Unity has temporarily closed its offices in San Francisco and Austin, Texas and canceled a town hall meeting after receiving death threats, according to Bloomberg. Earlier this week, the company announced a contentious change to its business model. 

"Today, we have been made aware of a potential threat to some of our offices. We have taken immediate and proactive measures to ensure the safety of our employees, which is our top priority," a Unity spokesperson told Engadget. "We are closing our offices today and tomorrow that could be potential targets for this threat, and are fully cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation."

Starting on January 1, developers will be charged a fee every time someone installs a game built in Unity after they reach certain revenue or install thresholds. The decision sparked an astonishing backlash against Unity from across the gaming industry, with some suggesting it will hit developers, publishers and distributors hard in the pocket. Those who make freemium games (which don't cost anything to download and generate revenue through advertising and microtransactions) or set a low price on their titles could be hit particularly hard.

Some studios, including Slay the Spire developer Mega Crit Games, have pledged to move games they have been building in Unity for several years to another platform, despite the impact that will have on their production timelines. 

It might just be time to upgrade your monitor or to buy an external display for your laptop. As luck would have it, there’s a sale on Samsung monitors on Amazon right now, with savings of up to 40 percent. One deal that’s definitely worth taking notice of is a discount on the Samsung Smart Monitor M8. That has dropped by $120 to $580, which is the lowest price we’ve seen to date.

Since it's a smart monitor, it can do more than just display your computer's video output. You can effectively use the 32-inch M8 as a smart TV to stream shows and movies from the likes of Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. You can stream games via the Samsung Gaming Hub, which includes Xbox Cloud Gaming. So, all you'll need is a controller and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to hop into the likes of Starfield.

There's Microsoft 365 support, so you can get some work done and even browse the web without hooking up a PC or laptop at all. A detachable SimFit Cam could come in handy for video calls — it can help keep the focus on your face as you move around.

There's the option to connect to a PC remotely using the Workmode feature. In addition, you can connect a Samsung phone or tablet and use them in DeX mode. You will have the ability to control your smart home devices with the M8 via SmartThings and built-in Alexa support too.

Elsewhere, the curved Odyssey G8 gaming monitor is $996.51 (down 34 percent from $1,500) and if you really feel like splashing out, the enormous 55-inch Odyssey Ark has dropped by 33 percent from $3,000 to $2,000. For the full 40 percent discount and a more budget-friendly monitor, though, it's worth considering the Odyssey G32A, which is down from $250 to $150.

This is a Full HD 24-inch gaming monitor with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz and a response rate of just 1ms. There's support for FreeSync Premium, which should reduce screen tearing and minimize input latency further for those with AMD-powered systems. If you need a gaming monitor with solid performance but don't want to break the bank, this seems like a viable option for you.

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PC indie standout Dave the Diver is coming to the Nintendo Switch, the game’s first proper console launch. The title was teased at today’s Nintendo Direct livestream event and it releases next month, on October 26th. However, for the curious, a free demo drops for the Switch today. This is good news for gamers, as Dave the Diver has long-seemed like the perfect match for the Switch, due to its bite-sized gameplay segments.

What’s all the fuss about? Dave the Diver casts you as, wait for it, a guy named Dave who dives for a living. So you spend your days exploring an ever-changing underwater wonderland, catching fish, battling with sharks and, occasionally, betting on seahorse races. Once you finish adventuring, the game shifts gears. You spend your nights operating a sushi restaurant, so those fish you catch get transformed into delectable menu items.

The daytime adventures are sort of like an underwater Metroidvania while the nighttime restaurant management is a combination of a Kairosoft sim and the arcade classic Tapper. It shouldn’t work, as the gameplay loops are extremely different, but everything meshes splendidly. There’s also an overarching adventure that may or may not include a giant shrimp wearing boxing gloves.

The longer you play Dave the Diver, the more gameplay elements it introduces. Eventually, you’ll unlock a simple farming sim, kitchen mini-games akin to something like Cooking Mama and your very own fish nursery so you can breed hammerhead sharks with reckless abandon.

We always knew it was coming to Switch, and now we have a launch date. Check out the demo to see if the gameplay jives with your tastes. There’s no word on if the title will eventually launch on other consoles. In other news, today's Nintendo Direct also teased a remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and a battle royale take on the classic racer F-Zero.

Apple announced its latest iPhones this week, which means, after several months of betas, iOS 17 is about ready to launch to the public. The new software includes significant upgrades to Messages, FaceTime, keyboard and more. Here’s everything you need to know to upgrade your iPhone the latest firmware.

What devices are not supported by iOS 17?

First, iOS 17 is only available for iPhones launched within the last five years. That means phones from 2018’s iPhone Xs / Xr series are the oldest compatible models. Other supported devices include all models from the iPhone 11 (2019), iPhone 12 (2020), iPhone 13 (2021) and iPhone 14 (2022) lines. (That includes the standard, pro, Pro Max, mini or plus-sized variants from any given generation.) In addition, the second and third generations of Apple’s budget iPhone SE are supported. If you’re unsure which model you have, you can head to Settings > General > About > Model Name on your phone. If you don’t see that box, you can look at the Model Number on the same page and head to Apple’s support document that breaks down each model’s corresponding number.

How to install iOS 17

Once you confirm your device is supported, you have two options. You can wait for Monday, September 18, when the update will become available to the public. At that time, navigating to Settings > General > About > Software Update will allow you to install the software over the air once Apple has pushed it live. (If you have automatic updates turned on, it will install automatically but maybe not until a few days after the software is available.) Or, you can run a beta version to cut in line and try the software before its official launch.

How to install iOS 17 before the release date

To install iOS 17 before Monday, you can install the RC (release candidate) beta, which usually ends up being identical to the final version. Doing that is much easier this generation: Head to Settings > General > About > Software Update, then tap the option for Beta Updates. Selecting the Developer beta option will (at the time of publication) push the RC1 update that Apple pushed to developers on Tuesday after its iPhone launch event. (The release candidate will likely launch through the public beta later this week.) Just be sure to head back to the same place in settings after Monday and turn off beta updates if you don’t want to keep installing future versions of the (sometimes buggy) bleeding edge of iPhone software.

Mat Smith / Engadget

New features with iOS 17

iOS 17 enhances Messages with machine learning-based audio message transcriptions. So if your long-winded friend leaves you a meandering monologue, you can skip the playback and read a text breakdown of the note’s contents, sparing you from a full listen. In Engadget’s time with the betas, we found the transcription accurate with British and American accents. Apple also moved most of Messages’ features and apps behind a plus button to the left of the input box in any chat. Tapping that symbol will expand, revealing the options that lived above the keyboard (including Memojis and GIFs) on older iOS versions.

FaceTime adds video voicemails, so you can let your friends see you as you leave them a message. iOS 17 also works with tvOS 17 to allow you to take FaceTime calls on Apple TV, using your iPhone or iPad as a camera.

The update also includes a new StandBy mode that transforms your iPhone into a smart display when it’s charging while sitting horizontally. Meanwhile, Contact Posters give you customizable full-screen profiles that flash on your phone’s screen when friends and family call. Namedrop makes exchanging numbers and other info with new friends easier by bringing your iPhones or Apple Watches close together. And the iOS 17 keyboard adds a new inline predictive text feature that uses machine learning to guess the rest of your sentence (a quick space bar tap confirms it). You can read more about all the new features in Engadget’s full iOS 17 preview.

Nintendo is bringing another classic Mario RPG to the Switch. The company plans to release an updated version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on the console in 2024, 20 years after the original game debuted on the GameCube.

The game sees Mario and his pals searching for treasure behind the eponymous Thousand-Year Door. Mario will be able to turn his 2D body to squeeze through narrow passages and fold into a paper plane to cross large gaps.

Expect the upcoming re-release to feature "enhanced graphics" — it certainly looks pretty in the first trailer that Nintendo shared. The company is keeping other details under wraps for now, including whether there will be any other major changes in store. We'll learn more about this version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door ahead of its arrival sometime next year.

Now she's just showing off. Princess Peach: Showtime puts everyone's favorite pink-draped mini monarch under the spotlight on March 22, 2024. Nintendo debuted the new game during today's Direct showcase, and it features Princess Peach in a variety of roles, including a swordfighter, a detective, a pastry chef and a kung-fu master. 

Princess Peach: Showtime is a platformer, puzzler and brawler, and it's set inside the Sparkle Theater, which has been overrun by the evil Grape and the Sour Bunch. Along with some friends, Princess Peach uses her transformation abilities to beat the baddies and save the theater. Nintendo teased a new game starring Princess Peach earlier this year, and these are the first details about it.

"In this adventure, the gameplay changes depending on Peach’s role, and even more surprising transformations are waiting to be revealed," Nintendo said.

Princess Peach: Showtime is heading exclusively to Switch on March 22, and pre-orders are open today.

It’s been a really long time since F-Zero fans have had anything to get excited about, aside from an occasional Super Smash Bros. shoutout. Nintendo just changed all of that by announcing F-Zero 99, the first new game in the series in nearly 20 years. The company showed off the game at today’s Nintendo Direct and it looks to be a spiritual successor to recent online battle royale titles like Tetris 99 and Super Mario Bros. 35.

As the name suggests, you race against 98 other speedsters on classic F-Zero tracks. It's entirely based on the very first F-Zero from 1990, with SNES-era graphics, vehicle designs and more. There are quite literally 99 competitors on each track, so the chaos factor here looks to be a whole lot of fun. In other words, you’re going to crash a lot.

To that end, there are numerous power ups, like speed boosts, to help you reach the finish line in a timely manner. There are also collectibles that open up a shortcut path called the skyway that jumps you over dozens of rivals. Though based on designs from the original game, you can also change up the look of your cars.

F-Zero 99 surprise launches today and it’s free, sort of. You need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play this game. Now, we can all get back to waiting for an actual F-Zero franchise sequel.

If you thought Nintendo would be done with Mario games for its current console after Super Mario Bros. Wonder, you were very much mistaken. During today's Nintendo Direct, the company revealed Mario vs. Donkey Kong is coming to Switch on February 16, 2024.

It's a new version of a Game Boy Advance game that sees Mario having to recover Mini-Mario toys that his oldest rival stole from a factory. "Observation and action" is a mantra that Nintendo used during the clip, which makes sense since this is a puzzle platformer. It'll be worth taking the time to figure out exactly what's going on in a stage before you start tackling it. You'll also need to battle Donkey Kong at certain points.

This time around, Nintendo has added local co-op support. So you'll be able to bring in a friend to help you recover the pilfered toys.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong isn't the only updated version of an older Mario game that's coming to Switch, though. Super Mario RPG will hit the console on November 17.

That’s not Photoshop — it’s supposed to look like that. This is Honda’s Motocompacto, a throwback all-electric rideable inspired by the short-lived Honda Motocompo scooter of the ‘80s, and I'm sorry to say that I'm kind of into it.

The vehicle, folded up, resembles one of those Costco folding tables but with little aluminum wheels poking out the bottom. To transform it into a scooter, you extend the handlebars, seats and back wheel, and ride away on something vaguely approximating a bike. (To give you some perspective on the design, this thing is just over three feet long.)

Honda

Honda says its aluminum frame and wheels keep it “lightweight” but at 41 pounds it’s firmly in the same weight class as regular e-bikes, and with a range of "up to 12 miles," it's not getting you very far either. After its 12-mile range is used up, it can be re-juiced in 3.5 hours, which is a considerable amount of time, but at least it comes with an on-board charger ready for you to plug into a 110V outlet.

The scooter is designed to be easy to take into vehicles or on public transportation — which could be a huge selling point for city dwellers that want the convenience of an e-bike or scooter but not the trouble of securely locking it up all day. It's part of Honda's big EV push, which aims to replace its entire lineup with battery-electric and fuel-cell-electric vehicles by 2040.

The Honda Motocompacto will be available starting in November priced “under $995” exclusively on Motocompacto.com and at Honda and Acura dealers.

Google teamed up with iFixit in mid-2022 to give you access to authentic components that you can use to repair Pixel phones. Now, it seems like the two parties have expanded their partnership. As 9to5Google reports, iFixit has started selling several original parts for the Pixel tablet that Google had released in June. One of the most expensive components now available for sale is the tablet's rear case, which costs $200 and comes with three microphones, antennas, a power button with fingerprint unlock and volume controls.

If your tablet's battery gets busted, you can now purchase an authentic replacement for $67, while a rear facing camera to replace one that's having issues will set you back $25. One replacement speaker will also cost you $25, as will a replacement for the device's USB-C port. But if it's the tablet's screen that needs replacing, you'll have to pay $200 or more. You can either get the part only — consisting of a front glass digitizer screen, a 10.95-inch 2560 x 1600 pixel LCD and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera — for that price or get a pack with tools you'll need to open up the tablet for $6 more. 

iFixit, of course, doesn't just sell the parts: Its Pixel tablet portal also contains guides on how you can repair the model for each component it's selling. You can follow them if you want to be sure you're doing the right thing, even if you're pretty good at tinkering with electronics. Aside from Google, iFixit also has partnerships with other brands, including Samsung, which teamed up with the how-to website last year to launch a fix-it-yourself program for its Galaxy devices.