In surprising news, Apple has actually done something that could save you money. The company is now allowing users to migrate purchases from one Apple Account to another. Transfers can include items such as movies, books, music apps and more.
The only catch: You can only move purchases from your secondary account, the one you use for Media and Purchases, to your primary account, the one signed in to iCloud and most other features.
Before starting a migration, check that you are signed in to both accounts on your device and that the secondary account isn't part of Family Sharing or Purchase Sharing. Then, make sure you have two-factor authentication on for both accounts and that they are both linked to the same country and region. You'll also need to spend any remaining balance and not have any rentals or pre-orders.
Then, transfer your things by going to the Media and Purchases tab and scrolling to Migrate Purchases. Follow the steps on your screen and then, once the migration is complete, log out of your secondary account on all devices. As a heads up, you'll no longer be able to use that other account for purchases.
Users based in the US can now migrate their purchases. However, the new feature isn't available globally yet, as users in the European Union, UK and India can't access it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-finally-lets-you-move-your-digital-purchases-to-another-account-134535401.html?src=rss
US District Judge John D. Bates has ordered (PDF) the Center for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration to restore the web pages and resources they had previously removed to comply with President Trump's executive order related to gender ideology. Bates gave the agencies until February 11, 11:59 PM Eastern time, to comply. As of this writing, the CDC website on "Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons" is already back online with a note up top that says the CDC's website "is being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders."
The judge's decision is part of a temporary restraining order that he has granted as requested by the Doctors for America. Represented by Public Citizen, the non-profit organization sued the CDC (PDF), the FDA and the Department of Health in February. It also sued the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which issued the memo for the pages' removal. As The Washington Post notes, the memo ordered agency heads to "end all agency programs that use taxpayer money to promote or reflect gender ideology."
In response, the CDC and FDA removed a number of web pages covering a wide variety of topics. In its lawsuit, Doctors for America said the pages that were removed provided healthcare workers with treatment guidance and important datasets necessary for research and for formulating appropriate public health responses. The pages contained resources for HIV monitoring, contraception, assisted reproductive technologies like IVF, health risks for youths, social vulnerability and environmental justice. In addition, the organization pointed out that the agency didn't provide any notice before removing those pages.
The non-profit organization gave some specific examples in its lawsuit. Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, who has a research program at Yale School of Medicine, said that the CDC's removal of its resources about contraceptives and STIs caused delays in her "patients' access to appropriate contraception." Meanwhile, a Dr. Stephanie Liou said the the pages' removal impeded her ability to formulate a quick and appropriate response to a chlamydia outbreak in her high school, as her employers didn't have access to "many expensive clinical resources." Doctors of America accused the CDC and the FDA of violating the Paperwork Reduction Act that requires officials to "ensure that the public has timely and equitable access to the agencys public information."
In addition to bringing back the pages that were removed, the agencies were also ordered to restore any resources that were modified to their original state by February 14. The resources that were brought back online will remain available while the non-profit org's lawsuit is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/court-orders-the-cdc-and-fda-to-restore-deleted-web-pages-related-to-gender-identity-133008251.html?src=rss
Located less than a mile from the Joshua Tree Visitor Center, Rivian's new charging station goes well beyond basic infrastructure. While drivers wait for their vehicles to charge, they can lounge in hammocks, let their children explore a climbing wall, or stroll around an outdoor museum to learn about the local desert landscape. The site also includes a zero-waste food initiative and a gear repair station, aligning with the outdoor lifestyle Rivian champions. Unlike its other fast-charging sites, the Joshua Tree Charging Outpost is Rivian's first to be compatible with other EV brands, too, with connectors available for vehicles using the North American Charging Standard. While charging and complimentary coffee are available to all, Rivian drivers are entitled to extra perks. For example, restrooms are open to the public from 7 am7 pm, but Rivian owners get after-hours access with a code found in the brand's app.The strategic placement near national parks earlier in 2024, Rivian opened an outpost in Yosemite makes sense. This isn't just about serving Rivian's own adventure-seeking customer base. Memorable charging stations are fast becoming an essential investment for electric vehicle manufacturers as competition in the market heats up. After all, charging time is a prime opportunity to showcase your brand and its values to a broader audience of EV drivers, including those eager to shift away from other, less purpose-driven makers ;-)
$449 is a lot to pay for earbuds. When you consider the quality of the options at $100 and below, it may seem exorbitant. However, Noble Audio hasnt just crafted another set of high-end wireless earbuds. The company is offering something unique on the FoKus Rex5: five drivers. Most earbuds have one or two, but Noble has put its in-ear monitor (IEM) expertise to work here, packing in a 10mm dynamic driver, a 6mm planar driver and three balanced armature drivers.
The result is absolutely incredible sound quality for a set of wireless earbuds. A wide, immersive soundstage surpasses every other set Ive tested, and Ive tested a lot of them. However, audio performance alone doesnt make a complete product. Theres still battery life, active noise cancellation (ANC), customization and other features for Noble to contend with. And the company needs to check all the boxes to justify that price.
Design of the FoKus Rex5
The FoKus Rex5 earbuds are very green. From the charging case to the aluminum and acrylic housing, the company is dedicated to that hue on this model. Its gold accents wont be for everyone either. The styling is akin to a set of IEMs, which Noble also makes in spades. If youre looking for other colors from the company, the pricier FoKus Prestige ($599) will be available in black and blue when theyre back in stock.
Other than the color scheme and marbled acrylic shell, the FoKus Rex5 looks like standard earbuds at least in terms of its shape. The rounded, triangular frame mimics a set of generic in-ear monitors and it fits well in the ear. Weight is nicely balanced too, with nothing sticking too far out from your head. This all leads to a secure, comfy fit that never becomes a burden, even after hours of constant use. Additionally, Noble includes nine sets of extra ear tips across three shapes in the box. One of those is foam instead of silicone, if youre into that, and the diversity of the pack should help you find an ideal fit for your ears.
Software and features
All of the settings and features for the FoKus Rex5 reside in the Noble FoKus app. Here youll find battery percentages for each earbud, quick access to the personalized EQ, media controls and noise-cancellation toggles up front. On the right side, an expandable menu offers a 10-band EQ, EQ curve, personalized EQ and touch control settings.
Noble opted for Audiodos customizable sound software to power its Personal EQ feature. Like some of the competition, this tech takes you through a setup process to calibrate the audio to your hearing. The FoKus Rex5 has a Qualcomm QCC3091 chip inside that stores these custom profiles on the earbuds. This means that the audio tweaks stay with you on any device you pair to without having to download the app multiple times. Noble says Personal EQ works well for people with uneven hearing, offering balanced sound at the appropriate levels.
For me, the test determined that I needed a boost in the high frequency range, which raised the volume for vocals and guitars. I dont love it. The stock tuning is a better blend of all the instruments and I prefer the balance of that mix. This doesnt mean the feature wont help you, it just means that you might want to keep the default settings rather than opt for Personal EQ.
The FoKus Rex5 is equipped with multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, which adds convenience to daily use. The earbuds seamlessly switched between my MacBook Pro and my iPhone whenever I got a call or started playing audio there. What you wont find on the Rex5 is automatic pausing as the earbuds dont have a proximity or wear sensor on the back side. Perhaps the company needed every millimeter for all of those drivers, but this is a handy feature that would have been great to have.
FoKus Rex5 sound quality
Billy Steele for Engadget
Its amazing how much nuance five drivers will allow you to hear when listening to music. Noble says its driver array effortlessly delivers rich, full bass, detailed mid-tones and crystal-clear highs, and I found that to be true across a range of genres. Where most earbuds have a frequency range of 20Hz-20kHz, which is in line with the capabilities of the human ear, the FoKus Rex5 extends that a bit to 20Hz-40kHz. Am I confident that I can hear that extra high frequency? No. Does that impact my rating of the sound quality? Not at all.
Im well aware that artists, producers and recording engineers make the decisions on how to split instruments on the left and right channels. But for the first time, I could clearly hear the separation in the guitars on songs like L.S. Dunes I Can See It Now and across the entirety of Jason Isbell and the 400 Units latest live album. Theres a sonic division on these earbuds thats more segmented, yet everything still blends well for a great immersive sensation. Its like youre standing in the middle of the studio. You can hear that the lead guitar is situated to the right while the rhythm player is on the left. A lot of earbuds would smash them together.
Theres also minute detail in guitars, drums, vocals and more with the FoKus Rex5. You can hear the texture in the vocals on Julien Baker & TORRES Sugar in the Tank, and it sounds like youre almost inside the acoustic guitar on that track. There are a number of flagship-quality earbuds that deliver fine details well, but Ive never heard the level of subtlety that the FoKus Rex5 provides song after song. And the earbuds do so with a robust soundstage that, once again, envelops you like youre standing in the middle of a performance rather than simply streaming tunes.
Noble offers support for aptX Adaptive and Sonys LDAC codecs on the FoKus Rex5, in addition to SBC and AAC. I tested primarily with Apple Music, including a lot of albums in either lossless or Dolby Atmos. All of the songs from the service sounded incredible with these earbuds, although the crunchy, layered guitars on that L.S. Dunes record sounded particularly stunning (that album is Dolby Atmos, Lossless and Apple Digital Master).
ANC performance
Billy Steele for Engadget
Noble doesnt go into too much detail about the ANC setup on the FoKus Rex5, other than saying the sophisticated tech effectively minimizes external noise. Unfortunately, that effectiveness is just averae. The earbuds only dampen constant noise sources like fans and noise machines. And while they slightly lower the volume of human voices nearby, they suffer the same inefficacy as much of the competition there. Simply put, youre not buying the FoKus Rex5 for the ANC performance, its the sound quality thats the primary draw. But Id argue you should have both if youre spending $449.
Call quality on the FoKus Rex5
Call quality is another area Noble could improve. The FoKus Rex5 is usable for calls, but the audio performance is average at best. If youre looking for something to use for virtual meetings, or any situation where you need to sound crystal clear, these earbuds arent a great option. Whats more, the ambient mode doesnt beam your voice back through the buds on calls. I kept feeling like I was shouting just to hear myself during those chats.
Battery life
Noble promises up to five hours of listening time with ANC on, or up to seven hours without. Whats more, the company packed an extra 35-40 hours of use in the wireless charging case, which is longer than most of the competition can muster. Theres a 15-minute quick charge feature that will give you two hours of use as well.
During my tests, the FoKus Rex5 easily met the stated figures, and even went beyond them by about 30 minutes. Five hours of noise-canceling use is standard these days, but its nice to see that Noble delivered on this, even with the additional drivers and codec support.
The competition
In terms of sound quality, only Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 comes close to the pristine audio performance of the FoKus Rex5. Unfortunately, those earbuds dont offer a complete package either. And at $399, theyre still a bigger investment compared to the likes of Bose, Sony and Sennheiser. Youll get excellent sound on the Pi8, though the level of detail and separation isnt on the level of the five-driver Rex5. ANC performance is slightly better, but still not robust, and theres a lack of advanced features that are offered by much of the competition on products that cost less.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/noble-fokus-rex5-review-incredible-sound-if-youre-willing-to-pay-for-it-130043824.html?src=rss
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, along with multiple federal employee unions, have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team to block their access to sensitive and identifying information on millions of Americans. Specifically, the plaintiffs are looking to block them from being able to access data stored by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and to delete any information they've collected so far. The lawsuit also names OPM and Acting Director Charles Ezell as defendants.
In early February, Reuters reported that Musk's aides locked OPM employees out of the agency's systems. "We have no visibility into what they are doing with the computer and data systems," one of its sources said back then. The OPM has the largest collection of employee data in the US and contains sensitive information on both past and current federal employees, as well as on job applicants for federal positions who applied through USAJobs.gov. As the EFF notes, the agency's records contain federal employees' names, birthdates, home addresses, social security numbers, work experience, union activities, salaries, performance reviews, demotions, life insurance, death benefits as well as classified information NDAs. The list even includes the first names and last name initials of CIA employees in highly sensitive roles.
In its announcement, the EFF explained that the mishandling of information in OPM's systems could lead to "significant and varied abuses," and that DOGE's "unchecked access" on its own puts federal employees at risk of privacy violations and even political pressure and blackmail. The foundation also emphasized the risk federal employees are facing with DOGE's access to unrestricted information and Musk's ownership of X. It cited Musk's old tweets naming specific government personnels whose jobs he would cut even before he had access to OPM's database.
OPM violated the Privacy Act of 1974 when it gave DOGE "unrestricted, wholesale access" to its systems, the EFF said. Under the Privacy Act, the written consent of the individual whose data is being shared is required if government records are to be disclosed. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs are accusing Musk and his DOGE agents of exceeding "the scope of their legal authority" by controlling OPM's systems, because it has resulted in the the unlawful disclosure of the their contents. "Our case is fairly simple: OPMs data is extraordinarily sensitive, OPM gave it to DOGE, and this violates the Privacy Act," the EFF wrote. "We are asking the court to block any further data sharing and to demand that DOGE immediately destroy any and all copies of downloaded material." Last week, a federal judge blocked Musk and DOGE from accessing Treasury Department information and ordered them to destroy any data they've already collected. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/eff-sues-elon-musk-and-doge-to-block-their-access-to-federal-employee-data-042245323.html?src=rss
Google has set the date for its next I/O developer conference. This year, the annual event will take place over two days starting on May 20, the company announced on Tuesday. As in previous years, the conference will feature an in-person component at the Shoreline Amphitheatre right on the company's doorstep in Mountain View, California.
"Well start day one with keynotes, followed by breakout sessions, workshops, demos, networking opportunities and more continuing on day two," Google said. In a separate email the company sent to Engadget, it promised to share updates on Gemini and Android, alongside new innovations related to web and cloud development. Last year's conference saw Google spend a lot of time talking about AI, including initiatives like Project Astra, and it's probably a safe bet to say I/O 2025 will be similar in that regard, with potential updates from DeepMind on Gemini 2.0, Project Mariner and more.
Notably, this year I/O will overlap with Microsoft Build, which is set to run from May 19 to 22. Like I/O, Build is expected to include a major focus on AI. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-io-2025-kicks-off-on-may-20-212810869.html?src=rss
The Apple Studio Display is available with a discount of $300 from Amazon. This discount applies to all versions, so prices range from $1,300 to $2,000. For the uninitiated, the Studio Display is available with a standard glass design or a nano-texture glass design that helps reduce reflections. Theres also a model with both a tilt and height-adjustable stand. The cheapest version, at $1,300, is the standard glass with a tilt-adjustable stand or a VESA mount.
The Studio Display made our list of the best monitors, and this is particularly true for Mac users. The 27-inch screen boasts a 5K resolution with a max refresh rate of 60Hz. It has several useful connection options, including a trio of USB-C ports. The monitor also includes built-in speakers and a 12-megapixel camera that keeps the subject constantly in frame, thanks to Apples Center Stage software.
We called out the displays excellent build quality in our official review. We also appreciated the bright screen, up to 600 nits, and the accurate color reproduction. The speakers are excellent, as is the three-mic array that accompanies the webcam. The webcam itself, however, is a bit on the dull side.
So whats the downside? At the end of the day, this is just another IPS LED display with a relatively low refresh rate and single-zone backlighting. Todays discount makes Apples extreme pricing on this unit a bit more palatable, but $1,300 (at minimum) is still a pretty big investment for a monitor. The add-ons are also extremely pricey. It costs a whopping $400 to add a height-adjustable stand and $300 for that nano-texture glass coating.
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/computing/apples-studio-display-is-300-off-right-now-195210809.html?src=rss
Amazon is holding an event on February 26 at 10AM ET. While we dont exactly know what the company plans on showing off, we certainly have some educated guesses. Lets get into it.
First of all, the company's hardware chief, Panos Panay, and his devices and services team will be on hand. This indicates the presence of new gadgets at the event. However, the main focus will likely be more information on the long-promised next-gen Alexa.
Invites are out! Seems like the smarter and 'remarkable' version of Amazons Alexa is finally launching on Feb 26th. Can't wait to try it out. @alexadevs @AlexaGames @alexa99https://t.co/oQhwGjtySx#AmazingAlexa #RemarkableAlexa #SmarterAlexa #NewAlexa #AlexaLaunchFeb26th pic.twitter.com/eQWv3rE8MY Voice Games (@voicegames) February 6, 2025
How do we know this? Amazon sent out five versions of a bare-bones invite to the event. Internet sleuths pieced the images together and, lo and behold, the background spells out the word Alexa.
The AI-infused refresh has faced several delays since first being announced back in 2023. We reported that the team was having trouble getting the updated chatbot to do basic things, like creating a timer and turning on smart lights. These kinds of tasks have been the bread and butter of the current Alexa chatbot for years. The development team has also reportedly had issues with hallucinations.
The company claims the new LLM-powered Alexa will be able to process nuance and ambiguitymuch like a person wouldand intelligently take action." Amazon says that itll be able to complete complex requests, like Alexa, every weeknight at 9PM, make an announcement that its bedtime for the kids, dim the lights upstairs, turn on the porch light and switch on the fan in the bedroom. That sounds useful, if it works.
That brand-new Alexa would likely benefit from some dedicated hardware, thus the inclusion of Panay and his team. Its been a while since weve gotten updates to the Echo line of smart speakers, so a refresh of some kind is more than likely. Its also possible the budget-friendly and useful Echo Buds earbuds will get an upgrade.
What shouldnt we expect? Well, Amazon just introduced some new Kindles at the tail-end of last year. Itd be weird to see an e-reader at this event. Also, while its possible the company could introduce new Fire tablets and the like, that doesnt really gel with the whole Alexa theme.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/what-to-expect-at-amazons-devices-event-on-february-26-193513602.html?src=rss
Microsofts six-year-old program to make HoloLens headsets for the US Army could be getting some extra help. If the Department of Defense approves the deal, the company will expand its existing partnership with Anduril Industries, Palmer Luckeys defense startup, for the next stages of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program.
Microsoft, which spearheaded the program, would transition into supplying AI and cloud infrastructure. Meanwhile, Anduril would do pretty much everything else, including oversight of production, future development of hardware and software and delivery timelines.
Anduril makes a wide array of defense tech, including drone interceptors, sentry towers, comms jammers, drones and even an autonomous submarine. But given Luckeys background as the primary inventor of the Oculus Rift and, by extension, the modern consumer XR industry the IVAS program could perhaps be the defense tech startups most natural fit.
US Army / Microsoft
Microsoft started working with the Army in 2019, using a modified HoloLens 2 for a headset that reportedly felt like a real-life game of Call of Duty. Early prototypes allowed soldiers to see a virtual map showing their squads locations, a compass and their weapons reticle. Thermal imaging served as an alternative to traditional night vision headsets.
But the program ran into speed bumps, one of which was all too familiar to many who tried poorly designed VR games: It made them want to hurl. In addition to nausea, the headsets also led to eyestrain and headaches. Their bulk, limited field of view and perhaps worst of all an emitted glow (which could make them easy pickings for an enemy) didnt help, either.
The problems contributed to Congress denying the Armys request to buy 6,900 pairs as part of a 2023 government funding bill. Instead, it allocated $40 million for Microsoft to develop a new version, which the Army accepted later that year. However, the headset has yet to make it onto the battlefield.
Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that early feedback of the latest IVAS prototypes is encouraging, but the Army wants the cost to be substantially less than each headsets currently projected $80,000. The Army could eventually order as many as 121,000 devices, but the new version would still need to pass a high-stress combat test this year before going into full production.
In December, Anduril partnered with OpenAI to develop AI for the Pentagon. That deal will have the ChatGPT maker supplying its GPT-4o and OpenAI o1 models to Andurils drone defense systems for the military.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/microsoft-wants-to-hand-off-much-of-its-army-hololens-program-to-palmer-luckeys-anduril-190223240.html?src=rss
Kickstarter just unveiled a bunch of new tools for backers and creators. The most notable of the bunch is called Pledge Over Time and, well, its exactly what it sounds like. The tool allows backers to split a pledge into four payments that get pulled from a bank account every two weeks. Its sort of like Affirm or Klarna.
This feature should also help creators, as itll entice more backers to buy into a campaign. Its available right now, but only to select campaigns. Pledge Over Time is coming to everyone by spring. This follows a related tool that was released last year that allows folks to back projects after a campaign has ended.
Kickstarter
The platform is also in the process of refining search and discovery to help backers find stuff that interests them. Kickstarter promises that new search filters and sorting options are coming to web and mobile this spring. The mobile app is also getting an update by the end of 2025 that lets backers view all of their funded, live and unsuccessful projects in one place.
Kickstarter
There are some changes coming down the pike to make backers feel more secure when pledging. If a project faces significant fulfillment failures itll get slapped with a notice on the main page. Backers of these projects will also get a notification that outlines the issues and actions that Kickstarter has taken. Project pages will also soon include more details about a creators overall track record. Indiegogo already does something similar via its Trust-Proven badge.
For creators, the fundraising platform is introducing add-ons. These are perks that can be added to a campaign after being successfully funded. It gives backers more opportunities to spend money and get cool stuff in return. Shipping management is also being streamlined, as is the tax collection system.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/kickstarter-is-rolling-out-new-tools-for-backers-including-a-way-to-split-pledges-into-four-payments-170051752.html?src=rss
