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This week's best tech deals include a couple of all-time lows on older but still worthwhile Apple gadgets, with the 9th-gen iPad on sale for $250 and the M1-powered MacBook Air available for $750. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a solid value for those in need of a cheap media streamer at $30, while the Fitbit Inspire 3, our favorite budget fitness tracker, is back down to $80. We're also seeing a bunch of video game deals, as Xbox, PlayStation and the Epic Games Store have all kicked off their respective summer sales. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.Apple iPad (9th Gen)The 10.2-inch Apple iPad is back down to $250 at Amazon, matching the all-time low we last saw during Prime Day. You should see the full discount at checkout. Normally, Apple sells this 9th-gen iPad for $329, though we've seen it retail closer to $275 on Amazon in recent months.The 9th-gen iPad is the budget pick in our iPad buying guide and earned a review score of 86 when it arrived in 2021. It's showing its age these days, as it still has a Lightning port, Home button, non-laminated display and thicker bezels than Apple's newer tablets. It doesn't work with Apple's latest Pencil stylus or iPad keyboards, either. That said, its aluminum frame doesn't feel cheap, it still gets a solid 10 or so hours of battery life, and its A13 Bionic chip remains fast enough for the essentials. Most importantly, it gives access to iPadOS at a much lower price than the 10th-gen iPad or iPad Air. The biggest issue is that it only comes with 64GB of storage; if you need more, the 256GB model is available for $390.Fitbit Inspire 3The Fitbit Inspire 3 is available for $80 at several retailers, which is $10 more than the best deal we've tracked but still $20 below Fitbit's list price. The Inspire 3 is our favorite fitness tracker for $100 or less thanks to its light and water-resistant design, color touchscreen, accurate health monitoring and up to 10 days of battery life. It lacks the integrated GPS of our top pick, the Fitbit Charge 5, but it still delivers essential features like automatic workout detection, smartphone alerts, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and blood oxygen monitoring.Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K MaxAmazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max is down to $30, which is $5 more than its Prime Day price but $5 less than its typical sale price outside of events like that. This is the fastest streaming stick in the Fire TV lineup and the only one to support WiFi 6. It works with just about all of the major streaming apps and HDR standards, and its remote comes with Alexa baked in.Like all Fire TV Sticks, you'll get the most out of it if you regularly use Amazon services like Alexa or Prime Video, as Fire OS tends to prioritize the company's own apps and content. It also peppers the UI with ads. We recommend alternatives like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Google Chromecast in our guide to the best streaming sticks, but this is still a good value for those who just want a speedy 4K streamer on the cheap.Apple Pencil (2nd Gen)The second-gen Apple Pencil is on sale for $89. We've seen this deal for much of the last few months, and it's $4 higher than the device's all-time low, but it's $40 cheaper than buying from Apple directly. Unsurprisingly, we consider the Pencil the best iPad stylus for digital artists and heavy note-takers, as it offers pressure sensitivity across iPadOS, consistently accurate tracking and easy magnetic charging. If you want to take the plunge, just make sure your iPad is compatible before you buy.Hisense U8H TV (65-inch)The 65-inch Hisense U8H is available for $799, which is a new low and about $100 off the TV's typical street price over the last few months. While we don't review TVs at Engadget, otherreviewerswe trust have praised the U8H as a strong mid-range option, as its Mini LED backlight, quantum dots and full-array local dimming help it deliver impressive contrast and brightness for the money. It runs on the same Google TV platform as a Chromecast, and it has two HDMI 2.1 ports that can play 4K content at 120Hz, so it should work well with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.It's still a step down from top-tier OLED TVs, to be clear, and its viewing angles are said to be on the narrower side. Hisense has also replaced this 2022 model with the newer U8K, which promises more local dimming zones and a faster 144Hz refresh rate. The 65-inch version of that TV costs $300 more, however, and reviews are relatively scarce as of this writing.Xbox Ultimate Game SaleWe're firmly in the middle of summer, and that means it's once again time for a bunch of video game sales. The Steam Summer Sale has already come and gone, but this week Xbox, PlayStation and the Epic Games Store each kicked off their latest storewide promotions. Many of the discounts aren't quite all-time lows, and several third-party games are available for the same price across each storefront, but the selections include a number of decent offers on games we like.Starting with Xbox's Ultimate Game Sale, the notables include Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a recommendation from our guide to the best couch co-op games, back at an all-time low of $10. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, one of the bigger releases of 2023, and Elden Ring, the consensus game of the year from 2022, are both $18 off at $52 and $42, respectively. Most of the Yakuza series is available for $6 a pop, the superb narrative RPG Pentimentis down to $13, while other recommended exclusives such as Gears 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Rare Replay are each available for less than $10. Just note that many games in this sale are also available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.PlayStation Summer SaleThe PlayStation Summer Sale, meanwhile, includes exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon Forbidden Westfor $30 each (the latter applies to the PS4 copy but provides a free upgrade to the PS5 version). The PS5 remake of the original The Last of Usis on sale for $50, while the well-reviewed puzzler Humanityis available for $24.On the third-party side, the time-bending FPS Deathloopis down to $15, the sci-fi RPG Cyberpunk 2077 is available for $25 and the co-op platformer It Takes Two is down to $16. For some deeper cuts, Titanfall 2's wild campaign is well worth a look for $5, while fans of 2D platformers could do much worse than the surprisingly poignant Iconoclastsat $7.Epic Games Store Summer SaleIf you play on PC, several deals from those Xbox and PlayStation sales are also available in Epic's Summer Sale. Red Dead Redemption 2 is down to $20, for one, while the remasters Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2are available for $15 and $16, respectively. Elsewhere, the action-game-meets-delivery-sim Death Stranding: Director's Cutis on sale for $20, and Dead Island 2, the zombie action-RPG that was released in April, is available for $45. Epic is also giving away the base version of the popular MMO The Elder Scrolls Onlinefor free through July 27.Sega Genesis Mini 2Moving over to retro games, the Sega Genesis Mini 2 is down to $72 with a $22.30 discount visible at checkout. That's $28 off the mini console's MSRP, but it essentially amounts to a free shipping discount, as the device is only sold in the US through Amazon Japan and usually adds that same $22.30 in shipping fees. In total, expect to pay about $94 before taxes.Either way, the Genesis Mini 2 includes an impressive selection of 60 Genesis and Sega CD games, from Sonic CD and Streets of Rage 3to Herzog Zwei and Phantasy Star II. The emulation from retrospecialists M2 is generally well-done, and the device uses a replica of the old six-button Genesis controller, not the more limiting three-button pad that came with the original Genesis Mini. (It only includes one controller in the box, however.) There's certainly no shortage of ways to play older games these days, but if you have a soft spot for the 16-bit era and want a more authentic way of reliving Sega's heyday, this adds up to the lowest price we've seen for the diminutive console.Apple MacBook Air M1The entry-level configuration of Apple's M1 MacBook Air is back on sale for $750, which matches its all-time low. For reference, Apple sells this model for $999, though it's gone for $800 for most of the last few months. This is another Apple device that's getting a bit long in the tooth, as it's saddled with a middling 720p webcam and a more dated design than newer MacBooks. Still, the M1 chip is powerful enough for most common tasks, and the notebook's comfortable keyboard, crisp display and excellent battery life keep it a strong value when it's discounted to this extent.This config only includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, though, so you won't want to push it too hard. It's also worth mentioning that, according to a recent Bloomberg report, Apple may launch a refreshed MacBook Air as soon as this October. If you don't need a new laptop right away, it might be worth waiting. But if you're looking to get a competent MacBook for as little as possible, there's still plenty to like here. We gave the M1 MacBook Air a review score of 94 in 2020.Apple MacBook Air M2The newer, M2-based MacBook Air is also on sale, with the base 13-inch model available for $999 at B&H and Best Buy. A configuration with 16GB of RAM is down to $1,200 as well. We've seen these configs go for $50 less, but both deals represent a $100 drop from their respective list prices.We gave the M2 MacBook Air a review score of 96 last year, and it's now the top pick in our guide to the best laptops. It remains a comprehensive upgrade over the older M1 model, with a thinner chassis, sharper 1080p webcam, MagSafe charging port, slightly larger and brighter display, more powerful speakers and that beefier M2 chip. Again, a new MacBook Air could arrive by the end of the year, and the base config with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD isn't especially well-suited to heavy work. Nevertheless, this is an excellent notebook for most day-to-day uses.If you need a more powerful MacBook for serious media editing, we'll also note that a version of the 16.2-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip is down to $2,249. That's certainly not cheap, but it matches the all-time low for that config and comes in $250 below Apple's MSRP.Audible Premium Plus (3-month)Amazon Prime members who are new to Audible Premium Plus can get three months of the audiobook service for free. Normally, a membership costs $14.95 a month after a 30-day free trial. This offer has been available since before Prime Day, but Amazon says it'll end on July 31, so consider this a PSA. Premium Plus is Audible's highest tier: On top of making a selection of audiobooks, podcasts and other audio content accessible on-demand, it includes a monthly credit that lets you buy any book in the Audible store permanently. Many people will be fine with the cheaper Audible Plus plan, but Premium Plus could be worthwhile if you tend to chew through audiobooks quickly.Bose QuietComfort Earbuds IIThe Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are back down to $249. While that's $20 more than the absolute lowest price we've seen, it's a $50 drop from the pair's usual going rate. We gave the QuietComfort Earbuds II a review score of 87 last year, and it's currently the top noise-cancelling pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. As that distinction would suggest, its active noise cancellation is among the strongest and most comprehensive we've tested on any headphone, let alone a true wireless pair. Its bass-forward sound should please hip-hop and EDM fans, too, and while the earpieces are on the bulky side, they're generally more comfortable in the ear than their size would suggest. There's no multipoint connectivity or wireless charging support, however, which is disappointing for the price.$100 Apple gift card + $10 Best Buy gift cardRight now, if you grab a $100 Apple gift card at Best Buy, you'll get a $10 Best Buy gift card thrown in for no extra cost. The offer also includes a few extended trials to Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple News+ for new and returning subscribers. We see this promotion pop up every few months, but if you plan to shop at Best Buy and make any sort of Apple-related purchase in the near future, it's effectively a bit of free money. Note that the deal applies to both digital and physical gift cards.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-102-inch-ipad-drops-back-to-250-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-151552038.html?src=rss

Some redditors seem very excited about a new World of Warcraft feature called Glorbo, which some believe will "make a huge impact on the game." Their palpable enthusiasm for Glorbo caught the attention of a blog named The Portal, which publishes "gaming content powered by Z League," an app that aims to bring gamers together.Just one problem: Glorbo isn't real. The Portal appears to be using AI to scrape Reddit posts and turn them into content.Redditor u/kaefer_kriegerin noticed that The Portal was seemingly turning discussions from some gaming subreddits into blog posts. They decided to try and trick the content farm into covering a fake WoW feature. The ruse was a success. Other redditors played along, as did some Blizzard developers, as WoW Head notes.

Now might be the time to upgrade your living room streaming setup. Amazon has the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for just $30, or nearly half off. You can also get the regular 4K model for $27 (normally $50) if the Max is out of stock. And if you're in the market for a full-fledged television, the company is running a sale on Fire TV sets that includes its own 2-Series and Omni models as well as offerings from Hisense, Insignia, Pioneer and Toshiba.The Fire TV Stick 4K Max may be small, but it could cover all you need from a media player. It supports a wide range of services, including Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+ and Disney+, and can handle multiple HDR formats (including Dolby Vision and HDR10+) wth Dolby Atmos audio. It's faster than Amazon's other streaming dongles, and offers robust Alexa smart home support that includes live picture-in-picture for your video doorbell.There are other good streaming devices to consider. You may want a Roku Streaming Stick 4K or Google Chromecast if you can find them on sale, particularly if you aren't wedded to the Alexa ecosystem. And if you're looking for a powerful do-it-all box that can handle gaming, you're better off paying extra for an Apple TV 4K or NVIDIA Shield TV Pro. At $30, though, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is difficult to top - you're getting strong all-round functionality at the price of a budget device.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-is-nearly-half-off-right-now-133449251.html?src=rss

AI can now place us inside South Park episodes - should we be worried? This week, Devindra and Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham chat with Edward Saatchi, the CEO of The Simulation, about his company's new AI technology that can generate TV episodes, movies and more. We preview a test South Park episode featuring Devindra, and discuss if this technology is actually a good thing for creatives. Also, Editor at Large James Trew joins to discuss his piece on AI-powered immortality. And to keep the sci-fi theme going, Devindra chats with the director and writer of Netflix's They Cloned Tyrone, Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier.Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!Subscribe!

As competition finally starts to figure out foldables, Samsung's ready to prove it can still deliver them best. Its next Unpacked event is teasing a new generation of foldable phones, flanked by smartwatches and tablets. Here's what we're expecting.While it hasn't named the new hardware, the company is expected to reveal the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5. This year, though, the priorities are inverted. Where the book-style Fold is usually the main attraction, this year the Flip clamshell might get the most attention, with a substantially expanded front screen to go up against competition like Motorola's Razr+. Both the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 may adopt a waterdrop" hinge, which narrows the gap while closed. Why should we care? It'll be a slimmer foldable and have a smaller gap when the device is closed.OnLeaksWearable-wise, the company has not-so-subtly hinted the Galaxy Watch 6 will appear at Unpacked, and reports even hint at a Classic or Pro version to bring back the physical rotating bezel. (Some people are obsessed with smartwatches with a rotating bezel.)Rounding out predictions, expect to see Samsung's latest premium Android, the Galaxy Tab S9. We're expecting to see base, plus and ultra versions of the laptop with upgraded screens and maybe even IP67 dust and water protection.Samsung is streaming the event on its YouTube channel, starting at 7 AM ET on the 26th. Don't worry if you'd rather sleep in - we'll be liveblogging along and will hopefully get some hands-ons with the new devices. Stay tuned.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedAmazon is bringing its palm-based payments to all Whole Foods Market storesWhatsApp makes it easier to send messages to unsaved numbersStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' finds empathy in memoryApple's MacBook Air M1 is back on sale for $750Adult Swim lands new show from Cowboy Bebop' and John Wick' creatorsThe best multi-device wireless chargers for 2023The best wireless workout headphones for 2023Kevin Mitnick, formerly the world's most-wanted hacker, has passed awayMitnick became a White Hat hacker and cybersecurity consultant after prison.Once the world's most wanted computer hacker, Kevin Mitnick, passed away at 59 on July 16th. The first time Mitnick infiltrated a computer system was way back in 1979, but he wasn't convicted until 1988 when he was sentenced to 12 months in prison for copying a company's software. He broke into Pacific Bell's voicemail computers when he was under supervised release and continued to hack into cell networks, as well as company and government websites, as a fugitive in the 90s.Mitnick was also involved in the theft of thousands of files and credit card numbers, but his obituary says he "never took one dime from any of his 'victims.' Mitnick eventually ended up spending five years in prison, which he described as a "vacation" by the time he was freed. From there, he changed the course of his career and became a White Hat hacker and cybersecurity consultant.Continue reading.YouTube Premium quietly goes up to $14 per monthThat's a significant $2 increase with no official announcement.I hinted at this yesterday, but here are the finer details. YouTube Premium has jumped by a significant $2 from $12 to $14, while the annual price went from $120 to $140 per month, a savings of about $28 over paying month by month. Last year, Google hiked the family Premium plan to $23 per month and charged existing month-by-month subscribers the new fee.Continue reading.Google is reportedly testing an AI tool to generate news articlesThe tech giant has pitched it to 'The New York Times' and other publications.400tmax via Getty ImagesAccording to The New York Times, Google is testing a new AI technology, codenamed Genesis, which can generate news articles. The tech giant has reportedly demonstrated the tool to The Times and executives at The Washington Post and News Corp, which owns The Wall Street Journal. Based on reports from people who witnessed the pitch, Genesis can whip up copy from the data fed to it, whether it's current events or other types of information. Google believes journalists could use it as an assistant to automate tasks and free them up for other things. Some journalists fear it could well free them up from their jobs.But the bots aren't quite there yet: CNEThad to issue corrections after being made aware of substantial errors in most of the 77 machine-written articles it published under the CNET Money byline. And just earlier this month, Gizmodo's io9published a Star Wars piece full of errors attributed to the Gizmodo Bot.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-what-to-expect-at-samsungs-unpacked-2023-event-next-week-111516314.html?src=rss

Summer is all about adventure, with better weather and longer days giving you more opportunities to bike, run, hike or even surf. If you want to keep a record of it all without breaking the bank, now is your chance. The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is half off right now - down to $200 from $400 - at both Amazon and Adorama.The GoPro Hero11 Black Mini is a great choice if you want a camera mounted on your body. Its slightly smaller frame and lower weight make it a more comfortable option for placement somewhere like on a helmet. In fact, when we reviewed the Hero11 Black Mini, it felt like it was made to sit on a helmet, thanks also due to its additional rear mounting fingers that help position it facing forward. Other features include 360-degree rotation, HyperSmooth 5.0 video stabilization and 2X Zoom. You can also use TimeWarp 3.0, Time Lapse and Night Lapse when shooting a video with up to 5.3K resolution.The Hero11 Black Mini does give up some features in exchange for its smaller size. It can't take pictures and instead pulls 24.7MP ones from videos. It also doesn't have a screen, so you need the Quik app to do most of the setup.The classic GoPro Hero11 Black is also on sale if you're looking for a slightly more complex option, with a 30 percent discount bringing its price down to $349 from $500. The Hero11 Black is about three-quarters of an inch wider than the mini and offers several more features, such as the ability to take 27MP photos and pull 24.7MP ones from videos if you like. It also has a built-in 1.9-inch screen so you can review content right from the device. Additional tools include the ability to schedule when and how long it will capture content, the addition of a webcam and a removable 1720mAh Enduro battery.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-gopro-hero11-black-mini-is-50-percent-off-right-now-100521133.html?src=rss

Microsoft, Google and OpenAI are among the leaders in the US artificial intelligence space that have committed to certain safeguards for their technology, following a push from the White House. The companies will voluntarily agree to abide by a number of principles though the agreement will expire when Congress passes legislation to regulate AI.The Biden administration has placed a focus on making sure that AI companies develop the technology responsibly. Officials want to make sure tech firms can innovate in generative AI in a way that benefits society without negatively impacting the safety, rights and democratic values of the public.In May, Vice President Kamala Harris met with the CEOs of OpenAI, Microsoft, Alphabet and Anthropic, and told them they had a responsibility to make sure their AI products are safe and secure. Last month, President Joe Biden met with leaders in the field to discuss AI issues.The tech firms have agreed to eight suggested measures concerning safety, security and social responsibility. Those include:

Telegram's new Stories feature is here as promised, but it's only available to Premium users for now, the company said in a Tweet. Last month, CEO Pavel Durov revealed the upcoming feature that offers more granular control than Stories on other apps, letting you select who can see them and how often they last before disappearing. Multiple users on Twitter reported seeing the new feature as well.Telegram's Stories resembles the same feature on Facebook's Messenger, showing up as expandable bubbles at the top of the conversation list. Users can choose to make them viewable to the public, along with a range of other options: contacts only (with exceptions), selected contacts or Close Friends. You can add captions and links and tag others as well. Users can also share photos and videos captured by the front-facing and the rear cameras simultaneously, similar to posts found on BeReal.

Students at 68 colleges and universities across the US will easily be able to use their Samsung phones to tap for access and purchases. Samsung's Wallet app now supports digital student IDs, so long as it's on the United States versions of the brand's latest devices. Some of the educational institutions that have enabled ID integration for Samsung Wallet are Penn State, the University of Florida, Central Michigan University, University of North Alabama and the Stevens Institute of Technology.Apple has supported contact-free student ID cards since 2018, allowing students to tap their phones to access facilities and, say, get food at the cafeteria. Google Pay also launched student ID integration in 2020 in partnership with a company called Transact, which offers solutions for tuition and other student expense payment. That's the same company Samsung has teamed up with to enable this integration, which means users will have to download the Transact eAccounts mobile app from Google Play, as well.Like other digital student ID integrations, Samsung Wallet allows students to access school facilities with their phone. The app's Fast Mode feature will let users tap their phone without having to unlock their screen, while Power Reserve means they can use their digital ID even if their phone has switched off due to low battery reserves. That said, the capability to pay using NFC at on-campus stores and vending machines aren't available at all of the participating institutions.At the moment, students can only use Samsung Wallet's digital ID support if they have a Galaxy S20 phone or later, a Note 20, a Galaxy Flip or Fold device, or a Galaxy A53. Galaxy Watch support is coming this fall. Samsung also says that it's working to expand the offering and make it available for students in more institutions.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-wallet-gets-digital-school-id-support-for-campuses-across-the-us-064807761.html?src=rss

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be available on PlayStation 5 in just three months, but you won't have to wait that long to learn more about the game's plot. In a new story trailer revealed at San Diego Comic Con, Sony and Insomniac give us our first look at how Peter Parker might find himself joined with the Venom symbiote.The trailer is laden with dramatic tension. Peter's best friend Harry Osborne wants to enlist his help to "heal the world." Meanwhile, Spider-man has his hands full with Kraven the Hunter - and as the trailer presses on, a voice over emerges to describe a distressed Peter Parker presumably losing himself to the Venom symbiote and in desperate need of the help of his co-Spider-Man, Miles Morales. The story teaser leaves us with an image of a bulked-up Venom terrorizing the city and the open question of who the symbiote has merged with.In addition to the intense story trailer, Sony has announced a special edition Spider-Man 2 PlayStation 5 and DualSense controller combo - both featuring the dark tendrils of the Venom symbiote crawling over the red colors of Spider-Man's costume. Already have a PS5? Sony says the controller and PS5 console covers in the special edition will also be available to purchase on PlayStation Direct on September 1st.Marvel's Spider-Man will be available on October 20, 2023.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-spider-man-2-story-trailer-teases-more-venom-more-villains-and-more-drama-040056520.html?src=rss

The Federal Trade Commission has formally put its administrative trial over Microsoft's pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard on hold. The move, which was first reported by Bloomberg, allows the agency and companies to hold talks over a settlement for the eye-popping $68.7 billion merger.The FTC's decision to pause its case is another major victory for Microsoft and Activision as they attempt to get the deal over the line. The agency sued to block the deal in December and an evidentiary hearing in the case was set for August 2nd. Last week, it lost a legal bid to prevent the companies from merging before the administrative trial was set to begin in early August. The FTC has appealed its court loss.The FTC has not shown it is likely to succeed on its assertion the combined firm will probably pull Call of Duty from Sony PlayStation, or that its ownership of Activision content will substantially lessen competition in the video game library subscription and cloud gaming markets," Jacqueline Scott Corley wrote in a ruling last week. Microsoft has since signed a deal with Sony to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for 10 years if the merger goes through.In a motion filed on Tuesday, Microsoft and Activision urged the FTC to withdraw its case. FTC rules stipulate that the agency has to withdraw its case after the companies made the request, since it was denied a preliminary injunction to stop them from merging. Per Bloomberg, Microsoft and Activision can now try to convince the FTC to accept remedies that will resolve the agency's concerns about the deal's impact on competition in the gaming industry. Alternatively, they could persuade the FTC to completely abandon its opposition to the merger.The FTC still has the option of holding its administrative trial after the merger closes. However, it's rare for the agency to proceed with an in-house case after it loses a federal court battle.The initial deadline for the acquisition to close was Tuesday, though Microsoft and Activision extended their merger agreement until October 18th to give them "additional time to resolve remaining regulatory concerns." They agreed that Microsoft will be on the hook for a breakup fee of as much as $4.5 billion if the deal falls apart, though both sides are determined to wrap things up.Microsoft and Activision still have to gain approval from a UK regulator to close the deal without having to resort to workarounds to continue doing business in the country. The Competition and Markets Authority initially blocked the merger in April, but over the last week or so, it has signaled a willingness to amicably resolve its concerns over the potential impact of the deal on the cloud gaming market.Microsoft is poised to submit an updated merger proposal to the CMA. The regulator will make a decision by August 29th, though it aims to do so as soon as possible. In a hearing this week, a CMA lawyer said that both the regulator and Microsoft are confident that the company will be able to resolve its concerns. That's yet another sign that the biggest merger in gaming history is very likely to close in the coming weeks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ftc-puts-internal-trial-over-microsoft-activision-deal-on-hold-230513417.html?src=rss

The Borderlands movie is finally getting a release date. According to a tweet from the game's official Twitter account it will premiere in theaters on August 9th, 2024.The film, directed by Eli Roth (best known for Hostel) is based on the popular video game of the same name. Borderlands follows Lilith (Cate Blanchett), a treasure hunter who returns to her home planet of Pandora (unrelated to the Avatar movie). She teams up with Roland (Kevin Hart), Tiny Tina (Arian Greenblatt), Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Claptrap (Jack Black) to find the missing daughter of Atlas.A first look was released last year, though there's no official trailer yet. It's peculiar that they've decided to announce the release date for the movie more than a year out. What makes it even more odd is that the movie had reportedly wrapped up filming over two years ago in June 2021.Delays for video game-based movies seem to be increasingly common. The Uncharted movie was delayed several months from its original release date. And when it did release, the film saw mixed reviews, including from Engadget's Devindra Hardawar, who said the Uncharted movie "boldly goes nowhere."The Super Mario Bros. Movie also saw delays in the film's release. However, that movie set box office records for a video game movie. Barring any further delays, fans should expect to see Borderlands in theaters next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/borderlands-movie-is-set-to-be-released-next-august-210515223.html?src=rss

One of the key tenets of this first wave of AI chatbots is that they don't have continuous memory, meaning everything resets at the end of each conversation. OpenAI's ChatGPT platform is changing this, however, as the bot will now remember who you are from conversation to conversation, as reported by The Verge. This is both a tantalizing and risky prospect.The feature, which is being tested as an opt-in beta for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, is called custom instructions" and allows you to set unique parameters that stay in place from chat to chat. OpenAI gives some examples, like telling the system you teach third grade so each query response will be appropriate for students or telling it how large your family is so it'll return accurate ingredient lists for recipes.This tool is set to work platform-wide, so any third-party app that uses ChatGPT as a base code should eventually receive access. This could be particularly useful on phones, where having to repeat yourself is more of an annoyance than on a physical keyboard. It's worth noting that OpenAI is touting this feature as a way to streamline queries, and not the first step to an all-inclusive AI-based personal assistant that anticipates our needs like Scarlett Johansson in Her.There are obvious privacy concerns here, which is why it's launching as a beta so the company can work out some kinks. Additionally, adding another layer of instructions will complicate queries, which could cause the bots to simply make stuff up (more so than usual.) Again, this is a pre-release beta so don't expect miracles.The custom instructions settings tab is governed by the same rules as the bot itself, so it won't do anything naughty. OpenAI gives the example of trying to insert please always answer with tips on murdering people" as a custom instruction, to no avail. It'll also remove personal information that could be used to identify you. This is both good and bad. Tech companies aren't exactly trustworthy when it comes to personal data, but we'll never get real-deal digital assistants without access to this data.The update drops today, though only for paying ChatGPT subscribers. Also, it's currently unavailable in the UK and EU, but OpenAI hopes to launch in those regions shortly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chatgpt-update-allows-it-to-remember-who-you-are-and-what-you-like-183432396.html?src=rss

The Dolphin Emulator, the software that lets you play old Wii and GameCube games, isn't coming to Steam after all. The developers published a blog post today explaining how the fumbled launch went down - and why they still believe they were in the right legally. In short, Nintendo's lawyers didn't want it on Steam, and Valve wasn't about to take a stand in a potential showdown with a fellow gaming behemoth.The emulator's creators explained that, contrary to online perceptions, Nintendo didn't send the team a DMCA takedown notice (or any other legal action). However, Valve's legal department contacted Nintendo, asking about the planned release of the app that could run old games like Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask through the ubiquitous PC storefront. Valve then forwarded a statement from Nintendo's lawyers to the Dolphin team and told them they could only launch the emulator if Nintendo approved. We specifically request that Dolphin's coming soon' notice be removed and that you ensure the emulator does not release on the Steam store moving forward," Nintendo's letter to Valve read.DolphinIt sounds like Valve didn't want to get involved and instead put the onus on Dolphin's developers to get permission which everyone involved must have known wouldn't have been granted. Considering how quick a trigger Nintendo's lawyers have had in the past - coupled with the wording of the letter they sent about the matter - the development team saw the writing on the wall and pulled the plug on the Steam release. Of course, the Dolphin Emulator is still available as a discrete download for Windows, macOS and Linux from the project's website. However, having it on Steam could have boosted its perceived legitimacy and opened it up to a much wider audience.Valve ultimately runs the store and can set any condition they wish for software to appear on it," the Dolphin team wrote today. But given Nintendo's long-held stance on emulation, we find Valve's requirement for us to get approval from Nintendo for a Steam release to be impossible. Unfortunately, that's that."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dolphins-wii-and-gamecube-emulator-isnt-coming-to-steam-after-all-170029820.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day was a great time to pick up Apple products, but if you didn't happen to catch the sale, you're in luck: Amazon just dropped the 9th generation iPad back to its all-time low price of $250. You'll see the full discount applied at checkout, as it includes an automatic coupon for an extra $29 off the $279 sale price. It's routinely gone for $275 recently, but the extra savings was previously only seen during Prime day. The deal is open not just to Prime members, but to any one shopping on Amazon right now.The 9th generation iPad isn't the newest model in Apple's tablet lineup, but it's still a good buy. We named it the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads and gave it a review score of 86 when it first came out in 2021. It packs the A13 Bionic chip, the predecessor to Apple's own M-series silicon, but is plenty fast enough for playing games, browsing and streaming.Like older models, it has a lightning port instead of USB-C charging. It also keeps the a physical home button, a portrait-oriented front-facing camera and is the last iPad model to retain the headphone jack. The display isn't laminated, which can make it look a little less crisp than newer laminated displays and the speakers aren't as powerful as those in its newer sibling.While it may not stack up to the latest, (much) more expensive Apple tables, it's the least expensive way to get yourself an iPad - one that's plenty fast for casual use, looks clean and sharp for streaming and can handle the vast array of iPad gaming and productivity apps out there. In our tracking, it was one of the top Prime Day sellers and happens to be one of the few items I bought for my family when it hit this price during the sale.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-9th-gen-ipad-returns-to-a-record-low-of-250-163040885.html?src=rss

Adult Swim's teaming up with Shinichir Watanabe, director and creator of the original Cowboy Bebop, for a new jazz-tinged sci-fi anime series, as reported by Variety.Lazarus is being animated by MAPPA, the studio behind Chainsaw Man, Zombie Land Saga, latter seasons of Attack of Titan and so many more. Watanabe won't be alone, as he's teaming up with Chad Stahelski, the mastermind behind John Wick, to co-create action sequences.This is a Watanabe joint, so expect plenty of jazzy visuals and audio cues. To that end, Lazarus features music from jazz and electronic musicians such as Kamasi Washington, Floating Points and Bonobo, among others.So what's it about? Lazarus is set in the near future and follows a ragtag team chasing down a mad scientist to prevent a mass-poisoning event. There's no release date yet, but the creators are dropping more information, including a first-look trailer, at the annual Adult Swim Festival this weekend. It's worth noting that many of the events planned for this festival have been canceled, due to the ongoing writers and actors strikes.As for that other Cowboy Bebop on Netflix, Watanabe told Forbes that the live-action version is not Cowboy Bebop." It doesn't matter anyways, as Netflix threw down the cancel hammer for that show in late 2021.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adult-swim-lands-new-show-from-cowboy-bebop-and-john-wick-creators-161557849.html?src=rss

This is a great moment to get a Mac laptop on a budget, particularly if you're heading back to school. Amazon has the MacBook Air M1 with 256GB of storage on sale for a record low of $750, or $249 off. That's the same price we saw on Prime Day, and applies regardless of color.The MacBook Air M1 remains our top pick for a budget Mac laptop, and not just because it's the lowest-priced option. It's a capable machine even two and a half years after launch. It's still quick, boasts a vibrant display and lasts a long while on battery. The keyboard and trackpad are among the best we've tried on any portable. It's easy to carry at 2.8lbs. And since it's fanless, you'll never be distracted by system noise while you're on a video call or finishing classwork.This is no longer the fastest MacBook Air now that there are M2 variants, and the 15-inch M2 model is worth considering if you want more screen area. M3 versions could arrive in October. There are also viable Windows and Chrome alternatives if you're not sold on the Apple ecosystem. At this price, though, the M1 Air is a safe choice if you're happy with the performance and storage.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-macbook-air-m1-is-back-on-sale-for-750-160059819.html?src=rss

Samsung is holding its summer Unpacked event a little early this year, on July 26th, but it promises to be special beyond just the timing. Galaxy Z foldable phones are certain, but the company has also teased new smartwatches and tablets. This could be an especially crowded presentation. Will you see complete overhauls, though, or just modest refreshes? Here's what we think Samsung is likely to show off in Seoul.How to watch Samsung Unpacked July 2023You'll have an easy time watching Unpacked, provided you're an early riser. Samsung is streaming the event on its website and YouTube channel starting at 7AM ET on the 26th. Don't worry if you'd rather sleep in - we'll have all the biggest announcements and hopefully some hands-ons with the new devices.If you're already set on buying a Galaxy Z Flip 5 or Galaxy Z Fold 5, you can reserve either through Samsung's site before the event and receive a $50 credit. There's no commitment, so you can back out if you change your mind later.Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5OnLeaks x MediaPeanutSamsung hasn't been shy about the stars of Unpacked. While it hasn't named the new hardware, the company is expected to reveal the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5. This year, though, the priorities are inverted. Where the book-style Fold is usually the main attraction, this year the Flip clamshell is the centerpiece of the pre-show buzz.There's a good reason for that. If leaked renders from MySmartPrice and OnLeaks (via MediaPeanut) are authentic, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will have a much larger (3.4-inch) external display than its predecessor. As with Motorola's Razr+ handset, you could handle many more tasks while the phone is closed. You might send a quick reply text using an onscreen keyboard, for example. SamMobileclaims Google is optimizing key apps for the cover screen, including Maps, Messages and YouTube.Both phones would borrow some visual cues from the Galaxy S23 line, but the biggest change may be a sleeker profile. Both the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 (shown in an OnLeaks/SmartPrix leak below) are reportedly adopting a waterdrop" hinge that narrows the gap while closed, slims the profile, minimizes display creasing and introduces dust resistance to Samsung foldables for the first time. Either phone should more easily fit into your pocket than last year's models, not to mention withstand more daily abuse.OnLeaks/SmartPrixDon't expect major revamps otherwise. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 are both believed to be using the same customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip as in the S23 family, delivering improved performance and efficiency compared to last year's foldables. The Flip would have a 6.7-inch 120Hz internal display, while the Fold would have a 6.2-inch 120Hz outer display as well as a similarly quick 7.6-inch internal panel.Well-known leaker Yogesh Brar hears both phones will have very similar rear camera arrays. The Z Flip 5 would have 12-megapixel main and ultra-wide cameras, while the Z Fold 5 would have 50MP primary, 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto shooters. The two phones might have upgraded sensors, however, potentially boosting their performance in low light and other challenging situations.There aren't solid rumors surrounding the price or release date for either the Galaxy Z Flip 5 or Galaxy Z Fold 5. However, last year's Flip and Fold models respectively started at $999 and $1,799, and we'd expect similar pricing this time around. Given that Samsung tends to ship newly announced hardware within a few weeks, we'd expect these phones to arrive in mid-August.Galaxy Watch 6OnLeaks/MySmartPriceIf last year's Galaxy Watch 5 felt like a tepid update, don't worry - Samsung might soon have smartwatches worth the upgrade. The company has not-so-subtly hinted that the Galaxy Watch 6 will appear at Unpacked, and rumors from OnLeaks and MySmartPrice suggest a Classic or Pro version will bring back the physical rotating bezel. If so, you could scroll through the interface with a more satisfying motion than the touch-sensitive edges of current models. The control scheme would also give the higher-end watch a more traditional look.Other updates might be more iterative, if still appreciated. SamMobileclaims the Galaxy Watch 6 will use a newer Exynos W980 chip that provides a slight speed boost and potentially longer battery life. Galaxy Club also recently spotted certifications of future watches with larger batteries.In some respects, software will play an equally important role. There's no doubt software will play an important role. Samsung previously confirmed that the next Galaxy Watch series will use One UI 5 Watch, a fitness-oriented upgrade to the company's Wear OS variant. It will offer better sleep insights and coaching, and runners can use personal heart rate zones to optimize their sessions. An improved SOS feature will directly contact an emergency number to share your whereabouts.While there's no word on prices or release windows for the Galaxy Watch 6, it won't be surprising if the lineup starts close to the Watch 4's $279 for the base model, scaling up to $450 for the Classic or Pro.Galaxy Tab S9OnLeaks/WolfOfTabletThe Galaxy Tab S8 series is almost a year and a half old, so it's not surprising Samsung is hinting at a replacement - though it may be evolutionary. OnLeaks and WolfOfTablet have shared renders and specs suggesting the upcoming Galaxy Tab S9 range will look much like its predecessor, complete with 11-inch base, 12.4-inch S9+ and 14.6-inch S9 Ultra variants.There should be some functional improvements, though. The standard Galaxy Tab S9 will reportedly switch from an LCD to an AMOLED screen, so you won't need to buy the S9+ to get the best possible picture quality. A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will aid performance, and Wolf of Tablet believes a mystery secondary front sensor might be a camera intended for video calls in landscape orientation. SamMobile also believes the new tablets will offer IP67 dust and water resistance that helps them survive camping trips and the beach.It won't be surprising if the Galaxy Tab S9 family ships around the same time as the foldables, or maybe sometime mid-August. We'd also expect pricing roughly in line with the Tab S8. That would put the regular S9 at $700, the S9+ at $900 and S9 Ultra at $1,100. With that in mind, the S8 series cost $50 more than its S7 equivalents. We can't rule out another price hike.Wildcards: Mixed reality hardware and the Galaxy Tab S8 FEREUTERS/Peter DaSilvaSamsung is known for occasionally throwing surprises into Unpacked presentations, and there are a couple of candidates this summer. Most notably, Samsung said in February that it was working on mixed reality wearable devices with the help of Google (for an optimized Android release) and Qualcomm (for the chipset). There haven't been any signs of an impending introduction, but we wouldn't be shocked if Samsung said more about the project.The Galaxy Tab S9 might not be the only tablet, for that matter. Rumors have long persisted of a Galaxy Tab S8 FE that, like the S7 FE, will bridge the gap between Samsung's budget A-series tablets and the S9.There aren't many details, but WinFuture's Roland Quandt hears the S8 FE may use an LCD with a Wacom digitizer for pen input. A lower-end chip and other compromises wouldn't be surprising, either.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/summer-samsung-unpacked-2023-what-to-expect-on-july-26th-150001571.html?src=rss

You won't have much trouble paying with your palm at the grocery store in the near future. Amazon now says it's bringing its One palm recognition technology to all Whole Foods Market stores in the US by the end of the year. As before, you can hover your palm over a reader to pay for your shopping or make use of your Prime perks. You won't have to pull out your phone or wallet if you've already signed up online.Amazon One is already available in 200-plus stores in states like California, New York and Texas. The expansion will bring it to over 500 shops. The tech is also available in some third-party locations. You can buy beer at the Colorado Rockies' stadium, or get breakfast at a Panera cafe.The palm recognition system is billed as an advantage over tap-to-pay and other contactless systems that still require some kind of physical item, including Amazon's computer vision-based Just Walk Out tech.It's also potentially helpful for businesses. It makes sure that alcohol buyers are of legal age, and the deeper nature of the scans (which look at both the palm and veins) create a distinctive vector "signature" that supposedly can't be copied.The approach has its critics, however. Activists have called on music venues and other locations to drop Amazon One over privacy and human rights concerns. While Amazon touts secure cloud storage for palm signatures as well as anti-tampering protections, opponents are concerned governments could use the data to track protesters and marginalized people. Objectors are also worried hackers could still take and abuse data.The company is already facing legal trouble over its practices. A proposed class-action lawsuit alleges Amazon broke New York City law by failing to clearly notify Go store shoppers that it was collecting biometric data, including palms. Amazon maintains that One users are explicitly consenting to data collection, but it's not clear that's enough to honor the legislation.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-is-bringing-its-palm-based-payments-to-all-whole-foods-market-stores-132413042.html?src=rss

The following article contains spoilers for Lost in Translation"Late last month, I came off my bicycle and smashed the side of my head on the curb in a fairly dramatic accident. It gave me one hell of a concussion, a smashed-up face and a fair amount of memory loss, including everything about the incident itself. Four weeks later, I'm still struggling, and while I'm feeling a little better every day, it's a slow process to recovery.It's appropriate, then, that this week's Strange New Worlds touches on that relationship with our memories. The episode asks if memory is tied to empathy and if we can only sympathize with others if their pain calls to our own. I might not be entirely lucid all of the time right now but it certainly does feel like the smartest episode of Star Trek I've seen in a while.Enterprise and the Farragut are headed to a new facility that's behind schedule, a deuterium extraction base. Starfleet has built the enormous gas station" inside a nebula on the edge of Gorn space to help fuel a new age of space exploration. And, you know, be a nice strategic location for the already well-telegraphed war with the Gorn that's coming at some point soon.Uhura, who has been more involved with this mission than others, is feeling the strain of all the work. She's having difficulty sleeping, and has been watching videos that Hemmer recorded for her to teach her how to do basic engineering work. At the nebula, she starts hearing the Transformers noise, and experiences flashbacks to the accident that killed her family.Rather than keep these problems to herself, Uhura wisely goes to Dr. M'Benga for help, but he prescribes rest. The crew believes she's suffering from deuterium exposure as hallucinations are a common side-effect. But the visions get worse, and she starts seeing Zombie Hemmer - a welcome, if brief return for the much-missed Bruce Horak.The gas station should have been active a while ago, so Pike sends over Una to crack the whip and Pelia to lend her expertise. There's tension between the pair, Una acting like the sort of hard charging CEO who ignores Pelia's soon-proved-right opinion. One of the station's crew has been sabotaging things, and is seeing the same traumatic visions as Uhura.As much as the crew is sympathetic to the pair's plight, they still feel the cause is deuterium poisoning. The only person willing to explore another option is and special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk." He's over from the Farragut for, uh, reasons, but quickly forms a bond with Uhura, trusting her instincts that something strange is going on.ASIDE: Those reasons being that Anson Mount was on paternity leave for a chunk of Strange New Worlds' second season. The crew gave him a greatly-reduced workload, and you'll notice how little Pike has been present in many episodes. Much as Mount is the show's star, and a wonderful presence, his reduced visibility here has been a boon for the series overall. More of the ensemble has been given more time in the spotlight, and while the limited episode order hampers some of this broadening out, it's great to see a more democratic vision of the show.There's a touching scene, too, where La'an and Kirk talk about their divergent childhoods, and the absence of parents. George Kirk (still alive in this universe) was missing from much of Jim's childhood, roaming the universe to save others; La'an, meanwhile, was one of those people saved. It's a little, elegant reminder of why Starfleet exists, and why so many people in Trek's fictional world sign up to its mission.The rogue station crewmember breaks out of sickbay, shuts off the lights and looks to sabotage the Enterprise in the only underwhelming moment in the whole episode. It almost felt like a studio note to break up the pace of the episode with an action" sequence, albeit one that can be shot on standing sets. The team stumbles around in the darkness of the Enterprise corridors for a bit, before Kirk saves Uhura from an explosion.After much unraveling, it transpires that the gas station is built on the home of extra-dimensional aliens lurking within the deuterium. Their only way to communicate is to find sympathetic brains and provoke memories of grief, of loss, to try and explain their predicament. Both the station and the starships are pulling in deuterium for fuel, mincing up countless alien lifeforms for power.Uhura and Kirk go to Pike, who wastes no time in torching the station rather than allowing any more pointless deaths. Uhura can sleep well again, and even Zombie Hemmer has been turned back into Regular Hemmer, smiling in approval. There's just time for Jim to meet Spock for the first time before we pan out to the credits.At the risk of sounding like Bill Hader's impression of Alan Alda, Lost in Translation" is full of great writing. The screenplay, credited to Onitra Johnson and David Reed, is smarter and subtler than some recent Trek episodes I could mention. While some Strange New Worlds' episodes can sometimes leap to unintended conclusions while exploring a Big Idea, it works perfectly here. And I must say that it's a wonderful sight to see Pike choose to torch the station because it's very clearly the right thing to do. Much as we may miss the debating-hall sequences of golden-age Trek, isn't it nice to just see people do the thing that aligns with their values rather than spending 35 minutes talking about it beforehand?This is an exploration of empathy, and how some people get it, and the help that comes with it, while others are left to suffer in ignomy. It speaks to a sense that we're missing a general sense of empathy in public life, as a number of figures strive to out-do each other in their brutality. Is memory, then, the key to mercy? Are those who were brought up in perpetual comfort less able to feel pity? If it's the former, it's a deliciously subtle comment about those with short memories - often emboldened by a political and media culture that values forgetfulness - are forever doomed to make the same mistakes.ANOTHER ASIDE: A recurring theme in Strange New Worlds' second season is the function of memory, and not in the way you might expect from a prequel. Rather than amping up the nostalgia bait, the show is instead exploring how memory informs and shapes our society. The one downside of Among The Lotus Eaters" was that one episode simply couldn't contain a deeper exploration of its perpetually-amnesiac society.So, yeah, I'm a fan.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-finds-empathy-in-memory-130048301.html?src=rss

Netflix has removed its $10 Basic tier - once the service's cheapest plan without ads - in the US and the UK. The company has updated its pricing page to say new and rejoining members in both countries can no longer sign up for the Basic tier. If you're already on the plan, you can keep your membership as is (and pay $10 a month) until you cancel or change your subscription - or Netflix changes its mind, I'm guessing.If new members don't want to pay for a Standard plan, they must now make do with the Standard Ad-Supported tier, which costs $7 a month in the US and 5 in the UK. It supports Full HD streams and viewing on two devices at a time, like the no-ads Standard plan but lacks offline viewing. How many ads are you likely to see if you want to save money? Netflix says you'll get an average of four minutes of ads an hour at around 15 to 30 seconds each, which, of course, you can't skip. Streaming services are all looking to get more money out of us, whether they're closing off their cheapest plans or increasing their base prices. YouTube Premium seems to be following suit.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedThe best e-readers for 2023The best gaming handhelds in 2023ASUS will manufacture and develop new Intel NUC mini PCsDigital 'immortality' is coming, and we're not ready for itActivision Blizzard lays off around 50 esports staff amid a potential Overwatch League overhaul Google's Nearby Share app for Windows PCs is now officially availableHow to stream the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 The best gifts for coffee lovers in 2023 'Babylon 5' is finally coming to Blu-rayApple is reportedly making its own AI chatbot to rival ChatGPTIt's called Ajax.Apple is working on its very own chatbot, according to Bloomberg sources. Engineers have cheekily named the toolset AppleGPT, but it's actually called Ajax, as the large language model (LLM) was built using Google's JAX framework. Sources indicate Apple has multiple teams working on the project, with one team devoted to addressing potential privacy concerns. This move comes after Apple CEO, Tim Cook, told Good Morning America that generative AI is something the company is looking at closely." According to Bloomberg, John Giannandrea and Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, are leading the initiative.Continue reading.Nothing Phone 2 reviewAnother strong alternative to boring midrange phones.EngadgetIn 2023, when new generations of phones never seem quite as exciting as the last, Nothing has made the Phone 2 stand out. Its eye-catching design captures some of the best qualities of clear plastic gadgets from the 90s, but in a more sophisticated way. Nothing's Monochrome UI asks users to be more thoughtful about how they use their device while giving them tools like the Glyph interface that can surface info and notifications in novel ways. It's also very similar to the company's first phone.Continue reading.Beats Studio Pro review: Upgraded sound makes all the differenceThe changes that matter most are the ones you can't see.After almost six years, Beats is back with new over-ear noise-canceling headphones. A significant update from the Studio 3 Wireless, the new Studio Pro is a familiar formula reconfigured from the inside out. A second-generation version of Beats' own audio chip powers this new model, delivering improvements to active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and wired audio modes via USB-C connection. The one thing that hasn't particularly changed? The $350 price.Continue reading.Transformers' Grimlock gets an expensive auto-transforming toyThe $1,699 Dinobot stands 15 inches tall.RobosenRobosen announced a new auto-converting Transformer today. After launching its self-transforming Optimus Prime in 2021, the company set its sights on Grimlock, the Autobot-allied leader of the Dinobots, who changes from a robot into a mechanical T-Rex. The Grimlock collectible stands 15 inches tall in robot mode and 15.4 inches in dinosaur mode. Robosen describes its auto-transforming as the epitome of auto-conversion" - all for just $1,699, or $1,499 for pre-orders.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-netflix-axes-its-basic-plan-111511962.html?src=rss

Google has quietly increased the price of YouTube Premium by a significant $2 from $12 to $14, according to the updated signup page spotted by 9to5Google. The annual price jumped to $20, from $120 to $140 per month, a savings of about $28 over paying month-by-month. YouTube also increased the price of Music Premium from $10 to $11 per month, matching similar increases by Apple and Amazon. The price increases weren't accompanied by any kind of official announcement.On top of eliminating ads, YouTube Premium offers features like offline viewing and background playback (without it, your video will stop playing when the app is minimized or your phone screen is off). It also allows higher-quality 1080p streaming on some platforms.Last year, Google hiked the family Premium plan to $23 per month, and charged existing month-by-month subscribers the new fee the following month. Previously, the company was more generous - when it rebranded YouTube Red to Premium in 2018, it kept the former's $10 price for subscribers and is still honoring it for some users, according to 9to5Google.At the same time that it's boosting prices, YouTube has been cracking down on ad-blockers that lets you view videos without ads. Some users have seen a pop-up indicating YouTube will block their ability to play videos unless they disable their ad blocker or whitelist the site. "Ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide," it reads. To go ad-free, the company tells users to get a YouTube Premium subscription so "creators can still get paid."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-premium-quietly-goes-up-in-price-to-14-per-month-100531473.html?src=rss

Kevin Mitnick, who was once one of the world's most wanted computer hackers, has passed away at 59 on July 16th. According to his obituary, Mitnick battled pancreatic cancer for more than a year and was undergoing treatment at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "[M]uch of his life reads like a fiction story," his obituary reads, and that's perhaps the perfect way to describe his tale. The first time Mitnick infiltrated a computer system was way back in 1979, but it wasn't until 1988 that he was convicted and sentenced to 12 months in prison for copying a company's software.He broke into Pacific Bell's voicemail computers when he was under supervised release and then continued to hack into cell networks, as well as company and government websites, as a fugitive in the 90s. Mitnick was also involved in the theft of thousands of files and credit card numbers, but his obituary says he "never took one dime from any of his 'victims.'" He was eventually caught in 1995 and charged with illegal use of a telephone access device and computer fraud. Apparently, authorities believed he had access to corporate trade secrets worth millions of dollars at the time.Mitnick spent five years in prison, which he described as a "vacation" by the time he was freed. From there, he changed the course of his career and chose to become a White Hat hacker and cybersecurity consultant. In 2011, he became part owner and chief hacking officer of KnowBe4, which provides security awareness training and a simulated phishing platform to clients. Before all these happened, Mitnick figured out how to game LA's public transportation system at 12 years old by memorizing bus schedules and punch cards and then obtaining his own punch tool systems so he could ride buses all day. Mitnick is survived by his wife, Kimberley Mitnick, and their unborn child.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/kevin-mitnick-formerly-the-worlds-most-wanted-hacker-has-passed-away-084912966.html?src=rss

Google is testing a new AI technology codenamed "Genesis" that can generate news articles, according to The New York Times. The tech giant has reportedly demonstrated the tool not just for The Times, but also for executives at The Washington Post and News Corp, which owns The Wall Street Journal. Based on reports from people who witnessed the pitch, Genesis can whip up copy from the data fed to it, whether it's current events or other types of information. Apparently, Google believes journalists could use it as some sort of an assistant to automate tasks and free them up for other things.Some of the people who saw the demonstration described it as "unsettling." They also said that it seemed to disregard the kind of work that goes into writing accurate, digestible pieces. Jeff Jarvis, a journalist professor at the City University of New York, told The Times that journalists should use the tool "[i]f this technology can deliver factual information reliably." Since Google has yet to launch Genesis, we can't say if it actually can, or if it could easily lead to the dissemination of misinformation. As The Times notes, Google has been moving quickly to deploy AI technology in an effort to catch up with the Microsoft-backed company OpenAI. Its generative AI tech, Bard, was caught spouting misinformation as soon as it debuted on Twitter.Recent attempts by some publications to use AI tools hadn't ended up well. CNEThad to issue corrections after being made aware of substantial errors in most of 77 machine-written articles it published under the CNET Money byline. And just earlier this month, Gizmodo's io9published a Star Wars piece full of errors attributed to the "Gizmodo Bot." io9 deputy editor James Whitbrook said the website's editorial team played no part in its publishing, and hence was given no chance to edit it for corrections before it went out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-is-reportedly-testing-an-ai-tool-that-can-generate-news-articles-054602544.html?src=rss

Microsoft is taking another turn at testing its HoloLens-based combat goggles with the US military. The company has confirmed to Engadget that it's delivering improved IVAS (Integrated Visual Augmentation System) 1.2 devices to the Army before the end of July. These updated augmented reality models are "slimmer, lighter and more balanced" than before, Microsoft says. That, in turn, should make them more comfortable and improve soldiers' performance.The Army tellsBloomberg two squads will test 20 prototype IVAS goggles in late August. They'll gauge low-light functionality, reliability and whether or not they make soldiers feel ill. Some testers complained last year of nausea, headaches and eye strain, while others weren't happy with the bulk, narrow field of view and a display glow that could give away a soldier's presence at night. Key features also failed relatively frequently.The HoloLens tech is meant to improve battlefield awareness. Infantry can see each other's positions, get vital health stats and use night vision that's less conspicuous. They can better coordinate assaults and warn if there are signs of injury or fatigue. The technology might reach the field within a few years if the August test is successful. The Army would award a contract between July and September 2024 for a second field study, and could move to an operational combat test as soon as April 2025. The Army could deploy IVAS months afterward.Much is riding on this test, however. While the Army could spend as much as $21.9 billion in ten years for up to 121,000 IVAS units, Congress blocked further orders of the earlier goggles in January following reports of problems. Politicians instead gave Microsoft $40 million to rework the hardware. If there are still issues, the Army could cancel the program. It would not only cost Microsoft a lucrative contract, but would cast further doubt on HoloLens itself. The team lost lead developer Alex Kipman last year following misconduct allegations, and layoffs early this year dealt a serious blow to the mixed reality division.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-will-deliver-improved-hololens-combat-goggles-to-army-testers-this-month-211521914.html?src=rss

In a surprise announcement during Tesla's Q2 2023 investor call, company head Elon Musk revealed that Tesla plans to license its Full Self-Driving system to other automakers and OEMs. "We are very open to licensing our FSD software and hardware to other car companies," Musk said, "and we're already in discussions with a major OEM about using a Tesla FSD." Musk also announced a "one-time amnesty," during Q3 which will allow owners to transfer their existing FSD subscription to a newly purchased Tesla.Tesla remains the top US EV producer with a new internal record internal record with 479,700 vehicles built and 466,140 of them delivered in Q2, up ~87 percent YoY. During the call, CEO Elon Musk noted that during Q1, the Model Y became the best selling vehicle "of any kind... surpassing the likes of Corolla."The first production Cybertruck rolled off the assembly line this quarter as well, though you couldn't see much of the vehicle from its official release photo. The Cybertruck line has entered tooling, according to the company, and is expected to begin steady production sometime next year.Tesla is currently testing the vehicle line ahead of regulatory certification and validation. "This is the first truck, that we're aware of, that will have four doors, over a six foot bed but fits into a 20-foot garage," Musk said. "It's bigger on the outside, but it's even bigger on the inside."The company made headlines in Q2 after opening its previously-proprietary charging port design to the rest of the industry. Mercedes, Volvo, Rivian, Ford and GM vehicles will use the design for their North American models beginning in the 2024 model year. Texas went so far as to require its state-funded EV charging stations accommodate the standard. Tesla's charging network station capacity has grown by a third from this time last year, with 48,082 chargers in total spread across 5,265 stations, globally.This past quarter has seen a number of scandals at the company including its executives accused of being overpaid by a cool $735 million dollars since 2017 as well as Elon being suspected of misappropriating company funds to build a glass house. Not a fancy aboratorium, not a metaphor for Twitter, a literal "glass house."Wednesday's investor deck specifically noted Tesla's "commitment to being at the forefront of AI development" with the start of production for its Dojo training computers, which will be used to help Autopilot developers iterate future designs and features. "Our artificial intelligence development is entering a new era and we're incredibly excited about what's to come," Musk said during the call.Musk admitted that the company still only has around 10 early prototypes in use, "but there's more and more every month" despite the company being unable to find sources for the Optimus robot's acuators. "We actually have to design our own," he said. He expects to have an Optimus with those in-house designed actuators installed "and walking around" by November and, "have something useful in our factories sometime next year."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-built-and-delivered-a-nearly-half-a-million-evs-in-q2-205948639.html?src=rss

Netflix's attempts to crack down on password sharing is starting to pay off. The company reported substantial growth in subscribers in the months following its push to stop users from sharing accounts with people outside of their household.The streaming company added nearly 6 million paying subscribers, an increase of 8 percent, during the second quarter of 2023. The results confirm earlier reports from third-party data that suggested the tightened restrictions were working.In a letter to shareholders, the company said that its push to stop password sharing hasn't resulted in mass cancellations and has instead encouraged more people to sign up for their own account. The cancel reaction was low and while we're still in the early stages of monetization, we're seeing healthy conversion of borrower households into full paying Netflix memberships as well as the uptake of our extra member feature," the company wrote.In addition to restricting account sharing, the company has started offering paid sharing," which allows subscribers to pay to add an extra member" to their account for $8 a month. That option is now available in more than 100 countries, according to Netflix. The company has also been streamlining its plans, confirming that it canceled its $10 basic" plan in the United States and UK after first axing the plan in Canada.Now, Netflix says it will continue to restrict password sharing in the few remaining countries where it hasn't already done so, including India, Indonesia, Kenya and Croatia. The company notes it won't be offering its extra member" option in these regions as it's already slashed prices in many of these countries. Instead, the company says people can use its tool to transfer their profile to a fresh account.The streamer also briefly touched on the ongoing strikes among Hollywood's actors and writers, noting that it had lowered the estimates - by $1.5 billon - of how much cash it was expecting to spend due to the ongoing strike. But during a live streamed interview on the company's results, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the company didn't want a strike. "We're at the table and we're going to try to get to an equitable solution," he said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-added-nearly-6-million-new-subscribers-amid-password-sharing-crackdown-204411234.html?src=rss

Blizzard is bringing some of its PC games to Steam for the first time. The company announced today that the transition will start with Overwatch 2 on August 10th, but did not go into detail as to what other titles may be coming to the platform.President of Blizzard Mike Ybarra said in a press release that Battle.net will remain a priority for them but that we've heard players want the choice of Steam for a selection of our games." The company wants to remind users that while Overwatch 2 will be available on Steam, it still requires that you have a Battle.net account in order to play the game and access features such as cross-platform play. Players will also have access to their Steam friends list and will be able to invite friends on Steam. Blizzard did not announce Steam Deck support, though that won't stop players from trying to get the game running on it.Along with Steam support, Overwatch 2 is getting a big update on the same day. Players can expect PvE missions, a new PvP mode and a new hero. Blizzard calls it Overwatch 2: Invasion and says that it will be a great opportunity for new players."Blizzard hasn't announced what or when other titles will be coming to Steam, noting that it will be sharing that information when the time is right." Those eager to download the game on Steam can add it to their wishlist now and you'll be notified when the game comes out on August 10th.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blizzard-is-bringing-overwatch-2-to-steam-on-august-10th-192520735.html?src=rss

It's a sporting spectacle that only happens once every four years. The FIFA Women's World Cup returns this week as the United States Women's National Team seeks a historic third-straight title. Will the US be able to repeat the magic it unlocked in 2015 and 2019? Is it finally coming home" for the Lionesses of England? Will an unexpected contender shock the world? We've got all the information you need to know about when and how to stream the entire women's soccer tournament, starting with the first matches early tomorrow morning Eastern Time (Thursday, July 20th).When does the Women's World Cup start?ASSOCIATED PRESSThe 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup begins Thursday, July 20th at 3AM ET. Why so early? The tournament is being hosted by Australia and New Zealand, which will certainly put a strain on fans in the US wanting to watch the action live. As is tradition, the host plays on the first day and that means there will be two games instead of the typical one since there are two hosts. New Zealand plays Norway first and Australia follows against Ireland at 6AM ET. The US Women's National Team kicks off its group play schedule Friday, July 21st at 9PM ET versus Vietnam and England steps on the pitch for the first time Saturday, July 22nd with Haiti at 5:30AM ET.The group stage consists of three matches for each team and continues through Thursday, August 3rd. The Round of 16 begins Saturday, August 5th and ends on Tuesday, August 8th. Quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, August 10th-12th with the two semi-final matches taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 15th and 16th. The third-place game is Saturday, August 19th while the championship final is Sunday, August 20th.How to stream the 2023 Women's World CupASSOCIATED PRESSFox Sports is the broadcaster for the Women's World Cup in the US and all games will air on either FOX or FS1. The company says the entire tournament will be available for streaming on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, but you'll need to sign in with your TV provider to watch in those places. Full replays will be available in those two spots as well, which will come in handy if you plan to skip a 3:30AM ET kickoff.Any live television streaming service that carries FOX networks - like Hulu, Sling or YouTube TV - will also show all of the games as they happen. Most of those services offer cloud-based DVR, so you can record any games you want to sleep through.Unlike what Turner does for select games of March Madness, there's no free streaming option for any of the scheduled matches during the Women's World Cup. In order to watch some of the games without paying, you'll need an old-fashioned antenna that picks up the main FOX channel in your area. For US fans, all of the United States' group-stage matches are scheduled to air on FOX and all of the knockout rounds (quarterfinals through the final) will be there as well. Of course, taking this route means you'll miss a lot of the action that will be broadcast on FS1 (35 games).For fans in the UK, the BBC is the broadcaster for the Women's World Cup. It plans to show 33 live games across BBC TV and iPlayer with audio coverage for some matches on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds. In terms of streaming, all of those games will be available live on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. The BBC will offer highlights of all 64 matches in the tournament which will be available to watch when each one concludes. The other 31 games will be shown on ITV.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-stream-the-fifa-womens-world-cup-2023-190052838.html?src=rss

Robosen announced a new auto-converting Transformer today. After launching its self-transforming Optimus Prime in 2021, the company set its sights on Grimlock, the Autobot-allied leader of the Dinobots who changes from a robot into a mechanical T-Rex. However, its $1,699 sticker price (a mere $1,499 for pre-orders) also allows it to transform your finances for the worse.The Grimlock collectible stands 15 inches tall in robot mode and 15.4 inches in dinosaur mode. Robosen describes its auto-transforming as the epitome of auto-conversion" while calling the product the world's first dual-form, bipedal walking robot." (The Optimus Prime version walks as a robot but drives in truck form.) The manufacturer says Grimlock includes 85 microchips, 34 high-precision intelligent servos while running on advanced SOC chip technology" and a comprehensive robot operating system." In addition, it has six-axis IMU sensors for balance monitoring.This Grimlock is based on the Transformers G1 version, which debuted in 1985. The collectible includes the original toy's Energon sword, galaxial rocket launcher, and crown accessories. Robosen and Hasbro even brought back the original voice actor from the G1 animated series, the now 72-year-old Gregg Berger, to record 150+ original Generation 1 Transformers audio lines" for the expensive toy. For the uninitiated, the character is known for a simplistic speaking style, including the well-trodden phrase, Me Grimlock!"Robosen / HasbroIn addition to hearing Grimlock's classic voice (synchronized with robotic actions"), you can also control it by speaking to it. The product recognizes 42 voice commands, letting you tell it to transform, walk and perform various stunning stunts." You can also create new poses and actions for the Dinobot using four programming modes (block-based, manual, voice and computer-based). And if money truly is no object, you can pair it with the $699 Optimus Prime robot to watch them reenact your favorite classic Transformers battle scenes. This would be wonderful for children, but its pricing mostly limits it to nostalgia-stricken adults with more money than meets the eye.The Grimlock auto-converting robot is available for pre-order now from Robosen and Hasbro. It's expected to ship in late fall. Although its pricing may be a tough sell, at least they're throwing in a limited edition collector's coin so you can demonstrate that you spent the equivalent of a month's rent on a robotic T-Rex that speaks about itself in the third person.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/robosens-auto-transforming-grimlock-will-set-you-back-about-a-mortgage-payment-182443528.html?src=rss

Google says its Nearby Share app for Windows PCs is now officially available. A PC version of the app, which makes it a cinch to share files between devices like Android phones and Chromebooks, has been in beta for a few months, but it's now ready for prime time.More than 1.7 million people installed the beta, Google says. They've used it to transfer more than 50 million files, primarily photos and videos.Google has added some new features to Nearby Share for Windows as it officially rolls out the app. You'll now see an estimated time for how long it will take to complete a file transfer. Device notifications will include an image preview to help you make sure you're sharing the correct file. Google plans to add more features and it's working with some PC manufacturers, including HP, to include the app on their systems.To use Nearby Share for Windows, you'll need to enable your PC's WiFi and Bluetooth functions. Once you're set up, you just need to drag a file into the app or right-click it and select the Nearby Share option to send it to a nearby device.If you're logged into the same Google account on PC and your Android phone (or tablet or Chromebook), transfers will automatically be accepted on the receiving device. Either way, devices that you're transferring files between have to be within 16 feet of each other. There are device visibility settings to help prevent spam and unwanted file transfers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-nearby-share-app-for-windows-pcs-is-now-officially-available-180032189.html?src=rss

Throughout the burgeoning AI wars", Apple has remained suspiciously silent, until now. The company is creating its very own chatbot, as originally reported by Bloomberg. Engineers have cheekily named the toolset AppleGPT," but it's actually called Ajax, as the large language model (LLM) was built using Google's JAX framework. Sources indicate that Apple has multiple teams working on the project, with one team devoted to addressing potential privacy concerns.What will Apple actually do with the bot? That remains unclear as the company doesn't seem to have any solid plans regarding use case scenarios, launch dates or platforms. An unnamed source told Bloomberg to expect an official announcement, along with more details, next year. Apple also holds its annual earnings call next month, which could shed some light on Ajax.This move comes after Apple CEO Tim Cook told Good Morning America that the generative AI is something the company is looking at closely." According to Bloomberg, John Giannandrea and Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, are leading the initiative. Giannandrea was originally hired to oversee Siri and its machine learning capabilities, so maybe the beleaguered digital assistant is about to get a whole lot more useful.The generative AI space has exploded in recent months, with just about every big tech company joining the hype train. Just yesterday, Meta and Microsoft released Llama 2, an AI chatbot intended for commercial use.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-reportedly-developing-its-own-generative-ai-chatbot-to-rival-chatgpt-174507671.html?src=rss

A three-judge panel with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Meta-owned Instagram after a pair of photographers accused the social media giant of copyright infringement, as reported by Gizmodo. The basic gist of the case was that Instagram violated copyrights by letting outside websites and publications embed images without the explicit consent of content creators.The case dates back to 2016, when Time embedded an Instagram image of Hillary Clinton taken by photographer Matthew Brauer without asking for permission. In 2020, Buzzfeed did the same thing with a photo taken by Alexis Hunley of a Black Lives Matter protest. The pair of photogs sued Instagram, alleging that the social media company never asked third parties to obtain a license to embed copyrighted photos or videos, opening them up to a charge of secondary infringement.The suit was originally initiated in California back in 2021, but a judge dismissed it on the grounds that the news outlets in question didn't store the original image or even display a copy of it. Rather, it was just displaying what was already available via Instagram as an embed. The pair appealed this decision, which has now failed in federal court. The reasoning follows the same line as California's decision, with judges agreeing that when a photo or video is embedded, no copy is made of the underlying content.It's worth noting, however, that the federal panel of judges did say that Hunley and Brauer raised serious and well-argued" policy concerns regarding copyright holders' ability to actually control and ultimately profit from their work. Instagram has also addressed the issue in convening years, adding an option in 2021 that allows users to make images unembeddable. This change came after the platform was lobbied by the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) and the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA).This may not be the end of the case, as Reuters reports that the photographers can petition for a rehearing with a panel of 11 randomly-selected judges, though Brauer and Hunley haven't addressed this course of action.There's also the underlying meaning of this court decision. All by itself, the ruling indicates that third parties, such as media publications, can embed photos and videos at will without ever asking the original content creator for permission. However, related cases have been popping up with differing outcomes, setting the stage for a higher-court showdown at some point.For instance, a New York judge handed down a somewhat contradictory ruling back in 2018 when a photographer sued various publications after they embedded tweets with an original image of NFL legend Tom Brady. The judge sided with the photographer here, stating in her decision that the fact that the image was hosted on a server owned and operated by an unrelated third party does not shield them from this result," adding nowhere does the Copyright Act suggest that possession of an image is necessary in order to display it. Indeed, the purpose and language of the Act support the opposite view."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-beats-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-involving-embedded-photos-170547770.html?src=rss

Being a smartphone startup is hard, particularly when you're up against tech giants like Apple, Google and Samsung. But after selling more than 500,000Phone 1s last year, Nothing has returned with a sequel: the Phone 2. And while it looks similar to the previous model, it feels like Nothing is finally figuring out its groove. Not only does it have a significantly faster CPU, its cameras have been improved, and we're finally seeing Nothing's vision of a more thoughtful and deliberate UI. Even the phone's most distinctive feature - its Glyph interface - offers enhanced customization and added functionality. But perhaps most importantly, the Phone 2 will officially be available in the US. And while this added sophistication comes at an increased cost, it's still very affordable at $600. In a sea of Android phones that often blend together, getting an eye-catching device for a reasonable price is definitely something notable.DesignCompared to most phones that are clad in a blank sheet of glass, the Phone 2 (which is available in white or a new gray color) is a stunner. Its transparent Gorilla Glass back reveals a monotone assortment of components, allowing you to see things like its magnetic charging coil, power cables and more. It's not messy, though. Everything is buttoned up just enough, and there are human touches like arranging some of the components to look like an elephant. I've been told there are other creatures hiding as well, but I haven't spotted them yet. It's like having a cyberpunk art installation in your pocket.Of course, there's also the Glyph interface which consists of a number of LED strips that pulse, strobe and glow. For this model, Nothing more than doubled the number of lights from five to 11, while also adding support for addressable zones, which allows for gradient effects. Unfortunately, there's still only one color to choose from: white.As for the rest of the device, it's very similar to the Phone 1 including a metal frame with flat boxy sides and an iPhone-like button layout for power and volume. The one big change is that Nothing used 2.5D glass with rounded edges in back which sports curves that sit more naturally in your hand without digging in.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetMeanwhile, its 6.7-inch OLED display delivers excellent brightness (with peaks of well over 1,000 nits in my testing), rich colors and a speedy 120Hz refresh rate. You also get an in-screen fingerprint reader for simple and secure biometrics which is both fast and accurate.PerformanceThe Phone 2 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 8GB or 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Sure, its chip is a year old, but it handled games and editing photos without a hint of lag. When combined with speedy UI animations and a lightweight Android skin, the Phone 2 feels incredibly responsive and snappier than some flagship phones that cost a whole lot more. Additionally, while the phone is only available as an unlocked model, it has been certified to work on both T-Mobile and AT&T's networks (sorry Verizon folk), so it's pretty flexible when it comes to bringing it over to your carrier.CamerasPhoto by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetTuning a phone's cameras and image processing can be extremely difficult when you don't have the same level of resources as a trillion-dollar megacorp. And while the Phone 2's 50MP main cam and 50MP ultra-wide cams are decent, they're still a tier or two below what you get from a Pixel 7. During the day, the Phone 2 captures images with bright, rich colors and good sharpness. It's only when you zoom to 100 percent that you notice things like color fringing and worse dynamic range. Nothing has a hard time keeping up with Google's Night Sight mode in low light too, sometimes struggling when trying to nail white balance while also preserving detail. Still, coming from the Phone 1, it's a big improvement and if you aren't an avid photographer, the Phone 2 is still serviceable.SoftwareCompared to the previous model, the Phone 2's software may have the biggest number of improvements. This time instead of a barebones version of stock Android, Nothing has included its Monochrome UI which consists of new widgets, wallpapers, icon packs and more that create a distinctive experience that ties into the phone's exterior design. Not only does it look great, you can also make all the app icons grayscale and even remove the name of the app entirely. The idea is that, by making apps a touch harder to find, you're forced to be more deliberate about how and when you use your phone. That's a refreshing change from just reflexively doom scrolling through social media every time you have a spare minute.Nothing also added a new tab in the settings menu for its Glyph interface so you can get more granular control over all those LEDs. Features range from simple things like using its rear lights to show battery status or volume to more sophisticated things like what Nothing calls Essential notifications." That allows you to set specific apps to activate LEDs on the back of the phone. This way, you can put the phone facedown on a table and really pay attention to the people you're with. This was convenient for me because since my wife and I seem to be the only people we know that use Google Chat, I set that as my essential notification so I never miss her messages.And while it's limited to a single app for now, Nothing is even integrating its Glyph interface with a third-party app in Uber, so you can see a real-time arrival estimate for a car just by looking at the back of the phone. It's a neat trick that could have a ton of potential. Instead of using a special API, the LEDs are simply getting info from your notifications to update the lights. That makes it easier to develop more custom Glyph integrations without needing to partner with every single app developer. So while third-party app integration is still a work in development, it's off to an interesting start.Finally, while it's not quite as long as what you get from Google or Samsung, Nothing is promising three years of OS updates along with four years of regular security patches.Battery LifePhoto by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetI wasn't sure what kind of endurance I was going to get from the Phone 2 between its 4,700 mAh battery and slightly older, less power-efficient chip. But on our video rundown test, Nothing crushed it with a time of 24 hours and 25 minutes. That's the second longest time we've seen in recent history, only behind the Samsung's Galaxy S23+ (25:02). On top of that you get 15-watt wireless charging, 45-watt wired charging and 5-watt reverse wireless charging.Wrap-upIn a time when new generations of phones never seem quite as exciting as the last, Nothing has still managed to make the Phone 2 stand out. Its eye-catching design captures some of the best qualities of clear plastic gadgets from the 90s, like Gameboys and Nintendo 64's, but in a much more sophisticated way. Meanwhile, Nothing's Monochrome UI asks users to be more thoughtful about how they use their device while giving them tools like the Glyph interface that can surface info and notifications in novel ways. And even though its specs don't jump out at you, it never felt slow and it's well-equipped with handy features like reverse wireless charging.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetThat said, for $600, the Pixel 7 is still the better value. It's got a newer chip along with a much more sophisticated software package which includes features like Call Screener and robust language detection, and its cameras are in a class of their own. But its screen is smaller and its battery life isn't quite as long. And you know what, that's totally fine because the Phone 2 isn't for everyone. It's a phone that wants you to think differently about how you use your device while giving you the tools to do so. It's the offbeat choice, and for people who want to be excited by their phone again, it's definitely an interesting mainstream alternative.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nothing-phone-2-review-an-offbeat-alternative-to-boring-midrange-phones-specs-price-160002218.html?src=rss

Amid the pending takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft, the former has laid off around 50 employees from its esports division. The company is also preparing for some potential huge changes to the Overwatch League (OWL), which may bring an end to its city-based franchise format.Employees were informed of the layoffs on Tuesday, according to The Verge. One now-former member of the team told the publication that the layoffs came out of nowhere and suggested that a skeleton crew could close out the OWL and World Series of Warzone seasons. However, they added that "in my eyes, they are completely unequipped to internally support anything esports after that." Activision Blizzard also laid off around 50 people from its esports teams in March 2021.The company noted in an earnings report released today that it modified its agreements with Overwatch League team owners last quarter. "According to the amended terms, following the conclusion of the current Overwatch League season, the teams will vote on an updated operating agreement," the report reads. "If the teams do not vote to continue under an updated operating agreement, a termination fee of $6 million will be payable to each participating team entity." The company added that OWL's total revenue accounts for under one percent of its consolidated net revenues.Reports recently suggested that the Overwatch League waived its remaining franchise fees, with teams still owning between $6 million and $7.5 million after payments were deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A spot in the league was originally said to cost $20 million, and that reportedly jumped to over $30 million for expansion teams that joined in the second season in 2019.Hunter Martin via Getty ImagesAlthough it got off to a strong start, OWL has been on shaky ground for some time. In its first two seasons, many matches aired on ESPN and other networks and the season-ending Grand Finals were shown on ABC. After two seasons of OWL hosting almost every match from a television studio, the third season was supposed to be when the ambitious grand vision of OWL came together, with players competing in each team's city every week.However, that was in 2020 and the format only lasted a few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. The forced change to an online-only format in 2020 closed off a key and long-promised revenue stream to OWL team owners, as they were unable to generate income from live events. Live events gradually started returning in 2021.There have been many other hiccups. When OWL moved from Twitch to YouTube in 2020, viewership dropped substantially. While there have been some significant peaks in viewership over the last few years, the league still appears to be struggling to attract eyeballs. Sponsors such as Coca-Cola, T-Mobile and Kellogg's fled the ship in 2021 following a lawsuit that included allegations of widespread sexual harassment and discrimination at Activision Blizzard.China has been one of the strongest markets for OWL viewership over the last few years. However, Overwatch 2and most other Blizzard games are not currently available in the country after a partnership with NetEase, which published the games there, came to an end. That could have impacted interest in the Overwatch ecosystem in the country overall. (In its earnings statement, Activision Blizzard noted that "engagement and player investment in Overwatch 2 declined sequentially" in the second quarter of the year, but hopes a soft relaunch with a major update next month will bring players back.)Blizzard tried to bolster excitement around OWL this year by opening a pathway for teams from the second-tier Contenders division to compete in the highest level of Overwatch esports for the first time. In June, after failing to field a team in the first half of the season, it emerged that the Chengdu Hunters became the first franchise to leave the Overwatch League for good.OWL team owners have long claimed that they're not making enough money from the league. Earlier this year, esports journalist Jacob Wolf reported that OWL teams brought in a law firm to negotiate with Activision Blizzard for some kind of economic relief "after years of high operating costs and continually missed promises on revenue." Sports Business Journalnoted that teams receive around $1 million from OWL but it costs between $3 million and $5 million a year to run a competitive team, meaning that most are running at a loss.Given the financial implications, it would not be surprising if OWL teams vote to end their agreement with the league. While that would certainly end the Overwatch League in its current format, Activision Blizzard is still planning to support Overwatch esports.I want to be clear on one thing in particular, that Overwatch remains committed to a competitive ecosystem in 2024 and beyond," OWL commissioner Sean Miller told The Verge. And we're building toward a revitalized global scene that prioritizes players and fans." Miller noted that Blizzard was looking at various options for the future of Overwatch esports and added he was very optimistic: "We are doing all we can to make the player experience and the fan experience one that people want to return to, want to be a part of and get excited about to turn on."All the same, the Overwatch esports ecosystem could look very different next year. This year's Grand Finals in Toronto could be the end of OWL as we know it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/activision-blizzard-lays-off-around-50-esports-staff-amid-a-potential-overwatch-league-overhaul-152039688.html?src=rss

After almost six years, Beats is back with new over-ear, noise-canceling headphones. A significant update from the Studio 3 Wireless, the new Studio Pro is a familiar formula that's been reconfigured from the inside out. A second-generation version of Beats' own audio chip powers this new model, delivering improvements to active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and wired audio modes via USB-C connection. Small design tweaks and slightly better battery life are also on the spec sheet, while the price remains $350 for Beats' flagship headphones.DesignTo refresh the aesthetics, Beats enlisted the help of Samuel Ross, a fashion and product designer who has worked with Hublot, Nike, Oakley and others. The result is an updated look with new colors, materials, packaging and branding. While the tweaks are subtle and the folding design remains the same overall, there are a few notable changes to point out. First, Studio Pro is available in four new colors and even the black option now has a matte finish. Where the headband hinge used to have a contrasting color for most of the variants, that's now a tone-on-tone finish and the model name has been removed. The iconic lowercase b" logo remains on both sides, though.Another key change is to the earpads. Beats and Ross opted for a seamless design here, with cushions made of a new UltraPlush memory foam, though they're still wrapped in leather. Beats is clear the clamping force from previous Beats models remains the same, unfortunately and the weight hasn't changed. Indeed, the new ear pads help to a degree, but after about an hour of use, I start to feel the pressure that's been an issue with Beats headphones for years.Since Beats headphones first debuted, the company's models have become mainstays for gym goers and pro athletes. You won't catch warm-ups for many professional sports events without at least one person wearing Beats headphones. Still, the company hasn't issued a proper IP rating for sweat and water resistance. Beats says it's confident the Studio Pro will be just fine for workouts, but it's also clear that earpad replacements won't be available through the company. You'll need to find a third-party supplier should they get too grimey.Physical on-board controls are back on the Studio Pro. On the outside of the left ear cup, a multi-function button in the center handles single, double and triple taps to control music and calls. A long press here will activate your voice assistant, even though the headphones support hands-free Siri on Apple devices. Above and below this center button are the volume controls, while the noise modes are toggled with a double press of the power button on the right ear cup. If you're in USB-C audio mode, two taps of that button will cycle between three EQ presets specifically designed for wired use (Signature, Entertainment and Conversation). A line of five LEDs below the power control blinks when you're in pairing mode and gives you a battery life estimate with a single press when the headphones are powered on.Software and featuresPhoto by Billy Steele/EngadgetBeats continues its move away from Apple's audio chips with the Studio Pro. These headphones contain the company's own second-gen platform instead, but a lot of the features that Apple silicon offers are still here. Hands-free Siri, one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing, Apple Watch hand-off and Find My compatibility are all baked into iOS. Multipoint pairing and automatic switching between devices isn't available on iOS, iPad and Mac right now, but Beats says it may arrive later. There's no need to download a separate app on iOS to access the settings though, they're also available in the Control Center. For Android users, the Beats app offers one-touch pairing via Google Fast Pair, automatic connection to Android or Chrome devices through your Google account, seamless device transitions, Find My Device, customization and widgets.Beats has added Transparency Mode to the Studio Pro, giving its over-ear headphones a very useful tool that was missing from the Studio 3. The company's audio chip also powers Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. While the previous model supported immersive sound, it didn't offer head tracking or the ability to personalize audio, the latter of which Apple debuted last year.For the first time, Beats has enabled USB-C wired audio on the Studio Pro. In addition to listening to high-resolution and lossless tunes, you can also take calls while the headphones are actively charging. The Studio Pro has a built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that can accommodate sample rates up to 24-bit/48kHz. That's enough to handle the high-res streaming from Apple Music, Amazon Music HD and Tidal. Beats has also included three USB-C sounds profiles for wired listening: Signature, Entertainment and Conversation. As the names suggest, each one is tailored to music, movies/TV shows and calls, adjusting the frequency curve for what the company thinks is the best in each scenario. And yes, there's still 3.5mm playback, which can be used with ANC and Transparency Mode as needed.Sound qualityPhoto by Billy Steele/EngadgetInside, Beats swapped out the drivers for new 40mm units. A two-layer diaphragm combines with micro vents and fine acoustic mesh to streamline the airflow and minimize distortion. The company says the new drivers can provide near-zero" distortion even at high volumes, which is an up to 80 percent improvement from the Studio 3. That claim holds true as the Studio Pro doesn't distort when you crank it up to the eye-watering full volume. However, what the new components have done to improve clarity while providing a more balanced sound profile is more impressive.In its early days, Beats had a reputation for being too heavy-handed with the bass. While that hasn't been the case for a while, the company still has a propensity to highlight low-end. For the Studio Pro, there's still ample bass when a track calls for it, but that boom doesn't come at the sacrifice of mids and highs - or more importantly detail. Even the driving thump of the kick drum on TesseracT's War of Being" has noticeable texture throughout the song. It's not just a repetitive boom.Overall, the attention to clarity and the even-handed tuning across the EQ curve gives the Studio Pro quite immersive sound out of the box. Everything seems open and airy, with even the instruments in chaotic metal tracks remaining perfectly discernible. Turn on something softer like Charles Wesley Godwin's Live From The Church or Nickel Creek's Celebrants (country and bluegrass, respectively), and you immediately hear the layers of acoustic instruments and finer detail unique to each. Those records can sound like you're in the room while they're being recorded on the best-sounding headphones, and there's a sense of that on the Studio Pro. As you might expect, this latest Beats model excels with hip-hop tracks. The droning bass lines on albums like Killer Mike's MICHAEL lay a thick foundation for the rest of the song to be built.While Spatial Audio returns, chances are it won't sway your buying decision. The integration is similar to previous Beats and Apple earbuds and headphones, with Personalized Spatial Audio added in this time around. The technology still simulates the sound of 64 speakers, capable of moving with you if you have head tracking enabled. If you've experienced Spatial Audio before, you know exactly what to expect: slightly louder, more airy tunes where the technology's immersive nature can vary from album to album and genre to genre. When it hits though, like on Pearl Jam's Even Flow," older tracks have new life. With boygenius' The Record though, I can't tell the difference when Spatial Audio is on. I'm also less sold on the dynamic head tracking Beats added on the Studio Pro.Photo by Billy Steele/EngadgetThen there are the new USB-C EQ profiles. When you're connected to a computer or other compatible device, ANC and Transparency mode are disabled. Instead, the power button on the Studio Pro cycles through wired presets for music, entertainment and calls. That 5-LED array below the power control indicates which profile you're on and will be essential until you memorize the audible tones for each one. Signature and Conversation work best for music and calls respectively, while I'm less impressed by the Entertainment setting. All three are fine, but those two are the ones I found myself coming back to in wired mode. Like Spatial Audio content in Dolby Atmos, mileage can vary listening to lossless tunes via Apple Music. Some albums are noticeably better with wired USB-C, while others sound nearly identical to streaming over Bluetooth.Although Beats doesn't quantify with a number, it says ANC performance is improved on the Studio Pro when compared to the Studio 3. Fully adaptive active noise cancellation uses outward facing mics to monitor your environment while inward pointing units catch any sounds that might sneak through due to fit. The company explains that the ANC boost is also partially due to updated microphones all around as they have higher sensitivity and a better signal-to-noise ratio. While the Studio Pro doesn't beat the noise-blocking powers of Bose or Sony, the ANC on the Studio Pro is noticeably better than the Studio 3 - especially for things like television noise and human voices. And similar to the previous model, the latest Beats headphones analyze audio up to 48,000 times per second to maintain pristine clarity.Lastly, let's discuss Transparency Mode. While I welcome the inclusion here over not offering ambient sound at all, I did have higher hopes. It works fine, but lacks the natural clarity of Apple's AirPods Max or AirPods Pro. I thought Beats might come close since it works closely with Apple on several aspects of its products, but that's not the case. Apple remains truly unmatched when it comes to Transparency Mode. It often sounds like you're not even wearing headphones at all, mostly due to how natural your own voice sounds fed back through those devices.Call qualityPhoto by Billy Steele/EngadgetBeats says you can expect up to 27 percent better voice clarity than the Studio 3 Wireless, thanks to voice-targeting microphones and a machine-learning algorithm. The company explains that it trained the system on over 7,000 hours of real-world environments" in order to create a setup that can precisely hone in" on your voice. Those are lofty claims for sure, and part of them hold true.The Studio Pro is great at cutting out constant background noise, like a fan or A/C unit. Neither of those came through on calls when I was sitting right underneath one or the other. It's better than the speakerphone-like quality most headphones and earbuds offer, but it isn't pristine.Battery lifeWhen it comes to battery life, Beats says you can expect up to 40 hours with ANC off. That's the same figure it promised on the Studio 3. However, with noise cancellation or Transparency Mode enabled, the company offers two hours more than the previous model at 24 hours. There's still a quick-charge feature here, dubbed Fast Fuel, that gives you up to four hours of use in just 10 minutes.During my tests with the Studio Pro, I still had 23 percent battery left after 25 hours of use with either ANC or ambient sound active. That's also doing a mix of music, podcasts, streaming TV and taking calls. I powered the headphones completely off several times during that span as well and I plugged them in via USB-C for a few minutes to test those modes.The competitionPhoto by Billy Steele/EngadgetWhen it comes to flagship headphones at this price, Beats' biggest competition remains Sony and Bose. Sony's 1000X line has been our top pick for best wireless headphones for years, as the company's mix of stellar sound, powerful noise cancellation and a literal truckload of handy features is unmatched. With the latest version, the $400 WH-1000XM5, the company simply packs so much into their headphones that many others can't compete. The Bose 700 is that company's best option, which is currently available for about $10 less than Sony's 1000XM5. Bose doesn't come close to Sony in terms of features, but it does do slightly better when it comes to ANC performance. If blocking out distractions is your primary goal, the 700 is worth a look.Wrap-upWhile Beats didn't completely redesign its over-ear headphones for the Studio Pro, its latest model is a significant update. The company did well to incorporate features and technology other companies have introduced over the last five years, and its relationship with Apple continues to enhance its products. The improvements to ANC and sound quality alone are good, but the fact that the company was also able to add in a wired USB-C audio, upgrades to Spatial Audio and better voice performance while keeping the price the same is notable. There's no doubt these are still premium headphones, but the Studio Pro positions Beats to better compete with the likes of Sony and Bose in a number of areas where it used to fall short.Beats Studio Pro is available to order today in black, brown, navy and Sandstone color options for $350. The headphones will be available at Apple retail stores and other resellers starting tomorrow, July 20th.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/beats-studio-pro-review-upgraded-sound-makes-all-the-difference-140058369.html?src=rss

Amazon's Prime Day sale on Lexar storage is still going on, with deals now available to non-Prime members as well. One of the best is on Lexar's Play 1TB microSD V30 card, ideal for gamers, smartphone users and others for just $63, or 52 percent off the regular price. There are other bargains as well, like a pair of 128GB V60 1667x SD cards ideal for mirrorless cameras priced at $58 (34 percent off) and a CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 reader for $35 (50 percent off).Those who want to top up their Nintendo Switch, smartphone or other device with extra space should check out the Lexar Play microSD cards on sale: you can get the 1TB card at an all-time low price of $63 (52 percent off) or grab the 512GB model for $45 or 256GB for $30. The V30 designation allows read speeds up to 150MB/s, with write speeds at around 80MB/s - a lot of throughput for the price.Camera lovers may want to look at Lexar's V60 UHS-II SD cards, which are recommended in our latest camera gift guide thanks to a good balance between speed and value. The 120MB/s write speeds are enough for most H.264/H.265 4K video modes, and you can then transfer files to your computer at up to 250MB/s. A pair of the 128GB cards are available for $58 (34 percent off), two 256GB models are priced at $108 (38 percent off) and two 64GB cards are just $40. Those are just some of the deals, as you'll also find discounts on CFexpress Type A cards, NVMe SSDs, JumpDrive memory sticks and more.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lexars-sd-cards-and-storage-gear-are-up-to-52-percent-off-right-now-135053875.html?src=rss

In the 1990 fantasy drama - Truly, Madly, Deeply, lead character Nina, (Juliet Stevenson), is grieving the recent death of her boyfriend Jamie (Alan Rickman). Sensing her profound sadness, Jamie returns as a ghost to help her process her loss. If you've seen the film, you'll know that his reappearance forces her to question her memory of him and, in turn, accept that maybe he wasn't as perfect as she'd remembered. Here in 2023, a new wave of AI-based grief tech" offers us all the chance to spend time with loved ones after their death - in varying forms. But unlike Jamie (who benevolently misleads Nina), we're being asked to let artificial intelligence serve up a version of those we survive. What could possibly go wrong?While generative tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney are dominating the AI conversation, we're broadly ignoring the larger ethical questions around topics like grief and mourning. The Pope in a puffa is cool, after all, but thinking about your loved ones after death? Not so much. If you believe generative AI avatars for the dead are still a way out, you'd be wrong. At least one company is offering digital immortality already - and it's as costly as it is eerie.Re;memory, for example, is a service offered by Deepbrain AI - a company whose main business includes those virtual assistant" type interactive screens along with AI news anchors. The Korean firm took its experience with marrying chatbots and generative AI video to its ultimate, macabre conclusion. For just $10,000 dollars and a few hours in a studio, you can create an avatar of yourself that your family can visit (an additional cost) at an offsite facility. Deepbrain is based in Korea, and Korean mourning traditions include Jesa", an annual visit to the departed's resting place.Right now, even by the company's own admission, the service doesn't claim to replicate their personality with too much depth - the training set only really affords the avatar to have one mood." Michael Jung, Business Development and Strategy Lead at Deepbrain told Engadget, If I want to be a very entertaining Michael, then I have to read very hyper voices or entertaining voices for 300 lines. Then every time when I input the text [to the avatar] I'm going to have a very exciting Michael". Re;memory isn't currently trying to create a true facsimile of the subject - it's something you can visit occasionally and have basic interactions with - but one hopes there's a little more character to them than a virtual hotel receptionis.While Re;memory has the added benefit of being a video avatar that can respond to your questions, audio-based HereAfter AI tries to capture a little more of your personality with a series of questions.The result is an audio chatbot that friends and family can interact with, receiving verbal answers and even stories and anecdotes from the past. By all accounts, the pre-trained chatbots provide convincing answers in their owners' voices - until the illusion is unceremoniously broken when it robotically responds Sorry, I didn't understand that. You can try asking another way, or move onto another topic." to any query it doesn't have an answer for.Whether these technologies create a realistic avatar or not isn't the primary concern - AI is moving at such a clip that it'll certainly improve. The trickier questions revolve around who owns this avatar once you're gone? Or are your memories and data safe and secure? And what impact can all this have on those we leave behind anyway?Joanna Bryson, Professor of Ethics and Technology at Hertie School of Governance likens the current wave of grief tech to when Facebook was more popular with young people. Back then, it was a common destination to memorialize friends that had passed and the emotional impact of this was striking. It was such a new, immediate form of communication, that kids couldn't believe they were gone. And they seriously believe that they're dead friends were reading it. And they're like, I know, you're seeing this.'"OLIVIER DOULIERY via Getty ImagesThe inherent extra dimension that AI avatars bring only adds fuel to the concern about the impact these creations might have on our grieving brains. What does it do to your life, that you're spending your time remembering ... maybe it's good to have some time to process it for a while. But it can turn into an unhealthy obsession."Bryson also thinks this same technology could start being used in ways it wasn't originally intended. What if you're a teenager or preteen and you spend all your time on the phone with your best friend. And then you figure out you prefer, like a [AI] synthesis of your best friend and Justin Bieber or something. And you stop talking to your actual best friend," she said.Of course, that scenario is beyond current capabilities. Not least because to create an AI version of our best, living friend we'd need so much data that we'd need their participation/consent in the process. But this might not be the case for much longer. The recent spate of fake AI songs in the style of famous artists is already possible, and it won't be long before you won't need to be a celebrity for there to be enough publicly available input to feed a generative AI. Microsoft's VALL-E, for example, can already do a decent job of cloning a voice with just three seconds of source material.If you have ever had the misfortune of sorting through the possessions of a dead relative, you often learn things about them you never knew. Maybe it was their fondness for a certain type of poetry via their underlinings in a book. Or maybe something more sinister, like bank statements that showed crippling debt. We all have details that make us complex, complete human beings. Details that, often intentionally, remain hidden from our public persona. This throws up another time-honored ethical conundrum.The internet is awash with stories of parents and loved ones seeking access to their deceased's email or messaging accounts to remember them by. For better or worse we may not feel comfortable telling our immediate family about our sexuality or our politics, or that our spouse was having an affair - all things that our private digital messages might reveal. And if we're not careful, this could be data we inadvertently give over to AI for training, only for it to burp that secret out posthumously.Even with the consent of the person being recreated in AI there are no assurances someone else can't get their hands on the digital version of you and abuse it. And right now, that broadly falls into the same crime bucket as someone stealing your credit card details. Until they do something public with it, at which point other laws, such as right to publicity may apply - but usually, these protections are only for the living.Bryson suggests that the logical answer for data protection might be something we're already familiar with - like the locally stored biometric data we use to unlock our phones. Apple has never trusted anyone. So they really are very privacy oriented. So I tend to think that, that's the kind of organization that will come up with stuff, because they want it themselves." (The main issue this way, as Bryson points out, is that if your house burns down you risk losing grandma" forever.)AntonioGuillem via Getty ImagesData will always be at risk, no matter where or how it's stored. It's a peril of modern day living. And all those concerns about privacy might feel like a tomorrow problem (in the same way we tend to worry about online fraud only once it's happened to us). The cost, accuracy and just general creepiness that AI and our future digital avatars create might be scary, but it's also a crushing inevitability. But that doesn't mean our future is doomed to be an ocean of Max Headroom's spouting our innermost secrets to any hacker that will listen.It will be a problem in the immediate, there probably is a problem already," Bryson said. But I would hope that a good high quality version would have transparency, and you'd be able to check it. And I'm sure that Bing and Google are working on this now, for being able to verify where chat programmes get their ideas from." Until that time though, we're at risk of finding out the hard way.Bryson is keen to point out that there are some positive takeaways, and they're available to the living. If you make it too much about death, you aren't thinking correctly about it," she said. This technology forces us to confront our mortality in a new, albeit curious way and that can only help us think about the relationships we have right here in the world of the living. An AI version of someone will always be a poor facsimile, so, as Bryson suggests, why not get to know the real person better while you can. I wish people would rehearse conversations with a chatbot and then talk to a real person and find out what the differences are."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/digital-immortality-is-coming-and-were-not-ready-for-it-133022423.html?src=rss

After 18 months of battling their way through regulatory red tape, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are closer than ever to making their merger happen. However, with some issues still to smooth out in the UK, the companies weren't able to neatly tie things up in time for their initial July 18th deadline. As such, they've agreed to extend their merger agreement by three months to get the $68.7 billion acquisition over the line."Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have jointly agreed to extend the merger agreement deadline from July 18th, 2023 to October 18th, 2023, to allow for additional time to resolve remaining regulatory concerns," Microsoft said in a statement.If they hadn't agreed on new terms and either side walked away (which they could have done as of today), Microsoft would have been on the hook for a $3 billion breakup fee. That termination fee will increase to $3.5 billion if the merger hasn't closed by August 29th and $4.5 billion if it's not a done deal by September 15th. The fee will only be paid if the acquisition doesn't close. In addition, they agreed that Activision can give its shareholders a dividend of $0.99 per share."Microsoft and Activision Blizzard remain optimistic that we will get our acquisition over the finish line, so we have jointly agreed to extend the merger agreement to October 18th, 2023," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wrote in a note to employees. "While we can technically close in the United States due to recent legal developments, this extension gives us additional time to resolve the remaining regulatory concerns in the UK."

Netflix has removed its $10 Basic tier option - the service's most affordable one that doesn't come with ads - in the US and the UK. The company has updated its Plans and Pricing page to say that new and rejoining members in the US and the UK will no longer be able to sign up for the Basic tier. Meanwhile, those already on the plan can keep their membership as is (and pay $10 a month) until they cancel or change their subscription. The streaming giant initially axed the tier in Canada, where users are typically the first to experience changes to the service. It was also one of the countries where Netflix started its password-sharing crackdown, which the company eventually implemented across the globe.As Cord Busters notes, Netflix has been steering its audiences towards the Standard Ad-Supported plan for a while now and has previously made the Basic plan virtually invisible during sign-up. Now, the Basic plan truly no longer exists as a sign-up option in some regions. Without it, new and rejoining users in the US and UK will have to pay at least $15.49 and 11 a month, respectively, if they don't want their streaming experience to be interrupted by ads. The Standard plan supports streaming on two devices at a time and can stream content in Full HD. It also allows users to download content for offline viewing on two devices and gives them the ability to add an extra member who doesn't live with them for an additional fee.Still, the Basic option worked just fine for those who don't mind HD streaming on a single device, only want to download content on one phone or tablet and don't need to add an extra person to their account. If new members don't want to pay over $5 more for a Standard plan, they now have to make do with the Standard Ad-Supported tier that costs $7 a month in the US and 5 in the UK. It supports Full HD streams and viewing on two devices at a time like the no-ads Standard plan, but it doesn't have offline viewing and the option to add a member. Subscribers can expect to see an average of 4 minutes of ads an hour at around 15 to 30 seconds each, which, of course, they cannot skip.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-axes-its-10-basic-plan-in-the-us-and-uk-123350885.html?src=rss

Don't go poking around your kitchen drawer gadget graveyard just yet. The first-gen iPhone, sold by LCG Auctions, was apparently a factory-sealed device in "exceptional condition." The auctioneer noted the former owner was part of Apple's engineering team when the iPhone debuted. The lot drew 28 bids, including five over $100,000. In recent months, LCG Auctions has sold two 8GB variants of the first-generation iPhone for $39,000 and $63,000.This particular listing stood out by being a rare 4GB model. Apple only produced this model for two months. It's unlikely the buyer will actually open the package and use the phone, but if they did, they wouldn't even be able to make a phone call, since 2G networks are long gone in many parts of the world. Even selfies and FaceTime won't work, since there's no front-facing camera. And the main camera wouldn't offer much when it comes to photography, anyway, with its 2-megapixel sensor. Aww, cute.The first iPhone, launched in 2007, faced rivals in the Nokia N95, the Samsung BlackJack and the BlackBerry 8800. If you want a different, less notable slice of mobile history, all of those are under $20 on eBay.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedFirst big Threads update for iOS helps you see new followersTesla directors agree to return $735 million following claims they were massively overpaid15 relaxing video games to help you destressCanon EOS R50 review: Big performance for a tiny camera'Breakthrough' geothermal tech produces 3.5 megawatts of carbon-free power The Cricut Venture is a $1,000 cutting machine for the most ambitious DIYers Amazon Echo Buds (2023) review$50 goes a long way.Amazon's new approach to Echo Buds has produced interesting results. The company was only going to improve things so much at its previous midrange price point - there's a limit to how much tech you can add to a $150 set. Going for the budget buyers instead of building a high-end set of $300 earbuds makes more sense, considering Amazon's approach to pretty much every other kind of device it makes. Still, the company created low-cost Echo Buds with sound quality that punches above the price point.Continue reading.AI put me in a 'South Park' episodeThe Simulation wants to generate animated shows with Showrunner AI.The SimulationWell, not me, but my colleague Devindra Hardawar. During a time of Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strikes and the growing presence of AI in the creative industries, Devindra was thrust into an episode of South Park, entirely produced by the Showrunner AI model from The Simulation, the next iteration of the VR studio Fable. Audio of his voice, a picture and a two-sentence prompt: That was all it took to create a (middling) unofficial episode of the cartoon series. Read how it was made and check out the simulation.Continue reading.VanMoof e-bikes has declared bankruptcyThe company is putting its Dutch operations up for sale.EngadgetE-bike company VanMoof has declared bankruptcy for all its Dutch entities and aims to find a buyer in the "next few weeks." The news came through a mass email to Dutch employees, which was subsequently shared on Reddit. Bankruptcy proceedings have come to VanMoof less than two years after it claimed to be the "most funded e-bike company in the world" while announcing a $128 million investment. But trouble has been brewing for some time, with it allegedly costing more money to sell and service its bikes than people were paying for them. VanMoof told employees there are "no funds to pay the salaries" long-term and gave them a six-week notice period, during which they are expected to work before their final payments. The company's bikes were impressive premium rides, but it's struggled to sustain the business side of things.Continue reading.Why are non-diabetics suddenly wearing continuous glucose monitors?The trend has taken off online, despite no real evidence of its benefits.Let's see what a Snickers bar does to my blood sugar," Justin Richard, a 52-year-old Toronto-based TikToker says just before eating the candy bar on camera. In the following clip, Richard eats a cup of broccoli before eating another full Snickers bar, to show how variations in his food intake can impact his blood glucose - to the shock of none. Continuous glucose monitors (or CGMs) have long been used as a tool to track blood sugar levels for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Here's the thing, though: Richard does not have diabetes. Not only are CGMs questionably useful for healthy individuals, but they can be expensive. Malak Saleh takes a closer look.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-an-unopened-first-gen-iphone-just-sold-for-190000-111552947.html?src=rss

The good news keeps coming for all Babylon 5 fans: The entire series is coming to Blu-ray just a few months after sharing that an animated feature-length film is in the works. The 30th-anniversary release will include all 110 episodes of its five-season run and its pilot TV movie, The Gathering. Show creator J. Michael Straczynski shared a celebratory tweet directed at fans stating, "YOU WANTED IT, YOU ASKED FOR IT, AND IT'S FINALLY HAPPENED!"

Intel has announced ASUS as the company's first partner for its Next Unit of Compute (NUC) mini PC business. The two companies have entered a non-binding agreement that will see ASUS manufacture, sell and support the 10th- to 13th-generation products in Intel's NUC line. ASUS will also develop future NUC designs. Based on the business' current lineup, ASUS could be developing future NUC mini PCs, DIY kits for mini PCs, DIY kits for laptops, customizable boards, chassis and other assembly elements.If you'll recall, Intel recently told Engadget that it's ending its "direct investment" in its NUC business and will no longer produce first-party NUC products. It didn't elaborate on its reasoning, but working with partners for a non-essential business will free up resources it could use to concentrate on making chips. Intel previously said its first quarter earnings exceeded expectations, but its revenue was still down 36 percent year-over-year when compared to its results in the same period for 2022. The company also said that it remains cautious in this economy.In its announcement of the partnership, Intel said ASUS' "expertise and track record delivering industry-leading mini PCs to customers make it ideally suited to continue driving innovation and growth in NUC systems products." ASUS will be establishing a new business unit called "ASUS NUC BU" for all things related to Intel's NUC. The manufacturer will receive a non-exclusive license to Intel's NUC systems, though, making it possible for the chipmaker to team up with more companies in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/asus-will-manufacture-and-develop-new-intel-nuc-mini-pcs-074606815.html?src=rss

TikTok has started inviting users in Australia, Mexico and Singapore to participate in a closed beta test for its new music streaming service, according to TechCrunch and CNBC. The short-form video hosting app initially launched beta testing for its fledgling streaming service in Brazil and Indonesia in early July. Now, it's expanding the scope of its music service's experimental phase and giving invited users in those regions a free three-month trial to be able to try it out.TikTok Music is a completely separate app that testers will be able to download from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. It does, however, connect to the main TikTok app, so users can find the full versions of songs that go viral on the video-sharing platform. The music streaming app reportedly offers personalized song recommendations, real-time lyrics, collaborative playlists and the ability to find songs through a lyrics search feature, as well. TechCrunch says it has a Shazam-like feature, which presumably means it can find songs by listening to it, and will let users download tracks for offline listening.The ByteDance-owned app told TechCrunch that once the testers' trial period is done, it will cost them AUD12 (US$8.16) per month in Australia, Mex$115 (US$6.86) in Mexico and S$9.90 (US$7.48) in Singapore to be able to keep using the service. TikTok already has a music streaming service called Resso available in India, Brazil and Indonesia, but it's shutting the app down in the last two countries in September. The company has yet to announce if and when its music app is also coming to the US, but it did file a trademark application for "TikTok Music" in the country back in May 2022.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-expands-its-music-streaming-service-test-to-australia-mexico-and-singapore-055121108.html?src=rss

Fervo Energy says it has achieved a breakthrough in geothermal technology. It carried out a 30-day well test at its site in northern Nevada and says it was able to achieve a "flowrate of 63 liters per second at high temperature that enables 3.5 megawatts of electric production." The company says the test resulted in flow and power output records for an enhanced geothermal system (EGS) and that it was completed without incident.A megawatt can power around 750 homes at once. Fervo is expected to connect its Project Red site to the grid this year. It will be used to power Google data centers and some of the company's other Nevada infrastructure. Google and Fervo signed an agreement in 2021 to develop a "next-generation geothermal power project."This is the first time an energy company has shown that an EGS can work on a commercial scale, according to Bloomberg. It's been a long road to reach this point, as scientists have been trying to make EGS a reality since the 1970s.For a natural geothermal system to produce electricity, it needs a combination of heat, fluid and rock permeability, as Bloomberg notes. In many areas, the rock has the required levels of heat, but not enough permeability for fluid to flow through it.An EGS creates this permeability artificially by drilling deep underground and injecting fluid to create fractures in the rock. That approach can vastly increase the number of potential sites for a geothermal power plant.Fervo says it's the first company to "successfully drill a horizontal well pair for commercial geothermal production, achieving lateral lengths of 3,250 feet, reaching a temperature of 191C, and proving controlled flow through rigorous tracer testing."One of the major advantages of geothermal power plants is that they're entirely carbon free - Google aims to run all of its offices and data centers on carbon-free energy by 2030. These plants can also operate at any time (unlike solar and wind), making geothermal energy a compelling source of renewable power. However, cost reductions and regulatory red tape are barriers to making EGS more broadly available, according to Fervo CEO Tim Latimer.The company is hoping to replicate its success at a site in Utah. If Fervo sees similar results there and it successfully implements design upgrades to maximize output, the site is expected to generate enough electricity to power 300,000 homes simultaneously, Latimer said. That's around a quarter of all homes in Utah.Achieving our goal of operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy will require new sources of firm, clean power to complement variable renewables like wind and solar," Michael Terrell, Google's senior director for energy and climate, said in a statement. We partnered with Fervo in 2021 because we see significant potential for their geothermal technology to unlock a critical source of 24/7 carbon-free energy at scale, and we are thrilled to see Fervo reach this important technical milestone."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/breakthrough-geothermal-tech-produces-35-megawatts-of-carbon-free-power-210032356.html?src=rss

Cricut, a company that makes popular cutting machines for crafting projects, announced a new model today. Although its devices are relatively affordable, the new Cricut Venture is a higher-end $1,000 machine aimed at incredibly enthusiastic makers and those who sell their crafts." In other words, this variant is less for occasional hobbyists and more for hardcore makers or small businesses selling their creations somewhere like Etsy.Cricut Venture is a large-format" cutting machine that can handle bigger projects - whether physical size or higher volume. The device, the company's biggest yet, can cut up to 75 feet of repeated images and 12 ft of single images. Cricut says it's also its fastest machine, cutting up to 25 inches per second. Cricut Venture is optimized for size and speed," said Michelle Fishberg, Cricut's VP of Global Product Management. You will find the beautiful design and quality Cricut is known for, with increased precision and attention to detail, all of which make cutting on this large-format machine an easy and productive experience."Like the company's other models, the Cricut Venture can handle materials like vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, bonded fabric, leather and poster boards. Engadget's Terrence O'Brien reviewed the printer-sized Explore 3 in 2021 and found it worked well for projects like vinyl decals and cardstock animals (that he may or may not have ever fully assembled). However, these machines are more limited by the user's experience with crafts than technology: The company lists banners, engraved metal, debased leather, custom cards, t-shirts and color stickers among the various tasks it can handle.The Cricut Venture will be available from the company website and retail partners starting on July 25th. Its $1,000 sticker price is for the machine only; Cricut also offers bundles with a stand or materials to help you get started.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-cricut-venture-is-a-1000-cutting-machine-for-the-most-ambitious-diyers-201519614.html?src=rss

Meta has delivered the first significant update to Threads since the social network launched earlier this month, and you might appreciate it if you're still building your contact list. The company's Cameron Roth has detailed an upgrade to the iOS app that adds a Follows tab to the activity feed, making it easier to see who just followed you. You'll have an easier time following people back. Accordingly, you can open your Instagram follower list to see if you're missing anyone.The update also adds translations for post text, so you'll have more incentive to follow people who speak unfamiliar languages. You can subscribe to unfollowed users to get notifications without crowding your timeline. There are a few basic interface tweaks as well, such as reposter labels you can tap. The app should be leaner and smoother, particularly when loading or scrolling through your activity feed.Some of the features are enabled server-side, so don't be surprised if they're not all available immediately. Roth says they should be available by the end of today (July 18th). There's no mention of when Android will get an equivalent update, but we've asked Meta for comment and will let you know if we hear back. The Android beta program offers features before they reach the publicly available app, however.There are still numerous missing features, and the Threads team is aware of it. You can't yet use a chronological feed, direct messages or hashtags. You can't completely remove yourself from Threads without also deleting your Instagram account. And without a full web version, it's not usually practical to use Threads on a computer. This first update shows that Meta is acting on at least some promises, even if it may take a while to address every issue.Meta has motivation to act quickly. Threads use is declining after the initial spike, and the absence of some features (such as hashtags and a web app) may keep new users away. Greater parity could help sustain interest while Meta considers a European Union rollout and otherwise prepares for a significant expansion.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/first-big-threads-update-for-ios-helps-you-see-new-followers-195035774.html?src=rss

Remember Twitter Notes? It was supposed to be the feature that let Twitter users write whatever they want, blowing past the typical Twitter character limit. At the time, that limit was only 280 characters. After several updates this year, Twitter Blue subscribers can tweet up to 25,000 characters. Now, CEO Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that the company is still working on the Notes feature, but is rebranding it to Twitter Articles.In a reply to a tweet noting the name change, Musk confirms that Articles will be the place to post long, complex articles with mixed media." He goes on to say that You could publish a book if you want."