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It's been a year since we learned that a movie based on Death Stranding was in the works. Now, Kojima Productions has brought another notable partner on board. A24, the celebrated studio behind movies such as Everything Everywhere All At Once and Uncut Gems, is helping to adapt Death Stranding into a live-action film.More than 16 million people have explored Hideo Kojima's haunting game so far. Death Stranding tasks a courier named Sam Porter Bridges (played by Norman Reedus) with unifying a fractured America after a cataclysmic event. It's a strange, captivating game. Perhaps most importantly for A24, it's also deeply cinematic.The adaptation will "delve into the mysteries surrounding the apocalyptic event called the 'Death Stranding,' which blurred the lines between life and death, and brought forth nightmarish creatures into a world on the brink of collapse," according to a press release. Don't expect the film to directly follow the events of the game, though."There are a lot of 'game adaptation films' out there but what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game," Kojima, who claims to have taken inspiration from some of A24's work, said. "The intention is that our audience will not only be fans of the games, but our film will be for anyone who loves cinema. We are creating a Death Stranding universe that has never been seen before, achievable only through the medium of film, it will be born."Kojima is a renowned movie buff who may very well have been a film director in another life. He may not have enough time to slide into the director's chair on this occasion though, as Kojima Productions has its hands full with two games that are in the works: a Death Stranding sequel and a new project called OD. Still, A24 has a number of high-profile collaborators who'd make a compelling Death Stranding film. I'm curious as to what Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, Sofia Coppola or Alex Garland might be able to do with that source material.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a24-will-help-bring-the-death-stranding-movie-to-life-171735945.html?src=rss

Cruise is laying off 24 percent of its workforce, the company confirmed to Engadget. GM's self-driving subsidiary says it will cut approximately 900 employees, as first reported by TechCrunch and CNBC. The news comes over 10 weeks after an incident in San Francisco when a Cruise vehicle pinned and dragged a pedestrian who had initially been hit by another car. Earlier this week, the company parted ways with nine executives, including its chief operating officer.We shared the difficult news that we are reducing our workforce, primarily in commercial operations and related corporate functions," a Cruise spokesperson wrote in an email to Engadget. These changes reflect our decision to focus on more deliberate commercialization plans with safety as our north star. We are supporting impacted Cruisers with strong severance and benefits packages and are grateful to the departing employees who played important roles in building Cruise and supporting our mission."A Cruise spokesperson pointed Engadget toward an internal email written by new President and CTO Mo Elshenawy, also published on the company blog. We knew this day was coming, but that does not make it any less difficult-especially for those whose jobs are affected," the message reads. The email says the layoffs primarily target non-engineering roles, including field workers, commercial operations and corporate staffing.We are simplifying and focusing our efforts to return with an exceptional service in one city to start with and focusing on the Bolt platform for this first step before we scale," the email reads. As a result, we are reducing our employee counts in operations and other areas."The news isn't exactly a shock. Last month, Mary Barra, GM Chair and CEO, expressed plans for Cruise to be more deliberate." That included cutting expenses by hundreds of millions of dollars" in 2024, a clear sign that the writing was already on the wall for considerable layoffs.The tragic October 2 incident involved a Cruise vehicle pinning a pedestrian after another car's hit-and-run. There weren't any passengers in the autonomous vehicle (AV) at the time. She was just screaming," a cyclist bystander who tried to help told the SF Chronicle. The aftermath has been swift and decisive, with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) suspending its driverless permits over safety issues. There were even reports the company's AVs were unable to effectively detect children, a situation that obviously requires extra precautions.The roughly 900 employees losing their jobs at Cruise join a long list of tech layoffs in 2023.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cruise-lays-off-24-percent-of-its-workforce-164800680.html?src=rss

Apple's 9th-gen iPad is back on sale via Amazon for $249, which is a 24 percent savings from the MSRP of $329. This isn't the lowest price ever for the standard 10.2-inch tablet, but it's darn close. This is the entry-level model with 64GB of storage, but that's still plenty to load up the tablet with all kinds of streaming apps and games.The 9th-gen iPad is widely considered to be the best Apple tablet for the budget-conscious, which is made more evident by this sale. It scored an 86 in our initial review and we praised it for the improved camera for video calls, the excellent battery life and, of course, that consumer-friendly price.As a matter of fact, this tablet made our list of the best Apple iPads, though that's something of a no-brainer. The screen is sharp and the 12MP camera is fine for most applications. This iPad also has a legitimate old-school headphone jack, which actually comes in quite handy when you can't find that teensy-tiny Lightning adapter.Of course, this tablet isn't perfect, particularly when compared to some of its pricier siblings. The hardware is basically a step down from the Air and Pro in several ways. The design itself is a bit antiquated, recalling older models, and it's powered by the same chipset found with the iPhone 11. That's four iPhones ago, which is a lifetime in the world of tech.If your eyes roll into the back of your head when you look at the price of the iPad Air or Pro, however, this is the tablet for you. We called it the most wallet-friendly way into iPadOS" and that was before this steep discount.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-9th-gen-ipad-is-back-on-sale-for-249-160524744.html?src=rss

Last week, Meta finally rolled out searchable tags for all users on Threads, its microblogging Instagram offshoot, and users are taking advantage of a design quirk for a bit of dumb fun. Threads' topic tags" are a lot like hashtags, but not entirely the same. For one, there's no hash (#). They're also able to contain spaces, meaning the tags can read like normal phrases rather than a bunch of words smashed together, as has long been the norm on Twitter/X and the like. Just like normal hashtags, though, they'll be highlighted in blue and link out to other posts containing that tag.It's pretty basic stuff... which makes the effectiveness of the new prank feel all the more absurd. It goes like this: someone creates a Threads post, ideally with a lot of text, then slaps a Show more" tag at the end, seemingly in the middle of a word or sentence. You, the unwitting victim, will then click Show more" expecting to see the rest of the post, but - surprise! - it'll instead direct you to the page for that tag. You might as well have been Rick Rolled.@freezydorito/ThreadsI'll admit it, I got got. Some users, bless their hearts, have even commented saying they fell for it multiple times, thinking it was a bug. The first instance can be traced back to Threads user @freezydorito, who according to their own bio and professional pages actually works for Meta.As simple as it is, the trick works so well because it perfectly duplicates a UI element we're already so used to seeing. Should it be a dead giveaway that the text is a blue link? Not really, because that's exactly how it's always looked on X. Even on Facebook, the option to expand a post is presented as a gray See more" link. It's been a while since I last fell for something so silly online, because I generally trust nothing, and it momentarily threw me back to a much goofier time on the internet.On Threads, my For You feed is already a cursed space filled with bad recommendations, and since I interacted with the Show more" tag, I've now seen at least three dozen of these posts. I would say that this gag isn't likely to survive beyond the week (fool me twice, et cetera), but my timeline is still peppered with new users posting things like What is Threads?" every other day who are just ripe for the picking. Threads also just launched in Europe today, which means there will be plenty more unsuspecting users piling in. Let's see how long it takes for Meta to implement a tweak for this one.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-new-hashless-tags-have-opened-the-door-for-the-silliest-form-of-trolling-152303227.html?src=rss

Lenovo has unveiled its latest productivity-focused ThinkPad and IdeaPad laptops ahead of CES. The systems are equipped with Intel's new Core Ultra chipsets, which include three compute engines - a central processing unit, graphics processing unit and neural processing unit. Those are designed to work together for greater efficiency. Lenovo notes that some compute tasks can be offloaded to the GPU or NPU for better performance and power management. Since they run on Windows 11, all three laptops will support Copilot AI features.The IdeaPad Pro 5i is the first consumer Intel Evo Edition laptop that runs on an Intel Core Ultra chipset. Lenovo claims this will power faster AI-driven features, such as image and text generation, as well as photo editing. There are also claims of improved performance for traditionally demanding tasks like video editing and exporting, along with multitasking.You can equip the IdeaPad Pro 5i with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to a 1TB SSD. An expandable SSD slot and SD card reader can help bump up the storage as well.The laptop is available in 14-inch and 16-inch formats with several display options, including an 16:10 OLED panel with a 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut and 120Hz refresh rate. The IR Full HD camera has a time-of-flight sensor and privacy shutter along with Windows Hello support.No matter which size of the laptop you opt for, you'll get an 84WHr polymer battery with quick charging support via Thunderbolt 4. You'll get an HDMI 2.1 port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A slots and a 3.5mm audio jack. There's also Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 support. The 14-inch model weighs 3.22 lbs and the larger variant is 4.3 lbs.The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is available now. The laptop starts at $1,150.LenovoYou'll need to wait slightly longer for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12. Some configurations will be available later this month (starting at $2,989) and the full swathe of options to follow in March. The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 will become available in March too. That laptop is expected to start at $2,639.Lenovo has integrated a major accessibility-focused feature into the new ThinkPads in the form of additional tactile cues on the keyboard to help folks with visual impairments. The company says it worked with Microsoft's Accessibility Team to help develop new industry standards in keyboard design. For instance, the F2 and F3 keys (often used for volume control) have tactile markings, as does the Insert key to help people tell it apart from the Delete key. Meanwhile, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 has a larger magnetic pen, which is said to deliver a better experience for those who prefer to use a stylus.The ThinkPad X1 models include a self-explanatory Low Light Enhancer feature for the webcam. Lenovo says this tool runs on the NPU for greater system efficiency when you have video conferencing software such as Zoom running.The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 can be configured with up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage. There's no dedicated GPU option as the laptop will support Intel Arc graphics. The 14-inch display can have a resolution of up to 2.8K with a refresh rate of 120Hz on an OLED panel.As for ports, you'll get two USB-C Thunderbolt 4, two USB-C, an HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm audio jack. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 can be equipped with Wi-Fi 6E or 7 and Bluetooth 5.3. There are several webcam options too, up to an 8MP MIPI Computer Vision camera with privacy shutter. The laptop's weight starts at 2.42 lbs.The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 9 has similar specs though it, of course, is a 2-in-1. The other key difference is that the weight starts at 2.92 lbs.LenovoThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lenovos-latest-thinkpad-and-ideapad-laptops-include-new-intel-core-ultra-chips-150037731.html?src=rss

Intel today is entering the "AI PC" era with the launch of its new Core Ultra notebook chips. Originally codenamed "Meteor Lake," these are Intel's first processors to include an NPU, or neural processing unit, for accelerating AI tasks. The launch comes a week after AMD revealed its upcoming Ryzen 8040 hardware, its second batch of chips to include NPUs. While Intel is playing a bit of AI catch-up, the Core Ultra chips still sound like a solid step forward - at least according to the company's benchmarks.Intel claims the Core Ultra chips use up to 79 percent less power than AMD's last-gen Ryzen 7840U while idling in Windows, and they're also up to 11 percent faster than AMD's hardware for multithreaded tasks. Intel didn't have the upcoming Ryzen 8040 chips to test, but it'll be interesting to see how they both compare next year.Efficiency is a key component of the Core Ultra chips: They're built on the company's new Intel 4 (7nm) process, and they feature its FOVEROS 3D packaging. According to Intel, these are are also "the most efficient x86 processor for ultrathin systems." There are refined P (Performance) and E (Efficiency) cores, as well as Intel Arc graphics, which is up to twice as fast as the last generation (and also offer double the performance per watt).IntelThe Core Ultra family launches with the Ultra 7 165H at the high end, offering 16 cores/22 threads (6P cores, 8 E cores and 2 low-power E cores and a 5GHz Max Turbo frequency. A beefier Ultra 9 185H will arrive in the first quarter of 2024 with a 5.1GHz Max Turbo speed, slightly faster GPU and higher power draw (45 watts, compared to the Ultra 7's 28 watts). As usual, there's also a lower-power "U" series of chips for the thinnest machines.While you won't find the Core Ultra chips in the most powerful gaming laptops, the addition of Intel Arc graphics should make them slightly more viable for less demanding gaming (or at least more on par with AMD's 7000 series chips). Intel says the Ultra 7 165H can play Baldur's Gate 3 twice as fast as the Core i7 1370P in 1080p with medium graphics settings, and it can handle Resident Evil Village 95 percent faster than that older Intel chip.Across an average of 18 games, including Apex Legends, Overwatch 2 and Final Fantasy XIV, Intel says the Ultra 7 165H is 5 percent faster than AMD's Ryzen 7 7840U in the Thinkpad T16. Sure, that's just a nominal improvement over last-gen hardware, but at least Intel finally appears to be competitive with AMD's solid graphics. The company's XeSS AI upscaling can also improve performance around 39 percent on average in 1080p. In some titles, including Like A Dragon: Gaiden, Intel's upscaling can bump a game up from a middling 30fps range to a far smoother 69 fps.As for AI workloads, Intel says Core Ultra chips can reach up to 34 TeraOPS when combining performance across the NPU, GPU and CPU. But the big change this time is the NPU: It'll enable features like Windows 11's Studio Effects, which can blur backgrounds and improve video lighting without hurting your battery life much. For creative AI workloads, Intel says the Ultra 7 165H is 70 percent faster than the Ryzen 7 7840U in Adobe Premiere Pro and a whopping 5.4 times faster running GIMP Stable Diffusion.What's truly exciting about the Core Ultra hardware, as well as AMD's upcoming Ryzen 8040 series, is the potential for NPUs to make our computing lives slightly easier. They could help eke out more battery life while editing audio in Audacity on the go, or give you a slightly sleeker background blur during Zoom calls. Both Intel and AMD also say they're also pushing developers to help create more AI-enabled features in their apps. Basically, get used to the term "AI PC" - you'll be hearing it quite a bit throughout the next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intel-unveils-core-ultra-its-first-chips-with-npus-for-ai-work-150021289.html?src=rss

Acer just unveiled the Predator Triton Neo 16 gaming laptop which features Intel's long-awaited Core Ultra processors, formerly referred to internally as Meteor Lake. These CPUs boast a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for advanced AI performance. The chips prioritize efficiency and speed, with Intel promising that graphics will be twice as fast when it comes to performance per watt, among other intriguing metrics.As for the actual laptop, Acer's Predator Triton Neo 16 is a beast. There's the Core Ultra processor, with availability up to i9, but you can also outfit it with a powerful GPU, up to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. This combination allows for AI-optimized visuals when playing games with advanced ray tracing, thanks to NVIDIA's DLSS 3.5 technology.There are several 16-inch display options here, offering up to a 3.2K resolution with a 165Hz refresh rate and a 16:10 aspect ratio. These screens take advantage of a DCI-P3 100% color gamut and offer support for NVIDIA G-Sync and Optimus, for sharper colors and tear-free frames.You can spec this laptop out with up to 32GB of LPDDR5X system memory and up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage. These computers also offer access to Acer's proprietary Purifier Voice 2.0 technology, which combines AI-driven noise reduction and beam-forming to keep communications clear during fast-paced multiplayer sessions. The Predator Triton Neo 16 will be available in March, starting at $1,500.AcerLooking for a laptop outfitted with a new Intel Core Ultra chip but don't want to wait until March? Acer also updated the Swift Go 14 line. These laptops aren't as powerful, maxing out with an i7 chip, but feature a gorgeous OLED display. You can actually pick one of these up today from retailers like Amazon, Costco and Sam's Club, among others. The Swift Go 14 starts at $800 for the bare-bones model.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/acers-predator-triton-neo-16-gaming-laptop-has-intel-core-ultra-processors-150009793.html?src=rss

It's finally time. Google already announced that as part of its ongoing "Privacy Sandbox" initiative, it'll begin to restrict third-party cookies in Chrome starting in Q1 2024, and now, we have the exact launch date: January 4. At first, only a random one percent of Chrome users globally will see "Tracking Protection" enabled in their browser, meaning third-party cookies will be blocked by default. If you happen to be one of these lucky folks, you'll see a prompt on the address bar indicating as such, thus limiting cross-site tracking in the name of privacy.Assuming everything goes smoothly, Google will then gradually ramp up the rollout to 100 percent of Chrome users by the second half of 2024. Of course, hiccups are expected during this transitional period. Should you find yourself repeatedly loading a website to no avail, Chrome will let you temporarily re-enable third-party cookies. Simply click on the eye icon on the right side of the address bar to toggle this aging feature.According to StatCounter's November 2023 report, Google's Chrome took up 62.85 percent of the worldwide browser market share, with Apple's Safari in second place at 20.04 percent, and Microsoft's Edge in third place at a mere 5.5 percent. Considering that there are billions of Chrome users today, it is perhaps fair for Google to call the initial one-percent rollout "a key milestone" for its "responsible approach to phasing out third-party cookies."That said, Google may still face some final hurdles set by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, as well as similar administrations from other countries, which are looking into minimizing the impact on their local ad businesses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-chromes-third-party-cookie-phaseout-begins-on-january-4-140051834.html?src=rss

If you're looking to get a new Apple Watch as a holiday present for someone else (or yourself!), you're in luck. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is back down to its all-time low price of $699, from $799. This deal comes courtesy of a six percent discount on the Ultra 2 and an additional $50 coupon applicable at checkout.The Apple Watch Ultra 2 came on the scene this fall with the new S9 SiP (system in package) chip, allowing you to double tap your thumb and forefinger together to perform activities like ending calls and playing music. The Ultra 2 also automatically turns on Night Mode, processes Siri requests right on the watch and has an always-on display.The one caveat: This deal is only available on the Ultra 2 large model, which fits wrists of 165mm to 210mm, and the Indigo Alpine Loop. However, multiple colors of the small and medium models (as well as the large Blue Alpine Loop option) are also discounted to $749 with $19 and $20 coupons available at checkout. So, for another $30 you have a lot of options size and color-wise.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-apple-watch-ultra-2-falls-back-to-a-low-of-699-125548174.html?src=rss

Every day, there seems to be new generative AI news, and while it can often be serious and quite technical, this time around it's just plain fun. Instagram has launched a new generative AI-powered tool called backdrop that lets you create a new image in the, yes, background of your Story. Meta's generative AI lead, Ahmad Al-Dahle, announced the feature on Threads alongside a video tutorial.Instagram's backdrop tool appears once you upload or capture content for your Story. It sits alongside existing icons at the top of your screen, like text and music, represented by an image of a person with a rectangular frame behind them. To use backdrop, just click on that icon, and the image's entire background will go checkered (similar to picture editors like PhotoShop) along with a text box prompting you to "describe the backdrop you want..." From there, you can add anything from "surrounded by puppies" to "chased by dinosaurs" - very different vibes - and the AI tool will generate it in the background.Don't expect people to actually think you're hanging out under the aurora borealis (another possible prompt), as your Story will get tagged with AIBackdrop by Instagram, along with a sticker saying try it and your description in quotation marks. Currently, Instagram's backdrop tool is only available to users in the United States.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-now-offers-ai-generated-backgrounds-on-stories-115054259.html?src=rss

Meta's Threads has finally arrived in Europe, over five months after rolling out in the US, UK and elsewhere around the world. Following a countdown and Instagram teaser invitation, the app is now officially available in the bloc on the web, though the iOS and Android apps still aren't available for many.Threads.net is now live on the web, though the mobile apps are still showing as unavailable for many (you may have to wait patiently). I was able to sign in using my Instagram account, though Meta also offers access without creating a profile - though you can't post or interact with content in that case. Once I agreed to use Instagram and chose my profile, it asked if I was okay with it being public and if wanted to follow the same people I do on Instagram. A few more clicks and I was in.Steve Dent for EngadgetThe delay was reportedly due to the EU's upcoming Digital Markets Act (DMA) set to take effect in 2024. As one of seven tech giant "Gatekeepers," Meta wanted to ensure it's in compliance with the DMA, particularly around rules for sharing data between apps. In compliance with EU policies, the app also allows users to access the platform without needing to create a profile.Threads launched July 5 on mobile with a basic feature set and required users to sign in using their Instagram accounts. It was much like Twitter (now X) when it launched, with support for text posts up to 500 characters, along with photos and five-minute videos. It also supported reposts and quote posts, while allowing users to limit their replies and block/report other users.Since then, it has added a web version, along with both "following" and "for you" feeds, the ability to send Threads posts on Instagram, following list sorting, liked posts on your profile page and more. In short, it's become a robust rival to X, Bluesky and its other short-form social media apps.In addition, yesterday Meta started testing the ability to make Threads posts available on Mastodon and other fediverse apps. That compatibility with the decentralized "ActivityPub" service, and the ability to cross-post to other apps, was a key promise Meta made when it introduced Threads.Threads' rise came with the steep decline of Elon Musk's X, now seen as more polarized than ever. Among much other drama, the platform recently lost a number of key advertisers after Musk boosted an antisemitic conspiracy theory. In response to that, Musk delivered a new message for advertisers pulling back from the platform: Go fuck yourself."Threads is still in a precarious spot, though. It was an instant hit, crossing the 100 million signup mark just five days after launch and counted 141 million users as of November 10, according to research company Quiver Quantitative. However, engagement is another issue - the number of daily active users has fluctuated and dropped steeply a month or so after launch. It should get a massive boost now that it's in Europe, though, and Meta easily has the might (and money) to make it work and crush both established and potential rivals.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-finally-launches-in-europe-110747780.html?src=rss

Proton finally has a desktop app. The Swiss company, known for its privacy-focused alternatives to the Google Workspace apps, revealed a Windows and macOS application on Thursday that includes Proton Mail and Proton Calendar. The desktop app is currently available in beta for subscribers on the most expensive premium tier, but the company says it will launch for all Proton users in early 2024.The company says the desktop app has a modern design with a clutter-free experience. Proton views the move as providing a leg up over Google. While many people use email on desktop in a browser, desktop apps can still provide certain advantages such as better offline support," Proton CEO Andy Yen wrote in a press release. For this reason, we have decided to launch a desktop app, something that even Gmail does not provide." The desktop app now gives Proton apps on all major platforms.ProtonIn addition to the desktop app, Proton is launching several new features for all platforms, including auto-forwarding email rules. Messages sent this way will be encrypted between Proton accounts, and it supports unencrypted auto-forwarding to non-Proton accounts. In addition, Proton Mail now integrates with customer relationship management (CRM) and customer support software as the company looks to grow its footprint in the business world.Proton says encrypting forwarded messages while maintaining the security the company brands itself on was an enormous challenge. Messages sent between Proton Mail accounts are always end-to-end encrypted by default," Proton CTO Bart Butler wrote. But to maintain end-to-end encryption for messages forwarded to other Proton users presented a huge technical challenge. We needed to figure out how to re-encrypt messages for different recipients without the server being able to access the content."Attachment previews are also available for all Proton Mail platforms. Previously, you had to download email attachments locally before viewing them. It now lets you see them directly from the inbox with one click. Proton says it does so without compromising security.ProtonYou can also now snooze Proton Mail messages in another catch-up move for the encryption-focused company. In addition, it spruced up the Proton Calendar with searches on the web while adding public holidays. The company has had a busy year, also launching a native Windows file-syncing app in July and a password manager in April.Before it officially launches early next year, the Proton Mail desktop app is available now in beta for Proton Visionary subscribers. That tier was previously locked to legacy supporters, but the company has reopened registrations from now until January 3. (The plan isn't cheap, though, at $40 monthly or $360 annually.) Meanwhile, auto-forwarding is available now for paid users on any plan, while attachment previews, snoozing and calendar improvements are here for everyone with a Proton account.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/proton-mail-now-has-a-desktop-app-in-beta-110021703.html?src=rss

In October, Insomniac Games launched Marvel's Spider-Man 2 without key features like New Game+ and audio descriptions. Just before the game's release, Insomniac's community and marketing director, James Stevenson, shared that New Game+ "should" arrive before the end of 2023. However, Insomniac has now released a statement explaining that it's targeting the next Marvel's Spider-Man 2 update for early 2024.Insomniac shared the news on X: "We know players have been eagerly awaiting features such as New Game+ and Audio Descriptions, among many more. We have been working vigilantly on these features and require more testing to ensure the quality is up to our standards. We are now targeting Early 2024 for the next game update, and we'll have a feature-complete list closer to its release."

Discord has officially updated its hateful conduct policy to add behaviors that don't reflect its "goal to promote acceptance and inclusivity." These newly added bannable behaviors include "deadnaming or misgendering a transgender person." According to TechCrunch, Discord started internally implementing its expanded policy in 2022, but the chat app has just only made it public in an effort to provide more transparency."As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure Discord remains a safe and fun place for people to hang out with friends, we continually evaluate potential harms and update our policies," a spokesperson told the publication. "We often work with organization and subject matter experts to ensure our policies accurately encompass a holistic view of how these issues manifest across the internet and society."In addition to misgendering and deadnaming trans people, Discord also considers expressing contempt or disgust towards members of protected groups, perpetuating negative stereotypes about them, repeatedly using slurs to degrade them, threatening or promoting violence against them, as well as calling for their segregation and exclusion as hateful behaviors. LGBT organization GLAAD has praised Discord in its call for social networks to update their policies to recognize deadnaming and targeted or deliberate misgendering as hate speech.GLAAD also points out that among the biggest social networks today, TikTok is the only one that explicitly prohibits intentional misgendering and deadnaming. Notably, X implemented a rule against the behavior in 2018 when it was still called Twitter, but it quietly removed that section in its hateful conduct policy under Elon Musk's leadership.Discord won't be banning users who violate its hateful conduct policy after just one infraction, though. Under its warning system, users who go against its rules will receive a direct message detailing their offense, with the platform weighing each violation differently based on the "severity of harm." Users can see their account standing in their settings page. If they have one or more violation, their accounts will be marked "at risk," while they could be permanently suspended if they're marked as having "severe or repeated" violations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/discord-could-ban-users-if-they-continue-to-deadname-trans-people-083112064.html?src=rss

Twitch has finally streamlined its confusing guidelines surrounding sexual content after a creator was able to appear seemingly topless in a stream posted on the website. The incident compelled viewers to question what kind of content could actually appear - and what could get you banned - on livestreams. Following feedback from users, Twitch has merged the two separate sexual content policy sections on its guidelines page and clarified that some materials that were previously prohibited are now allowed on the platform, as long as they're properly labeled.They include content that "deliberately highlight breasts, buttocks and pelvic region" when fully clothed, which Twitch admits has caused female-presenting streamers to be "disproportionately penalized." The website now also allows streams to show drawn, animated or sculpted female-presenting breasts, genitalia or buttocks that are fully exposed. That said, fictionalized sexual acts and masturbation are still prohibited. Videos that show writing on female-presenting breasts and buttocks are now allowed, as well, along with videos that contain strip tease dances. Meanwhile, dance moves that include "twerking" and "grinding" can now be shown in videos even without being labeled.In addition to clarifying its sexual content policy, Twitch has also altered its homepage algorithm so that it'll no longer recommend content that had been labeled with Drugs, Intoxication, or Excessive Tobacco Use; Violent and Graphic Depictions; Gambling; and/or Sexual Themes. The website explains that while viewers must deliberately click on videos on the homepage to watch them, parts of streams with those themes were still visible even to those who may be uncomfortable seeing them due to their thumbnails. Now, viewers must explicitly seek out videos containing those themes.

Following the revelation that our mobile push notification records can be handed over to law enforcements, Apple put the blame on the Department of Justice (DOJ) for preventing tech companies from revealing such process. At the same time, the company updated its Legal Process Guidelines document to state that "a subpoena or greater legal process" was required to obtain the relevant records. However, Reuters spotted that a week later, Apple quietly tweaked this particular line to match Google's stricter policy on this matter:

A few weeks after Cruise's CEO Kyle Vogt and co-founder Daniel Kan resigned, the company has also dismissed nine executives considered as "key" figures for the firm. According to Reuters and other sources, GM's robotaxi unit sent an internal memo to staff members announcing the executives' departure while regulators are investigating an incident wherein a pedestrian was dragged by a Cruise vehicle after being struck by another car. Authorities are accusing the company of withholding a video that allegedly shows the victim underneath its vehicle."Following an initial analysis of the October 2 incident and Cruise's response to it, nine individuals departed Cruise," the memo reportedly reads. "We are committed to full transparency and are focused on rebuilding trust and operating with the highest standards when it comes to safety, integrity, and accountability. As a result, we believe that new leadership is necessary to achieve these goals."One of the executives who was dismissed was Gil West, who served as Cruise's Chief Operating Officer. A spokesperson also confirmed to Reuters that Jeff Bleich and David Estrada, who were the company's Chief Legal and Policy Officer and Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, respectively, were among the nine executives who were let go.This is just the latest update in the major upheaval Cruise is going through. The California DMV suspended the company's driverless permit in October, the same month the incident happened. In November, Cruise recalled 950 of its robotaxis following reports that they had trouble identifying children and that the company knew about it but kept the vehicles on the streets anyway. The robotaxi company eventually suspended even its manual operations as part of a safety probe by a third-party firm. Vogt also reportedly announced before he left the company that layoffs are on the horizon, so these executives may not be the only personnel leaving Cruise before the year ends.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cruise-drops-nine-executives-in-the-midst-of-an-accident-probe-involving-its-vehicle-044408544.html?src=rss

Meta is rolling out a suite of new tools on Instagram that give users more control over how much spam content and bots they will see on their feeds. People will also be told if something they posted is in accordance with community guidelines. The new tools will be introduced gradually in the coming weeks.Instagram has developed and improved its automated detection system that checks for spam across comments, tags, story views and followers. The moderation systems will flag fake followers and spam-filled content and give users the option to delete those items in bulk to save users time. Any suspected spam or bot account will get filtered into a separate inbox for you to review, and if an account isn't spam, you can approve a request and they'll be added to your following list. Otherwise, all accounts will be automatically removed after 30 days. Posts by profiles that get tagged as spam won't appear on the content creators' accounts unless they get approved. An account holder can view, bulk delete or approve any tag requests flagged by the system.Instagram will also send in-app notifications if it detects posts that violate its content policies. This follows Instagram's most recent update that shows when posts are blocked from appearing on the Explore page, which should stop account holders from repeating those mistakes. For Stories though, Instagram said it is still experimenting with hiding views from accounts that the platform deems as spam.The company already introduced the "Hidden Words" tool in 2021, which hides messages with questionable keywords. In the coming update, Instagram said it will start to edit out suspected spam through the advanced comment filtering tool. The issue of harassment and spam has long been a focal point for Instagram. It has had to deal with bots storming the platform and proliferating sexually explicit content. However, the company needs to strike a balance between policing inappropriate content and allowing for the free exchange of ideas on its platform. Recently, Instagram has faced scrutiny for allegedly censoring pro-Palestinian content amid the ongoing war in the Gaza.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-is-making-it-easier-to-remove-spammy-followers-021801458.html?src=rss

Instagram inboxes are about to get a little busier. The app is adding two-second looping videos and direct replies to Notes, the status update-like feature that lives at the top of users' inboxes.The feature was first introduced a year ago as a way to share quick text updates with your mutual followers and close friends. Since then, the company has also added music and translation capabilities to the feature. Now, with the latest change, users will also be able to share 2-second looping videos in the space, almost like a mini Boomerang. The clip will appear at the top of your friends' inboxes in place of your normal profile photo.At the same time, Meta is also adding the ability for people to interact with their friends' notes similar to how you might respond to a Stories post. Tapping on a note at the top of your inbox brings up a shortcut to reply with a GIF, sticker, voice note, photo or text. Replies to notes are routed to users' inboxes alongside other messages.The updates come as Meta has looked for more low-pressure ways to encourage users to share on its apps, including with smaller groups of friends. The company recently rolled out the ability to share feed posts and Reels with close friends" only. It's also recently been spotted working on a feature called flipside," which could offer a finsta-like space directly in users' profiles.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-notes-can-now-include-two-second-looping-videos-010755739.html?src=rss

Meta has been promising as much for a while, and now Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro owners can now stream hundreds of games through Xbox Cloud Gaming. You'll need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, compatible controller, solid internet connection and the most recent Quest software update. Then, you'll be able to snag the Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) app and hop into games such as Starfield, Cocoon and Halo Infinite on a large virtual screen.Meta says you'll be able to choose from four virtual display sizes. You can opt to play games in an Xbox-themed virtual space or make it appear as though the display is floating in mid-air thanks to the Quest 3 and Pro's full-color passthrough features. As for supported controllers, Meta says Xbox gamepads, PlayStation 4 peripherals and the Nintendo Switch Pro all work. Support for the PlayStation 5's DualSense will be available at a later date.This is the second major cross-platform collaboration that has arrived on Quest in the last couple of weeks. It's now possible to wirelessly play PC VR games on the headsets thanks to Steam Link support. While some folks were already able to access Xbox Cloud Gaming on Quest headsets via workarounds, the arrival of the app will make it much easier for anyone to dive in and play something when, say, they're traveling or someone else is occupying the TV.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xbox-cloud-gaming-lands-on-meta-quest-headsets-204929253.html?src=rss

Etsy is the latest company to lay off staff in 2023. CEO Josh Silverman confirmed the marketplace is letting go of 11 percent of its staff (around 225 employees) in its first significant staffing cut in recent years. It's also reshuffling its leadership, including announcing two executives' departures at the beginning of 2024.After deep discussion and careful consideration, we are reorganizing our internal structure to more closely align our resources with our most important business priorities and better serve our customers," Silverman wrote to employees. As part of this, I'm sad to share that we must say goodbye to approximately 225 team members, reducing the Etsy workforce by ~11%. This decision was among the hardest we've ever made, and one that we have tried earnestly to avoid."The company is facing a consumer spending slowdown, as its leadership warned in its Q3 2023 earnings call in November. There's no doubt that this is an incredibly challenging environment for spending on consumer discretionary items," Silverman said to investors last month. It's therefore important to acknowledge that the volatile macro climate is going to make it challenging for us to grow this quarter." Etsy's revenue growth had already stalled in recent years, with customers adjusting their spending habits post-lockdowns after a pandemic-era boom.Etsy's Brooklyn headquartersEtsyEtsy's CEO says Shein and Temu have also affected the company's bottom line. There's no question that Temu and Shein are having an impact in the market," Silverman said in the November call. You don't get that big that fast without taking share from many people."However, the two upstarts' competition isn't the only issue; Shein and Temu have also allegedly driven up Etsy's advertising costs. And the other thing that is happening is they're spending a large amount of money on marketing, not clear that they're using ROI thresholds to do that," Silverman added. And so I think those two players are almost single-handedly having an impact on the cost of advertising, particularly in some paid channels in Google and in Meta."Silverman plans to market the platform's quality, value and reliability" to help fend off the younger competitors, which specialize in cheaper goods. I have great confidence in these plans, but we need the right structure and resources in place to successfully execute on them," he wrote to employees.The CEO wasn't above talking a little smack, either. We are the opposite of Temu," Silverman said to investors in November. If I had to think about what is the polar opposite of Etsy, I'd probably get pretty close to Temu."As part of the reorganization, Etsy's chief marketing officer, Ryan Scott, and chief human resources officer, Kim Seymour, will leave the company on January 1. Chief operating officer Raina Moskowitz will now lead marketing teams, and chief product officer Nick Daniel inherits Moskowitz's previous turf, overseeing payments and fulfillment teams.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/etsy-is-laying-off-11-percent-of-its-staff-201545615.html?src=rss

OpenAI will pay German publisher Axel Springer to use its news articles to train its AI models and show real-time information from Axel Springer's brands, which include Business Insider and Politico in the US and Bild and Welt in Europe, in ChatGPT's responses. None of the companies disclosed how much the deal was worth, but Bloomberg reported that OpenAI will pay the publisher tens of millions of euros over the next three years.This partnership with Axel Springer will help provide people with new ways to access quality, real-time news content through our AI tools," said OpenAI's chief operating officer Brad Lightcap in a statement. We are deeply committed to working with publishers and creators around the world and ensuring they benefit from advanced AI technology and new revenue models."OpenAI's partnership with Axel Springer comes on the heels of concerns from creators, authors, and publishers who have criticized and sued generative AI companies for training their models on their content without consent or compensation. Some publishers like The New York Times, Vox Media, BBC News, Reuters, and CNN have blocked OpenAI from accessing their data. Striking deals with AI companies, however, could provide a brand new revenue source for publishers who are currently going through the worst year for the media business in decades.As part of the deal, Alex Springer will provide OpenAI with both current news articles as well as archives from all its brands to train its large language models, the foundational tech that powers ChatGPT. When ChatGPT uses Axel Springer's articles in its responses, it will include attribution and links to the pieces for transparency. Axel Springer will also be able to use OpenAI's technology to improve its own products, The Wall Street Journal reported.This isn't the first deal that OpenAI has struck with a news publisher. Earlier this year, the company entered into a two-year partnership with The Associated Press to use select content from the AP's archives dating back to 1985 to train its AI models, although the terms of that deal do not include letting ChatGPT use AP content in its responses. OpenAI also has a $5 million partnership with the American Journalism Project to explore how local news organizations can benefit from artificial intelligence.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-will-pay-to-train-its-models-on-business-insider-and-politico-articles-200327559.html?src=rss

EU regulators have reportedly sided against Apple in its long fight against Spotify over App Store policies. The complaint centered on "anti-steering" rules that allegedly prevented platforms like Spotify from adequately promoting alternative methods of payment. While Spotify was the key opposition, the decision impacts not just music-streaming, but anyone offering software that requires a monthly subscription.Bloomberg reports that regulators are still putting the final touches on the ruling, with a formal decision expected for early next year. Along with the ruling, the EU will likely penalize Apple for the practice and ban it outright. It's expected that Apple will get hit with a steep fine, with some experts suggesting it could be as much as ten percent of its annual global revenue. This could add up to nearly $40 billion.However, the fine is likely to be lower than that, as the EU tends to place more of an emphasis on actually ending abusive practices, instead of relying solely on fines as a deterrent. So the big news will be Apple being forced to play by the rules when operating in Europe, ending anti-steering practices once and for all. Of course, it's all up in the air until the regulating body releases its judgment.This follows a probe that started four years ago. It all began with a complaint from Spotify alleging that Apple's anti-steering practices were forcing the music-streaming platform to raise prices to cover costs associated with appearing on the App Store. This led to an initial statement of objections" against Apple in 2021 and a formal charge sheet this past February, as reported by The Verge.The formal charge sheet declared in a preliminary view" that Apple's anti-steering obligations" offer unfair trading conditions." For years, Apple didn't allow rival streaming services like Spotify to even include links in third-party apps to their own subscription sign-ups. The company has since loosened this restriction slightly after an antitrust investigation in Japan. The EU ruling could further erode this mandate.The European regulatory commission will address the accusation that Apple stopped companies from advertising alternative subscription methods but will not address anything related to in-app purchases. If you've been following this story, fees associated with in-app purchases were also part of the complaint until being dropped in February. The EU has issued a separate probe into Apple's tap-to-pay technology and whether there are any inherent antitrust concerns. According to reports, the company's in talks to settle that case.How will this affect the rest of the world? There's a similar case making its way through the US courts, via an antitrust suit brought forth by Epic Games. A judge sided with Epic, but Apple recently asked the Supreme Court for an appeal. The court granted a temporary reprieve, so Apple can still do whatever it wants in its App Store, for now. Apple is a global entity, however, so all it takes is a few countries to force a company-wide change. As an example, just look at USB-C ports.Google faced a different outcome in a US court this week. A federal jury sided with Epic Games in a similar antitrust case against Google. The jury unanimously agreed that Google held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-eu-will-reportedly-rule-against-apple-in-spotifys-complaint-over-app-store-policies-195704039.html?src=rss

When Threads launched this summer, one of the more intriguing aspects of the new service was Meta's promise to support ActivityPub, the open-source protocol that powers Mastodon and other decentralized social media platforms. But there were still many unanswered questions about how such interoperability would work, and just how committed Meta was to the plan.Now, Meta is taking its first step toward making Threads compatible with the fediverse. A new test will make some Threads content available on Mastodon and other apps for the first time, Mark Zuckerberg announced in a post on Threads. Making Threads interoperable will give people more choice over how they interact and it will help content reach more people," he wrote. "I'm pretty optimistic about this."It wasn't immediately clear how this would work or how much Threads content might be available on Mastodon or other services. But the company previously introduced the ability to verify your Threads profile on Mastodon, so Meta does have some insight into Threads users who are also active in the fediverse."We're starting with the ability to follow threads users from activitypub clients, but we will get to the ability to follow accounts from activitypub servers on threads as well," Instagram head Adam Mosseri explained in a post. We've reached out to Meta for more details on the integration and will update if we hear back.The test is the latest sign of growing momentum behind decentralized social media, which advocates say could upend how we interact online. Because decentralized platforms like Mastodon rely on protocols rather than a single company's platform, more mainstream adoption of say, ActivityPub, means that people would be able to interact with a wider variety of content in more places. Meta has also said ActivityPub support would allow users to to stop using Threads and transfer your content to another service."Though some fediverse enthusiasts have been skeptical about Meta's entry into the space, Mastodon founder Eugen Rochko has said he's supportive of their efforts. The fact that large platforms are adopting ActivityPub is not only validation of the movement towards decentralized social media, but a path forward for people locked into these platforms to switch to better providers," he wrote in a blog post earlier this year.Update, December 13 2023, 3:30PM ET: This story has been updated to include a comment from Adam Mosseri.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-tests-making-threads-posts-available-on-mastodon-and-other-fediverse-apps-190003236.html?src=rss

We knew that the iPhone 15 Pro and the Pro Max would be able to record spatial videos, but that capability wasn't available until the release of iOS 17.2. Well, it's here now, so there's no time like the present to start building up a library of spatial video clips for the impending launch of the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. The process isn't quite as simple as taking a standard video, however, so follow along and we'll get it sorted. Here's how to take a spatial video with your iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.How to take spatial video with an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro MaxThis is a more complicated process than making a traditional video, but just slightly. Here's how to capture iPhone 15 Pro spatial video.1. Head to settingsEngadget / Will ShanklinYou have to set up your phone to record spatial video. Do this by heading to settings and then camera and, finally, formats. Look for Spatial video for Apple Vision Pro" and turn it on. That's it. You're good to go.2. Open up the camera appNow that the setting has been enabled, just open up the camera app as you would to take traditional photos or videos. Select video mode to begin the process. Spatial videos must be captured in landscape orientation, so flip the phone.3. Make a spatial videoEngadget / Will ShanklinYou should see a spatial video icon on the screen. Tap it and then hit record or either volume button to start making a video. Spatial videos benefit from an abundance of care while filming. Keep the iPhone steady and level, frame any subjects three to eight feet from the camera and use even and bright lighting. Tap the spatial video icon again to stop the recording.4. Watch your videoAppleFor now, you'll have to settle with watching the video on your iPhone or any other traditional screen. Spatial videos captured on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are recorded at 1080p at 30FPS. However, that changes with the launch of the Apple Vision Pro headset. Once that arrives, you'll be able to view them in glorious 3D in the headset's Photos app. You shouldn't have to manually upload the videos to the Vision Pro, as spatial videos sync to all of your devices, assuming you're signed in with the same Apple ID and have iCloud turned on.The Apple Vision Pro headset releases at some point during the first half of 2024, so we have a bit of waiting to do before experiencing the magic of spatial video. In the meantime, start collecting clips.What is spatial video?You can't make a spatial video without understanding the purpose. You know how spatial audio increases immersion by creating 360-degrees of virtual space for sound effects, music and narration? Spatial video is basically the same thing, but for visuals. The technology creates videos that feel similar to how we move in the real world that can be experienced in all directions.There's a major caveat. You can take these videos with an iPhone 15 Pro, but you can't really enjoy them. Sure, you can play them just fine, but without any of those added spatial effects. For that, you'll need the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, which will allow you to, in a way, relive the moment. You'll be able to pull up the video as a large and immersive floating screen or expand it to occupy your entire field of view, which is sort of like stepping inside of a memory. The technology isn't exclusive to Apple's ecosystem, but this specific integration is.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-take-spatial-video-on-the-iphone-15-pro-184721039.html?src=rss

Apple is slowly but surely getting rid of the Lightning cable as it transitions to having a USB-C charging port in more of its devices and accessories. On the same day it announced iPhone 15 devices (which have USB-C ports), Apple revealed that it changed the physical charging jack on the second-generation AirPods Pro. But to get a USB-C case for the earbuds, you'd need to buy a fresh set of AirPods Pro too.That's no longer the situation as Apple has started selling the USB-C AirPods Pro case separately. The case by itself costs $99, which is much less than the $249 you'd have had to shell out before.It might be worth picking up a case if you don't want to have to deal with Lightning cables at all (and you perhaps aren't a fan of wireless or MagSafe charging). Of course, if you've lost your previous case and need to replace it, you may as well switch to a USB-C version at this point. Of note, Apple says the case is only compatible with the second-gen AirPods Pro.Apple's transition away from Lightning and toward USB-C isn't exactly voluntary. The European Union has mandated that most rechargeable devices sold in the region will need to have a USB-C charging port by the end of 2024. Apple was already moving to USB-C in iPads but making the switch on iPhone marked a significant sea change.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-now-selling-the-usb-c-airpods-pro-case-separately-182655258.html?src=rss

Gig workers in the EU will soon get new benefits and protections, making it easier for them to receive employment status. Right now, over 500 digital labor platforms are actively operating in the EU, employing roughly 28 million platform workers. The new rules follow agreements made between the European Parliament and the EU Member States, after policies were first proposed by the European Commission in 2021.The new rules highlight employment status as a key issue for gig workers, meaning an employed individual can reap the labor and social rights associated with an official worker title. This can include things like a legal minimum wage, the option to engage in collective bargaining, health protections at work, options for paid leave and sick days. Through a recognition of a worker status from the EU, gig workers can also qualify for unemployment benefits.Given that most gig workers are employed by digital apps, like Uber or Deliveroo, the new directive will require human oversight of the automated systems" to make sure labor rights and proper working conditions are guaranteed. The workers also have the right to contest any automated decisions by digital employers - such as a termination.The new rulings will also require employers to inform and consult workers' when there are algorithmic decisions" that affect them. Employers will be required to report where their gig workers are fulfilling labor-related tasks to ensure the traceability of employees, especially when there are cross-border situations to consider in the EU.Before the new gig worker protections can formally roll out, there needs to be a final approval of the agreement by the European Parliament and the Council. The stakeholders will have two years to implement the new protections into law. Similar protections for gig workers in the UK were introduced in 2021. Meanwhile, in the US, select cities have rolled out minimum wage rulings and benefits - despite Uber and Lyft's pushback against such requirements.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/european-commission-agrees-to-new-rules-that-will-protect-gig-workers-rights-175155671.html?src=rss

Apple has announced a major expansion of its self-repair program, as the company will now allow iPhone 15 and M2-powered Mac users to fix their own devices. This comes after the tech company opened up the program to include iPhone 14 models and M2-powered laptops earlier this year.The devices added to the DIY repair roster include the entire iPhone 15 lineup, the Mac Pro, Mac Studio, the 16-inch MacBook Pro and the 15-inch MacBook Air, among others. Additionally, Apple's bringing the program to 24 new countries, including Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland, bringing the Self Service Repair initiative to a total 33 nations.There's also a brand-new diagnostic tool to help users to get to the bottom of things. Apple already offered a System Configuration tool that came up when the device was in Diagnostics mode, but this goes several steps further. The web-based diagnostic tool is now available in the US and can directly test for a number of common issues (assuming you have a second device on hand to run it.) It will require putting the hardware you'd like to test into Diagnostics mode and entering its serial number into the site.Apple will attempt to diagnose the problem and offer up a step-by-step repair process. This system can test for issues with the display, software integration, audio output, camera functionality and Face ID, with more tests on the way. This essentially gives regular users the same access to diagnostic tests as Apple authorized service providers.As always, Apple's not doing this out of the kindness of its M2-powered heart. The company has been facing increasing pressure from various world governments to abide by newly-mandated right-to-repair laws. This program potentially heads off any legal troubles, though Apple still has some more work to do to cement its right-to-repair commitment. Still, additional DIY repair options are always welcome, no matter how we got here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-self-repair-program-now-includes-the-iphone-15-and-more-m2-powered-macs-162040671.html?src=rss

By the end of this year, Netflix will have already released 86 games, and it has no plans to slow down its gaming ambitions anytime soon. The streaming company already has an initial lineup of titles to add to its library in 2024, including Game Dev Tycoon. In the oddly engaging indie business simulator, you can build your own gaming company and create your own video games. You can even research new technologies in your field and invent your own game types like a real developer.Sonic Mania Plus, which was originally released for consoles and for PC through Steam, will also debut on mobile through Netflix. The enhanced version of Sonic Mania adds Sonic's friends, Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel, as well as a new mode to the game. Spry Fox is releasing the sequel to its life sim Cozy Grove, as well. Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit introduces new activities, including one wherein you can powerwash a ghost with a blowfish and new furry companions with abilities of their own. And if you're a fan of Barbie, fashion and dress-up games, there's Fashionverse, where you can style models and even create outfits for them. Netflix says it's an AI-enhanced title that puts 3D models against photorealistic backgrounds.In addition to announcing some of the games it's rolling out next year, Netflix Games has also taken a look back at its updates and releases for 2023. It launched 40 games this year, which already include the definitive edition of the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy that will be available starting tomorrow. The streaming company's gaming arm also debuted two internally developed titles: Night School's Oxenfree II: Lost Signals and Boss Fight Entertainment's interactive game, Netflix Stories: Love is Blind. Finally, the company started testing the ability to play its games on smart TVs and browsers in select regions with the intention of eventually making its titles playable on any device.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-2024-game-lineup-includes-game-dev-tycoon-sonic-mania-and-a-cozy-grove-sequel-160014745.html?src=rss

Tesla has offered a look at the latest version of its Optimus robot. In a new video, the second-gen humanoid machine appears to have greater dexterity than its predecessor, though you'll likely have to wait quite a while longer before you can pick up one of these to help around the house. Milan Kovac, who works on the Optimus project, noted on X that the footage is in real-time and that there was no CGI involved.While the previous version of Optimus struggled to walk during a live demo, the latest model is able to move with more grace, perhaps thanks to its Tesla-designed actuators and sensors. The machine has an actuated neck with two degrees of freedom and it's said to be 30 percent faster at walking while mimicking the geometry of human feet.

The Game Awards are done and the video game marketing machine is winding down for the year, but this industry never fully stops. This week, we're taking a look at what The Game Awards could have done better (a few things, it turns out) and breaking down some of the biggest announcements from last week's show.

Following a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla will recall over 2 million vehicles to address Autopilot safety concerns, according to new NHTSA documents. Fixes will be issued to owners for free via over-the-air (OTA) updates to add features that ensure drivers pay attention while using Tesla's controversial driver assistance system. It affects all current Tesla EVs built since Autopilot launched in 2015, including the Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X."The remedy will incorporate additional controls and alerts to those already existing on affected vehicles to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility whenever Autosteer is engaged," the NHTSA stated in a document. It noted that while Autopilot (specifically its Autosteer component) does have several controls to ensure drivers pay attention, they're not always enough."In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature," the document states. That in turn may lead to "an increased risk of a collision."Tesla was ordered to address the driver monitoring system. "The remedy will incorporate additional controls and alerts to those already existing on affected vehicles to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility whenever Autosteer is engaged, which includes keeping their hands on the steering wheel and paying attention to the roadway," it states. Those will include more prominent visual alerts, making it easier to turn Autosteer on and off, and eventual suspension from Autosteer if the driver fails to behave responsibly on an ongoing basis.In a letter to the NHTSA, Tesla acknowledged the order and said it would issue the required fix. "Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 10, 2023." The order affects 2,031,220 vehicles, though models that went into production after December 7th will have already incorporated the update.The NHTSA said last August that it was opening an investigation into Autopilot following 11 crashes with parked first responder vehicles since 2018 that resulted in 17 injuries and one death. In a letter to Tesla sent shortly afterward, the regulator requested detailed documentation on how the driver assistance system works. Specifically, it wanted to know how it ensures that human drivers will keep their eyes on the road while Autopilot is engaged and whether there are limits on where it can be used.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-recalls-2-million-cars-in-order-to-fix-autopilot-safety-controls-123308343.html?src=rss

Apple is adding a new iPhone feature called Stolen Device Protection, which limits what thieves can do with a stolen phone and passcode. It combines location, biometric scans and time delays, allowing victims to lock out the perpetrator and safeguard their data.Stolen Device Protection defends against iPhone thieves who monitor users entering their passcode before snatching the device. With the passcode, the perpetrator could reset the owner's Apple ID password, turn off Find My tracking, change an Apple ID password and a lot more.With this still-in-beta feature turned on, the phone will ask for a Face ID or Touch ID scan if the device is away from a familiar location, like home or work. It will also require a one-hour delay before changing the Apple ID password on the device. After the hour, it will still ask for a Face ID or Touch ID Scan before changing the Apple ID password from the iPhone.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedResearchers fuse lab-grown human brain tissue with electronicsPlayStation's 2023 Wrap-Up recaps your year in gamingGoogle Maps will let you store your location on your phone instead of the cloudHow to use Apple's new Journal appGoogle's superfast 20Gbps Wi-Fi 7 Fiber plan costs $250 a monthMasterbuilt's 2024 charcoal smart grill lineup offers one-button ignition and moreThe end of E3It was once the biggest gaming show in the world.MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, is officially dead. After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories," the Entertainment Software Association, E3's organizer, wrote on X. The industry trade group closed the statement with GGWP" - good game, well played.The ESA said, after major names pulled out of this year's planned E3, the event simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength and impact of our industry."While E3 may be gone, gaming events aren't going away. Gamescom, held in Germany, is far larger than E3 in attendance and other factors. There's also Summer Game Fest, a sort-of E3 replacement The Game Awards producer and host Geoff Keighley started in 2020 and expanded last year to include a physical event for the first time. The likes of Capcom, Ubisoft and Xbox held games showcases in association with SGF this year. The event will return for its fifth edition in 2024.Continue reading.Netflix reveals what we watched'It's the first engagement report it's ever released.NetflixNetflix has published the first of a new twice-a-year engagement report called What We Watched. It launched Tuesday as a Microsoft Excel file (!) and lists the hours viewed for every title that tallied more than 50,000 viewing hours, making it the first ultra-detailed glimpse at what people watch on Netflix.Top hits include the first season of the action-thriller series The Night Agent (nope, not heard of it), with 812,100,000 hours watched. In second place was season two of the drama Ginny & Georgia (I don't know her or her) with 665,100,000 hours. Korean show The Glory (three for three...) came third with 622,800,000 hours watched.Continue reading.Apple may lift NFC restrictions in Europe to escape antitrust finesRivals could use tap-and-go payments without Apple Pay.Apple is attempting to avoid another legal battle with the European Union. The company is allegedly offering its rivals access to its Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, used for tap-and-go payments, following the European Commission's ongoing probe into Apple's potential antitrust Apple Pay practices. While Apple's current proposal could get it out of a hefty fine and settle the case against it, it's not guaranteed to move forward.It's not just Europe, either. Apple faces a lawsuit in the United States, brought in July 2022 by Iowa's Affinity Credit Union, which accuses the company of engaging in anti-competitive behavior by illegally restricting iOS users to Apple Pay for any contactless payment.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-ios-173s-new-feature-will-make-things-harder-for-iphone-thieves-121541329.html?src=rss

Several years ago, Land Rover announced plans to offer electrified versions of all its vehicle and that process has finally begun. The company teased the Range Rover Electric in a press release and video, promising an 800 volt architecture and all the benefits of a modern EV. At the same time, it'll be just as powerful and capable off-road as its gas-guzzling counterparts.Apart from some aspirational promises, details are still sparse. To start with, it'll supposedly have "performance comparable to a flagship Range Rover V8 and the all-terrain capability developed in-house by Land Rover experts." That all-terrain capability includes the ability to wade through 850mm of water (2.8 feet), though the current V8-powered 2023 Range Rover already offers 900mm of depth.Land RoverThe new model will supposedly be the "quietest and most refined Range Rover ever created," the company said, thanks to "active road noise cancellation configuration and sound design, plus cabin comfort levels enabled by its electric underpinnings." In other words, it'll take advantage of the relatively low noise levels and simplicity of an electric drivetrain, like other luxury EVs.The new model will be built on Jaguar Land Rover's Modular Longitudinal Architecture (LMA) based on an 800 volt architecture, something that generally supports added charging power, enhanced performance, increased efficiency and weight savings. That, the company says, will help enable "fast-charging on public networks," among other benefits.The company is also promising "a seamless electric ownership experience - effortless charging, energy partnerships, software-over-the-air updates and intelligent technology to maximise range." On top of that, the vehicle and and batteries will both be built in the UK in Solihull and Wolverhampton, respectively.Range, performance and other key specifications, along with full photos of the vehicle are still missing. If you're undeterred by that and swayed by Land Rover's promo video (featuring glimpses of the vehicle, a model in a gold dress wearing green rubber boots, some koi fish and plenty of water), you can now join the waiting list.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/range-rover-electric-teased-ahead-of-its-2024-reveal-111741916.html?src=rss

If you need a spare gamepad for your Xbox or PC, Microsoft's wireless Xbox Series X/S controller is currently available for $45 at Amazon. That's close to the lowest price we've seen and the sale applies to multiple finishes (carbon black, blue and velocity green).The Series X/S controller is the classic well-balanced model with responsive face buttons, triggers, and joysticks. The d-pad offers nice tactility compared to Sony's DualSense PS5 controller, though it still uses an asymmetrical joystick layout. It comes with Bluetooth connectivity so you can use it with a PC or mobile device, plus a dedicated "Share" button for screen and video capture.While you don't get the advanced haptic feedback features of the DualSense, it fits nicely in your hand and is generally easier to use on a PC - especially for clients besides Steam. Alternatives like the 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller and Microsoft's own Elite Series 2 pad offer a wider array of features, but if you just need the basics, the standard Xbox controller is solid.The primary drawback is a reliance on AA, rather than rechargeable batteries for power. That lets it last longer on a charge than the DualSense, but you'll have to buy a separate rechargeable battery pack if you don't want to regularly swap out batteries. If you can live with that limitation, the sale offers a cheap way to get an extra high-quality controller or two.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/microsofts-official-xbox-wireless-controllers-drop-to-45-093236413.html?src=rss

Generative AI is nothing new for Snapchat users, with the app's "My AI" suite offering the likes of a free ChatGPT-powered chatbot, as well as the freemium AI-generated "Dreams" selfie effects, Bitmoji backgrounds and more. In the latest update, Snapchat+ subscribers can now leverage AI to extend images - or "zoom out" - at the click of a button, thus making the social media app even more practical. Say you have a snapshot of your pet but it's a little too close, just click on the crop button on the right menu, and then hit the "Extend" button at the bottom. Voila!The updated My AI also lets subscribers directly generate Snaps by typing a simple prompt. In the viewfinder, click the "AI" button on the right, then type in whatever you desire (within reason, of course), and shortly, you'll have an image to tinker with before sharing. Snap suggests you try silly prompts like "a dog sleeping on a rocket" or "a planet made out of cheese."Last but not least, the aforementioned Dreams feature now lets you generate fantastical portraits with friends in them. On the Dreams page, simply pick a friend, hit "Done," and then you'll be able to share the generated portrait of you both. Like before, Snapchat+ subscribers are given one pack of eight Dreams selfies every month, whereas non-subscribers only get one pack as a free trial, before they consider signing up for the $4-a-month service. Regardless, all users can buy more for $0.99 per pack.Snap's ongoing AI efforts seem to be paying off, with its number of subscribers rocketing from five million in September to seven million today - getting one step closer to the ten million "medium-term goal" set by CEO Evan Spiegel back in April, as reported by Time Magazine. Of course, given the fierce competition like Meta which offers similar features for free, Snap will have to keep churning out new AI-powered tools to keep its platform fun and fresh.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/snapchat-subscribers-can-now-use-ai-to-generate-or-extend-images-within-the-app-060003554.html?src=rss

Threads is going to make an effort to moderate more of the user-generated content on the platform. Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, posted that it is working on creating a fact-checking program. Mosseri didn't lay out what such a program would entail, only saying that Threads is going to match fact-check ratings from Facebook or Instagram to Threads." Currently, fact-checkers can't rate content on Threads, so instead when something gets flagged as being false on Instagram or Facebook, a fact-checker's ratings will also roll over onto the app. Our goal is for fact-checking partners to have the ability to review and rate misinformation on the app," Mosseri wrote.The program is expected to be available early next year. Meta said third-party fact-checking partners will flag and review the content that circulates on Threads. The app's users will be given the choice to increase, lower or maintain the default level of demotions on fact-checked content" in personal feeds. Meta says if a user decides to see less sensitive content on Instagram, those settings will roll over into their Threads view.Social media companies, like Threads, have to consider expanding guardrails to prevent misinformation from proliferating on their platforms, especially ahead of the coming presidential elections. A fact-checking system on the Threads app isn't a huge shock considering recent moves by the company. When the company introduced a search tool, it blocked certain words previously linked" to misinformation on Meta's platform.However, offering users a fact-checking feature does not necessarily mean Threads will become the new front page for digital news. Mosseri told TechCrunch that the platform, as of now, does not plan on amplifying the news" on its platform.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-is-going-to-fact-check-content-on-its-app-010720646.html?src=rss

Netflix has published the first of a new twice-a-year engagement report called What We Watched." The first installment, launched Tuesday as a Microsoft Excel file, lists the hours viewed for every title (original and licensed) that has tallied more than 50,000 viewing hours. Although it's an uneven performance comparison since episodic series will rack up many more hours than standalone films, this is the first ultra-detailed glimpse at what people watch on Netflix.The first spreadsheet, covering January to June 2023, includes 18,214 entries of eligible content. The first season of the action-thriller series The Night Agent: Season 1 sat comfortably at the top with 812,100,000 hours during that period. Following (far behind) in second place was season two of the drama Ginny & Georgia (665,100,000 hours). Rounding out the top five are season one of The Glory (622,800,000), the inaugural season of the Jenny Ortega-led Wednesday (507,700,000) and the limited prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (503,000,000).The J.Lo action flick The Mother was the top-ranked movie on the list, raking in 249,900,000 viewing hours and falling at number 20 behind a glut of multi-episode series. Idris Elba's Luther: The Fallen Sun (209,700,000) came in at 26, while the Chris Hemsworth vehicle Extraction 2 (201,800,000) slotted in at 29.NetflixIn addition to hours viewed, the spreadsheet denotes each title's release date and whether it's available globally. For curiosity's sake, the lowest-ranking globally available item on the list is the 2020 comedy special Yours Sincerely, Kanan Gill.Netflix stressed the importance of not using total hours viewed alone to determine a movie or series' impact. Success on Netflix comes in all shapes and sizes, and is not determined by hours viewed alone," the streamer wrote in its announcement blog post. We have enormously successful movies and TV shows with both lower and higher hours viewed. It's all about whether a movie or TV show thrilled its audience - and the size of that audience relative to the economics of the title."Netflix says the new biannual spreadsheets will combine with its weekly Top 10 and Most Popular lists to paint a more comprehensive picture for viewers, creators and industry watchers.You can rev up Excel or Numbers and download the inaugural Netflix spreadsheet drop here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-first-engagement-report-reveals-its-most-popular-shows-and-movies-214509788.html?src=rss

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are about to get some powerful upgrades thanks to improvements to the social network's AI assistant. The company is finally adding support for real-time information to the onboard assistant, and it's starting to test new multimodal" capabilities that allow it to answer questions based on your environment.Up to now, Meta AI had a knowledge cutoff" of December 2022, so it couldn't answer questions about current events, or things like game scores, traffic conditions or other queries that would be especially useful while on the go. But that's now changing, according to Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth, who said that all Meta smart glasses in the United States will now be able to access real-time info. The change is powered in part" by Bing, he added.Separately, Meta is starting to test one of the more intriguing capabilities of its assistant, which it's calling multimodal AI." The features, first previewed during Connect, allow Meta AI to answer contextual questions about your surroundings and other queries based on what your looking at through the glasses.MetaThe updates could go a long way toward making Meta AI feel less gimmicky and more useful, which was one of my top complaints in my initial review of the otherwise impressive smart glasses. Unfortunately, it will likely still be some time before most people with the smart glasses can access the new multimodal functionality. Bosworth said that the early access beta version will only be available in the US to a small number of people who opt in" initially, with expanded access presumably coming sometime in 2024.Both Mark Zuckerberg shared a few videos of the new capabilities that give an idea of what may be possible. Based on the clips, it appears users will be able to engage the feature with commands that begin with Hey Meta, look and tell me." Zuckerberg, for example, asks Meta AI to look at a shirt he's holding and ask for suggestions on pants that might match. He also shared screenshots showing Meta AI identifying an image of a piece of fruit and translating the text of a meme.In a video posted on Threads, Bosworth said that users would also be able to ask Meta AI about their immediate surroundings as well as more creative questions like writing captions for photos they just shot.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-are-getting-ai-powered-visual-search-features-204556255.html?src=rss

Apple is adding a new iPhone feature called Stolen Device Protection that limits what thieves can do with a stolen phone and passcode. Created following a report earlier this year by the Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern, the opt-in feature is included in the iOS 17.3 beta, now available for developers. It works using a combination of location, biometric scans, and time delays, allowing victims to lock out the perpetrator and safeguard their data.Stolen Device Protection aims to snuff out a common practice among iPhone thieves in public places, who watch users enter their passcode before snatching the device and bolting. In such cases, the perpetrator could reset the owner's Apple ID password, turn off Find My, add a recovery key and factory reset the phone for resale before the victim can do anything about it.For example, without Stolen Device Protection turned on, an iPhone thief with your passcode can use that to change your Apple ID password, locking you out of your device. This allows the pickpocket to turn off Find My, crucial to wiping the device for a new user. The thief can then sell the device at full used value, rather than trying to pass off an iCloud-locked brick for much less.Photo by David Imel for EngadgetBut with the feature turned on, the phone will ask for a Face ID or Touch ID scan if the user is away from a familiar location like home or work. It will also require a one-hour delay before changing the Apple ID password on the device. After the hour, it will still ask for a Face ID or Touch ID Scan before changing the Apple ID password from the iPhone. This makes life much harder for the thief and gives the owner time to report the iPhone as stolen, locking out the perp.Stolen Device Protection works similarly with Apple security settings. Adding recovery keys or updating the account's trusted phone number is another way iPhone thieves lock out the original owner. Like in other areas, with the new feature activated, the phone will ask for two biometric scans an hour apart if away from trusted locations.Similarly, iCloud Keychain passwords, Apple's built-in password manager, will require a Face ID or Touch ID scan. The passcode won't serve as a backup for failed biometric scans when the Stolen Device Protection is turned on.The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple plans to prompt users to turn on the feature in iOS 17.3. Since Apple only launched the update's first beta today, the general public may need to wait at least several weeks before trying it out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ios-173s-stolen-device-protection-will-make-life-harder-for-iphone-thieves-201633214.html?src=rss

Sony's 2023 Wrap-Up is now available. The recap, similar to those from music streaming services, reflects on your PS5 or PS4 gaming habits from the past year. The new version will sum up your most-played games, tally your total hours and assign an algorithmically generated gaming style." Since, from a business standpoint, these year-end rewinds also serve as crowdsourced social media marketing, Sony created easily shareable digital cards outlining your 2023 habits.You can view your PlayStation 2023 Wrap-Up by visiting Sony's web portal and logging in with your account. It generates cards summarizing your top games, trophies earned, monthly gaming stats and your personalized style. (Mine was Thrill Seeker.") A button at the bottom of the UI will pop up the cards to share with friends or followers. Sony will also, uh, helpfully" recommend games you haven't yet bought that fit your personalized style.The company says the recap is only available if you've played games on a PS5 or PS4 for at least 10 hours from January 1 to December 31. In addition, if you didn't consent to Full Data" collection from PS5 settings or Additional Data" from PS4 systems in certain regions (Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australasia, India and Russia), you won't be able to use the promotional feature. Sony is also throwing in a bonus unique avatar" and a PlayStation Stars digital collectible of a Spider-Bot from the Marvel's Spider-Man franchise as rewards.Since annual digital recaps have transformed into a popular online tradition in recent years, you can likely expect similar rewinds from Xbox and Nintendo before long.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/playstations-2023-wrap-up-recaps-your-year-in-gaming-190838612.html?src=rss

Music-creation software company Output just launched an AI tool that generates free sample packs based on text prompts. These packs are royalty-free and include 30 samples that can be used in the digital audio workstation (DAW) of your choice, including Logic Pro, Ableton, Pro Tools and others.The algorithm mixes and resynthesizes pre-existing samples to create new sounds that match the text prompt. This was developed to help music-makers move quickly, so they aren't slowed down by hunting for that perfect sample to match the vibe of the track. Instead, just write something like moody sounds for a rainy day" and let the AI assistant do the rest. You can also ask for sounds related to a specific event or samples based on a specific artist or genre.The tool also allows for more nuanced prompts, like asking to generate samples in a particular key and tempo. Pack Generator is currently in beta, but available to use via a browser-based portal. This is the first available tool for Output's Co-Producer suite of generative AI products. The company promises more to come throughout 2024.One of the cool things about this tool is that it's completely trained on Output's in-house sample library, so it doesn't pull from actual working artists, which is not true of most available AI products. It's also not intended to replace artists in any way, as it just creates sample packs. It remains to be seen how useful these AI-generated samples will be in real-world productions, but Pack Generator is available now, so it won't take long to find out.Output has been a major player in the samples space for nearly a decade, offering meticulously crafted and clean sound packs. The company also has a popular product called Arcade that lets users mangle samples to create unique soundscapes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/outputs-ai-powered-software-automatically-generates-music-sample-packs-from-text-prompts-184104250.html?src=rss

A Senate Finance Committee inquiry revealed on Tuesday that police departments can get access to private medical information from pharmacies, no warrant needed. While HIPAA may protect some access to personally identifiable health data, it doesn't stop cops, according to a letter from Senator Ron Wyden, Representative Pramila Jayapal and Representative Sara Jacobs to the Department of Health and Human Services. None of the major US pharmacies are doing anything about it, either, the members of Congress say."All of the pharmacies surveyed stated that they do not require a warrant prior to sharing pharmacy records with law enforcement agents, unless there is a state law that dictates otherwise," the letter said. "Those pharmacies will turn medical records over in response to a mere subpoena, which often do not have to be reviewed or signed by a judge prior to being issued."The committee reached out to Amazon, Cigna, CVS Health, The Kroger Company, Optum Rx, Rite Aid Corporation, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Walmart about their practices for sharing medical data with police. While Amazon, Cigna, Optum, Walmart and Walgreen said they have law enforcement requests reviewed by legal professionals before complying, CVS Health, The Kroger Company and Rite Aid Corporation said they ask in-store staff to process the request immediately. Engadget reached out to the pharmacies mentioned in the letter about the claims. CVS said its pharmacy staff are trained to handle these inquiries and its following all applicable laws around the issue. Walgreens said it has a process in place to assess law enforcement requests compliant with those laws, too, and Amazon said while the law enforcement requests are rare, it does notify patients and comply with court orders when applicable. The others either haven't responded or refuse to comment.The pharmacies mostly blamed the current lack of legislative protections for patient data for their willingness to comply with cop requests. Most of them told the committee that current HIPAA law and other policies let them disclose medical records in response to certain legal requests. That's why the Senate Finance Committee is targeting HHS to strengthen these protections, especially since the 2023 Dobbs decision let states criminalize certain reproductive health decisions.Under current HIPAA law, patients have the right to know who is accessing their health information. But individuals have to request the medical record disclosure data, instead of health care professionals being required to share it proactively. "Consequently, few people ever request such information, even though many would obviously be concerned to learn about disclosures of their private medical records to law enforcement agencies," the letter states. The letter also urges pharmacies to change their policies to require a warrant, and publish transparency reports about how data is shared.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/police-are-using-pharmacies-to-secretly-access-medical-information-about-members-of-the-public-182009044.html?src=rss

There's still plenty of time to snap up a holiday gift for a loved one (or yourself). If you're feeling particularly generous and you or someone you care about could do with a new laptop, it's worth checking out deals on Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air. Some configurations have dropped to record low prices, including one with 256GB of storage and an M2 chipset. That MacBook Air has dipped from $1,299 to $1,049 - which is $250 off the regular price.This is an excellent entry point into the Mac ecosystem. In fact, the M2-powered MacBook Air (albeit a 2022 configuration) is our pick for the best MacBook overall. The 15.3-inch model that's on sale here has a Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness, 1080p FaceTime HD camera and Touch ID.While the M2-powered MacBook Air should be more than capable enough of handling most tasks, it's disappointing that the base model only comes with 8GB of RAM. That's going to make tasks such as video and image editing, as well as even gaming, a bit more onerous on this MacBook Air.In any case, we gave the 15-inch MacBook Air a score of 96 in our review in June. We appreciated the larger display compared with the 13.6-inch MBA, though lamented the fact the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz. Great battery life (the MBA ran for about 12 hours while handling day-to-day work tasks), terrific audio and a top-notch keyboard and trackpad are major plus points. One quibble is that, despite its great performance, the M2 chipset is getting a little long in the tooth - rumors suggest an M3-powered MacBook Air could debut in March.Meanwhile, if you could use some more built-in storage than the 256GB that comes with this laptop, you can opt for a variant with 512GB for $1,249. That's also $250 off and marks another record low. However, that model still only has 8GB of memory.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-15-inch-m2-macbook-air-is-up-to-250-off-right-now-181005869.html?src=rss

In a story ripped from the opening scenes of a sci-fi horror movie, scientists have bridged a critical gap between the biological and electronic. The study, published in Nature Electronics (summarized in Nature), details a hybrid biocomputer" combining lab-grown human brain tissue with conventional circuits and AI. Dubbed Brainoware, the system learned to identify voices with 78 percent accuracy. It could one day lead to silicon microchips fused with neurons.Brainoware combines brain organoids - stem-cell-derived clusters of human cells morphed into neuron-filled mini-brains" - with conventional electronic circuits. To make it, researchers placed a single organoid onto a plate containing thousands of electrodes to connect the brain to electric circuits." The circuits, speaking to the brain organoid, translate the information they want to input into a pattern of electric pulses."The brain tissue then learns and communicates with the technology. A sensor in the electronic array detects the mini-brain's response, which a trained machine-learning algorithm decodes. In other words, with the help of AI, the neurons and electronics merge into a single (extremely basic, for now) problem-solving biomachine.The researchers taught the computer-brain system to recognize human voices. They trained Brainoware on 240 recordings of eight people speaking, translating the audio into electric to deliver to the organoid." The organic part reacted differently to each voice while generating a pattern of neural activity AI learned to understand. Brainoware learned to identify the voices with 78 percent accuracy.Human brain organoidsThe Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe team views the work as more proof of concept than something with near-term practical use. Although previous studies showed two-dimensional neuron cell cultures could do similar things, this is the first trial run using a trained three-dimensional lump of human brain cells. It could point to a future of biological computing, where the speed and efficiency of human brains" spark a superpowered AI. (What could go wrong?)Arti Ahluwalia, a biomedical engineer at Italy's University of Pisa, sees the technology shedding more light on the human brain. Since brain organoids can duplicate the nervous system's control center in ways simple cell cultures can't, the researcher views Brainoware (and the further advances it could spawn) as helping model and study neurological disorders like Alzheimer's. That's where the promise is; using these to one day hopefully replace animal models of the brain," Ahluwalia told Nature.Challenges for the bizarre proto-cyborg tech include keeping the organoids alive, especially when moving to the more complex areas where scientists eventually want to deploy them. The brain cells must grow in an incubator, which could become more challenging with bigger organoids. The next steps include working to learn how brain organoids adapt to more complex tasks and engineering them for greater stability and reliability.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-fuse-lab-grown-human-brain-tissue-with-electronics-175507932.html?src=rss

Sony's investigating a possible ransomware attack at PlayStation subsidiary Insomniac Games, the makers of the beloved Spider-Man series. A hacking group called Rhysida has claimed credit for the alleged incident and announced that it'll be selling any acquired data for $2 million within seven days if Insomniac and Sony don't pay up, according to Cyber Daily.This data potentially includes the usual stuff, like internal emails, confidential documents and personal information, but Rhysida says it goes even further. The organization claims it not only stole personal documents related to Spider-Man voice actor Yuri Lowenthal, but images and details regarding that forthcoming Wolverine game.To that end, the group released proof-of-hack documents that suggest it grabbed screenshots from the game, in addition to character art relating to other superheroes that may be featured in the title. Rhysida put up a temporary website to advertise the sale of the documents, urging purchasers to seize the opportunity to bid on exclusive, unique and impressive data." It also promises that it only sells to one hand, no reselling." Honor among thieves, I guess.Sony has issued a statement on the matter to Video Games Chronicle, writing we are aware of reports that Insomniac Games has been the victim of a cyber security attack." The company says it's currently investigating this situation" but notes that the alleged attack didn't spread beyond Insomniac, so other Sony divisions remain unscathed.Insomniac is recently known for Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, but the company cut its teeth in the 1990s making well-regarded PlayStation platformers like Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet & Clank. The developer's Wolverine game was revealed back in 2021 and there's no announced release date.As for Sony, it's one of the largest companies in the world, so it tends to attract this kind of thing. The company fell victim to a similar ransomware attack back in October, which exposed the personal information of more than 7,000 employees. In September, a hacking group called Ransomed.vc alleged that it compromised all" of Sony's connected systems, but other hackers claimed this was a scam. Sony investigated the alleged attack but hasn't released any findings.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-is-investigating-possible-ransomware-attack-at-insomniac-games-173435808.html?src=rss

In today's day and age, it can feel almost impossible to keep anything private, such as your whereabouts, and we're often at the mercy of companies to take actionable steps to do so. To that end, Google has announced new location controls for Maps designed to give you more well, control, over what and where data is recorded.One of the most notable changes rolling out is the option to save your Timeline right to your device instead of the cloud. If you're unfamiliar, the Timeline is an encrypted record of all the areas and attractions you've visited. You need to turn on your Location History - it's off by default - in order to activate Timeline. As part of Google Maps' updates, Location History will automatically delete your data after three months versus the previous 18 months. However, you can delete any information as soon as you want or turn off auto-delete. Plus, you can turn Location History back off at any point.Speaking of Location History, Google Maps will also allow you to click on your blue dot on the map and see settings such as Location History and Timeline. The shortcut lets you edit how much of your information is shared with and stored on Google Maps without having to dive into your settings.Similarly, Google Maps is adding the option to delete location-specific data. Say you were looking up a restaurant to take your partner for their birthday and want to keep it secret, you can delete directions, searches, shares and more. This feature and the blue dot shortcut will roll out in the coming weeks on Android and iOS, but the ability to save your Timeline straight to your device will become available sometime over the next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-maps-will-let-you-store-your-location-on-your-phone-instead-the-cloud-170041432.html?src=rss