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The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is available for just $18 as part of the Prime Day festivities. That’s 49 percent off, as it typically costs $35. This is a record-low price.

The stick made our list of the best streaming devices, and we particularly recommend it for those on a budget. It just gets the job done. The Fire TV Stick HD is easy to set up and provides access to all of the major streaming platforms. It streams content at 1080p and the UI is simple enough to grasp immediately.

It also comes with an updated remote control, which is the same remote that comes with Fire TVs. It allows for voice control, so you can simply ask it to look for something to watch and let Alexa do the rest. It can also control the power and volume on the TV, which is something previous Fire Stick remotes couldn’t do.

The one caveat is right there in the name. This is a stick that supports HD content and cannot stream in 4K. That could be a dealbreaker for some, though the price is most certainly right.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-the-fire-tv-stick-hd-for-only-18-150502169.html?src=rss 

The developer beta for iOS 26 has been out for a few weeks, and as always,tech sleuths are uncovering features and details that weren’t explained during WWDC. Among the latest discoveries stirring up conversation online is a safety and privacy feature for FaceTime that blurs your feed when it detects you in a state of undress. Should FaceTime detect nudity, it will display a message reading “Audio and video are paused because you may be showing something sensitive. If you feel uncomfortable, you should end the call.”

Originally discovered by X user @iDeviceHelpus, the feature is off by default and can be enabled in FaceTime settings under “Sensitive Content Warning.” The feature reads, “Detect nude photos and videos before they are viewed on your device, and receive guidance to help make a safe choice. Apple does not have access to the photos or videos.”It seems the feature is intended for child accounts, though it can currently be enabled in the beta for adults as well.

The Apple support page for the company’s “Communication Safety” features reads, “Communication Safety uses on-device machine learning to analyze photo and video attachments and determine if a photo or video appears to contain nudity. Because the photos and videos are analyzed on your child’s device, Apple doesn’t receive an indication that nudity was detected and doesn’t get access to the photos or videos as a result.”

Features in beta come and go, as testing and feedback are partly the point of the beta system, so this may or may not see broader adoption. The public beta for iOS 26 is slated for July.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/ios-26-can-freeze-your-facetime-video-if-it-detects-nudity-135329941.html?src=rss 

Everyone’s been hit with a bitingly pass-agg “?” text after waiting just a bit too long to reply. And you might soon get similar (though likely more upbeat) treatment from AI chatbots you’ve previously engaged with on Meta platforms like Instagram or WhatApp. A new report from Business Insider claims that the Mark Zuckerberg-owned company is trialling a proactive feature in customizable chatbots created using its no-code AI Studio software, that will enable them to send unprompted follow-up messages based on previous conversations.

Known internally to data labeling firm Alignerr as “Project Omni”, the training project will “provide value for users and ultimately help to improve re-engagement and user retention,” according to guidelines in the documents BI claims to have seen. Meta advertises AI studio as a platform where “anyone can create an AI character based on their interests” and encourages creators to view the bots as an AI extension of themselves. You can customize a chatbot’s appearance, choose the content it’s trained on and decide which Meta-owned application you want it to appear in, all without “any technical expertise.”

According to the BI report, Alignerr’s Project Omni guidelines use the example of a film-focused AI bot it calls “The Maestro of Movie Magic” that might send a user message such as: “I hope you’re having a harmonious day! I wanted to check in and see if you’ve discovered any new favorite soundtracks or composers recently. Or perhaps you’d like some recommendations for your next movie night? Let me know, and I’ll be happy to help!”

As BI notes, there is a business incentive for Meta to keep people engaged with its chatbots. Prolonged engagement is vital for increasing revenue, and this year Meta expects to bring in $2 billion to $3 billion from its generative AI products alone. By 2035, the company estimates that figure could be as high as $1.4 trillion. Those kinds of forecasts will only be possible if its AI tools are being used consistently, so a friendly reminder from a chatbot every now and then feels like an obvious move.

The proactive messages are currently still just a test feature. And while it definitely feels like remembering conversations and initiating new ones without invitation is approaching a user consent gray area, a Meta spokesperson told BI that the AI will only send a follow-up message if a user has first initiated the conversation, and it won’t send another message if the first one is ignored. Responses must also be consistent with the AI’s personality and the nature of the previous conversation, maintaining a positive tone while staying away from controversial or sensitive topics unless the user themself has mentioned them.

Last month, Meta started warning its users not to share intimate details in Meta AI’s public feed after it emerged that a large number of users appeared to be doing so unwittingly.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-is-reportedly-training-its-ai-chatbots-to-send-unprompted-messages-143229039.html?src=rss 

EA’s next Battlefield game is supposedly arriving sometime in spring 2026, but its development is reportedly fraught with issues, leading some of its developers to worry that certain parts of the game won’t be well-received. According to a lengthy Ars Technica piece about the game’s development troubles and problems facing AAA titles’ development as a whole, EA had lofty goals for the next Battlefield (codenamed Glacier) to the point that team members working on the project think they’re near unrealistic. 

The publisher’s executives apparently believed that Glacier could match the popularity of Call of Duty and Fortnite and set a 100 million player target over a certain period of time. An employee told Ars that the franchise has never achieved those numbers before, with Battlefield 2042 getting only up to 22 million players within that same period. The first Battlefield, which was the most successful in the franchise so far, only got to “maybe 30 million plus” within that timeframe. 

One of the reasons why Fortnite has over 100 million active users is because it’s free-to-play. In CoD’s case, well, aside from having free-to-play titles, it’s also the biggest gaming franchise and has a lengthy history, so it’s no surprise that it already has a solid fanbase who would play its latest releases. Players had to pay for previous Battlefield games up front, but executives thought that if EA made Glacier free-to-play like its competitors, it could achieve the same numbers. And that is why the publisher promised a free-to-play Battle Royale mode with a six-hour single player campaign for the upcoming game. 

Ridgeline, the external studio working on the single player mode, however, shuttered in 2024 after working on the project for two years. The studio reportedly found EA’s objectives unachievable, since it was expected to reach milestones in the same rate as more established studios when it didn’t have the same resources. Now, three other EA studios (Criterion, DICE and Motive) are working on the single-player mode. But since they had to start from scratch, single player is the only Glacier game mode remaining that has yet to reach alpha status. 

Due to the wider scope of the next title in the franchise and the issues it has faced, it has become the most expensive Battlefield to date. It had a budget of $400 million back in 2023, but the current projections are now apparently “well north” of that. Whether the next Battlefield launches on time remains to be seen. Ars‘ sources said that if it does ship as intended, they expect some features and content to be cut from the final product. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/eas-next-battlefield-game-may-be-in-trouble-and-over-budget-130046636.html?src=rss 

It’s hot out there, so this might be the perfect time to stay in and binge some TV. Paramount+ is offering one heck of a deal right now for budding couch potatoes, with two months available for just $2. That breaks down to just $1 per month.

This is not just any old discount. It applies to both the ad-supported Essential plan and the ad-free Premium subscription. This saves new users $14 for Essential and a whopping $24 for Premium over two months. I suggest going with Premium because ads suck and you can always downgrade or cancel later once the regular price kicks in.

Paramount+ is a decent service and made our list of the best streaming platforms. It started as a home for all things Star Trek, but that particular bonus is shrinking all of the time. It was recently announced that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will end after a truncated season five, leaving just the forthcoming Starfleet Academy. The third season of Strange New Worlds premieres on July 17. 

It also hosts original programming like the Sonic-adjacent Knuckles TV show and the dad-friendly Tulsa King. Paramount owns CBS, so subscribers can also access much of that network’s programming. This includes stuff like The Amazing Race, Blue Bloods and several CSI entries.

This offer will be available until July 13. There’s just one caveat. Subscriptions will auto-renew if you forget to cancel. Set a reminder to kick in at the end of the second month.

Check out our coverage of the best streaming deals for more discounts, and 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-two-months-of-paramount-for-only-2-right-now-114314871.html?src=rss 

OpenAI has condemned online brokerage firm Robinhood’s sale of “OpenAI tokens,” saying they will not give consumers stock in the company. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it,” the company said in a post on X, adding that the tokens are not equity and that it did not give approval for any transfer.  

The statement addresses a recent move by Robinhood to provide European investors access to what it calls a limited stock token on OpenAI and SpaceX. “These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” Robinhood said in its own X missive. 

So what is a special purpose vehicle (SPV)? Robinhood is suggesting that it owns private shares in OpenAI that it keeps in a separate company, the SPV, to isolate risk. So it’s offering investors a chance to buy tokens (shares basically) in that private SPV and thus indirectly gain access to OpenAI’s private shares that aren’t available to retail investors. 

“They aren’t technically ‘equity’… [but]the tokens effectively give retail investors exposure to these private assets,” Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev wrote in a post on X. “Our giveaway plants a seed for something much bigger and since our announcement we’ve been hearing from many private companies that are eager to join us in the tokenization revolution.”

Such SPVs are fairly common as TechCruch points out, but OpenAI still isn’t happy with Robinhood’s tokens. If you’re an eligible investor thinking of jumping in, keep in mind that SPVs can be overpriced compared to the underlying private stock. In addition OpenAI has an outrageous valuation compared to its earnings and has yet to show how it will achieve its sky-high $125 billion revenue forecast by 2029. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-disavows-online-broker-robinhoods-sale-of-openai-tokens-120033084.html?src=rss 

Amazon Prime Day is back again with a flurry of heavy-hitting sales. There are great deals to be had on small home appliances like the Dyson V15 Detect Plus. Dyson vacuums are not exactly known for being the most affordable.

Advanced designs and brand name recognition make these household gadgets a premium product. That’s why we’re always excited when the best ones receive great sales. The Dyson V15 Detect was our best overall pick for a cordless vacuum in 2025, and it’s getting a huge markdown for Amazon Prime Day. Normally retailing for $750, this powerful cordless model will be on sale to Prime members for just $570, which is only $20 more than its all-time-low price.

We loved the Dyson V15 Detect, and the Plus model on sale during Prime Day is the same vacuum with more accessories. The suction power on the V15 Detect Plus is really impressive, especially for a cordless vacuum. For anyone with pets, good suction should be a strong consideration when selecting a vacuum, and we were thoroughly impressed with the pet hair this model picked up in our tests from both hardwood and carpet.

The Fluffy Optic hard surface cleaning head comes with a laser that illuminates the ground in front of you as you vacuum. It does a frighteningly good job of highlighting just how much dust, hair and other debris have collected on your hardwood or tile floors that you might not have seen. For a shocking look at just how much stuff is on your floors, try vacuuming with the lights off.

The V15 Detect Plus gets its namesake from a handy LCD display screen on the main body of the vacuum that tells you exactly how many particles across different size ranges the vacuum has detected since you started cleaning. In practice, this doesn’t add anything to the functionality of the device, but it sheds a light on just how much stuff you’ve picked up.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-dyson-cordless-vacuum-is-180-off-for-prime-day-121534297.html?src=rss 

Uber drivers in British Columbia, Canada have joined a union and are now seeking the first collective deal for ride-share drivers in the country, according to Bloomberg. Drivers from Greater Victoria, in particular, have joined UFCW 1518, the province’s largest private sector union, which currently represents over 28,000 workers across multiple sectors. “The organizing victory represents a new chapter for app-based workers, demonstrating that all workers deserve a voice in their working conditions, regardless of how technology shapes their workplace,” UFCW 1518 said in a statement. 

The company told Bloomberg that the bargaining unit was certified after enough drivers in Victoria signed union cards. It was made possible by a change of labor laws in the province last year that allowed app workers to unionize. Drivers in the city have been organizing for months to influence their working conditions and have a say in future changes to the ride-sharing platform. Specifically, they’re seeking greater transparency around trip rates and earnings, improved health and safety protections, as well as fair processes when it comes to account deactivations. Uber told Bloomberg that it will now meet with the union to hash out the terms of the collective agreement. 

In 2024, a group in Quebec formed the first union for Amazon warehouse workers in Canada. That group of workers accused Amazon of blocking its organizing efforts, though it eventually succeeded in getting the company to come to the negotiation table. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-drivers-in-british-columbia-canada-have-unionized-122434476.html?src=rss