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It's almost time for Samsung's first big event of the year, Unpacked 2023. The company hasn't said what to expect from the presentation, but it has strongly hinted that the Galaxy S23 is on the way. Samsung's reservation page suggests a new high-end Galaxy Book laptop is on the way as well. Of course, there's always the chance the tech giant could surprise us too. 

You can watch the livestream below. Samsung's event starts at 1PM ET, but Engadget is kicking things off a bit early with a pre-show at 12:30PM ET. Join Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford as they break down all of Samsung's announcements.  

Biden administration officials have taken aim at Apple and Google in a new report, describing the pair as “gatekeepers” of the mobile apps that consumers and businesses rely on. The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) states that users “should have more control over their devices” and argues that more legislation is probably needed to bolster competition in the app ecosystem. The agency also claims that "the current ecosystem is not a level playing field."

In a report titled “Competition in the Mobile App Ecosystem” (PDF), the NTIA says it pinpointed two major policy issues that are getting in the way of a more competitive app ecosystem. First, it says that users "largely" can't get apps outside of the Google and Apple-controlled app store model. The report notes that sideloading is not an option broadly available to most iOS users and that alternative app stores such as Amazon Appstore and Samsung’s Galaxy Store "are not currently sufficiently viable options to create robust competition."

The NTIA says the second issue it identified is that Apple and Google impose technical barriers that can make it more difficult for developers to compete. These can include factors such as limits on how apps function and funneling apps through "slow and opaque review processes," the report says.

The agency determined that, while there are some benefits to the current mobile app ecosystem, particularly when it comes to security measures, the cons outweighed the pros. It added that it's still possible to shore up privacy and security in a more competitive marketplace. To get to that point, the NTIA suggests that several changes are required.

First, it says, users should have more control over what they do with their devices, including the option to set their own apps as defaults (something that's already possible on Android and iOS to some degree), a way to hide or remove pre-installed apps and the ability to use third-party app stores. The NTIA argues that operators of app stores shouldn't give their own apps preferential treatment in search results as well.

In addition, there should be measures in place to prevent limits on sideloading, web apps and other app stores "while still preserving appropriate latitude for privacy and security safeguards," the agency said. Moreover, it claimed that "limits on in-app purchasing options should be addressed" by preventing app store operators from forcing developers to use their own payment systems. Google has been testing third-party billing options for certain Android apps, while Apple last year started allowing certain app makers to direct users to their websites to manage payments and accounts.

"We appreciate the report acknowledges the importance of user privacy, data security and user convenience," an Apple spokesperson told Engadget in a statement. "Nevertheless, we respectfully disagree with a number of conclusions reached in the report, which ignore the investments we make in innovation, privacy and security — all of which contribute to why users love iPhone and create a level playing field for small developers to compete on a safe and trusted platform.”

In a filing with the NTIA, Apple said it "competes with other products that do not offer the same level of protection and instead choose to let customers load unvetted code onto their devices — which independent studies show leads to more malware and less privacy." The company also claimed that if its "security and privacy protections were regulated out of existence, the result would thus be less competition and less consumer choice."

Engadget has contacted Google for comment.

The NTIA report comes amid a drive from the White House to bolster competition in the tech industry. "My vision for our economy is one in which everyone — small and midsized businesses, mom-and-pop shops, entrepreneurs — can compete on a level playing field with the biggest companies," President Joe Biden wrote last month in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

There have been attempts in Congress to increase competition in the mobile app ecosystem. Proposed legislation called the Open App Markets Act failed to pass in the last session despite gaining bipartisan support. It would have required Apple and Google to let developers use third-party app stores and payment systems.

Jony Ive once designed a limited edition Leica camera for charity, but he worked on a far lower-tech product for the UK charity Comic Relief's Red Nose Day. In fact, the famed ex-Apple designer came up with a new version of the Red Nose itself, designing a model that transforms from a flat "C" shape into a honeycomb paper sphere. It's a key part of Comic Relief's annual charity broadcast March 17th on several BBC channels. 

In a short video (below), comedian Diane Morgan jokingly describes it as "the most perfect nose in history." It has a few typical Ive touches, like plant-based materials and a small case for storage when it's folded flat. In a press release, Comic Relief called it "the most dramatic makeover since [the Red Nose] debut in 1988."

"We've grown up with Comic Relief and are proud to support their remarkable work," said Ive. "This new and seemingly simple Red Nose has been a fabulously complex little object to design and make and has involved our entire team. We hope it brings a little moment of joy to everyone who wears one." 

The £2.50 ($3) product is being sold directly by Comic Relief and also on Amazon for the first time with a limit of eight per customer. Money raised from the March 17th telethon and Red Nose sales goes toward people battling issues like homelessness, mental health issues and food insecurity. Ive left Apple in 2019 and now co-leads his own firm LoveFrom with designer Marc Newson. 

The Super Bowl is set, and that means it's a good time of year to be in the market for a new TV. With many of the major TV brands unveilingtheirlatestmodelsearlier in the year at CES, prices on last year's older-but-still-worthy sets have continued to descend. Yes, those willing to wait and pay extra for the latest and greatest are likely to get a better image, but buying a well-reviewed older TV is usually the better value. While we don't review many TVs here at Engadget, we've scoured reviews and price histories to find the best Super Bowl 2023 TV deals happening right now that may be worth your time. Prices may fall further over the coming months as TV manufacturers look to clear out their inventory, but if you want a new set in time for the Chiefs-Eagles clash, here are a few discounts of note.

55-inch Samsung S95B OLED TV

Samsung's S95B is broadly regarded as a top choice among last year's premium-level TVs, and right now its 55-inch variant is available for $1,448, tying the all-time low we saw back around the holiday season. It previously retailed around $1,600 for most of January. The 65-inch model, meanwhile, is down to $1,798, which is $20 more than its previous low. 

The S95B is not exactly cheap, but reviews suggest its QD-OLED panel supplies the kind of high contrast, deep black tones and wide viewing angles expected from a typical OLED display. At the same time, its added layer of quantum dots allows it to achieve higher-than-usual brightness levels for an OLED, as well as more saturated colors. This means it should perform better than most current OLED TVs in a brightly-lit room. Beyond the display tech, it has four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, all of which are capable outputting 4K video at a 120Hz refresh rate. The main downsides are its lack of Dolby Vision HDR support and the fact that it's only available in 55 or 65 inches.

48-inch LG C2 OLED TV

LG's C2 OLED TV can't match the S95B in terms of color saturation or peak brightness (something the company wants to address in 2023), but the consensus is that it still lives up to the standard of LG's past OLED TVs, with similarly excellent contrast, black levels, and viewing angles. Like the S95B, it's well-suited for gaming, with four full HDMI 2.1 ports and 4K/120Hz support, and here you don't miss out on Dolby Vision. It just won't look quite as nice outside of a darker or moderately-lit room, particularly with HDR content. 

The C2 comes in a wider array of sizes, though, including the 48-inch variant on sale here. This set is down to an all-time low of $947, which is $100 less than the price we saw over the holidays. If you want a larger set, the 55- and 65-inch models are available for $1,297 and $1,697, respectively, though we've seen those prices for most of the past few months; the S95B may be a better buy in that range.

43-inch Samsung SN90B QLED TV

If you're looking for a smaller but still high-end TV, the 43-inch version of Samsung's QN90B is down to a new low of $898, which is about $200 off its average street price in recent months. The 55-inch model is also available for an all-time low at $1,298, but it's also been there for a while, and at that price most people should get the Samsung S95B or LG C2 and their superior OLED panels. 

The QN90B is a more traditional LED LCD panel instead, but reviews say that its quantum dot color tech and Mini LED backlighting give it better contrast and HDR performance that most TVs of this type. It still gets significantly brighter than most OLED sets as well, and like the models above it has four full HDMI 2.1 ports and a 120Hz refresh rate. There's no Dolby Vision, though, and like many LED TVs it's susceptible to a blooming effect around bright objects in dark scenes.

55-inch TCL 5-Series QLED TV

Reviewers we trust at Wirecutter, Rtings and elsewhere have praised TCL's newest 5-Series TV for providing relatively impressive contrast (aided by a decent full-array local dimming feature) and colors, plus support for Dolby Atmos and the major HDR formats, for well under than $500. As of this writing, the 55-inch version of the TV is on sale for $370, which is an all-time low and about $60 less than usual. The 65-inch variant, meanwhile, is still available for a low of $500. Just note that this TV is limited to a basic 60Hz refresh rate, so it's not totally ideal for modern game consoles, and like most LCD sets in this price range its image degrades when viewed from an angle.

55-inch Hisense U6H ULED TV

Hisense's U6H is a step behind the TCL 5-Series TV in terms of brightness and the uniformity of its black tones, nor does it have true HDMI 2.1 support. It still performs well for the money, though, with a similarly decent full-array local dimming feature and quantum dots for solid colors. The U6H also uses the Google TV interface, so if you prefer that to the 5-Series TV's Roku-based UI, it's a worthy alternative. It's currently down to $368 for a 55-inch model, which matches its previous low. The 65- and 75-inch models are available for $500 and $650, respectively. 

For a step up, Hisense's U8H is a well-regarded mid-range model with Mini LED backlighting and 120Hz refresh rate. It's currently down to $650 for a 55-inch model, though we've seen it available for $50 cheaper in the past. Its 65-inch variant, however, is back down to its previous low of $898.

65-inch Sony X95K Mini LED TV

There isn't much reason for most to get the Sony X95K over the premium options noted above, but reviewers at Rtings, Tom's Guide and the like have deemed the Mini LED TV a commendable option for HDR content and video games all the same. It also runs on Google TV, but note that it only has two HDMI 2.1 ports and can suffer from blooming in darker scenes. Regardless, the 65-inch version of the X95K is down to $1,798, while the 75-inch model is available for $2,498. Both of those discounts mark new lows, coming in about $200 and $500 less than the typical prices we've seen in recent months, respectively.

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Alienware has announced when you'll be able to get your hands on its first laptops with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40-series graphics cards. Last month at CES, the brand unveiled a new 18-inch model, as well as more 16-inch laptops, and now the company has revealed some pricing and availability details.

The chunkiest system is called the Alienware m18. It will initially be available in the US on February 9th with a GeForce RTX 4080. That powerhouse system will start at $2,899. More configurations will be available at a later date, including an entry-level model that starts at $2,099 ($2,999 CAD in Canada).

Along with one of NVIDIA's most powerful laptop GPUs, the Alienware m18 boasts Intel's fastest 13th-gen HX mobile CPUs, up to 9TB of storage and either a 165Hz quad-HD or 480Hz 1080p display. It's as thick as the existing m17 but there's a promise of improved cooling, thanks to a vapor chamber covering the processor and graphics card, seven heat pipes and a quartet of fans. These are said to provide a 25 percent airflow improvement.

The m16 has a similar design and the same cooling boosts. Likewise, it will debut in the US with an RTX 4080 configuration on February 9th. That version of the m16 will start at $2,599. More variants are on the way, with the entry model slated to start at $1,899 ($2,699 CAD). 

As for the x16, that also has a 16-inch display, albeit in a slimmer, more portable and all-metal form factor. Alienware managed to cram six speakers into this laptop, including two upward-firing tweeters and dual woofers. You'll be able to snap one up with Intel's fastest non-HX 13th-gen CPUs. The x16 will debut in the US with an RTX 4080 on February 14th for $3,099. Other Intel and NVIDIA-powered variants, available later, will start at $2,199 ($2,999 CAD). 

Alienware plans to release AMD-powered versions of all of these laptops in Q2. It will reveal pricing closer to launch.

Meanwhile, Alienware has revealed that its first 500Hz monitor will arrive in the near future. The 24.5-inch display will debut in China on February 9th and it will make its way to North America "soon." Pricing for the US and Canada will be announced later.

You'll also need to wait a little longer to find out initial pricing and availability for the next Alienware x14, as well as Dell's G15 and G16. Alienware will announce those details on March 2nd. On the same day, the brand will host an event on Twitch, during which it will reveal more peripherals and other hardware.

Last summer, Netflix started using a spatial audio system that doesn't require dedicated equipment. After debuting the tech with season four of Stranger Things and a few other other titles, Netflix is now rolling it out more broadly. However, you'll need to be subscribed to the top-end Premium tier to check it out. The company says spatial audio is now available on more than 700 of its most-watched titles, including The Watcher, Wednesday and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

A spatial audio badge on shows and movies will make it clearer if a title supports that format. You can also search for "spatial audio" to see the full list of supported titles. In the coming months, you'll be able to check out more series and films with spatial audio enabled, including You, Your Place or Mine, Luther: The Fallen Sun and Tour de France.

Netflix teamed up with Sennheiser to use Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio tech. It's designed for built-in stereo speakers, particularly laptops and tablets. Netflix says spatial audio should be effective on TVs that aren't too far away from the viewer and phones with stereo speakers. The company claims that its spatial audio will offer a more immersive experience to those wearing headphones too.

Premium subscribers are getting another boost starting today, which could come in especially handy for those who watch Netflix shows and movies on the go and across several devices. You'll now be able to download titles to six different devices, up from four. That's six more devices than users on the ad-supported plan can download TV series and films to.

If you need extra storage for your gaming computers or your gadgets, you may want to check out Amazon's latest sale. It features several Western Digital Black gaming SSDs in different capacities, as well as SanDisk microSDs for up to half off their original price. The smallest capacity SSD in the list is WD_Black's 250GB Internal Gaming SSD, which you can get for $35. That's 42 percent off its original price of $60 and is an all-time low for the product. For just a few bucks more at $40, though, you can get the 500GB version of the solid state drive. That's only 10 cents more than the lowest price we've seen it go for on the website and is half the product's original price of $80. 

You can also buy a 1TB WD_Black Internal Gaming SSD for $70, or 46 percent less than its retail price of $130 and an all-time low for the component. Need an even bigger storage space? The 2TB version of the model (SN770) is currently on sale for $135, which is 10 percent off its original price of $150. Both 1TB and 2TB SN770 SSDs can reach speeds of up to 5,150MB/s and come in an M.2 form factor. 

But if you want faster SSDs and don't mind paying more, you can get the SN850X model in 1TB or 2TB capacities instead. The 1TB SN850X Internal Gaming SSD is currently selling for $110, and while it sold for less in the past, that's still 31 percent off retail. For $70 more, you can double that capacity and get the 2TB SN850X at 38 percent less than usual. Both components have speeds that can go up to 7,300 MB/s. Also, you'll be able to monitor all these SSDs' health and switch RGB styles through WD_Black's dashboard. 

In case you're on the lookout for a microSD instead, SanDisk's 256GB Ultra microSDXC memory card is back to its lowest Black Friday price of $20 or 39 percent off retail. SanDisk's 1TB Ultra microSDXC is also available for purchase at a discount right now: You can get the $137 card for its all-time low price of $100. Both are available at these prices as Lightning Deals, which means you can only get them at a discount for a limited time. 

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

Apple’s first HomePod in 2018 was late to the smart speaker game. Sure, it sounded good, but it lacked a lot of the basic functionality of its rivals. Yet again, with its second-generation $299 HomePod, the company delivers stellar sound quality, but this time, expanded smart home tools show Apple has learned from that first attempt.

The new HomePod can easily pair with HomeKit and Matter accessories and has temperature and humidity sensors. You can use that data to create automated triggers for other smart home devices. Even without a compatible smart thermostat, you can successfully trigger a smart plug, once the HomePod detects a certain temperature.

The most notable new feature on the HomePod isn't even ready yet. Sound Recognition can listen for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and notify your other Apple devices. Unfortunately, it won’t arrive in an update until later this spring. Check out our full HomePod review right here.

– 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.

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A new AI voice tool is already being abused to deepfake celebrity audio clips

That was quick.

A few days ago, speech AI startup ElevenLabs launched a beta version of its platform, which can create entirely new synthetic voices for text-to-speech audio or to clone somebody's voice. Well, it only took the internet a few days to make a mess. The company is seeing an "increasing number of voice cloning misuse cases." Motherboard found 4chan posts with clips featuring generated voices that sound like celebrities reading or saying something questionable. One clip, for instance, reportedly featured a voice that sounded like Emma Watson reading a part of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Users also posted voice clips that feature homophobic, transphobic, violent and racist sentiments. It's not entirely clear if all the clips used ElevenLab's technology, but a post with a wide collection of the voice files on 4chan included a link to the startup's platform. The company is now gathering feedback on how to prevent users from abusing its technology. It may even drop its Voice Lab tool altogether and have users submit voice cloning requests that it can verify manually.

Continue reading.

'Star Wars Jedi: Survivor' is delayed to April 28th

Respawn says it will use the extra six weeks to polish the game.

EA

Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment announced the delay of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor to April 28th. The game was previously slated to arrive on March 17th. "In order for the team to hit the Respawn quality bar, provide the team the time they need and achieve the level of polish our fans deserve, we have added six crucial weeks to our release schedule – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will now launch globally on April 28th," Respawn posted on Twitter. The studio said it would use the extra time to fix bugs and polish the game to improve performance, stability and the player experience.

Continue reading.

Paramount+ Premium will absorb Showtime and rebrand as 'Paramount+ With Showtime'

Rolls right off the tongue.

Paramount Global is combining two of its services. It will fold Showtime into the Premium tier of Paramount+ later this year. The combined offering will be known as Paramount+ With Showtime. Showtime's linear TV network will be rebranded with the same name in the US. As part of the move, some Paramount+ original programs will air on the cable network – so maybe more people will finally recognize the brilliance of The Good Fight – which is getting a spin-off pilot, too. (The Good Fight itself was already a spin-off.) While the move may come as a disappointment to those who are only interested in Showtime's content and aren't sold on Paramount+, the move makes sense from a business perspective. There's a wave of consolidation across the media industry, including in streaming, where HBO Max and Discovery+ will combine in the coming months.

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EU wind and solar energy production overtook gas last year

A report from UK clean-energy think tank Ember projects the gap to widen.

Energy generated from solar and wind power reportedly overtook natural gas in the EU for the first time last year. The data comes from UK clean-energy think tank Ember and projects the gap to grow. Solar and wind energy rose to an all-time high of 22 percent of the EU’s 2022 electricity use. Meanwhile, Ember projects fossil-fuel generation to drop by 20 percent this year – with gas falling the fastest. The clean energy industry had some unwanted assistance. The shift stems from reduced reliance on gas and coal after Russia invaded Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin ordered the cutoff of natural gas exports to the EU as retaliation for Western sanctions.

Continue reading.

Apple dabbled in live sports with weekly Major League Baseball games last year, but now the company is launching its most ambitious offering yet. Today, the company debuts MLS Season Pass, a subscription that gives soccer fans access to every game of the 2023 season, the Leagues Cup and both MLS Next Pro and MLS Next matches — all with no blackouts. While you can sign up today and start watching a library of archived content, the first games begin February 25th. 

MLS Season Pass will be available to stream through the Apple TV app on the company's range of devices, game consoles, streaming gadgets, set-top boxes, smart TVs and on the web. Anywhere you find that piece of software you'll be able to access the subscription. The streaming plan costs $15 per month or $99 for the season. If you're an Apple TV+ customer, you'll get the discounted rates of $13/month or $79 a season. What's more, avid fans who are season ticket holders for an MLS club will get the all-inclusive streaming subscription for free. Apple's tie-in with MLS is part of a 10-year deal, so the US league's games aren't going to another network or streaming service any time soon.

If you're not sure if you want to commit just yet, "the majority" of the on-demand content already streaming is available for free. More importantly, Apple will offer every game on opening weekend free of charge and will follow that up with weekly free games. That library of on-demand items includes archived matches going back to 2019, documentary-style stories, the best moments from last season and curated highlights. 

Apple

Each team has a club page with highlights, schedule info and archived games. Once you select the team(s) you want to follow, match reminders will display in the Up Next section of the Apple TV app. As the season approaches, you'll be privy to game previews and other team-specific content. During matches, updates will show on your iPhone lockscreen via Live Activities. 

Apple has committed to English and Spanish commentary teams for every match. Additionally, MLS Season Pass will offer French for matches that include the leagues Canadian clubs. Apple has already announced a team of nearly 50 announcers, including a wide range of experienced broadcasters and former players. Maurice Edu, Cobi Jones, Taylor Twellman, Lori Lindsey and Danielle Slaton are just a few of the many. In addition to games, MLS Season Pass will offer live pre-game, halftime and post-game analysis in addition to a "whip-around show" with live look-ins at in-progress matches and detailed discussions of key moments from every game. 

Interestingly, Apple will also provide radio broadcasts as part of the streaming plan. If you don't care for the broadcast team, or just prefer to listen to your favorite club's radio crew, you can opt for that alternate audio. The company promises that the sound will sync up with the live action so it will be a true replacement if you choose it. One of the key things that Apple hasn't announced yet is streaming quality. The company says that the "full production plan" will be announced ahead of the season's start, which will hopefully include that info. Apple's weekly MLB games were streamed in 1080p at 60fps, but since MLS Season Pass is a much more elaborate effort that includes literally every match, maybe the company will surprise us and upgrade to 4K. 

Apple

The UK government has detailed "ambitious" plans to regulate the crypto industry, with proposals on stronger rules for trading platforms, crypto lending, new token issues and more. The goal, it says, is to protect consumers and businesses, while enabling "a new and exciting sector to safely flourish and grow," it wrote in a press release. 

Last year saw the fall of FTX, Celsius and other crypto exchanges, along with wildly fluctuating prices for Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. As a result, critics in the UK have been calling for new rules that protect consumers from the "crypto wild-west," as the opposition Labour party's Tulip Siddiq put it.  

The UK government plans to strengthen rules around the operation of crypto trading firms like FTX, along with other financial intermediaries. The primary aim, it wrote, is to enhance consumer protection and the ability of exchanges to weather storms. As part of that, it's proposing what it calls a "crypto market abuse regime" that would create rules around money laundering and other illegal schemes. It also plans to strengthen laws around cryptocurrency lending. 

At the same time, the treasury department is introducing a time-limited exemption that would allow designated crypto firms to issue new tokens. Companies registered with the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for anti-money laundering purposes would be allowed to issue coins while the new regulations are written. 

In January 2022, the UK government promised a crackdown on misleading crypto ads, but that now seems quaint given the tumultuous year that followed. At the time, the government figured that around 2.3 million people in the country owned a cryptoasset.

Today's proposal "delivers on the original policy intention of the measure to promote innovation, enhance consumer protection and ensure that cryptoasset promotions can be held to equivalent standards as promotions of financial services products with similar risk profiles," the government said. The consultation will close on April 30th, 2023, at which point regulators will review feedback and formulate a response.