The super slim Galaxy S25 Edge, which Samsung teased at the tail end of its January Unpacked event, has been officially revealed. During the most recent Unpacked event, we got full specs, pricing and shipping dates for Samsung’s latest phone, as well as a chance to put our hands on the new handset. 

The new Galaxy S25 Edge starts at $1,100 for 256GB of storage or $1,220 for the 512GB model and the phones ship May 30. Pre-orders are open at Amazon, Best Buy and directly from Samsung, which is offering a $50 pre-order store credit and a no-charge upgrade to the 512GB model. Amazon’s got a similar offer: it includes a $50 Amazon gift card when you pre-order the 512GB S25 Edge for $1,100.

The Edge’s headline features include its thin build and AI-supported photography chops — both of which we’d suspected from various leaks, only to have the rumors confirmed by Samsung’s own press release last week. And indeed, when Engadget’s Mat Smith got his hands on an Edge, he immediately felt how much lighter the device was — yet, he noted, it still felt premium. 

We now know for sure that the Galaxy S25 Edge has a 6.7-inch screen but measures just 5.8mm (0.22 inches) thick. That’s slightly less surface area than the 6.9-inch Ultra, but a full 2.4mm thinner. It weighs 163 grams, nearly the same as the standard Galaxy S25, but the Edge measures more than 10mm taller and 5mm wider than its base-model sibling.  

To shave off the grams and trim the width, Samsung developed a broader yet slimmer vapor chamber and a new Thermal Interface Material (TIM) for better heat dissipation. It uses Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the front display. It’s the first phone to use the material, which Corning says offers “enhanced drop performance on rough surfaces,” allowing for a thinner glass layer. The frame is made from titanium, like the Ultra model, a material many phone manufactures have put in higher-end models for its lightweight strength. 

As for camera power, the Edge has the same 200MP sensor as the S25 Ultra, which Samsung claims captures 40 percent brighter images in low light situations compared with the standard S25. There’s also a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 12MP selfie cam up front. Those two rear cameras do protrude noticeably from the thin frame of the phone, but Mat was impressed how well-balanced the phone felt — it’s not lopsided at all. 

Of course, the phone also packs plenty of AI-powered tricks, including Pro Scaler, Audio Eraser and Drawing Assist. To support all the AI, Samsung is using the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip as the other S25 phones and comes with 12GB of memory and either 256 or 512GB of storage. It packs a 3,900mAh battery, which is smaller than both the 4,000mAh one found in the standard S25 and the 5,000mAH power supply in the Ultra. Though Samsung claims the Edge can run for 24 hours on a charge. 

You can get the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in three color options: Titanium Silver, Titanium Jet Black, and Titanium Icy Blue. Samsung is promising seven years of security and software updates. We only spent a short time with the phone so far and our full review will be out shortly.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-pre-order-the-samsung-galaxy-s25-edge-000029138.html?src=rss

Nintendo will include an optional battery preservation mode with the Switch 2, which the company revealed via its Nintendo Today! news app. This will cap the console’s charge as it approaches 90 percent and then maintain it at that amount.

Why do this? It’s to keep the battery in tip-top shape. Rechargeable lithium batteries can degrade if kept in a fully-charged state. So the feature will let users sacrifice 10 percent of playtime for ongoing battery maintenance. That seems like a fair tradeoff to me.

Nintendo didn’t invent this concept. Many smartphones have been offering something like this for years. Valve has also been testing a similar feature for the Steam Deck.

When you unbox that shiny, new Switch 2, just head into system settings and look for a toggle that reads “Stop Charging Around 90%.” Tap it and you’ll be all set. Of course, you have to secure a Switch 2 pre-order to do this, and that’s easier said than done. The console will be released on June 5.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2-has-a-mode-that-caps-battery-charge-at-90-percent-185219689.html?src=rss

The Paper, a new spin-off of The Office set at a small Ohio newspaper, will premiere exclusively on Peacock in September, according to a post from the streaming service’s X account. Considering NBCUniversal’s streaming service has mostly existed as a dedicated The Office and Parks & Recreation rewatch tool, this is a pretty big get.

The new series “features the documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch,” but this time looks at a different industry — in this case, journalism. The Paper covers “a historic Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller, and the eager publisher that is trying to revive it,” according to a press release from NBCUniversal’s Upfront presentation.

Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina) and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) star alongside Oscar Nuñez, who is reprising his role as Oscar from The Office, following a lateral career move that finds his character as the accountant for a struggling newspaper. The Paper is very explicitly described as being “from the universe of The Office,” though, so it’s possible the connections to the previous series don’t end there.

The Paper was co-created by Greg Daniels, the creator of the US version of The Office, and Michael Koman, an executive producer and writer on Nathan for You. NBCUniversal hasn’t shared a specific date for when the series will premiere, beyond that it will land in September.

Like most streaming services, Peacock launched with splashy prestige TV shows, but has continually struggled to find original content that keeps subscribers around beyond its back catalog of classic sitcoms and reality shows. Streaming rights to the Olympics and weird experiments like the “AI vs. a nun” drama Mrs. Davis definitely appeal to someone (me, primarily), but it hasn’t produced explosive growth in Peacock’s subscriber numbers. Per NBCUniversal’s last earnings report, Peacock has grown from 36 million paid subscribers at the end of 2024 to 41 million in March 2025, but it’s still a money-losing operation. The Paper seems like a safer bet to keep current subscribers happy and draw lapsed The Office fans back in.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/peacocks-the-office-spin-off-arrives-this-september-182859797.html?src=rss

The Anker 321 MagGo magnetic battery pack is on sale for just $22 via Amazon. This is a discount of 15 percent. This is a limited-time deal, however, and the sale ends when the stock runs out.

Anker makes good stuff, as evidenced by another MagGo-branded item topping our list of the best power banks. While this one didn’t make the list, it’s still a great entry-level battery pack for the budget-conscious. It magnetically attaches to the back of a smartphone, thus the name, and is available in multiple colors.

Once attached, the 5,000mAh battery provides up to 19 hours of additional battery life. It offers simultaneous charging, so the bank can charge as the phone juices up. It’s also light and compact, with a design that easily fits in a pocket or bag. It does connect via USB-C, so it’s not really ideal for older iPhones with the dreaded Lightning port.

This one doesn’t include a kickstand, which could be a dealbreaker for some. We got you covered. The Anker 621 MagGo is also heavily discounted on Amazon. This price is down to $32 from $48. The 621 includes a kickstand, while still retaining the ability to magnetically attach to the back of a smartphone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-this-anker-5k-magnetic-battery-pack-while-its-on-sale-for-22-180728140.html?src=rss

The NBA is making its debut on Peacock this fall and it should be an “exciting and inclusive streaming experience,” according to NBCUniversal. It should also bring a few changes as NBC has announced new features including Instant Game Access and Performance View. 

For starters, users can watch games instantly with the Live in Browse feature, meaning the match will start right on Peacock’s homepage. There will also be real-time information on display. Peacock will also offer a Catch Up option for anyone not online from the first play, letting users watch key moments before jumping into the remaining live game. The streamer offers a similar feature for its English Premier League coverage.

Then there’s Performance View, which shows a lot of the key stats, such as which players are on a shooting streak and where they might score from next. While broadcasts typically show similar information during replays, it’s a bit more context than a viewer would usually get. All in all this on-screen data feels like something between a video game and a broadcast — though it can be turned off at any time. 

There’s also a ScoreCard feature, which NBC calls “bingo meets fantasy sports.” Alerts will inform participants how they stack up compared to other users and, if they end up top-ranked, their username might appear in the livestream. 

The new features follow NBCUniversal’s agreement with the basketball organization to show NBA and WNBA games across its channels. The 11-year deal starts with the upcoming 2025-2026 NBA season and includes exclusive livestreams on Peacock of national Monday night games.

“We’re bringing the same level of innovation, inspiration and commitment that we’ve brought to so many other huge sports moments and leagues to deliver an intuitive, interactive and reliable streaming experience that the full range of NBA fans will enjoy,” President of NBC Sports Rick Cordella, said in a statement. However, a similar deal with the Premier League began in 2021 and has yet to offer anything to this level.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/peacock-promises-new-streaming-features-when-the-nba-arrives-this-fall-175338715.html?src=rss

Apple pushed iOS 18.5 on Monday. The most eye-popping new feature is a new wallpaper to honor the LGBTQ+ community ahead of Pride Month. Apart from that, the iPhone update isn’t exactly a barnburner, with only minor features and bug fixes.

Apple’s Pride Harmony wallpaper has bold, colorful stripes that change position as you move, lock or unlock your device. You can find it in Settings > Wallpaper or by long-pressing on your lock screen. If you’re an Apple Watch owner, you’ll find a corresponding Pride Harmony watch face in watchOS 11.5. That can pair well with Apple’s new Pride Edition Sport Band, which went on sale earlier this month.

Apart from that, there are only a couple of (barely) notable features in iOS 18.5. The Mail app has a new option to show or hide contact photos within the app. (Before, you had to dig into Settings.) Tap the three-dot context menu and toggle “Show Contact Photos.” There’s also a redesigned AppleCare and Warranty banner in the Settings app with an option to “Learn more about coverage.” (Do try to contain your excitement.)

As always, you can install the update by heading to Settings > General > Software Update.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/ios-185-arrives-with-a-new-wallpaper-for-pride-month-172836075.html?src=rss

The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, has captured new images of the auroras at Jupiter’s north pole. These massive auroras, caused by charged particles crashing into Jupiter’s atmosphere, are hundreds of times brighter than our own Aurora Borealis, and, for the first time, we can now see them in greater detail thanks to these new images.

Auroras on Earth are caused by solar storms, which occur when charged particles from the Sun collide with our upper atmosphere. This energizes the gases in the atmosphere, which gives them that distinctive colored glow that we know as the Northern (or Southern) Lights.

Among the coolest things we’ve gleaned from the telescope’s observations is that particles from solar storms are not the only source for Jupiter’s auroras. The giant planet’s strong magnetic field is also pulling in charged particles from its surroundings, which includes particles thrown into the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions on Io, a moon orbiting Jupiter. Together, these varied sources lead to a more complex auroral system than the one on Earth.

The high sensitivity of Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) helps shed light (pun intended) on the rapidly changing features of Jupiter’s auroras. Scientists were able to see details and bright spots that weren’t visible with Hubble. Jonathan Nichols, who leads the team at the UK’s University of Leicester that captured the images, shared his excitement over the discovery with NASA.

In describing seeing the images, he said, “What a Christmas present it was — it just blew me away!” In describing what they learned from the images, he explained: “We wanted to see how quickly the auroras change, expecting them to fade in and out ponderously, perhaps over a quarter of an hour or so. Instead, we observed the whole auroral region fizzing and popping with light, sometimes varying by the second.”

The team was able to capture images of the auroras from the Hubble and Webb telescope simultaneously, which allowed them to directly compare data from both Ultraviolet and Near-Infrared images at once. It became evident with these comparisons that the Webb telescope was capturing details and nuance that the Hubble was completely missing. This is a testament to the power of the newer telescope and raised further questions about how the auroras function. 

Researchers hope these findings will help them further understand the inner workings of Jupiter’s magnetic field, and even help provide insights into how the planet heats and cools. There is a lot to learn about the gas giant’s atmosphere, and these images are just one step along the way.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-webb-telescope-captures-mesmerizing-images-of-jupiters-auroras-171107945.html?src=rss

The high-octane racing film F1 hits theaters this June and there’s a brand-new trailer to prove it. The new footage shows more of the story and gives a deeper dive into Brad Pitt’s main character.

There’s still gobs of actual Formula 1 racing, as the movie has received extensive involvement from the organization. It looks fast, frenetic and fun. There’s also plenty of product placement during these scenes, which may be annoying to some but could add to the realism for others. In addition to F1 sponsors you’d see during a real race, we spotted logos for Shark/Ninja and Expensify on the fictional team that features in the film.

Brad Pitt is the primary star here, but the film also features Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies and Kim Bodnia. F1 is directed by Joseph Kosinski, who helmed the box office monster Top Gun: Maverick. He also made Tron: Legacy, though has no involvement with the upcoming Tron: Ares.

Ehren Kruger wrote the screenplay, who penned the aforementioned Top Gun sequel. The legendary Hans Zimmer created the score. This is certainly a high-end production.

Formula 1 has been growing in popularity these past few years, with a surge in filmmaking about this type of racing. Netflix released a documentary series about the organization called Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which is credited in growing the sport’s audience away from Europe.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-new-f1-trailer-has-star-power-fast-cars-and-product-placement-165742662.html?src=rss

One of the best things about writing on a computer versus by hand is all the things you can do with text, from bolding a HARSH word to italicizing a quippy point. Now, Google’s note-taking app, Keep, is adding these rich text formatting options and more to its web app. The text options have been available for Keep users on Android devices since late 2023. 

Anyone who uses Keep on the web will be able to bold, italicize and underline their words. They will also be able to create specific sections using the heading one (H1) and heading two (H2) buttons. All of these formatting options will be available by clicking on the underlined A in the editors left-hand corner. It’s a simple but beneficial update for anyone who wants to customize text from the web. 

Google

Google is currently rolling out this update to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains, with the latter getting new features at least a week later than the former. The rich text formatting options are available to people with an individual Google account, Workspace Individual Subscribers and Google Workspace users. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-keep-launches-text-formatting-for-the-web-154609726.html?src=rss

Fox is releasing its very own streaming service, according to a report by Variety. It’s appropriately called Fox One and the company plans to launch the platform by the start of the NFL season, which is in early September.

This will be something of a one-stop shop for Fox content, as it’ll air sporting events like NFL games, traditional TV shows and, of course, Fox News programming. CEO Lachlan Murdoch, son of Rupert, says it will be “holistic of all of our content, sports and news.” Finally, a platform for both Bob’s Burgers and angry rants about men with painted nails or whatever.

Fox is a fairly decent network for sports. There are NFL games on Sunday afternoons and a spate of MLB and LIV Golf events. However, if you want to stream every NFL game, you’ll need a combination of several platforms. Matches air on Peacock, Prime Video and ESPN, among others.

Disney is also planning a standalone streaming platform for sports, which will just be called ESPN. This all-access streaming service should launch in the near future, with availability and pricing details arriving this week.

There seems to be some confusion regarding the potential price of Fox One. Murdoch suggested today that it “will be healthy. It will not be a discounted price.” However, in February the CEO said the cost would be “relatively low.” We’ll have to wait and see.

All of these new streaming services are popping up after the demise of Venu Sports. This platform was supposed to be a joint effort by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and would have allowed access to sporting events from all over the cable landscape. It was preemptively axed back in January.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/fox-one-is-a-new-streaming-service-that-should-launch-before-september-152650429.html?src=rss

It’s finally that time of year where you can sit on the beach or by the pool without freezing — hallelujah. But that means you need a durable and portable speaker to accompany you. Right now, one of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers for 2025 is back down to its record-low price.

You can pick up the Beats Pill for $100, down from $150 — a 33 percent discount. We gave the Bluetooth speaker an 83 in our review thanks, in big part, to its durability. The Beats Pill has an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, meaning it’s dust tight and could last about three feet under water for up to 30 minutes. So, if it accidentally tumbles into the pool, you shouldn’t have to worry about it. 

The Beats Pill also offers a solid sound quality boost over its predecessor and 24 hours of battery life. Though the audio does suffer a bit if you have the speaker at very loud volumes and the bass tone can be inconsistent. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-beats-pill-portable-speaker-drops-back-down-to-a-record-low-price-140421604.html?src=rss

Following negotiations in Geneva, the United States and China have agreed to lower tariffs substantially for the next 90 days, the White House announced. The aim is to de-escalate the current trade war and allow both parties time negotiate to achieve a “sustainable, long-term and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship,” they said in a joint statement. 

The US will temporarily lower its tariffs on Chinese goods from 145 to 30 percent (10 percent plus a 20 percent fentanyl-related levy). China, meanwhile, will cut its tariff on American imports from 125 percent to 10 percent. It’s not clear exactly how that will affect prices of electronics goods coming into America from China like smartphones, computers, cameras and drones.

The news caused an after-hours stock rally with S&P 500 futures rising 2.8 percent and the dollar up 0.7 percent against other currencies. “We want more balanced trade and I think both sides are committed to achieving that,” said US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent. “Neither side wants a decoupling.”  

The effect of US tariffs on the price of consumer goods was brought home recently with the news that DJI had increased the price of its popular Osmo Pocket 3 gimbal camera from $520 to $800 over the past few months. Given the rhetoric between the nations and the sky-high tariffs imposed, such a substantial reduction comes as a surprise. “This is better than I expected. I thought tariffs would be cut to somewhere around 50 percent and this is much lower,” economist Zhiwei Zhang told Reuters.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/us-and-china-agree-to-slash-tariffs-for-90-days-120050454.html?src=rss

There are a lot of rumors flying around about a big iOS and macOS redesign coming this year, perhaps as a distraction to the continued issues around Apple Intelligence. And while I’m game for a fresh coat of paint across the software I use every single day, I have one plea while Apple’s at it: Please, for the love of god, make the Notes app render the letter “a” properly.

Let me back up a bit. Apple first introduced the San Francisco typeface with the first Apple Watch in 2015; a few years later it became the default on basically every device Apple sells. The text you see in Messages, Apple Music, Maps and many other system apps are all different San Francisco fonts, and for the most part the multiple variations all feel consistent and cohesive.

But, at some point in the last seven or eight years I noticed something odd in the Apple Notes app. The font appears the same as the other San Francisco fonts, but something just felt “off.” It took forever before I put my finger on it: the lowercase “a” renders differently in the Notes app than it does anywhere else across the entire system.

You see, the Notes app uses a “single storey a,” the sort of “a” that most people use when writing by hand. That’s the only first-party app, as far as I can tell, where you’ll find a single-storey a. The rest of the time, it uses the double-storey a (just as you’ll see on this website and almost everywhere else a lowercase a is used these days outside of handwriting).

To be clear, this does not matter even a little bit. In fact, the completely inconsequential and random nature of this situation is probably why it irks me so. Part of me is glad I figured out exactly what was throwing me off, because for years Notes just looked wrong in a way that I found impossible to describe. Now at least I know what my brain was reacting to.

One day recently we were having a lively discussion about fonts in the Engadget Slack, which triggered me to bring up this mystery. My colleagues both agreed that this was bizarre and also thought I was a bit of a lunatic for spending this much time thinking about a single character in a single app. This, of course, drove me to download and dig through all of Apple’s system fonts and their variations to find the dreaded “Latin small letter Alpha,” or α, that our resident Greek Cypriot Aaron Souppouris suggested I search for. Indeed, that’s what pops up in Notes instead of the usual “a.” It’s not even one of the font variants, as far as I can tell. [Ed. note: Nathan did no other work during this time.]

Even though this is a ridiculous thing to think about, I want to know what’s going on here! How did this happen? Who made this decision, and for what reason? Maybe it’s because the Notes app originally used a skeuomorphic “Marker Felt” sort of text that emulated handwriting — using the single storey “a” is perhaps a nod to how most people actually handwrite the letter. Or, perhaps, it’s just something that slipped through the cracks years ago and hasn’t been worth changing because most people probably haven’t consciously noticed the difference (you’re welcome).

Whatever the reason, I sure would love it if Apple unified things with the iOS 19 (and corresponding macOS) redesign. I generally find the default Apple font to be just fine, though people certainly have their own very strongly held opinions about typography. But if I’m being honest, I’d also probably miss that oddball α — it’s always fun to have an unsolved mystery to ponder over, no matter how inconsequential.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-only-thing-i-want-from-apples-big-2025-redesign-is-a-120023531.html?src=rss

Apple is reportedly planning to introduce a small but welcome convenience feature with iOS 19: cross-device syncing for Wi-Fi access portals. This is according to the latest Power On newsletter from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. The feature would address the annoyance of having to individually fill out pop-up forms to access public Wi-Fi on all your devices, like when you’re at a hotel. According to Gurman, “This new feature will let you enter that information on one device and have it synced to your other products.”

It’s one of several upcoming features Apple may show off at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set for June 9-13 this year. The event is expected to bring some major design changes to the company’s operating systems that should make for a more consistent look between its products’ software. Gurman also reports that AirPods may be getting a live translation feature, which we could see at WWDC alongside a revamped Health app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/ios-19-may-bring-a-feature-that-makes-signing-into-public-wi-fi-less-of-a-hassle-210435303.html?src=rss

As first reported by Politico, the Trump administration has fired the Register of Copyrights and US Copyright Office Director, Shira Perlmutter. The Register of Copyrights works under the Librarian of Congress — a title held most recently by Carla Hayden, who was fired earlier this week for her DEI efforts, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The New York Times. Perlmutter’s dismissal comes just after the office released a report that raised concerns about certain uses of copyrighted material to train generative AI. It’s the third in a series of papers published over the last year analyzing copyright law as it pertains to AI.

The Trump administration — particularly DOGE — has been pushing for broader use of AI. In April, the White House called on federal agencies to develop AI strategies and name Chief AI Officers that will “serve as change agents and AI advocates.”

In a statement released after news of Perlmutter’s firing came to light, Congressman Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration, called the move “a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis,” saying, “It is surely no coincidence [Donald Trump] acted less than a day after she refused to rubber-stamp Elon Musk’s efforts to mine troves of copyrighted works to train AI models.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-has-fired-the-director-of-the-us-copyright-office-195646724.html?src=rss

It won’t make you a better gamer, but Samsung’s latest gaming monitor entices those hunting for faster refresh rates. The company’s newest Odyssey OLED G6, which Samsung claims is the world’s first OLED gaming monitor with a 500Hz refresh rate, is now available for pre-order in Southeast Asian markets, with a global rollout due to follow later this year. Samsung first announced the display, along with its sibling with 4K resolution called the Odyssey OLED G8, right before CES 2025 in January.

The monitor is up for sale in a silver colorway on Samsung Singapore’s site for around 1,500 Singapore dollars, or around $1,150. The Odyssey OLED G6 is expected to see its first shipments starting May 18. For certain gamers, a high refresh rate could mean the difference between life and death in competitive first-person shooters like Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant. With most professional gamers using monitors that have a 240Hz refresh rate, Samsung’s latest offering has more than double the speed to emphasize more responsive and smoother gameplay. Beyond its groundbreaking refresh rate, the Odyssey OLED G6 has a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and a response time of 0.03ms for less motion blur and ghosting in fast-paced action games.

As with any OLED monitor, burn-in is a serious drawback that leaves a faint impression of a bright image even when the screen is blank. To combat this, Samsung includes its OLED Safeguard+ technology, which uses a cooling system to lower operating temps and a detection system that automatically reduces the brightness of static images like logos and taskbars. Samsung put its Odyssey OLED G6 up for pre-order first in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, and will roll it out in phases to other countries.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/samsung-has-begun-taking-pre-orders-for-its-500hz-oled-gaming-monitor-183151123.html?src=rss

Following backlash about a quietly added clause to SoundCloud’s Terms of Use that says users’ content may be fed to AI, the company says it’s “never used artist content to train AI models,” and insists it “has always been and will remain artist-first.” The outrage came after tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex (via TechCrunch) spotted a change to SoundCloud’s terms that was made in February 2024 seemingly without notifying users. The updated text states that by using the platform, “You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services.”

In a statement to TechCrunch, a spokesperson said the update was only meant to “clarify how content may interact with AI technologies within SoundCloud’s own platform” and that the company “has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes.” SoundCloud’s official Reddit account posted similar statements on the social media platform in response to users’ outrage, and both noted that SoundCloud added a “no AI” tag for artists “to explicitly prohibit unauthorized use.”

AI may be used for things like music recommendations, playlist creation and fraud detection, the company said. “Any future AI tools will be built for artists to enhance discovery, protect rights, and expand opportunities,” SoundCloud posted on Reddit. “We hear your concerns and remain committed to transparency, artist control, and fair use.”

Just a few months ago, though, SoundCloud introduced a suite of AI tools geared toward music creation, on top of three others it had announced earlier that year. That includes AI tools for generating remixes, new tracks, beats and singing voices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/soundcloud-says-its-never-trained-ai-using-artists-work-after-getting-called-out-for-terms-of-use-change-174433356.html?src=rss

One of the ultimate goals of medieval alchemy has been realized, but only for a fraction of a second. Scientists with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, better known as CERN, were able to convert lead into gold using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s most powerful particle accelerator. Unlike the examples of transmutation we see in pop culture, these experiments with the LHC involve smashing subatomic particles together at ridiculously high speeds to manipulate lead’s physical properties to become gold.

The LHC is often used to smash lead ions together to create extremely hot and dense matter similar to what was observed in the universe following the Big Bang. While conducting this analysis, the CERN scientists took note of the near-misses that caused a lead nucleus to drop its neutrons or protons. Lead atoms only have three more protons than gold atoms, meaning that in certain cases the LHC causes the lead atoms to drop just enough protons to become a gold atom for a fraction of a second — before immediately fragmenting into a bunch of particles.

Alchemists back in the day may be astonished by this achievement, but the experiments conducted between 2015 and 2018 only produced about 29 picograms of gold, according to CERN. The organization added that the latest trials produced almost double that amount thanks to regular upgrades to the LHC, but the mass made is still trillions of times less than what’s necessary for a piece of jewelry. Instead of trying to chase riches, the organization’s scientists are more interested in studying the interaction that leads to this transmutation.

“It is impressive to see that our detectors can handle head-on collisions producing thousands of particles, while also being sensitive to collisions where only a few particles are produced at a time, enabling the study of electromagnetic ‘nuclear transmutation’ processes,” Marco Van Leeuwen, spokesperson for the A Large Ion Collider Experiment project at the LHC, said in a statement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/scientists-find-lead-really-can-be-turned-into-gold-with-help-from-the-large-hadron-collider-163431201.html?src=rss

Google’s Gemini AI has been getting upgrade after upgrade, now being able to handle data analysis in Google Sheets and using your past conversations with its chatbot to inform better responses. One of Google’s latest offerings lets Gemini generate an original background during your virtual meetings for a personal touch before getting down to business.

What are Google Meet’s AI backgrounds?

Google Meet lets you tap into Gemini to make AI-generated backgrounds based on whatever prompt you feed it. You can enter prompts like a “luxurious living room interior” or “a magical sunny forest glade,” as Google suggests, or you can get creative with suggestions like “a gym full of cakes” or “a coworking space in Studio Ghibli style.” This AI feature is currently available on desktop and Android devices, but has some requirements whether you’re using it on a computer or smartphone.

How to create an AI background in Google Meet

This feature requires either an eligible Google Workspace or Google One AI Premium subscription, or entry into Google’s early access testing program called Workspace Labs.

To start on a computer, open up meet.google.com and join a meeting by punching in the specific code, or join via link. Before hitting the blue “Join now” button, navigate to the bottom-right corner of your self-view and click “Apply visual effects” and then “Generate a background.” You then have to provide Gemini with a prompt, which can be as simple as “a cozy coffee shop with flowers” like Google suggests, then hit “Create samples.” You can select an art style to better customize your background, and Google recommends including specific instructions like a setting and objects in your prompt to get the best results.

Google

Gemini’s first attempts at an AI background might not be exactly what you’re looking for, so you can click “Create other samples” to refresh the results. If your initial prompt needs some tweaking, you can edit it by navigating to the top of the panel on the right, then hitting the “Create other samples” button. Once you land on the AI-generated background you want, just click on it and hit the “Close” button on the Backgrounds window to get on with your meeting.

All of this can be done when you’re already in a meeting, too. If you’re using an Android device for Google Meet, you have to open the Meet app and tap the “Effects” button on the bottom of your self-view and navigate to the Backgrounds tab instead of the “Apply visual effects” button on computers. Make sure you have a compatible smartphone, like a Samsung Galaxy S9 or newer or a Google Pixel 3 or newer, that’s running at least Android version 9. For iPhone users, this feature isn’t currently available.

Google

How to remove your AI background

It’s worth mentioning that using these Gemini-generated backgrounds on Google Meet can increase battery usage. If you want to preserve battery life or go back to a more basic background, you can reset everything by navigating to the Effects panel and clicking the Stack button on the bottom right side of your self-view. After you click the Stack button, you can choose which effects to remove or completely reset your background with the “Remove All” button.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/how-to-use-gemini-to-generate-unique-backgrounds-in-google-meet-130000553.html?src=rss

Apple is embracing the world of brain computer interfaces, unveiling a new technology that one day could revolutionize how humans interact with their devices. From a report: The company is taking early steps to enable people to control their iPhones with neural signals captured by a new generation of brain implants. It could make Apple devices more accessible to tens of thousands of people who can’t use their hands because of severe spinal cord injuries or diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

[…] Historically, humans interacted with their computers mechanically, using keyboards and mice. Smartphones introduced touch, a behavioral input, but still an observable physical movement. The new capability means Apple devices won’t need to see the user make specific movements, the devices can detect user intentions from decoded brain signals. Apple has worked on the new standard with Synchron, which makes a stent-like device that is implanted in a vein atop the brain’s motor cortex. The device called the Stentrode has electrodes that read brain signals. It translates the signals into selecting icons on a screen.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.