Lawrence Bonk

Minneapolis

Editor and Writer at Freelance

Cat dad. Tech writer @engadget and elsewhere. Hunter Biden fan account-haver. Fix your hearts or die.

Articles

Amy Hennig's 'Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra' is delayed to 2026

1 day ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

The adventure game Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has been delayed until 2026, according to a statement by publisher Skydance Games. The title was supposed to come out sometime this year. What's the reason for the delay? The publisher says it's to "add more polish," which is never a bad thing. I'd rather a fully-finished game upon release than a buggy mess. The company does say it'll be available in the early part of 2026, so that isn't too long to wait.
The UK's House of Lords kicks back bill that let AI train on copyrighted content

1 day ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

Unsplash/Nahrizul KadriThe UK's House of Lords just voted to add an amendment to a data bill that mandates that tech companies disclose which copyright-protected works were used to train AI models, as reported by The Guardian. The amendment faced government opposition but resoundingly passed with 272 votes to 125.
Watch Nicolas Cage kick black-and-white butt in this trailer for Spider-Noir

1 day ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

We finally have some actual footage of the upcoming Spider-Noir series, thanks to a teaser trailer. This is a real boon for fans of the original Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, as the show brings back Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man: Noir. It's also live action, so we get to see a real-life Nic Cage kicking butt as a down-on-his-luck private detective that's bitten by a magical spider. You can likely guess what happens to him after that.
Apple has teamed up with Synchron to develop tech that lets people control its devices with thoughts

1 day ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

SynchronApple has partnered with brain-computer interface maker Synchron to develop tech that lets consumers control devices like iPhones with their thoughts, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. This is primarily intended to help people with medical conditions that limit hand use, such as spinal cord injuries or diseases like ALS. Here's the gist. Synchron has been developing a stent-like implant that's placed in a vein on top of the brain's motor cortex.
The Switch 2 has a mode that caps battery charge at 90 percent

2 days ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

Nintendo will include an optional battery preservation mode with the Switch 2, which the company revealed via its Nintendo Today! news app. This will cap the console's charge as it approaches 90 percent and then maintain it at that amount. Why do this? It's to keep the battery in tip-top shape. Rechargeable lithium batteries can degrade if kept in a fully-charged state. So the feature will let users sacrifice 10 percent of playtime for ongoing battery maintenance.
Pick up this Anker 5K magnetic battery pack while it's on sale for $22

2 days ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

The Anker 321 MagGo magnetic battery pack is on sale for just $22 via Amazon. This is a discount of 15 percent. This is a limited-time deal, however, and the sale ends when the stock runs out. AnkerAnker 321 MagGo Battery (5K)$22$26Save $4Several colorways are on sale. $22 at AmazonAnker makes good stuff, as evidenced by another MagGo-branded item topping our list of the best power banks. While this one didn't make the list, it's still a great entry-level battery pack for the budget-conscious.
The new F1 trailer has star power, fast cars and product placement

2 days ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

The high-octane racing film F1 hits theaters this June and there's a brand-new trailer to prove it. The new footage shows more of the story and gives a deeper dive into Brad Pitt's main character. There's still gobs of actual Formula 1 racing, as the movie has received extensive involvement from the organization. It looks fast, frenetic and fun. There's also plenty of product placement during these scenes, which may be annoying to some but could add to the realism for others.
Fox One is a new streaming service that should launch before September

2 days ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

FoxFox is releasing its very own streaming service, according to a report by Variety. It’s appropriately called Fox One and the company plans to launch the platform by the start of the NFL season, which is in early September. This will be something of a one-stop shop for Fox content, as it’ll air sporting events like NFL games, traditional TV shows and, of course, Fox News programming.
Epic has submitted Fortnite to the US App Store

5 days ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

Epic Games Epic has officially submitted Fortnite to the US Apple App Store. If the game returns, it’ll be the first time in nearly five years that the battle royale shooter will be available on iOS devices. This is happening after a judge ruled that Apple must stop collecting fees for purchases made outside of the App Store. Epic celebrated the ruling by announcing Fortnite’s imminent return, along with changes to its sales platform aimed at developers and publishers.
Google settles lawsuit that accused it of fostering systemic bias against Black employees

5 days ago | engadget.com | Lawrence Bonk

Unsplash/Cess IdulGoogle has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of systemic racial bias against Black employees, as reported by Reuters. The preliminary settlement was filed earlier this week, but still requires a judge’s approval. The class action suit covers more than 4,000 employees. Plaintiffs involved in the suit said that Google operates a "racially biased corporate culture" that steers Black employees to lower-level jobs.