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• TikTok will age-restrict some videos from teens' feeds
• Magic Leap 2 will go on sale in the US on September 30th
• BMW will charge $18 per month for heated seats in select regions
• Apple and Jony Ive are parting ways
• The best Amazon Prime Day 2022 deals so far
• Former Twitter employee said they tried to warn ‘people were going to die’ on Jan. 6th
• Twitter sues Elon Musk for attempting to back out of $44 billion buyout deal
• Rivian CEO tells staff the company is carrying out a 'major' cost-cutting effort
• iOS 16 beta preview: A fun, useful and promising update
• Medium founder and CEO Ev Williams is stepping down
• YouTube restores Lofi Girl account after false copyright claims
• iPadOS 16 preview: Apple's software is catching up with its hardware
• The best Amazon Prime Day deals under $50
• Scammers are blackmailing restaurants across the US with one-star Google reviews
• You can now play 'Doom' inside 'Doom II'
• Amazon is finally bringing its smart shopping cart to Whole Foods
• The best robot vacuum and smart home deals you can get for Amazon Prime Day
• The best Amazon Prime Day SSD and storage deals we could find
• Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ is the first non-English series to earn a best drama Emmy nomination
• Spotify is buying daily music trivia game 'Heardle'
• The best Amazon Prime Day gaming deals from Razer, Elgato, Logitech and more
• Samsung's 1TB T7 Shield SSD drops to $100 for Prime Day
• 'Kirby's Dream Buffet' looks like a mash-up of 'Fall Guys' and 'Mario Party'
• Nothing Phone 1 hands-on: Not just a pretty face
• NASA reveals more stunning images from James Webb telescope

TikTok will age-restrict some videos from teens' feeds Posted: 13 Jul 2022 02:00 AM PDT Back in February, TikTok said it was working on new ways to age-restrict certain types of content in an effort to ramp up its safety features for teens. Now, the company is sharing more about its rating system, called Content Levels, which it plans to roll out "in the coming weeks." The company has compared its approach to the ratings systems used by the movie and video game industry. It's meant to filter out videos with more "mature" themes from the feeds of its teen users. It will apply to videos that wouldn't otherwise break TikTok's rules but may be inappropriate for younger users of the app. With the change, when teens between the ages of 13 and 17 encounter a video that contains "mature or complex themes," they'll instead see a notice that the video is age restricted. "When we detect that a video contains mature or complex themes, for example, fictional scenes that may be too frightening or intense for younger audiences, a maturity score will be allocated to the video to help prevent those under 18 from viewing it across the TikTok experience," TikTok explains in a blog post. The company didn't share how it would determine these maturity scores, or what criteria it would use to classify its videos. TikTok noted that the feature is still an "early version" and that they plan to add additional capabilities in the future. Company executives have previously said they also want TikTok users to be able to choose what type of content they are comfortable with. TikTok In the meantime, the app is also adding a new way to filter out unwanted topics from their "For You" page. The update, also expected in the coming weeks, will enable users to mute certain words or hashtags they no longer wish to see videos about. TikTok also offered an update on its work to avoid potentially problematic "repetitive patterns" in its For You recommendations. The company previously said it was testing ways to avoid overloading people with a lot of content about topics that can be potentially troubling, like mental health or eating disorders. Now, TikTok says those early tests have been successful, and that users in the United States are less likely to see many videos about these topics at once. TikTok is now working on making the feature available in more countries and languages.

Magic Leap 2 will go on sale in the US on September 30th Posted: 13 Jul 2022 01:25 AM PDT Magic Leap 2 finally has a concrete date for its commercial availability. The business-focused headset first made its way to a limited number of users last year as part of the company's early adopter program. Starting on September 30th, though, anybody who wants to get the headset in the US can buy one. Magic Leap 2 will be available in three editions, the cheapest of which is the Base headset meant for professionals and developers who just want access to the augmented reality platform. The edition can be used for full commercial deployments and production environments and will cost $3,299 with a one-year warranty. Developers working on AR apps and need the headset for internal testing will probably have to purchase the Magic Leap 2 Developer Pro edition. It comes with "access to developer tools, sample projects, enterprise-grade features, and monthly early releases for development and test purposes." That said, the company will not give its buyers permission to use them for full commercial deployments and in production environments. The Developer Pro's prices start at $4,099. Finally, Magic Leap 2 Enterprise is for customers looking for a headset with robust enterprise features and who intend to use them for large-scale deployments. This option will cost buyers at least $4,999 and will come with a two-year access to enterprise features, as well as quarterly software releases. Unlike the other two options, the Enterprise edition is bundled with two years of warranty.  Due to the fact that the headsets are meant for enterprise use and have prices that go beyond double the first Magic Leap's retail price, the company is likely not expecting massive sales numbers. Especially since Magic Leap reportedly only sold 6,000 units of the first model within the first six months that it became available. The Information reported back then that company founder Rony Abovitz told investors he was expecting to sell 1 million units in the first year, before deciding that 100,000 was a more realistic number. Because of the Magic Leap One Creator Edition's poor sales and the pandemic, the company ended up laying off half its workforce in 2020. Magic Leap 2 will also be available in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on September 30th, with Japan and Singapore to follow before the year ends. In the US, the devices will be sold through the company's retail partner, Insight.

BMW will charge $18 per month for heated seats in select regions Posted: 12 Jul 2022 11:01 PM PDT Now even connected cars are embracing the subscription model. BMW drivers in a few countries will have to pay $18 per month for heated seats, reportedThe Verge. Front-seat heating is one of many optional add-on software upgrades available in BMW's ConnectedDrive stores in the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, New Zealand and South Africa. Also available for an extra monthly charge is automatic high beams (roughly $12) and steering wheel heating (roughly $12). BMW drivers in these countries won't have to take their cars to a service shop to get the features installed. The hardware is already there — drivers will merely have to pay an extra fee to activate them through an over-the-air software upgrade on BMW's ConnectedDrive platform. That's also where they can pay for other features locked behind an annual subscription, including safety camera alerts ($30) and access to an online music library ($213 a year). BMW hasn't announced plans to add heated seats to its ConnectedDrive store in the United States, but microtransactions aren't completely foreign to BMW drivers in the country. The company previously faced backlash after charging an annual fee of $80 for Apple CarPlay, which it ultimately stopped doing. Still, the pay-per-feature model is alive and well in the US, where BMW drivers have to pay extra for a number of software upgrades, including $50 per year to access ConnectedDrive and $200 per year (after the third year) to update their car's navigation maps.

Apple and Jony Ive are parting ways Posted: 12 Jul 2022 09:30 PM PDT Apple and Jony Ive are breaking up — and this time, according to The New York Times, it's for real. Ive left the tech giant in 2019 after over two decades and formed his own company called LoveFrom, which counted Apple as its first and primary client. The publication said that both parties agreed not to extend their contract in the weeks leading up to its renewal and to stop working together for the first time since the 90's.  Ive was a close collaborator of Steve Jobs and is credited with designing the translucent, candy-colored plastic cases older Mac computers were known for. He also helped design the iPod, its white earbuds, the iPhone, the iPad, as well as the Apple Watch. Ive even reportedly contributed ideas to Apple's upcoming mixed reality headset. In 2015, he was named Apple's first Chief Design Officer, though his role shifted again over the years. The reports that came out after Ive left Apple claimed that he felt "dispirited" by Tim Cook's lack of interest in design and the CEO's decision to focus on selling software and services. Cook called those reports "absurd." The Times said LoveFrom's multi-year contract with Apple was worth $100 million and prohibited the firm from taking on any project that the tech giant considered to be in competition with its products. Ive reportedly wanted the freedom to take on new clients without needing to ask permission from Apple. Meanwhile, the company's executives had apparently been questioning the amount Apple was paying him and had grown frustrated over employees quitting to join his design firm instead. Back when Ive left Apple and LoveFrom signed a deal with the company, Cook said that he looked "forward to working with Jony long into the future." Whether that means there's a possibility of them working together again remains to be seen. Unless, of course, one or both parties are taking a leaf from the great Taylor Swift's book and swearing that they are never, ever getting back together.

The best Amazon Prime Day 2022 deals so far Posted: 12 Jul 2022 04:07 PM PDT Amazon Prime Day is officially here and a number of our favorite gadgets are on sale. If you're a Prime member, you can save hundreds on devices from Sony, Razer, Samsung and others over the next 48-hours, plus Amazon has discounted most of its own devices, too. Prime Day can be somewhat tricky — yes, there are thousands of deals, especially across the consumer electronics category, but a good portion of them are not worth your time. We've collected the best tech deals for Prime Day 2022 here so you don't have to go searching for them. Sony WH-1000XM4 Engadget Sony's excellent WH-1000XM4 headphones are down to a new low of $228 right now. We gave these cans a score of 94 for their powerful ANC, immersive sound quality and multi-device connectivity. Buy WH-1000XM4 at Amazon - $228 AirPods Pro The AirPods Pro with the MagSafe case have been discounted to $170. These remain Apple's best sounding earbuds, and we liked them for their solid sound, powerful ANC and hands-free Siri capabilities. Buy AirPods Pro at Amazon - $170 AirPods (2nd gen) The original AirPods are down to $90. While they're a bit outdated at this point, these are still decent earbuds that we liked for their improved wireless performance and good battery life. Buy AirPods (2nd gen) at Amazon - $90 Apple Watch Series 7 The latest Apple Watch Series 7 has dropped to $279, which is a new all-time low. That's the starting price on the GPS-only models, but you can pick up a GPS + Cellular model for as low as $379, too. It's the most comprehensive wearable Apple makes and it earned a score of 90 from us for its larger screen, faster charging and handy features in watchOS 8. Buy Series 7 at Amazon - $279 Apple TV 4K The latest Apple TV 4K has dropped to $110. While on the expensive side, it's a set-top box that Apple lovers will appreciate. We gave it a score of 90 for its speedy performance, Dolby Vision and Atmos support and much improved Siri remote. Buy Apple TV 4K at Amazon - $110 iPad The 10.2-inch iPad is down to $299. We gave it a score of 86 for its improved performance, excellent battery life, better front-facing camera and increased base storage. Buy iPad at Amazon - $299 Kindle Amazon's standard Kindle has dropped to $45, which is half off its normal price. We gave this e-reader a score of 91 for its improved contrast display, extra front lights and sleeker design. Buy Kindle at Amazon - $45 Kindle Paperwhite The Kindle Paperwhite is on sale for $95, which is a new record low for the e-reader. The updated model has 17 front lights, a sleeker design, an adjustable warm light, weeks of battery life and Audible support. Buy Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon - $95 Echo Dot The Echo Dot is on sale for $20 while the Echo Dot with Clock is down to $33. We like these tiny smart speakers for their good audio quality, compact design and tap-to-snooze feature. Buy Echo Dot at Amazon - $20Buy Echo Dot with Clock at Amazon - $33 Echo Show 5 The Echo Show 5 has dropped to $35, or $50 off its usual price. If you want a smart alarm clock, this is the smart display to get. We like its sharp 5-inch display, ambient light sensor, smart home controls and tap-to-snooze feature. Buy Echo Show 5 at Amazon - $35 Echo Show 8 The Echo Show 8 smart display is on sale for a record-low price of $75. It earned a score of 87 from us for its attractive design, stellar audio quality and improved camera for video calls. The first-generation Show 8 is also on sale and you can get a bundle with it and a Blink Mini camera for only $65. Buy Echo Show 8 at Amazon - $75 Fire HD 10 The Fire HD 10 has dropped to only $75 for Prime Day. It's the Fire tablet to get if you want the best performance possible. We like its 1080p display, 12-hour battery life and its Show Mode feature. Buy Fire HD 10 at Amazon - $75 Fire TV Stick Lite You can pick up Amazon's most affordable streamer, the Fire TV Stick Lite, for only $12 right now. It supports 1080p streaming and gives you access to some of the most popular services like Netlfix and Disney+. Buy Fire TV Stick Lite at Amazon - $12 Fire TV Stick 4K Max The higher-end Fire TV Stick 4K Max has dropped to $35, which is $20 less than usual. On top of all of the features in the standard Fire TV Stick 4K, the Max version also supports WiFi 6 and live picture-in-picture viewing. Buy Fire TV Stick 4K Max at Amazon - $35 Elgato Stream Deck Elgato's Stream Deck is down to $100 for Prime Day, or $50 off its normal price. This is a handy accessory to have for game streamer because you can customize its 15 LCD keys to do things like open apps, switch scenes, adjust audio and more. Buy Stream Deck at Amazon - $100 65-inch LG B1 OLED smart TV (2021) LG LG's 65-inch B1 OLED TV is 30 percent off for Prime Day and down to $1,500. This 2021 version runs on LG's a7 Gen 4 AI Processor 4K, works with G-Sync and FreeSync technologies and has Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support built in. Buy 65-inch LG B1 OLED TV at Amazon - $1,500 Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Samsung's original Galaxy Chromebook is nearly half off and down to $580. The discounted model runs on a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. We gave it a score of 74 when it first came out for its slick design, beautiful display and fast performance. Buy Galaxy Chromebook at Amazon - $580 DJI Mini 2 Fly More combo DJI A combo pack that includes the DJI Mini 2 drone plus a bunch of accessories has dropped to $479 for Prime Day. While DJI is on the Mini 3 at this point, this pack is a good option if you want all of the extra things you could ever need for your drone. Buy DJI Fly More combo at Amazon - $479 August WiFi smart lock Engadget August's 4th-gen WiFi smart lock is down to a new low of $150 right now, or nearly $100 off its usual price. We gave it a score of 80 when it first came out thanks to its minimalist design, easy installation and mandatory two-factor authentication setup. Buy August WiFi smart lock at Amazon - $150 Crucial MX500 SSD Crucial's MX500 in 1TB is on sale for $85, or 15 percent off its usual price. It's a good option if you need a standard 2.5-inch drive that works with both laptops and desktops. It also has AES-256 bit hardware encryption and integrated power loss immunity to protect your data. Buy Crucial MX500 (1TB) at Amazon - $85 Samsung Pro Plus microSD card Samsung's Pro Plus microSD card in 256GB is nearly half off and down to only $28 for Prime Day. It also comes with an adapter, so you can use it with more types of devices. You'll get read/write speeds of up to 160MB/s and 120MB/s, respectively, and a card that's temperature, magnet- and drop-resistant. Buy Samsung Pro Plus microSD card (256GB) at Amazon - $28 Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Cherlynn Low / Engadget All of Samsung's Galaxy S22 smartphones are cheaper than usual for Prime Day. The biggest deal among them is on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is down to a new low of $840. The Galaxy S22+ and the standard S22 are on sale for $700 and $600, respectively. We consider these to be some of the best Android phones you can get right now, so they're worth snatching up while they're deeply discounted. Buy Galaxy S22 Ultra at Amazon - $840Buy Galaxy S22+ at Amazon - $700Buy Galaxy S22 at Amazon - $600 Ninja Foodi Dual-Zone air frier Ninja Ninja's dual-zone air fryer has dropped to $160, which is 30 percent off its usual price. It earned a spot in our best air fryers guide for its large capacity, quick heat-up time and Smart Finish feature, which lets you prepare two different things at once and have them finish cooking at the same time. Buy Ninja Foodi Dual-Zone air fryer at Amazon - $160 NVIDIA Shield TV NVIDIA Both the NVIDIA Shield TV and the Pro model are on sale for Prime Day and down to $125 and $170, respectively. Both devices run Android TV and can take Google Assistant commands, plus they run on NVIDIA's Tegra X1+ processor and support 4K HDR Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and Chromecast streaming. Buy Shield TV at Amazon - $125Buy Shield TV Pro at Amazon - $170 Thermacell E-Series Repeller (2 pack) Will Lipman Photography / Engadget A two-pack of Thermacell E-Series repellers is $20 off and down to $60. It gives you a 20-foot zone of mosquito protection and each of them can last for 5.5 hours before they need recharging. Buy Thermacell (2 pack) at Amazon - $60 iRobot Roomba i7+ Devindra Hardawar / Engadget iRobot's Roomba i7+ is half off and down to $500 for Prime Day. This is slightly less advanced than the s9+, which is our current favorite premium robo-vac, but it remains one of the most powerful Roombas you can get. It also comes with a clean base, so the robot vacuum will empty its dustbin into the base automatically after each job. Buy Roomba i7+ at Amazon - $500 Shark AV2501AE robot vacuum Shark Shark's AI robot vacuum is down to only $380 right now, which is 42 percent less than usual. Shark robo-vacs are generally good picks thanks to their solid cleaning power and easy to use mobile app. This one also comes with a clean base, so you don't have to empty the robot's debris bin after each job — it handles that on its own. Buy Shark AI robot vacuum at Amazon - $380 Samsung T7 Shield Samsung Samsung's new T7 Shield portable SSDs have been discounted for Prime Day. You can pick up the 1TB model for $100 or the 2TB model for $200 — both new all-time-low prices. Samsung just came out with these drives back in April, and they're designed to be more durable versions of the standard T7 series with extra drop protection and an IP65-rated design. Buy T7 Shield (1TB) at Amazon - $100Buy T7 Shield (2TB) at Amazon - $200 Tile trackers Tile Tile trackers are up to 30 percent off for Prime Day and you have a few different designs to choose from. The standard Tile Mate is down to $18, the Tile Slim is on sale for $24 and the Tile Sticker is down to $21. These Bluetooth chips help you keep track of your things digitally and they can lead you to your lost items by emitting a chime. Shop Tile devices at Amazon Beats Fit Pro The Beats Fit Pro are 20 percent off and down to $160. We gave them a score of 87 for their comfortable, water-resistant design, good sound quality and ANC and long battery life. Buy Beats Fit Pro at Amazon - $160 Sony WH-CH710N Sony's affordable WH-CH710N wireless headphones have dropped to a new low of $68 for Prime Day. These are a great option if you want deep, punchy bass, solid ANC and 35-hour battery life all in a budget-friendly package. Buy WH-CH710N at Amazon - $68 Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 David Imel for Engadget Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 has dropped to $150 for Prime Day, or 40 percent off its usual price. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for Android users right now, and we gave it a score of 85 for its comprehensive health tracking, bright screen and improved third-party app support. Buy Galaxy Watch 4 at Amazon - $150 Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 have dropped to $100, or 33 percent less than usual. These much-improved earbuds impressed us with their better audio quality, adjustable ambient sound mode and tiny, comfortable design. Buy Galaxy Buds 2 at Amazon - $100 Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Samsung's high-end Galaxy Buds Pro are on sale for $110 right now. They earned a score of 85 from us for their comfortable fit, wireless charging and good sound quality. Buy Galaxy Buds Pro at Amazon - $110 Jabra Elite 85t Jabra's Elite 85t earbuds are on sale for $120, or a whopping 48 percent off their normal price. We like these true wireless earbuds for their strong ANC, comfortable size and wireless charging case. Buy Jabra Elite 85t at Amazon - $120 Jabra Elite 3 Jabra's excellent Elite 3 earbuds have dropped to $50, or $30 off their normal rate. These already affordable buds earned a score of 88 from us for their impressive sound quality, good battery life, reliable touch controls and comfortable fit. Buy Elite 3 at Amazon - $50 Roku Streambar Valentina Palladino / Engadget The Roku Streambar is down to $90 right now. It's a compact soundbar that will upgrade any living room relying on an old TV with weak audio. We gave it a score of 86 for its solid audio quality, Dolby Audio support and built-in 4K streaming technology. The more advanced Streambar Pro is on sale for $150, too. Buy Roku Streambar at Amazon - $90Buy Sterambar Pro at Amazon - $150 Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+ You can pick up a Galaxy SmartTag+ for only $30 right now, or $10 off its usual price. This is Samsung's answer to Apple's AirTags, and it lets you keep track of items via your smartphone. If you're close enough to your lost stuff, you can even follow directions on your smartphone that will lead you back to it. Buy Galaxy SmartTag+ at Amazon - $30 TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug A four-pack of Kasa smart plugs is 24 percent off and down to only $23 for Prime Day. You can plug in any "dumb" appliance to these attachments to make them a bit smarter, enabling you to control them from your phone, set usage schedules and more. Buy Kasa smart plug (4 pack) at Amazon - $23 Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

Former Twitter employee said they tried to warn ‘people were going to die’ on Jan. 6th Posted: 12 Jul 2022 02:27 PM PDT Twitter's role in the January 6th insurrection is once again in the spotlight. During a hearing on Tuesday, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th attack played testimony from a former Twitter employee who said they tried to warn others at the company that there would be violence on January 6th. The committee pointed to a December 19th tweet from former President Donald Trump in which he promised a "wild" protest in Washington D.C. on January 6th. The tweet, they said, "served as a call to action, and in some cases as a call to arms" to his supporters. By January 5th, the former Twitter employee said that it was clear the protest would turn violent, but that "no intervention was coming." The committee didn't identify the former employee, whose voice was obscured in the recorded testimony. Representative Jamie Raskin said the former employee "was on the team responsible for platform and content moderation policies" and worked at the company throughout 2020 and 2021. The committee has learned that, on January 5th, there were serious concerns at Twitter about anticipated violence the next day. "I had been begging... and attempting to raise the reality that... if we made no intervention into what I saw occurring, people were going to die." pic.twitter.com/wjAxwra6XQ — January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) July 12, 2022 "I had been begging and anticipating and attempting to raise the reality that if we made no intervention into what I saw, people were going to die," the employee said. "And on January 5th, I realized no intervention was coming." The employee also stated that Twitter had considered changing its rules earlier in 2020 following Trump's comments telling the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by" during a presidential debate, but that the company ultimately declined to do so. When asked if another Twitter user would have been able to take the same actions as Trump without being suspended, the employee replied "no." They stated that Twitter enjoyed the notoriety that came with being Trump's preferred social media platform. "I believe Twitter relished in the knowledge that they were also the favorite and most used service of the former president, and enjoyed having that sort of power within the social media ecosystem." Rep. Raskin says a former Twitter employee alleged that Twitter, in Raskin's words, "considered adopting a stricter content moderation policy after Pres. Trump told the Proud Boys to 'stand back and stand by'...But Twitter chose not to act." https://t.co/uwYyRqALdQpic.twitter.com/7SjLtfhLpA — ABC News (@ABC) July 12, 2022 In a statement, Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, VP of Public Policy at Twitter, said the company is "clear-eyed" about its role in the events leading up to January 6th.  "We are clear-eyed about our role in the broader information ecosystem in regards to the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, and while we continue to examine how we can improve moving forward, the fact remains that we took unprecedented steps and invested significant resources to prepare for and respond to the threats that emerged during the 2020 US election," Herrera-Flanigan said. "On January 6th, we leveraged the systems we had built leading up to the election to respond to the unprecedented attack in real-time and are committed to iterating on this work in order to address violent extremism in the US and globally."

Twitter sues Elon Musk for attempting to back out of $44 billion buyout deal Posted: 12 Jul 2022 02:22 PM PDT Twitter is suing Elon Musk to force the Tesla and SpaceX CEO to complete his $44 billion acquisition of the social media company. The New York Times reports Twitter filed a complaint on Tuesday with the Chancery Court in Delaware alleging the billionaire wrongfully broke his agreement to purchase the platform. In April, Musk announced he was willing to buy Twitter for $54.20 per share, a proposal Twitter accepted less than two weeks later. Since then, the two have gone back and forth in a highly public spat over the number of fake accounts on Twitter.  It all started in May when Musk said the deal was "temporarily on hold" while his team worked to confirm bots represented less than five percent of Twitter's total userbase as the company has consistently claimed. Less than a month later, Musk threatened to back out of the agreement, accusing Twitter of committing a "material breach" of their agreement by refusing to disclose enough information about the problem.  Oh the irony lol — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 12, 2022 Twitter responded by giving Musk full access to its "firehose" of internal data, a move that apparently did little to appease the billionaire since on July 8th he told the Securities and Exchange Commission he wanted to terminate the takeover over "false and misleading representations" made by Twitter. All of that brings us to today.  "Having mounted a public spectacle to put Twitter in play, and having proposed and then signed a seller-friendly merger agreement, Musk apparently believes that he — unlike every other party subject to Delaware contract law — is free to change his mind, trash the company, disrupt its operations, destroy stockholder value, and walk way," Twitter said in its filing.  Pointing to the issue of fake accounts, Twitter alleges Musk didn't ask the company to share any estimates before he announced his bid. "Musk made his offer without seeking any representation from Twitter regarding its estimates of spam or false accounts," the company says in its legal briefing. "He even sweetened his offer to the Twitter board by expressly withdrawing his prior diligence condition."  I've read a lot of legal filings and I've never seen one with a 💩 (or tweet screenshots, now that i think about it) pic.twitter.com/noaQdrZjIW — Karissa Bell (@karissabe) July 12, 2022 "Musk propounded these unreasonable requests and touted his contrived narrative about Twitter's methodologies, all without ever identifying a basis for questioning the veracity of Twitter's methodologies or the accuracy of its SEC disclosures," the company later adds. Elsewhere, Twitter points to Musk's multiple attempts to disparage the company, including his now-infamous poop emoji response to a thread where CEO Parag Agrawal said he was "prepared for all scenarios."  Another significant part of the lawsuit details Musk's alleged attempts to derail Twitter's efforts to retain its best employees amid declining morale at the company. Twitter claims Musk has prevented it from implementing employee retention programs and said that departures have "been on the upswing since the signing of the merger agreement."  Now that Twitter has sued, it sets the stage for Musk to respond with a countersuit. When that might happen is unclear. It's also difficult to predict how a case between the two parties could unfold. If the suit moves to a trial, a judge will need to decide if Twitter did not disclose enough information to Musk. As The New York Times points out, the Delaware Chancery Court has forced companies in the past to complete deals. Either way, the lawsuit could take months to resolve.

Rivian CEO tells staff the company is carrying out a 'major' cost-cutting effort Posted: 12 Jul 2022 02:20 PM PDT Electric vehicle maker Rivian is planning a "major" cost-cutting drive and will be "as thoughtful as possible as we consider any reductions," CEO RJ Scaringe wrote in a memo to employees. Scaringe sent the note in response to reports that Rivian is planning up to 700 or so layoffs, primarily among non-engineering teams. "This is not how we intended for you to hear about this," he wrote. "We had hoped these very sensitive and complex conversations would have stayed within Rivian until we could address them more comprehensively." Scaringe will share more information during an all-hands meeting scheduled for this Friday. Rivian is pausing certain non-manufacturing hires, Scaringe wrote, while the company is "adopting major cost down efforts" to reduce its outlay on materials and operating expenses. "We will always be focused on growth, however, Rivian is not immune to the current economic circumstances and we need to make sure we can grow sustainably," Scaringe told employees in the memo, which was first reported by Bloomberg. He added that the company is "financially well positioned and our outlook remains strong" Scaringe added that Rivian will prioritize some programs and halt some others as it restructures certain aspects of the business. Earlier this year, Rivian said it would focus on a few areas for the time being. For one thing, the company is focused on increasing production of its R1T, R1S and electric delivery van, as TechCrunch notes. Other priorities include building out EV charging and service infrastructure, speeding up development of the next-generation R2 platform and finding more efficiencies for costs and operating expenses. The company has nearly doubled its headcount over the last year to more than 14,000 employees, but it has been beset by problems, such as the supply chain crisis and the state of the economy. It has also delayed deliveries of the R1S SUV several times. While Rivian expects to eventually build around 600,000 vehicles a year between its existing factory in Normal, Illinois and a plant that's expected to open in Georgia in 2024, the company forecasts that it will build 25,000 EVs this year. As of earlier this month, Rivian had a backlog of 71,000 EV orders. It also has a contract to build 100,000 delivery vehicles for Amazon by the end of the decade. Right now, though, the company seemingly isn't able to keep up with demand. A Rivian spokesperson shared the full memo with Engadget: Hi Team, I'd like to address the news reports that are circulating about restructuring at Rivian. The reports speculate broadly on many intricate internal discussions about our business so I wanted to offer more clarity. As discussed in recent all hands meetings, we've been working to focus our business in order to stay ahead of the changing economic landscape. We are financially well positioned and our outlook remains strong, but to fully realize our objectives it is critical that our strategy supports our sustainable growth as we ramp towards profitability. Earlier this year, we outlined our core strategic priorities for the next 18 months: 1) Ramping and enhancing R1 and EDV 2) Accelerating R2 development 3) Continuing to ramp our go-to-market capabilities, including our charging and service infrastructure 4) Optimizing costs and operating expenses across the business As a result, we've implemented changes across Rivian, including prioritizing certain programs (and stopping some), halting certain non-manufacturing hiring and adopting major cost down efforts to reduce material spend and operating expenses. We also began the process of aligning the organization as a whole to ensure we are as focused, nimble and efficient as possible to achieve our priorities and objectives. The hardest part of this process has been working through our organization to assess the size and structure of our teams and how well this aligns with our strategic plan. Our team is the core of Rivian and we are working to be as thoughtful as possible as we consider any reductions. We will always be focused on growth, however, Rivian is not immune to the current economic circumstances and we need to make sure we can grow sustainably. Every decision about our team is being assessed through the lens of our strategic priorities, not as a mechanism to simply reduce costs. Our team will continue to grow in support of our production ramp and product roadmap. This is not how we intended for you to hear about this. We had hoped these very sensitive and complex conversations would have stayed within Rivian until we could address them more comprehensively. However, because information is coming out unofficially, I wanted to personally address it. I'll be sharing more this Friday at our scheduled All-Hands meeting. Thank you everyone. RJ

iOS 16 beta preview: A fun, useful and promising update Posted: 12 Jul 2022 01:49 PM PDT The iOS 16 public beta is here, which means you can get a taste of Apple's upcoming mobile software before its stable release. As we saw at WWDC in June, the iPhone is slated to get a whole new lock screen, edit and send options in iMessage, improved dictation, a Medication tracker, new sharing features and more. iOS 16 is shaping up to be a beefier update than years past, and you might (understandably) be itching to test it out. As always, I have to remind you that installing any beta software comes with risks. Some of your favorite apps might stop working, or worse, your phone might be completely bricked. If you're still set on running the beta, please make sure to back up your data. You can access the preview by enrolling on Apple's website, which will push a download option to your phone's Software Update section. Just as with the iOS 15 public beta last year, basically all the features announced at WWDC are ready for testing. The only things missing would require developers to make some changes, like integrating an API for the new live activity update box on the lock screen. And the redesigned CarPlay, won't be available until next year. I can't get into every single change, and will save my more complete evaluations for our full review when iOS 16 is officially released. Screenshots New lock screens are a visual refresh Once my phone restarted after installing the beta, the change was obvious. Instead of the clock and list of notifications my eyes had grown tired of, there was a box at the bottom of the page telling me the software had updated. The clock font was a thicker, blockier style, which I immediately wanted to change. I long-pressed the wallpaper, but that brought up the page for me to enter my passcode. I found a bug where I couldn't access the editor or switch pages until I set up Face ID. Basically, you can't tweak or change lock screens without logging into your phone, but when you enter your passcode, the system takes you straight to your home page, bypassing the lock screen altogether. Face ID allows your iPhone to stay on the page after having unlocked your phone. Once I got into the Lock Screen creator, I could choose from eight styles and two colors for the clock, as well as add up to five widgets across two boxes at the top of the page. I picked the weather, air quality and UV index widgets, and then added two more profiles with different wallpapers featuring my favorite photos (you can also choose your preferred emoji, people or color). There's also options based on the weather or "Astronomy," which uses your position to show where you are on a globe. It can also display the moon or solar system. Each page can be linked to a Focus mode, though there must always be a default lock screen that isn't tied to anything. Speaking of, Apple also added Focus filters to let you have finer control over what you want to interact with in certain modes. You can choose which tab groups appear in Safari with your Work profile and pick a different calendar to see when set to Play. iOS 16 also offers Allow and Silence lists when you're setting up your Focus modes, and will provide suggestions around Lock Screen content that would be relevant to each profile. Screenshots The revamped Lock Screen also features a new "live activity box" at the bottom. The idea is that when you're following a sporting match or recording an interview for example, you can stay updated without having to leave the app open. Developers need to integrate the new API for this to work. Right now, it works with Spotify and Apple's timer app, making it easy to pause or skip ahead in my music and cancel my countdowns. Messages gets better One of the most useful changes coming with iOS 16 is the ability to edit and unsend chats in iMessage. For now, this works best with people who are also using the public beta — anyone on iOS 15 will see a second message that says "Edited to" followed by your new words. Just like what people on Android used to see when iPhone users used emoji reactions on texts. You'll have 15 minutes after sending a message to access the options for "Undo Send" or "Edit." When you rescind a message, by the way, your friend will see an alert saying "[friend's name] unsent a message." Texts that had been updated have the word "Edited" next to the read receipt below the bubble. Screenshots Apple also updated the dictation experience. Now, when you tap the microphone on the iPhone's keyboard, the QWERTY setup stays in place instead of being taken over by a waveform animation. A small tab with a microphone icon appears over the input field when you're not speaking, so you know dictation is still enabled. You can tap mistakes in the box and continue dictating to fix them, which is similar to what Google did with its updated voice engine on the Pixel 6. Unlike on Android, though, iOS 16 doesn't allow you to speak commands like "Send" or "Delete all". This dictation interface didn't appear when I was typing in the App Store's search bar, though, so despite this being a systemwide feature, it still appears to be missing in places. Visual Lookup is the most fun Of all the updates the iOS 16 beta brings, my favorite has to be in visual lookup. Or, as I prefer to call it, the quicker-sticker-maker. Basically, you can long-press a subject in any picture in the Photos app and copy it without the background and paste it somewhere else. I was impressed with how accurately the system picked out subjects, whether it was a coworker smizing against a blue sky, or a model in a flowing dress in front of a building. Sadly, it doesn't work on things in the background — I couldn't get it to highlight a dog behind its owner. Screenshots When you paste your selection into a Message field, it's automatically sent as a cutout with a transparent background — i.e. a sticker. But often, the system would think I was trying to send a picture and add a black background, which took away from the effect. This is a known bug, though, so it shouldn't be happening by the time iOS 16 is ready for its stable release. Apple also added video support for Live Text, which scans images for text and picks them out so you can interact with them. This will work in the Photos app, as well as anything that uses the iOS player, which includes fullscreen videos from articles on the web. Third-party services with custom controls won't automatically support this, but developers can integrate the ability if they wish. Medications and health features still need work I was looking forward to seeing the new Medications feature in the Health app and, satisfyingly, it's straightforward and intuitive. I easily found my daily pill, and Apple offers US users the option to scan their packaging label. The database is still somewhat sparse, and I couldn't find the specific brand and dosage of Vitamin B12 that I take every day, but I imagine as more people use this and plug their own pills in, there will be more entries soon. While it's helpful that you can choose frequency intervals like daily, alternate days, specific days of the week and more, I wish there were a way to choose an end date. You can set a specific day to start your meds, but for short-term situations like a course of antibiotics, for example, you'll have to manually delete the entry after you're done. Screenshots The most intriguing aspect of Medications is that if you enter substances that have risky interactions, the system should flag it for you. This isn't limited to drugs — Apple also prompts you to add whether you consume alcohol, marijuana or tobacco. Through this, I found out that my birth control might increase the effects of marijuana, and the Health app labeled this as a Moderate drug interaction. I'm allergic to a few different drugs, including some major antibiotics, and I've listed this information in my medical ID in the Health app in case of an emergency. When I added one of the antibiotics in Medications, I wasn't alerted about it. Granted, the information in the medical ID is simply a list of words as opposed to a piece of data Apple can use to match against other information. And I probably wouldn't encounter a situation where I'm dispensed medication that contains something I'm deathly allergic to. But it would be nice to see Apple think about how to approach situations like this. Concerns about medical privacy are at an all-time high and I almost didn't want to list my birth control in Medications, though I do feel that Apple's privacy policy is one of the better ones around. Still, if there was a way for this information to be hidden behind a passcode, I would feel a bit better. Sharing, accessibility and a long list of other updates I've barely covered the list of changes iOS 16 will bring, but we've covered what will have the biggest impact on your daily experience. If you frequently collaborate with others, the new Safari group tabs can be helpful. I created a group and shared it with fellow deputy editor Nate Ingraham as we tested the new software. I had the Engadget home page and Apple's iOS summary open, and the next day he had added some other reference pages, but he also noticed I had been looking up the cast of Ms. Marvel. Sharing photos with your friends and family is also easier if they're using iOS. You can create a shared photo album and images added will be synced with all members. Family Sharing has also been updated to make child accounts easier to set up, and your kids can send you Screen Time requests through Messages (and you can approve or decline from the chat, too). Screenshots I didn't have time to check out some of the other new features like the assistive Door Detection tool or Sound Recognition. But I did try Live Captions, which provides subtitles for audio playing through all apps on your phone. Though Apple's version is occasionally inaccurate and slightly slow compared to Android, I appreciate that I can tap the box on iOS and choose to pause Live Captions or tap the microphone icon to switch to transcribing sounds in my surroundings. I can also minimize the Live Captions box on iOS, leaving only a floating circle on the screen that stays out of the way till I need subtitles again. Apple also added a new Safety Check tool that "allows you to disconnect from people, apps and devices you no longer want to be connected to." You can review the people and apps that have access to your location, photos, calendar or contacts and revoke permissions, or choose nuclear options like "Emergency Reset" or "Select All and Stop Sharing." Changing these options requires you to sign in, either with a passcode or by Face ID. There's also a new Lockdown Mode that the company announced earlier this month, which is "an extreme, optional protection" for those who "believe you may be personally targeted by a highly sophisticated cyberattack." I've been enjoying the iOS 16 public beta, and though I still hesitate to recommend installing beta software, most people who aren't risk-averse will enjoy the updates. If you're worried about stability and losing your data, you can always wait till the final release (typically in the fall) to get the new features.

Medium founder and CEO Ev Williams is stepping down Posted: 12 Jul 2022 01:32 PM PDT Twitter co-founder Evan Williams is stepping as CEO of Medium. Williams announced the decision on Tuesday. Writing on Medium (where else?), he said he's handing the company over to Tony Stubblebine, the CEO of Coach.me. Stubblebine may not be a household name, but the two have a long history together. Before Williams went on to create Twitter with Jack Dorsey and a few others, he and Stubblebine worked at Odeo, the podcasting startup Williams founded in 2005 with Noah Glass. "Tony is a builder, a writer, an open-minded thinker, and a keen businessperson," Williams wrote of his replacement. "I'm confident Medium will benefit greatly from his vision, integrity, energy, and pragmatic leadership." Williams will continue to advise Medium as the chairman of the company's board of directors. "To be clear, Medium's story is far from over," he said. "The team today is probably the most capable I've seen at this company. I'm excited to see what they do." As for what's next for the serial entrepreneur known as "Ev" to many of his peers, he plans to spend the immediate future "learning as much as I can about things I don't know a lot about." To that end, Williams says he will start a new holding company or research lab. In handing over the operations of Medium to someone else, Williams leaves the company fighting to stay relevant. In a 2014 interview with The New York Times, he promised his startup would change the web. "Right now, the internet rewards speed and quantity, and we wanted to make a place where quality matters," he told the outlet.  And for a time, it did feel like Medium had managed to create a place where thoughtful people could post smart writing. However, between a series of strategic missteps involving the company's business model and the emergence of competitors like Substack, Medium doesn't feel as essential as it once did. And it now falls on Stubblebine to chart a course forward for the company.

YouTube restores Lofi Girl account after false copyright claims Posted: 12 Jul 2022 01:21 PM PDT A much-loved YouTube account featuring calm hip-hop beats is back online today, after two popular radio live streams (the oldest of which has been playing non-stop for two years) got yanked from the platform due to bogus copyright claims. In a tweet, the owner of the Lofi Girl channel — which has been streaming relaxing ambient music since 2017 — announced that the streams have relaunched after a nearly 48-hour hiatus.  The origin of the DMCA claims came from FMC Music, a Malaysian record label. After receiving a counterclaim from the creators of Lofi Girl, YouTube manually reviewed FMC's complaint and came to the conclusion that the record label had no ownership over the music. "Confirmed the takedown requests were abusive & terminated the claimants account 😔 we've resolved the strikes + reinstated your vids – it can sometimes take 24-48 hours for everything to be back to normal! so sorry this happened & thx for your patience as we sorted it out," wrote YouTube on Twitter, in response to Lofi Girl's request on Monday that the streams be reinstated. The lofi radios are back! 🎶 Tune in now and say hi in the chat → https://t.co/zVocn5oqiR — Lofi Girl (@lofigirl) July 12, 2022 But FMC Music is alleging that it is also a victim in this affair. A spokesperson from the label told local news site Malaysiakini that hackers broke into its YouTube account to file the copyright infringement claim. The record label said that it reported the incident to Google. Its YouTube account has since returned back online. The relatively unknown record label was hit hard with online abuse over the weekend, as fans of Lofi Girl flocked to its social media channels and demanded to know why it filed the fake claim. Most of Lofi Girl's largely Gen-Z and younger Millennial fanbase rely on the music to study, relax or meditate. In an ironic twist, Lofi Girl also has a considerable Malaysian fanbase, who were also quite unhappy about the channel's removal. In a Reddit thread on r/Malaysia entitled, "Who the hell is FMC Music Sdn Bhd Malaysia and why did they copywrite strike lofi girl?", a despondent fan urged others to "make some noise" on the record label's socials. "For context, I was studying while listening to lofi girl before both of their streams got taken down by a certain FMC Music Sdn Bhd Malaysia. Now their livestreams can't be accessed in Malaysia. What gives them the right to take down the best channel on youtube," wrote the user. Malicious copyright strikes are hardly a new incident on YouTube. Game creater Bungie decided to take one creator to court after they allegedly filed nearly 100 fake copyright claims. Lofi Girl noted that an accidental takedown in 2020 also took the account offline, and called for a stronger vetting process for DMCA claims at YouTube. "This event has shone a light on an underlying problem on the platform: It's 2022, and there are countless smaller creators out there, many of which engaged in this discussion, that continue to be hit daily by these false claims on both videos and livestreams," Lofi Girl wrote in a tweet.

iPadOS 16 preview: Apple's software is catching up with its hardware Posted: 12 Jul 2022 12:30 PM PDT When Apple put its M1 processor in the 2021 iPad Pro and iPad Air, I couldn't help but wonder what all that power was for. The A-series chips that Apple had used in earlier models ran iPadOS extremely well, so seeing the same processor found in computers like the MacBook Air and Mac Mini was a surprise. With iPadOS 16, which I've been testing in beta for the last few weeks, it's now obvious why Apple put the M1 in its latest iPads. It enables some significant new features around multitasking that make the iPad a lot more flexible, and it enables some entirely new workflows: things that iPad power users have been requesting for years. Apple calls this new multitasking scheme Stage Manager. And even though Stage Manager will only work on the three M1-powered iPad models, it's easily the most significant change to iPadOS in years, as well as the most notable feature that's currently available in the iPadOS 16 beta. As usual, a host of features that Apple announced at WWDC last month aren't yet fully enabled in the beta software. Resizable, overlapping app windows is the most immediately obvious benefit that Stage Manager offers, but Vivek Bhardwaj from Worldwide Product Marketing at Apple told Engadget in an interview that the company looks at Stage Manager as far more than, in his words, "a little iteration on multitasking." The broader goal was to figure out how to make apps more capable on the iPad. "When we took a step back, we realized that there's an opportunity for us to have apps running not just on iPad but on an external display, to be able to multitask with multiple apps, and have arrangements and flexibility like users have never had before," Bhardwaj said. Despite the bugs that I've encountered running iPadOS 16 on a 2021 iPad Pro (more on that later), Bhardwaj's assessment feels accurate. Stage Manager makes the iPad feel much closer to a Mac than it ever has before while still retaining the simplicity that the iPad is known for. That shows up in some limitations — you can have at most four apps "on stage" at once, so you can't stack as many windows and apps as you want. But it's a reasonable limitation: Even on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, having more than three apps running on a single stage can feel cramped. But because iPadOS keeps four more recent stages on the left (each of which can also hold up to four apps), it's easier than ever to jump between a host of different apps. For example, I'm writing this story in a Pages document, with a Notes instance running next to it. I have Slack and Messages running in a communication-focused stage, a few Safari windows, and my email readily accessible via the left-side recent apps view. I can also get to any app in my dock with one tap or use Spotlight to search for any app on my iPad if I need something that isn't readily available. There's definitely a learning curve here, but it's undoubtedly a more powerful and flexible way to use an iPad than we've ever had before. It's significant that Apple is giving iPad users complexity and customization at the expense of simplicity, something the company usually avoids. This is doubly true when you hook up an iPad to an external display. Before, you'd just get a mirror image of what is on your iPad's screen, but now the external display is an entirely separate workspace. With Stage Manager, you can have a distinct set of apps running on that monitor, something that makes using an iPad with another display significantly more useful than it ever was before — and another example of why Stage Manager requires an M1-powered iPad. That said, in its unfinished form, Stage Manager is a bit rough around the edges. When I was using my iPad with an external display, the system crashed and threw me back to the home screen not infrequently, which obviously kills productivity gains. There are also quirks with apps behaving unpredictably when resizing their windows. I'd expect these things to be improved by the time iPadOS 16 is officially released this fall, but just be aware that the beta still feels very much like a beta. Stage Manager, which is also coming to macOS Ventura, provides a clear example of how Apple differentiates its platforms even when they share features. "On the iPad, we looked at how do we optimize [Stage Manager] for multitouch?" Bhardwaj said. "Because we know people are going to want to interact with it, we had to make adjusting windows and overlapping windows not feel overwhelming, not feel like you have to have fine cursor control and pixel-perfect arrangement." That led to a lot of automation in terms of how windows interact with each other and where they're placed when you add apps to a stage or resize them. On the Mac, though, the behavior is different because of the user's expectations for the platform and the tools you use to interact with it — specifically, a mouse rather than your fingers. "People actually need fine-grained control because that's the behavior and usage of Mac," Bhardwaj said. Before Apple showed off Stage Manager at WWDC, the rest of the iPadOS 16 preview was dominated by new collaboration features. In a world that's been remade by the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work is more common than ever, and Apple is clearly trying to make the iPad even more of a productivity tool than before. And it's doing so by using its incredibly popular Messages app as an entry point. Apple's new collaboration API means that you can share things like a Pages, Numbers or Keynote document with a group via Messages, and the recipients will be able to all work on the document in real time. Previously, this would just send a copy of the document, but now everyone in your group will be able to make changes, with updates tracked in the Messages thread. You can also jump directly from a document into a FaceTime call with your group. "Communication often is the first place where we start ideation," Bhardwaj said. "When you look at Messages or FaceTime, our customers have been using them for a long time; it's such an integral part of the way our sets speak to family, friends, teammates, colleagues." Google and Microsoft have had real-time collaboration for years, and it's not new to Apple's iWork suite either. What is new is the deep integration with Messages and FaceTime. That likely won't be enough to draw in users who are already committed to using Google Docs or Microsoft Office, but Apple's new collaboration features aren't limited to just those apps. For example, you can share a group of tabs from Safari, or share content from Notes and Reminders. And Apple is also extending SharePlay, which it introduced last year as a way to watch videos or listen to music with friends, to Messages as well. Additionally, you can now use SharePlay with games, so you compete with a friend over FaceTime. Perhaps most importantly, though, Apple is making a Collaboration API available to third-party developers. Offering a more seamless way to collaborate using Messages, one of the most crucial apps Apple offers, could be an important new tool. "For developers, they want to meet the user where they're at, where the conversation is happening," said Bhardwaj. "For many people, that's in apps like Messages and FaceTime. So this is exciting for a developer because a conversation that was organically already happening can now be a great jumping-off point into their app." We won't know if this happens until after iPadOS 16 is out, of course, but the ubiquity of Messages on Apple's hardware make it a logical tool for developers to support. Freeform, a new app that unfortunately isn't available in the iPadOS 16 beta, is perhaps the best example of how Apple sees communication and collaboration intersecting. From a FaceTime call, you can create a new Freeform board, which is a space that everyone you invite can contribute to, whether that's adding text, web links, documents or notes and drawings made with an Apple Pencil. Each contributor is highlighted as they add things to the space, and you can tap on someone's name from the share menu to see exactly what they're up to. Adding more material is simply a matter of zooming out and picking a free space. Apple The easy comparison is that it's a virtual marker board — not at all something meant for formal presentation, but a good place to brainstorm. While Freeform will also be available on iPhones and Macs, it feels uniquely suited to the iPad. It looks like it'll be most easily navigated via a large touch screen, and Apple Pencil users will likely find it a good place to use their stylus. Naturally, there's a host of new features in iPadOS 16 that are shared with macOS Ventura and iOS 16. The Mail app now supports scheduling emails, undoing send and a much-improved search interface, while the Messages app lets you edit and undo sending as well. The Photos app now includes a shared photo library, with new pictures and edits automatically syncing between family members. And there's an official Weather app, some 12 years after Apple shipped its first iPad! (Joking aside, the Weather app is really nice, with tappable modules that show lots of detail on various conditions.) In a lot of ways, it's a typical iPadOS update: There are a host of new features, most of which are nice to have but won't fundamentally change the way you use an iPad. But, the combination of features like Stage Manager, Freeform and the new collaboration tools point to how Apple intends to make the iPad more suited to productivity than it has been before. We'll have to wait until iPadOS 16 is finalized and released this fall to judge how successful this update is. But after feeling like iPad hardware was outpacing what its software could do, we're glad to see Apple making some big changes to iPadOS this year.

The best Amazon Prime Day deals under $50 Posted: 12 Jul 2022 12:10 PM PDT You're not wrong to look for big-ticket gadgets to go on sale during Amazon Prime Day. Plenty of popular devices are down to record-low prices, and you should grab them before their prices go back up after Prime Day ends. But maybe you're on the hunt for even more affordable things, or useful accessories that won't cost you an arm and a leg even when discounted. Those things do exist, so, to help you avoid endless sifting through cheap deals, we collected the best Prime Day tech deals under $50 here. Echo Dot The Echo Dot is on sale for $20 while the Echo Dot with Clock is down to $33. We like these tiny smart speakers for their good audio quality, compact design and tap-to-snooze feature. Buy Echo Dot at Amazon - $20Buy Echo Dot with Clock at Amazon - $33 Echo Show 5 The Echo Show 5 has dropped to $35, or $50 off its usual price. If you want a smart alarm clock, this is the smart display to get. We like its sharp 5-inch display, ambient light sensor, smart home controls and tap-to-snooze feature. Buy Echo Show 5 at Amazon - $35 Kindle Amazon's standard Kindle has dropped to $45, which is half off its normal price. We gave this e-reader a score of 91 for its improved contrast display, extra front lights and sleeker design. Buy Kindle at Amazon - $45 Fire HD 8 The Fire HD 8 tablet is half off and down to $45. We gave it a score of 81 for its decent performance, good battery life, wireless charging capabilities and USB-C port. Buy Fire HD 8 at Amazon - $45 Fire TV Stick Lite You can pick up Amazon's most affordable streamer, the Fire TV Stick Lite, for only $12 right now. It supports 1080p streaming and gives you access to some of the most popular services like Netlfix and Disney+. Buy Fire TV Stick Lite at Amazon - $12 Fire TV Stick The standard Fire TV Stick is on sale for $17. It supports 1080p streaming with Dolby Atmos and it comes with an Alexa Voice Remote that has power and volume buttons on it. Buy Fire TV Stick at Amazon - $17 Fire TV Stick 4K The Fire TV Stick 4K is on sale for $25 for Prime Day. This one supports 4K streaming with Dolby Vision along with Dolby Atmos audio and Amazon's Fire TV OS. Buy Fire TV Stick 4K at Amazon - $25 Fire TV Stick 4K Max The higher-end Fire TV Stick 4K Max has dropped to $35, which is $20 less than usual. On top of all of the features in the standard Fire TV Stick 4K, the Max version also supports WiFi 6 and live picture-in-picture viewing. Buy Fire TV Stick 4K Max at Amazon - $35 Chromecast with Google TV The Chromecast with Google TV is down to $40 right now. We gave it a score of 86 for its handy remote control, good Google Assistant integration and 4K streaming chops with Dolby Vision and Atmos support. Buy Chromecast with Google TV at Amazon - $40 Roku Express Roku's Express streaming dongle has dropped to $18. Like Amazon's own budget streaming devices, the Express doesn't have a ton of fancy features, but it does support HD content and it comes with a high-speed HDMI cable. The Express 4K+ streamer is also on sale for $25. Buy Roku Express at Amazon - $18Buy Roku Express 4K+ at Amazon - $25 Roku Streaming Stick 4K The latest Roku Streaming Stick 4K is on sale for $30. It builds upon the technology in the Streaming Stick+, supporting 4K HDR10+ content, Dolby Vision, long-range WiFi, voice search and TV controls with the included remote. Buy Roku Streaming Stick 4K at Amazon - $30 AirTags You can grab an AirTag for $27.50 right now at Amazon, or you can head over to Woot and get one for $25 or a pack of four for $85. These tiny trackers sync with the Find My app on iOS to help you keep track of your keys, bags and other belongings. Just make sure you pick up a holder so you can actually attach the gadget to your stuff. Buy AirTag at Amazon - $27.50Buy AirTag at Woot starting at $25 Tile trackers Tile trackers are up to 30 percent off for Prime Day and you have a few different designs to choose from. The standard Tile Mate is down to $180, the Tile Slim is on sale for $24 and the Tile Sticker is down to $21. These Bluetooth chips help you keep track of your things digitally and they can lead you to your lost items by emitting a chime. Shop Tile devices at Amazon Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+ Samsung You can pick up a Galaxy SmartTag+ for only $30 right now, or $10 off its usual price. This is Samsung's answer to Apple's AirTags, and it lets you keep track of items via your smartphone. If you're close enough to your lost stuff, you can even follow directions on your smartphone that will lead you back to it. Buy Galaxy SmartTag+ at Amazon - $30 Samsung Pro Plus microSD card Samsung's Pro Plus microSD card in 128GB is half off and down to only $18 for Prime Day. It also comes with an adapter, so you can use it with more types of devices. You'll get read/write speeds of up to 160MB/s and 120MB/s, respectively, and a card that's temperature, magnet- and drop-resistant. Buy Samsung Pro Plus microSD card (128GB) at Amazon - $18 SanDisk Dual Drive Go SanDisk's Dual Drive Go is on sale for $50 right now, or 32 percent less than usual. It's a more modern version of a thumb drive featuring a swivel design with a USB-A connector on one end and a USB-C dongle on the other. We like its sleek, portable design, its 150MB/s read speeds and the fact that you'll be able to use it with almost any device. Buy Dual Drive Go (512GB) at Amazon - $50 Jabra Elite 3 Jabra's excellent Elite 3 earbuds have dropped to $50, or $30 off their normal rate. These already affordable buds earned a score of 88 from us for their impressive sound quality, good battery life, reliable touch controls and comfortable fit. Buy Elite 3 at Amazon - $50 Jabra Elite 45h Jabra's Elite 45h headphones are half off and down to $50. We like these cans for their solid sound quality, voice assistant access, compact design and 50-hour battery life. Buy Jabra Elite 45h at Amazon - $50 Sony SRS-XB13 Sony's compact SRS-XB13 Bluetooth speaker is down to just $48, which is nearly half off its regular price. Not only does it come in a bunch of fun colors, but this tiny speaker also has a waterproof IP67 rated design, punchy bass and a 16-hour battery life. Buy SRS-XB13 speaker at Amazon - $48 Razer Anzu smart glasses Razer's Anzu smart glasses have returned to an all-time-low price of $50 for Prime Day. We gave them a score of 74 for their blue-light filtering lenses, decent battery life and convenient hands-free audio. Buy Anzu smart glasses at Amazon - $50 TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug TP-Link A four-pack of Kasa smart plugs is 24 percent off and down to only $23 for Prime Day. You can plug in any "dumb" appliance to these attachments to make them a bit smarter, enabling you to control them from your phone, set usage schedules and more. Buy Kasa smart plug (4 pack) at Amazon - $23 Amazon Smart Plug Along with a bunch of other Amazon smart home gadgets, the company's smart plug is $12 off and down to $13. You can plug almost any "dumb" appliance into this accessory to make it a smart one that can be controlled via a companion app and with Alexa voice commands. Buy smart plug at Amazon - $13 Amazon smart thermostat Amazon's smart thermostat is on sale for $42 right now. This affordable IoT gadget lets you control your home's temperature from anywhere and it can be adjusted via Alexa commands. Buy smart thermostat at Amazon - $42 Blink Mini The Blink Mini has been discounted to only $30 for Prime Day, and you can get two of them for the price of one as well. This camera needs to be plugged in, but we like its compact design, 1080p recording, motion alerts and two-way audio. Buy Blink Mini at Amazon - $30Buy Blink Mini (2 pack) at Amazon - $30 Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

Scammers are blackmailing restaurants across the US with one-star Google reviews Posted: 12 Jul 2022 12:06 PM PDT For the past week, a handful of high-profile and Michelin-starred restaurants from San Francisco to New York City have been targeted in an extortion campaign weaponizing Google reviews. It appears to be a coordinated effort: The restaurants receive a barrage of one-star reviews on Google — you know, the ratings that show up when you search for anything on Maps — and then the owners receive an apologetic email asking for a $75 Google Play gift card in order to stop the digital bombing. Kim Alter is chef and owner of Nightbird, a fine dining restaurant in San Francisco that was hit by this campaign. On July 5th, she shared an email she received from the extortionists after her restaurant was inundated with negative reviews. The email read as follows: "Hello. Unfortunately, negative feedback about your establishment has been left by us. And will appear in the future, one review a day. We sincerely apologize for our actions, and would not want to harm your business, but we have no other choice. The fact is that we live in India and see no other way to survive. We are begging you to send us google play gift card worth $75." The message then offered a link to buy the gift card on PayPal and an email address to receive the code. It concluded with another apology. Hey @Google you think you could help small businesses in SF being blackmailed and giving 1* reviews to @acquerellosf@3rdcousinsf@sonsdaughterssf#marlena#birdsong@chezpimpic.twitter.com/nw3AXtYxDp — Kim Alter (@KimAlter1) July 5, 2022 Alter shared the email on Twitter and tagged Google, asking for the company's help in removing scam-related reviews. She tagged a handful of other acclaimed SF-based restaurants that were experiencing the same review bombing, including Sons & Daughters, Acquerello, 3rd Cousin, Marlena, Birdsong and Nari. But this wasn't just a West coast thing — high-profile restaurants across the country received the same threats and negative reviews this past week, including Ever, Roux, EL Ideas and Sochi Saigonese Kitchen in Chicago. A Google Maps spokesperson told The New York Times on Monday that the company was investigating the issue and removing reviews from people who didn't actually visit these establishments. The Google Maps team explained in February how it used machine learning and live moderation to identify and stop review bombing, writing, "Our systems continue to analyze the contributed content and watch for questionable patterns. These patterns can be anything from a group of people leaving reviews on the same cluster of Business Profiles to a business or place receiving an unusually high number of 1 or 5-star reviews over a short period of time." This particular extortion campaign seems to fall in that final category, with restaurants receiving a bunch of one-star reviews at once, but owners like Alter had to take the issue to social media to get help from Google. One week after Alter's tweet, it looks like the scam-related one-star reviews have been purged from the affected restaurants' profiles — for now.

You can now play 'Doom' inside 'Doom II' Posted: 12 Jul 2022 11:52 AM PDT Doom is playable on just about anything, from a DJ controller and Canon printer to an ATM and Minecraft. YouTuber kgsws took the Inception route, though. They put a playable version of Doom inside Doom II. They used an exploit in the DOS version of Doom II, as Gizmodo notes. The modder, who explains the process in a 15-minute YouTube video, was able to get a modern port of Doom (Chocolate Doom, which uses the original source code) running inside Doom II as an animated texture. The original game is projected on a virtual display in a custom Doom II map that kgsws created. They built more maps that showcase the pioneering first-person shooter, including having the same instance of Doom running on four walls surrounding the player and a cinema screen that's projecting the game. Additionally, kgsws showed off Heretic running inside of Doom. You can try the hack for yourself, as kgsws shared the code on GitHub. You can snap up a DOS version of Doom II from Steam. You might need a reasonably beefy gaming PC to run Doom inside Doom II, though. "Both games are running independently of each other," kgsws explains. "That means you need double the memory. I would recommend you to get at least 16MB of RAM."

Amazon is finally bringing its smart shopping cart to Whole Foods Posted: 12 Jul 2022 11:28 AM PDT Amazon has announced a new version of its smart shopping cart. The new Dash Cart can transport more groceries and includes new features. Amazon says the latest version can carry four grocery bags, up from two previously, and has dedicated shelves for delicate and oversized items. The latest version is also weather-resistant so you can take it to your car. As before, the cart will automatically weigh produce and keep a real-time tally of all the food you buy. Amazon has tweaked the software on the touchscreen to display images of nearby fresh fruit and produce. The company's software will now also do a better job of keeping track of where the cart is in stores and notifying you of deals. Lastly, the latest version has a bigger battery, which should translate into the new Dash Cart being more frequently available for customers to use. Speaking of availability, Amazon is finally bringing the Dash Cart to Whole Foods, starting with the chain's Westford, Massachusetts location and expanding to "a few additional" stores in the coming months. Previously, Dash Carts were only available at the company's Amazon Fresh grocery stores, of which there are only about two dozen locations in the US at the moment. Once Dash Carts arrive at your local Whole Foods, you can start using them by scanning the QR code you find on each one in the Amazon or Whole Foods Market apps. As you find items you want to buy, you scan them with one of the cameras near the cart's handlebar. Once you're done shopping, you exit the store through the dedicated Dash Cart lane. Amazon will automatically bill the credit card associated with your account, and you'll get an emailed receipt after leaving the store.

The best robot vacuum and smart home deals you can get for Amazon Prime Day Posted: 12 Jul 2022 11:15 AM PDT Upgrading your home with the latest tech can be expensive, but Amazon Prime Day is an opportunity to do so for a lot less. Be it robot vacuums or smart bulbs, there are a whole lot of IoT and kitchen devices on sale today. Even some of our favorites from iRobot, Shark and Google have been discounted. Not all of the sales are actually worth your money, so we've done the hard work of narrowing that list down to the best deals available. Ecobee Smart Thermostat Ecobee Smart Thermostat Ecobee One of our favorite smart thermostats is this one from Ecobee, so we're glad that it's on sale today for $178 ($71 off its retail price of $249). It has built-in Alexa support, which means you can control the temperature simply by using your voice. Features include natural language processing, speech detection and a smart "Home & Away" function that can detect your presence and adjust the temperature automatically. If you would rather have something a little simpler, the Ecobee3 Lite, which doesn't have voice control, is also on sale for $128 (original price is $179). Buy Ecobee smart thermostat at Amazon - $179 Ecobee Smart Sensor for Doors and Windows Ecobee smart sensors Amazon If you want to elevate your Ecobee ecosystem even further, consider getting these smart sensors. They're on sale for $63, which is 21 percent off its $80 retail price. Simply attach them to your doors or windows, and you'll get an alert any time they're open. They'll work in concert with your Ecobee smart thermostat to automatically pause heating or cooling if they're left open. It works as a security system as well, as it has a 120-degree motion sensor that will alert you of any movement up to 16 feet away. Buy Ecobee sensors at Amazon - $63 Nest Learning Thermostat Nest Learning Thermostat Nest Nest has quite a number of products on sale today. One of them is Nest's Learning Thermostat, which has dropped to $190 for Prime Day. That's $60 less than its original retail price. It's available in a variety of finishes – Brass, Copper, Mirror Black, Polished Steel, Stainless Steel and White. It's currently the top-of-the-line smart thermostat from Google, with the ability to "learn" your preferences over time and adjust the temperature of your home accordingly. It also works with optional sensors that you can place around the home so you can assign specific temps for different rooms. A more affordable option is the standard Nest Thermostat, which is also on sale today for $90 ($40 less than the original $130). It doesn't work with the temperature sensors and lacks the learning capabilities of the higher-end model, but you can still use it to remotely control your home's temperature. Buy Nest Learning Thermostat at Amazon - $190Buy Nest Thermostat at Amazon - $90 Nest Doorbell Battery Nest Doorbell Nest Nest's Doorbell Battery is only $120 today, which is $60 less than its usual $180 price point. This video doorbell runs on rechargeable batteries so it doesn't need to be hard-wired into the house, which is good news for renters. It doesn't offer 24/7 video recording like the Nest Hello does, but it does keep up to 3 hours of event history for free, or up to 60 days if you have a Nest Aware subscription. Plus, if the WiFi goes down, it'll store up to an hour of recorded events so you can see what you've missed. Alternatively, if you just want a security camera for indoors or outdoors without the doorbell functionality, the Nest Cam Battery is on sale today as well for just $120 each ($60 less than its original retail price). It also runs on rechargeable batteries and even features a magnetic mount. Buy Nest Doorbell Battery at Amazon - $120Buy Nest Cam Battery at Amazon - $120 Ring Video Doorbell If you would rather have an Amazon-powered video doorbell instead, Ring's Video Doorbells are discounted for Prime Day too. The 2020 version is down to $75, which is 25 percent off, while the upgraded Ring Video Doorbell 3 is now $160 ($40 off). The most recent of them all, the Video Doorbell 4, is down to just $170 ($50 off). All three let you interact with people at your front door, and you'll get an alert when there's a visitor or a package as well. You have the option of using either the built-in batteries or hard-wiring them to your house. The Video Doorbell 3 has a removable battery pack and interchangeable face plates, while the Doorbell 4 has color video previews and a new Quick Replies feature. Buy Ring Video Doorbell at Amazon - $75Buy Ring Video Doorbell 3 at Amazon - $160Buy Ring Video Doorbell 4 at Amazon - $170 August WiFi Smart Lock August Wi-Fi Lock Engadget One of our favorite smart locks, August's 4th-gen WiFi Smart Lock, is on sale today for just $150, which is $80 off its retail price. There's also a bundle with the lock and a keypad for $189, which is 30 percent off the combined cost. We really liked the August WiFi Smart Lock back when we reviewed it in 2020 due to its slim design and WiFi connectivity. It forces you to set up two-factor authentication that adds an extra layer of security, which is always welcome with smart locks. Like most smart locks, the August lets you remotely lock and unlock the door, which is handy for letting friends and family members in when you're absent. It also works with regular keys too, just in case the WiFi goes down. Buy August WiFi smart lock at Amazon - $150 iRobot Roomba i7+ iRobot Roomba i7+ iRobot There's often several discounts on Roombas for Prime Day and this year is no exception. iRobot's Roomba i7+ is now on sale for just $500, which is 50 percent off its original $1,000. That's the lowest we've seen yet, and it's certainly worth considering if you're in the market for a robot vacuum. Not only does it automatically clean your room for you, it'll actually charge itself and empty its own dustbin too. It has 10 times the suction power of regular Roombas, which makes it fantastic for those with pets and it automatically maps your home for a more targeted clean. Buy Roomba i7+ at Amazon - $500 iRobot Roomba 692 iRobot Roomba 692 iRobot If you want a more affordable option, iRobot's Roomba 692 is discounted today as well. It's now priced at $180, which is $120 off the $300 retail price. Though it won't clean itself like the i7+, the 692 is still capable enough, with excellent cleaning capabilities and adaptive navigation. It also works with Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can command it with your voice. Buy Roomba 692 at Amazon - $180 Shark AV2501AE robot vacuum Shark AV2501AE Shark Shark also has a couple of robot vacuums on sale this Prime Day. The AV2501AE is just $380, which is $270 off its $650 retail price. Like the i7+, the Shark can empty itself into a base. This particular model can actually hold 60 days worth of dirt and debris, which is a godsend if you're looking to reduce your chores around the house. It also has excellent cleaning performance with powerful suction and an on-demand deep cleaning mode that targets specific rooms and zones. It's great for homes with pets and it has hands-free voice control with Alexa or Google Assistant support. A slightly cheaper option is the Shark AV2501S, priced at $300 (down from $550), which is similar to the AV2501AE except it has a 30-day capacity base instead. Buy Shark AV2501AE at Amazon - $380Buy Shark AV2501S at Amazon - $300 Instant Pot Vortex Plus, 6-Quart Instant Pot Vortex Plus Instant Pot Though you might associate the Instant Pot brand with multi-cookers, the company also makes excellent air fryers, and a few of them are on sale this Prime Day. Our favorite of the lot is the Instant Pot Vortex Plus, which is just $100 today ($60 off its $160 retail price). Not only does it crisp foods efficiently, it has a clear see-thru window which lets us check our food. Plus, it has odor-erasing filters that produce less smoke compared to other air fryers. If you want a smaller, more affordable option, the Instant Pot Vortex is also on sale today for $90 ($44 off $134). It doesn't have a clear window or odor-erasing filters but it's an option if you want to save a little more counter space. Buy Instant Vortex Plus at Amazon - $100Buy Instant Vortex at Amazon - $90 Ninja Foodi Dual-Zone XL Air Fryer, 10-Quart Ninja Foodi Dual-Zone XL Air Fryer Ninja For those who just need to air fry more than one thing at once, Ninja's Foodi Dual-Zone XL is worth considering. It's on sale today for $160, which is $70 off its regular price. We dubbed it the best dual-zone option in our air fryer guide and for good reason. You can either cook two different things at a time, or you can double the quantity of something and use the Match Cook function to cook all of it with the same settings. Best of all, it can adjust the cooking times so that foods from both areas can be done at the same time. Buy Ninja Foodi Dual-Zone air fryer at Amazon - $160 Vitamix 5200 Blender Vitamix 5200 Vitamix We recommended the Vitamix as the creme de la creme of blender brands in our kitchen guide, and fortunately, the company has several different models on sale for Prime Day. Our favorite is the 5200, which is on sale for $300 ($106 off the retail price of $406). It's the choice of restaurants and professional chefs (you'll frequently see it on shows like Iron Chef) as it's such a kitchen workhorse. It's powerful enough to handle tough ingredients like nuts and frozen fruit while also producing silky smooth results. A slightly more elegant version, the Professional 750 Series, is also on sale for $400 (retail price is $630). It can do many of the same tasks as the 5200 but has five pre-programmed settings for frequently made items like smoothies and soups. It also has a lower profile so it can fit underneath your upper cabinets. Last but not least, the Vitamix One is now just $175, which is $75 off the original $250. It still has plenty of the power of the other Vitamix blenders, but housed in a more petite package for those who have less counter space. Buy Vitamix 5200 at Amazon - $300Buy Professional 750 Series at Amazon - $400Buy Vitamix One at Amazon - $175 Amazon Echo Show 8 Amazon Echo Show 8 Amazon As you might expect, Amazon's entire product line is on sale today for Prime Day. We already have a post outlining them all, but we'll highlight a few of the smart home options here. The Echo Show 8 is our favorite Alexa-powered smart display thanks to its small footprint, sharp display and video-chatting capabilities. We also really like the Show 5, which makes for an excellent smart alarm clock due to its size. Last but not least, there's the Show 10, which has a swiveling display and a camera that automatically pans and zooms during video calls. Shop Echo deals at Amazon Eero 6 eero 6 eero LLC Eero's entire line of mesh WiFi routers is on sale for Prime Day. The Eero 6 is a dual-band model that covers up to 1,500 square feet and is now $71, while the Pro 6 is a tri-band system that covers up to 2,000 square feet and starts at $148. If you're willing to pay more, you can upgrade to the Eero Pro 6E, which covers up to 6,000 square feet and supports speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps. The Eero 6+, on the other hand, is an affordable gigabit router that is down to just $90, and supports up to 1Gbps speeds plus up to 4,500 square feet of coverage. Shop Eero deals at Amazon Blink security cameras Blink Indoor Amazon Several of Amazon's Blink cameras are on sale for Prime Day. The Indoor is now just $55 ($20 off), the Outdoor is $60 ($40 off) and the Mini is just $30 ($5 off). Both the Indoor and Outdoor models are completely wireless, though the Outdoor version has a more weather-resistant design. The Mini needs to be plugged in, but otherwise has similar features to the other two. All of them support 1080p recording, motion alerts, and two-way audio. Shop Blink deals at Amazon Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

The best Amazon Prime Day SSD and storage deals we could find Posted: 12 Jul 2022 10:30 AM PDT Historically, Amazon Prime Day has been a boon for storage deals. For the past few years, we've seen the online retailer knock hundreds off of flash drives, microSD cards, internal and portable SSDs and more for its members-only shopping event. It's no different this year, with devices from Crucial, SanDisk, Samsung and others being heavily discounted for Prime members. Now's a good time to pick up a portable drive for the upcoming school year, an extra SD card for your DSLR or a pricey internal drive for your PS5 while they're much cheaper than usual. Here are the best storage deals we found for Prime Day 2022. Samsung Pro Plus microSD card Samsung Samsung's Pro Plus microSD card in 128GB is half off and down to only $18 for Prime Day. It also comes with an adapter, so you can use it with more types of devices. You'll get read/write speeds of up to 160MB/s and 120MB/s, respectively, and a card that's temperature, magnet- and drop-resistant. Buy Samsung Pro Plus microSD card (128GB) at Amazon - $18 Crucial MX500 SSD Crucial's MX500 in 1TB is on sale for $85, or 15 percent off its usual price. It's a good option if you need a standard 2.5-inch drive that works with both laptops and desktops. It also has AES-256 bit hardware encryption and integrated power loss immunity to protect your data. Buy Crucial MX500 (1TB) at Amazon - $85 Samsung 980 Pro SSD Samsung Samsung's 980 Pro is one of the best internal SSDs you can get right now and it's 43 percent off and down to $120 right now. That's a great price for the 1TB model, and if you need more space, you can pick up the 2TB version for only $230. It has sequential read speeds up to 7,000MB/s and it'll work with the PS5 as long as you have a heatsink attached. Buy Samsung 980 Pro (1TB) at Amazon - $120Buy Samsung 980 Pro (2TB) at Amazon - $230 SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD SanDisk / Weinberg-Clark Photography SanDisk's Extreme Pro SSD in 1TB is down to $160 right now. We like its compact, durable design that's IP55 water- and dust-resistant, plus its support for up to 2,000 MB/s read and write speeds. Buy Extreme Pro SSD (1TB) at Amazon - $160 Samsung T7 Shield Samsung's new T7 Shield portable SSDs have been discounted for Prime Day. You can pick up the 1TB model for $100 or the 2TB model for $200 — both new all-time-low prices. Samsung just came out with these drives back in April, and they're designed to be more durable versions of the standard T7 series with extra drop protection and an IP65-rated design. Buy T7 Shield (1TB) at Amazon - $100Buy T7 Shield (2TB) at Amazon - $200 Samsung T7 Touch SSD Samsung Samsung's T7 Touch is on sale for $150, but you can clip an on-page coupon to get an additional $22 off the 1TB model.. This portable SSD has a sleek, palm-sized design, optional password protection, read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and a built-in fingerprint reader for extra security. Buy T7 Touch (1TB) at Amazon - $128 SanDisk Ultra microSD card SanDisk Amazon has knocked 45 percent off SanDisk's 1TB Ultra microSD card, bringing it down to $110. This model supports 120MB/s read speeds and will work in a variety of devices, including the Nintendo Switch. Buy SanDisk Ultra microSD card (1TB) at Amazon - $110 SanDisk Dual Drive Go SanDisk SanDisk's Dual Drive Go is on sale for $50 right now, or 32 percent less than usual. It's a more modern version of a thumb drive featuring a swivel design with a USB-A connector on one end and a USB-C dongle on the other. We like its sleek, portable design, its 150MB/s read speeds and the fact that you'll be able to use it with almost any device. Buy Dual Drive Go (512GB) at Amazon - $50 Patriot Viper VP4300 SSD Patriot The Patriot Viper VP4300 SSD in 1TB is on sale for $105. It's our current top pick on our list of best drives for your PS5 thanks to its speedy 7,400 MB/s sequential read speeds and its pre-installed heatsink. Buy Patriot Viper VP4300 (1TB) at Amazon - $105 Crucial P5 Plus SSD Crucial Crucial's P5 Plus SSD in 2TB has dropped to $190, or 41 percent off its usual rate. It's one of our favorite drives for the PS5 thanks to its 6,600 MB/s sequential read speeds, plus its relatively budget-friendly starting price. Buy P5 Plus (2TB) at Amazon - $190 PNY XLR8 CS3040 SSD PNY Another one of our favorite PS5 SSDs, the PNY XLR8 CS3040, has dropped to $105. It's an already affordable drive made even better by this sale, and we like its 5,600 MB/s read speeds and its five-year warranty. Buy PNY XLR8 CS3040 (1TB) at Amazon - $105 Crucial P2 SSD Crucial The 500GB Crucial P2 SSD is down to $43 right now, or 23 percent cheaper than usual. This model has read speeds up to 2,400 MB/s and comes with SSD management software that will help you optimize performance and install firmware updates. Buy P2 SSD (500GB) at Amazon - $43 Crucial X6 SSD Crucial Crucial's compact X6 portable drive in 1TB has been discounted to $80. It supports 800 MB/s read speeds, plus it works with all kinds of machines include Windows, Mac, Android and iPad devices, and even game consoles if you have the right connecting cable. Buy X6 SSD (1TB) at Amazon - $80 LaCie Rugged Mini HDD LaCie The 1TB LaCie Rugged Mini hard drive is down to $55 right now, or 35 percent less than usual. This drive works with Windows and Mac devices, although you'll need to reformat it to use it with the latter, plus it has built-in password protection and shock- and drop-resistant design. Buy LaCie Rugged Mini (1TB) at Amazon - $55 Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ is the first non-English series to earn a best drama Emmy nomination Posted: 12 Jul 2022 10:23 AM PDT For the first time in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Television Academy has nominated a non-English series for Outstanding Drama. Netflix's Squid Game earned the distinction on Tuesday when the organization announced the nominations for the 2022 awards. In addition to Outstanding Drama, the runaway hit earned 14 total nominations, including an Outstanding Lead Actor nod for star Lee Jung-jae. Depending on how you want to count the nominations, Netflix either earned the most or second-most of any streaming company on the list. All told, Netflix productions scored 105 nominations this year, second only to the 140 netted by HBO and HBO Max, but the grouping of HBO's cable and streaming operations under one umbrella has been an ongoing source of controversy within the industry. HBO also had the most-nominated series with Succession. The show earned 25 nods from the Academy, including nominations for Outstanding Drama and two Outstanding Actor considerations for Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong. With 20 nominations, Apple's Ted Lasso earned the most nominations of any streaming-exclusive series. Jason Sudeikis will get a chance to defend his best actor win from last year. Thanks to shows like Ted Lasso and Severance, Apple had a strong performance. It earned 51 nods, up from 35 the year prior. Notably, Jon Stewart, who returned to late-night TV last year with the Problem with Jon Stewart on TV+, was snubbed in the Outstanding Variety Talk Series category. Disney's performance was a mixed bag. On the back of 17 nominations for Only Murders In The Building, Hulu more than doubled its nominations from last year to 58. Disney+, however, only came away with 34 nods, a significant drop from the 71 it netted last year. That said, other streaming platforms didn't do nearly as well as even Disney+. Amazon's Prime Video secured a modest 30 nominations, while Paramount+ and Peacock only came away with 11 and three nods apiece.

Spotify is buying daily music trivia game 'Heardle' Posted: 12 Jul 2022 09:56 AM PDT Heardle, a music trivia game that popped up following the massive success of Wordle, has a new owner. Spotify has announced it's buying the game. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. As The Verge notes, Heardle is Spotify's first game acquisition. Heardle is a straightforward game of name that tune. Players are given six attempts to guess a popular song. They hear one second of the intro at first. Heardle lets them hear a little more after each incorrect guess (they can also skip turns). There's only one song each day for everyone to guess. Whether or not you correctly identify the song, you can click through to hear the full track after finishing a round. That caught the attention of Spotify, which is pegging Heardle as a music discovery tool. Until now, the game has been using music hosted on Soundcloud. "We are always looking for innovative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans," Spotify's global head of music Jeremy Erlich said. "Heardle has proven to be a really fun way to connect millions of fans with songs they know and love and with new songs... and a way to compete with their friends as to who has the best musical knowledge. Since its debut, the game has quickly built a loyal following, and it aligns with our plans to deepen interactivity across the Spotify ecosystem." New font. Sounds just as good. #Heardle is now powered by Spotify 💚 pic.twitter.com/rbuE3dleTU — Spotify (@Spotify) July 12, 2022 As The New York Times did with Wordle after it bought that game, Spotify says it will keep Heardle free to play for everyone and retain the existing look and feel. The font Heardle uses has been updated to align with Spotify's branding, however. The integration between Heardle and Spotify has already started in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Players in those countries can listen to each day's song on Spotify instead of Soundcloud. The game is now hosted on Spotify's website too. Players who want to keep their stats will need to visit the old site to transfer them over. Spotify says players in other countries will soon be able to play Heardle in other languages. It plans to eventually "integrate Heardle and other interactive experiences more fully into Spotify to allow music lovers to connect more deeply with artists and challenge friends." However, the transition doesn't seem to be going entirely smoothly. Some players have claimed they can't accessHeardle in their location. Conversely, some say they can now play for the first time as Soundcloud isn't available where they are.

The best Amazon Prime Day gaming deals from Razer, Elgato, Logitech and more Posted: 12 Jul 2022 09:15 AM PDT Let's face it: creating your dream gaming setup can be difficult and expensive. But Amazon Prime Day and sales like it present great opportunities to grab a couple of things on your wish list for less. Unsurprisingly, the online retailer has discounted a plethora of gaming laptops, monitors, peripherals and accessories for its members-only shopping event. Brands including Razer, Logitech, SteelSeries and others have dropped most of their devices down to record-low prices, so you can get everything from mice to keyboards to gaming chairs for much less than usual. Here are the best gaming deals we found for Prime Day 2022. Razer Blade 14 This powerful version of the Razer Blade 14 is 18 percent off and down to $2,285. It runs on an 8-core Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. It earned a score of 84 from us for its sturdy yet premium design, powerful CPU and GPU, bright display and its multitude of ports. Buy Razer Blade 14 at Amazon - $2,285 Elgato Stream Deck Elgato Elgato's Stream Deck is down to $100 for Prime Day, or $40 off its normal price. This is a handy accessory to have for game streamer because you can customize its 15 LCD keys to do things like open apps, switch scenes, adjust audio and more.  Buy Stream Deck at Amazon - $100 Elgato Facecam Kris Naudus / Engadget The Elgato Facecam is 18 percent off and down to $140. Running on a Sony sensor, this webcam supports 1080p recording, an 82-degree field of view and a USB-C port for connectivity. Buy Facecam at Amazon - $140 HyperX QuadCast S Will Lipman Photography for Engadget HyperX's QuadCast S microphone is 29 percent off and down to $113. We like this accessory for its light-up core with customizable RGB lighting, internal pop filter, anti-vibration shock mount and four polar patterns. Buy QuadCast S at Amazon - $113 HyperX Cloud Alpha HyperX The HyperX Cloud Alpha headset is down to a record low of $60. It works with most game consoles, including the PS5 and the Nintendo Switch, plus it has a study aluminum frame, a detachable braided cable and a removable noise cancellation microphone. Buy Cloud Alpha at Amazon - $60 Blue Yeti mic Blue Microphones Logitech's Blue Yeti mic is on sale for $90 right now — not an all-time low, but close to it. It's a solid choice for game streamers, aspiring podcasters or anyone who just wants to sound better on video conference calls. It supports four pickup patterns, onboard controls and a plug-and-play design. Buy Blue Yeti at Amazon - $90 Logitech G502 Lightspeed Razer Logitech's G502 Lightspeed gaming mouse is down to a new low of $90, which is 40 percent off its normal price. We like this wireless mouse for its 25K sensor, 11 customizable buttons, hyper-fast scrolling and adjustable weight system. Buy G502 Lightspeed at Amazon - $90 Corsair K65 RGB Mini keyboard Kris Naudus / Engadget A bunch of Corsair peripherals are on sale for Prime Day, including the K65 RGB Mini mechanical keyboard for $80. That's 27 percent off and the best price we've seen it. It earned an honorable mention in our 60 percent keyboard guide; while there are better options out there, the K65 could work for some people, especially at this sale price. Buy K65 RGB Mini at Amazon - $80Shop Corsair deals at Amazon Razer Anzu smart glasses Cherlynn Low / Engadget Razer's Anzu smart glasses have returned to an all-time-low price of $50 for Prime Day. We gave them a score of 74 for their blue-light filtering lenses, decent battery life and convenient hands-free audio. Buy Anzu smart glasses at Amazon - $50 Razer Kraken Kitty Razer Razer's cute Kraken Kitty Bluetooth headphones are down to $70, which is 30 percent off their normal price. These can help you set the mood in your next streaming session with their cat ears and Chroma RGB lighting. We also like that the headset supports a low latency connection, up to 50 hours of battery life and a built-in microphone. Buy Kraken Kitty at Amazon - $70 Razer Kiyo Pro Razer Razer's Kiyo Pro webcam is just about half off right now and down to $102. This webcam records at 1080p 60fps and has an adaptive light sensor that allows it to automatically adjust your image depending on the lighting conditions. Buy Kiyo Pro at Amazon - $102 Razer Viper Ultimate Hyperspeed Razer The Viper Ultimate Hyperspeed wireless mouse from Razer is down to a near record-low of $80. It has a 20K DPI optical sensor, Razer's own switches with light beam-based actuation and an ambidextrous design. Buy Viper Ultimate Hyperspeed at Amazon - $80 Razer Iskur gaming chair Razer The Razer Iskur chair is on sale for $350, or $150 off its usual price. This model is a bit more high-end than the Enki because it has an adjustable lumbar curve, spill-resistant fabric, denser cushions and angled seat edges. Buy Iskur gaming char at Amazon - $350 Razer Huntsman Mini Kris Naudus / Engadget Razer's Huntsman Mini 60-percent keyboard has dropped back down to a record low of $70. This one earned a spot on our list of favorite 60-percent keyboards thanks to its improved, opto-mechanical switches, good response time and attractive design. Buy Huntsman Mini at Amazon - $70 Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro Razer Razer's BlackWidow V3 Pro mechanical keyboard is close to its all-time-low price and down to $140. We like that it can connect to up to three devices, has Chroma RGB lighting and comes with four media keys plus a multi-function digital dial. Buy BlackWidow V3 Pro at Amazon - $140 SteelSeries Arctis Pro SteelSeries SteelSeries' Artic Pro headset is down to $125 right now, or 31 percent off its normal price. These headphones support DTS X v2.0 surround sound and they have a USB chat mix dial that lets you adjust the volume of your game and chat audio. Buy Arctis Pro at Amazon - $125 Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

Samsung's 1TB T7 Shield SSD drops to $100 for Prime Day Posted: 12 Jul 2022 09:00 AM PDT The latest portable drive to be added to Samsung's T7 family is cheaper than ever for Amazon Prime Day. The new T7 Shield in 1TB is down to a new record low of $100, which is $60 off its normal price. The 2TB model is $90 off and down to only $200, too. This SSD is only a few months old as Samsung released it in April, so now's a great opportunity to grab it while you can pick it up at a discount. Buy T7 Shield (1TB) at Amazon - $100Buy T7 Shield (2TB) at Amazon - $200 The T7 Shield is essentially a tougher version of the standard T7. It has a rubberized exterior that surrounds its aluminum body, giving it extra durability and drop protection. Samsung claims the SSD can easily survive p to 9.8-foot drops, plus it has an IP65 rating for water- and dust-resistance. This might sound like overkill for a device that you may intend to keep in your backpack or on your desk at home, but it'll provide extra peace of mind if you ever need to travel with the SSD and work with it in the go. When it comes to performance, the T7 Shield supports read/write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and 1,000 MB/s, respectively, and it works with most devices including Macs, PCs, Android devices, game consoles and more. That's due in part to the fact that the drive comes with both USB-C to C and USB-C to A cables, allowing you to connect it to many different types of gadgets. We also appreciate that it supports AES 256-bit hardware encryption as well. Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

'Kirby's Dream Buffet' looks like a mash-up of 'Fall Guys' and 'Mario Party' Posted: 12 Jul 2022 08:52 AM PDT Even though there's already been one major Kirby game this year, Nintendo's lovable pink puffball is making a second appearance sometime later this summer in Kirby's Dream Buffet.  While Nintendo's official description is a bit sparse, Kirby's next adventure is billed as a four-player party game that will see gamers "roll through a smorgasbord of food-themed stages" while bulking up on strawberries. At the end of four rounds, players will battle it out in a "fruity fight atop a floating platform" to determine which Kirby reigns supreme.  Based on footage from Nintendo's trailer, Kirby's Dream Buffet features obstacle courses reminiscent of Fall Guys, but without the massive 60-player lobbies you get in Mediatonic's popular battle royale-style platformer. In addition to four human players, it appears you'll also have to compete against NPCs in the form of computer-controlled Waddle Dees. You can gain advantages by using various power-ups like speed boosts or Kirby's signature copying ability, while some glimpses of the final round look like an evolved version of Mario Party's classic Bumper Balls mini-game.  So far, Nintendo has yet to provide an official release date for Kirby's Dream Buffet, only specifying that the game will be released sometime this summer on the Nintendo eShop. Pricing is also still to be determined, though based on the scope and nature of the game, I'm not expecting it to feature a full $60 price tag like you usually get with big tentpole Nintendo titles.

Nothing Phone 1 hands-on: Not just a pretty face Posted: 12 Jul 2022 08:30 AM PDT Nothing, the company from the former co-founder of OnePlus, is finally ready to reveal its first smart device, and it's an ambitious one. It's trying to break into the increasingly samey world of phones. And nothing looks quite like the Nothing Phone 1. You'll either love or hate how the Phone 1 looks. Regardless of whether you pick up the white or the black model, the back of the phone is a transparent Gorilla Glass slab that lets you see an array of components, LEDs, a charging coil, camera and, wait, is that an elephant? This is just our early look at the phone (it's only been a couple of days), but I've already noticed some clever design choices and features in both the hardware and software. Having said that, flagship phone obsessives that love a spicy spec sheet may be underwhelmed. This is the first smartphone from a new company – it'd be impossible to compete with Samsung and Apple, so it's focused elsewhere. From the start, the Phone 1 has been framed as a playful reinterpretation of the smartphone, a category that (beside foldables) has become staid, to put it kindly. At the same time, not competing with flagship cameras, screens and processors has ensured the price is surprisingly reasonable, starting at £399 (roughly $476). Sadly, there's no plan for US availability, but the price puts it in the mid-range phone category, alongside Google's Pixel A series, Samsung's Galaxy A53 and Apple's 2022 iPhone SE. The most eye-catching part of the phone are all the light-up details on the back. Nothing calls these its Glyph interface. And despite my reservations, it's not just an eye-catching design choice – though, let's be honest, it's mostly that. You can assign unique light patterns to specific contacts (there's also a raft of perfectly synced ringtones) and different app notifications. Thankfully, you can adjust the brightness – it's a little too aggressive at max power. The lower light-up strip also represents the charging status of the phone when it's plugged in. This means you won't need to wake the device – or even look at the screen – to check the battery level. You can also use the Glyph Interface to light close-up subjects, like a short-range ring-light without the punch of the flash. Mat Smith / Engadget Unrelated to the Glyph interface, Nothing has also added a red indicator light when the phone is recording, which is a nice, and somehow retro, touch. The white panels underneath the Gorilla Glass backing have a papery-looking texture to them, repeating a design choice found on the Nothing Ear(1) wireless buds charging case. It's a nice touch of family resemblance. The frame is made of recycled aluminum (over 50% of the plastic components come from bio-based and recycled sources), and the flat edges make it feel a lot like an iPhone – not a bad thing. The Phone 1 has a small, but noticeable bezel around the 6.55-inch OLED screen, a dead giveaway of its midrange nature. The screen seems bright and responsive enough so far, with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. Perhaps a curse of a gorilla glass shell: both the screen and the back will pick up fingerprints incredibly easily – especially frustrating when it looks this good. The phone is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 778G+ chip. This is a custom twist on the midrange Snapdragon chip we've seen in other devices, which means that the Phone 1 can offer wireless charging capabilities. A Nothing spokesperson told me that there are also Nothing's own custom algorithms for app optimization, which should, as you use the device, optimize launch speeds for your most-used apps. The Phone 1 features 33W fast-charging to top up the 4,500 mAH battery, and can also reverse charge at up to 5W – perfect for those companion Nothing Ear(1) buds, the company hopes. On to another important spec: the cameras. The Phone 1 has a dual-camera system with a f/1.88 50-megapixel primary camera with optical and electronic image stabilization. This comes with all the usual features like HDR, Portrait mode, night mode, 120 frames-per-second slow-mo video capture and more. Zoom is limited to 2x optical zoom, with some digital zoom thrown in if you're desperate. Mat Smith / Engadget The primary shooter is joined by a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 114-degree field of view. There's a front-facing 16-megapixel selfie camera, too, with face unlock capability. (There's an in-screen fingerprint reader too). Expect us to give some more meaningful insights on the camera in our review, coming soon, but for now, early samples suggest that the cameras are pretty capable, offering image quality that wasn't too far off flagships like the Pixel 6 and the iPhone 13 Pro. Nothing is going hard on the aesthetic angle, and I'm pleasantly surprised that the phone seems, at least on first impressions, plenty capable. The price is tempting, and it's certainly eye-catching. I'm looking forward to seeing how it fares against the similarly priced competition.

NASA reveals more stunning images from James Webb telescope Posted: 12 Jul 2022 08:21 AM PDT NASA has unveiled the first batch of full-color images that the James Webb Space Telescope has sent back to Earth. NASA, the European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency and the Space Telescope Science Institute determined the initial targets to show off the JWST's capabilities. They include the Carina Nebula, Southern Ring, SMACS 0723, WASP-96b and Stephan's Quintet.  The first image revealed today was of the Southern Ring nebula, which is around 2,500 light years away and was captured by JWST's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). NASA says the telescope was able to observe gas and dust from a dying star in "unprecedented detail" — far more than what Hubble was able to capture in 1998. The image on the left was captured by NIRCam. NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI The dying star at the center of the image has been dispelling gas and dust in all directions for thousands of years, NASA says. The observatory was able to show for the first time that it's cloaked in dust. The agency notes that JWST will help researchers develop a better understanding of such planetary nebulae, which aren't planets but instead "clouds of gas and dust expelled by dying stars." Next up was a look at Stephan's Quintet, a group of galaxies in the Pegasus constellation approximately 290 million light years away. Four of the five galaxies collide with each other as they move, "pulling and stretching each other in a gravitational dance," NASA said.  At more than 150 million pixels, the image of Stephan's Quintet is the largest one JWST has captured to date (you can see it in full detail on NASA's website). The visual was assembled from around 1,000 image files. The image covers an area of the sky equal to around a fifth of the Moon's diameter as seen from Earth. NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI The final JWST image revealed today is also astonishing. It depicts the "Cosmic Cliffs" of the Carina Nebula, which is around 7,600 light years away and has stars that are several times larger than the Sun. JWST was able to peer through a veil of dust and gas to observe some baby stars that were unviewable until now. The telescope is affording us a rare look at stars in the early stages of their formation, a period of between 50,000 and 100,000 years for an individual star. By the by, the tallest peaks of these cliffs are around seven light years high. That's only 42 trillion miles or so. 🌟 A star is born! Behind the curtain of dust and gas in these "Cosmic Cliffs" are previously hidden baby stars, now uncovered by Webb. We know — this is a show-stopper. Just take a second to admire the Carina Nebula in all its glory: https://t.co/tlougFWg8B#UnfoldTheUniversepic.twitter.com/OiIW2gRnYI — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 12, 2022 Along with the images, NASA revealed spectroscopic data that JWST captured from WASP-96b to show the atmospheric composition of the gas exoplanet, which is around 1,150 light years away. NASA says it's the most detailed exoplanet spectrum captured to date and that Webb detected "the unambiguous signature of water," well as indications of haze and clouds, which were previously not believed to exist on WASP-96b. Clouds are in the forecast for exoplanet WASP-96 b! ☁️ Webb spotted the unambiguous signature of water, indications of haze & evidence for clouds (once thought not to exist there)! This is the most detailed exoplanet spectrum to date: https://t.co/tlougFWg8B#UnfoldTheUniversepic.twitter.com/ySe4Y9V0uP — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 12, 2022 The very first full-color image from JWST, which was revealed by the White House on Monday, showed a cluster of galaxies, SMACS 0723, as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago. The astonishingly vivid image of thousands of galaxies was just an appetizer. While these images by themselves are incredible, this is a big moment in advancing our understanding of the universe. It marks the official beginning of the JWST's general science operations. The images indicate the JWST is working as intended, which should mean we'll gain much more insight into the cosmos in the coming years. JWST is expected to be in operation for at least five years, though NASA believes the observatory has enough propellant to support scientific work for over a decade.

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