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When Hades II moves out of Early Access and into v1.0 later this year, Nintendo will have a prime seat at the table. A "Creator's Voice" promo video published on Tuesday (via Kotaku) echoed what developer Supergiant Games posted in a FAQ last week: Switch 2 and Switch will be the only consoles to play the roguelike on out of the gates.

The video's mention of Hades II "launching first for consoles on Nintendo Switch 2" further confirms that PlayStation and Xbox owners will at least have to wait a while before playing the highly anticipated sequel on their systems. That was already established by a Supergiant FAQ update from April 2: "While we haven't ruled out bringing Hades II to any other platforms, our current focus is only on the versions listed above," referencing its Early Access platforms (PC and Mac, via Steam and Epic) and Nintendo's Switch 2 and OG Switch.

This follows a similar pattern to the one the developer used in Hades. It initially launched on PC, Mac and Switch before later landing on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.

Supergiant

The developer laid to rest any concerns that the roguelike won't perform well on Nintendo's platforms. "We have both versions running smoothly at a target 60 frames per second, with the Switch 2 version taking advantage of the bigger, higher-definition 1080p display," Supergiant wrote last week.

We don't know when Hades II, which arrived in Early Access last spring, will jump to v1.0 (apart from a general 2025 window). In February, Supergiant pushed the game's Warsong Update, which added Ares, an updated Altar of Ashes and a final boss fight. A third big patch is also in the works before the sequel is released to the public.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/hades-ii-will-launch-on-switch-2-and-switch-before-playstation-and-xbox-163757321.html?src=rss

A critical flaw was discovered in file transfer tool CrushFTPExperts claim the issue was being abused in the wildCISA added the flaw to its KEV catalog

A critical-severity vulnerability plaguing file transfer software CrushFTP was found being actively exploited in the wild.Earlier this month, it was reported that the software, commonly used by organizations to handle large-scale file transfers, contained an authentication bypass vulnerability which allowed unauthenticated attackers to gain administrative access.By specifically targeting the crushadmin account, threat actors could abuse the flaw to compromise the target system entirely.

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CISA adds it to KEV

The flaw is now tracked as CVE-2025-31161, and was given a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical)It affects CrushFTP versions 10 before 10.8.4 and 11 before 11.3.1. Users are strongly advised to update to these versions immediately, and if they can’t, enabling the DMZ proxy instance can serve as a temporary workaround.Security researchers have warned that the bugs were used in the wild to install remote management tools like AnyDesk and MeshAgent, The Hacker News reported.CISA has also picked up on the news, adding the bug to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (KEV). This means that Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies have a three-week deadline (until April 28) to apply the patch, or stop using CrushFTP entirely.Cybercriminals often target managed file transfer software vulnerabilities, since they could allow access to sensitive corporate files and databases. In fact, one of the most devastating cyberattacks in recent history happened in 2023, when ransomware operator Cl0p abused a previously unknown SQL injection vulnerability in MOVEit managed file transfer software to breach hundreds of corporations around the world.A year before that, GoAnywhere MFT was breached and used to steal sensitive data from almost 130 organizations, and in January 2024, the same software was found to be vulnerable to a critical path traversal weakness flaw.

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Two US Senators have asked tech giants for more information on AI dealsEven partial acquisitions could harm competitionThe FTC also noted potential competition issues

Two tech industry titans that have been the subjects of many an anticompetitive investigation are now being questioned over their partnerships with AI companies.Democratic US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden are reportedly demanding information about the deals Google and Microsoft have with companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence.The concern is that these strong partnerships could impact competition within the industry, violate antitrust laws, and ultimately lead to both fewer choices and higher prices for customers.

Microsoft and Google questioned over AI deals

In question are Microsoft’s deal with OpenAI and Google’s deal with Anthropic, with the Senators seeking financial details of payments made by AI firms to their cloud providers and information on whether the companies have exclusive rights to certain AI models.Warren and Wyden also want to know whether Google or Microsoft have any intentions to acquire their respective AI partners.“Partnerships between CSPs and AI developers, if left unchecked, may accelerate consolidation of the AI sector, ultimately driving up prices and choking off innovation,” the two said in their letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (via Reuters), and in their second letter to Microsoft and OpenAI’s CEOs, Satya Nadella and Sam Altman.This isn’t the first time these specific companies have come under fire for their involvement with leading AI firms.A separate January 2025 report by the Federal Trade Commission had already studied such partnerships, raising concerns about potential acquisitions which could spell out disaster for competition.“As noted in the FTC and Department of Justice (DOJ)’s merger guidelines, even partial acquisitions may present 'significant competitive concerns' because of the effects on firms’ incentives and strategy,” the Senators continue.TechRadar Pro has contacted all four companies for comments and context, but we have not received any responses as yet.Via Reuters

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UK-based Fractile is backed by NATO and wants to build faster and cheaper in-memory AI compute Nvidia's bruteforce GPU approach consumes too much power and is held back by memory Fractile's numbers focused on a cluster of H100 GPU comparison, not the mainstream H200

Nvidia sits comfortably at the top of the AI hardware food chain, dominating the market with its high-performance GPUs and CUDA software stack, which have quickly become the default tools for training and running large AI models - but that dominance comes at a cost - namely, a growing target on its back.Hyperscalers like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta are pouring resources into developing their own custom silicon in an effort to reduce their dependence on Nvidia’s chips and cut costs. At the same time, a wave of AI hardware startups is trying to capitalize on rising demand for specialized accelerators, hoping to offer more efficient or affordable alternatives and, ultimately, to displace Nvidia.You may not have heard of UK-based Fractile yet, but the startup, which claims its revolutionary approach to computing can run the world’s largest language models 100x faster and at 1/10th the cost of existing systems, has some pretty noteworthy backers, including NATO and the former CEO of Intel, Pat Gelsinger.

Removing every bottleneck

“We are building the hardware that will remove every bottleneck to the fastest possible inference of the largest transformer networks," Fractile says."This means the biggest LLMs in the world running faster than you can read, and a universe of completely new capabilities and possibilities for how we work that will be unlocked by near-instant inference of models with superhuman intelligence.”It’s worth pointing out, before you get too excited, that Fractile’s performance numbers are based on comparisons with clusters of Nvidia H100 GPUs using 8-bit quantization and TensorRT-LLM, running Llama 2 70B - not the newer H200 chips.In a LinkedIn posting, Gelsinger, who recently joined VC firm Playground Global as a General Partner, wrote, “Inference of frontier AI models is bottlenecked by hardware. Even before test-time compute scaling, cost and latency were huge challenges for large scale LLM deployments... To achieve our aspirations for AI, we will need radically faster, cheaper and much lower power inference.”“I’m pleased to share that I’ve recently invested in Fractile, a UK-founded AI hardware company who are pursuing a path that’s radical enough to offer such a leap," he then revealed."Their in-memory compute approach to inference acceleration jointly tackles the two bottlenecks to scaling inference, overcoming both the memory bottleneck that holds back today’s GPUs, while decimating power consumption, the single biggest physical constraint we face over the next decade in scaling up data center capacity. In fact, some of the ideas I was exploring in my graduate work at Stanford University will now come to mainstream AI computing!”

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Amazon’s autonomous vehicle company Zoox has begun testing its robotaxis in Los Angeles. It has deployed a small fleet of retrofitted test vehicles throughout the city for the purposes of mapping and data-collection. They won’t be available for public rides just yet.

Lidar, camera, action! LA, we're coming your way. Our test fleet is expanding to the Los Angeles metro area. Give us a wave if you see us around. 🎥🌇🌴Learn more: https://t.co/cLNuc1LuAt. pic.twitter.com/VgwZc8U6oJ— Zoox (@zoox) April 8, 2025

The company is sending out manually-driven Toyota Highlanders at first. These have been equipped with Zoox’s self-driving tech and will gather mapping data. Broader autonomous testing will start in LA this summer. This will happen after the Highlanders gather enough data regarding "driving conditions, potential roadwork, city events" and other potential surprises.

After that, it should send in the actual robotaxis, which operate without a steering wheel or pedals. The vehicles are already being test-driven in several cities but, again, not with commercial passengers. These areas include Foster City, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Zoox says it should begin offering public rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco later this year. It’s also testing manned robotaxi drives in Miami, Austin and Seattle. This is done with a Highlander and a human safety operator behind the wheel.

This expansion is happening just a few weeks after the company issued a software recall on 258 of its vehicles, due to issues with the driving system unexpectedly hard braking. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received two incident reports involving motorcycles crashing into the back of Zoox vehicles due to this hard braking.

Rival Waymo is the only autonomous vehicle company right now that offers actual paid rides. The Alphabet-owned company provides this service in several cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix and Austin. It plans on expanding to Atlanta, Miami and Washington DC in the next two years.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/amazons-zoox-starts-testing-its-robotaxis-in-los-angeles-172605497.html?src=rss

Fans of murderous clicking aliens have a lot to look forward to this year, with not one, but two different Predator titles debuting in 2025. Both projects are being helmed by Dan Trachtenberg, who proved his Predator chops directing the excellent Prey, and is now providing a compelling new chapter for the franchise.

First up is Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated miniseries that will arrive on Hulu on June 6. That anthology dropped a first look trailer today and it's a taste of classic Predator action as the beast hunts down warriors across three different time periods. There are Viking raiders, samurai in feudal Japan and pilots from World War II. I imagine things end badly for the humans in every era.

In a delightful casting choice for 80s action movie appreciators, Killer of Killers includes voice work by Michael Biehn. That means he joins the elite roster of actors who have crossed paths with the trinity of Aliens, Terminators and Predators. Well done, sir.

The second project is a feature film titled Predator: Badlands. This is a sequel to Prey and stars Elle Fanning. But in a twist on the usual formula, the human star isn't trying to kill the Predator, but manages to team up with it. Predator: Badlands will have a theatrical release on November 7.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/watch-the-trailer-for-animated-anthology-predator-killer-of-killers-182933911.html?src=rss

With Nintendo's April 2 Direct showcase over and done, we now know more about the Switch 2 than ever before, including its release date (June 5) and price ($450!). We're also keeping a close eye on how the recently-announced tariffs in the United States are affecting Nintendo's launch plans — the company has already paused pre-orders in the US that were set to take place on April 9.

Thanks to Nintendo's January 16 teaser trailer, we've long known what the Switch 2 will look like, and that it will arrive in 2025 — over eight years after its predecessor. The Nintendo Switch 2 looks very similar to the original system, albeit with a larger display, magnetic Joy-Cons and a sleeker design. The company also reaffirmed that the upcoming console will be backwards compatible with Switch games.

Looking to catch up on everything we know about the Switch 2? Read on.

What are the key new features of the Nintendo Switch 2?

Display and dock

The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 1080p 7.9-inch display with a 120Hz refresh and HDR compatibility. It also supports up to 4K output at 120Hz (with variable refresh rates) when docked.

Joy-Con and Pro Controller

The new Joy-Con 2 for Nintendo Switch 2 attaches magnetically with a button to release them. They have larger SL and SR buttons (the ones hidden when the Joy-Con are attached) to make playing multiplayer games on individual Joy-Cons more feasible. These buttons are also made of steel and attach to the Switch 2's magnets.

The analog sticks are no longer tiny nubs, and are closer in size to the ones you might find on a PS5 or Xbox controller. However, they do not have Hall effect sensors, the use of which can minimize the risk of the "stick drift" issue that plagued the original Joy-Cons.

The Joy-Con 2 have what Nintendo is calling “HD Rumble 2” built in, which seems to be a refinement of the original (and still very good) vibration function. Finally, each Joy-Con 2 has an optical sensor that allows you to use it as a mouse, and a C button, which we’ll get to in a minute.

Nintendo

The new Pro Controller for the Nintendo Switch 2 comes with everything you’d expect based on the refreshed Joy-Con 2: Namely HD Rumble 2 and the C button. There are also remappable GL/GR buttons around the back and a standard audio jack for connecting a headset.

Both options come with Amiibo support built in. The Switch 2 comes with two Joy-Con 2, as you’d expect, and additional pairs are priced at $90. The Pro Controller will cost $80.

The C button stands for “chat”

The new C button is a dedicated way to enter a chat session with friends. As well as the standard features you’d expect from voice chat, Nintendo has built a Discord-like video-sharing feature, which lets you show your gameplay to others and see other people’s screens while you’re playing.

The GameChat function works with a mic built into the console, though headsets are also supported. Nintendo will also sell a $50 camera that plugs into the USB-C port on the top of the console, which will allow you to stream your face along with your game.

Nintendo

GameCube support

The Switch 2 will work with GameCube games via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. The three titles available at launch will be F-Zero GX, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Soul Calibur II.

Improved specs

Perhaps the biggest feature, though, is one you can’t see: The Switch 2 has an all-new processor and GPU and significantly more storage (256GB vs 64GB in the Switch OLED), along with support for faster and more capacious microSD cards. This will obviously lead to better first-party games and upgraded Switch experiences, but more importantly it will mean multi-platform games that had to skip the original, underpowered Switch will be able to be ported over. With games like Cyberpunk 2077 coming to the Switch 2 at launch, it seems like far more ports will be feasible than on the original console.

Another major improvement comes in the form of networking — the Switch 2 supports Wi-Fi 6, which will improve the original's often glacial download speeds. Similarly, the new dock sports an Ethernet port for a rock-solid connection.

What's it like to play?

Nintendo gave the press a chance to check out the Switch 2 and a few of the games it highlighted. You can read our impressions of Mario Kart World as well as more general thoughts on how the Switch 2 feels in person. Right off the bat, Mario Kart World feels like an outstanding launch title, with more depth and better visuals than we've ever seen from a Mario Kart game. The core formula is intact, but there are a lot of new features and play styles to dig into.

As for the Switch 2 hardware, it feels like a major step forward from the original Switch — it has grown up a lot and feels far more polished and refined. And while it may not have an OLED screen, the 7.9-inch LED display Nintendo did use is outstanding.

How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?

The Nintendo Switch 2 will be available for $450 standalone, or for $500 with a bundled digital copy of the new Mario Kart game, Mario Kart World. That’s significantly more expensive than the original Switch, which launched at $300, and has remained at that price ever since. It’s also more expensive than the entry-level current-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft.

The comparison looks a little better up against Valve’s Steam Deck, which costs $400 for the LCD model or $550 for the basic OLED model. The Steam Deck is more affordable than most PC handhelds.

When will the Nintendo Switch 2 come out?

June 5, 2025.

When do pre-orders open for Nintendo Switch 2?

Pre-orders were originally set to begin on April 9, but on April 4 Nintendo announced it was suspending pre-order plans in the US "indefinitely." However, it says that the release date is unchanged.

How long will the Switch 2's battery last?

Nintendo says that the Switch 2 will last between 2 and 6.5 hours on a single charge. This is similar to the original Switch, which was rated for 2.5-6.5 hours, though later revisions upped that figure significantly. The company cautions that "this time is an estimate ... battery life will depend on the games you play and usage conditions."

When can I try the Nintendo Switch 2?

Nintendo is planning a worldwide roadshow to let gamers go hands-on with the console. These events started in New York and Paris on April 4-6, with others taking place throughout the following two months.

Ticket registration for many of the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events has closed, but waitlists are available. However, given that Nintendo is taking a first come, first served approach, your chances of attending the roadshow if you don't already have a ticket (or unless you signed up for the waitlist immediately) seem very small at this point.

The full list of Nintendo Switch 2 Experience dates is as follows:

North America:

New York, April 4-6, 2025

Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025

Dallas, April 25-27, 2025

Toronto, April 25-27, 2025

Europe:

Paris, April 4-6, 2025

London, April 11-13, 2025

Milan, April 25-27, 2025

Berlin, April 25-27, 2025

Madrid, May 9-11, 2025

Amsterdam, May 9-11, 2025

Oceania:

Melbourne, May 10-11, 2025

Asia:

Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025

Seoul, May 31-June 1, 2025

Hong Kong, To be announced

Taipei, To be announced

Is the Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatible?

Nintendo confirmed in November 2024 that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible. It will also feature access to Nintendo Online, so users will be able to play all of those old retro titles.

In the initial Nintendo Switch 2 press release, Nintendo reiterated that physical and digital Switch games will work on the new system. However, it noted that "certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2." We now have more information on which games are working thanks to a guide Nintendo put together.

Nintendo's software compatibility chart on April 2, 2025.Nintendo

As of April 1, the vast majority of Switch 2 games are marked as compatible, but many popular games are said to have some issues. Nintendo has marked most of these as “under investigation,” suggesting a fix may be on the way in time for launch. Nintendo says it is manually testing every Switch game for compatibility.

Only one title is marked as incompatible: Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit. This was part of Nintendo’s Labo range of games that worked with Cardboard accessories, and is incompatible as the Switch 2 doesn’t physically fit in the VR headset.

Will old games be enhanced in any way?

The original Switch has, to put it mildly, struggled to run some of the late-generation software that's come down the pike. Could these games be enhanced to take advantage of the increased horsepower of the Switch 2? That’s unclear. In an “Ask the Developer” page on its site, Nintendo says that old games are working through a real-time translation system, which sounds similar to how Rosetta allows modern Macs to run old software. With that said, the new and old Switch are much closer in hardware than that.

In the same developer interview, it’s said that in its testing of old games for compatibility, there were some occasions “where loading times became faster, or game performance became more stable,” but we don’t have any detail beyond that.

As well as backward compatibility, Nintendo is also offering up premium "Switch 2 Edition" upgrades for a select few games. These have improved resolutions and frame rates, and (in some titles) some bonus features and content. What exactly that means will vary, but Nintendo did confirm that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will have 4K/60 fps and 1080p/120 fps options on the Switch 2.

Games confirmed to have a Switch 2 Edition to date include:

Super Mario Party Jamboree

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

In the case of the two mainline Zelda games, those upgrades will be included with a Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership or cost $10 each. Upgrades for the other games are also paid, but Nintendo has not said how much those will cost.

What will the cartridges taste like?

You may remember that the original Switch cartridges taste absolutely awful. This was on purpose, to discourage folks from putting the games in their mouth.

Similarly, the Switch 2 carts are also said to taste terrible, in large part to stop children or pets from accidentally ingesting them. It is not yet clear what substance Nintendo has coated the Switch 2 cartridges in to make them taste foul, but Nintendo's Takuhiro Dohta advised against licking them all the same.

"We don't want anybody to be at risk of any unwanted consumption," he told GameSpot. "We have indeed made it so that if it enters your mouth, you'll spit it out."

What are the launch games?

We expect this list to change substantially over the coming weeks and months, but the titles currently confirmed to be available on day one follow:

Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster

Cyberpunk 2077

Deltarune

Fast Fusion

Fortnite

Hitman: World of Assassination

Hogwarts Legacy

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

Mario Kart World

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S

Split Fiction

Street Fighter 6

Survival Kids

Yakuza 0: Director's Cut

That's everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 today. We'll update this article with any information we can gather directly from sources. Any changes made to the article after its initial publishing will be listed below.

Update, January 24, 2025, 12:36 PM ET: This story has been updated to include speculation about price, potential game enhancements and the taste of cartridges.

Update, February 5, 2025, 9:30AM ET: This story has been updated to note the time when the April 2 Nintendo Direct starts.

Update, February 24, 2025, 12:30 PM ET: This story has been updated to include speculation about storage and information about the new microSD Express standard.

Update, March 6, 2025, 2:30PM ET: This story has been updated to note recent FCC filings to indicate the presence of Wi-Fi 6 and NFC support.

Update, March 14, 2025, 12:15PM ET: This story has been updated to include pricing and sales speculation from analysts.

Update, March 20, 2025, 12:45PM ET: Updated to include a note about the Seattle Mariners new jersey patches featuring Nintendo and the Switch 2.

Update, March 27, 2025, 3:50PM ET: Updated to add details about the C button, Nintendo Today! and Virtual Game Cards.

Update, April 1, 2025, 10:16AM ET: Updated to add link to livestream and details on its length.

Update, April 2, 2025, 4:40PM ET: Added details from the April 2 Nintendo Direct event, including specifications, price, release date and launch titles.

Update, April 4, 2025, 11:17AM ET: Added details about pre-orders being put on hold.

Update, April 7, 2025, 1:56PM ET: Added details about the Switch 2 cartridges still (reportedly) tasting terrible, the lack of Hall effect sensors in the controllers and game upgrade pricing.

Jeff Dunn contributed to this report.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-updates-release-date-price-new-games-and-everything-else-you-need-to-know-175623042.html?src=rss

Ulefone Armor 30 Pro combines ruggedness with productivityA triple-camera setup in a rugged smartphone isn't that common64MP camera and a 4W speaker reflect a shift in what rugged smartphones aim to offer

The best rugged smartphones often focus on strength and battery life, but in recent years, they’ve started to include features such as portable projectors and even dual displays.The Ulefone Armor 30 Pro is a dual-screen rugged device featuring a 6.95-inch FHD+ main display with a 120Hz refresh rate. On the rear, it sports a 3.4-inch secondary screen with a 960x412 resolution, protected by Gorilla Glass.While the displays can’t be operated independently, both run on Android, and the rear screen allows users to take selfies and video calls using the main camera system.

Big battery and a MediaTek processor

The device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. It supports 5G connectivity and AI-powered features.As with many rugged devices, it houses a large 12,800mAh battery that promises extended usage. It supports 66W fast charging for quick top-ups and offers 10W reverse charging to power smaller devices like smartwatches or earbuds.One major surprise feature is the Ulefone Armor 30 Pro's triple rear camera setup - which is pretty uncommon in this category. It includes a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 64MP infrared night vision camera supported by four IR LED blasters.The Armor 30 Pro is built for more than just survival in harsh environments. It features pogo pin connectors for accessories like endoscopes and microscopes, along with a dedicated shutter button for quickphoto capture.Another unusual inclusion is a waterproof 4W loudspeaker, embedded in the hexagonal camera bump, that's capable of reaching up to 118dB. It’s an unusual choice for a device in this category, suggesting a shift toward entertainment and daily use, making it feel closer to a business smartphone than a traditional field device.While not a typical productivity smartphone, the dual-screen layout and advanced sensor suite elevate its potential as a rugged tablet replacement for those who need portability with function.The Armor 30 Pro will be available from April 14, priced at $379.99 on Aliexpress, $549.99 on the official store, €499.99 on Amazon, 33,015₽ on Ozon, and $499.99 on Mercado Livre.

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If you've been waiting for the right time to try Apple TV+, now may be your best shot. You can snag three months of access to one of our favorite streaming services for only $9.

Apple TV+ includes highly rated original series like Ted Lasso, Severance, Slow Horses, For All Mankind, Foundation and Silo, alongside new arrivals The Studio and Dope Thief. Apple's films include the 2022 Best Picture winner CODA, as well as Blitz, Killers of the Flower Moon and Tetris.

Apple's shows won 10 Emmy Awards in 2024, including a Slow Horses victory for outstanding writing in a drama series. Although its films weren't up for anything at this year's Oscars, it received 13 nominations in 2024, including Best Picture nods for Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon.

Three months of Apple TV+ for $9 is available through April 24. Both new and qualified returning subscribers (which mostly means you aren't billed through your cellular provider or another third party) are eligible. If you don't want to pay full price ($10 monthly) after three months, remember to cancel before the renewal date.

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/entertainment/streaming/three-months-of-apple-tv-is-on-sale-for-only-9-right-now-193009233.html?src=rss

8849 Tank 4 offers a large 11,600mAh battery for enduranceSupports triple rear cameras including night vision8849 Tank 4 supports 66W fast charging and 25W reverse charging

The rugged smartphone market is evolving, with many brands now integrating large batteries and even portable projectors into their devices.Chinese brand 8849 is known for such devices, having previously released models like the 8499 Tank 2 Pro and Tank 3 Pro.The company has now announced the 8849 Tank 4, a business smartphone that features a 100-lumen 720p DLP projector. It supports laser-assisted auto-focus up to 4 meters, micro-laser ranging, night vision camera, and an RGB camping light.

Projector phones are carving a niche

The 8849 Tank 4 sports a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1200 x 2650 and a 120Hz refresh rate. Measuring 174.3 x 85.4 x 23.9 mm and weighing 538g, it is only slightly smaller than the best rugged tablets on the market.This phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chip, paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of internal storage, expandable via TF card.It houses an 11,600mAh battery, which is about half the capacity of the Tank 3 Pro, but still large for daily use. The device also supports 66W wired fast charging. While it lacks wireless charging, it compensates with 25W reverse charging via its Type-C 2.0 port.For photography, the phone is equipped with a triple rear camera setup, including a 50MP Sony main sensor, a 64MP OmniVision night vision camera with infrared fill lights, and an 8MP 3x zoom lens.Like other rugged smartphones, this device supports IP68 water and dust resistance. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6, dual SIM support, and compatibility with GSM to 5G NR networks, offering download speeds of up to 2.34Gbps.Samsung once dabbled in the projector phone category with the Galaxy Beam released over a decade ago. However, the company ultimately exited the space due to high costs and limited adoption at the time.Nevertheless, with new offerings like the 8849 Tank 4, as well as similar products like Oukitel WP100 Titan and Doogee V Max Play, projector phones may be poised for a comeback.

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While the Nintendo Switch 2 had its splashy debut last week, including details about the hardware and launch games, there's still lots about the console that Nintendo has yet to clear up. For instance, the company hasn't gone into specifics about the CPU and GPU that are powering the Switch 2, other than to touch on the performance enhancements that they offer over the Switch (NVIDIA separately confirmed that the Switch 2 uses its Deep Learning Super Sampling tech).

However, since last Wednesday's blockbuster Direct, Nintendo has touched on some new Switch 2 details in interviews with the press. For one thing, Nate Bihldorff, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing at Nintendo of America, told Nintendo Life that the console's Joy-Con 2 controllers do not use Hall effect tech. "The Joy-Con 2's controllers have been designed from the ground up," Bihldorff said. "They're not Hall effect sticks, but they feel really good."

Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto separately said that the Joy-Con 2 joysticks "are quieter and don’t make noise, even when they’re moved quickly to the edge." The company is referring to them as "smooth-gliding sticks."

Engadget has asked Nintendo why the company opted not to use Hall effect tech in the Joy-Con 2. We've also asked whether the Switch 2 Pro Controller foregoes Hall effect sensors as well.

This technology is becoming increasingly common in the thumbsticks of third-party gamepads, but Nintendo has yet to implement it in its own joysticks (nor have Sony or Microsoft, for that matter). The idea behind Hall effect sensors is that they reduce the likelihood of stick drift. This problem was so pervasive on the original Switch's Joy-Cons that Nintendo offered free, unlimited repairs for stick drift in Europe. So it's not clear why Nintendo would opt out of having Hall effect sensors in the Joy-Con 2 to help mitigate such problems.

A fun fact if you haven't heard of Hall effect controllers before: Sega used them in the Sega Saturn 3D controller and the Dreamcast controller decades ago. It's definitely not new technology, but it's definitely getting more popular and widely used lately, despite Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony not adopting it yet.

Meanwhile, Nintendo has confirmed US pricing for a few Switch 2 experiences. The company told IGN that the upgrades for two The Legend of Zelda games — Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom — cost $10 each for those who already own either game. However, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers get access to the upgrades at no extra cost.

The Switch 2 upgrades include visual fidelity and framerate enhancements, along with the inclusion of HDR support and faster loading times. You'll also be able to use the Switch mobile app as a Sheikah Slate of sorts, helping you to find hidden items with voiced directions.

In addition, Nintendo has revealed that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which seems like a tech demo that will take you through all the features of the console, will cost $10. As for why Nintendo is charging 10 bucks for this as opposed to offering it for free (like Valve did with the fun Steam Deck tech demo, Aperture Desk Job, or Sony did with Astro's Playroom on PS5), Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience Bill Trinen had this to say to IGN:

For some people, I think there are people who are particularly interested in the tech and the specs of the system and things like that, for them I think it's going to be a great product. It's really for people that want more information about the system rather than necessarily a quick intro to everything it does. And for that reason and just the amount of care and work that the team put into it, I think it was decided that, 'Yeah, this feels like $9.99 is not an exorbitant price. It feels like a good value for what you're getting out of the product.'

For more on what Nintendo is looking forward to in the coming months, CNBC published a wide-ranging interview with Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser this week where they get into the effect of the recently-introduced tariffs on the Switch 2 among other things.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-says-the-switch-2-joy-cons-dont-have-hall-effect-thumbsticks-for-reducing-stick-drift-145541325.html?src=rss

The US Department of Justice has disbanded its unit focused on prosecuting cryptocurrency scams. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the end of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team in a memo sent on Monday, Reuters reported.

When the NCET launched, its focus was prosecuting cryptocurrency used in money laundering, fraud and theft. In recent years, the Department of Justice secured several high-profile wins in cases involving Binance, Tornado Cash and Bitfinex. However, the dissolution of NCET marks the latest government move to implement the current administration's crypto-friendly attitude.

Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at encouraging the creation of blockchain networks. Blanche cited this as his rationale, and ordered the department's cryptocurrency efforts to focus on "individuals who victimize digital asset investors, or those who use digital assets in furtherance of criminal offenses such as terrorism, narcotics and human trafficking, organized crime, hacking, and cartel and gang financing." Any investigations that run counter to this agenda "should be closed."

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has also been walking back its regulation of cryptocurrency, such as ending an enforcement case against Coinbase. However, cryptocurrency remains a risky endeavor, with theft still rampant at the individual and national levels. Additionally, the Trump family already has a vested interest in encouraging crypto operations, claiming a majority of revenue from World Liberty Financial's token sales.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/doj-to-disband-its-cryptocurrency-enforcement-unit-200347077.html?src=rss

Folks in the UK may be able to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2 now, but Americans are still waiting for their time to shine. Switch 2 pre-orders in the US remain indefinitely delayed, despite Nintendo originally announcing an April 9 pre-order date. In response to new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, Nintendo delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S.

According a statement Nintendo provided to Engadget: "Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged."

As part of its most recent Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo has previously announced the April 9 pre-order date for North America, along with the June 5 date for wider availability. The starting price was to be $450, but it's unclear if that will change now in response to the proposed tariffs. Participating retailers will also be selling the Switch 2 when it eventually makes its way to the U.S. We expect those to include Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart and others.

There's some fine-print attached to pre-ordering directly from Nintendo. According to the pre-order page on Nintendo's site, you must be 18 years or older, sign in with your Nintendo account and register your interest in pre-ordering. Then, you'll be sent an invitation email when it's time to play your pre-order, and the invitation will be valid for 72 hours. And then there's this bit of info: "Invitation emails will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis to registrants who have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a minimum of 50 total gameplay hours, as of April 2, 2025."

That seems to mean those who have paid for Switch Online in the recent past and those who have spent a good amount of time playing Switch games as of late will get first pick at buying a Switch 2. There's no telling if these same restrictions will apply if you want to pre-order from third-party retailers.

We knew from the teaser trailer for the Switch 2 that Nintendo's new hardware would be bigger and would have a new approach to the detachable Joy-Cons. The new Joy-Con 2 have a new C button, mouse controls and a built in gyroscope for tilt control. The console has a built-in mic to support a new feature called Game Chat that will let you communicate with friends in-game. The device is indeed a bit larger, with a 7.9-inch LCD screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR and a 1080p resolution.

When docked, you'll be able to play at up to 4K on your TV, and Nintendo says it improved the consoles internal speakers as well. The new dock also has a built-in fan to keep the console cool and help maintain performance during long play sessions. The Switch 2 has dual USB-C ports for charging, and the base storage amount has increased to 256GB. The Switch 2's storage can be expanded like the previous model, but it will only work with newer microSD Express cards.

The Switch 2 has a number of accessories that you'll be able to purchase separately as well, including the new Switch 2 camera for $50, a new Switch 2 Pro controller for $80, an extra pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers for $90, a Joy-Con 2 charging grip for $35 and more. However, considering the new question of tariffs, it's unclear if those accessory prices will change before customers can actually order the gear.

Pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2 from:

Nintendo

Amazon

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-pre-orders-everything-you-need-to-know-about-prices-delays-and-more-140931513.html?src=rss

Razer laptops are now among the latest collateral damage of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Days after Nintendo paused Switch 2 pre-orders, The Verge reported that Razer has paused direct sales of devices like the Blade 16 gaming laptop in the US.

The Blade 16's product page, which recently included a pre-order link, now only offers a measly "Notify me" button. In addition, its configurator page, which allowed you to choose a graphics card, processor and other specs as recently as a few days ago, now draws a 404 error. You can still pre-order it in Europe and other regions.

Razer's laptop product page for US customers now only includes live order links for items like skins, docks and cooling pads.

Razer

Although Razer hasn't publicly linked the pause to Trump's tariffs, it isn't hard to connect the two. The levies are scheduled to kick in at 12:01AM ET tonight, dramatically affecting companies that build products in or source parts from countries like China and Taiwan. Tariffs are a tax on imported foreign goods, and businesses often pass the higher cost to consumers. Economists have estimated that consumers will pay an extra $3,800 annually due to Trump's policy — and that was before Trump announced additional tariffs on China, totaling a staggering 104 percent.

Razer's pause follows the halting of Switch 2 US pre-orders as Nintendo gauges the situation and ponders its next move. Similarly, Framework stopped selling some of its laptops in the US, and Reuters reported on Tuesday that memory chipmaker Micron plans to add a surcharge to some products. Expect the "Liberation Day" hits to keep coming as tonight's official beginning of the biggest US tax hike since 1968 approaches.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/razer-laptops-are-the-latest-trump-tariff-casualty-204844654.html?src=rss

OPHANIM combines everyday tech with high-end scientific imaging capabilityAntimatter detection is now possible using repurposed smartphone camera techGigapixel device could reveal fine details of particle collisions instantly

At CERN’s Antimatter Factory, the AEgIS collaboration is exploring a novel approach to detecting one of nature’s rarest phenomena: antiproton annihilation.eeNews reports the team, led by Professor Christoph Hugenschmidt from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has developed an experimental detector using sensors originally designed for mobile phone cameras.Instead of creating a new sensor system from scratch, the researchers repurposed sixty 64-megapixel mobile camera sensors to form a 3.84-gigapixel array called OPHANIM, short for Optical Photon and Antimatter Imager. This composite detector can observe where antiprotons collide with matter, annihilating in a flash of energy.

From mobile phones to antimatter research

“For AEgIS to work, we need a detector with incredibly high spatial resolution, and mobile camera sensors have pixels smaller than 1 micrometer,” explains Francesco Guatieri, Principal Investigator at TUM.To adapt the sensors for scientific use, the team had to employ intensive micro-engineering to remove the camera sensors of layers meant for mobile phone electronics.“We had to strip away the first layers of the sensors, which are made to deal with the advanced integrated electronics of mobile phones,” says Guatieri. This process enabled the sensors to directly capture the light patterns associated with annihilation events.Despite their origins, the mobile sensors do not compromise performance. In fact, the new detector offers a 35-fold improvement in real-time resolution over earlier methods.“Previously, photographic plates were the only option, but they lacked real-time capabilities,” Guatieri adds.“Our solution, demonstrated for antiprotons and directly applicable to antihydrogen, combines photographic-plate-level resolution, real-time diagnostics, self-calibration and a good particle collection surface, all in one device.”The OPHANIM detector allows researchers to observe annihilation events in real time with a resolution of about 0.6 micrometres, fine enough to distinguish between different particles created during the process."This is a game-changing technology for the observation of the tiny shifts due to gravity in an antihydrogen beam travelling horizontally, and it can also find broader applications in experiments where high position resolution is crucial, or to develop high-resolution trackers," says AEgIS spokesperson Dr. Ruggero Caravita."This extraordinary resolution enables us also to distinguish between different annihilation fragments, paving the way for new research on low-energy antiparticle annihilation in materials."The implications of this work extend beyond antimatter research. OPHANIM’s ability to track particles with such precision could benefit a wide range of experiments, all while offering a low-cost model built from existing consumer technology.

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The Guardian reported that the UK's Ministry of Justice has been developing an algorithm designed to identify people who could become killers. Initially dubbed the "homicide prediction project," this tool used data from UK police forces, possibly including victims and witnesses as well as suspects.

Civil liberty watchdog Statewatch discovered the program through Freedom of Information Act requests. Based on the documents acquired by the group, Statewatch claimed that the program developed its prediction tool based on police data about between 100,000 and 500,000 people. Different categories of information shared with the Ministry of Justice appeared to also cover sensitive topics such as mental health, addiction, suicide and disability.

"​​Time and again, research shows that algorithmic systems for ‘predicting’ crime are inherently flawed," Statewatch researcher Sofia Lyall said. "This latest model, which uses data from our institutionally racist police and Home Office, will reinforce and magnify the structural discrimination underpinning the criminal legal system."

"This project is being conducted for research purposes only. It has been designed using existing data held by HM Prison and Probation Service and police forces on convicted offenders to help us better understand the risk of people on probation going on to commit serious violence. A report will be published in due course," a representative from the MOJ told The Guardian.

Law enforcement has long had a questionable relationship with AI tools. From AI being used to create police reports (bad idea) to misusing programs like ShotSpotter (another bad idea) to adopting tech that poses privacy threats to citizens (also a bad idea), history is not on the side of these being well-implemented technologies.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/uk-is-going-full-minority-report-with-murder-prediction-research-214254968.html?src=rss