With its first event of 2023 in the books, GDQ’s Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) has raised more than $2.6 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Following more than a week of some of the world’s best speedrunners showing off their skills, AGDQ 2023 saw 21,527 donors give an average of $66.35. While the event fell short of the record-breaking $3.4 million AGDQ 2022 collected for charity almost exactly a year ago, AGDQ 2023 saw one $100,000 donation. In one of the marathon’s more memorable moments, one also player set a new world record in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

For the third year in a row, AGDQ took place entirely online. The event was initially scheduled to take place in Flordia in front of a live audience. However, organizers eventually decided against that plan due to the state’s COVID-19 policies and “increased aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals.”

AGDQ 2023 also marked the final event for Games Done Quick founder Mike Uyama. “I realized that I need to take care of my health and kind of focus on different activities,” he told The Verge before the start of this month’s marathon. During Uyama's 13 years at GDQ, the organization raised more than $41 million for charity. Pretty good for an event that started in a basement. You can watch all the speedruns from AGDQ 2023 on GDQ’s YouTube channel. The organization’s next major event will take place in the spring when Summer Games Done Quick kicks off on May 28th. Last year, the event raised more than $3 million for Doctors Without Borders.

England will ban businesses from selling and offering a variety of single-use plastics, including plates and cutlery, by the end of the year, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced on Saturday. The government will begin enforcing the legislation in October 2023. In addition to some plastics, the ban will cover single-use trays and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers but will exempt plates, trays and bowls included with supermarket-ready meals; the government intends to target those through a separate plan that incentives manufacturers to meet higher recycling standards.

According to one estimate cited by the environment ministry, English consumers use about 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery every year, and only about 10 percent of those are recycled. The department said 95 percent of people it consulted before today’s announcement were in favor of a ban. "We have listened to the public and these new single-use plastics bans will continue our vital work to protect the environment for future generations," said Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey.

Per AFP, Scotland and Wales previously passed similar legislation. It’s also worth noting, England already restricts the sale of other single-use items, including straws and cotton swabs. Additionally, the environment ministry is considering measures that would target other “problematic plastic items.” Specifically, the government could also ban wet wipes and tobacco filters or mandate package labeling designed to show consumers how to dispose of those items correctly.

The ban on disposable plates and cutlery is part of a broader push by governments across the world to curb the production and use of single-use plastics. Last March, the United Nations began working on a first-ever global plastic pollution treaty. While the agreement won’t be complete until 2024 at the earliest, it could be among the most significant efforts to curb climate change since the Paris agreement in 2015.

If you need a little help keeping your home clean in the new year, a robot vacuum can help. It may not be an essential piece of tech, especially if you already have a decent vacuum, but it can make consistent cleaning much easier by letting you automate a portion of the process. Wellbots has a number of Roomba robot vacuums on sale right now, including the new Combo j7+, which is iRobot’s first vac-and-mop device. You can pick that up for $200 less than usual with the code ENG200 at checkout, while the standard Roomba j7+ and the s9+ are $200 off as well with the same code.

The Combo j7+ may be iRobot’s first dip into the two-in-one robo-vac space, but it joins a slew of other dual-use devices that have been on the market for a while. With this Roomba, you’ll have to fill its reservoir with water and cleaning solution whenever you want the machine to mop your floors during a job.

Thanks to iRobot’s latest technology, the Roomba will intelligently switch from vacuuming to mopping when it senses the appropriate type of flooring. In our brief time with the Combo j7+ thus far, we found it to be a solid cleaning machine made better by the controls you have in the iRobot mobile app. The most frustrating aspect is how frequently you may have to refill the reservoir, since it only takes 210 ml of liquid at a time.

If you don’t need mopping capabilities, the standard Roomba j7+ or the s9+ are good alternatives, especially when you can get them while on sale like this. Both come with clean bases, which allow the robo-vacs to automatically empty their dustbins after every job. You’ll only have to change the bag in the clean base every couple of months. Combine that with cleaning schedules that you can set in the mobile app and you may be able to leave your Roomba unattended as it sucks up dirt in your house, day in and day out, for weeks on end. The j7+ has obstacle avoidance technology that helps it detect things like pet poop and navigate around them as it cleans. The s9+, on the other hand, has the strongest suction power of any iRobot machine and it has a more corner-friendly design, too.

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The Dutch publication Nieuwe Mobile posted leaked images today of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and S23 Plus. The alleged renders show the camera placement, colors and design of the new flagships, which Samsung is set to announce next month.

The S23 Ultra and Plus appear to share a metal frame and glass cover design. Both models appear in four colors: Phantom Black, Cotton Flower (cream), Botanic Green and Misty Lilac (pink or lavender). Those line up with colors leaked this week by WinFuture, which should mean all S23 series models have the same color options. In other areas, the Ultra’s back appears flatter than its predecessor’s and has five camera sensors. Additionally, three of the S23 Ultra’s lenses (likely the primary, ultra-wide and 10x telephoto cameras) are bigger than the other two. The Ultra’s side buttons also sit slightly lower than those on its predecessor.

According to rumors, the Ultra will have a 200-megapixel main camera, a first for the Galaxy lineup. (Standard and Plus models should have 50 megapixels.) In addition, the Ultra is also rumored to have better autofocus and stabilization than its predecessor. Both phones are expected to run on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets globally, a change from Samsung’s familiar strategy of using Snapdragon processors in the US and Exynos chips in Asia and Europe.

Samsung will announce all the details in its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 1st. However, the company has already opened reservations for Americans, offering $50 in credit if you pre-order one Galaxy smartphone or $100 in credit if you reserve it along with a Galaxy Book.

If you have your eye on Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 but have been waiting for a sale, Amazon has a good one right now. It's selling the 40mm model in several colors (Grey, Pink Gold and Silver) for $230, saving you $50 or 18 percent off the regular price. And if it's a larger Galaxy Watch 5 you want, the 44mm version is on sale at $260, also $50 off. 

The Galaxy Watch 5 scored a solid 85 in our Engadget review, and we once again called it "the best non-Apple smartwatch." Samsung was focused on perfecting it over the Watch 4, adding extra battery life (a runtime of up to 80 hours), greater durability with Sapphire Crystal glass and a temperature sensor.

Otherwise, it carries the same design and features as before, which is a good thing. Powered by a responsive 5-nanometer Exynos processor and running Wear OS, it uses Samsung's bezel-based navigation with a touch-sensitive ring framing the screen. That gives you access to numerous apps, along with sleep-tracking and coaching plus health and activity tracking. You can get your body composition reading using the body-impedance analysis tool, take ECG scans, reply to messages, control music playback and more.

The lightly curved underside keeps the sensors in contact with your wrist, and it's rated IP68, 5ATM and MIL-STD-810H for durability (water, dust and pressure resistance). The main downside is that battery life is considerably lower with the always-on display compared to the Apple Watch 7.

You can grab the 40mm model in gray, pink and purple/silver for $230, and pick up the 44mm version in grey, white/silver and blue for $260. The best deal is on the 44mm Golf Edition, available in black and white with a golf-themed watch face and Smart Caddie app for $260, a full $100 off the regular price.

You now have an easy way to record movies with surround sound using your phone, provided you're immersed in the right ecosystem. Samsung is releasing an update for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro that enables 360-degree audio capture while you're recording video. While this won't match professional surround (you're using a mic on each earbud), it could present a truer impression of what you heard during a concert or hike.

Only a handful of people will get to try this feature at first. The update is initially rolling out to Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 users, and it will be included with the "upcoming Galaxy smartphones" (read: Galaxy S23 series). You're out of luck if you own an S22 or other older hardware.

You'll have more success with an impending upgrade for Samsung's smartwatches. An update arriving in February will bring zoom to the Camera Controller app on Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 models. Make a pinch gesture or rotate the bezel and you can remotely steer your phone's camera zoom from your wrist. You won't have to return to your handset (or move closer) just to properly frame a group photo.

The new functionality will only be immediately useful if you're a fierce Samsung devotee. However, the company is undoubtedly hoping that the tighter integration will give you an incentive to buy more than just its latest phones. There will be perks you might not get from rivals, at least not for a while.

The rumors were true, apparently. Samsung has announced that its first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2023 will take place February 1st at 1PM Eastern. And unlike last year's events, the company is comfortable with an in-person presentation — it's inviting the media to The Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. You can still watch a livestream on Samsung's website, of course.

Samsung hasn't said what to expect, but it's not-so-subtly teasing a Galaxy S23 launch between a likely triple-camera teaser in the invitation (above) and the nature of its pre-order plans. Americans can reserve the future Galaxy devices on February 1st. Those who sign up for the reserve system by that day will get $50 in Samsung Credit if they pre-order one device, or $100 if they snap up two.

As for what the Galaxy S23 will entail? Leaks have suggested Samsung will drop the Exynos chips it frequently uses in some markets in favor of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The S23 Ultra might also pack a 200-megapixel main camera in place of the 108MP sensor from last year's model, while the regular S23 and S23+ models might have 50MP cams. While the design might not change much, you could see improved selfie cameras, emergency satellite messaging and possibly a flat display on the Ultra variant. It's safe to say we'll be at the event to see the new hardware for ourselves.

If you’re looking for a game to play right now and you have a Netflix subscription, it’s worth checking out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. It just hit iOS and Android mobile as a mobile exclusive for Netflix members.

Shredder’s Revenge brings classic TMNT side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups like Turtles in Time bang up to date. Not only does it have gorgeous pixel art, but you can hurl enemies at the screen like in the old days. As soon as the mobile version dropped, I downloaded it and, within 30 seconds, I had joined a party of five other people to dish out swift justice to Bebop, Rocksteady and the Foot Clan. Along with the turtles, April O'Neil, Master Splinter and Casey Jones are playable characters

The game ran without a hitch on my iPhone 12 in the couple of levels I played. The touch controls work well enough, but I don’t think I’d want to play the entire thing that way. An external controller is a better option if you have one handy. In any case, Shredder’s Revenge was one of my favorite games of 2022. I love the idea of being able to play it anywhere without lugging my Steam Deck or Switch around.

Netflix recently addedKentucky Route Zero and Twelve Minutes to its growing and impressive lineup of mobile games. In the coming months, Vikings: Valhalla and Valiant Hearts: Coming Home will be available on the service.

Five years after debuting at CES 2018, Hyundai’s e-Corner technology is closer to reality. Following its most recent appearance at CES 2021, the system was on display at last week’s show. And this time around, rather than building a dedicated prototype to showcase the tech, the automaker’s Mobis arm instead integrated e-Corner into an Ioniq 5 EV.

As you can see from the video the Hyundai shared (via Autoblog), the module, much like the Hummer EV’s “CrabWalk” functionality, allows a car’s wheels to turn in ways they can’t in a vehicle with a traditional suspension system. Subsequently, that allows you to complete maneuvers you can’t in other vehicles. Parallel parking, for instance, is as easy as turning the wheels 90 degrees and driving the car horizontally. Less practical but just as cool, e-Corner also enables cars to move diagonally and rotate on the spot. It’s even possible to pull off a pivot turn.

It will likely be another few years before e-Corner modules start showing up in production vehicles. In 2021, Hyundai Mobis said it was planning to begin rolling out the technology in 2025. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see other automakers incorporate the technology into their cars since the division produces parts for other companies, not just Hyundai.

Where DJI's RS 3 and RS 3 Pro stabilizers were about maximum convenience and power, the company's latest is designed to reduce as much weight as possible. The new RS 3 Mini weighs in at just 1.8 pounds, but can carry cameras up to 4.4 pounds, which includes heavy mirrorless models like Canon's EOS R3 and even some cinema cameras. At the same time, it offer's DJI's latest stabilization algorithms, easy controls and more. 

DJI has tested the RS 3 Mini with cameras like the Sony A7S III with a 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens, the Canon EOS R5 with an RF24-70mm f/2.8 STM lens or a Fuji X-H2S and XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 lens. I tried it with a Panasonic GH6 and 12-60mm f/2.8-4 and a Canon EOS R6 Mark II with a 24-104mm f/4 and had no problems. "A powerful motor ensures that even when the zoom reaches the maximum focal length, the footage captured remains stable, and there is no need to repeat balancing," DJI says.

It's relatively easy to mount cameras thanks to the newly designed dual layer quick-release plate. That also allows for vertical shooting if you attach the plate to vertical arm, and there are no rotation angle limitations in that mode. As with the RS3, the sliding quick release plates make it easy to balance in just a few minutes.

It supports both wired and wireless Bluetooth shutter/record activation via the RS3 Mini's record button, with the camera ready to go as soon as it's turned on. For Sony cameras with supported power zoom lenses, you can also control the zoom using the front dial without the need for a camera control cable. It offers the usual other DJI Ronin control dials, including a joystick, M button to switch modes, a trigger, a front dial and the aforementioned record button. You can also add Ronin accessories like the Briefcase handle, fill lights or microphones.

Steve Dent/Engadget

Functions are controlled by the 1.4-inch full-color touchscreen, letting you change shooting modes, balance the gimbal motors and more. You can also do much of that with the app, or set functions like Timelapse, Track recording (move along up to 10 preset points) and Panorama. Finally, it can go up to 10 hours on a charge with the integrated battery handle and can be fully charged in as little as 2.5 hours with a 10W charger.

I had a chance to briefly try out DJI's RS 3 Mini, and my early impressions were good. I'm not much of a gimbal guy as I often work alone and don't have the need for tracking shots very often. However, this one is so light that I was able to use it a fair while without tiring out. It's also very convenient — there was no need to rebalance even if I zoomed out or changed my camera's configuration. And I was able to shoot most of my footage one-handed, as DJI promises. The results were great — it produced very smooth footage, both in the horizontal and vertical configurations. 

Steve Dent/Engadget

The RS 3 Mini is also a relative bargain compared to the $550 RS 3 Pro. It's available for purchase today at authorized retailers or DJI's Store for $369 (339 GBP/ 389 EUR). If you're concerned about knocking it into a wall, DJI's Care Refresh insurance is now available for the RS 3 Mini, as well.