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The Nintendo Switch isn't dead quite yet. Nintendo has a solid-looking slate of games lined up for its console stretching well into 2024, including Super Mario Bros. Wonder (which I absolutely cannot wait for), Detective Pikachu Returns and maybe, possibly Metroid Prime 4. But there's no denying that the 6.5-year-old console is getting long in the tooth, so Nintendo is gearing up for what's next. To that end, the company reportedly showed developers tech demos for its next-gen system behind closed doors at Gamescom last month.One of the Switch 2 demos was a beefed-up version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That's according to Eurogamer, which points out that this was a tech demo and there's no guarantee of a remastered or upgraded version of BOTW coming to the Switch 2, so don't get your hopes up. That said, the demo was said to show BOTW running at a higher frame rate and resolution than the original Switch can handle.Perhaps more intriguingly, VGC reports that Nintendo also showed The Matrix Awakens running on the dev kit. The captivating tech demo was originally designed to show off what Unreal Engine 5 can do on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but Nintendo managed to get it working on an early version of its next system too. What's more, the Switch 2 demo was said to feature NVIDIA's DLSS upscaling tech, ray-tracing and visuals comparable to those seen on the PS5 and Series X.It's unlikely that the Switch 2 will compete with the Sony and Microsoft systems in terms of pure horsepower. It definitely won't if Nintendo retains the hybrid handheld format of the Switch, unless the company is content with a battery life of about 20 minutes. DLSS support is key, as that could help Nintendo run games at higher frame rates and resolution without having to jam more powerful components or an oversized battery into the Switch 2.Nintendo is expected to release the Switch 2 (or whatever the console will actually be called) in 2024. It will be doing so in a far different gaming landscape than the groundbreaking Switch ventured into due to the likes of the Steam Deck and more advanced mobile gaming experiences. We're seeing a new handheld PC gaming system show upalmost every week at this point. Thanks to emulation (and poor piracy protections on the original Switch), it's not exactly difficult to run Nintendo games better than the company's current console can handle, even while you're on the go.Nintendo might have its work cut out to convince gamers that both an upgrade from the original Switch is worthwhile and that the Switch 2 is a better option for them than a handheld gaming PC. Still, more advanced hardware, the company's stellar track record of exclusive games and quality-of-life features like an easy way to transition to the Switch 2 could make the next-gen system enticing enough for those who might have been on the fence about snagging the upcoming console.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-is-said-to-be-showing-the-switch-2s-dlss-and-ray-tracing-capabilities-to-developers-161050817.html?src=rss

A few of Amazon's Fire TV Sticks are on sale again, including the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which is down to $27. It went for $25 during July's Prime Day, but that deal was only for Prime members - this one's open to any one with the funds and inclination. This is a 51 percent discount off the $55 list price, and a sale we've seen a few times before. Two other streaming dongles are also on sale: the standard, HD-compatible Fire TV Stick is $25 instead of it usual $40, and the set-top Fire TV Cube is down to $120 as opposed to $140.Of the lot, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is probably best for most people, as it offers a performance boost for just $2 more than the standard stick. The Cube is likely just for those who want to route other systems, like gaming consoles, through their streaming device. The 4K Max offers quick loading and response times and it'll help you control your Alexa-enabled smart home devices, letting you view live interior or exterior camera footage directly from your TV screen. There's even a picture-in-picture view so you can see who's at the door without stopping the show. The 4K Max also includes support for Wi-Fi 6 - so if you're already set up for that standard or plan to upgrade in the future, this can take advantage of the broader connections.Our main concern with Amazon's streaming devices is its less intuitive user interface. Fire OS isn't as streamlined as Roku or Google's streaming operating systems, and Amazon tends to favor its own content, heavily promoting its shows, services and products throughout the system.Right now, we think Roku has the best UI of any streaming device, as we detail in our latest guide on the topic. The dongle we recommend, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, is currently seeing a modest, 20 percent discount, taking $10 off its usual $50 price tag. That's well above the all-time low of $25 that we saw for last year's Black Friday sales, but it's still a decent buy on a feature-rich streaming stick.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-drops-back-down-to-27-160054593.html?src=rss

A couple weeks ago, Sega did something it doesn't normally do: it gathered up a bunch of its studios (Atlus, Amplitude, Sega of Europe and others) and put together a showcase highlighting a number of titles coming out over the next few months.Sonic Superstars (Release date: October 17)Like a lot of people, I have a love-hate relationship with Sonic. While the original games on the Genesis produced iconic levels like the Green Hill Zone and unforgettable characters like Tails, Knuckles and the lovable blue hedgehog himself, more recent titles often miss the mark (to put it politely). Sonic the Hedgehog 06nearly broke me and the Sonic Boom series was a particularly dark period for fans of speedy protagonists.But Sonic Superstars feels like a return to form, expanding on the breakneck 2D gameplay the franchise was best at, while adding a super crisp art style that doesn't rely on 16-bit nostalgia. Stages like Cyber Station Zone offer fun twists on the formula by letting you transform into voxelized squids or rockets as you traverse the level. In a lot of ways, it feels like Sega is finally giving side-scrolling Sonic games the overhaul they've needed for more than a decade, similar to what Nintendo is doing with Super Mario Bros. Wonder.Furthermore, Sega has added multiplayer co-op to a 2D Sonic game for the first time, and not coincidentally, it plays a lot like a modern Mario title. Health, or in this case rings are shared between all the players, so as long as your party possesses a single shiny loop, you can revive your friends (except for during boss fights). The one small issue is that due to the pace of the game, if you die you might get stuck in a floating bubble for a bit until things slow down and your friends get a chance to break you out.Persona 5 Tactica (Release date: November 17)This is probably the game I was most excited to try out, and even with high expectations I did not come away wanting. Not only is it a treat to hear more riffs on one of the greatest video game soundtracks in recent memory, there are so many mechanics from the JRPG franchise that transition seamlessly to the tactics genre, I'm kind of surprised it took Atlus this long to make a Persona spin-off like this.Right away the game introduces concepts like team attacks and knockdowns that had me thinking about how to take down enemies in the fewest moves. And instead of Persona's traditional elemental affinities, Tactica introduces new cover mechanics that make the game feel like a mix between XCOM and the Mario + Rabbids series. The chibi-style art is also fun and expressive without being too kawaii.Also, while it's always nice to have played Persona 5 for the added context, the title is a self-contained story featuring new characters, so you don't need to spend 50+ hours playing P5 before diving into this.Persona 3 Reload (Release date: February 2, 2024)I don't have much to say about Persona 3 Reload aside from I'm thankful that this game is finally getting the remake it deserves. The original basically paved the way for the last 15+ years of Persona RPGs. It's kind of a shame Atlus isn't including some of the extra content from Persona 3 FES and the PSP port (notably the female protagonist), but with discs for the original PS2 game becoming harder and harder to find, it's nice to have a great looking and more widely available version coming in early 2024.Endless Dungeon (Release date: October 19)While I'm familiar with some of Amplitude Studio's previous titles, the latest entry in the Endless series might be the most pleasant surprise I encountered at the showcase. It's a twin-stick shooter with squad-based gameplay that's layered on top of rogue-lite mechanics that allow you to unlock things like new weapons, characters and abilities. You can choose to go it alone and control up to three heroes at the same time (with some automated assistance) or play co-op (both local and online) with friends. Either way, the game is refreshingly challenging.As you explore and open doors, you'll unleash waves of enemies, collect items and upgrade skills. When you reach the final room, you'll face a huge horde and even with one of the devs giving me pointers, we didn't survive. But that merely highlighted the depth of the game's strategic elements. From what I played, Endless Dungeon has exactly what I look for in a rogue-lite: deep mechanics and solid replayability (with engaging co-op as a bonus).But my favorite thing is that, despite Sega's long history on consoles, all of the games above will also be available on PC. This is a move the publisher said it wanted to embrace after seeing strong sales on Steam during the pandemic. Regardless, whether you're an old-school 2D platformer junkie or someone who just wants more tactics games, there's a lot to like from Sega's growing family of studios. And that's even with me running out of time to check out some of Sega's other upcoming releases like Total War: Pharoah or Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/segas-summer-showcase-delivered-exciting-updates-to-some-of-its-most-iconic-franchises-152354209.html?src=rss

Max looks set to move into the sports streaming business in the coming weeks. Warner Bros. Discovery may try to get users hooked by offering live sports at no extra cost for several months before charging extra for them.When WBD revealed the new-look Max (formerly HBO Max) in April, it indicated that it would reveal plans for live sports streaming at some point this year. The company airs NBA, MLB and NHL games across its linear networks and, according to Bloomberg, it has been working with the leagues to determine if it has the rights to stream the games as well.The report suggests that Max may offer live sports to subscribers at no extra cost until February or March before WBD starts requiring users to pony up more cash for them. That's because the March Madness college basketball tournament is one of the biggest sports events of the year and WBD may feel that could help it to get users to pay a premium for live sports on Max.Live sports are big business for media companies and they're one of the safest bets to make. Still, broadcast and cable viewership has been waning for years as consumers' attention shifts elsewhere. Some organizations are trying to face that head on by streaming live sports as well.Disney is reportedly planning on offering a standalone ESPN streaming service. Paramount+ and Peacock (both of which are run by legacy media companies) place a major focus on live sports. YouTube, meanwhile, now holds the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. Offering access to baseball, basketball and hockey games could help WBD get people who may have already ditched cable TV to sign up for its service, even if they need to pay more than they would for a base Max plan to watch live games.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/max-may-offer-live-sports-at-no-extra-cost-for-several-months-141015332.html?src=rss

Google Chrome is well into its adolescence and is celebrating its 15th birthday with a redesign and new safety features. Say goodbye to the standard white background because Google is rolling out background customization using its Material You design language, including new colors and smoother access to light and dark modes.To change the design of your browser, click a new button at the bottom of your homepage titled "Customize Chrome." Then, a pop-out gives you the option to change themes, with colorways ranging from yellow to purple and everything in between. Chrome will automatically switch to whichever choice you click on, so you can explore the different colors before committing to one. Here's where you can also choose to have your browser be in light mode, dark mode or to match your computer's settings. Your settings can differ based on which Google account you've logged into (and can even stay the standard white if you prefer).Google has also added more options to Chrome's drop-down menu that the company says will make it quicker to access tools like Google Password Manager and extensions. You can also check out a public preview of Chrome's"fresh, modern" web store. It now has an AI-powered extensions tab and an Editor's spotlight section if you want recommendations for ones to download.The birthday updates are mostly design-centered, but Google is also attempting to improve its Safe Browsing technology. Instead of updating its internal list of sites with phishing or malware threats every half hour to hour, Chrome should now check sites in real time. Google claims that 60 percent of bad sites exist for less than 10 minutes and that this change should improve protection by 25 percent.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chromes-15th-birthday-present-is-a-new-design-and-safety-features-130013138.html?src=rss

What exactly constitutes high-end" when it comes to a Polaroid camera? At least for the modern incarnation of the company, there really hasn't been such a thing until now. That's not terribly shocking since, for much of its existence, Polaroid has been associated with instant gratification and point-and-shoot simplicity. Of course, in the digital age, waiting 10 to 15 minutes for a Polaroid to develop can seem like an eternity. And the soft, saturated images they create have a decidedly lo-fi feel when put side by side with the razor-sharp photos even the lowliest smartphone can capture.The new Polaroid I-2, however, retains all of the quirks and charm people turn to instant film for, but packs a number of modern amenities and features that might appeal to a more serious photographer. There's a lot to like, but there is one immediately obvious obstacle: the price. At $599, the I-2 costs four-times as much as the next most expensive camera in the company's lineup, the Polaroid Now+.That premium does buy you the fastest lens in the current Polaroid lineup. It's 98mm f/8 which, according to the company, is roughly the equivalent of a 38mm f/2.8 on a 35mm camera. I punched the numbers into a few online calculators and got pretty close to that claim, around 40mm at f/3.1 equivalent on 35mm when accounting for the larger film of a Polaroid. That's not an exceptionally wide aperture, but it's larger than most other Polaroid cameras which often top out at f/11 or even f/16. And you'd have to go quite a ways back (to at least the 1980s as far as I could tell) to find something faster than f/8 from Polaroid.The lens is made of acrylic and polycarbonate, instead of glass. But the company claims that the difference in quality was negligible without dramatically driving up the cost of the camera. Again, though, this is an area where I'll have to take the company's word, as I have no viable means of testing the claim.Polaroid is very proud of this lens, though, regardless of how the specs might appear on paper. It's pitching the camera as a love letter to the instant cameras of yore, and even pulled two Olympus engineers out of retirement to help design it.Terrence O'Brien / EngadgetIt took roughly four years of development to bring the I-2 to fruition and while holding it, you do get the sense that this was a labor of love. Yes, it's almost entirely plastic, but it feels solid and, in my opinion, looks gorgeous. The matte black body with dark silver and red accents is decidedly classier than the more brightly festooned Now line. Almost every bit of the camera feels fussed over, right down to the underside which features a quote from Polaroid cofounder Edwin Land.This is also the only camera in the current lineup that can use standard lens filters. This means you can just walk into B&H and grab a 49mm ND filter off the shelf and slap it on. That might be necessary too, since the I-2 has a top shutter speed of only 1/250 of a second. When combined with the 640 ASA of standard i-Type film, it can be tricky to get a proper exposure in bright sunlight.Terrence O'Brien / EngadgetThat shutter speed also means you're not gonna be freezing any fast-paced action in your frames. That being said, it's still faster than the Now+ which tops out at 1/200. Oddly the $99 Polaroid Go can actually reach 1/300 of a second, making it the fastest camera in the family, and with a nearly as large f/9 aperture, too. That said, it does use smaller Go film.What the I-2 has that the Go and all other current generation Polaroid cameras lack is on board manual settings. While the Now+ does offer some options via an app, only the I-2 gives you complete control of the aperture and shutter speed on the camera itself. Both are adjusted via a single ring around the lens, though, so you have to press a button to switch back and forth between them. It's much easier to opt for aperture or shutter priority mode where you only have to worry about one variable with the ring.I generally stuck to shutter priority to give me the best chance of avoiding too much camera shake. The placement of the shutter button on the front, while perhaps traditional, isn't very ergonomic. That might just be down to my tiny hands and the relatively bulky camera. But I did find it introduced slightly more movement than a top-mounted shutter button.One way of avoiding that would be to use the app, which is excellent, but does kind of defeat the purpose of having all the controls on the camera itself. The app connects immediately when you power the I-2 on. There's no pairing and almost no delay. If you change a setting in the app it is immediately reflected on the tiny screen on the camera, and vice versa. Having spent the last couple of years fighting with Fuji's app to even connect, this felt like a revelation.The app would definitely come in handy, though, if you're using the I-2 on a tripod. This is going to be particularly useful for landscapes and long exposures. You could even do some night photography and light painting by setting the shutter to bulb mode. There's also a 2.5mm TS jack for connecting to an external flash if you wanted to go full professional studio with your Polaroid.The one thing the app can't do is provide you with a live view of what the camera sees. You will have to physically look through the viewfinder for that. But, I have some good news there: the viewfinder is spectacular. It's large, bright and there's a small display underneath that gives you exposure information as well as your shutter speed and aperture. If I have one complaint about the viewfinder it's that it's a little tough to figure out where your frame ends on the right side, especially when you're trying to navigate around the eyepiece with glasses on. But I've run into similar trouble on other cameras too.You can just point the camera in the general direction of your subject and hope for the best however, since the I-2 has a true continuous autofocus system that uses LiDAR. That's in stark contrast to the other Polaroid cameras which are either focus free or have basic two zone focus systems. You can even press the shutter button halfway on the I-2 to lock your exposure and focus then reframe your shot before taking a picture.Terrence O'Brien / EngadgetI would still suggest looking through the viewfinder, though. Not because the autofocus is unreliable, but because Polaroid film is too damn expensive for a shoot and pray approach. Even i-Type, the cheapest film compatible with the I-2, is $17 for an eight-photo pack. That's $2.25 per picture. That's way too much for you to be hoping a shot comes out the way you planned.If you've been waiting for the other shoe to drop in this review, this is it. I shot six packs of film over my couple of weeks with the I-2 and spent a lot of that time just hoping a shot would come out. Even in full auto mode I got inconsistent results. Setting the exposure compensation to -1 could still deliver blown out photos in bright sunlight. And I suspected this is largely down to the pairing of a maximum shutter speed of 1/250 of a second with 640 ASA film. But when I tried SX-70 film with its lower 160 ASA I routinely got underexposed shots regardless of mode. I also shot a pack of black and white i-Type film that repeatedly jammed and only gave me two usable shots.Yes, part of the charm of analog photography is the unpredictability. As someone who recently got back into shooting film I can appreciate that fact. But this was a tad too unpredictable, especially considering the high cost of Polaroid film and the I-2 in particular. Now, it's possible I have a faulty unit. I've been in contact with the company and I will update if troubleshooting turns up anything. It's also possible that a firmware update will solve many of my problems. Or maybe this all just a really embarrassing case of user error.But at the end of the day it's hard to imagine that anyone but the most experienced and most fanatical of Polaroid shooters will be comfortable spending $600 on a camera only to hope it can deliver more hits than misses at over $2 a pop.Update, September 7 2023, 10:35 AM ET: This story originally stated that Polaroid claimed the 98mm lens was the equivalent of 50mm on 35mm film. This has been updated to reflect the correct equivalence of 38mm.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/polaroid-i-2-review-a-return-to-high-end-instant-cameras-130010508.html?src=rss

Pinterest is again changing its search algorithm to make its results more representative of the people using its platform. The latest update is aimed at improving the visibility of plus-size fashion and other styles that highlight a broader spectrum of body shapes and sizes.With the changes, searches for women's fashion and wedding looks will surface results with a more diverse range of body types, Pinterest says. Annie Ta, Pinterests's head of inclusive products, said the changes were driven by the realization that many users were adding descriptions and qualifiers," to their queries in an effort to find the styles that best fit their needs. They were experiencing something really similar: recommendations that were homogenous and not very diverse," she said.It's not the first time Pinterest has taken steps toward more inclusive search features. The company, which has cultivated a reputation as a kinder social media company, added skin tone filtering to makeup and other beauty-related searches in 2018, and introduced hair pattern search in 2020.It took a similar approach in looking at ways to tweak its algorithm to surface results that would be more inclusive for the plus-size community. Ha says the Pinterest's algorithm has been trained on more than 5 billion images and videos on its platform to detect and categorize different body shapes and sizes. The company also tapped advocates and creators from the plus size community for advice on the changes. Now, users should be better able to browse styles without adding on extra search terms like curvy" or plus size."According to Ha, early results suggest the feature is effective. She says that the representation of different body types in search results for women's fashion has improved by more than four times since implementing the algorithmic tweaks. Though the changes are limited to women's fashion and wedding-related content for now, she says the company is looking to expand body type representation into other categories as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pinterests-search-overhaul-makes-it-easier-to-find-plus-size-fashion-130010221.html?src=rss

Intel is one of the latest companies to invest in Arm, joining the ranks of Samsung, Alphabet, Nvidia and more, Tom's Hardware reports. The move comes as Softbank preps Arm for its IPO, with plans to offer 95.5 million shares at $47 to $51 each. The company is valued at $52 billion - more than the almost deal selling Arm to Nvidia for $40 billion that fell off in 2022 (barriers included the Federal Trade Commission suing to block it).Investing in what is, essentially, its competitor allows Intel to expand beyond its x86 chips - which are not nearly as efficient as those Arm is currently manufacturing. Stuart Pann, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Intel Foundry Services, confirmed the investment during the Goldman Sachs Communacopia & Technology Conference Call. "80 percent of TSMC's wafers have an ARM processor in them," Pann said. "The fact that our organization, the IFS organization, is embracing ARM at this level, investing in ARM, doing partnerships with ARM, should give you a signpost that we're absolutely serious about playing in this business because if you're not working with ARM, you can't be a foundries provider." As an anchor investor," Intel should have better access to Arm's future chip design IP which it can then produce via its burgeoning contract factory plans.As part of this expansion, Pann added that the company would be focusing more on other low-power chipsets, including RISC-V, which he said is where the volumes" are at in the new world of mobile-first computing. After all, the point of Intel opening up its factories to third parties in the first place was to admit that its own efforts in this space hadn't been as successful as its much-smaller rival.Intel's decision to invest in Arm comes at a time of tremendous growth in (and incentives to grow) the chip manufacturing industry. Earlier this year, the Biden administration released funding applications for companies to get a piece of $39 billion devoted to semiconductor manufacturing. More recently, Apple extended its licensing deal with Arm until 2040. The iPhone maker was a founding backer of the company, first using its technology in its (ultimately doomed) Newton and now, more recently, as the backbone of its entire lineup.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intel-joins-apple-alphabet-and-samsung-as-an-arm-investor-120115199.html?src=rss

If you want to share a QR code or keep a receipt handy, taking a screenshot is one of the best ways to do so. Fortunately, there are a few ways to take a screenshot on your iPhone, no matter which model you have. In fact, even the Apple logo on the back of your phone can be used to capture your screen. Here's our guide to all of the ways you can take a screenshot on an iPhone.How to take a screenshot without a home buttonOn the latest iPhones, press the volume up and power buttons at the same time to take a screenshot. A preview will appear in the bottom right corner. From there, you can click on it to open the image or you can find it in your Screenshots folder in the Photos app.How to take a screenshot with the home buttonThe iPhone SE, Apple's most affordable iPhone, still comes with a home button. For this model, hold down the home button and the Power button simultaneously to take a screenshot. You'll see a small preview on the display afterward and the image can be found in the Photos app.How to take a screenshot with AssistiveTouchPhoto by Julia Mercado / EngadgetAssistiveTouch makes up for the lack of a physical home button on new iPhones. This feature allows you to have a virtual home button on your screen that you can use to take a screenshot. To set it up, go into Settings, select Accessibility and then Touch. Toggle AssistiveTouch to turn it on and select Double or Triple Tap. These gestures will allow you to use the virtual home button to take a screenshot by tapping the button two or three times.How to take a scrolling screenshotIf you want to take a screenshot of an entire website, hold the power and volume up buttons to take a screenshot, then tap the preview to access the editor. Choose Full Page and then edit the photo to your liking.A bonus: Use Back TapPhoto by Julia Mercado / EngadgetSimilar to Google Pixel phones, iPhones also have a back-tap feature that you can use to take a screenshot. Just go into your accessibility settings, select Touch and then Back Tap. Choose Double or Triple Tap and select the action (screenshot) you want to associate with that gesture.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-iphone-120004220.html?src=rss

The European Union has confirmed the first six tech gatekeepers that must follow the rules of its Digital Markets Act (DMA). The names of these companies should be pretty familiar: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft.The DMA stipulates that gatekeepers can't favor their own services over rivals' offerings and can't keep users locked into their own ecosystems. They have to let third-party entities interoperate with their services in certain situations too. Of course, these incredibly rich companies aren't going quietly: Microsoft and Apple have already argued that, despite meeting the thresholds the European Commission laid out, Bing, Edge, Microsoft Advertising and iMessage don't qualify as gateways and shouldn't have to comply with the new act.Apple will likely feel this most. Recent reports suggest the company may allow third-party app stores and sideloading in iOS 17. We'll have to wait for Apple's fall iPhone event, which is next week. But spare a thought for iPhone rival Samsung, which wasn't designated as a gatekeeper. Do you think its execs have FOMO?- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedNYC's de facto ban' on Airbnb is already removing listingsGoPro announces Hero 12 Black with AirPods support and better battery lifeSamsung unveils its largest 8K TV yetThe Sonos Move 2 portable speaker has double the battery life of its predecessor China intensifies its crackdown on officials using iPhones Tesla tops Mozilla's list of 'creepiest' carmakers, but 25 brands failed basic data privacy testsLogitech's Pebble 2 keyboard and mouse use more recycled plasticThe UE Epicboom delivers a balance of power and portabilityRoku lays off 300 workers and removes streaming content to save moneyGoogle's latest Pixel 8 Pro leak shows off colors and not much else.The 360-degree simulator is now offlineGoogleGoogle has revealed its upcoming Pixel 8 Pro again, just like every otherPixelmodel. This time, the leak comes via Google's own 360-degree simulator, which lets you see the device from every angle, with little yellow dots showing different sensors and ports. It doesn't list any specs, but we already have a good idea about those thanks to other leaks. The Pixel 8 Pro's camera array should include a 50-megapixel main camera that lets in 50 percent more light. Expect to hear all the official specs in early October.Continue reading.The Grammys will consider viral song with Drake and The Weeknd AI vocals for awards after all'Heart on my Sleeve' may be eligible for songwriting honors.The person behind an AI-generated song that went viral earlier this year has submitted the track for Grammy Awards consideration. The Recording Academy has stated that such works aren't eligible for certain gongs. However, Ghostwriter, the pseudonymous person behind "Heart on My Sleeve," has submitted the track in the best rap song and song of the year categories, according to Variety. Those are songwriting honors, and the Academy has suggested songs mostly written by flesh and blood could still make it - even if the recording is largely AI-generated. It seems there's one major roadblock as things stand, though. For a song to be eligible for a Grammy, it needs to have "general distribution" across the US through the likes of brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers and streaming services.Continue reading.Nintendo has no plans for a Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom expansionThe developers say they've crammed their big ideas into the game already.NintendoBad news: There are no plans for additional content," Tears of the Kingdom producer Eiji Aonuma toldFamitsu. The team behind the Switch hit said this is because they already shoved all of their major gameplay ideas into the base game. Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi said his team is pondering what its next fun experience" may look like. However, that won't be motorcycles in TotK.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-eu-reveals-six-tech-giants-thatll-be-hit-by-its-new-competition-laws-111552496.html?src=rss

Samsung has unveiled a 4TB version of its 990 Pro NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSDs with an optional heatsink targeted at gamers and content creators. The new model promises the "fastest random read performance among PCIe 4.0 interface consumer SSDs on the market," Samsung claims, along with faster read/write speeds, improved power efficiency and longer life.The 4TB SSD 990 Pro is available with and without a heat sink, and features a slim design that can fit into an ultra-thin laptop or gaming console, according to Samsung. With the company's V-NAND chips, a PCIe 4.0 interface and an improved controller, it can hit read speeds of up to 7,450 MB/s and write speeds of 6,900 MB/s - best-in-class and the same as its 1TB and 2TB versions.Random speeds are also identical to the smaller versions at 1,600K and 1,550K IOPS read/write, respectively. However, endurance doubles from 1,200 TBW (terabytes written) to 2,400 TBW over the 2TB version, thanks to the higher capacity. It also has twice the cache size at 4GB.Though not as fast as the latest PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs (which can hit 11,700 MB/s read and 9,500 MB/s write speeds), the 990 Pro is among the highest-speed PCIe 4.0 models out there. It's also 50 percent more power efficient than the previous 980 Pro, Samsung said. That makes it ideal not just for PC expansion, but also consoles like Sony's PlayStation 5 - and 4TB would be pretty sweet in a PS5, given the ever-increasing size of AAA games.The 990 Pro 4TB will go on sale for $345/$355 for the regular and heatsink versions, starting in October at Samsung.com and "select retailers." That's over twice as much as the 2TB version, which is normally $190 but is currently discounted to $135 on Amazon. Once it starts to hit stores in force, though, we should see discounts on the 4TB model, too.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-adds-a-4tb-option-to-its-high-speed-990-pro-ssds-104521791.html?src=rss

Ford has announced that it's building the Mustang Mach-E Rally, an off-road version of the Mach-E with extra power, a raised suspension, Ford's new RallySport Drive Mode and more. The new model follows Volkswagen's unveiling of the ID.GTI, showing that automakers are finally focusing on enthusiast versions of their electric vehicles.The Mach-E features Shelby-like racing stripes on the hood, along with a black painted steel roof, upper and lower body moldings, a rear spoiler, a protective shield for the front and rear motors, a front splitter and a front fascia housing "rally-inspired fog lights," Ford wrote. It's even got a a recovery point in the front end with an included hook, in case you need to get winched out of a tough spot.Charlie Magee for FordThe powertrain seems like it will be no joke either, with at least 480HP and 650 lb.-ft. of torque targeted, Ford said - equal to or greater than the Mach-E GT. Meanwhile, the Rally will be raised by 20mm compared to the Mach-E GT and fitted with specialty-tuned springs and MagneRide shocks, along with 385mm front brake rotors with red Brembo-branded calipers. As for the battery and range, it's targeting an estimated 250 mile EPA range with a 91kWh battery that can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 36 minutes on a DC fast charger.To aid in off-road handling, the Mustang Mach-E Rally has the first ever "RallySport Drive Mode" from Ford, allowing added yaw for bigger slides, linear throttle response and more aggressive damping when entering loose corners. It works in concert with the new tires, helping the Mach-E Rally "to perform in snow and other slick on-road conditions." Ford tested the vehicle at an all-new rally course at its Michigan proving ground, "then abused Mustang Mach-E Rally prototypes in 500-mile simulating rally-cross durability trials to make sure it lived up to their design intent," it said.Charlie Magee for FordDespite the rally trappings, the vehicle has a high-tech interior, offering Ford's latest BlueCruise hands-free driving tech (available by subscription), along with Lane Change Assist, In-Lane Repositioning and more. The interior has the same dashboard display and large control screen (with Android Auto and CarPlay support) as other Mach-Es, but adds performance seats, gloss white accents and other Rally-specific design touches.The Mach-E Rally makes more sense in some ways than the Mach-E GT, since the base vehicle is a crossover SUV and not a sports car. It also looks better raised up as a rally vehicle than a lowered GT, in my opinion. It's not going to tromp very lightly through nature, though, given that the curb weight is likely to be around 5,000 pounds.Charlie Magee for FordIt won't be terribly cheap, either, as Ford is targeting a starting MSRP at around $65,000 in the US, with exact pricing to be revealed closer to launch. That would be the same price as as the base Mach-E GT Performance Edition - though we'll find out for sure once it goes on sale in early 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ford-is-building-a-rally-version-of-the-mach-e-100026791.html?src=rss

Opera has rolled out a new version of its browser for gamers with the same generative AI features that launched with its One browser. The company debuted its Aria AI with the One browser that came out in June. At the time, Opera also gave its Android browser the AI treatment, but the GX browser for gamers remained AI-less. Now, the company is giving GX users the choice to use Aria's features - if they want. They'll have to enable "Early Bird" in settings and then switch on "Aria Extension" and "Aria Command Line" to be able to use the AI assistant. And, like in the other versions of the company's browser, users will have to log into their Opera account.Once they activate the AI, though, they'll get a new command line where they can type ctrl+ / on Windows or cmd+ / on Mac to display an overlay where they interact with Aria. They can then ask Aria questions through that overlay, which they can also launch from the sidebar. Opera said users can ask Aria gaming-related questions, such as "Has [a certain game] finally launched yet?" and "How can I kick off my streaming career?" Of course, users can easily find the answers to those questions by using a search engine the old way, but Aria provides an in-browser alternative in the same way Edge's AI co-pilot does.In addition, users can take advantage of Aria's AI Prompt capability by highlighting any text in the browser to bring up contextual information. When Opera introduced its browser's generative AI features, it included examples in which Aria turned chunks of text on the page into soap opera dialogue or into quiz questions. Aria AI is now available in over 180 countries, so most people can access it with GX and Opera's One browsers. Those interested can download the browser for gamers if they want to give it a try from Opera's website.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/operas-game-focused-browser-gets-an-ai-copilot-100023864.html?src=rss

Japan's space agency has launched a rocket on September 6 at 7:42 PM EDT carrying a telescope that's more advanced than NASA's Chandra and other X-ray observatories already in orbit. The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission - or XRISM but pronounced as "crism" - is a mission led by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in collaboration with NASA and with contributions by the European Space Agency. Lia Corrales, a University of Michigan astronomer and mission participant, told The New York Times that XRISM represents "the next step in X-ray observations."The telescope is considered more powerful than its predecessors because of its tools. One of them, called Resolve, is a microcalorimeter spectrometer with the capability to measure tiny increases in temperature when X-rays hit its 6-by-6-pixel detector. It must operate in an environment that's a fraction of a degree above absolute zero, enabled by a multistage mechanical cooling process inside its refrigerator-sized container with liquid helium. But so long as it's working, the tool can measure each individual X-ray energy and can provide information on its source's composition, motion and physical state.The Times says the mission team expects Resolve's spectroscopic data to be 30 times sharper than what Chandra's instruments can provide. It can detect X-rays with energies that range from 400 to 12,000 electron volts, which NASA says can give us the data needed to know more about the hottest regions, the largest structures and the objects with the strongest gravity pull in the universe. XRISM's science operations won't begin until January, though, since scientists still have to switch on its instruments and tune them in the next few months.In addition to XRISM, the rocket also blasted off to space carrying the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission. The small-scale lander was nicknamed "Moon Sniper," because it was designed to demonstrate that a pinpoint landing within 100 meters of a specific target is possible. Based on the latest information from JAXA, XRISM had already separated from its rocket and had already been inserted into orbit. Meanwhile, SLIM will keep traveling for months until it reaches the moon.

Clubhouse, once the Silicon Valley darling of pandemic-era social media, announced earlier this year that it was laying off half its staff as its founders pivoted to building Clubhouse 2.0." Now, the company is sharing the results of its big reset, with a redesign meant to make Clubhouse more like a messaging app."The audio app is pivoting from its signature drop-in" audio conversations to friend-centric voice chats, the company said in an update. Instead of sprawling rooms where users host live-streamed conversations open to any and all of the app's users, the new Clubhouse will instead encourage users to join groups with people they know.The groups are, somewhat confusingly, called chats," and allow friends and friends-of-friends to exchange voice messages. There's still a drop-in" element, but it's less focused on real-time talking and geared more toward something like an Instagram Story - a destination for checking in and sharing quick updates. The app is also ditching text-based direct messages in favor of private audio messages which, yes, it's calling voicemails or VMs.The biggest shift, however, isn't just the format of the conversations but that Clubhouse is now positioning itself as more of a Snapchat, where smaller groups of friends communicate privately or semi-privately, than a Twitter, where all the app's users are shouting into the void. It's not about passively listening to people speaking," the company wrote in an update. You can listen to great conversations on podcasts, YouTube, TikTok, and a lot of other platforms. It's about talking with people ... and becoming real-life friends with your friends' friends, and people you never would have met otherwise."While the pivot to messaging app may make more sense given the steep decline in engagement Clubhouse saw after pandemic restrictions eased, it's unclear if the company will be able to return to the same buzzy highs of 2021, when it attracted millions of users and a multibillion-dollar valuation. Clubhouse, whose founders claimed earlier this year that they had years of runway remaining," seem like they aren't taking success for granted their second time around.They ended their announcement of the redesign with a bit of caution. It's a big bet, and we hope we're right..."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/clubhouse-is-pivoting-from-live-audio-to-group-messaging-001520371.html?src=rss

AI-generated images and audio are already making their way into the 2024 Presidential election cycle. In an effort to staunch the flow of disinformation ahead of what is expected to be a contentious election, Google announced on Wednesday that it will require political advertisers to "prominently disclose" whenever their advertisement contains AI-altered or -generated aspects, "inclusive of AI tools." The new rules will based on the company's existing Manipulated Media Policy and will take effect in November.Given the growing prevalence of tools that produce synthetic content, we're expanding our policies a step further to require advertisers to disclose when their election ads include material that's been digitally altered or generated," a Google spokesperson said in a statement obtained by The Hill. Small and inconsequential edits like resizing images, minor cleanup to the background or color correction will all still be allowed - those that depict people or things doing stuff that they never actually did or those that otherwise alter actual footage will be flagged.Those ads that do utilize AI aspects will need to label them as such in a "clear and conspicuous" manner that is easily seen by the user, per the Google policy. The ads will be moderated first through Google's own automated screening systems and then reviewed by a human as needed.Google's actions run counter to other companies in social media. X/Twitter recently announced that it reversed its previous position and will allow political ads on the site, while Meta continues to take heat for its own lackadaisical ad moderation efforts.The Federal Election Commission is also beginning to weigh in on the issue. LAst month it sought public comment on amending a standing regulation "that prohibits a candidate or their agent from fraudulently misrepresenting other candidates or political parties" to clarify that the "related statutory prohibition applies to deliberately deceptive Artificial Intelligence campaign advertisements" as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-will-require-political-ads-prominently-disclose-their-ai-generated-aspects-232906353.html?src=rss

The home state of some of the most influential AI companies has a new plan to confront the potential regulation of generative AI. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order instructing agencies in the state to study potential risks and use cases for the technology.Under the order, state agencies are tasked with identifying the most significant and beneficial uses of GenAI in the state" and creating frameworks to train state employees on how to use state-approved" generative AI tools in their work. Likewise, it directs the same agencies to analyze potential negative impacts of the technology, including its effect on vulnerable communities and threats to critical energy infrastructure" in the state.The order also lays the groundwork for new partnerships with University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University, which will help study how generative AI is affecting the state's workers. This is a potentially transformative technology - comparable to the advent of the internet - and we're only scratching the surface of understanding what GenAI is capable of," Newsom said in a statement. We recognize both the potential benefits and risks these tools enable."As Bloombergpoints out, the California order comes ahead of a White House executive order on generative AI expected in the coming months. Leaders of several top AI companies have been meeting with White House officials over the last severalmonths as the administration weighs potential regulations for AI. More than half a dozen companies have already agreed to some safeguards, including new investments in cybersecurity, following those meetings.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/california-governor-gavin-newsom-signs-executive-order-to-study-generative-ai-222733401.html?src=rss

A week after being outed for stealthily using AI to produce high school sports reports and publicly "pausing" the project, mega-publisher Gannett has reportedly had to recheck each and every post the AI had written. Did we really learn nothing from CNET's ignoble AI escapades in January?Gannett operates a number of regional and national publications including USA Today, The Arizona Republic and The Detroit Free Press. The company devised its "Lede AI" as a means of automating the droll work of summarizing the box scores of local high school sports leagues - a task the AI proved wholly incapable of. One such article read:

The non-profit Mozilla Foundation deemed cars the "worst product category" ever reviewed for data privacy, according to research released Wednesday. Its Privacy Not Included Research division reviews everything from smart home devices to health and wellness apps. But of the 25 car brands the research team studied, not a single one passed the reviews, with top brands like Tesla, Nissan and Hyundai landing at the top of the worst-of-the-worst list.Tesla earned a mark against it for untrustworthy use of AI, making it the second product reviewed by Mozilla to fail every privacy test conducted. That's because its AI-powered autopilot feature caused several deaths and hundreds of crashes. Meanwhile, companies like Nissan and Kia say they can collect information about your sexual activity and sex life, and Hyundai promises to comply with lawful requests, whether formal or informal" to share your information with government and law enforcement.That left Renault, Dacia and BMW as the "least creepy" car options. Researchers couldn't confirm whether Renault, which also owns Dacia, encrypts the data it collects, and it doesn't go much beyond what's required by data privacy law, but compared to others it's not the worst. The reason for BMW landing higher on the list was also marginal, as researchers based it on the fact that the car maker doesn't explicitly say they sell data to third parties for advertising purposes, while other manufacturers explicitly claim to do so. "From our reading of BMW's privacy policy, they might not do this. But we're also not 100% sure they don't," the researchers wrote.Still, every brand of car collected too much personal data, and most of them share or sell that information to a third party. The researchers spent 600 hours analyzing privacy policies, investigating app features and working directly with the car companies themselves to determine privacy rankings, but still concluded it was one of the more confusing categories they've tested."Sorting through the large and confusing ecosystem of privacy policies for cars, car apps, car connected services, and more isn't something most people have the time or experience to do," members of Mozilla's Privacy Not Included team wrote in a blog post. That leaves little for car buyers to do if they're looking for an option that takes data privacy seriously because, at least according to Mozilla, they really are all that bad."Unfortunately, consumers have very little control. You can choose to not use a car app or try not to use connected services, but that might mean your car doesn't work properly - or at all," Jen Caltrider, director of Privacy Not Included, said. "Consumers have almost zero control and options in regard to privacy, other than simply buying an older model. Regulators and policy makers are behind on this front."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-tops-mozillas-list-of-creepiest-carmakers-but-25-brands-failed-basic-data-privacy-tests-202017058.html?src=rss

YouTube is testing a different approach to ads on smart TVs, as well as its apps on connected devices like Apple TV and game consoles. The platform is experimenting with having longer ad breaks but fewer of them on those devices, which it refers to as connected TV or CTV experiences.The idea is to show you ads in a way that's better aligned with each platform where you watch YouTube. On mobile, you might be more inclined to watch content like Shorts in more bitesize chunks, so shorter, rapid-fire ad breaks may make more sense. However, YouTube notes that nearly two-thirds of CTV watch time in the US lasts at least 21 minutes - around the length of a sitcom episode on broadcast TV.The service cites research indicating that 79 percent of viewers would prefer that YouTube bunch ads together rather than spreading them out over the duration of a longer video. As such, YouTube believes that minimizing disruption is the way to go, and having longer, fewer ad breaks is one idea it's trying.It sounds a bit like the UK TV industry's approach to advertising versus how US networks handle things. You might have time to make a cup of tea during a Coronation Street ad break in Blighty, but good luck doing that between segments of a Grey's Anatomy episode Stateside.It's unclear exactly how YouTube plans to divvy things up, such as if it will have one four-minute break per hour instead of four one-minute ad slots. The service also didn't say whether it will show more ads overall if it moves forward with this plan.YouTubeIn addition, YouTube is looking into ways of being more transparent about the total length of ad breaks rather than showing the time remaining for each individual spot. Romana Pawar, YouTube Ads director of product management, wrote that the platform will soon publicly test an ad experience along those lines - you'll see just how long you have to wait before you can skip the remaining ads.YouTube has been tinkering with CTV ad formats for quite some time. Earlier this year, it announced unskippable 30-second ads for its TV apps. You can probably expect the service to keep experimenting with how it presents ads across platforms. Alternatively, you can free yourself from having to put up with (seemingly less frequent) interruptions by stumping up for YouTube Premium's ad-free experience.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-is-testing-fewer-longer-ad-breaks-on-its-tv-apps-200419005.html?src=rss

Google Workspace users are getting a new feature to prevent colleagues from messing with their documents. Users will now have the ability to lock their Google Drive files, which should help reduce unwanted commentary and changes when sharing with multiple team members. While this isn't the most revolutionary feature, it could certainly come in handy - especially for companies that use and share a lot of publicly viewable documents.Locking a document puts it in read-only mode, meaning viewers can't edit, comment or leave suggestions on it. The document will remain in this read-only mode until unlocked by its owner. In a blog post, Google stated that this new feature will "streamline the process of restricting files in Drive."Previously, you could lock down a document or file when sharing it, or through a Google Drive API call. The new lock feature simplifies things: Right-click on the file you'd like to lock, scroll to file information from the popup menu, and select lock.The file-locking feature has already been rolled out to some Rapid Release domains and will continue over the next 15 days. Folks on Scheduled Release domains can expect to start seeing the feature on September 20th, with a similar 15-day rollout period.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-workspaces-file-lock-stops-colleagues-messing-with-your-documents-194625235.html?src=rss

Roku looks to be seriously tightening its pursestrings. The company's laying off a full ten percent of its workforce, over 300 employees, in addition to a conducting a number of other cost-cutting measures, as reported by Variety. These job cuts are just the beginning, as Roku's also removing streaming content, consolidating office space and reducing outside service expenses. The goal here is a major reduction in the year-over-year operating expense growth rate.The company hasn't announced which content it would be removing from its various streaming platforms and whether or not these cuts would be culled from third-party providers or from in-house projects like the recently-released Weird Al biopic. Roku's so serious about these cuts that it's willing to pony up $65 million for impairment charges after deleting this content, according to an SEC filing. Additionally, the company's planning on forking over $45 million to $65 million to supply outgoing employees with severance benefits and up to $200 million for abandoning office space.The stock market, as usual, loved the layoffs and related austerity measures, with Roku's stock rising nine percent in the wake of this news, before settling down to a more modest increase of around four percent. As of this writing, the stock price is still fluctuating.This is Roku's third round of job cuts in less than a year. Back in November, it laid off 200 staffers, with 200 more let go in March of this year. That's a grand total of 700 pink slips, representing around 25 percent of the total workforce. As expected, the company also announced that it's holding off on new hires for the time being.After this round of restructuring and affiliated impairment charges, Roku hopes for an increase in Q3 net revenue to $835 to $875 million, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the negative $20 million range, up from negative $40 million. However, even Roku admits these figures are uncertain, noting in a Q2 letter to shareholders that the macro environment continued to create uncertainty," given the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/roku-lays-off-300-workers-and-removes-streaming-content-to-save-money-183715207.html?src=rss

The person behind an AI-generated song that went viral earlier this year has submitted the track for Grammy Awards consideration. The Recording Academy has stated that such works aren't eligible for certain gongs. However, Ghostwriter, the pseudonymous person behind "Heart on My Sleeve," has submitted the track in the best rap song and song of the year categories, according to Variety. Both of those are songwriting honors. The Academy has suggested it's open to rewarding tracks that are mostly written by a human, even if the actual recording is largely AI-generated.Ghostwriter composed the song's lyrics rather than leaving them up to, say, ChatGPT. But rather than sing or rap those words, they employed a generative AI model to mimic the vocals of Drake and The Weeknd, which helped the song to pick up buzz. The artists' label Universal Music Group wasn't happy about that and it filed copyright claims to remove "Heart on My Sleeve" from streaming services. Before that, though, the track racked up hundreds of thousands of listens on Spotify and more than 15 million on TikTok.Over the last few months, Ghostwriter and their team have been making overtures to industry bigwigs such as Academy higher ups, according to The New York Times. As it turns out, Ghostwriter may actually have a shot at picking up a Grammy. As far as the creative side, it's absolutely eligible because it was written by a human," Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told the Times.It seems there's one major roadblock as things stand, though. For a song to be eligible for a Grammy, it needs to have "general distribution" across the US through the likes of brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers and streaming services. Ghostwriter is reportedly aware of this restriction, but it's unclear how they plan to address that.In any case, this may well be a canary in the coal mine for rewarding the use of generative AI in art. Many creatives are concerned over the issue. Some have accused the operators of generative AI systems of using copyrighted work to train their language learning models, while a major sticking point in the ongoing actors' strike is whether performers will be compensated fairly for the use of their digital likenesses. Whether the output of generative AI models can be considered truly original work is a contentious topic as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-grammys-will-consider-that-viral-song-with-drake-and-the-weeknd-ai-vocals-for-awards-after-all-181211888.html?src=rss

YouTube is launching an in-app platform for bite-sized games, adding to the ways you can interact with content on the popular video service. Sadly, this is no full-fledged cloud-gaming experience - think of it more like Miniclip living inside the social video site.This is an experimental offering and, as such, only available to select participants or beta testers. How to know if you've been chosen? Open up YouTube and look for a Playables" tab alongside content on the home feed. For the lucky few, games work on both the desktop website and mobile devices.There's no list of published titles at this time, but 9to5Google reports that there's a game called Stack Bounce available that involves a ball smashing through rings via well-timed clicks. If the title sounds familiar, that's because Stack Bounce was already offered on Google's GameSnacks service.Also, moving a 3D ball around is a far cry from the kinds of games Google Stadia was offering when it shuttered, though the company notes that the system will save game progress, which is accessible via the History" tab. In other words, more complicated experiences could be forthcoming, as there isn't much progress to save when moving a bouncing ball through rings. For now, though, it's a repository for minigames.YouTube isn't the only video-streaming service dipping its toes into cloud gaming. Netflix has made a pretty significant push into the space in the last couple of years, most recently expanding services to select smart TVs and personal computers. Even TikTok is experimenting with simple in-app games, in addition to live trivia contests with cash prizes. Google's Stadia cloud streaming service went belly up back in January.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-is-testing-bitesize-games-on-desktop-and-mobile-163742756.html?src=rss

The European Union has confirmed the first six tech "gatekeepers" that will need to abide by strict new rules under the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA). The names of these companies should be pretty familiar: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft. The European Commission (EC), which is the EU's executive branch, noted that after assessing whether certain companies met thresholds related to revenue, valuation and user numbers, Samsung hasn't been designated as a gatekeeper as yet.The EC stipulates that digital platforms can be designated as gatekeepers "if they provide an important gateway between businesses and consumers in relation to core platform services." The gatekeepers now have until March 2024 to make sure their applicable services comply with the DMA regulations. Between the six companies, the EC has designated 22 core platform services that the law applies to:

The latest Apple AirPods Pro are back on sale for $199 at Amazon and Walmart. This is a deal we've seen for much of the past several months, but it's still $50 less than the cost of buying from Apple directly. Typically, this is as low as we see the wireless earphones drop at major retailers.We gave the AirPods Pro a review score of 88 last September, and we currently list them as the "best for iOS" pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide. They continue to be the best true wireless model Apple sells, with a slightly bassy sound that plays well with most kinds of audio, effective active noise cancellation (ANC) and a top-notch transparency mode that blends outside noise with your music. Like all AirPods, they also come with a host of Apple-friendly features: fast pairing, automatic switching between active Apple devices, Find My tracking, spatial audio, audio sharing with other AirPods and Beats users, hands-free Siri and so on.The six-hour battery life could be longer, there are better options for call quality and many of the other picks in our buying guide come with a richer feature set. There's no way to manually adjust the EQ or ANC strength, for instance. If you want a pair for working out, the Beats Fit Pro offer many of the same Apple-centric perks in a more gym-friendly design. Nevertheless, if you solely use Apple devices, there's still plenty to like here.There is a caveat, though: Bloomberg reports that Apple will likely update the AirPods Pro with a new USB-C charging case as part of its iPhone event on September 12. (The current AirPods Pro case uses Lightning.) The new iPhones should switch to USB-C too, so if you'd prefer the updated port, it's worth waiting. That said, no other changes to the actual AirPods Pro hardware are expected, and the USB-C model may cost more than this discounted price to start. The earphones will receive new features later this year, but those'll be software-based, with iOS 17 adding a new "Adaptive Audio" mode and faster device switching, among other upgrades.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-airpods-pro-are-back-down-to-199-150816670.html?src=rss

By some estimates, it takes around 235 hours to see and do absolutely everything in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Some folks have already managed that and are eager for more, but unlike with Breath of the Wild, you shouldn't expect Nintendo to release a major expansion this time around.There are no plans for additional content," Tears of the Kingdom producer Eiji Aonuma told Famitsu. The reason for that, as Automaton notes, is because the developers reckon they already shoved all of their major gameplay ideas into the base game. Given the massive breadth and scope of Tears of the Kingdom and the wealth of possibilities it offers players to solve puzzles, take down enemies and torture Koroks, the team might be forgiven for taking that view.And so, it's onto the next game, whatever that may be. Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi said his team is pondering what its next fun experience" may be, but he's uncertain at this point what that will look like.In any case, don't bank on a return to 2D Zelda games or the format of any pre-Breath of the Wild title. "The series continued to evolve after Ocarina of Time, but I think it's also fair to say now that we've arrived at Breath of the Wild and the new type of more open play and freedom that it affords," Aonuma told Game Informer in May. "Yeah, I think it's correct to say that it has created a new kind of format for the series to proceed from."It'll be a disappointment to some that there won't be any Tears of the Kingdom DLC. Still, you might want to start thinking about blocking out a couple hundred hours on your 2028 or 2029 calendar so you can fully experience the next big Zelda game ASAP.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-has-no-plans-for-a-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-expansion-142513007.html?src=rss

China has widened a ban on the use of iPhones and other imported devices by government officials, according to The Wall Street Journal. State employees were reportedly told in chat groups and meetings not to bring foreign-branded device into the office or use them for work, according to "people familiar with the matter." The aim is reportedly to reduce reliance on foreign technology and improve cybersecurity.If you're experiencing deja vu, it's because Beijing has previously blacklisted Apple and other foreign products for government departments, most recently in 2019. Back then, the government was planning to phase out western gear over a three year period in favor of local alternatives. The aim at the time was to keep data within its borders and ensure tech was "secure" and "controllable," all as part of the 2017 China Internet Security Law.Apple has managed to stay above the fray, likely because Foxconn and other suppliers in the nation employee millions of people. It also has followed China's laws, removing thousands of illegal apps like VPNs. However, it's also more vulnerable than other companies. On top of the manufacturing dependence, the country accounts for around 19 percent of Apple's total revenue.Following bans by the US against Huawei and other Chinese companies, Beijing followed suit with a similar embargo on chip-maker Micron. The story had a further plot twist earlier this week, when Chinese electronics company Huawei released the Mate 60 Pro smartphone using 7-nanometer homegrown chips found by a teardown to be more advanced than expected. China also unveiled a $40 billion fund for its chip industry, following continued trade sanctions with the US.Tesla is another US company vulnerable to changes in China's policies. The nation reportedly accounted for a large chunk of its sales in its first quarter, and it's the only foreign automaker to gain market share in the first half of 2023. China recently restricted the use of Tesla vehicle by military staff and employees of state-owned companies, according to an earlier WSJ report.Apple is set to release the iPhone 15 in less than a week, reportedly with thinner bezels, a titanium frame, USB-C charging and more. Apple has not responded to this story, but Engadget has reached out to the company for comment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/china-intensifies-its-crackdown-on-officials-using-iphones-132419856.html?src=rss

After introducing the generative AI capabilities it was developing for Slack at World Tour NYC earlier this year, Salesforce has revealed as part of its Dreamforce announcements that it's now gearing up to pilot the new features this winter. Slack AI, as the capabilities are collectively called, is built natively into the platform to make it easy to access. One of its abilities is to instantly generate channel highlights that can immediately tell users the most important part of conversations, which they can then use for reports or to simply read what they might have missed.Slack AI can also generate summaries for threads in just one click for people who just want to get the gist of specific conversations and not the channel a whole. As shown in the image above, AI-generated summaries don't just come with highlights, but also lists of what next steps users can take based on concerns, comments and suggestions posted by people in the conversation. In addition, Slack AI can produce elaborate answers when people search for information on the platform. At the moment, searching on Slack can only bring up messages, files and channels with the keyword, but Slack AI can wrap all those information up in a package with a summary that makes them easier to parse.Salesforce's latest announcements come nearly a month after it started rolling out a new look for its business-focused messaging app. The redesigned interface is meant to help users focus more by removing clutter that may be distracting to some people. Slack's new sidebar, for instance, collapses all of a user's workspaces into a single tile and adds buttons for Home, DMs and Activity, as well as buttons for Search and Create. The dedicated DM tab lists a user's private chats and allows them to preview the most recent message for each conversation without opening it. Users can also toggle on an option to only see unread messages if they want to get rid of more clutter.The company is expected to reveal more about Slack AI and other new products at its Dreamforce event, which will take place from September 12 to September 14 and will be available to stream on Salesforce+.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/slack-ai-will-summarize-your-work-chat-starting-this-winter-130046724.html?src=rss

Today, GoPro unveils its latest camera: The Hero 12 Black. This time around, the updates are mostly on the user experience, with a slight focus on pro users and creators. Perhaps the most exciting new feature" for regular GoPro users will be the claimed extended battery life. The company says Up to two times" the runtime of previous cameras. Battery life has long been a pain point, so we'll be keen to see what that looks like in real terms.There are some new shooting modes, with 8:7 (full sensor) recording now available across the board, including TimeWarp and the Night Effect modes for the first time. Recording in 8:7 allows you to punch out" different aspect ratio content from the same source material while maintaining a high resolution. The camera's HDR mode has also been tuned for even better handling of mixed lighting conditions. Hypersmooth, GoPro's in-camera stabilization is now on its sixth iteration -- but it's been solid right from the start, so we're interested to see what difference this makes in practice.For the pros (or the aspiring ones) two new additions will be of particular interest. First there's GP-Log" which is GoPro's take on logarithmic shooting mode - which makes color grading in post much more flexible. Secondly, there's the addition of Timecode Sync, so if you're recording with multiple GoPro Hero 12's, they can easily be synchronized for airtight edits in post.As for creators, again there's a brace of updates that will be of interest. Interestingly, the Hero 12 Black now works with Bluetooth headsets for both playback and recording - including AirPods. Now, videos can use Bluetooth headphone microphones which can be blended with the in-camera mic recordings as you wish. You can even use your headset to use GoPro's voice activation, opening the door for more creative shots taken without having to be near the camera or use the app/remote accessory.Photo by James Trew / EngadgetThe second creator-friendly feature is vertical capture. You've always been able to hold a GoPro at 90 degrees, and on later models the menus would also rotate for ease of use. This time around, you can simply activate vertical mode even while the camera is mounted horizontally. It takes advantage of the new sensor introduced with the Hero 11 that's big enough to punch out a full 9:16 vertical video at 4K/30FPS without having to re-mount or re-orient the camera.If it's important to you for other people to know you have the newest camera, this year that'll be a little easier as the Hero 12 Black has a speckled faceplate in a break from the usual monochrome design. But there's one other physical change that will elicit a small peep of joy from long-time users: The camera now has a regular tripod mount (1/4 inch 20 thread ) built-in on the bottom, nestled right between the fold out mounting fingers. No more adapters needed for all those other camera accessories you might have lying around.One last change this time around is that GoPro seems to have dropped the need to sign up for its cloud subscription service to get a better price on the camera - the Hero 12 Black will simply cost $400 for everyone. Pre-orders open today and the camera lands in retail September 13.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gopro-announces-hero-12-black-with-airpods-support-and-better-battery-life-130027283.html?src=rss

Samsung is pushing forward the idea that bigger is better with the announcement of its new 98-inch Class QN990C Neo QLED 8K TV. It joins 2023's 65-inch, 75-inch and 85-inch 8K QN900C Neo QLED TVs, with the latest addition debuting at the CEDIA Expo 2023 alongside its 4K counterpart (available in sizes ranging from 43-inch to 85-inch).The 98-inch Class QN990C Neo QLED 8K TV is made up of Quantum Mini LEDs to produce over a billion colors and uses AI to enhance any content you watch up to 8K quality. It's also equipped with an Anti-Glare screen and Ultra Viewing Angle technology, which Samsung says should allow you to see what's going on from any angle without the need to block out light. The TV's structure is made with a 360-degree All-Metal Design and has a Slim Fit Wall Mount to give the TV more of an appearance of being flesh to the wall. As for audio quality, the new 98-inch Class 8K TV has Dolby Atmos and Cinema Object Tracking Sound built in.While the 98-inch 8K TV's price has yet to be revealed, it's likely to be nearing the $10,000 mark. Samsung priced the 65-inch Neo QLED 8K TV at $5,000, the 75-inch at $6,300 and the 85-inch at $8,000. In contrast, the Neo QLED 4K TVs start at $1,200 and still offer features like Quantum Mini LEDs and Dolby Atmos.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-unveils-its-largest-8k-tv-yet-130018695.html?src=rss

It's been almost exactly four years since Sonos first introduced the Move, the company's first portable speaker. The Move was a solid speaker when it was first introduced, but in the years that have passed, things like its lower-than-average battery life have made it harder to recommend. But even with the summer quickly fading, Sonos has a new portable speaker for powering autumn days outside, the Move 2. On the surface, the Move offers the same formula as the original. It's a relatively large, loud speaker that you can lug around with you; it's also quite durable, able to withstand drops, bumps, extreme temperatures, rain and snow.But unsurprisingly, Sonos has taken some inspiration from the recent Era 100 and Era 300 speakers here for some improvements. The new top panel touch controls are the same as you'll find on those speakers. There's a volume slider as well as dedicated forward and back buttons. It also has a USB-C line-in jack, so you can connect the Move 2 to a turntable or other audio equipment.Perhaps most importantly, its internal speaker design is similar to that of the Era 100, with two angled tweeters providing stereo sound, unlike the mono, single-tweeter design of the original Move. In my testing of the Era 100, I didn't find that the two tweeters really give you a stereo experience like you'll get with multiple speakers, but it's still a definite improvement.SonosThe other most significant change is that Sonos has more than doubled the quoted battery life on the Move 2, from about 11 hours to more than 24 hours. That's a huge jump and should be enough to silence those who were unhappy with the original Move's rather pedestrian longevity.Oh, and there's a new color this time, olive green. I wish that it also came in the lovely blue and orange shades you can get the smaller Sonos Roam in, but alas.Like the original Move, this new speaker supports audio over Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi for when you're away from your network. It's also a quick way to let friends play music over the speaker, and there's a Bluetooth sharing feature that pipes audio the Move receives over Bluetooth to the rest of your Sonos speakers. Of course, you can also group and share audio across other Sonos devices using the traditional multi-room audio controls, as well.The Move 2 has microphones built in for automatic speaker tuning using the company's Trueplay software - this adjusts the sound quality based on where you place the speaker. The microphones also work with the Sonos voice assistant as well as Amazon Alexa, and there's a physical mute switch on the back that disconnects power to the mics entirely. And if you get two Move 2 speakers, you can pair them together in stereo. That should make for a potent audio setup, though you'll need to re-pair the speakers if you take one on the go and remove it from your Wi-Fi network.Unfortunately, Sonos is bumping up the price of its gear again - the Move 2 costs $449, up from the $399 it asked for the original model. For that price, Sonos is also including the handy ring-shaped wireless charger that lets you easily pick up the Move 2 and get going. Yes, there are a number of improvements here, but Sonos can't go on raising the prices of its products every time it releases a new model, can it? We haven't had a chance to hear the Move 2 yet, so it's too soon to say whether it'll be worth the cash, but hopefully the improvements here merit the price premium. The Move 2 goes on sale on September 20.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-sonos-move-2-portable-speaker-has-double-the-battery-life-of-its-predecessor-130010817.html?src=rss

Duolingo is best known for its language learning app, but it recently branched into teaching math and will soon offer music learning, the company announced. Through a series of "hundreds of bite-sized lessons," users will be able to learn notes and how to play tunes from a library of over 200+ songs. Using the app's gamified learning experience, the Music course "teaches you to read and play music anytime, through interactive lessons," according to Duolingo."We know math and music, much like language, transcend cultures and connect people," Duolingo cofounder and CTO Severin Hacker. "Soon you will be able to learn math and music in the same Duolingo app - all with the same fun, engaging, and effective experience you know from learning languages with us."DuolingoSeveral screenshots show musical notation paired with piano keys (above), along with games like "fill in the blanks" and "match the pairs." The app will appear alongside languages and math at the top of the main Duolingo screen. The math app is already available for iOS, with levels ranging from elementary to more advanced, all using interactive, gamified lessons.A job posting spotted earlier this year provided hints that the company was working on a music app. Duolingo didn't give many details other than a few screenshots, but did say that "the course is free, fun and effective. It plans to reveal the app fully at its Duocon conference on October 11th.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/duolingo-will-soon-offer-gamified-music-lessons-120010824.html?src=rss

We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI," the attorneys general wrote in an open letter to Congress, asking for increased protective measures against AI-enhanced child sexual abuse images.Using image generators like Dall-E and Midjourney to create child sexual abuse materials isn't a problem, as the software has guardrails to stop those prompts. However, when open-source versions of the software and similar tools without guardrails or oversight arrive, it could be a major issue. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that AI tools would benefit from government intervention to mitigate their risk.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedDisney+ tempts new and returning subscribers with a $2-per-month teaser offer Star Wars Jedi: Survivor patch promises 'solid 60 fps' performance on consoles Cyberpunk adventure game Stray will be adapted as an animated movie Facebook's News tab is going away in the UK, France and Germany Alone in the Dark reboot delayed to the oh-so-spooky month of JanuaryChina plans $40 billion fund for its chip industryUnited Airlines grounded flights for an hour after a bad software updateA widespread slowdown' paused departures.United Airlines issued a nationwide ground stop because of a "computer issue." "United Airlines asked the FAA to pause the airline's departures nationwide," the Federal Aviation Administration told Engadget. United said a software update "caused a widespread slowdown" in its technology systems, but airborne flights still carried on to their destinations during the pause.United had a similar issue in the UK just last week. An air traffic control glitch led to the cancellation of a fifth of UK departures and 27 percent of flights due to arrive the day of the issue.Continue reading.The Android logo gets a new look and a 3D bugdroidGoogle's quarterly Android update adds some useful accessibility features.AndroidAndroid 14 is fast approaching. But before Google releases the next big version of the mobile operating system alongside its latest Pixel devices, the company has revealed a refreshed Android logo. Yeah, it hasn't exactly reinvented the wheel, or the droid, as it were. Android consumer brand management director Jason Fournier said the company wanted the bugdroid to "appear as dynamic as Android itself." Sounds like a self-burn The plan is to ensure the bugdroid looks consistent across digital and real-world environments.There's also a useful-sounding accessibility feature coming to Android soon. It's called Image Q&A on Lookout. You'll be able to use voice commands or type questions to find out more details about AI-generated audio descriptions of visual content. A new widget called Assistant At a Glance is also inbound, to bring weather alerts, event reminders and travel updates.Continue reading.The best cameras for 2023Compacts, DSLRs, action cams and, of course, mirrorless cameras.Since smartphones obliterated the casual photography market, camera manufacturers are focusing on building models designed for very specific uses. Mirrorless cameras continue to improve in autofocus, video and more, while lens ranges expand yearly. Action cams provide sharp, fluid video, compact cameras target both tourists and vloggers and DSLRs are available at some of the best prices we've seen. If you're considering a camera upgrade, this is a particularly good time to do so. Engadget's Steve Dent walks you through the options.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-50-attorneys-general-urge-congress-to-fight-ai-generated-child-sexual-abuse-images-111525174.html?src=rss

Those firing up Airbnb to look for a short-term rental in New York City right now may find the pickings a bit slim. Officials in the city have started enforcing new regulations mandating that hosts will have to file a registration application - and meet a set of requirements - to be able to rent homes to guests for less than 30 days. Hosts can only rent out homes for short-term stays if they're also staying there, and only two guests are allowed at a time. These requirements are part of old and existing rules on rentals, however, and only the Short-Term Rental Registration Law itself is new.NYC's Office of Special Enforcement said on its website that on September 5, it started collaborating with booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo to ensure that they're honoring the city's verification system. These companies will now have to check whether hosts listing their homes for stays less than 30 days have been approved by authorities. According to The New York Times, only 257 application registrations have been approved so far out of the 3,250 that were lodged as of August 28. That would mean thousands of listings could be removed from Airbnb, seeing as the company estimates that almost 15,000 hosts had short-term rental listings across NYC as recent as last month.Airbnb called the law a "de facto ban" on short-term rentals and filed a lawsuit, which was dismissed last month, to try and block its enforcement. Theo Yedinsky, the company's global policy director, said the rules "are a blow to [NYC's] tourism economy" and that "[t]he city is sending a clear message to millions of potential visitors who will now have fewer accommodation options when they visit New York City: you are not welcome."The city's authorities argued that enforcing the new law would help prevent housing "being lost to the practice of illegal" short-term rentals. Hosts renting out homes for short periods contributes to the housing shortage, they said, and makes it more expensive to live in the city as a result.Airbnb told The Times and CNN that reservations with a check-in on or before December 1 will not be cancelled, but the company will refund the fees it received related to those stays to comply with the new rules. Meanwhile, all bookings starting on December 2 will be cancelled, and guests will be refunded. In addition, hosts will find their listings converted to long-term rentals only if they allow bookings of 30 days or more on the platform. All listings that only allow short-term bookings will be deactivated.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nycs-de-facto-ban-on-airbnb-is-already-removing-listings-105213899.html?src=rss

Google has tentatively settled with the alliance of attorneys general that filed a lawsuit in 2021 alleging the search giant abused its dominance on Android app distribution through the Google Play store. Officials claimed Google was leveraging its monopoly power with Android to unlawfully maintain its monopoly," saying that 90 percent of all app sales took place through Google Play. Bloomberg reports that the matter has been referred to a judge who, if happy, can confirm the settlement and cancel the pending courtroom battle. It's a smart move on Google's part as it has faced a number of antitrust lawsuits over its dominance and power in recent years, with outcomes including a 4.3 billion ($4.6 billion) fine and threats to break up its advertising business.Not everyone is pleased about the latest deal, with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney tweeting Epic isn't included in the settlement. The games developer sued Google in 2020, alleging the latter had made deals with other big games publisher to box out rival app stores. Sweeney is also, as usual, grumbling about other stores asking a cut of each transaction to pay for the running costs of those stores.Epic's trial against Google is set for November 6th, but Sweeney tweeted: "If Google is ending its payments monopoly without imposing a Google Tax on third party transactions, we'll settle and be Google's friend in their new era. But if the settlement merely pays off the other plaintiffs while leaving the Google Tax in place, we'll fight on. Consumers only benefit if antitrust enforcement not only opens up markets, but also restores price competition." The exact amount Google must pay and any necessary changes required have yet to be disclosed, but could be made public at an October 12th hearing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-tenatively-settles-with-us-antitrust-probe-into-play-store-dominance-101450315.html?src=rss

With yet another self-own (intentional or otherwise), Google has revealed its upcoming Pixel 8 Pro again, putting it into a special pantheon of leaked phones that includes, well, every otherPixelmodel. This time, the leak comes via Google's own 360-degree simulator that lets you see the device from every angle, with little yellow dots showing different sensors and ports. It not only confirms features like a new temperature sensor and physical SIM slot, but also three of the available colors.The simulator (since shut down), was originally noticed by X user Jose Ruben, and others then posted their own images taken from the tool, as The Verge reported. It reveals blue, porcelain and black colors, along with a home screen that looks similar to the previous Pixel 7 Pro. It also shows a SIM card slot and confirms the temperature sensor we saw in an earlier leak.

You can enjoy Disney's subscription service for a fraction of its usual price if you haven't tried it before or if you haven't been paying for it for quite some time. Starting today until September 20, a Disney+ Basic subscription will cost only cost you $2 a month for three months if you're a new or returning subscriber in the US. The ad-supported tier would typically cost you $8 a month, so that's $18 in savings if you've been thinking of finally signing up or resubscribing for any of the service's upcoming releases.The company launched an ad-supported plan for its streaming service back in December 2022. It hasn't raised prices for this tier since it became available, but the ad-free options had a price hike twice over the past year. An ad-free premium tier subscription will set you back $14 starting on October 12. This promo could give you an idea whether you're ready to commit to paying that much for the service every month, or if you could endure the ads Disney+ serves and stick to the basic option.Of course, a subscription to Disney+ means getting access to its latest show and movie releases. Star Wars: Ahsoka dropped on August 23, while the live action reimagining of The Little Mermaid and the second season of I Am Groot are now also available. In addition, Disney and Pixar's film Elemental will be available for streaming on September 13.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/disney-is-tempting-new-and-returning-subscribers-with-a-2-per-month-teaser-offer-073004980.html?src=rss

Logitech's original Pebbles are reliable, affordable and portable - all the things you want in a simple computer accessory (and some of the reasons the Logitech Pebble M350 is a great productivity mouse). Now, Logitech has announced the Pebble 2 collection, featuring the Pebble Mouse 2 M350 and Pebble Keys 2 K380.One of the biggest changes for the Logitech Pebble 2 collection is its more environmentally friendly production. According to the accessories maker, its new keyboard, the Pebble Keys 2 K380s is made of a minimum of 49 percent recycled plastic, while the Pebble Mouse 2 M350s is built of at least 58 percent recycled plastic. However, these figures only look at the products themselves and exclude the packaging and printed wiring assembly.The second-generation iteration of the M350 also includes a customizable middle button that you can set to do anything from sending an emoji to bringing you to a favorite app - with the Keys 2 K380 including similar shortcuts. Logitech claims its keyboard is on the quieter side, so if you like hearing that strong click-clack as you go, this might not be the one for you. Pebble 2 Combos are available as general add-ons or specifically for Mac users if you want to refresh your whole setup.Logitech emphasizes that its five color options (shades of blue, white, rose, graphite and sand) "defy boring." To further drive home this point, the company even made a Spotify playlist of the same name with bumpy songs like Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa - do with that what you will.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/logitechs-pebble-2-keyboard-and-mouse-use-more-recycled-plastic-070155370.html?src=rss

It's been a little while since Ultimate Ears (UE) released an entirely new speaker model and this one slots right into the existing lineup between the Megaboom and the Hyperboom. Continuing with the whimsical hyperbole, this latest model is called the Epicboom and it's available starting today at the company's website for $350. Now that it's here, it seems obvious a speaker was missing from the UE lineup. It pumps out a bit more volume than the Megaboom, but is still more portable than the larger Hyperboom party speaker.The UE Epicboom is like a double-wide Megaboom in size and shape, and it still provides 360-degree sound. It does seem that the two 1.5-inch mid-high transducers are on the rounded sides with passive radiators along the front and back. This enhances the surround sound vibes if you're listening to it head-on. Inside, the Epicboom packs a 4.6-inch woofer for a more rounded bass experience down to 50Hz, at least. And just like the Hyperboom, it has an adaptive EQ that supposedly helps provide the best audio output possible for your space.There's an outdoor mode available, which seems to drop the low end down a bit in favor of the mid to high end output so it can be heard more clearly at greater distances. The speaker has Bluetooth 5.2 and in keeping with tradition, the speaker claims up to 180 feet in range (in the best line-of-sight conditions possible I assume). The Epicboom definitely has a robust range and worked throughout my apartment without the sound dipping out, which is commendable.As usual, the speaker is fully waterproof with an IP67 rating. Go ahead and plop it in the pool if you like. It's a rugged box of beats that will fit into a backpack although it will take up a good deal of space at 6.3 x 4.6 x 9.4-inches and 4.36 pounds. You shouldn't have to worry about battery life much either, since it's rated for up to 17 hours and there's an LED battery indicator just above the +/- buttons. Unlike the Boom and Megaboom, there's no charging dock accessory for the Epicboom. It has a single USB-C charging port along the back and no aux inputs.Photo by Jon Turi / EngadgetThe speaker is slightly chunky and unless you've got big mitts, the rounded edges makes it a little bit difficult to grab and hold by hand. There is a carrying strap of course, and if you hate having a loose loop dangling about your device, you're in luck. This flattened strap uses a small magnet to help keep it in place along the back. It's heavy nylon (like seat belts) and although it has a loop, it takes some fiddling to pull it apart. I found myself just grabbing the strap as it is to haul it around.NFC, a long lost Ultimate Ears feature, has returned with the Epicboom. It works for users with Android 8.0 or later, but sadly there's no support for iOS. The speaker has multipoint connectivity allowing you to pair up to eight devices and this can help speed up the process immensely. It also helps to future proof the speaker, as aging devices can sometimes be difficult to pair with and NFC is a great backup plan.Photo by Jon Turi / EngadgetYou can use the PartyUp feature in the Boom app (which gets an update today) to play music on the Epicboom plus any other Hyperboom, Megaboom and Boom models nearby. There are also a variety of pre-set EQs including Signature, Bass Boost, Game/Cinema, Podcast/Vocal, and a new Deep Relaxation mode. I didn't get a chance to test the new app experience yet, so I can't provide any more details in that regard.If you're an Ultimate Ears fan and want to upgrade your output, but still have a speaker that's relatively easy to bring along when you're out and about, the Epicboom could be right for you. It seems to have a more spacious sound than the Megaboom models and its audio output definitely covers some ground for a device this size. It's not quite the powerhouse party output of the Hyperboom, but it's a decent upgrade from the Megaboom 3. People in the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions can order the $350 UE Epicboom starting today on the company's website and other retailers will begin selling the product on September 22nd.Product Specifications

TikTok has started migrating its European users' data to its long-promised center in Ireland. The video-focused social network has announced that its Ireland data center is finally operational as part of its larger progress update for Project Clover. TikTok announced the data privacy and security initiative back in March shortly after the European Commission banned staff members from using its app on work devices. As TechCrunch notes, though, the service revealed that it was putting up a data center in Ireland way back in 2020, with the expectation that it was going to be operational by early 2022.Now that TikTok was able to overcome the issues that caused delays to the center's launch, it has started data migration, which likely won't be finished until the fourth quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, a second center in Ireland and another Norway are also under construction. The video hosting service has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years, and these are part of its efforts to get authorities to trust the app. In 2022, TikTok's parent company ByteDance confirmed that some of its employees, whom it eventually fired, accessed the data of several users in the US, including journalists. The revelation came in the midst of state governments banning TikTok from government-owned devices.In addition to announcing the beginning of data migration, TikTok has also revealed that it has secured the services of a company called the NCC Group. The information assurance firm based in the UK will audit its data controls and protections, monitor its data flows, provide independent verification and report any incidents if needed. TikTok says the company will monitor data coming in and out of the center so it can ensure that only approved employees can access users' sensitive information.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-starts-migrating-european-users-data-to-its-first-local-data-center-055931632.html?src=rss

Spotify is experimenting with the offerings of its Premium service. Over the last few days, several Spotify users on the free tier noticed they no longer had access to in-app lyrics. Instead, they were greeted by a notification bubble saying, Enjoy lyrics on Spotify Premium," along with a link to sign up. Spotify says putting the in-app lyrics behind a paywall is just a part of its routine testing."At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests, some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning,"Spotify's co-head of global communications, CJ Stanley, told The Verge. We don't have any further news to share at this time." It's possible Spotify could remove the paywall and make in-app lyrics available to all users again, but there is currently no timeline for that.This test comes at a time when Spotify has laid off employees from its podcast division, which the company poured quite a bit of money into in recent years. And despite raising its prices and actively working to grow its paid subscribers, it's still losing significant amounts of money. Spotify's decision to experiment with the possibility of making lyrics a Premium feature shows that the company is searching for ways to get users to pay for a subscription. However, this might not be the best way to do so as some users who have noticed the change are not happy about it.

TikTok appears ready to move the platform closer to a full-fledged social network. As spotted byAxios, the company has posted new job listings for positions focused on social networking features and expanded direct messaging. A Product manager - TikTok social" posting reads that the company wants to build meaningful social connections between users."The job listings are reportedly connected to worries within the organization about retaining and growing user engagement. Inside TikTok, there's concern that users are sharing TikTok videos externally on other social media and messaging apps when they want to discuss them with friends," Axios reported, citing sources within the company. Job postings for mobile engineers say the candidates will focus on building a reliable and adaptive platform that enables users to meet and interact with their real-life friends seamlessly on TikTok, and encourage them to share their life moments with each other and stay connected regardless of where they are."Expanding TikTok's messaging features appears to be of primary importance. One job listing for a backend tech lead admits that the company's messaging capability is in its infancy," according to Axios. That posting said the person hired will explore and implement diversified social solutions" while referring to creating messaging that's a distinctive TikTok social solution."TikTok made its bones on viral videos - with social features mostly limited to peripheral interactions such as likes, comments and reposts. As rival platforms like Instagram integrate more TikTok-like features, it seems logical the company would return the favor by expanding its social capabilities. However, it stressed that video remains at the heart of its identity when trying new things. A TikTok spokesperson told Axios: Being an entertainment channel has always been and remains the core of TikTok's business model even as we experiment with new features to enhance the user experience."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-job-postings-point-to-social-features-to-help-it-compete-with-meta-194332559.html?src=rss

We're getting into the last days of summer in the northern hemisphere. As fall comes into view, many of us will be spending more time at home cooking. Having high-quality equipment (and ingredients) can help ensure you make the best food possible. To that end, you may want to consider picking up a KitchenAid stand mixer and/or immersion blender during a current Amazon sale. The KitchenAid Cordless Variable Speed Hand Blender, for instance, has dropped from $100 to $80. That's the lowest price we've seen for it all year.This is our pick for the best cordless immersion blender. It could come in very useful if you want to make soups, sauces, smoothies and drinks even if you don't have much counter space for a full-sized blender.If you do have some space to plunk down a new gizmo in your kitchen, however, there's always the option of snagging one of KitchenAid's classic stand mixers. The KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is on sale too. Depending on which color you opt for (Ice Blue and Kyoto Glow are particularly fetching), the mixer can be yours for as little as $380 during this sale. That's $70 off the regular price and close to the cheapest we've ever seen it.This is our choice for the best stand mixer you can own. It's a powerful and durable machine, plus it looks gorgeous. It makes baking much easier than having to mix dough by hand. Best of all, it works with a variety of attachments. Given the glut of late-summer produce, it might still be worth picking up the ice cream maker attachment as well. Trust me, you can make some delicious mint choc chip and strawberry-basil ice cream with this thing.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/kitchenaid-stand-mixers-and-immersion-blenders-are-up-to-25-percent-off-191228110.html?src=rss

The attorneys general from all 50 states have banned together and sent an open letter to Congress, asking for increased protective measures against AI-enhanced child sexual abuse images, as originally reported by AP. The letter calls on lawmakers to establish an expert commission to study the means and methods of AI that can be used to exploit children specifically."The letter sent to Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate also urges politicians to expand existing restrictions on child sexual abuse materials to specifically cover AI-generated images and videos. This technology is extremely new and, as such, there's nothing on the books yet that explicitly places AI-generated images in the same category as other types of child sexual abuse materials.We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI," the prosecutors wrote in the letter. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act."Using image generators like Dall-E and Midjourney to create child sexual abuse materials isn't a problem, yet, as the software has guardrails in place that disallows that kind of thing. However, these prosecutors are looking to the future when open-source versions of the software begin popping up everywhere, each with its own guardrails, or lack thereof. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that AI tools would benefit from government intervention to mitigate risk, though he didn't mention child abuse as a potential downside to the technology.The government tends to move slowly when it comes to technology, for a number of reasons, as it took Congress several years before taking the threat of online child abusers seriously back in the days of AOL chat rooms and the like. To that end, there's no immediate sign that Congress is looking to craft AI legislation that absolutely prohibits generators from creating this kind of foul imagery. Even the European Union's sweeping Artificial Intelligence Act doesn't specifically mention any risk to children.South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson organized the letter-writing campaign and has encouraged colleagues to scour state statutes to find out if the laws kept up with the novelty of this new technology."Wilson warns of deepfake content that features an actual child sourced from a photograph or video. This wouldn't be child abuse in the conventional sense, Wilson says, but would depict abuse and would defame" and exploit" the child from the original image. He goes on to say that our laws may not address the virtual nature" of this kind of situation.The technology could also be used to make up fictitious children, culling from a library of data, to produce sexual abuse materials. Wilson says this would create a demand for the industry that exploits children" as an argument against the idea that it wouldn't actually be hurting anyone.Though the idea of deepfake child sexual abuse is a rather new one, the tech industry has been keenly aware of deepfake pornographic content, taking steps to prevent it. Back in February, Meta, OnlyFans and Pornhub began using an online tool called Take It Down that allows teens to report explicit images and videos of themselves from the Internet. This tool is used for regular images and AI-generated content.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/attorneys-general-from-all-50-states-urge-congress-to-help-fight-ai-generated-csam-184938825.html?src=rss

Microsoft is set to launch its abusive-voice reporting feature for Xbox consoles. Announced in July, it lets gamers submit inappropriate remarks heard while playing multiplayer titles. The system captures a 60-second clip saved to the console; you then have 24 hours to complete the report. The feature arrives this week in the September update for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. However, it's initially limited to the select English-language markets" of the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.Microsoft says it tailored voice reporting to balance ease of use with minimal gaming interference. Our feature is designed so that only you, the player, can initiate the capture of the last 60 seconds of gameplay activity that occurred for content moderation purposes," the company wrote. It works similarly to capturing standard gameplay clips, but content recorded for moderation review is only used for that purpose. They will not appear in your recent captures, and clips cannot be downloaded, modified, or shared," Microsoft wrote.The company stressed that the console won't save or upload any clips unless you start the reporting process. After capturing a clip of spoken chat that you believe breaks Xbox's community standards, the sample will remain on your console for 24 online hours," and you can choose to submit it immediately or wait for your gameplay session to end. In addition, your Xbox will alert you as a final reminder to send the report if the 24-hour period is about to expire. Finally, you'll receive a notification later telling you whether the company took action against the perpetrator.Also included in the Xbox September update is the ability to quickly stream Xbox gameplay to Discord. After updating your console, you can link your Discord account and join voice channels on the platform directly from the console. You'll find the activation controls in the Xbox guide by navigating to Parties & Chats and choosing Discord.The September update also lets users toggle the console's variable refresh rate (VRR). You can now turn the feature off or back on by navigating to General > TV & display options > Video. You'll see options to leave VRR always on," switch it to gaming only" or disable it altogether.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xboxs-reporting-system-for-abusive-voice-chat-arrives-this-week-175806184.html?src=rss

The critically-acclaimed cat-based adventure gameStray is getting an actual animated movie. Even cooler? The title's original publisher Annapurna is making the flick, after it scored a surprise hit on Netflix with its first animated feature Nimona. The creative team is still under wraps, but Annapurna Animation head Robert Baird told Entertainment Weekly that the film is in active development and that it'll be the greatest hopepunk movie that's ever been made."Baird defines hopepunk" as a narrative concept that deems optimism as a form of resistance against tyranny. That just about describes the emotional tenor of the game, so Annapurna's on the right track. Additionally, it's been confirmed that the game's companion drone B-12 will be a large part of the film, with Baird stating it's a buddy comedy about a cat and a robot" going on to cite the pair's hilarious dynamic."The original game was released last year and put players in control of a curious cat in a cyberpunk landscape. There's plenty of platforming, stealth-based traversal and, uh, meows. The title was praised for giving players a cat-level perspective on the world and has been a huge hit on just about every platform.As for Annapurna, the Stray movie is only a single step in its plans for Hollywood domination. The animation arm of the company announced a few more films and teased plenty more. Chris Wedge, the creator of Ice Age, is directing a movie called FOO, short for fish out of water, and Nimona's co-director Nick Bruno has signed on to helm an unnamed project that's only been described as high concept" and Spielbergian."The company also teased that other games under its umbrella could receive the movie treatment, stating that Stray was chosen as the first adaptation due to it being wildly popular." Other titles in the publisher's roster include the time-loop thriller Twelve Minutes, starring Daisy Ridley and James McAvoy, the Starfield-before-Starfield sci-fi romp Outer Wilds, the narrative mystery Kentucky Route Zero and many more. Each of these would make for a decent movie.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cyberpunk-adventure-game-stray-will-be-adapted-as-an-animated-movie-174606306.html?src=rss

You might have faced an unexpected but perhaps brief delay if you were catching a United Airlines flight today. The company issued a nationwide ground stop because of a "computer issue," as ABC News first reported. "United Airlines asked the FAA to pause the airline's departures nationwide," the Federal Aviation Administration told Engadget. At 1:45PM ET, however, United lifted the ground stop and it started to spin operations back up.United told Engadget that a software update "caused a widespread slowdown" in its "technology systems." Airborne flights still carried on to their destinations during the brief stoppage. After the issue was resolved, the company resumed flights and began working with customers whose travel was disrupted by the grounding.

Android 14 is fast approaching. But before Google publicly releases the next big version of the mobile operating system alongside its latest Pixel devices, the company has revealed a refreshed Android logo.In a blog post, Android consumer brand management director Jason Fournier wrote that the company wanted the bugdroid to "appear as dynamic as Android itself." By overhauling the full-body look of the mascot, the hope is that it will be easier for the bugdroid to look consistent across both digital and real-world environments. The refreshed bugdroid and updated logo will start appearing on Android devices and elsewhere later this year.Along with the rebrand, Google has revealed the details of the quarterly Android feature drop. The headline feature is a new widget called Assistant At a Glance. The aim of this is to bring helpful information such as weather alerts, event reminders and travel updates. The widget uses AI to surface these details.There's a very useful-sounding accessibility feature coming to Android imminently. It's called Image Q&A on Lookout. You'll be able to use voice commands or type questions to find out more details about AI-generated audio descriptions of visual content. Google designed the feature with blind and low-vision people in mind.You'll soon be able to add passes with barcodes and QR codes (such as your library and gym cards) to Google Wallet to save you having to carry those around. There will be the option to add Fitbit/Google Fit activity and sleep data to personal routines to help you keep track of your wellness goals. Meanwhile, Google has redesigned the Personal Safety app with the goal of making it easier for users to share their live location, record surroundings and call 911.Last but not least is an Android Auto update. Webex and Zoom support is coming soon. You'll be able to join conference calls via audio and view meeting schedules on the car's display. We've seen automakers bring meeting apps to their infotainment systems, but Android Auto support may mean that there's no escape from a conference call.These features, which Google will roll out gradually, will start arriving today on Pixel 5, Pixel 5a and Pixel 4a. They'll land on Pixel 6 and Pixel 7-series phones as well as Pixel Fold over the next few weeks. You can expect all of these features on the latest batch of Pixel devices that Google will announce next month too.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-android-logo-gets-a-new-look-and-a-3d-bugdroid-170037292.html?src=rss

Respawn and EA are rolling out a significant patch for Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. The game, plagued with performance issues at launch, now supports a solid 60 fps" in performance mode on consoles. In addition, the PC version (which bore the brunt of many of the performance complaints) also received some stability improvements in patch seven.The game's patch notes say PS5 and Xbox Series X/S users can expect a completely reworked" performance mode for a substantially" improved experience. The changelog says patch seven disables Ray Tracing in performance mode while providing several GPU / CPU optimizations to achieve that solid" 60 fps. The developers have also improved quality mode (which prioritizes graphical fidelity over a consistent frame rate) with optimizations" to help reduce frame-rate fluctuations and improve visuals.Although patch seven's highlights are for console users, PC owners aren't left in the dark. Respawn has added support for Nvidia's DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) for the game's Windows version. Additionally, PC owners should see additional performance & optimization improvements."Respawn / EAThe PS5 version of Jedi Survivor also gets variable refresh rate support for the first time. The feature, which Sony added to its latest console in April, dynamically matches a TV or monitor's refresh rate to that of the PS5, lessening visual artifacts like screen tearing. Sony says it can help render scenes faster and reduce input lag.Rounding up the patch's notables are tweaks to fix corrupted save-game files and an issue where players couldn't collect XP after dying under certain circumstances." Respawn also promises various crash / bug fixes and miscellaneous improvements on all platforms.Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Windows. PS4 and Xbox One ports are in development, although they don't yet have a release date.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/star-wars-jedi-survivor-patch-promises-solid-60-fps-performance-on-consoles-162223095.html?src=rss