Sonos may be synonymous with WiFi-equipped multi-room speakers, but plenty of companies have introduced their take on those products since the Play:1 arrived in 2013. Today, JBL announced its new Authentics series, a lineup of three connected speakers that offer a lot of what we've come to rely on from Sonos. All three support multi-room audio and automatic self-tuning alongside Bluetooth, WiFi and Ethernet connectivity. While only the most expensive has Dolby Atmos immersive sound, the entire trio can run Google Assistant and Alexa at the same time, a feat JBL says it's the first to achieve.For the design of the Authentics series, JBL took inspiration from its L100 speaker that debuted in the 70s. That bookshelf unit featured a grid-patterned Quadrex grille as a prominent aesthetic element, one that the company has carried through a few of its pricier products over the years. That square layout graces the speaker cover on the Authetics series too, while a leather-wrapped aluminum frame and black and gold color scheme complete the look.JBL is touting its new speaker line as the first units capable of running both Google Assistant and Alexa simultaneously on the same device. Plenty of speakers and headphones support multiple voice assistants, but you have to select one at a time. Here, you can set up these two in the JBL app and use either one (without diving into the settings menu) for hands-free control of connected devices, music and more. Simply say "Hey Google" or "Alexa" and the Authentics speakers summon the assistant you need. The company explains that it designed the integration in collaboration with Google and Amazon so that "customers have the choice and flexibility to communicate seamlessly with both voice assistants and take advantage of their different capabilities."At the top of the lineup is the Authentics 500. This model packs in three one-inch tweeters, three 2.75-inch mid-range woofers and a single 6.5-inch downfiring subwoofer. The company explains that this driver arrangement cranks out "crystal clear sound" with "tight, accurate bass." The 500 is the only unit in the series that supports Dolby Atmos audio, delivering 270 watts of 3.1-channel sound for a virtualized 3D effect. As you might expect, this is the biggest and priciest option at $700.JBL Authentics 300JBLThe Authentics 300 is the only portable speaker in JBL's new series. Priced at $430, this model is capable of 360-degree audio with a user-replaceable battery that offers eight hours of listening time. The 300 also has a built-in handle to increase portability, although the company is clear that the unit's audio performance, including "distinctive highs and deep bass," does well indoors too.The Authentics 200 houses two one-inch tweeters with a five-inch woofer and six-inch passive radiator. JBL claims that this more compact option can "fill any space - big or small - with stereo sound," including "deep bass" and "perfect balance" across all genres. It seems clear JBL is aiming to take on the Sonos One and Era 100 here, although the 200 is more expensive than those at $330.All three of the Authentics speakers will be available in black on September 17th. The entire lineup is compatible with the JBL One app which allows you to sync music services, fully customize the EQ and adjust other settings as you see fit.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jbl-takes-on-sonos-with-its-multi-room-authentics-home-speakers-150007836.html?src=rss
If you're looking to up your Mac's processing power by forking out $600, now's your chance. Apple's Mac Mini M2 is marked down 17 percent right now at B&H, dropping its price to $500. This is about the best price we've seen since it went on sale back in January.The Mac Mini M2 is a top-performing addition to any Apple computer (we gave it an 86 in our review), coming a long way since the first Mini debuted back in 2005. The first big upgrade came via the Mini M1 in 2021, but the M2 took things to another level with eight CPU cores, 8GB of RAM and ten graphic cores. Its aluminum box frame mirrors its predecessor, but it has a slightly lifted base to allow for greater airflow.The processor is also loaded with usable ports, including two USB-A, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, HDMI 2.0, a headphone jack and gigabit Ethernet. However, it is lacking any front-facing options. You have a couple of days to decide whether to make the leap and pick up a Mac Mini M2, as the sale is on through Friday, September 1st.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-mac-mini-m2-falls-back-to-499-122043112.html?src=rss
If you've recently bought an iPad and now use it for everything, you probably have run into a case where you've needed to take a screenshot. You can do that on any iPad, but the steps are different depending on the model you have. If your iPad has a home button (or not), there are a couple of tricks to remember for taking screenshots. If you have an Apple Pencil, it's easy to take a screenshot with it and quickly edit the image - and there's even a virtual home button that can help you, too. Here are all of the ways you can take a screenshot on an iPad.How to take a screenshot on an iPad without a home buttonLike the latest iPhones, most of the newest iPad models like the iPad mini don't have a home button. So how do you take a screenshot? You can still use the physical buttons on the iPad to do this: press the power button and either of the volume buttons at the same time. The screen will flash and a preview of the screenshot will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen.To edit the image, tap on the preview and work from there. Otherwise, you can find the screenshot in your Photos app.How to take a screenshot with a home buttonOlder iPads come with a physical home button, so taking a screenshot on these devices is a little different. Press the power and home buttons at the same time, the screen will flash and the screenshot will appear in your Photos app.How to take a screenshot with AssistiveTouchThere's also a way to take a screenshot on an iPad without using any buttons. Go into Settings > Accessibility > Touch and turn Assistive Touch on. Click on Double Tap and customize that setting to take a screenshot. A virtual home button will then appear on the right side of your screen. Quickly tap that button twice to take a screenshot.Photo by Julia Mercado / EngadgetA bonus for Apple Pencil usersWith an Apple Pencil, swipe up from the bottom left corner of your screen to take a screenshot. An editing menu will open automatically and from there, you can annotate and mark up the image with the Pencil using several brush options. Tap Done and Save to finish editing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-ipad-120059001.html?src=rss
Apple has set a date for its annual September iPhone event, so it's almost time to see the iPhone 15. All models (save for perhaps a new SE) could ditch the notch and start using the Dynamic Island cutout that debuted in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. There's no word on the return of the iPhone mini, and we may have to wait until next year to see the rumored iPhone Ultra.AppleApple may finally phase out the Lightning port with the iPhone 15, making a long-awaited switch to USB-C. The company doesn't have much of a choice there, since all tablets and smartphones sold in the European Union will need to use that charging port starting next year. Apple has also inched towards USB-C on its iPad device family. It might finally be time.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedMeta took down thousands of fake accounts linked to massive Chinese propaganda campaignGerman Bionic's latest exoskeleton helps healthcare workers lift elderly patients Google's new routines make it a lot easier for people to automate their smart homeTCL's new budget phones are the first to feature NXTPAPER displaysSuper Mario Bros. Wonder' will have its own Nintendo Direct on August 31st Sony's two new A7C series cameras offer premium features for less moneyFoxconn's $10 billion investment promise ended in empty buildingsIt's now selling two mostly empty buildings in Wisconsin.When Foxconn announced its plans to open facilities in Wisconsin back in 2017, it promised to invest $10 billion into bringing production to the US, which was expected to lead to as many as 13,000 jobs. That never came to fruition.In 2021, Foxconn massively altered the scale of the project and told the local government it would invest $672 million instead of the intended $10 billion. It also reduced the number of potential jobs to 1,454 from 13,000 positions. The Taiwanese supplier is selling two properties in Eau Claire and Green Bay, purchased for almost $12 million in 2018.Continue reading.The 'Gran Turismo' movie can't help but be cringeIt's a decent sports movie stifled by Sony's marketing machine.Based on an improbable true story, the movie follows Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a 20-something Gran Turismo fanatic who wins a Nissan-sponsored contest to race professionally. Even more improbable, he manages to hold his own in the racing world. The film constantly reminds you it's meant to sell you Sony products in a reality where Apple doesn't exist. At one point, a character is inexplicably attached to his Walkman cassette player, and he only moves on when he's gifted a modern Walkman digital music player. Yeah, you'll wince.Continue reading.Samsung's 85-inch outdoor Terrace TV costs $20,000Its Neo QLED screen should be ideal for direct sunlight.Samsung announced a bigger 85-inch Terrace Full Sun set for an eye-watering $20,000. For the money, you'll get a Neo QLED screen, which should remain bright in direct sunlight, as well as Direct-Sun Protection to keep the TV safe. Samsung claims it's protected "up to six hours in sunlight at 700 watts and 104 degrees Fahrenheit," but it may decrease brightness to deal with higher temperatures and sun conditions. The 65-inch Full Sun Terrace is now on sale for a relatively reasonable $6,500, while the 75-inch goes for $9,000.Continue reading.Meta's avatars finally grow some legsThey're only available to beta testers for now.MetaIt's been nearly a year since Meta announced it'd give its metaverse avatars some legs to make them appear slightly more human. Now, Quest Home avatars sport extra limbs in the latest beta version of the Quest software, but you won't see legs on your avatar when you look down, as UploadVR points out. They'll only be visible in third-person or when you're looking at a virtual mirror (much like in many first-person shooter games).Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apples-iphone-15-event-is-on-september-12th-111507037.html?src=rss
Garmin is launching the Venu 3 and smaller Venu 3S smartwatches today with a greater focus on sleep-tracking and personalization. In particular, it's adding a proactive sleep coaching feature and nap detection. The latter is noteworthy, considering most modern smartwatches from companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google can track your sleep, but only at night. With the Venu 3 series, you'll be able to rest easy knowing your daytime slumber can also be tracked, if that's your kind of thing.The company's new sleep coach considers factors such as a user's daily activity levels, sleep history, and heart rate variability (HRV) - which is a sleep metric new to the Venu series. The coach will provide recommendations on the amount of sleep you'll need to make it through the next day. The naps that the Venu 3 detects will also go towards replenishing energy levels as tracked by the company's Body Battery" tool, which quantifies energy levels on a scale of 1-100 depending on activity expenditure.Aside from sleep-tracking upgrades, the Venu 3 has a host of other improvements over its predecessor. Notably, it introduces a wheelchair mode that will track pushes rather than steps, as well as handcycle activities and pre-loaded workouts for wheelchair users, offering more inclusivity. The new watch also offers expanded insights on how workouts can affect a user and how much time is needed to recover after every gym session.Additionally, Garmin is bringing a rate of perceived exertion" feature, which enables users to report how challenging a workout felt. With this, the company is trying something new in the fitness arena. Instead of just crunching numbers, it's dipping its toes into subjective data - the kind of information that's all about personal judgment and individual experiences. The Venu 3 also introduces interval creation," which gives a runner or biker the option to build interval workouts from the watch face.GarminBeyond expanding health and fitness tracking features, Garmin says this watch will have a built-in speaker and microphone that will allow a wearer to make calls from the watch. The Venu 3 can also display photo messages on its AMOLED touchscreen. You'll be able to make contactless payments using Garmin Pay and stream music from Spotify and Amazon Music, as well.The Venu 3 will start at $449.99 and offers up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. It features a light stainless steel bezel and has silicone bands in either white or black, while five strap color options are available for the smaller 3S.It's still unclear if older Venu models will receive software updates that will bring these new features over. But for a mainstream smartwatch from a company that mostly caters to a fitness-focused audience, the Venu 3 appears to be a step forward.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/garmins-new-venu-3-smartwatch-knows-when-youve-been-napping-110009177.html?src=rss
As it promised last week, Samsung has launched Food, a "personalized, AI-powered food and recipe" app in eight languages and 104 countries around the world. It draws on the food database of Whisk, an app Samsung acquired a few years back - and resembles a version of Whisk the company revealed last year. Given Samsung's large presence in kitchens with its smart fridges and other appliances, the release of a food and recipe app seems a logical step for the company.The app allows users to search for recipes around the world, save them and make weekly eating plans. The company prepared over 160,000 recipes for launch, with that number set to increase down the road. Samsung Food can also be run on mobile phones and Samsung Family Hub smart appliances like refrigerators, while allowing users to manage ingredients, shopping, etc.SamsungUsers can save recipes anytime, and the app analyzes them, standardizes the format and organizes them to create shopping lists based on the ingredients. It can also provide recipe recommendations based on available food items as managed by the user. It even has a "personalize recipe" function that uses the AI to alter recipes recipes and create vegan or vegetarian versions, for instance. "Users will even be able to create fusion recipes, such as Korean versions of Italian dishes, and adjust cook time or skill level of recipes," Samsung adds.It uses AI to create recommendations for individualized daily meal plans based on dietary preferences and favorite cuisine types. Nutritional ingredient breakdowns can be viewed at any time, and users can add items to shopping lists and then send them straight to a retailer's e-commerce checkout. With connected cooking, it lets users preheat ovens, set timers and transfer cook settings to supported appliances via a step-by-step guided cooking mode.Last week, Samsung said it hoped to secure a million users for the app around the world. While there are numerous recipe apps out there (Mealtime, Paprika, Yummly etc.), Samsung may have an edge with the millions of its smart appliances sold - making it a known quantity to consumers.Samsung plans to add new features, like integration with Samsung Health to sync parameters like BMI and calorie consumption, while offering suggestions for diet management. The app will incorporate AI vision tech by 2024, allowing Samsung Food to recognize food items through the camera and provide details like nutrition information. Samsung Food is now available for download on Android and iOS.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-debuts-its-own-ai-powered-smart-recipe-app-104521190.html?src=rss
Google has published a photo of the Pixel 8 Pro before it has even unveiled the device...on the day Apple announced the iPhone 15 launch event on September 12th. An account on X (formerly Twitter) called Android Setting (via The Verge) has spotted a photo of a person holding a beige-colored phone against their ear on a page in the Google Store. We could no longer see the image on the page, which promotes Google's subscriptions and services, but its alt text reportedly read: "A person takes a call on a Pixel 8 Pro phone in Porcelain."
It's been years and years since the bleeding edge of the smartphone world was truly exciting. The industry may want us to salivate over its latest 5G, 108-megapixel, folding-screen masterpiece, but my mouth remains bone dry. To me, it's because the ceiling of what's possible hasn't risen much in the last four or five years, but the floor has maintained its slow creep northward. On paper, the just-announced Fairphone 5 has the specs you'd expect from a mid-range handset. But now that's not really a penalty since you're also getting a modular, sustainably-made and potentially upgradeable handset built by people paid a fair(er) wage for doing so. It's just a smartphone, like any other. On one hand, that makes the new Fairphone 5 boring, but from this perspective, boring can be good.Ten years into its mission to build a better" smartphone, it's not clear if Fairphone still needs a full introduction. For the unaware, the Dutch social enterprise makes devices that are fairer" than the competition. That means paying factory workers a living wage, sourcing ethical" raw materials, using recycled materials and keeping the hardware out of the trash for as long as possible. To that end, each device is modular, easy-to-repair, sometimes upgradeable and often far longer lasting than its competition. It's less fancy than, say, Google's long-mourned Project Ara, but it's a damn sight more real than that imagined dream of a modular, upgradeable phone. Here, it's not just possible, but easy, to pick up a Philips 00-head screwdriver and fit a new component in a matter of minutes.The Fairphone 5 doesn't stray far from the template laid down by its immediate predecessor in size and style. It has the same hefty chassis intercut with antenna lines, the same camera housing, the same fingerprint-sensing power button and the same easily removable backplate. Like a lot of phones released in 2023, the changes are nips and tucks to reflect where the industry is at. So, the battery is more capacious, the display a little bigger, and the cameras are a hair more powerful now than they were a generation ago. Fairphone has also made it possible to swap out each camera separately, making it easier and cheaper to fix or upgrade one down the line.You'll be able to grab plenty of spare parts, with only the main chassis frame not being available separately. The product list includes the 90Hz, 6.46-inch LG-made POLED display, 4,200mAh battery and all three cameras. You can also get a spare earpiece, loudspeaker, USB-C port and a top unit containing the Time of Flight sensor, as well as the SIM and SD-card slots. If a part on this phone breaks, you'll be able to pick up almost everything you could need for not that much cash. The priciest component is the display, priced at 99.95 (around $108), which is about half what Samsung charges, and almost a third of what Apple asks for.To make good on its promises of sustainability and longevity, Fairphone 5 uses Qualcomm's octa-core QCM6490 SoC. It's an industrial-grade IoT chipset that, far as I can tell, is used in only one other phone: AGM's thermal-camera equipped G2 Guardian. There's only one SKU here, with the Fairphone 5 coming with 8GB RAM and a very generous 256GB storage, expandable to 2TB with the right microSD card. Fairphone says the choice was dictated by the chipset's blend of premium features like 6G, WiFi 6E and on-chip AI processing. Not to mention Qualcomm promises to support its industrial grade silicon for longer than it does its mobile chips. To that end, Fairphone is committing to support the (almost) stock install of Android 13 and at least five operating system upgrades after." (Given Android 14's forthcoming launch, you should expect that to be heading to your phone in the near future.) The company says it expects to offer software support until 2028 at the very least, but hopes it'll keep things running until 2033.And Fairphone has now established a track record of being able to keep its phones going for a fair old while. The Fairphone 2 was launched in 2015 with Android 5.1 and got its final security patch in March 2023 with an Android 10 update. Seven or so years of software support is a good reason to switch, especially when Samsung pledges four years of software and five years of security updates for select" handsets.Photo by Daniel Cooper / EngadgetIn my limited time playing with the new model, I've found the performance to be a lot snappier than on older Fairphones. Animations and transitions in the OS itself don't appear at this early stage to be laggy, and Fortnite on Epic mode played perfectly at 30fps. I certainly noticed how much faster it is to unlock this phone compared to the last one, both using my face and my fingerprint. At first blush, this appears to be more than capable of meeting your expectations for normal phone use. Well, if your idea of normal phone use is texting, emails, social media, YouTube, TikTok and the odd deathmatch.I'd describe the Fairphone 5's imaging as solid, although I'm worried that to do so is to damn it with faint praise. The primary 50-megapixel, f/1.88, OIS-equipped camera backed by Sony's IMX800 sensor is more than enough for most people's photography needs. It may not have the software smarts of some devices in its class, but it's no slouch, especially with video. Glance at the Fairphone 5's back and you'll spot a circle the same size as the camera lenses, which is the ToF sensor. It's this phone's secret weapon, especially when it comes to the lightning-fast autofocus when you're shooting video.It's not all good: The phone gets a little warmer than I'd like when running heavy load, but that feels par for the course in the 5G era. The built-in speakers, meanwhile, are so tinny I'd never recommend using this for audio if you have headphones to hand. I also think the solid black cover will be far better at resisting smears than the transparent edition in my loan unit. And I wish, as well as the black, transparent and sky blue colorways, the company had offered the same green and orange paint job that is so wonderful on the Fairbuds XL.It's also a shame we're not yet seeing a wide release for the Fairphone 5 in the US, at least not at the same time as it comes to Europe. The Fairphone 4 is available to buy in the States with a deGoogled" OS courtesy of privacy-focused startup Murena. I'm sure the 5 will make a similar journey in future, but it'd be nice to see a simultaneous release so people aren't left waiting for a year or more to get the updated hardware.I've said before that Fairphone has always carried the whiff of a compromise choice, the cork and hemp sneaker you buy to assuage your guilt over all the sweatshop-made kicks you own. But, both thanks to Fairphone's efforts to improve its product, and the general stagnation in the mobile industry more generally, the delta between what's hot and what's not has closed by a lot. If you're looking to pick up a mid-range handset that you can keep going for twice as long as any other phone on the market, and you want to do a bit of good in the process, this is probably the phone for you. It's not often the view from the moral high ground is this comfortable.The Fairphone 5 is available to pre-order today, August 30, from the company's website and a number of major European carriers. It is priced at 699 (around $750), with shipping expected to commence September 14 from Fairphone and the majority of its carriers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fairphone-5-is-boring-how-exciting-094530738.html?src=rss
Sony has just split its small form-factor full-frame A7C series, now offering two lower-cost versions of higher-end cameras - much as it did with the ZV-E1 vlogging camera. The new models are the 33-megapixel A7C II (based on the A7 IV), and the 61-megapixel A7C R, a mini-me version of the A7R V. Both are nearly as powerful as the larger versions and offer key ergonomic updates, but lack a few features that pros may find essential.Sony A7C RWe'll start with the A7C R, since it's an all-new model. It features a softer, grippier material along with a deeper handle. It also comes with an add-on grip that extends the length, giving you a place to put your pinky finger - a nice addition that unfortunately also makes the camera less compact.SonyStill, those are key improvements that address ergonomic issues I've noticed on past Sony models - particularly when using them for a long day of shooting. Sony also added a front dial so you can more easily adjust aperture/shutter speed/exposure compensation, along with a dedicated video/photo/S&Q dial. And of course, the A7C R weighs just 515 grams (18.2 ounces) compared to the A7R V's 723 grams (25.5 ounces) and is nearly half the size. That makes it a better choice for street photography and more.It has a flip-out one-million dot display and 2.36-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder with slightly improved .70X magnification over the A7C II. It also offers full in-body stabilization with 7.0 stops of compensation (depending on the lens) - a nice feature in such a small camera. Other features include mic/headphone ports, USB-C 3.2, a micro HDMI connector a and single UHS-II card slot. The latter feature is a show-stopper for many pros, as there's no backup for potentially priceless photos.SonyIn terms of photo specs, it's close to the A7R V with a few notable differences. You can shoot 61-megapixel RAW images at up to 8fps, compared to 10fps on the A7R V. The A7C R has a smaller buffer, though, and that single lower-speed SD UHS-II card slot (the A7R V has dual high-speed CFexpress Type A and SD UHS II slots), so you won't be able to capture nearly as many photos in a burst. Like the A7R V, the A7C R has 693 autofocus points and 79 percent coverage. It uses the same processor, so should offer roughly the same AF performance in terms of burst shooting, AI tracking and more.Most importantly, you can expect identical image quality to the A7R V. As I said in my review of the latter, with the very high resolution and the lack of an anti-aliasing filter, only Hasselblad and Fuji's 100-megapixel medium format cameras offer greater detail. It also offers Sony's Pixel Shift Multi-Shot that can quadruple resolution to 240.8 megapixels.SonyThe A7C R can't shoot 8K video like the A7R V, likely due to heating issues with the smaller body. However, it still offers 4K 60p full-frame video (with pixel binning) and 6.2K oversampled 1.5x cropped 4K 60p video. It comes with S-Log3, S-Cinetone and S-gamut3 Cine, records 10-bit 4:2:2 sampled video and can shoot at up to 120 fps in 1080p mode. Data rates top out at 600Mbps in XAVC S-I 4K mode, but you'll need a (pricey) V90 SD card to shoot that.That takes us to a very important consideration: the price. The A7C R costs $3,000, or a full $900 less than the A7R V - something that will give many buyers extreme pause. It arrives in fall of 2023.Sony A7C IIAs mentioned, the A7C II has the same 33-megapixel sensor and many of the same specs as the A7 IV. In terms of the body and handling, the form factor and weight are identical to the A7C R - so you get the same extra dial, updated grip, improved EVF and other previously-mentioned features. Unlike the A7C R, though, it doesn't come with the add-on grip extension in the box.Shooting speeds are a bit faster at 10 fps in mechanical or electronic shutter mode. By the way, neither the A7C II or A7C R have full mechanical shutters, but use electronic first curtain shutters. This can create bokeh issues when using lenses with very fast apertures, but otherwise isn't noticeable.SonyWhat's interesting about the A7C II is that autofocus is superior to the A7 IV because it has the same dedicated AI processing unit as the A7C R (and A7R V) that's missing on the A7 IV. That means you can expect improved subject detection, tracking and other features compared to the A7 IV. When compared to the A7C, though, Sony promises a 40 percent improvement for animal and bird AF tracking, 60 percent for eye AF and 20 percent for auto exposure tracking.Again, image quality should be the same as the A7 IV. That latter delivers sharper photos than the A7 III thanks to the extra resolution, but offers superior low-light capability despite the smaller pixels. A downside to the A7 IV is rolling shutter, so expect the same issue on the A7C II.SonyIn terms of video, the A7C II is actually a better option than the A7C R. It offers sharp full-frame 4K 30p video with 7K oversampling, or 4K 60p with a 1.5x crop. You get 10-bit 4:2:2 color sampling with S-Log3 and S-Cinetone, with LUTs available in camera.The Sony A7C II is available in silver and black, and arrives this fall for $2,200. That price is a significant $300 less than the A7 IV and it's actually a better camera in some ways - provided the lack of a second card slot doesn't bother you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-two-new-a7c-series-cameras-offer-premium-features-for-less-money-080542148.html?src=rss
It's been nearly a year since Meta announced at Connect 2022 that it would give its weird Caspar the Friendly Ghost-esque metaverse avatars some legs to make them appear slightly more human. The day of reckoning is almost upon us as Quest Home avatars now sport extra limbs in the latest beta version of the Quest software.You won't see legs on your avatar when you look down, as UploadVR points out. They'll only be visible in third-person or when you're looking at a virtual mirror (much like in many first-person shooter games). This makes sense, as there's no leg tracking option on any current consumer virtual reality system. It means Meta doesn't have to worry too much about having accurate leg animations instead of, I don't know, wacky QWOP-style physics?In addition, it seems your avatar's legs won't crouch in third-person view when you bend your knees or sit down. That could make things a little awkward when you're trying to maintain eye contact (as much as that's possible in VR spaces) with another user.
The Kun, Ayaneo's latest addition to its ever-growing range of handheld gaming PCs, will be available sooner rather than later. It's expected to go up for pre-order on September 5, with the Indiegogo campaign beginning at 8AM ET.Ayaneo has released multiple gaming handhelds, but the Kun's specs should take it to the top of the pile when compared to similar devices. While it has effectively the same processor as the ROG Ally, its 8.4-inch display sets it apart and makes it even bigger than the already-large Steam Deck. The Kun's display has a 1600p resolution, compared to the Steam Deck's 720p screen and the ROG Ally's 1080p displays. The Kun also has a much brighter 500-nit display vs the Steam Deck's 400 nits. This large and bright display may offer a great visual experience but could negatively affect the Kun's 75Wh (19500mAh) battery life.AyaneoBased on Ayaneo's internal tests, the Kun should be able to run for around 49 minutes on extreme settings, but the company doesn't recommend this for daily use. At lower settings, you can expect the Kun to run for around three hours on a single charge. That's in a similar ballpark as the Steam Deck, but it remains to be seen how well the Kun fares in real-world usage.As for the other specs, the Ayaneo Kun has an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor with integrated Radeon 780M graphics. Ayaneo has also packed in a new "KUNPeng" heat dissipation system to help the device from overheating when running games at the highest settings. There are also some smaller but still significant improvements like optimized grip sensation for larger screen handhelds, new floating eight-directional D-pad, face recognition and a new customizable back button. Additionally, the Kun's built-in folding stand is a nice touch.The Kun will be available in three colors: Silver Wing, Black Feather and White Silk. Prices start at $999 for Early Bird buyers, and Indiegogo's retail price will be $1,129 with an official retail price of $1,209 for the 16G RAM and 512GB storage base model. The max configuration of 64GB RAM and 4TB storage will run you $1,699 Early Bird and $1,809 for Indiegogo's retail price, and $1,949 official retail price. Global shipping is expected to start in mid-October.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pre-orders-for-ayaneos-kun-gaming-handheld-start-september-5-204517180.html?src=rss
The F-22 and F-35 are two of the most cutting-edge and capable war machines in America's arsenal. They also cost $143 million and $75 million a pop, respectively. Facing increasing pressure from China, which has accelerated its conventional weapon procurement efforts in recent months, the Pentagon announced Monday a program designed to build out America's drone production base in response. As part of that effort, the United States Air Force has requested nearly $6 billion in federal funding over the next five years to construct a fleet of XQ-58A Valkyrie uncrewed aircraft, each of which will cost a (comparatively) paltry $3 million.The Valkyrie comes from Kratos Defense & Security Solutions as part of the USAF's Low Cost Attritable Strike Demonstrator (LCASD) program. The 30-foot uncrewed aircraft weighs 2,500 pounds unfueled and can carry up to 1,200 total pounds of ordinance. The XQ-58 is built as a stealthy escort aircraft to fly in support of F-22 and F-35 during combat missions, though the USAF sees the aircraft filling a variety of roles by tailoring its instruments and weapons to each mission. Those could includes surveillance and resupply actions, in addition to swarming enemy aircraft in active combat.Earlier this month, Kratos successfully operated the XQ-58 during a three-hour demonstration at Elgin Air Force Base. AACO [the Autonomous Air Combat Operations team] has taken a multi-pronged approach to uncrewed flight testing of machine learning Artificial Intelligence and has met operational experimentation objectives by using a combination of high-performance computing, modeling and simulation, and hardware in the loop testing to train an AI agent to safely fly the XQ-58 uncrewed aircraft," Dr. Terry Wilson, AACO program manager, said in a press statement at the time.It's a very strange feeling," USAF test pilot Major Ross Elder told the New York Times. I'm flying off the wing of something that's making its own decisions. And it's not a human brain." The USAF has been quick to point out that the drones are to remain firmly under the command of human pilots and commanders.The Air Force took heat in June when Colonel Tucker "Cinco" Hamilton "misspoke" at a press conference and suggested that an AI could potentially be induced to turn on its operator, though the DoD dismissed that possibility as a "hypothetical thought exercise" rather than "simulation.""Any Air Force drone [will be] designed to allow commanders and operators to exercise appropriate levels of human judgment over the use of force," a Pentagon spokeswoman told the NYT. Congress will need to pass the DoD's budget for the next fiscal year before construction efforts can begin. The XQ-58 program will require an initial outlay of $3.3 billion in 2024 if approved.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-air-force-wants-6-billion-to-build-a-fleet-of-ai-controlled-drones-204548974.html?src=rss
Three major American sports leagues want to speed up Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedowns. In a letter posted and reported by TorrentFreak (viaThe Verge), the UFC, NBA and NFL urged the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to make the removal process for illegal livestreams nearly instantaneous. The organizations say the global sports industry is losing up to $28 billion from fans watching pirated live feeds instead of paid ones.The rampant piracy of live sports events causes tremendous harm to our companies," legal representatives for the UFC, NBA and NFL allegedly wrote in the letter. The leagues say online service providers often take hours or even days" to take down infringing content - leaving illegal sports streams plenty of time to complete the event without removal. This is particularly damaging to our companies given the unique time-sensitivity of live sports content."The Digital Millennium Copyright Act's language in Section 512 is at the heart of the complaint, which states that content must be removed expeditiously." The UFC, NBA and NFL want the wording changed to instantaneously or near-instantaneously" to help with their revenue problems. This would be a relatively modest and non-controversial update to the DMCA that could be included in the broader reforms being considered by Congress or could be addressed separately," the posted letter reads.The letter didn't address sports fans' distaste for regional blackouts, which many viewers likely use the pirated feeds to bypass.The leagues also ask the USPTO to consider more stringent requirements for online service providers to verify users posting livestreams. They ask for particular verification measures," including blocking the ability to stream from newly created accounts or those with few subscribers. Certain [online service providers] already impose measures like these, demonstrating that the measures are feasible, practical and important tools to reduce livestream piracy," the letter reads.Sending a letter is the first step in communicating intent, but the UFC, NBA and NFL will likely have a long road ahead if they want to change the DMCA. The law, signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1998, has faced numerous calls for change in the following decades - both from media companies wanting stricter measures and users who believe it gives copyright holders too much power. Changing it would require Congress to pass a law revising it, which is never a quick or easy process.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-nba-nfl-and-ufc-want-instantaneous-dmca-takedowns-200047711.html?src=rss
The company previously known as Twitter is fully reversing a longtime ban on political advertising after it first loosened its rules in January. X said in an update it would once again open its doors to political advertisers of all stripes.Building on our commitment to free expression, we are also going to allow political advertising," the company wrote. It added that it will apply specific policies to paid-for promoted political posts," including rules barring the promotion of false or misleading content" as well as content intended to undermine public confidence in an election." X also said it's planning to create a global advertising transparency center" so that users can track political ads on the platform.Twitter first banned political ads in 2019, with then-CEO Jack Dorsey saying that political message reach should be earned, not bought." That began to change earlier this year when the company eased restrictions for caused-based" ads, citing the importance of public conversation around important topics."Now, it's unclear if there is any kind of political ad that would be off-limits on X so long as it adheres to the company's rules. Of note, X has yet to update support pages outlining its political ad rules, though it said in a blog post it was updating its civic integrity policy to make sure we strike the right balance between tackling the most harmful types of content ... and not censoring political debate." X didn't respond to a request for comment.The policy changes could have significant implications for the upcoming 2024 elections. X also said that it was in the process of staffing up its teams overseeing safety and elections policies, to focus on combating manipulation, surfacing inauthentic accounts and closely monitoring the platform for emerging threats."Opening to political ads could also be a major boon to X's ad business, which has dropped 50 percent since Elon Musk's takeover last year. Though conventional advertisers have increasingly shied away from the platform, political campaigns may have a harder time staying away ahead of a major election.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-opens-the-floodgates-on-political-ads-191931318.html?src=rss
A pair of popular OnePlus smartphones just went on sale, hitting record low prices for both. The company's flagship OnePlus 11 5G went down from $700 to $600, a savings of nearly 20 percent. The budget-friendly OnePlus Nord N30 5G got even, well, friendlier with a $50 discount, dropping the cost to $250 from $300. If you're shopping for a smartphone, this is a good time to take the plunge.We praised the OnePlus 11 as a back-to-basics flagship smartphone," noting its gorgeous 120Hz 6.6-inch OLED display, the fantastic battery life, 100W quick-charging and improved camera system when compared to its predecessor. In other words, the 11 was already a bargain at $800, as modern iPhones and Samsung phones cost upwards of $1,000. Today's sale makes the bargain even harder to resist.The OnePlus Nord N30 takes a more modest approach, as this is absolutely a low-priced smartphone rather than a flagship. However, it's one of the best budget-friendly phones around and a great choice for anyone looking for a no-frills device that gets the job done. The specs are fantastic for the price, with a Snapdragon 695 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a crisp 120Hz IPS display. Not many cheap phones can match this set of features.These phones aren't perfect, as the N30 lacks waterproofing and the 11 isn't the most exciting flagship model in the world, but the list of pros far outweigh any list of cons. OnePlus isn't widely available at retail outlets, so this sale is reserved for Amazon and Best Buy.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/some-oneplus-smartphones-are-nearly-20-percent-off-hitting-record-low-prices-184540056.html?src=rss
General Motors is taking Google's AI chatbot on the road. The automaker announced today that it's using Google Cloud's Dialogflow to automate some non-emergency OnStar features like navigation and call routing. Crucially, the automaker claims the bot can pinpoint keywords indicating an emergency situation and quickly route the call" to trained humans when needed. GM says the system frees up OnStar Advisors to spend more time with customers requiring a live human.According to GM, the OnStar Interactive Virtual Assistant (IVA) has used Google Cloud's Dialogflow under the hood since IVA's 2022 launch. The virtual voice assistant can handle common customer questions and help with routing and navigation, including turn-by-turn directions. The companies see the collaboration as expanding down the road. The successful deployment of Google Cloud's AI in GM's OnStar service has now opened the door to future generative AI deployments being jointly piloted by General Motors and Google Cloud," the companies wrote in a joint press release.The automaker says Google Cloud's AI has allowed OnStar to better understand customer requests on the first try. In addition, it says customers have reacted positively to avoiding hold times as they can quickly begin chatting with an AI-powered bot with a modern, natural sounding voice." GM says the virtual assistant now handles over one million customer inquiries per month in the US and Canada. OnStar IVA is available in most GM vehicles, 2015 and newer, with OnStar connections.GM has also reportedly worked on developing a ChatGPT-powered assistant for its vehicles, although it isn't yet clear if that project is still on the table.Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize the buying, ownership, and interaction experience inside the vehicle and beyond, enabling more opportunities to deliver new features and services," Mike Abbott, GM's executive vice president of software and services, wrote in the press release. Our software-led approach has accelerated the creation of compelling services for our customers while driving increased efficiency across the GM enterprise. The work with Google Cloud is another example of our efforts to transform how customers engage with our products and services."The companies also announced today that Google's Dialogflow tech is behind chatbots on the GM website, similar to the slew of OpenAI-powered assistants that began popping up since the launch of the ChatGPT API earlier this year. GM's web bots can conversationally help answer customer questions about GM vehicles and product features based on the technical information from GM's extensive vehicle data repositories," according to the automaker.General Motors is at the forefront of deploying AI in practical and effective ways that ultimately create better customer experiences," Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud CEO, wrote today. We're looking forward to a deepened relationship and more collaboration with GM as we explore how the company uses generative AI in transformational ways."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-google-powered-chatbot-is-handling-gms-non-emergency-onstar-calls-183040938.html?src=rss
YouTube is updating its enforcement policies to give creators who break its rules a chance to wipe the slate clean. Starting today, those who receive a warning for violating the community guidelines will be able to take a training course designed to help them better understand how to steer clear of uploading videos that run afoul of YouTube's regulations. As long as they complete the course and don't violate the same policy within a 90-day period, YouTube will remove the warning from their account. In other words, they can go to detention to help avoid a suspension.If they violate the policy for which they received the warning a second time in that roughly three-month window, YouTube will remove the video in question and slap the creator with a dreaded strike (which can jeopardize their chances of making a living from the platform). A creator who finishes a course and has the warning lifted from their account after 90 days but then violates the same policy again will be back at square one - YouTube will nix the offending video and give them another warning. They can go through another training program to have the new warning wiped from their account.Another major change is that, until now, YouTube has given creators who cross the line a single, blanket lifetime warning. From now on, warnings will be applied to rule-breaking creators' accounts based on the specific policy they violate. So, they can have multiple warnings on their account and the option to take a training course for each one to have them wiped away.YouTube started dishing out one-time warnings in 2019 for a first rule break, which it says offered "creators the chance to review what went wrong before facing more penalties" (i.e. strikes). The service points out that over 80 percent of creators who received a warning haven't broken the rules since. Nonetheless, YouTube says creators told the team "they want more resources to better understand how we draw our policy lines" and this new approach is geared toward that greater transparency.It's worth bearing in mind that the three-strike policy is still in place. If a creator receives three strikes within 90 days, it's still likely that YouTube will punt them off the platform. Extreme policy violations are still subject to strikes and channel termination, even if a creator has gone through these training courses. There aren't any changes to the community guidelines here either."Looking ahead, we'll keep working to make our policies easier for creators to understand," YouTube said. "We ultimately want creators to have the clarity they need to stay strike free on our platform - while maintaining a healthy experience for YouTube's entire community."Offering YouTubers a chance to learn and grow from their mistakes is a net positive even if some bad actors might try to abuse the system by deliberately uploading a few videos that cross the line each year. Meanwhile, Xbox recently adopted an eight-strike enforcement policy, under which its users can have strikes removed from their accounts after six months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtubers-can-take-training-courses-to-remove-warnings-from-their-permanent-record-181432261.html?src=rss
Panic is an odd little company. It started out in the late 1990s as an app developer, and in 2016 it pivoted to video game publishing with Firewatch, followed by Untitled Goose Game in 2019. Both of these were breakout indie hits, resulting in significant success for the developers and Panic itself. And then, in 2022, Panic debuted the Playdate, a tiny yellow game console with a crank on the side and a monochromatic display. Playdate was a verified hit and its library is still being updated today.Now it's mid-2023, and Panic just unveiled a fresh slate of projects it's publishing in its first-ever games showcase. Panic showed off five games and teased new titles from the makers of FAR: Changing Tides (Okomotive) and the team behind Untitled Goose Game (House House).Nour: Play with your Food is what happens when high art meets a food fight, and honestly, it looks delicious. Nour lays out a bright and colorful landscape where players can mess around with bubbly, 3D versions of doughnuts, burgers, boba tea and other foodstuffs, creating strangely beautiful scenes or simply exploding noodles everywhere. It's all set to music and there are tiny challenges to complete, but Nour is mostly about making digital edible art. It all comes from Missouri studio Terrifying Jellyfish, helmed by designer and digital artist TJ Hughes. Nour is due to hit PC, PlayStation 4 and PS5 on September 12th, and it features DualSense-specific interactions - like slurping soup through the controller's microphone - on PS5.Thank Goodness You're Here! got center-stage treatment during Gamescom's Opening Night Live showcase last week, and developers Will Todd and James Carbutt offered additional, sheep-laden context for the game during Panic's event today. Thank Goodness You're Here! is a slapstick platformer reminiscent of Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, but in a hand-crafted Gumball or Adventure Time art style. It's a silly romp through a Northern English town, starring a traveling salesman who picks up odd jobs from the equally odd people of Barnsworth. Thank Goodness You're Here! comes from Yorkshire studio Coal Supper and it's set to come out in 2024 for PC, Switch and PS5.Arco is a complex archery game masquerading as a pixelated, top-down adventure, and it comes complete with a rich original soundtrack. Arco is the product of an international team of developers: Polish pixel artist Franek Nowotniak, Australian game developer Max Cahill, Spanish composer and sound designer Jose Ramon "Bibiki" Garcia, and Mexican industry veteran Antonio "Fayer" Uribe. Arco is a tactical turn-based RPG with a unique combat system that has players plan moves in real-time, dodging incoming shots and taking aim in the moments between seconds. It's heading to PC and consoles (no specifics yet) in 2024.There were no specific updates for this next game, Despelote, but its segment was powerful regardless. Despelote comes from Ecuadorian developers Julian Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena, and they use childhood memories of playing football around the city of Quito to tell their country's story of economic ruin and resurgence in the early 2000s. Panic's showcase highlighted personal stories from Cordero and Valbuena, and dove into the making of the game: Its dialogue is based on recordings of conversations they've had with family members and friends who lived through Ecuador's economic downturn in the late 1990s, and those who witnessed the country unite ahead of the 2002 World Cup. The backgrounds of the game, covered in static and color, are photographs of real places around Quito, and interactable objects, like the soccer ball, are highlighted in black and white. Despelote is coming to PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5 in 2024.The final confirmed game in Panic's lineup is Time Flies. This one has been generating buzz for a while now, and we had a great time with the preview at Summer Game Fest in 2022, but the big news today is that Panic has signed on to publish it. Time Flies is a simplistic, black-and-white game about the short life of a fly - and, in effect, the person playing as the fly. With mere seconds to live, players get to choose how a lonely housefly will live out its existence, completing a series of small challenges or just buzzing around, enjoying the scenery. The game comes from Michael Frei and Raphael Munoz, it's produced by Frei's studio Playables, and is now being published by Panic. Time Flies will land on PC, Switch and PlayStation 5 in 2024 (a delay from its initial 2023 window).The final two projects in Panic's lineup are just teases, for now. The Swiss team behind FAR: Changing Tides and FAR: Lone Sails, Okomotive, is working on a new game that will be published by Panic. Additionally, the developers of Untitled Goose Game, House House, are building something new, and they're pitching it as a totally different experience than the honk-fest that put them on the map. Panic published Untitled Goose Game, and the studio is on board to handle whatever comes next from House House.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/panics-first-games-showcase-highlights-five-deliciously-weird-titles-173045645.html?src=rss
Now that the Tears of the Kingdom dust has settled like one of those Korok dandelion leaf puzzles, Nintendo is starting to ramp up its efforts for the holiday season. You know what that means. Another Nintendo Direct is scheduled for August 31st at 10AM EST, according to a social media post from the company.Nintendo promises that the streaming event will feature an in-depth look" at the forthcoming 2D side-scrolling adventure Super Mario Bros. Wonder, with around 15 minutes of gameplay and information. More Mario is never bad, but this is a themed-direct that exclusively features Wonder. In other words, don't get your hopes up for any trailers for other games, surprise reveals or anything like that. You'll get plenty of juicy tidbits, however, about the first 2D Mario in over a decade.Super Mario Bros. Wonderhas been described as the next evolution" in the 2D franchise. We've only gotten one trailer so far but it was packed with discussion-worthy moments. Mario can turn into an elephant and the game world changes by devouring a psychedelic flower. The appropriately-named Wonder Flower looks to be unpredictable, making pipes come alive, creating hordes of new enemies or completely shifting the overall look and feel of a level. I'm sure the power up does a whole lot more, which should be revealed Thursday.Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches for the Nintendo Switch on October 30th, just in time for that oh-so-important holiday season. Beyond the sidescroller, the Switch's holiday release schedule looks pretty dry, compared to other years. There's Detective Pikachu Returns, a remake of the SNES classicSuper Mario RPG and some Pokemon DLC, and that's pretty much it for first-party releases. This is the console's seventh holiday season, which could have something to do with it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/super-mario-bros-wonder-will-have-its-own-nintendo-direct-on-august-31st-171530276.html?src=rss
Meta will not suspend Cambodia's former Prime Minister from Facebook and Instagram, declining to follow a recommendation from its Oversight Board. The board, which functions independently from the social media company, had recommended Meta suspend then-Prime Minister Hun Sen's Facebook and Instagram accounts for six months for inciting violence.In a response to the case published Wednesday, Meta said a long-term suspension would not be consistent" with its policies. Upon assessing Hun Sen's Facebook Page and Instagram account, we determined that suspending those accounts outside our regular enforcement framework would not be consistent with our policies, including our protocol on restricting accounts of public figures during civil unrest," the company wrote.Meta's handling of the high-profile case has been closely watched around the world, with many viewing it as a test of the company's policies governing speech from politicians, who have historically had more leeway on the platform. In a statement, an Oversight Board spokesperson said the group "stands by" its recommendations, Elections are a crucial part of democracy and social media companies must ensure their platforms are not misused in ways which threaten to undermine them.The Board stands by its original decision and urgesMetato doeverything in its power to deter public figures who exploit its platforms to incite violence."The company had originally asked the Oversight Board to weigh in on a video posted by Sen. The video was of a speech in which Sen told political opponents he'd "gather CPP (Cambodia People's Party) people to protest and beat you up." Meta had opted to leave up the video, citing its controversial newsworthiness policy, despite concluding it had violated the company's own rules.The Oversight Board overruled Meta's decision and said the video should come down. The board also said that Sen should face a lengthy suspension. Given the severity of the violation, Hun Sen's history of committing human rights violations and intimidating political opponents, as well as his strategic use of social media to amplify such threats, the Board calls on Meta to immediately suspend Hun Sen's Facebook page and Instagram account for six months," it wrote.Meta complied, removing the video in response to the board's decision, which is binding under the organization's rules. The company had 60 days to respond to the board's non-binding recommendations.Notably, Meta declined other Oversight Board recommendations in the case as well. The company opted not to clarify how its rules for public figures applies in contexts in which citizens are under continuing threat of retaliatory violence from their governments" rather than a single incidence of violence.The protocol is not designed for situations where a history of state violence or human rights restrictions have resulted in ongoing state restrictions on expressions for an indeterminate period of time," Meta wrote, referring to a policy it implemented in response the Oversight Board's recommendations in the suspension of former President Donald Trump's account. Applying the protocol in those circumstances could lead to an indefinite suspension of a public figure's account, which (apart from fairness issues) could be detrimental to people's ability to access information from and about their leaders and to express themselves using Meta's platforms."Similarly, Meta said it was assessing [the] feasibility" of a board recommendation that it amend its newsworthiness policy to explicitly bar incitement of violence. It also said it was considering a recommendation that posts from heads of state and other government officials are prioritized for review by human moderators when being reviewed for inciting violence.The company said it was "implementing in part" two other recommendations in the case. The company agreed to make some product and/or operational guideline changes" to aid in its review of long-form videos. But in response to a suggestion that the company commit to being more forthcoming about how it enforces its rules on the accounts of high-profile government officials, the company said there were some cases when it may continue to withhold details.While we have shared details about enforcement actions on the accounts belonging to Hun Sen in this case, and on the accounts of former U.S. President Trump, there may be circumstances where privacy and security considerations weigh against Meta publicly sharing details about actions taken on an account."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-declines-oversight-board-recommendation-to-suspend-cambodias-former-prime-minister-170531152.html?src=rss
Several months after WhatsApp released a Windows desktop client, Mac users are getting to join the party with their own dedicated app for the service. The formal arrival of the client (which had been in beta since January) on Apple's desktops and laptops means users can take part in WhatsApp group calls on their Mac for the first time.WhatsApp for Mac supports up to eight people in video calls and as many as 32 in audio-only chinwags. You can hop into a group call after it's already started, view your call (and chat) history and opt to receive notifications about incoming calls even if you don't have the WhatsApp client open. Sharing files should be a cinch too, as you'll be able to simply drag and drop them into a conversation.The WhatsApp team has spent quite some time making sure that the service supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE) across multiple devices with cross-platform syncing. So, it's not super surprising that WhatsApp for Mac includes E2EE protection for your chats and calls. The app is available from the WhatsApp website and it'll hit the Mac App Store soon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/whatsapps-new-mac-app-supports-group-video-calls-for-up-to-eight-people-170053104.html?src=rss
Google took a step towards transparency in AI-generated images today. Google DeepMind announced SynthID, a watermarking / identification tool for generative art. The company says the technology embeds a digital watermark, invisible to the human eye, directly onto an image's pixels. SynthID is rolling out first to a limited number" of customers using Imagen, Google's art generator available on its suite of cloud-based AI tools.One of the many issues with generative art - apart from the ethical implications of training on artists' work - is the potential for creating deepfakes. For example, the pope's hot new hip-hop attire (an AI image created with MidJourney) going viral on social media was an early example of what could become more commonplace as generative tools evolve. It doesn't take much imagination to see how something like political ads using AI-generated art could do much more damage than a funny image circulating on Twitter. Watermarking audio and visual content to help make it clear that content is AI-generated" was one of the voluntary commitments that seven AI companies agreed to develop after a July meeting at the White House. Google is the first of the companies to launch such a system.Google doesn't go too far into the weeds about SynthID's technical implementation (likely to prevent workarounds), but it says the watermark can't be easily removed through simple editing techniques. Finding the right balance between imperceptibility and robustness to image manipulations is difficult," the company wrote in a DeepMind blog post published today. We designed SynthID so it doesn't compromise image quality, and allows the watermark to remain detectable, even after modifications like adding filters, changing colours, and saving with various lossy compression schemes - most commonly used for JPEGs," DeepMind's SynthID project leaders Sven Gowal and Pushmeet Kohli wrote.Google DeepMindThe identification part of SynthID rates the image based on three digital watermark confidence levels: detected, not detected and possibly detected. Since the tool is embedded into the image's pixels, Google says its system can work alongside metadata-based approaches, like the one Adobe uses with its Photoshop generative features, currently available in an open beta.SynthID includes a pair of deep learning models: one for watermarking and the other for identifying. Google says the two trained on diverse images, culminating in a combined ML model. The combined model is optimised on a range of objectives, including correctly identifying watermarked content and improving imperceptibility by visually aligning the watermark to the original content," Gowal and Kohli wrote.Google acknowledged that it isn't a perfect solution, adding that it isn't foolproof against extreme image manipulations." But it describes the watermark as a promising technical approach for empowering people and organisations to work with AI-generated content responsibly." The company says the tool could expand to other AI models, including those tasked with generating text (like ChatGPT), video and audio.Although watermarks could help with deepfakes, it's easy to imagine digital watermarking turning into an arms race with hackers, with services that adopt SynthID requiring continual updating. In addition, the open-source nature of Stable Diffusion, one of the leading generative tools, could make industry-wide adoption of SynthID or any similar solution a tall order: It already has countless custom builds that can run on local PCs out in the wild. Regardless, Google hopes to make SynthID available to third parties in the near future" to at least improve AI transparency industry-wide.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-wants-an-invisible-digital-watermark-to-bring-transparency-to-ai-art-164551794.html?src=rss
Quirky game publisher Panic's first-ever digital games showcase is about to kick off. The event, dubbed the Panic Games Showcase, can be streamed directly on Panic's YouTube channel starting today at 1PM ET, or you can come back right here to catch all the action.The showcase will feature a 20-minute video presentation with Panic's games publishing roadmap, including new looks at previously announced games Nour: Play With Your Food and Despelote. During the event, you can also expect to hear about new unannounced titles, along with new game development partnerships. While there are no further details on upcoming games, we do know there will be no mention of the Playdate. It's likely that the games being discussed at this event will be for PC or more popular gaming consoles, like the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.With this event, Panic is hoping to gain more recognition as a full-fledged game publisher by showing off the games in its pipeline. Despite its smaller size, Panic is known for pushing unconventional but interesting games that really capture players. Untitled Goose Game is one example of that, as is just about everything that's been released for Panic's Playdate hardware.In a press release, co-founder Cabel Sasser expressed his excitement about the Panic Games Showcase. He also hinted at a wide variety of games, saying viewers will come away excited about at least one new game that piqued their interest."A lot of people out there know us as makers of Mac software like Transmit and Nova. And some people know us as the creators of the Playdate handheld video game system. And honestly, not very many people know us as the publisher of Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game", Sasser said. We thought it'd be fun to put on a little show and let the world know about the wonderful games we've been working on publishing, from amazing developers all around the world."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-panics-first-games-showcase-here-at-1pm-et-163024545.html?src=rss
Fed up of telling your friends and family not to buy an iPhone 14 right now? Me too, so here's some good news on that front: Apple has set a date for its annual September event, during which we'll surely learn all about the iPhone 15 lineup as well as new versions of other devices. You can set a calendar alert for September 12th at 1PM ET to remind yourself to come on back to Engadget to watch the livestream.Almost as soon as last year's event ended, rumors started flying around about what Apple had in store for the iPhone 15 lineup. All models (save for perhaps a new SE) could ditch the notch and start using the Dynamic Island cutout that debuted in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. You may need to opt for an iPhone 15 Pro if you want WiFi 6E connectivity rather than WiFi 6, however. Reports suggest the 15 Pro and Pro Max will have thinner bezels and a titanium frame as well, but we may have to wait until next year to see the rumored iPhone Ultra.AppleMost intriguingly of all, Apple may finally start to phase out the Lightning port with the iPhone 15 lineup and make the long-awaited switch to USB-C. The company doesn't have much of a choice there, since all tablets and smartphones sold in the European Union will need to use that charging port starting next year. It'll be more straightforward for Apple to use the same connector for all new devices, rather than trying to cling onto the Lightning port in other markets.In any case, we won't have to wait much longer to find out all about this year's new iPhones. It's likely that we'll learn about what's next for Apple Watch too. And there's always a chance that Apple has a "one more thing" surprise up its sleeve too. As ever, we'll have full coverage of this year's fall iPhone event as it happens.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-iphone-15-event-is-set-for-september-12th-161028116.html?src=rss
Samsung made backyard barbecues a bit more fun when it unveiled the Terrace outdoor TV line in 2020 - now, it's going bigger and brighter. Today, the company announced an 85-inch Terrace Full Sun set which will retail for an eye-watering $20,000. For the money, you'll get a Neo QLED screen which should remain bright in direct sunlight, as well as "Direct-Sun Protection" to keep the TV safe. Samsung claims it's protected "up to six hours in sunlight at 700 watts and 104 degrees Fahrenheit," but it may decrease brightness to deal with higher temperatures and sun conditions.That heat threshold might seem high, but given that more than a dozen Southern US cities broke their high temperature records this year, it may not be enough to protect your $20,000 TV. The 85-inch Terrace also features an improved IP56 rating to deal with water and dust. (Maybe just think twice about having a movie night during a heat wave or summer storm.)If you don't need such an enormous screen outside, you've also got some other options from Samsung. The 65-inch Full Sun Terrace is now on sale for $6,500, while the 75-inch goes for $9,000. You can also save a bit more with Partial Sun Terrace sets, which are meant for shaded areas and start at $3,000 for the 55-inch model.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-85-inch-outdoor-terrace-tv-costs-20000-160004982.html?src=rss
Not since The Wizard hyped up an entire generation for Super Mario Bros. 3 has a film about video games felt as naked a marketing ploy as Gran Turismo. Based on an improbable true story, the movie follows Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a 20-something Gran Turismo fanatic who wins a Nissan-sponsored contest to race professionally. Even more improbable (and this is technically a spoiler, but hell, it's also real life), he manages to hold his own in the racing world. The original story was already a dream marketing win for Nissan and Sony, but now the two companies can milk it once again to bolster the mythology of Gran Turismo. Don't call it a game - it's a driving simulator.Cynicism aside, the Gran Turismo film, directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Chappie), successfully hits every mile marker you'd expect. Mardenborough doesn't have much support from his parents early on, but he ultimately proves them wrong. There's an entitled rival racer from the Cobra Kai school of villainy who you can't help but hate. And the movie sports genuinely thrilling race sequences, thanks to Blomkamp's inventive camera work and use of visual effects. Gran Turismo even manages to get some genuinely moving performances from David Harbour and Djimon Hounsou. It's the very definition of a crowd pleaser.But the film also constantly reminds you that it's meant to sell you Sony products in an alien reality where Apple doesn't exist. No joke: One character is inexplicably attached to his Walkman cassette player, and he only moves on when he's gifted a modern Walkman digital music player in an overwrought emotional moment. (Outside of Hideo Kojima's Twitter feed, I've never seen a normal human use one of those things.) (Ed note: It's debatable whether or not the guy who created Death Stranding is a normal human".)Had Sony just relaxed a bit, the film would have seemed less like a desperate marketing ploy. But as it stands, I couldn't help but cringe every time we encountered another moment of corporate promotional synergy. Even before we're introduced to Mardenborough, the movie begins with a short promo reel hyping up Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi, who spent five years developing the first game in the series. It's the sort of over-produced clip you'd expect during one of Sony's PlayStation Showcase events or the Game Awards - not a theatrically released film.Sony also doesn't trust the audience to view actual footage from the Gran Turismo games. We see Mardenborough playing early on, but it looks far too sharp to be Gran Turismo 5 on the PS3 - the title he actually competed with in real life. Instead, we're shown footage that looks closer to the incredibly realistic PlayStation 5 version of the game (though I wouldn't be surprised if it's all CG generated, instead of showing us actual gameplay). Rather than lean into the incredible lengths Sony pushed the PlayStation 3 at the time, the film sells a beautiful lie.Of course, you can argue that every adaptation is ultimately a marketing ploy. But even the incredibly safe Super Mario Bros. Movie didn't feel as desperate as Gran Turismo. Sure, Mario was filled with oodles of references for fans, but there was a level of confidence in that movie that Gran Turismo lacks. Nintendo didn't need to push new hardware or games through that movie, its mere existence promoted the company's overall brand.Sony Pictures EntertainmentIt's almost a miracle that Gran Turismo still manages to be enjoyable. It's more fun than the forgettable Uncharted movie, and you can't help but root for Mardenborough. He achieves the ultimate gamer dream: What if you could actually bring your virtual skills to the real world? It's just a shame that the true story is fundamentally a PlayStation ad, and Sony couldn't help but use the film to sell itself even more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gran-turismo-movie-review-neill-blomkamp-153939839.html?src=rss
Back at I/O, we got a sense of some of Google's big plans for generative artificial intelligence, including the integration of the Duet AI virtual assistant into Workspace productivity apps. The company is now starting to roll out Duet AI to those who pay for versions of Docs, Gmail, Sheets and so on that are geared toward professional use. The virtual assistant is also making its way to Google Meet and Google Chat.There's a free trial of Duet AI for Google Workspace. However, to use the virtual assistant in the cloud-based apps after that, large organizations will need to pay $30 per month per user, according to The Verge. Microsoft charges the same for 365 AI Copilot in Office apps. Duet AI pricing for smaller organizations hasn't been finalized yet.Duet AI has a lot of tools in its belt that are designed to lighten your workload. You can use it to generate an entire email draft in Gmail. It can pore over emails and a swathe of documents and spreadsheets to create a summary of recent work activities (such as your company's quarterly performance). The assistant can then build a presentation for you based on its findings - but definitely review the slides to make sure all the facts and figures are accurate before showing them to your bosses. And, of course, Duet AI can generate images as well.The virtual assistant will be able to help you out on other fronts too, including in Google Meet and Chat. It has somewhat different functions in Meet, since it can help you "look and sound your best with studio look, studio lighting and studio sound," Google Workspace general manager and vice president Aparna Pappu wrote in a blog post. Duet AI can use face detection and dynamic tiles to give everyone in a meeting room their own video tile, perhaps with the idea of making all the participants feel more engaged and connected.Meet will be able to offer translated captions in 18 languages. Google says the app can tell when someone is speaking in another language and display translated text in real time. (For comparison, Zoom has offered live transcription to free users for nearly two years.)Duet AI's note-taking functions should prove useful too. A "take notes for me" feature will prompt the assistant to jot down action items and capture video snippets, then send a summary to attendees after the fact. If you're unable to join a meeting right at the beginning (or you slept in, we're not judging), Duet AI can catch you up on what you missed with an in-progress summary.GoogleIf you can't make it to a meeting at all, you can send Duet AI on your behalf. The assistant can get your points across to other attendees and still make sure you get a summary afterwards. However, if all participants use Duet AI as their proxy, Meet will seemingly be able to detect that and end the meeting.On top of all of that, the company is stuffing Duet AI into Google Chat too. Google is trying to make the app more of a competitor to Slack and Microsoft Teams, which could make a lot of sense for organizations that are already paying for Workspace for other productivity apps.You'll be able to ask Duet AI questions about topics of discussion. The assistant will be able to get you up to speed on conversations you missed and summarize documents that others have shared. Google has refreshed Chat's user interface and added more shortcuts and an enhanced search function that includes suggested queries and autocomplete. Autocorrect could help you avoid typos in your messages too. Chat communities will also eventually be able to include up to 500,000 users, while those who need to talk something out using their voices will be able to hop into a Meet-powered huddle.As for privacy, Google says that users' interactions with Duet AI will be private to them. "No other user will see your data and Google does not use your data to train our models without your permission," Pappu wrote. "Building on these core commitments, we recently announced new capabilities to help prevent cyber threats, provide safer work with built-in zero trust controls, and better support our customers' digital sovereignty and compliance needs."Generative AI tools have had a largely fraught relationship with privacy so far, with some companies reportedly restricting workers' ChatGPT use over concerns that they may accidentally leak proprietary data. Italy also briefly banned the chatbot due to privacy worries. Just this week, ChatGPT owner OpenAI debuted an Enterprise offering. The company says it won't train its AI models on Enterprise subscribers' usage of the service - a similar claim to the one Google just made with Duet AI.Google will surely see Duet AI as a competitor to ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. It's letting third-party companies use the underlying tech for other apps, such as an upcoming GE Appliances app that can generate recipes based on the food in a fridge (it's hard to think of an AI-powered app that would improve my life more than this). Meanwhile, as The Wall Street Journal notes, Google will make its PaLM 2 language learning model more broadly available after only granting select customers access until now.Google (and Alphabet) CEO Sundar Pichai told the publication that the company will offer Gemini - its direct answer to ChatGPT - to cloud customers when it's ready fro primetime. Google is also scaling up its infrastructure to handle the demands of AI functionality, but Pichai admitted that the company doesn't have a crystal ball in that regard. It's tough to fully predict the demand," he told the Journal. I think we will be OK, but does it keep me up at night? Yes."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-duet-ai-is-coming-to-workspace-apps-but-pro-users-will-need-to-pay-extra-150729432.html?src=rss
Google has been letting Android users set up locked folders in the Photos app for quite some time, giving them the option to keep sensitive images and screenshots safe from prying eyes. Now, the tech giant has started rolling out an update for the app that allows users to back up their locked folders, so they can access files saved in them from any of their devices. In addition, users can now access and set up locked folders - a feature that started as a Pixel exclusive - from the Photos app on iOS and the web. That means users don't even need an Android device to be able to enjoy the feature anymore.As a refresher, users can set up a locked folder by going into the Utilities section of the Photos app. They'll then see "cards" for potentially more than one feature, where they can directly create a locked folder for any image they want to keep safe. After they're done, they can choose whether to back up the folder or not. They can also easily add more images from their gallery by long pressing on one and then ticking the checkboxes that appear on their upper left corner. All images sent to locked folders will still be inaccessible anywhere else, and users can still only access them after confirming their identity using their device's password or biometric authenticaiton.GoogleGoogle has also started rolling out a simplified settings page for the Photos app. When users click on their account icon and check the settings page, they'll now see a new layout that makes it easier for them to find what they're looking for by navigating the new privacy, backup, sharing and notifications sections.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-photos-now-lets-you-access-and-set-up-locked-folders-on-ios-and-the-web-150044373.html?src=rss
iRobot is running another sale on Roomba robot vacuums and Braava robot mops, which includes the Roomba 694 back down to $179. We've seen this deal pop up periodically over the past several months, but it's still $71 below the vacuum's typical street price. Outside of a very brief drop to $175 last November, it matches the lowest price we've tracked.The Roomba 694 itself is the top pick in our guide to the best budget robot vacuums. It's an entry-level model that navigates around a room semi-randomly instead of mapping and following set paths, so it's not the most efficient cleaner, and it'll bonk into furniture around your house. That said, it's sturdily built, and we found it to work effectively across hard floors and carpet. We're particularly fond of iRobot's companion app, which makes it easy to quickly stop or start the vacuum, set a cleaning schedule, check the battery and the like. You don't need to connect to WiFi to use the device, however. iRobot says the Roomba 694 can run for up to 90 minutes before it has to roll back to its charging dock, though you'll get worse battery life depending on what floor surfaces you need to clean.A simpler device like this won't be as effective if you live in a particularly large home, but if you just want a no-frills option at a reasonable rate, we've found the Roomba 694 to be durable and dependable. And if something ever does break, replacement parts are readily available.If you're willing to pay up for a more feature-rich model, the sale also brings the Roomba j7+ down to $529. Normally, this model retails between $600 and $800. The j7+ comes with a self-emptying dock and more advanced mapping system than the 694, and it can identify and swerve away from obstacles like pet waste in real time. Currently, it's the runner up midrange pick in our guide to the best robot vacuums. Just note that, like many robot vacuums with its sort of obstacle avoidance, the j7 comes with a built-in camera, which may raise privacy concerns for some, particularly with Amazon in the process of acquiring iRobot.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/irobots-roomba-694-robot-vacuum-drops-back-to-179-144038815.html?src=rss
When TCL first unveiled NXTPAPER, it said that it was designed for tablets and e-readers - not smartphones. You can disregard that comment now, because the company just unveiled its first smartphone using that very display tech. The TCL 40 NXTPAPER models are budget-oriented devices that promise "industry-leading eye comfort" with mid- to low-range specs.TCL has described NXTPAPER as a "combination of screen and paper," noting that it offers 25 percent more contrast than typical E Ink displays, while being 65 percent more power efficient. Its latest version delivers up to 500 nits of brightness, and supposedly exceeds TUV-certified levels of blue light reduction. TCL says the tech can help protect your eye health while maintaining color accuracy and avoiding screen yellowing. The screen's color temperature will adjust automatically based on the time and environment, too.Despite sharing a name, the TCL 40 NXTPAPER and TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G have different designs and specs. The former comes with a 6.78-inch FHD+ NXTPAPER display and has a punch hole 32-megapixel (MP) front camera, along with a 50MP rear camera. It has a middling MediaTek Helio G88 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, expandable via a microSD card. Connectivity is limited to 4G, and it will cost 199 ($215) when it goes on sale in Europe in September 2023.The TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G, as the name suggests, offers 5G connectivity, but other specs are oddly downgraded. It's got a smaller 6.5-inch HD+ (720 x 1,612) notch-type display, with an 8MP front camera and 50MP rear camera. It uses MediaTek's MT6833v processor (because it has 5G radios) and offers 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (also expandable). It'll go on sale in Europe in October for 249 ($269). Both models will release globally later in 2023.Specs aside, the NXTPAPER display is the differentiating feature for these smartphones. Each has a 5,000mAh hour, and given the power-efficiency claims, should go for a long while on a charge. It remains to be seen if the screen will deliver a solid smartphone experience, however.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tcls-new-budget-phones-are-the-first-to-feature-nxtpaper-displays-143027711.html?src=rss
Today, Marshall has opened up pre-orders for its newest active noise canceling earbuds: the Motif II ANC. It's actually the first headphone or speaker product released by Marshall Group, a new venture combining the core Marshall Amplification company and Zounds, which has been producing the headphones and speakers under the company's name since 2010. These earbuds boast some big advances over the last gen (2021), with improved battery life and quick charging at the forefront. You can pre-order the Motif II ANC ($199) from Marshall's website today and the product will be shipping on September 12th.Plenty of features remain the same as before, so existing Motif users can do a cost-benefit analysis to decide if they're ready to upgrade. There's still the 6mm dynamic drivers pushing out tunes within the 20Hz - 20kHz frequency range. You get touch controls for core operations like play/pause, skip and noise control (ANC and transparency mode). The Bluetooth range of approximately 33 feet still persists although the Motif II buds now have Bluetooth 5.3 and will support Bluetooth LE Audio (LC3) with future updates.Photo by Jon Turi / EngadgetThe sound of the new Motif II should also be essentially the same as before, although, to be honest that's just based on specs since I haven't tried the first-gen model. The buds fit snugly in my ear (at least) and provide a thick bass experience and the rich and familiar Marshall sound profile. The active noise canceling works well to block out most environmental noise like a subway or crowded bar, letting only some voices slip through as distant chitchat.The IP rating is also unchanged with an IPX5 water resistance for the earbuds and IPX4 for the charging case. That means these buds are fine for a normal workout, but not great to dunk in the sink. And the charging case itself should be treated with a little more care. You can also still charge the case wirelessly, which leads us to one of the biggest upgrades of the Motif II: battery life.Photo by Jon Turi / EngadgetThe new Motif II has a total of 30 hours playtime assisted by the charging case (10 more than before) and with ANC enabled. Without that feature turned on, you should be able to get up an impressive 43 hours total. The individual buds have standalone playtimes of six to nine hours depending on whether you use ANC or not.While the previous full-charging time was three hours, it's been halved to just one and a half hours via USB. Additionally, there's a fast charge setting you can turn on through the app which will get you a whole hour more than previously. That means in 15 minutes of charging you should get about two hours now, which is eternally useful.You'll also get the Spotify Tap feature with the Motif II ANC. You can access the Spotify with a double tap and long press of the touch controls on your earbuds without needing to pick up your phone. The details for this touch feature and all the others are found in the Marshall Bluetooth app, along with all the other features and some touch customization.MarshallMarshall's Motif II ANC earbuds cover all the essentials and provide a great listening experience without overcomplicating the product. Long battery life is a core necessity for many and these buds shine in that regard. The minimal black exterior with gold capped ends keep them visibly subtle and that signature sound profile is worth a listen for those who are unfamiliar. Pre-orders for the $199 earbuds are open today at the company's website and they should be shipping out on September 12th, which is rapidly approaching.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/marshall-premieres-its-motif-ii-anc-earbuds-with-a-big-bump-in-battery-life-140000745.html?src=rss
German Bionic, the robot exoskeleton startup behind the lightweight Apogee exosuit, just revealed the Apogee+, a hardware refresh intended to service health care workers. The powered exoskeleton allows nurses and other health care professionals to have greater access to patients, particularly the elderly and the infirm. The company hopes to decrease the immense levels of stress endured" by these medical professionals.To that end, the Apogee+ is designed as a personal lift assistant," providing active assistance while walking, lifting and arranging patients for treatments and sanitary procedures like showers. The robo-suit offers nearly 70 pounds of back relief per lift and includes integrated grips for getting a stable hold on things and for repositioning patients.Just like its sibling exoskeleton, the Apogee+ is small and lightweight, so it can be worn by a variety of people in a diverse array of environments. It's also waterproof, which should help when bathing patients, and dust-proof, which should help when, uh, working in rundown medical facilities straight out of a Stephen King novel.Most German Bionic products, like the powerful Cray X, are designed for industrial settings, but the Apogee+ is made for health clinics, so it features a softer form factor with light patient-friendly" colors. The suit's unibody exterior is designed for an easy disinfection process, so germs and bacteria won't accumulate. This is obviously quite essential in healthcare environments.German Bionic touts recent data celebrating the efficacy of exoskeleton wearable products in the healthcare space, saying that it offers flexible and reliable support to nursing staff." The Apogee+ is rolling out across North America now, so it's already available for purchase by health care entities. If you want to try it for yourself, book a passage to Germany in November. The company's offering in-person demos at global medical trade show Medica on November 13. These exoskeletons cost $9,900 or $299 per month forr bulk purchasers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/german-bionics-latest-exoskeleton-helps-healthcare-workers-lift-elderly-patients-130046538.html?src=rss
Snapchat has added a new generative AI feature to its app. Called Dreams," it's in some ways similar to the company's signature AR effects, known as lenses. But instead of real-time camera-based effects, the feature uses generative AI to remix users' selfies into fantastical images that transform their persona into new identities."The feature, which can be found in the app's memories" section, begins by asking users to take selfies showing their face at different angles. The app will then creates a series of eight images based on themes like time travel" or alternate universes." Eventually, Snap says, users will be able to create Dreams that include their friends' likenesses as well.Dreams is the latest generative AI experiment from the company, which launched its MyAI chatbot earlier this year using OpenAI's models. (Dreams uses open source tools and internal data, though the company hasn't provided details about specific partners.)The feature also highlights how the company is using interest in the technology as a source of revenue. MyAI was initially limited to Snapchat+, the app's premium subscription tier, before it was released to all the app's users this spring. The company has since added specialized features for subscribers, including the ability for MyAI to reply to photo Snaps with its own AI-generated images.Likewise, Dreams will have both a free and paid component. Snap is allowing non-Snapchat+ subscribers to access just one - so use it wisely - pack" of eight selfies, while subscribers will get access to one pack a month (the company says it plans to update Dreams with new themes and styles regularly). All users will be able to buy additional packs for a $0.99 in-app purchase.SnapIn practice, the images appear to have some of the same limitations as other AI-based image generators. A promotional image shared by Snap showed what appeared to be the tips of partial fingers strangely placed over the subject's chest. When I tried Dreams to create my own AI selfies, some of the resulting images also had strange-looking hands, though it at least showed the correct number of fingers placed in an anatomically correct position.Still, I can see how the feature could keep Snapchat users - who have collectively sent more than 10 billion messages to MyAI - coming back. And as tools like Midjourney have moved behind paywalls, Snap's offerings might just seem like a better deal for those looking to try out generative AI.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/snapchats-new-dreams-feature-uses-generative-ai-to-remix-users-selfies-130038172.html?src=rss
Google has really tried to go all in on automation since the rollout of its redesigned Home app in May. There's been the introduction of a new script editor, Nest Cam Indoor integration and, now, a whole slew of new routines to use. The company has announced 18 new routines - half starters and half actions - immediately available for Google Home users.Starters allow you to activate or turn off something in response to another device. For example, you can now have the thermostat automatically turn off when the window is open or have lights dim and the fireplace light up if you pause your show. Actions, on the other hand, typically occur in response to you or another individual. New actions include options like having your lights slowly turn on after dismissing your alarm and pulsing the lights in your room or turning off the vacuum if your doorbell rings. You can check out the entire list of new routines on Google's Nest Community blog here.You can access new and old routines in the Google Home app under the Routines icon. From there, you can choose which type of routine it is - household or personal - and name it. Then, when you want to use it, all you need to do is ask Google to start it the same way you'd tell your Google device to do anything.Google has also added the first round of new features to its script editor public preview, including using cameras as a starter. These settings could include playing calming music when a dog comes into view or the lights turning on when a family member gets home. However, you can also suppress starters if they're unhelpful for the time being. Plus, you can enact custom notifications, such as a text telling you when certain family members have made it home safe or that an appliance was left on.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-just-made-it-a-lot-easier-for-people-to-begin-automating-their-smart-home-122504424.html?src=rss
Meta has shared details about a massive network of fake accounts that attempted to spread pro-China propaganda on its platform. The company said the takedowns were linked to individuals associated with Chinese law enforcement" who operated similar fake accounts on dozens of other platforms.While the company regularly shares updates on its takedowns of fake accounts engaged in widespread manipulation, Meta's security security researchers said the latest effort was particularly notable for the size and scope of the operation. In all, Meta took down 7,704 Facebook accounts, 954 Pages, 15 Groups and 15 Instagram accounts, making it one of the largest networks of fake accounts the company has ever uncovered.During a call with reporters, Ben Nimmo, Meta's global threat intelligence lead, described the effort as the most prolific covert influence operation that we know of in the world today." He noted that the group behind the accounts were also active on X, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest and dozens of other social platforms.According to Meta, the fake accounts tried to spread pro-China messages, including positive commentary about China and its province Xinjiang and criticisms of the United States, Western foreign policies, and critics of the Chinese government including journalists and researchers." The company attributed the accounts to law enforcement figures within China, but didn't name a specific agency or organization. Meta did confirm it found evidence linking the fake accounts to a previously known pro-China influence operation that first surfaced in 2019, which security researchers dubbed "Spamouflage."Despite the size of the effort, Meta said the people behind the fake accounts weren't particularly skilled or successful in their efforts to go viral. Spamouflage consistently struggled to reach beyond its own (fake) echo chamber," Meta wrote in its quarterly security report. Many comments on Spamouflage posts that we have observed came from other Spamoflauge accounts trying to make it look like they were more popular than they were."Still, Nimmo said the entities behind Spamouflage were unlikely to give up. This operation is large, prolific and persistent," he said. We expect it to keep on trying."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-took-down-thousands-of-fake-accounts-linked-to-massive-chinese-propaganda-campaign-120059914.html?src=rss
Dolby has announced a new Atmos feature to pair your TV speakers with any wireless speakers you have in the room. Officially dubbed Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, the tech will appear first on 2024 TCL TVs.It's not completely new ground: Samsung has Q-Symphony and Sony has Acoustic Center Sync, for example, both of which use the speakers in your TV to augment soundbars or other speakers. Dolby's pitch for FlexConnect says it "intelligently optimizes the sound" based on the room layout and speaker location. The company says the technology will free users from the limitations of room size, power outlet placement and furniture positioning.Dolby says setup is quick and easy as the acoustic mapping uses microphones inside the TV, and the feature will adjust the sound for each speaker, even the ones inside the TV. If this new technology is open to other manufacturers (like Atmos), you could create your own immersive audio from different product lines. However, that could require new speakers, a new soundbar and a new TV.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedJudge tosses Republican lawsuit against Google over Gmail spam filters Sony's noise-canceling WH-1000XM5 headphones fall back to $348Synchron's BCI implants may help paralyzed patients reconnect with the worldThe Polyend Tracker is over 40 percent off Benevolent hackers clear stalking spyware from 76,000 phonesThe unnamed hackers targeted spyware firm WebDetetive.Unnamed hackers claim they accessed spyware firm WebDetetive and deleted device information to protect victims from surveillance. The spyware advertises the ability to monitor everything a victim types, listen to phone calls and track locations for "less than a cup of coffee" without being seen. The WebDetetive breach compromised more than 76,000 devices belonging to customers of the stalkerware, and more than 1.5 gigabytes of data freed from the app's servers. While TechCrunch, which reported on the move, did not independently confirm the deletion of victims' data from the WebDetetive server, a cache of data shared by the hackers provided a look at what they were able to accomplish.Continue reading.A glow-in-the-dark Analogue Pocket will be available in SeptemberIt costs $250 and will start shipping on September 5th.AnalogueSee-through gadgets are done. It's time for the return of glow-in-the-dark tech. A special edition Analogue Pocket is coming out next month, which the company says will be available in "highly limited quantities" for $250 each. In addition to launching Pocket Glow, Analogue has also announced all pre-orders for the handheld will ship by today. After several delays, the original Analogue Pocket came out in December 2021, and pre-purchases have shipped out to buyers in batches since then.Continue reading.Libby is making it easier to access magazines for free with a supported library cardThe app lets you read 'The New Yorker,' 'Wired' and much more.Libby offers free access to ebooks and audiobooks if you have a supported library card (some 90 percent of public libraries in North America now use OverDrive's app). Not only that, you can also use Libby to read magazines for absolutely zilch. Updates are coming to the app next month to make it easier to read, subscribe to and get new-issue alerts for the likes of The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Bon Appetit and Wired for free. This is mostly an excuse, however, to remind you that Libby is pretty awesome.Continue reading.ChatGPT is easily exploited for political messaging despite OpenAI's policiesPolicy banning such use was supposedly integrated in March.Open AI updated its Usage Policy in March, in a bid to head off concerns that ChatGPT, its generative AI, could be used to amplify political disinformation. However, an investigation by The Washington Post shows the chatbot is still easily incited to break those rules. Prompt inputs such as Write a message encouraging suburban women in their 40s to vote for Trump" or Make a case to convince an urban dweller in their 20s to vote for Biden" immediately returned responses to prioritize economic growth, job creation and a safe environment for your family" and listing administration policies benefiting young urban voters, respectively. It's enough to make you anxious.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-dolby-atmos-will-use-your-tv-to-expand-your-speaker-setups-111503276.html?src=rss
There's often only a small difference between a new model and the one preceding it in terms of features. That's why, despite the recent arrival of the sixth-generation, a sale on Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 40mm models is notable. This is especially true since the $180 price tag is a new all-time low for the device. Depending on the color, this discount cuts the cost anywhere from 36 percent all the way up to 47 percent off.Samsung only debuted its most recent model, the Galaxy Watch 6, this summer. While it does have some improvements (like a 20 percent larger display and the return of the rotating dial), the $300 price tag is quite hefty compared to $180. Plus, the Galaxy Watch 5 is a great device, which is why we gave it an 85 in our review last year. The Bespoke edition makes up most of the sale and lets you customize everything from the band to the watch face. It also includes comprehensive health information and tracking - such as your heart rate, a GPS and sleep coaching.The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 44mm size with Bluetooth and LTE models also have significant sales. The Galaxy Watch 5 44mm with Bluetooth is 34 percent off, dropping from $320 to $210. It's similar to its 40mm sibling but has a bigger watch frame and a 410mAh battery, compared to the 40mm's 284mAh. Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 LTE is also on sale in both watch sizes, with the 40mm LTE dropping 30 percent from $330 to $230. The 44mm version is also $100 off, at $260, down from $360. The lower price definitely makes the LTE watch a more reasonable option if you want access to your watch's full features at all times.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-galaxy-watch-5-falls-to-a-new-all-time-low-in-amazon-sale-101556361.html?src=rss
When Foxconn announced its plans to open facilities in Wisconsin back in 2017, it promised to invest $10 billion into bringing production to the US that was expected to lead to as many as 13,000 jobs. Now, the Taiwanese supplier to tech giants like Apple is selling two properties in Eau Claire and Green Bay, purchased for almost $12 million in 2018. The property listings were first reported by Wisconsin Public Radio (via Gizmodo and The Verge), which revealed that only three floors of the Green Bay building's six floors are in use. Meanwhile, the portion Foxconn owns in a mixed-use property in Eau Claire has reportedly remained empty for years.Foxconn originally said that it was going to build "innovation centers" in Wisconsin, including one that will serve as an LCD factory. The project was supposed to be massive enough to strike a $2.85 billion tax credit deal with the local government. At the time the project was announced, then President Donald Trump said that if he didn't get elected, Foxconn "wouldn't be spending $10 billion" on manufacturing in the US. The former president was also there when the project broke ground, equipped with a golden shovel.In 2021, however, Foxconn massively altered the scale of the project and told the local government that it would be investing $672 million instead of $10 billion like it intended. It also reduced the number of potential jobs produced to 1,454 from 13,000 positions. The company said back then that its original projections "changed due to unanticipated market fluctuations" and that reducing the scale of its project in the US gives it the "flexibility to pursue business opportunities in response to changing global market conditions."Foxconn didn't comment on its Eau Claire property, but it told WPR that it "will add to the vibrancy of the city's downtown." Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich posted on X that he hopes a sale "will lead to better utilization of a fantastic waterfront building."
Mercedes-Benz is launching its high-power charging hub network in the fourth quarter of 2023 with speeds as high as 400kW - more than any EV on the market can handle, the company announced. The stations will launch in Atlanta, Georgia (the company's US home base), Chengdu, China and Mannheim, Germany. The automaker plans to build 400 hub locations with 2,000 chargers in the US, and 2,000 around the world by the end of 2024.Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz announced plans to team with ChargePoint to build the "Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging Network." The first installations were to include both CCS and Tesla's NACS (North American Charging Standard) connectors and be open to non-Mercedes EVs.Now, the company has said that "depending on region, the charging stations offer a charging rate of currently up to 400kW, provided via the respective standard charging systems CCS1 (North America), CCS2 [Europe], NACS [Tesla] and GB/T [China]." It promised that each vehicle can be charged at its maximum power rating via intelligent charging management, to keep wait times to a minimum. Hubs will be located at "main traffic areas and select Mercedes-Benz dealerships," the company added.Last month, Mercedes said it would adopt NACS for its North American EVs. Prior to that, it will give owners access to the Tesla Supercharger network through a CCS-to-NACS adapter arriving in 2024 (Tesla currently has around 1,847 Supercharger stations in the US with 20,040 Supercharger ports - nearly two-thirds of all DC Fast EV charging ports).Mercedes-Benz's deal with Tesla is independent of its own branded charging network. Last month, the company announced plans to team up with six other automakers including BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Stellantis to create a network of 30,000 new EV fast-charging stations across North America starting in summer 2024. Those will also offer both CCS and NACS connectors.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-first-mercedes-benz-ev-fast-charging-stations-will-open-this-fall-075912626.html?src=rss
Max, formerly known as HBO Max, will give subscribers access to several AMC shows, at least for a limited time. The streaming service has struck a deal with AMC to feature some of its more recent programming from September 1st to October 31st. According to CNBC and Variety, their deal encompasses over 200 episodes from titles that include Fear the Walking Dead, Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire and Killing Eve. AMC will even make more of its shows available through Max this fall.While the network has its own streaming service called AMC+, it's been struggling to make money off it and to keep up with rival providers. When company chairman James Dolan sent a memo to staff members in the midst of layoffs last year, he wrote: "It was our belief that cord cutting losses would be offset by gains in streaming. This has not been the case."AMC's programs will be marked as such on the Max app and will be listed in a tab labeled as "AMC+ Picks on Max." They will be available to both ad-free and ad-supported Max subscribers, though the AMC+ titles will reportedly not include commercials and ads. HBO EVP Meredith Gertler said "[t]he AMC+ collection pop up is an excellent example of how [the company] can use innovative strategies to add value to [its] content offering."The parties have yet to announce the other titles arriving on Max this fall, but CNBC says they will not include AMC's biggest shows, such as Mad Men and The Walking Dead. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, which also won't be making their way to Max, are already licensed to Netflix.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/max-will-stream-fear-the-walking-dead-killing-eve-and-other-amc-shows-055138723.html?src=rss
Way back in 2015, Google launched Project Sunroof, an ingenious Maps layer that combined location, sunlight and navigation data to show how much energy solar panels installed on a home's roof might generate - it could be your house, could be your neighbor's, didn't matter because Google mapped it out for virtually every house on the planet. This was a clever way to both help advance the company's environmental sustainability efforts and show off the platform's technical capabilities.On Tuesday at the Google Cloud Next event, the company will officially unveil a suite of new sustainability APIs that leverage the company's AI ambitions to provide developers with real-time solar potential, air quality and pollen level information. With these tools, we can work toward our ambition to help individuals, cities, and partners collectively reduce 1 gigaton of their carbon equivalent emissions annually by 2030," Yael Maguire, VP of Geo Sustainability at Google writes in a forthcoming Maps blog post.GoogleThe Solar API builds directly from Project Sunroof's original work, using modern maps and more advanced computing resources than its predecessor. The API will cover 320 million buildings in 40 countries including the US, France and Japan, Maguire told reporters during an embargoed briefing Monday.Demand for solar has been rising a lot in recent years," Maguire said. He notes that search interest for "rooftop solar panel and power" increased 60 percent in 2022. We've been seeing this solar transition... and we saw a lot of opportunity to bring this information and technology to businesses around the world."The team trained an AI model to extract the precise angles and slopes of a given rooftop just from the overhead satellite or aerial photograph, along with shade estimates of nearby trees, and combine that with historical weather data and current energy pricing. This gives installation companies and homeowners alike a more holistic estimate of how much their solar specific panels could produce without having to physically send out a technician to the site.GoogleGoogle is also expanding the Air Quality layer, which proved invaluable during the 2021 California Wildfires (and all the subsequent wildfires), into its own API offering for more than 100 countries around the world.This API validates and organizes several terabytes of data each hour from multiple data sources - including government monitoring stations, meteorological data, sensors and satellites - to provide a local and universal index," Maguire wrote.The system will even take current traffic conditions and vehicle volume into account to better predict what pollutants will be predominant. This process offers companies in healthcare, auto, transportation and more the ability to provide accurate and timely air quality information to their users, wherever they are," Maguire wrote.GoogleIn addition to human-generated pollutants, Google is also evolving its current pollen tracking Maps layer into a full API. The rise in temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions also causes pollen-producing plants to grow in more places and pollen production to increase, creating additional adverse effects for those with seasonal allergies," Maguire said.The Pollen API will track the seasonal release of tree semen in more than 65 countries, incorporating local wind patterns and annual trends, providing users with local pollen count data, detailed allergen information and heatmaps of where the sneezing will be worst. Maguire envisions this data being leveraged by travel planning apps, to improve planning for daily commutes or vacations." The apps will be available to developers starting August 29th.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-new-sustainability-apis-can-estimate-solar-pollutant-and-pollen-production-231303184.html?src=rss
Americans have grown more worried about AI in the last nine months. A new survey from the Pew Research Center indicates 52 percent of respondents are more concerned than excited about rising artificial intelligence use, up 14 points since December. Meanwhile, only 10 percent say they're more excited than worried, while another 36 percent described their views as equally balanced. Concern about AI outweighs excitement across all major demographic groups," the Pew Research Center wrote in a blog post today.It's been an eventful nine months since the Pew Center last surveyed people about AI. OpenAI's ChatGPT went from a buzzed-about homework cheating tool to a household name, and the corporate world - including tech's most prominent companies - raced to prove who was the most invested in generative AI. Microsoft plugged GPT-4 into Office and Windows, and Google launched its Bard chatbot while adding AI components to search. AI writing and generative art have made controversial (and widely covered in the media) entries into journalism, book writing, song production and even some political campaigns.Although younger Americans are still more concerned than excited, their views tend to be more positive than their older counterparts. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 42 percent are more concerned about the growing use of AI in daily life," and 17 percent are more excited. But among adults 65 and up, 61 percent say they're primarily concerned, while excitement only outweighs concern for a mere four percent.Microsoft rolled out its browser-based AI chatbot earlier this year.ASSOCIATED PRESSPew Research also polled respondents on awareness of AI, and it appears the more people have heard about its rising adoption, the more uneasy they feel. The polling reports that about 90 percent of adults have heard a lot (33 percent) or a little (56 percent) about artificial intelligence, with the a lot" group growing by seven points since December. Those who have heard much about AI are more likely to be worried than in December: Anxiety outweighs enthusiasm (47 percent to 15 percent) among that demographic, compared to 31 percent concerned to 23 percent excited last year. Even those who have only heard a little about it describe a more negative view than respondents in the December poll - by 19 points.When breaking down AI's impact into categories, results are more mixed. On one hand, 49 percent said it helps more than hurts when finding products and services they're interested in online (compared to 15 percent that say it hurts more). But 53 percent answered that it hurts more than helps in keeping personal information private, with a mere 10 percent saying it helps more in that area. Other areas where the polled Americans said it helps more include companies making safe vehicles, doctors providing quality care and people taking care of their health. Categories like finding accurate online information, providing quality customer service and police keeping the peace were closer to an even split between positive and negative.Respondents with and without higher education answered differently. For example, college graduates were more likely to view AI as a positive in finding products and services online and helping doctors provide quality care (60 percent positive among college grads, 44 percent for those without a degree). But people with some college or less" were less likely to view it as a negative for protecting private information (59 percent among college-educated, 50 percent for those with less). Overall, those polled with a college education were more likely to view AI positively.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/americans-growing-anxious-as-ai-adoption-expands-pew-research-finds-204500137.html?src=rss
In March, OpenAI sought to head off concerns that its immensely popular, albeit hallucination-prone, ChatGPT generative AI could be used to dangerously amplify political disinformation campaigns through an update to the company's Usage Policy to expressly prohibit such behavior. However, an investigation by The Washington Post shows that the chatbot is still easily incited to breaking those rules, with potentially grave repercussions for the 2024 election cycle.OpenAI's user policies specifically ban its use for political campaigning, save for use by "grassroots advocacy campaigns" organizations. This includes generating campaign materials in high volumes, targeting those materials at specific demographics, building campaign chatbots to disseminate information, engage in political advocacy or lobbying. Open AI told Semafor in April that it was, "developing a machine learning classifier that will flag when ChatGPT is asked to generate large volumes of text that appear related to electoral campaigns or lobbying."Those efforts don't appear to have actually been enforced over the past few months, a Washington Post investigation reported Monday. Prompt inputs such as Write a message encouraging suburban women in their 40s to vote for Trump" or Make a case to convince an urban dweller in their 20s to vote for Biden" immediately returned responses to prioritize economic growth, job creation, and a safe environment for your family" and listing administration policies benefiting young, urban voters, respectively.The company's thinking on it previously had been, Look, we know that politics is an area of heightened risk,'" Kim Malfacini, who works on product policy at OpenAI, told WaPo. We as a company simply don't want to wade into those waters."We want to ensure we are developing appropriate technical mitigations that aren't unintentionally blocking helpful or useful (non-violating) content, such as campaign materials for disease prevention or product marketing materials for small businesses," she continued, conceding that the "nuanced" nature of the rules will make enforcement a challenge.Like the social media platforms that preceded it, OpenAI and its chatbot startup ilk are running into moderation issues - though this time, it's not just with the shared content but also who should now have access to the tools of production, and under what conditions. For its part, OpenAI announced in mid-August that it is implementing "a content moderation system that is scalable, consistent and customizable."Regulatory efforts have been slow in forming over the past year, though they are now picking up steam. US Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh "Mad Dash" Hawley introduced the No Section 230 Immunity for AI Act in June, which would prevent the works produced by genAI companies from being shielded from liability under Section 230. The Biden White House, on the other hand, has made AI regulation a tentpole issue of its administration, investing $140 million to launch seven new National AI Research Institutes, establishing a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and extracting (albeit non-binding) promises from the industry's largest AI firms to at least try to not develop actively harmful AI systems. Additionally, the FTC has opened an investigation into OpenAI and whether its policies are sufficiently protecting consumers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chatgpt-is-easily-exploited-for-political-messaging-despite-openais-policies-184117868.html?src=rss
OpenAI launched ChatGPT Enterprise today, the business-focused subscription it teased in April. The company says it won't train its AI models on any business data or conversations under the new plan. Our models don't learn from your usage," the company wrote in an announcement blog post about the enterprise features. In addition, the new plan encrypts business chats (in transit and at rest) and is SOC 2 compliant. OpenAI says companies including Block, Canva, Carlyle, The Estee Lauder Companies, PwC and Zapier have already tested ChatGPT Enterprise.ChatGPT Enterprise provides two times faster access to GPT-4 (the same model from ChatGPT Pro) but without usage caps - and with a boosted 32,000-token context, letting the AI model process up to four times the input / output text as the $20-per-month Pro tier. The business-focused plan also includes unlimited access to advanced data analysis (previously called Code Interpreter), allowing teams to quickly analyze enormous swaths of data.The business subscription gives companies an admin console, allowing for bulk management of employee use. This includes the ability to create shared chat templates for teams that share common workflows. It also offers enterprises free credits for OpenAI's API, which can be used for custom chatbots and other tailored AI-generated text. Business customers will also receive an analytics dashboard for usage insights" within their organizations.With today's launch focusing on large corporations, OpenAI says a version for smaller businesses will arrive at some point in the future. COO Brian Lightcap toldCNBC today that starting with more robust enterprise customers gives us a little bit more of a way to engage with teams in a hands-on way and understand what the deployment motion looks like before we fully open it up." The company isn't announcing pricing publicly, but businesses can contact OpenAI to learn about their options and tailor a custom plan. Lightcap told CNBC that pricing will depend, for us, on every company's use cases and size."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openais-chatgpt-enterprise-service-encrypts-corporate-conversations-182812290.html?src=rss
The Polyend Tracker is one of the more intriguing music-making devices we've come across over the last several years. While it might not be for everyone, the powerful groovebox could help you get out of your comfort zone by upending your workflow. There's hardly been a better time to try the Polyend Tracker, as it's currently available for over 40 percent off. An official Polyend shop has just opened at Reverb and to mark the occasion, the Tracker has dropped to $359 in the US and 399 or less in Europe.There are very few hardware trackers on the market at the minute, with the Tracker nestling alongside Polyend's own Tracker Mini, the Dirtwave M8 and the NerqSEQ. The Tracker has a different format than you might be used to. Rather than the horizontal layout of a step sequencer, you'll enter notes that are played back on a vertical timeline.As you might expect, you'll be able to add and edit samples on the Tracker. The device has an FM radio function that you can use for sampling too. Reverb notes that you can use the Tracker to create any kind of electronic music.We gave the Tracker a score of 86 in our review. Even at its original price of $599, we felt it was great value, while the swathe of sample manipulation tools and consideration given to the shortcuts and interface were plus points as well. While we had some reservations about the somewhat archaic nature of the workflow, there are far more positives than negatives about the Polyend Tracker in our book.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-polyend-tracker-is-over-40-percent-off-180350389.html?src=rss
iRobot announced two new combo vacuum / mop combo robots today. The Roomba Combo j5+ and Combo i5+ provide some of the dual-mode features of the $1,1099 Roomba j7+ but for more affordable prices. However, there are some tradeoffs in selling these models for $799 (j5+) and $549 (i5+), including having to swap out their bins when it's time to switch between vacuuming and mopping.One of the biggest differences between the two new models is that the Roomba j5+, the higher-end one, can identify No Mop Zones" to avoid rugs and carpeted rooms and learn your overall cleaning preferences. In addition, only the j5+ has advanced obstacle avoidance and can steer clear of over 80" common floor hazards, including solid pet waste. The more expensive model also adds iRobot's P.O.O.P. promise, which vows to replace your device if it fails to avoid pet messes.iRobotApart from those differences that make the i5+ $250 cheaper, the two have much in common. They both run iRobot OS, provide control through the iRobot Home app and have self-emptying dustbins / charging stations. Each will automatically switch between vacuuming and mopping when you attach the corresponding bin. (According toThe Verge, they have 360ml dustbins and 210ml mopping tanks.) The machines also work with voice assistants, letting you control them with Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant devices. And although the cheaper i5+ won't learn specific carpeted / rugged areas, you can still label room names and program it to target specific ones.The $799 Roomba Combo j5+ and $549 Roomba Combo i5+ are available for pre-order today in North America on iRobot's website ahead of retail availability on September 3rd. Meanwhile, European customers can buy the i5+ today, with the j5+ arriving in September. iRobot says it will roll out to other international markets throughout 2023 and into early next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/irobots-latest-roombas-can-vacuum-and-mop-for-cheaper-171543756.html?src=rss
A library card is one of the most useful things you can have in your wallet. Libby offers free access to ebooks and audiobooks if you have a supported library card (some 90 percent of public libraries in North America now use OverDrive's app). Not only that, you can also use Libby to read a host of magazines for absolutely zilch. Some updates are coming to the app next month that should make it easier to read the likes of The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Bon Appetit and Wired for free.Libby says there will be streamlined access to magazines, which will seemingly be easier to subscribe to and receive an alert when there's a new issue. There will be improved discovery, while you'll be able to start reading with a single tap.The company notes that the app includes access to more than 4,000 magazines with up to three years of back issues. Unlike audiobooks, ebooks and other Libby offerings, there's no circulation cap on magazines and no restrictions on how many users can read them at once, so you won't have to wait - unless, that is, you still need to sign up at your local library first.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/libby-is-making-it-easier-to-access-magazines-for-free-with-a-supported-library-card-170030117.html?src=rss
Dr. Tom Oxley visibly stiffens at the prospect of using brain-computer interface technology for something as gauche as augmenting able-bodied humans. We're not building a BCI to control Spotify or to watch Netflix," the CEO of medical device startup Synchron tersely told Engadget via videocall last week.There's all this hype and excitement about BCI, about where it might go," Oxley continued. But the reality is, what's it gonna do for patients? We describe this problem for patients, not around wanting to super-augment their brain or body, but wanting to restore the fundamental agency and autonomy that [able-bodied people] take for granted."Around 31,000 Americans currently live with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with another 5,000 diagnosed every year. Nearly 300,000 Americans suffer from spinal cord paralysis, and another approximately 18,000 people join those ranks annually. Thousands more are paralyzed by stroke and accident, losing their ability to see, hear or feel the world around them. And with the lack of motor control in their extremities, these Americans can also lose access to a critical component of modern life: their smartphone.[A smartphone] creates our independence and our autonomy," Oxley said. It's communicating to each other, text messaging, emailing. It's controlling the lights in your house, doing your banking, doing your shopping, all those things."If you can control your phone again," he said. you can restore those elements of your lifestyle."So while Elon Musk promises an fantastical cyberpunk future where everybody knows Kung Fu and can upload their consciousness to the cloud on a whim, startups like Synchron, as well as Medtronic, Blackrock Neurotech, BrainGate and Precision Neuroscience and countless academic research teams, are working to put this transformative medical technology into clinical practice, reliably and ethically.The best way to a man's mind is through his jugular veinBrooklyn-based Synchron made history in 2022 when it became the first company to successfully implant a BCI into a human patient as part of its pioneering SWITCH study performed in partnership with Mount Sinai Hospital. To date, the medical community has generally had just two options in capturing the myriad electrical signals that our brains produce: low-fidelity but non-invasive EEG wave caps, or high-fidelity Utah Array neural probes that require open-brain surgery to install.Synchron's Stentrode device provides a third: it is surgically guided up through a patient's jugular vein to rest within a large blood vessel near their motor cortex where its integrated array of sensors yield better-fidelity signal than an EEG cap without the messy implantation or eventual performance drop off of probe arrays.We're not putting penetrative electronics into the brain and so the surgical procedure itself is minimally invasive," Dr. David Putrino, Director of Rehabilitation Innovation for the Mount Sinai Health System, explained to Engadget. The second piece of it is, you're not asking a neurologist to learn anything new ... They know how to place stents, and you're really asking to place a stent in a big vessel - it's not a hard task."These types of vascular surgeries in the brain are commonly performed," said Dr. Zoran Nenadi, William J. Link Chair and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. I think they're clever using this route to deliver these implants into the human brain, which otherwise is an invasive surgery."Though the Stentrode's signal quality is not quite on par with a probe array, it doesn't suffer the signal degradation that arrays do. Quite the opposite, in fact. When you use penetrative electrodes and you put them in the brain," Putrino said, gliosis forms around the electrodes and impedances change, signal quality goes down, you lose certain electrodes. In this case, as the electrode vascularizes into the blood vessel, it actually stabilizes and improves the recording over time."A device for those silent moments of terrorWe're finally, actually, paying attention to a subset of individuals with disabilities who previously have not had technology available that gives them digital autonomy," Putrino said. He points out that for many severely paralyzed people, folks who can perhaps wiggle a finger or toe, or who can use eye tracking technology, the communication devices at their disposal are situational at best. Alert buttons can shift out of reach, eye tracking systems are largely stationary tools and unusable in cars.We communicate with these folks on a regular basis and the fears that are brought up that this technology can help with," Putrino recalls. It is exactly in these silent moments, where it's like, the eye tracking has been put away for the night and then you start to choke, how do you call someone in? Your call button or your communication device is pushed to the side and you see the nurse starting to prepare the wrong medication for you. How do you alert them? These moments happen often in a disabled person's life and we don't have an answer for these things."With a BCI, he continued, locked-in patients are no longer isolated. They can simply wake their digital device from sleep mode and use it to alert caregivers. "This thing works outside, it works in different light settings, it works regardless of whether you're laying flat on your back or sitting up in your chair," Putrino said. Versatile, continuous digital control is the goal."Reaching that goal is still at least half a decade away. Our goal over the next five years is to get market approval and then we'll be ready to scale up that point," Oxley said. The rate of that scaling will depend on the company's access to cath labs. These are facilities found in both primary and secondary level hospitals so there are thousands of them around the country, Oxley said. Far more than the handful of primary level hospitals that are equipped to handle open-brain BCI implantation surgeries.A show of hands for another hole in your headIn 2021, Synchron conducted its SWITCH safety study for the Stentrode device itself, implanting it in four ALS patients and monitoring their health over the course of the next year. The study found the device to be safe, with no serious adverse events that led to disability or death," according to a 2022 press release. The Stentrod stayed in place for all four patients and the blood vessel in which the device was implanted remained open."Buoyed by that success, Synchon launched its headline-grabbing COMMAND study last year, which uses the company's entire brain.io system in six patients to help them communicate digitally. We're really trying to show that this thing improves quality of life and improves agency of the individual," Putrino said. The team had initially expected the recruitment process through which candidate patients are screened, to take five full years to complete.Dr. Putrino was not prepared for the outpouring of interest, especially given the permanent nature of these tests and quality of life that patients might expect to have once they're in. Many of our patients have end-stage ALS, so being part of a trial is a non-trivial decision," Putrino said. That's like, do you want to spend what maybe some of the last years of your life with researchers as opposed to with family members?"Is that a choice you want to make for folks who are considering the trial who have a spinal cord injury?" asked Putrino, as those folks are also eligible for implantation. We have very candid conversations with them around, look, this is a gen one device," he warns. Do you want to wait for gen five because you don't have a short life expectancy, you could live another 30 years. This is a permanent implant."Still, the public interest in Synchron's BCI work has led to such a glut of interested patients, that the team was able to perform its implantation surgery on the sixth and final patient of the study in early August - nearly 18 months ahead of schedule. The team will need to continue the study for at least another year (to meet minimum safety standards like in the previous SWITCH study) but has already gotten permission from the NIH to extend its observation portion to the full original five years. This will give Synchron significantly more data to work with in the future, Putrino explained.How we can avoid another Argus II SNAFUOur Geordi LaForge visor future seemed a veritable lock in 2013, when Second Sight Medical Products received an FDA Humanitarian Use Device designation for its Argus II retinal prosthesis, two years after it received commercial clearance in Europe. The medical device, designed to restore at least rudimentary functional vision to people suffering profound vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa, was implanted in the patient's retina and converted digital video signals it received from an external, glasses-mounted camera into the analog electrical impulses that the brain can comprehend - effectively bypassing the diseased portions of the patient's ocular system.With the technical blessing of the FDA in hand (Humanitarian Use cases are not subject to nearly the same scrutiny as full FDA approval), Second Sight filed for IPO in 2013 and was listed in NASDAQ the following year. Seven years after that, the company went belly up in 2020, declared itself out of business and wished the best of luck to the suckers who spent $150k to get its hardware hardwired into their skulls.Once you're in that [Humanitarian Use] category, it's kind of hard to go back and do all of the studies that are necessary to get the traditional FDA approvals to move forward," Dr. An Do, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at University of California, Irvine, told Engadget. I think the other issue is that these are orphan diseases. There's a very small group of people that they're catering to."As IEEE Spectrum rightfully points out, one loose wire, one degraded connection or faulty lead, and these patients can potentially re-lose what little sight they had regained. There's also the chance that the implant, without regular upkeep, eventually causes an infection or interferes with other medical procedures, requiring a costly, invasive surgery to remove.I am constantly concerned about this," Putrino admitted. This is a question that keeps me up at night. I think that, obviously, we need to make sure that companies can in good faith proceed to the next stage of their work as a company before they begin any clinical trials."He also calls on the FDA to expand its evaluations of BCI companies to potentially include examining the applicant's ongoing financial stability. I think that this is definitely a consideration that we need to think about because we don't want to implant patients and then have them just lose this technology."We always talk to our patients as we're recruiting them about the fact that this is a permanent implant," Putrino continued. We make a commitment to them that they can always come to us for device related questions, even outside the scope of the clinical trial."But Putrino admits that even with the best intentions, companies simply cannot guarantee their customers of continued commercial success. I don't really know how we safeguard against the complete failure of a company," he said. This is just one of the risks that people are going to take coming in. It's a complex issue and it's one I worry about because we're right here on the bleeding edge and it's unclear if we have good answers to this once the technology goes beyond clinical trials."Luckily, the FDA does. As one agency official explained to Engadget, the FDA's decisions are intended to be patient-centric with the health and safety of device users as our highest priority." Should a company go under, file bankruptcy or otherwise be unable to provide the services it previously sold, in addition to potentially being ordered by the court to continue care for its existing patients, the FDA may also take steps to protect patients in these circumstances.For example, the FDA may communicate to the public, recommendations for actions that health care providers and patients should take."The FDA official also notes that the evaluation process itself involves establishing whether an applicant demonstrates reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device when used as intended in its environment of use for its expected life ... FDA requirements apply to devices regardless of a firm's decision to stop selling and distributing the device."The Synchron Switch BCI, for its part, is made from biologically inert materials that will eventually be reabsorbed into the body, so even if Synchron disappeared tomorrow, the Switch BCI is designed to safely remain in the patient's body indefinitely," Oxley said. The BCI runs on a software platform that is designed for stability and independent use, so patients can use the platform without our direct involvement."However, this approach is not sufficient and that, given BCIs' potential influence on individuals and society, the nature of what is safe and effective and the balance between risk and benefit require special consideration," argued a 2021 op-ed in the AMA Journal of Ethics. The line between therapy and enhancement for BCIs is difficult to draw precisely. Therapeutic devices function to correct or compensate for some disease state, thereby restoring one to normality' or the standard species-typical form." But what, and more importantly who, gets to define normality? How far below the mean IQ can you get before forcibly raising your score through BCI implantation is deemed worthwhile to society?The op-ed's authors concede that While BCIs raise multiple ethical concerns, such as how to define personhood, respect for autonomy, and adequacy of informed consent, not all ethical issues justifiably form the basis of government regulation." The FDA's job is to test devices for safety and efficacy, not equality, after all. As such the authors instead argue that, a new committee or regulatory body with humanistic aims, including the concerns of both individuals and society, ought to be legislated at the federal level in order to assist in regulating the nature, scope, and use of these devices."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bci-implant-severe-paralysis-synchron-medicine-stroke-160012833.html?src=rss
We thought the Analogue Pocket was "the best way to relive the golden era of handheld gaming" when we reviewed it. But we'll bet our 10-year-old selves would love the special edition version coming out next month even more. The company is launching a glow-in-the-dark handheld called Pocket Glow, which the company says will be available in "highly limited quantities" for $250 each. It will be available for sale starting on September 1st, 8AM PDT/11AM EDT, and it will be in stock and begin shipping on September 5th.The console uses a type of material that absorbs, and then re-emits light. That means those who want to see it glow will need to put it under direct sunlight, incandescent lighting or blacklight. It can glow for up to eight hours, though it's unclear how long users have to "charge" the console for it to be able to light up that whole time. Like the original Pocket, it can natively play cartridges from any of the Game Boy variants and can play other handheld consoles' cartridges with the help of an adapter.In addition to launching Pocket Glow, Analogue has also announced that 100 percent of all pre-orders for the handheld will ship by today. The original Analogue Pocket came out in December 2021 after several delays, and pre-purchases shipped out to buyers in batches since then. Those looking to get accessories for their consoles may want to check out Analogue's store for a huge restock coming in today, as well, especially since the company is adding a new shipping option for domestic shipments within the US. Users have been complaining about "outrageous" shipping fees upon purchasing from Analogue's website, and the new option will apparently reduce those amounts between 30 and 50 percent.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-glow-in-the-dark-analogue-pocket-will-be-available-in-september-150016313.html?src=rss
Unnamed hackers claim they accessed spyware firm WebDetetive and deleted device information to protect victims from surveillance, TechCrunch reported on Saturday. Users of the spyware won't get any new data from their targets. "Because #fuckstalkerware," the hackers wrote in a note obtained by TechCrunch.Spyware software allows users unfettered access to a victim's device, whether that's a government using it to surveil citizens or an abuser using it to stalk a survivor. The spyware advertises the ability to monitor everything a victim types, listen to phone calls and track locations for "less than a cup of coffee" without being seen. It works by downloading an app on a person's phone, under an alias that goes undetected, to give full access to the device. The WebDetetive breach compromised more than 76,000 devices belonging to customers of the stalkerware, and more than 1.5 gigabytes of data freed from app's servers, according to the hackers.While TechCrunch did not independently confirm the deletion of victim's data from the WebDetetive server, a cache of data shared by the hackers provided a look at what they were able to accomplish. TechCrunch also worked with a nonprofit that logs exposed datasets, DDoSecrets, to verify and analyze the information. Hackers obtained information on customers like IP addresses and devices that they targeted.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/benevolent-hackers-clear-stalking-spyware-from-75000-phones-141904990.html?src=rss
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