Lou died at the age of 82 in June 2025 following an illustrious soungritihng and music career.
Lou died at the age of 82 in June 2025 following an illustrious soungritihng and music career.
Midjourney adds AI video generation
AI company Midjourney has released its first video model. This initial take on AI-generated video will allow users to animate their images, either ones made in Midjourney or uploaded from a different source. The initial results will be five-second clips that a user can opt to extend by four seconds up to four times. Videos can be generated on web only for now and require at least a $10 a month subscription to access.
Introducing our V1 Video Model. It’s fun, easy, and beautiful. Available at 10$/month, it’s the first video model for *everyone* and it’s available now. pic.twitter.com/iBm0KAN8uy
— Midjourney (@midjourney) June 18, 2025
Midjourney was one of the early names in the space for AI-generated still images, even as other platforms have pushed the forefront of the discussions around artificial intelligence development. Google’s latest I/O conference included several new tools for AI generated video, such as the text-to-video Veo 3 model and a tool for filmmakers called Flow. OpenAI’s Sora, which debuted last year, is also a text-to-video option, while the more recent Firefly Video Model from Adobe can create video from a text or image prompt.
But being a little late to the video game hasn’t stopped it from drawing the ire of creatives who allege that its models were trained illegally. In fact, this video announcement follows hot on the heels of a lawsuit against the company. Disney and NBCUniversal sued Midjourney last week on claims of copyright infringement. And as with any AI tool, there’s always a potential for misuse. But Midjourney has nicely asked that people “please use these technologies responsibly” so surely nothing will go wrong.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/midjourney-adds-ai-video-generation-192557140.html?src=rss
The golden Trump Phone is almost certainly not made in the US
Not content with a real estate empire and the presidency of the United States, the Trump family is wading into the phone wars like it’s 2011 with a shiny gold monstrosity called the T1, the marketing of which leans extensively on the narrowest idea of patriotism. Beyond the immediate question — why do this, like, at all? — the T1 invites a question that’s perhaps easier to interrogate: How can any modern smartphone claim to be made in the US?
Over the last 40 years America has led a massive globalization effort that allows companies to pick and choose where they develop and build hardware that finds its way back to the US. The best chips to run your phone are built in Taiwan — regardless of the phone maker. The best phones are built in China, India or Vietnam. The displays are often produced in Korea. The glass is actually made in America. The sand that will eventually become the silicon wafers chips are made of is sourced here too. But most phones, and virtually all smartphones found in America, are globally produced devices. An all-American golden Trump phone is about as fantastical as the big, beautiful bill’s promise to make all Americans rich.
The phone has reasonable specs for the $499 price tag. There’s a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a punch hole for the 16MP front camera, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage. Its rear array of cameras includes a 50MP main camera, a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens. Notably lacking in the spec list is the processor. Perhaps that’s a typo, or perhaps that’s because nearly all smartphone processors are made overseas.
Multiple analysts have suggested the Trump T1 is actually a reskinned Revvl 7. That’s a $200 Android phone currently offered by T-Mobile in the US and manufactured by Wingtech, a (partially) state-owned Chinese phone maker and semiconductor manufacturer. However the specs and outer appearance better align with the €180 (also about $200) Coolpad X100, which is mentioned as a “related phone” to the T1 on the smartphone database GSMArena. Similarly, that phone has a 6.8-inch AMOLED display, 256GB of internal storage and up to 12GB of RAM, but its cameras are significantly higher resolution and it has a flash built into its camera module. It, like the Revvl 7, is manufactured in China by a Chinese company.
Don Jr and Eric Trump haven’t said if the T1 is a reskin of the Revvl 7 — or any other existing phone for that matter — instead insisting their device will eventually be made in the US. (Note that word “eventually.” It is doing a lot of work.) The Trump brothers have chosen their words like lawyers are watching, likely because the Made in America claim they’re making isn’t just marketing, it’s enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission. You can’t just slap it on a crummy Chinese phone and call it a day.
“The FTC actually has very strict regulations on how you label products and country of origin,” Todd Weaver, CEO and Founder of Purism, told me. Purism is an American company that produces its own operating system to compete with iOS and Android and is the only company in the US which can actually use any part of the “Made in America” claim for its phones. In our call he sounded a little irritated about the T1’s claims, but was eager to explain how the labeling works.
The Purism Liberty Phone.
Purism
“I don’t make that claim and I manufacture all the electronics in the US,” Weaver said. Purism had to go with a non-phone processor for the Liberty phone because no company based in America makes phone processors (yet). Even with a non-standard chip, Purism’s processor comes from its supplier’s fabrication in South Korea. He found it financially challenging to source a chassis in the US as well. An unqualified Made in America claim would mean that a phone was not just assembled here, but every single part of the device was manufactured here as well. That’s an essentially impossible task for phone makers. It’s why Purism’s phone has the label Made in America Electronics instead. Weaver could get a lot, but not all of the parts manufactured in the US.
While it’s certainly theoretically possible the Trump brothers could take all the wealth they’ve been amassing since their father reentered the Oval Office to brute force a more American phone, it isn’t happening any time soon. The Trump T1, which they claim will be sold in September, cannot carry that label, at least not legally. (Whether the current FTC would prosecute the president’s sons for misrepresenting the T1 is another story entirely.) We’ve reached out to the FTC for comment and as of publishing have not heard back.
So what about other pro-American manufacturing labels? The Trump Brothers have hinted that the phones will be assembled here — even if the Revvl 7 (or Coolpad X100) is currently not. Those labels are also governed by the FTC and they’re not easy to get around. A simple “screwdriver” operation (importing almost entirely foreign parts and fitting them together in the States) is even provided by the FTC as a straightforward example of consumer deception.
That’s a lesson we all learned when Apple promised to start building computers domestically again. In 2019 it announced a big factory in Texas under pressure from the Trump administration to bring more manufacturing jobs to America. But even though people are putting screws into Mac Pros stateside, those can’t carry the label “Assembled in America.” Instead they’re “Designed in America” and a “Product of Thailand” with “Final Assembly in America.” It’s a global device.
Electronics are global devices and no amount of gold gilding or misleading claims from the sons of American presidents can change that. The best estimates from manufacturing experts claim it will be half a decade, minimum, before Apple or Samsung could be building phones in the US.
Weaver has already mused about reporting the Trump brothers for claiming their gold-gilded T1 is Made in America, and noted that anyone (even you, dear reader) could do the same.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/the-golden-trump-phone-is-almost-certainly-not-made-in-the-us-174536590.html?src=rss
Steam adds more accessibility features
Steam has introduced a new batch of features for improved accessibility in the latest beta of the gaming client. The platform is adding a sliding scale for adjusting UI size, a high contrast mode to make text and buttons more distinct from the background, and a reduce motion setting to disable select animations and page transitions. These three features are available for devices running SteamOS and in Steam’s Big Picture Mode, which displays a full-screen user interface for easier legibility.
In addition, SteamOS devices are getting support for a screen reader. This feature has adjustments for the volume, rate and pitch of the audio output. The new beta also offers color filters for SteamOS devices, allowing the user to choose modes of grayscale, invert brightness or invert colors. This change to visual output with colors applies to both the Steam client and to games. For now, only the Steam Deck and the Lenovo Legion Go S run Valve’s gaming-focused operating system, but the company is clearly planning to add more devices in the future.
“These new settings are only the first available of the accessibility features we’re working on, and we’re excited to put even more tools in the hands of our players,” the company said in the blog post announcing the new updates.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-adds-more-accessibility-features-181606704.html?src=rss
Netflix signs deal to host live TV channels in France
Everything old is new again. Netflix just inked a deal to air live television broadcasts in France, turning the streaming giant into, well, regular TV. The platform will host five traditional broadcast channels from French TV behemoth TF1. Subscribers in the region will have access to live programming and on-demand content.
The partnership officially begins next summer. The channels underneath TF1’s umbrella air everything from reality shows like The Voice to live sports, including the French national football team’s matches.
The deal brings a whole lot of content to Netflix, as TF1 has a massive back catalog. This includes popular local dramas like Brocéliande and reality shows like Koh-Lanta. Greg Peters, co-chief executive of Netflix, told Financial Times that TF1 is a “producer of great, premium content.” This move could help the platform with customer retention in the region.
TF1 gets access to a large pool of potential viewers, as Netflix’s subscriber base in France passed 10 million in 2022. That’s around 13 percent of the country’s total population.
This isn’t the first time the two companies have teamed up. TF1 and Netflix have collaborated on scripted shows like Les Combattantes and Tout le bleu du ciel. This is likely due to a mandate in France that requires streaming services to reinvest in local content. It’s also not the first time Netflix has experimented with live TV in the region. The platform tested a live TV channel called Direct back in 2020.
This is fascinating because Netflix began as an alternative to live TV and now it’s becoming live TV. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflix-signs-deal-to-host-live-tv-channels-in-france-153852590.html?src=rss
The Fairphone 6 leaks ahead of its rumored late June launch
The Fairphone 6 is widely expected to get an official unveiling in the next week but the leadup to the repairable smartphone’s launch has been leakier than a bad tap. In a new report from WinFuture, purported images of the Fairphone 6 show that it’ll feature two back covers: one for the main body covering the cameras, and a lower panel that can be easily removed by loosening a few visible screws.
Doing so grants access to the battery, which WinFuture notes is not glued down, though swapping it out will require you to remove a few additional screws. The back plates are available in three different colors – black green and white – which you’re free to mix and match with to give the phone a more personalized look.
This being a Fairphone product, the battery unsurprisingly isn’t the only removable component. If you know what you’re doing, you can also replace the 50- and 13-megapixel main cameras and the 32–megapixel front-facing camera, as well as the display, speaker and USB-C charging port.
In terms of specs, the Fairphone 6 is fairly unremarkable, but you’d expect it to be at the rumored €550 (around $630) price point it’ll reportedly retail at. As well as the aforementioned trio of lenses, it’ll reportedly have a 6.31-inch 120Hz display, 256GB of internal storage (expandable via a MicroSDXC slot), 8GB of RAM and a 4,415mAh battery. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, so we’re firmly in mid-range territory. The Fairphone 6’s expected IP55 rating for water and dust resistance means it’ll comfortably withstand a bit of rain, but likely won’t take well to a dunk in the bath.
Of its predecessor, the Fairphone 5, released (though not in the US) in 2023, Engadget’s Daniel Cooper said: “If you’re looking to pick up a mid-range handset that you can keep going for twice as long as any other phone on the market, and you want to do a bit of good in the process, this is probably the phone for you. It’s not often the view from the moral high ground is this comfortable.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-fairphone-6-leaks-ahead-of-its-rumored-late-june-launch-163630181.html?src=rss
Buss Family’s Net Worth: How Much the Former Lakers Owners Have Now
After Jerry Buss died, his children inherited his majority stake over the Lakers. So, how much is the family worth after selling the NBA team?
After Jerry Buss died, his children inherited his majority stake over the Lakers. So, how much is the family worth after selling the NBA team?
Anne Burrell’s Cause of Death Updates: How She Died
The late Food Network personality and celebrity chef suddenly died at the age of 55. As more details of her death come to light, get updates on what happened to Burrell.
The late Food Network personality and celebrity chef suddenly died at the age of 55. As more details of her death come to light, get updates on what happened to Burrell.
Resident Evil Requiem headlines the next Capcom Spotlight livestream
Summer Game Fest might be in the rear-view mirror, but the gaming showcases are still coming. Capcom has announced that its next Spotlight livestream will take place on June 26. Planned to last around 40 minutes, the showcase will focus on upcoming titles Pragmata and Resident Evil Requiem, which was announced during Summer Game Fest proper earlier this month. As well as news, the event will include developer interviews.
Capcom is also promoting Monster Hunter Wilds and Street Fighter 6 as featured games, so expect new information on updates or fresh content for those existing titles in the showcase. We already know that the Title 2 Update for Monster Hunter Wilds is due at the end of the month, which will add new monsters and a new seasonal event.
The last Capcom Spotlight took place in February, where Capcom announced the remaster of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny. We wouldn’t expect any new game announcements this time, but it could happen. More exciting is the possibility of new footage of Resident Evil Requiem, which was arguably the biggest announcement of SGF 2025. We know we’ll be playing as a new character, named Grace Ashcroft, and that you’ll be able to choose between a first and third-person perspective throughout the game.
Engadget’s Mat Smith got to play Pragmata at SGF, where he called it a “satisfying sci-fi shooter” and came away impressed by the elegance of its dual-protagonist gameplay. Capcom first announced the game way back in 2020, so it’s a long time coming.
The next Capcom Spotlight livestream will kick off on June 26 at 6pm ET.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/resident-evil-requiem-headlines-the-next-capcom-spotlight-livestream-143001469.html?src=rss
How Much Did Jerry Buss Buy the Lakers for? Find Out
Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers in the late 1970s, and his family sold the team to Mark Walter in 2025, according to several reports.
Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers in the late 1970s, and his family sold the team to Mark Walter in 2025, according to several reports.