Will Shanklin
Will Shanklin has been writing about gadgets, tech and their impact on humanity since 2011. Before joining Engadget, he spent five years creating and leading the mobile technology section for New Atlas. His work has also appeared on SlashGear, TechRadar, Digital Trends, AppleInsider, Android Central, HuffPost and others. In his free time, Will enjoys meditation / mindfulness, great music and eclectic New Mexico shenanigans.
- Engadget
Finally, someone used Pareto’s economic theories to find the best Mario Kart 8 racer
Who hasn’t spent sleepless nights pondering what would happen if we applied the theories of Vilfredo Pareto, the early 20th-century Italian economist, to Mario, the Mushroom Kingdom’s Italian high-jump champion and part-time elephant cosplayer? Data scientist Antoine Mayerowitz, PhD, tackled that age-old question.
- Engadget
Automate your vacuuming and mopping with $400 off the Roomba Combo J9+
If you’re looking to automate more of your home cleaning setup, iRobot’s flagship Roomba Combo J9+ is on sale for $400 off. The vacuum-mop hybrid robot, which only arrived last fall, has a redesigned dock that automatically empties debris and refills the device’s mopping liquid.
- Engadget
A correction on Amazon Prime Video subscriptions
Amazon appears to have nixed its Prime Video-only plan in the US and UK. Cord Busters reports that the little-known subscription, introduced in 2016, is no longer available to new users in either country.
- Engadget
The HD Chromecast with Google TV is on sale for only $20
If you watch movies and TV on a 1080p screen, the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) provides a rock-solid streaming experience on the cheap. Today, Amazon has it for $10 off, letting you pick up the HDR10-capable streaming stick for only $20.
- Engadget
Media coalition asks the feds to investigate Google’s removal of California news links
The News/Media Alliance asked US federal agencies to investigate Google’s removal of links to California news media outlets. Google’s tactic is in response to the proposed California Journalism Preservation Act, which would require it to pay for links to California-based publishers’ news content.
- Engadget
Amazon says a whopping 140 third-party stores in four countries use its Just Walk Out tech
Amazon published a blog post on Wednesday providing an update about its Just Walk Out technology, which it reportedly pulled from its Fresh grocery stores earlier this month. While extolling Just Walk Out’s virtues as a sales pitch to potential retail partners, the article lists a startlingly minuscule number of businesses using the tech.
- Engadget
Creepy monitoring service sells searchable Discord user data for as little as $5
A data scraper is selling information on what it claims to be 600 million Discord users. A report from 404 Media details Spy Pet, an online service that gathers, stores and sells troves of information from the social platform.
- Engadget
NASA confirms its space trash pierced Florida man’s roof
On March 8, a piece of space debris plunged through a roof in Naples, FL, ripped through two floors and (fortunately) barely missed the son of homeowner Alejandro Otero. On Tuesday, NASA confirmed the results of its analysis of the incident.
- Engadget
Prime members can play Fallout 3 and New Vegas on Luna for the next six months
Fallout games are having a moment in the wake of its new TV series adaptation. Amazon has added two of the series’ best games to Luna, its cloud streaming service, and a current-gen console update is arriving for Fallout 4.
- Engadget
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is only $40 right now
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max streaming device is on sale for $40. That’s a record low for Amazon’s top-of-the-line streaming stick, which usually costs $60.
- Engadget
You can now listen to Substack podcasts on Spotify
Substack shows are coming to Spotify. The partnership lets Substack podcast creators add Spotify distribution for their programs with only “a few clicks.”
- Engadget
You can grab the Nothing Phone 2 for $74 off right now
Amazon has the Nothing Phone 2 on sale for the first time since its launch. You can grab the offbeat mainstream smartphone alternative for $74 off its usual price.
- Engadget
Amazon will stop paying bonuses to Alexa developers
Amazon has decided to cut off paid perks for Alexa developers. The company confirmed to Engadget on Wednesday that it will end the Alexa Developer Rewards Program at the end of June.
- Engadget
Kobo’s new ereaders include its first with color displays
Rakuten has a trio of new Kobo ereaders, including the company’s first two with color displays. On Wednesday, the company revealed the $220 Kobo Libra Colour and $150 Clara Colour alongside the monochrome $130 Clara BW.
- Engadget
The bootleg Nintendo Network replacement no longer requires jailbreaking
The Pretendo Network, an open-source Nintendo Network alternative, no longer requires a hacked Wii U console. With Nintendo’s servers for the obsolete console shutting down on Monday, the Pretendo Network shared a new workaround that provides limited access to its homebrew servers.
- Engadget
The owner of WordPress has bought Beeper, the app that flipped the bird to Apple’s iMessage supremacy
WordPress and Tumblr owner Automattic has bought Beeper, the maker of the Beeper Mini app that challenged Apple’s iMessage dominion late last year. Although it ultimately lost that battle, the incident gave the DOJ more ammunition in its antitrust suit against the iPhone maker.
- Engadget
Acer launches two all-new 14-inch gaming laptops alongside updated 16-inch models
Acer’s midrange gaming laptop line has four new arrivals today following the company’s refresh of its flagship models at CES 2024. On Tuesday, the company unveiled a pair of new 14-inch entries alongside two refreshes of existing 16-inch models.
- Engadget
Tesla is reportedly focusing on robotaxis over its planned budget EV
Tesla has scrapped plans to make an affordable electric vehicle (EV), according to Reuters. CEO Elon Musk said as recently as January that he was “optimistic” the low-cost EV would arrive in the second half of 2025.
- Engadget
Hatsune Miku in Crypt of the Necrodancer feels like the perfect crossover
Crypt of the Necrodancer just won’t die — and that’s a good thing. The nearly decade-old game received new content on Thursday, bringing anime pop star Hatsune Miku into the fold as a playable character.
- Engadget
Who exactly is YouTube’s multicam Coachella stream for?
YouTube is hyping its exclusive Coachella streaming coverage starting next week. The headlining feature is the platform’s multiview experience for the two-weekend festival. Our question from this announcement is, who needs that?