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Nintendo had a truly wild surprise up its sleeve for Switch Online + Expansion Pack during its Direct event on Friday. The company is bringing back the Virtual Boy as a physical device into which you can slot your Switch or Switch 2. A $100 plastic replica of the mid-90s tabletop system will soon be available for Switch Online members to buy. The company will sell a $25 cardboard version of the accessory too. No need to rub your eyes in disbelief (but if history is any indication, you might have to for relief after using this thing). You’ll need either accessory — which Nintendo says will only be available in the US and Canada — to play Virtual Boy games. They’ll start hitting Switch Online + Expansion Pack on February 17. Mario’s Tennis (a pack-in game for the original system), Galactic Pinball, Teleroboxer, Space Invaders and Tetris are among the 14 stereoscopic 3D Virtual Boy games that Nintendo will bring to the subscription service over time.  That means most of the Virtual Boy games that were ever released are coming to Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Nintendo only released 22 of them, since the Virtual Boy never took off. The company ended production of the device and stopped making games for it in 1996, only a year after the Virtual Boy hit shelves. Here’s hoping the latest version of the accessory doesn’t give players too many headaches. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-is-bringing-back-the-virtual-boy-as-a-switch-and-switch-2-accessory-140037508.html?src=rss

A square camera sensor may sound like one of those things only nerds would appreciate, but as part of the new front-facing 18-megapixel “Center Stage” camera on the iPhone 17 lineup, it could have massive implications for Apple’s users. They’ll no longer need to turn their phones to take a landscape selfie, especially if they need to fit a large group of people, as that’s all handled automatically by Center Stage. It’s the sort of “Why didn’t I think of that?” feature that other phone makers will likely copy, simply because it’s immensely practical. Those square camera sensors could help make Apple a selfie pioneer, once again. We’ve come a long way from when the iPhone 4 and HTC Evo 4G introduced the idea of modern front-facing cameras in 2010. Earlier cellphones in Japan and Europe had low quality selfie cameras, and you could argue that the Game Boy Camera also toyed with the idea when it arrived in 1998. But in 2010, we finally had powerful phones on relatively speedy mobile connections that could easily share photos and let users hop on video chats on a whim. (It still stings that it took Apple two more years to release the LTE-capable iPhone 5, which made FaceTime much more useful.) iPhone Air selfie cameraSam Rutherford for Engadget During the iPhone 17 launch event, Apple revealed that its customers took 500 billion selfies last year, a massive figure that shows just how normalized the practice has become. Selfies were often mocked when they were deemed the purview of Instagram-obsessed teenage girls, but these days it’s not unusual to see everyone from seniors to a gaggle of sports bros gathering around a single phone like an object of worship. And, on a personal note, they’re really the only way to get decent photos of your entire family, especially when you’re juggling two rambunctious young kids. We take photos to preserve memories, but selfies feel distinctive for their intimacy. You’re not just capturing where you were, but you’re also documenting yourself in the moment, along with the people around you. By making it easier to take selfies, it follows that you’ll start to take even more of them, ultimately tying yourself into Apple’s ecosystem even further. That leads to needing an iPhone with more storage and potentially more iCloud backup space down the line. You’re also not going to jump over to an Android phone if you have to turn your phone sideways for a landscape selfie, or if you lose access to all of the cherished memories in your Apple Photos library. The square camera sensor keeps you loyal.  It’ll also change the way iPhone users take front-facing videos. Center Stage automatically keeps you in the center of FaceTime calls, so you don’t have to worry so much about framing yourself up. And while I haven’t seen this particular feature in action, it should also help alleviate the headache of turning your phone during a FaceTime call to match the recipient’s device. (Or maybe I’m just tired of telling my parents to flip their phones when their FaceTime chats have huge black borders.) This may be a stretch, but I could see the Center Stage front camera making it more common to record video with your front and rear cameras at the same time. While it’s new to iPhone as “Dual Capture,” we’ve seen variants of it from Samsung and Nokia (remember #bothie?) Android devices, but they’ve never really taken off. TikTok’s dual-camera live streaming mode has been more successful, and there are also vlogging apps like MixCam built around dual recording. With Dual Capture on iPhone 17, Center Stage’s ability to keep you in the middle of the action with the front camera should let you focus more on getting the best shot with the rear lenses. While I’d love to see Apple cram more pixels into the 18MP Center Stage camera, moving to a square sensor will honestly be more impactful for all of the reasons above. It’s easy to throw in a higher resolution sensor, it’s tougher to fundamentally rethink how you can improve upon something as simple as taking a selfie. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-17-square-selfie-camera-is-a-bigger-deal-than-you-think-151517041.html?src=rss

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade comes out for the Switch 2 on January 22, 2026, which was revealed at today’s lengthy Nintendo Direct livestream. This is the first entry in the remake trilogy and primarily takes place in the opening city of Midgar. You’ll have to wait until Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to explore the overworld map, and there’s no Switch 2 release date for that one yet. This release does include the Episode Intermission DLC, which involves the ninja Yuffie on a mission to steal powerful items from the evil Shinra corporation. That story takes place after the main campaign. There’s a trailer and it looks gorgeous, so the Switch 2 should be able to handle this one. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade originally came out back in 2021. The long-awaited title was more of a reimagining than a straight remake of the iconic JRPG. The game still managed to garner critical acclaim, despite drastic changes from the original. It was followed by Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in 2024, with a third game on the way to close out the trilogy. There’s no name for this final entry and we don’t have a release date, as it’s still in active development. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/final-fantasy-vii-remake-intergrade-hits-the-switch-2-on-january-22-152559995.html?src=rss

It’s official. The Switch 2 is getting the next entry in the long-running Fire Emblem series. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave will be available sometime in 2026, though we have nothing more specific than that. We do have a trailer and it looks gorgeous. It showed off the game’s tactical combat, which is a mainstay for the franchise, and teased the story. It involves some sort of gladiator-like contest called the Heroic Games. There are plenty of new combat units and many of them boast gladiatorial flair of some kind. It also looks to take place in the same universe as the immensely popular Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which came out for the original Switch console. There are some visual similarities and one character seems to be a grown-up version of someone from Three Houses. This makes a certain kind of sense, given that Three Houses is the most financially successful game in franchise history and considered by critics to be a stone-cold classic. The more recent Fire Emblem: Engage wasn’t nearly as popular, despite being a solid entry. For the uninitiated, this series is all about tactical turn-based combat, factional rivalries and robust storylines involving numerous characters. It was a niche franchise here in the USA until the 3DS era and the release of Fire Emblem: Awakening and Fire Emblem: Fates. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/fire-emblem-fortunes-weave-comes-out-for-the-switch-2-in-2026-162127483.html?src=rss

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Amazon and Google misled advertisers regarding the pricing and terms for their ads. As first reported by Bloomberg, the investigation is being conducted by the agency’s consumer protection unit, and centers around the auction-style sale of advertising space by the companies. Google sells ads using automated auctions that run after a user enters a search query. These auctions take place in less than a second. Amazon uses real-time auctions to place ads within its listings, which users would recognize as “sponsored listings” or “sponsored ads” when searching for specific products. The investigation questions whether Amazon disclosed so-called “reserve pricing” for some of its ads, which is a price floor that advertisers must meet before they can buy an ad. For Google’s part, the FTC is looking at certain practices by the search giant including its internal pricing process and whether it was surreptitiously increasing the cost of ads in ways that advertisers weren’t privy to. The FTC isn’t the only federal agency keeping a close eye on big tech. Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled that Google held a monopoly in online ad tech after the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued to break up the giant’s ad business. Google also recently escaped mostly unscathed from a Department of Justice monopoly case involving its Chrome browser. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has previously said that big tech is one of the agency’s top priorities. These investigations move forward against a backdrop of top tech CEOs continuing to try to curry favor with President Trump via lavish personal gifts and sweeping (if potentially unrealistic) promises of investment in the US economy. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftc-investigating-ad-sale-practices-at-google-and-amazon-160236895.html?src=rss

Grok has once again been caught spreading blatant misinformation on X. In several bizarre exchanges, the chatbot repeatedly claimed that Charlie Kirk was “fine” and that gruesome videos of his assassination were a “meme edit.” In one exchange shortly after videos of the shooting began to spread on X, one user tagged Grok and asked if Kirk could have survived the shooting. Grok’s response was nonsensical. “Charlie Kirk takes the roast in stride with a laugh— he’s faced tougher crowds,” it wrote. “Yes, he survives this one easily.” When another user replied with “wtf are you talking about,” and pointed out that Kirk has been shot in the neck, Grok insisted it was a “a meme video with edited effects to look like a dramatic ‘shot’—not a real event.” It doubled down when pressed again by another incredulous user. “The video is a meme edit—Charlie Kirk is debating, and effects make it look like he’s ‘shot’ mid-sentence for comedic effect,” Grok wrote. “No actual harm; he’s fine and active as ever.” Grok went on to make similar claims in several other exchanges on Wednesday, saying that video was “exaggerated for laughs” and contained “edited effects for humor.” In another, Grok noted that multiple news outlets and President Donald Trump had confirmed Kirk’s death but described it as a “meme” that appeared to be “satirical commentary on reactions to political violence.” By Thursday morning, Grok seemed to understand that Kirk had indeed been shot and killed, but still referenced a “meme video” it said was “unrelated.” Screenshot via X That’s not the only misinformation Grok spread in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, though. As The New York Times reports, Grok also repeated the name of a Canadian man who was erroneously identified as the shooter by users on X. Representatives for X and xAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The xAI chatbot, which has been trained on X posts among other sources, has become ubiquitous on X as users frequently tag Grok in posts in an attempt to fact check or simply dunk on other users. But the chatbot has proved to be extremely unreliable at best. Previously, Grok was also caught spreading misinformation about the 2024 presidential election, falsely claiming that then Vice President Kamala Harris couldn’t appear on the ballot. Other incidents have raised more serious questions about Grok. In May of this year, it seemed to become fixated on a conspiracy theory claiming there had been a “white genocide” in South Africa. xAI, the company behind Grok, later attributed it to an “unauthorized modification” but didn’t fully explain how that happened. Earlier this summer, Grok repeatedly posted antisemitic tropes, praised Hitler and referred to itself as “MechaHitler.” xAI apologized and blamed a faulty update. Have a tip for Karissa? You can reach her by email, on X, Bluesky, Threads, or send a message to @karissabe.51 to chat confidentially on Signal. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/grok-claimed-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-video-was-a-meme-edit-175640641.html?src=rss

The Federal Trade Commission is making a formal inquiry into companies that provide AI chatbots that can act as companions. The investigation isn’t tied to any kind of regulatory action as of yet, but does aim to reveal how companies “measure, test, and monitor potentially negative impacts of this technology on children and teens.” Seven companies are being asked to participate in the FTC’s investigation: Google’s parent company Alphabet, Character Technologies (the creator of Character.AI), Meta, its subsidiary Instagram, OpenAI, Snap and X.AI. The FTC is asking companies to provide a variety of different information, including how they develop and approve AI characters and “monetize user engagement.” Data practices and how companies protect underage users are also areas the FTC hopes to learn more about, in part to see if chatbot makers “comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule.” The FTC doesn’t provide clear motivation for its investigation, but in a separate statement, FTC Commissioner Mark Meador suggests the Commission is responding to recent reports from The New York Times and Wall Street Journal of “chatbots amplifying suicidal ideation” and engaging in “sexually-themed discussions with underage users.” “If the facts — as developed through subsequent and appropriately targeted law enforcement inquiries, if warranted — indicate that the law has been violated, the Commission should not hesitate to act to protect the most vulnerable among us,” Meador writes. As the long-term productivity benefits of using AI become less and less certain, the more immediate negative privacy and health impacts have become red meat for regulators. Texas’ Attorney General has already launched a separate investigation into Character. AI and Meta AI Studio over similar concerns of data privacy and chatbots claiming to be mental health professionals. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-ftc-is-investigating-companies-that-make-ai-companion-chatbots-181413615.html?src=rss

Françoise Cadol is the voice actor for Lara Croft in the French localizations of the Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered games. She has sent a legal notice to the games’ publisher, Aspyr, alleging that a recent patch used artificial intelligence to alter her performance without her consent. The news was originally reported by French publication Le Parisien and picked up by Game Developer. According to August 2025 patch notes for the remastered game collection, Tomb Raider VI was updated with some adjustments to its sound and audio. The latest update “fixed issues where various voice-overs and voicelines were too quiet, particularly in the Brazilian Portuguese localization” and “some voice-overs that were missing on the Steam build have been restored.” According to Le Parisien, fans alerted Cadol that the French version of the updated game seemed to differ from her original delivery, which they suspected were the result of the game using artificial intelligence. She has now filed a formal notice against Aspyr asking for sales of the game collection to be paused so the issue can be resolved. We’ve reached out to Aspyr for comment and will update this story if we receive a response. Actors both on screen and behind the mic have been mobilizing to protect themselves against unapproved AI recreations as the tech gains more popularity. The SAG-AFTRA union launched a strike against several video game companies last summer in an effort to gain better protections for performers as AI use grows, and questions around AI in voicework continued to appear as the parties hammered out terms. The strike was suspended in June 2025. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/remastered-tomb-raider-games-allegedly-used-ai-to-change-lara-crofts-french-voice-183922036.html?src=rss

Paramount Skydance, apparently now in a state of permanent merger, plans to make a bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company was recently formed following Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount for $8 billion. Newly anointed Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison was able to afford the acquisition thanks to the backing of his billionaire father, Larry Ellison. Despite Warner Bros. Discovery’s public plans to split back into Warner Bros. and Discovery Global, “the bid will be for the entire company, including its cable networks and movie studio,” the report says. A successful acquisition of the company will likely be very pricey. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Warner Bros.’s nearly $33 billion market cap is more than double that of Paramount Skydance.” Further consolidation in the entertainment industry will likely lead to less varied and interesting film and television, but a merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery could also concentrate even more power in the hands of the federal government.  Prior to the deal going through, CBS paid $16 billion to settle a lawsuit with Trump, which may have affected the President’s stance towards the acquisition. Skydance’s commitment to abandon DEI programs at CBS and make the television network “embody a diversity of viewpoints across the political and ideological spectrum” was also cited as justification for the FCC approving the acquisition. Following the deal, Paramount appointed Kenneth Weinstein as an Ombudsman to “review editorial questions and concerns from outside entities and employees.” Weinstein previously served as an advisor to the Trump administration, Variety reports. Fusing two giant Hollywood studios obviously impacts competition. The question now is how the FCC will respond to this possible acquisition, with even more money and power on the line. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/paramount-reportedly-wants-to-acquire-warner-bros-discovery-antitrust-law-be-damned-193306141.html?src=rss

Apple’s September event put the spotlight on iPhones, but the Apple Watch Series 11 quietly picked up some big quality-of-life changes. The new watch looks the same as the Series 10, but there are meaningful upgrades: 24-hour battery life (up from 18 hours), 5G connectivity on cellular models and tougher Ion-X glass on aluminum versions. The Series 11 also debuts a new health feature, hypertension notifications, which will alert you if your data shows consistent signs of high blood pressure. Importantly, Apple confirmed that this feature will also roll out to older watches, including the Series 10, Series 9 and Ultra 2 via watchOS 26. The Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 and keeps the same 42mm and 46mm case sizes as its predecessor. It runs watchOS 26, uses the same S10 chip and supports the full health suite with ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, temperature sensing, sleep apnea alerts and sleep scoring. As usual, the older your Apple Watch — especially Series 8 and earlier — the more tangible improvements and benefits you’ll see from jumping to the Series 11. But if you already have a Series 10, is it worth upgrading? For most people, the answer depends on how much you value endurance and connectivity. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new and what’s the same when it comes to the new Apple Watch Series 11 and last year’s Series 10. Design and display At first glance, these watches are nearly identical. Both use Apple’s familiar slim cases in aluminum or titanium, and feature the same Retina LTPO OLED display with always-on functionality and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. Physically, they are virtually indistinguishable. If you walked into an Apple Store and mixed them up on the table, you’d probably need to flip them over and check the spec sheet to tell which was which. The change is under the surface, as the Series 11 aluminum models gain Ion-X glass with a ceramic coating that Apple says is twice as scratch-resistant as the Series 10. It’s not indestructible, but if you’re the type who regularly introduces your watch to door frames, it might save you a few scuffs. Performance and connectivity Performance remains steady between the two generations. Both use the S10 chip introduced in 2024, which means apps launch quickly and the overall experience should feel fluid. The one major change is in connectivity. The Series 11’s cellular models now support 5G, while the Series 10 remains limited to LTE. That won’t matter if you always keep your iPhone nearby, but if you’re the kind of person who likes to head out for a run or grab a coffee without a phone in your pocket, 5G gives you more breathing room. Health and fitness features Health and fitness tracking is robust on both models. ECG, blood oxygen, temperature sensing, sleep apnea alerts and sleep scoring are all supported on both the Series 10 and Series 11. Hypertension notifications are debuting with the Series 11, but Apple has confirmed they will also be available on the Series 10 through a software update. So you don’t need to rush to upgrade if you’re only interested in blood pressure alerts — Apple’s giving your existing watch a boost, too. Apple Battery and charging Battery life is where the Series 11 has the most practical differences. After years of quoting the same 18-hour figure, Apple now promises up to 24 hours of use on a single charge. It’s still not a full weekend away without a charger, but for the first time an Apple Watch can comfortably last through a full day and night without begging for the puck. Fast charging is still supported across both models, so even the Series 10 can be topped up quickly, but the Series 11 gives you more breathing room in everyday use. Software experience Both watches run watchOS 26 (Series 10 devices will get that in a software update), which introduces the redesigned Smart Stack, new workout modes and updated health dashboards. Apple has not tied any major new software features exclusively to the Series 11 apart from those that rely on its tougher glass or 5G hardware. In other words, the interface will feel the same whether you’re on the shiny new model or last year’s. Price and availability The Series 11 starts at $399, which is the same starting price the Series 10 had when it first launched. Apple typically phases out old flagship models once the latest has launched, but in the near future, you may be able to find a discounted Series 10 while retailers get rid of their stock. Both support the same case sizes and band compatibility, so existing accessories carry over. So if you’ve got a drawer full of straps, you don’t need to worry — they’ll still snap right on. Should you upgrade? If you’re wondering if now’s the time to step up to an Apple Watch Series 11, the decision will come down to how much you value endurance and connectivity. The Series 11 is the clear winner if you want 24-hour battery life, 5G support and tougher glass. Those changes may not sound dramatic at first, but they alter how you use the watch from day to night, especially if you rely on cellular data or wear it during workouts and sleep. If you already have a Series 10, you’ll get the same health experience, the same software and the same performance. With hypertension notifications also arriving on Series 10 (and even the Series 9), the gap between them narrows even further. The Apple Watch Series 11 doesn’t reinvent the formula, but its upgrades matter. The bump to 24 hours of battery life will make it more of an all-day and all-night companion, 5G makes it more reliable away from your phone and tougher glass adds peace of mind. Think of it this way: if you’re after durability and freedom from the charger, Series 11 is a safe bet. If