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Earlier this year, reports came out that Ryan Gosling was in talks for the lead role in Shawn Levy's Star Wars movie. Now, Gosling has confirmed that he will star in Levy's film, which the Deadpool & Wolverine director has been working on since 2022, at the Star Wars Celebration event in Tokyo. Levy's movie will be called Star Wars: Starfighter, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and is scheduled for release on May 28, 2027, a few weeks after Avengers: Secret Wars debuts in cinemas. 

Starfighter, most likely named after the universe's small combat spacecraft, is a standalone movie set five years after the events in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and will not be connected to the Skywalker family. "It’s not a prequel, not sequel. It’s a new adventure. It’s set in a period of time that we haven’t seen explored yet," Levy said during the event. Neither Levy nor Gosling discussed the plot of the movie, and it's not even clear what character Gosling is playing. Production seems to be looking for a teenage actor and a male and female actor to play as villains alongside Gosling's character. The movie will start production this fall. 

A year before Starfighter hits the theaters, however, The Mandalorian and Grogu is taking center stage. A spinoff based on The Mandalorian series, it will premiere on May 22, 2026, with Jon Favreau serving as its director. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/ryan-goslings-star-wars-movie-is-titled-starfighter-and-will-be-released-in-2027-123049184.html?src=rss

After announcing it last month, ILM has revealed more details of its mixed reality "playset" called Star Wars: Beyond Victory for Meta Quest headsets. At its Star Wars Celebration 2025 in San Francisco, ILM released a new video that shows some gameplay and gives a taste of the other mixed reality experiences.

The experience revolves around podracing. It includes three distinct modes, according to ILM's press release: Adventure, Arcade and Playset. The first uses virtual and mixed to reality to follow Volo, "an aspiring podracer whose life gets flipped upside down under the mentorship of the infamous Sebulba [from Star Wars Episode I]." Arcade offers podracing in mixed reality on a virtual holotable, and Playset lets players create "Star Wars moments in mixed reality with a collection of unlockable virtual action figures and vehicles." 

We're calling this a Playset because it isn't just a game; it's an entirely new way to experience the Star Wars galaxy and the worlds we create at ILM. This new mixed reality experience blends the physical and digital worlds in a way that's unlike anything we've done before and we’re so excited to share a special first look with our incredible Star Wars community.

I was a bit underwhelmed by what I saw, though perhaps the video doesn't do it justice. That said, there is a dearth of decent mixed reality content and any Star Wars IP will likely be welcome. ILM has let to announce a release date and price for Star Wars: Beyond Victory — A Mixed Reality Playset but you can at least add it to your wishlist on the Meta Horizon store. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/ilm-has-made-a-star-wars-mixed-reality-experience-for-meta-quest-120033010.html?src=rss

Welcome to your Friday edition of TMA. It’s a public holiday where I’m from, so it’s a shorter briefing than usual. Barring a barrage of new cars (tariffs? shh!) revealed at the New York International Auto Show, it’s been a relatively quiet week, but not without a bit of drama.

Engadget

“You know, they say money can’t buy happiness. And… yeah, OK… I guess that’s true. God knows I’ve tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck, and that’s pretty sick, right? …Right?? Fuck, I’m so alone.” That’s what a pretty realistic AI voice clone of Elon Musk was saying to pedestrians at crosswalks in Palo Alto. An AI Mark Zuckerberg joined him, with both billionaires’ voices mimicked to say, well, the things a lot of us are thinking, whether it’s the invasive AI push, billionaires wielding power over government or other bleak, beige real-world versions of Black Mirror premises.

They were in operation at downtown intersections in Redwood City, Menlo Park and Palo Alto but were gone, sadly, by Saturday.

No one’s staked a claim to the prank — but there are probably many people in Silicon Valley capable of pulling it off. More recently, an AI clone of Jeff Bezos was talking on Seattle crosswalks.

— Mat Smith

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18 percent of the new music uploaded to Deezer is AI-generated 20,000 tracks each day. 5 total listens.

Music streaming service Deezer said 20,000 completely AI-generated tracks are added to its music service daily, making up “over 18% of all uploaded content” the platform receives every day. At the start of the year, Deezer introduced a tool for detecting and tagging AI-generated content, which at the time accounted for only 10 percent of uploads.

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Panasonic S1R II camera review Its video is great, it finally does stills well and it’s cheaper than its rivals.

The S1R II is Panasonic’s first camera that can both shoot up to 8K video and capture 44-megapixel (MP) photos in rapid bursts. And unlike its rivals, the new model is available at a more reasonable $3,300 — half the price of Sony’s A1 II. At the same time, it’s a massive upgrade over the original S1R. We have some issues with the rolling shutter, but it’s a minor problem on an otherwise excellent hybrid camera.

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The $666 edition of Doom includes a game box that, itself, plays Doom The true physical edition. Doom

Physical editions of the iconic shooters Doom and Doom II are on their way, and the highlight is something called the Will It Run Edition. This comes with a game box that actually runs the original Doom itself. All you have to do is connect a controller as the box also has a port. It’s an expensive gimmick: The copies cost $666 and are being kept to a limited run of 666. Because hell. There’s also the usual special edition content inside, including a soundtrack (on cassette), trading cards and a handheld cacodemon handheld console that also plays Doom.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111621557.html?src=rss

Q: I’m traveling soon and plan to bring all the devices I usually use, including my smartphone, tablet and laptop. What should I buy to keep everything charged?

A: If you’re traveling domestically, one large and one small power bank plus a foldable charging station (in addition to your usual cables and wall adapters) should keep your devices reliably powered. If you’re heading to another country, you should also include an outlet adapter. And if you’re flying, there are a few TSA rules you should know about that apply to electronics and external batteries.

How to pick a power bank for travel

Over the past few years, I’ve tested dozens of portable batteries for Engadget’s guide to the best power banks and I’ve brought a bunch with me on planes, trains and interminable automobile rides. My go-to battery right now is Anker’s Laptop Power Bank, which I only rarely use for charging my laptop — it's far more versatile than the uncreative name may suggest. I also have a couple of smaller banks to grab when I don’t need quite so much charge.

The three important features to look for when picking a portable charger to take on your travels are its capacity, weight and connections.

Capacity

Most portable chargers list their capacity in milliamp hours (mAh). Anything less than 5,000mAh is pretty useless — it won’t even get a smartphone up to fifty percent. I recommend looking for a power bank with 10,000mAh or higher capacity. One thing to note is that there’s not a one-to-one correlation on capacity: a 10,000mAh power bank will not refill your smartphone’s 5,000mAh battery twice. Voltage conversions, heat loss and the operation of the battery all cut down on the amount of charge delivered.

Weight

This is directly related to capacity. Just about every 20,000mAh battery will be heavier than a 10,000mAh battery. If you’re really concerned with keeping down the pounds and ounces in your luggage, you might want to pick the smallest capacity you think you’ll need. That said, the largest TSA-compliant batteries are 27,000mAh models, which weigh between two and 2.5 pounds. That may or may not make a huge difference in your packing scheme.

Connections

The last thing to look for is the right connections. Every power bank I’ve tested has at least one USB-C port. Since you can get a USB-C cable with just about any connector at the other end, that should cover what you need. But if, for example, you have an older smartwatch charger with a USB Type-A connector, you’ll want to make sure your power bank has that slot. You’ll also want to remember to pack the right cables for each device. I’m seeing more banks with built-in cables, which is convenient, but you’ll probably still want to bring a couple extra cords just in case.

How to fly with charging accessories

Current TSA and FAA rules say that all spare batteries, including power banks, can only go in your carry-on luggage, not your checked bags. They must be rated at 100 watt-hours or lower, which in most batteries translates to roughly a 27,000mAh capacity. That capacity range covers most portable power chargers out there, since most manufacturers want their banks to fit within travel recommendations (larger batteries are often marketed as portable power stations). There’s no limit on the number of batteries you can carry, but they should be for your personal use and must be protected from damage.

Items like fast chargers, wall adapters, cables and regular alkaline batteries (ie. AA and AAA cells) can fly in either your checked or carry-on luggage. Of course, as with all TSA regulations, the final determination of what you can and can’t bring with you lies with the agents themselves, but this advice follows the agency’s current guidelines.

If you’re flying internationally, you’ll want to check the baggage policies of the airline and airport you’ll use for your return flight. A quick check of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) policies and the five highest-trafficked non-US airports (Delhi, Haneda, Istanbul, Heathrow and Dubai) shows that similar rules apply: spare batteries must go in carry-on bags and can’t be checked. A few policies put the upper capacity limit for external batteries at 100Wh, but the ICAO actually allows banks up to 160Wh.

Have a tech question you’d like Engadget to answer?

As tech reporters, the Engadget staff is always answering questions from friends and family about electronics, software, gaming, big tech policies and more. So we decided to write down our answers. This question is a composite of ones we’ve been asked recently. If you’ve got a tech-related question you’d like us to answer for you, please email ask@engadget.com.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/ask-engadget-how-do-i-keep-my-electronics-from-dying-when-i-travel-110022879.html?src=rss

If your PlayStation 5 library is starting to burst at the seams, upgrading with one of the best SSDs for your PlayStation 5 can make a huge difference. Modern PS5 games are massive, and while the console’s internal storage is speedy, it fills up fast — especially if you're juggling big titles like Call of Duty, Spider-Man 2, or Final Fantasy XVI. A compatible SSD gives you more space without sacrificing load times or performance, so you can spend less time managing your library and more time gaming.

Many SSDs are easy to install and perform just as fast as the PS5’s built-in storage. You’ll want to look for drives that meet Sony’s specs, including Gen4 speeds and a built-in heatsink (or the ability to add one). Whether you’re after tons of storage for your digital collection or just want a performance boost for next-gen titles, we’ve rounded up the top SSD options to suit every need and budget.

Read more: These are the best SSDs in 2025

Table of contents

• Best SSDs for PS5 in 2025

• How we test PS5 SSDs

• PS5 SSD FAQs

Best SSDs for PS5 in 2025

How we test PS5 SSDs

I’ve tested most of the SSDs recommended on this list, either for PS5 or computer use. I also bought and used our top pick in my own PS5.

PS5 SSD FAQs How much PS5 storage do I need?

The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro can accept internal drives with between 250GB and 8TB of storage capacity. If you already own a PS5, chances are you have a reasonable idea of how much storage you need ​​for your game library. If you’re buying an SSD with a new PS5 or PS5 Pro, or buying for someone else, it’s more difficult to tell what you might need for a high-performance experience.

PS5 games are smaller on average than their PS4 equivalents, typically taking up between 30GB and 100GB, with some notable (and very popular) exceptions. If you’re a fan of the Call of Duty series, installing Black Ops 6 and Warzone 2.0 can eat up to 240GB. In other words, a full Call of Duty install will take up more than one-third of the PS5’s internal storage. If you’re not a CoD fan, though, chances are you’ll be good to store between six to 10 games on a regular PS5 internally before running into problems.

You also need to consider your internet speed. If you live in an area with slow broadband, the “you can just download it again” rationale doesn’t really work. At my old home, a 100GB download took me around eight hours, during which time it was difficult to simultaneously watch Twitch or, say, publish articles about upgrading PS5 SSDs. Keeping games around on the off-chance you’ll want to play them at some point makes sense.

Aaron Souppouris / Engadget

Off the bat, there's basically no point in going for a 250GB PS5 SSD. Economically, 250GB drives aren’t that much cheaper than 500GB ones — and practically, that really isn’t a lot of space for modern games to live on. 500GB drives can be a decent option, but after years of declining prices, I think the sweet spot for most people is to opt for a high-capacity 1TB or 2TB drive, which should run you at most $200. The latter will more than double the PS5 Pro’s storage without breaking the bank.

Unless you’re rolling in cash and want to flex, 4TB and 8TB models should mostly be avoided, as you’ll end up paying more per gigabyte than you would with a 1TB or 2TB drive.

While the 825GB PS5 only provides 667GB of storage, that’s largely due to storage being reserved for the operating system and caching. If you install a 1TB PS5 SSD, you'll have, within a margin of error, 1TB of storage available for games. Out of the box, the PS5 Pro offers 1.86TB of storage for games, though you can eke out more if you delete the pre-installed Astro’s Playroom (gasp).

Since neither the PS5 Slim nor PS5 Pro feature updated CPU architecture, all of our recommendations will work with whatever PS5 model you own.

Can you play PS5 games on an external SSD?

External hard drives tend to cost less than internal SSD counterparts (and there’s a good chance you might own one already). Unfortunately, there are restrictions on what you can do with them. An external SSD connects to your PS5 via USB, and is only suitable for playing PlayStation 4 games, or storing PS5 titles. That’s useful if you have anything but the best high-speed internet — it’s faster to move a PS5 game out of “cold storage” on an external drive than it is to re-download it — or want to keep your PS4 library on hand.

Due to the limitations here, you don’t need the highest-performing model, although you should opt for SSDs over HDDs for improved transfer speeds and load times. Any basic portable drive from a reputable brand will do, with the Crucial X9 Pro and Samsung T7 being options we’ve tried and can recommend.

Which SSD cards are compatible with the PS5?

The official answer to this question is an “M.2 Socket 3 (Key M) Gen4 x4 NVME SSD.” But even within that seemingly specific description, there are additional factors to consider. The main requirements Sony has laid out for compatibility come down to speed, cooling and physical dimensions.

For speed, Sony says drives should be able to handle sequential reads at 5,500MB/s. Early testing showed that the PS5 would accept drives as slow as 4,800MB/s, and that games that tap into the SSD regularly — such as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart — would cause no issues. Pretty much the only thing the PS5 will outright reject is one that doesn't match the Gen4 x4 spec.

In our opinion, though, using a drive slower than the specification is a risk that, if you don’t already have that drive lying around, is not worth taking. Just because we haven’t found issues yet doesn’t mean there won’t be games that could be problematic in the future. The price difference between these marginally slower Gen4 drives and the ones that meet Sony’s spec isn’t huge, and you might as well cover all your bases.

Slightly more complicated than speed is cooling and size. Most new SSDs are going to be just fine; the PS5 can fit 22mm-wide SSDs of virtually any length (30mm, 40mm, 60mm, 80mm or 110mm, to be precise). The vast majority of drives you find will be 22mm wide and 80mm long, so no problem there.

It should be noted that the system can fit a 25mm-wide drive, but that width must include the cooling solution. Speaking of, Sony says SSDs require “effective heat dissipation with a cooling structure, such as a heatsink.” The maximum height supported by Sony’s slot is 11.25mm, of which only 2.45mm can be “below” the drive.

This previously meant some of the most popular heatsinked Gen4 SSDs, including Corsair’s MP600 Pro LP, would not fit within the PS5’s storage expansion slot. Since Engadget first published this guide in 2021, most NVMe makers, including Samsung, have come out with PlayStation-specific models that meet those requirements. That said, if you want to save some money, bare drives are often cheaper and it’s trivial to find a cooling solution that will work for the PS5.

The only component in an NVMe SSD that really requires cooling is the controller, which without a heatsink will happily sear a (very small) steak. Most SSDs have chips on only one side, but even on double-sided SSDs, the controller is likely to be on top, as manufacturers know it needs to be positioned there to better dissipate heat.

So, head to your PC component seller of choice and pick up basically anything that meets the recommended dimensions. A good search term is “laptop NVME heatsink,” as these will be designed to fit in the confines of gaming laptops, which are even more restrictive than a PS5. They’re also typically cheaper than the ones labeled as “PS5 heatsinks.”

One recommendation is this $6 copper heatsink, which attaches to the PS5 SSD with sticky thermal interface material. It works just fine, and in performing stress tests on a PC, we couldn’t find anything metal that didn’t keep temperatures under control. When you’re searching, just make sure the solution you go for measures no more than 25mm wide or 8mm tall (including the thermal interface material) and has a simple method of installation that’s not going to cause any headaches.

One last thing: When shopping for a PS5 NVMe, there’s no reason to buy a Gen5 model over a more affordable Gen4 model. As things stand, Sony’s console can’t take advantage of the new standard, and though Gen5 drives are backward compatible, they’re more expensive than their Gen4 counterparts. Just buy the fastest and highest-capacity Gen4 model you can afford.

How to install an SSD into your PS5

If you need guidance on how to install your new NVMe into your PS5 or PS5 Pro, we have a separate guide detailing all the steps here. Installation is pretty straightforward, but our how-to can help you if you're stuck. Just make note: Before attempting to add more storage via a PS5 SSD, ensure that you have Sony’s latest software installed.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/best-ssd-for-ps5-130004175.html?src=rss

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been reduced to a skeleton crew. The department, which was created to oversee banks and financial institutions, has cut about 1,500 jobs, leaving about 200 employees and reducing the agency by about 90 percent.

In addition to cutting most of the staff, Chief Legal Officer Mark Paoletta sent a memo detailing the changed priorities for the CFPB. The bureau has been ordered to deprioritize subjects including consumer data, digital payments, medical debt and student loans. Mortgages will now be the leading topic for remaining employees.

SInce it was created in 2010, this department has pursued actions against financial and tech institutions accused of deceptive or abusive practices, with cases involving firms such as PayPal and Block, which created Cash App. It was also slated to provide oversight of the providers of digital wallets and payment apps.

However, since the start of 2025, the CFPB has abandoned multiple cases it had launched under President Joe Biden's administration. The Office of Management and Budget's Acting Director Russell Vought had signaled that the bureau's days may be numbered when he ordered all of its "supervision and examination activity" to stop in February.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-has-cut-90-percent-of-its-employees-225239056.html?src=rss

A live-action Pacific Rim TV series is in-development at Amazon, according to Variety. News of the project was first shared in 2024, when Variety reported that Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer was attached to develop and write the show.

The new series will apparently be a prequel to Guillermo Del Toro's original Pacific Rim, a movie about Kaiju-fighting giant mechs and the humans that pilot them. Legendary, which produced Pacific Rim, is also backing the series alongside Amazon MGM. The studio appears to be using the same strategy with Pacific Rim that worked with its Godzilla-and-King-Kong-starring "MonsterVerse" franchise. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streamed on Apple TV+ in 2023, and acted as both a prequel and sequel to the "MonsterVerse" films.

Heisserer has plenty of experience adapting existing material. His Arrival script converted an experimental second-person short story into a (relatively) thoughtful blockbuster, and his work on Netflix's Shadow and Bone found a clever way to interweave the first book in Leigh Bardugo's series with characters from a later duology. Pacific Rim seems a lot more straightforward in comparison.

There's yet to be an official announcement from Amazon, or any dates for when we can expect the series to be available, but there has been quite a bit of new Pacific Rim material since the first film came out in 2013. The live-action sequel Pacific Rim Uprising was released in 2018 and Netflix put out its anime sequel, Pacific Rim: The Black, in 2021.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-pacific-rim-prequel-series-has-reportedly-found-a-home-at-amazon-213245776.html?src=rss

After testing the major live TV streaming services and comparing what you get for the price, we still think it’s a better deal than paying for cable — but the gulf between the two options is narrowing. Now that many of the major providers go for more than $80 per month, it’s not the amazing deal it once was.

Still, live TV streaming plans have no contract, offer relatively simpler pricing and don’t need special equipment beyond a smart TV and an internet connection, which you likely already have. There are a handful of major players and, after testing them all, we found YouTube TV to be the most well-rounded. But other services have their advantages, too, depending on what you want to watch. So if you’re ready to join the cord-cutters out there, here are the best live TV streaming services according to our hands-on testing.

Table of contents

• Best live TV streaming services for 2025

• Best free live TV streaming services for 2025

• What to look for in a live TV streaming service

• How we tested

• Live TV Streaming FAQs

• Recent updates

Best live TV streaming services for 2025

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Best free live TV streaming services for 2025

There are plenty of ways to get free TV these days. To start, many standard streaming apps have added live components to their lineups. You’re paying for the service, so it’s not technically “free,” but you can get a dose of live TV without spending more than necessary. Peacock includes some regional NBC stations, and notably access to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Paramount+ subscribers can watch on-air CBS programming. The standard Hulu app has a live ABC news channel and Max now includes a live CNN outlet with its service, along with cable-like linear channels.

The smart TV operating system (OS) you use likely provides free live content too: Amazon’s Fire TV interface has a live tab and Roku’s built-in Roku Channel includes hundreds of live channels at no extra cost. The same goes for Samsung TV Plus, which added a trove of K-dramas to its free live and on-demand lineup in 2024. The PBS app offers local live streams of its channels — even NASA has a free streaming service with live coverage.

But for a full suite of live TV networks, and don’t want to sign up for any paid service, there are a number of free ad-supported TV services that have live TV. Even cable company DirecTV has joined the crowd with MyFree, though we haven’t had a chance to test that one yet. Here's the best of what we tried:

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What to look for in a live TV streaming service How to stream live TV

Streaming live TV is a lot like using Netflix. You get access through apps on your phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device and the signal arrives over the internet. A faster and more stable connection tends to give you a better experience. Most live TV apps require you to sign up and pay via a web browser. After that, you can activate the app on all of your devices.

Monthly Price

When I started testing these cord-cutting alternatives, I was struck by the price difference between live TV and a standard video streaming app. Where the latter cost between $5 and $20 per month, most live TV services hit the $80 mark and can go higher than $200 with additional perks, channel packages and premium extras. The higher starting price is mostly due to the cost of providing multiple networks — particularly sports and local stations. And, in the past year or so, every service except Sling has raised base plan prices.

Local channels

Only two of the services I tried don’t include full local channel coverage for subscribers and one of those makes no effort to carry sports at all. That would be Philo and, as you might guess, it’s the cheapest. The next most affordable option, Sling, only carries three local stations — and only in larger markets — but it still manages to include some of the top sports channels.

When you sign up with any provider that handles local TV, you’ll enter your zip code, ensuring you get your area’s broadcast affiliates for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. Of course, you can also get those stations for free. Nearly all modern television sets support a radio frequency (RF) connection, also known as the coaxial port, which means if you buy an HD antenna, you’ll receive locally broadcast stations like ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX and NBC. And since the signal is digital, reception is much improved over the staticky rabbit-ears era.

Live sports coverage

One reality that spun my head was the sheer number and iterations of sports networks in existence. Trying to figure out which network will carry the match-up you want to see can be tricky. I found that Google makes it a little easier for sports fans by listing out upcoming games (just swap in NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and so on in the search bar). When you click an event, the “TV & streaming” button will tell you which network is covering it.

That just leaves figuring out if your chosen service carries the RSNs (regional sports networks) you want. Unfortunately, even with add-ons and extra packages, some providers simply don’t have certain channels in their lineups. It would take a lawyer to understand the ins and outs of streaming rights negotiations, and networks leave and return to live TV carriers all the time. That said, most major sporting events in the US are covered by ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT, USA and local affiliates.

I should also point out that traditional streaming services have started adding live sports to their lineups. Peacock carries live Premier League matches, Sunday Night Football games and aired the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. Thursday Night Football as well as NBA and WNBA games are on Amazon Prime and Christmas Day Football aired on Netflix. Max (formerly HBO Max) now airs select, regular season games from the NHL, MLB, NCAA and NBA with a $10-per-month add-on. You can watch MLS games with an add-on through the Apple TV app, and Apple TV+ includes some MLB games. Roku users can watch the just-added free sports channel and those who subscribe to Paramount Plus can see many of the matches aired on CBS Sports, including live NFL games. This year, even the Super Bowl was live-streamed for free on Tubi. While all of these alternatives may not cover as much ground as live TV streamers, they could end up being cheaper avenues to the sports you want.

And if sports is all you’re after, there are sports-only plans that are a touch cheaper too. While the promised sports streaming service from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. called Venu was cancelled early this year, shortly after, DirecTV announced a $70-per-month, sports-only streaming package called MySports and Comcast now has a sports and news bundle for the same price (as long as you're an Xfinity customer with auto-pay, otherwise it's more expensive).

Traditional cable networks

Dozens of linear programming networks were once only available with cable TV, like Bravo, BET, Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Lifetime, SYFY and MTV. If you only subscribe to, say, Netflix or Apple TV+, you won’t have access to those. But as with sports, standard streamers are starting to incorporate this content into their offerings. After the Warner Bros. merger, Max incorporated some content from HGTV, Discovery and TLC. Peacock has Bravo and Hallmark shows, and Paramount+ has material from Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central.

Other channels like AMC+ have stand-alone apps. The Discovery+ app gives you 15 channels ad-free for $9 per month (or with ads for $5 monthly). And a service called Frndly TV starts at a mere $7 per month and streams A&E, Lifetime, Game Show Network, Outdoor Channel and about 35 others. Of course, most live TV streaming options will deliver more sizable lists of cable networks, but just note that you may already be paying for some of them — and if all you need is a certain channel, you could get it cheaper by subscribing directly.

On-demand streaming

Most live TV subscriptions include access to a selection of video-on-demand (VOD) content, like you would get with a traditional streaming service. Much of this content is made up of the movies and TV series that have recently aired on your subscribed networks. This typically doesn’t cover live events and news programming, but I was able to watch specific episodes of ongoing shows like Top Chef or BET’s Diarra from Detroit. Just search the on-demand library for the program, pick an episode and hit play.

Partnerships, like Hulu’s relationship with Disney, and add-ons, such as bundling Max with your YouTube TV subscription or Starz with your Sling plan, will let you watch even larger libraries of on-demand content. But again, if VOD is all you’re after, paying for those networks directly instead of through a live TV plan will be far cheaper.

Digital video recordings (DVR) limits

Every option I tried offers some cloud DVR storage without needing a separate physical device. You’ll either get unlimited storage for recordings that expires after nine months or a year, or you’ll get a set number of hours (between 50 and 1,000) that you can keep indefinitely. Typically, all you need to do is designate what ongoing TV series you want to record and the DVR component will do all the hard work of saving subsequent episodes for you to watch later. You can do the same thing with sports events.

Aside from being able to watch whenever it’s most convenient, you can also fast-forward through commercials in recorded content. In contrast, you can’t skip them on live TV or VOD.

Simultaneous streams and profiles per account

Each plan gives you a certain number of simultaneous streams, aka how many screens can play content at the same time. And while most providers will let you travel with your subscription, there are usually location restrictions that require you to sign in from your home IP address periodically. Stream allowances range from one at a time to unlimited screens (or as many as your ISP’s bandwidth can handle). Some plans require add-ons to get more screens.

Most services also let you set up a few profiles so I was able to give different people in my family the ability to build their own watch histories and libraries, set their favorite channels and get individual recommendations.

Picture-in-picture mode and multiview

Picture-in-picture (PiP) usually refers to shrinking a video window on a mobile device or computer browser so you can watch it while using other apps. Sling, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV all have PiP modes on computers and mobile devices. Another feature, multiview, lets you view multiple live sports games at once on your TV screen. YouTube TV and FuboTV are the only live TV streamers that let you do this. With YouTube TV, you can select up to four views from a few preset selection of streams. FuboTV offers the same feature, but only if you're using an Apple TV or Roku streaming device.

4K live streams

Right now, just FuboTV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer 4K live streams — but with caveats. YouTube TV requires a $20-per-month add-on, after which you’ll only be able to watch certain live content in 4K. DirecTV Stream has three channels that show live 4K content — one with shows and original series, and two with occasional sporting events. You don’t have to pay extra for these but you do need to have either DirecTV’s Gemini receiver, or a device from Fire TV, Apple TV or Roku. You’ll need those same streaming devices to watch the select 4K programming on Sling as well. FuboTV shows certain live events in 4K but access is limited to the Elite and Premier packages, not the base-level Pro plan.

Of course, watching any 4K content also requires equipment that can handle it: a 4K smart TV or 4K streaming device paired with a cord and screen that can handle 4K resolution.

Tiers, packages and add-ons

Comparing price-to-offering ratios is a task for a spreadsheet. I… made three. The base plans range from $28 to $85 per month. From there, you can add packages, which are usually groups of live TV channels bundled by themes like news, sports, entertainment or international content. Premium VOD extras like Max, AMC+ and Starz are also available. Add-ons cost an extra $5 to $20 each per month and simply show up in the guide where you find the rest of your live TV. This is where streaming can quickly get expensive, pushing an $80 subscription to $200 monthly, depending on what you choose.

How to stream live TV for free

I also downloaded and tried out a few apps that offer free ad-supported TV (FAST) including Freevee, Tubi, PlutoTV and Sling Freestream. These let you drop in and watch a more limited selection of live networks at zero cost. Most don’t even require an email address, let alone a credit card. And if you have a Roku device, an Amazon Fire TV or Stick, a Samsung TV, a Chromecast device or a Google TV, you already have access to hundreds of live channels via the Roku Channel, the live tab in Fire TV, through the Samsung TV Plus app or through Google TV.

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How we tested

When I begin testing for a guide, I research the most popular and well-reviewed players in the category and narrow down which are worth trying. For the paid plans, just six services dominate so I tried them all. There are considerably more free live TV contenders so I tested the four most popular. After getting accounts set up using my laptop, I downloaded the apps on a Samsung smart TV running the latest version of Tizen OS. I counted the local stations and regional sports coverage, and noted how many of the top cable networks were available. I then weighed the prices, base packages and available add-ons.

I then looked at how the programming was organized in each app’s UI and judged how easy everything was to navigate, from the top navigation to the settings. To test the search function, I searched for the same few TV shows on BET, Food Network, HGTV and Comedy Central, since all six providers carry those channels. I noted how helpful the searches were and how quickly they got me to season 6, episode 13 of Home Town.

I used DVR to record entire series and single movies and watched VOD shows, making sure to test the pause and scan functions. On each service with sports, I searched for the same four upcoming NHL, NBA, MLS and NCAA basketball matches and used the record option to save the games and play them back a day or two later. Finally, I noted any extra perks or irritating quirks.

All live TV streaming services we’ve tested:

• Philo

• Sling

• YouTube TV

• Hulu + Live TV

• DirecTV Stream

• FuboTV

• Freevee

• Tubi

• PlutoTV

• Sling Freestream

• Plex

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Live TV Streaming FAQs What is live streaming?

Streaming simply refers to video content that is delivered to your screen over the internet. Live streaming can be split into two categories: linear programming and simultaneous transmission. That first one is similar to what you get with cable or broadcast TV, with channels that play a constant flow of movies and shows (sort of what TV looked like before Netflix). Simultaneous streaming lets you watch live events (like a basketball game) or a program (like the evening news) as they happen.

What is the difference between streaming and live streaming?

Standard streaming, the most popular example being Netflix, lets you pick what you want to watch from a menu of choices. It’s also referred to as “video on demand.” Live streaming refers to sports and news events that you can stream as they happen in real time. It also refers to channels that show a continuous, linear flow of programming.

What streaming service is best for live TV?

FuboTV does the best job of letting you organize live channels to help you find just what you want to watch. The interface is uncluttered and when you search for something, the UI clearly tells you whether something is live now or on-demand. YouTube TV also does a good job making that info clear. Both have just over 100 live channels on offer.

What is the most cost effective TV streaming service?

Free TV streaming services like PlutoTV, Plex, Tubi and FreeVee show plenty of ad-supported TV shows and movies without charging you anything. Of course, they won’t have the same channels or content that more premium subscriptions have. Ultimately it depends on what you want to watch and finding the service that can supply that to you in the most streamlined form so you’re not paying for stuff you don’t need.

Is it cheaper to have cable or streaming?

A basic cable package used to be more expensive than the base-level live TV streaming service. But now that nearly all major providers have raised their prices to over $75 per month, that’s no longer the case. And with add-ons and other premiums, you can easily pay over $200 a month for either cable or a live TV streaming service.

What streaming service has all the TV channels?

No service that we tested had every available channel. Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream carry the the highest number of the top rated channels, according to Neilsen. Hulu’s service also gets you Disney+ fare, which you can’t get elsewhere. FuboTV has the most sports channels and YouTube TV gives you the widest selection of add-ons.

What is the most popular live TV streaming platform?

YouTube TV has the most paying customers. According to 2024's letter from the CEO, the service has over eight million subscribers. Disney’s 2024 third quarter earnings put the Hulu + Live TV viewer count at 4.6 million. Sling’s customer count dipped from two million to about 1.9 million in 2024 and FuboTV grew its subscriber list to 1.6 million.

How safe are free streaming services and websites?

You may have heard certain sites that provide free content can be dangerous, leading to stolen info and/or exposing you to malware. That’s likely in reference to certain peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and file-sharing sites that let people download free movies and series — which can come bundled with malicious code.

But if you’re talking about the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services listed here, from providers like PlutoTV, Tubi and Freevee, they are just as safe as any other streaming service. Since you sometimes don’t even have to provide your email address or credit card info, they can even be more anonymous than apps that require login credentials.

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Recent updates

January 31, 2025: Added information about which streaming service would live-stream the Super Bowl, including Tubi’s free option. Updated Fubo’s pricing. Added details about DirectTV Stream’s sports-only package and Comcast’s sports and news bundle.

January 16, 2025: Included higher prices for Sling’s Orange and Blue plans. Noted the demise of the never-launched Venu sports streaming service and mentioned the inclusion of DirecTV’s new sports package.

December 31, 2024: Noted increased pricing for YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV and DirecTV. Updated information for 4K streaming capabilities and requirements for multiple services. Reported on the upcoming shut down of Amazon’s Freevee service and the addition of DirecTV’s free service.

August 6, 2024: Updated with the addition of Plex as a free live TV streaming recommendation and mentioned the additional free channels Philo is now including with the free version of its service. Added pricing information for ESPN's new sports-only streaming service, Venu. 

June 12, 2024: Updated with more information about 4K live streaming, picture-in-picture and multiview modes, as well as video on-demand options. We expanded our recommendations around free live TV streaming services and added a FAQ query about the safety of free streaming services and clarified the difference between standard and live streaming. More traditional streaming services have added live and sports components, so we revised that section accordingly.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-live-tv-streaming-service-133000410.html?src=rss

Xbox's Spring Sale is live, with big discounts on old and new classics and plenty of forgotten gems. But the deals aren't limited to Xbox console games; there's plenty on tap for PC, too. (You can filter by platform under the "Play with" option in the sidebar.)

Some of the standouts in the Xbox sale include 75 percent off Red Dead Redemption 2 (a mere $15 for the 2018 masterpiece), Elden Ring ($36) and 20 percent off Baldur's Gate 3 ($56). Also available are Subnautica ($9.89), the feline adventure Stray ($18) and Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition ($40).

If you're one of the two gamers who don't already own it, you can even snag Grand Theft Auto V for a mere $20. (Even if you have the 2013 mega-hit on another platform, this is the enhanced version for Xbox Series X/S.)

Cuphead StudioMDHR

A few more worth checking out include the Cuphead & The Delicious Last Course bundle ($18.89), Borderlands 3 ($6), Hogwarts Legacy: Digital Deluxe Edition ($20) and the stealth sandbox Hitman World of Assassination ($28).

You can check out the entire Xbox Spring Sale for much more. It lasts until April 30, so you have time for a deep dive before it ends.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/the-xbox-spring-sale-is-live-185646088.html?src=rss

New Jersey's Attorney General Matthew Platkin is suing Discord over the chat company's child safety features. The lawsuit claims that Discord has "misled parents about the efficacy of its safety controls and obscured the risks children faced when using the application."

The Office of the Attorney General and the state's Division of Consumer Affairs concluded that Discord violated New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act after a multiyear investigation into the company. The details of the lawsuit are currently sealed, but Platkin's announcement suggests a few ways he plans to argue Discord's approach may have endangered children. He says the app uses default settings that "allow users to receive friend requests from anyone on the app" and that it makes it simple to create an account when you're under 13. According to Platkin, Discord "only requires individuals to enter their date of birth to establish their age when creating an account."

When ask for comment, Discord offered the following statement:

Discord is proud of our continuous efforts and investments in features and tools that help make Discord safer. Given our engagement with the Attorney General's office, we are surprised by the announcement that New Jersey has filed an action against Discord today. We dispute the claims in the lawsuit and look forward to defending the action in court.

Discord has introduced multiple features over the years with the express purpose of protecting younger users. Following a report that detailed 35 cases involving Discord in which adults were prosecuted on charges like "kidnapping, grooming or sexual assault," the company introduced its Family Center tool, which lets adults track what their children do on the app. Teen Safety Assist, also introduced in 2023, added automatic content filters and a new warning system for people who violate the apps guidelines. In 2025, Discord launched a nonprofit coalition called Roost with the express purpose of developing open-source child safety tools.

Discord, like other social platforms, has faced scrutiny before, and the pressure seems like it's only going to increase. Back in 2024, California lawmakers proposed the idea of blocking children's access to algorithmic social feeds, and just this year Utah passed an age verification law for app stores, a decidedly blunt way to try and guarantee child safety.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/new-jersey-ag-sues-discord-over-alleged-child-safety-failures-184501604.html?src=rss

We already knew that Mario Kart World was being released alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5 for a whopping $80 (or bundled with the Switch 2 hardware at a slight discount). But this morning, the latest Nintendo Direct gave us nearly 17 minutes of Mario Kart World gameplay. There are plenty of callbacks to classic Mario Kart modes (Balloon Battle Mode), mixed in with all-new options (Knockout Tour). Want the full download? Watch the replay below, and read our full summary of the latest Mario Kart World reveal, as well as our hands-on impressions of the game from earlier this month.

The original story follows. 

There’s yet another Nintendo Direct coming our way, which is the third in less than a month. This one is entirely focused on the upcoming Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World. It starts at 9AM ET and should last around 15 minutes.

It’s livestreaming on Nintendo’s YouTube page, but mega-fans can also open up that recently-launched Nintendo Today! app to follow along. We are embedding the YouTube link, so feel free to keep this tab open.

We have no idea what information Nintendo is going to spring on us as part of this Direct presentation. The company has already released a ton of info about Mario Kart World. It’s an open-world racer that can accommodate 24 plays at the same time.

However, there are still a couple of unknowns. Most of these involve the open-world aspect. Are there any rewards for exploration? Are there secret tracks that can only be unlocked by finding them? Can the same be said for unlockable characters? Again, we don’t know, but hope springs eternal.

There’s also the $80 elephant in the room. The exorbitant retail price of Mario Kart World has sent many fans into a tailspin. That’s a whole lot of money, and Nintendo only recently-released its first-ever $70 game. There’s a minuscule chance that the company will throw us a bone and knock $10 off the asking price, but this is highly unlikely given current economic uncertainty. At the very least, we could get some new data regarding the preorder date for US customers. 

Update, April 17 2025, 2:30PM ET: This story was updated after its original publication to include a brief summary of the announcements and link to additional relevant coverage of the game.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/mario-kart-world-direct-rewatch-nearly-17-minutes-of-switch-2-gameplay-184825781.html?src=rss

The TV adaptation of the video game Twisted Metal is coming back for a second season on July 31. Just like the first season, this won’t be a weekly release. All of the episodes will be available on Peacock on that date.

The first season was surprisingly decent, and occasionally hilarious. One thing we didn’t see in that batch of episodes, however, was the titular tournament. The show is rectifying that, as the second season looks to revolve entirely around the Twisted Metal demolition derby.

Co-leads Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz are both returning. Will Arnett will also once again voice the killer clown Sweet Tooth. Anthony Carrigan, from the HBO show Barry, is on deck as the iconic derby host Calypso. The show’s creators include folks from Cobra Kai and the Deadpool film franchise.

Like I said up top, the first season was surprisingly fun. It’s a fast-paced action-comedy set in a post-apocalyptic version of the US. It’s more goofy than grimdark, so think Fallout and not The Last of Us.

Twisted Metal joins other modern TV adaptations of video games, like Knuckles, The Last of Us, Arcane and Castlevania: Nocturne. Video game adaptations have also been ruling the box office these past few years, with A Minecraft Movie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie both breaking records.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/twisted-metal-season-two-crashes-onto-peacock-on-july-31-182717907.html?src=rss

The long-awaited second season of weekly Playdate game drops commences on May 29. During a showcase on Thursday, Panic revealed that players will get two fresh games on their console every seven days for six weeks. It's also promising a surprise of some kind. Unlike the first season of games that's included with every Playdate, you'll need to pay extra for this one. Playdate Season Two will run you $39. You can pre-order now through the Playdate Catalog.

Part of the allure of Playdate's seasons is that the games are a bit of a mystery, so you never quite know what you're going to get in your weekly drops. To that end, Panic didn't go super in depth into all 12 during the showcase, instead opting to shine a spotlight on four of them. One of the games will be of particular interest to FTL: Faster Than Light and Into The Breach fans.

Subset Games, the studio behind those hits, has made a brand new game for the Playdate. It's an arcade action game called Fulcrum Defender. You'll use the crank to aim and shoot at waves of enemies as you try to survive. Subset co-founder Jay Ma says the enemies will progressively become more complex and you'll need to have good aim and choose upgrades wisely to keep your run going.

Antonio "Fáyer" Uribe, one of the folks behind last year's well-received Arco (which Panic published), teamed up with Flinthook designer Dom2D to make Dig! Dig! Dino!. This is a relaxing puzzle game in which you'll be digging for dinosaur bones and treasure. Sell the booty and you can unlock upgrades to help you dig deeper for more bones and artifacts.

The maker of Playdate titles Life’s Too Short and Time From Earth is back with another game that will be part of Season Two. It's a remake of the classic point-and-click adventure Shadowgate for the diminutive console. Pixel Ghost says it took the best parts of the previous versions to make Shadowgate PD, which includes new music, art and features.

The fourth game that was featured in the showcase is Taria & Como, a puzzle platformer that's based around swinging instead of jumping (that reminds me a little of the wonderful Grapple Dogs). You'll take on the role of Taria, a girl with a prosthetic leg who sets out to find her sister, Como. JuVee Productions, Viola Davis' production company, collaborated with Popseed Studio on this project.

"A few years ago, my friend’s son was diagnosed with Tourette’s, and I began to think about what sort of stories he’d grow up with. As a disabled person, I’ve seen the same tropes recycled — pity case, inspiration, disability as a superpower, magical cures," Taria & Como creator Kip Henderson said in a statement. "Disability is complex, and we’re more than the inspirational fodder for able-bodied people. Taria & Como is the story I wish I had growing up."

In addition to the Playdate Season Two details, Panic revealed a new cover for the console to go alongside the purple, blue and pizza ones. This one is yellow to match the hardware and it costs $34. The price of the console itself recently jumped up to $229, but you might be able to snag an official refurbished model for the system's original price of $179.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-two-includes-an-action-arcade-game-from-into-the-breach-studio-subset-181438605.html?src=rss

There are several meteor showers we can count on seeing every year as Earth passes through the debris trails of known comets and asteroids orbiting the sun, and two of them are about to be in full swing. The Lyrids, which come from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, will be visible from April 17 to 26, most prominently in the skies over the Northern Hemisphere. And just a couple days later, the bright streaks of the Eta Aquarids — stemming from the famous Halley’s Comet — will make their first appearance around April 20 before peaking in early May. In both cases, you won’t need any equipment to enjoy the show.

How to see the Lyrids

While the Lyrid meteor shower isn’t the most fruitful astronomical event of the year, we can still expect to see an average of 15 meteors per hour during its peak on the night of April 21 going into April 22, if the conditions are right. In the days before and after that, they’ll come at a rate of about five per hour. The Lyrids’ radiant, or the point from which they appear to emerge, will be in the northeast near the constellation Lyra and well above the horizon by around midnight. You’ll want to set up in a spot with a wide view of the sky and as little light pollution as possible, and look up toward the east.

“The best time to watch is late evening on April 21 until the moon rises a few hours before dawn on April 22,” EarthSky recommends. “Then, after the moon rises, place yourself in the moon’s shadow.” You’ll have the best shot at seeing the Lyrids if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere (and if the weather is clear), but viewers south of the equator may be able to catch some too.

Every so often, the Lyrid meteor shower produces an unusual abundance of meteors in events known as outbursts, but when they’ll occur is unpredictable. In 1982, viewers in Florida spotted as many as 75 meteors per hour, according to NASA. While that’s by no means the norm, it’s not out of the question that you might catch an outburst one of these days. More likely than that, though, is the chance of seeing a fireball, or an exceptionally bright meteor that NASA says is occasionally a feature of the Lyrids.

The relatively short meteor shower will come and go in a little over a week, but the Eta Aquarids right after will offer a whole month of potential “shooting star” sightings. 

How to see the Eta Aquarids

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower (also spelled Aquariid) is one of two annual meteor showers originating from comet 1P/Halley, or Halley’s Comet. “This comet is in a retrograde orbit around the sun,” EarthSky explains. “That means it runs around the sun in the opposite direction from Earth and all the other planets. As a result, we pass near its path twice,” giving us the Eta Aquarids on the outbound leg of the trip and the Orionids in late October during the inbound.

The Eta Aquarids are more plentiful than the Lyrids, and you can start looking out for them around April 20, according to NASA. The shower will be active until May 21, but the best time to spot meteors will be overnight from May 5 into May 6, when it peaks, in the pre-dawn hours. During that time, as many as 50 meteors per hour could be visible, versus about 10 per hour in the non-peak windows. The Eta Aquarids’ radiant is in the constellation Aquarius.

These meteors are best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, where they’ll pop up at a higher rate, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see any if you’re in the north. Observers in the Northern Hemisphere may just see fewer, and they’re more likely to see those dubbed ‘Earthgrazers,’ or “long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon,” NASA notes. The Eta Aquarids in general move fast, at about 40.7 miles per second, according to the space agency, and they’ll often leave incandescent “trains” lingering in the sky after they’ve zipped by.

While the debris from Halley’s Comet graces our skies twice a year, the comet itself (which I can’t think about without also remembering that episode of Hey Arnold!) only swings past Earth about every 76 years, which last happened in 1986. It’ll make its next appearance in 2061.

After the Eta Aquarids wrap up, we’ll still have a few more meteor showers to look forward to through the summer, so there will be plenty of chances to view some shooting stars if you missed out this time around or just want to catch as many as possible. That includes the Arietids in early June, the Delta Aquarids starting in mid-July and perhaps the best known meteor shower, the Perseids, in mid-August.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-first-meteor-shower-of-spring-peaks-soon-and-another-is-close-on-its-heels-174458501.html?src=rss

You might now be out of luck if you've been relying on Apple's AI tools to help you craft a Facebook post or generate a custom emoji to slap on an Instagram Story. As first reported by Sorcererhat Tech (by way of 9to5Mac), Apple Intelligence features are not currently functional on Meta's iOS apps, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Threads. Engadget has confirmed that Apple Intelligence isn't working in the apps at the time of writing.

As things stand, along with writing tools (which include the likes of text generation and proofreading), Apple Intelligence features such as Genmoji aren't working in Meta's apps. While people were previously able to include keyboard stickers and Memoji in Instagram Stories, that's no longer the case.

Developers can opt out of using Apple Intelligence in their iOS apps and Meta may have done just that. Perhaps it's looking to nudge folks to use its own Meta AI tools in Facebook et al. Engadget has contacted Meta and Apple for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-intelligence-is-busted-on-metas-ios-apps-165620772.html?src=rss

A federal judge has ruled that Google is a monopolist in online advertising. The New York Times reported on Thursday that Judge Leonie Brinkema of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said the company broke the law to maintain its ad tech dominance.

“In addition to depriving rivals of the ability to compete, this exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web,” the judge said.

The case stemmed from a January 2023 lawsuit from the US Justice Department and eight states. They accused Google of illegally monopolizing the ad market and using that power to charge more and take a higher portion of sales.

"Competition in the ad tech space is broken, for reasons that were neither accidental nor inevitable," the government said in its complaint. "One industry behemoth, Google, has corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry by engaging in a systematic campaign to seize control of the wide swath of high-tech tools used by publishers, advertisers, and brokers, to facilitate digital advertising."

The government says Google holds an 87 percent market share in ad-selling tech.

The judge also dismissed a portion of the government's case. “We won half of this case, and we will appeal the other half," Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, wrote in a statement. "The Court found that our advertiser tools and our acquisitions, such as DoubleClick, don’t harm competition. We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools. Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective.”

The government claimed Google’s monopoly powers enabled it to force publishers to use its ad software, leaving online media organizations and other websites without much recourse. This reduced the revenue for news sites, especially those without paywalled subscriptions. The media industry is, by and large, in dire financial straits, with closures and layoffs multiplying in recent years. This also has a trickle-down effect, leading to snowballing clickbait headlines and other reader-hostile gimmicks as news orgs try to figure out how to recoup lost revenue and stay afloat.

Judge Brinkema's decision follows another in August, when a federal judge ruled that Google monopolizes online search. Judge Amit Mehta of the US District Court for the District of Columbia said in 2024 that the company "is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly." Judge Mehta is considering a DOJ request to break up the company based on that ruling.

Now, Judge Brinkema will face a similar decision about the nearly $1.9 trillion company's dominance in advertising. The DOJ's lawsuit already asked the court to make Google sell portions of its ad tech business. Much of the company's future will rest on what those two judges decide in the coming months.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-a-monopoly-in-online-ad-tech-federal-judge-rules-151531919.html?src=rss

More details about Mario Kart World, the big first-party Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, were shown during a dedicated Direct on Thursday. The 17-minute presentation showcased some of the game's courses, such as the canal-based Salty Salty Speedway and spooky Boo Cinema, and revealed that some classic, reimagined courses will be dotted around the game's open world.

Beyond regular races and the new Knockout Tour elimination mode, there are a bunch of other ways to play Mario Kart World. Team-based races will see you compete in squads of between six and 12, and you can test yourself in time trials. The classic Balloon Battle mode is here, and in Coin Runners, you'll compete to collect the most coins.

Nintendo

New tricks include a charge jump and a wall-riding option that was highlighted in the reveal trailer. A nifty Rewind feature in particular caught my eye. If you miss a jump or want another crack at making it to an elevated shortcut, you can hit a button that will send your kart backward a bit. You'll probably want to use this sparingly, as the Rewind function only affects your own kart. Your opponents can easily overtake you in the process, so there's a risk-reward balance to consider here. The Forza Horizon series has a similar rewind feature, so it's interesting to see Nintendo adopt that.

Some of the fresh items look pretty nifty. You'll be able to embrace your inner Hammer Bro by peppering the track with an arc of hammers to either hit an opponent or block their progress. With the Ice Flower, you can freeze enemies, while deploying the Coin Shell, oddly enough, leaves a trail of coins that you can collect. It's nice to see the feather, which debuted all the way back in the original Super Mario Kart, make a return.

The open-world aspect of the game looks pretty interesting. You can explore it with your friends (you're all going to be using GameChat, right?) and find some secrets. Hitting one of the hundreds of P Switches that are dotted across the world starts a minigame, such as collecting a number of blue coins in a certain period of time. In Free Roam, you'll also be able to make use of the photo mode.

Nintendo

Elsewhere in the first completely new mainline Mario Kart game since 2014, there are several assist options. The Smart Steering feature can help you avoid accidentally veering off a track, and there's a tilt control function for steering.

On top of all of that, you can pick up food from drive-thrus. While I suspected that we might be taking a trip to The Snack Zone, the Dash Food that you pick up unlocks outfits that are inspired by your meal. Munch on some sushi, for instance, and you'll find yourself wearing a Japanese-influenced getup.

Mario Kart World is slated to arrive on June 5, the same day as the Nintendo Switch 2. There's still no official update on when Switch 2 pre-orders will go live in the US and Canada after Nintendo delayed them. However, rumors suggest that you may be able to lock in a pre-order in either country in the coming days.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/mario-kart-world-for-switch-2-borrows-forzas-rewind-feature-160818661.html?src=rss

Instagram is adding yet another way to liven up your Reels recommendations. The app is rolling out “Blend,” a feature that allows you to create a custom feed within a DM that combines your recommendations with a friend’s.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because Blend has been in the works for some time. It was first spotted in the app more than a year ago, but was only an internal prototype at the time. Now, Meta is finally making it official, describing it as an “invite-only Reels feed for you and your friend(s).”

Anyone can invite a friend or a group of friends to join a Blend from within a direct message or group chat on Instagram. Once someone accepts the invitation, Instagram generates a custom feed of Reels made up of video recommendations tailored to each person. As you scroll, you can view who each suggested clip is for, giving a window into what types of Reels Instagram’s algorithm serves your friends.

The feature is the latest way Meta has been allowing instagram users to gain more insight into their friends’ Reels-watching habits. The company also recently introduced a dedicated tab that shows videos liked by your Instagram friends. Whether that sounds like an intriguing way to find new niches of content, or potentially massively embarrassing is another matter. (It’s also yet another reminder that your Instagram likes were never actually private.) But, if you’re Reels suggestions have been feeling a little stale, or you’re just curious about how some of your friends experience the app, it could be an entertaining way to spice up your recommendations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-now-lets-you-combine-your-reels-recommendations-with-friends-160023003.html?src=rss

Wikipedia has been struggling with the impact that AI crawlers — bots that are scraping text and multimedia from the encyclopedia to train generative artificial intelligence models — have been having on its servers, leading to increased costs and slower load times for human users in some cases. Perhaps in an effort to stop the bots from pummeling the public Wikipedia website and soaking up too much bandwidth, the Wikimedia Foundation (which manages Wikipedia's data) is offering AI developers a dataset they can freely use.

The organization has teamed up with Kaggle, a data science platform, to offer up a beta release of a structured dataset in both English and French. According to Google — which owns Kaggle — the dataset is formatted for machine learning to make it more useful for training, development and data science.

Wikimedia Enterprise notes that the dataset includes "abstracts, short descriptions, infobox-style key-value data, image links and clearly segmented article sections." There are no references or other "non-prose elements," such as video clips. The lack of references could make the issue of attribution for information in the dataset somewhat foggy. However, Wikimedia Enterprise (a part of the Wikimedia Foundation that seeks to make Wikipedia data available through APIs) says that the content in the dataset is freely licensed under Creative Commons, the public domain and so on since it's all from Wikipedia.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/wikipedia-offers-ai-developers-a-training-dataset-to-maybe-get-scraper-bots-off-its-back-143255593.html?src=rss

Chinese authorities have banned automakers from using terms such as "smart driving" and "autonomous driving" for ads in the country, according to Reuters. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has tightened its rules for advertising driving assistance features following a fatal crash involving a Xiaomi SUV7 (pictured above), which raised concerns about the technology's safety. Based on Xiaomi's report, the vehicle's driving assistance mode was switched on when the vehicle was approaching a construction zone, but the driver took control right before the SUV collided with a concrete barrier. The electric vehicle went up in flames, with the accident claiming three lives. 

Back in 2022, the California DMV accused Tesla of falsely portraying its vehicles as fully autonomous based on the language it used on its website, though that didn't lead to a ban on advertising terms. Chinese authorities announced the new rule at a meeting attended by 60 representatives from the automobile industry. In addition to the new advertising rules, they also announced that they're prohibiting automakers from testing and improving their driver assistance systems via remote software upgrades if they're already in the hands of customers. If the companies want to roll out updates over the air, they'll have to secure an approval for them after conducting a battery of tests. 

As Reuters noted, there's a growing competition in the Chinese automotive industry with companies launching vehicles promising "smart driving" capabilities. BYD, the top Chinese EV manufacturer based in Shenzhen, rolled out a whopping 21 models of electric vehicles in February, with the company's free "smart driving" features being one of their main selling points. These automakers may now have to alter their advertising materials in order to comply with the new regulations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/china-cracks-down-on-autonomous-car-claims-after-fatal-accident-143026741.html?src=rss