Devolver Digital had a lovely little surprise up its sleeve this fine Thursday. The publisher released an animated short for Ball x Pit, the roguelite mashup sensation that’s put a serious dent in the productivity levels of several of the Engadget crew. The funny four-minute clip, which comedy animation house Mashed created, clears up some key questions about the game.

To set things up, Ball x Pit is set after a cataclysmic event wipes out the city of Ballbylon. A pit is all that really remains, and hunters descend into it to find treasure and resources to build New Ballbylon. In the pit, you fire an array of balls (a bit like in Breakout) to destroy enemies that move incessantly toward you (like in Space Invaders). There are bosses and characters with special abilities and powerups you can merge and evolve to devastating effect. There’s a base-building side to the game too that sees you bouncing the hunters around New Ballbylon to obtain resources and build structures. It’s a very good video game.

The short features two residents of the town joking about some of these hunters during a celebration called Hero Day. The pair ribs the base character, The Warrior, for being a bit basic. When it comes to the second hero — the Itchy Finger — we find out just how the heroes fire the balls. Heads up: it’s a little gross.

One of the things I wished Ball x Pit had more of is lore, and I love that we get some of that here. This is a fun short that makes some lighthearted jabs at the game while describing some of its features and oh no I’m probably going to sucked back in to playing it again — even before developer Kenny Sun adds some extra stuff to it at some point.

Ball x Pit is out now on Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. It’s available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-ball-x-pit-animated-short-answers-some-key-questions-about-our-roguelite-obsession-180528272.html?src=rss

American inspections of foreign food facilities—which produce everything from crawfish to cookies for the US market—have plummeted to historic lows this year, a ProPublica analysis of federal data shows, even as inspections reveal alarming conditions at some manufacturers.

About two dozen current and former Food and Drug Administration officials blame the pullback on deep staffing cuts under the Trump administration. The stark reduction marks a dramatic shift in oversight at a time when the United States has never been more dependent on foreign food, which accounts for the vast majority of the nation’s seafood and more than half its fresh fruit.

The stakes are high: Foreign products have been increasingly linked to outbreaks of foodborne illness. In recent years, FDA investigators have uncovered disturbing lapses in facilities producing food bound for American supermarkets. In Indonesia, cookie factory workers hauled dough in soiled buckets. In China, seafood processors slid crawfish along cracked, stained conveyor belts. Investigators have reported crawling insects, dripping pipes and fake testing data purporting to show food products were pathogen free.

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A startup founded by former Anker employees plans to launch a hybrid RV next year. Evotrex “exists to transform how people experience the outdoors,” according to CEO Alex Xiao. On Thursday, the California-based company announced that it had secured $16 million in Pre-A funding. Among its backers are Anker’s founders (not Anker itself).

The RV trailer is designed to last for days far off the grid. To achieve that, its battery is supplemented by a gas engine. “Live rangelessly and focus on the adventure ahead instead of where to find the next charger,” its website reads. Another line: “Relax off-grid without ever needing to leave your base camp.” You get the picture: The idea is that the gas motor lets you venture farther from civilization for longer.

Evotrex’s founders told TechCrunch that the battery will power the RV’s cabin, electronics and electric motor. The gas motor is there to recharge the battery and extend its range. They claim that the gas engine is more eco-friendly than others. They say it’s quieter and more efficient, and that the RV trailer can use the motor’s excess heat to warm the cabin.

Evotrex

Evotrex is hardly alone in keeping gas engines around. EV sales have slowed, and the industry has responded in turn. According to Pew Research, 45 percent of Americans are likely to consider a hybrid vehicle. Only 33 percent said the same for an EV. So, we see automakers responding by delaying EVs or cutting production. This week, Honda’s CEO said the Trump administration has put US EV growth back by “five years or so.” (Meanwhile, the UN warned this week that the world is falling well short of crucial climate targets.)

Evotrex will fully reveal the RV trailer at CES 2026. The company will open reservations on January 6, and it plans to ship the first models by the end of next year. Apart from Anker’s founders, investors include Unity Ventures, Kylinhall Partners, Vision Plus Capital and Xstar Capital. You can learn more at the company’s website.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/former-anker-employees-launch-new-startup-to-build-a-hybrid-rv-trailer-175423273.html?src=rss

One of Russia’s most important projects over the last 15 years has been the construction of the Vostochny spaceport as the country seeks to fly its rockets from native soil and modernize its launch operations.

However, the initiative has been a fiasco from the start. After construction began in 2011, the project was beset by hunger strikes, claims of unpaid workers, and the theft of $126 million. Additionally, a man driving a diamond-encrusted Mercedes was arrested after embezzling $75,000. Five years ago, there was another purge of top officials after another round of corruption.

Through it all, there has been some progress. In 2016, a Soyuz-2 rocket launched from the first pad, “1S.” And eight years later, a second pad, “1A,” opened with a successful Angara rocket launch. Eventually, the Russian space corporation, Roscosmos, would like to operate seven launch pads at the Vostochny in the far eastern area of Russia, so development work continues.

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An anonymous reader shares a report: Automattic, the company that owns WordPress.com, is asking Automatic.CSS — a company that provides a CSS framework for WordPress page builders — to change its name amid public spats between Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg and Automatic.CSS creator Kevin Geary. Automattic has two T’s as a nod to Matt.

“As you know, our client owns and operates a wide range of software brands and services, including the very popular web building and hosting platform WordPress.com,” Jim Davis, an intellectual property attorney representing Automattic, wrote in a letter dated Oct. 30.

“Automattic is also well-known for its longtime and extensive contributions to the WordPress system. Our client owns many trademark registrations for its Automattic mark covering those types of services and software,” Davis continued. “As we hope you can appreciate, our client is concerned about your use of a nearly identical name and trademark to provide closely related WordPress services. Automattic and Automatic differ by only one letter, are phonetically identical, and are marketed to many of the same people. This all enhances the potential for consumer confusion and dilution of our client’s Automattic mark.”

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There’s an official Lego set that recreates the iconic Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation, after first being teased a few months back. It’ll be available on November 28 at a cost of $400. That’s Black Friday, for those at home keeping score.

This is a fairly large set, with 3,600 pieces and all kinds of knick-knacks pulled from the show. It ships with nine minifigures, including Captain Picard, Guinan and Worf. Riker even comes with a trombone and Data accompanies his beloved cat, Spot. Every main character is here, even Wesley Crusher. Ensign Ro Laren makes an appearance, for those who want to recreate the crackling tension between her and Picard.

The ship itself is represented in all of its glory. The saucer section is detachable and there’s a shuttle bay door that opens. Inside, there are two cute little shuttlepods. All told, the model measures around 10.5 inches tall, 23.5 inches long and 18.5 inches wide. It comes with a stand so it’ll look great on that Trek-themed mantle.

The set will be available for preorder soon, but we don’t have an actual date on that. It costs $400. Now that we finally have an official Lego Enterprise, where is the Lego Voyager and Lego Deep Space Nine? Get on that.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/legos-star-trek-uss-enterprise-set-arrives-on-black-friday-173414532.html?src=rss

Star Trek fans who have long envied the Star Wars franchise’s collaboration with Lego are finally getting something to celebrate: Lego is introducing a version of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise, specifically the Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Because we don’t live in the post-money utopian society of the 24th century, the kit will cost you, and unfortunately, it’s priced well into the for-superfans-only zone. The 3,600-piece starship and collection of minifigs will run you $400 when the set officially leaves spacedock on November 28.

Though the Enterprise-D is far from our favorite Enterprise, it does make sense as a starting point for the Lego Group. The Next Generation‘s seven-year run in the late ’80s and early ’90s represents a creative and cultural peak for the franchise, and a 2010s-era remaster that painstakingly re-scanned and upgraded all of the original footage and effects for high-definition TVs has kept the old episodes looking fresher than other ’90s Trek shows like Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

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Power tools make everything easier and your finishes more professional. You might think that connecting those power tools to an app on your phone via Bluetooth is an unnecessary upgrade—why in the world does your power drill need to be connected to your phone? The truth is that Bluetooth-connected, “smart” power tools offer a lot of real advantages, and you should definitely start thinking about upgrading your tools to include them.

More control

The biggest reason smart power tools are a good investment is the increased control they offer. If you’ve ever wasted time experimenting with the torque settings on a drill (and then forgotten those settings the next time you’re doing a similar project), you know how often you’re working blind and just figuring things out by feel. With a smart drill, you have an extremely fine amount of control. For example, Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel Drill lets you not only set a specific RPM for the drill—it allows you to set a torque range that shuts the drill off when you hit it. No more snapped or stripped screws.

Smart tools like this also enable you to select or create profiles for specific jobs. You can pick the material you’re drilling into, the size of the bit, and other factors, and the app will select the ideal settings for the job. If you tweak those settings or come up with your own, you can save it as a custom profile so you don’t have to perform all that experimentation every time you tackle a similar job.

Better safety

Anyone who’s worked with power tools knows how dangerous they are. I am still haunted by a power saw experience a few years ago that came very close to maiming me, and I consider myself a pretty safety-conscious DIYer.

Smart tools offer a range of enhanced safety features. Smart saws like the Milwaukee Sawzall M18 Fuel can monitor vibration, temperature, and the motor’s strain and shut the tool down if it’s about to overload, overheat, or spin out of control. This not only protects your squishy bits and vulnerable fingers; it protects the tool itself. Instead of a burned-out motor or a bent guide, the tool flashes a warning and shuts down so you can safely disengage, take a breath, and start over.

Milwaukee Sawzall 2822-20 M18 Fuel Reciprocating Saw w/ONE-KEY (Tool-Only)

$279.00
at Amazon

$279.00
at Amazon

Rich data

Have you ever unearthed an old power tool and wondered if it was still in good working condition? If the battery still had enough capacity to be useful, if the tool still offered acceptable performance? With a smart power tool, you don’t have to guess. Bluetooth-connected power tools typically collect a lot of data about their condition and performance, and can tell you at if the battery’s still good (and how much use is left in the current charge), the condition of the motor, and whether it needs maintenance. You’ll be able to avoid unnecessarily replacing tools that just need a calibration or a cleaning, but you’ll also know you need to replace a tool before it fails you in a critical moment.

Location tracking

Most smart power tools offer a tracking feature that shows you where your tool is. While this is probably most useful for professionals who have a team deployed over a large area, if you have a habit of loaning out your tools or you’re not the only person using them, being able to see who ran off with your drill or saw is a blessing. And if you have a bad habit of leaving your tools wherever you used them last, this feature could also save you the wasted time of searching for them.

Smart tools, especially if purchased from the same manufacturer, can also offer inventory tracking, showing you exactly what tools you have—or lack. Didn’t you once have a reciprocating saw? Your inventory screen can tell you, and your tracking feature can show you where it’s currently residing, so you don’t mistakenly purchase a duplicate of a tool you already own.

The downside of smart power tools

Simply put, it’s the price. These tools tend to be a lot more expensive than their simpler brethren. The M18 drill mentioned above costs more than $100 less if you get the non-smart version, for example. But if you use your tools a lot and need fine control over their settings and a way to monitor their condition, the extra expense might just be worth it.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Google is planning to build a large AI data center on Christmas Island, a 52-square-mile Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, following a cloud computing deal with Australia’s military. The previously undisclosed project will reportedly position advanced AI infrastructure a mere 220 miles south of Indonesia at a location military strategists consider critical for monitoring Chinese naval activity.

Aside from its strategic military position, the island is famous for its massive annual crab migration, where over 100 million of red crabs make their way across the island to spawn in the ocean. That’s notable because the tech giant has applied for environmental approvals to build a subsea cable connecting the 135-square-kilometer island to Darwin, where US Marines are stationed for six months each year.

The project follows a three-year cloud agreement Google signed with Australia’s military in July 2025, but many details about the new facility’s size, cost, and specific capabilities remain “secret,” according to Reuters. Both Google and Australia’s Department of Defense declined to comment when contacted by the news agency.

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The world is gearing up for the long-awaited (to put it lightly) arrival of Stranger Things’ fifth and final season, but Netflix isn’t ready to sunset one of its defining franchises just yet. Several years after it was first teased, a new animated spin-off series is officially coming in 2026.

Announced to coincide with Stranger Things Day today (November 6, 1983, is the day Will Byers originally got kidnapped, in case you’re scratching your head), Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of the live-action show, during the winter of 1985. It stars what looks like the majority of the original characters — albeit not voiced by the actors who play them in the main show — as they face off against new monsters and a (yet another) “paranormal mystery terrorizing their town.” Hope you didn’t think that Hawkins was about to catch a break.

Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 stars Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will and Brett Gipson as Hopper. It’s coming to Netflix next year, exact release date currently unspecified.

As for Stranger Things proper, that’s coming in just a few weeks time, with the first batch of episodes landing on November 26. More arrive on Christmas Day, with the finale hitting Netflix on December 31. We got a juicy trailer last week, in which poor old Will appears to be in the wars again.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/the-first-trailer-for-the-animated-stranger-things-spin-off-is-here-172128527.html?src=rss

SpaceX is acquiring more spectrum licenses from EchoStar in exchange for about $2.6 billion worth of shares in Elon Musk’s aerospace company. The transaction is an expansion of the $17 billion deal struck between the companies in September. SpaceX had previously said it would use these licenses for its Starlink satellites as it works to build out the network’s 5G connectivity.

The AWS-3 spectrum licenses changing hands include frequencies used in the US for commercial wireless services such as mobile and satellite communications. The distribution and use of spectrum are overseen by the federal government, which also lays out requirements for the use and development of spectrum for the benefit of consumers.

EchoStar had been facing pressure from the FCC to either use its substantial spectrum stockpile or seek divestment. This deal encompasses all of EchoStars’ remaining unpaired AWS-3 spectrum holdings. Earlier this year, the company sold $23 billion worth of licenses to AT&T in addition to its deals with SpaceX. The FCC ended its investigation into EchoStar after these sales. Today’s deal is pending regulatory approval and no precise closing date was shared.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/spacex-acquires-26-billion-more-in-spectrum-licenses-from-echostar-170233413.html?src=rss

If you’re out of cell service in an emergency, the ability to contact 911 can be lifesaving. Now many users with older phones are getting access to emergency texting to 911 via T-Mobile’s Starlink-powered T-Satellite network for free. On Wednesday, T-Mobile announced that it would open up its Text to 911 feature—which allows users to text emergency services through their phone’s native messaging app when outside of coverage areas—to everyone, including AT&T and Verizon customers, at no cost.

It’s worth noting that many iPhone and Pixel users already have access to emergency SOS via satellite regardless of carrier, as these features are built into newer devices. Apple’s Emergency SOS is available on iPhone 14 and later, while Google’s Satellite SOS is available on Pixel 9 and later (excluding 9A). These devices will default to native capabilities. Verizon also supports Satellite SOS for compatible Samsung Galaxy phones.

As such, T-Mobile’s free service is useful mostly to those on older iPhones and Pixels as well as Motorola devices and Samsung users who have AT&T. And if you’re not a T-Mobile customer, your device must be unlocked and have an available eSIM to activate Text to 911. When connected to the network, you can text 911 for emergency services as well as the 988 Lifeline and 838255, the Veterans Crisis Line. T-Mobile customers can also reach customer care via 611.

How to sign up for Text to 911

If you’re a T-Mobile customer, you can add Text to 911 service by logging into your account and selecting the option under Manage Data & Add Ons. Otherwise, you’ll need to enroll on T-Mobile’s website, after which your phone will automatically connect to the emergency network (“T-Mobile TXT911”) when no other coverage is available. You must enroll in advance.

To use the service, compose a message in your device’s native texting app, enter 911 in the phone number field, and hit send. Your location is automatically shared with first responders.

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said late Wednesday that the AI startup is not seeking a government backstop for its infrastructure commitments, clarifying previous comments she made on stage during the Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live event. From a report: At the event, Friar said OpenAI is looking to create an ecosystem of banks, private equity and a federal “backstop” or “guarantee” that could help the company finance its investments in cutting-edge chips. But in a LinkedIn post late Wednesday, Friar softened her stance.

“I used the word ‘backstop’ and it muddied the point,” Friar wrote. “As the full clip of my answer shows, I was making the point that American strength in technology will come from building real industrial capacity which requires the private sector and government playing their part.” OpenAI has inked more than $1.4 trillion of infrastructure deals in recent months to try and build out the data centers it says are needed to meet soaring demand. The agreements have raised questions around how the company can afford to make such massive commitments.

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