TikTok says it's discontinuing TikTok Now, its attempt to replicate last year's social media sensation BeReal. According to screenshots posted by several users, parent ByteDance is "updating the TikTok experience and discontinuing TikTok Now." TikTok Now had a nearly identical approach to viral hit BeReal, requiring users to take front and rear photos simultaneously. It added the ability to take 10-second TikTok-like videos instead of photos, obviously making it completely different. Snapchat and Instagram have both attempted to copy (or tested) their own BeReal-ish features.

The feature was part of the main TikTok app in the US, but is also available as a standalone TikTok Now app in other regions. The message sent to TikTok users in the US indicated that the feature was being killed in the main app, but there's no word on the separate TikTok Now app.

BeReal, meanwhile, might be contending with a drop-off in interest, according to a report from The New York Times in April. BeReal refuted an analytics report behind the story, though, saying it still had 20 million daily active users.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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The best mesh WiFi systems in 2023

A guide to the best way to connect your home.

A lot of domestic WiFi setups suck for countless reasons. Maybe the hardware your ISP gave you isn’t great, or your walls aren’t friendly to wireless signals. Perhaps the signals from your all-in-one wireless modem and router can’t reach everywhere from its spot in a far corner of your house. It’s these problems that mesh WiFi systems are designed to tackle, with a set of smaller WiFi nodes that are spread around your home, pushing internet into every corner. But which one to pick? And do you really have to spend a fortune? We can answer both of those questions in our new buying guide.

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Insta360's latest tiny action cam comes with a detachable display

The Insta360 Go 3 is basically a GoPro with a flip screen.

Insta360

The new Insta360 Go 3 has a larger, more rectangular "Action Pod" detachable body, making it look more like a conventional action cam than its predecessor. The Action Pod body also doubles as a 2.2-inch flip touchscreen. The Go 3's camera itself has some significant upgrades as well. Video resolution has been bumped up from 1440p to 2.7k (2,720 x 1,536), meaning you'll get more out of Insta360's renowned "FlowState" video stabilization trick, while a second microphone has also been added to improve audio. The Insta360 Go 3 is now available via the official online store or Amazon, with prices starting at $379.99 for the 32GB model.

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Razer's first in-ear monitor is built for gamers and streamers

The Moray is meant for comfort as much as quality.

In-ear monitors (IEMs) are normally aimed at musicians and audio engineers, but Razer reckons it can tap into the disposable income of gamers and streamers with its first in-ear monitor, the Moray. At $130, it's not meant to compete with higher-end IEMs from the likes of Audio Technica, Sennheiser or Shure, but Razer has paid attention to comfort: the ergonomic design and braided cables are meant to stay snugly in place for hours and it comes with three different ear tip varieties (each with three different sizes) to optimize fit.

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The SAE is creating a standardized version of Tesla's EV charging plug

It's another win for the NACS.

Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) is one step closer to becoming the de-facto electric vehicle charging system in the US. On Tuesday, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International, one of the automotive industry’s most important standards bodies, shared it is working to support the plug, a move that will make it easier for manufacturers to add NACS connectors to their vehicles and charging stations.

“Standardizing the NACS connector will provide certainty, expanded choice, reliability and convenience to manufacturers and suppliers and, most of all, increase access to charging for consumers,” the SAE said in a statement. In the last month alone, Ford, General Motors and Rivian announced they plan to adopt NACS.

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SoftBank gave $170m to a social app whose users mostly didn't exist

The app, IRL, is shutting down.

SoftBank, major tech investor and Japanese phone carrier, led a little-known social media app called IRL to unicorn status and an overall valuation of $1.17 billion by investing over $170 million. It turned out that the app completely made up its user numbers, admitting that 95 percent of its purported 20 million user base was fake. Employees became suspicious of the company’s claim of 20 million monthly active users. Eventually, the SEC stepped in, issuing a probe as to whether or not IRL misled investors. In April of this year, the company’s board of directors suspended CEO Abraham Shafi and appointed a new acting CEO. Due to those incredibly inflated numbers (and half-baked concept), IRL is shutting down and taking its 19 million bots with it. The company says it’s returning capital to shareholders, but nobody knows how much money is left in the coffers.

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Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line is the undisputed champion of big flexible phones. But – outside of China – it holds that title by default. With the Pixel Fold, Google has created a foldable challenger that directly addresses some of Samsung's (and foldables’) weaknesses. Google says that over 50 first-party apps have already been optimized for use on devices like the Pixel Fold. Some of the enhancements we've seen before, like tabletop mode in YouTube. But, by virtue of being made by the same company that makes Android, there are more features here. That even includes third-party apps like WhatsApp, where you can share images from Google Photos just by dragging and dropping.

Engadget

According to Engadget’s Sam Rutherford, the Pixel Fold’s clever hinge and slim chassis make it easy to use and carry, while its wider body makes the phone's exterior screen much more usable. With better cameras and UI tweaks to make multitasking a tiny bit simpler, the Pixel Fold more than holds its own against Samsung's Z Fold 4. The main challenge: that $1,799 price. Check out the full review here.

– Mat Smith

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The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

Netflix is removing its 'basic' plan in Canada

Users will have basic with ads, standard or premium tiers available.

Netflix announced its basic plan would no longer be an option for Canadian subscribers. Anyone already on a basic plan doesn't have to worry about being kicked off it, but if they choose to move to another option or close their account, they can't get back on that tier. In Canada, the basic tier is $9.99 (CAD) per month, while the basic tier with ads, launched last year, costs $5.99. Now with the decision to remove its basic option, the streamer is pushing more of its customers towards an ad-filled viewing experience. It’s making the company money: In the first quarter of 2023, Netflix saw its basic with ads tier bring in more money per user than its standard plan.

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Amazon will use small businesses to help deliver packages in the US

Your local bodega could bring shipments to your door.

Amazon is launching a new hub delivery system that uses small businesses in 23 states (including California, New York and Washington) to complete customer shipments. Those businesses need secure storage areas and must deliver an average of 30 packages daily outside of major holidays. Amazon debuted an "I Have Space" system in India in 2015, and expanded it to both Japan and Spain. A US pilot program began in late 2020, although it focused on improving delivery for rural customers. This new system covers over 20 major cities, including Boston, New York City and Los Angeles.

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Meta’s Quest+ subscription offers two VR titles per month

The plan costs $8 per month or $60 per year.

Engadget

Meta is making its own Xbox Game Pass-like subscription service for VR titles. Meta Quest+, grants users access to "the best titles on the platform" for $8 per month or $60 per year. The subscription is available starting today on Quest 2 and Quest Pro. It's also coming to Quest 3 when that headset arrives this fall. The first two are the hit first-person shooter Pistol Whip and Pixel Ripped 1995. Like PlayStation Plus Essential, you'll retain access to the games as long as you remain a member.

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NASA is creating a ChatGPT-like AI assistant for astronauts

An early version is planned for the Lunar Gateway space station.

Has 2001: A Space Odyssey taught us nothing? Yes. NASA is developing an AI chat system allowing astronauts to perform maneuvers, conduct experiments and more using a natural-language ChatGPT-like interface.

NASA aims to deploy the system on its Lunar Gateway, a space station that will orbit the Moon and support NASA's Artemis mission. It would use a natural language interface that allows astronauts to seek advice on experiments or conduct maneuvers without diving into complex manuals.

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NASA has achieved a technological milestone, announcing the International Space Station’s Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is now recycling 98 percent of all water astronauts bring onboard. Advanced dehumidifiers capture moisture from the station’s crew breaths and sweats, while urine processor assembly recovers water from astronauts’ urine through vacuum distillation.

According to NASA, the distillation process produces water and a urine brine that still contains reclaimable H20. Now, a new device can extract the remaining water in the brine, increasing the water recovery rate from 93 to 98 percent. If the idea is making you gag, it shouldn’t, says Jill Williamson, NASA’s ECLSS water subsystems manager. “The crew is not drinking urine; they are drinking water that has been reclaimed, filtered and cleaned such that it is cleaner than what we drink here on Earth.” I'll pass.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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YouTube is reportedly testing online games for mobile and desktop

The gaming product could be called Playables.

Google is looking at online games as a new source of income for YouTube, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The video hosting platform has reportedly invited employees to test a new product called Playables, which gives users access to online games right on YouTube. Users can play them on the YouTube website on a browser or through the app, on an Android or an iOS phone. While the report insinuates there are currently several games available for testing, it only mentioned Stack Bounce, an ad-supported arcade game that gets players to smash layers of bricks with a bouncing ball. (It’s not exactly Elden Ring.) Playables could be more akin to Netflix's gaming product, which gives paying users access to casual games on mobile.

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Apple’s Vision Pro headset may not come with a top strap in the box

Will it cost as much as those Mac Pro wheels?

Engadget

When we previewed the Vision Pro in early June, the prototype unit featured an extra Velcro strap not seen in any of Apple’s promotional material. At the time, a company spokesperson said the handset would support additional straps if necessary.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple created the strap, which goes over the wearer’s head, after some employees complained the Vision Pro felt “too heavy” after a couple of hours of use. In a move Apple has made a fewtimes in the past with other products, the company is now reportedly considering selling the strap as an optional accessory rather than including it in the box.

The Vision Pro could arrive as late as May 2024, and Gurman says the company has already reassigned some employees to work on a more affordable headset and a second-generation Vision Pro.

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Moto Razr+ phone review

Finally, some real competition for Samsung’s Flip foldable.

Engadget

The Moto Razr+, a foldable phone like a standard 6.9-inch handset when open, has a large 3.6-inch screen closed. That addresses one of the most common complaints about the Galaxy Z Flip 4 — the size of its cover display. The Razr+, meanwhile, pretty much runs full Android with some tweaks.

However, anyone thinking of getting the Razr+ should probably wait. Samsung has announced its next Galaxy Unpacked will be in Korea in late July, when it’s widely expected to launch new foldables. If you can hold off, it’s worth seeing what the next Z Flip will offer before picking your next-gen flip phone.

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Would you watch two billionaires tussle in a cage match? What if it was the owners of Facebook and Tesla? This all started when Elon Musk said he was "up for a cage match if he [Zuckerberg] is," in response to tweets about Meta’s incoming Twitter rival. Musk responded. Mark Zuckerberg posted a screenshot of the exchange as a story on his Instagram account with the note: "Send Me Location." Zuckerberg has been training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for around a year now, and his efforts have been well documented – he even competed in a tournament back in May and won gold and silver medals. Musk: he said he has a great move called The Walrus. Hmm.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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E3 2024 and 2025 aren't canceled (yet)

An LA commission said the in-person shows were done, but the ESA says otherwise.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo hasn't been held in person since 2019. Now, it may not be returning for 2024 or 2025 – at least not at the Los Angeles Convention Center. According to an LA City Tourism Commission planning document shared on ResetEra, the video game trade show has canceled its live event for the next two years.

The Electronic Software Association (ESA) seems hesitant to confirm the entire event is canceled: "ESA is currently in conversation with ESA members and other stakeholders about E3 2024 (and beyond)," the group told Engadget. You can still catch up on everything not-E3 from this year at Summer Game Fest, including our first impressions of Sand Land.

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The next version of Stable Diffusion won’t produce spaghetti hands in AI images

It was a bit jarring.

The next version of the prompt-based AI image generator Stable Diffusion will produce more photorealistic images and be better at, well, making hands look less like a horror show. The announcement appeared in a since-deleted blog post. SDXL 0.9, a follow-up to Stable Diffusion XL, “produces massively improved image and composition detail over its predecessor,” the blog post read. SDXL can be run locally on your PC if you have a powerful enough machine. It requires a minimum of 16GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 20 (or higher) graphics card with 8GB of VRAM.

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Sony plans to keep making smartphones for at least a few more years

Qualcomm has a deal to power Sony handsets in a multi-year deal.

Sony

You might not be buying them, but Sony will continue to make them. Sony has struck a multi-year deal with Qualcomm to use Snapdragon platforms to power its handsets. This is an extension of an existing agreement. Sony revealed its latest phone, the Xperia 1 V, just last month. The smartphone’s target audience is, once again, photographers and vloggers. Those are relatively niche use cases, though Sony can tap into its camera technology to offer something at least unique. The Xperia 1 V even works as a monitor for compatible Sony Alpha cameras.

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Bandai Namco knows what to do when it turns anime or manga series into video games. Revealed at Summer Game Fest last week, Sand Land is the latest addition, with a big punchy poster on the show floor in Los Angeles, conveniently right next to an established hitmaker for the publisher, its Naruto (now Boruto) Ultimate Storm fighting series.

Sand Land, though? You may never have heard of it, but don’t let that put you off, because it’s a 2000s comic penned by legendary manga artist, Akira Toriyama. Yes, Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama. The man who created the character designs for Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon and the Dragon Quest series. And Toriyama’s creations have never looked better.

Sand Land is an action-adventure game where you’ll play as the rambunctious prince of the Devil, capital ‘d’, Beelzebub, as he explores a desert-themed world where water is a rare and costly resource. Demons and humans coexist in this world, with the human Sheriff Rao and the demon Thief accompanying Beelzebub on his adventure to solve the water crisis.

At SGF 2023 last week, I played a 15-minute demo that showcased a few parts of the game, including melee combat, exploration and two vehicles: a tank and, er, a golf cart. The demo kicked off with the trio fleeing a desert dragon, and after having steered the cart away from relentless attacks, the gang eventually had to cast off their supplies of water to escape.

Apparently, this is a beat-for-beat replication of how Sand Land plays out in the manga, and you can expect the game to follow the same storyline beats. That’s sometimes frustrating for games where you already know the story. For example, I know who dies in Dragon Ball’s Frieza saga, so it’s not a surprise when it happens in one of the several Dragon Ball video games. With Sand Land, however, many of us will be hearing the tale for the first time.

During my demo, the game split into two play styles. You’ll explore the desert, outposts, and towns with your vehicles but also set out on foot when you need to brawl with someone or interact with things appropriately. Bandai Namco has teased that you can customize vehicles within the game, adding different weaponry and components to improve performance or offer tactical advantages. I loved using the armor-piercing rounds. Sure, they had a low fire rate, but they obliterated almost anything. Vehicle controls are simple enough but vary depending on the type and whether they feature weapons or not. Don’t forget: my first Sand Land vehicle was a golf cart. There was no artillery option.

Bandai Namco

When not rolling around in a tank (which can be repaired if it takes damage), Beelzebub himself can go toe-to-toe with enemies in melee combat. He has a mix of weak attacks, dodge rolls and super attacks that will charge up as you battle enemies. If it sounds a bit… simple, well, it is. Bandai Namco isn’t reinventing the wheel here. More moves and support characters could help deepen the combat sections, so I’ll hold judgment for now, but it’s also worth remembering that this game is likely aimed at gamers younger than I. You will only ever control Beelzebub himself, but both of his aforementioned companions will eventually be able to assist in fights, although this wasn’t apparent in my demo.

The highlight of this early demo was confronting a gang of bandits. They gave off a mild Ginew Force vibe, which I wasn’t mad about. Each wielded different weapons and attacked differently, offering a nice opportunity to test out little devil’s combos, sending enemies high with a punch, only to jump up and slam them back to the ground.

Ensuring even these secondary characters are interesting is proof that, hopefully, the developers are ensuring Toriyama’s characters, and his offbeat humor and charm, make it onto consoles.

While there are some questionable lip-sync moments (at this point, all the voiceovers are Japanese), this generation of consoles and PCs offer more than enough power to replicate Toriyama’s detailed drawings. I gawped at the tank during my playthrough just because it looked so good. Imagine how long I’d stare at a tank I customized myself.

Sand Land will launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

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

The battle over Reddit’s API changes continues, even after coming into effect. Reddit's decision to charge for access to its API was supposedly aimed at companies scraping the website to train Large Language Models for generative AI, but the decision also affects thousands of third-party clients and apps that tie into the platform, including ones with powerful moderation tools not available on the main site and app. Thousands of communities protested the move by setting their subreddits private and making them inaccessible.

Following the API changes, several popular subreddits that historically prohibited porn have started allowing users to post NSFW – Not Safe For Work – content. These communities include r/mildlyinteresting and r/videos. In r/TIHI’s (Thanks, I Hate It) case, a stickied post says the subreddit is removing a rule that forbids extreme NSFW content and will now welcome it, as long as it’s legal under US law. By allowing their subreddits to be filled with posts deemed not safe for work, the moderators have made sure Reddit can't monetize them. The site’s response to the situation has been swift – administrators have reportedly removed whole moderating teams for communities that labeled themselves NSFW.

So far, these protests have had little effect on Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. He told NPR: "It's a small group that's very upset, and there's no way around that. We made a business decision that upset them."

– Mat Smith

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‘Final Fantasy XV’ review

A welcome dramatic turn for the series.

Square Enix

It’s back again. This time, it’s real-time. With Final Fantasy XVI, the series’ creators have decided the franchise's future is action-centric and storyline driven. And it’s heavily inspired by epic TV fantasy series. Until now, the Final Fantasy games have never quite had their angry, moody dark moment. With nuanced, occasionally horny characters and often a lot of violence, is this the series’ moody teenager era? The tale of FFXVI is achingly Game of Thrones-y, but sometimes the inspiration is a little on the nose: Dad dies early on? Check. Mysterious wolves? Check. Creepy mother-son relations? Check. While this is a very different kind of game for the series, for those looking for a fantasy adventure with a plot that’s kept me hooked, the 16th Final Fantasy delivers.

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Google Nest WiFi Pro review

This mesh network is more approachable than the rest.

Engadget

Google’s WiFi products have always offered an acceptable blend of power, price and performance. The Nest WiFi Pro, the company’s latest flagship, builds on that existing formula by adding WiFi 6E. Part of its appeal is the Google brand, plus the promise of regular free software updates and tight integrations with most of the world’s smart home players. You won’t get into the fundamentals of running a network, but it should appeal to people who want to set up a guest network quickly. Something like the TP-Link XE75 might run faster and offer more features, but for this price, Google’s made the right compromises.

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A 'Super Mario RPG' remake is coming to Nintendo Switch on November 17th

And Nintendo’s remastering 'Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon' for the Switch.

An unusual SNES classic is getting the remake treatment. Super Mario RPG is back with "brand-new graphics" and it's coming to Nintendo Switch on November 17th. The 1996 original was the very first Mario RPG, made in collaboration with Squaresoft (now Square Enix). It tasks Mario, Bowser, Peach and friends with taking down a mechanical enemy named Smithy and recovering stolen pieces of the Star Road. The remake uses the same art style as modern Mario games. Nintendo is also working on an updated version of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon – perhaps not a huge surprise given the success of Luigi's Mansion 3.

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The best wireless headphones for 2023

And not all of these over-ear models will break the bank.

For Engadget’s best wireless headphones guide, we tested several models with a variety of features, including noise cancellation and sound quality. Plus, our favorites span a range of prices, so you can decide how much you’re comfortable spending and, ultimately, get the best buy for you. That includes a set for a mere $79.

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Twitch replaces its mature content mode with more granular 'labels'

Categories include sexual themes, gambling and significant profanity or vulgarity.

Twitch has overhauled its mature content policies, switching from a general toggle to specific categories describing what viewers can expect. The new Content Classification Labels are myriad, including mature-rated games, sexual themes, significant profanity or vulgarity, gambling, violent and graphic depictions and, lastly, drugs, intoxication or excessive tobacco use. The ratings apply to both the game and you. For example, if you're playing a mature-rated game, Twitch will automatically label it as such. But, if you're playing an E-rated game and you’re excessively swearing, you must mark your stream as having significant profanity or vulgarity.

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Cellular satellite test successfully beams 4G data from space to a regular phone

AST SpaceMobile recently completed a two-way voice call.

Earlier this year, AST SpaceMobile, with the help of AT&T, connected an off-the-shelf Samsung Galaxy S22 to a satellite in low-Earth orbit to complete a two-way voice call. Now the company says it’s one step closer to bringing the technology to consumers. AST recently completed multiple tests in Hawaii where its engineers saw download speeds of 10Mbps from the company’s BlueWalker 3 satellite to unmodified phones on the ground.

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It’s back again. This time, it’s real-time. With Final Fantasy XVI, the series’ creators have decided that the future of the franchise is action-centric and storyline driven. And it’s been inspired by epic fantasy series from television. Until now, the Final Fantasy games have never quite had their angry, moody dark moment. With nuanced, occasionally horny characters and often a lot of violence, is this the series’ moody teenager era?

FFXVI is the first game in the series made for the PS5, expanding the detail of both character models and environments. While the significant characters move and emote realistically, Square Enix has kept an artistic touch to character design. The most impressive parts are the environments, with gorgeous forests, medieval fortresses and major landmarks towering over the usual fields and cliffs you’ll be exploring and fighting at. The quality isn't consistent enough in an era of games like Horizon: Forbidden West, Dead Space and Elden Ring, though. I noticed when character models and environments weren’t given the same attention as key scenes and chapters.

Unlike previous Final Fantasy games, while there’s still an ensemble cast, you’ll only ever control the protagonist Clive — yes, an interesting choice in hero name, one that even some in-game characters are... surprised by. You’ll eventually be able to offer simple commands to your faithful wolf, Torgal, and you’ll be joined by other companions that will fight entirely independently of you. These include your childhood friend Jill, the mysterious daddy of thunder, Cid, and several more spoiler(ish) additions.

Fortunately, and unlike an awful lot of non-playable battle allies in RPGs, they can usually attract the attention of a monster or two and even finish off enemies by themselves. Still, there’s no escaping the fact that it’s an even looser party battle dynamic than its predecessor Final Fantasy XV, let alone older titles.

The tale of FFXVI is achingly Game Of Thrones-y. It starts out as a battle of warring states, of religion versus monarchy, wars for the sake of controlling resources — or escaping inhospitable land. Sometimes the inspiration is a little on the nose: Dad dies early on? Check. Mysterious wolves? Check. Creepy mother-son relations? Check. However, the series has always drawn on pop-culture inspiration over the years: Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings have all been tugged at for monster names, storylines and more.

Within the opening hours, we meet Clive, his sickly (but ‘chosen’) younger brother Joshua and their childhood friend, Jill. Clive and Joshua’s mother, the Cersei-styled Anabella Rosfield, swiftly betrays her family and the entire nation. The leader, her husband, is slaughtered in front of Joshua, whose latent powers as a dominant fully awakened due to this trauma. Arguably even more harrowing, a chocobo (the game series’ giant bird mounts) gets bricked in the head and someone kills an owl. This all happens in the span of a couple of minutes.

In the form of the giant fire Eikon (elemental deity), Phoenix, Joshua burns enemies and allies alike to ash, and as Clive watches, horrified, he somehow unleashes a new, never-before-seen Eikon of his own, Ifrit, who has a surprisingly grisly encounter with Phoenix. Clive wakes up with no memory of this, however, while a foreboding figure in a hood watches all of this unfold, So yeah, the perfect pilot episode of a fantasy series on HBO. The superb voice acting and writing really helps sell the melodrama and seriousness of the story. For a series often criticized for cliche or awkward translations, this is all so much better. The voice actor for Cid is Ralph Ineson – who was even in GoT. Get ready for lots of Yorkshire accents: It’s time for all to learn what “ta-ra” means. Square Enix notes that, even if you pick the Japanese language setting, the game’s lip sync is set to the English version.

Square Enix

If you haven’t played a Final Fantasy title before — and Square Enix is positioning this as an action game for that kind of player — Ifrit is usually a run-of-the-mill summonable demon. He’s rarely a crucial plot pivot, so it’s cool to see the series subvert expectations and pay tribute to the games of the past. There are lots of Easter eggs like this, both subtle and obvious.

The crystal theme, originally penned for the first Final Fantasy game on the Nintendo Entertainment System, is remixed and dropped in during multiple points of the game, while Cid (a character found in every FF game, either as a non-playable character or party member) has a daughter called Mid — a reference to the grandson of Final Fantasy V's version of Cid.

While other games, including spin-offs and Final Fantasy XV, have touched on real-time combat, Final Fantasy XVI goes all in. It’s dangerous new territory for a series with some die-hard fans, but possibly a necessary move to attract a new audience.

But it’s not Devil May Fantasy. It doesn’t appear to be a particularly deep system on either the default or story-centric difficulties. I found myself leaning on abilities I knew could do sustained damage, doing well-timed dodges and countering.

There are layers to battles – but they’re easy to ignore. Mid-game skills like the ability to jump and then kick-off an enemy, or launch yourself into the air with a pull attack normally used to sling smaller enemies toward you, offer some more vertical approaches to combat. However, I rarely needed to figure this out during battles, and it was more about relentlessly attacking and paying attention to incoming attacks that enemies usually signposted. Clive will bolster his initial fire attacks, courtesy of Phoenix, with skills from other Eikons, adding new forms of attack or counters. If there’s some kind of elemental scissors-paper-rock dynamic, I didn’t notice it, or missed an explanation.

The major difference between action- and story-focus modes is the inclusion of several accessories that make FFXVI one of the most accessible (and forgiving) action RPGs I’ve ever played. You’ll start the game with a handful of accessories like the Ring of Timely Focus which slows down when an evadable attack approaches, giving you ample time to dodge. The Ring of Timely Strikes will unleash a barrage of complex attacks just by spamming the square button. I played with the Ring of Timely Focus occasionally equipped, helping me to hold my own in more difficult scenes filled with enemies, but tried to fight the bigger enemies (and bosses) with only my own skills. There is a new game plus mode that offers hardier enemies and challenges, but I haven’t had time to play it yet.

The bosses, while spectacular, have a tendency towards being damage sponges – especially the Eikon-on-Eikon fights that typically include three or more transitions in a single battle. Once you’ve figured out the timing of dodges to attacks, it’s often repeated to boredom. But hey, they always look cool. Some of these boss fights are.. incredibly epic – and I mean Bayonetta-level of ridiculous. There aren’t many boss battles in video games that reach the level of Clive’s duel against Bahamut…

Final Fantasy XVI also has a wonderful hidden weapon: Its own built-in wiki. Active Time Lore, a play on active time battles from the series’ arguable heyday of the late-’90s, not only fills in the narrative gaps plaguing FF but plenty of other politically tilted RPGs.

Both FFXII and FFXIII suffered from lots of fictional terminology and complicated back-story. With the latter, developers relegated anything close to a glossary to menus that were difficult to navigate and consequently rarely investigated.

Square Enix

Active Time Lore, which can be summoned from the touchpad during almost any scene or area, brings a convenient shortcut to that tip-of-the-tongue, which-warring-state-is-he-from-again quandary. It’s an elegant solution, inspired by Amazon Prime Video’s X-Ray feature. It also ensures gamers don’t come undone when there are so many political maneuverings, time skips, false deaths and hooded strangers.

All of this is augmented by Vivian, a character whose sole purpose appears to be educating Clive about the wider political implications of his fight to dismantle the political structure around huge magical crystals (by destroying them), dominants (by besting them, usually) and freeing indentured magic-wielding slaves. All while seeking vengeance for his brother.

Talking with her at your base of operations will open a handy personnel chart of all the main characters, their associates, and the rest. It also comes with a chronological slider, so you can guess who’ll betray who next. If you came undone during a season of Game of Thrones, you might understand why this could be needed.

Square Enix

Final Fantasy XVI is different – perhaps due to the producer, Naoki Yoshida, who worked on the online MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV as both producer and director. But with Final Fantasy VII Remake (including the next chapter) offering the party battles I want, I don’t see a problem in Square Enix taking the series in this direction. I miss the party battle dynamics, but I didn’t feel hamstrung by my own mediocre action game reflexes or skills. If you are looking for challenging battles, the game comes with post-game content aimed at completionists and the muscular of thumb. But for those looking for a fantasy adventure with a plot that’s kept me hooked – so far – the sixteenth Final Fantasy delivers.

Amazon has announced the dates for its next annual shopping event. Prime Day 2023 will be on July 11th and 12th this year, beginning at 12AM PT/ 3AM ET on Tuesday, July 11th, and concluding at the end of Wednesday, July 12th.

Prime Day isn’t necessarily a perk of Amazon’s subscription service, like access to Prime Video content, but most deals on Amazon during the two-day event are exclusively available to Prime members. The cost of Prime has increased quite a bit since its launch in 2005, and even in the past few years. An annual membership will set you back $139 right now, $20 more than its previous price. (Then again, maybe free phone service could soon sweeten the deal?).

Prime Day is typically the best time of the year to get Amazon devices – I’m keeping an eye out for the Kindle Scribe – but we also expect to see worthwhile sales on headphones, robot vacuums, laptops, SSDs and much more. I suggest following Engadget Deals on Twitter for the latest news during Prime Day and sign up for the new Engadget Deals newsletter to get the best deals delivered right to your inbox.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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Panasonic S5 IIX camera review

Power and value in one vlogging package

Engadget

Panasonic launched the S5 II and S5 IIX full-frame cameras, finally embracing phase-detect autofocus to put it on par with rivals. We’ve already tested the S5 II but now we’re looking at what I think is the more interesting model, the S5 IIX. It has an identical design and many of the same features as its sibling, like the new autofocus system and highly effective in-body stabilization. However, it adds a key function: the ability to record high-quality, easy-to-edit ProRes video internally. The new autofocus is good but not quite up to the Sony A7 IV, and it lacks the full-frame 4K 60p video of the Canon R6 II, but it’s far better for video than both models, thanks to the ProRes option and other features not in either rival model. Engadget’s Steve Dent tests it out.

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AI-generated music won’t win a Grammy anytime soon

But human-written songs with some AI-generated elements might.

The Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., said this week that although the organization will consider music with limited AI-generated voices or instrumentation for award recognition, it will only honor songs written and performed “mostly by a human.”

“At this point, we are going to allow AI music and content to be submitted, but the Grammys will only be allowed to go to human creators who have contributed creatively in the appropriate categories,” Mason said in an interview with Grammy.com. On the other hand, it raises questions about artists like Holly Herndon, who used an AI version of her voice to cover Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” Or, for that matter, there’s the upcoming “final” Beatles track that Paul McCartney says will use AI to isolate a garbled recording of John Lennon’s voice.

Mason acknowledged AI would upend the music industry. “AI is going to absolutely, unequivocally have a hand in shaping the future of our industry,” Mason said. “So, we have to start planning around that and thinking about what that means for us.”

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Apple's expanded self-repair program covers the iPhone 14 and newer MacBooks

And you won't have to call Apple to finish repairs.

Apple is widening its Self Service Repair program to cover its more recent devices. From June 21st, you can get the parts, tools and manuals to fix the iPhone 14 range and the M2 versions of the 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Apple has even expanded component repairs on older models: You can fix the TrueDepth camera and top speaker on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models in the US, UK and seven European countries. Crucially, you won't have to call Apple to finish your repairs. The System Configuration tool, which verifies and authenticates fixes with official parts, now works simply by putting a device into Diagnostics mode and following instructions.

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The best midrange smartphones for 2023

Who says greatness has to be expensive?

A great smartphone doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Features once exclusive to high-end devices – including big batteries, multi-camera arrays and high refresh rate displays – are moving down to their more affordable siblings. While there are still some things you'll only find on flagship smartphones, you don't have to compromise as much anymore. If you have less than $600 to spend, you still have some decent options.

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Maybe Android tablets aren’t dead after all. Maybe they just needed a smart display dock and a beguiling kickstand/hanger… thing to make them more functional. According to Engadget’s Cherlynn Low, the $500 Pixel Tablet is not a particularly exciting tablet, but it is an intriguing smart display. 

Engadget

With its charging speaker dock and $80 case, Google presents a far more compelling proposition. There are some unusual quirks, especially with Chromecasting, but it’s a stylish hybrid display with a lot going for it. Check out the full review right here.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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The FCC is preparing to take a 'fresh look' at internet data caps

It's also looking to see if it can legally 'take actions' against them.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel wants to open a formal Notice of Inquiry into the impact of internet data caps on consumers. The regulator will also consider "taking action" to ensure data caps don't harm competition or impact access to broadband services.

"Internet access is no longer nice-to-have, but need-to-have for everyone, everywhere," Rosenworcel said. "When we need access to the internet, we aren’t thinking about how much data it takes to complete a task, we just know it needs to get done.” Rosenworcel would be unable to take any action on data caps at the moment, though. The FCC currently has just four members (two Democrats and two Republicans), as the Senate refused to confirm President Biden's first nominee, Gigi Sohn, and she subsequently withdrew her name for consideration.

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The best E Ink tablets for 2023

Scribble to your heart’s content.

Engadget

E Ink tablets combine the feeling of writing in a regular notebook with many of the conveniences of digitized documents. With them, you can take with you and scribble all of your notes on one device. Unlike regular tablets and styli, though, E Ink tablets are nowhere near as ubiquitous – they remain a worthwhile purchase to only a very select group of people. Is that you? And if so, what are your best options?

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‘Black Mirror’ finds new life in our modern hellscape

Season six brings plenty of old and new elements to the series.

In the three years since Black Mirror's previous season, we've had a global pandemic, watched a US president trigger a mob attack on the Capitol and we’re talking about AI everywhere. According to Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar, season six of Black Mirror, which hit Netflix last week, is the series at its best: shocking, incisive and often hilarious.

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Samsung brings its self-repair program to the UK

Galaxy S20, 21 and S22 owners can replace the screen, back glass and charging ports.

Samsung has announced its self-repair program is now available in the UK and other European countries, after launching in the US last year. Users can access tools and parts needed to fix supported devices, namely the Galaxy S20, S21 and S22 smartphones, along with the Galaxy Book Pro regular and Galaxy Book Pro 360 laptops.

In addition to the UK, the program will be available in Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden. Samsung collaborated with iFixit in the US, but parts distributors ASWO and 2Service will handle sales and distribution of the repair kits in Europe.

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Parallel Studio’s Under the Waves is a relaxing game. Between the cheers and jeers from Crash Team Rumble players (possibly employees) nearby, I was diving. Diving deeper and deeper into the inky blue, chasing a jettisoned shipping container as it bounced off rocks, spilling soft toys and revealing a mysteriously abandoned submarine hidden deeper still. While I might have been relaxed, I was a little unsettled.

First announced at last year’s Gamescom, in Under the Waves you play as Stan. And he doesn’t seem to be in a good place. My demo started on the third day of his placement at an underwater living pod, but I know (from the game’s synopsis) that he’s down there quite literally to get away from it all. He appears to be grieving the loss of his daughter, but it’s only lightly touched on during these opening parts of the game. Stan seems unsettled and twitchy in bed (and facially twitchy in general – hopefully, his face will settle down with more time in development).

At the start of the demo, Stan wakes with a piercing headache and picks up a call from what I assume is an offshore coworker called Tim. He reveals that the living pod’s oxygen mix is out of whack, likely explaining the sore head. Tim even added that a previous worker failed to flag his headaches, and by the time the rest of the dive team, the worker had started hallucinating. (And of course, Stan gets his own hallucination moments very soon after.

Quantic Dreams

While you’re able to walk around your oxygenated living quarters, most of the game is spent in the ocean, either diving with a limited amount of oxygen (which can be replenished using oxygen sticks) or while steering your own deep-sea vehicle, which can cover ground quicker and help conserve oxygen.

In a nod to the reality of ocean waste, spent oxygen sticks will float where you leave them. These can be collected and converted into plastic. Throughout the game there will be machines and crafting blueprints so you’ll be able to make your own items (like more oxygen sticks) from plastic, metal and other materials found floating or left on the ocean floor. (Parallel Studio have partnered with Surfrider Foundation Europe to support its ocean preservation aims.)

While the ocean floor is attractive and interesting, the man-made features have a retro-futuristic design, like an alternate future that’s… in the past. Like Prey or the more recent Deathloop, the anachronistic combination, somehow works.

Stan is equipped with a scanner, making it infinitely easier to decode instructions from Tim and other objectives. You’ll still have to pay attention though, a little like Firewatch. When Stan heads out to fix the oxygen issues, you’ll have to trace the route of several pipes, noting the broken ones based on their red bulbs. The scanner doesn’t simply do everything, but it does ensure you’re at least headed in the right direction.

In a lot of ways, whether it’s the story yet to be revealed or the uneasy tension that is touched on regularly, it reminds me of Firewatch, even if it’s all set undersea. While this is developed by Parallel Studio, it’ll be published Quantic Dream’s new Spotlight arm, focused on new developer IP. Quantic Dream has created several games, including Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human, which placed a huge focus on narrative and storytelling. For developer Parallel Studios, it seems a good fit.

Under the Waves launches on August 29th, 2023.

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