While some users canceled their Netflix accounts after a crackdown on password sharing commenced, it seems like the move is paying off for the company. According to data from analytics firm Antenna, Netflix saw a sharp rise in account sign-ups after the rule came into force in the US and many other regions in late May.

Antenna says Netflix had the four single biggest days of US sign-ups in the four and a half years it has tracked this data. On May 26th and 27th, there were almost 100,000 sign-ups each day. During each of the four days, the company saw an average of 73,000 new memberships, according to Antenna, which noted that figure was 102 percent more than the average for the previous 60 days.

While account cancellations also rose in that period, Antenna said sign-ups far outpaced those figures. This was the biggest increase in new Netflix account sign-ups in the US since COVID-19 lockdowns began in March and April of 2020, Antenna noted.

It's worth bearing in mind that this is not official data from Netflix. We'll have a clearer idea of how account sharing changes are starting to impact Netflix's bottom line when the company reports its next quarterly earnings, likely in mid-July. However, as Yahoo Finance notes, Netflix's share price rose after Antenna released the data. Engadget has contacted Netflix for comment.

Netflix started cracking down on account sharing on a trial basis in Latin America before implementing the new rules in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain in February. In the US, subscribers now need to pay an extra $8 per month for viewers who access the account from outside the primary household, though you can still watch when you're away from home. Users have the option to transfer an existing profile to a new account to keep all their preferences and data intact.

Between the likes of Skate, Skate Story and OlliOlli World, we're in the midst of a renaissance of skateboarding games. Helskate looks like it's going in a different direction from many of them. It uses skateboarding as a foundation for monster slaying.

In this project from Phantom Coast, you'll make your way through the hellscape of Vertheim with arcade-style skating. You'll power up attacks by pulling off combos, and unlock abilities and buffs as you progress. Ultimately, you'll need to battle the Gods of Skating. You'll need to conquer a score challenge to defeat one and grind up another to target its weak points.

Since this is a roguelite, some progress will carry over when you die, but otherwise you'll be starting again. You'll be able to put together a unique build for each run by combining weapons, gear and tapes. Permanent ability upgrades come in the form of tattoos, which is a neat touch.

In case you're concerned that the skateboarding aspect might not live up to other titles in the genre, the fact that veteran designer Steve Swink is leading the team may sate your concerns. Swink has some previous experience in that domain, having designed one of the levels in Tony Hawk's Underground.

In any case, Helskate made a solid first impression. The action looks fast paced and it has some slick visuals. It brings to mind Hades as well as the fantastic Rollerdrome, which requires players to pull off rollerblading tricks to refill their ammo.

We'll need to wait a while longer to see if Helskate can meet the heady heights of those other games. It's slated to hit Steam early access in early 2024.

Epic Games is about to decimate the Fortnite island once again. The battle royale's latest season, dubbed Fortnite Wilds, commences on June 9th, and a cinematic trailer debuted for it during Summer Game Fest Live.

This time around, Epic is revamping the island by collapsing the center of it to reveal a jungle. You'll be able to ride colorful velociraptors and explore ancient ruins. Mud and vines will play roles in the season as well. Somehow, all of that ties into a Transformers collaboration as Optimus Prime make an appearance. As it happens, a new Transformers movie is in theaters this week.

There's not much cohesion between the jungle theme and the latest crossover, but it doesn't really matter. Millions of people will rush to play the new season anyway. Besides, let's face it: tearing around the island on the back of a raptor while wearing an Optimus Prime skin could be fun.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Perhaps you feel that the Summer Game Fest Live and Day of the Devs events didn't include quite enough gaming news for one day. In that case, you're in luck, as Devolver Digital is rounding off the day's festivities with its own showcase.

You'll be able to watch the latest Devolver Direct below at 6PM ET. It's taking place on the same stream as the Summer Game Fest Live and Day of the Devs showcases, so you can scrub through the YouTube video timeline for even more announcements and trailers.

You can expect Devolver to get up to its usual offbeat antics in what's reliably one of the most entertaining events around this time of year. For this edition, Devolver is promising the "return of Volvy." You know, the publisher's long-standing mascot? The mouse-like creature with an oversized arm? The star of games such as Hotline Miami, Enter the Gungeon, Gris and Cult of the Lamb? Anyone? Despite Devolver's assertions that Volvy has been a cultural icon for over 30 years, the critter isn't actually real. Or maybe we've collectively erased him from our memories due to his various misdeeds. You know what you did, Volvy.

Anyway, Devolver has a heap of intriguing games in the pipeline and we should learn more about some of them during the stream. I have my fingers crossed for an update on Skate Story, which has been one of my most anticipated games since Devolver dropped an incredibly stylish announcement trailera year ago. Other upcoming games we may learn more about include Gunbrella (in which you have a firearm that's also an umbrella), Gris follow-up Neva, the striking action adventure title The Plucky Squire and The Talos Principle 2. The publisher is also promising new game announcements, while there should be an update on the Human: Fall Flat front.

We'll be bringing you news, previews and hands-on impressions from all the Summer Game Fest events in Los Angeles over the next several days. There's plenty more to come, including showcases from the likes of Xbox, Ubisoft and Capcom. Stay tuned to Engadget for all the latest.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Alan Wake II is finally happening, as the long-awaited sequel is set to arrive in October. Remedy creative director Sam Lake made an appearance at Summer Game Fest Live to reveal more details and show off some new gameplay.

Remedy's first survival horror game has two lead characters. Newcomer Saga Anderson, an FBI agent, is joining Alan Wake this time. Lake revealed that there will be a 50-50 split between each character's story. You'll start the game as Saga and have the choice to switch between her and Alan at certain points throughout the game.

Saga and her partner travel to a small town in the Pacific Northwest to "investigate a series of ritualistic murders," Lake said. However, their mission becomes a living horror story that may or may not have been crafted by a certain writer.

The gameplay Lake showed off is from an early sequence. It centers around supernatural forces resurrecting a murder victim as a monster that Saga has to battle. The clip opens with her walking through some woods and an abandoned building with the help of her trusty flashlight before she encounters said beast. The footage (which was followed by a short trailer) looks appropriately spooky. Remedy tossed in a couple jump scares for good measure.

You'll be able to find out for yourself just how scary Alan Wake II truly is soon enough. It's coming to Xbox Series X, PS5 and PC via the Epic Games Store on October 17th.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

There will be no rest for the wicked after Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest opening event wraps up. Immediately afterward, the stream will move onto the Day of the Devs showcase. The spotlight on indie games starts at 5PM ET, but you can tune in early to catch the Summer Game Fest Live reveals.

It'll likely be worth watching Day of the Devs as Double Fine and iam8bit always have intriguing indies to highlight. At the last Summer Game Fest edition, they showed off the likes of the enjoyable Desta: The Memories Between, Birth and Escape Academy. That showcase also included a look at the gorgeous puzzle platformer, Planet of Lana, which hit Game Pass recently.

Several studios have revealed they'll be part of the latest edition of Day of the Devs, including Land & Sea, a team that includes former Alto's Adventure developers. We'll also get looks at Hyper Light Breaker (the follow-up to Hyper Light Drifter), Geometric Interactive's Cocoon, Shape Shop's Mars First Logistics, Moonloop Games' Hauntii and much more

So, be sure to stick around after Keighley’s event. You might just discover a game or two that you fall in love with at first sight and immediately add to your wishlist.

Meanwhile, Engadget is on the ground in Los Angeles for Summer Game Fest. We’ll be bringing you news, updates, reveals and hands-on impressions from all the not-E3 events that are taking place over the next few days.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Reddit's controversial decision to charge for API access has led the creator of Apollo to shut down the third-party client. "Apollo will close down on June 30th," Christian Selig wrote on Twitter. "Reddit’s recent decisions and actions have unfortunately made it impossible for Apollo to continue."

Selig, who is the only developer working on Apollo, sounded the alarm bell about the changes last week. He estimated that keeping the app running as is under Reddit's new rules, which are set to take effect on June 19th, would cost him around $20 million per year.

This story is developing; refresh for updates.

Fitbit makes some of the best fitness trackers around and a couple of our favorite models are currently on sale. The Inspire 3 has dropped to $80, which is $20 off the usual price. It's only $10 more than the record low price of $70, which we saw the fitness tracker fall to during last year's holiday season. This sale also marks the Inspire 3's best price of 2023 thus far.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is our pick for the best budget fitness tracker. Along with a color touchscreen, it has connected GPS functionality, which means it can track the pace and distance of your running and cycling sessions even if you leave your phone behind. Other features include automatic workout detection, while Fitbit says you’ll get up to 10 days of use out of a single charge.

Those looking for a tracker with more bells and whistles may want to opt for the Fitbit Charge 5 instead. It’s our overall favorite fitness tracker. It has built-in GPS tracking, so it can map your runs and other activities. We found that this feature was fast and accurate.

In addition, the Charge 5 supports Fitbit Pay, giving you another excuse to keep your phone at home when you’re out jogging. You can also take an electrocardiogram reading with this tracker. Moreover, the Charge 5 can track your sleep and it has a full-color AMOLED display. The Charge 4 had a smaller grayscale screen and it a thicker profile, so the more recent model is more refined.

Best of all, the Fitbit Charge 5 is on sale too. It has dropped from $150 to $120.

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A documentary about Hideo Kojima, one of the most lauded video game designers on the planet, is on the way. A trailer offers a first peek at what's in store for those who plan to check out Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds.

Kojima wrote on Twitter that the film will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Death Stranding, as well as "shots from the early days of our independent studio, memories from my childhood and my creative journey." The trailer encapsulates all of that while suggesting the film is a celebration of Kojima and his work. Friends, collaborators and fans including Geoff Keighley, Guillermo del Toro, Norman Reedus and George Miller are shown talking up Kojima and his credentials.

Whether Kojima truly is "the first auteur of video games" is up for debate, especially if you're of the mind that the auteur theory can't apply to the highly collaborative process of game development. Still, there's no denying that Kojima is a vanguard in his industry. He's a fascinating guy who is behind some of the most memorable and inventive games of the last few decades, which makes him good fodder for a documentary.

PlayStation Studios and Kojima Productions helped to produce Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds, for which there's no release date as yet. The film will premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 17th and Kojima will be in attendance for a Q&A. In the meantime, we may learn more about Death Stranding 2 during Summer Game Fest.

Air quality levels in parts of Canada and the US have nosedived in recent days as winds have carried smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia across the continent. Things are bad enough that New York City was deemed to have the worst air quality of any major city in the world.

Several states and cities have issued advisories urging people to stay inside if possible to avoid the dangers of unhealthy air quality. Jurisdictions are typically basing their decisions on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI). Metro areas with a population of more than 350,000 have to report air quality data on a daily basis, while other locales simply do so as a public service.

The AQI measures air quality based on five major pollutants that the Clean Air Act regulates: ozone, particle pollution (AKA particulate matter or PM2.5), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. The EPA also typically issues AQI forecasts for the next day each afternoon. With smoke pollution from wildfires, particulate matter is the primary air quality concern.

The EPA likens the AQI to a weather forecast that can help you plan outdoor activities. There are a couple things to keep in mind, however. For one thing, the AQI isn't fully transparent on which pollutant is the biggest contributing factor to its values at a given time. The EPA uses a formula to calculate AQI values — it doesn't simply add up the impact of each pollutant.

The AQI uses a scale that typically ranges from zero to 500 to denote air quality. If your area has an AQI of 50 or below, you're in a green zone. You should have good air quality and little or no risk from pollution.

When the index reaches a value of between 51 and 100, that's a code yellow, which is moderate cause for concern. The EPA says that in this range, air quality is acceptable, but there may be a health risk for some people, such as folks who are "unusually sensitive to air pollution."

When the index is between 101 and 150, that's when the air quality may start to impact "members of sensitive groups." These include people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, pregnant people and those who spend a great deal of time outdoors. However, the general public is less likely to be affected in orange zones, the EPA says.

Mike Segar / reuters

The AQI will reach a code red when the index value surpasses 151. "Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects," according to the EPA.

Between 201 to 300, the AQI is at code purple. This denotes a health alert, the agency says. There's an increased risk of negative health effects for everyone. Once the index reaches 301, the AQI will be at a code maroon. That means the air quality is hazardous and constitutes a “health warning of emergency conditions” as everyone is more likely to be affected.

At code orange, the EPA recommends that everyone keeps outdoor activities light and short and for sensitive groups to go inside if they're experiencing symptoms. In red zones, everyone is encouraged to stay indoors if they have symptoms, while sensitive groups might consider moving all activities indoors.

When the AQI reaches code purple, sensitive groups are advised to avoid all outdoor physical activity, and others should limit outdoor activities. In maroon areas, everyone should stay inside. It's possible for PM2.5 levels to go above an AQI value of 500, in which case you should take extra precautions and steps to protect yourself.

Fine particles from smoke can cause issues such as burning eyes, runny noses and conditions like bronchitis, according to the EPA. The particles may aggravate chronic heart and lung diseases too. The agency says those who are advised to stay indoors due to smoke pollution should try to keep the air as clean as possible inside. It suggests avoiding using anything that burns (such as gas stoves, wood fireplaces and candles) or vacuuming, since this can stir up particles that are already inside your residence. 

If you have an air conditioner, you should run it with the air intake closed and the filter clean, the EPA says. Those who absolutely have to go outdoors might find it helpful to wear a mask that can help filter out particulate matter.

An interactive map shows AQI levels across the US, Canada and parts of Central America. At the time of writing, some areas of New York, Pennsylvania and Ontario are at a code maroon and have hazardous air quality, according to the EPA. Many other regions are under red and purple alerts.

EPA