Google Maps’ speedometer finally comes to iOS and CarPlay

Google Maps is rolling out a speedometer as well as speed limit indicators for iOS and CarPlay, TechCrunch reported. Android has had both features since 2019, while Waze has had them since 2016. Now, iPhone users can use them to gauge how fast they’re driving while using Google Maps.

To enable it, tap your profile picture on Google Maps and go to Settings > Navigation. Scroll down to the Map display section, and you’ll see the switches for the speedometer and speed limit features. When enabled, the speedometer will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. If you drive over the speed limit the speedometer will change colors to remind you to slow down.

Google said on its support page that the speedometer is for “informational use only” and should not be used as a substitute for your car’s actual speedometer. This is because your actual driving speed may differ from the speed shown on Google Maps. Just something to bear in mind for your own safety.

The new speeding features were spotted being used by iPhone owners in India, and Google will roll them out worldwide in the coming weeks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-maps-speedometer-finally-comes-to-ios-and-carplay-185946210.html?src=rss

Blizzard shows off Overwatch 2 Transformers skins in animated trailer

Blizzard and Hasbro have revealed the Transformers skins for Overwatch 2’s upcoming collaboration with the popular mecha toy franchise. The two companies released an animated trailer on the Overwatch YouTube channel today, showing off the skins based on three Autobots and a Decepticon.

The trailer shows that the Transformers skins are assigned to Reinhardt, Bastion, Illari and Ramratta — four characters that were already robots or humans wearing armor to begin with. Reinhardt will be cosplaying Optimus Prime, the fearless leader of the Autobots; Bastion will be Bumblebee; Illari will be pretty in pink as Arcee; and Ramratta will be the fearsome Decepticon leader, Megatron. Many Overwatch 2 players are anticipating how well the Transformers skins will fit with the game’s aim-and-click, collection, and respawn mechanics in actual gameplay.

The Transformers crossover comes on the heels of the game’s collaboration with Porsche back in May, which transformed (pun entirely intended) the newest models of the German company’s cars into souped-up skin for D.Va and Pharah. Earlier this year, players got to dress up Cassidy as Spike Siegel and Ashe as Faye Valentine during the Cowboy Bebop collaboration, among other characters from the classic anime. Last year, fans put Doomfist in a skin based on Saitama from another hit anime, One-Punch Man.

The Overwatch 2 x Transformers collaboration begins tomorrow. Blizzard didn’t put a price tag on the Transformers skins nor mention whether they’ll be obtained as free rewards via gameplay. For reference, the Cowboy Bebop and Porsche skins cost a pretty penny, so you may be expected to spend big on the Transformers skin you like the best. Regardless, this crossover may appeal to players who played with Transformers action figures and watched the animated series when they were kids.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/overwatch-2-shows-off-transformers-skins-in-animated-trailer-222358657.html?src=rss

Agatha All Along finally comes to Disney+ on September 18

Let’s start this news off with a catchy song: Who just got a release date for Disney+? It’s Agatha All Along! The WandaVision spinoff series starring the titular witch who pulled every evil string in the original show starts streaming on September 18.

Disney and Marvel announced the release date for Agatha All Along today and gave us a teaser trailer to go with it. 

The trailer shows Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) working as a detective when she finds the body of a Jane Doe by the river in Westview. She’s shocked to discover that the Jane Doe is none other than Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, who went into hiding after casting a containment spell on Agatha, stripping her of her powers in the process at the end of WandaVision. Rio (Aubrey Plaza), the warrior witch of Agatha’s coven, convinces her to break the spell. Soon enough, she embarks on a quest to regain her bewitching powers — but not without help from some new members of her coven, should they choose to join.

Agatha All Along was first announced in November 2021 under the working title Agatha: House of Harkness. The show’s title underwent a few hilarious revisions, including Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Agatha: The Lying Witch and Her Great Wardrobe, before Marvel decided to cease the jokes and title it after the song “Agatha All Along.” Just like WandaVision, the show will run for nine episodes, with the first two episodes airing on Disney+ on release day.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/agatha-all-along-finally-comes-to-disney-on-september-18-184250997.html?src=rss

Amazon revives the Echo Spot smart alarm clock and swiftly discounts it by 44 percent

As early Prime Day deals continue to become available, Amazon has revealed an all-new Echo Spot ahead of the shopping event. It’s very much like the original Echo Spot that came out in 2017 and was discontinued two years later except the front face is now split between a hemispherical display and speaker. 

The Echo Spot's outer shell comes in Black, Glacier White and Ocean Blue, and the display can be customized with six hues: magenta, violet, orange, lime, teal or blue, which can be mixed- and-matched with various clock faces. The new Echo Spot costs $80, which is $50 cheaper than the original model — but if you’re a Prime member, you can get it for $45 through Prime Day.

Amazon says the new model comes with better sound and a sharper display. Time will tell if the reboot suffers from the same screen flicker issues as its predecessor. Otherwise, the conceit is more or less identical: it's a bare-bones smart alarm clock that, via Alexa integration, can manage a few simple tasks like providing the weather forecast or showing song titles when playing music from your streaming app of choice.

Arguably, the best part about the new Echo Spot is that it doesn’t have a camera. The original model had one baked in, which was useful for video chats, but not everyone was enthused about having a camera sitting on their bedside.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-revives-the-echo-spot-smart-alarm-clock-and-swiftly-discounts-it-by-44-percent-160304634.html?src=rss

Modder remakes scrapped alternate ending for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Alternate video game endings are always fun to see. If a talented modder remakes an alternate ending previously scrapped by the game’s developer, it’s even better. Someone did just that, putting together an alternate ending for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt using footage that was originally discarded by CD Projekt Red.

YouTuber xLetalis shared a video detailing the restorations that modder Glassfish added to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt after the end of the game’s original storyline. (Note that some spoilers for the game follow!) The game ends with Geralt being pulled out of his fight with Eredin by Yennefer, his potential partner and sorceress. However, the remade cutscene shows Geralt waking up in a tent and receiving care from two doctors making a bet on his survival rate. From there, he leaves the hospital and talks to Yennefer, whose dialogue varies depending on whether he’s romancing her or another sorceress, Triss. Regardless of who Geralt was dating in the original game, you can ask where Ciri is or who won the war.

The extended ending continues with more deleted content, including Geralt attending Crach’s funeral, him meeting the Lodge of Sorceresses, and Yennefer betraying the Lodge to save Ciri. xLetalis speculated towards the end of the video that CD Projekt Red changed their minds about including Yennefer’s betrayal in the final game for creative reasons such as prioritizing matching the player's motivations with the beat of the story, as they have no insider or PR connections within the company to confirm it.

The restoration of the deleted content by Glassfish was made possible by CD Projekt Red releasing the REDkit modding tool for the PC version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in May. The company announced the modding tool last year to allow PC players to breathe new life into the game in any way they wish. REDkit was previously released for The Witcher 2, but as far as we know it wasn’t used to insert previously-scrapped scenes into the game as we’re seeing now. As for the origin of the deleted content, Glassfish pulled it from content that was cut from the main game but is still in the game’s files.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/modder-remakes-scrapped-alternate-ending-for-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-201010523.html?src=rss

iPhone users won’t lose True Tone, other features after third-party repairs

Apple is finally loosening some restrictions on third-party repairs. The tech giant said in its latest white paper, Longevity, by Design, that it will extend software support to third-party replacement batteries and displays installed into iPhones later this year. This means that it won’t deactivate True Tone and battery health data for iPhone users who receive those third-party repairs.

In case you don’t know what True Tone is, it’s a feature that adjusts the iPhone display’s white balance to match your environment. Currently, Apple disables that feature if the iOS detects that you installed a third-party replacement screen. You won’t suffer that loss anymore as the company “will allow consumers to activate True Tone with third-party parts to the best performance that can be provided” later this year. However, it pointed out that True Tone may not display accurate colors or perform well because third-party displays don’t always gel with Apple’s hardware, so you can choose to disable it if the screen doesn’t work the way you expect it to.

As for third-party replacement batteries, Apple will show their health metrics but it will notify users that it isn't able to verify them. The company says that an internal analysis that found that second-hand batteries with manipulated metrics are sometimes sold as new, and the iPhone’s metrics will mark the maximum capacity at 100 percent even though the battery’s current state won’t reflect that.

Apple has a long history of antagonizing third-party repairers of iPhones, but it’s slowly opening up to them. In 2022, it made the iPhone 14 easier to repair upon release but its restrictions on third-party replacement displays made it difficult for third-party vendors to fix the broken original screens. In April, it announced that iPhones will be repairable with genuine used parts starting this fall with the iPhone 15 and newer models.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/iphone-users-wont-lose-true-tone-other-features-after-third-party-repairs-232926095.html?src=rss

Xbox Gaming coming to select Amazon Fire TV devices in July

Soon you’ll have another means of playing Game Pass titles without breaking the bank for an Xbox Series X|S console. Microsoft and Amazon are teaming up to bring Xbox Gaming to select Amazon Fire TV devices in July. According to Microsoft, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in over 25 countries will be able to access the Xbox app with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K..

Once the new functionality goes live you can sign in to your Microsoft account, connect a compatible Bluetooth controller and start playing hundreds of games, including Fallout 76, Fallout 4, Starfield and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Current-gen Xbox and PlayStation controllers will both work.

Xbox Gaming will come to Amazon Fire TV two years after Microsoft released the Xbox app on Samsung smart TVs. The new integration with Amazon products also comes as Microsoft appears to be losing faith in its console business. The company's hardware refresh fell well short of its prior roadmap, and one of its biggest console-pushing series, Call of Duty, will have its next title appear on Game Pass at launch.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xbox-gaming-coming-to-select-amazon-fire-tv-devices-in-july-182541532.html?src=rss

Epileptic teen receives first ever seizure-controlling brain implant

A 13-year-old boy with severe epilepsy in the United Kingdom has become the first person in the world to receive a brain implant that helps keep seizures under control. Per The Guardian, Oran Knowlson underwent surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London to have the Picostim neurostimulator fitted into his brain to address Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare treatment-resistant form of epilepsy.

Knowlson received the neurostimulator in October 2023 as part of a pilot program run by GOSH in collaboration with University College London, King’s College Hospital and the University of Oxford. Since receiving the implant, which was developed by Amber Therapeutics, Oran’s daytime seizures have been reduced by 80 percent. Previously, his seizures were so severe he required constant care, and would sometimes lose consciousness and need resuscitation.

“For Oran and his family, epilepsy completely changed their lives and so to see him riding a horse and getting his independence back is absolutely astounding,” said Martin Tisdall, the pediatric neurosurgeon at GOSH. “We couldn’t be happier to be part of their journey.”

Tisdall’s surgical team installed the implant by mounting the Picostim to Knowlson's skull and inserting two electrodes deep into his brain until they hit the thalamus. The electrodes were then connected to the neurostimulator, which sends constant, mild electrical current to his brain to prevent or attenuate seizures. Justine Knowlson, Oran’s mother, confirmed as much when she discussed how the implant improved her son’s quality of life.

“We’ve seen a big improvement; seizures have reduced and are less severe,” she said. “He’s a lot more chatty, he’s more engaged. He’s turned 13 and I definitely now have a teenager – he’s happy to tell me no. But that adds to his quality of life, when he can express himself better.”

The Picostim neurostimulator is just one device for seizure treatment being tested. In 2020, researchers in Israel developed a wearable EEG device called Epiness, which can predict seizures up to an hour before they start. Two years earlier, a smart arm bracelet called Nightwatch was created to detect nighttime epileptic seizures and contact the wearer’s care staff when they strike.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/epileptic-teen-receives-first-ever-seizure-controlling-brain-implant-193617887.html?src=rss

Apple TV+ subscribers will get early access to the company’s latest original podcast

Apple will release its first premium podcast with early access available to Apple TV+ subscribers. The company made the announcement in a press release today that its first dual-language podcast, My Divo, will be the first podcast tied to an Apple TV+ subscription.

All eight episodes of My Divo will be available in English and Spanish for Apple TV+ subscribers when they connect their subscriptions to Apple Podcasts starting July 1. Non-subscribers will listen to new episodes every week. However, they will get access to the first two episodes on launch day. Apple indicated that My Divo will serve as an example of its new business model for podcast distribution going forward, saying that “all upcoming Apple TV+ podcasts will also be made available in full to subscribers.”

My Divo is a podcast about Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, also known as El Divo de Juárez (hence the title), hosted by award-winning journalist Maria Garcia as she tries to reconcile her identity with the legacy of the flamboyant Latino performer. She reexamines similarities within their Mexican heritage, including their sexualities and their upbringing in Ciudad Juárez.

Apple releasing a podcast behind an Apple TV+ paywall is similar to its plan of producing companion podcasts to Apple TV+ shows, which happened shortly after the launch of the streaming service four years ago. My Divo is the first Apple podcast not tied to an Apple TV+ show of the same name.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-tv-subscribers-will-get-early-access-to-the-companys-latest-original-podcast-195756992.html?src=rss

Apple TV+ subscribers will get early access to the company’s latest original podcast

Apple will release its first premium podcast with early access available to Apple TV+ subscribers. The company made the announcement in a press release today that its first dual-language podcast, My Divo, will be the first podcast tied to an Apple TV+ subscription.

All eight episodes of My Divo will be available in English and Spanish for Apple TV+ subscribers when they connect their subscriptions to Apple Podcasts starting July 1. Non-subscribers will listen to new episodes every week. However, they will get access to the first two episodes on launch day. Apple indicated that My Divo will serve as an example of its new business model for podcast distribution going forward, saying that “all upcoming Apple TV+ podcasts will also be made available in full to subscribers.”

My Divo is a podcast about Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, also known as El Divo de Juárez (hence the title), hosted by award-winning journalist Maria Garcia as she tries to reconcile her identity with the legacy of the flamboyant Latino performer. She reexamines similarities within their Mexican heritage, including their sexualities and their upbringing in Ciudad Juárez.

Apple releasing a podcast behind an Apple TV+ paywall is similar to its plan of producing companion podcasts to Apple TV+ shows, which happened shortly after the launch of the streaming service four years ago. My Divo is the first Apple podcast not tied to an Apple TV+ show of the same name.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-tv-subscribers-will-get-early-access-to-the-companys-latest-original-podcast-195756992.html?src=rss