Kalakshar US

Google is officially rolling out Preferred Sources, which lets you curate search results. The feature allows you to pick specific or “preferred” sources, like a certain blog or news outlet, and see them more prominently when you use Google Search. Google started testing it in June and it should be available in the coming days to English language users in the US and India.

Preferred Sources seems pretty simple to use. You go to Google, search for a topic and then click on the preferred sources option. You can type in the name of the publication or website you want to prioritize and then refresh your results. There’s no limit to how many you can choose — though, of course, choosing too many defeats the purpose. The results should appear in a “top stories” or “from your sources” section when you search.

These sites should remain as your favorites on the same account. Anyone who participated in the Labs test should still see their preferences. In addition to encouraging social media follows, publications should also be able to encourage their readers to add them as a preferred source.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-lets-you-pick-preferred-sources-when-you-search-150012601.html?src=rss 

Are you a TV watcher with commitment issues? Sling TV thinks it has the answer in the shape of its new one-day passes. The app-based alternative to traditional cable will sell you a $5 Day Pass that allows you to stream live TV (including sports)from any channel included in its Sling Orange plan for 24 hours.

Sling Orange costs $46 per month and includes the likes of the Disney Channel and various ESPN channels (including ESPN 4K) as plan exclusives. You also get access to channels like TBS, TNT, CNN, AMC and Comedy Central that are shared across both Sling Orange and the more expensive Sling Blue plan. On paper, Orange seems like a good choice for sports fans, given ESPN’s exclusive presence, but bear in mind that Fox Sports is a Blue plan-only channel.

Sling TV’s new Day Pass offering arrives just ahead of the new football season, and allows people who really want to watch a particular game without committing long term to do so. The streaming service is also introducing Weekend ($10) and Week ($15) passes for when you’re hoping to catch multiple traditional Pay-Per-View events or binge a series on a single pass. You can access more channels by adding one of Sling’s category-specific packages, like Sports Extra, News Extra or Entertainment Extra. Sling Extras cost $1 per package for a Day Pass, $2 for a Weekend Pass and $3 for a Week Pass.

How much value you get from Sling’s offering will depend on your viewing habits. If you find yourself buying lots of passes each month it’s probably worth considering a standard Sling Blue or Orange plan, but if you’re only interested in catching the occasional game, Sling TV’s flexibility could be appealing.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/sling-tv-launches-a-5-day-pass-for-commitment-free-cable-150021645.html?src=rss 

Apple’s AirPods could be getting a live translation feature in the near future as part of iOS 26, according to a report by 9to5Mac. A new beta version of the operating system dropped today and users have spotted a system asset that strongly points to the earbuds getting a language translation tool.

The asset appears to depict a gesture that’s triggered by pressing both earbud stems at once. The image shows a pair of AirPods surrounded by words in various languages, like English, French, German and Portuguese.

This tracks for a couple of reasons. Apple announced a Live Translation tool at WWDC25, but AirPods weren’t mentioned as a potential use case scenario. This feels like a natural extension for the feature that we already know is coming to FaceTime, Messages and phone calls. However, the AirPods software will be used for live in-person conversations. 

Also, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumblings that the software would be coming to Apple’s line of earbuds. Bloomberg announced it was likely coming back in March, which was well before WWDC. Wearables are the perfect place for any kind of live translation software and we’ve already seen it pop up in stuff like the Meta Ray-Bans smart glasses.

There are still some unknowns. We don’t know if the feature will run entirely on the actual earbuds or if it’ll require an iPhone. The latter is likely, given that it seems tied to iOS 26. We also don’t know which iPhones will support the software, though it’ll likely be on models that offer Apple Intelligence. Apple iOS 26 is due next month, so we don’t have that long to wait.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apples-rumored-live-translation-feature-for-airpods-could-be-coming-with-ios-26-152715034.html?src=rss 

Anthropic has announced it will offer its Claude AI model to all three branches of the US government for $1, following OpenAI offering an almost identical deal last week. These deals both follow the General Services Administration adding OpenAI, Gemini and Anthropic to a list of approved AI vendors for the federal government.

Similar to the OpenAI deal, Anthropic will offer access to its commercial-tier service Claude for Enterprise for a period of one year at a cost of just $1. The offer will also encompass Claude for Government, which supports FedRAMP High workloads, allowing federal workers to use Claude for sensitive unclassified work. Government department or agency leadership can reach out today to gain access.

Anthropic is no stranger to working within the federal government. Earlier this summer, the Department of Defense awarded Anthropic, Google, OpenAI and XAI with deals worth up to $200 million to develop military applications.

The company made no larger mention of the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, or its requirement that large language models used by the federal government be “free from top-down ideological bias.” The tacit understanding is that these LLMs not espouse support for anything the current administration opposes. President Trump even issued an executive order decreeing that AI must not favor “ideological dogmas such as DEI,” in order to work with the federal government.

This latest deal comes as AI-related companies are increasingly looking to build close relationships with policymakers and the current administration. This week, NVIDIA agreed to a revenue-sharing agreement with the US government in order to sell its H20 AI GPUs to China. The current administration has made no secret of its wish for federal agencies to maximize their use of AI.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-offers-its-claude-ai-model-to-the-federal-government-for-1-154217798.html?src=rss 

Amazon has just dropped a trailer for the final season of Upload, the tech-centric comedy about a digital afterlife that’s way too real at times (mild spoilers ahead). Created by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation, King of the Hill), it’s set in an advanced future replete with things like holographic phones, killer self-driving cars and (killer) AI assistants. But since this advanced technology is run by the same irresponsible bros we have in charge today, naturally things go spectacularly wrong.

“In the four-part series finale event, sentient AI rapidly turns evil, threatening to wipe out [afterlife reort] Lakeview (and the world!),” Amazon writes “On top of greedy executives, lingering mysteries, plus heartbreak in VR and IRL, our characters are tested like never before. The only way they can get through it all and save humanity from deletion is by teaming up one last time.”

Upload has generally received positive reviews, with an 88 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating thanks to the “witty writing and winsome cast [that] make it an afterlife worth living.” The final season will hopefully wrap up any lingering mysteries and give our heroes some closure when it hits Amazon Prime Video on August 25. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-prime-videos-official-trailer-for-uploads-final-season-140023678.html?src=rss 

No matter how old you get, the back-to-school season will always bring a desire to shop. So, sales at this time of year are always more than welcome — especially when they’re on some of our favorite devices. Such is the case with the 10 percent discount currently available on the Sonos Era 100. 

Our choice for midrange smart speaker is down to $179 from $199 as part of a larger sale on the Sonos website. The same price is available on Amazon, as are some more deals on Sonos products. 

Sonos debuted the Era 100 speaker in 2023 as a replacement for the Sonos One. It offers great sound quality and has built-in mics for Trueplay tuning and voice control. It’s worth mentioning that the Sonos Ace headphones are also on sale for $299, down from $399 — a 25 percent discount. The headphones have come a long way since they first launched, including the introduction of TrueCinema, which works with a Sonos soundbar to create the best spatial audio experience. 

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-up-to-25-percent-off-in-the-sonos-back-to-school-sale-125211320.html?src=rss 

One downside to a fitness trackers is that they’re rarely able to understand the context in which their users live. It’s an issue Oura is looking to remedy by launching two sets of features intended to help people during pregnancy and when they reach perimenopause. Given both processes are liable to take a toll, causing physical, mental and emotional changes, having a smart ring that understands what’s going on is vital.

For the former, the Oura app will now monitor your biometrics throughout pregnancy and reference that against broader population data. You’ll also get deep dive trend analysis showing how your health and fitness has evolved through your pregnancy. Not to mention that the app, and the AI advisor, will not tell you off if your lifestyle becomes a little more sedentary towards the end of your pregnancy.

Perimenopause is the period of changes occurring in the run-up to the menopause, which can cause mood swings, depression, brain fog, muscle soreness and difficulty sleeping. Data from earlier this year suggests that one third of people have little to no knowledge of the condition, its symptoms, or treatment.

It’s something Oura is looking to address with Perimenopause Check-in, as part of its Cycle Insights feature. The company says users will be able to answer a 12-question assessment to rate the severity of their symptoms to quantify the impact on their quality of life. Users can turn this into a downloadable report that can be sent to healthcare providers to help explain how the symptoms are affecting them. Plus, the Oura app will integrate with various healthcare providers including Evernow, Maven and Progyny to get guidance on treatment including hormone therapy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/oura-rolls-out-new-features-for-pregnancy-and-perimenopause-130000405.html?src=rss 

Epic has spent the last five years fighting Apple’s in-app purchase policies. Now, after half a decade, the Epic Games Store and Fortnite will once again be available on iOS in Australia. A judge has found Apple’s conduct likely diminished competition, in part for not allowing alternative payment methods, the Australian Financial Review reports.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Epic announced, “An Australian court just found that Apple and Google abuse their control over app distribution and in-app payments to limit competition. There are 2,000+ pages of findings that we’ll need to dig into to fully understand the details. This is a win for developers and consumers in Australia!” 

Epic started this battle when it bypassed Apple’s in-app purchasing method, using its own. The move meant Apple lost its 30 percent cut of all sales. Apple banned Epic and a lengthly legal back-and-forth followed. In April, a judge in the US ruled that Apple could no longer collect commissions on purchases not paid through the App Store. Epic Games and Fortnite returned to the US App Store in May.

It’s unclear when exactly Epic Games and Fortnite will return to iOS in Australia and if this battle is finally coming to an end. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnite-is-coming-back-to-ios-in-australia-after-legal-win-against-apple-120041043.html?src=rss 

Elon Musk has accused Apple of committing an “unequivocal antitrust violation” by favoring OpenAI in the App Store rankings. In a post on X, he claimed that Apple has made it impossible for other AI companies to reach number one in those rankings and that xAI “will take immediate legal action.” Musk didn’t clarify what he meant by that, and he also didn’t provide evidence that would prove Apple’s supposed antitrust violation. 

In an earlier post on X that’s currently pinned to the top of his profile, however, he tagged Apple, asking the company why it “[refuses] to put either X or Grok in [its] “Must Have” section. He said X is “the #1 news app in the world,” while Grok is ranked number five among all apps. “Are you playing politics? What gives?” he continued. We’ve asked Apple for a comment, but the company has yet to respond. 

Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted a response to Musk’s accusation on X, calling it a “remarkable claim,” given that he has heard allegations that Musk manipulates “X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn’t like.” To note, Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek became the top-rated free app on Apple’s App Store back in January, overtaking even ChatGPT. 

While Musk didn’t mention it, Apple has an ongoing partnership with OpenAI. The company has integrated ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence to power cloud-based queries for its platforms. More recently, the company said that Apple Intelligence will leverage the capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT-5 in iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26, which are set to arrive sometime in September. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/elon-musk-feels-apple-favors-openai-over-xai-in-app-store-rankings-123034234.html?src=rss