Flipboard is the latest service to embrace Mastodon as Twitter becomes increasingly chaotic under Elon Musk. The news reading app, whose founder was once on Twitter’s board of directors, is now going all in on the Fediverse.The company announced that it’s integrating Mastodon into its main app, so that users can browse their feeds much the way they can “flip” through their Twitter timelines. Flipboard is also starting up its own Mastodon instance in an effort to encourage broader adoption among its user base.According to Flipboard CEO Mike McCue, the two updates are the first “very initial steps” of a broader plan to embrace the decentralized social networking protocols that have been popularized by Mastodon over the last year. Instead of relying on the “proprietary social graphs” of services like Twitter and Facebook — both of which have become increasingly hostile to outside developers — Flipboard could instead be centered around ActivityPub, the open source protocol that powers Mastodon and the rest of the decentralized services that make up the “Fediverse.”“As we embrace ActivityPub at Flipboard, we’ll effectively allow anyone who's on Mastodon to follow a user on Flipboard, and to follow a Flipboard magazine, and vice versa,” McCue says in an interview. “What ActivityPub enables is a common, open social graph.” This means that services like Flipboard and Mastodon could eventually be interoperable with other platforms that have pledged to adopt ActivityPub, like Tumblr.The shift is especially notable for Flipboard given its once deep ties to Twitter. McCue served on Twitter's board of directors between 2010 and 2012, and Twitter once reportedly considered buying the app. But now, McCue says the current state of Twitter “is quite sad for a lot of people who were advocates and participants in the whole Twitter ecosystem.”And, with Twitter set to end its free API, it’s not clear how much longer Flipboard will be able to maintain any kind of functionality with the service. “It's total chaos over there,” McCue says, referring to Twitter since Musk took over the company. “The writing on the wall is that I don't see [Flipboard’s] Twitter integration lasting much longer.”But McCue describes Mastodon and the Fediverse as a kind of antidote to the Musk-induced chaos. “We need to get out of this world where one person can basically dictate how these communities of people are interacting with each other,” he says.Of course, there are still questions about whether Mastodon will ever be more than a relatively niche Twitter alternative. The platform has seen explosive growth since last spring when Musk announced his takeover bid for Twitter, but the growth has since leveled off. And the decentralized nature of the platform isn’t necessarily intuitive for newcomers. McCue acknowledges that the Fediverse is still waiting for its “Netscape moment” (he was an executive at the browser company in the late ‘90s at the peak of the Web 1.0 era), but he predicts that other mainstream services may start looking at Mastodon more strategically as well.“I think you're going to see, in the coming months, companies like us start to integrate ActivityPub and advocate to publishers and content creators that they should build a presence in the Fediverse,” he predicts. “Once that starts to reach critical mass … then I think you're gonna get that Netscape moment.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/flipboard-is-leaning-into-mastodon-and-away-from-twitter-160036103.html?src=rss
Realme, a sister brand of Oppo, is finally bringing its 240W SuperVOOC fast charging tech to the international market by way of a familiar-looking device. Freshly announced at MWC, the Realme GT3 is identical to the Chinese GT Neo5 model, meaning it benefits from the same rapid charging speeds: a quick 80-second connection with the custom 12A cable will replenish the 4,600mAh battery to 20 percent, and a 9.5-minute session will get it fully charged.To cope with the extra heat from the higher charging power, the GT3's battery is covered with a massive vapor chamber liquid cooling system, and this is complemented with various safety sensors plus a fireproof design. The battery will apparently maintain at least 80-percent health after 1,600 charging cycles (at 240W) — doubling that of the industry standard.RealmeRealme threw in a small C-shaped RGB lighting ring — dubbed "Pulse Interface System" — sandwiched between an NFC ring and a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 icon on the back (yep, no love for the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 here). These are all housed inside a translucent window next to the camera module, with the customizable light ring indicating the battery level, incoming calls, notifications and camera countdown. See? RGB isn't just for showing off.As with the GT Neo5, the GT3 packs a 50-megapixel main camera (featuring a Sony IMX890 sensor and optical stabilization), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. Flip to the other side, you'll find a 6.74-inch 2,772 x 1,240 AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, an under-display fingerprint reader and a 16-megapixel punch-hole selfie camera. The infrared remote blaster at the top is here to stay, and likewise with the Dolby Atmos stereo speakers.RealmeThe Realme GT3's charging speed may not match Xiaomi's five-minute record claim from earlier today, but at least it is already available in the market. Starting at $649, this Android 13 device comes in four flavors, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage being the base model, and maxing out with 16GB RAM plus 1TB of storage for the special variant. You'll be able to pick one up across Europe and Asia soon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/realme-gt3-240w-pricing-availability-mwc-2023-160035911.html?src=rss
Federal law enforcement is once again dealing with a cybersecurity breach. The US Marshals Service (USMS) reports that it suffered a serious ransomware attack on February 17th. The perpetrators compromised sensitive data on a stand-alone system, including personally identifiable info for some USMS employees, third parties and the targets of investigations.We've asked the USMS for comment. The agency tells CNBC that it disconnected the affected system from the network after discovering the attack, and that the Justice Department has launched an investigation. Senior officials briefed on the ransomware determined it was a "major" event on February 22nd.The service hasn't identified potential culprits or named any impacted divisions or programs. A CNBC source claims the ransomware didn't touch the Witness Security Program. The USMS has reportedly created a workaround to maintain its activities, including hunting fugitives.Word of the breach comes just over a week after the FBI said it "contained" a security incident on its network. Ransomware has also been problematic for various levels of government and public institutions in the past several months. The city of Oakland went so far as to declare a state of emergency in February following an incursion, while Los Angeles' Unified School District also reeled from a digital heist last fall.The US government has escalated its fight against ransomware in the past two years. It brought 30 countries together to address ransomware in 2021, and recently succeeded in disrupting a major ransomware group that stole hundreds of millions of dollars from victims. However, the USMS breach suggests that the battle is far from over.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-marshals-service-ransomware-attack-155923238.html?src=rss
Luminous Productions, the studio behind Forspoken, will soon close shop. Its team will be folded back into parent company Square Enix and tasked with working on other projects. The publisher set up the studio, which included the developers behind Final Fantasy XV, in 2018 to work on new franchises, but Forspoken was its only game as a standalone studio.In a statement, Luminous said that its team will move back directly under Square Enix's umbrella starting on May 1st. In the meantime, the developers will continue to work on an update to address Forspoken's performance issues, as well as an expansion that's slated to arrive this summer."When we established Luminous Productions in 2018, our vision was to make AAA games that fused technology and artistry to deliver completely new play experiences," Luminous wrote on Twitter. "Having the chance to do just that has been a dream come true."
Never mind eSIMs — your next phone might have a more advanced way of connecting to your carrier. Qualcomm and Thales have confirmed the certification of the first user-ready Integrated SIM, or "iSIM." It promises the same card-free digital sign-ups and security as eSIMs, but is built directly into a phone's main processor. Your phone doesn't need a dedicated chip, saving space and (hopefully) money.The companies don't say which phones will be the first to use iSIMs. The technology supports the same remote provisioning standard as eSIMs, however. Your provider won't necessarily need to update its systems to support iSIM-based devices.There's no guarantee phone makers will pass any savings along to you. The reduced footprint could make room for slightly larger batteries and other components, though. More importantly, this might encourage more manufacturers to use digital SIMs by making the tech easier to implement. With that said, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a high-end platform. You may not see wider adoption until more affordable chips (and thus lower-priced phones) offer iSIM support.The timing is convenient, at least. Many phones now include eSIM support, while American iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models don't have physical SIM trays. The conventional SIM card is on the decline, and iSIM could hasten that transition by making its virtual counterpart more commonplace.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/snapdragon-8-gen-2-isim-support-150031144.html?src=rss
Three weeks after introducing the new AI-infused Bing, Microsoft is ready to shove it into Windows 11 with an update coming today. If you're in the Bing AI preview, you'll be able to access all of its new features from the search box in the Windows 11 taskbar. Just imagine a slightly more streamlined version of what we saw with the Bing AI on Edge: In addition to general web searching, you can ask Bing natural language queries and its intelligent chatbot will reply conversationally. If you don't have access to the new Bing yet, you can still sign up for access on Microsoft's waitlist.The impetus here is pretty clear. Now that people are finally talking about Bing in a less derogatory way, Microsoft is aiming to infuse it into the very core of Windows 11. No need to open up Edge or switch your primary web browser. Last week, the company also rolled out the Bing AI preview on its mobile apps and Skype. More so than the expanding access, though, we'll be keeping a close eye on how Microsoft is improving Bing's capabilities, while also trying to limit some of its bad behavior. Remember folks, chatbots are just very good predictive text generators, not arbiters of truth.MicrosoftIf you don't give a lick about Bing AI, this latest Windows 11 update is still packed with plenty of intriguing new features. For one, Windows Insiders will be able to test out Phone Link for iPhones, which will let you make calls and send texts from within Windows. (This follows Microsoft's recent iCloud integration in Windows 11's Photos app.) Android users with Samsung phones, who have had access to Phone Link for a while now, will also be able to easily turn on their Wi-Fi hotspots and transfer their browser sessions. It'll be interesting to see how Microsoft's solution compares to Intel's Unison app, which supports calls, texts and file syncing between iPhones and select Windows 11 PCs.Microsoft is also diving deeper into "touch" experiences with this update. If you've got a detachable or convertible PC, the taskbar will automatically shrink down to give you more screen real estate. A swipe up will let you use the taskbar as you normally would. For some users, this may be easier to deal with than having the taskbar hide itself entirely.The new minimized Windows 11 taskbar for detached touchscreen PCs.MicrosoftWindows 11 is also expanding support for more braille displays, including three "Designed for Surface" devices from HumanWare. Microsoft this will make it easier to flip between its built-in Narrator screen reader and alternatives. Additionally, Windows' voice commands are coming out of preview, allowing you to have complete control of your PC without a mouse or keyboard. Microsoft expanded that functionality in its 2022 Windows 11 update — now it appears to be even more robust.Here's a quick rundown of a few other features you'll find in today's Windows 11 update, which will roll out to users over the next few weeks. (As always, you can check for its availability in the Windows Update app.)
Microsoft is taking its first steps towards bringing iPhone syncing to Windows 11. The company announced today that the Insider preview of Phone Link would support iPhones starting this week. The feature (which has undergone several name changes) has worked with Android phones since as far back as 2015.The initial preview will only sync calls, messages and contacts from your iPhone to a Windows 11 PC. (It will show them like regular Windows notifications.) However, there are some limits: You won’t be able to reply to group messages, and sending media in messages is also unsupported. Still, it’s a big step in the right direction for a feature that has thus far excluded the countless people who use both iPhones and Windows PCs.Microsoft says Phone Link for iPhones will only roll out to “a small percentage” of Windows Insiders this week; it explicitly states that not all Insiders will initially see the option. Instead, the company will expand the preview to more Insiders as it gathers feedback from the first batch of testers. Further, access is cloud-based, so there won’t be a specific version of the Phone Link app that instantly lets you use the preview.MicrosoftIf you’re one of the lucky few accepted, you’ll see an option to link your iPhone in the Phone Link app. After choosing it, it will guide you through the steps to pair your phone and PC over Bluetooth (including scanning a QR code). You’ll also need to confirm a code and grant permissions on both the Windows and iOS sides to ensure everything syncs up.The feature follows Intel’s Unison app, which supports calls, messages, notifications and file transfers between phones (including iPhones) and Intel PCs. Several third-party apps like AirDroid have offered similar functionality for years.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-phone-link-supports-limited-iphone-syncing-in-preview-140005285.html?src=rss
GravaStar, known for science-fiction-inspired speakers with surprisingly solid sound, introduced a new model today. In addition to playing music, the Supernova Bluetooth speaker doubles as a lantern — while resembling something that belongs in the Star Wars prequels. The company pitches it as a camping companion that ticks the boxes for music, lighting and oddball novelty.The speaker has a metallic body made from a zinc alloy. Its lantern-like design can produce customizable lighting effects while changing color to the music’s rhythm. On the audio front, it has 25 watts of power and a rating of 90db with a three-inch full-range speaker and half-inch high-frequency tweeter. It also supports stereo pairing if you buy two of them.The speaker weighs 2.2 lbs and has a handle with collapsible legs. GravaStar estimates up to seven hours of battery life and a Bluetooth distance of up to 20 meters. The Supernova speaker / lantern is available to order today for $180. The company tells Engadget that it will ship by the end of March.GravaStarGravaStar is also launching a 65W charger that looks like a cross between a mech and a prop from a B-grade 20th-century sci-fi film. The Alpha65 charger has one USB-A and two USB-C ports. In addition, it uses GaN (gallium nitride) tech, which should make it faster and more energy-efficient than standard silicon chargers. Finally, it includes a synchronous rectification chip to help reduce power loss when converting AC to DC. The Alpha65 charger costs $60 and is available to order starting today.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gravastars-latest-speaker-looks-like-a-tiny-crawling-robot-140001000.html?src=rss
Starting today, more people around the world will be able to access hundreds of games on Windows through Microsoft's subscription service. The company is expanding its PC Game Pass preview program to 40 more countries around the world, bringing its total number of territories to 86. Previously known as the Xbox Game Pass for PC, the service includes access to new Xbox Game Studios releases from day one, member-only benefits in Riot Games, an EA Play membership and titles by Bethesda, which officially became part of Xbox in 2021.Since this is a preview version of the service, interested users will have to install the Xbox Insider Hub app and sign up to join the Insider Program before they can start playing. They'll also get special pricing in the beginning — based on the official Game Pass website, membership costs $1 for the first month and then $10-a-month going forward.In addition to the games already available through the service, subscribers will be able to play more titles as Microsoft adds them. One upcoming game is Minecraft Legends, an action-strategy title by Mojang and Blackbird Interactive that will be released on April 18th. And on May 2nd, Arkane's open-world vampire shooter Redfall will also be making its way to PC Game Pass when it comes out for Xbox and Windows.Here are the 40 new countries getting access to PC Game Pass today:
Back in 2021, the European Commission issued antitrust charges against Apple after deciding that the company may be abusing its dominant position when it comes to music streaming apps. The commission sent the tech giant a Statement of Objections listing issues that it believes warrant further investigation. In it, the EU's executive body outlined its issues with Apple, namely making developers use its payment system and preventing them from telling subscribers about alternative (and often cheaper) payment options outside of iOS apps. Now, the commission has announced that its antitrust investigation will only touch upon the second issue, or the "anti-steering obligations" Apple imposes upon developers.Its revised Statement of Objections drops its position regarding the legality of the company making developers use its in-app payment system. It's going all in on the anti-steering allegations instead, citing concerns that Apple's rule prevents developers from notifying users about more affordable subscription prices elsewhere.The commission said these anti-steering obligations imposed upon developers are "unfair trading conditions" in breach of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU'). It explained that the obligations are "neither necessary nor proportionate for the provision of the App Store on iPhones and iPad," that they're detrimental to Apple users who'll likely end up paying more, and that they negatively affect music streaming app developers "by limiting effective consumer choice."This particular antitrust case was a result of the complaint Spotify filed against Apple in 2019, wherein it accused the tech giant of having discriminatory practices designed to suppress competitors to Apple Music. If the commission decides that Apple has indeed broken antitrust laws, then it could prohibit the conduct that's in breach of the rules — in this case, preventing developers from pointing users to external payment options — and could fine the company up to 10 percent of its annual turnover worldwide.In a statement, Spotify welcomed the European Commission's announcement, noting that regulators are "sending a clear message that Apple must play fair and let competition work":
Almost four years after it was announced, Pokémon Sleep, a mobile game that tracks your sleep, is finally on the way. According to yesterday's Pokémon Presents event, it’ll arrive sometime this summer, after it was meant to debut in 2020. It features Snorlax (of course) and Professor Neroli, a Pokémon sleep researcher. The idea is you leave your phone next to you when you go to bed, and it analyzes your sleep… somehow.There’s also Pokémon Go Plus +, a new physical device that connects to both Pokémon Sleep and Pokémon Go. For the former, you press the button when you go to bed and again when you wake up to track your sleep data, presumably instead of needing your phone. Pokémon Go Plus + (yes, that’s its name) follows the original Pokémon Go Plus peripheral, which emerged in 2016. It will be available on July 14th and cost $55.– Mat SmithThe Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.The biggest stories you might have missedThe best fitness trackers for 2023'Ted Lasso' season 3 trailer previews the highs and lows of the Premier LeagueA stop-motion Pokémon show is coming to Netflix Apple's 2021 iPad drops to a new all-time low of $250Honor’s exciting folding phone finally makes it to Europe Warner Bros. Discovery sues Paramount over 'South Park' streaming rights Kindle Scribe update adds new brushes and better organization Honor’s Magic 5 Pro offers a polished alternative for Android connoisseursXiaomi shows off its new wireless AR glassesThey use the same chip as Meta’s Quest Pro.XiaomiMWC 2023 has kicked off, and while the biggest phone players might not be revealing much, there are plenty of intriguing phones and peripherals. Xiaomi has unveiled its Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, a compact AR headset using the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 as the Quest Pro. The company says these oversized sunglasses offer an elegant way to blend the digital and real worlds but don’t need to be tethered to a smartphone. There’s no word on price or availability, but they do look like they belong in a ‘00s music video.Continue reading.The OnePlus 11 Concept phone includes PC-like liquid coolingThe experimental project may hint at future phone designs.OnePlus has revealed its latest experimental phone – and this time, the features are more practical than before. The OnePlus 11 Concept centers on Active CryoFlux liquid cooling, which mimics some gaming PCs. The system uses a piezoelectric ceramic micropump to send cooling fluid throughout pipelines in the phone (visible on the outside) without "significantly" increasing the phone's bulk.Continue reading.Google is bringing a bunch of new features to Android and Wear OSIncluding better organizational tools and tap-to-pay animations.Google is unveiling a raft of minor additions to Android and Wear OS, including a new widget for Google Keep to check off your to-do lists from your home screen. And with a compatible watch, you’ll be able to dictate notes and to-do list items from your wrist. Another more notable change is improved noise cancellation in Google Meet when used on some Android devices. Google said you’ll soon be able to use Chrome OS' Fast Pair feature to connect new Bluetooth headphones to your machine with a single tap.Continue reading.You can now fly the largest aircraft ever built in 'Microsoft Flight Simulator'Proceeds will go toward rebuilding the craft destroyed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.MicrosoftOne year ago today, the largest aircraft ever built was destroyed during the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now, the Antonov An-225 Mriya is once again taking to the skies – albeit in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The Ukraine-built Mriya was an ultra-heavy lift jet transport aircraft with six engines. It was the heaviest aircraft ever built, and it had the largest wingspan of any plane at 290 feet. The Flight Simulator version of Mriya costs $20, with all proceeds going to the Antonov Corporation's Mryia reconstruction efforts.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-welcome-to-the-exciting-world-of-pokemon-sleep-121544894.html?src=rss
FromSoftware has confirmed the rumors that had been circulating since earlier this year that Elden Ring is getting a big DLC. In an announcement posted on the game's Twitter account, the Japanese developer said that an upcoming expansion entitled Shadow of the Erdtree is currently in development. It also shared a key artwork for the expansion, but it has yet to reveal details on what it's going to be about and when it's going to be released.
OnePlus is having quite an eventful Mobile World Congress. In addition to revealing its latest experimental phone that it envisions to have liquid cooling capabilities, the company has also announced that it will be launching its first foldable smartphone in the second half of 2023. With this revelation, OnePlus has confirmed previous rumors that it's working on a foldable device similar to Samsung's offerings. The company teased a mysterious Q3 2023 launch with what seemed to be silhouettes of devices that fold in the background at the OnePlus 11 event earlier this month, but it fell short of saying what exactly it would be releasing.Despite its confirmation, OnePlus remains tight-lipped on what a foldable device from the company would entail. XDA Developers reported in January that it found two trademark listings with the China National Intellectual Property Administration for a OnePlus V Fold and a OnePlus V Flip. In today's announcement, OnePlus only talks about one smartphone, so it's unclear if it's actually developing two at the moment. All Kinder Liu, President and COO of OnePlus, had to say at the event was:"Our first foldable phone will have the signature OnePlus fast and smooth experience. It must be a flagship phone that doesn't settle because of its folding form, in terms of industrial design, mechanical technology, and other aspects. We want to launch a device that aims to be at the pinnacle experience of today’s foldable market."The company promised to release more details about its foldable device in the coming months. Aside from that, it also shared its plans to build a more cohesive ecosystem within the next three to five years. It said the ecosystem will enable OnePlus to provide seamless connection across its phones, tablets, wearables and internet-of-things devices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/oneplus-will-launch-its-first-foldable-smartphone-later-this-year-110040331.html?src=rss
Polar isn't as big a name in fitness watches as competitors like Garmin, but it believes it has a way to extend its footprint: license its technology to those rivals. The company is now making 25 fitness algorithms available to some companies. "Powered by Polar" watches can use the brand's activity, health and sleep tracking know-how in combination with their own hardware and services. Third parties won't have to pour years of research into their products just to get started, Polar claims.The first watch to use Polar's framework is Casio's new G-Shock G-Squad GBD-H2000. There aren't many official details at tis stage, but the sequel to the GBD-H1000 is expected to feature a similarly chunky design while adding Polar's fitness science and a gyroscope. It should still include solar-assisted charging, GPS and a host of sensors that include an altimeter, barometer, compass and thermometer.Polar isn't a complete stranger to offering fitness tech to business customers, such as online tracking tools. It has solutions for coaches, fitness classes, schools and teams. However, this is the first time it's providing tech directly to the competition. In theory, this brings advanced fitness tracking to a wider range of devices, and might let watchmakers consider fitness products that simply weren't options before now.To some extent, though, this is an acknowledgment that Polar's in-house watches aren't the strongest sellers. The firm describes itself as a "top 10 player" in wearables, but that still leaves it trailing the heavyweights. Garmin was the only fitness-first watch brand whose shipments cracked the top five in the second quarter of 2022, according to Canalys estimates, and it had 5.5 percent of the market. Algorithm licensing could help Polar boost its profits and influence regardless of how its device sales fare.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/polar-fitness-tracking-for-third-party-watches-100045709.html?src=rss
LastPass has posted an update on its investigation regarding a couple of security incidents that took place last year, and they're sounding graver than previously thought. Apparently, the bad actors involved in those incidents also infiltrated a company DevOps engineer's home computer by exploiting a third-party media software package. They implanted a keylogger into the software, which they then used to capture the engineer's master password for an account with access to the LastPass corporate vault. After they got in, they exported the vault's entries and shared folders that contained decryption keys needed to unlock cloud-based Amazon S3 buckets with customer vault backups.This latest update in LastPass' investigation gives us a clearer picture of how the two security breach incidents it went through last year were connected. If you'll recall, LastPass revealed in August 2022 that an "unauthorized party" gained entry into its system. While the first incident ended on August 12th, the company said in its new announcement that the threat actors were "actively engaged in a new series of reconnaissance, enumeration, and exfiltration activities aligned to the cloud storage environment spanning from August 12th, 2022 to October 26th, 2022."When the company announced the second security breach in December, it said the bad actors used information obtained from the first incident to get into its cloud service. It also admitted that the hackers made off with a bunch of sensitive information, including its Amazon S3 buckets. To be able to access the data saved in those buckets, the hackers needed decryption keys saved in "highly restricted set of shared folders in a LastPass password manager vault." That's why the bad actors targeted one of the four DevOps engineers who had access to the keys needed to unlock the company's cloud storage.In a support document (PDF) the company released (via BleepingComputer), it detailed the data accessed by the threat actors during the two incidents. Apparently, the cloud-based backups accessed during the second breach included "API secrets, third-party integration secrets, customer metadata and backups of all customer vault data." The company insisted that all sensitive customer vault data aside from some exceptions "can only be decrypted with a unique encryption key derived from each user's master password." The company added that it doesn't store users' master passwords. LastPass also detailed the steps it has taken to strengthen its defenses going forward, including revising its threat detection and making "a multi-million-dollar allocation to enhance [its] investment in security across people, processes, and technology."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lastpass-hackers-broke-into-employee-pc-steal-company-password-vault-074948764.html?src=rss
Back in late October, we saw Xiaomi releasing its 210W mobile charging tech by way of its Redmi sub-brand, and this was eventually beaten by a 240W version from Realme — part of the Oppo and OnePlus family — in early February. Given that it's MWC week, today Xiaomi swiftly responded with a whopping 300W demo, which brought the charging time down to a little under five minutes — almost half that of the two aforementioned achievements. Xiaomi added that this new 300W charger comes in the same size as its earlier 210W counterpart, thanks to a better modular design plus heat dissipation on the inside.The 300W demo featured a Redmi Note 12 Pro+ modified with a 4,100mAh battery, which is a little smaller than the 4,300mAh in the 210W Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition (and the Realme has a far more generous 4,600mAh). As you can see in the video, the phone reached 20 percent in just a little over one minute, followed by the 50 percent mark in 2 minutes 12 seconds, and then 100 percent in just a little under 5 minutes. The power meter indicated a peak input of a little over 290W for the charger, and it also managed to sustain 280W and above for around two minutes at one point.The company said the battery here pack more powerful 15C cells (as opposed to the 10C cells in the Discovery Edition), which consist of new carbon materials in place of some of the conventional graphite parts, thus reducing the electrodes' thickness by 35 percent. Together with an improved electrolyte formula, this lithium ion battery can pack a higher power density with a faster charge and discharge rate, while apparently reducing the amount of heat produced in the process. These ultra-thin cells are then stacked with thermal materials in between as part of a new "sandwich" design, in order to optimize heat dissipation while making better use of internal space. As far as safety is concerned, Xiaomi claimed that there are over 50 features built into the system to keep tabs on the current, voltage and temperature on each charging chip.Xiaomi's announcement today has definitely set another milestone for the mobile industry, though the company didn't mention whether this 300W charging tech will be mass produced. Nor did Xiaomi share figures on charging cycles, which makes for a sober reminder of how battery lifespan can be affected by higher charging power.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xiaomi-300w-charging-five-minutes-062341344.html?src=rss
Meta is joining Google, Microsoft and other big names in throwing its weight behind ChatGPT-style AI. Mark Zuckerberg has revealed that his company plans to develop "AI personas" in the long term. It's currently investigating helpers for multiple media formats. You could see advanced chat features in Messenger and WhatsApp, or unique Instagram filters and ads. Video and "multi-modal" content could also benefit, Zuckerberg says. In the near future, you'll see an emphasis on tools for creation and expression.The social media giant is also pooling its generative AI teams into a single group to help "turbocharge" efforts in the emerging field, the executive adds. He doesn't provide more details, and cautions that there's a "lot of foundational work to do" before the most advanced projects come to fruition.The company isn't new to some level of user-facing AI. It introduced chatbots to Messenger in 2016, for example. This represents a significant expansion, however, and isn't surprising given the industry's growing focus on generative AI. Internet behemoths like Google reportedly feel competitive pressure from OpenAI's ChatGPT, as it could theoretically undermine search and other key businesses. Zuckerberg said during Meta's latest earnings call that he wanted the firm to be a "leader" in generative AI, but this may also represent a defensive tool.The shift doesn't come at a great moment, however. Meta's revenues are still shrinking, and its pivot to the metaverse is costing billions of dollars at its Reality Labs unit. It recently slashed over 11,000 jobs to cut costs and weather a rough economy. While platforms like Facebook and Instagram continue to gain users, the company isn't as stable as it once was.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-working-on-ai-personas-for-instagram-messenger-and-whatsapp-223316961.html?src=rss
If the Paramount+ South Park movie deal seemed odd when HBO Max scored an exclusive for the series, you're not alone. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has sued Paramount Global for allegedly breaching parts of the $500 million contract that gave HBO Max streaming rights for South Park in 2019. WBD claims Paramount "blatantly intended" to steer users toward its service by not only offering new specials, but by shortchanging the HBO service on promised regular season content.HBO Max was reportedly promised three new seasons with 10 episodes each. However, the provider says it only got eight episodes across the two delivered seasons, and that the next season's six episodes also fall short. On top of this, Paramount supposedly used "verbal trickery" to rebrand content as movies or events to avoid sending video to its competitor.In a statement to Engadget, Paramount claims the lawsuit is "without merit." It also maintains that it's still honoring the contract despite Warner supposedly failing to pay licensing fees for already-delivered South Park episodes. We've asked WBD for comment.The lawsuit isn't shocking. WBD, previously WarnerMedia, was determined to amass as much content as possible for HBO Max ahead of its 2020 launch, including Friends and Doctor Who. Whether or not Paramount violated its contract, the South Park content on Paramount+ diminishes HBO Max's content advantage — you no longer have to use that service if you want to stream the recent adventures of Cartman and crew.Paramount, meanwhile, has multiple reasons to contest the lawsuit. Paramount+ is thriving even as rivals like Netflix run into trouble, having topped 43 million users as of last spring. While it's unclear how much of a role South Park is playing in that growth, the company may not want to give up streaming rights for one of its best-known shows (Paramount owns Comedy Central, remember) without a fight.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/south-park-warner-bros-discovery-paramount-lawsuit-211615299.html?src=rss
Amazon is adding new features to the Kindle Scribe. A new update gives the e-reader / digital notebook new brush types, including a fountain pen, marker and pencil — each with five thickness settings. The new tools respond to various pressures and angles, and you can use them anywhere you can write on the device. The update is scheduled to roll out today.The Scribe update also enhances notebook organization, now letting you create subfolders you can move in and out of standard folders. After receiving the update, you’ll see a new “+” option when viewing a folder; press that to add a subfolder. To move one, tap on the three-dot contextual menu when viewing a folder or subfolder, select “move,” and drop it someplace new.AmazonFinally, the update adds the ability to navigate to specific pages. You can do that by clicking on the three-dot menu, selecting “Go to page,” and typing the page you want.The Kindle Scribe arrived last November. In Engadget’s review, Cherlynn Low found the large-screened device to have a premium design while providing a natural writing experience better than paper. However, we found the Remarkable 2 to offer slightly better syncing and writing software (although Remarkable is far inferior as an e-reader). The Kindle Scribe starts at $370 for 16GB of storage.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/kindle-scribe-update-adds-new-brushes-and-better-organization-210011764.html?src=rss
Late last year, Waymo secured a Driverless Pilot permit from the state of California, bringing the alphabet-owned brand one step closer to launching its autonomous taxi service in the state. Now, Waymo is already expanding its service area, announcing plans to begin testing driverless cars in Los Angeles. The company tells Engadget that the test will mark the first time that fully autonomous cars will roam the streets of LA, and that thanks to successful tests in San Francisco, its been able to roll out autonomous drivers in new cities with "little-to-no on-board engineering work."That doesn't mean the company is ready to launch its Waymo One taxi service in California, however. The LA test will likely follow the same course as Waymo's fleet in San Francisco: a limited number of vehicles only available to riders in the Waymo Research Trusted Tester program. Waymo didn't have any details to share regarding when the full driverless taxi service will be available to customers in Los Angeles, but it probably hinges on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issuing the firm a Driverless Deployment permit. Until it can clear that final legal hurdle, Waymo's paid taxi service will remain exclusive to Phoenix AZ. So far, GM's Cruise robotaxi service is the only company permitted to charge for driverless rides in the state, so long as those rides take place during daylight hours.
One year ago today, the largest aircraft ever built was destroyed during the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now, the Antonov An-225 Mriya is once again taking to the skies — albeit in Microsoft Flight Simulator. What's more, if you buy the add-on, you could help restore the only real-life Mriya that was ever completed.The Ukraine-built Mriya was an ultra-heavy lift jet transport aircraft with six engines. It was the heaviest aircraft ever built and it had the largest wingspan of any plane at 290 feet. The Mriya, which had its first flight in 1988, was used to transport things like Soviet space shuttles, tanks, diesel locomotives and dozens of cars at a time.Stringer . / reutersA second Mriya was in the works, but it was never finished. There are plans to reconstruct the plane by using parts of the destroyed Mriya and pieces from the unfinished airframe. The project is expected to cost over $500 million.The Microsoft Flight Simulator version of the Antonov An-225 Mriya is available in six liveries, including an Xbox Aviators Club one. It's in the in-game marketplace on PC today and will be available for the Xbox Series X/S and cloud versions later this month. The Mriya costs $20, with all proceeds going to the Antonov Corporation's Mryia reconstruction efforts. Meanwhile, iniBuilds, the team behind the virtual Mriya, has released a manual and other details about the plane on its forums.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-now-fly-the-largest-aircraft-ever-built-in-microsoft-flight-simulator-194118404.html?src=rss
Reddit announced today that it added the ability to search for comments within a single post. The new feature is now available on desktop, iOS and Android.As Reddit mod u/anon-axolotl explained in the pinned announcement post in r/reddit, “So what does this mean? You don’t have to ‘cmd-f’ on the post page anymore and you can search comment threads without expanding them. No more long scrolling sessions — quickly get to the parts of the conversation you’re looking for and jump in where you want.” Previously, searching in a browser with Ctrl-F (Windows) or Cmd-F (macOS) required you first to expand any collapsed comments before it would yield the full results. Reddit’s enhanced built-in search will bring up all results without extra taps or clicks.The new feature builds on the ability to search comments sitewide, which Reddit only added last year. Before that, Reddit’s search would only yield results from the original posts and topics within a community.Reddit has been busy beefing up its search capabilities in recent months. It introduced the ability to search for text within images in October, which is handy for memes or other text-filled pictures. The company also improved the algorithm for its subreddit search, delivering “a larger number of and more relevant subreddits for most searches” along with better autocomplete results. Finally, it incorporated better navigation for video search results in Reddit mobile apps, letting you swipe up and down to browse between the results of a video search easily.
Spotify is waving goodbye to its heart icon. The company is combining the icon, which enables you to quickly save music to your library, with the "add to playlist" prompt under a single plus button.The plus button works a little differently on Spotify than it does on Apple Music, where tapping it a second time on an album or playlist downloads it to your device. When you tap Spotify's plus button once, you'll add a song, playlist, podcast or audiobook to your library. The plus button will then turn into a green check. If you tap the checkmark on the Now Playing view, you'll be able to add the song or podcast episode to a playlist rather than just saving it to your Liked Songs or Your Episodes.SpotifySpotify says the plus button will streamline how folks save songs and podcasts. It wrote in a blog post that user research showed the button "helped save time and gave users the ability to add to multiple playlists at once." It could come in useful, for instance, if you're listening to a radio station or Discover Weekly and encounter a song you like that would work well on one or more of your playlists.The plus button is starting to roll out on Spotify's iOS and Android apps today. It'll be available to all Spotify users in the coming weeks.
Snap announced today that it’s adding an OpenAI chatbot (similar to ChatGPT) to Snapchat. “My AI” is an experimental feature initially available for $3.99-per-month Snapchat+ subscribers, although the company reportedly wants to expand it to all users eventually. Snap’s bot rolls out this week.My AI will appear as a regular Snap user profile, suggesting the company is marketing it less as an all-purpose writing machine and more as a virtual friend. “The big idea is that in addition to talking to our friends and family every day, we’re going to talk to AI every day,” CEO Evan Spiegel toldThe Verge. “And this is something we’re well positioned to do as a messaging service.” When it rolls out, you’ll find the bot pinned to the app’s chat section above conversations with friends.Snap’s announcement says the bot runs “the latest version of OpenAI’s GPT technology that the authors have customized for Snapchat.” That reportedly refers to OpenAI’s Foundry, a recently leaked, invitation-only developer program for deep-pocketed developers; it lets them use GPT-3.5, the more advanced model on which ChatGPT is based. The company’s publicly available API currently only supports up to GPT-3, an older and less intelligent model. We contacted Snap for clarification on the model used and will update this article if we hear back.SnapchatSnap’s chatbot will include restrictions to stay within the platform’s trust and safety guidelines. Hopefully, it avoids a similar fate to CNET’s AI-written articles, the AI Seinfeld experiment or various other AI bot train wrecks. For example, My AI will reportedly steer clear of swearing, violence, sexually explicit content or political opinions. Snap reportedly plans to continue tuning the model as more people use it and report inaccurate or inappropriate answers. (You can do so by holding down on a troublesome message and submitting feedback.)Even with those protections, Snap’s bot could still become a dumpster fire of misinformation and offensive content. “As with all AI-powered chatbots, My AI is prone to hallucination and can be tricked into saying just about anything. Please be aware of its many deficiencies and sorry in advance!” the company said in its announcement post. “While My AI is designed to avoid biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading information, mistakes may occur.”
Meta is taking further action as part of its long-running promise to combat sextortion and other forms of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The company has revealed that Facebook and Instagram are founding members of Take It Down, an initiative from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that helps young people and their parents remove intimate photos posted online. The system relies on locally stored photos, but theoretically protects privacy.Instead of sharing the photos themselves, concerned users visit Take It Down to upload generated hashes. If Facebook, Instagram and other program members spot those hashes elsewhere, they can pull and block the content so it won't proliferate. Meta notes that this isn't just for those under 18, either. Parents can act on a child's behalf, and adults can scrub images taken of them when they were younger. The NCMEC warns that platforms may have "limited capabilities" to remove content that's already online, but this could still help mitigate or undo the damage from unwanted sharing. We've asked Meta for clarification.Meta announced its anti-sextortion plans in November as part of a broader crackdown against "suspicious" adults messaging teens. The project is a follow-up to the StopNCII technology the company developed to fight revenge porn, and shares a similar implementation. This is the latest in a string of efforts to protect teens on Meta's social networks. The company already limits sensitive content for teen Instagram users and restricts ads targeting young audiences, for instance.The action isn't entirely voluntary. Meta is under pressure from state attorneys general and other government bodies to show that it protects teens, particularly in light of whistleblower Frances Haugen's accusations that the firm downplayed research into Instagram's effects on mental health. The new takedown platform may lift some of that pressure even as it gives abuse survivors more control over their online presence.
Canada is reportedly the latest jurisdiction to ban TikTok from government-issued devices. The US federal government, multiple states and the European Union have previously prohibited their workers from using the app on official devices.According to a note sent to Global Affairs Canada employees that was obtained by the National Post, TikTok "will be automatically removed and blocked from use on all government-issued mobile devices." The report suggests that the government will announce the policy, which is expected to be effective March 1st, on Tuesday."A review of the mobile application’s behavior in relation to the Policy on Service and Digital found that TikTok’s data collection methods may leave users vulnerable to cyber attacks," the note purportedly reads. It may be the case that, similar to their counterparts in the US and EU, officials are concerned about the Chinese government gaining access to the data TikTok holds on Canadian citizens and residents. TikTok parent ByteDance is located in China, which has laws that force companies to share data with authorities when requested.ByteDance has refuted suggestions that the Chinese government can access such data. It has claimed that Canadian user data is stored in the US and Singapore. However, it said that former employees in China and the US accessed data on American journalists, seemingly in an attempt to detect the sources of leaks from the company.Canada’s Communications Security Establishment warned earlier this month that “adversary states can influence their domestic vendors to compromise products to advance their national interest, counter to Canadian clients’ interests and the interests of Canada,” but the report didn't explicitly mention TikTok or China. The Canadian government, meanwhile, is facing scrutiny over possible Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, as the National Post notes."We're disappointed that the Chief Information Officer of Canada has moved to block TikTok on government-issued mobile devices without citing any specific security concerns about TikTok or contacting us to discuss any concern prior to making this decision," a TikTok spokesperson told Engadget. "We are always available to meet with our government officials to discuss how we protect the privacy and security of Canadians, but singling out TikTok in this way does nothing to achieve that shared goal. All it does is prevent officials from reaching the public on a platform loved by millions of Canadians."Engadget has contacted the Canadian government for comment.Update 2/27 12:35PM ET: Added TikTok's statement.
Apple is finally ready to show more than a brief glimpse of Ted Lasso's next chapter. The company has shared its first full trailer for the Apple TV+ show's third season, and it's clear the new episodes will illustrate both highs and lows as AFC Richmond returns to the Premier League. The team's quest for redemption and the showdown with Nate (now working for West Ham United) remain the main arcs, but it's evident drama off the field is as important as before.The trailer suggests Nate has mixed feelings about his defection, and that the new season will dive further into the relationship between Keeley and Roy. It's also clear we'll see more attention spent on Jamie, and Ted's son makes an appearance. Roy's role as assistant coach is already known to factor into the plot, as is Rebecca's rivalry with her ex Rupert.Ted Lasso returns on March 15th, with new episodes arriving each week. It's unclear if there will be more seasons beyond this. However, it's safe to say Apple isn't leaning on the series as much as it did before. Well-received productions like Slow Horses and Severance have helped bolster the catalog, even if it's still considerably smaller than what you'd find at rivals like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
Apart from making a few of our favorite chargers and power banks, Anker also sells some of the better values among wireless headphones through its Soundcore brand. If you've been looking to pick up a competent set of noise-canceling headphones for less than $100, a couple of those standouts are currently on sale, with the Soundcore Life Q30 discounted to $60 and the Soundcore Space Q45 down to $100. For the Life Q30, that's not quite an all-time low, but it's still $20 off the pair's typical going rate. The Space Q45 usually retails for $150; this deal matches the lowest price we've seen.To be clear, neither pair here can match the active noise cancellation (ANC), build quality, call quality, sound and/or overall feature set of the top picks in our best wireless headphones guide, such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort 45. But if you can't drop $350 or so on a new set of headphones, they can get you much of the way there at a far lower cost.Both pairs offer a comfortable fit that doesn't clamp too tight on the head and offers ample padding. Both have superb battery life, lasting between 40 and 50 hours at moderate volumes. Both can connect to two devices simultaneously, and both come with a 3.5mm cable for wired listening, though only the Space Q45 can still use ANC when while wired. The two sets also include a transparency mode, which is serviceable, though not as clean as what you can get on pricier alternatives. And while the ANC on each pair isn't top-of-the-line, it's still good, particularly when it comes to muting bass-range noises like a plane or bus engine.Sound quality is where the Life Q30 and Space Q45 might require some tweaking. Both headphones offer a strongly v-shaped profile out of the box, so their default sound is particularly boosted in the bass and highest parts of the treble. The Life Q30's low-end is especially boomy. Some may like this more excited sound, but it's not exactly natural. With either headphone, you may want to adjust the sound through Anker's companion app, which offers a graphic EQ tool and a few alternative sound profile presets. Just note that, like many cheaper ANC headphones, the signature will sound slightly different depending on what ambient sound mode you use.If you can afford the Space Q45, it's the better headphone of the two. Its design feels a bit less flimsy (though both pairs are mostly plastic), and it has an adaptive ANC mode that can automatically adjust the headphone's ANC strength based on your surroundings. The Life Q30, on the other hand, just offers three preset ANC levels. For Android users, the Space Q45 also supports the higher-quality LDAC audio codec. That said, finding any good ANC headphones for less than $100 is difficult; at these deal prices, both the Life Q30 and Space Q45 perform well enough to offer good value.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Almost four years after it was announced, Pokémon Sleep is finally on the way. During today's Pokémon Presents event, it emerged that the game will arrive sometime this summer. It was originally supposed to debut in 2020.Pokémon Sleep is a mobile game from Pokémon: Magikarp Jump developer Select Button that can track your sleep. It features Snorlax (of course) and Professor Neroli, a Pokémon sleep researcher. The idea is that you leave your phone next to you when you go to bed.The app will analyze your sleep and categorize it into one of three types: dozing, snoozing and slumbering. Pokémon that tend to sleep in a similar fashion will gather around Snorlax. The more you play, the more likely you are to unlock rare sleep styles for various Pokémon. Droopy-eared Pikachu in particular looks extremely cute.The Pokémon Company also provided an update on Pokémon Go Plus +, a physical device that connects to both Pokémon Sleep and Pokémon Go. For the former, you press the button when you go to bed and again when you wake up to track your sleep data, presumably instead of needing to have your phone next to you. There's a built-in alarm, as well as a Pikachu voice that can sing lullabies.While you're out and about, you can use the disc-shaped Pokémon Go Plus + to automatically spin PokéStops and throw Poké Balls in Pokémon Go without even having to press the button on the device. Eventually, there will be a way to use your sleep data in Pokémon Go too.Pokémon Go Plus + follows the original Pokémon Go Plus, which emerged in 2016, and the Poké Ball Plus. It will be available on July 14th and it costs $55, almost the same as a new mainline Pokémon game on Switch. When you link it to Pokémon Go, you'll be able to find an adorable version of Snorlax wearing a nightcap when you're out hunting Pokémon.
Netflix's long-running Pokémon partnership is heading in a slightly unexpected direction. The streaming service has marked Pokémon Day by unveilingPokémon Concierge, a show featuring stop-motion animation from Japan's Dwarf Studio. The series follows Haru, who joins Psyduck in meeting various trainers and creatures on vacation.The companies haven't shared the cast, format or release date. The production is "coming soon," Netflix says. However, it's safe to say you can expect a different style and storyline than the usual tales of Ash, Pikachu and crew.Netflix first brought Pokémon content to subscribers in 2014, when it added the classic television series and two movies, among other videos. More has flowed in the years since, including the service-exclusive Pokémon Journeys. The strategy remains the same: Netflix potentially draws hordes of younger fans who may stick around for other kid-friendly shows, while The Pokémon Company helps introduce its gotta-catch-em-all brand to a generation that may never watch conventional TV.
After a wave of teasers, OnePlus has revealed its latest experimental phone — and this time the features are more practical than in the past. The OnePlus 11 Concept centers on "Active CryoFlux" liquid cooling that mimics what you see in some gaming PCs. The system uses a piezoelectric ceramic micropump to send cooling fluid throughout pipelines in the phone (visible on the outside) without "significantly" increasing the phone's bulk.The result is a slight but tangible performance improvement, OnePlus claims. The company says the temperature drop boosts games by up to three to four frames per second, and reduces charging times by 30 to 45 seconds. Those figures won't have you rushing to replace your existing phone, but may help wring the full potential out of an upgrade.After that, the differences versus the standard OnePlus 11 are mostly cosmetic. The conspicuous pipelines and blue LED lighting are the most obvious changes, but you'll also find a camera hump with intricate guilloché engraving similar to what you'd find on the dial of a luxury watch.The OnePlus 11 Concept won't enter production. However, it won't be surprising if the liquid cooling and design techniques find their way to future phones. No, this won't match the raw cooling power found in high-end gaming phones, but it might make OnePlus more enticing if you want above-average speed without carrying a brick in your pocket.
Back in December, I got to play with Honor’s second foldable, the Magic VS, but the first one it will sell in the West. It was a Chinese-market prototype with several rough edges, but even so, it made a fairly compelling case for its own existence. Now, three months later, the company has rocked up to MWC with the finished version that’s intended to be sold on this side of the equator. The big news is the price, which is pegged at €1,599 (around $1,690) for the one model, with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, the same as Samsung’s Z Flip 4. The only difference is that, with Samsung’s handset, you’ll get 12GB RAM but only 256GB storage.When I spent a few days with the handset, I found plenty of features that merited praise, like the fact it folds flat. Certainly, Honor feels that its second-generation hinge, which keeps the handset tidy in your pocket, is worthy of shouting about. And it has promised that the hinge will withstand 400,000 folds before conking out, and you’ll find yourself gravitating towards that internal screen more than you might expect. While not as well-equipped as the 6.45-inch exterior screen, the 7.9-inch foldable OLED is good enough to sit back and enjoy a movie, or your emails, with. And it’s fast enough to run pretty much anything you’d want to throw at it without breaking much of a sweat.If there’s one wrinkle, it’s that these devices may not be the future of foldables as much as the narrower, more fashionable clamshells. Devices like Oppo’s Find N2 and Samsung’s latest Z Flip are both more pocket-and-wallet-friendly than their swole counterparts. And that counts for a lot for folks who don’t feel the need to whip out a small tablet when they’re scrolling Instagram. But for the sort of people who, like me, are nerdy enough to want a machine they could theoretically do some work from while on the go, the meatier versions are still king.
Tear down the middle school geology posters: We have an update. A team at Australian National University (ANU) has found evidence of a new fifth layer to the planet, an iron-nickel alloy ball in the inner core. The scientists found the hidden core by studying seismic waves that travel up to five times across the Earth's diameter – previous studies only looked at single bounces. The earthquake waves probed places near the center at angles that suggested a different crystalline structure deep inside.The ANU researchers also believe the innermost inner core hints at a major event in Earth's past that had a "significant" impact on the planet's heart. As researchers told The Washington Post, it could also help explain the formation of the Earth's magnetic field. The field plays a major role in supporting life as it shields the Earth from harmful radiation and keeps water from drifting into space.– Mat SmithThe Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.The biggest stories you might have missed
The advent of MWC is always an opportunity for Google to shine a light on some smaller, but still useful, tweaks to its ecosystems. This year, the Android giant is unveiling a raft of minor additions to Android and Wear OS designed to further smooth the bumps in your digital life. That includes a new widget for Google Keep that’ll let you check-off to-do lists from the comfort of your home screen. You’ll also get the ability to, with a compatible watch, let you dictate notes and to-do list items from your wrist.Another more notable change is improved noise cancellation in Google Meet when used on some Android devices. The company says that, much like the feature as it already exists, you’ll find the noise of nearby construction or other distractions will be crunched to oblivion while you chat. And, on the audio front, Google says that you’ll soon be able to use Chrome OS' Fast Pair feature to connect new Bluetooth headphones to your machine with a single tap.Less notable additions include the ability to mash together different emoji to offer a more topic relevant response. In the example, you can merge the Basketball emoji with the Heart Eyes, to give you either a heart-shaped basketball, or add a basketball-like texture to those same heart eyes. Similarly, Android handsets will get new tap-to-pay animations to bring some cartoonish cheer to balance out the misery of spending money on things.And, on the accessibility front, Chrome on Android will now let you zoom the size of content by up to 300 percent while preserving page layout. Wear OS 3+, meanwhile, will offer Mono-audio for those who might be distracted by stereo, as well as grayscale and color-correction modes for your watch display for easier viewing. If you’re interested in learning more about this, you can check out Google’s full and comprehensive work-up of all the features over at its blog.
AR is an exciting idea, but it’s not clear if there’s enough computational power in the world to make such a fantastic concept real. Undeterred, Xiaomi has unveiled its Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, a compact AR headset using the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 found in the Quest Pro. The company says these oversized sunglasses offer an elegant way to blend the digital and real worlds while, most crucially, not requiring a physical tether to a smartphone.
One of the best selling points of Apple devices is that even when the company releases new hardware, previous generations continue to be supported for years to come. That's the case for the popular 2021 10.2-inch iPad, which now finds itself on sale at Amazon for $250, the lowest price we've seen to date. That's at least a $79 saving on its recommended price and $20 below its previous low.The 10.2-inch iPad remains a solid purchase simply because it has a lot of bang for its buck. At $250, it'll run all day, has a nice bright display and its processor is still plenty snappy for gaming and general multitasking. Its wide-angle camera with Center Stage makes it easier for the family to video call friends and loved ones by bundling everyone into the frame. The 2021 iPad has enough storage for most tasks, access to plenty of apps and offers improved Messages, Siri and Dictation features with iPadOS 16.Make no mistake, the 2021 iPad — with its old-school design — may feel a little dated compared to its newer sibling. You won't get those thinner bezels, faster processors and improved cameras, but you won't be spending $400 either. There's no Magic Keyboard or second-generation Pencil support on this model but if you don't need those extras, it is still a very solid device for armchair gaming, reading, video watching and browsing.
Mercedes-Benz offered a closer look at the interior of its new E-Class sedans and fancy dashboard earlier this month. The car looks nice so far! It boasts an electrified powertrain and tons of tech, including support for Level 3 autonomous driving and a lot of apps you'll need to pay extra to use. The car seems like a comfortable way to get around, too. Perhaps so comfortable that you might just want to turn your car into a mobile office.If that's the case, then you're in luck. Mercedes-Benz has struck a partnership with Cisco to kit out the new E-Class with Webex Meetings and Calling and Webex AI audio capabilities — everything a busy worker needs to never get a moment's peace. They announced the collaboration at last week's E-Class event and revealed more details at Mobile World Congress. "This partnership will help people get work done safely, securely and comfortably in their vehicles," the companies said in a press release. That definitely seems better than getting stuff done at the office, home or a coffee shop.In case you absolutely need to hop into a meeting while you're at the wheel, which is hopefully a very rare occasion, the companies claim to offer "best-in-class noise cancellation" thanks to Webex’s audio intelligence tech. Meetings and calls are audio-only unless you're parked, in which case you'll have access to video meetings, AI-powered transcription, content sharing functions and emoji reactions. There'll be a Webex app in the Mercedes Benz Car App Store, while the built-in WiFi and cellular data connection mean you don't need your phone at all to hop into a meeting. At least for someone, I'm sure that's the embodiment of living the dream.In fairness, there are some use cases where Webex in a car may make sense. Mercedes and Cisco suggested that an architect might need to check in with their colleagues immediately after leaving a work site, while someone might have to jump into a meeting right after dropping off the kids at school. Conference calls certainly happen in cars.This isn't exactly the first time that a meeting app has invaded cars. Webex already supports CarPlay, as does Microsoft Teams. Webex is available in some Ford models too. If you truly do want to experience Webex meetings at the wheel of a 2023 E-Class, you may be pleased to learn that you'll get the chance when the sedans hit dealerships in the spring.
Like many other PC and phone manufacturers, Lenovo is at MWC Barcelona this week, sharing details about what it has in store for the rest of the year. The company’s 2023 lineup includes refreshed ThinkPad laptops and ThinkCentre monitors, but perhaps the most interesting announcement involves the IdeaPad Duet 3i.Lenovo is updating the Windows 11 2-in-1 to add a larger 11.5-inch IPS panel with a 2,000 x 1,200 resolution, 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage and 400 nits of peak brightness. The new model also has upgraded 5-megapixel and 8-megapixel front and rear-facing cameras and an N200 processor from Intel. The four-core, four-thread processor features a boost clock of up to 3.7GHz. You can configure the IdeaPad with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It also comes with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, and with the option to pair the device with a stylus, Lenovo says the IdeaPad Duet 3i is perfect for students. The 2-in-1 will arrive in Europe later this year and cost €449 (about $473).LenovoLenovo is also updating its affordable IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook line. The company will offer the 14-inch laptop in three different display options. At the top of the stack, there’s a Full HD model with an IPS panel that offers 100 percent sRGB coverage and 300 nits of brightness. Another FHD model comes with a TN panel that peaks at 250 nits. And for those looking to spend as little as possible on their next computer, Lenovo will also offer a 1,366 x 768 option. You can configure the IdeaPad Slim 3 with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. With a modest MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor powering everything, Lenovo says its latest Chromebook can go up to 13.5 hours on a single charge. The company expects the IdeaPad Slim 3 to start at $340 when it arrives in May.You can read Engadget’s hands-on with the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 and Z16 Gen 2 to get the full scoop on those laptops, but the short version is that they feature AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series processors and Radeon GPUs. You can configure both devices with up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB of internal storage. Lenovo will offer two screen options with the Z13. You can either go with an IPS panel or a 2.8K OLED. Both displays feature a 16:10 aspect ratio and 400 nits of peak brightness. With the Z16, meanwhile, your options are between an IPS panel and a 4K OLED. Both computers also come with WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 support, and Lenovo will allow you to outfit the Z13 with an optional casing made partially from woven plant fibers. The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 will arrive in July and start at $1,249. Lenovo expects to begin selling ThinkPad Z16 Gen 2 one month later. It will start at $1,749.
Back at CES, Lenovo showed off a huge portfolio of new devices including a true dual-screen laptop and a desk lamp that doubles as a webcam. But now, Lenovo is back at Mobile World Congress with a few more refreshed notebooks and tablets headlined by two interesting updates to the ThinkPad Z family.Designed to be ideal companions for hybrid workers, the new ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 and Z16 Gen 2 feature an all-AMD setup. You’ll be able to choose from a range of Ryzen 7000 processors and even an optional Radeon 6650M graphics card on the larger Z16, along with up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage. However, for people who are constantly hopping on and off video calls, the ThinkPad Z13 and Z16’s new communication features might be the bigger draw.That’s because in addition to new full HD webcams, you’ll also get support for Wi-Fi 6E and Dolby Voice-enabled microphones, so you should look and sound good on Zoom meetings. But my favorite new feature is the TrackPoint Quick Menu that can be summoned by simply double-tapping the company’s signature red nub. This opens a window that lets you quickly adjust things like camera settings, mic volume, voice dictation, noise suppression and more. You can even customize which settings you want to see so you have fast access to the things you tend to change most often and I think it’s a great way of adding new functionality to a classic component like the TrackPoint.Other specs include up to a 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED display on the Z13 Gen 2 or a larger and higher resolution 16-inch 4K OLED panel on the Z16 Gen 2. Lenovo has also retained handy features like an electronic shutter for the webcam, in addition to dual speakers with Dolby Atmos, two or three USB ports depending on the system, and a dedicated SD card reader on the Z16.Sam Rutherford/EngadgetMeanwhile, to help improve your mousing experience, both the Z13 and Z16 Gen 2 feature a Fusion FX touchpad from Sensel, which adds more sophisticated haptics, better palm rejection and more. On top of being physically larger (120mm across), long-time Trackpoint fans will also appreciate that Sensel’s touchpad supports three virtual haptic buttons that run across the top of the touchpad, so you’ll still have easy access to left and right mouse clicks without having to reach too far.Finally, the last big change for the Z13 is that alongside the default aluminum finish, as part of its commitment to sustainability, Lenovo is also introducing a new flax fiber lid which is made from waste material collected during the harvesting process. This material is something we’ve seen before on a handful of concept cars from companies like Porsche and Polestar, but Lenovo says this is the first time this reinforced flax fiber material will be available on a consumer electronic device.Sam Rutherford/EngadgetAdmittedly, this isn’t for everyone, but I kind of like it because it looks almost like a futuristic take on wood paneling. Not only does this add a bit of warmth to the laptop’s appearance, just like a nice piece of furniture, each flax fiber lid features a unique grain, which gives the whole system a bit of added personality. On top of that, Lenovo says the lid is bonded to a top cover made from 75 percent recycled aluminum.While their designs aren’t changing a ton (aside from that new lid option on Z13), the addition of speedier components, larger touchpads and better conferencing features should make the second-gen ThinkPad Z-series laptops even better at getting work done – both at home or in the office. And thanks to its optional flax fiber lid, the Z13 Gen 2 might be the most stylish and sustainable ThinkPad yet.Sam Rutherford/EngadgetThe ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is expected to go on sale sometime in July starting at $1,249, with the ThinkPad Z16 Gen arriving a bit later in August starting at $1,749.
For at least the fourth time since he said the company was done with layoffs, Elon Musk is reportedly cutting more of Twitter’s workforce. According to The Information, the social media website laid off “dozens” of employees on Saturday evening. The outlet put the number of affected staffers at approximately 50, a number Platformer’s Zoë Schiffer later said was likely much higher.“Hearing that the Twitter layoffs last night were well above 50 and hit multiple departments including engineering,” Schiffer tweeted on Saturday, subsequently adding that product manager Esther Crawford was among those Twitter let go on over the weekend. Crawford’s departure is notable for a few reasons. Outside of Musk himself, she was one of the most recognizable faces at “Twitter 2.0.” She led the company’s Twitter Blue redesign and oversaw work on its upcoming payments platform. At one point, she even shared a photo of herself sleeping on the floor of Twitter’s office.
MS-23, the Soyuz spacecraft Russia sent to bring cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio back to Earth, has arrived at the International Space Station. Per Space.com, Russia’s Roscosmos Space Agency announced early Sunday morning that the unmanned vessel docked with the ISS at 7:58PM ET on Saturday evening. As expected, the flight launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on February 24th.MS-23 was originally scheduled to launch later this year, but Roscosmos was forced to push up the flight after MS-22 – Prokopyev, Petelin and Rubio’s original return craft – sprung a coolant leak in December following a micrometeoroid strike. The incident put Roscosmos and NASA in a tricky spot. If an emergency broke out on the ISS and the entire crew had to evacuate, it wasn’t clear whether MS-22 could carry its crew safely back to Earth. Roscosmos and NASA eventually settled on a contingency plan that would have seen MS-22 transport Prokopyev and Petelin, while Rubio would have hitched a ride on the SpaceX Crew-5 Dragon. Thankfully, the two agencies weren’t forced to put that plan to the test.With MS-23 safely docked with the ISS, Prokopyev, Petelin and Rubio will remain at the space station until at least September. The three were originally due to complete their mission in March. In the meantime, Roscomos plans to bring MS-22 back to Earth sometime next month.
For the first time in nearly 60 years, one-time smartphone giant Nokia is changing its iconic logo. On Sunday, before the official start of Mobile World Congress Barcelona, the company unveiled a new brand identity, and it’s a dramatic change. Gone is the iconic typeface and “Yale blue” that defined its previous logo. The company has instead adopted a look it claims is more modern and digital.“We are updating our strategy, and, as a key enabler, we are also refreshing our brand to reflect who we are today: a business-to-business technology innovation leader pioneering the future where networks meet cloud,” Nokia said in a blog post attributed to CEO Pekka Lundmark. "In most people’s minds, we are still a successful mobile phone brand, but this is not what Nokia is about,” Lundmark told Bloomberg. "We want to launch a new brand that is focusing very much on the networks and industrial digitalization, which is a completely different thing from the legacy mobile phones.”Is this the end of a logo so many people know and love? Not necessarily. You may recall, Nokia’s phone business hasn’t been a part of Nokia proper since Microsoft’s ultimately disastrous $7 billion acquisition of the company’s Devices and Services division in 2014. After the tech giant washed its hands clean of that deal in 2016, HMD Global, a company made up of former Nokia execs, acquired the rights to use the Nokia brand for smartphones and tablets, and has been doing its own thing ever since then. In fact, the company announced its latest device, the G22, just one day before today’s announcement, and as it so happens, that phone features the classic Nokia logo. Engadget has reached out to HMD Global to find out if the company plans to continue using that logo.
TCL is back at Mobile World Congress this year with a bunch of budget-friendly new gear to show off. Among other things, the company has developed a new version of its color paper-like screen technology, which it's calling NXTPAPER 2.0.Compared with the previous version, TCL says NXTPAPER 2.0 delivers 150 percent more brightness with up to 500 nits, making it easier to use outdoors during the day (the anti-glare tech should help too). The company claims that, due to hardware-level filtering, the technology exceeds TÜV-certified levels of blue light reduction. TCL says the tech can help protect your eye health while maintaining color accuracy and avoiding screen yellowing. The screen's color temperature will adjust automatically based on the time and environment as well.You'll soon be able to check out NXTPAPER 2.0 on a new tablet. The NXTPAPER 11 has an 11-inch, 2K display and TCL says there's a feature called AI Visual Boost that makes colors "bolder and more lifelike." The Android 13 tablet runs on an octa-core processor. It has 8MP cameras on the front and rear, four speakers, dual mics and an 8,000mAh battery. The tablet, which weighs just over a pound (462g), starts at $249 and it will initially be available in Europe in May.Also new is the TCL TAB 11, another 11-inch tablet, albeit with a 2K NXTVISION display. It otherwise has similar specs as the NXTPAPER 11. The TAB 11 will be available in May and it starts at $179. Versions with LTE start at $209.TCLOn the phone front, TCL has a few new models for the US market: the 40 XE 5G, 40 X 5G and a 40 XL with 4G connectivity. The $169 40 XE 5G is the lowest-cost 5G TCL phone to date, the company said. It has a 6.56-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling. The rear camera array features a 13MP main camera and 2MP depth and macro sensors. On the front, there's an 8MP lens. The phone has a 2.2GHz octo-core processor and 4GB of RAM. There's just 64GB of storage, but you can add another 1TB via microSD.The 40 XE 5G will be available in June, just like the 40 X 5G, which has similar specs, but a more advanced 50MP main camera. That model starts at $199. The 4G-only 40 XL, meanwhile, has a 6.75" HD+ display, dual speakers and a 50MP main camera. There's an octa-core processor and base storage of 128GB. You can pick that Android 13 phone up in May for $149.Along with the phones and tablets, TCL has a fresh set of earphones. It says the MOVEAUDIO Neo earbuds have 25dB of bass-boosted sound, four EQ modes, dual-mic call noise cancellation and active noise cancellation. They're available now for $50.
It's been a long time coming, but Xiaomi is finally bringing its Leica-endorsed smartphones to the international market. Following their China launch back in December, the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro are going global at MWC, with Germany, France, Spain and Italy being some of their first markets in the west. As you'd expect, both Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagships now come with Google services pre-installed, but they are otherwise identical to their China counterparts.The Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro share similar-looking Leica camera islands on the back, but only the 13 Pro offers the much-hyped Type 1-inch sensor (Sony's IMX989; 1.6um pixel size) — arguably the industry's most powerful camera sensor at the moment — for its 50-megapixel f/1.9 OIS (optical image stabilization) main shooter. You also get a 50-megapixel 3.2x telephoto camera (75mm equivalent) with OIS and a 50-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide camera (14mm equivalent).As for the lesser Xiaomi 13, it comes with a 50-megapixel f/1.8 OIS main camera with a smaller sensor (IMX800; 1um pixel size), a 10-megapixel 3.2x zoom OIS zoom camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide (15mm equivalent) camera.Both models share the same 32-megapixel f/2.0 punch-hole selfie cam on the other side. On a similar note, both phones offer two modes of capture — Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant — along with Google's Magic Eraser tool.Xiaomi 13 Pro and 13XiaomiThe Xiaomi 13 series also comes in two designs. The 13 Pro comes with a curved 6.73-inch 3,200 x 1,400 AMOLED screen with vegan leather or ceramic back versions. On the other hand, the 13 packs a flat 6.36-inch 2,400 x 1,080 AMOLED display, which is surrounded by iPhone-like aluminum sides and complemented by either glass or leather back options. Both screens support a refresh rate of up to 120Hz for a slick scrolling experience.Other noteworthy features include the 13 Pro's 120W charging (from zero to 100 percent in just 19 minutes for its 4,820mAh battery), the 13's 67W charging (38 minutes to fully charge its 4,500mAh cell), and 50W wireless charging, Dolby Atmos dual speakers and IP68 ruggedness for both Android devices. The 13 Pro starts from 1,299 euros (around $1,370), whereas the 13 starts from 999 euros (around $1,060).XiaomiAs a surprise for MWC, Xiaomi also announced the 13 Lite, which appears to be a variant of the selfie-centric Civi 2 sold in China. And no, there's no Leica involvement here. This model starts from 499 euros (around $530) and boasts dual front cameras (32-megapixel + 8-megapixel depth sensor) plus dual "Selfie Glow" LEDs for supposedly better selfies. It's powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, and it also packs a 50-megapixel main camera (IMX766), a 20-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, a 4,500mAh battery with 67W charging, and a 6.55-inch Full HD+ 120Hz display. This is all tucked into a 171g-heavy, 7.23mm-thick body, which obviously goes well with its "Lite" branding.
Engine knock, wherein fuel ignites unevenly along the cylinder wall resulting in damaging percussive shockwaves, is an issue that automakers have struggled to mitigate since the days of the Model T. The industry's initial attempts to solve the problem — namely tetraethyl lead — were, in hindsight, a huge mistake, having endumbened and stupefied an entire generation of Americans with their neurotoxic byproducts.Dr. Vaclav Smil, Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, examines the short-sighted economic reasoning that lead to leaded gas rather than a nationwide network of ethanol stations in his new book Invention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure. Lead gas is far from the only presumed advance to go over like a lead balloon. Invention and Innovation is packed with tales of humanity's best-intentioned, most ill-conceived and generally half-cocked ideas — from airships and hyperloops to DDT and CFCs.MIT PressExcerpted from Invention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure by Professor Vaclav Smil. Reprinted with permission from The MIT Press. Copyright 2023.Just seven years later Henry Ford began to sell his Model T, the first mass-produced affordable and durable passenger car, and in 1911 Charles Kettering, who later played a key role in developing leaded gasoline, designed the first practical electric starter, which obviated dangerous hand cranking. And although hard-topped roads were still in short supply even in the eastern part of the US, their construction began to accelerate, with the country’s paved highway length more than doubling between 1905 and 1920. No less important, decades of crude oil discoveries accompanied by advances in refining provided the liquid fuels needed for the expansion of the new transportation, and in 1913 Standard Oil of Indiana introduced William Burton’s thermal cracking of crude oil, the process that increased gasoline yield while reducing the share of volatile compounds that make up the bulk of natural gasolines.But having more affordable and more reliable cars, more paved roads, and a dependable supply of appropriate fuel still left a problem inherent in the combustion cycle used by car engines: the propensity to violent knocking (pinging). In a perfectly operating gasoline engine, gas combustion is initiated solely by a timed spark at the top of the combustion chamber and the resulting flame front moves uniformly across the cylinder volume. Knocking is caused by spontaneous ignitions (small explosions, mini-detonations) taking place in the remaining gases before they are reached by the flame front initiated by sparking. Knocking creates high pressures (up to 18 MPa, or nearly up to 180 times the normal atmospheric level), and the resulting shock waves, traveling at speeds greater than sound, vibrate the combustion chamber walls and produce the telling sounds of a knocking, malfunctioning engine.Knocking sounds alarming at any speed, but when an engine operates at a high load it can be very destructive. Severe knocking can cause brutal irreparable engine damage, including cylinder head erosion, broken piston rings, and melted pistons; and any knocking reduces an engine’s efficiency and releases more pollutants; in particular, it results in higher nitrogen oxide emissions. The capacity to resist knocking— that is, fuel’s stability— is based on the pressure at which fuel will spontaneously ignite and has been universally measured in octane numbers, which are usually displayed by filling stations in bold black numbers on a yellow background.Octane (C8H18) is one of the alkanes (hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n + 2) that form anywhere between 10 to 40 percent of light crude oils, and one of its isomers (compounds with the same number of carbon and hydrogen atoms but with a different molecular structure), 2,2,4-trimethypentane (iso-octane), was taken as the maximum (100 percent) on the octane rating scale because the compound completely prevents any knocking. The higher the octane rating of gasoline, the more resistant the fuel is to knocking, and engines can operate more efficiently with higher compression ratios. North American refiners now offer three octane grades, regular gasoline (87), midgrade fuel (89), and premium fuel mixes (91– 93).During the first two decades of the twentieth century, the earliest phase of automotive expansion, there were three options to minimize or eliminate destructive knocking. The first one was to keep the compression ratios of internal combustion engines relatively low, below 4.3:1: Ford’s best-selling Model T, rolled out in 1908, had a compression ratio of 3.98:1. The second one was to develop smaller but more efficient engines running on better fuel, and the third one was to use additives that would prevent the uncontrolled ignition. Keeping compression ratios low meant wasting fuel, and the reduced engine efficiency was of a particular concern during the years of rapid post–World War I economic expansion as rising car ownership of more powerful and more spacious cars led to concerns about the long-term adequacy of domestic crude oil supplies and the growing dependence on imports. Consequently, additives offered the easiest way out: they would allow using lower-quality fuel in more powerful engines operating more efficiently with higher compression ratios.During the first two decades of the twentieth century there was considerable interest in ethanol (ethyl alcohol, C2H6O or CH3CH2OH), both as a car fuel and as a gasoline additive. Numerous tests proved that engines using pure ethanol would never knock, and ethanol blends with kerosene and gasoline were tried in Europe and in the US. Ethanol’s well-known proponents included Alexander Graham Bell, Elihu Thomson, and Henry Ford (although Ford did not, as many sources erroneously claim, design the Model T to run on ethanol or to be a dual-fuel vehicle; it was to be fueled by gasoline); Charles Kettering considered it to be the fuel of the future.But three disadvantages complicated ethanol’s large-scale adoption: it was more expensive than gasoline, it was not available in volumes sufficient to meet the rising demand for automotive fuel, and increasing its supply, even only if it were used as the dominant additive, would have claimed significant shares of crop production. At that time there were no affordable, direct ways to produce the fuel on a large scale from abundant cellulosic waste such as wood or straw: cellulose had first to be hydrolyzed by sulfuric acid and the resulting sugars were then fermented. That is why the fuel ethanol was made mostly from the same food crops that were used to make (in much smaller volumes) alcohol for drinking and medicinal and industrial uses.The search for a new, effective additive began in 1916 in Charles Kettering’s Dayton Research Laboratories with Thomas Midgley, a young (born in 1889) mechanical engineer, in charge of this effort. In July 1918 a report prepared in collaboration with the US Army and the US Bureau of Mines listed ethyl alcohol, benzene, and a cyclohexane as the compounds that did not produce any knocking in high-compression engines. In 1919, when Kettering was hired by GM to head its new research division, he defined the challenge as one of averting a looming fuel shortage: the US domestic crude oil supply was expected to be gone in fifteen years, and “if we could successfully raise the compression of our motors . . . we could double the mileage and thereby lengthen this period to 30 years.” Kettering saw two routes toward that goal, by using a high-volume additive (ethanol or, as tests showed, fuel with 40 percent benzene that eliminated any knocking) or a low-percentage alternative, akin to but better than the 1 percent iodine solution that was accidentally discovered in 1919 to have the same effect.In early 1921 Kettering learned about Victor Lehner’s synthesis of selenium oxychloride at the University of Wisconsin. Tests showed it to be a highly effective but, as expected, also a highly corrosive anti-knocking compound, but they led directly to considering compounds of other elements in group 16 of the periodic table: both diethyl selenide and diethyl telluride showed even better anti-knocking properties, but the latter compound was poisonous when inhaled or absorbed through skin and had a powerful garlicky smell. Tetraethyl tin was the next compound found to be modestly effective, and on December 9, 1921, a solution of 1 percent tetraethyl lead (TEL) — (C2H5)4 Pb — produced no knock in the test engine, and soon was found to be effective even when added in concentrations as low as 0.04 percent by volume.TEL was originally synthesized in Germany by Karl Jacob Löwig in 1853 and had no previous commercial use. In January 1922, DuPont and Standard Oil of New Jersey were contracted to produce TEL, and by February 1923 the new fuel (with the additive mixed into the gasoline at pumps by means of simple devices called ethylizers) became available to the public in a small number of filling stations. Even as the commitment to TEL was going ahead, Midgley and Kettering conceded that “unquestionably alcohol is the fuel of the future,” and estimates showed that a 20 percent blend of ethanol and gasoline needed in 1920 could be supplied by using only about 9 percent of the country’s grain and sugar crops while providing an additional market for US farmers. And during the interwar period many European and some tropical countries used blends of 10– 25 percent ethanol (made from surplus food crops and paper mill wastes) and gasoline, admittedly for relatively small markets as the pre–World War II ownership of family cars in Europe was only a fraction of the US mean.Other known alternatives included vapor-phase cracked refinery liquids, benzene blends, and gasoline from naphthenic crudes (containing little or no wax). Why did GM, well aware of these realities, decide not only to pursue just the TEL route but also to claim (despite its own correct understanding) that there were no available alternatives: “So far as we know at the present time, tetraethyl lead is the only material available which can bring about these results”? Several factors help to explain the choice. The ethanol route would have required a mass-scale development of a new industry dedicated to an automotive fuel additive that could not be controlled by GM. Moreover, as already noted, the preferable option, producing ethanol from cellulosic waste (crop residues, wood), rather than from food crops, was too expensive to be practical. In fact, the large-scale production of cellulosic ethanol by new enzymatic conversions, promised to be of epoch-making importance in the twenty-first century, has failed its expectations, and by 2020 high-volume US production of ethanol (used as an anti-knocking additive) continued to be based on fermenting corn: in 2020 it claimed almost exactly one-third of the country’s corn harvest.
Robot vacuums are one of the few sci-fi predictions that more or less delivered — there actually are autonomous machines that can help keep your home clean. We've tested over a dozen robot vacs, and right now our top recommendation for a budget dirt sucker, iRobot's Roomba 694, is $95 off both at Amazon and through iRobot's site. Usually $275, the 694 is just $179 right now, which matches the all time low it dropped to a few times previously. The deal is part of a wider robot vacuum sale with discounts ranging up to $300, depending on which model you pick. If you've been thinking of adding one of these smart devices to your life, this might be a good time to snap one up.In our tests, the 694 proved itself by being both a powerful cleaner and offering an app that's easy to use — even for robot vacuum newbies. You can set schedules to have the bot clean on regular intervals and it can handle both tiled or carpeted surfaces. We found that it roved around cleaning for around 45 minutes before returning itself to the dock for a recharge, which was plenty of time to maintain an apartment, but may need to a pit stop before it can cover a larger house. Unless it tries to suck up an errant cord, you'll likely only need to interact with it to empty the dirt collection tray. That's something you may need to do every couple days or more often, depending on whether or not you have pets or a lot of tracked-in dirt.If you'd rather not empty your vac quite so often, you can pick up one that empties itself, like the Roomba s9+. We named this the best premium robot vacuum in our guide and were impressed with both its suction power and navigation abilities. It usually comes with a steep $999 price tag but the sale knocks $200 off the list price, which makes it a little more affordable.For homes with smooth surfaces that could use a wipe down, a hybrid model could be what you're looking for. The Roomba Combo j7+ combines mop and vacuum functions and is $250 off during the sale, bringing the $1,099 unit down to $849. One of our editors used the j7+ in his home for several weeks, and while the initial mapping runs were a bit of a hassle and the noise of the unit emptying into the clean base was loud, he was impressed with the bot's learning capabilities and the fact that it made a noticeable difference in the general cleanliness of his floors.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
An ad-supported Apple TV+ tier is starting to look all but inevitable. According to The Information, Apple recently hired Lauren Fry, a former ad tech executive, “to help build a video advertising business” for its streaming service. Before her most recent stint at digital advertising firm Simulmedia, Fry held ad sales roles at AT&T and Comcast.Bringing more ads to Apple TV+ would fall in line with some of Apple’s more recent actions. Toward the end of last year, the company began displaying additional ads within the App Store, a move that could be a precursor to search ads appearing in Apple Maps and other first-party software. It’s worth noting before Fry’s hiring, Apple was already showing ads alongside Major League Baseball games. In November, Bloomberg also reported Apple was building a live tv ad network to support its 10-year deal with Major League Soccer. As The Information points out, an ad-supported tier would be the most straightforward way for Apple to bring more ads to TV+. A handful of other streaming platforms, including Netflix and Disney+, already offer such tiers to customers as they’re an easy way for those services to broaden their subscriber base.
For the last few days, an “internal systems issue” has left many of the services and websites operated by satellite television provider and Sling TV owner Dish Network inaccessible. The outage started on Thursday morning when Dish customers began reporting a host of issues. On Downdetector and Twitter, there are complaints of people being unable to access IPTV services like Watch ESPN with their Dish credentials. Other customers say they can’t log in to their online accounts to pay monthly TV and cellular bills. The outage appears to be affecting nearly every part of the company’s footprint – including Boost Mobile, the prepaid wireless carrier Dish purchased in 2020 – and its call centers, which have been unreachable since the outage began.“Thank you for your patience,” a banner on top of the Dish website says. “We are experiencing a system issue that our teams are working hard to resolve.” The Boost Mobile website provides a more helpful explanation. “Due to internal system issues some users may experience difficulty with their Boost Mobile accounts, paying their bill, or reaching Boost Care,” the landing page states. “Please be assured that if your account is affected, your wireless service is not affected by these issues and your service will not end due to non-payment.”
If you read Engadget regularly, you probably know how we feel about the final season of Star Trek: Picard. In short, it’s not worth your time. But if you must see the show for yourself, or can’t resist the chance to see the Enterprise-D crew one last time, Paramount is offering a free way to watch the first episode of season three. Provided you live in the US, you can catch “The Next Generation” (no, not that Next Generation) on YouTube for a limited time (via Gizmodo). And if you don't live in the US, you can probably find a way to transport yourself for an hour, can't you?The debut episode sees Jean-Luc Picard return from retirement (yet again) after his friend and former first officer Will Riker receives a warning from Dr. Beverly Crusher. Engadget Senior Editor Daniel Cooper had the chance to watch the first six episodes of season three before it began streaming earlier this month on Paramount+. In his view, the final season is dull and joyless, with a plot that is far too obvious. But don't let that stop you from making your own decision.
The Federal Trade Commission has given up on trying to stop Meta from purchasing VR company Within. According to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, the agency has voted to drop its administrative case against the company a few weeks after a federal court denied its request for a preliminary injunction to block the acquisition.The FTC originally filed antitrust lawsuits in federal court and its in-house court last year in an effort to prevent Meta from snapping up the company that developed the virtual reality workout app Supernatural. At the time, the commission accused Meta of "trying to buy its way to the top... instead of earning it on the merits." It said the company had the resources to enter "the VR fitness market by building its own app" and doing so would increase consumer choice and innovation. By buying Within, the FTC alleged Meta would stifle "future innovation and competitive rivalry."US District Judge Edward Davila, who oversaw the federal case, ruled in favor of Meta. While he reportedly agreed that mergers that could potentially harm competition in the future should be blocked, he decided that the FTC failed to offer sufficient evidence showing how the Within acquisition would be detrimental to the market. He also said that while Meta has vast resources, it "did not have the available feasible means to enter the relevant market other than by acquisition."Technically, Davila's ruling didn't have a direct effect on the administrative case. As The Journal notes, though, antitrust officials have previously dropped administrative lawsuits if the federal court denies an injunction. Now Meta can rest assured that when it completed its acquisition of Within on February 8th, the deal was truly final."We’re excited that the Within team has joined Meta, and we’re eager to partner with this talented group in bringing the future of VR fitness to life,” a Meta spokesperson told Engadget.The FTC's withdrawal represents one of its most pertinent losses under the leadership of Lina Khan, who's known to be a prominent critic of Big Tech and a leading antitrust scholar. In December, the agency took on an even bigger challenge than this one when it filed an antitrust complaint to block Microsoft's planned $68.7 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard. "Microsoft would have both the means and motive to harm competition by manipulating Activision’s pricing, degrading Activision’s game quality or player experience on rival consoles and gaming services, changing the terms and timing of access to Activision’s content, or withholding content from competitors entirely, resulting in harm to consumers," the FTC said.
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics