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Whether you love or hate them, PDFs are an inescapable part of the job for many of us. In fact, it's safe to say the format isn't going away anytime soon, with Adobe reporting there are 3 trillion PDFs in circulation worldwide. However, there's no denying they can be a pain to work with, and in an effort to make it easier to manage projects involving multiple PDFs, Adobe is launching a new product today called Acrobat Studio. And wouldn't you know it, the company is marketing the inclusion of generative AI tools as a major selling point of the suite.

The main feature of Acrobat Studio are hubs Adobe calls PDF Spaces. Here, you can upload up to 100 files — including PDFs of course, alongside public web pages, RTFs, DOCXs and more — and Acrobat Studio's built-in AI assistants will help you make sense of everything. To start, the hub will generate a summary of all the documents, with a few pre-populated prompts to help with further analysis. Accompanying each bullet point from the AI is a citation you can use to verify the model's summary by quickly jumping to the document it pulled the information from. Sharing your PDF Spaces with colleagues is built right into Acrobat Studio.

In addition to chatting with Acrobat Studio's AI assistant, you can create custom assistants to carry out specific tasks. By default, Adobe offers three of these — analyst, instructor and entertainer — to get you started. The names do a decent job of communicating each assistant's purpose. For example, the instructor will attempt to explain complex topics. You can create your own by writing a set of custom prompts.

There are some notable limitations to PDF Spaces. For one, the hub's generative AI features currently only work with documents written in English. Adobe says it will add support for other languages "over time." Similarly, the hub can't analyze videos, handwritten notes and password-protected files.

Outside of PDF Spaces, Acrobat Studio offers access to Adobe Express built right into the app, meaning you can use Adobe's Firefly AI models to generate commercially safe images for your PDFs. As you would expect, the suite also comes with Adobe Acrobat and all the tools you might need to create and edit your own protected documents.

Pricing for Acrobat Studio starts at $25 per month for individuals, with a 14-day trial available.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/acrobat-studio-is-adobes-new-ai-powered-hub-for-pdfs-130003264.html?src=rss

Leave it to Tesla to charge its customers for a feature it purposely left out. The company is now selling an almost $350 retrofit turn signal stalk for its Model 3 cars after removing from the initial model. Instead, it used buttons to activate the turn signal.

As of now, the add-on is only available in the Chinese market. But, Model 3 drivers will need to shell out another 2,499 yuan ($348) to get a normal part of almost every car. However, there's a slight catch: The turn signal stalk is only compatible with models produced from February 7 of this year onward. 

Only one month earlier, Tesla launched a refreshed Model Y that brought back the turn signal stalk. "We always say at Tesla, if you aren’t deleting so much that you have to put something back, you have’t deleted enough. Well, maybe we deleted too much," Tesla's vice president of engineering Lars Moravy said in an interview with Jay Leno shortly after. 

The option to buy a retrofit signal stalk isn't that surprising. Creator Chris Zheng first leaked the news back in February on X (formerly Twitter). It's unclear whether Tesla plans to bring the add-on to additional markets. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-offers-a-350-retrofit-turn-signal-stalk-after-removing-it-from-the-model-3-123034169.html?src=rss

They might be nearly three years old at this point, but Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro remain some of the most popular wireless earbuds around for a reason, and right now they’re down to $169 on Amazon. That’s a not-insignificant 32 percent off the usual $249 price of the noise-canceling in-ears.

Apple’s flagship AirPods were $100 off — a record-low $149 — during Prime Day, so we have seen them even cheaper than this, but for a non-sale period, Amazon’s current deal is worth considering. The AirPods Pro 2 are our top choice for iPhone users looking for wireless earbuds, thanks to much beefier sound than the original model, rock solid ANC and transparency modes, and seamless switching between Apple devices.

Throw in spatial audio support, hands-free Siri and more than acceptable battery life, and the AirPods Pro 2 are hard to top. Not everyone gets on with the sometimes fiddly touch gestures, but a lot of wireless headphones struggle with this. If there’s anything to give you pause, it’s that we might be getting the AirPods Pro 3 sooner rather than later. But if that’s the case, you can be confident you’ll pay a lot more than $169 for the privilege.

The AirPods Pro aren’t the only discounted AirPods right now. The AirPods 4 (without ANC) are down to $99. Usually priced at $129, you’re saving $30 on a much improved entry-level AirPods offering. They fit and sound better than any non-Pro AirPods before them, and inherit some previously Pro-only features thanks to the H2 chip. If you travel a lot you’ll also certainly rue the lack of ANC, but if that isn’t a deal breaker for you, the $99 price point might be tempting.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-apples-airpods-pro-2-while-theyre-down-to-169-142401518.html?src=rss

OpenAI has debuted its cheapest subscription yet for India only, product head Nick Turley announced on X. Called ChatGPT Go, the 390 rupee ($4.60) GPT-5 plan will offers users 10 times more message limits, image generation and file uploads than the free offering. "Making ChatGPT more affordable has been a key ask from users," Turley wrote. "We're rolling out Go in India first and will learn from feedback before expanding to other countries." 

The new plan was leaked earlier and OpenAI recently introduced local currency pricing in India via India's payment framework. With that, ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro are now offered for 1,999 rupees ($22.95) and 19,990 rupees ($229.50) — more expensive than the $20 and $200 users paid prior to the local currency rollout. 

ChatGPT Go now gives local users a more budget-oriented option. However, it doesn't offer access to GPT-5's advanced reasoning, has "limited deep research," no custom GPTs and lower message, image and file upload limits compared to the higher-end subscriptions, according to OpenAI's plan page in India. 

India is a key market for OpenAI, being second only to the US by user base. CEO Sam Altman recently met with India's IT minister about a plan to introduce lower-cost AI plans. According to Turley's X post, it looks like ChatGPT Go will come to other countries soon, though the company has yet to say which ones. Turley recently said that ChatGPT now has 700 million weekly users globally, up from 500 million in March. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-chatgpt-go-plan-arrives-in-india-only-for-under-5-per-month-120053087.html?src=rss

After focusing its big Google I/O 2025 on AI tech and Gemini’s latest features, Google has new hardware. The next Made by Google event kicks off tomorrow, and Google has already confirmed how at least one of its new phones will look.

Google

Expect a little more fanfare than usual. The company dropped a video on X, teasing “special guests,” including Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Curry, Lando Norris and the Jonas Brothers. Surely, they’ll make you buy a Pixel!

Leaks suggest Google is giving all of its Pixel 10 phones telephoto cameras in 2025, though it’s still possible the phone teased earlier is a Pixel 10 Pro. We’re expecting to see four phones in total: Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL and 10 Pro Fold. Then, if you can maintain focus, there’s likely to be a new Pixel Watch with smaller bezels and a brighter screen, and maybe even new entry-level Pixel buds.

The Pixel 10 launch event kicks off on August 20, tomorrow, at 1PM ET / 10AM PT. We’ll be reporting live from the event. Here's a full breakdown of what we're expecting to see.

— Mat Smith

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The news you might have missed

• Trump’s administration may look to buy a stake in Intel

• China’s inaugural Robot Olympics delivers impressive feats and disastrous falls

• Pixel 9 Pro Fold one year later: How Google caught up to Samsung in just two generations

Why on earth would NASA build a nuclear reactor on the Moon? It’s not as crazy as it sounds. REUTERS / Reuters

NASA is considering a small nuclear reactor for the Moon, to power a possibly permanent lunar presence. Other power sources have their drawbacks: Solar power is limited by the long two-week lunar nights and sunless craters, making nuclear energy a more reliable and constant power source. A nuclear reactor would also provide a significant amount of energy from a small mass, which is crucial for space travel. Challenges remain, including the system’s weight, recent cuts at NASA and the lack of a US company to produce the microreactor itself.

Continue reading.

Can-Am’s first electric ATV can haul more than its gas models It offers 50 miles of range, 47 hp and ‘whisper-quiet operation.’ Can-Am

Can-Am, part of the motorsports group BRP that recently introduced electric snowmobiles, has just launched its first electric all-terrain vehicle (ATV). The Outlander Electric is designed to be “whisper quiet” for tasks like herding or hunting, but it can still tow more than its gas-powered counterparts, thanks to the high level of torque.

The 8.9 kWh battery will offer around 50 miles (80km) of range, which is half that of a gasoline ATV, depending on the model. The Can-Am Outlander Electric ATV is now available from dealers and Can-Am’s website, starting at $12,999.

Continue reading.

How to use (or turn off) your Instagram Map The new feature shares your location with friends on a searchable map.

Instagram Map, a new Instagram feature copying Snapchat's Snap Map, makes it simple to share your location with friends. So simple you might not even realize who you’re sharing it with, unless you dig into your settings. We lay out how it works — and how to stop sharing your location.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111518622.html?src=rss

UK officials will no longer compel Apple to create backdoor access to its users' data, according to US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. She wrote on X that she, President Trump and Vice President Vance worked closely with their "partners in the UK" over the past months. "As a result," she continued, "the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a 'back door' that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties."

Over the past few months, I’ve been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside @POTUS and @VP, to ensure Americans' private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.

As a result, the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for…

— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) August 19, 2025

As The New York Times notes, the UK government issued the secret order earlier this year after amending the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016. The law gives the UK government the right to compel companies to turn over data to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Reports about the mandate started to come out in February, however, and Apple pretty much confirmed it when it disabled iCloud's Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK. ADP gives users the power to to add optional end-to-end encryption to a variety of iCloud data, which means the information can't be accessed by authorities unless they have the user's device in their hands. "As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will," Apple said at the time. 

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers asked Gabbard to take measures to prevent what they called "a foreign cyberattack waged through political means" after the information about the mandate went public. Meanwhile, Apple filed a complained with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), which "investigates complaints about the alleged conduct of public bodies in relation to members of the public," to get the order reversed. The company has yet to issue an official statement about the reversal of the UK mandate. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-uk-will-no-longer-require-apple-to-create-backdoor-access-to-users-data-110014398.html?src=rss

Spotify routinely debuts new playlist features for its users, but the company's latest update has the potential to dramatically alter custom mixes. Starting today, premium users will have access to a new tool for creating customized transitions within playlists. This will allow seamless progression from one track to the next, with natural-sounding changeovers and no awkward silence. 

Once you've created a playlist, you'll notice a Mix option on the toolbar. When selected, the tool gives you the option to pick Auto and allow Spotify to instantly make the transitions, or you can tap in further to customize things as you see fit. From there, you can choose presets like Fade or Rise to quickly apply transition styles or try specific changes to volume, EQ and effects. The app will display a waveform for the two songs, helping you select the best place to make the swap. 

After making your transitions, you can save them for future use or for sharing with friends. And speaking of friends, the transition editor is available for collaboration on any playlists you build with your pals. Spotify allows you to toggle the Mix option on and off at any time, so you're free to listen without any of that creative customization if needed. 

To help you create a playlist that's ready for mixing, Spotify will show you the tempo in BPMs (beats per minute) and Camelot keys for each song once you tap Mix. The company reminds users that the best options for this tool are songs that were created for seamless transitions, so genres like house and techno will provide the best results. Spotify also recommends using the Mix tool for making running playlists with consistent BPMs to help with pace or to create roadtrip playlists that can maintain "the vibe." Lastly, you can create your own cover art for mixed playlists using Spotify's built-in editor that debuted last fall. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-now-lets-you-create-seamless-transitions-between-songs-on-your-custom-playlists-100051537.html?src=rss

Pizza ovens are having a moment. Companies like Ooni have popularized the ability to make restaurant-quality pies at home by giving you ovens that get hot enough for various pizza styles. Some burn wood while others run on gas, and some options can even do both with the proper accessories. I’ve broken down what to look for when you’re shopping for a pizza oven along with my top picks for the best pizza oven in various categories. If you prefer to stay in your kitchen, I’ve got options for you too. Plus, there’s a list of the pizza ovens on my upcoming slate of reviews.

Table of contents

• Best outdoor pizza ovens for 2025

• Best indoor pizza ovens in 2025

• What to look for in a pizza oven

• How to prepare before outdoor cooking

• Upcoming pizza oven reviews

• The best pizza accessories for the oven you already have

Best outdoor pizza ovens for 2025

Best indoor pizza ovens in 2025

Let me preface this section by saying you probably already have an indoor option that you can use to make some great pizza. Whether that’s the main oven in your kitchen or a multi-function countertop unit, with some affordable accessories, you can easily up your game without spending $1,000 on a dedicated appliance. For example, my Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer has a convection pizza setting that automatically adjusts cook time based on the size, oven temperature and whether the pie is fresh or frozen. A key consideration here is size. These things are massive, about the size of a large microwave, so you likely won’t want to keep them out all the time unless you have a huge kitchen.

What to look for in a pizza oven

When shopping for a home oven or dedicated pizza oven, you’ll first want to consider what types of pies you plan to make. Most portable pizza ovens from the likes of Ooni, Solo Stove and others use wood burning fuel and are primarily designed for the high-heat cooking required for light and airy Neapolitan-style pizzas. We’re talking high temperatures up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. These units can certainly cook different styles of pizza at cooler temperatures, but the learning curve is easiest when you’re running them wide open with a full load of wood.

You'll also want to consider alternate fuel types. If you purchase a propane or natural gas burner, you can adjust temperatures easily by turning a knob. For this reason, I recommend you spend the extra $100 or so on that accessory. This dual-fuel option makes your pizza oven a lot more versatile and gives you the option to still have a freshly fired pie when you don’t feel like messing with wood or charcoal. If you only want to cook with gas, there are models available that only use propane or natural gas.

The other key consideration for aspiring pizza makers is size. Most companies make ovens that fit 12-inch pizzas, a perfect size for a personal pan pizza. They’re also great for pizza parties, since people can customize their own without having to pick off toppings they don’t like. If you want to make larger pizzas or plan to use your oven for other things (pans, etc), consider a larger version that can accommodate more than just small pies. The interior dimensions – or at the very least the pizza stone size – will be listed on most product pages.

How to prepare before outdoor cooking

Making good pizza at home requires a considerable amount of counter or table space. You’ll need room to stretch and prep your pizza dough, lay out your mozzarella, other cheeses and toppings and load pies onto a peel. Of course, some folks will be comfortable working in the tight confines of a small kitchen, but I’ve found it much easier to use extra space to make sure I’m not constantly moving things around during the various steps in the process.

It’s also less hassle to set up your pizza-making station in close proximity to your oven. As a pizza-baking beginner, I did the running back and forth from the kitchen to the back porch. It’s far from ideal. It’s difficult to maintain your fire (if using wood or charcoal) when you’re unable to watch it closely. The good news is a patio table can be easily converted into a pizza station with a large cutting board. This also gets your oven off the ground so it’s easier to access.

Ooni sells tables for its ovens that also offer shelving and storage for peels and other accessories. Solo Stove has a rolling stand for its Pi oven too, with small side shelves and a spot for your propane tank underneath. Of course, you can find other tables and stands to suit your needs, just make sure they can withstand any heat that may radiate from the bottom of the oven while cooking. Most ovens are either well insulated or don’t project too much excess heat toward the table, but you can never be too careful. For that reason, a stainless steel or metal surface is a good choice to set up an outdoor model.

Most of these ovens heat up quickly and cook at high temperatures, especially if you’re making Neapolitan pizza. Having everything you need nearby so you can keep tabs on the oven and quickly make the next pie — especially the first pizza — will ease a lot of unnecessary headaches. When your cook time is two minutes or less, you don’t want to venture too far.

The best pizza accessories for the oven you already have

If you want to make a good pizza that rivals that of your favorite pizzeria (and without spending hundreds of dollars on a dedicated oven), you can definitely do it with the home oven you already have in your kitchen. With a few gadgets, you can improve your game without splurging on a Breville, Ooni or Solo Stove. First, I’d recommend a high quality baking steel or stone.

Baking stones are great for getting better browning on the bottom of your pies than a pizza or sheet pan. You can also use them for bread, cookies and other items. The stone absorbs heat to cook pizza quickly, so you don’t need to worry about preheating it, and you’ll get that charred crust like a brick oven provides. They’re also more affordable compared to baking steels. Those metal slabs do have one key advantage: higher heat conductivity. This means a steel will cook your pizzas faster since it can absorb more heat from your oven. While baking steels can be used as griddles on your stovetop and for other types of baking, they’re not ideal for some leavened breads.

The second item you’ll want is a pizza peel. These come in all shapes and sizes, made out of a variety of materials. I typically use a bamboo or wooden peel when topping and launching my pizzas and then a metal one for retrieving them. I’ve found that dough doesn’t stick as easily to bamboo during prep and the metal resists the high heat of the oven when turning or retrieving a finished pizza (bamboo will burn). There are also perforated peels which allow both steam and excess flour to escape. A peel is a great tool for loading and turning pizzas, getting them in the back of the oven, and since you’ll typically be cooking them with your oven at 500 degrees or hotter, using something like parchment paper to move them around won’t work.

And if you’re going for a New York style pizza, just make sure your dough recipe and ingredients are geared toward that thinner, crispy crust — the right accessories alone won’t be enough.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-pizza-oven-141550352.html?src=rss

Intel has had some recent struggles in delivering results for its shareholders, but the company could soon be answering to an additional boss. The current administration is reportedly in talks to have the US government acquire a stake in the chipmaker. Bloomberg first reported the news without specifics about the size or value of the potential share the government wants to buy. According to a newer report by Bloomberg and The New York Times, the Trump administration is looking to take a 10 percent stake in Intel as part of its efforts to give domestic chip manufacturing a boost. 

The administration is reportedly considering converting the $10.86 billion in federal grants Intel is getting from the US Chips and Science Act into equity instead. It's still early days, and the White House is still deciding on the exact size of the stake. Intel initially shared plans to construct a semiconductor facility in Ohio in 2022 while Pat Gelsinger was still at the helm of the company. Since then, the project has faced delays, and at its latest quarterly earnings report, execs said Intel would "slow the pace" on the Ohio construction, as well as scrapping other international building plans and making workforce cuts.

The potential for government ownership of Intel is the latest swing of the administration's attitude toward the company. A few days after calling for his resignation over connections to China, President Donald Trump met with CEO Lip-Bu Tan and seemed to now hold a more positive outlook on the company leader.

A representative from Intel told Bloomberg in a statement that the company is "deeply committed to supporting President Trump’s efforts to strengthen US technology and manufacturing leadership. We look forward to continuing our work with the Trump administration to advance these shared priorities, but we are not going to comment on rumors or speculation."

Update, August 18 2025, 10:31AM ET: This story has been updated to include new reports that the Trump administration is looking to take a 10 percent stake in Intel. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trumps-administration-may-look-to-buy-a-stake-in-intel-213234862.html?src=rss

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced plans to investigate both Meta AI Studio and Character.AI for offering AI chatbots that can claim to be health tools, and potentially misusing data collected from underage users.

Paxton says that AI chatbots from either platform "can present themselves as professional therapeutic tools," to the point of lying about their qualifications. That behavior that can leave younger users vulnerable to misleading and inaccurate information. Because AI platforms often rely on user prompts as another source of training data, either company could also be violating young user's privacy and misusing their data. This is of particular interest in Texas, where the SCOPE Act places specific limits on what companies can do with data harvested from minors, and requires platform's offer tools so parents can manage the privacy settings of their children's accounts.

For now, the Attorney General has submitted Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to both Meta and Character.AI to see if either company is violating Texas consumer protection laws. As TechCrunch notes, neither Meta nor Character.AI claim their AI chatbot platforms should be used as mental health tools. That doesn't prevent there from being multiple "Therapist" and "Psychologist" chatbots on Character.AI. Nor does it stop either of the companies' chatbots from claiming they're licensed professionals, as 404 Media reported in April. 

"The user-created Characters on our site are fictional, they are intended for entertainment, and we have taken robust steps to make that clear," a Character.AI spokesperson said when asked to comment on the Texas investigation. "For example, we have prominent disclaimers in every chat to remind users that a Character is not a real person and that everything a Character says should be treated as fiction."

Meta shared a similar sentiment in its comment. "We clearly label AIs, and to help people better understand their limitations, we include a disclaimer that responses are generated by AI — not people," the company said. Meta AIs are also supposed to "direct users to seek qualified medical or safety professionals when appropriate." Sending people to real resources is good, but ultimately disclaimers themselves are easy to ignore, and don't act as much of an obstacle.

With regards to privacy and data usage, both Meta's privacy policy and the Character.AI's privacy policy acknowledge that data is collected from users' interactions with AI. Meta collects things like prompts and feedback to improve AI performance. Character.AI logs things like identifiers and demographic information and says that information can be used for advertising, among other applications. How either policy applies to children, and fits with Texas' SCOPE Act, seems like it'll depend on how easy it is to make an account.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/texas-ag-to-investigate-meta-and-characterai-over-misleading-mental-health-claims-221343275.html?src=rss

Mark Rober will bring his scientific talents to Netflix with two upcoming projects. Rober is a former NASA engineer who parlayed his skills into an entertaining and educational YouTube career. In past years, we've seen him develop not just one, but two stinky glitter bombs to fend off porch package thieves, as well as leading work on a Guinness World Record-holding robot called the Dominator. 

According to an announcement from Netflix, Rober "will bring some of his most beloved, ambitious, and informative experiments" to the streaming platform later this year. Then in 2026, he'll also host a competition series aimed at kids and family viewers. Rober's CrunchLabs business and Kimmelot, late night host Jimmy Kimmel's production company, will be producing.

Netflix has been adding several YouTube creators to its content lineup, with a particular angle toward family-friendly science programs. Earlier this year, it brought some content from Rachel Accurso's Ms. Rachel channel, with educational topics for very young children, to the platform.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/youtuber-mark-rober-is-bringing-his-experiments-to-netflix-201853920.html?src=rss

NVIDIA's GeForce NOW game streaming service is leveling-up in September with the addition of RTX 5080 GPUs, which will allow for 5K streaming at up to 120fps (or 1080p/320fps for the truly frame-hungry). While you'll need to be on the $20-a-month GeForce Now Ultimate tier to use RTX 5080 streaming servers, NVIDIA at least isn't raising that tier's price. Subscribers at that level will still receive 100 hours of monthly playtime (with 15 hours of rollover), up to eight-hour long sessions and access to all of GPU's respective DLSS features, including Frame Generation.

NVIDIA claims the RTX 5080 GeForce Now servers will perform up to 2.8 times faster than the current RTX 4080 systems — but of course, that's due to the new GPU's 4X Frame Gen capabilities, which interpolates frames using AI modeling. The 4080 only supports up to 2X Frame Generation. At launch, GeForce Now's RTX 5080 servers will support popular games like Doom: The Dark Ages, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Cyberpunk 2077 and Flight Simulator. We're still waiting for a full list of supported titles from NVIDIA, as well updates on when we can expect more games that will support the RTX 5080.

While the raw power of the RTX 5080 will be the main draw for the GeForce NOW Ultimate tier, NVIDIA is also improving something that's always bothered me with game streaming: image quality. No matter the resolution and framerate I've seen while streaming games across multiple services, I've always noticed that the color fidelity and overall sharpness doesn't look as good as rendering a game locally on a PC. NVIDIA's new Cinematic Quality Streaming (CQS) aims to change that, with support for YUV 4:4:4 chroma subsampling (for more accurate colors), smoother video streaming performance with the AV1 codec, and AI video filtering to reduce artifacts. CQS will also be able to automatically detect and optimize its settings for the DPI of your screen — that's helpful for high DPI laptop screens.

With CQS turned on, GeForce Now streams will max out at a hefty 100Mbps. That'll make it ideal for people with 1Gbps or faster connections, but it could be out of reach if you've got slower internet or restrictive bandwidth caps. I've only seen a screenshot of CQS in action, but it's definitely something I'll be testing further once the new GeForce NOW servers launch in September.

NVIDIA also plans to expand the number of titles on GeForce NOW with a new feature called Install-to-Play games, which will automatically get installed to cloud storage servers. Performance and Ultimate-tier subscribers will get 100GB of storage for free, and they can upgrade to 200GB for $2.99 monthly, 500GB for $4.99 per month and 1TB for $7.99. Typically, GeForce NOW games are preinstalled on servers and wait for players to queue them up. (It's also worth noting that the service taps into games you've already bought on existing storefronts like Steam, your subscription doesn't get you a collection of games to play like Xbox cloud streaming.)

NVIDIA says that GeForce Now will have up 2,300 pre-installed games this year, and together with Install-to-Play options there will be over 4,500 games on the service. That goes a long way towards making GeForce Now more appealing to mainstream players — if you could play most new titles over the cloud for a monthly fee, why have a gaming PC at all?

To that end, NVIDIA is also making GeForce NOW work even better across a wide variety of devices. It'll support up to 90fps on the Steam Deck through its native app, and it will also stream in 5K on newer LG OLED monitors. LG TVs will also get a native GeForce NOW app that supports up to 4K 120Hz streams, a first for any TV maker. NVIDIA also says that many Logitech racing wheels will be supported, as well. (Though I wonder how many people are traveling with wheels when they want to game on the go.)

While its unclear if game streaming will ever replace local gaming, GeForce NOW is certainly getting close with the addition of RTX 5080 GPUs and a wealth of new features. And given the rise of streaming TV service costs these days, its pricing seems relatively fair. You can test out a free ad-supported version of GeForce NOW, or pay $10 a month (or $100 a year) for ad-free 1,440p support. For most people, especially if they're just streaming to laptops and handhelds, that'll be more than enough. But the Ultimate tier isn't unreasonable at $20 a month, $100 for six months or $200 annually. That's a small price to pay to game in 4K (and 5K!) without a huge rig.

During my recent testing of GeForce NOW Ultimate with RTX 4080 servers, I noticed that it's relatively easy to launch games, performance is generally smooth and it works well across handhelds, TVs and multiple computers. I'd expect much of the same for the RTX 5080 servers, but I'll report back next month when they actually launch.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidias-geforce-now-game-streaming-gets-rtx-5080-gpus-better-image-quality-and-more-193040331.html?src=rss

Human resources technology company Workday has confirmed that a data breach has affected its third-party CRM platform. In a blog post announcing the breach, the company said that a social engineering campaign had targeted its employees, with threat actors posing as IT or HR in order to trick employees into sharing account access or personal information.

The company says that while the threat actors were able to access some information from the CRM, there is no indication of any access to customer accounts or the data within them. "We acted quickly to cut the access and have added extra safeguards to protect against similar incidents in the future," the post reads. Workday says that the information gathered from the CRM consists of "commonly available" business contact information such as names, email addresses and phone numbers. From the sound of its blog post, the information of Workday end users was not revealed, only information from the companies it has contracts with.

What is known with some certainty at this point is that Workday's CRM was breached. The company's statement that "no indication" of a deeper customer data breach was found is far from a guarantee — often, the full scope of hacks like this aren’t known until later.

Earlier this year, Workday laid off around 1,750 employees, or around 8.5 percent of its workforce. The company said it was "prioritizing innovation investments like AI and platform development, and rigorously evaluating the ROI of others across the board."

The precise third-party CRM Workday is referring to was not disclosed. Earlier this year Google fell victim to a hack via the Salesforce app, and last year Disney said it would stop using Slack, the Salesforce-owned messaging platform, after a hack exposed company data.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/workday-says-hackers-used-social-engineering-to-access-personal-data-during-a-breach-183451732.html?src=rss

The second season of Prime Video's Fallout is coming this December and the marketing machine is just starting to ramp up. The streamer has released some light plot details and, more importantly, several cool images. Two of these photos reference the franchise's iconic New Vegas location, which was teased at the end of the first season.

Prime Video says that season two will take "audiences along for a journey through the wasteland of the Mojave to the post-apocalyptic city of New Vegas." However, we still don't know if the show's depiction will be franchise accurate. The released images show Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins) touring the actual Las Vegas in the before times, long before becoming the Ghoul.

Prime Video

However, one picture does show the Lucky 38 casino, which is extremely important to fans of the games. The remaining images catch up with other major players from season one. There's one of Lucy (Ella Purnell) butting heads with the Ghoul and another showing Maximus (Aaron Moten) back with the Brotherhood of Steel after the events of the season finale.

Prime Video

We don't have a trailer yet, but that should be coming soon. December is just a few months away. The Fallout TV show has proven to be a huge hit, both with fans and critics. Prime Video has already renewed it for a third season.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/first-images-from-fallout-season-2-tease-new-vegas-182528357.html?src=rss

NordVPN announced today in a blog post that its Meshnet feature will shut down on December 1. All aspects of Meshnet will stop working on that date, though nothing else about NordVPN will be affected. If you were using Meshnet to connect computers, route web traffic through a personal device or share files, you'll need to find another solution by December.

As I mentioned in my NordVPN review, Meshnet was one of the most envelope-pushing features on any VPN, letting users link their devices through a NordLynx tunnel without needing to go through a third-party server. Once the tunnel was set up, you could access either device through the other one to share files or access services. With enough connected devices, you could check your work email, visit a friend's media server, play a remote game on another server and watch your home-based TV subscriptions — all from a single laptop anywhere on the planet. Unbelievably, it was even free to use.

I'm sad to see Meshnet go, but as NordVPN's blog post makes clear, it never found its audience. As exciting as it was to people like me who spend all day squinting at the guts of VPNs, it didn't provide enough everyday value to catch on with the majority of NordVPN's customers. Hindsight shows us that Meshnet's benefits, like remote desktop and file sharing, were mainly business-oriented; selling those was always going to be an uphill battle in a market where VPNs are more commonly used for personal reasons.

If you're one of the few people who was actually using Meshnet, you have a few months to arrange alternatives. Should you want to stay within the NordVPN ecosystem, you can replace its file sharing features with NordLocker, which gives you 3 GB of storage for free. Of course, Google Drive is also an option. For remote access, NordVPN recommends ZeroTier, a platform where you can connect up to 10 devices without paying.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/nordvpn-will-discontinue-meshnet-on-december-1-175538284.html?src=rss

Substack now lets users subscribe to any paid publication via an in-app purchase from the official iOS app. The news comes after the company tested the feature with 30,000 creators.

This makes subscribing to something a much speedier affair, with the entire process taking just a few taps on the old smartphone screen. Prior to this, it wasn't always possible to upgrade to a paid subscription directly in the app.

Substack

However, there's a fairly major caveat. It's likely that subscriptions paid for by in-app purchases will be more expensive than usual. That's to accommodate Apple's cut of the revenue. Substack says it "automatically sets" iOS app prices higher so creators take home approximately the same amount. These creators can dive into the settings to lower the price.

There's another way to subscribe to your favorite Substack creators without burning too much time. Apple now allows iOS apps in the US to include external payment links, which stems from a legal ruling following a lawsuit from Epic Games. This isn't quite as speedy as an iOS sub, but the prices are right.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/substack-turns-on-ios-in-app-payment-option-for-all-paid-newsletters-172237507.html?src=rss

After largely focusing Google I/O 2025 on the ways the company wants Gemini to change everything from searching the web to filmmaking, Google is finally ready to launch new hardware. The next Made by Google event is on the books for August 20, and Google has already confirmed what at least one of its new Pixel 10 phones will look like.

Google seems dead-set on making a big splash at this event, too. On the Friday before Made by Google, the company dropped a video on X noting that a number of "special guests" were participating, including Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Curry, Lando Norris and the Jonas Brothers. What they all will have to do with a phone launch remains to be seen.

Google remains as leak-prone as ever, so nearly all the new hardware the company is expected to announce has all ready been reported on in one form or another. With that in mind and after sifting through what has leaked, here's what Google will show off at the Pixel 10 launch even in New York City on August 20.

Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL and 10 Pro Fold Android Headlines / Onleaks

Google's invitation for the event says that the company is sharing "the latest on our Pixel phones, watches, buds and more,” which more or less confirms the company will introduce a slate of products that's similar to what it launched in 2024. That means a Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro Fold are absolutely on the menu.

Google's tease of the Pixel 10 confirmed what leaked renders have already signaled: the company isn't abandoning the new design language the Pixel 9 established. The pill-shaped camera bump and flat front display will still be present on the Pixel 10, and the real changes will be in the details, like for example, how the flat sides of the Pixel 10 join with the phone's back.

Those subtle changes will apparently also include the thickness of the Pixel 10s. While both the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL and 10 Pro Fold will use the same sized OLED screens as their Pixel 9 counterparts, they'll be housed in thicker and heavier bodies, according to Android Headlines. Google's new Pixels are also supposed to come in new colors. The Pixel 10 will come in "Frost" (a royal blue), "Lemongrass" (a yellow), "Indigo" (a light purple) and "Obsidian" (a dark gray), while the Pixel 10 Pro / Pro XL will come in Obsidian, "Porcelain" (off-white), "Moonstone" (a bluish gray) and "Jade" (a light green). Less information is known about the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, though recent leaks suggest it'll come in Moonstone and Jade, as well.

Android Headlines

The most visible external change that'll be introduced on the Pixel 10 is the addition of a new telephoto camera. The new telephoto camera is a 11-megapixel 5x telephoto, Android Authority reports, similar to the one on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Meanwhile, the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL are expected to feature a 50-megapixel wide, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 48-megapixel telephoto and 48-megapixel selfie cameras. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold could feature a different lineup, with a similar main camera, but 12-megapixel ultrawide and telephoto cameras, and 11-megapixel selfie cameras.

Inside the new phones, Google is laying the groundwork for future performance gains with a new Tensor G5 chip. It's likely be much more power-efficient thanks to the company switching to a 3nm design produced by TSMC. Reports suggest the chip might not be all that different in terms of raw power, but the Tensor G5 is likely designed to be extra capable when it comes to using local AI features.

As far as timing goes, it's worth noting that the latest rumors indicate that the Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL will be available about a week after the event, on August 28. But the Pixel 10 Pro Fold (as well as the Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2a aren't expected for more than a month after that. Those devices are rumored to be on sale as of October 9.

While global tariff turmoil could justify a price increase, Google is reportedly keeping things consistent with the Pixel 10 family. They'll offer similar storage options, come in at the same prices and include the same freebies and incentives. The Pixel 10 will come with six months of Google AI Pro and Fitbit Premium, along with three months of YouTube Premium. Meanwhile the Pixel 10 Pro models will get a year of Google AI Pro, six months of Fitbit Premium and three months of YouTube Premium. The prices and storage options for the phones should breakout down as follows:

• Pixel 10: 128GB ($799), 256GB ($899)

• Pixel 10 Pro: 128GB ($999), 256GB ($1,099), 512GB ($1,219), 1TB ($1,449)

• Pixel 10 Pro XL: 256GB ($1,199), 512GB ($1,319), 1TB ($1,549)

• Pixel 10 Pro Fold: 256GB ($1,799), 512GB ($1,919), 1TB ($2,149)

Pixel Watch 4 91mobiles / Onleaks

The third time was the charm for the Pixel Watch 3, so the main task Google has with the Pixel Watch 4 is to not squander the solid base it already has. Leaks for the company's new smartwatches have been limited so far, but renders of the Pixel Watch 4 shared by 91mobiles do suggest Google has a few changes planned.

Namely, much like the company's phones, the new Pixel Watch seems like it'll be a little bit thicker and come with smaller bezels. The Pixel Watch 4 should be available to purchase in the same 41mm and 45mm sizes as before, but in new colors — including a Moonstone option to match the Pixel 10 — and with a brighter display.

The thicker frame will also help the smartwatch fit a larger battery and a new wireless charging system, according to Android Headlines. Rather than charge through a puck with pogo pins like the Pixel Watch 3, the Pixel Watch 4 will use a wireless charging stand that could fill it up even faster.

Beyond that, Google has already indicated how Wear OS is evolving. The new Wear OS 6 update is debuting on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, and will presumably be available on the Pixel Watch 4 at launch. It includes built-in access to Gemini, among other tweaks. Given Google also manages the Fitbit Premium subscription, it wouldn't be all that surprising if the Pixel Watch 4 gets some exclusive fitness tracking features, too.

Pixel Buds 2a Billy Steele for Engadget

Google launched the Pixel Buds Pro 2 last year, and it typically doesn't update its premium earbuds on a yearly cadence. So instead, Tom's Guide reports Google might pair the Pixel 10 with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in a new color, and save its new hardware announcements for a sequel to the Pixel Buds A-series called the Pixel Buds 2a.

Unlike the company's premium wireless earbuds, the A-series Pixel Buds have historically skimped on things like active noise cancellation to hit a lower price. There's little reporting on where Google will take the Pixel Buds 2a, but you can expect the new earbuds to come in some of the new colors being introduced on the Pixel 10.

Pixelsnap

The Qi2 wireless charging standard is available for all phone makers to use, but it hasn't been widely adopted among Android phone makers. Qi2 uses magnets to offer improved charging speeds, just like Apple's MagSafe, and the Pixel 10 could mark Google's adoption of Qi2 through a new feature called "Pixelsnap."

A report from Android Authority suggests the Pixel 10 will include the necessary magnets to make Qi2 happen, and will be introduced alongside a lineup of Pixelsnap accessories. New leaked images showing a Pixel 10 charging with a magnetic charging puck that looks a lot like Apple's MagSafe charger adds even more credence to the rumor.

If you need even more convincing, the Wireless Power Consortium has announced that its faster Qi2 25W charging is coming to "major Android phones." It would make sense if Google's Pixel 10s were included considering runs Android itself.

Gemini and other exclusive software features

Gemini is Google's current favorite, and the company is pushing the AI assistant everywhere it makes sense. The last few Pixel Drops — Google's regular Pixel-focused software updates — have primarily included Gemini features. It would make sense for Google to include a few more software exclusives on the Pixel 10.

Google is hosting the Pixel 10 launch event on August 20 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT. The company has invited press to attend in person, and you can read coverage of everything Google announces right here on Engadget.

Update, August 6, 12:15PM ET: Added information about the timeline for when Google's new hardware is expected to arrive.

Update, July 30, 2:30PM ET: Added information on pricing for the Pixel 10 lineup and new details on Qi2 support.

Update, July 24, 3:44PM ET: Added details on the Pixel Watch 4's display, new colors and charging stand.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-pixel-10-launch-event-new-phones-foldables-and-watches-at-the-made-by-google-event-214510252.html?src=rss

Big Tech's foray into nuclear power continues as Google announced the site of its first nuclear reactor today, as part of its 2024 deal with startup Kairos Power. Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will be home to the Hermes 2 plant, which will supply Google with 50 megawatts of power under a long-term purchase agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

The Oak Ridge plant is the first in a 500-megawatt deal that comprises multiple small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide power for Google's data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama. The Hermes 2 is scheduled to begin operations in 2030.

In a statement, TVA CEO Don Moul said, "Nuclear is the bedrock of the future of energy security. Google stepping in and helping shoulder the burden of the cost and risk for first-of-a-kind nuclear projects not only helps Google get to those solutions, but it keeps us from having to burden our customers with development of that technology."

Google's deal with Kairos Power is expected to reach its full 500 MW potential by 2035 and was the first-ever corporate deal to buy nuclear power from SMRs. The financial specifics of the deal have not been released.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-announces-first-nuclear-site-to-power-its-data-centers-162627123.html?src=rss

Nintendo has a few major first-party Nintendo Switch 2 games lined up for the rest of the year. One of those is Kirby Air Riders, a sequel to the 2003 GameCube title Kirby Air Ride. The company is set to reveal much (much) more about what it has in store for the new game, as it has lined up a dedicated Nintendo Direct. You'll be able to watch the showcase, which was first announced via the Nintendo Today! app, at 9AM ET on August 19. You won't have to go hunting for it on Nintendo's channel either, as you can click the big red button on the YouTube video above.

The stream will run for about 45 minutes and "provide an in-depth look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 game," according to the company. On the surface, that seems like a very long showcase for a single game by Nintendo standards, considering that it's able to rip through a couple of dozen game reveals (or more) in a regular Direct that's as long or shorter. The recent Direct for Donkey Kong Bananza clocked in at just under 18 minutes and had a ton of info about that game.

However, if you've ever seen a character reveal for game director Masahiro Sakurai's previous project, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you'll be aware that the man tends to get into the nitty gritty. After all, the deep dive into the final SSBU fighter, Sora from Kingdom Hearts, is 42 minutes long. So a 45-minute Direct for a whole new Sakurai game suddenly doesn't seem as excessive.

A release date for Kirby Air Riders seems like a safe bet for this Direct. The timing of the showcase is pretty interesting too, as it will air just before Gamescom gets underway. Perhaps Kirby Air Riders will be playable at Nintendo's booth at the event.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/a-nintendo-direct-focused-on-kirby-air-riders-is-set-for-august-19-134353712.html?src=rss

Buying a computer, especially one from Apple, is typically going to cost you a pretty penny. So sales are critical for getting all the devices we want. Right now, we're looking at the Apple 2024 Mac mini M4, which is down to $499 from $599. The 17 percent discount gets you a model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD. 

We gave the Mac mini M4 a 90 in our review thanks to features like its small design but very fast performance. Seriously, it's less than half the size of its predecessor. It also offers a standard of 16GB of RAM, USB-C and headphone ports, which the Mac minis have been lacking. 

Think you might need a bit more storage? The best deal is actually on the Mac Mini M4 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD. It's down to $689 from $799 — saving you $110. Then there's the version with 24GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD, which has dropped to $902 from $999.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-mac-mini-m4-is-back-on-sale-for-499-131518476.html?src=rss