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Back in February, Hello Games rolled out an update for No Man's Sky that overhauled the game’s virtual reality experience on all platforms. Now the developer has released another update that doesn't only bring new VR features, but also expands the game's lore and introduces new experiences. In the latest free update called Interceptor, a new corruption has spread throughout the universe, infecting planets until they turn into purple-hazed worlds growing purple crystals, twisting sentinel machines into new forms and giving rise to new enemies.Players may find themselves facing off against big spider-like and small crab-like machines, as well as corrupted drones, on these worlds. Hello Games says they're its most lethal antagonists yet and come armed with stealth tech, flamethrower and explosives. Players might also come across huge Sentinel capital ships that can provide them a challenging bout of space combat. In addition, the update gives players access to a variety of new Starship they can collect, powered by new tech and equipped with new features, such as an ability called the Anti-Gravity Well.On the technical side of things, Interceptor brings improved visuals and new features for virtual reality that include wrist interface controls. Finally, this update comes with Xbox-focused improvements and was designed to enable smooth and consistent frame rate for visually complex scenes while playing on the console.Interceptor will be available for download today on PC, the PS4 and the PS5, the Xbox One and Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and virtual reality.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/no-mans-sky-interceptor-update-adds-new-ships-corrupt-worlds-and-vr-improvements-130016183.html?src=rss

On the eve of the launch of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the pudgy plumber's days on smartphones may be dwindling. In an interview with Variety, celebrated Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto said that "mobile apps will not be the primary path of future Mario games." Instead, he said, the company's strategy going forward is a "hardware and software integrated gaming experience."Miyamoto's remarks aren't too surprising, considering that the last Mario game on mobile, Dr. Mario World, was pulled from the market just two years after its release. 2016's Super Mario Run grossed $60 million in its first year, while Mario Kart Tour has taken in $300 million so far. That compares with Nintendo's $3 billion gross to date on Mario Kart 8 for Wii U and Switch.The designer said that since control intuitiveness is a key part of the gaming experience, smartphone development is problematic. "When we explored the opportunity of making Mario games for the mobile phone — which is a more common, generic device — it was challenging to determine what that game should be," he said. "That is why I played the role of director for Super Mario Run, to be able to translate that Nintendo hardware experience into the smart devices."Miyamoto didn't address other mobile Nintendo mobile properties, including Animal Crossing Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes. The latter is Nintendo's top earning mobile game by far, having crossed the $1 billion mark in June of last year, according to SensorTower. Miyamoto declined to say when the next Super Mario game would arrive, but The Super Mario Bros movie starring Chris Pratt is set to arrive today amid strong audience and tepid critic reviews.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendos-miyamoto-says-smartphones-wont-ever-be-marios-primary-platform-124417055.html?src=rss

Microsoft has announced a new, slightly more sustainable Xbox controller. Arriving as an Earth Day promotion, the Xbox Remix Special Edition wireless controller uses recycled materials from old gamepads, auto headlight covers and reclaimed CDs (among other sources) to give each accessory a unique look – but no special functionality. I’m totally OK with that.Microsoft describes the combination of recycled resins with regrind as creating “custom, earth-tone colors with subtle variations, swirling, markings, and texturing – giving each Remix Special Edition controller its own look and feel.” While it’s hard to see that on the press images, it should result in a satisfying textured pattern on the bumpers and side grip. The company also bundles an Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack with each gamepad, ensuring fewer AA batteries head to landfills.– Mat SmithThe Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.The biggest stories you might have missedWe can build immortal celebrities from ChatGPT and their existing back catalogs Catan creator Klaus Teuber has passed away at 70 Motorola's Edge 40 Pro offers 125W fast charging and a 165Hz screenMicrosoft's Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a high-speed laptop and tablet hubHyundai’s Ioniq 6 is a value-packed EV sedan Jury reduces Tesla's $137 million racism lawsuit penalty to $3.2 millionApple's Mac Mini M2 is back on sale for $549 Biden says it 'remains to be seen' if AI is dangerousThe president has met with advisors to discuss the 'risks and opportunities' of AI.According to reports, President Joe Biden has met with his science and technology advisors, which include academics and executives from Google and Microsoft, to discuss the "risks and opportunities" of artificial intelligence. While the meeting is unlikely to lead to a ChatGPT ban like in Italy, the president doesn't seem to be convinced that AI is perfectly safe at this point in time. When asked if AI is dangerous, he responded: "It remains to be seen. Could be." He told the group: "Tech companies have a responsibility, in my view, to make sure their products are safe before making them public.”Continue reading.The best e-readers for 2023Kindles are no longer your only options.After staring at screens all day, you deserve a break. E-readers are the perfect way to unwind with a book. They're easy on your eyes, portable and have a huge selection of titles. Amazon still dominates in this market, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t worthy competitors. We tested out some of the best e-readers available – here are our picks.Continue reading.Virgin Orbit files for bankruptcy protection as it seeks a buyerThe company recently shut down its space launch operations.Virgin Orbit has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a few days after officially shutting down its space launch operations. The private space company has been burning money for a while now and reported a loss of $49.2 million in its last fiscal quarter. Its financial issues came to a head after its Start Me Up mission didn't quite go as expected. It was supposed to be a historic event as the first orbital launch from UK soil, but it failed to reach orbit due to a dislodged fuel filter.Continue reading.Nintendo offers unlimited free repairs for Joy-Con drift issue in EuropeThe company will fix 'drifting' Joy-Cons at no cost even if they're no longer under warranty.Nintendo has been repairing Switch players' Joy-Con "drift" issues for free, even if they're no longer under warranty, in North America since 2019. It then launched the same program in France and Latin America. Now, the gaming giant has expanded its free unlimited repair service for drifting Joy-Cons to the European Economic Area (EEA), UK and Switzerland "until further notice." On its UK website, the company said it's offering repairs in those areas "for responsiveness syndrome relating to control sticks." And, it will fix the known problem for users even if it's "caused by wear and tear."Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-microsofts-new-xbox-controller-is-partially-made-of-ground-up-cds-111501121.html?src=rss

Activision's Call of Duty Ricochet anti-cheat team has introduced a number of new measures designed to reduce unfair play. Those include a replay investigation tool along with detection of third-party XIM-type devices. Some cheaters will be permanently banned, but CoD has revealed that others will be subject to some new (and rather hilarious) in-game mitigations.To start with, it has deployed a system designed to detect third-party hardware cheat devices like XIM, Cronus Zen and ReaSnow S1. "These devices act as a passthrough for controllers on PC and console and, when used improperly or maliciously, can provide a player with the ability to gain an unfair gameplay advantage, such as reducing or eliminating recoil," the team noted in a blog post.At first, Ricochet will give players an "unsupported device warning" as shown above, but continued use could result in measures ranging from mitigations up to permabans across all Call of Duty titles.It's also using a new replay investigation tool. "Using captured and stored match gameplay data, our teams can load up and watch any completed match as part of our investigation process," the team wrote. It'll focus on ranked play in both Modern Warefare II and Warzone 2.0, capturing and storing all match data for signs of suspicious activity. The system has already aided in investigations that resulted in permanent bans.Activision revealed more about mitigations, as well. It has already talked about Damage Shield, which allows innocent players to take fire without being injured, and has now detailed the Disarm and Cloak measures. As shown in the Disarm demo above, after trying to switch weapons, a player ends up facing their opponent with no weapon at all. Cloak, as you'd imagine, turns enemies invisible.Ubisoft recently launched its own crackdown that allows players to continue, albeit with significant handicaps, until they unplug cheat devices. Epic Games also recently pulled out the perma-banhammer for cheaters.Last year, Activision said its anti-cheat measures implemented in 2021 had led to a "significant" drop in cheaters. However, it added that it expects players to create new ways to get around existing measures. "We know tomorrow will continue to deliver new and evolving threats," team Ricochet wrote.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/call-of-duty-can-detect-and-ban-xim-style-cheat-hardware-100314416.html?src=rss

Best Buy announced today that it’s extending its gadget recycling program to include a new mail-in option. The retailer will now sell you a box for your used electronics that you can ship back for recycling, saving a trip to the store. Best Buy says it’s recycled 2.7 billion pounds of electronics and appliances through its existing programs, describing itself as the US’ “largest retail collector of e-waste.”The program lets you order a box in one of two sizes: a $23 small (9 x 5 x 3 inches) one for e-waste weighing up to six lbs and a $30 medium (18 x 14 x 4 inches) one supporting up to 15 lbs. After receiving it, you can pack in as many (approved) devices as you can fit, as long as they stay under the weight limits. Then, you can either take them to a UPS drop-off point or schedule a UPS pickup.The program is an extension of Best Buy’s free in-store recycling program, launched in 2009. The retailer also provides a home-pickup option, but it costs $200 and is ideal for unusually cumbersome items like home theater and heavy appliances. All of its recycling initiatives accept computers, tablets, TVs, smartphones, radios, appliances, cameras and other common gadgets. (You can read the complete list and exclusions here.)The free in-store recycling program would be more practical unless you live far from a Best Buy location. Still, I can see some people willing to pay to avoid making the trip — especially during the holiday shopping season or if you have disposable income and live in a congested area. If nothing else, Earth Day (April 22nd) is an appropriate time to raise awareness of e-waste recycling to nudge people away from throwing these items in the trash, where they’ll get hauled off to landfills.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-buys-new-recycling-program-will-let-you-mail-in-your-old-electronics-100030769.html?src=rss

Nintendo has been repairing Switch players' Joy-Con "drift" issues for free, even if they're no longer under warranty, in North America since 2019. Over the past years, it has launched the same program in France and Latin America. Now, the gaming giant has expanded its free unlimited repair service for drifting Joy-Cons to the European Economic Area (EEA), UK and Switzerland "until further notice." On its UK website (as first seen by Nintendo Life), the company said it's offering repairs in those areas "for responsiveness syndrome relating to control sticks." Further, it will fix the known problem for users even if it's "caused by wear and tear."Switch players in Europe are already pretty well-protected with a warranty that lasts for 24 months instead of merely 12. When the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) urged an investigation into the Joy-Con drift issue back in 2021, it said 88 percent of the 25,000 complaints it received were from people whose controllers showed symptoms of the problem within the first two years. That means the standard warranty in Europe would be able to cover most people's repairs. But now players can get Nintendo to fix their controllers for free, even after their warranty is over.While the BEUC called this development a "tangible win for consumers," it also believes it's a "short-term fix." In the end, Nintendo will still be allowed to sell a product with a known defect that leads to early failure, the group said, and that's something it hopes would be banned in Europe.The Joy-Con drift, characterized by the Switch detecting movement even though the player isn't touching the controllers' analog sticks, has been a consistent source of frustration for gamers for a long time now. Nintendo has had to face lawsuits accusing it of selling Joy-Con while knowing that they're "defective." And while company president Shuntaro Furukawa acknowledged the problem and apologized for it back in 2020, it remains an issue that plagues fans to this day.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-offers-unlimited-free-repairs-for-joy-con-drift-issue-in-europe-062645235.html?src=rss

Artificial intelligence has reached a new level of interest ever since ChatGPT burst into the scene. The AI chatbot with its eerily human-like responses has lit a fire under many tech giants and smaller tech companies that are now rushing to release their rival offerings. US President Joe Biden, however, wants them to be careful and make sure that their products are safe before opening them up to the public. According to AP and Reuters, the president has met up with his science and technology advisors, which include academics and executives from Google and Microsoft, to discuss the "risks and opportunities" of artificial intelligence.While the meeting likely won't culminate in a banning of ChatGPT like what happened in Italy, the president doesn't seem to be convinced that AI is perfectly safe at this point in time. When asked if AI is dangerous, he responded: "It remains to be seen. Could be." He told the group:" "Tech companies have a responsibility, in my view, to make sure their products are safe before making them public...AI can help deal with some very difficult challenges like disease and climate change, but it also has to address the potential risks to our society, to our economy, to our national security."The White House told the news organizations that the president also used the opportunity to discuss "the importance of protecting rights and safety to ensure responsible innovation and appropriate safeguards." Further, he talked about his previous calls on Congress to pass legislation that would protect kids' privacy online.It doesn't sound like policies were made and big changes were planned during the meeting. But Russell Wald from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence told AP that the president has set "the stage for a national dialogue on the topic by elevating attention to AI." Last year, the Biden administration also released its Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. It's meant to guide the design and deployment of AI and other automated systems in a way that protects "the American public in the age of artificial intelligence."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/biden-says-it-remains-to-be-seen-if-ai-is-dangerous-042300227.html?src=rss

Rakuten-owned Kobo unveiled its newest e-reader today, a $400 alternative to the Kindle Scribe and reMarkable 2. The Kobo Elipsa 2E iterates on its 2021 predecessor with a better stylus, more versatile lighting / color-temperature adjustments and other improvements.The Kobo Elipsa 2E has a 10.3-inch e-ink touchscreen (like its predecessor), but the new model gets a resolution bump to 300ppi. Additionally, it adds ComfortLight Pro, which adjusts the front light’s color temperature and brightness to reduce eye strain. Kobo says its battery lasts longer, especially when using the stylus, although its description is only as specific as “weeks of battery life.”Kobo says the new e-reader has a faster (dual-core 2GHz) processor, leading to lower latency and speedier zooming / page-turning. It also includes the Kobo Stylus 2, an improved (rechargeable and 25 percent lighter) digital pen for jotting notes. The stylus has an “eraser” on its back end and a separate highlighter button. In addition, the optional SleepCover includes a magnetic attachment for stashing away the stylus when you aren’t using it. Finally, the device has an improved design using recycled plastic and metals.KoboThe Rakuten-owned company announced the launch of Kobo Plus, its answer to Kindle Unlimited and Audible. The tier-based subscription service offers unlimited access to over 1.3 million e-books and 100,000 audiobooks. It starts at $8 per month for either e-books or audiobooks or $10 per month for both.The Kobo Elipsa 2E will cost $400 when it launches in stores and online on April 19th. Pre-orders begin April 5th at Kobo’s website, and customers who reserve one before the launch date in the US, UK and Australia will get a $25 Kobo e-gift card for digital reading content. The e-reader will be available globally in the US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Turkey.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/kobo-takes-on-the-kindle-scribe-with-improved-elipsa-2e-e-ink-tablet-040148388.html?src=rss

Mercedes has a very clear plan. Its EQ lineup will continue to grow as it works towards parity with its gas vehicles, and the automaker will eventually transform its consumer cars to those running on electrons. The latest part of that scheme is the EQE SUV, the larger, taller version of the EQE sedan. Both are eco-friendly cousins to the E-Class and both bring what we like (and don’t like) about the EQS to a broader audience.Starting at $77,900, the EQE SUV won’t wow you if you’ve been behind the wheel of literally any other Mercedes EV. Instead, the mid-seized luxury EV is a piece of a larger puzzle. That’s not to say that the vehicle doesn’t deliver on the Mercedes-Benz promise of a luxury vehicle. It does this without the buyer having to break the $100,000 mark for an electric SUV.It has a comfortable cabin, smooth ride, tight but agreeable steering and of course the MBUX infotainment system with in-car voice control that actually works. All three trim levels have ranges above 250 miles and rear-wheel steering is an option that’s definitely worth the money. That said, we’re still not fans of the brakes and to us, the Hyperscreen still feels like a lot of hype although we were able to watch a movie while riding shotgun through Portugal on the passenger screen. For more insight into our first drive of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, check out the video below.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mercedes-eqe-suv-first-drive-big-luxury-in-a-smaller-suv-220134605.html?src=rss

After some testing, Tidal's DJ feature is officially available. Now called Live, the option lets HiFi and HiFi Plus subscribers share what they're playing in real-time with other paying members. Once you start, you just have to share links with others who want to tune in. You can't mix and scratch, unfortunately, but this may do the trick if you're hoping to host a virtual listening party.As you might guess, Tidal is using this to promote both itself and artists. Musicians like Alesso, Aluna and Diplo are hosting Live sessions in the US, UK, Brazil, Germany and Poland, while Tidal will have genre experts playing picks throughout the week.Live is available now on Android and iOS and works with over 100 million tracks. Tidal plans start at $10 per month. You'll still have to settle for regular AAC tracks, unfortunately. For now, higher quality tunes aren't an option. You also have to listen to DJs in the country where you signed up. You can't tune into a German trendsetter's session from the US, to put it another way.This may be more or less alluring than similar options at rival services, depending on what you're looking for. Spotify's Group Sessions let everyone involve control playback, but only for several people. Amazon's Amp, meanwhile, is more of a music-oriented radio show tool and (while we were trying it, at least) isn't guaranteed to have the tunes you want to share. Tidal's approach is simple, but may be ideal if you want to be the sole DJ without the pressure to speak up.The catch, of course, is that everyone involved has to be a subscriber. Tidal doesn't even register on Statista's global market share chart — while it's a known brand, you'll be performing for a relatively small audience. You'll have to convince your friends to switch away from the likes of Spotify or Apple Music to make the most of Live, and there's no guarantee they'll be willing to give up their carefully curated playlists and recommendations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tidals-listening-party-feature-is-now-widely-available-205035086.html?src=rss

Facebook just announced it is implementing multiplayer games into the video call feature within Messenger. This functionality allows you to converse with friends and family as you kick their booty in 14 currently-available titles. Trash talk is back, baby!The video call gaming feature is available on Messenger for iOS, Android and the web, with no specialized installations required. The 14 games being showcased at launch include old favorites like Words With Friends and Mini Golf FRVR to newer titles like Card Wars and Exploding Kittens. Each game is designed to be played by as few as two people, though each title boasts differing maximum player numbers.Each game is optimized for the service, with clearly-demarcated leader boards, and a user interface that leverages the Messenger experience. All you have to do is start a video call on Messenger, tap the group mode button, tap the “Play” icon, and then browse through the library of available games. The company has been experimenting with Messenger-enabled games for the past few years, but nothing has really stuck, so one hopes this new mode has some staying power.The launch lineup here is relatively slim, at 14 titles, but Facebook Gaming says more free games are on the horizon later this year. To that end, the company is urging interested developers to contact their Partner Manager for details on how to add games to the platform. This news comes mere months after Meta shuttered the standalone Facebook Gaming app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/facebook-messenger-now-lets-you-play-multiplayer-games-during-video-calls-191632154.html?src=rss

Amazon's ongoing layoffs now include those more directly involved in game production. The company has provided an internal memo from gaming VP Christoph Hartmann (originally shared by Bloomberg) announcing layoffs of "just over" 100 employees across gaming divisions that include Prime Gaming, Game Growth and Amazon Games' San Diego studio. The internet giant is also reassigning workers to projects that fit its "strategic focus," the executive says.The teams in Irvine (which develops the online RPG New World) and Montreal (on an unannounced project) will continue to grow, Hartmann adds. Amazon's publishing efforts will also expand. Laid off employees are already being notified, and will get severance pay, health benefits and paid time to find new jobs.The company hasn't elaborated on the reasons for the layoffs. In his memo, Hartmann says the cuts come after Amazon weighed its ongoing projects against its "long-term goals." The company tells Engadget it doesn't have more to share beyond the note.Amazon's game development efforts haven't fared well. Its attempt at a free-to-play shooter, Crucible, was only briefly available to the public and was shut down after just a few months. There has also been turmoil at the San Diego location. John Smedley, a Sony Online Entertainment veteran who ran Amazon Games' San Diego studio for six years, said in January that he would leave after a transition period.The news comes just weeks after Amazon outlined plans to slash 9,000 positions, including some at the livestreaming service Twitch. The tech giant is looking to reduce costs company-wide while dealing with a turbulent global economy and the effects of the pandemic recovery. In that context, the gaming layoffs represent a small piece of a larger strategy.Update: April 5th, 4:40am ET. A previous version of this article said that Amazon's only published game was New World, whereas it also publishes Lost Ark.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-lays-off-more-than-100-employees-across-its-gaming-divisions-190634108.html?src=rss

If the dark, serious tone of Overwatch 2 Season 2's Ramattra wasn't your style, the game's latest hero might be a breath of fresh air. Meet Lifeweaver, a Thai scientist with long, flowing hair, an elegant sense of style and an overwhelming sense of confidence and bravado. His backstory outlines him as a naturalist who wields bio-light technology to "cure diseases and heal the world." In game, that translates to a support class.Specifically, Lifeweaver's gameplay trailer shows the new hero using plant-themed hard light powers to restore health and using movement powers to turn the tide of battle. We see Lifeweaver pull a knocked back player back onto the map before they can fall off a cliff. Then, the hero creates a platform that lifts the opposing team's Orisa high above the battlefield just as she sets off her ultimate ability, rendering the attack harmless. That ability, Petal Platform, can be used by players on both teams — making it useful both for disrupting enemy movement and offering high ground to allies.Lifeweaver's own ultimate move manifests as a large, glowing tree that constantly heals teammates in the surrounding area. It's also impervious to attacks, meaning it can be used to create cover in open spaces.The moveset is certainly compelling — it's easy to imagine using these abilities to help teammates traverse the map in new ways, or help keep the enemy at bay in the final moments of battle. We won't have to wait long to find out exactly how Lifeweaver will change the game, however. The new hero launches with Season 4 on April 11th, and will be free to use for a limited time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/overwatchs-new-support-hero-lifeweaver-arrives-on-april-11th-184030395.html?src=rss

Microsoft announced a new sustainable Xbox controller today. Arriving as an Earth Day promotion, the Xbox Remix Special Edition wireless controller uses recycled materials from old gamepads, auto headlight covers and reclaimed CDs (among other sources) to give each accessory a unique look. Although it offers no special functionality, it allows gamers to vote with their wallets for environmentally friendly manufacturing.One-third of each gamepad is made from post-consumer recycled resins and regrind materials. Microsoft says the resins are sourced from materials like “automotive headlight covers, plastic water jugs and CDs.” Meanwhile, the regrind comes from leftover Xbox One controller parts recycled into new material. The company says the regrind maintains the durability and performance you’d expect.Microsoft describes the combination of recycled resins with regrind as creating “custom, earth-tone colors with subtle variations, swirling, markings, and texturing — giving each Remix Special Edition controller its own look and feel.” Unfortunately, the company’s marketing images don’t appear to reveal much of that, but you can expect each one to look at least slightly different from the rest. It also has “a topographic texture pattern” on its bumpers, triggers and side grip areas, which Microsoft describes as a “nod to the Earth’s dynamic landscape.” Finally, the green hues on its front case, D-pad and Xbox button were inspired by lichen, a composite organism found in the Pacific Northwest.It wouldn’t make sense to buy an environmentally sound controller only to stuff it with disposable AA batteries that end up in landfills. So Microsoft bundles an Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack with each special-edition gamepad. The accessory costs $25 on its own.It’s easy to grow cynical about mega-corporations virtue-signaling around Earth Day products that most people won’t buy while their broader product portfolio falls short in environmental friendliness. But hey, it’s still something. Further, Microsoft does point us to its Xbox sustainability efforts — including goals of being carbon-negative, water-positive and zero-waste by 2030 and improving its consoles’ Energy Saver sleep mode.The Xbox Remix Special Edition controller costs $85, the same price you’d pay for a $60 standard Xbox wireless gamepad with a rechargeable battery pack. It’s available for pre-order today before launching on April 18th, four days before Earth Day.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-ground-up-old-cds-to-make-its-new-xbox-controller-182523771.html?src=rss

General Motors just pulled ahead of Ford to become the country’s second-leading seller of all-electric vehicles. According to sales numbers obtained by CNBC, Ford sold just under 11,000 EVs during the first quarter of this year, while GM sold twice that, at nearly 21,000 units.As a matter of fact, Ford’s poor showing throughout the past few months dropped it to fifth place in total EV sales in the USA. Hyundai and Volkswagon now make up the third and fourth spots. What is to blame for Ford’s all-electric struggles? It had some significant production downtimes at two North American plants, leading the company to scramble to retrofit a pre-existing plant in Mexico.Additionally, the Ford F-150 Lighting electric pickup experienced a small recall when some batteries started catching fire, forcing the company to lose five weeks of production. Ford is planning on using new battery technology to ramp up EV production to 600,000 vehicles a year, but those recent sales figures illustrate just how far it has to go to meet that metric.While congratulations are in order for GM, it is worth noting that even it is playing catch-up to market leader Tesla. And it’s not even close. Tesla does not share regional sales reports, but Motor Intelligence estimates the company sold 161,630 EVs in the United States during the first quarter. That is around eight times the number that GM is currently putting down. According to Tesla, it is on track to manufacture 20 million electric vehicles per year by 2030, though many experts say the actual number is likely to fall much lower than that.While Tesla is leading the country in sales, the same is not true globally. Chinese manufacturer BYD sells 20 percent of the world’s EVs, to Tesla’s 12.6 percent. As for GM, the company promises to build 50,000 EVs by the middle of the year and 100,000 more units by the end of the year. One interesting factoid is that the majority of GM’s sales this year were from its budget-friendly Chevrolet Bolt line, which cost under $30,000. The lowest price for a bare-bones Tesla Model 3 is around $43,000.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-is-now-the-second-largest-ev-maker-in-the-us-181556063.html?src=rss

Our reverence towards stars and celebrities was not borne of the 19th century’s cinematic revolution, but rather has been a resilient aspect of our culture for millennia. Ancient tales of immortal gods rising again and again after fatal injury, the veneration and deification of social and political leaders, Madame Tussauds’ wax museums and the Academy Awards’ annual In Memoriam segment, they’re are all facets of the human compulsion to put well-known thought leaders, tastemakers and trendsetters up on pedestals. And with a new, startlingly lifelike generation of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI) at our disposal, today’s celebrities could potentially remain with us long after their natural deaths. Like ghosts, but still on TV, touting Bitcoin and Metaverse apps. Probably.Fame is the name of the gamAmerican Historian Daniel Boorstin once quipped, “to be famous is to be well known for being well-known.” With the rise of social media, achieving celebrity is now easier than ever, for better or worse.“Whereas stars are often associated with a kind of meritocracy,” Dr. Claire Sisco King, Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Chair of the Cinema and Media Arts program at Vanderbilt. “Celebrity can be acquired through all kinds of means, and of course, the advent of digital media has, in many ways, changed the contours of celebrity because so-called ordinary people can achieve fame in ways that were not accessible to them prior to social media.”What’s more, social media provides an unprecedented degree of access and intimacy between a celebrity and their fans, even at the peak of the paparazzi era. “We develop these imagined intimacies with celebrities and think about them as friends and loved ones,” King continued. “I think that those kinds of relationships illustrate the longing that people have for senses of connectedness and interrelatedness.”For as vapid as the modern celebrity existence is portrayed in popular media, famous people have long served important roles in society as trend-setters and cultural guides. During the Victorian era, for example, British folks would wear miniature portraits of Queen Victoria to signal their fealty and her choice to wear a white wedding gown in 1840 is what started the modern tradition. In the US, that manifests with celebrities as personifications of the American Dream — each and every single one having pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and sworn off avocado toast to achieve greatness, despite their humble beginnings presumably in a suburban garage of some sort.“The narratives that we return to, “ King said, “can become comforts for making sense of that inevitable part of the human experience: our finiteness.” But what if our cultural heroes didn’t die? At least not entirely? What if, even after Tom Hanks shuffles off this mortal coil, his likeness and personality were digitally preserved in perpetuity? We’re already sending long-dead recording artists like Roy Orbison, Tupac Shakur and Whitney Houston back out on tour as holographic performers. The Large Language Models (LLMs) that power popular chatbots like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Bard, are already capable of mimicking the writing styles of whichever authors they’ve been trained on. What’s to stop us from smashing these technologies together into an interactive Tucker-Dolcetto amalgamation of synthesized content? Turns out, not much beyond the threat of a bad news cycle.How to build a 21st century puppetCheating death has been an aspirational goal of humanity since prehistory. The themes of resurrection, youthful preservation and outright immortality are common tropes throughout our collective imagination — notions that have founded religions, instigated wars, and launched billion dollar beauty and skin care empires. If a society’s elites weren’t mummifying themselves ahead of a glorious afterlife, bits and pieces of their bodies and possessions were collected and revered as holy relics, cultural artifacts to be cherished and treasured as a physical connection to the great figures and deeds of yore.Technological advances since the Middle Ages have, thankfully, by and large eliminated the need to carry desiccated bits of your heroes in a coat pocket. Today, fans can connect with their favorite celebrities — whether still alive or long-since passed — through the star’s available catalog of work. For example, you can watch Robin Williams’ movies, stand up specials, Mork and Mindy, and read his books arguably more easily now than when he was alive. Nobody’s toting scraps of hallowed rainbow suspender when they can rent Jumanji from YouTube on their phone for $2.99. It’s equally true for William Shakespeare, whose collected works you can read on a Kindle as you wait in line at the DMV.At this point, it doesn’t really matter how long a beloved celebrity has been gone — so long as sufficiently large archives of their work remain, digital avatars can be constructed in their stead using today’s projection technologies, generative AI systems, and deepfake audio/video. Take the recent fad of deceased singers and entertainers “going back out on tour” as holographic projections of themselves for example.The projection systems developed by BASE Hologram and the now-defunct HologramUSA, which made headlines in the middle of the last decade for their spectral representations of famously deceased celebrities, used a well-known projection effect known as Pepper’s Ghost. Developed in the early 19th century by British inventor John Henry Pepper, the image of an off-stage performer is reflected onto a transparent sheet of glass interposed between the stage and audience to produce a translucent, ethereal effect ideal for depicting the untethered spirits that routinely haunted theatrical protagonists at the time.Turns out, the technique works just as well with high-definition video feeds and LED light sources as it did with people wiggling in bedsheets by candlelight. The modern equivalent is called the "Musion Eyeliner" and rather than a transparent sheet of glass, it uses a thin metalized film set at a 45 degree angle towards the audience. It’s how the Gorillaz played “live” at the 2006 Grammy Awards and how Tupac posthumously performed at Coachella in 2012, but the technology is limited by the size of the transparent sheet. If we’re ever going to get the Jaws 19 signage Back to the Future II promised us, we’re likely going to use arrays of fan projectors like those developed by London-based holographic startup, Hypervsn, to do so.“Holographic fans are types of displays that produce a 3-dimensional image seemingly floating in the air using the principle of POV (Persistence of Vision), using strips of RGB LEDs attached to the blades of the fan and a control-unit lighting up the pixels,” Dr Priya C, Associate Professor at Sri Sairam Engineering College, and team wrote in a 2020 study on the technology. “As the fan rotates, the display produces a full picture.”Dr Priya C goes on to say “Generally complex data can be interpreted more effectively when displayed in three dimensions. In the information display industry, three dimensional (3D) imaging, display, and visualization are therefore considered to be one of the key technology developments that will enter our daily life in the near future.”“From a technical standpoint, the size [of a display] is just a matter of how many devices you are using and how you actually combine them,” Hypervsn Lead Product Manager, Anastasia Sheluto, told Engadget. “The biggest wall we have ever considered was around 400 devices, that was actually a facade of one building. A wall of 12 or 15 [projectors] will get you up to 4k resolution.” While the fan arrays need to be enclosed to protect them from the elements and the rest of us from getting whacked by a piece of plastic revolving at a few thousand RPMs, these displays are already finding use in museums and malls, trade shows and industry showcases.What’s more, these projector systems are rapidly gaining streaming capabilities, allowing them to project live interactions rather than merely pre-recorded messages. Finally, Steven Van Zandt’s avatar in the ARHT Media Holographic Cube at Newark International will do more than stare like he’s not mad, just disappointed, and the digital TSA assistants of tomorrow may do more than repeat rote instructions for passing travelers as the human ones do today.Getting Avatar Van Zandt to sound like the man it’s based on is no longer much of a difficult feat either. Advances in the field of deepfake audio, more formally known as speech synthesis, and text-to-speech AI, such as Amazon Polly or Speech Services by Google, have led to a commercialization of synthesized celebrity voice overs.Where once a choice between Morgan Freeman and Darth Vader reading our TomTom directions was considered bleeding-edge cool, today, companies like Speechify offer voice models from Snoop Dogg, Gwyneth Paltrow, and other celebs who (or whose estates) have licensed their voice models for use. Even recording artists who haven’t given express permission for their voices to be used are finding deep fakes of their work popping up across the internet.In Speechify’s case at least, “our celebrity voices are strictly limited to personal consumption and exclusively part of our non-commercial text-to-speech (TTS) reader,” Tyler Weitzman, Speechify Co-Founder and Head of AI, told Engadget via email. “They're not part of our Voice Over Studio. If a customer wants to turn their own voice into a synthetic AI voice for their own use, we're open to conversations.”“Text-to-speech is one of the most important technologies in the world to advance humanity,” Weitzman continued. “[It] has the potential to dramatically increase literacy rates, spread human knowledge, and break cultural barriers.”ElevenLabs’ Prime Voice AI software similarly can recreate near perfect vocal clones from uploaded voice samples — the entry level Instant Voice Cloning service only requires around a minute of audio but doesn’t utilize actual AI model training (limiting its range of speech) and an enterprise version that can only be accessed after showing proof that the voice they’re cloning is licensed for that specific use. What’s more, “Cloning features are limited to paid accounts so if any content created using ElevenLabs is shared or used in a way that contravenes the law, we can help trace it back to the content creator,” ElevenLabs added.The Enterprise-grade service also requires nearly 3 hours of input data to properly train the language model but company reps assure Engadget that, “the results are almost indistinguishable from the original person’s voice.” Surely Steve Van Zandt was onscreen for that long over the course of Lillyhammer’s four-season run.Unfortunately, the current need for expansive, preferably high-quality, audio recordings on which to train an AI TTS model severely limits which celebrity personalities we’d be able to bring back. Stars and public figures from the second half of the 20th century would obviously have far more chance of having three hours of tape available for training than, say, Presidents Jefferson or Lincoln. Sure, a user could conceivably reverse engineer a voiceprint from historical records — ElevenLabs Voice Design allows users to generate unique voices with adjustable qualities like age, gender, or accent — and potentially recreate Theodore Roosevelt’s signature squeaky sound, but it’ll never be quite the same as hearing the 26th President himself.Providing something for the synthesized voices to say is proving to be a significant challenge — at least providing something historically accurate, as the GPT-3-powered iOS app, Historical Figures Chat has shown. Riding the excitement around ChatGPT, the app was billed as able to impersonate any of 20,000 famous folks from the annals of history. Despite its viral popularity in January, the app has been criticized by historians for returning numerous factual and characteristic inaccuracies from its figure models. Genocidal Cambodian dictator, Pol Pot, at no point in his reign showed remorse for his nation’s Killing Fields, nor did Nazi general and Holocaust architect, Heinrich Himmler, but even gentle prodding was enough to have their digital recreations begin spouting mea culpas.“It’s as if all of the ghosts of all of these people have hired the same PR consultants and are parroting the same PR nonsense,” Zane Cooper, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, remarked to the Washington Post.We can, but should we?Accuracy issues aren’t the only challenges generative AI “ghosts” currently face, as apparently, even death itself will not save us from copyright and trademark litigation. “There's already a lot of issues emerging,” Dan Schwartz, partner and IP trial lawyer at Nixon Peabody, told Engadget. “Especially for things like ChatGPT and generative AI tools, there will be questions regarding ownership of any intellectual property on the resulting output.“Whether it's artwork, whether it's a journalistic piece, whether it's a literary piece, whether it is an academic piece, there will be issues over the ownership of what comes out of that,” he continued. “That issue has really yet to be defined and I think we're still a ways away from intellectual property laws fully having an opportunity to address it. I think these technologies have to percolate and develop a little bit and there will be some growing pains before we get to meaningful regulation on them.”The US Copyright Office in March announced that AI-generated art cannot be copyrighted by the user under US law, equating the act of prompting the computer to produce a desired output with asking a human artist the same. "When an AI technology receives solely a prompt from a human and produces complex written, visual, or musical works in response, the 'traditional elements of authorship' are determined and executed by the technology — not the human user," the office stated.This is the opposite of the stance taken by a Federal Appeals Court. “[Patent law regarding AI] for the most part, is pretty well settled here in the US,” Schwartz said, “that an AI system cannot be an inventor of a new, patentable invention. It's got to be a human, so that will impact how people apply for patents that come out of generative AI tools.”Output-based infringement aside, the training methods used by firms like OpenAI and Stability AI, which rely on trawling the public web for data with which to teach their models, have proven problematic as well, having repeatedly caught lawsuits for getting handsy with other people’s licensed artwork. What’s more, generative AI has already shown tremendous capacity and capability in creating illegal content. Deepfake porn ads featuring the synthetic likenesses of Emma Watson and Scarlett Johansson ran on Facebook for more than two days in March before being flagged and removed, for example.Until the wheels of government can turn enough to catch up to these emerging technologies, we’ll have to rely on market forces to keep companies from disrupting the rest of us back into the stone age. So far, such forces have proved quick and efficient. When Google’s new Bard system immediately (but confidently) fumbled basic facts about the James Webb Space Telescope, that little whoopsie-doodle immediately wiped $100 billion off the company’s stock value. The Historical Figures Chat app, similarly, is no longer available for download on the App Store, despite reportedly receiving multiple investment offers in January. It has since been replaced with numerous, similarly-named clone apps.“I think what is better for society is to have a system of liability in place so that people understand what the risks are,” Schwartz argued. “So that if you put something out there that creates racist, homophobic, anti-any protected class, inappropriate content, whoever’s responsible for making that tool available, will likely end up facing the potential of liability. And I think that's going to be pretty well played out over the course of the next year or two.”Celebrity as an American industryWhile the term “celebrity” has been around since being coined in 17th century France, during the days of John Jacques Rousseau, it was the Americans in the 20th century who first built the concept into a commercial enterprise.By the late 1920s, with the advent of Talkies, the auxiliary industry of fandom was already in full swing. “You [had] fan magazines like Motion Picture, Story Magazine or Photoplay that would have pictures of celebrities on the cover, have stories about celebrities behind the scenes, stories about what happened on the film set,” King explained. “So, as the film industry develops alongside this, you start to get Hollywood Studios.” And with Hollywood Studios came the star system.“Celebrity has always been about manufacturing images, creating stories,” King said. The star system existed in the 1930s and ‘40s and did to young actors and actresses what Crypton Future Media did to Hatsune Miku: it assembled them into products, constructing synthetic personalities for them from the ground up.Actors, along with screenwriters, directors and studio executives of the era, would coordinate to craft specific personas for their stars. “You have the ingénue or the bombshell,” King said. “The studios worked really closely with fan magazines, with their own publicity arms and with gossip columnist to tell very calculated stories about who the actors were.” This diverted focus from the film itself and placed it squarely on the constructed, steerable, personas crafted by the studio — another mask for actors to wear, publicly and even after the cameras were turned off.“Celebrity has existed for centuries and the way it exists now is not fundamentally different from how it used to be,” King added. “But it has been really amplified, intensified and made more ubiquitous because of changing industry and technological norms that have developed in the 20th and 21st centuries.”Even after Tom Hanks is dead, Tom Hanks Prime will live foreverBetween the breakneck pace of technological advancement with generative AI (including deepfake audio and video), the promise of future “touchable” plasma displays offering hard light-style tactile feedback through femtosecond laser bursts, and Silicon Valley’s gleeful disregard towards the negative public costs borne from their “disruptive” ideas, the arrival of immortal digitized celebrities hawking eczema creams and comforting lies during commercial breaks is now far more likely a matter of when, rather than if.But what does that mean for celebrities who are still alive? How will knowing that even after the ravages of time take Tom Hanks from us, that at least a lightly interactable likeness might continue to exist digitally? Does the visceral knowledge that we’ll never truly be rid of Jimmy Fallon empower us to loathe him even more?“This notion of the simulacra of the celebrity, again, is not entirely new,” King explained. “We can point to something like the Madame Tussaud's wax museum, which is an attempt to give us a version of the celebrity, there are impersonators who dress and perform as them, so I think that people take a certain kind of pleasure in having access to an approximation of the celebrity. But that experience never fully lives up.”“If you go and visit the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, there's a kind of aura [to the space],” she continued. “There's something intangible, almost magical about experiencing that work of art in person versus seeing a print of it on a poster or on a museum tote bag or, you know, coffee mug that it loses some of its kind of ineffable quality.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/immortal-hologram-celebrities-chatgpt-ai-deep-fake-back-catalogs-180030493.html?src=rss

Klaus Teuber, who created the board game sensation Settlers of Catan, has passed away at the age of 70. According to the official Catan website, Teuber died on April 1st after a “brief and severe illness.” He is survived by his wife Claudia and their two sons, Guido and Benny, all of which are involved with publisher Catan Studios.It is hard to do justice to how important Catan was (and is) to the board game space. Teuber invented the multiplayer resource-trading game in 1995 and is one of the first European board games to achieve massive success throughout the rest of the world. As of 2020, over 32 million copies of Catan in 40 different languages have been sold globally.It’s not just board games. The popularity of Catan has allowed for multiple digital versions available for smartphones, video game consoles and PCs. The game has also left quite a pop culture footprint, inspiring countless references in media properties like The Big Bang Theory, Parks and Recreation, Supergirl and South Park. It even inspired a short film in 2014, The Lord of Catan, starring Amy Acker. There have also been rumors of a forthcoming Sony-produced feature film floating around since 2015.Teuber may be best known for creating Catan, but the designer also had his hand in many popular board games like Barbarossa, Wacky Wacky Wacky and more. All told, he won the Game of the Year award a whopping four times. Not bad for a former dental technician who didn’t even begin developing games seriously until the 1990s, when he was in his 40s.“I developed games to escape,” he told The New Yorker in 2014. “This was my own world I created.”

Microsoft is no stranger to making elaborate laptop docks, but its latest may be particularly appealing if you need a genuinely robust hub for work. The company has unveiled a Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock that, as the name implies, uses speedy Thunderbolt 4 (and hence USB 4) to connect your laptop or tablet to all your peripherals. There's enough bandwidth to connect two 4K monitors at 60Hz, as well as 96W of power that's enough to recharge some demanding portable PCs.The dock offers a healthy mix of modern and legacy ports, plus a few helpful design touches. You'll find two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and 2.5Gbps Ethernet on the back, but you'll also find one USB-C and one USB-A port on the front — it shouldn't be awkward to plug in a thumb drive or phone. Tactile indicators on the back make it easier for people of various abilities to find ports by feel, while the 20 percent ocean-bound plastic reduces the environmental impact.Before you ask: while the dock is designed with the Surface Laptop 5, Surface Laptop Studio and Intel-based Surface Pro 9 in mind, that's not a strict requirement. Any computer with Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports should work. You could attach a MacBook Pro, if you're feeling ironic.The Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock is available today on Microsoft's store for $300. That's considerably more expensive than many laptop docks, and you may wish it had features like a full-size SD card reader. The price is on par with similarly powerful docks, though, and it may be worthwhile if you'd rather not spend valuable minutes plugging in peripherals when you sit at your desk.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsofts-surface-thunderbolt-4-dock-is-a-high-speed-laptop-and-tablet-hub-161856424.html?src=rss

There's an abundance of streaming devices out there to serve your TV, movie and live sports needs, but if you're looking for a solid model that can deliver 4K video without making too much of a dent in your bank account, it's definitely worth checking out Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max. As part of a Fire TV device sale, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max has dropped back down to its lowest price to date. You can pick one up for $35, which is $20 off the regular price.This is a souped-up version of the Fire TV Stick 4K. Amazon says the higher-end model is 40 percent more powerful and offers more fluid navigation while it can start apps more swiftly. There's support for WiFi 6, Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos audio. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes with the Alexa Voice Remote, and with the help of the 750Mhz GPU, you can play some games (such as Amazon Luna cloud gaming titles).If you're looking for a streaming stick but don't need 4K video, it's worth considering the Fire TV Stick Lite. It's our pick for the best budget streaming stick. As part of Amazon's Fire TV device sale, it's currently $20, which is $10 off the usual price.At the other end of the scale is the latest Fire TV Cube. That's currently down from $140 to $125. This device is twice as powerful as the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Amazon says. It has an octa-core 2.0 GHz processor and WiFi 6E support. You'll have the option to control a compatible cable and satellite set top box with your voice and manage your smart home from your TV.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-returns-to-record-low-of-35-153837826.html?src=rss

Apple's latest Mac Mini has dropped to $549 at Amazon and B&H. Outside of special discounts for education customers, this matches the lowest price we've seen for the entry-level model with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Apple's M2 chip. For reference, Apple normally sells this variant for $599.We gave the Mac Mini with the beefier M2 Pro chip a review score of 86 earlier this year. This model won't be as powerful for video editing or software development, but the hardware is just as compact, and the base M2 is still plenty fast and quiet for web browsing, less hardcore work and general use. Just make sure that's all you want out of the device first, as, like most Macs, you can't upgrade the Mini's internals over time. And while the Mini's lack of front-facing ports is annoying, on the back it has two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet jack and a headphone jack.As with other recent Macs, this entry-level Mac Mini technically has slower SSD performance than its predecessor, but the drop-off shouldn't be significant in real-world use, especially if you stick to the less intense tasks at which this model is aimed. If you think you'll need more storage and don't want to use an external drive, a variant with a 512GB SSD is available for $749. If you plan on using the desktop daily for the next several years, buying a model with at least 16GB of RAM may be a better value; those options start at $799. But if you just want the cheapest Mac desktop possible, the base model is still a great compact PC for the essentials, and this discount makes it a little more affordable.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-mac-mini-m2-is-back-on-sale-for-549-150004084.html?src=rss

Sony just made it decidedly easier to find games that accommodate people with disabilities. As of this week, the company is rolling out accessibility tags on the PlayStation Store for PS5 users. Press the triangle button when looking at game's hub and you'll see whether a title has features to support those with visual, audio and motor needs. You'll know if a game has alternative colors, a screen reader or controller adjustments, for instance.The tags will be generally available this week. Most of the initial support revolves around marquee games like Death Stranding Director's Cut, God of War Ragnarök and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Sony says it's working with a "wide range of developers" to deploy tags going forward, so you can expect to see them from smaller studios.The option comes roughly a year and a half after Microsoft unveiled similar tags for Xbox gamers. Not that PlayStation developers have been waiting for Sony to act. The Last of Us creator Naughty Dog has made a point of prioritizing accessibility in its games, such as a feature that plays dialogue through the PS5's DualSense controller as haptic feedback. In that regard, the store upgrade helps expose and promote these efforts.Sony hasn't been standing still. The firm is developing an accessible PS5 controller that, like Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller, helps people with limited motor control play games that might otherwise be unusable. The tags are just part of a broader strategy to make gaming viable for many more people — provided they can find a PS5 in the first place, of course.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/playstation-store-finally-adds-accessibility-tags-for-ps4-and-ps5-games-144030448.html?src=rss

A UK privacy watchdog has fined TikTok £12.7 million ($15.8 million) for what it says are several breaches of data protection laws, including how the app handled children's personal information. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says that, in 2020, TikTok allowed as many as 1.4 million kids aged under 13 to use the app in breach of its own rules.The ICO states that companies offering "information society services" to under-13s need to obtain consent from the kids' parents or guardians. TikTok didn't do that, according to the regulator, which noted the company "ought to have been aware that under-13s were using its platform." Moreover, the ICO (an independent public body) said TikTok didn't do enough to find and remove underage users from the app — despite some senior employees raising concerns about the issue.The office determined that, between May 2018 and July 2020, TikTok breached the UK General Data Protection Regulation in several ways. Among other things, the ICO says TikTok failed to properly inform users in an easy-to-understand way how it handles and shares their data. As such, TikTok users, including kids, "were unlikely to be able to make informed choices about whether and how to engage" with the app. The office added that TikTok failed to make sure that it was processing the data it held on UK users "lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner."“We invest heavily to help keep under-13s off the platform and our 40,000-strong safety team works around the clock to help keep the platform safe for our community,” TikTok told ABC News. “We will continue to review the decision and are considering next steps.”The fine is not as steep as previously expected. After publishing the preliminary findings of its TikTok investigation, which started in February 2019, the ICO warned the company in September that it faced a fine of as much as £27 million ($33.7 million). The probe started around the time the Federal Trade Commission fined TikTok $5.7 million over child privacy violations.More recently, TikTok has faced deeper scrutiny from regulators around the globe over privacy and security worries. Some governments have raised concerns that the platform's parent company ByteDance (which is based in Beijing) may be compelled to share data on their countries' residents with Chinese officials. Last month, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told a House committee that "ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country."Nevertheless, the app has been banned from government devices in several territories, including the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Norway and the European Parliament. Dozens of US states have prohibited TikTok on devices they own as well. Severalbills have been introduced that would give the US the power to ban the platform completely, while TikTok has claimed the White House is trying to force ByteDance to sell the app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uk-privacy-watchdog-fines-tiktok-158-million-for-misusing-kids-data-143046278.html?src=rss

Hyundai has built itself a reputation for delivering vehicles that offer a luxury feel at regular person prices. The latest EV from the automaker takes that up a notch by not just competing with the Tesla Model 3 but also the more high-end Polestar 2. The 2023 Ioniq 6 starts at $41,600 with two battery and drivetrain options. The various combinations of battery packs and either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive result in range numbers from 240 miles to 361 miles. It gives potential buyers the ability to determine which electric sedan works best for their situation.Beyond the range numbers, the vehicle ships with a new and improved version of Hyundai’s driver assistance system, incredibly smooth acceleration mapping and a suspension system that – while not built as a sports sedan – is far more capable than anticipated while hitting the hills above Phoenix, Arizona. The biggest issue with the vehicle is headroom for tall drivers and passengers. The desire to reduce drag has brought the roof down that could be an issue for basketball players.For more details, check out our first drive video below, where we found the Ioniq 6 to be one of our favorite EVs on the road.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hyundais-ioniq-6-is-a-value-packed-ev-sedan-141507979.html?src=rss

Peloton owners with a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (including the Watch 5 Pro) or Galaxy Watch 4 can now monitor their heart rate on their exercise equipment. The Peloton Wear OS app update that enables the feature begins rolling out today.The pairing process is similar to that of the Apple Watch, which launched its Peloton app in 2019 and added direct heart rate support in March 2022. Once you’ve installed the Peloton app update on your Galaxy Watch, choose a workout on your exercise equipment, open the app on your wearable and follow the “Connect” prompt. You should see your heart rate synced in real-time on your exercise machine. Peloton launched its Wear OS app last October, but it only showed users’ heart rates on the watch, not the workout equipment.The update arrives as Samsung and Peloton (the latter especially) could use the strategic partnership. After years of being one of the only big-name Android smartwatches, Samsung’s flagship wearable has new competition in the Pixel Watch, which launched last October. Meanwhile, Peloton has struggled financially after a lockdown-era boom, leading to four rounds of layoffs last year that cut over half its workforce.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-watch-users-can-now-view-their-heart-rate-on-peloton-equipment-140056941.html?src=rss

You might not want to rely on Apple's built-in Weather app to see if you need a jacket today. As Apple's status page confirms, many users are reporting that the app isn't loading information on all of the company's platforms, including iOS and macOS. We've asked Apple for comment, but the alert pins the issue (initially limited to Alaska) on a "data provider outage."The company noted the problem late Monday, but it's still ongoing as of this writing. Apple hasn't provided an estimated time for restoring weather data. MacRumors says some users have had intermittent problems with the Weather app since the release of iOS 16.4 last week.The outage comes a few months after Apple shut down Dark Sky for iOS, but years after the company started integrating Dark Sky's info into its Weather app. The transition and the glitch aren't necessarily connected, but this isn't great news for Dark Sky users who've had to use Apple's software to get the fine-grained forecasts they're used to. For now, you'll have to rely on third-party apps or the web to know if you should carry your umbrella.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-weather-app-is-broken-for-many-users-135409192.html?src=rss

OnePlus launched a second generation of its budget earbuds today. The Nord Buds 2 cost 50 percent more than last year’s original, but they offer several upgrades in return.The Nord Buds 2 still have 12.4mm titanium drivers, but they add active noise cancelation — up to 25dB, according to OnePlus — to help shut out the world around you. Like most ANC earphones, they also offer a transparency mode, and you can quickly switch between the two. Additionally, the company says the Buds 2 use AI (Big Tech’s favorite 2023 buzzword) to accentuate bass without losing clarity or adding distortion.Call clarity was one of our criticisms of the 2022 Nord Buds, and OnePlus claims it addressed that in the new model. The company says “an AI algorithm” pairs with its dual-mic system to amplify your voice, blur background voices and improve call quality. Like their predecessors, the Nord Buds 2 use the AAC codec and support Dolby Atmos, and you can tune their sound with the earbuds’ pre-defined equalizer profiles. In addition, they include IP55 water and dust resistance and have customizable touch controls.OnePlusThe company says the earbuds' battery will provide up to seven hours per charge and 36 hours total (with ANC off) with its charging-case reserve. You can also allegedly add five hours of battery life (also with ANC off) with only 10 minutes of charging.The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are available today in white and gray for $60. You can order them from the OnePlus website or Amazon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/oneplus-launches-60-nord-buds-2-with-anc-134531414.html?src=rss

Now that spring is making outdoor walks more of a pleasure, you might want some wireless earbuds — and thankfully, Amazon is making them more affordable. The retailer is again selling Apple's third-generation AirPods for $150, or $20 off. That's a record-low price, and may make the decision easy if you're looking for a reliable option. If that's still pricey, the second-gen AirPods are also on sale for just $99.The third-gen AirPods are considered an iPhone user's 'default' wireless earbuds for good reason. They don't have active noise cancellation (ANC), but they sound better than their predecessors while offering a more comfortable fit and longer battery life. They're sweat-resistant for moderate workouts, and the tight integration with Apple gear may be appealing if you also have an Apple Watch, iPad or Mac.You can sometimes find ANC-equipped earbuds for less, such as Jabra's Elite 4 Active. And if you want to stick to Apple buds, you may want to keep an eye out for sales on the second-gen AirPods Pro. They sometimes drop to $199, and pack ANC as well as better sound and a workout-ready fit. The standard AirPods represent a safe pick at this price, though, and their lack of ANC might even be preferable if you want to hear more of the outside world.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-third-gen-airpods-are-back-on-sale-for-150-131553863.html?src=rss

Google has changed its tune and removed the file creation limit it quietly implemented for Drive over the past weeks. In a Twitter announcement (via Android Police), the Google Drive account said it's rolling back a "system update to... item limits" that was made to "preserve stability and optimize performance." The tech giant said it only ever impacted a small number of users, but it's now exploring alternative approaches to ensure stable performance for all.

Last week, Twitter said it would start winding down the legacy verified program on April 1st, but over the weekend, that didn't happen, because (according to The Washington Post) unverifying users is a painstaking manual process. Meanwhile, another report indicated around 10,000 of the top-followed sites would retain their legacy checkmarks, even if they didn't subscribe to Twitter Blue. And now, Twitter is displaying the same status for both legacy verified and Twitter Blue subscribers, making it difficult to tell them apart. Twitter said Twitter Blue would cost $1,000 per month for organizations, plus an additional $50 per month for individual affiliates in the US.At the moment, I still have my blue tick, but I am very ready to bid it farewell.– Mat SmithThe Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.The biggest stories you might have missed‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’ preview: Cal, we’re home Bravo's ‘Scandoval’ has made Peacock my number-one streaming app Google Drive now caps the number of files you can create These are the astronauts that will fly on NASA's Artemis 2 mission around the MoonParis votes to ban e-scooter rentalsIt was a landslide at 89 percent, but voter turnout was low.Photo by Steve Dent/EngadgetParis residents have dealt a blow to e-scooter rental companies Lime, Tier and Dott, voting in an 89 percent landslide to ban "trotinettes" from streets amid low voter turnout. The French capital will likely become the second European city after Barcelona to prohibit the devices, as mayor Anne Hidalgo has promised to respect the referendum. Any ban won't affect e-bikes or privately owned scooters.Continue reading.Twitter is covered in Doge for no discernible reasonAn incredibly late April Fool's Day joke.As of Monday afternoon, if you open the Twitter web client, the loading screen and main interface will display an icon depicting Kabosu, the Shiba Inu who inspired the Doge meme, instead of the company’s trademark blue bird. Perhaps the stretched-thin engineering team was simply late on delivering on an April Fools’ project?Continue reading.ASUS' ROG Ally is yet another Steam Deck competitorThe Windows handheld offers better specs, but will it be a better value?After an April 1st announcement that prompted skepticism (don't announce real products on April Fools' Day, folks), ASUS has confirmed it's building its own handheld, the ROG Ally. While the company is light on details, it notes the system will run Windows 11 and use a custom AMD Ryzen chip. You can even plug in an external GPU. The company hasn't shared pricing or release dates. However, you can sign up for an alert when pre-orders begin at Best Buy.Continue reading.Sony’s next pair of budget earbuds will cost $120 when they arrive this monthThe WF-C700N features active noise cancellation and Bluetooth 5.2 support.SonySony has an upcoming pair of budget earbuds with noise cancellation. The WF-C700N will set you back $120 when they come out, $20 more than the WF-C500 model they’re expected to replace. Based on a Best Buy listing spotted by WinFuture, the true wireless buds will be available on April 21st. But Sony's own product page for the earbuds estimates the arrival date of April 17th to 18th.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-twitter-keeps-legacy-verified-blue-ticks-around-for-now-111547044.html?src=rss

Now that Lenovo has given up on Legion gaming smartphones, it can focus on its primary brand: Motorola. To wit, the company just launched a new flagship that offers some of Legion's gaming cred, the Motorola Edge 40 Pro. Some of the impressive features include a fast 165Hz screen, the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and extremely fast charging.The Edge 40 uses a screen that curves inward, even at the top, for what Moto calls "unparalleled comfort" — though anyone who's ever owned a curved screen phone knows they tend to slip in your hands. It comes with an anti-fingerprint coating on the front and anti-glare glass inlay on the back, with both sides protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus.The 6.67-inch FHD+ pOLED display runs at up to a 165Hz refresh rate, making it one of the faster flagship phone displays out there And if it's entertainment you're into, it's also the first Motorola phone with Dolby Vision HDR (and HDR10+) playback, offering a bright and accurate view of HDR movies and games. It also uses Dolby Atmos sound, along with a new feature called Moto Spatial Sound for music, movies and games. It sounds a lot like Apple's spatial audio, offering an immersive surround sound experience.For demanding games and tasks, the Edge 40 Pro users Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform, along with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0, the fastest RAM and storage currently available. Meanwhile, the 4,600 mAh battery can be charged at up to 125W, letting you fully juice it in 23 minutes, right up there with the best Android phones.Finally, on the camera front, the Edge 40 Pro has a triple high-res camera system with a 50-megapixel (MP) wide camera that features optical image stabilization (OIS) and phase-detect AF for every pixel. The ultrawide camera is also 50-megapixels, and the third camera is a 12MP 2x telephoto. There's a 60MP selfie pinhole camera up front. Video can be captured in 8K30p, 4K HDR10+ at 30fps, and 4K at up to 60fps. Naturally, it features AI tricks like auto smile capture, Google Lens integration, auto night vision and more.Unfortunately, the Motorola Edge 40 pro will only be available in Europe in the coming days and Latin America a little bit later — there's no sign of US availability so far. It starts at €900 in Europe, a reasonable price for such a high-spec phone.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/motorolas-edge-40-pro-offers-125w-fast-charging-and-a-165hz-screen-110018477.html?src=rss

Virgin Orbit has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a few days after officially shutting down its space launch operations. The private space company has been burning money for a while now and reported a loss of $49.2 million in its last fiscal quarter. It tried to raise money in late 2021 by going public through an SPAC merger that was expected to raise $483 million for the company. However, it ultimately got less than half of that amount in gross proceeds.While Virgin Orbit carried on throughout 2022, its financial issues came to a head after its "Start Me Up" mission didn't quite go as expected. It was supposed to be a historic event as the first orbital launch from UK soil, but it failed to reach orbit due to a dislodged fuel filter. The company went into operational pause and furloughed most employees after that, in mid-March, as it sought new investors. And by the end of last month, it extended its employee furlough, because it wasn't able to close any deals.Virgin Orbit's late-stage discussions with Texas-based investor Matthew Brown, who was going to put $200 million into the company, reportedly broke down. It was perhaps the perfect deal for the launch provider, since that amount would've been enough to give the investor a controlling stake. A previous report by CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter said Sir Richard Branson didn't want to own the company anymore, even through the bankruptcy process, and that the Virgin Group had been rushing to find new sources of funding and buyers before the news broke.On March 30th, the company officially shuttered its space launch operations due to lack of funding. It flew a total of six flights from 2020, though only four of which were able to put satellites in orbit. According to Financial Times, Virgin Orbit said it expected to report $33.1 million in revenue and a net loss of around $191 million for the 2022 fiscal year. The company's search for a buyer will now proceed while protected by Chapter 11, though the process could culminate in the business being wound down if it doesn't find a new owner.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/virgin-orbit-files-for-bankruptcy-protection-as-it-seeks-a-buyer-094236877.html?src=rss

Back in 2021, a San Francisco court ordered Tesla to pay Owen Diaz, a former Black contract worker who accused the company of enabling a racist workplace, $137 million in damages. It was one of the highest amounts awarded to an individual suing on the basis of discrimination, but the appeals that followed had lowered it significantly. While US District Judge William Orrick affirmed the jury's original verdict, he found the original damages awarded to Diaz "excessive" and lowered the total to $15 million. Now, a San Francisco federal jury has reduced the amount even further and has ordered Tesla to pay Diaz $3.2 million only.The former elevator operator at Tesla’s Fremont assembly plant rejected the $15 million award Orrick had proposed and instead sought for a retrial. In the latest hearing, Diaz again recounted his experiences working for Tesla, where he said he and his fellow Black workers were subjected to racial slurs. He also said that he was made to feel unsafe at work and that other workers left drawings of swastika and racist graffiti, such as Inki the Caveman, in his workspace and the company restrooms.Diaz's lawyers urged the jury to penalize Tesla, a company currently worth over $600 billion, an amount that will get its attention. But Tesla's lawyer Alex Spiro reportedly argued that Diaz should only be awarded half his salary. He apparently characterized Diaz as a liar in court, who misstated how long he worked at the automaker and who exaggerated his testimonies and the abuse he suffered to gain a bigger payout.We may not be seeing the end to this case, though. According to the Los Angeles Times, Diaz's lawyer believes the jury decided on awarding him only $3 million in punitive damages and $175,000 in non-economic damages because he was wrongly attacked by the defense. He said Tesla's strategy to "minimize and sanitize" worked and that he has already filed a request for a new trial due to "misconduct."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jury-reduces-teslas-137-million-racism-lawsuit-penalty-to-32-million-060414307.html?src=rss

When Rode released the original Wireless GO, it was an instant success. The ease of use, audio quality and reasonable price made wireless microphones much more accessible. In fact it was so successful that it spawned a number of copycat products from rivals. After releasing the Wireless GO II ($299) with dual mics, the company is back with a more affordable option - the $149 Wireless ME. There’s also a new video app called Rode Capture aimed at creators which offers tight integration with the Wireless ME and other products from the company.If you’re thinking “more affordable” means fewer features, then you’d be right. But also you might be surprised. Even though there initially appears to be just one transmitter (mic) and one receiver, the latter also has a mic built-in so you can still record two speakers at the same time with their own separate audio files. That said, Rode is calling the second mic the “ME mic” and describes it as a “narrator” microphone because you can’t use it wirelessly (it’s the one that plugs into your recording device) so it can only really be used by someone off camera. That obviously is no problem if you’re not recording video, but worth knowing if you are.There are, of course, other minor compromises. For one, the receiver doesn’t have any type of display, so visual feedback for connectivity is limited to a pair of LEDs. There doesn’t appear to be any feedback for gain levels at all. There’s also no onboard storage for recording away from a camera, computer or a phone. This also means there’s no option to record a safety track at a lower gain level which, given the lack of a way to see levels means you’ll have to really be sure you have everything set right up front. As a reminder, though, the ME is half the price of the GO II.Photo by James Trew / EngadgetThere are tools to help, though. The Wireless ME comes with a feature called GainAssist which internally monitors the signal and sets levels automatically depending on your environment and the volume of the subject. This definitely helps keep things from clipping, but you can still go into the red with it. It appears to be using either a limiter or compression (or both) but you can still make it go into the red. There’s a “dynamic” mode too for when recording things with a more consistent volume than speech.In terms of range, you can expect about 100 meters / 328 feet (line of sight) but in practice this can vary a little in either direction depending on the conditions. This is a shorter range than the Wireless GO II (200 meters / 656 feet) and DJI’s Mic (250 meters / 820 feet) but likely ample for most scenarios. As for battery life, it’s a respectable seven hours but there’s no charging case as with DJI or Anker’s solutions.With no way to change settings directly on the device, you’ll want to get familiar with the Rode Central app. It’s here where you’ll be able to turn the receiver’s microphone on or off if you want to use it, change whether it records to one or two separate files (if using both mics) and adjust the gain settings. There are versions for both desktop and mobile (Android/iOS) so you can change modes on the go, even if it’s a bit more involved than doing it on the receiver as with DJI and Anker’s products.Given that the narrator-guest setup isn’t ideal for recording two speakers on camera at the same time it's a shame that the receiver doesn't have the option to plug an external 3.5mm lav mic into it. This would mean you could theoretically run one with a longer cable and have two on camera hosts. You can still use 3.5mm mics with the main transmitter though. Alternatively, if you have access to another transmitter, such as a Wireless GO II, you can pair it with the ME’s receiver and record up to three people at the same time – though two of them will have to share an audio channel in case having separate files for all speakers is important to you.RodeThe interoperability between the Wireless GO II and the ME shows that Rode is thinking about how these products can work together, meaning creators can collaborate seamlessly with their own gear or continue using older products even as new ones come around. Expect to see more interoperability with other wireless devices in the future.Along with the new microphone kit is the aforementioned Capture app. It’s a dedicated video app with a twist: direct access to the settings of compatible Rode microphones. Most video apps don’t even let you know what mic you’re using which can cause anxiety when you’re not sure it’s working with the one you plugged in. Having this assurance alone is useful and the direct access to microphone settings is always going to be a welcome bonus for creators. The app is entirely free and doesn’t require a Rode product to work but will need one of Rode's compatible products if you wish to access its settings.The Wireless ME is available for $149 starting today.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rodes-wireless-me-squeezes-a-second-mic-into-its-receiver-000009619.html?src=rss

Spotify is shutting down Spotify Live, the company told Music Ally on Monday. Previously known as Spotify Greenroom, the standalone live audio app came out of Spotify’s $62 million acquisition of Betty Labs in 2021. Shortly after the deal went through, Spotify rebranded the startup’s Locker Room app to Spotify Greenroom, and expanded the scope of the experience to include topics outside of sports. Then, almost exactly a year ago, the streaming giant renamed the platform yet again and integrated some of its functionality into the main Spotify app.“After a period of experimentation and learnings around how Spotify users interact with live audio, we’ve made the decision to sunset the Spotify Live app,” a Spotify spokesperson told Music Ally. “We believe there is a future for live fan-creator interactions in the Spotify ecosystem; however, based on our learnings, it no longer makes sense as a standalone app. We have seen promising results in the artist-focused use case of ‘listening parties,’ which we will continue to explore moving forward to facilitate live interactions between artists and fans.”Spotify did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. However, the company shared confirmation of the impending shutdown with TechCrunch. When Spotify first announced it was moving into live audio at the height of the medium in 2021, CEO Daniel Ek predicted the format would become ubiquitous. "Just like Stories with video where every major platform has them as one way for its audience to communicate with each other, I see live audio similarly," he said at the time. "I expect all the platforms to have it."However, at the end of last year, the company canceled a host of live audio shows, signaling a scaling back of its previous ambitions. It’s worth noting Spotify is not the only company to pull back from the format. Last May, Facebook parent company meta announced it was shutting down a host of audio products, including Soundbites, the short-form audio-sharing tool it introduced in 2021.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-is-shutting-down-its-standalone-live-audio-app-211056429.html?src=rss

ASUS isn't going to let the likes of Ayaneo or Valve have the handheld gaming PC market to themselves. After an April 1st announcement that prompted skepticism (don't announce real products on April Fools' Day, folks), ASUS has confirmed that it's building its own handheld, the ROG Ally. While the company is light on details, it notes the system will run Windows 11 and use a custom AMD Ryzen chip. You can even plug in an external GPU.As The Vergenotes, YouTuber Dave 2D has learned that the ROG Ally has a 7-inch touchscreen, but it's a 16:9 ratio 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate versus the Steam Deck's 16:10 panel that only manages 800p and 60Hz. Despite this, ASUS' handheld is narrower, thinner and slightly lighter than Valve's machine. It's not clear how that screen will affect battery life.The company hasn't shared pricing or release dates. However, you can sign up for an alert when pre-orders begin at Best Buy.Whether or not the ROG Ally does well largely depends on its price and performance relative to the Steam Deck (starting at $399) and higher-end handhelds like the $850 Ayaneo 2. As ASUS' early marketing suggests, though, there are potentially strong advantages. Unlike the Steam Deck, which is officially limited to running games in your Steam library (and only some, at that), the Ally can theoretically run most any game its hardware can handle. And while brands like Ayaneo and GPD are relatively small, ASUS is a major name — you'll likely have an easier time finding the Ally.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/asus-rog-ally-is-yet-another-steam-deck-competitor-204535105.html?src=rss

The US Department of Justice has settled a lawsuit it filed Monday with Activision Blizzard over suppressed eSports wages, according toReuters. The case, submitted in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, focuses on a rule that required independently owned teams to effectively pay double if they passed a soft salary cap. A federal judge will still need to approve the settlement.The complaint, the fruit of an investigation first reported in 2021, said that in Activision’s Overwatch and Call of Duty leagues, the “competitive balance tax” was structured to penalize teams if their compensation exceeded a threshold set by Activision. “While players in other professional sports leagues have agreed to salary restrictions as part of collective bargaining agreements, the players in Activision’s esports leagues are not members of a union and never negotiated or bargained for these rules,” the DOJ clarified in the filing.The case states that Activision would fine teams one dollar for every dollar that exceeded the cap — and redistribute the collected fees among all non-offending teams. For example, the filing says that “if Activision set a Competitive Balance Tax threshold of $1 million, a team that spent $1.2 million on player compensation in a season would pay a $200,000 fine, which would be distributed to the other teams.”Additionally, the Antitrust Division filed a proposed consent decree that would bar Activision from imposing any further rules that would penalize a team for exceeding a set amount of compensation. It would also require the company to certify that “it has ended all Competitive Balance Taxes in its professional esports leagues, to implement revised antitrust compliance and whistleblower protection policies, and to provide notice and an explanation of the final judgment to teams and players in its professional esports leagues.”According to the DOJ, the Overwatch and Call of Duty leagues have generated millions of dollars. Microsoft is trying to clear regulatory hurdles to move forward with its planned purchase of Activision Blizzard.“Video games and esports are among the most popular and fastest growing forms of entertainment in the world today, and professional esports players—like all workers—deserve the benefits of competition for their services. Activision’s conduct prevented that from happening,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter from the DOJ’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s lawsuit makes clear that the Antitrust Division remains committed to protecting workers across all types of industries from anticompetitive conduct.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/activision-blizzard-settles-doj-lawsuit-over-esports-wage-suppression-202452240.html?src=rss

I don’t know about you, but when Elon Musk took Twitter over last fall, the last thing I had on my bingo card was a Doge takeover of the website. Yet here we are. As of Monday afternoon, if you open the Twitter web client, the loading screen and main interface will display an icon depicting Kabosu, the Shiba Inu who inspired the Doge meme, instead of the company’s trademark blue bird.

You might not want to use Google Drive for large system backups or other many-file transfers. Ars Technica has learned Google quietly instituted a user "creation limit" of 5 million files sometime in February. As Reddit user ra13 discovered, personal (Google One) and business (Google Workspace) users get an error message if they try to directly upload any files past that ceiling. The cap doesn't apply to shared files, which are already limited to 400,000 items.In a statement, Google says the file cap is meant to prevent abuses that might hurt the "stability and safety" of Drive. This isn't a limit on the total number of files in a drive. The number of affected users is "vanishingly small," the company adds.The main problem, as you might imagine, is that there's a chance you'll reach the file limit before you run out of the storage you've paid for. Ra13 estimated that a user with a 2TB Google One account may face that dilemma if the average file size is 400KB or less. While Google is right that won't likely be an issue for most people, it could be problematic for fans of cloud backups or pros whose apps produce a flood of small files.Moreover, Google hasn't publicly acknowledged the cap until now. The company's product and support pages don't mention the file creation limit. There's also no counter, so you don't know exactly how many files you'll need to delete or compress to make room for more. The lack of transparency has left some users racing to either trim their Drive libraries or find alternatives without similar restrictions.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-drive-now-caps-the-number-of-files-you-can-create-191230988.html?src=rss

The Yale Assure Lock 2 can automatically open your door, takes voice commands and let guests in with a code. Right now at Amazon, the keyless configuration of the smart lock is down to its lowest price since its debut, with a 17 percent discount that makes it $216 instead of $260. The deal applies to the black finish only — the nickel finish is seeing a nine percent, or $15, discount and the bronze version is full price. The discounted model includes both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and has a touchscreen keypad for access for visitors or when you're not using your phone. Best Buy is offering the same discount, so if you prefer shopping there, you can still save.We were impressed with the lock, giving it a particularly high score of 87 in our review. In most cases, it only requires a Phillips head screwdriver to install and it took our reviewer about a half hour, and that included some minor troubleshooting with customer service. Keep in mind that this replaces your entire deadbolt, so it may not be an option for renters. Once installed, you can assign multiple entry codes for different family members or other visitors and the lock instantly notifies you of anyone who's gained access.Primary users can set up the Assure Lock 2 to open when their Apple Watch is nearby, or by using the app on a smartphone or home hub/smart display. The lock also works with voice controls using any smart home assistant, but requires a spoken pin for added security. Exposing any system to remote access capabilities can leave room for exploitation, so Yale includes two-layer encryption, two-factor authentication and biometric verification to make things more secure.One drawback is that the lock uses disposable AA batteries. Due to fire safety regulations, there's no option for a rechargeable battery pack. If the batteries happen to die when you're out an about, you can hold a 9-volt battery up to the bottom of the lock to give it enough juice to let you in so you can swap out the cells.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/yales-assure-lock-2-is-down-to-its-lowest-price-ever-182029122.html?src=rss

Sony has an upcoming pair of budget earbuds that come with noise cancellation. The WF-C700N will set you back $120 when they come out, $20 more than the WF-C500 model they’re expected to replace. Based on a Best Buy listing spotted by WinFuture’s Roland Quandt, the true wireless buds will be available on April 21st. But Sony's own product page for the earbuds says they have an estimated arrival date of April 17th to 18th.As Android Police notes, the WF-C700N will offer active noise cancellation, thanks to the inclusion of Sony’s “Noise Sensor Technology.” You can easily switch between noise cancellation and ambient sound mode, though, by pushing a button on the earbuds. Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity means the earbuds will also support two simultaneous connections. Additionally, the WF-C700N will carry over a few features from the WF-C500, including Sony’s Digital Sound Enhancement Engine for restoring lost detail in Bluetooth audio and IPX4-certified splash protection.MySmartPriceBattery life comes in at 15 hours total with the included charging case. The earbuds alone can last up to seven-and-a-half hours with noise cancellation on and up to 10 hours without. For comparison, you can get up to 20 hours of total playtime from the WF-C500, but then they don’t feature noise cancellation. While it would've been nice to see aptX and LDAC support, the new headphones limit you to SBC and AAC, just like the WF-C500. If that works just fine for you, you can now pre-order the earbuds are in black, white or violet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-next-pair-of-budget-earbuds-will-reportedly-cost-120-when-they-arrive-this-month-180247649.html?src=rss

Late last year, Nintendo announced that it would be establishing a joint venture called Nintendo Systems with mobile developer DeNA, and now the company has officially launched, right on time. So what exactly will Nintendo Systems make? Things are still murky. There is an official website but that is about where the information ends. A press release from November states that the company will work to “strengthen the digitalization of Nintendo’s business” and create new “value-added services.”Nintendo and DeNA have been closely tied together since 2015, as the latter developed a number of mobile titles based on Nintendo IPs. This relationship allowed for the release of popular smartphone games like Super Mario Run, Mario Kart Tour and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, among others. So one likely outcome here is that the just-announced Nintendo Systems will develop and publish forthcoming mobile titles.There is another, less-glamorous, option. In addition to developing mobile games, DeNA also handles some of the infrastructure regarding Nintendo Accounts services. Nintendo has stated that they will continue to use dedicated Nintendo Accounts moving forward into new console generations, so the new company could just be a way to keep everything in-house.After all, the website also suggests Nintendo Systems will assist with the “development and operation of systems related to the digital part of Nintendo’s business." This is a loose translation from Japanese, though it certainly sounds boring enough to be related to accounts stuff. We reached out to Nintendo for some clarification and will update this post when we know more. In the meantime, there are just a few more weeks until that Breath of the Wild sequel drops.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-and-mobile-giant-dena-launch-mysterious-nintendo-systems-subsidiary-175102761.html?src=rss

You no longer have to fret about missing an act during YouTube's live Coachella streams. The company has confirmed that, for the first time, it will stream all six stages during both weekends of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which kicks off April 14th, 2023 at 7PM Eastern and resumes April 21st at the same time. Previously, you had to make do with three streams. Replays will be available until the next day kicks off.To no one's surprise, YouTube is using Coachella to pitch its services. Premium subscribers will have access to backstage "pre-parties," while Shorts creators can use their videos to influence the set lists of Calvin Harris, Becky G and Burna Boy. You can also expect special merch drops during the streams, and you can watch through the YouTube Music app in addition to YouTube itself.Coachella 2023 has a packed lineup. The headliners include artists like Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean. There's also a mix of up-to-the-minute and legendary stars, including Bjork, Underworld, Yaeji and Wet Leg. YouTube's expanded coverage lets you indulge your personal preferences instead of having to 'settle' for some musicians. We'd add that tickets for the first weekend are already sold out as of this writing — this may be the only way you can attend some gigs this year.There's no mystery behind YouTube's strategy. This is less about direct revenue and more about getting YouTube's name into the spotlight. In theory, you may drift away from TikTok and other video apps competing for your free time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-will-livestream-all-six-coachella-stages-this-year-164557188.html?src=rss

Have you heard about the Scandoval? I asked a handful of friends this question over the past week, and a surprising number confirmed this strange new word had recently popped up in their news feeds, attached to stories from The New York Times, CNN and Vanity Fair. My friends didn’t quite know what it was, aside from the vague notion that it was related to the Real Housewives shows. More importantly, they didn’t know why it was being recommended to them, considering they didn’t follow Bravo shows or reality television.That’s because this is the March Madness of reality TV. The Scandoval is an explosive cheating scandal involving the cast of Vanderpump Rules — and it’s unfolding in real time, with cameras on, allowing viewers to look for signs of deceit in every scene as it airs. There are clear villains and an obvious heroine, and it’s all leading up to the reunion, which was filmed at the end of March and has already provided a drip feed of drama and staged paparazzi encounters. The Scandoval is so monumental in the Bravo multiverse that it’s culturally important for people outside of this bubble to know what’s going on — just like folks who don’t follow sports are subjected to the NCAA’s media cycle every year.The Real Housewives of MiamiJeff Daly/PeacockIt’s not all about the Scandoval, either. This is a golden era for Bravo and its streaming home, Peacock. Nearly every Housewives franchise is popping off in its own special way, and many of them are making mainstream news headlines: Jen Shah of Salt Lake City was just sentenced to six and a half years in prison for running a telemarketing scam and her surprise arrest was caught on camera; Erika Jayne of Beverly Hills continues to display obscene greed as her estranged husband, disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi, is federally indicted on charges he stole millions of dollars from victims of corporate malfeasance. Miami, a streaming-only series exclusive to Peacock, just wrapped a beautiful fifth season and cemented itself as a blueprint for future Housewives shows; Ultimate Girls Trip, a crossover event that brings wives together like the third act of a Marvel film, is in its third season and already serving hype for its fourth. Married to Medicine continues to be a powerful, captivating and hilarious franchise centered on Black women and doctors in Georgia, and it’s bringing in a notorious wife from the Atlanta history books for its upcoming season.That’s not even all of it, and the above list doesn’t address the biggest bit of Bravo drama happening right now: the Scandoval. Here’s a brief summary, for the culture: Vanderpump Rules is a spin-off of Beverly Hills starring the servers and bartenders of trendy Los Angeles restaurants. Its tenth season is currently airing, and as it kicked off, news broke that Tom Sandoval, a bar owner with Peter Pan syndrome, had been cheating on his partner of nine years, Ariana Madix, with a younger cast member named Raquel Leviss for the past six months. Details about the affair have been dripping out online — lightning bolt necklaces will never be the same — and viewers are scouring each new episode for signs of the pair’s lies. Meanwhile, Bravo picked cameras back up after the affair came to light, and the mid-season trailer promises intense, intimate reactions from everyone involved, plus plenty of vengeful edits for Ariana. The reunion is poised to be a spectacle like Bravo has never seen.Vanderpump RulesNicole Weingart/BravoTo put it back in sports terms: The Scandoval is like David Beckham cheating on Victoria with Emma Bunton. Or like Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife starting a relationship with Michael Jordan’s son — a storyline that literally happened on the latest season of Miami. See? As Quad said on season nine of Married to Medicine when asked whether she’d cheated on past boyfriends, our cup runneth over.This all means Peacock is getting my money for the foreseeable future, no high-budget original series required. I mean, I loved Poker Face, but I haven’t thought about it much since watching the final episode of season one. Housewives and its related series live outside of the app, on message boards and social media and podcasts, filling the silence even between seasons. Meanwhile, the Scandoval is driving viewership for Peacock, where Vanderpump is available to stream next-day. Peacock is also the only place to watch Miami and Ultimate Girls Trip, two shows that already make it essential in my own app lineup. I never expected to get so much use out of an NBC streaming service, but here we are.The next app to get my business will be whichever one picks up Married at First Sight Australia. If you’ve made it to this point in this article — a Real Housewives fever dream somehow published on a technology website — do yourself a favor and find a way to watch it (in between Vanderpump Rules episodes, of course).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bravos-scandoval-has-made-peacock-my-number-one-streaming-app-163020121.html?src=rss

NASA has finally named the astronauts that will orbit the Moon during the Artemis 2 mission. Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Hammock Koch will fly for the US, while the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen will represent his country. The crew will spend up to 21 days aboard an Orion capsule that will spend about 42 hours in high Earth orbit before touring the Moon and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.Hammock Koch is best known for the longest stay in space by a female astronaut. Wiseman, meanwhile, is a Navy pilot who was also a test pilot in the F-35 Lightning II program. Glover made history by participating in the first operational Crew Dragon mission in 2021. Hansen is a fighter pilot and one of four current Canadian astronauts.If Artemis 2 remains on track, it should launch in November 2024 and will represent the first time humans have flown to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Artemis 1, an uncrewed lunar flyby mission, launched in November last year and broke an Apollo flight record with its roughly 26-day trip. People won't land on the Moon until Artemis 3's scheduled launch in December 2025. That mission will use a variant of SpaceX's Starship for the actual landing.NASA has been steadily building publicity for Artemis in recent months. In March, it unveiled the spacesuit for the Artemis 3 landing. The Axiom Space-made prototype accommodates more body types and is more flexible, letting astronauts kneel and otherwiseThe crew selection comes as NASA appears to have overcome the setbacks that plagued its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, including engine trouble, fuel leaks, Hurricane Ian and Tropical Storm Nicole. With that said, the agency originally wanted an Artemis lunar landing in 2024. The current timeline assumes there won't be any significant technical hurdles, and there are no guarantees of that between SpaceX's ongoing Starship issues (it still hasn't conducted an orbital flight test) and the inherent challenges of putting people on the Moon.Developing...This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/these-are-the-astronauts-that-will-fly-on-nasas-artemis-2-mission-around-the-moon-153603296.html?src=rss

About an hour into my time with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Cal Kestis, the game’s protagonist, reunites with Greez Dritus, the cranky pilot from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The two embrace after five years apart, one of Greez's four arms now replaced by a robotic prosthetic. It's a moment that encapsulates how I felt playing the upcoming game at a recent preview event Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment held in Los Angeles. Playing Jedi: Survivor feels like reuniting with a friend you haven’t seen in a few years.Right from the start, Jedi: Survivor feels like a more refined Jedi:Fallen Order. The preview began on Koboh, one of the first planets players will visit when they get their hands on the game later this month. Exploring Koboh is immediately compelling since Cal has all the abilities he rediscovered by the end of Jedi:Fallen Order, plus a new grappling hook for quickly traversing across some gaps. Cal also feels more satisfying to control, as there’s more weight and precision to his movements. When he jumps, he doesn’t float the way he did in Jedi:Fallen Order. In combat, Cal feels more deadly and proficient with his lightsaber.“Cal has a bit of swagger now, and that was intentional. We wanted the player to feel that,” Game Director Stig Asmussen tells me during a break from the preview. “Keep in mind [Jedi:Fallen Order] was the first time for us,” he says. Before Jedi: Fallen Order, those who worked at the studio were best known for creating first-person shooters like Titanfall and Call of Duty. “We were learning while we were making that game – we’re still learning – but as we were building it, we got better at building it.”Respawn Entertainment / EAAsmussen and his team have also hit a comfortable stride in executing the specific demands of the series they’re building. Take Koboh, for instance. I can safely say it is larger and more intricate than Zeffo, Jedi:Fallen Order’s most fully realized planet. Asmussen recommended those of us at the event stick to the game’s critical path to see as much as the preview had to offer, but I couldn’t help but get sidetracked by all the optional content I found on Koboh. One of my favorite discoveries involved an ancient ruin with a particularly devious puzzle inside that had me stumped for a few minutes. Another highlight involved investigating an abandoned mine that it turned out was home to a deadly rancor.Koboh also does something surprising for the series. Early in his first visit to the planet, Cal comes across a small settlement of people trying to eke out an existence away from both the Empire and a local gang of raiders. The game offers a few options here. Cal can talk with the townsfolk, take on a side quest to explore the aforementioned mine and trade with a merchant who will give you cosmetics in exchange for crystals you can find throughout the game. Cal can also visit a canteen full of colorful characters, including a smooth-talking droid bartender named MXNK-6. The inclusion of a hub world might not be mechanically groundbreaking, but it goes a long way to making Koboh feel less like a level in a video game and more like a place that could actually exist in a galaxy far, far away.“We’ve gotten better as storytellers,” Asmussen says. "There were very important decisions we had to nail down while making the first game – like how high could Cal jump – before we could have conversations about how to decorate this corner to make it feel like an authentic, lived-in space.”I didn’t progress far enough in the game to unlock some of Cal’s more exciting new tools, including the crossguard lightsaber and blaster pistol, but at the end of the preview, I did get to see a Respawn developer put those weapons to use. In combination with his Force powers, Cal’s new armaments allow for more creative ways to approach combat. At one point in the showcase, the dev lifted all of the scout troopers in front of him, and then proceeded to shoot them all out of the air with a series of rapid blaster bolts. It wasn’t a very Jedi way of dispatching Cal’s enemies, but I would be lying if I told you it didn’t look cool.One other thing the dev did was use Cal’s entire move set, including all five of his available combat stances, without resting at a meditation circle to switch between them. In the preview, I could only map two of Cal’s available stances to the d-pad. The combat showcase was the last thing Respawn showed during the preview, so I didn’t get a chance to ask questions about what I saw. But if I had to take a guess, you can eventually freely switch between all of Cal’s combat styles.Respawn Entertainment / EAIf that sounds intimidating, you’re free to play Jedi:Survivor like an RPG. Cal’s progression occurs across multiple skill trees, with each one dedicated to a different aspect of his kit. Additionally, there’s a new perk system that allows you to further augment Cal’s combat abilities. Asmussen said it’s possible to earn enough skill points to unlock all of Cal’s skills, but you can also choose to specialize in the combat abilities that fit your playstyle. On that note, there are also more options for customizing Cal’s appearance. The clothing system is more robust, allowing you to change individual parts of Cal’s outfit. You can also give him different haircuts and beards.At the end of the preview, I left even more excited to play Star Wars Jedi: Survivor than when I first arrived at the event. I will say it does feel like a safe sequel. I didn’t get to see some of the game’s more interesting new mechanics, including Cal’s newfound ability to tame mounts and fight with NPC companions, but I doubt those additions will transform the series into something it wasn’t before. If Jedi:Fallen Order didn’t do it for you, Jedi:Survivor is unlikely to change your mind. For everyone else, I think what you can expect is a bigger and better realization of Respawn’s original vision. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on April 28th.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/star-wars-jedi-survivor-preview-cal-were-home-150301468.html?src=rss

The Apple Watch SE is back on sale for $219 at Amazon and Best Buy, bringing what was already one of the better values on the wearable market within $10 of the lowest price we've tracked. Though we've seen this deal a few times since the SE launched last September, it's still $30 off Apple's MSRP and about $20 off the device's usual street price. Note that this offer is for the 40mm model; if you want the larger 44mm case size, that variant is down to $249, which is a slightly less significant discount.We gave the second-generation Apple Watch SE a review score of 89 last year, and we currently note it as the top pick for first-time or budget-sensitive buyers in our guide to the best smartwatches. Compared to the flagship Apple Watch Series 8, the SE lacks more advanced health-tracking features like a skin temperature sensor, ECG monitor and blood oxygen sensor, and its slightly smaller display doesn't have an always-on mode, so it's more cumbersome for checking the time. It also charges slower than the Series 8 or higher-end Apple Watch Ultra. For the most part, though, it provides the usual Apple Watch feature set at a lower price, with notifications, heart-rate monitoring, crash detection and a similar-looking, water-resistant design. This second-gen model runs on the same S8 processor as its pricier siblings, too, so it's just as fast in day-to-day use.That processor bump is the biggest upgrade from the first-gen Apple Watch SE, but most people with that device shouldn't feel the need to upgrade here. Instead, this model is best for folks upgrading from an older Apple Watch (say, a Series 4 or older) or iPhone owners looking to buy an Apple wearable for the first time without spending more than $300. If that describes you, this deal should make the device a bit more approachable.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-watch-se-drops-back-to-219-144032655.html?src=rss

Amazon is running a sale on Kindle e-readers just in time for outdoor reading, and there are a few good deals in the mix. The company is selling the base Kindle with lock screen ads for $80, or $20 off. That's near an all-time low, and makes it an easy pick if you want a compact, no-frills device for reading on the park bench. The sale also drops the price of the 8GB Kindle Paperwhite to $100, or $40 off.Last fall's refresh of the entry-level Kindle helped it catch up to the Paperwhite in a big way. The 300PPI display is much easier on the eyes, and the longer six-week battery life helps you leave the charger at home. Factor in USB-C charging and double the storage (16GB) and you may have all you need to clear your reading backlog.There are reasons to consider buying more advanced models, of course. The Kindle Paperwhite offers a larger screen, beach-friendly water resistance and an adjustable warm light. You can even charge wirelessly if you buy the Paperwhite Signature Edition (on sale for $140). However, those are more perks than must-haves. The starter Kindle covers the essentials well, and may even be preferable if you're looking for a small e-reader that can tuck into a bag's side pocket.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-kindle-is-back-on-sale-for-80-132616309.html?src=rss

Netflix released at least one movie a week over the past two years – I challenge you to name them all! – but for 2023, the company is changing course. According to Bloomberg, the streaming giant is restructuring its movie division and releasing fewer movies overall. Despite the sheer number of titles Netflix previously released, only a few had won accolades, attained significant hours of streaming, or had the kind of cultural impact some of the biggest blockbusters had achieved. (According to the company's Top 10 page, its most-watched movies for 2021 and 2022 include Red Notice, Don't Look Up and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.)Netflix ramped up its film development after studios started building their own streaming services instead of licensing their movies to the company. This restructuring will combine the team working on small projects with a budget of $30 million or less and the unit that produces mid-budget films that cost $30 million to $80 million. There’s also a big-budget arm to its film development unit – likely involved with the aforementioned hits. No word yet on whether the restructuring will affect that part of the business.– Mat SmithThe Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.The biggest stories you might have missedTesla sets new company record after delivering more than 422,000 EVs in Q1 2023SpaceX’s Starship will carry an SUV-sized rover to the Moon in 2026Hitting the Books: Sputnik's radio tech launched a revolution in bird migration researchJapan joins US-led effort to restrict China's access to chipmaking equipment Breaking BardTesting the limits of today's leading AI chatbots.EngadgetThe generative AI race is on, and the current frontrunners appear to be Google's Bard and Microsoft's Bing AI, which is powered by ChatGPT. But what are the limits to the questions it can answer? We asked Google’s Bard chatbots a series of questions to see which is better at delivering facts, replacing us at our jobs or participating in existential debates. We also looked at their speed, transparency and how likely they were to break if we started to push its buttons And don’t worry, Bing AI got the same treatment.Continue reading.Apple wins appeal against UK antitrust probe into its mobile browserThrough a technicality.Apple won an appeal against an investigation launched by the UK’s antitrust watchdog last fall. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened a full probe into Apple and Google in November. At the time, the regulator said that many UK businesses felt restricted by the “stranglehold” the two tech giants had on mobile browsing. The probe also sought to determine if Apple was restricting the cloud gaming market through its App Store rules. The company said the CMA should have opened the probe at the same time it first published its report on mobile ecosystems last June. The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), the court that oversees CMA cases, agreed with Apple, saying the regulator gave notice of its investigation too late.Continue reading.Court rules Elon Musk broke federal labor law with 2018 tweetTesla has also been ordered to rehire a worker that it illegally fired.According to a federal appeals court, Elon Musk broke US labor law in 2018 when he tweeted that Tesla factory workers would forgo stock options if they chose to unionize. In May 2018, a Twitter user asked Musk about his union stance. “Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted,” he tweeted in response. “But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW & everybody already gets healthcare.” Tesla has argued the tweet was Musk’s way of pointing out that workers at other automakers don’t receive stock options. The court ordered Musk to delete the tweet. As of the writing of this article, the tweet is still there.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-netflix-plans-to-make-fewer-better-movies-111522164.html?src=rss

Twitter's handling of verified users continues to shift after a number of developments over the weekend. Last week, Twitter said it would start winding down the legacy verified program on April 1st, but that was limited to specific cases including one called out by CEO Elon Musk. Meanwhile, a new report indicated that around 10,000 of the top-followed sites would retain their legacy checkmarks, even if they didn't subscribe to Twitter Blue. And now, Twitter is displaying the same status for both legacy verified and Twitter Blue subscribers, making it difficult to tell them apart.Verified legacy Twitter users were expecting to lose their white-on-blue checkmarks over the weekend, after the Twitter Verified account tweeted it would start stripping them on April 1st. For the most part, however, that didn't happen, reportedly because un-verifying users is a painstaking manual process (Musk tweeted in a now-deleted message that legacy users would be given "a few weeks grace"). However, Twitter did strip a verified badge from The New York Times after the site said it wouldn't pay for Twitter Blue, in an apparent fit of pique by CEO Elon Musk. He later labeled the site as "propaganda."

Paris residents have dealt a blow to e-scooter rental companies Lime, Tier and Dott, voting in an 89 percent landslide to ban "trotinettes" from streets amid low voter turnout, France 24 has reported. The French capital will likely become the second European city after Barcelona to prohibit the devices, as mayor Anne Hidalgo has promised to respect the referendum. Any ban won't affect e-bikes or privately-owned scooters.Following a messylaunch in 2018, Paris introduced strict rules and reduced the number of rental companies from around 20 to just three. A spate of accidents ensued including a 2021 fatality, prodding the city to introduce new rules like a 10 km/h (6 MPH) speed limit in designated zones and fines for for not using dedicated parking. However, residents continued to complain about dangerous operation and devices strewn on city sidewalks.Only eight percent of city dwellers voted, and that group appeared to skew away from younger people more likely to use the devices. "In the double queue here, a majority of 50+ and parents with toddlers," tweeted journalist Agnes Poirier. "Incapable of regulating their use, the City of Paris is just leaving it to its inhabitants in an all or nothing alternative."The move may be welcomed by some, but it goes against Hidalgo's initiatives to make Paris less polluted and dependent on cars. As part of a pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050, the city has vowed to phase out ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles by 2030, plant up to 170,000 trees, install electric chargers for EVs and promote e-mobility, including e-bikes and, at one time, e-scooters.The city has since changed its tune on the latter, though. It noted that the scooters were mostly replacing walking or public transport rather than cars or taxi trips, so weren't achieving the goal of reducing vehicle use. "They’re honestly not very ecological — they get damaged and they are left lying wherever," said Hidalgo back in January, adding that she was personally in favor of a ban. "We can’t contain them in public spaces and they’re causing road safety problems, especially for older and disabled people."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/paris-votes-to-ban-e-scooter-rentals-082352303.html?src=rss