Volkswagen has recalled 2025 ID.Buzz electric vans, because their rear seats are only configured for two people but are wide enough to fit three. According to the NHTSA note (PDF) found by Electrek, Volkswagen is recalling 5,637 vehicles, which were manufactured between September 18, 2024 and February 11, 2025. The removable third-row of the 2025 ID.Buzz are only fitted with seatbelts for two people. However, its seating surface width exceeds the value specified for two occupants under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, which sets the standards to reduce the number of deaths in the event of a crash. 

In other words, the third row of the 2025 ID.Buzz is wide enough to require three seatbelts. As it is, it'll be very easy to fit a third person in, and they will have no protection while the vehicle is on the road, increasing their likelihood of getting injured or dying if they get into an accident. Volkswagen intends to fix the issue by installing permanent "unpadded trim parts" to limit the surface width where passengers can sit on the rear bench. The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric van was released in the US in November 2024 and has a starting price of $60,000. It has an EPA-estimated range of 234 miles on a full charge and comes in several possible color schemes. 

Volkswagen

Google's annual I/O developer conference is coming on May 20, and for the first time, there's two major events you'll want to watch to stay on top of all the updates the company's making to its software platforms. I/O 2025 kicks off on May 20, and a week earlier on May 13, there's also The Android Show: I/O Edition, a dedicated showcase for the Android ecosystem.

The Android Show: I/O Edition airs on May 13 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT. Android is developed partially in the open, so there's already some indication of what could be coming with Android 16. So far, that's a visual redesign of some of the operating system's core features, like the notification shade, a take on Apple's Live Activities for tracking ongoing events and possibly a Samsung DeX-like "Desktop Mode" for Android phones.

I/O 2025 starts on May 20 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT with Google's keynote, typically a series of updates on Android, Search, Google Workspace and Gemini. It's worth noting: Google typically doesn't set aside separate time for Android announcements. The company said there will be some Android news at I/O, but the safe bet is that Gemini will be the star. We expect Google to share Gemini updates, along with Android XR news and maybe further demonstrations of experimental projects like Project Astra.

Google's I/O keynote will be available to watch on Google's YouTube channel and right here once the livestream is up on May 20 at 1PM ET. 

The Android Show: I/O Edition will air on Google's Android YouTube channel on May 13 at 1PM ET, and since it appears to be pre-recorded, we've already embedded it above.

In a couple of weeks, Google's annual developer conference will kick off on May 20. The event is probably the most important on the company's calendar, offering a glimpse at everything it has been working on over the past year. 

Judging from rumors and information Google has trickled out, I/O 2025 should be one of the more exciting tech keynotes in recent memory. Plus, this year Google has a dedicated Android showcase planned a whole week earlier. If you want to know what to expect from the company later this month, read on.

Android 16

In years past, some of my favorite I/O moments involved watching Dave Burke take to the Shoreline stage to talk about the latest updates for Android. But for the past couple of years, Android hasn't had much of a spotlight at Google's annual developer conference. That's about to change, with the company hosting a dedicated showcase that will air a week before I/O proper. Scheduled for May 13, Google says it has "so many things to share" during the Android Show: I/O Edition.

The presentation will feature Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat, who took over for Burke in 2024. As for what to expect from Samat and company, a preview of Android 16 is an obvious bet. Google has already confirmed the new operating system will arrive sometime before the second half of the year. As such, it may even release a stable build of Android 16 that same day. One feature Google could announce for Android 16 is Live Activities-like "Ongoing notifications". Per Android Authority, Google could also add a more robust photo picker, with support for cloud storage solutions.

Android XR

Remember Google Glass? No, how about Daydream? Maybe Cardboard? After sending (at least) three XR projects to the graveyard, you would think even Google would say enough is enough. Instead, the company is preparing to release Android XR after previewing the platform at the end of last year. This time around, the company says the power of its Gemini AI models will make things different. We know Google is working with Samsung on a headset codenamed Project Moohan. Last fall, Samsung hinted that the device could arrive sometime this year.

Whether Google and Samsung demo Project Moohan at I/O, I imagine the search giant will have more to say about Android XR and the ecosystem partners it has worked to bring to its side for the initiative.

AI, AI and more AI

If Google felt the need to split off Android into its own showcase, we're likely to get more AI-related announcements at I/O than ever before. The company hasn't provided many hints about what we can expect on that front, but if I had to guess, features like AI Overviews and AI Mode are likely to get substantive updates. I suspect Google will also have something to say about Project Mariner, the web-surfing agent it demoed at I/O 2024. Either way, Google is an AI company now, and every I/O moving forward will reflect that.

Project Astra

Speaking of AI, Project Astra was one of the more impressive demos Google showed off at I/O 2024. The technology made the most of the latest multi-modal capabilities of Google's Gemini models to offer something we hadn't seen before from the company. It's a voice assistant with advanced image recognition features that allows it to converse about the things it sees. Google envisions Project Astra one day providing a truly useful artificial assistant.

However, after seeing an in-person demo of Astra, the Engadget crew felt the tech needed a lot more work. Given the splash Project Astra made last year, there's a good chance we could get an update on it at I/O 2025.

Wear OS

Last year, Wear OS didn't get a mention during the company's main keynote, but Google did preview Wear OS 5 during the developer sessions that followed. The company only began rolling out Wear OS 5.1 to Pixel devices in March. Given that, you might expect Google wouldn't have much new to share, but the official Wear OS X account told fans to watch the Android Show for updates. 

NotebookLM

Since 2023, Google has offered NotebookLM on desktop. The note-taking app uses machine learning for features like automated summaries. Based on App Store and Google Play listings, the company is getting ready to release a mobile version of the service on the first day of I/O 2025.

Everything else

Google has a terrible track record when it comes to preventing leaks within its internal ranks, so the likelihood the company could surprise us is low. Still, Google could announce something we don't expect. As always, your best bet is to visit Engadget on May 20 and 21. We'll have all the latest from Google then along with our liveblog and analysis.

The Trump administration's preliminary 2026 budget proposes the biggest single-year cut to NASA funding in the agency's 67-year history. The cuts are part of the White House's broader government "skinny budget," which aligns with Elon Musk's DOGE wishlist. The NASA portion would gut the agency’s science programs, cancel the Gateway space station project and phase out the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule after a measly three flights.

Trump's proposal would cut NASA's funding by more than $6 billion from its 2025 budget, from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. That's a 24 percent decrease and, according to The Planetary Society, the biggest single-year drop in NASA funding ever. Space.com says the most brutal cuts would be to space science (a $2.3 billion decrease), Earth science ($1.2 billion less) and legacy human exploration programs ($900 million less).

Also on the chopping block would be Gateway, the planned lunar orbit space station that would act as a hub for missions to the Moon and (eventually) Mars. Ditto for a joint program with the European Space Station to return Mars soil samples to Earth. The White House proposes ending NASA's sustainable aviation efforts (who needs a healthy planet, amirite?) and "any funding toward misaligned DEIA [diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility] initiatives."

NASA

In addition, the White House's budget would phase out Boeing's SLS and Lockheed Martin's Orion after only three flights — projects that cost $26.4 billion and $21.5 billion to produce. The Trump administration wants "more cost-effective commercial systems" to replace them. (I'm no NASA budget expert, but that sounds like quite the potential score for the president's billionaire backers, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.)

The only area that would see an increase would be human space exploration, which would see a $650 million boost. Bloomberg says it calls for over a $7 billion increase in lunar exploration funding and a new $1 billion investment in Mars exploration.

If there's a silver lining for those who care about science, Congress would have to approve the budget, so some or all of those bullet points could be slashed before the 2026 funding is approved. Trump's political capital is nowhere near where it was on Inauguration Day. Recent polling reveals plummeting support, including over half of Americans viewing the 47th president as a "dangerous dictator."

A hacking group called "DragonForce" has gained access to Co-op's membership data, the UK retailer and insurance provider shared in a press release. DragonForce actually contacted the BBC directly to confirm that it had the private data of 20 million people.

Co-op's statement says the hackers accessed name and contact details, but don't have things like "members’ passwords, bank or credit card details, transactions or information relating to any members’ or customers’ products or services ." The story is a little different for Co-op's employees. According to the BBC, DragonForce was able to produce a database that includes the usernames and passwords of all of Co-op's employees. 

"We have implemented measures to ensure that we prevent unauthorized access to our systems whilst minimizing disruption for our members, customers, colleagues and partners," Co-op writes. The company also says it's working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate how the hackers accessed its data in the first place.

Co-op's breach is the latest in a string of cyberattacks targeting UK retailers. Marks & Spencer experienced a similar attack in late April that led the company to stop accepting online orders, Reuters reports. The department store Harrods dealt with its own cyberattack a few days later.

NotebookLM, the Google research tool that gained notoriety for its uncanny AI-generated podcasts, is getting an official app on May 20, 2025. You can pre-register for the Android or iOS version of the app right now and have it automatically downloaded to your device on May 20, the first day of Google I/O 2025. 

Based on the listings in the Play Store and App Store, Google seems intent on keeping all of the core functionality of the web version of NotebookLM intact for its mobile debut. You can upload a variety of different sources (PDFs, website URLs, YouTube videos and copied text) and have NotebookLM, powered by Gemini, do stuff with them. That could be answering specific questions, generating study guides or creating an Audio Overview, the previously-mentioned "podcasts."

Google

NotebookLM started life as Project Tailwind back at I/O 2023 and has gradually transitioned from research project to real product over time. The service officially launched as NotebookLM in December 2023 and gained Audio Overviews in September 2024. As of April 2025, NotebookLM is now offered in more than 50 languages. Getting an actual app release is the best sign yet the service is here to stay.

Critical to its sucess, NotebookLM makes more sense as a tool you can trust than basically any other Gemini product. The service's output is grounded in documents and sources you choose. That means Google's AI is less likely to hallucinate because it's quoting a research study directly, and it's easier to double check its answers because you can view the source directly in NotebookLM.

Google has already signaled that I/O 2025 will be Gemini-focused by breaking out Android announcements into their own stream, so there's a good chance NotebookLM won't be the only AI product getting some love on May 20. It remains to be seen whether Google has any ideas as cogent as "an AI that helps you digest long PDFs," though.

The window for Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders is technically open, but you may have a tough time grabbing the console before its June 5 release date if you haven't secured an order already. To recap the current situation: After an extended delay from the device's original April 9 pre-order date, Nintendo finally kicked off pre-orders in the US and Canada on April 24. A couple of headache-inducing hours later, stock at third-party retailers such as Walmart, Target and Best Buy sold out. GameStop began taking orders later that morning but quickly met the same fate.

Some eagle-eyed buyers were reportedly able to pre-order through Walmart as late as Saturday, April 26, but that retailer has since taken down one of its Switch 2 pages entirely, with the other listing out of stock. As of our latest update, none of the other stores mentioned above are accepting pre-orders either.

We're keeping an eye out for whenever that changes, but right now the only other retailer that we know will have pre-orders is Nintendo itself, via its My Nintendo Store. That said, the device maker will only offer the Switch 2 through an invite system. It began accepting registrations for that on April 2, with the first wave of invites set to roll out on May 8. However, the company updated its site last week to say that some people may not receive their pre-order email until after the June 5 launch date. 

How to pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2

As noted above, third-party retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart and Target opened their pre-orders on April 24. Best Buy's, Walmart's and Target's pre-orders began at midnight ET, while GameStop's in-person and online pre-orders started at 11am ET. As of our latest sweep, though, the console remains either sold out or listed as "coming soon" at all of those stores.

We expect the Switch 2 to be available from Amazon some time in the future, but it's not yet, and there's been no indication as to when that might change. Other membership-based stores like Costco and Sam's Club have posted Switch 2 listings as well, but we haven't seen anything to suggest they will accept pre-orders. Newegg also has a Switch 2 page but isn't offering an option to buy just yet.

At this point, we recommend signing up via Nintendo's website if you haven't yet. It's free to register and you'll eventually get an email that lets you order the console, even if you have to wait until after the June 5 launch day. Just note that Nintendo is prioritizing invites "on a first-come, first-served basis" to those who've paid for its Switch Online service for at least 12 months and logged at least 50 hours of total Switch play time. (For the latter, you'll need to have opted into sharing gameplay data with Nintendo, which you can confirm in your account's privacy settings.) So if you're just registering with Nintendo today, don't be surprised if your invite doesn't arrive until some time after the initial May 8 batch. 

In any event, if you're desperate to catch a restock, it's a good idea to create free accounts with each of the retailers above and ensure all of your shipping and billing info is up to date. Downloading each store's mobile app and signing up for notifications may help too, though that could get annoying fairly quickly. We'll continue to update this post as time goes on with the latest Switch 2 pre-order info.

Pre-order Nintendo Switch 2

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Pre-order Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle

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*As of 1:15pm ET on Friday, May 2, Amazon has not listed either Switch 2 console package for sale. We will update this article with direct links if they arrive; until then, we're linking to the site's Nintendo-focused hub.

How to pre-order Switch 2 accessories and games

Naturally, the Switch 2 has several accessories and new games that you can pre-order separately. While Nintendo didn't adjust the console's pricing upon announcing its revised pre-order date, it did raise the cost of several accessories. The new Switch 2 camera, for one, now costs $55 instead of its original $50, while the new Switch 2 Pro Controller costs $85 instead of $80. An extra set of Joy-Con 2 controllers is up to $95 from $90, and the official Joy-Con Charging Grip now costs $40 instead of $35. You can check out Nintendo's official statement from April 18 for all of these price adjustments. 

Broadly speaking, most of those accessories are still up for grabs at one or two retailers at a minimum, but stock has become spottier since their initial pre-order date. Upcoming first-party games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, meanwhile, remain widely available.

Mario Kart World for $80

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Donkey Kong Bananza for $70

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Additional Switch 2 games

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Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) for Nintendo Switch 2 for $60

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Joy-Con 2 bundle for $95

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Switch 2 Pro Controller for $85

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Switch 2 Camera for $55

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Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera for $60

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Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip for $40

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Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2) for $25

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Switch 2 All-in-One Carrying Case for $85

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*As of 1:15pm ET on Friday, May 2, Amazon has not listed any first-party Switch 2 accessories or games for sale. (Some third-party devices and games are listed, however.) We'll update this article with direct links if they arrive; until then, we're linking to the site's Nintendo-focused hub.

More Switch 2 details

We knew from its initial teaser trailer that the Switch 2 would be bigger than the original and take a new approach to the detachable Joy-Cons. The new controllers now attach magnetically and include a C button, mouse controls, plus a built-in gyroscope for tilt control. The device itself is indeed larger, with a 7.9-inch LCD screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate (with VRR), HDR10 and a 1080p resolution. The hardware also has a built-in mic to support a new feature called GameChat that'll let you communicate with friends in-game. Nintendo says that service will be free to all Switch 2 users until March 31, 2026, at which point it'll require a Switch Online membership.

When docked, you'll be able to play at up to 4K on your TV, and Nintendo says it's improved the consoles internal speakers as well. The new dock has a built-in fan to keep the console cool and help maintain performance during long play sessions. The Switch 2 has dual USB-C ports for charging, and the internal storage amount has jumped from 32GB to 256GB. The Switch 2's storage can be expanded as before, but it'll only work with newer (and more expensive) microSD Express cards. As seen in the recent 20.0.0 update for the original Switch, the upcoming console will also utilize Nintendo's new Virtual Game Card system for lending digital games across systems, as well as a GameShare feature that lets you share select titles locally with just one copy of a game.

Tariffs and the Nintendo Switch 2

During its most recent Direct presentation at the start of April, Nintendo showed off more of the Switch 2 than it ever had before. That included the reveal of the April 9 pre-order opening date, in addition to the original $450 starting price. Shortly after, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on China and other countries, prompting Nintendo to delay pre-orders in the US and Canada.

In a reversal, President Trump later announced a 90-day pause on steep tariffs affecting 75 countries, but also announced that the tariff imposed on China will go up even further (right now, it sits at 145 percent).

We now know that the original $450 price for the Switch 2 will remain the same in the US and Canada, but based on its official statement, it appears Nintendo is leaving the door open for potential future price increases.

We also know that Nintendo started moving some of its Switch console manufacturing to Vietnam in 2019. The increased tariff for Vietnam was set to be 46 percent, but that's temporarily on hold in favor of a 10 percent tariff that’s in effect for the 90-day pause period.

It has been speculated that Nintendo will boost production of Switch 2 consoles in Vietnam so it can stay on schedule, even if it sells the console at a loss in the short term. It appears the company will have to seriously ramp up production to keep up with Switch 2 demand: According to Nintendo, 2.2 million people entered the pre-order lottery in Japan alone, which is far more devices than it is expected to deliver in that region on launch day.

The knock-on effects continue for Apple after a blistering ruling from a federal judge earlier this week that ordered the company to stop collecting fees for purchases made outside the App Store. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple was using loopholes to circumvent her own ruling against the company from 2021. Companies are wasting no time streamlining payments outside of Apple’s walled garden, and Spotify is the latest to make these changes.

With the latest update available in the App Store, version 9.0.40, Spotify has added external links for subscription purchases, allowing it to advertise lower prices and different tiers without giving nearly a third of its revenue generated back to Apple from those subscription sales. These changes also lay the groundwork for content-specific microtransactions, like audiobooks, taking place outside the app. Spotify expressed its hope that these changes will create “seamless buying opportunities that will directly benefit creators.”

In a blog post shared on the Spotify website, the company was incensed that it took this long for Apple to comply with the same judge’s previous order in the landmark Epic Games case dealing with the exact same issue. It reads in part: “The fact that we haven’t been able to deliver these basic services, which were permitted by the judge’s order four years ago, is absurd. The ruling made it clear that Apple deliberately abused its market power to intentionally harm others and benefit only itself.”

Epic Games, which kicked all this off with its original court case, celebrated the legal victory by announcing a limited zero-commission policy for games sold through the Epic Games Store. The company also announced EGS Webshops to support out-of-app purchases launching next month.

While Apple has said it will comply with the judge’s ruling, the company also made clear it intends to appeal. It’s been a busy week for Apple’s legal team, as this comes on the heels of a separate ruling Apple faced from a patent dispute in UK courts, where the iPhone maker has been ordered to pay over $500 million in damages to Optis.

Kuwait is cracking down on cryptocurrency miners throughout the country, as reported by Reuters. Officials have blamed the practice for blackouts and for causing stress on its power grid. The country started this crackdown just before the onset of summer, which experts say could reach scorching temperatures of 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement that it has been conducting a "wide-ranging" security operation that targets homes suspected of being used for cryptocurrency mining. The government agency went on to say that crypto mining is illegal, as the country’s Capital Markets Authority banned the practice in 2023. Crypto trading was also banned at that time.

The crackdown has been targeting homes in the Al-Wafrah region of Kuwait, which is located in the southern part of the country. The region’s electricity ministry has said that around 100 homes were being used for mining operations, often consuming up to 20 times the normal power levels. To that end, energy consumption in the area dropped by 55 percent following the operation, according to a government statement.

It’s no secret that cryptocurrency mining gobbles up vast amounts of computing power and, as such, electricity. Kuwait isn’t the only country to regulate or outright ban the practice. Russia has banned crypto mining in several regions throughout the country. Kosovo outlawed the practice back in 2022 and Angola did the same in 2024. European countries like Iceland and Norway have strictly regulated the industry due to energy shortages.

As for Kuwait, researchers at the University of Cambridge estimated that the country was responsible for just 0.05 percent of the world's bitcoin mining in 2022. Alex de Vries-Gao, founder of a research project that tracks crypto energy use, told Reuters that "it only takes a very small share of the total bitcoin mining network to have a significant impact on the relatively small total electricity consumption of Kuwait."

Recent data indicates that crypto mining accounts for almost 2.5 percent of the total energy consumption of the US. That’s approximately half of the energy used by the entire commercial sector of the US economy. But hey, at least we get some fake coins we can’t buy anything with for our trouble.

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined TikTok owner ByteDance €530 million ($602 million) for breaching the European Union's privacy laws. The regulator said TikTok sent European user data to China without being able to guarantee that the information was safe from government surveillance. 

It was reported last month that the DPC was going to slap TikTok with such a fine — the third-largest ever for a General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) breach. The regulator confirmed that on Friday.

The DPC, which handles enforcement of the GDPR when it comes to TikTok (which has its European HQ in Ireland), also ruled that the platform wasn't adequately transparent with users. Along with the fine, the DPC gave TikTok six months to halt all illegal data transfers.

TikTok claimed during the four-year probe that it didn't store data from European Economic Area users on servers in China. However, it told the DPC last month it learned in February that "limited EEA User Data" had been stored there and admitted that contradicted what it previously said to regulators.

"The DPC is taking these recent developments regarding the storage of EEA User Data on servers in China very seriously," DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said in a statement. "Whilst TikTok has informed the DPC that the data has now been deleted, we are considering what further regulatory action may be warranted, in consultation with our peer EU Data Protection Authorities."

The DPC said that, between 2020 and 2022, TikTok didn't tell users that their data was being transferred to China. The regulator says TikTok met its transparency requirements in 2022 after updating its privacy policy. Still, the breach of transparency rules resulted in a €45 million fine. The data transfers to China led to a €485 million penalty.

"TikTok’s personal data transfers to China infringed the GDPR because TikTok failed to verify, guarantee and demonstrate that the personal data of EEA users, remotely accessed by staff in China, was afforded a level of protection essentially equivalent to that guaranteed within the EU," Doyle said. "As a result of TikTok’s failure to undertake the necessary assessments, TikTok did not address potential access by Chinese authorities to EEA personal data under Chinese anti-terrorism, counter-espionage and other laws identified by TikTok as materially diverging from EU standards."

TikTok said in a statement that it disagrees with the ruling and it plans to appeal in full. It claims that Chinese officials had never requested European user data and that it had never provided such information to the country's authorities.

The platform also contends that the DPC did not fully consider Project Clover in its decision. That initiative concerns privacy safeguards, such as setting up European data centers to store data locally. The DPC decision "focuses on a select period from years ago, prior to Clover’s 2023 implementation and does not reflect the safeguards now in place," Christine Grahn, TikTok's head of public policy and government relations for Europe, said. However, the DPC said it "considered ongoing changes" related to Project Clover while making the ruling.

This is not the first time that the DPC has fined Bytedance. In 2023, it handed down a $368 million penalty after determining TikTok failed to protect the data of users aged between 13 and 17. EU regulators have other ongoing investigations into TikTok over whether it failed to meet obligations to stop foreign interference in an election; age verification and addictive algorithm concerns; and an alleged failure to submit a risk assessment report ahead of rolling out TikTok Lite in France and Spain.