ArduinoMania

It’s been a longer wait than we’d hoped, but the first major software update for the Analogue Pocket is finally here. It’s still a beta version so not everything is fully fleshed out, but you’ll at least be able to get a taste of the company’s vision for its fledgling OS. The beta does include a taste of the “reference” Library, much-improved game saves and, most excitingly, a glimpse at how third-party developers can use the Pocket to emulate consoles beyond the ones it already does.

Analogue OS 1.1

“Memories,” as Analogue calls save-states, still aren’t complete, but you can at least save a respectable 128 different game states which is a vast improvement on the minimal offering at launch (one slot for just one game total). You can create saves for any game, be that physical cartridge, or any “.pocket” GB Studio files you have (like Deadeus). The method for making a save is the same as before (Up+Analogue button) and you can recall a list of saves during play with Down+Analogue button. If you prefer to start from the last save point immediately, you can activate that in options also (rather than choosing from a list).

What you can’t do is keep updating the last save as you go along (think “save slots” in most emulators). Every new save will be a separate file and you’ll manage them individually. They show up in a long list which details the platform for the game you were playing (Game Boy, Game Gear etc.) the game’s title and date/time of the save.

Right now you can pull up Memories from the main menu (before loading a game), but choosing a save that corresponds to the cartridge in the slot doesn’t take you directly there (it’s grayed out), you have to load the game first. Analogue says that saves/Memories will soon have a screenshot attached and will be sortable in a variety of ways to make the experience much smoother in the full release this September.

James Trew / Engadget

What wasn’t in the OS at launch at all was the “Library” feature. All we knew was that it had the lofty goal of being a complete reference of all gaming history. From within that you’d see artwork for titles along with what company made the game, for what platform, what year and even what region or version you had inserted in the cartridge slot. In today’s beta, the Library is more of a splash screen before the game loads. Analogue says you’ll even be able to add your own image to a game in the Library, but again, expect that in the final release.

All the cartridges I tested had the correct details with a screenshot, but the information is limited (no mention of what year or version of the game I have etc.). Of course we’re excited to see how this scales up once it’s fully integrated, but for now it’s a pleasant stop along the way to playing a game. It’s worth noting that, as is, it only applies to cartridges and not titles launched from the GB Studio section (such as the aforementioned Deadeus which is a full game that Analogue made available for the Pocket at launch).

On a more practical note, Analogue has added support for more third-party controllers for when playing through the TV via the dock. To be fair, even though the officially supported list at launch was short (three 8Bitdo models plus the PS4 and Switch controllers), many more did still work. As of this release the number of 8Bitdo controllers supported jumps to 15 and PS5 owners can now use their DualSense, too, if they wish.

OpenFPGA

One of the more interesting features of the Pocket at launch was the presence of a spare FPGA chip. Analogue’s hardware doesn’t use software emulation, instead it uses a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to emulate consoles at the hardware level with cores — instructions for the FPGA that configure it to mimic a specific system. Analogue pledged that others would be able to develop cores for the Pocket, and today we see the first example of that.

James Trew / Engadget

A core for the PDP-1 has been created for the Pocket allowing you to play one of the very first videogames — Spacewar! — from 1962. As you can imagine, the game is very simple and doesn’t really tax the Pocket, but it’s a fitting first example for a console that wants to celebrate the history of gaming. And this should really just be the start of something more exciting as other developers – which can be anyone – get onboard.

What’s more of a surprise is that the entirety of the Pocket’s hardware appears to be open to developers. Initially, it was thought that the Pocket’s main FPGA would be kept for Analogue and the less powerful second FPGA was there to be tinkered with. But the company's founder, Christopher Taber, confirmed to Engadget that "developers will be capable of implementing totally decentralized cores as far as they can push Pocket's hardware ... roughly up to the 32-bit generation.”

Best of all, we might not even have to wait very long to see what comes along. “Many third-party developers have had their hands on openFPGA for some time now and you can expect a plethora of new amazing things being publicly released by them shortly on/after July 29th”, Taber told Engadget, before concluding: “We are not f***ing around with this.”

Politicians are making another attempt to restore net neutrality rules. Democrat Senators Ed Markey and Ron Wyden have introduced a Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act that would classify broadband internet as a telecom service under Title II of the Communications Act. The move would let the FCC restore net neutrality protections repealed by the Ajit Pai-era Commission in December 2017, including safeguards against blocking, throttling and paid prioritization for data traffic.

The bill would also help the FCC institute policies that improve accessibility, safety and "close the digital divide," according to Markey's statement. Another 28 senators, including independent Bernie Sanders and prominent Democrats like Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, are co-sponsors. California Representative Doris Matsui is sponsoring an equivalent bill in the house. The measure has the endorsement of civil rights and activist groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Democrats have tried to revive net neutrality before with efforts like 2019's Save the Internet Act. As Markey explained to The Register, though, they're trying a different strategy. The new bill is purposefully short at just two pages long — that brevity gives the FCC the regulatory power to adapt to the "changing nature of the internet," the senator said. Previous attempts tried to enshrine specific rules in law.

The Act's survival is far from certain, though. It needs to advance beyond a Senate committee, and Congress will go into recess during August. A Senate vote might not succeed unless Democrats can pass the 60-vote threshold needed to avoid a filibuster, and the House bill isn't guaranteed to pass if it comes up for a vote after the November midterm elections.

The FCC isn't guaranteed to resurrect net neutrality even if the bill becomes law, for that matter. The Commission is currently deadlocked with two Democrats and two Republicans. Nominee Gigi Sohn still hasn't been confirmed. An FCC vote on neutrality-related policy changes could easily fail, even though the agency would have the authority (and effectively the obligation) to reinstitute consumer protections.

Snap has set up a new grant program to pay indie musicians behind popular songs on Snapchat. It created the Snapchat Sounds Creator Fund to "recognize emerging, independent artists for the critical role they play in driving video creations, inspiring internet trends and defining cultural moments," according to a blog post.

Starting in August, the fund will give artists who distribute music on Snapchat Sounds via DistroKid up to $100,000 in total each month. For now, the program is limited to 20 songs each month. The artists behind each of the songs Snapchat selects will receive $5,000. "We want to support the independent and emerging artists that are driving creation on Snapchat," said Snap's global head of music partnerships Ted Suh said. 

Artists need to be at least 18 years old to be eligible (or 16 if they have written consent from a parent or guardian). Snap says artists can't apply for a grant and it will decide recipients at its own discretion.

Snapchat started letting users attach music to snaps through the Sounds feature in October 2020. Creators have made more than 2.7 billion videos with music from Sounds and have accrued more than 183 billion views in total. The Snapchat Sounds Creator Fund seems like a reasonable way to reward musicians whose work has become a viral hit on the platform or helped creators to express themselves.

Nike wants to make fitness apps accessible to more people with disabilities. The athletics gear maker has introduced adaptive workouts to the Nike Training Club app (available for Android and iOS) that you can perform whether or not you have a disability. The seven classes in this set target a wide range of movement and equipment, ranging from upper-body strength training with dumbbells to yoga.

A Nike athlete with limb loss, Amy Bream, leads all the classes. You'll also find guidance from an adaptive training-focused physical therapist. Training Club already offers an exercise program for expecting and recent mothers.

The company isn't alone in making these apps more accessible. Apple added Fitness+ workouts for pregnant people and seniors last year and has Apple Watch wheelchair workout tracking, for instance. Still, Nike's move is an important step that could bring exercise apps to a wider audience.  

YouTube has introduced a new tool that makes it easier for creators to turn regular videos into Shorts, it announced in a community update. If you have any of your own videos loaded up, you'll see a new tool under "Create" called "Edit into a Short" right inside the main app. It lets you select up to 60 seconds of the video and bring it directly into the Shorts editor, where you can add text filters, or additional video, then upload it as a Short. 

After you upload the Short, it links to the full video it was taken from via "Created from" link at the bottom of the video. That lets creators use Shorts as promo tools for the main video, helping drive views and engagement. However, the tool only works on your own content, unlike Cut, which lets you remix content from any video. 

YouTube

I tried the tool out by creating a 10-second Short out of a longer video I created back in 2010 and it was as easy to use as advertised, letting me grab the best part of the video, embed text and add a filter. 

The immense success of TikTok has forced all social media networks to respond in some way. However, Instagram recently backpedaled on its TikTok like full-screen feed and recommended posts features following a significant backlash from users. YouTube is arguably less threatened by TikTok as it offers longer-form content that draws a different audience. The new tool shows that it can have its (Short?)cake and eat it too, though, by letting creators offer Shorts as a form of publicity for their primary content. 

Samsung vowed to make foldable phones mainstream last year, and so far, more and more people have been embracing the form factor. In fact, the tech giant previously said that more people switched brands for the Galaxy Flip 3 than for its flagship devices. The company is set to unveil its next foldable phones in just a few days, but those who want to know what to expect can get a look at the upcoming phones through what seems to be marketing photos leaked by Evan Blass. He posted images of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 in different colors and posed in different angles on 91Mobiles.

Based on the renders, the Z Flip 4 will be available in purple, blue, black and gold. Meanwhile, the Z Fold 4 will be available in black, dark gray and what seems to be beige. On the surface, they look pretty much identical to the current generation of foldables, and there's no glaringly obvious difference in design. We'll likely find out the subtle differences between them after Samsung officially launches the devices. 

As The Verge notes, the images don't exactly show whether the Fold 4 has its predecessor's under-display selfie camera and whether it will finally have a slot for the S Pen. Since the Fold 3 supports input from Samsung's S Pen, there were speculations that the next version will have a slot for the stylus. However, the most recent reports say that it may not have one after all. 

We won't know for sure until Samsung launches the devices. The good news is that we won't have long to wait: Its next Unpacked event is scheduled to take place on August 10th. For now, you can check out the Fold 4's and Flip 4's leaked renders below:

Samsung/Evan Blass/91Mobiles

Samsung/Evan Blass/91Mobiles

This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into the world of AI art with Senior Editor Dan Cooper and Creative Futurist John LePore. We know Dall-E and Midjourney can create some truly compelling images from a bit of text, but do they owe a debt to all of the images that they were trained on? Also, we explore the sorry state of Meta and Cherlynn gushes about the new Pixel Buds Pro. Stay tuned to the end of the show for our chat with Joshua Stiksma, Design Director of Moss 2, who discusses the current state of VR game development.

Listen above, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

• Is AI-generated art borrowed or stolen? – 1:30

• Meta’s many problems and a reversal on Instagram plans – 27:35

• Pixel Buds Pro review – 42:16

• Bloomberg report reveals a few details about Grand Theft Auto 6 – 51:37

• Playstation VR 2 will have live-streaming support and cinematic mode – 53:25

• RIP Car Thing by Spotify – 54:35

• Filipino politician wants to make ghosting illegal – 58:08

• Listener Mailbag – 1:00:55

• Working on – 1:08:05

• Pop culture picks – 1:12:34

• Interview with Polyarc design director Joshua Stiksma on Moss: Book II – 1:17:56

Livestream

Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low
Guests: Dan Cooper and John LePore
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh

On March 23rd, hackers broke into Axie Infinity's Ronin network to steal Ethereum and USDC stablecoins that were then worth over $600 million. In response to the massive theft, Axie developer Sky Mavis disabled token withdrawal — but apparently not before its CEO moved $3 million worth of Axie's main token, AXS, into Binance. According to Bloomberg, company CEO and co-founder Trung Nguyen made the large transfer mere hours before Sky Mavis disclosed on March 29th that the "play to earn" game was hacked. 

It was YouTube user Asobs who first identified the transaction and who shared his documentation with Bloomberg. The news organization then worked with associate professors of mathematics at Winthrop University to confirm his findings. Asobs analyzed the transaction details and connected it to a wallet controlled by Nguyen based on previous transactions, such as the initial distribution of tokens for the game during its early years. 

When asked, company spokesperson Kalie Moore has confirmed the transaction to Bloomberg. Moore said Nguyen made the transfer to shore up the company's finances and ensure it could provide liquidity to its users. Nguyen apparently had to do so on the down-low so that people tracking official Axie wallets wouldn't be able to front-run the news and cash out before the rest of the players even find out what's going on.

Moore said:

"At the time, we (Sky Mavis) understood that our position and options would be better the more AXS we had on Binance. This would give us the flexibility to pursue different options for securing the loans/capital require. The Founding Team chose to transfer it from this wallet to ensure that short-sellers, who track official Axie wallets, would not be able to front-run the news."

Nguyen posted a Twitter thread after Bloomberg's report went up and said that his team had been in contact with Binance after the hack was discovered to "ensure user funds would be restored as soon as possible." The executive added: "This discussion included the fact that Sky Mavis would provide liquidity while we worked on a full backing of the bridge." He also called speculations of insider trading as "baseless and false."

In Axie Infinity, people can earn cryptocurrency by playing the game and completing tasks, such as winning Arena battles and breeding Axie monsters, which are non-fungible tokens. The attack on its Ronin network is now known as one of the biggest in crypto history. According to previous reporting by The Block, bad actors gained entry into its system by sending a spyware-filled PDF to one employee who thought he was getting a job offer with higher pay from another firm. Turns out the company didn't exist, and the offer, according to the US government, came from North Korean hacker group Lazarus.

Sky Mavis has secured $150 million in funding to help reimburse users since then, and Nguyen said all players' funds are now backed 1:1. The value of Ethereum dropped considerably since March, however, so players will not get the money they could've gotten if they had cashed out months ago. As for the game itself, it opened back up in late June with a new system to flag "large, suspicious withdrawals" and a new land-staking feature that enables players to earn passive income.

The XPS 13 Plus is one of the boldest laptops I've ever seen. It's like Dell sent a computer back in time from the future, Terminator-style. It has a keyboard that stretches from edge to edge, with no gaps between the keys. The haptic trackpad is hidden underneath the wrist rest, and the capacitive function key row keeps things looking clean, without the annoying shape-shifting keys from Apple's Touch Bar.

With all of those features, and the most computing power ever in a 13-inch Dell ultraportable, the XPS 13 Plus should be perfect, right? Well, not quite. It's an admirable achievement, but it also feels like Dell's designers emphasized style over usability.

Take that haptic trackpad, for one. When I first got my hands on the XPS 13 Plus last December, I was both floored by its unconventional touchpad design and worried that it could lead to headaches. It's definitely intriguing: When the computer is on, the piezo motors in the trackpad area deliver the sensation of clicking without moving at all. But when it's off, the wrist rest is just a silent slab of Gorilla Glass.

Of course, haptic trackpads aren't new. Apple's been using them for years, and they've finally started popping up in other Windows laptops like the Surface Laptop Studio. Technically, they can make laptops more reliable since they can't trap gunk like normal trackpads. But on the XPS 13 Plus, that technology feels even stranger. There's no easy way to tell when you're in the trackpad zone without pressing down or looking for a moving mouse cursor. With other notebooks, you can feel a clear difference between the trackpad and wrist rest. That's not something we think about often, but it goes a long way toward making us feel confident as we browse the web or scroll through documents.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

On the XPS 13 Plus, just right-clicking often feels like trial and error. Is my finger too far to the left? Too much toward the right? Doing something so simple shouldn't be frustrating, especially not with a laptop that's meant to represent the future of computing design. The invisible trackpad basically feels like a party trick: something that can impress your friends but will mostly make your life harder. Even after using the XPS 13 Plus for a week, I still find myself missing the trackpad often, especially if I try to do any complicated finger gestures.

The XPS 13 Plus's keyboard is far more successful. It spans the entire width of the computer, and it has practically no gaps between the keys. We saw something similar on HP's 2019 Spectre x360, but Dell's machine goes even farther to the edge. The result is something that feels luxurious to type on — finally, my large hands can spread out like they do on a desktop keyboard. It would be nice to have more than just a millimeter of key travel, but the overall typing experience still feels responsive.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

After seeing the trackpad's haptic functionality in action, it's not hard to imagine future keyboards using similar mechanisms to deliver a deeper typing sensation. That technology could also help the XPS 13 Plus's function row feel a bit more like traditional keys while still being covered under Gorilla Glass. I didn't mind the capacitive function row — at least the keys stayed in place, unlike the Touch Bar — but I wish it was more visible outdoors. It tends to get washed out in direct sunlight, or if you're wearing sunglasses. (One Engadget staffer has also had to replace the capacitive function keys on his ThinkPad Carbon X1 several times. That could be a sign of Lenovo’s build quality, or it could point to capacitive buttons not being very durable.)

Aside from these features, the XPS 13 Plus mostly looks like a typical XPS 13 when it's closed. There's the machined aluminum case, which looks as premium as ever and feels plenty sturdy. If you look closely, you'll notice there's no headphone jack, just two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections on either side. That's something Dell also removed from this year's XPS 13, and it remains a baffling decision. And no, I don’t think the new quad-speaker array makes up for that (it sounds fine, but it’s nothing miraculous).

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

While Dell includes a USB-C to headphone adapter in the box, along with a Type-A adapter, there's no way to charge the computer if you have those both plugged in. If Apple can squeeze a 3.5 millimeter jack in the new MacBook Air, which weighs the same 2.7 pounds as the LCD-equipped XPS 13 Plus, Dell really has no excuse. (The OLED model is a tad heavier at 2.8 pounds.)

While we're talking about screens, if you want to get a 4K or OLED screen in an XPS this year, the 13 Plus is your only option. The standard XPS 13 only has 1080p LCD options. Our review unit is equipped with the 3.5K OLED touchscreen model, which offers a decent 400 nits of brightness. It looks as great as all the other XPS screens we've seen, with excellent color and deep black levels, but I'm more curious to see how the 500-nit 4K OLED variant performs. Our review model's display was just fine outdoors, but a bit more brightness would make it look better in direct sunlight.

This being an XPS 13, the Plus also sports Dell's razor-thin InfinityEdge screen bezels. The effect of having an almost border-less screen is still astounding, but I wish Dell had managed to push things even more with this supposedly futuristic design. It's hard to tell the difference between the Plus and the standard XPS models from 2020. At least the webcam situation is a bit better. The top screen bezel is thicker than the others because it houses a 720p webcam and a Windows Hello IR module for secure logins. I would have liked to see it reach 1080p, but this camera still looks more vibrant than what we've seen from Dell before.

The last major upgrade in the XPS 13 Plus is something you can't even see. Under the hood, it's powered by Intel's 28-watt 12th-gen processors, whereas last year's XPS 13 had 15-watt 11th-gen chips. More power means more performance – this is the small XPS for someone who wants to do serious work. The standard XPS 13 is still around, but it's now running 9-watt 12th-gen chips, which Dell claims are as fast as the previous 11th-gen CPUs. We haven't tested the smaller XPS 13 yet, but it's clear that Dell is positioning it as a more efficient system for less demanding consumers.

Our review unit was equipped with Intel's Core i7-1280P, the fastest chip available for the XPS Plus. It's a hybrid 14-core CPU made up of six performance cores and eight efficiency cores. That sounds impressive on paper, and it proved itself worthy in our benchmarks. In GeekBench 5, the XPS 13 Plus outpaced gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 15 and ASUS Zephyrus Duo, and it came close to the much larger XPS 15.

Not surprisingly, it also outclassed Lenovo's new Yoga 9i, another ultraportable running Intel's Iris Xe graphics, in Cinebench R23. That GPU doesn't help much when it comes to games, though. I could barely get Halo Infinite running in 1080p, though I'm sure a less demanding game like Overwatch would be more playable.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

We tested the XPS 13 Plus in its "Ultra Performance" thermal mode, which spins up the fans and lets it run a bit hotter. But for simpler work, you can put it in quiet mode to reduce heat and noise. In its default "optimized" cooling mode, the laptop felt too warm to use on my lap outside. To be fair, it was well above 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Atlanta, so I won't hold that against the XPS 13 Plus too much. I wish the battery life was more impressive, though. The system only lasted 12 and a half hours during our benchmark in optimized mode, and a paltry nine and half hours in performance mode. In comparison, the 2020 XPS 13 kept trucking for almost 16 hours.

For years, we've recommended the XPS 13 to people who wanted to get basic work done, whereas the more powerful XPS 15 and 17 were better suited to creatives who needed to edit video or audio. With the XPS 13 Plus, Dell finally has a 13-inch ultraportable that can throw down some processing power. The only question is if anyone actually wants that on a smaller screen. At this point, it seems best suited for someone who's in the market for a souped-up XPS 13, or who wants to experiment with a futuristic design. Personally, I'd recommend testing out the XPS 13 Plus before committing to it. Its invisible trackpad may look cool, but it could easily become a headache for daily use.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The XPS 13 Plus starts at $1,200 with a 512GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, and a 1,920 by 1,200 (FHD+) LCD monitor. As usual, I'd suggest bumping up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD for $1,499 if you're planning to keep the laptop for four years or more. And if you want OLED, expect to spend at least $1,799.

Ultimately, I have to give Dell credit for once again attempting to push laptop designs forward with the XPS 13 Plus. Like the InfinityEdge Display before it, there are plenty of great ideas in this computer that competitors may end up adopting. I just hope Dell considers dealing with the potential usability issues eventually (and maybe throw in a headphone jack too). If you're trying to show us the future of computing, don't make it feel like a step backward.

Last month, Instagram started testing a full-screen display for photos and videos. And we didn’t like it. Now, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri says the test will be wound down over the next couple of weeks. “For the new feed designs, people are frustrated, and the usage data isn’t great,” Mosseri said to Platformer.

He added: “When you discover something in your field that you didn't follow before, there should be a high bar — it should just be great,” he said. “You should be delighted to see it. And I don't think that’s happening enough right now."

Instagram brought in the full-screen feed and larger number of recommended posts to compete with TikTok and to contend with the pivot from photos to videos. The time spent by people watching Reels grew by 30 percent last quarter, and Mosseri said users' gradual embrace of video was happening, regardless of Instagram’s own movements.

In an earnings call on Wednesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said around 15 percent of the posts people see on Facebook (and even more on Instagram) are recommended by algorithms. Zuckerberg expects the volume of recommended posts to double over the next year or so.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Ford reveals an F-150 Lightning built for police work

• ASUS' Zenfone 9 gets a bigger camera in a slimmer body

• The best trail cameras for keeping an eye on your backyard wildlife

• Logitech's popular Litra Glow streamer light is 20 percent off right now

• Samsung posts 12 percent increase in profit but warns of weak mobile and PC demand

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s second set of new tracks arrives on August 4th

• Hitoki Trident hands-on: I'm in love with a $500 laser-blasting water pipe

• AMD accidentally reveals its first Ryzen 7000 desktop processors

• Rivian lays off 6 percent of its workforce as it struggles with EV production

NASA’s plan to bring rock samples back from Mars involves space helicopters

It was so impressed with Ingenuity, NASA’s making two more space helicopters.

NASA has altered the Mars Sample Return Program meant to bring back the rock samples the Perseverance rover has been drilling and collecting from the Jezero crater. Instead of sending a rover to the red planet like originally planned, the program will use Perseverance itself and send over two helicopters. The Earth Return Orbiter and Sample Retrieval Lander will take off in fall 2027 and summer 2028. Their journey to and from the red planet will take years, so the samples aren't expected to arrive on Earth until 2033.

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The PS5 finally gets 1440p support

The feature is in beta but will likely be available to all soon.

The PlayStation 5now supports 1440p, at least for gamers with access to its beta software. While the console has supported 1080p and 4K output from the start, 1440p support is still a much-requested feature by players who use monitors instead of TVs. However, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which rolled out for the console in April, is only available for 1080p and 2160p. VRR gives the screen the ability to sync its refresh rate with the game for a smoother experience. It's not quite clear why it's not available for 1440p output.

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Senate deal would revive EV tax credits for GM, Tesla and Toyota

The Inflation Reduction Act would also offer credits for used EVs.

Engadget

Automakers might just get the EV tax credit extension they've been hoping for. Senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin may have agreed on an Inflation Reduction Act that would replace the 200,000-unit cap on federal EV tax credits with a system that would restore those perks for GM, Tesla and Toyota. According to Bloomberg sources, the new approach is a compromise that would switch to price- and income-based limits, drop union manufacturing requirements and even offer credits for used EVs.

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Google Pixel Buds Pro review

With noise cancellation, the company’s best earbuds yet.

Engadget

Google’s latest Pixel Buds are its best yet, due mostly to the company finally checking a missing box: active noise cancellation. They do cost more, however, but the sound quality impresses, and there’s a host of handy features, like hands-free access to Assistant. There are a few shortcomings, but they remain Google’s best buds yet. Read on for our full verdict.

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