The office of the Attorney General for West Virginia announced Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging that the company had "knowingly" allowed its iCloud platform "to be used as a vehicle for distributing and storing child sexual abuse material." The state alleges this went on for years but drew no action from the tech giant "under the guise of user privacy."

In the lawsuit, the state repeatedly cites a text from Apple executive Eric Friedman, in which he calls iCloud "the greatest platform for distributing child porn" in a conversation with another Apple executive. These messages were first uncovered by The Verge in 2021 within discovery documents for the Epic Games v. Apple trial. In the conversation, Friedman says while some other platforms prioritize safety over privacy, Apple's priorities "are the inverse."

The state further alleges that detection technology to help root out and report CSAM exists, but that Apple chooses not to implement it. Apple indeed considered scanning iCloud Photos for CSAM in 2021, but abandoned these plans after pushback stemming from privacy concerns.

In 2024 Apple was sued by a group of over 2,500 victims of child sexual abuse, citing nearly identical claims and alleging that Apple's failure to implement these features led to the victims' harm as images of them circulated through the company's servers. At the time Apple told Engadget, “child sexual abuse material is abhorrent and we are committed to fighting the ways predators put children at risk. We are urgently and actively innovating to combat these crimes without compromising the security and privacy of all our users."

The case in West Virginia would mark the first time a governmental body is bringing such an action against the iPhone maker. The state says it is seeking injunctive relief that would compel Apple to implement effective CSAM detection measures as well as damages. We have reached out to Apple for comment on the suit and will update if we hear back.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/west-virginia-is-suing-apple-alleging-negligence-over-csam-materials-164647648.html?src=rss

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Cameo, the platform where celebrities sell short, personalized videos, has scored a preliminary win in a trademark lawsuit against OpenAI. A California judge has ruled that the AI company's video generation tool Sora cannot use the term 'cameo' or any variation likely to cause confusion. A temporary restraining order in the case was originally granted in November of last year.

The suit was first brought in response to a feature available within the Sora app at launch called 'Cameo' that allowed users to add any likeness to videos they generated. Cameo claimed the use of the term in this setting was likely to cause confusion and could dilute their brand. OpenAI then carried on with the feature despite the suit.

U.S. District Judge Eumi Lee ruled on Saturday that Cameo's lawsuit was likely to succeed and granted a preliminary injunction, blocking OpenAI from continuing to use the name. An OpenAI spokesperson responded to the ruling saying, "We disagree with the complaint's assertion that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word ‘cameo,’ and we look forward to continuing to make our case," according to Reuters.

This is just the latest in a string of intellectual property cases against AI companies that have accelerated as video generation capabilities have improved across the board. Rights holders of all kinds from authors and music publishers to major movie studios have taken the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity and others to court, seeking to protect their IP.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/federal-court-rules-that-openai-must-stop-using-the-term-cameo-124559072.html?src=rss

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© Steve Dent for Engadget

Fans of The Mandalorian and his tiny green apprentice Grogu are getting their best look yet at the duo's upcoming theatrical adventure, set for release this spring. It’s hard to believe that it's been just over six years since the last Star Wars movie was released in theaters, followed by wall-to-wall coverage of so-called Star Wars Fatigue.

The newest trailer, released today, clocks in at just over two minutes long and offers some new footage and details to sink our teeth into. Picking up after the events of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, the Empire has collapsed and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu are tasked with taking out a bevy of baddies from gangsters to war criminals for the New Republic. Colonel Ward, new to the Star Wars universe and played by Sigourney Weaver, tells Djarin, "This isn't about revenge, it's about preventing another war."

Jeremy Allen White will also star in the film, as Rotta the Hutt, Jabba's son, who we briefly see battling Din Djarin in a colosseum of sorts. Notably, at one point we see Djarin on his knees before Jabba sans helmet, so we'll definitely be getting some moments of Pedro Pascal unfiltered by Beskar. Like any Star Wars adventure, we see flashes of some new creatures that our heroes will face. Most importantly, we see Grogu being downright adorable, playing with buttons on the ship, commandeering a flying bassinet, and snacking on a cookie.

The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22 and, according to the trailer, was shot at least in part for IMAX.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-first-full-trailer-for-the-mandalorian-and-grogu-is-here-164244117.html?src=rss

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© Disney/Lucasfilm

The European Commission (EC) has opened an investigation into low-cost fast fashion retailer Shein. EC officials are concerned about the sale of illegal products, including child sexual abuse material, as well as the potentially addictive design of its shopping experience. The Commission found fellow low-cost retailer Temu in violation of the Digital Services Act after a similar investigation last year.

The probe is being opened under the Digital Services Act, a set of EU rules governing online services. The Commission will examine how Shein drives engagement with shoppers, including using a points and rewards system, and whether the company is properly mitigating the risk of addiction via these and other features.

Algorithmic recommendation systems are another point of contention, and the Commission will ask Shein to disclose how it suggests products to users. It also says that the company must offer users a system that is not based on profiling.

The Singapore-based company has faced a great deal of scrutiny in past years on a number of fronts, including its labor practices, materials sourcing, data practices and IP infringement. Last year the Texas Attorney General opened a probe into the company's safety and labor practices amid allegations that Shein uses forced labor as well as toxic or hazardous materials.

Addictive design has been a recent priority for European regulators, with the Commission demanding that TikTok make changes to its platform after a similar probe concluded earlier this month. Algorithms have also been in focus, with the Commission recently launching a probe into how exactly X's recommendation algorithm works.

The regulatory body will now continue collecting evidence in the matter, and holds the authority within the EU to levy fines and demand changes should the platform wish to continue operations in the region.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/europe-probes-sheins-addictive-app-design-and-illegal-product-sales-125322191.html?src=rss

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Last year Apple secured the exclusive rights to broadcast Formula 1 racing in the United States from 2026 to 2030. Apple TV subscribers can now watch every practice and qualifying session as well as every sprint and Grand Prix of a race weekend on the F1TV app by linking their Apple account.

Right now, those with an existing F1TV subscription will still see an active status in their "my subscription" page on desktop that shows the plan's renewal date. However, after logging in via Apple with an Apple TV subscription, a second active F1TV subscription appears with an Apple TV logo and the label "Official U.S. broadcaster of Formula 1." Users are advised to cancel the duplicate subscription they had directly with F1TV, which can be done in the F1TV app.

For those that don't have an existing F1TV account, simply create one and activate it using your Apple account. Users who don't pay for Apple TV can still view "select races" and practice sessions throughout the season.

Apple has yet to release precise details on what content will be viewable from within the Apple TV app compared to the F1TV app, where users are accustomed to features like multi-view, onboard cameras, live team radios and live timing and telemetry. With the first race of the F1 season kicking off March 7 in Australia, we should have these answers soon.

Fans can currently check out preseason testing taking place in Bahrain this week and next through the F1TV app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/how-to-get-f1tv-with-your-apple-tv-subscription-171534300.html?src=rss

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Noble Audio has announced the Sceptre, a pocket-sized USB-C Bluetooth transmitter meant to boost wireless audio quality from phones, laptops and tablets. The device is intended to exceed the quality offered by a device's existing hardware.

Sceptre is powered by Qualcomm's QCC5181 Bluetooth chipset and supports LDAC, aptX Adaptive, AAC and SBC codecs. Of course, to take advantage of the high quality codecs you'll need a pair of headphones that support them. The dongle has a reported wireless range of roughly 66 feet.

Listeners use the Noble app for initial pairing and can then move the dongle between compatible USB-C devices. It also supports pass-through charging with USB-C so users can charge their devices while listening. The company says Sceptre is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows, and the company confirmed with Engadget that iPhones 15 and newer are supported.

We've been pleased in the past with Noble Audio products, like the FoKus Apollo headphones, or the FoKus Rex5 earbuds. The Sceptre from Noble Audio is available for $70.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/noble-audio-has-released-a-usb-c-bluetooth-dongle-for-high-fidelity-transmission-191655786.html?src=rss

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© Noble Audio

Most people wouldn't leave their phones behind when they so much as go for a drive, but NASA astronauts have had to leave their phones on Earth while they went to work 250 miles away at the International Space Station. That is, until now.

In a post on X, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman shared that the Crew-12 and Artemis II astronauts will be allowed to bring smartphones along for the journey to the ISS and beyond. "We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world," Isaacman said.

While these won't be the first smartphone images captured in space — that distinction belongs to a trio of miniature phone-based satellites sent into Earth orbit in 2013 which succeeded where the earlier British STRaND-1 project failed. But thanks to the upcoming Artemis II mission, we can look forward to the first smartphone images from the moon's orbit. The March (for now) launch will be the agency's first crewed moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The crews' personal devices will be far less cumbersome to use than the old Nikon DSLRs they were previously limited to for high-quality still images. Ideally, this means more spontaneous pictures that can be shared with friends and family back on Earth.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-will-now-allow-astronauts-to-take-their-smartphones-to-space-151310548.html?src=rss

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© James Blair - NASA - JSC

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Disney has announced a successor to outgoing CEO Bob Iger, effective in March. Josh D’Amaro, current chairman of Disney Experiences, was tapped for the role in a unanimous vote by the company's board of directors.

D’Amaro has been at Disney for 28 years, where he oversaw theme parks, cruises and consumer products including video games. The company had previously appointed Bob Chapek, the Disney Parks chairman at the time, as successor to Bob Iger in 2020. At the time, Iger had served as CEO since 2005. But Chapek only lasted until 2022, when Bob Iger returned to take the helm once again amid company struggles. Disney formed a committee to find an appropriate successor in 2023, with Iger mentoring potential candidates along the way.

Iger's time at the helm saw the media giant make a number of significant moves such as launching the Disney+ streaming service, buying Hulu and acquiring 20th Century Fox's film and television studios. Iger will continue to serve as a board member and senior advisor until his retirement at the end of the year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/disney-announces-josh-damaro-will-be-its-new-ceo-after-iger-departs-161616420.html?src=rss

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© Kéoma Oran / Unsplash

Spain will join the growing list of countries banning access to social media for children, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Tuesday. The law will apply to users under 16 years of age amidst a broader push to hold social media companies accountable for hate speech, social division and illegal content.

Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Prime Minister Sanchez excoriated social media, calling it a "failed state" where "laws are ignored and crime is endured." He spoke to the importance of digital governance for these platforms, highlighting recent incidents like X's AI chatbot Grok generating sexualized images of children, Meta "spying" on Android users and the myriad election interference campaigns that have taken place on Facebook.

In light of what Sanchez called the "integral" role social media plays in the lives of young users, he said the best way to help them is to "take back control." Next week, his government will enact a slew of new regulations, with a ban on users under 16 years of age among them. Social media companies will be required to implement what he calls "effective age verification systems" and "not just checkboxes." A specific timeline on enforcement of the coming ban has not been announced.

Spain will also make "algorithmic manipulation and amplification of illegal content" into a new criminal offense and Sanchez says tech CEOs will face criminal liability for hateful or illegal content on their platforms. The Prime Minister further announced that Spain has formed a coalition with five other unnamed European nations to enact stricter governance over social media platforms.

Sanchez said children have been “exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone,” and that it’s the government’s job to intervene. He added social media has fallen from its promise to be a “tool for global understanding and cooperation.”

Australia enacted an under-16s ban on social media last year, which has prompted many nations to follow suit. It is under active consideration in the UK, while Denmark and Malaysia have announced plans to enact similar bans.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/spain-set-to-ban-social-media-for-children-under-16-151546884.html?src=rss

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© Anadolu via Getty Images

Spotify is adding group chats to the messaging service it premiered last year. In an addendum to the original blog post introducing Messages, the company announced that users can initiate chats with up to 10 of their friends to share the podcasts, playlists and songs they are listening to.

The in-app messaging feature, which was released last August, works to keep users on the app instead of navigating to another platform to share content with friends. Since its introduction, Spotify has added functionality bit by bit. Earlier this month, the company added the ability to share what you're listening to in real-time. Users can also invite chat participants to join a Jam, the app’s collaborative listening tool.

Spotify isn't the only content platform trying to make in-app messaging a thing. Late last year, YouTube said it would be testing DMs, after originally adding the feature in 2017 before removing it in 2019.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/spotify-has-a-group-messaging-feature-now-173734450.html?src=rss

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© Spotify

Gaming peripheral company Razer has announced the beta release of Synapse Web, a browser-based version of its desktop software. The web app is intended for quick adjustments when away from home, such as LANs or tournaments, where downloading the full desktop version may not be possible or practical.

At launch, Synapse Web will only support the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro keyboards, though Razer says more devices will be added down the line. Using any Chromium-based browser, users can make quick changes to key settings, apply Chroma RGB quick effects and manage on-board profiles. These profiles can then be viewed, edited and saved directly to the keyboard’s device memory, so the configuration stays consistent when moving between PCs.

The company says the new web-based tool is meant to "complement" Synapse 4, the most recent desktop version, but its appeal may be in providing an alternative altogether. Even a cursory search online will turn up years of complaints that Synapse is riddled with bugs, so fans of the brand may be happy to use a pared-down web app if it means more reliability. Razer says you'll still need the full app for advanced customization and "deeper device integration" like multi-device RGB syncing or game-specific profiles.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/razer-made-a-web-app-version-of-synapse-170715465.html?src=rss

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© Razer

Last summer, Google announced that Android 16 would include a desktop interface built from Samsung DeX, a mirroring and phone integration tool for PC. Thanks to a (now permissions-restricted) bug report discovered on Google's Issue Tracker, we have what is almost certainly a first look at the Android-on-desktop project, codenamed Aluminium OS.

First spotted by 9to5Google, the bug report was about Chrome incognito tabs and included two screen recordings. The description said the recordings were from an HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook. The video shows a 'chrome://version/' page where one can see the OS listed as Android 16. 9to5Google also said the bug report listed "ALOS" as the operating system, understood to stand for Aluminium OS, along with a corresponding build number that matches the one seen in the screen recordings.

The UI looks like a clear blend of ChromeOS and Android aesthetics, with an Android-style taskbar across the bottom and status bar across the top, with familiar battery and Wi-Fi indicators. The videos also show the Play Store, windowed apps, split-screen multitasking and a version of Chrome with an extensions button, which is currently only available on the desktop version. Google has yet to comment on the leak, so users may have to wait for future Android 16 updates for a more in-depth look at the upcoming desktop experience.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/our-first-look-at-googles-android-for-pc-interface-leaks-in-a-bug-report-133006008.html?src=rss

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Pornhub will stop offering full access to new users in the UK on February 2, its parent company Aylo said Tuesday, citing the nation's Online Safety Act and its age-verification requirements. The company said users who already verified their ages before the cutoff will still be able to access the adult site through existing accounts.

The move follows the Online Safety Act’s Protection of Children Codes, which took effect last summer and require adult sites to use "highly effective" methods of age verification. Aylo claims the system is backfiring and shifting both adults and minors to noncompliant porn sites that don’t verify age or moderate content according to Politico. Aylo's lawyers argued that only device-based age verification methods sufficiently protect user data.

Alexzandra Kekesi, VP of Brand and Community at Aylo, said "anyone who has not gone through that process prior to February 2 will no longer be able to access [the sites] and they're going to be met with a wall," according to 404 Media. The adult site was similarly made unavailable in various US states after the passage of age-verification laws that Pornhub claimed put users' privacy at risk. "These people did not stop looking for porn," Aylo said at the time. "They just migrated to darker corners of the internet that don’t ask users to verify age, that don’t follow the law, that don’t take user safety seriously, and that often don’t even moderate content."

Users who wish to get around these sorts of bans typically use VPNs to mask the origin of their internet traffic, though the UK is reportedly considering a ban on VPNs for children. The nation has also been considering a social media ban for users under 16 years of age, similar to the one enacted in Australia.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/pornhub-will-become-unavailable-for-many-uk-users-as-of-february-2-194622124.html?src=rss

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© Ethan Miller via Getty Images

Yahoo has announced a new AI-powered "answer engine", dubbed Yahoo Scout. The new tool is available now in beta and is powered by Anthropic's Claude.

The company says Scout "synthesizes" info from the web, as well as Yahoo's own data and content when constructing responses to user's natural-language search queries. Yahoo says the interface will include interactive digital media, structured lists and tables and visible source links aimed at making answers easier to verify. (Disclosure: Yahoo is the parent company of Engadget.)

Alongside Scout, Yahoo is announcing an "intelligence platform" across its varied products. This will include features like AI summaries in Yahoo Mail, “key takeaways” in Yahoo News and game breakdowns in Yahoo Sports. Scout will also integrate into Yahoo Shopping to offer insights and shoppable links, and Yahoo Finance, where it can populate company financials, analyst ratings and explain stock moves as they occur. Yahoo says the answer engine behind Scout will become more personalized and focus on "deeper experiences" as time goes on.

Google offered a glimpse of generative AI in search back in 2023, and the company's AI Mode for search was made widely available in the US last year. The company has been similarly at work integrating its AI model across its product portfolio, including Gmail and shopping.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/yahoo-is-adding-generative-ai-to-its-search-engine-172706249.html?src=rss

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© Yahoo

Amazon is introducing an AI-powered assistant to One Medical, the tech-forward primary care provider it acquired in 2023. Dubbed 'Health AI,' Amazon says the tool "provides 24/7 personalized health guidance based on your medical records."

The company says Health AI can explain lab results, help manage medications, and book appointments for patients. Amazon also says it can "analyze images" but doesn't specify whether this means medical imaging or user uploaded photos. While the company specifically says the tool "complements, but does not replace," a patient's healthcare provider, it also vaguely says the AI can "answer general and complex health questions" while "considering your unique health history."

"Health AI recognizes when symptoms, situations, or specific queries require or benefit from human clinical judgment," reads the company's announcement, while giving few details on just how much medical advice the AI tool is empowered to give.

Use of AI tools brings up data privacy concerns, and Amazon says it follows HIPAA-compliant privacy and security practices. The company says that a user's conversations with Health AI are "not automatically added to your medical record." This of course implies the option to do just that. It also says the company doesn't sell members' protected health information.

One Medical has a limited number of brick-and-mortar offices in major metros throughout the US, but the focus of the company seems to be telehealth services. These services are offered as part of an annual subscription, which is discounted for Amazon Prime members. This is only the latest investment Amazon has made in the healthcare space. In recent years the tech giant has begun same-day prescription deliveries in certain markets, and built vending machines for prescription drugs.

Health AI follows the trend of AI companies competing to enter healthcare with their AI-powered chatbots. Google added an AI health coach to the Fitbit app last year, and OpenAI announced a dedicated health portal within ChatGPT in January.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-is-adding-ai-powered-assistant-to-one-medical-180803368.html?src=rss

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© Amazon/One Medical

If you're looking to expand the storage on your Switch 2, the 512GB Samsung P9 microSD Express card is on sale right now for 33 percent off, marked down to $80 from $120. With component prices skyrocketing these days, it's getting increasingly rare to see good storage on sale, and 512GB for $80 is a much better deal than you'll currently find directly from Nintendo.

The P9 boasts transfer speeds of up to 800MB/s, making moving games to the card that much faster. As for load times, in our testing we found that any microSD Express, the standard the Switch 2 requires, will offer roughly the same performance. This format is pretty new, so there aren't a ton of cards on the market. As such, the P9 makes our list of best microSD cards for the Nintendo Switch 2.

The P9 microSD Express is also compatible with the Steam Deck or any other gaming console that accepts the format, as well as cameras and more.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-512gb-samsung-p9-microsd-express-card-is-33-percent-off-143849572.html?src=rss

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© Samsung

Elon Musk posted on X that Tesla will be restarting work on Dojo3, the third generation of its in-house supercomputer project. The Dojo team had been disbanded last year as the company prioritized the AI chips that run on board Tesla vehicles. Musk said the company is returning to the project "now that the AI5 chip design is in good shape."

The purpose of the Dojo project is to process video recordings and other data from Tesla vehicles and use that to train the "neural net" behind the company's Full Self-Driving software. Last year, however, Musk posted on X that "It doesn’t make sense for Tesla to divide its resources and scale two quite different AI chip designs. The Tesla AI5, AI6 and subsequent chips will be excellent for inference and at least pretty good for training. All effort is focused on that."

The AI chips Musk is referring to are ones developed for running FSD onboard Tesla vehicles and are not optimized for training. The AI6 chips will be made by Samsung in the company's Texas factory, after it struck a $16 billion agreement with Tesla.

Musk has also claimed a lot of things over the years, and many of those assertions either were misrepresentations or simply didn't pan out. Working against this chip project: Musk said that Dojo3 will be "space-based AI compute," as he and others believe that data centers in orbit are a superior alternative to the land-based behemoths currently being built. The idea is that space provides easier access to the sun's energy, and the cold temperatures there might greatly reduce the power needed, among other benefits. While it's an increasingly popular if entirely speculative idea, experts have their doubts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/musk-claims-tesla-will-restart-work-on-its-dojo-supercomputer-173127863.html?src=rss

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Meta’s Threads is pulling further ahead of Elon Musk’s X on mobile, based on recent estimates from analytics firm Similarweb, Forbes reports. In the first stretch of January, Threads averaged roughly 143 million daily active users worldwide on mobile devices, compared with about 126 million for X.

Similarweb’s year-over-year snapshot shows Threads growing sharply, up 37.8 percent year-over-year, while X’s daily mobile audience fell 11.9 percent across the same period. The picture is more mixed in the US, where X still holds a narrow edge on mobile. Similarweb data puts X at about 21.2 million daily active US mobile users in early January versus roughly 19.5 million for Threads.

However, Threads’ US mobile usage has risen substantially faster over the past year, surging almost 42 percent to X's 18 percent. X remains far larger on desktop, where it draws around 150 million daily users or visits worldwide, while Threads’ web presence sits at just 9 million.

Forbes also reported on Similarweb data for Bluesky, another competing text-based platform started by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. Dorsey left the board in the summer of 2024, later telling Pirate Wires he believed Bluesky was "literally repeating all the mistakes we made as a company," in reference to Twitter. The social network opened registrations in 2024, and sits now with a daily mobile user base of 3.6 million, which Similarweb says is down 44.4 percent year-over-year.

X has found itself in hot water yet again over xAI's Grok chatbot, which was altering pictures of women on the platform to create lewd images at the request of users without the consent of those pictured. In some cases, the chatbot also altered the images of underage girls. The uproar in response led the company to shut off image generation for nonsubscribers and place firmer guardrails on what types of images can be generated. The delayed action came after weeks of Grok creating tens of thousands of these images, and after the Attorney General of California launched an investigation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-has-more-global-daily-users-than-x-on-mobile-for-the-first-time-144936831.html?src=rss

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© Unsplash/Dave Adamson

Canada has agreed to drastically reduce its tariffs on imported Chinese EVs from 100 percent to 6.1 percent as part of a

between the two countries. In return, China will be reducing tariffs on Canadian canola seeds from 84 percent to about 15 percent.

The move is a break from the United States, which maintains a 100 percent tariff on EVs from China, effectively banning them in the country. Mexico currently tariffs the vehicles at 50 percent after

last year.

Under the agreement, which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney

"preliminary," Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs into the country, with that number rising to 70,000 after five years. Until now the three major North American trading partners had been aligned in trying to protect their domestic electric vehicle manufacturing. Chinese EV companies benefit from

, and as such can often be priced at a far better value than domestic alternatives.

“Our relationship has progressed in recent months with China. It is more predictable and you see results coming from that,” Carney

. A warmer relationship may be forming in response to the Trump administration's

, with China hoping that alienated nations may

with the Eastern power.

As to concerns that cheaper electric vehicles from China could hurt the Canadian auto market, the prime minister was unconcerned, saying "it’s still in low, single-digit proportion of the size of the Canadian auto sector," Carney added, “Canadians buy about 1.8 million autos a year.” China remains Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/canada-cuts-tariffs-on-chinese-evs-as-part-of-new-deal-174241990.html?src=rss

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Verizon is offering a very small mea culpa after Wednesday's massive outage, which drew more than 1.5 million reports on Downdetector and lasted hours. Initially, the carrier posted on X that it will offer a $20 credit, but customers must redeem it in the myVerizon app. The company then said the credit could be claimed though customer service (via phone or chat), but our editors’ attempts to do so via chat were met with a message to wait for a text with further instructions.

Engadget editors began receiving the texts this morning (Jan 16) with a link to redeem. From there, you need to log into your account and visit the Account Overview section. Up top, there should be a Take Action or Mobile Actions button with a red notification circle. Click that and you’ll see a pop-up about the credit and a Redeem Now button. After you click that, you’re done, and Verizon says you should see the credit in one or two billing cycles. Of course, you’ll want to keep an eye out that it actually happens and contact the company if it doesn’t show up.

"This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can," the company wrote. "But it’s a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us." Incensed customers have largely replied with incredulity, both at the miniscule amount, and that it isn't being applied automatically. The entire redemption process takes a few clicks and about a minute to complete, which makes it even more frustrating that it can’t be automatically applied to every customer’s bill.

Update, January 15 2026, 11:57 PM ET: Verizon says the credit can be claimed through customer service via phone, chat and online in addition to the myVerizon app. 

Update, January 16 2026, 10:29 AM ET: This story has been updated with detailed info about the redemption process which Verizon now says is completed with a link that will be texted to customers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/how-to-claim-verizons-20-credit-for-wednesdays-service-outage-171909695.html?src=rss

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© Unsplash / Marques Thomas