Category: Technology

Yes, summer might be coming to a close sooner than any of us would like, but that doesn’t mean the outdoor fun has to end. 

Currently, Ultimate Ears’ Wonderboom 4 Bluetooth speaker is down to $60 from $100 in blue and black. The 40 percent discount brings the speaker to a record-low price. It’s one of our picks for best portable Bluetooth speakers for 2025 thanks to features like its 14 hours of battery life and its IP67 dust and waterproof rating. 

There are a few other great sales on UE speakers right now. The Megaboom 4 portable speaker is down to $150 from $200 — a 25 percent discount in every color. Then there’s a 33 percent discount on the standard Boom 4 portable speaker, dropping to $100, from $150. The sale is available in blue, black and red. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-bluetooth-speakers-is-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-132149449.html?src=rss 

The debate over whether AI chipmakers should be allowed to sell their products to China has taken an unusual turn. The US government has reportedly given NVIDIA and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) permission to make the sales but for one big catch: 15 percent of the sales. The news was first reported by The Financial Times, which cited multiple people familiar with the agreement. 

In July, NVIDIA announced that the US government would approve export licenses to sell its H20 AI GPUs after blocking their sale in April. NVIDIA created these specific chips — which are less powerful than ones sold in the US — in response to restrictions on sales to China. It previously developed the A800 and H800 chips for the Chinese market, but those were also banned. 

Now, NVIDIA and AMP were both reportedly granted export licenses for China last week, after agreeing to give the government 15 percent of their profits. AMP will provide the share from sales of its MI308 chip. 

There’s significant debate over whether selling AI chips to China will endanger US national security. At the end of July, 20 national security experts and past government officials — including President Trump’s former deputy national security advisor, Matt Pottinger — wrote a letter to Howard Lutnick, the US Secretary of Commerce, stating as much. 

The signatories “believe this move represents a strategic misstep that endangers the United States’ economic and military edge in artificial intelligence.” They worry it will restrict the number of chips available for the US and be used by China’s military, among other concerns. NVIDIA disagrees, claiming the export licenses will allow it to compete with Chinese businesses. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidia-may-give-us-government-a-cut-of-its-profits-to-sell-ai-chips-to-china-120003260.html?src=rss 

The Nintendo Switch 2 didn’t come out of the gate with a host of exclusive, must-play games. But we’re a few months into the console’s lifecycle now and there are a variety of Switch 2-only games that are worth your cash, as well as a bunch of original Switch games that have received improvements for the new console And there’s also a robust selection of third-party games that have been on other consoles for a while, but not available on the Switch.

Between all those, there are plenty of good games for the Switch 2 — and if you don’t have an original Switch, there’s even more out there. You can see our list of our favorite Switch games here, but this list will focus on Switch 2 exclusives, original Switch games that have been improved for the new hardware and the best-performing, third-party titles worth your time. And keep an eye on this list, as there should be a lot more Switch 2 exclusives coming this fall that we’re excited to try, including eagerly-awaited titles like Metroid Prime 4.

Best Nintendo Switch 2 games for 2025

Check out our entire Best Games series including the best Nintendo Switch games, the best PS5 games, the best Xbox games, the best PC games and the best free games you can play today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/best-nintendo-switch-2-games-070007467.html?src=rss 

It may have been decades since you last heard the crunching screeches of connecting with dial-up Internet, but AOL said it will discontinue its dial-up service on September 30, officially marking the end of an era in Internet history. As first spotted by PC Gamer, AOL made the surprising announcement in a post buried in its AOL Help pages. Along with the dial-up service, AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser will also be discontinued by the end of September.

It may come as a shock to most that AOL still runs its dial-up Internet service, but some thousands of users still rely on this outdated method as an affordable way to access the Internet in more rural areas. However, these user numbers in the “low thousands” are a far cry from AOL’s heyday, which reportedly saw tens of millions of subscribers, most likely thanks to the stacks of free trial CDs people would find in their mailboxes. Nowadays, dial-up Internet fails to compete against the likes of much faster broadband options, which include cable, fiber and satellite alternatives.

Even though AOL’s dial-up service eventually lost relevancy, it stuck around for 34 years before meeting the same fate as other ’90s tech icons like Blockbuster, Discmans and AOL Instant Messenger. Now, the only time you’ll really hear that iconic America Online serenade is through recreations on social media.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/aols-dial-up-internet-still-exists-but-not-for-much-longer-193004233.html?src=rss 

Rod Fergusson, the general manager of the Diablo franchise for the last five years, is leaving Blizzard. Fergusson announced the move on social media, but didn’t say where he’s going next. Before joining Blizzard in 2020 to lead Diablo, Fergusson was studio head at The Coalition, where he oversaw Gears of War.

“After five years driving the Diablo franchise with four big launches, it’s time to step away from Blizzard/Microsoft, sword in hand, and see what’s next,” Fergusson wrote in a post on Bluesky. “I’m proud of what we’ve built and excited for what’s ahead for Diablo, and for me.” His departure comes after significant layoffs this summer at Microsoft, Blizzard’s owner, which affected its gaming division.

In a reply to Fergusson’s announcement, Xbox head Phil Spencer posted, “You brought strength, hellfire, and vision to one of gaming’s most iconic franchises. Playing Diablo IV with you was a blast—thanks for everything you gave to the game and the community.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/rod-fergusson-leaves-blizzard-after-five-years-leading-diablo-180049767.html?src=rss 

A Siri that does way more than just setting a timer or writing down a reminder may still be nearly a year away. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to release an overhauled version of Siri in the spring, which will be enhanced by the new App Intents feature. Gurman reported that the upgraded Siri will handle more complex tasks within apps, like commenting on an Instagram post, adding an item to your cart in a shopping app or editing a specific photo and sending it afterwards.

After a disappointing delay, Apple is playing catch-up to deliver on previous claims of an improved Siri. According to Gurman, the company is testing App Intents with its own apps, but also third-party apps, including AllTrails, Amazon, Facebook, Threads, Temu, Uber, WhatsApp and YouTube. For apps that handle more sensitive info, like banking apps, Gurman said that Apple may look into certain restrictions or completely avoid these apps for App Intents.

Apple gave us the first glimpse of this smarter Siri during WWDC 2024, where Apple Intelligence was the focus of the annual conference. However, the company delayed the release for the updated Siri in March, explaining that “it’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features” and adding that the upgrades be rolled out “in the coming year.” Apple even got sued for false advertising after releasing a TV ad featuring Bella Ramsey that showed off Siri’s new capabilities that weren’t available to the public following the release of the iPhone 16.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/an-updated-siri-that-interacts-with-apps-reportedly-wont-be-here-until-next-spring-183000378.html?src=rss 

A post on Ubisoft’s news page reportedly announced that FX is working on a TV show adaptation of the Far Cry franchise. The page has since been taken down and entering the website redirects to Ubisoft’s landing page for company news. However, several Redditors have been circulating what they saw in the press release.

According to the alleged Ubisoft post, the Far Cry franchise adaptation will be an “anthology drama” where “each season will be set in a new world with a different cast of characters following the video game franchise’s signature standalone storytelling format.” The series is reportedly being co-created by Rob Mac, known for creating and starring in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Noah Hawley, who created Fargo and Legion for FX. The leaked release supposedly detailed that Hawley will serve as the showrunner for the series, while also filling the role of executive producer along with Mac. Several production studios have reportedly joined the project, including Ubisoft Film & Television, which is working on other video game adaptations for the Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell franchises.

While FX hasn’t confirmed anything officially, the leaked cast and crew could be a sign of the next big hit in the world of video games adapted into TV. The recent success of Fallout and The Last of Us indicates a healthy appetite from viewers and Hawley’s previous experience could be an appropriate fit for the Far Cry franchise’s raw, but darkly comedic style.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/ubisoft-may-have-prematurely-revealed-fxs-tv-adaptation-of-far-cry-162918984.html?src=rss 

It’s been a few years since we last heard anything about the Space Invaders movie that is reportedly in the works, but a new report suggests things are inching forward again. According to Deadline, Ben Zazove and Evan Turner (The Out-Laws) are now on board to write the movie for Warner Bros.’ New Line Cinema.

A movie adaptation of Taito’s classic arcade game has been brewing for over a decade now, after Warner Bros. bought the rights to spin it into a film back in 2014. It was reported in 2019 that screenwriter Gregg Russo (Mortal Kombat 2021) had been tapped to write the script, but it seems some changes have been made in the years since. There’s no word yet on a release date or how it’ll approach the alien invasion story. Video game adaptations have been having a bit of a moment lately, though, so they may be looking to ride that momentum and actually bring this one to life now. Time will tell.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-space-invaders-movie-is-apparently-still-happening-210851306.html?src=rss