Engadget news and specs on a new mobile launch for android, IOS, windows, and international phones

Engadget official Instagram

View this post on Instagram

Where does virtual reality go next? Right now, there seem to be two paths: Portable and self-contained headsets or those connected to computers and consoles. Valve is clearly betting on the second way with the Index, its first VR hardware. It crams in just about every feature you’d expect from a high-end headset, including some truly transformative finger-sensing controllers. It’s just too bad the entire Index package costs $999, putting it out of reach for most people. It’s a boundary-pushing headset meant to keep the VR industry from getting stale.

A post shared by Engadget (@engadget) on Jun 28, 2019 at 10:31am PDT

1. Threads has 150 million monthly users

   Meta’s Threads app now has more than 150 million monthly users, an increase of about 20 million new users ...

2. 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.” Owner ByteDance said on Wednesday that TikTok Lite’s reward-to-watch feature would be suspended. It’s been a brutal day for TikTok as President Biden signed a bill (also on Wednesday) ...

3. 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, which entered Steam Early

   ...

4. JetBlue's in-flight entertainment system just got a watch party feature

   JetBlue is revamping its in-flight entertainment system, complete with a new branding. It’s now called Blueprint and brings several features that should make your

   ...

5. Threads is testing automatic archiving for posts

   Threads users may soon have a new way to clean up their timelines. The app is testing a new archive feature that can be used to manually archive individual posts or automatically hide posts after a set period of time, Adam Mosseri shared.

   As on Instagram, archiving a post on Threads will

   ...

6. WhatsApp is enabling passkey support on iOS

   Several months after Meta brought WhatsApp passkey logins to Android, it’s doing the same on iOS. The company is rolling out the feature now, and it will be available to all users in the coming weeks.

   Passkeys are seen as a more secure login method as (for one thing)

   ...

7. The White House wants a zero-emission freight industry by 2040

   The Biden administration is ...

8. PBS Retro is a new FAST channel playing just the classics

   Parents throughout the country just breathed a sigh of relief at the prospect of allowing more screen time for their kids that doesn’t revolve around some really loud and annoying YouTube dude. PBS just launched a new free ad-supported channel called PBS Retro, as reported by The Wrap.

   ...

9. Rabbit R1 hands-on: Already more fun and accessible than the Humane AI Pin

   At CES this January, startup Rabbit unveiled its first device, just in time for the end of the year of the rabbit according to the lunar calendar. It’s a cute little orange square that was positioned as a “pocket companion that moves

   ...

10. Google has delayed killing third-party cookies from Chrome (again)

    Google keeps promising to phase out third-party cookies on Chrome but not actually doing it. The company vowed to deprecate cookies back in 2020, pushing the ...