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The LEDs in the WiZ filament bulb are lit up in various colors.
Product Reviews

WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 25W ST19 E26 review: a vintage-style smart bulb with a modern twist

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WiZ Filament Bulb review

The WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 25W ST19 E26 is a color-changing smart bulb that features a coiled LED strip in place of a traditional filament.

It’s available in the US and the UK under slightly different names to reflect the difference in wattage, bulb shape, and fitment, but they have the same feature set and look very similar.

Known as the WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 25W ST19 E26 in the US, or the WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 40 W ST64 E27 in the UK, it has a list price of $32.99 / £27.99, and can be found at WiZ and Amazon.

  • WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 25W ST19 E26 (LED) at Amazon for $32.99

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

I love the Filament Bulb’s classic shape, and was pleased to find that it didn’t feel overly fragile. I have mixed opinions about the coiled LED strip. I found it looked nice in warmer whites and red, but due to the combination of different colored LEDs, it proved a bit of an eyesore when in other colors, with the brightness turned up when using it in my lamp.

If you want a light that can light up a room in addition to providing some nice mood lighting, then this bulb won’t be suitable. It’ll just about do as a reading light if your book is positioned right next to it, but it’s not ideal – although I believe this is often the case due to the nature of filament-style bulbs.

(Image credit: Future)

While it looks pretty on certain settings, the width of the LED strip may prove off-putting if you’re looking for a more authentic-looking filament bulb. If so, you may be better off looking for a non-color filament-style alternative, which you can also find from WiZ, Philips Hue, and various other brands.

The Filament Bulb was pleasingly straightforward to sync with the WiZ V2 app, as it was automatically detected, and it connected to my Wi-Fi quickly and without any fuss.

(Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, the WiZ V2 app isn’t as intuitive as the Govee and Nanoleaf companion apps – although it would take a lot for an app to compare to the Govee Home app, which you’ll have probably guessed if you’ve already read my review of the Govee Table Lamp 2. Despite this, the WiZ V2 app provides access to a variety of useful functions, such as the control menu, which offers some static presets that include warm and cool options, and night, TV, and relax lighting modes, along with a few others.

I could also choose hues from a color graph, adjust the color temperature using a slider, or choose one of the twenty-five dynamic presets, each offering different color palettes and motions. I could also alter the speed of the color changes, though this adjustment was applied to all of the dynamic presets, rather than individually.

(Image credit: Future)

The brightness was easy to adjust using a slider on the home screen or when adjusting settings in the control menu. Thanks to the rhythm function, which I set to change between different modes based on the local time, I was able to get the brightness and color temperature to adjust automatically throughout the day. There’s also a schedule feature, which I used to get the Filament Bulb to turn off at a set time.

I found the Filament Bulb could be slow to respond when switching between the Dynamic lights. And it was also a bit long-winded applying each one, as it asked me which room I wanted to apply it to each time, despite only having one setup. But I could set four of my preferred light settings on the home screen, up to eighteen in the quick action folder, or save them as scenes, so at least the process was quicker once I’d picked my favorites.

(Image credit: Future)

On the subject of scenes, I found it far more efficient to fine-tune the lighting effect I wanted in the control menu before saving it as a scene. While the same settings are available when creating a new scene, the bulb didn’t immediately reflect any changes I made. Instead I would only get to check the result after creating and enabling the new scene, which wasn’t ideal, meaning it was often better to tweak the lighting settings first.

Connecting the Filament Bulb to my Echo Dot (5th Gen) was nice and simple, as it was automatically detected by my Alexa app. I needed to put the Filament Bulb into pairing mode, which was a case of switching the light off and on until it began to pulse blue, and the syncing process took just moments to complete. I could then use voice commands to get the Filament Bulb to change colors, temperature, and brightness, which was very convenient, especially as my requested changes were applied promptly.

(Image credit: Future)

Despite the disappointing elements of the app, once I’d fine-tuned the lighting effects and set up the automations and voice control, I quite enjoyed testing the Filament Bulb. Overall, I was pleased with the quality for the price. So, if you’re looking for a vintage-style bulb with modern smart features and want to change up the ambience with a little color, it’s worth checking out the WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 25W ST19 E26.

If you love smart lighting as much as I do and want to explore some other fantastic options, then I highly recommend checking out our best smart lights buying guide.

WiZ Filament Bulb review: Price and specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price

$32.99 / £27.99

Model

US: Filament Globe Clear 25W ST19 E26

UK: Filament Bulb Clear 40 W ST64 E27

Colors

Multicolor

Lumens

US: 300 / UK: 470

Temperature

US: 1800-2100K / UK: 2200-6500K

Connectivity

2.4GHz WiFi, Bluetooth

App

Yes

Voice control

Yes

Dimmable

Yes, using the app

Additional features

Matter compatible, motion sensor (with 2+ bulbs)

Should I buy the WiZ Filament Bulb?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

WiZ Filament Bulb review: Also consider

How I tested the WiZ Filament Bulb

  • I tested the WiZ Filament Bulb for one week
  • I tested the different features and customizable settings
  • I observed its performance and brightness levels

I used the WiZ Filament Bulb on my desk in my office and in my living room. I screwed the bulb into a table lamp before powering it on and evaluating the setup process on the WiZ V2 companion app.

I explored the features, testing how different colors and settings looked, and created my own presets and scenes. I also tested how bright the bulb was both in daylight and in a dark room.

I synced the WiZ Filament Bulb with my Alexa app to check how straightforward the process was and to test out voice commands, which I did by altering the brightness, colors, and powering the bulb on and off.

WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 25W ST19 E26: Price Comparison



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A photo of a screen displaying Wordle
Product Reviews

Today’s Wordle clues, hints and answer for September 7 #1541

by admin



Get your Sunday puzzle gaming off to a great start with our selection of hints for the September 7 (1541) Wordle, designed to smooth out a few problems without instantly giving away the latest winning word. Of course you might love the idea of someone instantly giving away the latest winning word, which is why today’s answer is all typed up and ready to read—just keep scrolling.

A clue for today’s Wordle

Stuck on today’s Wordle? Here’s a clue that pertains to the meaning of the word.

If you’re still just as stuck after our clue, scroll down for further hints.


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Hints for the September 7 (#1541) Wordle

Our Wordle hints will start vague so as to just give you a bit of a nudge in the right direction at first.

As you scroll down, they’ll offer more and more help towards figuring out today’s word without fully giving it away.

Are there any repeated letters in today’s Wordle?

There’s not a single repeat letter today.

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

Don’t give up until you’ve found two vowels, you’ll need them.

What letter does today’s Wordle begin with?

Open with a “T” to make sure you win.

Putting five letters in the right order doesn’t sound like a huge ask most days. Most days.

The September 7 (#1541) Wordle answer is…

(Image credit: Future)

This is it. No turning back now!

The solution to today’s Wordle puzzle is…

The meaning behind today’s Wordle answer

A tenor is a male singer with a particular range, or a musical instrument of similar abilities. Outside of music, it can refer to the tone or meaning of someone’s speech or text too. Handy.

Previous Wordle answers

Past Wordle answers can give you some excellent ideas for fun starting words that keep your daily puzzle-solving fresh. They are also a good way to eliminate guesses for today’s Wordle, as the answer is unlikely to be repeated.

Here are the last 10 Wordle answers:

  • August 28: SPLIT
  • August 29: GRAFT
  • August 30: ELATE
  • August 31: PETAL
  • September 1: LEAST
  • September 2: MIGHT
  • September 3: FETCH
  • September 4: BLEND
  • September 5: DRIFT
  • September 6: BULGE

Learn more about Wordle 

(Image credit: Future)

How to play Wordle

Wordle’s a daily guessing game, where the goal is to correctly uncover today’s five letter word in six goes or less. An incorrect letter shows up as a grey box. A correct letter in the wrong space turns up yellow. And the correct letter in the right place shows up as green. There’s no time limit to worry about, and don’t forget that some letters might be used more than once.

Get better at Wordle!

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Generally you want to pick something with a good mix of common consonants and vowels in it as your Wordle opener, as this is most likely to return some early green and yellow letters. Words like SLATE, CHIME, and REACT all work, but feel free to find your own favourite.

Is Wordle getting harder?

(Image credit: Valve)

Wordle is not getting harder!

There will always be the occasional day where the answer is the name of a body part, has a sneaky double vowel, or a word obscure enough to send everyone rushing off to a dictionary. But the daily answers, edited by Tracy Bennett, are still a good mix of common terms and tougher challenges.

Remember that if you’re craving more of a challenge, you can enable Hard Mode under the ⚙️ options menu. This option doesn’t make the words themselves harder, but it requires that “any revealed hints must be used in subsequent guesses.”

How did Wordle begin?

Wordle is the creation of Josh Wardle, and began life as a small personal project before its public release in 2021. From there it’s gone on to become a global phenomenon, attracting a dedicated daily audience, billions of plays, a whole host of competitors, and even a seven-figure sale to the New York Times where it’s become a mainstay of daily games alongside the crosswords and Connections.



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Is Local AI the Unexpected Fix to the Obsolescence of Robot Vacuums?
Product Reviews

Is Local AI the Unexpected Fix to the Obsolescence of Robot Vacuums?

by admin


During a presentation at IFA 2025, Deebot parent company Ecovacs (full disclosure: travel and lodging were paid by Ecovacs, but Gizmodo did not guarantee any coverage as a condition of accepting the trip) said repeatedly that its new X11 OmniCyclone robot vacuum‘s AI smarts are all on-device. Or the bulk of them are, anyway. I returned to the booth later and spoke with a couple of the company’s representatives to try to figure out exactly how divorced from the cloud the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone truly is—is it an all-on-device experience, like the Matic robot vacuum, or does it still need an internet connection to keep its best functionality?

The Deebot X11 OmniCyclone’s promise is that it can use local AI smarts to do things like identify spills and messes on the floor and decide how best to clean them, and if mopping is required, what kind of mopping solution to use (the X11’s charging dock holds a couple of options). It can also learn from your routine, shifting and morphing its cleaning schedule and approach over time to suit your behavior.

© Wes Davis / Gizmodo

You, the owner, can talk to the AI Agent Yiko—the company’s name for its refreshed, generative AI-powered vacuum assistant—and give it some pretty broad, natural-language requests, at least according to Ecovacs. I didn’t get to test this out. I wanted to know how broad. Can you say, “Hey Yiko, only clean the bedroom on Fridays,” and it works? Ecovacs’s folks said yes. What about, “Hey Yiko, please clean up around my dining room table at 7 p.m. every night.” Yep, that’s apparently possible, too, although the rep told me you might need to name that table in the Ecovacs Home app and call it by that specific name when you speak your request. Again, I didn’t get to test any of this.

Not that it would matter if your internet went down—in that case, you’d lose a lot of functionality, according to the reps. The app would no longer work because it bounces through Ecovacs’ cloud infrastructure in the U.S. to do that. No more tapping around to tell the robot to clean specific rooms, or remotely controlling it from your smartphone, or seeing cloud-saved videos recorded while you were doing that. It also means no Yiko, because the device’s generative AI voice assistant is cloud-dependent, too.

But there’s a way to use the robot vacuum in which that doesn’t matter. There’s an “Agent Hosting” mode in the Ecovacs Home app where you can switch the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone to AI-only control, essentially putting all of your faith in it to clean your house properly. It might be able to do so, at least according to Ecovacs, which says it can recognize over 100 different categories of objects, as small as a grain of sand. If you switch it to that mode and find that it does just fine at cleaning your house, with no input from you, then you may never bother with the app again. And if that’s the case, you might never know when your internet is out or that the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone has lost its connection to your network.

That doesn’t mean the robot would be useless. Ecovacs’s reps told me that without an internet connection, the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone’s onboard AI would still do its thing, sliding its schedule around as needed, identifying messes, and switching up its cleaning approach as it goes along. I asked if the company sees a future where even the AI voice assistant is on-device, and the reps weren’t sure.

It’s not all the way to the world I want to see, where my smart home devices never need an internet connection to bring me their full feature set, or close enough to it for blues. But it is an encouraging move in that direction, assuming it all works the way Ecovacs says it will. And, with AI, that can be a big “if.”

 

 

 



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How to Watch Apple’s iPhone 17 Announcement, and What to Expect
Product Reviews

How to Watch Apple’s iPhone 17 Announcement, and What to Expect

by admin


Ah, September. The kiddos head back to school, the geese head south for the winter, and we all head to Cupertino to see the new iPhones.

Apple’s latest product launch event is happening on September 9. The livestreamed announcement starts on Tuesday at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern, and 6 pm British Summer Time. You can watch the livestream right here on this page, on Apple’s website, or on Apple’s YouTube channel. If you’re already deep in the Appleverse, you can also watch in the Apple TV app on any screen where it runs.

For weeks, little nuggets of information about Apple’s forthcoming device lineup have been regularly extracted from the various online rumor mines. Based on those whispers and Apple’s typical release schedule (which rarely varies) we can expect an event filled with announcements. We’ll likely see a full line of iPhones 17, including the base model, the Pro models, and a brand-new ultra-thin version called the iPhone Air. We are also expecting new Apple Watches and new AirPods. All of these devices will surely have some sort of AI-enabled capabilities. There might even be some Apple TV news.

Just know that Apple always stays tight-lipped in the lead-up to its launch events, so the information we’re providing here is speculative. Also, the company likes to drop a surprise or two during its presentation, so keep an eye out for WIRED’s roundup of everything Apple announces once the event ends.

In the meantime, here’s what to look out for.

Air Born

The biggest news of the event might just be about one of the lightest gadgets in the lineup. We’re expecting a new addition to the iPhone lineup called the iPhone 17 Air.

This phone is expected to be noticeably thinner and lighter than other iPhones. The Air is rumored to have a 6.6-inch OLED screen and come in at a svelte 5.5 mm thick. (That’s 2.3 mm thinner than the iPhone 16.)

Given the phone’s slim size, the Air might come with some design tweaks and sacrifices to its internal powers to keep its lithe form. Rumors have indicated that the USB-C port won’t be centered along the bottom of the phone.



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Product Reviews

How to watch Apple debut the iPhone 17 lineup at its ‘Awe Dropping’ event on September 9

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It’s September, and that usually means it’s iPhone season. Like clockwork, Apple once again appears set to show off new smartphones with its latest showcase next week. The upcoming event has been dubbed “Awe dropping,” so we’re hoping for a few announcements that’ll warrant the tagline. The showcase begins on September 9 at 1PM ET/10AM PT.

If you want to tune in to hear what Tim Cook and crew have to say about the presumed iPhone 17, you can stream the show on Apple’s website or YouTube channel. We’ve also got the livestream embedded below so you can follow along with our liveblog while you watch.

With just a few days to go until the “Awe dropping” event, it seems like we’ve already gotten a lot of advanced insights about what the iPhone 17 lineup has in store. Apple introduced the software side of the equation with the iOS 26 unveil at WWDC this summer, and since then we’ve gotten some pretty reliable insights on the hardware.

The big reveal is expected to be an ultralight smartphone, likely called the iPhone 17 Air. This would be Apple’s first application of its Air nomenclature for mobile, and when we had Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman on the Engadget Podcast at the end of August, he suggested that the first iteration of the smartphone might come with some growing pains. We also anticipate seeing a base iPhone 17, an iPhone 17 Pro, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Beyond the smartphones, the “Awe dropping” event could also include three new Apple Watches and updated AirPods Pro earbuds. Bloomberg reports that Apple has several other devices in the works as well, including a new AirTag, Apple TV and iPad Pro, but it’s not as certain if those will pop up at this specific event. Either way, you can tune in on September 9 to hear about all the new product launches.



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Screenshots from 2K sports game NBA 2K26
Product Reviews

NBA 2K26 Review: a basketball sim with a starring role for attacking play

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Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

When five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman was interviewed during Netflix’s Last Dance documentary, he explained how he’d have friends shoot hoops from all angles well into the morning just to more accurately track rebounds and work out where he needed to be to scoop up possession.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5 (on PS5 Pro)
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Release date: September 5, 2025 (Early access one week prior)

Why do I bring that up when talking about basketball game NBA 2K26? Because, as much as rebounds are less show-stopping than acrobatic dunks, they’re the basis on which successful teams build attacks, and every single late-night session predicting angles and flight paths led to Rodman becoming an NBA legend.

  • NBA 2K26 at Amazon for $59.88

While NBA 2K26 may not hit those heights (at least not yet), what’s here plasters over some of the cracks in last year’s game to offer the best digital basketball experience in years.

No More Bricks

(Image credit: 2K/NBA)

I enjoyed my time with NBA 2K25, but I know I’m in the minority for that. A big reason that the community found itself divided by last year’s game was 2K’s commitment to revamping a core part of the experience, which we’ve been used to over the last decade and change: the shot meter.

While last year put an awful lot of emphasis on the ever-present danger of shooting a brick and fluffing your lines, this year it’s much more forgiving. It’s not quite a walkback to earlier games, but it feels like Visual Concepts has done an awful lot to rework the act of shooting the basketball, or driving to the rim, this time around.

You’ll still throw some absolute honkers if you’re not careful, but you always feel more in control, whereas last year things felt a little too random.

Last year, it took a major shine off of the otherwise stellar animation system that did a better job of making players feel like they were moving more realistically, and in vastly improving offense this year, the whole game feels like it’s faster. It’s not quite arcadey, but it’s a more exciting sim than it’s been in years.

Now, you’re not missing easy layups or having to spam dribbling moves to find a tiny opening, because all players feel much more capable of scoring points from anywhere, and player locomotion feels just a little slicker.

That also ties into the long-running player builds system. Last year, unless you invested a ton of stat points into your player (or real currency), you’d find yourself missing simple shots. This time around, the new ‘MP’ (your in-game avatar in MyPlayer) feels much more like the talented prospect they’re supposed to be at the start of the story.

Rags to Riches (Again)

(Image credit: 2K/NBA)

That brings us nicely to MyPlayer, the mode from which many of NBA 2K26’s others flow. Let’s start with the good: Visual Concepts’ commitment to having a single, central created player remains something I wish rivals would adopt.

It’s awesome to be able to build up your version of MP in one mode before taking them online, and while the story here is pretty predictable, it remains a fun way to build your player’s legend from high school to the NBA.

Cutscenes look better, although they naturally pale in comparison to the on-court action, but what’s here is more of the same.

There’s a downside to that, too, and it’s VC. You’ll earn currency through playing, but as with any NBA 2K instalment, you can spend plenty of real cash to grow your player quickly and into one of the in-game archetypes.

My Small Forward has enjoyed a meteoric rise (at least according to the MyPlayer storyline), but he’s still nowhere near as impressive as anyone who’s thrown their currency of choice at the game.

Elsewhere, MyGM remains one of my favorite ways to play despite not having any major improvements this year after its re-emergence in 2K25. There are fresh long-term goals called Offseason Scenarios, and they feature real-world examples like a Bulls rebuild or weighing up how to follow up the Warriors’ Steph Curry era.

Best Bit

(Image credit: 2K/NBA)

Jettisoning the controversial shooting meter from last year, NBA 2K26 feels like a game full of subtle changes that make scoring points more fun than ever, whether you’re in the paint or shooting from distance.

They’re not the kind of things that you’ll necessarily be entirely drawn into, but they’re a neat addition that gives you something to strive for. Still, for a longstanding NBA fan, the continued support for MyNBA Eras remains something that puts rivals to shame. You can now copy a MyPlayer into a classic era of the NBA, letting you rub shoulders with Larry Bird or Michael Jordan.

Speaking of dream scenarios, MyTeam is back and, as always, it’s very easy to throw VC points at pack openings. I do appreciate that the mode is pretty rewarding when it comes to offline play. I’m decent at 2K, but the game’s fervent community could slap me six ways to Sunday, so it’s nice to be in control of what I play if I want to push for better players for my squad.

This year sees the debut of the WNBA in the mode, which is a huge move that’s been a long time coming. EA FC has seen plenty of success by adding the women’s game into Ultimate Team, but the nature of basketball as a sport where height makes a big difference means that it’s not uncommon for one player to absolutely tower over another.

It perhaps wouldn’t be a huge issue if you could rotate your squad to place smaller, faster players in more attacking roles rather than expecting them to stop a 7ft 7 juggernaut, but that’s at odds with having players with roles and positions assigned to them when they’re fresh out of packs.

Back to the city

(Image credit: 2K/NBA)

Look, I’ll be honest: I’ve never really enjoyed The City. The mode has always felt like a good idea that’s had too much executive input, designed to draw players in to drop their VC to build their player and buy clothing and shoes.

Last year took the smart step of finally shrinking the playspace, and NBA 2K26 goes one step further with interconnected areas that make it much easier to get to where you need to be.

Perhaps the best thing I can say about The City is that performance is vastly improved. Last year’s game got a PS5 Pro update, but it always felt laggy on Sony’s newest system. This year, it’s still not as responsive as playing on the court, but it’s noticeably easier to navigate.

That brings us, finally, to NBA 2K26’s presentation. Put simply, this is the best-looking sports game around, at least on PS5 Pro. When Visual Concepts boasted about being able to see the pores on players’ faces ahead of launch, I scoffed. As it turns out, you really can see the pores on player faces, as well as stitching on shoes, and those all-important reflective surfaces like the shiny court.

Should you play NBA 2K26?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility

NBA 2K26 has a few accessibility features. You can adjust shot timing windows and visual cues, while there are difficulty settings, too. Vibration and DualSense triggers can be tweaked, too.

Perhaps most impressively is that the shot meter, which can be tricky to spot in the chaos of an ongoing match, can be customized with a variety of options. It’s not strictly there for accessibility purposes, but that customization could be a huge boon for those who need extra visual clarity.

(Image credit: 2K/NBA)

How I reviewed NBA 2K26

Having reviewed multiple NBA titles across different platforms in recent years, I played this one on my PS5 Pro, with the standard DualSense wireless controller, the Astro A50 X headset, and on a Sky Glass TV.

I’ve most recently played NBA 2K25 in the last couple of months, so I have a good grasp of what’s changed. I built up a decent starting line-up in MyTeam during this current review period and spent some time working my way through the ranks in MyTeam.

I also explored The City, was destroyed by other players in pick-up games, and began the journey to take the Chicago Bulls back to a new era of dominance.

First reviewed August-September 2025

NBA 2K26: Price Comparison



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An image of Hornet from Silksong engulfed with rage.
Product Reviews

Hollow Knight: Silksong sinks to ‘Mixed’ Steam review status among Chinese gamers over its bafflingly bad translation, with Team Cherry promising to improve it

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As reported by Eurogamer, Hollow Knight: Silksong has not met Chinese players’ expectations the way it has globally, with a 42% positive “Mixed” review status from nearly 20,000 Chinese language users, who say that the game’s localization was abysmally, uniquely poor.

Team Cherry has already responded to the issue, promising to work on the Chinese localization. “We appreciate you letting us know about quality issues with the current Simplified Chinese translation of Hollow Knight: Silksong,” wrote the game’s publishing and marketing lead, Matthew Griffin. “We’ll be working to improve the translation over the coming weeks.”

To our Chinese speaking fans:We appreciate you letting us know about quality issues with the current Simplified Chinese translation of Hollow Knight: Silksong.We’ll be working to improve the translation over the coming weeks.Thanks for your feedback and support.September 5, 2025

The reception among Chinese speaking reviewers sharply contrasts with Silksong’s reviews in all other languages it’s available in, with an overall 80% “Very Positive” rating among over 80,000 reviews worldwide. Of about 16,000 negative reviews worldwide, 11,800 of them are in Simplified Chinese.


Related articles

Some commenters on Griffin’s post have tried to elaborate on the specific issues at hand. Tiger Tang, who led the Chinese localization of 2020 RPG Omori, wrote that the main issues in Silksong’s localization are creative, not grammatical. “The current Silksong CN translation reads like a Wuxia novel instead of conveying the game’s tone,” said Tang. “This isn’t about effort, but about taste and direction, and speaking from experience likely can’t be fixed without replacing the translator.”

Others in the comments noted the same bizarre, anachronistic quality Tang mentions, while it also reportedly devolves into total gibberish in places. Kotaku cited criticism from translation expert Loek van Kooten, who called Silksong’s Chinese dialogue the equivalent of “a high-school drama club’s Elizabethan improv night.” Silksong had two people credited for its Chinese localization, versus the first game’s team of six.

In a final twist, one of those two translators, Hertzz Liu, appears to have been leaking details about the much-anticipated Silksong on social media. A June comment on the r/Silksong subreddit by user Infinite-Lake-7523 includes a screenshot of a Q&A on the Chinese site Tieba from a user named “Hertzzz.” Infinite-Lake-7523 ironically thought this was a hoax, but said Herzz(zz) estimated a pre-Christmas release date and shared some of their plans for the localization.

Is it still a “review bomb” if people are understandably upset over a defective product? The current Chinese translation of Silksong sounds like that infamous “restoration” of Ecce Homo. With issues this extensive and structural, I would expect Team Cherry to commit to an entirely new Chinese localization, but that will likely take some time.






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Jensen,huang,,nvidia,founder,and,ceo,and,c.w,tsai,,spil
Product Reviews

Nvidia Is Not Happy With the Gain AI Act, Says As Much

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In a move drawing considerable attention across the tech industry, Nvidia Corporation has publicly critiqued the recently proposed Gain AI Act, emphasizing its potential to stifle competition in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector.

The GAIN AI Act, which stands for Guaranteeing Access and Innovation for National Artificial Intelligence Act, was introduced as part of the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, with the goal of ensuring that the United States is the dominant market force for AI.

It has not yet passed and remains a hotly debated policy topic both here and abroad because of the restrictions it looks to enact.

Backers say it aims to protect American market interests by prioritizing domestic orders for advanced AI chips and processors, as well as secure supply chains for critical AI hardware, and theoretically reduce our reliance on foreign manufacturers.

So it’s no huge surprise that Nvidia, a Chinese corporation and currently the world’s biggest company, would take aim at a law that might potentially restrict the competitiveness of foreign technology.

The company said as much during a recent industry forum.

“We never deprive American customers in order to serve the rest of the world. In trying to solve a problem that does not exist, the proposed bill would restrict competition worldwide in any industry that uses mainstream computing chips,” an Nvidia spokesperson said.

Is the Gain AI Act a good idea for innovation?

It depends on who you ask.

Essentially, the law seeks to strengthen national security and economic competitiveness by ensuring that key AI components remain accessible to American companies and government agencies before they are supplied abroad.

Its language takes a hard line on what the priority should be for the United States government.

“It should be the policy of the United States and the Department of Commerce to deny licenses for the export of the most powerful AI chips, including such chips with total processing power of 4,800 or above and to restrict the export of advanced artificial intelligence chips to foreign entities so long as United States entities are waiting and unable to acquire those same chips,” the legislation reads.

Nvidia’s critique reflects broader industry anxieties about regulatory environments that might hinder innovation. As global competition intensifies, particularly with formidable advances in AI from regions such as China, firms like Nvidia are closely watching how regulatory frameworks are taking shape abroad.

But it’s not just foreign companies. American market players, too, have said it could hit many domestic operations hard.

“Advanced AI chips are the jet engine that is going to enable the U.S. AI industry to lead for the next decade,” Brad Carson, president of Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI), a lobbying group for the AI industry, said in a widely distributed statement.

“Globally, these chips are currently supply-constrained, which means that every advanced chip sold abroad is a chip the U.S. cannot use to accelerate American R&D and economic growth,” Carson said. “As we compete to lead on this dual-use technology, including the GAIN AI Act in the NDAA would be a major win for U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.”

‘Doomer science fiction’

Nvidia didn’t stop there. It then took aim at an earlier attempt to make the U.S. more competitive in the chipmaker market, a policy called the AI Diffusion Rule, which ultimately failed.

The company minced no words in a follow-up statement, saying that the past attempts by legislators to control market forces based on protectionist policies was ultimately a bad idea.

“The AI Diffusion Rule was a self-defeating policy, based on doomer science fiction, and should not be revived,” it read.

“Our sales to customers worldwide do not deprive U.S. customers of anything—and in fact expand the market for many U.S. businesses and industries,” it said. “The pundits feeding fake news to Congress about chip supply are attempting to overturn President Trump’s AI Action Plan and surrender America’s chance to lead in AI and computing worldwide.”

The challenge will be creating laws that are as dynamic as the technologies they aim to govern, fostering a climate where innovation and ethical accountability are not mutually exclusive, but rather mutually reinforcing.

We’ve tried this before

Nvidia’s mention of the AI Diffusion rule was no accident. That ill-fated policy had many of the same political goals but ultimately stumbled at the finish line and was a relatively toothless attempt to rein in some of the world’s most competitive companies.

The Biden administration’s AI Diffusion rule, enacted in January 2025, represented a significant shift in U.S. export controls targeting cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology.

Designed to curb the spread of advanced AI tools to rival nations, the regulation mandated licensing for the sale of high-end AI chips and imposed strict caps on computing power accessible to foreign recipients. Its goal was to slow the diffusion of sensitive AI capabilities that could enhance military or strategic applications abroad.

However, the Trump-era approach to export controls, which focused on a more targeted, bilateral framework, was poised to replace the Biden administration’s broader strategy.

President Trump had announced plans to rescind the AI Diffusion rule, criticizing it as overly bureaucratic and potentially hindering U.S. innovation. Instead, his administration favored engaging in country-specific agreements to control export practices, aiming for a more adaptable, case-by-case approach.

Though the AI Diffusion rule was ultimately rolled back, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) signaled a renewed emphasis on enforcing existing regulations. The agency issued a notice reinforcing actions against companies with a “high probability” of violations, warning that increased scrutiny would be applied to entities with knowledge of potential breaches.

Whether this latest attempt to advance American interests meets a similar fate remains to be seen.



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The Best Pixel 10 Cases and Accessories (2025)
Product Reviews

The Best Pixel 10 Cases and Accessories (2025)

by admin


Enter the MagSafe Accessory World

Joby

GripTight Tripod Mount for MagSafe

I have been testing MagSafe accessories for years, and you should totally take advantage of the vast ecosystem with your new Pixel. Whether you want a magnetic wallet or phone tripod, we have plenty of WIRED-tested recommendations in our guides. Most of them should work without fail on the Pixel 10 series. Here they are:

Other Cases and Accessories We Like

Mous Clarity Pixelsnap Case for $70: This is my second favorite clear case after Dbrand’s Ghost 2.0. There’s a thick bumper around the phone to absorb impacts, a solid magnetic connection, and a nice lip around the screen to keep it off the ground. The buttons are clicky, too.

OtterBox Symmetry Clear Pixelsnap Case for $60: This is a nice, clear case that’s also Pixelsnap-certified. The cutouts are accurate, the edges are slightly raised over the screen, and it offers a decent grip. If you prefer a completely clear case without a separate bumper, this will satisfy.

Spigen Parallax, Nano Pop, and Liquid Air Pixelsnap Cases for $19: I’ve tried several Spigen cases, and the Rugged Armor is my favorite this year (see above). These other options have different designs, but they’re solid cases for the money. I found the Parallax slippery, and the sides also felt a bit cheap. The Nano Pop had a decently grippy texture on the edges, but the Liquid Air is one of my favorite Spigen designs. The buttons are just a little stiffer than I’d like. These are minor nitpicks, though. They’re great cases for under $20, especially considering they’re all Made for Google-certified.

Spigen GlasTR EZ Fit Tempered Glass Screen Protector for $20 (2 Pack): This is the best bang for your buck when it comes to screen protection. Spigen gives you two in the box, and its application tool makes it impossible to make a mistake when installing the tempered glass protector. There’s even a squeegee tool to push out air bubbles. All that for $20.

UAG Pathfinder Pixelsnap Case for $60: Someone probably likes how this case looks. That person is not me, but clearly, there’s a market for this styling. If you fall in that camp, there’s not much to complain about the Pathfinder, except I found the buttons slightly stiffer than usual. It checks off all the other boxes, with a raised lip over the screen, but I just don’t find it that attractive (sorry).

UAG Glass Shield Screen Protector for $40: UAG includes the usual wet wipe, dust removal sticker, and microfiber cloth, and there’s a plastic shell you place on top of your Pixel to use as a guide when applying the tempered glass screen protector. It’s not the easiest method I’ve tried, as there’s room for some error (and potential to get grime or a smudge on the underside as you apply), but it was fairly quick and painless, and the air bubbles disappeared quickly.

Burga Tough Case for $50: This is one of the few non-magnetic cases I’ve tested for the Pixel 10 series. Burga doesn’t have its Pixel 10 cases listed on the website yet, but says it plans to add them soon. If you absolutely don’t care for Qi2 and magnets in these phones, this is a perfectly fine case, and Burga has tons of designs you can choose from. The exterior is a hard plastic shell, but the phone is wrapped in a soft rubbery shell that absorbs impacts. The buttons are fairly clicky—not the most responsive—and there’s a solid lip around the screen.

Poetic Guardian and Poetic Revolution Case for $25: Poetic sent me two of its cases to test for the Pixel 10 series. One thing to note is that Poetic includes a screen protector that embeds itself into the case, like old-school cases that offered full protection. Unfortunately, the screen protector quality is really not great (there’s a visible circle cutout for the fingerprint sensor, and it looks jarring. Sliding your finger on it just doesn’t feel great. You can thankfully opt not to use it; use the plastic frame that comes in the box instead. The Revolution doesn’t have any magnets but has a built-in kickstand and a cover that can completely protect your cameras; I find this a little extreme, so I don’t care for it. It also, in my humble opinion, looks hideous. The Guardian looks much better, with a thick bumper, raised edges, and a covered port. The buttons are a little stiff, but at least it has built-in magnets for Qi2 (not certified).



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Product Reviews

Porsche and Audi’s EVs can now recharge on any Tesla Supercharger in North America

by admin


Starting September 9, Porsche and Audi will be the latest non-Tesla brands to utilize the Supercharger network. The two automakers announced that some of their owners will get adapters that allow them to charge via the NACS port, which Tesla developed and opened up to other automakers. The rollout comes after the Volkswagen Group, which owns both Porsche and Audi, announced that it would implement NACS compatibility for Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Scout Motors in December 2023.

Porsche is kicking off its NACS adoption with a “soft launch,” where existing owners of Taycan and Macan Electric models have to reserve a free NACS to DC adapter with the My Porsche app to connect to the Tesla Supercharger network. During this initial phase, drivers of compatible Porsche EVs have to use the Tesla app at Superchargers, but will eventually be able to charge with the My Porsche app in “the coming months,” according to Porsche. Like Porsche, Audi is getting its own branded adapter that will arrive with newer 2025 model year options, including its Q6 e-tron, A6 Sportback e-tron and e-tron GT. Notably, Audi said its Q4 e-tron won’t currently have access to Tesla Superchargers.

For Porsche, any Taycan and Macan Electric from model year 2026 onward will include a free NACS adapter. However, Porsche EVs from model year 2024 or older will have to buy the adapter from Porsche’s online shop or dealerships, which will go for $185. Porsche and Audi are also working on software updates to show Tesla Superchargers on their navigation systems. Despite Porsche and Audi now gaining access to the Supercharger network, Volkswagen Group’s other subsidiaries, including Lamborghini and Bentley, still haven’t committed to adopting NACS.



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