For the last few years, you’ve been able to say “Stop” to tell Google Assistant to end an alarm early without the need to preface your command with “Hey Google.” It’s a handy feature Google first debuted on Assistant-enabled smart displays and speakers before later rolling it out to Pixel smartphones. And for the most part, it works like a charm, though one person recently discovered a fun quirk of the feature that involves the Pixies classic “Where Is My Mind?”

In a Reddit post spotted by Android Police, Pixel user “asevarte” recounts how their morning alarm would go off and sometimes turn off moments later for seemingly no reason. “Maybe once every other week or so, I would wake up 30 minutes later on my backup alarm, with no indication as to why the first shut itself off,” they told the Google Pixel subreddit.

Earlier this week, asevarte decided to wake up early to get to the bottom of the issue. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to find the culprit. Their alarm was set to play a Spotify playlist that features “Where Is My Mind?” If you’re a Pixies fan, you know exactly where this is going. The Surfer Rosa cut opens with bassist and vocalist Kim Deal singing “Ooh” before frontman Black Francis says, “Stop,” and the song, following a brief pause, then continues. The section caused Google Assistant to prematurely end asevarte’s alarm. They had the playlist set to shuffle, which is what made identifying the bug tricky.

Android Police recorded a video of the oversight in action, and sure enough, playing “Where Is My Mind?” ends an alarm early. Interestingly, other songs that feature a prominent “stop,” such as “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, don’t appear to trigger Assistant’s Quick Phrases feature in the same way that “Where Is My Mind?” does. Android Police speculates the reason for that could be that in those other songs “stop” is backed by instrumentals. That lines up with complaints Assistant users have had over the years that the feature doesn’t work when they try to use it while their smart display, speaker or Pixel device is playing music.

If you’re curious about what the Pixies think of all this. The band’s official Twitter account caught the original Android Police story. “Sorry about that!” the account tweeted.

Earlier this week, a handful of retailers discounted Seagate’s Xbox Series X/S Expansion Cards to new all-time low prices. Now, Microsoft is making those price cuts permanent (via Polygon). As of Friday, pricing for the Expansion Cards starts at $90 for the 512GB model, while the 1TB and 2TB variants will set you back $150 and $280, respectively. That’s 32 percent and 30 percent off the $220 and $280 the 1TB and 2TB models started at previously.

While you could (accurately) argue Microsoft’s proprietary storage solution for the Xbox Series X and Series S is still too expensive, a permanent price cut is a step in the right direction for the company’s ninth-generation consoles. It means those Expansion Cards will cost less with subsequent sales, making them more competitive with the regular NVMe drives you can buy for Sony’s PlayStation 5. Moreover, further price relief could be on the way. In April, Best Buy briefly listed a 1TB expansion card from Western Digital. At the time, the listing suggested the NVMe would cost $180 (now more expensive than Seagate’s 1TB model), but more competition could push prices lower.

If you’ve been following the Apple rumor mill since last year, you may recall the iPhone 15 Pro has been widely expected to feature a set of touch-sensitive solid-state buttons. It now looks like Apple won’t replace the iPhone’s physical buttons for at least another year. In a shareholder letter spotted by MacRumors, Apple supplier Cirrus Logic said “a new product that we mentioned in previous shareholder letters as being scheduled for introduction this fall is no longer expected to come to market as planned.”

Cirrus is best known for producing a handful of components that go into the iPhone’s Taptic Engine. Apple is the firm’s largest customer, accounting for 79 percent of its revenue in 2022. In November, Cirrus told investors and analysts it was working on a new high-performance mixed-signal (HPMS) component (that’s the same category of part as the Tapic Engine), and that it would arrive in smartphones sometime in 2023. This week, Cirrus said it had “limited visibility” into the product’s future.

Reports suggesting the iPhone 15 Pro would feature a set of solid-state buttons originated from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said last fall the company was planning to replace the physical volume and power buttons on its next flagship phone with touch-sensitive buttons. Last month, Kuo revised his forecast, noting Apple had decided to change plans due to “unresolved technical issues before mass production.” If nothing else, the development is a reminder to treat smartphone leaks with skepticism, particularly those that circulate months and sometimes years in advance of a product’s announcement.

If you’re in the market for a smart scale, one of the most feature-rich models you can buy is on sale. After a 38 percent discount, the Eufy Smart Scale P2 Pro is currently priced at $50 on Amazon, down from $80. The P2 Pro is on Engadget’s list of the best smart scales and for good reason. It’s affordable, well-made and can track 16 different measurements. You can use the P2 Pro to measure your body fat percentage, bone mass, water weight and more. In other words, it offers all the stat tracking a person could use to improve their lifestyle. The P2 Pro would be among the smart scales you could buy if not for the fact Anker, Eufy’s parent company, recently misled the public about the safety of its security cameras.

The P2 Pro is part of a broader sale that also sees Eufy’s robot vacuums discounted. For instance, the RoboVac G30, one of the best budget models you can buy, is 45 percent off, making it $175.98 at the moment. It features built-in WiFi, a feature you won’t find on some of Eufy’s more affordable robot vacuums; the company’s Smart Dynamic Navigation 2.0 software; and boundary strips you can use set up no-go zones.

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You can soon log into your Netflix account and build bridges, towers, zeppelins and other structures with jiggly talking balls of goo. The World of Goo, the physics-based hit game by indie developer 2D Boy, is being remastered for mobile exclusively for the streaming giant. And when it launches on May 23rd, you can play it for free, with no ads on in-app purchases, regardless of your membership tier. 

The physics game first launched in 2008 for Microsoft Windows and Wii before it made its way to Android and iOS, Mac OS, Linux and Switch in the years that followed. To win a level in the game, you'll have to use the balls of goo to build structures and get over pits, hills and other obstacles. There are several species of goo, and each one comes with its own unique ability. 

The remaster still features the same levels, puzzles and areas, but the art has been updated to double the resolution of the original game. It has also been optimized for modern screen sizes so that it would look good on any device. The game will save your progress across devices, but take note that it tracks each profile separately. 

Back in March, Netflix announced its plans to add roughly 40 more titles to its gaming library, in hopes that you can find at least one that appeals to you. Back then, Netflix VP of external games Leanne Loombe said users are mostly drawn to three specific types of games, including titles they recognize from elsewhere and ones that encourage daily play. World of Goo certainly fits those two categories. 

Android users looking for a solid pair of wireless headphones should seriously consider Google’s Pixel Buds Pro. Now, you can pick them up for the best price we’ve seen — Wellbots has the buds for $145 when you use the code 55ENGAD at checkout, which is $55 off their regular price.

We gave Google’s earbuds a score of 87 in our review and they earned a spot in our best wireless earbuds guide. Since they have many Android-specific features (and even a few perks reserved for Pixel phone users), they are almost like a foil for Apple’s AirPods. They have a dedicated Android app that you can use to customize features, check battery levels and turn on automatic audio switching between Android devices. You can also use it to fine-tune Google Assistant features, and the buds support hands-free access when you say “Hey Google.”

As far as hardware goes, the Pixel Buds Pro are the best iteration thus far of Google’s wireless earbuds. They have a small, comfortable design, reliable touch controls and good active noise cancellation. While transparency mode isn’t as great as you’d get on competing models, it’s still competent and will let you jump in and out of conversations easily.

Battery life is solid as well: you’ll get seven hours on a single charge, plus an additional 20 hours with the buds’ charging case. The case also supports wireless charging, making it convenient to power them up with various pads and stands you may have around your home. It’s worth noting that Google I/O is right around the corner, however, we have not heard rumors of an updated version of the Pixel Buds Pro coming any time soon.

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You've heard this premise before: In a post-apocalyptic world, the remnants of civilization live in a stratified society, governed by oppressive rules as they struggle to maintain their humanity. Then, a hero appears and threatens to topple the social order. We've seen this story repeated so often throughout the history of dystopian fiction — most notably in Fritz Lang's masterpiece, Metropolis — that I wasn't immediately excited when Apple first announced Silo, an adaptation of Hugh Howie's wildly popular Wool novels. Surely, this can't top Bong Joon-ho's bonkers Snowpiercer (itself adapted from an '80s French graphic novel), so why even bother?

Well, I was wrong. Spearheaded by Graham Yost (Justified), Silo exemplifies everything I love about great science fiction. It wrestles with complex ideas and moral questions, it's filled with memorable and realistic characters, and it features a truly distinctive setting: a 144-story self-sustaining underground city that's reminiscent of The Matrix's Zion. In this case, though, the population seems mostly content with their situation. There's no memory of the world before the silo, so most people concern themselves with keeping the city running instead of breaking out. Why rock the bunker?

But, echoing a theme from HBO's excellent Station Eleven and Deep Space Nine, survival is insufficient. Some can't help but wonder about the nature of the silo: Is the video feed of the destroyed outside world real, or is it some sort of trap to keep them underground? Who, exactly, determines who can get pregnant? And what can they learn from the artifacts left behind from the previous civilization?

Silo makes a strong impression from the start. We're introduced to Sheriff Holsten (David Oyelowo), a well-liked law man who goes about his morning and makes a shocking announcement: He wants to go outside. The gravity of his declaration is instantly made clear, even though the show doesn't explain it up front. We later learn that anyone who asks to go out can, but it's essentially a death wish. All of this is conveyed almost wordlessly at first, thanks to the strength of Oyelowo's performance.

Apple

I can't help but love a show that begins so confidently. Throughout the first two episodes, Silo makes it clear that you're in good hands. Yost and his writing team — which includes Jessica Blaire (On Becoming a God in Central Florida) and Cassie Papas (Tyrant) — take time to introduce every character, establish their motivations and build a greater mystery. The impeccable production design makes the silo seem genuinely lived in. And the direction from Morten Tyldum deftly balances intimate drama with epic visuals (the silo has no elevator, just a very long stairwell that seems to go on forever).

Silo is the rare show where every word speaks volumes, every gesture seems meaningful, and every element of the frame tells a story. It's also filled with grounded and believable performances across the board: There's Rashida Jones as Allison, the Sheriff's wife, someone who's eager to start a family but also can't help but be curious about the history of the silo. Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Fallout), ostensibly the star of the show, doesn't really get much screen time until the second episode, but she paints a convincing portrait of a world-weary engineer who just wants to solve the murder of her friend.

Apple

Of course, this wouldn’t be a dystopian story without some sort of greater conspiracy going on. The silo’s leadership is clearly hiding something from its citizens – though the mayor (played by Geraldine James) also seems genuinely concerned about the well-being of her people. There's a sense that even those in power are only trying to do their best, but may be faced with hard decisions to keep society going. 

You’d think after being somewhat burned by Lost, The X-Files and other shows centering on major sci-fi mysteries, I’d be less inclined to commit to yet another one. But Silo is so compelling, I just can’t help it.

Binance is reportedly facing yet another investigation by the US Justice Department, and this time, it's over possible violations against sanctions imposed against Russia. According to Bloomberg, the agency is looking into whether the cryptocurrency exchange allowed Russian customers to move money as a way to go around US sanctions on the country's financial institutions. The news organizations' sources also said that Binance is discussing the possibility of settling with the DOJ regarding previous allegations that the exchange was also used to move money to circumvent US sanctions against Iran. 

If you'll recall, United States and the European Union imposed sanctions against Russian financial institutions following the invasion of Ukraine. Mykhailo Federov, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister, asked major crypto exchanges to freeze all Russian and Belarusian accounts at the same time, but Binance was one of the companies that refused to do so. Back then, a spokesperson said that unilaterally banning people's access to cryptocurrency "would fly in the face of the reason why crypto exists," because it would affect ordinary users and not just Russian oligarchs.

If the DOJ truly is looking into Binance's activities related to Russian sanctions, then it's merely one of the investigations the exchange is grappling with. The DOJ and the Internal Revenue Service started looking into reports that Binance is being used for money laundering schemes in 2021. And just earlier this year, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) charged Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao (pictured above) for not asking users to verify their identities, offering unregistered crypto derivatives and for implementing measures to avoid US regulation. Binance told us at the time that it found the charges "unexpected and disappointing."

This time, it told Bloomberg in a statement: "In 2021, Binance launched an initiative to completely overhaul its corporate governance structure, including bringing in a world-class bench of seasoned executives to fundamentally change how Binance operates globally." The spokesperson continued that the company now observes strict know-your-customer protocols similar to the ones employed by traditional banks. "Our policy," they said, "imposes a zero-tolerance approach to double registrations, anonymous identities, and obscure sources of money," While they didn't specifically address the allegations, the statement sounds like a denial that the company's service allowed Russian users to flout US sanctions. 

Google may have taken years to ship the first Pixel Watch, but it might not take nearly so long to introduce a sequel. A 9to5Googlesource claims the company will release the Pixel Watch 2 this fall alongside the Pixel 8 phone family this fall. Details are scarce, but Google has historically delivered new flagship Pixels in October. It teased the first smartwatch at I/O last year, and we wouldn't be shocked if there was a repeat at this year's event.

There's plenty of room for improvement, at least. The current Pixel Watch is based on a 2018-era Exynos 9110 system-on-chip that leaves it lagging in efficiency compared to the Apple Watch and numerous Wear OS watches. A newer SoC could wring more battery life out of the design, not to mention more performance. Google could borrow health sensors from newer Fitbit devices like the Sense 2. There's also just one 41mm case, so it won't be surprising if there's a larger model for those who prefer big timepieces.

Software could also play an important role as well. Pre-release Android 14 code hints Wear OS may use the adaptable Material You color theming seen since Android 12. Google also has yet to enable key health metrics like oxygen saturation (SpO2) and overnight skin temperature for the existing Pixel Watch, although those might not require new hardware.

Whether or not the rumor is accurate, expectations are high if and when the Pixel Watch 2 arrives. Google's wristwear is supposed to be a showcase that raises interest in Wear OS as a whole. A successful follow-up could not only fix the Pixel Watch's flaws, but push other smartwatch makers to step up their efforts.

PixelOpus, a small in-house studio within PlayStation Studios, is closing down next month. In a statement to Engadget, a PlayStation representative confirmed, “PlayStation Studios regularly evaluates its portfolio and the status of studio projects to ensure they meet the organization’s short and long-term strategic objectives. As part of a recent review process, it has been decided that PixelOpus will close on June 2.” Earlier today, the studio tweeted that its “adventure has come to an end.” The developer of imaginative passion projects Concrete Genie and Entwined, PixelOpus had reportedly been working on a new PS5 game with Sony Pictures Animation.

The Santa Mateo-based studio was founded in 2014 under the Sony Interactive Entertainment umbrella in response to the surprise success of indie studio thatgamecompany’s Journey on the PS3. PixelOpus’ two games strived for the same kinds of original ideas: Entwined was a dual-stick rhythm game with a distinct art style about a blue bird and orange fish soaring through the cosmos, while Concrete Genie is a story about using street art to stand up to bullying. Engadget’s Andrew Tarantola found the latter a “surprisingly pleasant and laid-back experience.”

Sadly, it’s often the experimental studios with outside-the-box ideas that are first on the chopping block when mega-corporation parent companies look to cut costs. Although PixelOpus will soon be gone, the original and stylistic Concrete Genie remains available on the PlayStation Store for $30.