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Microsoft

Gaming is about to get a lot more expensive — at least for Xbox fans. Effective today, May 1, Microsoft is increasing the price of Xbox consoles and controllers, and not by an insignificant amount: 

• The Xbox Series S 512GB, is now $380, more than a 25 percent increase from $300. 

• The Xbox Series X 1TB Digital is now $550, a 22 percent increase from $450. 

• The Xbox Series S 1TB is now $430, a 22 percent increase from $350).

• The Xbox Series X 1TB with Blu-ray is now $600, a 20 percent increase from $500.

• The Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition is now $730, a 22 percent increase from $600.

The news doesn’t end there. Controllers and headsets now start at $65 and top out at $200 for the “Full” Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. Games will also increase in price, though not right away: “Some of our new, first-party games will launch at $79.99 beginning this holiday season,” Microsoft explains. That last one seems more about leaning in to Nintendo’s ambitious Switch 2 game pricing, and less about any possible tariff impact (though it’s worth noting Xbox prices are going up worldwide, not just in the US.)

But not all is negative, as if you’re in the market for a new console, prices at online retailers have yet to catch up. Before you whip out your credit card, remember some key caveats here. The current Xbox platform is effectively five years old, with the leaked mid-gen “Brooklin” refresh seemingly canceled. An all-new Xbox generation is also expected to arrive in the next few years, perhaps 2028, with leaks suggesting it may be a “cloud hybrid” machine. And more and more previous Xbox exclusives are beginning to pop up on the PS5, too. That said, if you’ve been waiting to buy an Xbox, now is the time, as these legacy prices could disappear any minute. 

Best Xbox deals

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/microsoft-just-increased-all-xbox-prices-grab-one-before-the-hikes-go-into-effect-192628921.html?src=rss

Late last year, Reddit introduced its AI-powered search tool, Reddit Answers. Now, the company plans to make the feature even more prominent by adding it into Reddit’s main sitewide search, CEO Steve Huffman said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

“We are now working to integrate it into Reddit core search experience to further streamline the path from question to answer on Reddit,” Huffman said. “Integrating into Reddit search means we want one search box. That’ll be the primary search box, and you’ll type your query in there, you’ll get, potentially, your [Reddit] Answers, answer, or, you know, more of a traditional Reddit response, depending on what you’re searching for.”

Up to now, Reddit Answers, which is still labeled as being in “beta,” has lived in its own section of the service. The feature summarizes conversations from across Reddit in response to queries that users may otherwise seek out by adding “Reddit” to their searches on Google. Huffman said that Reddit Answers, which recently became available to all US Redditors, as well as a handful of international markets, already has 1 million weekly users. That’s only a small fraction of Reddit’s 401 million weekly users, but adding it into Reddit’s primary search box should give it a boost.

Huffman said the change is part of a broader strategy to improve search across Reddit. Reddit Answers, he said, could help make the service more accessible to new users and guide people who come to the site via search engines. The change could also be somewhat controversial — Reddit users aren’t exactly known for loving big changes to the service — though Huffman acknowledged users may not always want an AI-generated summary in response to every search.

“Sometimes people will want the summarized, annotated, sterile answers from AI, and we’re even building this ourselves in Reddit Answers,” Huffman said. “But other times they want the subjective, authentic, messy, multiple viewpoints that Reddit provides.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-will-integrate-ai-answers-into-its-main-search-bar-223907171.html?src=rss

Late last year, Reddit introduced its AI-powered search tool, Reddit Answers. Now, the company plans to make the feature even more prominent by adding it into Reddit’s main sitewide search, CEO Steve Huffman said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

“We are now working to integrate it into Reddit core search experience to further streamline the path from question to answer on Reddit,” Huffman said. “Integrating into Reddit search means we want one search box. That’ll be the primary search box, and you’ll type your query in there, you’ll get, potentially, your [Reddit] Answers, answer, or, you know, more of a traditional Reddit response, depending on what you’re searching for.”

Up to now, Reddit Answers, which is still labeled as being in “beta,” has lived in its own section of the service. The feature summarizes conversations from across Reddit in response to queries that users may otherwise seek out by adding “Reddit” to their searches on Google. Huffman said that Reddit Answers, which recently became available to all US Redditors, as well as a handful of international markets, already has 1 million weekly users. That’s only a small fraction of Reddit’s 401 million weekly users, but adding it into Reddit’s primary search box should give it a boost.

Huffman said the change is part of a broader strategy to improve search across Reddit. Reddit Answers, he said, could help make the service more accessible to new users and guide people who come to the site via search engines. The change could also be somewhat controversial — Reddit users aren’t exactly known for loving big changes to the service — though Huffman acknowledged users may not always want an AI-generated summary in response to every search.

“Sometimes people will want the summarized, annotated, sterile answers from AI, and we’re even building this ourselves in Reddit Answers,” Huffman said. “But other times they want the subjective, authentic, messy, multiple viewpoints that Reddit provides.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-will-integrate-ai-answers-into-its-main-search-bar-223907171.html?src=rss

Late last year, Reddit introduced its AI-powered search tool, Reddit Answers. Now, the company plans to make the feature even more prominent by adding it into Reddit’s main sitewide search, CEO Steve Huffman said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

“We are now working to integrate it into Reddit core search experience to further streamline the path from question to answer on Reddit,” Huffman said. “Integrating into Reddit search means we want one search box. That’ll be the primary search box, and you’ll type your query in there, you’ll get, potentially, your [Reddit] Answers, answer, or, you know, more of a traditional Reddit response, depending on what you’re searching for.”

Up to now, Reddit Answers, which is still labeled as being in “beta,” has lived in its own section of the service. The feature summarizes conversations from across Reddit in response to queries that users may otherwise seek out by adding “Reddit” to their searches on Google. Huffman said that Reddit Answers, which recently became available to all US Redditors, as well as a handful of international markets, already has 1 million weekly users. That’s only a small fraction of Reddit’s 401 million weekly users, but adding it into Reddit’s primary search box should give it a boost.

Huffman said the change is part of a broader strategy to improve search across Reddit. Reddit Answers, he said, could help make the service more accessible to new users and guide people who come to the site via search engines. The change could also be somewhat controversial — Reddit users aren’t exactly known for loving big changes to the service — though Huffman acknowledged users may not always want an AI-generated summary in response to every search.

“Sometimes people will want the summarized, annotated, sterile answers from AI, and we’re even building this ourselves in Reddit Answers,” Huffman said. “But other times they want the subjective, authentic, messy, multiple viewpoints that Reddit provides.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-will-integrate-ai-answers-into-its-main-search-bar-223907171.html?src=rss

If you’ve been eyeing the Google Pixel 9a, now’s a good time to pounce. That’s because you can get a $100 gift card for free when you buy the flagship-quality midrange phone. In Engadget’s review, Sam Rutherford deemed it “the best value of any Android phone.”

The $100 gift card bonus is live at Amazon, Best Buy and the Google Store. Each has pros and cons, but it makes the most sense to order from the retailer where you shop the most.

The Pixel 9a is Google’s entry point into the Pixel ecosystem. Its sub-flagship pricing masks a handset that, in many ways, rivals phones that cost twice as much. It has a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. We found it to be sharp, colorful and “one of the best displays in this price range.”

It uses the same Tensor G4 processor found in the more expensive Pixel 9 brethren. The only performance compromise you’ll find is its 8GB of RAM vs. the 12GB in the standard Pixel 9. That will only reveal itself if you’re heavy into multitasking or gaming. Given the $300 price discrepancy between it and the Pixel 9, it’s hard to nitpick much about that.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Google’s Pixel lineup is known for its camera prowess, and the 9a is no exception. It pairs a 48MP main camera with a 13MP ultra-wide lens. Although there’s no telephoto, it compensates with AI-based Super Res Zoom that can achieve up to 8x digital zoom. The phone also has Google’s Night Sight feature for sharp, balanced low-light photography.

We found that the camera outperforms the $1,299 Galaxy S25 Ultra in color accuracy, detail and low-light performance. It’s also competitive with the S25U in ultra-wide shots. The latter edges it out there (if only slightly) because of better color saturation. Still, we’re talking about a $800 pricing discrepancy, so the fact that it’s in the conversation is no small achievement.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Pixel 9a’s only drawbacks are its lower 8GB of RAM, slower charging speeds than flagships, its lack of optical zoom and its plastic backing (rather than glass). But for $499 — essentially $399 if you use that gift card forpurchases you’d make anyway — this is a nice deal for a nearly flagship Android handset that made our list of the best smartphones.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-the-google-pixel-9a-with-100-store-credit-at-amazon-best-buy-and-the-google-store-164530159.html?src=rss