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If you’ve tried to use Xbox Cloud Streaming and experienced issues loading games or unexpected disconnects, you’re not alone. Microsoft’s game streaming services has been experiencing issues since Thursday and is still not totally back online 24 hours later.
Users on r/xcloud, the subreddit devoted to Xbox Cloud Gaming, have reported unusually long wait times to get a game to load, stretching a process that’s supposed to be instantaneous into a 50 minute or longer wait. On Microsoft’s status page, the company says “you may have trouble starting cloud games or be unexpectedly disconnected from a game after it begins.”

We are aware users may be experiencing issues launching Cloud Gaming titles. We appreciate your patience, and please watch here or on our status page for updates. https://t.co/kQKp1MgssY— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) December 26, 2024

Microsoft acknowledged that Xbox Cloud Gaming was having issues on Thursday, and followed-up today by saying that “users may see an incorrectly high wait time when attempting to launch a cloud gaming title,” but that the company expects everyone to be able to connect faster than that. It’s not clear if that means the issue is fixed, in the process of being resolved or what the problem was in the first place, but Engadget has contacted the company for information and will update if we learn more.
Xbox Cloud Gaming has experienced outages in the past, but any kind of hiccup with the service hits harder in light of Microsoft’s “This is an Xbox” marketing push, which made the ability to stream Xbox games basically anywhere a core benefit of using the company’s platform.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-cloud-gaming-has-had-trouble-loading-games-for-the-last-24-hours-190625047.html?src=rss

If you’ve tried to use Xbox Cloud Streaming and experienced issues loading games or unexpected disconnects, you’re not alone. Microsoft’s game streaming services has been experiencing issues since Thursday and is still not totally back online 24 hours later.

Users on r/xcloud, the subreddit devoted to Xbox Cloud Gaming, have reported unusually long wait times to get a game to load, stretching a process that’s supposed to be instantaneous into a 50 minute or longer wait. On Microsoft’s status page, the company says “you may have trouble starting cloud games or be unexpectedly disconnected from a game after it begins.”

Microsoft acknowledged that Xbox Cloud Gaming was having issues on Thursday, and followed-up today by saying that “users may see an incorrectly high wait time when attempting to launch a cloud gaming title,” but that the company expects everyone to be able to connect faster than that. It’s not clear if that means the issue is fixed, in the process of being resolved or what the problem was in the first place, but Engadget has contacted the company for information and will update if we learn more.

Xbox Cloud Gaming has experienced outages in the past, but any kind of hiccup with the service hits harder in light of Microsoft’s “This is an Xbox” marketing push, which made the ability to stream Xbox games basically anywhere a core benefit of using the company’s platform.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-cloud-gaming-has-had-trouble-loading-games-for-the-last-24-hours-190625047.html?src=rss

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The second season of the smash hit sci-fi drama Severance finally premieres on January 17. However, Apple just threw us a bone by dropping the first eight minutes of the season. It’s been nearly three years since season one completed its run, so this is a nice little holiday gift.
You can find the exclusive preview on the Apple TV+ app under the Bonus Content section of the Severance page. There will be no spoilers here, but the snippet does get into the fallout of the events of season one and may even touch on that surprising cliffhanger.

For the uninitiated, Severance is a sci-fi take on work/life balance in which certain employees at a shadowy corporation “sever” their work selves from their regular selves. This results in a harrowing, and occasionally hilarious, treatise about human identity and the lengths our corporate overlords will go to make a buck. It’s very good. Best of all? Newbies won’t have to wait three full years to watch season two.
Apple TV+ also just posted a bunch of images to social media that heavily imply its planning on a free weekend of sorts for non-subscribers, scheduled for January 4 and 5. The images are all tagged with slogans like “see for yourself” and “save the date.”

Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/ph7k2Wh75G— Apple TV (@AppleTV) December 26, 2024

If true, this would be a mighty fine way to check out Apple’s impressive slate of sci-fi originals without ponying up for a subscription. The streamer has become the de facto home of sci-fi in recent years, airing standout programs like Severance, Silo, Foundation and For All Mankind, among many others.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/apple-just-dropped-the-first-eight-minutes-of-severance-season-two-181627223.html?src=rss

The second season of the smash hit sci-fi drama Severance finally premieres on January 17. However, Apple just threw us a bone by dropping the first eight minutes of the season. It’s been nearly three years since season one completed its run, so this is a nice little holiday gift.

You can find the exclusive preview on the Apple TV+ app under the Bonus Content section of the Severance page. There will be no spoilers here, but the snippet does get into the fallout of the events of season one and may even touch on that surprising cliffhanger.

For the uninitiated, Severance is a sci-fi take on work/life balance in which certain employees at a shadowy corporation “sever” their work selves from their regular selves. This results in a harrowing, and occasionally hilarious, treatise about human identity and the lengths our corporate overlords will go to make a buck. It’s very good. Best of all? Newbies won’t have to wait three full years to watch season two.

Apple TV+ also just posted a bunch of images to social media that heavily imply its planning on a free weekend of sorts for non-subscribers, scheduled for January 4 and 5. The images are all tagged with slogans like “see for yourself” and “save the date.”

If true, this would be a mighty fine way to check out Apple’s impressive slate of sci-fi originals without ponying up for a subscription. The streamer has become the de facto home of sci-fi in recent years, airing standout programs like Severance, Silo, Foundation and For All Mankind, among many others.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/apple-just-dropped-the-first-eight-minutes-of-severance-season-two-181627223.html?src=rss

Read More 

I’ve lost count of the number of things we reviewed this year at Engadget. In 2024, the types of products we tested ranged from the typical phones, laptops and headphones to AI wearables, robotic lawnmowers and handheld gaming consoles, alongside games and shows. It can feel hard to keep track of it all, but thankfully, our scoring system helps us highlight the best (and the worst) devices each year. 
Our team of reviewers and editors evaluate products based on their performance, value and how they hold up against the competition, and at least two people weigh in on every score before it’s published. If something gets a result of 80 and up, it’s considered a “Recommended” product, while those scoring 90 and more are awarded “Editors’ Choice.” The latter means they’re the best in their class, beating out most of the competition. 
Since we have to be very judicious about what we review (there’s only so much time in the world), most of the gadgets we call in are from established companies with a track record of making things people will actually consider buying. That’s the main reason most of our scores sit between 80 and 90, though we still test the occasional device that ends up getting a number below 70. 
As we look back on the year in gadgets, here are the 12 highest-scored reviews we published. Unsurprisingly, they’re mostly of Apple and Google products, with a smattering of cameras and drones. I’m also including some honorable mentions for good measure, as well as a pair of the lowest-rated devices all year. May we have only excellent gadgets to review next year, and may there be less e-waste all around.

Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL
I’m honestly shocked. For the first time in years, we’ve given a Google phone a higher score than an iPhone in the same year. Maybe it has something to do with Gemini AI launching earlier than Apple Intelligence, or the fun colors and solid build of the Pixel 9 Pro series. But as I discussed the scores with our reviewer Mat Smith, a few things added up. Arguably the biggest advantage Google has over Apple this year is battery life — the Pixel 9 Pros generally last about two days on a charge, while the iPhone 16 Pro series typically clocks just around 20 hours. We also love Google’s cameras and the bright, smooth displays. The gorgeous palette of pastel color options is just icing on a satisfying cake, with Gemini AI bringing a tasty side treat. 

DJI Avata 2
Though there is looming concern over DJI’s longevity in the US, the company has otherwise had a relatively successful 2024. This year saw many DJI products scoring more than 90 in our database, which makes sense as they are arguably the best drone maker around. Steve was most impressed by the Avata 2, though, thanks to its great video quality and maneuverability for a lower price than its predecessor. It even has better battery life, to boot. 

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
Apple Intelligence wasn’t available when the iPhone 16 series launched and only recently rolled out, so our review score might still change, But as it is, and after months of using the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max in my daily life, I stand by my evaluation. Though there’s a lot to like about Apple’s latest flagships, I was just so disappointed by the relatively poor battery life that I could not score it higher than the Pixel 9 Pro series. This is more noticeable on the iPhone 16 Pro, though, as the Pro Max generally lasts a few more hours than its smaller counterpart. I also wish the generative-AI features were ready for the public at the time of my review, but now that I’ve spent more time with Genmoji, Image Playground and notification summaries, I’m pretty sure my verdict remains the same. These Apple Intelligence features are fun, but not game-changing, and with or without them the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are still the best options for anyone on iOS.

Canon EOS R5 II
We’ve got a slew of reviews by Steve on this list, mostly for products in cameras and drones that ranked well in their categories. As a Canon girl myself, I was happy to see the EOS R5 II get such a good rating, especially since competition has been heating up. Sadly, the EOS R5 II also heats up when shooting high-res video, but on pretty much every other aspect, it performs respectably. According to Steve, this camera “puts Sony on notice,” and I’m glad to see it. 

Sony A9 III
Reviewed much earlier in the year, the Sony A9 III caught Steve’s attention for its speedy global shutter, which brought fast and accurate autofocus. It also delivered smooth, high-quality video in a body with excellent handling thanks to Sony’s comfortable new grip. Steve also loved the viewfinder, and though it’s very expensive at $6,000, the A9 III is a solid product that holds the title of “fastest full-frame camera” — at least, until something faster comes along.

DJI Air 3S and DJI Neo
What lightweight $200 drone shoots good 1080p video but also screams like a banshee? That would be the DJI Neo, which, despite Steve’s evocative description, is something I’m considering buying for myself. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it also promises to capture smooth aerial footage at a respectable resolution. Steve also found it beginner-friendly, which is important for a lousy pilot like me. And sure, maybe I’ll scare some wildlife or neighbors with its loud screeching, but maybe that’s part of the fun? 
If you want something that can avoid people or obstacles and deliver cinematic shots, the DJI Air 3S is a solid option thanks to its LiDAR and larger camera sensor, both of which improve performance and obstacle-detection in low light. You’ll have to pay about five times the Neo’s cost, of course, but aspiring Spielbergs might find that price worthwhile. 

MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2024) and MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2024)
I’m not surprised that the only laptops to make it to this list are this year’s M4 MacBook Pros. Apple has demonstrated over the last few years that its M-series processors deliver excellent performance and battery life, and it’s continued to prove its point in 2024. This year’s model features brighter screens and improved webcams, as well as slight bumps in RAM and storage. I’m a Windows user, but even I have to admit that what Apple is doing with the MacBooks is something that Microsoft and all its partners on the PC side have struggled to fully replicate. 

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
What PC makers do excel at is power and creativity. When it’s not experimenting with dual-screen laptops, ASUS is pushing out capable gaming laptops in its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. This year, our reviewer Sam Rutherford’s top-scored product is the ROG Zephyrus G14, which he declared “the 14-inch gaming laptop to beat.” Sam hasn’t given out a higher score at all this year, so it stands to reason we have yet to see a gaming notebook steal that crown. The Zephyrus G14 won Sam over with its beautiful OLED screen, attractive yet subtle design and generous array of ports. Though he’s not a fan of its soldered-in RAM and ASUS’ Armoury Crate app, Sam still found plenty to like, calling it “both pound for pound and dollar for dollar the best choice around.” 
Honorable mention: reMarkable Paper Pro
There are plenty of products that might have received the same score as the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and iPhone 16 Pro, but we have to cut the list somewhere. It’s worth mentioning that other devices we awarded a score of 91 include the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, the Analogue Duo, the Fujifilm X100 VI and the iPad Air (2024). And when it comes to things that got 90 points, we’ve got the base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, the Apple Watch Series 10, NVIDIA’s RTX 4070 Super graphics card, the Meta Quest 3S headset, as well as appliances like Ninja’s Creami ice-cream maker.
But I wanted to shout out Daniel Cooper’s review of the reMarkable Paper Pro. It’s a gadget that’s brought back waves of nostalgia and sentimentality in a time when we’re all tired of constantly being wired in. It’s one of the highest-rated products of its kind, not only because it’s a capable writing tablet, but also because it is a color e-paper tablet that has a bigger screen and faster performance than its monochrome predecessor. At $580 to start, it’s certainly a significant investment, but one that might free us from feeling chained to our laptops and phones. 
Worst products we reviewed this year: Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1
In all my 8-plus years at Engadget, I can only remember one other time we’ve awarded anything a sub-60 score, and that was when Fisher-Price’s Sproutling wearable baby monitor gave our editor’s baby an eczema outbreak. The Sproutling got an appropriately all-time low score of 41, and this year, the Rabbit R1 broke that bottom when Devindra decided it deserved only 40 points.
The Rabbit R1 first made waves at CES 2024, when it showed up out of nowhere and enticed many of us with its cute looks and bright orange color. Its Teenage Engineering heritage was even more alluring, and we all wanted to try out the Playdate-esque scroll wheel for ourselves. The square device also came with an onboard camera, two microphones, rotating camera and a 2.88-inch display. But its biggest promise was, as with everything in 2024, all about AI. 
And with many things in 2024, the AI promise fell flat. Rabbit made bold claims about its “large action model,” but in actuality, at the time of our review, the R1 could barely execute tasks to completion. Instead of letting you easily make orders via DoorDash, for example, it would “often deliver the weather when I asked for traffic,” according to Devindra’s review. Worse, “sometimes it would hear my request and simply do nothing.”

Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

I had a similarly frustrating experience when testing the much-hyped Humane AI Pin. It was a shiny chrome square that you could attach to your clothes and interact with either by voice, touch or via a futuristic-looking projector that beamed a display onto your palm. You were supposed to be able to simply talk to the Humane AI assistant to get it to remember things for and about you, eventually coming to rely on it like a second brain.
Instead, we got a hot mess. Quite literally. The Humane AI Pin would frequently run so hot that it would stop working, with the device saying it needed to cool down for a bit before you could use it again. When it did work, it was barely smart enough to answer questions, and though the projector was cool visually, using it to do anything was frustrating and just led to sore arms and crossed eyes. Not only did it not do enough to justify the effort involved in using it, the Humane AI Pin also cost $700 — way too much for a product this finicky. 
It gets worse (or better, depending on how you’re reading this). Shortly after it was widely criticized by reviewers in April, leaked internal documents showed that people appeared to be returning the AI Pins faster than the company was selling them. In October, Humane had to issue a recall for its charging case due to overheating, with the Consumer Product Safety Commission saying it posed “a fire hazard.”
I gave the Humane AI Pin a score of 50 in my review, in large part due to the intriguing projector display. Right now, though, it seems these AI gadgets are, at best, struggling to take hold. At worst, they’re on fire. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-12-best-gadgets-we-reviewed-this-year-173024990.html?src=rss

I’ve lost count of the number of things we reviewed this year at Engadget. In 2024, the types of products we tested ranged from the typical phones, laptops and headphones to AI wearables, robotic lawnmowers and handheld gaming consoles, alongside games and shows. It can feel hard to keep track of it all, but thankfully, our scoring system helps us highlight the best (and the worst) devices each year. 

Our team of reviewers and editors evaluate products based on their performance, value and how they hold up against the competition, and at least two people weigh in on every score before it’s published. If something gets a result of 80 and up, it’s considered a “Recommended” product, while those scoring 90 and more are awarded “Editors’ Choice.” The latter means they’re the best in their class, beating out most of the competition. 

Since we have to be very judicious about what we review (there’s only so much time in the world), most of the gadgets we call in are from established companies with a track record of making things people will actually consider buying. That’s the main reason most of our scores sit between 80 and 90, though we still test the occasional device that ends up getting a number below 70. 

As we look back on the year in gadgets, here are the 12 highest-scored reviews we published. Unsurprisingly, they’re mostly of Apple and Google products, with a smattering of cameras and drones. I’m also including some honorable mentions for good measure, as well as a pair of the lowest-rated devices all year. May we have only excellent gadgets to review next year, and may there be less e-waste all around.

Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL

I’m honestly shocked. For the first time in years, we’ve given a Google phone a higher score than an iPhone in the same year. Maybe it has something to do with Gemini AI launching earlier than Apple Intelligence, or the fun colors and solid build of the Pixel 9 Pro series. But as I discussed the scores with our reviewer Mat Smith, a few things added up. Arguably the biggest advantage Google has over Apple this year is battery life — the Pixel 9 Pros generally last about two days on a charge, while the iPhone 16 Pro series typically clocks just around 20 hours. We also love Google’s cameras and the bright, smooth displays. The gorgeous palette of pastel color options is just icing on a satisfying cake, with Gemini AI bringing a tasty side treat. 

DJI Avata 2

Though there is looming concern over DJI’s longevity in the US, the company has otherwise had a relatively successful 2024. This year saw many DJI products scoring more than 90 in our database, which makes sense as they are arguably the best drone maker around. Steve was most impressed by the Avata 2, though, thanks to its great video quality and maneuverability for a lower price than its predecessor. It even has better battery life, to boot. 

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

Apple Intelligence wasn’t available when the iPhone 16 series launched and only recently rolled out, so our review score might still change, But as it is, and after months of using the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max in my daily life, I stand by my evaluation. Though there’s a lot to like about Apple’s latest flagships, I was just so disappointed by the relatively poor battery life that I could not score it higher than the Pixel 9 Pro series. This is more noticeable on the iPhone 16 Pro, though, as the Pro Max generally lasts a few more hours than its smaller counterpart. I also wish the generative-AI features were ready for the public at the time of my review, but now that I’ve spent more time with Genmoji, Image Playground and notification summaries, I’m pretty sure my verdict remains the same. These Apple Intelligence features are fun, but not game-changing, and with or without them the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are still the best options for anyone on iOS.

Canon EOS R5 II

We’ve got a slew of reviews by Steve on this list, mostly for products in cameras and drones that ranked well in their categories. As a Canon girl myself, I was happy to see the EOS R5 II get such a good rating, especially since competition has been heating up. Sadly, the EOS R5 II also heats up when shooting high-res video, but on pretty much every other aspect, it performs respectably. According to Steve, this camera “puts Sony on notice,” and I’m glad to see it. 

Sony A9 III

Reviewed much earlier in the year, the Sony A9 III caught Steve’s attention for its speedy global shutter, which brought fast and accurate autofocus. It also delivered smooth, high-quality video in a body with excellent handling thanks to Sony’s comfortable new grip. Steve also loved the viewfinder, and though it’s very expensive at $6,000, the A9 III is a solid product that holds the title of “fastest full-frame camera” — at least, until something faster comes along.

DJI Air 3S and DJI Neo

What lightweight $200 drone shoots good 1080p video but also screams like a banshee? That would be the DJI Neo, which, despite Steve’s evocative description, is something I’m considering buying for myself. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it also promises to capture smooth aerial footage at a respectable resolution. Steve also found it beginner-friendly, which is important for a lousy pilot like me. And sure, maybe I’ll scare some wildlife or neighbors with its loud screeching, but maybe that’s part of the fun? 

If you want something that can avoid people or obstacles and deliver cinematic shots, the DJI Air 3S is a solid option thanks to its LiDAR and larger camera sensor, both of which improve performance and obstacle-detection in low light. You’ll have to pay about five times the Neo’s cost, of course, but aspiring Spielbergs might find that price worthwhile. 

MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2024) and MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2024)

I’m not surprised that the only laptops to make it to this list are this year’s M4 MacBook Pros. Apple has demonstrated over the last few years that its M-series processors deliver excellent performance and battery life, and it’s continued to prove its point in 2024. This year’s model features brighter screens and improved webcams, as well as slight bumps in RAM and storage. I’m a Windows user, but even I have to admit that what Apple is doing with the MacBooks is something that Microsoft and all its partners on the PC side have struggled to fully replicate. 

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)

What PC makers do excel at is power and creativity. When it’s not experimenting with dual-screen laptops, ASUS is pushing out capable gaming laptops in its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. This year, our reviewer Sam Rutherford’s top-scored product is the ROG Zephyrus G14, which he declared “the 14-inch gaming laptop to beat.” Sam hasn’t given out a higher score at all this year, so it stands to reason we have yet to see a gaming notebook steal that crown. The Zephyrus G14 won Sam over with its beautiful OLED screen, attractive yet subtle design and generous array of ports. Though he’s not a fan of its soldered-in RAM and ASUS’ Armoury Crate app, Sam still found plenty to like, calling it “both pound for pound and dollar for dollar the best choice around.” 

Honorable mention: reMarkable Paper Pro

There are plenty of products that might have received the same score as the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and iPhone 16 Pro, but we have to cut the list somewhere. It’s worth mentioning that other devices we awarded a score of 91 include the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, the Analogue Duo, the Fujifilm X100 VI and the iPad Air (2024). And when it comes to things that got 90 points, we’ve got the base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, the Apple Watch Series 10, NVIDIA’s RTX 4070 Super graphics card, the Meta Quest 3S headset, as well as appliances like Ninja’s Creami ice-cream maker.

But I wanted to shout out Daniel Cooper’s review of the reMarkable Paper Pro. It’s a gadget that’s brought back waves of nostalgia and sentimentality in a time when we’re all tired of constantly being wired in. It’s one of the highest-rated products of its kind, not only because it’s a capable writing tablet, but also because it is a color e-paper tablet that has a bigger screen and faster performance than its monochrome predecessor. At $580 to start, it’s certainly a significant investment, but one that might free us from feeling chained to our laptops and phones. 

Worst products we reviewed this year: Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1

In all my 8-plus years at Engadget, I can only remember one other time we’ve awarded anything a sub-60 score, and that was when Fisher-Price’s Sproutling wearable baby monitor gave our editor’s baby an eczema outbreak. The Sproutling got an appropriately all-time low score of 41, and this year, the Rabbit R1 broke that bottom when Devindra decided it deserved only 40 points.

The Rabbit R1 first made waves at CES 2024, when it showed up out of nowhere and enticed many of us with its cute looks and bright orange color. Its Teenage Engineering heritage was even more alluring, and we all wanted to try out the Playdate-esque scroll wheel for ourselves. The square device also came with an onboard camera, two microphones, rotating camera and a 2.88-inch display. But its biggest promise was, as with everything in 2024, all about AI. 

And with many things in 2024, the AI promise fell flat. Rabbit made bold claims about its “large action model,” but in actuality, at the time of our review, the R1 could barely execute tasks to completion. Instead of letting you easily make orders via DoorDash, for example, it would “often deliver the weather when I asked for traffic,” according to Devindra’s review. Worse, “sometimes it would hear my request and simply do nothing.”

I had a similarly frustrating experience when testing the much-hyped Humane AI Pin. It was a shiny chrome square that you could attach to your clothes and interact with either by voice, touch or via a futuristic-looking projector that beamed a display onto your palm. You were supposed to be able to simply talk to the Humane AI assistant to get it to remember things for and about you, eventually coming to rely on it like a second brain.

Instead, we got a hot mess. Quite literally. The Humane AI Pin would frequently run so hot that it would stop working, with the device saying it needed to cool down for a bit before you could use it again. When it did work, it was barely smart enough to answer questions, and though the projector was cool visually, using it to do anything was frustrating and just led to sore arms and crossed eyes. Not only did it not do enough to justify the effort involved in using it, the Humane AI Pin also cost $700 — way too much for a product this finicky. 

It gets worse (or better, depending on how you’re reading this). Shortly after it was widely criticized by reviewers in April, leaked internal documents showed that people appeared to be returning the AI Pins faster than the company was selling them. In October, Humane had to issue a recall for its charging case due to overheating, with the Consumer Product Safety Commission saying it posed “a fire hazard.”

I gave the Humane AI Pin a score of 50 in my review, in large part due to the intriguing projector display. Right now, though, it seems these AI gadgets are, at best, struggling to take hold. At worst, they’re on fire. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-12-best-gadgets-we-reviewed-this-year-173024990.html?src=rss

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Beats updated its high-end flagship wireless headphones last year, bringing a slew of upgrades over the Studio 3 Wireless, the model it replaced. The Beats Studio Pro has better sound, active noise cancellation (ANC), Spatial Audio and more. But at $350, it didn’t necessarily stand out among stiff competition from Sony and Bose. Well, today at Amazon, the premium headphones have a new draw that those rivals don’t: They’re on sale for a mere $170. That’s 51 percent off and only $10 more than the record low.
Although the Beats Studio Pro doesn’t look starkly different from the Studio 3 Wireless it replaced, it adds subtle aesthetic touches like new colors, a tone-on-tone finish and UltraPlush memory foam (wrapped in leather) earpads. Of course, you still get the brand’s iconic lower-case “b” logo on each earpiece.

But the biggest changes are on the inside. Using Beats’ second-gen audio chip and new 40mm drivers with a two-layer diaphragm, micro vents and acoustic mesh, they have improved clarity and a more balanced profile than the Studio 3 Wireless. Although Beats was once known for overpowering bass at the expense of mids, highs and clarity, that’s no longer the case. Engadget’s audio guru, Billy Steele, found that the cans produced even-handed tuning and attention to precision once unheard of in the brand’s pre-Apple days.
The Studio Pro also has Spatial Audio, familiar to anyone who’s used Apple’s recent AirPods. (Bose also added its equivalent in its Ultra line.) The technology simulates 64 speakers around you, creating a more distinct separation between instruments and voices. You can choose between head-tracked and fixed modes, too. However, the digital trickery’s effectiveness can vary depending on the track, ranging from breathing new life into old tracks to hardly providing a noticeable difference in some other genres.
The headphones also let you listen to high-resolution and lossless music via USB-C wired listening — up to 24-bit / 48kHz. They also have a transparency mode, up to 40 hours of listening with ANC off (or around 24 hours with ANC or transparency mode on) and a fast-fuel feature that gives you four hours of playback after just a 10-minute charge.
If ANC isn’t your priority, you may want to look at the cheaper Beats Solo 4, also on sale. Offering better sound quality and longer battery life over the Solo 3, this 2024 model is on sale at Amazon for $100 — half off.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-beats-studio-pro-headphones-are-half-off-right-now-172541818.html?src=rss

Beats updated its high-end flagship wireless headphones last year, bringing a slew of upgrades over the Studio 3 Wireless, the model it replaced. The Beats Studio Pro has better sound, active noise cancellation (ANC), Spatial Audio and more. But at $350, it didn’t necessarily stand out among stiff competition from Sony and Bose. Well, today at Amazon, the premium headphones have a new draw that those rivals don’t: They’re on sale for a mere $170. That’s 51 percent off and only $10 more than the record low.

Although the Beats Studio Pro doesn’t look starkly different from the Studio 3 Wireless it replaced, it adds subtle aesthetic touches like new colors, a tone-on-tone finish and UltraPlush memory foam (wrapped in leather) earpads. Of course, you still get the brand’s iconic lower-case “b” logo on each earpiece.

But the biggest changes are on the inside. Using Beats’ second-gen audio chip and new 40mm drivers with a two-layer diaphragm, micro vents and acoustic mesh, they have improved clarity and a more balanced profile than the Studio 3 Wireless. Although Beats was once known for overpowering bass at the expense of mids, highs and clarity, that’s no longer the case. Engadget’s audio guru, Billy Steele, found that the cans produced even-handed tuning and attention to precision once unheard of in the brand’s pre-Apple days.

The Studio Pro also has Spatial Audio, familiar to anyone who’s used Apple’s recent AirPods. (Bose also added its equivalent in its Ultra line.) The technology simulates 64 speakers around you, creating a more distinct separation between instruments and voices. You can choose between head-tracked and fixed modes, too. However, the digital trickery’s effectiveness can vary depending on the track, ranging from breathing new life into old tracks to hardly providing a noticeable difference in some other genres.

The headphones also let you listen to high-resolution and lossless music via USB-C wired listening — up to 24-bit / 48kHz. They also have a transparency mode, up to 40 hours of listening with ANC off (or around 24 hours with ANC or transparency mode on) and a fast-fuel feature that gives you four hours of playback after just a 10-minute charge.

If ANC isn’t your priority, you may want to look at the cheaper Beats Solo 4, also on sale. Offering better sound quality and longer battery life over the Solo 3, this 2024 model is on sale at Amazon for $100 — half off.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-beats-studio-pro-headphones-are-half-off-right-now-172541818.html?src=rss

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It’s never been more exhausting to be online than in 2024. While it’s been clear for some time that monetization has shifted social media into a different beast, this year in particular felt like a tipping point. Faced with the endless streams of content that’s formulated to trap viewers’ gazes, shoppable ads at every turn, AI and the unrelenting opinions of strangers, it struck me recently that despite my habitual use of these apps, I’m not actually having fun on any of them anymore.
Take Instagram. I open the app and I’m greeted by an ad for bidets. I start scrolling. Between each of the first three posts at the top of my feed is a different ad: lingerie, squat-friendly jorts, shoes from a brand selling items that appear to be dropshipped from AliExpress at a markup. Then, thankfully, two memes back to back. I fire off the funny one to five of my friends in a way that feels obligatory. After that, another ad, then a bunch of seemingly off-target Reels from accounts I don’t even follow. Minutes pass before I encounter a post by someone I know in real life. Oh yeah, it’s time to turn off suggested posts again, something I have to do every 30 days or my feed will be filled with random crap.
But before I get a chance to do that, I’m distracted by a Reel of a cat watching The Grinch. Then by a Reel of a guy with a tiny chihuahua in his coat pocket. Curiosity gets the better of me and I open the comments, where people are angrily writing that the dog must be suffocating. Oh no. I scroll to the next Reel, a video I’ve seen several times before of a rooster marching around in a pair of pants. Below, everyone’s fighting about whether it’s cruel to put pants on a chicken. Is it? Next, a video of a girl doing her makeup, where men are commenting that this should be considered catfishing. Deep sigh. I realize 30 minutes have somehow passed and I close Instagram, now in a worse mood than when I opened it. I’ll compulsively return in an hour or so, rinse and repeat.
It’s not just an Instagram problem. On TikTok (which may or may not get shut down in the US very soon), the For You page has me figured out pretty well contentwise and the presence of toxic commenters is minimal, but every other post is either sponsored or hawking a product from the TikTok Shop. And it’s too easy to get sucked into the perpetual scroll. I often avoid opening the app at all just because I know I’ll end up getting trapped there for longer than I want to, watching videos about nothing made by people I don’t know and never will. But it still happens more frequently than I’d like to admit.
These days, it feels like every gathering place on the internet is so crowded with content that’s competing for — and successfully grabbing — our attention or trying to sell us something that there’s barely any room for the “social” element of social media. Instead, we’re pushed into separate corners to stare at the glowing boxes in our hands alone.
Fittingly, Oxford announced at the end of November that its Word of the Year for 2024 is “brain rot,” a term that expresses the supposed consequence of countless hours spent on the internet consuming stupid stuff. Just as fitting, Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary chose “enshittification,” which describes how the platforms and products we love get ruined over time as the companies behind them chase profits. (It was also The American Dialect Society’s 2023 Word of the Year). Social media platforms were in theory designed around ideas of friendship and connection, but what’s playing out on them today couldn’t feel further from genuine human interaction.
Facebook — if you even have an account still — might be where you’d go if you really wanted to see updates from family and other people you know IRL, but its UI has become so cluttered with recommended Reels and products that it feels unusable. Twitter, where it was once fun to keep up with live discourse around major events or fandom happenings, no longer exists, and X, its new form under Elon Musk, is filled with bots and political propaganda.
On the other hand, Threads, an offshoot of Instagram and Meta’s answer to Twitter/X, took off this year and it quickly became a hotspot for copy-paste engagement bait, a problem so bad that Adam Mosseri has publicly acknowledged it. The Threads team has apparently been “working to get it under control,” but I still can’t scroll through my For You feed without seeing a dozen posts that are either just regurgitated memes being passed off as original thoughts, or questions to the masses that are crafted with the intention of stirring the pot. The same feed is otherwise dominated by viral videos that are ripped off from other creators without credit and pop culture commentary that almost always devolves into sex- and genderism. I often step away from Threads feeling the need to go scream in a field.
Threads doesn’t have DMs, meaning all conversations take place in public. It finally gave users the ability to create custom feeds around searchable topics in November, but those topic pages are generally still riddled with bait-style posts, just more subject-specific versions. That’s meant so far that it’s been pretty hard to find communities to authentically connect with. It all feels so impersonal.
It doesn’t help that Threads’ Following feed currently isn’t the default view and there’s no way to change that (though Threads recently began testing the option). And at the end of the day, its 275 million or so monthly active users doesn’t include all that many people I actually know, especially outside of the media industry. The same goes for fediverse social networks like Mastodon and Bluesky, which are far less populated but have a cliquier feel. Visiting those platforms feels like walking into a room full of people who all know each other really well, and realizing you’re the odd one out. But at least Bluesky nor Mastodon aren’t poorly veiled shopping experiences. (Threads isn’t at the moment, either, but ads are reportedly coming).
Maybe it all comes down to burnout in the era of excessive consumption, but lately I’ve found myself wishing for a place on the internet that feels both inviting and human. I’m sure I’m not alone. In recent years, we’ve seen alternative social apps pop up like BeReal, Hive and the Myspace-reminiscent entrants SpaceHey and noplace, all aiming to bring character and interpersonal connection back into social media. But none have quite cracked the code for lasting mainstream adoption. Discord and even Reddit to some extent address the same person-to-person need, yet they share more in common with proto social media chatrooms and forums than with the sites that sprung up during the social heyday.
Meanwhile, Meta is increasingly pushing AI across its apps. Just this summer we got the chatbot-maker, AI Studio, which Meta touted not only as a way for users to create AI characters, but for “creators to build an AI as an extension of themselves to reach more fans.” Rather than talk to your real friends or make new ones around a common interest, you can deepen your parasocial relationship with celebrities, influencers and fictional characters by chatting with the AI versions of them. Or, pick from several AI girlfriends you can now find in the menu of your DMs. We’ve completely lost the plot, I fear.
I’ve started dipping back into Tumblr here and there, if only to see a less chaotic, more curated feed and relish in the reminder of how fun customization can be. A few friends have mentioned that they’ve been doing the same. But given the platform’s past policy upheavals and its current AI partnerships, it’s not exactly an online oasis either. As if on cue, I was recently served a mock Tumblr poster during my evening scroll that felt uncannily apt: “we didn’t get better. the rest of the internet just got worse.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/in-2024-using-social-media-felt-worse-than-ever-170047895.html?src=rss

It’s never been more exhausting to be online than in 2024. While it’s been clear for some time that monetization has shifted social media into a different beast, this year in particular felt like a tipping point. Faced with the endless streams of content that’s formulated to trap viewers’ gazes, shoppable ads at every turn, AI and the unrelenting opinions of strangers, it struck me recently that despite my habitual use of these apps, I’m not actually having fun on any of them anymore.

Take Instagram. I open the app and I’m greeted by an ad for bidets. I start scrolling. Between each of the first three posts at the top of my feed is a different ad: lingerie, squat-friendly jorts, shoes from a brand selling items that appear to be dropshipped from AliExpress at a markup. Then, thankfully, two memes back to back. I fire off the funny one to five of my friends in a way that feels obligatory. After that, another ad, then a bunch of seemingly off-target Reels from accounts I don’t even follow. Minutes pass before I encounter a post by someone I know in real life. Oh yeah, it’s time to turn off suggested posts again, something I have to do every 30 days or my feed will be filled with random crap.

But before I get a chance to do that, I’m distracted by a Reel of a cat watching The Grinch. Then by a Reel of a guy with a tiny chihuahua in his coat pocket. Curiosity gets the better of me and I open the comments, where people are angrily writing that the dog must be suffocating. Oh no. I scroll to the next Reel, a video I’ve seen several times before of a rooster marching around in a pair of pants. Below, everyone’s fighting about whether it’s cruel to put pants on a chicken. Is it? Next, a video of a girl doing her makeup, where men are commenting that this should be considered catfishing. Deep sigh. I realize 30 minutes have somehow passed and I close Instagram, now in a worse mood than when I opened it. I’ll compulsively return in an hour or so, rinse and repeat.

It’s not just an Instagram problem. On TikTok (which may or may not get shut down in the US very soon), the For You page has me figured out pretty well contentwise and the presence of toxic commenters is minimal, but every other post is either sponsored or hawking a product from the TikTok Shop. And it’s too easy to get sucked into the perpetual scroll. I often avoid opening the app at all just because I know I’ll end up getting trapped there for longer than I want to, watching videos about nothing made by people I don’t know and never will. But it still happens more frequently than I’d like to admit.

These days, it feels like every gathering place on the internet is so crowded with content that’s competing for — and successfully grabbing — our attention or trying to sell us something that there’s barely any room for the “social” element of social media. Instead, we’re pushed into separate corners to stare at the glowing boxes in our hands alone.

Fittingly, Oxford announced at the end of November that its Word of the Year for 2024 is “brain rot,” a term that expresses the supposed consequence of countless hours spent on the internet consuming stupid stuff. Just as fitting, Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary chose “enshittification,” which describes how the platforms and products we love get ruined over time as the companies behind them chase profits. (It was also The American Dialect Society’s 2023 Word of the Year). Social media platforms were in theory designed around ideas of friendship and connection, but what’s playing out on them today couldn’t feel further from genuine human interaction.

Facebook — if you even have an account still — might be where you’d go if you really wanted to see updates from family and other people you know IRL, but its UI has become so cluttered with recommended Reels and products that it feels unusable. Twitter, where it was once fun to keep up with live discourse around major events or fandom happenings, no longer exists, and X, its new form under Elon Musk, is filled with bots and political propaganda.

On the other hand, Threads, an offshoot of Instagram and Meta’s answer to Twitter/X, took off this year and it quickly became a hotspot for copy-paste engagement bait, a problem so bad that Adam Mosseri has publicly acknowledged it. The Threads team has apparently been “working to get it under control,” but I still can’t scroll through my For You feed without seeing a dozen posts that are either just regurgitated memes being passed off as original thoughts, or questions to the masses that are crafted with the intention of stirring the pot. The same feed is otherwise dominated by viral videos that are ripped off from other creators without credit and pop culture commentary that almost always devolves into sex- and genderism. I often step away from Threads feeling the need to go scream in a field.

Threads doesn’t have DMs, meaning all conversations take place in public. It finally gave users the ability to create custom feeds around searchable topics in November, but those topic pages are generally still riddled with bait-style posts, just more subject-specific versions. That’s meant so far that it’s been pretty hard to find communities to authentically connect with. It all feels so impersonal.

It doesn’t help that Threads’ Following feed currently isn’t the default view and there’s no way to change that (though Threads recently began testing the option). And at the end of the day, its 275 million or so monthly active users doesn’t include all that many people I actually know, especially outside of the media industry. The same goes for fediverse social networks like Mastodon and Bluesky, which are far less populated but have a cliquier feel. Visiting those platforms feels like walking into a room full of people who all know each other really well, and realizing you’re the odd one out. But at least Bluesky nor Mastodon aren’t poorly veiled shopping experiences. (Threads isn’t at the moment, either, but ads are reportedly coming).

Maybe it all comes down to burnout in the era of excessive consumption, but lately I’ve found myself wishing for a place on the internet that feels both inviting and human. I’m sure I’m not alone. In recent years, we’ve seen alternative social apps pop up like BeReal, Hive and the Myspace-reminiscent entrants SpaceHey and noplace, all aiming to bring character and interpersonal connection back into social media. But none have quite cracked the code for lasting mainstream adoption. Discord and even Reddit to some extent address the same person-to-person need, yet they share more in common with proto social media chatrooms and forums than with the sites that sprung up during the social heyday.

Meanwhile, Meta is increasingly pushing AI across its apps. Just this summer we got the chatbot-maker, AI Studio, which Meta touted not only as a way for users to create AI characters, but for “creators to build an AI as an extension of themselves to reach more fans.” Rather than talk to your real friends or make new ones around a common interest, you can deepen your parasocial relationship with celebrities, influencers and fictional characters by chatting with the AI versions of them. Or, pick from several AI girlfriends you can now find in the menu of your DMs. We’ve completely lost the plot, I fear.

I’ve started dipping back into Tumblr here and there, if only to see a less chaotic, more curated feed and relish in the reminder of how fun customization can be. A few friends have mentioned that they’ve been doing the same. But given the platform’s past policy upheavals and its current AI partnerships, it’s not exactly an online oasis either. As if on cue, I was recently served a mock Tumblr poster during my evening scroll that felt uncannily apt: “we didn’t get better. the rest of the internet just got worse.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/in-2024-using-social-media-felt-worse-than-ever-170047895.html?src=rss

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Following months of speculation, OpenAI has finally shared how it plans to become a for-profit company. In a blog post penned by its board of directors, OpenAI said Thursday it plans to transform its for-profit arm into a Public Benefit Corporation sometime in 2025. PBCs or B Corps are for-profit organizations that attempt to balance the interests of their stakeholders while making a positive impact on society.
“As we enter 2025, we will have to become more than a lab and a startup — we have to become an enduring company,” OpenAI said, adding that many of its competitors are registered as PBCs, including Anthropic and even Elon Musk’s own xAI. “[The move] would enable us to raise the necessary capital with conventional terms like others in this space.”
As part of the transformation, OpenAI’s nonprofit division would retain a stake in the for-profit unit in the form of shares “at a fair valuation determined by independent financial advisors,” but would lose direct oversight of the company. “Our plan would result in one of the best resourced non-profits in history,” claims OpenAI.
Following the reorganization, the for-profit division would be responsible for overseeing OpenAI’s “operations and business,” while the nonprofit arm would operate separately with its own leadership team and a focus on charitable efforts in health care, education and science.
OpenAI did not state whether CEO Sam Altman would receive an equity stake as part of the restructuring. Last year, OpenAI’s board of directors briefly fired Altman before bringing him back, in the process sparking the institutional crisis that led to this week’s announcement. According to some estimates, OpenAI’s for-profit arm could be worth as much as $150 billion. In 2019, OpenAI estimated it would need to raise at least $10 billion to build artificial general intelligence. In October, the company secured $6 billion in new funding.
“The hundreds⁠ of billions⁠ of⁠ dollars that major companies are now investing into AI development show what it will really take for OpenAI to continue pursuing the mission,” OpenAI said. “We once again need to raise more capital than we’d imagined. Investors want to back us but, at this scale of capital, need conventional equity and less structural bespokeness.”
Despite this week’s announcement, OpenAI is likely to face multiple roadblocks in implementing its plan. In addition to its ongoing legal feud with Elon Musk, Meta recently sent a letter to California’s attorney general urging him to stop OpenAI from converting to a for-profit company, saying the move would be “wrong” and “could lead to a proliferation of similar start-up ventures that are notionally charitable until they are potentially profitable.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-for-profit-plan-includes-a-public-benefit-corporation-163634265.html?src=rss

Following months of speculation, OpenAI has finally shared how it plans to become a for-profit company. In a blog post penned by its board of directors, OpenAI said Thursday it plans to transform its for-profit arm into a Public Benefit Corporation sometime in 2025. PBCs or B Corps are for-profit organizations that attempt to balance the interests of their stakeholders while making a positive impact on society.

“As we enter 2025, we will have to become more than a lab and a startup — we have to become an enduring company,” OpenAI said, adding that many of its competitors are registered as PBCs, including Anthropic and even Elon Musk’s own xAI. “[The move] would enable us to raise the necessary capital with conventional terms like others in this space.”

As part of the transformation, OpenAI’s nonprofit division would retain a stake in the for-profit unit in the form of shares “at a fair valuation determined by independent financial advisors,” but would lose direct oversight of the company. “Our plan would result in one of the best resourced non-profits in history,” claims OpenAI.

Following the reorganization, the for-profit division would be responsible for overseeing OpenAI’s “operations and business,” while the nonprofit arm would operate separately with its own leadership team and a focus on charitable efforts in health care, education and science.

OpenAI did not state whether CEO Sam Altman would receive an equity stake as part of the restructuring. Last year, OpenAI’s board of directors briefly fired Altman before bringing him back, in the process sparking the institutional crisis that led to this week’s announcement. According to some estimates, OpenAI’s for-profit arm could be worth as much as $150 billion. In 2019, OpenAI estimated it would need to raise at least $10 billion to build artificial general intelligence. In October, the company secured $6 billion in new funding.

“The hundreds⁠ of billions⁠ of⁠ dollars that major companies are now investing into AI development show what it will really take for OpenAI to continue pursuing the mission,” OpenAI said. “We once again need to raise more capital than we’d imagined. Investors want to back us but, at this scale of capital, need conventional equity and less structural bespokeness.”

Despite this week’s announcement, OpenAI is likely to face multiple roadblocks in implementing its plan. In addition to its ongoing legal feud with Elon Musk, Meta recently sent a letter to California’s attorney general urging him to stop OpenAI from converting to a for-profit company, saying the move would be “wrong” and “could lead to a proliferation of similar start-up ventures that are notionally charitable until they are potentially profitable.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-for-profit-plan-includes-a-public-benefit-corporation-163634265.html?src=rss

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The recent rollout of iOS 18.2 finally brings many of the promised Apple Intelligence features, like Genmoji and Image Playground. One such long-awaited tool is Visual Intelligence, a feature currently reserved for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max that was first introduced at the company’s September event.
What is Visual Intelligence?
Visual Intelligence is Apple’s answer to Google Lens. It leverages the camera system and AI to analyze images in real-time and provide useful information. This can help people learn more about the world around them and is particularly handy for shopping, looking up details about a restaurant or business, translating written text, summarizing text or having something read aloud. It can also integrate with Google Image Search and ChatGPT. 
Are there any caveats?
There are two caveats. The Apple Intelligence rollout has been something of a convoluted mess, and this trend continues with Visual Intelligence. For now, the tools only work with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, which are the beefiest of the company’s recent handsets. Apple has indicated that the feature could eventually become available for older models. Google Lens, after all, has been around since 2017, which was when the Pixel 2 was the hottest handset on the block.
There’s also a wait list, which is true of all Apple Intelligence features. To join the list, head to settings and look for “Apple Intelligence & Siri.” Then click on “Join Waitlist.” Once approved, the software will be ready to use.
How to use Visual Intelligence
As of this writing, the only way to launch Visual Intelligence is to long-press the Camera Control button. That’s the new control interface on the bottom right side of the handset. Once pressed, the Visual Intelligence interface will open up. 
Apple
Now the fun begins. Just point your phone at something and select ChatGPT, via the bottom left icon, or Google Image Search, via the bottom right icon. Alternatively, if the visual field includes text, tap the circle at the bottom of the screen. The phone can also be pointed at a business to obtain useful information. 
How to interact with text
Hover the phone in front of the text, activate Visual Intelligence and tap the circle at the bottom of the screen. This will analyze the text. Once analyzed, there are a few options. Tap “Translate” at the bottom of the screen to translate the text into another language. Tap “Read Aloud” if you want the text to be read aloud by Siri. Tap “Summarize” for a quick summary of the copy.
The tool will also identify contact information in the text, like phone numbers, email addresses and websites. Users can take action depending on the type of text. For instance, tap on the phone number to give it a ring. Other actions include starting an email, creating a calendar event or heading to a website. Tap the “More” button to see all of the available options. Tap “Close” or swipe up to end the session.
How to interact with a business
Visual Intelligence can provide details about a business that’s directly in front of you. Just open up the tool and point the camera in front of the signage. The name of the business should appear at the top of the screen. Tap “Schedule” to see the hours of operation or tap “Order” to buy something. View the menu or available services by tapping “Menu” and make a reservation by touching “Reservation.” To call the business, read reviews or view the website, tap “More.”
Swipe up or tap “Close” to end the session. This feature is currently only available to US customers.
What to do with ChatGPT
Start by pointing the camera at an object. Activate Visual Intelligence and tap the ChatGPT icon on the bottom left side of the screen. Tap the “Ask” button for information about the object. We used it on a bottle of hand cream, which it properly identified. After that, a text field will appear for follow-up questions. Users can ask whatever they want, but results may vary. We asked ChatGPT where to buy the hand cream and how much it costs. It performed admirably at this task. Yay shopping.
Engadget/Cherlynn Low
Tap the “Close” button or swipe up to remove all fields, which will also shut down Visual Intelligence. 
What to do with Google Image Search
Choosing Google Image Search will bring up a Safari dialog box that contains similar photos pulled from the web. A good use case here is finding deals. We took a photo of a bottle of hand cream and the Safari results had plenty of different price points to choose from. However, users have to find the best deal and complete a purchase on their own.
Engadget/Cherlynn Low
Tap the “Close” button to eliminate these results and then swipe up from the bottom of the screen to shut down the tool.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-use-visual-intelligence-apples-take-on-google-lens-150039141.html?src=rss

The recent rollout of iOS 18.2 finally brings many of the promised Apple Intelligence features, like Genmoji and Image Playground. One such long-awaited tool is Visual Intelligence, a feature currently reserved for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max that was first introduced at the company’s September event.

What is Visual Intelligence?

Visual Intelligence is Apple’s answer to Google Lens. It leverages the camera system and AI to analyze images in real-time and provide useful information. This can help people learn more about the world around them and is particularly handy for shopping, looking up details about a restaurant or business, translating written text, summarizing text or having something read aloud. It can also integrate with Google Image Search and ChatGPT. 

Are there any caveats?

There are two caveats. The Apple Intelligence rollout has been something of a convoluted mess, and this trend continues with Visual Intelligence. For now, the tools only work with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, which are the beefiest of the company’s recent handsets. Apple has indicated that the feature could eventually become available for older models. Google Lens, after all, has been around since 2017, which was when the Pixel 2 was the hottest handset on the block.

There’s also a wait list, which is true of all Apple Intelligence features. To join the list, head to settings and look for “Apple Intelligence & Siri.” Then click on “Join Waitlist.” Once approved, the software will be ready to use.

How to use Visual Intelligence

As of this writing, the only way to launch Visual Intelligence is to long-press the Camera Control button. That’s the new control interface on the bottom right side of the handset. Once pressed, the Visual Intelligence interface will open up. 

Now the fun begins. Just point your phone at something and select ChatGPT, via the bottom left icon, or Google Image Search, via the bottom right icon. Alternatively, if the visual field includes text, tap the circle at the bottom of the screen. The phone can also be pointed at a business to obtain useful information. 

How to interact with text

Hover the phone in front of the text, activate Visual Intelligence and tap the circle at the bottom of the screen. This will analyze the text. Once analyzed, there are a few options. Tap “Translate” at the bottom of the screen to translate the text into another language. Tap “Read Aloud” if you want the text to be read aloud by Siri. Tap “Summarize” for a quick summary of the copy.

The tool will also identify contact information in the text, like phone numbers, email addresses and websites. Users can take action depending on the type of text. For instance, tap on the phone number to give it a ring. Other actions include starting an email, creating a calendar event or heading to a website. Tap the “More” button to see all of the available options. Tap “Close” or swipe up to end the session.

How to interact with a business

Visual Intelligence can provide details about a business that’s directly in front of you. Just open up the tool and point the camera in front of the signage. The name of the business should appear at the top of the screen. Tap “Schedule” to see the hours of operation or tap “Order” to buy something. View the menu or available services by tapping “Menu” and make a reservation by touching “Reservation.” To call the business, read reviews or view the website, tap “More.”

Swipe up or tap “Close” to end the session. This feature is currently only available to US customers.

What to do with ChatGPT

Start by pointing the camera at an object. Activate Visual Intelligence and tap the ChatGPT icon on the bottom left side of the screen. Tap the “Ask” button for information about the object. We used it on a bottle of hand cream, which it properly identified. After that, a text field will appear for follow-up questions. Users can ask whatever they want, but results may vary. We asked ChatGPT where to buy the hand cream and how much it costs. It performed admirably at this task. Yay shopping.

Tap the “Close” button or swipe up to remove all fields, which will also shut down Visual Intelligence. 

What to do with Google Image Search

Choosing Google Image Search will bring up a Safari dialog box that contains similar photos pulled from the web. A good use case here is finding deals. We took a photo of a bottle of hand cream and the Safari results had plenty of different price points to choose from. However, users have to find the best deal and complete a purchase on their own.

Tap the “Close” button to eliminate these results and then swipe up from the bottom of the screen to shut down the tool.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-use-visual-intelligence-apples-take-on-google-lens-150039141.html?src=rss

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Gather ‘round and let me tell you a story about the dark sky that makes mid-afternoon feel like midnight, and the light source that makes it at all bearable. Once a year, winter appears with a quick chill of the ears and sudden craving for a vat of hot chocolate. It brings all things beautiful: holiday lights, white blankets of snow in the park and thoughtful gifts. But it also invites in the cold and heaping amounts of darkness. I came of age in upstate New York, where sunlight is gone by half past four in the afternoon the entirety of December and January. That’s to say this isn’t a new phenomenon for me, but that hasn’t made it any less painful. In fact, it has caused a feeling of dread that starts popping up come late September.
But when I moved to Scotland, 4:30PM became nearly 3PM and the sun didn’t fully rise until well after I’d woken up. Even in London where I’m now based, it’s easily dark by 4PM on the shortest days. Like most people, the darkness leaves me exhausted while taking a serious toll on my mental health.
Now to the hero of this story: my SAD lamp. SAD stands for seasonal affective disorder, a depressive disorder triggered by the change of seasons (usually the darker days, though some people experience it in the summer). You by no means need to receive a SAD diagnosis to use a SAD lamp, bright light therapy lamp or wake-up lamp — all names for the same thing.

I bought Lumie’s Vitamin L bright light therapy lamp a few years ago ahead of my first Scottish winter and have used it every year since. The Vitamin L lamp is a slim rectangle that provides 5,000 lux at a foot away or 2,500 lux at about an arm’s length. The latter is the recommended distance for use and more or less how far it sits from me. It’s just shy of eight inches wide with a length of 11 inches and a depth of just over three inches. It can stand in portrait or landscape orientation, too, though I find it doesn’t balance very well in the latter. The light makes up the entire front panel and has a simple power button on the back.
The lamp lives on the floor next to my kitchen table, where I’ll prop it up nearly every morning while having breakfast or starting work. As a big fan of sleeping in, I rarely use it on the weekends unless I’m getting up early to run somewhere and I typically forget or get busy in the morning at least one workday. But when I do have it on, I’ll keep it shining at me from an angle for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much time I have.

Sarah Fielding / Engadget

This light is far from an extra table lamp to add a little glow. It’s a very — I repeat for good measure — very bright light. And yet, despite it practically being imitation sunlight, there’s no UV rays to worry about. It really does wake me up just from how bright it is and the daily routine adds a nice structure to busy, cold mornings.
I’ve never received a SAD diagnosis but I do have a panic disorder that causes anxiety and bouts of depression, the latter of which is more prominent during these cold, dark days. I don’t know how much of it is the lamp and how much is a placebo, but it really does help keep my negative feelings at bay and makes the dark days — a bit — more bearable.
Overall, if you dread the darkness of the winter months as much as I do, I highly recommend trying this Lumie lamp or exploring one of the other options on the market. Just the habit of turning it on most days makes me feel like I’m doing something to combat the dreariness. Plus, it really is hard to be tired when there’s a bright light shining near you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/this-sad-lamp-makes-the-winter-almost-bearable-130037310.html?src=rss

Gather ‘round and let me tell you a story about the dark sky that makes mid-afternoon feel like midnight, and the light source that makes it at all bearable. Once a year, winter appears with a quick chill of the ears and sudden craving for a vat of hot chocolate. It brings all things beautiful: holiday lights, white blankets of snow in the park and thoughtful gifts. But it also invites in the cold and heaping amounts of darkness. I came of age in upstate New York, where sunlight is gone by half past four in the afternoon the entirety of December and January. That’s to say this isn’t a new phenomenon for me, but that hasn’t made it any less painful. In fact, it has caused a feeling of dread that starts popping up come late September.

But when I moved to Scotland, 4:30PM became nearly 3PM and the sun didn’t fully rise until well after I’d woken up. Even in London where I’m now based, it’s easily dark by 4PM on the shortest days. Like most people, the darkness leaves me exhausted while taking a serious toll on my mental health.

Now to the hero of this story: my SAD lamp. SAD stands for seasonal affective disorder, a depressive disorder triggered by the change of seasons (usually the darker days, though some people experience it in the summer). You by no means need to receive a SAD diagnosis to use a SAD lamp, bright light therapy lamp or wake-up lamp — all names for the same thing.

I bought Lumie’s Vitamin L bright light therapy lamp a few years ago ahead of my first Scottish winter and have used it every year since. The Vitamin L lamp is a slim rectangle that provides 5,000 lux at a foot away or 2,500 lux at about an arm’s length. The latter is the recommended distance for use and more or less how far it sits from me. It’s just shy of eight inches wide with a length of 11 inches and a depth of just over three inches. It can stand in portrait or landscape orientation, too, though I find it doesn’t balance very well in the latter. The light makes up the entire front panel and has a simple power button on the back.

The lamp lives on the floor next to my kitchen table, where I’ll prop it up nearly every morning while having breakfast or starting work. As a big fan of sleeping in, I rarely use it on the weekends unless I’m getting up early to run somewhere and I typically forget or get busy in the morning at least one workday. But when I do have it on, I’ll keep it shining at me from an angle for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much time I have.

This light is far from an extra table lamp to add a little glow. It’s a very — I repeat for good measure — very bright light. And yet, despite it practically being imitation sunlight, there’s no UV rays to worry about. It really does wake me up just from how bright it is and the daily routine adds a nice structure to busy, cold mornings.

I’ve never received a SAD diagnosis but I do have a panic disorder that causes anxiety and bouts of depression, the latter of which is more prominent during these cold, dark days. I don’t know how much of it is the lamp and how much is a placebo, but it really does help keep my negative feelings at bay and makes the dark days — a bit — more bearable.

Overall, if you dread the darkness of the winter months as much as I do, I highly recommend trying this Lumie lamp or exploring one of the other options on the market. Just the habit of turning it on most days makes me feel like I’m doing something to combat the dreariness. Plus, it really is hard to be tired when there’s a bright light shining near you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/this-sad-lamp-makes-the-winter-almost-bearable-130037310.html?src=rss

Read More 

It’s that quiet, end-of-December period for tech news. Still, alongside our usual retrospectives on tech in 2024, the Russian government is cracking down crypto, and final seasons of hit Netflix phenomena are on their way.
First, according to reports by the state-owned news agency Tass, the Russian government banned crypto mining in ten regions for six years. Russia has cited the industry’s high power consumption rates as the primary reason behind the ban. Crypto mining operations already account for nearly 2.5 percent of US energy use. The Russian ban takes effect on January 1 and lasts until March 15, 2031. The currency has only been fully legal in Russia since November.
— Mat Smith
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The biggest tech stories you missed

How to spend your $100 gift card after Christmas
Engadget’s Balatro of the year 2024
‘Doctor Who: Joy to the World’ review

Squid Game will have a third (and final) season in 2025
Netflix released the second season yesterday.

No, I don’t know what cliffhanger shenanigans wrapped up season 2 (it just came out!), but you won’t have to wait too long to see how it all concludes. The Netflix-owned blog Tudum announced that the South Korean drama will return for its third and final season next year.
Continue reading.

Engadget’s Games of the Year 2024
From Animal Well to Vendetta Forever.
Engadget
After a bumper year in 2023, the last 12 months still offered plenty of amazing new releases. Whether you love a good indie or a big-budget production, there was something for you. And don’t worry: we shifted our Balatro essays into their own dedicated story.
Continue reading.

LG found a new job for your standing lamp
The “indoor gardening appliance” is a mood lighting and grow light all in one.
LG
The latest high-tech lamp from LG pulls double-duty as a plant pot. LG says the lamp with a circular lampshade shines LEDs in five different intensities on whichever plants you want to grow. Then, at night, the lights fire upwards to create cozy mood lighting. The taller, standing lamp can hold up to 20 plants at a time and you don’t need to worry about watering. There’s a 1.5-gallon tank built into the base of the lamp.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121507411.html?src=rss

It’s that quiet, end-of-December period for tech news. Still, alongside our usual retrospectives on tech in 2024, the Russian government is cracking down crypto, and final seasons of hit Netflix phenomena are on their way.

First, according to reports by the state-owned news agency Tass, the Russian government banned crypto mining in ten regions for six years. Russia has cited the industry’s high power consumption rates as the primary reason behind the ban. Crypto mining operations already account for nearly 2.5 percent of US energy use. The Russian ban takes effect on January 1 and lasts until March 15, 2031. The currency has only been fully legal in Russia since November.

— Mat Smith

Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

The biggest tech stories you missed

How to spend your $100 gift card after Christmas

Engadget’s Balatro of the year 2024

‘Doctor Who: Joy to the World’ review

Squid Game will have a third (and final) season in 2025

Netflix released the second season yesterday.

No, I don’t know what cliffhanger shenanigans wrapped up season 2 (it just came out!), but you won’t have to wait too long to see how it all concludes. The Netflix-owned blog Tudum announced that the South Korean drama will return for its third and final season next year.

Continue reading.

Engadget’s Games of the Year 2024

From Animal Well to Vendetta Forever.

After a bumper year in 2023, the last 12 months still offered plenty of amazing new releases. Whether you love a good indie or a big-budget production, there was something for you. And don’t worry: we shifted our Balatro essays into their own dedicated story.

Continue reading.

LG found a new job for your standing lamp

The “indoor gardening appliance” is a mood lighting and grow light all in one.

The latest high-tech lamp from LG pulls double-duty as a plant pot. LG says the lamp with a circular lampshade shines LEDs in five different intensities on whichever plants you want to grow. Then, at night, the lights fire upwards to create cozy mood lighting. The taller, standing lamp can hold up to 20 plants at a time and you don’t need to worry about watering. There’s a 1.5-gallon tank built into the base of the lamp.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121507411.html?src=rss

Read More 

It looks like we won’t have to wait long to find out what happens in the next installment of Netflix’s addictive and deadly drama Squid Game. The Netflix-owned blog Tudum announced the South Korean drama will return next year for its third and final season.
The first season ended with winner Seong Gi-hun, played by Emmy winner Lee Jung-Jae, leaving his newfound wealth to dismantle the titular game. Since then, we’ve learned in sneak previews and the Season 2 trailer that Seong’s plan is to rejoin the deadly competition and convince the players to vote for the games to stop. Something tells me it’s not going to be that simple.
The second season of Squid Game just landed today on Netflix after a three-year wait.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/squid-game-will-have-a-third-and-final-season-in-2025-192216881.html?src=rss

It looks like we won’t have to wait long to find out what happens in the next installment of Netflix’s addictive and deadly drama Squid Game. The Netflix-owned blog Tudum announced the South Korean drama will return next year for its third and final season.

The first season ended with winner Seong Gi-hun, played by Emmy winner Lee Jung-Jae, leaving his newfound wealth to dismantle the titular game. Since then, we’ve learned in sneak previews and the Season 2 trailer that Seong’s plan is to rejoin the deadly competition and convince the players to vote for the games to stop. Something tells me it’s not going to be that simple.

The second season of Squid Game just landed today on Netflix after a three-year wait.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/squid-game-will-have-a-third-and-final-season-in-2025-192216881.html?src=rss

Read More