Internet, mobile and cable customers of Canadian provider Rogers and its sub-brand Fido have been experiencing major service issues since early Friday due to an outage. As the CBC reports, the ripple effect is impacting payment network Interac and Rogers wholesale service resellers, such as TekSavvy.

"We know how important it is for our customers to stay connected," Rogers wrote on its Twitter support account just before 9AM. "We are aware of issues currently affecting our networks and our teams are fully engaged to resolve the issue as soon as possible. We will continue to keep you updated as we have more information to share." The Fido support account shared the same message shortly after.

TekSavvy noted at 8:25AM that the outage was impacting all internet and wireless users and that there was "currently no ETA" for resolving the issue. "There is currently a nationwide communications outage with a network provider which is impacting the availability of Interac services," Interac said at 8:44AM ET. "We will provide further information as it becomes available." ATM, e-transfer and debit card services have been affected as a result.

Emergency service calls were also impacted. Toronto Police noted at 6:31AM that there were some 911 connection difficulties. Two hours later, it said that although its 911 call center was operational, some users on the Rogers network might have trouble getting through. In addition, a CBC radio station in Ontario was knocked off the air at around 5AM. Service Canada says its facilities, including overwhelmed passport offices, have been affected too.

Rogers experienced another significant wireless and cable outage last year, the CBC notes. The company said the April 2021 issue was the result of an errant software update from one of its telecom equipment suppliers. The cause and extent of the current outage is not yet clear.

Even Google devices are getting discounted ahead of Amazon Prime Day. Wellbots currently has a few Nest gadgets at some of the best prices we've seen. The Nest Audio smart speaker is $40 off and down to $60 with the code EGDT40 at checkout, while the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max are on sale for $60 (using the same code) and $169 (with the code EGDT60), respectively.

Even though the Nest Audio came out in 2020, we still consider it to be one of the best smart speakers you can get. And if you already live in the Google ecosystem, it's a no-brainer. The speaker has an unassuming yet attractive design, plus great audio quality that's made even better if you pair two of them together and use them in stereo mode. There are better speakers out there if you're mostly concerned with audio quality, but the Nest Audio excels at being a solid music-machine that also houses the Google Assistant. You can use voice commands to add events to your calendar, check the forecast, control smart home gadgets, play specific music and more.

Either of the Nest Hubs on sale are better if you like the idea of having a display to show you all of the information you ask the Assistant to gather for you. The standard Nest Hub is basically a Nest Audio but with an added touchscreen, plus it has sleep-tracking capabilities if you place it next to your bed. We also appreciate that the second-gen version has clearer, louder audio and even speedier Google Assistant performance. As for the Nest Hub Max, it's the one to get if you want the best audio quality possible, plus as big of a screen as you can get on any Nest smart device.

Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

The current head of the United States Secret Service, James Murray (pictured), will leave his role to head up security at Snap. Murray, who joined the Secret Service in 1995 and assumed the mantle of director in April 2019, will step down on July 30th. The Washington Post reports that Murray was looking to retire from public service for some time, and that his departure is unrelated to any recent scandals. The Verge reports that Murray will start at Snapchat on August 1st, working on employee protection and acting as a liaison with law enforcement when necessary.

The Secret Service has come under fresh scrutiny in recent years after a number of high-profile incidents dulled some of its reputation. This includes a series of security breaches during President Obama’s tenure, agents soliciting sex workers while on duty. Politico reports that Murray’s decision to allow service agent Anthony Ornato to take a role as White House political advisor to the previous administration was problematic for a body that is meant to be above politics.

This week, Devindra and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford dive into the Supreme Court’s latest EPA ruling, which severely limits the agency’s ability to curtail power plant emissions. Devindra also chats with ProPublica reporter Lisa Song about what this means for the EPA and other federal agencies. (Basically, it makes fighting climate change much harder.) Also, we discuss Apple’s new lockdown mode, which adds an extreme layer of security to your devices, and why Gen Z is so Minion crazy.

Listen above, 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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Luke Brooks/Engadget

• How bad is the Supreme Court’s EPA ruling? – 1:49

• Apple is building a lockdown mode for an “extreme” level of security – 27:43

• Axie Infinity hack was traced back to a fake LinkedIn job offer – 32:39.359

• Toyota has run out of EV tax credits in the US – 37:51

• God of War Ragnarok will be released on November 9, 2022 – 46:14

• WTF is going on with all the Minions memes? – 48:02

• Working on – 51:32

• Picks – 1:03:49

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Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford
Guest: Lisa Song from ProPublica
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh

The Tomorrow Children, the game once described as a "Marxism simulator," is coming back this September with brand new features and gameplay elements. Originally released as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in 2016, the online social action game spent a year in early access before Sony ultimately shut it down. In 2021, however, Q-Games, the developer who worked on the project alongside Sony's now defunct Japan Studio, obtained the intellectual property rights to the game with the intention of relaunching it. Now, after tweaking and reworking parts of the game, the developer is officially introducing it as The Tomorrow Children: Phoenix Edition.

In the game, an experiment to unite all human consciousness went awry and destroyed society. The survivors left behind are attempting to rebuild humanity in the decades that follow, and it's your mission to venture out into the empty spaces (called "the void") left behind by the experiment. Out in the void, you have to fight monsters and mine for minerals to build a new world.

The new version comes with the ability to play solo offline and a Comrade AI system for collaborative play. There's also a new major feature called Monoliths, which are structures found out in the void. When triggered, they alter the state of emerging islands, giving you access to hidden areas, secret treasures and other new ways to explore the same locations. Monoliths can be activated in both single and multiplayer modes, so you can explore altered islands with your friends.

The Tomorrow Children: Phoenix Edition will come out on September 6th in Europe and North America and on September 7th in Japan for the PS4 and the PS5, with enhancements. Q-Games founder Dylan Cuthbert said in a statement:

"It gives me great pleasure to confirm that The Tomorrow Children: Phoenix Edition will launch this September, exactly 6 years to the day from the game's original release. We’ve poured so much into the revival and it’s a joy to know that in two months time we’ll be able to explore the Void together as a community once again.

It was important for us to develop an optimum experience for both new and returning players, and the addition of Monoliths really takes island exploration up a notch for everyone. They allowed us to deliver fresh takes on existing islands and will create opportunities for the community to find fun, new ways to explore together. I personally can’t wait to jump online to experience them with you in September!"

You can watch a trailer for the Phoenix Edition below:

When Tesla first launched its network of Supercharger stations, they were just for Teslas. But with increasing rival EVs, demand for charging station access has steadily risen, prompting Tesla to begin opening its existing charger network to third-party EVs.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted last year that the company's open-access Supercharger pilot program — already in 13 European countries — would head to the US.

Now, InsideEVs spotted in a recent White House fact sheet that open chargers could arrive by the end of the year: “Later this year, Tesla will begin production of new Supercharger equipment that will enable non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to use Tesla Superchargers.”. To access it, American EV owners will need to use the latest Tesla app and select the Charge Your Non-Tesla option from the menu.

The challenge will be ensuring interoperability. While open superchargers are operating in more than a dozen countries in Europe, only some stations are actually available to non-owners. Only in the Netherlands is every Supercharger open access. 

For compatibility in North America, Tesla will need to install adapters at its stations to get around the company's own proprietary charging plug, as well as consider the software interactions between the charger and non-Tesla EVs.

— Mat Smith

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ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 review

When are two screens better than one?

Engadget

ASUS’ ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is the latest push from the laptop maker to make dual-screen laptops happen. And it’s getting there. According to Engadget’s Sam Rutherford, this is an innovative option if you want to maximize screen space in a laptop, with a 16-inch main panel and a 14-inch secondary display. The main downsides include weak battery life, a somewhat bulky chassis and a high price. The costs of an extra screen.

Continue reading.

Hydrow made a smaller and cheaper smart rowing machine

It still aims for the same close-to-realistic rowing experience as the original.

Hydrow

When it debuted back in 2019, Hydrow’s creators said they were building the Peloton of smart rowing machines. Now, the company is unveiling its second-generation ergometer, Hydrow Wave, with a lower price and a smaller footprint.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ cements its first season with a strong finale

‘A Quality of Mercy’ takes us to tomorrow’s Enterprise.

We’re living in the age of the prequel, says Engadget’s Dan Cooper. Ever since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was announced, it was blighted by this same hard stop, one dictated back in November 1966: Captain Pike’s fate in the original Star Trek series. How does the latest show deal with that? 

Warning: Significant spoilers ahead.

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VW is getting into the EV battery business

It's committing $20 million and building its own factory in Germany.

Volkswagen Group held a groundbreaking at the site of its forthcoming EV battery cell plant in Salzgitter, Germany, and announced the formation of a new company, PowerCo, responsible for the VW Group's burgeoning battery business. PowerCo will handle the group's global battery activities, from producing the batteries themselves to conducting R&D on new battery technologies to "products such as major storage systems for the energy grid," according to the announcement.

Continue reading.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch5 leaked

The leak shows every angle of the new wearable.

A leak from 91Mobiles shows two new Samsung wearables, apparently confirming a higher-end Pro model that will top the range. That unit, codenamed Project X, will come in black or gray titanium. The vanilla Watch5, meanwhile, will supplant the Watch4 as the more fitness-focused device in the lineup. Much like its predecessor, it’ll apparently have two case sizes and the option of an LTE modem, as well as a far broader variety of colors to choose from.

Continue reading.

A UFO-obsessed Republican Congressman has introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to offer new protection for UFO whistleblowers. Rep. Mike Gallagher has pushed for a new rule to establish a process for receiving reports concerning Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). It’s hoped that, with these in place, soldiers and contractors will feel more comfortable sharing details of unexplained phenomena they see on the battlefield.

The Drive suggests that this could be a way of resolving the ever-present rumors that the government has evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Those who come forward should feel comfortable that they will not be breaking secrets laws, and will be protected from reprisals. There are some on the UFO speaker circuit, for instance, who say they have proof of alien life but can’t reveal it for fear of imprisonment.

The notion that the US has had secret dealings with alien life is something of a hobby-horse for Gallagher. Back in May, Politico reported that Gallagher used a House Intelligence Committee meeting to needle Pentagon officials about a glowing orb floating over Montana that briefly shut down a nuclear weapons facility in 1967. That story apparently comes from the book Unidentified: The UFO Phenomenon, from former USAF airman Robert Salas. At the time, Pentagon officials denied that there was any secret trove of evidence concerning alien life.

In 2020, the Pentagon released a series of videos that it had received concerning UAPs, showing pilots capturing something moving across their view. But officials added that there was nothing more to share, and that it has not been able to prove to anyone's satisfaction that the events featured are the result of alien incursion. 

Rockstar Games confirmed that GTA VI, if that's what's the next entry in the series is going to be called, has been in the works earlier this year when it announced the release date of GTA V and GTA Online for the PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S. Now, in a post detailing a major update coming to the GTA Online experience, the developer said that it's been "steadily moving more development resources" towards the next Grand Theft Auto title over the past few years. The company has done so, because it understands the "need to exceed players' expectations," but it has had to make changes to how it supports Red Dead Online as a result. 

The biggest change for Red Dead players is that the developer will no longer roll out major themed updates like in previous years. As GameRant explains, that means no more new Specialist Roles, missions and game modes, as well. The company will still build upon existing modes and add new Telegram Missions, which are solo activities players can do to get rewards, this year. But going forward, Rockstar will focus on showcasing previously added Roles and missions during Red Dead Online's monthly events.

Red Dead Online players had complained about the lack of substantial updates in the past and about Rockstar's tendency to prioritize the Grand Theft Auto franchise over its other games. GTA is a massive moneymaker for the developer, though, so it doesn't really come as a surprise that Rockstar has chosen to put all its efforts towards making sure that fans will love GTA VI.

The folks in charge of some of the biggest gaming events in the US will now be running the biggest one of them all. ReedPop, organizers of the various PAX events, as well as New York Comic Con and Star Wars Celebration, has been tapped to produce next year’s E3. In a statement, the Electronic Software Association said that it was looking for its long-awaited return to the LA Convention Center in the second week of June 2023.

The ESA had already pledged that E3 would return as a hybrid event next year, after COVID-19 disrupted plans for the last two years. ReedPop may also have to address questions of how best to revitalize an event, so famous as the gaming industry’s major showcase, whose influence may now be on the wane. After all, Sony and Nintendo have both watered-down their involvement over the years, preferring to launch product through their own channels.

Starlink has launched a ruggedized version of its dish for boats, ships and yachts, merely a few days after the FCC gave it permission to provide internet service to vehicles. The satellite internet provider says Starlink Maritime can deliver up to 350 Mbps download speeds while at sea, which isn't bad at all for boats that didn't have an internet connection to begin with. However, it doesn't come cheap: The hardware alone will set customers back $10,000, which they have to pay for up front. 

The service itself costs $5,000 a month, though like Starlink for RVs, customers can pause it when it's not in use. They can choose which billing cycle to begin their pause, but they'll still have to pay for the full month whenever they switch the service on. In comparison, the residential Starlink setup's hardware costs only $599, while the service costs $110 a month. 

SpaceX chief Elon Musk explained on Twitter that Starlink Maritime's antennae differ from their residential counterpart. They're "dual, high performance terminals," he said, and have the power to maintain connection in choppy seas and heavy storms. The terminals were also designed to be able to withstand "relentless salt spray [and] extreme winds [and] storms." Musk said SpaceX has been paying $150,000 a month for "a much worse connection" on its ships. 

The Starlink Maritime page also mentions that the service allows you to connect from the most remote waters across the world, but it's worth noting that its coverage area is still limited. At the moment, it will only work in the coastal waters of the USA (not including Alaska), Europe (except most of Norway, Sweden and Finland), Australia, Brazil, Chile, most of the southern part of Australia and New Zealand. Starlink is expected to roll out connectivity to more locations in the fourth quarter of 2022 and next year.

SpaceX has long had plans to connect moving vehicles to the Starlink network and even previewed a ruggedized dish for boats and planes way back in 2021. It's only just a few days ago, though, when the Federal Communications Commission authorized a new class of terminals for the satellite internet service "to meet the growing user demands that now require connectivity while on the move."