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Ticket To Cash, a ticket reselling website, kept an open databaseIt held more than 500,000 customer recordsAmong the records were partial credit card data, names, and more

Ticket reselling platform Ticket To Cash kept an unprotected database online, exposing sensitive information on hundreds of thousands of customers, experts have warned.The database was discovered by cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler, who managed to get in touch with the company and get the database locked down, sharing the details withVPNMentor.Ticket To Cash is a resale service site, using a network of thousands of partner resale sites to help users sell their concert, sports, and other tickets quickly.

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Partial credit card data

According to Fowler, it kept a non-password-protected, non-encrypted database with 520,054 records, totaling 200 GB in size.The name of the database indicated that it contained customer inventory files in PDF, JPG, PNG, and JSON formats, Fowler explained.We don’t know how many of these documents belonged to a single person, therefore it’s difficult to determine how many people are affected. We can assume that it’s no more than 520,000.A “limited sampling” of the exposed documents determined that the database held “thousands” of concert and live event tickets, proof of ticket transfers, user-submitted screenshots of receipts, and other sensitive files.Some of the documents even contained parts of people’s credit cards, as well as full names, email addresses, and postal addresses.This type of information is crucial for cybercriminals, as it allows them to engage in targeted phishing, identity theft, and possibly even wire fraud.Since Fowler did not say when the database was generated, if you’ve ever used Ticket To Cash before, you should keep a close eye on your banking statements and watch for potentially suspicious transactions.Fowler said he reached out to Ticket To Cash, but it seems the company never responded. It did, after the second attempt, lock the database down. We don’t know for how long it remained open, or if any threat actors accessed it in the meantime.

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The Ninja Luxe Café Pro is an new version of Ninja's popular coffee makerIt has a lever-operated tamper to apply even pressure and prevent messIt's considerably more expensive than the original Ninja Luxe Café

Ninja has launched a new version of its best coffee maker, the Ninja Luxe Café, with a lever-operated tamping system that takes the guesswork out of creating a perfectly compressed puck of espresso.The Ninja Luxe Café is one of the best espresso machines we've tested, and our reviewer awarded it four and a half stars out of five thanks to its smart design, guided weight-based dosing system, handy suggested grind sizes, and very reasonable price.The new Ninja Luxe Café Pro goes one step further, taking the guesswork and mess out of tamping your coffee as well. With the new machine, there's no need to move a portafilter full of loose grounds and risk spilling them all over your work surface.Instead, you leave it in place under the grinder and pull down a manual lever to compress it into a perfect puck.

(Image credit: SharkNinja)

Pro features, pro price

This extra feature does increase the price quite considerably though; the Ninja Luxe Café Pro has a list price of $699.99 / £699.99 (about AU$1,100) compared to $549.99 / £549.99 (about AU$850) for the original model without the tamping lever.That's a relatively high price, even for one of the best coffee makers, but the Ninja Luxe Café doesn't just brew espresso. It's a multi-functional machine that can also prepare tasty filter coffee, plus refreshing cold brew in a fraction of the time it would take to infuse the traditional way.At the time of writing, the Ninja Luxe Café pro is available direct from Ninja in the US, but is out of stock in the UK.

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A new Material 3 Expressive redesign is coming for AndroidGoogle has leaked some of the updates ahead of timeWe can expect an official unveiling at Google I/O later this month

Android is getting a fresh coat of paint in the very near future, and the team at Google is apparently so excited about the visual overhaul that it's accidentally leaked the changes ahead of time, giving us all a sneak preview of what's coming.As spotted by 9to5Google, the now-deleted blog post outlining the upcoming "Material 3 Expressive" changes talks about it being "the most-researched update to Google's design system" ever applied to the software.Google says the new look "makes you feel something", inspiring emotion, communicating function, and helping you achieve your goals – even if those goals are just making sure your phone alarm wakes you up on time, or you can connect to the office Wi-Fi quickly.Colors and shapes have been revamped, with key actions and navigation options now better highlighted. There are more floating elements, and more curves, and this new leak builds on some of the details that we saw at the start of the month.

Android for the people

An early look at some of the visual changes (Image credit: 9to5Google / Google)

Google is keen to emphasize that a lot of research has gone into Android's new look, with engagement stats backing up the changes and showing how they improve usability and user satisfaction – proving that they "connect with people on an emotional level".A floating toolbar that pops up in certain scenarios is one of the tweaks we can look forward to, while Google has also done work to improve consistency, and to make sure related items are better grouped together on screen.It looks set to be the biggest design overhaul for Android since Material Design was introduced more than a decade ago, though of course phone manufacturers such as Samsung and Nothing will have their own spin on this new approach.You can see some of the visual refreshes over on 9to5Google, while Google's own blog post has been preserved on the Wayback Machine. This will be made official very soon, once the Google I/O 2025 showcase gets underway on Tuesday, May 20.

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A new Onlooker Detection feature is apparently coming to Windows 11This works with a presence sensor on a laptop to warn you if someone is sneaking a peek at your screen – plus it can also dim the displayWe don’t have concrete evidence of the feature yet, so don’t get too excited

Windows 11 is apparently going to be graced with a new capability as part of its Presence Sensing feature, with the system warning you if someone is sneaking a look at your screen.PhantomOfEarth, a regular leaker of Windows info on X, flagged up the potential new feature, which is called ‘Onlooker Detection’. As they explain, it offers you a couple of options for actions you can take.

New Presence Sensing feature coming soon to Windows 11: Onlooker Detection. When your device notices that someone else is looking at your screen, it can dim the screen, notify you that someone's looking, or both.May 2, 2025

When a nosy onlooker is detected, Windows 11 can either dim your screen to make it difficult for the person who’s looking over your shoulder to make out the content, or it can warn you of what’s going on. Or the OS can do both, and flag the onlooker as well as dimming the screen.However, you’ll need the necessary hardware on board your laptop to use Presence Sensing, namely the requisite presence sensor (unsurprisingly – or multiple modules as there may be more than one). The technical name for this is HPD or Human Presence Detection hardware, and it’s a feature facilitated by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips – in conjunction with said sensor – as well as AMD and Intel chips.If you’re unsure whether your notebook has a presence sensor or not, you need to look in the Settings app, under System > Power & battery, and see if the relevant options are there as detailed in this Microsoft support document.Elsewhere in the world of Windows 11 development, new Dev and Beta channel builds have arrived. In those preview versions – which have essentially the same features – Microsoft is trying some fine-tuning of the interface for Recall which consists of repositioning some banks of icons. (This is the AI-supercharged search function that’s only for Copilot+ PCs).Those builds have also seen the addition of a bolder way to highlight apps on the taskbar that are requesting your attention (or are in a ‘needy state’), with a wider, more visible line under the app icon to make it clearer.Some tweaks have been made to HDR options within Windows 11, as well, which includes a choice to allow for HDR to be used when streaming a video even if the system-wide switch for HDR is turned off. That’s a neat touch, too.

(Image credit: Unsplash / Windows)

Analysis: A top-notch feature for when you’re out and about – if it happens

Currently the presence sensor is used to offer the ability to automatically turn off your screen when you leave the PC, and wake your device when you return (using Windows Hello sign-in to make everything seamless and secure).A new function to detect anyone sneakily stealing a glance, or indeed a longer, more invasive look, at the contents of your screen would be an excellent addition on the privacy front. Whenever you’re working on your laptop on public transport or in a cafe, there’s always a feeling someone might be peeking over your shoulder.The catch here is that we don’t have any concrete evidence of this feature yet. Presumably, PhantomOfEarth dug up references to Onlooker Detection in recent preview builds of Windows 11, but the leaker doesn’t explicitly say so. The alternative is that they heard from a source at Microsoft that this feature is in the pipeline, but whatever the case, this is far from certain.We'll need to see the feature officially in testing before we start to get excited about its arrival. Hopefully, it won’t be long before that happens, so keep those digits firmly crossed.

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It’s been eight years since Nintendo released its revolutionary hybrid console, and while many have spent the last couple of those itching for sequel hardware, it’s a good time to recall how Nintendo smashed expectations and continued to forge its own path in gaming, graphical fidelity be damned.

Whether it was its core conceit — a handheld and a TV-connected console — or Nintendo’s continued production line of hit games, which included arguably the best game of the decade, we have a lot to say. And let’s not forget the Switch came before the Steam Deck and the tidal wave of handheld gaming PCs that have appeared in recent years. Nintendo proved people would play triple-A games without being tethered to their TV.

We've pulled together some of the Engadget team’s reflections. I love to say "reflections".

— Mat Smith

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All the biggest stories you might have missed

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Spotify finally shrugs off Apple’s Apple Store fees

A judge’s ruling this week may have finally ended Apple’s anti-competitive app commissions.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple was using loopholes to circumvent her own ruling against the company from 2021. Companies are wasting no time streamlining payments outside of Apple’s walled garden, and Spotify is the latest to make these changes.

With the latest update available in the App Store, the Spotify app has added external links, so it can advertise lower prices and different tiers without giving nearly a third of its revenue generated back to Apple.

This could be a major change for the App Store ecosystem and Apple’s business if it comes into effect. Developers would no longer have to fork over 30 percent of iOS app revenue to Apple, which could cost the company billions. Spotify and Netflix are among the major companies that don’t allow users to sign up for a subscription through their iOS apps, due to the cut Apple takes.

Continue reading.

Netflix teases Squid Game’s final season

The third season of Squid Game arrives June 27.

Netflix

Netflix has released a teaser trailer for the final season of Squid Game. It suggests that the games restart after a failed uprising led by the show’s protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, or Player 456.

In the teaser, Player 456 is brought back into a room full of players — inside a coffin. When he wakes up, the games resume, players are segregated into groups, mother and son are separated and, curiously, there’s a baby crying by the end of the teaser.

Continue reading.

How to watch Google I/O 2025 and The Android Show

For the first time, Google is breaking out some Android updates into a separate event.

Google’s annual I/O developer conference is coming on May 20, but for the first time, there are two events. The classic I/O 2025 kicks off on May 20, and a week earlier, on May 13, there’s also The Android Show: I/O Edition, a dedicated showcase for, you guessed it, Android.

Google’s I/O keynote will be available to watch on Google’s YouTube channel and right here once the livestream is up on May 20 at 1PM ET. The Android Show: I/O Edition will also go up on Google’s Android YouTube channel on May 13 at 1PM ET — we’ve already embedded it above. Oh, and here’s what we’re expecting to see.

Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111534044.html?src=rss

4K HDR streaming appears "washed out" on some Roku TVsHD and SDR content seems to be fineThe culprit may be the latest firmware update

If you're a Roku TV owner and you think your 4K HDR streaming doesn't look right, it could be a software fault. Since the latest software update there have been multiple reports of "washed-out" HDR across multiple streaming services.The first reports, shared on the Roku issue tracking board and reported by The Verge, were about problems with the video while streaming from Disney Plus on TCL TVs. But more reports have since emerged of video issues with Prime Video, YouTube TV, Netflix, Apple TV Plus and others, and on Hisense Roku TVs, too.The good news is that it's clearly a software issue: some users reporting problems also say that their Blu-Ray players are working just fine, and others say there are no issues with non-4K HDR. So the TVs themselves appear to be okay.

What's wrong with Roku's streaming?

This photo shows how lush greens and brown buildings all appear to be washed with grey on an affected Roku TV. (Image credit: Squinky / Roku Community)

The common denominator appears to be the Roku software version 14.5, with streaming services suffering from what The Verge describes as "desaturated, almost black-and-white images" with HDR enabled. Some other users are finding their streaming video is overly bright.It does look like there is an issue that kicks in when the video starts to stream: this post on the Roku Community pages shows the dramatic difference between affected and unaffected TVs, and replies from other affected users say that everything's fine with the app's menus and static images. It's only once you start watching the actual movie or show that the problems occur.Roku is aware of the reports, although at the time of writing it apparently hasn't responded to press requests for comment. We've asked Roku directly and will update this story when we hear back.This seems to be yet another example of automatic updates apparently introducing problems to people's A/V kit: just a few weeks ago Samsung owners found their expensive soundbars were being bricked by a firmware update.

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Operators of the Rhysida ransomware add Peruvian government to their data leak siteHackers claim to have stolen sensitive files and are demanding five bitcoin The government says it hasn't been targeted and that it operates normally

Infamous hacking group Rhysida has claimed it breached the digital platform of the Peruvian government, but the South American country denies any ransomware incidents.The cybercriminals added the Peruvian government to their data leak site, including some documents allegedly stolen from the gob.pe portal, noting they also demanded a five bitcoin ransom, which equals roughly $471,000.This prompted Peru’s Ministry of Government and Digital Transformation to publish a statement and deny any hostile takeover of its digital assets.

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Tax admin was struck

“The Single Digital Platform of the Peruvian State, www.gob.pe, has not been compromised or breached. All its services remain operational and functioning normally,” the government said in a statement published on Facebook.“The posts circulating on social media suggesting a supposed hijacking of the domain www.gob.pe are inaccurate,” it stressed, but added that an attack has, indeed, taken place recently.“The incident in question is related to a service associated with the domain www.satp.gob.pe, which is not administered by the PCM (Presidency of the Council of Ministers) or the Secretariat of Government and Digital Transformation.”This, according to The Record, is the tax administration website of regional capital Piura.This government entity also released a statement, confirming a cyberattack in late March 2025. It disrupted its operations briefly, but they were restored within 48 hours. Allegedly, no files were stolen in this attack.“As soon as we became aware of the possible security event, the National Center for Digital Security (CNSD) immediately activated preventive alerts to mitigate any potential risk,” the notice continues.“Currently, investigation and analysis efforts are being carried out in coordination with relevant entities, both nationally and internationally. Additionally, direct collaboration is underway with the institution allegedly affected to clarify the facts and determine the extent of the incident.”

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YouTube is trialling a two-person subscriptionIt costs less than two individual subscriptions, and less than a family planIt's currently available in France, Taiwan, India and Hong Kong

YouTube is currently piloting a two-person YouTube Premium membership in select countries that allows a two people to split a subscription without going all-in on a family plan.Much like Spotify Duo, YouTube’s two-person tier allows two people who live together to split a subscription at a cost that’s lower than if both subscribed separately, and also cheaper than a full family plan.YouTube told TechCrunch that it’s part of the company’s experiments looking into “new ways to provide greater flexibility and value to our YouTube Premium subscribers.”For example, in France, one of the test countries, an individual plan costs €12.99 per month and a family plan is €23.99, while a two-person plan is €19.99.

(Image credit: YouTube)

Based on these prices we’d expect a US-based duo plan to cost perhaps $18.99 (so maybe £16.99 or AU$26.99), though we’ll have to see if YouTube deems the test a success or not.If you want to try this two-person subscription sooner rather than later you’ll need to live in India, France, Taiwan or Hong Kong.Otherwise you’ll want to consider splitting a family plan or opting for another of YouTube’s cost-cutting experiments, YouTube Lite. That plan just rolled out in the US and it costs $7.99 per month – compared to $13.99 per month for a full plan.It allows you to watch "most" videos ad-free but doesn’t include ad-free music videos, YouTube Music access, or offline background play. So it’s ideal if you want YouTube Premium but already have access to a music streaming service.

YouTube Premium still feels pricey (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Duo sounds perfect for me and my partner, as while we use a fair few streaming services, the one we both rely on most is YouTube.I had thought about snagging a Premium plan for a while, but an individual account each is way too much, and a family plan feels like overkill. But I’m still not sure I’m ready to pay for YouTube.While the ads have gotten worse, they are (generally) far from unbearable in my experience, and certainly not so bad that I’d consider jumping from paying nothing to paying $13.99 / £12.99 / AU$16.99 a month – or even splitting a duo plan.The biggest advantage would be offline video, but I can only see that being essential when I’m on a flight – which has been a few times so far this year, but not enough to warrant paying every month.To that end I’m waiting for something truly essential from YouTube Premium that elevates the experience above simply being ad-free. As tempting as duo plan is, it’s not yet enough to seal the deal for me.

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Fellow has launched its first home espresso machine, the Espresso Series 1It has various pro-level features, but also offers guidance for home baristasYou can pre-order now for an early-bird price, with shipping later this year

Fellow, maker of the popular Aiden Precision Coffee Maker, has just launched its first home espresso machine – and it's packed with professional-grade features that you'd usually expect to find in a cafe. I've heard rumors from Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) members that exciting things were afoot in the world of home makers, and I suspect that the Fellow Espresso Series 1 is what they were referring to.The Fellow Espresso Series 1 is a great-looking machine that has a similar boxy shape to the Aiden Precision Coffee Maker, with a pressure gauge on the front that lets you see the pressure profile as you pull each shot so you can determine whether you've achieved the right grind size for your beans.Professional features include temperature control that's accurate to the degree, a boiler with three heating elements (including a flow-through heater to pre-heat water before it enters the boiler), a commercial-style heated group head with brass core, and a 58mm bottomless portafilter.

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 comes in three colorways, including two with real wood portafilter handles (Image credit: Fellow)

A bottomless portafilter has no spout on the bottom, which means you can see exactly how your coffee is pouring and diagnose problems with tamping. If the coffee isn't flowing out of the filter basket evenly or there are fast-slowing 'leaks', the tamped puck may be cracked or not level.A bottomless portafilter also means your espresso shots should have more crema, because the coffee isn't making contact with any surfaces before it reaches your cup.The Fellow Espresso Series 1 also comes with a backflush disc, which lets you clean it in the same way as a commercial coffee machine. Just fit the disc in the portafilter handle, add a backflush cleaning tablet (included with the machine), and select the cleaning program to thoroughly remove traces of old coffee and oils that could taint future drinks.

A helping hand

If that all sounds a little intimidating, don't worry – there's help for home baristas too. For example, you get both single-walled and pressurized baskets, the latter of which makes it easier to get a proper flow rate, even if you haven't quite ground the coffee perfectly, and is more forgiving than a single-walled basket.The steam wand has a temperature-sensing tip to help you achieve perfectly sweet-tasting milk with no scalding (which can give a custard-like taste). The wand stops steaming when the milk reaches the correct temperature, and automatically purges once you're done.

The machine's steam wand stops automatically when your milk reaches the right temperature (Image credit: Fellow)

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 comes in three colorways: black, malted chocolate and maple, and cherry red and walnut. The latter two have portafilters with real wood handles, which adds a little extra to the price.The black model is available to pre-order now for $1,199.95 (about £900 / AU$1,900), and will retail for $1,499.95 (about £1,300 / AU$2,500) once the early bird offer is over. The two wood-trimmed versions can be pre-ordered for $1,299.95 (about £1,000 / AU$2,000), and will eventually sell for $1,599.95 (about £1,200 / AU$2,500).If you pre-order the machine, you'll also get $100 Fellow Drops credit, which you can spend on the brand's own coffee.Fellow hasn't given an exact shipping date, but the Espresso Series 1 is expected to reach customers "before the winter holidays". Since Fellow is based in the US, we'd expect that to mean November. Hopefully I'll be able to bring you a full review soon, and see how it compares with the best espresso machines from other brands.

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Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida says he helped save the first Gran TurismoYoshida said that the game's simulation aspects were "extremely advanced" and suggested to creator Kazunori Yamauch to tone them downHe adds that he likes to think he "played a small part in its success"

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment president Shuhei Yoshida has revealed that he convinced the creator of the first Gran Turismo game, Kazunori Yamauchi, to tone down the game's simulation elements.Speaking in a recent interview with PlayStation Inside, Yoshida was asked to touch on some of his greatest moments from his career at PlayStation. After briefly discussing Thatgamecompany's award-winning game Journey, which he was "really proud to have played a part in its conception", the ex-PlayStation boss revealed that he "partly saved" the original Gran Turismo."To talk about a 'success' in my career that hasn’t been mentioned enough, if at all, I’ll give you an anecdote that I’ve never told in public before," Yoshida said."It was the early days of the first PlayStation, and Kazunori Yamauchi was working on the very first Gran Turismo. You’ll remember that on the cover it said that the game was the 'real driving simulator'. And you know, I’m not a game designer, I’m a producer first and foremost."During development, Kazunori Yamauchi showed me a prototype of Gran Turismo, and I was among the first to play it. And to tell you the truth, he was really serious when he talked about simulation!"Yoshida explained that what he played was "extremely advanced, perhaps too much so" due to the realism, but it wasn't until after playtests did Yamauchi use his feedback to tweak the 1997 game."At first Kazunori Yamauchi didn’t take my feedback at face value, so he gathered around thirty consumers to test the game. And just as I expected, they all crashed without exception at the first turn, because the gameplay was so difficult," he said."I was at the back of the room with Kazunori Yamauchi, at which point he turned to me and told me I was right, and that’s when he rounded things off and toned down the pure simulation aspect a little to put out the Gran Turismo you know today on PS1."In a way, I like to think that I partly saved Gran Turismo’s fate, and that I played a small part in its success."In the same interview, Yoshida touched on the Nintendo Switch 2 and said that the recent rise in the cost of games "was going to happen sooner or later" due to inflation and production costs, but thinks "a balance must be found between production costs and game prices".

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Canon set to increase camera prices in US from latter half of 2025Tariff impact localized to US, but could in turn have global effectDJI has already increased price of the Osmo Pocket 3

It was clear what was on everyone's mind during Canon's first quarterly earnings call for 2025, with the investors' Q&A session dominated by US tariffs.In the process, Canon became the first major camera brand to publicly discuss the impact of US tariffs, saying, "We have notified major dealers that we will raise prices and are in the process of estimating the timing and amount of the increase."Additional tariffs do not affect the prices for goods already imported and Canon projects its US sales subsidiary has "about one or two months’ worth of inventory".Canon camera prices should, therefore, stay the same for the first half of 2025. However, we can expect a bump in prices come the second half of the year, based on Canon's sales projections.Canon went on to say, "Since tariffs are borne against the cost of goods, the higher the cost ratio is, the higher the price rate increases."We don't yet know how severe increases could be, but Canon is actually in a better position than most other camera manufacturers to limit price increases passed on to customers, because most of the cameras it sells in the US are produced in Japan, not China.Japan's additional tariffs of 24% are currently reduced to 10% for a 90-day period, although Canon said in the Q&A that it has no immediate plans to export camera goods ahead of schedule during this time.Either way, those tariffs are much lower than they are in China, which at the time of writing is hit with an additional 145% tariff, severely impacting camera manufacturers such as DJI, and their customers.

DJI's Osmo Pocket 3, which we rate as the best overall vlogging camera, has just had a price bump in the US. (Image credit: Dji)

And so it begins

We've already seen what are presumably US tariff-related price increases from other brands, including DJI, whose popular Osmo Pocket 3 just saw a price hike. Our top rated vlogging camera launched in 2023 around the $500 mark, but now it costs $800. Ouch.Clearly brands aren't the ones absorbing higher cost ratios brought about by US tariffs – the lion's share falls on US customers, who will have to fork out more cash for a new camera once current inventories are used up.Canon sees the impact as localized to US customers, but acknowledged that should US tariffs trigger a global recession, then camera prices could change across the world.Leica's D-Lux line of compact cameras are made in China and are already affected too – the price of the D-Lux 8 has almost doubled, meaning it's not quite the low-cost Leica it was.There might also be severe delays on new products made in China coming to market. There have been numerous leaks that DJI's rumored Osmo 360 – a GoPro and Insta360-rivaling 360-degree camera – is ready for launch, but also that DJI is considering pulling the plug on it given those increased costs.In light of price hikes, we could see demand shift from new gear to used, and that in turn could spell an increase in the price of second-hand equipment.The severity of price increases for new gear, plus the timeline, will no doubt become clear over the coming months, but if you're in the US and looking for a new camera, it could pay to act fast.Click on the Q&A Session Summary link at Canon's global site for the complete session.

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Whether your grad plans to schlep it to the office every day or needs to build their own workspace at home, chances are they could use some help prepping their desk for the professional world. If you know a recent graduate and want to make their first days on the job a little more convenient, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite office essentials — gadgets and accessories that should prove useful in anyone’s day-to-day life. Have a look below if you need help jogging your brain for a gift idea.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-work-from-home-office-gifts-for-graduates-123015003.html?src=rss

Apple may see further fallout over its failure to comply with a court order that led to last week’s contempt ruling. A class action suit filed on behalf of developers claims that Apple's actions cost Pure Sweat Basketball (and other developers) revenue during the period it was found to have violated the original court order. "Had Apple complied with the injunction, as required, Pure Sweat would have been able to sell subscriptions to its app directly to its customers," the law firm, Hagens Berman, alleges.

The original 2021 court ruling forced Apple to allow App Store developers to direct user to other payments systems so that they could bypass the 30 percent of of in-app payments taken by Apple. The App Store was supposed to stop preventing developers from including buttons or links in their apps and metadata that would allow allow users to make purchases outside the App Store environment.

However, developer Epic Games accused Apple of "malicious compliance" with the ruling because it still charged a commission of up to 27 percent on any sales made through links to external payment systems. It also said Apple came up with onerous restrictions on external buttons, among other violations.

In her ruling last week, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said Apple "chose the most anticompetitive option" at every turn. She even alleged that Apple lied under oath to hide the truth about its actions and referred the case to a US attorney for a criminal contempt investigation.

"The court ultimately held that Apple willfully violated the injunction to protect its revenues, and then ‘reverse engineered’ justifications to proffer to the court, often with ‘lies on the witness stand," the class action lawsuit states. "The evidence showed that while one senior Apple executive [Phil Schiller] ‘advocated that Apple comply with the injunction,’ Mr. Cook ignored this advice and allowed others in his finance team to convince him otherwise. Cook chose poorly."

The class action seeks to recover lost revenue for up to 100,000 or more developers forced to pay Apple commissions that shouldn't have existed. Hagens Berman obtained a $100 million settlement for iOS developers in a previous App Store class action suit. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-hit-with-class-action-suit-from-developers-after-app-store-ruling-120058208.html?src=rss

DoorDash has agreed to purchase British food and grocery delivery service Deliveroo for $3.9 billion, the companies have revealed in a filing with the London Stock Exchange. The acquisition will "strengthen DoorDash's position as a leading global platform," the filing said. Deliveroo operates in nine regions, namely Belgium, France, Italy, Ireland, Kuwait, Qatar, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. All those regions are new for DoorDash and will give the combined companies access to a total population that exceeds 1 billion people.

It doesn't sound like DoorDash is erasing Deliveroo's brand after it takes over. Instead, they'll both be part of an "Enlarged Group" operating in multiple regions around the world, giving DoorDash an expanded presence in Europe and giving it an entry into the Middle Eastern market. "Both companies are highly complementary, whether in their geographic footprints or their missions, and I am confident that being part of the Enlarged Group will accelerate the realisation of Deliveroo's full potential," Deliveroo chair Claudia Arney said in a statement.

The acquisition is still subject to regulatory and antitrust approvals. As CNBC noted, though, this marks the end of Deliveroo's problems as a public company. It has faced a lot of competition and legal challenges after a period of abundance for food delivery services during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and its share prices have plummeted since it went public in 2021. Before the company went public, Amazon took on the UK's Competition and Markets Authority to become a major investor in Deliveroo. The e-commerce company was the leading investor in a funding round worth $575 million and owned a 16 percent stake in the food delivery service.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/doordash-is-buying-british-rival-deliveroo-for-39-billion-123005055.html?src=rss

Spotify is going through a slight rough patch at the moment, and no, I’m not referring to the absence of Spotify HiFi. If you’ve been having issues with your Spotify app – in particular with the 'artists' page – don't worry as other music fans are also experiencing similar issues with the music streaming service.In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Spotify revealed that it was working on fixing the issues raised by concerned subscribers. Those problems, also outlined in an official Downtime post, include "issues viewing Top Tracks on the Artist profile" and not being able to view albums on the page.Alongside those problems with being unable to see the artists' top 10, some are also reporting that the discography and stream count being missing in the Spotify app.

We’re aware of some issues right now with the app and are checking them out!May 6, 2025

Though the issues regarding Spotify's interface are affecting only a small number of users in the US, according to Downdetector, the problems have been plaguing enough users for them to complain vociferously in the replies to Spotify's X post.

How widespread are the problems?

(Image credit: Downdetector )

I've yet to see any issues with my own account in the UK – and the problems are nowhere near as serious those that sparked a huge Spotify outage a few weeks ago.Spotify's last outage saw millions of users left in the dark when loading pages within the app, which also effected Spotify's web version.Similarly, users couldn't access artist pages to view their discography and stream count, but at the same time Spotify's homepage, search hub, and account pages weren't loading altogether.

Since the issue was brought to Spotify's attention, the service has confirmed that it's investigating the problems on the Spotify Community forum. Hopefully, they'll be resolved soon and won't escalate into a broader outage like the one that took the music service down for several hours back in April.We will update this story with new information when Spotify comments on the issues and reveals when they're likely to be resolved.

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Google seems to be working on a Samsung DeX-style Desktop Mode for Android phones The new feature enables a desktop-style UI when connected to an external display There's no word of a release date yet, but launching with Android 16 seems unlikely

Google is set to add a new Desktop Mode to Android devices, enabling users to more effectively use their phones and tablets when paired with external monitors and input devices.As per a first look shared by Android Authority, the new Desktop Mode adds a taskbar for pinned apps and the app drawer, resizeable windows for apps, and a status bar somewhat reminiscent of macOS.The report adds that, seemingly, the mode is an expansion of Android’s existing support for windowed apps on tablets – the new mode enables this windowing for external displays and, of course, ports the whole experience to Android phones.Desktop Mode was, according to the report, accessed on an unspecified Google Pixel device – presumably a Pixel smartphone.However, it seems like Desktop Mode may be a ways off yet for the everyday user – window support for tablets was only added with the first quarterly release of Android 15, and with Android 16 scheduled for Q2 2025 it seems unlikely that this unfinished feature will launch with this upcoming version update.And as the report finds, there’s no way yet to control the desktop using the phone’s screen itself, which seems like a missed opportunity given that many modern phones have screens roughly as large as the average laptop trackpad.

Based on previous feature drops, it seems likely that a new Desktop Mode would come to Google Pixel phones ahead of other Android devices (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The new Desktop Mode coming to Android bears a striking resemblance to Samsung’s DeX mode, which launched in 2017 and has since enabled Galaxy phone and tablet owners to use their mobile devices to power desktop computing.Samsung DeX activates when a Galaxy phone or tablet is connected to an external display, converting the UI into a desktop-style experience with floating windows, a taskbar, and mouse-oriented navigation.In an ironic twist, it seems that Samsung DeX could end up taking inspiration from Android’s upcoming Desktop Mode in future updates.New supposedly leaked images – again shared by Android Authority – apparently show Samsung DeX running on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with One UI 8 installed.

This screengrab supposedly shows Samsung DeX running via One UI 8 (Image credit: @DevOfIpos / X)

The Android inspiration is tempered, but still noticeable – Samsung seems to have moved the app drawer from the left of the screen to the centre, with smaller status icons on the right side of the task bar to boot.That might seem minor, but it’s interesting to know that the two tech giants could be taking cues from each other as their mobile desktop experiences continue to evolve.If you’re after a Samsung DeX-enabled device, be sure to check out our list of the best Samsung phones – and let us know if you’d use Android’s new Desktop Mode in the comments below.

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Microsoft security blog warns Kubernetes users about Helm charts with default settingsThese settings often come with open ports, weak credentials, and other risksMicrosoft is urging Kubernetes users to review their settings

Kubernetes Helm charts can expose data without users ever knowing, Microsoft security researchers have warned, urging Kubernetes users to be careful and review the default configuration of their Helm charts.Kubernetes is an open source platform for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Helm, on the other hand, is a package manager that simplifies the deployment and management of applications on Kubernetes using pre-configured templates called charts.It allows users to define, install, and upgrade complex Kubernetes applications with minimal manual configuration.

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Default configurations

In a new blog post, titled “The risk of default configuration: How out-of-the-box helm charts can breach your cluster,” authors Michael Katchinskiy, and Yossi Weizman argued that in many cases, Helm charts require no authentication, keep certain ports open, and use easy-to-guess, or hardcoded passwords.This happens when Helm charts are deployed with default settings, which is often the case with inexperienced cloud users."Default configurations that lack proper security controls create a severe security threat," the blog reads. "Without carefully reviewing the YAML manifests and Helm charts, organizations may unknowingly deploy services lacking any form of protection, leaving them fully exposed to attackers."Katchinskiy and Weizman added that the risk is “particularly concerning” when the deployed apps can query sensitive API, or allow administrative actions.”They singled out three cases where Helm charts put entire Kubernetes environments at risk - Apache Pinot, Meshery, and Selenium Grid.The best way to mitigate the risk is to be careful when deploying Helm, not use default configurations, and evaluate the setup from a security perspective to make sure it includes authentication and network isolation.Furthermore, Microsoft recommends users run regular scans for misconfigurations that can expose interfaces to the public, and keep a close eye on containers for unwarranted activity.Via BleepingComputer

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The new Backbone Pro mobile controller has been revealedIt comes with full-size thumbsticks and remappable rear inputsIt also has a unique wireless connectivity feature and up to 40 hours of battery life

Gaming peripheral maker Backbone has revealed the Backbone Pro, an all-new mobile controller.The Backbone Pro is effectively a chunkier version of the existing Backbone One, but it is packed with additional features. This includes the incorporation of full-size thumbsticks and remappable rear buttons.You will be able to remap every single button in the compatible Backbone app, creating tailored control profiles for your favorite games. The app has also been updated with new features, including an in-built retro game emulator.Where the Backbone Pro sets itself apart from some of the best mobile controllers is in its unique wireless mode. In addition to the standard USB Type-C connector, the controller can be linked to phones, tablets, laptops, VR headsets, and smart TVs via Bluetooth.According to the company, its FlowState Technology will allow the Backbone app to remember previous paired devices and switch between them with a tap.In wireless mode, it offers up to 40 hours of play on a single charge.Overall, it looks like a pretty formidable upgrade compared to the Backbone One. I'm a huge fan of the full-size thumbsticks of mobile controllers like the Razer Kishi Ultra, so I think that it could be a real game-changer here.My only complaint is that the Backbone Pro does not appear to use Hall effect thumbsticks, which are highly regarded for their durability and accuracy and are found on much cheaper offerings from brands like GameSir.The thumbsticks of the Backbone Pro do at least have anti-friction rings, which should help reduce the chance of wear.The Backbone Pro is available today via the Backbone website, though official pricing is to be confirmed.

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Rumors regarding a new Surface lineup from Microsoft have run rampant, with hints that much smaller and thinner renditions of the Copilot+ laptops were in the works.This comes after Microsoft's Surface Laptop and Surface Pro 2024 models, providing exceptional battery life thanks to their Snapdragon processors and great portability.Well, it turns out those rumors were indeed correct. Microsoft has announced two brand-new Surface devices: the Surface Laptop 13-inch and the Surface Pro 12-inch. Both are built to deliver even more impressive performance across the board, but ahead, we're breaking down the four key takeaways you'll want to know about them.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The 13-inch model is the lightest and thinnest Surface Laptop ever

Microsoft's new Surface Laptop 13-inch will be the 'lightest, most portable Surface Laptop ever', thanks to its ultrathin design and 13-inch touchscreen display. It will come in three different color variations – Ocean, Violet, and Platinum – to suit your preferred style.It weighs just 2.7 lbs, which is an impressive 1.22kg, compared to 2024's 15-inch model, which weighed in at 3.67 lbs (1.66kg). Most importantly, this means portability is the new Surface Laptop's highlight, ensuring you can take your device with you anywhere you go and pack it in most backpacks. It's also an improvement over 2024's 13.8-inch model.This includes USB-C connectivity that supports fast charging, DisplayPort 1.4a, and up to two 4K monitors at 60Hz refresh rates.The new Surface Pro will have a 12-inch display, ideal for its 2-in-1 design, providing a pleasant laptop and tablet experience. That will also make it slightly slimmer than the previous 13-inch size.It's also worth noting that there is no mention of an OLED model yet, and the new Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard is sold separately.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Surface Laptop 13-inch is '50% faster' than the Surface Laptop 5, competing with Apple's MacBook Air M3

Using Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus processor, Microsoft claims the Surface Laptop 13-inch is '50% faster' than its previous Surface Laptop 5, which Intel's 12th Gen processors powered. This will be the 8-core processor instead of the 10-core variant, which is enough to provide powerful performance in AI-intensive tasks with 45 NPU tops.Microsoft also mentions it's faster than Apple's MacBook Air M3, and based on benchmarks, the Snapdragon X Plus wins in multi-core processing over Apple's M-based chip. We'll need to see how this competes with Apple's latest M4 chipset, though.The Surface Pro 12-inch will also use the same configuration, keeping your productivity at its best on the go, thanks to its high speeds.It's a different move from the previous Laptop and Pro models, as both came with X Plus and X Elite configurations. Even so, it's a reasonable compromise, as you'll see.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Improved battery life for both devices

Unsurprisingly, the new Surface Laptop 13-inch provides the longest and best battery life out of all Surface devices, with a promise of up to 23 hours of usage (local video playback). This is an upgrade from the Surface Laptop (7th Edition) 13.8-inch model's 20 hours and the 15-inch's 22 hours, almost giving a total of 24 hours of usage.The same applies to the new Surface Pro 12-inch, as Microsoft claims it provides up to 16 hours of usage, a decent leap over the previous 14 hours.We'll have to see real-world tests for both devices to gain an accurate insight, but this is great for anyone who needs extra power to stay locked into productivity on the go.It seems that Microsoft has omitted the X Elite configurations to preserve battery life, which is great because the X Plus is still a powerful chip, and staying zoned into work that extra bit longer has an advantage.Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors are among the most efficient available, providing great performance without draining too much battery. The Surface laptops have been a testament to that, and Microsoft is showing it again with the new models.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Surface Laptop 13-inch and Surface Pro 12-inch are much cheaper than their predecessors

Perhaps the biggest highlight beyond the smaller designs and battery life is pricing. The Surface Laptop 13-inch starts at $899, while the Surface Pro 12-inch starts at $799. These are huge price drops from their previous models, which both start at $1,099.Microsoft's plan is clear; affordability is key, and it's kept prices within a reasonable range considering the presence of the Snapdragon X Plus chip. This will effectively help consumers get their hands on the new Surface Laptop, which is said to outperform its predecessors in the battery life department.Both Copilot+ PCs are available to pre-order now and will be available in select markets on May 20. We're waiting for Microsoft to confirm pricing in the UK and Australia.

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Roku’s streaming player lineup is a little easier to understand in 2025 than ever — but it’s still a bit confusing. With the release of the Roku Streaming Stick and the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, there are now three streaming sticks and one set-top box in the company’s streaming player family. Express models and ones with the plus symbols are no longer in the mix. The Roku Ultra set-top box is the most expensive at $100. The 2021 Streaming Stick 4K goes for $50, while the Streaming Stick and the Streaming Stick Plus cost $30 and $40, respectively. After reviewing the Streaming Stick Plus and comparing it to other streamers, I think it packs a decent amount of power (and Roku’s convenient interface) into a small dongle.

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs the Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Arguably the Streaming Stick Plus’ biggest competition comes from within its family. The Streaming Stick 4K and the Streaming Stick Plus both support 4K image quality, despite the Plus not having the term in its name. The Stick 4K also supports Dolby Vision and has a longer-range Wi-Fi connection. Both connect through the Wi-Fi 5 standard, but the “4K” model has a built-in Wi-Fi extender within its USB power cable.

At this point, the Stick 4K is four years older than the Plus, and the new stick benefits from a few technological upgrades. For one, the Plus streamier is smaller thanks to the lack of Wi-Fi extender and power adapter. Roku’s math claims the dongle itself is 35 percent smaller than the competition — but honestly none of these sticks are particularly large. I found that it was indeed smaller than the Amazon Fire TV Stick I tested. But the size reduction doesn't make a huge difference in everyday use — especially since they hide behind most TVs.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K (left) with it's cable, Wi-Fi extender and dongle. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus (right) with it's cable and dongle.

Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Another upgrade is a little more significant: better power efficiency. Now you can use your TV’s USB port to power the device instead of a wall adapter. The Plus doesn’t even come with an adapter in the box, making it a more travel-ready package. Older Roku sticks allowed you to do this (and the 4K model can use USB power on some TVs) but this is the first 4K-enabled device that Roku actually recommends using without a power adapter. Since you don’t need an open wall outlet nearby, the dongle will prove more flexible. It certainly would have come in handy during a recent trip in which my hotel room’s TV was about 12 feet from the nearest available plug.

Both Sticks support Apple AirPlay and are compatible with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. They come with the same remote, which packs features like voice input and the ability to control the power and volume of your TV. They both showcase the same OS, with Roku’s playful, purple interface, which I particularly like for live and free programming — as I outlined in our streaming devices guide.

Performance

Amy Skorheim for Engadget

The Streaming Stick Plus is pretty fast for a $40 device. I have a Roku Ultra hooked up to another TV in my house and, when I performed the same actions on both, the Streaming Stick Plus was only a bit slower than the Ultra. For instance, Disney+ took a second or two to start on the Ultra, and just a half second or so longer on the Plus. Yes, there was a time difference, but the Streaming Stick Plus was never frustratingly slow.

I don’t think anyone honestly expects a streaming stick to perform at the same level as most recent smart TVs. My set is relatively new and side-by-side comparisons showed a minor disparity between a dongle and a bigger, built-in CPU. Take the Netflix menu, for example. It’s clear and crisp and vibrant via my TV’s native Netflix app, but the same page was markedly fuzzier and more pixelated when I opened it on the Roku device.

That said, I only noted a slight difference in quality between the two when a show was actually playing. Sweeping shots of the sumptuous-yet-blood-stained White House interiors in The Residence were only the slightest bit grainier on the Roku. True video connoisseurs may note the disparity, but those who are just here to see Detective Cupp unnerve all the suspects won’t likely notice.

Should you get the Roku Streaming Stick Plus?

Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Something the size of a tube of squashed lipstick can’t rival a good smart TV. But if you have an older screen or a cheaper set with a tedious interface, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus could make TV time more enjoyable. Comparable streaming sticks include Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K, which is $10 more at full price (though it’s often on sale). Between the two, I’d go with Roku’s Streaming Stick Plus, as Roku’s interface is far more helpful. This is also the stick I want to take with me on my next trip. I can plug it in at the Airbnb and, instead of logging in to whatever random apps the TV happens to have, I can watch more Doctor Who. I won’t have to worry about where the nearest outlet is and I’ll be spared the effort of typing in my stupidly long Disney+ password.

As for whether you should get this or Roku’s other 4K-enabled streaming stick, I’d go with this one. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is $10 cheaper and four years newer. The fact that it’s powered by the TV means the dongle and the USB power cable fit out of sight so if you, like me, are opposed to the look of snaking wires everywhere, you’ll be pleased. Of course, if you have a TV that supports Dolby Vision or your Wi-Fi router is really far away from your TV, then you can go with the Streaming Stick 4K — that’s really the only major advantage that model has. Otherwise, the Streaming Stick Plus is a good pick for a cheap but modern streaming player.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/roku-streaming-stick-plus-review-powered-by-the-tv-and-perfect-for-travel-130047601.html?src=rss

Since arriving in 2020, the Backbone One has helped popularize dedicated mobile game controllers, the kind you might use for streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now, remote play apps, emulators or any smartphone game you’d rather play with buttons and joysticks instead of your fingers. While you can always clip your phone to a PlayStation or Xbox controller paired over Bluetooth, telescopic gamepads like the One tend to be more ergonomic, creating a Nintendo Switch-style shape by clamping around your device at both ends. Backbone is far from the only company making these things now, but the One is still among the most frequently recommended options on the market — Engadget’s own Mat Smith gave it a favorable review back in 2022.

After releasing several iterations of the One, Backbone is now unveiling its first real follow-up: the Backbone Pro. The new device comes with many of the design upgrades you might expect, from comfier grips and smoother joysticks to larger triggers and quieter face buttons. But it also supports Bluetooth, which means it can unhook from your phone entirely and work with PCs, iPads, smart TVs and the like. Backbone has built a few new features for its companion app as well, including one called “FlowState” that lets you quickly connect to previously paired devices from one menu (provided they have Bluetooth active).

“[The Pro] is meant to be a premium device for anyone who wants to play games on any screen,” Backbone CEO Maneet Khaira said during a briefing in New York City last month. “Our idea was really, we want to make one device for all of gaming.”

After using the Backbone Pro for the past few days, I can squint and see the future Khaira has in mind, and the controller itself clearly feels more premium than its predecessor (which will remain available). But at $170, the device will be prohibitively expensive for some. That’s Xbox Elite territory for a controller still mainly aimed at smartphones. Plus, as with the One, some the gamepad’s perks are locked behind a Backbone+ subscription, which tacks on another $40 per year.

A better Backbone

Jeff Dunn for Engadget

You really need to buy the Backbone Pro as a multi-device controller for it to make the most sense as a purchase. Used strictly with a phone, however, it’s a definitive upgrade over the Backbone One. This is most obvious in the grips, which are considerably thicker and more grooved than before. They fill out and hug your palms much more naturally as a result, which keeps the design comfier to hold over time. They’re also coated in a soft, lightly textured matte plastic that seems better at fending off sweat.

The concave joysticks are significantly taller and have a grippier “ring” around the top. They don’t use magnetic Hall effect sensors to resist drift long-term, which is annoying at this price, but they’re tight and tangibly smoother. Khaira says the Pro uses the same joystick component as Microsoft’s Xbox Elite controller and Sony’s DualSense Edge; indeed, the sticks don’t feel all that different than the ones on a full-size gamepad. Like other “pro” controllers, you can also remap buttons and fine-tune the joysticks’ and triggers’ dead zones in the Backbone app, then assign those tweaks to different profiles.

Backbone

The face buttons still aren't super quiet but feel distinctly less clicky and stiff, with a smoother finish and deeper sense of travel. Along those lines, the triggers are wider and fuller — my large-ish fingers can rest on them without hanging off, which wasn’t the case with the One. The shoulder buttons are longer as well, while the menu buttons are less flush and easier to reach. The D-pad is similarly firm and precise but now has a glossier coating. There’s also a pair of customizable back buttons, which rest right against your ring fingers but haven’t caused any accidental presses in my testing.

The fatter grips make the design taller than the One, but not much wider, and it’s still about 80 grams lighter than a typical Xbox or PlayStation pad at 199g. As before, the Pro comes with adapters that hold different-sized phones steady in place, with or without a case. I’ve experienced no wobbling using an iPhone 15 Plus with Apple’s Clear Case on. There’s still a built-in headphone jack and pass-through charging port, though the actual connector is USB-C only, so the controller won’t work with older Lightning-based iPhones. Since the Pro needs its own battery to play wirelessly, it sips a small amount of power to recharge whenever you top up a connected phone. Overall, Backbone says the Pro can last up to 40 hours; I haven't yet been able to perform a full rundown test but the battery hasn't given me reason to doubt that estimate in the few days I've spent with the device.

Looking past the phone

You can quickly connect the Backbone Pro to new devices from this menu in Backbone's app.Jeff Dunn for Engadget / Backbone

Pairing the Backbone Pro with other devices wirelessly is largely straightforward. There's a dedicated button at the bottom of the controller that puts it into pairing mode, and the app prompts you to connect to all your other gear upon setup. Once you connect to a new device for the first time, the Pro remembers it, and that information is relayed in the app. When you want to connect to one of those devices again, you simply tap a menu in the app, select the device you want and hit "connect." As long as that device has Bluetooth active, it'll immediately reconnect. You need to have your phone hooked into the Pro's USB-C port to swap devices via the app, but I've had few hiccups bouncing from screen to screen otherwise.

You can see how the Pro lines up with the multi-screen vision brands like Xbox are pushing. I can launch a Game Pass stream of Clair Obscur on my phone while my wife has the TV, then move it to the Fire TV Stick when she’s all set. I can start a Balatro session on my PC and carry it to my iPad through Steam Link. I don’t have to change my controller at any point. I don’t have to fiddle with any buttons to pair with the next thing I want to use — I just pop in my phone, select the device and go. I can even pick up right where I left off in a cloud stream, provided I swap devices within a few minutes. The Pro isn’t the only controller that lets you game like this, of course, but its phone-friendly design and fast pairing tech make it especially inviting to this sort of “play anywhere” approach.

Top to bottom: an Xbox Series X/S controller, the Backbone Pro and the Backbone One.Jeff Dunn for Engadget

There are a few issues once you look closer, though. One is simply that the Pro lacks the proprietary tech needed to pair with an Xbox, PS5 or Switch. That’s not necessarily Backbone’s fault, but when it pitches the Pro as a controller for “all of gaming,” it has to ignore the main way tons of people actually play video games.

Second, for as much as I like the Pro compared to other mobile gamepads, it still can’t help but feel cramped next to more traditional alternatives. The right joystick constantly brushes up against the bottom of my thumb, for instance, because it has to sit right below the face buttons. The triggers may be deeper, but they don’t have the same travel as a standard console pad. The Pro is still comfy, still capital-N Nice, and it’s great if you use your phone for gaming often. But an Xbox or PlayStation controller just has more room to work with.

Third, all of this can get expensive in a hurry. The Pro’s price tag is already steep. To take full advantage of cloud services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now, you have to pay a subscription fee. Same goes for Apple Arcade. You can’t remote play without owning a console or gaming PC. And Backbone restricts some app features to its own membership program, most notably the ability to launch cloud-based games directly from the app. So there are questions of what the market for a device like this actually is: Just how much do hardcore gamers, the people who’d buy a $170 controller, play on their phone? How much do they need a multi-device controller when they likely own an Xbox or PS5 pad already? Who really wants a subscription for a video game controller?

You can organize and start up games from the Backbone app, but the ability to launch games from cloud services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now directly in the app (annoyingly) requires a subscription fee.Jeff Dunn for Engadget / Backbone

That aside, the app still looks clean, and it still lets you organize your games or streaming apps in one central hub. The search function works well, allowing you to filter games by different platforms. When you select a game, it helpfully shows you which platforms you can play it through.

Backbone is also adding a new built-in emulator with its next update. It can run NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 64 games today, though the company says it’s testing PlayStation 1 and PlayStation Portable cores as well. Opening a ROM in the app is simple enough, and once you do, it’ll appear in your hub alongside the rest of your library. That said, you need a Backbone+ subscription to use the emulator, and it’s fairly barebones compared to an app like RetroArch, with no way to rewind, adjust resolution or manage multiple save states. I also experienced a few bugs with certain games, with one title not loading entirely. This is still a neat idea, but given that other more featured emulators are available for free, I can’t say it’s worth paying for today.

In an ideal world, the Backbone Pro would be a next-gen version of One rather than a step-up model priced $70 higher. The hardware is better in meaningful ways, and being able to use it across devices is genuinely convenient. But it’s certainly not cheap. There’s a decent chance the price was influenced by the looming effects of President Trump’s tariff policy, but that still leaves the device well above other capable mobile gamepads today. If you’ve got the cash and spend hours gaming across your phone and other screens, the Pro is still well worth a look. It’s one of the best in its niche. It’s just hard to call it a great value.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/backbone-pro-hands-on-a-pricey-controller-for-more-than-just-your-phone-130034399.html?src=rss

Last year was a major one for Microsoft's Surface lineup, thanks to the launch of Copilot+ AI PC initiative, as well as surprisingly capable Arm-powered Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models. But aside from the addition of OLED and Qualcomm's new Snapdragon chips, the overall design for those Surface machines didn't really evolve much. That changes this year, as Microsoft has announced smaller versions of its Surface family: A 12-inch Surface Pro hybrid tablet and a 13-inch Surface Laptop. To be clear, they won't be replacing the existing Surface devices, instead they're more like compact siblings.

While they may sound only a bit smaller than the existing 13-inch Surface Pro and 13.8-inch Surface Laptop, Microsoft managed to cut off plenty of excess weight. The new 12-inch Surface Pro is a half-pound lighter than the 13-inch model, clocking in at 1.5 pounds, and the revised Surface Laptop is 0.3 pounds lighter (2.7 pounds). Notably, the Surface Pro is coming in 0.2 pounds lighter than the Surface Pro X, a device we praised for having "gorgeous" hardware that was betrayed by Windows' terrible Arm support in 2019.

Microsoft

Both new Surface devices are powered by an eight-core version of the Snapdragon X Plus chip, which includes a 45 TOPS NPU and Adreno GPU, as well as 16GB RAM. As for storage, you can choose from either 256GB of 512GB UFS (Universal Flash Storage) options. Unlike the SSDs in other Surface devices, you won't be able to upgrade the UFS storage down the line.

That's not the only downgrade, either: The smaller screens of both devices are a significant step down from their larger siblings. The Surface Pro's 12-inch LCD sports a 2,196 by 1,464 resolution, which is only slightly better than 1080p, and maxes out at a 90Hz refresh rate. The 13-inch Surface Pro, meanwhile, offers more pixels per inch with a 2,880 by 1,920 resolution, up to 120Hz refresh rate, and an optional OLED upgrade. As for the smaller Surface Laptop, it sports a simple 1080p 60Hz LCD. The 13.8-inch Surface Laptop has a sharper 2,304 by 1,536 LCD that can hit up to 120Hz.

Microsoft

Microsoft has also given up on using the Surface Connect port with these devices, opting instead to rely on USB-C charging alone. The Surface Pro and Surface Laptop both have two USB-C/USB 3.2 ports, which support 45W and 60W fast charging, respectively. There's no USB power adapter bundled with the Surface Pro, unfortunately, but the Surface Laptop still comes with a 45W charger of its own. Similarly, the Laptop is the only new machine with a USB Type-A connection and a headphone jack.

The 12-inch Surface Pro starts at $800, which is technically $200 less than the retail price of the 13-inch model, but oddly enough that version is currently on sale for $800 as well. As usual, you'll have to buy the Surface Keyboard separately, which tacks on another $149 to your Surface Pro purchase. Microsoft says it's reimagined the Surface Keyboard for the 12-inch tablet, so its typing experience may be different this time around.

The 13-inch Surface Laptop starts at $900, but in another curious twist the larger model is also currently on sale for $800 (down from $1,000). Perhaps Microsoft is betting some people will opt for the new hardware simply because it's more compact. We'll have to test both machines to see if their spec downgrades are worth the lighter weight.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/microsoft-unveils-smaller-surfaces-a-12-inch-surface-pro-tablet-and-a-13-inch-surface-laptop-130030983.html?src=rss

Spike Lee has finally released the trailer for the hotly anticipated Highest 2 Lowest, and it looks like it's going to be a smash for A24 and Apple TV+.The new movie is a reimagining of the classic Akira Kurosawa movie High and Low. In addition to Washington, it also stars A$AP Rocky, Jeffrey Wright and Ice Spice – and as you can see from the trailer it looks like it's going to be an absolute blast.

Why Highest 2 Lowest looks set to be a smash

This will be Denzel Washington's fifth Spike Lee movie, following in the footsteps of Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game and Inside Man. So to say expectations are high for this latest collaboration would be a serious understatement.Or as Lee put it on his official Instagram page: "I Know U Have Been Waiting 'HELLA LONG' And Here Is DA TEASER TRAILER (Finally🤓) For Da 5th Return Of D And LEE- HIGHEST 2 LOWEST."

A post shared by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee)A photo posted by on

The Kurosawa original was in turn based very loosely on the Ed McBain / Evan Hunter movie King's Ransom. In this telling it's about a music mogul (Washington) who is targeted in a ransom plot and finds himself jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.I'm really excited about this potential new best Apple TV+ movie. Each Lee and Washington movie has been superb: Lee is an amazing storyteller and Washington is one of the finest actors working today, so I can't wait for this one.Highest 2 Lowest is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on August 22, 2025, and will move to streaming on Apple TV+ on September 5, 2025.

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Rumors hint at Intel's Arc B770 unveiling at Computex this MayNvidia is expected to launch its RTX 5060 GPU on May 19 close to ComputexThe Arc B770 is rumored to feature 16GB of VRAM, compared to the RTX 5060's 8GB

While there's been no official confirmation from Nvidia, all signs point towards a May 19 launch for its new RTX 5060 GPU. However, it may not be a smooth sailing launch for Team Green, as both AMD and, more importantly, Intel have strong competition on the horizon.According to Japanese media outlet Gazlog, Intel's Arc B770 GPU is expected to be unveiled at Computex, around Nvidia's RTX 5060 rumored launch date. It's anticipated to be a more powerful middle-range tier GPU compared to the Arc B570 and B580 counterparts, featuring 16GB of VRAM and a 256-bit memory bus.This comes alongside AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT, which is at least rumored to be unveiled around Computex and its fierce rivals' RTX 5060 launch. Team Green has much more to worry about now, particularly with the controversy surrounding the new GPU's 8GB VRAM configuration.With both AMD's RX 9060 XT and Intel's purported Arc B770 launching with 16GB of VRAM (note that AMD's GPU will also have an 8GB variant), it may just leave Nvidia's RTX 5060 in a tougher spot than before.There's no clarification on whether the B770 will feature 16GB GDDR6 or GDDR7 VRAM, but a previous rumor reported by Wccftech suggests Team Blue may be working to use GDDR7 memory chips for next-gen GPUs – and this may be the 'Celestial' lineup, but there's also a chance the Arc B770 could be first to see this change.

(Image credit: Intel)

If this is legitimate, Intel deserves praise for abandoning 8GB GPUs entirely

It's already clear that Intel is aware of 8GB GPUs and the negative consensus surrounding them; its A770 GPU featured both 16GB and 8GB variants, and it's safe to say the latter doesn't cut it for triple-A gaming today (unless you enjoy constantly adjusting graphics settings).Fortunately, its more recent Arc B570 and B580 have 10GB and 12GB VRAM configurations, respectively – and it looks like Team Blue is doing away with 8GB with the rumored B770 for 16GB instead (unsurprisingly so, if it's indeed a more powerful GPU).Besides the ray tracing capabilities, DLSS 4, Multi-Frame Generation, and GDDR7 VRAM, I'd argue that the Arc B770 (based on the rumors) looks like the more appealing graphics card over the RTX 5060. Intel is gradually expanding its XeSS upscaling method, including frame generation, so it will be great to see the rumored GPU sell well.I'm hoping that Team Blue's efforts with this 16GB GPU are received well by consumers, because it could be a way for both Nvidia and AMD to finally abandon 8GB VRAM capacities for future GPUs.

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Oura Ring can now track metabolic healthA new Meals feature can track nutritional content and give insight into meal timingsA new Glucose feature uses a paired biosensor to measure your glucose levels

Oura has today announced that two of the best smart rings on the market, the Oura Ring 3 and Oura Ring 4, now feature support for metabolic health tracking thanks to its new Meals and Glucose features.Meals, following months of Oura Labs testing, is now available in the Oura app. By simply taking a photo of what's on your plate, Oura can help you understand dishes to analyze key nutritional choices and the balance of your meal, labeling components like protein or carbs as low, moderate, or high.This information can be turned into feedback and insights to help you make more informed choices about your diet.

Oura Ring gets glucose monitoring integration

Oura has also announced new glucose monitoring integration thanks to a partnership with Dexcom. Now you can track your glucose levels directly in the Oura App when using the Dexcom Stelo Glucose Biosensor, one of the most popular continuous glucose monitors. The sensor provides readings every 15 minutes to help you understand how meals, activities, and your daily habits impact blood sugar levels.Oura says its approach "encourages you to focus on the bigger picture of your blood sugar levels over time" rather than individual glucose spikes.The company says the two upgrades will give users a more holistic view of how their dietary choices impact their overall health.Both features are rolling out now to users of the Oura Ring 3 and Oura Ring 4 members in the United States. It follows the Apple Watch, which also debuted Dexcom integration last year.

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In April, a US District Court ruled that Google monopolized open-web digital ad markets. Now, the tech giant and the US Justice Department are at odds about what Google must do about it. The DOJ argues that Google should sell AdX, or Ad Exchange, a platform for publishers to sell unused ad space in real-time. It also wants the company to offload Google Ad Manager, previously DoubleClick for Publishers (Google DFP).

The DOJ claims that both platforms minimize competition and contribute to Google's monopoly in the advertising space. The executive department has also pushed Google to sell Chrome due to a separate ruling that the company held a monopoly on search engines.

Unsurprisingly, Google has no interest in getting rid of its products — it also plans to appeal the Court's ruling on Google Ad Manager. Google has announced "a proposal that fully addresses the Court’s findings." These changes include allowing all rival publisher ad servers to make real-time bids on AdX and letting publishers set different price floors for each bidder.

"In contrast, the DOJ is seeking remedies that go significantly beyond the Court’s narrow ruling by forcing a divestiture of Google Ad Manager," Google stated in its announcement. "This would risk breaking a tool advertisers use to connect with publishers and efficiently reach their customers, and that app and video publishers use to monetize their content — businesses that aren’t even part of the narrow market of 'open web display ads' at issue in this case."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/doj-pushes-for-google-to-sell-its-advertising-platforms-134250436.html?src=rss