After a rudderless year and an exodus of around 4,000 employees due to Trump administration cuts, NASA got what may be its first piece of good news recently. On December 17, the Senate confirmed billionaire Jared Isaacman as the agency's new administrator. He now holds the power to rehabilitate a battered engine of scientific research, or steer it towards even more disruption. Considering the caliber of President Trump's other appointees, Isaacman is probably the best candidate for the job. Outside of being a successful entrepreneur, he has flown fighter jets and been to space twice as part of the Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn private missions. One of those flights saw him complete the first commercial space walk, and travel farther from Earth than any human since the end of the Apollo program. "Perfect is the enemy of the good. Isaacman checks a lot of boxes," says Keith Cowing, a former NASA employee and the founder of NASA Watch, a blog dedicated to the agency. "He's passed every requirement to fly in a spacecraft that American astronauts at NASA are required to pass. He also went out of his way to have a diverse crew, and shove as much science as he could in those missions." And yet if you're a NASA employee or just someone who cares about the agency's work, there are still plenty of reasons to be concerned for its future. When Trump first nominated Isaacman in the spring, the billionaire wrote a 62-page document detailing his vision for NASA. In November, Politico obtained a copy of that plan, titled Project Athena.To some insiders, Project Athena painted a picture of someone who, at least at the time when it was written, fundamentally misunderstood how NASA works and how scientific discovery is funded in the US and elsewhere. It also suggests Isaacman may be more open to Trump's NASA agenda than would appear at first glance. When asked about the plan by Politico, one former NASA official characterized it as "bizarre and careless." Another called it presumptuous," given many of the proposed changes to the agency's structure would require Congressional approval. In one section, Isaacman recommended taking NASA out of the taxpayer funded climate science business and [leaving] it for academia to determine. In another section, he promised to evaluate the relevance and ongoing necessity of every agency center, particularly NASA's iconic Jet Propulsion Laboratory, saying the facility and others must increase the output and time to science KPI. A lot has changed since Isaacman first wrote that document. It came before the workforce cuts, before the future of Goddard Space Flight Center became uncertain and before Trump surprised everyone by renominating Isaacman. But during his Senate testimony earlier this month, the billionaire said I do stand behind everything in the document, even though it was written seven months ago. I think it was all directionally correct. He did appear to distance himself from some viewpoints expressed in or inferred by Project Athena, however. Isaacman stated that anything suggesting that I am anti-science or want to outsource that responsibility is simply untrue. He also came out against the administration's plan to cut NASA's science budget nearly in half, claiming the proposals would not lead to "an optimal outcome."One thing is clear, Isaacman is not your typical bureaucrat. "One of the pitfalls of some prior NASA administrators has been that they've shown too much reverence for the internal processes and bureaucratic structure of the agency to the detriment of decision-making and performance," said Casey Drier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, a nonprofit that advocates for the exploration and study of space. "Isaacman has positioned himself as the opposite of that. Clearly, that's something that could lead to a lot of political and congressional challenges if taken too far." Even if Isaacman doesn't follow through on any of the proposals made in Project Athena, there's only so much a NASA administrator even one sympathetic to civil servants working under them can do. "Once a budget request goes out publicly, everyone in the administration has to defend it. Anything he does will have to be internal and private," Drier explains. "He never explicitly criticized the administration during his hearing. He's also coming relatively late in the budget process." A lot of NASA's future will depend on the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is responsible for implementing the president's agenda across the executive branch. As a direct result of guidance the OMB issued over the summer, NASA awarded 25 percent fewer new grants in 2025 than it did on average between 2020 and 2024. "The OMB has added layers of requirements that scientists now have to go through to spend the money they've already been allocated. The administration has worked against its own stated goals of efficiency," Drier said. "Isaacman can't solve that himself. He can't tell the OMB what to do. That's going to be a serious challenge." Looming over everything is the fact NASA still does not have a full-year budget for 2026. Congress has until January 30 to fund NASA and the rest of the federal government before the short-term funding bill it passed on November 12 runs out. "On paper, the official policy of the administration is still to terminate a third of NASA's scientific capability," Drier points out.There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Publicly, both the House and Senate have come out against Trump's funding cuts. An some science missions that were slated to be cancelled, such as OSIRIS-APEX, have been approved for another full year of operations. What NASA needs now is someone who will, as Drier puts it, "vigorously advocate" for the agency in whatever way they can. It remains to be seen if that's Jared Isaacman.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-finally-has-a-leader-but-its-future-is-no-more-certain-201109072.html?src=rss
LG
For years, LG has kicked off CES press day with the first event of the morning and 2026 will be no different. The Korea-based corporation is theming its presentation as "Innovation in Tune with You," and if it follows the template of past presentations it will highlight both the consumer electronics and large appliance sides of its mammoth global businesses.
Like nearly all tech-centric events these days, expect AI to be the binding theme of the LG presentation at CES 2026. Just be aware that, like Apple, LG has its own customized abbreviation for AI: "Affectionate Intelligence." The company will share "its vision for elevating daily life through Affectionate Intelligence delivering harmonized and seamlessly connected customer experiences." In other words, the company is aiming for its devices to become more connected and self-automated than ever. Here's how you can stream it and what you can expect.
How to watch LG's CES 2026 presentation
The event will stream live from Las Vegas on Monday, January 5 at 11AM ET. You've got a few options for tuning in watch the livestream on the LG website, the LG Global YouTube channel or the LG Global X channel. (We'll embed the stream here once it appears on the channel.)
What to expect
LG will show its "portfolio of AI-powered solutions that combine world-class devices and solutions with advanced AI core technologies," the company said in a press release. That, of course, sounds generic and indistinguishable from what we'll get at pretty much every other CES press event.
Thankfully, LG has also started providing some more substantive details of its CES 2026 plan. For instance, the company has confirmed that it will debut its first Micro RGB TV, a display with a cutting-edge screen technology with multicolor backlights that should one-up mini LED displays. The size options are 100 inches, 86 inches and 75 inches.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/how-to-watch-the-lg-ces-2026-press-conference-190159378.html?src=rss
Michał Kiciński, co-founder of CD Projekt, has acquired total ownership of the DRM-free video game storefront GOG. The digital video game platform was started by CD Projekt in 2008 with a stated mission to preserve "Good Old Games" (hence the GOG acronym). CD Projekt is known for its game studio CD Projekt Red, the developers The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077.
GOG said Kiciński bought 100 percent of its shares for PLN 90.7 million ($25 million). The acquisition was fully financed through committed funding secured at the sales closing and did not involve the sale of any of Kicińskis CD Projekt shares.
The storefront will continue to operate independently under its new owner, sticking with its DRM-free philosophy and ongoing work to keep classic titles playable on modern PCs. After the sale, CD Projekt and GOG signed a distribution agreement that will see CD Projekt Red games continue to be listed on GOG.
While the press release for the sale did not list a reason, a report posted Monday under the Regulatory Announcements section of the CD Projekt website states "the sale of shares in GOG is consistent with the CD PROJEKT Group growth strategy, which assumes focusing on the core business of the Company, i.e., developing and publishing video games and related projects based on the owned and new franchises." The report also describes a "competitive sale process," implying that Kiciński may not have been the only bidder.
While it seems Kiciński will have a hands-on role in GOG after its acquisition, his current involvement at CD Projekt is less clear. He remains a significant shareholder but is not listed on the company's Management board or its Supervisory board.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/co-founder-of-cd-projekt-micha%C5%82-kicinski-has-acquired-gog-the-companys-game-storefront-174853415.html?src=rss
If cleaning up your digital life is on your New Year's resolution list, we've got good news: 1Password is offering half off its subscription plans now through December 30. This includes the Individual and Families plans.
That brings the price of the Individual plan down to $24 for a year and the Families plan down to $36 for a year. The plans are nearly identical, but the Families plan accommodates five additional people. These discounts are only available to new customers and the prices expire after the year, so set a reminder to cancel or reassess.
This provider topped our list of the best password managers, and for good reason. We appreciated the intuitive interface and the fact that it's available on most platforms, so you'll never be left out in the cold. These include Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, macOS, iOS, Windows, Android and more.
Subscriptions include industry standard encryption and a "secret key" that only you know on top of a master password. There's also two-factor authentication and the platform issues alerts when credentials have potentially been compromised.
1Password recently raised prices across the board, but this is still looking to be the best deal for our favorite password manager going into the new year. The only downside here is the one that accompanies many password managers. There is no free version. Obviously, this won't be an issue for the year, but it could once the plan runs out.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/1password-deal-get-50-percent-off-plans-for-the-holiday-season-162844584.html?src=rss
Samsung has announced that it "aims to be the first" to natively integrate Google Photos into TVs. The aim is for Google Photos to work seamlessly with Vision AI Companion, Samsung's souped-up version of Bixby. This would help to make user photos part of the day-to-day TV experience, with photos appearing while navigating the TV's OS during "contextual and convenient moments."
The company says users will be able to explore their Google Photos libraries in three new experiences. The first is called Memories, and will show curated stories based on "people, locations and meaningful moments." This has a planned launch in March 2026 and will be exclusive to Samsung TVs for six months.
Create with AI will use Google DeepMind's image generation and editing model, enabling users to transform their photos using AI using themed templates. Users will also be able to turn any still image into a short video using the tool. Create with AI has a planned launch in the second half of 2026.
Finally, Personalized Results will create themed slideshows of users' photos based on particular topics or the content of an image. Examples given by Samsung include the ocean, hiking and Paris. This also has a planned launch in the latter part of 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/samsung-plans-to-integrate-google-photos-into-its-tvs-132739713.html?src=rss
Longtime CES observers know that Sony's press conference is the traditional capper to the press day that precedes the show floor's official opening the following day. And while that appears to be the same for 2026, there's a twist: Instead of an overview of Sony's electronics, video game and Hollywood studio plans for the new year, the presser will apparently have a more narrow focus: electric vehicles. Apparently the full event will be focused on two vehicles from Sony Honda Mobility the Afeela 1 car that has made repeat appearances at CES, as well as an all-new concept model at the event.
How to watch the Sony Afeela CES 2026 press conference
The event will be streamed live from Las Vegas on Monday, January 5 at 8PM ET via the Afeela official YouTube channel. (We'll embed the stream here once it appears on the channel.)
What to expect from Sony Afeela at CES
What's now the Afeela 1 has been shown in various incarnations since CES 2020, where it was originally announced as Vision-S. But so many more important details were confirmed in the past couple of years, including the price, which starts at a staggering $89,900. However, the earlier impressions were less than impressive, and as of CES 2025, that thought remains the same. Engadget's automotive expert Tim Stevens said earlier this year that the EV "feels like a PlayStation 4 in the PS5 era," and that "the car lost what little interesting styling it had while sticking true to some specifications that sounded good five years ago." Ouch.
But the Afeela 1 won't be the only vehicle on display. Its CES booth will showcase "several Afeela 1 pre-production vehicles in multiple color variations, alongside a new Afeela concept model," Sony Honda Mobility said in a press release.
We're hoping to hear about what's new and improved at CES 2026, and we're also excited to see its newest concept model. And between booth displays and press releases, we're hoping we'll get to see at least a few new Sony Electronics products on the docket for 2026, too.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/how-to-watch-the-sony-afeela-ces-2026-press-conference-130048921.html?src=rss
Apple isn't ready to pay a several billion-dollar fine to UK App Store users and is filing an appeal over a major antitrust lawsuit. As first reported by The Guardian, Apple has requested to appeal to the UK's Court of Appeal, which would escalate the case beyond the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).
The latest appeal attempt follows an October decision from the CAT, where the court found that Apple engaged in anticompetitive practices by exploiting its dominant market position with the App Store to charge higher fees. The CAT's ruling established a 1.5 billion, or roughly $2 billion, fine, but Apple said it planned to appeal and that the court "takes a flawed view of the thriving and competitive app economy." The CAT didn't grant Apple the appeal, leading the iPhone maker to seek a higher court to overturn the ruling.
Apple hasn't made any official statements about its latest appeal application, but it's likely that it will argue against the CAT's proposed App Store developer fee rate of between 15 and 20 percent, which it reached through "informed guesswork," instead of the existing 30 percent. If the fine does ultimately stick, the $2 billion fine would be split amongst any App Store user in the UK who made purchases between 2015 and 2024, according to The Guardian.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-escalates-its-appeal-of-a-2-billion-fine-from-a-uk-antitrust-lawsuit-201922558.html?src=rss
Ubisoft has shut down Rainbow Six Siege's servers and is in the process of rolling back the fallout of a widespread breach that left various players with billions of in-game credits, ultra-rare skins of weapons, and banned accounts. As of Sunday afternoon, the status page on Rainbow Six Siege's website still shows "unplanned outage" on all servers across PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
Update: Siege and the Marketplace have been intentionally shut down while the team focuses on resolving the issue. https://t.co/7k6Jsa5CiM Rainbow Six Siege X (@Rainbow6Game) December 27, 2025
The fiasco began Saturday morning when Ubisoft said on X that they were "aware of an incident currently affecting Rainbow Six Siege" and "working on a resolution." A couple of hours later, the Rainbow Six Siege servers were shut down, following plenty of user reports showing either zero or billions in R6 credits, rare skins in their lockers and either account bans or unbans. Ubisoft later clarified Saturday afternoon on X that nobody would be banned if they spent their ill-gotten credits, but that a rollback of all transactions starting from Saturday, 6AM ET would soon be underway.
On Sunday afternoon, Ubisoft informed the playerbase that they're currently performing a rollback, but that "extensive quality control tests will be executed to ensure the integrity of accounts and effectiveness of changes." The company added that "this matter is being handled with extreme care and therefore, timing cannot be guaranteed" and didn't provide an estimate for when servers would be back online.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-is-rolling-back-rainbow-six-siege-servers-after-being-forced-to-shut-them-down-191049440.html?src=rss
After the high price tag of the Ayaneo Pocket DMG turned some retro handheld fans away, Ayaneo is working on another remake of the classic Game Boy with a slightly more affordable cost. Ayaneo revealed the pricing for the Pocket Vert, which starts at $269 for early bird orders.
Compared to the Pocket DMG that retails for $449, Ayaneo skipped the OLED and configurations that go up to 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage for the Pocket Vert. Instead, the handheld maker went with a fully metal CNC body and an ultra-minimalist design with engraving-free buttons that resemble the Analogue Pocket's look. Ayaneo built the Pocket Vert with a smaller 3.5-inch LCD screen that has a 1,600 x 1,440 resolution and a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip that should allow the handheld to handle anything up to PS2 and some Nintendo Switch games.
Ayaneo
To play more modern games, the Pocket Vert has a hidden touch pad below the buttons that acts as a makeshift joystick. Ayaneo also hid a fingerprint sensor in the power button and included a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD slot for more storage capacity. The Indiegogo campaign for the Pocket Vert isn't open yet, but it will be the only place to snag the latest vertical handheld from Ayaneo at its lowest price before it reverts to the retail price of $339. You can even opt for the fully specced-out version that's only available in Lava Red and has 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage for an early bird price of $369 and a later standard price of $439.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ayaneos-latest-game-boy-remake-will-have-an-early-bird-starting-price-of-269-174553644.html?src=rss
Samsung is adding two brand new speakers to its audio lineup, along with updated soundbars boosted with AI features. While not as inconspicuous as the Samsung Frame, the new WiFi speakers, called the Music Studio 5 and 7, were designed to blend into your living room's atmosphere with their minimalist design. However, if you're looking for a more convenient option, Samsung also updated its flagship HW-Q990H soundbar, while also introducing the more affordable choice of the HW-QS90H.
Samsung built the Music Studio 5 with a four-inch woofer and dual tweeters, pairing them with a built-in waveguide to deliver better sound. To customize the sound, Samsung added its new AI Dynamic Bass Control that can make bass sound better without any distortion. You can even control the "gallery-inspired" speaker via voice or Bluetooth and it's compatible with WiFi casting and streaming services.
Samsung
For an upgraded option, the Music Studio 7 comes with a 3.1.1-channel spatial audio that has top-, front-, left- and right-firing speakers to give a more immersive 3D audio experience. You can calibrate the sound even further with the Samsung Audio Lab Pattern Control Technology and the same AI Dynamic Bass Control feature seen with the Music Studio 5. Samsung says the Music Studio 7 can play Hi-Resolution Audio with up to 24-bit/96kHz audio processing and can either be used as a standalone speaker or paired with other Samsung audio devices.
Samsung
To round out its new audio offerings, Samsung debuted the HW-QS90H, or its All-in-One Soundbar, with a 7.1.2.-channel system that features 13 drivers, nine of which are wide-range speakers. The new soundbar's built-in Quad Bass Woofer system means you can achieve deeper bass without a separate subwoofer. The All-in-One Soundbar even features Samsung's Convertible Fit design that can handle being mounted on a wall or placed on a table, and a gyro sensor that can automatically adapt channel distribution depending on its orientation, like we saw with the QS700F.
Samsung even refreshed its flagship HW-Q990H soundbar this year and introduced to it the Sound Elevation feature that makes dialogue sound more natural and Auto Volume, which regulates a consistent volume across its channels for a more balanced sound. All of Samsung's latest soundbars and speakers will be on display at CES 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/samsungs-two-new-speakers-will-deliver-crisp-audio-while-blending-into-your-decor-230053770.html?src=rss
