New York governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation on Friday aimed at holding large AI developers accountable for the safety of their models. The RAISE Act establishes rules for greater transparency, requiring these companies to publish information about their safety protocols and report any incidents within 72 hours of their occurrence. It comes a few months after California adopted similar legislation. But, the penalties aren't going to be nearly as steep as they were initially presented when the bill passed back in June. While that version included fines of up to $10 million dollars for a company's first violation and up to $30 million for subsequent violations, according to Politico, Hochul's version sets the fines at up to $1 million for the first violation, and $3 million for any violations after that. In addition to the new reporting rules, a new oversight office dedicated to AI safety and transparency is being born out of the RAISE Act. This office will be part of the Department of Financial Services, and issue annual reports on its assessment of large AI developers. Hochul signed two other pieces of AI legislation earlier in December that focused on the use of the technology in the entertainment industry. At the same time, President Trump has been pushing to curb states' attempts at AI regulation, and signed an executive order this month calling for "a minimally burdensome national standard" instead.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/governor-hochul-signs-new-yorks-ai-safety-act-220503930.html?src=rss
Faraway road trips just got a lot easier, at least for the passengers. Sony Honda Mobility, the joint venture between the two Japanese conglomerates created to produce electric vehicles, announced that its Afeela EV will come with PS Remote Play. While playing video games in a car may be a niche feature, it means drivers will have something to do when parked, and passengers can chip away at their favorite RPGs during long drives.
According to the announcement, the Afeela will be able to run your PS5 and PS4 consoles remotely through the infotainment system's integrated display. You can even grab your DualSense controller from home and get right back into the game after jumping in your Afeela. Sony Honda Mobility said a 5Mbps broadband connection is required to play, and a 15Mbps rate will deliver a smoother experience.
It's not the first time we're hearing about PS Remote Play in an EV. The joint venture previously showed off the Afeela 1, which is set for its first deliveries in 2026, and its ability to remotely play PlayStation titles at CES 2024. As for gaming in EVs overall, Tesla famously offered Steam support for its Model S and X, but later removed this feature.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/sonys-first-ev-with-honda-will-let-you-remotely-play-ps5-in-your-car-202359091.html?src=rss
Gamers who prefer physical copies of their favorite titles may be getting a major win with the Switch 2. In an unexpected announcement from retro video game publisher ININ Games, Nintendo reportedly has "two new smaller cartridge sizes" for its Switch 2 console. For ININ Games, these rumored game cartridges with smaller storage capacity allow the publisher to recalculate production costs and pursue a physical Switch 2 release of its upcoming R-Type Dimensions III.
ININ Games later deleted its posts mentioning these smaller Switch 2 cartridges and issued a correction on its website and social media pages. However, the publisher reiterated that R-Type Dimensions III will be released on a physical cartridge, but that "no further technical details regarding cartridge specifications have been officially confirmed."
"There has been no official announcement or confirmation from Nintendo concerning cartridge storage capacities," ININ Games said in a statement. "Any references to specific storage sizes should not be interpreted as official information from Nintendo."
If we're reading between the lines, ININ Games may have been early to tease a crucial detail about Switch 2 cartridges that Nintendo wasn't officially ready to reveal yet. For more context, Nintendo reportedly only offers physical game cartridges for Switch 2 with a 64GB capacity. With less demanding games like R-Type Dimensions III, that much storage capacity could be unnecessary and raise production costs. Nintendo still hasn't made an announcement about these potential smaller cartridges, but we could see a lot more game publishers opting for physical copies of their upcoming games if they are indeed an option.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/game-publisher-says-cheaper-switch-2-cartridges-are-coming-in-since-deleted-post-191145230.html?src=rss
If you still haven't bought into the Steam Deck craze, it'll cost you a little extra to take the plunge now since Valve is only offering OLED models. Valve announced in a note on its Steam Deck page that it's "no longer producing the Steam Deck LCD 256GB model," adding that "once sold out, it will no longer be available." As of this article's publishing, the $399 Steam Deck with LCD and 256 GB of storage, which we ranked as the best gaming handheld for most, is out of stock. Even Valve's refurbished stock of LCD models has been cleared out.
The OLED version of the Steam Deck is a worthy upgrade since it comes with a longer battery life and a larger display with a higher refresh rate. However, the LCD model offered an impressive entry price for the Steam Deck and the world of affordable gaming handhelds. Fortunately for existing owners, Valve said it plans to continue supporting the LCD models with future software updates.
For now, potential buyers will have to choose between the new entry-level pricing of $549 for the OLED model with 512GB of storage or upgrading to 1TB and paying at least $649. Valve's choice to discontinue its last remaining LCD model isn't surprising after it did the same with the 512GB version and the 64GB option that was available when the Steam Deck was first released in 2022.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/valve-discontinued-the-last-remaining-lcd-model-of-the-steam-deck-171548195.html?src=rss
Google wanted to remove Assistant from most Android phones by the end of 2025 and replace it with Gemini. But now the company has announced that it needs a bit more time to make its AI assistant the new default digital helper for most of its users. Google said that it's adjusting its previously announced timeline to "make sure [it delivers] a seamless transition" and that updates to convert Assistant to Gemini on Android devices will continue into the next year. The company also said that it's sharing more details in the "coming months," so it's possible that the transition will go past early 2026.Assistant's retirement was pretty much expected the moment Google launched Gemini and started giving it Assistant's capabilities, such as the ability to control smart devices connected to your phone. It launched the Pixel 9 Series with Gemini as the default assistant back in 2024. The company has also been putting Gemini in all of its products and previously said that it plans to upgrade all "tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches" with the AI-powered chatbot. Devices do have to meet a few minimum requirements to get the upgrade, however, and must be running Android 10 and come with 2GB of RAM at the very least.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-assistant-will-stick-around-a-bit-longer-than-expected-for-some-android-users-130000178.html?src=rss
Anthropic is finally letting more people use Claude in Google Chrome. The company's AI browser plugin is expanding beyond $200-per-month Max subscribers and is now available to anyone who pays for a Claude subscription. The Claude Chrome plugin allows for easy access to Anthropic's AI regardless of where you are on the web, but its real draw is how it lets Claude navigate and use websites on your behalf. Anthropic says that Claude can fill out forms, manage your calendar and email and complete multi-step workflows based on a prompt. The latest version of the plugin also features integration with Claude Code, Anthropic's AI coding tool, and allows users to record a workflow and "teach" Claude how to do what they want it to do.Claude in Chrome is now available to all paid plans.Weve also shipped an integration with Claude Code. pic.twitter.com/VLpB1qCntT Claude (@claudeai) December 18, 2025
Before agents were the buzzword du jour, "computer use," the ability for AI models to understand and interact with computer interfaces, was a major focus at Anthropic and other AI companies. Now computer use is just one tool in the larger tool bag for agents, but that understanding of what digital buttons to click and how to click them is what makes Claude's Chrome plugin possible.OpenAI and Perplexity offer similar agentic capabilities in their respective ChatGPT Atlas and Comet browsers. At this point the only AI company not fully setting its AI models loose on a browser is Google. You can access Gemini in Google Chrome and ask questions about a webpage, but Google hasn't yet let its AI model navigate or use the web on a user's behalf. Those features, first demoed in Project Mariner, are presumably on the way.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/claudes-chrome-plugin-is-now-available-to-all-paid-users-221024295.html?src=rss
Netflix is acquiring Estonian startup Ready Player Me, a company creating "cross-game avatar tech" that allows players to bring their digital personas with them to different games, the company's CEO Timmu Tke shared in a LinkedIn post. The acquisition is part of Netflix's new games strategy, which puts an emphasis on approachable multiplayer titles and adaptations of the streaming service's IP.Ready Player Me's team of around 20 employees will be incorporated into Netflix's staff, TechCrunch writes, though Tke is the only one of the startup's four founders who will continue on after the acquisition. Neither company has shared when the avatar tech will be incorporated into Netflix's games or what games will support the feature when they do. Besides designing its avatar system to be easy for developers to implement in their games, Ready Player Me's big pitch for their system is using AI to automatically redesign avatars for different games' art styles and "automatically fit assets to any avatar rig or topology without manual work."Netflix has taken multiple different approaches to games in the last few years, but lately, the company has actively retreated from AAA development and its more ambitious projects. Other than the premiere of its take on HQ Trivia, Netflix's last few game announcements of 2025 were focused on a collection of streamable party games, and a partnership with FIFA to release a new soccer sim in 2026. All of those projects could support avatars in one form or another, now Netflix just needs to decide how.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/netflix-is-acquiring-game-avatar-maker-ready-player-me-204443001.html?src=rss
It looks like the holidays aren't a bad time to shop for a VPN subscription. ExpressVPN, Engadget's pick for the best premium provider, currently has a less premium price. This deal gives you two years of the Advanced plan (with a bonus of four free months) for only $101. When it isn't on sale, the same subscription would cost $392.
Engadget's VPN guru, Sam Chapman, praised ExpressVPN's service. He described it as "high-performing" and having "very few flaws." The service received high marks for its speeds, easy-to-use interface and global network availability. The only significant mark against it was its relatively high standard pricing. But with this holiday sale, that criticism is (temporarily) null and void.
ExpressVPN recently switched to a multi-tier pricing structure. (That previously mentioned Advanced plan is the mid-range one.) There's a cheaper Basic plan that allows 10 simultaneous devices (compared to the Advanced plan's 12) and doesn't include perks like a password manager. You can also choose the highest-priced Pro plan. It allows for 14 simultaneous devices and adds several extras. You can compare plans on ExpressVPN's website.
When buying a two-year plan, the Basic tier is available for $2.79 per month (78 percent off). The Advanced plan is $3.59 per month (74 percent off). And the Pro plan is $5.99 per month (70 percent off). All three include the bonus of four additional months, giving you 28 total.
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-78-percent-off-expressvpn-two-year-plans-for-the-holidays-194912043.html?src=rss
Behold Mark Zuckerberg: man of principle. Witness the Meta CEO's dedication to the most high-minded of causes: "currying favor with whoever's in charge." In 2013, when Barack Obama was president, Zuckerberg co-founded FWD.us, a pro-immigration advocacy group. For years, he vocally supported providing paths to citizenship for "the most talented and hardest-working people, no matter where they were born." Now, in 2025, with Donald Trump back in power and pushing draconian immigration policies, Zuckerberg's philanthropy organization has officially cut ties with the group. Who says Big Tech executives don't stand for anything?On Friday, Bloomberg reported on the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) severing its ties with FWD.us. Zuckerberg's group provided no funding to the advocacy group for the first time this year. Up to that point, over half of the roughly $400 million donated to the nonprofit since 2013 had come from CZI.In addition, CZI's chief of staff, Jordan Fox, resigned from the FWD.us board. No one else at CZI will fill the vacant slot, another first for the pro-immigration and justice reform advocacy group.In late 2024, Zuckerberg met with Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who reacts to brown-skinned humans being sent to foreign gulags the way my dog responds to a juicy steak. Among other topics during the exchange, Miller reportedly questioned Zuckerberg's ties to FWD.us.Mark Zuckerberg listens attentively to Stephen Miller at Trump's January inaugurationBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty ImagesApparently, his words resonated with Zuckerbergs principles. In January, before Trump was sworn in for his second term, Meta unleashed an overhaul that reads like a Miller wishlist. The company ended its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. That same month, it ditched third-party fact-checkers, calling them "too politically biased." It also changed its policies to allow for "insulting language" on topics of immigration and LGBTQ+ issues. The company even added Trump backer Dana White to its board.It fits a broader pattern of Big Tech bending the knee to Trump."We're in the middle of a pretty rapidly changing policy and regulatory landscape that views any policy that might advantage any one group of people over another as something that is unlawful," Zuckerberg told the New York Times in January. "Because of that, we and every other institution out there are going to need to adjust.""We now have a US administration that is proud of our leading companies, prioritizes American technology winning and that will defend our values and interests abroad," Zuckerberg said in a January investor call. "I am optimistic about the progress and innovation that this can unlock, so this is going to be a big year."What a big year indeed.US Chief Border Patrol Agent, Gregory Bovino and masked ICE agents in New OrleansRyan Murphy via Getty ImagesNow witness the contrasting words of one of Zuckerberg's chief rivals in Silicon Valley. "When you meet these [immigrant] children who are really talented, and they've grown up in America, and they really don't know any other country besides that, but they don't have the opportunities that we all enjoy, it's really heartbreaking, right?" the tech executive said. "That seems like it's one of the biggest civil rights issues of our time."That "rival," of course, was Obama-era Mark Zuckerberg in 2013.Despite the funding setback, thanks to our principled hero, FWD.us will press forward. "We're thankful to our donors, past and present, and so grateful to the many new donors who have stepped up in the past few years and particularly the influx of new supporters we have seen this year," FWD.us President Todd Schulte said in a statement. "This allows us to fight for immigrants under attack today and to build a better approach to immigration and criminal justice reform for many, many years to come."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/mark-zuckerbergs-nonprofit-cuts-ties-with-the-immigration-advocacy-group-he-co-founded-183447900.html?src=rss
Amazon is selling Apple's USB-C Magic Mouse for $68, which is a discount of 14 percent. This isn't a record-low price, but it's darned close. The mouse typically sells for $79, though today's sale only applies to the white model.
It's rare for official Apple accessories to go on sale, and the USB-C Magic Mouse is pretty much a must-have for those working on desktop computers. It's also fairly handy when combined with a laptop, letting folks avoid the trackpad.
As the name suggests, this mouse charges via USB-C. Apple stuck with replaceable AA batteries for way too long, so this change was much appreciated. A charge should power the mouse for around a month, a metric I find to be more-or-less accurate depending on usage.
This is a good mouse, and a great option for Apple devotees, but it's not without its flaws. The biggest one is port placement. The USB-C port is underneath the mouse, rendering it unusable while charging. Bloomberg recently reported that a major redesign is coming for Apple's wireless mouse that should address that issue.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-usb-c-magic-mouse-is-back-on-sale-for-68-175424709.html?src=rss
