Netflix has unveiled a trailer for its upcoming documentary Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere set to arrive on March 11th. It will be the first full-length Netflix documentary for Theroux, and see him interview "manosphere" influencers like Sneako, Justin Waller and HS Tikky Tokky, aka Harrison Sullivan. "I’ve made documentaries for over 30 years now, and in a way, this subject feels like the final boss," the filmmaker told GQ. 

"From Miami to Marbella, meet the men that are reshaping and radicalising young men’s ideas about masculinity and manhood," Netflix's description reads. In the trailer, we see Theroux interview the influencers and get the tables turned on himself. "I know that they would be streaming or filming me and would put that content out," Theroux told Deadline. "And I hoped we’d get this feedback loop where there was a meta narrative that was then affecting my approach to the story."

On top of making documentaries (and being famous for Jiggle Jiggle), Theroux is known for his Louis Theroux Interviews... podcast in which he interviews stars like Sean Penn and Florence Pugh. Prior to that, he did stories on conspiracy theories, UFOS and the porn industry, topics that he said were once niche but are now driving the internet and culture. 

"I wouldn’t be the first to point out that a lot of this is down to the influence of social media and the way in which it has given vent to the darkest parts of the human soul. Not just given vent to them, but actively amplified them and pushed them into our feeds. So yeah, this is not a niche subject."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-the-trailer-for-louis-therouxs-new-documentary-inside-the-manosphere-131726113.html?src=rss

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Like other electronics products, cameras have shot up in price in the US of late due to tariffs and other reasons. Fortunately, there are still many models available for less than the price of a budget smartphone ($750 or less) that offer great features for creators and photographers alike. 

If it’s speed you want for sports or action shots of your kids, models like Canon’s R50 can shoot bursts as fast as many high-end cameras. Creators, meanwhile, can choose Sony’s ZV-E10 for vlogging jobs. There are also great, and cheap, models in the action and gimbal camera categories. 

Which one to pick therefore depends not only on your budget but what you want to do with your camera. So we’ll not only detail the best picks, but how to home in on the best model for your specific needs.

Best budget cameras for 2026

What to consider before choosing the best budget camera for you

Which camera to buy obviously depends on what you shoot. If it’s mostly things like extreme sports, skiing or other adventurous activities, the best choice is obviously an action camera from GoPro, DJI or Insta360. Then, you just need to decide whether you want to shoot flat or 360 video, and whether you need a tiny or regular-sized model. The same goes for gimbal-style cameras from DJI and others. 

Buying a camera for travel photography, sports photos or vlogging is a bit trickier. Here, you need to choose either a compact camera with a fixed lens or a mirrorless model that supports removable lenses. 

Compact cameras tend to have smaller sensors and slightly lower quality lenses, but they’re obviously easier to carry — most will fit in a large pocket. So, if budget, convenience and portability is the most important to you, then go for a model in this category. 

When you’re trying to make the highest quality videos, though, you’ll want to choose a mirrorless camera with a decent lens. With the larger sensor, you’ll be able to create nice blurred bokeh backgrounds to separate your subject from the foreground. Lenses are usually sharper as well, and you’ll be able to expand your collection over time for even more versatility. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/best-budget-camera-130000653.html?src=rss

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French AA gaming developer and accessory manufacturer Nacon has filed for insolvency after its majority shareholder Bigben failed to make a loan repayment, the company said in a press release. "To date, the company reports available assets do not allow it to meet its liabilities," Nacon wrote. The objective with insolvency, it said, was to allow "continued operation, protect employees and maintain jobs while renegotiating with its creditors." 

Nacon is behind the games Styx: Blades of Greed and was set to publish Terminator: Survivors before that title was delayed. It published Hell is Us last year to some praise, but Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown was buggy on release and failed to find much of an audience. The company will stream its next Nacon Connect presentation on March 4, and will supposedly show off some new games and footage for previously revealed games like Endurance Motorsport Series and Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss. 

The company also makes hardware like controllers and headsets and racing sim accessories via its Revosim brand. Those products never really caught on with mainstream gamers but did have some success with the pro gaming crowd. 

With Nacon's insolvency, the future of those games and accessories is now in question. A court will decide on the company's insolvency request at a hearing in early March, but in the meantime, trading of its shares is suspended. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/gaming-accessory-maker-and-publisher-nacon-files-for-insolvency-104832702.html?src=rss

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With its ProArt lineup, ASUS has commendably addressed a glaring hole in the PC market by targeting video editors and other creative pros. Its latest model even uses a popular camera marque in its name: the ProArt GoPro Edition PX13. It’s a true co-branding exercise, with GoPro-like styling, a dedicated GoPro hotkey, mil-spec durability for extreme outdoor users and 12 months of GoPro’s Cloud Plus Premium.

It has a lot going for it on the inside, too. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor offers 16 Zen 5 cores with integrated Radeon 8060S Graphics (40 cores) and AMD Ryzen AI with up to 50 NPU TOPS. It packs a relatively small but pixel-dense 13-inch 2,880 x 1,800 OLED convertible 360 touch display, 1TB of storage and an impressive 128GB of unified memory.

The rub, as you might expect with all that RAM, is the price. The ProArt GoPro Edition PX13 costs $3,000, while a version with the same processor but half the memory is $2,800. That’s high-end MacBook Pro money, and while the ProArt is a good PC creator machine, it falls short of its Apple counterpart in terms of performance and usability.

Design

In place of the ProArt P13’s smooth lines, the ProArt GoPro Edition comes with a ribbed metal back that’s designed to look like the front of a GoPro Hero 13. It also has GoPro-like ridges on the hinge and plastic above the keyboard, along with GoPro and ProArt branding. The rugged design may appeal to the extreme sports crowd, but I’d prefer something a bit sleeker.

The laptop is relatively light at 3.06 pounds, but the dedicated 200W power brick adds an extra pound of weight. Despite the small size, it offers MIL-STD 810H military-grade durability, so it can handle hot and humid conditions while surviving 500Hz vibrations and multiple four-inch drops while running. To help keep the laptop safe outside, ASUS includes a protective padded sleeve with a braided pouch to tuck a selfie stick or another accessory.

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The 2,880 x 1,800 OLED touchscreen is nice but not super bright, with up to 400 nits of brightness or 500 nits in HDR mode. That’s the usual tradeoff for OLED compared to super bright MiniLED displays. However, it has deep blacks and very high color accuracy of Delta < 1 with 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, along with Dolby Vision support, so it’s great for photo and video work or entertainment.

The ProArt is a 360-degree convertible model and ships with an ASUS Pen and Pen charger. That makes it a good option for graphic artists who want to tent the screen or fold it around to use in tablet mode for sketching or painting. The ASUS Pen works well, and though it’s not as accurate as Wacom or other dedicated pen devices, it has nice haptic feedback when you perform actions in the app.

The ProArt GoPro Edition’s keyboard is excellent, with a nice amount of travel for typing or gaming. The touchpad is also one of the better ones I’ve used on a PC thanks to the quality tactile feel. The top left of the touchpad contains ASUS’s control dial designed for jogging video footage or adjusting colors, but it’s a bit fussy and gimmicky.

For ports, you get HDMI, 3.5mm audio, USB-A 3.2 and two USB-C 4.0 with power delivery that allow up to 130 watts of charging. The laptop weirdly comes with a microSD slot to load GoPro footage straight from the camera, but it would be better to have a regular SD port and microSD adapter. As for wireless and audio, it offers Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 and Dolby Atmos support.

Performance

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Built on TSMC’s 4nm line, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is AMD’s most powerful APU designed to blend performance and low power consumption. It’s married to a Radeon 8060S GPU with 40 compute units (equivalent to an NVIDIA RTX 4060, AMD says) that makes it ideal for creative chores, AI processing and gaming. This unit also comes with 128GB of unified LPDDR5X RAM that’s soldered directly to the motherboard, shared between the CPU and GPU. Given today’s RAM prices, that amount of memory no doubt contributes to the ProArt GoPro Edition’s high price.

AMD finally got its act together for video encoding and decoding. The Ryzen AI Max+’s GPU supports most 8- and 10-bit MP4 codecs, including H.264, H.265, VP9 and AV1. That means you can play back nearly all MP4 or Quicktime camera video files in real time, including the 8K H.265 files recorded by a GoPro Hero 13. At the same time, the large number of cores and threads (16 and 32) helps the ProArt GoPro Edition render certain VFX and do color adjustments quickly. The 1TB of NVMe SSD storage is limited to PCIe 4.0, but it’s relatively speedy with 6.55 GB/s read and 5.86 GB/s write speeds — easily fast enough for 8K video playback.

All of that made video work a breeze in DaVinci Resolve 20, Adobe Premiere Pro or GoPro’s Player that can be activated by a special hotkey on the ASUS laptop. Actions like color correction work in real time as well, and 4K H.264 exports can also be performed quickly.

That said, some functions like OpenFX and stabilization would work better with a more powerful discrete GPU. Also, unlike my MacBook Pro, the ProArt GoPro Edition’s fans need to engage frequently under intense workloads, creating a lot of noise and killing the battery quickly if the unit isn’t plugged in.

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For other apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator and Lightroom Classic, the ASUS ProArt is ideal. It’s very responsive and the touch display and pen support fine masking or drawing work, something you can’t do on a MacBook Pro.

The ProArt also handles synthetic benchmarks well for a PC with an integrated GPU. The single/multi Geekbench 6 CPU score of 2,219/19,088 shows the benefit of 16 processor cores. The 93,108 Geekbench 6 GPU mark isn’t that far behind Acer’s NVIDIA RTX 5070-equipped Predator Titan 14 AI. Geekbench AI scores were also up there with the best laptops. However, Handbrake video encoding was slower than several MacBook M4 laptops I’ve tested.

For gaming, it had some of the higher laptop scores I’ve seen on several 3DMark tests (Wildlife Extreme and Port Royal Ray Tracing). It also did pretty darn well on Cyberpunk 2077, hitting 82 fps at 1080p and 60 fps at 1440p in Ultra mode. Considering the machine’s small size, those framerates are really good. However, the laptop is held back gaming-wise by the OLED display that tops out at 500 nits and just 60Hz.

A big benefit of the 128GB of fast unified memory is that you can run AI models locally for improved privacy. While the ProArt GoPro Edition normally allocates 64GB of memory to the CPU and splits the rest between the CPU and iGPU, you can dedicate up to 96GB of memory to the GPU for extra large AI applications via the MyASUS app.

Another plus of this APU is the battery life. The ProArt GoPro Edition lasted a solid 11:31 hours on the PCMark 10 Modern Office battery rundown test, besting all rivals with similar performance. That tells me that AMD is narrowing the performance-per-watt gap with Apple’s silicon to improve gaming and content creation for PCs on battery power alone.

Wrap-up

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ASUS is one of the few PC manufacturers trying to compete with Apple in the creator market, and with the ProArt GoPro Edition laptop, it has largely succeeded. This model offers excellent performance and battery life, a huge amount of memory, a very nice OLED HDR display, a nice range of ports and an excellent keyboard and trackpad.

It easily handled my typical video and photo editing chores, even on battery power alone, and the included GoPro features like the Storyblocks cloud storage are a nice option for action cam users. The convertible configuration and touchscreen with pen option are also useful to artists and photo editors.

However, this laptop is not cheap at $3,000, which is the same price as a high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro. The latter offers superior battery life, better overall performance on apps like DaVinci Resolve and a far better macOS user experience than the hot mess that is currently Windows 11. However, if you want a Windows PC with a touchscreen, I think the ASUS ProArt GoPro Edition laptop is the best creator model you can get right now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/asus-proart-gopro-edition-px13-review-an-incredible-if-pricy-windows-creator-laptop-170016800.html?src=rss

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Ahead of a full release at Mobile World Conference (MWC), Honor has teased the MagicPad 4 that it calls the world's thinnest Android tablet. The new model is just 4.8mm thick (not counting that camera bump), a full millimeter thinner than the MagicPad 3 and slightly less than the 5.1mm iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, the company revealed.

On top of being thinner, the MagicPad 4 has a new 12.3-inch 165Hz OLED display. While slightly smaller than before, it should be considerably better than the LCD display on the previous model. The new model weighs 145 grams less than before at 450g thanks to that screen and the slightly smaller 10,100 mAh battery (with a 66W fast charger in the box). 

The new tablet is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset and comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It's equipped with 13MP rear and 9MP front cameras, along with eight speakers for spatial audio. The MagicPad 4 will run MagicOS 10, Honor's flavor of Android 16. There's no word on pricing or availability yet, but we'll likely learn more at the company's press conference on Sunday — along with the company's weird robot revealed yesterday. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/honor-says-its-48mm-thick-magicpad-4-is-the-worlds-slimmest-android-tablet-114346615.html?src=rss

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Now that Apple has started blocking users under 18 in certain regions from downloading apps, the company has introduced new age verification tools. Those will help developers "meet their age assurance obligations under upcoming US and regional laws, including in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah and Louisiana," the company said in a news release on its Developer site. 

As of February 24, 2026, users in Australia, Brazil and Singapore won't be able to download apps rated 18+ unless their age is confirmed through "reasonable methods." Apple noted that any apps distributed in Brazil that are declared to contain loot boxes will be updated to 18+. While the App Store can perform those checks automatically, "developers may have separate obligations to independently confirm that their users are adults," Apple wrote. For that, developers can employ the company's Declared Age Range API (on iOS, iPadOS and macOS) to get "helpful signals" about a user's age.  

In Utah as of May 6, 2026 and Louisiana on July 1, 2026, "age categories will be shared with the developer's app when requested through the Declared Age Range API." That API will also provide "new signals," like whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to the user and if the user must share their age range. "The API will also let you know if you need to get a parent or guardian's permission for significant app updates for a child," Apple says. 

Under Utah's new law, users must be over 18 to make a new account with an app store, while underage uses will need to link their account to a parent's in order to get permission to use certain apps. Louisiana and Texas also passed similar laws and California plans to enact age-based rules for app stores in 2027. 

Those rules are designed to protect children from predators, financial harm and other problems. However, critics have described the laws as blunt tools that harm privacy and internet anonymity. "A poorly designed system might store this personal data, and even correlate it to the online content that we look at," the Electronic Frontier Foundation notes. "In the hands of an adversary, and cross-referenced to other readily available information, this information can expose intimate details about us."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-introduces-age-verification-for-apps-in-utah-louisiana-and-australia-080855449.html?src=rss

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Meta has struck a deal with AMD to buy up to six gigawatts worth of AI chips, both companies announced. The agreement is structured in a way that could see AMD issue Meta up to 160 million shares of its common stock provided GPU shipment milestones are achieved — meaning Meta could own up to 10 percent of AMD if the deal fully completes. 

Meta plans to purchase six gigawatts of AMD's Instinct GPUs based on the MI450 architecture and optimized for Meta's workloads, with the first gigawatt deployment set to begin in the second half of 2026. AMD and Meta will also expand on their EPYC CPU partnership, with Meta deploying "millions" of AMD EPYC CPUs and become a launch customer for its sixth-generation EPYC CPUs. 

The tranche of AMD common stock will vest with the first one gigawatt of shipments, with additional tranches vesting as Meta scales to 6 gigawatts. Vesting is tied to AMD hitting certain stock price thresholds and Meta achieving certain technical and commercial milestones. The deal is very similar to one that AMD structured with OpenAI last year, with AMD obtaining up to a 10 percent stake in AMD in exchange for six gigawatts of Instinct GPUs. 

Such deals are being likened to circular transactions that have created a tangle of interconnected dependencies between AI companies and chip manufacturers. Analysts have observed that such deals may magnify losses if demand for AI doesn't match the sky-high market expectations. 

The agreement also shows that AI companies are keen to diversify away from NVIDIA, with AMD being a key alternative. "By diversifying our partnerships and technology stack, we’re building a more resilient and flexible infrastructure," Meta wrote in its news release. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-may-trade-ai-chips-for-shares-in-its-latest-amd-deal-134259842.html?src=rss

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Los Angeles County has sued Roblox for "unfair and deceptive business practices," claiming the platform's moderation and age-verification systems are inadequate. "Roblox portrays its platform as a safe and appropriate place for children to play," the complaint states. "In reality, and as Roblox well knows, the design of its platform makes children easy prey for pedophiles." 

Representatives accused Roblox of failing to implement adequate platform safety features to prevent child endangerment. "Specifically, Roblox has not effectively moderated game content or enforced age-appropriate restrictions and warnings established by the creators, allowing the predatory and inappropriate language and interactions between users to persist," the County stated. It also said the platform failed to disclose any danger to children, including sexual content and the risk of predators. 

Roblox rejected the allegations, saying the platform was built around safety. "We have advanced safeguards that monitor our platform for harmful content and communications, and users cannot send or receive images via chat, avoiding one of the most prevalent opportunities for misuse seen elsewhere online," the company told the AFP. 

The LA county complaint is the latest in a string of lawsuits from US regions including Florida, Texas and Kentucky. The Attorney General in Louisiana also accused the company of having a "lack of safety protocols" that endanger the safety of children in favor of "growth, revenue and profits." That state's lawsuit cited a specific example of a subject arrested last year that used voice-altering tech to mimic a younger feminine voice to lure and sexually exploit young players.

Roblox has said that it has about 144 million daily active users around the world, with over 40 percent of them under the age of 13. However, it has faced repeated accusations that it doesn't do enough to protect young players. In 2024, Roblox banned players under 13 from accessing some types of in-game content and restricted their ability to message with other players outside of specific games. Last year, the company also began asking tens of millions of children to verify their age with a selfie. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/la-county-lawsuit-accuses-roblox-of-exposing-children-to-grooming-and-exploitation-124523028.html?src=rss

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Google has announced that with the help of AI, it blocked 1.75 million apps that violated its policies in 2025, significantly down from 2.36 million in 2024. The lower numbers this year, it said, are because its "AI-powered, multi-layer protections" are deterring bad actors from even trying to publish bad apps.

Google said it now runs more than 10,000 safety checks on every app and continues to recheck them after they're published. Its use of the latest generative AI models helps human reviewers discover malicious patterns more quickly, it added. The company also blocked 160 million spam ratings, preventing an average 0.5-star rating drop for apps targeted by review bombing. Finally, Google stopped 255,000 apps from gaining excessive access to sensitive user data in 2025, down from 1.3 million the year before. 

Meanwhile, Google Play Protect, the company's Android defense system, sniffed out over 27 million new malicious apps, either warning users or preventing them from running. The company added that Play Protect's enhanced fraud protection now covers 2.8 billion Android devices in 185 markets and blocked 266 million risky "side-loading" installation attempts. 

"Initiatives like developer verification, mandatory pre-review checks, and testing requirements have raised the bar for the Google Play ecosystem, significantly reducing the paths for bad actors to enter," the company said its blog. "This year, we’ll continue to invest in AI-driven defenses to stay ahead of emerging threats and equip Android developers with the tools they need to build apps safely."

Google has steadfastly justified its relatively high fees on app purchases and subscriptions by touting its investments in app safety. However, its Play store has been under pressure from regulators in Europe and other regions that claim it amounts to a monopoly. Last year, the company changed its fee structure for developers using alternative payment channels, but EU regulators recently claimed the company still isn't complying with Digital Markets Act regulations. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-play-used-ai-to-help-block-175-million-bad-apps-in-2025-102208054.html?src=rss

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Polestar is gearing up to launch three new models in the next two years, including a station wagon (estate or shooting brake) version of the Polestar 4 that harkens back to the company's Volvo roots. The Geely-owned Swedish company sold a record 61,000 EVs in 2025, but hopes that the new models will help it take an even bigger bite out of the market. "We want to get more volume out of a bigger cake," CEO Michael Lohscheller said. 

Polestar currently offers two models in the US, the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4, both SUVs. However, the new Polestar 4 will come in two variants, one a traditional SUV as before and the other a four-door wagon-type version that combines "the space of an estate and the versatility of an SUV," Loscheller said. "It's all the good things from the current car, but it's a bit more practical." This new model is due later this year and will be built in Busan, South Korea in order to avoid US tariffs on cars built in China. 

The automaker is also planning to release a new version of the Polestar 2 targeted at young buyers, though that one is unlikely to come to the US. It will be slightly longer for more passenger space and be produced in China like the current model 2. 

Polestar

Finally, the Polestar 7 will be a compact SUV in the same family as Volvo's EX60, set to arrive in Europe to address the fast-growing compact SUV segment. "We are convinced that we can offer customers a progressive performance-driven car for a very attractive price point, built in Europe," Lohscheller said. 

The new models are designed to help Polestar hit its goal of 60 percent of EV sales worldwide by "targeting the big profit pools of the BEV segment," Lohscheller stated. Following Polestar's withdrawal from the hyper-competitive Chinese market, Europe accounts for 78 percent of its sales and the US most of the rest — but the company hopes to boost its fortunes in the latter. "People forget that the U.S. is a big EV market, especially on the east and west coasts," the CEO added. "And it will stay a big market."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/polestar-unveils-a-station-wagon-version-of-the-4-144025505.html?src=rss

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Meta just announced a deal to buy "millions" of NVIDIA Blackwell and Rubin GPUs in a new long-term partnership. As part of that, the social media giant will deploy NVIDIA's Confidential Computing for WhatsApp, "enabling AI-powered capabilities across the messaging platform while ensuring user data confidentiality and integrity."

As part of the deal, Meta committed to using NVIDIA's Confidential Computing for WhatsApp messaging to allow AI inside the app while guaranteeing user data confidentiality. That technology will let Meta secure data during computation, not just when it's being shuttled to a server. It also allows software creators like Meta or third-party AI agent providers "to preserve their intellectual property," NVIDIA wrote on a blog about the technology.  

Meta will also be the first to deploy NVIDIA's Grace CPUs in a standalone way, instead of incorporating them with GPUs. They're designed to run inference and agentic workloads when running in this fashion. Meta will also be using NVIDIA's Spectrum-X Ethernet switches. 

Meta announced earlier this year that it would spend up to $135 billion on AI in 2026, so it's not a surprise that a big chunk of that is going toward NVIDIA. However the numbers involved, likely in the "tens of billions" according to analysts, represent a significant expansion of the partnership between the two companies. Meta plans to build up to 30 data centers, including 26 in the US, by 2028 as part of a $600 billion commitment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-will-run-ai-in-whatsapp-through-nvidias-confidential-computing-110002283.html?src=rss

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Drones are no longer just niche toys for enthusiasts. Today’s models are compact, increasingly affordable and capable of capturing sharp aerial photos and video with minimal effort. Whether you’re curious about flying for the first time or looking to upgrade to a more advanced camera drone, the options available in 2026 are broader and more approachable than ever.

Entry-level drones now offer features like GPS-assisted flight, return-to-home safety systems and automated shooting modes that take much of the stress out of learning to fly. Step up to more advanced models and you’ll find foldable designs that travel easily, longer flight times and stabilized 4K video that holds up well beyond social media clips.

We’ve tested a range of drones to identify the best options across different skill levels and budgets. Whether your priority is learning the basics, capturing polished aerial footage or packing light for travel, these picks highlight the drones that offer the best balance of performance, reliability and ease of use.

Best drones for 2026

What to look for in a drone

Camera features

For this guide, we're looking only at drones that are basically flying cameras, so you want the best video and photo features possible. Bigger devices like DJI’s Mavic 3 Pro or Air 3S carry relatively large sensors, offering superior camera quality for nighttime cityscapes or other low-light scenes. Smaller models like the Mini 4 Pro and HoverAir X1 Max use smaller camera sensors, so they aren’t as good in dim light.

Field of view and minimum aperture are also important, with most drones typically having a wide-angle focal length, though a few others like the HoverAir X1 Max carry an ultrawide lens. Some models have multiple cameras including a wide and a zoom. As for aperture, lower numbers are better and allow for shooting in dim light. Most DJI models are solid in this regard, while the HoverAir models don’t perform as well.

Video resolution and slow-mo are also essential camera capabilities. Most drones these days can shoot at 4K with a frame rate of at least 30 fps, though some offer 6K or even 8K at up to 30 fps. Higher-end models can shoot 4K at up to 120 fps, allowing you to slow down the action dramatically to create a cinematic look.

Other noteworthy features include log or HDR video that supports higher dynamic range, particularly in bright and sunny conditions. Finally, the camera’s gimbal and stabilization are important factors to keep your footage looking as smooth as possible. Some drones have gimbals that can rotate the camera 90 degrees to give social media creators the maximum resolution for vertical formats.

Drone features: Speed, range, safety, battery life and obstacle detection

By and large, there are two types of camera drones to consider. The first are standard drones (usually with open propellers but not always) designed to fly outside and take scenic shots. Often there’s nothing to stop the props from striking skin or objects, so they can’t really be used indoors or around people. Some models like the DJI Neo and Flip have prop guards that better protect bystanders and property, as well as the drone itself.

Then there's first-person-view (FPV) camera drones, which often have propeller guards and are meant to be used both indoors or outside to capture exciting footage. Standard models don’t need to go particularly fast as they’re mainly used to shoot fun videos for social media, but FPV drones need to move at high speeds to create excitement. Because of that speed, they’re also better in breezy conditions thanks to stronger wind resistance, and they can fight gusts and return home more quickly. Acrobatic abilities (often promoted by the manufacturer in ads or packaging) are also important for FPV drones, as it allows the user to perform tricks and zip around obstacles.

Battery life is another important factor. The best drones boast a battery endurance of up to 45 minutes, while FPV drones like the Avata 2 can only fly for about half that time as they tend to be heavier and carry smaller batteries to reduce weight. As a general rule, a single battery isn’t enough for any serious shooting so you’d do well to buy your drone in a kit with a few batteries and a charger.

As for range, DJI tends to dominate in this area, with its latest models able to maintain a video signal at a distance up to 20km (12.4 miles). HoverAir’s models are weaker with the top-end X1 Max model limited to just 1km (0.6 miles) when using the optional beacon system. DJI also offers multiple ways to control its drones including headsets, joystick-type controllers, motion detection controllers and smartphones.

The best drones have sensors to detect obstacles in all directions. Others are limited to only avoiding obstructions coming at them from the front and some only rely on the main camera to prevent crashes. Finally, if you want to have your drone follow you around automatically, you’ll need it to be able to track you around when you’re vlogging, riding a bike or skiing, while also avoiding obstacles. Smooth takeoff and return-to-home features are especially valuable here for both beginners and experienced drone pilots as well.

Best drone FAQs

What are the rules for owning a drone?

Anyone can buy any drone, but once purchased, all drones between 250g and 25 kg must be registered with the FAA and marked with the FAA registration number. Recreational pilots with drones over 249g must pass the recreational UAS safety "TRUST" exam and carry proof of TRUST completion when flying a drone. Commercial pilots must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. You must be aware of and avoid any areas with airspace restrictions, particularly around airports.

Are drones safe to fly in the city?

In general, it is not legal to fly a drone within city limits over populations, as a crash from a high altitude could injure or kill someone. However, they can be flown over adjacent, non-populated areas in many cases. Here is a guide to where: https://uavcoach.com/where-to-fly-drone/

What is the average flight time of a drone?

Most drones can fly for around 20-30 minutes, though some advanced models like DJI's Mavic 4 can fly up to 40 minutes or more.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/best-drone-120046775.html?src=rss

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Bloober Team has revealed Layers of Fear 3 following a Valentine's Day countdown that started at the beginning of 2026. The new chapter will include not only a game but a novel and music, the company said in a press release. 

The developer revealed the new IP via a live-action teaser, with an actor reading lines from William Blake's poem, The Sick Rose. A painting then fell from the wall, and the actor then turned over an hourglass with red sand, with a tagline stating "The door won't stay closed." No gameplay or other information like the release date was revealed.

What Bloober did say, though, is that it would launch new Layers of Fear non-game content, including a novel by horror writer, poet and vocalist Marta Bijan. The company also announced that it would release the soundtracks for Layers of Fear, The Medium and Cronos both in digital and physical (CD and vinyl) editions. 

The new title is likely to be eagerly anticipated given Bloober's form of late. The company recently released its Silent Hill 2 remake, Cronos: The New Dawn and a new Switch 2 Layers of Fear 2 version called Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition. The original Layers of Fear came out back in 2016 and is considered one of the better horror titles of recent years, thanks to an expertly crafted narrative and psychedelic thrills and chills. The sequel moved to a creepy ocean liner and was equally well-received.

Update Feb. 16, 2026 at 3:06PM ET: The headline was updated with the correct game name. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/layers-of-3-revealed-via-a-mysterious-trailer-and-poem-153021903.html?src=rss

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There's a new AAA John Wick game coming with Keanu Reaves portraying the main character both in voice and likeness, Lionsgate and Saber Interactive announced. Currently untitled, it's in development for PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC, and will be a single-player third-person experience designed for "mature" audiences. So far, there's no release date. 

"The new single-player third-person action game will combine John Wick’s unparalleled, adrenaline-fueled 'gun-fu' fighting style with Saber’s proven reputation for creating thrilling gaming experiences that leave players craving more," the companies said in an announcement post. They added that franchise director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves are both involved in the game’s production, with Reeves reprising his character's look, voice and more. 

The story is original and "addresses a significant time in John Wick's life," according to the game's director Jesus Iglesias. It will include both familiar film characters and new ones created for the game. As for gameplay, it will offer "a hard-hitting gun-fu combat system, jaw-dropping camerawork, intense driving experiences, cinematic storytelling, and a bold range of atmospherically immersive environments," the team said.

Saber Interactive is the developer behind Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and is also developing the upcoming titles Jurassic Park: Survival and John Carpenter's Toxic Commando. It will be the first John Wick game since John Wick Hex, which came out in 2019 but was recently delisted. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/theres-a-new-john-wick-game-on-the-way-103900064.html?src=rss

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Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls was first announced last year as a tag fighting game feature superheroes including Captain America, Ms Marvel and Spider-Man, with a launch sometime in 2026. We expected more details to be revealed at Sony's State of Play yesterday and indeed they were. The game will arrive August 6 on PS5 and PC and include the Unbreakable X-Men's Storm, Magik, Wolverine, and Danger. 

The trailer teases each character's fighting style, with Magik and Wolverine using a more in-your-face melee fighting style. Storm and Danger, meanwhile, offer more diverse attack abilities, with Storm manipulating wind and lightning and Magik deploying sorcery skills. We also saw a team-based finisher attack with all four characters joining forces to unleash a flurry of attacks. The trailer also revealed that Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls will offer an Episode Mode with a "new form of storytelling adapted for a modern video game format" that marries Manga with American comics. 

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches on August 6, 2026 for PS5 and PC. Pre-orders open February 19, 2026 at the PlayStation Store and PC storefronts. It will be sold in three versions: the $60 Standard Edition, $85 Digital Deluxe Edition (includes the full game, all pre-order incentives, a Year 1 Characters and Stage Pass) and Howard the Duck and Cosmo. Finally, the $100 Ultimate Edition includes all the preceding, plus costumes for Storm, Captain America, Doctor Doom, Iron Man, and Spider-Man, along with an Animated Chromatic color unlock for all 20 launch characters. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-lands-on-ps5-and-pc-august-6-with-x-men-in-tow-095235773.html?src=rss

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At Sony's State of Play yesterday, developer Nomada Studio revealed a DLC prequel to its gorgeous and award-winning puzzle platformer Neva. Entitled simply Neva: Prologue, it tells the story of how Alba and her wolf companion Neva met, while introducing new gameplay mechanics, locales and challenges. 

"In Neva: Prologue, players follow Alba as she chases a trail of white butterflies deep into the corrupted swamps, only to discover a frightened wolf cub, lost and alone," Nomada writes. "To survive, Alba must earn the cub’s trust and guide them both through the blighted wetlands and the dark forces that stalk them."

The developer adds that Neva: Prologue is designed to be experienced after completing the main game. It adds three new locations, "each featuring unique gameplay mechanics, alongside new enemies and intense boss encounters." Completionists will also get five hidden challenge flowers. 

In her review of the original game, Engadget's Jessica Conditt found Neva "faultless" thanks to the exquisite swordplay and intuitive platforming action, along with the "stunning" world composed of "lush forests, sun-drenched valleys, soaring mountains and twisting cave systems." Neva: Prologue will released as a standalone DLC on February 19. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-neva-prequel-is-arriving-next-week-081239628.html?src=rss

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After warnings from lawmakers last year, WhatsApp has been blocked in Russia for as many as 100 million users, the Financial Times reported. Russian authorities removed the app from an online directory, effectively wiping it from Russia's internet. The government has previously said that it wants users to switch to an app called Max, an unencrypted WeChat clone. 

"Today the Russian government has attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive users to a state-owned surveillance app," Meta told the FT in a statement. "Trying to isolate over 100 million people from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia."

The Russian government deleted WhatsApp rival Telegram yesterday, while also erasing Meta apps Facebook and Instagram. YouTube access was also reportedly degraded, though it's not clear if the app has been completely removed. 

In July 2025, a Russian lawmaker who regulates the IT industry said it's very likely that WhatsApp would be placed on a list of restricted software. Parent Meta has been designated as an extremist organization in Russia, and last year Vladimir Putin issued a directive for the nation to further restrict communication apps originating from "unfriendly countries" that have sanctioned Russia. 

The state has said that an in-house app would protect citizens from fraud and terrorism, given the large number of scammers on WhatsApp in the nation. However, restrictions on Telegram haven't gone over well domestically, even among Putin's allies, as residents along Ukraine's borders have relied on it for drone and missile alerts. "I am concerned that slowing Telegram could affect the flow of information, if the situation deteriorates," said the governor of one of those regions.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/whatsapp-is-now-fully-blocked-in-russia-110953485.html?src=rss

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YouTube Music has started putting lyrics — a previously free feature introduced in 2020 — behind a paywall, according to multiple users and 9to5Google. In the latest update, the “Lyrics” tab in the Now Playing screen displays a warning message: “You have [x] views remaining. Unlock lyrics with Premium.” Free users get lyrics for five songs, then after that, will only see a few lines before the rest of the song is blurred.

Google has been testing the feature since at least September with a limited number of users, according to previous reports. It’s been speculated that YouTube may have made the change to recuperate costs spent with lyric aggregators like Musixmatch. Spotify also put lyrics behind its Premium paywall in 2024, but a user backlash forced it to reinstate the feature for free users.

Google has yet to confirm the change, and while it appears to be a larger rollout, the feature change could still be in testing. YouTube Music’s Premium subscription costs $10.99 in the US with ad-free playback, offline downloads, AI features and more — the same as its main rivals Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/youtube-music-starts-limiting-lyrics-for-free-users-101258311.html?src=rss

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Ford may be discontinuing its F-150 Lightning pickup but it hasn’t given up on electric cars. CEO Jim Farley just teased the automaker’s electric pickup based on its new Universal Electric Vehicle platform that he called “one of the most audacious and important projects in Ford's history.”

The Universal EV platform will be used on a family of affordable EVs sold around the world, but will start with a mid-sized pickup for the US built in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s set to go on sale next year with a target price of $30,000.

Farley discussed some of the tech going into the pickup, particularly the aerodynamics, a key aspect if Ford is to compete with rivals. “The team is spending countless hours getting every last drop of aero efficiency on the mid-size electric pickup,” he noted. Farley also discussed the “simplified aluminum unicastings [that] condense over 146 parts into two” as a way to boost production efficiency.

Ford will invest $5 billion, including $2 billion at the Louisville factory on top of $3 billion already announced for its BlueOval battery plant. It will expand the Louisville facility by 52,000 square feet and "create or secure" nearly 4,000 direct jobs, the company said late last year.

Ford hasn't yet revealed the pickup’s name or shown a photo, but it’s supposed to have more interior room than a Toyota RAV4. Buyers will be able to lock bikes or surfboards into the pickup bed, mooting the need for roof or trailer hitch racks. It will have a low center of gravity from the battery, instant torque and a 0 to 60 mph time "as fast as a Mustang EcoBoost [around 4.5 seconds], with more downforce," Ford said.

Jim Farley famously imported a famously fast and high-tech Xiaomi SU7 EV from China and drove it daily, telling a podcaster he didn’t want to “give it up.” Hopefully, his experience will result in more tech-forward Ford EVs based on the Universal platform.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ford-shows-off-the-tech-going-into-its-30000-electric-pickup-truck-140000509.html?src=rss

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TikTok’s signature features that hooked users around the world are its algorithm and endless scroll. Now, though, the European Union has called those aspects of the app illegal and may order the company to alter them.

“Today, the European Commission preliminarily found TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act for its addictive design,” the EU’s regulator said in a press release. “This includes features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and its highly personalized recommender system.” It said that TikTok failed to put up safeguards to ensure that those “addictive” features don’t “harm the physical and mental wellbeing of users,” including minors.

“For example, by constantly ‘rewarding' users with new content, certain design features of TikTok fuel the urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain of users into ‘autopilot mode'. Scientific research shows that this may lead to compulsive behaviour and reduce users' self-control,” the regulators stated.

TikTok’s current parental controls and features to limit screen time are insufficient, the Commission added, and TikTok may need to modify them. The platform may also be required to limit its infinite scroll and adjust its recommendation algorithms.

The EU Commission will give TikTok an opportunity to rebut the findings and the company said would use “any means available” to challenge them. “The commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform,” the company told The New York Times in a statement.

Europe opened its wide-ranging investigation against TikTok in February 2024 and has already found the company at fault for its data sharing practices and advertising transparency. If found guilty of violating the DSA, TikTok faces a fine up to six percent of its annual worldwide turnover.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/eu-says-tiktok-uses-addictive-design-and-must-change-131738425.html?src=rss

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