On April 24th, 2023, reports circulated that Blizzard Entertainment was being sued by former Chinese publishing partner NetEase after servers shutdown in January when the two failed to reach a continuation agreement. However, a day later, it turns out that NetEase was in fact not suing the company — instead, as reported by PC Gamer, the suit is being brought by a single individual who is known to be a serial litigant with no history with NetEase. It appears the court documents listened NetEase erroneously; the company does not have anything to do with the lawsuit. Originally, MMO-focused gaming website Wowhead noticed the suit.

Since this story was originally published, those court documents have been re-published to reflect that the suits are coming from a Yang Jun; all mentions of NetEase have been removed.

“We haven’t received the lawsuit yet, but we are confident we aren’t in breach of any licensing agreements. The terms NetEase appears to be complaining about reflect standard industry practice and have been mutually-beneficial for years," an Activision rep wrote in a statement to Engadget prior to the discovery that NetEase was not involved in the lawsuit. "While this persistent campaign by one former partner is disappointing and puzzling, it’s important to note that we have enjoyed nearly two decades of positive experiences operating in China, and remain committed to serving players and protecting their interests.”

Blizzard and NetEase were successful partners for the past 14 years before negotiations broke down to renew the long-term licensing agreement. This led to a complete cessation of all Blizzard games and services in the region, including popular properties like World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2, Starcraft and Diablo III, among others. Millions of Chinese players lost access to their accounts and related data. Some started fresh with new accounts in other regions, but most (112 million people) opted for a refund.

The agreement did not end amicably, with reports of NetEase staffers tearing down the Blizzard offices and livestreaming the destruction of a World of Warcraft statue. NetEase's president of global investment and partnership, Simon Zhu, also seemed to call out a high-ranking Blizzard staffer as a “jerk” in a LinkedIn post. Despite the seeming animosity, though, the lawsuit does not come from NetEase.

Update, 4/24/23, 3:30PM ET: This story and its headline have been updated to indicate that this lawsuit hasn't been confirmed yet, as Activision itself nor Engadget has seen a copy of the lawsuit yet. 

Update, 4/25/23, 11:30AM ET: A full statement provided by Activision has been added to the story.

Update, 4/25/23, 2:35PM ET: This story and its headline has been updated to reflect the recent development that NetEase was erroneously named in this lawsuit. 

Developer Dramatic Labs has set a release date of May 23rd for the narrative adventure game Star Trek: Resurgence. It was supposed to come out in spring of 2022, but better late than never, right? The title launches for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC via the Epic Games Store. So pretty much everything but the Switch.

If the term “narrative adventure game” brings to mind Telltale classics like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us, there is a good reason. Dramatic Labs is made up of former Telltale developers, some of which worked on those iconic adventure games. So you can expect a title that prioritizes making tough decisions over whiz-bang action. Star Trek as a franchise seems especially suited to this style of play, given the often thoughtful nature of the stories.

Star Trek: Resurgence is set shortly after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation, placing it before the events of Star Trek: Picard but relatively concurrent with the events of Star Trek: Lower Decks. This is Star Trek. There are lots of timelines to keep track of.

The game features two playable lead characters, neither of which will be familiar to fans. However, Dramatic Labs has teased the presence of legacy characters from throughout the universe, and it has already revealed that the one and only Spock will feature heavily in the storyline. This is not the Spock from the original Star Trek and its sequel movies, but rather the aged Ambassador Spock as seen in The Next Generation timeline. The story involves stopping a war between two alien races, which is something the Vulcan ambassador would most certainly get behind.

Resurgence uses the Unreal 5 engine, which should eliminate some of the jankiness surrounding old-school Telltale games. There is also plenty of talent behind the scenes, so this is something to be cautiously optimistic about, as it has been a long time since a truly iconic Star Trek game appeared on our radar. In any event, we only have a month to find out if Resurgence lives up to classic early 2000s titles like Star Trek: Bridge Commander.

Critter & Guitari has made a name for itself by releasing quirky and highly musical gadgets, like this video-based synthesizer, and now the company is back with a multitrack recorder that prioritizes simplicity and ease of use. The 5 Moons also continues the company’s pristine record of making visually distinct devices, due to its attractive wood enclosure made entirely out of pine. 

Underneath the hood you’ll find a powerful 48KHz 16-bit sampler and enough storage for around 20 hours of samples and compositions, via an 8GB microSD card. As the name suggests, this is a five track device, but don’t let that dissuade you from making complex compositions with dozens of instruments, as you can easily bounce everything down over and over again.

This musical block of wood does not include a screen of any kind, so everything is handled via the sliders and accompanying buttons, but the interface seems easy to use, with dedicated buttons for most tasks like bouncing, looping and perusing sounds. The company says the 5 Moons is great for making simple enclosed loops and for composing long-form pieces. Looping is no great mystery, but creating longer works does require a certain level of expertise regarding various button and slider combinations.

To that end, you can easily send projects to the DAW of your choice via a USB-C connection for finishing touches, and this connection also powers the device. Transfers go both ways, as you can send projects from your computer to the 5 Moons for additional processing, looping and creative tomfoolery. Critter & Guitari says this feature is a great way to start a unique new track or to “re-envision and remix” prior tracks.

You can run external instruments directly into 5 Moons, like the company’s own Organelle S, thanks to a ⅛-inch monophonic input. The rear also includes a ⅛-inch monophonic output if you want to send the signal out for external processing or to speakers when playing live. Playing live with this thing should be a blast, as it weighs only five ounces, though it does not feature a built-in battery.

Critter & Guitari’s 5 Moons multitrack recorder is available now for $325.

Blizzard Entertainment is being sued by former Chinese publishing partner NetEase after servers shutdown in January when the two failed to reach a continuation agreement. NetEase is seeking ¥300 million Yuan (roughly $43.5 million) in damages, which the company says will be put toward issuing refunds for discontinued games and recouping investments from unsold merchandise inventory.

The suit has multiple components. NetEase says Blizzard was supposed to handle customer refunds with regard to discontinued games and that it got stuck with the bill. NetEase also alleges that the original contract was worded in such a way as to grant Blizzard “unequal terms and conditions” in favor of the publisher’s “unilateral rights," as reported and translated by MMO-focused gaming website Wowhead. A representative from Blizzard’s parent company Activision told Engadget that it has yet to see any formal paperwork announcing the lawsuit and said that NetEase is “contractually responsible” for refunds and anything else that falls under the “operations” umbrella.

NetEase also alleges that it provided Blizzard with a large advance to make future titles. The Chinese developer says that not only were these titles never finished or released, but that Blizzard never returned any of the seed money. Again, Activision had no comment as it has not seen the suit. 

Blizzard and NetEase were successful partners for the past 14 years before negotiations broke down to renew the long-term licensing agreement. This led to a complete cessation of all Blizzard games and services in the region, including popular properties like World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2, Starcraft and Diablo III, among others. Millions of Chinese players lost access to their accounts and related data. Some started fresh with new accounts in other regions, but most (112 million people) opted for a refund.

The agreement did not end amicably, with reports of NetEase staffers tearing down the Blizzard offices and livestreaming the destruction of a World of Warcraft statue. NetEase's president of global investment and partnership, Simon Zhu, also seemed to call out a high-ranking Blizzard staffer as a “jerk” in a LinkedIn post. Now there’s an alleged lawsuit to add even more fuel to the fire. This is a developing story so we will update this post when and if Activision/Blizzard receives a copy of the lawsuit.

Amazon’s well-reviewed hybrid tablet, the Kindle Scribe, is receiving a software update that brings some new tools to the e-reader/doodle machine. The most notable feature here is the ability to send documents directly from Microsoft Word to the e-reader with just a few clicks. This allows you to read documents on the go and physically annotate them using the touchscreen and a Scribe pen. This is great for making edits on the fly, or just drawing pizza slices all over a college essay.

The feature is similar to the pre-existing Send to Kindle web interface tool, which lets you easily transfer files between external devices and the e-reader, but everything is done right in Microsoft Word. You’ll find this feature in the export tab, though an active Microsoft 365 subscription is required.

Physically annotating PDF documents is also getting a boost with this update, thanks to a new contrast slider. The slider increases the readability of the document itself or of any physical notes you add to the document via the stylus. This feature is available for any PDFs imported via Send to Kindle or for any pre-existing PDF documents available through the Kindle Store.

The Kindle Scribe is notable for having plenty of screen real estate, and this update gives you new ways to interact with that 10.2 inches. There’s a new multi-column layout for reading two pages at once (if you are into that kind of thing). This feature is only for landscape orientation.

Finally, there’s a newly-implemented bird’s eye view tool for notebook page management, letting you see nine notebook pages at once and make appropriate changes to single items or entire batches. You can now add or insert pages to pre-existing notebooks, move pages around and delete single pages.

Amazon has been pretty good about updating the Kindle Scribe to meet the needs of consumers. In recent months, the e-reader has gotten new digital brushes, integrated subfolders and more.

After the successful launch of the GMC Hummer EV Pickup, the company announced new electric trucks and SUVs with plenty of customization options, including a 3X trim option. The 3X line was originally supposed to launch in the fall of 2022, but good things come to those who wait, so they say. The 3X trim package will be available for the 2023 Hummer EV Pickup and the 2024 Hummer EV SUV and will ship standard with 22-inch wheels and 35-inch all-terrain tires.

Overall, the SUV and pickup both come in two trims, Edition 1 and 3X. For the pickup, you can get the 3X trim with an optional extreme off-road package; for the SUV, you can get both models with the off-road package. In addition to the increased customization options available for these vehicles, GMC has updated range estimates for the forthcoming models. The company announced that these trucks will ride up to 355 miles per charge, though this metric does decrease with certain configuration packages. 

For instance, choosing the Extreme Off-Road Package nets you rubber tires designed for mud, extra skid plates and additional underbody cameras, but your range slides down to 329 miles per charge. The original Edition 1 of these EV trucks got 330 miles in the lightest configuration, so the battery tech has certainly improved since the 2020 launch. The EV SUV line boasts a slightly lower range, at 298 to 314 miles per charge (again depending on which trim and configuration you choose).

GMC is still holding some specs close to the chest, but we do know that the new models still feature the same three-motor layout as prior generations, with an estimated 1,000 horsepower. That’s plenty of get-up-and-go. Depending on the configuration, you’ll be able to tow anywhere from 7,500 to 8,500 pounds with one of these electric beasts.

Despite a robust starting price tag of $80,000, consumers are definitely interested in GMC’s new electric trucks. Preorders went live back in September and quickly sold through 65,000 units. In other words, reservations are currently full but that could change in the future. We’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, GMC has plenty more electric vehicles coming, including the Sierra Denali truck and the Chevy Silverado.

The controversial EARN IT Act, first introduced in 2020, is returning to Congress after failing twice to land on the president’s desk. The Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act, (EARN IT) Act is intended to minimize the proliferation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) throughout the web, but detractors say it goes too far and risks further eroding online privacy protections.

Here's how it would work, according to the language of the bill's reintroduction last year. Upon passing, EARN IT would create a national commission composed of politically-appointed law enforcement specialists. This body would be tasked with making a list of best practices to ostensibly curb the digital distribution of CSAM. If online service providers do not abide by these best practices, they would potentially lose blanket immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, opening them up to all kinds of legal hurdles — including civil lawsuits and criminal charges.

Detractors say EARN IT places a whole lot of power to regulate the internet in the hands of the commission the bill would create as well as state legislatures. Additionally, language in last year's bill suggests that these guidelines would likely extend to encrypted information, so if an encrypted transmission runs afoul of any guidelines, the platform is on the hook. This will force providers to monitor encrypted communications, which goes against the whole point of encryption in the first place. Additionally, end-to-end encryption is designed so that not even the platform can read the contents. In other words, providers might not be able to offer those protections. 

“This was a dangerous bill two years ago, and because it’s doubled down on its anti-encryption stance, it’s even more dangerous now,” The Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School wrote in a blog post last year, a stance also mirrored by the Center for Democracy and Technology. The American Civil Liberties Union, pushing back on a prior version of the bill, said that it "threatens our online speech and privacy rights in ways that will disproportionately harm LGBTQ people, sex workers and others who use the internet to privately communicate and share information and resources."

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) has come out in defense of the bill, saying that it will “incentivize technology companies to proactively search for and remove” CSAM materials. “Tech companies have the technology to detect, remove, and stop the distribution of child sexual abuse material. However, there is no incentive to do so because they are subject to no consequences for their inaction,” wrote Erin Earp, RAINN’s interim vice president for public policy.

The bipartisan Senate bills have consistently been introduced by Republican Senator Lindsay Graham and Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, and their companion bills in the House likewise have been sponsored by Republican Representative Ann Wagner and Democrat Representative Sylvia Garcia. The full text of H.R.2732 is not publicly available yet, so it's unclear if anything has changed since last year's attempt, though when reintroduced last year it was more of the same. (We've reached out to the offices of Reps. Wagner and Garcia for a copy of the bill's text.) A member of Senator Graham's office confirmed to Engadget that the companion bill will be introduced within the next week. It also remains to be seen if and when this will come up for a vote. Both prior versions of EARN IT died in committee before ever coming to a vote.

Star Trek: Picard heads out to pasture when the series finale airs this week. We live in an age of shared universes, however, so another Trek is coming quicker than you can say raktajino (Klingon coffee). The second season of the well-reviewedStar Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on June 15th, and Paramount+ has finally dropped a real trailer.

We’ve known the premiere date for a while, but there was no trailer until now, which is an odd choice considering the show starts in less than two months. Still, the footage gives a fairly in-depth look at what the Enterprise will be up to in June, and there is a lot for fans to get excited about. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice the return of regular-looking Klingons, so it looks like the vaguely off-putting redesign featured in Star Trek: Discovery is over and done with.

There is also plenty of Captain Kirk, as played by newcomer Paul Wesley. Kirk appeared twice during the first season and was heavily involved in the season finale. Remember, Strange New Worlds is a prequel that chronicles the adventures of the Enterprise before Captain Kirk, so this is a younger version of the character.

The show also features younger versions of other legacy characters like Spock and Uhura, along with minor characters from the original 1960s Star Trek, such as Nurse Chapel and Dr. M’benga. Strange New Worlds strives to captures the feel of older Trek shows, with a return to the episodic formula that made the franchise such a hit in the first place.

This has been a big couple of weeks for Trek-related announcements. Yesterday saw the official announcement of a Michelle Yeoh-led movie and last month Paramount+ revealed a forthcoming show set at Starfleet Academy. Strange New Worlds has also already been renewed for a third season. In other words, the franchise is, uh, prospering. 

Lego has already gone to the Sonic the Hedgehog well for a nifty recreation of the original game’s iconic Green Hill Zone, but now the toy brick company is preparing even more Sonic-inspired play sets. Even cooler for true-blue fans? One set is built around speed, a concept the zippy hedgehog is intimately familiar with.

Sonic’s Speed Sphere Challenge ships with something called the speed sphere launcher and it's exactly what it sounds like. You pop Sonic, or any other character, into the plastic sphere and use the velocity mechanism to send it careening through the course, loops and all. In other words, this playset seeks to recreate the actual feel of playing through an old-school 2D Sonic level. The set ships with nearly 300 pieces to rearrange how you like.

Other sets include Tail’s Worksop and Tornado Plane, which ships with nearly 400 pieces, and Amy’s Animal Rescue Island. Like all Lego sets, they are designed for mix-and-match scenarios in the hopes that you buy them all to create a glorious Franken-stage that takes up your entire house. To that end, you can use the speed sphere launcher with any of these sets, so long as there's enough room for the Blue Blur to do his thing.

Lego’s new Sonic-inspired play sets begin shipping on August 1st and range in price from $35 to $50. The dashing hedgehog with the extreme 1990s attitude is not the only Lego star pulled from a video game. The company has made playsets based on Mario, Overwatch, Minecraft and more.

Reddit has collected a treasure trove of human interactions and conversations throughout the past 18 years and this rich data pool has been the perfect spot for companies to train large language models, otherwise known as AI chatbots. Now, Reddit wants a piece of the AI pie and will begin charging companies for API access, which is necessary to train LLMs.

After all, these are not mom-and-pop companies using the API to train AI chatbots. Bigwigs like Google and OpenAI use Reddit to help provide initial guidance to burgeoning artificial intelligence services. To that end, Reddit is introducing a “new premium access point for third parties,” the company said in an official announcement.

The pricing is still up in the air, though Reddit has confirmed it'll be split into tiers of some kind, likely to support companies of different sizes. The social media platform mentions various usage limits and broader usage rights as points of distinction between tiers.

“The Reddit corpus of data is really valuable,” Steve Huffman, founder and chief executive of Reddit, told The New York Times. “But we don’t need to give all of that value to some of the largest companies in the world for free.”

Reddit is far from the only online depository of information used to train large language models, as data scrapers like Common Crawl are also frequent chatbot tutors. However, Common Crawl and related services trade in raw data, as in large pools of information sitting online, whereas Reddit consists of conversations between humans. A well-rounded AI requires access to both types of data to increase factual accuracy and person-like behavior.

Reddit’s application program interface (API) is also regularly used to create and maintain content moderation tools. Instead of charging content moderators to access the API, the company is creating dedicated moderation tools in the form of iOS and Android apps. The apps will feature a mod log, rules management tools, mod queue information and more.

Why make this change now? AI has gone from niche to big business seemingly overnight and rumors swirl that Reddit is looking to go public later this year. Setting up a new revenue stream is never a bad idea when introducing an IPO.