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As it turns out, including a reporter in your national security leader group chat about military strikes isn't the only way to compromise sensitive information on Signal. NPR reported on Tuesday that, days after the Trump administration's preposterous and dangerous national security fumble, the Pentagon issued a warning against using the messaging app due to a phishing vulnerability.

"A vulnerability has been identified in the Signal messenger application," a department-wide email obtained by NPR reads. "Russian professional hacking groups are employing [Signal's] 'linked devices' features to spy on encrypted conversations." The publication says the memo states that Russian hacking groups are "targeting Signal Messenger to spy on persons of interest."

A Signal spokesperson told NPR that the memo wasn't about Signal's security but about phishing attacks on the platform. So, if you're using the app, be especially mindful of attempts to trick you into linking devices to your account. Or simply communicate through different channels.

The Pentagon directive follows a scandal that, at least in previous eras, would have ended the careers of a long list of high-profile officials. (In this one… who knows?) The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported on Monday that a group of Trump administration national security officials inadvertently included him in a Signal group chat discussing military strikes in Yemen.

Andrew Harnik via Getty Images

The conversation included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, among others. They — with Goldberg essentially CC'd — discussed the timing, targets and weapons involved in bombing Houthi sites in Yemen.

A 2023 Department of Defense memo prohibited using mobile apps for even "controlled unclassified information." NPR notes that military planning is many degrees more sensitive than that. And that doesn't even cover accidentally including a journalist in the conversation.

The entire Atlantic article is worth a read, but a few gems from the chat include Hegseth's writing, "I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's PATHETIC." And, "Nobody knows who the Houthis are — which is why we would need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded."

Adding to the "It would be hilarious if it weren't so dangerous" nature of the fiasco, Hegseth went on camera to deny the chat's authenticity after the White House confirmed it.

Although the fallout is still taking shape, here's an early taste. Watch below as retired US Navy captain and current US Senator Mark Kelly grills Gabbard and Ratcliffe on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/the-pentagon-warns-government-officials-that-signal-is-being-targeted-by-russian-hackers-203436757.html?src=rss

We hear Signal is in the news. As longtime fans of the app, and secure messaging more broadly, we feel like it's our duty at Engadget to ensure you know how to use the software properly.   

Download Signal

Signal is available on Android and iOS, as well as nearly every desktop operating system, including Windows and macOS. You can download the app by clicking one of the links provided above, or typing in "Signal Messenger" in your device's app store. Once you've installed the app, proceed to set up an account using your phone number or an alias.  

Note: If you want to install Signal on a workplace phone or computer, be sure to obtain approval from your employer; some organizations, such as the US government, either actively discourage or downright disallow use of the app. 

Create a new group

Wonderful, you've downloaded Signal! Now, to create a group chat, follow these steps: 

1. Tap the compose icon at the top of the interface. 

2. Select New Group.

3. Add participants by selecting their name from your contact list, or inputting their username or phone number. 

4. Give your group a name (and a profile picture if you want). 

5. If the contents are especially sensitive, you may wish to enable Disappearing Messages and select an expiration time.   

As you're in the process of adding new participants to a group, be sure to verify you're adding the right people. 

Some useful tips

I would also suggest making use of Signal's Permissions feature to limit who can invite people to your chat.     

1. Open your group chat and tap the group name to view the chat settings. 

2. Scroll down and select Permissions.

3. Under "Add Members," tap Only Admins.    

One of the ways someone can join your group chat is through a group link or QR Code. For additional security, you can set it so that admins must approve group link invites before the invitee can join. 

1. Open your group chat and tap the group name to view the chat settings.

2. Scroll down and select Group Link. 

3. Switch the toggle to on.  

Maybe you know exactly who you can trust, but the guy down the hall might not!

If you tend to get mixed up on names easily, Signal allows you to assign nicknames to users. After all, no one wants a case of mistaken identity.

1. Open your group chat and tap the group name to view the chat settings.

2. Under "Members," select the name of the individual you want to assign a nickname to. 

3. Type in a name. You can also add a note, say describing the person's profession, in case you need additional context.  

Nicknames are only visible to you, so don't be embarrassed to use them.  

How to remove someone from your group chat

Look, even the best of us can make mistakes. Thankfully, Signal makes it easy to remove someone from a conversation thread.  

1. Open your group chat and tap the group name to view the chat settings.

2. Under "Members," select the name of the individual you want to remove. 

3. Tap Remove From Group. 

How to delete messages in a Signal group chat

So you somehow got through all of the above steps, added someone you shouldn't have and sent information that a relative stranger likely shouldn't have seen. Lets be honest, you're an edge case. But there's still hope if you caught your mistakes early.  

1. Tap and hold the message on mobile (or hover the message bubble on desktop),

2. Select Delete.

3. Select Delete for Everyone.

Now there's less chance of, for instance, a record of your civil and perhaps even criminal mishaps being shared to a notable reporter in a form potentially open to legal discovery. 

Ultimately, no matter how secure the messaging platform, if what you need to talk about is very, very sensitive, it's probably best to just "get everyone in a room together."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/how-to-add-someone-to-a-signal-group-chat-201430756.html?src=rss

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has been delayed again. Publisher Paradox Interactive announced today that it is now targeting release in October 2025 instead of the first half of this year. "Paradox Interactive and The Chinese Room are committed to delivering this game, and we believe that ensuring great technical quality is more important than sticking to a specific date," the company said.

Creating the sequel has been a trial of endurance that would test even an immortal undead's patience. Paradox parted ways with the game's original developer, Hardsuit Labs, in 2021. The Chinese Room, which made notable indie games Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, joined the project as developer in 2023. Today's update from offered some encouragement that the project is now in "a late development stage," however it has decided to discontinue dev diaries that offered behind-the-scenes peeks at progress.

The original Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines game came out in 2004 after its own challenging development. Made by the now-shuttered Troika Studios, it was an story-driven game inspired by a tabletop RPG about several vampire clans in a modern-day Los Angeles. It was a commercial flop, but acquired a loyal audience over the years and even cultivated a community for mods and fan games.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/vampire-the-masquerade---bloodlines-2-is-now-slated-to-launch-in-october-2025-194649207.html?src=rss

If you live in a rural area of the UK, you may soon be able to use your phone for satellite calls, messages and other standard data use. On Tuesday, the nation's telecom regulator, Ofcom, proposed using direct-to-device satellite tech to connect people in the UK's "most rural and hard-to-reach places," like mountains and remote villages.

Ofcom sees the tech complementing traditional networks, aiming to provide 100 percent mobile coverage in the UK. The regulator said the tech could also provide backup coverage during outages, offer service to ships and passengers in coastal waters without a connection and provide emergency 999 services (the UK's version of 911) in remote areas.

In January, British telecom Vodafone made the world's first satellite video call using a standard mobile phone on a remote mountain in west Wales.

Regarding the regulatory details, Ofcom suggests amending existing mobile spectrum licenses for frequencies already used by cellular providers (below 3 GHz). However, the regulator also offered alternative approaches, including introducing a new license for satellite services or allowing license-exempt use if certain conditions are met. Regardless of its specific policy approach, Ofcom said strict conditions would be attached to avoid interference with existing spectrum users in the UK and overseas.

Ofcom is opening a consultation period with stakeholders from now to May 20. Depending on the feedback it receives, it could begin authorizing direct-to-device calls later this year. 

The iPhone 14 series was the first standard handset to offer direct-to-satellite emergency messaging. In iOS 18, Apple expanded the functionality beyond crises to any situation where you're off the grid. The Samsung Galaxy S25 series and Google Pixel 9 recently added similar functionality.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-uk-could-greenlight-direct-to-phone-satellite-services-this-year-183504094.html?src=rss

Sunderfolk, a game that borrows elements from tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons and couch party games like Jackbox, has a launch date. The fantasy RPG from Dreamhaven (the stomping ground of Blizzard co-founder and former CEO Mike Morhaime) arrives on April 23. You can play a demo today through April 7.

While virtual tabletops like Wizards of the Coast's Sigil act as video game-like extensions of a traditional tabletop experience, Sunderfolk's premise is in using modern technology to simulate something like D&D — but with more accessibility to casual players. Here, your phone becomes the deck of cards (and controller), while your TV or monitor is the game board. Although it supports remote play, this one sounds tailor-made for couch co-op.

The game's story retreads familiar fantasy tropes, like a town of peaceful inhabitants invaded by dark and creepy monsters. Here, the heroes are a clan of anthropomorphic animals who each fit a familiar class like arcanist, bard, berserker, pyromancer, ranger or rogue. You can customize each with weapons, armor, items and skills as they level up. (When in doubt, play the classics!)

Dreamhaven

"We were, with Sunderfolk, really trying to create something that would inspire people to get together in person," Game Director Erin Marek said in a preview trailer. "We wanted it to feel similar to a game night, getting together to play a board game or getting together to play D&D with a group of friends or family or loved ones that you really care about. And to share that experience together side-by-side."

You can gather your cohorts to try the game for free on GeForce Now from now to April 7. The preview gives you access to all playable characters and an early part of the game. Fortunately, you don't need a paid GeForce membership; a free account will do.

Sunderfolk will cost $50 and be playable Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X and Switch. But only the party member running the big-screen device needs to own the game; the phone app (iOS and Android) for your pals will be a free download when the game launches on April 23.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dreamhavens-tabletop-rpg-party-game-sunderfolk-arrives-on-april-23-183006473.html?src=rss

Google has the pedal to the metal on its AI development. Just a few months after the debut of Gemini 2.0, the tech giant has unveiled another upgrade in Gemini 2.5. As with any new AI launch, Google is touting a strong performance on LMArena for Gemini 2.5, particularly its capabilities in coding, mathematics and science.

The first model in this series is Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental. Google said this is a thinking model that's intended to provide responses grounded in more reasoning, analysis and context than the answers offered by classification- and prediction-driven models. It's a different approach than Google took with the Gemini 2.0 series, which started off with the more efficient and less expensive Flash version.

"With Gemini 2.5, we've achieved a new level of performance by combining a significantly enhanced base model with improved post-training," the company said in a blog post attributed to Koray Kavukcuoglu, CTO of Google DeepMind. "Going forward, we’re building these thinking capabilities directly into all of our models, so they can handle more complex problems and support even more capable, context-aware agents."

Google had only just started rolling out Gemini 2.0 to its services, using it to power the newly added AI Mode in search and Deep Research for handling more complex queries. With today's launch, expect to hear more updates from the company about getting this latest version. Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental is available now in Google AI Studio, and Gemini Advanced members can use it directly in the Gemini app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-releases-gemini-25-ai-model-for-complex-thinking-182352224.html?src=rss

OpenAI just announced that all users will soon be able to generate images directly inside of ChatGPT. It’s rolling out to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team and, most importantly, Free users. This will be the default image generation tool in 4o, so there will be no need to open Dall-E whenever you want to whip up a picture of a cat in space eating lasagna or whatever. The feature’s also coming to Sora.

The company says that the platform will "generate high-quality images based on your prompt, conversation and uploaded files." To the latter point, it’ll be able to transform pre-existing images based on prompts. OpenAI is also boasting about significant improvements in text rendering and contextual understanding.

These new tools are intended for both personal and professional use. As such, OpenAI gives a number of examples as to where this type of image generation could come in handy. These include the creation of infographics, social media promotional graphics and images with plenty of text, as seen below. 

OpenAI

This being a modern generation tool, it can also handle high-end visuals. The company says it offers a "strong capability for photorealism, including light, shadow, and texture accuracy." The ability to understand context could also be useful, as OpenAI says this could be used to create a “poster of birds found in Central Park” or a "visualization of an art history era discussed previously in the conversation."

Say hello to GPT-4o, our new flagship model which can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time: https://t.co/MYHZB79UqN

Text and image input rolling out today in API and ChatGPT with voice and video in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/uuthKZyzYx

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024

It's built on GPT-4o, an AI model that was first released last year. The "o" stands for "omni", which is a reference to the model’s multimodal capabilities. This is what allows many of the aforementioned features, like being able to iterate on uploaded files. Today’s news looks like another step on the long road toward the “one AI to rule them all” functionality that Sam Altman teased a few weeks back.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/now-you-can-generate-images-directly-from-chatgpt-and-sora-180047905.html?src=rss

Apple announced that its Worldwide Developers Conference will be on June 9-13. The company is usually consistent with its event timing, so Tim Cook will probably take the stage to start the keynote on June 9 at 10AM PT/1PM ET.

We've already heard that iOS 19 and macOS 16 will be sporting new looks, so expect a focus on the latest software changes. And there's no way we won't be getting more Apple Intelligence updates. It was a core part of the iOS 18.3 update that rolled out at the start of the year and Apple has had struggles with some of the AI-powered features, particularly its notification summaries. One thing we don't anticipate seeing is the long-awaited update to Siri that will offer more personalization, also courtesy of Apple Intelligence. That project hit a delay in March and, no matter how hard we might hope otherwise, it seems unlikely the issues will all be resolved by June.

Although the keynote is happening in-person at Apple Park, the rest of WWDC will take place online and is free for developers to attend.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-schedules-wwdc-2025-for-june-9-13-171840700.html?src=rss

Amazon’s latest sales event is underway. The so-called Big Spring Sale runs through March 31, and while it’s mostly focused on categories like apparel and outdoor goods, it still includes a handful of discounts on electronics. Per usual with these big Amazon events, most of those aren’t anything special. But if you’re on a budget and looking to grab a new gadget on the cheap, we’ve rounded up a few actually decent tech deals that are available now and priced below $50. Some of the discounts below have technically been live for a few days, but a good price is a good price all the same, and the offers include several devices we recommend in our various buying guides. We’ll update this post as prices change and new deals pop up over the course of the week.

Best Amazon Spring Sale deals under $50

Anker PowerConf C200 for $48 ($12 off MSRP): The PowerConf C200 is our favorite webcam for those on a tighter budget due to its crisp video quality, easy setup, solid microphones and built-in privacy cover. Its USB cable is on the shorter side, and it can’t match the overall accuracy of our top pick, but it’s still a clear upgrade over a built-in laptop camera for a much lower price. This is another deal we’ve seen numerous times in the last year, but it’s as low as the camera usually goes.

Anker 525 Charging Station for $30 ($36 off): We recommend this reliable desktop charging station in our remote worker gift guide. It can’t provide the absolute fastest charge to your smartphone or laptop (topping out at a quick enough 67W), but it packs four USB ports — two USB-C, two USB-A — and three AC outlets in a frame that’s small enough to fit on a crowded desk. This deal ties the lowest price we’ve seen.

The Anker 525 Charging Station. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Anker Nano Charger 30W for $13 ($10 off): It’s hard to have too many portable wall chargers on standby. This one from Anker should be particularly useful for traveling: At just over an inch thick, it’s small enough to fit in a pocket, while its 30W USB-C port is enough to top up recent iPhones at full speed. (That’s not enough for some newer Android phones, though.) This discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen.

Amazon Music Unlimited 3-month trial for free ($24 off): Amazon is offering new subscribers three months of its Music Unlimited streaming service for free. Normally, it gives new users a one-month trial. Though Music Unlimited isn’t a top pick in our guide to the best music services, it still gets you lossless streaming quality and an extensive library of both music and podcasts. You could do worse if you just want to bum a few months of music streaming for no cost. Just note that your subscription will auto-renew once the trial period ends until you cancel.

Blink Mini 2 for $20 ($20 off): This deal ties the lowest price to date for the Blink Mini 2, which is the budget pick in our guide to the best security cameras. This one comes with its share of trade-offs for the low price — its image quality isn’t the best, it locks certain features behind a paywall and it won’t automatically arm when you leave the house — but it still provides functional 1080p video, color night vision, motion alerts and Alexa support in a weather-resistant frame. It’s fairly simple to set up, too, though you’ll need to buy an external module if you want to store clips locally.

Chipolo One for $20 ($5 off): The Chipolo One is the top overall pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers. While Apple’s AirTag can tap into a substantially larger crowd-sourcing network, we’ve found the One to send separation alerts faster when you’ve left an item behind and ring louder when you’re back in its vicinity. Unlike the AirTag, it can also attach directly to a keychain. It probably isn’t the safest choice for long-distance travel, but it’s a convenient security blanket if you, say, leave your keys or wallet behind at a restaurant. This is another discount that’s been available for a few weeks, but it’s just 10 cents more the best price we’ve seen.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-tech-deals-under-50-the-best-sales-on-our-favorite-budget-gear-091512204.html?src=rss

Waymo is continuing to expand its foothold across the US, having recently started offering paid robotaxi services in more parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. Next up are Atlanta and Miami, and now the company has revealed plans to offer its driverless Waymo One service in the nation's capital in 2026.

Before that can happen, though, Waymo will need to get approval from regulators. The company says it will "continue to work closely with policymakers to formalize the regulations needed to operate without a human behind the wheel in the District." DC currently requires autonomous vehicles to have a human at the wheel, ready to take control if necessary.

“Our priority remains ensuring that any company operating in the District — such as Waymo — does so in a manner that prioritizes safety, aligns with our regulatory framework, and integrates seamlessly into DC’s unique transportation ecosystem,” German Vigil, a spokesman for the District Department of Transportation, told The Washington Post. He noted that the agency is refining its approach to regulation "based on public input, emerging best practices and lessons learned” from other jurisdictions.

Waymo has tested its vehicles in DC for several years and it plans to "continue introducing ourselves to DC’s communities and emergency responders over the coming months." Per the Post, if and when Waymo One does become available in the District, the robotaxis would not take riders to any of the region's airports, as they wouldn't (at least at the outset) have a permit to cross into Maryland or Virginia.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-aims-to-offer-paid-robotaxi-rides-in-washington-dc-next-year-161523916.html?src=rss

We might not have personal robot butlers that can make us dinner and clean our entire home, but when it comes to automatically cleaning floors, the future has been delivered. And thanks to Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, a number of robot vacuums are currently discounted. We’ve tested dozens of models to produce two guides on the subject — one for the best of the best and one for budget versions. We’ve also reviewed a number of cordless stick vacuum cleaners that make spot-cleaning as close to effortless as possible. Looking at what’s on sale versus what we recommend, we came up with this list of the best deals on robot vacuums we could find for Amazon’s latest sale.

The best Amazon Spring Sale robot vacuum deals

• Shark's Matrix Plus robovac for $400 ($350 off): In our testing, we’ve been consistently impressed with Shark vacuums — but they’re not cheap. This machine can mop in addition to vacuum and is nearly half price at 47 percent off.

• Shark Robot PowerDetect NeverTouch vac and mop combo for $500 ($400 off): This is the non-pro model of our runner up pick for the best combo bot. It mops and vacuums, quickly making a map of your home on its first run. The app easily lets you program where your hard and carpeted surfaces are, as well as set schedules. The base empties the dry debris and dirty water, then refills it with new water. The difference between this model and the Pro version is that this one doesn’t clean the mop with each use, so you may need to manually perform that task more often — but the price difference may make up for that lack.

• iRobot Roomba Combo Vac and Mop for $150 (45 percent off): This "essential" Roomba is relatively no-frills, but it has the added benefit of being a mopping robot in addition to a vacuum. It includes a washable mopping pad and a water reservoir so you can clean hard floors, and it will autonomously vacuum just like all of iRobot's other basic robovacs.

• Anker Eufy Robot Vacuum 3-in-1 E20 for $400 ($200 off): If you can’t decide between a robot vacuum or a lightweight stick vac, you don’t have to. The new Eufy E20 combines a robo vac, cordless upright and handheld vacuum in one machine. Plus the automatically emptying base holds a lot of debris for its size. While we found the robot performance to be better than the stick vac suction, it’s still impressive and convenient for an all-in-one model.

• Anker Eufy Robot Vacuum 11S MAX for $140 (44 percent off): The “S” in the model name stands for “slim” and it was one of the more low-profile machines we tried. It’s a pick in our guide to budget robot vacuums and has a long battery life and good suction power for its price. The main drawback is the lack of Wi-Fi, so instead of programming it with your phone, you’ll use the included remote.

The best cordless vacuum deals

• Tineco Pure ONE Station 5 for $349 ($110 off): This vac earned an honorable mention in our tests. The self-emptying base is a big selling point. We also liked the auto-adjusting suction and single-button start feature. The fact that it doesn’t require proprietary bags helps keep down the long-term cost, too.

•  Tineco Pure ONE S11 cordless vacuum for $205 ($95 off with coupon): Click the coupon to get $95 off our top pick for a budget stick vac. We like that it automatically adjusts suction depending on what it's picking up and is relatively lightweight when you’re pushing it around your floors. The bin is on the small side and the battery life isn’t as good as on other models, but it’s an easy-to-use, no-frills way to clean floors.

• Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for $800 ($150 off): This Dyson cordless stick vacuum and mop is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide thanks to its sleek design and included mop attachment that easily swap in so you can clean tile, hardwood and other flooring with liquid solution. Yes, it's expensive, but you're essentially getting two cleaning machines in one — plus, when used as a vacuum, it has excellent suction power and great battery life.

• Levoit Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (LVAC-200) for $150 ($50 off): The lowest price we’ve tracked on this stick vac is $130 but this matches the lowest price we’ve seen this year. It’s our runner up budget pick for a stick vac in our guide. It doesn’t have a storage base and the bin is smallish, but it’s lightweight and super affordable. It also disassembles easily for storage making its lack of base less of a deal breaker.

• Tineco Pure ONE Station FurFree for $400 ($300 off): Of all the stick vacs our reviewer tried for our guide, this is the one she wanted to use the most. It’s super convenient with a dock that charges and empties and cleans all parts of the machine — brush, tube and dustbin — after each use. Plus the suction power is great and the iLoop smart sensor kicks up the suction when needed.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-robot-vacuum-deals-the-best-sales-from-shark-irobot-dyson-and-others-092652375.html?src=rss

Instagram is adding another tool to its arsenal of anti-bullying measures. This time, however, Meta is enlisting school officials directly in an effort to speed up its response to safety issues affecting young teens. The company is introducing a new “Schools Partnership Program” that aims to give teachers and school administrators a way to intervene when students experience bullying on Instagram.

The program offers schools something that many parents have long said they wanted: a way to fast-track in-app reports that directly affect young students. Meta is promising that schools who join the program will have their reports “prioritized” in its moderation queue, and that it will respond to these reports within 48 hours. Schools that sign up will also get a “school partner” badge appended to their Instagram account, along with in-app information about how to use its reporting tools and other resources.

Notably though, it doesn’t sound like Meta is hiring additional content moderators to aid with these new fast-tracked reports. When asked about increasing headcount to support the program, an Instagram spokesperson told Engadget only that reports from schools will be “expedited” via its existing reporting channels, and that schools will be able to add "additional context" to their reports.

Meta says it’s already tested the program with 60 schools and that early results have been “promising.” Now, middle schools and high schools in the United States can sign up to join a waitlist for the program.

The pilot program is far from the first time Instagram has tried to address bullying. The app introduced comment limiting features in 2021, and added a tougher "restrict" feature last year. But while these features can help teens avoid certain types of negative interactions, they still required teens (or their parents) to tweak their settings. By now giving schools more authority to report specific instances of bullying or other bad behavior, Meta is offering some hope that it will be easier for schools to address the underlying behavior.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-has-a-new-program-for-school-officials-to-report-bullying-160027748.html?src=rss

When Sony's wireless earbuds come to mind, the flagship-quality WF-1000XM5 is probably the first product that jumps out. However, the company is also adept at building budget models, blending features and tech to give users a solid value for a lot less money. That was the proposition when the WF-C700N arrived in 2023, offering active noise cancellation (ANC), solid battery life and other features for $120. Now, Sony is back with the successor to those earbuds, the WF-C710N, that packs a host of improvements but keeps the price the same. 

First, Sony says it improved ANC performance by employing dual mics on each earbud on the C710N. The C700N only had one on each side. The company is also using AI Noise Reduction this time around to improve call quality. On the outside, Sony replaced the physical button for the onboard controls with a touch panel, and the company added wear detection for added convenience. 

You can also expect longer battery life on the C710N. At 8.5 hours with ANC enabled, that's an hour longer than the C700N. With ANC off, you can expect up to two hours more than the previous model. Additionally, total battery life including the case is doubled, with up to 30 hours of noise-canceling use available (up to 40 hours with ANC off). Sony improved the quick charge feature as well, giving you an hour of play time in five minutes instead of the previous 10-minute window.

The WF-C710N is available for preorder today in black, white, pink and a transparent Glass Blue for $120. I guess Sony's confusing product names aren't entirely going away after all. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sony-overhauls-its-budget-earbuds-while-keeping-the-price-the-same-010025194.html?src=rss

Discord has begun rolling out a redesigned desktop app that adds more customization to the client. To start, the new app increases the number of free themes to four. Where previously you could choose between two skins — light and dark — if you weren't a Nitro subscriber, now your options are light, ash, dark and onyx. In short, everyone gets access to more dark themes. Discord has also added three new UI density options — default, spacious and compact. These are separate from the app's existing message layout options, so it's another way to tweak the look and feel of the interface.

With this redesign, the company is also finally giving users the option to resize the channel list. Discord has also redesigned the controls that appear when you're on a voice or video call. Now, more of the buttons you may want to press during a call will appear in the center bar along the bottom of the screen. At the same time, the mic and camera buttons feature more color, so you have a better indicator if you're muted or your camera is active.

"All of these updates are meant to enhance legibility, reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by visual noise, and maintain consistency across desktop and mobile devices," Discord explains.

Discord

Separately, the redesigned app ships with a new overlay that Discord says is faster and won't impact game performance. Taking a page Valve's recent redesign of Steam, Discord has reworked the interface around widgets, meaning you can move around each individual element as you wish. The company has also re-engineered the overlay so that it doesn't "hook" itself into games. As a result, it's less likely to trigger anti-cheat systems like BattleEye. In turn, that means the new overlay is compatible with "a larger portion of the most-played games on Discord." It's even possible to watch a friend's stream directly from the new overlay.

The redesigned app and overlay arrive after Discord CEO Jason Citron announced last May the company would refocus on building the best possible communications tool for gamers. In 2020, Discord briefly rebranded itself as a general purpose chat app after many young people turned to the platform to stay in touch with their friends during lockdown.

"After taking stock of the world now that the pandemic is largely behind us, and learning directly from you about how Discord can be even more useful, we've recognized the need to narrow our focus from broadly being a community-centric chat app to being a place that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests," Citron wrote last year.

The update also arrives at what could be a pivotal moment for Discord. According to a recent New York Times report, the company could go public as early as later this year. With 72 percent of Discord users regularly gaming on PC, ensuring those people are taken care of ahead of a potential IPO takes on a sense of urgency.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/discords-redesigned-pc-app-has-multiple-dark-modes-a-new-overlay-and-more-160019822.html?src=rss

Amazon’s latest Big Spring Sale has begun. While the event isn’t as heavy on tech as Black Friday or Prime Day, we’ve still managed to find a few noteworthy discounts on Apple devices. If you’re looking for a new iPad, Apple Watch or set of AirPods, we’ve rounded up the best Apple deals going on right now. Truthfully, most of the offers below aren’t explicitly tied to the Spring Sale, but they still drop a number of Apple (and Beats) gadgets we recommend down to lower prices than usual. As a reminder, Amazon says the sale will run through March 31 and that a few (but not all) of the discounts are exclusive to Prime members.

Best Amazon Spring Sale Apple deals

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC for $150 ($29 off MSRP): This version of the AirPods 4 is nearly identical to the base model, only it supports active noise cancellation and comes with a wireless charging case. It also supports other listening modes like Adaptive Audio, and that case can tap into Apple’s Find My tracking network if you ever misplace it. The ANC isn’t as effective as what you can get with a pair that fully seals off the ear canal, but it makes the earbuds a little more useful in noisy environments all the same. We gave the device a score of 86 in our review. This discount is $11 higher than the best price we’ve seen, but it’s about as low as the earbuds have fallen outside of that.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($79 off): The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apple’s best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a (generally) comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid, though their six-hour battery life still isn’t the best, and you should only get them if you’re all-in on Apple hardware. If that’s the case, though, we call them the best choice for iPhone owners in our wireless earbuds buying guide. We saw this pair drop as low as $154 back in December, but this deal comes within a dollar of its best price since then.

The Apple Watch Series 10. Cherlynn Low for Engadget

Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($100 off): The top pick in our guide to the best smartwatches, the Series 10 is a mostly iterative update, with faster charging, a slightly slimmer profile and a marginally larger display compared to the previous Series 9. That said, it remains a comprehensive fitness tracker, and no other smartwatch can integrate as neatly with iPhones and other Apple devices. It should be a welcome upgrade if you’re looking to upgrade from an older Apple Watch (think pre-Series 7) — just keep in mind a patent dispute has locked it out the blood oxygen detection features found on those older models. This $100 discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen for the non-cellular model with a 42mm case.

Apple iPad (A16) for $329 ($20 off): The newest entry-level iPad only arrived three weeks ago, but Amazon is currently selling it for $20 less than Apple direct, which is a decent little savings if you planned on grabbing the tablet early anyway. This one is another small update, but it now comes with a faster A16 chip, more RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. Our review is coming soon, but TL;DR: If you only need an iPad for media consumption and lighter work, it’s still a fine value.

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) for $549 ($50 off): Much like the deal on the base iPad above, this isn’t a huge discount, but it’s a nice chance to save a few bucks compared to buying from Apple directly. The new iPad Air was released on the same day as the iPad (A16) and is a similarly minor update; the only big addition is a more powerful M3 chip. However, we still prefer the Air over the base model if you can swing it: Its display is more color-rich and better at fending off glare, its speakers are more robust, it works with Apple’s best accessories and its performance should hold up better in the years ahead. The older M2-powered model is an even better value if you can find it on sale, but either way the Air is the iPad we recommend to most people.

The 13-inch iPad Air M3. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3) for $738 ($61 off): We gave the 13-inch iPad Air a review score of 89 earlier this month. It has a bigger and slightly brighter display than its 11-inch counterpart; otherwise, the two slates are the same. If you plan to keep your iPad hooked up to a keyboard, the extra screen space is lovely for taking in movies and multitasking for work. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 128GB model.

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) for $1,099 ($200 off): The iPad Pro is more tablet than most people need, but it’s the ultimate iPad for those who can stomach its price tag. It’s wonderfully thin, its OLED display is one of the best we’ve seen on a consumer device and its M4 chip can handle virtually anything you’d ever do on an iPad. It’s also the only Apple tablet with Face ID, plus it has a better speaker setup than the iPad Air. We gave it a score of 84 in our review, with the only real drawback being how expensive it all is. This deal on doesn’t truly lessen that — and it’s another deal we’ve seen multiple times in recent months — but it still ties the 13-inch model’s all-time low.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-apple-deals-save-up-to-200-on-airpods-ipads-and-more-092050968.html?src=rss

While computers are great and all, there is something so satisfying about physically writing something down. Digital notebooks kind of provide the best of both worlds, allowing you to handwrite as much as you want on just one device.

One of the newest options on the market is Amazon's 2024 Kindle Scribe with a redesigned display and uniform borders. Right now, the 16GB version is on sale for $325, down from $399 — a 19 percent discount. Our pick for best e-reader E Ink tablet is marked down as part of Amazon's Spring Sale, a site-wide event. 

The new Amazon Kindle Scribe received an 86 in our review thanks to its nice design, AI enhancements and excellent reading and writing experience. It also comes with a Premium Pen that has a rubberized top to symbolize an eraser. Our biggest quip was its cost, but that's somewhat less concerning thanks to this discount.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-second-gen-kindle-scribe-drops-to-a-record-low-price-for-the-amazon-spring-sale-153010005.html?src=rss

Food is probably the third most-discussed topic in Engadget’s Slack rooms. Since we have more than a few cuisine-obsessed folk on staff, when there’s an opportunity to review a new bit of cooking tech, we jump at the chance. Right now, thanks to Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, a long list of the kitchen tech we’ve covered is on sale. We’re seeing discounts on brands like KitchenAid, Breville, Instant Pot and more. So if it’s time to update your meal prep situation or invest in a time-saver for weeknight dinners, check out the best deals on the cooking gadgets we recommend.

The best Amazon Spring Sale deals on air fryers, Instant Pots and more

• Cosori 9-in-1 air frier for $90 ($30 off): Cosori’s fryer earned a spot as the runner up for best overall air fryer in our guide. It has nine preset cooking modes and a six-quart capacity. We like that it doesn’t take up too much space, but can still cook up a decent amount of food

• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro for $320 ($80 off): If you want a more traditional toaster oven design with a huge capacity, go for our premium air fryer pick. The fryer-and-oven combo can accommodate a five-quart dutch oven, so it’s almost an auxiliary oven, which could come in handy when you’re cooking for a crowd. This isn't an all-time low — it went for $300 at the end of last year.

• Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer for $280 ($70 off): This is the non-Pro version of the Breville air fryer we recommend. It has a slightly smaller capacity (0.8 cubic feet instead of one cubic foot) and is missing two cooking functions (dehydrate and proof). But if you’re not making your own jerky or baking a ton of bread, this one can toast, broil, air fry and slow cook. You can even get it in cool colors like Red Velvet Cake for the same price.

• Mannkitchen Pepper Cannon for $160 ($40 off): Our reviewer called this grinder one of his favorite kitchen gadgets. While he admits it’s a rather indulgent purchase, it does rather impressively crank out far more pepper per turn than other mills, and the grind coarseness is highly adjustable to perfectly pepper your food.

• Ninja DZ401 Foodi 10-quart air fryer for $190 ($40 off): If you need to air fry two different foods at once, go for our recommendation for a dual-zone air fryer. It’s a beast, so we think it’s best for larger kitchens and people who make big meals. It went as low as $130 for Black Friday last year, but this is the cheapest price we’ve seen since then.

• Instant Vortex 2QT Mini Air Fryer for $50 ($10 off): The budget pick in our guide doesn’t go on sale often — it’s already pretty cheap at its $60 list price. It’s sold for as little as $48 for Prime Day in July, but this is the cheapest we’ve seen since then. Its two-quart capacity is probably best for small kitchens and can crisp up food for one or two people.

• Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker for $90 $40 off): We like this Instant Pot model because it's simple to use and has several quick-cooking modes including beans, cake, sous vide and more. It went as low as $70 earlier this year, but this is still a 30 percent discount off the list price.

• Instant Pot Pro Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker for $140 ($60 off): We also suggest this fancier Pro Plus model in our guide to kitchen tech. It’s a Wi-Fi connected unit with a canning function and you can even release the steam remotely using the companion app — which has over 800 recipes. This matches the lowest price we saw earlier this year, but is still a bit more than its $99 all-time low.

• Ninja AF150AMZ Air Fryer for $120 (25 percent off): This went as low as $100 for the holidays last year, but this matches the lowest price we’ve seen since then. The fryer gets an honorable mention in our air fryer guide because it makes good use of limited counter space with its taller design. The round cooking basket doesn’t feel as roomy as square ones but it does have a dehydrate option that other cookers don’t come with.

• Anova Culinary Sous Vide 3.0 for $129 ($70 off): We named this the best overall sous vide machine after testing a number of models for our buyer’s guide. This is about $30 more than the low it hit for the holidays last year, but this is the lowest price we’ve seen in 2025. We appreciate the easy digital controls and found that the high flow rate maintains water temperature better than other machines. Plus, if you’re at a loss for what to cook, you can check out the companion app which is replete with recipes.

• Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle for $60 ($10 off): This kettle earned a spot in our list of favorite small kitchen appliances. It has different built-in temperature settings for different types of drinks and an elegant gooseneck pour. This is a price it has hit many times before, but is a chance to save $10 over the usual MSRP.

• Fellow Stagg EKG Pro electric kettle for $165 ($30 off): This exquisitely designed kettle has an LCD panel built into the base so you can choose a specific temperature down to the degree. And the hold feature keeps water hot for up to an hour. This is the pro model of the version we recommend in our tea guide.

• Ninja SS101 Foodi Smoothie Maker for $80 ($40 off): Engadget’s Vallentina Palladino recommends this smoothie blender in our gift guide for cooks saying it doesn’t take up that much space and the swappable lids make it easy to take one’s health shakes on the go. This isn’t an all-time low but matches the cheapest price we’ve seen since 2023 when it sold for $50.

• KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer for $380 ($80 off): Small wonder that the home cook’s gold standard of mixers made its way onto our kitchen tech guide. Its ton of available attachments can be used to make pasta, grind food, strain or spiralize fruits and veggies and more. This is no unitasker. This is a solid $80 discount off of the MSRP, but we’ll note that Amazon sold it for as low as $330 at the end of last year and for $350 last month.

• KitchenAid Go Cordless Hand Blender for $100 ($30 off): The big selling point here is the removable battery that you can use for other KitchenAid Go appliances. In our testing, it had enough power to turn a roasted butternut squash into a smooth, creamy soup. The blender has hit this price a few times over the past few months and the deal isn’t as good as the $77 it sold for at the end of last year.

• Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle for $60 ($10 off): This kettle earned a spot in our list of favorite small kitchen appliances. It has different built-in temperature settings for different types of drinks and an elegant gooseneck pour. This is a price it has hit many times before, but is a chance to save $10 over the usual MSRP.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-amazon-spring-sale-deals-on-kitchen-tech-including-discounts-on-gear-from-breville-kitchenaid-ninja-and-more-092909254.html?src=rss

The once-iconic music-sharing platform Napster just sold for $207 million, according to reporting by CNBC. A company called Infinite Reality ponied up the cash. What could Napster offer in 2025 to warrant such a price tag? Infinite Reality CEO John Acunto says it’ll be used for marketing in the metaverse. In other words, a platform from 1999 will be used as part of a technology that seemingly peaked in 2021. That sounds about right.

More specifically, the company plans on creating virtual 3D spaces for music fans to attend concerts and listening parties, in addition to creating a sales platform for musicians and labels to sell merch. This isn’t the worst idea in the world, as attending these kinds of shared events is probably my favorite aspect of VR.

"The most legendary collab?! Infinite Reality has acquired iconic online music brand @Napster.

With this acquisition, we're expanding and reimagining Napster, empowering artists with new audience monetization and engagement capabilities, underpinned by iR’s #immersive… pic.twitter.com/L4Fig7QFct

— Infinite Reality (@Infinite_iR) March 25, 2025

“When we think about clients who have audiences — influencers, creators — I think it’s very important that they have a connected space that’s around music and musical communities,” Acunto said. “We just don’t see anybody in the streaming space creating spaces for music.”

Napster holds numerous licenses to stream millions of songs, which is what made it an attractive prospect to Infinite Reality. The company says its version of Napster will “disrupt legally.”

Current Napster CEO Jon Vlassopulos says that the purchase will allow artists to create “crazy environments that are really only limited by their imaginations.” As an example, he described a reggae artist who might enjoy a virtual beach environment. Acunto adds that it’ll be like “Clubhouse times a trillion.” He’s referring to the virtual events app that became popular during COVID, but eventually petered out.

Infinite Reality has been on a buying spree the last couple of years. In addition to Napster, it purchased the Drone Racing League, the metaverse marketing platform Landvault and the VR shopping platform Obsess.

As for Napster, it started in 1999 and took the world by storm, creating an easy-peasy way to steal music. It only took a couple of years for mounting legal battles to catch up to the platform and it declared bankruptcy in 2001.

However, that was just the beginning. The software company Roxio purchased the platform in 2002 and relaunched it as a legitimate e-commerce venture that sold digital music files. In 2008, Best Buy came calling and scooped it up. The retail giant only held on to Napster for a few years before selling to Rhapsody in 2011.

Rhapsody tried to make Napster a household name in Europe for the next decade before a consortium of blockchain companies, led by Hivemind and Algorand, bought it in 2022. These companies had plans to do some kind of NFT-based nonsense, because “music x web3 is one of the most exciting spaces.” That didn’t work and, well, here we are. Here’s to another 25 years of being passed around like a hot potato.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/napster-just-sold-for-207-million-154432315.html?src=rss

Apple plans to start using images it collects for Maps to train its AI models. In a disclosure spotted by 9to5Mac, the company said starting this month it would use images it captures to provide its Look Around feature for the additional purpose of training some of its generative AI models.

Look Around is Apple's answer to Google Street View. The company originally released the feature alongside its 2019 revamp of Apple Maps. The tool allows users to see locations from ground level. Apple blurs faces and license plates photographed in Look Around images to protect the privacy of any individuals caught in its survey efforts.

"In addition to improving Apple Maps and the algorithms that blur faces and license plates in images published in Look Around feature, Apple also will use blurred imagery collected during surveys conducted beginning in March 2025 to develop and improve other Apple products and services," the company writes in the disclosure. "This includes using data to train models powering Apple products and services, including models related to image recognition, creation, and enhancement."

Apple did not immediately respond to Engadget's request for more information.

The company's Apple Maps image collection policy page provides a list of regions and dates when it plans to collect new images for Look Around. People can find when Apple's survey crews and vehicles plan to visit their area by sorting by country and then clicking on a specific region.

Apple currently offers a few different features that rely on image generation models. Image Playground, for instance, allows owners of Apple Intelligence-compatible devices to write a prompt to create a new image. There's also Clean Up in Photos, which you can use to remove objects from your favorite snapshots.

Google has been using Street View images to train AI models for years. In 2017, for example, a pair of researchers from the company trained a machine learning model to generate professional-looking photographs from a dataset collected from Street View. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-will-use-its-street-view-maps-photos-to-train-ai-models-150919972.html?src=rss

If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen with a versatile countertop oven, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is currently on sale for $280 thanks to the Amazon Spring Sale — down from its usual $350. That’s a $70 discount on one of the most well-regarded air fryer toaster ovens out there, and it’s close to the lowest price we’ve ever seen.

Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer combines convection baking and air frying into a single, compact appliance. It features Element iQ system technology, which intelligently adjusts heat distribution to ensure precise and even cooking. Whether you’re roasting a chicken, crisping up fries or baking cookies, this oven is designed to handle it all. The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer has 11 cooking functions, including toast, bake, roast, broil, air fry, and pizza, making it a versatile tool for any kitchen. While throwing down close to $300 might seem steep, you have to consider how flexible this oven is, plus how good of a deal you can get right now.

Air fryers have become convenient alternatives to ovens thanks to the speed at which you can cook with them. The Breville Smart Air Fryer is no different; its super convection technology speeds up cooking times while delivering that golden, crispy finish we all love. The LCD display and easy-to-use dials make navigating the settings simple, while the spacious interior can fit a 13-inch pizza or six slices of toast at once — handy when you have a big family or crowd to feed.

If you want even more features and are prepared to part with a little more cash, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is also on sale for $320, down from its usual $400. In our roundup of the best air fryers, we consider it the best air fryer toaster oven thanks to its extra cooking presets, a larger capacity and dehydration capabilities, making it an even better choice for those who frequently cook in bulk.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-kitchen-deals-the-breville-smart-oven-air-fryer-is-down-to-280-145714905.html?src=rss