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April 8, 2026 No Comments

Greece will ban all kids under 15 from using social media

Greece will ban children under the age 15 from using social media starting next year. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the announcement in a video posted to TikTok, in which he referenced anxiety, sleep problems and addictive design features as reasons for the ban. Greece has been proactive in its approach to tackling excessive screen time for children, having already banned mobile phones in schools in 2024. While the PM chose not to name any platforms, he said he was concerned about children comparing themselves to others on social media and taking online comments to heart. “Greece will be ​among the first countries to take ​such an initiative,” Mitsotakis said. “I am certain, ​however, that it will not be the last. Our ⁠goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well.” As reported by The New York Times, Greece’s digital governance minister, Dimitris Papastergiou, said that social media companies would be legally required to uphold the new restrictions by verifying the ages of their users. Failure to comply would lead to fines under the EU’s Digital Services Act. Parents would also need to download an app called Kids Wallet, backed by the state, that could be paired to their child’s device and block access. The finer details of how the ban would be enforced are still being worked out by decision-makers. The PM conceded that he would likely incur the wrath of his country’s young children, but there’s widespread support for the plans from Greece’s adult population, according to an opinion poll published by ALCO in February. Greece follows in the footsteps of Indonesia, Austria and Australia, all of which have introduced similar bans of their own in the last year. The UK is also considering bringing in tighter restrictions on children under the age of 16 using social media. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/greece-will-ban-all-kids-under-15-from-using-social-media-154850415.html?src=rss

April 8, 2026 No Comments

The Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light is delayed until later this summer

Nintendo Switch 2 owners will have to wait a bit longer to check out IO Interactive’s stab at a James Bond game on the console. The Hitman developer has delayed that version of 007 First Light until later this summer. The game is still slated to hit PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 27, which itself is a delay from the previous March release date. “We’re excited to see players discovering James Bond’s reimagined origin story,” IOI wrote on X. “[We] are looking forward to bringing you the best game experience possible across all platforms.” Earlier this year, IOI suggested that PC players would need quite a beefy rig to meet the recommended specs for 007 First Light. A week later, the publisher updated the specs with more modest requirements and apologized after eagle-eyed observers spotted inconsistencies in the original version. IOI said the error was “due to an internal miscommunication leading to an older version of the specs to be shared.” Meanwhile, Sony has announced a limited-edition 007 First Light DualSense controller. Developers and publishers have had difficulty in porting certain games to the Switch 2, as Kotaku notes. Gearbox Entertainment delayed — and ultimately shelved — a version of Borderlands 4 for the system. The long-awaited Switch 2 port of Elden Ring was delayed until sometime this year after the game had severe performance issues in a public demo at Gamescom 2025. Reports suggest the game is in better shape on Switch 2 now, but there’s no firm release date for that version as yet. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-nintendo-switch-2-version-of-007-first-light-is-delayed-until-later-this-summer-151524487.html?src=rss

April 8, 2026 No Comments

Meta’s Muse Spark model brings reasoning capabilities to the Meta AI app

Following the icy reception to Llama 4, Meta is releasing the first in a new family of AI systems built by its recently formed Superintelligence team. The company is kicking off its new Muse era with Spark, a lightweight model geared toward consumer use. In the future, Meta plans to offer more capable versions of Muse, but for now, it’s clear the company wants to nail the basics.  To that point, many of Spark’s capabilities are table stakes for a new model in 2026. For instance, it offers both “Instant” and “Thinking” modes. With the latter engaged, the model will take an extra few moments to reason through a prompt. Other consumer-facing AI systems have had this kind of flexibility for a while. Anthropic, for example, was one of the first AI labs to offer a “hybrid reasoning model” when it released Claude Sonnet 3.7 at the start of last year. That said, Meta plans to add an even more powerful “Contemplating” mode down the road.    A GIF demonstrating Muse Spark’s multi-agent capabilities. Meta Muse Spark can also coordinate multiple AI subagents to tackle a request. Meta suggests users will see this capability in action when they ask for help with tasks like family trip planning. In such a scenario, one agent might compile an itinerary, while another finds kid-friendly activities everyone can enjoy. At the same time, Meta has built Spark to be natively multimodal, meaning the model can process images, video and audio. Like Google Lens, this gives you the option to snap a photo with your phone and ask Meta AI questions about what you see.  Of course, it wouldn’t be a 2026 AI release if Muse Spark didn’t include a built-in shopping assistant. Like ChatGPT, Spark can compare different items for you, listing the pros and cons of each, with links to make it easy to buy the product that appeals to you. Muse Spark is available today in the Meta AI app and meta.ai website everywhere where the company offers those services. Meta will begin rolling out the new features the model powers starting in the US. In the coming weeks, the company plans to bring Muse Spark to more countries and places where people can access Meta AI, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.  Additionally, Meta says it “hopes to open source future versions of the model.” We’ll see if the company ends up doing that; last year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared to flip flop on the company’s open source stance, saying it would need to be more “rigorous” about such decisions moving forward. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/metas-muse-spark-model-brings-reasoning-capabilities-to-the-meta-ai-app-161456684.html?src=rss

April 8, 2026 No Comments

How to watch the Triple-i Initiative showcase on April 9

The latest Triple-i Initiative Showcase is nearly upon us, as the indie-focused event returns for its third consecutive year on Thursday, April 9 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT. We’re being promised announcements for 40 games, including eight world premieres, so it’s well worth tuning in if you like your indies. You’ll be able to watch the stream on The Triple-i Initiative YouTube channel, as well as Twitch, bilibili, niconico and on Steam. Co-streaming partners IGN and Gamespot will also host their own streams. The showcase will run for 45 minutes, and nine featured studios will also have post-show deep dives on their games if you want to know more. As previously, the mantra here is “no hosts, no ads, just games,” so rest assured your attention will be rewarded.  Confirmed featured games so far include Risk of Rain 2, the open-world survival game Windrose and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. We also know that the studio behind the excellent sci-fi narrative adventure 1000xResist will be showing off what it’s been working on, and we can also expect news from Cairn developer The Game Bakers. It sounds like a typically eclectic lineup, then, and given last year’s showcase gave us release dates for 2025 indie hits like The Alters and Rematch, you can be confident that plenty of notable news should come out of this one too. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-the-triple-i-initiative-showcase-on-april-9-170353957.html?src=rss

April 8, 2026 No Comments

You’ll soon be able to hide games from your Xbox achievements list

Microsoft is testing giving users more control over what games appear in their Xbox achievements and tweaking how achievements look when they’re earned. The changes are being introduced via the company’s free-to-join Xbox Insiders program, and will presumably roll out to all Xbox owners at some point in the future. Coming later in April, select Xbox Insiders will be able to hide games from their achievement list, whether they’ve completed them or not. Hidden games will still count towards users’ Gamerscore, but the option should serve as another way to curate your public profile. Microsoft is also experimenting with changing how it displays achievements. Xbox Insiders will receive redesigned achievements with new animations and notifications that match the custom color they’ve chosen for their Xbox interface. Games where Insiders have earned 100 percent of the achievements will also be highlighted in their achievements list, and insiders will be able to filter their list to only view the games they’ve fully completed. Being able to hide games from the achievement list has been “one of the most requested features” from Xbox Insiders, according to Microsoft. The company’s March update that allowed users to selectively exclude games from the Xbox’s Quick Resume feature was similarly long-requested.  It would likely be wrong to characterize these changes as being downstream of new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma’s stated desire to “recommit” to the Xbox, but they don’t hurt when it comes to winning over fans — especially if the company’s continued presence in the console space ends up hinging on an expensive box that plays PC and Xbox games. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/youll-soon-be-able-to-hide-games-from-your-xbox-achievements-list-184719290.html?src=rss

April 8, 2026 No Comments

DoorDash and Wing are expanding their drone delivery partnership to Atlanta

DoorDash and Wing have announced a new partnership that will allow users in metro Atlanta to have food delivered by drone. Besides working with DoorDash in select regions of Virginia, North Carolina and Texas, Wing, Alphabet’s drone delivery subsidiary, also recently expanded its agreement to make deliveries for Walmart. Eligible customers near Tanger Outlets Locust Grove will be able to order food for drone delivery and receive it in “as little as 20 minutes,” according to DoorDash. Orders are limited to a selection of restaurants including Molinos Mexican Grill, Koji Japanese Steakhouse and Sabrosos Mexican Restaurant, and eligibility for drone delivery will depend on the size and weight of the order and whether a customer lives close enough for delivery. To check, Wing offers a website where you can enter your address to see if you’re in range. Anyone who doesn’t live close enough for a drone delivery can enter their information to be notified if the delivery area expands. DoorDash, like plenty of other gig work platforms, is no stranger to experimenting with automation and robotics. The company offers its own delivery robot called Dot, and has partnered with companies like Coco Robotics to offer deliveries in cities like Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago. Wing, for its part, has also been working to expand the kinds of things it can deliver. The company introduced a new drone design in 2024 that can carry payloads that weigh up to 5 lbs, the exact kind of improvement that’s likely allowed for the delivery partnerships it’s pursuing now.  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/doordash-and-wing-are-expanding-their-drone-delivery-partnership-to-atlanta-201133191.html?src=rss

April 8, 2026 No Comments

Elon Musk wants any damages from his OpenAI lawsuit given to the AI company’s nonprofit arm

Elon Musk is still taking OpenAI to court over its transition to a for-profit company, but today he amended the complaint so that he won’t personally get any of the $150 billion in damages he’s pushing for. The Wall Street Journal reported that if Musk wins in his upcoming trial, he wants any damages should be awarded to the OpenAI nonprofit branch. He’s also seeking OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s removal from the nonprofit’s board of directors if his suit succeeds. Musk launched a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2024, claiming that the business had become a “closed-source de facto subsidiary” of Microsoft when it dropped its nonprofit designation. He claims that, as a co-chair of the OpenAI founding group, the change to a for-profit operation defrauded him as a donor. As a result, he’s now claiming that he, or apparently the remaining nonprofit side of OpenAI, deserve a portion of the company’s current valuation.  Considering the reputation Musk, Altman and their various business endeavors have for creating spicy PR situations, it seems likely that the exchanges between the two camps will get more heated as the trial date approaches. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/elon-musk-wants-any-damages-from-his-openai-lawsuit-given-to-the-ai-companys-nonprofit-arm-223337225.html?src=rss

April 8, 2026 No Comments

Sony teases its next-gen ‘True RGB’ Mini LED TV technology

This year at CES 2026 everybody was pretty confused about the new “Micro RGB” and “RGB Mini LED” TVs that use similar technology but carry different names. Now, Sony has come up with another label for its own Mini LED TVs with RGB backlighting: True RGB. The idea is to emphasize that the individual red, green and blue LED backlights allow for “purer color, greater brightness, and the largest color volume ever achieved in Sony’s home TV history,” the company said.  To be clear, this is not some new technology that Sony just came up with — it’s the same Micro RGB tech we saw earlier this year from Samsung, LG, HiSense and others. These TVs use pure red, green and blue LED backlights along with an LCD layer (rather than solid blue LEDs and quantum dots like Mini LED TVs) to produce the final picture. This display tech is supposed to deliver better color accuracy and more brightness than regular Mini LED TVs. (It’s not the same as OLED tech, in which each pixel acts as a light source.)  Sony’s True RGB backlight tech (right) compared to current Mini LED TVsSony However, Sony says that the way it processes the image makes its True RGB TVs stand out from rivals. To control the LEDs more precisely, it borrowed algorithms from its wildly expensive professional reference monitors. That supposedly allows for more precise color control and higher brightness that allow movies and series to look more like the creators intended. It also reduces the “blooming” that occurs when light leaks into neighboring pixels, while improving color accuracy when viewing the TVs from an angle.  Every TV maker claims to have the best technology, but Sony has a lot of credibility due to its history with cinema cameras, Hollywood productions and reference monitors. We’ll have to wait until spring this year to see the new Bravia True RGB TVs for ourselves, but prior to that, the company has promised to release “additional details” about them in the near future. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/sony-teases-its-next-gen-true-rgb-mini-led-tv-technology-064732375.html?src=rss

April 7, 2026 No Comments

Xbox Game Pass additions for April include Hades 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

As ever, Xbox is bringing a bunch of high-profile titles to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass this month, while adding several to the lower tiers of the service. There aren’t too many surprises among this first wave of April newcomers, though. Many of these additions were previously confirmed, while EA Sports NHL 26 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (the remake) were always going to join Game Pass at some point.  Still, there’s plenty to dive into on the service this month. April 14 is a particularly eye-catching day, with both Hades 2 (which is debuting on Xbox Series X/S and PS5) and the long-awaited Replaced hitting Game Pass alongside the turn-based, character-driven RPG The Thaumaturge. Here’s a breakdown of everything coming to Game Pass over the next few weeks: April 7 Final Fantasy IV — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 8 DayZ — PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential and PC Game Pass Endless Legend 2 — PC game preview on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) FBC: Firebreak — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Warhammer Vermintide 2 — Cloud and console on Game Pass Essential (already on Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass Premium) April 9 Planet Coaster 2 — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 10 Tiny Bookshop — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 13 Football Manager 26 — PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Football Manager 26 Console — Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) April 14 Hades 2 — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass Replaced — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass The Thaumaturge — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 16  The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) EA Sports NHL 26 — Cloud and Xbox Series X/S on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 17 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare — Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 21 Little Rocket Lab — Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato — Cloud, console, handheld and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Vampire Crawlers — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld, and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 23 Kiln — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass As Xbox adds more titles to Game Pass, so too must it remove some. It’s yet again erasing Grand Theft Auto V (Cloud, console and PC) from Game Pass, this time on April 15. The other games leaving the service on the same day are: Ashen (Cloud, console and PC) Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, console and PC) My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery (Cloud, console and PC) Terra Invicta (game preview on PC) This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-game-pass-additions-for-april-include-hades-2-and-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-155130801.html?src=rss

April 7, 2026 No Comments

Sony is starting a weird service that scans people to put them in PlayStation games

Sony just announced a truly strange initiative called The Playerbase. This is a program to scan people’s likenesses and pop them in PlayStation games. That’s pretty wild, but potentially cool to those who have always wanted to become a weird humanoid version of Crash Bandicoot. The program is ramping up slowly. Sony has announced a contest of sorts to place one lucky fan inside of Gran Turismo 7, though in a reduced fashion. The chosen player will get an image of their face placed inside the game as a character portrait and will get the chance to design a logo and the exterior of a vehicle. Sony This person will also get a trip to Los Angeles to participate in a full-body scan, but Sony hasn’t said what, if anything, they’d do with this scan. After all, Gran Turismo 7 is a racing game without too many full-body models walking around. Fans have a lot of hoops to jump through to be considered for placement. There’s a traditional application process, but also video interviews and other stuff. The promotion is available to players in the Americas, Europe, Asia, South Africa and Australia. Of course, there needs to be actual new PlayStation games for people to scan their likenesses into. Sony hasn’t exactly been providing us with a robust lineup of first-party titles this generation.  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-is-starting-a-weird-service-that-scans-people-to-put-them-in-playstation-games-150130276.html?src=rss