General Motors announced that it will cut more than 1,700 manufacturing jobs in reaction to changes in the electric vehicle market. "In response to slower near-term EV adoption and an evolving regulatory environment, General Motors is realigning EV capacity," the company said in a statement reported by CNBC. "Despite these changes, GM remains committed to our US manufacturing footprint, and we believe our investments and dedication to flexible operations will make GM more resilient and capable of leading through change."
The layoffs are primarily happening at a Michigan plant that builds GM's EVs and at an Ultium Cells battery cell plant in Ohio. The company is also "temporarily" laying off 700 at an Ultium Cells plant in Tennessee.
The regulatory issues in question are likely the $7,500 federal tax rebate that had previously been granted to EV purchases, which expired earlier this year under the "Big Beautiful Bill" that made things a lot less pretty for many environmentally-focused programs and industries. But GM had also said earlier this month that it would sunset much of its hydrogen fuel cell R&D in order to place more focus on batteries, charging tech and EVs, so announcing layoffs in those very areas is a rough move.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-will-cut-more-than-1700-jobs-in-ev-and-battery-manufacturing-200814378.html?src=rss
A decade ago, when smart speakers with built-in voice assistants were the hot new thing, many imagined they'd quickly evolve into highly intelligent companions. (Think C-3PO or Star Trek's Data living inside a speaker.) That road has been much longer than expected, as virtual helpers like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant seemed to sit in neutral for years.
But now that generative AI is here (for better or worse), smart speakers are finally scratching the surface of those expectations. Google's new version, Gemini for Home, is now available to try. Here's how.
First, keep in mind that the Gemini for Home voice assistant is in early access. This means Google is gathering feedback about its features, and — as with all generative AI — it's wise to assume it will make mistakes. If or when it does, you can send feedback to Google in the Google Home app or by saying, "Hey Google, send feedback."
Devices compatible with Gemini for Home voice assistant
Other models support everything but Gemini Live. That list includes the Google Nest Wifi point, Google Nest Hub (1st gen), Google Home Max, Google Home Mini (1st gen) and Google Home.
Another point is that once you dive in, your Google Assistant days will be over (on your speakers, anyway). That's because Google says that, once you upgrade to Gemini for Home, your compatible devices can't downgrade to Assistant. That shouldn't be a problem, but it's worth keeping in mind before you take the plunge.
How to sign up for early Gemini access
Once you've confirmed that your speaker(s) are at least partially compatible, head to the Google Home app on a mobile device. There, tap your profile picture (or initials) on the top right. Then tap Home Settings > Early Access. Congratulations: You've put in your request.
The bad news is you may have to wait a bit to confirm your entry into the beta program. Once you're in, you'll see a notification from the Google Home app that reads, "Introducing Gemini for Home." Select that, and follow the prompts. (If you accidentally dismiss the notification, you'll see the setup banner under Home settings in the Google Home app.)
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
At that point, all compatible speakers in your home will be upgraded to Google's more intelligent AI assistant. You can now throw more advanced questions at it, similar to what you'd ask text-based chatbots like ChatGPT. Except this one sits on a shelf, ready to field your verbal requests at any moment.
Keep in mind that Gemini Live requires a Google Home Premium subscription. The standard version costs $10 per month or $100 per year. Meanwhile, the advanced tier doubles that: $20 per month or $200 per year. At least for now, the only difference between the two (for these purposes) is that the pricier plan supports a camera history search feature. Both premium tiers unlock access to Gemini Live. So, if that's all you need, you can save money and get standard.
Google offers plenty of examples to get started. You can get quick answers to facts, like "Hey Google, who are the top five scoring players in basketball history?" (FYI: James, Abdul-Jabbar, Malone, Bryant and Jordan.) You can also ask Gemini Live to have a chat about ingredients for people with dietary needs. Or, ask it to explain complex topics (like how Wi-Fi works) in simple terms. It may not be at C-3PO level yet, but it's certainly moving in that direction.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/early-access-for-gemini-home-voice-assistant-is-now-available-heres-how-to-get-it-191250927.html?src=rss
Sony just announced the PS Plus Monthly games for November and there are some standouts. All of these titles will be available to download on November 4 until December 1.
First up, there's the cat sim Stray. We praised the third-person cyberpunk adventure in our initial review, in which we lauded the game's unique mechanics and puzzles. After all, you play as a cat in a dystopian and futuristic city. That's a one-of-a-kind premise, which is one reason it became such a big hit. It'll be available for both PS4 and PS5. It's also worth noting that this was a day-one release for PS Plus Extra and Premium back in 2022.
EA Sports WRC 24 is a popular racing sim developed by Codemasters, who made the Dirt series, the Grid franchise and plenty of official F1 games. This new one lets players participate in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC.) Racers get access to a bunch of WRC, WRC2 and Junior WRC cars from the 2024 season, complete with current drivers and teams. This one is only for PS5.
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator is certainly a battle similar, but not an accurate one. The game lets you design all kinds of bizarre battle scenarios with "the wobbliest physics system ever created." This is the best game ever made that lets you battle a wooly mammoth with balloon arrows, thus forcing that beast into the sky. It'll be available for both PS4 and PS5.
As always, a crop of new games means that some pre-existing titles are heading to that farm upstate. You have until November 3 to download Alan Wake 2, Goat Simulator 3 and Cocoon to their game library. Dang. Last month was stacked.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/stray-leads-novembers-lineup-of-ps-plus-games-180339318.html?src=rss
Character.AI will no longer permit teenagers to interact with its chatbots, as AI companies face increasing pressure to better safeguard younger users from harm. In a statement, the company confirmed that it is removing the ability for users under 18 to engage in any open-ended chats with AI on its platform, which refers to back-and-forth conversations between a user and a chatbot.
The changes come into effect on November 25, and until that date, Character.AI will presents users with a new under-18 experience. It'll encourage its users to use chatbots for creative purposes that might include, for example, creating videos or streams, as opposed to seeking companionship. To manage the transition, under-18s can now only interact with bots for up to two hours per day, a time limit the company says it will reduce in the lead-up to the late November deadline.
Character.AI is also introducing a new age assurance tool it has developed internally, which it says will "ensure users receive the right experience for their age." Along with these new protections for younger users, the company has founded an "AI Safety Lab" that it hopes will allow other companies, researchers and academics to share insights and work collaboratively on improving AI safety measures.
Character.AI said it has listened to concerns from regulators, industry experts and concerned parents and responded with the new measures. They come after The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently launched a formal inquiry into AI companies that offer users access to chatbots as companions, with Character.AI named as one of seven companies that had been asked to participate. Meta, OpenAI and Snap were also included.
Both Meta AI and Character AI also faced scrutiny from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the summer, who said chatbots on both platforms can "present themselves as professional therapeutic tools" without the requisite qualifications. Seemingly to put an end to such controversy, Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand told TechCrunchthat the company’s new strategic direction will see it pivot from AI companion to a "role-playing platform" focused on creation rather than mere engagement-farming conversation.
The dangers of young people relying on AI chatbots for guidance has been the subject of extensive reporting in recent months. Last week, the family of Adam Raine, who claim that ChatGPT enabled their 16-year-old son to take his own life, filed an amended lawsuit against OpenAI for allegedly weakening its self-harm safeguards in the lead-up to his death.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/characterai-to-ban-teens-from-talking-to-its-chatbots-180027641.html?src=rss
California-based AI and robotics company 1X is now accepting pre-orders for its humanoid robot NEO, which was designed to automate everyday chores and to offer personalized assistance. Users will be able to control NEO and have it accomplish tasks around the house with the click of a button or a verbal command. It will come with the ability to do basic tasks autonomously when it starts shipping next year, including opening doors, fetching items and turning the lights on or off. However, if early adopters want NEO to be capable of more specific or complex tasks, they'd have to be comfortable with the idea of a human teleoperator controlling the robot remotely and seeing inside their homes.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern, 1X CEO Bernt Børnich explained that the AI neural network running the machine still needs to learn from more real-world experiences. Børnich said that anybody who buys NEO for delivery next year will have to agree that a human operator will be seeing inside their houses through the robot's camera. It's necessary to be able to teach the machines and gather training data so it can eventually perform tasks autonomously. "If we don't have your data, we can't make the product better," he said.
Børnich admitted that much of the work will be done by teleoperators in the beginning. Owners will have access to an app where they can schedule when the teleoperator can take over NEO and where they can specify the task they want the machine to do. He said 1X is putting control in the hands of the owner to respect people's privacy as much as possible. The company can blur people so that the remote operator doesn't see them, and owners can designate no-go zones in their homes that the operator cannot go to. Teleoperators also cannot take control of NEO without the owner's approval. Of course, there's always potential security breaches to think of — Børnich at least assured that NEO has several layers of security to prevent it from hurting people.
If you want to see more of the robot in action, the WSJ video is definitely worth a watch.
1X NEO is available in tan, gray and dark brown. It's now available for pre-order from the company's website with a deposit of $200. Those who want early access to it can get it for $20,000, but it will also be available as a subscription service of $499 a month.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/1x-neo-is-a-20000-home-robot-that-will-learn-chores-via-teleoperation-040252200.html?src=rss
YouTube is rolling out some updates aimed at making visuals look better on its TV apps, including automatic AI video upscaling. To begin with, YouTube plans to upscale videos that were uploaded in under 1080p to an HD resolution. It aims to support 4K upscaling in the future.
The platform will still retain the original files and video resolution options. Creators can opt-out of the AI upscaling feature, which it's calling Super Resolution, as well as automated audio adjustments. The platform says it's also working with select creators to test larger video uploads to allow for higher-quality footage.
Creators will soon be able to upload thumbnails in higher quality too. YouTube will increase the thumbnail file limit from 2MB to 50MB.
As for viewers, it seems like YouTube saw those annoying automatic previews Netflix has had for the last decade and decided to copy that playbook. "Viewers will be able to see and flip through their favorite YouTube channels with immersive previews on the homepage, enhancing content discovery and engagement," Kurt Wilms, the senior director of product management for YouTube on TV, wrote in a blog post.
Elsewhere, YouTube has added a contextual search function to its TV apps. When you search for something from a creator's channel page, videos from said channel will appear first in the results. That's a smart, logical idea.
With people watching YouTube on TV more than on mobile these days, it only makes sense for the platform to invest in improving the experience there.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-adds-automatic-ai-upscaling-for-low-res-videos-170342511.html?src=rss
It looks like a hundred thousand people fell for a fake NVIDIA livestream featuring an AI-generated version of CEO Jensen Huang, as reported by PC Gamer. Perhaps the scariest part is that the fake stream ran at the same time as an actual NVIDIA event and dwarfed the live viewership numbers.
The actual keynote speech of NVIDIA's GPU Technology Conference (GTC) garnered around 20,000 live views, while the fake stream maxed out at 100,000 live views. Even weirder? The fake Huang was talking about some crazy stuff mostly involving bogus crypto investments.
The deepfake spoke of "a crypto mass adoption event that ties directly into NVIDIA's mission to accelerate human progress." The avatar urged viewers to scan a QR code to, uh, send in cryptocurrencies. It's unclear if any of the 100,000 viewers fell for this obvious scam that asked people to send the world's richest company money to "accelerate human progress."
The fake video has since been deleted. I haven't been able to check it out to see just how real it looked and, thereby, how it was able to lure in 100,000 viewers. Before we all start screaming into the night about how reality doesn't matter anymore, there are a few things worth considering.
First of all, we don't know anything about the 100,000 accounts that were watching the fake stream. We don't know where they're from or even if the accounts were tied to real people. It's also worth noting that the real stream has since garnered 200,000 views, despite just having 20,000 live viewers. We don't know what kind of promotional tools the fakers used to draw in people or how long people stayed once they clicked.
Finally, there's Huang himself. The man has hosted four GTC conferences just this year, and dozens upon dozens in previous years. There is an absolute abundance of footage of him standing on a stage and talking about stuff. That's a whole lot of video for bad actors to use as AI training data.
Also, the real stream wasn't exactly a barn burner. The most notable news we got was the announcement of a partnership with Uber to promote autonomous driving. This wasn't an event to hype up new graphics cards or anything like that. The company revealed some government contracts, if that's your bag.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/more-people-watched-a-fake-nvidia-livestream-than-the-real-thing-170035672.html?src=rss
Magic Leap is once again trying to make a name for itself in augmented reality. The company revealed an Android XR smart glasses prototype and it extended an existing partnership with Google. It said it built the glasses "as a reference design for the Android XR ecosystem."
They look similar to other modern smart glasses, with thick frames to house all of the electronics and what appears to be a camera lens on the left side. Magic Leap hasn't revealed too much more about the glasses, other than to say that, "by combining Magic Leap’s waveguides and optics with Google’s Raxium microLED light engine, the two companies are developing display technologies that make all-day, wearable AR more achievable."
The glasses, of course, use Google's Android XR operating system. Samsung's Galaxy XR headset, the first device that runs on the operating system, arrived last week.
Although it has been through the wringer over the last several years, Magic Leap is still kicking around. In 2022, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund became the majority owner of Magic Leap and it has since pumped over $1 billion into the company.
Magic Leap failed to make headway in the consumer market with its AR headset after reportedly selling just 6,000 units in six months. Magic Leap pivoted to focus on the enterprise market with the Magic Leap 2, which it released in 2022.
In July 2024, it was said to have laid off 75 employees — primarily from the sales and marketing teams — as part of another change in direction to license its tech. A couple of months before that, Magic Leap announced a deal with Google to "advance the potential of [extended reality] technologies," and that partnership is starting to bear fruit. It was reported late last year that Google brought in 100 Magic Leap staffers to work on Android XR projects.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/magic-leap-reveals-an-android-xr-smart-glasses-prototype-165200068.html?src=rss
The Nothing Phone universe continues to expand. On Wednesday, the company launched the fourth model in the Phone 3 lineup: the Nothing Phone 3a Lite. The cheapest model in the series, the Phone 3a Lite pairs the brand's distinct styling with solid all-around specs for an entry-level handset. However, with the company saying its non-flagship devices will soon include pre-installed apps and lock-screen ads, there may be a trade-off.
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite uses a Panda Glass casing over an aluminum internal frame. As you can see, it retains some familiar design strokes, albeit pared down to match its €249 price. As the company describes it, the handset's "asymmetric, transparent look and nano-coating creates a beautiful balance of matte and gloss." (Poetry!) The phone ships in white and black variants. Whether Nothing's design language is your cup of tea or not, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more striking and bold design language in a budget model.
The handset includes the Essential Key, a multi-purpose physical button found on all Phone 3 series models. The phone is IP54-rated for dust and water resistance.
Nothing
Nothing honors the brand's unique Glyph system (while keeping costs down) by using a notification LED. (Remember those on early Android phones?) This model's "Glyph Light" supports the lineup's Flip to Glyph feature, which switches to light-only alerts when the device is face down. The LED can stay on for "key contact and app notifications" and serve as a camera countdown timer. You can also customize its light sequences for calls and specific contacts.
The handset has a hearty 5,000 mAh battery. Nothing advertises 22 hours of YouTube playback or 9.5 hours of gaming. It supports 33W fast charging, reaching 50 percent in about 20 minutes.
The Phone 3a Lite has a triple-camera system. That includes a 50MP primary camera with a 1/1.57-inch Samsung sensor. Joining it are an 8MP ultra-wide and a macro lens. The rear camera system shoots 4K video at app to 30 FPS. On its front is a 16MP lens.
Nothing
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite has more than respectable display specs for a budget phone. It uses a 6.77-inch flexible AMOLED panel with 1,080 x 2,392 resolution (387 PPI). It has a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a 1,000Hz touch sampling rate. It can reach 3,000 nits peak HDR brightness and 1,300 nits outdoor brightness.
The handset's processor is the 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G. The 8-core CPU can reach up to 2.5 GHz. Nothing says the chip performs better than the MediaTek 7200 silicon in last year's Phone 2a. The company claims its CPU is 15 percent faster, its GPU supports 20 percent higher FPS, and its NPU delivers 100 percent better AI performance.
The phone also uses a liquid-cooling system, which may help during intensive gaming sessions. It ships with 8GB of RAM and comes in 128GB and 256GB storage tiers.
Nothing
The phone runs the Nothing OS 3.5 UI on top of Android 15. The company says Nothing OS 4.0 will arrive in the first half of 2026.
And that brings us back to those trade-offs. Earlier this week, Nothing confirmed to 9to5Google that its strategy moving forward will include "Lock Glimpse." This rotating lock-screen wallpaper feature includes text with links to external content hosted by a Chinese advertising company. (That firm, Boyuan, says it offers a "rich mixture of content" to help its partners "commercialize the mobile traffic.") Think of it as a slightly less obnoxious version of lock-screen ads.
Fortunately, Lock Glimpse is off by default in the current Nothing OS 4.0 beta. Nothing pledges it will give users "full control over features like Lock Glimpse." However, that promise doesn't explicitly say the feature will remain off by default.
Another cost-subsidizing move is Nothing's (also confirmed) embrace of pre-installed apps. The company said its "carefully considered" third-party apps are those "most people install on day one, like Instagram." In fairness, that's a common practice among Android phone manufacturers. And Nothing says it will make third-party apps removable.
But again, the concessions here arguably run counter to one aspect of the brand's stated ethos: clean, bloat-free software. And if business considerations forced compromises in this area, it makes you question how long Lock Glimpse will stay off by default.
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite is available now in Europe on the company website. The 128GB model costs €249 (EU) / £249 (UK). Meanwhile, the 256GB model will set you back €279 (EU) / £279 (UK).
Update, October 29, 2025, 11:20 AM ET: This story has been updated to add information from Nothing about the lack of US availability and additional detail from Nothing's community post.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-nothing-phone-3a-lite-has-a-big-battery-and-triple-camera-system-130016149.html?src=rss
Nintendo is teaming up with Laced Records on a couple of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild vinyl soundtrack releases, which is pretty darned cool. There's even a massive 8-LP box set that ships with some franchise-friendly bells and whistles.
Let's start with that box set. It's available in limited-edition colored vinyl or standard black vinyl. At eight vinyl records, it probably includes just about every piano twinkle and wind rustle found throughout the game. All told, there are 130 newly remastered tracks.
The records here are split into themes, mirroring a player's progression through Hyrule. These themes "revolve around exploring the Kingdom of Hyrule, freeing the Divine Beasts from Calamity Ganon's hold and discovering the mysteries of the Shrines."
It ships with a nifty-looking collector's case and comes with 16 art prints depicting various scenes from the game. The 8-LP collection costs $195, which is high but not the worst deal in the world. That breaks down to around $24 per record.
Nintendo/Laced Records
The double-LP collection is a more standard affair, with 34 tracks pulled from throughout the game. These include musical cues from visiting the Great Fairy Fountain, Hyrule Castle and other locations. This one costs $50 and is also available in both black and colored vinyl.
Both collections are available to pre-order right now via Laced Records and My Nintendo Store. They won't be shipped until June 19, 2026.
This is one of the first major Nintendo game soundtracks available in a physical format outside of Japan. Breath of the Wild is an interesting choice here for an initial vinyl release, given that the game's soundtrack is known for mood-setting vibes but not really known for bops.
Composers Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, Hajime Wakai and Soshi Abe filled the game with gentle piano riffs, nature sounds and rhythmic pieces to accompany battles. However, it does have a few absolute bangers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-is-releasing-a-massive-breath-of-the-wild-vinyl-soundtrack-collection-on-eight-lps-151531479.html?src=rss