US to remove Xiaomi from blacklist, allowing cash to continue flowing

Days before the end of the Trump administration, the US Department of Defense put Chinese electronics company Xiaomi on a list of “Communist Chinese military companies.” The move could have had major financial implications for Xiaomi if it…

Days before the end of the Trump administration, the US Department of Defense put Chinese electronics company Xiaomi on a list of “Communist Chinese military companies.” The move could have had major financial implications for Xiaomi if it had taken full effect. But now the Biden Administration Defense Department says it will remove Xiaomi from […]

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Valve’s Gabe Newell hints at vague console plans coming “this year”

Indefinite tease comes during Q&A with New Zealand students.

  • Newell poses with faculty at Sancta Maria College before speaking to students at the Auckland school. [credit: Sancta Maria College ]

Valve co-founder and Managing Director Gabe Newell hinted that his company may be planning an expansion into the console space soon.

While speaking on Monday to students at Auckland, New Zealand's Sancta Maria College (the rough equivalent of a Catholic high school in the US), Newell was asked, "Will Steam be porting any games on consoles, or will it just stay on PC?" The answer, as recorded by Reddit user Odysseic, was a vague gesture at unspecified plans. "You will get a better idea of that by the end of this year... and it won't be the answer you expect," Newell said. "You'll say, 'Ah-ha! Now I get what he was talking about.'"

"The answer you expect" would probably be "we're sticking with PC games," so any answer involving console plans would definitely be unexpected. But the lack of specifics in Newell's statement has left a lot of Valve-watchers guessing.

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The best smartwatches for every type of user

We tested smartwatches of every stripe, shape, and price to find the best options for you.

The Apple Watch Series 7 (left) and Series 6 (right).

Enlarge / The Apple Watch Series 7 (left) and Series 6 (right). (credit: Corey Gaskin)

With the holiday shopping season starting up, we’ve updated our guide to the best smartwatches you can buy. The Apple Watch Series 7 now takes the top spot from the Series 6, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 replaces the Galaxy Watch 3 as a top pick for Android users, and we’ve swapped in a couple new Garmin watches as running- and style-focused recommendations.

Believe it or not, there are smartwatches worth owning besides the Apple Watch. If getting important (or not so important) notifications on your wrist sounds appealing to you, there’s great news: most smartwatches can now do that for you. And you have options when it comes to style, form factor, and more dedicated wearable purposes.

There are smartwatches that emphasize style and a classic timepiece aesthetic, others that help you train for competition in specific sports, and everything in between. From casual exercisers to those who want every bit of data and guidance they can get, the smartwatch landscape has matured. And recently, we revisited some of our favorite options and tested the latest releases in an effort to help you nail down the best smartwatch for your needs.

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Amazon’s new Echo Show 8 has a faster processor and better camera, Echo Show 5 gets spec bump, price cut, and Kids Editio

Amazon is upgrading its most two most affordable smart displays. The new Amazon Echo Show 8 has the same $130 starting price as its predecessor, but Amazon has upgraded the processor and camera. Meanwhile the new Echo Show 5 is getting a modest spec b…

Amazon is upgrading its most two most affordable smart displays. The new Amazon Echo Show 8 has the same $130 starting price as its predecessor, but Amazon has upgraded the processor and camera. Meanwhile the new Echo Show 5 is getting a modest spec bump and a $5 price cut. The 2021 model has an upgraded camera […]

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States won’t receive J&J doses next week amid ongoing production failures

Vaccine production at Emergent’s facility is still halted.

The Emergent BioSolutions plant, a manufacturing partner for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 9, 2021.

Enlarge / The Emergent BioSolutions plant, a manufacturing partner for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 9, 2021. (credit: Getty | Saul Loeb)

States will not receive shipments of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine next week, according to a report by Politico.

White House officials told governors in a call Tuesday that there are no new doses available for order. It’s unclear if the federal government will be able to distribute doses through other channels, such as those that provide vaccines directly to pharmacies and community health centers.

The dried-up supply is just the latest trouble for Johnson & Johnson, which has consistently struggled to produce its vaccine in the US.

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