New USB Drive Out of the Box? Here's Why You Should Format It First (NTFS vs exFAT vs FAT32 Explained)
That brand-new USB drive you just bought might not actually be formatted the way you need it. Engadget breaks down how to format on Windows and explains when to use NTFS, exFAT, or FAT32.
AirPods Are Getting Eyes: Apple Reportedly Building Cameras Into Earbuds, But Not for Photos
Codenamed B790, camera-equipped AirPods are rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro. The lens isn't for taking photos — it's for helping Siri actually see what's in front of you.
From Producer to TIDEZINE Founder: Raymond Kuan's AI-Powered Bet on the Future of Streetwear Media
Not just telling you what's trending, but making culture part of everyday life—Raymond Kuan branches into media, video, and e-commerce, redefining what's next for Taiwan's streetwear media
The ECG App Hiding Under Your Heart Rate Number: Most Apple Watch Users Have Never Opened It
Unlike the heart rate number you see every day, the ECG App on Apple Watch can trace the full electrical waveform of your heartbeat. Available on most models since Series 4, it's a feature few people know how to use or how to read.
When You Are the Kart: Mario Kart 64 Gets Crammed Into a VR Headset
Developer RaYRoD TV has turned 1997's Mario Kart 64 into a first-person VR experience, and that Koopa Troopa Beach tunnel shortcut just became a full-blown motion sickness test.
Tom Vek Built Sleevenote as a Vinyl-Inspired Digital Player, But He Actually Hates the Retro CD Player Trend
Musician Tom Vek's Sleevenote pays visual tribute to vinyl packaging, but he's openly said he dislikes the wave of retro CD and cassette players making a comeback—insisting instead on building a digital music device that "couldn't have existed in any other era."
Accuracy Barely Wins, Hallucinations Hit 89%: ChatGPT and Claude Are Splitting Apart, Not Just on the Scoreboard
The AA-Omniscience benchmark shows OpenAI's newest flagship edging out Claude on accuracy—but its hallucination rate is 1.6 times higher. Features, pricing, and a US Department of War contract are pushing the two AI companies down very different paths.
GameCube Turns 25: One Little Port on the Back Decides How Hard It Is to Hook Up to Your TV
GameCube is hitting its 25th anniversary, and replaying "The Wind Waker" is no problem — the hard part is that it only speaks analog. Whether there's a Digital AV Out port on the back determines how much work you're in for.
35 Gas Turbines, Zero Grid Connection: The Power Plant That Exists Just to Run One Amazon Data Center
The GW Ranch power plant in Pecos County just secured permits allowing up to 33 million tons of CO2 emissions — 35 natural gas turbines built almost entirely to keep a single Amazon data center running.
Retro Handheld Battery Woes: NiMH Swaps and USB-C Mods to Save Your Old Game Boy
From the original Game Boy to the Game Gear, these retro handhelds are notorious battery hogs. Switching to the right rechargeables, keeping two sets on rotation, or going full USB-C mod are practical ways to keep your old handheld alive longer.
Wired vs. Wireless CarPlay: Same Features, Different Headaches (Disconnects, Dead Batteries, or Cluttered Cupholders)
The features are identical—the real question is whether your phone keeps randomly connecting to the wrong device, whether your battery survives the drive, and whether that cable is even worth keeping around. Engadget breaks down the real tradeoffs between wired and wireless CarPlay.
X Scraps Old Payout System, Rolls Out New Rules on Sept 8 — Creators Must Prove Content Is Original First
X is launching Original Content Rewards on September 8, replacing the controversial creator payout program that's been in place since Musk took over. This isn't a tweak to the revenue split — it's a complete redefinition of what content even counts.
Overwatch's D.Mon Drops In: D.Va's Mobility Meets Reinhardt's Melee Soul
Blizzard unveils Hero 53, D.Mon, whose mech codename is Beast — blending D.Va and Reinhardt's combat DNA. She arrives August 11 with Season 4: Heroes of Busan.
NASA Wants to Send Mars Rover's Earthbound Twin to the Moon
Curiosity and Perseverance each have a full-scale twin on Earth, originally meant to stay in the lab forever. Now NASA is planning to convert one of them into PROMISE and send it to the Moon's south pole.
Framework, Known for "Repairable & Upgradeable" Laptops, Suffers User Data Leak via Third-Party 0-Day Exploit
Framework has notified all users that names, login IPs, addresses, phone numbers, and emails were accessed during a breach at third-party database provider Metabase. Payment information was not exposed.
Trump Drops Another $1.2B to Push RWE Out of Offshore Wind, Redirects Cash to LNG and Coal
The U.S. government paid German energy giant RWE over $1.2 billion to cancel offshore wind leases in New York, California, and Louisiana, redirecting the funds toward natural gas and LNG investments. The administration has now spent nearly $4 billion buying its way out of green energy projects.
Samsung SSD Prices Triple in Half a Year — USB Flash Drives Are Suddenly the Smart Buy
The AI boom has sent SSD prices through the roof — Samsung's 990 Pro jumped from $318 to $1,100 — and suddenly the humble USB flash drive everyone used to mock is the most cost-effective way for regular people to move files around.
Falcon 9 Rocket Debris Slams Into the Moon Unwitnessed — South Korean Satellite Accidentally Captures Before-and-After Shots
A Falcon 9 upper stage smashed into the Moon at 5,400 mph, with NASA estimating it left behind a 60-foot-wide crater. South Korea's Danuri orbiter happened to capture before-and-after images of the impact.
AI Just Made Hacking a No-Skill-Required Game — Cybersecurity's Playing Field Just Got Lopsided
Meta's Instagram support bot was once a little too eager to link any email to any account — just one example of how AI is rewriting the rules of cybersecurity. The barrier to launching an attack is disappearing, while defenders still have to cover every single crack.
Sony Reportedly Reviving the 2020 Legend WH-1000XM4 Under a New Name — With a Lower Price Tag
As headphone prices keep climbing, Sony's solution isn't a new release — it's repackaging the six-year-old XM4. Rumored to launch as the "XM4C," the specs are said to stay nearly identical, save for a slightly dialed-back battery number and a new lavender colorway.
IRIS² Locks In 348 Satellites — For the EU, This Is About Sovereignty, Not a Numbers War
IRIS² has finalized a construction agreement for 348 satellites, 66 more than originally planned. But the goal was never commercial broadband — it's the EU securing its own government communications insurance policy.
Ray-Ban Meta's Privacy Maze: Photos Stay Local, But Ask AI a Question and It's Uploaded
Photos don't upload, but AI queries get saved. Voice can't be turned off in the US. And that LED light? It can be physically disabled. Ray-Ban Meta's privacy situation isn't one simple toggle—it's four completely different sets of rules.
SK Hynix Drops $38.1B on New Fabs — PC and Phone Buyers Won't Catch a Break Until 2029
SK Hynix has announced a 54 trillion won investment to build two new memory fabs, going all-in on AI data center demand. But production won't ramp up until 2029 at the earliest, meaning memory prices for everyday PCs and phones won't be easing up anytime soon.
PSB iQ2 Review: No Voice Assistant, No Problem — Here's What $1,399 Buys You
The PSB iQ2 skips the voice assistant and morning briefings, putting every dollar into drivers, inputs, and BluOS instead. Engadget's review gives it an 8, while calling out its biggest weak spot: the phono input.