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by Mat Smith on (#6FDSX)
According to Reuters, OpenAI is exploring making its own artificial intelligence chips, even looking into an acquisition. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously blamed GPU shortages for users' concerns regarding the company API's speed and reliability, leading to these moves. OpenAI using its own chips could reduce its costs too. Based on analysis by Bernstein Research, each ChatGPT query costs the company around four cents.At the moment, NVIDIA controls the market for chips that power AI applications. The Microsoft supercomputer OpenAI used to develop its technology, for instance, uses 10,000 NVIDIA GPUs. Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest backer, has been working on its own AI chip since 2019.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedThe Talos Principle 2 is the ideal blend of puzzle and storyAmazon's first internet satellite launch was a successiOS 17 review: Notable new features and streamlined touchesHitting the Books: NASA's Kathy Sullivan and advances in orbital personal hygieneUK regulator says Snap's AI chatbot may put kids' privacy at riskYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!NASA will reveal on Wednesday what OSIRIS-REx brought back from asteroid BennuA first look at its asteroid sample.NASA/Keegan BarberNASA will give the public a look at the asteroid sample brought back to Earth by its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. A livestream of the reveal is set for 11 AM ET on Wednesday, October 11. OSIRIS-REx grabbed its sample from Bennu back in 2020, then spent a year-and-a-half observing the asteroid before returning to Earth in May 2021. The very best problem' to have is that there is so much material, it's taking longer than we expected to collect it," said Christopher Snead, NASA's deputy OSIRIS-REx curation lead.Continue reading.Atari is releasing a new cartridge for its 46-year-old 2600 consoleSave Mary never hit store shelves.Atari just announced pre-orders for a physical cartridge of the company's once-ubiquitous 2600 console. The game, Save Mary, was developed during the console's golden years, before being shelved when the 2600 went the way of the dodo. If you want to play it, you don't need to dust down your old 2600. Conveniently, Atari sells an upgraded version of the console, called the 2600+. What a relief.Continue reading.X tests three paid subscription tiersIt looks like this will determine how many ads you see.Bloomberg reports that X is testing a trio of subscription tiers to help solve its financial woes. Details are scant, but these paid subscription options are likely to impact the number of ads you might see when using the platform. It looks like it'll break down into Basic, Standard and Plus. Basic users will continue to see the regular number of ads, while standard users will see half, equivalent to what folks who pay $8 each month get at the moment. Plus users will see no ads whatsoever, for however much that might cost.Continue reading.Engadget Podcast: Google's Pixel 8 phones and Pixel Watch 2And Samsung launched even more devices.EngadgetThis week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Engadget's Sam Rutherford about everything from the Made by Google event. That includes the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2. We give Google credit for leaning on AI long before it was trendy, but we wonder if the Pixel 8 Pro's temperature sensor will actually be useful.Listen here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-chatgpt-creator-openai-might-start-making-its-own-ai-chips-111521672.html?src=rss
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by Steve Dent on (#6FDP2)
Just ahead of Google's October "Big Deal Days" Prime Day sale, multiple Nest products are on sale, some back to all-time low prices. The easy-to-install Nest Doorbell (Battery) and Nest Cam Outdoor have particularly steep discounts of $60, letting you grab them for just $120 each (33 percent off). Meanwhile, the Nest Security Cam indoor is also on sale for $70 (30 percent off), one of the steepest discounts we've seen.The Nest Doorbell (Battery) is a popular item because it's much easier to install than any wired doorbells. As with the cameras, it will send you alerts when you have a visitor and you can chat with them through your phone and the built-in speaker and microphone. Google's "intelligent alerts" can tell the difference between a visitor, a package being delivered, an animal sighting and more, so you can see if a situation requires your immediate attention. If the regular $180 price has made you pause, it's now on sale for $120.You can also pick up the Nest Cam Outdoor for just $120, or $60 off the regular $180 price. That model obviously has a weatherproof design so that you can install it outside your home, along with expanded Night Vision to better spot outdoor intruders. It also packs an internal battery that lets you set it up without the need for an AC plug, providing up to seven months of battery life before a recharge depending on usage.Other deals are available as well. The Nest Cam indoor is designed to blend in to your home, with a range of colors, built-in stand, wall mount and hinge, and is currently on sale for $70 or 30 percent off the regular price. The sale also includes the Google Nest Doorbell (Wired) and other products - to see everything check here.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-nest-cameras-are-up-to-33-percent-off-in-early-october-prime-day-sale-075727282.html?src=rss
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by Andrew Tarantola on (#6FD7D)
For the first couple decades of its existence, NASA was the epitome of an Old Boys Club; its astronaut ranks pulled exclusively from the Armed Services' test pilot programs which, at that time, were exclusively staffed by men. Glass ceilings weren't the only things broken when Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Kathy Sullivan, Anna Fisher, Margaret "Rhea" Seddon and Shannon Lucid were admitted to the program in 1978 - numerous spaceflight systems had to be reassessed to accommodate a more diverse workforce. In The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts, journalist Loren Grush chronicles the numerous trials and challenges these women faced - from institutional sexism to enduring survival training to navigating the personal pressures that the public life of an astronaut entails - in their efforts to reach orbit.ScribnerAdapted from The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronautsby Loren Grush. Copyright (C) 2023 by Loren Grush. Excerpted with permission by Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.Above the Chisos Mountains sprawling across Big Bend National Park in West Texas, Kathy [Sullivan, PhD, third woman to fly in space and future head of the NOAA] sat in the back seat of NASA's WB-57F reconnaissance aircraft as it climbed higher into the sky. The pilot, Jim Korkowski, kept his eye on the jet's altimeter as they ascended. They'd just passed sixty thousand feet, and they weren't done rising. It was a dizzyingly high altitude, but the plane was made to handle such extremes.Inside the cockpit, both Kathy and Jim were prepared. They were fully outfitted in the air force's high-altitude pressure suits. To the untrained observer, the gear looked almost like actual space suits. Each ensemble consisted of a bulky dark onesie, with thick gloves and a thick helmet. The combination was designed to apply pressure to the body as the high-altitude air thinned away and made it almost impossible for the human body to function.The duo eventually reached their target height: 63,300 feet. At that altitude, their pressure suits were a matter of life and death. The surrounding air pressure was so low that their blood could start to boil if their bodies were left unprotected. But with the suits on, it was an uneventful research expedition. Kathy took images with a specialized infrared camera that could produce color photos, and she also scanned the distant terrain in various wavelengths of light.They spent just an hour and a half over Big Bend, and the flight lasted just four hours in total. While it may have seemed a quick and easy flight, Kathy made history when she reached that final altitude above West Texas on July 1, 1979. In that moment, she flew higher than any woman ever had, setting an unofficial world aviation record.The assignment to train with the WB-57 had scared her at first, but Kathy wound up loving those high-flying planes. That was very fun, other than this little bit of vague concern that, Hope this doesn't mean I'm falling off the face of the Earth,'" Kathy said. The assignment took her on flights up north to Alaska and down south to Peru. As she'd hoped, she received full qualification to wear the air force's pressure suits, becoming the first woman to do so. Soon, donning a full-body suit designed to keep her alive became second nature to her.NASA officials had also sought her out to test a new piece of equipment they were developing for future Shuttle astronauts, one that would let people relieve themselves while in space. During the Apollo and Gemini eras, NASA developed a relatively complex apparatus for astronauts to pee in their flight suits. It was, in essence, a flexible rubber cuff that fit around the penis, which then attached to a collection bag. The condom-like cuffs came in small," medium," and large" (though Michael Collins claimed the astronauts gave them their own terms: extra large," immense," and unbelievable"). It was certainly not a foolproof system. Urine often escaped from beneath the sheath.Cuffs certainly weren't going to work once women entered the astronaut corps. While the Space Shuttle had a fancy new toilet for both men and women to use, the astronauts still needed some outlet for when they were strapped to their seats for hours, awaiting launch or reentry. And if one of the women was to do a spacewalk, she'd need some kind of device during those hours afloat. So, NASA engineers created the Disposable Absorption Containment Trunk (DACT). In its most basic form it was . . . a diaper. It was an easy fix in case astronauts needed to urinate while out of reach of the toilet. It was designed to absorb fecal matter, too, though the women probably opted to wait until they reached orbit for that.Kathy was the best person to test it out. Often during her high-altitude flights, she'd be trapped in her pressure suit for hours on end, creating the perfect testing conditions to analyze the DACT's durability. It worked like a charm. And although the first male Shuttle fliers stuck to the cuffs, eventually the DACT became standard equipment for everyone.After accumulating hundreds of hours in these pressure suits, Kathy hoped to leverage her experience into a flight assignment, one that might let her take a walk outside the Space Shuttle one day. As luck would have it, she ran into Bruce McCandless II in the JSC gym one afternoon. He was the guy to know when it came to spacewalks. NASA officials had put him in charge of developing all the spacewalk procedures and protocols, and at times he seemed to live in the NASA pools. Plus, he was always conscripting one of Kathy's classmates to do simulated runs with him in the tanks. Kathy wanted to be next. Projecting as much confidence as she could, she asked him to consider her for his next training run.It worked. Bruce invited Kathy to accompany him to Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama to take a dive in the tank there. The two would be working on spacewalk techniques that might be used one day to assemble a space station. However, the Space Shuttle suits still weren't ready to use yet. Kathy had to wear Apollo moonwalker Pete Conrad's suit, just like Anna had done during her spacewalk simulations. But while the suit swallowed tiny Anna, it was just slightly too small for Kathy, by about an inch. When she put it on, the suit stabbed her shoulders, while parts of it seemed to dig into her chest and back. She tried to stand up and nearly passed out. It took all her strength to walk over to the pool before she flopped into the tank. In the simulated weightless environment, the pain immediately evaporated. But it was still a crucial lesson in space-suit sizes. The suits have to fit their wearers perfectly if the spacewalk is going to work.The session may have started off painfully, but once she began tinkering with tools and understanding how to maneuver her arms to shift the rest of her body, she was hooked. She loved spacewalking so much that she'd go on to do dozens more practice dives throughout training.But it wasn't enough to practice in the pool. She wanted to go orbital.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hitting-the-books-the-six-loren-grush-scribner-143032524.html?src=rss
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by Mariella Moon on (#6FCNX)
Late last year, Amazon Luna and Ubisoft deepened their partnership by allowing subscribers to stream the developer's games that they already own on PC. So it doesn't really come as a surprise that Amazon has chosen to team up with Ubisoft to debut a new feature on its cloud gaming service: The capability to buy games from the platform and not just stream them. Subscribers can now purchase select Ubisoft games from the developer's portal on Luna, and the selection includes several Assassin's Creed titles, the Far Cry games, Child of Light and Watch Dogs.Customers will be able to purchase any game they want from within Luna, using their Amazon account and as long as their Ubisoft account is linked. The e-commerce giant says subscribers will own the license for any game they buy, and they'll be able to play either on Luna-enabled devices or on a computer if they download the title for offline play via the Ubisoft Connect PC launcher. The list of Luna-enabled devices include Fire TV devices, Chromebooks and phones.All the titles a customer buys will show up in their Luna library, and all their in-game purchases will sync to their Ubisoft account regardless of where they pay for them. Of course, they'll only be able to stream the games on Luna as long as they're a subscriber or a Prime member, but they're not going to lose access to those titles completely if they stop paying for the service.As 9to5Google notes, this move gives Luna shades of Google Stadia, which was the only cloud gaming platform that allowed users to purchase games when it was still around. Unfortunately, Amazon didn't say whether it has plans to expand game purchases and to sell titles from other developers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-luna-subscribers-can-now-buy-individual-ubisoft-games-130047808.html?src=rss
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by Mariella Moon on (#6FCM0)
ChatGPT might be powered by homegrown chips in the future, if OpenAI does indeed decide to make its own. According to Reuters, the company is currently exploring the possibility of making its own artificial intelligence chips and has even evaluated a potential acquisition. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously blamed GPU shortages for users' concerns regarding the company API's speed and reliability, so he reportedly made acquiring more AI chips a priority.In addition to being able to address GPU shortages, OpenAI using its own chips could make costs associated with running its products more manageable. Based on an analysis by Stacy Rasgon from Bernstein Research, each ChatGPT query costs the company around 4 cents. The service reached 100 million monthly users in its first two months, which translates to millions of queries a day, though it did lose users for the first time in July. Rasgon said that if ChatGPT queries reach a tenth of what Google gets, then it would initially need $48.1 billion worth of GPUs and would spend $16 billion a year on chips going forward.At the moment, NVIDIA controls the market for chips meant for AI applications - the Microsoft supercomputer OpenAI used to develop its technology, for instance, uses 10,000 NVIDIA GPUs. That's why other companies - bigger players in the tech industry - have chosen to start developing their own. Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest backer, has been working on an AI chip of its own since 2019, according to The Information. The product is codenamed Athena, and OpenAI has reportedly been testing the technology.OpenAI has yet to decide whether to push through with its plans, Reuters says. And even if it does choose to move forward, it could take years before it can start using it own chips to power its products.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-is-reportedly-considering-making-its-own-chips-113010353.html?src=rss
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by Malak Saleh on (#6FCCA)
Biotech company 23andMe, known for its DNA testing kits, confirmed to BleepingComputer that its user data is circulating on hacker forums. The company said the leak occurred through a credential-stuffing attack.A credential-stuffing attack involves user information that has already been compromised (usernames and passwords, for example) from one organization, which a hacker obtains and attempts to reuse with a second organization - in this case, 23andMe. Because of the nature of credential-stuffing, it does not appear this was a breach of the company's internal systems. Rather, accounts were broken into piecemeal. The perpetrators of this attack appear to have obtained quite sensitive information from the compromised accounts (photos, full names and geographical location, among other things). "Thus far, our investigation has found that no genetic testing results have been leaked," a 23andMe spokesperson said in an email. In an official public statement, the company said that after becoming aware of suspicious activity, it immediately began an investigation.The initial leak comprised 1 million lines of data for Ashkenazi people," according to BleepingComputer. By October 4, data was being offered for sale in bulk, in increments of 100, 1,000, 10,000 or 100,000 profiles. The scale of the attack is as yet unknown, but the scope of its impact has likely been exacerbated by 23andMe's 'DNA Relatives' feature. "Relatives are identified by comparing your DNA with the DNA of other 23andMe members who are participating in the DNA Relatives feature," the company states. After accessing an unknown number of profiles via credential-stuffing, the threat actor behind this breach apparently scraped the 'DNA Relatives' results for those profiles, netting much more sensitive data. According to the same FAQ page, "The number of relatives listed [..] grows over time as more people join 23andMe." For the fiscal year 2023, the company reported it genotyped" around 14 million customers.Ever since 23andMe went public in 2021, the company has faced extra scrutiny for its data protection practices - rightly so, since it deals with sensitive medical data derived from saliva sampling, including predispositions for diseases like Alzheimer's, Type 2 diabetes and even cancer. On its website, the company claims it "exceeds" data protection standards for its industry.
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by Cheyenne MacDonald on (#6FCAJ)
NASA will give the public a look at the asteroid sample brought back to Earth by its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft next week. A livestream of the reveal is set for 11 AM ET on Wednesday, October 11. The capsule containing rocks and dust taken from the surface of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu" touched down at a Department of Defense training site in the Utah desert on September 24, and scientists have since been at work making their initial analyses.
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by Malak Saleh on (#6FCAK)
Car dealers can give buyers an instant rebate for purchasing certain electric vehicles starting in January of 2024, according to new guidance released by the IRS. The memo says eligible vehicles may qualify for a tax credit of up to $7,500. However, the credit amount will depend on whether an EV and its buyer meet certain requirements, and when a car is actually purchased.For an electric car to qualify, it needs to have a minimum battery capacity of seven kilowatt hours. Buyers can't claim the credit if their adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds - $300,000 if married and filing jointly, and $150,000 for the majority of single taxpayers. The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the EV also can not exceed specific price points. For sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks, the cap is $80,000, for example. But for average electric vehicles to qualify, they can't be more than $55,000, which really narrows the benefit for cheaper car makers. While it's a bummer that you can't get the rebate for an $81,000 Porche Taycan, you can probably get the benefit for something like the Nissan Leaf S that goes for $27,400.Some EVs bought before 2024 might qualify for the rebate too, if they were bought and weren't intended for resale. For vehicles placed in service on or after April 18, 2023, the IRS says the potential rebate will depend on a variety of factors including the vehicle's make and battery capacity. There are also requirements in place for length of ownership to prevent unscrupulous buyers from snapping up an EV, reselling it and pocketing the rebate.The IRS lists eligible vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles on FuelEconomy.gov. It says the list will be updated as more vehicle eligibility requirements take effect.All in all, the proposed guidance by the IRS is in line with the Biden administration's goal of having 50 percent of new car sales be driven by EVs before 2030. The hope is an instant rebate will incentivize more buyers to purchase an electric car rather than having to wait to see any tangible reward for their purchase when they file their taxes. Albert Gore, executive director of the Zero Emissions Transportation Association, commends the IRS' memo stating, This guidance makes it easy for everyone to access the IRA's new and used electric vehicle tax credits at the point of sale."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ev-buyers-will-get-an-instant-rebate-for-every-car-purchased-starting-in-2024-211224909.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6FC88)
Amazon's first satellite launch was a success, according to United Launch Alliance. The aerospace manufacturer's Atlas V rocket took the first two Project Kuiper satellites to low Earth orbit on Friday. The mission, which is named Protoflight, lifted off at 2:06PM ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.Amazon has been working on Project Kuiper, its Starlink-esque internet satellite initiative, for quite some time. It previously planned to launch the prototypes by the end of last year.The company sees Protoflight as a key learning opportunity, giving it the chance to record real-world (or, more accurately, offworld) data from space and add that to findings from lab and field testing. Amazon expects to gain more insight into how the network will perform across ground and space. This is also a test of satellite processing, launch and mission operations. Once the mission is over, Amazon will actively deorbit both satellites before they burn up in the atmosphere.We've done extensive testing here in our lab and have a high degree of confidence in our satellite design, but there's no substitute for on-orbit testing," Rajeev Badyal, Project Kuiper's vice president of technology, said. This is Amazon's first time putting satellites into space, and we're going to learn an incredible amount regardless of how the mission unfolds."Amazon says the aim of Project Kuiper is to offer fast and affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities across the world. It plans to deploy more than 3,200 satellites over the next six years after it obtained FCC approval, and the KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 prototypes are the first iterations. It expects to launch production satellites in the first half of 2024 and start beta tests with some customers by the end of next year.If you missed the launch, you can watch a replay of the livestream below. The rocket launches at around 26:05 into the video.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-first-internet-satellite-launch-was-a-success-202130763.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6FC89)
Tesla is cutting prices on some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the US, as spotted by CNBC. The automaker's move, its second price drop in just over a month, comes after it fell short of market estimates for deliveries.Tesla's website now lists the Model 3 starting at $38,990, down from its previous $40,240. Meanwhile, the Model 3 Long Range is now $45,990 (down from $47,240), and the Model 3 Performance has a new price of $50,990 (from $53,240). In addition, the Model Y Performance SUV has fallen from $54,490 to $52,490.These are minor cuts compared to the nearly 20 percent price drops it issued in September on Model S and Model X EVs. They also pale in comparison to the March price cuts that dropped Model X costs by up to $10,000. Tesla began toying with pricing in late 2022 when it lowered costs to face a consumer spending slowdown and increased EV competition. The automaker attributed its third-quarter slump to factory upgrades, leading to manufacturing downtime. Since January, Tesla has cut the cost of the Model 3 by about 17 percent and the Model Y by 26 percent.CEO Elon Musk has signaled he is willing to prioritize volume and market share over profit margins in the near term. I think it does make sense to sacrifice margins in favor of making more vehicles," he said in July. However, the automaker believes it will still reach its 2023 goals. A sequential decline in volumes was caused by planned downtimes for factory upgrades, as discussed on the most recent earnings call. Our 2023 volume target of around 1.8 million vehicles remains unchanged," Tesla wrote in a statement this week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-cuts-prices-on-model-3-and-y-after-dwindling-deliveries-200844132.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6FC5X)
Atari just announced preorders for a physical cartridge for the company's once-ubiquitous 2600 console. You read that right. A gaming console that counts 1982 as its most successful year is releasing another new cartridge in the year 2023. The game-in-question is called Save Mary and was actually developed during the console's golden years, before being shelved when the 2600 went the way of the dodo.Save Mary was in development for two whole years, which is a lifetime in the generation of gaming that preceded the NES. The normal timeframe to produce a game back then was six to nine months, with some notorious titles taking just five or six weeks. Save Mary was originally developed by veteran Atari staffer Tod Frye, the guy behind the 2600 version of Pac-Man and the Swordquest series.Preordering one of these cartridges for $60 nets you a silver collector's edition box and a full-color manual, in addition to the game itself. There are only 500 of these carts available, making them an attractive collector's item for Atari diehards.AtariAs for the game, Save Mary tasks you with, well, saving a lady named Mary. She's stuck in a steep canyon that's rapidly filling with water. You use a crane to build platforms to help her escape the dire predicament. Power-ups appear on the cliffside to help you out, an idea that Atari says was likely inspired by Pac-Man. Atari's founder Nolan Bushnell lauded the title in a 1989 interview, saying that it was the first game in which you rely on construction rather than destruction to save the princess."Save Mary joins several other recently-manufactured Atari 2600 cartridges, many of which are brand-new titles like Mr. Run and Jump or unreleased lost" games like Aquaventure. Each cartridge in the Atari XP line is manufactured to exact standards" from yesteryear with some modern flourishes like beveled edges to prevent pin damage and gold-plated connectors. You don't have to track down a dusty old 2600 to play these games, as Atari currently sells an upgraded version of the console, called the 2600+.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/atari-is-releasing-a-new-cartridge-for-its-46-year-old-2600-console-183922523.html?src=rss
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by Devindra Hardawar on (#6FC2T)
Yes, Techtober is in full swing! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Engadget's Sam Rutherford about everything from the Made by Google event. That includes the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2. We give Google credit for leaning on AI long before it was trendy, but we wonder if the Pixel 8 Pro's temperature sensor will actually be useful. Also, we dive into Samsung's latest FE devices, Apple's fix for overheating iPhone 15s, and Google's Chromebook Plus initiative.Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!Subscribe!
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by Malak Saleh on (#6FC2V)
Kia drivers that own electric vehicles will be able to use 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the United States, Canada and Mexico. This is taking place, just as the company rolls out its EV9 electric SUV, which we dubbed one of the most important electric SUVs" earlier this year. This move aligns with a broader industry trend of automakers collaborating with Tesla to enhance EV charging options. We have seen competitors including Hyundai, Ford and General Motors take similar steps all within the past year.
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6FC2X)
The rumor that X, formerly known as Twitter, is going to integrate more paid services continues to persist, with Bloomberg reporting that the company's testing a trio of subscription tiers to help solve its financial woes. Details are scant, but it looks like these paid subscription options will impact the number of ads you see when using the platform.A developer and leaker with the X handle @aaronp613 dived into the source code of the app's most recent iOS update and discovered some information on these proposed subscription tiers, though the information has been trickling out for the past week. It looks like it'll break down into Basic, Standard and Plus, as indicated by the Bloomberg report. Basic users will continue to see the regular amount of ads, labeled or not, while standard users will see half of the ads, which is equivalent to a current perk exclusive to the folks who plunk down $8 each month for a blue check. Plus users will see no ads whatsoever, providing them unfettered access to whatever conspiracy theory is snaking around the Internet on any given day.We don't have any idea how much these tiers would cost. Meta's reportedly making a similar move in Europe, as it could charge users up to $17 each month for an ad-free experience on Instagram and Facebook.Other than the ad stuff, which hasn't been confirmed by the company, nobody knows what additional perks these subscription tiers would provide paying users. It also remains to be seen if this indicates a push toward mandatory subscriptions to use the service. However, with the paid basic plan reportedly displaying the current level of ads, it's hard to see what a free account would experience. Twice the ads? Three times the ads? Elon Musk coming to your home to blame the company's financial decline on the Anti-Defamation League? It's anybody's guess, though the rumor that X was going full on pay-to-play comes from an off-hand comment made by Musk during a live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.So it doesn't look like this is part of any move to force people to pay for the service but it does look like Twitter/X is continuing to throw monetization ideas at the wall to see what sticks as part of its overarching plan to become the everything app." It's hard to imagine that a reduction in the frequency in ads would be enough to entice many users to send a monthly stipend to one of the world's richest men, so let's wait and see what other perks the team cooks up for the three proposed subscription tiers.As for the company's financials, Bloomberg reports that CEO Linda Yaccarino recently told bank lenders that advertisers have been returning to the platform, albeit with reduced budgets. On the other hand, Reuters just reported that X's US ad revenue has plummeted each and every month since Musk's acquisition, with the latest figures showing a 60% year-over-year decline as of August.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-tests-three-paid-subscription-tiers-amid-ongoing-financial-woes-164120812.html?src=rss
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by Jessica Conditt on (#6FBZM)
Ancient, vine-draped monuments and towering obelisks protrude from the forest floor, connected by a maze of stone paths and one hyper-speed transit capsule. Statues loom among the monoliths: hooded human figures and mythological beasts surrounded by saintly geometry in gold and turquoise. I'm running down an overgrown platform by the water, sun radiating off the side of my face, trying to find the next puzzle. I take a sharp turn, the shadows shift and my silhouette is suddenly projected in front of me: waist on a slim pivot, hip joints jutting out, sticklike arms. I remember I'm made of metal and wires, and for a brief moment, I'm surprised. I forgot - I'm a robot.The Talos Principle 2 reintroduces a post-apocalyptic world filled with the puzzles and dreams society left behind, and populates it with a race of machines who simultaneously worship humans and consider themselves to be the natural evolution of humanity. The game's first quarter, which spans roughly seven hours, offers a beautiful and immersive playground of puzzle solving and philosophical inquiry, and it feels both grander and more cohesive than the original Talos Principle. That game came out in 2014 and featured a lone robot in an AI-powered testing ground. The sequel features an entire society of sentient machines. It also has lots of laser-powered, logic-based spatial puzzles, of course.CroteamThe Talos Principle 2 is set in a futuristic society of robots, and you're the 1,000th machine to come off the line. There's debate among the citizens about whether you should be the final addition to the group, as one of its founders once dictated, and your presence unlocks a new prophecy tied to a mysterious island. Elohim, the AI antagonist of the first game, has calmed down significantly and acts as a caretaker to the robots, gently guiding their sleep cycles with a booming voice.Each robot has its own personality, and it doesn't take long for these machines to feel fully human, despite their lack of meat and bones. Developers at Croteam took the time to build out backstories and individual points-of-view for each supporting character, and their conversations and arguments flow seamlessly. The Talos Principle 2 features full voice acting and branching dialogue trees with multiple meaningful responses for players to choose from. It's not uncommon to see six to eight options in conversations, presenting discrete approaches to heavy prompts about faith, doubt, consciousness, life, death and love. This is a game for curious minds, and the dialogue system supports this with rich character development and high-quality conversational writing.CroteamThis robot society provides the narrative framework for actual gameplay. On the mysterious, prophesied island players encounter a series of puzzles hidden among humanity's ruins, much like in the original game. The structures on the island are widespread and vast, but navigation is intuitive, thanks to subtle environmental cues, a compass with waypoints and directions from the other robots on the expedition team. This time around, you're not alone (no offense, Elohim).The puzzles themselves are devilish. They start simply, prompting players to divert laser beams into portals of the same color using connector rods, jammers, blocks, pressure pads and fans. As players progress through the riddle rooms, the game introduces new tools, like a drill that can create holes in some walls and an inverter that reverses the laser color, adding unexpected complexity to the puzzles. It's my firm belief that the best puzzles in video games are ones that appear simple, but have a single, incredibly tricky solution buried beneath layers of almost-there answers. Nothing beats that breakthrough feeling when the entire room suddenly makes sense, the lasers align, and all the right doors slide open. The beginning hours of The Talos Principle 2 effortlessly capture this sensation, again and again.Tetrominoes are back in the sequel, and they're big. Not only metaphorically (the robots often theorize about the shapes' supposed purpose), but also in physical size. I made literal bridges out of building-sized tetrominoes, swapping out pieces and rotating them on a grand scale. While this segment wasn't particularly challenging, it was satisfying in a new kind of way.CroteamIn its first quarter, The Talos Principle 2 reproduces the brilliance of the original game and adds to this foundation, expanding its world narratively and mechanically. Philosophical conversations are no longer siloed in read-only terminals, though there are still datasets scattered around the map. The story's main prompts are instead integrated into gameplay via deep, player-driven conversations with NPCs, and even a little bit of light gossip. The Talos Principle 2 has secrets to discover, personalities to explore and questions to answer - and that's all on top of being a uniquely fantastic (and optimistic) sci-fi puzzle game.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-talos-principle-2-is-the-ideal-blend-of-puzzle-and-story-150009663.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6FBZN)
A UK regulator has raised concerns that Snap's AI chatbot may be putting the privacy of kids at risk. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the country's privacy watchdog, issued a preliminary enforcement notice against the company over a potential failure to properly assess the privacy risks posed by its generative AI chatbot My AI'."Information Commissioner John Edwards said the ICO's provisional findings from its investigation indicated a worrying failure by Snap to adequately identify and assess the privacy risks to children and other users" before rolling out My AI. The ICO noted that if Snap fails to sufficiently address its concerns, it may block the ChatGPT-powered chatbot in the UK.However, the preliminary notice doesn't necessarily mean that the ICO will take action against Snap or that the company has violated data protection laws. It will consider submissions from Snap before it makes a final decision."My AI went through a robust legal and privacy review process before being made publicly available," a Snap spokesperson told Reuters. "We will continue to work constructively with the ICO to ensure they're comfortable with our risk assessment procedures."The ICO says that, as of May, Snapchat had 21 million monthly active users in the UK, with many of those aged between 13 and 17. The regulator pointed out that My AI marked the first instance of a generative AI system being added to a major messaging platform in the country. The feature debuted for Snapchat+ subscribers in February, then Snap enabled it for all UK users in April.Soon after Snap rolled out the chatbot, parents raised concerns about My AI, and not only over privacy considerations. I don't think I'm prepared to know how to teach my kid how to emotionally separate humans and machines when they essentially look the same from her point of view," a mother of a 13-year-old told CNN in April. I just think there is a really clear line [Snapchat] is crossing."The ICO has issued hefty fines against social media platforms in the past for mishandling kids' data. It slapped TikTok with a 12.7 million ($15.8 million) penalty earlier this year after determining the platform breached data protection laws, including over its handling of kids' personal information.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uk-regulator-says-snaps-ai-chatbot-may-put-kids-privacy-at-risk-145413931.html?src=rss
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by Mat Smith on (#6FBWB)
Your latest iPhone update is officially here. iOS 17 brings some substantial new features and a lot of upgrades that streamline how you use your iPhone, especially when connecting with other iPhone users.While the lock screen customizations introduced in iOS 16 formed the big visual change last year, Apple has now applied a similar makeover to your phone calls and contact lists. And at a time when there is no shortage of video call apps and services, it's trying to make FaceTime even more compelling.When I previewed the developer build a month or so ago, I focused on messages and FaceTime, both of which got a lot of attention in this update. After a little more time with the finished product, iOS 17 feels like a big quality-of-life upgrade for iPhone users. Without a big tentpole feature, it's harder to pinpoint why it's so much better - but I'll try.Supported devices20 different iPhone models support iOS 17, going as far back as 2018's iPhone XR. As many of the OS updates this year aren't particularly processor- or machine learning-intensive, you're not missing out on much with older supported iPhones. One exception is StandBy, which works best (or how it should) with Apple's best smartphone screens - always-on displays.StandBy ModeWith StandBy, Apple is dipping its toe in the smart display waters without making you buy another device. (For now.)If your iPhone is horizontal and charging, iOS 17 will shift into StandBy mode, ditching your wallpaper and icons for giant clocks, calendar info, now playing widgets, photos and the rest. (One curious oversight: no email widget.)You'll need an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro to ensure it works like it should - that is, always on. With all the other devices, you'll need to tap the screen to get your information, which defeats the point. StandBy also utilizes the same iOS widget Smart Stacks so you can swipe between different information.With iOS 17, we finally get interactive widgets, too, so you can toggle smart home lights or tick something off your to-do list without having to launch an entire app. (Another helpful feature coming to Reminders and your to-do lists is an automated grocery list feature, which will detect when you're composing a shopping list, and draw together products you'll typically find in the same place in the grocery store.)Apple's Continuity upgrades mean you can now use widgets on your Mac, even if you don't have the same app installed on your computer. There are also more curated widgets for iOS 17, so you can select a specific photo album to populate them (no more screenshots or very dated holiday photos) and dedicate widgets to podcasts, Safari or your music.Contact posters and FaceTimePhoto by Mat Smith / EngadgetContact Posters remain the big visual twist for iOS 17. However, I'm still waiting for my iPhone-carrying friends to update their devices so I can see the glossy upgrade. Contact posters mix different profile photos, fonts and colors and will appear when someone calls you, FaceTimes you, or when you're searching through contacts. This image will also appear when you try out NameDrop, Apple's new feature for contactless... contact sharing. As I noted in my preview, the profile photo you use doesn't have to be taken in Portrait mode to ensure the cutout effect between the image and text, which is nice.NameDrop offers a degree of customization, so when you share your details, you can choose what phone numbers and emails to shoot across by bringing two compatible iPhones close to each other. There's a lovely visual undulation, sound effect and haptic buzz, making it an odd delight to share your details. Apple also teased an upgraded AirDrop, able to transfer content online even if you step away. However, that feature will arrive later this year.With FaceTime, alongside some new augmented reality gestures, you can leave a video voicemail if someone doesn't answer your call. Yes, you're just sending a video, to be honest, but it's here if you need to do just that.Messaging gets better and betterSo, Messages is good now? It's taken some time, but I'll admit it: I want my friends to ditch WhatsApp and return to the other green messaging app. (And to my Android friends, I'm sorry.)Apple has improved its sticker features, including Live Stickers, animated stickers taken from Live Photos. iOS 17 now collates all of my cut-outs of dogs, selfies and babies into one drawer. This drawer also houses memoji, emoji and third-party stickers. Like static cutout stickers before, you can lift' subjects out of photos by long pressing on them in the Photos app. With iOS 17, you can add sticker effects, like shiny" and puffy" that reflect faux light when you move your phone. Stickers can now also be used from the sticker drawer and added to photos, documents, and screenshots with Markup - that's the little pencil tip icon.A new Check In feature, embedded into Messages, can auto-notify someone that you've arrived at a destination. If you don't arrive by a specified time, your iPhone will even ask you to confirm you're okay, and if you don't respond, an alert will be sent to whoever you sent the Check In notification to. The recipient can be informed of signal status and battery life. You can even share the route you take, if you're willing to.The keyboard is much improved, but I'm not sure howPhoto by Mat Smith / EngadgetApple has taken on board the criticism of its often spotty autocorrect accuracy. It says it's using a new transformer language model" for its autocorrect suggestions in English, French and Spanish. Almost immediately, it worked better and has improved further over the last few weeks. I noticed my phone swapped bbiab' for Brian', in an email to Engadget's head of Video.This is made even better by the temporary underlining on your autocorrected words, so you can see what's changed - great for when you didn't notice your iPhone tweaking your missives.Tapping on an autocorrection shows a pop-up of the original, so you can easily swap it back if you want. Predictive text suggestions appear mildly improved too. iOS 17 ends Apple's prudish approach regarding curse words, so you can now save your favorite naughty words, and your iPhone will learn them and (hopefully) use them appropriately.Live Voicemail and voice note transcriptionLive Voicemail is one feature not yet available to me in the UK. And I'd very much like it, please. This voicemail upgrade lets you screen a call through live transcription, with the iPhone parsing what someone says, you can then pick up the call if they're saying something you're interested in hearing about - or just let them leave a message.I had our Executive Editor Aaron Souppouris - whose London accent is incomprehensible to a lot of people - test this feature in the US. If your phone is locked when the call comes in, the system prompts you to unlock to read live. Once unlocked, Live Voicemail caught every word he said, which is pretty impressive.It's a different approach to Google, which introduced its own call-screening tricks to the Pixel years ago. In Android's implementation, the device screens calls and asks the caller questions. It's a little more... interactive. In iOS 17, you get a live transcript of their message and can choose to interrupt them by leaving the message. Or just get the jist. Google's technique means people know they're being screened which I dislike.Photo by Mat Smith / EngadgetMachine-learning transcription isn't new on iPhones (you've been able to dictate on your phone for years), but it's the implementation in iOS 17 that is. When someone sends you a voice note on Messages, the iPhone can now auto-transcribe the contents of that voice note, as long as the audio is clear enough. I think I made my point during our iOS 17 preview, but It's my favorite feature this year.Improvements beyond the iPhoneBilly Steele/EngadgetThe iOS 17 benefits even stretch to your AirPods - if they're the latest ones. With second-gen AirPods Pro, you'll get adaptive audio - and dropdown icons on your phone to toggle the new features on and off. This adjusts the level of noise cancellation in a noisier environment and is bolstered by a new Conversation Awareness feature, which, when it detects you speaking, will lower the volume of your music or podcast. Unfortunately, it does the same when you cough. Check out our deep dive on the new features here.If you own AirPlay-compatible devices, iOS 17 will offer up speaker options and automatically connect when you play audio on your iPhone, further streamlining the process. However, with my HomePod, I had to be very close for the auto-connect popup to appear.While we're talking audio, voice assistant Siri picks up some minor, but notable, improvements. No more Hey Siri' just Siri' - they're cool like that now. Siri now handles back-to-back commands, too.Cross-device improvements even reach AirTags and other Find My-enabled peripherals. Other people can now track these, so two people can monitor the same item.Elsewhere, Safari now offers separate browsing profiles for your work and personal - or any other way you'd like to divide up your internet exploring. iOS 17 also introduces group password and passkey sharing.Another simple upgrade to your iPhone experience is any two-factor authentication codes and messages sent to your email will be automatically inserted into your web browser, a feature that's been available for codes in text messages for years. Better yet, iOS can now automatically delete these texts or emails after you've inserted the code, clearing out space, especially in Messages, for the texts that matter.Missing partsDuring the big iOS 17 reveal at WWDC 2023, Apple noted that some features of the new OS wouldn't be available at launch. One of the big ones is a Journal app.Apple says that Journal will glean details from other apps, like Messages and Podcasts, automatically suggesting things you might want to recall and write about. The Journal app is scheduled to land before the end of the year.There are a few other things not here at the time of public release, too, like the enhanced AirDrop capabilities I mentioned earlier. Music collaboration was also teased, with the ability to invite friends to your playlists and let anyone add, reorder, and remove songs - or react to poor choices with emoji.Another feature I'm waiting on is intelligent form detection for PDFs. Apple says iOS 17 will eventually be able to identify PDF forms across Files, Mail and any scanned files you've snapped. If it means I don't have to pull out my laptop every time I need to fill in a PDF form, I'm on board.There are some major accessibility upgrades too, which might get lost in the barrage of features. The big one is Personal Voice. After 15 minutes of talking at your iPhone, (reading set phrases aloud), the iPhone can simulate your voice, a la DeepFake tricks we've seen in recent years. While it's cool to have a robo-Mat, the use case is anyone who may lose the ability to speak, or finds it difficult to do so now. (It also sounds pretty artificial, having toyed with other similar voixe models in Descript and other services.) With Personal Voice, you can convert written text into a voice for FaceTime, Phone calls and other compatible communication apps.Another feature tucked away in Accessibility settings is the ability to speed up haptic touch. Haptic Touch is the long touch feature that replaced the (arguably better?) 3D Touch first found on the iPhone 6S. A long press on an icon or a photo takes longer than pressing hard on 3D Touch. Now you can tweak the settings (Accessibility-> Touch-> Haptic Touch). This immediately sped up all the menu browsing and secondary features I accessed through long presses - give it a try.Wrap-upPhoto by Mat Smith / EngadgetWith iOS 17, the visual differences are obvious. But underlying those are many small upgrades, especially for iPhone users that communicate mostly with other iPhone users. If you're using FaceTime, you can leave a video message or use a handful of wacky augmented reality gestures. If you're calling them or messaging other iOS 17 users, there are Live Stickers, Check In, Contact Posters, NameDrop and voice note transcription - already the standout feature to me this year. (I'm still waiting for more of my acquaintances to get up to speed and download the update, so I, selfishly, can use these features more.)If you're already using AirPods Pro, they're better, too. Conversational Awareness is already making me look less of an ass when I order my drink at the coffee shop.Alongside broader quality-of-life improvements to typing and Messages, Apple has also continued to push forward with accessibility features, too. We're still waiting on that journaling app and several more features. Still, there are enough notable changes this year, combining the new (StandBy) with the improved (predictive typing) to keep your iPhone fresh without having to invest in new hardware.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ios-17-review-notable-new-features-and-streamlined-touches-140009954.html?src=rss
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by Mat Smith on (#6FBSR)
Sony has released its own movie streaming app for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. There's a decent perk for subscribers of PlayStation Plus Premium: Members get access to a library of up to 100 ad-free Sony Pictures films at no extra cost.SonySony says the lineup includes Looper, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Elysium and Resident Evil Damnation. The company also plans to add some anime content from Crunchyroll to Sony Pictures Core, and it added that benefits for all PS Plus subscribers are on the way. It should go a little way to rationalizing the recent increased price of the PS Plus Premium plan.Given Sony's big push to turn its gaming franchises into movies and TV shows, it makes sense for those franchises to return to the PlayStation. And if Netflix can do games, PlayStation can do movies, okay?- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedThere's a live-action Cyberpunk 2077 show or movie on the wayApple Watch Series 8 price drops to a new low of $225Three kitchen gadgets to take the guesswork out of sourdoughUnreal Engine will get more expensive, but not for game devLucid's most affordable Air EV still has a projected 410-mile rangeSamsung's $30 Galaxy SmartTag 2 arrives on October 11 with an all-new designA single model that supports both Bluetooth and ultra-wideband.SamsungSamsung has unveiled the SmartTag 2, its AirTag-like tracking device and successor to the original 2021 SmartTag. Unlike the original, which had both Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) variants, the new version combines both features in a single model. It's now IP67 dust- and water-resistant, but it still only works with Samsung smartphones.Continue reading.Netflix nabs the iconic Dead Cells for its ever-growing games libraryThe streamer also announced a sequel to Slayaway Camp.Netflix's game studio is slowly but surely dropping new titles, adding around 40 mobile releases in 2023. One such game is the universally acclaimed Metroidvania/roguelike action gem Dead Cells, just announced as part of the streamer's Netflix & Thrill promotion for Halloween. Dead Cells: Netflix Edition appears to include the full original game along with all kinds of DLC. A traditional Netflix subscription gives you access to the game on both iOS and Android devices. There's also a Dead Cells animated series in the works. Interestingly, there's no home for it yet, but this move certainly hints that it could premiere on Netflix.Continue reading.Engadget's guide to the best smartwatchesWill the Pixel Watch 2 make it?EngadgetThe wearable world is filled with high-quality options, and a few key players, like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Fitbit Versa, have muscled their way to the front of the pack with their smart features. Chances are, if you're reading this guide, you've probably already decided it's time to upgrade whatever gadget's on your wrist. We walk you through the crucial specs and features you should look for.Continue reading.Amazon's first satellites to launch October 6The company will test its answer to SpaceX's Starlink service.Amazon's Kuiper satellites will soon make their debut in orbit. Project Kuiper is Amazon's answer to SpaceX's Starlink service. At the moment, its plans entail launching 3,200 satellites over the next six years to form a constellation of internet connectivity to far-flung places. The company says it's on track to deploy its first production satellites in the first half of 2024 and to start beta testing with commercial users.Continue reading.The Gmail app for Wear OS is finally availableThere's still no Calendar support.Google has finally released a version of Gmail for Wear OS to accompany the launch of the Pixel Watch 2, as originally spotted by 9to5Google. The company teased this feature back in May at I/O - it's been a long time coming. Google hasn't offered a direct way to access Gmail with its smartwatches, outside of notifications. And it made Gmail...Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-sony-offers-100-free-movies-to-its-playstation-plus-premium-subscribers-111549132.html?src=rss
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by Sarah Fielding on (#6FBQE)
It appears Telltale Games, known for its popular The Wolf Among Us and excellent The Walking Dead episodic games, hasn't been able to escape the financial pressures hitting video game studios as of late. In a post on X, Former Telltale Games employee Jonah Huang, shared that he and most of his colleagues were let go in September. The news follows a slew of recent layoffs in the gaming industry from companies such as Naughty Dog, Blizzard, Epic Games and Twitch.
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by Mariella Moon on (#6FBQF)
When Activision announced Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile in 2022, the developer said it was planning to release the game sometime this year, shortly after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II became available. Now, Activision has published a trailer for the mobile title, with the revelation that it's coming out sometime in the spring of 2024 instead. It has no specific launch date yet, but those interested can already pre-order from Google Play or the App Store.Warzone Mobile is a battle royale experience, which will put up to 120 players on a single map. The matches' operators, weapons, locations and combat are supposed to be familiar to current Warzone fans. It will also share a Battle Pass, as well as feature cross-progression, with Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0. While the game won't be widely available until 2024, fans in Australia, Chile, Norway and Sweden have been able to play it since earlier this year. This "limited release" version gives Activision a way to test the game with a wider audience than it can with its Closed Alpha, so it can find and fix more bugs, stress test matches and collect as much feedback as possible on gameplay and different elements of the title.In addition to announcing a new release date window for Warzone Mobile, Activision has also revealed that the game will come with access to Rebirth Island from day one. The fan favorite Resurgence mode map will be making its debut on mobile and has apparently been "painstakingly and specially built" for this game.As for those waiting for Modern Warfare III, Raven Software has confirmed at the COD Next event that players will be able to slide cancel in the game - a mechanic that was notably absent from Modern Warfare II. Take note, though, that while the mechanic is coming back, it will no longer reset Tactical Sprint.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/call-of-duty-warzone-wont-come-to-mobile-until-spring-2024-092513290.html?src=rss
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by Steve Dent on (#6FBNT)
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has warned around 6,800 current and former employees that their personal data was accessed via a data breach, according to a letter seen by Bleeping Computer. The nature of the personal information stolen by hackers was redacted, but the company stated that a file transfer app called MOVEit was the source of the breach. It's the second report of an attack on Sony's operations within the last two weeks.A ransomware group called CL0P claimed credit for the attack on May 28th, and MOVEit's vendor Progress Software notified Sony about the vulnerability on May 31st "On June 2, 2023, [we] discovered the unauthorized downloads, immediately took the platform offline, and remediated the vulnerability," Sony states in the letter to employees. "An investigation was then launched with assistance from external cybersecurity experts. We also notified law enforcement."The hackers reportedly gained access to personally identifiable information about US employees, so Sony is providing credit monitoring services to those affected.Sony was victim of another breach first reported last week. In that case, the hackers accessed servers in Japan used for internal testing for its Entertainment, Technology and Services business, pilfering 3.14GB of data. A threat actor called Ransomed.vc took credit for the attack, but that was denied by another group calling itself MajorNelson, which posted a sampling of files as proof. Sony said it was investigating the attack, adding "there has been no adverse impact on Sony's operations."The company's PlayStation network was attacked in 2011, and Sony Pictures was famously hacked in 2014, resulting in a massive leak of documents and content - including entire films.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-confirms-data-breach-affecting-nearly-7000-employees-075945888.html?src=rss
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by Mariella Moon on (#6FBJJ)
Instagram might let you share Stories only with specific groups of friends in the future. During a broadcast on his page, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has revealed that the social media app has started testing the ability to share Stories to multiple audience lists. The app already has a "Close Friends" feature, which gives you the ability to add certain friends to a list and to share Stories to that group of people only. It gives you a bit of privacy on the social network, especially if you have a public profile.But sometimes, you may have things to share with people outside your closest group of friends. Having the option to create and maintain multiple lists means you don't have to add people to your Close Friends list if they don't fit the description and can share relevant updates with different groups of people and subsets of followers. "This allows you to share stories to smaller groups and gives you more control over who can see your stories," Mosseri said. "As someone who uses Close Friends often, I'm pretty excited about being able to create additional lists for the people in my life."As you can see in the example below, you can create separate groups for your siblings, for instance, or for local acquaintances who also love food. While Mosseri seemed to be excited about being able to create multiple lists, it's still an experimental feature, and there's no guarantee that it'll be released more widely.InstagramThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-is-testing-multiple-audience-lists-for-stories-050150933.html?src=rss
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by Karissa Bell on (#6FBC6)
Elon Musk is once again in the crosshairs of the Securities and Exchange Commision (SEC). The regulator, which has been investigating Musk's Twitter takeover, is now suing the owner of X after he failed to appear for previously-scheduled testimony, The Wall Street Journal reports.The SEC's investigation dates back to 2022, when it opened a probe into Musk's delayed disclosure of his stake in Twitter, which was at the time a publicly-traded company. Musk was 10 days late in filing paperwork, required under US securities law, disclosing his investment in Twitter. The delay may have earned him as much as $156 million, and also made him the target of a class-action lawsuit from former Twitter shareholders.Musk had been scheduled to testify in the SEC investigation into the matter last month, The Wall Street Journal reports. But Musk failed to appear at a scheduled meeting in San Francisco, and later gave a blanket refusal to appear for testimony" when the SEC tried to reschedule. The regulator is now asking a San Francisco federal court to force Musk to comply with its subpoena.It's hardly the first time Musk has found himself on the wrong side of the SEC, which he has repeatedly ridiculed over the years. The Tesla CEO was charged with securities fraud over a now-infamous 2018 tweet claiming he had funding secured" to take the electric car maker private. Musk eventually settled with the SEC, paying a $20 million fine and giving up his position as chairman of Tesla's board. Musk is, however, still fighting a provision of that SEC settlement requiring a so-called Twitter-sitter" to sign-off on some of Musk's Tesla-related tweets.X didn't respond to a request for comment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-sec-is-suing-elon-musk-for-refusing-to-testify-in-twitter-investigation-212347834.html?src=rss
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by Stephanie Barnes on (#6FB9N)
Tracking your fitness and health just got easier if you use MyFitnessPal and Google's Wear OS. The MyFitnessPal smartwatch app offers a way to keep track of your health stats, including calorie intake and gym gains. While this worked well, it has also been limited since you couldn't edit or input your data directly on your wearable device. However, the latest app update changes things for the better.In a recent blog post, MyFitnessPal announced updates that will make tracking and logging easier on Wear OS. Now, users can track and log without pulling out their phones. When wearing compatible Android smartwatches, users will have access to new watch tiles and complications - which will give them the ability to log foods they eat regularly while keeping track of daily nutritional intake, like sugar, fiber, fats, calories and even hydration. Users will also be able to see a quick snapshot of their entire day right from their wrists.This feature will be available to users with a smartwatch running Wear OS, like the new Pixel Watch 2. The MyFitnessPal app is available for download from the Google Play Store.While this feature isn't entirely new to the MyFitnessPal app on smartwatches - Apple Watch users have had this option for a while - it's good news that people using Wear OS have another way to track. Monitoring our health and wellness is important and can be easily neglected when we just don't have the time. Any innovation, big or small, that makes keeping up with health stats easier is always a good move. Now if only they could figure out a way to burn and log calories without the exercise.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/myfitnesspal-update-lets-users-track-meals-or-workouts-on-wear-os-watches-195919769.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6FB9P)
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says the company is adjusting Unreal Engine pricing for non-gaming developers in fields like film / TV and automotive. We haven't officially announced this, but in the interest of transparency, we want to put it out there," Sweeney said in a presentation from Unreal Fest 2023 posted on X (formerly Twitter) by @ImmatureGamerX (via Game Developer). The CEO didn't mention specific pricing but said Epic's licensing model would resemble those of tools like Maya and Photoshop.Sweeney sounded (understandably) determined to differentiate Epic's price hike from Unity's. The latter stirred the ire of countless developers as it announced a per-install pricing model that many smaller developers claimed would have put them out of business. Unity ended up walking back many of the plan's most contentious changes. However, whether the softened stance will prevent a full-on developer exodus remains to be seen. Several months before its pricing fiasco, Unity cut its workforce for the third time in less than a year.Epic's CEO briefly addressed his company's recent layoffs, where it let go of 16 percent of its workforce. This was a survival move that was necessary," Sweeney said. He added that Epic began running into financial problems" about 10 weeks ago, but he sounded satisfied that the move puts Epic back on solid ground. One thing, we stabilized our finances so we won't run out of money as we build the metaverse," he said. Epic has been bullish on constructing a virtual universe, including a partnership with Meta, Microsoft, and others to develop metaverse standards.Epic GamesSweeney explained that Fortnite's revenue had subsidized other parts of the company and that it was time for change. He claimed aspects of Epic's business had grown too reliant on the cash cow. A funny thing about being funded so heavily by Fortnite over the past six years is we've had different parts of our business get disconnected from their revenue streams. We have big teams serving different industry verticals, building this and that set of features for custom clients without revenue to support it," he said.The co-founder sounded as invested as ever in the Epic Games Store. We think the Epic Games Store is a cure to a disease that's impacting a lot of the industry right now, where the mobile platforms have become overlords and are extracting vastly higher payment processing fees than any same payment process around there," he stated. And we're fighting that." The company has taken on Apple and Google's stranglehold on mobile payments.Sweeney's speech wrapped by framing the moment as a crucial turning point laced with optimism. In summary, this is a pivotal moment for us," he explained. Our commitment now is to operate differently. We are determined to avoid falling back into a precarious position. Through the highs and lows, we promise to support you," Sweeney said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/unreal-engine-will-get-more-expensive-but-not-for-game-devs-191959514.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6FB6T)
Google has finally released a version of Gmail for Wear OS to accompany the launch of the Pixel Watch 2, as originally spotted by 9to5Google. The company teased this feature back in May at I/O, but we were left wondering when it would actually launch. Well, here it is, giving you prime wrist access to your emails.This has been a long-awaited option for Wear OS users, as Google hasn't offered a direct way to access Gmail with its smartwatches, outside of notifications, until now. Being as how Gmail is one of the company's tentpole offerings, it's a mystery as to why it took this long. Still, better late than never.The app seems robust, with options to refresh your inbox, scroll through emails and even switch between multiple accounts on the fly. You can also adjust the overall settings so new email notifications pop up on the watch's face as you go about your day. The app works with 2021's Wear OS 3 and the just-released Wear OS 4, so those with slightly older smartwatches can also read an endless barrage of campaign donation emails. Gmail for Wear OS is available now via the Google Play Store.Back at I/O, Google also announced that the company's Calendar app was coming to Wear OS, but that has yet to materialize. Calendar for Wear OS is expected to allow users to check schedules, RSVP to invites, update tasks and to-do lists and more. Additionally, Google's smart home ecosystem will soon get improved Wear OS integration, letting you answer your Nest doorbell from your wrist.However, as Wear OS 3 and Wear OS 4 continue to gain new features, the company's older smartwatch operating systems are losing features. Google recently announced that its proprietary voice assistant would no longer work on watches running anything before Wear OS 3.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-gmail-app-for-wear-os-is-finally-available-185420301.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6FB6V)
Lucid has unveiled its most affordable Air EV trim yet. A rear-wheel drive variant of the Lucid Air Pure is available now for a starting price of $77,400. Lucid says this version, which is $5,000 less than the dual-motor all-wheel drive model, completes its Air lineup.The brand is well-known for offering a large range in its EVs and it hasn't skimped in that department here. When equipped with 19-inch wheels, the Air Pure RWD has a range of 410 miles, according to the automaker. The Environmental Protection Agency gave it an even more generous range estimate of 419 miles.However you slice it, Lucid claims the Air Pure RWD has a larger range than any other electric car on the market save for its own models. The lineup tops out with the Lucid Air Grand Touring, which has an EPA-estimated range of 516 miles.You won't have to hang around by a charger for too long to top up your battery either. Lucid says the Air Pure RWD can add 150 miles of range after being plugged into a DC fast charger for less than 12 minutes.The EV has Lucid's most compact battery pack to date, which helps give those in the back seat more legroom, according to the automaker. Lucid also claims this model is the most aerodynamic car that's in production right now.The Air Pure RWD comes with Apple CarPlay, a 34-inch curved Glass Cockpit display, heated front and rear seats and steering wheel, DreamDrive driver assistance systems and the Lucid UX digital environment all as standard. While it's still a pricey vehicle, the Air Pure RWD lowers the barrier to entry for those looking to hop into a Lucid EV.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lucids-most-affordable-air-ev-still-has-a-projected-410-mile-range-183806231.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6FB6W)
Developer CD Projekt Red just announced it is in the early stages of developing a live-action TV show or movie based on the once-hated and now-beloved Cyberpunk 2077 game. Details are scant, as we don't even know if it'll be a film or ongoing series, but the game developer has teamed up with production company Anonymous Content to bring Night City to glorious live-action life.You probably don't know Anonymous Content by name, but the company's behind a slew of high-profile and critically-acclaimed TV shows, like True Detective and Mr. Robot. It's also helped produce recent films like The Revenant and Spotlight, but also classics like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich. This is a serious production company, so we could be in for something special.While CD Projekt Red hasn't announced whether this will be a show or movie, there are some hints indicating it'll be a TV series. The developer went out of its way to note that it's working closely with certain members of the Anonymous Content team, all of which are heavily involved in the TV side of things. For instance, the dev called out the company's Head of Television Garret Kemble and noted Chief Creative Officer David Levine's decade-long tenure at HBO. Levine was heavily involved with getting Game of Thrones and Westworld on the network, in addition to other hit shows.This situation here looks slightly different from Netflix's The Witcher show, as that's adapted from the source books and not the video game series. Cyberpunk 2077 is a wholly original IP, giving CD Projekt Red a good amount of creative control over how the story plays out. To that end, the developer hasn't indicated this would be a one-to-one adaptation of the game, rather stating its set in the world" of Cyberpunk 2077.This looks to be in the extreme early stages of development, so it could be years before we see the lawless Badlands or the slums of Dogtown in live action. This series or movie will join the Netflix cartoon Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.When you think about it, it's pretty nuts that the Cyberpunk IP is flourishing in this way. The game launched as a buggy mess, forcing Sony to actually pull it from its online store and both CD Projekt Red and Microsoft to issue refunds to unhappy customers. Since that disastrous launch, the developer has slowly and steadily improved just about every aspect of the game, transforming whole gameplay mechanics in the process. The end result? Cyberpunk 2077 is now considered to be a truly special video game, with 25 million sales to prove it. Even the recently-released Phantom Liberty DLC has already racked up 3 million downloads. There's also a pseudo-sequel on the way.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/theres-a-live-action-cyberpunk-2077-show-or-movie-on-the-way-172248247.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6FB37)
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) has chosen its 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winners, and they're all about quantum dots. The three researchers - Alexei I. Ekimov, Louis E. Brus and Moungi G. Bawendi - will share the honors for their contributions to nanotechnology.Although quantum dots had been proposed theoretically earlier in the 20th century, this year's trio of Nobel winners began verifying them experimentally. The nanoscale semiconductor particles exhibit quantum mechanical properties, glowing in different colors when exposed to light. Quantum dots have many fascinating and unusual properties. Importantly, they have different colours depending on their size," wrote Johan Aqvist, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, in a press release. The smaller the dot, the bluer its light is; the bigger the dot, the redder its light is. By changing their size, researchers can tune their colors, leading to various scientific advances.The Nobel recipients' work with quantum dots has led to progress in display technology (like QLED TVs and monitors), medical and biological imaging, solar cells, drug delivery and quantum computing (among other things). Researchers' consensus is that we're still only scratching the surface of quantum dots' practical capabilities.Ekimov, a solid-state physicist, was the first to experimentally discover quantum dots when he synthesized them in colored glass in 1981. Meanwhile, Brus proved their size-dependent effects in particles floating freely in a fluid. In the following decade, Bawendi spearheaded breakthroughs in the nanoparticles' chemical production, leading to almost perfect particles," as the KVA's press release described.The three honorees will split (evenly) a prize of 11 million Swedish krona (US$998,515).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nobel-prize-in-chemistry-awarded-to-trio-of-quantum-dot-researchers-170057741.html?src=rss
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by Andrew Tarantola on (#6FB38)
Archaeologists figure we've been baking for anywhere from 11,000 to 14,000 years. And while the fundamental chemistry of leavening bread hasn't much changed over the intervening years, we have developed countless shortcuts to make the bread baking process easier, faster and more convenient through products like baking soda, baking powder, instant dry yeast; and tools like electric ovens, stand mixers and food processors.With the busy holiday baking season right around the corner and visions of sourdough stocking stuffers for friends and family dancing through my mind, I recently picked up a new starter culture (shout out to MatKat Bakery of Modesto, California). Normally when I maintain a starter it will either live in the fridge or on my kitchen counter. The problem with that is the yeast and bacteria that make sourdough, well, sour, prefer the ambient temperature to be in the mid-70s to low-80s, making my kitchen counter a little too cold - and fridge far too cold - for the starter to expediently rise when I feed it. But you better believe we have gadgets to fix that. Here are three that will maintain an ideal temperature for sourdough starter to live in.Sourhouse GoldieThat is precisely what the Sourhouse Goldie is designed to do. Growing out of a significantly-overfunded Kickstarter, the Goldie is essentially a small heating pad enclosed by a large glass dome meant to create a tiny, cozy microenvironment for your starter to live in.An integrated thermometer tracks the temperature under the dome and relays that information via a three-color LED in the base. Blue means it's too cold, red means it's too hot and yellow indicates you've reached the goldilocks zone." If it is too cold, you can turn on the heat which will raise the temperature to the goldilocks zone and then keep it there indefinitely. If your kitchen is too hot, an included cooling puck" that otherwise lives in your freezer can be set on top of your starter jar to lower the temp.Andrew Tarantola / EngadgetThe dome is quite tall, able to accommodate my normal quart-sized starter containers, though the included pint-sized graduated cylinder is plenty big enough to hold a few hundred grams of fed starter. Despite its height, the bell sits sturdily atop the heating platform and forms a firm seal at its base - enough that things can get rather steamy under the dome if you trap any moisture in there while feeding your starter. Overall the device has a surprisingly small footprint and a sub-six-inch diameter. I can pick it up, move it around my kitchen as I work, shove it into a corner or onto a pantry shelf when I'm not using it -- the thing fits most anywhere. It runs off a USB plug (and an included wall adapter) giving you added options in potential power sources.Beyond providing a quick visual reference for how the starter is doing, I also like that the Goldie provides a bit of entertainment as the starter rises. I always get a little tingle of pride as I see the culture that I have raised and cared for flourish and grow under the dome.Overall it's ludicrously easy to use - you plug it in, turn it on and put your starter under the dome. From there it can keep indefinitely, assuming you maintain power and keep feeding the culture. This method can get labor and resource intensive given that keeping a starter active at those temperatures will require feeding it every 12 to 24 hours. Think of it like a yeast-based teenager - depending on your feeding ratio (starter vs flour vs water added each time) you can end up running through food for it far faster than you realized possible. I like to keep my starter in the fridge if I'm not planning on using it for a few days (to dramatically slow the culture's metabolism) and I've found that I can bring my starter back to activity far more quickly by putting it in the Goldie rather than my kitchen counter.I'm not so hot on the Goldie's price point, however. For as much as I like it, $130 for a hot plate and bell jar feels steep to me (they don't even include the jar for the starter pictured in their marketing), especially when the user has very little direct control, or even understanding of what the starter is currently experiencing. It's a very vibe-heavy experience for an activity where I'm then expected to calculate hydration percentages out to two decimal places.Brod & Taylor Sourdough HomeThe Sourdough Home, from baking equipment purveyors Brod & Taylor, takes the nearly opposite tack in heating, cooling and maintaining a starter. Where the Goldie is a kitchen gadget, the Home is kitchen equipment.It's a mini-mini fridge, one that sits on your countertop to house jars of sourdough starter, and can dial in your desired air temperature to the degree. It's bigger and boxier than the Goldie; taller, wider and deeper too. The interior is split horizontally by a removable shelf that can hold either a single quart jar or a pair of pints. The front face features an LED touch-sensitive thermostat which ranges from 41 - 122 degrees fahrenheit. It really is a tiny refrigerator that also gets warm on command - or a tiny oven that gets very cold, depending on how you look at it.Andrew Tarantola / EngadgetWith the Goldie, I find myself splitting the starter's time between living in my regular refrigerator and in the device itself, getting ready for use. And that generally works when I'm only baking on the weekends or need to activate the starter for a spur of the moment project. The Home replaces that entire situation with a single countertop device. The starter lives there - I never get it lost in the back of my full-size refrigerator, I never forget to feed it for a week with it hanging out on my counter.Getting the starter ready is as simple as adjusting the thermostat up a handful of degrees; preparing it for hibernation is the same, in the opposite direction. The Home incorporates a fan into its design, so it does make slightly more noise than the completely silent Goldie, but the whirring is barely audible to me, a middle-aged guy with moderate tinnitus. I like the Home. It provides a degree of control and precision that the Goldie cannot match at a price point $30 lower, at $99.The BreadwinnerWhile both the Goldie and the Home do an excellent job of keeping your starter at its optimal temperature, neither will alert you when the culture is ready for use. That's where the Breadwinner comes in. This Wi-Fi connected growth sensor screws onto the top of any wide mouth (86mm) mason jar. It measures the starter's rate of rise after a feeding and until it peaks a few hours later, marking its readiness to use.Traditionally I use my eyes and a series of rubber bands around the jar measuring its growth at the top of every hour to figure out when my starter's rise is slowing down (which means its ready to use). The Breadwinner not only does that for me, but also sends me email alerts when it's ready. It also saves all of that data to an online portal where I can track it in real-time and mine it for historical trends about the culture's previous performance. I can also plug into a social network / online journal of like-minded bakers, share recipes I've used my starter in and generally keep track of everything I've used it for.Andrew Tarantola / EngadgetThis is a really handy gadget when I'm getting ready for a bake but not necessarily able to hang around my kitchen until it's ready. I can do other chores or run errands and feel secure in the knowledge that the Breadwinner will shoot me a note when it's time to get baking. I also like that the device can be tuned to the size of the jar - 16, 24, 32 or 64 oz - for more accurate readings. The Breadwinner runs on four AA batteries, which will last anywhere from two weeks to a couple months, depending on how often you're feeding your starter and using the device. If you want to get really fancy, you can use the Breadwinner and the Home or Goldie in tandem with each other, rapidly rewarming the starter and knowing precisely when it is ready to use.EngadgetI do wish the activation button wasn't quite so easy to, uh, activate. I kept accidentally turning it when I was just moving the jar around between feedings, which required me to log into the portal and delete the blank records from my starter's profile. I'm also not sold on the price of $85 MSRP, which is a solid chunk of change for a narrowly applicable and entirely optional kitchen tool. I also have concerns given that the company behind the Breadwinner is still a small startup. If they go out of business, their servers, where the Breadwinner's data and utility reside, will go offline as well and you're left with a hundred-dollar novelty jar lid. If Brod & Taylor or Sourhouse go under, yeah I'll lose warranty repairs, but the devices themselves will keep working.Who would find these gadgets most useful?This is $355 worth of gear altogether - a new, not refurbished, KitchenAid 4.5-quart stand mixer worth of gear. That's a lot of flour. Still, the prospect of having my starter ready to use in a few hours" rather than later this evening," and of not kicking myself for forgetting to take the jar out of the fridge the night before - that's worth at least $100 to me. Maybe $225, but I've been burned like starter in a hot oven by proprietary kitchen platforms before.Andrew Tarantola / EngadgetReally, the choice of keepers comes down to your personal preference: between the more whimsical vibes of the Goldie and the calculating precision of the Sourdough Home. If you're only planning on using your starter on one or two bakes a week, splitting its time between your fridge and the Goldie is the way I would go. Conversely, if you're working with your starter more than half the days in a week and need to keep it perpetually at the ready, a dedicated housing space like the Sourdough Home would likely serve you better. The Breadwinner works equally well with either warmer, or on its own. If you tend to multitask other chores and responsibilities during your recipe's proofing times, the Breadwinner can help keep you on task and keep your bake from falling flat.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/three-kitchen-gadgets-to-take-the-guesswork-out-of-sourdough-164536914.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6FB39)
Sony has released its own movie streaming app for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. You'll be able to buy and rent movies through the Sony Pictures Core app, but there's a decent perk for subscribers of PlayStation Plus Premium and Deluxe (a version of Premium that's available in select markets).Members will get access to a library of up to 100 ad-free Sony Pictures films at no extra cost. Sony says the lineup includes movies such as Looper, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Elysium and Resident Evil Damnation. The library will receive periodic updates. The company also plans to add some anime content from Crunchyroll to Sony Pictures Core, and it notes that benefits for all PS Plus subscribers are on the way.Many observers have long suggested that Sony should grant PS Plus subscribers the ability to stream some movies as part of the subscription, so it's nice that's finally happening. Given Sony's big push to turn its gaming franchises into movies and TV shows, it makes more sense than ever to offer that perk. On the other hand, Sony announced this update only a few weeks after it increased the price of the annual PS Plus Premium plan from $120 to $160.PS4 and PS5 users will be able to buy some Sony Pictures films during an early access window. Right now, folks in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can buy Gran Turismothrough their console before it's available for digital purchase elsewhere. Snap up that film through Sony Pictures Core, and you'll get in-game credits for Gran Turismo 7too.The app has been available on Bravia TVs and some Xperia devices for a while. Until now, the app has been called Bravia Core, but Sony is rebranding it on those devices next year.Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that the PlayStation version of the app includes one of the key features that Bravia and Xperia users have been able to enjoy. On those devices, the Bravia Core app employs Sony's Pure Stream tech, which can stream video at up to 80 Mbps. For comparison, Netflix recommends speeds of up to 25 Mbps for 4K video. Sony says the higher bit rate enables it to offer near lossless" video streaming at a quality akin to 4K Blu-ray discs. That claim more or less holds up: I found that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse looks astoundingly good with Pure Stream enabled.However, as things stand, there are no video quality settings in the Sony Pictures Core app on PlayStation devices. Here's hoping Sony enables Pure Stream there in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ps-plus-premium-subscribers-can-now-stream-up-to-100-sony-movies-at-no-extra-cost-163126159.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6FB3A)
Blizzard's hit dungeon-romping sequel Diablo IV is officially coming to Steam on October 17.This is a boon for PC gamers, as it was previously only available on Blizzard's proprietary sales platform Battle.net, and Steam is a more widely-used service. The news should be of particular interest for Steam Deck owners. It was already possible to jump through the hoops required to get the game running on the portable console, but this will radically streamline the process.Valve hasn't rated the game for Steam Deck compatibility, but that'll likely happen closer to launch. Additionally, you'll still need a Battle.net account to get started, so have those login credentials ready. Just like the Battle.net release, standalone PCs require at least an Intel Core i5 or AMD FX-8350 CPU and 8 GB of RAM, though 16 GB is preferred, to get this running.The Steam release joins a new DLC called Season of Blood, also launching on October 17. The content drop brings a new questline, updated vampire powers, five new endgame bosses and much more, like the addition of actress Gemma Chan as a vampire hunter.There's also a big-time patch coming out on the same day. Patch 1.2.0 brings all kinds of quality of life improvements, like faster XP gain, better navigation around Nightmare Dungeons, streamlined character rewards, more durable NPC companions, reduced backtracking and an increase in world boss spawns for loot gathering purposes. That's just scratching the surface. For a full list of improvements, check out the patch notes.We were impressed by many aspects of Diablo IV at launch, praising the world design for having the most detailed and creative assets Blizzard has ever produced." We also said that it's basically the Diablo game we've been dreaming of ever since" the original title launched back in the hazy Clinton-infused days of 1997.Blizzard has been protective of its IP with regard to allowing them to flourish on other sales platforms than Battle.net. However, Diablo IV isn't the first high-profile game to migrate to Steam. Back in August, the hit multiplayer shooter Overwatch 2 launched on Valve's storefront. At that time, Blizzard said that several titles would be making their way to Steam, but it didn't say which ones. Obviously, Diablo IV is one, but we're still waiting on more releases.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/diablo-iv-comes-to-steam-on-october-17-154524291.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6FAZ9)
Microsoft and Amazon are facing more antitrust scrutiny. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says it will investigate the cloud services market in the country to determine if companies are engaging in anti-competitive practices.Amazon (through Amazon Web Services) and Microsoft are by far the biggest players in that field in the UK. Between them, they had a market share of between 70 and 80 percent last year, according to a report from media regulator Ofcom, which asked the CMA to investigate the market. Google is in third place with a relatively paltry share of between five and 10 percent.Ofcom believes that competition in the market is constrained by a number of factors that make it hard for customers to switch suppliers or use more than one at the same time. A key issue is egress fees, which customers often have to pay to transfer their data to another service. "The cost of transferring data between rival providers can discourage customers from using more than one cloud provider and in some cases make switching more costly," Ofcom said in its report.A lack of interoperability and portability can make it overly laborious for customers to configure their data and apps to work on different services, the regulator said. Discounts can also dissuade customers from using more than one provider.Those factors give Microsoft and Amazon a leg up over the competition, Ofcom suggests. "Limits on the ability of customers to credibly threaten to switch away can reduce the competitive pressure on the market leaders, giving them a degree of market power," the report states. "If customers have difficulty switching and using multiple providers, it could make it harder for competitors to gain scale and challenge AWS and Microsoft effectively for the business of new and existing customers."In addition, Ofcom notes that some cloud service providers have raised concerns over the business software licensing practices of some cloud players, especially Microsoft. "We have received submissions that say Microsoft engages in several practices that make it less attractive for customers to use Microsoft's licensed software products on the cloud infrastructure of rival providers compared to Microsoft Azure," the report states. "The submissions allege that this limits their ability to compete for customers." The products in question include Windows and Microsoft 365. Ofcom says that Microsoft has disputed the veracity of these claims."We welcome Ofcom's referral of public cloud infrastructure services to us for in-depth scrutiny," CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said in a statement. "This is a 7.5 billion [$9.1 billion] market that underpins a whole host of online services - from social media to AI foundation models. Many businesses now completely rely on cloud services, making effective competition in this market essential." The CMA plans to conclude its investigation by April 2025.Microsoft and Amazon both say they'll work constructively with the CMA. Amazon took issue with Ofcom's claims, telling Reutersthat the watchdog's conclusions were rooted in "a fundamental misconception of how the IT sector functions, and the services and discounts on offer."The cloud has been a sticking point in another Microsoft-CMA tussle. The watchdog initially blocked the company's proposed $68.7 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard due to concerns that Microsoft would hold too much power in the cloud gaming market. Microsoft later pledged to sell cloud game streaming rights to Activision Blizzard titles to Ubisoft if the deal goes through. That concession, made as part of Microsoft's revised agreement, "opens the door to the deal being cleared," the CMA said in September. The regulator will make its final decision on the merger this month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-and-amazon-face-a-uk-antitrust-probe-over-cloud-services-151515071.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6FAZA)
Netflix's game studio is slowly but surely dropping new titles, adding around 40 mobile releases in 2023. One such game is the universally-acclaimed Metroidvania/roguelike action gem Dead Cells, which was just announced as part of the streamer's Netflix & Thrill" promotion for Halloween. I wouldn't exactly call this a horror game, but you do play as a headless blob-infused ghost and it's heavily inspired by the Castlevania series, so sure why not.Dead Cells: Netflix Edition looks to include the full original game along with all kinds of DLC, including the recently-released crossover with the aforementioned genre stalwart Castlevania. A traditional Netflix subscription gives you access to the game on both iOS and Android devices. It remains to be seen if you can use the official game controller app to play the game on a supported television.If you've been living underneath a rock that changes location each day, Dead Cells is a sidescrolling roguelike with procedurally generated maps that reset each run. The world is vast and filled with secrets and power ups. Many of these upgrades stick around from run to run, making this more of a roguelite" like the equally stunning Hades. The Metroidvania aspect kicks in because there are parts of the map unavailable to you when you first play, requiring traversal mechanics (like the double jump) that you pick up as you play. It's an addictive formula with one heck of a gameplay loop. There's a reason it's sold more than 10 million copies across platforms.In addition to Dead Cells, Netflix also announced the forthcoming release of an enhanced version of horror puzzler Slayaway Camp. This game has you controlling a cute lil psychotic slasher called Skullface. The heartwarming tale tasks you with solving isometric puzzles and killing annoying camp counselors. Slayaway Camp: Netflix & Kill likely includes DLC from Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut - Deluxe Edition, among other goodies.Both of these spook-adjacent games are coming soon, though Netflix hasn't dropped actual release dates. They'll come out before Halloween, however, or else what's the point. Just like all Netflix games, they won't have ads or in-app purchases, just sweet, sweet gameplay.There's also a Dead Cells animated series in the works. Interestingly, there's no home for it yet, but this move certainly hints that it could premiere on Netflix, particularly with the platform's recent push into animated game adaptations. A recent Netflix animation event teased shows based on Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider and Devil May Cry. The streamer has also released a couple of well-regarded cartoons based on the Castlevania franchise.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-nabs-the-iconic-dead-cells-for-its-ever-growing-games-library-150038384.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6FAWA)
In an otherwise incremental update, one of macOS Sonoma's marquee features is interactive desktop widgets. Although Apple now lets you add widgets to the Notification Center on older versions of macOS, with Sonoma you can plop them down right on the desktop. Here's how to set up and start using customizable widgets on your Mac computer.Notification Center widgetsFirst, if you have any existing Notification Center widgets you'd rather put on the desktop, you can now drag them over directly. They'll move seamlessly back and forth between the two places, and you can reposition them around the desktop to find a spot you like.How to access the widget galleryApple added a widget gallery (similar to the one on iOS) to make setup easy. Start by right-clicking (or ctrl-clicking) on an unused space on your desktop, and choose the Edit Widgets" option. The widget gallery will open, displaying available ones from installed Mac apps and your iPhone (if you have one).Will Shanklin / EngadgetThe gallery's main window (above) displays all widgets, while the left sidebar lets you scroll through the list of apps with available ones. If your iPhone's widgets aren't showing, ensure your handset is running iOS 17 or later, signed in with the same Apple ID as the Mac and on the same Wi-Fi network.For apps with both macOS and iOS versions, you'll see On This Mac" and From iPhone" tabs on the upper right where you can switch views. Whichever you choose, tapping on a widget will immediately place it on your desktop, or you can drag it around until you find a spot you like.How to customize widgetsOnce you've placed a widget on your desktop, you can right-click (or ctrl-click) on it to view its available options. If you want to make it bigger or smaller, you can switch between sizes in this menu. In addition, Edit [widget name]" lets you adjust its specific settings (when applicable). You'll also see the option to Remove Widget."AppleMany native macOS widgets are interactive, allowing you to change settings or perform other tasks without opening the corresponding app. For example, you can check off to-do list items in Reminders or toggle your lights on or off in the Home app - right from the widget. Unfortunately, iPhone widgets on your Mac aren't interactive and will prompt you to open [app] on your iPhone to continue" if you click them.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-set-up-widgets-in-macos-sonoma-133045709.html?src=rss
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by Steve Dent on (#6FASR)
With its popular and well-regarded Ioniq lineup, Hyundai has been conspicuously absent from the list of major automakers signing on to use Tesla's North America Charging Standard (NACS). Now, the Korean automaker has announced that it has reached a deal to adopt NACS in North America starting in Q4 2024 in the US, with Canada to follow in the first half of 2025.Hyundai's EVs with a NACS port will gain access to more than 12,000 Superchargers across North America, doubling the number of DC fast chargers available to customers. "This new alliance will provide Hyundai EV owners confidence in their ability to conveniently charge their vehicles... with at least 30,000 stations across North America," said Hyundai Motor North America CEO Jose Munoz.Upcoming Hyundai EVs equipped with NACs, including the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and upcoming Ioniq 7, will gain access to the chargers in late 2024. New and older CCS charger-equipped vehicles will be able to use them in the first quarter of 2025, the company said.Along with access to Tesla's network, Hyundai is teaming up with BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes to develop a North American network with at least 30,000 chargers. The first US stations are set to open in the summer of 2024, with chargers in Canada following at a later date.The lack of fast chargers has been a high hurdle for EV adoption, so most automakers have looked at Tesla as at least a stopgap solution. Hyundai Motors (including Kia) recently overtook GM for second place in US EV sales, but it's still a distant second to Tesla, which sold 300,000 more EVs last year.So far, major automakers that have now signed up to use Tesla's Supercharger network include Hyundai, Fisker, Ford, GM, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian and Volvo. Those still in talks reportedly include Stellantis and Volkswagen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hyundai-evs-will-support-teslas-nacs-charging-starting-in-q4-2024-120517284.html?src=rss
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by Mat Smith on (#6FASS)
Although most of the announcements leaked in advance (all the Pixel 8 news is below), Google had one sort-of surprise. It's working on fusing Assistant and Bard AI together. During a demo, Google showed the Assistant pulling details from a party invite in Gmail. Ask where the party is, and Assistant with Bard can tell you the location and tap into Google Maps for directions. While you'd be able to ask for directions in the past, now the Assistant can pull the address from other contexts.You could chat to Bard to whip up a meal plan with a grocery list and export that to Google Docs or Gmail without a keyboard or copy and paste. There's no release date yet, but Google says Assistant with Bard is coming soon to Android and iOS.A quick note to anyone who's tried to subscribe but hasn't been getting the TMA newsletter, we've now upgraded the signup process. Please click here to subscribe!- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedGoogle Pixel Watch 2 hands-onApple fixes iPhone 15 overheating issueGoogle's Pixel 8 is a smaller 6.2-inch flagship with a bigger batteryThe Pixel 8 series gets more AI-powered editing tools for photo and videoGoogle's Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro feature upgraded cameras and software tricksThere's a temperature sensor on the Pro model too.GoogleThe Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro look largely the same as their predecessors, with a couple of key differences. The regular Pixel 8 is slightly smaller, which makes it easier to use with one hand. Meanwhile, the Pro model has a new matte finish, upgraded cameras and an intriguing temperature sensor. Across the Pixel 8 series, we're getting the company's Tensor G3 processor and, notably, seven years of Android and security updates, so you might be able to hang on to your Pixel flagship for a lot longer than before.A new temperature sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro sounds like a gimmick (and it might be?), but in the stale, tired land of smartphones, we'll take anything different. To take a reading, you'll have to launch the new Temperature app and select the type of object you're trying to measure. Google is waiting on FDA approval to enable the Pixel 8 Pro to take body temperature readings.The new Pixel 8 starts at $699, $100 more than its predecessor, while the Pixel 8 Pro costs $999, another $100 increase over the Pixel 7 Pro.Continue reading.Airbnb's next focus appears to be long-term rentalsCompany chief Brian Chesky also revealed Airbnb is considering car rentals.ASSOCIATED PRESSAirbnb chief executive Brian Chesky told the Financial Times the company is going a little bit beyond its core business" starting next year. Chesky wants Airbnb to expand its focus and is currently planning a push into long-term rentals. The service already offers monthly rentals, but apparently, only 18 percent of gross nights booked in the second quarter of 2023 come from stays longer than 30 days. Chesky believes the company can do more to drum up interest in long-term bookings.Continue reading.Patreon overhauls its platform with free content and more creator controlThe company also launched a redesigned app.Patreon announced a wide-ranging rebranding of its platform through a series of updates. It includes offering supporters more ways to follow their favorites while integrating more free content from creators. Creators can now let people join for free sharing content and updates for non-paying members while (optionally) hiding things like early access to podcasts or videos behind a paywall. They can also use a new commerce tool to sell individual pieces of content like recordings, videos and downloadable files.Continue reading.Android 14 is available now on Pixel devicesThe three focus areas this year are customization, control and accessibility.Google is rolling out the public build of Android 14. As ever, Pixel users will be able to download the new version of the operating system first on supported models (Pixel 4a and newer). Samsung, OnePlus and other Android device makers will get access to the update later this year. Deeper customization is a major focus this time around. You'll be able to choose from a variety of lock screen templates. You'll have more ways to customize your wallpaper thanks to the addition of generative AI capabilities. Select a text prompt and the AI will whip up a related image for you.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-pixel-8-pro-bard-ai-and-everything-else-from-googles-pixel-event-111847562.html?src=rss
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by Steve Dent on (#6FAST)
Ahead of its Prime Big Deal Days starting next week, Amazon is having a sale on the Apple Watch Series 8 and thanks to a coupon, it's down to the lowest price we've seen to date. You can grab the 41mm model in red for just $225, for a savings of $175 off the regular $400 price (44 percent off). That's a deal that's hard to resist, considering that the next-gen Series 9 only came out two weeks ago.The Series 8 isn't a huge update over the Series 7, but it does carry some useful new features. The main one is a temperature sensor tied to women's health, giving female users an estimate on when they may be ovulating. It's meant to be used overnight, sampling your wrist temperature every five seconds so you can see shifts from your baselineThe other is Crash Detection. Much as current watches can detect a fall, the Series 8 can detect car crashes via a pair of new accelerometers. It works in concert with other sensors to detect four different types of crashes, including rollovers, front impact, back impact and side impact. And of course, all of these Series 8 models have a cellular function, giving you internet connectivity, calls and texts for running, hiking and other activities that don't require a smartphone.Finally, like other Apple Watches, you can use it to unlock your Mac, find your other Apple devices and pay with Apple Pay. The main improvements with the Series 9 are the Double Tap and Raise to Speak (Siri) features, so if you can live without those and are good with the red color, $225 is an incredible price.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-watch-series-8-falls-to-a-new-low-of-225-103200743.html?src=rss
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by Steve Dent on (#6FANE)
Samsung has unveiled the SmartTag 2, an AirTag-like tracking device that's a successor to the original SmartTag released in 2021. Unlike the original, which had both Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) variants, the new version will combine both features in a single model. The primary drawback is that it still only works with Samsung smartphones.The new model sports an all-new ring-shaped design, with metal on the inside of the ring for durability, rather than just having a punch-hole as before. That lets it work better with accessories like clips and keyrings, or attach to bags and luggage. It's now IP67 dust and water resistant as well, letting you do things like track pets outside.SamsungThe SmartTag 2 has a new longer-lasting battery as well, with a 700 day range when in Power Saving Mode, or 500 days in Normal Mode - a 50 percent improvement over the last model. Another new feature is the Lost Mode, that lets users input contact information via a message, so that anyone who discovers an itemn with a SmartTag 2 can scan the tag and see the owner's message and contact information.As before, the idea is to attach them to important belongings like keys, wallets and suitcases, letting you track them from close range via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or across the world via UWB. The company's augmented reality (AR) tech can visually guide you toward the item via the Samsung Galaxy smartphone camera. The SmartTag 2 can also control smart home appliances via the SmartThings app.The downside to the SmartTag 2 is that it only works with Samsung devices for now, so you'd be relying not only on a Galaxy phone for tracking, but also for the worldwide tracking network. Google's Find My Device network has yet to go live, in part because Google delayed it with personal security in mind as it waits for Apple's proposed spec. Both companies plan to release a specification for unwanted tracking alerts, both iOS and Android, by the end of 2023.It's unclear if Samsung's devices will support that spec as well - so you may want to wait a bit before jumping in. The SmartTag 2 launches globally on October 11 for $30 in black or white options.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-30-galaxy-smarttag-2-arrives-on-october-11-with-an-all-new-design-082947760.html?src=rss
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by Mariella Moon on (#6FAKY)
Amazon's Kuiper satellites will soon make their debut in orbit. The company is gearing up to deploy its first two satellites, the KuiperSat-1 and the KuiperSat-2, for its Protoflight mission that's scheduled to launch on October 6. Project Kuiper is Amazon's answer to SpaceX's Starlink service. At the moment, its plans entail launching 3,200 satellites over the next six years to form a constellation that can provide internet connectivity even to far-flung places traditional providers can't reach.The KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 are the first version of Amazon's satellites and will provide the company with an important learning opportunity. They'll allow the company to conduct a series of tests that would add valuable real-world data to information already collected from the lab. Project Kuiper's ground team will also get the chance to observe how the network performs, since Protoflight will be testing the satellites' connection to Kuiper's ground-based network and to customer terminals. In addition, it will serve as a trial for the launch operations of subsequent satellites."We've done extensive testing here in our lab and have a high degree of confidence in our satellite design, but there's no substitute for on-orbit testing," said Rajeev Badyal, Project Kuiper's vice president of technology, in a statement. "This is Amazon's first time putting satellites into space, and we're going to learn an incredible amount regardless of how the mission unfolds."Amazon previously announced its intention to send the first two Kuiper satellites to space on top of a ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket. However, ULA encountered delays with the new rocket's development, and the satellites will be ferried to space on top of an Atlas V instead. ULA will deploy the satellites at an altitude of 311 miles, and then the Kuiper team will start testing the systems onboard and confirm all electronics are working, establish first contact and deploy the satellites' solar arrays. After that, the team will send data back and forth to test the network. Amazon says both satellites will be deorbited by the end of the mission.The company says it's on track to deploy its first production satellites in the first half of 2024 and to start beta testing with commercial consumers later that year. Presumably, it could incorporate changes to its plans, depending on what it learns from this launch. ULA will be streaming the event live on October 6, with coverage starting at 2PM ET.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-first-two-amazon-kuiper-satellites-are-heading-to-space-on-october-6-054335694.html?src=rss
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by Mariella Moon on (#6FAFJ)
Posts on X might look quite different, especially if you mainly follow news and media publications. The website formerly known as Twitter has started removing headlines and snippets from posted links, implementing a change Fortune reported in August. Back then, website owner Elon Musk said that the idea came from him directly and that it will "greatly improve the [platform's] esthetics." We tested it out by posting one of our stories, and only the article's image with an overlay of its URL shows up when it's viewed on iOS. On the web, we still see the article snippet and a truncated version of its headline.Advertisers reportedly didn't like the new format when they were shown a preview of it, but the change is clearly still pushing through. X's main reason for the format switch is apparently to make posts look more compact by fitting more of them in the portion of the timeline that appears on screen. In addition, Musk reportedly thinks that it could help lessen instances of clickbait, which rely on headlines with shock value, on the website.While Musk publicly claims that the primary driving force for the change in format is the website's aesthetic, it's no secret that he's been trying to encourage more people to post long-form pieces directly on X. The website expanded Blue subscribers' post limit to 25,000 characters under his leadership, and he previously tweeted that journalists who want "more freedom to write and a higher income" should "publish directly" on the platform. More recently, he encouraged "more citizen journalism" on X and said that people can do "live video easily" from their phone.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-starts-removing-headlines-from-posted-links-011446351.html?src=rss
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by Malak Saleh on (#6FABF)
Amazon is shutting down its short-lived audio app known as Amp, which previously offered a music library for users to create and broadcast custom DJ sets, according to reports by Bloomberg. Amazon's Amp was available on Android and iOS and has only been live since March of 2022. While a pandemic bubble might have given it some attention, it never really took off. The tool was designed to allow creators to make custom content as modern DJ hosts. On this mobile-forward app, users could overlap conversations and chit-chat with live music, similar to what you would hear on a traditional radio station.
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by Will Shanklin on (#6FA8B)
Patreon announced a rebranding of its platform through a series of updates on Wednesday. New features give creators more personalization and control while offering supporters more ways to follow their favorites. In addition, the platform is integrating more free content, allowing every creator to host communities non-paying members can access. Patreon also tweaked its branding with a new logo, color themes, photography and fonts.Perhaps the most notable update for creators is the ability to bolster their communities for free members. Creators can now let people join for free, offering content and updates for non-paying members while (optionally) hiding things like early access to podcasts or videos behind a paywall. They can also use a new commerce tool to sell individual pieces of content like recordings, videos and downloadable files. It makes the platform more of an all-in-one social hub for fans who aren't ready to pay but may decide to later.Patreon frames its changes as moving creators away from being prisoners to algorithms and back to connecting directly with their most eager and loyal fans. The company says those with early access to the program attracted over 160,000 new fans to their communities.PatreonCreators now have greater customization over their pages, including their layout, colors and how posts display. Whether you're highlighting your most popular posts, organizing your podcast episodes into seasons, or putting together a video series, you have the creative freedom to arrange and present your work in a way that helps your members dive into exactly what they're looking for and discover new posts to love," the company wrote in a blog post. Patreon says early testing shows increased discovery and engagement (especially on older posts) when featured in one of the new collections.Patreon is also adding chats and member profiles. Chats are led and managed by creators, which means they can shape the culture and set the right tone for their communities," the company wrote in a post announcing the features. Members can report problematic messages, and creators will have a hub to review them.Finally, the Patreon app is getting a redesign. The company says the updated app is crafted for the most hardcore fans, prioritizing their experience. Fans' homepages will now display content as creators arranged it instead of chronologically. Instead of dropping into a content overload, members log in and instantly see everything they want at a glance," the company wrote about the new app. Their homepage is organized by creator, not by post, which means fans can see a creator's latest work next to their community conversations and anything else going on in their world. It's creativity in context, the way creators intended."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/patreon-overhauls-its-platform-with-free-content-and-more-creator-control-202357279.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6FA58)
Without fanfare, Rockstar updated the PlayStation 4 version of the original Red Dead Redemption on Tuesday to play at 60fps on the PS5. The 2010 open-world Western launched on PS4 and Switch in August but only runs at 30fps on those platforms -a point many fans took issue with. PS5 owners will now see smoother framerates when playing the title in backward compatibility mode.Rockstar updated the game with patch 1.03, pushed to PlayStation owners on Tuesday. The patch notes state the higher framerates are only available to PS5 owners, not the standard PS4 or even the more powerful PS4 Pro. In other areas, the patch also added an option to enable subtitles when first starting the game and incorporated requisite bug fixes and improvements."Rockstar Games / Take-Two InteractiveThere was no shortage of online grumbling about Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive charging $50 for a 13-year-old game without significant upgrades like 4K visuals or a faster framerate. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick defended the pricing in August, saying, That's just what we believe is the commercially accurate price for it." He noted the inclusion of the Undead Nightmare DLC to help justify the cost, describing the expansion as a great standalone game in its own right when it was originally released, so we feel like it's a great bundle for the first time, and certainly a great value for consumers." The zombie-themed DLC adds roughly six hours of gameplay.Although the digital version of Red Dead Redemption has been out for PS4 and Switch since August, the physical version doesn't arrive until October 13. So, at least owners of the boxed version playing on PS5 will enjoy 60fps from the start.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rockstar-updates-red-dead-redemption-port-to-run-at-60fps-on-the-ps5-174110584.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6FA23)
If you're rocking an iPhone 15, it's probably a good idea to update to the latest version of iOS swiftly. Apple has released a fix for the overheating issues that have plagued its latest batch of iPhones. The company says that iOS 17.0.3 "provides important bug fixes, security updates and addresses an issue that may cause iPhone to run warmer than expected." An iPadOS 17 update is also available.Apple partially blamed the overheating issue on an iOS 17 bug. It noted that there were also "some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system." The company has been working with the developers of those apps (which included Uber, Instagram and Asphalt 9) to resolve the problem.Your iPhone may be configured to update to the latest version of iOS automatically during downtime when it's charging. You can also update your device manually, by going to Settings > General > About > Software Update on your iPhone. If iOS 17.0.3 is available to you (Apple rolls out updates gradually), you'll be able to install it right away and hopefully keep your iPhone from getting too toasty.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-releases-ios-17-fix-for-iphone-15-overheating-issue-172616576.html?src=rss
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by Malak Saleh on (#6FA24)
Uber is adding another service to its ride-hailing app: package returns. The company announced a new feature - dubbed Return a Package' -where customers can have a courier pick up their packages and have them dropped off at a local post office, UPS or FedEx. It will only be available for parcels that are sealed and prepaid, however.
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by Kris Holt on (#6F9XQ)
It was Google's turn on Wednesday to announce a litany of devices and updates. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were the headline acts, though there was lots of interest further down the bill including the reveal of the Pixel Watch 2 and the public version of Android 14 making its way out into the world.You can catch up on everything by watching the Made by Google event yourself or checking out our liveblog for real-time insight and analysis. Alternatively, we've rounded up all the major announcements for you right here.Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 ProThe stars of the Made by Google show are, of course, the company's latest smartphones. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro run on the Tensor G3, which Google says is its most powerful chip yet.Because it's 2023, the two devices offer a string of generative AI features powered by the latest chipset. Google says the Pixel 8's biggest machine learning model is 10 times more complex compared with the Pixel 6 from two years ago.Google says it has been able to expand its AI tech to more areas of the device beyond the likes of image processing. The Tensor G3 can help the Call Screen function detect and filter out more spam calls. Improved Clear Calling, oddly enough, should enable clearer phone calls. An audio version of Magic Eraser will let you remove unwanted sounds from videos too.GoogleGoogle Assistant can summarize text from websites and break down the highlights into bullet points. Similarly, you'll be able to get summaries of whatever you capture in the Recorder app. Those who use Assistant to compose written messages with their voice should find that feature much faster on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.The Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch Actua display that can deliver sharp colors and vivid details, Google says. The screen supports a higher refresh rate of up to 120Hz as well, which should make scrolling through web pages and playing games a smoother experience. You'll get up to 1,400 nits of brightness for HDR content and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness.GoogleThe rear camera array is getting an upgrade on the Pixel 8. There's a 50-megapixel wide main camera, with Super Res Zoom up to 8x and a 2x optical quality zoom. The second camera is a 12-megapixel ultrawide with autofocus and a 125.8-degree field of view. The front-facing camera is a 10.5-megapixel lens with a 95-degree field of view and fixed focus.The Pixel 8 Pro has similar main and front-facing cameras (albeit with autofocus on the front-facing lens). Opt for that device, though, and you'll get a 48-megapixel Quad PD ultrawide with autofocus lens and 48-megapixel Quad PD telephoto lens on the rear array. With the help of Google's image-processing and image-editing knowhow, the device should help you to capture quality photos and videos.
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by Will Shanklin on (#6FA25)
During its Made by Google event on Wednesday, the company announced that it's integrating its Bard AI chatbot into Google Assistant. The company describes the feature as combining Bard's generative reasoning" with Assistant's personalized help" to provide more contextually aware responses for mobile users. It will be available within the next few months. The feature was first rumored this summer.While Assistant is great at handling quick tasks, like setting timers, giving weather updates, and making quick calls, there is so much more that we've always envisioned a deeply capable personal Assistant should be able to do," said Google VP of Assistant / Bard Sissie Hsiao during the keynote. But the technology to deliver it didn't exist until now."Similar to Amazon's recently announced Alexa with generative AI, Assistant with Bard aims to provide a more personalized helper" than the relatively simplistic smartphone assistants (also including Alexa and Siri) we've grown accustomed to over the past decade. Google says Assistant with Bard can help with tasks like planning trips, searching emails, creating grocery lists and sending messages. You can interact with it through text, voice or images - more conversationally and with more contextual info than with the standard Google Assistant.GoogleSay you all decide to go on a hike with your dog, but you reach a fork in the trail," said Hsiao during the product demo. Snap a photo of the trail marker and ask, What path do you recommend for a group and my small dog?' And just like that, you know the North Trail is the best." The demo then showed the user using Assistant with Bard to write a cute social caption for their dog. This conversational overlay is a completely new way to interact with your phone and lets Assistant with Bard meet you wherever you are," summarized Hsiao.Google says the feature is in its early developmental stages and will soon launch for early testers. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro users will find out about expanded availability in the coming months, and the company adds that it will eventually be available on Android and iOS.Follow all of the news live from Google's 2023 Pixel event right here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-assistant-with-bard-will-use-generative-ai-for-personalized-answers-154756643.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6F9XR)
Google's hardware event has been chock full of information on new devices, like the Pixel 8 smartphone, but camera software has also gotten some TLC. The company announced a ton of Pixel 8 features exclusive for shutterbugs and video editors.The new Best Take feature solves the issue of, uh, one person looking really gross in group photos. When enabled, the software takes a series of photos in quick succession and you can actually mix and match faces to create the perfect group shot, sort of a face-based riff on the pre-existing Magic Editor tech. Grab a face from one photo and slap it on the next. If you have a friend who truly relishes ruining group shots, they likely won't be able to.Speaking of Magic Editor, it's getting a boost thanks to the power of generative AI. The new version now allows you to circle objects to reposition them in the shot and pinch to resize them. There are also a number of background presets that are accessible via a single tap. This technology's advancing quickly and it won't be long before you have absolute and total control over every aspect of your photos after the fact.The Guided Frame feature has been enhanced and now operates via both the front-facing and rear-facing cameras. This tool is great for capturing centered shots of important subjects, like faces, pets, dinners and documents. It works rather simply, with the phone emitting a series of vibrations to let you know when an object is perfectly in frame, even if you aren't looking at the display.Magic Eraser is dipping its toes into the world of video. The new Audio Magic Eraser helps you delete unwanted sounds from videos. It looks to work as quickly and simply as its image-based cousin, splitting a video's audio track into layers and allowing you to delete individual sounds. For instance, if there's an ambulance blaring in the background at your kid's birthday party, just get rid of that ambulance. We were impressed by this feature, though we noted that it didn't entirely eliminate unwanted audio artifacts, instead significantly reducing them in volume.Finally, there's a new feature called Video Boost that upscales footage using HDR technology. Basically, it sends the entire footage to Google's servers where it's split into individual frames. Each frame gets the HDR treatment before being recombined into a video and sent back to your phone. This won't be available until a software update launches in December.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-gets-more-nifty-ai-powered-editing-tools-for-photo-and-video-153528797.html?src=rss
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by Malak Saleh on (#6F9XS)
Google officially announced the Pixel 2 on Wednesday during its Made by Google Event.' Perhaps, the most exciting change is that the wearable will run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip and use a Cortex M33 co-processor. That new coprocessor specifically should be able to handle less demanding tasks, like driving the always on display (AOD) more efficiently. The Pixel 2 can hold more charge at 306 mAh, up from the first Pixel watch's 294 mAh charge capacity. This slight bump in battery capacity, combined with more efficient processors should extend the time between charges. While the official Pixel Watch 2 specs list the battery life at 24 hours, the same as the original Pixel Watch, that is with the AOD enabled.Another welcome change? Improved durability. Aside from the Gorilla Glass crystal encasing on the face, the watch has an IP68 rating now, meaning it can survive dust and being dunked in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. The new Pixel's casing is also completely made of recycled aluminum, making the wearable slightly lighter. But, in tandem with the thinner domed glass cover on the face, the new wearable boasts a sleeker design.In the landscape of smartwatches that have a wealth of tracking capabilities, the Pixel 2 is running up against Apple's latest Watch Series 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. While specs aren't the only way to discern which watch is right for you, it helps to know how they compare on things like battery life and screen size. So, don't base your purchasing decision purely on the table below, but here's how the Google Pixel 2's hardware stacks up.Google Pixel 2Apple Watch Series 9Samsung Galaxy Watch 6Pricing (MSRP)$349 for Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
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