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A designer in Singapore created a functional SNES inside a wearable Nike sneaker

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Have you ever been roaming around collecting bananas in Donkey Kong Country on the SNES and thought to yourself, "gee, I wish I could play this game on my shoe." Well designer Gustavo Bonzanini set out to make this dream a reality. To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Super Nintendo's launch in Japan, Bonzanini has created the AIR SNES, a throwback custom pair of Nike Air Max 90 sneakers that doubles as a completely functional SNES console.

"The idea came after looking at collaborations between sneaker brands and video games. I always asked myself: wouldn’t it be cool if these shoes that look like a video game actually double as a console?" Bonzanini said in a press release shared with Engadget.

The shoe was created using a Raspberry Pi Zero W running the RetroPie emulator, which Bonzanini customized to fit inside the sneaker's tongue. The shoe has battery capacity for up to 30 minutes of gameplay and sports an integrated HDMI port. 

For those with nostalgia for old-school display connectors, the shoe also has a small analog converter for RCA connectors. As for controllers, the shoe is compatible with an original SNES gamepad, but you can also use an 8BitDo Mod Kit that connects to the Raspberry Pi wirelessly over Bluetooth.

“This art project was my way of celebrating both and pushing the idea of what sneaker culture and tech can become when they merge," said Bonzanini. Unfortunately for all of us that would pick up a pair of these in a heartbeat, the AIR SNES is just a one-time creation to celebrate 35 years of one of the greatest consoles ever made.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/a-designer-in-singapore-created-a-functional-snes-inside-a-wearable-nike-sneaker-192907456.html?src=rss

Beyond Good & Evil 2 is somehow still under development

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With the gaming industry's recent rash of layoffs, closures and cancellations, it would be easy to assume Beyond Good and Evil 2 is toast. After all, the game looked like vaporware even before the extreme cost-cutting trend started. But here we are in late 2025, and — lo and behold — Ubisoft is hiring for the prequel.

The job listing (via Eurogamer) is for a technical sound engineer. But aside from revealing that the game is apparently still in the works, the description doesn't tell us anything new. "Beyond Good & Evil 2 is an action-adventure open world game set in a captivating space opera universe and the direct prequel to the 2003 cult classic," the posting reads. "Based on a breakthrough technology driven by the proprietary Voyager engine, Beyond Good & Evil 2 aims to offer a seamless experience of exploration and space piracy across a solar system full of exotic locations, colorful characters and mysteries to uncover, solo or with friends.”

Ubisoft first teased the prequel in 2008, then officially announced it in 2017. Engadget even watched a closed-door gameplay presentation the following year. We described what we saw as "wildly ambitious," perhaps to a concerning degree, given the technical challenges tied to that scope. Those worries appear to have been warranted, as we still hang onto tiny nuggets of hope (look, a job posting!!) over seven years later.

In 2022, Bloomberg poured more cold water on its timeline, reporting that the game was still in pre-production. Engadget contacted Ubisoft for comment on its current status, and we'll update this story if we hear back. In the meantime, you can revisit the surge of hope that was the game’s 2018 cinematic trailer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/beyond-good--evil-2-is-somehow-still-under-development-185230052.html?src=rss

December’s PS Plus Monthly Games include Lego Horizon Adventures and Neon White

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Sony has revealed the final batch of PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for 2025. This time around, you’ll be able to add five games to your library instead of the usual three. As ever, you’ll retain access to claimed games as long as your subscription remains active.

The headliner this time around is Lego Horizon Adventures (PS5), which is a more family-friendly take on the Horizon series. Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo gave the events of Horizon Zero Dawn a Lego flavor in this spinoff, which is the first co-op game in the series (an MMO is in the pipeline too). I’ve been meaning to check this out, so it’ll be an easy addition to my library.

The same goes for Neon White (PS4 and PS5), a fast-paced precision platformer and first-person shooter that’s also part-dating sim. Each level is a race to the exit but you’ll need to defeat every demon in the stage first.

There are a couple of first-person co-op horror games in the December lineup. Those are the action-focused title Killing Floor 3 (PS5) and the psychological survival horror The Outlast Trials (PS4 and PS5). The final entry in the Monthly Games lineup this time around is extraction shooter Synduality Echo of Ada (PS5). That could help you scratch an Arc Raiders-shaped itch if you don’t fancy shelling out for that particular game right now.

All five games will be available for PS Plus Essential, Extra and Premium members to snag on December 2 and they’ll remain up for grabs until January 5. You still have until December 1 to scoop up November’s PS Plus Monthly Games, which are EA Sports WRC 24, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator and the wonderful Stray.

At the beginning of this year, Sony said it planned to stop offering PS4 games as a “key benefit” on the PS Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalog lineups as of January 2026. While it might add PS4 games from time to time, the onus for PS Plus going forward will be on PS5 (and perhaps some PS VR2) games. Of course, any PS4 Monthly Games that you’ve claimed will still remain available for download as long as your PS Plus subscription remains active.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/decembers-ps-plus-monthly-games-include-lego-horizon-adventures-and-neon-white-174500131.html?src=rss

EU backs away from requiring tech companies to scan and remove CSAM

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EU member states have agreed on a position regarding online child protection legislation that doesn't force global tech companies to identify and remove child sexual abuse materials (CSAM.) This is being seen as a major victory for US tech companies like Google and Meta, according to reporting by Reuters.

This new European Council language contradicts a 2023 position in which the European Parliament would have required messaging services, app stores and ISPs to report and remove CSAM materials and instances of grooming. The proposed legislation doesn't have any of that. 

Instead, it tasks major tech companies with assessing the risk of their services, taking preventative measures as deemed necessary. It leaves enforcement up to individual national governments and not the EU governing body. 

"Member states will designate national authorities ... responsible for assessing these risk assessments and mitigating measures, with the possibility of obliging providers to carry out mitigating measures," the European Council wrote in a statement. "In the event of non-compliance, providers could be subject to penalty payments."

There's no language here regarding the enforced scanning of encrypted materials for CSAM, which was an idea being discussed as recently as last year. However, there is some language that suggests encryption services must be safeguarded. Some detractors, like the Czech Republic, suggest that the Council's idea to allow tech entities to essentially self-police content could actually hurt encryption platforms.

This is "a great disappointment for everyone who cares about privacy," Czech politician Markéta Gregorová wrote in a statement. "The Danish presidency has pushed through a compromise version of the proposal after long negotiations, which, while appearing to be less invasive, actually paves the way for what we have long warned against: the blanket scanning of our private conversations." 

The proposed law does, however, establish something called the EU Center on Child Sexual Abuse. This organization would have a mandate to help countries comply and provide assistance for victims. The European Parliament also recently called on the EU to set minimum ages for kids to access social media, but there's no current law in the works.

All of this isn't a done deal just yet. The Council now must enter into negotiations with the Parliament. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/eu-backs-away-from-requiring-tech-companies-to-scan-and-remove-csam-173133351.html?src=rss

Apple’s founding document is heading to auction

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Exactly how many iPad Pros do you think Apple’s founding document is worth? Quite a lot, by the sound of it. The written agreement that made official the formation of Apple Computer Company — as it was initially known — in 1976 is reportedly going to be auctioned, where it’s expected to fetch up to $4 million.

As reported by Apple Insider, the British auction house Christie’s, which has a number of international salerooms, including one in New York, will feature the three-page document in an auction in early 2026. It features the signatures of Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ron Wayne, as well as their respective stakes in the company that would go on to become one of the biggest in the world.

While undoubtedly an item of historical significance, the agreement that people will be bidding for was ultimately a short-lived one. By the time Apple Computer Company became Apple Computer, Inc less than a year later, Wayne had already sold his 10 percent share back to his other co-founders. 

In fact, he left the company less than a fortnight after its creation, a decision he insisted he didn’t regret in a BBC interview in 2016, despite the fact that a 10 percent stake in Apple would have been worth around $60 billion at the time (and presumably quite a bit more than that now). He was paid just $1,500 to sign away of all of his remaining business interests in Apple several months later. And to rub even more salt in the wound, Wayne eventually sold his own copy of that original agreement for $500, something the former Atari employee told the BBC he did regret. 

According to Apple Insider, the soon-to-be auctioned Apple agreement is valued at between $2 million and $4 million, and it will feature in the "We the People: America at 250" auction in New York on January 23. It won’t be the first time an important piece of Apple history has been sold off. Back in 2023, an unopened first-generation iPhone fetched $190,000 at an auction, which was around 300 times its original price.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apples-founding-document-is-heading-to-auction-170547522.html?src=rss

Switch Online adds Bionic Commando, Battletoads and more to NES and GameBoy offerings

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There continues to be no real discernible rhyme or reason to the way Nintendo distributes games on Nintendo Switch Online, but its latest drop brings some notable additions to the library for retro gaming fans. The NES and Game Boy apps — both of which are available to all NSO subscribers — have each got a pair of new games in the late-November update, and they’re all from well-known franchises.

Joining the NES app are Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and Battletoads, while the Game Boy library gains Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters and Bionic Commando. The most significant of the four is probably Battletoads. Rare’s platforming beat ‘em up was a NES exclusive when it launched in 1991, before being ported to other platforms later on. It’s notorious for its extremely high difficulty, but with the NES emulator on the Switch allowing you to rewind any time you mess up, perhaps a few more people will see the game through now. Battletoads was also included in 2015’s Rare Replay collection, so it was admittedly already relatively easy to play, but there’s arguably a certain charm to playing NES classics on Nintendo hardware.

The Game Boy version of the side-scroller Bionic Commando is also worth a look. The handheld version was an adaptation of the NES original and features a different setting, while retaining the bionic arm mechanic that is essential for traversal, given the protagonist’s inability to jump. The grappling gun/hook is used to swing around levels and also doubles as a weapon.

The latest update also adds remappable buttons for the Nintendo Classics Game Boy and NES apps, and as spotted by Vooks, features an Easter egg that triggers the original Game Boy boot screen and sound when you wiggle the left analogue stick as you’re launching it. Nintendo previously added a similar feature to its Game Boy Advance and Switch 2-only GameCube app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/switch-online-adds-bionic-commando-battletoads-and-more-to-nes-and-gameboy-offerings-140507414.html?src=rss

Uber and WeRide’s Abu Dhabi robotaxi service is now fully driverless

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After announcing its robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi last year, Uber and WeRide are finally deploying fully autonomous vehicles in in the city, Uber announced. If you request an UberX or Uber Comfort vehicle in designated parts of the city, you'll now get an option for a driverless WeRide vehicle. 

Uber first launched its service with Chinese robotaxi operator WeRide back in 2024, but only with safety drivers aboard at first. Now, the fully driverless service will be offered in a 12 square mile tourist area called Yas Island, with expansion planned for other parts of the city down the road. 

Anyone in the Yas Island area can select the "Autonomous" option in the Uber app, though it doesn't guarantee a driverless vehicle. The cars in use, shown above, are WeRide's five-place GXR model (based on Geely's Farizon SuperVan) with more than 20 sensors and cameras. 

Uber has partnered with multiple robotaxi operators including Waymo in Atlanta, Baidu in Asia and the Middle East and Momenta in Europe. With those, Uber focuses on the consumer ride-matching part of the service while its partners supply the vehicles. For WeRide, though, Uber is handling fleet operations in collaboration with taxi company Tawasul Transport, including maintenance, charging and more. Uber and WeRide intend to launch in an additional 15 cities over the next several years. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-and-werides-abu-dhabi-robotaxi-service-is-now-fully-driverless-133013746.html?src=rss

Character.ai launches guided Stories format after banning teens from its chatbots

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Character.ai has introduced Stories, its first format that was specifically created to “enhance [teens’] experience,” on the same day the company removed their ability to engage with its chatbots. Stories works similarly to choose-your-own-adventure apps that offer interactive visual novels users can play. The company describes Stories as a “visual, narrative-first format.” Players can choose two to three characters, pick a genre and then write their own premise or auto-generate one. From there, users can steer the story with their decisions on every branching path. That means they can keep replaying the game for different outcomes based on the paths they choose.

While the Stories experience is a lot more customizable than the typical visual novel app, it still doesn’t offer the same open-ended, back-and-forth conversations Character.ai’s chatbots do. The narrative will be guided by the AI, though the company promises that players will be asked to make choices frequently.

AI companies are under scrutiny from authorities, who are pushing them to put safeguards in place to protect younger users. Character.ai announced in October that it was going to ban users under 18 from accessing its open-ended bots. The company has also introduced a new age-check tool to ensure users will only be able to access experiences appropriate for them. In addition, the company is facing a wrongful death lawsuit involving the suicide of a teenage girl in Florida. Her family alleged that the girl confided in one of the website’s chatbots about feeling suicidal, but it did not point her towards any resources or report it to authorities.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/characterai-launches-guided-stories-format-after-banning-teens-from-its-chatbots-133000131.html?src=rss

Sony’s A7 IV and A7R V cameras are on sale for all-time-low prices for Black Friday

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Ready to move up from your smartphone camera? Sony's A7 IV and A7R V cameras are top picks in Engadget's camera buying guide and now they're both now on sale at all-time lows for the holidays. Sony's A7 IV, which I said has "the best combination of image quality, performance and video powers" is on sale for $1,998, or 26 percent off the regular price. And the A7R V, which shoots beautiful 61MP images and offers fast and accurate autofocus, has hit at an all-time low of $3,298 or 21 percent ($898) off. Note that these are both "body only" models — you'll need to seek out lenses for these models, too. (Welcome to the world of real photography.)

With a superb score of 90 in my review, Sony's A7 IV is still one of the best hybrid cameras you can get thanks to the high resolution, fast shooting speeds and 4K 60p video. Autofocus is incredible for both video and stills, and it comes with in-body stabilization to help smooth your shots. And for photographers, image quality has never been better thanks to the high dynamic range and enhanced resolution compared to the previous model. Although it does see occasional discounts, I've never seen it drop below $2,000, so if you've been looking, now is a perfect time to buy.

Sony's A7R V garnered a similarly superb Engadget review. With a 61-megapixel sensor, it shoots sharp and beautiful images at a very respectable speed for such a high-resolution model (10 fps). It has equally fast and reliable autofocus, the sharpest viewfinder on the market and in-body stabilization that’s much improved over the A7R IV. Video has even improved, with 8K and 10-bit options now on tap. Again, there's never been a better time to buy one, as Sony told me this is the lowest price it has ever been sold at. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sonys-a7r-iv-and-a7r-v-cameras-are-on-sale-for-all-time-low-prices-for-black-friday-132107036.html?src=rss

Poco’s new flagship phone has a Bose subwoofer and a ‘denim’ option

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Back in 2018, Xiami launched Poco as a sub-brand that specializes in mid-range smartphones. Now, Poco has launched its first premium flagship phone series, the F8 Ultra and the F8 Pro, at an event in Bali. Both devices will use Sound by Bose technology, thanks to a partnership with the brand, and runs Xiaomi HyperOS 3. Kang Lou, Poco Global’s Senior Product Marketing Manager and Spokesperson, said the F8 Ultra sets “a new benchmark for true flagships.” Meanwhile, the F8 Pro will make “all-round flagship experiences accessible to more users.”

The 6.9-inch Poco F8 Ultra has a dual-chipset architecture, consisting of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Qualcomm’s latest flagship mobile platform, and the VisionBoost D8 chipset that enables “AI Super Resolution for crisper, more detailed images.” It uses Poco’s new HyperRGB display, which the company says uses a full RGB subpixel structure wherein red, green and blue subpixels are fully used. Another notable feature is its 6500mAh battery, which is the largest yet on a Poco F series phone. The Ultra version comes in a “Denim” variant, though it doesn’t actually use denim: Its back was merely designed to look like it’s covered in the fabric, but it actually uses a special Xiaomi nanotech material.

Meanwhile, the 6.59-inch Poco F8 Pro has a subtle micro-curved design, wherein its edges transition into its back panel. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform and comes with a 6210mAh battery that can last for 16 hours of continued use. Both models are now out in the UK. The Poco F8 Ultra will set you back at least £749, while the F8 Pro will cost you at least £549. In the US, the F8 Ultra with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage will cost you $729, while the one with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage will cost you $799. It will be $579 for the F8 Pro with the lower specs and $629 for the one with the higher specs. Poco is giving discounts that shave at least $50 off their price for early buyers, but it has yet to announce a release date for the US.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/pocos-new-flagship-phone-has-a-bose-subwoofer-and-a-denim-option-130811181.html?src=rss