Music hardware and software manufacturer Native Instruments has entered into preliminary insolvency proceedings, according to a report by Create Digital Music. This is the company behind iconic software like Massive, Traktor and Kontakt and hardware like Maschine+. Native Instruments also owns the brands iZotope, Brainworx and Plugin Alliance.
We don't have many specifics as to what this entails and what the future of the company will look like. We do know that an administrator has been appointed to handle restructuring and, potentially, to sell off existing assets. Native Instruments employs hundreds of people and their fates also remain uncertain.
A private equity firm called Francisco Partners owns a majority stake in the company. It also owns majority stakes in entities like GoodRX and Verifone, among others. This isn't the first time Native Instruments has been forced into major restructuring. The company experienced plenty of layoffs and uncertainty between 2019 and 2020 before being purchased by private equity.
Again, we have no idea how this will shake out. It's possible that new investors will jump on board and it goes back to business as usual. It's also possible everything will be scrapped for parts and sold to the highest bidder.
Plugin Alliance, with entities in the US and Germany, says there's no immediate impact of the NI insolvency on them. https://t.co/u6smg1X0t4 pic.twitter.com/ok7BRwo3BU cdmblogs (@cdmblogs) January 28, 2026
We do know that subsidiary Plugin Alliance seems to be unaffected. It issued a statement on Facebook saying that it isn't involved with the proceedings and that operations will continue as normal. This means new plugins will be released, along with updates for current software.
Everything else is still up in the air. This is troubling for those who have heavily invested in the company's ecosystem of products. I'm one of them. Any hope I had for a hardware refresh of the Maschine+ just went out the window.
If the company's robust line of software goes up for sale, Akai is likely the best bet. It has already begun incorporating Native Instruments software into MPC machines.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/native-instruments-enters-into-insolvency-proceedings-leaving-its-future-uncertain-183206826.html?src=rss
Following its recent AI makeover of Gmail, Google is bringing more Gemini-powered tools to Chrome. Starting today, a host of new features are rolling out for the browser, with more to come over the next few months. The first of the new features is a sidebar. Available to all Gemini in Chrome users, the interface allows you to chat with Gemini and keep a conversation going across multiple tabs. Google suggests the sidebar is useful for multitaskers. "Our testers have been using it for all sorts of things: comparing options across too-many-tabs, summarizing product reviews across different sites, and helping find time for events in even the most chaotic of calendars," the company writes. Now you can access Nano Banana, Google's in-house image generator, directly from Chrome. No need to go to the Gemini app.GoogleThe sidebar is also where you access the second new feature Google is adding to Chrome. Following its successful rollout within the Gemini app, Nano Banana, Google's in-house image generator, is available directly inside of the browser. With the addition, you won't need to open a new tab when you want Gemini to make you an AI image. You also won't need to download and upload a file when you want Gemini to edit an existing image for you. Instead, you can complete both of those tasks from any of your open tabs, thanks to the new sidebar. Looking forward, Google plans to bring Personal Intelligence, which debuted inside of the Gemini app at the start of January, to Chrome in the coming months. Once the feature arrives, it will allow the browser to remember past conversations you've had with Gemini. In turn, Google says this will lead to a more personalized Chrome. "Personal Intelligence in Chrome transforms the browsing experience from a general purpose tool into a trusted partner that understands you and provides relevant, proactive, and context-aware assistance," the company said. In the meantime, Gemini in Chrome already supports Google's Connected Apps feature, which allows the assistant to pull information from the company's other services, including Gmail and Calendar. During a press briefing, a Google employee demoed this feature by asking Gemini to pull up the dates of when their children would be on March break. Without telling the assistant where to look, Gemini sourced the correct time frame from the employee's email inbox. A new sidebar interface allows Chrome users to access Gemini from any of their open tabs.GoogleLast but not least, Google is previewing a new auto browse feature inside of Chrome. In the demo the company showed, an employee asked Gemini to find and buy them the same winter jacket they bought a few seasons ago. The assistant first drafted a plan outlining how best to tackle the request. It reasoned the best place to start was with a search of the employee's email inbox to determine the correct model and size of jacket. It then went shopping. While Gemini was working on this task, the employee was free to continue browsing in Chrome. At several points in the process, the assistant would stop before continuing to obtain the employee's permission to move forward. For instance, it paused when it needed login credentials, and again when it needed a credit card number to complete the purchase. Judging from the demo, it will probably take you less time to do your online shopping and other browser tasks on your own. Google suggests the feature will appeal to those who are creatures of habit. Say you often order the same produce from a grocery delivery service every week, Gemini can automate the ordering. Plus, the feature is in preview, so early testers probably won't be too put off by Gemini's slow pace. In any case, Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US can try auto browse starting today. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-brings-its-nano-banana-image-generator-to-chrome-180000104.html?src=rss
When deciding which video game to buy, "Is it fun?" is no longer the only consideration. Given the state of the industry, "Do I want to support this company?" is arguably more important. Take, for example, Ubisoft, where things seem to unravel more each day. After the floundering publisher floated even more layoffs this week, workers at its Paris headquarters said, "Enough is enough." They're now calling for a three-day strike.Unions representing Ubisoft employees plan to strike from February 10 to 12. "With management being stubbornly entrenched in its authoritarian ways, we are calling Ubisoft employees across France to join this strike, along with the five unions present within the company," The Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (Video Game Worker's Union) wrote in a statement.The strike follows a series of heavy-handed cost-cutting moves at Ubisoft. It recently shut down its Halifax studio just 16 days after employees unionized. Last week, it closed its Stockholm studio and announced additional restructuring efforts worldwide. It also canceled six games and delayed seven others.Then, earlier this week, the Assassin's Creed publisher proposed cutting 200 jobs at its Paris headquarters. Under French labor law, the company would organize the cuts through the nation's Rupture Conventionnelle Collective (RCC) process. It would require a mutual agreement between the company and the labor union.Ubisoft CEO Yves GuillemotROBYN BECK via Getty ImagesAdding even more fuel to the fire, Ubisoft will now require workers to return to the office five days each week. (The company had previously agreed to two work-from-home days per week.) Although Ubisoft framed the mandate as being about efficiency and collaboration, it's easy to view this as a cudgel to further reduce its headcount. One Ubisoft developer, who hinted as much while voicing his opposition to the mandate on LinkedIn, said he was suspended without pay for three days as a punitive measure.The workers' union saw all of this and decided it was time to act. "We're calling for a HALT to management's obsession with penny-pinching and worsening our working conditions," the Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo wrote. "It's time for a real accountability from company executives, starting from the top! Without the workers, and generous public funding, Ubisoft would never have been able to grow this much. WE are Ubisoft, and WE are shutting it down February 10th to 12th!"This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-173241918.html?src=rss
Windscribe isn't a VPN for everybody, and it's not trying to be. Despite its high-achieving free plan, it didn't quite make my list of the best VPNs, largely due to alienating interface choices and swingy download speeds. Its iconoclastic approach to everything from design to pricing to its online knowledge base will likely win some customers for life and turn others off.For those in the latter camp, I've written up this guide for cancelling Windscribe. Follow the instructions below to stop Windscribe from auto-renewing, cancel third-party subscriptions, delete your account altogether and get a refund.The most important thing to know before we start is that Windscribe's money-back guarantee only lasts seven days if you paid for a subscription, you have to cancel before then to get a refund. It's a tighter period than most VPNs, so be ready to decide fast.How to stop your Windscribe Pro subscription renewingTo cancel Windscribe Pro, simply stop your payment method from automatically renewing for the next subscription period. Once you've done this, you can continue using Windscribe Pro until the end of the current period, then you'll be downgraded to the free version. Here are the steps to follow.In your browser, navigate to windscribe.com. Click the words My Account at the top of the home page.Scroll down to the billing section. On the subscription line, click the button marked Cancel Subscription.You'll be taken to a new page. Enter your password in the Your Password field. Below, enter a reason for cancellation (this can be "none" or possibly "suck it," which Windscribe should approve of).Click the Cancel Subscriptions button at the bottom of the page to end automatic renewal on your account.You can reach this page by logging into your account on Windscribe.com.Sam Chapman for EngadgetIf your account also included a static IP subscription, there's no way to cancel that through the usual dashboard. You'll have to submit a support request by asking the Garry chatbot, which can be accessed by clicking the icon at the bottom-right corner of any page on windscribe.com.When you subscribe to an app through a third party like the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, that same third party also handles cancellations and refunds. Windscribe itself won't be able to do anything for you here.If you subscribed through Google Play on an Android phone, you can cancel by opening the Google Play Store app and tapping your profile icon at the top-right (a circle with the first letter of your username inside). Tap Payments & Subscriptions in the menu that appears, then subscriptions on the next page. Find your Windscribe subscription, tap it and click Cancel Subscription to end payments.If you went through the App Store on an Apple device, open the Settings app, then tap on your name at the top of the screen. Tap Subscriptions and scroll down to your Windscribe subscription. Tap it, then tap Cancel Subscription.How to delete your Windscribe accountIf you're certain you want to stop using Windscribe and never start up again, you can scrub your presence from its servers by deleting your account. To do this, go to windscribe.com and click the My Account button in the header bar. Scroll all the way to the bottom and click on the obnoxiously titled Give Up On Privacy button. This will show you the following image.I realize I'm harping on this, but Windscribe gets exceptionally punchable when you try to delete your account.Sam Chapman for EngadgetYou'll have to fight through several attempts at comedy to finish deleting your account. Click Yes or No when asked if you ever question your life choices. Enter your password, write whatever you want as a cancellation reason and check both of the boxes below the text field. The Delete Account button should finally be clickable; do it. Once you've pulled the trigger, you won't be able to use the same email address to sign up for another account.How to get a refund from WindscribeAs I warned above, you can only get a refund from Windscribe for seven days after paying for a subscription. You also cannot get your money back if you've used more than 10GB of data since the start of the payment period. Finally, you can only get refunded on the first payment of each subscription renewals are not eligible.If you're within those limits, you can request your money back by starting a conversation with the Garry chatbot. Click the chatbot icon at the bottom-right of the Windscribe website to start a chat. Be warned that you might have to stand firm through several attempts to fix your complaints before you can actually initiate the refund process.Best Windscribe alternativesWindscribe is a VPN with a lot of good points. That said, by the time you've waded through a swamp of dick jokes to complete the process, I wouldn't blame you for feeling validated in your decision to get rid of it.There are plenty of good VPNs that can replace Windscribe. My favorite is Proton VPN, which also has a free plan, though without the ability to select your own server. ExpressVPN is simple and powerful, if a little overpriced, while Surfshark is the fastest VPN overall. If you liked Windscribe for its non-VPN features, NordVPN has the best range of extra perks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-to-cancel-windscribe-and-get-your-money-back-173000785.html?src=rss
Gaming peripheral company Razer has announced the beta release of Synapse Web, a browser-based version of its desktop software. The web app is intended for quick adjustments when away from home, such as LANs or tournaments, where downloading the full desktop version may not be possible or practical.
At launch, Synapse Web will only support the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro keyboards, though Razer says more devices will be added down the line. Using any Chromium-based browser, users can make quick changes to key settings, apply Chroma RGB quick effects and manage on-board profiles. These profiles can then be viewed, edited and saved directly to the keyboards device memory, so the configuration stays consistent when moving between PCs.
The company says the new web-based tool is meant to "complement" Synapse 4, the most recent desktop version, but its appeal may be in providing an alternative altogether. Even a cursory search online will turn up years of complaints that Synapse is riddled with bugs, so fans of the brand may be happy to use a pared-down web app if it means more reliability. Razer says you'll still need the full app for advanced customization and "deeper device integration" like multi-device RGB syncing or game-specific profiles.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/razer-made-a-web-app-version-of-synapse-170715465.html?src=rss
The latest lineup of MSI's Prestige laptops is now available to buy. The company unveiled its next-generation business laptop at CES earlier this month, all of them powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors.
Available in configurations that include up to the Intel Core Ultra 9, the updated Prestige series are equipped with chunky 91Wh batteries and, depending on the model, offer over 30 hours of 1080p video playback. In more real-world terms, if youre on a work trip and know you wont always have a power supply to hand, you can trust one of these to get you through a day of heavy multi-tasking.
The new Prestige models are encased in full aluminum and are slimmer than their predecessors. They feature vapor chamber cooling and dual-fan architecture to ensure they stay cool and quiet while you work. If you pick up one of the convertible 2-in-1 Flip models, you can work with a stylus too.
Theres a 2.8K OLED display option for the Prestige 16 and 16 Flip, with support for VRR and DisplayHDR True Black 1000. The Flip 14 keeps the OLED, but the resolution drops to FHD+ and you lose the VRR.
The full lineup is now available in the US, with prices starting at $1,299. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/msis-refreshed-prestige-series-laptops-are-now-available-to-buy-165234479.html?src=rss
Fans of co-op beat-em-ups and fictional bass players who kind of suck as human beings might want to mark March 3 on their calendars. Thats when Scott Pilgrim EX is set to hit PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam. Developer and publisher Tribute Games announced the release date in a new trailer, which also revealed two more playable characters: Matthew Patel (a member of the League of Evil Exes) and Robot-01, a creation of the Katayanagi Twins. One more fighter will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Tribute worked with Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee OMalley on an original storyline for the game. After Scotts bandmates in Sex Bob-omb are kidnapped and demons descend on Toronto, Scott and Ramona Flowers set out to save the day with some unexpected allies. Anamanaguchi are making new music for the game, after providing the soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game way back when. Im a fan of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and I dug Tribute's last two games, Marvel Cosmic Invasion and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge. So it's safe to say I'll be trying out Scott Pilgrim EX in a few weeks. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/scott-pilgrim-ex-will-hit-pc-and-consoles-on-march-3-160427832.html?src=rss
The big game is one of the few instances now in the US where most people gather around the TV to watch the live event together. While the teams playing in Super Bowl 2026 are the true stars of the show (and Bad Bunny, of course), your TV is a pretty important part of the puzzle of putting together an excellent Super Bowl party. Maybe youve been thinking about replacing an aging set, or youre itching for a full refresh of your home theater setup either way, youll want to try to get a good deal on a new TV. Thankfully, the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl can be a great time to shop for a new TV.Generally, TV prices steadily decrease after a new model comes out. Some 2026 TV models were announced at CES and are forthcoming things year, making now a good time to look for discounts on 2025 sets. Aside from the holiday shopping season, now is one of the best times of the year to save on a TV. Here, weve curated the best Super Bowl TV deals we could find this year, from already affordable sets discounted even further to high-end OLEDs that are hundreds of dollars off.
Super Bowl 2026 TV deals for less than $500
You can easily find solid 1080p and 4K TV sets within this budget-friendly price range. What youll be more limited in is size most TV deals under $500 were seeing right now are on sets up to 55 inches. There are a few 65- and 75-inch models in there, but the pickings are slim.
Hisense 32-inch Class A4 1080 FHD smart TV for $98 (18 percent off)
Roku 24-inch 720p smart TV for $100 (18 percent off)
Roku 55-inch 4K smart TV for $248 (29 percent off)
Roku 55-inch Mini LED 4K smart TV for $348 (30 percent off)
TCL 75-inch Class S5 4K smart TV for $480 (26 percent off)
OLED TV deals
This is where you want to look if you want your new TV to have the richest colors, deepest blacks and excellent contrast performance. Of course, that all comes at steeper prices it can be difficult to find a good OLED set for less than $1,000, even on sale.
LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K smart TV for $847 ($50 off)
Samsung 65-inch Class OLED S95F 4K smart TV for $2,298 (23 percent off)
Sony 77-inch Bravia XR A95L OLED 4K smart TV for $3,498 (30 percent off)
Super Bowl 2026 TV deals for $500 and up
This will likely be the sweet spot for many people when it comes to TV features, performance and price. Good 4K sets are common in this price range, and youll also find some Mini LED sets available here as well.
TCL 65-inch Class T7 4K smart TV for $500 (29 percent off)
Hisense 65-inch Class U6 Mini LED 4K smart TV for $550 (35 percent off)
Amazon 65-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED 4K smart TV for $920 (16 percent off)
TCL 65-inch Class QM8K Mini LED 4K smart TV for $998 (33 percent off)
Streaming and home entertainment deals
A good TV is key, but having the right peripherals and accessories to go along with it will complete your home theater setup. Deals were tracking right now include discounts on streaming devices, soundbars and projectors.
Roku Ultra streamer for $78 (22 percent off)
Vizio 2.0 SV200M-08 soundbar for $78 (22 percent off)
Samsung HW B400F soundbar with built-in subwoofer for $100 (29 percent off)
Anker Nebula Capsule 3 projector for $540 (28 percent off)
Valerion VisionMaster Max 4K projector for $3,999 (20 percent off)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/super-bowl-2026-tv-deals-the-best-sales-ahead-of-kickoff-160000725.html?src=rss
What triggers B2B buyers to issue an RFP? Do buyers usually go into the RFP process already favoring a vendor? To find out, researchers surveyed 350 B2B buyers involved in vendor selection. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
When every channel claims credit, measurement breaks down. Discover three practical ways to audit attribution and MMM tools, verify causality, and make more confident marketing decisions. Read more. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
