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Apple is planning to put its facial recognition technology into the long-rumored folding iPhone, according to a new leak this week.
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Tempest Rising, a real-time strategy game that's being called a "spiritual successor" and an homage to Command & Conquer, is now available to everyone. It was supposed to be released on April 24, but according to its developers, it was "unexpectedly made available" on April 17 for all players who pre-ordered the game. Instead of pulling it back, they've decided that the best and most seamless solution was to just release it a week early.
The game was developed by Danish studio Slipgate Ironworks and Polish studio 2B Games. In its Steam page, the developers said it was "inspired by RTS (real-time strategy) greats of the 90s and 2000s." It's set in a modern day alternative history scenario, wherein the world is at war to control the "Tempest vines" growing across the planet.
The player takes on the role of Commander for either the "highly mobile and advanced" Global Defense Forces peacekeeping corps or the Tempest Dynasty, which the developers describe as "hard-hitting and desperate." A third faction will be available in multiplayer mode. Each faction has different strategies and combat techniques players can choose from, and players will be able to customize their army for each mission in the two 11-mission campaigns.
Players can still get the "Commander Pack" pre-order bonus if they buy the game before April 24, giving them access to all bonus content. And since getting access to the game a week early was supposed to
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 The European Commission (EC) reportedly delayed regulatory penalty announcements against Apple and Meta this week as it accelerates its push for a trade deal with the US. On Friday, the Wall Street Journal said the move led to concern from European Parliament lawmakers that political factors are influencing the body's regulatory decisions.
The EU is said to have initially planned to announce cease-and-desist orders against Apple and Meta on Tuesday and reportedly told at least one of the companies about the timing in advance. The WSJ says the decision to postpone the announcement came shortly before EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefcovic met with US officials in Washington on Monday, the official's first in-person talks with the US since President Donald Trump's 90-day tariff pause.
On Tuesday, an EC spokesperson said technical work had been completed on the cases, but no dates had been announced. "We're currently working on the adoption of final decisions in the short term," the spokesman reportedly said.
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Why buy new when you can buy used and save a bundle?
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There's no denying the allure of shiny new tech (I mean, have you seen the smartphone images Engadget's Sam Rutherford takes?). But you don't always have to shell out for the latest model to get a good gadget. Buying refurbished will be much easier on your wallet, sometimes saving you hundreds of dollars over buying new. And with tariffs threatening to increase the costs of all goods — tech included — going the refurbished route might become the more popular option in the near future. And let's not forget, buying refurbished is far easier on the environment, since the majority of a device's environmental impact happens in the manufacturing process and, as a bonus, it keeps old tech out of the e-waste stream for a little longer.
There's no regulation for what constitutes "refurbished" tech, but it's often a level or two above "used" items you'd buy off a guy on the street. Refurbished usually means the device has undergone some combination of testing, cleaning and repair — often all three — and it should perform as if it were new, with only minor scuffs to indicate its past life. But some outlets aren't as trustworthy as others when it comes to refurbished options. We have a few recommendations for places to find refurbished tech that all have documented processes for how they handle the process. We also point out what to look for when you're shopping for such tech, so you get something as close to
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