It’s that time of year again. Google’s annual I/O keynote is upon us. This event is likely to be packed with updates and announcements. We’ll be covering all of the news as it happens and you can stream the full event below. The keynote starts at 1PM ET on May 14 and streams are available via YouTube and the company’s hub page.

In terms of what to expect, the rumor mill has been working overtime. There are multiple reports that the event will largely focus on the Android 15 mobile operating system, which seems like a given since I/O is primarily an event for developers and the beta version is already out in the wild.

So let’s talk about the Android 15 beta and what to expect from the full release. The beta includes an updated Privacy Sandbox feature, partial screen sharing to record a certain app or window instead of the whole screen and system-level app archiving to free up space. There’s also improved satellite connectivity, additional in-app camera controls and a new power efficiency mode.

Despite the beta already existing, it’s highly probable that Google will drop some surprise Android 15 announcements. The company has confirmed that satellite messaging is coming to Android, so maybe that’ll be part of this event. Rumors also suggest that Android 15 will boast a redesigned status bar and an easier way to monitor battery health.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Android 15 won’t be the only thing Google discusses during the event. There’s a little acronym called AI you may have heard about and the company has gone all in. It’s a good bet that Google will spend a fair amount of time announcing updates for its Gemini AI, which could eventually replace Assistant entirely.

Back in December, it was reported that Google was working on an AI assistant called Pixie as an exclusive feature for Pixel devices. The branding is certainly on point. We could hear more about that, as it may debut in the Pixel 9 later this year. 

Google’s most popular products could also get AI-focused redesigns, including Search, Chrome, G Suite and Maps. We might get an update as to what the company plans on doing about third-party cookies and maybe it’ll throw some AI at that problem too.

What not to expect? Don’t get your hopes up for a Pixel 9 or refreshed Pixel Fold for this event, as I/O is more for software than hardware. We’ll likely get details on those releases in the fall. However, rules were made to be broken. Last year, we got a Pixel Fold announcement at I/O, so maybe the line between hardware and software is blurring. We’ll find out soon.

Instagram just announced some new features coming to Stories, including a suite of interactive stickers. The music one is perhaps the most interesting, as it's an extension of the pre-existing Add Yours feature. The Add Yours Music sticker lets users share their favorite songs, along with a prompt for followers to get in on the fun by sharing their own related tracks. Of course, the song has to already be in Instagram’s music library to work.

To that end, Instagram has partnered with Dua Lipa to promote her new album, Radical Optimism. Many of the songs from the album are available for use in this way, and the artist herself has been posting Stories with Add Your Music stickers.

Instagram

Another nifty sticker added today is called Reveal. Opting for this sticker blurs the visuals of a story post and the only way followers can see the content is to DM the person who shared it. Direct messages have become a key factor behind Instagram’s continued growth, with site head Adam Mosseri stating that teens actually spend more time in DMs than anywhere else on the platform.

He also says that “virtually all” engagement growth over the past few years has come from DMs and Stories, according to reporting by Business Insider. So, yeah, this will most definitely be used as a hack by savvy creators looking to boost their engagement. The thirst traps will be thirstier and trappier than ever before.

Instagram

Instagram has also unveiled a sticker called Frames. This tool throws a Polaroid-esque overlay over a photo, turning it into an instant print image. To reveal the contents, followers will have to channel Andre 3000 and shake their phones like a Polaroid picture, though there’s also a button. Creators can add captions which are also revealed upon shaking. This feature was originally revealed at this year’s Coachella festival.

Instagram

Finally, there’s a feature called Cutouts. This tool turns any part of a video or photo in your camera roll into a sticker, which can then be applied to a story or reel. Once a cutout is created, it gets saved into an easily-accessible sticker tray for future uses. This also works with photos posted to Instagram, though the pictures have to be shared by public accounts.

This has been a big month of changes for Instagram. In addition to the aforementioned new sticker systems, the social media app recently overhauled its algorithm to boost original content and deemphasize aggregator accounts. The company also changed the way Reels works to give smaller accounts a chance to expand their reach, though it remains unclear how this works. Instagram has also recently made Meta’s AI chatbot available in DMs, if you want some confident, yet absolutely wrong, answers to questions.

Snapchat will finally join most of its messaging app peers and allow users to edit their chats. The feature, which will be rolling out “soon,” will initially be limited to Snapchat+ subscribers, the company said.

With the change, Snapchat users will have a five-minute window to rephrase their message, fix typos or otherwise edit their chats. Messages that have been edited will have a label indicating the text has been changed. The company didn’t say when the feature might be available to more of its users, but the company often brings sought after features to its subscription service first. Snap announced last week that Snapchat+, which costs $3.99 a month, had reached 9 million subscribers.

The app is also adding several non-exclusive features, including updated emoji reactions for chats, the ability to use the My AI assistant to set reminders and AI-generated outfits for Bitmoji. Snap also showed off a new AI lens that transforms users’ selfies into 1990’s-themed snapshots (just don’t look too closely at the wireless headphones appearing in many of the images.)

The Rabbit R1, a pocket-sized AI virtual assistant device, runs Android under the hood and is powered by a single app, according to Android Authority. Apparently, the publication was able to install the R1 APK on a Pixel 6a and made it run as if it were the $199 gadget, bobbing bunny head on the screen and all. If you already have a phone and aren't quite intrigued by specialized devices or keen on being an early adopter, you probably didn't see merit in getting the R1 (or its competitor, the Humane AI Pin) in the first place. But this information could make you question the device's purpose even more. Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu, however, denied that the company's product could've just been released an Android app.

In a statement sent to Android Authority, Lyu said: "rabbit r1 is not an Android app." He added that the company is aware that there are "unofficial rabbit OS app/website emulators out there" and is discouraging their use. "We understand the passion that people have to get a taste of our AI and LAM instead of waiting for their r1 to arrive," he continued. "That being said, to clear any misunderstanding and set the record straight, rabbit OS and LAM run on the cloud with very bespoke AOSP and lower level firmware modifications, therefore a local bootleg APK without the proper OS and Cloud endpoints won’t be able to access our service. rabbit OS is customized for r1 and we do not support third-party clients. Using a bootlegged APK or webclient carries significant risks; malicious actors are known to publish bootlegged apps that steal your data. For this reason, we recommend that users avoid these bootlegged rabbit OS apps."

Android Authority admitted that Spotify integration and other features probably wouldn't work when the R1 is installed on a phone, because it was created to run on the company's specialized firmware. However, it promised a follow-up story delving deeper into the subject. 

The R1 has the capability to book you an Uber, find you titles to songs stuck in your brain or look for recipes that can incorporate ingredients you have in your fridge, among other things a virtual assistant or an AI chatbot can do. When Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu introduced the R1 at CES 2024, he demonstrated how it can be trained to do a variety of other tasks when he taught it to generate an image using Midjourney. Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low found it more fun and accessible than the $700 Humane AI Pin, but she remains skeptical about the usefulness of AI devices overall. It may still be too early to tell whether they have the potential to become a must-have product for your daily life or the high-tech equivalent of single-use kitchen tools. We're already in the midst of testing the R1 and will publish a review soon to help you decide if it's worth giving the product category a chance. 

Walmart's Discovered experience started out last year as a way for kids to buy virtual items for Roblox inside the game. But today, that partnership is testing out an expanded pilot program that will allow teens to buy real-life goods stocked on digital shelves before they're shipped to your door. 

Available to children 13 and up in the US, the latest addition to Walmart Discovered is an IRL commerce shop featuring items created by partnered user-generated content creators including MD17_RBLX, Junozy, and Sarabxlla. Customers can browse and try on items inside virtual shops, after which the game will open a browser window to Walmart's online store (displayed on an in-game laptop) in order to view and purchase physical items. 

Furthermore, anyone who buys a real-world item from Discovered will receive a free digital twin so they can have a matching virtual representation of what they've purchased. Some examples of the first products getting the dual IRL and virtual treatment are a crochet bag from No Boundaries, a TAL stainless steel tumbler and Onn Bluetooth headphones. 

According to Digiday, during this initial pilot phase (which will take place throughout May), Roblox will not be taking a cut from any of the physical sales made as part of Walmart's Discovered experience as it looks to determine people's level of interest. However, the parameters of the partnership may change going forward as Roblox gathers more data about how people embrace buying real goods inside virtual stores. 

Unfortunately, while Roblux's latest test may feel like an unusually exploitative way to squeeze even more money from teenagers (or more realistically their parent's money), this is really just another small step in the company's efforts to turn the game into an all-encompassing online marketplace. Last year, Roblox made a big push into digital marketing when it launched new ways to sell and present ads inside the game before later removing requirements for advertisers to create bespoke virtual experiences for each product. 

So in case you needed yet another reason not to save payment info inside a game's virtual store, now instead of wasting money on virtual items, kids can squander cash on junk that will clutter up their rooms too. 

There’s a cult following for 360-degree cameras. While companies like GoPro and Ricoh continue to dabble in the category, Insta360 simply dominates it. Until today, the X3 was the ultimate 360 camera, with loads of features and shooting modes that were relatively easy to use. Insta360’s collection of selfie sticks, guards, cases and peripherals added even more cool tricks like bullet time effects and fast-zoom video effects. A few years later, we’re getting the Insta360 X4, with improvements prioritizing the fundamentals. There are higher-resolution camera sensors, a bigger battery and even more versatility, thanks to multiple resolutions and framerate options.

Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget

The Insta360 X4 doesn’t look hugely different from the X3. It has the same candy bar form factor, with two huge wide-angle lenses either side. It does seem more elongated, but I had no issue cramming it into my pocket during a week of testing.

The new camera has removable lens guards, which is an intelligent design improvement. Any damage or scratch to the lens will likely affect image quality, especially when it’s exposed in … adventurous settings. Previously, Insta360 offered sticky lens covers, but the X4 new lens has guards that can be twisted on and off the camera sensors. And they come included in the box, which is nice.

Both the USB-C port and battery compartment, where the microSD slot lives, are protected by solid covers with sliding locks. The Insta360 X4’s Type-C port now supports USB 3.0 speeds, arguably necessary when dealing with these higher-resolution videos and bigger files.

Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget

The button layout remains streamlined and familiar to anyone who’s used Insta360 cameras before. There’s a circular ‘shoot’ button (voice and gesture shooting options are built-in, too, but they’re a little less reliable), a mode switcher, a programmable Q button, and the power button. The 2.5-inch touchscreen is bigger, too, and most settings are only a few swipes away. It feels like using a smartphone, which helps make it intuitive.

However, the sheer versatility means there are a lot of menus to peruse. I never felt overwhelmed but during testing, I never quite managed to get Bullet Time and Time Shift to work anywhere near as well as I’ve seen on YouTube.

Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget

Newcomers can power up the X4 immediately and capture video and stills without too much struggle. Naturally, for those who know what they’re doing, this is where things get fun.

The technical improvements focus on video, with the new ability to record footage at up to 8K 30fps or 5.7k at 60fps. Slow-mo video has been boosted up to 4K resolution, too. Insta360’s Me Mode, which captures traditional ‘flat’ video (in combination with its ‘invisible’ selfie stick), has been upgraded to 4K 30fps. In short, it captures more of everything compared to its predecessor. More pixels mean more detail with 360-degree video (or any capture mode). It also ensures that when you crop down to create clips for social media, the footage doesn’t appear too low-res. Plus, Insta360 claims that stepping down to 5.7K resolution to record video will offer better performance in low light, which seemed true during my tests indoors and in the evening.

Insta360 has considered the increased processing demands of higher-resolution content. The X4 has a 2,290mAh battery, 67 percent bigger than the X3's. According to the press release, it should be able to capture video for up to 135 minutes.

While we’re focusing on the upgrades, a lot of Insta360’s best camera features are carryovers from the X3. 360-degree horizon lock keeps all your footage level regardless of how you hold the X4, and there’s still impressive image stabilization and waterproofing up to 33 feet. While the X3 fixed many of the biggest problems with capturing 360-degree video, the X4 has boosted fidelity to the point where it’s possible to capture polished footage without much effort.

The X4 is now available to order directly from Insta360, priced at $499.99. That is $100 more than its predecessor but still less than the company’s pro-level $800 camera, the One RS 1-inch 360 Edition.

Fallout’s transition to TV starts with a bang (or three depending on how you’re counting). But even after the show emerges from the vault, the hits keep coming. That’s because unlike a lot of other video game adaptations that receive a thin veneer designed to appeal to fans of the source material, the essence of Fallout runs so deep throughout this series it could weather an atomic blast. Its characters are magnetic and its visuals are downright impressive. But most importantly, just like HBO’s The Last of Us, Fallout is more than just a video game adaptation. It’s a really good show in its own right – an apocalyptically good one at that.

The first thing that stands out about the show is just how good it looks. Every set and costume is packed with detail. The clean blues and yellow of vaultsuits are the perfect counterpoint to the dilapidated buildings and shaggy clothes of surface dwellers, which look so grimy you can almost feel the rads coming out of your screen. Meanwhile, Fallout’s Power Armor might be some of the best-looking live-action mech-suits this side of Pacific Rim. Locations are also incredibly diverse and fleshed out while still paying homage to the franchise that inspired them. The settlement of Filly looks almost exactly how I imagine Megaton might appear in real life, you know, aside from having a massive bomb in the middle of town. The show’s audio is also a treat, right down to the crunchy sounds of analog electronics and all the rockin’ oldies that wafting in the background (including an obligatory playing of the Inkspots’s “I don’t want to set the world on fire”).

Courtesy of Prime Video

I really liked how all the show’s easter eggs and references to the video game never felt forced. Iconic gadgets like the Pipboy help build the world while simultaneously pushing the plot forward. Even its cinematography makes callbacks to the game with slow-mo that evokes the V.A.T.S. mechanic during firefights. And all the little critters Fallout fans love and hate like rad roaches, irradiated bears and a very good canine companion make appearances that feel right at home.

Of course, all this would simply be window dressing without characters that bring the world to life. And once again the show doesn’t disappoint. As a vault dweller, Lucy MacLean (played Ella Purnelle) is the perfect foil to ease us into the world of Fallout. As she explores and adapts to the surface, we get to meet an incredible cast of characters who highlight the struggles and revel in the weirdness of a post-doomsday world. I also need to call out the casting of Walton Goggins as the Ghoul, which feels like an especially enlightened choice. This man was made for this role, and even considering some of his previous appearances in Justified and The Hateful Eight, this might be his most engaging performance yet.

Courtesy of Prime Video

The most impressive thing about the Fallout show is how it balances several different stories with grace and intrigue. So often when you have branching plotlines, one arc drags while the others shine. But in Fallout, they are woven together so well that even if one scene goes long, the show on the whole never bores. Now I will admit that those new to the franchise may need to be a bit more patient, as Maximus’ arc and the story surrounding the Brotherhood of Steel takes some time to get rolling.

Perhaps the biggest issue with Fallout is its brutality. This is not a series for the faint of heart. Warning: There is some animal cruelty and there’s so much gore that a regular bullet wound seems tame in comparison. It’s also important to mention that the jump from pixels to live action adds even more impact to this. But coming from a franchise that’s reveled in crass and crudeness since the beginning, it would feel weird any other way.

Courtesy of Prime Video

As a fan of the franchise, there’s always a little trepidation when a game tests the waters of a new medium. But Fallout has absolutely nailed it. And looking back, it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise, because unlike Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat whose stories always felt like afterthoughts, it was the world and the characters of Fallout that kept people coming back to the wasteland. While the game may have provided the blueprint to make the show a success, this adaptation can stand on its own.

The Fallout series is available to stream today starting at 9PM ET on Amazon Prime Video.

In addition to updating its developer guidelines to allow music streaming apps to link to external website, Apple has also added new language that allows game emulators on the App Store. The updated guidelines, first noticed by 9to5Mac, now say that retro gaming console emulator apps are welcome and can even offer downloadable games. Apple also reportedly confirmed to developers in an email that they can create and offer emulators on its marketplace. 

Emulator software wasn't allowed on the App Store prior to this update, though developers have been finding ways to distribute them to iOS users. To be able to install them, users usually need to resort to jailbreaking and downloading sideloading tools or unsanctioned alternate app stores first. This rule update potentially eliminates the need for users to go through all those lengths and could bring more Android emulators to iOS.

Apple warns developers, however, that they "are responsible for all such software offered in [their] app, including ensuring that such software complies with these Guidelines and all applicable laws." Clearly, allowing emulators on the App Store doesn't mean that it's allowing pirated games, as well. Any app offering titles for download that the developer doesn't own the rights to is a no-no, so fans of specific consoles will just have to hope that their companies are planning to release official emulators for iOS. While these latest changes to Apple's developer guidelines seem to be motivated by the EU's Digital Markets Act regulation, which targets big tech companies' anti-competitive practices, the new rule on emulators applies to all developers worldwide. 

Meditation is often touted as a mental cure-all, purported to help with stress, sleep, mood, focus and even certain medical conditions. I’ve been meditating most of my adult life. I’ve done silent retreats. I’ve been formally trained in various techniques. I’ve had someone in my contacts list who I referred to as a “guru.” So I feel I’m relatively qualified to give some bad news: Meditation won’t fix your life, despite what David Lynch says. However, there’s also some good news: Despite not actually being a cure-all for everything bad in the universe, meditation can certainly take the edge off.

This is where meditation apps can come into play. Of course, practicing mindfulness doesn’t require an app; people have been doing it for thousands of years, with nary a smartphone in sight. But mindfulness apps can be useful in a number of ways. They provide access to all kinds of guided meditations to suit different styles. Some even offer social connections, which can motivate you to keep up your practice via the magic of peer pressure. They are also particularly well-suited to beginners, with many of them offering a free trial. With all of this in mind, I downloaded some of the most popular meditation apps and set about sitting calmly on a comfortable chair to test them out. What follows is a comparison aimed at real people just looking to squeeze a bit more joy and relaxation out of daily life.

How we tested meditation apps

Every brain is different, so I did not rate these apps based on if they sync up with my preferred meditation style. First and foremost, I looked for apps that cater to various methods and those that offer guided meditations that go beyond what’s free on YouTube. All of the items on this list are available on both Android and iOS, so you won’t have to worry about something being only for iPhone owners.

Of course, there’s lots of free stuff out there, from podcasts and videos on YouTube to audio tracks on streaming services. You can even find guided breathing sessions on an Apple Watch or Fitbit, as well as meditations in Fitness+, Samsung Health or any number of workout video providers. For this guide, I focused on apps that stood out in some way. I liked apps with huge libraries of guided meditations and those that offer additional mindfulness activities, like yoga routines. I also looked for easy-to-use apps with well-designed layouts. You don’t want to start your meditation journey with a clunky app that actually increases anxiety.

The most important thing with meditation is to keep doing it, so I awarded points for clever gamification elements, simple social network integration and anything else that encourages repeat visits. Finally, I considered extra features that set an app apart from the glut of competitors out there. For example, some meditation apps offer novel ways to track your progress, access to yoga routines and a whole lot more.

At the end of the day, each of these apps has its strengths. But if installing an app or using a device is not how you prefer to meditate, you can always turn off your phone and find a quiet room or environment. For those of us who need a little help from a digital guru, though, here are our favorite apps for meditation.

Other meditation gear we tested

Brain-tracking wearables have been around for years, but there are some newer devices that have been tailor-made for meditators. These gadgets track the brain during meditations and offer real-time feedback. It’s a real boon for the data-obsessed, but also a real bank account drainer, with some gadgets costing thousands of dollars. I took two of the more-popular options for a spin to see what they’d make of my brain.

Sens.ai Neurofeedback System

Sens.ai is a weird contraption that not only claims to track brainwaves, but gives real-time feedback to “teach” people how to meditate and enter a flow state. The device involves a giant headset that’s stuffed with brainwave sensors that detect beta, alpha, theta and gamma waves, in addition to heart-rate sensors. It also comes with a truly bizarre companion gadget that uses light stimulation (transcranial photobiomodulation) to keep an eye on focus and attention levels. The whole thing is combined with an app that keeps track of dozens of data metrics and allows access to various guided meditations.

I’m as surprised as you to say that this thing appears to work, with some caveats. It’s uncanny how well it monitors the brain during meditations. If I got lost in a thought spiral about lasagna at six minutes in, sure enough, there would be a dip in analytics at the six-minute mark. It’s also fairly easy to use, despite a process that involves wetting a number of electrodes. As magical as the accurate brain-tracking seems to be, however, I wasn’t as keen on the actual training portion, which often involves staring at a screen throughout the entirety of the practice. It’s also not for the financial faint of heart, as the Sens.ai device costs $1,500.

NeoRhythm Omnipemf

NeoRhythm’s Omnipemf is another wearable to help people get into that ever-elusive flow state. It doesn’t track your brain, but rather floods it with electromagnetic fields at specific frequencies to make it more susceptible to meditation and focus. This is supposed to prime your brain for the meditative state and, in theory, make it easier to capture that zen. However, I didn’t get much from it, other than a placebo-esque buzzing in my head.

To use it, you simply pop on the wearable and go about your day. You aren’t tied to an app, so you can meditate in whatever way you like. There are multiple modes that go beyond meditation, as this thing is supposed to help with focus, pain relief and sleep. I’d wait for some peer-reviewed studies, however, before buying this.

Google DeepMind has unveiled new research highlighting an AI agent that's able to carry out a swath of tasks in 3D games it hasn't seen before. The team has long been experimenting with AI models that can win in the likes of Go and chess, and even learn games without being told their rules. Now, for the first time, according to DeepMind, an AI agent has shown it's able to understand a wide range of gaming worlds and carry out tasks within them based on natural-language instructions.

The researchers teamed up with studios and publishers such as Hello Games (No Man's Sky), Tuxedo Labs (Teardown) and Coffee Stain (Valheim and Goat Simulator 3) to train the Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent (SIMA) on nine games. The team also used four research environments, including one built in Unity in which agents are instructed to form sculptures using building blocks. This gave SIMA, described as "a generalist AI agent for 3D virtual settings," a range of environments and settings to learn from, with a variety of graphics styles and perspectives (first- and third-person). 

"Each game in SIMA’s portfolio opens up a new interactive world, including a range of skills to learn, from simple navigation and menu use, to mining resources, flying a spaceship or crafting a helmet," the researchers wrote in a blog post. Learning to follow directions for such tasks in video game worlds could lead to more useful AI agents in any environment, they noted.

Google DeepMind

The researchers recorded humans playing the games and noted the keyboard and mouse inputs used to carry out actions. They used this information to train SIMA, which has "precise image-language mapping and a video model that predicts what will happen next on-screen." The AI is able to comprehend a range of environments and carry out tasks to accomplish a certain goal.

The researchers say SIMA doesn't need a game's source code or API access — it works on commercial versions of a game. It also needs just two inputs: what's shown on screen and directions from the user. Since it uses the same keyboard and mouse input method as a human, DeepMind claims SIMA can operate in nearly any virtual environment.

The agent is evaluated on hundreds of basic skills that can be carried out within 10 seconds or so across several categories, including navigation ("turn right"), object interaction ("pick up mushrooms") and menu-based tasks, such as opening a map or crafting an item. Eventually, DeepMind hopes to be able to order agents to carry out more complex and multi-stage tasks based on natural-language prompts, such as "find resources and build a camp."

In terms of performance, SIMA fared well based on a number of training criteria. The researchers trained the agent in one game (let's say Goat Simulator 3, for the sake of clarity) and got it to play that same title, using that as a baseline for performance. A SIMA agent that was trained on all nine games performed far better than an agent that trained on just Goat Simulator 3.

Google DeepMind

What's especially interesting is that a version of SIMA that was trained in the eight other games then played the other one performed nearly as well on average as an agent that trained just on the latter. "This ability to function in brand new environments highlights SIMA’s ability to generalize beyond its training," DeepMind said. "This is a promising initial result, however more research is required for SIMA to perform at human levels in both seen and unseen games."

For SIMA to be truly successful, though, language input is required. In tests where an agent wasn't provided with language training or instructions, it (for instance) carried out the common action of gathering resources instead of walking where it was told to. In such cases, SIMA "behaves in an appropriate but aimless manner," the researchers said. So, it's not just us mere mortals. Artificial intelligence models sometimes need a little nudge to get a job done properly too.

DeepMind notes that this is early-stage research and that the results "show the potential to develop a new wave of generalist, language-driven AI agents." The team expects the AI to become more versatile and generalizable as it's exposed to more training environments. The researchers hope future versions of the agent will improve on SIMA's understanding and its ability to carry out more complex tasks. "Ultimately, our research is building towards more general AI systems and agents that can understand and safely carry out a wide range of tasks in a way that is helpful to people online and in the real world," DeepMind said.