Three days after it pulled Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition from sale on PC, Rockstar Games says players can once again buy the bundle on that platform. The publisher yanked the remastered collection from the Rockstar Games Launcher's store "to remove some data files that were unintentionally included in the new versions of these games."
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is again available through the Rockstar Games Launcher for play and purchase. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and are working to improve and update overall performance as we move forward: https://t.co/hAfEKqYS3o
The publisher apologized for the inconvenience and said it would "improve and update overall performance as we move forward." Many players have criticized the latest versions of GTA III, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas, and some have shared screenshots and videos of various glitches and bugs. They've also voiced their displeasure on Metacritic, where they've been review bombing the collection — the aggregate user score is currently below one out of 10 on every platform.
Soon after the trilogy was released last week, the Rockstar Games Launcher was taken offline for what the publisher says was maintenance reasons. That meant those who did buy the collection were unable to play its three games for over a day, while Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online were also out of commission until Rockstar restored service on Friday evening.
Every month, Engadget features what our editors are currently into, whether it be video games, podcasts or gadgets. These are not official reviews; they’re simply our first-hand experiences. This week, Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar dives into Yale’s Assure smart lock.
What if you could go through life without worrying about carrying your keys and potentially being locked out of the house? That's something I've always dreamed of, but it wasn't possible when I was renting in Brooklyn. These days, though, I've got a bit more freedom in my own home outside of Atlanta. And now that my wife and I are also responsible for a precocious three-year-old, we figured it was a good time to move away from the tyranny of house keys. The last thing we need is to be locked out during a potty emergency.
You've got a few different options: electronic locks with key pads or biometrics, or smart ones that can be controlled via apps. Initially, we were turned off by the latter. Given just how finicky connected devices are plus the potential for remote hacking, app-controlled locks just didn't seem worth the trouble. So we opted for a well-rated electronic lock with a touchscreen pin pad: Yale's Assure Lock. It's a sturdy Grade 2 deadbolt with a key slot, which is helpful if the battery runs out. It also has an upgrade port for turning it into an August smart lock down the line. (Spoiler: that turned out to be very useful.)
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Installing the Assure Lock on our front door entailed the same process as any other deadbolt. We removed the old lock, installed the included strike plate and took care to make sure the Assure aligned with our door frame properly. It took a bit of fiddling, but eventually my wife was able to wiggle it into place. (And here's where I'll admit that my role in this installation process came mostly in the form of cheerleading, instruction-reading and drink-fetching. I'm the tech guy; my wife enjoys getting her hands dirty with house projects whenever possible.)
Setting up our PIN was a bit more cumbersome, since it involved following very specific instructions from Yale. It's not tough, but it's not exactly intuitive either. I immediately dreaded having to repeat that process whenever we need to set up guest codes. Once we had everything configured, the Assure Lock worked like a charm. I could run to the park with my daughter without fretting about keys, and punching in numbers was simple enough that she was eager to help out. (Gotta get that math training in whenever possible, right?)
While the Assure’s design didn’t bother me much, it’s definitely larger than most deadbolt facades. It practically announces itself as a high tech gadget. Partially, that’s because it still has room for a traditional key. Yale’s Assure Lock SL omits that entirely, and is therefore more compact. So if your aesthetics don’t align with mine, don’t worry, you have options.
Even though the Assure worked well as a keypad lock, I still couldn't help but feel the pull towards something smarter. I wanted an easier way to open our front door remotely while we were playing in the backyard. And I realized it'd be useful to know if the lock was open or not from my phone, something that would come in handy whenever we had a cat sitter visiting while we were away. So within a week, we installed Yale's smart lock upgrade kit and never looked back.
We still use the Assure's keypad most of the time, but it's been genuinely helpful having a bit more connectivity. Now I can easily change guest codes on the fly, and being able to confirm it's closed remotely is a much needed balm for my anxious dad brain. We've avoided activating Alexa integration — voice control seems like an unnecessary security risk — and we haven't yet connected the Assure to our HomeKit setup. Once we do, though, we’ll be able to see the Yale Lock alongside our Arlo cameras on a single screen.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Despite living the smart lock life, I can understand why many people still find them untrustworthy. If there's one thing I've learned about smart home tech over the years, it's that it can all be pretty dumb at times. Security flaws may pop up, the connectivity may fail. But when it comes to security, I'm not too worried about someone trying to hack into my home.
But even if you don't want a connected lock, it's still worth upgrading to an electronic lock with a keypad. After loving the convenience of the Yale Assure so much, we added a simpler model to a rear door, which was a huge help while doing yardwork. Just think about the last time you were locked out. Or, if you've somehow been blessed never to experience that, imagine how annoying being locked out in the cold can be. Maybe it happens at the end of a long day, or at a point when you just really need to use the bathroom. If you had an electronic lock, you'd be inside your home already.
Take-Two Interactive, the owner of Rockstar Games and 2K, has added another studio to its roster. Roll7, the small team behind the OlliOlli skateboarding series, is joining the company's Private Division publishing label.
Private Division will release Roll7's next game, OlliOlli World, which was supposed to arrive by the end of the year but has now been delayed until the first quarter of 2022. It seems both sides found they worked well enough together to make their partnership a permanent one, with Roll7 becoming one of Private Division's in-house studios. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Roll7 is known for its flow state approach to games, the idea bring that players will become completely immersed in a game and focus entirely on it. The original OlliOlli was released in 2014 on PlayStation Vita, and Roll7 earned a BAFTA best sports game award for it the following year.
In OlliOlli World, you'll rack up points for nailing tricks while navigating each level. Roll7 opted for a hand-drawn art style this time around, following the pixel art design of the first two games in the series. The result is a gorgeous-looking title that I'm looking forward to checking out. OlliOlli World is coming to PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
We've long been fans of Jabra's true wireless earbuds and the Elite 75t earned a spot on our favorites list despite not being the newest model from the company. Ever since the Elite 85t came out, we've seen the 75t oscillate in price — but Best Buy has them for only $80 right now, which is the best price we've seen. It's one of the retailer's deals of the day, so you'll have to grab them today to get the discount before the price goes up tomorrow.
The Elite 75t have always been a good option if you didn't want to pay the premium that comes with devices like Apple's AirPods Pro or even competitors from Bose and Sony. The 75t are small and comfortable, and they're IP55-rated design means you can wear them while exercising without worrying. Each bud has one button for onboard controls, but they do a lot including adjust volume, turn on HearThrough transparency mode, skip tracks, mute mics when you're on a call and more. The buds have solid audio that packs a punch and, after the Elite 85t came out, Jabra updated the 75t with active noise cancelling through a firmware update. That was one of the biggest features previously missing on the 75t, and the addition of it makes these buds even more like the 85ts than they were before.
You'll get roughly 6.5 hours on a single charge of the Elite 75t, plus the extra juice its charging case holds. One thing that's exclusive to the 85t earbuds is wireless charging, so you'll have to opt for the more expensive model if you must have that feature. Luckily, the 85t are on sale right now as well for $150 — that's their lowest price ever, but still almost double the cost of the 75t right now. If you're able to snag them today, Jabra's Elite 75t are a steal for anyone in need of a new pair of wireless ANC buds.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
At CES 2018, Honda revealed several companion mobility robot concepts. It's moving forward with at least one of them, an autonomous vehicle that can go off road. Honda and engineering company Black & Veatch have been putting the second-gen Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV) through its paces at a solar panel construction site.
This was the first field test in which several AWVs were working together. The vehicles towed trailers and carried construction materials, water and other supplies across the 1,000-acre worksite. The AWV can carry a payload of up to 399kg (880 pounds) and tow a trailer with a total weight of 750kg (1,653 pounds).
In a video that shows off the AWVs, a Black & Veatch employee notes that it can take a while to travel across such a large site. So loading up the vehicles with materials and sending them to another location can make things more efficient and cut down on employees' travel time, freeing them up to work on other things.
Honda created a high-definition map of the site so operators could set start and end points for the AWVs. It says the vehicles stopped within centimeters of their destinations. Along with operating autonomously, the AWV can be remotely controlled.
The company claims the vehicle can run for up to eight hours on a single charge, even in a high-temperature environment. The AWV uses a number of sensors for navigation, including GPS, radar and LiDAR, as well as 3D cameras for remote monitoring. Honda says that even with a maximum payload capacity, the AWV has a range of up to 27.9 miles, depending on the use case.
The automaker is aiming to improve the performance and design of the AMV as it iterates on the prototype (it looks kinda cute as is). It might offer the ability to add attachments and tools as well. Honda hasn't revealed plans to release a commercial version of the AMV just yet, though.
There's plenty new in iPadOS 15, but it also features an under-sung accessibility upgrade: support for third-party eye-tracking devices. That'll allow people with disabilities to use iPad apps and speech generation software simply through eye movements — no touchscreen interaction required. Tobii Dynavox, the assistive tech division of the eye-tracking company Tobii, worked with Apple for years to help make that happen. And now, the firm is ready to announce TD Pilot, a device that aims to bring the iPad experience to the estimated 50 million people globally who need communication assistance.
The TD Pilot is basically a super-powered frame for Apple's tablets: It can fit in something as big as the iPad Pro 12.9-inch, and it also packs in large speakers, an extended battery and a wheelchair mount. It's thankfully water and dust-resistant, so it'll survive time in a rainstorm or even a user's shower. There's also a secondary "Partner Window" on the back that spells out what a TD Pilot user is saying, which aims to make conversation feel more natural. Most importantly, though, it features Tobii Dynavox's latest eye-tracking sensor, which is powerful enough to work in bright sunlight.
This isn't exactly new territory for the company: It's been producing popular Windows-powered assistive devices for years. But, as CEO Fredrik Ruben tells Engadget, TD Pilot gives users with disabilities the same sort of flexibility that the non-disabled have. Some may not need the full power of a Windows PC, or maybe they'd just rather deal with the simpler interface on an iPad. TD Pilot users will also be able use eye tracking to play some iPadOS games—so long as they don't require extremely rapid movement.
While Tobii Dynavox is the current market leader in eye-tracking solutions, a smaller company ended up delivering iPad support first. Inclusive Technology's Skyle launched last year, and it allows for gaze control by tapping into the iPad's Assistive Touch feature. That was originally meant for mice and other input devices. Consequently, Ruben claims that technique is more like emulated tracking, since it involves staring at a cursor to move it around. Still, a short review from the YouTube channel Products for pALS was pretty favorable (and also had some less kind things to say about Tobii Dynavox's dated software).
Skyle's $2,995 price may also be another advantage if your insurance doesn't cover TD Pilot. Ruben tells us that Tobii Dynavox has around 400 insurance contracts already, and its devices are already covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Without insurance, though, the total cost of the TD Pilot could run up to $10,000, not including the cost of the iPad. Part of that cost would also go towards getting the device set up, as well as paying for Tobii Dynavox's software.
Tobii Dynavox
When I tried out Tobii's eye-tracking technology in VR a few years ago, it felt like a superpower. I could hit a far-off target with a rock simply by focusing on it. It's not hard to see how useful that technology could be with an iPad for users with disabilities. Last year, we said that assistive technology still had a long way to go, despite a bit of progress from companies like Microsoft and Google. So, at the least, it's heartening to see another solution pop up—especially one that forced Apple to open up its restrictive ecosystem in the name of accessibility.
If you've been contemplating whether to purchase a subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud plan, now is time to do so. Between today and December 3rd, the All Apps plan is 40 percent off for first-time customers. The bundle includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro and Acrobat. With the discount, it costs $30 per month, down from $53. If you're a student, you can get almost 70 percent off the plan, making it $16 per month.
The promotion is also available to workplaces. Teams can get the All Apps plan for $50 monthly. All three discounts are only available to first-time Creative Cloud subscribers. The All Apps plan isn't for everyone, but if you depend on a handful of apps, it's worth picking up over the individual subscriptions Adobe offers.
Bose's latest QuietComfort 45 headphones only just became available and they're already on sale at Amazon. You can grab the cans for $279 right now, or $50 off their normal price. That's the best price we've seen in the short time these headphones have been available, so now's a good time to get them if you've had your eye on a new pair of headphones or if someone on your gift list could use them.
Bose's QuietComfort lineup is beloved for many reasons and the company didn't try to reinvent the wheel here. The QC45 look very similar to the QC35 that came before it. We recommend the Bose 700 if you're looking for a striking pair of headphones, but the QC45, while not the slickest, are super comfortable to wear for hours on end. The physical buttons for onboard controls let you play/pause, take calls, skip tracks and adjust the volume, plus switch between active noise cancellation and ambient sound mode. Notably, Bose nixed the micro-USB charging port and opted for a more modern USB-C port on these cans.
Sound quality and ANC are as good as you'd expect on a pair of Bose headphones. Audio is clear and balanced and ANC is even better than it was before. QuietComfort devices have been some of the best you can get if you want to block out the world, and Bose managed to improve upon it even more in the QC45 with the help of multiple microphones that work with a "proprietary digital chip" to detect and silence more mid-range frequencies. That means it'll quell the roar of the commuter train you may be riding along with the voices of colleagues on Zoom calls right next to you.
Bose promises up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge and we got around 22.5 hours in our testing. That means you'll be able to keep these cans on all day long if you want and still have some juice leftover at the end of a work day. As solid as these headphones are, they do have a few flaws. We mentioned their somewhat boring design, but that's easy to overlook thanks to the QC45's comfort level. You can't adjust EQ yourself, but the cans have volume-optimized Active EQ feature that adjusts highs and lows automatically. They also have a feature that lets you connect them to your phone and laptop at the same time, but they don't automatically reconnect to your second device after taking a call from your phone. It's a small issue, but one that's amplified when you consider other headphones in this price range do this automatically. However, if you're looking for the best that Bose has to offer — especially in the ANC department — this deal on the QC45 is one to consider.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
OnePlus is known for its special edition phones, and now it's creating another for its latest Nord 2 5G smartphone — but this time, it's moving from iconic cars to iconic video games. The company has unveiled the OnePlus Nord 2 x Pac-Man edition with custom covers, themed wallpapers and even a Lego-like smartphone holder.
The back of the phone has a film with a small Pac-Man logo, and it even glows in the dark to reveal a maze. There's also a translucent themed case featuring Pac-Man and his enemies Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde. once its turned on, you get one of eight Pac-Man-themed wallpapers, along with a Pac-Man-themed charging animation, redesigned retro icons/notification sounds and more. The box is also Pac-Man themed.
OnePlus
If also comes with a Lego-like Pac-Man stand you build yourself, provided you order it directly from OnePlus. Finally, it includes a pre-installed version of the 2015 (free-to-play) game Pac-Man 256.
Otherwise, it's the same OnePlus Nord 2 we recently tried, complete with a 6.43-inch 1080 90Hz OLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI processor and 4,500mAh, 65W fast-charging battery. On the back, you'll find a triple-camera setup with a 50-megapixel main camera, 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel monochrome camera. It goes on sale tomorrow for £499/€529/₹37,999 in the UK, Europe and India respectively, and as with the regular Nord 2, isn't available in the US.
Tesla seems to be sneakily combining some of its tech projects. We’ll dive into that later — let’s start with Disney. As threatened, the company went hard on the announcements on its streaming service anniversary last Friday.
Alongside a bunch of new Disney movies and shows, there were a lot of new Marvel properties breaking cover. They include X-Men '97, a reimagined take on the '90s cartoon take of the X-Men, as well as new shows for Marvel characters, like Moonknight, She-Hulk, Echo and Ms. Marvel.
Wandavision standout Agatha Harkness is getting her own spooky show, while one of Marvel comics’ most compelling events, Secret Wars, is also getting a show, with Samuel L. Jackson finally getting lead billing on an MCU project. Many of these won’t arrive until 2023, but the plan is to keep subscribers hooked for another year.
And if you’re more Star Wars less Star Lord inclined, we’ve got our first look at the new Obi-Wan show coming soon.
According to Electrek, Tesla EV owners have spotted Starlink satellite internet dishes at Supercharger stations. It's not yet clear how many there are or if they're accessible to drivers, but the deployment at least includes Florida.
Aside from getting your Netflix fix in, there are multiple possible uses for Starlink broadband at Superchargers. At the least, it could replace or supplement the existing connections that handle basics like payments and charger status. That could help the company deploy Superchargers faster and in more remote areas at a time when the company hopes to start charging for non-Tesla EVs and triple the size of its station network.
The Bitcoin network finally rolled out its Taproot code upgrade over the weekend. The update improves both privacy and security for complicated transactions through new signatures that make them look like any other exchange. Would-be thieves or snoops should have a harder time recognizing when an unusual transfer is taking place.
This is the first major refresh of the network code since 2017 and could make it easier for the cryptocurrency to handle trade demands, which don’t seem to be going anywhere. Bitcoin reached another peak price only last week. It’s grown another 305 percent in value in the last 12 months.
Even after SharePlay’s belated addition, iOS 15 remains a relatively subtle update. There are no major shakeups to how you interact with your iPhone, though you might find the Focus modes useful when you need to limit distractions. SharePlay is well executed, but you’re forced into using FaceTime and a limited number of compatible apps and services. There are a lot of improvements to the company’s own apps, from FaceTime through Safari, and Apple Maps continues to close in on Google Maps.
Italian fashion house Gucci is releasing a special edition Xbox Series X that will cost an eye-watering $10,000. The bundle will include the console, two wireless controllers and a very fancy carrying case.
IBM claims it has taken a major step toward practical quantum computation. On Monday, the company unveiled Eagle, a 127 qubit quantum processor. IBM says it’s the first such processor that can’t be simulated by a classic supercomputer. To make sense of what that means, the company explains that to simulate Eagle you would need more classical bits than there are atoms in every human being on the planet. IBM is crediting the breakthrough to a new design that puts the processor’s control components on multiple physical levels while the qubits are located on a single layer.
