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Mozilla’s Firefox has joined Chrome, Edge and other browsers in offering AI-powered overviews, but this time with a twist. The latest version lets you use a keyboard shortcut to open a pop-up that previews a link’s contents when you hover over it from any web page. It’s a new way that AI is being integrated into browsers that may help users but hurt publishers. 

To try the new feature you need the latest Firefox release channel version 139.0. Within the settings under “Firefox Labs,” simply turn on Link Previews. “After enabling, use the Alt+Shift keyboard shortcut when hovering over a link to see the previews in action,” Mozilla writes. 

Once turned on, you can hover your mouse over a link on any webpage and a vertical window will pop up showing an image on top, the publisher’s link and a quick summary. Below that are AI-generated “key points” that provide further information. Mozilla previously said that it uses the SmolLM2-360M language model from Hugging Face, on-device with Reader’s View content to ensure privacy. 

Link Previews first came along last month in beta but is now widely available in some regions. Like Google’s AI previews, it could risk harming publishers by reducing traffic (which is likely why neither of those features are available in France where I live). It’s also not clear if Firefox is paying publishers to use their information in AI-powered summaries. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-war-on-links-escalates-with-firefoxs-experimental-ai-previews-123059735.html?src=rss 

Anthropic is continuing to trickle down features to its free users. The latest one to make the leap out of subscriber-only mode is web search, which the company introduced to its AI chatbot Claude in March. According to Anthropic, connecting Claude to the web allows it to deliver more accurate responses based on the most up-to-date information available online. This feature is available to all Claude users starting today.

In addition, Anthropic has begun beta tests for voice mode on its mobile apps. This option lets users interact with Claude in natural conversations in an expansion of the platform’s existing dictation tools. There will be five voice options available to assign to Claude, and the AI assistant can provide full transcripts and voice mode summaries after a conversation.

May has been a busy month for Anthropic, which just launched two new models last week. Opus 4 is a powerful coding-focused system that can use multiple tools in parallel and can run for several hours at a time, while Sonnet 4 is a hybrid reasoning model designed to move between quick queries and more complex ones. The current beta testing of voice mode will default to Sonnet 4.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-brings-web-search-to-free-claude-users-224222689.html?src=rss 

Apple has bought a game studio for the first time. Digital Trends reported on Tuesday that the company has scooped up RAC7. The two-person team is behind the Apple Arcade hit Sneaky Sasquatch.

For years, some investors have hoped Apple would apply its full clout to the gaming industry. Although recent years have seen the launches of Apple Arcade and Game Mode for Macs, there’s still untapped potential. Another piece of news on Tuesday makes it easier to speculate that something is brewing. Bloomberg reported that the company will launch a revamped gaming app at WWDC. The new app is said to replace the oft-forgotten Game Center.

However, Giovanni Colantonio of Digital Trends suggests the acquisition isn’t necessarily a sign of what’s to come. He notes that Apple described the RAC7 purchase as a unique situation to help the small studio grow. “We will continue to deliver a great experience for Apple Arcade players with hundreds of games from many of the best game developers in the world,” Apple told the publication.

Sneaky Sasquatch was a launch title for Apple Arcade in 2019. Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar described it as an example of how the service can let developers “cut loose and get weird.” And weird, it is. (Delightfully so!) You play as the mythic Bigfoot, tiptoeing around a forest. What starts as a quirky stealth game takes even stranger turns. As you progress, you’ll learn to drive cars, disguise yourself as a human and hit the slopes.

Over five years later, the quirky title is still one of Apple Arcade’s tentpole games. It sits alongside favorites like Katamari Damacy Rolling Live, Skate City: New York and Threes! And we can’t forget one of Engadget’s all-time favorite games, Balatro. The “almost perfect” port of the deck-building game hit the service last year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/apple-buys-the-maker-of-sneaky-sasquatch-210305065.html?src=rss 

European regulators are investigating Pornhub. On Monday, the European Commission (EC) accused the platform of not doing enough to block underage access. Also included in the investigation are Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos.

The EC suspects the porn sites have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA), which includes child safety measures. Specifically, it accused the platforms of lacking age restriction tools. All four sites let EU users watch content after clicking a single button to confirm they’re over 18.

In a statement to Engadget, Pornhub said it’s “fully committed” to the online safety of minors. “Our sites are fully RTA compliant as rated by the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP), and are strictly reserved for those of legal age only,” the company said. It added that it believes device-level verification, rather than on the website, is “the real solution.”

“Children should not have access to pornographic content,” EC spokesperson Thomas Regnier said at a press conference (via The Guardian). “This is why today the commission has opened [the] investigations.”

Next, regulators will carry out an in-depth probe. If the companies are found to be in violation, they could face fines of up to six percent of their global annual turnover. However, the EC could also accept remedies from the companies.

The DSA allows the commission to regulate online platforms with over 45 million users. Those missing that mark fall under the jurisdiction of the EU’s 27 member states. On that note, the commission said Stripchat no longer meets that threshold. Moving forward, it will be regulated by Cyprus, where its parent company operates. However, the new designation doesn’t take effect for four months, so it remains part of the probe.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/eu-regulators-are-investigating-pornhub-and-three-other-sites-194234570.html?src=rss 

The saga of Cities: Skylines II has involved a lot of frustration, and the years-long ride still doesn’t appear to be over. The latest news from the developer is yet another delay, this time for the planned Bridges & Ports DLC. Colossal Order will release a small free update to the game on June 11 as planned, but the full expansion is now being pushed back to some time in Q4.

A post from the team on publisher Paradox Interactive’s forum explained that the delay was based on early access feedback that the DLC still needs more polish. “That left us with a difficult choice: delay the release once again to add more depth, or release it as-is, knowing players may feel it falls short,” the update states. “We believe the current content is enjoyable, but we’re not blind to what’s missing, and to bring it to the level you deserve, we need more time.”

The last players heard from Colossal Order was also a delay, in that instance for the console port of the city-builder. The studio said the version wouldn’t be available before summer 2025, but a more specific date hasn’t been shared yet. Cities: Skylines II has had a challenging life cycle for both the players and the developers, so it’s particular tough to hear that the game is still struggling.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/cities-skylines-ii-delays-bridges–ports-dlc-to-q4-200052345.html?src=rss 

Texas is the latest state to adopt an age-verification law for app stores. Despite lobbying from big tech, reportedly including a personal call from Apple CEO Tim Cook, Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill that requires app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental approval for a minor to download software or make in-app purchases.

The sponsors of the Texas bill said it was intended to protect children and teens from inappropriate content. “This puts tools in the hands of parents to make decisions for their own children,” said bill author Angela Paxton. The Republican state senator is married to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. 

Utah was the first state to enact legislation that places responsibility on app store operators to check users’ ages. Similar to the Texas endeavor, Google also petitioned Utah’s governor for that bill to be vetoed. Apple and Google have pushed back against these age-verification measures, arguing that they pose privacy risks for all users by creating a new infrastructure where they need to submit personal information. “We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information,” Apple said regarding the new Texas law.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/texas-enacts-age-verification-law-for-app-stores-190603522.html?src=rss