots," it wrote in a blog post.

"People's interactions simply are going to be another piece of the input that will inform the personalization of feeds and ads," Christy Harris, privacy policy manager at Meta, told Reuters.

This is the same type of ad targeting that has followed us around the internet for ages, but one-on-one conversations have typically been excluded from this sort of thing. This is just another reminder that AI chatbots are not your friends.

There will be no way to opt out of this, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal. If you talk to a Meta chatbot, it'll be scraping. The company notes that the chatbots will not scrape data pertaining to "topics such as their religious views, sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs or trade union membership." I'd recommend not discussing those things with an AI chatbot no matter what Meta says.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-will-soon-use-ai-chats-for-ad-targeting-because-of-course-it-will-153319626.html?src=rss

Alienware is at its best when it makes no-holds-barred gaming machines that are big on style and performance. By reviving an iconic nameplate and combining it with an all-new design packing some seriously intergalactic vibes, the Alienware 16 Area-51 laptop is just that. Sure, it's so big and heavy that you won't want to move it around very often. And battery life be damned, because if you aren't plugged in, you probably aren't pushing those pixels hard enough. But if you're in the market for a classic desktop-replacement gaming notebook with flagship specs and an unmistakable aesthetic, this rig represents a beastly return to form. 

Design: A revamped spaceship

Alienware's industrial design is so far out there that its systems have almost become a shorthand for gamer culture in movies and TV. But for this generation, I think the company has done a great job of creating something unique that's also a bit more sophisticated than before. To start, there's Alienware's "Liquid Teal" paint job. It's the only available color and in person, it looks more like the kind of deep emerald green you'd see on a car due to the way it shifts and shimmers depending on the light. As always, there's Alienware's classic logo in the middle of the lid, complete with customizable lighting. On the inside, there are nice touches like RGB-lit fans, punchy up-firing speakers and a clicky mechanical keyboard with deep travel that reminds you that if you aren't using this system to frag some enemies every now and then, you're probably doing it wrong. 

The Area-51 laptop features mechanical switches with lots of travel and customizable RGB lighting for both its keyboard and touchpad. Sam Rutherford for Engadget

My favorite design element is the little window on the bottom of the laptop. At first, this seems like overkill, because just like men's shoes, how often do you really look at the bottom of a PC? But if desktop PCs can have glass panels that show off the insides of the machines, why not laptops too? More importantly, Alienware's raised Cryo Chamber (that's its technical name) improves thermals thanks to increased airflow and a hidden exhaust that helps move heat away from critical components like the GPU. Even so, the vent's placement means you're still not going to want to use this on your lap for prolonged periods (especially while gaming). But as a feature that would normally be purely functional, Alienware's solution is clever and stylish. 

The Area-51 laptop's only two ports that aren't in the back are a microSD card reader and 3.5mm audio. Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Of course, the downside to adding extra glass to an already hefty notebook is that it makes this thing even less travel-friendly. Weighing 7.5 pounds, the Alienware 16 Area-51 is actually closer to a typical 18-inch notebook like a Dell 18 Pro Max (7.2 pounds) than a similarly-sized non-gaming machine. On top of that, while the Area-51 offers a wealth of connectivity options (three USB-A, two USB-C and HDMI 2.1), most of its ports are in the back. That's great for keeping cables tidy and out of the way, but they are a bit harder to reach, which reinforces the notion that you won't be moving this PC around very much. I just wish Alienware had made room for a single USB-C port somewhere on either side. Having a full-size SD card reader and 3.5mm audio on the left is super handy for quickly transferring media or plugging in headphones, but it would have been nice to have one more spot for accessories like thumb drives so you could avoid fumbling around in the back. 

Display: Bright and fast, but more choice would be nice The Alienware 16 Area-51 laptop features a 16-inch 2,560 x 1,600 LCD display with 500 nits of brightness and a 240Hz refresh rate. Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Alienware 16 Area-51 packs a 2,560 x 1,600 display with a 240Hz refresh rate, G-Sync support and 500 nits of brightness. In a vacuum, it's a really solid panel. It has a matte coating to reduce reflections while still producing vibrant colors that look good even in sunny rooms. My only gripe is that for a flagship system, I would have liked to see some other display options. 

For demanding gamers, or people planning to use the system for photo or video editing, a 4K screen upgrade (preferably an OLED one) would be a great option. Alternatively, with the Area-51 capable of accommodating up to an RTX 5090 GPU, a panel with a 300Hz or higher refresh rate could have been a nice choice for the hardcore competitive crowd. And sadly, even if you feel like upgrading to the 16-inch model's bigger brother, there aren't any additional display options available for that version either. 

Performance: More cooling, more speed The bottom of the Area-51 laptop is both functional and stylish thanks to its Cryo Chamber, which provides a view at the components inside while also improving heat management. Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Our $2,800 review unit features an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU with 24 cores, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of SSD storage and an NVIDIA RTX 5080 GPU. Unsurprisingly, a loaded system like this had no issues handling games like Cyberpunk 2077. Even when using Ultra graphics presets at 1080p with ray tracing turned on, the Area-51 still hit 90 fps. Meanwhile, in Control, the Alienware fared even better at the same resolution and Epic settings when it reached 154 fps.

Thankfully, if you don't have nearly $3,000 to burn, the Area-51 is rather configurable. A base model starts at a more affordable $2,000 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX chip, 16GB of RAM and an RTX 5060. On the other hand, if you want all-out performance, you can load this thing up with an RTX 5090, but doing so currently starts at $3,550.

Battery life: Don't leave home without your power cord Most of the Area-51 laptops ports are in the back which is great for keeping cables out of the way, but it can be annoying if you want to quickly plug in USB accessories like a thumb drive. Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Peter Parker's beloved Uncle Ben once said "With great power comes great energy draw” (or something like that), and the Area-51 is a perfect example of that. On PCMark 10's Modern Office battery rundown test, Alienware's laptop only lasted four hours and thirteen minutes. That's more than three hours less than what we got from its predecessor — the m16 R2 (7:51) — and five hours less than last year's ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (9:17). When I retested the ASUS only using its GPU (instead of automatically switching to onboard graphics), its time of 3:08 was worse. So when it comes to power-hungry portable gaming machines like these, if you plan on using them away from an outlet on a regular basis, you'd better make sure you have a portable charging solution on hand. 

Wrap-up Depending on the light, Alienware's Liquid Teal paintjob can shift between emerald green, blue and several other colors. Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Even though the Alienware 16 Area-51 might not be as portable as some of its rivals, it's got a lot to offer. There’s a striking design, a nice screen (though more options would be nice), tons of ports and class-leading performance with plenty of configurability so you can dial in its specs exactly how you like. Granted, Alienware's attention-grabbing space-age aesthetics might not be for folks who aren't ready to be beamed up to the mothership. But aside from its short battery life and high price for well-equipped models, this system delivers pretty much everything you want from a flagship gaming laptop. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/alienware-16-area-51-review-a-fully-retooled-gaming-mothership-150000871.html?src=rss

It’s not every day I get to try out an entirely new type of tech product. Telescope company Unistellar recently gave me the chance to do just that with Envision, the first smart binoculars that can identify mountains and stars. The only things like it on the market are Swarovski’s smart binoculars, but those are triple the price and strictly for birds and wildlife.

At an event near Marseilles, I tried an Envision prototype with the design and most of the functionality of the final product (like several other Unistellar products, the company marketed it on Kickstarter and raised $2.7 million). Some features were a bit rough and it took practice to use the binoculars smoothly. But it’s an interesting amalgam of analog and digital tech that’s bound to be a hit with astronomers and travelers.

The Envision initially came out of a conversation between Unistellar engineers wondering why there were no binoculars with an AR-like digital overlay. They soon found out: It was a huge engineering challenge. Combining all the data into an overlay and getting it to line up with the optical view was particularly vexing. Reducing latency was another problem, so that the digital display wouldn’t lag behind the optical view.

The company eventually came up with a solution it borrowed from AR tech. Envision combines premium lenses with an augmented reality projection system that beams contextual info into the optical path via a bright, high-contrast microdisplay. That overlay only appears in one eye, but your brain transforms it into a complete image.

The Envision binoculars take data from inertial sensors and a compass using custom software to “guarantee precise positioning and low-drift orientation” of the digital display. It then pulls in topographic and cartographic info from a large database and merges it onto an AR overlay based on your location and viewing direction. This information comes from your phone’s internet connection, but the binoculars can be used offline as well if you load specific regions in advance.

Steve Dent for Engadget

I tested a hand-built prototype that lacked the quality control that will happen in full manufacturing. However, the materials, optics and electronics were nearly complete. For daytime testing, I went to the Citadelle de Forcalcquier that offers a panoramic view of mountain ranges in the region. While it was a bit overcast and rainy, distant peaks up to 30 miles away were still visible.

Though a bit heavier than regular binoculars, the Envision was comfortable to hold and use over a period of an hour thanks to the rubberized coating and high-quality plastics. To use the Envision, you set them up as you would any pair of binoculars. They have a diopter adjustment for your specific vision and you can retract the eyecups for use with glasses. There’s a width adjustment to match your eyes and a focusing wheel to sharpen the view.

With all of that set, there’s a rocker control on the left side that enables the AR overlay, which consists of monochrome red graphics like an old-school arcade game. The previous/next buttons let you switch between targets, which you can then select by hitting the “validate” button.

The last button, “target lock,” does two things. Clicking it once does exactly that, locking onto the target. Then, if you pass the binoculars to someone else, they’ll be guided by arrows to the same object. And to correct any drift that inevitably occurs, you press and hold the target lock button and move the binoculars until both the overlay and optical view align. Lastly, release the button and everything is re-synced.

As regular binoculars, they gave me a clear view of distant objects. I switched on the AR and waited a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. When looking at a mountainous horizon, the Envisions overlaid a red outline matching the topography, with the names of peaks and ranges displayed at the bottom center of the screen, along with their elevations and distance from the viewer. It was a half-inch or so off the real-world view, so I used the target lock control to align them perfectly.

The latency wasn’t bad, but if I moved the binoculars too quickly it took a second or so for the overlay to catch up. After scanning across the horizon a few times, the overlay would drift out of sync again, so I needed to use the target lock to realign the views once more. Both the latency and misalignment should improve with the final production version, Unistellar told me.

For now, the Envision can only identify mountain peaks, valleys and ranges. In the production version and via future updates, however, it will identify things like water springs, shelters, hiking paths, rivers and lakes. A companion app will provide the updates, and the software also lets the user select points of interest, access the geographical database and receive guided tours. Sadly, none of those features were available in the prototype I used.

The next test was star spotting using Envision’s Night mode. Fortunately, I didn’t need to go far (the hotel pool) as the clouds covering the sky for most of the day serendipitously broke apart to give us a crystal-clear starscape.

For a stargazing experience, the Envisions were transformational. With the binocular optics set up as before, switching on the AR view instantly displays the names of individual stars, linked together in their constellations by lines. For example, it pointed out Lynx, a constellation that’s faint with the naked eye, along with its fourth brightest star Alsciaukat (31 Lyncis). The final version of the binoculars will also display nebulae, galaxies, planets, moons, comets, asteroids and even human-made points of interest like the International Space Station (ISS) and Apollo landing sites.

This could make the Envision an outstanding educational tool. You can lock onto a star, then give the binoculars to someone else and they can quickly locate the same body by following the arrows. They’ll also see whatever constellation it’s part of. It would only take a few nights of stargazing for someone to learn a lot about the night sky.

At the same time, it’s a great way for aspiring astronomers to survey interesting targets to study with a more powerful telescope. I did just that, using the Envision to home in on a star cluster. With the name clearly displayed, I punched it into Unistellar’s Odyssey Pro smart telescope and quickly saw it with a larger, clearer view. Conversely, you’ll be able to enter a star name into Unistellar’s app and be guided to it by Envision, in the final production version.

The Envision does have some issues. If you’re someone who already has trouble seeing through binoculars, these may not be for you. The AR display can be hard to read at times, and adjusting the brightness (especially for night viewing) can be a challenge. One missing feature is a built-in camera like the one on Swarovski’s binoculars. That was a bit disappointing, as you can’t easily share your experience on social media. The only way to do so is to snap images with your smartphone through the eyepiece. That effectively requires you to lock the binoculars onto a tripod which, well, defeats the purpose of binoculars.

With that being said, I think Unistellar’s first crack at smart binoculars was a success, even in their unfinished form. They add an informational element to a true optical view and finally bring binoculars, which have been around for hundreds of years, into the informational age.

Steve Dent for Engadget

Like any early product (I’m thinking of Pebble’s smartwatch), it’s bound to improve significantly in future versions. Yes, there are smartphone apps that can identify stars and geographical features. But there’s something about looking through a lens and seeing a true image that can’t be beat. And with Envision, you’ll finally know exactly what you’re seeing.

Unistellar is opening pre-orders for its Envision smart binoculars starting today at $999, a fairly steep discount from the final $1,499 retail price, with deliveries set for October 2026. That’s a long way off, but if you’re willing to wait, Unistellar has a perfect track record with its smart telescope deliveries. Retail availability is even farther away, set for 2027.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/unistellars-smart-binoculars-can-tell-you-which-mountain-youre-looking-at-140007104.html?src=rss

Uber was found not responsible by a California jury for an sexual assault that a woman said occurred during a 2016 ride, The New York Times reported. It's the first of what could be thousands of similar lawsuits in the US from women who claim they were "kidnapped, sexually assaulted, sexually battered, raped, falsely imprisoned, stalked, harassed, or otherwise attacked" by Uber drivers, according to the original claim. The cases were consolidated, meaning they can be presented before the same judge with similar procedural processes, while still being tried individually. 

The woman in the first case, identified as Jessica C., said she was an 18-year-old college student when she ordered a ride to San Jose's airport. Shortly after she got in, the driver deviated from his route and climbed on top of her, groped and kissed her and tried to remove her pants, according to her testimony. The victim told the driver "No, no, no" and tried to push him off. She feared for her life and later dropped out of school, while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the assault. 

Under California law, Uber would be responsible for the harm suffered by the woman if it failed to use adequate safety measures and that negligence was a "substantial factor" in causing the harm. Conversely, for Uber to not be responsible, the jury would need to find that Uber didn't know and could not have expected that its driver would take advantage of the situation that it created. 

The jury ruled that while Uber was negligent, that negligence was not a substantial factor in causing harm to Jessica C. However, the plaintiff's attorney said that the court allowed evidence into the trial that let Uber blame Jessica C. for the harm she faced, adding that the decision discourages victims of sexual assault to come forward. "[It's a] sad day for victims of sexual abuse across the country," said John Taylor of Taylor & Ring. 

Jessica C.'s lawyers accused Uber of covering up the scale of its sexual assault problem, revealing during discovery that 558,000+ trips had resulted in reports of sexual assault or misconduct from 2017 to 2024, far more than what was publicly reported. They also said that the company failed to put systems in place like mandatory video recording that could have protected passengers. 

Uber said that the driver in Jessica C.'s case had passed background checks and didn't trigger any alarms over past complaints. The company said that despite deploying numerous safety measures, it couldn't guarantee that driver transgressions would never occur, and that it wasn't responsible for driver misconduct in any case. Uber's safety head, Gus Fuldner, testified during the trial that passengers used the service at their own risk. 

Uber told the NYT that its work "to improve safety on our platform is never done. Uber has worked for years to raise the bar on safety, and we’ll continue to do so in the years ahead." 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-found-not-guilty-in-first-of-many-sexual-assault-lawsuits-133046712.html?src=rss

As part of Google's smart home announcements today, the company has unveiled a new look for its Google Home app that will begin rolling out globally today. The heart of the redesign is about Gemini for Home, which will replace the Google Assistant role in smart devices and promises a more conversational way to interact with and direct the company's AI. The Google Home app is also now where customers will control their Nest devices.

There's now a Home tab with a consolidated view of the system, an Activity tab that collects the notifications from all connected devices and an Automations tab for managing the hands-off side of the smart home hardware. The app also now has a persistent AI-powered "Ask Home" option in the header that Google describes as a "natural language command center for your entire home." The company promises that it will be able to execute naturally written commands, such as searching for specific moments in a camera clip or creating more open-ended automations. However, some of those features will require a Google Home Premium subscription to access. 

In addition to the new Gemini features, the Google Home app has been rebuilt for increased reliability and performance. The software loads "significantly faster," reportedly more than 70 percent faster on some Android devices. Camera views in the app should load 30 percent faster and playback failures should be down 40 percent in the new version. Google is also boasting a reduction of almost 80 percent in app crashes and said it is additionally working to improve battery draw.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/google-has-overhauled-its-smart-home-app-to-feature-gemini-130041497.html?src=rss

Google is finally ready to explain how Gemini will replace Google Assistant in your smart home. The company's original voice assistant will be replaced with the aptly named Gemini for Home starting this month, ushering in what might be an easier-to-use and more conversational smart home era in the process.

Like Google teased at CES 2025, the biggest change Gemini for Home will introduce for Google Assistant devotees is an end to rigid commands. While you'll still need to use a "Hey Google" wake word, the days of having to be precise are over. Google claims Gemini grasps context enough to not only remember what your last request was, but also understand that if you're saying "Hey Google, I'm about to watch a movie, turn off the lights," you specifically mean the lights in your living room. You'll also be able to string multiple requests together into the same sentence, and create automations without having to whip out the Google Home app, just by describing them. And when you want to ditch wake words entirely, you can start a Gemini Live chat and have a smooth back and forth with Gemini about whatever you choose.

AI-based improvements will also extend to any cameras you have in your smart home. Google says Gemini can create more useful notifications if a camera detects motion or films a notable event from around your home, thanks to its semantic understanding of visuals. You can also pull a specific piece of footage with natural language requests and even receive answers based on things your smart home recorded via a new feature called "Ask Home." Like Ask Photos in Google Photos, Ask Home understands the context and meaning of footage you've captured to provide answers to questions like "Did I leave the car door open." And for a larger overview of what's going on at home, the "Home Brief" can identify important events you've filmed and "summarizes hours of footage into a quick, digestible summary you can read to catch up on what happened while you were away," Google says.

Google

Google says Gemini for Home will be available on all of its smart home devices released in the last decade, including new Gemini for Home-compatible doorbells and cameras created by Walmart. Unfortunately, if you're interested in features like Gemini Live, AI-powered notifications, Ask Home and Home Brief, you'll have to pay for a $10-per-month Google Home Premium subscription to use it. The subscription also unlocks an additional 30 days of cloud storage for any videos your smart home captures and comes included with Google's AI Pro and Ultra subscriptions at no additional cost.

To try out Gemini for Home as soon as possible, you can sign up for early access in the Google Home app. Google says the update will roll out throughout the month of October, and come to smart speakers and smart displays "toward the end of the month."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/gemini-for-home-is-the-official-replacement-for-google-assistant-on-smart-devices-130041482.html?src=rss

A day after Amazon updated its security cameras, Google followed suit with its competing suite. A trio of new Nest security cams is available starting today. The latest Nest Doorbell and Nest Cams have higher-resolution (2K HDR) video and a wider field of view. That not only makes for better images, but it also opens the door to new (paid) AI features.

Google's new additions include the Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen) and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen). The company says the devices were designed to "provide the rich, detailed data our multimodal AI uses to understand." The results, according to the company, are "better alerts" and the ability to "find important moments, faster."

Google says DxOMARK rated all three as first in their class for image quality. The Nest Cams each have 2,560 x 1,400 resolution with a 152-degree diagonal field of view (FOV). The Nest Doorbell uses a 2,048 x 2,048 sensor with a 166-degree FOV. All three support up to 6x digital zoom.

Alerts can digitally zoom in on subjects. Google

The company says the combination boosts the cameras' ability to capture video in low-light conditions. Specifically, Google claims they offer 120 percent more light sensitivity than their predecessors. "This means the cameras can now stay in full-color mode much longer at dawn and dusk than before," the company wrote.

The sharp resolution also allows you to digitally zoom in on a specific area in the Home app, cropping out the rest. Google says the feature could be handy for hot spots like a garden bed or walkway. Similarly, your alerts will include animated previews that zoom in on the subject. This could make it easier to tell at a glance who or what triggered the notification.

Ask Home (left) and Home Brief Google

The upgraded Gemini AI chops include a new chatbot feature called Ask Home. It lets you do things like ask what ate your plants. (In Google's example, the chatbot explains that it was rabbits, producing photo evidence.) It also lets you perform smart home tasks or create automations using natural language. There's another new AI feature called Home Brief that gives you an AI-generated summary of the day's activities. Both of the new AI features require a Google Home Premium subscription.

All three cameras are available beginning today at the Google Store and with retail partners. The Nest Cam Indoor costs $100. The Nest Cam Outdoor will set you back $150. And the Nest Doorbell costs $180.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/googles-new-nest-doorbell-and-nest-cams-have-2k-video-and-new-ai-chops-130006878.html?src=rss

Google announced a wave of hardware updates today, including giving some love to the Google Home Speaker. We saw a teaser for the revamped smart speaker last month, so the announcement isn't a surprise, but it does provide some specifics about what's coming to the company's smart home efforts.

This new Google Home Speaker puts the Gemini AI assistant front and center, as is the case with so much Google hardware these days. The light ring will also flash different colors to show when the AI model is listening, processing or responding. If you have a Google Home Premium subscription, you'll also be able to use the Home to access Gemini Live. The blog post promises "more natural conversations" with this model, which it says has custom processing to support the demands of running an AI assistant.

Google is also bringing 360-degree audio to the Home Speaker. The upcoming iteration will be able to connect a pair of Home Speakers to the Google TV Streamer, allowing for a surround-sound home theater setup. The Home will still be able to connect to other Google Nest speakers as well. And for the privacy-minded, there's a physical button to toggle the microphone off.

The new speaker won't be available until spring 2026 and will retail for $99. It has four color options: porcelain, hazel, jade and berry. The Google Home Speaker will be available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

The announcement follows hot on the heels of Amazon's fall hardware event, which also had some big updates for smart speakers centered on its own Alexa+ AI assistant, including a brand new form factor called the Echo Dot Max.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/the-google-home-speaker-is-getting-a-gemini-driven-refresh-130004673.html?src=rss

In a lot of ways, Meta's hasn't changed much with its second-gen Ray-Ban glasses. The latest model has the same design and largely the same specs as the originals, with two important upgrades: longer battery life and improved video quality. 

At the same time, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses have a lot of features that didn't exist when I first reviewed them two years ago, largely thanks to AI. And with the release of its second-generation frames, there's still a lot to look forward to, like new camera features and AI-powered audio. The good news is that Meta isn't limiting these updates to its newest frames, so if you have an older pair you'll still see the new features. But, if you've been on the fence about getting a pair, there's never been a better time to jump in. 

Same look, (slightly) better specs

Meta and EssilorLuxottica haven't strayed too far from the playbook they've used for the last two years. The second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses come in a handful of frame styles with a number of color and lens variations that start at $379. I tried out a pair of Wayfarer frames in the new "shiny cosmic blue" color with clear transition lenses. 

I personally prefer the look for the slightly narrower Headliner frames, but the second-gen glasses still look very much like traditional Wayfarer glasses. I've never been a fan of transition lenses for my own prescription eyewear, but I'm starting to come around on them for smart glasses. As Meta has improved its cameras and made its AI assistant more useful, I've found more reasons to wear the glasses indoors. 

The second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses come with clear frames, with polarized and transition lenses available as an upgrade. Karissa Bell for Engadget

Also, if you're going to be paying $300 or more for a pair, you might as well be able to use them wherever you are. It also helps that the transition lenses on the second-gen Ray-Ban Meta glasses get a bit darker than my first-gen Wayfarers with transition lenses. Upgrading from the standard clear lenses will cost you, though. Frames with polarized lenses start at $409, transitions start at $459 and prescription lenses can run significantly more. 

As with the recent Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, the second-gen Ray-Bans come with a longer battery life and better camera. Meta says the battery can last up to eight hours on a single charge with "typical use." I was able to squeeze a little more than five and a half hours of continuous music playback. That's a noticeable step up from the battery on my original pair which, after two years, is starting to show its age. The glasses also now support higher-resolution 3K video recording, but the 12MP wide-angle lens shoots the same 3,024 x 4,032 pixel portrait photos as earlier models.

The second-gen glasses have the same design as the first-gen, with a capture button on the right side of the frames. The charging case provides an additional 48 hours of battery life. Karissa Bell for Engadget

For videos, there’s a noticeable quality boost, but I still think it's probably not necessary for most people if you're primarily sharing your clips on social media. It does make the glasses more appealing for creators, though, and judging by the number of them in attendance at Connect, I suspect Meta sees them as a significant part of its user base. I'm looking forward to Meta adding the ability to record Hyperlapse and slow-motion videos, though, as I think these may be more interesting than the standard POV footage for everyday activities. 

Meta AI + what's coming

Two years ago, I was fairly skeptical of Meta's AI assistant. But since then, Meta has steadily added new capabilities. Of those, the glasses' translation abilities have been my favorite. On a recent trip to Argentina, I used live translation to follow along with a walking tour of the famous Recoleta cemetery. It wasn't perfect — the feature is meant more for back-and-forth conversations rather than extended monologues — but it allowed me to participate in a tour I would have otherwise had to skip. (A word of warning: using the live translation for an extended period of time is a major battery killer.)

Meta AI can also provide context and translations in other scenarios, too. I spent some time in Germany while testing the latest second-gen Ray-Ban glasses and found myself repeatedly asking Meta to translate signs and notices. For example, here's how Meta AI summarized this collection of signs. 

Meta AI was able to translate these signs (left) when I asked it "what do these signs say?" Karissa Bell for Engadget

As I wrote in my review of the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, I still haven't found much use for Live AI, which lets you interact with the assistant in real-time and ask questions about your surroundings. It still feels like more of a novelty, but it makes for a fun demo to show off to friends who have never tried "AI glasses." There are also some very interesting accessibility use cases that take advantage of the glasses' cameras and AI capabilities. Features like "detailed responses" and support for "Be My Eyes" show how smart glasses can be particularly impactful for people who are blind or deal with low vision.

One AI-powered feature I haven't tried out yet is Conversation Focus, which can adjust the volume of the person you're speaking to while dampening the background noise. Meta teased the feature at Connect, but hasn't said exactly when it will be available. But if it works as intended, I could see it being useful in a lot of scenarios.

I'm also particularly intrigued by Meta's Connect announcement that it will finally allow third-party developers to create their own integrations for its smart glasses. There are already a handful of partners, like Twitch and Disney, which are finding ways to take advantage of the glasses' camera and AI features. Up to now, Meta AI's multimodal tools have shown some promise, but I haven't really been able to find many ways to use the capabilities in my day-to-day life. 

Allowing app makers onto the platform could change that. Disney has previewed a smart glasses integration for inside of its parks that would allow visitors to get real-time info about the rides, attractions and other amenities as they walk around. Golf app 18Birdies has shown off an app to deliver stats and other info while you're on the course.

Should you buy these? And what about privacy?

When the Ray-Ban Meta glasses came out two years ago, this was a pretty straightforward question to answer. If the idea of smart glasses with a good camera and open-ear speakers appealed to you, then buying a pair was a no-brainer. 

Now, it's a bit more complicated. Meta is still updating its first-gen Ray-Ban glasses with significant new features, like Conversation Focus, new camera modes and third-party app integrations. So if you already have a pair, you won't be missing out on a ton if you don't upgrade. (And with a starting price of $299, the first-gen glasses are still solid if you want a more budget-friendly option.)

There are also other options to consider. The upcoming Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses come with more substantial hardware upgrades and other unique features that will appeal to athletes and anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors. And on the higher end, there are the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses that blend AR elements with its existing features in an intriguing way. 

Meta has already previewed several new features, like new camera modes and Conversation Focus. Karissa Bell for Engadget

I also have many of the same concerns about privacy as I did when I reviewed Meta's first Ray-Ban branded glasses back in 2021. I'm well aware Meta already collects an extraordinary amount of data about us through its apps, but glasses just feel like they provide much more personal, and potentially invasive, access to our lives.

Meta has also made some notable changes to the privacy policy for its glasses in recent months. It no longer allows users in the United States to opt out of storing voice recordings in its cloud, though it's still possible to manually delete recordings in the Meta AI app. 

The company says it won't use the contents of the photos and videos you capture to train its AI models or serve ads. However, images of your surroundings processed for the glasses' multimodal features like Live AI can be used for training purposes (these images aren't saved to your device's camera roll). Meta's privacy policy also states that it uses audio captured via voice commands for training. And it should go without saying, but anyone using Meta's glasses should be very careful about sharing their interactions with its AI app, as a bunch of users have already seemingly inadvertently shared a ton of highly-personal interactions with the world. 

If any of that makes you uncomfortable, I'm not here to convince you otherwise! We're still grappling with the long-term privacy implications of generative AI, much less generative AI on camera-enabled wearables. At the same time, as someone who has been wearing Meta's smart glasses on and off for more than four years, I can say that Meta has been able to turn something that once felt gimmicky into a genuinely useful accessory. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ray-ban-meta-2nd-gen-review-smart-glasses-are-finally-getting-useful-124720393.html?src=rss

Tesla's updated Model Y Performance "Juniper" EV has finally arrived in the US for those who want some extra acceleration and are willing to pay for it. First launched last month in Europe, Tesla's fastest Model Y arrives a good nine months after the long-range AWD model started selling stateside. 

We already knew that the new Model Y Performance was quick with acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, just 0.8 seconds slower than a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport. What we didn't know yet was the EPA range, which is 306 miles, compared to 327 miles and 357 miles for the Long Range AWD and Long Range RWD versions, respectively. So faster, but faster to the charging station as well. 

There are subtle changes to the front and rear end, along with 21-inch Arachnid wheels and a more sporty suspension with adaptive damping. It also supports faster charging, thanks to the higher-density battery cells. Inside, it has racier looking seats with bolstered side cushions and electric thigh cushion extenders. 

For all that, you'll pay $57,490 which is $12,500 more than the base Long Range RWD model and an $8,500 bump over the LR AWD version (that's almost exactly the same price as Tesla's original Model S, by the way). If you were hoping to buy one and get the $7,500 federal tax credit discount, unfortunately that has now expired — but state credits may still apply.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/teslas-updated-model-y-performance-launches-for-57490-123018911.html?src=rss

YouTube TV has announced that it has reached a "short-term extension" agreement with NBCUniversal so that it can continue offering its programs while they negotiate a new long-term deal. The service warned customers last week that its partnership with NBCUniversal was going to expire on September 30 and that they haven't signed a new deal yet. It said at the time that NBC was asking the service "to pay more than what they charge consumers for the same content on Peacock, which would mean less flexibility and higher prices for [its own] subscribers." 

While YouTube TV was able to prevent the removal of NBC programs at the last minute, it wasn't able to reach a similar deal with Univision, the largest Spanish-language broadcaster in the US. It sent out an email to customers, telling them that it has failed to reach an agreement with TelevisaUnivision that reflects the value of its content. "Unfortunately their current demands aren’t supported by their performance on YouTube TV over the last four years," it said in the email. The broadcaster has "over 160 million subscribers and billions of views across YouTube," a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement. However, it apparently "only represents a tiny fraction of overall consumption" on its TV subscription service. 

In early September, TelevisaUnivision warned customers that Google was planning to remove its programs from YouTube TV's standard package and to charge viewers an extra $15 to be able to access its network. The broadcaster called it the "Hispanic tax" and questioned Google's ethics at "a time of economic uncertainty for many." The broadcaster called YouTube TV's actions "tone-deaf and egregious on the eve of a potential government shutdown" in a new statement regarding its network's removal from the service. "To add insult to injury, YouTube TV chose to take this step during Hispanic Heritage Month — an act that is deeply insensitive and offensive," it added.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-tv-keeps-nbc-with-a-last-minute-extension-but-loses-univision-121508916.html?src=rss

It’s been a rough time for Peloton. Last year was marred by deep staff cuts, a change of CEO and a reckoning of where the home fitness company belonged, post-Pandemic boom. The answer is, unfortunately, AI-tinged, but that shouldn’t distract from some major hardware upgrades across its Bike, Tread and Row family of machines. It’s an almost-entire overhaul, with new software, programmable workouts and an array of collaborations. There are also some tentative steps toward wellness, because why not?

Peloton’s 2025 lineup is called the Cross Training series, with five different fitness devices — Bike, Bike+, Tread, Tread+ and Row+ — all benefiting from new hardware, varying levels of AI smarts with Peloton IQ and software improvements.

All of the new machines have a screen that rotates away from the bike/track/rower. The updated Bike+, Row+, and Tread+ models feature a 23.8-inch display, while the base models have a 21.5-inch display. The ability to rotate it turns your Peloton into a more versatile screen for cross-discipline workouts that Peloton has already dabbled in, including yoga and strength training. Peloton explained at the launch event that strength training is actually its second most-popular class offering.

Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Peloton’s Guide camera, if you remember, has been fused into the ‘plus’ machines. A new movement tracking camera (which can be flipped off) can count your reps automatically and show that on screen while also monitoring form and offering light guidance. During a demo, while doing weight training next to the bike, the machine suggested improving squat movements by imagining sitting deeply into a chair. It seems like relatively surface advice, but it’s more guidance than Peloton’s fitness equipment has offered in the past.

Senior Vice President of Product Brent Tworetzky said that the Guide device informed how Peloton’s cameras track workout movements, which was all folded into these Cross Training machines. There are voice commands to pause workouts, adjust weights and even skip moves when needed.

Peloton has also folded in some of the most-requested hardware features from its members. While a phone tray won’t blow your mind, a new three-speed fan and a reengineered seat are all included with the plus machines. Peloton has also worked with Sonos to upgrade the speaker system, and the plus machines are the first to have a woofer built-in.

Peloton IQ features go further than computer vision. Across all the new machines, it can generate and track personalized workout plans, and can even control strength training workouts that you can tackle at your own pace, if instructor movements prove too confusing.

Turning on your Peloton of choice on a Monday, for example, you can program in a week of workouts, with the AI working in the background to offer balanced workouts or a training program geared at your fitness goals, whether that’s weight loss, cardio fitness or strength.

Peloton IQ will also analyze your workout history and give personalized target metrics and goals to help them select their workout. Select a more challenging (or longer) workout and IQ will note that the workout will be "Harder than your usual" when browsing the class library.

Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Peloton is expanding its membership offerings even further, although several intriguing additions aren’t yet available. For example, the company is collaborating with New York's Hospital for Special Surgery to develop workout programming that focuses on injury prevention and recovery. It also acquired Breathwrk, a breathing exercise app that's now folded into services for both All-Access and App+ Members.

There’s even more. Peloton is also collaborating with Respin Health on an eight-week program, curating Peloton classes to target symptom relief and overall quality of life improvement for members experiencing perimenopause through to postmenopause. And – don’t tell your competitive exercise buddy – Peloton is expanding its collaboration with Hyrox with new classes to help train towards those manic races.

There is a cost to all these additions. The new Cross Training versions are priced several hundred dollars higher than their predecessor. Peloton’s Cross Training Bike is priced at $1,695, while the Bike+ jumps up to $2,695. The Cross Training Tread starts at $3,295 , while the Tread+ is $6,695. And if you’re looking for an upgraded rower, the Row+ starts at £3,495. All of the machines require a Peloton subscription, priced at $50.

And that’s an increase there, too. Effective starting this month, Peloton has raised its All-Access Membership from $44 to $49.99 and App+ Membership from $24 to $28.99. The app-only service is also being nudged up from $12.99 to $15.99.

The new Cross Training range is available to buy now at onepeloton.com, Peloton’s own retail stores, Amazon and Dick's Sporting Goods.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/peloton-cross-training-bike-tread-row-plus-machines-form-checking-cameras-rotating-screens-ai-price-launch-date-110042677.html?src=rss

Oura’s fourth-generation smart ring has been on the market for around a year, but the company is still looking to broaden its appeal. Today, Oura is launching a version of the Ring 4 clad in Zirconia Ceramic, offering a combination of durability and eye-catching color. The Ring 4 Ceramic comes in four colors: Cloud (white), Midnight (dark blue), Petal (pink) or Tide (pale green), all of which are priced at $499.

The company is talking up the various benefits of these new rings, explaining how durable the new ceramic coating is. For a start, since the color is embedded into the material, it’ll be very difficult to spot any scratches and bumps. Not to mention that ceramic is sturdy enough that you’ll probably not be able to damage it unless you go out of your way to do so. In fact, Oura says the bigger issue is dye from other objects wicking onto the surface — which will be easily wiped away.

Oura

As well as the fashionable new colors, Oura is also announcing its first ever charging case for the Ring 4. The company said it’s responding to feedback from users who’d rather not tote their standard charger around when they’re traveling. The clamshell unit is only a little bit bigger than an existing charger, and contains a battery big enough to support “up to 5 full charges.” A set of LEDs on the side will tell you how many charges you have available when you’re not charging a ring, but switches to tell you the ring charge level when it’s in place. The Oura Ring 4 charging case will, naturally, come as a paid-for accessory, setting you back $99.

Oura is also listening to its well-heeled users who want to wear different rings to suit their outfits. Multi-Ring Support will enable users to pick up and put down their multiple Ring 4s without a lot of fuss, ensuring their health data is as up to date as their style choices.

Oura

A lot of health tech companies are broadening out their work to include some more serious biology. Oura is joining the fray, offering Health Panels, a $99 blood test that will screen more than 50 markers for potential signs of trouble. Schedule a draw at a convenient Quest Diagnostics clinic and you’ll get results for factors including your metabolic health, blood sugar, liver and kidney function. Naturally, the results will be available in your Oura app, which will offer personalized recommendations thanks to its AI-based Oura Advisor.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/oura-ring-4-gets-new-ceramic-options-and-a-charging-case-120000060.html?src=rss

Qualcomm has announced that a US District Court granted it "complete victory" in the lawsuit brought by Arm back in 2022. The court dismissed the remaining claim in Arm's lawsuit, and it also upheld the result of a December 2024 trial, in which a jury ruled that Qualcomm and its subsidiary Nuvia did not violate their licensing agreement with Arm. 

If you'll recall, Arm sued Qualcomm after the latter purchased Nuvia, which is also one of the companies licensing its technologies. It argued that since Qualcomm didn't obtain the necessary permits to transfer Nuvia's licenses, Nuvia breached their contract. In 2024, Arm canceled the architecture license allowing Qualcomm to use its intellectual property and standards for chip design. 

This recent court victory allows Qualcomm to continue selling chips with designs developed by Nuvia, which power multiple devices, including Microsoft Surface laptops. "Our right to innovate prevailed in this case and we hope Arm will return to fair and competitive practices in dealing with the Arm ecosystem," said Ann Chaplin, Qualcomm's general counsel. 

Arm, however, isn't giving up. It "remains confident in its position in its ongoing dispute with Qualcomm," it said in a statement, and will file an appeal to overturn the court's decision. Meanwhile, Qualcomm said it's looking forward to the trial for its own lawsuit against Arm, accusing the Softbank-owned company of breach of contract and a "pattern of conduct seeking to hinder innovation and better position [its] own products over its long-standing partners'." It's expecting a trial for that lawsuit to take place in March 2026. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/arm-loses-licensing-dispute-with-qualcomm-120000134.html?src=rss

Not everyone needs a super-expensive, top-of-the-line laptop, and the good news is you don’t have to break the bank to get a solid machine. Whether you're a student, a casual user or just looking for an affordable device for everyday tasks, there are plenty of great options out there. The trick is finding the best cheap Windows laptop that balances performance, build quality and battery life without making too many compromises.

If you're in the very particular bind of needing to upgrade your machine before Windows 10 support ends in October, don't fret. The machines listed below will serve you well for basic tasks, but we also put together a whole list of the best Windows laptops to replace your aging machine that includes higher price-point options.

Table of contents

• What to look for in a budget-friendly Windows laptop

• Best cheap Windows laptops for 2025

• What to know about the budget Windows laptop market

• What about Chromebooks and tablets?

• What Windows laptops do well

What to look for in a budget-friendly Windows laptop

While you can do a lot even when spending little on a Windows laptop, you must set your expectations accordingly. The biggest downside when purchasing a budget laptop (of any kind, really) is limited power. You’ll want to carefully consider a few specs, the most important among them being the processor (CPU). Many Windows laptops under $500 run on Intel Celeron or Pentium chipsets, but you can find some with Core i3/i5 and AMD Ryzen 3/5 CPUs at the higher end of the price spectrum.

We recommend getting the most powerful CPU you can afford because it will dictate how fast the computer will feel overall. Memory (RAM) is also important because, the more you have, the easier it will be for the laptop to manage things like a dozen browser tabs while you edit a Word document and stream music in the background.

When it comes to storage, consider how much you want to save locally. If you primarily work in Google Docs or save most things in the cloud, you may not need a machine with a ton of onboard storage. Just remember that your digital space will also be taken up by apps, so it may be worth getting a little extra storage than you think you need if you know you’ll be downloading big programs. A final side note: solid state drives (SSDs) are ubiquitous at this point, not to mention faster and more efficient than hard drives (HDDs), so we recommend getting a laptop with that type of storage.

As for screens, there’s a healthy mix of HD (720p resolution) and FHD (1080p) options in this price range and we recommend springing for a notebook with a 1080p display if you can. Touchscreens aren’t as common in the budget space as standard panels, but you’ll only really miss one if you get a 2-in-1 laptop.

Before we get to our recommended specs for a cheap Windows laptop, it’s worth mentioning that Microsoft clearly lays out the true minimum requirements for any Windows 11 machine. Those include a 1GHz or faster processor that includes two or more cores, at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of available storage space. That’s the bare minimum to run Windows 11; we recommend giving yourself some wiggle room by choosing a machine that will perform well now and for years to come.

Specs to look for in an affordable Windows laptop

• CPU: Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processors, at minimum

• RAM: At least 8GB

• Storage: At least 128GB SSD

• Screen: At least 1080p FHD

It’s essential to prioritize what’s important to you. But at the lower end of the budget, a good laptop may not offer everything you need, whereas a great one might. Although most machines come with features like Bluetooth, built-in Wi-Fi and additional ports, you might find not all of them come with the specifics you require, like an SD card slot, webcam, charger, and so on. Be sure to check the spec list of any laptop you’re considering before you buy, especially if you need specific connectors and capabilities.

See Also:

• Best Laptops for 2025

• Best Gaming Laptops

• Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2025

• Best Chromebooks

• Best Laptops for College Students

As for Copilot+, don’t expect to see much of it on truly affordable Windows laptops just yet. Microsoft’s AI features and Copilot assistant require certain specs to run, namely a powerful neural processing unit (NPU), 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Currently, the cheapest Copilot+ AI PCs will run you about $700, so if you’re willing to pay more for those perks, check out our best laptops guide for more options.

If you’re looking for either a gaming laptop or a “Windows on Arm” laptop, both categories will require you to spend more money than we’re discussing here.

Best cheap Windows laptops for 2025

The cheap Windows laptop market moves fast, and — unlike nearly all of our other buying guides — we haven't necessarily tested each specific configuration listed below. However, the combination of these technical specifications and familiar brands represent exactly the sort of entry-level laptops we'd recommend to shoppers in this price range based on our thorough research and expert knowledge.

What to know about the budget Windows laptop market

The best cheap laptop models change all the time. Unlike more expensive, flagship machines, these notebooks can be updated a couple times each year. That can make it hard to track down a specific model at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart or any other retailer. Also, we’ve seen prices vary widely depending on the configuration and retailer you’re looking at.

You can ensure you’re getting a quality laptop by doing a few things. First and foremost, make sure you get a machine that follows the recommended specs we list above. Also, make sure you’re buying from a reputable retailer, including big-box stores like Walmart, Best Buy and Costco, online shops like Amazon or direct manufacturers like Dell, HP, Lenovo and others. If you have a physical store near you (likely a Best Buy in the US), it’s never a bad idea to go play around with some laptops in person before choosing one.

If you decide to shop online from the likes of Amazon or Walmart, double check the seller of the laptop you’re considering. For example, many items on Amazon are “shipped and sold” by Amazon and those are typically the best options. You’ll see that information on Amazon on the right sidebar on a product page, under the Add to Cart and Buy Now buttons. Third-party sellers are common in the affordable laptop space. Amazon sometimes classifies laptop manufacturers as third-party sellers, so you may see a laptop shipped and sold by HP or Dell — that’s a good thing, since it’s coming directly from the manufacturer.

However, there are other third-party electronics sellers out there. We recommend clicking on the third-party seller’s name on Amazon or Walmart (yes, Walmart has them, too) to see how much positive feedback and how many five-star ratings they’ve received from buyers.

What about Chromebooks and tablets?

You may be inclined to recommend a Chromebook or a tablet to anyone considering a budget Windows laptop computer. Those instincts aren’t wrong, but Chromebooks and tablets aren’t the best buy for everyone. Tablets have the most portability, but they will only work for the most mobile-competent users like kids who have been grabbing smartphones out of their parents’ hands since they’ve been dexterous enough to do so. Tablets can also be just as expensive as some of the cheapest Windows laptops, and that’s without a mouse or keyboard.

Chromebooks are a good alternative for those that basically live in a browser, the trade-off being you must give up the “traditional desktop.” And Chrome OS is a more limited operating system than Windows when it comes to the programs you can install and run.

What Windows laptops do well

What can you realistically accomplish on a cheap Windows laptop? Quite a bit, especially if you’re doing one thing (or a limited number of things) at a time. They’re great for everyday tasks like web browsing, checking email, video streaming and more. All of those things can be done on Chromebooks as well, but Windows laptops have a big advantage in Microsoft Office. While yes, there is a browser based version, the native, desktop apps are considered a must have for many and will run smoothly on even the most bare-bones budget laptop. The only caveat is that you may run into some slowdown on low-powered devices if you’re multitasking or working with large data sets in Excel or a lot of photos and graphics in Powerpoint.

When it comes to specs, a bright spot for Windows laptops is storage. Even the most affordable devices tend to have at least a 128GB solid state drive. That will come in handy if you prefer to keep your most important files saved locally on your laptop's hard drive. In contrast, cheaper Chromebooks often have less storage because they’re built on the assumption that you’ll save all of your documents in the cloud. Not only is that less convenient when you need to work offline, but it also limits the size of programs and files that you can download. So, Chromebooks aren't the best for hoarding Netflix shows before a long trip or for use as a gaming laptop.

Windows also has thousands of apps that you can download from its app store. Chromebooks have some Chrome apps, numerous browser extensions and the ability to download Android apps, but quality control is… inconsistent. Android apps, in particular, often haven’t been optimized for Chrome OS, which makes for a wonky user experience. Windows may not have as many apps as Android, but at least the experience is fairly standard across the board.

Windows also gives you the ability to download and use programs from other sources, like direct from the developer. You can run things like Adobe Creative Suite, certain VPNs and programs like GIMP, Audacity and ClipMate on a Windows device, which just isn’t possible on Chrome OS. Chromebooks limit you to the apps and programs in The Play Store and the Chrome Extensions store, reducing any others to unusable, space-sucking icons in your Downloads folder.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-affordable-windows-laptops-123000512.html?src=rss

If you've ever listened to music released in the 1980s, you've likely heard the iconic TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines. Artists like New Order, Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston and Beastie Boys all used these machines during that decade and newer artists like Daft Punk, Outkast and Bjork continued the tradition as the years rolled on. Roland understands this legacy and just introduced a sequel instrument, the TR-1000. It only took 40 years.

The TR-1000 looks to be an amalgamation of the analog grit of the original machines and modern digital features. It includes true analog voices, along with digital sampling technology. The company says it worked with "creators across scenes and geographies" to ensure the machine meets the "real-world needs and workflows of today's most innovative producers."

Roland

It features re-designed engines from the original 808 and 909 machines, along with a new sequencer and over 2,000 pre-installed factory samples. However, users can easily import their own samples. It also comes with 46GB of internal storage, dozens of effects and a full suite of connection ports.

"The TR-1000 feels like the true, classic lineage of the 808 and 909, not a digital remake," El-P of the rap group Run The Jewels said in a press release. Roland fans are no doubt aware that there have been multiple digital remakes of these machines throughout the years, and none of them quite managed to capture the mojo of the original units.

Roland

The drum machine is available right now to order, but there's a spot of bad news. The Roland TR-1000 costs a whopping $2,700.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/roland-just-released-a-follow-up-to-its-most-famous-drum-machines-from-the-1980s-070046806.html?src=rss

Disney has demanded that Character.AI stop using its copyrighted characters. Axios reports that the entertainment juggernaut sent a cease and desist letter to Character.AI, claiming that it has chatbots based on its franchises, including Pixar films, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to claiming copyright infringement, the letter questioned whether these protected characters were being used in problematic ways in conversations with underage users.

"Character.ai's infringing chatbots are known, in some cases, to be sexually exploitive and otherwise harmful and dangerous to children, offending Disney's consumers and extraordinarily damaging Disney's reputation and goodwill," the letter said.

Character.AI has been subject to legal and government scrutiny multiple times already over concerns that it has not provided sufficient safety guards for minors. The platform has been implicated in failing to protect two different teenagers who discussed suicide with its chatbots and then took their own lives. It has also drawn the attention of the Federal Trade Commission and US Attorneys General.

For now, at least, the platform appears to be responsive to Disney's demands. "It's always up to rightsholders to decide how people may interact with their IP, and we respond swiftly to requests to remove content that rightsholders report to us," a representative said, per the Axios report. "These characters have been removed."

Disney has shown that it is willing to take legal action against AI companies. It sued Midjourney along with Universal Studios in June on allegations of copyright infringement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/disney-sends-cease-and-desist-letter-to-characterai-220204094.html?src=rss