Given how convenient it is to tap a few buttons and have someone bring dinner to your door, food delivery isn't likely to drop in popularity anytime soon. Wendy's is looking to meet surging demand by opening hundreds of delivery-only kitchens in the next few years. The likes of Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub will handle orders.

Wendy's is planning to open 700 such kitchens in the US, UK and Canada by 2025, as the Associated Press reports. The locations will primarily be in major cities and the first 50 should be up and running this year.

Reef Technology, which already manages around 5,000 so-called "ghost kitchens," will open the Wendy's locations and hire workers. Wendy's will take around a six percent cut of sales, which are expected to hit at least $500,000 annually at each kitchen.

The concept of ghost kitchens has been around for several years. They're kitchens without storefronts that make food orders only for delivery or pickup — some are run out of existing brick-and-mortar restaurants. Other fast food chains have experimented with the idea, including Chick-fil-A and Chipotle. Meanwhile, YouTuber MrBeast uses ghost kitchens for his burger chain, which has more than 900 locations. 

When the Galaxy Z Flip 3 goes on sale later this month, you’ll be able to buy it from Google Fi, marking the first time the MVNO has sold a foldable device. Moreover, if you decide to pre-order the clamshell phone from the search giant, you can get a $400 bill credit.

If you’re new to the carrier, you’ll need to port your number to Fi from your current wireless provider. As part of the promotion, you can also get a $150 credit from Samsung, which you can use on its website, provided you order the foldable before its August 27th release date and then register your purchase through the Samsung Shop app before the end of September 26th. The credit is valid until November 9th. You can find the full details of the deal on Google’s website.

When Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Flip 3 at its Unpacked event on Wednesday, it said it was ready to make foldables mainstream. With a more affordable $1,000 price tag, the company certainly has a chance to make that happen. It also doesn’t hurt to have aggressive promotions like the one Google is offering through Fi.

We learned all the way back in December that the terrific Spelunky and Spelunky 2 were coming to Nintendo Switch sometime this summer, and the wait's almost over — at least in a few regions. The two games will hit the eShop in North America, Europe and Australia on August 26th, adding another pair of indie gems to the Switch library.

Spelunky supports local multiplayer, and Spelunky 2 adds online play to the mix. Although there are distinct areas in both platformers — each with their own enemies, lethal traps and rules — the levels are procedurally generated, so things are always going to be a bit different on each run.

It's hardly the first time Spelunky, a stone-cold classic, has landed on a handheld console. It was released on PS Vita (and PlayStation 3) all the way back in 2013, a year after the remake of the 2008 original debuted on PC and Xbox 360. The sequel, however, has only been available on PC, PlayStation 4 and PS5 until now.

If you'd like to plunder the caverns on Switch, you'll be able to pick up Spelunky for $10. Spelunky 2 will cost $20.

While we wait for Nerf to come to Oculus VR, Hasbro has unveiled a new game featuring its toy blasters. Nerf Legends is a first-person arena shooter with a sci-fi twist that sees players battling robots across 19 single player levels. There's also online multiplayer including four versus four and eight player free-for-all modes.  

Of course, the game is another way to sell real-life Nerf products to a generation of kids who have grown up playing Fortnite. As such, there are 15 blasters from the Mega, Ultra and Elite lines, with upgrades and skins, to choose from. To help your side win, you'll be able to use dart power-ups like magnetic push and pull, seeker and freeze on your opponents. The game is rated T for Teen, which suggests it's not quite fit for kids of all ages, possibly due to the futuristic violence.

Nerf Legends will hit all major consoles, including the Nintendo Switch, and PC on October 19th, according to a Best Buy listing. It will be followed by Nerf Ultimate Championship, another arena shooter, on Oculus Quest in 2022. The double whammy of releases signals that Hasbro is serious about the potential of gaming to boost its long-running line of toy blasters.

With the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 series and Google's new Wear OS version, Spotify has introduced a significant update to its Wear OS app, the company announced. Much like a feature it added to its Apple Watch app last May, Spotify's updated Wear OS app will let you stream and download music straight to your watch, so you can listen to it without the need for a smartphone or even a connection. 

"In the coming weeks, Spotify users will be able to play their favorite playlists, albums, and podcasts with their smartwatches that run Wear OS," the company wrote on its blog. "By having Spotify on your wrist, you’re more free to run, dance, shop, cook, and socialize—and control your music and podcasts at the same time. Plus, we’re excited to unveil one of the most requested features by our users: the ability to download all of your favorite music and podcasts to your smartwatch."

Spotify noted that the update will arrive on smartwatches from Fossil, Mobvoi and Suunto, along with Samsung's latest devices. It should also work on older watches too, as Spotify notes that it "requires your smartwatch to run at least Wear OS 2.0 or higher."

Once you have the latest app on your Wear OS watch, you'll need to have headphones paired directly to your watch. From there, you can stream music, playlists and podcasts directly with no need for a phone. You can also choose content to download directly to your watch, and once that's done, you'll see a green arrow next to the items. Spotify said the new version would be rolling out "in the coming weeks." 

Criterion has unveiled its first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases with a six-film slate that includes Citizen Kane, Menace II Society, The Piano, Mulholland Dr., The Red Shoes, and A Hard Day’s Night. The new releases will give film buffs a chance to see some of these films with the highest detail ever, even during their theatrical runs. 

Criterion notes that Orson Welles's 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane was its first laserdisc release 37 years ago. "It now rejoins the library after a long absence, making its first appearance in 4K Ultra HD," Criterion wrote in its blog. The other releases represent an eclectic variety of periods ranging from the 1940s with The Red Shoes, 1960s (Hard Day's Night) to the '90s and aughts with Menace II Society, Mulholland Drive and The Piano)

Each title will come in a combo pack that includes both 4K UHD and 1080p Blu-ray versions, along with Criterion's popular special features about each film. Some films will also be available in Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, though Criterion has yet to say which. 

Criterion's new 4K UHD releases will likely represent the best way to watch classic films at home. If you don't need the super pristine quality, however, it launched the Criterion streaming service in 2019 and now offers over "1,000 important classic and contemporary films," according to the site. 

With Samsung hosting its latest Unpacked event earlier today, you may have missed Nintendo's Indie World showcase at noon ET. It was only about 20 minutes long, but the company had a lot of news to share. Most notably, you can download Axiom Verge 2, the sequel to Tom Happ's acclaimed 2015 Metroidvania, today. If you don't own a Switch, it's also available on PC via the Epic Games Store and PlayStation 4.

Axiom Verge 2 is not the only Switch indie you can download today. In all, there are six other games you can play today. Of those, the highlights are Boyfriend Dungeon and Garden Story. The former is a hack-and-slash title where you can romance and date the weapons you find on your adventure, while the latter is a top-down Zelda-like RPG set in a charming world filled with anthropomorphic plants.

Then there are the indie games you can look forward to playing at a later date on your Switch. Leading that pack is Tetris Effect, which will finally make its way to Nintendo's portable console on October 8th. This latest version of the game will include both single-player and multiplayer components. 

Other highlights include Eastward, a new action RPG from Stardew Valley publisher Chucklefish Games, and the highly-acclaimed Loop Hero, which came out on PC and Mac earlier this year. Both will arrive on Switch before the end of the year. We're also looking forward to a game called Bomb Rush Cyberpunk. It's reminiscent of Jet Set Radio and is coming to Switch sometime next year.

After a couple of less interesting events, Samsung's latest Unpacked was a more jam-packed affair, with the company announcing a total of four devices. Here's everything the company showed off during its August 11th livestream. 

Galaxy Z Fold 3

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy Fold 3 headlined Samsung’s latest Unpacked event. One of the more noteworthy features of the foldable is that it includes an under-display camera. When it’s not in use, the Fold 3’s internal selfie shooter will attempt to blend in with the screen. While you can still see the component, particularly if your eyes drift to that part of the display, it helps make the device feel like more of a traditional tablet.

And speaking of tablets, you can use Samsung's S Pen stylus with the Galaxy Fold 3. The company devoted an entire segment of its Unpacked event to detailing the time and effort it invested to make the two compatible with one another. In short, the $50 S Pen Fold Edition and S Pen Pro feature rounder tips that can automatically retract if you apply too much pressure to the Fold 3’s internal display. Samsung also made the screen protector 80 percent stronger.

Once you get past those upgrades, a more capable Cover Display and the addition of IPX8-rated waterproofing, the one thing that stands out the most about the Fold 3 is that Samsung plans to sell it for a more palatable $1,800. You can pre-order the Galaxy Fold 3 starting today before it goes on sale on August 27th.

Galaxy Z Flip 3

Mat Smith / Engadget

Samsung may have spent less time on the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but in many ways it was the more compelling of the two phones we saw today. A lot of that has to do with the fact Samsung plans to sell its latest clamshell foldable for $1,000 when it comes out on August 27th. That’s a $200 price cut from the $1,200 Samsung started selling the Galaxy Z Flip 5G at the start of 2021 and puts it more inline with other high-end phones. 

Critically, Samsung also outfitted the Flip 3 with a more usable Cover Display that is four times larger than the one found on its predecessor. That means there’s more room for notifications and widgets, and you can do things like access Android’s quick settings menu and Samsung Pay without opening the device.

Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic

Samsung

Once you get past the mouthful that is Wear OS powered by Samsung, the Galaxy Watch 4 looks like it has a lot going for it. In our hands-on, we found the Galaxy Watch 4’s software had more in common with Tizen than Wear OS. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. All of the usual flourishes that made the company’s previous wearables compelling were still there, with the added advantage of better third-party app support.

In terms of hardware, Samsung added a 3-in-1 BioActive sensor that can measure your body fat percentage, a new 5nm processor and 50 percent more RAM. Those latter additions should make the Galaxy Watch 4 feel faster. What’s more, the more expensive Watch 4 Classic features the return of the company’s much-loved rotating bezel. The Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic will start at $249 and $349 when they hit store shelves on August 27th.

Galaxy Buds 2

Billy Steele / Engadget

Before closing out the event, Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds 2. They’re smaller and lighter than the Galaxy Buds+ and include active noise cancellation. With the ANC feature, you have access to three adjustable ambient sound levels. Samsung also added a machine learning feature that will filter out noises when you’re using the Buds 2 to talk to someone over the phone. We had a chance to review them before today’s event and came away mostly impressed. The Galaxy Buds 2 are not perfect, but you get a lot of features for the $150 asking price.

Follow all of the news from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event right here!

Ford is delaying shipments of Mach-E electric vehicles due to the global chip shortage that’s causing problems across all manner of industries. The company told affected owners their deliveries will be delayed by at least six weeks.

In an effort to make up for the delay, Ford is offering an additional 250kWh worth of charging on the house, which should be good for around 700 miles of driving. That doubles the complimentary charging Mach E owners receive with their EV. According to Elektrek, the delay affects EVs that were scheduled for production between July 5th and October 1st.

“We’d like you to know that while we’re working nonstop to deliver your very own Mustang Mach-E vehicle, we project your vehicle delivery will be delayed by a minimum of six weeks," Ford wrote in an email to customers. “Once your vehicle receives the required chip, your vehicle status will be updated, and you’ll receive an email with an estimated week of delivery.”

The semiconductor shortage has impacted production of a broad range of products in recent months. Along with EVs and other vehicles, gameconsoles, graphics cards, smartphones, Apple products and other goods have been affected. Ford cut vehicle production earlier this year due to the problem.

After the introduction of the Galaxy Buds Pro earlier this year, Samsung finally had a true wireless lineup that covered all of the bases. Ambient sound, wireless charging and other premium features were already standard on the company’s earbuds, but with the Pro it added true active noise cancellation (ANC), 360 audio and more. Now Samsung is circling back and redesigning its entry-level buds. With the Galaxy Buds 2, the company brings features typically reserved for its pricer models to a set of $150 earbuds, reducing the number of tradeoffs that are usually required if you want to spend a little less.

Design

Billy Steele/Engadget

For the Galaxy Buds 2, Samsung ditched the triangular touch panel and fit wing for an oval shape that’s reminiscent of the Galaxy Buds Pro. The outer panel is seamless, so you can’t tell where the touch controls are exactly. There’s no button or frame outlining them; the only things visible on the outside are two of the three microphones, one of which replaces the tiny grille on the Pro model.

Samsung says the Galaxy Buds 2 are 15-percent smaller and 20-percent lighter than the Galaxy Buds+ which were already quite tiny. This makes them noticeably smaller than the Galaxy Buds Pro as well, even though the overall design is similar. The Galaxy Buds 2 aren’t as deep, which accounts for their more compact stature. Indeed, Samsung’s smallest and lightest earbuds yet are also some of its most comfortable. These earbuds are among the tiniest I’ve tested and the size helps them nestle snugly in your ear without the burden of extra weight or the protruding design you get with larger models.

Like the Galaxy Buds Pro, the outer touch panel area of the Galaxy Buds 2 has a glossy finish, although this new model is clearly made of plastic. The Pro version has a bit of metallic character, giving them a more premium look. Samsung kept the same IPX2 rating, which means you should be fine if you get caught in some drizzle, but frequent splashes and sweaty workouts might cause problems.

The cases for both the Galaxy Buds 2 and Galaxy Buds Pro are nearly identical. They’re the exact same size and shape: a small square with rounded corners. With the Galaxy Buds 2, Samsung opted for a glossy finish over the previous matte exterior. Plus, every case for this new model is white, no matter which color bud you choose. Only the interior cradle that holds the earbuds and the thin seam where the case closes matches your hue preference. A single LED up front keeps you aware of the charging status while a USB-C port around back is available for wired top-ups.

Software

Billy Steele/Engadget

Samsung’s Galaxy Wearable app is where you access all of the controls and settings for the Galaxy Buds 2, just like it was for the company’s other recent earbuds. This includes the ability to switch between ANC, ambient sound and both off as well as adjusting ambient sound levels, reassigning the touch and hold gesture, selecting an EQ preset, activating hands-free Bixby and checking battery percentage. It’s also where you can employ Samsung’s Find My Earbuds feature should you misplace a bud.

Touch controls are mirrored on both sides by default with a single tap for play/pause, a double tap to skip tracks ahead and a triple tap to return to the previous song. A touch and hold function switches between active noise cancellation and ambient sound. You can’t adjust the level of environmental noise you let in on the earbuds; this just returns to your last selection. There is the option to set this to toggle between ANC and off or ambient sound and off if you dive further into the settings. You can also choose to disable all of the touch controls entirely or one or more of them individually.

Samsung gives you the ability to reconfigure the touch and hold option, but you have limited alternatives. You can set it to activate Bixby, give you one-touch access to Spotify or on-board volume control. If you choose that last option, you can only assign volume down to the left earbud and volume up to the right. As was the case with previous Galaxy Buds, a full suite of volume controls means you lose access to something handy like ANC/ambient sound.

Similar to lots of other companies, Samsung has once again included an ear tip fit test in its app. This short diagnostic plays a few seconds of sound to ensure optimal audio quality and noise cancellation.

Samsung offered deep iOS integration on the Galaxy Buds+. In fact, you got nearly all of the same features on your iPhone as someone with a Galaxy device. The company backed off of that with its recent products and continues to do so with the Galaxy Buds 2. You’ll need an Android phone to dive into all the Galaxy Wearable app offers. Samsung also has a Galaxy Buds app for Windows, but if you’re hoping to use these new earbuds with an iPhone, iPad or Mac, just know you’re stuck with the default settings.

Sound quality

Billy Steele/Engadget

The audio quality hasn’t ever been mind-blowing on Samsung’s more affordable Galaxy Buds. It was a huge disappointment on the original model, but the company made some improvements to the low-end on the Buds+. Still, overall sound quality needed work. With the Galaxy Buds 2, the company has made some strides that bring its $150 model more in line with the pricier Galaxy Buds Pro. This new version doesn’t have the same clarity and depth as its more expensive sibling, but the dynamic range is at least comparable.

Things definitely sound compressed on the Galaxy Buds 2. There’s ample bass and enough treble for certain details to cut through, but low-end tone lacks punch and tracks that are meant to sound big and bombastic are somewhat subdued. On the Buds Pro, songs like CHVRCHES “How Not to Down” are nicely layered creations of drums, piano and other instruments with airy vocals sitting on top. That all sounds noticeably flatter when I switch to the Galaxy Buds 2. It’s better than the Galaxy Buds+, but it’s worth noting that although the Galaxy Buds 2 are balanced, the company could do better when it comes to details and depth.

The EQ presets in the Galaxy Wearable app don’t offer any improvement over the default (Normal) mode. All of the options seem to pipe in too much bass, mids or treble depending on which one you select, and a few of them feel muffled.

Billy Steele/Engadget

For the first time, Samsung is offering active noise cancellation on its most affordable Galaxy Buds. The Buds+ had an ambient sound mode, but they didn’t do anything to block environmental ruckus beyond passive noise isolation. The ANC on the Galaxy Buds 2 will help reduce distractions but it's not as powerful as pricer earbuds can muster. Samsung says the setup on this model can reduce 98 percent of background noise, but things like a white noise machine and box fans cut through to varying degrees. It’s definitely better than passive isolation on its own, but if you’re interested in earbuds that block out nearly everything, you’ll want to look elsewhere. Lastly, there’s also only one setting here where the Galaxy Buds Pro offers options for high and low noise cancellation.

Like the Pro model, the Galaxy Buds 2 is equipped with adjustable ambient sound. However, where the Galaxy Buds Pro has four levels, these new earbuds only have three. It’s basically a volume adjustment for how much environmental noise you’re letting in.

One other new feature with the Galaxy Buds 2 is available on the new Galaxy Watch 4. With that wearable, a new Buds Controller puts noise controls on your wrist. This gives you the ability to switch between ANC and ambient sound. It will come in handy if you decide to remove that option from the earbuds’ touch controls. You can also view battery status on the Watch 4 as well as disable the touch controls entirely if needed.

Call quality

Billy Steele/Engadget

Samsung is once again making big promises about call quality on the Galaxy Buds 2. The company says the combination of machine learning alongside three microphones per earbud and a voice pickup unit (VPU) "maximizes call clarity in all conditions." In practice, the earbuds actually do combat background noise to a degree. They don’t entirely get rid of it, but they can reduce things like background conversations and the TV a low roar, according to the person on the other end of my calls. My wife noted that while I still sounded like I was on speaker phone, the noise around me was subdued when either of us began to talk. It’s not pristine call quality, but at least Samsung delivers on some of its claims here.

Battery life

Samsung is promising up to five hours of battery life on the Galaxy Buds 2 themselves with an additional three charges in the case (20 hours total). That’s with active noise cancellation turned on. If you disable that feature, the company says you can expect up to seven and a half hours on a charge (29 hours total with the case). Like all of the previous Galaxy Buds devices, the case supports wireless charging via Qi-certified devices and Samsung’s Power Share feature on the back of its phones. There’s a quick charge option on the Galaxy Buds 2 as well that gives you an hour of non-ANC listening time after five minutes.

While five hours isn’t exactly impressive, the range for the Galaxy Buds 2 is on par with a lot of true wireless earbuds I’ve tested recently. It may not be enough to last an entire trans-continental flight, but it might get you through a full day of work, especially if you can disable noise cancellation for a spell. During my tests, I managed just over seven hours of what I’d consider “regular” use. That’s a mix of ANC, ambient sound at varying levels, calls and only using one earbud at any given time.

The competition

Billy Steele/Engadget

The playing field at the $150 price point is getting increasingly crowded as more companies have solved the riddle of how to cram premium features in affordable earbuds. The Beats Studio Buds are a recent entry, offering nearly identical battery life to the Galaxy Buds 2. The only difference there is Samsung gives you one more charge in the case. The Studio Buds don’t support wireless charging and there are no options for customizing the sound, but the audio is balanced and the earbuds are tiny and comfy. Beats tossed in quick pairing support for both Android and iOS, and with the latter, you get hands-free access to Siri. They’re also the exact same price as the Galaxy Buds 2, unless you can find them on sale.

For around $150, I’m also a big fan of the Jabra Elite 75t. These earbuds are getting a little long in the tooth after a late-2019 debut, but the company added active noise cancellation through a firmware update last fall. If you purchase a set now, they’ll ship with ANC already installed. You’ll have to pay extra for a wireless charging case, but once again, battery life is nearly identical to the Galaxy Buds 2. Jabra also massively improved the audio quality on the 75t and a new design is smaller and more comfy. Although the Elite 75t debuted at $180, you can find them nowadays for around $150, but some colors are available on Amazon for as little as $90.

Wrap-up

With the exception of the Galaxy Buds Live, Samsung has a solid track record with its recent earbuds. That’s true once again with the Galaxy Buds 2 where a tiny curved design keeps things comfy even for long periods of time. The company brought all of what made the Buds+ a solid affordable true wireless option back and added active noise cancellation to what is now its cheapest model. Sure, the audio could be better, but the combination of features and price make the Galaxy Buds 2 a solid option for Android users. And if you own a Samsung phone, you’ll get even more out of them.