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Most Americans already know what they need to know about Black Friday - it's a day to use up all of that stored energy from consuming turkey and sides on Thanksgiving by shopping for as many deals as possible. What you might not know is that you can get some pretty good deals in the days and weeks leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, thanks to retailers kick-starting the holiday shopping season earlier in recent years. And despite its gross show of consumerism that may make you cringe, Black Friday can be an important day for those who want to buy thoughtful, useful gifts for their loved ones while also sticking to a strict budget. If that sounds like you, or you have just vowed never to pay full price for something when you don't have to, we've got some tips and buying advice that can help you prepare for Black Friday 2023.When is Black Friday 2023?Black Friday 2023 lands on November 24 this year, with Cyber Monday 2023 following up a few days later on November 27. However, the early deals have already begun. If you're organized, you can shop some decent pre-Black Friday sales as soon as mid-October. The entire month of November might as well be renamed Holiday Shopping Month as that's when companies really start to get serious with their discounts.Black Friday shopping strategiesUse a price history trackerThis is just good shopping advice, period - especially when it comes to consumer electronics. Price history trackers like CamelCamelCamel and Keepa monitor price changes and can show you things like the lowest price an item has ever been and when it was last discounted that much. The main catch here is that both Camel and Keepa only work on Amazon listings. That's extra convenient if you shop on Amazon often because both have pretty handy Chrome extensions you can install to make price monitoring super easy.But even if you're not an Amazon aficionado, you can still reference those price history charts when shopping elsewhere on the internet - that way you'll know if one retailer's hot deal" is precisely that, lukewarm or ice cold. Another similarly handy tool is Honey, a browser extension that lets you compare product prices across many retailers, apply digital coupons easily and more.Sign up for company newslettersListen, we wouldn't tell you to intentionally clutter your inbox if we didn't think it would be seriously beneficial. Now more than ever, companies offer things like exclusive and early-access sales, special discount codes, free expedited shipping and other perks to their inner circles of customers - namely, those that sign up for newsletters, text alerts and the like. If there's a particular item you want to snag on sale, like a pair of Sony headphones or a Razer laptop, we recommend signing up for the company's newsletter just for the duration of the holiday shopping season. That increases your chances of being among the first to know about exclusive deals and other offers, or, in the case of early-access sales, among the first to actually buy what you want before sales diminish or things sell out. Don't immediately trash those emailed sale alerts either. Once you get the goods you want, you can go back to that message and immediately unsubscribe from the newsletter if you wish.Use any membership or credit card perks you already haveThere's a good chance you have perks and benefits from services you already use that you're not taking full advantage of. Amazon Prime and Walmart+, for example, both offer early access to specific sales and deals throughout the year and we expect there to be similar exclusive sales at both retailers ahead of Black Friday. You may have a credit card that gives you additional cash back on certain product categories, or integrates seamlessly with retailers so you can use your accumulated cash back immediately when placing orders. Take stock of the services you use regularly and check to see if they're offering anything additional during the holiday shopping season, or if there are benefits you may not have needed to use until now.Shop earlyAs mentioned previously, retailers have already started throwing deals and sales online in the lead-up to Black Friday. As we get closer to the actual day, we expect to see even more early Black Friday deals pop up across the web. If you have items on your list that are absolute must-haves - maybe you thought of the perfect gift for your hard-to-shop-for parent - don't wait to buy those things. We estimate that you have the best chance of getting a truly good deal within two weeks of Black Friday, so start looking in earnest then. There's always a chance an item is marginally cheaper on Black Friday than it is one or two weeks prior, but with all of the early deals we've seen over the past few years, there's less of a chance that the Black Friday price drop will be so significant that you'll regret your early purchase.Our advice: make a list of all the gifts and other items you want to pick up during the holiday shopping season and then designate each of those items as high" or low" priority. High-priority items should be the ones you buy first as soon as you see them go on sale, while low-priority things can wait until closer to Black Friday.The best early Black Friday deals to look out forWhile some sales have already begun, we believe the best early Black Friday deals will begin in November. The bigger the retailer, the more likely it is that they will have early Black Friday deals going on throughout the entire month of November. We expect to see companies like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and others roll out early deals once November hits, with an uptick occurring within a week or two of Black Friday proper.As far as the types of items that will go on sale before Black Friday, it'll be a bit of a mixed bag. Since we focus on tech here at Engadget, we can confidently presume that most of the big, flagship items you may be itching to buy - a pricey smartphone, a new OLED TV or a high-end pair of headphones - will probably not be significantly discounted until, at the earliest, a week before Black Friday. Sure, gadgets will be peppered among the early holiday sales at the start of November, but the best deals on (what we consider to be) the best tech will likely come closer to Black Friday. In the past, we've seen some of the best Black Friday deals drop on Thanksgiving - with some selling out before Black Friday proper even began.We'd also be remiss if we didn't mention Cyber Monday. Over the past few years, Cyber Monday has almost become Black Friday 2.0," with most of the best Black Friday deals carrying over through the end of Cyber Monday (if they don't sell out first). There are always a few Cyber Monday exclusives, particularly in the tech space, so the shopping event is not without its own unique offers. But make no mistake: most of the best deals will be available on Black Friday, with a couple of extras thrown in on Cyber Monday.Engadget will be covering the entirety of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period. That means you can come back to Engadget over the next few weeks to find the best early Black Friday deals on headphones, laptops, gaming gear and more as we inch closer to the actual sale dates. On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, expect us to surface only the best tech deals that the internet has to offer - that means the lowest prices we can find on the tech we think is actually worth your money.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/black-friday-2023-the-best-early-deals-what-to-expect-and-shopping-strategies-from-our-experts-150013315.html?src=rss

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) once again played host to Silicon Valley's AI leaders on Tuesday as the US Senate reconvened its AI Insights Forum for a second time. On the guest list this go around: manifesto enthusiast Marc Andreessen and venture capitalist John Doerr, as well as Max Tegmark of the Future of Life Institute and NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson. On the agenda: the transformational innovation that pushes the boundaries of medicine, energy, and science, and the sustainable innovation necessary to drive advancements in security, accountability, and transparency in AI," according to a release from Sen. Schumer's office.Upon exiting the meeting Tuesday, Schumer told the assembled press, "it is clear that American leadership on AI can't be done on the cheap. Almost all of the experts in today's Forum called for robust, sustained federal investment in private and public sectors to achieve our goals of American-led transformative and sustainable innovation in AI.Per National Security AI Commission estimates, paying for that could cost around $32 billion a year. However, Schumer believes that those funding challenges can be addressed by "leveraging the private sector by employing new and innovative funding mechanisms - like the Grand Challenges prize idea.""We must prioritize transformational innovation, to help create new vistas, unlock new cures, improve education, reinforce national security, protect the global food supply, and more," Schumer remarked. But in doing so, we must act sustainably in order to minimize harms to workers, civil society and the environment. "We need to strike a balance between transformational and sustainable innovation," Schumer said. "Finding this balance will be key to our success."Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and John Kennedy (R-LA) also got in on the proposed regulatory action Tuesday, introducing legislation that would provide more transparency on AI-generated content by requiring clear labeling and disclosures. Such technology could resemble the Content Credentials tag that the C2PA and CAI industry advocacy groups are developing."Our bill is simple," Senator Schatz said in a press statement. "If any content is made by artificial intelligence, it should be labeled so that people are aware and aren't fooled or scammed."The Schatz-Kennedy AI Labeling Act, as they're calling it, would require generative AI system developers to clearly and conspicuously disclose AI-generated content to users. Those developers, and their licensees, would also have to take "reasonable steps" to prevent "systematic publication of content without disclosures." The bill would also establish a working group to create non-binding technical standards to help social media platforms automatically identify such content as well.It puts the onus where it belongs: on the companies and not the consumers," Schatz said on the Senate floor Tuesday. Labels will help people to be informed. They will also help companies using AI to build trust in their content."Tuesday's meeting follows the recent introduction of new AI legislation, dubbed the Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act of 2023 (S. 3050). Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Todd Young (R-IN) all co-sponsored the bill. The bill proposes AI bug bounty programs and would require a vulnerability analysis study for AI-enabled military applications. It's passage into law would also launch a report into AI regulation in the financial services industry (which the head of the SEC had recently been lamenting) as well as a second report on data sharing and coordination.It's frankly a hard challenge," SEC Chairman Gary Gensler told The Financial Times recently, speaking on the challenges the financial industry faces in AI adoption and regulation. It's a hard financial stability issue to address because most of our regulation is about individual institutions, individual banks, individual money market funds, individual brokers; it's just in the nature of what we do.""Working people are fighting back against artificial intelligence and other technology used to eliminate workers or undermine and exploit us," AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said at the conclusion of Tuesday's forum. "If we fail to involve workers and unions across the entire innovation process, AI will curtail our rights, threaten good jobs and undermine our democracy. But the responsible adoption of AI, properly regulated, has the potential to create opportunity, improve working conditions and build prosperity."The forums are part of Senator Schumer's SAFE Innovation Framework, which his office debuted in June. The US must lead in innovation and write the rules of the road on AI and not let adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party craft the standards for a technology set to become as transformative as electricity," the program announcement reads.While Andreesen calls for AI advancement at any cost and Tegmark continues to advocate for a developmental time out," rank and file AI industry workers are also fighting to make their voices heard ahead of the forum. On Monday, a group of employees from two dozen leading AI firms published an open letter to Senator Schumer, demanding Congress take action to safeguard their livelihoods from the dystopian future" that Andreessen's screed, for example, would require.Establishing robust protections related to workplace technology and rebalancing power between workers and employers could reorient the economy and tech innovation toward more equitable and sustainable outcomes," the letter authors argue.Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) had, the previous month, called on leading AI companies to answer for the working conditions of their data workers, laborers who are often paid low wages and provided no benefits but keep AI products online.""We covered a lot of good ground today, and I think we'll all be walking out of the room with a deeper understanding of how to approach American-led AI innovation," Schumer said Tueseay. "We'll continue this conversation in weeks and months to come - in more forums like this and committee hearings in Congress - as we work to develop comprehensive, bipartisan AI legislation."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-us-senate-and-silicon-valley-reconvene-for-a-second-ai-insight-forum-143128622.html?src=rss

TikTok has had a major impact on the music industry over the last few years, with many songs that have gone viral on the platform becoming major mainstream hits. The service is now making a bigger push into music by hosting its own festival.Dubbed as the platform's first live global music event," TikTok In The Mix will take place in Mesa, Arizona on December 10. The headliners are Cardi B, Niall Horan, Anitta and Charlie Puth, all of whom are popular figures on TikTok. The service says there will be surprise guests and performances by emerging artists, some of whom are involved in the TikTok Elevate program for up and coming musicians.Followers of the four headliners will get presale codes to buy In The Mix tickets starting on October 27. The general sale will start on November 2.Of course, TikTok will stream the event live on its app. The service also says it will bring the For You feed to life at In The Mix through a range of activities inspired by our community's favorite trends." Some creators will be present too.Similar platforms might be more inclined to sponsor an existing music festival than to go it alone. However, TikTok has carved out a space for itself as a destination for music discovery, so it makes sense for it to host its own event with a blend of established names and fairly fresh faces.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktoks-first-live-global-music-event-will-feature-cardi-b-and-charlie-puth-141212595.html?src=rss

DJI's Osmo Pocket 3 gimbal camera has arrived with major updates over the previous model, adding a much larger 1-inch sensor that should greatly improve quality. In addition, the new model offers 4K 120p video, the company's latest tracking, face detection, dynamic framing and a very handy rotating display. It's also significantly more expensive than the Pocket 2 was at launch.The most noticeable feature is the new 2-inch display with 4.7 times the area of the last model. It offers 314 x 556 resolution, with 700 nits of brightness and 100 percent coverage of the P3 HDR color gamut. This does make the Pocket 3 larger than the previous model, though it's still small enough to stow in, well, a pocket. It's about the height of an iPhone 12/13, the company notes.What's extra nice, though, is the fact that you can rotate the display 90 degrees, which automatically shifts the camera from portrait to landscape mode. That allows you to fill the screen to see more detail, whether you're capturing 4K widescreen video or 3K video (square or 9:16) for social media - while making it easier to switch modes, as well.Steve Dent for EngadgetLarger sensors usually have a direct correlation with image quality, and DJI sent me a pre-production model (a full review is coming soon). The new 1-inch sensor is considerably bigger, nearly three times the area of the Pocket 2's 1/1.7-inch sensor - the same found on Sony's ZV-1, for instance. From what I've seen so far, it retains color clarity right up to the normal ISO 6400 limit, while keeping noise manageable as well. Video does get noisy at the upper ISO 16000 limit used in the low-light video mode, but it's far better than any previous Pocket model.The Pocket 3 now offers 4K 120p video (along with 2.7K 120p and 1080p at 240 fps), making the Pocket 3 a great option for ultra slow motion shooting. It uses DJI's D-LogM mode found on drones like the Mini 4 Pro, which also allows for 10-bit capture with much improved dynamic range - along with 10-bit HLG HDR recording. It also offers "full-pixel fast focusing" for quick autofocus, which is more critical with a larger sensor.DJI introduced what it calls a "face-priority strategy," meaning it automatically fine-tunes exposure for different skin tones. And to improve those skin tones, it includes DJI's "Glamour Effects 2" that allows smoothing, slimming, brightening, etc.Steve Dent for EngadgetIt's also the company's latest device using ActiveTrack 6.0 with facial recognition (following the Osmo Mobile 6), along with three-axis mechanical stabilization. The latter allows for smooth movement in all kinds of tracking scenarios, whether you're shooting widescreen or portrait video. As such, it's useful for tracking shots of kids and pets, timelapse shots, travel and more. As with past Pocket models, it works very well.ActiveTrack 6.0 on the Pocket 3, meanwhile, is useful for a bunch of different scenarios. Solo vloggers can set the camera up on its mini tripod (or attach it to a regular tripod), then track themselves automatically as they move around. You could also track a subject with little effort, as the camera automatically keeps them centered in the frame. It also has a feature called dynamic framing that allows for more flexible composition, while still locking the subject in the frame.Steve Dent for EngadgetIt also has some new and very useful audio features. The stereo mic can be switched from omnidirectional to forward and backward, and it includes a windscreen to help block noise. The more interesting feature, though, is support for DJI's upcoming wireless Mic 2 (above). The Pocket 3 has a built-in receiver for that product, so you can automatically record audio from the Mic 2's transmitter. In fact, a DJI Mic 2 transmitter is included in the "Creative Combo" bundle, giving users a fast and high-quality way to record VO or interview subjects. (No, the Mic 2 hasn't been officially announced yet, but it's apparently coming soon.)Other features include creative modes like SpinShot (a quick 180-degree flip with one hand), Motionlapse timelapse, up to a 4x digital zoom and Panorama photos. The built-in 1,300mAh battery supports 120 minutes of 4K 60fps shooting, though you can extend that with the battery handle accessory by around 70 percent.The Osmo Pocket 3 is now available to order at DJI's store and authorized real partners, with shipping starting today. That brings us to the not-so-good part, the price. It costs $520 in the US (489 in the UK), which is $170 more than the Pocket 2 cost at launch. You can also get it for $669 in the Creator Combo bundle, which includes a DJI Mic 2 transmitter, Pocket 3 battery handle, mini tripod, carrying bag, wrist strip and USB-C cable. Are the larger sensor and other features worth it? I'll find out when I review it over the next few weeks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/djis-osmo-pocket-3-features-a-1-inch-sensor-and-rotating-display-130055176.html?src=rss

A smart thermostat can help with a number of household issues, from reducing your power bill to making sure you come back to a toasty home or apartment in the winter without needing to have the heat on all day. Google's third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is one of the more notable options on the market, and it's currently $75 off at Wellbots if you enter the code ENGNLT75 at checkout. The deal takes the device down to $174 from its usual price of $259. It's one of the best prices we've seen for the smart thermostat lately.The Nest Learning Thermostat can get to know your routine and preferred temperature settings throughout the course of a typical day, then automatically create a schedule for home climate adjustments based on those. It should only take a week or so for the device to build up a fairly accurate understanding of your heating and cooling preferences and start making appropriate changes autonomously. You can make manual adjustments through the Nest app if needed.The thermostat can detect whether anyone is home using its built-in sensors and your phone. If the place is empty, the device can change the temperatures to a range that can help save energy until your home's occupied again. When the temperatures are in this energy-saving range, the thermostat will note that on a visual indicator. The device can also display details about your energy usage, the weather and the time.Moreover, you can pair the Nest Learning Thermostat with optional sensors to account for hot or cool spots in your home or to maintain specific temperatures in some rooms. That could be helpful for keeping bedrooms cooler than your living room or kitchen. You'll also receive a report on energy usage, including guidance on how to save energy in your cooling and heating systems.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/googles-nest-learning-thermostat-is-75-off-right-now-130050665.html?src=rss

Nissan has introduced a new concept vehicle at the Japan Mobility Show, and it looks like a slightly pared back Batmobile with its sharp lines and scissor doors. The automaker has been introducing one concept vehicle per week since the beginning of October, with the Hyper Force being its newest and last entry. Nissan envisions the Hyper Force as an all electric vehicle designed for both racing enthusiasts and gamers. In fact, it's supposed to come with an augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) driving experience.The idea is to give owners the option to drive their vehicle in the virtual world - while it's not moving, of course - through a special VR helmet with blind visors. That helmet will give users access to a gamified driving experience, where they can race against the clock or against other online racers, including their friends and "professional drivers' digital ghosts" on a circuit.As for the car itself, Nissan designed it to have an all-solid-state battery that can produce an output of up to 1,000 kW. It's also supposed to come with advanced autonomous driving capabilities, thanks to its LIDAR system and an array of sensors meant for sports driving.The Hyper Force has two driving modes, one of which is the R or the racing mode that bathes the cabin in red light and extends panels on the dashboard toward the driver seat to enhance the feeling of being in a cockpit. Meanwhile, in GT or grand touring mode, all the screens and panels glow blue and move away from the driver seat. By the way, if the vehicle's panels, cockpit and graphical user interface look familiar in the video below, that's because Nissan designed them in collaboration with Polyphony Digital Inc., the developer of Gran Turismo.Since it's just a concept, nobody will be driving the Hyper Force anytime soon. Nissan president and CEO Makoto Uchida described the concept cars the company showcased at the event as "symbols of the future [that] embody [the company's] founding spirit of 'daring to do what others don't.'"This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nissans-hyper-force-ev-concept-is-part-batmobile-part-vr-racer-122019212.html?src=rss

Amazon's Blink Outdoor 4 camera, which became available in August, is on sale right now for $72, down from its original price of $120. The deal is only on for a short period, starting on October 25 and ending November 5.The Outdoor 4 captures 1080p HD footage of the camera's view and allows you to view that footage from your smartphone. It supports live view as well, along with enhanced motion detection and two-way talk. The kicker for Blink cameras, though, is that they're wireless, making them very easy to place inside and outside of your home. Plus, each has a battery life of about two years before you need to change their two AA cells. If you purchase the single camera system, you will get access to a free 30-day trial of the Blink subscription plan that allows you to store and share security cam footage in the cloud, and enable features like person detection.The Blink Mini bundle, which includes three cameras, three mounting kits with stands, USB cables and power adapters is also on sale. The bundle, which originally sells for $100 will be made available for $40. Blink Mini cameras can also stream 1080p HD video and record footage using night vision, but they have to be plugged in. Like the Blink Outdoor devices, these indoor cameras are ideal for Alexa fans - the cameras can be controlled through voice to arm and disarm the system. The Blink Mini allows you to customize notifications for motion detection so get alerts for zones that you care about most. The deal on this Mini set is a great entry point for building a home security system if you don't already have one.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/blink-outdoor-4-cameras-drop-back-down-to-record-low-prices-140021330.html?src=rss

Annapurna Interactive has proven to be a force since its first video game, What Remains of Edith Finch, was released in 2017. Now, the gaming company is launching the Annapurna Interactive Deluxe Limited Edition Collection for Switch with 12 unique games available on one cartridge.The included titles packed in with Annapurna's original game run the gambit: Donut County, Gorogoa, Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition, Neon White, Sayonara Wild Hearts, The Artful Escape and The Pathless are all part of the new collection. It also offers the first physical Switch releases of If Found..., Hindsight, Solar Ash and I Am Dead. Annapurna Interactive released a similar collection in 2020 for the PS4, selling a physical box set of eight titles.

Lexus showed off a pair of EV concept cars at the Tokyo Mobility Show designed to highlight its electrified future. The first is the LF-ZC concept designed to go into production next year and includes wild features like using the steering wheel for racing games. The other is the LF-ZL flagship that represents the "future vision" of the brand, Toyota said in a press release.The luxury Toyota sub-brand is committed to becoming fully electric by 2035, and the LF-ZC will be a big part of that with a market launch by 2026. Unlike Honda's Prelude concept that looks nearly production ready, however, the LF-ZC looks more like a showcase for ideas than a real car.LexusSome of those ideas include "more versatile vehicle packaging" that minimizes core components. That will improve performance, according to Toyota, allowing for a low center of gravity, steer-by-wire, and an all-wheel drive powertrain. The company is also focusing on aerodynamics, promising drag coefficient of just 0.2, while still allowing for a wide stance. The design is certainly eye-catching, but is unlikely to bear any resemblance to the final production vehicle.Details on the drivetrain are vague, but Lexus is aiming for "twice the range of conventional BEVs." That will be achieved through the use of "advanced high-performance batteries" made with a prismatic structure, designed to increase range via improved aerodynamic integration and reduced weight. These notably won't be solid state batteries, which won't arrive until a few years later.LexusThe concept mentality extends to the cockpit, as well. Along with a yoke-style steering wheel, there's a left-hand "digital pad" that controls functions like shifting, driver assistance functions, drive mode and more. On the left hand pad are secondary controls like music, climate, phone and AI functions. It also features digital mirrors and a heads-up display that's de rigeur for such vehicles.The dashboard wide display, meanwhile, is what Lexus calls an "open platform for entertainment and diverse applications." The seating is low, and the LF-ZC features materials like bamboo fibers and threads. It'll also use AI tech Lexus calls "Butler" that uses self-learning to customize personal settings for each driver and user, while also allowing for a personalized driving experience.LexusOne particularly crazy feature is using the drive-by-wire feature to somehow marry gaming with the real world. "Customers will be able to engage in e-sports using Steer-by-Wire technology inside the vehicle, for example, then implement their preferred settings through OTA to allow them to experience it in the real world." That sounds like you'd be able to tune the steering and brakes using, say, Gran Turismo or Forza, then take those settings into the real world - though Lexus didn't say exactly how it would work.Lexus also unveiled the LF-ZL (below), calling it a "flagship BEV concept with a vision of the electrified future." It didn't go into much detail about that vehicle, other than promising some very high-tech features like "Interactive Reality In Motion" that seem implausible for a vehicle at this point. "When drivers point to objects or places of interest during their journey, the car's display promptly delivers information along with voice guidance, enabling the car to enhance the connection between occupants and their surroundings," the company said.LexusThe company also talked up things like using "big data" to allow the LF-ZL to integrate into the electrical grid. Lexus also took car show-speak to a new level, promising "Omotenashi" features that will allow for a serene cabin and "unprecedented mobility."Treat all these promises and designs with appropriate skepticism, as it's unlikely that much of the loftier ideas will arrive to market anytime soon (though gaming on your car's steering wheel sounds fun). Toyota is famously late to the EV game, though it is trying to catch up quick by releasing seven "beyond zero" all-electric models by 2025. The company is also working on solid-state battery technology, promising a range of over 600 miles and saying it's near production with a potential launch in 2027 or 2028. If it achieves those goals, great, but so far solid state batteries have been nothing but hot air.LexusThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lexus-new-ev-concept-can-be-tuned-using-settings-from-video-games-113435173.html?src=rss

Researchers have just discovered that the moon is about 40 million years older than previously thought. Which is a big difference. In a study published by the European Association of Geochemistry, scientists looked at the age of crystal formations. The prevalence of zircon crystals in the samples, collected years ago from NASA's Apollo program back in 1972, suggests that the surface of the moon was created around 110 million years after the formation of the solar system.NASA's theory is that a Mars-sized object collided with Earth several billion years ago to form the moon. This new baseline age of the moon gives scientists a rough idea of when that collision might have occurred.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedNew tool lets artists fight AI image bots by hiding corrupt data in plain sightXreal's $399 Air 2 augmented reality glasses are now available to pre-orderThe Star Wars: Dark Forces remaster will arrive on February 28, 2024The Snapdragon X Elite is Qualcomm's most powerful chip to dateThe best foldable phones for 2023Apple reportedly plans to totally redesign its TV appApple will honor California's 'right to repair' rules nationwideThe tech giant has come out in support of having a uniform federal right to repair law.iFixitWhat?! Apple has officially come out supporting the federal right to repair regulations at an event hosted by the Biden administration. Apple VP Brian Naumann proclaimed at the event that the company "supports a uniform federal law that balances repairability with product integrity, data security, usability, and physical safety." He added that the company intends to "honor California's new repair provisions across the United States". It's a big turn from a company that has opposed right to repair" rules. The company once said that Nebraska was bound to become a mecca for hackers when a bill was introduced in the state. That.. didn't happen.Continue reading.Apple teases 'scary fast' event for the night of October 30New iMacs, or MacBooks?EngadgetApple just confirmed another streaming event for October 30 at 8PM ET. It's been a surprisingly long time since there's been a new iMac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggested that this event will refresh the aging iMac line, but it could also offer up a new MacBook Pro.The colorful 24-inch M1 iMac came out all the way back in April 2021, which is a lifetime in Apple hardware years. It hasn't been updated since, so that's the prime target for rumors. Further rumors hint that the event may reveal the company's follow-up chip, the M3.Continue reading.Crunchyroll is now an Amazon Prime Video channelThe anime-focused streamer joins Max, Starz and Paramount+.The anime-focused channel Crunchyroll, is joining Amazon's slate of Prime Video channels. This agreement brings two tiers of Crunchyroll to Prime Video customers in the US, Canada, Sweden and the UK. Like Starz and Max, you won't get access free with a Prime sub, but it silos the channel in a place you might be more likely to access. A Fan subscription gives you full access to the entire catalog of anime, which includes over 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes, while Mega Fan (ugh, naming) subscribers get offline viewing and access to four concurrent streams. It's $8 a month for the Fan tier and $10 for the Mega Fan tier.Continue reading.Chevy offers $1,400 to Bolt EV owners who endured lower charging levelsIt's part of an expected class-action settlement over battery issues.GM will pay $1,400 to owners of 2020-2022 Bolt EVs and EUVs who endured a recall that limited range to 80 percent for a significant period of time. It's effectively an upfront payment to customers as part of an expected class action settlement. Owners must install a "software final remedy" by December 31, 2023 and sign a legal release - those who decline will have to wait for the class action lawsuit to play out. If the settlement ends up being more than $1,400, those who accept the payment will still receive the difference.Bolt EVs have had a long run of issues with batteries: The 2017-2019 models had serious defects that could cause fires, forcing GM to recall them and install special software, reducing maximum charge levels to 90 percent.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-moon-is-older-than-we-thought-111520335.html?src=rss

Robocalls are rampant, using AI and other tools to disrupt day-to-day life and scam Americans out of their money through impersonations of family members, phone providers and more. On October 24, the Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband heard the latest issue and solution floating around: AI.Currently, bad actors are using AI to steal people's voices and repurpose them in calls to loved ones - often presenting a state of distress. This advancement goes beyond seemingly real calls from banks and credit card companies, providing a disturbing and jarring experience: not knowing if you're speaking to someone you know.The financial repercussions (not to mention potential mental distress) are tremendous. Senator Ben Ray Lujan, chair of the subcommittee, estimates that individuals nationwide receive 1.5 billion to 3 billion scam calls monthly, defrauding Americans out of $39 billion in 2022. This figure is despite the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement (TRACED) Act of 2019, which expanded the government's power to prosecute callers and for individuals to block them.In fact, much of the blame for this continued issue has been collectively placed on government agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). "FCC enforcement actions are not sufficient to make a meaningful difference in these illegal calls. U.S.-based providers continue to spurn the Commission's requirements to respond to traceback requests," Margot Saunders, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, said in her testimony to the subcommittee. "The fines issued against some of the most egregious fraudsters have not been recovered, which undermines the intended deterrent effect of imposing these fines. Yet the Commission has referred only three forfeiture orders to the Department of Justice related to unwanted calls since the FCC began TRACED Act reporting in 2020."Saunders called on the FCC to issue clearer guidance on existing regulations and harsher penalties (namely suspension) on complicit voice service providers. She further expressed the need for explicit consent requirements in order for individuals to be contacted.Mike Rudolph, chief technology officer at robocall-blocking firm YouMail, pitched the idea of using AI to flag insufficient information in the FCC's Robocall Mitigation Database. Instead of properly completing and filing the required information, some phone providers avoid accountability for their (lack of) action and submit blank or irrelevant papers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-senate-begins-collecting-evidence-on-how-ai-could-thwart-robocalls-102553733.html?src=rss

Honda has brought its iconic Prelude back in the form of a new concept EV, a two-door coupe that looks surprisingly ready for production, the company announced. No details about the powertrain were revealed, but Honda said it represents a preview of the company's future EV lineup and demonstrates its commitment to driver-focused performance.The Prelude concept was revealed at the end of Honda's Tokyo Mobility Show presentation without many details, other than the appearance. It resembles the latest Honda Civic, particularly in the front end. It's less angular though, retaining the smoother lines that later versions of the original Prelude were known for. Other notable visual cues include bulging fenders, regular side mirrors (not cameras), a small spoiler and blacked out windows. The latter probably means that the concept doesn't have much in the way of an interior yet.The original Prelude put Honda on the map for front-wheel-drive performance, famously coming in second to the Porsche 944 in a 1984 Car and Driver shootout (while beating a Ferrari 308, Lotus Esprit, two other Porsches and a Toyota Supra in the process). It was discontinued in 2001, with the final US model offering 200 horsepower.Honda was very slow, reluctant even, to embrace electric cars - bringing the breakthrough Honda E to market was an uphill battle. And that vehicle likely won't get a follow-up, as Honda said earlier this year that it would focus on SUVs instead. However, CEO Toshihiro Mibe made clear that the Prelude concept represents the company's way forward in terms of sporty EVs."The word 'prelude' means an 'introductory or preceding performance,'" he said. "This model will become the prelude for our future models which will inherit the 'joy of driving' into the full-fledged electrified future and embody Honda's unalterable sports mindset.The Prelude Concept is a specialty sports model that will offer [an] exhilarating experience."Those comments suggest that the company will eventually built the Prelude, or something like it. That would be a way for Honda to move into EVs while still embracing its enthusiast performance heritage.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-honda-prelude-returns-as-a-concept-ev-095016392.html?src=rss

In addition to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm has also introduced the S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 at the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii. The company said its new chips deliver six times the compute power of their predecessor's, along with on-device AI capabilities. More intriguing, perhaps, is the S7 Pro's micro-power Wi-Fi connectivity, which will apparently allow users to "walk around a home, building or campus while listening to music or making calls."As The Verge notes, the chip uses Qualcomm's Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology that can automatically switch a device's connection. When a user strays too far from their phone while their earbuds are connected to it via Bluetooth, for instance, XPAN switches the connection to a Wi-Fi access point. It can deliver 96kHz lossless audio via earbuds, Qualcomm's Dino Bekis told the publication, and it works with 2.4, 5 and 6GHz bands. Bekis also said that users only have to click on a prompt once to connect their earbuds powered by the chip to their Wi-Fi.Outside of the S7 Pro's Wi-Fi connectivity, the platforms' on-board AI enable better responsiveness to the listener's environment if they want to hear ambient sounds. But if they want to block out their environment completely, the chips are supposed to be capable of Qualcomm's "strongest ever ANC performance" regardless of earbud fit.These features will only be enabled when headsets, earbuds and speakers powered by the S7 and S7 Pro are paired with devices equipped with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile platform and Snapdragon X Elite, though. That means we won't be seeing products with the new sound chips on the market anytime soon. When they do come out, they'll most likely be meant for Android devices, seeing as Apple has its own ecosystem.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/qualcomms-new-audio-chip-uses-wi-fi-to-massively-extend-headphone-range-091614802.html?src=rss

"Right to repair" advocates probably couldn't have imagined that Apple would be one of the biggest names on their side a mere five years ago. But that's precisely what's happening here: The tech giant has officially came out in support of having federal right to repair regulations at an event hosted by the Biden administration. Apple VP Brian Naumann proclaimed at the event that the company "supports a uniform federal law that balances repairability with product integrity, data security, usability, and physical safety." He also said that the company intends to "honor California's new repair provisions across the United States" even though national regulations have yet to be established.Apple has a lengthy history of opposing attempts at passing right to repair rules. The company once said that Nebraska was bound to become a "mecca for hackers" when a bill was introduced in the state. It changed its tune in the past few years, however, and started selling parts and tools to consumers, as well as offering them access to repair guides so they could fix their iPhones and Macs on their own. Apple also backed Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman's right to repair bill in California in August before Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law.Under California rules, device makers are required to stock replacement parts and tools and offer repair documentation for three years for gadgets that cost between $50 and $99. For devices that cost over $100, they're required to provide parts, tools and documentation for seven years. Apple already sells parts and repair tools across the US, but if it's following California provisions nationwide, that means those items and its repair guides would be available for years to anyone in the country.In addition to promising to honor California's right to repair provisions across the nation, Naumann also talked about what an ideal federal law should have. "We believe that a uniform federal repair law should do the following: Maintain privacy, data and device security features which help to thwart theft; Ensure transparency for consumers about the type of parts used in a repair; Apply prospectively, to allow manufacturers to focus on building new products that can comply with the proposals; And finally, create a strong national standard that benefits consumers across the US and reduces the confusion created by potentially conflicting state approaches," he said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-will-honor-californias-right-to-repair-rules-nationwide-062704819.html?src=rss

Adult film icon and media investor Riley Reid aims to bring the transformational capabilities of generative AI to adult entertainment with an online platform where users can chat with digital versions of content creators. But unlike other, scuzzier adult chatbots, Clona.AI's avatars are trained with explicit consent of the models' creators who have direct input in what the AI companions" will, and won't, talk about.For $30 a month, fans and subscribers will be able to hold intimate conversations" with digital versions of their favorite adult stars, content creators and influencers. The site's roster currently includes Reid herself and Lena the Plug. A free tier is also available but offers just five chat messages per month.The reality is, AI is coming, and if it's not Clona, it's somebody else," Reid told 404 Media. When [other people] use deepfakes or whatever - if I'm not partnering up with it, then someone else is going to steal my likeness and do it without me. So being presented with this opportunity, I was so excited because I felt like I had a chance to be a part of society's technological advances."Clona uses Meta's Llama 2 large language model as a base, then heavily refines and retrains it to reflect the personality of the person it's based on. Reid explains that her model was first trained on a variety of her online media including interviews, podcast appearances and YouTube videos (in addition to some of her x-rated work) before further fine tuning its response by having the AI chat with Reid herself.I'll be able to see how it responds to users, and edit it to be like no, I would have said it more like this,''' Reid said. But in the beginning my focus was on things like making sure it had my dogs' names right, making sure I was fact-checking it."While the AI companion will be capable talking dirty, how dirty that gets depends on the actor's preferences, not the user's. Reid notes that her model, for example, will not discuss physically dangerous sex acts with users. "I don't know if the tech team thought about the sounding guys, but I was like, I thought about them," she said.Generative AI technology has shown tremendous potential in creating digital clones of deceased celebrities and recording artists. The process requires little more than the celeb's permission (or that of their estate) and a sufficiently large corpus of their vocal or video recordings. However, we've already also seen that technology be misused in deepfake pornography and shady dental advertising. Unscrupulous data scraping practices on the public web (data which is then used to train LLMs) has also raised difficult questions regarding modern copyright laws, copyright infringement and Grammy award eligibility.Still, Reid remains optimistic about the historically proven resilience of the sex industry. I feel like we're gonna be a huge part of AI adapting into our society, because porn is always like that," Reid said. It's what it did with the internet. And the porn world has seen so many advances in technology."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adult-film-star-riley-reid-launches-clonaai-a-sexting-chatbot-platform-000509221.html?src=rss

Motorola showcased some wacky concepts at Lenovo Tech World '23 that may or may not ever see the light of day. The smartphone maker (a subsidiary of Lenovo since 2014) unveiled an adaptive display" prototype that can be rolled into a phone, stand or smart bracelet. (It looks like a more advanced version of a prototype Lenovo exhibited in 2016.) In addition, the company highlighted several developmental AI-powered features for the Lenovo devices you can already buy.The display concept is a rollable smartphone with an FHD+ pOLED display. The prototype can be bent and shaped into different forms depending on users' needs," the company wrote in its announcement blog post. The device can stretch out entirely flat to use as a traditional smartphone, or you could bend it partway to sit on a desk (similar to foldable phones). You can even wrap the concept device partway around your wrist as it transforms into something akin to a smart slap bracelet.Motorola / LenovoThe conceptual prototype has a 6.9-inch display and runs a full Android experience, just like any smartphone" (well, except for iPhones). When upright in a stand mode, it switches to a compact form of Android on a 4.6-inch section of its display.As fun as it can be to gawk at futuristic concepts, we wouldn't recommend holding your breath for this gadget to become an available consumer product anytime soon. However, Lenovo has repeatedly proven that it isn't afraid to go zany with shipping consumer products, so who knows?In addition to its flexible prototype, Motorola also introduced several AI-powered concepts since that's what corporations do in 2023. The company is tapping into generative AI's powers to supply the people with... better wallpaper?Motorola / LenovoWith this concept, users can upload or capture a picture of their outfit to produce multiple unique AI-generated images that reflect their style," the company wrote. You can then transform those AI-made images into a custom wallpaper for your device. A video the company published on its blog post shows a person taking a selfie of an outfit (using the rollable display device, of course), which the software then turns into a variety of wallpaper options for the bendy phone.The company also announced that it's working on a personal voice / text assistant for PCs and smartphones that runs on a large language model (LLM). Dubbed MotoAI, the company says the assistant could answer questions, draft messages, schedule tasks, and so much more." MotoAI would emphasize privacy, processing data and running tasks locally rather than in the cloud. The company says the tool could uniquely personalize your device as it learns more about you, becoming more useful over time.Motorola also tackled document scanning, teasing a feature that can minimize wrinkles and shadows when scanning physical images or documents with a phone's camera. This innovation aims to improve final image quality by minimizing wrinkles and shadows to ensure documents or images appear as crisp and clear as possible," the company wrote.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/motorola-is-back-with-another-slap-bracelet-phone-concept-215026843.html?src=rss

Microsoft's most recent Q1 2024 earnings report continues the company's upward trajectory thanks to the cloud. Microsoft's earnings reached $56.5 billion, up 13 percent from last year! Profits hit $22.3 billion, up 27 percent. Almost every aspect of Microsoft's business is a success - that is, except for its devices, which dropped 22 percent from last year.That segment, which includes its Surface hardware, HoloLens and accessories, has been in decline over the last two years. It fell from $7.2 billion in revenue in 2020 to $6.5 billion in 2021 and $5.4 billion in 2022. And there doesn't seem to be any sign of that stopping. (At the very least, its devices earnings drop was lower than the mid-30 percent decline the company estimated last quarter.)Ahead of Microsoft's most recent device event in New York City, it was obvious that its Surface PCs were in a rut. The arrival of the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Surface Laptop Go 3, while welcome, likely won't change that. They're both solid upgrades, but they're not transformative enough to woo over many new Surface users.It's becoming increasingly clear that the time of the Surface may be over for Microsoft. Panos Panay, the charismatic product lead for those devices, has moved to Amazon. The iconic Surface tablet line hasn't been touched at all this year. Given Microsoft's wildly successful cloud business, as well as its gamble on AI this year, is there any point in duking it out in the PC market?Between Apple's successful transition towards its own efficient-yet-powerful Arm chips, and more nimble PC makers who can quickly adopt new CPUs and GPUs, there just isn't much room left for Microsoft.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-q1-2024-earnings-212522110.html?src=rss

Snapchat grew to more than 400 million users, Snap announced in its third-quarter earnings report. The app added nine million new users in the last quarter, bringing its total daily active users (DAUs) to 406 million, an increase of 12 percent from last year, the company said.The milestone comes a little more than a year after Snap laid off about 20 percent of its workforce in an effort to cut costs as advertising revenue slowed. Those cuts, along with new product features, are apparently starting to pay off.The company reported $1.19 billion in revenue for the quarter, an increase of 5 percent from last year and better than Wall Street analysts expected, according to CNBC. In a statement, Snap pointed to its subscription service, Snapchat+, as a key part of its strategy to grow its non-advertising sources of revenue. Snap announced last month that Snapchat+, which offers users exclusive and experimental features for $4 a month, had reached five million subscribers.Generative AI has also been a bright spot for the company. The company's MyAI chatbot, which rolled out to all Snapchat users in April, has reached more than 200 million people who have collectively exchanged more than 20 billion messages with the OpenAI-powered chatbot. Snap said it believes the assistant is one of the most used AI chatbots available today."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/snapchat-grows-to-more-than-400-million-users-205715066.html?src=rss

Apple is reportedly set to overhaul the Apple TV app. On Tuesday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that the company plans to consolidate its video offerings, placing them exclusively in the TV app on all its devices. Citing people with knowledge of the matter," Gurman reports that the company will launch a new version of the app around December" as part of an upcoming tvOS software update.As part of the move, Apple will reportedly remove its dedicated (iTunes-based) Movies and TV Shows apps from the Apple TV set-top box's interface. In addition, it plans to axe all video-related sections from the iTunes app on iOS and iPadOS. The TV app already duplicates the functionality of renting and buying digital video content, making the alleged change more about streamlining and removing redundancies than altering any core features.The updated app will reportedly include a left-side panel for video categories, similar to what's found on Netflix and other streaming rivals. Apple's TV app consolidates video content from the Apple TV+ subscription service, rented and purchased movies, live sports networks and compatible third-party services like Amazon Prime, Paramount+ and Starz.AppleApple has increasingly invested in video content, spending billions on programming like Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, which premiered in theaters last week. (The film will arrive on Apple TV+ at a later date.") Original series on Apple TV+ include Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo and Foundation, among others. The company reportedly (and abruptly) canceled The Problem with Jon Stewart this month following disagreements about Stewart's planned editorial content surrounding AI and China.In other Apple developments, the company sent out invites today for an event on October 30. The Scary Fast" streaming event is expected to focus on new Macs. These could include a refresh of the aging iMac line and MacBook Pro, possibly running on a new M3 chip.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-reportedly-plans-to-totally-redesign-its-tv-app-194506208.html?src=rss

The moon has been a focal point for space research and exploration for years, yet we're still far from fully understanding its origins. Take its age, for example - researchers have just discovered that the moon is about 40 million years older than previously thought.In a study published by the European Association of Geochemistry, scientists looked at the age of crystal formations found in rock samples from the moon's surface to determine its age. The prevalence of crystals called zircon in the samples, collected years ago from NASA's Apollo program, suggests that the surface of the moon was created around 110 million years after the formation of the solar system. The scientists used analytical techniques including mass spectrometry to measure the presence of particular molecules in the rock. Another method of analysis, atom-probe tomography, was used to detect the amount of radioactive decay in the samples - which in turn was used to determine the age of the crystals in the rock.NASA holds a theory that a Mars-sized object collided with Earth several billion years ago to form the moon. This new understanding of the age of the moon actually gives scientists a rough idea of when that collision might have occurred. This finding highlights the importance of exploratory missions like the Apollo 17 mission at the heart of this discovery. The 1972 manned mission to geologically survey the surface of the moon resulted in 243 pounds of lunar material being brought back to Earth - only for it to be examined by researchers 51 years later.To date, NASA says that more than 105 robotic spacecraft have been launched to explore the moon, so the opportunities for more findings are boundless. Although the next NASA-led manned mission to the moon won't happen until 2025 at the earliest, we can expect more rover programs to shed more light on the makings of the surface of the moon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lunar-rock-samples-suggest-moon-is-older-than-previously-thought-193036846.html?src=rss

Universal Audio has gone all-in on the amp-in-a-pedal concept and just announced its latest entry, the UAFX Lion '68 Super Lead. This pedal digitally recreates a trio of classic 100-watt Marshall Plexi setups from the 1960s. You get the titular Super Lead based on the classic tube amp, the Super Bass inspired by the 1967 low-end icon and the Brown, which emulates the sound of a 100-watt Marshall Plexi heading into a Variac to recreate Eddie Van Halen's infamous guitar tone.This is a modern pedal with high-tech features, however, so it goes well beyond simple amp recreations. The onboard IR includes recreations of different classic microphones and speaker cabinets to adjust the sound. There's also built-in reverb, volume boost, presence and a variety of assignable preset switches that are customized by using a smartphone app. There are also plenty of artist presets to select from if you've grown weary of fiddling with knobs.All of the speaker models derive from the company's OX Stomp pedal. There's six in total at launch, with more to be added at a later date. Updating is easy, as there's a USB-C port on the back, in addition to mono/stereo jack connectors.You can even bypass the cabinet and mic emulations entirely if you would rather rely on your actual amp. UA says these features combine to create the most authentic late 60s British 100-watt tube sound ever placed into a stompbox." The UAFX Lion '68 Super Lead is available now for the usual high-end price tag of $400.Accompanying today's release is a new tremolo pedal, a chorus/vibrato pedal and a compressor pedal based on the classic Teletronix LA-2A. This is not the company's first foray of amp recreations. Universal Audio cut its teeth making plugins, including many based on classic amps. More recently, it released a trio of amp emulation pedals based on the Fender Deluxe Reverb, the Fender Tweed Deluxe and the Vox AC30. We reviewed all three and said that they sounded amazing, despite the hefty $400 price tag.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/universal-audios-new-pedal-recreates-that-classic-1960s-marshall-plexi-sound-190608962.html?src=rss

Qualcomm is no stranger in running artificial intelligence and machine learning systems on-device and without an internet connection. They've been doing it with their camera chipsets for years. But on Tuesday at Snapdragon Summit 2023, the company announced that on-device AI is finally coming to mobile devices and Windows 11 PCs as part of the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and X Elite chips.Both chipsets were built from the ground up with generative AI capabilities in mind and are able to support a variety of large language models (LLM), language vision models (LVM), and transformer network-based automatic speech recognition (ASR) models, up to 10 billion parameters for the SD8 gen 3 and 13 billion parameters for the X Elite, entirely on-device. That means you'll be able to run anything from Baidu's ERNIE 3.5 to OpenAI's Whisper, Meta's Llama 2 or Google's Gecko on your phone or laptop, without an internet connection. Qualcomm's chips are optimized for voice, text and image inputs.It's important to have a wide array of support underneath the hood for these models to be running and therefore heterogeneous compute is extremely important," Durga Malladi, SVP & General Manager, Technology Planning & Edge Solutions at Qualcomm, told reporters at a prebriefing last week. We have state-of-the-art CPU, GPU, and NPU (Neural Processing Unit) processors that are used concurrently, as multiple models are running at any given point in time."The Qualcomm AI Engine is comprised of the Oryon CPU, the Adreno GPU and Hexagon NPU. Combined, they handle up to 45 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) and can crunch 30 tokens per second on laptops, 20 tokens per second on mobile devices - tokens being the basic text/data unit that LLMs can process/generate off of. The chipsets use Samsung's 4.8GHz LP-DDR5x DRAM for their memory allocation.QualcommGenerative AI has demonstrated the ability to take very complex tasks, solve them and resolve them in a very efficient manner," he continued. Potential use cases could include meeting and document summarization or email drafting for consumers, and prompt-based computer code or music generation for enterprise applications, Malladi noted.Or you could just use it to take pretty pictures. Qualcomm is integrating its previous work with edge AI, Cognitive ISP. Devices using these chipsets will be able to edit photos in real-time and in as many as 12 layers. They'll also be able to capture clearer images in low light, remove unwanted objects from photos (a la Google's Magic Eraser) or expand image backgrounds. User scan even watermark their shots as being real and not AI generated, using Truepic photo capture.Having an AI that lives primarily on your phone or mobile device, rather than in the cloud, will offer users myriad benefits over the current system. Much like enterprise AIs that take a general model (e.g. GPT-4) and tune it using a company's internal data to provide more accurate and on-topic answers, a locally-stored AI over time... gradually get personalized," Malladi said, in the sense that... the assistant gets smarter and better, running on the device in itself."What's more, the inherent delay present when the model has to query the cloud for processing or information doesn't exist when all of the assets are local. As such, both the X Elite and SD8 gen 3 are capable of not only running Stable Diffusion on-device but generating images in less than 0.6 seconds.The capacity to run bigger and more capable models, and interact with those models using our speaking words instead of our typing words, could ultimately prove the biggest boon to consumers. There's a very unique way in which we start interfacing the devices and voice becomes a far more natural interface towards these devices - as well in addition to everything else," Malladi said. We believe that it has the potential to be a transformative moment, where we start interacting with devices in a very different way compared to what we've done before."Mobile devices and PCs are just the start for Qualcomm's on-device AI plans. The 10-13 billion parameter limit is already moving towards 20 billion-plus parameters as the company develops new chip iterations. These are very sophisticated models," Malladi commented. The use cases that you build on this are quite impressive."When you start thinking about ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and you have multi-modality [data] coming in from multiple cameras, IR sensors, radar, lidar - in addition to voice, which is the human that is inside the vehicle in itself," he continued. The size of that model is pretty large, we're talking about 30 to 60 billion parameters already." Eventually, these on-device models could approach 100 billion parameters or more, according to Qualcomm's estimates.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/qualcomm-brings-on-device-ai-to-mobile-and-pc-190030938.html?src=rss

At its annual Snapdragon Summit on Tuesday, Qualcomm revealed its latest mobile chipset. Perhaps the biggest change in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the introduction of on-device generative AI (akin to Google's Tensor G3). The chipset's AI Engine supports multi-modal generative AI models and what Qualcomm claims is the world's fastest Stable Diffusion system with the ability to generate an image in under a second. So, you should be able to whip up backgrounds and images for social media posts in a flash.Because GAI requests are handled on-device, Qualcomm says they remain private. There's an AI assistant based on Meta's Llama 2 language learning model. It can securely use personal data such as your favorite activities, location and fitness level to provide more personalized responses, Qualcomm says. The Qualcomm Sensing Hub (which powers this feature) is said to deliver an AI performance increase of up to 3.5 times that of Qualcomm's previous mobile chipset. The company also claims the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers up to 98 percent faster Hexagon NPU performance and 40 percent better performance per watt.QualcommThe camera and editing systems include support for features such as the ability to remove people and objects from a video with the tap of a finger. Qualcomm is promising voice-activated GAI photo and video editing thanks to its Cognitive ISP, along with the option to optimize different parts of a photo in up to 12 layers, whether you capture it with the front or back camera.The Photo Expansion feature uses GAI to extend the borders of a photo, akin to Adobe's Generative Fill tool. The Vlogger's View mode allows you to share video from both your rear and front-facing cameras at the same time, so you can feature your face in what you capture as you narrate what you're seeing.Qualcomm says that Dolby HDR tech allows for image playback and capture with a fuller range of colors, tones and shades. Meanwhile, you can apply a cryptographic seal from Truepic to a photo to indicate that it's the real deal and not something you whipped up with GAI, because that's the world we're living in these days. It's a different approach to applying a label to AI-generated content.Elsewhere, Qualcomm is promising some gaming upgrades in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. There's support for Unreal Engine 5.2 along with hardware-accelerated ray-tracing with global illumination, which the company says is a first for a mobile chipset. This, Qualcomm says, helps deliver "lifelike, multi-source lighting" in games.NetEase/QualcommThe Adreno Frame Motion Engine 2.0 can double framerates while sustaining the same power consumption as the previous chipset, Qualcomm claims. If you're so inclined to hook up a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered device to an external 240Hz display, you'll be able to play games at up to 240 fps.Snapdragon Game Super Resolution, Qualcomm's answer to upscaling tech like NVIDIA's DLSS, will help games to run at up to 8K on supported displays too. The company notes that it's open-sourcing Snapdragon Game Super Resolution.You can expect gameplay audio to be synced to the millisecond, according to Qualcomm, meaning that you shouldn't experience any lag while using earbuds. It's also promising uninterrupted lossless audio even as you move away from your phone or from one room to another thanks to its Expanded Personal Area Network Technology system. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is said to support 24-bit 96 kHz lossless music over Bluetooth.On the subject of connectivity, Qualcomm is using AI hardware acceleration in the X75 Modem-RF System. It says this can help to deliver better 5G speeds, coverage, mobility, link robustness and location accuracy. There's Wi-Fi 7 support too.Compared with the previous chipset, Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3's Kryo CPU delivers 30 percent better performance and 20 percent more power efficiency. As for the GPU, it claims you'll benefit from a 25 percent performance improvement and 25 percent greater power efficiency, along with a 40 percent ray-tracing upgrade. Overall, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is slated to have 10 percent overall power savings compared with last year's chip.You won't have to wait long to try out a phone with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 if you really want to. Qualcomm says devices that use the chipset should start to appear in the coming weeks. Among the brands and manufacturers that will use it are Sony, ASUS, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor and ZTE.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/qualcomms-snapdragon-8-gen-3-brings-on-device-generative-ai-to-more-android-phones-190019288.html?src=rss

On Tuesday, at its annual Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, Qualcomm announced a major addition to its line of mobile chips with the Snapdragon X Elite, which the company is calling its most powerful processor to date.The Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite is the successor to last year's Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 line of laptop chips, which recently got a name change to reflect the huge leap in performance for this upcoming generation. Powered by 12 Oryon cores, Qualcomm claims the X Elite provides up to two times faster CPU performance compared to Intel's 13th-gen Core i7-1360P and i7-1355U processors while also drawing up to 68 percent less power.The chip is based on a 4nm design fabricated by TSMC with standard clock speeds of 3.8GHz with a dual-core boost of up to 4.3GHz. Qualcomm also includes 42MB of total cache with an LPDDR5x memory bandwidth of 136 GB/s. When compared to Apple's M2 chip, Qualcomm says the X Elite boasts 50 percent faster peak multithreaded performance. And thanks to its integrated GPU, the X Elite is said to offer twice the graphics performance as the i7-13800H at ISO power.QualcommQualcomm's new AI Engine should also provide a significant boost to machine learning-based tasks. Between its Oryon CPU, Adreno GPU and Hexagon NPU, the X Elite looks to deliver up to 75 TOPs, which Qualcomm claims is 4.5 times more than its competitors. The chip was also designed to run large language models with up to 13 billion parameters locally with Qualcomm saying the chip offers the fastest Stable Diffusion performance of any laptop chip on the market. Other features include support for AV1 4K HDR video encoding/decoding, 5G connectivity (with downloads of up to 10 Gbps), Wi-Fi 7 and the company's built-in Sensing Hub.The arrival of the Snapdragon X Elite is poised to be a major breakthrough for Qualcomm as it attempts to better compete against rivals like Intel and more specifically Apple, following the latter's transition away from x86-based chips to its custom-designed M-series silicon. The development of the chip's Oryon cores has been a multiyear process following Qualcomm's acquisition of Nuvia back in 2021.Roya Kohbodi/QualcommThat said, while the X Elite boasts some impressive specs and power numbers, the major challenge for Qualcomm is translating all that oomph into actual performance. That's because unlike Apple, Qualcomm doesn't have the luxury of being able to design both its chips and the software/OS its processors are running. And as we've seen in the past on devices like the Surface Pro 9, systems running Windows on Arm still don't feel as fast or responsive when compared to their more traditional x86-based counterparts.Thankfully, with retail PCs powered by the Snapdragon X Elite expected to arrive sometime in mid-2024, it won't be too long until we can see how Qualcomm's latest laptop chip performs in the real world.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-snapdragon-x-elite-is-qualcomms-most-powerful-chip-to-date-190004830.html?src=rss

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced Tuesday that it has suspended GM-owned Cruise's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state - effective immediately. The suspension was based on several safety-related issues. It isn't yet clear if the move is directly related to an incident earlier this month when a Cruise robotaxi pinned a pedestrian under its tire in San Francisco after another car's hit-and-run.According to an emailed statement the California DMV supplied to Engadget, the suspension was based on safety-related regulations. These include:

The crowded field of Twitter clones has just winnowed a bit, as Pebble has officially exited the game, announced via an email to Engadget. The social media site, formerly called T2 Social, was actually created by ex-Twitter employees and this announcement occurs just five weeks after the rebrand to Pebble.The company is transparent when it comes to the reasoning behind the closure, saying we were not growing quickly enough for investors to believe that we will break out." Pebble also noted the crowded field of competitors and the uphill climb" to garner traffic and sustained use. It simply needed more time to build out a complete Pebble", but investors put the kibosh on that idea.Though the app's going the way of the dodo, current users will be given some time to login and download their personal archives. Just head to account settings on the web version and look for an option marked wrap it up please." Additionally, the company says this might not be the absolute end for Pebble, suggesting that folks stay tuned" for a potential reinvention of the platform at some point in the future.Pebble was committed to Twitter's original mission of becoming a public town square" and even tried to lure verified Twitter users by allowing them to keep their checkmarks. The app's shutdown suggests this strategy didn't work. Good night, sweet prince.In the meantime, there are still plenty of Twit-alikes out there for those looking to escape endless porn bot scam accounts commenting on every single post you make and blue check bozos bloviating about nonsense. There are the big apps, like Threads and Bluesky, but also Mastodon, Post, Spoutible, Spill, Hive Social, CounterSocial and that Trump one, among others. The last day to post on Pebble is November 1.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitter-clone-pebble-is-shutting-down-just-five-weeks-after-a-rebrand-180707578.html?src=rss

Nightdive Studios has revealed when you'll be able to check out its remaster of Star Wars: Dark Forces. The latest version of the first-person shooter is scheduled to hit PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC on February 29, 2024.The Nightdive team used its KEX engine to revitalize Star Wars: Dark Forces for modern gaming platforms, on which it will be able to run at up to 4K resolution at 120fps. The studio is promising updated lighting and atmospheric effects thanks to advanced 3D rendering. Controller users can take advantage of a weapon wheel and rumble features, along with gyro controls. Of course, you'll be able to earn trophies and achievements too.

GM announced on Tuesday that it's delaying production of the Equinox EV, Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV. Electrek reported on the comments from the automaker's earnings call, citing a desire to protect" GM's pricing while adjusting to shifting EV demand. The company didn't commit to a specific timeline to resume production, only saying the delay would last a few months."We are also moderating the acceleration of EV production in North America to protect our pricing, adjust to slower near-term growth in demand, and implement engineering efficiency and other improvements that will make our vehicles less expensive to produce, and more profitable," GM CEO Mary Barra said in the company's Q3 earnings call Tuesday.Barra said the changes will make our vehicles less expensive to produce, and more profitable" in the long run. She warned that the EV delays would affect Ultium-based models, including the Equinox EV, Silverado EV RST and GMC Sierra EV.The move comes a week after GM announced it would delay EV truck production (Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV) at its Orion assembly plant in Michigan until late 2025. GM spokesperson Kevin Kelley said the move was designed to better manage capital investment while aligning with evolving EV demand."The United Auto Workers strike began in September and is the elephant in the room amid GM's production shakeup. Citing uncertain labor costs related to the strike, the automaker also withdrew its full-year financial guidance. It expects to provide more clarity for investors once new union contracts are signed. Accepting unsustainably high [labor] costs would put our future and GM team member jobs at risk, and jeopardizing our future is something I will not do," Barra said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-delays-production-of-chevy-silverado-equinox-and-gmc-sierra-evs-165609448.html?src=rss

Apple just confirmed another streaming event for October 30 at, wait for it, 8PM ET. Tis the spooky season, so why not hold a presentation at night? The tagline for the event is Scary Fast" so it certainly sounds like there will be some hardware announcements. We already had the big iPhone 15 event, so that leaves the company's desktop and laptop computers.To that end, it's been a surprisingly long time since there's been a new iMac. Analyst Mark Gurman suggested that this event will feature a refresh of the aging iMac line, and his track record is pretty good when it comes to Apple. Gurman also suggested that it's likely we'll see an update to the MacBook Pro.AppleThis analysis is based on current retail supplies and shipping dates for forthcoming models, with retail stores noting they have short supply of the current iMacs and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The colorful 24-inch M1 iMac came out all the way back in April 2021, which is a lifetime in tech circles, and hasn't been updated since. The MacBook Pro M2 is newer, releasing in 2022, but still due for an upgrade.With that said, there are also rumors that the event will reveal the followup chip, the M3. It's also possible we'll get an iPad reveal, as the company's flagship tablet is also due for a refresh.In the past, Apple has typically reserved its October press event for computers, which is another mark in the new iMac" column. In any event, we don't have that long to wait, as October 30 is just around the corner. Here's hoping Tim Cook will be dressed as a mummy or Barbenheimer or something.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-confirms-scary-fast-event-for-the-night-of-october-30-164836214.html?src=rss

Meta is facing a massive class-action lawsuit from 41 states as well as the District of Columbia over alleged harms to its young users. Attorneys general from dozens of states joined a lawsuit, filed in California federal court, claiming that Meta knew its addictive" features were harmful and intentionally misled the public about the safety of its platform.In addition to the California suit, attorneys general from eight other states filed their own claims against the company. In a statement, California Attorney General Rob Bonta described the filings as part of a coordinated effort" to hold Meta accountable for alleged misconduct. Our bipartisan investigation has arrived at a solemn conclusion: Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits," Bonta said in a statement.A central claim of the lawsuit is that Meta's business model depends on holding the attention of young users on Facebook and Instagram, even at the expense of their wellbeing. Meta designed and deployed harmful and psychologically manipulative product features to induce young users' compulsive and extended Platform use, while falsely assuring the public that its features were safe and suitable for young users," the lawsuit states. It added that the company routinely" shared reports suggesting otherwise despite overwhelming internal research" showing its features were harmful.The lawsuit - sections of which are redacted - also calls out several other Instagram features, including likes, filters and its recommendation algorithm. It states that likes promote compulsive use" of the app and that filters can promote eating disorders and body dysmorphia. The lawsuit also alleges that Instagram's highly scrutinized recommendations are designed to capitalize on young users' dopamine responses and create an addictive cycle of engagement." The app's algorithms, it alleges, routinely present young users with psychologically and emotionally distressing content," in order to increase time spent in the app.We share the attorneys general's commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. We're disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path."The lawsuit is the latest reckoning over the company's handling of youth safety and mental health. Lawmakers, regulators and other officials have become increasingly focused on the issue, and whether social media companies are doing enough to protect their youngest users. Meta has come under particular scrutiny since the disclosure of internal documents by a former employee turned whistleblower, Frances Haugen.Her disclosures, known as the Facebook Files, included internal research that showed teens struggling with mental health issues reported that Instagram made them feel worse. The company has attempted to downplay this research, saying that it was taken out of context.The disclosures ultimately prompted the company to indefinitely pause work on an Instagram Kids app. Meta also released a slew of new safety features for Instagram, including changing the default privacy settings and limiting ad targeting features for younger teens. Instagram also added reminders for teens to take a break' from the app and new parental control features.According to The Wall Street Journal, the lawsuits are the result of a years-long investigation into Meta spearheaded by Colorado and Tennessee's attorneys general. Meta had been in settlement talks with the states, but those discussions failed."Meta isn't the only social media company that's faced scrutiny over its effect on teenage users. Snap, TikTok and YouTube have also been criticized by lawmakers for safety issues. In his statement about the Meta lawsuit, California Attorney General Bonta noted that there's also an ongoing investigation into TikTok for harms to youth associated with the use of its platform."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/forty-one-states-sue-meta-for-harming-the-mental-health-of-its-youngest-users-162521184.html?src=rss

Crunchyroll, a subsidiary of Sony, reached an agreement with Amazon to launch on Prime Video Channels, giving anime-niacs a new way to stream their favorite content, as originally reported by Deadline. Amazon's Prime Video Channels is a hub that offers access to Amazon's stable of original content, but also lets users sign up for third-party streamers like Max, Starz, Paramount+ and others.This agreement brings two tiers of Crunchyroll to Prime Video customers in the US, Canada, Sweden and the UK. The Fan subscription gives you full access to the entire catalog of anime, which includes over 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes. You also get brand-new series at the same time they air in Japan and the streamer's full collection of digital manga. The Mega Fan subscription includes all of the above, plus offline viewing and access to four concurrent streams, which is great for those who play fast and loose with their passwords.Terry Li, EVP of emerging business at Crunchyroll, says this move will allow even the anime-curious" to get immersed in our library." Crunchyroll already has plenty of subscribers, 11 million as of earlier this year, and this should push that count even higher. Sony purchased Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021 for $1.2 billion, combining it with Funimation to create an absolute behemoth of cartoonery.Of course, just like Max, Starz and the rest, Prime Video isn't the only way to access Crunchyroll. You can still download the app and sign up as normal. No matter which way you choose to consume Crunchyroll content, you'll pay $8 a month for the Fan tier and $10 a month for the Mega Fan tier.Prime Video Channels is in direct competition with the other streaming hub, Apple TV Channels. As the two continue to gobble up content partners, it seems like consumers will end up with something that looks and feels a whole lot like cable.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/crunchyroll-is-now-an-amazon-prime-video-channel-160253759.html?src=rss

YouTube Music has two new features rolling out, and it should come as no surprise that one of them is all about AI. Instead of looking at a compilation of album covers or uploading your own image, you can now use AI to create custom playlist art right from the YouTube Music app.Whether or not you've ever thought about what's at the top of your playlist, designing and adding an image is pretty simple. All you need to do is click the playlist's edit button and then on the existing main image. YouTube Music will then bring you to a range of categories, such as nature, humor and animals. Each one will generate a random set of pictures upon selection, such as a dog in a specific art style, that you can change. Just toggle through the options, and when you find one you like, save it as your playlist's new cover photo.YouTube Music's other update set to roll out is a feature called speed dial that lets you jump right back into recent listens, like specific artists and playlists. The format is very reminiscent of the top of Spotify's homepage, but YouTube appears to show more options than its competitor.These features follow other recent attempts by YouTube Music to compete with more established services, such as adding a comments section and timed lyrics to follow along with songs. AI-powered custom playlist art is available now to English language accounts in the United States, with plans to roll out globally in the future, while speed dial will be available in the coming months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-music-now-lets-you-generate-your-own-ai-playlist-art-140053565.html?src=rss

Google has disabled live traffic updates for Israel and Gaza in Maps and Waze, a spokesperson has confirmed to Bloomberg. "As we have done previously in conflict situations and in response to the evolving situation in the region, we have temporarily disabled the ability to see live traffic conditions and busyness information out of consideration for the safety of local communities," the spokesperson said. Israeli blog GeekTime reports that Apple has switched off the same feature in its Maps app, as well.Google told The Hill that people can still use Maps and Waze to get route and ETA information that "take current traffic conditions into account." They just won't be able to see real-time traffic data in the apps like they could in the past. It's unclear if Apple is also retaining some of its Maps' navigation capabilities.This move, made by both companies, comes just ahead of the Israeli military's anticipated ground invasion into Gaza, wherein it reportedly plans to deploy tens of thousands of soldiers to capture the city. One of Bloomberg's sources said Google disabled live traffic to comply with a request made by the Israel Defense Forces, likely because the feature could reveal its troops' movements and tip off Hamas, which the US and the EU recognize as a terrorist organization. The Hill says Apple also removed live traffic in the region to comply with the IDF's request.Prior to this development, one of the most recent examples of Google disabling the ability to see live traffic conditions "in conflict situations" happened in 2022. The company deactivated Maps' live traffic data in Ukraine back then, following Russia's invasion of the country. It explained at the time that it implemented the change to protect the safety of locals, and that it came to the decision to do so after consulting with Ukranian authorities.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-and-google-disable-live-traffic-maps-in-israel-and-gaza-121502911.html?src=rss

While Apple, Meta and others continue to work with full-on headsets for augmented reality (AR), Nreal has been selling much smaller AR glasses since 2021. Now the company, which has rebranded to Xreal, just released a new version called the Xreal Air 2 in Europe and the US, after launching it in China last month. It offers improved displays and more comfort, and the company also unveiled the Xreal Air 2 Pro with electrochromic dimming, letting you select the level of immersion from zero to 100 percent.Xreal (the X stands for extra, the company said) promises that the Air 2 glasses "turn whatever the wearer is viewing into a big screen experience, up to 330 inches." To that end, it uses Sony's latest 0.55-inch Micro-OLED display, up from the 0.68-inch Micro-OLED used before (Apple also uses Micro-OLED tech in its Vision Pro mixed reality headset). As before, it can display full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 per eye, with a refresh rate up to 120Hz. Along with the higher resolution, it features 500 nits of brightness, compared to 400 nits on the original Nreal Air.The Air 2 is also 10 percent thinner and 10 percent lighter (from 79 grams to 72 grams, which is actually 8.9 percent by my calculation), according to Xreal. It also comes with improved elastic temples, new "AirFit" nose pads and softer materials. All of that is designed to improve comfort and allowing for longer use when watching movies and other content, according to the company. As before, it connects to devices via USB-C with video (DisplayPort) output with no wireless option, so you're effectively tethered to a device.XrealXreal also improved the audio speaker system by incorporating "spatial wrap-around auto delivery" via an open ear design targeted at the wearer. "This brings enhanced privacy and minimizes disruption to others when in public spaces," the company said. It also improves voice and video calls, since the Xreal Air 2 can let you take audio from a smartphone or tablet.The more desirable model is the Xreal Air 2 Pro. It introduces electrochromic dimming that lets you select three modes, including a transparent mode that blocks no light, letting you use the glasses while still seeing the outside world. "Productivity mode" blocks 35 percent of outside light, so you can focus better without shutting out your surroundings entirely, while immersive mode blocks all light for gaming, entertainment, etc.Much like the original Nreal Air, the Xreal Air 2 seems mainly aimed at viewers for YouTube videos, light gaming, movies, etc. There are no cameras or motion sensors included, so it effectively acts as a personal projector, with the screen moving as you move your head (hello, nausea). However, you can buy an accessory called Xreal Beam ($119) which adds gyroscopic tracking and keeps the screen fixed in place when you move, while also allowing for additional wired connectivity options that apparently reduce latency. According to reviews on the device, it works in much the same way as the original Air, but is lighter and more comfortable.Considering what it can't do, the Xreal Air 2 is pretty expensive at $399 (in black or red), while the Air 2 Pro is $449. For full functionality, you need the Xreal Beam, which brings the price up to $518 and $568 respectively - more than the Meta Quest 3. Shipping is expected to start in the US and UK in November 2023, and elsewhere in Europe in December.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xreals-399-air-2-augmented-reality-glasses-are-now-available-to-pre-order-120057648.html?src=rss

Tinder's new feature is a new nightmare to me. Tinder Matchmaker allows users' family and friends to recommend potential matches. Wannabe matchmakers do not need a Tinder profile to view or suggest possible pairings, so anyone you know could help you find the one. Or at least... another one.The Tinder user will need to launch a Tinder Matchmaker session" either from a profile card or within the app's settings. You can share a unique link with up to 15 individuals in a 24-hour period. Once a matchmaker gets a link, they can log into Tinder or continue as a guest to swipe away. Don't worry: They can't send messages or actually swipe right on the profiles.Both Hinge and Bumble have already tried matchmaking, although the former's attempts didn't last - the dedicated Hinge matchmaking app is no longer available.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedHow to watch Xbox's third-party games showcaseSonos home theater sets are up to 20 percent off this weekendThe best Nintendo Switch controllers for every playerApple HomePods now have native YouTube Music supportThe best iPhone accessoriesBiden administration designates 31 new 'tech hubs' to encourage innovationWatch Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge trailer The reality show will stream next month.NetflixNetflix has dropped a trailer for the upcoming reality series Squid Game: The Challenge. It all kicks off with 456 contestants competing for the $4.56 million prize in events and games repackaged (minus the blood-spraying violence) from the hit scripted series. A fictional critique of modern capitalism's exploitation of the financially desperate made into a reality TV spectacle that exploits the financially desperate? Yes. But watch the trailer.Continue reading.Amazon's Fallout series finally has a release dateIt begins streaming on April 12, 2024.Amazon Prime Video / InstagramAmazon announced Monday that its Fallout TV series will premiere on April 12, 2024 on Prime Video. The short teaser video was even styled like a Pip-Boy interface from the storied game franchise. The live-action series, from Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, will have an original (canonical) story set in the Fallout gaming universe. It will take place in 2077, beginning in Vault 33 in Los Angeles. As fans of the game know, it's set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland following the events of The Great War" on October 23, 2077, making yesterday the perfect day to announce the show.Continue reading.Department of Justice expands its Tesla probeIt's looking to include EV driving range figures.The Department of Justice has expanded its investigation into Tesla. In an SEC filing, the company said the agency issued subpoenas for information related to "personal benefits, related parties, vehicle range and personnel decisions." According to Reuters and Consumer Reports, Tesla vehicles didn't hit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) range estimates in road tests. Its vehicles have already been penalized in other countries for failing to disclose that its EVs have shorter ranges in low temperatures, and the company reportedly formed a special team that sought to quash complaints about the distance its cars can travel on a single charge.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-tinders-latest-update-lets-your-family-play-virtual-matchmaker-115041564.html?src=rss

From Hollywood strikes to digital portraits, AI's potential to steal creatives' work and how to stop it has dominated the tech conversation in 2023. The latest effort to protect artists and their creations is Nightshade, a tool allowing artists to add undetectable pixels into their work that could corrupt an AI's training data, the MIT Technology Review reports. Nightshade's creation comes as major companies like OpenAI and Meta face lawsuits for copyright infringement and stealing personal works without compensation.University of Chicago professor Ben Zhao and his team created Nightshade, which is currently being peer reviewed, in an effort to put some of the power back in artists' hands. They tested it on recent Stable Diffusion models and an AI they personally built from scratch.Nightshade essentially works as a poison, altering how a machine-learning model produces content and what that finished product looks like. For example, it could make an AI system interpret a prompt for a handbag as a toaster or show an image of a cat instead of the requested dog (the same goes for similar prompts like puppy or wolf).Professor Ben Zhao | University of ChicagoNightshade follows Zhao and his team's August release of a tool called Glaze, which also subtly alters a work of art's pixels but it makes AI systems detect the initial image as entirely different than it is. An artist who wants to protect their work can upload it to Glaze and opt in to using Nightshade.Damaging technology like Nightshade could go a long way towards encouraging AI's major players to request and compensate artists' work properly (it seems like a better alternative to having your system rewired). Companies looking to remove the poison would likely need to locate every piece of corrupt data, a challenging task. Zhao cautions that some individuals might attempt to use the tool for evil purposes but that any real damage would require thousands of corrupted works.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/new-tool-lets-artists-fight-ai-image-bots-by-hiding-corrupt-data-in-plain-sight-095519848.html?src=rss

GM has announced that it will pay $1,400 to owners of 2020-2022 Bolt EVs and EUVs who endured a recall that limited range to 80 percent for a significant period of time, Electrek has reported. It's effectively an upfront payment to customers as part of an expected class action settlement."GM is announcing a compensation program for 2020-22 Bolt EV/EUV owners upon installation of the final advanced diagnostic software as part of the original battery recall," a spokesperson wrote in a statement. "Owners are eligible to receive a $1,400 Visa eReward card upon installation. This applies to Bolt EV/EUV owners in the US only. We're grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding."Owners must install a "software final remedy" by December 31, 2023 and sign a legal release - those who decline will have to wait for the class action lawsuit to play out. If the settlement ends up being more than $1,400, those who accept the payment will still receive the difference.It seems like Chevy's Bolt EVs (and larger EUVs that came along in 2021) have never not had problems with their batteries. The 2017-2019 models had serious defects that could cause fires, forcing GM to recall them and install special software, reducing maximum charge levels to 90 percent.The 2020-2022 models affected by the lawsuit used new battery chemistry with a different issue that could also cause a fire when the car was fully, or nearly fully charged. GM issued a recall for those models as well, installing diagnostic software that would reduce maximum charging levels to 80 percent (cutting range from about 259 miles to 207 miles). The software will eventually either warn customers that their battery pack needs to be replaced, or automatically return the maximum charge to 100 percent.The problem is, the vehicles needed to reach 6,200 miles of use before the final assessment. That could be years for some buyers, and GM mandated that owners complete the diagnostic by March 2025 in order to qualify for an extended warranty or replacement battery, if needed.GM announced earlier this year that it was discontinuing the Bolt EV amid the company's shift to the Ultium platform, possibly because it felt the name had been sullied by the battery issues. Following an outcry, though, it backtracked and said that a next-gen Bolt was in the works - showing that people still liked what the Bolt stood for (a practical, cheap EV with decent range) despite the recalls.Presumably, any potential settlement would cover owners who effectively lost the full and expected use of their vehicle during the period. If you're part of the recall, you should receive a letter soon with more information and a unique PIN to access their site - more information is available here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chevy-offers-1400-to-bolt-ev-owners-who-endured-lower-charging-levels-091547025.html?src=rss

NASA has revealed that it has already processed 70.3 grams of rocks and dust collected by the OSIRIS-REx mission from asteroid Bennu. That means the mission has way exceeded its goal of bringing 60 grams of asteroid samples back to Earth - especially since NASA scientists have yet to open the primary sample container that made its way back to our planet in September. Apparently, they're struggling to open the mission's Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) and could not remove two of its 35 fasteners using the tools currently available to them.The scientists are processing the samples inside a specialized glovebox (pictured above) with a flow of nitrogen in order to keep them from being exposed to our atmosphere and any contaminants. They can't just use any implement to break the container's fasteners open either: The tool must fit inside the glovebox, and it also must not compromise the samples' integrity. NASA has sealed the primary container sample for now, while it's developing the procedure to be able to open it over the next few weeks.If you're wondering where the 70.3 grams of rocks and dust came from, well, NASA collected part of it from the external sample receptacle but outside TAGSAM itself. It also includes a small portion of the samples inside TAGSAM, taken by holding down its mylar flap and reaching inside with tweezers or a scoop. NASA's initial analysis of the material published earlier this month said it showed evidence of high carbon content and water, and further studies could help us understand how life on Earth began. The agency plans to continue analyzing and "characterizing" the rocks and dust it has already taken from the sample container, so we may hear more details about the samples even while TAGSAM remains sealed.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasas-osiris-rex-mission-collected-more-bennu-asteroid-samples-than-first-thought-083605172.html?src=rss

Amazon, the biggest e-commerce website in most countries, now supports passkeys. That gives users access to the new login solution that's considered more secure than passwords, allowing them to access their account using the biometrics or PIN they use to unlock their devices. The company started rolling out the capability a few days ago but has only just announced the feature, which is now available on browsers and is gradually making its way to all users accessing Amazon through its iOS app. Passkey support is also "coming soon" to Amazon's Android application.Passkeys are resistant to phishing, the effects of data leaks or social engineering, because there are no passwords to steal or give away. Instead, the technology uses cryptographic pairs, one of which is a public key saved on a particular service's servers, while the other one remains private and is securely saved to a user's device. These pairs are unique for every service, and they must match for someone to be able to log in. It's also a lot less involved than two-factor authentication, though for some reason, Amazon will not automatically switch it off for those who turn on passkey support.In its FAQs, Amazon says that those who have two-factor switched on will still need to verify their identities with a one-time code even after they activate the new login option. It's unclear if users will no longer have to key in two-factor codes after their initial login with a passkey, but upon trying it out, we weren't asked for one the next time we signed in. To switch on passkey login, users only need to go to Login & Security under Your Account on Amazon and then choose "Set up" next to the new Passkeys option.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-now-supports-passkey-logins-on-browsers-and-ios-devices-050129183.html?src=rss

NVIDIA is reportedly planning on making Arm-based chips for Windows PCs. According to Reuters, the company has quietly begun" taking on Intel by designing processors compatible with Microsoft's operating system. The report says NVIDIA could begin selling the chips as early as 2025.The move is part of Microsoft's broader goal of challenging Apple with Arm-based processors for Windows PCs. According to preliminary Q3 data from research firm IDC, the iPhone maker has nearly doubled its market share since launching the Arm-based Apple Silicon three years ago. The company's in-house Mac chips balance performance (including on-chip AI tasks) and battery life to a degree that Intel's processors have yet to match.When reached via email by Engadget, NVIDIA spokesperson Hector Marinez said the company declined to comment.NVIDIA has recent experience with Arm-based chips, but they're designed for data centers. NVIDIA announced plans to buy Arm Holdings in 2020 for $40 billion. However, the company pulled the plug on the deal in early 2022.AMD is also reportedly preparing to launch Arm-based PC chips as early as 2025. The two companies will join Qualcomm, which has made Windows laptop processors since 2016. Reuters reports that Qualcomm's exclusivity agreement with Microsoft for Arm-based Windows chip designs will expire in 2024, opening the door to new challengers soon after. Windows on Arm hasn't exactly been a rousing success to date.Microsoft learned from the 90s that they don't want to be dependent on Intel again, they don't want to be dependent on a single vendor," Jay Goldberg, chief executive of consulting firm D2D Advisory, told Reuters. If Arm really took off in PC (chips), they were never going to let Qualcomm be the sole supplier."As Microsoft (along with much of the tech industry) bets its future on generative AI, the upcoming chips will unsurprisingly focus heavily on it. The company has reportedly urged chipmakers to bake advanced AI-powered capabilities into their silicon. Microsoft recently launched Windows Copilot, which provides an OpenAI-powered chatbot in a persistent sidebar to respond to contextual queries anywhere in Windows.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidia-is-reportedly-working-on-arm-based-processors-for-windows-pcs-211337968.html?src=rss

Meta is starting to ramp up its growth-hacking tactics for Threads in a bid to boost engagement on the Twitter competitor. The social network is promoting its newest app by cross-posting Threads posts to users' Facebook feeds, the company confirmed Monday.It's a familiar move for Meta, which regularly uses the Facebook feed to promote new features, including those from its other apps. The company has inserted Instagram Reels into recommendations in Facebook's feed for years, and also allows businesses on WhatsApp to buy ads that appear in Facebook feeds. But unlike those efforts, it seems that Threads promotions on Facebook are not optional.We've launched an update to make it easier for people to see the latest content from Threads directly on Facebook and Instagram," the company wrote in response to a Threads user who asked how to keep their posts off of Facebook. But we're listening to feedback like yours as we continue to build on this."

The Department of Justice has expanded its investigation into Tesla, the company has confirmed. In an SEC filing, Tesla said the agency has issued subpoenas for information related to "personal benefits, related parties, vehicle range and personnel decisions." In January, Tesla confirmed that the DOJ sought details from the company regarding Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features for its electric vehicles.According to Reutersand Consumer Reports, Tesla vehicles didn't hit Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) range estimates in road tests. The EPA tests vehicle ranges on rollers in a lab. The New York Times points out that all EVs have a lower range in colder temperatures, but even in warm weather, a Tesla Model Y ran out of juice at least 50 miles below its claimed range in Consumer Reports' tests.Tesla, which has been penalized in other countries for failing to disclose that its EVs have shorter ranges in low temperatures, reportedly formed a special team that sought to quash complaints about the distance its cars can travel on a single charge. The team is said to have told customers who flagged such issues with their EVs that EPA range figures were merely predictions and that the range would be reduced due to battery degradation.As the Times notes, when the term "related parties" is used in a regulatory filing, it often refers to senior management, company directors or major shareholders. Earlier this year, it was reported that Tesla opened an internal investigation to determine whether CEO Elon Musk dipped into company coffers to help fund a glass house he was building. The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and SEC are said to have asked the company for information related to the house and other personal benefits afforded to Musk.In its filing, Tesla noted that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, the SEC and other local, state, federal and international regulators have also sought information from the company related to a variety of investigations and inquiries. Tesla does not have a PR department that can be reached for comment."To our knowledge, no government agency in any ongoing investigation has concluded that any wrongdoing occurred," Tesla said in its SEC filing. "We cannot predict the outcome or impact of any ongoing matters. Should the government decide to pursue an enforcement action, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on our business, results of operation, prospects, cash flows, financial position or brand."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-doj-tesla-probe-has-expanded-to-include-ev-driving-ranges-201050660.html?src=rss

Netflix has dropped a trailer for the upcoming reality series Squid Game: The Challenge. The forthcoming show starts with 456 contestants competing for a $4.56 million prize in events repackaged (minus the brutal violence) from the scripted series. What better way to follow a fictional critique of modern capitalism's exploitation of the financially desperate for profit and entertainment than to embrace a reality TV spectacle that exploits the financially desperate for profit and entertainment?Among other games ripped from the South Korean show, the competition's trailer showcases the original series' creepy red light, green light" doll as players in green tracksuits nervously scoot across the floor, ready to stop at a moment's notice. (In this version, the gunshots" fired at infringing players involve pre-placed blood packets exploding on their chests.) In standard reality TV fashion, there are hints of shameless backstabbing and plenty of lusting over the prize money. Masked guards create an ambiance of intimidation as Sammy Davis Jr.'s I've Gotta Be Me" plays in the background, echoing the source material's theme of unlikely riches as the sole path to fulfillment in a late-capitalist hellscape.When the competition was filmed earlier this year, each player subjected themselves to this exhibition for a 0.22% chance at a couple of million dollars after taxes.NetflixThe reality series made headlines earlier this year when several contestants reportedly required medical attention, proving that irony has flatlined, and Netflix is selling tickets to view its corpse. It was like a war zone," one player told The Sun. People left in tears." The report described frigid conditions: one exhausted player was hauled away on a stretcher while others crawled to the finish line.Even if hypothermia kicked in then people were willing to stay for as long as possible because a lot of money was on the line," one competitor said. Too many were determined not to move so they stood there for far too long. There were people arriving thinking they were going to be millionaires but they left in tears."As a contestant says in the trailer, This is a savage game." Squid Game: The Challenge begins streaming on Netflix on November 22.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-squid-game-the-challenge-trailer-confirms-it-missed-the-message-185144569.html?src=rss

The Venn diagram of HomePod owners and YouTube Music subscribers probably doesn't have a lot of overlap. However, those who use both Apple's speakers and Google's music streaming service may be pleased to learn that the two now play more nicely together. YouTube Music is now available natively on HomePod, meaning that you can ask Siri to play tracks from the service even if your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch aren't close by.It's now possible to set YouTube Music as the default music service on HomePod. That means you won't have to add "on YouTube Music" when you bark a command at Siri. If you configure your HomePod in that way, you can still play music from another supported service by saying its name when you make your Siri request (for example "Siri, play Bad Bunny on Deezer" or "Siri, play Taylor Swift on Apple Music").To change the default music service on HomePod, open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap the More button (the one with the three dots) and then Home Settings. Go to your user profile under People, then select a default service in the Media section.Having native YouTube Music support is a welcome update. HomePods don't support too many services natively beyond the likes of Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn Radio and iHeartRadio. It's possible to stream audio to a HomePod from an iPhone, iPad or Mac as well.With iOS 17, you can ask your HomePod to play music from Spotify and it will do so as long as your iPhone is nearby. Siri needs to route the request through your mobile device via AirPlay. While there's no native Spotify support on HomePod as yet, that change should certainly make things a little easier for some folks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-homepods-now-have-native-youtube-music-support-180428371.html?src=rss

Xbox is presenting a showcase on Wednesday to highlight the various third-party titles coming to Microsoft's gaming consoles, Windows computers and Game Pass. The festivities kick off on Wednesday, October 25 at 1PM EST. You can watch via the official YouTube channel or on Twitch.The stream promises a fresh mix of indie games and familiar favorites" from third-party companies like Remedy, Studio Wildcard, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and more, with 20 minutes of trailers and gameplay footage on the docket. Consider this Xbox's version of those Nintendo Indie World showcase events.So what should you expect during the stream? Microsoft hasn't released a list of games that'll take center stage, but did drop some teases. The company says it'll reveal the latest information" about Yakuza-adjacent RPG Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Dungeons of Hinterberg. It also promised a launch trailer for the long-awaited Alan Wake II, which releases at the end of this week, and the first gameplay footage of Ark: Survival Ascended. There should also be some surprises, so can we have a little Hollow Knight: Silksong trailer... as a treat?The stream will be available in 30 languages, including American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL.) Additionally, Xbox says that YouTube streams will be in 4K at 60fps, which should be a good way to suss out real-world graphical performance.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-watch-xboxs-third-party-games-showcase-172052353.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Video announced Monday that the Fallout television series will premiere on April 12, 2024. The news came from a short teaser video the streaming service posted on its social channels, including Instagram, styled like a Pip-Boy interface. The series, initially announced in 2020, will adopt a serious and harsh" tone while adding ironic humor" and B-movie nuclear fantasies."The live-action series, from Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, will have an original (canonical) story set in the Fallout gaming universe. It will take place in 2077, beginning in Vault 33 in Los Angeles. As fans of the game know, it's set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland following the events of The Great War" on October 23, 2077. That date has become known as Fallout Day" among the game's fans - an ideal day for Amazon to reveal the series' premiere date.

The Biden administration and the US Commerce Department just named 31 regions as "tech hubs", drawn from nearly 400 applicants. These hub areas are spread across the country, in addition to territories like Puerto Rico, and each spot could share in $500 million of funding as originally detailed in the CHIPS and Science Act that was signed into law back in 2022.The administration hopes to use these hubs to catalyze investment in technologies critical to economic growth, national security and job creation" with an end goal of helping communities across the country become centers of innovation critical to American competitiveness." Additionally, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters that the program seeks to diversify the country's tech interests, moving away from traditional hubs like Silicon Valley, Seattle and Boston, as reported by Yahoo.To that end, these hubs will focus on everything under the sun, from artificial intelligence, biotech, clean energy, semiconductors, quantum computing and more. Examples include a hub in Washington state that's developing new materials for next-gen fuel-efficient aircraft, a Wisconsin program seeking to make advancements in personalized medicine and a New York organization researching new battery technologies, among 28 others. It's worth noting that many of these hubs are in small or medium-sized cities, with Raimondo saying that people shouldn't have to move to get a good job."There's one caveat. Snagging one of these coveted hub designations doesn't guarantee federal funding. The Commerce Department will follow each program throughout the next year, with funding to follow. Raimondo says that five to 10 hubs will receive up to $75 million. With 31 hub areas and just $500 million to disperse, that could leave many locations in the financial cold.Additionally, the CHIPS and Science Act is a robust piece of legislation that drops more than $280 billion into various sectors, so these hubs represent less than 1/500th of the allocated funding set aside by the bill. There's $52 billion in tax credits and funding for US chipmakers to expand domestic production, $7 billion for clean hydrogen and $1.5 billion to boost US leadership in wireless technologies and their supply chains." The bill also sets aside $10 billion to invest in regional innovation and technology" which is the exact point of these hubs, so maybe more money is coming down the line.Biden has asked Congress for an additional $4 billion to fund even more regional tech hubs, but, well, that would be part of the full-year budget and you may have noticed that the House still lacks a speaker with a government shutdown on the horizon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/biden-administration-designates-31-new-tech-hubs-to-encourage-innovation-155812340.html?src=rss

SpaceX has struck a deal with the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch four of Europe's Galileo navigation satellites into orbit using its Falcon 9 rocket, The Wall Street Journal has reported. It'll be the first time Elon Musk's company has launched any EU satellites containing classified equipment.The ESA had planned to launch Galileo satellites using its homegrown Ariane 6 rocket, but the latter has seen frequent delays and isn't expected to make its inaugural launch until 2024 at the earliest. The deal is still subject to final approval by the EU Commission and member states, according to ESA director of navigation Javier Benedicto.SpaceX would launch the satellites from US territory, according to the terms of the deal. It would mark the first time Galileo equipment has been carried into orbit outside of European territory, barring early test versions launched from Kazakhstan. All other Galileo satellites have launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana - using Soyuz rockets at first and the Ariane 5 system later on.News of the deal isn't a big surprise, as it was reported this summer that Europe was seeking to cut a deal with SpaceX and United Launch Alliance to "exceptionally launch Galileo satellites." Another alternative would have been Russian-built Soyuz rockets, but that was off the table due to EU sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.Ariane 6 was originally slated to launch in 2023, but multiple delays have pushed the first launch back to 2024. Recently, a short hotfire of the Vulcain 2.1 engine was delayed, and a long-duration static-fire test was pushed back from early October to late November. The Ariane 5 rocket is no longer an option, as it was retired after its final launch in July.SpaceX's launched Europe's Euclid telescope in July, and is slated to launch two other EU spacecraft in the near future. As it stands, the ESA only plans to make four Galileo launches using the Falcon 9. Musk himself has had a tenuous relationship with the EU - most recently, a top European Union official is warned him about the spread of misinformation on his social network platform X amid the Israel-Hamas war.The Galileo system is key for Europe, as it makes it independent from the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and satnav systems from Russia and China. It's also used by EU military and security services to transmit encrypted messages. The service went live in 2016, but additional satellites are required to bolster the existing network. "It is a matter of robustness," said Benedicto. "We have 10 satellites that are ready to be launched, and those satellites should be in space, not on the ground."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spacex-will-launch-esa-navigation-satellites-amid-delays-with-the-eus-own-rockets-140030424.html?src=rss

The United States Justice Department says North Korean nationals have been working remotely for US companies, using fake IDs. The money they make is apparently being funneled to fund weapons of mass destruction programs. At a news conference in St. Louis, Missouri, the FBI alleged that thousands of individuals have moved to countries such as Russia and China and posed as freelance IT workers living in the US.They used false information for emails, payment platforms and websites - sometimes even paying Americans to use their Wi-Fi and setting up proxy computers from those connections. The money being made here was substantial, too. The FBI has apparently collected around $1.5 million in money earned by these workers during previously sealed seizures in October 2022 and January 2023.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedInstagram's latest test feature turns users' photos into stickers for Reels and StoriesTwitch will allow simulcasting to competitor streaming platformsUniversal Audio's SC-1 condenser microphone comes with new modeling softwareNVIDIA's latest AI model helps robots perform pen spinning tricks as well as humansYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Engadget Podcast: Breaking down Andreessen's Techno-Optimist Manifesto"Also, we discuss why Spider-Man 2 on the PS5 is a worthy sequel.Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen has wrapped up his pro-tech worldview in a massive tome, the Techno-Optimist Manifesto. Andreessen claims, technology is the glory of human ambition and achievement, the spearhead of progress, and the realization of our potential," and he goes on to vilify anyone who dares to step in the way of progress." To break down this document, we're joined by tech critic Paris Marx. We also dive into Spider-Man 2 on PS5.Continue reading.Super Mario Bros. Wonder reviewThe joy of pure imagination.NintendoSo Mario has always consumed mushrooms, but in the latest Mario game on Nintendo Switch, it seriously feels like the plumber (and his friends) are dabbling in hallucinogens. This has opened the creative floodgates for level design and gameplay dynamics, twisting the usual 2D platform game in weird and wonderful ways. The game also marks the first Mario title with a new voice actor for the protagonist.Continue reading.Jon Stewart's Apple TV+ show reportedly ends following clash over AI and ChinaThe show was abruptly canceled.The Problem With Jon Stewart isn't returning for a third season at Apple TV+. It was supposed to begin filming for another eight episodes within the next couple of weeks, but Apple and Stewart reportedly decided to part ways before it could start. According to The New York Times, the publications said the parties didn't see eye to eye, with Stewart apparently telling production staff that Apple executives had raised concerns about certain subjects they planned to cover, particularly China and artificial intelligence. Neither party has issued a statement.Continue reading.Blizzard plans to raffle off a human-blood-infused PCDiablo IV players have to donate to make it happen.BlizzardTo celebrate the release of Diablo IV's new season, Season of Blood, Blizzard has launched a month-long blood drive in the US that'll unlock in-game rewards. Once donations reach 666 quarts altogether, players will be able to enter sweepstakes for a custom liquid-cooled PC infused with real human blood." A typical blood donation is 1 pint, so it'll take a little over 1,300 donations to hit the final goal. Get giving, you creeps.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-north-korean-workers-got-remote-it-jobs-to-help-finance-weapons-programs-111516316.html?src=rss

Tinder has rolled out a new feature dubbed Tinder Matchmaker" that will allow users' family and friends to access the dating app and make recommendations for potential matches. The matchmakers do not need to have a Tinder profile to view or suggest possible pairings. Hypothetically, that means anyone from your grandmother to your ex-boyfriend could help you select a new profile to match with.A Tinder user will need to launch a Tinder Matchmaker session" either directly from a profile card or within the app's settings. If you see a potential match, you can share a unique link with up to 15 individuals in a 24-hour period. Once a matchmaker gets a link, they can log into Tinder or continue as a guest.A matchmaker will gain access to profiles they can like" and if they do, it will appear as a recommendation for the original Tinder user to see. The matchmaker's abilities are limited though. They can't send messages or actually swipe right on the profiles in question - ultimately, the Tinder user will decide whether or not to match with another.For years, singles have asked their friends to help find their next match on Tinder, and now we're making that so easy with Tinder Matchmaker," Melissa Hobley, Tinder's Chief Marketing Officer says on the new feature.Bumble has a similar offering, where a user can recommend a profile to a friend through a private link that only they can open within the dating app. However, it's more geared for one-on-one sharing compared to Tinder Matchmaker. Hinge, another key competitor, tried launching a separate Hinge Matchmaker app in 2017. Matchmakers on the Hinge spinoff were supposed to suggest potential pairings based on who the individuals knew personally from Facebook. That secondary app didn't last for Hinge - the app is no longer available.Tinder's matchmaker feature is just the latest offering from the company designed to entice more users to engage with the app in new ways. Verification on Tinder got a boost with video selfies, incognito mode finally was introduced earlier this year and the company just started letting Tinder users specify gender pronouns and non-monogamous relationship types.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tinder-will-let-your-family-nag-you-and-play-virtual-matchmaker-100011319.html?src=rss