Elon Musk has reportedly fired Omead Afshar, Tesla's head of manufacturing and operations in North America and Europe, according to Forbes . Both CNBC and Bloomberg corroborated the report. Afshar's exit follows Milan Kovac, the head of engineering on Tesla's Optimus robot, who left the company in early June . Afshar was promoted to the role last year, Bloomberg reports , after working for multiple different Musk-owned companies since 2017. The timing of his exit isn't particularly surprising ..

Apple has introduced new fee structures for developers using the App Store in the EU in order to meet the requirements of the bloc's Digital Markets Act. Last month, the European Commission ruled that Apple was not in compliance the legislation and ordered the company to make changes within 30 days. Apple can still file an appeal of the decision until July 7. The new terms make things a little complicated. When apps promote offers for digital goods or services in the EU, they'll be subject to ..

Google has improved its AI-powered Ask Photos feature and is restarting its rollout to eligible users in the US. The company paused the launch of Ask Photos in early June over issues with latency and the feature's interface. To make Ask Photos speedier, especially on simple searches for dogs or people, Google says its essentially combining the old Google Photos search with Ask Photos. While Google's Gemini models work in the background, the app can now quickly return basic image ..

Get ready for your game library to grow, because the Steam Summer Sale is open and ready for business. The promotion runs through July 11, so you've got plenty of time to peruse all of the available deals, but there are a couple fun highlights in this season's selections. For starters, two likely contenders for 2025 game of the year are on sale. You can pick up the spectacular puzzle game Blue Prince for 15 percent off or about $25, and the lush Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a slight discount ..

This week, I chat with Sam Chapman, Engadgets new security reporter whos been reviewing VPNs and related products. He dives into what led him to security, the VPNs he likes the most and his thoughts on potential cyberattacks. Additionally, we discuss Microsofts latest news around the Windows 10 Extended Security Update, and Devindra explains why M3GAN 2.0 absolutely rules. Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Credits Host: Devindra Hardawar Guests: Sam Chapman ..

Threads and Instagram are continuing to decouple. Meta's social network has updated its Hidden Words setting to make it separate from Instagram . Prior to this update, users had one global Hidden Words setting that impacted both platforms. For the uninitiated, the Hidden Words setting lets users filter out stuff they don't want to see. The setting can be applied to posts, feeds, searches, profiles and replies. The tool can filter out words, phrases and emojis. Threads Threads also offers the ..

After a six-year wait, Panasonic's S1 II is finally here and there's a lot to unpack. As youd expect from this company, its creator-centric with up to 5.8K ProRes RAW internal video recording. At the same time, its Panasonics fastest full-frame photo camera ever with 70 fps burst speeds and reduced rolling shutter distortion thanks to the new partially stacked 24-megapixel sensor. And with an AI-powered hybrid phase detect system, autofocus is no longer a weak point as it was with the original ..

The notorious Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is finally heading to a junkyard upstate. This error message has been a key part of the Windows experience for almost 40 years. Microsoft has been teasing this change for years , but now we know the crash screen will be removed in an update to Windows 11 that's coming later this summer . Windows computers are still going to crash , so there needs to be some sort of error screen. Microsoft is transitioning to a Black Screen of Death instead. This new ..

"ExpressVPN never keeps data that could tie you to any online activity," the VPN provider claims on its website. An independent audit from late February supports those claims. Accounting firm KPMG found "reasonable assurance" that the VPN provider's system prevents the logging of user activity. The product is one of Engadget's top VPN picks . RAM-based VPN servers The firm's audit put ExpressVPN's TrustedServer system under a microscope. That's the company's RAM-based system. In theory, this ..

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is out today, not counting the early access period. Kojima Productions and publisher Sony couldn't resist putting out one last trailer. I wouldn't be surprised if the filename for it was something like DS2_FINAL_TRAILER_V17_noactuallyitsthelastone.mp4 and yet it still has a runtime of six minutes. Although there are some fun moments in this trailer, it's much too long. You probably shouldn't watch it if you'd like to stay as spoiler-free as possible before ..

YouTube is getting an injection of Googles AI-assisted search functionality in the shape of a new carousel feature. In a blog post , YouTube said the AI- generated carousel is currently exclusive to its Premium members in the US. It might appear (it seemingly wont happen every time) when you search for "queries related to shopping, place, or things to do in a specific location" in the YouTube app on your phone. This carousel pulls in a series of relevant videos that play in order from left to ..

After going through a controversial branding change that eliminated the beloved XPS name, Dell has launched its replacement. The new Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium Windows 11 laptops represent the high end of Dell's business lineup and offer features like Intel Core Ultra 9 16-core CPUs, NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPUs and battery life up to 27 hours. The XPS name may be gone but last year's design largely remains. Both models keep the simple and elegant wedge-like form from before, with slightly ..

Insta360's new gimbal isn't quite "Pro," but its pricing isn't, either. The Flow 2 includes many of the features from the Flow 2 Pro while costing $50 less. The Insta360 Flow 2 ticks most of the boxes that its Pro sibling does. (The more expensive gimbal launched earlier this year .) Like that model, the Flow 2 features a built-in selfie stick and a tripod. It supports advanced subject tracking, golden ratio subject framing and a built-in spotlight. Also carrying over is NFC one-tap pairing and ..

Amazon MGM Studio's James Bond movie, the first of what could be many in a series, will be directed by Denis Villeneuve. The company has revealed that he will be leading the production in an announcement, where it also named Villeneuve's wife Tanya Lapointe as an executive producer. Villeneuve is perhaps best known for directing Dune and Dune: Part Two , the latest adaptations of Frank Herbert's novel starring Timothe Chalamet. He also directed the sci-fi drama Arrival with Amy Adams and Jeremy ..

Federal Judge Vince Chhabria has ruled in favor of Meta over the 13 book authors, including Sarah Silverman, who sued the company for training its large language model on their published work without obtaining consent. His court has granted summary judgment to Meta, which means the case didn't reach full trial. Chhabria said that Meta didn't violate copyright law after the plaintiffs had failed to show sufficient evidence that the company's use of the authors' work would hurt them financially. ..

As expected, Apple didnt reveal any new hardware during WWDC this year. The event is typically reserved for announcing software and services upgrades, so we're not surprised. That means our recommendations for the best MacBooks remain the M4 MacBook Air for most people, the M4 MacBook Pro for creatives and the MacBook Air with the M3 chip as an excellent budget option. True, in a lineup consisting of just two models, the choice may seem straightforward. But if youre wondering what you get with ..

We're getting yet another Hollywood sequel. Deadline reports that Aaron Sorkin will be directing The Social Network II , a follow-up to the film that chronicled the development of Facebook and the ensuing lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg. The next movie will take its inspiration from a 2021 investigation by The Wall Street Journal into the harms caused by Facebook and the company's failure to address those problems. Sorkin has a long career as a writer, including the screenplay for The Social ..

Senators Marsha Blacburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have reintroduced a bill that would force app store owners like Apple and Google to allow third-party payment systems and sideloading apps, among a collection of other developer- friendly changes. The bill, called the Open App Markets App , was originally introduced in 2021 , but it never came up for a vote after passing through the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2022. ..

Liquid Glass is a huge new change coming to iOS 26. (Apple) It's true: Apple's iOS 26 (not iOS 19) is coming your way this fall with some cool new features you'll want to try. Here's what we're excited about: the iPhone is finally getting a fresh home and lock screen redesign dubbed Liquid Glass , a look and feel that will extend across all of Apple's upcoming operating systems. The overhaul was one of several big changes coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the rest of Apple's software suite, all ..

Sam Rutherford for Engadget Walmart has confirmed that the Switch 2 will be available on its site tonightat 9PM ET, but the first hour of availability will only be open to paid Walmart+ members. So, in order to potentially add the new Nintendo console to your cart, you'll need to be a full Walmart+ member (free trial members aren't eligible). The good news? That privilege will only cost you $13 per month (or $98, if you want to take the plunge for a full year). That's not bad when you consider ..

A Google email about Gemini privacy is causing quite the stir. The alarm came from a change in what the chatbot can access when your history is turned off. However, the update's implications are far less sensational than initially feared. Here's the heart of the email that set off the hubbub in the otherwise sleepy summer tech press. "Gemini will soon be able to help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off ." (Emphasis is ..

The Trump Organization announced a cellular brand earlier this summer, and its main selling point for Trump Mobile was that its T1 smartphone was "made in the USA." It seemed highly unlikely that those claims about the phone were possible. Now, the website for the device has removed all language indicating that it was manufactured in the US. Instead, there is broader language such as "designed with American values in mind" and "Premium Performance. Proudly American." The Verge also noticed that ..

Meta is adding a new Message Summaries feature to WhatsApp that uses AI to summarize unread messages in a few bullet points. The feature is built on the Private Processing technique Meta announced at Llamacon in April, and claims to let AI work with content in WhatsApp without exposing any of it to Meta itself. Once the feature appears in your app, you just tap on the onscreen banner over your unread messages with that says "Summarize privately" to receive a summary from Meta AI. The Message ..

Last August, Anthropic released Artifacts . The feature allows Claude users to create small, AI-programmed apps for their own use. Today, Anthropic is making it easier to share Artifacts. At the same time, it's making the apps you can make with the feature more powerful. To start, Artifacts now have their own dedicated space you can access from the Claude app sidebar. Here you'll find a curated selection of projects made by other people to get you started on your own programs. Every Artifact ..

Bumble, the makers of the Bumble Dating App and Bumble For Friends, announced Wednesday that the company will be laying off 30 percent of its workforce, or roughly 240 employees. This comes as dating app companies struggle to perform in recent years. Bumble was once a company worth almost $8 billion, but finds itself worth about 90 percent less today. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd had briefly stepped down as CEO in early 2024 before returning as CEO this year. The company has posted declining ..

YouTube is increasing the minimum age required for its users to live stream to 16. In a message uploaded to the YouTube Help support page , it was confirmed that as of July 22, creators will need to be 16 or older to stream unaccompanied on the platform. Previously, YouTube stipulated that children under the age of 13 had to be visibly accompanied by an adult if they wanted to post live content, but going forward this rule will extend to anyone between anyone aged 13-15. YouTube warns that ..

M3GAN was an unexpected hit, and for good reason: It was the best killer toy horror film since Child's Play , combining comedy and camp with a meme-worthy android lead. For the sequel, writer/director Gerard Johnstone (working off a story from him and the first film's writer Akela Cooper), have taken a few notes from Terminator 2. This time around, there's an even more evil android on the scene (Amelia, played by Ivanna Sakhno) who wants AI to rule the world. And there's only one somewhat less ..

Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2 will be released for PS5 on August 12 . We knew the port was coming this summer , and now we have an actual date. Ninja Theory says the title will be optimized for both the standard-issue PS5 and the more powerful PS5 Pro. This is a real homecoming for the franchise, as Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice was originally released for PS4 back in 2017. That PS5 release date coincides with the cross-platform launch of Senuas Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced . This version includes a ..

Now that we know Amazon Prime Day will be coming up soon on July 8-11, its time to start thinking about what you may want to snag at a discount during the sale. If you pay the $139 annual fee for Prime, sale events like these are a great time to stock up on essentials and cross things off your wishlist while you can save some money. Most discounts will be exclusively available to Prime subscribers, but there are always a few that anyone shopping on Amazon can grab. Similarly, there are always ..

Apple's F1 movie opens in theaters on June 27, and the company really wants you to know about it. On Tuesday morning, Wallet users noticed an Apple Pay notification that was both a coupon and an advertisement for the racing film. It offered "$10 off 2+ tickets to F1 The Movie at Fandango." When they clicked "Get tickets now," they were taken to a dedicated Fandango link that instructed them to use the promo code "APPLEPAYTEN" as well as use Apple Pay to receive their discount. Not everyone ..

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Sony has revealed the PS Plus Monthly games for July as the subscription service is about to reach its 15th anniversary. Between July 1 and August 4, members on all tiers will be able to add Diablo IV (PS5 and PS4), The King of Fighters XV (PS5 and PS4) and Jusant (PS5 only) to their collection. The monthly games for June NBA 2K25, Alone in the Dark (2024), Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and Destiny 2: The Final Shape are available to claim until July 1. Diablo IV is the clear headliner this time ..

Aside from a screen protector, the best accessory to keep your Switch 2 safe is a carrying case. And with the increased price of Nintendos latest console compared to the original, there are even more reasons (about $150 of them) to figure out a way to shelter your console. But why stop there? With one important tweak, Belkin engineered a great way to add extra utility to a basic travel case by allowing you to charge the Switch 2 while keeping it out of harms way. Design Belkin's Charging Case ..

Here's a use of artificial intelligence that could be handy. Ring is adding AI-generated text descriptions of alerts. If it works well, a glance will be all it takes to tell whether something requires your attention. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff gave some examples of the new notifications. "A person is walking up the steps with a black dog" could tell you it's just the dog walker returning. Or, "Two people are peering into a white car in the driveway" could indicate it's time to call the fuzz. ..

The HDMI forum, which develops and manages HDMI specification, has officially launched the final and full specifications for HDMI version 2.2. First revealed at CES 2025 , version 2.2 was designed to make it significantly easier to send videos with higher refresh rates and resolutions to modern TVs, such as those with 4K and 8K displays. Version 2.2 cables are required to be branded with the Ultra96 feature name, which indicates that they support up to 96Gbps in bandwidth and all HDMI 2.2 ..

If you're looking to buy some affordable wireless security cameras, it's the perfect time to grab several from Amazon. Blink devices are on sale right now on the website for up 62 percent off ahead of Prime Day in July . Blink Outdoor 4 , the brand's latest model, will only set you back $45, 55 percent less than its usual price of $100. Instead of just one camera, $100 will now get you a three-pack , which is currently 62 percent off its usual price of $260. If you need even more cameras, you ..

Google has unveiled its latest text-to-image model Imagen 4 with the usual promise of "significantly improved text rendering" over the previous version, Imagen 3 . The company also introduced a new deluxe version called Imagen 4 Ultra designed to follow more precise text prompts if you're willing to pay extra. Both arrive to a paid preview in the Gemini API and for limited free testing in Google AI Studio . Google describes the main Imagen 4 model as "your go-to for most tasks" with a price of ..

Smart plugs arent the most complicated smart home device they really just turn stuff on and off but the best smart plugs can make life a little easier, which is what we want from household automation. Theyre easy to use, too, since you dont have to install them like a smart switch. Just plug them in, connect to Wi-Fi and loop in your home assistant of choice. Of course, some plugs work better than others and there are a dizzying array of brands to choose from. To narrow down your choices, we ..

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are sleek, powerful devices and also serious investments. If you're lucky enough to have one in hand, the last thing you want is a drop, scratch or scuff ruining that pristine finish. Thats where a quality case comes in. The best iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro cases offer more than just protection; they can enhance your grip, add useful features like kickstands or card slots, all while complementing your personal style. Whether you prefer a slim, barely-there ..

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been available in the US for more than two weeks but good luck finding one. While millions of people have been able to snag the $450 console since it officially went up for sale on June 5, online inventory dried up fairly quickly at most stores soon after launch and remains difficult to find today. Best Buy restocked as recently as June 23, but those units which required in-store pickup quickly went of out of stock. Target , likewise, has some stock in at least one ..