Tag Archives: Technology & Electronics

Google now lets you have full conversations with Gemini for Home

Posted on by

Google announced today that it is upgrading the Gemini for Home service with a "continued conversations" feature. Continued conversation allows a user to have a natural discussion with the Gemini platform without prefacing every follow-up request with the "Hey Google" prompt. The microphone will remain active on a smart device for a few seconds after the Gemini AI assistant provides its reply. During that window, the lights on the hardware will pulse or glow, indicating that you can keep chatting normally with the chatbot without needing a wake word. Gemini should retain the context as the conversation progresses, which should allow it to provide the desired information faster without the need for a user to repeat key details.

The feature is rolling out today for all Gemini for Home voice assistant languages and in all supported regions. Continued conversations have to be manually enabled in the Google Home app through the settings menu under "Gemini for Home voice assistant." Google said that Gemini should be able to distinguish between follow-up questions addressed to the chatbot and other conversations happening in a room, but it should be interesting to track how successful that is given the past history of voice assistants unintentionally eavesdropping. 

Continued conversation was an option under the Google Assistant platform, but it had more limited availability. Google has been preparing Gemini for Home as a replacement for Google Assistant platform since the fall.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/google-now-lets-you-have-full-conversations-with-gemini-for-home-160000511.html?src=rss

Samsung brings SmartThings integration to IKEA’s Matter devices

Posted on by

Samsung is expanding the SmartThings connectivity platform to include many IKEA products. The company promises "seamless integration" with the furniture giant's Matter-over-Thread devices, which include stuff like smart lights, air quality sensors, remote controls and smart plugs.

This is great news for IKEA fans who want to bark orders at a smart assistant to turn the lights off and on, as Samsung says users will be able to "effortlessly incorporate" these gadgets into daily life. The SmartThings platform allows for advanced home automation routines.

A device within an app.
Samsung

Samsung says it "built enhanced integrations" for IKEA's devices and that the two companies "conducted multiple rounds of validation to enhance connectivity stability and implemented a dedicated user experience within the SmartThings app for full compatibility." This should translate into a plug-and-play experience with minimal frustration.

The caveat here is that Matter is already supposed to offer a plug-and-play experience, without the need for this kind of intensive platform-specific work to get things going. IKEA customers have had serious problems connecting the company's Matter devices to networks. Matter is supposed to offer a comprehensive smart home integration solution to manufacturers, but that doesn't look to be working out.

Samsung has steadily been improving the SmartThings platform. It recently integrated Siri voice commands.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/samsung-brings-smartthings-integration-to-ikeas-matter-devices-151819629.html?src=rss

Chipolo and Secrid team up for a new trackable wallet

Posted on by

Chipolo has built a name for itself as the independent tracking company which happily integrates its products with both Apple and Google’s item-finding networks. Today, it’s announcing a partnership with wallet maker Secrid that, if you haven’t guessed already, sees the pair launch a compatible miniwallet. The Chipolo x Secrid Miniwallet Trackable is tailor-made to suit Chipolo’s Card tracker and accentuate all of its positives.

For instance, the tracker sits on the back of the wallet, with the Find button accessible from the outside to make it easier to find your phone. If you misplace your device, you can simply press the button and follow the noise back to whichever couch cushions it slid between. Even better, the wallet is designed to amplify the Card’s speaker, ensuring you’ll never not hear it when it goes off. The pair claim that the unit will boost the sound by up to 3dB, for the far more likely these days event you misplace your wallet.

The pair are also buffing the hardware’s sustainability credentials, made in the EU from responsibly sourced materials. And the tracker itself is made from 50 percent recycled plastic and has a wirelessly rechargeable battery that’ll regain all of its mojo after just two hours sat on a Qi pad. If any, or all of that, appeals, then you can order it from today for $140, €120 or £120, depending on your local currency.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/chipolo-and-secrid-team-up-for-a-new-trackable-wallet-130035324.html?src=rss

The Morning After: The next CEO of Apple will be hardware exec John Ternus

Posted on by

Apple’s current SVP of hardware engineering John Ternus will take over as the new CEO when Tim Cook steps down this September. Cook said in a statement: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company.”

Following the death of co-founder Steve Jobs, Cook led the charge for Apple’s post-iPhone and iPad era, launching the AirPods, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. He also turned the company into a service provider with the launch of Apple TV, Apple Music and several other subscription services. Cook will transition to a new role as executive chairman of Apple’s Board of Directors.

Ternus joined Apple in 2001 and became VP of hardware engineering in 2013, later transitioning to a senior executive role in 2021. You might have spotted Ternus being prominently featured at the MacBook Neo launch a few months ago. Expect to see a lot more of him.

— Mat Smith

TMA
NASA

We’ve seen a few beautiful moments from the Artemis II crew’s history-making trip around the Moon. Now, Reid Wiseman, the mission’s commander, has something to share. While mission specialist Christina Koch was using a Nikon camera to snap stunning still images of the Earthset, Wiseman used an iPhone 17 Pro Max to film the moment. “I could barely see the Moon through the docking hatch window, but the iPhone was the perfect size to catch the view.”

This was the first time that human eyes had witnessed an Earthset in 54 years, since the Apollo 17 mission.

Continue reading.

This year's edition of the robot half-marathon hosted more than 100 competitors, with first place going to Honor and its red-clad robot named Lightning. Last year's event featured many bipedal robots receiving assistance from human operators who ran alongside them, along with some comical mishaps. According to the BBC, around 40 percent of the robots competed autonomously this year, while the rest were remote-controlled.

Continue reading.

TMA
Engadget

The PencilVac is light, mobile and easy to use, making it great for smaller living spaces and quick clean-ups. However, it struggles with thicker carpet and rugs. It could be perfect for a future-forward witch costume next Halloween, though.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111546149.html?src=rss

The Morning After: The next CEO of Apple will be hardware exec John Ternus

Posted on by

Apple’s current SVP of hardware engineering John Ternus will take over as the new CEO when Tim Cook steps down this September. Cook said in a statement: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company.”

Following the death of co-founder Steve Jobs, Cook led the charge for Apple’s post-iPhone and iPad era, launching the AirPods, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. He also turned the company into a service provider with the launch of Apple TV, Apple Music and several other subscription services. Cook will transition to a new role as executive chairman of Apple’s Board of Directors.

Ternus joined Apple in 2001 and became VP of hardware engineering in 2013, later transitioning to a senior executive role in 2021. You might have spotted Ternus being prominently featured at the MacBook Neo launch a few months ago. Expect to see a lot more of him.

— Mat Smith

TMA
NASA

We’ve seen a few beautiful moments from the Artemis II crew’s history-making trip around the Moon. Now, Reid Wiseman, the mission’s commander, has something to share. While mission specialist Christina Koch was using a Nikon camera to snap stunning still images of the Earthset, Wiseman used an iPhone 17 Pro Max to film the moment. “I could barely see the Moon through the docking hatch window, but the iPhone was the perfect size to catch the view.”

This was the first time that human eyes had witnessed an Earthset in 54 years, since the Apollo 17 mission.

Continue reading.

This year's edition of the robot half-marathon hosted more than 100 competitors, with first place going to Honor and its red-clad robot named Lightning. Last year's event featured many bipedal robots receiving assistance from human operators who ran alongside them, along with some comical mishaps. According to the BBC, around 40 percent of the robots competed autonomously this year, while the rest were remote-controlled.

Continue reading.

TMA
Engadget

The PencilVac is light, mobile and easy to use, making it great for smaller living spaces and quick clean-ups. However, it struggles with thicker carpet and rugs. It could be perfect for a future-forward witch costume next Halloween, though.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111546149.html?src=rss

Sennheiser launches HD 480 Pro, the closed-back headphones fans have been waiting for

Posted on by

Sennheiser has introduced a new high-end headphone set for audio professionals. The HD 480 Pro is essentially a closed-back reimagining of the company's popular HD 490 Pro headset. Both headphones are designed for audio professionals, aiming to fit both a studio or a live performance setting. The company is positioning this product as a versatile option that can handle recording, monitoring, producing or mixing.

The HD 480 Pro aims to address two complaints for closed-back headsets: comfort for long wearing sessions and accurate bass reproduction. Sennheiser uses what it dubs a "Vibration Attenuation System" to prevent distortions or reflections in the audio signal. The cable can be detached and used on the left or right side in order to accommodate different setups. 

To address comfort, the HD 480 Pro uses some of the same proprietary fit features as the HD 490 Pro, including cushioned pads at the temples for people also wearing glasses and a design that maintains equal contact pressure for any head shape. 

The headphones will retail for $479 and the set comes with recording earpads, a 9-foot coiled cable and a carrying bag. A travel case is available for $15.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sennheiser-launches-hd-480-pro-the-closed-back-headphones-fans-have-been-waiting-for-080000727.html?src=rss

Instagram says a bug turned your photos black and white

Posted on by

If Instagram has been turning your color photo posts into black and white recently, don’t worry, there’s no problem with your camera or your account. The Meta-owned app has confirmed to Engadget that the issue is caused by a bug that’s affecting HDR photos in particular. "Earlier today, a technical issue caused some HDR photos to appear incorrectly as black-and-white for a subset of accounts,” Instagram has told us. However, we see complaints dated April 18 and 19, so the issue has been going on a bit longer for some people.

Regardless of when the bug started causing problems, the Instagram team said it has since corrected the issue. If your posts are still showing up in black and white, Instagram said the fix will automatically turn your affected photo posts back to their original state over the next few hours. “We apologize for any inconvenience,” they added.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/instagram-says-a-bug-turned-your-photos-black-and-white-061802389.html?src=rss

Google brings Gemini in Chrome to users in Asia and the Pacific

Posted on by

After debuting in the US, Gemini in Chrome is making its way to more markets. Starting today, Google is rolling out Chrome's built-in chatbot to users in Asia and the Pacific, including Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam. The expansion comes after Google earlier this year made Gemini in Chrome available to people in Canada, India and New Zealand. 

With the exception of Japan, where Google isn't making the new suite available on iOS just yet, everyone else in the countries mentioned above can access Gemini in Chrome through Chrome's desktop browser, and the app on their iPhone or iPad. To get started, just tap the "Ask Gemini" icon at the top right of the screen. It will open a new sidebar Google introduced at the start of the year where you can chat with Gemini across every open tab. From there, you can also access Google's in-house image generator, Nano Banana 2. As you would expect, the suite offers integrations with Google's other apps, allowing you, for instance, to add events to Calendar without leaving the interface. 

If you don't want to use Gemini, you can right click on the shortcut to unpin it from the top of the interface.    

Update 7:43PM ET: This article has been updated to reflect the expansion includes the entire Asia-Pacific region.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-brings-gemini-in-chrome-to-users-in-asia-and-the-pacific-220000698.html?src=rss

Mastodon was hit by a ‘major’ DDoS attack that briefly took down parts of the service

Posted on by

Mastodon seems to be recovering after a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that took down its primary mastodon.social instance. As TechCrunch notes, the platform began reporting issues early Monday morning as much of the Mastodon-operated server became inaccessible. 

It's not clear who might be behind the attack, but Mastodon's head of communications Andy Piper described it as a "major" incident. A couple hours later, Mastodon shared on a status page that it had implemented countermeasures and that users should be able to access mastodon.social once again. Piper said that "some ongoing instability is a possibility" as the site recovered. It's unclear if any other instances of the service were also targeted; mastodon.social is run directly by the nonprofit and is the largest server on the federated platform. 

Mastodon is the second decentralized platform to be targeted with a DDoS in recent days. Last week, Bluesky also dealt with a significant DDoS incident that took parts of the service offline for several hours. The company posted what it said was its final update Monday morning, saying that its service had "remained stable" and that there was "no evidence of unauthorized access to private user data." A few hours later, however, it seemed Bluesky was once again experiencing some issues, though the cause was unclear. Its official status page was down, and a post from its server status account indicated that there were "elevated errors and timeouts on some Bluesky-hosted services." Bluesky said it was investigating.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/mastodon-was-hit-by-a-major-ddos-attack-that-briefly-took-down-parts-of-the-service-204823221.html?src=rss

Sony will require age checks in the UK and Ireland to access PlayStation communication features

Posted on by

Sony is adopting new age verification policies for PlayStation users in the UK and Ireland. The company isn't making this a blanket requirement, but steps to confirm age will be needed to access "communication, broadcasting, and certain in-game features" beginning in June 2026. That includes essentials for online and social gamers, such as joining a party, voice chatting, text messaging or using third-party chat programs such as Discord. Some in-game communication tools, like chats or sharing user-generated content, will also only be available after an age check is completed. Although the new requirements will not be enforced until summer, users are already being prompted to get the verification process squared away.

Several states and countries began adopting this type of legislation in 2025, pushing restrictions as a way to protect children and teens from inappropriate content. It seems the trend will be continuing into this year, despite the concerns about privacy risks and new questions about whether these restrictive laws are even effective at their stated goals, but companies have still been moving to comply. Discord was one of the more notable gaming-centric services to begin age verification policies last year, although the company did walk back some of its initial plans at the start of 2026 in order to better protect users' personal data and their anonymity. Roblox also began requiring age checks and those results were not great.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-will-require-age-checks-in-the-uk-and-ireland-to-access-playstation-communication-features-194916442.html?src=rss