Engadget

The last decade or so has seen schools and governments alike working on a substantial question: To what degree should students be allowed access to their phones? France has been among those leading the charge, requiring smartphones to be turned off during school hours since 2018.

Engadget

Regardless of how 2024 went for you, 2025 is another chance for all of us to make the new year better than the one that came before it. New Year’s resolutions are usually set with the best intentions, but it’s no secret many people fail after just a few weeks — old habits die hard. It’s important to have a support group, people who can cheer you on during those particularly hard days. But it’s also important to have the right tools to make achieving your goals easier.

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Whether or not you’ve heard of a white elephant gift exchange before, there’s a good chance you have the wrong idea of what it is, how it actually works and where the idea came from. According to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them. It was a far more devious punishment than simply having them executed. The recipient had no choice but to simply thank the king for such an opulent gift, knowing that they likely could not afford the upkeep for such an animal. It would inevitably lead them to financial ruin.

Engadget : Technology, Travel

This time of year has a lot of merry and bright things to be excited about, but it can be stressful if you’re stumped on what to get your mom, dad, best friend, coworker or kids’ teacher as a holiday gift. Whether you enjoy or dread buying gifts for people, it’s safe to say we all want to give our loved ones things they will enjoy and appreciate. But there’s a lot of noise, junk and bad deals disguised as good deals to sift through as we get closer and closer to the holidays.

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There are moments with AI that feel like we're passing a threshold there's no coming back from. The latest example is happening at UCLA, where a professor is having AI create the textbook, assignments and teaching assistant resources for her class, Survey of Literature: Middle Ages to 17th Century. 

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When the Rabbit R1 arrived earlier this year, it was an unfinished product. Engadget’s own Devindra Hardawar called it “a toy that fails at almost everything.” Most of the features Rabbit promised, including its signature “large action model” (LAM), were either missing at launch or didn’t work as promised. Now, after more 20 software updates since the spring, Rabbit is releasing its most substantial update yet.

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Teaching can often feel like a thankless job, so a good gift can help show that you appreciate someone who’s helped you or your kid learn and grow. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy: A thoughtful thank-you note, perhaps with a gift card, is still a warm way of recognizing everything they do (and is probably worth writing regardless). But if you’re looking for a little something extra, we’ve brainstormed a few gadgets, services and other gift ideas for the educator in your life.

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As a college student today, you'll need certain tech to get your work done — key among the bunch being a solid laptop for college. But there are other gadgets that can make your academic life easier, and in some cases, more fun. If you're looking to stay organized, produce better work and enjoy your down time on and off campus, picking up a few important devices before you start the next semester can make all the difference.

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Whether you’re working on an essay, doing research for a paper or just need some downtime streaming your favorite show - a good laptop is a sensible investment for every college student. The best laptop for college doesn’t have to push the envelope with the latest graphics card and processor, nor does it have to cost an arm and a leg. Sure, the best laptops come in all shapes and sizes and range in price, but college students don’t need a power-hungry machine to support their needs.

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The Perseid meteor shower is one we can count on every summer for a great show, weather permitting, and this year’s event reaches its peak tonight. Late Sunday night into the pre-dawn hours of Monday will be the best time to see the Perseids, according to NASA.