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The best kitchen gadgets for 2026

The best kitchen gadgets for 2026

Whether you love cooking already or you want to try to cook more at home to spend less money on takeout, there are tons of gadgets that can make your time in the kitchen even more enjoyable. As food lovers and tech reviewers, the Engadget team has tried out pizza ovens , sous vide machines , air fryers , ice cream makers and more. Here, we gathered all of the best gear we’ve tested, reviewed and used in our own kitchens for when you’re looking to spice things up in yours. We’ve also linked to our reviews and buying guides so you can dive deeper into our recommendations for the best kitchen gadgets around. Best kitchen gadgets for 2026 Nicole Lee contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-kitchen-tech-gadgets-small-appliances-124515179.html?src=rss

Resident Evil Requiem Zombies Can Use Chainsaws And Other Tools Because They Retain Memories

Resident Evil Requiem Zombies Can Use Chainsaws And Other Tools Because They Retain Memories

Resident Evil Requiem will soon be upon us, launching February 27 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC. Ahead of its launch, I went hands-on with the upcoming survival horror game to play an hour as Leon S. Kennedy and two hours as Grace Ashcroft, and you can read my thoughts here . Following that gameplay session, though, I interviewed Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi, who addressed rumors surrounding the game's exploration, making clear that it is not an open world game . I also spoke to Nakanishi about giving Leon a chainsaw, this game's take on Resident Evil zombies, nostalgia, building tension in horror, and so much more. You can read the full transcript of our interview below: Interview Q&A With Resident Evil Requiem Director Koshi Nakanishi Game Informer's Wesley LeBlanc: The first question I want to ask is about the chainsaw. Why now? Why is now the time to put a chainsaw in Leon's hands finally? Resident Evil Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi via an interpreter: So the chainsaw – first off, if you've played previous Resident Evil games, you probably know chainsaws are a pretty symbolic weapon in a lot of different games. So whenever a new entry in the Resident Evil series, or whenever the developers are working on a new entry in the Resident Evil series, there's always a lot of thought put into how the chainsaw will be used in this game. So in this game, the zombies can actually use tools. They have retained some of their memory pre-turning into a zombie. And so yeah, being able to use tools is something the zombies can do here. And so with that being the case, it made sense for all the zombies to also be able to use a chainsaw. So, going from there, if one enemy with the chainsaw is defeated, it makes sense for the other zombies to pick it up and to be able to use it. And so from there, it went to, "Well, if that's the case, then of course, you as the player also want to use it." And so that's kind of how that line of thought naturally progressed and resulted in Leon being able to wield a chainsaw in Resident Evil Requiem. Another driving force behind it is that by Resident Evil Requiem, Leon has a lot of experience under his belt at this point, so it felt like a good time for Leon to turn the tables a bit and use a chainsaw himself, since he's gone up against so many chainsaws previously. And keeping up with the chainsaws, I noticed immediately in the Leon section that when it hits the ground, it's spinning. Zombies walked over it and it cut their legs off. I'm curious if there are any other kind of physics interactions like that in the game, or is that just a cool little one-off with the chainsaw? Nakanishi : Using enemy weapons is a pretty big feature of gameplay, so being able to use enemy weapons against them is also going to be something you'll see come up beyond the sections that you've played as well. I'm curious – you can switch perspectives between third-person and first-person. How did the team land on it defaulting to first-person for Grace and third-person for Leon? Nakanishi: So, actually, for the preview that you played, it doesn't start at the very beginning of the game. The story has progressed a bit. So actually, in the final version of the game, when you start the game, it's going to ask you, which do you prefer? It's up to the player, really, on what they want to use, and they can freely choose what they want to use when they start the game. Is the intention for Grace and Leon's varying gameplay experiences to speak to each other in terms of balancing tension? Nakanishi: It's exactly as you said – the idea there is to build tension with the very horror-focused sections with Grace; she doesn't have as many options for combat as Leon, as he's much more combat-focused. So yeah, exactly as you said, that's the intention behind the design of the two characters, to have that tension and release between the two. And so [I'm] really happy that you were able to pick that up from just playing the preview. What was the ethos behind designing the monsters and zombies in this game? Nakanishi: For Requiem, the main theme that ties basically all the enemies together is a virus. So obviously, the zombies are infected by a virus. There was not a whole lot shown in the preview, but there are other creatures as well who've been infected by the virus. So, it's kind of going back to that very central theme of Resident Evil, the enemies, basically, that that through line that goes through them all is centered around a virus. Something I really enjoyed in the preview is that it felt almost nostaglic, in the sense that the Grace section felt very Resident Evil 2 police station, and Leon felt like toward the end of the game, where you're just kicking butt. I'm curious – is that intentional to set up a surprise feel for later in the game, or is it just a greatest hits of Resident Evil? Nakanishi: Obviously, Capcom has a long history with the Resident Evil franchise. The idea was to present an evolved version of some of the gameplay you know and love. So, as you said, Grace, there's a strong feeling of RE2 to show an evolution of the zombies, again, an evolution of RE2's gameplay, and Leon as well.  So yeah, you're right on the money there too. What is the design intention behind the blood synthesis system? Nakanishi: There are kind of two things that led to including that crafting system with blood in Requiem. So the first one is: in lots of RE games, there's always a lot of blood in the environment, right? There's always a lot of blood everywhere in different environments. So the first question that kind of led to that system was the dev team looking at that and saying, "Is there any way to implement that element into the actual gameplay?" So that was one of the first drivers behind it. As for the intention behind that mechanic, it was to add another layer of player choice. So, for instance, yes, there's always the choice of running away or fighting the enemy, but knowing that you can possibly collect blood from the enemy gives you another incentive to defeat the enemy, like you were mentioning. So it just adds another layer of choice, and I guess risk and reward for players going through the game. Speaking about choice, I don't know if you utilized it or not, but there's an injector in the game that you can also craft that, if you sneak up, you can defeat an enemy with one hit. You'll notice that you can't collect their blood. So, yeah, again, it's really about, you know, adding player choice and giving different incentives for choosing different things. What do you think is the most defining aspect of these zombies versus others in the RE series? Nakanishi: The thing that really sets these zombies apart, which we're sure you experienced when you played, is that the zombies actually retain some memory of their life before they turned into a zombie. So you can actually see that in their actions, as they're kind of focused on what they were doing or what they were responsible for before they turned into a zombie. So retaining a little bit of their past lives is something that's really new for the RE series here, and you'll actually, if you look closely, be able to utilize that stuff to your advantage. Nakanishi closed out the interview by addressing rumors that Resident Evil Requiem is an open world game – it isn't, and here's what he had to say. Resident Evil Requiem launches February 27 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC. For more about the game, read my hands-on preview of Resident Evil Requiem here , and then check out the latest news from the Resident Evil showcase that aired last month. After that, read about Leon's custom Porsche in the game, and then check out the Resident Evil Requiem Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller .

London-based enterprise AI video startup Synthesia raised a $200M Series E led by GV at a $4B valuation, up from $2.1B after raising $180M in January 2025 (Nat Rubio-Licht/The Deep View)

London-based enterprise AI video startup Synthesia raised a $200M Series E led by GV at a $4B valuation, up from $2.1B after raising $180M in January 2025 (Nat Rubio-Licht/The Deep View)

Nat Rubio-Licht / The Deep View : London-based enterprise AI video startup Synthesia raised a $200M Series E led by GV at a $4B valuation, up from $2.1B after raising $180M in January 2025 —  W  —  hile AI video generators like OpenAI's Sora, Google's Veo, and Kling are best known for creating “AI slop” …

Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream Gets Dedicated Nintendo Direct This Thursday

Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream Gets Dedicated Nintendo Direct This Thursday

Last March, Nintendo fans were ravenous for news about the Switch 2, speculating wildly and hoping for updates from any source. In this state of heightened anticipation, Nintendo did what it does best and did something no one expected; it announced Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, a sequel to a 2014 3DS game the company hadn't touched in years . Outside of a couple of brief trailers, however, we haven't had any more news on what the game will include, but that changes this week. Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Direct entirely focused on Tomodachi Life's sequel for this coming Thursday. The stream will be hosted on Nintendo's YouTube channel on Thursday, January 29, at 6 a.m. PT/ 9 a.m. ET. According to the announcement on social media, it will last "roughly 20 minutes," so you can expect a good deal of information about the game and how it differs from its predecessor. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is currently scheduled for a Spring 2026 release window, so we're hoping to get a specific launch date from the presentation. Tomodachi Life is also a Switch 1 title, and while there might be upgrades announced for Switch 2, it will be available on both generations of Nintendo's hybrid console. Tomodachi Life is a simulation game where Miis, Nintendo's customizable avatars, live out lives together and form relationships. As of March 2025, it was one of the best selling 3DS games of all time with 6.72 million units sold . For more Tomodachi Life, you can read our review of the original here .

Apple Developing Thinner Face ID for iPhone Air 2, Report Suggests

Apple Developing Thinner Face ID for iPhone Air 2, Report Suggests

Apple is developing a much thinner Face ID hardware module in an effort to reduce the space its facial authentication system takes up in the iPhone Air, a known leaker on China's Weibo social media platform today suggested. According to Instant Digital , Apple has requested an "ultra-thin" Face ID component from suppliers that will allow the device to accommodate an ultra wide-angle lens in addition to the existing single main lens. A redesign that includes a second camera is said to be one way that Apple thinks it can address user complaints that the iPhone Air, while an impressive design feat, has led to too many hardware compromises, especially given the $999 price tag. Multiple technologies are housed in the plateau of the iPhone Air to maximize space for the battery, so Apple would presumably need to redesign the internals considerably to fit in another camera. Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station in November said Apple was focusing on making the device ultra-thin and lightweight in order to do just that. The claim was soon followed by a report by The Information suggesting a second camera for the device was indeed in development . For its rumored upcoming foldable iPhone, expected later this year, Apple has reportedly chosen to integrate Touch ID into the side button, rather than use Face ID, in order to make the device as slim as possible. Designing a smaller TrueDepth camera system could arguably see a next-generation model switch over to facial authentication. Today's leaker speculates that an ultra-thin Face ID module could even eventually find its way into a MacBook, but there are no active rumors that indicate this is something Apple is working on. In 2022, Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman said Apple tested Face ID for the iMac , but the technology necessary to embed the authentication hardware into a thin notebook display simply wasn't available, and the biometric system has yet to be added to any Mac. Around the same time, a marketing employee for Apple argued that Touch ID is more convenient, since the button is near your hands. Of course, that does not rule out the possibility of Apple adding Face ID to a Mac in the future. The latest claim doesn't point to any imminent product changes – the second-generation iPhone Air is not expected until next year – but it does suggest Apple is actively reassessing how its Face ID hardware is packaged. Watch this space. Related Roundup: iPhone Air Tags: Face ID , Instant Digital Buyer's Guide: iPhone Air (Buy Now) This article, " Apple Developing Thinner Face ID for iPhone Air 2, Report Suggests " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Resident Evil Requiem Director Sets The Record Straight: 'This Isn't An Open World Game'

Resident Evil Requiem Director Sets The Record Straight: 'This Isn't An Open World Game'

Resident Evil Requiem is right around the corner, launching next month on February 27 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC. Ahead of that, Game Informer went hands-on with the horror game for three hours, and you can read that preview here . However, as part of this preview, I interviewed Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi about what I had played. I'll be publishing a full Q/A of that interview later today, but curiously, Nakanishi closed out our interview asking to address something I didn't specifically talk about: the game's world and exploration, specifically as it relates to rumors of Requiem being an open world Resident Evil. Nakanishi definitely shut those rumors down. "[The development team] did just want to make clear one point," Nakanishi says through an interpreter. "They've seen some speculation of whether there's any open world elements in the game, and they just want to set the record straight that this isn't an open world game." Welp, that's about as direct as it can get. Nakanishi continues, explaining, "The main concept behind this game is combining the very different gameplay of Grace and Leon into a cohesive package, and having those two gameplays represent the Resident Evil series, and I think when you play the game, you realize that, or you will find as well that the development team picked the best approach to do this." For more about the game, read my hands-on preview of Resident Evil Requiem here , and then check out the latest news from the Resident Evil showcase that aired last month. After that, read about Leon's custom Porsche in the game, and then check out the Resident Evil Requiem Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller . Are you happy to hear that Resident Evil Requiem isn't an open world game or bummed? Let us know in the comments below!

Bandai Namco Reveals Age 1000, A Mysterious New Dragon Ball Game

Bandai Namco Reveals Age 1000, A Mysterious New Dragon Ball Game

During this weekend's Dragon Ball Genkidamatsuri event, Bandai Namco revealed a cryptic trailer announcing the next Dragon Ball game. Known only as Age 1000, it’s slated to launch next year. The mysterious trailer focuses on a new, original character designed by the late Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama. The white-haired youth’s outfit and color scheme are somewhat reminiscent of Gohan’s Great Saiyan costume, and it interestingly bears the Capsule Corp name. The trailer shows the character effortlessly battling masked goons in a seemingly digital simulation, then ends with him transforming into a Super Saiyan. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Dragon Ball game without a Goku tease, who is briefly shown in the form of a silhouette. “The world of Dragon Ball continues to expand with a brand-new Dragon Ball world and its entirely original characters— all brought to life by Akira Toriyama. Set for 2027, the 'Age 1000' project will introduce even more unique characters as the adventure unfolds,” reads Bandai Namco’s press release. Unfortunately, we don’t know what type of game Age 1000 is or the platforms it will be released on. However, we won’t have to wait too long to learn more details as Bandai plans to share new information during Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour, taking place April 18-19 in Los Angeles.