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2025-12-03 18:01:25

Are you tired of feeling safe and happy all the time? Is your daily life overrun by feelings of security, contentment and peace? Do you want an escape from all of the oppressive niceness around you? Well, look no further — these are the games for you.

Here, we’ve collected more than a dozen of the most evocative and disturbing horror games in recent memory. These selections cover a wide range of genres and styles, but each one comes with at least a tinge of unsettling terror. So take a peek, find your game, and prepare your skeleton for some fresh air because you’re about to jump out of your skin.

Best horror games

Check out our entire Best Games series including the best Nintendo Switch games, the best PS5 games, the best Xbox games, the best PC games and the best free games you can play today.

2025-12-03 16:01:00

One of the iPhone’s many accessibility features is something Apple calls "Magnifier," which uses the smartphone's cameras to magnify and identify objects in the world around you. For Global Accessibility Awareness Day in May this year, Apple brought Magnifier to the Mac, opening up even more places the assistive tool can be used, like classroom or work environments where you might already have a MacBook pulled out.

Magnifier requires macOS 26 Tahoe and can work with a built-in webcam, a connected third-party camera or an iPhone via Apple's Continuity feature. Provided your MacBook can run Apple’s latest software update, it’s a natural fit for zooming in on a whiteboard at the back of a large lecture hall or getting a closer look at documents on a desk in front of you. You can use the app to both capture an individual image you want to refer to later, or to analyze text in a live video feed. But where to begin? Here’s how to set up and use Magnifier on your Mac.

How to use Magnifier to identify and display text

Apple

Magnifier's most powerful feature uses the MacBook's machine learning capabilities to identify, display and format text that your camera captures. This works with text your camera can see in the room around you, and things it captures via macOS' Desk View feature. For example, to view documents on your desk:

1. Open Magnifier.

2. Click on the Camera section in Magnifier's menu bar and then select your Desk View camera from the dropdown menu.

3. Click on the Reader icon (a simple illustration of a document) near the top-right of your Magnifier window.

4. Click on the sidebar menu icon to access settings to format text.

Apple gives you options to change the color, font and background of text Magnifier identifies, among other customization options. If you'd prefer to capture faraway text, you can position a webcam or iPhone camera facing away from you and swap to it via the Camera section in Magnifier's menu bar.

You can also listen to any text Magnifier has identified by clicking on the Play button in the top-right corner of Magnifier's reader mode. Clicking the Pause button will pause playback, clicking the Skip Forward or Skip Backward buttons skip through lines of text, and if you want to adjust playback speed, you can click on the 1x button and pick a speed from the dropdown menu.

How to use Magnifier to zoom in on yourself

Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget

By default, Magnifier uses your MacBook's built-in webcam, which means you'll see a view of yourself and whatever's behind you if you don't have another camera selected. This might not be usual for seeing faraway text, but it is handy if you're applying makeup, putting in contacts or doing anything else where you need a detailed view of your face.

In my tests, using Magnifier worked the best with my MacBook's built-in webcam or an iPhone. When I tried using a third-party webcam from Logitech, my live camera feed was noticeably laggy. Your mileage may vary, but if you experience any issues with your own webcam, it's worth trying your built-in webcam to see if that helps. You can swap between cameras and zoom in to your camera feed inside the Magnifier app:

1. Open Magnifier.

2. In the top menu bar, select Camera and then click on the camera you'd like to use in the dropdown menu.

3. Use the slider in the top center of the Magnifier window to zoom in on yourself.

You can see a live feed of your zoomed in view in Magnifier's main window. If you click on the Camera button in the bottom-left corner of the app, you can also snap a photo to review later. Any photos you capture will appear in Magnifier's left sidebar menu. Clicking on them lets you view them, zoom in on them and adjust their visual appearance (Brightness, Contrast and other visual settings) via the Image section in Magnifier's menu bar.

2025-12-03 07:47:00

Artificial intelligence is showing up everywhere in Google's services these days, whether or not people want them and sometimes in places where they really don't make a lick of sense. The latest trial from Google appears to be giving articles the AI treatment in Google Discover. The Verge noticed that some articles were being displayed in Google Discover with AI-generated headlines different from the ones in the original posts. And to the surprise of absolutely no one, some of these headlines are misleading or flat-out wrong. 

For instance, one rewritten headline claimed "Steam Machine price revealed," but the Ars Technica article's actual headline was "Valve's Steam Machine looks like a console, but don’t expect it to be priced like one." No costs have been shared yet for the hardware, either in that post or elsewhere from Valve. In our own explorations, Engadget staff also found that Discover was providing original headlines accompanied by AI-generated summaries. In both cases, the content is tagged as "Generated with AI, which can make mistakes." But it sure would be nice if the company just didn't use AI at all in this situation and thus avoided the mistakes entirely.

The instances The Verge found were apparently "a small UI experiment for a subset of Discover users," Google rep Mallory Deleon told the publication. "We are testing a new design that changes the placement of existing headlines to make topic details easier to digest before they explore links from across the web." That sounds innocuous enough, but Google has a history of hostility towards online media its frequent role as middleman between publishers and readers. Web publishers have made multiple attempts over the years to get compensation from Google for displaying portions of their content, and in at least two instances, Google has responded by cutting out those sources from search results and later claiming that showing news doesn't do much for the bottom line of its ad business. 

For those of you who do in fact want more AI in your Google Search experience, you're in luck. AI Mode, the chatbot that's already been called outright "theft" by the News Media Alliance, is getting an even more symbiotic integration into the mobile search platform. Google Search's Vice President of Product Robby Stein posted yesterday on X that the company is testing having AI Mode accessible on the same screen as an AI Overview rather than the two services existing in separate tabs. 

2025-12-03 06:02:05

You can tell a lot about a company by what they're willing to sue over. Take Instacart, which just filed a lawsuit against New York City. Its beef? The company doesn't like five new city laws, set to take effect in January. They would require Instacart to pay workers more and give customers a tipping option of at least 10 percent.

Reuters reports that Instacart's suit targets Local Law 124, which mandates that grocery delivery workers receive the same minimum pay as restaurant delivery workers. It also challenged Local Law 107, which mandates 10 percent or higher tipping options (or a place to enter one manually). The lawsuit also takes aim at other laws requiring extra recordkeeping and disclosures. The new rules are set to take effect on January 26.

As is typical of companies griping about regulations that hurt their bottom lines, Instacart framed the issue as a noble fight for what's right. "When a law threatens to harm shoppers, consumers, and local grocers — and especially when it does so unlawfully — we have a responsibility to act," the company proclaimed in a blog post. "This legal challenge is about standing up for fairness, for the independence that tens of thousands of New York grocery delivery workers rely on and for affordable access to groceries for the people who need it most."

Instacart's suit reportedly claims that Congress banned state and local governments from regulating prices on platforms such as its own. It also alleges that New York's state legislature "has long taken charge" of minimum pay, and that the US Constitution doesn't allow states and cities to discriminate against out-of-state companies.

The company warns that everyone will lose if it's forced to comply. Should the laws take effect, "Instacart will be forced to restructure its platform, restrict shoppers' access to work, disrupt relationships with consumers and retailers and suffer constitutional injuries with no adequate legal remedy," it claimed in the filing.

Instacart CEO Chris Rogers, elevated to the post in May, has an estimated net worth of at least $28.6 million. His predecessor, Fidji Simo, who chairs the board and is now with OpenAI, is reportedly worth around $72.7 million. If NYC’s minimum pay laws will be as catastrophic as Instacart claims, maybe they could chip in to help.

2025-12-03 04:58:37

ExpressVPN, one of the best VPNs, is launching two brand-new features that sound confusingly like things it already does. Users on Android, Mac and iOS (but apparently not Windows, Linux or smart TVs) can now use Fastest Location to automatically pick the VPN server with the fastest download speed and lowest latency. Mac users are also getting an overhauled ExpressVPN app designed to work natively with MacOS.

If you've used ExpressVPN before, your first reaction probably went something like "Wait, didn't it already have a Fastest Location button and a Mac app?" You're not wrong, but there's still a meaningful difference with these new features. In the past, ExpressVPN didn't technically pick the fastest location, but the Smart Location, which picks the best available server using "metrics such as download speed, latency, and distance" (emphasis mine). Those are the same metrics as the new feature, but the such as makes me think there are, or were, other ingredients in the "smart location" algorithm.

My guess is that ExpressVPN is rebranding "smart" to "fastest" in response to customer complaints that "smart" was picking sub-optimal server locations. That's not a behavior I noticed when I last reviewed ExpressVPN — the smart location was always plenty fast for me — but I'm just one user. Only testing can show whether they actually changed the algorithm or just the name.

The new Mac app is a more straightforward upgrade. While ExpressVPN has always had a client for Mac, it's thus far been a port of an app originally developed for iPad. This makes its otherwise-excellent interface feel a bit like, well, a phone app you use on your desktop. In contrast, the new app was built using Project Catalyst, which lets Mac developers turn their iOS apps into desktop-native software. The new interface looks a lot richer, using the screen space a lot like Proton VPN does. And being more like Proton VPN is rarely a bad thing.

2025-12-03 04:14:27

If you're a Fubo subscriber, you've certainly noticed that NBC and all NBCUniversal-owned channels have gone dark on the platform. For over a week, customers have gone without NBC programming like the Today Show, The Voice, and Sunday Night Football. Now, customers will have to find alternate methods of watching this week's NBA coverage on NBC, too. It's all because Fubo and NBCUniversal are having a contract dispute, so channels like NBC, USA Network, Telemundo, and Bravo have been unavailable on Fubo since Nov. 21, and as of now, there's no projected date for their return. 

A message released by Fubo to their customers explains, "Fubo believes customers should have the option to choose among multiple distributors to access the content they love. Unfortunately, NBCU has offered terms regarding pricing and packaging that are egregiously above those offered to other distributors." A statement from an NBCU spokesperson adds, "Fubo has chosen to drop NBCUniversal programming despite being offered the same terms agreed to by hundreds of other distributors. Unfortunately, this is par for the course for Fubo — they’ve dropped numerous networks in recent years at the expense of their customers, who continue to lose content.” (Fubo, for instance, cut Warner-owned channels back in 2024.) You can read more about exactly why Fubo is countering NBC's proposed deal here. 

While the companies are continuing discussions to come to an agreement, there is still no resolution. Fubo has already begun emailing customers to note that a $15 credit will be applied to their bills starting "on or after December 1." But in the meantime, if you're a Fubo customer and are wondering how to watch this week's biggest games and shows, here's everything you need to know about the Fubo-NBC blackout, which channels are missing and your options for where to watch them.

How to watch the NBA without Fubo

This week's nationally televised NBA on NBC matchup between the Knicks vs. Celtics is on Tuesday, Dec. 2. As an alternative, you can tune in on platforms like Peacock, DirecTV, and Hulu + Live TV. Additionally, there are several games that are available on NBC in local markets that are available on platforms like DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV.

What else is on NBC this week?

In addition to this week's NBA games, there are loads of sports on NBC, USA, Universo and more that you won't want to miss, including extensive Premiere League coverage and NHL games, plus dozens of new show premieres this week like the Christmas in Rockefeller Center tree-lighting special, Stumble, and Happy's Place. On Bravo, there are new episodes of The Real Housewives of Potomac and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Southern Charm, and the season premiere of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, on Dec. 5, too.

Which channels are no longer available on Fubo?

The following is a list of channels owned or operated by NBC that are not currently available on Fubo:

Local Channels:

• NBC Local Affiliates

• Telemundo Local/National

Regional Sports Channels:

• NBC Sports 4K

• NBC Sports Bay Area

• NBC Sports Bay Area Plus

• NBC Sports Boston

• NBC Sports California

• NBC Sports California Plus

• NBC Sports California Plus 3

• NBC Sports Philadelphia

• NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus

National Channels:

• American Crimes

• Bravo

• Bravo Vault

• Caso Cerrado

• CNBC

• CNBC World

• Cozi

• Dateline 24/7

• E! Entertainment Television

• E! Keeping Up

• Golf Channel

• GolfPass

• LX Home

• Million Dollar Listing Vault

• MS NOW (formerly MSNBC)

• NBC NOW

• NBC Sports NOW

• NBC Universo

• True CRMZ

• New England Cable News

• Noticias Telemundo Ahora

• Oxygen True Crime

• Oxygen True Crime Archives

• Real Housewives Vault

• SNL Vault

• Syfy

• Telemundo Accion

• Telemundo al Dia

• The Golf Channel

• Today All Day

• Universal Movies

• USA Network

Why are these NBC-owned channels currently unavailable?

Per Fubo, NBC channels were pulled from the platform because of a disagreement over their long-standing content distribution agreement that has yet to be resolved.

When will the missing channels return?

There is no information available as to when NBC's lineup of channels will return. Negotiations between the companies are ongoing.

Is Fubo offering a rebate while these channels are missing?

In a message to subscribers, Fubo stated, "If NBCU programming remains off of Fubo for an extended period, we will directly credit $15 to your Fubo account." At least one Fubo customer on our staff received an email confirming the credit would be automatically applied in the December billing cycle.

What alternatives do viewers have in the meantime?

Looking to switch from Fubo? You've got plenty of options, including Peacock, DirecTV, and Hulu + Live TV. Here are some of your choices:

Watch NBC on Peacock

Get a deal on Peacock with Walmart+

Try DirecTV free for 5 days, and get $30 off your first month

Try Hulu + Live TV for free

Other services to watch NBC

If I switch to a different service, can I cancel or pause Fubo in the meantime?

Fubo does not allow customers to pause their subscriptions, so if you're looking to make a change, you can cancel your plan outright.