Waymo is expanding its service area in two major metropolitan parts of California, according to a report by TechCrunch. The company is bringing its robotaxis to several new cities and neighborhoods around Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Beginning today, riders along the San Francisco Peninsula in cities like Brisbane, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae and Burlingame will be able to try out a Waymo driverless cab. The same goes for Silicon Valley locations like Palo Alto and Menlo Park.
Ride to more places in the Bay and LA. ✨ Starting today in SF, with new areas coming to LA later this week. Download the Waymo One app to see our new service areas. pic.twitter.com/delkMqkO4k
— Waymo (@Waymo) June 17, 2025
The greater Los Angeles area gets an expansion on June 18. Robotaxis will be available in neighborhoods like Echo Park, Silver Lake, Ladera Heights and Playa del Rey. They will also run through the entirety of Sunset Boulevard.
The company says this recent expansion will grow its operational borders in both regions by around 80 square miles. This brings the total coverage area in California to 250 square miles, following other expansions throughout the state.
Waymo recently boasted that it reached a milestone of 10 million paid rides, with 250,000 weekly rides in all four of its US markets. The Waymo One service also operates in Phoenix and Austin. This is a decent metric, considering the company ditched its waitlist and began offering rides to the public just last year.
On the road again: As Waymo prepares for broader scale, we’re embarking on our largest road trip to date, visiting 10+ cities in 2025. First up: Las Vegas and San Diego.
Read more about how our road trips help advance the Waymo Driver’s AI: https://t.co/96XzLSFV8O pic.twitter.com/UDCWOCkVOk
— Waymo (@Waymo) January 29, 2025
The company plans on testing its driverless system in 10 new cities this year, including Las Vegas and San Diego. It has also announced that it’ll begin offering driverless taxi rides in Washington DC in 2026. Waymo hasn’t abandoned the rest of the world. It started testing robotaxis in Tokyo earlier this year.
The company is also planning on more than doubling its fleet of vehicles. Waymo currently operates 1,500 Jaguar I-Pace SUVs. with 2,000 joining the fleet in the next year or so.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-expands-service-area-around-san-francisco-and-los-angeles-180811473.html?src=rss
According to a report, the
It’s usually the flashiest software features that make headlines, but for my money, it’s the functional ones that deserve the most attention. Case in point: iOS 26, where Liquid Glass is on everyone’s lips, but fewer people are discussing Apple’s decision to move the iPhone’s search bars and other control buttons towards the bottom of the screen. With that one minor tweak, the Settings app, the Phone app, and Messages are now much more comfortable to use, and so are the call controls on FaceTime video calls. It may sound like a small change, but I love that I no longer need to stretch my fingers or hold my phone with both hands for everyday tasks on my iPhone.
Since my first iPhone, the iPhone 5s, I’ve tried to make it easier for my thumb to reach my most important apps. This used to be difficult in earlier iterations of iOS, because you couldn’t customize the home screen anywhere near as much as you can today. I’d still do my best to arrange my favorite apps in an inverted L shape near the bottom-right corner of the screen, so I could easily tap them with one hand, but my ability to do so was limited. Nowadays, you can place an app icon pretty much anywhere on the home screen, and even the Control Center can be customized, but there was still room for improvement.
For example, all my careful planning always went out the window as soon as I opened any app. Many apps follow what Apple has been doing until now and place their search bars toward the top of the phone screen, where they’re hard to reach. Some third-party apps do put their Create/Compose buttons near the iPhone’s bottom-right corner, but Apple’s own apps weren’t really optimized for ergonomics, and this set a bad precedent. This wasn’t such a big problem on my tiny iPhone 5s, but ever since I upgraded to a Pro Max model, it’s gotten more important to me. Fortunately for me, in iOS 26, Apple has finally started to address this issue.
As a right-handed person, I’ve never enjoyed the back gesture in iOS, which required me to move my thumb all the way to the left edge of the screen and swipe right. In iOS 26, many of Apple’s apps now let you go back by swiping right from anywhere on the screen. This is a welcome change.
Upon opening the Mail, Messages, Notes, Podcasts, Phone, or Settings apps in iOS 26, you should notice one welcome change. Yep, the search bar/button is now near the bottom of the display. In all of these apps, I use the search feature extensively, and it now requires a lot less effort to reach the button with my thumb. Here’s hoping other developers follow suit.
Some apps include a button that helps you create a new file, compose an email, start a new chat, etc. In iOS 26, many of Apple’s own apps have moved this button to the display’s bottom-right corner, taking cues from those third-party apps I mentioned earlier. Examples include the Create Reminder button in Reminders, Compose Email button in Mail, and New Message button in Messages. Finally, Apple is catching up with the rest of the App Store.
While Safari moved its address bar to the bottom of the screen in a previous version of iOS, the version of the browser included in iOS 26 has added a new Compact layout that makes it even more ergonomic. You can now hold the address bar and swipe up to use the Copy feature, which is a far easier way to copy URLs than hitting the Share button and pressing Copy. You can also double-tap the three-dots button to bookmark pages quickly. Having said that, I do hope that Apple finds a way to keep the Share and Tabs buttons visible in future iterations of the Compact layout. Those two buttons are now buried under the three-dots button, which isn’t ideal.
To switch to a layout that’s more familiar, you can go to Settings > Apps > Safari in iOS 26, scroll down to Tabs, and choose Bottom.
FaceTime video calls used to have call controls at the top of the screen, but that’s changed in iOS 26. You’ll now see those buttons lined up near the bottom-right corner of the screen. This makes it easier to mute yourself, turn off the camera, change your audio device, or just end the call.
Google has announced a big expansion of its Gemini AI model family today. After months of tweaking and tuning, the high-power Gemini 2.5 Pro is leaving preview and is ready for developers to build on. Meanwhile, Google is offering a peek at its upcoming high-efficiency model, known as Gemini 2.5 Pro Flash-Lite. Try as it might, Google can’t get away from confusing model names.
Google’s AI aspirations have been looking up in 2025 with the debut of Gemini 2.5. These models showed a marked improvement over past versions, making Google more competitive with OpenAI and its popular GPT models. However, we’ve been inundated with previews and test builds as Google works toward general availability, which means a model is stable enough for long-term development work.
The 2.5 Flash model left preview at I/O, but Gemini 2.5 Pro lagged behind. Today, Flash is hitting general availability with the 04-17 build. Gemini 2.5 Pro is leaving preview and also reaching general availability, and as predicted, the recently revamped 06-05 build is the winner. This version aimed to address some issues that popped up in the Google I/O build of 2.5 Pro, and it appears to have worked.
The discourse around artificial intelligence has all been about pursuing the bleeding edge, pushing the tech into the future as fast as possible. So maybe it should be refreshing that OpenAI’s latest announcement feels almost quaintly analog. Starting today, users can tap into the company’s image generation by texting 1-800-ChatGPT on WhatsApp.
The post on X announcing this new option for using the ChatGPT AI chatbot specifies that the feature is “now available to everyone.” I’m not sure what percentage of “everyone” wanted to have a 1-800 number to contact in order to obtain their AI-generated pictures. Considering how long it’s been since the concept of a long-distance call was a factor in regular communication, I’d guess that many ChatGPT users don’t even know why 1-800 phone numbers were notable. Perhaps this is OpenAI’s attempt to lure the older generations away from potentially confusing (and embarrassing) competitors.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/this-1-800-number-will-generate-chatgpt-images-if-for-some-reason-you-need-that-174636780.html?src=rss
Meta’s Threads is deepening its integration with the fediverse, a collection of decentralized social media platforms that includes Mastodon. Starting today, users who have enabled sharing to the fediverse in Threads will be able to see posts from federated accounts that they follow. These posts will now appear in a dedicated feed.
From this feed, users can now search for federated users from within Threads. These posts will populate in reverse chronological order, ensuring the newest posts from accounts you follow appear first.
Decentralized platforms currently compatible with Threads include Mastodon, Bookwyrm, WriteFreely and more, with Meta hoping more services will sign on in the future. When searching for fediverse accounts, simply input their username and corresponding service into the search bar, such as “@flipboard@flipboard.social,” and if an exact match exists, their profile will appear alongside the fediverse icon.
Meta has spent the last year working on building the fediverse into the Threads experience, and the company says that Threads “has interacted with over 75 percent of all fediverse servers” since sharing to the fediverse was launched a year ago.
The social media conglomerate states that its goal “remains to grow the fediverse responsibly, prioritizing the success of a safe community from multiple platforms and with multiple points of view.” Integrations like the features being launched today, however, make it much easier for the company’s users to see federated posts without ever navigating away from Threads to do so. Furthermore, fediverse engagement on Threads remains an “opt-in” feature, and replies you receive to posts shared in the fediverse are still not integrated into Threads.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/threads-adds-new-dedicated-feed-for-fediverse-content-174105370.html?src=rss
On June 18, 1983, NASA astronaut Sally Ride made history as the first American woman in space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. National Geographic is marking the occasion with a new documentary on the astronaut’s life: Sally. In addition to revisiting her storied career, the film provides an unprecedented look at the famously private Ride’s personal life—notably her nearly 30-year relationship with another woman.
Director Cristina Costantini’s prior work includes the 2018 Emmy-nominated National Geographic documentary Science Fair, chronicling nine teenagers’ paths to competing in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. So perhaps it’s not surprising that Costantini is a longtime fan of Ride since childhood. “It was just, if a girl can go to space and do all these things that women aren’t supposed to do, maybe I can do big things, too,” she told Ars. “I think a lot of women have the exact same reaction. If she can do it, we can do it. As I got older and I learned more about Sally, I realized, wow, she really had a very fine line to walk and she did it so masterfully.”
Ride died of pancreatic cancer in 2012, which is when Costantini and much of the rest of the world discovered that the astronaut’s business partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, was also Ride’s romantic partner and had been for 27 years. “I thought, oh my God, if NASA was barely ready for women, what was this like?” said Costantini. “What was beneath the story that we had been fed our entire lives of who Sally really was? I wanted to make a film that celebrated the Sally we all knew and also celebrated the Sally we didn’t know and complicate her legacy and make her a real person.”
An anonymous reader shares a report: Iran’s cybersecurity authority has banned officials from using devices that connect to the internet, apparently fearing being tracked or hacked by Israel. According to the state-linked Fars news agency, Iranian officials and their bodyguards have been told they are not allowed to use any equipment that connects to public internet or telecommunications networks.
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If you love the idea of tracking your health and fitness with a screenless band but don’t want to pony up for a Whoop subscription, you’ll soon have more options. Maybe. Probably: Three different Whoop-likes have popped up in the past few weeks, but I’m still murky on the details of what they’ll offer, and none of them are (yet) available for sale to the general public. In order from most to least likely to be real products you can buy, they’re coming from Polar, Amazfit, and Garmin.
There’s a lot of buzz around these devices because plenty of folks would love a fitness tracker that isn’t a watch. Maybe you already have a mechanical watch and don’t need another thing on your wrist; or maybe you don’t want anything on your wrist at all and would love a nice comfy armband instead (it really is easy to forget you’re wearing the Whoop band, and it’s my favorite placement when I’m in the gym since a watch can get in the way of some exercises).
So far, the only fitness band on the market is Whoop, which uses a subscription model. You pay for the service and get the device at no charge, sort of—a polite fiction that falls apart whenever the company announces a new hardware version and there turn out to be a cost to upgrade.
If an established fitness watch maker came out with a screenless band, it wouldn’t immediately be a Whoop killer, because it’d be missing out on Whoop’s app, which is honestly the best thing about it and which clearly took a ton of development effort to create. I wouldn’t expect any of these devices to be true competitors to Whoop as a service, but the device alone would give people another option, and that’s pretty cool.
You would think it’s easy to make a fitness band—just design a watch but leave off the screen. For whatever reason, this isn’t a product that other brands have managed to launch, despite the potential demand. Until now, maybe! Here’s what we know about the three bands that may be coming to market this year.
Polar announced today that it’s coming out with a “brand-new product category” and you’ll be able to buy the item, whatever it is, in September 2025. Polar describes it as a “screen-free wrist device” and specifies that it will be “subscription-free.”
It’s possible that this device will be a consumer version of Polar 360, a screenless band that it has marketed toward businesses. The use cases on the Polar 360 website include corporate wellness, sports teams, and some frankly dystopian-sounding employee monitoring for truck drivers. Device reviewer DC Rainmaker said in a video that he heard from a viewer who had bought some of these devices through a business, and they cost 90 euros each.
Amazfit, by contrast, has photos and a name for its device. It’s called the Helio Strap, and is currently only available for the 15 top athletes in Hyrox, a Crossfit-like sport. (Note that they don’t call it a “band” because Amazfit already sells several products in a Fitbit-like wristband shape that have names like “Amazfit Band 7.”)
The company is clearly planning to sell these to the general public at some point, since their website boasts about its battery life (11 days), number of sport modes (27), and other things that matter to potential customers and not just Hyrox spectators. Amazfit also specifies that there are no subscription fees.
Even more promising, a product listing for an all-black (not Hyrox branded) version of the Amazfit Helio strap was reportedly live on Walmart’s website for a brief moment, with a price tag of $79.99. So far there is no word on when that product might launch for real.
Garmin users have long been voicing hopes for a ring or band so that they can keep feeding data into the Garmin ecosystem without having to wear a sports watch every time they go out for a formal event. (This is a surprisingly common complaint/request/dilemma on the Garmin user subreddits.)
The idea of a Garmin band was leaked, maybe, to the website The 5K Runner, which has a history of publishing Garmin leaks that sometimes come true. The post on this potential device was accompanied by an AI image, thus making it look real at first glance—but nope, it was created by an algorithm that can’t even make a sleeping woman’s head look like it’s attached to her body, and certainly doesn’t have any insight into what Garmin may or may not be planning for a sleep band.
The writer of The 5K Runner is “100%” certain that this is a real product, and predicts the launch date as “soon, with August at the latest, and more likely by the end of July.” But without more information, it’s hard to know whether we should be as certain. I asked a Garmin rep about this rumor, and they declined to comment.
Peak Design is building on the success of its innovative Travel Tripod. The photography accessory maker is launching a new Pro Tripod on Kickstarter. The latest model comes in three flavors: Pro Lite, Pro and Pro Tall. As you might expect, their prices dwarf that of the (already expensive) Travel Tripod.
The Pro Tripod is scaled up for greater stiffness and maximum height. It has stronger legs, an all-CNC-machined hub and a flanged center column. This results in double the weight capacity of the Travel Tripod, which supports 20 lbs. The new Pro Tripod and Pro Tall Tripod each support 40 lbs. Meanwhile, the Pro Lite Tripod handles a bit less at 35 lbs.
When packed, the Pro models take up more space than the Travel model, but they’ll still easily fit in a backpack. The Pro and Pro Lite Tripods measure just under 20 inches. The Pro Tall Tripod folds down to 22.9 inches. The Pro and Pro Tall models weigh just over 4 lbs, while the Pro Lite weighs 3.7 lbs.
Peak Design is also selling new accessories for those with the most demanding needs. The tilt mod will be essential for those who need the smoothest video. It converts the Pro line’s standard ball head into a fluid pan-and-tilt one. The Pro Leveling Base enables quick leveling on uneven terrain. And the Pro Spike Feet will help the tripod grip slippery or loose ground.
If you thought the Travel Tripod was expensive, well, brace yourself. The Pro Lite Tripod is estimated to cost $800. The Pro Tripod is expected to cost $900. And the Pro Tall Tripod will retail for approximately $1,000. They’re “estimated” prices since the products are only now arriving on Kickstarter. But, as is often the case with crowdfunding, pledging early will get you a discount.
If you’re aghast at the pricing, well, that’s entirely understandable. But consider that Peak Design is truly targeting professionals here. It isn’t uncommon to see tripods from brands like RRS and Gitzo crack the $1,000 barrier. Engadget plans to review the Pro Tripod to see how it stands up (sorry) to pro-level needs.
The Pro Lite Tripod is expected to ship in October. Meanwhile, the company is aiming for February 2026 for the Pro and Pro Tall models. You can learn more in the video below and on the Kickstarter page.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/peak-designs-new-tripods-take-aim-at-the-professional-set-165843064.html?src=rss
Salesforce will raise prices by an average of 6% across its Enterprise and Unlimited Editions starting August 1, 2025, while simultaneously launching new AI-focused product tiers that significantly expand the cost structure for its platform. The price increases will affect Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Field Service, and select Industries Clouds, though the company’s Foundations, Starter, and Pro Editions will remain unchanged, the company said Tuesday.
Salesforce is justifying the move by citing “significant ongoing innovation and customer value delivered through our products.” The company is also rolling out new Agentforce add-ons starting at $125 per user monthly, which provide unlimited AI agent usage for employees, while premium Agentforce 1 Editions begin at $550 per user monthly and include comprehensive AI capabilities plus cloud-specific features. Slack pricing has also been restructured, with the Business+ plan now costing $15 per user monthly and a new Enterprise+ tier added, though basic Slack access will be free for all Salesforce customers.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
It’s that time of year again. Amazon Prime Day will rain deals upon the world on July 8, but some companies have already begun slashing prices. For instance, the iconic GoPro Hero 13 Black action camera is currently on sale for $329, which is a discount of over $100. That’s not a record-low price, but it’s close.
This model topped our list of the best action cameras, and for good reason. It’s a near-perfect device with plenty of bells and whistles. This is the most versatile Hero camera the company has ever made, thanks to a new family of modular lenses. It can shoot up to 5.3K, with 2X optical zoom and a photo resolution of 27MP.
It also features a larger battery than previous iterations, which allows for around 90 minutes of continuous shooting in 4K and 30FPS. It’s waterproof up to 10 millimeters and can be operated via voice control. The full-color front screen makes it easy to review footage without having to upload anything to the computer.
There’s no internal storage, which is something of a bummer, but the camera can accommodate microSD cards. We did say it offers the “best image quality in its class” but that doesn’t apply to low-light conditions. If you shoot primarily in low light, consider the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro instead.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/early-prime-day-deals-include-100-off-the-gopro-hero-13-black-164100482.html?src=rss
Microsoft’s Game Pass is having a very impressive 2025 where the quality and cadence of releases is concerned, and things are showing no signs of slowing down as we settle into the summer months. Highlights of the June lineup include co-op FPS FBC: Firebreak, which joins the service today, Sloclap’s highly-anticipated soccer game, Rematch, and a trio of Warcraft remasters.
Let’s start with probably the most significant addition. Back in May, Engadget’s Jessica Conditt got to play Remedy’s FBC: Firebreak and was tentatively optimistic about what is a pretty major genre-shift for the studio known for single-player games such as Alan Wake and Control (Firebreak is set in the same location as the latter). The important building blocks of a great co-operative shooter were there, and the hope is that Remedy has polished up the experience ahead of launch. FBC: Firebreak also joins PS Plus today as a day one release for both platforms, which should hopefully help get it off the ground.
Also joining today is Lost in Random: The Eternal Die, a roguelite spin-off of 2021’s Lost in Random, that has more than a hint of Hades about it judging by screenshots and fast-paced gameplay clips we’ve seen in the runup to launch.
Another notable Game Pass additions arrives on June 19. Rematch is a soccer game that eschews the more sim-like approach of EA Sports FC in favor of an arcade-style spin on the world’s most popular sport. Matches are 5v5, and you only control one player on your team. There are no offsides, no fouls and no breaks in play, so referees won’t bail you out when something doesn’t go your way. Rematch is the latest game from the Paris-based indie studio Sloclap, who made the incredibly stylish kung fu game, Sifu. It’s no surprise, then, that Rematch’s almost impressionist aesthetic is just as easy on the eye.
It’s also a big month for Game Pass’ ever-growing catalogue of Activision Blizzard games, with the remastered versions of Warcraft I and Warcraft II, as well as Warcraft III: Reforged all being added on June 26. Call of Duty: WWII joins them on June 30. As we head into July, Game Pass subscribers can download or stream Little Nightmares II and Rise of the Tomb Raider, which returns to Microsoft’s service ahead of the game’s 10th anniversary in November.
You can check out the full list of announcements here.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/junes-game-pass-additions-include-remedy-co-op-shooter-fbc-firebreak-163131482.html?src=rss
OpenAI executives have discussed filing an antitrust complaint with US regulators against Microsoft, the company’s largest investor, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two long-term AI partners. OpenAI, which develops ChatGPT, has reportedly considered seeking a federal regulatory review of the terms of its contract with Microsoft for potential antitrust law violations, according to people familiar with the matter.
The potential antitrust complaint would likely argue that Microsoft is using its dominant position in cloud services and contractual leverage to suppress competition, according to insiders who described it as a “nuclear option,” the WSJ reports.
The move could unravel one of the most important business partnerships in the AI industry—a relationship that started with a $1 billion investment by Microsoft in 2019 and has grown to include billions more in funding, along with Microsoft’s exclusive rights to host OpenAI models on its Azure cloud platform.
At the recent media launch of the ZR1, the most powerful Corvette ever, Chevrolet also teased an even more potent variant set to debut later this year. Dubbed the ZR1X, the latest model arrives after serious anticipation that began swirling when the eighth-gen ‘Vette switched to a mid-engine layout—and especially after the E-Ray hybrid justified the design’s enormous center console by filling the backbone with batteries to power a small front electric motor.
Hype online ahead of the official unveil nicknamed the top-spec car “Zora” after Zora Arkus-Duntov, the GM engineer known as the “Father of the Corvette.” But instead, ZR1X follows the industry’s typical alphanumeric nomenclature, where, as usual, X means all-wheel drive. The ZR1X, therefore, uses the same recipe by complementing the ZR1’s 1,064 hp (783 kW) twin-turbocharged V8 with a front electric motor, resulting in a claimed combined rating of 1,250 hp (919 kW).
The same 1.9 kWh battery pack now holds 26 percent more charge than in the E-Ray, which helps bump the front motor’s output from 160 to 186 hp (117 to 132 kW) and from 125 to 145 lb-ft (169 to 196 Nm). This allows GM to predict that the ZR1X will achieve a 0–60 mph (0–96 kph) time under two seconds, made possible by all-wheel-drive traction off the line.
Meetings starting after 8 p.m. are up 16% compared to a year ago, and at 10 p.m. almost a third of active workers are still monitoring their inboxes, according to research from Microsoft. Bloomberg: The company’s annual work trends study, which is based on aggregated and anonymized data from Microsoft 365 users and a global survey of 31,000 desk workers, also found that almost 20% of employees actively working weekends are checking email before noon on Saturdays and Sundays [non-paywalled source], while over 5% are active on email again on Sunday evenings, gearing up for the start of the work week.
[…] Meetings are often spontaneous. Some 57% of the gatherings tallied by Microsoft came together without a calendar invite, and even 10% of scheduled meetings were booked at the last minute. […] Mass emails, those which loop in more than 20 participants, are on the rise, climbing 7% from last year.
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Buying a new grill can be a daunting task. What’s your budget? Are you buying your first one? And what type do you want? Charcoal lovers and propane enthusiasts might have sown doubt about electric grills, but these grills have come a long way. No longer the weak, slow heating appliances of the early aughts, the best of them now pack plenty of power. If you’re not sure whether one is right for you, read on to learn what factors you should consider. I’ve compiled a list of some solid electric grills to make your search easier.
Unlike with coal and propane grills, an electric grill will allow you to set more precise temperature. Plug an electric grill into a regular outlet and use the dial to set your desired temperature, and that’s it. The electric heating elements inside the base housing heat the grill bars sitting above it with radiant heat. Once the grill has preheated, you can start cooking.
Although you’ll miss out on some of that flame-charred flavor you’d get with other fuel sources, electric grills have a number of pros:
Accessible fuel. You’ve scraped off the grates only to realize you’re out of gas. Or maybe you just hate messing around with charcoal. With an electric grill, there’s no need to fuss with finicky fuel.
Safety. Electric heat doesn’t require pilot lights or fire starters. That doesn’t mean there are zero flames—fat drips can still flare up—but they’re nowhere near the type of flames and sparks that can erupt from other grill options. This makes electric grills beginner-friendly and a nice introduction to cooking on grill surfaces.
Ease of control. Electric grills will begin preheating as soon as you flip a switch, and you get precision temperature control with a dial.
Suitability for small spaces. Electric grills don’t produce anywhere near the same billowing smoke that charcoal grills do, and they come in a variety of sizes, which makes them an excellent option for rentals and areas with limited outdoor space.
A gas-powered grill has a certain commanding stature to it. The large cart and side flaps create space for you to work and the grill area becomes an area that people gravitate to. Electric grills can seem diminutive by comparison, so if you want that same sturdy, show-stopping look with the benefits of electric, buy the Weber Pulse with the grill cart. It’s a bit of a splurge compared to the others, but this grill offers precision temperature control and you can stay informed by monitoring the temperature on the Weber Connect app while you walk over to the cooler to talk to friends.
The Ninja Woodfire offers the best option for folks that love to grill a quick burger or invest several hours into the perfect bark on their famous smoked brisket. The small smoke box is included on the side of the Woodfire’s lid. Just load it with the Woodfire pellets and the electric convection heating will take care of the rest. The Ninja Woodfire is one of the more affordable electric grill options and often goes on sale (including right now).
If you have a small outdoor space, you may not want to have a standing outdoor grill blocking the sun from your potted begonias. The Weber Lumin is more compact, the heating portion is fully detachable from the stand, and the stand collapses flat so you can store everything somewhere else. This model is small but mighty with 1.5 kilowatts and boasts a maximum temperature of 600 F. That’s plenty of heat to achieve good grill marks and even a whip up a grilled pizza. This grill alone will work on a heat-resistant tabletop, but if you don’t have that, then make sure you get the Weber Lumin Electric Grill with the collapsible stand included.
It’s a luxury to have an indoor and an outdoor grill, but you don’t need to buy them separately. The George Foreman electric grill allows you to move the dinner party outside when the weather clears up, and it’s more budget-friendly than the others. As with the entire line of Foreman products, the heating element is built into the grill plate. This eliminates the danger of fats dripping onto an exposed heating element below and causing flare-ups.
Have fun grilling clean out there in your lawn or rental patio, but always use your grill as directed. Don’t bring an outdoor one inside if it’s not meant to be inside, and vice versa. These appliances draw quite a bit of energy to cook your food so make sure to plug it into its own outlet to get the best performance. If your outdoor-only electric grill is going to live outside, invest in an outdoor cover specific to the brand and model to keep the electronics in good shape. Here are even more tips on safely grilling this summer.
Earlier this week, the makers of the popular Mig Flash cartridge, which allows users to play Switch games loaded via an SD card without modifying the console itself, issued a firmware update enabling the cards to run original Switch games on the Switch 2. Since then, though, multiple Mig Flash users are reporting that they’ve seen their Switch 2 consoles banned from Nintendo’s online servers, even in cases where the devices were only used to run backups of legitimate games the users purchased themselves.
“My Switch 2 test has been banned after using the Mig [Flash] with perfectly legal dumps of my own cartridges, so it would seem that Nintendo can detect something,” popular hacking news account Switch Tools posted on social media Monday (along with a follow-up showing a stack of legitimate Switch games they said they had backed up using the device). “I strongly recommend that you do not use the Mig [Flash], it was already very risky to use but it is even more so on Switch 2.”
My Switch 2 test has been banned, after using the mig switch with perfectly legal dumps of my own cartridges, so it would seem that Nintendo can detect something
Similar reports on reddit are starting to come in.https://t.co/nbPMlRWSaPhttps://t.co/3eq6dkbFMi
I strongly… pic.twitter.com/btzjQYJzE4— SwitchTools (@SwitchTools) June 16, 2025
The insistence that the ban came while using “perfectly legal dumps of my own cartridges” is important here. Nintendo has long used certificates with robust cryptographic signatures to identify when individual copies of Switch games are being shared for the purposes of piracy. If Nintendo notices the same cryptographic signature on security certificates being used by hundreds of different consoles and accounts, for instance, the company can be relatively sure that all those users are engaging in piracy.
