Katina Alford

After seeing the runaway success of its Neo lineup, DJI is taking another stab at the budget drone market with the new Lito series. The Lito 1 and Lito X1 are both under $400 and weigh less than 249 grams — they’re ideal for beginners. Both are designed to replace DJI’s Mini series, but they offer things that those models lacked like LiDAR and 360-degree obstacle avoidance.
In terms of video quality, they’re similar to DJI’s Neo 2 and Flip drones. Unlike those models, which are safe to use indoors and around people, the open-prop Lito drones are designed to fly outside at high speeds and high altitudes. This makes them well-suited for filming activities like surfing or dirt bike riding. After testing both models, I believe they offer unbeatable value and performance at these prices, by a long shot. Of course, the drawback for American buyers is that neither is expected to launch in the US.

Design and features
The Lito models are now the entry level open-prop models in DJI’s lineup (the Mini series will no longer be updated). Both have identical folding designs, with optional, removable propeller shrouds that offer some additional obstacle protection. Given the light weight, novice pilots can fly them without a permit.

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Both have omni sensors on the top and bottom that protect them from obstacles on all sides. The Lito X1 adds a forward-facing LiDAR sensor for extra tracking precision. That kind of additional accuracy is nice to have and it’s unusual on drones in this price range. Built-in storage is also rare on cheap drones, but the Lito X1 has that going for it as well. There’s 42GB on tap, along with microSD card support for additional capacity. The Lito 1 only offers a microSD slot and no internal storage.
They come with an Intelligent Flight Battery that offers up to 36 minutes of flying time. That can be extended to about 52 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, though that model isn’t available in the EU or UK. As with every other DJI drone I’ve tested, real-world flight times are about 30 percent less than the company promises. I got about 25 minutes of use on a charge — still not bad for a sub-$400 drone.
The Lito line has all the FocusTrack features you’d expect in a DJI drone, like 360 degree ActiveTrack subject tracking with full manual control and obstacle detection. It also supports DJI’s Quickshots including Dronie, Rocket and others, all of which make it easy to capture aerial clips for social media. However, you won’t find certain Neo 2 features on the Lito series, like gestures, smartphone control and palm takeoffs.
The Lito drones work with multiple controllers, including the RC-N3 that requires a smartphone or the RC 2 with a built-in screen. Both Lito models transmit 1080p 60 fps video to a range of up to 10 miles via DJI’s Occusync 4 system. That’s a scary distance for a beginner drone. Luckily, both models also offer DJI’s return to home (RTH) with battery warning and other safety features that should prevent lost drones or accidents.
Performance

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Both Lito drones are relatively fast at about 26 mph in normal mode with obstacle detection, or 40 mph in sport mode. That kind of speed allows creators to track bikers, skiers or vehicles. Each can also fly in relatively strong winds up to about 21 mph. They lack the maneuverability and acrobatics available on the Neo 2 though, and don't offer an FPV mode with DJI’s Goggles.
With open propellers that can catch on a twig and cause a crash, the Lito drones depend heavily on obstacle detection for protection. That’s particularly important since the ActiveTrack follow feature is a key selling point for novice creators. With all that in mind, I wanted to put them through their paces tracking me on a bicycle and even while driving a car, forcing the drones to navigate around trees and bamboo with fine branches.
To start, I used ActiveTrack and the Trace “steering wheel” mode to follow me from the front, sides and back. Both Lito models can avoid obstacles using either the “braking” mode that stops the drone or “bypass” that simply maneuvers around them. I mostly used bypass mode to see if the drone could continue to track me if something got in the way.
When flying forward, the Lito X1 avoided all obstacles using its LiDAR, while swooping smoothly around trees and branches. Only once did it fail to detect a small twig, which caused a slight bobble, but fortunately, no crash. Thanks to that built-in LiDAR, the Lito X1 model is a bit more adept than the Lito 1 at dodging fine obstacles when flying forward. Overall, the X1’s avoidance in all directions was shockingly good for a drone under $400.

DJI's Lito models offer excellent tracking and obstacle detection for the price.

Steve Dent for Engadget

The Lito X1’s LiDAR is also very helpful when flying in low-light conditions, and even at night. If you go on a long flight and miscalculate the sunset, you’ll still be able to get the drone back safely in RTH mode without much fear of crashing, as long as you fly forward. It also helps keep the Lito X1 more stable in dim light than the Lito 1.
The Lito 1 isn’t as adept at following and obstacle detection at night due to the lack of LiDAR, but again, it avoided danger surprisingly well considering the price. Buyers can still be confident that it will stay out of trouble when tracking subjects in most conditions — just be careful when flying in forested areas with fine branches.
If you’re planning on flying far from your location to capture remote aerial views, DJI’s Occusync 4 system is highly reliable. I only saw video dropouts when flying the drone behind buildings and out of my line of sight, something that I wouldn’t advise anyway. As long as there’s nothing between you and the drone, you’ll maintain a clear video view and full control.
As with other drones in the Mini and Mini Pro series, the Lito models are whisper quiet in flight, with noise levels well under 70 db. The pitch is also low and not shrieking like the Neo models, so it shouldn’t disturb people or animals.
Video and photo quality
Video quality is where the Lito 1 and Lito X1 differ the most. The latter is equipped with a 40-megapixel 1/1.3-inch sensor with f/1.7 aperture (same as the Mini 4 Pro) and offers up 4K 60 fps video with 4K 100 fps slow-mo along with D-LogM and HDR recording. The Lito 1, meanwhile, has a 48MP 1/2-inch sensor (12MP for video) like the one on the Neo 2, with an f/1.8 aperture, 4K 60 fps video (4K 100 fps slow-mo) and no D-LogM or HDR capabilities.

That’s a pretty big gap in specs considering the relatively meager price difference of around $80. As such, the Lito X1 offers significantly better video quality, particularly in low light and high-contrast conditions.
The smaller sensor means the Lito 1 has mediocre low-light capability, with pronounced grain at the maximum ISO 12,800 rating. The drop in quality is even noticeable at ISO 3,200. Unlike the $400 Flip, the lack of 10-bit D-LogM capability also means that over- or underexposed video is hard to correct.
With those issues, video and photos from the Lito 1 aren't good enough for professional work. However, it’s excellent for social media users, hobbyists and content creators, delivering smartphone-quality aerial shots and more detail than any other drone at this price (except the Neo 2, of course).
The Lito X1, on the other hand, does offer video that’s good enough for some professional use. While not as noise-free as the 1-inch sensor-equipped Mini 5 Pro or Micro Four Thirds Mavic 4 Pro, video quality for nighttime cityscapes and other dim scenes is decently clean. In daylight, video is surprisingly sharp and color accurate. The 10-bit D-LogM setting also lets you capture sufficient dynamic range for tricky scenarios like a forest path dappled with sunlight and shadows
Stabilization on both models is excellent, so you’re sure to capture smooth, cinematic video, even with relatively slow shutter speeds down to 1/30th of a second. Photos are more detailed on the Lito X1 due to the higher resolution, even though both models can capture RAW DNG files to maximize dynamic range. That makes the drones ideal for taking aerial pictures of your property, for instance, or checking a hornet’s nest or hole on your roof.
Wrap-up

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The Lito series shows that DJI is intent on dominating every drone price range and category, including the bottom end. Despite their low prices, the new drones don’t skimp on features, offering full obstacle protection, ActiveTrack subject tracking, relatively high speeds and sharp 4K video quality — just like models that cost a lot more.
At these prices, the Lito drones don’t have any real rivals other than themselves and other DJI drones, particularly the Neo 2 and Flip. Choose the Lito 1 only if you can’t swing the extra money for the Lito X1, as video quality on the latter is significantly higher. Both drones are best for outdoor adventures, including high-altitude aerial shooting, while Neo 2 and Flip excel inside or around people.
The Lito 1 and Lito X1 are now available in the UK and EU for £299/€309 and £369/€379 respectively with one battery and the RC-N3 controller that requires a smartphone. You can also get them in Fly More combos, with the Lito 1 priced at £429/€439 with an RC-N3 controller, three batteries, a charger and a shoulder bag. The Lito X1 Fly More Combo with an RC 2 screen controller, three batteries, a charger and a shoulder bag is £599/€619. The drones aren’t on sale yet in the US, but may arrive later on.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-lito-1-and-lito-x1-drone-review-high-quality-aerial-video-at-its-most-affordable-120024032.html?src=rss

Tesla still doesn’t have a solid pathway for how to give Hardware 3 cars Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities, based on what Elon Musk said during the company’s latest earnings call. The automaker has known for quite a while that its vehicles equipped with Hardware 3 aren’t capable of unsupervised FSD, even though the company built the system specifically to give its cars the ability. Tesla used Hardware 3 on cars manufactured from 2019 until early 2023 before Hardware 4 shipped. During an earlier earnings call back in January 2025, Musk admitted that the company was “going to have to upgrade people’s Hardware 3 computer for those that have bought Full Self-Driving.” At Tesla’s latest earnings call, Musk said that Hardware 3 “simply does not have the capability to achieve unsupervised FSD.” Tesla thought it would be able to at one point, but Hardware 3 apparently has 1/8th the memory bandwidth of Hardware 4. Musk explained that memory bandwidth is “one of the key elements” needed for unsupervised FSD.Tesla will be offering to upgrade and replace the computers and cameras on older vehicles, but it doesn’t have a concrete plan in place yet. “I do think over time it’s going to make sense for us to convert all Hardware 3 cars to Hardware 4,” he said. To do so at service centers would be extremely slow, Musk has admitted. Around 4 million cars or so have Hardware 3, though not everyone has paid for FSD. Still, to be able to replace its vehicles’ hardware efficiently, Musk said Tesla is going to have to set up “microfactories or small factories in major metropolitan areas.” He didn’t give any indication that Tesla has already started building those microfactories, though, or even that construction is already scheduled to begin. He did say that in the meantime, the company is going to be releasing FSD version 14 for Hardware 3 around the end of June. Musk also said during the same earnings call that Tesla’s Fremont factory will start manufacturing the company’s humanoid Optimus robots in late July or August. The Tesla CEO is known for announcing highly optimistic and aggressive timelines. Tesla made the decision to kill off its Model X and S cars earlier this year, so that it can convert its Fremont facility into an Optimus factory. The last Model S and X vehicles will be rolling off the production line in May, which gives the company just a few months to dismantle the facility’s current equipment and put new ones in place. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/musk-pledges-to-fix-2019-2023-teslas-that-cant-fully-self-drive-095002120.html?src=rss

Vampire Survivors developer Poncle has big plans for the future, according to an interview The Game Business conducted with the company's chief strategy officer Matteo Sapio. It's opening two new studios in Japan and Italy and has over 15 projects in active development. That's a lot of action for a company primarily known for one franchise.
Sapio says the company is developing three basic types of games. There are spinoffs to Vampire Survivors, like this week's deckbuilder Vampire Crawlers. Poncle is also making original IPs and says there are two games set in new universes coming down the pike.
Finally, it's working on some roguelites with similar mechanics to Vampire Survivors, but using other IPs. We already know about one of these, a roguelite set in the Warhammer 40K universe called Warhammer Survivors. It's set to land on Steam sometime this year. To assist with these plans, Poncle has developed an engine that can turn pre-existing IPs into games that play like Vampire Survivors.

If you're wondering if there are enough fans for multiple top-down roguelites with simple controls and bullet hell mechanics, let me point you to Halls of Torment, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor and Soulstone Survivors, among many others. This has become a popular genre in recent years, likely due to the continued success of Vampire Survivors. To that end, the original game has surpassed 27 million players.
Poncle has, however, paused all of its third-party publishing plans after releasing a couple of games last year. "It was a learning experience," Sapio said. "But we found that we weren’t able to give the right support." The company could revisit third-party publishing in the future.

This is great news for Poncle and fans of the Vampire Survivors franchise, but there's always risk when a company tries to grow like this. Remember Embracer Group? It went on a massive buying spree beginning in 2019, before having to sell off and close a number of studios.
However, this isn't a AAA game development studio. Poncle makes indie titles and the new studios will be lean operations, with "little teams of people." Sapio said this organizational structure will help keep the company "agile and flexible."

I personally have high hopes for this endeavor. This is because the just-released spinoff Vampire Crawlers is so very good, which proves to me that Poncle isn't a one-trick pony. It plays like a mix of Slay the Spire with a first-person dungeon crawler like Etrian Odyssey, all while successfully capturing the vibe of Vampire Survivors. If Poncle can keep up this level of quality, gamers could be in for a long-term treat.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/vampire-survivors-developer-poncle-is-opening-more-studios-and-has-over-15-games-in-the-works-174022348.html?src=rss

Meta has introduced a new "live chats" feature to Threads, enabling people on the platform to participate in real-time conversations about live events they’re interested in. Live chats can be hosted within Threads communities, the topic-specific social spaces that Meta introduced last year.
The new feature sounds a bit like Threads’ take on Instagram’s broadcast channels, but the latter only allows for one-way messaging. Live chats can be hosted by select creators, including Community Champions — users highly engaged within specific communities — and media personalities. Once a chat is launched or scheduled, the host chooses who is invited to contribute and can then share the link publicly.
You can post photos, videos, links and emoji reactions as well as text-based messages. If you’re unable to send messages in a live chat that is at capacity, you can still watch it, react to others messages and vote in polls. Live chats remain open to view after they’ve ended, and you don’t need to be part of a community to join.
Meta is debuting its new social feature in the NBAThreads Community during the Playoffs, with Malika Andrews, Rachel Nichols, Trysta Krick, David Rushing and Lexis Mickens named as hosts. Live chats will appear at the top of the NBAThreads Community feed, and can also be shared in a post that might appear on your main feed in Threads. You’ll also see a red ring around a host’s profile photo when they’re live.
Meta says live chats will gradually be rolled out to more communities on Threads, with features like co-hosting, lock screen widgets and the ability to quote and share messages from a chat on your feed coming soon.
Meta has been steadily expanding its X rival’s features since it launched in 2023. It started small with searchable topics (note: not hashtags) and custom feeds, before rolling out communities last year. It also started testing long-form text posts and just this week gave Threads a long-overdue facelift on web. Back in October, the company announced that its text-based social media platform now has 150 million daily users.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-introduces-live-chats-for-following-live-events-170007658.html?src=rss

Control is one of my favorite adventure games of the last decade or so, a mind-bending trip through an ever-changing building where you get to use telekinesis to battle some pretty freaky enemies. It was a graphically-demanding game when it was released in 2019, but a lot can change in less than six years: Control: Ultimate Edition is now available on the iPhone and iPad for a mere $5, following its announcement last October. It’s a universal purchase, which means if you buy it it’ll work on the iPad, iPhone and Mac as well. Developer Remedy promises that it’s the full Control experience, with the DLC episodes included. Remedy rebuilt the UI and controls to make it work on touchscreen devices; the company says that it has tweaked aiming and the various puzzles to make them work better for the iPad and iPhone. But naturally, the game also works with controllers. If you’re serious about having the best experience with the game, finding a way to play with physical controls is probably a good idea.The game will run on iPhones with at least an A17 Pro chip. That includes the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, as well all of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 series. Plenty of iPad models can run the game, as well — any iPad with an M-series chip or the A17 Pro will work. That means the current basic iPad, with its A16 processor, is left out of the fun. But any iPad Air or Pro from the last four years or so should be good to go.I tried a test version of Control when I reviewed the new iPad Air recently and, unsurprisingly, the tablet’s M4 chip was more than powerful enough to make for a smooth experience. My main gripe is that when sprinting, you have to hold down the L3 button the entire time you’re running rather than just click it once, which is how it works on other platforms. Otherwise it looks and plays smoothly, though I can’t vouch for how it’ll perform on hardware older than the M4 from 2024. Control marks the latest “AAA” title to hit the iPad and iPhone. Apple has aggressively courted developers for its platforms in recent years, and while most games don’t hit the Mac or iOS when they launch, more and more are showing up eventually. There are multiple recent Resident Evil titles for the iPad, and other games like Death Stranding and Assassin’s Creed Mirage have been ported recently as well. There are others on the Mac as well, including demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Lies of P. Apple’s platforms aren’t going to be an avid gamer’s first stop still, but having high-profile games to supplement the many indie titles available helps round out the options for Apple users. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/control-ultimate-edition-is-out-for-the-iphone-and-ipad-150532940.html?src=rss

Tim Cook’s tenure as Apple CEO ends September 1 when he takes the role of executive chair. He will be replaced by John Ternus, a 25-year Apple veteran and head of its hardware engineering division. I get the sense Cook’s professional obituaries will focus on his steady hand, execution success and lack of intra-company drama. All of those are virtues but I suspect the media, ever in love with a narrative of its own concoction, will use them as cudgels. Consider this an attempt to balance the record ahead of Cook’s damning with the faintest of praise.
Cook is quiet and private, making it easy to paint him as a bland managerialist who coasted on the success of the iPhone. In Ternus, Apple once again has a “product guy” at its helm, a term loaded with enough subtext to sink a battleship. You can feel the implication that it’s only “product guys” who have the vision, taste and knowledge to innovate. By extension, Cook was never "a real nerd," but an empty finance guy that never understood what makes Apple tick.
If there’s one thing Silicon Valley loves more than money, it’s a mercurial genius upon whom they can rest their dreams. Figures with a capital-V vision who invent new product categories with a flick of a wrist, captains of industry who inspire awe and devotion. And making enough money that even a Rockefeller would start thinking "gosh, that’s a bit much."
The Jobsian myth-making obscures his talents and minimizes the number of misses he had along the way. Jobs’ first tenure at Apple ended in failure and NeXT, for all its innovation, didn’t survive as a standalone hardware maker. Many of his ideas were too big and ambitious to succeed and his refusal to compromise made them sink. His time in the wilderness made him a better manager, and a far better storyteller. But to suggest Jobs was gifted with Midas’ touch is wrong, since for all his vision and taste, he needed strong execution.
Kimberly White via Getty Images
It doesn’t help that Jobs is the ur-example of Silicon Valley’s tech genius founder which means so many there have never stopped looking for his successor. The title of “the next Steve Jobs” has been diluted to the point of meaninglessness at this point given the list of nominees. Those include Elizabeth Holmes, Elon Musk, Adam Neumann, Trevor Milton, Sam Altman and Travis Kalanick. Given that sort of company, I’m sure Cook is delighted when people say he’s no Steve Jobs.
I suspect, in part, Cook was seen as a mere employee (derogatory) rather than a startup founder who built something himself. That obscures his success, first at IBM and Intelligent Electronics where he took up a COO role at 34. Even in an industry that treasures youth, I doubt these companies would elevate someone as young as Cook unless he was damn good. And when he got to Apple in 1998, his role was to make the wheels of the company turn. We may laud Jobs and Ive for dreaming up the products but, to quote Jobs himself, “real artists ship.” By that metric, Cook was the real artist.
When Cook took over as Apple CEO, it was just weeks before Jobs passed away, in what must have been a very hard time. Holding the company together after such a shock while grieving for your own loss must have been an enormous challenge. And while Cook had Jobs’ army of lieutenants around him, it was upon Cook to actually lead that team. That he then took Apple to the outrageous success it is today is proof of his ability to actually make things happen. Think about how it was Cook that used Apple’s initial success to make good deals with manufacturers that wound up boxing out so many of its rivals.
I’m sure Cook lacks the taste and vision of a Jobs or an Ive, and instead relies upon the skill of his team. I’m not sure why that would be painted as a bad thing given the roster of people Apple pays to have such taste. If Cook is lacking in taste, he’s not lacking in humility, and clearly knows well enough to not meddle in things. Friends, that’s not the sign of a bad leader, it’s the sign of a good one, who makes his team feel trusted, respected, and listened to. Think about how rapidly Cook democratized the Apple keynotes, making stars of many of its senior executives, rather than trying to put on a Steve Jobs tribute act.
His tenure as CEO wasn’t flawless: Hiring John Browett to replace Ron Johnson at Retail was an early error — but one that Cook was smart enough to correct just six months later. The power struggles with Scott Forstall could be a miss given Ive’s instincts around user interface design. On the product front, we had the embarrassment of AirPower, the stop-start work on the Mac Pro and the muted rollout of the Vision Pro. The lack of proactive management of the App Store and the opacity of its workings counts as a big strike, too. I’m sure we’ll get some chatter about the Apple Car project from people who thought that was ever a good idea.
As for the Trump Stuff(™), I have some sympathy for Cook, who probably didn’t expect to play diplomat when he took the job. His ties to the current administration have tainted his reputation, even if his engagement seems finely calibrated. As CEO of Apple, he’s responsible for around 170,000 people and has legal obligations as the head of a public company. As much as he may wish to flick the bird at the Commander in Chief, he has to tread a fine line. And it will be for him to wrestle with his own conscience to decide if he did the right thing down the line.
One of the pitfalls of a sustained period of success is that people lose sight of how things were in the bad old days. You can anticipate the editorials saying Cook “failed” on AI because he wisely avoided not launching head-first into a boondoggle. “Failed” on launching a new product category in the post-Jobs world, even though the Apple Watch and AirPods are, on their own, a bigger business than some major corporations. “Failed” by building a subscription and services business despite every single hardware company in the world doing the same thing.
I'd say Cook's judgment was far better than anyone has given him credit for, and he's made plenty of earth-shattering changes of his own. Think about Apple Silicon and how it has upended the order of things in the chip world, almost inadvertently taking a wrecking ball to Intel's dominance. A technology transition that was so seamless, so undramatic, and yet with so many dividends, that the idea of Apple using other people's chips in its hardware feels like ancient history. 
To all of those people, I’d say look — look! — with your own stupid eyes at the MacBook Neo. Look at a company that found a way to produce hardware like that, with performance like that, for that sort of price! The MacBook Neo is so good and so cheap that it’s made the rest of the consumer electronics industry look like incompetents. It may not be a shiny new gadget you can show off to the envy of your early adopter friends, but it’s going to make a meaningful difference for countless people.
We can all agree that no kid is going to hang a poster of Tim Cook on their bedroom wall in the same way they might with Jobs, or even Musk. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, because Cook’s legacy isn’t in headlines or fawning biopics, it’s in a legacy of actually getting things done.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/heres-to-the-stable-ones-in-praise-of-tim-cook-144850435.html?src=rss

Cell phone plans can get exceedingly complicated, so Comcast’s pitch for Xfinity Mobile’s simplicity is rather appealing — particularly at a time when everything is more expensive than ever. Today, the company is announcing two simple plans priced at $30 and $45 a month that have some serious perks for their prices. The $30 Mobile Select plan covers the main basics, including 50GB of “premium” full-speed data; Global Travel Pass to cover yourself when traveling in 215 different countries; and Xfinity’s Wi-Fi PowerBoost. That latter feature takes advantage of Xfinity’s wide network of Wi-Fi hotspots around the country. Your phone will automatically connect to those when you’re out and about, and you’ll get priority speeds of up to 1 gigabit on those networks as well as at home. The $45 Mobile Plus plan adds some pretty significant perks. For starters, you’ll get unlimited premium data and 4K video streaming (the Select plan limits you to 720p). But more significantly, the Plus plan promises device upgrades at literally any time. At this point, most carriers offer ways to upgrade before the typical three-year device payment plan is up, but as someone who did that late last year, I can confirm that the constantly changing promotions around phone upgrades make it hard to know exactly what you’ll be eligible for.Comcast, however, says that Mobile Plus subscribers can literally upgrade their phone at any time. I asked how it would work if I was crazy enough to switch to a Galaxy S26 six months after getting an iPhone 17 Pro, and they said it would be no issue, regardless of how much I had beat up my iPhone. I’m trying to figure out if there’s a catch, but the company’s representatives were very adamant about “anytime upgrades” being as uncomplicated as they said. Similarly, the Plus plan also includes lifetime device protection, another thing that most carriers charge separately for. This extends to any connected device on your plan like smartwatches or iPads in addition to your phone. If you need a replacement, just bring it in. Xfinity Mobile is still limited to people who subscribe to an Xfinity internet plan. But given Xfinity promises five-year price guarantees and even lets customers try a year of the Mobile Select plan for free (or the Plus plan for $15/month) so there’s very little risk involved here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/xfinity-mobile-now-includes-device-protection-and-anytime-phone-upgrades-133511715.html?src=rss

No longer content to subsume recognizable intellectual properties, the majority of the indexed internet and books (basically all of them), AI will apparently now begin devouring its own workforce.
A report in Reuters alleged that the keystrokes, mouse movements and clicks of Meta's workforce are to be captured for the purposes of training AI — something the company's communications department was happy to confirm as accurate! In a cheery missive, a company spokesperson told Engadget that "If we're building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, our models need real examples of how people actually use them [...] we’re launching an internal tool that will capture these kinds of inputs on certain applications to help us train our models."
All this leads one to ask the obvious question: hey, what the fuck?
The nature of at-will employment in the United States is such that your boss basically never needs to explain why your job duties change, but it's rarely so sweeping, so brazen or so unavoidably tied to the reminder that you are being surveilled at a frighteningly granular level. Gross!
Installing keyloggers on someone else's computer in a non-work setting can often constitute a criminal offense (hello CFAA!) and it's frankly weird we allow this sort of thing to happen in the workplace at all. But in this case, there's at least some possibility this data may eventually be used to replace the exact people currently strongarmed into making those clicks and clacking those keys — or as a thin excuse to lay a lot of them off.
It's not as though the data underpinning large language models is worthless. Ill-gotten information has been the subject of exorbitant settlements and many pending court cases with considerable sums riding on their eventual judgements. If Meta thought it could obtain this sort of data from its estimated 3.5 billion combined users instead of its comparably paltry body of employees without it immediately reading as the single most invasive chapter in a laughably long history of move fast, break things, and never admit to the mess, wouldn't it just... do that? Technology has progressed so far, yet people continue to really hate feeling taken advantage of. And that sort of thing is still bad for business.
In a fragile economy floated by rampant self-dealing and the shifting moods of a few very rich weirdos, even the mere mention of AI's relentless forward march to annihilate its own creators can make a shoe company's stock pop, however briefly.
Maybe that's why Meta was delighted to confirm the broad details of the Reuters story, yet declined multiple requests to comment on if workers can opt out of this surveillance, or if they are being compensated in any way for their data. I, for one, would still love to know!
Do you work at Meta and want to talk confidentially? I'm @amarae.60 on Signal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/hey-meta-workers-are-you-getting-paid-for-those-keystrokes-131934881.html?src=rss

BMW just announced its 7-series lineup for 2027 promising "the most extensive model update ever undertaken" by the Bavarian automaker. The series includes a pair of i7 EVs, a plug-in hybrid, two ICE models and a V8-powered M model — all running on BMW's "Neue Klasse" technology and flaunting all-new design language. 
BMW describes its updated luxury segment design language as "monolithic," touting the minimalist crystal headlights and (divisive) light-up kidney Iconic Glow grille. The body form includes a new "character line" that lends an almost "boat-tail-like" aesthetic to the three-quarter view, according to the company. BMW also hyped its new "Individual Dual-Finish" paint that pairs a matte finish in the lower area of the vehicle with a manually-applied metallic finish in the upper section for a "discrete but supremely elegant look."
The 7-series offers some shiny new interior tech as well, with an extensive upgrade for its 31.3-inch 8K BMW Theater Screen that gives back seat passengers 8K streaming, gaming and Zoom calls. If you get BMW's Digital Premium package (which includes 5G data), you'll also gain access to a TiVo powered video app, select games and the BMW Drive Recorder that gathers exterior footage in case of an accident. Naturally, it includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration as standard.
The new lineup also offers special welcome and goodbye animations for when you approach and walk away from the vehicles, in Relaxed, Balanced and Excited modes. Part of that animation is the "Ceremonial Light Carpet" that projects a dynamic graphic light pattern onto the ground near the door.
With two new i7 electric sedans — the i7 50 xDrive and i7 60 xDrive — BMW has far from given up on EVs. Both promise reduced sound levels thanks to their sound-isolated electric motors, along with "instantaneous" power delivery, passenger comfort and a luxurious ambience. 
BMW's new 7 series (the gas powered version) at Grand Central. The electric version were not allowed inside the terminal,.Sam Rutherford
Both come with all-new cylindrical battery packs with 20 percent higher energy density and capacities up to 112.5 kWh. Combined with increased drive system efficiency, they'll power the BMW i7 60 xDrive up to an EPA-estimated 350 miles on a charge. You'll also be able to charge them quicker thanks to the higher 250 kW charging rate. The company claims they'll go from 10 to 80 percent in just 28 minutes with a compatible charger.
The i7 50 xDrive's dual motors offer up to 449 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque, allowing acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds with a 130 mph top speed. The i7 60 xDrive, meanwhile, packs 536 hp and 549 lb-ft of torque for a 0 to 60 mph time of just 4.6 seconds and a top speed (electronically limited) of 149 mph.
They'll also feature a new "adaptive recuperation" system that takes traffic lights into account and can automatically brake. Drivers can choose from high, medium or low brake energy recuperation, with the "high" setting offering a one-pedal feeling. BMW also introduced AI-powered "charging optimized route planning" to include charging stops if a destination is outside the vehicle's range. It can even precondition the battery to an ideal temperature to increase the charging rate as soon as the vehicle is plugged in. 
The i7 50 xDrive and i7 60 xDrive are debuting today at Auto China 2026 in Beijing and at a special New York City event at Grand Central Terminal. Production begins in July 2026 and they'll be priced starting at $106,200 and $124,700 (plus $1,550 destination and handling) respectively. 
BMW is also introducing the 750e xDrive PHEV arriving in 2027, which pairs a 308 hp six cylinder inline engine with a 194 hp electric motor for a combined peak 483 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. No electric-only range was specified, but the top speed on all-electric power will be limited to 87 mph. That model will start production in Q4 2026, with no price yet announced. 
Finally, BMW's 740 and 740 xDrive ICE vehicles will offer up to 394 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque, offering sub-five second 0 to 60 mph sprint times and 155 mph top speeds. They'll arrive later this year at $99,800 and $102,800 respectively. All of the new 7-series models and drivetrain variants, including EVs, will be built on a single production line at BMW's Group Plant in Dingolfing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/bmws-new-i7-xdrive-evs-will-offer-longer-range-and-faster-charging-131059423.html?src=rss