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Tracking your fitness and health just got easier if you use MyFitnessPal and Google's Wear OS. The MyFitnessPal smartwatch app offers a way to keep track of your health stats, including calorie intake and gym gains. While this worked well, it has also been limited since you couldn't edit or input your data directly on your wearable device. However, the latest app update changes things for the better.In a recent blog post, MyFitnessPal announced updates that will make tracking and logging easier on Wear OS. Now, users can track and log without pulling out their phones. When wearing compatible Android smartwatches, users will have access to new watch tiles and complications - which will give them the ability to log foods they eat regularly while keeping track of daily nutritional intake, like sugar, fiber, fats, calories and even hydration. Users will also be able to see a quick snapshot of their entire day right from their wrists.This feature will be available to users with a smartwatch running Wear OS, like the new Pixel Watch 2. The MyFitnessPal app is available for download from the Google Play Store.While this feature isn't entirely new to the MyFitnessPal app on smartwatches - Apple Watch users have had this option for a while - it's good news that people using Wear OS have another way to track. Monitoring our health and wellness is important and can be easily neglected when we just don't have the time. Any innovation, big or small, that makes keeping up with health stats easier is always a good move. Now if only they could figure out a way to burn and log calories without the exercise.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/myfitnesspal-update-lets-users-track-meals-or-workouts-on-wear-os-watches-195919769.html?src=rss

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says the company is adjusting Unreal Engine pricing for non-gaming developers in fields like film / TV and automotive. We haven't officially announced this, but in the interest of transparency, we want to put it out there," Sweeney said in a presentation from Unreal Fest 2023 posted on X (formerly Twitter) by @ImmatureGamerX (via Game Developer). The CEO didn't mention specific pricing but said Epic's licensing model would resemble those of tools like Maya and Photoshop.Sweeney sounded (understandably) determined to differentiate Epic's price hike from Unity's. The latter stirred the ire of countless developers as it announced a per-install pricing model that many smaller developers claimed would have put them out of business. Unity ended up walking back many of the plan's most contentious changes. However, whether the softened stance will prevent a full-on developer exodus remains to be seen. Several months before its pricing fiasco, Unity cut its workforce for the third time in less than a year.Epic's CEO briefly addressed his company's recent layoffs, where it let go of 16 percent of its workforce. This was a survival move that was necessary," Sweeney said. He added that Epic began running into financial problems" about 10 weeks ago, but he sounded satisfied that the move puts Epic back on solid ground. One thing, we stabilized our finances so we won't run out of money as we build the metaverse," he said. Epic has been bullish on constructing a virtual universe, including a partnership with Meta, Microsoft, and others to develop metaverse standards.Epic GamesSweeney explained that Fortnite's revenue had subsidized other parts of the company and that it was time for change. He claimed aspects of Epic's business had grown too reliant on the cash cow. A funny thing about being funded so heavily by Fortnite over the past six years is we've had different parts of our business get disconnected from their revenue streams. We have big teams serving different industry verticals, building this and that set of features for custom clients without revenue to support it," he said.The co-founder sounded as invested as ever in the Epic Games Store. We think the Epic Games Store is a cure to a disease that's impacting a lot of the industry right now, where the mobile platforms have become overlords and are extracting vastly higher payment processing fees than any same payment process around there," he stated. And we're fighting that." The company has taken on Apple and Google's stranglehold on mobile payments.Sweeney's speech wrapped by framing the moment as a crucial turning point laced with optimism. In summary, this is a pivotal moment for us," he explained. Our commitment now is to operate differently. We are determined to avoid falling back into a precarious position. Through the highs and lows, we promise to support you," Sweeney said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/unreal-engine-will-get-more-expensive-but-not-for-game-devs-191959514.html?src=rss

Google has finally released a version of Gmail for Wear OS to accompany the launch of the Pixel Watch 2, as originally spotted by 9to5Google. The company teased this feature back in May at I/O, but we were left wondering when it would actually launch. Well, here it is, giving you prime wrist access to your emails.This has been a long-awaited option for Wear OS users, as Google hasn't offered a direct way to access Gmail with its smartwatches, outside of notifications, until now. Being as how Gmail is one of the company's tentpole offerings, it's a mystery as to why it took this long. Still, better late than never.The app seems robust, with options to refresh your inbox, scroll through emails and even switch between multiple accounts on the fly. You can also adjust the overall settings so new email notifications pop up on the watch's face as you go about your day. The app works with 2021's Wear OS 3 and the just-released Wear OS 4, so those with slightly older smartwatches can also read an endless barrage of campaign donation emails. Gmail for Wear OS is available now via the Google Play Store.Back at I/O, Google also announced that the company's Calendar app was coming to Wear OS, but that has yet to materialize. Calendar for Wear OS is expected to allow users to check schedules, RSVP to invites, update tasks and to-do lists and more. Additionally, Google's smart home ecosystem will soon get improved Wear OS integration, letting you answer your Nest doorbell from your wrist.However, as Wear OS 3 and Wear OS 4 continue to gain new features, the company's older smartwatch operating systems are losing features. Google recently announced that its proprietary voice assistant would no longer work on watches running anything before Wear OS 3.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-gmail-app-for-wear-os-is-finally-available-185420301.html?src=rss

Lucid has unveiled its most affordable Air EV trim yet. A rear-wheel drive variant of the Lucid Air Pure is available now for a starting price of $77,400. Lucid says this version, which is $5,000 less than the dual-motor all-wheel drive model, completes its Air lineup.The brand is well-known for offering a large range in its EVs and it hasn't skimped in that department here. When equipped with 19-inch wheels, the Air Pure RWD has a range of 410 miles, according to the automaker. The Environmental Protection Agency gave it an even more generous range estimate of 419 miles.However you slice it, Lucid claims the Air Pure RWD has a larger range than any other electric car on the market save for its own models. The lineup tops out with the Lucid Air Grand Touring, which has an EPA-estimated range of 516 miles.You won't have to hang around by a charger for too long to top up your battery either. Lucid says the Air Pure RWD can add 150 miles of range after being plugged into a DC fast charger for less than 12 minutes.The EV has Lucid's most compact battery pack to date, which helps give those in the back seat more legroom, according to the automaker. Lucid also claims this model is the most aerodynamic car that's in production right now.The Air Pure RWD comes with Apple CarPlay, a 34-inch curved Glass Cockpit display, heated front and rear seats and steering wheel, DreamDrive driver assistance systems and the Lucid UX digital environment all as standard. While it's still a pricey vehicle, the Air Pure RWD lowers the barrier to entry for those looking to hop into a Lucid EV.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lucids-most-affordable-air-ev-still-has-a-projected-410-mile-range-183806231.html?src=rss

Developer CD Projekt Red just announced it is in the early stages of developing a live-action TV show or movie based on the once-hated and now-beloved Cyberpunk 2077 game. Details are scant, as we don't even know if it'll be a film or ongoing series, but the game developer has teamed up with production company Anonymous Content to bring Night City to glorious live-action life.You probably don't know Anonymous Content by name, but the company's behind a slew of high-profile and critically-acclaimed TV shows, like True Detective and Mr. Robot. It's also helped produce recent films like The Revenant and Spotlight, but also classics like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich. This is a serious production company, so we could be in for something special.While CD Projekt Red hasn't announced whether this will be a show or movie, there are some hints indicating it'll be a TV series. The developer went out of its way to note that it's working closely with certain members of the Anonymous Content team, all of which are heavily involved in the TV side of things. For instance, the dev called out the company's Head of Television Garret Kemble and noted Chief Creative Officer David Levine's decade-long tenure at HBO. Levine was heavily involved with getting Game of Thrones and Westworld on the network, in addition to other hit shows.This situation here looks slightly different from Netflix's The Witcher show, as that's adapted from the source books and not the video game series. Cyberpunk 2077 is a wholly original IP, giving CD Projekt Red a good amount of creative control over how the story plays out. To that end, the developer hasn't indicated this would be a one-to-one adaptation of the game, rather stating its set in the world" of Cyberpunk 2077.This looks to be in the extreme early stages of development, so it could be years before we see the lawless Badlands or the slums of Dogtown in live action. This series or movie will join the Netflix cartoon Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.When you think about it, it's pretty nuts that the Cyberpunk IP is flourishing in this way. The game launched as a buggy mess, forcing Sony to actually pull it from its online store and both CD Projekt Red and Microsoft to issue refunds to unhappy customers. Since that disastrous launch, the developer has slowly and steadily improved just about every aspect of the game, transforming whole gameplay mechanics in the process. The end result? Cyberpunk 2077 is now considered to be a truly special video game, with 25 million sales to prove it. Even the recently-released Phantom Liberty DLC has already racked up 3 million downloads. There's also a pseudo-sequel on the way.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/theres-a-live-action-cyberpunk-2077-show-or-movie-on-the-way-172248247.html?src=rss

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) has chosen its 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winners, and they're all about quantum dots. The three researchers - Alexei I. Ekimov, Louis E. Brus and Moungi G. Bawendi - will share the honors for their contributions to nanotechnology.Although quantum dots had been proposed theoretically earlier in the 20th century, this year's trio of Nobel winners began verifying them experimentally. The nanoscale semiconductor particles exhibit quantum mechanical properties, glowing in different colors when exposed to light. Quantum dots have many fascinating and unusual properties. Importantly, they have different colours depending on their size," wrote Johan Aqvist, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, in a press release. The smaller the dot, the bluer its light is; the bigger the dot, the redder its light is. By changing their size, researchers can tune their colors, leading to various scientific advances.The Nobel recipients' work with quantum dots has led to progress in display technology (like QLED TVs and monitors), medical and biological imaging, solar cells, drug delivery and quantum computing (among other things). Researchers' consensus is that we're still only scratching the surface of quantum dots' practical capabilities.Ekimov, a solid-state physicist, was the first to experimentally discover quantum dots when he synthesized them in colored glass in 1981. Meanwhile, Brus proved their size-dependent effects in particles floating freely in a fluid. In the following decade, Bawendi spearheaded breakthroughs in the nanoparticles' chemical production, leading to almost perfect particles," as the KVA's press release described.The three honorees will split (evenly) a prize of 11 million Swedish krona (US$998,515).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nobel-prize-in-chemistry-awarded-to-trio-of-quantum-dot-researchers-170057741.html?src=rss

Archaeologists figure we've been baking for anywhere from 11,000 to 14,000 years. And while the fundamental chemistry of leavening bread hasn't much changed over the intervening years, we have developed countless shortcuts to make the bread baking process easier, faster and more convenient through products like baking soda, baking powder, instant dry yeast; and tools like electric ovens, stand mixers and food processors.With the busy holiday baking season right around the corner and visions of sourdough stocking stuffers for friends and family dancing through my mind, I recently picked up a new starter culture (shout out to MatKat Bakery of Modesto, California). Normally when I maintain a starter it will either live in the fridge or on my kitchen counter. The problem with that is the yeast and bacteria that make sourdough, well, sour, prefer the ambient temperature to be in the mid-70s to low-80s, making my kitchen counter a little too cold - and fridge far too cold - for the starter to expediently rise when I feed it. But you better believe we have gadgets to fix that. Here are three that will maintain an ideal temperature for sourdough starter to live in.Sourhouse GoldieThat is precisely what the Sourhouse Goldie is designed to do. Growing out of a significantly-overfunded Kickstarter, the Goldie is essentially a small heating pad enclosed by a large glass dome meant to create a tiny, cozy microenvironment for your starter to live in.An integrated thermometer tracks the temperature under the dome and relays that information via a three-color LED in the base. Blue means it's too cold, red means it's too hot and yellow indicates you've reached the goldilocks zone." If it is too cold, you can turn on the heat which will raise the temperature to the goldilocks zone and then keep it there indefinitely. If your kitchen is too hot, an included cooling puck" that otherwise lives in your freezer can be set on top of your starter jar to lower the temp.Andrew Tarantola / EngadgetThe dome is quite tall, able to accommodate my normal quart-sized starter containers, though the included pint-sized graduated cylinder is plenty big enough to hold a few hundred grams of fed starter. Despite its height, the bell sits sturdily atop the heating platform and forms a firm seal at its base - enough that things can get rather steamy under the dome if you trap any moisture in there while feeding your starter. Overall the device has a surprisingly small footprint and a sub-six-inch diameter. I can pick it up, move it around my kitchen as I work, shove it into a corner or onto a pantry shelf when I'm not using it -- the thing fits most anywhere. It runs off a USB plug (and an included wall adapter) giving you added options in potential power sources.Beyond providing a quick visual reference for how the starter is doing, I also like that the Goldie provides a bit of entertainment as the starter rises. I always get a little tingle of pride as I see the culture that I have raised and cared for flourish and grow under the dome.Overall it's ludicrously easy to use - you plug it in, turn it on and put your starter under the dome. From there it can keep indefinitely, assuming you maintain power and keep feeding the culture. This method can get labor and resource intensive given that keeping a starter active at those temperatures will require feeding it every 12 to 24 hours. Think of it like a yeast-based teenager - depending on your feeding ratio (starter vs flour vs water added each time) you can end up running through food for it far faster than you realized possible. I like to keep my starter in the fridge if I'm not planning on using it for a few days (to dramatically slow the culture's metabolism) and I've found that I can bring my starter back to activity far more quickly by putting it in the Goldie rather than my kitchen counter.I'm not so hot on the Goldie's price point, however. For as much as I like it, $130 for a hot plate and bell jar feels steep to me (they don't even include the jar for the starter pictured in their marketing), especially when the user has very little direct control, or even understanding of what the starter is currently experiencing. It's a very vibe-heavy experience for an activity where I'm then expected to calculate hydration percentages out to two decimal places.Brod & Taylor Sourdough HomeThe Sourdough Home, from baking equipment purveyors Brod & Taylor, takes the nearly opposite tack in heating, cooling and maintaining a starter. Where the Goldie is a kitchen gadget, the Home is kitchen equipment.It's a mini-mini fridge, one that sits on your countertop to house jars of sourdough starter, and can dial in your desired air temperature to the degree. It's bigger and boxier than the Goldie; taller, wider and deeper too. The interior is split horizontally by a removable shelf that can hold either a single quart jar or a pair of pints. The front face features an LED touch-sensitive thermostat which ranges from 41 - 122 degrees fahrenheit. It really is a tiny refrigerator that also gets warm on command - or a tiny oven that gets very cold, depending on how you look at it.Andrew Tarantola / EngadgetWith the Goldie, I find myself splitting the starter's time between living in my regular refrigerator and in the device itself, getting ready for use. And that generally works when I'm only baking on the weekends or need to activate the starter for a spur of the moment project. The Home replaces that entire situation with a single countertop device. The starter lives there - I never get it lost in the back of my full-size refrigerator, I never forget to feed it for a week with it hanging out on my counter.Getting the starter ready is as simple as adjusting the thermostat up a handful of degrees; preparing it for hibernation is the same, in the opposite direction. The Home incorporates a fan into its design, so it does make slightly more noise than the completely silent Goldie, but the whirring is barely audible to me, a middle-aged guy with moderate tinnitus. I like the Home. It provides a degree of control and precision that the Goldie cannot match at a price point $30 lower, at $99.The BreadwinnerWhile both the Goldie and the Home do an excellent job of keeping your starter at its optimal temperature, neither will alert you when the culture is ready for use. That's where the Breadwinner comes in. This Wi-Fi connected growth sensor screws onto the top of any wide mouth (86mm) mason jar. It measures the starter's rate of rise after a feeding and until it peaks a few hours later, marking its readiness to use.Traditionally I use my eyes and a series of rubber bands around the jar measuring its growth at the top of every hour to figure out when my starter's rise is slowing down (which means its ready to use). The Breadwinner not only does that for me, but also sends me email alerts when it's ready. It also saves all of that data to an online portal where I can track it in real-time and mine it for historical trends about the culture's previous performance. I can also plug into a social network / online journal of like-minded bakers, share recipes I've used my starter in and generally keep track of everything I've used it for.Andrew Tarantola / EngadgetThis is a really handy gadget when I'm getting ready for a bake but not necessarily able to hang around my kitchen until it's ready. I can do other chores or run errands and feel secure in the knowledge that the Breadwinner will shoot me a note when it's time to get baking. I also like that the device can be tuned to the size of the jar - 16, 24, 32 or 64 oz - for more accurate readings. The Breadwinner runs on four AA batteries, which will last anywhere from two weeks to a couple months, depending on how often you're feeding your starter and using the device. If you want to get really fancy, you can use the Breadwinner and the Home or Goldie in tandem with each other, rapidly rewarming the starter and knowing precisely when it is ready to use.EngadgetI do wish the activation button wasn't quite so easy to, uh, activate. I kept accidentally turning it when I was just moving the jar around between feedings, which required me to log into the portal and delete the blank records from my starter's profile. I'm also not sold on the price of $85 MSRP, which is a solid chunk of change for a narrowly applicable and entirely optional kitchen tool. I also have concerns given that the company behind the Breadwinner is still a small startup. If they go out of business, their servers, where the Breadwinner's data and utility reside, will go offline as well and you're left with a hundred-dollar novelty jar lid. If Brod & Taylor or Sourhouse go under, yeah I'll lose warranty repairs, but the devices themselves will keep working.Who would find these gadgets most useful?This is $355 worth of gear altogether - a new, not refurbished, KitchenAid 4.5-quart stand mixer worth of gear. That's a lot of flour. Still, the prospect of having my starter ready to use in a few hours" rather than later this evening," and of not kicking myself for forgetting to take the jar out of the fridge the night before - that's worth at least $100 to me. Maybe $225, but I've been burned like starter in a hot oven by proprietary kitchen platforms before.Andrew Tarantola / EngadgetReally, the choice of keepers comes down to your personal preference: between the more whimsical vibes of the Goldie and the calculating precision of the Sourdough Home. If you're only planning on using your starter on one or two bakes a week, splitting its time between your fridge and the Goldie is the way I would go. Conversely, if you're working with your starter more than half the days in a week and need to keep it perpetually at the ready, a dedicated housing space like the Sourdough Home would likely serve you better. The Breadwinner works equally well with either warmer, or on its own. If you tend to multitask other chores and responsibilities during your recipe's proofing times, the Breadwinner can help keep you on task and keep your bake from falling flat.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/three-kitchen-gadgets-to-take-the-guesswork-out-of-sourdough-164536914.html?src=rss

Sony has released its own movie streaming app for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. You'll be able to buy and rent movies through the Sony Pictures Core app, but there's a decent perk for subscribers of PlayStation Plus Premium and Deluxe (a version of Premium that's available in select markets).Members will get access to a library of up to 100 ad-free Sony Pictures films at no extra cost. Sony says the lineup includes movies such as Looper, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Elysium and Resident Evil Damnation. The library will receive periodic updates. The company also plans to add some anime content from Crunchyroll to Sony Pictures Core, and it notes that benefits for all PS Plus subscribers are on the way.Many observers have long suggested that Sony should grant PS Plus subscribers the ability to stream some movies as part of the subscription, so it's nice that's finally happening. Given Sony's big push to turn its gaming franchises into movies and TV shows, it makes more sense than ever to offer that perk. On the other hand, Sony announced this update only a few weeks after it increased the price of the annual PS Plus Premium plan from $120 to $160.PS4 and PS5 users will be able to buy some Sony Pictures films during an early access window. Right now, folks in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can buy Gran Turismothrough their console before it's available for digital purchase elsewhere. Snap up that film through Sony Pictures Core, and you'll get in-game credits for Gran Turismo 7too.The app has been available on Bravia TVs and some Xperia devices for a while. Until now, the app has been called Bravia Core, but Sony is rebranding it on those devices next year.Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that the PlayStation version of the app includes one of the key features that Bravia and Xperia users have been able to enjoy. On those devices, the Bravia Core app employs Sony's Pure Stream tech, which can stream video at up to 80 Mbps. For comparison, Netflix recommends speeds of up to 25 Mbps for 4K video. Sony says the higher bit rate enables it to offer near lossless" video streaming at a quality akin to 4K Blu-ray discs. That claim more or less holds up: I found that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse looks astoundingly good with Pure Stream enabled.However, as things stand, there are no video quality settings in the Sony Pictures Core app on PlayStation devices. Here's hoping Sony enables Pure Stream there in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ps-plus-premium-subscribers-can-now-stream-up-to-100-sony-movies-at-no-extra-cost-163126159.html?src=rss

Blizzard's hit dungeon-romping sequel Diablo IV is officially coming to Steam on October 17.This is a boon for PC gamers, as it was previously only available on Blizzard's proprietary sales platform Battle.net, and Steam is a more widely-used service. The news should be of particular interest for Steam Deck owners. It was already possible to jump through the hoops required to get the game running on the portable console, but this will radically streamline the process.Valve hasn't rated the game for Steam Deck compatibility, but that'll likely happen closer to launch. Additionally, you'll still need a Battle.net account to get started, so have those login credentials ready. Just like the Battle.net release, standalone PCs require at least an Intel Core i5 or AMD FX-8350 CPU and 8 GB of RAM, though 16 GB is preferred, to get this running.The Steam release joins a new DLC called Season of Blood, also launching on October 17. The content drop brings a new questline, updated vampire powers, five new endgame bosses and much more, like the addition of actress Gemma Chan as a vampire hunter.There's also a big-time patch coming out on the same day. Patch 1.2.0 brings all kinds of quality of life improvements, like faster XP gain, better navigation around Nightmare Dungeons, streamlined character rewards, more durable NPC companions, reduced backtracking and an increase in world boss spawns for loot gathering purposes. That's just scratching the surface. For a full list of improvements, check out the patch notes.We were impressed by many aspects of Diablo IV at launch, praising the world design for having the most detailed and creative assets Blizzard has ever produced." We also said that it's basically the Diablo game we've been dreaming of ever since" the original title launched back in the hazy Clinton-infused days of 1997.Blizzard has been protective of its IP with regard to allowing them to flourish on other sales platforms than Battle.net. However, Diablo IV isn't the first high-profile game to migrate to Steam. Back in August, the hit multiplayer shooter Overwatch 2 launched on Valve's storefront. At that time, Blizzard said that several titles would be making their way to Steam, but it didn't say which ones. Obviously, Diablo IV is one, but we're still waiting on more releases.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/diablo-iv-comes-to-steam-on-october-17-154524291.html?src=rss

Microsoft and Amazon are facing more antitrust scrutiny. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says it will investigate the cloud services market in the country to determine if companies are engaging in anti-competitive practices.Amazon (through Amazon Web Services) and Microsoft are by far the biggest players in that field in the UK. Between them, they had a market share of between 70 and 80 percent last year, according to a report from media regulator Ofcom, which asked the CMA to investigate the market. Google is in third place with a relatively paltry share of between five and 10 percent.Ofcom believes that competition in the market is constrained by a number of factors that make it hard for customers to switch suppliers or use more than one at the same time. A key issue is egress fees, which customers often have to pay to transfer their data to another service. "The cost of transferring data between rival providers can discourage customers from using more than one cloud provider and in some cases make switching more costly," Ofcom said in its report.A lack of interoperability and portability can make it overly laborious for customers to configure their data and apps to work on different services, the regulator said. Discounts can also dissuade customers from using more than one provider.Those factors give Microsoft and Amazon a leg up over the competition, Ofcom suggests. "Limits on the ability of customers to credibly threaten to switch away can reduce the competitive pressure on the market leaders, giving them a degree of market power," the report states. "If customers have difficulty switching and using multiple providers, it could make it harder for competitors to gain scale and challenge AWS and Microsoft effectively for the business of new and existing customers."In addition, Ofcom notes that some cloud service providers have raised concerns over the business software licensing practices of some cloud players, especially Microsoft. "We have received submissions that say Microsoft engages in several practices that make it less attractive for customers to use Microsoft's licensed software products on the cloud infrastructure of rival providers compared to Microsoft Azure," the report states. "The submissions allege that this limits their ability to compete for customers." The products in question include Windows and Microsoft 365. Ofcom says that Microsoft has disputed the veracity of these claims."We welcome Ofcom's referral of public cloud infrastructure services to us for in-depth scrutiny," CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said in a statement. "This is a 7.5 billion [$9.1 billion] market that underpins a whole host of online services - from social media to AI foundation models. Many businesses now completely rely on cloud services, making effective competition in this market essential." The CMA plans to conclude its investigation by April 2025.Microsoft and Amazon both say they'll work constructively with the CMA. Amazon took issue with Ofcom's claims, telling Reutersthat the watchdog's conclusions were rooted in "a fundamental misconception of how the IT sector functions, and the services and discounts on offer."The cloud has been a sticking point in another Microsoft-CMA tussle. The watchdog initially blocked the company's proposed $68.7 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard due to concerns that Microsoft would hold too much power in the cloud gaming market. Microsoft later pledged to sell cloud game streaming rights to Activision Blizzard titles to Ubisoft if the deal goes through. That concession, made as part of Microsoft's revised agreement, "opens the door to the deal being cleared," the CMA said in September. The regulator will make its final decision on the merger this month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-and-amazon-face-a-uk-antitrust-probe-over-cloud-services-151515071.html?src=rss

Netflix's game studio is slowly but surely dropping new titles, adding around 40 mobile releases in 2023. One such game is the universally-acclaimed Metroidvania/roguelike action gem Dead Cells, which was just announced as part of the streamer's Netflix & Thrill" promotion for Halloween. I wouldn't exactly call this a horror game, but you do play as a headless blob-infused ghost and it's heavily inspired by the Castlevania series, so sure why not.Dead Cells: Netflix Edition looks to include the full original game along with all kinds of DLC, including the recently-released crossover with the aforementioned genre stalwart Castlevania. A traditional Netflix subscription gives you access to the game on both iOS and Android devices. It remains to be seen if you can use the official game controller app to play the game on a supported television.If you've been living underneath a rock that changes location each day, Dead Cells is a sidescrolling roguelike with procedurally generated maps that reset each run. The world is vast and filled with secrets and power ups. Many of these upgrades stick around from run to run, making this more of a roguelite" like the equally stunning Hades. The Metroidvania aspect kicks in because there are parts of the map unavailable to you when you first play, requiring traversal mechanics (like the double jump) that you pick up as you play. It's an addictive formula with one heck of a gameplay loop. There's a reason it's sold more than 10 million copies across platforms.In addition to Dead Cells, Netflix also announced the forthcoming release of an enhanced version of horror puzzler Slayaway Camp. This game has you controlling a cute lil psychotic slasher called Skullface. The heartwarming tale tasks you with solving isometric puzzles and killing annoying camp counselors. Slayaway Camp: Netflix & Kill likely includes DLC from Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut - Deluxe Edition, among other goodies.Both of these spook-adjacent games are coming soon, though Netflix hasn't dropped actual release dates. They'll come out before Halloween, however, or else what's the point. Just like all Netflix games, they won't have ads or in-app purchases, just sweet, sweet gameplay.There's also a Dead Cells animated series in the works. Interestingly, there's no home for it yet, but this move certainly hints that it could premiere on Netflix, particularly with the platform's recent push into animated game adaptations. A recent Netflix animation event teased shows based on Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider and Devil May Cry. The streamer has also released a couple of well-regarded cartoons based on the Castlevania franchise.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-nabs-the-iconic-dead-cells-for-its-ever-growing-games-library-150038384.html?src=rss

In an otherwise incremental update, one of macOS Sonoma's marquee features is interactive desktop widgets. Although Apple now lets you add widgets to the Notification Center on older versions of macOS, with Sonoma you can plop them down right on the desktop. Here's how to set up and start using customizable widgets on your Mac computer.Notification Center widgetsFirst, if you have any existing Notification Center widgets you'd rather put on the desktop, you can now drag them over directly. They'll move seamlessly back and forth between the two places, and you can reposition them around the desktop to find a spot you like.How to access the widget galleryApple added a widget gallery (similar to the one on iOS) to make setup easy. Start by right-clicking (or ctrl-clicking) on an unused space on your desktop, and choose the Edit Widgets" option. The widget gallery will open, displaying available ones from installed Mac apps and your iPhone (if you have one).Will Shanklin / EngadgetThe gallery's main window (above) displays all widgets, while the left sidebar lets you scroll through the list of apps with available ones. If your iPhone's widgets aren't showing, ensure your handset is running iOS 17 or later, signed in with the same Apple ID as the Mac and on the same Wi-Fi network.For apps with both macOS and iOS versions, you'll see On This Mac" and From iPhone" tabs on the upper right where you can switch views. Whichever you choose, tapping on a widget will immediately place it on your desktop, or you can drag it around until you find a spot you like.How to customize widgetsOnce you've placed a widget on your desktop, you can right-click (or ctrl-click) on it to view its available options. If you want to make it bigger or smaller, you can switch between sizes in this menu. In addition, Edit [widget name]" lets you adjust its specific settings (when applicable). You'll also see the option to Remove Widget."AppleMany native macOS widgets are interactive, allowing you to change settings or perform other tasks without opening the corresponding app. For example, you can check off to-do list items in Reminders or toggle your lights on or off in the Home app - right from the widget. Unfortunately, iPhone widgets on your Mac aren't interactive and will prompt you to open [app] on your iPhone to continue" if you click them.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-set-up-widgets-in-macos-sonoma-133045709.html?src=rss

With its popular and well-regarded Ioniq lineup, Hyundai has been conspicuously absent from the list of major automakers signing on to use Tesla's North America Charging Standard (NACS). Now, the Korean automaker has announced that it has reached a deal to adopt NACS in North America starting in Q4 2024 in the US, with Canada to follow in the first half of 2025.Hyundai's EVs with a NACS port will gain access to more than 12,000 Superchargers across North America, doubling the number of DC fast chargers available to customers. "This new alliance will provide Hyundai EV owners confidence in their ability to conveniently charge their vehicles... with at least 30,000 stations across North America," said Hyundai Motor North America CEO Jose Munoz.Upcoming Hyundai EVs equipped with NACs, including the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and upcoming Ioniq 7, will gain access to the chargers in late 2024. New and older CCS charger-equipped vehicles will be able to use them in the first quarter of 2025, the company said.Along with access to Tesla's network, Hyundai is teaming up with BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes to develop a North American network with at least 30,000 chargers. The first US stations are set to open in the summer of 2024, with chargers in Canada following at a later date.The lack of fast chargers has been a high hurdle for EV adoption, so most automakers have looked at Tesla as at least a stopgap solution. Hyundai Motors (including Kia) recently overtook GM for second place in US EV sales, but it's still a distant second to Tesla, which sold 300,000 more EVs last year.So far, major automakers that have now signed up to use Tesla's Supercharger network include Hyundai, Fisker, Ford, GM, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian and Volvo. Those still in talks reportedly include Stellantis and Volkswagen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hyundai-evs-will-support-teslas-nacs-charging-starting-in-q4-2024-120517284.html?src=rss

Although most of the announcements leaked in advance (all the Pixel 8 news is below), Google had one sort-of surprise. It's working on fusing Assistant and Bard AI together. During a demo, Google showed the Assistant pulling details from a party invite in Gmail. Ask where the party is, and Assistant with Bard can tell you the location and tap into Google Maps for directions. While you'd be able to ask for directions in the past, now the Assistant can pull the address from other contexts.You could chat to Bard to whip up a meal plan with a grocery list and export that to Google Docs or Gmail without a keyboard or copy and paste. There's no release date yet, but Google says Assistant with Bard is coming soon to Android and iOS.A quick note to anyone who's tried to subscribe but hasn't been getting the TMA newsletter, we've now upgraded the signup process. Please click here to subscribe!- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedGoogle Pixel Watch 2 hands-onApple fixes iPhone 15 overheating issueGoogle's Pixel 8 is a smaller 6.2-inch flagship with a bigger batteryThe Pixel 8 series gets more AI-powered editing tools for photo and videoGoogle's Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro feature upgraded cameras and software tricksThere's a temperature sensor on the Pro model too.GoogleThe Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro look largely the same as their predecessors, with a couple of key differences. The regular Pixel 8 is slightly smaller, which makes it easier to use with one hand. Meanwhile, the Pro model has a new matte finish, upgraded cameras and an intriguing temperature sensor. Across the Pixel 8 series, we're getting the company's Tensor G3 processor and, notably, seven years of Android and security updates, so you might be able to hang on to your Pixel flagship for a lot longer than before.A new temperature sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro sounds like a gimmick (and it might be?), but in the stale, tired land of smartphones, we'll take anything different. To take a reading, you'll have to launch the new Temperature app and select the type of object you're trying to measure. Google is waiting on FDA approval to enable the Pixel 8 Pro to take body temperature readings.The new Pixel 8 starts at $699, $100 more than its predecessor, while the Pixel 8 Pro costs $999, another $100 increase over the Pixel 7 Pro.Continue reading.Airbnb's next focus appears to be long-term rentalsCompany chief Brian Chesky also revealed Airbnb is considering car rentals.ASSOCIATED PRESSAirbnb chief executive Brian Chesky told the Financial Times the company is going a little bit beyond its core business" starting next year. Chesky wants Airbnb to expand its focus and is currently planning a push into long-term rentals. The service already offers monthly rentals, but apparently, only 18 percent of gross nights booked in the second quarter of 2023 come from stays longer than 30 days. Chesky believes the company can do more to drum up interest in long-term bookings.Continue reading.Patreon overhauls its platform with free content and more creator controlThe company also launched a redesigned app.Patreon announced a wide-ranging rebranding of its platform through a series of updates. It includes offering supporters more ways to follow their favorites while integrating more free content from creators. Creators can now let people join for free sharing content and updates for non-paying members while (optionally) hiding things like early access to podcasts or videos behind a paywall. They can also use a new commerce tool to sell individual pieces of content like recordings, videos and downloadable files.Continue reading.Android 14 is available now on Pixel devicesThe three focus areas this year are customization, control and accessibility.Google is rolling out the public build of Android 14. As ever, Pixel users will be able to download the new version of the operating system first on supported models (Pixel 4a and newer). Samsung, OnePlus and other Android device makers will get access to the update later this year. Deeper customization is a major focus this time around. You'll be able to choose from a variety of lock screen templates. You'll have more ways to customize your wallpaper thanks to the addition of generative AI capabilities. Select a text prompt and the AI will whip up a related image for you.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-pixel-8-pro-bard-ai-and-everything-else-from-googles-pixel-event-111847562.html?src=rss

Ahead of its Prime Big Deal Days starting next week, Amazon is having a sale on the Apple Watch Series 8 and thanks to a coupon, it's down to the lowest price we've seen to date. You can grab the 41mm model in red for just $225, for a savings of $175 off the regular $400 price (44 percent off). That's a deal that's hard to resist, considering that the next-gen Series 9 only came out two weeks ago.The Series 8 isn't a huge update over the Series 7, but it does carry some useful new features. The main one is a temperature sensor tied to women's health, giving female users an estimate on when they may be ovulating. It's meant to be used overnight, sampling your wrist temperature every five seconds so you can see shifts from your baselineThe other is Crash Detection. Much as current watches can detect a fall, the Series 8 can detect car crashes via a pair of new accelerometers. It works in concert with other sensors to detect four different types of crashes, including rollovers, front impact, back impact and side impact. And of course, all of these Series 8 models have a cellular function, giving you internet connectivity, calls and texts for running, hiking and other activities that don't require a smartphone.Finally, like other Apple Watches, you can use it to unlock your Mac, find your other Apple devices and pay with Apple Pay. The main improvements with the Series 9 are the Double Tap and Raise to Speak (Siri) features, so if you can live without those and are good with the red color, $225 is an incredible price.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-watch-series-8-falls-to-a-new-low-of-225-103200743.html?src=rss

Samsung has unveiled the SmartTag 2, an AirTag-like tracking device that's a successor to the original SmartTag released in 2021. Unlike the original, which had both Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) variants, the new version will combine both features in a single model. The primary drawback is that it still only works with Samsung smartphones.The new model sports an all-new ring-shaped design, with metal on the inside of the ring for durability, rather than just having a punch-hole as before. That lets it work better with accessories like clips and keyrings, or attach to bags and luggage. It's now IP67 dust and water resistant as well, letting you do things like track pets outside.SamsungThe SmartTag 2 has a new longer-lasting battery as well, with a 700 day range when in Power Saving Mode, or 500 days in Normal Mode - a 50 percent improvement over the last model. Another new feature is the Lost Mode, that lets users input contact information via a message, so that anyone who discovers an itemn with a SmartTag 2 can scan the tag and see the owner's message and contact information.As before, the idea is to attach them to important belongings like keys, wallets and suitcases, letting you track them from close range via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or across the world via UWB. The company's augmented reality (AR) tech can visually guide you toward the item via the Samsung Galaxy smartphone camera. The SmartTag 2 can also control smart home appliances via the SmartThings app.The downside to the SmartTag 2 is that it only works with Samsung devices for now, so you'd be relying not only on a Galaxy phone for tracking, but also for the worldwide tracking network. Google's Find My Device network has yet to go live, in part because Google delayed it with personal security in mind as it waits for Apple's proposed spec. Both companies plan to release a specification for unwanted tracking alerts, both iOS and Android, by the end of 2023.It's unclear if Samsung's devices will support that spec as well - so you may want to wait a bit before jumping in. The SmartTag 2 launches globally on October 11 for $30 in black or white options.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-30-galaxy-smarttag-2-arrives-on-october-11-with-an-all-new-design-082947760.html?src=rss

Amazon's Kuiper satellites will soon make their debut in orbit. The company is gearing up to deploy its first two satellites, the KuiperSat-1 and the KuiperSat-2, for its Protoflight mission that's scheduled to launch on October 6. Project Kuiper is Amazon's answer to SpaceX's Starlink service. At the moment, its plans entail launching 3,200 satellites over the next six years to form a constellation that can provide internet connectivity even to far-flung places traditional providers can't reach.The KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 are the first version of Amazon's satellites and will provide the company with an important learning opportunity. They'll allow the company to conduct a series of tests that would add valuable real-world data to information already collected from the lab. Project Kuiper's ground team will also get the chance to observe how the network performs, since Protoflight will be testing the satellites' connection to Kuiper's ground-based network and to customer terminals. In addition, it will serve as a trial for the launch operations of subsequent satellites."We've done extensive testing here in our lab and have a high degree of confidence in our satellite design, but there's no substitute for on-orbit testing," said Rajeev Badyal, Project Kuiper's vice president of technology, in a statement. "This is Amazon's first time putting satellites into space, and we're going to learn an incredible amount regardless of how the mission unfolds."Amazon previously announced its intention to send the first two Kuiper satellites to space on top of a ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket. However, ULA encountered delays with the new rocket's development, and the satellites will be ferried to space on top of an Atlas V instead. ULA will deploy the satellites at an altitude of 311 miles, and then the Kuiper team will start testing the systems onboard and confirm all electronics are working, establish first contact and deploy the satellites' solar arrays. After that, the team will send data back and forth to test the network. Amazon says both satellites will be deorbited by the end of the mission.The company says it's on track to deploy its first production satellites in the first half of 2024 and to start beta testing with commercial consumers later that year. Presumably, it could incorporate changes to its plans, depending on what it learns from this launch. ULA will be streaming the event live on October 6, with coverage starting at 2PM ET.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-first-two-amazon-kuiper-satellites-are-heading-to-space-on-october-6-054335694.html?src=rss

Posts on X might look quite different, especially if you mainly follow news and media publications. The website formerly known as Twitter has started removing headlines and snippets from posted links, implementing a change Fortune reported in August. Back then, website owner Elon Musk said that the idea came from him directly and that it will "greatly improve the [platform's] esthetics." We tested it out by posting one of our stories, and only the article's image with an overlay of its URL shows up when it's viewed on iOS. On the web, we still see the article snippet and a truncated version of its headline.Advertisers reportedly didn't like the new format when they were shown a preview of it, but the change is clearly still pushing through. X's main reason for the format switch is apparently to make posts look more compact by fitting more of them in the portion of the timeline that appears on screen. In addition, Musk reportedly thinks that it could help lessen instances of clickbait, which rely on headlines with shock value, on the website.While Musk publicly claims that the primary driving force for the change in format is the website's aesthetic, it's no secret that he's been trying to encourage more people to post long-form pieces directly on X. The website expanded Blue subscribers' post limit to 25,000 characters under his leadership, and he previously tweeted that journalists who want "more freedom to write and a higher income" should "publish directly" on the platform. More recently, he encouraged "more citizen journalism" on X and said that people can do "live video easily" from their phone.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-starts-removing-headlines-from-posted-links-011446351.html?src=rss

Amazon is shutting down its short-lived audio app known as Amp, which previously offered a music library for users to create and broadcast custom DJ sets, according to reports by Bloomberg. Amazon's Amp was available on Android and iOS and has only been live since March of 2022. While a pandemic bubble might have given it some attention, it never really took off. The tool was designed to allow creators to make custom content as modern DJ hosts. On this mobile-forward app, users could overlap conversations and chit-chat with live music, similar to what you would hear on a traditional radio station.

Patreon announced a rebranding of its platform through a series of updates on Wednesday. New features give creators more personalization and control while offering supporters more ways to follow their favorites. In addition, the platform is integrating more free content, allowing every creator to host communities non-paying members can access. Patreon also tweaked its branding with a new logo, color themes, photography and fonts.Perhaps the most notable update for creators is the ability to bolster their communities for free members. Creators can now let people join for free, offering content and updates for non-paying members while (optionally) hiding things like early access to podcasts or videos behind a paywall. They can also use a new commerce tool to sell individual pieces of content like recordings, videos and downloadable files. It makes the platform more of an all-in-one social hub for fans who aren't ready to pay but may decide to later.Patreon frames its changes as moving creators away from being prisoners to algorithms and back to connecting directly with their most eager and loyal fans. The company says those with early access to the program attracted over 160,000 new fans to their communities.PatreonCreators now have greater customization over their pages, including their layout, colors and how posts display. Whether you're highlighting your most popular posts, organizing your podcast episodes into seasons, or putting together a video series, you have the creative freedom to arrange and present your work in a way that helps your members dive into exactly what they're looking for and discover new posts to love," the company wrote in a blog post. Patreon says early testing shows increased discovery and engagement (especially on older posts) when featured in one of the new collections.Patreon is also adding chats and member profiles. Chats are led and managed by creators, which means they can shape the culture and set the right tone for their communities," the company wrote in a post announcing the features. Members can report problematic messages, and creators will have a hub to review them.Finally, the Patreon app is getting a redesign. The company says the updated app is crafted for the most hardcore fans, prioritizing their experience. Fans' homepages will now display content as creators arranged it instead of chronologically. Instead of dropping into a content overload, members log in and instantly see everything they want at a glance," the company wrote about the new app. Their homepage is organized by creator, not by post, which means fans can see a creator's latest work next to their community conversations and anything else going on in their world. It's creativity in context, the way creators intended."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/patreon-overhauls-its-platform-with-free-content-and-more-creator-control-202357279.html?src=rss

Without fanfare, Rockstar updated the PlayStation 4 version of the original Red Dead Redemption on Tuesday to play at 60fps on the PS5. The 2010 open-world Western launched on PS4 and Switch in August but only runs at 30fps on those platforms -a point many fans took issue with. PS5 owners will now see smoother framerates when playing the title in backward compatibility mode.Rockstar updated the game with patch 1.03, pushed to PlayStation owners on Tuesday. The patch notes state the higher framerates are only available to PS5 owners, not the standard PS4 or even the more powerful PS4 Pro. In other areas, the patch also added an option to enable subtitles when first starting the game and incorporated requisite bug fixes and improvements."Rockstar Games / Take-Two InteractiveThere was no shortage of online grumbling about Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive charging $50 for a 13-year-old game without significant upgrades like 4K visuals or a faster framerate. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick defended the pricing in August, saying, That's just what we believe is the commercially accurate price for it." He noted the inclusion of the Undead Nightmare DLC to help justify the cost, describing the expansion as a great standalone game in its own right when it was originally released, so we feel like it's a great bundle for the first time, and certainly a great value for consumers." The zombie-themed DLC adds roughly six hours of gameplay.Although the digital version of Red Dead Redemption has been out for PS4 and Switch since August, the physical version doesn't arrive until October 13. So, at least owners of the boxed version playing on PS5 will enjoy 60fps from the start.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rockstar-updates-red-dead-redemption-port-to-run-at-60fps-on-the-ps5-174110584.html?src=rss

If you're rocking an iPhone 15, it's probably a good idea to update to the latest version of iOS swiftly. Apple has released a fix for the overheating issues that have plagued its latest batch of iPhones. The company says that iOS 17.0.3 "provides important bug fixes, security updates and addresses an issue that may cause iPhone to run warmer than expected." An iPadOS 17 update is also available.Apple partially blamed the overheating issue on an iOS 17 bug. It noted that there were also "some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system." The company has been working with the developers of those apps (which included Uber, Instagram and Asphalt 9) to resolve the problem.Your iPhone may be configured to update to the latest version of iOS automatically during downtime when it's charging. You can also update your device manually, by going to Settings > General > About > Software Update on your iPhone. If iOS 17.0.3 is available to you (Apple rolls out updates gradually), you'll be able to install it right away and hopefully keep your iPhone from getting too toasty.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-releases-ios-17-fix-for-iphone-15-overheating-issue-172616576.html?src=rss

Uber is adding another service to its ride-hailing app: package returns. The company announced a new feature - dubbed Return a Package' -where customers can have a courier pick up their packages and have them dropped off at a local post office, UPS or FedEx. It will only be available for parcels that are sealed and prepaid, however.

It was Google's turn on Wednesday to announce a litany of devices and updates. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were the headline acts, though there was lots of interest further down the bill including the reveal of the Pixel Watch 2 and the public version of Android 14 making its way out into the world.You can catch up on everything by watching the Made by Google event yourself or checking out our liveblog for real-time insight and analysis. Alternatively, we've rounded up all the major announcements for you right here.Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 ProThe stars of the Made by Google show are, of course, the company's latest smartphones. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro run on the Tensor G3, which Google says is its most powerful chip yet.Because it's 2023, the two devices offer a string of generative AI features powered by the latest chipset. Google says the Pixel 8's biggest machine learning model is 10 times more complex compared with the Pixel 6 from two years ago.Google says it has been able to expand its AI tech to more areas of the device beyond the likes of image processing. The Tensor G3 can help the Call Screen function detect and filter out more spam calls. Improved Clear Calling, oddly enough, should enable clearer phone calls. An audio version of Magic Eraser will let you remove unwanted sounds from videos too.GoogleGoogle Assistant can summarize text from websites and break down the highlights into bullet points. Similarly, you'll be able to get summaries of whatever you capture in the Recorder app. Those who use Assistant to compose written messages with their voice should find that feature much faster on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.The Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch Actua display that can deliver sharp colors and vivid details, Google says. The screen supports a higher refresh rate of up to 120Hz as well, which should make scrolling through web pages and playing games a smoother experience. You'll get up to 1,400 nits of brightness for HDR content and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness.GoogleThe rear camera array is getting an upgrade on the Pixel 8. There's a 50-megapixel wide main camera, with Super Res Zoom up to 8x and a 2x optical quality zoom. The second camera is a 12-megapixel ultrawide with autofocus and a 125.8-degree field of view. The front-facing camera is a 10.5-megapixel lens with a 95-degree field of view and fixed focus.The Pixel 8 Pro has similar main and front-facing cameras (albeit with autofocus on the front-facing lens). Opt for that device, though, and you'll get a 48-megapixel Quad PD ultrawide with autofocus lens and 48-megapixel Quad PD telephoto lens on the rear array. With the help of Google's image-processing and image-editing knowhow, the device should help you to capture quality photos and videos.

During its Made by Google event on Wednesday, the company announced that it's integrating its Bard AI chatbot into Google Assistant. The company describes the feature as combining Bard's generative reasoning" with Assistant's personalized help" to provide more contextually aware responses for mobile users. It will be available within the next few months. The feature was first rumored this summer.While Assistant is great at handling quick tasks, like setting timers, giving weather updates, and making quick calls, there is so much more that we've always envisioned a deeply capable personal Assistant should be able to do," said Google VP of Assistant / Bard Sissie Hsiao during the keynote. But the technology to deliver it didn't exist until now."Similar to Amazon's recently announced Alexa with generative AI, Assistant with Bard aims to provide a more personalized helper" than the relatively simplistic smartphone assistants (also including Alexa and Siri) we've grown accustomed to over the past decade. Google says Assistant with Bard can help with tasks like planning trips, searching emails, creating grocery lists and sending messages. You can interact with it through text, voice or images - more conversationally and with more contextual info than with the standard Google Assistant.GoogleSay you all decide to go on a hike with your dog, but you reach a fork in the trail," said Hsiao during the product demo. Snap a photo of the trail marker and ask, What path do you recommend for a group and my small dog?' And just like that, you know the North Trail is the best." The demo then showed the user using Assistant with Bard to write a cute social caption for their dog. This conversational overlay is a completely new way to interact with your phone and lets Assistant with Bard meet you wherever you are," summarized Hsiao.Google says the feature is in its early developmental stages and will soon launch for early testers. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro users will find out about expanded availability in the coming months, and the company adds that it will eventually be available on Android and iOS.Follow all of the news live from Google's 2023 Pixel event right here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-assistant-with-bard-will-use-generative-ai-for-personalized-answers-154756643.html?src=rss

Google's hardware event has been chock full of information on new devices, like the Pixel 8 smartphone, but camera software has also gotten some TLC. The company announced a ton of Pixel 8 features exclusive for shutterbugs and video editors.The new Best Take feature solves the issue of, uh, one person looking really gross in group photos. When enabled, the software takes a series of photos in quick succession and you can actually mix and match faces to create the perfect group shot, sort of a face-based riff on the pre-existing Magic Editor tech. Grab a face from one photo and slap it on the next. If you have a friend who truly relishes ruining group shots, they likely won't be able to.Speaking of Magic Editor, it's getting a boost thanks to the power of generative AI. The new version now allows you to circle objects to reposition them in the shot and pinch to resize them. There are also a number of background presets that are accessible via a single tap. This technology's advancing quickly and it won't be long before you have absolute and total control over every aspect of your photos after the fact.The Guided Frame feature has been enhanced and now operates via both the front-facing and rear-facing cameras. This tool is great for capturing centered shots of important subjects, like faces, pets, dinners and documents. It works rather simply, with the phone emitting a series of vibrations to let you know when an object is perfectly in frame, even if you aren't looking at the display.Magic Eraser is dipping its toes into the world of video. The new Audio Magic Eraser helps you delete unwanted sounds from videos. It looks to work as quickly and simply as its image-based cousin, splitting a video's audio track into layers and allowing you to delete individual sounds. For instance, if there's an ambulance blaring in the background at your kid's birthday party, just get rid of that ambulance. We were impressed by this feature, though we noted that it didn't entirely eliminate unwanted audio artifacts, instead significantly reducing them in volume.Finally, there's a new feature called Video Boost that upscales footage using HDR technology. Basically, it sends the entire footage to Google's servers where it's split into individual frames. Each frame gets the HDR treatment before being recombined into a video and sent back to your phone. This won't be available until a software update launches in December.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-gets-more-nifty-ai-powered-editing-tools-for-photo-and-video-153528797.html?src=rss

Google officially announced the Pixel 2 on Wednesday during its Made by Google Event.' Perhaps, the most exciting change is that the wearable will run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip and use a Cortex M33 co-processor. That new coprocessor specifically should be able to handle less demanding tasks, like driving the always on display (AOD) more efficiently. The Pixel 2 can hold more charge at 306 mAh, up from the first Pixel watch's 294 mAh charge capacity. This slight bump in battery capacity, combined with more efficient processors should extend the time between charges. While the official Pixel Watch 2 specs list the battery life at 24 hours, the same as the original Pixel Watch, that is with the AOD enabled.Another welcome change? Improved durability. Aside from the Gorilla Glass crystal encasing on the face, the watch has an IP68 rating now, meaning it can survive dust and being dunked in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. The new Pixel's casing is also completely made of recycled aluminum, making the wearable slightly lighter. But, in tandem with the thinner domed glass cover on the face, the new wearable boasts a sleeker design.In the landscape of smartwatches that have a wealth of tracking capabilities, the Pixel 2 is running up against Apple's latest Watch Series 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. While specs aren't the only way to discern which watch is right for you, it helps to know how they compare on things like battery life and screen size. So, don't base your purchasing decision purely on the table below, but here's how the Google Pixel 2's hardware stacks up.Google Pixel 2Apple Watch Series 9Samsung Galaxy Watch 6Pricing (MSRP)$349 for Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

At the Made by Google Event' in New York, Google teased a new "generative AI" feature that will be built into the Fitbit app sometime next year as part of the Fibit Labs program. The app, which will pair with new wearables like the Google Pixel 2 Watch and the Fitbit Charge 6, will use artificial intelligence to analyze trends in a wearer's fitness capabilities and be able to provide insights about overall performance.The app will feature a chatbot that can carry a conversation to help you understand how you did during a tracked run, for example, while providing debriefed stats on the activity, like overall pace and elevation gain. The AI tool will take it a step further and be able to explain why you performed the way you did by drawing on affiliated health data, like sleep hygiene, recovery history and other workouts. If you felt that a workout was extra difficult, the app will be able to look for related info to explain why you might be struggling.However, the insights are not limited to chatting with the AI. Google showed off its ability to provide visual feedback, like charts illustrating how performance changed over time.EngadgetGoogle's James Park, the former head of Fitbit, said the new generative AI feature will be trialed by "trusted testers" before it officially launches.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fitbit-is-getting-an-ai-chatbot-that-can-tell-you-why-your-run-sucked-151545663.html?src=rss

After weeks of teases and leaks, Google formally took the wraps off its next flagship smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro. Revealed during the company's Made by Google event on Wednesday, the handset adds a host of new camera and AI features, a brighter OLED display, an improved Tensor G3 chip, seven years of software updates and, oddly, a built-in temperature sensor. It costs $100 more than its predecessor, however. For more on how all of this feels in practice, you can check out some early hands-on impressions from Engadget's Deputy Reviews Editor, Cherlynn Low.Here, though, we've broken down how the Pixel 8 Pro compares on paper to two other large, pricey and well-known flagships, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. As always, raw specs won't tell the whole story, but if you're curious about how Google's latest and greatest stacks up, here's a quick overview. If you're more interested in the smaller Pixel 8, meanwhile, we have a similar breakdown for that device too.Google Pixel 8 ProApple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 UltraPricing (MSRP)From $999From $1,199From $1,200Dimensions6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inchesWeight7.5 ounces7.81 ounces8.25 ouncesScreen size6.7 inches6.7 inches6.8 inchesScreen resolution1,344 x 2,992489 ppi1,290 x 2,796460 ppi1,440 x 3,088500 ppiScreen typeLTPO OLEDUp to 120Hz (1-120Hz)Up to 2,400 nits brightnessGorilla Glass Victus 2LTPO OLEDUp to 120Hz (1-120Hz)Up to 2,000 nits brightnessCeramic ShieldAMOLEDUp to 120Hz (1-120Hz)Up to 1,750 nits brightnessGorilla Glass Victus 2SoCGoogle Tensor G3Apple A17 ProHexa-core CPU (up to 3.78GHz)6-core Apple GPUQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for GalaxyOcta-core CPU (up to 3.36GHz)Adreno 740 GPURAM12GB8GB8GB / 12GBBattery4,950mAh"Beyond 24 hours""Up to 29 hours video playback"5,000mAh"Up to 26 hours of video playback"ChargingUSB Type-C 3.2Up to 30W wiredUp to 23W wireless with Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen)Qi wireless charging up to 12WReverse wireless chargingUSB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2)"Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes"MagSafe wireless charging up to 15WQi wireless charging up to 7.5WReverse wired chargingUSB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)Up to 45W wiredQi/WPC wireless charging up to 15WReverse wireless chargingStorage128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB256GB / 512GB / 1TB256GB / 512GB / 1TBRear cameraMain: 50 MP, f/1.68Ultrawide: 48 MP, f/1.95, 125.5 degree FOVTelephoto: 48 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoomMain: 48 MP, f/1.78Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOVTelephoto: 12 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoomMain: 200 MP, f/1.7Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOVTelephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoomTelephoto: 10 MP, f/4.9, 10x optical zoomFront camera10.5 MP, f/2.212 MP, f/1.912 MP, f/2.2Video captureRear: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 24/30/60/120/240 fpsFront: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60fpsRear: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fpsFront: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fpsRear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240/960 fpsFront: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30 fpsWater and dust resistanceIP68IP68IP68Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 6EBluetoothv5.3v5.3v5.3NFCYesYesYesOSAndroid 14"Seven years of OS, security and Feature Drop updates"iOS 17Android 13, One UI 5.1Four generations of OS updates, five years of security updatesFinishesObsidian, Porcelain, BayPolished aluminum frameNatural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black TitaniumTitanium framePhantom Black, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Cream, Lime, Sky Blue, RedArmor aluminum frame (advertised)Follow all of the news live from Google's 2023 Pixel event right here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-pro-vs-the-competition-from-tensor-to-temperature-sensor-151016002.html?src=rss

Google officially spilled the details on its new Pixel 8 phone during its Made by Google event on Wednesday. While the handset looks broadly similar to last year's Pixel 7, it packs a new Tensor G3 chip, a faster 120Hz display, a smaller frame that should be easier to hold with one hand and, perhaps most notably, seven years of promised OS and security updates. It starts at $699, though, which is $100 more than before, and it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the larger Pixel 8 Pro.Engadget's Deputy Reviews Editor, Cherlynn Low, got some hands-on time with the new Pixel phones ahead of Google's launch event on Wednesday, so check out her report for more details on what to expect. To help put the device into context, however, we've broken down how the Pixel 8 compares to two high-profile peers, Apple's iPhone 15 and Samsung's Galaxy S23, on the spec sheet. Specs aren't the be-all and end-all - between its new camera features and AI tricks, many of the Pixel 8's biggest updates are software based - but if you want a better sense of what kind of hardware your $699 will get you, here's a quick overview. If you're more interested in the Pixel 8 Pro, we have a similar breakdown for that phone too.Google Pixel 8Apple iPhone 15Samsung Galaxy S23Pricing (MSRP)From $699From $799From $800Dimensions5.9 x 2.8 x 0.4 inches5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches5.76 x 2.79 x 0.3 inchesWeight6.6 ounces6.02 ounces5.93 ouncesScreen size6.2 inches6.1 inches6.1 inchesScreen resolution1,080 x 2,400428 ppi1,179 x 2,556460 ppi1,080 x 2,340425 ppiScreen typeOLEDUp to 120Hz (60-120Hz)Up to 2,000 nits brightnessGorilla Glass VictusOLED60HzUp to 2,000 nits brightnessCeramic ShieldAMOLEDUp to 120Hz (48-120Hz)Up to 1,750 nits brightnessGorilla Glass Victus 2SoCGoogle Tensor G3Apple A16 BionicHexa-core CPU (up to 3.46GHz)5-core Apple GPUQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 Mobile Platform for GalaxyOcta-core CPU (up to 3.36 GHz)Adreno 740 GPURAM8GB6GB8GBBattery4,485mAh"Beyond 24 hours""Up to 20 hours video playback"3,900mAh"Up to 22 hours of video playback"ChargingUSB Type-C 3.2Up to 27W wiredUp to 18W wireless with Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen)Qi wireless charging up to 12WReverse wireless chargingUSB Type-C (USB 2.0)"Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes"MagSafe wireless charging up to 15WQi wireless charging up to 7.5WReverse wired chargingUSB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)Up to 25W wiredQi/WPC wireless charging up to 15WReverse wireless chargingStorage128GB / 256GB128GB / 256GB / 512GB128GB / 256GBRear camera(s)Main: 50 MP, f/1.68Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 125.8 degree FOVMain: 48 MP, f/1.6Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.4, 120 degree FOVMain: 50 MP, f/1.8Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOVTelephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoomFront camera(s)10.5 MP, f/2.212 MP, f/1.912 MP, f/2.2Video captureRear: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 24/30/60/120/240 fpsFront: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fpsRear: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fpsFront: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fpsRear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240/960 fpsFront: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30 fpsWater and dust resistanceIP68IP68IP68Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 6EBluetoothv5.3v5.3v5.3NFCYesYesYesOSAndroid 14"Seven years of OS, security, and Feature Drop updates"iOS 17Android 13, One UI 5.1Four generations of OS updates, five years of security updatesFinishesObsidian, Hazel, RoseMatte aluminum frameBlack, Blue, Green, Yellow, PinkAluminum framePhantom Black, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Cream, LimeArmor aluminum frame (advertised)Follow all of the news live from Google's 2023 Pixel event right here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-vs-the-competition-the-seven-year-smartphone-150936894.html?src=rss

During Wednesday's event in New York, Google officially announced their latest smartphones, the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, along with the new Pixel Watch 2 and the upgraded Pixel Buds Pro. The announcements didn't come as a surprise as the company itself "leaked" and then shared a clip of the new Pixels well ahead of the event.But now we can say for sure that the new phones will use Google's latest Tensor G3 chip and that the company will support seven years of security and OS updates for them. The Pixel Watch 2 packs a longer-lasting battery, which will hopefully resolve one of our biggest complaints about the first generation smartwatch. And while the Pixel Buds Pro aren't completely new, software upgrades (and two new colors) should improve upon the existing buds. Here's how to pre-order the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel Watch 2 and the updated Pixel Buds Pro.Google Pixel 8The Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch OLED Actua display, which is a new display for the Pixel, which is brighter and should offer more clarity. The screen iteself is actually a tenth of an inch smaller than on the Pixel 7, though the refresh rate can now reach 120Hz and the peak brightness is higher than the older model, getting up to 2,000 nits. Despite the smaller overall size, the battery is actually bigger this time, with a 4,485 mAh typical capacity. It can recharge from zero to 50 percent in about 30 minutes with Google's own 30W USB-C 3.0 charger. Though, unfortunately, that doesn't come with the phone.The chip inside is the new generation of Google's own Tensor G3, which the company says will allow for better photo processing and help to filter out spam calls. The RAM tops out at 8GB and you can opt for 128GB or 256GB of storage capacity. The case is made from a metal frame and polished back glass. The display glass, meanwhile, is Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and the device is rated IP68, which means it's dust-tight and can handle a dunk in up to a meter of water.As for cameras, they are largely the same as last year's, with a 10.5MP front camera that's just a few hundred pixels smaller than last year's 10.8MP selfie cam, and a 50MP and 12MP cameras that match the resolution of the Pixel 7. Though it's not all about megapixels. Google notes that these rear cameras are improvements over their predecessors thanks to software improvements like Macro focus for closeups and Best Take that blends multiple group photos together to get one where everyone has their eyes open.In a solid move towards sustainability, Google will support OS upgrades, security updates and new features drops for seven years after the phone's launch. The Pixel 8 starts at $699 and comes in Hazel, Rose, and Obsidian. Pre-orders are open now and the phones will ship next week. If you pre-order from Google, the company will throw in a free pair of Pixel Buds Pro.Google Pixel 8 ProGoogle says the Pixel 8 Pro has the best Pixel camera yet. (Though, to be fair, no company ever says its latest pro-range cameras are a step down from last year.) The triple lens array includes a 50MP wide, a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom. The 10.5MP selfie camera is similar to the one on the Pixel 8, but this one has an autofocus feature. The 6.7-inch screen sports Google's new Super Actua LTPO OLED display with a intelligently-adjusting 1Hz to120Hz refresh rate, up to 2400 nits of peak brightness and ultra HDR images. It's covered in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and is housed in a polished aluminum frame with a matte glass back.It's got the same Tensor G3 chip as the Pixel 8, which will enable all of the AI perks Google has cooked up, like a more helpful Google Assistant who can paraphrase what's on your screen and understand pauses instead of just barreling ahead with a half-baked request when you take a breath. The Pro model comes with 12GB of RAM and the option of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage.There's even an infrared sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro to take the temperature of a cup of coffee or the frying pan you're about to use. And google has submitted an application to the FDA to allow it to act as a thermometer for people too. Like the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro will get a promised seven years of OS and security updates and new features support. It starts at $999 and ships next week. Google will throw in the new Pixel Watch 2 when you pre-order the Pixel Pro 8 from its storefront.Pixel Watch 2We were a little disappointed with the first Pixel Watch's battery life and thought the emphasis on Fitbit branding took away from a pure Google experience. With the Pixel Watch 2, it looks like the company has improved upon the battery life, with a claimed 24 hours even with the always-on display enabled. But it appears to be doubling down on the Fitbit union.There's a new multi-path heart rate sensor that uses both photodiodes and LEDs to get better estimates of your pulse. Fitbit stress management features use various sensors to potentially identify tense moments in your day and suggests actions such as mood logging or guided breathing and walking sessions. New safety features include Safety Check which can alert friends, family or even emergency services if needed and Emergency Sharing lets your circle of people see your real-time whereabouts. Fall detection and Emergency SOS were already released earlier this year for the Pixel Watch but will come standard on the Pixel Watch 2.The housing is made from 100 percent recycled aluminum and the AMOLED screen is covered in 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Many fitness features like workouts and Daily Readiness Score live behind Fitbit's paywall, but the watch comes with six months of the subscription for free. The updated Fitbit app will integrate more AI features when it updates later this year.The Pixel Watch 2 is priced at $349 for the Wi-Fi version and $399 for the cellular enabled model and comes in Black Aluminum, Polished Silver or Champagne Gold cases with a different colored bands. It will ship next week.Google announced the new Fitbit Charge 6 at the same time. It's also available to pre order now and retails for $160.Pixel Buds ProThis isn't a brand new product for Google, but the company made enough updates to the Pixel Buds Pro to make them worth a few minutes of air time during the event. We already called the Pixel Buds Pro Google's best earbuds yet and hopefully these improvements will make them even better. Conversation Detection can discern when you're talking to someone and pause the music. And Clear Calling with a Pixel phone reduces extraneous noises from the other end of the conversation so you can hear them better. They also come in two new colors, Porcelain and Bay, which happen to match the new Pixel 8 Pro phones.Follow all of the news live from Google's 2023 Pixel event right here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-pre-order-the-google-pixel-8-and-pixel-8-pro-150051904.html?src=rss

NASA is planning its first crewed mission to the moon since Apollo 17's 1972 trip, and it's doing so in style. Axiom Space - the company NASA chose last year to create the Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) spacesuits for 2025's Artemis III mission - has announced it's partnering with luxury Italian brand Prada to design them.The two companies will work side by side throughout production. "Prada's technical expertise with raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative design concepts will bring advanced technologies instrumental in ensuring not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface, but also the much-needed human factors considerations absent from legacy spacesuits," Axiom Space CEO Michael Suffredini said in a statement.Prada Group marketing director Lorenzo Bertelli added, "It is a true celebration of the power of human creativity and innovation to advance civilization." He also credited the company's "cutting-edge" work to decades of experience with its Luna Rossa Prada sailing team.The Artemis III mission is unique not only because of the five decades since Apollo 17 but because it's the first time a woman or person of color will go to the moon, astronauts Christina Koch and Victor Glover. Interestingly, Koch's role in the mission is acknowledged early on in Axiom Space's release, seemingly creating a subtext that the presence of a woman (read: an accomplished, experienced astronaut) is necessary to justify teaming up with a luxury designer.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prada-will-help-design-the-spacesuits-for-nasas-2025-artemis-iii-mission-150009987.html?src=rss

Meta's Oversight Board is set to take on a new high-profile case ahead of next year's presidential election. The board said it planned to announce a case involving a user appeal related to an altered" video of President Joe Biden. The board didn't disclose specifics of the case, which it said would be announced formally in the coming days," but suggested it will touch on policies that could have far-reaching implications for Meta.In the coming days the Oversight Board will announce a new case regarding a user-appeal to remove an altered video of President Joe Biden on Facebook," the Oversight Board said in a statement. This case will examine issues related to manipulated media on Meta's platforms and the company's policies on misinformation, especially around elections."While neither Meta or the Oversight Board has shared details about the video in question, the case could further shape the social network's policies around AI-generated or otherwise manipulated media. Even before the rise of generative AI tools that make it easier than ever to create fake videos of public figures, Meta has taken heat over its response to suggestively edited videos of politicians. In 2019, the company declined to remove an edited clip that falsely claimed then-Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi was drunk."The incident prompted the company's current policy that bars AI-generated deepfakes, but allows some other types of edited videos to remain up. Over the last year, fact checkers have regularly debunked deceptively-edited videos of Joe Biden that often spread widely on Facebook and Instagram.It's not the first time the Oversight Board has weighed in on a case involving a head of state, The board previously got involved in Meta's suspension of Donald Trump, and recently recommended Meta suspend the former prime minister of Cambodia (Meta ultimately declined to do so). When the Oversight Board agrees to a case, Meta is only required to implement the board's decision for the specific Facebook or Instagram post in question. The board also makes a number of policy suggestions, which Meta is free to ignore, though it must provide written responses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-oversight-board-will-weigh-in-on-altered-facebook-video-of-joe-biden-181008196.html?src=rss

A Cruise autonomous vehicle (AV) was reportedly involved in a horrific accident in San Francisco on Monday evening. A pedestrian crossing a street was hit by a car, which sped off. However, the hit-and-run hurled her in front of a Cruise driverless taxi, which stopped on top of her leg as she screamed in pain. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the woman was still in critical condition at 9:30AM ET on Tuesday.The pedestrian was reportedly walking in a crosswalk at Market and Fifth in San Francisco when she was hit by a green car, which fled the scene. A witness allegedly told investigators that he watched the first car strike the woman, causing her to roll off its side and into the path of the Cruise car. As the autonomous taxi proceeded through the green light, it ran over her and came to a complete stop, pinning her leg under its rear axle and tire. Cruise says there weren't any passengers in the AV, which was in autonomous mode.The SF Chronicle says that it viewed a video recording of the incident provided by Cruise to confirm the sequence of events. The company offered to make the video available to Engadget, but we declined.A bicycle delivery person reportedly tried to reassure the woman that an ambulance was coming and that it would be okay. She was just screaming," the cyclist reportedly told the SF Chronicle. City firefighters arrived and used the jaws of life to lift the car off the woman, who was transported to San Francisco General Hospital with multiple traumatic injuries," according to fire captain Justin Schorr. He said the car appeared programmed to stop and turn on its hazard lights after sensing an obstruction (in this case, a human being) beneath it.At approximately 9:30 pm on October 2, a human-driven vehicle struck a pedestrian while traveling in the lane immediately to the left of a Cruise AV," Cruise communications manager Hannah Lindow wrote in a statement to Engadget. The initial impact was severe and launched the pedestrian directly in front of the AV. The AV then braked aggressively to minimize the impact. The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene, and at the request of the police the AV was kept in place. Our heartfelt concern and focus is the wellbeing of the person who was injured and we are actively working with police to help identify the responsible driver."The nightmarish incident occurred as driverless taxis have expanded their reach in the city. Cruise and Waymo got approval from California regulators this year to operate and charge fares for fully autonomous cars in San Francisco at any time of the day. However, the state's DMV asked the company in August to reduce its fleet of driverless taxis by half, pending an investigation into crashes involving the AVs. Cruise agreed to operate no more than 50 autonomous taxis during the day and no more than 150 of them at night.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-pedestrian-was-pinned-under-a-cruise-robotaxi-after-another-cars-hit-and-run-180404816.html?src=rss

Back in my day (puts on old man glasses) digital amp modelers were a bunch of hooey. They sounded like mold groaning. Things have come a long way and in 2023 you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between a digital recreation and the real thing. Fender's new Tone Master Pro workstation continues this relatively recent tradition, allowing access to over 100 effects and amp models right out of the box.The Tone Master Pro is a standalone device that connects to your guitar to process incoming audio. Once you dial in a cool sound by combining amp models, impulse responses and effects, send it to your favorite amp, DAW, loudspeaker or just about anywhere else. The 8-core processor ensures a latency-free experience and seamless transitions between presets. The CPU also lets you load up large multi-amp and effects signal chains to go beyond classic retro sounds to make something unique.Fender says the tone, feel, responsiveness and character" of each available amp model will be virtually indistinguishable" from the real thing, and that's before making wacky combinations or throwing on layers of effects. Additionally, Fender included more than 6,000 custom-created impulse responses that recreate the tone of specific cabinet and microphone combinations.There's more to come on this front, as the device will support impulse responses from third-parties. This includes other companies, sure, but also garden variety users. The associated Mac/PC app lets you browse from a near-endless collection of IRs and presets from other players and Fender-approved artists.There are four effects loops for integrating pedals from your own collection, instrument inputs and XLR inputs, making this a versatile unit. It also has plenty of specific features for playing live. There's a 7" color touchscreen that's bright and easy to read, a 60 second stereo looper and a brand-new song and setlist mode that lets you attach different presets to each track you're set to play.Fender promises regular firmware updates via USB. These updates will provide bug fixes, new amps, new effects and other goodies. The first update hits in approximately 90 days and the second one releases in around six months. The Tone Master Pro is available now with one major caveat. It costs $1,700. On the plus side, that's only $17 per amp model and effect!This isn't the company's first foray into digital amp modeling. The Tone Master Pro is just the latest release in the Tone Master series, though the previous entries are actual amp cabinets with the addition of digital amp modeling. Fender's also toyed with the idea via its entry-level Mustang GT amplifiers and the USB-esque effects stick Mustang Micro.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fenders-tone-master-pro-digital-workstation-emulates-over-100-effects-and-amps-161413163.html?src=rss

Another day, another streaming service price hike. Those who sign up for the ad-free Discovery+ plan starting today will now pay $9 per month, up from $7. The ad-supported plan isn't changing in the US, though, as it will still cost $5.There's a similar price hike in Canada, as the ad-free plan is going up from $7 CAD to $9 CAD. Those north of the border will need to pay extra for the ad-lite plan too - that's increasing from $5 to $6 per month.Existing subscribers will still pay their existing rate for another month. The price increase will be applied to their account on their next billing cycle on or after November 2.It's the first time that Discovery+ has increased prices on monthly plans in the US and Canada since the service debuted in the countries in January 2021. The price hike "will allow us to continue to provide can't miss-stories in the food, home, relationships, true crime, paranormal genres - plus so much more," Discovery+ said in a press release and an email to users.Along with generating more revenue from subscribers, Warner Bros Discovery may be using the price increase to push customers to switch to a Max subscription instead. Max includes all of the Discovery+ content and much more. It's a pricier affair, though, with the base ad-supported plan costing $10 per month.We've seen many streaming services increase prices in recent months, including various music services. The Disney+ premium and Hulu ad-free plans will become significantly more expensive next week. Netflix, meanwhile, looks set to increase prices again after the actors' strike ends, according to a Wall Street Journalreport.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-discovery-ad-free-plan-now-costs-an-extra-2-per-month-155507156.html?src=rss

The FCC hit Dish Network with a $150,000 fine for failing to properly dispose of a defunct satellite after its mission ended. It's the first such penalty the agency has enforced as it attempts to crack down on the growing problem of space junk in low Earth orbit (LEO). Decommissioned satellites and other objects pose a collision risk for other instruments operating in these lower altitudes. In LEO, debris travels at thousands of miles per hour, meaning even a millimeter-sized scrap can pose a serious threat.While Dish and the FCC had an agreed-upon deorbit plan for the company's EchoStar-7 satellite, which launched in 2002 and was scheduled to be retired in May 2022, it started running out of fuel earlier than expected. Dish was supposed to maneuver the satellite into the designated graveyard orbit about 186 miles above where it had operated. But, EchoStar-7 only made it about 76 miles up. The company realized in February 2022 that its propellant was too low to carry out the plan, and the satellite was abandoned there.The FCC is calling the penalty a breakthrough settlement" after Dish admitted fault and agreed to pay a fine. At $150,000, the fine is merely a slap on the wrist, but it could serve as a warning as the number of commercial satellites in LEO continues to rise rapidly. There's already close to 10,000 tons of junk orbiting Earth as of last year, and as companies like SpaceX vie to pump thousands more satellites into space, it's only getting more cluttered by the day.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-fcc-has-begun-fining-companies-over-their-dead-satellites-153516781.html?src=rss

There's only a week until Amazon's October Prime Day starts, and the pre-sales keep coming. Right now, Amazon's Fire TV Stick Lite is touting a nice 40 percent discount, dropping its price to $18 from $30, and only a few dollars more than its all-time low. Plus, another $4 gets you a two-year protection plan, still taking home a savings of $9.Amazon's Fire TV Stick Lite is already the cheapest option in the lineup and is a good choice for anyone looking to use Fire TV without any bells and whistles. It has Wi-Fi 5 compatibility, 1GB of memory and Dolby encoded (versus Atmos) audio. It presents media in 1080p full HD and comes with the Alexa Voice Remote Lite, which doesn't have any TV controls but can still take audio commands.Additional Fire TV devices are also on sale if you're in the market for a higher-quality option. The previous generation 4K Stick is down to $23 from $50, a 54 percent deal - and a reminder that 2-for-1 and better deals are a great way to get your holiday shopping done early and affordably. The Fire TV Stick 4K offers improved picture quality, 2GB of memory and Dolby Vision compatibility. The standard Fire TV Stick is also marked down -to $20 from $40 - and the Fire TV Cube is available for $110 versus its typical $140.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-fire-tv-stick-lite-drops-to-18-ahead-of-october-prime-day-141523613.html?src=rss

Framework has slowly broadened its product portfolio to include a gaming laptop and an AMD variant of its 13-inch productivity notebook. After an initial manufacturing hiccup earlier in the year, it's the latter that's finally ready to reach eager pre-order customers as new mainboards make their debut. Like every other Framework release, you can pick them up as a pre-built laptop, or as the parts for you to upgrade an existing model. There are some differences, both in how they're set up and what they can do, but don't expect a revolution. This is still a Framework 13, after all, and it can do more or less the same thing it's always been able to.HardwareGiven Framework's emphasis on building a stable platform for its modular laptops, there are no changes here. Pop the hood and you'll only notice a few differences, like a plastic retainer on the WiFi module rather than a metal one, but that's it. At this point, I feel confident enough that I could swap out a mainboard without having to consult a manual.Framework's adopted the Good, Better, Best" mode with its specs, with the base model packing a Ryzen 5, 7640U with a Radeon 760M iGPU, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. The middle-tier unit I'm testing has a Ryzen 7, 7840U with Radeon 7840U, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. Fancier types who opt for the flagship get the same Ryzen 7 7840U as the middle tier, albeit with 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD.The only other difference is with batteries: The base model will ship with the older, 55Wh battery while the other two get the newer 61Wh model. That said, the company has also wheeled out new HDMI and DisplayPort expansion cards for more power-efficient video outputs. Those will be coming to all new laptop orders in the near future, but make their debut here with the AMD editions.Upgrades and CompromisesNaturally, the point of Framework's platform is that if you already have one of its notebooks, you can just swap in the AMD mainboard. Although that process isn't as simple as it is when you're swapping out an Intel model for one of its successors. Your existing RAM and WiFi modules will not work with the AMD board, so you'll need to get new DDR5 DIMMs and an AMD-made WiFi module like the RZ616, which is what Framework bundles in its prebuilt editions.Much as the laptop's design remains the same, there are more differences on the inside, which is where it counts. If you don't know, each mainboard has a quartet of USB-C ports that stick out of the laptop's deck. Each one corresponds to an Expansion Card slot, letting you slide in a specific port depending on your needs for that day. So you can pop out your second USB-C port in favor of a HDMI or DisplayPort-out the day you have a presentation to give.On Intel's side of the fence, this is a stress free experience because all four ports are the same. Since the 12th generation board, all four support Thunderbolt (and USB) 4, each one with 40 Gbps bandwidth, up to 100W power draw and support for two 60Hz 4K displays. Not to mention the standard enables you to add an eGPU to your setup for extra graphics muscle.But things aren't as elegant on the AMD side because a) Thunderbolt is an Intel standard and b) AMD's portable silicon has some, uh, limitations. Only the rear port on either side supports USB 4, with the front two a mish-mash of competing standards. As you can see from the graphic, the front left port supports charging, USB 3.2 and USB-A, while the front right offers USB 3.2 and video out.To make things worse, there are no visible clues to remind you what each port can and cannot do for obvious design and uniformity reasons. I don't blame Framework for having to deal with AMD's mess, and it has been brave enough to foreground these compromises from day one. But it's one of those issues where you'll either need to keep a mental record, or face an error pop-up when you've plugged the wrong port into the wrong socket.But then I doubt there are too many people who are looking to buy this laptop who will need regular access to a quartet of 40 Gbps connections. I suspect there won't be too many times AMD users are cursing the skies for the minor annoyance of swapping cards over. It's just one of those situations where you wish users weren't left dealing with the consequences of two chip giants who won't play nicely.PerformanceMuch as AMD may not have the silky uniformity and consistency of its rival chip giant, it does have an ace up its sleeve. Those integrated GPUs are far ahead of Intel's, giving it enough grunt to push halfway-demanding games without too much sweat. It's worth saying, as usual, that this is, first and foremost, a productivity machine, but with AMD on board, it'll play just as hard as it works.In the time I had with the hardware, I played Grand Theft Auto V on high settings and got 55 fps out of this machine. Similarly, Fortnite will crank out an average of 50 fps with the settings on high, easily enough to keep you amused on work trips or in your dorm room. Synthetic tests aren't everything, but suggest the AMD version comes out ahead in both single (by a little) and multi-core performance (by a lot) compared to the equivalent Intel model.The issue, really, isn't with the performance you can wring out of this machine, but how much noise it'll make while doing it. A common complaint, from the earliest version of the Framework 13, is the excessive fan noise when it's put under heavy load. The mainboard fan really wasn't designed to cope with the high loads you might expect to want to put it under, making a sound I will describe as persistent" and noticeable" and often quite loud."PricingWhen announcing the AMD boards, Framework committed to price parity between Intel and AMD editions whenever possible. The Base and Performance models, on the entry and mid tiers, cost $1,049 and $1,469 whatever chip you choose. At the high end, however, there is a fairly big delta between the $1,669 you'll pay for the AMD version and the $2,069 asking price for the Intel edition.Wrap-UpIn the short time I've had with the AMD edition, I've been impressed with what is now possible in this chassis. The silicon out-performs its Intel equivalent, but it's all taking place in the same body with the same, user-serviceable design. That's a big achievement, and there are plenty of folks chomping at the bit to get one of these in their lives - the first seven production batches are already sold out, with an eighth on the way. It remains, undeniably, a Framework 13, so you will get the same flexibility and longevity that you've come to expect, but with a little bit more oomph.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/framework-brings-amd-mainboards-to-its-13-inch-laptop-140050567.html?src=rss

The rise of streaming and the switch to remote work means that in the past few years, more people are using mics than ever before. Which in turns means that lots of companies are looking to get into the space, and the latest entrant is well-respected game accessory manufacturer SteelSeries. Though the company's probably best known for its headsets, it just might change that perception with its $180 Alias and $330 Alias Pro gaming microphones, available today.Upfront I'll admit I'm not a streamer, but I do make regular use of a microphone in both podcasting and regular Dungeons & Dragons sessions on Discord. And, like so many during the pandemic, I found myself in an endless array of remote meetings over Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and whatever else companies want to throw out there. Even in the year 2023, it's a pain in the ass. My go-to mic for the past few years has been the Elgato Wave:3, which I admire for its excellent audio and solid build quality. But in use it hasn't always been a dream; weirdly enough I never got it to work properly with USB headsets, even those made by its parent company Corsair. And switching between apps, even with the Elgato software installed, wasn't always a smooth process. I've started so many meetings with my computer outputting to the wrong device (usually the internal laptop microphone, which as you can imagine, is crap).SteelSeries looks to simplify all that with its GG software, which automatically works with all SteelSeries hardware. I plugged in the Alias and it was detected immediately; I didn't have to adjust the settings in any app or on my system. Within seconds I was on a call with a friend on Messenger, and Discord automatically made the adjustment on its own as well. In 2023 I would expect audio software should just work, and GG fits the bill. It has lots of built-in customization for things like lighting so you don't have to be a programmer to make your setup look cool. It also lets you set levels program by program, with multiple outputs so you can have what your stream hears be different from what you hear on your end. It's just a good level of control that allows professionals (as well as amateurs) fine-tune their stream to their liking.Kris Naudus for EngadgetOf course, solid software wouldn't be anything without the hardware to back it up, and the Alias and Alias Pro are high-quality, extremely attractive microphones to have on your desk. They're both oblong pills suspended by elastic cords in a ring-shaped stand. It's easy enough to remove and mount on a boom arm, and both models of the Alias come with a clip to attach it to your existing arm, or you can purchase one from SteelSeries.From there the two mics have different features: the entry-level Alias has a volume dial and mute button right on its front, while the Pro outsources those to the included mixer, which requires external power (it comes with an AC adapter). The mixer has two dials, which can be customized in the GG software, and two buttons for muting mic and headset audio. (They feel extremely nice to push.) The biggest difference, however, is where the Pro gets its name from, and that's the XLR connection in the back. That's a higher-end connector than most users will need, but professionals looking to add a speciality gaming microphone into their mix will appreciate it. The mixer also comes with two USB ports so you can do dual PC streaming.As I am not a professional audio person I stuck with the regular Alias, which connects to your setup using USB-C. It also has a single headphone jack for plugging in a headset, and I appreciated the mic stand design for keeping the cords tidy. When you plug in the mic it'll start working right away; you'll know because the front of the mic is outfitted with LED lighting that will show your levels. If the single bar of lights rises into the red, you know you're clipping. When the mic is muted, a big red X" is displayed on the surface, so there's absolutely no question about the state of your recording.Kris Naudus for EngadgetIn chatting with friends and family over various chat programs, the reports I got was that my audio was clear and loud, though one podcasting friend did think I did sound a little off at times - possibly because I got too close to the mic. At a normal distance I sounded fine. By my own reckoning through headphones, I thought it sounded great - on par with the audio I get from the Elgato Wave: 3 though a little more sensitive as it picked up the occasional ambient sound, like my typing. This isn't unusual when I'm using a mechanical deck, but in this case it was the spongier membrane keyboard on my laptop. It can be mitigated by simply moving the devices further apart, if you have the space to do so.Overall I think it's a good piece of hardware to have on my desk; one of those accessories that makes you excited to record a stream, podcast or anything else you can imagine. You don't need good tools to start creating, but the SteelSeries Alias is one of those that makes you want to make something because it's such a delight to use.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/steelseries-starts-out-strong-with-its-first-dedicated-gaming-microphones-140041321.html?src=rss

It's Google's turn to step up to the plate and swing for the fences with a fall hardware event. The company is holding a Pixel showcase in New York City, and you're invited - at least to tune into a livestream of the Made by Google event. The fun starts at 10AM ET on October 4. You can watch the stream below. We'll also have full coverage of all the Pixel news you need to know right here on Engadget, including in our liveblog.There's no big secret about the focus of the event. For weeks, Google has been teasing the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2 in images and videos, and there have been leaks galore.Google says the new Pixel phones have the most advanced Pixel cameras yet and Google AI to help you do more, even faster." Rumors suggest there will be other spec bumps, including a display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz (faster than the Pixel 7's 90Hz screen) and a Tensor G3 chipset that powers everything. Meanwhile, there may well be a price increase in store for the base Pixel 8 - rumors suggest it'll cost $699, $100 more than the Pixel 7.As for the Pixel Watch 2, that's expected to feature IP68 water- and dust-resistance. It's believed that Google is making extended battery life a focus with the help of a processor that's more efficient than the one used in the original model. There could be a slightly larger battery too. Meanwhile, there are indications that Google may toss a Pixel Watch 2 in as a freebie for those who pre-order a Pixel 8 Pro.Google may have some other things to discuss during the event. Given how things have been going this year, it would be a shock if the company didn't spend a significant chunk of time talking about AI updates. In any case, we won't have to wait long to find out what's up Google's sleeve.Follow all of the news live from Google's 2023 Pixel event right here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-2023-how-to-watch-130033919.html?src=rss

Ford first unveiled its F-150 Lightning lineup only a couple of years ago, in 2021, but its fifth model is already underway. The manufacturer has announced that the F-150 Lightning Flash will join the existing Pro, XLT, Lariat and Platinum trims as a mid-tier option.The F-150 Lightning Flash is a "tech-forward" expansion of the XLT's offerings, adding in-demand tech capabilities and version 1.2 of Ford BlueCruise hands-free highway driving (which allows drivers to change lanes with a simple tap). The Flash also offers customers the option to activate Ford BlueCruise at any point or to trial it with 90 days free after purchase. The new model's interior includes a 15.5-inch LCD Capacitive Touchscreen, a wireless charging pad and a B&O Sound System with eight speakers and a subwoofer.Like the XLT, it has a targeted EPA-estimated extended range of 320 miles per charge. The entire F-150 lineup can use the BlueOval Charge Network, which includes more than 84,000 chargers across North America, and will have access to 12,000 Tesla chargers starting in 2024.Online orders for the F-150 Lightning Flash will also start in early 2024, with the EV retailing for just under $70,000. The manufacturer lowered F-150 prices by up to $10,000 in July thanks to increased plant capacity (an estimated 150,000 units per year) and better battery raw material costs. However, they still come at a much higher cost than originally advertised, with the F-150 Lightning Pro retailing for about 50 percent of its initial sticker price at the beginning of summer.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fords-new-f-150-lightning-flash-has-a-320-mile-range-and-hands-free-highway-driving-123633483.html?src=rss

Amazon's Prime Day event this month will take place on October 10 and 11, but the e-commerce giant has already kicked things off with a few early deals. Some of its devices are now on sale on the website, including its smart thermostat, which you can get for $56. That's not quite an all-time low for the basic smart home device, but that's still 30 percent off its regular price and the lowest it's been for the whole year. Amazon positions its smart thermostat as sort of a gateway into more high-tech thermostats when transitioning from their traditional counterparts.The Amazon smart thermostat isn't quite as full-featured as some other options in the market. While it doesn't have a speaker or a microphone, if you install the Alexa app or use an Alexa-enabled device (such as an Echo) you'll be able to control it with voice commands. You can get Alexa to change the temperature for you, for instance, or to help you with the installation process. You can also set its temperature anywhere you are through the Alexa app. Take note that the device needs a C-wire or a power adapter kit. It's sold separately, but you can get the device bundled with a C-wire adapter for $71.In addition to its smart thermostat, Amazon is also selling its smart air quality monitor and a smart plug at discounted prices. Its air quality monitor can detect and track particulate matter (PM 2.5), volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, humidity and temperature. If you connect it to Alexa, you'll get notifications when it detects poor air quality. And if you have Alexa-connected air purifiers, dehumidifiers and fans, you can enable routines that would switch them on if the air quality changes. Meanwhile, the smart plug adds Alexa voice control to any outlet, so you can schedule appliances to turn off and on automatically.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-smart-thermostat-falls-to-its-lowest-price-of-the-year-in-early-october-prime-day-deal-120506738.html?src=rss

Apple has acknowledged its new iPhone 15 and 15 Pro can get uncomfortably hot. The company said background activity, an iOS 17 bug and third-party apps were the cause, with some apps, like Instagram, already updated not to make the newest iPhones sweat.Everyone loves to have opinions on why the newest iPhones aren't working like they should, with some people blaming the new titanium body. Apple told MacRumors that the design actually provides better heat dissipation than previous stainless steel models. Similarly, the company says the issue isn't connected to its new A1 Pro chop, nor high-power chargers and the new USB-C connector.My iPhone 15 Pro ran pretty hot the first few days, pulling down all my apps, games and music library, but it's evened out more recently. Others are still waiting on a fix.- Mat SmithHumane's futuristic wearable revealed at Paris Fashion WeekAs seen on Naomi Campbell, it has a mini-projector and camera.ReutersHumane is a startup founded by ex-Apple executives. It's working on a device called the Ai Pin, which uses projectors, cameras and AI tech as a sort of wearable AI assistant. The company unveiled the Ai Pin at a Paris fashion show (Humane x Coperni), attached to Naomi Campbell, who is the first person outside of the company to wear the device in public. The company describes the device as a screenless, standalone device and software platform built from the ground up for AI." Other information is less clear, like how the device connects to the internet, as it doesn't pair with a smartphone. We'll learn more when it's fully unveiled on November 9.Continue reading.It's not Tom Hanks in that dental ad, and he's not happy about itHanks called out the ad for using an AI likeness of him.An ad reportedly used a deepfake of Tom Hanks to promote dental plans without the actor's permission. Hanks shared a warning on Instagram on Sunday about the AI-generated video, which he wrote he had nothing to do with." Hanks has been outspoken about the challenges AI poses for the industry, and the use of actors' digital likenesses is one of the major points of concern voiced by striking SAG-AFTRA workers. The use of AI to capitalize on celebrities' legacies has already become an ethical issue. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain sparked widespread debate after it was revealed the documentary contained AI-generated voiceovers of Bourdain.Continue reading.Watch the star-studded trailer for cyberattack thriller Leave the World BehindFrom the creators of Mr. Robot.NetflixLeave the World Behind is a dual-release Netflix film that hits theaters on November 22 and the streaming service on December 8. It stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali and Kevin Bacon, which is a whole lot of star power. The movie continues Netflix's recent dual-release strategy as seen with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Marriage Story, The Irishman and other high-profile features. It also ensures these movies are eligible for award season.Continue reading.The biggest stories you might have missedOne of the brightest objects in the night sky is a human-made satelliteThe best early October Prime Day deals you can get for 2023Google's Chromebook Plus initiative pushes higher spec standards and handy software toolsNordVPN review: A bit too overhyped for the priceLoog's baby digital piano could be the perfect starter instrument for newbiesHow to send animated reactions on FaceTime with iOS 17This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-addresses-iphone-15-overheating-issues-111539143.html?src=rss

Meta may charge Instagram users in Europe a $14 per month subscription fee unless they opt in to targeted ads, according to The Wall Street Journal. In addition, it may impose a combined monthly fee of $17 for ad-free access to Facebook and Instagram on desktop.Last month, rumors surfaced that Meta would start forcing subscriptions on users who opted out of targeted ads, but the potential fees were unknown. Users willing to pay would see no advertising on Facebook and Instagram, while those who want to stick to the free version would have to consent to be targeted by ads based on their personal data. The company has reportedly discussed the plans with regulators in Brussels and Ireland.The move comes in response to a court ruling in July finding that Facebook must gain the consent of users to access their personal data. That court said that site operators have to prove that users willingly gave permission, possibly by allowing them to reject ad tracking. That's exactly what Apple did with iOS 14, and with very few users opting in, Meta predicted a significant hit to its revenue. In its ruling, the EU court also said companies should explore subscription models for users.If accurate, the numbers revealed by the WSJ are just a bit less than Netflix charges in the EU for it's regular monthly plan. With only power social media users or companies likely willing to pay that, Meta could effectively force regular users to accept targeted ads or stop using its social media sites altogether.Earlier this year, the EU hit Facebook with a record 1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) fine for transferring EU user data to the US, in violation of the bloc's key digital privacy rules. And the rules are about to tighten more, as Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations come into force starting in March 2024.At the same time, Meta makes nearly a quarter of its revenue in Europe, with the bloc accounting for $7.2 billion of its $32 billion total in the second quarter this year. And the company has yet to launch its Twitter rival, Threads, in Europe due to uncertainty over the DMA and whether it can connect the app to Instagram as it does elsewhere. With all that, Meta's plans for all its apps in the EU should become more concrete over the coming months before the new rules arrive in force.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-ad-free-instagram-and-facebook-plan-could-cost-eu-users-nearly-17-per-month-105638298.html?src=rss

Elon Musk's X Corp is facing what could be the first of several lawsuits related to its name. A Florida-based company called X Social Media has accused X Corp. of trademark and service mark infringement, obviously for the use of the letter "X." Musk rebranded Twitter in July, renamed the social network as "X" and replaced its iconic bird logo with the letter. The executive is known for having an affinity for the letter X, so it didn't really come as a surprise, but as trademark attorney Josh Gerben told Reuters back then, there's "about a 100 percent probability that Twitter/X will be sued by both opportunistic and legitimate plaintiffs over the new name." Today, Gerben's firm represents the plaintiff in this case.X Social Media described itself in the lawsuit (PDF) as a company that has "offered its advertising and social media services connecting law firms and those in need of advocates since 2016." While its logo looks vastly different from the logo used by the social network formerly known as Twitter, it argued in its complaint that it "frequently emphasizes the 'X' portion of its mark throughout its advertising, blogs, and newsletters highlighting its work."The Florida-based company also said that the media coverage Elon Musk's X got when it rebranded caused confusion and had led consumers to believe that its advertising services are being offered by or are associated with X Corp. "As 'X' is a social media platform, consumers naturally conflate 'X SocialMedia' as an X Corp.'s social media platform," it explained. The plaintiff told the court that it has already suffered losses in revenue due to Twitter's rebranding, and that it's highly probable that the confusion will continue to its "financial detriment." Especially since X Corp appears at the top of search results when you look for "x social media" - or at least it used to before news about the lawsuit came out.Further, it accused Musk's company for filing multiple trademark applications for business data analysis, promotional services, business consulting and information services, as well as business, consumer and market research, which are comparable to its offerings, even though it allegedly knew about X Social Media. Apparently, X Social Media sent Musk's company a cease-and-desist letter in August 2023, but X Corp. refused to stop using the letter. It's now asking the court for an injunction, prohibiting Musk's company from marketing, offering, selling or distributing services bearing the mark "X." The plaintiff is also asking for damages equivalent to three times of its losses or the defendant's profits.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-sues-x-in-trademark-infringement-lawsuit-092041443.html?src=rss

Apple's first generation Watch is now officially obsolete, including the Hermes and $17,000 18-karat gold Watch Edition models, according to Apple's latest obsolete product list seen by MacRumors. That means the "Series 0" Watch models, first released in 2015, are no longer eligible for hardware service and providers cannot order parts.On top of its obsolete list, Apple has a "vintage" list for products it stopped distributing more than five years ago, but less than seven years ago. On the current public-facing list (which should be updated soon) is the Series 2 Watch, so it'll soon be on the obsolete list as well.The news may stimulate some new discussion on "planned obsolescence." According to Apple's obsolete and vintage page, the company is only obligated to supply parts for five years after a product is last distributed (laws in France push that to seven years for iPhone and Mac laptops). Such discussion has stimulated change in the past - the company was forced to alter course in terms of device reparability, and a new EU law forced Apple to change its charging/data port to USB-C from Lightning.The Watch Edition has been an interesting case since it first came out. Regular watches can appreciate in value enormously, largely because they can still perform their time-keeping function many years later. However, the Watch Edition cost over $10,000, but was always going to become obsolete. If you own one (let us know below) and the battery hasn't already lost charge, this could be the final reason to wave goodbye.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-original-apple-watch-lineup-is-officially-obsolete-083825819.html?src=rss

Tesla has quietly updated its Model Y page to add a new option for buyers in the US: A rear-wheel drive Model Y that's cheaper than the other variants. It'll set buyers back $43,990, but with a full tax credit of $7,500, the electric vehicle could cost them as low as $36,490. As Electrek notes, this version replaces the Model Y All Wheel Drive that was recently discontinued. It's also $3,750 cheaper than the AWD, making it the most affordable Model Y EV.Bloomberg says the vehicle likely uses lithium-iron phosphate batteries, which cost less to manufacture than high-nickel battery compositions. While it's possible that the batteries enable Tesla to sell this version at a lower price, Electrek believes they're also the reason why the EV has a 260 mile range, whereas the discontinued AWD Model Y had a range of 279 miles. That said, previous studies revealed that lithium-iron phosphate batteries are more efficient and have a much longer lifespan than nickel batteries.The rear-wheel drive Model Y can reach 135 mph in speed and can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. Tesla says it will start deliveries for the new EV this month and the next, though as always, customers will have to pay extra for Enhanced Autopilot ($6,000) and Full Self-Driving ($12,000). In its latest quarterly earnings report, the automaker admitted that its deliveries fell short of Wall Street's lowered expectations. It still expects to make 1.8 million deliveries for the year as a whole, however, and it remains to be seen if the new Model Y can help it achieve that goal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-now-offers-a-43990-rear-wheel-drive-model-y-in-the-us-055515210.html?src=rss

A prototype satellite has become one of the brightest objects in the night sky, and it may soon be accompanied by dozens more. An observation campaign tracking the BlueWalker 3 satellite, launched in September 2022 by AST SpaceMobile, found that it is at times brighter than all but a handful of stars and planets that can be seen from Earth. The findings published in the journal Nature highlight a fast-escalating concern among astronomers, who have warned that the influx of private space ventures in low-Earth orbit could alter our view of the night sky and interfere with research.Researchers with the International Astronomical Union's Center for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (CPS) observed BlueWalker 3 over the course of 130 days. BlueWalker 3's antenna array measures just shy of 700 square feet, making it the largest yet for a commercial satellite in low-Earth orbit. That huge array reflects sunlight and after it unfurled, its brightness spiked. The effect isn't constant, but instead fluctuates depending on factors like the satellite's position relative to the sun, and the viewing angle. The CPS team observed it from sites in Chile, the US, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Morocco.These results demonstrate a continuing trend towards larger, brighter commercial satellites, which is of particular concern given the plans to launch many more in the coming years," said Siegfried Eggl, one of the co-authors of the study. While these satellites can play a role in improving communications, it is imperative that their disruptions of scientific observations are minimized." AST SpaceMobile eventually plans to deploy a fleet of roughly 100 cellular broadband satellites based on the BlueWalker 3 design.SpaceX, whose thousands of Starlink satellites have repeatedly come under scrutiny for their potential impact on the night sky, has experimented with dark coatings to cut down on the amount of reflected light, to limited success. For astronomers, to whom it poses a growing headache, it's not enough. Stations observing from the ground will need to develop satellite avoidance strategies to work around these artificial constellations, the researchers note in the paper.And, visibility isn't the only problem. Commercial satellites, including BlueWalker 3, flooding low-Earth orbit also threaten to interfere with radio astronomy. A separate study led by the CPS and published earlier this year found Starlink satellites are leaking unintended electromagnetic radiation" that could disrupt radio telescope observations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-the-brightest-objects-in-the-night-sky-is-a-human-made-satellite-212617952.html?src=rss