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The home chef or budding cook in your life may appreciate some new tech to smarten up their kitchens. You might even be looking for kitchen gadgets that will make it easier to prepare a holiday feast - and make next year's meal prep simpler too. Whether for gifts or for yourself, Black Friday is an ideal time to save on kitchen tech and smart appliances. Many of our tested and recommended cookers, air fryers, pizza ovens and other tools are on sale right now, and many are dropping to the best prices we've seen all year.Instant Pot Duo PlusThe Instant Pot Duo is 47 percent off and down to $70 at Amazon. which beats its previous all-time low from Prime Day in July. It's $10 more directly from Instant Brands. This is our favorite multi-cooker (and we're not alone) with the ability to make everything from yogurt to rice to full dinners and desserts. The Duo model is simple to get the hang of and has plenty of quick cooking modes for a range of dishes - eggs and grains included - and even has a sous vide mode. If you know someone who doesn't have an Instant Pot yet, this will make a great gift.Vitamix Explorian Series E310The Vitamix E310 is on sale for $289 at Amazon, Target and directly from Vitamix, and while that's not an all-time low, it's still a $60 discount on a particularly powerful blender. It's our favorite blender from our guide to kitchen tech because it goes beyond smoothie duty to create salsas, sauces, dips and even soups (which the blender can heat to steaming in the container due to shear friction). Anyone coming from a standard blender will be impressed with the way it renders even the hardest, chunkiest ingredients silky smooth.Instant Vortex Plus air fryerThe company that makes our favorite multi-cooker also makes our favorite air fryer. The Instant Vortex Plus air fryer is down to $80 at Amazon, which matches its lowest price ever, from back in October for Amazon's Prime Day. This is a good pick even for air frying newbies as the controls are intuitive and the basket is easy to clean. This new model adds a viewing window to peek in on your food and an odor-removing filter. While it didn't completely eliminate the odors in our tests, it definitely smelled less smokey than other units we tried.KitchenAid Artisan Stand MixerKitchenAid's Artisan series stand mixer is $100 off the $450 MSRP. It's one of our favorite pieces of kitchen gear because it's durable, powerful and it comes with a beater, dough hook and wire whisk attachments. KitchenAid mixers are also compatible with a variety of accessories and attachments that can turn the machine into an ice cream maker, a meat grinder or even a pasta machine, which will quickly expand your cooking repertoire.Anova Precision Cooker 3.0Anova Precision Sous Vide machine is down to $145 after a 27 percent discount at Amazon and Target. That's not an all time low, but still the lowest price it's sold for in the past few months. This is our top sous vide pick in our kitchen tech guide thanks to the helpful app with hundreds of recipes and the option for remote control. If you or your giftee are more hands-on chefs, there are manual controls too. This newer generation includes digital touch controls and a longer cord than last time, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity.Breville PizzaioloThe Breville Pizzaiolo is 20 percent off at Amazon, Williams Sonoma and directly from Breville, bringing the pricey $1,000 machine down to $800 - a price it has hit during previous shopping holidays. That's still not cheap, but if you're looking for a dedicated pizza oven that cooks 12-inch pies remarkably well, this is a solid pick. It's one of the indoor options from our guide to the best za cookers and offers different presets, including a wood fired" setting. The heating elements adjust and adapt thanks to the smarts inside, creating an ideal environment for whatever style you've selected. For real pros, the Pizzaiolo also includes a manual mode that lets you dial in your temps for the upper and lower elements.Solo Stove Pi Pizza OvenIf we extend the concept of the kitchen to include anywhere food is made, outdoor pizza ovens most definitely belong on this list. The You might know Solo Stove for its fire pits, but we found them to make some pretty great pizza ovens too. Solo stove is having a sitewide sale for Black Friday, which includes discounts on the wood only or dual fuel Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven and the gas-only Pi Prime, which is $50 off and currently offered with a 20 percent off promo for Amazon Prime members.KitchenAid Cordless variable speed hand blenderWe like KitchenAid's Cordless Variable Speed Blender because its easy to use and has an 180-watt motor that you can adjust just by how much you squeeze the trigger. It also comes with a dishwasher-safe blending jar and an optional pan guard so you don't scratch your cookware. The built-in safety switch makes it harder to start up the blade by accident for extra peace of mind as you cook. Right now it's $20 off at Amazon and directly from KitchenAid.OXO Good Grips Precision scaleOXO's Precision Scale is on sale for $45, which is 15 percent off the list price and about $7 cheaper than it's been selling for these past few months. It's an ideal gift for a baker, as measuring by weight tends to produce far better results than volumetric measurements. It supports both metric and imperial weights in precise, 0.1-gram increments and even has a timer built-in, because you just can't have too many of those in the kitchen. Plus the minimalist design looks good on any countertop.SodaStream TerraThe SodaStream Terra is already the company's most affordable soda maker, and for Black Friday at Amazon and at SodaStream, it's down to $60 - a price it hasn't hit since last year's holiday sales. The kit includes a reusable one liter bottle, a bottle of Bubbly Drop lemon lime flavor, and a CO2 cylinder, along with the device itself. It doesn't need to be plugged in, just attach the cartridge, fill the bottle with water and hit the button to make the bubbles. Then you can mix and match whichever flavors you want, while feeling good about saving money, packaging and transportation waste from traditional sodas.Fellow Tally Pro Precision ScaleOur biggest concern when we tried out the Tally Pro scale was the price. Now Black Friday is making the $185 gadget a little easier to take, with a 20 percent discount that brings it down to $148, which looks to be its lowest price yet. It's perfect for anyone who's really into brewing the perfect cup of coffee. The scale calculates the amount of water you need and tells you how much water to add throughout the brewing time for the best extraction.Fellow Stagg EKG Pro kettleFellow's Stagg EKG Pro Electric Kettle is also on sale, with a 20 percent discount bringing it down to $204 instead of $255. It's a fully featured pour-over kettle that lets you pick preset temperatures for different brews of coffee and tea. There's also a manual mode for the more experienced. You can set your altitude, schedule the pot to start warming up at a specific time and use the hold mode to maintain the temp for up to an hour.Fellow Opus Conical Burr GrinderWith a good scale and good kettle, you may also want a good grinder. Fellow's Opus Conical Burr Grinder and the Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2 are both 20 percent off as well, bringinght them down to $156 and $276, respectively. The Opus has more than 40 precision settings and 40mm conical burrs with a burr speed of 350 RPM. The Ode Gen 2 has 31 grind settings and is built to run a little quieter. It has an auto-stop function, along with anti-static tech that's said to reduce grind mess.Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer ProThe Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is beastly enough to replace your oven, and might even be overkill for some. It's our favorite multi-purpose air fryer because it can bake, dehydrate, slow cook and convect in addition to making things crispy with its air frying capabilities. Right now Amazon, Best Buy and Breville's storefront are selling the unit for $320, and though that's not an all-time low, it's still about $80 less than it typically sells for and $130 off the list price.Thermapen OneThe Thermapen One is our favorite thermometer because it gives accurate readings nearly instantly and has an auto-rotating screen that's easy to read. It's on sale from Thermoworks for $71 instead of the list price of $109 and even cheaper than the $99 it often sells for.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/black-friday-kitchen-deals-for-2023-save-up-to-60-on-a-vitamix-explorian-blender-160008016.html?src=rss

Engadget has tested out a ton of speakers over the years and now Black Friday sales are making many of our favorites much more affordable. It's perfect timing too: Bluetooth speakers make great gifts for anyone who likes music, and a new smart speaker in your home may help tame the chaos of the holidays by letting you set timers and reminders while playing a chill mix to calm you. We found deals on Bluetooth speakers from Bose and JBL, smart speakers from Amazon and Sonos, and more - some are even down to their lowest prices ever.Bose speaker dealsBose SoundLink FlexBose Portable Smart SpeakerJBL speaker dealsJBL Clip 4JBL Boombox 3JBL Flip 6JBL Xtreme 3Sonos speaker dealsSonos Era 100Sonos Beam sound barSonos RoamSonos Arc sound barSonos Ray soundbarAmazon Echo speaker dealsEcho DotEcho PopEchoEcho StudioMarshall speaker dealsMarshall Emberton IIMarshall Acton IIMarshall WillenUltimate Ears speaker dealsUltimate Ears Wonderboom 3Ultimate Ears HyperboomUltimate Ears EpicboomSpeaker deals from Anker, Razer and TribitSoundcore Motion 300Razer Nommo V2 ProTribit StormBox Micro 2Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-black-friday-speaker-deals-from-bose-jbl-sonos-and-more-140033359.html?src=rss

Amazon and Black Friday go together like peanut butter and heavily discounted jelly. The web retail giant unveiled a spate of deals for the day, including an extremely attractive offer on its Fire HD 10 tablet. You can snag one for 43 percent off, dropping the price down to $80. This is a record-low for Amazon's mid-level device.You aren't even getting an older tablet here, as the deal's for the company's latest and greatest 2023 model. To that end, you get a 10.1-inch full HD screen, an octa-core 2 GHz processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. Not bad for $80, right? This isn't the fanciest tablet on the block, but it gets the job done for browsing the web, checking social media and, of course, watching streaming apps. It even comes with a dashboard for controlling smart home devices with taps instead of voice commands.This deal is for the Fire HD 10 with lockscreen ads", so you'll be shown personalized ads on the screensaver in sleep mode. I've found this ad delivery method to be relatively unobtrusive, all things considered. There is one serious caveat, however, that impacts most Amazon tablets. You won't have access to the Google Play Store, so the app selection is limited. However, all the big ones are still available.There are other Amazon-branded tablets available with steep discounts as part of this larger Black Friday event. You can get the company's top-of-the-line Fire 11 Max tablet for $150 instead of $230. This tablet boasts 64GB of storage with an SD slot for more, 4GB of RAM, an octa-core processor and a durable aluminum design. The diminutive Fire HD 8 is also on sale for $60 instead of $100.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-43-percent-off-the-2023-fire-hd-10-tablet-120052541.html?src=rss

The Echo Show 5 smart display has dropped to $40 as part of Amazon's Black Friday sale. That's 56 percent off the MSRP, representing a savings of $50. This matches a record-low price for the device. It's worth noting that this deal is for the latest and greatest 3rd-generation of the display that was originally released earlier this year.The Echo Show 5 made our list of the best smart displays you can buy, and for good reason. This device is only 5.5 inches wide, thus the name, which could be too small for some people, but actually serves a useful purpose. The Echo Show 5 makes for a fantastic bedside device, as it fits snugly on a nightstand or even a small desk.This also allows it to double as a stellar smart alarm clock, a feature Amazon has encouraged with regular software updates. The screen's brightness adjusts automatically, thanks to an integrated ambient light sensor, and there's a nice tap-to-snooze function. There's even a sunrise alarm that slowly brightens the screen so you can wake up gently instead of being yelled at by a loud beeping noise. It does boast a camera, which might make you feel weird being as how it'll likely be in the bedroom. Luckily, it also ships with a camera cover.Amazon's sale goes beyond the Echo Show 5, if you're looking for a larger smart display. The latest Echo Show 8 is discounted to $105 from $150 and the large-and-in-charge Echo Show 10 is on sale for $160 instead of $250.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-echo-show-5-drops-to-40-in-amazons-black-friday-sale-130026088.html?src=rss

If you've been eager to upgrade your wireless buds to Apple's latest, Black Friday deals will make that a little easier to do. The AirPods Pro with USB-C charging case have dropped to a record low of $190, which is $60 off their usual price. The third-gen AirPods are also on sale for $140. While Apple made tons of improvements to the more affordable buds, the AirPods Pro earned a spot on our best wireless earbuds list instead and are worth the extra spend.The biggest perk of the latest AirPods Pro is their USB-C charging case, upgraded from Lightning earlier this year. The case is also MagSafe compatible, so you can use either a USB-C cable or a wireless charger to power it up. As far as battery life goes, the Pros should get up to six hours of listening time and a total of 30 hours of use when employing the extra juice from the charging case.When Apple last updated the buds themselves, the company significantly improved audio quality and noise cancelation. Transparency Mode is a standout as well, which is the most natural sounding out of the many buds we've tested and reviewed. The AirPods Pro are, unsurprisingly, our top pick wireless earbuds for iOS users precisely because of how well they integrate with iPhones and iPads. You get quick pairing and switching with these buds, hands-free Siri access and spatial audio as well.Apple's third-gen AirPods are a decent option as well, but you won't get many of the advanced features found on the Pros. There's no active noise cancelation, nor USB-C charging (you're stuck with Lightning), but you do get an IPX4-rated design, spatial audio, solid sound quality and all of the same iOS conveniences thanks to the H1 chip inside.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-black-friday-deals-bring-the-airpods-pro-with-usb-c-down-to-190-100004586.html?src=rss

It's a great time to stock up on Apple's AirTags if you were looking to buy a few to keep track of valuables and other belongings. The four-pack AirTag bundle is currently on sale for $80 at Amazon this Black Friday, $19 less than what you would pay for it without the discount. That's $20 apiece for each AirTag, which typically sells for $29, and is nearly an all-time low for the bundle. You can also get a single AirTag in case you don't have any need for four, but (while also discounted) it'll set you back $24 instead of just $20.Apple's AirTags leverage the company's Find My network that's powered by all of its devices around the world. You'll need to pair them with an iPhone or an iPad to be able to track them, of course, but as long as they're within range of another Apple device, you'll know where they currently are or what their last location was. The Find My map will be able to guide you, so you can find your purse, suitcase, wallet, or whatever it is you're tracking.You can make an AirTag play a sound on its built-in speaker through your phone or tablet to make it easier to find, or you can ask Siri to do it for you. If you have an iPhone 11 or later that supports Ultra Wideband, you'll have access to the Find Nearby feature that displays the distance to and the direction information for your AirTag. Your phone will also vibrate the closer you get to the tracking device. And if you want to be notified as soon as it's spotted by Apple's Find My Network, all you have to do is put the device in Lost Mode. When it comes to maintenance, you don't have to do much: The AirTag is water and dust resistant, and it runs on a coin battery that you only have to replace once a year or so.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-airtag-4-pack-falls-to-80-for-black-friday-101550522.html?src=rss

Black Friday means savings on cameras for content creation, travel photography and more. This year is no exception as all the major manufacturers, including Sony, Canon, DJI, Nikon, GoPro, Fujifilm and Nikon have some stellar deals. Sony is offering its latest compact vlogging camera, the ZV-1F, at just $398 ($100 off), while Canon's new EOS R100 mirrorless APS-C camera is available with a kit lens for just $449. Panasonic has its full frame Lumix S5 on sale for $1,298 (38 percent off), DJI's Avata Pro-View combo is $999 (30 percent off) and GoPro's Hero 11 is down to $300, for a savings of 14 percent.Sony's ZV-1F is its third and most affordable vlogging camera, designed for creators as a "step up" from smartphones. It does that job well thanks to a lightweight body, built-in high-quality microphone, flip-out display, best-in-class autofocus and excellent image quality. The 20mm fixed lens makes it better for vlogging than the ZV1 with a 24-70mm, but the lack of a zoom is its biggest drawback.Canon's 24.2-megapixel R100 gives buyers the benefit of a mirrorless camera, namely the ability to change lenses. It also offers features like 4K 24p video, decently fast 6.5 fps shooting speeds with autofocus, excellent image quality and more. The main issue is the lack of a flip-out display, so it's not an ideal vlogging camera. It normally costs $600 with a 16-50mm lens, but you can now pick one up for $450, making it the cheapest APS-C mirrorless camera by a good margin.we gave the Hero 11 Black a largely positive review when it launched in September. The camera is an iterative upgrade over the excellent Hero 10 Black, meaning it still allows for crisp video at up to 5.3K/60 Hz, 4K/120 Hz, or 2.7K/240 Hz (for extra slow-motion shots), excellent stabilization that keeps moving footage looking smooth, and a rugged, waterproof design that's small enough to fit on a helmet, bike handle, surfboard, or most other tight spots.With the arrival of the Lumix S5 II, Panasonic is offering some stellar deals on its predecessor, the S5. It's smaller and costs less than the Lumix S1, but it actually delivers better video features. That includes a flip-out display, five-axis in-body stabilization and 10-bit 4K recording at up to 60 fps. The autofocus is faster and more accurate than the S1, but not as good as Sony and Canon's systems for video. Still, at this price, it's one of the best cameras currently available for content creators.The Avata is a solid little drone that produces decent-quality 4K 60p log footage. Its biggest advantage over other drones is the speed and maneuverability, along with the propeller guards that let you operate the drone around people. It does have some weird flaws and limitations - the Googles 2 aren't ideal if you wear glasses, plus the motion controller isn't ideal for precise FPV flying. Still, there aren't many other ready-to-fly drones that can do what it does.Nikon's Z6 II improves the original with faster speeds, improved eye-detect autofocus and more. You can shoot 4K at up to 60 fps, and grab photos at up to 14 fps. It also offers features like a flip screen, 3.69-million dot EVF and more. It's normally $1,997, but you can save $400 with Amazon's current deal.Other notable camera and accessory Black Friday dealsThose products are just a smattering of what's available, but there are others as well. Panasonic also has its brand new S5 II mirrorless camera - its first with phase-detect autofocus - on sale for $1,698 for a savings of $300 (15 percent).Sony also has its new A7 IV camera on sale for $2,298, saving you $200 off the list price, while the A7 III is marked down to $1,498 ($502 off) - the best price we've ever seen on this model. It's also got deals on a large number of lenses - to see more, check out its Amazon camera store. Meanwhile, if you're looking for the latest Panasonic cameras in a bundle, the company has a few solid deals, and Nikon has multiple bundles as well.There are some notable deals on accessories, too. Lexar's V60 II memory cards (250MB/s read and 120MB/s write) are up to 35 percent off, with a pair of the the 128GB models priced at just $65 and the 256GB model in a two-pack at $105. If you need faster V90 cards, PNY's 128GB EliteX-Pro90 Class is marked down $20 to $75, while the 64GB cards are just $48 (20 percent off). MicroSD cards for drones or action cameras are also on sale, including SanDisk's Extreme 512GB model for $32 (or 71 percent off). More camera deals could arrive later, so stay tuned.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-black-friday-camera-and-drone-deals-for-2023-103025745.html?src=rss

If you've been looking to grab a new pair of AirPods ahead of the holidays, we have good news: The entirety of Apple's wireless headphone lineup is on sale for Black Friday. We've rounded up the best Black Friday AirPods deals we could find below, with discounts on the base AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. If you don't need a new pair today, note that recent reports say Apple may refresh its AirPods lineup later in 2024. But if you don't want to wait until then, the deals below are still offer good value.Apple AirPods ProApple's AirPods Pro are on sale for $190 at Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. That's $60 less than buying from Apple directly and ties an all-time low. This is the best for iOS" pick in our wireless earbuds guide thanks to its suite of helpful Apple-specific features, including hands-free access to Siri, quick pairing with iPhones and device tracking through Apple's Find My network. Effective (if not class-leading) ANC, a superb transparency mode and a pleasantly warm sound also stand out. That said, the Pro's six-hour battery life is just average and, as with any set of AirPods, you pretty much have to be a dedicated Apple fan to get the most out of it.This deal applies to the latest iteration of the earphones, which come with a USB-C charging case. If you don't mind using a Lightning charging case, Walmart has the previous version on sale for a new low of $169. Either way, we gave the AirPods Pro a review score of 88 last year.Apple AirPods (2nd Gen)The second-gen AirPods are down to $80 at Amazon and Target, which isn't an all-time low but comes in roughly $20 below the pair's usual street price in recent months. These are Apple's entry-level wireless earbuds, having launched way back in 2019. They're a bit tougher to recommend these days, as their one-size-fits-all design won't fit everyone and you can get better sound quality even at this discounted rate. But if you prefer an open design that doesn't completely seal off your ear canal, or just want the typical AirPods conveniences for as cheap as possible, this is at least a more acceptable price for these buds.Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)The third-gen AirPods are available for $140 at Amazon, Target, Best Buy and others. Typically, these wireless earbuds have retailed between $10 and $20 higher in recent months, but steeper discounts have been uncommon. We gave this pair a review score of 88 back in 2021: There are certainly better-sounding options for the money, but the third-gen AirPods sound noticeably richer than their predecessor, and their haptic touch controls are altogether more convenient. This is another open design, though, so there still isn't much in the way of deep bass or noise cancellation. Not everyone will find the wider earpieces comfortable either.Apple AirPods MaxApple's top-of-the-line headphones, the AirPods Max, are discounted to $450 at Amazon and Best Buy. That's $20 more than the lowest price we've seen but about $30 below the pair's usual street price. Apple itself sells the headphones for $550. The AirPods Max are still overpriced for most even with this discount, but they remain undeniably premium, with top-tier ANC, a superbly balanced sound profile, a high-quality aluminum design, reliable controls and all the usual AirPods features. They're hefty, though, and their included case" is bafflingly flimsy. We gave the AirPods Max a review score of 84 in late 2020.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-black-friday-deals-on-airpods-and-airpods-pro-for-2023-090053481.html?src=rss

NVIDIA is facing a lawsuit filed by French automotive company Valeo after a screensharing blunder by one of its employees. According to Valeo's complaint, Mohammad Moniruzzaman, an engineer for NVIDIA who used to work for its company, had mistakenly showed its source code files on his computer as he was sharing his screen during a meeting with both firms in 2022. Valeo's employees quickly recognized the code and took screenshots before Moniruzzaman was notified of his mistake.To note, Valeo and NVIDIA are working together on an advanced parking and driving assistance technology offered by a manufacturer to its customers. Valeo used to be in charge of both software and hardware sides of the manufacturer's parking assistance tech. In 2021, however, the the bigger corporation won the contract to develop its parking assistance software. Valeo wrote in its lawsuit that its former employee, who helped it develop its parking and driving assistance systems, had realized that his exposure and access to its proprietary technologies would make him "exceedingly valuable" to NVIDIA.Moniruzzaman allegedly gave his personal email unauthorized access to Valeo's systems to steal "tens of thousands of files" and 6GB of source code shortly after that development. He then left Valeo a few months later and took the stolen information with him when he was given a senior position at NVIDIA, the complaint reads. He also worked on the very same project he was involved in for Valeo, which is why he was present at that video conference.Valeo said its former employee admitted to stealing its software and that German police found its documentation and hardware pinned on Moniruzzaman's walls when his home was raided. According to Bloomberg, he was already convicted of infringement of business secrets in a German court and was ordered to pay 14,400 ($15,750) in September.In a letter dated June 2022, NVIDIA's lawyers told the plaintiff's counsel that the company "has no interest in Valeo's code or its alleged trade secrets and has taken prompt concrete steps to protect [its] client's asserted rights." Valeo still sued the company earlier this month, however, and said that NVIDIA has "saved millions, perhaps hundreds of millions, of dollars in development costs, and generated profits that it did not properly earn and to which it was not entitled" by stealing its trade secrets.This is but another proof that competition continues to heat up in the autonomous driving market. Back in 2017, Waymo accused Uber of colluding with its former employee, Anthony Levandowski, to steal over 14,000 confidential and proprietary design files. Levandowski was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but he was pardoned six months later by then President Donald Trump.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidia-sued-for-stealing-trade-secrets-after-screensharing-blunder-showed-rival-companys-code-063009605.html?src=rss

If you recently treated yourself to an iPhone 15 or new Mac computer, Amazon's Black Friday sale has Apple accessories you can buy to complete your setup. The highlight of the promotion are the company's FineWoven Wallets, which are currently $6 or 10 percent off their $59 MSRP. Apple offers the MagSafe accessory in five different colors, with the evergreen, mulberry and taupe models included in the sale. And if you don't mind basic black, that wallet is discounted even further at $48 currently. Not everyone is a fan of Apple's new FineWoven accessories, but on the plus side, the material is vegan-friendly and the wallet attaches magnetically to recent iPhones.As part of the same sale, Amazon has also discounted Apple's first-party AirTag Key Ring. The coral, taupe, mulberry, pacific blue and black models are all 9 percent off their usual $35 price tag, making them $31 at the moment. Like the MagSafe Wallets above, the AirTag holders are made using the company's new FineWoven material.Separately, the sale discounts the company's 35W dual USB-C power adapters. After a 25 percent discount, both the standard and compact models are $44, or $16 less than usual. Unlike the FineWoven accessories, these are universally well-regarded. In particular, I love the standard model for its modular design that allows you to swap out the power connector if you're traveling in another country. Note that 35W won't be enough to charge some of Apple's more power-hungry laptops, including the 14-inch MacBook Pro.For the Mac fan who has nearly everything, I'll lastly mention Amazon has reduced the Magic Trackpad, Mouse and Keyboard. Of the three peripherals, I think the keyboard is the most useful, particularly if you own one of the company's laptops and want to build a more ergonomic setup. It's also subject to the most significant discount, with it costing $80 after a 19 percent price cut.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-black-friday-deals-include-up-to-25-percent-off-usb-c-chargers-magsafe-accessories-and-more-015305089.html?src=rss

Amazon's flagship Fire Max 11 tablet is back down to its previous all-time low price just in time for Black Friday. The retailer has discounted the base model with 64GB of internal storage and lock screen ads to $150 or 35 percent off its $230 MSRP. For those that had their eye on the other variants of the Fire Max 11, the 128GB model is sold out at the moment, as is the productivity bundle - though you can still buy the ad-free model for $165, or $80 off its usual $250 sticker price.The Fire Max 11 is Amazon's most powerful tablet to date. It features an 11-inch, 2,000 x 1,200 LCD screen, a MediaTek octa-core processor that is about twice as fast as any other Amazon tablet, 4GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 6 support and a fingerprint sensor that's built directly into the device's power button. Compared to most of the company's other tablets, which often skew toward being kid-friendly and built primarily for consuming content, the Fire Max 11 sports a more refined design. It weighs about a pound and features slimmer bezels. Most of all, Amazon went with more premium aluminum. The internal battery is good for about 14 hours of use on a single charge.On the software front, the Max 11 runs Fire OS 8, the latest version of Amazon's Android fork. It offers a built-in split screen and picture-in-picture features that are perfect for those who frequently use their tablets to watch video. If you want to use the device for productivity, Amazon offers optional stylus and keyboard case accessories.Engadget hasn't had a chance to review the Fire Max 11, but for $230, the tablet offers plenty of value for those looking for a no-frills device that's great for media consumption and light productivity work. When you consider competing 2-in-1 tablets from the likes of Samsung, Microsoft and Apple will typically set you back far more than Fire Max 11, Amazon's offering is a great budget option.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-deals-the-fire-max-11-tablet-hits-a-record-low-of-150-011030793.html?src=rss

If you've been patiently eyeing an air fryer, one of Engadget's favorite models is on sale right now. Amazon has discounted the Instant Vortex Plus. Thanks to a 33 percent discount, the small appliance is $80 through the end of the weekend. Normally, the 6-quart model costs around $200, with the current price reflecting a new all-time low for the Vortex Plus.If you've ever been around a kitchen, Instant needs no introduction. The brand is responsible for the very popular line of Instant Pot pressure cookers, and as it just so happens, it also makes an excellent air fryer. In fact, Engadget considers the Vortex Plus as the best model for most people. It features intuitive controls, an easy-to-clean basket, and enough internal capacity to cook four chicken thighs. The Vortex Plus is also versatile. On top of a fry setting, it includes five other cooking modes: roast, broil, bake, reheat and dehydrate. Best of all, it's fast and doesn't need much time to preheat.The model Amazon has discounted is missing the OdorErase feature found on Engadget's top pick. As the name suggests, Instant claims OdorErase lessens the strength of cooking smells when the Vortex Plus is working. In our testing, OdorErase didn't completely eliminate all smells, but it did help the appliance produce less smoke. It's a nice feature to have, but for $80, it's hard to complain about omissions when the Vortex Plus offers such great performance.I know what you're thinking, does anyone really need another small appliance in their kitchen. For what it's worth, I use the air fryer I bought earlier this year almost every day. It's great for roasting perfectly crisp vegetables in about half the time required with a conventional oven. I also appreciate how easy the included basket makes cleanup.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-instant-pot-vortex-plus-air-fryer-is-on-sale-for-80-in-an-amazon-black-friday-deal-001218389.html?src=rss

With all of the price hikes streaming services have undergone lately, Engadget recently asked whether streaming was still worth it. Ultimately our answer is yes, but we can't help but notice how much more expensive these services are now than they once were. But Black Friday deals this year have discounted a number of the top streaming services available, which means you can save a decent amount of money on the monthly (and sometimes yearly) cost of access. Max, Hulu and Peacock are just a few of the services with Black Friday promotions going on right now, with savings up to 85 percent. The only catch is that most of the deals require you to be a new subscriber, or at least a non-subscriber for a certain period of time. Here are the best Black Friday streaming service deals we could find for 2023.PeacockMaxHuluParamount+FuboSlingTVPhiloYour Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-7-best-black-friday-streaming-deals-for-2023-230004194.html?src=rss

Accessory maker Dbrand has filed a "multi-million dollar" lawsuit against Casetify for allegedly ripping off the designs of its "transparent" Teardown products. The skins and cases, created in collaboration with YouTuber Zack "JerryRigEverything" Nelson, are designed to look like the guts of the device they're applied to, such as smartphones, laptops and gaming systems. Dbrand and Nelson say Casetify stole those designs for its "Inside Out" line.According to Nelson, he and Dbrand "go to extreme lengths to ensure that every Teardown skin is an accurate representation" of the inside of each device. However, in a video and thread on X (formerly Twitter), the collaborators point out that they add several Easter eggs for fans to find.

The Google Chromecast with Google TV 4K streaming stick has dropped to a record low price of $38 as part of a larger Black Friday deal on Amazon. That's 24 percent off the MSRP of $50. This is the latest and greatest Chromecast stick and, as the name suggests, can be used to watch live TV with resolutions up to 4K HDR.We appreciated the streaming stick in our official review, calling out the comfortable remote control that ships with the product and the excellent Google Assistant integration, which lets you skip that remote entirely and use your voice for controls. The stick also offers support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and good ole HDR10. We also loved that this is a nearly lag-free device, especially when compared to rival products in the same price range. There's a reason, after all, that this stick easily made our list of the best streaming devices in 2023.It's also extremely easy to use, and the integrated dongle makes for a simple installation process. Just plug and play. Once installed, you'll be able to watch content from just about every major streaming platform out there, including a diverse array of free ad-supported stuff, with one major caveat. The system doesn't allow access to Apple TV+, so you'll have to find another way to watch that Kurt Russell Godzilla show.We are in the middle of Black Friday festivities, so that's not the only streaming stick on sale. Amazon is also offering the HD version of Google's Chromecast streaming stick for just $20. That's a savings of 33 percent from the MSRP of $30. This is basically the same product as above, but without 4K.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-4k-chromecast-with-google-tv-drops-to-a-new-low-of-38-for-black-friday-213041691.html?src=rss

The margin of success in Formula 1 often comes down to tiny measurements of time and distance. Drivers know the exact lines to take at corners for optimal lap times. Sometimes, though, racers will go out of bounds as they try to gain an advantage. To help officials check whether a car's wheels entirely cross the white boundary line, F1 will test an AI system.The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the motorsport's governing body, says it will employ Computer Vision tech at the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend. This approach uses shape analysis to determine the number of pixels that cross the line at the edge of the track.The FIA doesn't plan to fully automate reviews of track limits breaches for the time being. Rather, it wants to significantly reduce the number of potential rule violations that are sent to officials for manual review.As Reuters notes, July's Austrian Grand Prix saw four people having to review around 1,200 potential violations. After some track limit violations went unpunished in October's US Grand Prix, officials acknowledged they'd have to find a new approach. Enter Computer Vision.This tech has been used in medicine to help review data from cancer screenings. "They don't want to use the Computer Vision to diagnose cancer, what they want to do is to use it to throw out the 80 percent of cases where there clearly is no cancer in order to give the well-trained people more time to look at the 20 percent," Tim Malyon, the FIA's deputy race director and head of remote operations, said. "And that's what we are targeting."The FIA hopes to reduce the number of possible infringements that officials manually review to around 50 per race. The aim is to "remove the ones that clearly don't need a human review," Malyon said.While the FIA won't rely entirely on AI to make race calls anytime soon, Malyon expects that to happen eventually. "I've said repeatedly that the human is winning at the moment in certain areas. That might be the case now but we do feel that ultimately, real time automated policing systems are the way forward."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/formula-1-hopes-ai-will-help-it-figure-out-if-a-car-breaks-track-limits-191546853.html?src=rss

It's been 10 years since the Killer Instinct reboot debuted as an Xbox One exclusive, and soon you won't need to pay anything to try to nail a combo breaker. The third installment in the fighting game series is going free-to-play. This base version of the game will include one free weekly rotating fighter and access to the single-player, local and ranked modes. You'll be able to check it out on all platforms where Killer Instinct is available: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.Developer Iron Galaxy also revealed that players will be able to buy the Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition for $30. This will include every one of the 29 fighters, all premium content for the game, an XP booster, holiday accessories and more. The Anniversary Edition will replace the Definitive Edition on Xbox consoles and PC (i.e. through the Xbox app or Microsoft Store).Of note, Iron Galaxy will drop some mature-rated content from the Anniversary Edition, namely an app that includes developer interviews and concept art, as well as access to the original two Killer Instinct games. However, folks who own a digital Definitive Edition copy will still be able to download said content after Iron Galaxy sends that version of the game riding into the sunset.Meanwhile, owners of any version of Killer Instinct on Steam will get a free upgrade to the Anniversary Edition. As part of this shift, Iron Galaxy will stop selling individual fighters, so if you want access to the entire roster, you'll need to pony up for the Anniversary Edition - or play Killer Instinct through Game Pass, since it's a Microsoft-published game. That said, you'll still have access to everything you've previously bought.Iron Galaxy didn't say specifically when the Anniversary Edition will arrive or the base game will go free-to-play. The studio says it's in final testing ahead of the switch. While Killer Instinct may not be a title you've thought about too much recently, it's as good a time as any to hop in given the current fighting game renaissance.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/killer-instinct-is-going-free-to-play-on-xbox-and-steam-180043575.html?src=rss

A YouTuber named RwanLink recreated Castle Town from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as a Studio Ghibli film and released a digital short to show off their efforts. This is to celebrate the game's 25th anniversary and the YouTuber made the environment and characters in Unreal Engine 5, putting in over 600 hours of work to complete the project. It was a one person job, aside from the music, as reported by Eurogamer. It's got a gorgeous opening cinematic in the style of, you guessed it, Studio Ghibli, which is followed up by gameplay in Castle Town. The gameplay recalls Wind Waker, obviously, and even newer cel-shaded Zelda titles like Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild. There are Gorons, Gerudo, Hylians aplenty and, oddly, some ladies who look pulled straight from the Renaissance. The big bad himself, Ganondorf, also shows up.The gameplay looks a bit choppy, but it's still extremely impressive. There are dozens upon dozens of NPCs just about everywhere, many more than would be present in an actual Zelda game. The music is on-point and it just looks, well, cute and fun to explore, like a Zelda title should.This project comes just a couple of weeks after the official announcement of a live action Zelda movie. Some fans were a bit displeased with the whole idea of a live action film at all, as animation seems to be the best way to do the story and characters justice, particularly something that draws from Studio Ghibli. Still, we'll see when the film releases if director Wes Ball, from the Maze Runner films, can pull a cucco out of a hat.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ue5-project-reimagines-zelda-ocarina-of-time-in-the-style-of-studio-ghibli-173030994.html?src=rss

With Black Friday deals popping up all over the place for the last week or so, perhaps you've already treated yourself or a loved one to a new iPad. It may be that you (or the recipient) is someone who would like to sketch or take notes on the tablet. As such, you may be looking to pick up an Apple Pencil. There's some good news in that case - all three Apple Pencil models are on sale on Amazon for Black Friday.Of the trio, the second-gen Apple Pencil has the widest array of features. That model has dropped to a new record low price of $82, which is $47 off. The previous best price we've seen was $85.The second-gen Apple Pencil is one of the best iPad accessories around. Apple designed it (and the other two models) specifically to work with the iPad, and it's the best stylus you can snap up for the company's tablets.The second-gen model has a double-tap feature that you can customize to switch between preferred tools and it offers low latency. Other features include tilt sensitivity, pressure sensitivity and what Apple claims is "pixel-perfect precision."One big advantage that the second-gen Apple Pencil has over its two siblings is wireless charging. It attaches magnetically to the side of a compatible iPad while it recharges. This Apple Pencil works with iPad Pro 12.9-inch (third-gen and later), all iPad Pro 11-inch models, iPad Air (fourth and fifth generation) and the sixth-gen iPad mini.The other two Apple Pencils are on sale too. The USB-C model, which Apple only started selling this month, has fallen from $79 to $71.10. It works with every iPad that has a USB-C charging port. It has some, but not all of the capabilities of the second-gen Apple Pencil, such as support for a hover feature on M2-powered iPads. This lets you sneak a peek at any mark you plan to make before it's applied to your sketch, annotation or notes. You can also magnetically attach the USB-C Apple Pencil to the side of supported iPads, but it won't charge wirelessly.If you happen to have an older iPad that isn't supported by those styluses, you can opt for the original Apple Pencil, which is on sale for $72.88. That's 26 percent off the usual price of $99. It supports low latency, tilt sensitivity and pressure sensitivity.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-black-friday-deals-the-second-gen-apple-pencil-drops-to-a-new-low-of-82-160056239.html?src=rss

Ereaders like the Kindle Paperwhite make great gifts - especially when they're on sale. The Paperwhite adds a few perks over the standard Kindle, including a warm backlight, a waterproof build and a larger screen. As part of Amazon's Black Friday sale, it's now $20 off the list price, bringing it down to $120. This is the 8GB model with lockscreen ads, which usually promote Kindle books.Other Amazon ereaders are also on sale, including the standard Kindle, which is down to $80. That's $15 more than the members-only price during Prime Day in July, but the lowest it's sold for since. We tested a number of ereaders for our guide and named the standard Kindle the best budget pick. It doesn't have a warm backlight and isn't waterproof, but it the 300ppi screen is crisp and clear and it grants access to local library books, audiobooks and Kindle's own ebook trove, which is the largest out there thanks to Kindle Exclusive titles that you can't find elsewhere.The read/write Kindle Scribe is also discounted, down to $240 for the 16GB model with the Basic Pen. That's $100 discount and the lowest price ever, beating it's members-only Prime Day price by $15. We gave the Scribe an 85 review score, praising the roomy, 10.2-inch screen and premium build. It's also our favorite E-Ink tablet that's does double duty as an ereader. We particularly liked how low the latency is between the pen and the tablet.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-kindle-paperwhite-drops-to-120-for-black-friday-140004428.html?src=rss

The Beats Fit Pro, which Engadget named as the best wireless earbuds for working out, are on sale this Black Friday on Amazon for $159. The $41 discount is the lowest offered to date.If you want to eliminate distractions at loud gyms the Beats Fit Pro have solid active noise cancellation technology, thanks to Apple's H1 chip. The earbuds also have a built-in proprietary transducer that adds depth to the overall audio experience. The buds support Apple's spatial audio technology, which can deliver a more immersive experience when streaming entertainment or listening to music on a commute. For what you're paying, the Beats Fit Pro deliver ample bass and clear tones.Battery life is another strong suit. With up to six hours of use on a single charge, and an additional 21 hours provided by the charging case, the earbuds offer a total of 27 hours of listening time with active noise cancellation or transparency mode activated. With Adaptive EQ mode on instead, there's an extra hour on the earbuds and three more in the case, totaling 30 hours. The Fast Fuel feature ensures a quick recharge, offering an hour of noise-canceling playback with just a five-minute charge. In practical terms, this means the Beats Fit Pro can easily keep up with your daily activities, whether it's a full day at the office or a commute. But importantly, the Beats Fit Pro also sport a comfortable design and flexible wingtip, that keeps them secure whether someone is running or weightlifting - or riding a bumpy subway.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-beats-fit-pro-drop-to-a-record-low-of-159-in-an-amazon-black-friday-deal-140037127.html?src=rss

Google has updated its Bard AI chatbot, so you can use it to parse YouTube videos. In its most recent experiment update log, the company has announced it has expanded the capabilities of Bard's YouTube extension, so when it's enabled, the generative AI can understand some video content." For example, Google said you'd be able to ask Bard how many eggs were used in a video for an olive oil cake recipe.Bard first gained the ability to pull data from YouTube in September after an update integrated it with other Google products, including Docs, Maps, Lens, Flights and Hotels. At that point, it couldn't parse a video's contents though.Google claims people have been asking for deeper engagement with YouTube videos" - but I guess that entails watching them less.And Happy Thanksgiving, all! It's a short, but sweet TMA today, but expect a tidal wave of Black Friday deals landing tomorrow - I suggest keeping an eye on this page.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedBlack Friday 2023: The 63 best deals so far Razer's Black Friday deals knock up to 65 percent off gaming peripheralsWhat is going on with OpenAI and Sam Altman?Broadcom closes its $61 billion megadeal with VMware Look at this cute solar-powered microvanThis EV seats two and is coming to the US in 2025.HW ElectroJapanese EV automaker HW Electro (HWE) says its Puzzle van will come to the US in 2025. It has rooftop solar panels and equipment for commercial disaster relief - including a crowbar... on the outside of the vehicle. It'll be HWE's first vehicle available in the US.Continue reading.Self-proclaimed gay furry hackers' breach nuclear labThey want research into creating catgirls. You read that right.The nuclear research hub Idaho National Laboratory (INL) confirmed it was hacked earlier this week. SiegedSec, a group of self-proclaimed gay furry hackers," took responsibility for the attack and claimed they accessed sensitive employee data, like social security numbers, home addresses and more. The hacktivist group SiegedSec conducted a high-profile attack on NATO last month, leaking internal documents as a retaliation against those countries for their attacks on human rights.We're willing to make a deal with INL. If they research creating irl (in real life) catgirls we will take down this post," SiegedSec wrote in a post announcing the leak on Monday.INL has, unsurprisingly, promised nothing in the way of catgirls.Continue reading.Teenage Engineering reveals its feature-rich K.O. II grooveboxAnd it's only $300.Teenage EngineeringTeenage Engineering just announced the EP-133 K.O. II, a portable sampler with many tricks and the usual TE aesthetic. It's also $300 - a bargain in TE terms. The K.O. II boasts 64MB of memory, which isn't a lot, but TE products typically come with some tradeoffs. It should be enough for a bunch of samples and a few projects. There are 999 slots for samples and an internal microphone for making your own. Though this is, first and foremost, a sampler, it ships pre-filled with drum hits, synths and other sounds.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-googles-bard-ai-is-getting-better-at-understanding-youtube-121547943.html?src=rss

Instagram launched the ability to download publicly viewable Reels in June, but it limited the feature's availability to users on mobile in the US. Now, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has announced on his broadcast channel that the feature is rolling out to all users worldwide. Anybody on the app can now download public Reels to their devices and not just save them for viewing later. They simply have to tap on the Share button and start their download from there.As TechCrunch reports, Mosseri explained during his broadcast that downloaded Reels will have the Instagram watermark with the account's username, similar to downloaded TikTok videos. In addition, Reels will only come with music if they're scored with original tracks. Instagram will strip their audio if they use licensed music as a background.TikTok's video downloading feature helps attract more users to the app, since it gives creators (and reposters) an easy way to share clips across platforms. People who don't have TikTok may decide to sign up if they find creators they want to follow or if they want to see more similar types of content. Instagram could be looking to replicate that strategy, though users will have the ability to prevent their Reels from being download. To change their download options, they'll have to go to Reels and Remix under Privacy in Settings and toggle off "Allow people to download your Reels."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-makes-public-reels-downloadable-for-everyone-120638475.html?src=rss

Broadcom's mega $61 billion VMware acquisition has closed following considerable scrutiny by regulators, the company announced in a press release. With China recently granting approval for the acquisition with added restrictions, the network chip manufacturer had secured all the required approvals."Broadcom has received legal merger clearance in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Israel, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and foreign investment control clearance in all necessary jurisdictions," the company said. "We are excited to welcome VMware to Broadcom and bring together our engineering-first, innovation-centric teams."The Broadcom/VMware deal lacked the glamour of tech's other mega acquisition involving Microsoft and Activision. However, San Jose-based Broadcom's products form the structure of much of the internet, as they're widely used for data centers, cloud providers and network infrastructure. VMware, meanwhile, makes virtualization and cloud computing software that allows corporations to safely link local networks with public cloud access.That made VMware a logical target for Broadcom, but it also placed the acquisition in the crosshairs of regulators in multiple regions. The European Commission, for one, was concerned that Broadcom could harm competition by limiting interoperability between rival hardware and VMware's server virtualization software. It also worried the company could either prevent or degrade access to VMware's software, or bundle VMware with its own hardware products.Broadcom gained EU approval for the deal in the summer though, mainly by providing IP access and source code for key network fiber optic components to its main rival, Marvell. The EU also concluded that fears of VMware bundling were unfounded and that Broadcom would still face competition in the storage adapter and NIC markets.There were also concerns that tensions between China and the US could scuttle the deal, after the Biden administration announced new rules in October making it harder to export high-end chips to China. However, approval in that market was announced yesterday, with conditions imposed by China on how Broadcom sells products locally. Namely, it had to ensure that VMware's server software was interoperable with rival hardware, China's regulator said in a statement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/broadcom-closes-its-61-billion-megadeal-with-vmware-083915996.html?src=rss

Google has updated the Bard AI chatbot so you can have deeper and more meaningful conversations with it when it comes to YouTube videos. In its most recent experiment update log, the company has announced that it has expanded the capabilities of Bard's YouTube extension so that when it's enabled, the generative AI can "understand some video content." For example, Google said you'd be able to ask Bard how many eggs were used in a video for an olive oil cake recipe. As Android Authority suggested, you'll also likely be able to ask it for the name of specific tools in DIY videos. For food reviews, Bard may be able to tell you where certain restaurants discussed in videos are located, or where a specific cuisine came from.Bard first gained the ability to pull data from YouTube in September after an update that integrates it with other Google products, including Docs, Maps, Lens, Flights and Hotels. It couldn't parse a video's contents, however, and couldn't answer detailed questions about it. Google said it rolled out this update because it "heard you want deeper engagement with YouTube videos." It also said that it has just taken the "first steps in Bard's ability to understand YouTube videos," which indicates that the technology could better analyze videos on the platform in the future. To be able to chat with Bard about YouTube videos, you'll have to enable the YouTube extension on the chatbot's web portal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-bard-ai-chatbot-is-getting-better-at-understanding-youtube-videos-065614540.html?src=rss

Japanese EV automaker HW Electro (HWE) says its delightfully boxy Puzzle will come to the US in 2025. More kei van" than kei car, the electric vehicle has rooftop solar panels and equipment for commercial disaster relief (including a crowbar!). But it could be equally appealing for those wanting an EV with maxed-out charm and a minimal environmental footprint. It's on track to be HWE's first vehicle available in the US market.HW Electro CEO Xiao Weicheng said that the Puzzle embodies HWE's core values of sustainability, connectivity and social contribution." Its solar panels mean owners could perhaps drive it for much longer than typical EVs without plugging in. It also includes emergency features like power outlets, photovoltaic panels, built-in WiFi, USB ports, a first aid kit and a crowbar. Notably, these features are all on the vehicle's exterior.As reported by The Independent and Electrek, HWE unveiled the Puzzle micro-van at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show before teasing 2025 US availability this week in New York. With Puzzle, a new world begins," Weicheng predicted.The EV, currently still in the concept stage, has a two-person cabin and looks strikingly smaller than the gargantuan EVs Americans are growing accustomed to. The Puzzle aligns with Japan's regulatory definition of a kei car, ideal for tight or crowded roadways and cramped parking spots. The vehicle has 15-inch wheels, and it's over six feet tall, nearly five feet wide and over 11 feet long. It has a cargo capacity of 770 lbs and sliding rear doors for easy cargo management. Its sole passenger seat folds down to boost its hauling capacity (and can double as a work surface when not in use).HWE hasn't yet revealed the Puzzle's price or max speed. Auto Evolution reports that its lithium iron phosphate battery will offer a 125-mile range.It's hard to predict what America's EV market will look like by the time the Puzzle arrives in 2025. Although sales are growing, consumer demand has fallen behind auto industry projections, leaving room for uncertainty as the world tries to avoid climate change's most catastrophic scenarios.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hw-electros-solar-powered-puzzle-will-bring-microvan-cuteness-to-the-us-in-2025-202326474.html?src=rss

Hulu is offering an enormous discount on its ad-supported plan for Black Friday. The streaming service will give you a year of Hulu (With Ads) for a mere $12. The plan typically costs $80 annually, giving you 85 percent off. Hulu's Black Friday sale is live now and runs through the end of the day on November 28.Hulu offers films, current-season episodes of popular broadcast television series and older TV. In addition, the Disney-owned service has original programming, like The Bear, Only Murders in the Building and The Handmaid's Tale. Remember that the $12 Black Friday sale only applies to the version with advertisements, which doesn't allow downloaded content for offline viewing.New subscribers and former members who canceled their plan at least a month ago can take advantage of the Black Friday deal. Everyone who redeems it will pay directly to the streamer (rather than through an app storefront) and convert to a full-priced ($8 monthly) ad-supported plan at the end of 12 months. Hulu also offers an optional Starz add-on for $1 monthly for all new and existing subscribers.If you're more interested in other streaming services, plenty of competitors are offering Black Friday deals at the moment. Max has dropped the monthly price of its ad-supported plan to $3 for the first six months, while Black Friday deals from Paramount+ start at $2 per month for the Essential tier. Peacock, meanwhile, is offering new subscribers access starting at $2 per month for the first year, or you can pay for one year upfront and only be charged $20.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hulu-black-friday-deal-get-one-year-of-the-ad-supported-plan-for-1-per-month-182522537.html?src=rss

Teenage Engineering is a company that follows its own path. It'll release a $250 toy car one day and a full-featured groovebox/sampler for $300 on the very next day. That's what happened this week. Teenage Engineering just surprise-launched the EP-133 K.O. II, a portable sampler/groovebox that's feature-rich, looks absolutely stunning and costs just $300. You read that cost right.The only musical instruments in TE's lineup that approach this price point is its catalog of Pocket Operator portable synthesizers, so it's no surprise that this is a direct followup to the best one, the PO-33 KO sampler. The original Pocket Operators were marketed as something of a toy, despite being surprisingly robust, but the EP-133 K.O. II is being advertised as a workstation. This is a fairly large, but still portable, device that more closely resembles an Akai standalone machine. It won't fit in your pocket, but will fit in your bag.Let's go over some specs. The K.O. II boasts 64MB of memory, which isn't a lot, but TE products typically come with some tradeoff. It'll be enough for a bunch of samples and a few projects, though, which the company says was intentional. Teenage Engineering co-founder and hardware lead David Eriksson told The Verge that if the sampler had too much storage it would give the user the option to finish later" instead of completing a song in one-go. Will nobody think of the poor musicians out there who love starting things and hate finishing things? Asking for a friend.Teenage EngineeringThere are 999 slots for samples, as a matter of fact, and an internal microphone for making your own. Though this is, first and foremost, a sampler, it ships pre-filled with drum hits, synths and other sounds so you can get straight to work. It connects via USB-C for loading samples from a computer or MIDI devices. The K.O. II is also portable, running off of four AAA batteries. In other words, there's no internal rechargeable battery, but that $300 price tag had to come about somehow.The unit features a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack and the most important buttons and knobs are orange, to help musicians find them during live sets in dark, smoky clubs. That's a nice touch. The device itself is gorgeous, with a handsome panel of buttons, knobs and connectors. The keys are clicky and, more importantly, velocity sensitive. There's a rectangular LED screen up top that boasts similar design language to the OP-1 and OP-1 Field portable synthesizers.Teenage Engineering hopes this product will attract newbies to the world of music-making, so the workflow is designed for simplicity, a trait shared with its forebear. Despite that caveat, this is a powerful instrument that should lure in professionals and amateurs alike. It features 12 mono and 6 stereo voice polyphony, stereo/mono sampling at 46.875 kHz/16-bit, 12 pressure-sensitive pads, 6 built-in FX sends with a punch-in mode, a master compressor and both manual and automatic sample slicing tools. It also looks really cool, like an accounting calculator from the future.The EP-133 K.O. II is available today and, again, costs $300. The day before Thanksgiving is an odd time to release a new piece of hardware, but Teenage Engineering is based in Sweden, so what does it care? It's worth noting that this is the first dedicated music-making machine the company has released since last year's OP-1 Field. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teenage-engineerings-ko-ii-groovebox-is-feature-rich-and-only-300-164933466.html?src=rss

Folks who are still sticking with Windows 10 (or who can't install Windows 11 on their machine) may now be able to check out one of the most buzzed about features in years on their machine. Just a few days after Microsoft confirmed it would bring Copilot to Windows 10, users with eligible devices can install a Release Preview build that includes access to the generative AI-powered assistant.You'll need to be enrolled in the Windows Insider tester program to install the preview build and potentially try out Copilot on Windows 10 Home or Pro. There's no guarantee you'll get access to the chatbot immediately either. Microsoft says It may take time for your device to be confirmed as eligible for Copilot on Windows so it may not show up right away." To get swift access to Copilot when it's confirmed your machine is eligible, Microsoft suggests turning on the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.To run Copilot, your system will need at least 4GB of RAM and a display adapter that supports a resolution of at least 720p. Microsoft notes that the preview of the chatbot is only available in select markets (i.e. North America, and some areas of Asia and South America) for now, so you may be locked out on a geographical basis.MicrosoftThere are some other quirks that may preclude you from checking out Copilot on Windows 10. It won't work if you position your taskbar on the left or right of your display. You'll need to have the taskbar in a horizontal orientation. Copilot isn't fully compatible with multi-monitor setups either. You'll only see the icon on your primary display. In addition, Copilot won't be available on Windows 10 Pro machines that are managed by an organization for the time being.To fire up Copilot when it's available on your device, click the icon that appears on the right side of the taskbar. Through the chatbot, you can ask questions, manage Windows features and interact with documents. As The Verge notes, Copilot works slightly differently on Windows 10, if only because some Windows 11 features aren't available. Several key apps in the newer OS have their own generative AI-based features baked in.It's not exactly a major mystery as to why Microsoft is bringing Copilot to Windows 10. According to some estimates, Windows 10 still powers some 69 percent of Windows-based desktops, compared with the 26 percent or so that run Windows 11. That means hundreds of millions of PCs are still running Windows 10. If Microsoft can say Copilot is available on more than a billion computers (compared with the 400 million that are estimated to be running Windows 11), that could be more appealing to the company's investors.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windows-10-users-can-now-try-out-microsofts-copilot-ai-153316313.html?src=rss

The nuclear research hub Idaho National Laboratory (INL) confirmed that it fell victim to a data breach on Tuesday. SiegedSec, a group of self-proclaimed "gay furry hackers," took responsibility for the attack and claimed they accessed sensitive employee data like social security numbers, home addresses and more."We're willing to make a deal with INL. If they research creating irl catgirls we will take down this post," SiegedSec wrote in a post announcing the leak on Monday.The hacktivist group SiegedSec conducted a high profile attack on NATO last month, leaking internal documents as a retaliation against those countries for their attacks on human rights. The group commonly attacks government and affiliated organizations for political reasons, like targeting state governments for passing anti-trans legislation earlier this year.A spokesperson confirmed the breach to Engadget on Wednesday. "On Monday, Nov. 20, Idaho National Laboratory determined that it was the target of a cybersecurity data breach in a federally approved vendor system outside the lab that supports INL cloud Human Resources services. INL has taken immediate action to protect employee data," an INL spokesperson said. The lab said it has reached out to authorities for help on how to proceed as it determines how to handle the breach.INL works as a Department of Energy affiliate researching nuclear reactors, among other projects like sustainable energy. It employs more than 5,000 people.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/self-proclaimed-gay-furry-hackers-breach-nuclear-lab-152034192.html?src=rss

Android 14, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, arrived on October 4. Since then, it has slowly started rolling out to some newer phones, tablets and foldables. Android 14's user-facing enhancements broadly fall into four categories: accessibility, customization, privacy and security. Below, is a list of all of the update's biggest features, along with instructions on how to access and enable them.To compile this how-to, I used a Pixel 8, so what follows reflects how things are done on stock Android. On some phones and tablets, certain options may be located in other parts of the operating system or require a slightly different process to turn on. Even if that's the case, the instructions here should help you find your way around.And if you want to find out when (or if) Android 14 will arrive on your device, check out our dedicated guide. In short, many manufacturers, including OnePlus and Nothing, are still finalizing their first stable Android 14 builds, and they may need more time to complete bug and quality assurance testing.At the bottom of this how-to, you will also find information about Google's ongoing QPR betas, which include bug fixes and enhancements the company is testing ahead of its first Android 14 Pixel Feature Drop.Accessibility

There's a seriously hefty list of Razer products on sale at Amazon right now for Black Friday, with the most deeply discounted accessories selling for up to 65 percent off their retail price. One of the accessories you can grab with a 65 percent discount is the Kiyo Pro Streaming Webcam, which is currently listed for $70.87 instead of its usual price of $200. You can use it for streaming, video conferencing or recording, and it's capable of capturing uncompressed full HD 60 fps videos. It can also take HDR videos at 30 fps and comes with a large aperture, wide-angle lens with three field-of-view options.Meanwhile, the Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma wired controller is only $90 right now instead of $150. It comes with remappable back paddles with four extra triggers, non-slip grips for good ergonomics and responsive and tactile buttons. This wired controller is compatible with the Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox One and your PC. If you're looking for a cheaper Xbox controller and don't mind getting a less powerful model, the non-pro Razer Wolverine V2 controller is on sale for $46.12, down 54 percent from $100. It has two extra remappable multi-function buttons and a 3.5mm jack. Both controllers have a Hair Trigger Mode to enable an ultra-fast rate of fire.You can also grab the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless Gaming Headset for $100, or $80 off its retail price, right now. Its closed earcups prevent sounds from leaking out and noise from getting in, it supports THX 7.1 surround sound, and it has a detachable mic. While it is a wireless headset, it comes with a 3.5mm jack so you can use it for console gaming. If you need a new mouse for PC gaming, though, the Razer Viper Ultimate Lightweight Wireless Gaming Mouse is on sale for $53.72, as well, which is 59 percent less than its retail price. It was designed to be light and fast, and it was created for both right-handed and left-handed users with programmable buttons on both sides.Yet another PC gaming accessory on sale is the Razer BlackWidow V3 Tenkeyless mechanical gaming keyboard that uses the brand's green switches and is compatible with Razer hardware, Philips Hue and products from the brand's partners. Currently being sold for $70, it's down $20 from $90. And if you want a standalone console for your streams, there's the Razer Stream Controller, which you can get for $200 instead of for $270. Even if you didn't see anything you'd buy in this post, you may still want to check out Razer's Black Friday deals page and scroll down until you get to the bottom, where a bunch of other discounted products are listed.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/razers-black-friday-deals-knock-up-to-65-percent-off-gaming-peripherals-125836307.html?src=rss

YouTube started cracking down on ad blockers earlier this year, but it escalated things this month when it locked out anyone trying to watch YouTube through apps, add-ons and extensions that skip its ads.It's even affected a lot of YouTube viewers not using workarounds though, with Firefox or Edge users reportedly having to wait around five seconds every time they load a video. In screen recordings shared on Reddit and other online forums, users show how their screen goes blank for a short period when they click on a YouTube video before the page loads, but we couldn't replicate this at Engadget.Based on code found by some Y Combinator and Reddit posters, Google's anti-ad blocker mechanism may be causing the delays. The company said users with ad blockers installed may experience suboptimal viewing," no matter which browser they use.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedChatGPT's voice chat feature is rolling out to non-paying usersCities: Skylines II developer delays DLC to focus on fixing the base gameThe 60 best Black Friday deals right now from Amazon, Target, Walmart and othersUS Senator calls for the public release of AT&T Hemisphere surveillance recordsWhen will your phone get Android 14?Insta360's Ace Pro is a Leica-branded action cam with AI enhancementsSunbird shuts down its iMessage app for Android after major privacy concernsTeenage Engineering made a toy car that costs $250Objet d'ork.Teenage EngineeringTeenage Engineering just revealed a toy car/doodad that costs $250. Yes, it's $250 for a little (but stylish!) piece of metal with wheels you can roll around a desk for a bit before getting bored. The company tends to release two kinds of products: Expensive, yet pretty darn cool, audio devices and, well, everything else. The toy car falls squarely in the latter camp. The company seems to be readying another announcement for later today too.Continue reading.Sam Altman reinstated as OpenAI CEO five days after being firedThere's now a three-person board with one original member.Sam Altman is returning to OpenAI as CEO after his firing five days ago, the company announced in a post on X. The OpenAI board caused chaos when it fired CEO Sam Altman on Friday and reopened discussions with the former chief executive regarding his possible reinstatement on Tuesday. According to the report, board members largely refused to engage" with Altman until Monday but faced a revolt from most of the company's workers, who threatened to walk unless the OpenAI board resigned and reinstated Altman. Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear is interim CEO, but he also threatened to step down, saying Altman's termination was handled very badly," which led to negotiations with Altman.Continue reading.Sonos' long-rumored headphones may appear April 2024The company may be developing a TV streaming box as well.EngadgetAccording to a Bloomberg report, Sonos' first attempt at headphones would directly compete with Apple's AirPods Max, as well as devices from Sony and Bose. The company reportedly plans to charge over $400 for its over-the-ear headphones - around the same as Sony's $400 highly regarded WH-1000MX5, but cheaper than Apple's $549 AirPods Max.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-youtubes-fight-against-ad-blockers-led-to-sub-optimal-viewing-121559650.html?src=rss

Producing music with friends and colleagues from afar can be tricky but, hopefully, it's about to get a bit smoother. Endlesss, a remote music creation platform, is rolling out a feature called Clubs that could make it easier to share and blend ideas. The new tool is reminiscent of Discord - something Endlesss (yes, with a triple s) outright states in its promotion.Endlesss Clubs are live chat channels where members can add riffs, make comments, combine parts and share files. Just like Discord, members can belong to multiple Clubs, and each has different channels, depending on what people want to create.The company first announced the upcoming release of Endlesss Clubs back in August. "Music-makers all have to compete for attention on the same distribution platforms. This results in bad outcomes for everyone but the very best," Tim Exile, founder and CEO of Endlesss, said at the time. "We're excited to provide community-owned places for music-makers of all levels to go deep with their people."Endlesss debuted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing musicians to connect remotely. It was initially available only as an iOS app before launching Endlesss Studio for desktop at the end of 2020. There were some kinks when we first tested it, many of which seem to have been straightened out in the years since.Anyone can test out Endlesss for free or get unlimited sample packs, sample presets, VST/AU plugin presets and high quality audio for $10 per month. Endlesss Clubs are now available for members to join and play around in.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/endlesss-clubs-is-like-a-discord-server-for-making-music-112509781.html?src=rss

Stable Diffusion's generative art can now be animated, developer Stability AI announced. The company has released a new product called Stable Video Diffusion into a research preview, allowing users to create video from a single image. "This state-of-the-art generative AI video model represents a significant step in our journey toward creating models for everyone of every type," the company wrote.The new tool has been released in the form of two image-to-video models, each capable of generating 14 to 25 frames long at speeds between 3 and 30 frames per second at 576 * 1024 resolution. It's capable of multi-view synthesis from a single frame with fine-tuning on multi-view datasets. "At the time of release in their foundational form, through external evaluation, we have found these models surpass the leading closed models in user preference studies," the company said, comparing it to text-to-video platforms Runway and Pika Labs.Stable Video Diffusion is available only for research purposes at this point, not real-world or commercial applications. Potential users can sign up to get on a waitlist for access to an "upcoming web experience featuring a text-to-video interface," Stability AI wrote. The tool will showcase potential applications in sectors including advertising, education, entertainment and more.The samples shown in the video above appear to be of relatively high quality, matching rival generative systems. However, it has some limitations, the company wrote: it generates relatively short video (less than 4 seconds), lacks perfect photorealism, can't do camera motion except slow pans, has no text control, can't generate legible text and may not generate people and faces properly.The tool was trained on a dataset of millions of videos and then fine-tuned on a smaller set, with Stability AI only saying that it used video that was publicly available for research purposes. The origin of the data set is important, given that Stability AI was recently sued by Getty Images for scraping its image archives.Video is a key goal for generative AI, due to its potential to simplify content creation. However, it's also a tool with the most potential for abuse via deepfakes, copyright violations and more. And unlike OpenAI with its ChatGPT product, Stability has had less success commercializing its Stable Diffusion product and burned through cash at a high rate, TechCrunch noted. And last week, vice president of audio at Stability AI, Ed Newton-Rex, resigned over the use of copyrighted content to train generative AI models.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ai-startup-behind-stable-diffusion-is-now-testing-generative-video-105519658.html?src=rss

OpenAI has been hit with another lawsuit, accusing it of using other people's intellectual property without permission to train its generative AI technology. Only this time, the lawsuit also names Microsoft as a defendant. The complaint was filed by Julian Sancton on behalf of a group of non-fiction authors who said they were not compensated for the use of their books and academic journals in training the company's large language model.In their lawsuit, the authors state how they spend years "conceiving, researching, and writing their creations." They accuse OpenAI and Microsoft of refusing to pay authors while building a business "valued into the tens of billions of dollars by taking the combined works of humanity without permission." The companies pretend copyright laws do not exist, the complaint reads, and have "enjoyed enormous financial gain from their exploitation of copyrighted material."Sancton is the author behind Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey Into the Dark Antarctic, which tells the true survival story of an 1897 polar expedition that got stuck in the ocean in the middle of a sunless Antarctic winter. Sancton spent five years and tens of thousands of dollars to research and write the book. "Such an investment of time and money is feasible for Plaintiff Sancton and other writers because, in exchange for their creative efforts, the Copyright Act grants them 'a bundle of exclusive rights' in their works, including 'the rights to reproduce the copyrighted work[s],'" according to the lawsuit.As Forbes notes, OpenAI previously said that content generated by ChatGPT doesn't constitute "derivative work" and, hence, doesn't infringe on any copyright. Sancton's lawsuit is merely the latest complaint against the company over its use of copyrighted work to train its technology. Earlier this year, screenwriter and author also Michael Chabon sued OpenAI for the same thing, as did George R.R. Martin, John Grisham and Jodi Picoult. Comedian Sarah Silverman filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Meta, as well. Sancton is now seeking damages and injunctive relief for all the proposed class action's defendants.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-and-microsoft-hit-with-copyright-lawsuit-from-non-fiction-authors-101505740.html?src=rss

OpenAI introduced voice chats with ChatGPT on Android and iOS back in September, giving users the option to have actual back-and-forth conversations with the chatbot if they want to. The company only made the feature available to Plus and Enterprise subscribers back then, though, with the promise that it will eventually release it to other groups of users. Now, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman has announced on X that voice conversations on ChatGPT have started rolling out to all free users on mobile.

Ubisoft is the latest company to join what seems to be a growing list of advertisers pulling their campaigns from Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter. The company has confirmed to PCGamer and Axios that it has indeed paused its advertising on the website, possibly making it the first video game publisher to do so. While Ubisoft didn't elaborate on its reasoning behind the decision, X's advertisers have been suspending their advertising activities on the social network after Musk supported an antisemitic tweet and Media Matters published a research showing brands' advertisements next to Nazi content.IBM, Apple, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros, Sony and Comcast have all paused their advertising on X. Lionsgate pulled its ads, as well, specifically citing Musk's tweet as the cause. Axios says Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Nexus VR ad campaign was still showing up for X users as recently as Monday morning, and it's unclear if it stopped advertising on the social network before or after Linda Yaccarino published a statement calling Media Matters' report "misleading and manipulated."X's CEO issued a call for users and advertisers to "stand with X," claiming that "not a single authentic user on [the website] saw IBM's, Comcast's, or Oracle's ads next to the content in Media Matters'' article." Shortly after that, X officially filed a lawsuit against the media watchdog, accusing it of "knowingly and maliciously manufactur[ing] side-by-side images depicting advertisers' posts on X Corp.'s social media platform beside Neo-Nazi and white national fringe content." In its complaint, X explained that Media Matters had to create the right conditions, which included following accounts that post fringe Neo-Nazi and white nationalist content, in order to see ads right next to antisemitic posts.Media Matters called the lawsuit "frivolous" and an attempt to "bully X's critics into silence" in a statement sent to Engadget. The organization also told us that it "stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ubisoft-has-suspended-advertising-on-elon-musks-x-074507139.html?src=rss

Sam Altman is returning to OpenAI as CEO after his firing five days ago launched the company onto one of the wildest rollercoaster rides in tech history. Former president Greg Brockman, who resigned on Friday in protest, will also return, The Verge's sources say. The original board has been disbanded and replaced by a new, temporary three-man board with Bret Taylor (chair), Larry Summers and original board member Adam D'Angelo, the company said in a post on X.The agreement has been struck "in principal," and must still be approved by all parties. The only job of the initial board will be to vet and appoint a permanent board with up to 9 members that will reset OpenAI's governance. One of those seats will likely to go Microsoft and Altman himself, The Verge reported.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is already one of the best EVs on the market. It's comfortable, it's practical, it looks great and, with 320 horsepower, it's pretty quick, too. But, pretty quick isn't quick enough for some folks, and if that's you, Hyundai has a solution.Meet the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. That extra letter means twice the power, 641 to be exact, plus countless suspension and chassis upgrades that make this an absolute lunatic. Even more impressive, though, are the software upgrades. The 5 N includes perhaps the most customizable driving modes of any EV on the planet, plus even a selection of fake engine noises and even a fake transmission that you can shift.It's quite a package and, as I learned, quite a monster on the track too. The only question is how much it's going to cost. That we don't know yet, but we should find out soon, with the Ioniq 5 N hitting dealerships in March. Watch the video below for the full story.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hyundais-ioniq-5-n-doubles-the-power-and-the-fun-231815586.html?src=rss

Tesla, which hosts 50,000+ supercharging stations for electric vehicles globally, is rolling out a new congestion fee system that the company hopes will free up charging traffic at its stations.Unlike idle fees, which will bill drivers on a per-minute basis when a car remains stationed at a charging point after it has already been fully recharged, congestion fees are intended to prevent people from fully charging their vehicle at the busiest stations. The congestion fee will only kick in when charging stations are busy and a vehicle's battery is over 90 percent. Drivers will be able to see where congestion fees apply on their vehicle's touchscreen, and there will be a five-minute grace period to avoid petty fees if someone is only a couple of minutes late to their vehicle. The new scheme will apply to certain stations through the US, with the cost set at $1 per minute. Tesla has not revaled pricing or a rollout strategy for outside of the US.Tesla has previously explained idle fees by stating that a car driver would never leave a vehicle parked by the pump at a gas station" and that the same logic should apply to Superchargers. EVs typically charge extremely quickly up to around 80-90 percent, after which the charging rate slows significantly. The aim of the congestion fee is to shorten the length of charging sessions when stations are at their busiest, to allow more users to have a chance to charge.As more automakers adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) used by Tesla's Superchargers, more EV drivers are gaining access to high-speed charging networks. And while the availability of charging stations is a crucial factor for increasing EV adoption among drivers in the US, Tesla has said that congestion is an issue the company has kept its eye on. The new fee system could help clear up the influx of new EV drivers that are charging at Tesla Supercharging stations as more mainstream electric cars are adopted by the public, while the fees will contribute to the company's bottom line. Analysts estimate that the Tesla Supercharger network will become worth between $10 and $20 billion annually by the end of the decade.Correction 6:40PM ET: This article as originally published conflated the launch of idle fees and congestion fees. We regret the error.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teslas-idle-fees-will-charge-drivers-who-keep-their-cars-plugged-in-after-theyve-topped-up-230601570.html?src=rss

Amazon's Black Friday deals have dropped the Kobo Clara 2E ereader to a record-low price. This model is Engadget's top pick for the best ereader in 2023, with its terrific design, intuitive navigation and seamless library book borrowing. Typically $140, the Clara 2E is only $120 right now on Amazon and Kobo.After spending countless hours trying eight models from five different brands, Engadget chose the Kobo Clara 2E as the top ereader for most people. Despite being pricier than the baseline Kindles, Engadget's Amy Skorheim loved the Kobo's intuitive design, IPX8 water resistance (it can handle submersion in two meters of water for 60 minutes), warm light and lack of ads.The device has a 6-inch touchscreen with ComfortLight Pro," Kobo's branding for adjustable brightness and warmth. It has 16GB of storage, enough for around 12,000 ebooks, and its battery life lasts for weeks." It has a pleasant onboarding experience, walking you through account setup and asking about your favorite books to help improve its algorithmic recommendations. It even nudges you toward its library lending feature (through Overdrive integration), a rare example of a company notifying you of free alternatives to its digital wares. We found the borrowing process to be seamless.Most importantly, the Kobo Clara 2E provides a top-notch reading experience. The device is light (only six ounces) and has a textured back that makes longer reading sessions more comfortable. We found the quality of its front light to make it the most paper-like of any ereader we tried, and adjusting brightness is as easy as swiping your finger down the screen's left edge. It was also the most responsive to touch of any ereader we tested. It even has a quick wake-up feature that, after pushing its button, immediately jumps to the page you were last reading without any swiping past ads or extra taps.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-kobo-clara-2e-ereader-drops-to-a-record-low-price-for-black-friday-221518316.html?src=rss

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao is set to plead guilty to federal money laundering charges and step down from his position at the company he founded. Zhao and the cryptocurrency exchange have reached a plea deal with the government, which conducted a multi-year investigation into the company, CNBC reports. As part of the settlement, Binance will forfeit $2.5 billion and pay a $1.8 billion fine. Zhao is slated to personally pay $50 million.Zhao will be prohibited from having any involvement with Binance for three years. As part of the plea deal, Zhao will plead guilty later on Tuesday to violating and causing a financial institution to violate the Bank Secrecy Act, according to Reuters.Binance, Zhao and others were accused of failing to institute an effective anti-money laundering program. According to the Justice Department, they willfully violated economic sanctions in a deliberate and calculated effort to profit from the US market without implementing controls required by US law." Court documents state that the lack of anti-money laundering measures led to Binance facilitating almost $900 million in financial transactions in violation of sanctions against Iran between 2018 and 2022.In a statement, Zhao confirmed he is stepping down as CEO, with the company's former global head of regional markets Richard Teng taking over the top job. "Today, I stepped down as CEO of Binance," Zhao wrote on X. "Admittedly, it was not easy to let go emotionally. But I know it is the right thing to do. I made mistakes, and I must take responsibility. This is best for our community, for Binance, and for myself."Zhao now plans to take a break before perhaps getting more involved in investing. However, "I can't see myself being a CEO driving a startup again. I am content being an one-shot (lucky) entrepreneur."

AutoZone alerted authorities on Tuesday that it had been a victim of the Clop ransomware gang's MOVEit attacks earlier this year. According to a breach notification filed with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, the data leak from the auto parts retailer impacted 184,995 people. The hackers acquired personal information, including full names and social security numbers, the notification said.The incident happened in May, as a part of a string of attacks linked to Clop. The hackers exploited a vulnerability in file transfer software MOVEit, attacking more then 2,000 organizations and impacting 62 million people, according to researchers at Emsisoft.AutoZone realized it had fallen victim to the Clop attack in August, but it didn't suss out what data had been affected by the attack until earlier this month. That said, Clop claimed responsibility for an attack on AutoZone in July, publishing 1.1GB of internal and employee data from the auto retailer, according to Bleeping Computer."AutoZone became aware that an unauthorized third party exploited a vulnerability associated with MOVEit and exfiltrated certain data from an AutoZone system that supports the MOVEit application," AutoZone wrote in a notification to customers. It's unclear which parts of the AutoZone systems the Clop hackers accessed and, although the Maine notification says social security numbers had been leaked, AutoZone did not provide any specifics.AutoZone rakes in $17.5 billion in revenue each year, operating more than 7,000 retail locations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/autozone-warns-almost-185000-customers-of-a-data-breach-202533437.html?src=rss

OpenAI rival Anthropic launched Claude 2.1 today. The latest version of the ChatGPT rival boosts its context window to 200,000 tokens, allowing you to paste the entirety of Homer's The Odyssey for AI analysis. (Tokens are chunks of text it uses to organize information, and a context window is the set limit of tokens it can parse in a single request.) The company said version 2.1 also halves Claude's hallucination rate, leading to fewer erroneous answers (like those the ChatGPT lawyer trusted far too much). Coincidentally or not, the update arrives as the tech world watches Anthropic's rival OpenAI descending into pandemonium.The company says Claude 2.1's 200K-token context window allows users to upload entire codebases, academic papers, financial statements or long literary works. (Anthropic says 200,000 tokens translates roughly to 150,000 words or over 500 pages of material.) After uploading the material, the chatbot can provide summaries, answer specific questions about its content, compare / contrast multiple documents or recognize patterns humans may have a harder time seeing.Processing a 200K length message is a complex feat and an industry first," the company wrote in an announcement blog post. While we're excited to get this powerful new capability into the hands of our users, tasks that would typically require hours of human effort to complete may take Claude a few minutes. We expect the latency to decrease substantially as the technology progresses."Anthropic warns that analyzing and responding to extremely long inputs could take the AI bot a few minutes to complete - significantly longer than the seconds we typically have to wait for simpler queries. We expect the latency to decrease substantially as the technology progresses," the company wrote.Hallucinations, or confidently inaccurate information, are still prevalent in this generation of AI chatbots. However, Anthropic says Claude 2.1 has cut its hallucination rate in half compared to Claude 2.0. The company attributes some of the progress to an improved ability to separate incorrect claims from admissions of uncertainty, making Claude 2.1 about twice as likely to admit it doesn't know an answer rather than providing a wrong one.Anthropic says Claude 2.1 also commits 30 percent fewer errors in extremely long documents. In addition, it has a three to four times lower rate of mistakenly concluding a document supports a particular claim" when using more robust context windows.The updated bot adds a few perks specifically for developers, too. A new Workbench console allows devs to refine prompts in a playground-style experience and access new model settings to optimize Claude's behavior." For example, it lets users test multiple prompts and tap into Claude's codebase to generate snippets for SDKs. Another new developer beta feature, tool use," lets Claude integrate with users' existing processes, products, and APIs." The company cites examples like using a calculator for complex equations, translating plain language to structured API calls, using a web search API, tapping into clients' private APIs or connecting to product datasets. The company cautions that the tool use feature is in early development and urges customers to submit feedback.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anthropics-chatgpt-rival-claude-can-now-analyze-150000-words-in-one-prompt-201033756.html?src=rss

Meta announced that it is rolling out new tools that will give eligible researchers access to data from its social media apps Facebook and Instagram in an effort to support public interest research." The Meta Content Library and Content Library API tools, which were previously made available for beta testing, will share real-time information about the user-generated content including metrics like the number of times a Reel on Instagram is viewed or the amount of posts that are made on a Facebook page.The Meta Content Library will exist on the web through a controlled-access "clean room" that prohibits the export of data. All analysis and review of the real-time content from Facebook and Instagram will be done through an API that has search capabilities. The company's data search tools will only be available for eligible researchers and professionals" who will need to be pre-approved. Research groups or individuals seeking to gain access to Meta's data will need to fill out an application through a form and provide a detailed explanation about the mission of the research project in question and who is involved. Final approval is subject to an independent review by the ICPSR. Once granted access to the API, Meta says there are no fees associated with access to the Content Library.The new tools, while they may be forging a pathway for data access, are similar to - and in some ways more limited than - what Meta has previously provided to researchers hoping to understand how content circulates on its apps. There's also every reason to be skeptical. Meta's Open Research and Transparency team, which similarly developed a researcher API and platform, was the subject of criticism when in 2021 it was caught allegedly sending incomplete and inaccurate data to researchers. That same group of researchers at N.Y.U.'s Center for Cybersecurity later had their API access completely revoked by the company.The new Content Library and API probably won't do much to stave off public pressure after years of backlash over how it regulates misinformation and harmful content. Meta has also been under fire for how it moderates content related to the war in Gaza and for how it plans to prevent the proliferation fake content related to the upcoming US presidential election. To top things off, Meta is currently facing a lawsuit filed by 41 states over how it allegedly harms younger users. A highly gatekept API may not be the show of goodwill the company needs to convince regulators it has the public's best interest at heart.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-content-library-provides-researchers-with-digital-clean-room-for-data-access-190829440.html?src=rss

Even though it seemed that former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman would lead a new AI research division at Microsoft, he might still get his old job back. According to Bloomberg, the OpenAI board - which caused chaos at the company when it fired Altman on Friday - has reopened discussions with the former chief executive regarding his possible reinstatement.The talks are said to involve board member (and Quora CEO) Adam D'Angelo as well as OpenAI investors, some of whom have been pushing for Altman's return. According to the report, board members "largely refused to engage" with Altman until Monday, so these latest talks are said to be a significant development.Meanwhile, Kevin Scott, Microsoft's chief technology officer, said that his company will match the compensation OpenAI workers are currently receiving if they jump ship. Most of the company's workers have threatened to walk unless the OpenAI board resigns and reinstates Altman and former president Greg Brockman (who resigned in protest over the board booting out Altman). They warned the board on Monday that Microsoft is willing to hire them too, and Scott has confirmed that.To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsoft's new AI Research Lab," Scott wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission."

LG Black Friday deals include a number of decent discounts on its 2023 OLED TVs, and a couple of noteworthy sales on 2022 models as well. You can currently save $300 on this 42-inch 2023 LG C3 OLED TV, which is down to a record low of $897, and $200 on this 65-inch B3 OLED set, which is on sale for $1,297. If you're willing to get a slightly older model, you can get this 2022 55-inch B2 OLED TV for nearly half off its starting price.Its worth noting that OLED TV sales around this time of year are mostly a culmination of steadily dropping prices. TV manufacturers often lower the "regular" prices on their high-end TV sets throughout the year, starting shortly after the models debut. Some of these sale prices have been around since the start of the holiday shopping season, but that doesn't change the fact that many of them are record lows.If you're unfamiliar, OLED TVs stand out for their deep blacks and rich colors when compared to standard sets. LG's 2023 C3 OLED models run on the upgraded a9 Gen 6 processor that brings AI upscaling, object-based picture sharpening and HDR tone mapping, among other things, to the TVs. LG updated its TV operating system to have a simplified UI that requires less scrolling, which should make it even easier to navigate. It also now supports "quick cards" that let you more easily jump into categorical content like music and sports, personal profiles and AI-based search keyword recommendations.The B3 series is an entry-level alternative for anyone who doesn't want to spend quite as much on a new TV. This year's models run on an older a7 Gen 6 chip and do not support the level of brightness boosting you'll find in the C3 sets, but they do support 4K content at 120Hz refresh rates. If you're still not ready to drop so much money on an OLED set, LG Black Friday deals also include some discounts on the company's QNED sets.Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lg-black-friday-deals-save-up-to-300-on-2023-oled-tv-sets-183847464.html?src=rss

Spotify has officially unveiled its new streaming payment policy for artists and labels, and the details are pretty much exactly what has been reported for weeks. In other words, smaller artists are getting something of a shaft here, as songs that don't meet the minimum threshold of 1,000 streams per year will not be eligible for any payment whatsoever.Spotify was already notorious for underpaying artists, but now many will get nothing at all, aside from the opportunity and privilege to exist on its servers. Spotify says this is to eliminate fraud, and indicates that the money that used to go to these smaller artists and alleged fraudsters will be redistributed to those above that 1,000 play per year threshold.Also, the company's nixing many payments for so-called noise" content, like recordings of rain falling on a rooftop and other items intended for relaxation and to provide white noise. The cuts won't impact all noise recordings, just those under two minutes in length. Additionally, Spotify's currently looking to adjust the royalty model for noise recordings, keeping the payouts lower than actual songs. However, the company hasn't provided any concrete details.Spotify's crowing that these combined cuts will provide an additional $1 billion toward artists in the next five years, but hasn't offered details as to how the funds would be redistributed, only saying that the streamer itself would not make additional money under this model."It did note that 99.5 percent of all streams meet the above thresholds, but also stated that the remaining 0.5 percent account for just $40 million per year, which is much lower than the advertised $1 billion of new funds being pumped into the system for established artists, even if you account for $200 million over five years. Spotify also claims that songs with less than 1,000 annual streams generate an average of $3 per year, which isn't a lot. If those numbers hold, this whole thing could be much ado about, well, $3. Still, there's something of a precedent being set here.Spotify says fraudulent content creators often try to game the system" by posting a high volume of tracks, generating pennies for each that add up to real money over time. This is something the company refers to as artificial streaming, as there's an AI component at play, so the 1,000 play threshold hopes to stop this activity dead in its tracks. Smaller artists are just collateral damage here.As a matter of fact, artists with under 1,000 streams in the last 28 days cannot even participate in Spotify's recently-launched marketing toolset that lets artists pay the streamer for placement on home feeds.In a completely unrelated note, Spotify is shutting down in Uruguay after the country passed a bill that requires fair pay to artists, as reported by MixMag. The company made threats to shut down when the bill was first suggested back in July and now it has followed through. A spokesperson for Spotify actually wrote Uruguay's Minister of Education, Pablo Da Silveira, to say that the country's bill would force it to pay twice" the amount of royalties to artists. It went on to say that complying with Uruguay's fair pay law would make its business model unfeasible."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-confirms-it-wont-offer-payouts-for-songs-with-fewer-than-1000-plays-181501465.html?src=rss

Cities: Skylines II developer Colossal Order is delaying the city building simulation's expansion roadmap. After numerous complaints about the PC game's performance (and the delay of console versions until 2024), the team decided to pause rapid patches, digging instead into more time-consuming performance and bug fixes. CEO Mariina Hallikainen apologized for the delay in a blog post, explaining, We must not rush new content out before the base [game] is ready for it."The development delay pushes most Cities: Skylines II expansion pass content back by a quarter. The Beach Properties asset pack has been postponed to Q1 2024 from Q4 2023. Two creator packs (Modern Architecture and Urban Promenades), initially scheduled for Q1 2024, will arrive in Q2 2024. Finally, the Deluxe Relax and Soft Rock radio stations are knocked back to Q1 and Q2 2024, respectively. Meanwhile, the Bridges & Ports expansion remains in the Q2 2024 slot.Hallikainen's blog post cited a need to address more time-consuming bug fixes and performance problems before rolling out new content. We have made it through the quicker fixes and we're now digging into the ones that require a bit more work," she wrote. The CEO mentioned applying fixes for graphical details to improve GPU performance before moving on to CPU optimizations, including stutter fixes, while ensuring a fast and smooth experience. She said the development team is currently sifting through players' bug reports, identifying 100 reproducible issues the team will look into and another 100 reports requiring more investigation.Colossal Order / Paradox InteractiveWeeks before launch, Colossal Order raised the game's minimum and recommended specs, warning, We have not achieved the benchmark we targeted." However, it and its publisher, Paradox Interactive, opted to continue with Cities: Skylines II's planned release date. When it arrived in late October, fans, hoping for a stable experience expanding on the 2015 original, panned the product they got. They complained about shoddy performance, buggy core gameplay elements and an overall lack of optimization relative to the PC hardware it runs on - even, in some cases, on fairly high-end setups.Despite fans' disappointment with the stability of the hotly anticipated title, Colossal Order seems to have received the message. Once the PC version is where we want it to be, we will be focusing on the console release and DLC content," Hallikainen wrote.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cities-skylines-ii-developer-delays-dlc-to-to-focus-on-fixing-the-base-game-180702925.html?src=rss