It's only been two years since Dune: Part Twotook over multiplexes, but we already have a trailer for the third installment. The appropriately-named Dune: Part Three is an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah book from 1969.
Just like the book, the latest film takes place a number of years after Dune: Part Two. "If the first movie was contemplation, a boy exploring a new world, and the second one is a war movie, this one is a thriller," according to The Hollywood Reporter. "It is action-packed and tense. More muscular.”
Despite the time jump, most primary actors are returning. This includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Javier Bardem. Anya Taylor-Joy, who briefly appeared in the second film, is also coming back. The same goes for Jason Momoa, despite his Duncan Idaho character dying in the first film. Book readers will likely understand what that means.
The trailer also highlights the antagonist Scytale, as portrayed by Robert Pattinson. He should be a more nuanced villain than Baron Harkonnen, though that's not exactly a high bar.
The release date is coming up fast. Dune: Part Three hits theaters on December 18. That's this year. Villeneuve had intended to take a break after making the second one to focus on a smaller and more personal film, but said that he kept "waking in the middle of the night" with potential images from the third installment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-dune-part-three-trailer-introduces-robert-pattinsons-villainous-new-character-173758393.html?src=rss
There's an official WhatsApp app for select Garmin smartwatches. It's available for free right now in the Garmin Connect IQ Store. WhatsApp is primarily a chat platform, so this new app allows users to read and reply to messages, send emojis and peruse the chat history.
The app also lets users accept or decline incoming calls arriving from the platform, all without having to break out the smartphone. This is WhatsApp, so messages are end-to-end encrypted.
As previously mentioned, it's not available for every Garmin watch. It's compatible with select Forerunner, Venu, Vivoactive and Fenix watches. The Connect IQ Store should be able to say if your particular model can handle the app.
This is just the latest smartwatch platform to get WhatsApp. Meta released an Apple Watch version at the tail-end of last year. Before that, Apple Watch users had to mirror iPhone notifications to reply to WhatsApp messages directly from the device.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-is-now-officially-available-on-garmin-smartwatches-164156538.html?src=rss
Starfield is officially coming to PS5, with a launch date set for April 7. Preorders are open right now for both the digital and physical versions. It's long been rumored that Bethesda's sci-fi RPG would be going multiplatform and, well, here we are.
The PS5 version will tap into the DualSense controller's capabilities with adaptive triggers that work differently depending on the weapon you're using. The light bar will offer an indication of your character and ship health (if you ever look at it while you're playing, that is). You'll also be able to use the touchpad to switch between points of view and access your map and hand scanner.
There will be a standard edition and a premium edition, matching the versions that originally showed up on Xbox consoles. The premium edition includes the base game, the Shattered Space and Terran Armada story expansions, a skin pack, some virtual currency and a digital artbook/soundtrack. The standard edition is $50, and the premium version will run you $70. If you buy the base game and decide later that you want to upgrade to the premium version to access the DLC, there'll be a $25 upgrade available.
Other notable former Xbox exclusives have gone multiplatform, including Avowed, Forza Horizon 5, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II and Sea of Thieves. The PS5 will even be home to a Halo game in the near future.
As for the Terran Armada DLC, that will be available on April 7 alongside a free update. The latter (which is dubbed Free Lanes) includes an overhaul of the space travel system. You'll be able to fly freely between planets in a star system and enable cruise mode, which enables you to chat with shipmates or decorate your ship while traveling. Points of interest will pop up while you're in cruise mode as well — you can switch your destination to one of those instead if there's something that catches your interest.
There are more space encounters too. If you run into one of these, your ship will exit cruise mode and you'll have to deal with the situation before continuing. These encounters may or may not feature combat. In some cases, you'll have to explore ship wreckages.
The free update also introduces deeper customization for weapons, gear and ships through a collectible item called X-Tech. You'll be able to spend this (and regular credits) on re-rolls for legendary effects for your weapons.
Elsewhere, there's a new database system; more side quests; two higher-level quality tiers (superior and exceptional) for your gear; an optimization terminal you can add to your ship to help customize and upgrade your ride; containers from which you'll be access stored gear at any of your outposts; an outpost pet; and much more. In addition, there'll be a way for you to start a New Game+ run with all of the gear you've previously acquired.
If you don't have the premium edition of Starfield, you can buy the Terran Armada DLC for $10. This includes a new story questline. You'll face the Terrans, "an advanced militant force with their own vision for the Settled Systems." One Terran robot will be available as a new companion.
The DLC introduces an Incursion system. This includes battles that form a key part of the DLC storyline. These range from "small skirmishes to large-scale infiltrations of Terran vessels where the objectives can vary," Bethesda wrote in a blog post. You'll be able to replay incursions to score extra loot. Via the gameplay options, you can limit how often non-story-required incursions pop up.
Terran Armada also adds new gear and ship parts; elite crew members; an outpost pre-build and decorations; and more.
Starfield is a huge sci-fi RPG with elements of Mass Effect and Fallout. We were blown away by its graphical beauty, but were initially underwhelmed by the generic story and gameplay. The game has, however, received a fair number of improvements since launch. It's pretty good now, and hopefully the Free Lanes update and DLC will improve things even further.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/starfield-is-coming-to-ps5-on-april-7-162341201.html?src=rss
Amazon just launched one-hour and three-hour delivery options in many cities and towns throughout the US. As a matter of fact, the company says three-hour delivery windows are already available in over 2,000 locations, while one-hour windows have launched in "hundreds" of cities. You can check to see if your area is covered by clicking right here.
Just like same-day and next-day delivery, this doesn't cover every available item. Amazon boasts that over 90,000 products are ready for "fast, reliable delivery in just a few clicks." There has been a priority placed on the kinds of items typically needed within 60 to 180 minutes. Users can order "everyday essentials like pantry items, cleaning supplies, health and beauty items and over-the-counter medications."
The new delivery options also cover some fun, but perhaps not essential, items like electronics, toys and clothing. Hey, a Nintendo Switch 2 to play Pokopia could be considered essential to many.
Amazon
These high-octane delivery methods don't come cheap, even for Prime members. One-hour deliveries cost $10 and three-hour deliveries cost $5. Customers without a Prime membership pay $20 for one-hour deliveries and $10 for three-hour deliveries. The same-day delivery option remains free for Prime members.
This isn't Amazon's first foray into ultra-quick delivery windows. The company has been experimenting with this kind of thing for years. It started a program called Amazon Now in the 2010s that handled that sort of thing, which eventually changed to Prime Now. It was sunsetted in 2021.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/amazon-launches-one--and-three-hour-delivery-options-in-the-us-151536118.html?src=rss
There are many E Ink tablets out there, but most of them are basically digital notebooks. They are great for reading and handwriting notes, but not so great for doing all of that regular tablet stuff like checking emails and doomscrolling. Boox, however, has released a number of E Ink tablets that can access the Google Play Store, opening up users to the wide world of traditional smartphone apps.
The company's latest product is a refresh of the Go 10.3 tablet, called the Go 10.3 Lumi. This introduces plenty of new features and, as the name suggests, one is a front light. The tablet has been designed for both natural sunlight and low-light environments. The previous model was great, but it turns into a useless paperweight without access to ambient light.
Boox
Despite the front-facing light, the Go 10.3 Lumi is still lighter than its predecessor, at 12.8 ounces. It's also on the thinner side, with a 4.8mm profile.
The basic specs are similar to the Go tablet, with an octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It runs on Android 15, which is a massive improvement for both security and access to apps. The previous iteration ran on Android 12, and Google stopped officially supporting that OS last year. That means no more critical security updates.
In addition to beefed up security, Boox promises the upgrade to Android 15 offers users improved memory management, better multitasking and smoother UI interactions. E Ink devices can be sluggish so I'm all for anything that speeds things up.
It integrates with external keyboards and boasts integrated speakers, which will certainly come in handy when navigating apps downloaded from the Play Store. Despite the screen technology, this is an Android tablet. It should be able to run just about any app available.
However, the E Ink technology will likely run into hiccups with video-based apps and games. It's just not made for that. This could be a great little gadget for emails and text-based social media, but not for something like TikTok. It should be able to handle non-animated games just fine, like crossword puzzles and stuff like that.
Boox says the tablet gets "substantial battery life" and has been "optimized for extended usage cycles." The company hasn't announced detailed battery specs, but did say people "can work all day without looming battery anxiety." E Ink devices tend to last a good while, so I'm not worried about that.
The Boox Go 10.3 Lumi is available to order right now and costs $450. If you want to save a few bucks and have no interest in a front light, there's a stripped down version that also runs Android 15 but costs $420.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/booxs-new-go-e-ink-tablet-includes-a-10-inch-display-and-runs-android-15-020009621.html?src=rss
The Delaware judge said Krafton had violated the terms of its contract with Unknown Worlds when it fired the executives. "To remedy these breaches, Gill is reinstated as CEO of Unknown Worlds with full operational authority over the studio," wrote judge Lori W. Will.
A Krafton spokesperson said in a statement that "we respectfully disagree with today's ruling" and that "we are evaluating our options as we determine our path forward." Further litigation over potential damages is still pending.
This legal battle has been brewing for a while. Krafton bought Unknown Worlds back in 2021 and the contract stipulated that executives and staff would get to share in a $250 million bonus if they hit certain revenue targets by 2025. Those targets were not reached, and could not be reached, because Krafton delayed Subnautica 2.
According to the pre-trial brief, Krafton CEO Changham Kim allegedly nixed the payout because it would be a "professional embarrassment" and make him look like a "pushover." He reportedly consulted ChatGPT to ask about ways to avoid paying the bonus and, oddly, seemed to consider a hostile takeover by a newly-formed entity.
Judge Will dinged the CEO on both counts, saying that Kim regretted committing to the payout and "consulted an artificial intelligence chatbot to contrive a corporate 'takeover' strategy." Engadget reached out to Krafton and the company re-emphasized it was displeased with the ruling but said that it doesn't resolve the ongoing litigation.
As for the game, Krafton says Subnautica 2 is coming sooner rather than later. We've heard that one before.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/judge-rules-that-krafton-must-rehire-fired-subnautica-director-184702823.html?src=rss
The Super Mario Galaxy Movieis nearly upon us, as the hotly-anticipated sequel arrives in theaters on April 1. Nintendo recently dropped the final trailer for the film, which is filled with quick visual gags and nods to the source material.
There aren't too many actual reveals in this footage, as it covers a lot of the same ground as previous trailers. However, it does show that fan favorite Lumalee is returning as a prison guard of some sort, reversing the storyline from the original film in which the cheerfully nihilistic creature was trapped in a cage.
Nintendo also released a larger presentation that featured the aforementioned trailer, but also included interviews with actors and franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto. We did get some news in this video.
It was revealed that the long-tongued dinosaur Yoshi will be voiced by Donald Glover. So it's likely the dino will be saying a lot more than "Yoshi" over and over. Actor Luis Guzman will also be playing Wart, the primary antagonist from Super Mario Bros. 2. Issa Rae will be on hand to voice Honey Queen, the gigantic bee character from the Super Mario Galaxy games.
It was even confirmed by lead actors Chris Pratt and Charlie Day that Luigi would be on hand for the entire adventure this time, and not confined to a cage-based subplot. I didn't realize Luigi's role in the first film was enough of a controversy to warrant this kind of mention, but here we are.
Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri also appeared in the video, assuring viewers that there are still "some big surprises" waiting in the actual film. To that end, there's been a rumor floating around that Fox McCloud from the Starfox franchise would be showing up. Is this the start of a Nintendo cinematic universe that will culminate in 10 years with a Super Smash Bros. movie? Stranger things have happened.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/heres-the-final-trailer-for-the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-181819593.html?src=rss
Nintendo's next platform adventure, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, will be released for Switch 2 on May 21. The company announced the release date as part of its annual Mar10 Day celebration. This is a made-up holiday that exists because the date spelled out like that sort of looks like the word Mario.
In any event, there's a new trailer for the perpetually hungry dinosaur's latest adventure. It looks super cute. It sort of resembles a children's picture book come to life. Yoshi games typically boast unique graphical styles, with past entries featuring entire worlds made of yarn, cardboard and more. Even the very first Yoshi platformer, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, featured a kind of hand-drawn aesthetic.
The gameplay looks to be somewhat unique, with a reduced emphasis on chucking eggs. Many of the game's creatures grant Yoshi special abilities when they hop on the dino for a ride. This reminds me of another Nintendo-branded glutton, Kirby.
Today's trailer also shows Yoshi gobbling up an enemy and encountering a foul and bitter taste, giving the little cutie a momentary stomach ache. I guess Yoshi's palette has become more refined since the last game.
This has already been a big week for the anthropomorphic dinosaur. Nintendo recently dropped another trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and it was revealed that Donald Glover will be voicing Yoshi. That film hits theaters on April 1, which is just a few weeks away.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/yoshi-and-the-mysterious-book-will-be-released-for-switch-2-on-may-21-164753150.html?src=rss
NVIDIA is reportedly working on its own open-source AI agent platform, according to Wired. The chipmaker has been pitching the product to enterprise software companies. Reporting indicates it's going to be called NemoClaw, suggesting that the entire industry is going to embrace this whole "claw" naming convention moving forward.
Just like OpenClaw, this will be a platform in which users dispatch AI agents to perform a variety of tasks. However, NVIDIA's effort looks to have an enterprise focus for now. To that end, reporting indicates that companies will be able to access this platform even if their products don't run on NVIDIA chips.
NVIDIA is currently preparing for its annual developer conference next week and Wired has suggested that the company has already reached out to entities like Salesforce, Cisco and Google to strike partnerships for its platform. It's not clear if these discussions have led to anything official, as none of these companies have provided statements.
This could be a steep climb for NVIDIA, as usage of these multi-purpose agents in the enterprise space is relatively controversial. Some tech companies have asked employees to refrain from using OpenClaw and related tools on their work computers, as the agents can be unpredictable and cause all manner of mayhem. A Meta employee recently shared a story about an AI agent going rogue and mass deleting emails.
This poses a serious security risk to enterprise customers. It's one thing if the claw is trapped on a personal computer, but another thing if it has access to an entire enterprise network. NVIDIA is reportedly beefing up NemoClaw with additional layers of security for AI agents, which is likely an effort to attract those business customers.
Why is this a big deal? Unlike traditional chatbots that typically require hand-holding from the user every step of the way, claws are designed to run autonomously on computers and perform complex, multi-pronged tasks without too much human supervision.
Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI to drive the next generation of personal agents. He is a genius with a lot of amazing ideas about the future of very smart agents interacting with each other to do very useful things for people. We expect this will quickly become core to our…
This all started with software originally called Clawdbot, which is now called OpenClaw. The creator of OpenClaw, Peter Steinberger, recently joined OpenAI to help "drive the next generation of personal agents."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidia-is-reportedly-working-on-its-own-open-source-ai-agent-platform-153203397.html?src=rss
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang before a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
It's pretty easy to use. Women riders will see an option for Women Drivers when requesting a trip, and this also works when making a reservation in advance. Users can also make a preference for a woman driver in the settings app, though this doesn't guarantee anything and depends on the driver pool.
The feature works in much the same way for drivers. Women drivers will be able to request trips with women riders via the settings.
Uber isn't the only rideshare company trying to make half of the world's population a bit safer during trips. Lyft has been expanding its own take on the feature, which it also recently took nationwide.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-expands-its-program-that-helps-pair-women-riders-and-drivers-184832010.html?src=rss
Samsung just announced that 120 games will be playable via its Odyssey 3D Hub platform by the end of the year. This is the platform that provides content for glasses-free 3D monitors like recent Odyssey displays.
The company made this claim at GDC 2026, while also noting that the platform currently offers around 60 playable titles. Samsung has only announced a couple of games headed to the platform this year, which include Cronos: The New Dawn and Hell is Us. These are both solid third-person action games that originally came out last year.
The collection already includes several notable games, including Stellar Blade, Lies of P and Psychonauts 2, among others. It's good to know the library continues to grow, proving that there might still be some life left in 3D display technology after all.
We came away impressed with the technology when we gave it a go last year. We even said that if "3D had been like this all along, people would be much more receptive." The games look great and the displays include head tracking so users don't have to constantly struggle to find the one sweet spot (I'm looking at you, Nintendo 3DS.)
Samsung has quietly been adding to its lineup of glasses-free 3D displays. There are several models to choose from nowadays, with screen sizes up to 32-inches.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/samsung-promises-120-games-will-be-playable-via-its-glasses-free-3d-monitor-tech-by-the-end-of-the-year-180102470.html?src=rss
The official title is Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, and that's about all we know for sure. The company released some concept art but it's just protagonist Edward Kenway hanging out on a boat.
We don't know when Ubisoft will release this thing into the world, but the company did recently say that a previously unannounced game would be released by the end of the coming financial year, which happens on March 31, 2027. At that time, Black Flag Resynced had yet to be officially announced. It's possible we could be playing this thing sooner rather than later, particularly if the company has been working on it for years.
This announcement came as part of a franchise roadmap, which included a slight mention of the next mainline Assassin's Creed entry. This is being developed under the name Codename Hexe, with Ubisoft promising a "unique, darker, narrative-driven Assassin's Creed experience set during a pivotal moment in history."
The creative director of that one, Clint Hocking, recently left the company after a 20-year tenure. He's been replaced by Jean Guedson, who had the same job for the original Black Flag 13 years ago.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-confirms-assassins-creed-black-flag-remake-193629862.html?src=rss
Audible just launched a new budget-friendly Standard plan that costs $9 each month. Despite the lower price, this plan still includes a monthly audiobook credit. These credits allow users to download pretty much any audiobook from the library, including most brand-new releases. This was a perk previously locked to the Premium Plus plan, which is $15 per month.
Subscribers also get access to a curated library of content sourced from the Audible Originals library and Wondery+. All of this will be available without ads.
There are some caveats, especially when compared to the pricier Premium Plus subscription. That plan lets subscribers keep downloaded audiobooks forever, but the same isn't true of the Standard plan. Audiobooks will float into the ether once a subscription has been cancelled. This is only a big deal, however, for those who like to re-listen to their favorites.
Audible
The Premium Plus plan provides some other perks not available to Standard users. Subscribers get regular access to sales and discounts, and there's a library of audiobooks and podcasts to peruse. This is sort of like Kindle Unlimited, but for audiobooks. It's not a comprehensive catalog, but it works in a pinch.
Amazon says the new plan is "projected to bring millions of new consumers into the Audible experience over the next year." It's available right now in the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, France and Australia. The company says it's currently testing the tier in additional marketplaces throughout the world.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/audibles-new-plan-is-9-a-month-and-still-includes-an-audiobook-credit-174641878.html?src=rss
This is a wonderfully designed puzzle game that oozes atmosphere. The game tasks players with exploring a gigantic mansion, but there's a twist. You actually build this mansion as you explore, room by room. This is done by placing what can only be described as magical blueprints.
The goal is to fully explore the mansion and solve its many, many mysteries. However, there are only so many blueprints and too many obstacles. This is where the roguelike part comes in. When you build yourself into a dead end, you go to sleep and end the run. All of the rooms reset, but you may have learned a thing or two for the next run. Rinse and repeat.
It's a very nifty gameplay loop, which is why it easily found a spot on Engadget's list of our favorite games from 2025. We even called it a masterpiece, which is deserved. In other words, this is a fantastic addition to the Nintendo eShop.
I only have one small gripe. This is a gorgeous game, but that's primarily due to the art direction and overall vibe. Why is it a Switch 2 exclusive? It seems like the OG Switch could handle it. In any event, this version is priced at $30 but has been discounted to $20 for launch.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/blue-prince-is-out-on-switch-2-today-complete-with-mouse-control-162242506.html?src=rss
The Analogue Pocket handheld retro console has proven to be extremely popular, as initial runs have sold out. The company just announced the system will be back in stock this week, along with the dock accessory. Preorders open up on March 4 at 11AM ET, with shipments going out this June.
Analogue Pocket & Analogue Dock - restock.
A tribute to portable gaming. Out of the box, Pocket is compatible with the 2,780+ Game Boy, Game Boy Color & Game Boy Advance game cartridge library and more.
That's the good news. The bad news? The little console is getting slapped with a price increase. It's shooting up to $240 from the recent price of $220, with the company placing the blame squarely on President Trump's neverending tariffs. The device is assembled in China and Trump just hit the region with even more tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down the old ones. We love to suddenly pay more for gadgets that have been out in the wild for nearly six years, don't we folks?
For the uninitiated, the Pocket isn't an emulation machine. It plays actual Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges. It also integrates with various Game Boy accessories, like the camera and printer. The console can even handle Game Gear, TurboGrafx-16 and Atari Lynx games, but those require separate adapters.
We praised the Analogue Pocket in our official review, calling it "a clever little thing" that is sure to light up the nostalgia center of your brain. It even made our list of the best handheld consoles, which is notable given competition included stuff like the Steam Deck.
In any event, this drop will likely sell out quickly. We recommend parking a browser on the company website just prior to 11AM ET if you can stomach the new price.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-analogue-pocket-will-be-back-in-stock-this-week-but-theres-a-tariff-related-price-increase-182226016.html?src=rss
Nintendo has scheduled an Indie World Showcase livestream for tomorrow, March 3, at 9AM ET. The company says this event will include "roughly 15 minutes of news and updates on indie games coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch." That's not a whole lot of time, but indie trailers tend to be on the shorter side.
We really don't know anything about what Nintendo and its partners could reveal tomorrow. It's entirely possible we'll see something big, like the previously announced Sea of Sorrow DLC for Silksong. More than likely, however, we'll get trailers and updates regarding a spate of unexpected indie games.
The previous Indie World Showcase took place in August and it gave us trailers and announcements for stuff like the excellent Ball x Pit and the upcoming Mina the Hollower. To that last one, Yacht Club Games said it would be launching the title for consoles this spring so we could get a release date announcement tomorrow.
Scott Pilgrim EXwill be available for download tomorrow, so a launch trailer is almost certain. This is a new side-scrolling fighter with four-player co-op and music by Anamanaguchi. My personal white whale is Witchbrook, the long-gestating life-sim set in a magical school. It's being published by Chucklefish, the company that originally published Stardew Valley.
There's some stuff we absolutely shouldn't expect. This is an Indie World Showcase, and not a Nintendo Direct. There will likely be no appearances by Mario or Zelda, unless a character pops up in an indie game as DLC or something. The stream is also unlikely to spotlight Pokémon Pokopia, despite the life-sim launching on March 5.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-just-announced-an-indie-world-showcase-for-tomorrow-at-9am-et-164706666.html?src=rss
OpenAI just announced a massive funding round of $110 billion, which is one of the biggest investment rounds in Silicon Valley history. The investors feature many of the usual suspects, including Amazon with $50 billion, NVIDIA with $30 billion and SoftBank with $30 billion. This investment brings OpenAI to a $730 billion valuation
"We’re super excited about this deal," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told CNBC. "AI is going to happen everywhere." That last statement seems more like a threat than a boast, but I digress.
Beyond the funding round, OpenAI has announced strategic partnerships with both NVIDIA and Amazon. This will involve Amazon Web Services (AWS) running OpenAI models for enterprise customers to "build generative AI applications and agents at production scale." It also names AWS as the exclusive third-party cloud distribution provider for OpenAI Frontier, which is an agentic enterprise platform.
OpenAI has also committed to consuming 2 gigawatts of Amazon's Trainium capacity, which is the company's custom-designed AI training accelerator. In other words, Amazon is spending a lot of money on OpenAI and then OpenAI will turn around and spend a lot of money with Amazon. The AI funding ouroboros continues.
It's also worth noting that Amazon's investment in OpenAI will be staggered. The funding begins with $15 billion, but the remaining $35 billion will only be invested when certain conditions are met.
The new partnership with NVIDIA evolves the long-standing collaboration between the two companies. OpenAI has pledged to consume 2 gigawatts of training capacity on NVIDIA's Vera Rubin systems and an additional 3 gigawatts of computing resources, likely in the form of GPUs, to run specific AI inference tasks. In other words, NVIDIA is spending a lot of money on OpenAI and then OpenAI will turn around and spend a lot of money with NVIDIA. The ouroboros must feed.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-secures-another-110-billion-in-funding-from-amazon-nvidia-and-softbank-171006356.html?src=rss
Apple and Netflix have entered into a rather surprising partnership. The dynamic streaming duo will share Formula 1 programming, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The deal allows Netflix to stream the F1 Canadian Grand Prix in May, along with Apple TV. On the flipside, Apple TV and Netflix will both air season eight of the docuseries Drive to Survive.
The Netflix-created series spotlights various F1 drivers and their teams. The season premieres at midnight on both platforms. Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior VP of services, said that Netflix "has played a pivotal role in growing F1 since the launch of Drive to Survive, and we're thrilled to make F1 content more broadly available to new and existing US fans."
It seems like both companies stand to gain from this deal. Apple gets related F1 programming to air alongside the live races, and an expanded reach for these races. Netflix gets F1 races in the US, continuing the platform's strategy of frequently airing live events.
Apple secured the rights to stream F1 races last year in a deal believed to be valued at around $150 million per year. The company has since been trying to expand the reach of the sport, and this Netflix deal is part of that effort. Apple has inked a deal with IMAX to simulcast some races live in theaters. It's also been reported that Tubi, Comcast, DirecTV and Amazon Prime Video will all have some access to select F1 content.
This aggressive approach by Apple has led F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to say that the sport will become bigger than it ever was while airing on ESPN. "It will allow us to enter in the houses of other people in a different way, in great quality that is very important for us. So, that is what I believe the Apple relationship will bring to us in the American market," he told Racer.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-and-netflix-are-teaming-up-to-share-formula-1-programming-192829498.html?src=rss
NASA recently ended a manned mission to the International Space Station (ISS) a month early, citing a medical issue with one of the astronauts. The space agency just revealed that the impacted astronaut was Mike Fincke. This was the first medical evacuation in the history of the ISS.
NASA wrote a statement saying that the astronaut experienced an unknown medical event on January 7 "that required immediate attention" from his fellow crew members. Fincke added that his "status quickly stabilized" thanks to the "quick response and the guidance" of the flight surgeons.
However, the incident did force NASA to cancel a spacewalk planned for January 8. Soon after that, the agency announced it would be ending the Crew-11 mission a month early. The four-person crew included Fincke, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
They had been living and working aboard the ISS since August and were expected to stay until February. The crew returned on January 15, which was a decision made by NASA's chief health and medical officer. Once the crew had landed, administrator Jared Isaacman said it was a "serious situation" but didn't go into any detail.
Fincke has said he is currently "doing very well" and still participating in standard post-flight reconditioning at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Spaceflight is an incredible privilege, and sometimes it reminds us just how human we are," he said. "Thank you for all your support."
We don't know what medical issue Fincke is going through, and it's certainly his business and not ours. In any event, we wish for a speedy recovery.
NASA also moved up the launch of Crew-12 to replace the prematurely-returned astronauts. That team docked at the ISS on February 14 and are scheduled to stay on the space station for around eight months.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-astronaut-whose-illness-forced-an-early-return-from-the-iss-was-mike-fincke-163752239.html?src=rss
Tecno just unveiled a rather intriguing modular smartphone concept design at MWC 2026. The standout feature here is likely the size. Most modular smartphone concepts start bulky and only get bulkier once attaching accessories. Tecno's base smartphone is just 4.9mm thin, which is significantly thinner than a pencil and the iPhone Air.
Of course, the size increases with each attached module. However, snapping on the power bank module makes the thickness comparable to a standard modern smartphone. Another key feature here is how these various modular components stick together. Tecno has developed new interconnection technology that uses both magnets and pin connectors. This should make it easy to both attach and remove components.
The company says this phone has been designed to grow with the user through hardware expansion. To that end, Tecno has developed 10 modules. There are various camera lenses and something that looks like a dedicated gaming controller.
Tecno
While the magnets are for attaching, the pin connectors assist with power delivery. Data transmission between the phone and the modules is handled wirelessly, with the ability to switch between Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mmWave depending on where the user is located.
There are two colorways for both the phone and the ecosystem of accessories. There's a silver-aluminum edition and a nifty-looking grey version. This doesn't matter to actual consumers because, well, it's just a concept design. It does look like the company's magnetic attachment technology could make it to some actual products down the line.
The industry hasn't quite embraced modular smartphones just yet, even though there have been some nifty concept designs. Google's Project Ara prototype goes back more than a decade, and the same can be said of other concept designs that never saw the light of day.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/tecno-just-unveiled-a-ridiculously-thin-modular-smartphone-concept-design-194741776.html?src=rss
Anmelden
