Engadget

11.12.2024 20:00 It’s easy to assume that the best tech gifts are the most expensive things. But there are plenty of options out there for the techie in your life that don’t require you to empty your wallet. If you’re struggling to come up with a gift for a coworker, family member or friend who's an early adopter or a tech obsessive, we’ve gathered some of our favorite things that are both small and affordable. The best part: All of these gift ideas come in at $50 or less. Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/the-best-stocking-stuffer-gifts-under-50-130049792.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 20:00 Whether or not you’ve heard of a white elephant gift exchange before, there’s a good chance you have the wrong idea of what it is, how it actually works and where the idea came from. According to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them. It was a far more devious punishment than simply having them executed. The recipient had no choice but to simply thank the king for such an opulent gift, knowing that they likely could not afford the upkeep for such an animal. It would inevitably lead them to financial ruin.This story is almost certainly untrue, but it has led to a modern holiday staple: the white elephant gift exchange. Picking the right white elephant gift means walking a fine line: the goal isn’t to just buy something terrible and force someone to take it home with them. Rather, it should be just useful or amusing enough that it won’t immediately get tossed into the trash. The recipient also shouldn’t be able to just throw it in a junk drawer and forget about it. So here are a few suggestions that will not only get you a few chuckles, but will also make the recipient feel burdened. White elephant FAQs What is white elephant? A white elephant gift exchange is a party game typically played around the holidays in which people exchange funny, impractical gifts. How does white elephant work? A group of people each bring one wrapped gift to the white elephant gift exchange, and each gift is typically of a similar value. All gifts are then placed together and the group decides the order in which they will each claim a gift. The first person picks a white elephant gift from the pile, unwraps it and their turn ends. The following players can either decide to unwrap another gift and claim it as their own, or steal a gift from someone who has already taken a turn. The rules can vary from there, including the guidelines around how often a single item can be stolen — some say twice, max. The game ends when every person has a white elephant gift. Why is it called white elephant? The term “white elephant” is said to come from the legend of the King of Siam gifting white elephants to courtiers who upset him. While it seems like a lavish gift on its face, the belief is that the courtiers would be ruined by the animal’s upkeep costs. Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-white-elephant-gifts-that-everyone-will-love-150516491.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 20:00 Donald Trump has named current commissioner Andrew Ferguson as the new Federal Trade Commission chair, the president-elect posted on Truth Social. Ferguson has previously decried what he called censorship by big tech and worked as an antitrust enforcer for the FTC and Department of Justice. "At the FTC, we will end Big Tech’s vendetta against competition and free speech," Ferguson wrote on X. "We will make sure that America is the world’s technological leader and the best place for innovators to bring new ideas to life." Ferguson will take over from Linda Khan, who drew the ire of big tech by launching antitrust cases against Apple and Google, while also blocking a number of multi-billion-dollar corporate mergers. Under her hand, the FTC has gone after large companies of all stripes over concerns that large mergers would undermine competition and harm consumers with higher prices. Ferguson's pitch for the job reportedly included plans to "reverse Lina Khan's anti-business agenda" and "hold big tech accountable and stop censorship," according to Punchbowl News. However, he stated that the agency should continue its strong scrutiny of the dominance of large tech firms, according to The New York Times' sources. With Khan leaving her post as FTC chair, Trump also appointed Mark Meador as commissioner, which will result in a Republican majority on the five-person commission. Trump previously named commission member Brendan Carr as FCC chairman. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/donald-trump-names-andrew-ferguson-as-new-ftc-chair-143009879.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 15:30 Mozilla has removed the “Do Not Track” feature that had been present in Firefox since 2009, according to Windows Report. It was the first browser to adopt the feature. This change will arrive to all users who install version 135 and beyond, but Nightly users who opt to test experimental builds can already see the option missing from their browser settings. Firefox isn’t the first browser to remove the DNT function. In fact, Apple had already done so in 2019 for Safari. Before decrying Mozilla’s decision, it’s crucial to understand what DNT is. It’s not an order but merely a suggestion to websites to stop tracking you. However, most websites ignore DNT requests, meaning it’s completely useless in today’s context. Firefox’s help page also now reflects this upcoming change. Instead of a DNT request, Mozilla is asking Firefox users to select the “Tell websites not to sell or share my data” feature. This setting leverages Global Privacy Control , which is respected by more websites and even enforced in certain jurisdictions. If you’re more privacy-conscious, using GPC may not be enough for your needs. We recommend a VPN.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/firefox-will-no-longer-support-do-not-track-feature-141543907.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 15:30 The year's end is quickly approaching and that means all the best of 2024 lists are coming out. The latest is Apple's App Store Awards, which highlight 17 apps across the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and Vision Pro. The most notable winner for us here at Engadget? Balatro+ from LocalThunk. Balatro+ takes home the prize for Apple Arcade Game of the Year after already capturing so many of our hearts. The roguelike game is a fantastic mix of poker, deck-building, solitaire and more that gets addictive quick. It's only been available on iOS through Apple Arcade or as a standalone purchase since September. It's also available on all other platforms, including the PC and Nintendo Switch. If you're the rare person out there who prefers physical games to digital ones then you'll be happy to know a $16 Balatro playing card deck is currently available for preorder on Fangamer. However, it won't ship until March 2025 so it might be worth first checking out the game digitally. Other games awarded in Apple's App Store awards include AFK Journey, Thank Goodness You're Here! and Squad Busters. Apple also announced six apps that are recognized for their Cultural Impact. Winners in this category included Oko, an AI-powered navigation app for people who are blind or low-vision that offers information such as what's happening at an intersection and turn-by-turn directions. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/balatro-is-apples-arcade-game-of-the-year-because-of-course-it-is-140030994.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 15:30 Triple-A games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Astro Bot and Silent Hill 2 may get most of the glory at this year’s Game Awards but indie developers and gamemakers are getting a spotlight of their own before the big show. Day of the Devs: The Game Awards Edition will air a digital-only broadcast starting at 12PM ET on Wednesday, December 11 on The Game Awards’ official YouTube and Twitch channels. The stream is also embedded below. The Game Awards edition of the Day of the Devs broadcast will feature at least 19 indie games from studios such as Annapurna, Heart Machine, Panic and Riff Raff Games. The indie game event will also feature seven world premieres of upcoming titles, title reveals and release date announcements. This also marks the second year of the Day of the Devs showcase preceding The Game Awards. The Game Awards will follow the indie game showcase tomorrow starting at 7:30PM ET. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Astro Bot are tied for the most nominations at seven each. The Japanese RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio earned six nods. Silent Hill 2 and Balatro finished third with five nominations each. All the previously mentioned titles except for Silent Hill 2 are up for the Game of the Year award along with Black Myth: Wukong and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/watch-the-day-of-the-devs-2024-game-awards-stream-here-at-12pm-et-140026531.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 15:30 A year-and-a-half after YouTube first announced it, the platform's AI dubbing service has arrived. The company shared the news alongside some example videos equipped with auto dubbing . The feature is available to "hundreds of thousands of" informational or educational YouTube Partner Program channels, with broader rollout planned soon. Creators can have their English language video dubbed in French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese or Spanish. A video is any of those languages can only have an English dubbing. The process should be automatic, and creators can preview them before a video goes live. Dubbed videos are available to watch in the YouTube Studio's "languages" section, and come with an auto-dubbed label. The company shared three example videos with dubbing in its announcement, two dubbed in English from French and Hindi, respectively, and one in English with a range of dubbing options to try. The English translations sound very AI-generated and stilted to me, though seemingly accurate, while my colleague Steve Dent tried the French dubbing and had a similar experience. However, YouTube only shared examples of the tool dubbing over narration rather than people talking. I dug for a little while to find an example of a visible conversation with dubbing but came up short — perhaps because AI dubbing may struggle with faster speech or crosstalk. YouTube preface that the "technology is new" and "won't be perfect."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtubes-ai-powered-auto-dubbing-tool-has-finally-arrived-134532964.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 15:30 A US bankruptcy court has blocked the sale of Infowars to parody news site The Onion, ruling that the auction didn't yield the best potential bids. At the same time, judge Christopher Lopez rejected claims by Infowars' owner, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, that any "collusion" was involved in the case. The Onion reportedly outbid competitor First American United Companies, affiliated with a Jones business, for the rights to the site. Though its cash offer was lower, The Onion valued it at $7 million because Sandy Hook families would allow some of the proceeds to be distributed to other creditors. However, the appeals judge said that the court-appointed bankruptcy trustee made a "good-faith error" by requesting final offers instead of allowing back-and-forth bidding between The Onion and First American. "This should have been opened back up, and it should have been opened back up for everybody," Lopez said. "It’s clear the trustee left the potential for a lot of money on the table." Now, the trustee must work to resolve some of the disputes between creditors before making another attempt to sell Infowars. The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that First American only complained about the process after losing the bid. Alex Jones was found liable in 2022 for nearly $1.5 billion in damages for spreading conspiracy theories about the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six adult staffers. One of the assets put up for sale was Jones' Infowars site, and The Onion said it received the blessing of the families of the victims to acquire the site. It reportedly planned to transform the site into one with "noticeably less hateful disinformation," and a gun safety nonprofit reportedly planned to advertise on the rebooted site. Last week, X said that The Onion wouldn't be given Alex Jones' Infowars X accounts, opening up a new can of worms about who owns social media handles. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/judge-rejects-the-onions-bid-for-infowars-133046520.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 15:30 A judge has issued an injunction ordering WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and his company Automattic to restore access to the WP Engine web hosting service, according to legal documents seen by The Verge. Automattic must also restore WP Engine's control of its popular ACF plugin. It also removes a checkbox implemented by Automattic that made people say they had no relationship with WP Engine. The ruling follows a major dispute between WP Engine and Automattic and its CEO Matt Mullenweg, a co-founder of WordPress. Last September, Mullenweg accused WP Engine of misusing the WordPress trademark and said it "never once" donated to the open-source arm of the foundation. The WordPress foundation then banned WP Engine from accessing resources like plug-ins and themes, breaking many of WP Engine's over 200,000 websites. It also took control of the company's ACF plugin, forking and renaming it to Secure Custom Fields. WP Engine then sued Automattic and Mullenweg, accusing them of extortion and abuse of power. The company said that Automattic demanded eight percent of its gross revenues in exchange for restoring its access. Mullenweg admitted that "a good chunk of my Automattic colleagues disagreed with my actions," and said that 159 employees resigned and took him up on a buyout offer of at least $30,000. Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin said that WP Engine's claims that Automattic's actions harmed its business had merit. Without the injunction, WP Engine will suffer "irreparable harm" because it has "suffered loss of existing and potential customers," adding that those customers and the larger WordPress community also sustained harm. In a post on X, WP Engine said it's "grateful that the court has granted our motion for a preliminary junction that restores access to and functionality of wordpressdotorg for WP Engine, its customers and its users." Automattic, meanwhile, said that it planned to file counterclaims "shortly" and "looks forward to prevailing in trial." It should be noted that while providing temporary relief to WP Engine, the injunction is certainly not the end of the legal actions. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/wp-engine-wins-preliminary-injunction-in-wordpress-legal-battle-131527285.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 15:30 Apple has begun rolling iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 to iPhones and iPads. The updates bring with them major enhancements to the company’s suite of AI features, and are likely the final software releases Apple has planned for 2024. More Apple Intelligence features are available through macOS 15.2. However, note access to all of the AI features mentioned below is limited to users in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK for now, with support additionally limited to devices with their language set to English. Provided you own an iPhone 15 Pro, 16 or 16 Pro, one of the highlights of iOS 18.2 is Image Playground, which is available both as a standalone app and Messages extension. If you go through the latter, the software will generate image suggestions based on the contents of your conversations. Naturally, you can also write your own prompts. It’s also possible to use a photo from your iPhone’s camera roll as a starting point. However, one limitation of Image Playground is that it can’t produce photorealistic images of people. That’s by design so that the resulting images don’t cause confusion. You can also import any pictures you generate with Image Playground to Freeform, Pages and Keynote. Another new feature, Genmoji, allows you to create custom emoji. From your iPhone’s emoji keyboard, tap the new Genmoji button and then enter a description of the character you want to make. Apple Intelligence will generate a few different options, which you can swipe through to select the one you want to send. It’s also possible to use pictures of your friends as the starting point for a Genmoji. The new update also brings enhancements to Siri and Writing Tools, both of which can now call on ChatGPT for assistance. For example, if you ask the digital assistant to create an itinerary or workout plan for you, it will ask for your permission to use ChatGPT to complete the task. You don’t need a ChatGPT account to use the chatbot in this way, though based on information from the iOS 18.2 beta, there will be a daily limit on how many queries iPhone users can send through to OpenAI’s servers. Those are just some of the more notable Apple Intelligence features arriving with iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2. If you don’t own a recent iPhone or iPad, the good news is that both releases offer more than just new AI tools. One nifty addition is the inclusion of new AirTag features that allow you to share the location of your lost item trackers with friends and airlines. If you’re a News+ subscriber, you also get access to daily Sodoku puzzles. Also new to iOS 18.2 is a feature Apple removed with iOS 16. A new menu item in the operating system’s Settings app allows you to add volume controls to the lock screen. If you don’t see a notification to download iOS 18.2 on your iPhone and iPadOS 18.2 on your iPad, you can manually check for the updates by opening the Settings app on your device and navigating to “General,” then “Software Update.” The same goes for macOS — just open the System Settings app, navigate to "Software Update" and start the download. If you live outside of one of the countries mentioned at the top, support for additional countries and languages, including Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese, will roll out throughout next year, with an initial update slated for April. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/ios-182-is-here-with-apple-intelligence-image-generation-features-in-tow-130029173.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 15:30 Users in 48 US cities can now buy a new Hyundai car from a local dealership through Amazon. Just like buying a car from a dealership, inside Amazon Autos you can browse by make, model, trim, color and features. And! Finance options! Whee! The interface also offers an instant valuation of your current vehicle’s trade-in value, then you just drop it off when you collect your new ride. Amazon even claims transparent pricing and says this will remove the need for haggling with a salesperson. If you’re not up for a Hyundai, Amazon Autos will add more manufacturers, brands, cities and features in 2025. — Mat Smith Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The biggest tech stories you missed Apple’s latest MagSafe charger is on sale for $35 Despelote, the story-driven soccer game, is coming to the Nintendo Switch Which iPhone should you buy? YouTube introduces multiplayer mini-games It’s part of its Playables platform. YouTube Playables users can now play some of its games with other humans. It doesn’t extend to all YouTube Playables’ 100-plus games, however. Right now, multiplayer is available on two games, Ludo Club and Magic Tiles 3, on both desktop and mobile. Or, you could see what games Netflix has for free. Speaking of which… Continue reading. Monument Valley 3 is out now And free to play for any Netflix subscriber. ustwo As teased in the fall, the latest installment in the spatial puzzle series Monument Valley is available on Android and iOS, free if you’re a paying Netflix user. The levels, once again, have that M.C. Escher vibe, where paths and structures don’t follow the laws of physics. Monument Valley 3 will also be getting new content updates every season. In an interview, ustwo Games lead designer Emily Brown called them “Monument Valley snacks,” bite-sized additions to the standalone game. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121205258.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 15:30 It’s a question you’ve probably heard many times before: “Which iPhone should I buy?” Most of the time, the answer is simple: Get the best one you can afford. And if you’re happy with your current iPhone, you don’t have to upgrade at all. If you’re ready for a new smartphone, though, we’ve sorted through all nine models in Apple’s current smartphone lineup and picked out the ones that should satisfy most people.Before you dive in, note that we’ve based this guide on the list prices for each unlocked iPhone on Apple.com. If you can find a heavy discount from another trustworthy retailer or a good deal on a refurbished model, that could always change the value equation. The rest of Apple’s iPhone lineup in 2024 The iPhone 16. Billy Steele for Engadget Apple iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus As noted above, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have made genuine improvements over last year’s models and generally feel more “Pro-like” than they have in years past. They also come in a range of vibrant colors. If the iPhone 16 Pro or 16 Pro Max are just too pricey, especially if you want extra storage space, they’re fantastic compromises. Still, they are compromises. If you can afford it, the Pro should hold up a bit better over time. Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are fine phones in a vacuum, but we just don’t have the stomach to recommend a $600 or $700 phone without USB-C in late 2024. You lose out on the Dynamic Island and Apple Intelligence as well. The 14 Plus may be justifiable if you just want the cheapest large-screen iPhone out there, but most should look for a trade-in or refurbished deal on an iPhone 15 or, if your budget allows it, iPhone 16 instead. Apple iPhone SE The iPhone SE isn't just the cheapest iPhone that Apple sells, it’s also the smallest and lightest. It retains the look and feel of the iPhone 8, which was released all the way back in 2017, but some may appreciate the older design and tactile Home button. The SE uses the same A15 Bionic chip as the old iPhone 13, but it still runs fine for everyday tasks. It might be OK if you just want the cheapest route into iOS or you’re buying a first iPhone for your kids. For most, though, the SE’s small display, single-rear-camera setup and limited memory and storage are tough to accept in 2024. It also lacks ultra-wideband , so it’s not as adept at finding nearby AirTags. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in August that Apple could release a new iPhone SE in the spring of 2025, so anyone in need of a true budget iPhone should try to hold out for a little longer. Recent updates December 2024: We’ve made a few edits to reflect the release of Apple Intelligence, though our picks remain the same.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/best-iphone-160012979.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 00:40 Wanna go outside and kick the ball around? The soccer story game Despelote is coming to the Nintendo Switch in early 2025. The game was previously announced for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Despelote is a story-driven game about people and the emotional spirit and camaraderie of football. You play as a plucky 8-year-old kid named Julián from Quito, Ecuador who goes out with his friends for a fun-filled afternoon of neighborhood football after a long day of school. The game tells the story of Ecuador’s economic struggles in the late 1990s and the sense of community and unity that grew leading up to the 2002 World Cup. Developers Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena based the game’s setting, dialogue and experiences on their own childhood memories and photos growing up in Ecuador. Despelote was an official selection of the 2023 Tribeca Festival. It’s also one of the games featured by Wholesome Games’ Wholesome Snack Showcase ahead of The Game Awards.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/despelote-is-dribbling-its-way-to-the-nintendo-switch-231254398.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 00:40 GM is giving up on its Cruise robotaxi subsidiary. The company announced today that it will fold Cruise into its own in-house technical team. Under the new strategy, this single unit will focus for now on developing advanced driver assistance programs, and in the future on fully autonomous personal vehicles. GM acquired Cruise in 2016. However, the robotaxi brand faced intense scrutiny last year after a pedestrian in San Francisco was struck and dragged by one of its driverless cars. The ensuing investigations saw Cruise stop all operations for driverless vehicles and for its manned robotaxi service, and several of the company's leaders resigned or were let go in the aftermath. In recent months, Cruise had resumed some limited activity, but the hit to public trust and safety after the pedestrian incident seem to have created an insurmountable hurdle for GM. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/gm-ends-support-for-cruise-robotaxis-222300134.html?src=rss

11.12.2024 00:40 A new report from the Office of the Inspector General found that President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice secretly obtained the phone call and text message records of 43 congressional staffers, two members of Congress in 2017 and 2018 and members of the news media. DOJ prosecutors obtained call and text logs from telecommunications companies and third-party providers including Apple through subpoenas, search warrants and court orders. It’s already known that President Trump’s DOJ tried to obtain communication records from Apple as part of an investigation into press leaks about stories that Trump associates made contact with Russian officials. The New York Times reported in 2021 that one of the subpoenas filed in 2018 demanded to see the accounts of 109 identifiers including Democratic Representatives Adam B. Schiff and Eric Swalwell of California, congressional aides and family members including one who was a minor. Now it appears that the scope of those subpoenas was much larger. The IG’s report says prosecutors attached gag orders to the subpoenas to prevent Apple and other companies from notifying their customers about the information orders. Most of the non-disclosure agreements were extended at least once, some of which stretched up to four years. The communication logs only showed the names of the parties involved in the calls and text messages. Even though the OIG’s report found no political motivation for prosecutors’ requests, he noted the subpoenas and other legal means of obtaining communication logs “risks chilling Congress’s ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch.” The report also says the DOH failed to convene the News Media Review Committee, a Justice Department advisory committee formed as part of an overhaul of its news media policies in 2014, to review its information requests calling its actions “troubling,” according to the report. Apple also took steps to limit the scope of legal requests following news of the subpoenas filed on Reps. Schiff and Swalwell. The tech company placed a limit of 25 identifiers per legal request on customers’ communication information in 2021.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trumps-doj-obtained-more-private-communications-from-third-parties-including-apple-215738340.html?src=rss