Netflix’s 2025 ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ series has reintroduced scammer Belle Gibson to the world. So, did she serve any jail time? Find out here.
Netflix’s 2025 ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ series has reintroduced scammer Belle Gibson to the world. So, did she serve any jail time? Find out here.
Chip designer Arm plans to unveil its own processor this year with Meta as the launch customer, The Financial Times reported. The chip would be a CPU designed for servers in data centers and would have the potential to be customized for clients. Manufacturing would be outsourced to a contract fab plant like TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.) and the first in-house chip could be revealed as early as this summer, according to the FT‘s sources.
Last month, Arm parent Softbank announced the Stargate project, a partnership with OpenAI to build up to $500 billion worth of AI infrastructure. Arm, along with Microsoft and NVIDIA, is a key technology partner for the project. Arm’s chip could now play a role in that project, and also in Jony Ive’s mysterious AI-powered personal device, reportedly being developed in collaboration with OpenAI’s Sam Altman, according to the report.
Arm’s designs power nearly every smartphone and mobile device in the world, along with Apple Mac and Qualcomm-powered Windows PCs. They generally use less power for the same level of compute as Intel and AMD chips, so they’ve become desirable for data farms that power AI applications as well.
The move would put Arm in direct competition with many of its own customers like NVIDIA, which manufacturers its own Arm-based server CPUs. To date, Arm has never made its own chips — instead, it licenses its technology and patents to major companies like Apple. Those companies then customize the designs for their own needs and use a contract manufacturer like TSMC or Samsung to build the chips.
UK-based Arm is currently embroiled in a testy legal battle with Qualcomm over licensing terms. Meanwhile, parent SoftBank is reportedly close to purchasing Ampere, a server chip designer. That deal will be “central to Arm’s own chipmaking project,” according to FT‘s inside sources.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/arm-is-reportedly-developing-its-own-in-house-chip-130026316.html?src=rss
Apple’s artificial intelligence features for iPhones could be available in China as early as May, according to Bloomberg. The company reportedly established several teams in China and the US to make that happen, and it’s also teaming up with local companies for its generative AI needs in the country. Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group’s Chairman, recently confirmed that Apple will use his company’s generative AI technology for Chinese iPhones during an event. Tsai didn’t say when Apple intends to roll out the AI features that use Alibaba’s tech, but The Information previously reported that the companies had already submitted them for approval to the country’s regulators.
Bloomberg says Apple will use Alibaba’s technology for its on-device AI models, specifically as a layer on top that can censor certain materials and information for the Chinese government. Alibaba will be able to ask Apple to make updates to its AI models if China’s government asks, and Apple will apparently disable outdated AI features on a user’s phone until they update their device to remove any content that’s been prohibited. These will only apply for iPhones meant for sale within China and not for devices purchased elsewhere. However, Apple Intelligence will not work in the country even on devices meant for sale in other regions once the user changes their location to mainland China.
Tsai said during an event that Apple talked to several companies in the region for its AI needs, including DeepSeek. While Alibaba will be its primary AI partner in China, Bloomberg says Apple will also work with Baidu for certain features like Visual Intelligence, which lets users find information online by scanning items on their phone. For AI features that need additional power and have to be processed through external servers, Apple will likely have to work with a local partner, as well.
As Bloomberg notes, bringing Apple Intelligence to Chinese iPhones is a critical goal for the company. China is Apple’s second biggest market, but the company’s sales are on the decline as customers turn to local brands that offer AI features on their devices. In the last three months of 2024, Apple’s sales in the country dropped by 11.1 percent, putting Apple in third place in the country’s smartphone market after Huawei and Xiaomi.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-could-roll-out-ai-features-for-iphones-in-china-as-early-as-may-133036284.html?src=rss
TikTok is once again available in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store in the United States. The app disappeared from both Apple and Google’s stores January 19, 2025, as a nationwide ban took effect. Briefly.
What will ultimately happen to TikTok remains unclear. President Trump wants to strike a “deal” that will allow the company to remain operational in the US, including arrangements that would give the US government a stake in the company.
You know who’s probably furious? Every other social media company.
— Mat Smith
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The biggest tech stories you missed
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In a tweet on Thursday, CEO Tim Cook told Apple aficionados to “get ready to meet the newest member of the family. ”What that product is remains a slight mystery, though we won’t have to wait too long to find out. The reveal will take place on Wednesday, February 19.
While we’ve focused on a next-gen iPhone SE, Cook’s tweet also featured an animated image of a shimmering Apple logo on what appears to be the outline of an AirTag. There have been rumors for a while that Apple would introduce a second-gen tracker sometime this year.
Also: AirTags have changed my life. Or at least stopped me getting locked out of my apartment multiple times in the last few years. It’ll be intriguing to see what else a tracker can offer. Please don’t make it AI.
The tech love story of 2025 is over. Honda and Nissan have ended merger plans. If they’d gone through with it and also brought Nissan-controlled Mitsubishi on board, the new entity would’ve had a net worth of around $50 billion.
The Financial Times reported in early February that Honda presented a new company structure that would make Nissan its subsidiary as a “take it or leave it” offer. Nissan decided to leave it.
Thanks to all the early question-askers (hit me up on askmat(at)engadget.com), including a timely question in the face of new Apple hardware. From Matt Ali: What’s the cheapest way to get an iPad? And which one should I get in early 2025?
Instead of doing my own research or asking unhinged AI chatbots, I tapped our iPad expert (and reviewer), Nathan Ingraham, for an answer:
“Apple hardware is known for being expensive, but the company has a store packed with high-quality refurbished products that can save you some serious cash. I’ve bought many devices there over the years and have never had a problem — everything is in like-new condition and has the same warranty as a brand-new product.”
At the time of writing, there are a few good options in Apple’s refurbished store if you want an iPad nearly as capable as the newest models but want to save some cash. If you want the largest screen possible, you can grab a sixth-generation, 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an M2 chip and 256GB of storage for $979. Considering the latest 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1299, this merits consideration — especially if you’re an artist who wants a large canvas.
If you don’t need that large screen, consider the fifth-generation iPad Air. For $529, you’ll get an 11-inch display, M1 chip and 256GB of storage. That’s $170 less than the current M2 iPad Air with the same amount of storage. Apple’s standard iPad is also available refurbished, but you can often find a brand-new version of it on sale on Amazon. Between that and the rumors of a new basic iPad coming this spring, I’d avoid this one, for now.
If you want to upgrade the storage or get a model with cellular connectivity, that should also be doable for extra cash. For me, 256GB or 512GB is the sweet spot for storage — given the ubiquity of the cloud, having a ton of local storage doesn’t feel particularly necessary.
Similarly, cellular connectivity is probably not worth the extra cash unless you plan to travel with your iPad. Most of the time, you can easily tether an iPad to your phone if you need to get online quickly. But, those refurb options are available if you want them.”
Thanks Nate! Other tech dilemmas? Modern texting etiquette? The best way to make your wearable nag you into your new year fitness goals? Hit. Me. Up!
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121508200.html?src=rss
We joked about “President Musk” shortly after Donald Trump took office, but it turns out that wasn’t far from the truth. Over the past few weeks, Elon Musk and his DOGE team wasted no time in trying to dismantle the American administrative state. They’ve illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s federal payment system, pushed for USAID to be dismantled, and have also infiltrated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In this episode, we chat with 404 Media’s Jason Koebler about what Musk and his young tech cronies are up to, and how it ties into Silicon Valley’s approach to the new Trump administration.
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!
Move Fast and Break Things: What is Elon Musk’s DOGE doing to the United States government? – 1:04
iPhone SE 4 announcement expected soon – 34:54
Elon Musk makes $97.4 billion offer for OpenAI, Altman declines in a tweet – 39:03
France wants to build a gigawatt of new nuclear plants to power AI ambitions – 41:27
Working on – 44:05
Pop culture picks – 44:48
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Jason Koebler from 404 Media
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/engadget-podcast-whats-up-doge-diving-into-elon-musks-hack-on-america-123006530.html?src=rss
TikTok is once again available in Apple’s App Store in the United States. The app disappeared from both Apple and Google’s stores January 19, 2025, as a nationwide ban briefly took effect. But though the app’s service was quickly restored after President Donald Trump promised not to enforce the ban, the app had remained unavailable for download in US app stores.
Apple has now reversed course. Bloomberg reported the company made the decision after a letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump previously told the Justice Department in an executive order to delay enforcing a ban for 75 days.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.TikTok is still not officially available in Google’s Play Store, though the company has recently encouraged Android users to sideload the app.
It’s still not clear what will ultimately happen to TikTok longterm. Trump has repeatedly said he wants to strike a “deal” that will allow the company to remain operational in the US, including arrangements that would give the US government a stake in the company. A number of investors and companies have also proposed offers to take over some aspect of TikTok, though the company hasn’t indicated which bids it might be taking seriously.
Developing…
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-back-in-apples-app-store-in-the-us-014013369.html?src=rss
Google is making Gemini just a bit better. Starting today, the company’s chatbot will recall past conversations in an effort to provide more useful responses. “That means no more starting over from scratch or having to search for a previous conversation thread,” Google explains. “Plus, you can build on top of previous conversations or projects you’ve already started.”
Google notes Gemini “may” indicate if it referenced a past conversation to formulate a response. If the idea of a chatbot recalling information about you makes you feel uncomfortable, Google says users can “easily review, delete or decide how long” Gemini retains their chat history. Additionally, it’s possible to disable this feature altogether from the My Activity panel.
Gemini is not the first chatbot to include a memory feature. ChatGPT will “remember” things about you in certain contexts. For example, I recently asked OpenAI’s chatbot a question about Jeff Buckley’s vocal range, to which it later asked me if I was a fan of his music. When I said yes, a notification appeared stating “memory updated.”
More broadly, building chatbots with long, reliable memories is part of the “agentic” AI future many companies, including Google and OpenAI, are building towards. At I/O 2024, for instance, Google debuted Project Astra, which featured a built-in memory, though it was limited to a relatively short window of time and could “mis-remember” things.
Gemini’s new memory feature has begun rolling out in English to Gemini Advanced subscribers. It will become available in more languages over the coming weeks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-advanced-can-now-recall-your-past-conversations-to-inform-its-responses-222407226.html?src=rss
As Aaron Rodgers moves on from the New York Jets, here’s a look back at the quarterback’s past romances.
As Aaron Rodgers moves on from the New York Jets, here’s a look back at the quarterback’s past romances.
Meta’s Oversight Board is coming under new pressure to respond to the company’s recent policy changes on fact-checking and moderation, which were made without input from the advisory group. A coalition of civil society organizations has published an open letter to the Oversight Board saying the group should resign en masse as “recent developments make it clear that the company has abandoned any pretense of oversight and acts with no regard as to the consequences.”
The letter, which was first reported by The Washington Post, comes from the Global Coalition for Tech Justice, which is made up of more than 250 human and digital rights advocates, fact-checking organizations and other civil society groups from around the world.
“A mass resignation would be a historic act of conscience — one that makes clear Meta’s reckless disregard for human rights cannot be excused, ignored, or concealed behind the curtains of an oversight board that has no real power,” the letter says. “By stepping down collectively, you would show solidarity with all those communities impacted by Meta’s unconscionable actions, increase public pressure on Meta and demonstrate that true accountability cannot exist within a system designed to suppress it.”
Last month, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta would end its long-running fact-checking programs and roll back content moderation standards that protected immigrants and LGBT people on its platform. The Meta CEO, who upon creating the board said that “Facebook should not make so many important decisions about free expression and safety on our own,” reportedly decided to make the changes following a visit with then President-elect Donald Trump last year and consulted only a “handful” of people at Meta.
The Oversight Board’s co-chair later said that these changes came as a “surprise” to the group, which was created to help shape platform-wide policy but was not consulted ahead of time in this instance.
The Global Coalition for Tech Justice isn’t the first group to question the Oversight Board’s role in the wake of Zuckerberg’s sweeping policy changes. Members of Congress also recently raised the issue in a letter addressed to the Meta CEO. “The Oversight Board, once touted as a beacon of accountability, is rendered toothless when Meta itself refuses to adhere to the principles of ‘trust and safety,’” they wrote.
One member of the Global Coalition for Tech Justice has been even more direct. “If the Oversight Board has no role (even consultory) in the single biggest change in content moderation since their founding, clearly the experiment has failed,” the “Real Facebook Oversight Board,” a group of longtime Oversight Board critics, said in a statement last month.
Meanwhile, the Oversight Board’s response to Meta’s changes has so far been muted. The group published a statement shortly after Zuckerberg’s announcement, saying that it would “engage with Meta” on its plan to implement community notes. It later added a brief update that said it would be “reviewing the implications of the various changes” that go “beyond fact-checking.”
Representatives for Meta and the Oversight Board didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement to The Washington Post, the board said that it planned to propose “nuanced policy recommendations that Meta must respond to.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/civil-society-groups-urge-metas-oversight-board-to-resign-in-protest-211134922.html?src=rss
The spiritual successor to Life is Strange is heading to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog as a day-one freebie. The first installment of Don’t Nod’s Lost Records: Bloom & Rage hits Sony’s subscription service later this month, along with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and immersive tennis in TopSpin 2K25. In addition, Sony previewed a couple of other cool-looking day-one titles heading to the service before long: Blue Prince and Abiotic Factor.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage tells the story of four high school friends (and punk rockers!) living in a deceptively picturesque Michigan town in 1995. The narrative adventure jumps between that era and 2022 as we gradually peel back the layers of, well, some freaky-ass stuff the girls uncovered.
Each timeline gives you more of a glimpse into the “life-changing secrets” they stumbled upon back when Blues Traveler was on the charts — and why they’re reuniting 27 years later. If you were into the Life is Strange series, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage should be right up your alley.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members can claim the game on its February 18 release date. And if you get sucked into the world, you won’t have long to wait for the next chapter: It arrives in the April 15 batch of Sony’s catalog.
That’s also when Extra and Premium subscribers can claim Respawn’s Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. The follow-up to Jedi: Fallen Order puts you back in the boots of Cal Kestis as he tries to fend off the Empire and rebuild the Jedi Order. In our 2023 preview, Engadget’s Igor Bonifacic found it to be a bigger and better (if perhaps a bit too safe) sequel with larger worlds and new Force abilities to explore, as well as a handy grappling hook to kick it like Bionic Commando.
Arriving a bit later is Blue Prince, Dogubomb’s clever title that takes the escape room concept and expands it into an entire mansion. Set in 1993, you inherit Mount Holly Estate, a sprawling building with a layout that changes daily. You get to choose its room configurations. The mansion has 45 rooms; your challenge is to find the 46th before all of your allotted movements expire.
“Each door is a decision,” the developer promises. “And each room you pick adds another layer of strategy, puzzles and exploration to your adventure.” PS Plus subscribers can step into the mysterious world of Blue Prince on its release date “this spring.”
Another day-one Plus title, Abiotic Factor is a six-player survival crafting game. Deep Field Games’ creepy title has throwback graphics and a survival crafting vibe. Up to six players (but you can play solo, too) take on the roles of scientists stranded miles underground in a strange research facility. “Caught between paranormal containment failure, a military crusade and chaos from a dozen realms, the world’s greatest minds must survive against the universe’s biggest threats,” the game blurb reads. It arrives as a day-one Game Catalog release this summer.
Other titles available for Premium and Extra members on February 18 include Hangar 13’s TopSpin 2K25, where you can play as (among others) Serena Williams, Roger Federer or even throwbacks like Maria Sharapova and John McEnroe. The 2021 remake of the 1998 RPG SaGa Frontier is also on tap, as well as narrative sci-fi adventure Somerville, puzzle game Tin Hearts and the medieval slash-’em-up Mordhau.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/lost-records-and-blue-prince-are-coming-to-the-playstation-game-catalog-at-launch-213659797.html?src=rss
