We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The latest AirPods Pro are a big step up from the first-generation buds. The third (and newest) generation comes with OTA updates that the AirPods Pro 2 also get to enjoy—but considering the second and third generations are the same price right now, why not go with the newer version? The AirPods Pro 3 are down to $199 (originally $249.99), which they briefly hit back in December during the holiday sales—the lowest price yet, according to price tracking tools.
The AirPods Pro 3 improve on already great premium earbuds with new features (like a heart rate sensor) without increasing the list price. You’ll get Personalized Spatial Audio (so you can hear sounds seemingly coming from different directions as you move your head) and the ability to use head gestures to tell Siri “yes” or “no” (this also works for answering or denying calls). Apple added a live translation feature to both the second- and third-generation AirPods Pro when iOS 26 rolled out earlier this year. You’ll also get features like Conversation Awareness, which lowers your music volume when your AirPods detect that you’re talking to someone; Transparency Mode, which lets you better hear your surroundings while your earbuds are in; and Adaptive Audio, which combines ANC and Transparency mode to adjust ANC levels based on the noise around you.
Since these are in-ear earbuds (as supposed to regular earbuds like the AirPods 4) the ANC is much better since it naturally blocks out the noise with a tight seal, but the ANC technology itself has also improved—as has the sound quality, thanks to the new H3 chip, as PCMag detailed in its “exemplary” review, calling them the best earbuds your money can buy. You can expect about eight hours of juice, depending on your usage, and another 24 hours from the charging case.
TV manufacturers at CES 2026 in Las Vegas this week unveiled a wave of AI features that frequently consume significant screen space and take considerable time to deliver results — all while global TV shipments declined 0.6% year over year in Q3, according to Omdia. Google demonstrated Veo generating video from a photo on a television, a process that took about two minutes to produce eight seconds of footage, The Verge writes in a column. Samsung presented a future where viewers ask their sets for sports predictions and recipes to share with kitchen displays. Hisense showed an AI agent that displays real-time stats for every soccer player on screen, a feature requiring so much space the company built a prototype 21:9 aspect ratio display to accommodate it.
Demos repeatedly showed video shrinking to make room for sports scores and information when viewers asked questions — noticeable on 70-inch displays and likely worse on anything 50 inches or smaller. Amazon’s Alexa Plus can jump to Prime Video scenes based on verbal descriptions. LG’s sets switch homescreen recommendations based on voice recognition of individual family members.
As an unabashed fan of electric vehicles, even I have to admit that most of them are pretty boring. Their smooth, quiet and calm demeanors don’t offer much in the way of intrinsic personality, which has led to many brands slapping on outré designs and fake engine sounds to try and dial up the excitement.
To that end, a pair of offerings coming soon from UK-based EV startup Longbow Motors looks to deliver exactly that. The Speedster and Roadster are high-performance electric machines built using advanced in-wheel motors from Donut Labs. Those motors and a bespoke design enable an astonishing curb weight of just 2,200 pounds.
For comparison’s sake, that’s over 100 pounds less than a Mazda Miata, the current king of lightweight roadsters. Longbow brought just the Speedster to CES 2026, displaying it on the show floor at the Donut Lab booth. Donut is a spinoff of Verge Motorcycles, which was the debut platform for the company’s hub-less electric motor, creating a unique, Tron-style aesthetic.
But the technology is about a lot more than creating physics-defying motorcycles. Donut Lab is expanding its motors to all sorts of platforms, from scooters to heavy-duty trucks, creating a platform for easy adoption by electrified startups.
Donut Labs’ motors in the Longbow Motors Speedster
Tim Stevens for Engadget
Of all those platforms, though, Longbow’s implementation is the most compelling I’ve seen. The appeal starts with the style. Co-founders Daniel Davey and Mark Tapscott (who, with Jenny Keisu, founded Longbow after stints at Tesla and Lucid) told me they wanted to offer a classic but also modern and compelling look. The roofless Speedster has an edge over its glass-topped Roadster in terms of visual simplicity, but a complete lack of any protection from the elements — even a token windscreen — will make it viable only for the most committed of open-air enthusiasts.
Exposed or protected, you’ll find yourself situated in an extremely spartan interior. Things like the gauge cluster and primary controls were covered, set to be revealed later, so I can’t say for sure exactly what the Longbow looks like on the inside. But it was designed to be basic and minimal to an extreme, an abject rejection of the rest of the touchscreen-laden machines on the road today.
There is one seemingly unnecessary piece of equipment in the interior, though, and that’s a shift knob. EVs, of course, rarely have transmissions, so there’s no outright need to shift. The purpose of that lever is also a mystery for now, as neither Davey nor Tapscott would confirm its function, but it seems safe to expect some sort of simulated gearshift action, a la the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
The Longbow machines don’t just lack a transmission, they lack a traditional drivetrain layout at all. The direct-drive Donut Lab motors are situated right inside the wheel, freeing up space inside the vehicle’s chassis and helping it to maintain its pert dimensions.
Longbow Motors Speedster
Billy Steele for Engadget
They also provide a distinctive look, filling up the wheels as they do. There is a downside to this arrangement, that being the heft of these motors hanging on the outer edges of the vehicle. The suspension, then, has to work a bit harder. But co-founder Mark Tapscott told me that the positives outweigh the negatives, and that the handling benefits of having multiple motors alone are worth it.
To keep the rest of the Longbow’s weight centralized, the car uses a battery pack that runs largely along the center of the machine, stacked vertically rather than spread throughout the floor. This keeps the mass centralized in the vehicle while also enabling the kind of ultra-low seating you want in a machine like this.
It looks like it’ll be quite a fun package to drive, and while exact power output from those Donut Lab motors hasn’t been confirmed yet, the Speedster is said to sprint to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. That’s supercar-like performance, but unfortunately, that performance won’t come cheap.
The Speedster starts at ₤84,995, or just under $100,000 by current conversion rates. The Roadster is a fair bit more attainable at ₤64,995, or about $75,000. However, given the wonderfully chaotic state of international tariffs right now, expect the actual pricing here to be somewhat higher when they go into production later this year. Reservations are open now on the company’s site.
That’s a little too rich for my blood, sadly, but if you’ve got the budget, a left-hand drive version will be available. And yes, it’ll be fully road-legal in the U.S.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ces-2026-longbow-motors-shows-off-its-speedster-ev-with-donut-labs-in-wheel-motors-192329111.html?src=rss
TikTok and FIFA are teaming up for World Cup matches. On Thursday, FIFA said its media partners will be able to broadcast “parts of matches” on the social platform. The “preferred platform” partnership will run through the end of 2026.
How long the live clips will be is anyone’s guess because “parts of matches” is as specific as the announcement got. We emailed TikTok for clarification and will update this story if we learn more.
FIFA said the collaboration is designed to bring fans “closer to the action.” Getting more to the point, TikTok’s global head of content said live sports on the platform are shown to transform “fandom into measurable business results for our sports partners, with fans being 42 percent more likely to tune in to live matches after watching sports content on TikTok.”
TikTok’s World Cup content will include filters, stickers and other “gamification” features. FIFA will also give “a select group of global TikTok creators” access to press conferences and training sessions to create content. “As football grows and evolves — uniting an increasing number of people — so should the way it is shared and promoted,” FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom wrote in the announcement.
The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19. It will take place in 16 cities across Canada, the US and Mexico.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-will-broadcast-some-unknown-portion-of-the-2026-world-cup-live-192035507.html?src=rss
Accessory maker Logitech provides users with an extensive suite of software to manage and customize its lineup of popular mice and innovative keyboards. Unfortunately, the company failed to maintain a necessary certificate on the macOS versions of these apps, leaving users in a lurch as their hardware no longer worked as intended. Thankfully,
When it comes to cognitive ability, not all dogs are created equal. Most dogs can learn simple action cues like “sit” or “down.” But so-called “gifted word learner” (GWL) dogs exhibit a remarkable ability to learn the names of objects—for example, learning the names of specific toys so well that they can retrieve them from a large pile of toys on command. And according to a new study published in the journal Science, they can even learn labels for new toys just by overhearing their owners talking about those toys. Per the authors, this suggests that GWL dogs have sociocognitive skills that are functionally comparable to those of 18-month-old human toddlers.
Co-author Claudia Fugazza of Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, has been studying canine behavior and cognition for several years as part of the Genius Dog Challenge. For instance, the group’s 2022 study discovered that dogs store key sensory features about their toys—notably what they look like and how they smell—and recall those features when searching for the named toy. Prior studies had suggested that dogs typically rely on vision, or a combination of sight and smell, to locate target objects. GWL dogs can also identify objects based on verbal labels.
In that 2022 study, all the dogs—regardless of whether they were GWL dogs or typical dogs—successfully picked out the target toys in both light and dark conditions, though it took them longer to locate the toys in the dark. Most relied on visual cues, even though dogs possess an excellent sense of smell. However, the dogs sniffed more frequently and longer when searching for the toy in the dark.
For weeks, xAI has faced backlash over undressing and sexualizing images of women and children generated by Grok. One researcher conducted a 24-hour analysis of the Grok account on X and estimated that the chatbot generated over 6,000 images an hour flagged as “sexually suggestive or nudifying,” Bloomberg reported.
While the chatbot claimed that xAI supposedly “identified lapses in safeguards” that allowed outputs flagged as child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and was “urgently fixing them,” Grok has proven to be an unreliable spokesperson, and xAI has not announced any fixes.
A quick look at Grok’s safety guidelines on its public GitHub confirms they were last updated two months ago. The GitHub also indicates that, despite prohibiting such content, Grok maintains programming that could make it likely to generate CSAM.
For those that happen to have a Logitech MX Anywhere 3S mouse connected via Bluetooth, the upcoming Linux 6.19 kernel release is enabling HID++ support for it to enjoy high resolution scrolling and other functionality of the updated protocol…
When shopping for cordless power tools, you’d think you could simply purchase the best option of each to fit your needs. But there’s a big problem that makes this a lot harder (and more expensive) than it should be: battery incompatibility. By design, you can’t simply pop a Ryobi battery into a DeWalt tool and expect it to work. Engineering decisions aside, using proprietary batteries allows companies to create a sort of obligatory brand loyalty, forcing you to stick with their line of tools unless you want to invest in a whole new set of batteries for every new tool you buy.
If you’ve been building your cordless tool collection for some time, you may wind up with four or five different chargers and multiple batteries cluttering your workspace. And that clutter can be expensive, because you wind up buying more chargers and batteries than you might not need if batteries were interchangeable.
But it turns out they are, sort of. You can actually swap batteries between brands—you just need the right adapters.
Adapters let you swap tool batteries between brands
There are two kinds of battery adapters to consider:
These adapters are a fairly simple solution to the problem of incompatible battery systems. If you have a lot of DeWalt tools, for example, you can purchase a Milwaukee tool without a battery (which will be cheaper) and just use an adapter to plug in one of the DeWalt batteries you already have.
Of course, these batteries weren’t specifically designed for these tools, so there can be some trade-offs. While tool performance has been found to be broadly similar (and some tools even performed better when using batteries from different brands), for some tools (like grinders and some circular saws) there’s a dropoff in power and performance when using an adapter. That said, you might not notice it if you’re just looking to tackling simple DIY projects around the house.
Another caveat to consider: You might lose some features. Some tools are designed to communicate with the battery to modulate power draw in order to extend the life of the battery, and using an adapter will remove this functionality. But again, if you’re simply using a power drill for basic maintenance tasks, this might not be a huge issue for you.
Universal adapters are a good solution if you own a bunch of brands
If you’ve got a bunch of disparate tool brands, of course, buying multiple adapters might not seem like much of an improvement over your collection of batteries and chargers. If this is you, consider something like the Ceenr PDNation Universal Battery System, which provides an 18-volt battery and a series of adapters that allow it to be used in a wide range of power tools, including major brands like Ryobi, Milwaukee, and DeWalt.
For example, you can buy a battery with an adapter for DeWalt tools, then buy a second adapter for the same battery that will work with Makita tools. This means you can standardize on one battery system for pretty much any tool you buy (it’s not a truly universal system, since you’re dependent on the range of adapters they offer, but it’s probably close enough for most people).
As with other adapters, there can be some performance loss using a universal adapter, but by and large, it’s probably not a big issue if you’re doing work around the house, as opposed to working professionally on a job site.
The Intel Mesa graphics drivers have supported a GPU hardware replay feature for making it easier to reproduce issues. But until now that functionality has only worked with the i915 kernel driver while for Mesa 26.0 the Intel Xe driver will also be supported…
The Fedora Project has announced
the results of the Fedora 43 election cycle. Five seats were open
on the Fedora Engineering
Steering Committee (FESCo), and the winners
are Kevin Fenzi, Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek, Timothée Ravier, Dave
Cantrell, and Máirín Duffy.
Samsung SmartTag 2 trackers are back on sale if you’re willing to pick up a bundle. Woot has a four-pack down to just $45, which undercuts the previous all-time low we’ve seen on Amazon ($55) by $10. That’s a discount of 55 percent from the retail price of $100. It’s a compelling opportunity to stock up if you’re already in Samsung’s ecosystem.
We named the SmartTag 2 the best Bluetooth tracker for Samsung devices. The companion SmartThings Find app is easy to use, showing locations on a Google Maps-based interface. Much like Apple’s Find My network, the location of a SmartTag is pinpointed using nearby Samsung phones. While nothing can beat the sheer size of Apple’s tracking infrastructure given the number of iPhones in the US, it still worked well in our tests.
The SmartTag 2’s design is more practical than some competitors since the oblong fob has a built-in hole that lets you easily attach your keys without buying an extra accessory. It’s IP67 rated for water and dust resistance, and uses a replaceable battery that Samsung says offers about 16 months of juice. The volume on the tag is pretty loud and users can select from multiple ringtones. Additionally, a double-squeeze of the SmartTag 2 will ping your handset, something you can’t do with an AirTag.
The tracking is not quite as precise as Apple’s AirTag, but it’s a solid option for Samsung users looking to keep track of their things and can be scooped up at a bargain price.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/you-can-get-a-four-pack-of-samsung-smarttag-2-trackers-for-just-45-173936230.html?src=rss
Google is adding a slate of AI features to Gmail that could save some of the hassle of searching for important information buried in messages and threads. Many users will soon see a more personalized inbox with AI-powered suggestions, summaries, and proofreading support. Plus, some AI functionality that was previously available only to paid subscribers will be rolling out to all Gmail users, including Help Me Write, AI Overviews for threaded emails, and Suggested Replies.
See personalized, AI-powered snapshots
Gmail users will soon have an AI Inbox view with two sections. “Suggested to-dos” will show immediate action items found in your inbox, such as bills to be paid and appointments to be confirmed. The task will be bolded and followed by a summary and a link to the relevant email or thread. Below that, “Topics to catch up on” includes items that are less urgent (but still important), such as order status and event updates.
AI Inbox is an optional toggle in the Gmail side panel. You won’t see it immediately, though—the feature is being made available to those in Google’s Trusted Tester program before launching for users more broadly “in the coming months.”
Get AI Overviews via Gmail search
Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will also be able to get AI Overviews from natural language questions typed into the Gmail search bar (just like a Google search). Instead of a running standard keyword search and clicking through multiple message threads, you’ll be able to ask things like “Who was the plumber that gave me a quote for the bathroom renovation last year?” and get a detailed summary of information pulled from emails in your inbox. The response will also provide citations to specific threads.
AI will proofread your emails
Finally, Gmail will have a built-in, AI-powered proofreading feature that will check grammar, tone, and style and analyze your emails for clarity and structure. Similar to third-party tools like Grammarly, you’ll see one-click suggestions for fixing typos, simplifying sentence structure, selecting improving word choice, and making writing more concise.
Like AI Overviews, Proofread will be limited to paid subscribers. Note that these AI features are optional and can be disabled, and Google says it does not use personal information or content to train its AI models.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a temporary restraining order against Samsung, blocking the company from continuing to collect data through its smart TVs’ Automated Content Recognition technology.
The ACR system captured screenshots of what users were watching every 500 milliseconds, according to the state’s lawsuit, and did so without consumer knowledge or consent. The District Court found good cause to believe Samsung’s actions violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The TRO prohibits Samsung and any parties working in concert with the company from using, selling, transferring, collecting, or sharing ACR data tied to Texas consumers.
Samsung is one of five major TV manufacturers the Texas Attorney General’s office has sued over ACR deployment. Paxton previously secured a similar order against Hisense.
Intel’s new Core Ultra Series 3 processors (codenamed Panther Lake) offer extremely impressive integrated graphics performance, as we noted in our brief testing yesterday. They’re also based on what is arguably the most advanced manufacturing process in the world, Intel’s 18A, which boasts exclusive features like RibbonFET and PowerVia. That
