Prime Video’s Robert Jordan fantasy adaptation returns March 13 with season 3’s first three episodes.
Wheel of Time‘s Third Season Has Magic but Feels Very Much Like a Midway Point
Monthly Archives: March 2025
Mountain Dew Collector Recalls Disastrous Leak That Ruined 100+ Cans
Earlier this week, a Mountain Dew collector shared some sad news with the Mountain Dew subreddit: A huge chunk of his collection of sodas was ruined by a single leaky can. After he shared photos depicting the aftermath of the leak, which damaged a wall and destroyed 60 cans of Mountain Dew Thrashed Apple, a …
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown highlights March’s PS Plus lineup
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the centerpiece of March’s PlayStation Plus game catalog entries. The critically acclaimed metroidvania title is accompanied by Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions, UFC 5, Arcade Paradise and the, uh, unforgettably titled Bang-on Balls: Chronicles. Meanwhile, you’ll need a PS Plus Premium subscription to play the return of glorious PS1-era Mech-piloting action in the first three Armored Core games. This month’s arrivals will all be available from March 18.
Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is, by all accounts, a terrific game. It has all the series’ elements like tight parkour controls, swordplay and challenging platforming (with a healthy share of magical secrets). Throw in its striking visual style with a rich color palette, and you have something special. Engadget’s Lawrence Bonk found it to be “a fantastic metroidvania that could easily sit next to some of the classics of the genre, like Hollow Knight and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.”
FromSoftware
It even has a handy “memory shards” feature that other metroidvania titles would do well to copy: Capture a screenshot of an area you want to return to later and pin it to your map. Lest the neat mechanic make things too easy (something the genre rarely has to worry about), you only get a limited number of memory shard slots.
Despite receiving rave reviews across the board, The Lost Crown reportedly only sold around 300,000 copies during its first few weeks after launch, so Ubisoft did its Ubisoft thing and disbanded the team that made it. (Sigh.) Although that means we almost certainly won’t see more DLC or a sequel, at least most of its developers are still working at Ubisoft on other projects. And hey, there’s another Prince of Persia game to look forward to as early as next year.
Bandai Namco
Other highlights for Extra and Premium members include Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions, which gives fast-paced arcade soccer a striking visual makeover (and a storyline!), and the nostalgic management sim (with bonus mini-games) Arcade Paradise.
You’ll also get the indie platformer Bang-On Balls: Chronicles, which is a bit like taking a 3D Kirby game, cutting most of the transformations and adding quirky, slapstick humor (like optional flatulence). There’s also UFC 5 if you’re into EA Sports’ take on bare-knuckle brawling.
FromSoftware
Basking in the glow of the acclaimed 2024 entry Armored Core: Fires of Rubicon, Sony is turning back the clock to the series’ roots. PS Plus Premium subscribers can play Armored Core (1997), Armored Core: Project Phantasma (1997) and Armored Core: Master of Arena (1999) for the first time on their modern PlayStation consoles (PS5 and PS4).
The innovative (and highly customizable!) mech series laid the groundwork for the 2024 entry, which Engadget’s Igor Bonifacic praised as “an incredible achievement in game design and thematic cohesion, and, I think, a promise of what we can expect from FromSoftware’s next generation of talent.”
This month’s PS Plus games will be available from March 18. You can read the full list of entries on the PlayStation blog.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown-highlights-marchs-ps-plus-lineup-194545416.html?src=rss
Google’s new robot AI can fold delicate origami, close zipper bags without damage
On Wednesday, Google DeepMind announced two new AI models designed to control robots: Gemini Robotics and Gemini Robotics-ER. The company claims these models will help robots of many shapes and sizes understand and interact with the physical world more effectively and delicately than previous systems, paving the way for applications such as humanoid robot assistants.
It’s worth noting that even though hardware for robot platforms appears to be advancing at a steady pace (well, maybe not always), creating a capable AI model that can pilot these robots autonomously through novel scenarios with safety and precision has proven elusive. What the industry calls “embodied AI” is a moonshot goal of Nvidia, for example, and it remains a holy grail that could potentially turn robotics into general-use laborers in the physical world.
Along those lines, Google’s new models build upon its Gemini 2.0 large language model foundation, adding capabilities specifically for robotic applications. Gemini Robotics includes what Google calls “vision-language-action” (VLA) abilities, allowing it to process visual information, understand language commands, and generate physical movements. By contrast, Gemini Robotics-ER focuses on “embodied reasoning” with enhanced spatial understanding, letting roboticists connect it to their existing robot control systems.
Sonos reportedly scraps its long-expected streaming video device
Sorry to everyone who was waiting for Sonos to release a streaming video device — it seems that’s not happening anytime soon. The company is said to have canceled the long-expected product, which was reportedly far along in development.
Sonos leadership announced the cancellation in an all-hands call on Wednesday, according to The Verge. Interim CEO Tom Conrad says that, “for now,” the company won’t enter the streaming video market. The team that was working on the project, codenamed Pinewood, is set to be reassigned to other projects.
It was reported last month that Sonos could start selling the device this year for between $200 and $400. Pinewood was rumored to have a unified software experience with universal search for shows and movies from various streaming services like Netflix, Max and Disney+. Pinewood was believed to have Sonos Voice Control integration and to act as an HDMI hub for home entertainment devices such as game consoles. And, of course, the box would have synced with Sonos soundbars and speakers.
Per the report, Pinewood’s cancellation leaves Sonos without a major new product to start selling in the second half of 2025. Instead, it seems that the company will double down on rebuilding its reputation and the performance of its software after the disastrous rollout of a new mobile app in 2024.
That fiasco led to the ouster of former CEO Patrick Spence and other executives. Sonos also fired hundreds of workers as part of a restructuring plan.
Engadget has contacted Sonos for comment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/sonos-reportedly-scraps-its-long-expected-streaming-video-device-193445993.html?src=rss
My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: The Google Pixel 8a
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The new Pixel 9 lineup launched last summer—and the Pixel 9a is around the corner—so it’s no surprise there’s been a drop in prices for the Pixel 8 lineup. Amazon is offering the higher end Pixel 8 Pro for $599 (though prices seem to vary a bit based on location), but if your budget is a bit tighter, you can get the Pixel 8a for $399 (originally $499) after a $100 discount. That matches the Pixel 8a’s lowest-ever price, according to price-checking tools. (The Pixel 9a is likely to cost $499 when it launches, so if you want to save yourself some money and don’t need the latest device, this is a great choice.)
The Pixel “a” series is the Pixel lineup’s budget option. These devices tend to be missing some features of their pricier counterparts, but they often end up a better value for the money. For example, the Pixel 8a was available to preorder last May, and the biggest “cut” from the Pixel 8/8 Pro was the camera. Here is what assistant tech editor Michelle Ehrhardt had to say about the differences between the two:
The 8a’s camera is 64MP main wide/12MP ultrawide on the rear and 13MP on the front. By comparison, the regular Pixel 8 is 50MP main wide/12MP ultrawide on the rear and 10.5MP on the front. However, due to improved light sensing and pixel size, the Pixel 8’s camera may be a better choice for some.
The Pixel 8a has the same Tensor G3 processor as the Pixel 8/8 Pro, a slightly smaller 6.1-inch 120Hz “Actual” display, and a slightly better camera system in terms of pixels, but it may have weaker sensors. Still, the 8a is getting Google Gemini Nano support, like the other Pixels, along with seven years of guaranteed software support as well as the same new drop features. (You can read our full review of the 8a here.)
D-Wave Claims ‘Quantum Supremacy,’ Beating Traditional Computers
D-Wave researchers have published findings in Science demonstrating what they call “quantum supremacy” by showing their quantum annealers can solve problems beyond the reach of classical computers. The team, led by Andrew D. King, demonstrated area-law scaling of entanglement in model quench dynamics of two-, three- and infinite-dimensional spin glasses.
The research shows quantum annealers rapidly generating samples that closely match solutions to the Schrodinger equation, supporting observed stretched-exponential scaling in matrix-product-state approaches. According to the paper, D-Wave’s processors completed these magnetic materials simulations in under 20 minutes, while the same calculations would require nearly a million years on Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s supercomputers.
The claim hasn’t gone unchallenged. Miles Stoudenmire from the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Quantum Physics argues that classical computers can achieve comparable results using methods developed since D-Wave’s initial findings. “We’re just saying, ‘Look, this one problem at this one time didn’t beat classical computers. Try again,'” Stoudenmire noted. The quantum computing community has increasingly shifted terminology from “supremacy” to “advantage” or “utility,” focusing on solving practical business or scientific problems faster, more accurately, or more economically than classical alternatives.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Yale Suspends Palestine Activist After AI Article Linked Her to Terrorism
Helyeh Doutaghi attended events sponsored by Samidoun, a pro-Palestine group subject to U.S. sanctions.
Playing Skyrim VR With ChatGPT Powering NPC Conversations
An AI mod for Skyrim VR lets you have natural language conversations with characters using your voice.
Skyrim VR has long been a favorite playground for modders, and the Mantella AI NPC voice mod takes the immersive possibilities of this VR classic to a whole new level.
The mod lets you have real-time conversations with every NPC in the game. Mantella delivers this by integrating speech-to-text, OpenAI’s ChatGPT large language model (LLM), and text-to-speech. The mod transforms the way you interact with the many NPCs you meet along your long journey in Skyrim, and while there is noticeable latency, you can still see how the concept redefines what it means to inhabit a virtual world.
I tested out the mod on a handful of the thousands of NPCs throughout the game, each with their own distinct backstory and individual personalities. The NPCs are capable of remembering past conversations, have awareness of in-game context such as the time of day, and can even notice some of the items you’re carrying. If you’ve ever dreamed of building a deeper connection with the diverse characters of Tamriel, this mod makes that a reality.
A look through the in-game settings for Mantella
An experimental feature even allows you to prompt NPCs to follow or trade items. There are also options that allow NPCs to become hostile, depending on what you say, adding a new level of skill to conversing with them. These somewhat lifeless automatons are now transformed into more fully realized virtual beings, similar to what you might expect to find on a very basic Star Trek holodeck program.
The Experience
Mantella allows users to experience its AI agents for free using an Openrouter.ai account, though you probably want to pay for a better experience.
Mantella unlocks the ability for the mod to interact with several different services, some free and some paid. You can select from a pre-populated list that gives an estimation of the average cost associated with the paid accounts when using various AI models. After switching to my paid OpenAI ChatGPT API key with Openrouter set to use the GPT-4o mini model, the wait for a response became much shorter and the conversations seemed to flow more naturally as seen in this example:
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Conversation using a paid GPT-4 mini model API key
For the initial testing however, I first used the free account which did work but came with significant lag time in the AI’s spoken responses. You can see an example of that here:
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Conversation using the default Openrouter.ai API key
Regardless of the model used, participating in conversations felt engaging, with interactions tailored to my choices in ways that made me feel as if I could foster distinct relationships with the world’s many characters. The Mantella mod also enhances the role-playing aspect of Skyrim for those who might be into experiencing the game that way, permitting players to express their imaginations in ways previously unfathomable in a VR fantasy.
However, it’s important to note that AI voice mods like Mantella are still in the early stages. While the potential a mod like this brings to interactive VR gaming is awe-inspiring, bugs and lag issues still persist, particularly during demanding scenes. Conversations can also occasionally get stuck, or the NPCs will just fail to respond altogether, especially when talking to multiple AI enhanced characters at the same time in a crowd.
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example of a lagging conversation
It is the little inconsistencies like these that remind me that technology like this is still new and evolving. However, for a sci-fi enthusiast such as myself, every moment spent engaged in these new dynamic dialogues felt like a step closer to the dream of conversing with fictional characters in Star Trek’s holodeck.
Mantella also stands out as an early glimpse into the future of interactive immersive gaming, opening up endless possibilities for storytelling, creativity, and personal connections inside one of VR’s most cherished virtual landscapes. We recently reported on the efforts at Astrobeam, where one of the creators of Job Simulator is looking at this same area.
If you’re ready to take Skyrim VR to the next level and make it an even more immersive experience, give Mantella a try.
Be sure to join us Friday for our weekly VR Gamestream where Beck and I will be playing Skyrim VR using this mod and taking requests from the chat as to what we should ask the NPCs:
iRobot has new Roombas, but it doesn’t sound confident it’ll be around to sell them
iRobot, the creator of the Roomba and the company that popularized robot vacuums in the first place, told investors on Wednesday that it has “substantial doubt about [its] ability to continue.”
Beyond declining sales — the company reported that revenue decreased 47 percent in the US over the prior year in its fourth quarter earnings — iRobot is also struggling to pay off its debts. The company took on a $200 million bridge loan to stay afloat while it waited for its $1.7 billion acquisition deal with Amazon to be approved, which it’s still paying off.
The European Commission ultimately investigated the acquisition in 2023, and rather than address its concerns, Amazon terminated the deal and paid out its $94 million termination fee. That wasn’t enough to eliminate iRobot’s problems, though. The company now plans to review its options and see if it can find another way to stick it out, including “refinancing the company’s debt and exploring a potential sale or strategic transaction.”
The timing is particularly unfortunate given the line of new robot vacuums iRobot recently announced. The company has a new robot for most price points, but the Roomba 105 Vac Robot series, which are supposed to feature 70 times more suction than past models, and the Roomba Plus 505 Combo Robot + AutoWash Dock, which is able to clean corners better and has a dock that washes and heat-dries the robot’s mop, stand out as notable improvements. The company is also adopting lidar sensors across the board, something that was missing from previous robots and should allow for better, more accurate mapping.
It’s possible new products help iRobot get to a better place financially — the company still makes robots we recommend, after all — but that doesn’t change the fact that its facing stiff competition from companies like Roborock and Dreame, who are both getting much more adventurous with what their robot vacuums can actually do.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/irobot-has-new-roombas-but-it-doesnt-sound-confident-itll-be-around-to-sell-them-191747458.html?src=rss
Everything You Can Expect to See at Google I/O 2025
Google I/O, the company’s annual developer’s conference, doesn’t start until May 20, but expectations are already swirling about what will be announced during the event. Here’s what we think might show up at this year’s Google I/O, plus details on how to watch.
When and how to watch Google I/O 2025
This year’s Google I/O is scheduled for May 20 and 21, with the first keynote beginning at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET). The event will be live streamed online at io.google and on YouTube. Anyone can view the keynotes and sessions without registering, though developers can register for free to receive event communications.
What’s coming to Google I/O 2025
The schedule for I/O 2025 hasn’t been published, and what we think we’ll see is (so far) based on rumors, speculation, and leaks. That said, there are a few things we can reasonably expect—or at least hope for.
First is the launch of Android 16, which Google has already pegged to Q2 2025. According to Android Police, leaks suggest an official release date of June 3, meaning an announcement at I/O is likely. Public betas have been rolled out with new features for photography, security, device management, foldable detection, and small tweaks to accessibility and health functionality.
Another possible release date announcement could come for Wear OS 5.1, which has some relatively minor new features and stability improvements. And while Google isn’t expected to launch Wear OS 6—which would follow suit with the release of Wear OS 4 in July 2023 and Wear OS 5 in July 2024—or even announce any of its features, it could hint at what we’ll see in Wear OS in the future.
Finally, Google recently confirmed the launch date for the first Android XR-powered headset and revealed more details about specs and features. This came following Samsung’s extended reality (XR) prototype reveal during January’s Galaxy Unpacked event. Other hardware news is less likely, as the Pixel 9a is expected to drop in March ahead of I/O.
Of course, AI is expected to be heavily featured at I/O 2025, with possible updates about Project Astra. The “advanced seeing and talking responsive agent,” announced at I/O 2024, is billed as a next-gen AI assistant that can receive real-world inputs and respond to what it sees. The event lineup could also include updates on Gemini features like Circle to Search, AI Overviews, and integrations with Android, Search, and YouTube—and maybe even the official switch from “Hey Google” to “Hey Gemini.”
Rules for Portable Batteries on Planes Are Changing.
Several Asian airlines have tightened restrictions on portable battery chargers amid growing concerns about fire risks, following a January blaze that destroyed an Air Busan aircraft in South Korea. South Korean airlines now require passengers to keep portable chargers within arm’s reach rather than in overhead bins, a rule implemented March 1 to ease public anxiety, according to the Transportation Ministry. Taiwan’s EVA Air and China Airlines have banned using or charging power banks on flights but still allow them in overhead compartments.
Thai Airways announced a similar ban last Friday, citing “incidents of in-flight fires on international airlines.” Battery-related incidents on U.S. airlines have increased from 32 in 2016 to 84 last year, with portable chargers identified as the most common culprit, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. The International Civil Aviation Organization has banned lithium-ion batteries from cargo holds since 2016, though no industry standard exists for regulating power banks.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Poker Face’s season two trailer features guest stars like John Mulaney and Katie Holmes
The second season of the fantastic detective dramedy Poker Face starts streaming via Peacock on May 8. There’s a trailer and it spotlights the many guest stars that will be showing up as suspects in the second season. These include folks like John Mulaney, playing a cop of some kind, and early 2000s heartthrob Katie Holmes.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Fans of the first season know that Poker Face loves itself some guest stars. Giancarlo Esposito, Awkwafina, Justin Theroux, Cynthia Erivo and Melanie Lynsky will all be showing up in this new batch of episodes.
For the uninitiated, Poker Face is (basically) an old-school “mystery of the week” show, recalling genre classics like Columbo. It stars Natasha Lyonne as a gritty New Yorker (duh) as she wanders the country solving crimes. She has a near-supernatural ability to tell when someone is lying, which helps a lot.
The show was created by Rian Johnson, who polarized the Star Wars fandom with The Last Jedi before going on to make those well-regarded Knives Out movies. Two of those films have already aired on Netflix, with a third on the way. He also made some indie flicks earlier in his career, like Brick and Looper.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/poker-faces-season-two-trailer-features-guest-stars-like-john-mulaney-and-katie-holmes-184741470.html?src=rss
Microsoft Fixes Six Actively-Exploited 0-Day Flaws In Patch Tuesday Rollout, Update ASAP
This month’s Microsoft Patch Tuesday is here and it’s a big one. Last month fixed 63 vulnerabilities. This month’s update, however, includes patches for another 57 security vulnerabilities, six of which are already being actively exploited by hackers, while cybersecurity experts describe another six as critical. These vulnerabilities require
FTC can’t afford to fight Amazon’s allegedly deceptive sign-ups after DOGE cuts
The Federal Trade Commission is moving to push back a trial set to determine if Amazon tricked customers into signing up for Prime subscriptions.
At a Zoom status hearing on Wednesday, the FTC officially asked US District Judge John Chun to delay the trial. According to the FTC’s attorney, Jonathan Cohen, the agency needs two months to prepare beyond the September 22 start date, blaming recent “staffing and budgetary shortfalls” stemming from the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), CNBC reported.
“We have lost employees in the agency, in our division, and on our case team,” Cohen said, explaining that “there is an extremely severe resource shortfall in terms of money and personnel,” Bloomberg reported. Cuts are apparently so bad, Cohen told Chun that the FTC is stuck with a $1 cap on any government credit card charges and “may not be able to purchase the transcript from Wednesday’s hearing,” Bloomberg reported.
Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Watto’s Story?
Certainly not Marvel Comics, that’s for sure.
How This Chrome Policy Change Will Affect Your Shopping Extensions
In the wake of the controversy surrounding PayPal’s Honey browser extension, Google Chrome has updated its policies to ban the practices that the extension was observed to be engaging in. Chrome’s updated extension policies for affiliate ads includes wording that seems to be a direct response to many of the tactics Honey was accused of participating in, such as injecting affiliate codes without providing discounts. Given that Chrome powers most browsers available now, expect this to have major ramifications on shopping extensions going forward.
If you’re out of the loop about the Honey controversy, a multi-year investigation by YouTuber MegaLag recently uncovered evidence of unexpected behavior. Honey was accused of allowing retailers to control which discount codes you could access, and as a result, not letting you discover the best available deals, despite advertising to the contrary. The extension was also observed to be inserting its own affiliate codes in every shopping website you visit, and was seen replacing other affiliate codes with its own, which means that it effectively was pocketing others’ commissions. Additionally, Honey actually confirmed to MegaLag that it deliberately engages in some of these practices.
According to Chrome’s updated affiliate ads policy, extensions now cannot add affiliate links, codes, or cookies without providing a tangible benefit to users. Extensions will also have to prominently describe their affiliate policy before installation, in the user interface, and on the Chrome Web Store page. Google described some common violations of this policy to make it clearer for developers too, where the company said extensions can’t insert affiliate links without providing any discounts or cashback offers. It also banned extensions from inserting affiliate links in the background without “related user action”.
According to Google, this means that extensions cannot insert shopping-related cookies while you’re browsing without letting you know. They also can no longer insert or replace affiliate codes or promo codes without the user’s knowledge. Honey, and other extensions that let you find the best deals, will have to change the way they operate in order to comply with these policies.
In case your favorite shopping-related browser extension is affected by Google’s new policies, you can still use other tools for price comparison. Lifehacker’s in-house deals expert Daniel Oropeza has a full list of his favorite price-tracking tools for you to check out. It includes a few browser extensions and even a price-tracking tool by Honey itself (don’t worry, this one is not a browser extension), which are all very useful for deal hunters. My personal favorite is Slickdeals, a site I’ve relied on for over a decade to find great deals. More than its price tracking, I value Slickdeals’ community a lot. The best deals are heavily upvoted and the comments below each deal help me quickly determine whether a deal is actually a steal.
PS Plus Adds Ubisoft’s Best Game In Years And Some Classic Armored Core
Another month, another bunch of games is joining the catalogs for PlayStation Plus’ Extra and Premium tiers. This time around, fans of arcades, punching people, 2D platformers, and retro robot warfare should all be very excited.
Global Smartwatch Sales Fall For First Time
Global sales of smartwatches have fallen for the first time, new figures indicate, in large part due to a sharp decline in the popularity of market leader, Apple. From a report: Market research firm Counterpoint says 7% fewer of the devices were shipped in 2024 compared to the year before. Shipments of Apple Watches fell by 19% in that period, Counterpoint says. It blames the slump on a lack of new features in Apple’s latest devices, and the fact a rumoured high-end Ultra 3 model never materialised.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Study: Hand clapping is akin to a Helmholtz resonator
Hand clapping is ubiquitous behavior for humans across time and cultures, serving many different purposes: to signify approval with applause, for instance, or to keep time to music. Acousticians often use a hand clap as a cheap substitute for pricey equipment to make acoustic measurements in architecture. While the basic physical mechanism is simple, the underlying physical mechanisms are less well-understood.
A new paper published in the journal Physical Review Research provides experimental support for the hypothesis that hand clapping essentially acts like a Helmholtz resonator—akin to the hum generated by blowing across the top of a bottle, or the hiss one hears when holding a conch shell to one’s ear.
In 2020, engineers Nikolaos Papadakis and Georgios Stavroulakis, both at the Technical University of Crete, recruited 24 students to clap their hands once in different venues, varying their hand configurations in 11 different ways—changing the angle of the hands with respect to one another, for instance, or changing how many fingers of one hand overlapped with the fingers or palms of the other.