Tag Archives: region|US

Amazon is making a Fallout Shelter competition reality TV show

Posted on by

The second season of Amazon's excellent Fallout show is currently airing, but the company is already looking to expand its programming around the popular franchise. Prime Video has greenlit a unscripted reality show titled Fallout Shelter. It will be a ten-episode run with Studio Lambert, the team behind reality projects including Squid Game: The Challenge and The Traitors, as its primary producer. Bethesda Game Studios’ head honcho Todd Howard is attached as an executive producer.

Amazon's description of Fallout Shelter is: "Across a series of escalating challenges, strategic dilemmas and moral crossroads, contestants must prove their ingenuity, teamwork and resilience as they compete for safety, power and ultimately a huge cash prize."

It seems fitting that the producer is the same as Squid Game: The Challenge, where a show critiquing capitalism is turned into a competition about winning money. A reality show sounds like the sort of thing you'd find in a Fallout game side quest accompanied by pointed commentary about greed rather than an activity people of the Wasteland would take seriously. Maybe the new series will be an interesting mix of survival skills and dark humor that feels true to the Fallout ethos. But, and I say this as a big viewer of reality shows, I’m not holding my breath.

The name echos the free-to-play mobile game Bethesda released in 2015. Fallout Shelter lets people build and improve their out Vault-Tec residence, managing the resources for a growing cadre of underground survivors. It seems pretty likely that there will be some type of tie-in between the game and the show, but any details about that might pop up closer to when the program is ready to air. It's currently casting, and no release timeline has been shared.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/amazon-is-making-a-fallout-shelter-competition-reality-tv-show-190151855.html?src=rss

How to claim Verizon’s $20 credit for Wednesday’s service outage

Posted on by

Verizon is offering a very small mea culpa after Wednesday's massive outage, which drew more than 1.5 million reports on Downdetector and lasted hours. Initially, the carrier posted on X that it will offer a $20 credit, but customers must redeem it in the myVerizon app. The company then said the credit could be claimed though customer service (via phone or chat), but our editors’ attempts to do so via chat were met with a message to wait for a text with further instructions.

Engadget editors began receiving the texts this morning (Jan 16) with a link to redeem. From there, you need to log into your account and visit the Account Overview section. Up top, there should be a Take Action or Mobile Actions button with a red notification circle. Click that and you’ll see a pop-up about the credit and a Redeem Now button. After you click that, you’re done, and Verizon says you should see the credit in one or two billing cycles. Of course, you’ll want to keep an eye out that it actually happens and contact the company if it doesn’t show up.

"This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can," the company wrote. "But it’s a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us." Incensed customers have largely replied with incredulity, both at the miniscule amount, and that it isn't being applied automatically. The entire redemption process takes a few clicks and about a minute to complete, which makes it even more frustrating that it can’t be automatically applied to every customer’s bill.

Update, January 15 2026, 11:57 PM ET: Verizon says the credit can be claimed through customer service via phone, chat and online in addition to the myVerizon app. 

Update, January 16 2026, 10:29 AM ET: This story has been updated with detailed info about the redemption process which Verizon now says is completed with a link that will be texted to customers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/how-to-claim-verizons-20-credit-for-wednesdays-service-outage-171909695.html?src=rss

Heist game Relooted gets a release date

Posted on by

The intriguing Africanfuturist heist game, Relooted, is out on February 10. Developed by independent South African studio Nyamakop, the game focuses on a ragtag crew from Johannesburg that liberates real-life African artifacts from a series of fictionalized Western museums.

Relooted is best described as a 2.5d side-scrolling action platformer with stealth and puzzle elements. You have to carefully plan each heist with your fellow teammates, knowing where to place each crew member and how you’re going to get in and out in one piece. Once you’ve grabbed the artifact you’re looking for in each mission, an alarm will sound and you have a limited amount of time to escape, so good preparation is vital.

The studio’s previous game, the platformer Semblance, was significant for being the first South Africa-developed IP to come to a Nintendo console when it launched on Switch in 2018. At E3 that same year, Nyamakop programmer Cukia Kimani and designer Ben Myres talked to Engadget about the difficulties of getting your game in front of the major platform-holders as an indie developer based in sub-Saharan Africa. Without notable local industry events or reps in the country, the developers had to do a lot of globe-trotting in order to get their game noticed.

At the time of writing there’s no Switch or Switch 2 release lined up for Relooted, but the game is coming to PC and Xbox consoles next month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/heist-game-relooted-gets-a-release-date-173456541.html?src=rss

Wikimedia announces AI partners including Meta and Microsoft

Posted on by

As part of Wikipedia's 25th anniversary, parent company Wikimedia announced a slew of partnerships with AI-focused companies like Amazon, Meta, Perplexity, Microsoft and others. The deals are meant to alleviate some of the cost associated with AI chatbots accessing Wikipedia content in enormous volumes by giving the tech companies streamlined access.

As noted by The Verge, the timeline on these deals is a little squirrely. The Wikipedia foundation says that several companies became enterprise partners "over the past year," while listing Amazon, Google and Meta as "existing" partners. It appears today is the first time they have been officially announced.

The organization sounded the alarm on this issue last year, saying the reduction in traffic due to LLMs and AI summaries could prove existential for the nonprofit and the world's largest online encyclopedia. Wikipedia's 65 million free articles have served as rich training data for AI chatbots, but all that scraping has driven up server costs at the organization.

Wikimedia had been hoping to move these large firms over to its enterprise platform to help with costs. "It took us a little while to understand the right set of features and functionality to offer if we're going to move these companies from our free platform to a commercial platform ... but all our Big Tech partners really see the need for them to commit to sustaining Wikipedia's work," Lane Becker, president of Wikimedia Enterprise told Reuters.

Under the deal, these companies will have access to high-throughput APIs that can supply chatbot systems with content from Wikipedia as well as Wikimedia’s other projects, including Wikivoyage, Wikibooks, Wikiquote and more.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/wikimedia-announces-ai-partners-including-meta-and-microsoft-162834383.html?src=rss

Indie RPG Sea of Stars hits iOS and Android on April 7

Posted on by

The indie RPG Sea of Stars is being released for mobile platforms on April 7. The iOS and Android versions are priced at just $10, which is a steal considering it cost $35 when it was first released for PC and consoles. Heck, it still costs that much on many platforms.

This is a mobile release, so it's not an exact port. The interface has been revamped to allow for complete touch control. It's also compatible with controllers, which is always a good thing with smartphone ports. The Android version has a couple of unique features. It offers Google Play Games achievements and cloud saves across various Android devices.

Otherwise, this is the same great game we know and love. There's a reason, after all, why Sea of Stars snagged best indie game in a particularly crowded field at The Game Awards two years back.

This is a fantastic retro-inspired RPG with more than a few things in common with the 1990s classic Chrono Trigger. The story is utterly charming, the turn-based battle system is just deep enough and the art and character designs are gorgeous. It's more than just an homage to 1990s RPGs.

The older versions offer three-player couch co-op, which isn't available here for obvious reasons. The mobile port will also not allow access to the recently-released Throes of the Watchmaker DLC. That'll probably come as a paid update down the road. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/indie-rpg-sea-of-stars-hits-ios-and-android-on-april-7-162339690.html?src=rss

ASUS has stopped producing the NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB, saying they’ve reached ‘end of life’

Posted on by

YouTube channel Hardware Unboxed is reporting that ASUS has stopped producing the RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB due to the ongoing memory crunch. In its most recent video, the channel states ASUS “explicitly” told it the RTX 5070 Ti is “currently facing a supply shortage.” As a result, the company has “placed the model into end of life status,” and no longer plans to produce it.

Hardware Unboxed also spoke to retailers in Australia, who told the channel the 5070 Ti is “no longer available to purchase from partners and distributors,” adding they expect that to be the case throughout at least the first quarter of the year. The 5060 Ti 16GB “is almost done as well," with ASUS stating it no longer plans to produce that model going forward either. Both GPUs are 16GB models, making them more expensive to manufacture in the current economic climate. And while there might be some hope of the 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB returning later this year, the channel suggests both are unlikely to make a comeback.

“Demand for GeForce RTX GPUs is strong, and memory supply is constrained. We continue to ship all GeForce SKUs and are working closely with our suppliers to maximize memory availability,” a NVIDIA spokesperson told Engadget. ASUS did not immediately respond to Engadget’s comment request.

After uploading its video, Hardware Unboxed published a clarification. “ASUS did not tell us that NVIDIA said the RTX 5070 Ti has been discontinued. ASUS told us there is very little supply of the 5070 Ti, so their own 5070 Ti products (e.g, the Prime and TUF Gaming) have been put into end of life status,” the channel said. “With retailers also unable to source 5070 Ti SKUs from any AIB, this effectively makes it a dead product.”

The AI boom has created an insatiable demand for RAM and other computer components from data center infrastructure companies. In response, many memory manufacturers have shifted their production lines to focus on high bandwidth memory for those clients at the expense of their regular offerings, leading to dramatically increased prices among consumer RAM kits, GPUs and SSDs. In December, Micron Technology announced it would wind down its consumer-facing Crucial brand to focus exclusively on providing components to the AI industry.

ASUS is the first of NVIDIA’s add-in board (AIB) partners to comment on the memory crunch. AIBs are the companies that produce the majority of GPUs you can buy from NVIDIA and AMD. Historically, NVIDIA has provided its board partners with both the die and memory needed to make a graphics cards. However, a recent rumor suggested the company had told it partners they would need to start sourcing memory on their own.

Update 12:55PM ET: Added more context.

Update 2:06PM ET: Added comment from NVIDIA.

Update 6:31PM ET: Added additional comment from Hardware Unboxed.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/asus-has-stopped-producing-the-nvidia-rtx-5070-ti-and-5060-ti-16gb-saying-theyve-reached-end-of-life-162012253.html?src=rss

More than 100 classic episodes of Sesame Street are now streaming on YouTube and YouTube Kids

Posted on by

If you’re looking for something to entertain your kids for the next several months (and potentially longer), YouTube would like you to know that more than 100 classic episodes of Sesame Street are now streaming on the platform.

The partnership between Sesame Street creator Sesame Workshop and YouTube was first announced last year and encompasses both old episodes as well as new content. Some of the themed compilations that have also been added to YouTube and YouTube Kids focus on specific educational topics such as ABCs and STEM, while others have broader themes like “Adventure & Imagination” and “Friendship & Play.”

Media history enthusiasts also have good reason to check out the new Sesame Street archive. The very first episode, which aired in 1969, is included, back when Kermit the Frog was still hanging out with the likes of Big Bird and Bert.

The YouTube partnership is not to be confused with the deal Sesame Workshop also recently penned with Netflix, which saw new episodes of Sesame Street — now in its 56th season — move to the streamer and PBS from its former home on HBO. The network opted not to renew a partnership that lasted a decade.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/more-than-100-classic-episodes-of-sesame-street-are-now-streaming-on-youtube-and-youtube-kids-151959561.html?src=rss

Mentra’s first smart glasses are open-source and come with their own app store

Posted on by

Mentra will soon start shipping its first smart glasses, the Mentra Live. At first glance, there’s nothing obvious setting Mentra’s glasses apart from its more well-known competitors, but they come with their own dedicated app store, and employ an open-source OS with an SDK that developers have had access to since early 2025.

Mentra says the MiniApp Store is the first app store of its nature for smart glasses, and it will be available to iOS and Android users through the Mentra app. It might be a bit of a reach to call it the smartphone-ification of smart glasses at this early stage, but that seems to be Mentra’s aim. Apps might do something as simple as saving hand-written notes on the fly, but a more specific example is "Chess Cheater," which will use the front-facing camera and AI to analyze your position and literally whisper a suggested next move to you.

Mentra App Store
Mentra

As for the glasses themselves, they’re powered by a Mediatek MTK8766 chipset and feature a 12-megapixel camera with a 119-degree FOV. There are three microphones and built-in stereo speakers. The front-facing camera also does HD video, with livestreaming functionality supported to the likes of X, YouTube, Twitch and Instagram. You can also listen to music and take calls from WhatsApp, FaceTime and any other calling app you might use.

At 43 grams, Mentra says its specs are among the lightest smart glasses you can buy, while battery life is said to be more than 12 hours, with 50+ hours of additional charge stored in the 2,200mAh charging case. The Mentra Live smart glasses are prescription-ready and cost $299. 1,000 pairs were made available for the first batch, which will ship on February 15. Batch two will include a limited amount of glasses available to ship on February 28th.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/mentras-first-smart-glasses-are-open-source-and-come-with-their-own-app-store-150021126.html?src=rss

Samsung’s refreshed Mobile Gaming Hub is trying to make it easier to discover new games

Posted on by

During CES 2026, Samsung unveiled plenty of new TVs, monitors and other hardware. However, the company is also looking to expand further into video games and has announced a significant refresh to its Gaming Hub on smartphones.

Engadget spoke with Samsung’s Jong Woo, VP of Game Services, who explained that the update will offer more personalized, faster ways to play and place greater emphasis on up-and-coming titles. Now available on Galaxy devices, with further updates planned, the new hub wants to be a more active space for the latest mobile games.

"We believe that gamers want to find new content that is personalized to them," said the VP of Samsung Games Services. He continued: "We want to bring content to users and make it immediately available for them to play. We have instant plays where, through our cloud streaming technology, we can take Android-native games and put them in the cloud, so that when users want to try them, they don't have to go through the friction of downloading them first.”

According to Samsung, the mobile Gaming Hub attracts over 160 million users across smartphones and other devices. However, the VP of Game Services at Samsung believes that, despite the vast library of games across many genres available to mobile users, "mobile game discovery is broken."

Samsung's updated Gaming Hub on mobile
Samsung

Initially, the mobile Gaming Hub was a supplemental app for all purchased games, allowing users to track their collection. With this update, all games purchased from both Google Play and the Galaxy Store are stored in the Gaming Hub. It's designed to be a single place for players to view their owned games, find recommendations, access cloud streaming for select games and even watch highlights from content creators.

According to Woo, the larger goal of the new Samsung mobile Gaming Hub is to personalize and guide the mobile gaming experience for players, which has remained nebulous compared with gaming discovery experiences on PC and consoles.

“We're getting a lot of feedback from the users, a lot of it from focus testing and beta testing, and what we're finding is that we believe we are solving pain points for mobile gamers," said Woo about rebuilding the Gaming Hub. "We're getting an idea of gamer preferences at the individual, personalized level. Based on all of that, we're able to provide different types of recommendations."

Another reason for the new changes to the Samsung Gaming Hub was to help foster a community for mobile gamers, including players and developers. In addition to sharing YouTube videos and content from gaming creators and streamers, the company plans to add more social elements to the Gaming Hub to make mobile gaming feel more active and less isolating.

"Mobile is a very personal experience, right? It's your personal device, and oftentimes when you play games on mobile, it feels like a solitary experience,” said Woo. Currently, the revamped Mobile Gaming Hub is only available for Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Users on non-Galaxy devices will still use the previous version of the Gaming Hub, for now.

Compared with PC and console online hubs like Steam and PlayStation Network, it's clear that mobile platforms are still figuring out how to create an equally compelling space for engagement. Even with the vast user base, mobile game hubs tend to be a go-between for users to get to the products. There's more work to do, but the new Gaming Hub could be the first step in the right direction.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/samsung-refreshed-mobile-gaming-hub-150010632.html?src=rss

007 First Light dev admits it messed up PC specs announcement

Posted on by

IO Interactive raised a few eyebrows last week when it announced the minimum and recommended PC specs for 007 First Light. To run the James Bond adventure at in 1080p at 60 fps, IOI initially said you'd need to have a rig with at least 32GB of RAM and a GPU with 12GB of VRAM. The studio has now revised those numbers and other elements of the specs after "the community flagged some inconsistencies in an earlier version of the listing."

The developer blamed an "internal miscommunication" which led to it sharing an older version of the specs. One of the recommended GPUs in the original version was an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has 8GB of VRAM — not enough to meet the supposed recommended VRAM settings. 

It seems a little odd to think that it took IOI over a week and an enormous pile of negative press and online reaction before addressing the inconsistency (not to mention the demand for 32GB of RAM for relatively modest 1080p, 60 fps performance). The studio says it updated the specs after "a thorough re-examination and additional testing."

In the recommended hardware section of the latest version, IOI revised down the VRAM from 12GB to 8GB and it halved the RAM requirement to 16GB. IOI also "fixed" the minimum CPU info. The original specs stipulated that gamers would need at least an Intel Core i5 9500K or AMD Ryzen 5 3500. The former has now been revised down to an Intel Core i5 9500K.

For the tape, then, the minimum PC specs to run 007 First Light with a performance target of 1080p at 30 fps are:

  • Processor: Intel Core I5 9500, AMD Ryzen 5 3500

  • Memory: 16GB RAM

  • Video RAM: 6GB

  • Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, AMD RX 5700 or Intel Discrete GPU equivalent

And the recommended specs for a performance target of 1080p at 60 fps are:

  • Processor: Intel Core I5 13500, AMD Ryzen 5 7600

  • Memory: 16GM RAM

  • Video RAM: 8GB

  • Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, AMD RX 6700 XT or Intel Discrete GPU equivalent

The required operating system is the same on both counts with a 64-bit version of Windows 10 or 11. The storage space needed is also the same at 80GB. 

IOI apologized for "the confusion” it caused with the mixup. It promised to share more details about 007 First Light ahead of the game's arrival on May 27 — including details of additional performance targets. Given the way RAM and GPU prices are going, here's hoping IOI isn't looking for too much more to run the game at 1440p or 4K at a decent framerate.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/007-first-light-dev-admits-it-messed-up-pc-specs-announcement-143000670.html?src=rss