Tag Archives: region|US

OpenAI signs deal to bring Disney characters to Sora and ChatGPT

Posted on by

It looks like Disney wasted no time delivering on CEO Bob Iger’s promise to bring AI-generated content to Disney+. On Thursday, the company announced the start of a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI to bring more than 200 of its beloved characters, including those from Star Wars and Pixar, to the Sora app and ChatGPT. With the deal in place, OpenAI users will be able to prompt ChatGPT to generate images that tap into Disney’s intellectual property, with costumes, props, vehicles and environments covered.

The agreement does not include voices or “talent likenesses,” meaning Sora users won’t be able prompt the app to make a video with Black Widow and get something with Scarlett Johansson in it. Instead, both Sora and ChatGPT will only have access to animated and illustrated versions of Marvel and Star Wars characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Han Solo, Darth Vader and others. Disney will stream “curated selections” of Sora-generated fan videos on Disney+. Sora and ChatGPT users will be able to start generating images and videos with Disney characters starting in early 2026.

“Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we’re excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. “This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences.”

Disney has also agreed to become an OpenAI customer, promising to use the company’s APIs to build new products, tools and experiences. Additionally, Disney will invest $1 billion in OpenAI, with the option to purchase additional equity down the road. OpenAI recently completed a restructuring to become more of traditional profit-seeking corporation, clearing the way for a potential IPO sometime in the next year or so. Still, the pact brings together two unlikely bedfellows who have been on opposite sides of the copyright debate.

Reaction from the entertainment industry was mixed. In a statement released on Bluesky, The Writers Guild of America, which represents writers across film, television and other media, made it clear it is unhappy with the deal:

“Disney’s deal with OpenAI appears to sanction its theft of our work and cedes the value of what we create to a tech company that has built its business off our backs. We will meet with Disney to probe the terms of this deal, including the extent to which user-generated videoes will use the work of WGA members. We will continue to fight to protect our members’ creative and economic interests in the context of AI technology.”

SAG-AFTRA, the screen actors union which has around 160,000 members worldwide, was less incendiary. It posted a notice on its site saying that both Disney and OpenAI had reached out to the union to give “their assurances that they will meet their contractual and legal obligations to performers.” The union noted it would “closely monitor the deal and its implementation to ensure compliance with our contracts and with applicable laws protecting image, voice, and likeness.”

Update, December 11, 5:45PM ET: This story was updated after publish to include comment from the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-signs-deal-to-bring-disney-characters-to-sora-and-chatgpt-144344820.html?src=rss

Wario’s one and only 3D platformer is now playable on Switch 2

Posted on by

Nintendo has been slowly drip-feeding us GameCube games since the console joined its Nintendo Classics offering when the Switch 2 launched in June, and we just got another one. Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers can now play Wario’s one and only 3D platformer on the service.

Wario World launched in 2003 and was developed by Treasure (Gunstar Heroes, Ikaruga). You play as Wario, the flatulent antithesis of Nintendo’s primary mascot, in what is a combat-heavy platformer. Wario’s castle has been overthrown by an evil piece of sentient jewellery called Black Jewel, and it’s up to the garlic-loving antihero to punch and piledrive everything in sight in order to reclaim it.

Wario World was a relative commercial hit for Nintendo, but while many reviewers praised its chaotic gameplay, the game’s short length pulled the scores down. Interestingly, the same criticism was leveled at the similarly brief Luigi’s Mansion, which joined the Nintendo Classics app just ahead of Halloween.

Wario World becomes the seventh GameCube game that can be played on the Switch 2 via NSO. The service launched with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX and Soulcalibur II. Since then Nintendo has added Super Mario Strikers, Chibi-Robo!, Luigi’s Mansion and now Wario World. The likes of Super Mario Sunshine and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance will arrive at some point.

It’s been a good week for NSO subscribers who enjoy retro 3D platformers. Yesterday Nintendo announced that Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Tonic Trouble are coming to its N64 emulator on December 17.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/warios-one-and-only-3d-platformer-is-now-playable-on-switch-2-133011950.html?src=rss

Google’s Gemini AI comes to Chrome on iPhone and iPad

Posted on by

After rolling it out on desktop and Android earlier in 2025, Google is finally bringing its built-in Gemini AI experience to iPhone and iPad. It offers new features like summarizing pages and helping you test your knowledge about a subject you're learning. As with any AI tool, though, it shouldn't be trusted for anything important given the possibility of hallucinations and other errors. 

When it arrives on your iOS device, tapping the spark icon at the left of the address bar (in place of the Google Lens camera) brings up a "Pages tool" that offers Lens and the new feature, "Ask Gemini." You can then chat with Gemini about the current web page (by default) or any other topic. It may then offer suggestions that appear in the chat box like: 

  • Summarize page: Tap to get key takeaways and insights that help you understand any topic.

  • Create FAQ about this topic: Tap to get FAQs based on info from this page and similar sites.

If you elect to just type in the chat window, here are some examples of what you can do:

  • Summarize key takeaways from an article

  • Explain a complex topic in a different way

  • Help you test your knowledge of a new subject you’re learning

  • Modify a recipe to meet dietary needs

  • Compare information or make recommendations based on your preferences

The response to your chat questions will float over the web page that then shifts to the background. A new chat can be started from the top right corner, and you'll see a Liquid Glass overflow menu. 

For now, Gemini in Chrome on iPhone and iPad is only supported in the US with the browser language set to English. You need to be signed into Chrome and the feature doesn't work in incognito mode. Google also noted that the feature is only available to users 18 and older and may not roll out to your device immediately. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-gemini-ai-comes-to-chrome-on-iphone-and-ipad-130003432.html?src=rss

US could demand five-year social media history from tourists before allowing entry

Posted on by

Tourists from Europe and other regions could be asked to provide a five-year social media history before given entry to the United States, according to a new proposal from the US Customs and Border Protection service (CBP). The new rule would affect visitors from countries who normally enjoy relatively easy entry to the US via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

The new proposal cites an executive order issued by President Trump from January titled "Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats." In his first year in office, Trump has been hyper-focused on strengthening US borders and reducing what he calls illegal immigration. 

The US state department will conduct "online presence" reviews for applicants and their dependents and require privacy settings on social media profiles to be made "public." Applicants must list all the social media handles they've used over the last five years and if any information is omitted, it could lead to the denial of current and future visas. The CBP didn't say what information they were looking for or what could be disqualifying. 

On top of the social media information, CBP may require applicant's telephone numbers and email addresses used over the last five and 10 years respectively, along with information about family members. 

The new conditions are liable to increase ESTA wait times and drastically boost the cost of enforcing it. The CPB's document suggests that an additional 5,598,115 man-hours would be required per year, or around 3,000 full-time jobs plus all the costs that entails. Right now, the ESTA application costs $40, allows people to visit the US for 90 days at a time and is valid for a two-year period. 

The mandatory social media reporting and other requirements could discourage travelers. Some Australian tourists who were coming to the US for the upcoming World Cup have now said that they've abandoned those plans, according to The Guardian, with one person calling the new rules "horrifying."

However, when asked if the proposal could lead to a tourism decline in the US, Trump said he wasn't concerned. "No. We're doing so well," he told a reporter. "We want to make sure we're not letting the wrong people come enter our country." 

The CPB emphasized that the new conditions were only a proposal for now. "Nothing has changed on this front for those coming to the United States [currently]," a spokesperson told the BBC. "This is not a final rule, it is simply the first step in starting a discussion to have new policy options to keep the American people safe." 

If implemented, the rule would affect people from 40 countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan. The largest number of tourists to the US come from Canada and Mexico, accounting for nearly half of the total — however, visitors with passports from those two countries don't require a visa or ESTA approval. Travel to the US was down three percent this year compared to 2024 as of August 2025, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/us-could-demand-five-year-social-media-history-from-tourists-before-allowing-entry-102751243.html?src=rss

Mewgenics, the next game from The Binding of Isaac’s developer, will arrive next February on PC

Posted on by

Indie game developer Edmund McMillen hosted a Reddit AMA today offering some more details about his upcoming game Mewgenics. For starters, the Steam release date for this turn-based cat-breeding RPG has been slightly delayed to February 10. The game was first announced all the way back in 2012 and had most recently been slated for a launch some time this year. Part of the long development cycle was so that McMillen could pause to launch Super Meat Boy Forever, the sequel to his Super Meat Boy platforming hit from 2010. Gamers may also know McMillen for The Binding of Isaac, which has had some notable crossovers with titles like Balatro in recent years.   

Other tidbits from the AMA include the promise that McMillen already has DLC ideas, so expect to have additional content release after the base game is available. Although there doesn't seem to be any lack of replayability in Mewgenics; McMillen said "I currently have 300+ hours across 2 saves and have only beaten the game on one save so far." There is also a plan to have some console versions of the game, although likely not until much later next year at the soonest, the dev added.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mewgenics-the-next-game-from-the-binding-of-isaacs-developer-will-arrive-next-february-on-pc-235740063.html?src=rss

The NES game Jaws is getting a retro physical re-release on Switch and PS5

Posted on by

The year is 1987. Beverly Hills Cop II is the highest-grossing movie. "Walk Like an Egyptian" is the hottest song. The Iran-Contra scandal dominates American political headlines, while Konami’s Contra sucks up coins in arcades. But towering above them all is the watershed moment of Jaws arriving on the NES. ("This time there's no escape!", warned the box art.) Now, 38 years later, the 8-bit game is returning as a Limited Run Games physical re-release.

The retro release coincides with the Spielberg movie's 50th anniversary. From December 19 to January 18, you can pre-order a physical copy for Switch and PS5.

It will be available in two physical editions: a standard ("Retro Edition") one for $35, and a deluxe ("The Bigger Boat Edition") one for $100. The latter adds an NES-inspired box, a physical CD of the game soundtrack, a keychain and — best of all — a pixelated shark lamp. Both versions include original and "enhanced" versions of the 1987 game.

Promo art for the Jaws NES reissue
Promo art for the Jaws NES reissue
Limited Run Games

The game is split mainly between a birds-eye view (where you pilot your boat around the map) and an underwater side view (where you harpoon the shit out of marine wildlife). Eventually, you'll encounter Jaws. After several of these encounters, gradually diminishing his hit points, you'll try to finish him off in a faux-3D perspective on the water's surface. If you think this sounds like a minor variation of what you found in a handful of other licensed NES games from that era, you wouldn't be wrong.

You can pre-order the Jaws re-release from Limited Run Games' website, starting on December 19 at 10 AM ET. In the meantime, you can refresh your memory of the 8-bit game with the video below.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-nes-game-jaws-is-getting-a-retro-physical-re-release-on-switch-and-ps5-221052996.html?src=rss

Meta is reportedly working on a new AI model called ‘Avocado’ and it might not be open source

Posted on by

Mark Zuckerberg has for months publicly hinted that he is backing away from open-source AI models. Now, Meta's latest AI pivot is starting to come into focus. The company is reportedly working on a new model, known inside of Meta as "Avocado," which could mark a major shift away from its previous open-source approach to AI development. 

Both CNBC and Bloomberg have reported on Meta's plans surrounding "Avocado," with both outlets saying the model "could" be proprietary rather than open-source. Avocado, which is due out sometime in 2026, is being worked on inside of "TBD," a smaller group within Meta's AI Superintelligence Labs that's headed up by  Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, who apparently favors closed models.

It's not clear what Avocado could mean for Llama. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg said he expected Meta would "continue to be a leader" in open source but that it wouldn't "open source everything that we do." He's also cited safety concerns as they relate to superintelligence. As both CNBC and Bloomberg note, Meta's shift has also been driven by issues surrounding the release of Llama 4. The Llama 4 "Behemoth" model has been delayed for months; The New York Times reported earlier this year that Wang and other execs had "discussed abandoning" it altogether. And developers have reportedly been unimpressed with the Llama 4 models that are available. 

There have been other shakeups within the ranks of Meta's AI groups as Zuckerberg has spent billions of dollars building a team dedicated to superintelligence. The company laid off several hundred workers from its Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) unit. And Meta veteran and Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun, who has been a proponent for open-source and skeptical of LLMs, recently announced he was leaving the company. 

That Meta may now be pursuing a closed AI model is a significant shift for Zuckerberg, who just last year said "fuck that" about closed platforms and penned a lengthy memo titled "Open Source AI is the Path Forward." But the notoriously competitive CEO is also apparently intensely worried about falling behind OpenAI, Google and other rivals. Meta has said it expects to spend $600 billion over the next few years to fund its AI ambitions.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-is-reportedly-working-on-a-new-ai-model-called-avocado-and-it-might-not-be-open-source-215426778.html?src=rss

Apple TV and Apple Music were down for some users

Posted on by

Apple Music and Apple TV were briefly down during outage, according to Apple’s System Status page. The outage was logged on Apple’s own system at around 2:53PM ET and affected both of the company’s streaming services, along with Apple TV’s Channels feature, until the company resolved the issue around 4:31PM ET.

On DownDetector, reports of issues with Apple TV and Apple Music first appeared right around 2:33PM ET, a little before Apple officially confirmed the outage on its own site. Only “some” users were affected by the outage, according to Apple, and anecdotally, multiple members of Engadget’s staff were still able to stream content while the services were reportedly out.

Engadget has reached out to Apple for more information on the outage and how many people were impacted. We’ll update this article if we hear back.

Apple relies on cloud services from third-party companies like Amazon, and is ultimately only as stable the data centers it’s paying for. In October 2025, the company was impacted by the same Amazon Web Services outage that took down services and apps like Alexa, Fortnite and Snapchat for hours.

Update, December 10, 5:09PM ET: Article and headline updated to reflect that the outage has been resolved.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-tv-and-apple-music-were-down-for-some-users-214425802.html?src=rss

Spotify’s new playlist feature gives users more control over their recommendation algorithm

Posted on by

Spotify is attempting to give users more control over the music the streaming service recommends with a new playlist feature called "Prompted Playlist." The beta feature is rolling out in New Zealand starting on December 11, and will let users write a custom prompt that Spotify can use — alongside their listening history — to create a playlist of new music.

By tapping on Prompted Playlist, Spotify subscribers participating in the beta will be presented with a prompt field where they can type exactly what they want to hear and how they want Spotify's algorithm to respond. And while past AI features took users' individual taste into consideration, Spotify claims Prompted Playlist "taps into your entire Spotify listening history, all the way back to day one." 

A gif showing how users will create a new Prompted Playlist.
Prompted Playlist will exist alongside Spotify's other playlist features.
Spotify

Prompts can be as broad or specific as users want, and Spotify says playlists can also be set to automatically update with new songs on a specific cadence. An "Ideas" tab in the Prompted Playlist setup screen can provide suggestions for users who need inspiration for their prompt. And interestingly, Spotify says each song in the playlist will be presented with a short description explaining why the algorithm chose it, which could help direct future fine-tuning.

If this all sounds familiar, it's because Spotify has already tried AI-generated playlists in the past. The difference here, besides Spotify framing the new feature as giving users more "control," is the detail of the prompts, the depth of user data Spotify is applying and the options users will have to keep playlists up-to-date. Prompted Playlist is only available in English for now, but Spotify says the feature will evolve as it adds more users.

Spotify isn't the first company to offer users more direct control over how content is recommended to them. Meta has recently started experimenting with algorithm-tuning options in Threads and Instagram, and TikTok lets users completely reset their For You page to start fresh. The irony of all these features is that algorithm-driven feeds were supposed to be able to recommend good music, posts and videos without additional prompting. Now that prompting is being pitched as a feature, rather than extra work.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotifys-new-playlist-feature-gives-users-more-control-over-their-recommendation-algorithm-203237903.html?src=rss

Intel loses its latest challenge to 16-year-old EU antitrust case

Posted on by

Intel will have to pay up in an antitrust case dating back to 2009, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The company has lost its challenge against a €376 million ($438.7 million) regulatory fine levied by the European Commission. However, Intel managed to get the amount reduced to 237 million euros ($276.6 million).

The case began in 2009, when mobile computing was in its infancy and netbooks (remember those?) were all the rage in the PC space. At the time, the EU ruled that Intel violated antitrust laws on multiple fronts. First, it used illegal hidden rebates to push rivals out of the PC processor market. Second, it paid manufacturers to delay or stop production of AMD-powered products.

The latter, the portion that today's fine deals with, was classified as "naked restrictions." It regarded anticompetitive payments Intel made to HP, Acer and Lenovo between 2002 and 2006.

As often happens in these situations, the legal process bounced back and forth through the courts for years. In 2017, Europe's highest court ordered the case to be re-examined, citing a lack of proper economic assessment of how Intel's behavior affected its rivals. Europe's second-highest court then overturned the judgment from the first (hidden rebates) portion of the fine in 2022, a move confirmed by the EU Court of Justice last year. That penalty, initially set at a whopping €1.06 billion ($1.2 billion), was wiped off the books.

The second ("naked restrictions") fine was imposed in 2023 after European courts upheld that portion. Intel's latest challenge sought to have that one removed, too. Instead, it will have to settle for shaving one-third off the initial sum.

With today’s judgment, it's tempting to declare the matter over and done with. But the Commission and Intel can still appeal the decision to the EU Court of Justice on points of law. Tune in next year to see if this long, strange saga has another chapter.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/intel-loses-its-latest-challenge-to-16-year-old-eu-antitrust-case-200746004.html?src=rss