Will Shanklin
Will Shanklin has been writing about gadgets, tech and their impact on humanity since 2011. Before joining Engadget, he spent five years creating and leading the mobile technology section for New Atlas. His work has also appeared on SlashGear, TechRadar, Digital Trends, AppleInsider, Android Central, HuffPost and others. In his free time, Will enjoys meditation / mindfulness, great music and eclectic New Mexico shenanigans.
- Engadget
Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership was born from Google envy
It turns out the lay of today’s AI landscape can be traced back to fear, jealousy and intense capitalist ambition. Emails revealed in the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google show Microsoft executives expressing alarm and envy over Google’s AI lead.
- Engadget
Block reportedly greenlit transactions involving terrorist groups and sanctioned nations
Block appears to be squarely in the government’s sights. Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York are reportedly probing extensive compliance lapses at the parent company of Square and Cash App.
- Engadget
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao sentenced to four months in prison
A federal judge has sentenced Binance founder Changpeng Zhao to four months in prison. Prosecutors had recommended three years. Zhao pleaded guilty in November to violating the Bank Secrecy Act.
- Engadget
Assassin’s Creed Mirage finally arrives on June 6 for iPhone and iPad
The newest Assassin’s Creed game will soon arrive on iPhone and iPad. Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the 2023 installment that takes you to ninth-century Baghdad, will be available on June 6 for the iPhone 15 Pro series and iPads with an M-series chip.
- Engadget
The European Union is investigating Meta’s election policies
The EU has officially opened a significant investigation into Meta for election disinformation. While the European Commission’s statement doesn’t explicitly mention Russia, Meta told Engadget the EU probe targets the country’s Doppelganger campaign.
- Engadget
Microsoft confirms its next Xbox Game Showcase is on June 9 at 1PM ET
Microsoft has officially announced the next Xbox Games Showcase. In a blog post, the company said the summer version will be on Sunday, June 9, at 10AM PT / 1PM ET.
- Engadget
The US Supreme Court rejects Elon Musk’s appeal in ‘funding secured’ tweet ruling
On Monday, the US Supreme Court dismissed Elon Musk’s appeal about a 2018 SEC settlement regarding a “funding secured” tweet. The conservative-majority court passed on Musk’s attempt to throw out the agreement.
- Engadget
Getir is getting out of everywhere but Turkey
Getir is getting out of most markets. On Monday, the “instant delivery” startup said it would exit the US, UK, Germany and the Netherlands to serve its Turkish home market exclusively.
- Engadget
The FTC accuses Amazon of using Signal’s auto-deleting messages to erase evidence
As part of its antitrust suit against Amazon, the FTC accused the company of using Signal’s disappearing messages feature to conceal communications.
- Engadget
Drake deletes AI-generated Tupac track after Shakur’s estate threatened to sue
Drake apparently learned it isn’t wise to mess with Tupac Shakur — even nearly three decades after his death. Tthe Canadian hip-hop artist deleted the post with his track “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which used an AI-generated recreation of Shakur’s voice.
- Engadget
Some of our favorite Bose headphones and earbuds are back to all-time low prices
Amazon has some of the highest-rated Bose headphones on sale for record-low prices. That includes the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, which have best-in-class active noise cancellation (ANC).
- Engadget
Tupac’s estate threatens to sue Drake for his AI-infused Kendrick Lamar diss
Tupac Shakur’s estate isn’t pleased with Drake cloning the late hip-hop legend’s voice in a Kendrick Lamar diss track. Attorney Howard King, representing Mr. Shakur’s estate, sent a cease-and-desist letter calling Drake’s use of Shakur’s voice “a flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights.”
- Engadget
TikTok Lite axes ‘addictive as cigarettes’ reward-to-watch feature under the EU’s watchful eye
The EU has effectively vanquished a TikTok feature that Europe’s digital commissioner described as “toxic” and “addictive as cigarettes.” TikTok owner ByteDance said on Wednesday that TikTok Lite’s reward-to-watch feature would be suspended.
- Engadget
PUBG will take a nostalgia-infused trip back to its first map in May
PUBG: Battlegrounds is somehow old enough to evoke nostalgia. The pioneering battle royale game will recreate the old-school battlefield from the game’s inception for a limited two-week run in May and June.
- Engadget
The White House wants a zero-emission freight industry by 2040
The Biden administration is tackling the monumental task of making America’s industrial freight system more environmentally friendly. The White House said on Wednesday that it aims to have 30 percent of industrial truck sales produce zero emissions by 2030 and 100 percent by 2040.
- Engadget
Roland’s mobile podcasting studio gives you a mic and streaming app for $140
Roland has a new on-the-go podcasting setup with an eye-catching price. The company’s Go:Podcast studio includes a USB condenser mic and a companion app that can set up streaming to platforms like YouTube, Twitch and Facebook.
- Engadget
Amazon’s grocery subscription program has some strings attached
After asserting itself as an overshadowing presence in retail, Amazon is still experimenting with ways to leave a similar mark with grocery shopping. The company’s latest tweak to the service lowers the minimum price for free grocery deliveries to $35.
- Engadget
Finally, someone used Pareto’s economic theories to find the best Mario Kart 8 racer
Who hasn’t spent sleepless nights pondering what would happen if we applied the theories of Vilfredo Pareto, the early 20th-century Italian economist, to Mario, the Mushroom Kingdom’s Italian high-jump champion and part-time elephant cosplayer? Data scientist Antoine Mayerowitz, PhD, tackled that age-old question.
- Engadget
Automate your vacuuming and mopping with $400 off the Roomba Combo J9+
If you’re looking to automate more of your home cleaning setup, iRobot’s flagship Roomba Combo J9+ is on sale for $400 off. The vacuum-mop hybrid robot, which only arrived last fall, has a redesigned dock that automatically empties debris and refills the device’s mopping liquid.
- Engadget
A correction on Amazon Prime Video subscriptions
Amazon appears to have nixed its Prime Video-only plan in the US and UK. Cord Busters reports that the little-known subscription, introduced in 2016, is no longer available to new users in either country.