Back in 2019, Form made — and you’re going to have to forgive me for the most inevitable pun in history — a big splash with its first smart swimming goggles. The company has released several upgrades since, and it just announced the latest version of its HeadCoach software, which is designed to deliver personalized swim coaching using AI.
Available through Form Premium, HeadCoach 2.0 effectively functions like a virtual coach, analyzing each swim and providing immediate feedback in the Form app. It’ll highlight both your strengths and areas of improvement, reminding you what to focus on via the goggles’ augmented reality display.
HeadCoach 2.0 analyzes metrics like distance per stroke (DPS), stroke rate, pace and heart rate, as well as your personal Form Score and existing app data. Insights can be tailored to an objective you set, such as improving your technique or preparing for a race, with HeadCoach zoning in on what you should be trying to achieve in your next session to achieve your goals.
HeadCoach 2.0’s insights are based on data from millions of swims, with input from professional coaches and Olympic swimmers. The idea appears to be data-led virtual guidance informed by humans, so you can trust the feedback you get in the app.
HeadCoach 2.0 is available now to all Form Premium subscribers, which costs $10 per month after a free one-month trial.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/form-brings-better-ai-enabled-swim-coaching-to-its-smart-goggles-140655591.html?src=rss
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra ushers in a new era of smartphone technology, driven by the new Exynos 2600 processor. This device represents a significant leap forward in performance, efficiency, and thermal management. By integrating the Exynos 2600, Samsung aims to solidify its position as a leader in mobile processor innovation, directly challenging industry giants […]
While Black Friday can be a great opportunity to score deals on your Christmas shopping, sometimes it's just a way to get the things you need at better prices. Take the iRobot Roomba Max 705 Combo Robot Vacuum & Mop, which is down to $869 from $1,300 at Wellbots. This practical purchase is available for a Black Friday discount by using the code ENGABF430 at checkout.
We're big fans of iRobot, with the company making two of our favorite robot vacuums for 2025. Its Roomba Max 705 Combo offers both a vacuum and a mop to, hopefully, get out any messes this holiday season. The device also comes with an AutoWash Dock, which empties the robovac, washes the mop, dries it with heat and then charges its battery.
The robot vacuum has dual rubber brushes for cleaning up any debris, while the PowerSpin roller mop gets rid of extra grime and streaks. The company uses PrecisionVision AI and ClearView Pro LiDAR to make a 3D map of all rooms and to avoid obstacles like dogs and their toys.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-430-off-this-roomba-robot-vacuum-and-mop-with-an-autowash-dock-140023379.html?src=rss
Have you ever looked at an old MacBook gathering dust on a shelf and wondered if it could still serve a purpose? While it might seem like yesterday’s tech, that aging device is far from obsolete. In fact, it could be the backbone of your digital life. With just a bit of ingenuity, you can […]
The M5 iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra represent the pinnacle of flagship tablets, each catering to distinct user preferences. While the iPad Pro emphasizes unparalleled performance and seamless integration within Apple’s ecosystem, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra focuses on versatility, affordability, and practical features. This detailed video below from Mark Ellis will […]
Ahead of its 21st anniversary, World of Warcraft is dealing with some controversy around its latest update. Developer Blizzard has confirmed that WoW is introducing a new "Hearthsteel" housing-related virtual currency with its upcoming Midnight expansion, and users are worried that it could become a microtransaction trap on a game that already costs $15 a month to play.
In its post, Blizzard said the aim of the new currency is to allow players to purchase "multiple items at once" while offering "financial protections" for the parties involved. "You may want a full set of chairs to place around a dining table, multiple place settings for your invited guest [or]... many candles," the company wrote. "Using an in-game currency can help make the process of obtaining many of these types of inexpensive items more efficient."
Blizzard clarified that players will be able to buy Hearthsteel with their Battle.net balance and in-game gold via WoW tokens. It will also keep the catalog of Hearthsteel items small relative to what you can earn through gameplay. "Housing items tied to core fantasies of a player's race or class, or that already exist in Azeroth, won't be sold in the shop," the blog post states. "Thematically important decor that players know and love will also not appear in the shop."
The Hearthsteel currency was first uncovered by dataminers, and now that Blizzard has confirmed it, players are concerned. "It's not even about the currency," said one WoW Reddit user. "It's about a large, dedicated portion of the player base crying out for years that we don't want the game to head this direction and here it is."
It's hard to look at the new currency and not think of Microsoft's recent edict to its Xbox division. Last month, the software giant reportedly implemented an "across-the-board goal" of 30 percent profit margins for its gaming division, which it internally called "accountability margins." That's a huge amount above Xbox’s own average in the last six years of between 10 and 20 percent.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/blizzard-confirms-its-adding-a-virtual-currency-for-world-of-warcraft-133007304.html?src=rss
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, accusing it of ignoring state and federal safety laws. In his announcement on X, Paxton said the children have been “repeatedly exposed to sexually explicit content, exploitation and grooming” on the online game platform, because it chose to prioritize “pixel pedophiles and corporate profit” over the safety of children. “Thank you,” Schlep posted in the comments of his announcement. Schlep was a popular Roblox user who was known for staging sting operations à la To Catch a Predator on the platform, which had led to multiple arrests. He was controversially banned from Roblox in August, because he violated the company’s new rule that prohibits “vigilante behavior.”
“We share Attorney General Paxton's commitment to keeping kids and teens safe online," the company said in a statement. "We are disappointed that, rather than working collaboratively with Roblox on this industry-wide challenge and seeking real solutions, the AG has chosen to file a lawsuit based on misrepresentations and sensationalized claims.”
BREAKING: I'm suing Roblox for putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children.
We cannot allow platforms like Roblox to continue operating as digital playgrounds for predators where the well-being of our kids is sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed. pic.twitter.com/Jj2kHEJM75
Roblox has implemented several measures meant to protect children over the past few years. It blocked any user under 13 from being able to play, search or discover any unrated experiences on the platform, and it restricted DMs for that segment of users, as well. It also added an age estimation feature that requires a video selfie for a user to be able to prove that they’re 13 or older. The company intends to roll it out to everyone by the end of this year.
Texas isn’t the only state suing Roblox and accusing it of failing to protect children from predators, though: Kentucky and Louisiana had previously filed their own lawsuits against the company. Louisiana argued that the platform contains user-created experiences with troubling themes, such as “Escape to Epstein Island” and “Diddy Party,” despite the majority of its users being under 16. It also pointed out that it was possible to initiate voice chats within Roblox’s experiences, even between users who weren’t friends, until November 2024. In one instance, a man who was arrested for possession of child sexual abuse materials was discovered to have used voice altering software to pretend to be a young girl in order to exploit children on the platform.
“Roblox must do more to protect kids from sick and twisted freaks hiding behind a screen,” Paxton wrote. “Any corporation that enables child abuse will face the full and unrelenting force of the law.” To note, the Texas AG also previously sued TikTok, alleging that it has insufficient parental controls, as well as Meta and Character.AI for potentially misusing data collected from underage users.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/texas-ag-ken-paxton-sues-roblox-over-alleged-child-safety-lapses-131500288.html?src=rss
What if coding wasn’t just about functionality but also about creating an experience, an app that feels as intuitive as it is powerful? With its latest overhaul of AI Studio, Google is betting big on a concept it calls “vibe coding”—a bold reimagining of how developers approach app creation. This isn’t just about writing code; […]
Over the past couple years, I’ve tested around 60 different power banks for Engadget. In that time, battery manufacturers have given their products features with varying degrees of usefulness, ranging from smart (straps and built-in cables) to handy (displays and wireless charging pads) to really not necessary (Bluetooth connectivity, specialized recharging bases).
Anker’s Laptop Power Bank (25K, 165W) manages to combine all the cleverest new features into one sleek-looking charging brick — and it costs less than some other banks in its class. There’s a built-in display that not only lets you know how much charge the bank has left, it also tells you how many watts are flowing through each port to your devices. Pressing the button on the side cycles through the battery’s current temperature and the overall health of the bank, including how many charge cycles it’s gone through. All of those bits of info should help prolong and gauge the bank’s longevity.
Big capacity in a tidy package
The 25,000 mAh capacity puts it well within the TSA’s 100Wh capacity limit and I have taken this battery on two flights in my carry-on with no issue. The capacity is enough to fill my tester smartphones (an iPhone 15 and a Galaxy S23 Ultra) around four times each. Separately, it pushed my aging 16-inch MacBook Pro from 10 percent to 78 percent. That translates to around nine additional hours of use for my typical workload (Wi-Fi, VPN, too many Chrome tabs and other basic productivity apps).
My only gripe with the design is that the very shiny screen has become slightly dull with use. It doesn’t look bad, just not as mint-fresh as when it was unboxed. That’s to be expected, and I’ll take the luxe finish over some ruggedized enclosure any day.
Two built-in cables and a big capacity let you charge two devices at once.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Sure, forget your cables at home
Possibly the power bank’s most useful features are the two built-in USB-C cables, and one even loops around to create a handy carry strap. It feels robust and well-anchored enough that I don’t fear lugging it around like that. The other cable retracts into the unit and extends up to two feet when needed. The end stays neatly tucked into a well in the body and stays magnetically in place. The cords not only look tidy, their inclusion means you’ll never find yourself in the ironic position of having a dead device and a full battery pack, but no way to connect the two.
Both cables serve in-out functions so you can easily plug them into any USB-C power adapter for a refill. There are also two additional USB (one Type-A and one Type-C) ports, so if you’ve got a specialized cable, such as Lightning, smartwatch or microUSB connector, you’ll be able to charge those devices too.
Admirable speeds
The 165-watt rating, as with any power bank, doesn't mean you’ll get that power out of a single port. The rating is a combined, almost theoretical total, achieved with all four ports engaged. The three USB-C outlets are rated at a max of 100W, but to get to that speed, you’ll need a device capable of taking it — my biggest energy hog is my laptop and it maxed out at around 90 watts using the power bank. But for all but the most extreme cases, that’s plenty fast.
My tester iPhone 15 went from near-dead to 70 percent refilled in around 40 minutes. The Galaxy S23 Ultra powered up from five to 100 percent in under an hour, and my 16-inch MacBook got a 68 percent refill in just over 50 minutes. That’s not the fastest performance I’ve tested, but it’s better than most other banks and plenty quick enough to get you back in action in a decent amount of time.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Wrap-up
It’s gratifying when, after years of testing one type of product, you get one that is, more or less, an ideal example of the category. This is the battery I grab when I’m heading to get some work done at the coffee shop. I’ve taken it with me on road trips and on flights, and it hasn’t let me down once. The fact that you don’t need to remember to grab a cable takes away an extra bit of stress, and the accurate display means you know just about how much more you can squeeze out of the bank's rather sizable depths.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/anker-laptop-power-bank-review-all-my-favorite-battery-features-together-at-last-130036854.html?src=rss
Samsung Galaxy smartphone users now have the opportunity to elevate their photography experience with the Camera Assistant app, available for download in the Galaxy Store. Developed by Samsung Electronics, this app introduces over 10 advanced features, offering enhanced customization and functionality for your device’s camera. Whether you’re a photography enthusiast or someone who simply wants […]