NotebookLM, the Google research tool that gained notoriety for its uncanny AI-generated podcasts, is getting an official app on May 20, 2025. You can pre-register for the Android or iOS version of the app right now and have it automatically downloaded to your device on May 20, the first day of Google I/O 2025.
Based on the listings in the Play Store and App Store, Google seems intent on keeping all of the core functionality of the web version of NotebookLM intact for its mobile debut. You can upload a variety of different sources (PDFs, website URLs, YouTube videos and copied text) and have NotebookLM, powered by Gemini, do stuff with them. That could be answering specific questions, generating study guides or creating an Audio Overview, the previously-mentioned “podcasts.”
Google
NotebookLM started life as Project Tailwind back at I/O 2023 and has gradually transitioned from research project to real product over time. The service officially launched as NotebookLM in December 2023 and gained Audio Overviews in September 2024. As of April 2025, NotebookLM is now offered in more than 50 languages. Getting an actual app release is the best sign yet the service is here to stay.
Critical to its sucess, NotebookLM makes more sense as a tool you can trust than basically any other Gemini product. The service’s output is grounded in documents and sources you choose. That means Google’s AI is less likely to hallucinate because it’s quoting a research study directly, and it’s easier to double check its answers because you can view the source directly in NotebookLM.
Google has already signaled that I/O 2025 will be Gemini-focused by breaking out Android announcements into their own stream, so there’s a good chance NotebookLM won’t be the only AI product getting some love on May 20. It remains to be seen whether Google has any ideas as cogent as “an AI that helps you digest long PDFs,” though.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/notebooklm-the-acceptable-face-of-google-ai-is-getting-an-app-in-may-182041294.html?src=rss
After several years of legal disputes, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. App Store next week. The decision follows a recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, ending a long-standing standoff between the game developer and Apple over in-app payment systems and platform policies.
The dispute began in August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. This action came after Epic Games introduced its own direct payment system within the app, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission fee—something Apple considers a violation of its App Store policies. Since then, the two companies have been locked in a legal battle, with significant developments on both sides over the years.
On April 30, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store following a legal victory in a California court. The court found that Apple had acted in bad faith and engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly in relation to how it handles online transactions on its platform.
We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week.
Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic. https://t.co/bIRTePm0Tv
The court order stated: “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds that Apple willfully violated the injunction issued by this Court in 2021, which aims to restrict and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive pricing and conduct. Apple’s continued efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”
This marks a significant shift in a legal saga that began with Apple securing a partial win in 2021. Now, the latest decision favors Epic Games, though both companies may still revisit the courtroom as additional proceedings unfold.
Earlier this year, Epic had already signaled a comeback, stating in March that Fortnite would return to iOS in July. However, with this new ruling, the timeline has been moved forward, and US iOS users can expect the game to reappear as early as next week.
This decision could have broader implications for App Store policies and developer rights, as it challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app payments and opens the door for more flexible models going forward.
The knock-on effects continue for Apple after a blistering ruling from a federal judge earlier this week that ordered the company to stop collecting fees for purchases made outside the App Store. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple was using loopholes to circumvent her own ruling against the company from 2021. Companies are wasting no time streamlining payments outside of Apple’s walled garden, and Spotify is the latest to make these changes.
With the latest update available in the App Store, version 9.0.40, Spotify has added external links for subscription purchases, allowing it to advertise lower prices and different tiers without giving nearly a third of its revenue generated back to Apple from those subscription sales. These changes also lay the groundwork for content-specific microtransactions, like audiobooks, taking place outside the app. Spotify expressed its hope that these changes will create “seamless buying opportunities that will directly benefit creators.”
In a blog post shared on the Spotify website, the company was incensed that it took this long for Apple to comply with the same judge’s previous order in the landmark Epic Games case dealing with the exact same issue. It reads in part: “The fact that we haven’t been able to deliver these basic services, which were permitted by the judge’s order four years ago, is absurd. The ruling made it clear that Apple deliberately abused its market power to intentionally harm others and benefit only itself.”
Epic Games, which kicked all this off with its original court case, celebrated the legal victory by announcing a limited zero-commission policy for games sold through the Epic Games Store. The company also announced EGS Webshops to support out-of-app purchases launching next month.
While Apple has said it will comply with the judge’s ruling, the company also made clear it intends to appeal. It’s been a busy week for Apple’s legal team, as this comes on the heels of a separate ruling Apple faced from a patent dispute in UK courts, where the iPhone maker has been ordered to pay over $500 million in damages to Optis.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/spotify-breaks-free-from-apples-app-store-fees-170617269.html?src=rss
After several years of legal disputes, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. App Store next week. The decision follows a recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, ending a long-standing standoff between the game developer and Apple over in-app payment systems and platform policies.
The dispute began in August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. This action came after Epic Games introduced its own direct payment system within the app, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission fee—something Apple considers a violation of its App Store policies. Since then, the two companies have been locked in a legal battle, with significant developments on both sides over the years.
On April 30, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store following a legal victory in a California court. The court found that Apple had acted in bad faith and engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly in relation to how it handles online transactions on its platform.
We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week.
Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic. https://t.co/bIRTePm0Tv
The court order stated: “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds that Apple willfully violated the injunction issued by this Court in 2021, which aims to restrict and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive pricing and conduct. Apple’s continued efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”
This marks a significant shift in a legal saga that began with Apple securing a partial win in 2021. Now, the latest decision favors Epic Games, though both companies may still revisit the courtroom as additional proceedings unfold.
Earlier this year, Epic had already signaled a comeback, stating in March that Fortnite would return to iOS in July. However, with this new ruling, the timeline has been moved forward, and US iOS users can expect the game to reappear as early as next week.
This decision could have broader implications for App Store policies and developer rights, as it challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app payments and opens the door for more flexible models going forward.
Kuwait is cracking down on cryptocurrency miners throughout the country, as reported by Reuters. Officials have blamed the practice for blackouts and for causing stress on its power grid. The country started this crackdown just before the onset of summer, which experts say could reach scorching temperatures of 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement that it has been conducting a “wide-ranging” security operation that targets homes suspected of being used for cryptocurrency mining. The government agency went on to say that crypto mining is illegal, as the country’s Capital Markets Authority banned the practice in 2023. Crypto trading was also banned at that time.
The crackdown has been targeting homes in the Al-Wafrah region of Kuwait, which is located in the southern part of the country. The region’s electricity ministry has said that around 100 homes were being used for mining operations, often consuming up to 20 times the normal power levels. To that end, energy consumption in the area dropped by 55 percent following the operation, according to a government statement.
It’s no secret that cryptocurrency mining gobbles up vast amounts of computing power and, as such, electricity. Kuwait isn’t the only country to regulate or outright ban the practice. Russia has banned crypto mining in several regions throughout the country. Kosovo outlawed the practice back in 2022 and Angola did the same in 2024. European countries like Iceland and Norway have strictly regulated the industry due to energy shortages.
As for Kuwait, researchers at the University of Cambridge estimated that the country was responsible for just 0.05 percent of the world’s bitcoin mining in 2022. Alex de Vries-Gao, founder of a research project that tracks crypto energy use, told Reuters that “it only takes a very small share of the total bitcoin mining network to have a significant impact on the relatively small total electricity consumption of Kuwait.”
Recent data indicates that crypto mining accounts for almost 2.5 percent of the total energy consumption of the US. That’s approximately half of the energy used by the entire commercial sector of the US economy. But hey, at least we get some fake coins we can’t buy anything with for our trouble.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/kuwait-cracks-down-on-crypto-miners-to-cut-down-on-electricity-usage-161200772.html?src=rss
After several years of legal disputes, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. App Store next week. The decision follows a recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, ending a long-standing standoff between the game developer and Apple over in-app payment systems and platform policies.
The dispute began in August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. This action came after Epic Games introduced its own direct payment system within the app, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission fee—something Apple considers a violation of its App Store policies. Since then, the two companies have been locked in a legal battle, with significant developments on both sides over the years.
On April 30, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store following a legal victory in a California court. The court found that Apple had acted in bad faith and engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly in relation to how it handles online transactions on its platform.
We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week.
Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic. https://t.co/bIRTePm0Tv
The court order stated: “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds that Apple willfully violated the injunction issued by this Court in 2021, which aims to restrict and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive pricing and conduct. Apple’s continued efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”
This marks a significant shift in a legal saga that began with Apple securing a partial win in 2021. Now, the latest decision favors Epic Games, though both companies may still revisit the courtroom as additional proceedings unfold.
Earlier this year, Epic had already signaled a comeback, stating in March that Fortnite would return to iOS in July. However, with this new ruling, the timeline has been moved forward, and US iOS users can expect the game to reappear as early as next week.
This decision could have broader implications for App Store policies and developer rights, as it challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app payments and opens the door for more flexible models going forward.
A few weeks out from the arrival of Elden Ring: Nightreign, developer FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco have released a lengthy overview trailer that offers an in-depth look at what’s in store. The run-based Elden Ring spinoff gives players three in-game days to prepare for a final boss battle with the help of up to two human-controlled allies.
The new trailer explains that you’ll have a limited time to strengthen your character. You can level up by fighting dangerous grunts or scour the land for weapons and other gear. You can also collect useful information that’s hidden in enemy bases. Alternatively, you can face off against more formidable enemies inside fortresses and receive “powerful rewards” if you can take them down. You don’t have to stay with your teammates the entire time either, as you can take a divide-and-conquer approach to your runs.
Limveld (a renamed version of the original game’s first main area Limgrave) is procedurally generated, so things will be different every time you play. Yup, this is a roguelite, folks. Expect the unexpected, as obstacles can include things like meteor strikes and craters that are full of lava.
As in the likes of Fortnite and other battle royale games, the playable area will shrink over time, nudging your squad into encounters with minor bosses when night falls. So you’d best make good use of your time to prepare for these tough fights. If you do fall in battle, one of your allies can revive you by, uh, attacking you. Look, this is Elden Ring, it doesn’t have to make complete sense.
In addition, the trailer reveals details about the eight character classes in Elden Ring: Nightreign. Each has their own weapons, passive abilities and skills. One has a grappling hook that can pull in enemies or be used to swiftly close a gap. Another can turn invisible to sneak around enemies or ambush them. I suspect quite a few people will opt for the sea-faring Raider, whose arsenal includes a powerful blow that can’t be interrupted by an enemy attack. Let’s see how those colossal bosses like the taste of their own medicine.
After each run, whether you triumph or fail, you’ll earn relics. These are part of a permanent progress system and can be used to improve your stats. You’ll be able to unlock cosmetic costumes as well. Some of these take inspiration from previous FromSoftware games, such as one that references Solaire from Dark Souls.
Elden Ring: Nightreign is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on May 30.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/elden-ring-nightreign-trailer-details-all-eight-classes-and-some-fiery-hazards-151216173.html?src=rss
After several years of legal disputes, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. App Store next week. The decision follows a recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, ending a long-standing standoff between the game developer and Apple over in-app payment systems and platform policies.
The dispute began in August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. This action came after Epic Games introduced its own direct payment system within the app, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission fee—something Apple considers a violation of its App Store policies. Since then, the two companies have been locked in a legal battle, with significant developments on both sides over the years.
On April 30, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store following a legal victory in a California court. The court found that Apple had acted in bad faith and engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly in relation to how it handles online transactions on its platform.
We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week.
Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic. https://t.co/bIRTePm0Tv
The court order stated: “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds that Apple willfully violated the injunction issued by this Court in 2021, which aims to restrict and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive pricing and conduct. Apple’s continued efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”
This marks a significant shift in a legal saga that began with Apple securing a partial win in 2021. Now, the latest decision favors Epic Games, though both companies may still revisit the courtroom as additional proceedings unfold.
Earlier this year, Epic had already signaled a comeback, stating in March that Fortnite would return to iOS in July. However, with this new ruling, the timeline has been moved forward, and US iOS users can expect the game to reappear as early as next week.
This decision could have broader implications for App Store policies and developer rights, as it challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app payments and opens the door for more flexible models going forward.
Since 2017, the Vespa-maker Piaggio’s Fast Forward division has been exploring a unique way to cut down on car trips: Building robots that can follow you around and carry your stuff. We called its original Gita (pronounced “jee-tah,” Italian for “trip”) robot an attractive rolling porter, but its size and initial $3,250 price made it more of a robo-curio than something you’d actually want to buy. The company followed that up with the Gitamini, a smaller and slightly cheaper $1,850 model, but even that remains niche.
Most people just don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a cute follow bot — but the calculation may be different for Star Wars fans. Squint a bit, and Piaggio’s devices don’t look that different from BB-8, R2-D2 and the multitude of other droids. So it’s not a huge surprise to see Piaggio Fast Forward debut a special Star Wars edition robot: the G1T4-M1N1. It’s basically just a $2,875 version of the Gitamini (which now sells for $2,475) with Star Wars decals and sound effects.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
G1T4-M1N1 boasts all of the same specs as the Gitamini: It can carry up to 20 pounds in its top compartment; it lasts for 7 hours, or 24 miles; and its speed tops out at a jaunty 6 MPH. But like a true Star Wars droid, it’s more talkative than its older sibling. Lucasfilm offered up some of its unique sound effects for the bot, so you might hear it sound extra flustered as it’s rushing to catch up to you, or turning quickly around a corner. It’s a big leap beyond the Sphero-powered BB8 toy from 2015.
I had a chance to spend a weekend with G1T4-M1N1 at my home, but unfortunately I couldn’t take it outside or use it in public, where it’s really meant to shine. Instead, it was stuck puttering around my home and deck. While that delighted my kids — who both jumped in the air the moment G1T4-M1N1 awoke with a loud boot-up sound — they were still frustrated they could’t pile their toys into its compartment and walk it to the neighborhood park.
From my brief time with it, I can confirm G1T4-M1N1 followed me around like an eager droid, ready to carry whatever I needed. But it also had some trouble navigating around my cluttered floors — if it hit any major obstacle or corner, it would go to standby mode until I tapped the capacitive button on its noggin. Unlike my Roomba vacuums, it doesn’t back up and try again. I also had to be extremely careful with the G1T4-M1N1 around my deck stairs, since it continually tried to fall to its death like a robotic lemming.
According to Piaggio Fast Forward CEO and co-founder Greg Lynn, the company expects bot owners to watch out for major “cliff” drops like stairs. Gitamini and Gita have the ability to pause before jumping over large curb drops, he says, but I couldn’t see that in action.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Between its trouble with stairs and obstacle avoidance, I couldn’t imagine ever using any Gita robot indoors without headaches. But I could see it being useful if I still lived in Brooklyn, where it could accompany my kids and I to the park while lugging their gear. (My aching back sure would appreciate that, anyway.) I could also see parking it outside a local grocery store and having it follow me home afterwards.
Even in that dream scenario, though, I’d worry about someone trying to steal the G1T4-M1N1. While you can lock it down from an app, which closes the storage compartment and turns off any following capability, you still have to remember to do that manually. According to Lynn, he’s seen curious strangers accidentally enable the Gita bots’ following feature more than he’s encountered stories of potential theft. Still, the worry is there, especially since the G1T4-M1N1 and Gitamini weigh 28 pounds. It’s not hard to imagine some intrepid thief driving up to a parked G1T4-M1N1 and throwing it in their car. (Unfortunately, there’s no way to physically chain it like a bike, either.)
I’m not making any final judgements on the G1T4-M1N1, or its siblings, since I couldn’t test it properly. But it’s clearly not something meant for everyone — not at that price, and not with the navigation problems I encountered. But I could see a future where assistive robots like these could be helpful. We currently have robots delivering food on the streets of some cities, and I’ve seen them helping waiters move food around local restaurants. At some point, we’ll see cheaper and more useful home bots beyond the Roomba and its ilk. And whatever comes next will likely owe a debt to the ground being tread by Gita’s large wheels.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/piaggio-turned-its-cute-follow-robot-into-a-star-wars-droid-140019416.html?src=rss
After several years of legal disputes, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. App Store next week. The decision follows a recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, ending a long-standing standoff between the game developer and Apple over in-app payment systems and platform policies.
The dispute began in August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. This action came after Epic Games introduced its own direct payment system within the app, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission fee—something Apple considers a violation of its App Store policies. Since then, the two companies have been locked in a legal battle, with significant developments on both sides over the years.
On April 30, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store following a legal victory in a California court. The court found that Apple had acted in bad faith and engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly in relation to how it handles online transactions on its platform.
We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week.
Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic. https://t.co/bIRTePm0Tv
The court order stated: “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds that Apple willfully violated the injunction issued by this Court in 2021, which aims to restrict and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive pricing and conduct. Apple’s continued efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”
This marks a significant shift in a legal saga that began with Apple securing a partial win in 2021. Now, the latest decision favors Epic Games, though both companies may still revisit the courtroom as additional proceedings unfold.
Earlier this year, Epic had already signaled a comeback, stating in March that Fortnite would return to iOS in July. However, with this new ruling, the timeline has been moved forward, and US iOS users can expect the game to reappear as early as next week.
This decision could have broader implications for App Store policies and developer rights, as it challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app payments and opens the door for more flexible models going forward.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
