 |
|
|
|||||
We joked about "President Musk" shortly after Donald Trump took office, but it turns out that wasn't far from the truth. Over the past few weeks, Elon Musk and his DOGE team wasted no time in trying to dismantle the American administrative state. They've illegally accessed the Treasury Department's federal payment system, pushed for USAID to be dismantled, and have also infiltrated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In this episode, we chat with 404 Media's Jason Koebler about what Musk and his young tech cronies are up to, and how it ties into Silicon Valley's approach to the new Trump administration. Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News! Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Topics Move Fast and Break Things: What is Elon Musks DOGE doing to the United States government? 1:04 iPhone SE 4 announcement expected soon 34:54 Elon Musk makes $97.4 billion offer for OpenAI, Altman declines in a tweet 39:03 France wants to build a gigawatt of new nuclear plants to power AI ambitions 41:27 Working on 44:05 Pop culture picks 44:48 Credits Hosts: Devindra HardawarGuest: Jason Koebler from 404 MediaProducer: Ben EllmanMusic: Dale NorthThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/engadget-podcast-whats-up-doge-diving-into-elon-musks-hack-on-america-123006530.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
TikTok is once again available in Apples App Store and Googles Play Store in the United States. The app disappeared from both Apple and Googles stores January 19, 2025, as a nationwide ban took effect. Briefly. What will ultimately happen to TikTok remains unclear. President Trump wants to strike a deal that will allow the company to remain operational in the US, including arrangements that would give the US government a stake in the company. You know whos probably furious? Every other social media company. Mat Smith Get this delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The biggest tech stories you missed Avowed review: Elder Scrolls? I dont know her Gemini Advanced can now recall your past conversations to inform its responses The OnePlus Open 2 isn't happening this year Apple will introduce its newest member of the family next week On February 19, maybe a new iPhone SE and a 2nd-gen AirTag. Apple In a tweet on Thursday, CEO Tim Cook told Apple aficionados to get ready to meet the newest member of the family. What that product is remains a slight mystery, though we wont have to wait too long to find out. The reveal will take place on Wednesday, February 19. While weve focused on a next-gen iPhone SE, Cooks tweet also featured an animated image of a shimmering Apple logo on what appears to be the outline of an AirTag. There have been rumors for a while that Apple would introduce a second-gen tracker sometime this year. Also: AirTags have changed my life. Or at least stopped me getting locked out of my apartment multiple times in the last few years. Itll be intriguing to see what else a tracker can offer. Please dont make it AI. Continue reading. Honda and Nissan have ended their merger plans No Honsan. No Ninda. The tech love story of 2025 is over. Honda and Nissan have ended merger plans. If theyd gone through with it and also brought Nissan-controlled Mitsubishi on board, the new entity wouldve had a net worth of around $50 billion. The Financial Times reported in early February that Honda presented a new company structure that would make Nissan its subsidiary as a take it or leave it offer. Nissan decided to leave it. Continue reading. Ask Engadget: Where is the best place to buy a cheap iPad? Ask Mat Anything. Thanks to all the early question-askers (hit me up on askmat(at)engadget.com), including a timely question in the face of new Apple hardware. From Matt Ali: Whats the cheapest way to get an iPad? And which one should I get in early 2025? Instead of doing my own research or asking unhinged AI chatbots, I tapped our iPad expert (and reviewer), Nathan Ingraham, for an answer: Engadget Apple hardware is known for being expensive, but the company has a store packed with high-quality refurbished products that can save you some serious cash. Ive bought many devices there over the years and have never had a problem everything is in like-new condition and has the same warranty as a brand-new product. At the time of writing, there are a few good options in Apples refurbished store if you want an iPad nearly as capable as the newest models but want to save some cash. If you want the largest screen possible, you can grab a sixth-generation, 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an M2 chip and 256GB of storage for $979. Considering the latest 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1299, this merits consideration especially if youre an artist who wants a large canvas. If you dont need that large screen, consider the fifth-generation iPad Air. For $529, youll ge an 11-inch display, M1 chip and 256GB of storage. Thats $170 less than the current M2 iPad Air with the same amount of storage. Apples standard iPad is also available refurbished, but you can often find a brand-new version of it on sale on Amazon. Between that and the rumors of a new basic iPad coming this spring, Id avoid this one, for now. If you want to upgrade the storage or get a model with cellular connectivity, that should also be doable for extra cash. For me, 256GB or 512GB is the sweet spot for storage given the ubiquity of the cloud, having a ton of local storage doesnt feel particularly necessary. Similarly, cellular connectivity is probably not worth the extra cash unless you plan to travel with your iPad. Most of the time, you can easily tether an iPad to your phone if you need to get online quickly. But, those refurb options are available if you want them. Thanks Nate! Other tech dilemmas? Modern texting etiquette? The best way to make your wearable nag you into your new year fitness goals? Hit. Me. Up!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121508200.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
TikTok is once again available in Apples App Store and Google's Play Store in the United States. The app disappeared from both Apple and Googles stores January 19, 2025, as a nationwide ban briefly took effect. But though the apps service was quickly restored after President Donald Trump promised not to enforce the ban, the app had remained unavailable for download in US app stores. Apple has now reversed course. Bloomberg reported the company made the decision after a letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump previously told the Justice Department in an executive order to delay enforcing a ban for 75 days. Apple didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. TikTok is now also officially available in Googles Play Store, after the company encouraged Android users to sideload the app. According to Axios, Google was assured by the Justice Department that restoring people's access to TikTok wouldn't violate the law. Its still not clear what will ultimately happen to TikTok longterm. Trump has repeatedly said he wants to strike a deal that will allow the company to remain operational in the US, including arrangements that would give the US government a stake in the company. A number of investors and companies have also proposed offers to take over some aspect of TikTok, though the company hasnt indicated which bids it might be taking seriously.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-back-in-apples-app-store-in-the-us-014013369.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Google is making Gemini just a bit better. Starting today, the company's chatbot will recall past conversations in an effort to provide more useful responses. "That means no more starting over from scratch or having to search for a previous conversation thread," Google explains. "Plus, you can build on top of previous conversations or projects youve already started." Google notes Gemini "may" indicate if it referenced a past conversation to formulate a response. If the idea of a chatbot recalling information about you makes you feel uncomfortable, Google says users can "easily review, delete or decide how long" Gemini retains their chat history. Additionally, it's possible to disable this feature altogether from the My Activity panel. Gemini is not the first chatbot to include a memory feature. ChatGPT will "remember" things about you in certain contexts. For example, I recently asked OpenAI's chatbot a question about Jeff Buckley's vocal range, to which it later asked me if I was a fan of his music. When I said yes, a notification appeared stating "memory updated." More broadly, building chatbots with long, reliable memories is part of the "agentic" AI future many companies, including Google and OpenAI, are building towards. At I/O 2024, for instance, Google debuted Project Astra, which featured a built-in memory, though it was limited to a relatively short window of time and could "mis-remember" things. Gemini's new memory feature has begun rolling out in English to Gemini Advanced subscribers. It will become available in more languages over the coming weeks. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-advanced-can-now-recall-your-past-conversations-to-inform-its-responses-222407226.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
The spiritual successor to Life is Strange is heading to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog as a day-one freebie. The first installment of Dont Nods Lost Records: Bloom & Rage hits Sonys subscription service later this month, along with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and immersive tennis in TopSpin 2K25. In addition, Sony previewed a couple of other cool-looking day-one titles heading to the service before long: Blue Prince and Abiotic Factor. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage tells the story of four high school friends (and punk rockers!) living in a deceptively picturesque Michigan town in 1995. The narrative adventure jumps between that era and 2022 as we gradually peel back the layers of, well, some freaky-ass stuff the girls uncovered. Don't Nod Each timeline gives you more of a glimpse into the life-changing secrets they stumbled upon back when Blues Traveler was on the charts and why theyre reuniting 27 years later. If you were into the Life is Strange series, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage should be right up your alley. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members can claim the game on its February 18 release date. And if you get sucked into the world, you wont have long to wait for the next chapter: It arrives in the April 15 batch of Sonys catalog. EA / Respawn Thats also when Extra and Premium subscribers can claim Respawns Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. The follow-up to Jedi: Fallen Order puts you back in the boots of Cal Kestis as he tries to fend off the Empire and rebuild the Jedi Order. In our 2023 preview, Engadgets Igor Bonifacic found it to be a bigger and better (if perhaps a bit too safe) sequel with larger worlds and new Force abilities to explore, as well as a handy grappling hook to kick it like Bionic Commando. Arriving a bit later is Blue Prince, Dogubombs clever title that takes the escape room concept and expands it into an entire mansion. Set in 1993, you inherit Mount Holly Estate, a sprawling building with a layout that changes daily. You get to choose its room configurations. The mansion has 45 rooms; your challenge is to find the 46th before all of your allotted movements expire. Each door is a decision, the developer promises. And each room you pick adds another layer of strategy, puzzles and exploration to your adventure. PS Plus subscribers can step into the mysterious world of Blue Prince on its release date this spring. Playstack / Deep Field Games Another day-one Plus title, Abiotic Factor is a six-player survival crafting game. Deep Field Games creepy title has throwback graphics and a survival crafting vibe. Up to six players (but you can play solo, too) take on the roles of scientists stranded miles underground in a strange research facility. Caught between paranormal containment failure, a military crusade and chaos from a dozen realms, the worlds greatest minds must survive against the universes biggest threats, the game blurb reads. It arrives as a day-one Game Catalog release this summer. Other titles available for Premium and Extra members on February 18 include Hangar 13s TopSpin 2K25, where you can play as (among others) Serena Williams, Roger Federer or even throwbacks like Maria Sharapova and John McEnroe. The 2021 remake of the 1998 RPG SaGa Frontier is also on tap, as well as narrative sci-fi adventure Somerville, puzzle game Tin Hearts and the medieval slash-em-up Mordhau.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/lost-records-and-blue-prince-are-coming-to-the-playstation-game-catalog-at-launch-213659797.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Sites : [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] next »