Duolingo is now going to be "AI-first," the company has announced — aka it will drop employees in favor of using AI. In a publicly shared email, CEO Luis von Ahn outlined how Duolingo will "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle." This follows the company's January 2024 decision to cut 10 percent of its contractors, in part because AI could do their tasks.
In the email, von Ahn points to Duolingo's "need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn’t scale. One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI. Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners. We owe it to our learners to get them this content ASAP."
The CEO claims that Duolingo still "cares deeply about its employees" but that it needs to remove bottlenecks to best utilize them. To that end, it will be looking for experience using AI both in hiring and when doing performance reviews.
In the email, von Ahn admits that AI is far from perfect — wow, who knew? But, he states that Duolingo should move with urgency, rather than wait and take "occasional small hits" quality-wise. We'll have to wait and see what these AI-powered prompts will look like as a result.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/duolingo-will-replace-contract-workers-with-ai-for-content-creation-123058970.html?src=rss
For those looking to elevate their cooking, a sous vide machine might be the perfect addition to your toolkit. Previously, these gadgets were almost exclusively used by high-end restaurants. But more recently, prices have come down to where they can be relatively affordable additions to your kitchen.
These devices make preparing perfectly cooked steaks a breeze while taking all the guesswork and hassle out of dishes like pulled pork or brisket. And it’s not just for meat either, as a sous vide machine can make easy work out of soft-boiled eggs, homemade yogurt or fish. And while some may say you need a lot of accessories like vacuum sealers or special bags to get the best results, starting with the right appliance will get you 90 percent of the way. So to help you figure out which sous vide machine is right for you, we’ve assembled a list of our favorite gadgets you can get right now.
Best sous vide machines for 2025
What to look for in a sous vide machine
While they might have a fancy name, the main things we look for in a quality sous vide device are quite straightforward: ease-of-use, reliability and a good design. It should be easy to clean and have clear, no-nonsense controls. It should also have some way of attaching to a tank or pot, whether by magnet or adjustable clamp, so it doesn’t become dislodged during use. And most importantly, it should have a strong heating element and motor that can deliver consistent water temperatures to ensure your food hits the correct level of doneness every time without overcooking.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-sous-vide-133025288.html?src=rss
The US House of Representatives has passed the Take It Down Act, a bipartisan bill that criminalizes the "publication of non-consensual, sexually exploitative images," including AI-generated deepfakes that depict "identifiable, real people." It would also compel platforms, such as social networks, to remove those images within 48 hours of being notified. The bill enjoyed overwhelming support in Congress and was cleared for approval by President Trump with a vote of 409 to 2. It passed Senate unanimously in February, and Trump, who previously talked about it while addressing Congress, is expected to sign the bill into law.
Nearly every state in the country has its own laws revolving around revenge porn, and there are 20 states that already have laws that cover deepfakes. Take It Down's authors, who include Senator Ted Cruz, explained that those laws "vary in classification of crime and penalty and have uneven criminal prosecution." Victims are also still having a tough time getting their images removed under those laws. However, it's that takedown provision in the bill that has raised concerns among critics.
According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the provision could potentially apply to any image that's perceived as sexual or intimate even if it's not revenge porn. It has much broader definitions of what a "non-consensual, sexually exploitative image" is compared to its narrower definitions in other parts of the bill, the organization said. In addition, the EFF argued that the bill lacks safeguards against bad-faith takedown requests. Since online platforms typically use automated systems to remove content, and 48 hours are likely not enough time to verify each request's legitimacy, they'll most likely just depublish most reported images without checking them first.
One of the Republican representatives who voted against the bill said it was "ripe for abuse, with unintended consequences." But Cruz previously said after introducing Take It Down that it will "protect and empower all victims" of revenge porn by "creating a level playing field at the federal level and putting the responsibility on websites to have in place procedures to remove these images."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/us-congress-passes-take-it-down-revenge-porn-bill-that-also-covers-ai-deepfakes-120047880.html?src=rss
Google I/O is usually where the company reveals what’s happening with its smartphone OS for the next 12 months, but this year, Android is getting its own thing. A week ahead of I/O, Google will deep dive into the future of Android in a special edition of The Android Show.
The company said people have been asking for more ways to learn about how the Android experience is changing. (Who are these people?)
Google says it has “so many new things to share” regarding Android, hence this edition of The Android Show — a long-running YouTube series mainly for devs. The presentation will feature Android Ecosystem president Sameer Samat, but Google added that Android will still feature at I/O, where the company says it’ll reveal “even more special announcements and surprises.”
Nothing says its CMF Phone Pro 2 is the lightest, slimmest smartphone it’s ever designed. It’s 7.8mm thin and 6.5 ounces, which may make it the lightest phone Nothing has ever made, but the iPhone 16, for instance, is just 6 ounces.
There’s a 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED display and a four-camera setup, complete with a 50MP main camera. That includes a telephoto lens, an ultra-wide and a front-facing selfie camera, but CMF is offering a modular twist, with the ability to attach fisheye and macro lenses.
The 256GB model costs just $279 and pre-orders are open now, shipping on May 6. However, the phone is only available for those in the company’s beta program. I have the phone right here, but there’s not much to report on until the frivolous accessories land alongside it.
A group of researchers covertly ran a months-long unauthorized experiment in one of Reddit’s most popular communities, using AI-generated comments to test the persuasiveness of large language models (LLMs). The experiment, which was revealed over the weekend by moderators of r/changemyview, is described by Reddit mods as “psychological manipulation” of unsuspecting users.
The researchers used LLMs to generate comments on r/changemyview, a subreddit where Reddit users share (often controversial or provocative) opinions and invite debate from other users. The community has 3.8 million members.
According to Reddit moderators, the AI took on numerous identities in comments during the experiment, including a sexual assault survivor, a trauma counselor “specializing in abuse” and a “Black man opposed to Black Lives Matter.” Many of the original comments have since been deleted.
Reddit appears to be considering some kind of legal action. Chief legal officer Ben Lee wrote that the researchers’ actions were “deeply wrong on both a moral and legal level” and a violation of Reddit’s site-wide rules.
Russia took issue with Wargaming’s support of Ukraine.
Top executives from Wargaming and Lesta Games, the joint developers of World of Tanks, could have their stakes in their respective companies seized by the Russian government, according to reports from Russian news organizations RIA and RBC.
The execs are reportedly being accused of extremist activities by Russia’s prosecutor general (the country’s equivalent of the US attorney general) because of Wargaming’s support of Ukraine, RIA reports.
Development of World of Tanks was split in 2022 when Wargaming left its offices in Russia and Belarus. Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that same year. In response, Wargaming ran a campaign in World of Tanks to raise money for medical aid in Ukraine in 2023.
After a couple years of having its open-source Llama AI model be just a part of its Connect conferences, Meta is breaking things out and hosting an entirely generative AI-focused developer conference called LlamaCon on April 29. The event is streaming online, and you'll be able to watch along live on the Meta for Developers Facebook page.
LlamaCon kicks off today at 1PM ET / 10AM PT with a keynote address from Meta's Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, Vice President of AI Manohar Paluri and research scientist Angela Fan. The keynote is supposed to cover developments in the company's open-source AI community, "the latest on the Llama collection of models and tools" and offer a glimpse at yet-to-be released AI features.
The keynote address will be followed by a conversation at 1:45PM PT / 10:45PM ET between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi on "building AI-powered applications," followed by a chat at 7PM ET / 4PM PT about "the latest trends in AI" between Zuckerberg and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. It doesn't seem like either conversation will be used to break news, but Microsoft and Meta have collaborated before, so anything is possible.
We'll be liveblogging the keynote presentation today, along with some of the subsequent interviews and sessions between Zuckerberg and his guests. Stay tuned and refresh this article at about 10AM ET today, when we'll kick off the live updates. Should you prefer to watch the video yourself, LlamaCon will stream live through the Meta for Developers Facebook page.
Meta hasn't traditionally waited for a conference to launch updates to Meta AI or the Llama model. The company introduced its new Llama 4 family of models, which excel at image understanding and document parsing, on a Saturday in early April. It's not clear what new models or products the company could have saved for LlamaCon.
Update, April 29 2025, 6:00AM ET: This story has been updated to include the details of Engadget's liveblog, and correct a few typos in timezones.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/how-to-watch-and-follow-llamacon-2025-metas-first-generative-ai-developer-conference-today-215241414.html?src=rss
A mouse may seem like a small consideration for your workstation setup. But after you’ve addressed the crucial ergonomics — raising your monitor to eye-level, using the right keyboard and taking frequent breaks throughout your workdays — it’s a good idea to make sure the mouse you use is comfortable as well. People dealing with conditions like carpal tunnel and wrist pain may be interested in finding the best ergonomic mouse for them. Vertical and semi-vertical designs turn your palm towards your midline instead of downwards, creating a handshake position that may feel more natural. Others employ a trackball to minimize the work your shoulder has to do in a day. I tested out more than 20 highly regarded ergonomic mice to come up with recommendations for vertical, semi-vertical, trackball and more, along with advice about the merits of the different ergonomic designs.
Like everything related to ergonomics, the mouse design that works best for you will depend on your body and what you need to do on a typical day. So the shapes, added features and how the mouse communicates with your computer will determine which you should get.
Types and shapes of ergonomic mice
When we’re talking about ergonomic mice for productivity purposes, it usually refers to mice that look distinctly different from the standard, typically with shapes that tilt your hand towards a more “handshake” position instead of facing your palm downward. A vertical ergonomic mouse has the most severe up-and-down angle, semi-vertical mice split the difference and trackball models stay put on your desk while your thumb controls the movement of the cursor. Gaming mice have an ergonomic category as well, but that simply refers to a mouse with curves designed to fit either the right or left hand. It differentiates those mice from ambidextrous models, which don’t conform to a particular hand.
Each of three ergonomic mice shapes can help address different concerns. If you’re trying to avoid twisting your forearm, a vertical mouse could be what you need. Clicking a vertical mouse feels more like pinching your finger and thumb together, which could relieve certain other wrist issues as well.
A semi-vertical mouse feels the most like a traditional computer mouse, with an angle closer to 50 or 60 degrees from your desk. Semi-vertical mouse clicks can feel easier too, since you're pushing down instead of pinching. Some vertical and semi-vertical mice have an optional flange that supports the heel of your palm. Instead of pivoting on those bones to make your cursor move, your palm and wrist stay aligned and the entire arm controls the motion.
A trackball mouse can also keep your wrist from bending, as it keeps your forearm planted. My personal struggle is with neck and shoulder tension, so trackballs and very lightweight vertical mice work best for me as their configuration lets me keep my forearm from moving.
DPI, weight and buttons
As this guide focuses on productivity mice, gaming-specific stats like polling rates and IPS values don’t really come into play. (My colleague Jeff Dunn does a good job of explaining those metrics in his gaming mouse review guide.) What matters here are numbers like DPI, or dots per inch, which indicates how sensitive a mouse is. The higher the setting, the faster your cursor will move across the screen. Low DPI settings let you do precision work like pixel-by-pixel editing in Photoshop. All the mice here have at least two and as many as five settings, ranging from 400 to 3,200 DPI. Mice that make it easy to switch from high to low DPI might make sense if you do a lot of detailed work.
Weight makes a difference in vertical and semi-vertical mice (but not trackballs, since they stay put). A lighter model will be easier to move around, which could put less strain on your wrist and arm. That said, a little weight can make your movements feel more precise. For reference, a featherweight gaming mouse might weigh 45 grams and a large vertical mouse with a flange attached might weigh 140 grams. The latter may feel a little heavy, but if it has smooth feet and is used with a decent mouse pad, it will feel lighter.
It's always nice to have easily clickable buttons, but that matters even more when body health is a concern. Pressing hard on a button tenses up my arm and shoulder like nobody’s business. Since it’s an action desk workers perform hundreds or thousands of times a day, it's essential that it be effortless — nothing ruled out a mouse quicker in my tests than tough buttons.
Extra features
All mice have the basics: a right and left button and a scroll wheel. All mice in this guide also have a DPI selector button. Some have other functions such as a scroll wheel that can click with a press or handle horizontal scrolling by tilting the wheel to the right or left. Many also have back and forward buttons for browser windows, and sometimes those two are programmable to perform different functions in other apps.
More complex mice have additional buttons to customize, typically using a mouse’s proprietary software. Depending on that software, you can set buttons to mute calls, copy and paste, undo and redo, switch tabs and more. Performing multiple functions without extraneous movement is a big plus in ergonomic design. Of course, there are a number of keyboards that let you program multiple functions into specific keys, which cuts down on superfluous movement even more, which you can read about in our ergonomic keyboard guide.
Connectivity and compatibility
All the mice here will work with Mac's operating system as well as Microsoft Windows, and some work with Chrome, Linnux and even iPadOS (though I didn’t test those) as well. They connect in three ways: Wired, via Bluetooth or with a 2.4Ghz wireless dongle. More devices have incorporated USB-C interfaces, but most mice still use USB-A. So if you have a laptop that only sports USB-C ports (looking at you, MacBook), you’ll need an adapter to use a wired or dongle-enabled mouse. You can use a hub or docking station for this purpose, but in testing this guide, I ran into connectivity issues using a wireless USB receiver in a docking station, particularly when there wasn’t a direct and completely clear path between the mouse and receiver. Everything worked far more reliably with just a direct USB-C to A adapter.
The difference between wireless and Bluetooth is twofold: a wireless dongle connection tends to be quicker to set up. You just plug in the accessory, turn on the mouse (potentially granting permission for the device) and you’re set. For Bluetooth, you need to open the settings menu, activate pairing mode on the mouse, search for the mouse and then click connect. There’s also a bit more latency when using Bluetooth versus a wireless mouse. It’s not something most people will notice doing workaday stuff, but if you plan on playing some Overwatch after hours and want to use the same mouse, you might want to go with the faster, 2.4Ghz route.
How we test ergonomic mice
After many hours of research and reading reviews, I gathered just over 20 mice with good claims to ergonomic design to test in my work setup. I mostly tried out mice geared towards a work-from-home or office setting, as opposed to gaming (we have a whole guide dedicated to that topic). I used each mouse for a few hours or a few days, noting how well they felt as well as how they performed. I mostly used a MacBook Pro M1 but verified Windows compatibility with an Asus ROG Strix laptop. For reference, my right hand measures 7.25 inches from the wrist crease to the tip of my middle finger, which is just under average for a man and large for a woman.
Other ergonomic mice we tried
Logitech MX Master 3S
Logitech mice have made many appearances in our guides over the years. In our guide to the best productivity mice, we name the Logitech MX Master 3S the best wireless mouse you can get. As I considered its merits as a mouse, it was indeed an impressive option — it connected flawlessly, has a useful sideways wheel as well as the traditional scroll feature and the thumb rest is a nice touch. But the ergonomics didn't quite do it for me as it holds your hand in the standard, palm-down, claw-grip position.
Logitech Lift Vertical
The Logi Lift Vertical is likely one of the more popular ergonomic mice out there. It’s fairly lightweight, has an attractive design with a nice feel to the exterior. The buttons are easy to click and nearly silent. It also connects quickly using either Bluetooth or a dongle. Unfortunately, it doesn’t glide across the mouse pad all that smoothly, and the pinch grip the design requires actually aggregated my wrist. The cursor movements are fairly precise, though I occasionally had trouble getting the cursor to land just where I wanted it. Also, it’s small; my hands are too large for the Lift. Logitech’s Logitech MX Vertical is essentially a larger version, but again, the skinnier shape was uncomfortable in my hands and it was tough to get the cursor to go where I wanted it to.
HP 920 ergonomic vertical
The HP 920 ergonomic vertical also has a flange for resting your palm, but it makes the mouse overly heavy to move around. Without it, however, it's an extremely comfortable mouse with a premium feel, rechargeable battery, and two programmable thumb buttons. Unfortunately, the cursor movement was frustratingly imprecise and didn’t go exactly where I pointed, forcing a number of corrections — and extraneous movement is what we’re trying to avoid in ergonomic setups.
Turtle Beach Pure Air
Apart from the rather loud clicks, I was impressed with the build and performance of the Turtle Beach Pure Air. It’s lightweight, moves smoothly, and has impressively accurate cursor movements. But despite being labeled an ergonomic mouse, it’s particularly light on the ergonomics. There’s a divot for your right thumb, so it can't be called ambidextrous, but beyond that it’s a pretty standard (albeit quite nice) gaming mouse.
Perixx Perimice 719
The PERIMICE-719 from Perixx is a solid mouse with an exterior that feels nice to the touch. It has a comfortable, semi-vertical design, accurate cursor moves and a satisfyingly ratcheted scroll wheel. Plus, it offers reliable connectivity with a wireless dongle and only costs $22. Unfortunately, it was too small for my hand. Only folks with smaller glove sizes (or don’t mind adopting more of a fingertip grip) will be able to get the most out of this one.
Anker 2.4G vertical
The Anker 2.4G mouse could make a decent budget pick for anyone who doesn't mind using more of a pinch grip on their peripheral. It's lightweight and has a precise scroll wheel along with back and forward browser buttons. It's battery operated, but doesn't come with batteries and only connects via the included USB radio dongle. I also found the buttons a little harder to press which ultimately eliminated it from the running.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-ergonomic-mouse-120004931.html?src=rss
If you’ve ever missed an on-time departure thanks to a set of lost keys or misplaced wallet, you’ll benefit from a Bluetooth tracker. These small devices attach to your stuff and use your smartphone to keep tabs on where they are. AirTags are the best known in the category, tapping into a finding network created through anonymous iPhone pings in the area. Google now has a similar network using nearby Android phones, and Samsung has its own network that employs Galaxy phones. Some third-party trackers work with either Google or Apple’s network and offer additional features to boot. We tested trackers from Apple, Tile, Pebblebee, Samsung and Chipolo, comparing their finding capabilities, sound levels, reliability and design. We think the Chipolo Pop is the best Bluetooth tracker for most people, but a few other trackers have their merits as well.
What to look for in a Bluetooth tracking device
Bluetooth trackers are small discs or cards that rely on short-range, low-energy wireless signals to communicate with your smartphone. Attach one of these gadgets your stuff and, if it’s in range, your phone can “ring” the chip so you can find it. These tracking devices offer other features like separation alerts to tell you when you’ve left a tagged item behind, or where a lost item was last detected. Some can even tap into a larger network of smartphones to track down your device when you’re out of range. Depending on what you want the tracker to do, there are a few specs to look for when deciding which to get.
Device compatibility
Like most things from the folks in Cupertino, AirTags only work with products in the Apple ecosystem. Both Apple and Google have opened up access to the Find My and Find My Device networks to third-party manufacturers, including Chipolo and Pebblebee. Those two companies make device-agnostic models that will work with the larger tracking network from either brand, so iPhone and Android users can buy the same tag. Tile trackers work with either Android or Apple devices, but use Tile’s own Life 360 finding network. Samsung’s latest fob, the Galaxy SmartTag2, only works with Samsung phones and taps into a finding system that relies on other Samsung devices to locate lost tags.
Finding network
Crowd-sourced finding capabilities are what make headlines, with stories about recovering stolen equipment or tracking lost luggage across the globe. Using anonymous signals that ping other people’s devices, these Bluetooth tracking devices can potentially tell you where a tagged item is, even if your smartphone is out of Bluetooth range.
Apple’s Find My network is the largest, with over a billion iPhones and iPads in service all running Apple’s Find My app by default. So unless an iPhone user opts out, their phone silently acts as a location detector for any nearby AirTags. Apple recently increased the AirTag’s finding power by enabling you to share the location of a lost tag with a third party, party, like an airline. Chipolo fobs that work on Apple’s network have the same ability. Google launched its Find My Device network in 2024 and it’s a close second for the largest in the US
Now that Google’s Find My Device network is up and running, it’s a close second for the largest in the US. Like Apple, Android users are automatically part of the network, but can opt-out by selecting the Google services option in their phone’s Settings app and toggling the option in the Find My Device menu. Samsung’s SmartTag 2 and related network also defaults to an opt-in status for finding tags and other devices.
Tile offers a large finding grid that includes Tile users, Amazon Sidewalk customers and people running the Life360 network. Life360 acquired Tile in 2021, and, according to the company, the Life360 network has more than 70 million monthly active users.
In our tests, AirTags and third-party tags using its network, like the Chipolo Pop and Pebblebee Clip Universal, were the fastest to track down lost items. They offered nearly real-time location data in moderately to heavily trafficked spots around Albuquerque, including a bar, bookstore and coffee shops in Nob Hill, along with various outdoor hangouts on UNM’s campus.
Samsung's SmartTags were able to locate our lost items most of the time, though not with the same precision finding accuracy as AirTags. When we tested Google’s Find My Device network right after launch, it was noticeably slower than Apple’s network when using the community finding feature. Testing it again in 2025, the time it took to locate a lost item was considerably improved, taking just a couple minutes for the community to track a fob. In our tests, Tile’s finding network wasn’t able to consistently locate its lost fobs.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Separation alerts
Here’s where a tracker’s day-to-day utility really shines. A separation alert lets you know when you’ve traveled too far from your tagged items, which is useful if you want to make sure your laptop bag, or jacket or umbrella always comes with you when you leave the house.
These notifications work when you’re out and about too. If you’ve got a Bluetooth tracking device in your wallet and walk out of a restaurant without it, the separation alert should kick in, resulting in fewer lost items. This feature also tells you where your tagged item and phone were last paired, allowing you to retrace your steps if you happen to miss the alert.
Each tracker handles left-behind items differently. AirTags and third-party fobs using its network (such as from Chipolo or Pebblebee) include the feature by default. Tile trackers require a yearly subscription to enable the alerts (currently $30 annually). Tags working with the Google Find My Device network don’t offer the feature at all, but Chipolo Pop tags can issue left-behind alerts using its own Android app. Both AirTags and Tiles allow you to turn off separation alerts at certain locations, meaning you can set your home as a “safe” place where items can be left behind, but alerts will still trigger elsewhere.
In our tests, AirTags and others using the Find My network alerted us between the 600- and 1,400-foot mark. Tiles sent a notification after about an average of 1,500 feet and were more consistent when using an Android phone than an iPhone. Chipolo Pop tags paired with an Android phone and using its own app sent an alert when we got around 450 feet away from our tagged item.
Connectivity, volume and design
The feature you may use most often is the key finder function, which makes the tracker ring when you hit a button in the app. With Apple's AirTags, you can say "Hey Siri, where are my keys?" and the assistant will ring the tag (assuming it doesn't mistakenly think you're asking for directions to the Floridian archipelago). Asking Alexa or the Google Assistant to find your keys will work with Chipolo, Tile and Pebblebee trackers linked to your Android device.
If you have your tag but can’t find your phone, some trackers will let you ring them to find your handset. SmartTag2 fobs reliably rang our Galaxy phone when we double-pressed it. Tile trackers have the same feature. Chipolo Pop trackers can ring your phone, but uses the Chipolo app to do so, which can run concurrently with the Find My or Find My Device connection. AirTags and any third-party tags using only Apple or Google’s networks don’t offer this feature.
The volume of the Bluetooth tracking device may determine whether you can find an item buried in your couch cushions or in a noisy room. AirTags have a reputation for being on the quiet side, and that aligned with what we saw (measuring roughly 65 decibels). Chipolo’s Pop tags and Tile’s Pro model measure between 83 and 86 decibels on average. Pebblebee’s new Clip Universal was the loudest of any tag we’ve tested, clocking in at 91 ear-splitting decibels.
Design will determine what you can attach the tracker to. AirTags are small, smooth discs that can’t be secured to anything without accessories, which are numerous, but that is an additional cost to consider. Chipolo, Pebblebee and Tile offer trackers with holes that easily attach to your key ring, and all three companies also offer card-shaped versions designed to fit in your wallet. Pebblebee Clip Universal tags come with a handy carabiner-style key ring.
Batteries are replaceable for AirTag, Tile Pro, SmartTag2 and Chipolo Pop fobs and each should go for at least a year before needing to be swapped. Tile Mate and card-shaped trackers don’t have replaceable batteries, which means you’ll have to replace the entire unit whenever it dies. Pebblebee trackers are rechargeable in both the disc and wallet variety. They’re also the only tags equipped with onboard LEDs.
Stalking, theft and data privacy
AirTags have gotten a lot of attention and even prompted some lawsuits for Apple due to bad actors planting them on people in order to stalk them. While this fact may not influence your buying decision, any discussion of Bluetooth trackers should note what steps Apple, Google and Tile have taken to address the issue. Last year, all the major players in the Bluetooth tracker business teamed up to combat misuse and standardize how unauthorized tracking detection and alerts work for iOS and Android.
Last year, Tile launched a feature called Anti-Theft Mode, which enables you to render one of its trackers undetectable by others. That means if someone steals your tagged item, they won’t be able to use the anti-stalking features to find and disable the tracker. That sort of negates one of the major ways potential stalking victims can stay safe, so Tile hopes ID verification and a $1 million penalty will deter misuse. Separately, Tile was recently hit by a data breach, raising different privacy concerns. The company issued a statement about the event, which it shared with Engadget:
Similar to many other companies, Life360 recently became the victim of a criminal extortion attempt. We received emails from an unknown actor claiming to possess Tile customer information. We promptly initiated an investigation into the potential incident and detected unauthorized access to a Tile customer support platform (but not our Tile service platform). The potentially impacted data consists of information such as names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and Tile device identification numbers. It does not include more sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, passwords or log-in credentials, location data, or government-issued identification numbers, because the Tile customer support platform did not contain these information types.
We believe this incident was limited to the specific Tile customer support data described above and is not more widespread. We take this event and the security of customer information seriously. We have taken and will continue to take steps designed to further protect our systems from bad actors, and we have reported this event and the extortion attempt to law enforcement. We remain committed to keeping families safe online and in the real world.
As a theft deterrent, a Bluetooth tracker may or may not be the best option. Anecdotal stories abound in which people have recovered stolen goods using a tracker — but other tales are morecautionary. Neither Apple nor Google promotes its trackers or finding networks as a way to deal with theft. GPS trackers, on the other hand, are typically marketed for just that purpose.
How we tested
Before deciding on which trackers to test, we researched the field, looking at user reviews on Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers, along with discussions on sites like Reddit. We also checked out what other publications had to say on the matter before narrowing down our options to Apple AirTag, Tile, and Chipolo trackers. When Samsung's SmartTag 2 came out in October of 2023, we added that to our testing, along with Pebblebee's rechargeable Clip tracker. After Google launched its Find My Device, both Chipolo and Pebblebee released trackers in 2025 that work with either network and we tested the Pop and Universal key fob models and updated our top picks accordingly.
After acquiring the trackers, I tested each one over the course of a few weeks using both an iPhone 11 and a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. I recreated likely user experiences, such as losing and leaving items behind at home and out in the city. I planted trackers at different spots near downtown Albuquerque, mostly concentrated in and around the University of New Mexico and the surrounding neighborhood of Nob Hill. Later, I conducted tests in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. Each test was performed multiple times, both while walking and driving and I used the measure distance feature on Google Maps to track footage for alerts. I paid attention to how easy the app was to use, how reliable the phone-to-tracker connection was and any other perks and drawbacks that came up during regular use.
Other trackers we tested
Tile Pro and Tile Mate (2024)
Tile recently came out with a new suite of trackers, replacing the Tile Mate, Tile Pro, Tile Sticker and Tile Slim with updated models. In addition to fun new colors for the Mate and Slim, Tile added an SOS feature that can send a notification to your Life360 Circle when you triple press the button on the tracker. It’s a clever addition that turns your keys into a panic button, something offered by personal safety companies as standalone devices.
There are a few caveats: You and the people you want to notify in an emergency will need the Life360 app installed on your phones. If you want your Tile to also trigger a call to emergency services, you’ll need a $15-per-month Life360 subscription (that’s in addition to a Tile membership, which starts at $3/month or $30 annually). And enabling the SOS triple-press disables the ability to ring your phone with the fob.
I tested the SOS feature and it did indeed send a text message to my Circle, with the message that I had triggered an SOS and a link to a website that showed my current location. I thought it odd that the link didn’t open the Life360 app (which shows the location of users' phones), but I wasn’t as much concerned with Tile’s personal safety features as I was with the tracking capabilities, which turned out to be less than ideal.
For my tests, I planted Tile trackers in a densely populated area of Seattle (about 15,000 people per square mile). After setting the trackers to “lost” in the Tile app, I waited. After four hours, one of the trackers was not discovered by the finding community, so I went and retrieved it. Another fob I planted alerted me that the tracker had been found by the Tile community after three hours — but the location it gave me was off by a third of a mile. I then decided to plant a tracker in the most populated place I could think of — the dried fruit and nuts aisle of a Trader Joes on a Friday evening before a major holiday. It still took over a half an hour before another Tile user anonymously pinged my lost tracker.
In my tests with Samsung’s trackers and the fobs on Google’s Find My Device network, it took around ten minutes for them to be discovered. AirTags took half that time and all were tested in a far less populated city. Four hours with no ping and over a half hour before getting a hit in a crowded TJs were pretty long stretches.
Our top pick, the classic Chipolo, has virtually no finding network. But if you’re getting a tracker for that feature alone, you should go with AirTags if you have an iPhone or the Google-enabled Chipolo or Pebblebee trackers if you use an Android phone. We prefer the Chipolo because it works with either iOS or Android devices, it rings loud, it’s quick to tell you when you’ve left it behind and it connects nearly instantly when you’re searching for a misplaced tracker around the house.
Tile devices also work with both mobile operating systems and its latest models are indeed louder than they were before. But they aren’t as quick to connect and you need to pay for a membership to activate left-behind alerts. And when you do, those notifications don’t kick in as quickly as they do with competing trackers.
Bluetooth tracker FAQs
Which Bluetooth tracker has the longest range?
Both the Tile Pro and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 claim a maximum range of around 400 feet, which is longer than the 300-foot claim for Chipolo’s Pop tags. The Pebblebee Clip Universal claims a 500-foot range, though other trackers with a shorter claimed range performed better in our tests. Apple doesn’t make range claims for AirTags. Any Bluetooth signal, of course, is dependent on a few factors. Obstacles like walls and people can block the signal, so a clear line of sight is the only way to achieve the maximum range. Other signals, like Wi-Fi, can also interfere with Bluetooth connections. Even high humidity can have an effect and lessen the distance at which your phone will connect to your tracker.
Remember, when considering the range of Bluetooth trackers, the size of the “finding network” also comes into play. This is the number of nearby phones that can be used to anonymously ping your tracker when your own phone is out of Bluetooth range. As of now, Apple AirTags have the largest network, followed by Google’s Find My Device, Samsung’s finding community and Tile’s Life360 members.
What is the best Bluetooth tracker for a car?
Bluetooth trackers are designed to track small, personal items like keys, jackets, backpacks and the like. All trackers have safeguards to prohibit the tag from being used to stalk people, so most will alert someone if a tracker that does not belong to them is detected following them. That means a car thief may get tipped off that there’s a tracker in the car they’re trying to steal. That said, you’ll see plenty of stories about people finding their car thanks to a Bluetooth tracker. Some policedepartments have even handed out trackers to combat high rates of carjacking. In most instances, the tracker of choice has been AirTags thanks to their wide finding network. If you’re looking for a tracker for your car, you may want to look into GPS trackers, some of which are designed for just that purpose.
How accurate are Bluetooth trackers?
Accuracy for Bluetooth trackers can be looked at in two ways: Finding items nearby and finding items misplaced outside your home. For nearby items, you’ll most often use the ring function on the device to hunt it down. Two tags, Apple’s AirTags and Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag2, also use ultra-wideband technology, which creates directional navigation on your phone to get you within a foot of the tracker.
Accurately finding lost items outside your home depends on the size of the finding network. Since this relies on the serendipity of a random phone passing within Bluetooth range of your tracker, the more phones on a given network, the better. And since Bluetooth ranges and distance estimates are only precise within about a meter or so, getting pings from more than one phone will help locating items. Here again, it’s worth noting that Apple’s Find My network is the largest, followed by Google, Samsung and Tile (both Chipolo and Pebblebee have fobs that work with the Apple and Google networks).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-bluetooth-tracker-140028377.html?src=rss
Fusion Chime Vision, A ESP32-Based Smart Doorbell System for Modern Smart Homes
Fusion Chime Vision is an advanced open-source doorbell system built around the ESP32 microcontroller platform. It replaces a conventional chime with an interactive device that displays custom messages or images on its built-in screen and captures photo and audio clips when motion is detected.
Wholesome Direct, an annual showcase of cute and cozy games, is returning on Saturday, June 7 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT. This year's event will show off "a vibrant lineup of artistic, uplifting, and emotionally resonant games from developers of all sizes from around the world," according to Wholesome Games' announcement post.
Last year's Wholesome Direct covered over 30 games, including updates to already released titles and the reveal of entirely new games. The definition of "wholesome" is generally as broad as event organizer Wholesome Games needs it to be, but Kamaeru: A Frog Refugefrom the 2024 Direct is a good example of the kind of game this showcase likes to feature. It's a cute concept (a management game about running a wildlife refuge), has a beautifully illustrated art style and features relaxed, but deep gameplay. Many of the projects that fill out the average Wholesome Direct lineup fit a similar description.
Wholesome Games hasn't yet announced which developers will be featured during the Wholesome Direct, but the odds are good that its own Wholesome Games Present publishing label will have some games in the mix. Is This Seat Taken?, a puzzle game about figuring out seating arrangements, doesn't have a release date yet and would be a natural fit for the show.
Wholesome Direct 2025 will stream on YouTube and Twitch on June 7 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT. The showcase falls right in the middle of Summer Game Fest, a group of loosely-affiliated game showcases that start airing on June 6, 2025.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/wholesome-direct-2025-will-premiere-on-june-7-214501921.html?src=rss
Top executives from Wargaming and Lesta Games, the joint developers of World of Tanks, could have their stakes in their respective companies seized by the Russian government, according to reports from Russian news organizations RIAand RBC.
Malik Khatazhaev, the head of Lesta Games, and Viktor Kisly, the head of Wargaming, are reportedly being accused of extremist activities by Russia's Prosecutor General (the country's equivalent of the US Attorney General) because of Wargaming's support of Ukraine, RIA reports. The Prosecutor General is looking to seize all of the executives' shares in their respective companies.
Development of World of Tanks was split in 2022 when Wargaming left its offices in Russia and Belarus, and transferred development of the Russian version of the game to Lesta Games. Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that same year. In response, Wargaming ran a campaign in World of Tanksraising money for medical aid in Ukraine in 2023. The Russian government has decided to interpret that pro-Ukrainian fundraising as anti-Russian extremist activity. Why Lesta Games is being accused of the same thing isn't entirely clear, but it is the company that's technically still under the Prosecutor General's jurisdiction.
Neither Lesta Games nor Wargaming have released an official statement, but Lesta Games did comment in a company Telegram channel, RBC reports. "The company works in full compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, so we have no grounds for any concerns or concealment of information," Lesta Games writes. "We have not violated anything and we have nothing to fear."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/russian-regulators-are-trying-to-seize-assets-from-the-developers-of-world-of-tanks-202157310.html?src=rss
