If you're on the market for a new e-reader, Amazon's latest discounts on Kindles may have exactly what you've been looking for at a lower-than-expected price. Key among the sale items is the Kindle Paperwhite, which is down to $100. That's only $5 more than its record-low price, and it's the same price as the standard Kindle, which doesn't have as many extra features as the Paperwhite.

While we did not review the Paperwhite, we did test the Paperwhite Signature Edition, which is only different thanks to its auto-adjusting front light, higher storage capacity and its wireless charging capabilities. You should get a very similar experience going with the regular Paperwhite, and it should be a great one. The latest version of Amazon's ubiquitous e-reader has a 6.8-inch, 300 ppi glare-free screen with 17 front LEDs, including a new adjustable warm light that will make it easier to read in dark environments (and after a full day of staring at a computer screen).

The design of the Paperwhite hasn't changed drastically over the years, but Amazon has refined it. This model's screen is flush with its bezels, giving it a cleaner look, and it's also IPX8-rated, so it won't be in danger if it takes an accidental dunk in the pool or bathtub. This Paperwhite also has Audible support, so if you have audiobooks through the Amazon-owned outlet, you can listen to them directly from your Kindle as long as you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones to do so.

It's worth mentioning that the Kids version of the Paperwhite is also on sale for $110, and we sometimes recommend this model even for adults. You're getting the same hardware as the non-kids model, along with a longer warranty and a protective case. The Kids version is also touted to have no ads, but that's only if you stick to the kid-friendly UI that's preinstalled on the e-reader.

Also included in this sale is the new Kindle Scribe, which is down to a new all-time-low price of $290. The Scribe is Amazon's first jump into the e-ink tablet space, and the model on sale includes 16GB of storage and a basic pen. As a tablet, the Scribe is a basic but fairly well-executed device: there's little to no latency when writing on the display, there are a decent number of brush options to choose from and you can organize multiple notebooks pretty easily. As an e-reader, it's a little on the large size with its 10.3-inch display, but the screen is crisp and responsive and we like the wider side bezel that makes the device easier to grip.

You can't actually take notes in the margins of Kindle books on the Scribe, but you can add sticky notes to your books and jot down ideas that way. And if you like the idea of keeping your notes on the same device that holds most of your reading material, the Scribe will be a good option for you. That goes for those who have big Kindle e-book libraries, but also those who have PDFs and ePUBs they want to mark up, too, as the Scribe supports a number of different file types.

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The UK is softening its objections to Microsoft's buyout of Activision Blizzard. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has revised its findings and determined that the merger won't lead to significantly reduced competition in the console space. While the evidence remains the same, the watchdog now finds that Microsoft's ownership of franchises like Call of Duty would "not materially affect" Sony's ability to compete with PlayStation systems. Microsoft could "degrade" the PlayStation's appeal, the CMA says, but Sony's platform has a strong-enough catalog that the damage would be limited.

The Authority also reconsidered its view that Microsoft might benefit from shutting out Call of Duty's PlayStation audience. More recent Microsoft data suggests the company could suffer substantial losses in "any plausible scenario" by making the game franchise Xbox-only or offering exclusive perks, according to the CMA. Not enough gamers would switch from PlayStation to Xbox to make that strategy work, in other words.

The CMA makes clear that the updated findings don't change its concerns about cloud gaming services. In February, the regulator said Microsoft represented up to 70 percent of the worldwide cloud gaming market, and completing the Activision Blizzard purchase could harm gamers who can't afford an expensive console or PC.

We've asked Microsoft and Sony for comment. Activision Blizzard tells Engadget in a statement that the CMA now has an "improved understanding" of the console market, and that Microsoft already has solutions in place for remaining issues. Activision maintains that Sony is only trying to "protect its dominance" by contesting the acquisition.

Sony has long opposed the deal and calls it a "threat to our industry" that could hurt the quality of Call of Duty on PlayStation. Microsoft has made a number of concessions in hopes of clinching the Activision Blizzard takeover, including 10-year multi-platform promises for Call of Duty as well as arrangements to bring games to rival cloud platforms.

The UK overseer's change of heart doesn't overcome resistance to the merger in other countries. The US Federal Trade Commission is still suing to block the union, and points out that Microsoft made future titles like Redfall Xbox-exclusive on consoles despite assurances to European Union officials. Objectors can also comment on the findings before the end of March. However, the new stance still improves Microsoft's chances of completing the acquisition — a major regulatory body just dropped its main point of contention.  

Later today, Blizzard will open the gates to Diablo IV's long-awaited open beta, allowing anyone to play the action RPG before its June 6th release date. I had a chance to check out the beta during the early access window the studio offered last weekend and came away more excited than ever to play the final game. Nearly three months from release, there's a lot to like about Diablo IV. Combat is fun and impactful, and the game gives you a lot of freedom to play your character the way you want to play them. Add to that a compelling world with top-notch art direction and sound design, and you have what could be the best Diablo game yet. Still, there's more work Blizzard could do around the user interface, and some dungeons could use more variety. 

If you're jumping into the beta today, Blizzard has said players should be ready for lengthy queue times, particularly on Friday afternoon. Long login times and disconnects were an issue on the first day of the early access weekend, but Blizzard eventually addressed those technical hiccups.  

Google finally opened up its Bard AI for testing, and it turns out it’s a little loopy. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into their experience with Bard, as well as how it compares with Microsoft’s BingAI (and GPT4, consequently). Also, we discuss even more AI news from NVIDIA, Microsoft and Midjourney, as well as TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s date with Congress.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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• Google opened its Bard AI chatbot to the masses, it seems a little drunk – 1:22

• So many other AI updates from Microsoft, NVIDIA, Adobe and more – 23:14

• Other news: TikTok’s CEO goes to Congress – 36:25

• Cherlynn’s experience with Tesla’s wireless charging platform – 42:05

• Acer announces production on…an e-bike?? – 48:20

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It turned into a five-hour showdown between TikTok CEO Shou Chew and US lawmakers, who have found suspicion of TikTok to be a rare source of bipartisan agreement. It comes as US officials told the company they could ban the app if it doesn’t separate itself from ByteDance.

As with previous hearings with social media executives, lawmakers pressed Chew for often impossible yes-no answers to complex questions and grew frustrated when he declined to give one. In one exchange, Representative Tony Cardenas asked Chew whether ByteDance was a Chinese company. He would only admit it was a “global” firm with a Chinese founder. The hearing was also notably different from previous hearings with other social media company CEOs because the vast majority of lawmakers are not active on TikTok. Not all of their questions were nuanced, either: Representative Richard Hudson demanded to know if TikTok can “access the home WiFi network.” TikTok’s future remains uncertain, Chinese officials said Thursday they opposed a sale of the social network.

– Mat Smith.

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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SEC charges Lindsay Lohan and other celebrities for illegally touting crypto

They didn't disclose they were being paid to promote certain coins.

Hippolyte Petit via Getty Images

The Securities and Exchange Commission has cracked down on the businesses of crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun and has charged him for the unregistered offer and sale of the tokens Tronix and BitTorrent. If those tokens sound familiar even to non-hardcore crypto enthusiasts, it's because several celebrities had promoted them on social media – and now they're also being charged by the agency. According to the SEC, eight celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul, Soulja Boy, Ne-Yo and Akon, illegally promoted the tokens online without disclosing they were paid to do so. All celebrities charged, except for Soulja Boy and musician Austin Mahone, have agreed to pay a collective amount of $400,000 in penalties to settle the charges.

Continue reading.

‘Cyberpunk 2077’ is getting a path-tracing Overdrive Mode in April

The tech preview requires the latest and most expensive NVIDIA graphics cards.

A new Cyberpunk 2077 technology preview (Overdrive Mode) supports path tracing, the next goalpost to make games look even prettier and keep you buying expensive new GPUs, courtesy of… GPU manufacturer NVIDIA. The two-year-old game joins Minecraft, Portal and Quake II — old… classics? – in supporting the technology. While ray tracing follows a single beam of light across a virtual scene, path tracing follows the light as it bounces around an environment, more realistically mimicking how it works in the physical world. But the heady calculations behind it mean you’ll need the most powerful NVIDIA RTX 40-series GPUs to enjoy Cyberpunk 2077’s path-tracing makeover – and you might still run into performance issues.

Continue reading.

Relativity Space launched its 3D-printed rocket, but failed to reach orbit

The aim is lower-cost spaceflight.

After multiple scrubbed attempts, Relativity Space has finally launched its 3D-printed rocket. But the results were mixed. Its Terran 1 vehicle successfully lifted off from Cape Canaveral late Wednesday but failed to reach orbit after the second-stage engine ignited only momentarily. It's unclear what led to the failure, but Relativity is promising updates in the "coming days." Terran 1 endured Max-Q (maximum dynamic pressure), the moment expected to place the most stress on the 3D-printed design, so that’s being seen as an achievement. The 3D-printing process theoretically provides simpler, more reliable rockets that are cheaper to make and could be ready in weeks, lowering the costs of putting satellites into orbit.

Continue reading.

Framework’s latest modular PC is a gaming laptop

It’s a bigger challenge.

The Framework Laptop 16 is the company’s second product after its upgradeable 13-inch notebook, but there’s not much information – or specs – to go on at the moment. Yesterday’s announcements essentially just prepared the ground for a fuller media blitz closer to pre-orders opening later this spring. But according to company founder Nirav Patel, the new laptop has “pretty much complete flexibility to support changes when it comes to GPUs.”

Continue reading.

United and Archer will open an air taxi route to Chicago’s O’Hare airport in 2025

The companies say the trip from downtown will take as little as 10 minutes.

Archer Aviation / United Airlines

Archer Aviation and United Airlines announced a partnership today to launch a commercial air taxi route between downtown and O’Hare International Airport in 2025. As well as being United’s headquarters and largest hub, Chicago's airport makes it an ideal testbed for flying taxis. The drive to or from O’Hare, in the western suburb of Rosemont, can take anywhere from 35 minutes to over an hour, depending on traffic. Archer estimates a flight in one of its air taxis will only take 10 minutes to travel from O’Hare to its destination at a downtown helipad.

Continue reading.

If you've had your eye on the PS5 and God of War: Ragnarok, which just happens to be one of our best PlayStation 5 games for 2023, then this is your chance to get both together at a discount. The PS5 God of War: Ragnarok bundle is currently on sale for $510, or $50 less than its usual price. That means you can get the game for only $11, considering the disc version of the console on its own will set you back $499. You can even choose between Amazon and Adorama if you decide to get the bundle, which also includes a DualSense controller in addition to a voucher for the full game. 

The PS5 was notoriously hard to find in the previous years, because supply chain constraints during the pandemic made it difficult for Sony to keep up with the demand. Things only started to change last year, when supply chain issues eased up enough for the company to be able to promise that it was going to ramp up production of the console. Back in February, Sony announced that it had sold 7.1 million PS5s from October to December 2022 despite a price hike across several regions in August. That's an 82 percent increase from the same quarter a year before, signifying an end to the the console's availability issues. 

There were no real discounts for the PS5 when it was barely available anywhere, and it's only now when Sony has finally caught up that we've started seeing good deals for the console. While we'll likely see more in the coming months, this could be one of the best deals to pop up if you're a God of War fan. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

PayPal is expanding access to passkey logins to Android users in the US, so long as they access the website on the Chrome browser. The payment processor first introduced passkey logins for Apple's computers and tablets running macOS Ventura and iPadOS16 in October last year. Google had yet to release stable passkey support for Android and Chrome at the time, but PayPal promised to make the password alternative available to other platforms and countries in the future. 

By December last year, passkeys rolled out to stable Chrome. Now PayPal is making good on its promise, with some limitations. The login option isn't available for the payment processor's Android app yet, and users can only activate it if they're using Chrome on a device running Android 9. 

The new authentication technology allows users to access websites and services that support it without having to type in usernames and passwords. While it can use biometric authentication to verify a user's identity, it's not quite the same as current login tech that auto-populates login boxes using facial or fingerprint recognition. The technology creates a cryptographic key pair — one public and one private — that becomes associated with a user's account. Apps and services that support passkeys use the public key to confirm a person's identity by matching it to the private key, which is kept in the user's device. As The Verge notes, some password managers can now sync passkeys between devices, as well. 

To activate passkeys for PayPal on Android, eligible users have to log in the traditional way on a Chrome browser first. Then, the option to "create a passkey" will appear, and they will be prompted to verify their identity using their biometrics or their phone's passcode. After they're done setting up, they'll find that they'll no longer have to type in anything to quickly check out purchases with PayPal on Chrome. Passkeys also provide stronger security, since they're resistant to phishing. And, since one of the key pairs is kept on the user's device, people's login information won't be compromised in case of an app or service data breach.

Pretty soon, previously verified Twitter accounts will lose their checkmarks unless they start paying for it. The website has announced that it will "begin winding down [its] legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks" on April 1st. It was never a secret that the company intended to do so. Shortly after Twitter Blue first launched in November 2022, company chief Elon Musk said that "far too many corrupt legacy Blue 'verification' checkmarks exist" and that the company is removing them in the coming months. 

Now, it seems the time has come for legacy verified users to lose their blue ticks — that is, if Twitter isn't merely laying groundwork for an April Fools' joke. Musk, after all, thinks he's funny. It's also unclear if the website plans to yank their verified checkmarks all at once or in batches. We'd reach out to the company to ask for clarification, but then all we'd get back in response is a poop emoji. 

Twitter's announcement for legacy verified user came just as Blue subscriptions became available worldwide. Previously only accessible within certain regions, this rollout brings the service within reach of most people. In addition to getting a blue tick next to their usernames, paying subscribers will be able to make 4,000-character tweets, edit their posts and enjoy higher reply rankings. Expanding Blue's availability is necessary if Twitter wants to achieve Musk's goal of getting half its revenue from subscriptions. We'll just have to wait and see whether enough people around the world are willing to pay $8 per month (or $11, if they pay through the iOS app) for its perks.

Utah’s governor has signed two bills that could upend how teens in the state are able to use social media apps. Under the newlaws, companies like Meta, Snap and TikTok would be required to get parents permission before teens could create accounts on their platforms. The laws also require curfew, parental controls and age verification features.

For now, it’s not clear how Utah officials intend to enforce the laws or how they will apply to teenagers’ existing social media accounts. Both laws are scheduled to take effect next March.

The effect that social media can have on teens, particularly younger ones, has been in the spotlight for some time. Earlier this year, the Surgeon General said that “13 is too early,” referring to the minimum age when most platforms allow teens to join. Lawmakers in Congress and in other states have also proposed laws that would limit teens’ ability to use social media apps.

Developing…

You no longer have to wonder whether or not the revived Twitter Blue subscription is available in your country. Twitter has confirmed that Blue is now available worldwide. Pay $8 per month ($11 if you sign up through the iOS app) and you'll get the no-longer-that-special blue checkmark as well as 4,000-character tweets, higher ranking in replies, post editing and other perks.

Organizations, meanwhile, can pursue a more useful tick next to their names. Twitter has begun accepting applications for the grey checkmarks that verify government officials and organizations, not to mention their equivalents at multilateral institutions. As you might guess, the criteria is stricter. Applicants have to use either their government ID or a valid email address, and have to describe their positions and functions. Businesses can already apply for gold checkmarks.

The new Twitter Blue launched in November, but it quickly ran into problems. As the checkmark looked the same whether you'd paid for it or were a legacy verified user, people quickly used the membership to impersonate notable figures. Twitter soon blocked brand new accounts from signing up for Blue, and had to relaunch the tier in December with gold and grey checkmarks in tow. 

A global rollout may be essential to boosting Blue's popularity. According to a leak source, the paid option reportedly had just 180,000 subscribers in the US as of mid-January. CEO Elon Musk is said to want half of Twitter's revenue to come from subscriptions, and that requires reaching a wide audience. Now, it's less a question of availability and more whether enough users will consider the extra features worth the outlay.