Engadget

29.01.2025 18:41 Comcast has announced new technology for ultra-low lag Internet on its Xfinity service. According to the company's release, users of select products and software from its partners will experience less delay in situations with bi-directional traffic. The first wave of supported applications include select games from Valve's Steam platform, GeForce Now from NVIDIA, select apps on mixed reality headsets from Meta, and FaceTime on Apple hardware. The reduction in latency comes from the Internet Engineering Task Force's L4S open standard. The tech is complex — here's a whitepaper on L4S if you're interested — but broadly if a packet traveling between your device and the server experiences congestion, it will report that on arrival, which can improve future packets' journeys. A rep from Comcast told Engadget that the products from Apple, Meta, NVIDIA and Valve are the first to support the tech because they were initial partners for testing this low-latency connectivity. Other developers can choose to take advantage of the open standard technology once Comcast has fully rolled out the low lag option and it will be available to all Xfinity customers then. Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Philadelphia, Rockville and San Francisco are among the first cities to receive the low latency tech. Comcast said in its release that it plans to deploy to additional locations in the coming months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/comcast-unveils-ultra-low-lag-internet-connection-150034901.html?src=rss

29.01.2025 18:41 China's DeepSeek AI has already caught the eye of a data protection watchdog, shortly after it went viral and became the top-rated free app on Apple's App Store in the US and other regions. As TechCrunch reports, Garante, or the Italian Data Protection Authority, has written DeepSeek to ask for information about the AI chatbot due to the "possible risk for the data of millions of people in Italy." The watchdog is in charge of monitoring the application of General Data Protection Regulation rules in the country. In an announcement about the information request on its website, Garante said it contacted both the Hangzhou and the Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence offices to ask them what kind of personal data the AI chatbot collects. It also asked them to clarify their purposes for the data they collect and whether the information they gather is stored on servers physically located in China. In its privacy policy, DeepSeek admitted that it transfers personal information of the country where the user lives and that it keeps them "in secure servers located in the People's Republic of China." However, it said that the service will "do so in accordance with the requirements of applicable data protection laws." In addition, Garante is asking DeepSeek what type of information is used to train its AI system. And, in case web scraping is involved, it wants the service to clarify how both registered and non-registered users are informed about the processing of their data. Notably, Bloomberg has published a report that Microsoft and OpenAI are already investigating whether DeepSeek took OpenAI data and possibly used it for training. Apparently, a group of users exfiltrated a large amount of data using OpenAI's API back in the fall of 2024, and Microsoft's security researchers reportedly believe that they have a connection to DeepSeek. The chatbot service now has 20 days to respond to Garante's request. In the US, Reuters said authorities have started looking into the national security implications of the China-based AI chatbot.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chinas-deepseek-ai-hit-by-information-request-from-italys-data-protection-watchdog-133025226.html?src=rss

29.01.2025 18:41 The latest update Apple rolled out for the iPhone allows T-Mobile customers — a select few, for now — to be able to send text messages even in locations where they have no coverage. iOS 18.3 adds support for SpaceX and T-Mobile's direct-to-cell satellite service, which is currently being trialed after the companies opened signups for beta testing in December. As Bloomberg notes, the service used to be only compatible with certain Android phones, including Samsung models like the Z Fold and S24 along with select devices running Android 15. Meanwhile, Apple already has a partnership with Globalstar that provides users with texting capabilities when they're out of coverage. Users who've signed up to participate in the fledgling service's beta trials have reportedly started receiving texts. "You can now stay connected with texting via satellite from virtually anywhere," the message reads, according to Bloomberg. And for iPhone users, it asks them to "update to iOS 18.3" to "start experiencing coverage beyond." Once they do download the update, they'll see a toggle in their cellular data settings to activate the capability. At the moment, the direct-to-cell service only offers text messaging. If a beta tester finds themselves in rural areas and other locations that typically don't have coverage, they'll be able to use Starlink's satellite network to send a text. In the future, the plan is to add voice and data connectivity to give people more options in far-flung locations. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-enables-support-for-t-mobile-and-starlink-satellite-network-on-the-iphone-130022775.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 Old-school Doom fans have something new to chew on until The Dark Ages arrives. Doom + Doom II, the latest in a long line of rereleases of the two id Software classics, was updated on Tuesday with multiplayer mod support. And balance was restored in Hades. At launch in August, the bundle — available for PC, PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Switch — supported mods and multiplayer, but not the two together. The game’s second update, which Bethesda pushed on Tuesday, only adds multiplayer mod support if everyone in your match does a little planning. First, hosts need to activate each mod before entering the multiplayer menu. In addition, all players in the match have to subscribe to the same mod before joining. Only mods authored with Vanilla DOOM, DeHackEd, MBF21 or BOOM are compatible. Doom: The Dark Ages is set to launch on May 15. It takes place in the medieval wastelands of Hell and adds new goodies like mech battles and a ridable cyber dragon. If that isn’t an elevator pitch for a Doom game, I don’t know what is. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/doom--doom-ii-now-supports-multiplayers-mods-214215269.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 Jack Dorsey’s Block has created its own open-source AI agent. Called “codename goose,” the tool allows users to complete tasks using popular large language models. “You can think of Goose as an assistant that is ready to take your instructions, and do the work for you,” Block explains in a blog post. According to the company, the agent can autonomously complete engineering tasks like looking for bugs or making code changes. Users can configure goose to run on their preferred LLM. Iit supports Anthropic, Gemini, OpenAI and others, though the company says it “works best” with Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI's o1 model. It’s also compatible with extensions, which allows it to plug into popular developer tools, like GitHub and Google Drive, Block is, of course, known for its financial apps, Square and Cash App, as well as the music streaming service Tidal, which it acquired in 2021. Those may not be industries you immediately associate with AI development, but Block founder Jack Dorsey is a longtime advocate for open-source software. The company also notes that goose could eventually extend to “non-engineering use cases” as well. Block engineer Brad Axen told ZDNET that the company envisions more “creative’ uses for goose, like music generation.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/jack-dorseys-block-has-an-ai-agent-too-212706083.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 Here's one for the fashion-conscious retro gamers out there. Atari has teamed up with watchmaker Nubeo to release an Asteroids-themed watch to celebrate the game's 45th anniversary . The watch has a multi-layered disc system that's designed to reflect the gameplay of Asteroids. Atari says it's powered by "a Japanese automatic movement." The watch has a stainless steel 50mm case and a sapphire lens. It also has a 20 ATM rating for water resistance at depths of up to 200 meters, so it should be sturdy enough if you want to wear it while scuba diving. The timepiece even comes in a case that looks like an Atari VCS. Atari and Nubeo created five colorways for it: nebula blue, supernova red, nova nightfall, plasma pumpkin and celestial citrine. Best of all, the watch glows in the dark. Atari/Nubeo Actually telling what time it is on this thing might take you a moment or two, though. A pair of UFOs indicate the time in hours and minutes. As for the A-shaped spaceship in the center and the shots it fires, that's your second hand. But the display looks quite chaotic, as a number of asteroids spin around on the discs as well. Look, I really like my Apple Watch for lots of reasons, not least because I can actually play some video games on it, like the absorbing Galaxy Mix . Maybe I'll just need to become one of those people who wear two watches, since I want the Asteroids timepiece as well. You'll likely need to act quickly if you want one, though. Nubeo only made 125 of each variant. The colorways are listed for $499 each on the Atari and Nubeo websites. Good luck! This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/good-luck-figuring-out-what-time-it-is-on-this-cool-asteroids-watch-205505602.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 If you own a Garmin GPS watch, you may want to power it down for a while. Users on Reddit and Garmin’s forums report that a botched software update is leaving the wearables in a “blue triangle” boot loop, putting them out of commission until further notice. In a statement to Engadget, Garmin acknowledged the issue. “We are aware of an issue causing some devices to be stuck on the start-up screen or a blue triangle.” The company points readers to its support webpage for updates. A pinned message from the company on its forums details a possible fix that some users claim is only temporary. “We are aware of an issue causing some devices to be stuck on the start up screen or a blue triangle,” the message reads. “To resolve this, press and hold the power button until the device turns off, then power it back on, and sync with the Garmin Connect app or Garmin Express.” Garmin Some crafty Redditors claim to have traced the issue to a file related to GPS functionality. Although some reported that following Garmin’s reset instructions worked, others said it was only temporary, with the issue returning later. The problem appears to affect various models, including the Forerunner, Venu, Fenix, Vivoactive and Epix lines. If your Garmin smartwatch has no problems , you may save yourself a headache by powering it down and waiting for an official solution from Garmin. If you’ve encountered the issue and want to roll the dice, this Reddit thread includes some unofficial — and untested by Engadget — fixes and workarounds. Update, January 28, 2025, 3:40PM ET: This story has been updated to add a statement from Garmin.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/some-garmin-gps-watches-are-stuck-in-a-blue-triangle-boot-loop-193920555.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 CVS is launching a new app today and it could address one of the more obnoxious elements of in-person drugstore shopping: locked cabinets. One way the CVS Health app can expedite the store experience is by letting select users access products behind those clear plastic panels through their phones, without asking for assistance from an employee. This tool is being tested in just three stores for now and is only available to loyalty program members. And within those limits, shoppers will need to log into the app, join the store's Wi-Fi and enable Bluetooth on their phones to unlock cabinets on their own. For any irritated customer who has been delayed by the clear plastic cage, or for any busy store employee called away just for their keys, the addition of a mobile tool for accessing locked cabinets sounds like a welcome idea. Tilak Mandadi, executive vice president at CVS Health, told The Wall Street Journal that the pilot program has gone well so far, and the company's next step will be expanding the feature to 10-15 stores. The app, which is a successor to the company's CVS Pharmacy app, also includes resources for managing prescriptions and immunizations. And because it's a software product in the year 2025, CVS Health uses some artificial intelligence. The app is launching with AI-powered search options and is expected to add an AI chat tool for checking medication refills and order status later in the year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/cvs-tries-to-juice-app-signups-with-cabinet-unlocking-feature-203954391.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 Looking to upgrade your gaming rig? Dell is selling one of its most popular Alienware gaming monitors at a deep discount. The 32-inch model is more than $400 off, now costing $765 instead of $1,200. The display is on sale for $900 outright, but enter "MONITORS15" at checkout for an additional 15 percent off. The 34-inch model is $250 off, but there's no available coupon code. This is one of our favorite gaming monitors and we called it “an incredible ultrawide OLED.” It boasts a curved QD-OLED panel. It also features 4K resolution and a max refresh rate of 240Hz, which is a fantastic metric for gaming. These monitors allow access to Dolby Vision, NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD Free-Sync. The ports are also on point. These displays include a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports, a single USB-B upstream port, four USB-A downstream ports and a single USB-C port. One of the USB-A ports also supports BC1.2 power-charging. Dell The 34-inch model is actually cheaper, at $650, but there are some trade offs. This one doesn’t support G-Sync and offers a max refresh rate of 165Hz. The 25-inch and 27-inch variants aren’t on sale, and aren’t even curved, but the coupon code does work. Respectively, this brings the price down to $300 and $510. 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/get-more-than-400-off-one-of-our-favorite-alienware-gaming-monitors-195620194.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 Waymo posted on X today that it has opened fully autonomous rides on LA freeways to its employees. The company noted that this is a preliminary step toward bringing its vehicle fleet onto highways for all passengers in the city. Freeways are an intrinsic part of the LA experience. To better serve our expansive 79-square-mile service area, we're beginning to provide our employees with access to fully autonomous rides on LA freeways—a key step toward expanding this capability to all riders. pic.twitter.com/oWqVQ1hlJz— Waymo January 28, 2025 After getting approval to begin local robotaxi operation in March 2024, Waymo offered autonomous rides in LA at a small scale, with a waitlist for interested customers. In November, the waitlist ended so any Angelenos could call for a ride. But for a sprawling city like LA, having access to a highway is all but essential for getting around, so adding freeways to the cars' capability would mark a big improvement in how useful Waymo robotaxis will be there. Waymo, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, has set its sights on its first international expansion. The business said it anticipates starting vehicle tests and mapping in Japan early this year. On the home front, Waymo is also slated to launch in Austin and Atlanta in early 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymos-autonomous-robotaxis-are-starting-to-merge-onto-la-freeways-191035547.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 Heads up, Animal Crossing fans: if you haven’t yet bought the paid version of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and plan to do so, it might be a good idea to snap it up in the next day or so. The mobile game for iOS and Android is currently $10, but the price will double to $20 after 1AM ET on January 31. That’s when the introductory offer comes to an end. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete arrived in December, a few days after Nintendo shut down the free-to-play edition. Folks who played the original version can still transfer their save data via their Nintendo account and continue from where they left off. The deadline transferring the data is 2AM ET on June 2. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp debuted in 2017. It employed a freemium model with microtransactions, but Nintendo has since decided to ditch that approach. While you'll now need to pay for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete upfront, the current iteration of the game doesn't have any in-app purchases. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/heads-up-animal-crossing-pocket-camp-complete-will-only-be-10-for-a-couple-more-days-183525135.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 It seems that X is getting ready to finally roll out the payments app the company’s leaders have long been promising The company will introduce X Money later this year with Visa as partner, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced. According to Yaccarino, X Money will support person-to-person payments via users’ debit cards with the ability to transfer funds to a bank account, much like Venmo. The service will also allow you to deposit money into an “X Wallet.” Another milestone for the Everything App: @Visa is our first partner for the @XMoney Account, which will debut later this year.

28.01.2025 23:12 A majority of workers at a Whole Foods location in Philadelphia have voted to unionize, as reported by Reuters. This makes the Pennsylvania store the first to unionize under Amazon’s ownership, and the second time overall. Workers voted 130 to 100 for representation, according to the National Labor Relations Board, which translates to nearly 60 percent of workers choosing to unionize. Workers at this particular location filed to hold a union election back in November. A successful vote is just the beginning of this process, however, as a contract has yet to be ratified and accepted by both parties. "We are ready to bring Whole Foods to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair first contract that reflects the workers' needs and priorities," Wendell Young IV, President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, said in an email. Workers at Amazon’s Whole Foods in Philadelphia made history today as they voted to unionize and WON! pic.twitter.com/jKpkuhwRIi— UFCW Local 1776 January 28, 2025 Coming as no surprise, Whole Foods expressed disappointment over the outcome of the vote. A company representative told Reuters that it already offers “competitive compensation, great benefits and career advancement opportunities.” Ahead of the vote, workers cited the need for better wages and benefits. As previously noted, this is the first successful unionization bid for Whole Foods workers since Amazon bought the company in 2017 for nearly $14 billion. It’s not, however, the first time a Whole Foods location has voted to unionize. Workers in a Wisconsin location voted to unionize back in 2002, but the union was dissolved the following year. In the interest of full disclosure, I worked at a Whole Foods location in 2005 and, one day, someone snuck in the store to hand out pro-unionization pamphlets. Management sent an armed guard around to collect the pamphlets from us. It was weird. It’s no secret that Amazon isn’t exactly a friend to unions. Workers in Quebec unionized last year but, surprise, the company now says it’s closing the entire facility. Amazon is worth over $2.5 trillion dollars and has doubled in value throughout the past year or so.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/whole-foods-workers-form-first-union-since-amazon-acquisition-180026628.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 23:12 Ooni, the Scottish company known for its innovative outdoor pizza ovens, is expanding into a new product category — without sacrificing the brand’s pizza theme. The Halo Pro is a $799 mixer that tries to do the same for pizza dough as the company did for pizza ovens: bring restaurant-quality baking to the home kitchen. The Ooni Halo Pro uses spiral mixing technology, which is better for dough . Their gentle, more efficient approach minimizes temperature increases and optimizes hydration, combining to create stronger gluten strands. Although you can buy commercial-grade spiral mixers for the home, they tend to have industrial-chic designs . And those from trusted brands like Häussler and Famag cost thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, Ooni’s model has a sleek design — more eye-catching than an eyesore — that would look right at home in the modern kitchen. It will be available in two colors: polar white and charcoal gray. Ooni The Halo Pro has a removable 7.3-quart bowl and a digital interface. Twisting a dial lets you cycle through its 58 mixing speeds. Ooni says its bowl can mix 11 pounds of dough at once — enough for 20 pizzas or six loaves of bread. The mixer specializes in dough but is hardly limited to it. It ships with a spiral hook, removable breaker bar, geared whisk and flexible beater. That toolset opens the door to things like whipped cream, egg whites or batters. The Ooni Halo Pro will cost a lot of dough compared to traditional planetary mixers. It launches for $799 on April 8. You can sign up on Ooni’s website to be alerted when it’s available.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/oonis-first-departure-from-pizza-ovens-is-a-799-spiral-mixer-174510926.html?src=rss

28.01.2025 18:45 Now's the time to grab our top pick for the best iPad you can get right now. An Amazon deal has brought a $100 price cut to the M2-powered iPad Air, so you can grab it for $499. That basically matches the record low of $498 that we saw in the past. The discount applies to all colorways of the 11-inch model, too, so you can pick the one that speaks to your personality the most. This deal is for the base model with 128GB of storage and no cellular connectivity, though there is Wi-Fi 6E support. You'll get 8GB of RAM as well. We gave the M2 iPad Air, which debuted less than a year ago, a score of 91 in our review. It's our pick for the best iPad for most people. It hits the sweet spot between performance, features and price — even more so considering this deal. It offers better future proofing compared with the entry-level iPad, as many features and apps only run on M-series chips and newer A-series ones. For basic tasks like web browsing and streaming video, performance shouldn't be an issue at all. The M2 iPad Air supports Apple Intelligence features, as well as demanding games like Death Stranding and the Resident Evil 4 remake. You should get about 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. There's no Face ID here, but a Touch ID fingerprint scanner is built into the power button. One other major positive is that Apple has shunted the front-facing camera to th longer side of the tablet, making FaceTime calls in landscape mode an easier proposition. The M2 iPad Air is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, but not the second-gen Pencil. One of our main complaints about the M2 iPad Air is that it has an LCD display with a 60Hz refresh rate. It's not as smooth or vibrant as the 120Hz OLED you'll find on the most recent iPad Pro. Still, it's a bright, sharp screen. However you slice it, the M2 iPad Air is a pretty great tablet. 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-11-inch-ipad-air-m2-drops-to-a-near-record-low-price-on-amazon-153619110.html?src=rss