Canon’s new livestreaming app doesn’t support Canon cameras

Canon has just launchedLive Switcher Mobile,” a new iOS livestreaming app that supports up to three camera views you can swap between with just a few taps. The app currently only works with Apple devices, and it strangely doesn’t support Canon’s own cameras.

Live Switcher Mobile can let users specify how many seconds a viewpoint stays on a camera before automatically changing to another one. The app also supports on-screen captions, along with real-time comments. However, the latter feature only works if you stream to YouTube and Twitch, as The Verge notes, the app can also stream to other RTMP-supported platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram and even LinkedIn, among others.

While Live Switcher Mobile is free, the unpaid version only supports resolutions up to 720p. There will also be ads and watermarks on-screen. A paid subscription costs $18 monthly and unlocks image overlay and picture-in-picture zooming and movement functions. Of course, it will bump the maximum resolution up to 1080p and remove the ads and watermarks.

Live Switcher Mobile, compared to free apps like OBS Studio and Streamlabs, has fewer functions, which means Canon has a lot of work ahead to make the paid plan worth spending on. Fortunately, Canon camera support is coming soon.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/canons-new-livestreaming-app-doesnt-support-canon-cameras-161930211.html?src=rss

Samsung Care+ now offers $0 screen repair, but it will cost you

I am the first to admit that I am quite clumsy, so I always buy extra care protection for my devices. However, I’m still always shocked by the price of fixing whatever inevitable water damage or cracked screen I bring in. So, it’s nice to see that Samsung Care+ with Theft and Loss has updated its plan to include $0 same day repairs for cracked screens and back glass. Samsung’s most expensive protection plan also includes unlimited repairs at authorized locations, so you don’t have to worry if it breaks again.

Previously, same day repairs cost $29 a pop. Care+ plan customers (the next tier down) have to pay $29 for cracked screen repairs and $99 for back glass repairs. 

However, even with the update, these “free” repairs don’t come cheap. The price of all Samsung Care+ plans vary based on the specific device, with each product broken into tiers. For example, a Galaxy S23 or S24 Ultra is currently in Tier 4 and would cost $18 per month or $349 for two years of Samsung Care+ with Theft and Loss. Whereas, a Galaxy A15 is in Tier 1 and would cost $8 per month or $129 for two years of the same plan. 

Samsung Care+ with Theft and Loss is only available for phones, tablets and watches — though watches will still cost $29 per repair or replacement. It also includes same day replacement and set up, Knox Guard Security and a max of three “lost, stolen, and/or unrecoverable claims” during a consecutive 12 months.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/samsung-care-now-offers-0-screen-repair-but-it-will-cost-you-160016109.html?src=rss

X adds a dedicated video tab to fill the TikTok void

TikTok bid adieu to its US users over the weekend before returning for an encore with no clear ending. But, it’s now joined by a few copycats, including X (formerly Twitter). X announced late Sunday night in owner Elon Musk’s typical cringy fashion (see here) that its US users now have a dedicated tab for vertical videos. 

The new video tab exists in the app’s bottom bar represented by a play button icon. Previously, users had to click on a video and then scroll up or down to see more content — this pretty much just cuts out having to choose a starting video. The development adds to X’s existing video push, including its TV app, which is far from impressive

Bluesky is also attempting to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertainty by announcing a new vertical videos feed on Sunday. “We had to get in on the video action, too — Bluesky now has custom feeds for video! Like any other feed, you can choose to pin these or not. Bluesky is yours to customize,” the company said in a post. Users can find trending videos in the Explore tab and pin the feed. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/x-adds-a-dedicated-video-tab-to-fill-the-tiktok-void-150044169.html?src=rss

Google’s Pixel 8a is back on sale for a record-low price

January is bleak, to say the least, and sometimes getting through it requires buying a treat. Fortunately, the month is also big on sales, including 20 percent off the Google Pixel 8a. Currently, Amazon has the Google Pixel 8a available for $399, down from $499, the same deal it had on Black Friday. 

The Google Pixel 8a debuted in May last year and garnered a 90 in our review. We thought it was an excellent value for the phone, even at its sticker price, and named it the best midrange smartphone. Part of that is thanks to the 6.1-inch device’s vibrant OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate (an upgrade from 90Hz on the Pixel 7a). 

Other perks of the Google Pixel 8a include its excellent 4,492 mAh battery. In our test, the battery ran for 20 hours and 29 minutes with one charge. Plus, it offers excellent cameras. The Pixel 8a offers the same 64MP main and 13MP ultra-wide sensors as its predecessor, but they really stack up when compared against the Samsung 24 Ultra

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-pixel-8a-is-back-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-140055731.html?src=rss

Bluesky created its own TikTok-like feature called 'Trending Videos'

TikTok might be (sort of) back for now, but that’s not stopping other social media platforms from trying to horn in on its business. Bluesky is the latest, introducing a TikTok-like vertical video feature on mobile called Trending Videos, now available in the explore tab, the company announced in a post on its app. 

“We had to get in on the video action too — Bluesky now has custom feeds for video! Like any other feed, you can choose to pin these [to your home screen] or not. Bluesky is yours to customize,” the company wrote. 

I was able to access the feature on my Android phone by tapping “Search.” In that screen, the Trending Videos (Beta)” section appeared prominently, and hitting “View more” brought up a number of short videos (many imported from TikTok). Swiping up brings up a succession of new videos à la TikTok, though Bluesky didn’t say what algorithm it uses to suggest them. If you don’t see the feature at first, just restart the app, Bluesky suggests. 

In the same thread, the company shouted out other developers building TikTok rivals using the same AT Protocol used by Bluesky (Tik, Skylight, Bluescreen), most of which are still in closed testing. 

X introduced its own vertical video feature almost simultaneously, as it also seeks to profit from TikTok’s removal from US app stores. “An immersive new home for videos is rolling out to users in the US today,” the platform announced in a post. Also announced in the last day or so is Edits, an Instagram video editing tool designed to challenge TikTok’s CapCut. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/bluesky-created-its-own-tiktok-like-feature-called-trending-videos-130056093.html?src=rss

AGDQ just ended, but there's already a schedule for Frost Fatales and it owns

Awesome Games Done Quick has already wrapped up for 2025 (with a cool $2.5 million raised for the Prevent Cancer Foundation), but the philanthropic group has other programs year-round that raise money for worthy causes. Two of those are hosted by the Frame Fatales, a community for women and femmes in speedrunning under the GDQ umbrella. The group’s Frost Fatales event runs from March 9-16 and will raise money for the National Women’s Law Center. The schedule just dropped today and here are a few of the highlights.

The event starts with a pair of my personal favorite games to watch: the punishing 2D platformer Cuphead followed by the wahoos of Super Mario Odyssey. I’m also amused that Lanaruse will run Coffee Caravan, but with the category “Any% No Coffee.” That kicks of the show on March 13 at 1 PM ET. The March 14 lineup looks particularly exciting, with Jaypeg tackling Snufkin: Melody of Moomin-valley, GretaIceVixen and Corvimae showing off Pókemon Sword & Shield, and Bloupeuh playing Undertale Yellow. Frost Fatales is set to close out with SawaYoshi tackling a one-handed run of Celeste, which sounds like required viewing.

And if you can’t wait until March to see some excellent gamer philanthropy, then be sure to tune in during Back to Black, GDQ’s event highlighting Black speedrunners. This year, the showcase will be raising money for Race Forward, a racial justice nonprofit, from February 6-9.

It’s only a few days long, but Back to Black has a bunch of great talent in the lineup. Bobbeigh running any Castlevania game is a must-watch, and he’ll play Rondo of Blood on Feb. 6 at 7:08 PM ET. Super Smash Bros. pro-turned-speedrunner Ryan Ford is on the schedule twice, with The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX on Feb. 8 at 4:05 PM ET and Super Metroid on Feb. 9 at 8:04 PM ET. Check out the full Back to Black schedule of games, runners and hosts here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/agdq-just-ended-but-theres-already-a-schedule-for-frost-fatales-and-it-owns-212907587.html?src=rss

Everyone suddenly has cold feet about banning TikTok

With a TikTok ban seemingly imminent, TikTok users have spent the last few days fleeing to Chinese social media app “RedNote,” trying to learn Mandarin, and bidding heartfelt farewells to their “Chinese spy.” But it’s looking increasingly unlikely that TikTok will actually disappear on January 19.

Most Supreme Court watchers expect the court to uphold the law that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US business or face a ban on January 19. But it seems there’s little appetite to actually enforce the law that was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support last year. Incoming President Donald Trump, who formally asked the Supreme Court to delay the ban, has said he wants to “save” the app.

Yesterday, The Washington Post reported that Trump was “considering” signing an executive order shortly after taking office on January 20, “that would suspend enforcement of the TikTok ban-or-sale law for 60 to 90 days.” Now, NBC News reports that unnamed “White House officials” are saying they don’t want TikTok to be banned on their watch, either.

“The administration has decided to defer implementation of the law banning TikTok in the U.S. to the incoming Trump administration, the officials said, effectively not enforcing it during the final 36 hours of President Joe Biden’s term in office.

“Given the timing of when it goes into effect over a holiday weekend a day before inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement,” a White House official said.

Where does that leave TikTok? I have no idea.

Under the law, Apple and Google are required to remove the app from their stores or face billions of dollars in penalties. That unnamed Biden Administration officials are now saying they won’t enforce it on their way out the door, doesn’t mean that the two, generally risk-adverse, companies would opt to ignore federal law. Particularly when the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party sent letters to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook just one month ago pointedly reminding them of their obligation to comply with that same law.

Even if Apple and Google do remove the app from their stores, TikTok could still theoretically function for the millions of people who have already downloaded it. But, a report earlier this week in The Information indicated that TikTok planned to make the app inaccessible on Sunday if the Supreme Court upholds the law. Neither Apple, Google nor TikTok — all of whom are presumably waiting for the actual Supreme Court ruling — have responded to questions or publicly commented on any of these scenarios.

But the desire to disappear TikTok off Americans’ phones seems to be rapidly evaporating. Senator Ed Markey, who voted in favor of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act last year, introduced a bill this week that would extend the deadline for banning the app. In a statement, he said that the “ban was rushed through without sufficient consideration of the profound consequences it would have on the 170 million Americans who use the platform.” Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden, who also voted for the bill last April, joined him in calling for an extension, as did Representative Rho Khanna (who did not back the original bill).

Should TikTok get some kind of reprieve, there have been a number of options floated for keeping the app online in the US. These include finding an American buyer, reviving Project Texas or simply getting Trump to instruct DoJ officials to just ignore the law altogether.

If all that seems confusing, it’s because it is. Officials in both parties have spent months issuing dire warnings about the mostly theoretical national security threat posed by TikTok. But, now that a ban is seemingly just days away, no one wants to be blamed for being the ones to actually take it away.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/everyone-suddenly-has-cold-feet-about-banning-tiktok-232152569.html?src=rss

Engadget Podcast: The TikTok ban, Zuck's lost soul and Nintendo's Switch 2 reveal

So it looks like the TikTok ban may actually be happening, barring a last-minute Supreme Court decision. In this episode, Senior Writer Karissa Bell joins Devindra and Ben to discuss the potential finale of TikTok in America, as well as why some users are finding refuge in RedNote, a Chinese Instagram clone. They also dive into why Meta is giving up on third-party fact checkers, and how this relates to Mark Zuckerberg’s descent into the right-wing world. Finally, we explore the tidbits of information from Nintendo’s Switch 2 unveiling.

Stay tuned to the end of this episode for Devindra’s chat with Dan Erickson, the creator of Severance, about season two of his hit show.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!

  • RIP TikTok, Part ??? – 2:24

  • Meta abandons fact checking, loosens hate speech rules on its platforms – 22:21

  • We finally have confirmation of the Switch 2, full unveil scheduled for April 2 – 40:57

  • Pop culture picks – 49:29.187

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Karissa Bell
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/engadget-podcast-the-tiktok-ban-zucks-lost-soul-and-nintendos-switch-2-reveal-123027317.html?src=rss

Sony axes two more live service games

Sony has canceled two more live-service games, one from its remake and remaster studio Bluepoint and another from Days Gone developer Bend Studio in Oregon, the company confirmed to Bloomberg. Neither studio will be closed, though the company has yet to say if any layoffs will occur. “We are working closely with each studio to determine what are the next projects,” a spokesperson said. 

Bluepoint is the studio that created the much-lauded remakes of Demon’s Souls and Shadow of the Colossus. The company reportedly helped with God of War Ragnarok from 2022-2022, and following that, was working on the live-service project canceled yesterday, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier said in a post on BlueSky. Bend Studio has been a first-party developer for Sony since 2000, with its most recent project being the action-adventure game Days Gone, released for PS4 in 2019. 

The cancelations are the latest failures for Sony in the GaaS (games as a service) arena, following the spectacular flameout of Concord in September 2024. While the company did have a hit with Helldivers II last year, it reportedly canceled several other live-service games in the last several years, including one based on Spider-Man. Sony Interactive Entertainment cut around 1,120 jobs in 2024 across various studios, including Bungie, Naughty Dog and Insomniac — part of an unfortunate trend in the industry. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-axes-two-more-live-service-games-130048000.html?src=rss

Marvel Snap, CapCut, Lemon8 and other ByteDance apps have also shut down in the US alongside TikTok

Update, January 19 2025, 2:06PM ET: After shutting down its app and being delisted from various app stores about 12 hours ago, TikTok is now in the process of restoring services in the US. This story addresses more recent changes to this evolving situation; below is the original text of this report.


It’s been unclear in the leadup to the TikTok ban what the fate of parent company ByteDance’s other apps would be, but now we know: they’ve gone dark in the US too. At the same time TikTok went offline this weekend, so did other apps ByteDance has developed or is affiliated with, including the popular video-editing tool CapCut, the social media platform Lemon8 and Marvel Snap. All are now displaying messages to US users that their services are unavailable. Ben Brode, Chief Development Officer for Marvel Snap developer Second Dinner, wrote on Threads that getting caught up in the ban “was a surprise to us” and that the team is working on getting it back online. 

Second Dinner echoed this on X and in its in-app message to users, adding, “MARVEL SNAP isn’t going anywhere.” While Marvel Snap was created by the US-based developer, its publisher Nuverse Games is a ByteDance subsidiary. Other Nuverse games appear to be affected too.

CapCut and Lemon8 may be less surprising casualties, both having been developed by ByteDance, but given the law’s focus on TikTok alone as its target, their shutdown is still sure to come as a shock to many users. CapCut is widely used for video editing, especially among social media creators. And many TikTok users looking for an alternative in light of the ban flocked to Lemon8; just a few days ago, Lemon8 was the second most-popular app on the App Store.

A screenshot showing a message in the CapCut app explaining that it isn't available in the US because of the TikTok ban

On a new support page listing some of the affected apps, Apple notes, “If you already have these apps installed on your device, they will remain on your device. But they can’t be redownloaded if deleted or restored if you move to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible.” These apps also won’t receive updates. 

Along with TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8 and Marvel Snap, Apple names Lark, Hypic — an AI photo editing tool — and Gauth: AI Study Companion as apps that have been pulled as a result of the ban. But there are many others that aren’t listed that may be swept up in it too.

“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” Apple said in a statement on the support page. “Pursuant to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States starting January 19, 2025.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/marvel-snap-capcut-lemon8-and-other-bytedance-apps-have-also-shut-down-in-the-us-alongside-tiktok-153002137.html?src=rss