Computex 2025 is about to kick off, and the cavalcade of announcements about the latest chips, laptops, gaming devices and more from leading brands has already begun. The event in Taiwan will kick off Sunday night (US time) with a keynote at the Taipei Music Center from NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. There will be a livestream for anyone not attending in person, so you can watch along right here (see NVIDIA YouTube stream embedded below). 

Huang’s keynote is scheduled for 11PM ET/ 8PM PT on May 18 (11AM on May 19 in Taiwan Time), and we can expect to hear all about the company's developments in the AI space. It’ll be followed that same day by a keynote from Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. Computex this year will, perhaps unsurprisingly, focus heavily on AI, with the overall theme being "AI Next." It’ll also highlight products in three categories: AI & Robotics, Next-Gen Tech and Future Mobility. 

For Huang, the Computex keynote is a return home: He was born in Taiwan before eventually emigrating to the US, where he was instrumental in co-founding NVIDIA and guiding it to its current domination in the AI space. His appearance also caps off a busy week that saw him balancing the increasingly challenging diplomatic side of the AI landscape. After participating in President Trump's tour of Middle East nations — during which NVIDIA inked deals with Saudi and UAE-linked tech firms to sell its AI chips — NVIDIA downplayed its reported expansion plans in China. 

An estimated 1,400 exhibitors will be in attendance at Computex, including ASUS, Acer and AMD, all of which have previously made big announcements at the annual expo. In fact, as of Friday (May 16), Acer has already gotten a jump on the others by making some announcements for the show, including the new Swift Edge AI laptop and five gaming monitors. Our senior reviewer Sam Rutherford has also managed to get his hands on the new Acer Predator Triton 14 AI, and he liked it so much he called it his new "most anticipated gaming laptop of the year."

Computex 2025 will run from May 20 to May 23, and we expect even more PC news in the next few days.

Update, May 18, 6:22PM ET: Added additional background info on Jensen Huang and NVIDIA China news. 

Update, May 15, 1:50PM ET: Added YouTube embed, and details on Jensen Huang's recent travels. 

Update, May 16, 4:45PM ET: Added details on Acer's Computex announcements, which were unveiled today. 

Meeting an online friend in person for the first time can be pretty awkward. If only there were a way to skip the weird small talk part and get right into the flow of real conversation — like, say, getting shrunk down to the size of a chess piece and trapped in a series of board games, forcing you to communicate so you can find your way out. That's exactly the scenario in which characters Alex and Sarah find themselves in the Playdate game Escape the Boardgame, and it's incredibly charming.

Escape the Boardgame is kind of like an interactive comic, and it's the second such game by Julie and Anders Bjørnskov, following 2024's Escape the Arcade. You use the crank and sometimes the D-pad to move the story forward panel by panel, running into puzzles along the way that will serve as temporary roadblocks until you've come up with the solution. While it is an escape room of sorts, this isn't a high-tension situation; Alex and Sarah are stuck in a cozy boardgame cafe, not Jumanji. As they try to make their way out the door by traversing various game boards, they encounter a bunch of quirky but ultimately harmless characters.

Just because it's casual doesn't mean it'll be a breeze to solve the puzzles, though. They're really creative, sometimes requiring you to pay close attention to every little detail on the screen in order to crack some obscure code, and other times forcing you to zoom out and consider the whole picture to see what's hidden in plain sight. The games within the game, like one in which you need to match pets with their correct owners, are a delight to take in. There are multiple hints for each puzzle, which you can access in the menu, so you can have varying degrees of assistance depending on how stuck you are.

Savvy puzzle solvers will probably finish Escape the Boardgame in under an hour, so this one is perfect for when you just want to play something easygoing that can be wrapped up neatly in one sitting. Instead of leaving you frustrated, it's a brain teaser you're likely to walk away from feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Netflix will embrace AI-generated ads, whether we like it or not. The streaming service will roll out AI-generated ads in 2026 that will play in the middle of a show or whenever users hit pause for its ad-supported plans. During Netflix's Upfront event for its advertisers, Amy Reinhard, the company’s president of advertising, showed off the upcoming feature for interactive midroll and pause ads that use generative AI for custom content.

We've come a long way since Netflix's origin story of mailing out DVDs starting in 1997 and transitioning to an ad-free streaming service. Now more than ever, it feels like Harvey Dent's famous quote from The Dark Knight about living long enough to become the villain rings true for Netflix. The streaming service's longevity in the industry could be attributed to making compromises, like including ads, that take away from its initial glory. In a poetic turn of events, The Dark Knight trilogy was added to Netflix's library on April 1.

This won't be the first time Netflix dabbled with AI. Last month, Netflix offered regional users a new search feature that uses OpenAI to find something to watch. Looking beyond AI-generated ads in 2026, it's not likely that the company will slow down on finding new ways to generate revenue.

"So if you take away anything from today, I hope it’s this: the foundation of our ads business is in place," Reinhard said during the Netflix event. "And going forward, the pace of progress is going to be even faster."

The golden age of binge-watching an entire season of a Netflix show without ads could be a long-forgotten memory. Next year, don't be surprised if Netflix tempts you with a Baconator while you watch people succumb to the deadly consequences of Squid Games. If this eventual change has you rethinking your Netflix subscription, you can always cancel it or begrudgingly upgrade it to the Standard or Premium plans to avoid ads. Don't forget, Netflix has been steadily increasing subscription costs for its ad-free plans, which could push more users towards the standard plan with ads as the most accessible option.

Activision announced on the official X account of its Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile title that it would sunset updates and delist it from the Google Play store and the App Store. Activision is giving players a last chance to download the departing game, which will be removed by the end of today.

According to Activision, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile "has not met our expectations with mobile first players like it has with PC and console audiences." Considering the game's troubled launch, this discontinuation doesn't come as a surprise to its player base. Activision's mobile adaptation of its battle royale title launched in March 2024, which was two years after it was first announced. Looking at the overall timeline of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, fans spent more than two years waiting for its release, only to get roughly a year's worth of gameplay that had poor optimization and serious battery life demands.

If you install Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile before May 19, 2025, you'll still have access to the game with "continued cross-progression of shared inventories using existing content," Activision wrote on the X post. The publisher added that servers will stay online and that it'd notify players of any changes. For diehard fans, that's not much of a guarantee that the Warzone Mobile servers will remain active in perpetuity.

To incentivize existing players to migrate to its other titles, Activision said that you can log into Call of Duty: Mobile with your Activision account to claim two times amount of COD points you had in your Warzone Mobile account, along with "other awesome rewards." However, Activision added that any unused COD points and whatever you have already purchased in Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile can't be refunded.

Another great streaming deal has hit the internet: one year of Peacock Premium is only $25 right now. Just use the code SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout to get $55 off the standard annual price of the Premium plan. Just note that this tier does include ads, and the deal runs through May 30.

Peacock is a decent platform and made our list of the best streaming services. It doesn't get the attention of Netflix or Disney+, but it's home to several nifty original shows. There's the AI-adjacent tomfoolery of Mrs. Davis and the Rian Johnson-made whodunnit Poker Face. It also airs several video game adaptations, like Knuckles and the surprisingly-decent Twisted Metal.

The big draw here, however, is likely the long-awaited spinoff of The Office, which is called The Paper. That one premieres in September and is a Peacock exclusive. The platform also signed an 11-year agreement with the NBA and that goes into effect this fall. The mobile app could be getting minigames and short-form vertical videos (like TikTok) in the near future.

There's one caveat. This subscription will automatically renew for $80 after the year runs out. Stay on top of scheduling if you want to cancel before then.

Check out our coverage of the best streaming deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

It might surprise you, but Memorial Day can be a great time to shop for tech. In years past, we've seen solid Memorial Day deals on all manner of gadgets including many of our favorite tablets, headphones, charging accessories, robot vacuums and more. That's on top of all the seasonal items that usually gets discounted at this time like smart grills and grilling gear, pizza ovens and outdoor tech.

If you're on the market for any of those things, now's a good time to shop. And like most seasonal holidays as of late, you don't have to rush to make your purchase. Memorial Day deals are live now, and there's a good chance they'll be available until the holiday weekend has passed. Below, we've collected all of the best Memorial Day tech deals we could find for 2025, and we'll continue to update this post with the latest offers.

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention Amazon Prime Day, though. The biggest iteration of the online retailer's annual shopping event typically happens in July, and Amazon confirmed it will be back again this year (although official dates remain unknown). Tech is usually heavily discounted on Prime Day for Prime members, so if you're unsure about a purchase, you could take the chance and wait a little while longer to see if that pair of earbuds you've been eyeing drops even further in price during Prime Day. If not, Memorial Day offers the next best opportunity this time of year to save on gadgets and gear.

Best Memorial Day tech sales: Top deals

Best Memorial Day tech deals

Peacock Premium (one year) for $25 ($55 off): The latest Peacock deal gives you one year of the Premium membership for only $25 when you use the code SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout. This ad-supported tier gives you access to some live sports content and more than 50 always-on channels, as well as the whole library of on-demand TV shows and movies Peacock has to offer. The deal runs through May 30.

ProtonVPN (two years) for $81 (66 percent off): ProtonVPN two-year plans are 66 percent off and down to only $81 right now. You'll save more than $150 on the total cost of the subscription with this deal, and in addition to VPN coverage for all your devices, you also get access to features that let you block ads, malware and other trackers.

Beats Studio Pro for $170 (51 percent off): The latest version of the Beats Studio Pro have much-improved sound quality along with good voice performance and Transparency mode. While these are wireless headphones, you can also connect a USB-C cable to them to use them as wired headphones, too.

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 for $200 (20 percent off): The new Powerbeats Pro 2 have a comfortable design, improved sound quality and bass performance and heart rate sensors on board that make them good workout companions. However, you'll only be able to get that heart rate data if you have these buds paired to an iOS device.

Beats Pill for $100 ($50 off): This IP67-rated Bluetooth speaker is one of our favorites thanks to its improved bass performance, over 24 hours of battery life and lossless audio via USB-C. Plus, if you have two Pills, you can pair them together for stereo sound.

Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum for $350 (26 percent off): The V8 is a great entry-level Dyson that boasts 40 minutes of runtime, two power modes, a motorbar cleaner head that works on all kinds of flooring and four additional cleaning attachments. Also available at Dyson in the Absolute model.

Dyson Supersonic hair dryer for $330 ($100 off): This is the original Dyson Supersonic hair dryer that has been super popular since its debut. It includes five attachments for drying and styling, and it's billed as a fast dryer that protects hair from heat damage.

Ooni Memorial Day sale — 20 percent off almost everything: Most of Ooni's pizza ovens are on sale for Memorial Day, including the recently launched Koda 2 in its Essential bundle, which has been discounted from $489 to $391. The company's indoor electric pizza oven, the Volt 12, is also included in the sale: you can grab it for $629 instead of the usual $899.

Blink Mini 2 (two-pack) for $38 (46 percent off): These are some of the best security cameras if you're looking for something cheap and only need basic functionality. They record 1080p video and send motion alerts to your phone, plus they work with Alexa voice commands. Blink Mini 2 cams are wired, but they can be placed outside with the right weather-resistant power adapter.

Blink Outdoor 4 security cameras, 5 camera system for $200 (50 percent off): This pack-up includes give weather-resistant Blink Outdoor 4 cameras plus a Sync Module 2 to connect them all. These are some of our favorite security cameras thanks to their wireless design, accurate and speedy motion alerts and the ability to save footage locally when you use a thumb drive with the Sync Module 2.

Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds for $45 ($35 off, Prime exclusive): Our top pick for the best budget wireless earbuds, the Space A40 punch above their weight in almost every way. They have excellent ANC, a good sound profile overall, a comfortable fit, multi-device connectivity and wireless charging support.

Google Nest (wired) security camera for $70 (30 percent off): One of our favorite security cameras, the wired Nest cam has an attractive design and a super simple setup process — both experienced and new security camera owners will be able to get it up and running in minutes. It'll send motion alerts to your phone, and pet/person detection is a standard feature — most other security cams make you pay for that. 

Samsung 24-inch Essential monitor S30GD for $100 (23 percent off): This 1080p IPS display has a 100Hz refresh rate and can be adjusted via tilting. Its design is pretty slim with thin bezels, and it connect to your computer via HDMI port.

Lenovo ThinkVision 23.8-inch Monitor T24i-30 for $183 (46 percent off): This FHD IPS panel has a three-side, NearEdgeless bezel design and can be adjusted via tilt, lift, swivel and pivot. In addition to four USB-A ports for connecting peripherals, it also supports a number of display connections including HDMI, DP and VGA.

iRobot Combo Essential robot vacuum for $150 ($125 off): This is a great entry-level robot vacuum that has the added convenience of being a mopping machine, too. It'll suck up dirt, debris and pet hair while it vacuums, and you can use the included water reservoir when you want to mop hard floors.

Shark Clean & Empty Cordless Stick Vacuum for $280 (20 percent off): This is a slightly cheaper version of one of our favorite cordless stick vacuums and it comes with a self-emptying base. This Shark stick vacuum has good suction power, can easily convert to a hand vacuum and it docks neatly on its auto-empty base station that traps over 99 percent of dust and allergens.

Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Robot Vacuum and Mop for $700 (30 percent off): A version of one of our favorite robot vacuums, this Shark machine can vacuum and mop floors for you. Its self-emptying base station holds up to 30 days worth of debris, and it has a refill tank for the mopping reservoir as well.

Tineco Pure ONE S11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for $140 ($60 off with coupon): Our top budget pick among the best cordless vacuums, this Tineco machine offers good suction and a relatively lightweight design at a great price. It also includes the company's iLoop smart sensor, which will auto-adjust suction power as you clean.

EcoFlow Delta 2 1024Wh power station with waterproof bag for $449 (36 percent off): This EcoFlow power station provides 15 connectors to power up multiple devices at once — those include six AC outlets, two USB-C ports and four USB-A ports. It's versatile enough to take it camping or on a road trip, but it can also act as a home backup battery, powering a refrigerator, lights, CPAP machines and more.

EcoFlow Delta 2 Max 2048Wh power station for $999 (41 percent off): This is a higher-capacity version of the Delta 2, so it'll last longer and power gadgets and appliances for a longer period of time on a full charge. It also has 15 connectors and you can optionally add on solar panels for easy powering-up on the go.

Expired deals

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids for $140 (22 percent off): This is the same, latest Kindle Paperwhite, just customized a bit for kids. You'll get the waterproof ereader in this bundle along with a protective case, a two-year warranty and six months of Amazon Kids+ for free.

Withings Thermo smart thermometer for $86 ($14 off): This FDA cleared, FSA/HSA/HRA eligible thermometer can take no-contact temperature readings in just a few seconds with a simple swipe across the forehead. It uses 16 infrared sensors to take over 4,000 measurements for the most accurate readings, and the built-in LED screen will show you color-coded results.

Anker 321 MagGo battery pack for $22 (15 percent off): This 5K magnetic charging brick can attach magnetically to the backs of compatible smartphones, including iPhones, and includes built-in technology that monitors temperatures for a safer charge. It'll work with MagSafe cases as well.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

You'll soon be able to get into your favorite games even faster with the updated Xbox home screen. According to Microsoft, Xbox Insiders are due to get three new customization options later this week that will make their dashboard feel a little more personal. As detailed in Xbox Wire, certain Xbox players will have options to reduce clutter and allow them to pull their favorite games to the front of the list.

The first major change lets you pin up to three of your favorite games or apps to the recently-played list. Pinning these means that they'll stay near the front of your list even when you launch other apps occasionally. Beyond that, your Xbox will get the option to "Hide System Apps" which should reduce the clutter and tuck those less important shortcuts away. To further streamline your home screen, Xbox will introduce the "Reduce Tile Count" feature that lets you set how many visible tiles are in the recently opened games and apps list. With more control thanks to these new features, Xbox players should get a cleaner homepage that lets their dynamic backgrounds shine more.

"We’ve heard from many of you that Home should feel more like your space," Eden Marie, principal software engineering lead of Xbox Experiences, wrote on Xbox's blog. "Whether it’s surfacing your favorite games, hiding what you don’t use, or simply making Home feel less crowded, this update is a direct response to that feedback."

According to Microsoft, these features will arrive on Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha users' consoles first. However, the company is still tweaking the Reduce Tile Count feature, adding that it "will be coming soon." Now, if only there were a way to hide those ads on the homescreen.

These are some recently released titles we think are worth adding to your reading list. This week, we read Apocalypse: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures, a compelling new history book by science journalist Lizzie Wade, and Behemoth, a riveting mini-series for Dark Horse that explores the classic idea of a kaiju attack from a horrifying... inside perspective.

Spoilers for “The Interstellar Song Contest.”

No, really, spoilers from here on out.

Much like Eurovision itself, that was a lot, wasn’t it?

And much like every other episode this season, “The Interstellar Song Contest” was overstuffed, excessive and brutally short. It was also a lot of fun, even if the sheer volume of plot that I wish we’d had more time to explore remains frustrating. Unfortunately, it looks like the great qualities of this episode will be overshadowed by all of the dramatic lore reveals. As usual, head to Mrs. Flood Corner for the analysis, but let’s talk about the rest first.

Eurovision?

James Pardon/BBC Studios/Bad Wolf

If you’re in the US, you may not be familiar with the Eurovision Song Contest, even if Netflix did make a movie about it. It’s an annual music competition that began in the post-war years that saw the major nations of Europe select an act and a song to compete. Judges from each nation would then rank each performance, with the winning act’s nation going on to host the event the next year. Despite the name, participation isn’t limited to Europe, with entries from Oceania, Africa and the Middle East. And the event, to use a technical term, is Extremely Gay, playing up its camp excesses and offering a space for queer performers.

“Did you just fly through space on a glitter cannon?”

Lara Cornell/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf

The Doctor and Belinda arrive in a VIP box in the Harmony Arena, a large open-air (given it’s in space, should that be an open-space?) venue. They’re just in time to see the start of the 803rd Interstellar Song Contest, presented by (actual British TV presenter) Rylan Clark, who has just emerged from a cryogenic chamber. The Doctor takes the Vindicator reading, and has enough data to force the TARDIS back to Earth on May 24, 2025 — but the pair decide to stay and enjoy the show. Watching from afar, Mrs. Flood delights that the Vindicator is now primed and ready, but will stay around to watch the show as well.

It’s a popular event, with three trillion viewers from around the universe watching the show, as it’s broadcast much like a TV show. Unfortunately, the production gallery is stormed by Kid, a terrorist who has hijacked the arena’s security drones with help from Wynn, someone from the production crew. Kid and Wynn are both Hellions, a race of beings with prominent devil horns that are reviled across the galaxy for how they look. People assume they are evil, engage in cannibalism and witchcraft, and it’s hard for them to get jobs. The show’s director even says that they were advised against hiring Wynn because she’s a Hellion.

Kid switches the broadcast to the rehearsal feed, which didn’t feature Rylan, which piques the Doctor’s interest as there’s a TV in their VIP box. He pulls out his sonic screwdriver and starts fiddling with the equipment, but as he’s doing so, Kid opens the air bubble separating the arena from the void. And instantly, almost 100,000 people in the audience are blown into space, including the Doctor and the TARDIS, while Belinda is saved by the canopy’s roof closing. Wynn closes the canopies to protect the life of Cora, the odds-on favorite to win and the show’s star act. The director notices that the people may be frozen, but they’re trapped within the station’s mavity bubble and could therefore be rescued.

The Doctor, knocked out and frozen, floating in the void of space, is awoken with a vision of Susan (!) in the TARDIS telling him to “find me.” He opens his eyes, spots a glitter cannon floating nearby, and propels himself toward the station’s airlock, Wall-E style. It’s there he meets Mike and Gary, the couple whose VIP box he inadvertently stole. They were thankfully safe in the corridor outside when the roof was opened. The Doctor, aided by his new friends, starts working out what the next part of Kid’s plan is — to push a delta wave via the broadcast to all three trillion of its viewers. The wave was powerful enough to knock the Doctor to the floor and give them a nosebleed, and will likely kill every single viewer.

Kid and Wynn are doing this because their home planet, Hellia, was bought by the corporation that sponsors the song contest. It was the home of a poppy that could make honey flavoring, and when the corporation bought the planet, it took the poppy and burned the rest, including its people. The Hellions were scattered, victims of a genocide, looked down upon by the rest of so-called respectable society. Wiping out both the audience and the viewers at home at an event sponsored by the corporation will, Kid hopes, balance the books.

James Pardon/BBC Studios/Bad Wolf

Belinda winds up with Cora, the show’s star act (and her partner). The trio hack the system to work out what is going on. Belinda, believing the Doctor is dead, is full of remorse at having never told him how wonderful she thinks he is. Thankfully, they’re able to access the station’s video calling software to see the Doctor and Kid meet via an intra-station call, where the Doctor is giving Kid a glimpse of how furious the Time Lord can get, much to Belinda’s surprise. Cora has skin in the game here, too, revealing after the call that she is also a Hellion, but cut her horns off in order to fit in with the rest of polite society, becoming a star in the process.

The Doctor is able to use the station’s holographic technology to project himself into the production gallery. Kid shoots the hologram, giving the real Doctor enough time to walk in, casually destroying Kid's gun and the delta wave box. The Doctor then starts channeling the station’s power through his hologram body to shock Kid. The Doctor said that Kid had put “ice in his heart,” and now he would pay back the attempted murder of three trillion people by giving him three trillion shocks. Beinda walks in, to see the Doctor essentially torturing Kid, and even the Doctor himself is plagued by visions of Susan telling him to stop.

With Kid and Wynn locked away, the Doctor works out another way to use the holograms — as a tractor beam. We see a montage of people being pulled in from the void and reactivated, first using Rylan’s cryogenic chamber, then on a larger scale in a VIP booth. It’s not long before the whole crowd is returned, and with it, Cora takes to the stage. She tells them her story and sings a song from Hellia, and while the audience is initially hostile, she wins them over by the end. To the applause, the Doctor and Belinda head back to the TARDIS, but not before a holographic Graham Norton — talk show host and the BBC’s face of Eurovision — tells them the Earth was destroyed in mysterious circumstances on May 24th, 2025.

The Doctor and Belinda sprint back, determined to push the TARDIS to that date and solve whatever issue is coming. But even with the Vindicator plugged in, the TARDIS refuses to co-operate, ringing the Cloister Bell and switching to the all red lighting scheme. There's a sinister noise from outside the doors that the Doctor identifies as the "sound of May 24th," before the TARDIS doors explode. And the credits roll... 

... only to be interrupted after the first crew card to cut back to Mike and Gary on Harmony Arena as they revive the last person blown into space. It's Mrs Flood, who reveals her double brainstem froze while out in space, "lethal for a Time Lady, but I've got my own knack for survival." Breaking the fourth wall, she says "let battle begin," and then bi-generates, splitting herself into Mrs. Flood and The Rani (Archie Panjabi), with Mrs. Flood becoming the subordinate to her newer self. As the pair walk off, the Rani says she will bring "absolute terror" to the Doctor, telling Mrs. Flood to shut up when she points out she's already done that. 

“I’ll do anything for you, Doctor”

James Pardon/BBC Studios/Bad Wolf

Honestly, Doctor Who can sometimes be a bit like a teddy bear with a razor blade hidden under its palm. Sure, it may look lightweight and cuddly, disarming you with its charm, but then it’ll cut you so deep you won’t even realize. “The Interstellar Song Contest” is, without a doubt, one of the most affecting episodes in the run. This episode comes less than a decade after the Manchester Arena bombing that killed 22 people and injured more than a thousand. The visual of the 100,000 people being blown into space was staggering in its brutality. Juno Dawson’s already written for Doctor Who’s wider world, but her debut script for the TV series goes hard.

But even if it’s a harrowing watch at times, it’s also filled with enough moments of levity. The Doctor’s flirting with married couple Mike and Gary at various points in the episode is delightful as they’re both increasingly smitten with him. The music is delightful, and Cora’s final song was designed to melt people’s hearts, plus there’s a few background gags for the more novelty act songs that appear every year.

Once again, I’m compelled to say the 45-minute format does nothing for Doctor Who when it’s treading this high a wire. The themes of this episode include indifference to evil, pinkwashing, passing privilege, cultural identity, commodification, the inhumanity of replacing customer service with computers, the perpetuation of abuse and the value of revenge. Given Eurovision presents itself as an explicitly queer event, I’m sure better-qualified writers can speak more authoritatively on the episode’s deeper subtext and political themes. And possibly explain in better detail where its sympathies lie.

Every episode this season feels like it had enough material to fill three half-hour episodes of late ‘80s Who. Much like last week reminded me of 1989’s “Ghost Light,” this episode put me in mind of 1988’s “The Happiness Patrol.” That episode is, on its surface, about a planet where you’ll be killed on the spot if you show any signs of visible unhappiness. Of course, it’s really about the UK under Margaret Thatcher, Operation Condor and the gay rights movement. If you’re curious, read Elizabeth Sandifer’s essay on the episode.

Hopefully, too, you’ll notice the thematic parallels that are running through many of these episodes. Conrad in “Lucky Day,” The Barber in “The Story and the Engine” and Kid here are all presented as characters looking for revenge. But while the middle member of that trio has been ostensibly redeemed, the other two crossed the Doctor and made him angry. If his speech to Conrad was full of vitriol, then Kid is the first time we’ve seen Gatwa’s Doctor in full vindictive mode. This has been a recurring theme for most of the post-2005 series, that the Doctor needs to hold themselves back from unleashing their full power and fury.

Mrs. Flood Corner

Dan Fearon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf

Doctor Who was born before the home media age, where episodes were broadcast on a more or less one-and-done basis. If you were a fan looking to revisit an old episode, you had to read the novelizations that started coming out when the show became a hit. But Doctor Who wasn’t originally built to support a six decades-long global multimedia franchise, and that’s an issue. When it started, the Doctor was joined on his adventures by his granddaughter, Susan (Carole Ann Ford), and two of her teachers who followed her home one night. Long before any talk of Time Lords or Gallifrey, Susan was just the kid who needed to be rescued every third or fourth week.

Carole Ann Ford wasn’t happy with how poorly served her character was, and so opted to leave in 1964, a year after the show started. During “The Dalek Invasion of Earth,” the Doctor exiles his own granddaughter to 22nd century Earth because she wants to kiss a boy. He doesn’t even grant her a real goodbye, locking the doors of the TARDIS and giving a speech that only shorn of its context sounds noble. But Susan’s mistreatment isn’t just about the casual way she was dumped off the show, but how her existence does (or does not) fit with the show’s lore. If she is a Time Lord, a quasi-immortal shape shifter, then dumping her in one time and place because she fancies a boy is quite the outrageous act.

Susan’s existence also raises questions about the Doctor’s other familial relationships that have never been directly addressed on screen. The show’s unspoken modus operandi was summed up by producer John Nathan-Turner as “No hanky-panky in the TARDIS.” But if he has a granddaughter, does that mean the Doctor also has a partner/s or children waiting for them to return to Gallifrey for thousands of years? As much as the character, especially in recent years, has implied they’re happy to screw around the cosmos, they’re not looking to settle down. And aside from one small appearance in a 1983 anniversary special, and a picture in the Doctor’s study in “The Pilot,” Susan’s existence has more or less been swept under the rug.

That was, until an actress called Susan Twist was cast in “Wild Blue Yonder” and then again in “The Church on Ruby Road.” Twist would go on to appear in every episode of Ncuti Gatwa’s first season in a series of cameos that the characters became increasingly aware of. “The Devil’s Chord” even ends on a fourth-wall breaking musical number called "There's Always a Twist at the End.” The show was very loudly hinting Twist was playing a regenerated version of Susan, who was explicitly discussed at the start of that same episode. By last season’s finale, however, Twist’s inclusion was a double bluff — part of Sutekh’s plan to trap the Doctor.

Now, it appears that showrunner Russell T. Davies has been playing the longest of long games with the fans. The season-long and highly-visible fakeout means I was actually surprised when Carole Ann Ford’s face appeared on screen. She appears twice, the first time when the Doctor is at death’s door, with her urging him to “find me” (harkening back to what Reginald Pye’s ghost wife told him before he blew up the film canisters in “Lux.”) The second time, she admonishes him for torturing Kid for his would-be genocide.

Who is Mrs. Flood?

In many ways, Susan’s appearance completely overshadows the reveal that Mrs. Flood is none other than the Rani. That’s the (classic) series’ far less well-known Time Lord foe, who appeared in only two official stories during its original run. But the Rani gained an outsize reputation among fans as she was played by Kate O’Mara (perhaps best known in the US for her role in Dynasty) who imbued the character with high camp excess. Which maybe blunted the idea that she was a sort of Time Lord Mengele, carelessly using people as fodder for her grisly experiments. Unfortunately, the Rani was created so late in the original series run that she only returned once in an episode most people would prefer to forget.

It appears that Russell T. Davies’ hidden mission for the streaming era was to rehabilitate some of the concepts that didn’t work back in the ‘80s. After bringing Mel back as a UNIT employee last year, now he’s doing the same for the Rani. Interestingly, both of those were created by Pip and Jane Baker — writers who are as emblematic of the series’ wider decline before its dramatic revival under Andrew Cartmel. It’s also notable, perhaps, that the name Rani is a Sanskrit word that broadly translates to “Queen,” but Panjabi is the first actress of South Asian descent to play the character.

I’ll be honest, if nothing else, I’m relieved that Mrs. Flood has turned out to be the Rani if only to stop people going on about that character. It’s not that she’s a bad character per-se, but when the series already has the Master, a renegade Time Lord who concocts elaborate traps for the Doctor, it’s hard to see the Rani as anything other than a “will this do?” alternative. Hopefully the finale can establish a real distinction between the Rani of the classic series and the new one beyond breaking the fourth wall.

... and the rest

Now, I have to apologize last week for not clocking the child Belinda saw in the alleyway was Poppy (Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps) from “Space Babies.” Obviously, some fan theories have suggested it was a sign that the stories from “The Story and the Engine” were leaking out of the pocket dimension. But at Comic Con Cardiff at the end of last year, Anita Dobson (Mrs. Flood) said that the second season would tie into “Space Babies,” which was another episode with a similarly fairytale premise.

If that is the case, and everything that has unfolded in the last two years is all part of some grand plan then it must have started at “Wild Blue Yonder.” It’s the second of the three 60th anniversary specials, and the episode that saw David Tennant’s Doctor disrupt Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity. It’s been a running joke ever since that the force is known as “Mavity,” and that episode is also the one that allowed the pantheon of gods to enter this universe. Given Susan Twist was playing Isaac Newton’s maid, perhaps the series shifted into the Twistverse at that point. Or, you know, the prevailing fan theory that this era takes place in the Land of Fiction, a pocket fantasy universe depicted in 1968’s “The Mind Robber.”

One subtle running thread this season has been the Doctor’s almost insistent urging that Belinda enjoys their travels. He’s made more than a few references to Belinda getting the hang of traveling with him in the TARDIS and starting to loosen up and enjoy things. If the only reason he met her in the first place was because of Conrad, then perhaps he’s unwittingly building his own bootstrap paradox. Which would be, you know, a bad thing.

Finally, it does appear that every episode of this season is going to share thematic parallels with its equivalent from last year. “Dot and Bubble” and “The Story and the Engine” both explicitly engage with ideas around how the Doctor’s changed racial identity affects his life. “Rogue” and “The Interstellar Song Contest” both deal with queer themes through the lens of a pop culture phenomenon. If true, then “Wish World” will likely be an episode where the story gets picked apart and the tension rises to another grand cliffhanger, followed by “The Reality War,” which can’t possibly hope to live up to the promise of its first half. You know, just like last year.

Access to Amazon's new AI-enhanced voice assistant, Alexa+, is expanding. The company has started notifying users who signed up for the Early Access program that they can now activate Alexa+. It's been a few months since Amazon first demoed the smarter version of Alexa, saying at the time that it would begin rolling out to the first batch of users in March before coming to more people in waves over the subsequent months, prioritizing Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 owners.

According to an Amazon spokesperson, "hundreds of thousands" of customers have tried out Alexa+ so far. For those who got Alexa+ in the initial Early Access phase, though, the assistant arrived without many of the features the company touted during its February announcement. The Washington Post, citing internal company documents, reported that this is because those tools didn't "yet meet Amazon’s standards for public release." In a footnote on its Early Access signup page, Amazon notes that some of the features shown are still in development.

Per Amazon's email on Friday to the latest wave of users, you'll only need to activate and set up Alexa + on one device. From there, any other compatible devices you own will automatically be upgraded. Alexa+ is said to be more conversational and capable of handling more complex tasks than the original assistant.

When the world needed him most, he got delayed once again. Paramount Pictures announced the second delay for The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, the upcoming movie that follows the journey of Aang and Team Avatar after the events of the beloved animated series that was released in 2005. Instead of January 30, 2026, the new film will make its way to movie theaters on October 9, 2026, as first reported by Variety.

Paramount Pictures didn't provide a reason for the delay, but this setback follows a previous postponing that bumped it from its original release date on October 10, 2025. However, there are no changes to the already-announced cast and crew, which includes Dave Bautista, Steven Yuen and Eric Nam, with Lauren Montgomery and William Mata as co-directors.

This delay could be good news, though. Paramount Pictures also revealed that it's pushing back the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 sequel from its October 9, 2026 opening date to September 17, 2027. This move frees up the slot for The Legend of Aang to make a fall release, which could attract more attention than being premiered in January.

To keep us from breaking out the pitchforks, the film studio at least revealed the new logo for the film on its Instagram. If you're itching for Avatar content, Netflix renewed its live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender for two more seasons, the next of which is expected to release in early 2026. If you're only interested in new material, the next avatar is expected to make her debut in 2027 in a series titled Avatar: Seven Havens.

Forget the joystick and forgo the D-pad. 8BitDo introduced an all-button arcade controller with an ultra-slim profile that's built for competitive fighting games. The company is known for its wide range of affordable handheld controllers, but it's been venturing more into fight pads following its Arcade Stick release. The latest Arcade Controller comes in two versions: a blacked-out variation that's officially licensed by Xbox and a retro-styled counterpart that's compatible with PC and Nintendo Switch.

For fighting game fans, the Arcade Controller offers a ton of features to provide a more competitive edge. 8BitDo's newest fight pad has 20 hours of wireless battery life, but also supports a wired mode for better latency performance. For quick adjustments mid-game, the Arcade Controller has a control panel at the top-left that lets you turn up the volume, switch between PC and Switch modes on the standard version, and even activate a tournament lock that prevents accidental misclicks that could distract or disqualify you during high-stakes matches.

8BitDo added four programmable kidney-shaped buttons and lets you hot-swap each button's mechanical switches for extra customization. If you prefer RGB lighting, 8BitDo only included it on the Xbox version. All of these elements are jammed into a controller that's 1.6 cm thick, which is just thicker than a MacBook Pro that measures 1.55 cm.

The standard version is up for pre-order on Amazon for $89.99, while the Xbox version is also available for $99.99. 8BitDo said that the first Arcade Controllers will ship across North America starting July 15, while European customers will get theirs starting August 15. It's worth noting that 8BitDo's website previously said that it would halt orders to U.S. customers coming from its warehouse in China, but has since resumed shipping to the U.S., only adding that "shipping fees may vary due to tariffs."

Microsoft has introduced the successor to PowerToys Run, its quick launcher for power users, called the Command Palette. As The Verge notes, it now functions pretty much like Mac's Spotlight and will now let you search for apps, whole folders and single files, let you perform calculations just by typing on the search bar and let you do web searches without having to open a search engine. You can launch websites straight from the results it gives you, and it also lets you run system commands. The company has rolled out the new launcher ahead of this year's Build developer conference.

In addition, Microsoft will let you add commands and features for your favorite apps to Command Palette, thanks to its support for extensions. XDA Developers recently took the launcher for a spin and said that you can search for extensions for it from WinGet and the Microsoft Store through its own search function. There's even an option to create a project for a new extension that you're building yourself. 

You can access the Command Palette on Windows by pressing Win + Alt + Space. From within the Command Palette window that pops up, you can see the various actions you can do within the launcher. It's also where you can access its Settings, which allow you to set the keyboard shortcut to show or hide the Palette, program the Backspace key to take you back to the previous page and set list items to activate on a single click, among other things. 

Microsoft

Epic has filed a "second motion to enforce injunction," asking the US District Court for the Northern District of California to force Apple to do a timely review of its Fortnite app and to approve its submission if it's compliant. The company recently accused Apple of blocking Fortnite's return to the App Store in both the US and the EU. Epic submitted the app for approval after winning its case against the iPhone-maker. Specifically, after the court ordered Apple to stop collecting commissions on purchases that weren't paid through the App Store and to allow external payment links in-app. 

After Epic said that Apple was blocking Fortnite's return to the App Store, the tech giant wrote a letter addressed to the video game developer. In it, Apple said it will not take action on Epic's submission "until after the Ninth Circuit rules on [its] pending request for a partial stay of the new injunction." It told Epic to resubmit the app to the EU storefront separately from its US submission. Apple, of course, filed an appeal against the court's order to stop charging commissions for payments made outside the App Store. It also filed an emergency motion to put a pause on the order prohibiting it from charging commissions, telling the court that it will cost the company "substantial sums annually."

In a post on X, Epic said that Apple's suggestion to submit two different versions of Fortnite for review is in violation of its own guideline that prohibits developers from submitting multiple versions of the same app. "That’s not the standard Apple holds other developers to and it’s blocking us from releasing our update in the EU and US," it wrote. Epic also asserted that its submission didn't break any rules this time. Apple's denial, the video game developer claimed in its filing, is a "blatant retaliation against Epic for challenging Apple’s anticompetitive behavior and exposing its lies to the Court, culminating in the Injunction and the Contempt Order." 

Two of the largest cable companies in the US are intent on merging. Charter Communications’ proposed acquisition of Cox Communications — the largest division of Cox Enterprises — will value the former at over $34 billion inclusive of debt.

In Cox Communications, the Cox family, which acquired its first cable business in 1962, already operates the largest private broadband company in America, supplying homes in more than 30 states, and it will be the majority shareholder in the acquisition with a stake of around 23 percent. In a press release, Charter said it will inherit Cox Communications’ commercial fiber and managed IT and cloud businesses, while Cox Communications' residential cable business will move to Charter’s Charter Holdings subsidiary.

"Cox and Charter have been innovators in connectivity and entertainment services – with decades of work and hundreds of billions of dollars invested to build, upgrade, and expand our complementary regional networks to provide high-quality internet, video, voice and mobile services," said Chris Winfrey, President and CEO of Charter. "This combination will augment our ability to innovate and provide high-quality, competitively priced products, delivered with outstanding customer service, to millions of homes and businesses."

The new combined company will continue to operate its cable, broadband and mobile consumer businesses under Charter’s Spectrum brand, and said it will offer existing customers the choice to stick with their current plans or pay less for new bundled services it intends to offer.

Of course, such mega-mergers are rarely cut and dried. Rivals, like Comcast, might attempt to scuttle the deal, while government antitrust enforcers may also not allow the transaction to go through.

Indie games! They're rad, aren't they? We're keeping closer tabs on what's going on in that scene with our new weekly roundup. We've got a jam-packed edition for you this time with a little something for everyone, from lo-fi horror and Eldritch terror to cosy train dioramas and a vaporwave driving game. 

Before we get started, a quick word on a recent game I enjoyed. Idle games aren't usually my kind of thing — I'd rather be actively doing things — but one I spotted on Itch.io offered some temporary respite from a virus I was dealing with. The DvD idle game from Cybo3D is all about watching a version of the classic DVD logo bouncing around your screen, buying upgrades and seeing numbers go up. Pleasantly relaxing stuff. I swear I even saw the logo go exactly into the corner a few times.

New releases

The Sinking City has a history that's even odder than some of the Eldritch horrors that lie within. Now, developer Frogwares has remastered its self-published detective thriller in Unreal Engine 5 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Existing owners get a free upgrade to The Sinking City Remastered, which Frogwares shadow dropped this week. Along with 4K textures, lighting upgrades and support for upscaling tech, there are quality-of-life enhancements, accessibility improvements and a photo mode.

Free-to-play fantasy adventure life sim Palia (which is what you might get if you smushed together Animal Crossing and World of Warcraft) landed on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S this week. It's been out on PC and Switch since 2023. There's a new free expansion for all platforms too.

If you've ever looked at a Grand Theft Auto game and been mildly interested before deciding a life of virtual crime is not for you, then The Precinct might be up your alley. In this action sandbox title from developer Fallen Tree Games and publisher Kwalee, you'll play as a rookie officer who tries to restore order in his city while trying to solve his father’s murder. How very '80s!

Reviews have been mixed, but the art style is compelling and the isometric perspective with twin-stick controls make for an intriguing wrinkle. The Precinct is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Upcoming

Copycat, the debut game from the small team at Spoonful of Wonder, is another strong entry in the cat game canon. You play as a kitty who an elderly lady adopts from a shelter. Needless to say, things don't entirely go smoothly. 

I enjoyed Copycat — which debuted on PC last year — and its short but affecting story. The game has already sold over 50,000 copies and it's now set to find a new audience. Copycat is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on May 29 for $15.

Folks who like last year's very good and creepy walking sim Pools but yearn for more intensity from their liminal space horror might be interested in Backrooms Level X. This one is a mazy first-person survival game that has puzzles, "oppressive soundscapes" and things watching from the shadows. Backrooms Level X, from publisher Firenut Games and solo developer José Manuel Conesa Hernández, will hit Steam on May 29 and consoles at a later date.

Okay, maybe horror's not your thing. Totally understandable. Perhaps what you'd rather do is chill out and build little railway dioramas without being beholden to timers or rules. 

You can do just that in Islands & Trains, from developers Akos Makovics and Fabi Smith and publisher Future Friends Games. It's rolling onto Steam on May 29.

It's probably a little (okay, a lot) because of the laidback synthwave tune that soundtracks the trailer, but I'm into the whole aesthetic of Adrift. This is a "chill, offroad driving game" and it's the first title from both car mechanic turned game developer Stefan Kwak and co-publisher Secret Sauce. 

Your goal is to transport a fragile energy core across an '80s-inspired, vaporwave landscape. Adrift is coming to Steam later this year and you can check out a demo now.

How about another Steam demo? One just dropped for Flick Shot Rogues from three-person studio Butter by the Fish and publisher Noodlecake. Turn-based tactics games usually aren't my cup of tea, but the gameplay here reminds me a bit of Subpar Pool, a game I love very much. 

In this roguelike, you flick your character across the screen to damage opponents (or evade their attacks) and try to pull off combo moves. Getting the angles just right is as important as piecing together effective builds.

I fired up the demo and suddenly 50 minutes had vanished as my first run ended. Yep, I'm liking what Flick Shot Rogues is putting down. I can see myself sinking dozens of hours into this one after it lands on Steam later this year.

An open beta for Splitgate 2, the followup to the Portal-with-guns multiplayer arena shooter, starts on May 22. You'll be able to hop in on Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. 

A new trailer shows off the map creator tool, The Lab. You can build maps with up to 15 of your friends in real-time collaboration.

I'm sure plenty of folks who are into miniature wargaming and other types of tabletop games have wondered what it might be like to run their own store that sells such wares. And hey, guess what? You'll be able to get a taste of that in Tabletop Game Shop Sim from Knight Fever Games. 

You'll do everything from deciding on the layout and managing finances to hosting game nights and playing with customers. This one's coming to Steam in 2025.

Let's close things out on another cozy note. We love a chill puzzle game around here and Umami might just fit the bill. The idea here is to fit wooden blocks together to create dioramas of food towers. This 3D puzzler from Mimmox will hit Steam later this year. A demo will be available during the Steam Next Fest in mid-June.

It's still May, which means it's still Google time. After showing off Android's new look at The Android Show, the company still has its developer conference to check off the list. Google I/O 2025 is scheduled to start on May 20 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, and Engadget will be covering it live, via a liveblog and on-the-ground reporting from our very own Karissa Bell.

Google included some Gemini news in The Android Show — the AI is coming to Wear OS, Android Auto and Google TV — but artificial intelligence should still be the focus of the company's upcoming keynote. too. Expect news about how Google is using AI in search to be featured prominently, along with some other surprises, like the possible debut of an AI-powered Pinterest alternative.

The company made it clear during its Android showcase that Android XR, its mixed reality platform, will also be featured during I/O. That could include the mixed reality headset Google and Samsung are collaborating on, or, as teased at the end of The Android Show, smart glasses with Google's Project Astra built-in.

To find out for yourself, you can watch Google's keynote in the embedded livestream above or on the company's YouTube channel. The event starts at 1PM ET on May 20 and the company plans to hold breakout sessions through May 21 on a variety of different topics relevant to developers. 

The bright, glitched-out, typography-forward look of Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter Marathon is one of its defining features. As it turns out, it's also partially plagiarized, according to posts shared on the official Marathon X account. The announcement comes after artist Fern Hook, who goes by @4nt1r34l on X, initially accused Bungie of using in-game textures that looked similar to her original artwork on May 15.

"Bungie is of course not obligated to hire me when making a game that draws overwhelmingly from the same design language I have refined for the last decade," Hook wrote on X, "but clearly my work was good enough to pillage for ideas and plaster all over their game without pay or attribution." 

Hook's posts are fairly damning, identifying obvious areas in Marathon's alpha map that feature only lightly altered versions of her original work. She became aware of the issue when the alpha originally launched in April 2025, according to The Washington Post, but kept quiet until now because she was advised to seek legal action. Hook ultimately decided to post about the issue because she doesn't "have enough time or money to fly out to the US to pursue an unwinnable court case against Sony."

Bungie's statement claims that "a former Bungie artist" included Hook's art in a texture sheet without the rest of the art team's knowledge. The company is "conducting a thorough review of [its] in-game assets" and has also reached out to Hook to "discuss the issue" further.

As Eurogamer notes, this isn't the first time Bungie has been accused of lifting the work of other artists. The developer was accused of doing the same thing multiple times during the development of Destiny 2 and its various expansions.

Since the game is still in development, it's not clear how or if Bungie will change Marathon to address Hook's complaint, but the developer has until September 23 to do it. That's when Marathon is supposed to launch on PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox Series X/S.

The FTC just rested its case following weeks of testimony in a landmark antitrust case against Meta. But before Meta can begin its defense, the company's lawyers have opted for another move: asking the judge to throw out the case entirely.

The company filed a motion on Thursday asking US District judge James Boasberg to toss out the FTC's case, arguing that the regulator has not proved that Meta acted anticompetitively. "Meta has made two promising mobile apps with uncertain prospect: two of the most successful apps in the world, enjoyed by approximately half of the planet's population (including hundreds of millions of U.S. consumers) on demand, in unlimited quantities, all for free," the filing says, "The FTC has not carried its burden to prove that Meta 'is currently violating the antitrust laws.'"

The company's reasoning is similar to past arguments it's made about the FTC's case. Meta has said that Instagram and WhatsApp were able to grow to one-billion-user services because of the company's investments. The company also takes issue with the FTC's claim that there is a lack of competition for "personal social networking services." (The FTC has argued that Meta's only competitors for social networking are Snapchat and MeWe, a small privacy-focused social app that runs on decentralized protocols.)

So far, the month-long trial has seen a number of prominent current and former Meta executives take the stand, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, former COO Sheryl Sandberg and Instagram cofounder Kevin Systrom. Their testimony has revealed new details about the inner workings of the social media company and its tactics to stay ahead of potential competitors.

There's a new way to screen for early detection of Alzheimer's disease. On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the first blood test for the disorder. Fujirebio Diagnostics' Lumipulse measures the ratio of two proteins that correlate with the presence or absence of Alzheimer's. Previously, patients being screened for Alzheimer's were limited to more invasive options: a PET Scan or spinal tap.

Lumipulse is intended for use in clinical settings with patients exhibiting signs of cognitive decline. At least in its current form, it isn't something the general population can ask for as a standard screening.

The test works by measuring two proteins: pTau217 and β-amyloid 1-42. The blood test calculates their ratio, which correlates with the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain. People with Alzheimer's have elevated pTau217 and lower β-amyloid 1-42.

In a clinical study, the test performed better with negative results than positive ones. As such, Reuters reports that the test will likely be used initially to rule out Alzheimer's. Over 97 percent of negative results corresponded with a negative PET scan or CSF test result. Results for positives were a bit lower: a 91.7 percent correlation. So, positive results will need to be confirmed with more advanced diagnostic tests.

Last August, my best friend asked me how she could help her neighbor set her iPhone so she could answer it without picking it up. The neighbor had Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and had lost dexterity in both hands over time. Some Google searches revealed I was far from alone in my confusion. So I asked Apple for some advice. Here’s what I said:

Q: “My friend has advanced MS and has some (very little) control of one of her hands. She can't really swipe a screen or tap buttons. She wants it so that when she receives a call, she can just ask Siri or tell her iPhone to answer or reject it. But based on my research, the only way that's possible is if a user has AirPods or Apple Watch connected, so Siri can announce incoming calls and listen for commands like "Answer" or "Dismiss."

I also looked in the accessibility settings for Voice Control and there's a way to answer all incoming calls after a set amount of time. But due to privacy concerns and spam calls, that's not an ideal solution.

I was wondering if you knew any way for incoming calls to be answered with a voice command?”

A: Apple did respond, but unfortunately the solution is… complicated. I’ll lay out the steps on how to use your iPhone with Voice Control first, since that does provide a somewhat effective workaround. But you should read past the steps for some of the caveats.

How to use Voice Control on iPhone to answer calls

Before we get started, make sure your phone is running iOS 13 or later. You can also use Voice Control on iPads or iPod Touch (if you still have one). When setting up Voice Control, make sure you’re connected to the internet to download the necessary files, and Apple recommends you connect to Wi-Fi before you turn on Voice Control to use it for the first time. When all that is done, proceed with the following steps.

1. Open the Settings app and find the Accessibility settings. This is in the second group of options just below “General.” You can also just search for “Accessibility.”

2. Select “Voice Control,” which is listed in the “Physical and motion” section.

3. Turn on Voice Control by tapping or sliding the toggle next to it, and, in some cases, wait for the download to finish. If you’ve enabled Voice Control before, you can also just ask Siri to “Turn on voice control.”

4. Once the feature is on, you’ll see little numbers floating around your screen, next to key elements. Your microphone is now on and your iPhone is listening for your commands.

5. Read out the number next to what you want to trigger. If you’ve been following this guide, you can say “one” to go back to the Accessibility settings menu.

6. Say “Show me what to say” for a detailed list of things you can do. You can use commands like “Swipe down” or “Move down” to scroll through pages. Just remember that “Swipe up” will scroll down and “Swipe down” will scroll up. The system will continue to recognize your touch inputs, too.

7. When a call comes in, read out the number next to the answer option. From the lock screen, that was the number “five” in my experience. When my phone was unlocked, the number to accept the call was “six,” while “five” would decline it.

Voice Control isn't perfect

As you can see from that seventh step, Voice Control is complicated. You’ll need to be within view of your screen to see the labels, and saying the wrong number can cause you to hang up a call by accident. You can say "Show Names" to display words instead of numbers in the labels, but know that in this case you'll need to add "Tap" before each label to press it. That means when a call comes in, you can say "Tap Answer" or the label corresponding to the action you want. 

I want to point out that the numerical labels don’t consistently appear in all apps (the search bar at the top of chats in WhatsApp, for example, doesn’t have a number attached to it in my experience). Occasionally, the names in the labels are also oddly chosen, like how the word attached to my widget for my self-care app was just "Image." It also takes time to build familiarity with Voice Control and learn all the available actions. 

I also found the system to be sluggish, and it sometimes took a noticeable delay before a command like "Swipe left" was registered and carried out. On my first few attempts, I thought my iPhone didn't hear me and repeated the instruction, only for it to swipe through two pages instead. I'm using an iPhone 16 Pro, which is Apple's latest flagship, so it's not like I'm on an older, slower device, either.

While we were able to achieve a semi-effective approach with the Voice Control workaround, it didn’t really solve my friend’s neighbor’s problem.

How to answer or decline calls with Siri

In researching this guide, I've found that either there is now a way to answer calls with Siri or there was always one that I had missed in August of 2024. Regardless, I was able to test it today in a few different scenarios and while it's certainly more convenient, it's not without its limitations. 

1. Go to Siri Settings in your phone. You can find this by searching for "Siri" in your Settings app or just scrolling till you see "Siri" or "Apple Intelligence & Siri."

2. Make sure the setting to allow your iPhone to listen for "Siri" or "Hey Siri" is on. If you're running the latest version of iOS on an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro, this would be Talk & Type to Siri > "Hey Siri" or "Siri" or "Hey Siri" (whichever you prefer, as long as it's not "Off"). On older iPhones or versions of iOS, it would be Talk to Siri > "Hey Siri" or "Siri" or "Hey Siri"

3. Turn on "Call Hang Up" if you want to be able to end a call with a voice command during the conversation. Otherwise, you'll have to wait for the other party to hang up. Note: Call hang up only works on phone and FaceTime calls, not on those via third-party apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.

4. When a call comes in, say "Siri, answer" or "Hey Siri, answer" to accept. Say "Siri, decline the call" to reject it. In my testing, "Siri, decline" did not work, but "Siri, decline the call" did. 

I was able to use this method to answer calls not only through phone or FaceTime, but via third-party apps too. I enabled "Announce calls," setting it to do so "Always" rather than only when headphones or CarPlay were connected. But I never saw or heard alerts when a call came, besides the actual ringing. When I asked my friend about using this method with their neighbor, they mentioned that her speech was so affected at that point that Siri wouldn't always recognize what she was saying.

Accessibility in tech has improved, but needs to get even better

Sadly, that neighbor had passed away before we were able to resolve the issue. Though I wasn't able to solve her problem, I'm putting the limited guidance I’ve been able to compile here in the hope that it might be useful to someone in a substantially similar situation. 

I have yet to properly test the offerings on Android, but on that platform there are settings for Voice Access to be enabled for incoming calls and to remain active during calls, indicating there are options to use voice commands there.

My friend's neighbor's challenges are shared by countless people who are still struggling with consumer technology tools that rarely meet their full needs — whether they're temporary limitations from injuries or longterm issues resulting from disability or age. Voice-based interactions that are meant to help those with physical disabilities need to better recognize speech impediments at a wider level, and both Google and Apple, along with other major tech companies, have taken steps toward building better models in those respects. 

The memory of our frustration with voice control felt all the more timely this week, which marked the 14th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (the third Thursday of each May). We saw Apple and Google announce new accessibility features, while companies like Amazon, Netflix and Microsoft reminded us of the assistive tools they recently released. 

It’s heartening to see increased development in inclusively designed tech, but it’s also worth considering how complete and useful some of these "solutions" are. Many of us will either need some form of assistive technology at some point in our lives or know someone who does and would. In spite of the continued improvements, there’s still plenty to do to ensure tech is accessible to all.

Whether you're jamming out at the beach, setting up a backyard movie night or just want some tunes while you work, a great portable Bluetooth speaker is a must-have. The best options today go beyond just playing music — they deliver punchy bass, crisp vocals and even customizable sound modes to match whatever you're listening to. Some models even pack extras like a built-in LED light for a cool light show, making them perfect for parties or late-night hangs.

The best portable Bluetooth speaker isn’t just about sound — it’s about convenience, too. Some speakers come in a tiny size that slips easily into a bag, while others have rugged, waterproof designs built for adventure. If you’re looking for a mini Bluetooth option for travel or a bigger speaker that fills a room with sound, there’s something out there for everyone.

With so many choices, finding the best Bluetooth speaker for your needs can feel overwhelming. We’ve rounded up the top picks that balance great audio, portability and extra features to keep the music going wherever you are.

Table of contents

• Best portable Bluetooth speakers: $50 to $200

• Best portable Bluetooth speakers: $200 to $450

• Best portable Bluetooth speakers: $450 and higher

• Factors to consider in a portable Bluetooth speaker

• Other portable Bluetooth speakers we tested

• Bluetooth speaker FAQs

Best portable Bluetooth speakers: $50 to $200

Best portable Bluetooth speakers: $200 to $450

Best portable Bluetooth speakers: $450 and higher

Factors to consider in a portable Bluetooth speaker

Weather-proofing

IP ratings (Ingress Protection) are the alphanumeric indicators you often see in a product’s spec sheet that define water and dust resistance. It’s usually a combo of two numbers with the first indicating solid object ingress and the second being water. The former goes from 0 (no protection) to 6 (dustproof). The water-resistance rating goes from 0 (no protection) to 9 (protected against immersion and high pressure jets). When an X is used instead of a number, that means the product wasn’t tested for resistance. If it’s a waterproof speaker, it may have some innate resistance to solids, but there’s no guarantee.

IP67 is a common rating these days indicating highly resistant and potentially rugged speakers often featured in audio products like outdoor speakers. These are safe for quick dunks in the pool or tub and should be more than OK in the rain or in the shower. They’re also good options for the beach, playground and other rough environs.

Additionally, speakers with ports and a high rating will often include a tight-fitting cover over the charging or auxiliary ports. If you plan on using the ports, that may limit the product's rated ability to fend off the elements.

When looking for the best portable Bluetooth speaker, consider the IP rating and also how you plan to use your Bluetooth speaker when making your decision. It may be worth splurging on a better sounding model with a lower IP rating if you’ll mostly be using it indoors, for instance.

Battery life

The focus of this guide is on the best. portable Bluetooth speakers, and while “portable” can be a relative term, these devices are generally for people who are likely to find themselves far from a power outlet. These days, around 12 hours of playtime seems to be the baseline but obviously, the more battery life you can get out of a speaker, the better, especially if you plan to listen to podcasts or music on the go.

That said, be careful when looking at battery specs, as they frequently list a maximum runtime (“up to” x amount of hours). This usually means they tested at a low to mid volume. If you like your tunes loud with punchy bass, it can often end up cutting the expected usage time in half or more. Luckily, some manufacturers also list the expected hours of battery life when used at full volume and that transparency is appreciated. Bear in mind, however, that not all of the best Bluetooth speakers use the same charging port. Some support USB-C charging, while others use micro-USB, and some may even come with an adapter for added convenience.

Additionally, if your audio system or mini Bluetooth speaker also happens to have Wi-Fi connectivity, they're usually designed for always-on functionality. Unlike normal Bluetooth speakers that go to sleep after a short period without use, these will usually stay awake (to listen for your commands) and slowly run down the battery. If you're out and about, you'll want to remember to turn these speakers off manually when not in use to maximize battery life.

Range

Bluetooth 5 offers better range and more reliable connectivity than its predecessors, making it a great feature to look for in the best Bluetooth speaker. That said, Bluetooth range can still be tricky. Some companies list their product’s longest possible range, usually outdoors and in an unobstructed line-of-sight test environment. Other companies stick with a 30-foot range on the spec sheet and leave it at that, even though they may be running Bluetooth 4.x or 5.x. That’s likely underselling the speaker's potential, but unpredictable environments can affect range and there’s little point in promising the moon only to get complaints.

I’ve seen signal drop issues when crouching down, with my phone in the front pocket of my jeans, and barely 30 feet away from a speaker inside my apartment. I ran into this issue across several devices regardless of their listed Bluetooth connectivity range.

If you’re hosting a patio party and duck inside, it’s wise to keep any wireless Bluetooth speakers relatively close by just in case. It’s hard to gauge what aspects of any environment may interfere with a Bluetooth signal. In general, take range specs around 100 feet or more as a perfect-world scenario.

Latency

This is a minor mention for those out there who use a speaker for their computer output, or as a mini Bluetooth soundbar solution for setups like a monitor and streaming box. It’s annoying to find that your speaker’s latency isn’t low enough to avoid lip sync issues. Luckily, it seems that most speakers these days don’t often have these problems. Only a handful of the few dozen speakers I tried had persistent, noticeable lip-sync issues. Aside from occasional blips, all of our picks worked well in this regard.

If you plan to frequently use a speaker for video playback, look for devices with the most recent Bluetooth 5 technology and lower latency codecs like aptX. Also make sure the speaker is close to the source device as distance can be a factor. To avoid the issue altogether, though, consider getting one with a wired auxiliary input.

Extra features

Some speakers don’t just play music — they bring the party to life with built-in LED light effects and a full-on light show that syncs to your music. If you love a bit of visual flair with your tunes, it’s worth checking out models that offer LED light customization options.

Sound quality also plays a huge role in picking the right speaker. The best Bluetooth speaker should deliver a balanced mix of punchy bass, clear highs and strong vocals. Many models also include customizable sound modes that let you tweak the EQ to better suit different genres — whether you’re blasting EDM, listening to a podcast, or just want a more immersive experience.

If aesthetics matter, many models come in a tiny size that makes them extra portable, with plenty of color options to match your personal style. Whether you want a sleek black speaker or a vibrant eye-catching design, there are plenty of choices to fit your vibe.

Other portable Bluetooth speakers we tested

Sonos Roam

While there's a lot to like about the Sonos Roam, there are plenty of other Bluetooth speakers with more features and better battery life. In our review, we gave the Roam a score of 87, praising it for its good sound quality, durable waterproof design and ability to work well within an existing Sonos speaker ecosystem. But the price is just fine at $180, and we found Bluetooth speakers that offer more at lower price points. Plus, the Roam taps out at 10 hours of battery life, and all of our top picks can run for longer than that on a single charge.

Monoprice Soundstage3

The Monoprice Soundstage3 offers relatively big sound at a midrange $250 price, with a variety of inputs rarely found on a portable Bluetooth speaker. The boxy, minimalist design is no nonsense, even if it's more of a less-rugged, bookshelf-styled homebody. While the speaker puts out crisp highs alongside booming lows, we found the bass can overpower the rest of the output, so it's not for everyone. And after using the speaker for many months, we also found the low-slung, poorly labeled button panel along the top can be a bit annoying to use. If you want a speaker for road trips, favor mids and highs, and plan on using physical buttons for volume control and input selections, there are better options out there.

JBL Boombox 3

Fans of JBL’s bluetooth speaker sound profile who want to crank up the volume, but also want a rugged and portable option, may enjoy the JBL Boombox 3. It’s a decent grab-and-go speaker with a very loud output, although it's not as good as some of the loud-speaker styled options for long-throw sound and big outdoor areas. However, the price for this speaker line remains prohibitively expensive compared to other options with big sound that cover a bit more ground. If the JBL brand is your thing and you like the rugged, portable form factor, we recommend looking for discounts, or shopping around and exploring the available options including the (less portable) JBL PartyBox series.

Soundcore Motion X500

Soundcore speakers have generally been good and often reasonably priced. The Motion X500 loosely falls into that category. It has a tall, metallic lunchbox vibe with a fixed handle and pumps out a respectable 40 watts of crisp, clear sound for its size. It can get pretty loud and serves up a good dose of bass, although its primarily a front-facing speaker.

There’s LDAC hi-res audio support for Android users, but the main selling point on this is spatial audio. This is done through an EQ change and the activation of a small, up-firing driver. There’s a slight benefit from this if you’re up close and directly in front of it, but it’s not a total game changer for your listening experience. The original pre-order price of $130 made it a decent option in terms of bang for your buck. But it went up to $170 at launch, making it less appealing even if it’s still a good middle-of-the-road option if you want small-ish, clear and loud. If you can find one on sale for the lower price, it’s definitely worth considering. There’s also the larger and louder X600 ($200) if the overall concept is working for you.

Portable Bluetooth speaker FAQs

How does a Bluetooth speaker work?

Bluetooth technology lets devices connect and exchange data over short distances using ultra high frequency (UHF) radio waves. It’s the frequency range that’s carved out for industrial, scientific and medical purposes, called the 2.4GHz ISM spectrum band. This range is available worldwide, making it easy for companies to use with devices for global markets.

Bluetooth speakers include this tech, which lets them communicate with source devices like smartphones, tablets or computers in order to exchange data. The two devices pair by sharing a unique code and will work within the proscribed range for the device and Bluetooth version. 

Ever since Bluetooth 4.0 was released over a decade ago, new iterations usually improve on range, use less power and offer expanded connectivity with features like multipoint (allowing more than one device to be connected at the same time, for instance).

Who should buy a Portable Bluetooth speaker?

If you want to play music while you’re out-and-about on something other than headphones, a portable Bluetooth speaker is probably what you want. There’s a broad range of devices for all types of circumstances. Many adventurous people will want a relatively lightweight portable that’s rugged enough to handle the elements while also packing enough charge to play for hours on end. Others may simply need a speaker they can move around the house or use in the backyard. In this case, you can choose larger less rugged models that may offer better sound. 

Iconic video game maker Hideo Kojima has left behind a USB stick filled with game ideas in the case of his death, as indicated in an interview with Edge Magazine that VGC reported on. Kojima says it's "kind of like a will" and that he hopes that his staff will continue to make games after he passes.

Don't worry. He isn't going anywhere anytime soon. This was spurred on by the pandemic. "Until then, I didn’t think I was old, you know? I just didn’t feel my age, and I assumed I would be able to create for as long as I live," he told the magazine. Kojima is 61 years old, which is a spring chicken when compared to luminaries like Shigeru Miyamoto (72) and Sid Meier (71.)

While Kojima isn't planning on leaving this mortal coil in the near future, he does say that he only has so much time left for active game development. He gives himself around ten years before he reaches an age in which his creative energy could be depleted.

So, the idea of a USB stick was born. He hopes it will allow Kojima Productions to carry on as an entity after he passes or retires. "This is a fear for me: what happens to Kojima Productions after I’m gone? I don’t want them to just manage our existing IP."

While we don't know what type of ideas are on the USB stick, Kojima did recently introduce a few off-the-wall game concepts regarding the passage of time. He discussed a concept involving memory, in which the main character gradually forgets important information and abilities if someone takes too long of a break from playing. Kojima also discussed a game that encompassed an entire life and another one that would involve the real-time creation of wine or cheese.

The designer also planned on a mechanic that made Sam's beard grow over time in the forthcoming Death Stranding 2. However, he scrapped it because "Norman Reedus is a big star" and he didn't "want to make him look uncool."

More original Switch games are getting the Switch 2 treatment. Although their enhancements are subtler than the Switch 2 editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, at least these will be free updates.

On Friday, Nintendo detailed the legacy Switch titles that will receive upgrades for the Switch 2. They include some of the console's best games from the company's biggest franchises.

Most of the platform's big Mario games are included: Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. You'll also find the platform's top-down Zelda titles: Echoes of Wisdom and Link's Awakening. A pair of Pokémon games makes the cut: Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. Even Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker gets in on the action.

The enhancements vary by title. They range from various visual upgrades to multiplayer GameShare functionality.

Here's the complete list:

• ARMS – visual upgrades (resolution, frame rates and HDR)  

• Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain – GameShare (up to four players, local / online GameChat sharing)  

• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – visual upgrades (resolution and HDR) and GameShare (two players in all courses, local / online GameChat sharing)  

• Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics – GameShare (up to four players can play 34 games, local / online GameChat sharing)  

• Game Builder Garage – visual upgrades (resolution), Joy-Con 2 mouse control  

• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – visual upgrades (resolution)  

• Pokémon Scarlet – visual upgrades (resolution, frame rates)  

• Pokémon Violet – visual upgrades (resolution, frame rates)  

• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury – visual upgrades (resolution, frame rates and HDR), GameShare (up to four players in Super Mario 3D World, two players in Bowser's Fury and local / online GameChat sharing)  

• Super Mario Odyssey – visual upgrades (resolution, frame rates), GameShare (two players, local / online GameChat sharing)  

• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – visual upgrades (resolution, HDR)  

• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening – visual upgrades (resolution, HDR)

All of the free updates will be available on the Switch 2's June 5 launch date. You'll first need to install a system update for the new console.

The FCC has announced its approval of the merger between communications giants Verizon and Frontier, after a deal was made last year. Verizon will acquire Frontier Communications for $9.6 billion in cash, in addition to absorbing $10 billion of debt.

Key to earning approval from the FCC was Verizon's commitment to ending all DEI-related practices, in line with the Trump administration’s aim to dismantle all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives from both public organizations and private companies.

The statement from the FCC said the approval "ensures that discriminatory DEI policies end," and that Verizon "has reaffirmed the merged entity’s commitment to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination."

"By approving this deal, the FCC ensures that Americans will benefit from a series of good and commonsense wins. The transaction will unleash billions of dollars in new infrastructure builds in communities across the country—including rural America. This investment will accelerate the transition away from old, copper line networks to modern, high-speed ones. And it delivers for America’s tower and telecom crews who do the hard, often gritty work needed to build high-speed networks," said Brendan Carr, FCC chairman.

Verizon plans to upgrade and expand Frontier's existing network across 25 states and expects to deploy fiber to more than one million American homes annually.