Disney has known for a long time that it would eventually make the ESPN TV channels available on a standalone streaming service. Now, it seems the company has begun the work of uncoupling the channels from cable providers so it can offer ESPN directly to cordcutters.

The Wall Street Journal says Disney has started laying the groundwork for the transition as it has been in talks with cable providers and sports leagues. The company hasn't yet locked down a timeline for the standalone ESPN streaming service, which could still be years away.

ESPN is one of the crown jewels of cable bundles. It will still be available on traditional TV platforms after the streaming service goes live, according to the report, though cable providers would have a new competitor to contend with.

Disney debuted ESPN+ in 2018. While that service does include some MLB and NHL games and an NFL game streamed exclusively on it for the first time last season, it doesn't have ESPN's TV networks. As such, Disney hopes to bring the matchups ESPN carries (including NBA and NFL games) to the streaming world outside of the confines of services like YouTube TV and Sling.

It's worth noting that sports streaming rights are a hot commodity among legacy broadcasters and tech companies. Apple has snapped up some MLB and Major League Soccer rights, while YouTube will be the home of the NFL Sunday Ticket starting next season. Peacock, meanwhile, will be the only place where you can watch one of next season's NFL playoff games.

Less than 19 months after opening Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Disney will close the hotel's doors. Star Wars fans who are willing to splurge now have until the end of September to try the two-night experience.

“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment,” Disney told CNBC in a statement. “This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and as we prepare for its final voyage, we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.”

The hotel opened at Walt Disney World in Florida in March 2022 and it promised fans a one-of-a-kind jaunt. Guests are immersed in a Star Wars story. As passengers on a starcruiser, they encounter a First Order officer and stormtroopers who board the ship to find Resistance spies. Guests can choose to join the light side or the dark side and they may encounter the likes of Chewbacca, Rey and Kylo Ren.

Along with the room, food and drink (except for alcohol), access to Disney World's Hollywood Studios park, a Magic Band and valet service are included in the stay. But for all that, guests are charged a pretty penny.

A two-night stay for two people at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser starts at $4,800. For a group of three adults and one child, the rate is $6,000. That cost is on top of travel expenses and anything else that tourists might want to do in the area. As such, the hotel is out of the price range of many parents who want to take their kids to Disney World.

Disney didn't explain the reasons for closing down Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, but the writing has been on the wall for a while. Late last year, reports suggested that the hotel was struggling with falling demand and was seeing occupancy rates of as little as 25 percent. In March, it emerged that Disney was cutting back bookings. In the end, it seems Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was an ambitious experiment for which not enough fans were willing to pay through the nose.

Folks who are just getting started with smart home products or who are already invested in the Google Nest ecosystem may be interested in taking a peek at some solid deals on several of the company's products. Using our Wellbots discount codes, you'll be able to save on items such as the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. Enter the code 55ENGDT at checkout and you can get an extra $55 off the device. That means you'll be able to snap up the Learning Thermostat for $144, since the discount stacks with a Wellbots sale. As such, you can save $105 overall.

The device can help you to manage the temperature of your home and perhaps start warming it up in winter when you're on your way back from the office. The Nest Learning Thermostat can help you to cut down on home energy usage and perhaps lower your power bills. Over the course of a week or so, it learns your temperature preferences and then it can automatically adjust the settings for you. There's always the option to make manual adjustments to the temperature in the Nest app.

We have Wellbots discounts codes available for other Google Nest products, including the Google Nest Camera with Floodlight. Enter the code 65ENGDT and you'll see the price tumble by $65 to $155. As with some other Nest cameras, this is designed to only alert you to important events. This camera uses on-board machine learning to recognize people, animals, vehicles and packages. The floodlight activates when the camera detects important activity and you can control the brightness through the Google Home app. The camera captures footage at up to 1080p and Nest Aware Plus subscribers will get up to 10 days of around-the-clock recording

Elsewhere, you can scoop up the Google Nest Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Camera for $95. Enter the code 45ENGDT at checkout and you'll save $45. You can also get $75 off a two-pack of the wireless camera using the code 75ENGDT.

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Starting today, every time you buy something from the Epic Games Store, you'll get five percent of the value of your purchase back in store credit. The new program is called Epic Rewards. You'll receive the credit for almost all Epic purchases, including games, apps, DLC and even virtual currency like V-Bucks for Fortnite. Some subscription purchases are eligible too.

You'll receive the credit two weeks after you make a purchase. The credit stacks with discounts and coupons, though you can't use it on subscriptions like Fortnite Crew. You won't have to spend it on another game immediately, though it's worth bearing in mind that each reward will expire 25 months after Epic adds it to your account. All users will be automatically enrolled in the program after they accept the store's latest End User License Agreement, except for those who can't make purchases on their account due to parental controls.

Epic is rolling out the program on the same day that the storefront's latest Mega Sale gets underway. The prices of many games have been cut by up to 75 percent. You can find deals on the likes of Returnal (20 percent off), Far Cry 6 (75 percent off), Cyberpunk 2077 (50 percent off) and Alan Wake Remastered (60 percent off).

The store will also automatically apply an Epic Coupon to purchases of at least $14.99. This will slash another 25 percent off the price at checkout. This applies to any game except for FIFA 23 Ultimate Edition, Madden NFL 23 All Madden Edition and EA Sports PGA Tour Deluxe Edition. The sale runs until June 15th.

Along with the rewards program and sale, Epic is continuing to offer users free games on a weekly basis. This latest title is another repeat but if you haven't already snagged it, it's worth picking up Death Stranding and at least taking a peek at Hideo Kojima's strange, one-of-a-kind game.

The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has issued two rulings in favor of tech companies that will continue to shield them from liability for what users post on their platforms. In the first case, the justices unanimously agreed that Twitter will not have to contend with claims that it aided and abetted terrorism over tweets that terrorist group ISIS posted.

SCOTUS reversed a lower court decision that allowed a lawsuit against Twitter to proceed after another judge initially dismissed it. The lawsuit was filed by US relatives of Nawras Alassaf, a man who was killed in a 2017 Istanbul attack that was claimed by ISIS. The justices determined that hosting general terrorist speech doesn't create indirect legal responsibility for specific terrorist attacks, as CNN reports. That is likely to make it more difficult for victims of terrorist attacks or their relatives to make a similar case against online platforms in the future.

"To be sure, it might be that bad actors like ISIS are able to use platforms like defendants’ for illegal — and sometimes terrible — ends. But the same could be said of cell phones, email or the internet generally," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the court's opinion. "We conclude that plaintiffs’ allegations are insufficient to establish that these defendants aided and abetted ISIS in carrying out the relevant attack.”

The justices also dismissed the case of Gonzalez v. Google, which accused the company of violating US anti-terrorism laws. As such, they left intact a lower court decision to throw out a suit against YouTube brought by the family members of a victim of the 2015 terror attack in Paris. They argued that Section 230 protections should not apply to Google and YouTube in this case, as the latter's algorithms surfaced ISIS videos in recommendations.

"We decline to address the application of Section 230 to a complaint that appears to state little, if any, plausible claim for relief," the court wrote in an unsigned opinion. "Instead, we vacate the judgment below and remand the case for Ninth Circuit to consider plaintiffs’ complaint in light of our decision in Twitter.”

Section 230 refers to a clause in the Communications Decency Act of 1996. In essence, it protects online platforms from being liable for what their users post as well as the ability of companies to moderate third-party material. 

The clause has faced opposition from both sides of the aisle over the years, with both Democrats and Republicans seeking to reform or scrap it. President Joe Biden claimed during his campaign that he would see Section 230 "revoked, immediately" if he were elected, but that obviously hasn't come to pass. In relation to Gonzalez vs. Google, Biden's administration argued that Section 230 protections don't extend to Google's algorithms, as the clause does not "bar claims based on YouTube’s alleged targeted recommendations of ISIS content."

Engadget has contacted Google for comment. Twitter does not have a communications team that can be reached for comment.

Digital rights groups are among those who have welcomed the SCOTUS rulings. “We are pleased that the Court did not address or weaken Section 230, which remains an essential part of the architecture of the modern internet and will continue to enable user access to online platforms," Electronic Frontier Foundation civil liberties director David Greene said in a statement to Engadget. "We also are pleased that the Court found that an online service cannot be liable for terrorist attacks merely because their services are generally used by terrorist organizations the same way they are used by millions of organizations around the globe.”

“With this decision, free speech online lives to fight another day,” Patrick Toomey, deputy director of ACLU’s National Security Project, said. “Twitter and other apps are home to an immense amount of protected speech, and it would be devastating if those platforms resorted to censorship to avoid a deluge of lawsuits over their users’ posts. Today’s decisions should be commended for recognizing that the rules we apply to the internet should foster free expression, not suppress it.”

It's Global Accessibility Awareness Day and Microsoft is marking the occasion by highlighting some of the steps it has taken to make the Xbox ecosystem more inclusive. For one thing, the Xbox web store now has accessibility filters for console, PC and cloud games. There are 20 options, including gameplay settings — even just being able to pause is an important consideration for many folks as they decide whether to buy a game.

You'll also be able to filter games by audio, visual and input features. There's the option to look for games based on supported languages as well. At the outset, you can filter games by 17 languages. The web store filters build on a similar feature Microsoft brought to the Xbox PC app earlier this month. The filters are available on Xbox consoles too.

Elsewhere, Microsoft has expanded the Xbox accessibility support pages. They now cover more than 150 accessibility features, settings and controls for PC and consoles. Recent additions include a page that details how to adjust thumbstick settings in the Xbox Accessories app.

Microsoft has been doing a lot of positive work on the accessibility front both at the system level and in individual games. For instance, it recently offered an early look at many of the accessibility settings that will be available in Forza Motorsport.

Apple makes some of the best earbuds around for iOS users and now you can pick up a pair of AirPods for less than they'd usually set you back. The second-generation AirPods Pro have dropped back down to their lowest price to date. You can currently snap up a pair for $200, which is $50 off the usual price.

We found that the latest AirPods Pro, which Apple released last year, boast better audio quality than the original model. Thanks to the more powerful H2 chip, they have an excellent transparency mode and good active noise cancellation (ANC). Being able to move between Apple devices seamlessly is a plus point as well. On the downside, we found that the new touch controls took a bit of getting used to, while the so-so battery life didn't blow us away. Overall, we gave the second-gen AirPods Pro a score of 88 in our review.

Meanwhile, you can pick up standard AirPods for less cash than usual. The second-gen AirPods are $99 ($30 off), while the third-gen model is $159 ($10 off). We feel that the third-gen AirPods are better than the previous model in almost every respect thanks to features such as improved fit and audio quality, as well as a longer battery life. Water resistance is definitely welcome too. As a result, we gave the third-gen AirPods a score of 88.

Although they're four years old, the second-gen earbuds shouldn't be dismissed entirely, especially if you're budget conscious. These AirPods can still pair with your iPhone in a snap and switch to other Apple devices with ease when you need them to. As with the third-gen AirPods, there's support for hands-free Siri.

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Four years after the last in-person edition, a full-on version of BlizzCon has been scheduled for later this year. Blizzard's fan convention will take place at its long-standing Anaheim Convention Center home on November 3rd and 4th. More details will be revealed next month, including ticket information, though hotel blocks are already open. As always, some of the panels will be livestreamed, including the opening ceremony.

A lot has changed since BlizzCon 2019. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic upended everything, and BlizzCon has beenonhiatus (save for a virtual edition that took place in early 2021) ever since. 

In the interim, Blizzard has faced accusations of fostering a toxic work culture. BlizzCon is saddled with its own baggage and the company has yet to detail the safety policies that will be in place at this year's event. Reports also suggest there may be an exodus of Blizzard developers due to the publisher's return to office policy.

Nevertheless, the studio will surely have news and updates to share for its various franchises at BlizzCon, including Warcraft, Overwatch and Diablo. BlizzCon will likely host some esports events as well.

The first episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series at last has a release date. You'll be able to jump in to the game on July 27th on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC via the Epic Games Store.

Unlike previous Telltale titles, which often left fans hanging for months between episodes (sometimes due to external issues), you won't have to wait long for more installments. Telltale says that a new episode will drop every two weeks until all five are out in the wild. The standard version of the game costs $40 and the deluxe edition is $45. Pre-order either on PlayStation or the Epic store and you'll get to play a day early, while the deluxe edition will include access to more content that's on the way in the future. Expect to learn more about that at a later date.

The game acts as a prequel to The Expanse, a TV show that originally ran on Syfy for three seasons before Amazon Prime picked it up and produced another three seasons. Cara Gee reprises her role as Camina Drummer, the game's playable character.

The Expanse is said to have the "largest and most immersive exploration" of any Telltale game to date. Drummer, who helps run a scavenger crew, will scour shipwrecks, walk on ceilings and walls using mag boots and use zero-gravity thrusters to float through open space. You'll need to deal with the threat of a mutiny and, since this is a Telltale game, make difficult decisions that impact the future of The Artemis' crew.

Get ready to deal with things that go clank in the night on the big screen. A Five Nights at Freddy's movie is on the way later this year, and Universal Pictures has revealed the first teaser for the long-gestating adaptation. The clip doesn't seem to hold too many surprises for those who are familiar with the jump scare-laden FNaF games, but it captures the aesthetic well enough.

It focuses on a character played by Josh Hutcherson as he starts a new gig as a night-time security guard at a family entertainment center. However, the animatronics at Freddy Fazbear's pose a terrifying threat to anyone still in the building after the doors close. The animatronics look spot on, which isn't exactly a shock given that Jim Henson's Creature Shop brought them to life.

Five Nights at Freddy's will arrive in theaters and on Peacock on October 27th. If you can't wait that long and simply need to watch a movie in which possessed animatronics go on a killing spree, check out Willy's Wonderland. It has both a similar concept and Nicolas Cage, and it's enjoyable enough.