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Behaviour Interactive is the latest notable game developer to lay off workers. The Dead by Daylight studio confirmed to Game Developer that the cuts affected less than three percent of the total workforce. Kotaku first reported on the layoffs, stating that they took place earlier this month and affected around 45 people across several departments. It initially appeared that the layoffs were limited to Behaviour's Montreal headquarters, but the publisher hasn't confirmed whether that's the case."Recently, changing market conditions necessitated adjusting the scope of several Behaviour projects," Behaviour told the publications in a statement. "In these situations, our preference is always to reassign talent to other projects. Unfortunately, this option is not always available to us. These departures represented less than three percent of our total workforce."Behaviour bought several studios last year, including ones in the UK and the Netherlands as part of a deeper expansion into Europe. While much of the company's focus is on Dead by Daylight (a new Alan Wake-focused chapter will arrive later this month), it has been working on other projects, such as last year's Meet Your Maker.According to estimates, more than 9,000 workers in the video games industry were laid off in 2023. We're just 18 days into 2024, and there have already been more than 3,000 layoffs at gaming and gaming-adjacent companies (including Twitch and Discord). Unity alone is reducing its headcount by around 1,800 - a quarter of its workforce.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dead-by-daylight-studio-behaviour-confirms-layoffs-due-to-changing-market-conditions-173751623.html?src=rss

Well, this is certainly an interesting way to debut a new set of wireless earbuds. Bose announced today that it has teamed up with fashion and lifestyle brand Kith to release its newest product: the Ultra Open Earbuds. The news follows a leak during CES that tipped the rather unique design, a set of buds that clip onto your ears and leave the ear canal open to let outside noise in. Details are scarce in terms of key specs, but here's what the company did reveal in the announcement.Bose describes the Ultra Open Earbuds as "an innovative cuff-shaped design with polished, soft edges and a stunning finish." In a departure from its previous "open" model, these earbuds attach to the side of your ears instead of being secured with an over-the-ear hook. Bose says this makes the buds more of a fashion accessory than an "audio wearable," which explains the collab. The company also says you can wear them with a hat, glasses or jewelry with no issues, since they sit further down your ear. It's also touting increased comfort and "all-day wear," since you don't have to choose between tuning into your surroundings or listening to audio content.BoseDetailed specs are scant for now, but Kith spilled a few items on its website. The fashion company further describes the design as having "a light-as-air grip" and "a flexible joint" for getting them on and off with ease. You can expect up to seven and a half hours of playtime with Bose Immersive Audio for spatial sound and "an additional suite of state-of-the-art technologies." The iconic Bose branding has been replaced with a Kith logo in the same lettering style on both the earbuds and the charging case. Bose says this marks its first partnership with a fashion brand, and it's noteworthy that the company is letting a collab reveal an all-new product rather than a limited-edition version of an existing one.The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds will be available for $300 on January 22 on Kith.com and in select Kith stores "in extremely limited quantities." I'm guessing the company will debut a proper version with its own branding soon enough, but there's no mention of that in today's announcement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bose-ultra-open-earbuds-clip-onto-your-ears-and-cost-300-172544076.html?src=rss

Back in November, Ayaneo officially unveiled the AM01 mini PC. This thing was built to look like a retro Macintosh computer, but the inclusion of older AMD APUs wasn't exactly going to win any power awards. Now, the AM02 is here, with a revamped NES-inspired design and a much more impressive chipset. It's also three times the price.There's no way around it. This is a truly cute lil mini PC. The boxy NES-era form factor is a treat and you can even order an 8BitDo SNES-style controller and Nuphy greyscale keyboard to go with it, completing the nostalgia trip. Most modern features, like USB-C ports and HDMI ports, are hidden behind a front cover, though there is a small multi-function touchscreen on top. If you squint, you can almost trick yourself that it's an actual NES.Inside the AM02, however, is where the similarities to Nintendo's 1980s console end. This is a legit computer that should offer an exponentially more impressive experience when compared to the AM01. Each unit ships with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS APU, which is slightly more powerful than the company's flagship Kun handheld device. In other words, it should be able to run most modern AAA games at medium settings, or even higher in some cases. The AM01 was, more or less, an emulation machine that petered out after the Gamecube era.As for related specs, you can outfit the AM02 with up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM at launch, but this can be user-upgraded to 64GB. It also ships with up to 1TB of solid-state storage, with the capacity for up to 8TB. There's even a modern cooling system, a USB-C port, a bunch of USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an ethernet port and a 3.5mm audio jack.There's also the mystery of what the touchscreen will be used for. Ayaneo remains mum, merely showing it as a clock, though has advertised unique gameplay experiences." At the very least, it should offer a novel way to dive through menus, adjust settings and select games. However, a controller or keyboard would likely be more efficient.AyaneoNaturally, the increase in power comes with a related increase in cost. The AM02 starts at $440 for those who pre-order and $500 for everyone else. This is a bare-bones version without any RAM or storage, allowing people to outfit the computer with their own. Otherwise, prices range from $530 to $770, depending on RAM and storage options. You can buy this thing via Indiegogo, which is typical for Ayaneo, and models ship in February. It doesn't come with any accessories, but you get a discount when bundling with a controller or keyboard.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ayaneos-latest-mini-pc-looks-just-like-an-old-school-nes-162551703.html?src=rss

Activision has taken aim at Call of Duty cheaters in a swathe of novel and often hilarious ways over the last few years, from cutting their parachutes so they splat onto the ground in Warzone to straight up taking their guns away. The latest tactic targets those who use illicit tools to activate aim assist while playing with a mouse and keyboard.The Ricochet anti-cheat team says that when its security detection systems spot such players, the Call of Duty app will simply close itself. No clever trick like cloning another real player from elsewhere in the match. The game will just shut down. "Repeated use of these tools may lead to further account action," the Ricochet group wrote on X. In other words, Activision will likely suspend or permanently ban persistent offenders.

Instagram has revealed its latest mindfulness feature targeted at teens. When a younger user scrolls for more than 10 minutes in the likes of Reels or their direct messages, the app will suggest that they close the app and get to bed.These "Nighttime Nudges" will automatically appear on teens' accounts and it won't be possible to switch them off. Instagram didn't specify whether the feature will be enabled for all teenagers or only under-18s.The idea, according to Instagram, is to give teens who aren't already using features such as Take a Break reminders to close the app for the night. "We want teens to leave Instagram feeling like the time they spend on the app is meaningful and intentional, and we know sleep is particularly important for young people," Instagram said.The new tool follows other features Instagram has rolled out to help teens and their parents manage time spent on the app. Along with Take a Break and parental supervision features, this includes the likes of Quiet Mode. The latter enables teens to mute notifications, automatically reply to messages and let their friends and followers know that they're unavailable and doing something else, such as studying or sleeping.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-will-start-telling-night-owl-teens-to-close-the-app-and-go-to-sleep-152600078.html?src=rss

The European Parliament is calling for new regulations to ensure streaming services pay artists fairly. The proposal also calls for more transparency around how algorithms generate suggestions for which artists to stream and what tracks get the most promotion.The proposed changes will be designed to ensure smaller artists are compensated fairly. Currently, royalty rates are set in a way that makes artists accept lower pay for the distribution of their content in exchange for visibility on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are primarily concerned with introducing new legal frameworks to help support artists.MEPs believe that the current way royalties are distributed is unfair. Current algorithms favor major labels and artists when providing suggestions, making it more difficult for less popular and diverse genres to get exposure. Cultural diversity and ensuring that authors are credited and fairly paid has always been our priority; this is why we ask for rules that ensure algorithms and recommendation tools used by music streaming services are transparent as well as in their use of AI tools, placing European authors at the centre," rapporteur Iban Garcia del Blanco of Spain said.As part of this call for change, the MEPs want there to be more regulation regarding the use of artificial intelligence. The actual implementation of a legal framework by EU regulators might take some time to come to fruition. Similarly, UK regulators also raised the issue of pay fairness on streaming apps and even started investigating the effects of algorithms on listening habits. It's no secret that streaming platforms account for more than half of the music industry's revenue. Streaming represents about 67 percent of the music industry's revenue on a global scale.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/eu-says-music-streaming-platforms-must-pay-artists-more-151515204.html?src=rss

It's almost time to take a peek at some of what Xbox has in store for gamers this year. The Xbox Developer Direct, Microsoft's first game showcase of 2024, takes place today. It starts at 3PM ET and you can watch it below.The biggest news from the stream is likely to come in the form of MachineGames' Indiana Jones project. We'll get our first peek at gameplay three years after Microsoft announced the title, and learn details about the characters and setting. MachineGames will deliver over 10 minutes of game and developer insights.Elsewhere, fans will get more information on Avowed, Senua's Saga: Hellblade IIand Ara: History Untold. Unfortunately, it seems that Xbox won't suddenly release a new game during the showcase, as it did with Hi-Fi Rushduring the last Developer Direct a year ago. "All the games in this year's Developer Direct will be arriving later, with more details to be shared in the program," an Xbox blog post reads.Although Microsoft won't share news on any Activision Blizzard games during the Developer Direct, you can tune in to a livestream earlier in the day for a Diablo IV Developer Update. That starts at noon ET on the Diablo YouTube and Twitch channels. You'll learn about gameplay updates for the next season, along with details on quality-of-life improvements, Season Journey and The Gauntlet.Elder Scrolls Online fans will probably want to stick around after the Developer Direct ends. Starting at 4PM ET on the Bethesda Twitch channel and Xbox YouTube and Twitch channels, they'll get a look at the MMORPG's next major chapter, with details on the new zone, storyline and other key features.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-the-xbox-developer-direct-showcase-here-at-3pm-et-150046809.html?src=rss

TikTok has shared more about its plans to fight misinformation ahead of the 2024 presidential election. And, like many of its social media peers, the company's 2024 efforts will closely resemble what it's done in the past.To start, the company is introducing its in-app election guide, which will point users to information about voting, including how to register and how to vote by mail. While the election guide will look similar to years past, the company is introducing it earlier than it has in past elections (its election resources for 2020 and 2022 debuted much closer to their respective contests than this year's, which comes just as the presidential primaries are getting underway).TikTok's approach to misinformation in 2024 hasn't changed much since 2022. The company will continue to bar political ads, including those that come via creators' branded content. It will also keep working with fact-checking organizations, which help determine whether content is eligible for recommendations or warrants an unverified" label. The company says it will expand media literacy resources to these labels" later this year, which could make the notices more useful to users who encounter them, though it's unclear what that will look like just yet.TikTok's plan for 2024 comes as experts warn that the rise of generative AI could fuel a new wave of viral election misinformation. On its part, TikTok acknowledges that generative AI has created new challenges" for the social media industry, but stopped short of offering any new policies to address it. Instead, the company says it will keep enforcing its existing rules, which prohibit misleading" AI-generated content and require creators to disclose when videos use realistic" AI-generated content.As the technology evolves in 2024, we'll continue to improve our policies and detection while partnering with experts on media literacy content that helps our community navigate AI responsibly," the company wrote in a blog post.When it comes to disinformation and coordinated efforts to manipulate its platform, TikTok is making a notable change. The company says it plans to release detailed reports on covert influence campaigns ahead of the 2024 contest It already discloses some information about influence campaigns it uncovers in its quarterly transparency reports, but the disclosures are typically short on details. That should change this year, according to TikTok, which says it will begin releasing dedicated covert influence operations reports" later this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-details-its-plan-to-counter-election-misinformation-in-2024-150040486.html?src=rss

Black holes are one of the most powerful forces in the universe, but we had never seen one until the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team released the first image back in 2019. Now, the EHT Collaboration has released the most detailed image yet of the same M87 black hole, created with the aid of an additional telescope and independent data from 2018, that better displays the insane physics behind these supermassive objects.The first image was captured in 2017 (it takes a long time to process the data) using eight high-altitude telescopes from locations including Chile and Antarctica. The complex technique required the synchronization of atomic clocks, use of the Earth's rotation and processing of petabytes of RAW telescope data. The result was slightly fuzzy, but clearly showed the expected "donut" with the black hole at the center and accretion disk made of matter inhaled from nearby stars.However, the EHT collaboration captured another image a year later using an additional telescope in Greenland. That "significantly" improved the image fidelity, particularly in the north-south direction, according to the EHT. One of the original platforms, The Large Millimeter Telescope, also gained sensitivity by using its full 50 meter surface for the first time. The teams also introduced new data analysis techniques that boosted accuracy.The result is a sharper and brighter image that also clearly shows the Doppler/Einstein effects that cause a black hole to appear to be brighter on one side. That bright spot actually shifted to the right between the capture of the two images."The biggest change, that the brightness peak shifted around the ring, is actually something we predicted when we published the first results in 2019," said Dr. Britt Jeter from Taiwan's ASIAA. "While general relativity says the ring size should stay pretty fixed, the emission from the turbulent, messy accretion disk around the black hole will cause the brightest part of the ring to wobble around a common center. The amount of wobble we see over time is something we can use to test our theories for the magnetic field and plasma environment around the black hole."The new image also shows that the science behind the image technique is sound and reproduceable. "Confirmation of the ring in a completely new data set is a huge milestone for our collaboration and a strong indication that we are looking at a black hole shadow and the material orbiting around it," said Dr. Keiichi Asada from ASIAA.The EHT Collaboration will continue to advance the science with new observations set for the first half of 2024. At that time, scientists hope to capture multiple images to create the first "video" of a black hole to show its chaotic movements. As before, it could take several years (and the participation of many scientists) to get the final result.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/scientists-extract-the-sharpest-image-of-a-black-hole-yet-131003088.html?src=rss

Samsung's big Unpacked event yesterday unashamedly focused on the company's annual flagship phone refresh. No smart speakers, no tablets, no wearables (pretty much...) just three more phones, each with entirely different unique features. Just kidding: It's mostly just changes to cameras and screen size. Same as it's been since the Galaxy S20.While introducing the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra, the company wheeled out streamer and YouTuber Pokimane to cheerlead the even brighter screens, while MrBeast - who Samsung couldn't afford to have there in person? - showcased some of the camera tricks and specs of the flagship S24 Ultra.However, beyond the predictable spec bumps, Samsung went to town on AI features this year. And they're intriguing, inching beyond what Google's been doing on its Pixel series for years.SamsungSure, there are photography-augmenting features, with the S24 sniffing out unwanted reflections and shadows, but now generative AI will power auto-fill features, extending the background of shots to help recompose wonky photos. With video, a new feature will use AI to generate more frames to create slow-mo clips not actually captured in slow motion.Samsung's added AI smarts beyond the camera too, with new features for search, translations, note creation and message composition. New transcription tricks, when you record meetings and other conversations, mean S24 will split audio recordings into separate people talking and reformat it on the fly. You can even share selected parts or get the smartphone to summarize meetings and notes for you. I'm intrigued to see what my smartphone thinks is important during my weekly catchups with the Engadget team.I'll dig into the specs for the new flagship S24 below (it's a Samsung-heavy TMA), but this year, it's really about the software. And the good news is that many of these features will make their way to selected older Galaxy devices later this year.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedSony is making an Until Dawn movieGalaxy S24 and S24 Plus hands-onHow to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S24 UltraAlphabet's Wing shows off a larger delivery droneSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra hands-onTitanium phones for power users.EngadgetThe $1,300 Galaxy S24 Ultra is Samsung's biggest AI bet yet. Sure, the hardware design doesn't appear to have changed much, but there's now a titanium frame (available in colors beyond monochrome shades, Apple), ensuring the biggest flagship should feel lighter and easier to wield than previous iterations. The S24 Ultra's telephoto camera is now based on a 50-megapixel sensor (up from 10MP on the S23 Ultra) with a 5x optical zoom. If you're obsessed with specs, you might recall the S23 Ultra packed a 10x optical zoom. The company apparently chose this tweak based on customer feedback and use patterns, which saw 5x as the most frequently used zoom mode. We've got first impressions right here.Continue reading.Samsung announces the Galaxy RingLook, don't touch.SamsungNear the end of its Unpacked event, Samsung started talking about its health-focused software, Samsung Health, and those watching the show fought to maintain concentration. Then, Samsung teased a new tinier piece of health-focused hardware, the Galaxy Ring. It'll have lots of sensors and hooks into the Health software suite. But that's all we know.But if Samsung's getting involved with smart rings, all we can say is: Watch out, Oura.Continue reading.Google admits it could collect data in Chrome's Incognito modeThe company updated its disclaimer after settling a lawsuit.When you open an Incognito browser on Chrome, you'll see a notification warning that other people using your device won't be able to see your activity, but your downloads, bookmarks and reading items will still be saved. Now, Google has updated that disclaimer in Chrome's experimental Canary channel, shortly after agreeing to settle a $5 billion lawsuit accusing it of tracking Incognito users. The plaintiffs of the 2020 lawsuit argued that by tracking users on Incognito, Google was giving people the false belief that they could control the information they were willing to share. The new disclaimer in Canary says Incognito mode won't change how websites collect people's data.Continue reading.Sheryl Sandberg is leaving Meta's boardShe spent 14 years as COO and 12 as a board member.Sheryl Sandberg is leaving Meta's board of directors after 12 years, her last official role with the company. Sandberg spent 14 years as Meta's COO and Mark Zuckerberg's top lieutenant and 12 years on the company's board. Her role as a board member will officially end in May. In a post on Facebook, she said, This feels like the right time to step away," and she would continue to advise the company. Hey, at least she posted it on Facebook.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-samsung-reveals-the-galaxy-s24-ultra-121629916.html?src=rss

When Apple announced the Vision Pro headset, it namedropped a number of streaming services with dedicated apps for the device, including Disney+, Max, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+. It put a lot of focus on the headset's entertainment features and is most likely hoping that they could help convince tentative buyers to take the plunge. But one name was clearly missing from the list of streaming apps arriving on the platform, and it's the biggest one of them all: Netflix. Now, Bloomberg is reporting that Netflix currently has no plans to release a special application for the Vision Pro."Our members will be able to enjoy Netflix on the web browser on the Vision Pro, similar to how our members can enjoy Netflix on Macs," the company told Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in a statement. As Gurman notes, Vision Pro will be able to run iPad apps tweaked for the headset's visionOS in addition to applications especially designed for the platform. That means Netflix isn't even modifying its iPad app to run on the Vision Pro, and users will not be able to enjoy the features they use on mobile devices, such as offline viewing.In comparison, Disney+ has gone all in and is even giving users access to immersive environments, including one based on the Avengers Tower, that can serve as backdrops for its shows. Based on another Bloomberg report from 2023, Netflix really didn't have a plan to develop an application for the headset. It's unclear why that's the case, but the company may have chosen to wait and see whether the Vision Pro could achieve a certain level of popularity before dedicating resources towards developing an app for for it. The device could have a dedicated Netflix application in the future if that's the case, but early adopters would have to make do with watching the service's shows on a browser.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-wont-launch-an-app-for-the-apple-vision-pro-at-least-right-now-120520406.html?src=rss

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 has come and gone, leaving behind a series of new Galaxy devices. If you missed the event, we've got you covered: You can watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked S24 in less than 10 minutes right now. Between new smartphones and a dive into AI - here's what you can expect to see.The event revealed three new smartphones that make up the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. There's the S24, starting at $799 for the 128GB model - plus, order it by January 25, and Samsung will throw in a free Watch 6. The Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra start at $1,000 and $1,300, respectively, for their 256GB options. The entire S24 series comes equipped with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor in the United States, providing the necessary power for the smartphones' AI features.The Galaxy S24 series uses Samsung's new Gauss Generative AI model. Galaxy AI, as the company refers to the overall system, allows for quite a few fresh features, including live two-way translations for phone calls. The system works right on the phone and doesn't require Wi-Fi or cellular connections. The same applies to Interpreter, an in-person translator, and Samsung Keyboard, which can translate messages across 13 languages. Speaking of messages, Android Auto can summarize any messages you receive while driving and suggest responses for you to approve with voice commands.Galaxy AI will also come into play for any photos you take using the S24 series. According to Samsung, it can help with image stabilization, digital zoom and content captured in low-light. Galaxy AI can also suggest photo edits and offers Generative Fill to change the background. However, the latter requires a network connection and will give the photo a watermark.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-the-samsung-galaxy-unpacked-2024-event-in-under-10-minutes-110059576.html?src=rss

Last December the state of New Mexico sued Meta for failing to protect children, claiming that Facebook and Instagram algorithms recommended sexual content to minors. Now, an unredacted internal Meta presentation has been revealed, with the company's own employees estimating that 100,000 child users were harassed daily, The Wall Street Journal reported.According to a 2021 internal document, Facebook's "People You May Know" (PMYK) algorithm was singled out as a primary connector of children to predators. When employees reported those findings to Meta executives, they reportedly rejected recommendations that the algorithm be redesigned to stop recommending adults to minors.The feature was responsible for 75 percent of all inappropriate adult-minor contact, according to one employee. "How on earth have we not just turned off PYMK between adults and children?" another employee said. "It's really, really upsetting," added another.The issues were particularly insidious on Instagram, according to an internal 2020 memo, with "sex talk" 38 times more prevalent on that platform than Facebook Messenger in the US. In one case an Apple executive reported that his 12-year-old child was solicited on Instagram. "This is the kind of thing that pisses Apple off to the extend of threat[en]ing to remove us from the App Store," said an employee charged with addressing the issue.New Mexico claims that Meta has failed to address large-scale predation on its platform, particularly around recommendation algorithms. State investigators originally set up phony accounts for children, providing adult dates of birth, as kids often misstate their ages to access online services that they're not supposed to. Then, they implied that the accounts were being used by children, with one posting about a lost baby tooth and starting seventh grade. The suit alleged that, among other things, the accounts were sent child sex images and offers to pay for sex.The state further alleges that Meta leaders didn't take action to limit adult predation on minors until late 2022, and still stopped short of strict measure recommended by safety staff. Instead it, only attempted to block suggestions to adults who previously demonstrated suspicious behavior toward children. However, according to a Meta study, 99 percent of accounts disabled for grooming children failed to state their age.Meta recently introduced measures for teen users on Instagram and Facebook, including stopping non-followers from messaging them and blocking offensive comments. On top of the New Mexico complaint, Meta is facing lawsuits from 41 states complaining it harms the mental health of its youngest users. Another recently unsealed complaint filed by 33 states alleges that Meta "coveted and pursued" users under the age of 13 and has been dishonest about how it handles underage users' accounts when they're discovered.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/facebook-and-instagrams-algorithms-facilitated-child-sexual-harassment-state-lawsuit-claims-095314139.html?src=rss

Social media apps tend to offer the convenience of their very own camera tools, but on the flip side, these are limited by the few shooting options. Understanding our modern-day pain point, Samsung has teamed up with Instagram and Snap to integrate some of its handy native camera features into their apps, in order to up our social media game via the brand new Galaxy S24 series smartphones - namely the titanium-framed S24 Ultra with its 200-megapixel main shooter. Specifically, you'll be able to leverage Samsung's "Super HDR" option, upgraded "Nightography" power and video stabilization within Instagram and Snapchat's in-app cameras. The only caveat here is that for video stabilization, you'll need to have it enabled in the native camera settings first.Samsung's collaboration with Instagram goes deeper, offering upgraded editing, uploading and viewing experiences tailored to its devices. These also include the ability to create Instagram stories directly from motion photos. With their Super HDR capabilities, the Galaxy S24 devices are also the first to receive HDR photo support on Instagram - likely marking the first of many more apps to potentially support this vibrant display format in the near future.With its new AI capabilities playing a big role in the Galaxy S24 lineup's camera systems, it's no wonder that Samsung is pushing its camera integration into the two popular social media platforms. Still, you'll probably want to stick to the native camera app and editing tools for maximum versatility - especially when it comes to the more AI-specific tools like "Edit Suggestion," "Generative Edit" (network connection required) and "Instant Slow-mo."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-and-snapchat-can-use-samsung-galaxy-s24s-native-camera-features-070121743.html?src=rss

Following Google's recent rounds of layoffs affecting over a thousand jobs, CEO Sundar Pichai has reportedly told remaining employees to expect further downsizing later this year. According to The Verge, Pichai sent out an internal memo on Wednesday, in which he stated that "to be upfront, some teams will continue to make specific resource allocation decisions throughout the year where needed, and some roles may be impacted."The exec explained that the latest "role eliminations" are about "removing layers to simplify execution and drive velocity in some areas." which is just another way of packaging the situation. What's a little more reassuring, perhaps, is Pichai saying that these won't match the scale of some 12,000 job cuts around this time last year, and that not every team will be affected. But numbers are all relative, of course.Google isn't the only notable tech company that has already made redundancies at the beginning of 2024. Earlier this month, the industry also saw Discord, Meta, Amazon, Twitch, Humane AI, Unity and Duolingo making similar moves at various scales. Here's hoping that LinkedIn's timely launch of its AI-powered "Job Collections" feature will help those impacted quickly land a new post.Engadget has reached out to Google for comment and will update the story if required.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-ceo-says-more-layoffs-expected-throughout-the-year-in-internal-memo-044016588.html?src=rss

If you're in the US, any Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2 model you buy from Apple will no longer have a functional blood oxygen monitoring feature. Apple failed to convince the court to allow it to keep selling the aforementioned models while it's appealing a ruling by the US International Trade Commission (ITC). If you'll recall, the commission found that Apple had violated patents owned by medical technology company Masimo, which accused the iPhone-maker of infringing on its intellectual properties related to light-based blood-oxygen monitoring. The ITC ordered the company to stop selling the contested watches.Apple pulled the Watch models from its website and stores in December before the the ban took effect as a preemptive measure. A few days later, though, the company put them back up for sale after a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. granted it a temporary pause on the import and sales ban. Now, the appeals court has lifted the stay and ordered Apple to stop selling both models again by 5PM ET on January 18.The company, however, is able to skirt the ban, because the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently decided that redesigned watches without a pulse oximetry functionality fall outside the scope of the ITC's ruling. In a statement sent to 9to5Mac, Apple said it believes "the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit should reverse the USITC's decision" and that it strongly disagrees with it and the resulting orders. "Pending the appeal, Apple is taking steps to comply with the ruling while ensuring customers have access to Apple Watch with limited disruption," the spokesperson added. "These steps include introducing a version of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States without the Blood Oxygen feature." The company also clarified that there "is no impact to Apple Watch units previously purchased that include the Blood Oxygen feature."The modified watches will still have the blood monitoring app, Apple told the publication, but you will get a message that says it's no longer available when you tap on it. That message also tells you to go the Health app on your iPhone to learn more, where you'll then see a link to a support article on the company's website.Even before the ITC's ban took effect, Apple was already reportedly scrambling to create a software update that would allow it to sell the devices involved. Clearly, the company was able to develop a solution in time for the stay to be lifted. While the ban isn't officially taking effect until the afternoon of January 18, you'll already see a note that says "Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 no longer include the blood oxygen feature" when you visit the company's website and access either model's product page. Engadget reached out to Apple, and while it confirmed the resumed US availability of both watch models, it refused to comment on the matter.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-now-selling-watch-series-9-and-ultra-2-with-disabled-blood-oxygen-monitor-035833529.html?src=rss

Sheryl Sandberg is leaving Meta's board of directors after 12 years, ending her last official role with the company. In a post on Facebook, she said that this feels like the right time to step away" and that she would continue to advise the company.Sandberg spent 14 years as Meta's COO and Mark Zuckerberg's top lieutenant and 12 years on the company's board. Her role as board member will officially end in May. After I left my role as COO, I remained on the board to help ensure a successful transition," she wrote. Under Mark's leadership, Javi Olivan, Justin Osofsky, Nicola Mendelsohn, and their teams have proven beyond a doubt that the Meta business is strong and well-positioned for the future, so this feels like the right time to step away."Meta hasn't commented on who may take over the board seat. During her time with Meta, Sandberg was known for leading the company's multibillion-dollar ad business. According to Axios, revenue grew 43,000% during her tenure. But her status within the company had changed in recent years as Zuckerberg embraced the metaverse, which doesn't currently have a clear path for an advertising business.Your dedication and guidance have been instrumental in driving our success and I am grateful for your unwavering commitment to me and Meta over the years," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. I look forward to this next chapter together!"This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sheryl-sandberg-is-leaving-metas-board-003630253.html?src=rss

Notion launched a calendar app Wednesday, built and reskinned from Cron, the calendar startup the company bought in 2022. Tight platform-wide integration will be the appeal for Notion's tens of millions" of users. Notion Calendar includes a built-in scheduler and makes it easy to merge content from the productivity ecosystem's notes, docs and project dates.Notion Calendar lets you link Notion notes and other documents to meetings, transforming the calendar invite into an all-in-one hub for participants to add or view supporting content. It also integrates with external tools like Google Calendar, Google Meet and Zoom.Raphael Schaad, Cron's founder who now heads its next iteration as Notion Calendar, describes the app as a new way to manage your most precious resource, time." In the video below, he demonstrates how you can quickly check on a family member's medical appointment and block it off your planner so your work colleagues won't double-book you for that hour. Notion Calendar's scheduler will let your co-workers (or anyone else you've shared availability with) know that time is unavailable, but they won't see the details.Notion Calendar requires a one-time sign-in with Google Calendar to set it up. However, Schaad wrote on X today that the company was running into Google Auth rate limits," preventing sign-ins -something he describes as a good' launch day problem to have." If you have trouble logging in, he expects the issue to be resolved within the next day and advises you to check back later.Notion Calendar supports all the same languages as the entire platform. It's available today on Windows, Mac and iOS. In a significant absence at launch, Notion says Android support is coming soon." It also doesn't yet support Office 365 or iCloud integration, although Schaad promises that, too, is on the company's roadmap.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/notion-turns-its-cron-acquisition-into-an-integrated-calendar-app-215644220.html?src=rss

Sony is continuing to mine its back catalog of games for movie adaptations while persistently forgetting that Bloodborneis right there. Its next game that's bound for the big screen is Until Dawn, a 2015 interactive horror title that Supermassive Games developed and Sony published.David F. Sandberg (Lights Out and the Shazam! movies) will direct the adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gary Dauberman, who previously worked on Annabelle: Creation with Sandberg, is taking a fresh stab at a script originally written by Blair Butler (The Invitation).Until Dawn focuses on a group of eight young people who try to survive the night at a perilous mountain retreat. The spooky game has a branching narrative and, depending on the decisions you make (or if you fail at quick-time events), some of the characters may not make it until the group is rescued the following morning.Given that any or all of the characters may perish during the night, there are hundreds of possible endings to the game, so it'll be interesting to see which direction Sandberg and Dauberman take with the material. Several notable actors appeared in Until Dawn, including Hayden Panettiere, Jordan Fisher and Oscar winner Rami Malek.Sony has already adapted several of its games into film and TV properties, with live-action versions of Uncharted (another movie pastiche that itself became a film), Gran Turismo, Twisted Metaland The Last of Uspopping up over the last couple of years. Sony also has adaptations of Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon: Zero Dawn, God of Warand others in the pipeline.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-is-making-an-until-dawn-movie-211729859.html?src=rss

Today as part of its latest Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung announced a whole host of AI-powered features for the S24 family. However, buried among the news was info that Samsung will also be porting at least some of those tools over to last year's premium phones and tablets.After asking about specifically which devices were covered, in an email to Engadget, Samsung confirmed that the company is "looking forward to bringing the Galaxy AI experience to the Galaxy S23 series, including the S23FE, ZFold5/ZFlip5 and Tab S9 later this first half."Samsung's new AI tools include things like Chat Assist which can translate languages in real-time or perform tone correction in texts and emails, Suggested Edits in photos which looks to automatically correct things like shadows and reflections and Circle to Search, which is powered by Google and combines traditional text-based queries with visual search similar to the Google Lens app.Currently, it's unclear if the entire suite of Galaxy AI features will be available across every device or if tools will be ported over on a more case-by-case basis. And without the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips used in the S24 line to power them, it remains to be seen how much of a performance hit there might be on older models. That said, it's really nice to see Samsung commit to bringing at least some of its new software to last year's flagship gadgets as it helps avoid people feeling like they need to upgrade after a year or less.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-new-galaxy-ai-features-are-coming-to-the-s23-and-last-years-foldables-210046981.html?src=rss

Samsung's first major hardware event of the year is here and, as expected, it's primarily focused on the Galaxy S24 series of flagship smartphones. What you might not know, however, is that these smartphones are available for pre-order and that Amazon is already offering a fairly substantial bonus for early adopters.You can get a gift card, up to $200, by pre-ordering the S24 via Amazon. All you have to do is enter a code at checkout. Once you complete the order, you'll get an electronic gift card for use throughout the site. Being as how Amazon sells just about everything under the sun, that's basically free money.The gift card amount varies depending on the model. To snag the full $200, you'll have to pony up for the top-of-the-line Galaxy S24 Ultra. The standard S24 gets you a $50 gift card, while the beefier S24+ allows for a $150 gift card. The Ultra costs $1,300, while the S24+ costs $1,000. The regular S24 will set you back $800. Flagship phones are pretty expensive, so the gift card can help offset that a bit. Samsung's also offering a storage upgrade with pre-orders and Amazon customers get access to this perk.What's new with the S24 line? A whole lot, actually. They boast an ultra-durable titanium frame that should seriously increase the phone's lifespan. To that end, Samsung has promised seven years of software support for these phones. While the specs feature the usual year-to-year bump, the software is packed with, wait for it, AI algorithms that allow for some new use case scenarios.For instance, AI allows for a drastic increase in optical quality when using the camera's zoom functionality. The algorithms can also be used to edit photos, create slow-mo footage and even delete and move items in the frame, with the AI automatically filling in the empty space. There's also AI-enhanced language translation tools, ChatGPT-esque summarization capabilities and automatic copy-editing.There's a reason we previously wrote that Samsung is taking the transition to the AI era incredibly seriously." Pre-orders start today and official sales of the S24 line are slated for January 31.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/amazon-includes-up-to-a-200-gift-card-when-you-pre-order-the-samsung-galaxy-s24-series-194428875.html?src=rss

Samsung formally unveiled its Galaxy S24 line of smartphones at its latest Samsung Unpacked event on Wednesday, including its newest flagship, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. For a fuller idea of what to expect, you can check out my colleague Sam Rutherford's hands-on impressions. In short, though, the main updates are a new titanium frame with flatter edges, a promised seven years of software updates, an expected processor bump, a slightly tweaked camera setup and a host of new generative AI features. Starting at $1,300, the device is also $100 more expensive than its predecessor, though there are some early pre-order deals to lessen that blow a little.If you're thinking about taking the plunge, we've broken down how the Galaxy S24 Ultra compares to two other top-end handsets, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 8 Pro, on the spec sheet. As always, specs can't tell the full story, but if you want a reference for what $1,300 (or more) gets you in early 2024, here's how the new phone stacks up.Samsung Galaxy S24 UltraApple iPhone 15 Pro MaxGoogle Pixel 8 ProPricing (MSRP)$1,300 (256GB), $1,420 (512GB), $1,660 (1TB)$1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,599 (1TB)$999 (128GB), $1,059 (256GB), $1,179 (512GB), $1,399 (1TB)Dimensions6.4 x 3.11 x 0.34 inches6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches6.4 x 3.01 x 0.35 inchesWeight8.22 ounces7.8 ounces7.5 ouncesScreen size6.8 inches6.7 inches6.7 inchesScreen resolution1,440 x 3,1201,290 x 2,796460 ppi1,344 x 2,992489 ppiScreen typeLTPO AMOLEDUp to 120Hz (1-120Hz)Up to 2,600 nits brightnessGorilla ArmorLTPO OLEDUp to 120Hz (1-120Hz)Up to 2,000 nits brightnessCeramic ShieldLTPO OLEDUp to 120Hz (1-120Hz)Up to 2,400 nits brightnessGorilla Glass Victus 2SoCQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for GalaxyOcta-core CPUApple A17 ProHexa-core CPU (up to 3.78GHz)6-core Apple GPUGoogle Tensor G3Nona-core CPU (up to 2.91GHz)Arm Mali-G715 MP7 GPURAM12GB8GB12GBBattery5,000mAhUp to 30 hours video playback"Up to 29 hours video playback"4,950mAh"Beyond 24 hours"ChargingUSB Type-C 3.2Up to 45W wiredWireless charging up to 15W (with proprietary charger, up to 10W with other Qi chargers)Reverse wireless chargingUSB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2)"Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes"MagSafe/Qi2 wireless charging up to 15WQi wireless charging up to 7.5WReverse wired chargingUSB Type-C 3.2Up to 30W wiredUp to 23W wireless with Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen)Qi wireless charging up to 12WReverse wireless chargingStorage256GB, 512GB or 1TB256GB, 512GB or 1TB128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TBRear cameraMain: 200 MP, f/1.7Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOVTelephoto: 50 MP, f/3.4, 5x optical zoomTelephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoomMain: 48 MP, f/1.78Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOVTelephoto: 12 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoomMain: 50 MP, f/1.68Ultrawide: 48 MP, f/1.95, 125.5 degree FOVTelephoto: 48 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoomFront camera12 MP, f/2.212 MP, f/1.910.5 MP, f/2.2Video captureRear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240/960 fpsFront: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30 fpsRear: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fpsFront: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fpsRear: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 24/30/60/120/240 fpsFront: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fpsWater and dust resistanceIP68IP68IP68Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7Bluetoothv5.3v5.3v5.3OSAndroid 14, One UI 6.1"Seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates"iOS 17Android 14"Seven years of OS, security and Feature Drop updates"Colors and finishTitanium frameTitanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Green, Titanium Blue, Titanium OrangeTitanium frameNatural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black TitaniumPolished aluminum frameObsidian, Porcelain, BayThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-vs-the-competition-a-new-titanium-contender-193434222.html?src=rss

Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event today barely let us catch our breath after last week's CES. As we expected, the company revealed its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra, which rely more than a little on new AI features. There's Circle to Search, Live Translate and Chat Assist to help you find the right words (and the right tone) of your messages - all of which you can read about in our hands-on report on the new handhelds.As for the design and hardware, not much has changed since last year's S23. The rear triple camera array remains the same with a 50MP main, a 12MP wide, and a 10MP telephoto lens. The 6.2-inch Full HD+ screen is 1/10th of an inch bigger and the battery adds 100 mAh to the size of the previous generation. The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor has been optimized for the new Galaxies - which should help them handle all of those nifty AI-powered tricks. Here's how the Samsung Galaxy S24 stacks up against its two closest rivals, the Apple iPhone 15 and the Google Pixel 8.Samsung Galaxy S24Google Pixel 8Apple iPhone 15Pricing (MSRP)From $800From $699From $799Dimensions5.79 x 2.78 x 0.3 inches5.9 x 2.8 x 0.4 inches5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inchesWeight5.93 ounces6.6 ounces6.02 ouncesScreen size6.2 inches6.2 inches6.1 inchesScreen resolution1,080 x 2,340Full HD+1,080 x 2,400428 ppi1,179 x 2,556460 ppiScreen typeAMOLED 2xUp to 120Hz (1-120Hz)Up to 2,600 nits brightnessGorilla Glass Victus 2OLEDUp to 120Hz (60-120Hz)Up to 2,000 nits brightnessGorilla Glass VictusOLED60HzUp to 2,000 nits brightnessCeramic ShieldSoCSnapdragon 8 Gen 3Google Tensor G3Apple A16 BionicHexa-core CPU (up to 3.46GHz)5-core Apple GPURAM8GB8GB6GBBattery4,000mAh4,485mAh"Beyond 24 hours""Up to 20 hours video playback"ChargingUSB Type-C"Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes"Fast Wireless Charging 2.0Wireless PowerShareUSB Type-C 3.2Up to 27W wiredUp to 18W wireless with Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen)Qi wireless charging up to 12WReverse wireless chargingUSB Type-C (USB 2.0)"Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes"MagSafe wireless charging up to 15WQi wireless charging up to 7.5WReverse wired chargingStorage128GB / 256GB128GB / 256GB128GB / 256GB / 512GBRear camera(s)Main: 50 MP, f/1.8Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4 3x optical zoomMain: 50 MP, f/1.68Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 125.8 degree FOVMain: 48 MP, f/1.6Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.4, 120 degree FOVFront camera(s)12 MP, f/2.210.5 MP, f/2.212 MP, f/1.9Video captureRear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240/960 fpsFront: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30 fpsRear: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 24/30/60/120/240 fpsFront: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fpsRear: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fpsFront: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fpsWater and dust resistanceIP68IP68IP68Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 6Bluetoothv5.3v5.3v5.3NFCYesYesYesOSAndroid 14Android 14iOS 17FinishesSapphire Blue, Sandstone Orange, Jade Green, Cobalt Violet, Marble Gray, Onyx Black, Amber YellowArmor Aluminum frameObsidian, Hazel, RoseMatte aluminum frameBlack, Blue, Green, Yellow, PinkAluminum frameThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-s24-vs-the-competition-192851794.html?src=rss

Near the end of Samsung's Unpacked event today, the company started talking about its health-focused software, Samsung Health. After touting the Galaxy Watch 6's sleep-tracking features and software tools like medication management and an upcoming update to its health software Samsung gave us a quick tease of an upcoming health-focused piece of hardware, the Galaxy Ring. It... looks like a ring, with a host of sensors clearly visible on the inside of the ring.And that is literally all we know. No idea of when it'll come out, what it'll do or how much it'll cost. Your guess is as good as mine as to whether it is actually released, but right now I feel like we're very much in Galaxy Home territory. At least the new Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra are real - you can read our hands-on stories here and here.Of course, Samsung is hardly the first to attempt a health-focused ring, though they'll probably be the biggest company thus far to do so. Oura has been at it for a while now, releasing its third-generation Ring back in 2022. It can track your sleep, measure your heart rate during exercise and track your daily activity to make sure you're hitting certain goals. Most wearables do this sort of thing already, though certainly not in such a tiny form factor. It's safe to assume that Samsung's Galaxy Ring will cover the same territory and work alongside the new metrics coming to Samsung Health, like the vitality score that the company just announced.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-announces-a-render-of-its-new-fitness-device-the-galaxy-ring-192012919.html?src=rss

Rode, the Australian audio company that enjoyed breakthrough success with the Wireless Go and GO II, has unveiled a dual transmitter version of the more affordable Wireless ME mic. If you can do without onboard recording, the dual transmitter version could save you from buying extra gear for a multi-mic setup.As wireless clip-on digital mics have exploded in popularity with creators, the (single transmitter) Rode Wireless ME has been a popular budget ($149) alternative to the $299 GO II. This dual-transmitter model is otherwise the same as the single-mic version. So, you'll get the same Series IV 2.4GHz digital transmission, Rode's GainAssist tech and universal compatibility" with cameras, phones and computers.RodeAlso, like the single-transmitter version of the Wireless ME, the new model's receiver includes an extra behind-camera" mic for a bonus audio source. In this case, that theoretically gives you a third mic -as long as your setup allows plugging it directly into your recording device. It works with the Rode Capture app (available for iOS and Android), which is aimed at creators.Given that the Wireless ME is on the budget end of Rode's lineup, the same compromises from the single-transmitter version apply. That includes the lack of a receiver display, onboard recording / storage or an option to record a safety track at a lower gain level. In return for those tradeoffs, you'll likely save a few bucks vs. the higher-end GO II.We say likely" because Rode hasn't yet said how much the dual-transmitter version will cost. (The single-mic variant costs $150, so you can probably assume it will be more.) The dual Wireless ME arrives this spring, so expect to hear about pricing as its release date approaches. It will be available in black and (for the first time in the ME series) white.Rode has growing competition in this space. JBL launched a similar budget product - the $100 Quantum Stream -at CES 2024, and DJI just revealed the Mic 2, including a $349 dual-transmitter variant.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rode-reveals-a-dual-transmitter-version-of-the-wireless-me-lapel-mic-181534298.html?src=rss

Samsung has extended OS upgrades and security updates for its phones, starting with the newly-announced Galaxy S24 series. With these devices, the company says it will offer seven generations of OS updates and seven years of security updates. This is an extension of its 2022 announcement when it committed to four generations of One UI and Android updates, alongside five years of security updates during the Galaxy S22 series launch.The company is matching Google, which extended its own software update pledge with the launch of the Pixel 8. Google's previous policy was five years, which was still a significant amount of time. Like Google, Samsung cites a commitment "to extending the product lifecycle" and "to help users reliably experience the optimized performance of their Galaxy devices for even longer." The company said this new policy will start with the S24 series, so it doesn't sound like it applies to S23 or other Samsung devices, but we've reached out to the company for clarification. As part of that 2022 update news, the company gave a list phones, foldables and tablets covered under the policy, including previous-gen models.In addition to updates that should help customers keep their phones longer, Samsung says it continues to increase the amount of recycled materials used in the Galaxy line. Recycled plastics, glass and aluminum are used in both internal and external components. What's more, the S24 series features parts made with recycled cobalt and rare earth elements - a first for Galaxy devices. Specifically, the S24 Ultra uses a minimum of 50 percent recycled cobalt in the battery and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements were used in the speakers, according to Samsung.The company has also committed to using at least one recycled material in every module of every mobile product by 2023. Samsung defines a "module" as the antenna, battery, camera, display, mechanical components, motor, circuit board, speaker, wireless charging and packaging.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-pledges-seven-years-of-updates-for-s24-series-180844109.html?src=rss

With the launch of the Galaxy S24 family, Samsung is boldly declaring an end to the smartphone camera wars as it moves into the AI era. And the $1,300 S24 Ultra is its torchbearer for this new age of mobile design.While it may not look like a ton has changed on the S24 Ultra, there's one major design update along with a handful of smaller tweaks. The move to a titanium frame (available in four colors: titanium yellow, violet, gray and black) apes what Apple did for the iPhone 15 Pro last fall. The big difference is that, because Samsung's previous flagship featured an aluminum chassis unlike the heavier stainless steel build on the iPhone 14 Pro, the S24 Ultra's weight (8.22 ounces) is largely unchanged from last year's device (8.25 ounces). That means aside from some very slight changes to the texture, there aren't a ton of outward signs hinting at the S24's increased durability which includes the same IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.More subtle upgrades include a new Corning Gorilla Armor panel in back (instead of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 like on the standard S24/S24+), even thinner bezels (42 percent slimmer than before) and a slightly boxier feel. The latter might not be something most people notice, but it's part of an ongoing trend for Samsung as it's moved towards phones with flatter screens. On the S24 Ultra, aside from some faint rounding at the perimeter of its display, it's almost completely rectangular. So for all the people who hate screens with curvy edges, congratulations, you've won.Inside, the S24 Ultra features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip along with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Samsung says it's installed a larger vapor chamber that's almost twice the size of what's in the previous model to help keep the phone's thermals in check. The Ultra's screen is also slightly brighter with a peak of 2,600 nits for its 120Hz 6.8-inch OLED screen. There's still a storage slot for the Ultra's S Pen with a springy magnetic attachment system and its core functionality hasn't changed, so you can expect the same super responsive stylus input.It's important to note that the S24 Ultra's camera setup is largely unchanged. You still get a 200-MP main sensor and a 12-MP ultra-wide, but instead of a 10x lens, the S24's telephoto camera is now based on a 50-MP sensor (up from 10-MP) with a 5x optical zoom. Samsung says this change was made based on customer feedback and usage patterns, which saw 5x being the most frequently used focal length. While its overall reach has seemingly decreased, the phone uses pixel-binning and AI to achieve what the company is calling a 10x optical quality" zoom while still delivering up to a total 100x Space Zoom. In our limited hands-on time, the Ultra's telephoto camera still looked sharp even with the shorter focal length, though as before image quality begins to deteriorate quickly past 20x.Of course, the Ultra's zoom is just one small application of AI. The entire S24 family has a full suite of machine learning-based features. Similar to what's available on the Pixel 8, Samsung is using AI to help you edit photos and create new slow-mo footage. You can use the S24 Ultra's stylus (or your finger on the other models) to draw a lasso around a subject before touching and holding to move it whenever you want. Then, all you have to do is hit the generate button, and the phone uses AI to fill in any missing elements. And this isn't limited just to moving things around either, as you can delete objects, resize, recompose and more.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetSamsung's photo app can also detect things like shadows and reflections and will ask if you would like to remove them from your shot. This might be my favorite application of AI, as this helps streamline editing while also making more complicated fixes incredibly easy. And while I only got to test this out using sample photos provided by Samsung, it worked astonishingly well. After finding a photo in the gallery app, all I had to do was hit the info button to see a list of suggested edits, which almost instantly transformed a mediocre image into something I would be proud to share on social media.Samsung's slow-mo feature was also quite impressive. It works on practically any local clip, not just footage shot by an S24. When playing back a video, you can simply touch and hold. Then the phone looks at the framerate of the footage, multiplies it by four (e.g. from 30fps to 120fps) and uses AI to create additional frames - all on the fly and on-device, so nothing is being sent to the cloud.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetIt's not all photo tricks, though. The S24 uses its AI powers to help you communicate both on the phone, via the new live-translation feature, and in text, with improved proofreading, summarization and tone-correction abilities. During calls, activating translation is as simple as tapping a button. From there, it will recognize your speech and automatically convert it into whatever the other person is speaking (or you can save a tiny bit of time and select the language yourself). Granted, this does mean that conversations will take a touch longer since you'll need to pause to give the phone a chance to process and translate what you say. But if you're in a pinch while traveling, I wouldn't hesitate to try this out.As for the S24's summarizing capabilities, it's similar to what you get on the Pixel or in services like ChapGPT, Bard and others. You can direct the phone to a website or a file (including those in Samsung Notes) and the phone will condense things into a handful of major bullet points. But the potentially more useful tool is the tone-correcting feature, which in addition to basic stuff like highlighting typos, also gives you some options to rephrase things to make them seem more positive or encouraging.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetNotably, because you get a handful of options and the choice to ignore or implement things as you see fit, it feels like less policing yourself and more like adjusting language to get your message across in a more effective manner. Honestly, this is something everyone could probably use from time to time, even if it's just to prevent sending out an angry text or email.The one aspect of the S24's AI powers that isn't handled locally is a new circle-to-search tool. Developed in partnership with Google, the feature allows you to highlight both text and images before sending a query off to the cloud and returning results. In practice, it feels like combining traditional search and visual lookup aids like the Google Lens app into a single thing. It's a nice upgrade in terms of general usability standpoint even if it doesn't revolutionize the way the phone works.Photo by Sam Rutheford/EngadgetFinally, following a similar move Google made last year with the Pixel 8, Samsung will now provide a full seven years of regular OS and security updates. This is something I'm hoping to see from every Android handset maker, so I'm glad Samsung is stepping up now.The two gripes I have are that, for a device that starts at $1,300, I think the S24 Ultra's design is rather plain. It's just 6.8-inches of phone with a bunch of sensors and camera lenses on the back. Not to mention I don't think Samsung's special titanium-hued paint jobs stand out as much as the company hopes they do.The other issue is the lack of Qi 2 support. The S24 falls in the second half of Samsung's two-year product cycle, which means we probably weren't going to get any big facelifts or design changes until next year. But as the largest Android phone maker, it's pretty disappointing to see a new flagship not adopt what could be an incredibly important multi-platform wireless charging standard.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetHonestly I was kind of taken aback by how good its AI features are. I actually had to stop myself multiple times from writing how one of the phone's latest tools was a pleasant surprise. Unlike Google who has been beating the drum about machine learning for more than a decade, Samsung's mobile expertise always felt like it lay more in hardware than software. But with the S24, Samsung is showing that it's taking the transition to the AI era incredibly seriously.The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will start at $1,300. Pre-orders go live today and on Samsung.com will include a free upgrade that doubles the phone's storage, while official sales are slated for January 31.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-hands-on-a-fresh-titanium-frame-combined-with-a-big-bet-on-ai-180050005.html?src=rss

Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S24 devices at its first Unpacked of the year. As expected, the three smartphones have a heavy focus on artificial intelligence-powered features, from the likes of live translations to image editing.Galaxy AI, as Samsung is calling the devices' overarching AI system, is behind a number of communication-focused functions. For one thing, Galaxy S24 devices will natively support live, two-way translations on phone calls without the need for a third-party app, Samsung says. Since processing for most AI features is handled on-device with the help of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Chipset and its neural processing unit, the conversations will stay private (well, aside from eavesdroppers who might catch one half of the chat). You'll have the option to entirely disable online processing of data for any AI features.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetOn a similar note, on-device processing also means that you won't need cellular data or Wi-Fi connections to use AI features such as Interpreter. This enables you to display split-screen translations of an in-person conversation. Your device will also be able to generate transcripts of recordings - these can be summarized or translated as needed.When it comes to dashing off text-based messages, Samsung says its Chat Assist feature can help you find the right tone. Samsung Keyboard can translate messages between 13 languages too. A Note Assist function in Samsung Notes can summarize texts, generate templates and create covers to help you identify the note you're looking for.Meanwhile, as you're driving, Android Auto can summarize incoming messages and suggest relevant responses and actions for you to approve via voice command. These could include things like telling someone your estimated time of arrival.A new search experience means that you'll be able to draw a circle around something on your screen and see related results from Google. Depending on your location and the search query, you may see an AI-generated overview that pulls information from the web to offer context and more details.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetAI will be a driving force behind the Galaxy S24 lineup's camera systems too. Samsung suggests it will help with digital zoom, image stabilization and when capturing photos and videos in low-light. A Super HDR feature is designed to help you see a lifelike preview of an image before pressing the shutter button.When it comes to image editing, the suite of AI tools might come in useful. Galaxy AI will offer suggested tweaks to improve a photo, while the Generative Edit function can fill in parts of an image's background. This may prove handy if a shot is crooked and you want to straighten it, as the feature should let you move the subject and fix the background. Of note, you will need a network connection to use Generative Fill. Also, whenever you use generative AI to modify a photo, your phone will apply a watermark to the image and its metadata.If you want to slow down a video that has a lot of activity, the Instant Slow-mo feature might help out. Samsung says this can generate extra frames based on movements in the original video to slow down the action smoothly. Last but not least, the camera systems in certain Galaxy S models feature HDR integration with third-party social apps. This means that when you look up an image in Gallery or your Instagram feed or reels, you'll see photos and videos in Super HDR.It's little surprise that Samsung is going all in on AI with its latest Galaxy phones. The company previewed its AI models at the tail end of 2023, and word at the time suggested Samsung would deploy those functions broadly in the following months. Moreover, Samsung needs to keep pace with Google, which has been focusing more on AI features on Pixel phones for the last few years. Recent Pixel models are able to handle AI processing on-device too.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-galaxy-s24-lineup-puts-generative-ai-front-and-center-180034530.html?src=rss

On Wednesday, Google introduced Circle to Search, a gesture-based way to quickly find info without leaving your app. The feature will be exclusive (at least at first) to the new Galaxy S24 and the Pixel 8 / Pixel 8 Pro starting at the end of January.Google pitches Circle to Search as a new way to search anything on your Android phone without switching apps." You can activate the feature by long-pressing the home button or navigation bar. Then, circle something on your screen with your finger and see the results pop up at the bottom. To return to what you were doing, simply swipe away and you're right back where you started," Google Search VP Cathy Edwards wrote in a company blog post.GoogleDespite its name, Circle to Search isn't limited to circling. With a simple gesture, you can select images, text or videos in whatever way comes naturally to you - like circling, highlighting, scribbling or tapping," Google Search VP Elizabeth Reid wrote.Circle to Search also works alongside multisearch, Google's text / image search feature launched in the Google app in 2022. The company suggests circling to select a corn dog in a viral social post and asking, Why are these so popular?" (You'll quickly learn that these sweet and savory treats are Korean corn dogs," Google explains.) The feature works with anything on your screen, including products, other items or text in videos.GoogleIn more hardware-agnostic news, the company is injecting generative AI into Lens multisearch in the Google app. The company says this allows you to ask more complex or nuanced questions." It provided an example of seeing a mysterious and unlabeled board game at a yard sale, snapping a pic and asking Google Lens, How do you play this?"Google says the feature will provide a generative AI-fueled overview using the web's most relevant info. The results will include supporting links to let you scour the web for more details.AI-powered multisearch overviews roll out this week in the Google app on Android and iOS in the US (English only). The feature is open to everyone who fits that criteria - no beta opt-in necessary. Meanwhile, Circle to Search will be available on January 31 for select premium Android smartphones," starting with the Galaxy S24 series, Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/galaxy-s24-and-pixel-8-owners-can-soon-search-for-anything-by-drawing-a-circle-around-it-180029757.html?src=rss

Like clockwork, the new year has brought new Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The company announced the new Galaxy S24 lineup today, which includes the flagship S24 Ultra along with the Galaxy S24+ and S24. The handsets will look familiar to Samsung diehards, and the company spent most of its launch event hyping AI features rather than hardware upgrades. The new phones boast AI perks like an enhanced photo editor, a circle to search" feature, quick summarization tools and more. If you're on the market for a new smartphone, here's how you can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, S24+ and S24, along with everything else announced at Samsung Unpacked 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-pre-order-the-samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-180028971.html?src=rss

I've never thought of Samsung as a software company, let alone as a name to pay attention to in the AI race. But with the launch of the Galaxy S24 series today, the company is eager to have us associate it with the year's hottest tech trend. The new flagship phones look largely the same as last year's models, but on the inside, change is afoot. At a hands-on session during CES 2024 in Las Vegas last week, I was more focused on checking out the new software on the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus.Thanks to a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor (in the US) customized for Galaxy," the S24 series are capable of a handful of new AI-powered tasks that seem very familiar. In fact, if you've used Microsoft's CoPilot, Google's Bard AI or ChatGPT, a lot of these tools won't feel new. What is new is the fact that they're showing up on the S24s, and are mostly processed on-device by Samsung's recently announced Gauss generative AI model, which it has been quietly building out.Samsung's Galaxy AI features on the S24There are five main areas where generative AI Is making a big difference in the Galaxy S24 lineup - search, translations, note creation, message composition and photo editing and processing. Aside from the notes and composition features, most of these updates seem like versions of existing Google products. In fact, the new Circle to Search feature is a Google service that is debuting on the S24 series, in addition to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.Circle to SearchWith Circle to Search, you basically press the middle of the screen's bottom edge, the Google logo and a search bar pop up, and you can draw a ring around anything on the display. Well, almost anything. DRMed content or things protected from screenshots, like your banking app, are off limits. Once you've made your selection, a panel slides up showing your selection, along with results from Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE).You can scroll down to see image matches, followed by shopping, text, website and other types of listings that SGE thought were relevant. I circled the Samsung clock widget, a picture of beef wellington and a lemon, and each time I was given pretty accurate results. I was also impressed by how quickly Google correctly identified a grill that I circled on an Engadget article featuring a Weber Searwood, especially since the picture I drew around was at an off angle.This is basically image search via Google or Lens, except it saves you from having to open another app (and take screenshots). You'll be able to circle items in YouTube videos, your friend's Instagram Stories (or, let's be honest, ads). Though I was intrigued by the feature and its accuracy, I'm not sure how often I'd use it in the real world. The long-press gesture to launch Circle to Search works whether you use a gesture-based navigation or if you have the three-button layout. The latter might be slightly confusing, since you pretty much hold your finger down on the home button, but not exactly.Circle to Search is launching on January 31st, and though it's reserved for the Galaxy S24s and Pixel 8s for now, it's not clear whether older devices might get the feature.Chat Assist to tweak the tone of your messagesThe rest of Samsung's AI features are actually powered by the company's own language models, not Google's. This part is worth making clear, because when you use the S24 to translate a message from, say, Portuguese to Mandarin, you'll be using Samsung's database, not Google's. I really just want you to direct your anger at the right target when something inevitably goes wrong.I will say, I was a little worried when I first heard about Samsung's new Chat Assist feature. It uses generative AI to help reword a message you've composed to change up the tone. Say you're in a hurry, firing off a reply to a friend whom you know can get anxious and misinterpret texts. The S24 can take your sentences, like On my way back now what do you need" and make it less curt. The options I saw were casual," emojify," polite," professional" and social," which is a hashtag-filled caption presumably for your social media posts.I typed Hey there. Where can I get some delicious barbecue? Also, how are you?" Then I tapped the AI icon above the keyboard and selected the Writing Style" option. After about one or two seconds, the system returned variations of what I wrote.At the top of the results was my original, followed by the Professional version, which I honestly found hilarious. It said Hello, I would like to inquire about the availability of delectable barbecue options in the vicinity. Additionally, I hope this message finds you well. Thank you for your attention to this matter."It reminded me of an episode of Friends where Joey uses a thesaurus to sound smarter. Samsung's AI seems to have simply replaced every word with a slightly bigger word, while also adding some formal greetings. I don't think inquire about the availability of delectable barbecue options in the vicinity" is anything a human would write.That said, the casual option was a fairly competent rewording of what I'd written, as was the polite version. I cannot imagine a scenario where I'd pick the emojify" option, except for the sake of novelty. And while the social option pained me to read, at least the hashtags of #Foodie and #BBQLover seemed appropriate.Samsung TranslateYou can also use Samsung's AI to translate messages into one of 13 languages in real-time, which is fairly similar to a feature Google launched on the Pixel 6 in 2021. The S24's interface looks reminiscent of the Pixel's, too, with both offering two text input fields. Like Google, Samsung also has a field at the top for you to select your target language, though the system is capable of automatically recognizing the language being used. I never got this to work correctly in a foreign language that I understand, and have no real way of confirming how accurate the S24 was in Portuguese.Samsung's translation engine is also used for a new feature called Live Translate, which basically acts as an interpreter for you during phone calls made via the native dialer app. I tried this by calling one of a few actors Samsung had on standby, masquerading as managers of foreign-language hotels or restaurants. After I dialed the number and turned on the Live Translate option, Samsung's AI read out a brief disclaimer explaining to the manager at a Spanish restaurant" that I was using a computerized system for translation. Then, when I said Hello," I heard a disembodied voice say Hola" a few seconds later.The lag was pretty bad and it threw off the cadence of my demo, as the person on the other end of the call clearly understood English and would answer in Spanish before my translated request was even sent over. So instead of:

I own a jacket that's eerily similar to Tess' in Open Roads. It's a blue bomber with yellow and burnt orange accents, and it's not the only thing that Tess and I have in common. As she leisurely explores her childhood bedroom in the first few minutes of the game, Tess comes across set pieces that ground her environment in the early 2000s. There's a chunky black television set and scattered DVD cases, little bottles of bright nail polish, a black-and-white strip from a photo booth, newspapers remembering 9/11 and hunting for bigfoot, and a bright pink tube of sickly sweet lip balm. These are the leftovers of her adolescence - the room is disheveled and largely empty, with most of her possessions packed away, ready to move. Tess picks through the room's remaining photos and yearbooks, her hand-drawn fingers reaching out to interact with 3D objects, revealing more of her backstory with each touch. The cuff of her jacket is jarringly familiar every time it enters the frame.Open Roads is a narrative-driven, exploration-focused game about the road trip that Tess and her mother take when a death in the family uproots their life. After clearing out the house and finding a mysterious diary in the attic, Tess and her mom, Opal, print out directions from RoadBuddy (not MapQuest) and set off on a long drive. Emotional upheaval is bound to ensue.Annapurna InteractiveI watched developers play the first 15 minutes or so of Open Roads, and the preview reeled me in immediately. Visually, the game is polished and engaging; the settings and interactable objects are 3D, while characters are hand-drawn, carving depth into each scene. Developers at the Open Roads Team uploaded real-life handwriting samples to create yearbook pages, postcards and letters, which removes the threat of pixelated text ruining the immersion. In conversation, the characters float between movements like old-school Disney storyboards, making the entire experience feel like a lucid dream.Tess and Opal are fully voiced by two mainstream actors, Kaitlyn Dever and Keri Russell, and in the scenes I've seen, their performances are fantastic. The interactions between Tess and Opal are simultaneously loving and strained, as mother-daughter relationships can be. The writing is also evocative and genuine; dialogue flows smoothly, even with the various player-chosen paths that each conversation can take. These characters feel real right away.Annapurna InteractiveThe house that Tess and Opal are leaving is lived-in and it has a sense of history. There are personal, hand-crafted touches in every room, and developers added bits of their own lives to the game. The chair by that desk? It was modeled after a developer's own childhood memories. Those old, creepy ornaments in the attic? A developer's grandma passed down those exact decorations in real life. The scribbles on the wall? They're drawings from the creators' kids. These details won't be obvious to most players, but they lend a sense of authenticity to the game as Tess explores the closets and corners of her family home.Open Roads doesn't just provide early-2000s nostalgia, but it also reaches back and references the '60s and '70s, covering multiple generations in Tess' family. As Tess investigates the house and picks up various objects, Opal provides context and tells stories about their life, and there are branching dialogue paths. At one point during the preview, the developer that was playing decided to make Tess walk away from the refrigerator without shutting its door, and this caused Opal to scold her. Tess and Opal's relationship is charming and warm, but there's a sense of tension running through their interactions that I'm eager to examine in the full game.Open Roads feels like a mix of Gone Home, Life is Strange and What Remains of Edith Finch, in the best possible way. The writing, voice acting and animation style harmonize in the first few minutes of the game to create a realistic and nostalgic world populated with vivid characters. I'm ready to hit the road with Tess, Opal and their printed-out driving directions when the game hits PC, Switch, PlayStation and Xbox on February 22. After all, I already have the jacket.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/open-roads-preview-bring-me-to-life-in-2003-170007873.html?src=rss

Alphabet-owned Wing has been trying to make drone delivery an actual thing, but the relatively minuscule payload capacity of modern delivery aircraft has been a serious obstacle. The company just unveiled a new drone that's a step in the right direction. The new model can handle payloads of up to five pounds, which is twice as much as Wing's previous flagship drone.It can also travel up to 65 MPH, which is pretty darned fast. The onboard battery allows for a 12 mile round trip, which is in line with previous metrics, so that translates to an under six-minute delivery time. That certainly beats pizza delivery. Speaking of, most pizzas are well under five pounds. Just saying.The increased weight limit will also allow Wing to complete more deliveries at once and limit the number of orders that require more than a single drone. The company says that 30 percent of current deliveries demand two drones, but that's with the 2.5 pound payload capacity. Adam Woodworth, Wing CEO, says the new aircraft will streamline our deliveries of larger orders" and gave an example of a customer ordering last minute ingredients for a pasta dinner.The new drone will be unleashed on the masses sometime in the next year. Also, there are more redesigns coming. It's announced something called an Aircraft Library, in which teams are working on a wide configuration of builds to suit different use case scenarios. Woodworth likens it to how a standard delivery company operates a fleet of different-sized trucks. Even with this initiative, however, we are likely a long ways off from a drone delivering something heavy and bulky, like an Xbox.Wing currently operates in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, in addition to Australia, Finland and Ireland. It's teamed up with retailers like Walgreens and Walmart to offer deliveries.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alphabets-wing-shows-off-a-larger-delivery-drone-with-a-bigger-payload-capacity-163148392.html?src=rss

WhatsApp has introduced new features Channels can use to interact with their followers. The biggest one, perhaps, is voice updates. Channel admins and owners, such as celebrities, can now send voice messages to their group. Meta says Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny was the first celebrity to test it out, but it's rolling out the feature broadly today. Voice updates is one of WhatsApp's most popular features, probably because it allows users to send messages without having to type, even while they're driving or doing something else. Apparently, WhatsApp users send 7 billion voice messages on the app every day, so it was most likely a very easy decision for Meta to bring the feature to Channels.In addition to voice updates, admins can now also share polls in chat that their followers can answer. Plus, WhatsApp now allows Channels to have as many as 16 administrators if they want to make sure that their followers are always up to date with the latest news. As for fans, they'll now be able to share a Channel update as their Status, which is the messaging service's version of Instagram Stories. Since it's possible to share voice notes as a WhatsApp Status, that presumably means they can also share a Channel voice update if they want. All of these features are making their way to WhatsApp users around the world.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/whatsapp-channels-now-let-owners-send-voice-messages-150016866.html?src=rss

For many, "new year, new me" includes finding a new job. Scouring sites like LinkedIn and Indeed for opportunities can feel like a full-time role in and of itself. This process could potentially improve moving forward, with LinkedIn announcing its latest feature: Job Collections.Basically, instead of searching for a specific industry or role, LinkedIn is using generative AI and large language models to analyze each job posting and categorize it into groups such as IT, pro sports, remote and top startups. Along with saving time, LinkedIn indicates that this feature can benefit people who aren't sure what their next step looks like. The company compares it to Airbnb Experiences - you might not know what you're searching for, but you could find something great. Its success relies significantly on how well it understands you versus wasting your time further sorting through jobs that are completely off base.According to LinkedIn, applications have risen 50 percent in the US and 36 percent globally, with 85 percent of working people contemplating changing jobs this year. The number of people searching for a job isn't surprising, given the number of recent layoffs. In the tech industry alone, 2024 has already seen layoffs at Twitch, Google, Meta, Discord and more.To use LinkedIn's new feature, simply go to the Jobs tab and click on "Explore with Job Collections." You can now also go to Preferences and choose from things like employment and location type. Then LinkedIn will highlight them in green anytime they appear on a job listing. Plus, if a job isn't exactly what you want but the company is, you can now send them an "I'm Interested" notification right from the listing instead of visiting their profile to do so.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/linkedins-new-ai-feature-helps-people-find-jobs-by-grouping-them-into-tailored-categories-104032853.html?src=rss

After making a cameo appearance in the Osmo Pocket 3 camera, DJI's Mic 2 wireless microphone system has officially arrived with some nice upgrades over its popular predecessor. It can now connect directly to your smartphone via Bluetooth, while also offering improved internal recording quality, AI noise reduction, a bigger touchscreen, easier control and more.The transmitters come in grey with a new see-through design and DJI introduced a white color option as well. They're slightly smaller than before, but largely resemble their predecessors with a clip, magnetic mount and 3.5mm mic input. The power and link buttons are now on the same side and round instead of oblong, with the record button and USB-C input on the other side.DJIIn one welcome change, DJI moved the power-on LED to the sides, rather than near the front as before, where it would annoyingly appear on camera. The DJI logo is front and center, though, so you'll still need a piece of black tape to cover that up.The receiver has changed substantially, with a larger 1.1-inch touchscreen and a new thumbwheel to make adjustments easier. DJI has made connecting the transmitter directly to your phone simpler as well via included USB-C and Lightning adapters.A big plus of the Mic 2 over other kits like the Rode wireless Go 2 is the charging case that's sold with the two-transmitter kit. It now supports up to 18 hours of use on a charge, up from 15 before, and the transmitters have been upgraded from 5.5 to six hours.DJITopping the list of new features is direct Bluetooth connection support, letting you pair a transmitter mic to your phone (or DJI's Osmo Pocket 3 and Action Cam 4) without the need for a receiver. That'll allow creators on a budget to purchase a transmitter mic by itself for $99, or add DJI's Lavalier Mic for an additional $35.Linking a phone is relatively easy - hold the record button for three seconds to put it in Bluetooth mode, then press and hold the link button for two seconds. From there, your phone should detect the transmitter. It worked great with my Pixel 7a, even though it's not on the approved list, and I was able to start recording video with much better quality audio, to say the least.There are a couple of caveats: the AI noise cancelling feature doesn't work when connected to a smartphone and you can only use one transmitter at a time. If you have the transmitter/receiver combo, though, you can also get audio by connecting the receiver directly to your phone as before.DJISpeaking of, the Mic 2 has a couple of improvements in audio quality. It promises "brighter and more natural sounding voices" for the interviews or standup work where it's mainly used. And though the original DJI Mic supported internal recording as a backup to camera files, it now captures that at higher 32-bit float quality, letting you max out gain without fearing distortion. It also supports a higher acoustic overload point (AOP), up to 120 dB from 114 dB, meaning you'll see less distortion on higher audio levels.The other quality trick is AI noise cancelling, allowing the Mic 2 to lower the environmental noise so vocals stand out better. DJI promises that it works in "complex and noisy environments, such as streets and restaurants."A full review is to come, but I tried out the Mic 2 in a variety of situations, including inside a car, riding on a bicycle and in a howling wind. It performed well in nearly all those situations, with all distracting noise blocked in the car and bike shots, leaving just some pleasant environmental sound. However, it was unable to block out a direct 30-40 MPH wind on a sand dune, even with the included wind muff installed. It still worked well enough for me to get the shot, though, which was impressive.DJIKey features carrying over from the last model include the option for a safety track recorded at a lower -6 dB (in case you accidentally blow out the levels), an 820 foot range with the transmitter/receiver combo (524 feet in the EU), magnetic clips and a muff for each transmitter. For the receiver, DJI has also included preset gains for different cameras so that it'll work relatively well out of the box. It doesn't include all recent cameras, so hopefully firmware updates will address that.With the new options, particularly the smartphone Bluetooth connectivity and Osmo Pocket 3/Action 4 support, the Mic 2 is again likely to strike a chord with creators. It's now available for $349 with two transmitters, a receiver and charging case, $219 for a transmitter and receiver and $99 for individual transmitters. You can also purchase the charging case separately for $69.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/djis-mic-2-now-records-high-quality-audio-to-your-smartphone-via-bluetooth-130018964.html?src=rss

With pre-orders opening later this week, Engadget experienced a more in-depth demo of Apple's mixed-reality headset. Editor-in-chief Dana Wollman and deputy editor Cherlynn Low were fitted with the Vision Pro for some more extensive demos, including immersive video, a little bit of Disney+ and attempts to type in thin air on the Vision Pro's floating keyboard.AppleThey discuss the fitting process, the attention to detail in Disney+'s viewer app and where there's room for improvement with keyboards, comfort and utility. This is the company's first new product for a while - and I had strong feelings about its last one. Early impressions suggest Apple seems to have made a fluid, intelligent headset experience - but are you willing to spend $3,499 on it?- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedGoogle Maps finally adds Waze's in-tunnel navigation featureHulu and Max win big at 75th Primetime Emmy'sThe 2024 Moto G Play gives you a 50-megapixel camera for $150Google is laying off hundreds of workers who sell ads to big businessesTake-Two's lawyers think Remedy's new R logo is too similar to Rockstar's R logoThe Last of Us Part 2 Remastered reviewA new roguelike No Return mode steals the show.When a PS5 remake of the 2013 title The Last of Us Part I launched, it was hard to stomach the $70 price tag. Yes, the game looked incredible, there were some new modes, but the level design and gameplay were identical. It was, for all intents and purposes, a money grab.With The Last of Us Part II Remastered, that seems less true. First, it's a $10 upgrade for people who bought the PS4 versions (or $50 outright). Second, there's a new roguelike game mode called No Return, which may be worth that upgrade price on its own. Nathan Ingraham, TLOU die-hard, explains.Continue reading.Yamaha takes on Teenage Engineering with its own colorful grooveboxThe SEQTRAK is an all-in-one production studio.YamahaYamaha is a pillar of the electronic music-making world, but it's perhaps best known for its stage synthesizers and studio monitors. Now, it's taking Teenage Engineering with the SEQTRAK groovebox. Stylistically, it seems heavily inspired by TE.The SEQTRAK includes a drum machine, sampler, FM and sample-based synthesizers and that semi-eponymous sequencer along with a built-in battery (three to four hours expected playtime) plus a built-in speaker, so it works without plugging in anything else. The SEQTRAK is available to pre-order at retailers for $399, which undercuts the heady pricing of Teenage Engineering's similar product.Continue reading.Apple shipped more smartphones than anyone else last yearIt's the first time Apple has held the top spot.Both IDC and Canalys' most recent analysis of smartphone shipments shows Apple has beaten Samsung to roll out more smartphones than any other company. IDC's preliminary data said Apple shipped 234.6 million units in 2023, equal to 20.1 percent of the market share. In comparison, Samsung shipped 226.6 units for 19.4 percent of the market share. This is the first time Samsung has fallen from the number-one spot since 2010.Back then, Nokia was in the lead.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-a-closer-look-at-apples-vision-pro-121522078.html?src=rss

When users open an Incognito browser on Chrome, they'll see a notification warning them that other people using their device won't be able to see their activity but that their downloads, bookmarks and reading items will still be saved. Now, Google has updated that disclaimer in Chrome's experimental Canary channel, shortly after agreeing to settle a $5 billion lawsuit accusing it of tracking Incognito users. As first noticed by MSPowerUser, the company has tweaked the disclaimer in Canary to add language that says Incognito mode won't change how websites collect people's data."Others who use this device won't see your activity, so you can browse more privately," the new disclaimer reads. "This won't change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google. Downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved." The publication spotted the updated warning in Canary on Android and Windows, and we can confirm that the same language appears in the version of Chrome for Mac.Google was hit with a lawsuit in 2020, accusing it of tracking users' activities even if they're on Incognito mode. The plaintiffs told the court that the company used tools like its Analytics product, apps and browser plug-ins to monitor users. They also argued that by tracking users on Incognito, Google was giving people the false belief that they could control the information they're willing to share. A Google spokesperson explained at the time that the mode could only hide a user's activity on the device they're using but that their information could still be collected. That's not clearly communicated in the current disclaimer for the public version of Chrome, but it looks like that could change in the near future.GoogleThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-now-admits-it-could-collect-data-in-chromes-incognito-mode-103807146.html?src=rss

If you own a copy of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition or Minecraft: Education Edition, you can now grab a free expansion pack based on the BBC's Planet Earth III. Much like the previous Frozen Planet II experience, this new wildlife documentary DLC lets players explore five scenarios through the lens of animals - arctic wolves, ocelots, musk oxen, leopards, Cape fur seals, great white sharks, impalas and more.Basically, be the hunter or be hunted; you get to play both sides on locations ranging from the Arctic tundra to the Okavango Delta. In the case of the lily-trotter, you're either the father protecting your chicks from crocodiles, or you're one of the chicks following your father's signals. There's also an activity involving the fascinating interaction between unlikely insect allies: the tree hopper and the stingless bee, with the latter in charge of shooing ants and assassin bugs away from the tree hoppers' nest.A new addition to this educational experience is the "BBC Planet Earth Field Station," which is set in the heart of a pixelated jungle. This serves as a portal to the five biomes, with extra goodies including sound boards, animal facts and a cinematics album. Upon the completion of each activity (which can be repeated), you'll receive rewards that can be used to decorate the hub or dress up your avatar.With the game reaching its 15th anniversary this year, Minecraft has become the best-selling video game of all time, reaching over 300 million copies sold as of October last year. There's also a movie adaptation in the works, reportedly starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa when it comes out in April 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/minecraft-x-planet-earth-iii-is-the-least-offensive-corpo-collab-of-the-year-040438095.html?src=rss

Apple is relaxing a key App Store rule that has long been a source of frustration to developers. The iPhone maker will allow U.S. developers to link to outside websites for in-app purchases, according to the company's updated developer guidelines.The change comes shortly after the United States Supreme Court rejected an appeal to reconsider a lower court ruling requiring Apple to allow developers to direct customers to alternative payment methods. The change only applies to iOS and iPadOS apps in the U.S. app stores and developers are still required to pay a commission for in-app purchases not made via the App Store.It seems that Apple will continue to maintain tight control over payments, even under the new rules. According to a support page, developers will need approval from Apple before they can take advantage of the new rule, and app makers will only be permitted to notify users about alternative payment methods in specific ways. For example, the company's guidelines to developers stipulate that links can only be shown in an app one time, and only in a single, dedicated location." App makers are also prohibited from using in-app pop-ups or mentioning outside payments in their App Store listing.The company is also officially requiring developers to pay it a commission for purchases made outside of its App Store. The commission is set at 12 percent for developers who are part of its small business program, and 27 percent for larger developers. But, as 9to5Mac points out, the company may have some trouble enforcing those terms.In court documents, the company argued that it would be exceedingly difficult and, in many cases, impossible" to collect the fees. In its messaging to developers, however, the company says that they are required to submit monthly reports, even if they haven't processed any transactions, and that the company has the right to audit their records.Still, the change is a significant concession for Apple, which has long been criticized for developers for App Store rules sometimes viewed as draconian and arbitrary. The company's rule barring developers from communicating with users about alternative (and often cheaper) payment methods was a central aspect of the Epic v. Apple trial in 2021. The company had previously loosened some of these rules following the trial and a subsequent class-action lawsuit from developers. Apple also allows dating apps in the Netherlands to offer alternative payment options.Some high profile developers who have previously run up against Apple's App Store policies were sharply critical of the company's latest changes. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney called it a bad-faith compliance' plan" in a post on X. He called the 27 percent fee anticompetitive" and said that Apple will front-run competing payment processors with their own scare screen' to disadvantage them." He added that Epic would pursue a legal challenge to its changes in District Court.David Heinemeier Hansson, cofounder of the Hey email app, which publicly battled with Apple over its payment policies, also slammed the changes. Apple is going to poison the one victory Epic secured in their lawsuit so bad nobody would ever think to use it," he wrote on X.Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-updates-us-app-store-guidelines-allowing-developers-to-link-to-third-party-payments-235836357.html?src=rss

The cult hit Prison Architect is getting a sequel and it's actually releasing pretty soon. The franchise follow-up launches on March 26 for PC via Steam, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. There's even a trailer, posted below. Of note, Prison Architect 2 brings the series to 3D, as the original was a strictly top-down affair. The sequel has a cartoonish look that's slightly reminiscent of newer Dragon Quest games, but the gameplay is anything but a JRPG.As the name suggests, it's a robust prison-building simulator. We loved the original and wrote that it was nearly impossible to play the game in a humane way, as limitations would eventually force you to mistreat prisoners in the name of fiscal responsibility." This correlation with our real-world prison system was likely not an accident, as the end-goal of the game was to sell your prison for a hefty profit.We don't know if the sequel will keep this critical eye on America's for-profit prison system, but it's more than likely. The trailer, after all, shows a dehumanized inmate being prevented from escape at every turn. Sure, it's a cute-looking cartoon inmate, but an inmate all the same. Also, one of the game's taglines is will your prisons end up being monuments to rehabilitation or retribution? Most importantly, will they pay the bills?"Prison Architect 2 is bringing a host of new features to the table, beyond a jump to 3D. The developer says the inmates are now smarter and will develop relationships with one another based on wants and needs. Your design will affect every aspect" of their lives, so plan accordingly. The first game liked to tighten the purse strings just when you wanted to build a library or even walls around a toilet.There's also an upgraded career mode, in which you can build multiple prisons in the same city, and more control options for creating facility policies. Developer Paradox Interactive, who made the first one, has teased new gameplay scenarios, like escapes, gang wars and all sorts of expensive and destructive problems."Prison Architect 2 will cost $40 when it releases in late March. In related news, private prison industry leader" GEO Group posted record profits in 2023 and the Corrections Corporation of America is currently enjoying around 14 percent of year-to-year growth since 2009.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prison-architect-2-is-a-3d-sequel-to-a-beloved-indie-game-and-its-arriving-march-26-193848301.html?src=rss

The US Supreme Court has declined to hear the appeals filed by both Apple and Epic Games following a judge's ruling that Apple must allow developers to offer alternative methods to pay for apps and services other than through the App Store. It did not provide an explanation as to why it refused to review either appeal, but it means the permanent injunction giving developers a way to avoid the 30 percent cut Apple takes will remain in place.Apple made the appeal to the high court back in September of last year, requesting it review the circuit court's decision it deemed unconstitutional." The case brought forward by Epic Games is the first to challenge the business model of the App store, which helps Apple rake in billions. In May 2023, Apple said that developers generated about $1 trillion in total billings through the App Store in 2022. Gaming apps sold on the App Store generate an estimated $100 billion in revenue each year.

Days after laying off more than a thousand employees from Pixel, Nest, Fitbit, Google Assistant and core engineering divisions, Google is cutting hundreds of roles" on its advertising sales team, a company spokesperson told Engadget on Tuesday.Every year we go through a rigorous process to structure our team to provide the best service to our Ads customers," the company said in a statement. We map customers to the right specialist teams and sales channels to meet their service needs. As part of this, a few hundred roles globally are being eliminated and impacted employees will be able to apply for open roles on the team or elsewhere at Google."The spokesperson declined to share information about the exact number of employees impacted by the cuts or where they were located. The news was first reported by Business Insider, which obtained a memo that Google's chief business officer Philipp Schindler sent staff on Tuesday.Google's latest cuts continue the trend of layoffs at tech companies, which shed thousands of jobs in 2023. In the first two weeks of this year, for instance Amazon cut hundreds of workers in video game streaming service Twitch, Prime Video, MGM Studios, and Audible. Discord, Meta, Unity and Duolingo have also let go employees in 2024.In December, The Information reported that Google was planning to reorganize its ad sales unit, which has more than 30,000 people, in favor of using machine learning to help customers buy more ads on flagship products like Google Search and YouTube, which is how the company makes a bulk of its revenue. Most of the company's cuts taking place today will focus on ad sales teams selling ads to large businesses.Meanwhile, the company is reportedly throwing millions of dollars of stock at select researchers at DeepMind, its artificial intelligence unit, to stop them from decamping to rivals like OpenAI.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-is-laying-off-hundreds-of-workers-who-sell-ads-to-big-businesses-190057680.html?src=rss

Take-Two Interactive has filed an opposition to Remedy Entertainment's newest logo, claiming the symbol infringes on Rockstar Games' logo despite the two having little in common besides the letter R" representing a video game publisher. First reported by RemedyFirst, the trademark dispute was filed against two versions of the Remedy logo (one with the company's name, one without) in September with the UK's Intellectual Property Office.The UK's IP rules mean Take-Two's objection to the logo suggests Rockstar's parent company sees a likelihood of confusion by the public." Engadget reached out to Take-Two and Remedy for comment, and we'll update this article if we hear back.Remedy revealed its new logo last spring, describing it as a refreshed visual identity" that moves its image away from a 23-year-old game, better reflecting its current stable of Control and Alan Wake. The bullet in the letter R in the old logo represented the era of Max Payne, but the Remedy of now is much bigger than a single game; we have a whole portfolio of games, new and old," the publisher explained in an April blog post.It was time to update and redefine our visual identity to bring more consistency, showcase our evolution over the years, and better express our vision of today's Remedy," the post continued.Remedy EntertainmentThe icon was well received. Design blog Creative Bloq wrote, Gamers can't get enough" of the new logo. The new Remedy logo is made from three letter R's chopped and stitched together as if the letter itself is moving; the curved right side of the R is shaped into an arrow and the points of the character form further arrows, pointing in new directions," editor Ian Dean wrote. Social media reactions also appeared positive.Ironically, the two studios are currently working together on a revamp of the game Remedy's new logo is diverting away from. In April 2022, Remedy said it would collaborate with Rockstar on fully remastered versions of the first two Max Payne games, bringing the oughts-era franchise to a new generation.RespawnFirst noted Take-Two's legal team has a precedent of being trigger-happy on attacking IP in a way that stretches the definition of infringement." The publisher filed a trademark claim in 2021 against Hazelight Studios for its game It Takes Two. IGN highlighted incidents of Take-Two going after a clothing brand called Max Fayne, an axe-throwing company in Florida called Rockstar Axe Throwing and a music book called Think Like a Rockstar. The company has also sued GTA modders and the creators of reversed-engineered Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City fan projects.Take-Two briefly got a taste of its own medicine in 2014 when actor Lindsay Lohan sued the publisher for using what she claimed was her likeness in GTA V and its marketing materials. That case was dismissed the following year on the grounds that video game parodies are fair game.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/take-twos-lawyers-think-remedys-new-r-logo-is-too-similar-to-rockstars-r-logo-181534083.html?src=rss

With pre-orders for the Apple Vision Pro headset opening this week, the company is getting ready to launch one of its most significant products ever. It announced this morning an entertainment format pioneered by Apple" called Apple Immersive Video, as well as new viewing environments in the Disney+ app featuring scenes from the studio's beloved franchises like the Avengers and Star Wars.We already got hands-on once back at WWDC when the headset was first announced, but two of our editors, Dana Wollman and Cherlynn Low, had a chance to go back and revisit the device (and in Dana's case, experience it for the first time). Since we've already walked you through some of the basic UI elements in our earlier piece, we decided to focus on some of the more recently added features, including Apple Immersive Video, the new Disney+ environments, a built-in Encounter Dinosaurs" experience, as well as the floating keyboard, which didn't work for us when we first tried the device in June of last year. Here, too, we wanted to really get at what it actually feels like to use the device, from the frustrating to the joyful to the unintentionally eerie. (Yes, there was a tear, and also some screaming.)Fit, comfort and strap optionsCherlynn: The best heads-up display in the world will be useless if it can't be worn for a long time, so comfort is a crucial factor in the Apple Vision Pro's appeal. This is also a very personal factor with a lot of variability between individual users. I have what has been described as a larger-than-usual head, and a generous amount of hair that is usually flat-ironed. This means that any headgear I put on tends to slip, especially if the band is elastic.Unlike the version that our colleague Devindra Hardawar saw at WWDC last year, the Vision Pro unit I tried on today came with a strap that you stretch and ends up at the back of your head. It was wide, ridged and soft, and I at first thought it would be very comfortable. But 15 minutes into my experience, I started to feel weighed down by the device, and five more minutes later, I was in pain. To be fair, I should have flagged my discomfort to Apple earlier, and alternative straps were available for me to swap out. But I wanted to avoid wasting time. When I finally told the company's staff about my issues, they changed the strap to one that had two loops, with one that went over the top of my head.AppleDana: The fitting took just long enough - required just enough tweaking - that I worried for a minute that I was doing it wrong, or that I somehow had the world's one unfittable head. First, I struggled to get the lettering to look sharp. It was like sitting at an optometrist's office, trying out a lens that was just slightly too blurry for me. Tightening the straps helped me get the text as crisp as it needed to be, but that left my nose feeling pinched. The solution was swapping out the seal cushion for the lighter of the two options. (There are two straps included in the box, as well as two cushions.) With those two tweaks - the Dual Loop Band and the light seal cushion - I finally felt at ease.Cherlynn: Yep, that Dual Loop band felt much better for weight distribution, and it didn't keep slipping down my hair. It's worth pointing out that Apple did first perform a scan to determine my strap size, and they chose the Medium for me. I also had to keep turning a dial on the back right to make everything feel more snug, so I had some control over how tightly the device sat. Basically, you'll have quite a lot of options to adapt the Vision Pro to your head.Apple Immersive Video and spatial videosDana: Sitting up close in the center of Apple Immersive and spatial videos reminded me of Jimmy Stewart's character in It's A Wonderful Life: I was both an insider and outsider at the same time. In one demo, we saw Alicia Keys performing the most special of performances: just for us, in a living room. In a different series of videos - these meant to demonstrate spatial video - we saw the same family at mealtime, and a mother and daughter outside, playing with bubbles.As I watched these clips, particularly the family home videos that reminded me of my own toddler, I felt immersed, yes, but also excluded; no one in the videos sees you or interacts with you, obviously. You are a ghost. I imagined myself years from now, peering in from the future on bygone videos of my daughter, and felt verklempt. I did not expect to get teary-eyed during a routine Apple briefing.Cherlynn: The Immersive Video part of my demo was near the end, by which point I had already been overwhelmed by the entire experience and did not quite know what more to expect. The trailer kicked off with Alicia Keys singing in my face, which I enjoyed. But I was more surprised by the kids playing soccer with some rhinos on the field, and when the animals charged towards me, I physically recoiled. I loved seeing the texture of their skin and the dirt on the surface, and was also impressed when I saw the reflection of an Apple logo on the surface of a lake at the end. I didn't have the same emotional experience that Dana did, but I can see how it would evoke some strong feelings.AppleDisney+ appDana: Apple was very careful to note that the version of the Disney+ app we were using was in beta; a work in progress. But what we saw was still impressive. Think of it like playing a video game: Before you select your race course, say, you get to choose your player. In this case, your player" is your background. Do you want to sit on a rooftop from a Marvel movie? The desert of Tatooine? Make yourself comfortable in whatever setting tickles your fancy, and then you can decide if actually you want to be watching Ted Lasso in your Star Wars wasteland. It's not enough to call it immersive. In some of these outdoor" environments in particular, it's like attending a Disney-themed drive-in. Credit to Disney: They both understand - and respect - their obsessive fans. They know their audience.Cherlynn: As a big Marvel fangirl, I really geeked out when the Avengers Tower environment came on. I looked around and saw all kinds of easter eggs, including a takeout container from Shawarma Grill on the table next to me. It feels a little silly to gush about the realism of the images, but I saw no pixels. Instead, I looked at a little handwritten note that Tony Stark had clearly left behind and felt like I was almost able to pick it up. When we switched over to the Tattooine environment, I was placed in the cockpit of Luke Skywalker's landspeeder, and when I reached out to grab the steering controls, I was able to see my own hands in front of me. I felt slightly disappointed to not actually be able to interact with those elements, but it was definitely a satisfying experience for a fan.Typing experienceCherlynn: Devindra mentioned that the floating keyboard wasn't available at his demo last year, and was curious to hear what that was like. I was actually surprised that it worked, and fairly well in my experience. When I selected the URL bar by looking at it and tapping my thumb and forefinger, the virtual keyboard appeared. I could either use my eyes to look at the keys I wanted, then tap my fingers together to push them. Or, and this is where I was most impressed, I could lean forward and press the buttons with my hands.It's not as easy as typing on an actual keyboard would be, but I was quite tickled by the fact that it worked. Kudos to Apple's eye- and hand-tracking systems, because they were able to detect what I was looking at or aiming for most of the time. My main issue with the keyboard was that it felt a little too far away and I needed to stretch if I wanted to press the buttons myself. But using my eye gaze and tapping wasn't too difficult for a short phrase, and if I wanted to input something longer I could use voice typing (or pair a Bluetooth keyboard if necessary).AppleDana: This was one of the more frustrating aspects of the demo for me. Although there were several typing options - hunting and pecking with your fingers, using eye control to select keys, or just using Siri - none of them felt adequate for anything resembling extended use. It took several tries for me to even spell Engadget correctly in the Safari demo. This was surprising to me, as so many other aspects of the broader Apple experience - the pinch gesture, the original touch keyboard on the original iPhone - that just work," as Apple loves to say about itself. The floating keyboard here clearly needs improvement. In the meantime, it's harder to imagine using the Vision Pro for actual work. The Vision Pro feels much further along as a personal home theater.MeditationCherlynn: As someone who's covered the meditation offerings by companies like Apple and Fitbit a fair amount, I wasn't sure what to expect of the Vision Pro. Luckily, this experience took place in the earlier part of the demo, so I wasn't feeling any head strain yet and was able to relax. I leaned back on the couch and watched as a cloud, similar to the Meditation icon in the Apple Watch, burst into dozens of little leaves" and floated around me in darkness. As the 1-minute session started, soft, comforting music played in the background as a voice guided me through what to do. The leaves pulsed and I felt enveloped by relaxing visuals and calming sounds and altogether it felt quite soothing. It's funny how oddly appropriate a headset is for something like meditating, where you can literally block out distractions in the world and simply focus on your breathing. This was a fitting use of the Vision Pro that I certainly did not anticipate.Dana: I wanted more of this. A dark environment, with floating 3D objects and a prompt to think about what I am grateful for today. The demo only lasted one minute, but I could have gone longer.Encounter DinosaursCherlynn: Fun fact about me: Dinosaurs don't scare me, but butterflies do. Yep. Once you've stopped laughing, you can imagine the trauma I had to undergo at this demo. I'd heard from my industry friends and Devindra all about how they watched a butterfly land on their fingers in their demos at WWDC, before dinosaurs came bursting out of a screen to roar at them. Everyone described this as a realistic and impressive technological demo, since the Vision Pro was able to accurately pinpoint for everyone where their fingers were and have the butterflies land exactly on their fingertips.I did not think I'd have to watch a butterfly land on my body today, and just generally do not want that in life. But for this demo, I kept my eyes open to see just how well Apple would do, and, because I had a minor calibration issue at the start of this demo, I had to do this twice. The first time this happened, I... screamed a bit. I could see the butterfly's wings and legs. That's really what creeped me out the most - seeing the insect's legs make contact" with my finger. There was no tactile feedback, but I could almost feel the whispery sensation of the butterfly's hairy ass legs on my finger. Ugh.Then the awful butterfly flew away and a cute baby dinosaur came out, followed by two ferocious dinosaurs that I then stood up to pet". It was much more fun after, and actually quite an impressive showcase of the Vision Pro's ability to blend the real world with immersive experiences, as I was able to easily see and walk around a table in front of me to approach the dinosaur.Dana: Unlike Cher, I did not scream, though I did make a fool of myself. I held out my hand, to beckon one of the dinosaurs, and it did in fact walk right up to me and make a loud sound in my face. I pet" it before it retreated. Another dinosaur appeared. I once again held out my hand, but that second dino ignored me. As the demo ended, I waved and heard myself say bye bye." (Did I mention I live with a toddler?) I then remembered there were other adults in the room, observing me use the headset, and felt sheepish. Which describes much of the Vision Pro experience, to be honest. You could maybe even say the same of any virtual reality headset worth their salt. It is immersive to the point that you will probably, at some point, throw decorum to the wind.AppleFinal (ish) thoughtsCherlynn: I had been looking forward to trying on the Vision Pro for myself and was mostly not disappointed. The eye- and hand-tracking systems are impressively accurate, and I quickly learned how to navigate the interface, so much so that I was speeding ahead of the instructions given to me. I'm not convinced that I'll want to spend hours upon hours wearing a headset, even if the experience was mind-blowing. The device's $3,500 price is also way out of my budget.But of all the VR, AR and MR headsets I've tried on in my career, the Apple Vision Pro is far and away the best, and easily the most thought-out. Apple also took the time to show us what you would look like to other people when using the device, with a feature called EyeSight that would put a visual feed of your eyes on the outside of the visor. Depending on what you're doing in visionOS, the display would show some animations indicating whether you're fully immersed in an environment or if you can see the people around you.Dana: The Vision Pro was mostly easier to use than I expected, and while it has potential as an all-purpose device that you could use for web browsing, email, even some industrial apps, its killer application, for now, is clearly watching movies (home videos or otherwise). I can't pretend that Apple is the first to create a headset offering an immersive experience; that would be an insult to every virtual reality headset we've tested previously (sorry, Apple, I'm going to use the term VR). But if you ask me what it felt like to use the headset, particularly photo and video apps, my answer is that I felt joy. It is fun to use. And it is up to you if this much fun should cost $3,500.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-hands-on-redux-immersive-video-disney-app-floating-keyboard-and-a-little-screaming-180006222.html?src=rss

PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to claim a brand new game at no extra cost in February. Square Enix's Foamstars, which bears some similarities to Nintendo's Splatoon series, will be available as part of the PS Plus Essential monthly lineup starting on February 6. If you claim it by March 4, you'll be able to play the PS4 and PS5 exclusive as long as your subscription is active. After March 4, the game will cost $30, though you'll still need a PS Plus subscription to play it since it's an online multiplayer title.In this 4v4 game, you'll try to coat as much of an arena in your team's color of foam as possible. Doing so will give your team an advantage and stymie your opponents. Where Foamstars differs from Splatoon is that foam is a 3D substance. You can slide around the battlefield on and flank enemies to eliminate them. The characters each have distinct abilities and there will be several game modes available from the jump, including one in which you dance on a duck's head to push it toward a finish line. Solo missions are available too.Debuting the game on PS Plus seems like a smart move for Square Enix. Some other multiplayer titles (particularly Rocket Leagueand Fall Guys) arrived on PS Plus on their launch days and went on to enjoy massive success.There's one aspect of Foamstars that might put some folks off of checking it out, however. Square Enix says developer Toylogic used Midjourney to create some AI-generated artwork for the game.AI was used in the creation of the in-game album covers for the music featured in the Foamstars' soundtrack," Square Enix told VGC in a statement. In this instance, we experimented with Midjourney using simple prompts to produce abstract images. We loved what was created and used them as the final album covers players will see in the game. Everything else was created entirely by our development team."Producer Kosuke Okatani estimated that AI-generated art made up around 0.01 percent or less of the game's artwork, with artists creating the rest by hand. Earlier this month, Square Enix said it would be "aggressively applying" AI and other tech this year to "create new forms of content."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/square-enixs-splatoon-like-foamstars-will-debut-on-ps-plus-on-february-6-165837776.html?src=rss

The latest generation of Samsung's snazzy Frame TVs are on sale via Woot with discounts up to 37 percent off the MSRP. Each and every size of this TV gets a discount, though some are more robust than others. For instance, the relatively diminutive 43-inch model is on sale for around $730 instead of $1,000. That's a discount of 27 percent.The best deal of the bunch is for the massive 85-inch Frame TV, which is available for around $2,700 instead of the original MSRP of $4,300. This is a savings of $1,600 or 37 percent. The discounts on the other models fall somewhere in the middle of this range. Check them all out at the Woot splash page.If you haven't heard of the Samsung Frame, here's a quick refresher. It's a TV that doubles as a frame for digital art. You can hang it on the wall like an actual work of art and it'll display whatever you want it to. However, it's also a smart TV so you can stream trashy reality shows once you get tired of looking at classic works of art. A true win/win.We gave it a glowing write-up and admired the ultra-thin QLED panel, the picture-frame edges and a mounting system that places it flush against the wall. In other words, it really and truly does look like a piece of art, until you start streaming Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon and ruin the whole thing.We also liked the addition of Samsung's Tizen OS and the fact that it only requires one thin wire to connect to an external receiver. This wire can even be dropped behind drywall and popped out somewhere else to further the illusion. The only downside is that this TV is, by its very nature, always on, as long as it's displaying art. This leads to a monthly power consumption of around 50 watts, though there is a setting that'll turn the whole thing off when you go to sleep for the night.It's worth noting that this sale is for the 2023 models and not for the just-announced 2024 versions that were unveiled at CES last week. The newest refresh isn't out yet.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-latest-samsung-frame-tvs-from-2023-are-up-to-37-percent-off-161424212.html?src=rss

Life's busy enough for many of us without having to get bogged down in day-to-day home maintenance. So, if you have some cash to spare, why not make things easier for yourself by splurging on a robot vacuum? Several iRobot Roomba models are up to 50 percent off in a sale on Amazon. Some have dropped to record low prices, including the iRobot Roomba 694. At $160, that model is 42 percent off its usual price of $275.Although it's not the first time the 694 has dropped to this price, it's always worth calling out since this is our top pick for the best budget robot vacuum. It's easy to use thanks to the three onboard buttons and connected iRobot app. There's Alexa and Google Assistant support too, so you can instruct the vacuum to start cleaning with a voice command.You can set cleaning schedules so that the 694 travels through your home on a regular basis to pick up any dirt and we found that it does a solid job of lifting muck from carpets as well as hard flooring. Battery life varies depending on the type of flooring. According to iRobot, the device will run for up to 90 minutes while cleaning hardwood floors but in our testing the battery lasted around 45 minutes when it was deployed over several types of surfaces. Of course, when it's time to recharge, the Roomba will return to its dock and juice up.On the downside, you only get the essentials you need to get started - the 694 doesn't come with any replacement filters or brushes. But given that you'd be saving well over $100 on this model thanks to the sale, you might be able to set aside some funds to buy those when the time comes.Those who are looking for some added features may be more interested in the Roomba j9+, which is also down to a record low. At $599, it's $300 off the regular price. According to iRobot, the Roomba j9+ "sucks up dust and debris better than any other robot vacuum." It also has a Dirt Detective feature through which it can learn the areas of your home that tend to get the dirtiest, so it knows which rooms to prioritize, the level of suction to apply and how many cleaning passes are likely to be needed.The Roomba j9+ can detect and avoid common obstacles such as cables and socks. Perhaps most importantly, it can spot and stay clear of pet waste. This model will also automatically empty its bin, which means you have even less to worry about.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-irobot-roomba-694-drops-to-a-record-low-of-160-152516337.html?src=rss

Motorola has unveiled the 2024 Moto G Play, and its $150 price is still its killer feature. Although you can accuse Motorola of churning out too many nearly identical cheap phones, at least this year's model adds several new perks. These include a fast-focusing 50-megapixel rear camera, a 6nm Snapdragon 680 processor and double the storage of its predecessor.The 2024 Moto G Play still has a 6.5-inch LCD with a middling 720p (1600 x 720) resolution. (However, its variable 90Hz refresh rate, impressive for this price point, also returns from last year's model.) The handset runs Android 13 out of the box, has 64GB of built-in storage and supports microSDs up to 1TB.The phone's rear camera has a 50-megapixel sensor with f/1.8 aperture, quad-pixel tech, HDR and phase detection autofocus. It shoots video at 1080p (or 720p) at 30fps. On the front is an 8MP sensor.MotorolaThe new Moto G Play has a 5,000mAh battery (estimated for up to 46 hours") and supports 15W rapid charging. This year's model adds Dolby Atmos support for its speakers, and it's certified for hi-res audio when used with compatible wired headphones. The phone is rated IP52 for dust and water protection.The Moto G Play launches in the US on February 8 for $150. Motorola says it will be available unlocked from its website, Amazon and Best Buy. (A locked version will be sold at various wireless carriers.) Meanwhile, Canadian users can buy it a bit earlier, starting on January 26 from select carriers and national retailers."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-2024-moto-g-play-gives-you-a-50-megapixel-camera-for-150-140031208.html?src=rss