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Plugable 2M USB-C Cable's integrated design keeps your desk clean and your network connection rock solidPlug-and-play support across platforms makes this cable perfect for quick, hassle-free setupsThe cable works, but hardware compatibility and mobile OS limits may kill the experience earlyPlugable has revealed the USB-C-E1000-2M, a $20 USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet cable that provides a longer wired network connection without the need for dongles, fragile ports, or unreliable Wi-Fi.It’s designed to connect smartphones and tablets to wired Ethernet networks, offering a more stable connection for accessing network storage systems or working with NAS devices.That said, it’s a fairly niche product - its usefulness depends more on specific workflows and hardware compatibility than on the cable itself.Plug-and-play simplicity or repackaged utility?At its core, the USB-C-E1000-2M is a 2-meter cable with a USB-C plug on one end and a Gigabit Ethernet connector on the other. Unlike typical adapters or dongles, it combines both ends into a single cable.Plugable says this design helps prevent common issues like loose connections, port wear, and signal drops caused by poorly seated dongles. It also reduces clutter, which is helpful in clean desk setups or shared workspaces.The cable uses the Realtek RTL8153E chipset, a widely used and reliable component also found in many cheaper adapters.While the 2-meter length offers added flexibility for layout and placement, it doesn’t improve performance or add new features beyond what standard adapters already provide.For those hoping this cable will turn a phone or tablet into a fully integrated part of their home network, transferring large files to portable hard drives or syncing data to NAS systems, the experience might not be seamless.The hardware allows the connection, but how well it works depends on the device, OS, app permissions, and NAS compatibility.It works with Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux without needing additional drivers. Android compatibility varies depending on the device, and iOS support is still limited to specific scenarios.Priced at $19.95 with a limited-time discount, the USB-C-E1000-2M is affordable, but not essential for most users. It solves a problem many don’t think about until Wi-Fi goes down, but whether that makes it worth buying depends entirely on your setup.You might also likeThese are the best NAS devices aroundWe've also rounded up the best cloud storage platforms on offerThis tiny NAS can store up to 32TB of super-fast SSD data and comes with a VPN server

At the start of last year, Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini told The Verge the company was "very focused on testing" generative AI tools for subtitling and captioning speech to text. The comment came just months after the streamer temporarily took down the debut episode of one of its newest shows, The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons, after people complained about poor subtitles.

Much of the translation was nonsensical, with missing punctuation in many sentences. At the time, some fans speculated the company had used AI to translate the episode. Earlier this week, fresh accusations of AI use came up when an episode of new anime showed evidence ChatGPT was used to write the subtitles.

Igor Bonifacic for Engadget

On July 1, Bluesky user Pixel spotted an issue with the German subtitles for Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show, one of the new series Crunchyroll is streaming this anime season. Beyond a general sloppiness, one line began with the words "ChatGPT said..." during a pivotal scene in the show's debut episode. Engadget was able to independently verify the episode contains the AI-generated translation. If you're curious, the English subtitles aren't much better, as seen in the screenshots above and below.

"We were made aware that AI-generated subtitles were employed by a third-party vendor, which is in violation of our agreement," a Crunchyroll spokesperson told Engadget. "We are investigating the matter and are working to rectify the error."

People were understandably upset about the subtitles. Crunchyroll subscriptions start at $8 per month, and since its acquisition by Sony, service has been the dominant player in the anime streaming market outside of Japan. "This is not acceptable. How can we be expected to pay for a service that clearly doesn't care about the quality of its products?" wrote Pixel in their original post. As of the writing of this article, their post has been quoted more than 300 times and reposted by thousands of other people. Many fans say they're turning to torrented fansubs, calling the official AI-generated translations "unwatchable." People on Reddit have expressed similar frustrations.

Crunchyroll

Ironically, when Purini revealed Crunchyroll was testing generative AI tools for subtitles, he said part of the motivation was to prevent piracy. He reasoned the tech would allow the company to start streaming new, translated anime episodes as close to their original Japanese release as possible, adding the lag between official releases was sometimes what pushed fans to torrent shows.

Update 3:58PM ET: Added comment from Crunchyroll.

Have a tip for Igor? You can reach him by email, on Bluesky or send a message to @Kodachrome.72 to chat confidentially on Signal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/crunchyroll-blames-third-party-vendor-for-ai-subtitle-mess-145621606.html?src=rss

The best value in security cameras is back. This early Prime Day deal has two Blink Mini 2 cameras for only $35. That's half off — and $5 less than you'd usually pay for only one of them. This matches a Black Friday record low for the pair.

The Blink Mini 2 is a recent offering, arriving in 2024. The compact camera has a built-in LED spotlight, a low-light sensor and color night vision capabilities. It supports 1080p live view, which should be plenty sharp enough for regular use. Its field of view is wider than that of the original model. (It's 143 degrees diagonally vs. 110 in its predecessor.)

Being an Amazon product, it's no surprise that it works with Alexa. The camera has two-way audio, so you can chat with your pooch while you're out. It also supports person detection, but you'll need a subscription for that. (They start at $3 per month or $30 per year for one device.)

Although it's primarily an indoor camera, you can also use the Blink Mini 2 outdoors. However, that requires a $10 weather-resistant power adapter. The camera is available in black and white. Both colors are available for the $35 deal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-two-blink-mini-2-security-cameras-for-only-35-in-this-prime-day-deal-201819623.html?src=rss

E Ink, the company behind the highly readable displays you'll find in ereaders the world over, has created a new touchscreen trackpad for some reason. And rather than act as an extension of your laptop's screen, E Ink thinks it should be a dedicated home for AI interactions.

The new touchscreen trackpad appears to use a color E Ink display, not unlike what you'll find on the Kobo Libra Colour or the Kindle Colorsoft, and is supposed to offer the normal swiping, tapping, dragging and clicking functionality of a normal trackpad. When you're not using it like that, E Ink imagines the trackpad offering "second-screen capabilities," like quick access to "frequently used shortcuts and system notifications and GenAI contents like text/image summaries, gaming tactics, or custom AI tasks."

E Ink says it leveraged several different Intel technologies to prototype its AI tools, and it specifically designed the trackpad so it's useable even if your laptop is off. Unfortunately, that doesn't make the idea of cramming a touchscreen into a laptop trackpad any less whack.

E Ink

Using an E Ink display is novel, sure, but plenty of attempts have been made to turn the seemingly untapped resource of the trackpad into another place for content, and none of them have caught on. ASUS in particular has taken multiple bites at the apple with its ScreenPad feature, which it first introduced on the ZenBook Pro 15. The ScreenPad could be an extension of your main display, but it also ran simple apps and widgets. E Ink believes one of the advantages of its trackpad is that it'll consume less power than those previous versions, but was anyone worried about a laptop's trackpad affecting its battery life before they also had to be screens?

Putting a display in a trackpad isn't going to be the reason anyone upgrades to a premium laptop. Beyond that, it's just not intuitive. You have to both learn to look down to see what's on the trackpad and learn not to cover it, something hands naturally do while using a laptop.

If you're not dissuaded, E Ink hasn't actually shared when its trackpad will be available. Given the use of the Intel tech, though, odds are good it shows up in an expensive "AI PC" at some point in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/neither-ai-nor-e-ink-can-make-touchscreen-trackpads-a-good-idea-202505733.html?src=rss

Without a premium SSD, that 40Gbps promise won’t amount to much in real lifeTerraMaster D1 SSD Plus' passive cooling may keep things quiet, but it won’t stop thermal throttling under pressureMac users may be fine, but Windows users should double-check their ports before buyingTerraMaster is preparing to launch the D1 SSD Plus, a portable high-speed SSD enclosure that claims to deliver some of the fastest write speeds seen in consumer hardware.When paired with a Samsung 990 Pro 4TB and tested on an Apple M4 Pro Mac mini, the company says the D1 achieved write speeds of 3,498MB/s and read speeds of 3,641MB/s.“Transfer 3GB files in ~1 second,” the company notes, thanks to a USB4 interface capable of 40Gbps bandwidth.Built for speed, but what about consistency?The transfer speed is impressive on paper, but performance will still hinge on real-world workflows, especially outside tightly controlled benchmarks.The D1 SSD Plus uses a PCIe M.2 2280 NVMe interface and supports SSDs up to 8TB. The enclosure is fanless, relying on a fully enclosed aluminum alloy chassis that reportedly offers three times the usual heat dissipation area.TerraMaster promises silent, stable performance even under full load, but without active cooling, thermal throttling during prolonged operations might still be a factor to consider, especially in mobile editing environments.The device supports Thunderbolt 5/4/3 and USB standards ranging from 4.0 to 3.0.It aims to work seamlessly across macOS and Windows systems, although TerraMaster cautions that “some Windows PCs with Thunderbolt 3 interfaces may have incomplete support for the USB4 protocol,” potentially leading to detection issues.This external SSD comes with built-in safeguards against voltage surges, electrostatic discharge, and short circuits.It also supports TerraMaster’s TDAS app for mobile backup, and TPC Backupper for Windows PCs, both of which offer incremental and differential backup options.This might appeal to those comparing devices for the best portable hard drive, although users seeking simpler plug-and-play options may find the extra steps a barrier.The TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus brings raw speed and utility, yet the very features that make it powerful, like its reliance on top-tier SSDs and compatibility with advanced protocols, also limit its accessibility.You might also likeThese are the best NAS devices aroundWe've also rounded up the best cloud storage platforms on offerEven Donald Trump can't get a good connection for a work video call