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At CES 2023, Roland introduced a streaming mixer called Bridge Cast, which can give creators a way to pipe different audio feeds to different destinations and make it easy for them to create mixes, add vocal effects and remove unwanted audio. Now, the company has unveiled a follow-up to the device called Bridge Cast X that adds video support on top of all its predecessor's audio-focused features. The Bridge Cast X has two HDMI input ports and an HDMI Thru connector that can feed video up to 4K in resolution to an external monitor.As for audio, creators can plug in broadcast-quality XLR mic and headphones if they use those accessories. They can also adjust sounds to ensure that they can clearly hear the game's audio and voice chat more clearly than any background sounds. Meanwhile, they can broadcast a different mix that's optimized for maximum viewer engagement. The device has dedicated volume knobs for different input sources and audio output, and it has programmable buttons creators can use to mute specific sounds and to do various functions.On the software side of things, the BGM Cast service on Roland Cloud will give creators access to thousands of royalty-free music tracks that they can use as sound effects and background audio. They will need to sign up for a Roland Cloud Core membership that costs $3 a month or $30 a year to be able to use all those tracks, but a free account still gives them free access to 36 background music tracks and 16 sound effects. The Roland Bridge Cast X will start shipping in the US in February and will cost buyers $500.RolandThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rolands-bridge-cast-x-lets-streamers-control-video-as-well-as-audio-mixes-092529804.html?src=rss

Philips Hue is expanding its outdoor smart lighting lineup with a new model called Dymera that beams both up and down, allowing dramatic effects for your home's exterior (or interior). The lights feature a black design and two individually controllable beams, letting you set illumination and individual colors for each using the Philips Hue app. You can also use the app's scene gallery to create a more cohesive look. The Dymera lights go on sale February 27 for $220.The brand (now under the Signify umbrella) also launched the Philips Hue pendant cord ($50, February 2024) designed to work with the Philips Hue filament bulbs. The idea is to create a lighting feature above a coffee or dining table, for instance, with colors and light levels controlled by the Philips Hue app. It's 3D printed with with bio-circular materials and comes in black or white and two sizes to best match your decor.Philips HueAlso new are a couple of Perifo connectors ($35, April 2024) that expand what you can do with your track lighting. The Perifo T connector lets rails run in three different directions to illuminate a room, with the Perifo flexible connector gives you complete control over the shape of the track, letting rails run in any direction beyond the normal 90-degree angles.Along with those new products, Philips Hue added new black and white color options to the Being ceiling light, while adding three new color visions of the Philips Hue Go portable table lamp. The company also announced that its Philips Hue Secure camera starter kit and the Philips Hue Secure floodlight camera are now available. That kit includes the Philips Hue Secure wired camera, two Philips Hue Secure contact sensors, two Philips Hue bulbs and a Philips Hue Bridge to control all the devices. (For a complete list of all the new products, click here.)Finally, Philips Hue said it would update the Hue app's security center in the first half of 2024, adding push notifications, automatic light and sound alarms and Alexa and Google Home compatibility.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/philips-hues-new-outdoor-dymera-wall-lights-beam-up-and-down-084242610.html?src=rss

TikTok is one of the latest companies to be hit by layoffs sweeping across tech industry over the past year. A spokesperson from the short-form video platform told NPR that the company laid off around 60 employees, mostly from its sales and advertising division across its various offices in the US - Los Angeles, New York, Austin - and abroad. They told the media organization that the layoffs were part of a routine reorganization, but NPR said the company decided to let them go to cut costs.ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, reportedly cut hundreds of jobs at Marvel Snap developer Nuverse last year. According to previous reports, TikTok itself did a round of layoffs in mid-2022 due to global restructuring efforts and then again in early 2023 to let its recruitment staff in Dublin go. This round affects just a tiny fraction of ByteDance's global workforce that's around 150,000 strong, but as NPR notes, it's a "sign of pain in the tech industry."Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently told employees to expect further downsizing this year, as the company allocates its resources. He said that Google is "removing layers to simplify execution and drive velocity in some areas." Amazon also recently told Engadget that it's letting go of about five percent of staff in its Buy with Prime division. Twitch, a video-streaming platform owned by Amazon, was hit by a bigger round of layoffs affecting over 500 people earlier this year in order to reduce costs and run its business more efficiently.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-is-reportedly-laying-off-workers-to-cut-costs-073546895.html?src=rss

Earlier today, Riot Games announced that it is eliminating 530 roles globally, which make up about 11 percent of its workforce. The company publicly delivered this devastating news in two separate posts - one for players, and another for "Rioters," with the latter detailing severance package and some other benefits to treat the dismissed employees "with respect and grace."Additionally, Riot Games shared that it is sunsetting its publishing label, Riot Forge, which has worked on six titles - including Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story due to be released on February 21. In their joint letter to gamers, CEO Dylan Jadeja and co-chairman Marc Merrill described Forge as "an experiment to see what would happen when Rioters partnered with their favorite indie devs," but now "it's time to refocus" on their internal projects. Forge will cease operation once it's done publishing Bandle Tale.The execs also admitted that their digital collectible card game, Legends of Runeterra, hasn't been doing well enough financially since its launch in 2020. In the hopes of making this title more sustainable, its development team will be downsized, with its focus shifted to its more popular "The Path of Champions" single-player game mode.Riot Games' cutback is the latest blow to the video game industry, after a total of around 9,000 people lost their jobs in 2023 alone. Embracer Group and Unity both laid off around 900 people each, whereas Epic Games fired about 830 people, and EA dismissed more than 1,000 employees. 2024 has only just began, and we fear that this is just the tip of the iceberg for the entire tech industry.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/riot-games-is-laying-off-11-percent-of-its-workforce-globally-022034243.html?src=rss

The Securities and Exchange Commission has provided more details about how its official X account was compromised earlier this month. In a statement, the regulator confirmed that it had been the victim of a SIM swapping attack and that its X account was not secured with multi-factor authentication (MFA) at the time it was accessed.The SEC determined that the unauthorized party obtained control of the SEC cell phone number associated with the account in an apparent 'SIM swap' attack," it said, referring to a common scam in which attackers persuade customer service representatives to transfer phone numbers to new devices. Once in control of the phone number, the unauthorized party reset the password for the @SECGov account."The hack of its X account, which was taken over in order to falsely claim that bitcoin ETFs had been approved, has raised questions about SEC's security practices. Government-run social media accounts are typically required to have MFA enabled. The fact that one as high-profile and with potentially market-moving abilities like @SECGiv would not be using the extra layer of security has already prompted questions from Congress.In its statement, the SEC said that it asked X's support staff to disable MFA last July following issues" with its account access. Once access was reestablished, MFA remained disabled until staff reenabled it after the account was compromised on January 9," it said. MFA currently is enabled for all SEC social media accounts that offer it."While the lack of MFA likely made it much easier to take over the SEC's account, there are still numerous questions about the exploit, including how those responsible knew which phone was associated with the X account, how the unnamed telecom carrier fell for the scam and, of course, who was behind it. The regulator said it's investigating these questions, along with the Department of Justice, FBI, Homeland Security and its own Inspector General.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-sec-says-its-x-account-was-taken-over-with-a-sim-swap-attack-004542771.html?src=rss

The Day Before is no more. The spectacular trainwreck of a game, which saw developer Fntastic announcing its closure only four days after launch, closed its servers for good on Monday, reports IGN. Publisher Mytona has wiped all references to the much-hyped Steam Early Access title from its website.To recap the timeline, the $40 game launched on December 7, Fntastic abruptly said it was shutting down on December 11 and Mytona pulled the plug on the game's servers on January 22. After the studio's closure, an official statement from Fntastic said, Unfortunately, The Day Before has failed financially, and we lack the funds to continue."A message from Fntastic CEO Eduard Gotovstev, allegedly posted on Russian social channels on December 11, claimed the game had sold over 200,000 copies. At the time, the title had garnered 81 percent negative reviews on Steam, and nearly half of buyers had requested refunds.Fntastic / MytonaAs for how it played when it was available, users criticized its bugginess, lack of originality and seemingly intentional slow in-game progress," Engadget's Richard Lai wrote in December. Gameplay videos posted online showed players walking tediously around an empty city with little to do.Meanwhile, IGN's Gabriel Moss had the misfortune of reviewing the barely playable fiasco, giving it a rare 1/10 score. The Day Before is not an MMO or even an open world despite claims from its developer that it would be both of those things," Moss wrote. It's fundamentally an extraction shooter with only one goal: sluggishly run around the mostly empty city, grab some loot and get to one of the extraction points before you die."Fntastic said in December it was working with Valve to allow refunds for anyone who requests one, even if they've played for more than two hours. You can ask for a refund by navigating to Steam Help > Purchases > The Day Before, then select a reason (probably Gameplay or technical issue") under the What problem are you having with this product?" dropdown.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/all-time-dumpster-fire-the-day-before-shuts-down-46-days-after-launch-214459042.html?src=rss

Just days after Alphabet and Google CEO Sudar Pichai warned workers of more downsizing this year, the former is laying off dozens of employees, mainly support staff, at its moonshot lab. Alphabet is also restructuring X (not to be confused with the platform formerly known as Twitter) to make it easier to spin out projects as independent startups with backing from outside investors. Alphabet confirmed these changes, which were first reported by Bloomberg, to Engadget."As we've said, we're responsibly investing in our company's biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead," a Google spokesperson told Engadget in a statement. "To best position us for these opportunities, throughout the second half of 2023, a number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, and to align their resources to their biggest product priorities. Some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally. We're continuing to support any impacted employees as they look for new roles here at Google and beyond."We're expanding our approach to focus on spinning out more projects as independent companies funded through market-based capital," X division head Astro Teller told staff in a memo. We'll do this by opening our scope to collaborate with a broader base of industry and financial partners, and by continuing to emphasize lean teams and capital efficiency."This approach will give us more opportunity to focus on what Xers do best: inventing breakthrough technologies to help solve some of the world's most pressing challenges," Teller added. Because the world needs moonshots more now than ever."X is all about attempting to tackle major problems such as food waste, climate change and connectivity through innovation, but it hasn't found a ton of success through its spinoff businesses as yet. Last year, former Alphabet Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat became the company's president and chief investment officer and now oversees X.As Bloomberg notes, there has been a greater onus on X to turn its ambitious ideas into profitable businesses over the last few years, while Alphabet is cutting costs across the board. Earlier this month, Google laid off hundreds of workers from various divisions, including the hardware, engineering and ad sales teams, as it places more emphasis on artificial intelligence. A year ago, Google let go most workers from its Area 120 startup incubator.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alphabet-is-cutting-dozens-of-jobs-at-its-x-moonshot-lab-203505073.html?src=rss

Apple has released iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 to users. This is a modest refresh, so don't go looking for anything too crazy. There is, however, a new feature called Stolen Device Protection. This isn't used to locate a stolen iPhone or iPad, but rather to keep the thieves from accessing your personal data.The feature first popped up in the developer beta of iOS 17.3 and it's actually pretty handy. If someone manages to steal your iPhone or iPad, and you are updated to OS 17.3, you can lock them out of the system by forcing Face ID or Touch ID access. This works even if they have your passcode, so they won't be able to put in their own biometrics and lock you out.The software automatically mandates a one-hour security delay before changing the passcode if the phone or tablet is recognized as being in an unfamiliar location. Stolen Device Protection won't stop thieves from doing their thing, but it will make things harder for them. The tool's available for both iPhones and iPads.The update also brings collaborative playlists to Apple Music, AirPlay hotel support, optimized crash detection and new wallpapers to celebrate Black History Month. It's not the most robust update in the world, but it's only been like a month since iOS 17.2 was released.Like other iOS 17 releases, you need an iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max or iPhone XR from 2018, or any version of iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. It also works on iPhone SE second- and third-generation models. As for iPadOS 17.3, a whole bunch of models are eligible for the update, including the iPad Mini fifth-generation and up, the standard iPad sixth-generation and up, the iPad Air third-generation and up and all iPad Pro models. Check your system settings to see if the update is available for download.Today's a big day for Apple operating systems. The company dropped watchOS 10.3, with a new watch face, and macOS Sonoma 14.3, which also brings collaborative playlists to Apple Music.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-releases-ios-173-which-introduces-the-new-stolen-device-protection-tool-184654922.html?src=rss

Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) 2024 has wrapped after a nonstop weeklong speedrunning marathon. This year's charity raised over $2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Other highlights included four broken world records and a dog named Peanut Butter beating the oddball NES classic Gyromite.This year's AGDQ, which took place in Pittsburgh, passed the million-dollar threshold early on day five. Standout playthroughs included a no-hit run of Resident Evil 2 (2019), Super Mario 64 finished entirely on an electric drum kit (in 23 minutes!), and a blindfolded four-player / one-controller run of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.World records broken in this year's event included speed runner Glitchcat7 finishing the insanely difficult Super Mario World mod Luminescent in 41 minutes, 36 seconds. Talia finished the Celeste mod Strawberry Jam Collab in 49 minutes, 13 seconds. Mechalink beat the Sega Saturn game Virtual Hydlide in 27 minutes and 11 seconds. Finally, Bobbeigh conquered the Castlevania spiritual successor Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night -on hard mode - in 30 minutes and 24 seconds.Games Done Quick / Ivan "Porkchop44"Peanut Butter the Shiba Inu is now etched into the annals of GDQ history as the first canine-assisted speed run at one of the charity events. The well-trained pooch helped his owner (JSR_) finish the 1985 NES game Gyromite in 26 minutes and 24 seconds. He responded to well-timed commands, pressing his paws on a floor-pedal-operated controller to move the game's red and green pipes up and down to lead Professor Hector to safety. (He was compensated with ham and cheese for his work.) You can watch Peanut Butter's memorable run below.This year's AGDQ pushes the Games Done Quick fundraising total, stretching back 14 years, to more than $48.9 million. In addition to the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the showcases have raised money for organizations like Doctors Without Borders, Malala Fund, Organization for Autism Research and CARE. The next marathon will be an all-women speedrunning event called Frost Fatales, held online from March 3 to 10, with proceeds benefitting the National Women's Law Center.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/awesome-games-done-quick-2024-raises-25-million-for-cancer-research-183049102.html?src=rss

The FDA has provided clearance for a medical device called Osteoboost, a vibrating belt that improves bone density in patients with osteopenia. The device, which was developed by California-based startup Bone Health Technologies and in part with NASA, is the first medical device of its kind to get regulatory approval as a treatment option for postmenopausal women.One in two older women who have experienced menopause gets osteoporosis (the disease that comes after prolonged and untreated osteopenia), which is characterized by porous bones that can easily fracture. The Osteoboost belt is designed to prevent bone density from reaching that stage through early intervention. It works by mechanically stimulating the strength of the bones in the hips and spine of a wearer and prevents the further progression of bone density disintegration. The blueprint for the technology comes from NASA research that was investigating ways to prevent bone density from weakening in astronauts that work in mostly zero gravity environments where deterioration becomes a concern.The belt should be worn for 30 minutes every day or at least five times a week for it to fully take effect. It delivers a gentle vibration that makes it easy to be worn pretty much anywhere or at any time, such as during dog walks or while washing dishes. During clinical trials, CT scans showed that following the integration of the belt into a patient's care plan, bone density visually improved over time. In a study backed by the NIH, women aged 50 to 60 lost 3.4 percent of their bone density by the end of 12 months without any intervention, while patients who wore the belt lost only 0.5 percent of their bone strength.Current standards of care for preventing osteoporosis during the osteopenia stage are mostly lifestyle suggestions that can be hard to adhere to, such as a well-balanced and calcium-rich diet, frequent weight-bearing exercises and reducing the risk of falls. Although lifestyle interventions such as exercise and diet are beneficial to bone, the effect is small. The Osteoboost shows promise in slowing the loss of bone density and strength and may fill the treatment gap," Laura Bilek, a researcher who has studied the belt's effectiveness said.Osteoboost is still not yet available for sale, but you can sign up to get notified when the device is released. A company representative said they will begin shipping later this year and will accept pre-orders in the next few months. While the price is also still not disclosed, the representative told Engadget that the belt will be affordable and accessible to the millions of patients who need it." To get the device, you will need a prescription from your doctor - so pricing may vary depending on insurers and co-pays. Bone Health Technology said it is currently in talks with insurers regarding coverage for the medical device. While the price projection could have drastically changed, three years ago the CEO Laura Yecies told NS Medical Devices she believed the device could debut for about $800.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/vibrating-belt-that-treats-low-bone-density-gets-fda-approval-181552362.html?src=rss

If you love old PC games, but wish they had access to modern graphical flourishes, NVIDIA has you covered. The company just released a beta version of its long-awaited RTX Remix tool. This software is designed especially for modders and can be used to add ray-tracing and AI-upscaled textures to older games.Remix was built on NVIDIA's Omniverse 3D graphics collaboration platform and allows for end-to-end remastering of just about any DirectX 8 or 9 game. It consists of two basic components. There's an application for creating new lighting scenarios and one for remastering and adding assets into a scene. The company says that the tool can already be used to fully remaster a game from start to finish, despite it being just" a beta.To that end, the software is available for download right now and NVIDIA hopes modders will experiment with the tool and leave feedback, which will be incorporated into future updates. It's also free, which is always nice.NVIDIA has released a non-comprehensive list of compatible games, which includes classics like Call of Duty 2, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Garry's Mod, Freedom Fighters, Need for Speed Underground 2, and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, among others. For more information on compatibility, check out this FAQ.The software suite has already been used by NVIDIA to create the Portal with RTX remaster, which is a free DLC, and the modder-made Portal: Prelude RTX. Orbifold Studios is also using RTX Remix to develop Half-Life 2 RTX: An RTX Remix Project, which is a community-driven remaster of the iconic title.Again, this is a free tool, so it'll be really fun to see what the modding community cooks up with it. I'm personally looking forward to more Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind ray-tracing goodness.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-rtx-remix-tool-is-finally-available-as-a-free-open-beta-180244440.html?src=rss

As mortgage lender LoanDepot continues recovery efforts from a ransomware attack, it revealed on Monday that hackers stole data from more than 16 million customers. A Securities and Exchange Commission filing from the mortgage lender did not detail what kind of information the hackers breached, only that "an unauthorized third party gained access to sensitive personal information."LoanDepot first revealed it has fallen victim to attack on January 8. The company took some IT systems offline, but it faced a slow recovery. Customers took to social media to complain payment issues, struggles to access their accounts and even trouble closing deals on mortgages. By Friday, about two weeks since LoanDepot first came forward about the incident, systems like customer portals and other internal sites returned back online. It appears that LoanDepot fell victim to a ransomware attack, where hackers demand money in exchange for access or information, according to reporting from TechCrunch."Unfortunately, we live in a world where these types of attacks are increasingly frequent and sophisticated, and our industry has not been spared. We sincerely regret any impact to our customers," LoanDepot CEO Frank Martell said in a statement.Still, the true aftermath of the attack is still coming to light. LoanDepot did not provide additional comment, or explain what types of sensitive information may have been revealed. It did say it would offer free credit monitoring and identity protection services to impacted customers. Notably, three other major financial institutions - Mr. Cooper Group, Fidelity National Financial, First American Financial - have also been hit by cyberattacks in recent months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/loandepot-discloses-that-hackers-breached-personal-data-of-16-million-customers-172702402.html?src=rss

Apple just dropped a trailer for its forthcoming sci-fi mystery series Constellation. The series follows an astronaut, played by Noomi Rapace, after an emergency return to Earth. However, the homecoming is fraught with mysterious occurrences and plain-old sci-fi weirdness, leaving audiences wondering what happened to her up there.We don't exactly know what type of sci-fi this is. There are hints that it could be a multiversal story, something that draws from false memory theories like the Mandela Effect. There are also hints that Rapace is being toyed with by an alien intelligence. There are clues that point to Rapace herself being an alien intelligence. Whichever way it goes, the show premieres with three episodes on February 21, followed by new entries each Wednesday.In addition to Rapace, Constellation stars Jonathan Banks from the Breaking Bad television universe, James D'Arcy, Julian Looman, William Catlett and Barbara Sukowa. The show was created by Peter Harness, who wrote a bunch of Doctor Who episodes, and directed by Michelle MacLaren, who has a fantastic track record in genre TV, having helmed episodes of Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Westworld and, going way back, The X-Files.This is going to be a trippy show, according to the above footage. It's also cool that Apple releases trailers in HDR, so they'll really pop on that Vision Pro headset, if you have more disposable income than Scrooge McDuck on tax return day.Apple TV+ and sci-fi go together like peanut butter and space jelly. The streamer has quietly become the de facto source for science fiction TV. There's For All Mankind, which just ended a stellar fourth season, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which just completed its first season.The streamer also recently put out the first season of Silo, based on the Hugh Howey books, and the second season of Invasion.But wait, there's more. Apple TV+ is home to the blockbuster hit Severance and a loose adaptation of Isaac Asimov's seminal Foundation book series. Both shows have been renewed. Additionally, there's Hello Tomorrow, Extrapolations, Dr. Brain and See. Even shows that don't seem to be steeped in sci-fi, like Schmigadoon and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, have otherworldly elements. Apple loves itself some sci-fi. I'm down with this. The real world is boring and dumb.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-just-dropped-a-mysterious-trailer-for-its-latest-sci-fi-series-constellation-164245481.html?src=rss

A cyberattack hit Carnegie Mellon University last summer and the attackers breached personal data, according to a disclosure from the school last week. The Pittsburgh-based university known for its top tech and computer science programs said on Friday that the attack impacted 7,300 students, employees, contractors and other affiliates."There is no evidence of fraud or inappropriate use of the information from those files," a statement from CMU said. Still, the attackers likely accessed and copied data that included names, social security numbers and birth dates. With help from law enforcement, CMU disabled any access to that copied data, according to the school.It started on August 25 when unauthorized users accessed CMU's systems. The university says it began recovery processes and an investigation into the incident that included months later in December, while notifications to impacted parties began to go out last week. Impacted parties will receive credit monitoring services to mitigate further damage.CMU did not respond to a request for comment and further information about the attack by the time of publication.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/carnegie-mellon-reveals-it-was-hit-by-a-cyberattack-over-the-summer-155618462.html?src=rss

Major apparel supplier VF Corp followed up on its December cyberattack disclosure, with its latest Securities and Exchange Commission form admitting to a data breach impacting up to 35.5 million customers. That means if you've purchased from its major brands like Vans, North Face, Timberland, Dickies and more, you may have been impacted. But VF Corp still insists that the incident won't hurt its financial performance.Initially, VF Corp warned customers that the cyberattack it experienced in December could have an impact on its holiday order fulfillment. The company said "unauthorized occurrences" on its IT systems caused operational disruptions, and the attackers likely stole personal information. Now, it's come out just how widespread the damage from the attack could be.VF Corp did not respond to a request for comment clarifying what type of data the hackers stole. In the SEC filing, however, the company said it did not collect consumer social security numbers, bank account information or payment card information, and that there is no evidence the hackers stole passwords. It also said that the unauthorized users were "ejected" from its systems by December 15, after being discovered two days earlier."Since the filing of the Original Report, VF has substantially restored the IT systems and data that were impacted by the cyber incident, but continues to work through minor operational impacts," the latest filing states. VF still has not confirmed who was behind the attack.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apparel-supplier-for-north-face-vans-admits-its-cyberattack-led-to-a-data-breach-of-35-million-customers-153411926.html?src=rss

If you're counting down the days until your winter escape and want to ensure its pure relaxation, there's good news: Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro with active noise canceling are down to $189 from $249. The 24 percent discount brings the AirPods to a new all-time low at Amazon (or for one dollar more at Target).Apple's AirPods Pro are one of the best wireless earbuds for 2024, especially for use with iOS devices. The second-gen earbuds look deceptively similar to past models but are in a class of their own - garnering an 88 in our review. They have great noise canceling, but it was their natural sounding transparency mode that really impressed us. The overall sound quality of the AirPods Pro is also richer and maintains a better output even at lower volumes. Plus, the earbuds last six hours with noise canceling turned on or seven hours without and have up to 30 hours of use with the charging case.You can also use Apple's AirPods Pro second-gen with the company's upcoming Vision Pro. We tried out the new mixed reality headset's features, from meditation to the floating keyboard, all of which you can read about here. The Vision Pro is currently available for pre-order, starting at $3,499 for the 256GB version.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-second-gen-airpods-pro-are-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-141537544.html?src=rss

Korg launched its Nu:Tekt line of DIY kits in 2019 with the NTS-1. It was basically just the programmable digital oscillator from the Prologue and Minilogue XD in a cheap dedicated box. Over the years it's gotten a few more members, including an oscilloscope and headphone amps. For NAMM 2024 the company is updating the originator with the NTS-1 mk2 and adding the NTS-3 Kaoss Pad to the mix.The NTS-1 mk2 is the same size and shape as the original, and still comes as a solderless DIY kit. There's still a single monophonic digital oscillator as well, built on the LogueSDK. But that's about where the similarities end. Inside is a new, more powerful processor driving an updated version of the SDK which includes new oscillator types and effects, and the ability to use incoming audio as a modulation source. The ribbon keyboard has been swapped for an 18-key multitouch capacitive keyboard that looks far more playable. Korg has also added an eight-step sequencer, MIDI out and moved to USB-C for power.The NTS-1 mk2 looks like a solid upgrade to a surprisingly versatile mini synth, but it's the NTS-3 that brings something truly new to the table. It also comes as a solderless DIY kit that Korg says should take less than 20 minutes to assemble. And when you're done, you'll have honest-to-goodness Kaoss Pad with 35 built-in effects, an expressive X/Y pad for controlling them and a looper. And, of course, since it too is built on the LogueSDK you can load custom effects too. (Or design your own, if that's your bag.) You can use up to four effects simultaneously and a latch feature allows you to control them individually.Unfortunately we don't have a ton more info about either device. There will be a librarian for managing custom oscillators and effects, though no date has been given for when it will be available. And similarly we don't the know the price of either device. All we know is that the NTS-1 mk2 is scheduled for release sometime in April, followed by the NTS-3 in June.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/korg-nutekt-diy-line-gets-a-new-mini-synth-and-a-kaoss-pad-133559507.html?src=rss

Anyone who likes to take and share a lot of photos will likely agree that AirDrop is a great feature, but its Apple-only status is limiting. Now, WhatsApp could give it a run for its money across all devices. The company is seemingly working on a new update that would allow users to share files with nearby devices, WABetaInfo reports.WhatsApp's new feature is currently under development (it hasn't even reached Beta testing yet), so while we don't know when it will be available, we do have a good idea of what it will look like. For starters, users will likely need to shake their device in order to activate a request and, of course, be in close proximity to the other person. The recipient then needs to open WhatsApp and also shake their device to see and accept the share request. We don't know how close the pair will need to be, but AirDrop has a range of about 30 feet for context.WABetaInfoWhatsApp's security measures extend to sharing as files (likely to be mostly photos and videos) will be end-to-end encrypted. The platform will also keep phone numbers private when users share files with anyone outside of their contacts. While much of this mirrors AirDrop, it's unclear if files will automatically download to a user's camera roll or work with Bluetooth alone. Currently, WhatsApp allows for 100 photos to be sent at one time over regular messaging, so we'll have to wait and see how this feature differs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/whatsapp-may-soon-offer-its-own-airdrop-like-file-sharing-feature-125542333.html?src=rss

In a very relatable moment, NASA struggled for three months to get the lid off its asteroid sample container, having sent it into deep(ish) space and back. Same, NASA, same: I've struggled with jars of pickles.The space agency was finally able to get into the asteroid Bennu sample container last week and published a high-resolution image of its Touch-and-Go-Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) on Friday, revealing a delightful array of dust and rocks, scraped off Bennu by spacecraft OSIRIS-REx.The TAGSAM lives in a special glove compartment to prevent the sample from being contaminated, and only certain tools are approved for use with it. The team eventually had to develop new tools to open the fasteners. Tapping it on the side of the kitchen counter did not work.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedOpenAI suspends developer over ChatGPT bot that impersonated a presidential candidateDoomed crypto firm Terraform Labs files for bankruptcy in the USNASA loses then reestablishes contact with its Ingenuity Mars helicopterThat time France tried to make decimal time a thingApple Vision Pro pre-orders are now openThe mixed-reality headset will start shipping on February 2.EngadgetApple's Vision Pro is now available for pre-order in US stores and the company's website. You might like to know you'll have to scan your face with an iPhone or iPad using Face ID when you pre-order to make sure you're getting a precise band fit. Prices start at $3,499 for the 256GB version - but you may want more storage. It'll cost $3,699 with 512GB of storage and $3,899 with 1TB. If you have more money to burn, the travel case, additional battery packs and extra light seals will each run you $199. And if you're feeling like you want some late-80s/early-90s accessories, you can clip the device to your pants with Belkin's battery holder. Cool.Continue reading.NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super reviewA 1,440p gaming powerhouse for $599.EngadgetWhat makes NVIDIA's RTX 4070 Super special? Raw power, basically. It features 7,168 CUDA cores, compared to 5,888 on the base RTX 4070 and 7,680 on the RTX 4070 Ti. Its base clock speed is a bit higher than before too. Together with the power of DLSS3 upscaling, the 4070 Super is a far more capable 4K gaming card.Continue reading.Russian state-sponsored hackers accessed the emails of Microsoft's senior leadershipIt's the same hacking group behind the SolarWinds cyberattack.Microsoft said a hacking group linked to a Russian intelligence agency accessed the emails of several of its senior executives and other employees. It said a hacking group known as Midnight Blizzard or Nobelium is responsible - the same group behind the 2020 SolarWinds cyberattack. Microsoft and US cybersecurity officials have said Nobelium is part of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).The hackers accessed a small percentage of Microsoft's corporate email accounts, including members of its senior leadership and employees in cybersecurity and legal teams.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-nasa-finally-shows-whats-inside-its-bennu-asteroid-container-121523420.html?src=rss

Meta has been fighting upcoming regulations in the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) for months, but no more. The company has announced it will comply with the DMA's stipulation that it can't favor its own services or force users to remain inside its ecosystem. This decision will greatly impact Meta's user experience in the EU, including allowing people to utilize Messenger and Facebook Marketplace without a Facebook account. Meta previously filed an appeal arguing that the two platforms should not be included under the DMA.Giving in means that Messenger and Facebook Marketplace users in the EU can now use the services and all of their functions through standalone accounts. The only difference for Marketplace is that conversations will occur over email. Along with Facebook Marketplace and Messenger, the European Commission's regulations on Meta include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Meta ads. For example, users can now keep their Facebook and Instagram accounts separate instead of linking information between the two platforms.The European Commission initially designated six companies as "gatekeepers" under the DMA: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft. There are 22 core platform services between them that fall under the law's jurisdiction due to factors like users, revenue and valuation. Qualification also hinged on "if they provide an important gateway between businesses and consumers in relation to core platform services." ByteDance and Apple are among the other companies which have pushed back against the DMA's regulations ahead of its March 2024 enforcement. However, Google (owned by Alphabet) recently announced that users could stop its platforms like YouTube and Chrome from sharing data.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-letting-users-uncouple-messenger-and-marketplace-accounts-in-the-eu-115556543.html?src=rss

NAMM 2024 is right around the corner, but Korg isn't waiting for the festivities to officially begin. It's announced about a dozen new products over the last few days. Among them are updates to two of the company's virtual analog synths, the roughly 10-year-old KingKorg and the 22-year-old MicroKorg.The KingKorg Neo is built on the same 37-key form factor as the rest of Korg's recent digital synths, like the Opsix, Modwave and Wavestate. But the core here is the company's XMT (eXpanded Modelling Technology) virtual analog sound engine. It's not the most convincing analog emulation in the world, but it does have some character.It's a multi-timbral synth, with each patch having the ability to layer or split to different sounds, with three oscillators at its disposal. There are 138 different options to choose from on the oscillator front, ranging from basic wave shapes, to PCM samples. And there are 18 different filter emulations to choose from as well, including the classic MS-20. There's also two LFOs, two envelopes, and a whole host of effects from your typical delays and reverbs, to amp simulators and sound mangling decimator.Perhaps most exciting though, is the 16-band vocoder and included gooseneck mic. But, the KingKorg Neo isn't the only new synth from the storied manufacturer with a vocoder. It's also updating its iconic MicroKorg with the MicroKorg 2.The original MicroKorg was launched in 2002 and went on to become one of the best selling synths of all time. In fact, in May of 2023 Korg was still pumping out iterations of the original, celebrating its multiple decades of success with a Crystal special edition.The new version has a very similar form factor, including its small size, gooseneck mic, the ability to be powered by batteries and a large dial for navigating patches that are still sorted by genre. But under the hood is a new sound engine, and there's a 2.8-inch color display on the front which should simplify sound design. There's also a built-in loop recorder which should make it a much more powerful instrument for solo performers.The KingKorg Neo is expected to start shipping in February for $1,000. We'll have to wait a bit longer for the MicroKorg 2 however, which should be hitting the market in June, though there's no word on pricing. Hopefully it'll fall somewhere in the $500 range like the original. Part of what made the MicroKorg so successful was that it was perfectly accessible to even the lowliest of synth hobbyists.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/korgs-microkorg-2-and-kingkorg-neo-are-overdue-updates-to-its-virtual-analog-synthesizers-110005853.html?src=rss

Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro isn't for everyone, and indeed, the latest pre-order estimates reflect a slow start for this VR spatial computing device. According to analyst Min-Chi Kuo's calculations based on pre-order inventory and shipping time, he reckons the company sold somewhere between 160,000 to 180,000 Vision Pro headsets during this past weekend. This already far exceeds Kuo's earlier production figures of 60,000 to 80,000 units targeting the initial release on February 2, which is no wonder that the Vision Pro was sold out immediately after pre-orders opened.While this sounds like positive news, Kuo pointed out that with shipping times remaining unchanged within the first 48 hours, this might indicate a quick drop in demand after the heavy users and hardcore fans were done pre-ordering. In contrast, iPhone orders would usually "see a steady increase in shipping times 24 to 48 hours after pre-orders open." But of course, the Vision Pro isn't meant for the average consumer in its current state, especially given the lack of some mainstream apps like YouTube, Spotify or Netflix. Not to mention the eye-watering $3,499 base price either, though Apple may later release a cheaper model in the ballpark of $1,500 to $2,500, according to an earlier report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.Kuo added that even with the device being sold out based on the upper initial production figure of 80,000 units, that only accounts for about 0.007 percent of Apple's 1.2 billion active users, which makes the Vision Pro "a very niche product" in the eyes of Cupertino. That is to say, the tech giant will need to somehow drum up and sustain demand for the headset before its global launch, which is rumored to take place some time before this year's WWDC - likely in June. Meanwhile, Apple is also busy setting up demo areas at its US flagship stores, in the hopes of making a few more sales with their 25-minute sessions.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-might-have-sold-up-to-180000-vision-pro-headsets-over-pre-order-weekend-081727344.html?src=rss

Terraform Labs, the company that wiped out $40 billion from the crypto market with the collapse of its TerraUSD and Luna stablecoins, has finally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday. Bloomberg reports that the crypto firm's estimated assets and liabilities are both in the range of $100 million to $500 million, with the estimated number of creditors being somewhere between 100 and 199. Co-founder and former CEO Do Kwon is listed as the majority shareholder at 92 percent, with an address registered in Singapore - where the company is incorporated.Following the arrest of Kwon and his associate in Montenegro for traveling with forged passports last March, Kwon is currently still in jail until his extradition to the US - likely by mid-March, according to Bloomberg - where he will face securities fraud charges. The entrepreneur is also wanted in his home country, South Korea, for similar charges, which reportedly led to him, his family and some key Terraform Labs personnel fleeing to Singapore between April and May 2022. Shortly before Interpol placed him on the "red notice" list in September that year, Kwon denied that he was "on the run," but the eventual discovery of his fake passports would suggest otherwise.Kwon will likely join the fate of other big names in the crypto downfall, namely Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX fame and former Celsius Network chief Alex Mashinsky. Meanwhile, Coinbase continues its battle against the SEC's accusation of illegally running an unregistered national securities exchange, broker and clearing agency. Bloomberg analyst Elliott Stein recently shared that Coinbase may likely win full dismissal as soon as this quarter, if not by the end of Q2.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/doomed-crypto-firm-terraform-labs-files-for-bankruptcy-in-the-us-055731287.html?src=rss

OpenAI has suspended the developer behind Dean.Bot, a ChatGPT-powered bot designed to impersonate Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips to help bolster his campaign, according to The Washington Post. The chatbot was created by AI startup Delphi for the super PAC We Deserve Better, which supports Phillips.Dean.Bot didn't all-out pretend to be Phillips himself; before engaging with Dean.Bot, website visitors would be shown a disclaimer describing the nature of the chatbot. Still, this type of use goes directly against OpenAI's policies. A spokesperson for the company confirmed the developer's suspension in a statement to the Post. It comes just weeks after OpenAI published a lengthy blog post about the measures it's taking to prevent the misuse of its technology ahead of the 2024 elections, specifically citing chatbots impersonating candidates" as an example of what's not allowed.Dean.BotOpenAI also said in its blog post that it does not allow people to build applications for political campaigning and lobbying." Per an earlier story by The Washington Post, the intent of Dean.Bot was to engage with potential supporters and spread the candidate's message. Following the Post's inquiry, Delphi initially removed ChatGPT from the bot and kept it running with other, open-source tools before ultimately taking it town altogether on Friday night once OpenAI stepped in.If you visit the site now, you'll still be greeted by the disclaimer - but the chatbot itself is down due to technical difficulties," presenting visitors with the message, Apologies, DeanBot is away campaigning right now!" Engadget has reached out to OpenAI for comment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-suspends-developer-over-chatgpt-bot-that-impersonated-a-presidential-candidate-214854456.html?src=rss

Amazon upgraded its Echo Show 8 display late last year to give it a sleeker design and faster Alexa responses, and you can get it right now at the lowest price we've seen it hit. The third-gen, 2023 Echo Show 8 is 40 percent off on Amazon, bringing it down to just $90. It normally costs $150. The display comes in two colors, Charcoal and Glacier White, and the discount applies to both.The 2023 Echo Show 8 brought upgrades inside and out to the smart home gadget. It has spatial audio with room calibration that should make for much fuller sound than the previous models were able to achieve. The improvements carry over to video calling, which benefits from crisper audio and a 13-megapixel camera.Amazon debuted its new Adaptive Content feature alongside the 2023 Echo Show 8, which changes what's shown on the screen based on where you are in the room. If you're standing far away, it'll display easily digestible information in large font, like the weather or news headlines. As you get closer, it'll switch to a more detailed view. It can also show personalized content for anyone enrolled in visual ID, surfacing your favorite playlists and other content.The Echo Show 8 also boasts 40 percent faster response times for Alexa thanks to its upgraded processor. For privacy-conscious buyers, it has a physical camera shutter that's controlled with a slider on the top of the device, so you know for sure that it's not watching. There's also a button to turn off the mic and camera.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-2023-amazon-echo-show-8-is-back-down-to-its-record-low-price-of-90-184306499.html?src=rss

After a short period of worrying silence, NASA said on Saturday night that it was able to regain contact with the Ingenuity helicopter. The autonomous aircraft unexpectedly ceased communications with the Perseverance rover, which relays all transmissions between Ingenuity and Earth, on Thursday during its 72nd flight on Mars. It had already been acting up prior to this, having cut its previous flight short for an unknown reason, and NASA intended to do a systems check during the latest ascent.

NASA is trying to figure out how to reach its Ingenuity Mars helicopter after losing contact with the craft earlier this week. During its 72nd flight - a quick pop-up" to an altitude of about 40 feet - NASA says Ingenuity stopped communicating with the Perseverance rover before it was meant to. It went quiet on Thursday, and as of Friday afternoon, NASA still hadn't heard from it.Perseverance serves the go-between for all communications to and from the helicopter; Ingenuity sends information to Perseverance, which then passes it on to Earth, and vice versa. According to NASA, the small helicopter completed the ascent as planned, but ceased communications while on its way back down. The Ingenuity team is analyzing available data and considering next steps to reestablish communications with the helicopter," NASA said in a status update on Friday. Ingenuity had previously ended a flight earlier than it was supposed to, and Thursday's jaunt was meant to check out the helicopter's systems."Ingenuity has been on the red planet since 2021, when it arrived with the Perseverance rover. And it's far exceeded its mission goals. NASA originally hoped the experimental helicopter would be able to complete a handful of flights. It went on to fly more than 20 times within its first year in operation. The space agency officially extended its mission in 2022, and it's since executed dozens more more successful flights. Ingenuity is the first aircraft to take flight from the surface of Mars.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-has-gone-silent-on-mars-195746735.html?src=rss

Who doesn't love showing off their collection of cool rocks? NASA was finally able to get into the asteroid Bennu sample container last week after struggling with it for a couple of months, and now, it's sharing a look at what's inside. The space agency published a high-resolution image of the newly opened Touch-and-Go-Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) on Friday, revealing all the dust and rocks OSIRIS-REx scraped off the asteroid's surface.The image is massive, so you can zoom in to see even the finer details of the sample. Check out the full-sized version on NASA's website. There's an abundance of material for scientists to work with, and as OSIRIS-REx team member Lindsay Keller said back in September, they plan to make the most of microanalytical techniques to really tear it apart, almost down to the atomic scale." Asteroid Bennu, estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old, may hold clues into the formation of our solar system and how the building blocks of life first came to Earth.Scientists have already discovered signs of carbon and water in the excess material they found on the outside of the TAGSAM. While they'd hoped to get at least 2.1 ounces (60 grams) of regolith from the asteroid, OSIRIS-REx was able to grab much more. The team obtained 2.48 ounces (70.3 grams) just from the bonus" material accumulated on the sample hardware. NASA plans to spend the next two years analyzing portions of the sample, but the majority of it will be preserved for future studies and to be shared with other scientists.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/take-a-look-at-the-full-asteroid-bennu-sample-in-all-its-glory-161309568.html?src=rss

Welcome back to your Saturday morning tech injectable. This week's TMA focuses on two big tech launches. First of all, Samsung started 2024 early with its flagship smartphone series, announcing three S24 models set to go on sale at the end of the month. This time around, sure, they look like last year's phones again, but that's offset with a barrage of AI tricks and features that you can't find on any other smartphone. And isn't that the point of getting a new phone?We've also got more in-depth impressions of Apple's first foray into VR/AR/XR as the Vision Pro ($3,500) goes on preorder, ahead of launch later this month. You've got big pockets right? This is the company's first new product since 2014's Apple Watch and our most recent impressions suggest the Vision Pro is a fluid, intelligent headset experience beyond the VR headsets we've seen so far. Two Engadget editors strapped on the Vision Pro for some more extensive demos, including immersive video and attempted to type in thin air on the Vision Pro's floating keyboard.This week:Apple Vision Pro hands-on, reduxRR Take-Two's lawyers think Remedy's new R logo is too similar to Rockstar's R logo Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra hands-on:Read this:Sheryl Sandberg is leaving Meta's board of directors, and the company continues to sail toward the Metaverse while the rest of us wonder if that's even a destination that exists. The company is also shaking up its AI teams. The company has two teams pursuing AI research, but now Mark Zuckerberg is bringing them closer together. What will that lead to? Karissa Bell explains it all.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apples-vision-pro-is-almost-here-and-samsungs-ai-gambit-150028059.html?src=rss

If you're going to purchase the Apple Vision Pro, you may want to get a case for it as well. Based on the company's repair and service page for the device as first noticed by AppleInsider, getting it repaired can be very costly, even when you have AppleCare+. If the headset's cover glass cracks, it'll set you back $799 to get it replaced. Other types of damage could cost you up to $2,399, which is only $1,100 less expensive than a brand new base unit.The repair prices don't sound as outrageous if you pay for AppleCare+, but they're still not cheap. A damaged cover class or any other type of repair will cost you $299, on top of the extended warranty's $25-a-month fee. While you could get it fixed by a third-party, it could cause you issues if you send it to Apple for another repair in the future, and those services might not have the components you need. Apple has been supportive of the right-to-repair movement lately, though, and has an existing self-repair program for its phones and computers. The company could add the Vision Pro to that program, but it may not happen anytime soon.Apple's Vision Pro is now available for pre-order from Apple's US website and all its brick-and-mortar stores across the country. The $3,499 version will give you 256GB of storage space, while the 512GB model will cost you $3,699. Want 1TB of space? That one will set you back $3,899. Take note that its accessories are sold separately, and you'll have to shell out an additional $199 for its travel case.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-repairs-could-set-you-back-as-much-as-2399-141439566.html?src=rss

A hacking group linked to a Russian intelligence agency accessed the emails of several senior Microsoft executives and other employees, the company disclosed Friday.Microsoft said it detected the attack on January 12, and has determined that a hacking group known as Midnight Blizzard or Nobelium is responsible. That's the same group behind the 2020 SolarWinds cyberattack. Microsoft and US cybersecurity officials have said Nobelium is part of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).Beginning in late November 2023, the threat actor used a password spray attack to compromise a legacy non-production test tenant account and gain a foothold, and then used the account's permissions to access a very small percentage of Microsoft corporate email accounts, including members of our senior leadership team and employees in our cybersecurity, legal, and other functions, and exfiltrated some emails and attached documents," the company wrote in a blog post.The company didn't identify which members of its senior leadership" were targeted, but said its initial investigation suggests the group was looking for information related to itself. Company officials so far have no evidence that customer environments, production systems, source code, or AI systems," were accessed.Though the company says the attack was not the result of a vulnerability in Microsoft products or services," it is taking steps to immediately" improve the security of Microsoft-owned legacy systems and internal business processes." The changes will likely cause some level of disruption," it added.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/russian-state-sponsored-hackers-accessed-the-emails-of-microsofts-senior-leadership-232945155.html?src=rss

Japan has become the fifth country to successfully land on the moon after confirming today that its SLIM lander survived its descent to the surface - but its mission is likely to be short lived. JAXA, the Japanese space agency, says the spacecraft is having problems with its solar cell and is unable to generate electricity. In its current state, the battery may only have enough juice to keep it running a few more hours.Based on how the other instruments are functioning, JAXA said in a press conference this afternoon that it's evident SLIM did make a soft landing. The spacecraft has been able to communicate with Earth and receive commands, but is operating on a low battery. It's unclear what exactly the issue with the solar cell is beyond the fact that it's not functioning.There's a chance that the panels are just not facing the right direction to be receiving sunlight right now, which would mean it could start charging when the sun changes position. But, JAXA says it needs more time to understand what has happened. LEV-1 and LEV-2, two small rovers that accompanied SLIM to the moon, were able to successfully separate from the lander as planned before it touched down, and so far appear to be in working condition.JAXA says it's now focusing on maximizing the operational time it has left with SLIM to get as much data as possible from the landing. SLIM - the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon - has also been called the Moon Sniper" due to its precision landing technology, which is supposed to put it within 100 meters of its target, the Shioli crater. The agency is planning to hold another press conference next week to share more updates.Though its time may be running out, SLIM's landing was still a major feat. Only four other countries have successfully landed on the moon: the US, China, India and Russia. The latest American attempt, the privately led Peregrine Mission One, ended in failure after the spacecraft began leaking propellant shortly after its January 8 launch. It managed to hang on for several more days and even reached lunar distance, but had no chance of a soft landing. Astrobotic, the company behind the lander, confirmed last night that Peregrine made a controlled reentry, burning up in Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/japans-slim-lunar-lander-made-it-to-the-moon-but-itll-likely-die-within-hours-195431502.html?src=rss

Palworld has sold a million copies in just over eight hours, according to developer Pocketpair. The game has been on our radar for a while, thanks to its unique Pokemon with guns' premise, and it looks like launch day has been an absolute success.It's been so successful, as a matter of fact, that the game's servers have been buckling under the stress of millions of gun-toting PokeMasters. The developer urges patience and says it's working to resolve this ASAP!" The sheer number of downloads and concurrent players have made this the biggest Steam launch of the year so far, according to GamesRadar.These figures only refer to Steam. The early access version of Palworld also launched on Game Pass, so the number of downloads is likely much higher than advertised, as there are no Xbox Series X/S numbers. It looks like many people have been jonesing for a dark and gritty take on everyone's favorite pocket monsters.And boy, is this game dark and gritty. Instead of releasing unwanted monsters, called Pals, back into the wild, you murder them with a cleaver. You can also sell your Pals" into slavery, eat them and, of course, battle them to the death. One of the game's trailers shows piles of Pal corpses stacked up, reaching into the heavens. The whole thing seems to be a satirical riff on the very nature of Pokemon, which is a game franchise in which you force your very good friends to fight just to further your own reputation.Palworld has gotten pretty good reviews so far, and this is an early access build, so the devs will likely refine the gameplay in the coming months. In the meantime, you can pick it up on Steam for $27, until it reverts to its normal price of $30. It's also a day-one Game Pass release, so boot up your Xbox and give it a go. Just try to keep the murder count down. Or not.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pokemon-with-guns-satire-palworld-sells-over-a-million-copies-in-eight-hours-175638179.html?src=rss

Ford says it's cutting production of the F-150 Lightning due to lower than expected demand. As of April 1, the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (the Michigan plant where the electric pickup is built) will transition from two production shifts to one. That will have an impact on roughly 1,400 workers.The automaker says it will transfer around half of those to its Michigan Assembly Plant, where it's putting together a third crew to build more of the Bronco and Bronco Raptor, as well as the new Ranger and Ranger Raptor to meet demand. The company is hiring another 900 workers to fill that shift.The rest of the affected F-150 Lightning workers will be reassigned to different roles at the Rouge plant or Ford's other facilities in the region. That is, unless they take up a retirement incentive offer.Ford didn't say by how much it's reducing production of the F-150 Lightning. However, by moving from two shifts to one, that indicates output will drop roughly by half, which aligns with recent reports. According to CNBC, Ford planned to cut production from around 3,200 units per week to 1,600.The automaker retooled the Rouge facility in 2023 so that it would have an annual F-150 Lightning capacity of up to 150,000. However, demand hasn't kept up. While sales of the EV were up by 55 percent last year, it hasn't been selling as quickly as it did previously.The company says that it expects EV sales to continue to grow globally this year, but at a lower rate than previously anticipated. With that in mind, as well as the fact Ford is readying next-gen EVs, the company has decided to pull back on F-150 Lightning production for the foreseeable future.That isn't the only EV Ford has scaled back on either. In November, it slashed production of the Mustang Mach-E.We are taking advantage of our manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing our growth and profitability. Customers love the F-150 Lightning, America's best-selling EV pickup," Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said. We see a bright future for electric vehicles for specific consumers, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and access to Tesla's charging network beginning this quarter."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ford-is-cutting-f-150-lightning-production-due-to-waning-demand-173838340.html?src=rss

It's a big day for people who like to spend a small fortune on consumer technology, as Apple opened up pre-orders for its $3,500 Vision Pro headset earlier on Friday. If you're looking to save some cash on a new gadget, though, we're back with another installment of our weekly deal roundup. This week's highlights include a spate of pre-order discounts on Samsung's new Galaxy S24 phones, which come with a bonus gift card and free storage upgrade at Amazon and Best Buy. Beyond that, Google's Pixel 8 phones are up to $200 off, while Apple's AirPods Pro are still at a low of $189. If you're on a tighter budget, a few affordable keyboards, webcams and wireless earbuds we like are also near the lowest prices we've seen. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.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/samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-pre-orders-include-a-200-gift-card-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-172928966.html?src=rss

Korg has already made several announcements ahead of NAMM 2024, and now the company's back with a refresh of its popular Opsix FM synthesizer. The Opsix mk II still offers an approachable entryway into the world of FM synthesis, and it's even based on the original's Altered FM" digital sound engine. However, this is anything but a minor refresh.The big news is a massive boost in polyphony. The original had 32 voices, which is still plenty, but the mk II offers 64 voices of pure polyphonal goodness. This should allow for some truly complex and multi-layered sounds, or just a burst of cacophony as you try to press every key at once.The six-operator FM engine is, more or less, unchanged, but it can be kitted out with all kinds of new sound components" that can drastically change the signal. You can route it through up to 30 effects, including a 3-band EQ, chorus, phaser, flanger, distortion, compressor, delay, reverb, grain shifter and many more. The signal paths can also be rerouted internally for semi-modular synthesis.Of course, there are a number of analog-style filters, including filters modeled on the Korg MS-20 and Korg PolySix, along with resonant two- or four-pole low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and band-reject filters. You won't struggle to create unique sounds here, as any parameter can be modulated using a dedicated matrix equipped with three envelope generators and three LFOs.The very nature of this technology allows for digital recreations of subtractive, semi-modular, waveshaping, additive and analog modeling synthesis types, in addition to classic FM synthesis. That's what Korg means by calling this a six-operator" FM synthesizer.For those worried that this refresh would fundamentally change the vibe of the original Opsix, the mk II is fully compatible with the sounds and samples from the original and it integrates with the company's dedicated software suite, offering full access to numerous sound libraries. So you can just load up sounds from the original, if that's your bag.The 37-note keyboard is velocity-sensitive and release velocity-sensitive, with a programmable step sequencer that offers up to 16 steps per pattern and six notes per step. There's also an onboard arpeggiator with seven preset patterns. Just like the original, the mk II boasts a bright front-facing screen and numerous backlit faders and knobs for making adjustments. As for connections, there's a headphone out, a stereo line out, MIDI in/out, a USB-B port and a jack for a damper pedal. The Korg Opsix mk II hits store shelves this March and will cost $700, which is $200 less than the price of the original back when it launched.Korg has a massive presence at NAMM this year, as the company also teased a desktop module of the Opsix, along with desktop modules for the Modwave and Wavestate synths. There's also a little synth called the MicroKORG 2, which is likely to sell like the hottest of hotcakes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/korgs-opsix-mk-ii-synth-is-based-on-the-fm-sound-engine-of-the-original-but-with-64-voices-164445223.html?src=rss

Many PC owners wonder when it might be the best time to upgrade parts of their setup that are perhaps getting a little long in the tooth. The answer to that is relatively simple: whenever there's a good sale. A bunch of Samsung monitors are currently up to 33 percent off over at Amazon. Among them is the 27-inch Samsung Smart Monitor M8, which has dropped to a record low of $480. That's 26 percent off the regular price.The M8 can double as a 4K streaming TV, since it has native support for apps including Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+. Through Samsung TV Plus, you can access a selection of free live and on-demand programming. In addition, you'll be able to stream games from the likes of Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now. They should run fairly smoothly too, thanks to the 60Hz refresh rate.Of course, you can use the Smart Monitor M8 for productivity too. For tasks such as web browsing and document editing, you won't even need to hook up a PC. The M8 offers options to connect to another PC remotely, access the Microsoft Office 365 suite and even use the desktop mode of Samsung mobile devices thanks to the DeX feature. There's a built-in camera for video calls too. Moreover, you can use the M8 to control various smart home devices.In case you don't need all those bells and whistles and you're just looking for a solid monitor that can get the job done on a tighter budget, a 22-inch 1080p model may do the trick. A T350 Series monitor has dropped by a third to $100, which is almost a record low for that model.It has a decent 75Hz refresh rate and an IPS panel that Samsung claims will support a wide variety of viewing angles. FreeSync will help reduce screen tearing if you have a compatible AMD CPU, while the response time of 5ms isn't too bad for gaming.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-27-inch-samsung-smart-monitor-m8-is-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-153331058.html?src=rss

The tech world isn't taking any breaks after CES! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Senior Writer Sam Rutherford to discuss Samsung's latest Galaxy Unpacked event, where it debuted the Galaxy S24 smartphone line. They don't look very different from last year, but they're packing a load of AI smarts. Also, Cherlynn finally got to try out the Apple Vision Pro and tells us all about her spatial computing journey. While it was a mostly eye-opening experience, the headset also hurt Cherlynn's head and forced her to confront one of nature's most terrifying creatures: A butterfly.Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!Topics

The long-running dispute between the European Commission and Apple over the use of its payment technology could soon come to an end. The Commission has officially announced Apple's plan to open up its Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, used for tap-and-go payments, to third-party mobile wallet providers. Rumors of Apple's proposal first surfaced in December 2023.The Commission opened an investigation into Apple in 2020 over potentially restricting rival mobile wallet pay developers' access to necessary technology, thus eliminating Apple Pay's competition. Two years later, it announced charges against Apple for allegedly violating the European Union's antitrust laws, which, if proven, could leave Apple with a massive bill.Apple's proposal compromises on its previous assertions that third parties could negatively impact security. If approved, Apple would, among other things, allow third parties to APIs with NFC functionality - no fee or use of Apple Pay or wallet required. This shift would include access to technology that keeps payment information secure. Apple would apply this to any developers and iOS users registered in the European Economic Area (EEA). However, people outside the EEA might still be able to use third-party apps. Apple also claims it will call upon an independent reviewer in disputed instances where the company denied NFC access. All suggested changes and prior press releases on the case are available here.As expected, the European Commission has not rushed to accept Apple's proposed commitments. Instead, it has laid them out and requested feedback from Apple's rivals (and any other interested entities) on whether the laid-out changes are acceptable.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-offers-to-open-up-nfc-payments-to-rival-companies-in-eu-antitrust-case-130528339.html?src=rss

Apple's much-anticipated mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, is now available for pre-order in the US through the company's website and all its stores across the country. Interested buyers may want to take note that they have to scan their face with an iPhone or iPad using Face ID when they pre-order to make sure they're getting a precise band fit. The company designed the Vision Pro with a modular system so that users can customize it to fit them perfectly - it will, after all, set them back at least $3,499 for the version with 256GB of storage. If you need more space (and who doesn't?), it'll cost $3,699 with 512GB of storage and $3,899 with 1TB.People who need vision correction also have the option to add Zeiss optical inserts when they pre-order so that they won't need to wear their glasses inside the headset anymore. They can get reader inserts for $99 and prescription inserts for $149, though they have to provide an updated official prescription with their order to be able to purchase them.Be ready to shell out even more for accessories: The travel case, additional battery packs, and extra light seals will each run you $199. Belkin's battery holder will also let you clip that device onto your pants, or wear it with a cross-body strap.The company's mixed reality headset is powered by visionOS, which users can control via gestures with their eyes and hands or with voice commands through Siri. Apple placed a lot of emphasis on its entertainment features when it officially introduced the device and said that it will support more than a million apps from the iOS and iPadOS ecosystems, along with apps especially made for its platform.Some popular services like Netflix, YouTube and Spotify won't be available for download at launch, but early adopters will still have access to a number of entertainment apps, including Disney+, Max, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+. Users will be able to place their apps anywhere in a 3D environment and, in Disney+'s case, be able to watch shows against a special immersive background like the Avengers Tower. They'll also be able to access their Mac on the headset, so they can work or do what they usually do on a laptop on a mixed reality device instead. The Apple Vision Pro will start shipping on February 2.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-pre-orders-are-now-open-130056024.html?src=rss

Ask and you shall receive. On January 16, Massive Monster and Devolver Digital released Cult of the Lamb's much hyped Sins of the Flesh" update for consoles and PC, bringing, among other things, a form of in-game sex to its cute-but-brutal world of anatomically incorrect animals and false prophets. It's exactly what some fans have been asking for, and since its announcement, everyone, including Massive Monster, has been leaning into the fun of the sex update" actually happening. But it turns out calling it the sex update was a major undersell.Warning: This article contains spoilers from this point forward.In actuality, there's so much more to it - just take a look at the patch notes. As much as it is the sex update, Sins of the Flesh" is also very much the poop update; the fashion update; the personality update; the lore update; the absolute chaos update. It's Sozo's second chance at life.In order to access the bulk of the new content, you'll need to be pretty deep into the game. The new spiritual currency (Sin) and the experiences that come with it all unlock after you've defeated your third Bishop. If you're at least that far in, the Sin elements will show up after the first sermon or temple activity you conduct once the update has been downloaded. Otherwise, if you're starting fresh with a new save file, it'll be a while before you see most of the new material. Except for the poop, that is. There will be poop everywhere from the moment you start gaining followers - in all sorts of colors and, in some cases, in piles as big as a farming station.Sins of the Flesh" adds six new styles of poop, each with its own power. And I hate to say it, but I was squealing with excitement as I discovered each new variant. Golden poop, for example, comes with coins when you find it, and if used as fertilizer it can grow coins and gold bars alongside your crops. Rainbow poop will make your plants ready to harvest in an instant, which is really handy if your followers are starving. You'll get fancy broom upgrades the more you clean up followers' excrement, making chores more efficient.All that poop early on was just a sign of the ruckus yet to come. In the double-digit hours I've already spent with the new content, havoc has broken loose in my cult again and again.EngadgetEngadgetMy followers, wasted off Brog Brew, keep getting into fights that I have to break up, and sometimes they chase me down to profess their love or heckle me. I watched a certain mushroom-headed eccentric eat one of his acolytes whole after he begged me to bring them into the cult, then had to throw him in prison for dissenting. I've hatched outright abominations, the results of letting followers of different species and cosmic classifications hook up in the Mating Tent.Basically, we're having a great time sinning, my followers and I. As a new form of currency, Sin can be spent on follower experiences - yes, including sex - and temple decorations. Similar to how Loyalty has always worked, in which each follower has a Loyalty meter, your followers will accumulate Sin by way of rituals and immoral activities, like getting hammered (excuse me, befuddled") at the Drinkhouse. There are new, Sin-based doctrines to further shape the cult's dogma, and rituals that go all-in on your followers' wickedness.Perform the Rite of Wrath and your followers will unleash the most adorable mayhem upon the commune, destroying decorations and beating each other up. (Going hand-in-hand with this, your followers can now become injured, and the process of repairing things has become more interactive, using the same mechanics as when you're cooking a meal.) Engage in the Gluttony of Cannibals ritual and one of your followers will be eaten by the group. If you prefer to sin peacefully, perform the Rite of Lust, and your followers will dance naked around the flower-adorned shrine.EngadgetIn some scenarios, you'll need to designate specific followers to receive Sin - but be careful not to go overboard. Once a follower has taken on too much Sin, they'll become damned and will leave the cult.These characters aren't necessarily gone forever, which is good news if you, like me, piled Sin onto your favorite follower (Webber <3) only to be sent into a spiraling panic when they've been damned. You'll run into them again during crusades, and once you've killed them three times you'll be able to bring them back with the resurrection ritual. Dissenters, too, now appear as fightable enemies in the dungeons, which I've enjoyed if only for the primal satisfaction of taking revenge on them for stealing from the cult and bouncing.Multiple new structures tie directly in with the arrival of Sin. At the aforementioned Drinkhouse, your followers can consume beverages including Brog Brew, Juniper Drink, Grape Nectar, Eggnog and, I'm sorry to say, Poop Juice. The resources needed for beverage brewing, like hops and grapes, can be found during crusades or purchased as seeds from Rakshasa.EngadgetYou can build a drum circle, where you'll play a Guitar Hero-style rhythm game to generate Sin in the follower of your choice. It's a very short, very basic mini-game that does a fine job of bringing a bit of variation into the day-to-day cult gameplay without feeling completely out of place. If you're looking for a Get Sin fast!' sort of solution, it comes in clutch. It functions like a ritual, though, meaning there's a cooldown period after you play.And of course, there's the star of The Sex Update: the Mating Tent. Now, not every character can partake in the activitiesthat go down at the mating tent, and those who can have all been given the agency to reject a mating opportunity if they're not into it. Sorry, The Lamb (aka you, the player), cannot mate with followers, nor can relatives - like the Bishops - mate with each other. Once you've chosen a compatible pair, you can pick traits from each follower to be carried over to their offspring. Then, they'll seal the deal with a big smooch and into the tent they go.That's as explicit as it gets; Cult of the Lamb is no less wholesome with the introduction of sex. When the mating is over, your followers will come out exhausted and present you with an egg. It's then up to you to make a choice: either crack that egg and feed it to one of your followers, or tend to the egg daily at the Hatchery, a structure that's unlocked at the same time as the Mating Tent. If you go the cannibalism route, a yolk meal can be used as a youth elixir to give an elderly follower more time among the living. Or, you can make Eggnog. If you decide to hatch the egg instead, you'll have to nurture the child until it reaches adulthood. As a Tamagotchi addict, I love this.Massive Monster/Devolver DigitalWith the update, you'll also be able to unlock the Tailor building, and during your crusades you'll find cotton to use for garment-making and meet the silkworm NPC, Berith, who will have the blueprints for clothes. This will allow you to craft new outfits for your followers. That includes a French maid outfit, which appears after you've earned it by cleaning up a ton of poop, and a bunch of different robes and tunics. It's great to have a way to customize your followers' appearances and, by consequence, the overall aesthetic of the cult a little more. You unfortunately can't deck out your entire cult in French maid outfits, though - unlike other clothing items, it can only be worn by one follower at a time.Tidbits of lore are now scattered throughout the dungeons, and you'll have a new weapon - the Blunderbuss - to fight with. I'll admit the Blunderbuss isn't my favorite, but weapon choice is really personal and there are probably some who love it. It's capable of rapid firing to some degree, but just know you'll have to take reloading time into account.There are a few new follower forms, including snake, worm and a shaggy dog. That last form was made in honor of the Art Director's deceased pet, which breaks my heart and warms it simultaneously. Additional follower traits have added a little more depth to the cult members themselves, too; it turns out some of my followers are absolute cowards. And, for anyone who was gutted to find Sozo dead after building the mushroom shrine, rejoice - he's back with an extended questline. You just need to visit the Spore Grotto to pick up his mushroom hat so you can plant it back at the cult and resurrect him. But don't trust him for one second.EngadgetEngadgetIf you've played all the way through Cult of the Lamb and have long since earned every achievement, Sins of the Flesh" injects a welcome amount of freshness into the year-and-a-half-old game. It doesn't expand the map in any significant way to give you more room for your cult, which may be a disappointment to some whose home bases have become overcrowded, and a new cap that prevents followers from exceeding level 10 will be a blow to players who have been trying to push Narinder to extreme levels of devotion.But the promise of new discoveries and achievements for completionists to work toward gives you more incentive to keep venturing back into the dungeons. The cult life feels more dynamic now, requiring the player to engage a bit more with the home environment, and in turn letting you deepen your connection to your followers by providing more ways for you to keep up with their care.Honestly, it's hard to believe it's all free. Kudos to the team for that. Alongside the update, the developers have also released some cosmetic DLC in the $7 Sinful Pack, which adds a few more decorations and follower forms - aptly including a Sphynx cat, a nude icon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sins-of-the-flesh-adds-longevity-and-sex-to-cult-of-the-lamb-130041583.html?src=rss

A Call of Dutygame sells. That's what it does. And it usually tops the sales charts, almostevery year since 2009. However, last year was a bit different: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III landed in second place.To convey the gravitational pull of CoD, when Microsoft was fighting to buy Activision Blizzard - makers of the game series - the Xbox maker had to make concessions and ensure the games would come to PlayStation and other platforms to make the purchase happen.This time around, however, Hogwarts Legacy - a game not without its own controversies - beat it to the top spot. It did benefit from being the only Harry Potter game in a decade. In that time, there have been 11 Call of Duty releases. Headlines aside, the series will be fine. Another thing worth noting: 2022's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II still took the number seven spot.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedTake a look at the sharpest image of a black hole yetAyaneo's latest mini PC looks just like an old-school NESBose Ultra Open Earbuds clip onto your ears and cost $300Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is coming to Xbox and PC later this year'Instagram will start telling night owl teens to close the app and go to sleepYounger users won't be able to turn off the Nighttime Nudges.Instagram's latest mindfulness feature targets teens. When a younger user scrolls for more than 10 minutes in Reels or their DMs, the app will suggest they close the app and get to bed. Nighttime Nudges will automatically appear on teen accounts, and it won't be possible to switch them off. Instagram didn't specify whether the feature will be for all teenagers or just under 18s.Could we get it for us over 18s too?Continue reading.Apple's Vision Pro won't have access to YouTube and Spotify apps at launchUsers will have to access them from a browser.EngadgetAccording to Bloomberg, Google's YouTube and Spotify don't have any plans to develop an application for Apple's Vision Pro, at the moment. YouTube won't make its iPad app available for download on the headset, either. For these apps - including Netflix - users will have to watch things through the web browser. In most cases, this will mean losing the ability to watch or listen to content offline. According to MacStories, Meta's Instagram and Facebook might also be missing from the Vision Pro's app store. Companies might be waiting to see whether it's worth dedicating resources for the $3,500 headset - the Apple Watch took time to generate its own app library.Continue reading.The Rabbit R1 will offer up-to-date answers powered by Perplexity's AINo, I haven't heard of Perplexity either.RabbitThe Rabbit R1 launch left many questions unanswered, with some of us wary of it being the vaporware candidate from this year's CES. Now, Rabbit has revealed which LLM (large language model) will power the device's interaction: Perplexity. Fortunately, you won't need to pay for a subscription. The first 100,000 R1 buyers will receive a year of Perplexity Pro, for free. This advanced service adds file upload support, a daily quota of over 300 complex queries. Perplexity is a San Francisco-based startup with investment from NVIDIA and Jeff Bezos.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-is-call-of-duty-losing-its-grip-on-gamers-121526020.html?src=rss

X (formerly Twitter) rolled out audio and video calling for iOS users back in October 2023. Now, the feature is coming to Android, with an engineer at X, @enriquebrgn, sharing the news in a post: "Audio and video calls on X slowly rolling out for Android users today! Update your app and call your mother."

When the earliest users of Apple's Vision Pro get their headsets in February, they'll find a few of the most popular entertainment apps missing from its system's app store. According to Bloomberg, Google's YouTube and Spotify don't have any plans to develop an application for visionOS, the device's platform, at the moment. A YouTube representative also told the publication that it's not going to make its iPad app available for download on the headset for now. "YouTube users will be able to use YouTube in Safari on the Vision Pro at launch," the spokesperson said. As for Spotify, a source told the publication that it doesn't intend to make its iPad app downloadable on the Vision Pro, as well.As MacStories noted in a report listing popular apps that will be compatible with the headset at launch, apps for the iPhone and iPad will automatically show up on the device's store by default. Developers have to opt out of making their apps downloadable on the Vision Pro. It's unclear why YouTube and Spotify have chosen not to make their apps available on the headset, but they're not the only ones. Bloomberg previously reported that Netflix won't be releasing a dedicated app for the Vision Pro either. In addition, Netflix told the publication that subscribers will have to access its service from a browser on the device, which means its iPad app won't be downloadable. Based on MacStories' report, Meta' Instagram and Facebook might also be missing from the Vision Pro's app store.These companies may have chosen to wait and see whether it's worth dedicating resources towards creating a dedicated app for the $3,500 headset. They may also be worried about having to deal with potential issues that Vision Pro users could encounter if they use the iPad versions of the apps on a device that's from a totally different category. That said, the first Vision Pro users will still have a lot of entertainment apps to choose from, including Disney+, which is giving users access to special immersive environments that can serve as backdrops for its shows.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-vision-pro-wont-have-access-to-youtube-and-spotify-apps-at-launch-083434306.html?src=rss

The Rabbit R1 launch at CES left many questions unanswered, but earlier today, the brand finally shed light on which LLM (large language model) will be powering the device's interaction with us mere mortals. The AI provider in question is none other than Perplexity, a San Francisco-based startup with ambitions to overtake Google in the AI space, which is no wonder that it has already received investments from the likes of NVIDIA and Jeff Bezos.Perplexity will be providing up-to-date search results via Rabbit's $199 orange brick - without the need of any subscription. That said, the first 100,000 R1 buyers will receive one year of Perplexity Pro subscription - normally costing $200 - for free. This advanced service adds file upload support, a daily quota of over 300 complex queries and the ability to switch to other AI models (GPT-4, Claude 2.1 or Gemini), though these don't necessarily apply to the R1's use case.

Microsoft is rolling out Reading Coach as a standalone app, which will expand its tools for educators in Microsoft Teams. The new app will be part of its Reading Progress suite designed to help students improve literacy in the classroom and at home. The tool will use artificial intelligence to provide users with personalized feedback on how to improve reading scores as well as specific suggestions for how to improve things like pronunciation. It will be free to any users that have a Microsoft account.With prolonged use, the AI tool will flag specific words that a reader frequently mispronounces or misunderstands during reading sessions. To keep students engaged, the program will also ask a reader to choose prompts that can change a storyline as they progress.Microsoft says teachers can integrate its program in classrooms through learning platforms starting in the Spring. But the tool is available to educators this month in preview. Teachers will be able to track how student's feel about assignments using the Reflect tool within the program. This kind of feedback might help an educator determine what assignments students feel most excited about and which lessons might not be working. Beyond tracking student performance, the new features for Microsoft's Teams for Education suite will help teachers generate content for lessons, such as passages and assignments for a student to engage with.Microsoft also introduced new features for its Teams for Education app, which is designed to help educators tailor content for digital learning platforms. The Classwork tool will use AI to emphasize particular messages in an assignment's instructions, according to an educator's particular goals for that lesson. The Assignments tool will use AI to streamline the rubric generating process. Outlines can be tailored by a teacher based on grade level, evaluation scale or other factors.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsofts-tool-for-ai-reading-lessons-is-now-a-standalone-app-230520756.html?src=rss

As promised, Xbox offered the first details on MachineGames' Indiana Jones project during its Developer Direct stream on Thursday. It also confirmed the game's title - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - and revealed that it's coming to Xbox Series X/S, PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming later this year.No prizes for those who guessed that it's an action-adventure game that will see Indy try to stop some bad guys who are in pursuit of a mysterious power. The story takes place in 1937, between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The McGuffin powerful force in question is connected to something called The Great Circle - a perfect circle around the globe that links human-built ancient sites of "great spiritual significance."The first gameplay trailer shows Indy from a first-person perspective as he explores the pyramids of Egypt, traverses snowy mountain tops, sneaks around enemy strongholds and generally tries to stay alive in the face of mortal doom. He also uses his whip to trip up a bad guy (who lets out a Wilhelm scream in the process), punches some Nazis in the face and leaps from one airborne biplane to another.In cutscenes and some platforming sequences, the camera will pull back to let you get a better look at the legendary archaeologist. The game uses Harrison Ford's likeness, but video game stalwart Troy Baker provides the character's voice.It's early days but MachineGames, with the help of Bethesda's Todd Howard as executive producer, seems to have gotten the look, feel and sound of an Indiana Jones adventure just about right. We'll find out just how well they've pulled off that tough task when the game comes out later this year, but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has just become one of my most anticipated games.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle-is-coming-to-xbox-and-pc-later-this-year-212759483.html?src=rss