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Even if you’re shopping for yourself instead of a dad, Father’s Day is one of the best times of year to buy tools. To upgrade your tool kit or to get a start on your DIY adventures, Lowe’s has deals on hand tools and cordless power tools up to 54% off this week. Here are some of the best savings.

DeWalt power tools

DeWalt is a trusted brand in power tools, specializing in cordless tools as well as miter saws. For a home shop, a decent saw and a cordless tool set are indispensable. Here are a few of the best deals on DeWalt tools.

• The DeWalt 12-inch, 15-amp miter saw is on sale for $399, 36% off its regular price. This saw can cut compound angles and comes with a starter blade and a dust bag. This is a corded tool, so you’ll need power to use it on moulding, shelving, and all your other DIY projects.

• The DeWalt 20-volt cordless oscillating tool is on sale for $99, 54% off its usual price. This is a versatile tool that can be used for plunge cutting, sanding in tight corners, and on a variety of materials. The set comes with one battery, a charger, a wood-cutting blade, a multi-material blade, an accessory adapter, and a tool bag.

• The DeWalt 20-volt cordless drill is on sale for $99, 37% off its usual price. A good quality drill can be used for driving hardware as well as drilling holes, and is an essential part of a cordless tool set. This set comes with a 20-volt battery, a charger, and a tool bag.

Batteries and accessories

If you’ve had a cordless tool set for a few years, your batteries could be wearing out and need replacing. New batteries are often one of the most expensive and overlooked costs of owning a cordless tool set, as are accessories for your tools. Here are a few of the best deals from Lowe’s on power tool accessories for Father’s Day.

• A four-pack of 20-volt DeWalt batteries is on sale for $149, 54% off its regular price. The set includes two 2-amp-hour batteries and two 4-amp-hour batteries, but no charger, so this is only a good deal if you already have a DeWalt set.

• A two-pack of DeWalt 8-amp-hour batteries is on sale for $199, 33% off its usual price. This is a good set if you want to work for longer without a power source, as higher capacity batteries will last longer. This set is battery-only, so you’ll need a 20-volt DeWalt charger for them.

• The DeWalt 110-piece bit set is on sale for $29.98, 40% off its typical price. The set includes a variety of bit heads, a magnetic extension sleeve, and a variety of drill bits. This is a good set for regular maintenance around the house.

Hand tools

Hand tools are an indispensable part of your home shop set-up. Whether you plan to do simple maintenance or larger projects, having the right wrenches and drivers is key. Here are some of the best deals on hand tools on sale at Lowe’s for Father’s Day.

• The Craftsman 230-piece SAE wrench set is on sale for $99, 50% off its regular price. This set includes three sizes of ratchets, a range of sockets, a driver base, a set of box wrenches, and a toolbox. It’s a great starter set of wrenches.

• The Craftsman 20-piece SAE ratchet set is on sale for $19.98, 46% off its usual price. This is a set of sockets and a ratchet, a good addition to a small maintenance kit or an expansion of a larger tool kit.

• The Craftsman ⅜-inch drive torque wrench is on sale for $54.98, 44% off its typical price. A torque wrench is good for vehicle maintenance and can be used to apply a specific amount of pressure when driving nuts.

Best tools under $5

Not all tools need to cost a lot of money, and in fact, some of the most useful ones are really rather cheap. Here are the best budget-friendly tool deals under $5 at Lowe’s for Father’s Day.

• The Craftsman 3 ½-inch changeable bit screwdriver is on sale for $4.98, 54% off its regular price. This tool has swappable bits that you can use to drive a variety of hardware types.

• The Craftsman metric Allen key driver set is on sale for $4.98, 58% off its usual price. This set includes a variety of metric sizes that fold into a handle.

• The Craftsman Torx key driver set is on sale for $4.98, 58% off its typical price. This set includes a variety of Torx sizes that fold into a handle.

Disney and NBCUniversal have filed a joint suit against AI company Midjourney alleging copyright infringement on their various properties. The complaint, filed in federal district court in Los Angeles, includes images created by Midjourney that feature a wide variety of protected characters from each company’s various properties, including Star Wars, Shrek, The Simpsons, Despicable Me and others. The 110-page suit alleges that the AI company “helped itself to countless” copyrighted works when training its models that have been creating and disseminating “innumerable” copies of these characters via AI-generated images.

In the lawsuit Midjourney is described as “the quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism.” Disney and NBCUniversal are the first major Hollywood players to enter the now crowded field of AI copyright infringement lawsuits; it comes against the backdrop of similar lawsuits against OpenAI, Meta and Perplexity AI.

The intersection of art and artificial intelligence continues to be battled out in court, though a suit brought by two of the largest names in media properties carries immense weight. “We are bullish on the promise of A.I. technology and optimistic about how it can be used responsibly as a tool to further human creativity,” said Horacio Gutierrez, Disney’s general counsel, in an email to The New York Times. “But piracy is piracy, and the fact that it’s done by an A.I. company does not make it any less infringing.”

In a separate email to The New York Times, Kim Harris, general counsel for NBCUniversal, said, “We are bringing this action today to protect the hard work of all the artists whose work entertains and inspires us and the significant investment we make in our content.”

We’ve reached out to Midjourney for comment and will update if we hear back.

Read the lawsuit below:

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/disney-and-universal-studios-file-suit-against-midjourney-for-copyright-infringement-154206053.html?src=rss

Disney and NBCUniversal have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against AI image generator firm Midjourney in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, marking the first time major Hollywood studios have taken legal action against a generative AI company.

The entertainment giants accuse Midjourney, founded in 2021, of training its software on “countless” copyrighted works without permission and enabling users to create images that “blatantly incorporate and copy” famous characters including Darth Vader, the Minions, Frozen’s Elsa, Shrek, and Homer Simpson.

The companies claim they attempted to resolve the matter privately, but Midjourney “continued to release new versions” with “even higher quality infringing images” according to the complaint. Disney’s general counsel used the word “piracy,” to describe Midjourney’s practice, while NBCUniversal’s general counsel characterized it as “blatant infringement.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The Apple TV streaming box has a relatively small user base, and as such, it doesn’t get as much of Apple’s attention at the company’s big keynotes. WWDC 2025 was no different, but tvOS 26 is still getting quite a few fun new features that are worth highlighting. Here are the biggest new tvOS 26 features coming to your Apple TV this fall.

A new Apple Music karaoke mode

On the Apple TV, Apple Music is getting a new karaoke feature called Sing. This lets you use your iPhone as a mic and tasks you to sing along to lyrics displayed on the Apple TV. The streaming box will then amplify your voice, making for a fun way to host a karaoke party at home. Of course, you’ll need to be running iOS 26 on your iPhone in addition to tvOS 26 on the Apple TV to access this. Additionally, foreign lyrics will be translated into your language and even come with pronunciation guides.

Liquid Glass design

tvOS 26 is also on the Liquid Glass train, and the TV may just be the place where this design philosophy will truly shine. With the bigger screen comes bigger design elements, where those new translucent widgets and icons should feel right at home. Plus, Apple is promising you’ll be able to see more shows and movies at once.

Choose your Apple TV profile on wake

Credit: Apple

Each time you wake your Apple TV from sleep mode, you’ll be able to choose to show the profile selection page. This is great for a device that’s meant to be shared between multiple members of a household, so that each person can get back to the content on their respective watch list.

Permanently connect to your favorite speaker

This is possibly my favorite upcoming Apple TV feature. You’ll be able to go to tvOS Settings and choose to permanently connect to your favorite speaker. This way, each time the Apple TV wakes up, it’ll pick the right speaker without requiring you to fiddle with settings or manually connect to it. The only catch is that the speaker needs to support AirPlay for this feature to work.

Call and FaceTime enhancements

If you use your Apple TV for calls, then you’ll be happy about this. Apple is promising call notifications for the device, which means that you’ll be able to answer calls using your Apple TV. The redesigned contact cards from the Phone app will also come to tvOS 26. Separately, FaceTime on tvOS 26 will support more Live Captions languages.

New screensavers from India

Credit: Apple

One of my favorite Apple TV features is the video screensavers that display a slow overhead shot of various locations when the TV is not in use. It’s an incredibly aesthetic choice that makes my living room feel a lot more peaceful. With tvOS 26, Apple TV is getting new aerial screensavers from India, which is quite exciting as someone who lives in the country. India’s natural beauty and geographical variety is unrivaled, and it’s nice to see some of that coming to the Apple TV.

The USB-C Apple Pencil is on sale via Woot for just $60. This is a discount of 24 percent and a record low price, as it typically costs $79. This serves as the company’s “budget” stylus and was originally released at the tail-end of 2023.

Despite being the most reasonably priced Apple Pencil, there’s still plenty to like here. It’s the only Pencil that’s compatible with nearly every iPad in Apple’s lineup. This includes the iPad Air (M2), iPad Pro (M4), iPad (10th gen) and iPad mini (6th gen). It even works with the older 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd-6th gen), 11-inch iPad Pro (1st-4th gen) and iPad Air (4th and 5th gen). Of course, it also integrates nicely with the recently-released iPad mini (7th gen.)

The model offers tilt sensitivity and will attach to the side of iPads with magnetic holders. This is a great option for casual users who just want a stylus for casual writing or for navigating around a device. This is especially true for owners of the iPad (10th gen.) That tablet doesn’t work with either of Apple’s higher-end stylus options.

However, there are some downgrades when compared to the Pencil Pro and the second-gen Pencil. The USB-C Apple Pencil can’t handle pressure sensitivity, which limits options for illustrators. It also won’t charge while magnetically attached. It charges via a USB-C cable. The accessory is slightly-shorter than the higher-end models and that could be an issue for those with large hands. Otherwise, this is a fine stylus for Apple devices.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and 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-usb-c-apple-pencil-is-on-sale-for-60-right-now-151630786.html?src=rss

The biggest surprise of SGF 2025 was the reveal of a new Resident Evil. The “ninth” game of the series broke cover on the first day of the gaming show. After a fake-out tease from Capcom executives halfway through SGF Live, the show closed with a brief trailer for the Resident Evil Requiem.

Resident Evil Requiem will center on a new character, Grace Ashcroft. Ahead of the hands-off gameplay presentation, game director Koshi Nakanishi outlined how Grace isn’t a combat-hardened soldier or survival expert of episodes past. In that way, she’s more exposed and under constant threat, at least judging from the early gameplay demo.

The audience collectively chuckled at Grace equipping herself with an empty medicine bottle. That is not likely to be enough. Apparently, though, her detective skills will come into use in the game, although we didn’t see that during Capcom’s presentation – she was mostly just trying not to die.

The gameplay demo starts with Grace, strapped to a hospital bed. She’s seemingly soaking wet, injured and to add insult to those injuries, she’s also upside down. As she struggles to escape her restraints, a sense of constant tension and stress builds – it feels like the whole place is a threat, and I kept a careful eye on the closed door of the room intently as she finally broke free. The demo then plays out from Grace’s first-person perspective, a la Resident Evil 7 and Village. Things remain tense as she cautiously explores the mystery locale.

The gameplay focused on simple object interaction, like Resident Evil series past. Survival horror staples, like screwdrivers, broken fuses and overly ornate keys are still here as Grace sculked and breathed heavily around what appeared to be a run-down hotel.

Capcom

Much of the demo involves the fear of being attacked rather than actual attacks. Dark hallways, light switches that didn’t work, and barely any hints or objects to give Grace context about where she’s ended up.

Eventually, an infected corpse fell out of a door onto Grace, momentarily relieving the tension. Finally, a threat! But the dead body isn’t really the threat: a giant creepy hand swings across to grab the corpse, and it’s attached to giant ogre woman-beast that bites the head clean off. Grace spent the remainder of the demo fleeing the creature, which managed to bite her shoulder. This creature could even destroy the ceiling to create new paths. The demo concluded with Grace seemingly facing her demise, armed only with the medicine bottle.

The game starts up again, but with a twist. The camera pans out to offer a ‘classic’ third-person perspective to Grace’s nightmare. The audience during my screening went wild. (A quick now that Resident Evil Village‘s expansion added its own third-person mode, so it’s not an entirely new shift.)

A Capcom spokesperson said you’d be able to transition between the views throughout Resident Evil Reqiuem, offering, if not a difficulty setting, more of a jump scare setting. My take is that a third-person view is a little less scary, so I’ll probably be using that. 

Resident Evil Requiem is set to launch February 27, 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/resident-evil-requiem-gameplay-demo-first–and-third-person-views-sgf-2025-150009510.html?src=rss

While the surprise of a new Resident Evil might have been Capcom’s biggest story at SGF, it’s got other series – and other sequels – to show off, like Onimusha. Previously a banner PS2 series, Onimusha spanned four mainline games between 2001 and 2006. We’ve since seen remastered editions of the first two episodes. 

Still, a true sequel was long overdue, especially after games like Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima showed a renewed appetite for feudal Japan swordplay. Through a theater presentation during SGF 2025, I got a closer look at Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which features a new hero and a new setting. Also, no more static backgrounds.

Players will control Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary (but historically real) Japanese swordsman, artist and writer. This is interesting, but the more compelling wrinkle is that his face is modeled on the legendary (but historically real) actor Toshiro Mifune, who passed away in 1997. Mifune was a leading actor in several Akira Kurosawa movies in the 1950s and ‘60s, including Rashomon, Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. In short, he was arguably the most famous samurai actor there ever was. I’m not counting Tom Cruise. (Mifune, while alive, portrayed the same character, Musashi, in three separate movies.)

Several gameplay features have carried over to the latest edition of the Onimusha series. Once again, you’re equipped with the Oni gauntlet, now possessing its own sentient voice. The gauntlet is crucial to collecting different types of orbs from enemies. Some will repair health, while others add experience points, skill points and more. We were also shown some mild puzzle-solving, using the power of the Oni gauntlet to see invisible demons and unlock areas that were spiritually blocked. Absorbing sinister dark masses will let Musashi relive harrowing scenes from the past, powered by his cursed gauntlet.

The early gameplay demo focused on swordplay, mainly, with barely any mystical attacks and special moves. Like in previous games, you’ll have to balance attack, movement, guarding and counters. Once again, Issen attacks (both through interrupting sword strikes and well-timed guards) are key to applying major damage to waves of attacking demons. Musashi can also apply Issen attacks multiple times to finish off groups of enemies – if your timing is good enough. He can also parry arrows and send them back to where they came from. 

Environmental damage can also prove useful against enemies, like fire. At times, you’ll even be able to wield objects for defense, like a raised tatami mat to block arrow fire. It seems we were only glimpsing the basics of Onimusha battle dynamics and attacks.

The guard system appears relatively forgiving, and I saw Musashi block light sword attacks from behind without even turning around. I’m intrigued to see how the game’s difficulty will scale in an era of Soulslikes.

Capcom

Fans of those games will be more intrigued with boss battles, in particular, ones where you face off against Ganryu, seen above. He appears to be Musashi’s swordsman rival – and one that’s been gifted his very own Oni gauntlet. The confrontation between the two was a valuable opportunity to demonstrate how Break Issen operates. After wearing down the guard gauge of enemies, you can perform a severe attack which can be channeled to specific areas or body parts. Do you go for the head to hit for maximum damage, or the sword arm to reduce damage going forward? I also love having an antagonist to face off against, each time upping the ante. Ganryu, who seems a bit of a dick, is that guy.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is scheduled for release in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/onimusha-way-of-the-sword-gameplay-demo-cinematic-royalty-150007292.html?src=rss

Capcom’s odd-couple sci-fi action game, Pragmata, is almost here. At SGF 2025, I finally got to steer Hugh (the human) lumbering around in a military spacesuit, with the adorable android, Diana piggybacking along.

First announced in 2020 during the PS5 reveal stream, Pragmata is set on a lunar base, where an industrial mishap turns security droids hostile, while lines of communication back to Earth have been severed. The USP here is how you fight your threats: by teaming up with a small synthetic girl who can hack into hostile robots while you shoot away at them with a collection of weapons.

Hugh starts off with a simple pistol with unlimited ammo but soon acquires additional firearms, including a shotgun-like energy gun that inflicts severe damage up close and restraining webbing to slow down multiple enemies, giving Diana more time to hack.

I was intrigued to see how Capcom would balance Pragmata’s gameplay premise of controlling and fighting with both characters. I thought it would involve a lot of tagging between each character, or worse, steering each with a different analog stick. Fortunately, Pragmata’s implementation is an elegant one.

The player primarily controls the human, Hugh. While he runs and guns, Diana’s powers involve locking onto an enemy and making hacking attacks by navigating a two-dimensional grid with the DualSense’s main buttons. Triangle for up, Circle for right .etc. While getting from point A to B inside this grid will ‘break’ a robot’s defenses, you’ll want to pass through other nodes on the way, increasing damage and even adding buffs. The limit here is ensuring Hugh remains out of danger long enough to focus on Diana’s efforts.

Thankfully, Hugh’s equipped with dodges and rocket dashes to keep his distance from enemies. Expect to use walls and structures as cover, too, especially when facing multiple enemies at once. It’s probably possible to take down enemies without hacking, but it will take a lot more time. Hacking also interrupts the robots’ attacks and movement — it’s mandatory in most confrontations in Pragmata. 

The rest of the demo involved exploring the area, releasing multiple locks to progress further into the lunar base. Hugh can jump and boost himself for longer gaps or just some controlled hovering. Pick-ups between battles were mostly health boosts and secondary weapons. Most one-on-one encounters could be dealt with using the low-damage pistol, but when there are two, three, or five enemies, swapping between the slow-down weapons or the powerful shotgun was very much necessary. It’s a satisfying battle system, but I’m curious as to how deep this system will go. (Also, I wish I’d got to try some boss battles during the demo.)

Capcom

When Diana hacks and successfully breaks a robot’s defenses, certain parts and systems are highlighted in yellow, suggesting possible weak points. It’s a little similar to Horizon’s scanning mechanic, and while I couldn’t get an answer during my hands-on demo, it’ll be interesting to see whether that offers some more depth to combat. I’d appreciate the ability to focus on neutralizing a heavy-duty weapon or slowing an enemy down by aiming at their legs.

As the company teased in the latest trailer, Pragmata’s been a long time coming. Capcom is now aiming for a 2026 release.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pragmata-hands-on-demo-sgf-2025-150005007.html?src=rss

We know that AI tech is progressing at a rapid rate, and Google’s recent unveiling of the Veo 3 video generator highlighted this once again. Veo 3 is a step up in terms of realism, and adds audio for the first time. Much of the time, the outputs from Veo 3 are pretty much indistinguishable from real videos.

It’s not perfect yet, but Veo 3 is taking the internet by storm, with viral clips covering everything from street interviews to incompetent Stormtroopers. Depicting soldiers of the Galactic Empire is at least one way of ensuring consistency between clips, because of course they all look the same.

Google itself has provided a showreel of impressive-looking video clips as well, which include a sailor at sea and a classical violinist. You need to look very, very hard to tell that these videos are AI, and even then it’s not always possible.

But those are the end results. What about the creation process? If you pay Google for an AI subscription, then you can produce Veo 3 videos of your own, and there are a couple of ways to go about it, which I’ll get into here.

All this AI video creation needs to be put into context each time: There are question marks around the technology in terms of energy use, copyright infringement, the threat to the creative industries, and misinformation spreading, all of which we’ve written about extensively before.

Creating videos with Veo 3

If you pay $20 a month for the Google AI Pro plan, then you get three Veo 3 video generations per day in the Gemini app, using the faster, lower-quality Veo 3 Fast model. If you’ve gone big with the $250-per-month Google AI Ultra plan, you get the “highest limits” for full Veo 3 access—Google doesn’t quantify this exactly, so there may be no hard ceiling, and it may well fluctuate based on demand. Each video is fixed at eight seconds long.

If you’re using the Flow and Whisk tools for your video creation, rather than the Gemini chatbot, it’s a bit different: You get 1,000 AI credits on the Pro plan per month, and 12,500 credits on the Ultra plan. A standard Veo 3 video will set you back 100 credits, and a Veo 3 Fast video is going to cost you 20 credits—and in these tools, the resolution can be upscaled to 1080p (it’s 720p if you’re using the Gemini app).

Creating videos in the Gemini app.
Credit: Lifehacker

As per Google’s Josh Woodward, Veo 3 Fast is faster (obviously), less demanding in terms of processing, and sticks to the same 720p resolution as normal Veo 3. It’s not clear exactly what trade-offs there are in terms of quality (the Google team wouldn’t elaborate when I asked via email), but anecdotally, it seems some of the textures, lighting, and details aren’t as good. Inside the Flow app, there’s a label saying Veo 3 Fast is a fifth the quality of Veo 3.

To start making videos, if you’re a Google AI Pro subscriber like me, you need to head to the Gemini app on the web (mobile video creation is limited to Google AI Ultra subscribers for now). Click the model picker in the top left corner, then choose 2.5 Pro (preview) or whatever the latest model is by the time you’re reading this: You can then select Video in the text input box and you’re ready to do some prompting.

Previously, I used Veo 2 to try and recreate the old Sony TV ad, where thousands of colored bouncy balls get thrown down the streets of San Francisco. The results weren’t great, so I gave Veo 3 Fast the same challenge. As you can see below, I got a better video back. It could almost pass as something that had been filmed in real life (the sun through the trees is great), but it still ignores most of my prompt instructions, and is nowhere near as good as Sony’s ad.

This brings us back to the nature of generative AI, which is to mimic what it’s seen before. I’m guessing Veo 3 has been trained on lots and lots of street interview vox pops, and not many ads where bouncy balls are cascading down hills. It also highlights that it can take a lot of prompting to get what you want, and throughout my AI video tests, getting tools to follow the prompts is an ongoing challenge.

With only two Veo 3 generations left for the day, I tasked Veo 3 Fast with recreating the classic “welcome to Jurassic Park” scene in Spielberg’s movie. Again, it’s better than the Veo 2 effort, but there are problems with prompt adherence, and there are too many paleontologists. The dinosaurs (and the dinosaur sounds) are well done, though.

Using Flow to create longer movies

Google also offers Whisk for animations and Flow for longer movie projects, using the same AI models as you’ll find in the Gemini app, corresponding to the plan you’re subscribed to. If you don’t want to make videos of your own, or you’re a free Google Gemini user, you can watch what other people have made via Flow TV.

Once you get into Flow in your web browser, click New project to get started. You can then start prompting, using the settings button in the top right of the prompt box to choose the model you want to use—you’ll see how many credits the generation is going to use up as well, before you do any rendering.

Creating videos in Flow.
Credit: Lifehacker

I decided to splash out on 100 credits for a proper, full Veo 3 clip in an attempt to better produce the Jurassic Park scene in full and get my AI movie making career off the ground. I added a little more detail to the prompt, as well as some dialog, and what came out the other end was about on a par with the Veo 2 output. You actually get two generations to choose between, which you can see here and here.

Again, we have the usual problems, in that the AI generator doesn’t really know what it’s supposed to be doing here, or how to construct a scene beyond what it’s seen in other videos. Our intrepid adventurers are looking in the wrong direction when one of them delivers the “wow… would you look at that” line, and everything from the dinosaurs to the trees looks generic.

The difference with Flow and creating extended videos is that you can click Add to scene on any of these generated videos and start building something longer, made up of eight-second chunks. Scenes can then be extended and arranged as needed, with the same characters and environments carried over from one clip to the next.

My attempts to get John Hammond to enter the scene didn’t really work. The original characters stayed in place well enough, but our new character appeared out of nowhere and all sound was suddenly cut out because Flow had somehow switched me back to Veo 2. We also got a freak camera shake half way through. It’s clear that I’m not going to be able to switch from tech journalism to AI film directing anytime soon, especially with just 1,000 credits per month.

Veo 3 is still at an early stage, and Google has put “experimental” labels all over it and the Flow interface. However, at the moment you’re going to have to spend a lot of credits and a lot of time working on prompts to get something that’s consistent and realistic. It’s likely that hours of effort and trial runs went into the polished AI videos you see populating your social media feeds.

Because there’s nothing you can’t build with LEGO besides a comfortable sleeping partner, this is a video of Youtuber Dr. Engine constructing and demonstrating a rolling mill made from LEGO. The mini-factory can flatten, stamp, and cut shapes out of modeling clay. How about that! Full disclosure: when I started writing this article before watching the video I read rolling machine and assumed it rolled joints. This is neat too though.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been in the wild for nearly a week and is selling like hotcakes, but some users have been complaining about an issue with their console’s battery indicator. A number of Switch 2 consoles appear to be displaying less remaining battery life than is accurate.

Battery life definitely is a mark against the Switch 2, with Engadget’s Sam Rutherford noting in his review that the console’s longevity is on the lower end of Nintendo’s estimates when playing more graphically demanding games such as Mario Kart World. But in some cases the issue might appear worse than it actually is. Nintendo has now offered a fix for when the amount of battery being displayed and actual remaining battery don’t match. Thankfully, the solution isn’t anything too dramatic, but it does involve putting the console into Recovery Mode.

According to Nintendo, these are the steps you need to take if you think your Switch 2 is affected. You’ll need the console, the correct AC adapter and internet access.

1. Confirm your console has the latest system update installed.

2. Power off the console.

3. Press and hold down the volume up (+) and volume down (-) buttons, then press the POWER button once, while continuing to hold the volume buttons until the Recovery Mode menu appears. This should reset the battery level meter.

4. Power off the console again by holding the POWER button until it turns off.

5. Power the console back on, and monitor the situation.

Nintendo says following these steps should correct the problem, but if you’re still having the same issues you may need to send your console in to be serviced. You can initiate a repair request by heading to Nintendo’s official Customer Support page.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/how-to-fix-the-switch-2-battery-indicator-144809855.html?src=rss

WhatsApp has applied to submit evidence in Apple’s legal battle against the UK Home Office over government demands for access to encrypted user data. The messaging platform’s boss Will Cathcart told the BBC the case “could set a dangerous precedent” by “emboldening other nations” to seek to break encryption protections.

The confrontation began when Apple received a secret Technical Capability Notice from the Home Office earlier this year demanding the right to access data from its global customers for national security purposes. Apple responded by first pulling its Advanced Data Protection system from the UK, then taking the government to court to overturn the request.

Cathcart said WhatsApp “would challenge any law or government request that seeks to weaken the encryption of our services.” US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has called the UK’s demands an “egregious violation” of American citizens’ privacy rights.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Once upon a time, Nintendo had a near monopoly on the handheld gaming market. Now, with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, not so much. In the time since the original Nintendo Switch released, there have been several other major handheld releases like the Steam Deck and the Lenovo Legion Go S. The common thread? All of these—including the Switch 2—are on the bigger end, at least compared to prior handhelds like the 3DS or PSP. If you’re like me, and ergonomics and portability matter for your handhelds, that can be a problem.

That’s why I’ve taken the liberty of snapping some photos of the Switch 2 alongside its biggest (both literally and figuratively) competitors, including the original Switch, so you can get a better idea of how it’ll actually feel once it’s in your hands.

Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Nintendo Switch

Switch 2 with joy-con 2 (left) next to Switch 1 with joy-con 1 (right)
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

First, to set a baseline, let’s compare the Switch 2 against the original Switch. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Switch OLED on hand, so for this comparison, we’re going to have to go with the launch model.

That’s not such a bad thing, though, as it’s where you’ll get the most noticeable differences. First, let’s look at dimensions and weight. The Switch 2 looks like it could eat the original Switch. If you like a big screen, that’s great, but know that it’ll be a little less portable, and maybe a little less friendly to players with tiny hands. Numbers-wise, the original Switch is 4.02 x 9.41 x 0.51 inches and 0.88 pounds (or 0.65 pounds with the controllers detached), while the Switch 2 is 4.5 x 10.7 x 0.55 inches and 1.18 pounds (or 0.88 pounds with the controllers detached). That doesn’t sound like the Switch 2 has beefed up that much on paper, but in person, it feels like night and day. On the plus side, though, it’s still plenty thin, and lightweight and comfortable enough in my adult hands. It might even be more comfortable, which I’ll touch on shortly.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

The Switch 2 presents a noticeable upgrade to the screen on the original Switch, coming in at 7.9 inches over the 6.2 inches of its predecessor. It’s also now 1080p (as opposed to 720p on the original) and can display content in HDR and up to 120 fps (as opposed to no HDR and 60 fps on the original). This screen is definitely a big reason why the new console is bigger, and while I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Switch 2 Lite come out down the line, it does feel worth it once you actually start playing.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Let’s take a look at the dock and the controllers. The Switch 2 dock is a little taller and wider than the original Switch dock, to accommodate the bigger console and the added fan, but it shouldn’t take up too much more space in your entertainment center. The bigger deal is the new joy-con 2 controllers, which I absolutely love. At 4.57 x 0.56 x 1.2 inches vs. the 4.02 x 0.55 x 1.41 inches on the original joy-cons, they give your hand a little bit more to grab onto. I always felt like the original joy-cons were too cramped, always opting to use either a pro controller or third-party joy-con while playing instead, but the new joy-con are pretty comfortable out of the box, especially with their slightly larger buttons and sticks. You’d probably be fine not bothering to upgrade to a new controller at all now, unless you absolutely want a more traditional D-Pad.

Joy-con 2 (left) next to Joy-con (right).
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Overall, the Switch 2 feels more adult and a little less toyetic. That’s great news for people like me, although kids might need to take some time to adjust to it. 

Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Probably the Nintendo Switch 2’s most prominent competition at the moment, the Steam Deck is a handheld gaming PC from Valve that launched in 2022 and later got an OLED upgrade with the same dimensions and weight, but a slightly larger screen. Again, I have the original model, but both use pretty much the same overall build.

If the Switch 2 looked like it could eat the original Switch, then the Steam Deck looks like it could eat the Switch 2. At 11.73 x 4.60 x 1.93 inches, it is significantly thicker and wider than the Switch 2, if not especially taller. It’s also heavier at 1.41 pounds.

Steam Deck (above) vs. Switch 2 (below) from profile
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Personally, I think it’s a bit weighty (although my husband doesn’t mind as much), but part of the extra height and depth comes from a purposeful choice to make it more comfortable and usable overall. The Steam Deck comes with built-in grips that make it easier to hold than the Switch 2, at least for me, even taking into account the improved ergonomics on the new joy-con 2 controllers. And with the extra space those grips need, Valve has also taken the liberty of adding in large touchpads on either side of the device, as well as back buttons on the grips themselves. These open up new ways to play that aren’t possible on the Switch 2, and are extra convenient when navigating the Steam Deck’s desktop mode. However, they do make the Steam Deck a bit less portable, as they add some bulkiness to the device around its edges. That’s why the device sounds thicker on paper than it appears in some photos.

As for that desktop mode, it really points to the kicker here: The Steam Deck is, essentially, a shrunken gaming PC, while the Switch 2 is more akin to an overgrown PSP. The devices are kind of aiming for separate goals, and taking that into account, each achieves them pretty well. Sure, the Steam Deck is thicker, but when compared to even the smallest of standard gaming PCs, it’s an impressive form factor for the price.

What’s less impressive next to the Switch 2, unfortunately, is the screen. It’s only 7 inches on the base model and 7.4 inches on the OLED model, both of which are smaller than the Switch 2’s display. It also tops out at 800p and 60 fps, both of which are lower than on the Switch 2.

Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Lenovo Legion Go S

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Finally, I want to compare the Switch 2 against another device I’m reviewing right now: the Lenovo Legion Go S. This device from Lenovo is the latest in third-party Steam Deck alternatives, and it’s especially interesting as it’s the first to run Valve’s SteamOS. There are plenty of other competing handheld gaming PCs at the moment, but for my money, this is the one to pay attention to.

At 11.77 x 5.02 x 0.89 inches, it is a little taller and wider than even the Steam Deck, though not by much. And at 1.61 pounds, it’s heavier, although the grips are slightly more bulbous, so I actually think it’s slightly more comfortable to hold.

Switch 2 (left) vs. Legion Go S (right) from above.
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

The key improvement here—aside from internals—is the screen, which is eight inches, 1200p, and supports 120 fps. That’s an improvement on even the Switch 2. However, you also do get only one touchpad here (which is much smaller) and only two grip buttons. On the plus side, the triggers have a switch that lets you adjust their travel, so you can turn them into twitchier hair triggers if you’d like.

Overall, this is a pretty different market segment than the Switch 2, so I doubt they’ll hamper each other much. It’s chonkier, but—like the Steam Deck—for good reason. Handheld PCs need to be bigger overall, since their components aren’t always made with such small form factors in mind. But on the plus side, since these devices are already bigger, they usually add in some extra ergonomics and controls to compensate.

I suspect Nintendo will keep following this sleeker, Apple-esque design trend, while handheld gaming PCs will feel a bit more comfortable stretching their legs, at least until a potential Steam Deck 2 and even wider market adoption. There’s room for both, but if you’re wondering which would better fit in your bag, now you know. As for the smaller, more toyetic consoles of the past, well, even if the Switch 2 is smaller than the competition, it’s still bigger than what I played with growing up. For fun, here’s a Switch 2 next to a 3DS XL.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Apple executives defended the company’s AI strategy this week after acknowledging that major Siri features announced at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference remain undelivered and were quietly pulled from development plans. Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, told the Wall Street Journal that the company is rebuilding Siri from the ground up, admitting that while Apple had working software for the promised features, “it didn’t converge in the way quality-wise that we needed it to.”

The missing capabilities included Siri’s ability to search through apps and respond to on-screen activities, features that were demonstrated a year ago but never shipped to users. In the upcoming iOS 26, Apple has instead incorporated more OpenAI technology, allowing users to interact with ChatGPT through camera and screenshots and generate images using OpenAI’s tools. Federighi defended the strategy by comparing Apple’s position to the early internet era, when the company focused on making other services accessible rather than building competing platforms.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.