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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon tells Engadget it's letting go of about five percent of staff in its Buy with Prime division. Launched in 2022, Buy with Prime extends the membership's perks to third-party merchants selling and shipping goods on other sites. CNBC first reported the cuts on Thursday.An Amazon spokesperson wrote in an email to Engadget that the cuts were part of a standard review of its business needs. We regularly review the structure of our teams and make adjustments based on the needs of the business and, following a recent review, we've made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles on our Buy with Prime team," the spokesperson said.Amazon hasn't stated how many staff are in the division, but a source with knowledge of the matter tells Engadget about 30 employees are affected by the cuts.AmazonAmazon says Buy with Prime is still a central focus. Buy with Prime is a top priority for Amazon, with strong adoption from merchants and positive feedback from customers, and we will continue investing significant resources in Buy with Prime to build on that momentum," the spokesperson wrote to Engadget. We're grateful to these employees for their contributions, and we're focused on supporting them in their next steps."The company spokesperson tells Engadget laid-off workers will receive at least 50 days of pay and benefits and be eligible for a severance package. In addition, the company says it's working to find new roles within Amazon for downsized staff.Although the number is much smaller this time, the layoffs add to the more than 27,000 workers Amazon has laid off since late 2022 (part of a brutal year-plus of job cuts in the broader tech world). The most recent round, earlier this month, hit Prime Video, MGM Studios, Audible and Twitch. Amazon posted record profits in 2023.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-latest-layoffs-hit-buy-with-prime-which-lets-you-use-prime-benefits-on-other-websites-212140862.html?src=rss

Meta is reorganizing its AI teams as it joins the growing ranks of companies trying to create artificial general intelligence, or AGI. Mark Zuckerberg, who has been increasingly focused on the company's AI research, said the change would help the company accelerate" its research and, eventually, improve the metaverse.Meta currently has two teams pursuing AI research: the Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team, started in 2013, and a team solely focused on generative AI experiences for users of its apps. With the change, Zuckerberg said, the company would bring the two closer together" as it looks to expand both groups. Meta's CEO didn't say how many workers it might add to its AI efforts, but the expansion is notable considering the company has shed more than 20,000 jobs since 2022.In a video posted to Threads, Zuckerberg said the changes would support our long-term goals of building general intelligence, open sourcing it responsibly, and making it available and useful to everyone in all of our daily lives." The change is also the latest way that Zuckerberg is trying to position Meta as a leading AI company in an increasingly crowded field of buzzy generative AI companies and projects.Creating AGI, a type of AI often compared to human-level intelligence, has become a particular fascination for many of these companies, including Elon Musk's x.ai, OpenAI and Google. Now, Zuckerberg is throwing Meta's vast resources at the effort. We're building a massive amount of infrastructure," Zuckerberg wrote. At the end of this year, we'll have ~350k Nvidia H100s - and overall ~600k H100s H100 equivalents of compute if you include other GPUs."At the same time, Zuckerberg made it clear he has no plans on giving up on the metaverse, which he says will also benefit from AI advancements. The two major parts of our vision - AI and the metaverse - are connected," he wrote.Linking the company's AI work to the metaverse isn't a new strategy for Zuckerberg, who spent much of last year's Connect event hyping generative AI. Still, it could be a risky one. Zuckerberg's metaverse is still not widely understood, or especially popular. But Zuckerberg seems to think that may change as the company improves its smart glasses and the AI embedded in them. By the end of the decade, I think lots of people will talk to AIs frequently throughout the day using smart glasses like what we're building with Ray Ban Meta," he said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mark-zuckerberg-is-the-latest-billionaire-who-wants-to-create-artificial-general-intelligence-210820789.html?src=rss

We finally have a release date for Ninja Theory's Hellblade sequel: May 21, 2024. It's been over four years since Senua's Saga was announced at the 2019 Game Awards alongside Microsoft's (then next-gen) Xbox Series X console.The first game in the series, Senua's Sacrifice, focused on the main character's journey to the realm of the dead, and her battle with mental health issues. Saga will focus on Senua traveling through Iceland to track down the Vikings who have been raiding her home town. According to Ninja Theory you should expect "perception puzzles led by her experiences of psychosis," which were a high point of the first game. There'll also be some pretty standard video game combat, but this time, in Iceland!

Avowed, the fantasy roleplaying game from Outer Worlds studio Obsidian Entertainment, is due to hit Xbox and PC in the fall. This is a slight update from the game's original release window, which was just "2024." Specifically, Avowed will hit Xbox Series X/S, PC via Xbox and Steam, and it'll be available through Game Pass on day one.Avowed is an expansive first-person RPG with old-school fantasy vibes. Players will set off on a journey across the Living Lands, on a mission for the kingdom of Aedyr. A plague is spreading across the island of the Living Lands and players have been sent to investigate what's going on - along the way, they'll discover how they're personally tied to the region and its mysteries.The game supports multiple play styles, allowing players to approach combat and conversations in their own ways. The world is filled with magic, monsters, firearms, swords and shields, and companions will join the party along the way. If you liked Skyrim, you'll probably like Avowed.

Correction, January 18, 2024, 4:55 PM ET: This story originally claimed that AI-generated content was being promoted in Google News. We did not note that to find such stories required heavily manipulating the search results in Google News, so much so that it didn't surface an original, more legitimate source. As 404 Media itself writes, "Both of these rip-off articles appear in Google News search results. The first appears when searching for Star Wars theory" and setting the results to the past 24 hours. The second appears when searching for the subject of the article with a similar 24 hour setting." Those search parameters are essentially set to that the original stories don't appear.A Google spokesperson provided us with the following statement regarding this issue: Claiming that these sites were featured prominently in Google News is not accurate - the sites in question only appeared for artificially narrow queries, including queries that explicitly filtered out the date of an original article. We take the quality of our results extremely seriously and have clear policies against content created for the primary purpose of ranking well on News and we remove sites that violate it.We apologize for overstating the issue and are including a slightly modified version original story that has been corrected for accuracy, and we've updated the headline to make it more accurate.AI-generated content can be found everywhere online, including your Google News feed. A report from 404 Media revealed that Google News can potentially websites filled with AI-generated articles ripped from other outlets. Google News used to be a place you'd find the latest and most accurate information on most topics. But just because something makes it to Google News doesn't necessarily mean the information is reliable.404 Media cited several examples of AI-written articles getting past Google. One example involved a news site" called Worldtimetodays, that recently published an article about Star Wars. An analysis of the article showed it was highly similar to one published earlier by Distractify. The Worldtimetodays article included the same author photo along with some odd phrasings, as you'd expect with AI. The ripped article read Let's be honest, war of stars fans," instead of Star Wars fans. The site also had articles that were barely rewritten from Heavy, without bothering to replace Heavy's watermarked images.As AI advances and becomes even more accessible, we will likely continue to see mass output of plagiarized articles and unreliable information, some of which may hit Google News. The company told 404 Media that while it tries to filter spam on Google News, it isn't overly concerned whether an article is written by humans or AI. A Google representative told the publication said it's more about the quality of the content.Our focus when ranking content is on the quality of the content, rather than how it was produced. Automatically-generated content produced primarily for ranking purposes is considered spam, and we take action as appropriate under our policies," the statement read.Google went on to reiterate that websites are considered for Google News automatically, and new websites may not be immediately detected by the system. The company added that its goal is to reward original content that demonstrates things such as expertise and trustworthiness," but it looks like it's missing the mark by letting these AI-generated articles through in the first place.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/your-google-news-feed-is-likely-filled-with-ai-generated-articles-194654896.html?src=rss

Just like death and taxes, you can usually rely on a Call of Duty game to top the sales charts each year. The various entries in Activision's warfare simulation franchise have mostly done just that, going all the way back to 2009. This year's a bit different. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III has fallen to second place, as reported by media research firm Circana.According to the list, Hogwarts Legacy topped the charts for 2023, selling around 22 million copies. This is despite the not insignificant controversy the game generated, both by its association with franchise creator JK Rowling - who has leveraged her celebrity position to espouse anti-trans views - but also tropes within the game itself which some (but not all) saw as drawing from antisemitic caricatures. Still, fans had been waiting for a high-quality AAA game set at the wizarding school for decades and Hogwarts Legacy delivered on the promise of a true open-world Harry Potter title. The sales obviously reflect that.As a matter of fact, there have been only two other occasions in which Call of Duty was knocked from first place. Those were the years in which Grand Theft Auto V (2013) and Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) were released. Both Rockstar titles absolutely dominated the conversation upon launch, becoming bona-fide cultural touchstones. Hogwarts Legacy, while very good, hasn't approached that level of buzz, so maybe this data illustrates that players are finally getting sick of Call of Duty, or maybe it's just that Modern Warfare III wasn't a particularly inspiring entry.There's also the Hyrule-sized elephant in the room. Circana's list puts The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as the number five top seller of 2023, but Nintendo keeps its eShop numbers close to the vest, so the list only includes digital sales data up to September. In other words, there's around four months of sales data missing here, which we won't get until the company releases quarterly revenue information at the end of the month.It's possible that Tears of the Kingdom will end up on top when all is said and done: it's sales figures (19.5 million copies) are a mere 2.5 million units away from dethroning Hogwarts Legacy, and that's without the four months of sales that include the holiday season.CircanaOther top sellers include Madden NFL 24 at number three and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 at number four. Interestingly, 2022's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 actually took the number seven spot. Finally, there's the game that will sell forever and ever until the heat death of the universe. Mario Kart 8 came in at number 19, but also without digital data from September onward.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/call-of-duty-didnt-top-the-yearly-sales-charts-for-one-of-the-first-times-since-2009-191641232.html?src=rss

Rock Band 4's weekly DLC drops are coming to an end. Harmonix said Wednesday the upcoming batch of new songs on January 25 will be the game's last. Although all other live services will remain active, the developer plans to give full attention to the Rock Band-like Fortnite Festival, a rhythm game inside Epic's digital world.Product manager Daniel Sussman waxed nostalgic about Rock Band 4's impressive eight-year run of new song drops each week. Taking a longer look back, I see the Rock Band DLC catalog as a huge achievement in persistence and commitment - over the years we've cleared, authored and released nearly 3,000 songs as DLC and well over 3,000 if you include all the game soundtracks," he wrote in an announcement blog post. That's wild."Sussman says Harmonix is committed to protecting its licensing, promising that purchased content will remain available. He adds that all the game's other live services, including Rivals and online play, will continue as usual. There just won't be any more new music for the rhythm game, which arrived in 2015 with 65 tracks.The Rock Band-like Fortnite FestivalEpic GamesFortnite Festival, launched in December, is a rock god stage in the popular battle royale title. It has the advantage of being free: You don't have to pay a couple of bucks to fulfill your dreams of jamming out to Seven Nation Army," The Cranberries' Zombie" or Bel Biv Devoe's Poison."Rock Band 4 instrument support is on its way to Epic's virtual stage. If you are a fan of the rhythm game category, Fortnite Festival is the place to be; and with support for RB4 instruments coming, this is not the time to hang up your guitars just yet..."Harmonix is tight-lipped about its final tracks, but it promises thematic relevance. We deliberated long and hard about how to frame the last blast of RB DLC of this era," Sussman explained. The last two weeks will feature some tear jerkers that sum up our feelings about this moment. We thank you for your commitment to and passion for this wonderful game."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rock-band-4s-next-weekly-dlc-drop-will-be-its-last-175227879.html?src=rss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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