The social network Threads is going to start showing live sports scores, starting with NBA basketball. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the initiative and wrote that it’ll be adding more leagues in the near future. 

Here’s how it works. During a game, just search for the teams and you’ll see an up-to-date score. If the game is over, a search will bring up the final score. You can also find out when a game will start by searching for it ahead of time. This obviously resembles how X does things, as the platform began showing live sports scores back in 2017, when it was called Twitter.

Each score is accompanied by the two team logos. Tapping on these logos redirects users to a conversation about that team. Threads, along with Instagram, recently decided to stop recommending political content, so emphasizing sports is a decent way to capture the “real time” vibe of a hip and happening social network.

To that end, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has been, sigh, courting NBA diehards for months, calling the community of basketball fans on Threads a “great example of the kind of thing we hoped to see” on the app. A Threads spokesperson told Engadget that “basketball has become one of the most popular topics” and that “NBA Threads has become one of the app’s most active sports communities.”

This makes sense, as NBA discourse is also huge on X. NBA Twitter, as it's still called in sports media, regularly drives coverage and conversation about the pro basketball league. It sure seems like Meta hopes to siphon away some of that influence. Apple also recently announced its own sports-related initiative. The first-party Sports iPhone app offers real-time stats for a number of major leagues, including the NBA, and throws up live score data on the lock screen during a game.

Threads is all over the place this week. The platform introduced a new algorithm-tuning feature that works by swiping left and right on posts and announced a beta test that lets users share content to Mastodon and other fediverse services. The live scores feature is also in its testing phase. 

Iconic singer Joni Mitchell has put her music back on Spotify more than two years after she left the platform as a protest against it hosting misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, typically spread by beefy podcast bad boy Joe Rogan. This happens just a week after fellow protestor Neil Young rejoined the streaming service.

Mitchell has made no comment about her music returning to Spotify. Back in 2022, Mitchell wrote in a statement that “irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue” of the COVID vaccine, as published by Pitchfork.

Young returned to Spotify on the grounds that Joe Rogan’s podcast is no longer exclusive to the platform, as it now appears on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. "My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify," he wrote in a blog post that may have been deleted since being published. The singer also noted that fans would have nowhere to go if he pulled his music from each of the above platforms.

Beyond the obvious reasons, Young and Mitchell had a personal stake in combating medical misinformation. Both musicians were victims of polio, a disease that was wiped out in North America thanks to vaccines.

Joni Mitchell has been experiencing something of a career resurgence in the past few years. She started playing live again in 2022, after an aneurysm in 2015 left her unable to perform. The singer even performed at this year’s Grammys. As for Rogan, he recently signed a new $250 million deal with Spotify to continue his various podcast ventures.

Meditation is often touted as a mental cure-all, purported to help with stress, sleep, mood, focus and even certain medical conditions. I’ve been meditating most of my adult life. I’ve done silent retreats. I’ve been formally trained in various techniques. I’ve had someone in my contacts list who I referred to as a “guru.” So I feel I’m relatively qualified to give some bad news: Meditation won’t fix your life, despite what David Lynch says. However, there’s also some good news: Despite not actually being a cure-all for everything bad in the universe, meditation can certainly take the edge off.

This is where meditation apps can come into play. Of course, practicing mindfulness doesn’t require an app; people have been doing it for thousands of years, with nary a smartphone in sight. But mindfulness apps can be useful in a number of ways. They provide access to all kinds of guided meditations to suit different styles. Some even offer social connections, which can motivate you to keep up your practice via the magic of peer pressure. They are also particularly well-suited to beginners, with many of them offering a free trial. With all of this in mind, I downloaded some of the most popular meditation apps and set about sitting calmly on a comfortable chair to test them out. What follows is a comparison aimed at real people just looking to squeeze a bit more joy and relaxation out of daily life.

How we tested meditation apps

Every brain is different, so I did not rate these apps based on if they sync up with my preferred meditation style. First and foremost, I looked for apps that cater to various methods and those that offer guided meditations that go beyond what’s free on YouTube. All of the items on this list are available on both Android and iOS, so you won’t have to worry about something being only for iPhone owners.

Of course, there’s lots of free stuff out there, from podcasts and videos on YouTube to audio tracks on streaming services. You can even find guided breathing sessions on an Apple Watch or Fitbit, as well as meditations in Fitness+, Samsung Health or any number of workout video providers. For this guide, I focused on apps that stood out in some way. I liked apps with huge libraries of guided meditations and those that offer additional mindfulness activities, like yoga routines. I also looked for easy-to-use apps with well-designed layouts. You don’t want to start your meditation journey with a clunky app that actually increases anxiety.

The most important thing with meditation is to keep doing it, so I awarded points for clever gamification elements, simple social network integration and anything else that encourages repeat visits. Finally, I considered extra features that set an app apart from the glut of competitors out there. For example, some meditation apps offer novel ways to track your progress, access to yoga routines and a whole lot more.

At the end of the day, each of these apps has its strengths. But if installing an app or using a device is not how you prefer to meditate, you can always turn off your phone and find a quiet room or environment. For those of us who need a little help from a digital guru, though, here are our favorite apps for meditation.

Other meditation gear we tested

Brain-tracking wearables have been around for years, but there are some newer devices that have been tailor-made for meditators. These gadgets track the brain during meditations and offer real-time feedback. It’s a real boon for the data-obsessed, but also a real bank account drainer, with some gadgets costing thousands of dollars. I took two of the more-popular options for a spin to see what they’d make of my brain.

Sens.ai Neurofeedback System

Sens.ai is a weird contraption that not only claims to track brainwaves, but gives real-time feedback to “teach” people how to meditate and enter a flow state. The device involves a giant headset that’s stuffed with brainwave sensors that detect beta, alpha, theta and gamma waves, in addition to heart-rate sensors. It also comes with a truly bizarre companion gadget that uses light stimulation (transcranial photobiomodulation) to keep an eye on focus and attention levels. The whole thing is combined with an app that keeps track of dozens of data metrics and allows access to various guided meditations.

I’m as surprised as you to say that this thing appears to work, with some caveats. It’s uncanny how well it monitors the brain during meditations. If I got lost in a thought spiral about lasagna at six minutes in, sure enough, there would be a dip in analytics at the six-minute mark. It’s also fairly easy to use, despite a process that involves wetting a number of electrodes. As magical as the accurate brain-tracking seems to be, however, I wasn’t as keen on the actual training portion, which often involves staring at a screen throughout the entirety of the practice. It’s also not for the financial faint of heart, as the Sens.ai device costs $1,500.

NeoRhythm Omnipemf

NeoRhythm’s Omnipemf is another wearable to help people get into that ever-elusive flow state. It doesn’t track your brain, but rather floods it with electromagnetic fields at specific frequencies to make it more susceptible to meditation and focus. This is supposed to prime your brain for the meditative state and, in theory, make it easier to capture that zen. However, I didn’t get much from it, other than a placebo-esque buzzing in my head.

To use it, you simply pop on the wearable and go about your day. You aren’t tied to an app, so you can meditate in whatever way you like. There are multiple modes that go beyond meditation, as this thing is supposed to help with focus, pain relief and sleep. I’d wait for some peer-reviewed studies, however, before buying this.

Roborock robot vacuums are up to 49 percent off as part of the Amazon spring sale. All told, dozens of items are available for a discounted price, from standard robot vacuums to manual cleaners.

The most enticing offer here is likely the company’s flagship S8+ robot vacuum, which is 30 percent off. That drops the price down to $700, a record low for the device. This is a vacuum/mop hybrid that automatically deposits debris into an affiliated dock. Roborock says the dock is large enough, at 2.5 liters, to store up to seven weeks of dirt and dust before requiring a trip to the trash can.

It’s also powerful enough to clean hardwood, tiles, carpets and even thick rugs. It boasts the same kind of light and infrared imaging technology as rival robovacs, so it’ll automatically avoid floor-based hazards. The affiliated app gives access to a 3D map of the space, allowing people to adjust cleaning routes as they see fit. We have consistently enjoyed Roborock vacuums, though have found the app to be a bit on the wonky side.

The company’s Q5 robot vacuum is also on sale for $220, which is a 49 percent price drop. This is an entry-level product that lacks many of the premium features found with the S8+, but it’s still a great choice for simple cleaning tasks. The Q5 can easily handle pet hair, dust, dirt and all manner of debris, though there’s no mop feature. The battery does last for three hours before requiring a charge, which is a decent metric. It also integrates with voice assistants.

Other deals include the Roborock Q8 Max, which features a mop but lacks a self-emptying dock, for $400, and the Dyad Pro combo wet/dry manual vacuum. This cordless vac is $460 throughout the sale period, which is a discount of 30 percent.

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DoorDash just announced the launch of a drone delivery pilot program, in partnership with Alphabet’s Wing. The testing began in Christiansburg, VA (approximate population 22,000), and is limited to only "eligible items" from fast food chain Wendy's. Whether that includes the iconic Frosty dessert/fry condiment is as yet unclear.

There’s only one affiliated Wendy’s location, but local consumers should see a “deliver by drone” tab on the DoorDash checkout page. The company says orders should arrive in 30 minutes or less, making high-flying drones about as fast as a standard pizza delivery in the 1980s.

DoorDash also says that Wendy’s is just the first restaurant partner, suggesting that more are on the way. The company believes that drones will offer more “efficient, sustainable, and convenient delivery options for consumers.” To that end, the online food delivery platform plans on opening up the program to more US cities throughout the year.

If all of this sounds eerily familiar, you aren’t imagining things. These types of pilot programs have been popping up all over the place. This isn’t even DoorDash and Wing’s first partnership. The companies teamed up in 2022 to do something similar in Australia. The program was a success, eventually expanding to 60 participating restaurants in Queensland.

Wing is the clear leader in this field. The company recently began offering drone deliveries from Walmart to Dallas consumers. Earlier this year, Wing unveiled a new delivery drone that reaches speeds of 65 MPH, with a maximum payload capacity of five pounds. That’s, according to my math, nearly six Wendy’s Baconators.

Samsung just provided availability details for a full range of new TVs as part of its Unbox & Discover event. These include Neo QLED 8K models, Neo QLED 4K models and various OLED boxes. Many of these TVs were originally teased at CES, but now preorders are actually open for consumers looking for a new way to watch that upcoming Star Wars show.

Samsung calls the NEO QLED QN900D the “slimmest, most premium 8K TV to ever hit the market.” It’s got everything you can think of, including AI to upscale content to 8K. This should lure in curious, yet wary, consumers into the world of 8K televisions. Most content providers lack native 8K streaming options, which can be a major bummer. Samsung’s AI Upscaling Pro feature can also upscale HD / SD media into 4K.

Another algorithmic feature, Real Depth Enhancer Pro, helps boost the contrast between the foreground and background, which should make fast-paced content like F1 races easier to follow. The TVs also include Samsung’s Gaming Hub, Dolby Atmos audio and support for Wi-FI 6E. Finally, it boasts the company’s proprietary Infinity Air design language, which ensures that the image reaches all edges for increased immersion. The 8K QLED QN900D is available in 65-inch, 75-inch and 85-inch versions, with prices starting at $5,000. Yeah, they aren’t cheap.

Samsung

The 8K NEO QLED QN800D models are slightly cheaper, starting at $3,500. These TVs are still plenty capable, with the same AI upscaling features found in the QN900D. As a matter of fact, it’s got nearly everything found with its more expensive sibling, including Dolby Atmos audio, the same depth enhancing tech, Samsung’s Gaming Hub and more. The QN800D, however, isn’t quite as slim and it doesn’t feature the Infinity Air edge-to-edge design. The refresh rate maxes out at 165Hz, compared to 240Hz with the QN900D. It’s also available in 65-inch, 75-inch and 85-inch models.

There are also a pair of Neo QLED 4K sets that boast much of the same tech, with some limitations. The QN90D and QN85D offer AI upscaling, but only to 4K, for obvious reasons. They include the same entertainment software, including Samsung’s Gaming Hub, and feature Dolby Atmos audio. The primary difference between the two is that the QN90D boasts a 144Hz refresh rate, while the QN85D maxes out at 120Hz. These sets range in size from 43 inches all the way to 98 inches, with prices starting at $1,400.

Samsung

Finally, there are the OLED TVs. The S95D and S90D both offer pristine OLED panels, AI upscaling to 4K, depth-enhancing tech, a host of smart features and Dolby Atmos audio, among other tools. There are some subtle differences between the two models. The S95D features the company’s HDR Pro technology, while the S90D includes HDR+. Generally speaking, HDR Pro sets are brighter, which leads to a richer and more natural contrast. The S95D is available in sizes up to 77 inches, with prices starting at $2,600. The S90D is available in sizes up to 65 inches, with prices starting at $2,000. All of the above TVs are available right now for preorder.

Google just announced that it has been using AI to successfully predict riverline floods, up to seven days in advance in some cases. This isn’t just tech company hyperbole, as the findings were actually published in the esteemed science journal Nature. Floods are the most common natural disaster throughout the world, so any early warning system is good news.

Floods have been notoriously tricky to predict, as most rivers don’t have streamflow gauges. Google got around this problem by training machine learning models with all kinds of relevant data, including historical events, river level readings, elevation and terrain readings and more. After that, the company generated localized maps and ran “hundreds of thousands” of simulations in each location. This combination of techniques allowed the models to accurately predict upcoming floods.

The approach built “highly accurate models for very particular locations”, but Google hopes to use these techniques to eventually solve the problem at global scale. While the company did successfully predict some floods a full seven days in advance, the average came in at around five days. Still, Google’s confident that it has extended the “reliability of currently-available global nowcasts from zero to five days.” It’s also significantly improved forecasting in underrepresented regions, like some parts of Africa and Asia.

All told, this technology allowed Google to provide accurate flood forecasting in 80 countries, with a total population of 460 million. The company made these forecasts available in Google Search, Google Maps, and via Android notifications. This information is also available via the company’s proprietary Flood Hub web app, which began operations back in 2022.

So what’s next? Google will continue to explore the “potential of machine learning to create better flood forecasting models” and has teamed up with academic researchers to fine tune the AI-driven approach. The company hopes this will eventually result in a “global end-to-end flood forecasting platform.”

Threads has begun testing swipe gestures to help users improve the algorithm that populates the For You feed. It’s reportedly called Algo Tune as, well, it helps people tune their algorithms. It’s pretty rare when any social media site, particularly one run by Meta, allows users to adjust the parameters by which the great and powerful algorithm operates, so this feature is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

It works a lot like Tinder and other dating apps. If you don’t like something on your feed, you swipe left. If you like a post and want to see more like it, you swipe right. That’s pretty much it. The algorithm is allegedly tuned over time by these responses, adjusting your feed to provide more of the content you want and less of the stuff you don’t want. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls it an “easy way to let us know what you want to see more of on your feed.”

This is just an experiment, for now, so the feature’s only rolling out to a select number of Threads users. The company also hasn’t released any specific information as to how all of the swiping actually influences the algorithm, but that’s par for the course when it comes to these things. The algo must remain protected at all costs.

The social media app sure has been busy lately, adding new tools at a rapid clip. Threads finally rolled out trending topics to all users, after experimenting with the feature since February. Meta also recently previewed fediverse integration, which would allow Threads posts on fellow social media app Mastodon. The company’s also been testing some features that let users save drafts and take photos directly in the app.

Blizzard is finally making it easier to unlock new heroes in Overwatch 2. This is big news, as players regularly complain about how difficult it is to obtain new characters in the live-service shooter. Currently, people get new heroes by paying for and grinding through a battle pass, buying them outright or waiting until they become available as a reward for winning a certain number of games. That changes with the forthcoming season 10, as the company will make new and old heroes available for free to all players.

This not only pertains to Venture, a new hero created for season 10, but all of the game’s previously released heroes, like Mauga, Illari, Sojourn and Lifeweaver, among many others. New players will still have to complete the intro, but “once the heroes from the original Overwatch roster have been unlocked, all Overwatch 2 heroes will also become available.”

This will even extend to future heroes. The entire roster of Overwatch 2 characters will be playable in all game modes when season 10 officially begins this April.

This is just one change coming to how the game handles its battle pass, as suggested by director Aaron Keller in a video. Blizzard is also going to start selling mythic skins that were previously available only through a paid battle pass, though pricing and availability is still up in the air.

In addition, Overwatch Coins, the game’s dominant currency, will soon be easier to earn. Right now, people accrue coins by accessing a premium battle pass, completing weekly challenges or buying them outright. In season 10, they’ll become available in the free tracks of the game’s battle pass system. Fans will be able to earn up to 600 coins per season for free, up from 540.

Finally, there’s a new in-game competition called Clash, which was first announced at last year’s Blizzcon. This team-based PvP mode features five points lined up in a row, and the first team that captures all five points or reaches a maximum score wins. It looks like the full Clash mode won’t launch alongside season 10, but will come later this year and will include two dedicated maps.

Blizzard also previewed season 11 today, which is due later this year and will include a new Push map set in Peru, as well as a reworked version of the Rome-based Colosseo map.

NVIDIA has been working on adding generative AI to non-playable characters (NPCs) for a while now. The company is hoping a newly-announced partnership with Ubisoft will accelerate development of this technology and, ultimately, bring these AI-driven NPCs to modern games.

Ubisoft helped build new "NEO NPCs" by using NVIDIA’s Avatar Cloud Engine (ACE) technology, with an assist from dynamic NPC experts Inworld AI. The end result? Characters that don’t repeat the same phrase over and over, while ignoring the surrounding violent mayhem. 

These NEO NPCs are said to interact in real time with players, the environment and other in-game characters. NVIDIA says this opens up “new possibilities for emergent storytelling.” To that end, Ubisoft’s narrative team built complete backgrounds, knowledge bases and conversational styles for two NPCs as a proof of concept.

Ubisoft/NVIDIA

These are fully-fleshed out characters with “environmental and contextual awareness” along with conversational memory. NVIDIA says each character excels with “collaboration and strategic decision-making.” The company also incorporated its Audio2Face technology to allow for appropriate facial animations and lip syncing. NVIDIA suggests that these characters push “the boundaries of game design and immersion.”

The company didn’t explicitly announce that this technology would be coming to Ubisoft titles in the nearish future, but it’s a safe bet it's on the roadmap. Perhaps soon you’ll be able to see what the sweet old man outside of the inn thinks about you absolutely obliterating the whole town. Won’t that be fun?

This isn’t the only big AI-adjacent announcement from NVIDIA this week. The company just unveiled its next-generation of GPUs, an evolution of the chips that are used to train large language models. The company promises that its Blackwell chips are seven to 30 times faster than the H100 series and use 25 times less power.