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Duolingo will soon add chess to its list of non-language courses, alongside music and math. The company has revealed that it will add chess lessons to its app, which will initially be available in beta in its iOS app. Senior product manager Edwin Bodge told Cnet that Duolingo is catering to "more of a beginner, medium [player]" in an effort to make the game more accessible. The app will start by asking you how much you know about chess and then tailoring lessons based on your level it will even teach you how each piece moves if you're a total newbie. If you already know how each piece moves, then you'll play against Duolingo's character Oscar in mini-puzzles, wherein you'll have to capture certain pieces using a specified piece, like a rook. The puzzles are meant to get you used to how each piece moves, especially since you'll get hints for each lesson. If you move a piece where it can't go several times, Duolingo will put a big arrow on where a piece could go. But since there are many ways to move a piece around the chessboard, the app won't tell you if you made the wrong choice. It can only tell you in a banner how it wasn't the best move out of all the available options. In addition to the mini-puzzles, you'll be able to play full games against Oscar that scale up in difficulty based on your level, but you can't play against other learners just yet. Cnet says Duolingo is still looking into adding that feature, though it won't be part of the beta version that will be available sometime in mid-May. The company also said that it's working to make chess lessons available on Android and in languages other than English in the coming months. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/duolingo-will-soon-start-offering-chess-lessons-121545964.html?src=rss
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As lawmakers, regulators call for social media companies to do more to protect the mental health of their youngest users, teens perception of social media also seems to be changing. A growing number of teens say that social media is harmful and takes up too much of their time, according to a new report from Pew Research. The report, which was based on a survey of 1,391 teens and parents in the United States, sheds light on how teens perspective on social media has changed amid increasing calls to hold online platforms accountable for the alleged harms theyve done to their youngest users. According to the report, 48 percent of teens now view social media as a mostly negative influence on other people their age. Thats a significant jump from the last time Pew polled teens on the question in 2022, when just under a third of teens said the same. The number of teens who view social media as mostly positive also decreased, from 24 percent in 2022 to 11 percent in the latest poll. Teens views of the impact of social media on their peers has grown increasingly negative, Pews researchers note. Interestingly, teens are significantly less likely to report that social media is harmful to themselves specifically. Only 14 percent of teens polled by Pew reported that social media negatively affects them personally. Pews researchers dont speculate on the reason for that disparity, though the report notes that there have been growing conversations about the effect social media has on teen mental health, including a warning last year from the US Surgeon General. Pews report also suggests that teens are becoming increasingly aware of how much time they spend on social media platforms. Forty-five percent of teens said they "spend too much time on social media, up from 27 percent who said the same in 2023. A similar proportion of teens said that social media negatively affects their sleep (45 percent) and productivity (40 percent). And 44 percent of teens report that theyve cut back their smartphone and social media use overall. While this report is unlikely to settle the long-running debate about whether social media is more helpful or harmful to young people, the fact that teens views are shifting is telling. At a time when some lawmakers have proposed banning younger kids from social media altogether, Pews report suggests that adults arent the only ones worried about the issue.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/teens-are-becoming-more-worried-about-the-effects-of-social-media-113027657.html?src=rss
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After that whole tariff tango, Nintendo is readying its North American pre-order system for the Switch 2. The original Switch 2 price will remain the same, $450, as will the original $500 for the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle. However, some Switch 2 accessories will receive price adjustments due to market conditions. (As a non-North American, I may have splurged on the Piranha Plant Switch 2 camera I have no regrets.) Take a picture. It'll last longer.Hori There are some fine-print details attached to pre-ordering directly from Nintendo. You must be 18 years or older, sign in with your Nintendo account and register your interest in pre-ordering. Then, youll get an invitation email when its time to play your pre-order, and the invitation will be valid for 72 hours. And for extra jeopardy: Invitation emails will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis for registrants who have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a minimum of 50 total gameplay hours, as of April 2, 2025. If you dont meet those criteria of die-hard/flush with cash Nintendo fan, there are other options: Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart and Target have confirmed theyll open pre-orders on April 24. Mat Smith Get Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! All the stories you might have missed Watch Paul Rudd not age between a vintage SNES commercial and a Switch 2 ad The 6 best air fryers, tested and reviewed Blizzard explains hero bans in Overwatch 2 Bluesky is getting an official verification system And blue checkmarks. Bluesky is adopting an official verification system, after all. The company said it plans to grant blue checkmarks to authentic and notable accounts. It will also allow some trusted organizations to verify users. The platform previously resisted centralized verification, relying instead on a domain-based verification system, which allows users to change their handles to match domains theyre associated with. Its a bit of a mess. For example, when Barack Obama joined Bluesky recently, his handle did not use a custom domain. Individual Bluesky employees ended up publicly vouching for the former president. The company will now proactively verify certain accounts and add a prominent blue checkmark to their profile. Its still not clear what criteria Bluesky will use to verify its users. Continue reading. Nintendo is going after the person behind last years massive Pokémon leak It wants Discord to give up the users identity. Nintendo Nintendo is going after the leaker behind last years massive Pokémon data breach. It wants Discord to reveal the identity of the person behind the leak, who goes by the name GameFreakOUT on the platform. Nintendo said in a subpoena the person uploaded confidential materials not released to the public to a Discord server called FreakLeak. After that, the leaked materials spread to every corner of the internet. It included early character designs, source codes and even an upcoming Pokémon MMO. Continue reading. Using generative AI will neither help nor harm the chances of Oscar nominations Both The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez came under fire for using AI. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided AI is fine. The issue of award-nominated films using AI was first raised in 2024 when the productions behind Best Picture nominees The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez both admitted to using the tech to alter performances. With regard to Generative Artificial Intelligence and other digital tools used in the making of the film, the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination, AMPAS writes. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-112038131.html?src=rss
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