Engadget

The International Data Corporation reported that global PC shipments during the third quarter of 2026 numbered 62.7 million. That figure marks a 9.1 percent decrease from the Q2 2026 total and a staggering year-over-year drop of 20.1 percent from Q3 2025. The organization credited "supply issues" and "elevated prices" as some of the reasons for the sinking interest. In other words, RAMaggedon marches on apace.

Amazon's latest and greatest tablet shares some key similarities to Apple's high-end iPads, but the devil is in the details. Amazon's new Alexa Tablets, square-one reimaginings of the company's affordable tablet lineup, owe a lot to the iPad. And how could they not? Apple's family of tablets has become synonymous with the form factor globally, so why wouldn't Amazon take inspiration from their slim, all-aluminum designs and high-quality screens?

Anthropic's annual usage policy update includes one eyebrow-raising change: a ban on "sustained and needless" cruelty toward its AI models. This comes in the shadow of a viral "AI torture chamber" project. 2026 sure is shaping up to be a wild one. "We've added a prohibition on sustained and needless abusive or cruel behavior toward our models," Anthropic's update reads.

When OpenAI released ChatGPT for Teens this past August, child safety experts Engadget spoke to at the time expressed skepticism that the new mode would adequately protect young people from harm. Now, one of those groups, Common Sense Media, has published a formal risk assessment of the software, and deemed it an "unacceptable risk" for all children under the age of 18. "Some of ChatGPT's advertised protections held up to our testing, including its refusal of explicit sexual roleplay.

The racing game's first expansion will also be available early next year. PlayStation 5 owners will be able to join the Forza Horizon 6 festival early next year, as the racing game will land on that console on January 26. Xbox-owned developer Playground Games initially said it would hit PS5 this year, but it'll arrive a few weeks after that window — perhaps to give it some breathing room from Grand Theft Auto 6.

Paramount Pictures will develop the film and CD Projekt Red will produce. Movie adaptations of video games are currently doing a brisk business, and today brings a new title into the fold. Deadline reports that Paramount Pictures is working on a live-action film set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, a narrative-driven RPG from CD Projekt Red.

Here's an important heads up for any owners of some older Pixel Watches. Google will end support for its Safety Signal feature by the end of 2026. This tool was designed as a way to bring some core safety features to the smartwatch over LTE connectivity. It provided resources such as emergency SOS, fall detection and calls between emergency contacts even if the person didn't have a wireless plan for their wearable.

When people think of Atari, they likely picture the famous 2600 home console. However, the 800 line of home computers was also extremely successful, before being sunsetted in the early 1990s. Now the 800XL is back and filled with modern bells and whistles. The 800XL was a refresh of the 1979 original, but with a larger form factor and a nifty-looking industrial design. This new model can do everything the original could do, but with some modern quality-of-life features.

The US government has suspended several tech companies' access to an H-1B visa program for skilled international workers. Microsoft and Adobe are the two biggest tech brands targeted in today's announcement. The other five businesses that have seen their programs frozen are Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini.

Razer just introduced two new gaming mice in its Basilisk V4 line, along with a charging accessory. The most notable release is the Basilisk V4 Pro, which is the company's new flagship gaming mouse. The V4 Pro adds two new buttons on the side and repositions the multi-function trigger button "for a more natural reach." All told, there are 14 customizable control options on this mouse, which should be a boon for competitive gamers.