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That report from a few weeks ago was spot-on. As The Information‘s sources tipped, Microsoft 365 Copilot is adding Anthropic’s AI models. Microsoft announced today that Claude access is now rolling out for beta testers. For starters, it’s being integrated into Copilot’s Researcher and its agent development tool. “Copilot will continue to be powered by OpenAI’s latest models,” Microsoft’s announcement was quick to stress. Following that report from earlier this month, it was easy to imagine growing tensions between the two. It didn’t help that the story came on the heels of reports of uneasy negotiations between the pair. Whether or not there’s anything to that, OpenAI models like GPT-5 still fuel most of Copilot… for now. But Microsoft 365’s Researcher now allows testers to use Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.1. Copilot’s reasoning tool launched earlier this year. It’s designed to help you “tackle complex, multistep research.” Microsoft posted the brief video below. It shows a new “Try Claude” button in the upper-right corner of the research agent’s interface. Copilot Studio, Microsoft’s AI agent dev tool, offers similar functionality. There, a drop-down menu lets you choose between OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s models. Anthropic integration is currently rolling out through Microsoft’s Frontier program. (That’s its optional beta program for AI previews.) After signing up, you’ll need to opt in to use Anthropic. This will all presumably roll out to the wider public later. This won’t be the end of Copilot’s Anthropic integration. “Anthropic models will bring even more powerful experiences to Microsoft 365 Copilot,” Microsoft’s Charles Lamanna teased. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-adds-claude-models-to-copilot-365-185032970.html?src=rss

YouTube says it will now let viewers dismiss the popups and video suggestions that appear at the end of videos with a new “Hide” button. These end screen popups are a standard part of most YouTube videos, but the company says it received community feedback that viewers wanted to dismiss them so they “focus on the content they’re watching.” If end screens are bothering you before the video you’re watching has finished, you can now tap or click on a new Hide button in the top right corner of YouTube’s video player to dismiss them. It’s worth noting, though, that the setting only applies to the current video you’re watching, so you’ll have to tap on the Hide button again for each new video you watch. Even with that small annoyance, giving viewers the option is a positive change. End screens might improve a channel or videos metrics, but when they get in the way of watching, you should be able to hide them. Alongside this new button, YouTube is also changing an interface element on the desktop version of the video platform. Now you’ll no longer see a “Subscribe” button when you hover your mouse over a video’s watermark — a feature that was already redundant because of the dedicated Subscribe button under each video. YouTube claims neither of these changes will prevent video creators from adding things like end screens or watermarks if they want to, and the tweaks themselves only have a minor effect on the views or subscriptions a channel earns. “Giving users the option to hide end screens resulted in a less than 1.5 percent decrease in views from end screens,” YouTube claims. Meanwhile, “less than ~0.05 percent of all channel subscriptions come from the hover-to-subscribe functionality on the video watermark,” so removing the option isn’t much of a loss. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/youtube-will-finally-let-you-hide-popups-at-the-end-of-videos-183002850.html?src=rss

Valve has broadly rolled out a new Steam store menu after testing it since July. This redesign is available for the standard Steam PC client, the Steam Deck and Steam Mobile. The big news here is that the update makes it easier to find stuff you want to play, which is a good move given the clutter of the current Steam store. Everything has been streamlined, with a new search menu existing up top. This search menu includes options for top sellers, new releases, discounted games and more. These criteria were already available, but all options are now grouped together in a nice and colorful menu. The new “Categories” pull-down menu provides a more tailored feed, as it snags content from your top genres and offers suggested tags to find similar games. Valve says the pre-existing search bar has gotten some upgrades underneath the hood. It can now offer suggestions based on common searches and can bring up a list of games you’ve recently searched for. “With these changes, we’re aiming to make your experience smoother and more tailored to your needs,” Steam wrote in a blog post back in July. “We’ve been hearing from players, and experiencing ourselves, that some of the most commonly visited areas of Steam were hard to get to.” The store update is rolling out now, so check your preferred Steam client to get started. It might be time to start clearing out that long-neglected wishlist. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/valve-rolls-out-a-new-steam-store-menu-to-make-it-easier-to-find-games-190027385.html?src=rss

When we say that NordVPN is a good VPN that’s not quite great, it’s important to put that in perspective. Building a good VPN is hard, as evidenced by all the shovelware VPNs flooding the market. NordVPN may not be perfect, but it’s easily top-five caliber and excels in certain use cases. First, the bad: NordVPN’s apps could all stand to undergo a little more quality control, with elements distracting from other elements and inconsistent designs from platform to platform. At least one of its FAQ pages directly contradicts itself. And while all the server locations could unblock Netflix, the one in Nigeria still showed U.S. content, indicating that our real location might have leaked. However, there’s a lot of good to balance that out. Speeds are fantastic and we saw no other hint of any kind of leak. Its server network is expansive and not overly reliant on virtual locations. The vast majority of servers are ideal for unblocking foreign websites. The real draw, though, is the extra features, including the innovative and flexible Meshnet, plus a malware blocker that acts more like a full antivirus and forward-looking quantum resistant encryption. Editor’s note (9/24/25): We’ve overhauled our VPN coverage to provide more detailed, actionable buying advice. Going forward, we’ll continue to update both our best VPN list and individual reviews (like this one) as circumstances change. Most recently, we added official scores to all of our VPN reviews. Check out how we test VPNs to learn more about the new standards we’re using. Table of contents Findings at a glance Installing, configuring and using NordVPN NordVPN speed test NordVPN security test How much does NordVPN cost? NordVPN side apps and bundles Close-reading NordVPN’s privacy policy Can NordVPN change your virtual location? Investigating NordVPN’s server network Extra features of NordVPN NordVPN customer support options NordVPN background check Final verdict Findings at a glance Check out a summary of our NordVPN review in the table below. Category Notes Installation and UI Connections happen quickly and features are easy to use on all platforms UI sometimes gets in the way; map screens can be clunky and apps come with unnecessary notifications Surprisingly, the best UI may be in the browser extension Speed Extremely fast download speeds with only a 6.4-percent average drop Good latencies on nearby servers, but farther ones have some lag Fast upload speeds, but losses spiked in a few locations Security Uses acceptable protocols with uncracked encryption NordWhisper obfuscated protocol recently implemented on Windows, Android and Linux No DNS, WebRTC or IPv6 leaks on five test servers Pricing Best plan is the 2-year Basic for $81.36, or $3.39 per month Basic gives you the complete VPN If you get a multi-year plan, be sure to manually renew in order to keep the promotional rates Bundles Plus tier adds advanced malware protection and NordPass password manager Complete plan adds NordLocker cloud storage Prime tier adds ID theft protection and insurance features Privacy policy NordVPN does not log user activity on the VPN, a policy backed up by several third-party audits However, it does log potentially identifiable device information unless you opt out in settings Some concerning liberties taken in the overall Nord policy, but no documented malfeasance Virtual location change Four out of five test servers unblocked Netflix three times running, including virtual India location Location in Nigeria got into Netflix, but didn’t change available titles Server network 153 server locations in 117 countries and territories Server network is about 40 percent virtual, including all locations in Africa Features Extra servers grant additional privacy (double VPN, Onion over VPN, obfuscation) or specific optimizations (P2P, dedicated IP) Meshnet directly connects two devices without a NordVPN server mediating Threat Protection blocks dangerous domains and the Pro upgrade has some antivirus capability Dark Web Monitor reports to you when any sensitive information has appeared on clandestine leak sites Presets let you activate several settings with one clickPost-quantum encryption is nice, but not necessary yet Kill switch is a useful safety feature on all appsSplit tunneling by app on Windows and Android, and by URL on browser extensions Customer support Written FAQs, live chat and email support Live chat connected to an expert human within a minute FAQs are poorly organized and contain some conflicts, but well-written on average Background check NordVPN is headquartered in Panama, while its parent company Nord Security is based in the Netherlands 2018 theft of public keys was a mistake, but NordVPN did almost everything right in response Claims of law enforcement collaboration are overblown — NordVPN will comply with requests, but that doesn’t mean they’ll have information to provide Installing, configuring and using NordVPN NordVPN’s biggest strengths are its speeds and the range of options it puts at your fingertips. User experience is important, but it’s not quite as front-and-center as it is with ExpressVPN and Proton VPN. Here’s how the apps run on all the major platforms. Windows The Windows app is the first instance of NordVPN’s UI being not bad enough to complain about, but not good enough to be considered excellent. The initial connection process is a little slow, and it’s far easier to connect than it is to disconnect (click the power button while connected to shut the VPN off). The map takes up space that would have been better allocated to the server list. Sam Chapman for Engadget The minor problems continue in the settings list, which makes the mistake of not keeping all its tabs visible in the window — if you open one, you have to click back to the main menu to reach another page. The pages themselves are easy to use; it’s just a bit clunkier than it could have been. Mac Setup is swift and easy on Mac, but the full NordVPN interface is a little awkward. The vast majority of the main window is taken up by a large map, which is mostly useless. There’s no way to zoom out to see the whole world, and you

Channels once banned by YouTube for spreading false information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic or the 2020 election may soon have the opportunity to get their channels back, in a decision transparently courting “conservative voices.” Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, has sent a letter via counsel to the House Judiciary Committee in which it alleges the company was pressured by the Biden administration to take down misinformation on YouTube related to the COVID-19 pandemic that did not violate the company’s existing policies at the time. It now describes the Biden administration’s actions as “unacceptable and wrong.” It also informed the committee that YouTube would be offering a path to reinstatement for creators whose channels were banned for repeatedly violating community guidelines on election-integrity-related content, as well as for COVID-19-related content. The guidelines under which those bans were carried out were removed by the company in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Details on exactly what the path for reinstatement looks like were not shared. “The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented time in which online platforms had to reach decisions about how best to balance freedom of expression with responsibility,” the letter reads. “Senior Biden administration officials, including White House officials, conducted repeated and sustained outreach to Alphabet and pressed the company regarding user generated content related to the COVID-19 pandemic that did not violate its policies.” Alphabet goes on to denounce any government attempts to “dictate how the Company moderates content,” and says it will always “fight against those efforts on First Amendment grounds.” Notable YouTube channels banned for either COVID-19 or election-integrity-related content include Steve Bannon’s War Room, Co-Deputy Director of the FBI Dan Bongino’s channel and the channel for Children’s Health Defense, an organization previously linked with Secretary of HHS RFK Jr. “YouTube values conservative voices on its platform and recognizes that these creators have extensive reach and play an important role in civic discourse,” the company wrote. In its letter, Alphabet also expresses concern that the European Union’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act could have a chilling effect on freedom of expression. The letter was sent in response to subpoenas as part of the House Judiciary Committee’s ongoing investigations into alleged government-directed content moderation. The committee recently held a hearing on “Europe’s Threat to American Speech and Innovation,” among others. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/youtube-may-reinstate-channels-banned-for-spreading-covid-and-election-misinformation-190257602.html?src=rss

AI is an enormous energy drain, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions at a time when the planet desperately needs progress in the opposite direction. Although most of that comes from running GPUs, cooling them is another significant overhead. So, it’s worth noting when a company of Microsoft’s stature claims to have achieved a breakthrough in chip cooling. Microsoft’s new system is based on microfluidics, a method long pursued but hard to implement. The company claims its approach could lead to three times better cooling than current methods. Many data centers rely on cold plates to prevent GPUs from overheating. Although effective to a degree, the plates are separated from the heat source by several layers of material, which limits their performance. “If you’re still relying heavily on traditional cold plate technology [in five years], you’re stuck,” Microsoft program manager Sashi Majety is quoted as saying in the company’s announcement. In microfluidics, the coolant flows closer to the source. The liquid in Microsoft’s prototype moves through thread-like channels etched onto the back of the chip. The company also used AI to more efficiently direct the coolant through those channels. Microsoft Another aspect separating this prototype from previous attempts is that it drew inspiration from Mother Nature. As you can see in the image above, the etchings resemble the veins in a leaf or a butterfly wing. Microsoft says the technique can reduce the maximum silicon temperature rise inside a GPU by 65 percent. (However, that number depends on the workload and chip type.) This would enable overclocking “without worrying about melting the chip down,” Microsoft’s Jim Kleewein said. It could allow the company to place servers closer together physically, reducing latency. It would also lead to “higher-quality” waste heat use. Although this sounds good for the environment in a general sense, Microsoft’s announcement doesn’t lean into that. The blog post primarily discusses the technique’s potential for performance and efficiency gains. Green benefits are only alluded to briefly as “sustainability” and reduced grid stress. Let’s hope that’s only a case of a cynical observer overanalyzing framing. Our planet needs all the help it can get. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-claims-a-breakthrough-in-ai-chip-cooling-193106705.html?src=rss

With the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally only a few weeks away on October 16, the fantasy of a portable Xbox is about to be a lot more real. As a recent video from YouTuber James Channel shows, though, with a first-generation Xbox and the right components, you can make your own version of an Xbox handheld right now. Just don’t expect it to be pretty. James’ “portable monstrosity” strips away the original Xbox’s large plastic casing and thick internal cables and preserves the bare essentials: a motherboard and the console’s disk drive, with a new flash drive and a display from an iPod video accessory. All those components are precariously mounted between the left and right halves of an Xbox controller, for a complete package that seems less easy to hold than ASUS’ current handheld PCs, but only marginally so. It’s a quick and dirty assembly with a surprising amount of super glue — a far cry from the polished Xbox 360 handheld created by YouTuber Millomaker — but it gets the job done. You can already stream Xbox games to a multitude of screens, or play their PC versions on a growing number of handheld PCs. You don’t need to turn an original Xbox into a portable device, but considering Microsoft and ASUS have yet to announce pricing for their new handhelds, maybe keep this cheaper alternative in your back pocket. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/theres-more-than-one-way-to-make-an-xbox-handheld-201503415.html?src=rss

Curious to see if those Forza Horizon 6 rumors are true? You may not have long to wait. Xbox’s presentation at the Tokyo Game Show 2025 is fast approaching. You can watch the event live right here on September 25 at 6AM ET. Forza Horizon 6 is rumored to have a Japan setting, making this week’s event a logical venue for its announcement. That’s not the only thing to go on. Windows Central reported last month that it had seen official documentation suggesting the game would be announced at the Tokyo Game Show. An Xbox executive producer even posted earlier this month that it would be an event “you don’t want to miss.” (Am I sadistic for hoping he was hyping up something like a new Xbox dashboard feature?) The Xbox brand could use some positive mojo. Last week, Microsoft announced that it would raise console prices for the second time in less than five months. The increase, which begins on October 3, was “due to changes in the macroeconomic environment.” (That sounds like a copywriter’s answer to “How do you say ‘tariffs’ without actually saying ‘tariffs?’”) It’s all the more reason the company would love to shift your focus to something fun. You can stream Microsoft’s event below on September 25 at 6AM ET. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/how-to-watch-xboxs-tokyo-game-show-livestream-204657743.html?src=rss

Amazon is pivoting its grocery operations in the UK, announcing that it will close 14 of its Amazon Fresh stores in the country. The remaining five Amazon Fresh locations in the UK will be converted to the Whole Foods Market brand. Rather than the brick and mortar shops, Amazon said it will focus on online grocery deliveries within the region. In 2026, the company said it expects to add perishables to its Same-Day Delivery orders for UK customers, which was just introduced in the US last month. The move echoes a similar contraction in 2023, where Amazon said it would shutter both some Fresh supermarkets and some Go convenience stores. Many of these shops highlighted the Just Walk Out tech from Amazon, which it introduced in the US in 2018 and in the UK in 2021. Just Walk Out eliminated cashiers in those stores and instead charged customers by using a network of cameras, sensors and human observers checking video feeds to calculate the tab for a person’s purchase and then charge them afterwards. However, the approach yielded concerns around cost, accuracy and privacy. Amazon stopped using Just Walk Out in its US Fresh stores last year. Update, September 23, 2025, 5:55PM ET: Revised to correct a misstatement about Amazon’s current use of Just Walk Out in the US. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-is-closing-all-fresh-grocery-stores-in-the-uk-195200222.html?src=rss

Next year, baseball reasons will have one less reason to rage at the umpire. Major League Baseball announced today that it will introduce the Automated Ball Strike challenge system in the 2026 season for all spring training, championship season and postseason games. In other words, next year there will be a way for the players to attempt to overturn an umpire’s call about whether a pitch counts as a strike or a ball if they disagree with the initial decision.  ABS uses a network of a dozen camera to record every pitch thrown. The umpire will still call the pitch a ball or strike as usual, but under the new system, the pitcher, catcher or batter can immediately challenge that decision. Coaching staff and other players cannot offer input on whether or not a challenge is initiated. If the cameras show any part of the ball touching the batter’s strike zone, the pitch will be counted as a strike. All teams will begin a game with two challenge opportunities, and only lose them if they challenge unsuccessfully. For games that go into extra innings, a team will get an additional challenge if it has none remaining at the start of the additional gameplay.   Baseball has taken a gradual path to introducing this tech. ABS has been tested at the Triple-A level since 2022, and it finally got a chance in the majors during spring training and in the All-Star Game this year. Other sports have also been leveraging electronics to ensure that gameplay rules and scoring are consistent. Football/soccer has implemented a video assistant referee (VAR) system in several leagues, including FIFA and the UK’s Premier league. Tennis is also adopting electronic line calls at Wimbledon and other tournaments. Even the electronic systems are not infallible, but considering how much any high-level athletic endeavor can be won or lost by millimeters, having a backup for the human eye seems like a net positive. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/major-league-baseball-will-adopt-an-automated-challenge-system-in-2026-205023531.html?src=rss