California-based startup Sparq aims to radically change how drivers interact with their vehicles. Its flagship product is a compact device that plugs into a car's OBD-II port, typically located near the driver's seat. Like existing OBD-II scanners, it retrieves a range of diagnostic data points. But while most of those tools cater to gearheads, Sparq makes a vehicle's data easy for anyone to understand and act on.After debuting at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late 2024, Sparq expanded its capabilities in March 2025 to include full conversational AI support. Through an app, drivers can now communicate with their vehicles using voice commands, text, images and even recordings of troubling sounds. The app generates a general health score for the car and offers cost estimates if repairs are needed.The technology addresses a core imbalance in automotive care: most drivers lack access to or fluency in technical information related to their cars. Sparq translates complex diagnostics into plain English, transforming how consumers interact with software-heavy vehicles. Its 'Timelapse' feature compiles a car's complete service history with predictive maintenance prompts, while 'Glovebox' digitizes ownership documents and links them to specific issues.Sparq's approach illustrates how AI can serve as an equalizing force, providing transparency in markets where information asymmetry historically disadvantaged consumers. For brands across sectors, it's a cue to build tools that move expertise out of silos and into users' hands.
If you've been waiting to pick up Apple's latest MacBook Air M4 then your patience has paid off. Right now, the 13-inch model is down to $939 from $999 a six percent discount. It's an all-time low price for the 13-inch MacBook Air M4, dropping to $10 less than it cost during Amazon's Spring Sale. The deal is available for the laptop in Starlight, Midnight and Sky Blue, so just not Silver.
Apple only released the MacBook Air M4 in Mid-March and it's already our pick for 2025's best MacBook overall. We gave it in a 92 in our review thanks to features like its 13.6-inch liquid retina display and slim build it weighs 2.7 pounds and is 0.44 inches thick. But, it's the M4 chip that really gives this MacBook Air a boost. The 13-inch model has a 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. Plus, it lasted over 18 hours while playing HD video.
If you're looking for something a little bigger and with more RAM, then it might be worth getting the 15-inch MacBook Air M4. It's currently down to $1,499 from $1,599 and offers 24GB of RAM, compared to the 13-inch's 16GB. The only catch: This deal is just for the Starlight model (though the Midnight version is only $20 more at $1,519).
Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-m4-macbook-air-is-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-144625495.html?src=rss
Looking to pick up an iPad for carrying out basic tasks like watching shows, catching up on reading and handling some email? The latest base model might be the way to go, especially if youre a budget-conscious buyer. The A16 iPad is now on sale at a record-low price. It has dropped by $29 to $320.
The discount is available for most colorways. The deal is for the entry-level configuration with 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.
The A16 iPad, which Apple released earlier this year, is our pick for the best budget iPad. It's not as sleek or powerful as the iPad Air, but as things stand it'll run you $234 less than that tablet. It's a good device in its own right, as we gave it a score of 84 in our review.
Apple didn't increase the price of the latest base iPad compared with the previous model, but it added 2GB of RAM, doubled the storage and slotted in a more powerful chipset that's fast enough for most common tasks, including casual gaming and light photo editing. However, the iPad doesn't support Apple Intelligence which is either a positive or negative, depending on your perspective or feelings about generative AI.
The build quality is still solid, while the 11-inch tablet runs for around 10 hours on a single charge, depending on the taks you carry out with it. On the downside, the accessory situation isn't ideal. The Apple Pencil doesn't charge wirelessly when you attach it magnetically to the iPad you'll need a USB-C cable and a USB-C to Lightning adapter to juice up the original Pencil's battery from the tablet. The Magic Keyboard support isn't great either, as the model that works with the base iPad is tough to stabilize on your lap.
Still, if the accessory fussiness doesn't bother you, this might be the right iPad for your needs. Sure, the iPad Air and Pro lineups have models with more powerful chipsets, but if all you're looking for is an iPad to watch some movies on while you're flying or to read the news on without breaking the bank, this could be the way to go.
Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-latest-ipad-drops-to-a-record-low-price-143619542.html?src=rss
The Washington Post is partnering with OpenAI to bring its reporting to ChatGPT. The two organizations did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement, but the deal will see ChatGPT display summaries, quotes and links to articles from The Post when users prompt the chatbot to search the web.
"We're all in on meeting our audiences where they are," said Peter Elkins-Williams, head of global partnerships at The Post. "Ensuring ChatGPT users have our impactful reporting at their fingertips builds on our commitment to provide access where, how and when our audiences want it."
The Post is no stranger to generative AI. In November, the publisher began using the technology to offer article summaries. Since the start of February, ChatGPT Search has been available to everyone, with no account or sign-in necessary.
Later that same month, Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post, announced a "significant shift" in the publisher's editorial strategy. As part of the overhaul, the paper has been publishing daily opinion stories "in defense of two pillars," personal liberties and free markets. Given that focus and Amazon's own investments in artificial intelligence, it's not surprising to see The Washington Post and OpenAI sign a strategic partnership.
More broadly, today's announcement sees yet another publisher partnering with OpenAI, following an early but brief period of resistance from some players in the news media industry most notably The New York Times. According to OpenAI, it has signed similar agreements with more than 20 news publishers globally.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-washington-post-partners-with-openai-to-bring-its-content-to-chatgpt-141215314.html?src=rss
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The Insta360 X5 ($550) is the companys latest 8K 360 action camera and, while it remains a different proposition to traditional action cams, it is more powerful, more reliable and easier to use.
The X5 has a larger 1/1.28-inch sensor compared to the X4's 1/2-inch sensor, ensuring more detail and a notable boost to low-light performance. The issue with wide-angle camera capture is that detail gets lost, especially in low-lit settings. The specification upgrades this time around reduce that substantially, including up to 13.5 stops of dynamic range.
Over the years, Ive tried to incorporate 360-degree cameras into my workflow, using them both on vacation or at events. However, a lot of the content I capture is either during the evening or in a dark venue, literally the main weakness of these kinds of cameras. In a bid to address those shooting conditions, Insta360 introduced a new PureVideo mode that with AI noise reduction and dynamic range optimization for clearer, brighter footage in low-light conditions. Its not perfect, but it moves dim video from unusable to decent, if not outright good. With a 5nm AI chip and two imaging chips, the X5 can also now capture Active HDR on footage at up to 5.7K 60 fps.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
This chip array also reduces processing time. Insta360 doesnt specify how much faster, but anecdotally, on-device processing and file transfers to my smartphone were noticeably faster. Videos are saved almost instantly onto the camera, while saving several short clips to my phone took around 30 seconds, compared to minutes on previous devices.
While the X5 doesnt offer higher resolution video than its predecessor, it packs in even more shooting options, like InstaFrame, which is fast becoming my go-to shooting mode. InstaFrame can record a typical flat video and a 360-degree video at the same time. The notion is that this gives an instantly shareable flat video, with no reframing or heavy editing needed.
But when you do have to, Insta360s companion smartphone app has been further improved, with some incredibly useful editing tools. You can re-edit 360-degree video to focus on the user, or force a single view. Its all quite intuitive too, which is a trait that shouldnt be ignored.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
The X5 an incredibly versatile tool, and theres something to be said for a camera that can capture everything. However, in less favorable conditions (or when youre not the camera person), you might prefer the simpler settings and shooting methods of a traditional action camera.
The X5 does perform better in lower light, but it doesnt quite match the improvements weve seen in low-light smartphone photography in recent years. Despite my cautiously walking around in the late evening to capture low-light footage, there was a vibration after-effect as the camera struggled to stabilize the footage. This can be reduced by staying still, but even with PureVideo (which can also be a little too aggressive addressing noise), its not quite there yet. I will continue to test the camera and provide further impressions. Insta360 pushed a firmware update to the X5 hours before I published this story, adding 4K60fps recording in single-lens mode, and several resolution bumps across other recording modes.
Design-wise, you have to get up real close to tell the difference between the X5 and the X4. Theyre largely the same size, although Insta360 has switched to a polygon effect on the front, with a panel for the mic (and a new mesh wind guard).
The battery compartment and microSD slot are secured with a double latch where the microSD slot lives, and are protected by solid covers with sliding locks. Both sides of the camera have a grippy texture, with record and mode buttons nestled under the screen.
With the same threaded mount, Insta360s existing selfie sticks will work with its latest camera, although fast-chargers and cases wont, due to hardware changes. The most important thing: Insta360s bullet time effect is still here if you have the right peripheral.
Most of the settings adjustments, like its predecessors, are found in pull-down menus from, well, pretty much every side of the screen. Swiping right will take you to the gallery, while manual camera options are a left swipe away. Toggles and lock settings are located in the dropdown menu. Theres a lot, but if youve used a smartphone, you should find the basic navigation familiar.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
Theres a whole list of smaller notable hardware improvements on the X5 compared to the predecessor, too:
Scratch-resistant glass lenses - which are replaceable
Larger capacity battery that lasts up to 180 minutes
Faster-charging battery (0 to 80 percent in 0 minutes)
New built-in steel mesh wind guard
IP68 waterproofing up to 49 feet
Magnetic mounting system
Twist to shoot record feature, to initiate recording by twisting a connected selfie stick
The Insta360 X5 is now on sale, priced at $550, with an Essentials Bundle also available for $660. The bundle includes an extra battery, fast-charge case, invisible selfie stick, lens guards and a carry case. Thats $50 more than the Insta360 X4 was at launch. The improvements to both low-light performance and new shooting modes may be worth the price increase, but dont expect crisp 4K (or 8K) video if light is an issue.
Competition in this category remains relatively limited. Ricoh continues its Theta series, with a similar camera form factor, but seems to focus on stills more than video, while GoPros Max 360 camera lacks features like traditional 4K video capture, let alone 8K recording. The best alternatives are arguably Insta360s other 360 cameras, like last years X4.
While there are less major spec and design changes compared to last year, the Insta360 X5 is another step forward for this type of camera, both in terms of imaging and in simplifying how you share what you capture.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/insta360-x5-launch-date-price-hands-on-132439941.html?src=rss
Google Messages has started rolling out sensitive content warnings for nudity after first unveiling the feature late last year. The new feature will perform two key actions if the AI-based system detects message containing a nude image: it will blur any of those photo and trigger a warning if your child tries to open, send or forward them. Finally, it will provide resources for you and your child to get help. All detection happens on the device to ensure images and data remain private.
Sensitive content warnings are enabled by default for supervised users and signed-in unsupervised teens, the company notes. Parents control the feature for supervised users via the Family Link app, but unsupervised teens aged 13 to 17 can turn it off in Google Messages settings. The feature is off by default for everyone else.
With sensitive content warnings enabled, images are blurred and a "speed bump" prompt opens allowing the user to block the sender, while offering a link to a resource page detailing why nudes can be harmful. Next, it asks the user if they still want to open the message with "No, don't view," and "Yes, view" options. If an attempt is made to send an image, it provides similar options. So, it doesn't completely block children from sending nudes, but merely provides a warning.
The feature is powered by Google's SafetyCore system which allows AI-powered on-device content classification without sending "identifiable data or any of the classified content or results to Google servers," according to the company. It only just started arriving on Android devices and is not yet widely available, 9to5Google wrote. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-messages-starts-rolling-out-sensitive-content-warnings-for-nude-images-130525437.html?src=rss
