Marketers predict the top personalized content trends in 2025 will be AI-powered recommendations and AI-powered visuals, according to a recent survey. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Performance marketing isn't just bottom-funnel. Discover how full-funnel performance marketing enhances every stage, from awareness to conversion, with data-driven insights and optimized touchpoints. Read more. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Sony has used AI to imbue a PlayStation character with the ability to converse with a player, The Verge reports. A source shared a since-deleted video with the publication featuring an AI-powered version of Aloy from Horizon Forbidden West. Engadget viewed the video before it was pulled.
In the demo, Aloy can hold a conversation with voice prompts during gameplay, and respond to questions with a synthesized voice and facial movements. It starts with a delay from Aloy, after being asked how they are, followed by the character stating they are "managing alright, just dealing with a sore throat," a weird aside. The technology appears to work both within a controlled demo as well as the entire Horizon Forbidden West game. During gameplay, Aloy answers queries about where they are and what the time is, though Aloy states it's afternoon and hot, rather than a specific time. After the game, Aloy returns to interview mode and gives an overview of what just happened.
The creepy bit, at least to me, came when Aloy is prompted to say goodbye to the audience and thank everyone. The character does, but the robotic voice creates an eerie vibe.
Sony used a few different models to create this prototype, including GPT-4 and Llama 3 for powering decision making and conversation, along with OpenAI's Whisper allows for speech-to-text. In the demo, Sony reportedly said it is using its own Emotional Voice Synthesis (EVS) system and Mockingbird technology for speech generation and audio to face animation, two technologies that the company hasn't talked about much yet publicly.
NVIDIA and Microsoft have been working on similar technology. The former has used ACE, its suite of technology for enlivening game characters with AI, to create AI-powered conversations for NPCs. Engadgets senior editor, Devindra Hardawar, was far from impressed, stating in January, that seeing several NVIDIA ACE demos back-to-back made me genuinely sick to my stomach.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/sony-demos-an-ai-powered-playstation-character-133052902.html?src=rss
Lena Raine, who composed most of the music for the beloved indie game Celeste, has released a concept album for Earthblade. Extremely OK Games announced in 2022 that it was developing Earthblade as its next project after Celeste, but it ultimately cancelled the project in January this year. Raine wrote in the description of EARTHBLADE ~ Across the Bounds of Fate that she cobbled together "every bit of music [she'd] written for the game to the point of its cancellation in order to tell [her] own version of it." While there's no game to dictate the tracks' sequence for the album, Raine said she arranged them "into the emotional arc of their progression, much like [she] would for any soundtrack release."
The composer cited older animation and film as inspiration for the album, such as the synths and live strings in Joe Hisaishis score for Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, as well as Yoko Kanno's use of saxophones and percussives for Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. In addition to Celeste, Raine also wrote music for the soundtracks of Minecraft and Guild Wars 2.
Earthblade was supposed to be a 2D exploration-action game, wherein you play as Névoa, an "enigmatic child of Fate" who's returning to Earth. "Noel and Ibegan to reflect on how the game has felt for us to work on day-to-day, and realized that it has been a struggle for a long time," studio director Maddy Thorson said when Extremely OK cancelled the game. Programmer Noel Berry and Thorson parted ways with Extremely OK co-founder Pedro Medeiros last year, but Thorson said in her announcement of Earthblade's cancellation that Medeiros and the team for his new project "aren't the enemy."
You can now purchase the album for $7 from Bandcamp.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/lena-raine-released-a-soundtrack-for-celeste-studios-cancelled-follow-up-game-earthblade-120029888.html?src=rss
At the risk of repeating myself from Engadget's MacBook Air M1, M2 and M3 reviews: The M4-equipped MacBook Air is a nearly flawless ultraportable. Even better, it now starts at $999, which is $100 less than before. While I'd still like to see more ports and a faster screen refresh rate, the MacBook Air still remains heads and shoulders above the competition. And when companies try to one-up Apple, as ASUS did with its 2.2-pound Zenbook A14, it only proves how much better-designed Apple's hardware actually is.
It's easy to take the MacBook Air for granted, since its design hasn't changed since the M2 model arrived in 2022. It's still a remarkable machine today, one that's fast, light and well-built. The only major downside is that there's a bit of a learning curve for Windows users jumping ship for the first time. But aside from that, the MacBook Air is a no-brainer purchase if you're looking for a new ultraportable.
Hardware
Once again, both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models feel impressively thin (measuring 0.44 inches thick) and light, weighing in at 2.7 pounds and 3.2 pounds, respectively. Last year, I noted "Its unibody aluminum case feels as smooth a river stone yet as sturdy as a boulder. It's a computer I simply love to touch." All of that remains true with the M4 models.
In fact, it's even more impressive that Apple holds such a commanding design lead when competitors have had a chance to catch up. As much as we like the Surface Laptop, XPS 13 and ASUS' Zenbook S14, Apple still maintains a level of polish that PC makers can't quite match. The MacBook Air's case feels more luxurious than the rest, its keyboard is a dream to type on and it has one of the best trackpads around. (And before you go calling me an Apple fanboy, I'm still primarily a Windows desktop user.)
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Apple's M4 chip which sports a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine (or what you'd call an NPU in a PC) is the main upgrade with these new MacBook Airs. It's also worth noting that the base $999 13-inch model has a slightly slower 8-core GPU, which will slightly hamper gaming and media creation performance. Aside from a new Sky Blue option, there aren't any physical design changes. Apple also upgraded the webcam to a new 12-megapixel Center Stage shooter, which could be particularly helpful if you want to show off the contents of your desk. (More on that later.)
The 13-inch MacBook Air features a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, which practically feels like a 14-inch screen, while the larger model has a 15.3-inch display. They're still limited to 60Hz an annoyance since plenty of PC ultraportables are shipping with faster and smoother screens but they're impressive displays nevertheless, with support for the P3 wide color gamut and 1 billion colors. Both screens can also reach up to 500 nits of brightness, which is enough to be usable on a sunny day.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
In use: Fast and light
Both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs handled my basic workflow without a sweat: juggling browsers with a ton of open tabs, Slack, Spotify, messaging apps and the Pixelmator photo editor. But that was no surprise, as the previous models were similarly zippy. Still, after testing the sluggish Zenbook A14 recently, it felt refreshing to be using laptops that seemed eager to get to work.
I couldn't actually feel a difference with the jump to the M4 chip, but according to the Geekbench 6 benchmark, its 19.5 percent faster than the M3 for single-threaded tasks, and 21 percent faster for multi-threaded tasks. That's a typical incremental jump for CPU improvements, so I won't knock Apple too much there. The M4's GPU gains were far less impressive, scoring just 6 percent higher than the M3 in the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme benchmark and 16.3 percent better in the Geekbench GPU test.
Geekbench 6 CPU
Geekbench 6 GPU
Cinebench 2024
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
3,784/14,745
36,273
172/660 GPU: 3,465
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4, 2025)
3,874/14,873
36,131
171/748 GPU: 3897
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
3,190/12,102
30,561
N/A
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4, 2024)
3,797/14,571
37,869
172/979 GPU: 3770
Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite)
2,797/14,400
19,963
123/969 GPU N/A
You likely won't be doing much serious creative work on the MacBook Air, especially since there's no fan to cool things down. But you can still squeeze out a bit of performance in a pinch. I was able to transcode a 4K clip to 1080p in 27 seconds using the M4's CPU in Handbrake, while using the GPU took just 17 seconds. In comparison, the Dell XPS 13 Copilot+ system took 32 seconds with its CPU and 24 seconds with its GPU.
The graphically intense Lies of P ran at a smooth 60 fps in 1080p with high settings. That was also true of the M3 MacBook Air, but this time around the performance seemed a bit more consistent. While I'd never recommend buying a MacBook Air with gaming in mind, it's nice that it can handle a bit of playtime, at least.
While jumping between the 13-inch and 15-inch models, I found a lot to like about them both. The smaller one is definitely easier to travel with, but I also loved the immersive screen on the 15-inch. Ultimately, choosing between them comes down to what's most important to you.
Similarly, the leap to a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera isn't exactly Earth-shattering, but I appreciated having a slightly better picture during video call. I typically turn off the actual Center Stage feature on Macs, but I'm sure some will appreciate its ability to track you around a room. The new camera also supports Desk View, which projects a slightly skewed view of the area directly in front of the MacBook Air.
As for battery life, both MacBook Air models lasted for more than 18 hours while playing an HD video. The 13-inch Air lasted for 18 hours and 15 minutes, while the 15-inch notebook went for 18 hours and 23 minutes.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
How can Apple improve the MacBook Air?
As much as I love the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, there are still plenty of ways Apple can refine them down the line. As I mentioned above, it'd be great to have higher refresh rate displays, which makes scrolling through documents far easier on your eyes. And while I don't need Apple to go all-out with ports, it'd be nice to have at least one USB-C connection on the right side of the Air to allow for easier charging. Right now, you're stuck with a MagSafe charging port and two USB-C connections on the left side.
Of course, I don't really expect Apple to actually deliver those upgrades anytime soon. I'd bet the company would nudge more demanding users to the $1,599 14-inch MacBook Pro, which has a ton of ports and a high refresh rate ProMotion screen. Still, a geek can dream.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Should you buy the M4 MacBook Air?
If you can't tell by now, I think the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air are the ideal ultraportables for most people. So sure, if you're in the market for a sleek laptop, they're worth considering. And if you're a Windows user who's hesitant to make the jump, I'd recommend trying an Air for a while. It's not that hard to learn the basics of macOS, and if you're not satisfied you can always return it (just be sure to double-check retailer return policies).
While I'd bet most users would be fine with the base $999 13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage, it may be worth jumping up to the $1,199 model with a 10-core GPU and 512GB SSD if you plan to do light media work. Or just jump straight to the $1,199 15-inch model, which comes with a 10-core GPU.
As usual, I'd also recommend avoiding paying Apple's absurd upgrade fees for components. If you're considering spending $400 more for 32GB of RAM, you should probably be considering a MacBook Pro instead. If you're looking to save some cash, several retailers are still selling the M2 MacBook Air at a steep discount of $700. Even though it's an older chip, that laptop could still serve most users well for several years (just make sure you're getting 16GB of RAM).
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Wrap-up
Once again, the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air are basically everything we want from ultraportable notebooks. Theyre zippy, wonderfully light and can last well beyond a full day of work. While the M4 chip isnt a transformative upgrade, it helps Apple keep pace with evolving PC notebook chips. And now that the MacBook Air starts at $999, even Windows users should consider making the jump.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apple-macbook-air-m4-13-inch-and-15-inch-review-minimal-upgrades-at-a-much-better-price-130002570.html?src=rss
Ford says it's done sending out all the complimentary NACS adapters that 140,000 EV customers in the US had reserved. The automaker announced in 2023 that it was working with Tesla to give Ford EV owners access to tens of thousands of Superchargers across the US and Canada. In 2024, Ford's EVs became the first non-Tesla vehicles to be able to access Superchargers. However, since Ford EVs come with Combined Charging System (CCS) ports, they need North American Charging System adapters to be able to plug into Supercharger stations.
The automaker gave new and current members of it BlueOval Charge Network in other words, everyone who purchased it EVs complimentary NACS adapters until June 30, 2024. Now, it has finished sending out the free adapters to everyone who asked for it. Those who need one will have to purchase the Ford Fast Charging Adapter, which "unlocks access to a vast network of DC fast charging stations using the North American Charging Standard (NACS)," for $200. Ford was planning to make the switch to built-in NACS ports for this year's EV models, but it's now unclear if that will happen, seeing as the 2025 model Mustang Mach-E still comes with a CCS port.
Ford has also announced that its BlueOval Charge Network now includes 180,000 chargers at more than 50,000 locations, which translates to a 40 percent increase from the beginning of 2024. Like other automakers making the switch to electric, Ford is making an effort to expand charging availability. The hope is that wider access to chargers can help assuage range anxiety and encourage more people to buy electric. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ford-says-its-done-sending-out-all-its-complimentary-nacs-charging-adapters-120020255.html?src=rss
The Justice Department said in a filing that Google will have to break up its network of myriad, overlapping businesses and services, upholding the previous administrations proposal.
The DOJ reiterated Google will have to sell the Chrome browser saying, last year, that selling off Chrome will permanently stop Googles control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet.
Google is likely to file its own alternate remedies, of course. In a December filing, the company said the Justice Departments original remedies went overboard and reflected an interventionist agenda.
But Google is huge, and the DOJ is trying to grasp how its parts intermingle and make it less monopolistic. It dropped a Biden-era proposal requiring Google to sell AI startup stakes. Instead, Google must now notify officials before making AI investments. Early 2025 reports say Google has thrown another billion dollars at Anthropic.
The company gave funds to both Trumps presidential campaign and his inauguration so it might be frustrated its donations arent working.
Mat Smith
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Watch the predictably cinematic 10-minute trailer for Death Stranding 2
My feels!
Engadget
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is coming to PlayStation 5 on June 26. At SXSW, creator Hideo Kojima and his Kojima Productions dropped a 10-minute trailer. The trailer reveals Death Stranding 2 takes place 11 months after the creation of the United Cities of America. As previous glimpses have shown, there are familiar Hollywood faces, new stars, new creepy adversaries and AOT-style giants to fell.
Continue reading.
Apples smarter, more personal Siri gets delayed further
New features are taking longer to complete than expected.
Apple is delaying its updated version of Siri that understands personal context and can act inside apps, according to a statement published at Daring Fireball. The company says upgraded Siri features will roll out in the coming year. Yeah, a little vague.
A revamped, more powerful Siri was a core part of Apples original pitch for Apple Intelligence. Way back when the company first detailed its plans, it claimed Siri would not only understand whats happening on your phone but also be able to take action in apps for you. It teased some agentic features, as teased by Amazons upgraded Alexa and even Rabbits AI assistant R1, which is only just warming up to delivering on those capabilities.
Continue reading.
iPad Air M3 review
It's a modest update that's still easy to recommend.
Engadget
The iPad Air once again hits the sweet spot in Apples tablet lineup, offering a lot of additional features over the basic iPad while keeping the price down. Its the most affordable large-screen iPad, the chip is powerful and its better in every way to the base iPad.
Continue reading.
Would you rent a PS5?
Sony is using a third-party partner to offer leased consoles in the UK.
Were over four years into the current generation of consoles (which is probably past the halfway point), but perhaps not everyone has a PS5. Sony has teamed up with a leasing company called Raylo to offer a PS5 rental service in the UK via the countrys PlayStation Direct website.
Leases for the PS5 Digital Edition, the version with a disc drive and the PS5 Pro are available on 12-, 24- or 36-month agreements or a rolling monthly contract. The longer a term you lock in, the lower the monthly price. A 36month agreement for a PS5 Digital Edition costs 11 (around $14) per month. A rolling contract for the PS5 Pro, however, will run you a whopping 35.59 (nearly $46) per month. At the end of that, youd return the console, but hey, youd be primed for the PS6 launch, possibly?
Continue reading.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111535558.html?src=rss
Bluesky continues to beef up its video capabilities. The apps latest update adds support for uploads of up to 3 minutes, a notable expansion from its previous limit of one minute. The change should give video creators on Bluesky much more flexibility in what they can post. It will also likely be appreciated by fans of Flashes, the new Bluesky-based photo and video app.
The update also brings some much needed inbox-management tools to Bluesky DMs, with the addition of a new requests section for incoming messages from users you dont know. Youll also now be able to reject incoming chats, which should help reduce the number of spammy DMs that have been flooding many users inboxes in recent weeks.
The latest Bluesky update rolled out as CEO Jay Graber appeared onstage at SXSW for a keynote about the growing decentralized social media platform, which has just under 33 million users. Graber, who was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a Latin slogan mundus sine caesaribus (a world without Caesars) an apparent play on Mark Zuckerbergs affinity for Roman Empire-inspired attire spoke about why Bluesky is billionaire-proof compared with other apps.
Zuckerberg's shirt translates to "All Zuck or all nothing." Graber's says "A world with no Caesars." Screenshot via X
If a billionaire came in and bought Bluesky or took it over, or I decided tomorrow to change things in a way that people really didn't like, then they could fork off and go on to another application, she said. That openness guarantees that there's always the ability to move to a new alternative, still using the same network. There's much less tolerance in the ecosystem for a very heavy-handed change.
She also opened up about how Bluesky is thinking about its business model and generative AI. On the business side, she once again said the company is exploring subscriptions as well as paid developer services for those who build experiences on top of Bluesky. In a similar vein, she also said the company was considering how it could eventually turn some of its features, like moderation services or custom feeds, into a marketplace where the company may get a cut of potential transactions.
When it comes to large language models, she said the company was working with some partners on developing a framework for user consent, for how they want their data to be used for generative AI.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/bluesky-adds-3-minute-video-uploads-and-inbox-management-features-220317950.html?src=rss
It took a few years of dealing with poorly optimized handheld PCs, but Windows Central reports Microsoft may finally be working on an Xbox handheld. The company could announce an Xbox-branded portable device as early as this year, though it sounds like it won't come from Microsoft directly.
Instead, the company is partnering with a PC maker already working in the gaming space to build a handheld, Windows Central writes. The device, codenamed "Keenan," will feature Xbox design elements, an "official Xbox guide button" and will likely run Windows 11. Given the clunky experience of navigating Windows on the handhelds you can buy today, the real hope is that Xbox's take will include a launcher or new way of using the desktop OS that's fit for a controller instead of a mouse. The big advantage SteamOS has over Windows is that you never have to interact with a desktop environment if you don't want to.
These rumored plans might line up with what Microsoft's VP of "Next Generation" Jason Ronald shared at an AMD and Lenovo event from CES 2025 called "The Future of Gaming Handhelds." According to The Verge, Ronald said that Microsoft wants to bring "the best of Xbox and Windows together." The company hopes to simplify Windows and make it using it more console-like for handhelds. "I think well have a lot more to share later this year," Ronald said.
Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, has expressed interest in handheld devices before and said the company was experimenting with prototypes. It seems like at least for now, though, Microsoft is borrowing Valve's approach and making a handheld-friendly version of its operating system available for other PC makers to use.
That doesn't mean there won't be a first-party handheld in the future. Windows Central's report mentions that there's a successor to the Xbox Series X, new internet-connected controllers and an official Xbox gaming handheld, all tentatively slated for 2027.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/the-first-xbox-handheld-might-not-come-from-microsoft-220043843.html?src=rss
Apple is planning to dramatically rethink the look and feel of its operating systems with the introduction of the next version of iOS, iPadOS and macOS, according to Bloomberg.
The redesign is meant to make using the company's software more consistent, and will impact "the style of icons, menus, apps, windows and system buttons," Bloomberg writes. The changes may take loose inspiration from visionOS, the mixed-reality operating system of the Vision Pro. The headset featured a slightly different style from Apple's other software, with a focus on translucency, floating interface elements and rounded app icons.
As Bloomberg notes, Apple hasn't dramatically rethought the look of any of its software since iOS 7 and macOS Big Sur, so tweaks would be notable. When it was released in 2013, iOS 7 was the first version of the iPhone's operating system overseen by former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, and when Big Sur came out in 2020, it was the first version of macOS to run iPad apps and work on Apple's custom silicon. There don't seem to be any equally big shifts paired with iOS 19, iPadOS 19 and macOS 16, beyond the company's ongoing work on Apple Intelligence, which isn't available in all of its apps yet.
Apple Intelligence was introduced alongside iOS 18 and includes a host of new AI-powered features for working with audio, images and text, on top of a revamped version of Siri that can use apps for you. Most of those features shipped though not at launch save for the new Siri, which Apple recently announced will now be available "in the coming year."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-is-reportedly-planning-a-major-redesign-for-ios-19-and-macos-16-202804091.html?src=rss
