ArduinoMania

Sony just made it decidedly easier to find games that accommodate people with disabilities. As of this week, the company is rolling out accessibility tags on the PlayStation Store for PS5 users. Press the triangle button when looking at game's hub and you'll see whether a title has features to support those with visual, audio and motor needs. You'll know if a game has alternative colors, a screen reader or controller adjustments, for instance.

The tags will be generally available this week. Most of the initial support revolves around marquee games like Death Stranding Director's Cut, God of War Ragnarök and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Sony says it's working with a "wide range of developers" to deploy tags going forward, so you can expect to see them from smaller studios.

The option comes roughly a year and a half after Microsoft unveiled similar tags for Xbox gamers. Not that PlayStation developers have been waiting for Sony to act. The Last of Us creator Naughty Dog has made a point of prioritizing accessibility in its games, such as a feature that plays dialogue through the PS5's DualSense controller as haptic feedback. In that regard, the store upgrade helps expose and promote these efforts.

Sony hasn't been standing still. The firm is developing an accessible PS5 controller that, like Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller, helps people with limited motor control play games that might otherwise be unusable. The tags are just part of a broader strategy to make gaming viable for many more people — provided they can find a PS5 in the first place, of course.

A UK privacy watchdog has fined TikTok £12.7 million ($15.8 million) for what it says are several breaches of data protection laws, including how the app handled children's personal information. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says that, in 2020, TikTok allowed as many as 1.4 million kids aged under 13 to use the app in breach of its own rules.

The ICO states that companies offering "information society services" to under-13s need to obtain consent from the kids' parents or guardians. TikTok didn't do that, according to the regulator, which noted the company "ought to have been aware that under-13s were using its platform." Moreover, the ICO (an independent public body) said TikTok didn't do enough to find and remove underage users from the app — despite some senior employees raising concerns about the issue.

The office determined that, between May 2018 and July 2020, TikTok breached the UK General Data Protection Regulation in several ways. Among other things, the ICO says TikTok failed to properly inform users in an easy-to-understand way how it handles and shares their data. As such, TikTok users, including kids, "were unlikely to be able to make informed choices about whether and how to engage" with the app. The office added that TikTok failed to make sure that it was processing the data it held on UK users "lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner."

“We invest heavily to help keep under-13s off the platform and our 40,000-strong safety team works around the clock to help keep the platform safe for our community,” TikTok told ABC News. “We will continue to review the decision and are considering next steps.”

The fine is not as steep as previously expected. After publishing the preliminary findings of its TikTok investigation, which started in February 2019, the ICO warned the company in September that it faced a fine of as much as £27 million ($33.7 million). The probe started around the time the Federal Trade Commission fined TikTok $5.7 million over child privacy violations.

More recently, TikTok has faced deeper scrutiny from regulators around the globe over privacy and security worries. Some governments have raised concerns that the platform's parent company ByteDance (which is based in Beijing) may be compelled to share data on their countries' residents with Chinese officials. Last month, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told a House committee that "ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country."

Nevertheless, the app has been banned from government devices in several territories, including the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Norway and the European Parliament. Dozens of US states have prohibited TikTok on devices they own as well. Severalbills have been introduced that would give the US the power to ban the platform completely, while TikTok has claimed the White House is trying to force ByteDance to sell the app.

Hyundai has built itself a reputation for delivering vehicles that offer a luxury feel at regular person prices. The latest EV from the automaker takes that up a notch by not just competing with the Tesla Model 3 but also the more high-end Polestar 2. The 2023 Ioniq 6 starts at $41,600 with two battery and drivetrain options. The various combinations of battery packs and either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive result in range numbers from 240 miles to 361 miles. It gives potential buyers the ability to determine which electric sedan works best for their situation.

Beyond the range numbers, the vehicle ships with a new and improved version of Hyundai’s driver assistance system, incredibly smooth acceleration mapping and a suspension system that – while not built as a sports sedan – is far more capable than anticipated while hitting the hills above Phoenix, Arizona. The biggest issue with the vehicle is headroom for tall drivers and passengers. The desire to reduce drag has brought the roof down that could be an issue for basketball players.

For more details, check out our first drive video below, where we found the Ioniq 6 to be one of our favorite EVs on the road.

Peloton owners with a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (including the Watch 5 Pro) or Galaxy Watch 4 can now monitor their heart rate on their exercise equipment. The Peloton Wear OS app update that enables the feature begins rolling out today.

The pairing process is similar to that of the Apple Watch, which launched its Peloton app in 2019 and added direct heart rate support in March 2022. Once you’ve installed the Peloton app update on your Galaxy Watch, choose a workout on your exercise equipment, open the app on your wearable and follow the “Connect” prompt. You should see your heart rate synced in real-time on your exercise machine. Peloton launched its Wear OS app last October, but it only showed users’ heart rates on the watch, not the workout equipment.

The update arrives as Samsung and Peloton (the latter especially) could use the strategic partnership. After years of being one of the only big-name Android smartwatches, Samsung’s flagship wearable has new competition in the Pixel Watch, which launched last October. Meanwhile, Peloton has struggled financially after a lockdown-era boom, leading to four rounds of layoffs last year that cut over half its workforce.

You might not want to rely on Apple's built-in Weather app to see if you need a jacket today. As Apple's status page confirms, many users are reporting that the app isn't loading information on all of the company's platforms, including iOS and macOS. We've asked Apple for comment, but the alert pins the issue (initially limited to Alaska) on a "data provider outage."

The company noted the problem late Monday, but it's still ongoing as of this writing. Apple hasn't provided an estimated time for restoring weather data. MacRumors says some users have had intermittent problems with the Weather app since the release of iOS 16.4 last week.

The outage comes a few months after Apple shut down Dark Sky for iOS, but years after the company started integrating Dark Sky's info into its Weather app. The transition and the glitch aren't necessarily connected, but this isn't great news for Dark Sky users who've had to use Apple's software to get the fine-grained forecasts they're used to. For now, you'll have to rely on third-party apps or the web to know if you should carry your umbrella.

OnePlus launched a second generation of its budget earbuds today. The Nord Buds 2 cost 50 percent more than last year’s original, but they offer several upgrades in return.

The Nord Buds 2 still have 12.4mm titanium drivers, but they add active noise cancelation — up to 25dB, according to OnePlus — to help shut out the world around you. Like most ANC earphones, they also offer a transparency mode, and you can quickly switch between the two. Additionally, the company says the Buds 2 use AI (Big Tech’s favorite 2023 buzzword) to accentuate bass without losing clarity or adding distortion.

Call clarity was one of our criticisms of the 2022 Nord Buds, and OnePlus claims it addressed that in the new model. The company says “an AI algorithm” pairs with its dual-mic system to amplify your voice, blur background voices and improve call quality. Like their predecessors, the Nord Buds 2 use the AAC codec and support Dolby Atmos, and you can tune their sound with the earbuds’ pre-defined equalizer profiles. In addition, they include IP55 water and dust resistance and have customizable touch controls.

OnePlus

The company says the earbuds' battery will provide up to seven hours per charge and 36 hours total (with ANC off) with its charging-case reserve. You can also allegedly add five hours of battery life (also with ANC off) with only 10 minutes of charging.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are available today in white and gray for $60. You can order them from the OnePlus website or Amazon.

Now that spring is making outdoor walks more of a pleasure, you might want some wireless earbuds — and thankfully, Amazon is making them more affordable. The retailer is again selling Apple's third-generation AirPods for $150, or $20 off. That's a record-low price, and may make the decision easy if you're looking for a reliable option. If that's still pricey, the second-gen AirPods are also on sale for just $99.

The third-gen AirPods are considered an iPhone user's 'default' wireless earbuds for good reason. They don't have active noise cancellation (ANC), but they sound better than their predecessors while offering a more comfortable fit and longer battery life. They're sweat-resistant for moderate workouts, and the tight integration with Apple gear may be appealing if you also have an Apple Watch, iPad or Mac.

You can sometimes find ANC-equipped earbuds for less, such as Jabra's Elite 4 Active. And if you want to stick to Apple buds, you may want to keep an eye out for sales on the second-gen AirPods Pro. They sometimes drop to $199, and pack ANC as well as better sound and a workout-ready fit. The standard AirPods represent a safe pick at this price, though, and their lack of ANC might even be preferable if you want to hear more of the outside world.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Anyone who stares at a screen all day probably doesn’t want to do so when they unwind with a book. But the convenience of getting a new read instantaneously and carrying a full bookcase in your pocket is pretty appealing. Ereaders combine the best of paper and computers, and they’re capable of storing dozens of books at a time. Amazon dominates in this market, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t worthy competitors. We tested out some of the best ereaders available to help you find which is right for you.

What to look for in an ereader

Plenty of apps will let you download and read a novel on a phone or tablet. What makes ereaders different is the screen: nearly all of them use technology from a company called E Ink. It manufactures electronic paper displays (EPD) composed of three sheets: one containing millions of microcapsules filled with black and white ink particles sandwiched between transparent electrode layers. When a charge is applied, either the black or white particles shift to the top, forming letters and the whitespace around them.

Because these displays are so different from standard LED panels, you can expect most ereaders to do a number of things well. They’ll be easier to stare at for long periods of time and easier to read in direct sunlight. Also, since E Ink displays only require power to rearrange the ink, these devices have much longer battery lives than standard tablets: we’re talking weeks, not days.

The ereader market is not as saturated as, say, smartphones, but there are still plenty of options out there and they do have small but important differences among them. They tend to range from around $100 to more than $400, though usually the higher end options are read/write E Ink tablets. Beyond price, you should consider physical properties like buttons, lights, storage and resolution, as well as how the software lets you find and access books.

Reading features

With any ereader, you’ll navigate the OS via taps and swipes, and some add physical page-turn buttons. Most with built-in buttons have an auto-rotating screen so you can press with your right or left hand.

As E Ink technology has advanced, resolution has greatly improved – even the budget Kindle has a 300 ppi display. You can still find ereaders with lower resolution, but we don’t recommend them.

Some ereaders have front LEDs that support light temperature adjustment. That means you can switch to a warmer light after the sun goes down, which will feel easier on the eyes. If you’re concerned about blue light, you should go for a reader with that feature.

Other features

The capabilities of these pocket libraries have advanced considerably since the early days. In addition to storing books, some let you browse the web, run apps and play music. The screen’s frame rate can’t handle gaming, but it’s good enough to show you the Wikipedia entry for Constantinople while you read Cloud Cuckoo Land.

If you listen to audiobooks, you may want an ereader capable of playing them and many current models have that ability. If that’s the case, consider one with a larger storage capacity, since audiobook files can take up more space than standard ebooks.

Above all, you should consider where and how you intend to find books to read. Most ereaders make it easiest to shop through their own ebook store, but all of them (even Kindles) will now let you download titles from other sources, like libraries, unaffiliated ebook sellers and free public domain sites.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How to get books for your ereader

Kindle, Nook and Kobo all have their own stores that you access directly from each brand’s devices. Prices are fairly competitive between the sellers, too – as I write this, the current NYT bestselling fiction ebook is $14 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Kobo store. The top nonfiction release, Prince Harry’s Spare, costs $18 at all three.

Amazon offers Kindle Unlimited for $10 per month, and it includes three million titles from which you can pick your next read. It includes audio and ebooks, but you won’t find many big, new releases or older bestsellers. Kobo has a subscription called Kobo Plus with about 1.3 million titles: it goes for $8 per month for ebooks only, $8 for audiobooks only or $10 for both.

Buying a book from a proprietary store instantly delivers it to your device, provided you’re connected to WiFi. It also syncs your reading across devices and apps, so you can pick up where you left off on your phone if you forgot your ereader at home. It truly is the most convenient way to go, but if you don’t want to be locked into one brand’s store, or if you opt for an ereader without its own marketplace, you do have options.

How to upload ePubs onto an ereader

Stores like ebooks.com and Google Play have millions of ebooks for sale as digital rights-managed (DRM) ePub files, which nearly all current ereaders (including Kindles) can display. Free, public domain classics from sites like Project Gutenberg are also packaged as ePubs, but without the added DRM. Books you get from these sources will look just like ones you bought from a proprietary store, thanks to the flowable, formatted nature of ePub files. While these device-agnostic ebook collections give you extra options for finding your next read, they require a few additional steps to get the files onto your ereader.

To do so, you’ll typically need a computer running a free program called Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). After buying and downloading the ePub file, open ADE and plug your ereader into your computer. Your device should pop up in the left panel. Drag and drop the ePub file from your downloads folder into the main panel in ADE. The file will display as an image of the book cover. Drag that image onto your device on the left panel. If the file includes digital rights management (which protects against unauthorized copying) you’ll need to authorize your ereader, which requires using or creating a free Adobe ID. Once you’ve finished adding files to upload, eject the reader from your computer to complete the transfer process.

Kindle and Boox devices use web-based uploaders instead of the ADE method. After downloading an ePub file, drag and drop it into your browser with the Send to Kindle page open. As long as you’re signed into Amazon, this wirelessly transfers the files to your associated device.

Boox allows for multiple methods. I prefer BooxDrop, which you can find in the App menu of your ereader. It generates a device-specific url which you can type in to access a file delivery portal that uploads directly to your library.

How to read library books on an ereader

Your local library card lets you borrow audio and ebooks through a program called Overdrive and its companion app Libby. Overdrive recently announced that it will sunset its legacy app, so Libby will be your one and only option if you access library books via Overdrive.

Kobo readers have built-in access to Overdrive, and that will not change despite the mobile app’s shutdown. Once you’ve linked your library card, the search function will include results for titles available from your local library; a few taps will upload your selections to your device for the length of the loan.

To read library books on a Kindle, you can either go through the Libby app or the Overdrive section of your library’s website. Once you click Borrow, you’ll see the option to “Read now with Kindle,” which takes you to Amazon’s site to sign in. After that, the book will be delivered to your device the next time it connects to WiFi.

For other ereaders, you’ll go through your library’s Overdrive portal and download the ePub after clicking the Borrow button. You can then use the ADE process we described above. Devices that run external apps, like the Boox Leaf 2, allow you to read library books via the Libby app, just as you would on a smartphone or tablet.

You can also use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks, but you won’t be able to access them through your ereader. (The exception is an ereader, like the Boox Leaf 2, that allows external apps). I found it was easier to listen to an audiobook on my phone anyway, regardless of whether I borrowed it through Libby or bought it from Kindle or Kobo.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How we tested

When putting together any guide, the first thing we do is spend hours researching the field. We look at what’s available, what’s new, and what shoppers and professional reviewers have to say. Then we narrow a list to the best candidates for hands-on testing.

I ended up getting eight ereaders, representing five different brands: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Boox and PocketBook. I bought, borrowed and uploaded books for each device using the methods above. Over the course of four weeks I evaluated each one in the areas of book access, ease of reading, extra features and overall value.

Here’s everything we tested:

• Amazon Kindle

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

• Kobo Libra 2

• Kobo Clara 2E

• Kobo Nia

• NOOK GlowLight 4

• Boox Leaf 2

• PocketBook Era

Best overall: Kobo Clara 2E

During testing, I’d grab the Kobo Clara 2E when I was off the clock and reading for my own satisfaction. That alone doesn’t make it the best ereader for most people, but the excellent design, performance and interface does. The Clara 2E is helpful from the moment you turn it on. It walks you through setting up an account so you can buy books, then asks about your recent favorite reads to improve its personalized recommendations.

It also tells you right away about its Overdrive integration that lets you check out ebooks from your library directly on the device. It was refreshing to be pointed towards something free, instead of just showing me more ways to spend money. The borrowing integration is seamless: you can find library books by searching for a title or browsing in the Overdrive tab in the Discover section, where the Kobo store lives.

The Discover tab and the Kobo store are nicely organized, with top sellers, deals and recommendations based on your history. Title pages are clean and uncluttered, giving you access to synopsis, reviews and preview samples. You can even mark a title as read, to deepen the algorithm's understanding of your preferences. Unlike Amazon’s Kindle store, audiobooks and ebooks are in separate tabs. I would have liked to have them together, and would love it if Kobo did what Amazon does and offer a discount if you buy the audiobook and text version together.

The customization options on the Clara are just right – there aren’t so many that it’s overwhelming, but you can fine-tune things enough to make the device yours. Features like sleep screens, gesture controls, and headers and footers are all customizable. You can also decide how your library is organized. Navigation is intuitive and I rarely had trouble finding what I was looking for in the settings.

But what really sets the Clara 2E apart is the reading experience. It’s lightweight and has a textured back for a sure grip, with one rear button controlling sleep, wake and power. The thin bezel makes the device compact enough to cradle in your hand like a smartphone, but is thick enough for your thumb to rest comfortably in a pinch grip.

On top of that, the front light is lovely. This model gives you both brightness and temperature adjustment, and the quality and subtlety of the glow creates a screen that’s the closest to paper of any ereader I’ve tried. You can also adjust the brightness on the fly by sliding your thumb up or down the left edge of the screen – such a simple feature, but one I used repeatedly. The text is crisp and the ghosting is minor. Text size, font style, line spacing and margins are minutely adjustable and available with a tap as you read.

Of all the readers, the Clara 2E was the most responsive to my touch. Rarely did it mistake a tap for a swipe or vice versa, and after I learned the controls, I was always brought exactly to where I wanted to go.

My favorite feature was how fast it woke up. Push the button and you immediately see the page you were last reading. Some ereaders make you push a button, swipe, then wait as the screen flashes and refreshes before finally loading your book. I like to fill spare moments by getting in a page or two, so a speedy wake is key. The page turns are also quick, though in a side-by-side comparison, the Kindle was just a touch faster.

For $140, the Clara 2E is pricier than other readers with six-inch screens. The standard Kindle is the exact same size and shape, and can be had for as little as $100 if you’re willing to put up with constantly being served ads on your lockscreen. You’ll pay $120 for the luxury of an ad-free model. The Kindle also isn’t waterproof and has no warm light option. In contrast, the Clara has no ads, can handle an accidental dunk in the bathtub and won’t kill your eyes with a ton of blue light. For those reasons – plus every little detail that made reading a joy – I’d recommend Kobo’s device to most.

Of course, if you’re already invested in Amazon’s ebook space, you may want to go for the Paperwhite Signature, which our editor Nathan Ingraham endorses in his review.

Kobo Clara 2E

• Screen size: 6”

• Resolution: 300dpi

• Capacity: 16GB

• Waterproof rating: IPX8 (submergible to 6 feet for 60 minutes)

• Warm light: Yes

Best budget option: Kindle

Amazon has dominated in the ereader space for so long that I was surprised when a Kindle device didn’t win me over. A Kobo may have taken the top spot here, but nothing can beat the standard Kindle when it comes to price. It’s listed at $100 but has gone on sale every few months since its debut in October 2022, sometimes for as low as $75.

With it, you can access the best of what Amazon has to offer, including many exclusive titles. Kindle Exclusive is a catalog made up of a million titles, including books by established authors as well as newer, self-published writers; Kindle Unlimited offers the widest selection of any subscription-based reading service out there; and Audible Originals is made up of narrated titles and podcasts you can only hear through a Kindle device or Amazon-owned app.

If you like to switch between audiobooks and ebooks, Kindle is the way to go. When you buy both iterations of a title, you not only get a discount, but the Whispersync feature lines up where you are in the e-printed version with the narration, too. Say you listen for an hour and then want to read – the synchronization lets you pick up on-screen where you left off audibly. (Though we should point out that you can’t listen and read simultaneously on the same device.) In tests, the feature was fairly accurate, getting me close enough on the page or in the audio to figure out my spot.

The standard Kindle doesn’t feel particularly luxurious, but it doesn’t feel cheap either. The shell has a velvety finish that doesn’t collect fingerprints, but I found myself wishing it had more texture for a better grip. Navigating from a page to the menu isn’t as speedy as Paperwhite or the Kobos we tried. And it takes a few moments to wake from sleep after hitting the button and swiping.

Page turns are quick, but the touchscreen gestures didn’t always do what I wanted them to. I’d often find the page skipping forward when I thought I’d tapped to go back. There’s no warm light, which didn’t bother me during the day, but at night it felt like I was still staring at my computer.

Kindle’s reading customization is great, letting you dial in the font, size and margins. You can even save a set of settings as a “theme,” something not offered by other devices. I created one with larger text and wider line spacing called “tired eyes.”

Some people won’t be bothered by the lock screen ads that come standard on every Kindle device (unless you pay to remove them). They’re fairly innocuous, mostly promoting Kindle book deals or specific titles (it’s not like you’ll see promos for TVs or robotic pool cleaners). Personally, I like being able to set the sleep screen to the book cover of what I’m currently reading, but it’s easy to get over that if all you want is a more convenient way to consume books at the lowest price.

Amazon Kindle

• Screen size: 6”

• Resolution: 300dpi

• Capacity: 16GB

• Waterproof rating: None

• Warm light: No

Best reader with buttons: Kobo Libra 2

My first ereader was the Kindle 2 with buttons everywhere, including a full keyboard – that was too many. The Kobo Libra 2, on the other hand, has just two buttons, which is perfect. It has the same streamlined interface as the Clara 2E, including an easy setup and intuitive navigation. You basically get everything that’s great about a Kobo device in a package that looks and feels premium.

One side of the reader has a wider bezel for the buttons and the screen rotates nearly instantly when you reorient the device, meaning you could have the buttons on the left, right or even bottom. Plus, if you want to lock the orientation when you’ve finally decided on a position, it’s a simple two-tap process. The wider bezel is also slightly thicker and slopes up at the edge, giving it a secure handhold. And I haven’t even mentioned the textured, rubberized back. All together, the Libra is the most comfortable ereader I've ever held.

At seven inches, the screen is only a little bigger than the standard Kindle or Kobo Clara 2E, but I noticed the difference. Out of all the ereaders I tried, reading the Libra 2 most closely resembles reading a physical paperback, especially after you balance the warm and cool light. But a paperback won’t adjust font size with a pinch or get brighter when you slide a finger along the margin like the Libra 2 will. The text and image clarity is nearly the best of the bunch – only the PocketBook Era was crisper. (That device also has a beautiful build. Unfortunately, the software doesn’t yet match the aesthetics.)

The Libra 2’s larger screen tempted me to use a few of Kobo’s bonus features found in the More section of the main navigation. The web browser is in beta, and it displays simple websites easily, if slowly. The Pocket integration lets you save articles from the web and then read them from the comfort of your Kobo. I used Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries as fodder for this testing and one entry is only available as a short story on Wired. I saved the article via the web extension on my laptop, then opened it up on the Kobo. I could then read it like it was any other part of the series.

At $190, the Libra 2 is one of the more expensive ereaders. But if you’re a voracious reader looking for a luxe experience, you won’t do much better than this. The Kindle Oasis also has page-turn buttons, a waterproof rating and seven-inch screen, but at $250 for the ad-supported, 8GB size, we think the Libra is a much better value.

Kobo Libra 2

• Screen size: 7”

• Resolution: 300dpi

• Capacity: 32GB

• Waterproof rating: IPX8 (submergible to 6 feet for 60 minutes)

• Warm light: Yes

Best Android tablet with an E Ink screen: Boox Leaf 2

First, a disclaimer: I don’t recommend Boox’s Leaf 2 for people who are not very tech-savvy. The tablet runs on a fork of Android 11 and doesn’t hold your hand getting set up. The only books available through the onboard “store” are free public domain classics. However, you can do far more with the Leaf 2 than you can with any standard ereader.

After enabling Google Play, I searched for and downloaded apps much like on a smartphone or tablet. I even grabbed ereader apps from other manufacturers, including Kobo and Kindle, and installed Libby to read books I had borrowed from the library. Through the built-in Neo web browser, I downloaded Project Gutenberg files, reading them with Boox’s Neo reader. Via BooxDrop, I wirelessly transferred a few ePubs I had on my computer. In short, if there's an ebook you want to read, you can do so on the Leaf 2 in some way.

The device itself looks similar to Kobo’s Libra 2 with a wider side bezel housing two page turn buttons. Those buttons are programmable, as are most touchscreen gestures. In fact, “customizable” might be the best way to describe the Leaf 2. In addition to a dizzying amount of options built into the operating system, other Boox users have created APK files to tweak and improve your experience.

The Leaf 2 has a soft, adjustable front light with temperature control and a flush, glare-free screen. The display is as speedy as can be expected with E Ink, and the overall UI is simple enough for anyone familiar with Android to master. The ever-present nav ball is a small, on-screen button that lets you access a few quick functions, and this is the only device we tried with a built-in speaker (yes, it can play Spotify).

Tech that requires somewhat advanced knowledge often gathers devoted fans, and Boox devices are no different. Get one and you’ll join a club that laughs at proprietary ebook hurdles. You’ll also have tons of possibilities to divert yourself with when you want to do something other than read.

Boox Leaf 2

• Screen size: 7”

• Resolution: 300dpi

• Capacity: 32GB

• Waterproof rating: None

• Warm light: Yes

Google has changed its tune and removed the file creation limit it quietly implemented for Drive over the past weeks. In a Twitter announcement (via Android Police), the Google Drive account said it's rolling back a "system update to... item limits" that was made to "preserve stability and optimize performance." The tech giant said it only ever impacted a small number of users, but it's now exploring alternative approaches to ensure stable performance for all. 

Several Drive users have encountered an error showing their upload had failed and that they couldn't exceed a creation limit of 5 million items since February. A Google spokesperson recently confirmed to Ars Technica that it had instituted a 5 million file creation cap to "prevent misuse of [its] system in a way that might impact [its] stability and safety." While Google didn't mention the cap in its new announcement, that's precisely how it described the change it has decided to roll back. 

Google caught flak not just for putting a ceiling on how many files a user can make, but also for not warning people about it. The creation cap affected paying users, after all, even those subscribed to the highest Google One tier that's supposed to provide up to 30TB of storage. It was very much possible to hit the file number cap before reaching that storage limit for those who frequently make or upload smaller files. In addition, Drive doesn't have a counter that could warn users that they're approaching the 5 million file creation cap.

Bottom line, it wasn't the best approach to prevent Drive misuse, and not telling users about it beforehand was perhaps as bad the limit itself. Google promised in its announcement that if it decides to incorporate changes to the cloud storage service in the future, it will communicate them to users in advance. 

Last week, Twitter said it would start winding down the legacy verified program on April 1st, but over the weekend, that didn't happen, because (according to The Washington Post) unverifying users is a painstaking manual process. Meanwhile, another report indicated around 10,000 of the top-followed sites would retain their legacy checkmarks, even if they didn't subscribe to Twitter Blue. And now, Twitter is displaying the same status for both legacy verified and Twitter Blue subscribers, making it difficult to tell them apart. Twitter said Twitter Blue would cost $1,000 per month for organizations, plus an additional $50 per month for individual affiliates in the US.

At the moment, I still have my blue tick, but I am very ready to bid it farewell.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

The biggest stories you might have missed

‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’ preview: Cal, we’re home

Bravo's ‘Scandoval’ has made Peacock my number-one streaming app

Google Drive now caps the number of files you can create

These are the astronauts that will fly on NASA's Artemis 2 mission around the Moon

Paris votes to ban e-scooter rentals

It was a landslide at 89 percent, but voter turnout was low.

Photo by Steve Dent/Engadget

Paris residents have dealt a blow to e-scooter rental companies Lime, Tier and Dott, voting in an 89 percent landslide to ban "trotinettes" from streets amid low voter turnout. The French capital will likely become the second European city after Barcelona to prohibit the devices, as mayor Anne Hidalgo has promised to respect the referendum. Any ban won't affect e-bikes or privately owned scooters.

Continue reading.

Twitter is covered in Doge for no discernible reason

An incredibly late April Fool's Day joke.

As of Monday afternoon, if you open the Twitter web client, the loading screen and main interface will display an icon depicting Kabosu, the Shiba Inu who inspired the Doge meme, instead of the company’s trademark blue bird. Perhaps the stretched-thin engineering team was simply late on delivering on an April Fools’ project?

Continue reading.

ASUS' ROG Ally is yet another Steam Deck competitor

The Windows handheld offers better specs, but will it be a better value?

After an April 1st announcement that prompted skepticism (don't announce real products on April Fools' Day, folks), ASUS has confirmed it's building its own handheld, the ROG Ally. While the company is light on details, it notes the system will run Windows 11 and use a custom AMD Ryzen chip. You can even plug in an external GPU. The company hasn't shared pricing or release dates. However, you can sign up for an alert when pre-orders begin at Best Buy.

Continue reading.

Sony’s next pair of budget earbuds will cost $120 when they arrive this month

The WF-C700N features active noise cancellation and Bluetooth 5.2 support.

Sony

Sony has an upcoming pair of budget earbuds with noise cancellation. The WF-C700N will set you back $120 when they come out, $20 more than the WF-C500 model they’re expected to replace. Based on a Best Buy listing spotted by WinFuture, the true wireless buds will be available on April 21st. But Sony's own product page for the earbuds estimates the arrival date of April 17th to 18th.

Continue reading.