The Pentagon has established a new group to investigate UFO sightings. The Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) will succeed the US Navy’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force. According to the Defense Department, “AOIMSG will synchronize efforts across the Department and the broader US government to detect, identify and attribute objects of interest in Special Use Airspace (SUA), and to assess and mitigate any associated threats to safety of flight and national security.”

The formation of the task force follows the release of a report in June in which the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) examined 144 sightings of “unidentified aerial phenomenon.” Only in one instance were officials able to determine what caused a sighting. For every other incident detailed in that report, ODNI said there was too little data for it to conclude what happened. If the US government were to have any chance at better understanding UFOs, ODNI said it would need to deploy more resources and a standardized approach across various agencies. It would appear the Defense Department has taken that recommendation to heart.

It may not be Black Friday for another two days, but CD Projekt’s GOG storefront is offering steep discounts on a variety of PC games through the end of the weekend. If there’s a theme to the sale, it’s all about CRPGs. Expect to see titles like Divinity: Original Sin and Divinity 2 as much as 65 percent off.

One of the highlights of the sale sees Horizon Zero Dawn discounted by 50 percent to $23.74. The Complete Edition includes the excellent Frozen Wilds DLC that expands the story and adds an entirely new open-world area for players to explore. If you’ve been waiting to pick up Horizon on PC, now is a good time to do so since Guerrilla patched many of the performance issues that hampered the game at launch. We’ll note here Horizon is also 50 percent off on Steam if you would rather buy the game through Valve’s storefront.

You can also get 50 percent off on both Disco Elysium and Cyberpunk 2077. If we had to pick a favorite among that pair, it would be Disco Elysium. It’s one of the best RPGs to come out in recent memory and has a lot to say about a variety of topics. If the fact it involved a lot of reading made you hesitant to try it before, The Final Cut release adds full voice acting to the game. At just under $32, we’d say even Cyberpunk is worth it.

GOG has also discounted the entire Focus Home Interactive catalog by up to 80 percent. In that way, you can get some less-known gems like A Plague Tale: Innocence and Vampyr for as low as $9.89. They’re not the most polished games, but if you’re looking for something different and with some character, they’re worth checking out.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

Amazon has delayed its plan to integrate Comixology purchases and the platform itself into its broader ecosystem. In a FAQ the company posted this week, it said the updated Comixology app, which is slated to bring a host of changes to how the service works, will arrive in early 2022, instead of 2021 as previously announced.

“We wanted to take just a little extra time to incorporate feedback we received from our community,” the company says in the document. “ With this goal in mind, we decided to hold launch until early next year.”

According to Amazon, the new Comixology app includes improvements to filtering and sorting. It also promises faster and more reliable downloads. The catch is that you’ll need an Amazon account to use the app at all. What’s more, once the company rolls out the updated software, the current Comixology app won’t work following a grace period.

However, the biggest change the app was set to introduce is already live as of this week. You no longer need the Comixology app to read purchases you make through the platform. Instead, they're also available through the Kindle app. All that points to a future where Comixology may not exist sometime in the next few years.

In mere hours, NASA will attempt to launch one of its most interesting missions in recent memory. At approximately 1:21AM ET, a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California carrying the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) craft. In about a year, NASA will attempt to intentionally crash DART into an incoming asteroid to see if it can alter its course.

The test will mark the first time humans have attempted to change the path of an asteroid. The binary system NASA will target as part of the test doesn't pose a threat to Earth, but what the agency learns from the mission could be vital in the future. NASA has identified at least 23 objects that could potentially collide with Earth over the next 100 years. And developing a feasible defense strategy is key to protecting humanity from that threat.

You can watch the entire launch unfold on NASA’s Live YouTube channel. Live coverage will start at 12:30AM ET on November 24th.

Reddit will shut down Dubsmash on February 22nd, 2022. The announcement comes less than a year after Reddit acquired the TikTok-like video platform for an undisclosed sum in December 2020. Following the 22nd, Dubsmash won’t be available to download through the App Store or Google Play, nor will the app work after that date.

When Reddit first announced the acquisition, it said Dubsmash would retain its own platform and brand. “Combining forces has been a perfect match. Reddit is where passionate communities come together for timely, interactive and authentic exchanges about topics that matter to them, and video is increasingly core to how people want to connect,” the company said in a blog post.

As part of today’s announcement, Reddit is also rolling out new video features that come courtesy of the Dubsmash team. The built-in camera now includes options to change recording speeds and set a timer. Additionally, it’s now possible to upload clips in landscape, portrait mode and fill, as well as adjust and trim multiple clips at once. A new editing screen allows users to add stickers, doodles, voice-overs and filters to their clips.

The impending shutdown of Dubsmash is likely to affect creators of color most acutely. Where TikTok’s best-known stars are white, Dubsmash was particularly popular among Black and Latinx users. At the end of 2020, Reddit noted 25 percent of all Black teens in the US were on the platform. Those users now face a tough decision: they either support a platform that has been seen as a safe harbor for hate speech and misinformation or look elsewhere to find a supportive community.

Apple has delayed the release of a feature that will eventually allow you to store your ID in the company’s Wallet app. In an update to the official iOS 15 website that was spotted by MacRumors, Apple says that functionality will now arrive sometime in early 2022. The company previously planned to launch in late 2021.

Apple first announced the feature at WWDC 2021. At the time, the company said the tool would allow you to add your driver’s license or state ID card to Apple Wallet just like you would a credit or debit card. Among the first locations that will support the feature will be select Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at some US airports.

At those locations, you’ll have the option to use your iPhone or Apple Watch to present your ID to the TSA. You’ll do so by tapping your device on an identity reader, and you won’t need to hand over your iPhone or Apple Watch to a TSA employee.

In September, Apple announced eight states would support the feature at launch, starting with Arizona and Georgia, and Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Utah to follow. Beyond TSA checkpoints, Apple said retailers and venues would add support later.

Outside of early 2022, Apple has not shared a specific release date for the feature. What’s clear is that it won’t arrive with iOS 15.2. That update is currently in beta testing and does not include support for storing digital IDs.

Epic Games has acquired Harmonix, the studio behind titles like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Dance Central and more recently Fuser. Financial terms have not been disclosed. Epic’s vision for Harmonix involves the metaverse. In the immediate future, the two plan to create “musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite.”

Viewed through that lens, Epic’s interest in the studio makes a lot of sense. Outside of frequent brand collaborations, Fortnite is at this point best known for its virtual concerts. In the last two years, a handful of major artists like Ariana Grande and Travis Scott have drawn a lot of interest to the game. In the latter case, for example, more than 12.3 people watched Scott’s performance concurrently.

In the meantime, Harmonix says it will continue to support its existing slate of games. That means Rock Band players can continue to look forward to new DLC and Fuser players can expect the studio to continue hosting events. Additionally, any game that's currently available through Steam will continue to be sold through Valve's storefront.

Add Nintendo to the list of major gaming companies that say they're disappointed with Activision Blizzard following last week's bombshell Wall Street Journal report on the publisher and CEO Bobby Kotick. In an internal company email obtained by Fanbyte, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser says he was distressed by the allegations detailed in The Journal's investigation.

"Along with all of you, I've been following the latest developments with Activision Blizzard and the ongoing reports of sexual harassment and toxicity at the company," Bowser says in the message. "I find these accounts distressing and disturbing. They run counter to my values as well as Nintendo's beliefs, values and policies."

According to Fanbyte, Bowser notes in the letter he's been in contact with Activision and is in the process of accessing potential "actions." What those actions may entail, Bowser doesn't say. However, there's no mention of reassessing the relationship with Activision like Xbox chief Phil Spencer said was on the table in his message to Microsoft employees. What he does mention is that Nintendo is working with the Entertainment Software Association, a lobbying group that represents both Nintendo and Activision, to strengthen its stance on harassment and workplace abuse.  

“Every company in the industry must create an environment where everyone is respected and treated as equals, and where all understand the consequences of not doing so,” he said in the email.

Bowser reportedly sent the letter on Friday, November 19th, to all levels of the company, including internal development teams like Retro Studios. Nintendo of America later confirmed the authenticity of the email. "We can confirm the content of Doug Bowser's internal email to Nintendo of America staff is accurate," a spokesperson for the company told Fanbyte. "We have nothing further to share on this topic."

According to The Journal, Kotick knew about many of the incidents of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard and, at times, acted to protect abusers at the company. He also allegedly acted as one himself at times. In a statement to Engadget, a spokesperson for the company said the article presented a "misleading view of Activision Blizzard and our CEO." The report drew an outcry from Activision Blizzard employees who staged a walkout on the day it was published. Some of those same employees have also called on Kotick to resign from his position, an action the executive reportedly said he would consider if he can't fix the company's culture "with speed."

"We respect all feedback from our valued partners and are engaging with them further," an Activision Blizzard spokesperson told Engadget after the Microsoft letter surfaced online. "We have detailed important changes we have implemented in recent weeks, and we will continue to do so. We are committed to the work of ensuring our culture and workplace are safe, diverse, and inclusive. We know it will take time, but we will not stop until we have the best workplace for our team."

If you've heard good things about Headspace and have been waiting to give it a try, now is a good time to do so. The company has discounted its monthly subscription by 60 percent to $4.99, down from $12.99 per month. And it’s not a one-time discount, you can get up to 12 months at that price during the sale. Headspace has also reduced the price of its annual subscription. It currently costs $34.99 instead of $69.99. The promo is available from today until December 6th.

One thing to note about Headspace is that it’s more than a meditation app. It has an entire section dedicated to music from artists like Arcade Fire and Hans Zimmer. You’ll also find workout videos and tools you can use to fall asleep. If you want to get a feel for what it’s all about, Headspace recently released an interactive mindfulness experience within Netflix.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

If the YouTube TV app on your Roku device isn’t working properly, you’re not the only one. Over on the company’s community forums, there are multiple reports of the latest Roku OS update causing the YouTube TV app to freeze after several minutes of use. In a tweet spotted by Gizmodo, an official YouTube support account said Google was aware of the issue and working on a potential solution.

“Sorry to hear about this — just to clarify, are you having this issue on Roku? If yes, we’re already aware of this issue, and our team is currently working on a fix,” the account said. “We’ll let you know as soon as we receive an update. Let us know if it’s something different.”

At the moment, it’s unclear if the bug is the latest development in the ongoing feud between Google and Roku. Back in April, the two started publicly accusing one another of attempting to renegotiate their distribution deal in bad faith. When we reached out to Google, the company pointed us to the above tweet without offering any additional context. We've also reached out to Roku for comment.

As 9to5Google points out, what makes the situation worse is that one potential workaround to the problem doesn’t exist. Normally, in situations like this one you might uninstall the affected app and reinstall it to see if that fixes that problem. That hasn’t been possible since Roku pulled the YouTube TV app from its store back in April.