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Microsoft announced it will host a special conference in September to discuss the lessons and security measures the industry can take away from the CrowdStrike computer shutdown in July. The Windows Endpoint Security Ecosystem Summit is scheduled for September 10 at Microsoft's Redmond, WA headquarters.The event will feature representatives from Microsoft, CrowdStrike and other cyber and computer security companies. The participants will explore changes in industry practices and the use of applications that can prevent future computer shutdowns.An executive who spoke to CNBC anonymously says one of the talking points of the conference will address the use of applications that rely more on Windows' user mode instead of kernel mode. The July outage occurred because Crowdstrike's agent operated in kernel mode in which the central processing unit gives software total access to a system's resources and hardware. Applications in user mode are more isolated so they can't bring down other systems.The attendees will also discuss implementing eBPF technology into systems to check programs without triggering system wide crashes. The conference will also feature discussions on the use of safer programming languages such as Rust, an alternative to programming languages such as C or C++.CrowdStrike blamed faulty testing software included in an update as the cause of the crash that shut down 8.5 million Windows machines starting on July 19. The shutdown causes blue screens of death for systems for banks, airlines and businesses around the world.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/microsoft-will-host-a-security-conference-after-the-crowdstrike-shutdown-172119101.html?src=rss

Even if you're not a student, you can still take advantage of the many back to school sales out there. As we do each Friday, we searched around to see if any of the tech we've previously covered and recommend is currently on sale. We spotted the lowest price yet on the 9th-generation iPad - it may be discontinued, but $200 for a capable Apple tablet is still a sweet deal. Our current favorite wireless headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are back down to their July Prime Day price. And Amazon is throwing in a free smart bulb on top of discounted prices for a number of its Echo speakers and displays. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today. 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/deals/the-9th-gen-ipad-is-cheaper-than-ever-at-199-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-170600479.html?src=rss

TollBitThe 28-year-old founders of TollBit, a New York-based startup that is all of six months old, think we're living in the Napster days" of AI. Just like people of a certain generation downloaded digital music, companies are ripping off vast swaths of the internet without paying the rights holders. They want TollBit to be the iTunes of the AI world.It's kind of the Wild West right now," Olivia Joslin, the company's co-founder and chief operating officer, told Engadget in an interview. We want to make it easier for AI companies to pay for the data they need." Their idea is simple: create a marketplace that connects AI companies that need access to fresh, high-quality data to the publishers who actually spend money creating it.AI companies have, indeed, only recently started paying for (some of) the data they need from news publishers. OpenAI kicked off an arms race at the end of 2022, but it was only a year ago that the company signed the first of its many licensing deals with the Associated Press. Later that year, OpenAI announced a partnership with German publisher Axel Springer, which operates Business Insider and Politico in the US. Multiple publishers including Vox, the Financial Times, News Corp and TIME, have since signed deals with OpenAI and Google.But that still leaves countless other publishers and creators out in the cold - without the option to strike this Faustian Bargain even if they want to. This is the long tail" of publishers that TollBit wants to target.Powerful AI models already exist and they have already been trained," Toshit Panigrahi, TollBit's co-founder and CEO told Engadget. And right now, there are thousands of applications just taking these existing models off the shelves. What they need is fresh content. But right now, there's no infrastructure - neither for them to buy it, nor for content-makers to sell it in a way that is seamless."Both Joslin and Panigrahi weren't particularly knowledgeable about the media industry. But they both knew how online marketplaces and platforms operated - they were colleagues at Toast, a platform that lets restaurants manage billing and reservations. Panigrahi watched both the deals - and the lawsuits - pile up in the AI sector, then called on Joslin.Their early conversations were about RAG, which stands for Retrieval-Augmented Generation in the AI world. With RAG, AI models first look up information from specific databases (like the scrapable portions of the internet) and use that information to synthesize a response instead of simply relying on training data. Services like ChatGPT don't know current home prices, or the latest news. Instead, they fetch that data, typically by looking at websites. That absence of fresh data is why AI chatbots are often stumped by queries about breaking news events - if they don't scrape the latest data, they simply can't keep up.We thought that using content for RAG was something fundamentally different than using it for training," said Panigrahi.TollBitBy some estimations, RAG is the future of search engines. More and more, people are asking questions on the internet and expecting complete answers in return instead of a list of blue links. In just over a year, startups like Perplexity, backed by Jess Bezos and NVIDIA among others, have burst onto the scene with ambitions of taking on Google. Even OpenAI has plans to someday let ChatGPT become your search engine. In response, Google has sprung into action - it now culls relevant information from search results and presents it as a coherent answer at the top of the results page, a feature it calls AI Overviews. (It doesn't always work well, but is seemingly here to stay).The rise of RAG-based search engines has publishers shaking in their boots. After all, who would make money if AI reads the internet for us? After Google rolled out AI Overviews earlier this year, at least one report estimated that publishers would lose more than $2 billion in ad revenue because fewer people would have a reason to visit their websites. AI companies need continuous access to high quality content and data too," said Joslin, but if you don't figure out some economic model here, there will be no incentive for anyone to create content, and that'll be the end of AI applications too."Instead of cutting one-off checks, TollBit's model aims to compensate publishers on an ongoing basis. Hypothetically, if someone's content was used in a thousand AI-generated answers, they would get paid a thousand times at a price that they set and which they can change on the fly.Each time an AI company accesses fresh data from a publisher through TollBit, it can pay a small fee set by the publisher that Panigrahi and Joslin think should be roughly equivalent to whatever a traditional page view would have made the publisher. And the platform can also block AI companies who haven't signed up from accessing publishers' data.So far, the founders claim to have onboarded a hundred publishers and are in pilots with three AI companies since TollBit launched in February. They refused to reveal which publishers or AI companies had signed on so far, citing confidentiality clauses, but did not deny speaking with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta. So far, they say that no money has changed hands between AI companies and publishers on their platform.TollBitUntil that happens, their model is still a giant hypothetical - although one that investors have so far poured $7 million into. TollBit's investors include Sunflower Capital, Lerer Hippeau, Operator Collective, AIX and Liquid 2 Ventures, and more investors are currently pounding down their door," Joslin claimed. In April, TollBit also brought on Campbell Brown as a senior adviser, a former television anchor who previously acted as Meta's head of news partnerships for the better part of a decade.In spite of some high-profile lawsuits, AI companies are still scraping the internet for free and largely getting away with it. Why would they have any incentive to actually pay publishers for this data? There are three big reasons, the founders say: more websites are taking steps to prevent their content from being scraped ever since generative AI went mainstream, which means that scraping the web is getting harder and more expensive; no one wants to deal with ongoing copyright lawsuits; and, crucially, being able to easily pay for content on an as-needed basis lets AI companies tap into smaller and more niche publications because it isn't possible to strike individual licensing deals with every single website. Joslin also pointed out that multiple TollBit investors have also invested in AI companies which they worry might face litigation for using content without permission.Getting AI companies to pay for content could provide a recurring revenue stream for not just large publishers but to potentially anyone who publishes anything online. Last month, Perplexity - which was accused of illegally scraping content from Forbes, Wired and Conde Nast - launched a Publishers' Program under which it plans to share a cut of any revenue it earns with publishers if it uses their content to generate answers with AI. The success of the program, however, hinges on how much money Perplexity makes when it introduces ads in the app later this year. Like Tollbit, it's another complete hypothetical.Our thesis with TollBit is that if you lose a page view today, you should be compensated for it immediately rather than a few years after when a tech company figures out its ads program," said Panigrahi about Perplexity's initiative.Despite all the existing licensing deals and technical advances, AI-powered chatbots still make for terrible news sources. They still make up facts and confidently conjure up entire links to stories that don't actually exist. But technology companies are now stuffing AI chatbots in every crevice they can, which means that many people will still get their news from one of these products in the not-so-distant future.A more cynical take on TollBit's premise is that the startup is effectively offering hush money to publishers whose work is more likely than not to be sausaged into misinformation. Its founders, naturally, don't agree with the characterization. We are careful about the AI partners we onboard," Panigrahi said. These companies are very mindful about the quality of input material and correctness of responses. We're seeing that paying for content - even nominal amounts - creates incentive to respect the raw inputs into their systems instead of treating it as a free, replaceable commodity."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/this-startup-wants-to-be-the-itunes-of-ai-content-licensing-162942714.html?src=rss

The Department of Justice and eight states' attorney generals filed an antitrust lawsuit against rental software company RealPage on Friday, accusing it of using algorithms to drive up rent prices nationwide. The suit alleges RealPage's software, YieldStar, gathers sensitive information from landlords and rental companies, which it feeds into algorithms that recommend prices and practices that limit competition and force renters to pay more.Americans should not have to pay more in rent because a company has found a new way to scheme with landlords to break the law," Attorney General Merrick Garland wrote in a DOJ press release.RealPage's software reportedly manages more than 24 million rental units globally. The DOJ's complaint accuses the Texas-based company of contracting with competing landlords who agree to share nonpublic, competitively sensitive information" about rental rates and other lease terms. RealPage then trains YieldStar's algorithms, which generate pricing and other competitive recommendations based on their and their rivals' competitively sensitive information," according to the DOJ.The DOJ was joined in its suit by the attorney generals of North Carolina, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington. It filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, accusing the company of violating Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. The 1890 law is considered the bedrock of US antitrust actions.In addition, the lawsuit accuses RealPage of monopolizing the rental market in a feedback loop that strengthens RealPage's grip on the market," making it harder for honest businesses to compete on the merits."The DOJ's complaint cites internal documents and sworn testimony from the company, along with landlords who have used the software to allegedly price-gouge renters. The agency says RealPage admitted its software was designed to maximize rent prices, saying its product excels at driving every possible opportunity to increase price," avoid[ing] the race to the bottom in down markets" and a rising tide raises all ships."In addition, the DOJ quotes a RealPage executive as observing that its software helps landlords avoid competing. The executive allegedly opined that there is greater good in everybody succeeding versus essentially trying to compete against one another in a way that actually keeps the entire industry down." (Perhaps the executive doesn't consider renters part of the greater good.")The DOJ also quotes a RealPage executive as explaining to a landlord that its competitor data can help spot situations where they may have a $50 increase instead of a $10 increase for the day." The suit even cites a landlord's comment that YieldStar helps the supply side control the market. I always liked this product because your algorithm uses proprietary data from other subscribers to suggest rents and term. That's classic price fixing."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-doj-files-an-antitrust-lawsuit-against-a-software-company-for-allegedly-manipulating-rent-prices-154230054.html?src=rss

iFixit took apart Samsung's Galaxy Ring, scrutinized its components and wrote its findings, which could make you think twice about buying the device. It warned that the Galaxy Ring is "100 percent disposable" which is to say: once the battery died, the whole thing becomes junk. It "isn't designed to last more than two years," iFixit warned.To be fair the website did say that "all smart rings like it" are disposable, because they can't be non-destructively opened. It explained that lithium ion batteries "have a shelf life," and while they could be replaced on other devices, it's not possible to dismantle a smart ring to do that without wrecking the device completely. If the battery dies in the ring, you'll have to throw it away.The website also put the Galaxy Ring through a CT scanner found that Samsung used a press connector to attach the battery to a circuit board. A press connector, as its name implies, connects components inside a device without solder. iFixit said it typically loves press connectors, because they make replacing individual parts easier. However, the one inside the Galaxy Ring is apparently sealed and doesn't make the device repairable. It said that the company most likely used a connector instead of soldering the components for its own benefit, because the parts came from different production facilities.We gave the Galaxy Ring a score of 80 in our review; we found it basic and expensive at $400 - $100 more than its competitor, the Oura Ring. That said, Oura charges $6 a month to use its software, which does add up over time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ifixit-put-the-landfill-bound-samsung-galaxy-ring-through-a-ct-scanner-131529577.html?src=rss

In some good news for the environment, China has reached a clean energy goal six years sooner than expected. In 2020, President Xi Jinping set a goal to have at least 1,200 gigawatts of clean energy sources by 2030. In a new statement, China's National Energy Administration claims the country has reached 1,206 gigawatts, thanks to 25 gigawatts of turbines and panels added last month, Bloomberg reports.This milestone is critical for China, the world's biggest polluter, which produces about 12.7 metric tons of emissions produced annually as of 2023, The New York Times reports. For context, the United States is second with 5.9 billion tons. However, China is spending more on clean energy than every other country, but it still has a long way to go. So far, solar and wind have generated 14 percent of the country's energy in 2024.China is working to expand this number with a range of projects that include renewable energy. In June, it was announced that state-owned China Three Gorges Renewables Group will invest 80 billion yuan ($11 billion) in a base using solar, wind and coal to generate electricity. The plant will be built in Inner Mongolia and get 135 gigawatts of the 435 gigawatts China has devoted to desert projects by 2030. We'll have to see how much of a negative offset the coal aspect will cause as the plan progresses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/china-claims-to-have-already-reached-its-2030-clean-energy-goal-122012187.html?src=rss

On August 24, NASA will finally announce how Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the astronauts that flew to the ISS aboard Boeing's Starliner, will be coming home. Earlier this month, the agency said it was already in talks with SpaceX about the possibility of giving the astronauts two seats aboard an upcoming Crew Dragon mission. While NASA was making sure that the option was available, it continued asking Boeing for data to prove that the Starliner is safe to ride back to Earth. The Starliner's batteries won't last forever, though, and the agency needs to make a decision soon.In its announcement, NASA said that on August 24, its leadership will make a final examination of the data Boeing gathered through various ground tests and simulations by engineers with help from Williams and Wilmore. An hour later, at around 1PM Eastern time, it will hold a news conference to broadcast its official decision. You can watch the event on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube and the agency's website, but we'll also keep you updated.The Starliner's first crewed mission blasted off the space in June on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket after several delays. It was only supposed to stay docked to the ISS for eight days before making its way back home with both astronauts. During its flight to the orbiting lab, however, five of its maneuvering thrusters had failed. The helium leak that caused Boeing and NASA to scrub its launch also came back and had even worsened. Over the past few months, engineers conducted tests and simulations on the ground to provide NASA with the data it wanted. "We are letting the data drive our decision making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking," said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, back in June.If NASA does decide to go with its backup plan of making Wilmore and Williams hitch a ride on the Crew Dragon, then the Starliner will be coming back to Earth without a crew onboard. It's still unclear when the Starliner is making its way back to the planet, but it likely couldn't come soon enough for the company. Aside from the fact that the Starliner's batteries are running out, Boeing reported earlier this month that it took another $125 million in losses due to the spacecraft's delayed return. Wilmore and Williams will then be coming home as part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, the same mission that had to be delayed because Starliner was still taking up one of the two slots on the ISS that can accommodate astronaut capsules. The Crew-9 capsule won't be flying back to Earth until February 2025, though, so the astronauts' supposed eight-day trip will turn into an eight-month stint.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-will-soon-announce-whether-starliners-astronauts-are-coming-back-on-a-spacex-vehicle-120049271.html?src=rss

There's a lot of power in the notion of the default: The obvious, sensible choice you won't get picked on for making. Until now, the default choice for an Android flagship is whatever model of Galaxy Samsung is stamping out this year. Sam Rutherford has been using Google's new Pixel 9 as his daily driver, and he feels the winds of change are blowing. This may be the first time a Google handset has well and truly taken the lead as the default choice.What has pulled the Pixel 9 out from under Samsung's shadow is the better industrial design, with its utterly gorgeous look and feel. That, combined with class-leading cameras, a great display and all of Google's newfangled AI smarts, makes it a winning handset. You'll have to read the full review to find out just why it's worth your cash, but the list of downsides is so short you'll have to make an effort not to buy one right now.- Dan CooperThe biggest stories you might have missed

Handheld gaming systems are having a moment. While gaming on the go has been a thing since the Game Boy, the success of the Nintendo Switch and a string of ever-improving processors have brought an eruption of devices that let you play all sorts of games anywhere you want. Because new models seem to arrive every week, however, figuring out the best gaming handheld for you can be complicated. You already know that the Switch is great, but depending on what else you want to play, the right handheld could range from a $100 emulation machine to a $700 portable PC. To help you narrow things down, we've researched the best handheld gaming consoles, tested the major contenders and laid out a few top picks. Table of contents

An appeals court has revived an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon filed by the Attorney General of Washington, DC more than three years ago. The online retailer must now face allegations that it illegally raised prices for consumers.The lawsuit was originally filed in 2021 and cited Amazon's practices related to third-party sellers on its platform. Specifically, it called out a provision in the company's agreements with third-party sellers that allowed it to punish businesses that offered its products at lower prices on non-Amazon platforms. Karl Racine, the AG at the time, said these agreements allowed the company to impose an artificially high price floor across the online retail marketplace." Racine later expanded the case to include Amazon's pricing tactics for wholesalers.Amazon has disputed those allegations, and the case was dismissed in 2022. But an appeals court has now reversed that decision. Viewed as a whole, the District's allegations about Amazon's market share and maintenance of its market power through the challenged agreements plausibly suggest that Amazon either already possesses monopoly power over online marketplaces or is close to a dangerous probability of achieving monopoly power,'" the judge wrote.We disagree with the District of Columbia's allegations and look forward to presenting facts in court that demonstrate how good these policies are for consumers," Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle told Engadget in a statement. "Just like any store owner who wouldn't want to promote a bad deal to their customers, we don't highlight or promote offers that are not competitively priced. It's part of our commitment to featuring low prices to earn and maintain customer trust, which we believe is the right decision for both consumers and sellers in the long run."The reversal adds to Amazon's antitrust woes. The company is also facing a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission and more than a dozen states. The UK's antitrust regulator has also opened an investigation centered around the company's $4 billion investment into Anthropic.In a statement, DC's current AG Brian Schwalb noted that the district was the first jurisdiction to take antitrust enforcement action" against the company. Now, our case will move forward, and we will continue fighting to stop Amazon's unfair and unlawful practices that have raised prices for District consumers and stifled innovation and choice across online retail."Update, August 22 2024, 7:13 PM ET: This story has been updated to include a statement from Amazon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/dcs-antitrust-case-against-amazon-comes-back-to-life-194314355.html?src=rss

Get ready, trainers: the original Pokemon anime will soon be getting a new home. The Pokemon Company has partnered with Canadian company WildBrain to be the distributor for a single-IP free ad-supported television channel that's all Pokemon, all the time. The deal covers the first 22 seasons of the animated tales of Ash Ketchum and his electrifying buddy Pikachu.The FAST channel will arrive first in the US, followed by launches in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. WildBrain has existing relationships with several TV platforms, including Samsung, LG, Roku, Tubi and Pluto, but it didn't share any specific dates or likely homes for the future Pokemon channel. The company specializes in children's programming. It operates FAST channels for game franchises Sonic and Super Mario as well as kid-focused titles such as Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake and Caillou.Fans should be pleased to have this new development from the Pokemon Company after its Pokemon TV venture was shuttered earlier this year. If you're looking for other Pokemon content, stateside viewers should be sure to catch up on the Netflix exclusive Pokemon Journeys before the show leaves in September. You've also got the latest show, Pokemon Horizons, which landed on the streaming service in February.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/the-first-22-seasons-of-pokemon-will-return-to-streaming-225513118.html?src=rss

If you buy a new Hewlett-Packard laptop in the next few weeks, then you'll notice a new app on the Start" menu called Google Essentials. On Thursday, Google announced that the new app will bundle some of its core services like Google Photos, Google Drive and Google Messages.The Google Essentials app will not only house shortcuts to its most used services but it will also centralize your Google account information and saved materials such as documents, photos and saved games for titles from Google Play Games. Eligible subscribers will also receive a two month trial of Google One cloud storage with 100GB.The blog posts says that Google Essentials will only be available on Windows PCs starting with new Hewlett-Packard (HP) laptops including models like the Spectre, Envy, Pavilion, OMEN and Victus. Google says it plans to make the Essentials app available on more Windows PC brands in the future.The concept of a bundled Google services app sounds very similar to the old Windows Live Essentials. The collection of Microsoft applications allowed Windows users a quicker way to access apps like Mail, Movie Maker, Messenger and Writer. An archived version of the Windows Live Essentials installer is available on the Internet Archive.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-essentials-will-house-all-google-services-in-a-single-windows-app-223824942.html?src=rss

General Motors' robotaxi service Cruise has inked a multi-year deal with Uber. The deal will let Uber customers hail a Cruise self-driving taxi from their smartphone starting next year, according to TechCrunch. This means that Cruise's self-driving taxis will be back on roads for the first time since striking a pedestrian in San Francisco in October 2023.Neither GM nor Uber gave a specific date or city for Uber's rollout of Cruise's robotaxis. A spokesperson told the website that the new partnership between Cruise and Uber would follow Cruise's re-launch of its own driverless taxi service in 2025.Cruise is currently testing cars with human drivers on roads in Dallas, Phoenix and Houston with plans to expand to more cities. Uber also has a partnership with the self-driving car fleet Waymo that's currently operating in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco.Cruise also just reached an agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) following an investigation that started in December of 2022 over three rear-end crashes involving its autonomous driving vehicles. The company was under another investigation following an accident in October in San Francisco when one of its vehicles struck a pedestrian who was thrown into its path by a human-driven vehicle and dragged 20 feet causing further injuries.A third-party report released by Cruise found that executives knew about the incident but failed to disclose it in meetings with city officials and federal agencies. Cruise fired nine of its executives at the end of last year following a probe. The company also agreed to pay a fine to the California Public Utilities Commission allowing Cruise to restart its operations in the state.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/cruises-self-driving-cabs-are-coming-to-uber-next-year-214734509.html?src=rss

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has been in the works for about three years now, but with its release date fast approaching we now have our first trailer. It's one of the more unusual and intriguing projects under the Lord of the Rings franchise, an anime-style standalone movie that covers events in the kingdom of Rohan some 200-ish years before the War of the Ring.The trailer starts with some iconic footage from the '00s Lord of the Rings films focused on Rohan before diving into the animation. It's immediately obvious that this project is connected to Peter Jackson's films, as the designs for key areas like Edoras and Helm's Deep clearly reference those earlier movies despite the distinctly different style. As for characters, we're introduced to King Helm Hammerhand and his daughter Hera who, judging by the trailer, will likely be our main protagonist. It looks like an attempt to marry her off goes south, angering the family of suitor Wulf -things get decidedly more tense after that, with plenty of action and Oliphaunts and, naturally, some teases of ring-related events to come.The film is directed by Kenji Kamiyama, who has been a writer and director on various anime including Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Eden of the East. He's also directed episodes of Star Wars: Visions and Ultraman. Most of the cast is still under wraps, but we know Brian Cox is voicing King Hammerhand, while Gaia Wise is voicing his daughter Hera. Miranda Otto is also reprising her role from the Lord of the Rings films as Eowyn, who will serve as the narrator for the story.The movie is set to be released on December 13, and it's the first of several Lord of the Rings films in development - Andy Serkis, perhaps best known for his performance as Gollum in Jackson's Middle-earth films, is directing a new film tentatively entitled The Hunt for Gollum. While that movie is years away, fans can also catch Middle-earth on-screen in a week when season two of Amazon's Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/first-trailer-for-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim-shows-an-anime-styled-middle-earth-202139240.html?src=rss

The best thing about the free games that the Epic Games Store offers is they're genuinely yours to keep forever. They're not locked behind a subscription of any kind. The only form of payment you provide is a little personal information in the form of your email address and whatever else is required to create an Epic account. It might be worth signing up if you haven't already, as this week's free games are pretty notable.First up is The Callisto Protocol, a 2022 survival horror game from Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield. It's cut from the same cloth as Dead Space, but - stellar visuals aside - we didn't like it much. (In fact, a Dead Space remake that arrived shortly afterward was much more warmly received.) Still, it can be yours for absolutely zilch right now.

Google DeepMind workers have signed a letter calling on the company to drop contracts with military organizations, according to a report by Time. The document was drafted on May 16 of this year. Around 200 people signed the document, which amounts to five percent of the total headcount of DeepMind.For the uninitiated, DeepMind is one of Google's AI divisions and the letter states that adopting military contracts runs afoul of the company's own AI rules. The letter was sent out as internal concerns began circulating within the AI lab that the tech was allegedly being sold to military organizations via cloud contracts.According to Time, Google's contracts with the United States military and the Israeli military allow access to services via the cloud, and this reportedly includes AI technology developed by DeepMind. The letter doesn't linger on any specific military organization, with workers emphasizing that it's not about the geopolitics of any particular conflict."Reporting since 2021 has slowly revealed the scope of tech supplied by Google (and Amazon) to the Israeli government via a partnership known as Project Nimbus. This is far from the first instance of Google employees openly protesting their work being used to support politically fraught military aims - the company fired dozens of staffers who spoke out against Project Nimbus earlier this year.Any involvement with military and weapon manufacturing impacts our position as leaders in ethical and responsible AI, and goes against our mission statement and stated AI principles," the DeepMind letter says. It's worth noting that Google's slogan used to be don't be evil."The letter goes on to ask DeepMind's leaders to deny military users access to its AI technology and to set up a new in-house governance body to prevent the tech from being used by future militaries. According to four unnamed employees, Google has yet to offer a tangible response to the letter. We have received no meaningful response from leadership," one said, and we are growing increasingly frustrated."Google did respond to Time's reporting, saying that it complies with its AI principles. The company says that the contract with the Israeli government is not directed at highly sensitive, classified or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services." However, its partnership with the Israeli government has fallen under plenty of scrutiny in recent months.Google purchased DeepMind back in 2014, but under the promise that its AI technology would never be used for military or surveillance purposes. For many years, DeepMind was allowed to operate with a good amount of independence from its parent company, but the burgeoning AI race looks to have changed that. The lab's leaders spent years seeking greater autonomy from Google, but were rebuffed in 2021.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/deepmind-workers-urge-google-to-drop-military-contracts-190544509.html?src=rss

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will cease to exist on November 28, but players' saves should be getting a new home. Since its global launch in 2017, Pocket Camp has offered the core Animal Crossing experience on smartphones, including limited time special events.Sales of Leaf Tickets, the in-game currency for speeding up access to camp accessories, will stop on November 27. The company is also ending its subscription plans for the Pocket Camp Club, which provides additional in-game cosmetics each month. New plans will not be accepted after October 28 and existing subscriptions will not renew after that date.But all is not lost for those of us who have invested a lot of hours into building pint-sized communities. Nintendo cushioned the blow with the news that a new app is in the works where existing players can continue their save files. The new take on the game will be a paid purchase with no in-app purchases, as opposed to Pocket Camp's freemium approach. The team promised more information on the new app this October.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/dont-freak-out-but-nintendo-is-killing-off-animal-crossing-pocket-camp-181640622.html?src=rss

Snap is getting ready to show off a new pair of augmented reality glasses, according to a new report in The Verge. The glasses would be the fifth-generation of Spectacles, and the second pair to have augmented reality capabilities. CEO Evan Spiegel will reportedly unveil the glasses at the company's upcoming Partner Summit event on September 17.The company last introduced a pair of AR glasses in 2021. The glasses were only ever made available to a small handful of creators and developers, who came up with some interesting experiments that combined Snapchat's lenses with the AR displays. But, as I noted in my hands-on with AR-enabled Spectacles that year, the device was still pretty limited. It had an extremely narrow field of view and only a 30-minute battery life. The glasses were also much bulkier and boxier compared to earlier generations of Spectacles that looked more like regular sunglasses.Snapchat's fourth-generation Spectacles that had AR displays.Karissa Bell for EngadgetNow, it sounds like Snap has made some improvements to the underlying tech. The Verge reports that the latest glasses will have a wider field of view and better battery life. However, it seems the Spectacles are still being positioned as more of a developer device than something any Snapchat user will be able to buy. Each pair reportedly costs thousands of dollars to build" and Snap is planning on making fewer than 10,000" of them.Still, it suggests that Snap hasn't entirely given up on its hardware ambitions. Its last new product was the $250 Pixy selfie drone, which it abandoned just four months after launch in 2022. The company recalled the device earlier this year after a reported battery fire.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/snap-is-reportedly-working-on-a-new-pair-of-augmented-reality-spectacles-173024510.html?src=rss

This is a story about serendipity and probability.Nicole He met Arnaud De Bock while waiting in line for the bathroom at a GDC developer party in 2019. She was giving a talk on voice technology in art and games based on her work as a creative technologist, her portfolio filled with interactive projects like the True Love Tinder Robot, Garden Friends, ENHANCE.COMPUTER and Soylent Dick. De Bock was working on the Reigns series and Card Shark for Nerial, and finishing up Pikuniku on the side.Technically, He wasn't invited to this particular party, but Ape Out co-creator Maxi Boch snuck her in.There in the bathroom line, I met Arnaud," He told Engadget. We started chatting, and we were sort of mutual fans of each other's work, and we talked about potentially collaborating on something. A few months later, we were trying to work on this other idea that he had with his collaborator Remi [Forcadell] from Pikuniku. That idea never really worked out into anything. But at the same time, Arnaud and I were both obsessed with this reality show called Terrace House."Devolver DigitalTerrace House was a Japanese reality series that aired from 2012 to 2020, featuring a rotating cast of six strangers, mainly young professionals, as they lived together for months at a time. Episodes followed the participants as they navigated work and relationships, and the entire thing had a soothing, quiet kind of vibe, even during explosive arguments about eating someone else's steak. Though cast members often ended up dating each other, you could call Terrace House very demure and very mindful - especially in comparison to Western reality shows like Love Island or Too Hot to Handle, which are built around the themes of bikinis, lust, betrayal and neon-lit product placement.Inspired by Terrace House and 1990s reality shows like The Real World and Room Raiders, He and De Bock started creating a game called The Crush House. Nerial jumped on board: The studio was finishing up Card Shark and co-founder Francois Alliot saw this reality TV project as an opportunity for his team to flex their narrative muscles.At some point, we made a major pivot as far as the writing goes, just ramping it up from this chill Terrace House style, slice-of-life relaxed thing, to be trashy, essentially," He said. Like, the dialogue needs to be a lot more engaging. It needs to be funnier and raunchier, more over the top."Devolver DigitalThat's when shows like Love Island and The Ultimatum entered the production conversation. In its final form, The Crush House falls in the space between Terrace House and Love Island. It's set in a bright seaside mansion (with an infinity pool, of course) and it stars four characters at a time as they form strategic friendships, have fiery arguments and make out with each other between ad breaks.The Crush House is set in 1999, before smartphones enabled a call-and-response relationship with viewers, but the audience still plays a critical role. Players are the on-site producer and videographer, and they have to respond in real-time to demands from different categories of viewers, like drama queens, foodies, fish freaks, divorced dads and butt guys, while also appeasing advertisers and the mysterious network overlords. Capturing the correct footage, playing ads at the right time and placating the suits makes for a surprisingly intense gameplay loop. There's a sprint button here for a reason.One of the most intriguing aspects of The Crush House is its replayability. There are 12 cast members to choose from at the start of every run, and they have distinct personality traits that play off of each other in unique ways. There are classic reality-TV archetypes, like the himbo, the naive girl and the pretentious one, and their interactions are driven by procedural generation.Everything that you see on the screen, the dialogues, are generated," Alliot said. We have a system called rigmarole, which is a system that matches the traits of a character with what we call sagas, which are like models of stories. For example, if you got a love triangle, you have a number one, number two, number three, they will have different traits that we will match to the characters. If we have a match, we play that story and then it unfolds like that, with possible outcomes that may be different depending on the character that you picked. And this system allows us to have a very broad or very narrow type of narrative."He and the developers at Nerial wrote about 50,000 lines of dialogue for the Crush House rigmarole system. With 12 characters to choose from and four characters in each playthrough, there are 495 total possible cast combinations in the game. Essentially, The Crush House had to be procedurally generated.We have things that are logical, but it's never 100 percent super structured," Alliot said. It's a bit loose, a loose narrative that fits very well with reality TV. And so you can play the game basically forever, matching different characters, and it will still surprise you."The Crush House was a jumble of random dialogue and code for a long time before its procedural generation systems had enough information to produce a rational, powerful experience, He said. Alliot warned her this would be the case, and encouraged her to be patient and watch out for the moment when everything would snap into place. Eventually, that's exactly what happened.Devolver DigitalIt's kind of a mess for a long time," He said. But when we reached the point where actually it all came together - we had enough writing, we had the technical stuff working out, and the animations playing and all this stuff happening. It's like there's something that clicks and it kind of becomes magical."The Crush House still surprises He, even after years of studying its code and iterating on its outputs.I had this experience even yesterday playing the game, where there was a very sweet, romantic scene between Veer and Alex, and then the next scene, Veer says something that's really cruel to him," He said. And I was struck by that. I mean, I can see through the veil of it, I know how everything works, but it's really awesome to have that effect."The Crush House is available on Steam for PC, developed by Nerial and published by Devolver Digital.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/how-the-crush-house-turns-procedural-generation-into-social-manipulation-160020111.html?src=rss

Peloton is in something of a financial rut lately, and we all know what companies do when that happens. They take it out on consumers. To that end, the exercise machine maker just announced it will be charging a $95 used equipment activation fee" to anyone who buys one of its machines on the secondhand market, according to a report by CNBC.The company made this announcement in its Q4 2024 shareholder letter. The fairly exorbitant fee will apply to any machine bought directly from a previous owner, meaning anything purchased via Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or, heck, even a neighbor down the street. Without tithing $95 to the church of Peloton, the machine won't have access to any of the classes or features the company has become known for.The company says this activation fee is just to ensure that new members receive the same high-quality onboarding experience Peloton is known for." In a recent earnings call, however, a company representative was more transparent, calling the fee a source of incremental revenue and gross profit," according to The Verge.Users who pay this fee will be treated to a virtual custom fitting," in the case of the Peloton Bike and Bike Plus. They will also receive a summary of the hardware which will illustrate exactly how much the machine was used by the original owner, just in case the seller tries that whole I only used it once" thing. Peloton also says that these second hand buyers will get discounts on accessories like shoes, mats and spare parts. So it's not all bad.Also, the $95 fee doesn't apply to those who buy refurbished machines directly from the company or from any of its third-party distribution partners. It's only those who sell or buy via traditional used equipment channels who gotta pay the troll toll.Buying a preowned Peloton machine was one of the great joys of being a consumer. The standard Bike, for instance, sells new for nearly $1,500, but you can pick up a used one online for $300 to $500. Now, that price goes up to $400 to $600. Peloton also requires a monthly membership fee to access content, which is around $44.This isn't the only move that Peloton has recently made that could be seen, through a cynical lens, as nickel and diming consumers. It upped subscription prices for those who use the company's app with third-party machines. There's still a free tier, but it doesn't offer access to any live classes.However, the recent earnings call did offer a bit of good news for Pelo-heads (I just made that up). Shares have risen 15 percent this quarter and losses have been narrowed to $30 million, down from $241 million year over year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/peloton-to-ruin-the-secondhand-market-by-charging-a-95-used-equipment-activation-fee-155230509.html?src=rss

Home security devices can give us peace of mind, but they don't always come cheaply. That's why we're excited to see Ring's Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera finally go on sale. The device, which launched at the end of May, is down to $60 from $80 - a 25 percent discount. The only catch: the sale is just available on the black and white models, leaving the Blush, Charcoal and Starlight options at full price. Ring's Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera offers all the basics with two-way talk and motion alerts but is also the company's first foray into a motorized base, with the device providing a 360-degree look at what's happening inside your home. Plus, it has a tilt range of 169 degrees and displays its view in color HD video. If you're staying in a home with one in it or have visitors, you can activate the built-in hardware kill switch and slide a shutter over the camera - this should also disable any audio. Right now, you can also get the Ring Video Doorbell for 40 percent off, down to $60 from $100 - just shy of its record low. The doorbell lets you hear, see, and speak with anyone at your front door, with the camera displaying a 1080p HD visual on your computer or phone. It comes with a rechargeable battery and is available in Satin Nickel or Venetian Bronze. 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/deals/rings-new-pan-and-tilt-security-camera-drops-to-60-in-its-first-discount-141551723.html?src=rss

If there's one thing that's guaranteed in the world of social media, it's that platforms are going to copy each other's features. However, the newest iteration of this is still surprising, to say the least. Instagram has announced a new music feature that allows you to attach a song to your profile a la Myspace.Instagram has copied MySpace, a platform that peaked long before Instagram ever existed, and arguably was thrown into decline by the rise of Instagram's parent company.So, how does this new feature work? You can choose a song by going to edit profile and clicking "Add music to your profile." You can then choose a song or search in the For You section. From there, pick the 30 seconds of the song you want to feature and it will remain on your profile until you pick a new one or decide Myspace features are better left in the past. Don't worry if you're scrolling in public as songs won't start playing now the second you go on someone's profile - click the play button to hear it.InstagramInstagram teamed up with singer Sabrina Carpenter to promote the feature, with fans able to hear a clip of her new song "Taste." exclusively on her profile (though the album comes out tomorrow). Earlier this year, Instagram's parent company, Meta, teamed up with another pop star, Taylor Swift. She created a Threads account alongside the release of her new album, The Tortured Poet Society, in April. The first group of people to share her post received a customized badge on their profile.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-copiesmyspace-140049134.html?src=rss

For the first half of Android's existence, Google was happy simply being in charge of the OS while other manufacturers built a massive ecosystem of devices. Things changed in 2016 with the launch of the original Pixel, a phone that married the company's hardware and software designs. But even that combo wasn't enough to immediately catapult Google's flagship to the front of the pack. However, between the continued evolution of its devices and former major players like LG and HTC getting out of the game, Google has become the third-largest Android phone maker in the US, just barely behind Motorola. Enter the Pixel 9, which sports a slick new design, a brighter screen, better cameras and even more sophisticated software tricks. In many ways, this thing feels like it best represents Google's vision for what a smartphone should be and it's here to claim its title as the default Android handset. Design and display I usually hate making this comparison, but it's hard to ignore that the Pixel 9 looks a lot like an iPhone. Similar to recent Apple handsets, the base ninth-gen Pixel features flat sides with rounded corners and a smooth matte finish. Its front and back panels are made out of Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which when combined with the phone's recycled aluminum frame results in a device that Google says is two times more durable than before. The big difference though is the Pixel 9's rear camera module. Gone is the edge-to-edge bar we've become familiar with over the previous three generations and in its place is a simple pill-shaped visor. Compared to Apple's arrangement - which still looks like the top of a stove to me - Google's design is the essence of simplicity. There are two lenses on the left and a flash on the right, with some additional components like a tiny microphone and a single-zone laser-detect autofocus system scattered throughout. Sure, it's a bit tall and bulky, but because it largely spans the width of the device, it means the phone doesn't wobble when you rest it on its back. Points to Google for a more elegant solution. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget In front, the Pixel 9 sports Google's latest 6.3-inch OLED Actua display, which offers an even higher peak brightness of 2,700 nits (versus 2,000 nits for the Pixel 8). Granted, that's a few hundred less than the 3,000 nits on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, but even when viewed side-by-side, you'd be hard-pressed to notice a difference. As before, the Pixel 9 has a variable refresh rate that jumps between 60Hz and 120Hz to help save on battery while Google has tweaked little details like evening out the phone's bezels so that they are the same size all the way around. Altogether, it's an excellent display with accurate colors and rich tones. I've got to give Google credit, because over the past few years, Pixel displays have made major leaps to the point where they can now hold their own against both Apple and Samsung. One final small but very welcome upgrade is a new ultrasonic fingerprint scanner hidden beneath the Pixel 9's displays. It's even more reliable than the optical sensor used before and, in my testing, it's unlocked the phone nearly instantly every single time. Performance Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Google's Tensor chips are often maligned for focusing more on efficiency and AI processing than general performance. But I think a lot of that noise comes from people who care more about benchmarks than how fast a phone operates in the real world. In my experience, the Pixel 9 and the Tensor G4 delivered everything I wanted with ample haste. Switching between apps happens in a flash, while scrolling feels incredibly smooth. Even relatively demanding games like Zenless Zone Zero ran well, with only the occasional hiccup. Unless you are really pushing it by running a bunch of super resource-hungry apps at the same time, the Pixel 9 can handle the stress. New software and AI features When Google introduced its big suite of AI-powered features on the Pixel 8 last year, it felt like the company was trying to live up to its own self-fulfilling prophecy on the proliferation of machine learning. But with the launch of even more AI-based tools alongside the Pixel 9, Google's strategy is becoming much clearer thanks in large part to the new Pixel Screenshots and Pixel Studio apps. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget The thing I like most about the Pixel Screenshots app is that it enhances the way people already use their phones. When you're doomscrolling and you come across something fun or interesting, what do you do? You either share it immediately or save it for later, often by taking a screencap. That's where the Screenshots app comes in. By using AI to analyze the contents of a pic, you can easily retrieve it later with a quick search. My favorite use case is for recipes. Previously, I would find an interesting dish and leave it open in a browser tab, which always felt like a clunky workaround. But now, I can just screenshot it and feel confident about finding it in the future. And unlike Microsoft's Recall feature in Windows 11, Google's Screenshots app only looks at the stuff you capture manually instead of automatically recording everything you do, so it feels less intrusive. For those who want to create their own content, Pixel Studio lets you use AI to generate images by typing in a handful of prompts. It's basically a free version of Midjourney built just for Google's phones and I feel like I've only begun to explore its potential. It can turn people's faces into cute little stickers that you can copy into pictures or give you inspiration on how to decorate your room. The possibilities are endless. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Then there are a handful of smaller but still very useful tools like the Pixel Weather app, which features AI-generated summaries to help you plan your day. Instead of checking the hourly forecast and looking at every stat and figure, you can quickly read a couple of sentences to see when the UX index will peak or if there's a surprise thunderstorm headed your way. Meanwhile, other features like Gemini Live let you ask questions and bounce ideas off of Google's most powerful AI assistant in a more natural way (you know, if you're into that kind of thing). Phone conversations also sound better thanks to improvements to Clear Calling, which cuts down background noise. If you're distracted or don't feel like paying attention, you can use the new Call Notes feature to transcribe everything before giving things a closer look later. There's even a Satellite eSOS feature that's free for the first two years, which lets you call for help when you don't have service. Thankfully, I haven't needed to test it out myself, though for anyone who's curious, Google offers a demo experience that's slated to go live on August 22. Cameras Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Superb image quality has long been one of the Pixel family's calling cards and it's getting even better on the Pixel 9 thanks to two new cameras. The main wide-angle lens features a new 50MP sensor while the ultrawide lens is powered by an updated 48MP cell, the latter of which can be used to shoot close-up macros. In situations with good light, the Pixel 9 outperformed the more expensive Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Colors were generally brighter and Google's processing typically preserved more details. One of the most impressive examples was a backlit shot of a Transformer, where the Pixel 9 captured a photo with much richer hues and better focus while the S24U struggled, producing a shot with muddy colors and a surprising amount of noise. At night, Google's superb Night Sight mode reinforced the Pixel's lead in image quality, capturing brighter and more well-exposed photos. The only time Samsung's phone came out on top was in a single low-light shot of a flower, because even though the S24U's pic was a touch oversharpened, it was still better than the overly soft result I got from the P9. Of course, you can't have a new Pixel with some fresh camera features to go with it. This time, we've gotten a range of improvements including Auto frame which uses AI to cleverly recompose images and fill in the missing parts where needed. Or you can use Reimagine to create more fantastical pics by replacing elements (foregrounds and backgrounds work best) with whatever you can think of. Panorama mode can also be used at night now and while it takes some practice to get the best results, even on my first attempt in a less-than-ideal location, I got a neat-looking shot of the NYC skyline. If you zoom in, the results don't really hold up. But from afar, the Pixel 9's Reimagine feature can create some fantastical photos like this one with an AI-generated starry night. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Then there's Add Me, which lets you take multiple group shots with different people holding the camera to create a single composite image with everyone in the shot. Now, no one has to be left out simply because they're the designated photographer that day. It's surprisingly easy to use and great for introverts like me who don't want to ask a stranger for help. But you have to stay still or else things can get wonky. Perhaps the coolest thing about this feature is that you can also use it to clone yourself multiple times in the same image, which is a really fun, if unintended, use case. My one gripe is that I wish Google had included support for Zoom Enhance on the Pixel 9. It would be really nice to have a tool to sharpen blurry or cropped photos available on the base model, especially since, unlike its more expensive Pro siblings, it doesn't have a dedicated telephoto lens. Battery life and charging Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Thanks to a larger 4,700mAh cell (up from 4,575mAh) and improved power efficiency, Google claims the Pixel 9 has 20 percent longer battery life than the previous model. But I found that it fared even better, lasting 27 hours and 32 minutes on our video rundown test. Not only is this the best we've seen from any Pixel to date, it also tops the OnePlus 12's time of 26:40 for the best longevity of any phone we've tested. Unfortunately, despite Google having just released a new 45W power adapter (sold separately), the Pixel 9's wired charging speed remains the same at 27 watts. You also get Qi wireless support (but not Qi2) at up to 15 watts and reverse wireless power sharing when you want to help out a friend with a device that's short on juice. Wrap-up For so many years, non-Pro Pixels have existed as an also-ran next to Samsung's base Galaxy S phones, primarily for people who appreciate Google's software wizardry and regular feature drops. But with the Pixel 9, Google has upped its hardware design while once again doubling down on what it does best. It has a gorgeous screen, class-leading cameras and a more refined appearance, plus more AI-powered tools than anyone else. Pretty good ones at that. You also get fantastic software support including seven years of OS and security updates. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Aside from a couple of omissions like no support for Qi2 magnetic wireless charging and Zoom Enhance, the Pixel 9 has everything you want and need from a high-end Android handset. Google's software - which was already a major plus - is becoming a pillar of dominance. That said, owners will need to be more proactive about embracing these features to get the most out of their devices. AI still succumbs to hallucinations and errors (a lot of the new tools are still in preview phase), so many features remain far from foolproof. But the foundations for a wide range of powerful tools are at your disposal. At this point, the big question is, at least in the $800 price range, why buy anything else? In some respects, Google might even be its own biggest competitor, because for those who aren't as enthusiastic about AI, you can save some money and get a Pixel 8a for $499. But for everyone else, while Samsung might still have a lead in total sales, the Pixel 9 should be the go-to flagship Android phone.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-pixel-9-review-the-go-to-android-smartphone-133005548.html?src=rss

Neuralink has published an update on the second patient in its early human trials, and it said that "promisingly," it has "observed no thread retraction" in the participant. The Elon Musk-led startup implants a chip into the human brain, allowing paralyzed patients to control devices, browse the internet and play video games with their thoughts. It implanted a chip into its first patient back in January, and while the procedure went well, some of the implants' connective threads retracted from the brain weeks later. That reduced the brain signals the device could receive.For its second patient called Alex, the company employed mitigation measures to prevent the same thing from happening, or at least lower its probability. It said it reduced brain motion during surgery and also reduced the gap between the implant and the surface of the brain. The company hasn't observed any thread retraction in the patient, so far. As for its first patient, it modified an algorithm to improve how his implant detects and translates signals after the was observed. It said the first patient's threads have stabilized and his implant has since recovered.Weeks after his surgery in July, Alex has already been able to use computer-aided design (CAD) software to design a custom mount for his Neuralink charger. The mount was 3D printed, and he has since added it to his setup. He has also been able to use his implant in conjunction with a mouth-operated joystick to play Counter-Strike 2 more effectively, because he can now move and aim at the same time.Neuralink say it's now working on making its chip capable of decoding multiple clicks and movements to "deliver full mouse and video game controller functionality." It's also developing algorithms that can recognize a user's intent to write by hand, which would enable faster text entry. That would then allow people who cannot speak, such as those with ALS, to be able to communicate with others more easily. Finally, the company apparently plans to give its implants the capability to interact with the real world, so that people can use it to move their own wheelchair or a robotic hand to feed or clean themselves.

UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, 59, has been confirmed dead after multiple days of search and rescue efforts, multiple news agencies report. The 183-foot super-yacht, Bayesian, capsized off the coast of Sicily around 5 AM local time on Monday morning during a violent storm. Lynch was one of 22 individuals on board, including passengers and crew, with 15 individuals rescued and one body found immediately following the events. Five more bodies, including Lynch's, have since been recovered. At this time, his daughter is the only person still missing, Reuters reports, citing sources close to the rescue operation.Lynch co-founded tech companies Autonomy and Darktrace and founded venture capital firm Invoke Capital. Following the $11 billion sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard, Lynch has spent the past decade-plus engulfed in a legal battle over allegations of inflating sales and misleading HP. A San Francisco jury acquitted him in June of all 15 counts of fraud.The yacht excursion was meant to celebrate Lynch's recent victory, with family, friends, and business associates joining him. Other members of the deceased include the yacht's chef, Neda and Chris Morvillo, a Clifford Chance lawyer who represented Lynch and Judy and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International. Angela Bacares, Lynch's wife, escaped the wreckage and is safe.Lynch's co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, 52, also faced tragedy this week. The BBC reports he was hit by a car on Saturday, August 17, while out running in Cambridgeshire, England, and died from his injuries.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/british-tech-billionaire-mike-lynch-confirmed-dead-after-yacht-sinking-121856262.html?src=rss

In January, calls using an AI-generated voice imitating President Biden instructed voters not to take part in the New Hampshire Primary. Now, as the 2024 election nears, the Federal Communications Commission is sending a message by further cracking down on those responsible for the Biden deepfake. Lingo Telecom, which transmitted the fraudulent calls, will pay the FCC a $1 million civil penalty and must demonstrate and implement a compliance plan.In response to the settlement, The Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal stated, "..the potential combination of the misuse of generative AI voice-cloning technology and caller ID spoofing over the U.S. communications network presents a significant threat. This settlement sends a strong message that communications service providers are the first line of defense against these threats and will be held accountable to ensure they do their part to protect the American public."This step follows the FCC's proposed $6 million fine for Steven Kramer, the political consultant who directed the calls. The FCC alleges he also violated the Truth in Caller ID Act by spoofing a local politician's phone number. The enforcement action in Kramer's case is still pending.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fcc-fines-telecoms-operator-1-million-for-transmitting-biden-deepfake-120010234.html?src=rss

Google is selling its ultra-premium Pixel 9 Pro in two sizes, but it's not the size that counts here. Instead, it's the suite of AI features Google hopes will revolutionize how you use your phone. The Morning After's Mat Smith has spent plenty of time with both handsets to work out if they're good enough to justify your cash.He explores headline features, like Gemini Advanced, as well as the smart new AI-enabled photo tweaks. One of my favorites is Add Me, which puts you in the background of a group shot you were holding the phone for. Or Zoom Enhance, which offers a CSI-like level of clarity enhancement for the furthest point in a photo.I won't spoil the review beyond saying Mat thinks the Pixel 9 Pro, sorry Pixels 9 Pro, are well worth the cash. But you'll have to read it all to work out why.- Daniel CooperThe biggest stories you might have missed

As a college student today, you'll need certain tech to get your work done - key among the bunch being a solid laptop for college. But there are other gadgets that can make your academic life easier, and in some cases, more fun. If you're looking to stay organized, produce better work and enjoy your down time on and off campus, picking up a few important devices before you start the next semester can make all the difference. We've collected some of the must-have gadgets for college that we've tested here, and we wouldn't be surprised if all of them stuck with you long after your four-year university run is over. Best tech for college students This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/11-must-have-gadgets-for-college-students-in-2024-120044203.html?src=rss

Google has reached a deal with California lawmakers to fund local news in the state after previously protesting a proposed law that would have required it to pay media outlets. Under the terms of the deal, Google will commit tens of millions of dollars to a fund supporting local news as well as an AI accelerator program" in the state.The agreement ends a months-long dispute between lawmakers and Google over the California Journalism Preservation Act, a bill that would have required Google, Meta and other large platforms to pay California publishers in exchange for linking to their websites. Google strongly opposed the measure, which was similar to laws passed in Canada and Australia.Earlier this year, Google began a short-term test" in the state that removed links to local news for some users in California. The company also halted some of its own spending on local news in the state.Now, under the new agreement, Google will direct at least $55 million" to a nonprofit public charity housed at UC Berkeley's journalism school," Politico reports. The university will distribute the fund, which also includes at least $70 million" from the state of California. Google will also commit $50 million over five years to unspecified existing journalism programs.'"The agreement also includes funding for a National AI Innovation Accelerator." Details of that program are unclear, but Cal Matters reports that Google will dedicate at least $17.5 million" to the effort, which will fund AI experiments for local businesses and other organizations, including newsrooms. That aspect of the deal, which is so far unique to Google's agreement in California, could end up being more controversial as it could exacerbate existing tensions between publishers and AI companies.In a statement, Alphabet's President of Global Affairs, Kent Walker, credited the thoughtful leadership" of California Governor Gavin Newsom and other state officials in reaching the agreement. California lawmakers have worked with the tech and news sectors to develop a collaborative framework to accelerate AI innovation and support local and national businesses and nonprofit organizations," he said. This public-private partnership builds on our long history of working with journalism and the local news ecosystem in our home state, while developing a national center of excellence on AI policy."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-strikes-a-deal-with-california-lawmakers-to-fund-local-news-000522484.html?src=rss

YouTube added a new AI assistant feature that allows users who have been hacked to recover their accounts and safeguard them from future invasions. An announcement for the new help feature appeared earlier today on Google's support page for YouTube.The new hacked channel assistant," available on YouTube, will allow eligible creators" a way to troubleshoot their accounts when they've been hacked. The feature can be accessed in the YouTube Help Center.The assistant will ask a series of questions to help affected users secure their Google login, undo anything the hacker may have done to their channel and secure their channel from further access to hackers. So far, the feature is only available in English and for a select group of certain creators," but Google says it's working to make the features accessible to all YouTube creators.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/a-new-ai-support-chatbot-is-available-for-hacked-youtube-channels-222800979.html?src=rss

Twitch is updating subscription costs for mobile purchases. Beginning October 1, Tier 1 sub and gift sub prices made in the company's mobile app will be $8, up from the current rate of $6 a month. Tier 2 and Tier 3 prices will not be impacted.

Better get out your winter parka and a thermos full of hot cocoa because the hit downhill mountain biking game Lonely Mountains: Downhill is getting a very snowy sequel. Megagon Industries' released a gameplay trailer with commentary during Gamescom for its new blocky skiing game Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders.The new downhill racing game will get a Steam release by the end of the year. If it becomes a big enough hit just like the first Lonely game, it could be ported to consoles.The Lonely Mountains titles are racing games at their core but they aren't loud and brash. They don't even have any music. There are times and challenges to beat with rewards like new bikes and new trails and mountains to explore. The game's real focus is more on the simple, serene experience of riding downhill through beautiful polygonal landscapes at the pace you want to go and finding new paths that can carve seconds off your best times. Just like your therapist always tells you, it's more about the journey, not just the finish line.Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders carries that same, simple gaming formula but with some added features. Snow Riders will offer a solo and live multiplayer mode with up to eight other players. The multiplayer matches can also be a simple race to the bottom of the mountain or a cooperative mode in which players must work together to complete certain milestone challenges and work towards getting the highest collective score, according to the trailer commentary.The new downhill game will also have a special Zen Mode." This mode allows you to just go on a ride and explore the different paths on the mountain to uncover shortcuts and other secrets. You can even pause your snow session and just sit and take in the scenery with your block headed rider friend.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/lonely-mountains-snow-riders-makes-its-gameplay-trailer-premiere-at-gamescom-210059169.html?src=rss

Smart doorbell company Ring has launched an updated basic model in its battery-powered line. The Ring Battery Doorbell includes feature upgrades to match some of the company's other products at a lower price point. Longevity is critical for a product with 'battery' right there in the name. The Ring Battery Doorbell promises a 23% improvement in battery life over its previous iteration. It also comes with a new pin-push mount intended to make installation easier as well as simple detachment for recharging. The Ring Battery Doorbell has been updated with the company's Head-to-Toe HD video, offering vertical visibility in line with the more expensive Ring Battery Doorbell Plus and Ring Battery Doorbell Pro models. The device also offers color night vision. It comes with the same motion-detection and real-time alerts of other Ring products, and can be linked to Alexa-compatible devices. And of course, Ring also sells a subscription package to provide customers with smart alerts and more detailed notifications. Preorders for the Ring Battery Doorbell begin today direct from the company and on Amazon for $100, and shipments will go out starting September 4. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ring-refreshes-its-basic-battery-powered-doorbell-with-improved-video-203832129.html?src=rss

Microsoft's Windows Recall feature, which stores a timeline of activity snapshots on your PC, has a new release date for Windows Insiders. Microsoft unveiled the feature to much fanfare in May, only to delay it indefinitely (after blowback from security researchers) a few weeks later. After taking time to recalibrate, the company said on Wednesday it will roll out Recall to beta testers using Copilot+ PCs in October.Windows Recall stores snapshots of everything you do on your PC. Designed as a photographic memory" for your PC activity, it lets you revisit things like products, emails, documents or chats shown on your screen. The feature's perks are easy to see, especially for those who spend long hours on their PC (or those with foggy memories).But if that also sounds like a privacy nightmare, security researchers thought so, too. Despite safety assurances from Microsoft during its announcement at Build 2024, cybersecurity and privacy experts sounded the alarm. The fundamental problem was that intruders wouldn't only get goodies from your traditional file system if they accessed your PC. In addition, they could see anything you've done on your computer from the moment you activated Recall to the present. That's because Microsoft - for reasons we can't quite comprehend (other than put AI in all the things as quickly as possible) - left Recall's data unencrypted.As security expert Kevin Beaumont detailed, Recall didn't hide sensitive information like passwords or banking details. Sure, your timeline was theoretically safe as long as nobody could access your PC. But if you accidentally installed malware or let an intruder in through other means, they would find a motherlode of sensitive - unencrypted -data.MicrosoftIn response to the blowback, Microsoft added some common-sense security features that left us wondering why they weren't there in the first place. Again, it's hard to decipher the company's motives for that omission when the feature was announced -other than speculating that it wanted to prioritize a seamless user experience over tight security.These security changes included making the feature opt-in instead of enabled by default when setting up a Copilot+ PC. In addition, Microsoft said the feature would require Windows Hello - a face or fingerprint scan - and deploy just in time" decryption (only unlocked through Hello). That means if a hacker gains access to your computer, your screenshot timeline should remain encrypted unless you lend your face or finger to unlock it (or they somehow find a way around Hello's encryption).Microsoft says it will publish a new blog post when the feature is available in October through the Windows 11 Insider Program. The feature will require a CoPilot+ PC (the first of which launched in June) with a compatible chip. That chip list includes Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite, although Intel may have its first CoPilot+ chips out in the wild when the feature finally arrives in preview.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsofts-revised-recall-ai-feature-will-roll-out-to-beta-testers-in-october-200400450.html?src=rss

Xbox continues to impress with its accessibility accommodations for gamers with disabilities. Alongside some updates to the Xbox console lineup, Microsoft unveiled several new controllers on Wednesday to help more people experience the joy of frictionless gaming.The Xbox Adaptive Joystick fills what Microsoft called a widely expressed need for an affordable, singular joystick" to use with other Xbox controllers. Designed for people with limited mobility, it has four customizable button inputs on the front, a standard thumbstick and two more mappable bumper and trigger-style buttons.You can plug the wired stick into the Xbox Adaptive Controller or the console. Alternatively, you can link it with a standard Xbox gamepad using Xbox Controller Assist (solo or couch co-op). The Xbox Adaptive Joystick also has a quarter-inch thread for mounting, adding to its versatility.The joystick will only cost $30 when it arrives in early 2025.Microsoft is also rolling out 3D-printable files for adaptive thumbstick toppers, designed for those who have trouble gripping the standard Xbox sticks. You can print adapters in the shapes of a plate, dome, narrow stick, pull" (a deep, bowl-shaped surface), sphere and a custom base for adding materials like clay or moldable plastic.Of course, you'll need to own a 3D printer, use a friend's or find a professional service to print them. The printable files are free from Xbox Design Lab.In partnership with 8BitDo, the Lite SE 2.4G Wireless Controller is a gamepad with all inputs on its top surface. It has low-resistance buttons and highly sensitive" Hall effect joysticks. It even includes a non-slip silicone mat to keep things steady. As a bonus, it includes 8BitDo's coveted Super Buttons, first packaged with the Nintendo-inspired mechanical keyboard.The 8BitDo Lite SE 2.4G is available starting today for $60.Finally, the ByoWave Proteus Controller, revealed earlier this year for Global Accessibility Awareness Day, is now available to order. The innovative, modular gamepad has snap and play" parts that offer over 100 million combinations tailored to your needs. The Proteus is available for $299 in the US, EU, UK and Canada.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsofts-latest-accessible-controllers-include-the-xbox-adaptive-joystick-184800659.html?src=rss

Back when Lego first announced that Mario Kart sets would be arriving in 2025, we didn't expect them to release on the very first day of the year. However, the company just announced availability for these sets starting on January 1. It's a New Year's miracle. Lego's Mario Kart collection includes new buildable versions of iconic characters, like Yoshi, Peach, Baby Mario and Donkey Kong. Of course, there are several kart designs pulled from recent games, complete with paragliding sails, and motorcycles. Incidentally, these karts will actually shoot green or red shells in real life, which is a nice touch. Some figures also play sounds and music from the iconic kart racing series. All told, there are six sets to choose from. These include the 133-piece blue Yoshi set, which comes with a Yoshi-themed motorcycle, and a 174-piece iconic Mario set, complete with a red kart and Toad dressed as a member of the pit crew. The most impressive of the bunch is the 832-piece Grand Prix set. This one comes with a starting gate, three karts and four characters. The prices range from $15 for something like the aforementioned Yoshi set to $80 for the Grand Prix set. Lego Lego has really been building out its portfolio of gaming-related combo packs. In addition to Mario Kart, the company just announced a few Animal Crossing sets. These also release on January 1. In recent years, there have been traditional Mario sets, comprehensive Zelda kits and Fortnite collections, among many others. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/legos-first-mario-kart-sets-start-throwing-out-shells-on-january-1-183551717.html?src=rss

A new Starfield update from Bethesdaadds an off-road vehicle called the REV-8 to your garage and higher frame rates for players with a Xbox Series S. Bethesda announced the new features for Starfield on its X page and a new trailer on YouTube.The REV-8 is a four wheeled, all-terrain beast with all sorts of interesting features for your universe-exploring needs. The new vehicle includes a mounted turret to blow away hostile enemies and a thick layer of armor to keep you safe from unfriendly fire. The REV-8 also has rear boosters for those moments when you need to flee the scene fast and undercarriage boosters to help you glide across chasms and canyons. There's even a place for Vasco to sit so it can conveniently remind you when you're driving too fast.You can pick up your REV-8 from the ship technician. It will also appear near your ship after landing once you've purchased it.The new Starfield update also comes with a bunch of display tweaks for players on the Xbox Series S console. There's new options for your frame rate target at 30, 40, 60 or uncapped" fps. If you don't have a variable refresh rate (VRR) display that can run 120kz, the 30 and 60 fps options are still usable.The update also allows you to choose between prioritizing visuals and performance in your game while maintaining your selected frame rate. Bethesda recommends making performance" the priority if you're running 60 fps or higher.The new graphics update also lets you toggle vertical synchronization (Vsync) on and off in your game. Vsync prevents screen tearing from occurring during the game by syncing the frame of the graphic cards with the refresh rate of the monitor. So if you turn off, you run the risk of screen tearing but it won't limit your frame rate.These same features were added to the Xbox Series X version of Starfield back in May. The May update also delivered a new design for surface maps to increase legibility across all of the game's platforms.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/starfield-update-offers-a-new-vehicle-and-improved-framerates-for-xbox-series-s-182216898.html?src=rss

Today is the first day to pre-order the new 2024 Xbox consoles. The new batch includes the all-digital Xbox Series X, a Special Edition Xbox Series X with 2TB of storage and a white Xbox Series S. They begin shipping to US customers on October 15. Announced in June, the all-digital Xbox Series X is the first iteration of that model without a disc drive. Shipping in robot white," the new console includes 1TB of storage and costs $450. That's only a $50 discount over the standard model, so it's worth thinking about whether the disc-free tradeoff pays off for you. You can sometimes find the standard model on sale for that price, and Microsoft's refurbished store has it for $450 right now. In addition, the all-digital Xbox is the same size as the standard version with a disc drive. So, unlike the equivalent PS5, the new disc-less model won't save space in your entertainment center. If you're on the opposite end of the spectrum and are down to spend more on an Xbox, Microsoft is also launching a 2TB special edition of Series X in galaxy black" with a groovy space design. That variant, retailing for $600, includes the standard disc drive. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series S has a new white model with 1TB to store more games in a new colorway. It follows the black version with the same storage that arrived in 2023. Microsoft says the new consoles will arrive in most regions where Xbox hardware is currently supported, except Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Israel, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and UAE. The consoles land in the US on October 15, with select countries" pushed back a couple of weeks to October 29. Meanwhile, Microsoft also announced a host of new accessible controllers which you can read about here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/you-can-pre-order-the-all-digital-xbox-series-x-starting-today-172827418.html?src=rss

This year, Google decided not only to update the design of its Pixel phones but also put its AI features front and center. The Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL are the first Pixels that have swapped the Assistant for Gemini. With its latest flagships, Google continues to improve its cameras, by upgrading its primary sensor and expanding its suite of editing tools. And to power all those new AI tricks, the company has equipped the devices with its newest Tensor processor, designed to handle on-device Gemini tasks. For the first time, too, the Pro-branded Pixel is available in two sizes, with a smaller version joining the family. Better yet, if you go for the Pixel 9 Pro, you'll be getting a largely identical phone to the pricier 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL. Please note: no camera compromise here, Apple. But this isn't just another flagship Android: it's a concerted effort to get you hooked on Google's AI-powered image editing, email assistance and more. The Pixel 9 Pro delivers on all these aspects, with varying degrees of success. Design and display Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget As I opened the box, I knew this was the most premium Pixel yet. The Pixel 9 Pro has softer curved corners than its predecessor, while the edges have been flattened. It also felt somehow familiar - like my iPhone. I had to double-check, and they weighed the same, down to the gram (all 221 of them). That's not bad: the iPhone Pro is the de facto phone to beat. The Pixel 9 Pro has a similar matte satin finish. I don't know if the flattened sides make it easier to grip than the Pixel 8 Pro, but I found the substantial camera module did help with stability, occasionally resting on my finger or thumb during shots. The cyclops bar' is gone, replaced with a more conventional - but just as substantial - camera array. The temperature sensor is, for some reason, still here, although a Thermometer app update coming this week will let it save the things you're most regularly measuring and even offer some AR guidance to ensure you're the right distance away from the object you're scanning. Without the camera bar, which felt a bit much, the Pixel 9 Pro doesn't feel like Google trying to make an aggressive design statement. The camera module is huge, however. Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget Like last year, Google has kept the display almost entirely flat. The Pixel 9 Pro XL's 6.8-inch screen is 0.1 inches bigger than last year's Pixel 8 Pro and brighter, too, peaking at 3,000 nits. It makes sense for Google to make its bigger pro Pixel even larger to match the XL in its name, but like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Pro XL is a little too big for me. My not-exactly-small hands struggled to reach the search bar or dropdown menus in the top corners. (Sidenote: I can move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of the screen on my iPhone, but not on Android? What gives?) Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro's 6.3-inch panel is roomy enough to see plenty of lines of text at once, without me having to almost sprain a finger to reach its edges. Both Pixel 9 Pros have Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on their displays as well as across the satin-finish backs, like last year's flagship phone, meaning they're about as durable as before. With the XL, you're consciously deciding you want a Big Phone - this is S24 Ultra territory. Fortunately, it's another bright, vivid screen from Google, with variable refresh rates from 1-120Hz for smooth scrolling when needed. The XL Pixel Pro's resolution of 1,344 x 1,992 translates to a pixel density of 486 ppi, which is lower than the Pixel 9 Pro (495 ppi). But good luck discerning that in real life. Google continues to lean towards more understated color tones on its screens, compared to rival phones from Samsung and Apple. Still, I think it suits the shades of Android's Material Design palette, as well as this year's hardware color options. Both Pixel 9 Pro sizes arrive in black, white, hazel and rose quartz. I was sent the hazel version, which is subtle to the point of looking almost gray. My colleague Cherlynn Low is infatuated with the rose quartz Pixel 9 Pro she's tested. Cameras Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget The Pixel camera is still the best smartphone camera. Last year, we called Pixel 8 Pro the most powerful smartphone camera on the market," and Google has tried to hold on to that position. Hardware-wise, the sensors are the exact resolution as the Pixel 8 Pro, aside from the leap to a 42-megapixel front-facing camera, up from 10.5 megapixels last year. Google has also improved the autofocus, and it takes surprisingly decent crisp shots and video. But we're all here to discuss the triple camera array on the back. There's a new 50MP primary camera, a 48MP ultra-wide, and a 48MP telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom. The upgraded hardware doesn't result in noticeable improvements over the Pixel 8 Pro in most of the photos I compared... until I started using the telephoto sensor. There, I saw huge improvements to detail and color. Google has addressed some of the Pixel 9 Pro's video-recording weaknesses too - I didn't notice any overheating issues with the new Tensor chip, even when recording multiple video clips at maximum resolution. New camera software features Google has once again augmented its cameras with software features that walk the line between gimmick and game-changer. Add Me could be the latter for me. As the guy with the newest smartphone in my friendship group and family, I'm usually the one taking candid and group shots for everyone. But that means there often aren't many photos of me. Add Me is a new camera mode which combines Google's computational photography expertise with augmented reality to scan and frame an area and group of people. Once you've taken the first photo, you trade places with someone else, the Pixel 9 Pro will ask that person to align the frame, and take a second shot. It's a little like the Best Take feature from last year, which could swap out faces to ensure everyone's giving their best smile, the Pixel then processes and combines those two images together. It's a simplified Photoshop clone tool, sure, but it looks good. I will be using this at the next birthday/wedding/christening/future 40th birthday party. (Ed. note: We get it, Mat, you're popular.) Ugh, not two of me. Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget The Pixel 9 Pro arrives with several features initially teased a year ago, including Zoom Enhance and Video Boost. Zoom Enhance is pretty self-explanatory, using AI to increase both detail and sharpness on your most aggressively zoomed photos. The results can be mixed. It's not as egregious as Samsung's super-imposed moon photography, but Zoom Enhance does its best work on shapes, structures and patterns, sharpening up brickwork, foliage and more. It still usually makes a mess with humans. There are use cases for Zoom Enhance (it does a great job sharpening up London's Tower Bridge) but I'm not sure it'll rescue your concert pics from the back of the venue. Not unless you want a nightmarish vision of Taylor Swift's face massaged by AI. Notably, Zoom Enhance is one of the camera AI features that's processed on-device. Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget With Video Boost, the Pixel 9 Pro records video in a special mode (that you will have to toggle in settings before recording) and those clips are automatically uploaded to the cloud for server-side processing. What's new for the Pixel 9 Pro is that you can shoot videos with up to 20x zoom or create boosted videos with 8K resolution. You'll need to record at 1080p to create 4K videos, and capture in 4K to make 8K clips. This is upscaled 8K, so while clips seem crisper in places, don't expect 8K footage that's comparable to what you'll get with dedicated cameras. Video Boosted 8K seems more like a spec boast for Google rather than a feature you'll use with any regularity. Having said that, Google has improved Video Boost substantially since it first launched, adding smoother transitions between focal lengths and different camera sensors. With Video Boost, leaping from a standard wide view to 5x zoom is far less jarring, and Google has fixed the color imbalances between its trio of sensors - it looks much like it was filmed on a single-lens camera. It also offers a boost to any video captured in low light. It won't make pitch-black footage visible - I did try - but does improve the color and detail of dim video clips. You can also punch in to 20x digital zoom if you're using Video Boost for surprisingly functional footage. Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget Once you've taken your photos, an upgraded Magic Editor brings the same content-aware fill features as last year, capable of deleting unwanted objects and people from your photos. This year, Google adds more generative AI power. First up, Autoframe will let the Pixel try its hand at improving your photo's composition, cropping and even extending your photos, generating backgrounds and adding elements, sometimes successfully. Reimagine puts Google's generative AI skills to use with more creative tasks, allowing you to select backgrounds, items or other areas of your photo, and create dreamy composite images. I was able to swap out my living room for a Hawaiian sunset, make the floor lava in a nearby park and more. Get too specific with your wording, though, and the results aren't quite as impressive. But that's the state of smartphone generative AI, for now. The pro camera controls, introduced with the Pixel 8 Pro, are still here. They let you manually tweak exposure, shutter speed, and ISO, and are still super useful for those who know what they're doing. Software On the Pixel 9, you may notice a few surprise apps that you never installed. But this isn't quite bloatware: they're Google's new Pixel Screenshots and Pixel Studio. Instead of adding more complication to the Photos app, these have been made into standalone apps, which I'm very glad to see. For now, you're unable to edit photos with people in Pixel Studio, which dampens a lot of the fun. If you want standard generative-AI cartoon images and renders, Pixel Studio can oblige, although my creations aren't quite as cohesive as the examples shown. While Pixel Studio offers the ability to title your designs, most times that text will get turned into the usual AI-generated squiggles, defeating the purpose of making most things with this app. It's a little too early to draw conclusions on Pixel Screenshots, too. It uses AI to parse through all your screenshots, making information like prices, reservations and dates searchable. However, the Pixel 9 doesn't populate your screenshots automatically, nor could I find a way to pull my existing screenshots (years of them!) from my Google Photos backup, which seems like a miss. The Photos app already silos them as screenshots, so there must be a way to transfer them across. Is this a privacy issue? We've asked Google. This means the tool offered limited utility during my first week of testing. What could be incredibly useful is how Gemini AI can gradually learn to identify what's captured in the screenshots beyond simply reading the text. Screenshots in general are just smarter on the Pixel 9 Pro. I captured some travel itinerary emails, and before I even had to open an app, the Pixel suggested adding my hotel stay to Google calendar. These are the touches I love. (Of course, I could hold the power button to summon Gemini and ask it to do so similarly.) Both Pixel 9 Pros get a year's subscription to Google One AI Premium, a bundle of 2TB storage as well as the use of Gemini Advanced. The latter lets the AI directly dabble in apps like Gmail and Google Docs, to summarize text, PDFs and email conversations, although I didn't spot it in my own Gmail app. I was still able to test this in a Chrome tab elsewhere, as the subscription extends to every device you use with Google products. There's also access to Gemini Live, a conversational mode that's almost entirely voice-based. I'm not sure how much I'd use this mode, however. I prefer to type my specific requests. Gemini Live will tick along in the background as you use other apps, which adds to the utility, and stores all your requests and results on the main Gemini screen. I was able to barrel through about 15 different voice requests for shows I wanted to see at this year's Edinburgh Fringe, and it could already parse showtimes and venues, faster than I could manually find them. It struggled with some names and couldn't identify some notable comedians at all. Google has made AI-assisted search a functional part of how I use my phone. It's been fun seeing what Gemini Advanced is capable of. After taking an obtuse photo of several skyscraper buildings in central London, I asked Gemini Advanced to identify where the photo was taken. The AI initially said it could be New York, suggesting one of the buildings was One Vanderbilt. Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget Then I said that was incorrect and that it was taken in London. Gemini Advanced circled back, identifying not only one of the buildings but also the address, which was roughly 100 feet away from where I took the photo. The sheer seamlessness of the experience on Android was what impressed me most, but this is part of Gemini Advanced and after the one-year trial ends, Google expects you to pay $20 a month to keep your access. At a time when all my payments for Netflix, Spotify and more are climbing, Google isn't offering enough to make me add another subscription to the pile. Performance and battery life Along with 16GB of RAM, the Pixel 9 series features the Tensor G4, Google's latest slice of silicon, designed to breeze through AI tasks and generative AI requests. But If you're a mobile gamer this isn't going to blow you away. The G4 is more powerful than the Tensor G3, sure, but it doesn't quite match the smoothness of the latest Snapdragon chips from Qualcomm. Tensor G4's improved abilities are put to use most with new AI tasks: for example, Google says its Add Me feature taps into augmented reality software along with 15 different on-device AI models. We haven't quite got to the point where we can compare the speeds and efficiencies of generative AI tasks. For the most part, the Pixel 9 Pro behaves like a typical flagship phone. Chrome is unlikely to stutter, and the Pixel 9 Pro seems capable of handling heavy video editing and processing with ease, as well as new Magic Editor features for your photos. These features still take a moment, but the fact that so many AI tools work on-device, with no connection needed, impresses me. The Pixel 9 Pro XL's 5,060mAh battery is almost identical to the Pixel 8 Pro (5,050mAh), and it delivered over 22 hours in our looped video rundown test. The Pixel 9 Pro, meanwhile, managed to run for almost 25 hours. However, maximum charge wattage differs between the two Pros too. The Pixel 9 Pro charges at 27W, less than the Pixel 8 Pro's 30W, while the new Pixel 9 Pro XL charges at 37W. This means the XL should charge faster than the base Pro. Google says the Pixel 9 Pro can get up to 55 percent in 30 minutes, while the XL will reach a heady 77 percent in the same time, using the company's own 45W charger. My Pixel 9 Pro showed similar figures, speedily recharging to over 50 percent in under 25 minutes. Wrap up Photo by Mat Smith/Engadget The Pixel Pro has never looked better and feels like the premium devices Google's always wanted to make. Naturally, there's a premium cost associated. Given that last year's 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro was $999, the $1,099 Pixel 9 Pro XL is $100 more expensive, while the Pixel 9 Pro, with the same cameras, storage, processor and AI hooks, but a smaller screen, costs the same $999. However, compared to rivals like Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra ($1,300), the Pixel 9 Pro devices remain competitively priced. The Pixel 9 Pro is a showcase for Gemini, Google's AI assistant, and it's been given a huge opportunity to shine as Pixel 9 Pro owners enjoy a year of free access to the more advanced model. It's early days for some of the new software features, like Pixel Studio and Screenshots, however. Competition from Apple and Samsung over the last few years may have chipped away at the competitiveness of Pixel features like Night Sight, but Google continues to improve the Pixel's imaging prowess further. The Pixel 9 Pro cements the Pixel series' status as the best smartphone camera. It's so good that I don't mind that chonky camera cutout - it changed my mind. Some of these new features are crucially ones I will regularly use, like Add Me. Elsewhere, Google taps into cloud processing to beef up your video with the might of its server network. At the same time, the Pixel keeps many of its computational photography tricks on-device, with the temperamental Zoom Enhance available without the need for an internet connection. It all culminates in a phone with unique tricks and incredible battery life, regardless of which size you go for. It's so good that my iPhone will have to go without its SIM for a little longer: the Pixel 9 Pro will be my main phone for just a bit more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/pixel-9-pro-and-pixel-9-pro-xl-review-superb-cameras-with-a-side-of-gemini-ai-170055834.html?src=rss

JBL has unveiled its latest set of Tour Pro earbuds, which are packed with features and come with a smart charging case (which the company introduced with the previous model). Along with offering caller ID, media file info and music playback controls, the Tour Pro 3's second-gen smart case works as a wireless audio transmitter.That means you can plug it into any USB or analog source and it will send the audio to your earbuds. As such, you can leave your Bluetooth dongle at home the next time you take a flight. JBL says the direct connection between your case and earbuds has lower latency and more stability than Bluetooth as well.JBLThis is JBL's first set of wireless earbuds with Auracast support, a type of broadcast audio for Bluetooth devices. You'll be able to share your audio with other Auracast-enabled devices by tapping a button on the case's display (which is 30 percent larger than on the previous model). You'll also be able to join other Auracast-enabled broadcasts. So if you'd rather listen to a game's commentators rather than the drunken ramblings of someone next to you in a noisy bar and the TV has an Auracast transmitter, you'd be able to connect your earbuds to it.Elsewhere, JBL has included spatial 360 audio and head tracking tech to boost immersion, and it has employed a hybrid dual-driver system in each earbud. The company says that the balanced armature driver takes care of the high notes, while the 11mm dynamic driver delivers "powerful, cleaner bass and vivid vocals." Each driver has its own DAC that focuses on a specific segment of the frequency range. JBL also claims the LDAC wireless codec offers "exceptional high resolution sound" since it provides three times more data than standard Bluetooth codecs.A windproof design, six microphones and AI call algorithm are said to work together to improve voice clarity for calls. There's also a voice call equalizer that can tamp down the volume of loud talkers and boost the voices of quieter folks.Let's not forget the ANC side of the equation. The True Adaptive Noise Cancellation 2.0 tech JBL built into the earbuds measures noise levels more than 50,000 times per second. The company says the ANC adapts to environmental changes and compensates for sound leakage.The JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds will be available on September 22. They cost $300, which is $50 more than the previous model.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/the-jbl-tour-pro-3-earbuds-come-with-a-case-that-can-transmit-audio-wirelessly-165134542.html?src=rss

Rotten Tomatoes just added a new Verified Hot" badge that indicates an overall positive user score that will join the Certified Fresh" badge for critic scores. To qualify for this designation, a movie or show needs to have a Verified Audience Score of 90 percent or higher.There's also a Hot" badge for content with a Verified Audience Score of 60 percent to 90 percent. Finally, the dregs will be slapped with a Stale" badge, which is for any show or movie that falls beneath 60 percent.Rotten Tomatoes is trying to get around review bombing here by mandating that user reviews be from people who actually saw the movie in question. There are a couple of little problems with this. It verifies that a consumer saw the movie via the ticketing firm Fandango, and there are plenty of other ticketing firms out there, including, you know, the theater cashier.Also, Comcast owns both Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango, so this seems more like synergistic advertising than an actual way to beat review bombers. Finally, this whole verification thing is only for movies. There's no way to verify whether someone watched a TV show or not, so this wouldn't have helped all of those trolls descending upon the recently-canceled Star Wars show The Acolyte.From a cynic's perspective, this move only works to further dilute the utility of the entire site. There will be more uncertainty and plenty of more badges floating around, making the whole thing, well, messy. Will an average user be able to instantly know the difference between Hot and Fresh?The critic score average was already problematic, as reputable reviewers are weighted the exact same as purveyors of internet garbage. However, Rotten Tomatoes is addressing that by updating the minimum number of critic reviews required before a Tomatometer score will appear. For smaller films, the site mandates at least ten reviews for a score. Blockbusters will require 40 reviews.The Hot badge has already been issued to current barn-burners Deadpool & Wolverine, Twisters, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Fly Me to the Moon and It Ends With Us. The company says it has also retroactively awarded over 200 films.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/rotten-tomatoes-further-dilutes-its-utility-with-verified-hot-badge-163415420.html?src=rss

Bowers & Wilkins has just announced the Pi6 and Pi8 true wireless earbuds. They're available for $249 and $399, respectively. The cheaper model has preorders open and ships September 13, while the Pi8 can be purchased right now.The Pi6 has Bluetooth 5.4 and supports 24-bit/96kHz aptX transmission. It also has the same 12mm bio-cellulose drivers as the Px7 S2e, The flagship Pi8 supports the same resolution, but can also playback audio in aptX Lossless. Its 12mm drivers are carbon cones instead of bio cellulose.Both buds have an IP-54 rating and the company's proprietary ANC algorithm. Bower & Wilkins claims that the new earbuds have superior noise cancellation compared to their predecessors. They support Made for iPhone (MFi) for easy iOS integration - Google Fast Pair compatibility is slated to be added shortly after launch.At full charge, the flagship model can last 6.5 hours, while the case provides 13.5 hours more; the Pi6 earbuds are rated for eight hours, while the charging case has enough for 16 additional hours of use.As with many true wireless earbuds, the Pi6 and Pi8 have an accompanying app, which adds a five-band EQ for the Pi8 or a simple treble-and-bass adjustment for the Pi6.The Pi6 will be available in Cloud Grey, Storm Grey, Forest Green and Glacier Blue when it launches next month. The Pi8's four colors are Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green and Midnight Blue.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bowers--wilkins-announces-its-latest-pi6-and-pi8-true-wireless-earbuds-161812832.html?src=rss

Samsung just officially announced a glasses-free 3D gaming monitor at Gamescom after first teasing it back at CES. The Odyssey 3D uses a light field display, a lenticular lens on the front panel and eye tracking technology.The built-in stereo camera and proprietary View Mapping technology continuously adjust the image to enhance depth perception and create that all-important illusion of 3D. The technology here is similar to how Acer handled glasses-free 3D with its Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition laptop or the ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16, only with a much bigger form factor.To that end, the Odyssey 3D will be available in sizes up to 37 inches. Samsung touts that users can instantly activate the 3D mechanism, or deactivate it for traditional gaming. This is good, because glasses-free 3D can be extremely finicky, going all the way back to the days of the Nintendo 3DS. The sweet spot tends to be tiny and the image typically falls on the blurry side. This is not a perfect technology.As for traditional specs, the Odyssey 3D features a 4K QLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate. There's a 1ms response time and support for AMD FreeSync. The monitors include a DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 ports on the back. The height-adjustable stand also tilts to help users find the best position for 3D. Again, glasses-free 3D is finicky and the monitor will likely require some maneuvering to get everything perfect.This isn't vaporware. Samsung says the monitor will be available by the end of year. However, there is the matter of price. The company remains mum on the total cost and that's likely because it'll be extremely expensive. Historically, Samsung Odyssey gaming monitors are pricey, and that's without glasses-free 3D.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/samsungs-glasses-free-3d-gaming-monitor-isnt-vaporware-apparently-153355242.html?src=rss

As part of a rethink of its EV strategy, Ford has canceled plans [PDF] to build an electric three-row SUV. It said earlier this year that it would delay the vehicle by two years until 2027 but now the automaker has scuttled that model entirely. It's pivoting to using hybrid tech in its next three-row SUVs. Ford expects the decision to cost up to $1.9 billion in special charges and expenses.In addition, Ford is delaying the rollout of a next-gen electric truck from 2026 until the second half of 2027. This model will build on what the company has learned from the F-150 Lightning and include "features and experiences never seen on any Ford truck." Among those will be improved aerodynamics and an upgraded bi-directional charging capability. Ford says delaying the electric pickup will let it take advantage of lower-cost battery tech and other cost efficiencies. It will build this model, which was previously delayed from 2025, at a Tennessee plant.Ford also plans to release a medium-sized electric pickup, the first production vehicle that's based on a lower-cost platform designed by a skunkworks team, in 2027. According to The Wall Street Journal, Ford expects the EV platform to help it produce several profitable models. That could help it compete with Chinese electric vehicle makers, which Ford CEO Jim Farley claims benefit from a lower-cost supply chain. That said, the US has imposed a 100 percent tariff on imported EVs from China, which the White House says "will protect American manufacturers."Elsewhere, Ford plans to start producing a new electric commercial van in Ohio in 2026. A Tennessee factory will start making cells for the van and the next-gen electric pickup in late 2025.The shift in strategy comes as Ford attempts to mitigate losses on its current electric models while ensuring EVs it makes in the future turn a profit. The EV division is on track to lose $5 billion this year (up from a $4.7 billion loss in 2023) amid lower-than-expected demand. Ford is also slashing capital spending on EVs from 40 percent of its budget to 30 percent.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/fords-electric-three-row-suv-is-dead-151528349.html?src=rss

Tesla has recalled over two million vehicles in 2024 alone, so close to 10,000 more cars shouldn't be very noteworthy at this point. But Tesla's latest recall is a bit fussier in that technicians must review each car in person rather than just issuing an over-the-air update. Tesla's latest recall will see 9,136 Model X SUVs tended to manually due to concerns of a trim on the roof separating which could increase the risk of a crash, Reuters reports.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated, "The front and center roof cosmetic trim pieces may be adhered to the vehicle without primer. As a result, one or both pieces of trim may separate from the vehicle." Tesla will test the attachment of each vehicle's roof trim and join the pieces back together if necessary.This year has seen previous recalls on Model X vehicles, along with the Model Y, Model 3, Model S and its Cybertruck. The issues responsible have ranged from the backup camera not working in reverse to a potential for the hood to detach.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-issues-an-in-person-recall-for-its-model-x-suv-150039573.html?src=rss

After keeping up with the Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric van for a while, we finally have more details about this retro-yet-modern vehicle. The exact release date isn't yet specified, but the company claims it will be available in the US within this year. Volkswagen also released information about different trims, pricing and range.The first version is the ID.Buzz Pro S, which has an MSRP of $59,995. It's a rear-wheel-drive-only vehicle that accommodates up to seven passengers. Volkswagen is offering three exterior color schemes: Candy White, Deep Black Pearl and Metro Silver. The interior comes in either Copper (tan) or Moonlight (dark brown) color schemes.VW / James LipmanNext is the Pro S Plus, which has an MSRP of $63,495 for RWD and $67,995 for 4Motion AWD. Unlike the Pro S, this model only has six seats, but the higher price includes a head-up display, Harman Kardon 700-watt speakers and power-sliding rear doors, among other features. It comes in the same Candy White or Deep Black Pearl single-color exteriors, as well as an additional interior color: Dune (off-white). For an extra $995, there are eight two-tone exterior colors, including Candy White top with Cabana Blue, Blue Charcoal and more below. The alternative is Metro Silver top with Cherry Red.The 2025 ID.Buzz's 91kWh battery should deliver an EPA estimated 234 miles on a full charge (or a slightly more modest 231 miles for those equipped with 4Motion.)Volkswagen will also offer the launch-only 1st Edition, starting at $65,495 for RWD and $69,995 for AWD. These have a few unique features to set them apart: 20-inch wheels, upgraded audio, roof rail crossbars, "heritage-inspired floor mats" and exclusive badging. The optional glass roof available on the Pro S is also part of the package. It only comes in one of five exterior two-tone color options: Cabana Blue, Mahi Green, Metro Silver, Energetic Orange and Pomelo Yellow, all of which are contrasted with Candy White.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volkswagens-long-awaited-electric-idbuzz-pricing-and-range-revealed-143929494.html?src=rss

As usual, summer has sped by in the blink of an eye, which means it's already back-to-school season. Thankfully, there are some great tech deals for college students (and lucky high school ones), including a record-low price on Apple's 2022 MacBook Air with an M2 chip. Right now, you can get the 256GB laptop in any color for its Prime Day price of $799, down from $999 - a 20 percent discount. The 2022 MacBook Air is our choice for best budget MacBook thanks to a range of features that hold up two years later. It's a "near-perfect Mac," as we called it while giving it a 96 in our review, offering a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with up to 500 nits of brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate. This MacBook also has an M2 chip with eight CPU cores and up to 10 GPU cores. Apple has recently introduced the M4 chip, but the M2 should give you plenty of power for any run-of-the-mill programs. Speaking of power, you should get some excellent, vibrant sound quality with the MacBook Air's quad-speaker system - plus, it's compatible with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio. 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/deals/apples-m2-macbook-air-drops-to-a-record-low-of-799-140005153.html?src=rss