The definitive version of Divinity: Original Sin 2, the sequel to Original Sin first released back in 2017, is now available for the PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox X|S. The role-playing game was developed by Larian Studios, the same company that developed Baldurs Gate 3. To be clear, the games new release isnt a remake or even a remaster its just a port for new consoles so that old and new fans alike can enjoy the game without having to bust out their previous-gen devices. Fans who already own a copy of the game can even get it for free. Original Sin 2 is the fifth main entry in the Divinity game series. In it, gamers play a sorcerer who can wield forbidden magic and who gets captured by the Magisters of the Divine Order so they can be cured of their powers. Players can make their character from scratch, creating their own class and giving their character the abilities, skills and stats they want. But they can also use any of the pre-set characters the game provides.Players who already have the 2017 version installed will get a free upgrade applicable to their console. If they dont have it installed anymore, they can go to games store page on their new device and download the upgrade for free aside from fans in Japan wholl have to pay 100 for the Switch 2 and PS4 upgrade. Larian is also working on the latest entry to the franchise, simply called Divinity, which is its biggest and most abitious game to date.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/divinity-original-sin-2-for-modern-consoles-is-free-for-old-fans-130000192.html?src=rss
One of 2025's splashiest games, Hollow Knight: Silksong, is getting its first major DLC expansion, developer Team Cherry announced in a blog post. The nautically-themed Sea of Sorrow update will come to the moody Metroidvania some time in 2026, and better still, it will be free for all players.
The DLC will include "new areas, bosses, tools and more," the developer wrote. There aren't a lot of clues to the gameplay in the short trailer below, but the four shots definitely relay the vibe. The first shows what looks like fishing tackle, then we see something (or someone) on a tomb-like wooden platform tied under a canvas sheet. Next an orb-like structure crackling with electricity looms and finally the game's protagonist, Hornet, appears.
In related news, Team Cherry gave updates on its Nintendo Switch 2 version of the original Hollow Knight that will bring it up to visual parity with the the Hollow Knight: Silksong Switch 2 edition. As part of that, the studio also released a beta update to the Steam and GOG PC versions of the original Hollow Knight. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksongs-upcoming-dlc-pack-will-be-free-for-all-players-123055729.html?src=rss
For the longest time, I refused to upgrade my work-issued MacBook. I was leery of the hassle, and would much rather hang on to an aging Intel-powered laptop than have to transfer files, set up apps and sign in to accounts all over again. What did it matter if my notebook barely lasted long enough to cover an iPhone launch? My petty brain blamed it all on external factors (like being forced to use a MacBook instead of a PC), and left me dripping in stress as I watched the power levels dip down to zero at many of the live events I attend every year. So when I saw the Anker Laptop Power Bank was one of the items in our Labor Day deals roundup this year, I decided to get one to alleviate my battery anxiety (instead of, you know, doing the sane thing and agreeing to a new laptop).
When I unboxed my new Laptop Power Bank the night before the iPhone 17 Pro launch, I wasnt expecting to be so taken by its features. All I knew before then was that this was a solid, beefy laptop battery pack, squeezing 25,000mAh in a compact package that would save me from having to worry too much about finding an outlet. But when I saw the screen light up with details on the amount of energy left (to two decimal places!) and the real-time charge data when I plugged it in, I was impressed. How modern!
Then I noticed the built-in cables one retractable and neatly tucked inside the charger and the other artfully curved into a groove and doubling as a handle. Both wires were braided and felt like theyd be resistant to fraying and destroying themselves over time. Altogether, the general build quality and functionality of all the components made it clear this was a thoughtfully designed product worthy of all the praise and money weve hurled at it since my colleagues first tested it.
But what truly made me smile (and giggle, honestly) was a naughty little Easter egg. I saw posts on Threads indicating that if you tugged on that retractable cable and let it go in and out a few times, the screen would show a smiley face. I didnt believe this was true until I saw it for myself. Sure, it felt a little bit odd, but I told myself I was revving a chainsaw, and doing legitimate testing for professional reasons, not jerking off a device. And when I saw the funny face appear, I felt the effect was humorous rather than pervy. The good news for the more staid readers is that if you dont want to ever see that face, you never have to. And if you like cheeky little touches in your tech products, the Anker Laptop Battery Charger will delight.
Regardless of how I felt about having pleasured a laptop battery charger, it doesnt take away from the fact that this is a well-made, well-rounded product. It managed to get my MacBook a few extra hours, so I made it all the way to the end of a multi-hour keynote, though it did run completely empty so I couldnt recharge my phone after. Blast Apple Park and its utter lack of available power outlets!
Ankers Laptop Battery Pack effectively allayed my battery anxiety, brought me some mirth and won me over with its thoughtful design. And because I got it on sale, it was $90 well spent.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/the-anker-laptop-power-bank-soothed-my-self-inflicted-battery-anxiety-123000024.html?src=rss
iRobot, the company that brought robotic vacuum cleaners to homes and popular culture, has filed for bankruptcy. It plans to sell all assets to its primary supplier, the Chinese company Picea Robotics. Investors will experience a total loss and not receive recovery on their investment if the deal is approved, iRobot said. The company didnt discuss how the move might affect its employees in the US or elsewhere.
Amazon dropped its $1.7 billion acquisition of the company last year after a veto threat from European regulators, leaving the Roomba maker with no other option. Political scrutiny came on two fronts: The company was also reportedly hit hard by Trumps tariffs in Vietnam, where it manufactures products for the US market.
iRobot launched its first Roomba in 2002, arguably inventing the world of robot vacuums and the first robots to enter many of our homes. Competition from rivals has chipped away at its dominance, with other companies coming in at both lower and higher prices, like Roborock, Dyson and Ankers Eufy.
Mat Smith
The other big stories this morning
In 2025, tech giants decided smart glasses are the next big thing
Grok is spreading inaccurate info again, this time about the Bondi Beach shooting
47 Ronin director found guilty of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million
The best things Engadget editors bought in 2025
IKEAs new wireless charger is cute
I like the illuminated charging bowl too.
IKEA
IKEAs revamp of its smart home products doesnt end with Matter support. It also has some new Qi wireless chargers. First up, the $10 VÄSTMÄRKE combines a PopSockets-style phone grip with cable storage in a donut-shaped package.
It can magnetically attach to iPhones with MagSafe or Pixel phones with Googles Pixelsnap magnets. Then theres the $25 VÄSTMÄRKE wireless charger with lighting, a bowl-shaped charging pad in the center for your smartphone or wireless earbuds.
Continue reading.
LG will debut its first Micro RGB television at CES
More color and better dimming than a standard LCD.
LG says it will unveil its LG Micro RGB evo TV at CES 2026, but ahead of that, it shared some preliminary information about the screen. Instead of just white lights, Micro RGB means the backlight can be any hue, thanks to individually controlled red, green and blue Micro LEDs, offering a wider color array. This approach is midway between OLEDs individual-pixel lighting and TVs that use typical mini-LEDs.
Continue reading.
Slop is Merriam-Websters word of the year
2025 saw AI slop sludge into every nook and cranny of online life.
OpenAI
Merriam-Webster has selected slop for its 2025 word of the year. Its defined as digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence. Weve seen an absolute deluge of AI slop this year, from fake movie trailers on YouTube to AI-generated bands on Spotify. It was (unfortunately) one of our winners of 2025.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121547853.html?src=rss
Google will stop sending out dark web reports starting early next year, as it shuts down the free tool that can tell you if your personal information has appeared on the seedy underbelly of the internet. The tool used to be exclusively available to Google One subscribers until the company opened it up to everyone in mid-2024. If you switch it on, youll receive a notification whenever your name, email address and phone number leak on the internet, typically due to data breaches. In Googles email announcement, however, it said it was discontinuing dark web reports because feedback showed that it did not provide helpful next steps. A report just lets you know that your information has appeared on the dark web. You can also see a list of all the hits you get on your Google account, along with what data breach leaked that particular detail. However, it doesnt give you guidance on what to do afterwards. The company explained that it will focus on tools that can give you clear, actionable step to take instead. Google will stop monitoring for new dark web results on January 15, 2026 and will remove access to the report from your account on February 16. You can also remove your monitoring profile right now by going to the results with your info section on the tools official page. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/google-is-retiring-its-free-dark-web-monitoring-tool-next-year-023103252.html?src=rss
LG is getting in on one of the newest trends for televisions with the introduction of Micro RGB. The company will unveil the LG Micro RGB evo at CES 2026, but it shared some preliminary information about the screen today.
Micro RGB is a newer screen technology where rather than white lights, the backlight can be any hue thanks to individually controlled red, green and blue Micro LEDs, offering a wider color array. This approach is a mid-way point between the precision of OLED with its individual pixel lighting, but it offers an upgrade over screens only using mini LEDs.
The television is also equipped with an upgraded engine for AI upscaling. According to the company's press release, the LG Micro RGB evo is certified by Intertek for 100 percent color gamut coverage in BT.2020, DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB. The TV has more than a thousand dimming zones for brightness control.
The few other brands currently using micro RGB are charging a pretty penny for it; the one announced by Samsung earlier this year costs $29,999. At 115 inches, the Samsung version is also much larger than LG's offerings, which include options at 100 inches, 86 inches and 75 inches. Although the size is reduced, expect the eventual prices for the LG Micro RGB evo to also be very expensive.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/lg-will-debut-its-first-micro-rgb-television-at-ces-010037923.html?src=rss
A Louisiana law that would have required social media platforms to verify the ages of their users has been blocked by a judge. The law, known as the Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation, was passed in 2023 and required Meta, Reddit, Snap, YouTube Discord and others to implement age verification and parental control features.The ruling came just days before the law, which technically took effect over the summer, would have started to be enforced. In his ruling, Judge John W. deGravelles wrote that the law's "age-verification and parental-consent requirements are both over- and under-inclusive," and that its definition of "social media platform" was "nebulous."The ruling was a victory for NetChoice, a lobbying group that represents the tech industry and has challenged the growing number of age verification laws around the world. The group had argued that the law was unconstitutional and posed a safety and security risk.In a statement following the ruling, the group pointed to the "massive privacy risk" posed by the Louisiana law and others like it. "Louisianas law would have done more than chill speech," Paul Taske, the co-director of NetChoices Litigation Center said. "It would have created a massive privacy risk for Louisianans like those playing out in real time in countries without a First Amendment, like the UK."The Louisiana Attorney General's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/judge-blocks-louisianas-social-media-age-verification-law-001212758.html?src=rss
Microsoft made a big punt this year with Copilot. The company put its AI chatbot into a special line of laptops and has also tried to integrate it into other tech products. The latest place you may find Copilot is on your LG smart television, whether you want it or not.
Several LG smart TV owners have taken to Reddit over the past few days to complain that they suddenly have a Copilot app on the device and cannot uninstall it. Two Engadget staffers discovered the app on a 2022 LG OLED and a 2023 UA8000. They confirmed that the app can't be removed, although they were able to hide it from the home screen. One other person from our team also has a 2022 LG OLED but isn't seeing Copilot, so your mileage may vary based on what permissions and privacy settings you already have set up with LG.
Karissa Bell for Engadget
LG said during the 2025 CES season that it would have a Copilot-powered AI Search in its next wave of TV models, but putting in a permanent AI fixture is sure to leave a bad taste in many customers' mouths, particularly since Copilot hasn't been particularly popular among people using AI assistants.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/lg-quietly-added-an-unremovable-microsoft-copilot-app-to-tvs-235923754.html?src=rss
Just last month, Ford seemed to be on the brink of sunsetting the F-150 Lightning. Today, the vehicle manufacturer announced plans to reboot the truck as a hybrid. This next generation of the F-150 Lightning will contain Extended Range Electric Vehicle. An EREV is similar in concept to a plug-in hybrid but with a larger battery that's topped up by a gas generator the powertrain itself is all electric. This next generation of the F-150 Lightning will offer an estimated range of more than 700 miles. Production will end this year on the current F-150 Lightning models.
This revamp of the F-150 Lightning is part of Ford's latest approach to electric vehicles. The company projected that by 2030, half of its global volume will be comprised of hybrids, extended-range EVs and electric vehicles, compared with 17 percent today. "As part of these actions, Ford no longer plans to produce select larger electric vehicles where the business case has eroded due to lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes," the company's press release states. Ford will also swap its planned electric commercial van for North America with a new, affordable commercial van that has both gas and hybrid options. The company anticipates seeing a $19.5 billion negative impact for this pivot away from EVs.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ford-is-rebooting-the-f-150-lightning-as-an-erev-with-a-gas-generator-222529768.html?src=rss
Apple TV is adding Google Cast support to its native Android app. This update allows subscribers to stream Apple TV shows from their smartphones to their televisions. Apple's streaming service only just released the dedicated app for the Android operating system in February 2025. Adding in Google Cast support helps fully integrate the app into the experience for people whose gear is part of the Android ecosystem.
The addition should make it easier for viewers to shift between screens, even mid-episode. It's a very different approach than Netflix, which recently ended Google Cast support for its streaming platform in most use cases.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-tv-app-for-android-now-supports-google-cast-205642324.html?src=rss
