Google is shaking up Search in terms of both entering queries and how results are displayed, and you can expect to see the changes in the wild in the coming months. For instance, you may soon find it easier to get answers to questions before you finish writing them. When you start typing into the search box, Google will display badges with autocomplete suggestions, as well as related themes and categories. The goal, as ever, is to help you get to relevant results faster.

When it comes to search results, expect Google to place greater onus on videos, including more vertical clips. According to Google, this is in service of diversifying the types of content formats that users see in results. It builds on an approach centered around browsable, visual-first results and endless scrolling on mobile (where vertical videos thrive). You'll see related topics as you scroll too. When you look up a city, you might see photos of landmarks, directions to get there, the current weather and tips for travelers. In addition, the search results may include videos from creators who have visited the city.

It could be easier for you to go down the rabbit hole on something you're interested in too. Google detailed some "drill down" features that are based on a deep understanding of how people search. You'll be able to add and remove related topics to see more detail or focus on the things you care about. You may discover things you weren't aware of. Google used Oaxaca's beaches and musical traditions as examples. That could help you find inspiration for planning trips, for instance.

This seems like an evolution of related searches. It's described as a streamlined and unified approach to helping folks explore topics by organizing results in a more logical way. Ultimately, it's all about simplifying Search and getting you the information you need (or didn't know you need) more quickly.

Multisearch, a Google Lens feature that can search images and text simultaneously, will soon be more broadly available after arriving in the US as a beta earlier this year. Google says multisearch will expand to more than 70 languages in the coming months. The company made the announcement at an event focused on Search.

In addition, the Near Me feature, which Google unveiled at I/O back in May, will land in the US in English sometime this fall. This ties into multisearch, with the idea of making it easier for folks to find out more details about local businesses. Multisearch is largely about enabling people to point their camera at something and ask about it while they're using the Google app. You could aim your phone at a store and request details about it, for instance, or ask about a screenshot of any unfamiliar item, like an item of clothing. You could also look up what a certain food item is called, like soup dumplings or laksa, and see what restaurants around you offer it.

Also on the Lens front, there will be some changes when it comes to augmented reality translations. Google is now employing the same artificial intelligence tech it uses for the Pixel 6's Magic Eraser feature to make it appear like it's replacing the original text, instead of superimposing the translation on top. The idea is to make translations look more seamless and natural.

Google is also adding shortcuts to the bottom of the search bar in its iOS app, so you'll more easily find features like translating text with your camera, hum to search and translating text in screenshots.

It's Amazon's turn to host a major fall hardware event, and the company took the opportunity to announce some news for the Echo Show 15. It will bring the Fire TV experience to the smart display for both new and existing owners of the device as a free update.

The move makes a lot of sense when you consider that over 70 percent of Echo Show 15 users watched videos on the device last month, according to Amazon. The company says users will be able to start playing shows, movies and live TV with Alexa voice commands, as well as through touch control. You'll have the option of pairing the third-gen Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote to Echo Show 15 too. A new Fire TV widget will include shortcuts to recently used streaming apps, content you watched lately and your watchlist.

Follow all of the news from Amazon's event right here!

Over the last year, Valve has been more forthcoming about plans for its biggest Steam sales, including by revealing the dates well ahead of time. The company says the cadence will change starting in 2023. It will replace the Lunar New Year sale (which debuted in 2016) with the spring sale, which will run from March 16th to 23rd.

Valve said a spring sale was a popular request from developers and publishers, many of whom believed that the Lunar New Year edition (which typically took place in late January or early February) ran too close to the December holiday sale. "It will allow us to create more space between our four major seasonal sales and provide more opportunities throughout the year for developers to expand and execute their discounting calendar," Valve added in a blog post. "We think many publishers will still opt to discount games around the Lunar New Year holiday, using the custom discount tools. But we suspect customers will be better served by a little bit more time between the big Steam-wide seasonal sales."

This makes sense, as the winter sale is arguably one of Steam's two biggest events of the year, alongside the summer one. Spacing things out more could be helpful for developers and publishers (that said, there's not much time between the autumn and winter editions). Moreover, this move will shorten what was a lengthy gap between the Lunar New Year and summer sales, which could be handy for those who receive a Steam Deck and don't want to wait too long to pick up a ton of discounted games for it.

Meanwhile, Valve reiterated the dates for the next two major sales. The autumn edition will run from November 22nd to 29th, while the blockbuster winter sale will take place between December 22nd and January 5th.

A critical element of the transition to electric vehicles is ensuring that the charging infrastructure is up to scratch. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked $5 billion in funding over five years to help states install chargers along highways, and that process just took an important step forward. The Department of Transportation has approved EV charging plans for all 50 states, as well as Washington DC and Puerto Rico. The proposals cover 75,000 miles of highways, as Reuters notes. 

As a result of the DOT rubberstamping the plans, the Biden administration has unlocked over $1.5 billion in funding for states' EV charger projects. The funds will cover up to 80 percent of EV charger installation costs, with states and private entities covering the remainder. Earlier this month, the DOT said it approved plans from 35 states, but approvals were required for all of them before it could start offering the funding.

It's not clear how many chargers the funding will support, but Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said earlier this year that states will need to meet certain standards. The states should be installing DC Fast Chargers, the DOT said, and stations will need at least four ports. EV chargers should also be available every 50 miles on interstate highways. They should be within a mile of highways too.

Private companies, such as Tesla and GM, are building out their own charging networks. But having public infrastructure at specific intervals on interstate highways is important too.

For what it's worth, the rapid expansion of EV chargers with the help of public funding lies in sharp contrast with broadband deployment under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Last month, it emerged that the Commerce Department had been unable to allocate any portion of the $42.5 billion earmarked by the legislation for bolstering broadband infrastructure and narrowing the digital divide, since it didn't have adequate maps from the Federal Communications Commission by that time.

The 2022-23 NBA season is right around the corner and the league is stealing a march on opening night with a redesign of its iOS and Android app. The new version places a lot of focus on vertical videos, which fits right in with the modern age of social media.

For one thing, it rips a page right out of the TikTok playbook with a vertically scrolling For You feed, which will feature real-time highlights from ongoing games. The page will be personalized with the help of Microsoft Azure and Azure AI (Microsoft is the NBA's cloud and AI partner) and feature recommended content that's based on fan preferences.

In addition, the league has integrated its subscription services, NBA League Pass and NBA TV, into the app. It says NBA League Pass members will have access to live streams of out-of-market games with higher video quality and lower streaming latency. Subscribers will be able to watch games with alternate camera angles, check out betting-focused versions of streams and try analytics-driven options. There will be Spanish, Portuguese and Korean commentary feeds too.

Alongside the relaunch of the app, the NBA has lowered the price of League Pass subscriptions for a limited time. The standard package is currently $15 per month or $100 for the season, and $20 per month or $130 for the entire season if you opt for the premium package. The bundle includes access to NBA TV.

Elsewhere on the content front, the app will feature streams from pre- and post-game press conferences and media days, teams' pregame shows for League Pass games and a show centered about NBA culture and lifestyle. There will also be weekly shows focused on highlights and betting. International pre-season games in Japan and Abu Dhabi will stream live on the app as well.

You'll have access to several docuseries, including a seven-episode one called Gold Blooded that focuses on the Golden State Warriors’ run to the 2022 title. The first episode is on the app now. In Pass The Rock, which will debut in late November, you'll gain some insight into the NBA's hottest new stars, on and off the court. There will be archival content too, including documentaries, 500 classic games and every Finals game since 2000.

On top of all that, the league is introducing a free membership program called NBA ID, which can be linked to a NBA League Pass subscription. NBA ID will offer benefits and rewards including original content and material from the league's vault. Members will also gain access to exclusive experiences from NBA partners, ticket deals, prizes from NBA Pick’Em fantasy games and more.

Almost exactly a year after Nreal unveiled its Air augmented reality glasses, the company is bringing the device to the US. Nreal Air, which the company is pitching as a device for streaming shows and playing games on, is available from Amazon starting today for $379. As with Nreal's $599 Light glasses, the Air will need to be tethered to a phone or other device. That could be a little easier if you snap up the new $59 Nreal Adaptor, an HDMI-to-Lightning dongle for iPhone.

In line with that peripheral, Nreal has upgraded the Air's iOS and Mac compatibility. At the outset, the Air will offer screen mirroring from iOS — Nreal's Nebula operating system doesn't run on iPhones yet. Still, you'll be able to watch streaming video services on a virtual 130-inch display.

That said, a version of Nebula will be available for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops, Nreal said. When you plug the Air into a Mac, a user interface called AR Desktop will open up. You'll be able to view multiple virtual displays at the same time, which could make the Air useful if you need more screen real estate while travelling.

Nreal

The company has also redesigned Nebula. In particular, the AR Space experience, which Nreal users see when they open Nebula, now has a borderless curved wall design and animated menu icons. Users will receive recommendations for content through a new widget, which offers the option of previewing apps without having to open them. The Spatial Browser offers a horizontal mode (for multi-window web browsing) and a vertical mode for sites that demand a lot of scrolling.

In addition, Nreal is adding more casual games and a pair of new apps. The first of those is called Teleport, which will allow you to explore 3D models of real-world objects that have been scanned with phones. You'll be able to leave photos for other users, as well as voice and text messages. Teleport will be available later this year. Meanwhile, Mirror Mode enables users to play PC and console games on a 200-inch virtual screen. Cloud gaming services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming are supported too.

September 26th is The Last Of Us Day and HBO is marking the occasion with the first trailer for its highly anticipated adaptation of Naughty Dog's game. The clip, which runs for just over a minute and a half, includes some of the most memorable moments from the 2013 title (which just got a complete remake for PS5). It features the leaning building from an early level and a bombastic opening outbreak sequence, as well as the unmistakable sound of a Clicker. It seems that the show will draw from the Left Behind expansion as well.

For the uninitiated, The Last of Us tells the story of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsay). The pair travel across a near-future version of the US that has been left devastated by a fungal infection, which turns victims into aggressive, zombie-like creatures. The trailer does a solid job of capturing the terrifying atmosphere of the game.

It's clear HBO has high hopes for the series. Last month, it closed out a big sizzle reel that highlighted upcoming projects with the first footage from the show. While there's no specific release date as yet, The Last of Us will premiere on HBO and HBO Max in early 2023.

It'll soon be easier for WhatsApp users to invite other folks to join a call. Meta is rolling out the option to share Call Links. If you see one of these links, you'll be able to join a call with a single tap. You'll need the latest version of WhatsApp to use Call Links. From the app's Calls tab, you can select the Call Links option. You can then generate a link for a voice or video call to share with family and friends.

It's a handy feature, and one that we've already seen Apple adopt. Last year, the company started offering sharable FaceTime links that allow others to join calls from Android devices and Windows PCs. While Apple enables people to schedule calls ahead of time using links, WhatsApp will not offer a similar feature, a spokesperson confirmed to Engadget.

In addition, WhatsApp has started testing encrypted group video calls for up to 32 people, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. The company will share more details on that front soon.

Update 9/26 11:53AM ET: Added clarification that WhatsApp will not allow users to schedule calls. 

Meta

With the Artemis 1 launch site in the predicted path of Hurricane Ian, NASA has decided not to take any chances with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. The agency will roll them back to the safety of the Vehicle Assembly Building, starting at around 11PM ET this evening. You'll be able to watch the rollback on NASA's ongoing Artemis 1 livestream below.

"Managers met Monday morning and made the decision based on the latest weather predictions associated with Hurricane Ian, after additional data gathered overnight did not show improving expected conditions for the Kennedy Space Center area,” NASA said in a statement. “The decision allows time for employees to address the needs of their families and protect the integrated rocket and spacecraft system.”

Although an SLS fueling test that took place last week was successful, NASA was forced to scrub a planned September 27th launch due to the threat of the hurricane. If the agency is unable to launch Artemis 1 before October 3rd, it won't be able to make another attempt until the next window opens on October 17th.