There's a good chance you want an external SSD you can take anywhere, whether it's extra storage for your school projects or backup for your can't-lose work files. Thankfully, you won't have to pay a lot for that extra space. Amazon is selling SanDisk's 1TB Extreme Portable SSD at a new all-time low price of $109, or less than half its official $250 sticker. There are steep discounts for 2TB (now $234) and 4TB ($460) models, too. At those prices, they may be easy choices if you want a speedy yet durable drive.

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is reasonably quick with 1GB/s read and write speeds, but the rugged design is clearly its main appeal. The toughened shell can survive falls from 6.5ft and boasts IP55 dust and water resistance — while you wouldn't want to drop the SSD off a cliff or dunk it in a lake, it can handle the rough-and-tumble of everyday life. A carabiner loop makes it easy to clip the drive to your backpack or camera strap, and optional 256-bit hardware encryption keeps your data more secure.

This isn't the fastest external SSD you'll find, and you won't get perks like a Thunderbolt port (it's 'just' USB-C) or wireless connectivity. With a sale like this, though, those limitations are easier to accept. This is a good deal for any portable SSD, and the improved survivability is just a nice bonus.

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Nexus Mods, a popular mod database, has posted a strongly worded update about the Spider-Man Remastered patch that was created to remove Pride flags in-game. The website's administrator, Dark0ne, has revealed that the mod was uploaded by a sock puppet under the name "Mike Hawk." They said the fact that it was added to the database by a secondary account shows the uploader's intent to troll and demonstrates their understanding that it would not be allowed on the database. As such, the website has decided to remove the patch from its repository and to ban both the user's main account and sock puppet.

Spider-Man Remastered was released for the PC a few days ago. It's a refresh of the original title developed by Insomniac Games, which has since been purchased by Sony Interactive, and was released back in 2019. In the game, you'll see Pride flags around New York as you swing around the city as Spider-Man, and some players were apparently offended by their presence. The mod Mike Hawk released replaces those Pride flags with the flag of the USA.

"We are for inclusivity, we are for diversity," Dark0ne wrote in their post. They vowed to do a better job of moderating their website and ensuring that their policy is followed more closely going forward. The administrator said that the website will take action if someone uploads a file with the intent to be deliberately against inclusivity and/or diversity. Based on how the website addressed this particular issue, it will likely hand out bans in the future if they're warranted. Of course, Dark0ne and their team can only police what's uploaded on Nexus Mods. Seeing as it's one of the largest repositories around, though, its team's stance could make an impact and help slow the spread of certain game modifications.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in June, Alphabet was one of several major tech companies that attempted to extend some flexibility to its workers seeking care, including those who potentially would need to travel out of state. It likewise made the narrow decision to delete users' location data when they visited abortion providing clinics, albeit only in response to legislative pressure. Since then, however, Alphabet has been effectively silent on the issue, and a group of its own workers are stepping up to demand a broader response on behalf of their colleagues and users at large.

The petition (reproduced in full below) was sent on Monday to a group of six executives, including CEO Sundar Pichai, and has been signed by over 650 workers at the company. Thus far, the executives have yet to respond. Responding to a request for comment Alphabet told Engadget "we have nothing specific to add on this letter."

First and foremost, the workers ask that Alphabet's new policies on travel and reimbursement for out-of-state care be extended to the company's temps, vendors and contractors (TVCs), a workforce which, by some estimates, outnumbers its full-time employees. This includes increasing the daily reimbursement from $50 to $150 and changing the minimum number of sick days to seven. "Many of our fellow TVCs have three days of sick leave, whereas full-time employees have unlimited [days]," Alejandra Beatty, a technical program manager with subsidiary Verily and a member of Alphabet Workers Union (AWU), told Engadget. "Everybody deserves seven, especially when we're still dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks." 

Engadget first asked Alphabet if these travel and reimbursement policies would extend to TVCs shortly after the Supreme Court's decision and received no reply. This implicit exclusion was immediately criticized by AWU and the company seemingly has not rectified the discrepancy in treatment in the two months since.

The petition further seeks to strengthen Alphabet's data privacy policies around these sensitive subjects. "Searching for reproductive justice, gender-affirming care, and abortion access information on Google must never be saved, handed over to law enforcement, or treated as a crime," the document states. In practice, this would not only broaden the scope of the company's new policy on location data related to abortion providing clinics — both by expanding to new categories of sensitive information, as well as new kinds of non-locational data — but it would also de facto require it to change how that information is logged in the first place. Law enforcement, armed with a court order, could force Alphabet to turn over data in its possession, and the only viable workaround would be not having that data. "We think it's more important that we are on the side of 'let's just not have the data,'" Beatty said, "because you can't tell a company to just say 'no' to any subpoena."

Issues around the preservation of data related to abortion presented the worrying hypothetical in the immediate wake of Roe's overturning that a tech company might willingly, or might be forced to, provide data to law enforcement that would result in criminal charges. These companies have largely left that question unanswered. But a version of this grim scenario has already occurred, with Facebook messages provided to cops becoming key evidence in an abortion case that's being prosecuted in Nebraska. (Meta, Facebook's parent company, contends the warrants were received prior to the Supreme Court's decision and did not mention abortion specifically. Regardless, it bodes poorly for data privacy.) 

Among other dystopian schemes that have already come to pass: Google's own alleged complicity in pushing fake "abortion clinic" results to care-seekers on its Search and Maps products— something this petition also seeks to redress. A variety of recent reports have pointed out that queries on these products often push users toward so-called "crisis pregnancy centers," which are non-medical, often religious establishments with the express goal of convincing pregnant people to carry their pregnancies to term. 

In order to accomplish these and the other wide-ranging goals in the petition, the signatories "call on Alphabet to create a dedicated task-force with 50% employee representation, responsible for implementing changes across all products and our company, just like Alphabet did for handling the COVID-19 pandemic." The existence of that task force may not be familiar to the public. But Beatty says the volunteer team — which she believes numbered in the thousands — resulted in many recognizable changes to Alphabet products, like informational boxes about COVID on Search, testing locations being catalogued on Maps and even Google and Apple's joint contact tracing app (though granted the latter was not a resounding success.) "I want to see a plan that is similar to our response to COVID-19," Beatty said. "This is this is a healthcare crisis that has been created. I want to see a plan like that. And others agree with me."

Protect our worker's rights

We, the undersigned, recognize that all Alphabet workers, of all genders, are impacted by the overturning of Roe v. Wade and are disappointed in Alphabet’s response and influence on this ruling.

Alphabet has continued to make access to reproductive and gender affirming healthcare a “women’s issue” by only providing women@ Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) with listening sessions, and using gendered language in their communication with workers when this is an issue that affects all of us.

In order to align with Google’s core values, we demand that Alphabet acknowledges the impact this Supreme Court ruling has on all its workers and to immediately do the following:

1. Protect all workers’ access to reproductive healthcare by setting a reproductive healthcare standard in the US Wages and Benefits Standards including:

a. Extending the same travel-for-healthcare benefits offered to FTEs to TVCs.

b. Adding minimum of 7 days of additional sick time because workers will need to travel for significant periods to obtain health services.

c. Increasing FTE & TVC reimbursement amounts for travel to $150 per night. $50 is NOT a viable reimbursement for a hotel stay in most states, and does not address childcare or lost wages.

d. Publishing a TVC transparency report, detailing vendors’ compliance to the Alphabet/Google US Wages and Benefits Standards. For example, details on why certain roles are exempt, and timelines for vendors to come into compliance.

2. Protect our government from corporate influence. Alphabet must stop lobbying politicians and any political organizations, through NetPAC or any other means because these politicians were responsible for appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade and continue to infringe on other human rights issues related to voting access and gun control.

3. Protect our users and customers from having their data used against them and addressing the disinformation and misleading information as it pertains to abortion services and other reproductive healthcare services on all Alphabet platforms and products by:

a. Instituting immediate user data privacy controls for all health-related activity, for example, searching for reproductive justice, gender-affirming care, and abortion access information on Google must never be saved, handed over to law enforcement, or treated as a crime.

b. Fixing misleading search results related to abortion services by removing results for fake abortion providers.

c. No longer working with publishers of disinformation related to abortion services who violate AdSense's publishers policies related to unreliable and harmful claims about a major health crisis.

d. Providing transparency into ad revenue sharing with Google custom search so that abortion services that pay for Google ads don’t inadvertently have their ad revenue go to organizations that are actively working against them.

In order to meet these demands, we call on Alphabet to create a dedicated task-force with 50% employee representation, responsible for implementing changes across all products and our company, just like Alphabet did for handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

NVIDIA is adding a new perk to GeForce Now’s most expensive tier. Starting today, you can stream games at 1440p and 120 frames per second through a browser. At the moment, the new performance setting is available exclusively through GeForce Now’s $20 per month RTX 3080 membership and only Google Chrome on PC. The more affordable $10 per month Priority tier will continue to max out at 1080p and 60fps for the time being.

Naturally, you’ll need a compatible display to get the most out of any game you decide to stream at 1440p and 120fps, making the utility of higher-performance browser streaming somewhat limited. If you were already using Geforce Now to stream games at 1440p and 120fps, there's a good chance you were doing it at home through the GeForce Now app. Other perks of the 3080 tier include priority access to NVIDIA’s best servers, support for ray-tracing and the ability to play games for up to eight hours during a single session. The 3080 tier also allows you to play games at up to 4K at 60fps and 120fps on compatible Android phones.

Cameo is now offering users a way to chat with celebrities via longer video calls. Last year, the company started offering virtual meet and greets that last two minutes. It's expanding on that with Cameo Live, a feature that enables fans to speak with stars for 10 minutes. What’s more, they can invite up to nine friends and family members to join the call.

The company said it built Cameo Live based on feedback from fans and its celebrity users. You'll be able to suggest three time slots for the call. Thousands of well-known names will be available for Cameo Live calls, such as Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings and Stranger Things), Chaka Khan, Brooke Lynn Hytes (RuPaul’s Drag Race) and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright.

Cameo is rolling out the service only a few months after it laid off a quarter of its employees. According to reports, CEO Steven Galanis told staff that Cameo hired people too fast while failing to hit revenue expectations.

I’ve been rather critical of Motorola’s recent phones. But it seems like the company may have taken that criticism to heart because with the new Edge 2022 (not to be confused with the Edge+ from earlier this year) it feels like we’re finally getting a phone with good specs for a decent price and significantly better software support.

The new, non-plus, Edge gets a big 6.6-inch OLED screen featuring a 144HZ refresh rate similar to its more expensive sibling, along with a sizable 5,000 mAh battery, 6GB or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. As for its cameras, you also get a familiar 50MP main sensor paired with a lower-res 13 MP ultra-wide cam (which can also shoot macros) and a depth sensor to help with portrait-style shots. The phone also supports 30-watt fast charging, 15-watt wireless charging and even reverse wireless charging for sharing juice with other devices.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

And while Motorola’s decision to go with a MediaTek Dimensity 1050 processor instead of a more typical Qualcomm chip is a bit unusual, you still get compatibility for both sub 6Ghz and mmWave 5G, including the new C-band spectrum. So while it’s not quite as premium as the Edge+, it’s not far off.

But to me, the most important upgrade is that for the Edge, Motorola is committing to at least three major Android updates and four years of regular security patches. Previously, software support (or lack thereof) was one of Motorola’s biggest weaknesses compared to other phone makers. The more expensive Edge+ from this spring is only slated to receive two years of Android updates and three years of security patches, while Moto’s less expensive G-series phones fare even worse, often only receiving only one major OS upgrade.

That said, there are a few specs that could be improved. The Edge’s IP52 rating for dust and water resistance means it’s not designed to handle more than a light splash, which is kind of weak for a mainstream mid-range phone. I also find the lack of a true third rear camera a bit disappointing. I’d like to see either a dedicated macro cam or some kind of telephoto option.

But here’s the thing, with a launch price of around $500 ($498 on T-Mobile or $499.99 unlocked), those shortcomings aren’t nearly as annoying as they would be on a more expensive handset. The Edge+ also lacks a telephoto cam but has a full retail price of $1,000 (though Moto has dropped the cost of that phone to just $750 in recent months). And while the non-plus Edge is set to get a price bump down the line, even at its full $600 listing, it still feels like you’re getting a good deal.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

In my short time with the Edge Plus so far, there are other small things to appreciate. For a phone with a battery this big, it’s surprisingly light, weighing just under six ounces. The display also has a peak brightness of 1,300 nits, which is similar to what you get on the more expensive Galaxy S22. And while I’m still not sure how much of an impact the new RGBC color filter is having on the quality of the Edge’s selfies, with the phone featuring a 32MP sensor in front, there aren’t any concerns about resolution.

It’s still too early to say if Motorola’s increased attention to software support is here to stay. But after years of being frustrated by phones that felt like they were abandoned after a year or two, it’s nice to finally see the company respond to feedback. And between its specs and a very attractive launch price, the Edge is shaping up to be a good value when it goes on sale sometime in the “coming weeks.”

Embracer, the mega game publisher that's been snapping up new properties left and right, has made a deal to acquire the intellectual property catalogue and worldwide rights to various JRR Tolkien-related media and merch. To be precise, it will own the rights to "motion pictures, video games, board games, merchandising, theme parks and stage productions" based on the The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit if the deal pushes through. It will also own the rights tied to any future literary work related to LOTR and The Hobbit that's authorized by the Tolkien Estate.

This isn't the first Tolkien-related purchase Embracer has made: Back in 2021, it bought the board game publisher Asmodee, which has published over a dozen LOTR board games over the past 20 years. And if the acquisition goes through, Embracer will work with Amazon on The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power series that will start streaming on September 2nd.

In addition to starting the process of acquiring Middle-earth Enterprises — that's the team that currently owns the IP rights to Tolkien-related merch — Embracer has also announced that it's purchasing more game studios. The biggest name in its latest list of acquisitions is Tripwire Interactive, which is known for the co-op survival horror Killing Floor and the third-person shark sim Maneater.

Embracer, founded in 2008 by Swedish entrepreneur Lars Wingefors, has been quietly buying up game studios over the past few years. We called it the "biggest games publisher you've never heard of," though it's recently been gaining recognition as it continues to add more and more developers under its umbrella. Back in May, it entered a deal to acquire several studios with a catalogue of IPs that include "Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, Legacy of Kain and more than 50 back-catalogue games from Square Enix Holdings." That deal will cost Embracer $300 million — the company didn't reveal how much it will pay to acquire the rights to Tolkien-related media.

Airbnb, which announced a permanent ban on parties at host properties back in June, is testing anti-party technology in the US and Canada. Not that these tools are real-world party crashing gadgets. The tools focus on when the customer books a property, looking at several factors to detect "potentially high-risk reservations." They consider elements such as how long the prospective guest has had an Airbnb account, how far away the listing is from where they're based and their history of positive reviews. It may, for instance, flag a planned stay of one or two nights over a weekend in the guest’s home city. In Australia, where Airbnb first tested the tools, it says it reduced unauthorized parties by 35 percent.

— Mat

The biggest stories you might have missed

• 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II' pre-order customers can play the story a week early

• Klipsch's tiny T10 wireless earbuds arrive as a $2,500 'bespoke' model

• Archetype: Rabea is an all-in-one virtual guitar rig that’s also a synth

• 'Hades' leaves Game Pass on August 31st

• ISS spacewalk interrupted by suit malfunction

What you’ll need to survive the California wildfires this summer

Update your home's emergency kit now.

Reuters

Climate change has transformed the American West into a tinderbox. Temperatures since the start of the century have averaged two degrees Fahrenheit higher than any other point on record, since 1895. A significant part of California is going to be affected — coastal cities, urban-wildland interfaces and out in the middle of rural anywhere. So here’s some gear and techniques to help with this summer’s fire season.

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Netflix with ads might not have offline viewing

The tier's subscribers won't be able to download, the Netflix app's code suggests.

Netflix's upcoming ad-supported tier might not be the best streaming option for commuters and other viewers who watch on the go. Developer Steve Moser has discovered text in the code of the service's iPhone app that says, "Downloads available on all plans except Netflix with ads." In short, no offline viewing. The streaming service told Techcrunch: "We are still in the early days of deciding how to launch a lower priced ad-supported option and no decisions have been made.”

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Australia's top court rules Google isn't a publisher

The company could have been held liable for linking to defamatory websites.

Google has prevailed in its long-running battle over potentially defamatory web links. Australia's High Court has ruled Google’s search result link "merely facilitated access" to an allegedly defamatory story — Google didn't play a part in writing or distributing the content. The decision could have a wide-ranging impact on internet firms operating in Australia.

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The best laptops for college students

Our favorite machines for classes on campus, online and everywhere in between.

Engadget

Whether you’re heading to a physical campus, taking classes online or a mix of both, a laptop is sure to be the control center for your studies. Getting a new machine can help you stay on top of your schedule and handle your furious multitasking across dozens of tabs devoted to research while you write your essays. Given we’re still dealing with ongoing inflation and the global chip shortage, you might be concerned about rising prices or what might be in stock. The good news is companies are still making a ton of new laptops, and there are plenty of models for you to consider.

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When Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis first talked about releasing an "American eMuscle" last year, he said the company's vehicle will "tear up the streets, not the planet." Now, the Stellantis brand has revealed what Kuniskis meant by that. It has introduced the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept, which looks like a futuristic take on its gas-powered Challenger and Charger muscle cars. While it's still just a concept at this point and could change tremendously by the time it's released, a spokesperson told TechCrunch that "it is very close to production."

The two-door electric Dodge Charger will be powered by the new 800V Banshee propulsion system. In its announcement, Dodge says the Banshee is more powerful than the engine of a Hellcat, which is already a high performance variant of the Challenger. And unlike other electric vehicles that barely make a sound, the all-electric Charger was designed to be loud, just like its gas-powered counterparts. The company actually put an exhaust on the vehicle, even though it doesn't need one and the only thing it emits is sound. "The Charger Daytona SRT Concept voices a 126 dB roar that equals the SRT Hellcat," Dodge writes in its announcement. That's made possible by pushing the EV's sounds through an amplifier and tuning chamber. You can hear what it sounds like in the video below, starting at the 2:20 mark.

Outside, the vehicle features a familiar design with modern tweaks that make it more aerodynamic. The "R-Wing" at the front end, for instance, has a pass-through form factor that allows air to flow through and enhance downforce. Inside, you'll find modern amenities, including a 12.3-inch center screen, an 8x3-inch Head-up Display that shows additional vehicle information and a PowerShot button on the steering wheel that gives the vehicle a burst of acceleration.

Dodge has yet to announce pricing for the Charger Daytona, but the company previously said that it's targeting a 2024 release date for its first American eMuscle. By the time it arrives, the brand would've already discontinued its gas-powered Challenger and Charger muscle cars. Kuniskis said in a statement:

"Dodge is about muscle, attitude and performance, and the brand carries that chip on its shoulder and into the BEV segment through a concept loaded with patents, innovations, and pertformance features that embody the electrified muscle of tomorrow. The Charger Daytona SRT Concept can do more than run the car show circuit; it can run a blazing quarter-mile. And when it comes to product cycles, it outruns Darwin. Charger Daytona does more than define where Dodge is headed, it will redefine American muscle in the process."

Netflix's upcoming ad-supported tier might not be the best streaming option for commuters and other viewers who frequently watch on the go. Developer Steve Moser has discovered text within the code of the service's iPhone app that says "Downloads available on all plans except Netflix with ads." If viewers can't download content to their devices on the tier, that means they won't be able to watch their shows or movies while offline. Netflix neither confirmed nor denied the absence of offline viewing with the offering, but it told TechCrunch: 

"We are still in the early days of deciding how to launch a lower priced, ad-supported option and no decisions have been made. So this is all just speculation at this point."

Back in July, Netflix co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos admitted in an earnings call that the upcoming subscription option will not include all of the service's licensed content at launch. The company still has to renegotiate deals with studios to be able to offer their shows and movies alongside ads. Similarly, the absence of offline viewing might also have a legitimate reason other than Netflix wanting to compel the tier's subscribers to pay more for premium membership.

As TechCrunch notes, it could be technically challenging to serve ads with offline content. In fact, Netflix won't be the only streaming platform with an ad-supported option that doesn't come with offline viewing. HBO Max's and Hulu's, for instance, don't have a download function either. Based on Netflix's statement, though, things could still change by the time the tier launches early next year.