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AI-lationships is the gag-inducing term Joi AI cooked up to support its recent eye-opening survey on human-to-AI relationships. In it, eight out of 10 Gen Z respondents said they would consider marrying an AI partner.Before we delve too much into this mind-bending stat, let's look at the source. Joi AI, formerly EVA AI, is a premium online AI companion service that offers a wide range of AI companion personalities, complete with AI-generated imagery that can be, depending on settings and what you pay, NSFW.It's kind of a cheesy service that caters mostly, I think, to lonely men. Now, don't get me wrong; I know there's a growing epidemic of loneliness. A recent Harvard study found that 21% of US adults report some level of loneliness (some studies suggest the number is far higher).DisconnectionRemote work, screen time, and other things that take us away from direct human connection are probably not helping this trend, but AI has increasingly stepped into the connection void with a growing army of voice chatbots that can carry on surprisingly realistic and even empathetic-sounding conversations.And this is by design. Earlier this month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whose company is building powerful AI models, suggested we should all have AI friends.Marriage, then, is perhaps, the next logical extension.The concept of deep, personal relationships between humans and artificial intelligence traces back to well before we had Gemini Live, ChatGPT, Copilot, and others ready and willing to converse with us at length. The 2013 movie Her was built around the idea of a deeply personal (and concerning) relationship between Joaquin Phoenix's character and Scarlett Johansson's disembodied AI voice long before we could talk to a single AI in real life.I've had my share of AI conversations, and I find them entertaining and, often, illuminating. I don't see them as personal, though. Perhaps that's because I'm not lonely. The more desperate you are for human connection, the more AI companionship might seem like a reasonable substitute.But marriage?Meet-cute in the cloudAt least Joi AI adds static imagery to the playful banter you'll find through its AI partners, but that's the exception and not the rule. Most generative AI chatbots are just voices and undulating screens. You need images and, ultimately, touch to make a genuine connection... don't you?As I write this, I'm reminded that I met my wife through a phone call and that I was enchanted, initially, by nothing but her voice and wit. But to build our relationship and eventual union, we did date in person. Being with her sealed the deal and made me want to marry her.I don't understand why Joi AI's respondents, even Generation Z, who are much more deeply immersed in technology, social media, and AI than any generation before it, would accept an AI as a life mate. In the survey, though, they do sound primed for AI connection, with 83% saying they "could build a deep emotional bond with an AI partner."One expert I spoke to via email, Dr. Sue Varma, a board-certified psychiatrist and author of Practical Optimism, put it in perspective for me. "At our core, we all want the same things: to be seen, to be heard, and to feel valued – not judged or criticized. For Gen Z, that longing is especially strong, and the loneliness they’re experiencing is very real. What they want, what we all want, is meaningful, mutual human connection."Would you consider marrying an AI?May 22, 2025Unconvinced that Joi AI's data points to a real trend (I did ask them for survey details and have yet to receive a response), I ran a couple of anecdotal surveys on X (formerly Twitter) and Threads. Across both, less than 10% said yes, they would consider marrying an AI, roughly a third said no on Threads, and the vast majority wondered if I was okay.As preposterous as I find the whole idea of AI relationships and eventual marriage, I also understand that we're at the start of a revolution. AI's ability to mimic human language and even emotions is growing exponentially, and there's already growing concern about human-to-AI relationships."Technology—and AI in particular—isn’t going away. It’s going to keep evolving, and yes, it may offer relationships that seem easy, even comforting. Think of the always-affirming AI: the hype person, the yes-person, the one that never challenges us and always tells us what we want to hear. It’s seductive. But it’s not real," said Dr. Varma, and added, "What we really need to be doing is using AI to support our humanity, not replace it."The latest Gemini and ChatGPT models provide incredibly human- and expressive-sounding conversations. Some believe AIs have already beat the Turing test (basically when a computer's response is indistinguishable from a human's, at least as perceived by another human).We will, in this decade, see humanoid robots equipped with these AIs, and that's when things will get really weird. How long before some dude is marrying his AI bot in Vegas?Joi AI's self-serving survey is ridiculous on the face of it, even if it is also a harbinger of AI relationships to come – and I hope Gen Z swipes left on the whole idea.You might also likeSocialAI makes you the most important – and only – person on social mediaMeta wants to fill your social media feeds with bots – here's why I think it's wrongI tried the new Meta AI app and it's like ChatGPT for people who like to overshare

In the great iOS vs Android debate, you’ll often hear Apple fans bringing up Airdrop as one of the iPhone’s key advantages. However, it seems OnePlus is hoping to bring AirDrop-style sharing and drag-and-drop file transfers to its Android phones.O+ Connect, which comprises a feature built into OnePlus' OxygenOS Android wrapper and an app for compatible third-party devices, brings these features to OnePlus devices, starting with the OnePlus 13R.As for the flagship OnePlus 13, the company has confirmed O+ Connect support is on the way, but we don't know exactly when yet. Additionally, the feature is only available for UK and EU users at the moment.This enables users to view and transfer files between their OnePlus phone and iPhone, iPad, or Mac wirelessly, which is usually impossible without using an intermediary like Google Drive or WeTransfer.The corresponding O+ Connect app can be found on an official OnePlus website or on the iOS App Store.Curiously, the O+ Connect app supports macOS all the way back to version 10.4, released in 2005 as macOS X Tiger – this means that any Mac released in the last 20 years should be supported; talk about backwards compatibility.It’s worth mentioning that the O+ Connect app was originally released under the same name for Oppo phones. Oppo and OnePlus are both owned by parent company BBK Electronics, and while the two companies often share designs and features, they are distinct. It’s something to keep in mind if you use both OnePlus and Oppo devices.Building bridgesO+ Connect is coming to the OnePlus 13, but we don't know exactly when yet. (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)According to OnePlus, the integration of the O+ Connect app marks the start of an ecosystem that will aim to connect OnePlus users with devices from multiple other brands – not just Apple.Personally speaking, I’ve experienced the sheer horror of trying to move a large video from an Android phone to my MacBook, or from an iPhone to an Android device, one too many times.Though third-party solutions like LocalSend are very effective, I welcome OnePlus’ addition of O+ Connect – it’s great to see phone makers tackling this issue with first-party solutions.I think phone makers have some right to protect and encircle their own ecosystems, but making file sharing easier really has no downside from a consumer perspective. I'm glad to see OnePlus leading the way on this.O+ Connect is on its way to the OnePlus 13, but I’m hoping it’ll come to more of the best OnePlus phones soon. Let us know if you’ll be using this new feature in the comments below.You might also likeI spent a week testing the Honor 400 Pro, and it's a powerful almost-flagship with some fancy AI tricksThe latest Android 16 beta includes the Material 3 Expressive redesign and more – here’s what the update brings‘The very definition of photography is changing all the time’: Honor’s camera chief on embracing AI, exploiting the cloud, and taking on Apple and Samsung

Konami has confirmed that Silent Hill f is a standalone game in the seriesThe studio says the upcoming game is "a completely new work independent of the series"It also adds that players who have never played Silent Hill can experience Silent Hill f without worryKonami has offered some insight into where Silent Hill f stands in the overall Silent Hill series.In a new post shared on the Japanese Silent Hill X / Twitter account, Konami clarified that the upcoming horror game is a standalone title in the Silent Hill timeline, suggesting it won't have any connection to any previous games in the series (via IGN).The studio also confirmed that players will need no prior knowledge of the franchise and that even newcomers to the series can experience Silent Hill f."This is a completely new work independent of the series," Konami said (translated via X / Twitter). "Even those who have never played the 'SILENT HILL' series can enjoy this game."Only a few games in the series, like Silent Hill, Silent Hill 3, and Silent Hill Origins, have a connection, and Silent Hill 2 does offer some links to the first game, but both plots are not directly related.While only some games take place in the titular town, Silent Hill f will notably take place away from America entirely, in the rural Japanese town of Ebisugaoka in the 1960s.『SILENT HILL f』＜シリーズ最新作登場＞本作はシリーズから独立した完全新作です。「SILENT HILL」シリーズを一度もプレイしたことのない方も遊んでいただくことができます。▼ウィッシュリストはこちらhttps://t.co/N9lsQPDLiM#SILENTHILL #サイレントヒルf #サイレントヒル pic.twitter.com/9rCeDSfV2SMay 20, 2025Konami revealed new details about the game in March, alongside a creepy new trailer. The story will follow teenager Shimizu Hinako, whose secluded hometown of Ebisugaoka is engulfed in a sudden fog, transforming her home into a haunting nightmare."As the town falls silent and the fog thickens, Hinako must navigate the twisted paths of Ebisugaoka, solving complex puzzles and confronting grotesque monsters to survive," the game description reads.There's no release date for Silent Hill f just yet, but we know that the horror game will be released for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. And with Summer Game Fest right around the corner in June, there's every chance we get more details at the annual gaming event.You might also like...Best horror games: the scariest titles to play in 2025Silent Hill 2 review: a stylish remake, but not definitiveMonster Hunter Wilds' Street Fighter 6 collaboration arrives next week featuring a new side mission and free Akuma armor set

The faulty CrowdStrike update disrupted operations at DeltaThe airline sued the cybersecurity outfit, which then filed a motion to dismissThe judge denied the motion and gave the lawsuit the go-aheadDelta’s lawsuit against cybersecurity outfit CrowdStrike got the judge’s green light and will proceed. Earlier this May, Judge Kelly Lee Ellerbe filed their decision with the Fulton County Superior Court, denying CrowdStrike’s motion to dismiss and allowing most of Delta’s claims to move forward.Here is a little context: Last year, cybersecurity company CrowdStrike pushed a faulty update to users on Windows devices, causing widespread disruption. Banks, airlines, TV broadcasters, and many other companies, were unable to operate nominally due to the dreaded Blue Screen of Death popping up across their IT infrastructure.US airline Delta was hit particularly hard. According to The Register, it took five days to recover, significantly more than rivals American Airlines and United Airlines. What’s more, the same source claims Delta was forced to ground a lot more airplanes compared to other organizations.TechRadar Pro readers can get 60% off Premium Plans at RoboForm now!New users can take advantage of RoboForm’s exclusive deal and get 60% off the Premium Plan. With this deal, you can get unlimited password storage, one-click login & autofill, password sharing, two-factor authentication for added protection, cloud backup, and emergency access for trusted contacts. To claim this deal, visit this link and sign up for the Premium Plan to lock in this huge discount.Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View DealMotion to dismissThis prompted Delta to sue CrowdStrike claiming the company deployed the update without permission, bypassed Microsoft’s certification process, and failed to properly test the update before release. CrowdStrike admitted the update was flawed but claims Delta’s delayed recovery was due to its own decisions. The lawsuit included multiple claims, such as breach of contract, trespass, negligence, and fraud.CrowdStrike filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that Delta’s claims were invalid. The argument here is that the claims should be limited by the contract under Georgia’s economic loss rule, which generally prevents tort claims for purely financial losses arising from a contract. Delta says CrowdStrike violated independent duties, such as obligations under trespass laws and cybersecurity standards.Now, the judge has partially denied CrowdStrike’s motion to dismiss. Namely, trespass and negligence claims are valid, while fraud claims were upheld in part.The Register spoke to CrowdStrike’s outside counsel, Michael Carlinsky of law firm Quinn Emanuel, who says that the worst-case scenario is the company having to pay “single-digit millions” to Delta. The airline, on the other hand, is “pleased by the ruling”.Via The RegisterYou might also likeGlobal Windows outage plunged banks, airlines, and more into chaos – here's everything you need to knowTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

If you're in need of something to binge this week, Sirens has arrived and it's definitely worthy of a spot on our best Netflix shows round up.The dark comedy-drama, which arrived today (May 22), already has – at the time of this article's publication – an 86% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. Clearly, it's gone down well with plenty of professional writers.For the uninitiated: Sirens is, according to Netflix's own Tudum fan-led website, an "incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power, and class".The show's story is told over the course of one very explosive weekend, and sees Meghan Fahy play Devon, the concerned older sibling of Milly Alcock's Simone, who has a very creepy relationship with her new boss Michaela (Julianne Moore). Clearly worried about her younger sister, Devon heads to Michaela's country retreat with the view to holding an intervention for Simone.Why I'm recommending Sirens on NetflixKevin Bacon is among Sirens' starry supporting cast (Image credit: Netflix)There are plenty of great reasons why I'm recommending Sirens this week. With only five episodes, you can easily binge watch it in one or two sittings.Molly Smith Metzler, the playwright behind the highly-enjoyable Maid, which starred Margaret Qualley, created this Netflix show, which is based on Metzler's own 2011 play Elemano Pea. So, you know this series is in good handsSmith Metzler told Tudum: “This story has a lot of teeth. There are real moments of drama, and it’s going to make people uncomfortable. Operatic is a word I like to use to describe it. It’s a true dark comedy – and it’s got a Greek mythology vibe.”The cast is also excellent. Alongside Moore, Fahy, and Alcock, the likes of beloved actor Kevin Bacon. Considering Prime Video canceled The Bondsman, it's nice to see Bacon popping up in a different project, even if I'm still very disappointed to see one of the best Prime Video shows suddenly come to an abrupt end. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton also plays a supporting role, so you really can't get much more star-studded than that.If you loved Netflix's The Four Seasons, this is another picturesque series to gape at, too. Expect great on-location scenes, glamorous wardrobes, and plenty of luxury. It's also full to the brim of mystery and has a sinister undertone, as all is not as it seems on this island enclave.I was sucked in from the get-go and soon realized that I'd streamed three episodes back to back. You'll find yourself desperate to know what's going on, and what's up with Moore's rich philanthropist and animal activist.I'm keen to see more from Sirens, but we'll have to see if Netflix decides to renew it.You might also likeDon't miss these 3 Netflix movies all with 94% on Rotten Tomatoes – they're all leaving soon!Wednesday season 2's sneak peek teases bucketloads of Addams Family lore for the beloved Netflix series5 Netflix thriller movies with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes to watch right now

Anthropic kicked off its first-ever Code with Claude conference today with the announcement of a new frontier AI system. The company is calling Claude Opus 4 the best coding model in the world. According to Anthropic, Opus 4 is dramatically better at tasks that require it to complete thousands of separate steps, giving it the ability to work continuously for several hours in one go. Additionally, the new model can use multiple software tools in parallel, and it's better at following instructions more precisely.

In combination, Anthropic says those capabilities make Opus 4 ideal for powering upcoming AI agents. For the unfamiliar, agentic systems are AIs that are designed to plan and carry out complicated tasks without human supervision. They represent an important step towards the promise of artificial general intelligence (AGI). In customer testing, Anthropic saw Opus 4 work on its own seven hours, or nearly a full workday. That's an important milestone for the type of agentic systems the company wants to build.

Anthropic

Another reason Anthropic thinks Opus 4 is ready to enable the creation of better AI agents is because the model is 65 percent less likely to use a shortcut or loophole when completing tasks. The company says the system also demonstrates significantly better "memory capabilities," particularly when developers grant Claude local file access. To encourage devs to try Opus 4, Anthropic is making Claude Code, its AI coding agent, widely available. It has also added new integrations with Visual Studio Code and JetBrains.

Even if you're not a coder, Anthropic might have something for you. That's because alongside Opus 4, the company announced a new version of its Sonnet model. Like Claude 3.7 Sonnet before it and Opus 4, the new system is a hybrid reasoning model, meaning it can execute prompts nearly instantaneously and engage in extended thinking. As a user, this gives you a best of both worlds chatbot that's better equipped to tackle complex problems when needed. It also incorporates many of the same improvements found in Opus 4, including the ability to use tools in parallel and follow instructions more faithfully.

Sonnet 3.7 was so popular among users Anthropic ended up introducing a Max plan in response, which starts at $100 per month. The good news is you won't need to pay anywhere near that much to use Sonnet 4, as Anthropic is making it available to free users.

For those who want to use Sonnet 4 for a project, API pricing is staying at $3 per one million input tokens and $15 for the same amount of output tokens. Notably, outside of all the usual places you'll find Anthropic's models, including Amazon Bedrock and Google Vertex AI, Microsoft is making Sonnet 4 the default model for the new coding agent it's offering through GitHub Copilot. Both Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 are available to use today.

Today's announcement comes during what's already been a busy week in the AI industry. On Tuesday, Google kicked off its I/O 2025 conference, announcing, among other things, that it was rolling out AI Mode to all Search users in the US. A day later, OpenAI said it was spending $6.5 billion to buy Jony Ive’s hardware startup.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-claude-opus-4-model-can-work-autonomously-for-nearly-a-full-workday-164526696.html?src=rss

The Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum is on sale for $150 via Amazon as part of a Memorial Day promotion. This represents a 25 percent discount, which translates to $50. That's pretty darn close to a record low price.

The LVAC-200 made our list of the best cordless vacuums, and we specifically recommended it to the budget-conscious. It's lightweight, at three pounds, and does a great job at cleaning different types of dry messes. We tried it out on both hard and carpeted floors, with exceptional results. There are three suction modes and a push-button start. It even ships with a hand-vac attachment.

This vacuum doesn't come with a storage base, but it's easily disassembled. Just detach the cleaning head from the extension arm and the arm from the motor base and it can be stored just about anywhere. However, it also stands upright on its own thanks to a locking mechanism.

We appreciated the five-stage filtration system, even if it's not HEPA-certified. The dustbin, however, is on the smaller side at 0.75 liters. This means the debris will have to be manually disposed of fairly regularly. We found that it was almost entirely full after one pass. Despite these drawbacks, this is still one heck of a vacuum for the money. We recommended it at the original $200 asking price, so we definitely recommend it now.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-cordless-vacuums-is-on-sale-for-150-as-a-memorial-day-promotion-170031374.html?src=rss

Twelve South's PowerCord is so simple, with a wall plug on one end and a USB-C on the otherIt's a one-stop solution for charging small to medium-sized devicesWith the cord, you can effectively ditch the power brick as it's integratedWhen it comes to charging our devices right now, you generally need a wall plug that goes into an outlet and a cable. For phones – iPhone or Android – that means, say, at least a 20-watt wall plug and then a USB-C to USB-C cable. It doesn’t need to be like this, especially for those who travel.Twelve South, known for excellent accessories that especially complement Apple devices, just dropped the ‘PowerCord.’ Yes, that’s a product name, not something that comes with the product in the box. It’s a USB-C port cable that ends not with a replica of that port but rather a power adapter.Thus, it eliminates the need for a wall brick, and if you’re charging a Pixel 9, an iPhone 16 Pro, a Nintendo Switch, an iPad or Galaxy Tab, or even a MacBook Air, you just plug it in to get the charge going.(Image credit: Twelve South)It’s fairly genius, right? The 30-watt power supply is integrated into the wall plug, and it comes in two lengths – 4-foot or 10-foot. The cable itself is braided and looks fairly heavy-duty from shared images and comes in a slate black or dune white.The wall plug is also non-removable. In fact, the whole design is a closed circle on purpose. That way, you can’t leave one part of the equation at home or behind, so when you need to recharge something, it’s all there, whenever you need it.As of right now, it’s priced at $39.99 for the 4-foot model and $49.99 for the 10-foot model in either color. However, it can only be purchased with a Type-A wall plug. That means it works best in North America, specifically in the United States or Canada. It's up for order now at Amazon or from the brand directly here.TwelveSouth has said that an EU and UK version is on the horizon and will likely drop in mid to late June. That's excellent news, since for frequent travelers, this is a really nice charger, and I like that you can’t leave any part of it at home.If it proves to be a success, Twelve South may need to figure out how to put in a larger power supply so it can also handle recharging more power-hungry devices.(Image credit: Twelve South)Even so, as it stands, PowerCord can charge phones, tablets, a DJI Osmo Pocket 3, earbuds and headphones, Bluetooth speakers, smart glasses, headsets, and countless other devices. The product page notes that it’s best for small to medium-sized devices but can trickle-charge other products like laptops.If you’re sold and are in North America, or planning a trip, the PowerCord is up for order and shipping now directly from Twelve South here and on Amazon here.You might also likeFujifilm’s X half is a tiny retro compact that’s big on wacky film photography features, and I love itI tried Project Moohan and loved it, but only because of Google GeminiUnited Airlines just unveiled its next-gen cabin with new Polaris seats – here are the biggest changes

Phison X200Z writes entire drive every 24 minutes nonstopDelivers record-breaking endurance and performance with 60 DWPD capabilityTweakTown calls it the most powerful flash-based SSD ever testedTweakTown has delivered its first hands-on look at the Phison Pascari X200Z 3.2TB Enterprise SSD, and – spoiler alert – it was blown away.Built with SLC flash and running over a PCIe Gen5 x4 interface, the X200Z boasts a write endurance rating of 60 drive writes per day (DWPD), translating to an astounding full-drive write every 24 minutes.As Jon Coulter of TweakTown puts it, “Phison's Pascari X200Z 3.2TB SLC caching SSD is simultaneously the highest capacity, lowest latency, and most endurant flash-based SSD of its kind we've ever encountered.”The best ever seenThe X200Z is built for extreme durability in demanding caching roles, especially in front of QLC arrays.It buffers random write workloads, reshapes them into sequential data, and directs them to slower, more fragile QLC layers, enhancing speed, reliability, and overall lifespan of the storage system.Coulter notes, “The 3.2TB model we have in hand is rated at 60 DWPD or a mind-bending 350 Petabytes of endurance. Incredible.”The drive also shines on performance. In testing, it surpassed its factory specs across the board. Sequential read throughput hit 15,026MB/s - breaking TweakTown lab records - while write performance came in over 10,200MB/s.In random workloads, the X200Z hit up to 2800K IOPS and showed strong consistency across all queue depths.Coulter was impressed by the performance curve: “Its low queue depth performance here is stunning.”He adds, “We knew it would be good, but we didn't anticipate the drive's mixed workload performance would be this fantastic. By far the best we've ever seen.”Phison positions its Pascari line as enterprise-grade, offering flexibility in U.2 and E3.S form factors and support for dual-port configurations. The Pascari X200 Series already has design wins across data centers, video platforms, and HPC workloads.Coulter concludes: “Phison's Pascari X200Z 3.2TB SSD is easily the most powerful flash-based SSD we've ever tested.”You might also likeThese are the fastest SSDs you can buy right nowAnd these are the largest SSDs and hard drives on the marketPhison unleashes 122.88TB '128TB-class' SSD that delivers PCIe Gen5 performance

Pocket, Mozilla's service for saving articles to read later, is shutting down on July 8, 2025. Mozilla says it's phasing out Pocket and Fakespot, its browser extension for vetting product reviews, in an attempt "to be intentional about where we invest our time and resources" as the company continues to support Firefox.

Starting today, May 22, Pocket is no longer available to download and you can't sign up for a Pocket Premium subscription. Mozilla says existing annual and monthly subscriptions will be cancelled automatically, and annual subscribers will be fully refunded on July 8. You'll have until October 8 to export your Pocket data before Mozilla deletes it, and the Pocket API, which lets apps and devices access the articles you've saved, will be shut down on the same day.

The Fakespot website, browser extension and apps will no longer be available starting on July 1, 2025 and you'll lose access to Review Checker in Firefox (a Fakespot-powered feature) even earlier on June 10. Mozilla acquired Fakespot in 2023 "to help people navigate unreliable product reviews using AI and privacy-first tech," but the company says that "while the idea resonated, it didn’t fit a model we could sustain."

Pocket lived an even longer life at Mozilla as one of the last OG read-it-later apps. Mozilla acquired the service in 2017, but Pocket existed for a decade before that, first launching in 2007 as a browser extension called Read It Later before it was renamed to Pocket in 2012.

Like Instapaper, Pocket promised to take an article URL and convert the page into a highly-readable, ad-free document that you could access while you were away from your browser. Some modern browsers have built-in "Reader" modes that can do the same thing on-demand, but Pocket made it possible to archive it all for later, even if the page was taken down.

With Pocket out of the picture, the best alternatives are Instapaper, which got a new lease on life when it bought itself from Pinterest in 2018 and Readwise Reader, which combines read-it-later features and the ability to review eBook highlights in the same app. For more instructions on how to rescue your Pocket data before its deleted, Mozilla has an online guide.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/mozilla-is-shutting-down-its-read-it-later-app-pocket-183247576.html?src=rss

The US House of Representatives just narrowly passed a budget bill, which has been referred to by President Trump and others as "one big, beautiful bill." Hidden amongst the cuts to health care, debt add-ons and tax breaks for the rich is a ten-year ban of state AI laws. You read that right. States would be banned by the federal government from enforcing laws that regulate AI for the next decade.

The vote fell largely along party lines, with nearly every Republican member of the House approving the bill. This marks one of the most significant federal actions on technology policy in decades and it was buried in a budget bill that has nothing to do with AI.

This isn't law just yet. The budget bill has to pass through the Senate and it could have a difficult road. It's expected that Democratic lawmakers will challenge the AI regulation ban under what's called the Byrd Rule, which prohibits "extraneous" provisions to the federal budget during the reconciliation process.

Here’s the moment from Sen. Blackburn pushing back on the idea of a state AI moratorium. https://t.co/bx0dbL2qmL pic.twitter.com/kAnl0sjudW— Zamaan Qureshi (@zamaan_qureshi) May 21, 2025

Even some Senate Republicans seem wary of the ban. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee expressed concern that it would override state legislation that protects artists from deepfakes in her state. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has also pushed back on the idea on the grounds that it could "tamp down on people's efforts to address" issues posed by AI.

Supporters of the ban argue that it would stop a potentially confusing patchwork of differing state AI laws until Congress can craft its own federal legislation. This is pretty odd coming from the "states' rights" crowd, but whatever.

Opponents, like many Democratic lawmakers and advocacy organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, call it a dangerous giveaway to big tech firms, as these companies stand to benefit the most from a completely unregulated market. They also say it poses a serious danger to Americans, as it would leave the citizenry unprotected from any associated risk. Current state laws address issues including deepfakes and discrimination in automated hiring.

“Make no mistake, the families who have come to this committee and begged for us to act won't benefit from this proposal,” said Democratic Rep. Lori Trahan during a subcommittee hearing on the matter. “But you know who will? The big tech CEOs who are sitting behind Donald Trump at his inauguration."

Rightfully, the cuts to Medicaid (over 10M people will lose their health care) and the tax cuts for the rich have been the story of the disastrous Republican budget bill.But I read the whole thing. And there are some hidden rats in there you need to know about.1/ A quick🧵— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 20, 2025

The budget bill, as passed by the House, also includes cuts to Medicaid totaling an estimated $625 billion and cuts to SNAP, otherwise called food stamps, totaling $300 billion. It could also force $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, which serves senior citizens, as a byproduct of adding nearly $4 trillion to the national deficit. It also ends the EV tax credit. All of this pays for an extension and expansion of previous tax cuts that disproportionately favor high-income earners.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/house-passes-budget-bill-that-inexplicably-bans-state-ai-regulations-for-ten-years-184936210.html?src=rss

Google I/O events are an often frustrating glimpse of the near future, with a lot of shiny software toys scheduled to land sometime "in the coming months". That often means a long wait of up to a year, so for Google I/O 2025 we've rounded every new announcement that you can actually try today.Naturally, some of the features below come with restrictions – a few are only available to try now in the US, while some are restricted to subscribers of Google's AI Pro or AI Ultra tiers. But many have also rolled out worldwide, so there are new features to take for a spin even if you don't currently pay Google a cent.What's missing from the list below and coming at a later date? Quite a bit actually, including some of the more futuristic ideas like Google Beam and Android XR, and it also isn't clear how long we'll have to wait for a worldwide rollout of AI Mode for Search, Veo 3, Flow, Virtual Try On in the Shopping app, and Google's top-tier AI Ultra plan.Still, there are quite a few things from Google I/O 2025 to keep us amused in the meantime, so here's a list of the ones that are available to try today...1. AI Mode in Searchrolling out in the US now (other regions TBC)where to try it: in Google Search or in the Google app(Image credit: Google)Google completely upended its golden goose, Search, at I/O 2025 this week, announcing several new features to stave off the threat of ChatGPT – and the biggest was arguably the US rollout of AI Mode.If you're in the US and aren't seeing the new tab in Search (or in the search bar of the Google app), it's likely because Google said it'd be a gradual roll-out "over the coming weeks".We've been using it for a while, though, and have put together a guide on how to master the new AI mode. It shouldn't be your go-to for everything, but we've concluded that "if you’re researching, planning, comparing, or learning, AI Mode can be a real comfort". Google hasn't yet commented on when it'll get a worldwide launch, but we'd imagine it'll be sometime this year.Read more: Google Search just got its biggest-ever upgrade to lure you away from ChatGPT – here are 7 new things to try2. Veo 3available today for Gemini Ultra subscribers in the USwhere to try it: in Google FlowArguably the biggest breakthrough moment at Google I/O 2025, Veo 3 is the first AI video generator that can deliver synchronized audio (including speech) alongside its video creations. And it's available to try now for a lucky few, if you're in the US and on the new Gemini Ultra plan.Granted, that is a pretty small group of people, but we had to include it in this list because it is actually available today for those lucky peeps, and US enterprise users on the Vertex AI platform.The amount of processing power required for Veo 3 could mean a relatively slow rollout elsewhere, and Google has hinted as much by also releasing new features for Veo 2 like the ability to give it reference scenes.Read more: Google's Veo 3 marks the end of AI video's 'silent era'3. Google Flowavailable to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US more countries "coming soon"where to try it: the Google Flow page in Labs (Image credit: Google Flow)Not sure how to weave all of your AI videos together into a cohesive whole? Google also addressed that issue with a new AI video editor called Flow – and like Veo 3, it's out now for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US.It's a bit like a Premiere Pro that you can operate entirely with natural language, to avoid learning keyboard shortcuts or complex menus. To get an idea of how it works, check out Google's short tutorial.Impressively, it goes as far as giving you menus of camera moves like 'dolly out' and 'pan right', so you don't even have to describe them. Google has also at least promised that it's "coming soon" to more countries, so we're hopeful of a wider rollout in 2025.Read more: Want to be the next Spielberg? Google’s AI-powered Flow could bring your movie ideas to life4. Gemini Liveavailable worldwide now on Android and iOSwhere to try it: in the Gemini app on Android or iOS(Image credit: Future)The big smartphone story of Google I/O 2025 was the full rollout of one of the best AI tools around on Android and iOS – Gemini Live.Like ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode, Gemini Live is an AI assistant that you can chat to using your voice. The most useful part, though, is that you can also give it eyes using your phone's camera to get help with whatever's in front of you or on your screen.To conjure the assistant, open the Gemini app on iOS or Android, tap the Gemini Live icon (on the far right of the text input box), and start chatting away.Read more: Gemini Live is now free for everyone on Android and iOS, and you can finally share your screen and camera on iPhone – here's how to try it5. Imagen 4available worldwide in the Gemini app, Whisk, Vertex AI(Image credit: Google)Google didn't just level-up its AI-generated video at I/O 2025 – we also got a new Imagen 4 model for whipping up still images in higher resolution (now up to 2K) than before.The latest Imagen (which is available now in the Gemini app, Whisk, Vertex AI and across Google Workspace) also showed that it's been working hard on one of its main weaknesses – handling text.This means that scenes involving typography should no longer be a jumbled mess of weird characters and look more realistic. While Imagen 4 is available to use for free, it does come with usage limits – you can expect 10-20 image generations on a free plan, while Gemini subscribers get a more generous 100-150 generations a day.Read more: Gemini’s AI images have been updated to Imagen 4 with a ‘huge step forward in quality’ – here’s what you need to know6. Gemini 2.5 Flashavailable worldwide now in the Gemini appOkay, Gemini 2.5 Flash isn't brand new, but it was given a big upgrade at Google I/O 2025 – and it's now available to everyone to dabble with in the Gemini app.In fact, Gemini 2.5 Flash is now the default model in Google's Gemini chatbot, because it's apparently the fastest and more cost-efficient one for daily use. Some of the specific improvements, over its 2.0 Flash predecessor, include a greater ability to understand images and text.Wondering how it compares to ChatGPT 4o? We've already compared the two to help you see which might be the best for you. Spoiler: it's a close call, but Gemini 2.5 Flash is particularly appealing if you live in Google's world of apps and services.Read more: Google Gemini 2.5 Flash promises to be your favorite AI chatbot, but how does it compare to ChatGPT 4o?7. Julesavailable worldwide in public betawhere to try it: on the Jules websiteNeed a coding assistant to speed up your workflow? Google has just given Jules (first introduced as a Labs experiment last December) a wider public beta rollout, with no waiting lists.Jules is a bit more than a coding copilot – it can autonomously beaver away on fixing bugs, writing tests and building new features without any input from you. It works 'asynchronously', which means it can work on various tasks without waiting for them to finish.Google says Jules isn't trained on your private code and that your data stays within its private environment. With autonomous agents on the rise, it certainly looks worth dabbling with if you could do with some coding assistance.8. Virtual Try-Onrolling out in Search Labs in the USwhere to try it: in Google's Search LabsGoogle Shopping has had a 'Try On' feature for clothes since 2023, but it got a big upgrade it got at Google I/O 2025. Rather than using virtual models to show you how your chosen clothes might fit, it now lets you upload a photo of yourself – and uses AI to help you avoid the hassle of changing rooms.Once you've uploaded a full-length photo of yourself, you'll start to see little "try it on" buttons when you click on outfits that are served up in the Shopping tabs search results. We've taken it for a spin and, while it isn't flawless, it does give you a solid idea of what some clothes will look like on you. And anything that helps us avoid real-world shopping is fine by us.Read more: I tried Google's new AI try-on feature, and it's given me some new fashion ideas9. Deep Research in Geminiavailable now worldwide in Gemini and the Gemini appwhere to try it: in Google Gemini(Image credit: Google)Google brought its 'Deep Research' feature to Gemini Advanced subscribers (now Gemini Pro) in late 2024. And now the handy reports tool has given a particularly useful upgrade – the ability to combine its research of public data from the web with any private PDFs or images that you uploads.Google provided the example of a market researcher uploading their own internal sales figures so they could cross reference them with public trends. Unfortunately, you can't yet pull in docs or data from Google Drive and Gmail, but Google says this is coming "soon".10. Gemini quizzesavailable worldwide on Gemini desktop and mobilecollege students in the US and UK can also get a free Gemini AI Pro upgrade for the whole school yearwhere to try it: on Geminiand the Gemini app on Android or iOS(Image credit: Google)Google is particularly keen to get students using its Gemini app – not only did it extend its free access to Google AI Pro for school and university students to new countries including the UK, it also added a new quiz feature to help with revision.To start a quiz, you can ask Gemini to "create a practice quiz" on your chosen subject. The most useful part is that it'll then make a follow-up quiz based on your weaknesses in the previous test. Not that you have to be studying to make use of this feature – it could also be a handy way to sharpen your pub quiz skills.If you're a student in the US, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan and the UK, you can get your free year of Gemini AI Pro by signing up on Gemini's students page – the deadline is June 30, 2025 and you will need a valid student email address.11. Google Meet speech translation available to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribersinitially only in English and Spanish, more languages coming soonWe're particularly looking forward to trying out Google Beam this year, with the glasses-free 3D video calls (formerly known as Project Starline) heading to businesses courtesy of HP's new hardware. But a new video calling feature you can try now is Google Meet's near real-time translations.Available now for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in beta, the feature will provide an audible translation of your speech (currently in English to Spanish, or vice versa) with a relatively short delay. It isn't seamless, but we imagine the delay will only reduce from here – and Google says more languages are coming "in the next few weeks".Read more: Google Beam could change your video calls forever with glasses-free 3D and near real-time translation12. Google AI Pro and AI Ultra plansavailable now (AI Ultra is currently US-only)(Image credit: Shutterstock/Sadi Santos)Google switched up its AI subscription plans at Google I/O 2025, with 'Gemini Advanced' disappearing and being replaced by AI Pro and new 'VIP' tier called AI Ultra.The latter is currently US-only (more countries are "coming soon") and costs a staggering $250 a month. Still, that figure does give you "the best of Google AI", according to the tech giant, with AI Ultra including access to Veo 3 with native audio generation, Project Mariner, and the highest usage limits across its other AI products. You also get YouTube Premium and 30TB of storage thrown in.The AI Pro tier ($20 a month) still gets you access to Gemini, Flow, Whisk, NotebookLM and Gemini in Chrome, but with lower usage limits and cloud storage of a mere 2TB.If you're an AI power user and like the sound of AI Ultra, Google is currently offering it at 50% off for your first three months. Don't tempt us, Google...Read more: Gemini AI Ultra is Google's new ultimate 'VIP' plan for AI obsessives – here's what you get for its staggering price tagYou might also like‘I made a lot of mistakes with Google Glass’: Google’s Sergey Brin admits missteps but says Android XR has a bright future for one big reasoniPhones just got Google’s best AI feature for free – and it could genuinely make me switch back from AndroidThe 13 biggest announcements from Google I/O 2025

The United States Senate voted 51-44 mostly across party lines on Wednesday to repeal a waiver granted by the Biden administration's Environmental Protection Agency, allowing the state of California to enact its Advanced Clean Cars II Regulations. ACC II requires that 80 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in California by 2035 be zero-emission.

Notably, the legitimacy of the vote itself was dubious, as the Senate parliamentarian — a nonpartisan staffer who helps the Senate understand its own rules — had warned that the waiver did not fall under the Senate's purview. The parliamentarian noted that the EPA waiver wasn’t a formal rule but an administrative order. This means the waiver is not subject to the Congressional Review Act (CRA), the law Senate Republicans used to justify the vote. The CRA only became law in 1996, and had seen little use until recently — it has been used to overturn federal rules a total of 20 times, 16 of which occurred during the previous Trump administration.

The measure will now go to President Trump's desk for signature, as the House already passed legislation to repeal the waiver earlier this month.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a DC lobbying group that represents a number of automakers including GM, Toyota, Volkswagen and Hyundai, celebrated the vote. "These EV sales mandates were never achievable," said John Bozzella, president and CEO of the lobbying group. He argued, "Meeting the mandates would require diverting finite capital from the EV transition to purchase compliance credits from Tesla."

While these automakers rejoiced, environmental protection advocates struck a concerned tone. "It’s deeply disappointing that the Senate used the Congressional Review Act to block states from implementing air pollution standards to improve air quality. This illegitimate move poses threats to public health, the economy and states’ rights." said Steven Higashide, director of the Clean Transportation Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

As reported in the L.A. Times, Will Barrett, senior director at the American Lung Association and a clean air advocate said, “This is a major blow to the decades-long public health protections delivered under the Clean Air Act.” Highlighting the importance of these waivers he said “It is more important than ever that California and all other states that rely on Clean Air Act waivers continue to cut tailpipe pollution through homegrown, health-protective policies."

This is just the latest in continued efforts by the current administration to curtail or end legislation that supports or encourages wider adoption of electric vehicles and environmental protection.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/senate-votes-to-kill-californias-gas-powered-vehicle-restrictions-191341389.html?src=rss

A dual-GPU design returns, but it’s not meant for gamers this time around48GB of memory sounds impressive, but will it actually deliver meaningful AI performance?With no benchmarks and specs, this card is more rumor than revolution right nowIntel may be preparing to launch an unusual graphics card featuring two Arc B580 GPU chips and 48GB of memory, reports have claimed.While this isn’t an official Intel product, it appears to be a custom design developed by one of Intel’s board partners, who remains unnamed due to non-disclosure agreements.What makes this card notable is the return of a dual-GPU layout using consumer-class chips, something the industry hasn’t seen in several years.48GB of memory hints at AI potentialThis particular model reportedly combines two B580 GPUs, each paired with 24GB of memory, for a total of 48GB on a single card.The intent doesn't appear to be gaming, which raises questions about the target audience. Given the high memory and compute potential, one possibility is that it’s intended for AI development or other high-throughput workloads.Although 48GB still falls short of the memory capacity in top-tier professional accelerators, using consumer-grade GPUs could offer a cost-effective alternative for some training scenarios.Still, without performance benchmarks or detailed architectural information, it’s difficult to determine whether this configuration could compete with even midrange professional GPUs.For users comparing it against the best GPUs currently available, skepticism is warranted. No other board partners have been linked to similar designs, and it remains unclear whether this is a one-off experiment or part of a broader strategy.This development may also interest content creators. With such a high memory ceiling, it could appeal to users seeking the best laptops for video editing or for Photoshop, assuming future mobile variants emerge.But until more technical data is released, this card is best regarded as a curiosity rather than a sure bet.Via VideocardzYou might also likeTake a look at some of the best external hard drives available to buyCheck out the best portable SSDs you can get todayWe've listed the best NAS devices around

Samsung's Frame, Neo QLED, and QLED TVs can all display art or photos when offThe Art Store is expanding again, this time with a Disney collectionPieces of art themed after Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic are now availableSamsung already doubled down on its Art Mode and Art Store earlier in 2025 by expanding it to nearly its entire TV lineup, well beyond the Frame TV or Frame Pro. And if you’ve ever wished you could pick an iconic piece of art from the Star Wars universe – maybe an AT-AT on Hoth or an X-Wing – or something from the world of Disney like Snow White, Samsung’s answering the call.Beyond the thousands of art pieces already available on the Art Store, Samsung has now dropped a collection of pieces in partnership with Disney. The collection goes beyond the iconic classic Disney animated films to include Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic. All of the pieces, be they animated or a wild shot of nature, are in 4K quality to ensure they’ll look their best on your Samsung TV.Now, it’s not a free drop – you’ll need to be subscribed to Samsung’s Art Store and have an eligible TV. That membership is either $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year in the United States and lets you access all the pieces, including future drops.While Art Mode and these works of art will look their best on a Samsung Frame TV or Frame Pro, thanks to the special reflection-blocking, matte finish, you’re not limited to that specific family of TVs.(Image credit: Samsung)Samsung’s expanded Art Mode support to QLED, Neo QLED 4K, and Neo QLED 8K TVs within the 2025 lineup means you don’t need to opt for a Frame TV or Frame Pro. And that also means you might be able to save a bit, as Samsung’s lifestyle TVs do cost a bit more in some cases.This also isn’t the first time Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic pieces of art have been available on Samsung’s TVs. In 2023, timed for the Disney 100 anniversary, Samsung dropped the limited-edition The Frame-Disney100 Edition in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch sizes. It was a standard 4K QLED Frame TV with a special, platinum metal bezel, but the real appeal was that it came with 100 pieces of Disney art ready to go out of the box.No extra subscription needed as you could look through the collections and pick your favorites, and then set them to your Art Mode.It remains to be seen how many pieces are included in the Art Store and whether they’re the same as what was previously collaborated on. We’ve reached out to Samsung to ask, but for fans of Pixar – Toy Story, anyone? – Star Wars, National Geographic, and Disney at large, it’s certainly a fun addition.With this latest drop, Samsung’s Art Store offers over 3,500 pieces of art to pick from, and on TVs with Art Mode, you can set your favorites to be shown when the TV is off and even mat them for a more dramatic effect, if you like.You might also likeSamsung's massive Memorial Day sale is live – 4K, QLED, and OLED TVs from $349.99Samsung OLED TVs are getting Nvidia G-Sync, putting LG on notice for PC gaming – but LG still has one advantageI've used a Samsung The Frame TV for years, and here's why The Frame Pro is a huge upgrade

Games Workshop, maker of the popular Warhammer 40K tabletop game, held its annual Warhammer Skulls festival today, and announced a slew of new video games, remasters and DLC for its properties. I've collected some of the more exciting announcements below.

First, let's start with Space Marine 2. In March, Games Workshop announced a sequel was already in development. At the time, the company said the new game was "likely years away from release," but it also reiterated post-launch support for Space Marine 2 would continue. Today we got an update on Space Marine 2's long awaited horde mode, called here Siege Mode. It will arrive as part of a free update slated for release on June 26.

However, that's not all. On June 10th, GW will release Space Marine — Master Crafted Edition. It's a remaster of the 2011 original developed by Relic Entertainment. The new version features updated textures and character models, with support for 4K resolutions, modernized controls and a refreshed user interface. If you've not played Space Marine, it's worth revisiting if only to hear Mark Strong voice protagonist Captain Titus. Master Crafted Edition arrives on June 10 on Xbox Series X/S and PC through Steam and GOG.

Speaking of Relic, a remaster of the studio's excellent Dawn of War is also on the way. No word on an exact release date yet, but GW says Dawn of War – Definitive Edition will feature updated visuals, camera controls and a new HUD. The re-release will be compatible with mods for the existing game, and has a 64-bit code base to ensure it's playable on modern systems for years to come.

For fans of boomer shooters, there's Boltgun game on the way. It will arrive in 2026, and it's coming to Steam, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. The new game will pick up right where the first game ended, with a new non-linear single player campaign that has new enemies for players to overcome. Of course, you'll also have access to new weapons with which to vanquish the Emperor's enemies in the most cartoonishly violent way possible.

In the meantime, today you can download Boltgun — Words of Vengeance, a free typing action game that will have you spelling words and phrases from Warhammer lore like "thin your paints" and "Ghazghkull." You bet I'm downloading it right now.

Last but not least, Owlcat, creator of the CRPG Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, is working on a sequel to the criminally underrated Rogue Trader. The new game is adaptation of GW's Dark Heresy RPG and casts the player as the leader of an Inquisition party. It looks like Owlcat has a bigger budget this time around, which is a great sign for the project. Rogue Trader had moments where it felt like if Owlcat had the time and resources that Larian did to work on Baldur's Gate 3, it would have been every bit as popular.

Again, those are just some of the announcements Games Workshop made today, so be sure to check out the Warhammer Community website to get the full story.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/boltgun--words-of-vengeance-is-warhammers-grimdark-answer-to-typing-of-the-dead-193515536.html?src=rss

WhatsApp is expanding its Discord-like voice chat feature so that group chats of any size can talk to each other in real time. Unlike group calling, which has existed on the app for years, real-time "audio hangouts" are more of a drop-in feature that doesn't ring every member of the chat.

Voice chats also offer a bit more flexibility than a traditional call because the interface doesn't take over your whole screen. That means you can still follow along in the chat for new messages or keep an eye on any incoming notifications.

Meta first introduced the feature in 2023, but for some reason limited it to larger groups of 32 to 256 participants, which is likely a lot bigger than the average group thread on the app. Now, though, WhatsApp users can start an audio hangout in both smaller group chats and even larger ones. WhatsApp supports groups of up to 1,024 participants, which sounds extremely chaotic even for texting, much less audio.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/whatsapp-audio-hangouts-are-now-open-to-group-chats-of-any-size-194504841.html?src=rss

Nintendo has shaken up how it treats your digital game purchases. It's now calling those virtual game cards, and it hopes to make it easier for you to share your games across multiple Switch systems. You can even let friends and family members borrow a game you've purchased from the eShop so they can play it on their own Switch. Getting things set up is a slightly complex process, but in most cases, you'll only need to do the tricky stuff once. In any case, we're here to help.

The virtual game card system went live on the console on April 30 when Nintendo rolled out a major update. The Nintendo Switch 2 (which arrives on June 5) will support virtual game card lending and borrowing as well. Virtual game cards also include any of a game's associated DLC (i.e. extra downloadable content) that you've acquired.

If you haven't tried out this way of letting your kid, partner or roommate jump into a Switch game you're not currently playing, sharing a virtual game card is a pretty simple process. We'll break down how to do that before explaining how to use virtual game cards across two of your own Switch consoles.

When it comes to lending and borrowing virtual game cards, there are a number of caveats you'll need to be aware of. Sadly, a casual internet acquaintance who lives on the other side of the country won't be able to borrow a game from your Switch. The virtual game card system is designed for sharing games between friends and family — you'll need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to make the transfer.

To wit, you can only lend out a virtual game card to another member of your Nintendo Account family group. Both Switch systems will also need to be connected to the same wireless network at the time a game is lent and borrowed.

You can lend out a game for 14 days at a time. While a game of yours is loaned out, you won't be able to play it on your own Switch. However, if you do decide you want to hop back into that title, you can recall it at any time (which is, perhaps, a way to show a misbehaving child the consequences of their actions). Let's run through the other key virtual game card lending provisos in bullet points:

You can lend out as many as three virtual game cards at a time.

A borrower can only take one game at a time, and they can't borrow from multiple users simultaneously.

Similarly, you can only lend out one virtual game card to a given console at any time.

If a Switch has users that belong to different family groups, it won't be able to borrow any virtual game cards.

Got all of that? Cool. Let's jam through how to actually lend and borrow virtual game cards on the Nintendo Switch.

How to set up Switch systems to share virtual game cards

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Before you actually get started with lending and borrowing virtual game cards, there are a few things you'll have to do. First, make sure your system software is up to date. You can check that's the case by going to the Switch home screen, then System Settings > System > System Update. If your Switch isn't running the latest system software, it will start the update process. Otherwise, you're golden.

Next, as mentioned, you'll need to make sure the Switch systems that are going to exchange virtual game cards are on the same wireless network. Once you've taken care of that, it's time to ensure the consoles are in the same Nintendo Account family group, if you haven't already done so. (A family group can include up to eight account holders, and a role-based system allows for parental controls.)

Slightly annoyingly, you can't add a Nintendo Account to a family group from Switch consoles as things stand. You'll have to set things up on Nintendo's website.

First, sign in to the Nintendo Account that will be the admin for the family group (only one account can be an admin per family group). From there, select "Family group" then either "Add a member" or, if you haven't set up a family group yet, "Create family group."

To invite an existing Nintendo Account holder to a family group, first click the "Invite someone to your family group" option (or go through the process of setting one up for a child aged 12 or younger, if that's who you're adding). Of course, if the person you want to invite to a family group doesn't yet have a Nintendo Account, they'll need to set one up.

Next, you'll need to read a disclaimer about only adding people you know to a family group and then what will happen if either your account or theirs is banned (spoiler, it won't be a good thing!). After you've agreed to the disclaimer and clicked Confirm, you'll be prompted to enter the email address linked to the Nintendo Account you want to add to the family group. Click Submit when you're done.

The person you're inviting to the family group will receive an email. They'll need to click the verification link, sign into their Nintendo Account if necessary and click "Join family group." After that person has joined the family group, the admin can assign them a role.

Phew, okay. All of the hard/annoying stuff is out of the way. Save for connecting to the same wireless network, you should only have to do all of that stuff once to make sure a pair of Switch consoles is ready to use virtual game cards. Now for the fun part.

How to lend and borrow virtual game cards on Nintendo Switch

Nintendo

For the sake of clarity, let's call the system that's lending a virtual game card Switch A. We'll refer to the device that's borrowing a game as Switch B (calling them Switch 1 and Switch 2 would have made things more confusing!).

Go to the Virtual Game Cards option on the Switch A home screen, then select the user that's linked to your Nintendo Account. At this point, you'll need to enter your password or a PIN if you've enabled the user verification setting.

Pick the game you want to lend out from your library of virtual game cards then to go Lend to Family Group Member > Select Select a User to Lend To. Select the person you'd like to receive the game, and then click on Lend.

After that, it's the recipient's turn to act. On the Switch B, access Virtual Game Cards from the home screen. Choose the user profile for the person that's receiving the game, and enter the PIN or password if necessary. Then choose the Borrow option. After that, the virtual game card should start downloading, then you'll be able to play!

You only need to be connected to the same wireless network when you're actively lending and borrowing ("loading" or "ejecting" to use Nintendo's terms for it) a virtual game card. You don't necessarily have to be online to play a game once it's on your Switch. Nintendo has a help article that should help you address any error messages you encounter as part of the process.

Returning a virtual game card (perhaps so you can borrow a different one from Switch A) is straightforward too. Go to Virtual Game Cards from the home screen, select the relevant user profile, enter the password or PIN if need be. Go to the game, select Return to Family Group Member and then click Return.

This is all perhaps a little more complicated than it has to be. It probably would have been easier for the Switch B user to receive a notification when Switch A lends a game out to them. Still, the process should be simple enough to run through, especially after you get the hang of it.

How to use virtual game cards across two Switch units

Nintendo

One other thing you can do with virtual game cards is freely swap them between two of your own Switch consoles, even if one is in sleep mode. Maybe you have a Switch docked in your living room and a Switch Lite you take on the go. This system could be useful in that case. As ever, other users of a Switch console can play any game or DLC that's installed on the system through their own profile.

To swap virtual game cards from one Switch to another, you first need to link them. First, bring the system that you can already install virtual game cards on (Switch A, we'll call it) and the other one (Switch B) in close proximity to one another and connect them to the internet. Make sure your Nintendo Account is linked to a user on Switch B as well.

On Switch B, choose Virtual Game Cards from the home screen, then the user that's linked to your Nintendo Account (again, you'll need to enter a password or PIN if you have user verification on). Choose a virtual game card that you'd like to add to the Switch B, then go to Load on This System > Next > Systems Are Close Enough (once you've ensured both consoles are within close proximity).

Next, return to Switch A. Again, do the virtual game cards > user linked to the same Nintendo Account > password/PIN (if necessary) deal. You'll then see a message about linking to another console. Select the Link option to enable this. After the linking process is wrapped up, click the OK button. You'll also need to click on Load on This System if such a prompt pops up to load the virtual game card you picked earlier onto Switch B.

And that's it! After that, you don't need to keep the consoles in close proximity to each other to load virtual game cards onto either system.

Bear in mind that only two consoles can be linked at a time for this purpose. To set up another console as a new Switch B (we're still calling it that for the sake of clarity), go through the same setup process again on that device.

Partway through, you'll see a message on the new Switch B telling you that you already linked two consoles for the purpose of loading virtual game cards. After you read the information about that (and assuming that linking a different Switch is what you want to do), select Unlink next to the console that you want to unlink. Click this button again to confirm.

If you want to play digital Switch games across more than two consoles (perhaps you have one in your den, another in the bedroom and a third at a vacation home?), you may need to use a different method called the online license feature. Nintendo has a help article that'll walk you through how to set that up.

With either method, there is a significant factor you'll need to take into account. Save data isn't automatically shared across each system, so you can't simply start playing a game on one Switch and continue where you left off on another. To do that, you'll need to transfer the data manually, either by having the two consoles in close proximity to each other or via the cloud if you're a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber.

How to hide virtual game cards on your Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch has been around for over eight years. That's a long time! Over that period, you may have amassed a large collection of digital games, perhaps making it increasingly difficult to find what you're looking for. Thankfully, there's an option to hide (and unhide) virtual game cards in your collection.

To hide one, go to Virtual Game Cards on the Switch home screen and choose the user that's linked to your Nintendo Account. Highlight the game or DLC you'd like to hide, select Options and then Hide twice to mask that title from your library.

To view a hidden virtual game card, repeat those first two steps, then scroll down and choose the Can't Find Software? option. From here, you'll see a prompt to View Hidden Virtual Game Cards. Pick this and you'll see the full list of hidden game cards.

You can unhide a virtual game card from this section too. Select the particular game, then choose Options and Unhide. It will then appear back alongside your regular library of virtual game cards.

A game card isn't exactly useless while it's hidden. You can still download the associated game onto your Switch while a card is hidden or lend it out to others in your family group.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/how-to-use-nintendo-switch-virtual-game-cards-201046520.html?src=rss