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. Valve defends loot boxes in response to New York's lawsuit

   It must be 2017 because loot boxes are back in the news again. Two weeks after New York's attorney general sued Valve over its use of the gimmick, the company has responded. In short, the Steam maker essentially said,

   ...

2. TikTok will let you stream full songs in its app if you're an Apple Music subscriber

   TikTok will soon let you stream full songs in its app via a new integration with Apple Music. The company's new Play Full Song feature makes it possible to link your

   ...

3. Microsoft's full screen 'Xbox Mode' will roll out to Windows 11 PCs in April

   Microsoft first debuted its full screen Xbox experience for Windows in the ROG Ally Xbox handheld, in a bid to compete with ...

4. Microsoft will start providing game studios with Project Helix consoles in 2027

   Microsoft plans to begin shipping early units of its next generation console, codenamed Project Helix, to game studios starting sometime next year. “We're sending alpha versions of Project Helix to

   ...

5. Tembo might just be the world's cutest drum machine

   A new company called Musical Beings has officially unveiled the Tembo, which might be the cutest drum machine ever made. Just look at this thing! It's got a wooden chassis that

   ...

6. Meta will let kids under 13 use WhatsApp with parent-managed accounts

   Meta has announced that it’s introducing parent-managed accounts on WhatsApp. Designed to allow young people under the age of 13 to use the messaging platform more safely, these accounts feature new controls that enable a parent or guardian to restrict who can send them

   ...

7. Most AI chatbots will help users plan violent attacks, study finds

   Eight of the 10 most popular AI chatbots were willing to help plan violent attacks when tested by researchers, according to a new study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), in partnership with CNN. While both Snapchat's My AI and Claude refused to assist with violence the majority of the

   ...

8. The PS Plus Games Catalog is getting Space Marine 2 and Persona 5 Royal in March

   Sony has announced its latest additions to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. While they might not top last month's introduction of ...

9. Fortnite's original Save the World mode will be free to play starting on April 16

   Fortnite's original Save the World game mode will be free to play beginning on April 16. This is not the battle royale mode that went on to take over the world, but rather a PvE co-op campaign that focuses on crafting and survival.

   ...

10. Rabbit's Cyberdeck is a modern take on a netbook

    When you think of an AI-forward PC, you might think of something like NVIDIA's $3,999 DGX Spark — a computer with enough computing power to run complex large language models locally. That's not what Rabbit is trying to

    ...