This digest compiles the latest from Engadget.
Today’s Engadget Roundup
Trump labor board tells Amazon to negotiate with Staten Island warehouse union
3 Apr 2026, 4:11 pm by Lawrence Bonk
The Trump administration's labor board has ordered Amazon to recognize and bargain with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, which represents workers at a warehouse in Staten Island. This is just the latest chapter in a multiyear standoff between Staten Island warehouse workers and Amazon, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The union has been trying to bring Amazon to the bargaining table for years to negotiate pay, benefits and workplace safety. The labor board's proclamation doesn't mean that the battle is over. It's highly likely this will be settled in court.
An Amazon spokesperson maintains that the vote to create the union was "wrong on the facts of the law" and that representatives from the National Labor Relations Board "improperly influenced the election." The company recently stated it is "confident an unbiased court will overturn the original certification."
Despite the eventual outcome, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien is lauding the Staten Island workers for becoming "the first group ever to force the company to recognize their union." Workers at the facility voted to unionize in 2022 and this was the first union victory for Amazon employees in the US.
It was considered a milestone victory for US workers across the board, given that Amazon is the country's second-largest employer. That was four years ago and led to a contracted legal battle, as Amazon has refused to recognize the union. Since that original vote, the labor board has repeatedly found that Amazon violated workers’ union rights at the Staten Island warehouse. For instance, the company didn't pay employees when they were forced to stop working due to a warehouse fire at the tail-end of 2022 and suspended 50 employees for staging a walkout due to unsafe work conditions.
A labor union for an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island said 50 workers at the facility were suspended for staging a walkout after a fire earlier in the day led to unsafe work conditions. https://t.co/iVY62wv0rX
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 5, 2022
There were also several harrowing incidents leading up to the union vote. It's been reported that the company illegally fired multiple Staten Island warehouse workers during the Covid pandemic. The NY Attorney General also found safety conditions at the warehouse to be "inadequate." A recent study echoes that sentiment, calling out the Staten Island warehouse for dangerous working conditions. The report says that there are 7.2 serious injuries for every 100 workers.
Other US-based Amazon warehouses have yet to follow suit and unionize like Staten Island, but the same isn't true in Canada. Workers at a warehouse in Quebec voted to form a union back in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-labor-board-tells-amazon-to-negotiate-with-staten-island-warehouse-union-161149065.html?src=rss
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a black hole of entertainment
3 Apr 2026, 3:44 pm by Devindra Hardawar
I realized something was genuinely wrong with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie about 30 minutes in: I hadn't laughed even once. My audience of around 15 people, including a few families, was dead silent as well. The guy sitting behind me, a Nintendo fan decked out in Mario gear, was so bored he fell asleep. Sure, this is made for kids, but as a Nintendo devotee myself, and someone who has to watch a ton of children's films on repeat, even the Despicable Me films are more entertaining.
To be fair, there's the pretense of a plot: Koopa Jr. and Peach are on parallel tracks to reconnect with a sense of family, in their own ways. But the movie leaps from scene to scene joylessly, with no sense of storytelling or characterization, glued together by the "oh I remember that guy"-ness of empty corporate nostalgia. It's even less of a movie than the previous Pratt-led popcorn flick.
Take the discovery of Yoshi, which takes place early in the film. Mario and Luigi just find him in a cave and he immediately becomes part of the crew, no questions asked. There's a brief creative sequence where Yoshi wreaks havoc in the real world, but it's far too short. Yoshi's got plot duties to fulfill, after all! He’s the perfect sidekick, with no desires of his own and the bare minimum of characterization (thanks to Donald Glover’s voice, oddly enough. Dude's got range!)
I argued that the first Mario film felt a bit too safe, but at least it had a few moments to shine: Like an early side-scrolling sequence, and Jack Black's endearingly musical take on Koopa. The only truly inventive sequence in this movie involves Star Fox's Fox McCloud, voiced with just the right dose of attitude by current Hollywood "it guy" Glen Powell. He briefly recounts his story in anime form, and yes, he does a barrel roll or two.
Now it doesn't make much sense why Fox is actually in the film, but a few half-hearted fight sequences throughout makes it seem like Nintendo is setting up an eventual Avengers-style Smash Bros. movie. What better way to cram in even more characters and references! Isn't that what franchise filmmaking is all about?
I'd like to think Nintendo and its collaborators can do better. This is a company known for the thoughtfulness of its game designs, for delivering quirky and inventive player experiences and for not always following the competition. None of that applies to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. There’s little in the way of creativity. It barely respects the audience’s time. And it is, in every sense, just following the More, Louder, Busier playbook for unfocused franchise sequels.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is so soulless, it makes me worried about the upcoming Legend of Zelda film (which at least has a far more respectable creative team). Sure, it’s hard to expect genuine cinema from a Mario film. But we live in an era of great kids movies – Pixar’s Hoppers was an absolute hoot wrapped in an environmentalist message; The Lego Movie (and its sequel and side stories) manage to deliver both laughs and heart. Kids deserve better than an empty sequel moneygrab.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-is-a-black-hole-of-entertainment-154406362.html?src=rss
Engadget Podcast: How Apple keeps redefining personal computing at 50
3 Apr 2026, 12:21 pm by Devindra Hardawar
For a 50-year-old company, Apple remains pretty hip and nimble. This week, Devindra and Senior Reporter Igor Bonifacic dive into Apple’s big birthday, the state of the company today and what the next 50 years could bring. It remains one of the few PC companies that’s still firmly committed to the idea of personal computing. Also, we celebrate the successful launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, which will bring us back to the Moon (but just for a close look).
Subscribe!
Topic
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Apple at 50: Why it’s still all about personal computing – 1:16
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Artemis II is safely on its way to the moon, but they’re having problems with Outlook – 37:48
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SpaceX files for the largest IPO ever, what’s driving their hopes for a 1.75 Trillion valuation? – 40:52
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Another Starlink satellite broke up in orbit, the second in 6 months – 47:21
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Anthropic accidentally leaked source code for Claude Code – 52:17
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FCC issues ban on all foreign-made WiFi routers – 57:18
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Around Engadget – 1:02:09
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Working On – 1:07:18
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Pop culture picks – 1:08:20
Credits
Hosts : Devindra Hardawar and Igor Bonifacic
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/engadget-podcast-how-apple-keeps-redefining-personal-computing-at-50-122121591.html?src=rss
Fan fiction website AO3 is finally coming out of beta
3 Apr 2026, 11:59 am by Mariella Moon
The famous fan fiction website Archive of Our Own or AO3 has finally exited open beta, 17 years after it launched way back in 2009. AO3 is a nonprofit created by the by the Organization for Transformative Works. In an announcement, the team reminisced about its early days and how volunteers had to manually send out invitations to prospective writers. Upon launching the website on open beta, it only had 347 accounts and hosted 6,598 works. Now, it has 10 million registered users and is hosting 17 million fan-created works.
The team has highlighted some of the most useful features it has added over the past 17 years, including its tagging system. It also mentioned a feature it calls “Orphaning,” which allows authors to leave their works online even after deleting their account. In addition, it released the ability to download fanworks in AZW3, EPUB, MOBI, PDF or HTML format for offline access.
Even though the website has only just exited open beta, it has been stable for a long time. Users will not see huge changes, but the team also promised that it will not stop improving the fan fiction portal. It says its contributors and volunteers will continue tweaking the website, and it also continues to welcome anybody who has coding knowledge to contribute their time.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/fan-fiction-website-ao3-is-finally-coming-out-of-beta-115952633.html?src=rss
The Morning After: NASA’s Artemis II is on a voyage around the Moon
3 Apr 2026, 11:15 am by Daniel Cooper
NASA’s Artemis II successfully launched on April 1, with its crew on a 10-day mission to circle the Moon. It’s the first crewed Artemis flight and a major step toward humanity returning to our little neighbor in the future. Since launch, the vehicle has separated from its launch system and been manually piloted, testing how the Orion capsule will dock with future lunar landers. There have been some snags, however: The onboard toilet went awry, and Microsoft Outlook has been acting screwy.
Jokes aside, there is something magnificent about seeing humanity taking to the stars once again. That, for all of our worst instincts, we can still come together to solve problems and explore beyond our own horizons.
— Dan Cooper
The other big stories (and deals) this morning
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SpaceX has reportedly filed for the biggest IPO in history
Could be as much as $75 billion. -
The hottest EVs from the 2026 New York Auto Show (plus one brawny concept)
Corvette CX? Take my money now, please. -
Apple’s controversial Fitness VP Jay Blahnik is retiring
Controversial is one way of saying it.
What’s going on with Donut Lab's so-called super battery?
The company is long on promises, short on evidence.
At CES 2026, a Finnish–Estonian startup claimed to have invented a world-changing solid state battery. Rather than explain how it did so, it engaged in a lengthy campaign teasing out data that didn’t quite support its explosive claims. We’ve dived deep to separate truth from hype and found there’s little of the former and far, far too much of the latter.
Roland Go:Mixer Studio review: Portable, professional and plenty of polish
It’s pricier than other portable mixers, but for good reason.
As James Trew says, $300 is a lot for a portable mixer in this class, but Roland’s brand new Go:Mixer Studio justifies its price. Unlike its predecessor, the Pro-X, it gets a second XLR port, MIDI connectivity and a display offering visible VU meters. That you can also use it as a desktop interface adds another layer of icing on an already sweet cake.
What to expect from WWDC 2026
I’m actually rather excited about this one.
WWDC 2026 isn’t until the summer, but we’re already collating enough rumors from the mill to bring you the inside skinny. Early reports suggest Apple is making this a Snow Leopard year, tidying up after itself inside its software rather than going hard on new features. Hopefully, that will see the gaudier excesses of Liquid Glass dialed down, a lot of trimmed cruft and stability improvements. Oh, and some guff about AI.
Robosen Soundwave review: A childhood dream made real
Who cares about sound quality when your speaker transforms!?
There are some things in life that would normally be a hard sell, a $1,400 boombox that could just about move around with poor sound quality being one of them. Dress it up as Soundwave from the original Transformers toy line / cartoon, however, and suddenly Sam Rutherford is racing for their wallet.
Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro review: The king of party projectors
On the subject of expensive things…
Nebula’s built quite the track record for making projectors you’re actually proud to show off. Its latest is the X1 Pro, which combines a beefy 4K projector with a 400-watt Dolby Atmos 7.1 speaker system. That’s a hell of a lot of tech in a single package and is clearly at home at the center of a backyard movie night under the stars. But is it worth the $5,000 asking price? For that, you’ll need to read Steve Dent’s review.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111544222.html?src=rss
NASA's Artemis II mission has left Earth's orbit
3 Apr 2026, 10:42 am by Mariella Moon
The Integrity, the name of the Orion capsule carrying Artemis II astronauts on a trip around the moon, has left Earth’s orbit. NASA has announced that it has successfully completed a key burn of Orion’s main engine. That six-minute firing of the engine provided approximately 6,000 pounds of thrust, which gave the spacecraft the acceleration it needed to set it on its path to the moon. “Today, for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, humans have departed Earth orbit,” said Dr. Lori Glaze from NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Orion is operating with crew for the first time in space, and we are gathering critical data, and learning from each step.” Commander Reid Wiseman called seeing “the entire globe from pole to pole” after leaving Earth’s orbit a “spectacular moment.”
Artemis II launched on April 1 at 6:35PM Eastern time after a couple of delays caused by a hydrogen leak and then a helium issue. It’s the first crewed flight of the Artemis program and the first time humanity has ventured beyond Low Earth Orbit after the Apollo program shut down. Within a few hours after its launch, the astronauts reported an issue with their onboard toilet, which crew member Christina Koch eventually fixed. Commander Wiseman then reported to mission control that they were having problems with Microsoft Outlook on the Surface Pro device they were using. But they were ultimately manageable setbacks that wouldn’t prevent the crew from achieving the mission’s goal.
The mission is taking NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day trip around the moon. On April 6, the spacecraft will pass by the far side of the moon that humans have never directly seen before, and the crew will take photographs, as well as provide their own observations of the lunar surface.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-artemis-ii-mission-has-left-earths-orbit-104219933.html?src=rss
Star Wars animated series 'Maul: Shadow Lord' season 2 confirmed
3 Apr 2026, 5:40 am by Steve Dent
Ahead of its premiere, Dave Filoni has revealed that the Star Wars animated series Maul: Shadow Lord will return for a second season. The Lucasfilm co-president revealed that season 2 is already in the works, telling Esquire that "at the end of the day, people like that character."
Filoni didn't reveal any other details about the plot or release date for season 2. However, the news isn't a great surprise given Lucasfilm's past history with its animated series — The Clone Wars ran seven seasons, Star Wars Rebels four seasons, Star Wars Resistance two seasons and Star Wars: The Bad Batch three seasons.
Maul: Shadow Lord explores the Zebrak Sith Lord's story about a year after the time of the Clone Wars. Season 1's 10 seasons will stream twice a week on Disney+ starting on April 6 and run through May 6. It covers Maul's plot to rebuild his criminal syndicate "on a planet untouched by the Empire," according to Lucasfilm. "There, he crosses paths with a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan who may just be the apprentice he is seeking to aid him in his relentless pursuit for revenge."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/star-wars-animated-series-maul-shadow-lord-season-2-confirmed-054036065.html?src=rss
End of today’s Engadget roundup.
