Ford just dropped a trail-finding app specifically for Bronco SUV owners. The appropriately-named Bronco Trail App is available for both iOS and Android mobile devices and includes a boatload of goodies for true off-roading enthusiasts. In other words, this app is not for people who use their rugged SUVs primarily to pick up coffee down the street.

The app leads drivers to more than 1,200 professionally curated trails throughout the US, Canada and Mexico (with more countries coming), totaling 18,000 miles. These maps let you filter by location, length, difficulty and more, with the ability to save your favorite trails. Once you save a trail, you can add waypoints, notes and even photos to show off preferred landmarks.

Of course, the deeper you trek into the wilds, the more cellular service diminishes. The app lets you download maps ahead of time in satellite or 2D topographic formats so you can view them even when in the middle of nowhere.

Beyond curated maps, there are some high-tech features here. The app integrates with the SUV’s tire pressure gauge sensor and automatically adjusts the pressure to suit trail recommendations. This feature works without a cellular or cloud connection. There is also a small social media component here, as you can trade marked-up maps with other Bronco owners to share unique destinations and the like.

Ford

On the topic of social media, the app includes the ability to capture video, which is then shared via your preferred social network. This isn’t any ordinary video, however, as this content is automatically overlaid with all kinds of useful and nifty information, like speed, RPM, distance traveled, elevation and a lot more.

The app is free, but a new Ford Bronco starts at around $42,000. It’s available for download right now and Ford says it’ll stay on top of updates, adding more trails and features in the coming months. You'll also need an up-to-date FordPass subscription, but if you own a new Bronco, you probably have that too. 

Reason Studios (formerly Propellerhead) announced today that Reason, its popular digital audio workstation and plugin suite, now natively runs on Apple M1 / M2 chips. After installing the new Reason 12.6 update, users can skip the slower speeds from Apple’s Rosetta 2 emulator and run the DAW natively on non-Intel Macs for “50 percent better performance.”

The update also applies to Reason’s Rack Extension tech. The company says all 750+ extensions will also run natively on Apple Silicon, including older extensions abandoned by third-party developers.

Although the update is a bit late to the party, the (relatively small) Sweden-based studio likely had its hands full optimizing the music-creation suite for Apple Silicon, which Apple introduced in late 2020. Competitor Ableton Live didn’t launch M1 support until February 2022, and even Apple’s Logic Pro didn’t run natively on the company’s chipset until a year after the first M1 Macs’ arrival.

Reason 12.6 also includes a new offline mode, which should be welcome news for frequent fliers, off-grid adventurers or anyone with sketchy internet service. After logging in with an online connection to authenticate, the software will continue working offline without requiring extra third-party software.

The 12.6 update is free for owners of Reason 12 and subscribers of Reason+ (a $20 / mo. service that includes Reason, an up-to-date sound bank and the Reason rack). Finally, the company offers users running old versions an extra incentive to update by offering 40 percent off Reason 12 upgrades through May 8th when purchasing from the developer’s website.

Motorola is bringing some of its headlining smartphones to the US, and they may be welcome upgrades if you were disappointed with previous models. To start, the 2023 Moto Edge+ is a significant upgrade that addresses some of last year's shortcomings. The new phone packs a smoother 165Hz 6.7-inch OLED screen, a speedier Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and a larger 5,100mAh battery. And gone is the 2-megapixel depth sensor — instead, you'll get an actually-useful 12MP 2X telephoto camera to go alongside the 50MP standard and ultra-wide cams. A 60MP front sensor promises extra-detailed selfies.

The 8GB of RAM is unspectacular, but you'll get 256GB of 512GB of (non-expandable) storage as well as 68W fast wired charging, 15W wireless charging and 5W wireless power sharing. More importantly, Motorola is promising better update support than in the past — you'll get three years of OS upgrades and four years of bi-monthly security fixes. That's not quite up to Samsung's level (four years for both), but it might last the practical life of your device.

The price is also a major selling point. Where the 2022 Edge+ was priced like a flagship at $1,000, the 2023 version will be available for $800 when the unlocked version arrives May 25th at Amazon, Best Buy and Motorola. That makes it a relative bargain if you're looking for a big-screen phone with modern specs.

Motorola

There are more affordable phones coming, too. The 2023 editions of the Moto G 5G (pictured) and Moto G Stylus all more compelling if cost matters more than raw power. Both have 6.5-inch 720p displays, and you'll have to be content with either a Helio G85 (on the G Stylus) or a Snapdragon 480+ (G 5G) equipped with 4GB of RAM. You'll get up to 128GB of expandable storage, a 50MP (G Stylus) or 48MP (G 5G) main camera, a 2MP macro sensor and an 8MP front cam. As you'd expect in this class, you'll have to charge with a cable.

The Moto G Stylus arrives first, shipping May 5th for $200. It will come to prepaid carriers like Cricket and Straight Talk in the months ahead. The Moto G 5G debuts May 25th for $250, and will come to AT&T, Google Fi, T-Mobile and US Cellular, among others. There's no mention of a lengthy OS update policy, so you may not want to expect the Edge model's software longevity.

Weber debuted its smart grilling platform in 2020 with a standalone connected device and a WiFi-equipped pellet grill. The company has continued to add new features to the app that controls both of those since launch, and today it released a massive overhaul to the software. Officially dubbed version 2.0, the new Weber Connect app now includes grill tools like an updated dashboard, temperature graphing, more recipes and the ability to monitor multiple grills — and multiple recipes — at the same time.

Weber says one of the most-requested features is the ability to watch multiple recipes simultaneously inside the app. You can now do so with the new "mission-control-style" interface. The company explains that its smart grills and the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub can handle up to 12 recipes and timers at the same time. What's more, you don't have to keep all of your dishes on the same grill as the app can also keep tabs on multiple grills at once. There's a Launchpad section of the app that offers easy access to the Smokeboost feature, adjusting grill temp, adding a temperature alert, starting a timer and shutting down the grill — most of which are exclusive to the SmokeFire pellet grills. 

For all of the barbecue data nerds, Weber Connect now features temperature graphing. The company says these colorful live visuals are updated every second as the cook progresses. Graphs display temperature stats for the grill and up to four connected probes, so all of info is viewable in one place. The graphs also appear on the Now Grilling screen alongside start time, current temp and target temp info for each probe. Data can be shared with other users, including status updates and still images. What's more, you can create CSV files to use all of your grilling data in spreadsheets.

Weber also made the app more accessible with the option to increase font size via dynamic text and the addition of voiceovers. A new dark more changes the entire interface from color to black-and-white for aspiring pitmasters who wish to reduce eye strain. With this update, Weber says the Connect app now houses over 800 recipes. 350 of those are "smart" recipes, meaning they offer step-by-step guidance with videos and detailed instructions. All of today's updates join tools like the ability to monitor and adjust temperatures remotely so you don't have to stay near the grill or Hub the entire time.

Weber Connect 2.0 is available now in the Apple App Store and Google Play store. The software supports iPhone, iPad, macOS and Android devices. Additionally, iOS users can choose to have grilling notifications sent to Apple Watch. Weber is also offering a discount on the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub ahead of grilling season. The device is typically $139, but you can get one for $89 for a limited time.

Apple and Google have announced a partnership to tackle the issue of unwanted tracking through the likes of AirTags and Tile devices. The companies have proposed industry standards "to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth location-tracking devices for unwanted tracking." 

The proposal has received backing from Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, Anker's Eufy brand and Pebblebee, as well as a number of safety and advocacy groups. The draft specification includes best practices and instructions for Bluetooth tracker manufacturers on how to implement “unauthorized tracking detection and alerts” for iOS and Android.

Apple and Google submitted the draft specification to the Internet Engineering Task Force, a notable standards development organization. Over the next three months, interested parties will have a chance to review the documentation and weigh in on it. Apple and Google will address feedback from the comment period, then work together to develop a production version of the specification by the end of the year. Future versions of iOS and Android will support the tech.

“Bluetooth trackers have created tremendous user benefits, but they also bring the potential of unwanted tracking, which requires industrywide action to solve,” Dave Burke, Google’s vice president of engineering for Android, said in a press release. “Android has an unwavering commitment to protecting users, and will continue to develop strong safeguards and collaborate with the industry to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices.”

“We built AirTag and the Find My network with a set of proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking — a first in the industry — and we continue to make improvements to help ensure the technology is being used as intended," Ron Huang, Apple’s vice president of sensing and connectivity, said. "This new industry specification builds upon the AirTag protections, and through collaboration with Google results in a critical step forward to help combat unwanted tracking across iOS and Android.”

There have been numerouscases of Bluetooth trackers being used to stalk people over the last few years, as bad actors have planted such devices on unsuspecting victims. It's not only people that can be unwillingly tracked by Bluetooth devices. According to reports, thieves have used them to steal high-end cars.

Since it debuted its AirTags in 2021, Apple has rolled out some anti-stalking features. For instance, it has updated the devices so they emit as loud a noise as possible at some point after they're separated from their owners. An Android app can also detect AirTags and other Find My-compatible trackers that may have been planted on someone. 

It was reported last year that Google was exploring the idea of OS-level Bluetooth tracker detection, which now seems very likely to happen in the coming months. The company plans to reveal more details about its efforts to combat unwanted tracking at I/O next week. Google is also said to be working on its own Bluetooth tracker, which it may reveal at I/O. 

Whether you’re looking to replace an aging MacBook or are diving into Apple hardware for the first time, Apple’s laptop lineup is not as simple as it seems. There are just two options, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, but depending on the configuration, a new MacBook can cost between $999 and $6,500, so there’s considerable variation between the two makes. All current models run on the company’s own M-series processors that combine CPU, GPU, unified memory and other functions on a single chip, giving the latest MacBooks longer battery lives, better multitasking performance and faster operating speeds over the previous Intel chips. If you’re not sure which model would work best for you, we’re here to make things a little more clear. Based on our testing, here’s what we think are the best MacBooks for everyone from students to power users.

Best overall: MacBook Air M2

Our resident laptop expert Devindra Hardawar called the MacBook Air M2 a “near-perfect Mac” in his review, awarding it a high score of 96. It’s the newer of the two Air models Apple still sells, and notably a better buy than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, as the latter is both heavier and more expensive. The Air was built around the new M2 chip and completely refreshed for 2022 with a squared-off design that ditches the wedge shape.

The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina screen hits up to 500 nits, making it both bigger and brighter than the previous generation. The 60Hz refresh rate doesn’t deliver the butter-smooth scrolling you get on Pro models, but it’s lovely nonetheless. The quad speaker array pumps out great sound, filling a room at max volume without distortion, and the three-mic array does a good job of picking up your voice for video calls. The 1080p camera is an improvement over previous generations. It even beats our top Windows laptop, Dell’s XPS 13 Plus which still sports a 720p webcam, but Devindra found the image the Air captures to be drab.

Despite being thinner than ever, the M2 Air manages to hang on to its 3.5mm headphone jack and includes two USB-C Thunderbolt ports and a MagSafe connector. That means you don’t have to block a potential data port while charging. The battery life is ample, lasting 16 hours and 30 minutes in our rundown test, which should be more than enough for a day (or two) of work.

The M2 chip gives the Air enough speed to play games, particularly those from Apple Arcade. Streaming and cloud gaming work well through Safari, and you’ll find a handful of compatible titles on Steam. However, many of the bigger AAA releases still aren’t compatible with Macs – though Apple is looking to change that. Our review unit performed well in benchmark tests, beating the Air M1 and nearly matching the performance of the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2. It’s a fanless system which means it’s quiet, but to keep things cool, the CPU does have to be throttled occasionally.

Overall, it’s an excellent choice for everyday use and can handle most tasks. Of course, if you’re planning on doing intensive video editing, you’ll likely want something more powerful, such as the MacBook Pro M2, but the Air is arguably the best multipurpose, ultraportable laptop that Apple makes.

Our review MacBook Air had an M2 chip with a 10-core GPU, along with 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage. That configuration will run you $1,899. We think the Air is plenty capable without the GPU bump and the terabyte of storage is probably overkill for most casual users. Instead, we recommend the $1,599 setup with an 8-core GPU, 16GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage.

Best budget option: MacBook Air M1

The MacBook Air M1 may not have the most current Apple silicon, but it gets so much right that it’s still an excellent laptop. It earned a high score of 94 in our review and Devindra declared it one of the fastest ultraportables you could buy at the time. Of course, now that the M2 is on the scene, its numbers are comparatively less impressive – but with a base price of $999 (and often on sale for less), it’s a relatively affordable way for students or those with tight budgets to snag a fast and capable machine.

The Air’s 13.3-inch Retina display looks beautiful and is ideal for binge sessions. The laptop’s sturdy, wedge-shaped unibody case weighs just 2.8 pounds, making it easy to take to class or work. You can even fire it up in the quietest library without making a sound, thanks to a heat sink and passive cooling that eliminate the need for a fan. The keyboard offers a satisfying amount of depth despite its thin profile and the trackpad is smooth.

The performance of the M1 chip really makes the MacBook Air M1 stand out. It’s impressively responsive, launching apps nearly instantly and running them effortlessly. Safari delivers a slick browsing experience, loading complex pages quickly. The M1 chip is also behind the Air’s great battery life. We managed to get 16 hours and 20 minutes during our video rundown test, which should be more than enough to get you through a full-day grind.

Of course, it’s not without drawbacks. The M1 Air houses a 720p webcam, which isn’t as sharp as the M2 Air’s 1080p camera and it only comes with two Thunderbolt ports and a headphone jack. If you’re charging your computer, there’s only one available plug for accessories. There’s no SD card slot, either, and since Apple hardware isn’t the easiest to upgrade yourself, you’ll want to buy all the storage you need right out of the gate.

We recommend sticking with the base configuration (8GB RAM/256GB SSD) if you’ll mostly be using web-based programs and cloud-based apps. For an extra $200, you can upgrade to 16GB of memory which is good if you stream heavily, like to have a lot of open tabs or want to run a ton of apps at once. Alternatively, the same amount could get you 512GB of storage if you want to keep a lot of files and photos locally.

Best for creatives: MacBook Pro M2 

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros came out in January of 2023, both using more powerful versions of the M2 chip: the M2 Pro and the M2 Max. For professional video or music creators, the new machines are a blessing.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with a 19-core GPU M2 Pro chip can easily handle 4K video editing, effects processing and whichever Mac-compatible digital audio workstation you prefer. The 14.2-inch screen is a bright and vibrant MiniLED Liquid Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and animations. A six-speaker array produces crisp, punchy sound that’s better than what most laptops can deliver and the built-in mics are great for video calls.

As you’d expect with a Pro model, you get a full complement of ports, including an SD card slot, headphone jack, HDMI port and three Thunderbolt sockets. There’s even a MagSafe power connector dedicated to charging. We got a respectable 15 hours and 10 minutes of battery life out of the 14-inch model and, according to Apple, the 16-inch model can get up to 22 hours on a charge.

If you’re planning on processing a lot of 8K video, complex 3D scenes or more expansive music compositions, you may want the faster M2 Max chip. In that case, we recommend the 16-inch model, as its larger battery can better match the chip’s higher power consumption. As long as cost isn’t a deciding factor, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Max is the way to go. It’s one of the more powerful MacBooks available, with a 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU, paired with 64GB of memory and 2TB of storage. Those options will run you $4,299, but should serve even the most demanding user well for years.

With an excellent blend of power and portability, Apple's 2021 iPad Mini tablet is a popular choice — but at $500, it's not exactly an impulse buy. If you've been waiting for a deal, the 64GB model is now on sale at Amazon and Target for $400 ($99 off) in four colors, down to the lowest prices we've seen to date.

With its fresh and modern design, solid performance and improved cameras, the iPad mini 2021 earned a solid 89 Engadget review score. It’s easily the smallest (7.69x5.3x0.25 inches) and lightest (0.65 pounds for the WiFi model) of any current iPad, with an 8.3-inch display that’s more comfortable to operate with a single hand.

At the same time, it has similar specs to the iPhone 13, with the same speedy A15 Bionic chip that delivers a big jump in performance over the fifth-gen model. It comes with a larger 8.3-inch display with higher 2,266 x 1,488 resolution than the previous models, and eliminates the physical home button, moving the Touch ID sensor to the power button. The volume buttons, meanwhile, are at the top to make room for Apple Pencil 2 that can be attached to the side magnetically.

Other features include USB-C charging and upgraded cameras with support from Apple's Center Stage feature, keeping you in the center of the frame during video calls. The main downsides are the lack of a headphone jack, limited 64GB of storage on the base model and fairly high price compared to tablets with comparable specs. Amazon and Target have certainly taken the edge off the price, but it's best to act soon before the deal ends.

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

While many workers worry AI bots will take their jobs, Samsung employees are no longer allowed to use them. The company banned generative AI tools, like ChatGPT and Google Bard, after discovering staff had added sensitive code to them, Bloomberg reported. This revelation followed last month's incident in which Samsung engineers uploaded internal source code and meeting notes to ChatGPT and accidentally leaked it.

Samsung isn't waiting for another mishap to take action. "HQ is reviewing security measures to create a secure environment for safely using generative AI to enhance employees' productivity and efficiency," the company said in a memo to staff. "However, until these measures are prepared, we are temporarily restricting the use of generative AI." Samsung further expressed concern that data sent to generative AI tools is stored on external servers, potentially creating difficulties around access, removal and unintentional sharing. ChatGPT, for instance, uses data for training unless users specifically opt-out.

Though many companies are encouraging employees to embrace the likes of ChatGPT and Google Bard, Samsung isn't alone in taking the opposite approach. Bans are particularly popular amongst banks (clear hubs of sensitive information), with JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and Citi Group all restricting employee access.

Beyond reducing worries about being let go in favor of an inanimate tool, most of Samsung's staff likely agree with the policy, sharing similar concerns to their employer. In April, an internal survey by Samsung found 65 percent of respondents believed AI tools came with security risks. With this said, Samsung is still working on its own AI tools for employees to use for tasks like software development and translation.

Employees can still use any AI tools on personal devices strictly for non-work related matters — violating this rule is a quick path to termination. The new corporate policy won't impact consumers, with generative AI tools still available across Samsung devices.

Geoffrey Hinton, nicknamed the Godfather of AI, told The New York Times he resigned as Google VP and engineering fellow in April to freely warn of the risks associated with the technology. The researcher is concerned Google is giving up its previous restraint on public AI releases to compete with ChatGPT, Bing Chat and similar models. In the near term, Hinton says he’s worried that generative AI could lead to a wave of misinformation. You might "not be able to know what is true anymore," he says. He's also concerned it might not just eliminate "drudge work," but outright replace some jobs – which I think is a valid worry already turning into a reality.

– 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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Over nine million people watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie over the weekend — on Twitter. A Twitter user uploaded the entire movie to the platform – and kept it there for the weekend. A handful of copyrighted movies have repeatedly spent a few days on Twitter since Elon Musk took over, but Blue subscribers have also gained the ability to upload videos that are 60 minutes long, making it an easier task. Scrutinizing copyright for the team at Twitter is also a challenge when the company’s fired most of your safety and compliance staff…

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Apple releases its first rapid-fire security updates for iPhone, iPad and Mac

The rollout hasn't been completely smooth, however.

Engadget

Apple promised faster turnaround times for security patches with iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, and it's now delivering on that claim. The company has released its first Rapid Security Response updates for devices running iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1 and macOS 13.3.1. As usual, they're available through Software Update but are small downloads that don't require much time to install. Engadget and others have received an error warning that iOS can't verify the update as the device is "no longer connected to the internet,” so you may have to check for the patch at another time.

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SpaceX's Starship didn't immediately respond to a self-destruct command

It finally exploded after a 40-second delay.

SpaceX

SpaceX's founder, Elon Musk, shared more details about what went awry during the first fully integrated Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster launch in April. In a Twitter audio chat on Saturday, he revealed the self-destruct setting took 40 seconds to work. It should have been relatively instantaneous. The FAA has already announced it's investigating the events and will ground Starship until "determining that any system, process or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety." Even with all of that, Musk called the launch "successful" and "maybe slightly exceeding my expectations."

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Nextdoor is introducing its first generative AI feature, an in-app “assistant” that can help users rewrite “potentially unkind” posts on the neighborhood social network. The new feature is rolling out “over the next several weeks.”

It’s far from the first time the company has experimented with ways to remind users to keep conversations “neighborly.” The company, which has at time struggled to fight the perception that its platform can be toxic, began using “kindness reminders” in 2019 and last year introduced pop-ups reminding users to be more “empathetic.” The app has also served up more targeted nudges to promote anti-racist language and less heated political discussions.

The new “assistant” takes the approach a step further. Instead of preemptive reminders, the assistant will prompt users to “rephrase potentially unkind comments” and suggest new wording for the post. “It's great to tell people, ‘hey, be a little bit more constructive,’ or ‘you don't always have to respond,’” Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar says. “But now you're actually helping them reframe it in a way they might not have thought of.”

Friar notes that the assistant-written posts are optional and that users are free to make changes to the text it suggests. “It’s saying ‘when you word things this way,’ or when you maybe just add a few more sentences or add some context or an emoji, you can help someone hear you,” Friar says. “They may not agree with you, but at least they can begin to hear you.”

The assistant itself relies on the same OpenAI models used by ChatGPT, and has also been trained on “all of the data we've collected over our almost 10 years of life,” according to Friar. She says this allows the assistant to provide more tailored suggestions for other kinds of posts on the platform. In an example provided by the company, the assistant rewrites a post from a user looking for landscaping work with new phrasing the app says may “get a better response” than the original.

While the assistant is Nextdoor’s first use of generative AI, it likely won’t be the last. Friar says she’s particularly interested in how generative AI can be used for recommendations to help small businesses using the platform.