Geek News

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. We're still not done with Mobile World Congress , and the show has a few surprises left -- like LG's G7. But first, it's time to take a ride in the Model 3. The Fast and the Infuriating Tesla Model 3 review Whether you're on the waiting list or on the fence, the Model 3 is one of the most-anticipated vehicles in a long time. Roberto Baldwin reports from behind the wheel of Elon Musk's mainstream EV and found the experience a mixed bag. It's faster and more nimble than Tesla's S and X, but its touchscreen isn't quite ready to make up for a missing dash cluster and button controls. Sneaky. An LG G7 showed up in Barcelona after all Ready for one more MWC 2018 flagship device? Israeli news site YNET got hands-on time with LG's G7 even though it was never officially revealed at the show. An LG spokesperson told Engadget that the phone in question was a "concept," and that LG never had this partic...

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Another day, another chat app from Google. After Hangouts Chat, we have more news from MWC and some tips on how to get the most battery life out of your mobile devices. How many messaging apps can one company make? Google's Slack alternative is available As of now, Hangouts Chat is out of Google's early adopter program and will be available to all G Suite users over the next week, assuming their company enables it, of course. On one hand, it's easy to roll our eyes at yet another attempt at Chat. But Google has been saying ever since it launched the consumer-focused Allo messaging app that Hangouts was destined for businesses. To differentiate itself from Slack and the others, Hangouts Chat adds bots and some artificial-intelligence magic. Launch date scheduled for 2020. Watch the world's largest plane hit 46MPH in latest taxi tests During its most recent tests, the 500,000-pound Stratolaunch aircraft has successfully rea...

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. February is wrapping up but MWC 2018 is still going strong, and we have even more stuff to show you (plus one phone that's not here but should be.) It's also time to evaluate Google's AI-powered Clips camera and get ready for the Tamagotchi app. Take that, Nest. Amazon acquires Ring's smart-doorbell business In a statement, Amazon told Engadget it was "excited" to work with Ring and aid in its "mission to keep homes safe and secure." Ring said it could "achieve even more" by allying itself with Amazon as it focuses on its "vision for safer neighborhoods." What is AI anyway? Hands-on with the ASUS ZenFone 5 When ASUS introduced us to the ZenFone, a spokesperson proudly talked about its "10 AI features." The problem is, ASUS is playing pretty hard and fast with the way it defines artificial intelligence -- color temperature or power management adjustments without any machin...

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. MWC 2018 is in full swing, and we have a whole new list of phones to pore over, including Sony's Xperia XZ2 and the first cellphone with a cryptocurrency wallet. Sony's fastest, strangest flagship phone yet. Hands-on with the Sony Xperia XZ2 And its Compact sibling. It's getting smarter. Google Assistant can launch specific tasks in Android apps Google has announced some new updates for its AI helper at MWC. Along with support for seven new languages (16 in total), it lets voice commands connect to specific actions within apps on your phone. Also, it's smart enough to ask for your location mid-conversation if it needs that information to do something like order a pizza. Finally, if you're in an app that you use regularly, then it can cut out the intro process. Missed you at CES. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai talks 5G and net neutrality repeal During an MWC 2018 event, titled "The Future of the Industry: Transatlantic...

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Before you wrap this week up, check out our Mobile World Congress preview, so you don't miss any of the new phones we're expecting to see(set a reminder for Samsung's Galaxy S9 event on Sunday.) Also, the FCC is in for a fight over its plan to repeal net neutrality and Blizzard is celebrating a patch for a 15-year-old game. Ready for MWC 2018? What to expect from the world's biggest phone show Team Engadget is en route to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, and while the show officially starts on Monday, you'll start to see some of this year's key news and announcements this weekend. We don't want you going into things blind, though, so here's a primer on what to expect from the world's biggest and best phone-makers once MWC 2018 gets off the ground. Indie game studio Snowman returns to a very different mobile marketplace. 'Alto's Odyssey' took three years to make, and that's all right...

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. This morning we're serving up Apple updates, some information on Elon Musk's next big tunnel plan and a check-in on a very long Martian road trip. Small, but big. The Big Picture: A trapped atom is visible to the naked eye This photo, Single Atom in an Ion Trap, just won the grand prize in the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) science photo and imaging contest. Get 'em while they're hot. Apple updates all of its operating systems to fix app-crashing bug Remember that single character message that's capable of crashing chat apps on Apple devices? As promised, updates are now available for macOS, iOS, tvOS and watchOS that fix the issue and allow you to communicate using Telegu (a language native to India) in peace. Not so boring this time. Elon Musk gets Hyperloop digging permit in Washington, DC It's preliminary, but this time he has it in writing. Ages eight and up. Air Hogs...

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Notice anything new in your browser this morning? We'll explain Chrome's latest trick, plus the problem with video-game records and where you shouldn't put your new HomePod. This could get awkward. Google explains Chrome's new ad blocker Starting today, Chrome will automatically filter ads from sites that don't live up to the Better Ads Standards . Hopefully, that should cut down things we've seen like page-hijacking ads on mobile and many loud autoplaying videos, but the ads are still accessible if you really need to enter your Amazon account info on some random website. Ultimately, this blocker is supposed to nudge site managers into fixing the loopholes that bring annoying ads to browsers in the first place. 'Dragster,' 'Donkey Kong' and decades of frustration. Video-game records are broken. Can anyone fix them? Twin Galaxies, the arbiter for video-game recordkeeping (someone has to do it), rece...