Google seems to be cracking down on the use of Disney characters in AI-generated videos on YouTube after it was hit with a cease and desist letter. According to reports by Variety and Deadline, the company removed dozens of videos featuring Deadpool, Moana, Mickey Mouse, Star Wars characters and other Disney IP as of Friday, just days after Disney accused it of "infringing Disney’s copyrights on a massive scale." The letter, seen by both publications earlier this week, called out Google not just for hosting these videos on YouTube, but also for using copyrighted works to train models including Veo and Nano Banana.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-pulls-ai-generated-videos-of-disney-characters-from-youtube-in-response-to-cease-and-desist-220849629.html?src=rss
In the same month that Grok opted for a second Holocaust over vaporizing Elon Musk's brain, the AI chatbot is on the fritz again. Following the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia during a festival to mark the start of Hanukkah, Grok is responding to user requests with inaccurate or completely unrelated info, as first spotted by Gizmodo.
Grok's confusion seems to be most apparent with a viral video that shows a 43-year-old bystander, identified as Ahmed al Ahmed, wrestling a gun away from an attacker during the incident, which has left at least 16 dead, according to the latest newsreports. Grok's responses show it repeatedly misidentifyingthe individual who stopped one of the gunmen. In other cases, Grok responds to the same image about the Bondi Beach shooting with irrelevant details about allegations of targeted civilian shootings in Palestine.
The latest replies still show Grok's confusion with the Bondi Beach shooting, even providing information about the incident to unrelated requests or mixing it up with the shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island. xAI, Grok's developer, hasn't officially commented on what's happening with its AI chatbot yet. However, it's not the first time that Grok has gone off the rails, considering it dubbed itself MechaHitler earlier this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/grok-is-spreading-inaccurate-info-again-this-time-about-the-bondi-beach-shooting-203946515.html?src=rss
If you're several chapters into a novel and forgot who a character was, Amazon is hoping its new Kindle feature will jog your memory without ever having to put the e-reader down. This feature, called Ask this Book, was announced during Amazon's hardware event in September, but is finally available for US users on the Kindle iOS app.
According to Amazon, the feature can currently be found on thousands of English best-selling Kindle titles and "only reveals information up to your current reading position" for spoiler-free responses. To use it, you can highlight a passage in any book you've bought or borrowed and ask it questions about plot, characters or other crucial details, and the AI assistant will offer "immediate, contextual, spoiler-free information." You'll even be able to ask follow-up questions for more detail.
Amazon
While Ask this Book may be helpful to some Kindle readers, the feature touches on a major point of contention with authors and publishers. In response to Publishers Lunch, a daily newsletter for the publishing industry, an Amazon spokesperson said that, "To ensure a consistent reading experience, the feature is always on, and there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out." Other AI companies are already facing lawsuits claiming copyright infringement. Most recently, the New York Times and Chicago Tribune sued Perplexity, accusing the AI company of using its copyrighted works to train its LLMs.
As for the Ask this Book feature, Amazon is already planning to expand it beyond the iOS app and will introduce it to Kindle devices and the Android OS app next year. Beyond this new feature, Amazon also introduced Recaps to Kindle devices and the iOS app for books in a series, which acts much like a TV show's "Previously on" roundup in between seasons. However, Amazon recently had to withdraw its AI-generated Video Recaps feature, so it might be worth double-checking the info you get from Recaps, too.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/kindles-in-book-ai-assistant-can-answer-all-your-questions-without-spoilers-190609961.html?src=rss
Half-Life fans are nothing if not patient. For the diehard fans out there, the latest test of patience comes from Insider Gaming Weekly's podcast, which claimed that the third installment in the Half-Life franchise is set to release with the launch of the Steam Machine sometime in spring 2026.
"The window I was specifically told was spring 2026 for the Steam Machine, for the Frame, for the Controller, for Half-Life 3," Mike Straw, one of the hosts of the Insider Gaming Weekly podcast and senior editor at Insider Gaming, said. "At the end of the day, the game is real."
Straw added that all the previous dates for an announcement of the next Half-Life game have passed, but that his sources "are still adamant this is a game that will be a launch title with the Steam Machine." However, being tied to Valve's latest hardware release could be an issue since Straw noted that the explosive jump in RAM pricing is causing considerable concern for the Steam Machine's pricing announcement.
"There is a concern, however, they haven't made a decision on price, which is kind of holding back the announcement of anything else," Straw said. "There's no doubt in my mind Valve is still trying to make decisions because of what's going on on the component side."
While optimistic devotees were hoping for some teasers during The Game Awards, Valve hasn't officially said anything. However, there's still a lot of hope, especially considering Valve updated Half-Life 2 for its 20th anniversary, and previous rumors hinted at a game that's still in development but is playable from beginning to end.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/half-life-3-is-rumored-to-be-a-steam-machine-launch-title-and-could-arrive-in-spring-2026-193029413.html?src=rss
Amazon has responded to viewers catching errors in its AI-generated season recaps by apparently pulling them from Prime Video. The company announced its new Video Recaps feature in November as a way to make it easier to jump into a new season of a show, but the feature had issues: A recap created for Fallout included factual errors about the plot and the setting of the show.
On Prime Video, recaps can be played in the "Extras" section if you're watching on the web, or via a dedicated "recap button" on the show's page, according to Amazon's original Video Recaps announcement. If you head to the Fallout season two page now, the erroneous recap has been removed. In fact, at least on the web, there are currently no video recaps available on the show's Amazon was testing the feature on, which includes Fallout, Bosch, Upload, The Rig and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan.
Engadget has contacted Amazon for more information on why the recaps were removed. We'll update this article if we hear back.
Video Recaps are just one of the ways Amazon is trying to integrate AI into its different products and services. The company offered AI-generated English dubs for select anime shows on Prime Video, before it pulled the dubs after users complained. Amazon also uses AI to generate recaps for long-running book series that are sold through the Kindle Store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-pulls-its-bad-ai-video-recaps-after-fallout-fallout-220358758.html?src=rss
Sandfall Interactive, the developer of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, knows how to ride the wave. Right after the visually stunning RPG finished dominating The Game Awards, the team dropped a free "Thank You" content update for fans.
This is no minor patch. It adds a playable environment and new boss battles for late-game players. The "Thank You" update also adds new music tracks, a Photo Mode and new text and UI localizations. On top of that, you'll find quality-of-life tweaks, including improved performance on handheld PCs.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33won a record-breaking nine categories at The Game Awards 2025. That includes — deep breath — Game of the Year, Best RPG, Best Art Direction, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Performance (Jennifer English), Best Score and Music, Best Debut Game and Best Indie Game. The previous record was The Last of Us Part 2, which took home seven awards in 2020.
The game's free "Thank You" update is rolling out now. You can catch a glimpse of it in the trailer below.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/clair-obscur-expedition-33-devs-dropped-a-big-update-after-sweeping-the-game-awards-183628313.html?src=rss
F1: The Movie, the cinematic love letter to Formula One and — quite possibly even more so — consumer products made by Apple, is finally available to stream on Apple TV if you’re a subscriber. It follows the sports thriller’s long theatrical run, during which it raked in more than $630 million globally, comfortably making it Apple’s most successful original film.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Tron: Legacy), F1: The Movie follows the washed-up former F1 prodigy Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), who is convinced by an old friend (Javier Bardem) to get back in the driver's seat and help rescue his failing team. Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton served as a producer on the film to ensure it represented the sport as authentically as possible.
Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar reviewedF1: The Movie when it arrived in theatres in the summer, calling it a "shameless Apple ad that will blow your socks off." Should you manage to keep your eyes from rolling straight out of their sockets when a pair of AirPods Max appear on screen beforeanyone says a word, then a deliriously entertaining blockbuster awaits.
For all of the film’s formulaic storytelling and generic characters, the Really Fast Car bits are so well done that they put F1: The Movie among the very best racing movies, as far as our reviewer is concerned. In truth, it’s the kind of film that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen you can find, but failing that, the TV in your living room should do the job just fine, too.
Apple recently dropped the "+" from its streaming service’s name, so it’s now just called Apple TV (yes, the same name as one of its products). If you’re a new subscriber you can take advantage of a seven-day free trial, after which it costs $13 per month following a recent price hike.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/f1-the-movie-now-streaming-on-apple-tv-following-a-long-theatrical-run-133531702.html?src=rss
Last week, Netflix surprised us all when it announced plans for an $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., a move that would fundamentally reshape the world of streaming video and Hollywood. But Paramount isn't giving up on WB — this week it launched a $108 billion hostile takeover effort. In this episode, we discuss why everyone is fighting for WB, and why Netflix may be the best worst option for the storied movie studio.
What the Netflix bid for Warner Bros. means for at-home streamers and moviegoers – 1:55
Disney characters are coming to Sora after OpenAI struck a deal – 32:59
Meta may be giving up on open source for Llama – 43:53
Google CEO says we’re just going to have to grin and bear societal disruption via AI – 46:46
Around Engadget: The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is good, but is it $630 good? – 49:06
The best trailers and announcements from The Game Awards’ Day of the Devs stream – 51:28
Here’s why projectors won in 2025 – 54:31
Working on – 56:15
Pop culture picks – 57:33
Credits
Host: Devindra Hardawar Guest: Nathan Ingraham Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/engadget-podcast-why-netflix-is-the-best-worst-option-for-warner-bros-132156232.html?src=rss
Honestly, compiling the biggest losers for Engadget is more fun than talking up the winners. While we reviewed nothing as atrocious as those ill-fated AI assistant gadgets from 2024, AI companies and services straddled both the winner and loser podiums.
The losers might be you, the American consumer. (Sorry.) In the US, anyone wanting a drone will have to find something that isn’t made by DJI. The company has been targeted by regulators since 2017 over concerns its products could spy on sensitive US infrastructure on behalf of China.
The problem is DJI has such a high market share (over 75 percent) that its absence will effectively upend the industry. Oh, and its drones are consistently the best too. The US government hasn’t yet attempted to work with DJI to assess whether its products pose a risk. DJI recently made a final plea for a security review, sending letters to five US agencies that could assess its products. If that fails, US drone options will shrink massively.
In the same 12 months, EV sales across the globe are up around 25 percent this year. Germany set a record in the first half of 2025, with electric cars accounting for nearly one in five new registrations. In China, EV sales are growing so fast (over 50 percent market share) that the country is flooding the global market with gas-powered cars it can’t sell at home. However — remember this is about losers — in the US, the Trump administration ended the EV tax credit. And shock! Sales of EVs in the US slumped, with some automakers, such as Ford, seeing a 60 percent year-over-year decline.
As Sam Rutherford puts it, this policy change puts more roadblocks (his inadvertent pun, not mine) in the way of making cheaper battery-powered cars. It also affects EV investment and could mean US automakers fall even further behind their rivals elsewhere.
We also point and shake our heads at Xbox, Grok and TV streaming. Check it all out right here.
If you missed The Game Awards 2025, you missed a historic sweep by Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The Belle Epoque saga, which was expected to win several categories, even bagged Game of the Year and eventually picked up more wins than any title in the show’s 12-year history.
Naturally, there were trailers and game reveals too, which were pleasantly notable. We got a first look at the Control sequel, Resonant, Star Wars: Fate of The Old Republic is coming, headed by Mass Effect veterans, while Larian Studios is returning to the Divinity series following the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. Heck, if you want a good chance of winning at The Game Awards, hire Jennifer English to voice one of your main characters — she was in both BG3 and Clair Obscur.
Disney announced a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI to bring more than 200 of its characters, including those from Star Wars and Pixar, to the Sora app and ChatGPT. With the deal in place, OpenAI users will be able to prompt ChatGPT to generate images that tap into Disney’s intellectual property, with costumes, props, vehicles and environments covered. Additionally, Disney will invest $1 billion in OpenAI, with the option to purchase additional equity down the road.
Learn about tennis from Serena Williams or music from John Legend.
If you’re struggling to find a good present for the holidays, MasterClass has discounted its subscriptions by up to 40 percent. I secured a similar deal for myself and was pleasantly surprised by the solid interface and the number of courses. I also forgot to update my subscription, whoops. Maybe this offer will get me back on board.
It’s already getting the details wrong on its own shows.
Amazon’s plan to offer AI-generated recaps of Prime Video shows isn’t off to a great start. The company’s recap of the first season of Fallout has multiple errors. First, the AI-generated recap incorrectly identifies the era of the show’s Los Angeles-set flashbacks as being the 1950s — they’re actually 2077. Perhaps more egregiously for a recap, it misunderstands the ending of the first season, which sets up season two’s partnership between vault dweller Lucy and The Ghoul.
This year at The Game Awards, if your game wasn’t melodramatic, mechanically innovative, beautifully presented and aggressively French, it didn’t stand a chance. The Game Awards 2025 wrapped up on the evening of Thursday, December 11 with a record-breaking showing by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive. The game received the most nominations and wins in the show’s 12-year history.
But, we know that’s not really why you’re here. Between the award presentations and musical numbers, there were heaps of new game trailers, announcements and updates, and we’ve collected them all for you right here. The award winners are also there.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/everything-announced-and-all-the-winners-at-the-game-awards-2025-044101761.html?src=rss