As suspected, the first phone from Nothing — Carl Pei’s new company — is going all in on the transparent gadget look. This seems to be Nothing’s design aesthetic, matching its wireless ear(1) headphones from last year.

According to snippets of video from an event at Art Basel, where the phone was revealed (inside a box), segments of the back of the phone will even light up. This could just be a decorative gimmick, but Nothing’s narrative has been pushing intentional design choice — so it probably ties into notifications or something else I can’t quite imagine this early in the morning.

For now, the company is keeping the finer specifications (and crucial details like pricing and availability) under wraps, but Nothing says it’ll reveal everything in July.

-Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• 'Time Flies' turns the life of a housefly into a cute game about existential dread | Engadget

• Qualcomm won't have to pay its $1 billion EU fine over LTE deal with Apple

• Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 falls back to a low of $600 | Engadget

• PayPal will let users split the cost of purchases over up to 24 months

• Puffco's Proxy packs the power of Peak Pro into a palm-sized pipe | Engadget

• DJI's RS3 mirrorless camera stabilizer unlocks automatically and is easier to balance

• Twitch opens up ads program to more streamers and increases payout

• I've fallen for Chrono Trigger's text adventure pseudo-sequel

• Senate considers ban on data brokers selling health and location info

Steam games are coming to Nreal's augmented reality glasses

'Steam on Nreal' is still in beta, though.

nreal

Nreal users can now play some Steam games on their augmented reality glasses. A beta version of "Steam on Nreal" gives users a way to stream games from their PC to their AR eyewear. Nreal admits that installing the beta release will require a bit of effort to set up, and the current version is not optimized for all Steam games just yet. It will work on both Nreal Light and Nreal Air models, though, and it already supports some popular games, including the Halo series.

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Elon Musk tries to wriggle out of SEC deal to have lawyers approve his tweets

He's appealing a ruling that upheld the 2018 agreement.

Musk has filed an appeal against a judge's decision not to let him out of an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which requires him to have lawyers review some of his tweets.

Musk's pact with the SEC stems from an infamous 2018 incident in which he tweeted that he had "funding secured" to make Tesla a private company, though that allegedly wasn't the case. The SEC laid securities fraud charges against Musk, who has not deleted the tweet in question nearly four years later.

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YouTube Shorts has over 1.5 billion monthly users

The TikTok rival apparently boosts viewers for full-length videos, too.

YouTube has hinted that Shorts are doing well, but it's now clear just what that means. The company says its mini-video clip service now has over 1.5 billion active, signed-in monthly users. It’s impressive: Arch-nemesis TikTok had racked up 1 billion monthly users as of September 2021 despite being around for considerably longer — and serving as a very obvious… inspiration for Shorts.

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'Self-driving' cars were linked to 392 crashes in 10 months

Tesla cars were involved in 70 percent of the incidents.

Getty

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its first batch of data for semi-autonomous driving technology. The agency linked 392 crashes to partial self-driving and driver assistance systems in the 10 months between July 1st, 2021 and May 15th, 2022. About 70 percent of those — 273 —, were Tesla vehicles using Autopilot or the Full Self-Driving beta. Honda cars were tied to 90 incidents, while Subaru models were involved in 10.

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After Sony and Honda announced plans to form a separate company for their joint electric vehicle partnership, they've now given it a name. Yes, the new business is called Sony Honda Mobility Inc. and will be established in Tokyo before the end of 2022, with EV sales set to start in 2025, Sony said in a press release.

Each company holds an equal 50 percent share, with Honda executive Yasuhide Mizuno appointed chairman and CEO, and Sony EVP Izumi Kawanishi president and COO. As Sony detailed previously, the partnership will utilize "Honda's cutting edge environmental and safety technologies, mobility development capabilities, vehicle body manufacturing technology, and after-sales service management experience." Meanwhile, Sony will contribute "imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network and entertainment technologies." 

Honda is far behind rivals in EV development, with its only electric car being the Honda E — but it's accelerated its plans of late. Earlier this year it unveiled a partnership with GM to co-develop a series of affordable EVs using a global architecture and GM's Ultium battery technology. The aim is to have Honda and Acura SUVs going on sale in North America by 2024. 

Honda also announced plans last year to shift its entire vehicle lineup to EVs and fuel-cell vehicles by 2040. As part of that, it's going to invest $40 billion and launch 30 new EVs by 2030. Sony, meanwhile has already showed not just one but two electric vehicles of its own design, the Vision-S EV and Vision-S 02 electric SUV. It's not clear how all Sony Honda Mobility fits into all these plans, but we should be learning more about it in the near future.

Samsung is making it easier to store your credit card information and other digital data on your phone. On Wednesday, the company announced the merging of its Pay and Pass apps into a single Wallet platform. With the change, you won’t have to use two different apps to manage your digital identity. Instead, the company’s new Wallet app will let you store your debit and credit card information for mobile payments, in addition to your login credentials for websites and apps.

Samsung says you can also use the software to store digital car keys from brands like BMW, Genesis, Hyundai and Kia, as well as airline boarding passes, starting with Korea Air. And just in time for crypto winter, there’s support for monitoring your cryptocurrencies across a variety of exchanges.

Later this year, the app will allow you to store digital IDs, including student cards and driver’s licenses, from participating institutions and state governments. There’s also integration with Samsung’s SmartThings platform. Everything is stored securely on your device with protection from Samsung’s Knox platform.

Samsung Wallet is available to download starting today in the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK. If you already have the Pay and Pass apps installed on your phone, you’ll be prompted to migrate to the new software the next time you open them. A fleshed out Wallet app has been a long-time coming for Samsung, particularly after the company added support for digital car keys last year.

DJI has significantly expanded its gimbal lineup with the RS3 and RS3 Pro models designed for mirrorless and cinema cameras. It also launched some other interesting cinema products derived from the innovative Ronin 4D camera gimbal, including a LiDAR focusing system and "DJI Transmission" for remote monitoring and control of compatible gimbals. Finally, it announced that it has joined Panasonic and Leica's full-frame L-Mount alliance and unveiled a compensation for removing ProRes RAW from the Ronin 4D. 

DJI's flagship mainstream gimbal is now the DJI RS3. The key new feature over the RSC 2 is an automatic locking system that releases and unfolds the gimbal when it's turned on, then folds and locks it when turned off. That avoids the usual dance of steadying the camera by hand when turning off the gimbal, then manually locking three separate axes. 

DJI

Tapping the power button sends it into sleep mode, "which makes powering on the device, stowing it away and relocating much faster," DJI notes. It also uses quick-release plates for "position memory" so in theory, you only have to balance your camera once. 

It weighs in at just under 2.8 pounds but can handle a payload of 6.6 pounds, enough to support most mainstream mirrorless cameras. The 3rd-generation stabilization algorithm offers a 20 percent improvement over the RSC 2, so it's easier to shoot low angles, running or filming from a moving vehicle. For longer lenses up to 100mm, SuperSmooth provides further electronic stabilization. 

DJI

It has a Bluetooth shutter button that supports automatic connection without the need for a camera control cable, along with a 1.8-inch full-color OLED display with 80 percent more surface area than the RSC 2. That screen allows a full gimbal setup in most scenarios without connecting the mobile app, while the redesigned UI and control layout makes it easier to operate. Part of that is a new physical gimbal mode switch that lets you select pan follow, pan and tilt follow and FPV modes instantly. 

Finally, a new battery grip provides up to 12 hours of battery life and can be easily changed out via a quick release system. It supports PD fast charging at 18 watts and can be charged independently or during use for non-stop operation. The DJI RS3 gimbal is now available from authorized retailers and at DJI's store priced at $550 for the standalone gimbal and $720 for the DJI RS3 Combo that adds a briefcase handle, focus motor, second control cable and a carrying case. 

DJI

Next up is the RS3 Pro, another technological tour de force from DJI. It's built from carbon fiber so it weighs just 3.3 pounds, but can handle up to 10 pounds of payload — enough for pro cinema cameras like the Sony FX6, Canon C70 and RED Komodo. Like the RS3, it also has the new automated axis lock system, Bluetooth shutter button, 1.8-inch OLED touchscreen and gimbal mode switch. 

The RS3 Pro borrows a key feature from the Ronin 4D, the optional DJI LiDAR Range Finder. It projects 43,200 ranging points within a 46 foot indoor area, and powers a next-generation focus motor with extra torque and one-step mounting. That allows for "autofocus on manual lenses with no need for repetitive calibration," according to DJI. 

DJI

The LiDAR Range Finder has the same chip as the one on the Ronin 4D and a built-in 30mm camera, giving similar ActiveTrack Pro focus and gimbal tracking capabilities. That will allow pro cameras to maintain steady, clear shots in "even more dynamic scenarios," DJI says. The RS3 Pro is now available starting at $870 or $1,100 in a combo with an extended quick release plate, phone holder, focus motor and kit, Ronin Image Transmitter and more. The LiDAR Range Finder will be sold separately priced at $660. 

DJI has also announced that it's selling the DJI Transmission remote control/monitor seen with the Ronin 4D as a separate device. It uses DJI's O3 tech used on drones like the Mavic 3, transmitting video in 1080p/60fps at a ground range of up to 20,000 feet with end-to-end ultra-low latency. Monitoring is done via the 7-inch, 1,500-nit High-Bright Remote Monitor. 

DJI

With compatible devices like the RS3 Pro, you can not only monitor and record video output but also control the gimbal, camera recording and more, using the DJI Master Wheel and Force Pro. It also adds a DFS band that allows for up to 23 channels, letting large crews work simultaneously with ten or more transmitters. The DJI Transmission arrives this September for $2,500 or you can purchase the High-Bright Monitor separately for $1,700. 

Finally, DJI announced that it's now a member of the L-Mount Alliance and has partnered with Leica on the Zenmuse X9 L-Mount unit that's compatible with Leica, Panasonic and Sigma L-Mount lenses. And for any Ronin 4D buyers disappointed with the removal of Apple ProRes RAW support, DJI announced that it will support Apple ProRes 4444 XQ, the highest-quality ProRes codec short of ProRes RAW. 

Nreal users can now play some Steam games on their augmented reality glasses. The Chinese company has released the beta version of "Steam on Nreal," which gives users a way to stream games from their PC to their AR eyewear. Nreal admits that installing the beta release will require a bit of effort during the setup process, and the current version is not optimized for all Steam games just yet. It will work on both Nreal Light and Nreal Air models, though, and it already supports some popular titles like the entire Halo series. 

To note, users can already play games on Nreal's glasses by accessing Xbox Cloud Gaming on a browser inside the company's 3D system called Nebula. But Steam on Nreal will give users who don't have Xbox accounts the opportunity to see what gaming on the device would be like. Company co-founder Peng Jin said the beta release is "meant to give people a glimpse into what is possible." He added: "AAA games should be played on a 200-inch HD screen and they should be played free of location restrictions."

Nreal launched its Light mixed reality glasses in 2020 after a US court ruled in its favor for the lawsuit filed by Magic Leap. The American company accused its former employee Chi Xu of using stolen secrets to set up Nreal, but the court decided that Magic Leap failed to make any viable claim. In 2021, Nreal launched a new model called Air that was designed with streaming shows and playing mobile games in mind. Air looks more like a pair of ordinary sunglasses than its predecessor does, and it also comes with a better display.

In an effort to offer more content and perhaps entice those on the fence to grab a pair of its glasses, Nreal has also announced AR Jam, an online international contest for AR developers that will kick off on June 27th. Developers can compete in various categories that include at-home fitness, art, games and video, with each one having a $10,000 grand prize. Those interested can head over to the company's Developer page for more information.

Samsung is selling its new M8 smart monitor for $100 less than its retail price again. The tech giant made the M8 available for pre-order in March and dropped its price for the first time last month. If you missed that opportunity to buy the M8 at a discount, you now have another chance to grab the white version for $600 from Amazon or the tech giant's website. The M8's other color variants have always been $30 more expensive than the white version, and the same is true even for this deal. You can get the pink, green or blue M8 for $630, though that is still $100 less than its retail price. 

The 32-inch display has a 3,840 x 2,160 pixel resolution, supports HDR 10+ and has refresh rates of up to 60Hz. It's not just a monitor you can use with a desktop computer or a laptop, though: It's also a WiFi-capable smart TV that supports Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV, as well as cloud gaming platforms. The display has built-in dual 5W speakers and a built-in home hub that allows you to use it to control SmartThings-compatible IoT devices, such as smart lights and thermostats. It even has built-in support for Microsoft 365, so you can edit documents or browse the web without having to connect it to a computer. 

If you work from home or take online classes, you can use the detachable SlimFit Cam it comes with for video calls. Plus, you can change the monitor's angle and position using its height-adjustable stand. It's not the biggest display out there, but the M8 makes a great choice if you have limited space in your home or if you're looking for a computer monitor and a smart TV in one.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Netflix isn't just milking Squid Game's success with a second season. Varietynotes the streamer is creating a reality competition show, Squid Game: The Challenge, based on the Korean series. The 10-episode production will pit 456 people against each other in games both "inspired" by the show as well as new events. No one is dying here, thankfully, but there's still a good reason for entrants to persevere to the end — the winner receives a whopping $4.56 million prize.

The company is casting for English-speaking participants worldwide ahead of filming in the UK. While Netflix didn't say when Squid Game: The Challenge would premiere, the US casting page notes that candidates may have to commit to as many as four weeks in early 2023. The Circle production house Studio Lambert and ITV's The Garden are heading up the project.

A reality TV spinoff isn't exactly shocking. Squid Game remains Netflix's most popular show of all time, and earned Golden Globe and SAG awards. The company is also eager to turn its fortunes around — it posted its first subscriber loss in a decade last quarter in the wake of fiercer rivalries, limited growth potential and account sharing. The competition could help Netflix reel in subscribers beyond those eager to watch season two.

Ford has announced a recall for 48,924 Mustang Mach-E EVs and asked dealers to pause deliveries of the vehicle. The company said there's a possibility of the high-voltage battery connectors overheating, which could prevent the vehicle from starting or cause it to lose propulsion power while on the road.

According to Automotive News, Ford claims it should be able to fix the issue with an over-the-air software update, which will be rolled out next month. Alternatively, owners can take their Mach-E to a Ford or Lincoln dealer and have the update installed there. Affected vehicles were built between May 27th, 2020, and May 24th, 2022 at Ford's factory in Cuautitlán, Mexico.

There's no open National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into the problem, Ford says, which means this is a voluntary recall. Still, it's not a great look for the company.

Sony has released two ultra-high-end Walkman MP3 players aimed squarely at audiophiles — and no-one else. The headliner, the $3,700 NW-WM1ZM2 (pictured left), combines an S-Master HX digital amp with "fine-tuned" capacitors, thick Kimber Kable (to link the amp to the headphone jack) and a 99.99 percent pure gold-plated, oxygen-free copper chassis. It’ll have 256GB of expandable storage. Sure.

Sony

A lower-cost model, the $1,400 NW-WM1AM2 (shown right), offers similar functionality to the ZM2, but in an aluminum alloy body with 'just' a low-resistance oxygen-free copper cable. You'll also have to make do with 128GB of expandable space. At that price.

Both Walkman models are available now.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Amazon's 3-for-2 sale includes 'Elden Ring,' 'Nintendo Switch Sports' and more

• FDA clears Rune Labs to use the Apple Watch to monitor Parkinson's

• Apple's 2021 iPad Mini falls back to an all-time low of $400

• SpaceX faces more Starship delays as NASA seeks launch safety assurances

• Astra's latest mission to deliver NASA weather satellites ends in failure

• Microsoft Teams is using AI to prevent awkward interruptions in video calls

Crypto lending giant Celsius pauses withdrawals after token value plunges

The company's token has lost nearly all its value in one year.

Another big name in crypto finance is taking drastic steps in the wake of plunging currency values. Celsius Network has paused all withdrawals, inter-account transfers and Swaps in response to "extreme market conditions." Celsius has struggled like much of the cryptocurrency market. Its CEL token was worth $7 roughly a year ago but tumbled to $3 by early April and was worth just 21 cents yesterday.

Customers, meanwhile, might pay the price. Unlike a conventional bank, Celsius doesn't have FDIC insurance to protect users.

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Street Fighter 6's modern controls could make you OK at Street Fighter

Button mashers, rejoice.

Capcom

The updated control scheme in Street Fighter 6 turns button-mashing into an effective art. Senior Editor Jessica Conditt never felt so capable playing Street Fighter. The modern control type unleashes special moves by pressing a direction and a face button and simplifies behaviors like throws and the game’s new Drive moves, activating them with a single button press. When playing Ryu, it’s possible to Hadoken with just one button. This is Smash Bros.-style gameplay but, still, Street Fighter.

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Netflix confirms 'Squid Game' is returning for a second season

The service’s most-viewed show of all time is coming back.

It was never truly in doubt that Netflix would bring back its most popular show of all time back, but the company has at last officially greenlit season two of Squid Game. It hasn't revealed when the next batch of episodes will hit the streaming service.

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How to buy a used car online

Much has gone digital but you'll still need to kick some tires.

We’re awash with cars (276 million registered in the US as of 2020), with around 40 million used cars sold annually. Between the stiff competition, a short supply of autos (thanks COVID) and a rapidly evolving market split between online and dealer lots, car buyers face some daunting prospects. But there are still deals around, you just need to know where and how to look.

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These are the games included with PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium

Expect a mix of big-name titles and indies.

Sony

Sony published its game catalog for PS Plus' two higher-end plans. As hinted earlier, the company is offering big-name hits, classics (for Premium users) and lower-profile titles.

You can expect well-known games like Death Stranding, several Final Fantasy releases and Red Dead Redemption 2 alongside major PS4 and PS5 offerings like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Demon's Souls, Ghost of Tsushima and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. There are some curious choices: You can play Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in the mid-priced Extra tier, but you need Premium to revisit the series' roots through the Nathan Drake Collection.

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Wireless headphones have gotten better at connecting to multiple devices in recent years. But pairing can still be kind of a hassle, especially if you’re gaming on a range of devices including consoles, phones and PCs. But after testing out its new Cloud Mix Buds, it feels like HyperX has come up with a simple and elegant way of supporting wireless audio on a bunch of different gadgets, regardless of if you’re gaming or just relaxing to music.

The main thing that separates the Cloud Mix Buds from similar headphones is that in addition to Bluetooth 5.2, the earbuds also come with their own dongle that sends audio over a dedicated 2.4Ghz channel. So not only do you get lower latency compared to Bluetooth – which is extremely useful when you’re playing fast-paced games – you also get a stronger signal that’s less likely to cut out.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The thing I like the most about the Cloud Mix Buds’ kit is that because the dongle has a USB-C connector, it worked seamlessly with every gaming system I tested including more oddball ones like the Steam Deck. And I didn’t even need to install HyperX’s free Ngenuity app either. The one exception is that, while the Cloud Mix Buds are compatible with both Android and iOS devices, PCs and consoles at large, because Microsoft uses a proprietary wireless audio protocol, the earbuds don’t work with Xboxes.

That makes switching wireless audio as easy as moving the dongle from one device to another. In my experience, the best way to take advantage of buds’ dual-mode wireless connectivity was by keeping them paired with my phone over Bluetooth (where latency isn’t as big a concern) and attaching the dongle to whatever I’m gaming on at the time. The USB-C adapter even has a handy button that you can press to mute its mics.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

As an added bonus, HyperX includes a small extension adapter and a USB-C to USB-A cable with the earbuds. This allows the buds to work with an even wider range of devices like the Nintendo Switch, whose lone USB-C port is occupied when docked. So instead of plugging the dongle into the console itself, you can connect the extension adapter to the USB-A port on the Switch’s dock, and then plug the dongle into that. This also worked really well for my desktop PC, which doesn’t support Bluetooth (it has an older mobo without built-in WiFi or BT) and lacks easily accessible front-side USB-C ports.

As far as audio quality goes, the Cloud Mix Buds 12mm drivers deliver crisp sound including a bit deeper bass than what I get from Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro. And while it’s subtle, the reduced latency you get with the 2.4GHz connectivity is noticeable in shooters where reaction times really matter. Unfortunately, because I’ve been using the buds prior to their official release, I didn’t have the chance to dive deeper into the Ngenuity app’s more advanced features, which include support for virtual 7.1 surround sound, customizable EQs and adjustable touch controls.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The Cloud Mix Buds feature above-average battery life with around 10 hours of runtime using Bluetooth (or closer to 8 hours when using the 2.4GHz dongle), with another 20 to 22 hours in the case. HyperX also includes a protective silicone sleeve for the charging case and a choice of three different ear tips (small, medium and large). For me, the default medium tips offered a snug fit that blocked a lot of ambient noise without being too tight.

Finally, while you don’t get support for wireless charging, my favorite little design element is being able to plug the 2.4GHz dongle into the bottom of the case when traveling so you don’t lose it. For a device that’s meant to be used both at home and on-the-go, that’s a really thoughtful touch. The downside is that the dongle is so wide, it can block nearby ports like the front USB-A jack on a PS5.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Now I admit getting earbuds to play nice with a lot of different gaming devices is sort of a first-world problem. But for those who have the luxury of jumping between multiple consoles or systems (sorry Xbox), HyperX’s Cloud Mix Buds makes all that a breeze, while still offering good battery life, a simple design, and solid audio quality. And with a price of $150, that’s an appealing combo for big-time gamers that appreciate the freedom of wireless sound.