Under a cloud of studio closures and layoffs, there's a sliver of sunshine in the gaming business. After being closed by Microsoft in May, Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks has been acquired by PUBG: Battlegrounds developer Krafton."Krafton intends to collaborate with Xbox and ZeniMax to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks, allowing the talented team to continue developing the Hi-Fi Rush IP and explore future projects," Krafton wrote in a press release spotted by Polygon.Following its $7.5 billion purchase of ZeniMax in 2021, Microsoft shut down three of its studios, Arkane Austin, Tokyo-based Tango Gameworks and Alpha Dog Studios. Tango was behind several notable titles, including The Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo and the rhythm-based brawler Hi-Fi Rush. The latter debuted in 2023 as an exclusive on Xbox Series X and PC, and recently came to PS5 in March this year.Krafton said the acquisition will not affect current Tango games including The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush.Tango Gameworks was founded in 2010 by Resident Evil 4 game director Shinji Mikami and initially made its name with horror titles like The Evil Within. Hi-Fi Rush was a significant departure and became a critical hit with a 10 out of 10 Steam score thanks to the fluid, engaging gameplay and unique graphical style.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pubg-battlegrounds-publisher-acquires-hi-fi-rush-studio-after-microsoft-shut-it-down-120005467.html?src=rss
Eli Roth's Borderlands movie adaptation sounds like a recipe for a solid sci-fi romp: Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett as the wise-cracking gunslinger Lilith; Jack Black as the quippy Claptrap; and even Jamie Lee Curtis.LionsgateBut according to Engadget's Devindra Hardawar, it squanders the story potential and all that on-screen talent. He breaks it down in full, right here.Maybe I'll go see the new Deadpool.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedIntel is bringing GPUs to carsFormer YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has diedX now lets you sort replies so blue checks don't bury other users' commentsYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!New light-absorbing material can turn everyday objects into solar panelsPut it on roofs, put it on cars, put it on baseball caps.Scientists from the University of Oxford have created an ultra-thin layer of material that can be applied to the exterior of objects with sunlight access in place of bulky silicon-based solar panels. It's made by stacking layers of light-absorbing perovskite just over a micron thick. The new material is also 150 times thinner than a traditional silicon wafer and can produce energy with 5 percent more efficiency. This technology, however, is still in the research stage, and the university doesn't mention the long-term stability of the newly designed perovskite panels, which has always been limited compared to traditional photovoltaic technology.Continue reading.ASUS ROG Ally X reviewIt's got more RAM, storage and battery life than the original model.EngadgetThanks to some design tweaks and major hardware upgrades, ASUS has turned the ROG Ally X into the flagship Windows gaming handheld it was meant to be. Dare we say it, this might be the best handheld gaming PC.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-the-borderlands-movie-proves-bad-videogame-adaptations-can-still-happen-111340460.html?src=rss
I was not expecting to cry while playing Summit, a $6 mountain climbing platformer for Playdate that's impossible not to compare to Celeste. Scream in frustration? Yes. Storm away from the game only to come crawling back minutes later? Definitely. Get all up in my feels, though? Not so much. Yet an hour and 34 minutes - and 432 deaths - later, here we are. This is now the second Playdate game that's made me cry.In Summit, you're a cloaked climber trying to reach the top of a mountain under the guidance of an unseen narrator who refers to you as little brother." You have ice axes to help you scale the vertical surfaces, and other equipment will show up later to assist you in trickier situations. Completing the 70-ish levels requires absolute precision, and it is at times very, very frustrating. There are rows of sharp spikes sticking out everywhere, and some falling from higher perches. The icy ground in spots is slick enough to send you flying. Strong winds will make it seem as though it's impossible to push forward.But it's not impossible, of course, and in some cases you can even use the environmental conditions to your advantage. When you do finally make it through a particularly tough level, it's all the more gratifying. There's more to Summit than well-timed jumps - it uses the d-pad, buttons and the crank, and will have you coordinating different actions to cross huge gaps and avoid obstacles. At one point, you even get to ride a crow.Pixelated OpusThe music throughout is beautiful and has a reflective mood to it, which sets you up perfectly for when the game takes an unexpected emotional turn at the end. As you approach the summit, the backstory that's been hinted at in bits and pieces finally reveals itself, and it's a tear-jerker. I got misty-eyed, and not because I was so relieved to have finally made it to the top. (I'm not the only one, either, as I found while searching Reddit to see how other people fared.)Summit will test your determination as you die over and over again trying to progress, but it's never a slog. If you liked the extreme platforming and sentimental tone of Celeste, this is definitely one to check out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/summit-is-an-incredible-precision-platformer-for-playdate-thatll-hit-you-right-in-the-feels-230018502.html?src=rss
AMD has begun releasing updates to patch some - but not all - chips affected by the recently discovered Sinkclose" security flaw. The vulnerability spotted by researchers at IOActive was revealed in a report from Wired last week, and is said to affect most AMD processors going back to 2006. While AMD's security team has been working to get some of these systems patched, Tom's Hardware reports that the Ryzen 1000, 2000 and 3000 series along with the Threadripper 1000 and 2000 won't get any such updates.The company told Tom's Hardware that these are among older products that are outside our software support window." Newer models and all of AMD's embedded processors have reportedly already received or will be receiving the patch. The Sinkclose flaw is considered to be more of a risk for governments or other large entities than for the average user, and even then, taking advantage of it would require deep access to a particular system. But the researchers who found it warned that it could be disastrous if exploited, letting hackers run code in the chips' normally protected System Management Mode.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/outdated-amd-chips-reportedly-wont-get-a-patch-for-the-sinkclose-security-flaw-200549740.html?src=rss
X has introduced new options for sorting replies that should make it easier to see the comments you're actually interested in. The social media platform announced that replies can now be sorted by most relevant, most recent and most liked. While the average X user may not be getting hundreds of replies to their posts, the reply section on posts from accounts with thousands or millions of followers can be chaotic. And since replies from blue check users are ranked higher, what shows up at the top may not be what's newest or most pertinent.
The Perseid meteor shower is one we can count on every summer for a great show, weather permitting, and this year's event reaches its peak tonight. Late Sunday night into the pre-dawn hours of Monday will be the best time to see the Perseids, according to NASA. You'll want to find a viewing spot with clear, dark skies, but you won't need any special equipment to get the most out of the experience - the meteors should be plentiful, and visible to the naked eye.The Perseids come around annually in late July and last several weeks. These meteors (or shooting stars) occur as debris from comet Swift-Tuttle interacts with Earth's atmosphere, creating colorful streaks of light as the pieces burn up. At its peak, the phenomenon can bring as many as 100 meteors per hour. And, the Perseids have been known to give off an extra spectacular light show. Perseids are also known for their fireballs," according to NASA. Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak. This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of cometary material."So find a good spot - ideally after the moon sets - look up, and wait. You may be able to see some natural fireworks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/catch-the-perseid-meteor-shower-at-its-peak-late-tonight-into-tomorrow-153441606.html?src=rss
You can get a four-pack of Apple AirTags right now for even less than it went for during Amazon Prime Day. The multipack is currently 26 percent off on Amazon, dropping the price down to just $73. That's the cheapest we've seen it go in recent memory. A pack of four usually costs $99. The individual AirTag is discounted too, if you only need one. Normally $30, a single AirTag right now costs just $24. Apple's Find My app lets you track as many as 32 items, so you can use AirTags for peace of mind on all your important belongings. The Bluetooth item trackers are small and can easily be put in a wallet, purse or jacket pocket, but if you want to attach an AirTag to your keys or otherwise secure it to an item, you'll need to grab a case. There are loads of good AirTag accessories to choose from, so it shouldn't be hard to find one to fit your needs (and personal style). AirTags use a replaceable battery - the widely available CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery - that should last roughly a year, so you don't have to worry about charging or having it die on you after a short time. AirTags use Bluetooth and the massive network of Apple devices out in the wild to place your item's location on the Find My map. Recent iPhones that have the ultra wideband chip can also use Precision Finding with the Find Nearby feature, to track items you've misplaced, like keys that you know are in your home. The app will guide you right to the lost item using arrows and distance indicators, and you can ping the AirTag to play a sound. The AirTag has an IP67 rating, so it's splash, water and dust resistant. It's the best Bluetooth tracker for iPhone users or anyone who mainly uses devices that are in the Apple ecosystem. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-four-pack-of-apple-airtags-drops-to-73-on-amazon-142445904.html?src=rss
Turkey has restored access to Instagram after the social media site agreed to meet the country's demands around censorship and crime-related content, Bloomberg reports. Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced the agreement in a post on X. Instagram was blocked for a little over a week; users in the country abruptly lost access on August 2, but no official explanation for the decision was provided at the time.However, the block came after Turkey's head of communications, Fahrettin Altun, accused the platform of censoring posts that expressed condolences for Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader who was recently killed. In the post on Saturday, Uraloglu cited concerns over content relating to catalog crimes - which include murder, sexual assault, drug trafficking and torture, according to Reuters - and censorship imposed on Instagram users. NetBlocks, which first reported that Instagram had been blocked in Turkey earlier this month, confirmed on Saturday that access had begun to return.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/turkey-unblocks-instagram-after-talks-to-address-its-concerns-about-crime-and-censorship-212231212.html?src=rss
New releases in fiction, nonfiction and comics that caught our attention.Hum by Helen PhillipsRobots have become a regular fixture of the workforce, and humans are losing their jobs to AI. Climate change is wreaking havoc on the planet. It's getting harder and harder for the average person to make ends meet. Facial recognition technology is being used for surveillance. Sound familiar? In her new novel, Hum, author Helen Phillips paints a picture of what our near-future could look like.Its main character, May, has lost her job after technology made her role obsolete, and, desperate for money to support her family, she agrees to participate in an experiment that alters her face to make her undetectable to facial recognition. With the extra cushion from the payment, she takes her husband and children on a short, technology-free vacation to the Botanical Garden - but things go dangerously awry. Hum is a captivating, unsettling work of dystopian fiction that makes it impossible not to draw parallels with our current reality.Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life's Emergence by Sara Imari WalkerThere's so much we don't know about the origins of life on Earth, and how it could appear on other worlds. Arizona State University theoretical physicist and astrobiologist Sara Imari Walker tackles the enduring question, What is life?" and so much more in her book, Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life's Emergence. It explores assembly theory, which, as Walker explained recently as a guest on the Event Horizon podcast, states that life is the only mechanism the universe has for generating complexity. So complex objects don't happen spontaneously, they only happen through evolution and selection."It's an endlessly fascinating topic that's spurred a lot of debate over the years, and Walker's book presents its case in a way that is compelling and readable even for us non-scientists. It'll definitely give your brain a bit of exercise, though... and maybe spark some (friendly) arguments. Kirkus called it, Ingenious, but not for the faint of heart.Cruel Universe #1EC Comics' comeback continues with the release of another new series, Cruel Universe. The recently resurrected publisher dropped the first issue of the science fiction series this week, featuring stories by Corinna Bechko, Chris Condon, Matt Kindt and Ben H. Winters, with art by Jonathan Case, Kano, Artyom Topilin and Caitlin Yarsky. Cruel Universe #1 takes us to an interstellar battle arena, face-to-face with a black hole, on a quest for eternal life and more.It's a great followup to last month's Epitaphs of the Abyss, the new horror anthology from EC. If you liked the old Weird Science comics and EC's other science fiction series, this is definitely one to check out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-near-future-dystopian-fiction-and-a-new-approach-to-explaining-lifes-origin-194355528.html?src=rss
Omid Kordestani, who was Twitter's executive chairman from 2015 to 2020 and served on the board until Elon Musk acquired it in 2022, is suing X over $20 million worth of shares he says the company is refusing to pay. Kordestani filed the lawsuit on Friday with a California superior court.Per the lawsuit, Kordestani left a high paying job at Google to join Twitter, which offered him a significantly lower" salary of just $50,000 but sweetened the deal with stock options, performance-based restricted stock units and restricted stock units. These - amounting to $20,112,000 - were supposed to have been paid out when Musk acquired Twitter and replaced the board, but X has failed to do so, according to the lawsuit. X Corp. seeks to reap the benefits of Mr. Kordestani's seven years of service to Twitter without paying him for it, despite clear contractual language requiring X Corp. to do so," it says.Multiple lawsuits have been filed in the wake of Musk's Twitter acquisition from employees alleging they were not paid properly after they were laid off or fired. Former Twitter executives sued Musk and X earlier this year, claiming they were fired without reason" and are owed millions of dollars in unpaid severance. The latest lawsuit says that Mr. Kordestani is one of many former Twitter employees whose compensation has been wrongfully withheld by X Corp. following Elon Musk's purchase of the Company in October 2022."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/former-twitter-chairman-is-suing-x-for-20-million-over-pay-he-says-was-wrongfully-withheld-155407305.html?src=rss
If you want to find a specific tweet by Donald Trump, you may have to go through his timeline and look for it yourself. According to Mediaite, X has switched off the ability to search for Trump's tweets. As the publication explains, you can do a search for specific posts by typing "from:[username without the @ symbol]" followed by the term or phrase you're looking for.So if you want to see the former president's tweet wherein he said that the COVID cases and deaths are "far exaggerated in the United States" due to the CDC's "ridiculous method of determination," you could do a search for "from:realDonaldTrump COVID." That's supposed to bring up all his tweets with the term "COVID," except... it doesn't. What does show up is a selection of his tweets that don't even appear in chronological order. We were able to replicate the results Mediaite has reported, as you can see below.TwitterThe former president's Twitter account was suspended in 2021 after the company determined that some of his tweets violated its policies. His was kicked out of the website after the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol. Trump sued Twitter in an attempt to get his account back, but it wasn't until Elon Musk took over that he was reinstated. His first and only post since then was his mug shot, which was taken when he was booked on charges that he conspired to overturn the results of 2020 Presidential election.As Mediaite notes, it's not quite clear why this happening. Other accounts that had been suspended in the past and then reinstated, such as Alex Jones', remain searchable. The accounts of other high-profile political personalities, such as Kamala Harris, remain searchable, as well. A software engineer that the publication talked to claimed that it was a deliberate move on X's part, seeing as the issue doesn't seem to affect other previously suspended users. We reached out to X for a statement and will update this post if we hear back. It's worth noting, however, that there's a free resource called "Trump Twitter Archive" that contains a searchable database of Trump's tweets, and it still works perfectly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-appears-to-be-suppressing-trump-related-searches-140026507.html?src=rss
Susan Wojcicki, who served as YouTube's CEO for almost a decade until she stepped down last year, has died. She was 56 years old. Her husband Dennis Troper has shared the news on Facebook, revealing that Wojcicki lived two years with non-small cell lung cancer. "Susan was not just my best friend and partner in life, but a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a dear friend to many," he wrote in his post. "Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable."Google operated out of Wojcicki's garage when the company was just starting out, with founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin using it as their office. She became the company's first marketing manager, co-created Google Image Search and was the first product manager of AdSense. Wojcicki also headed Google's video efforts and was the one who encouraged the company to purchase YouTube in 2006, a year after the video-sharing platform debuted.In 2014, she was appointed as the CEO of YouTube, which became a key part of Google under her leadership. For the fiscal year of 2022, the year before she stepped down, YouTube ads brought in $29.24 billion in revenue, which made up over 10 percent of the company's total earnings. Outside of her work with Google, Wojcicki brought attention to the gender gap issue in tech and to the plight of refugees. She was also a proponent of lengthy parental leaves and talked about they're actually good for business. In a post on X, Alphabet's current CEO, Sundar Pichai, said Wojcicki was "as core to the history of Google as anyone" and described her someone who's "had a tremendous impact on the world."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/former-youtube-ceo-susan-wojcicki-has-died-110020190.html?src=rss
Both Russia and Venezuela have blocked access to the encrypted messaging app Signal, The Verge reports.The Russian news service Interfax broke the news about the block on the Signal app in Russia. Russia's telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor restricted the app due to violations of the requirements of the Russian legislation whose fulfillment is necessary to prevent the use of the messenger for terrorist and extremist purposes," according to the Russian report.The cybersecurity tracker NetBlocks confirmed on X on Friday that Russia has restricted access to Signal on most internet providers." NetBlocks also noted the app remains usable with censorship circumvention' enabled" in Signal's settings echoing a recommendation from the Signal's X account to users who've been blocked from their messages in both regions .The blocking of Signal in Venezuela occurred in the long shadow of the country's disputed presidential election results from the end of July. Venezuela's electoral authority declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner without publishing any evidence of his win, sparking protests from detractors and supporters of Maduro's opponent Edmundo Gonzalez, according to the Associated Press.Both regions have been cutting off access to other similar social media apps possibly as a way to quiet dissenting voices. President Maduro banned X earlier today for a period of 10 days claiming that the company's owner Elon Musk was inciting hatred and violated" his social network's rules. VOA News also reported a mass YouTube outage" in Russia on Thursday.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/russia-and-venezuela-have-blocked-encrypted-messaging-app-signal-221433099.html?src=rss
Oxford University scientists may have solved one of the greatest hindrances of expanding access to solar energy. Scientists from the university's physics department have created an ultra-thin layer of material that can be applied to the exterior of objects with sunlight access in place of bulky silicon-based solar panels.The ultra-thin and flexible film is made by stacking layers of light-absorbing layers of perovskite that are just over one micron thick. The new materials are also 150 times thinner than a traditional silicon wafer and can produce 5 percent more energy efficiency than traditional, single-layer silicon photovoltaics, according to a statement released by Oxford University.Dr. Shauifeng Hu, a postdoctoral fellow at Oxford's physics department, says he believes this approach could enable the photovoltaic devices to achieve far greater efficiencies, exceeding 45 percent."This new approach to solar energy technology could also reduce the cost of solar energy. Due to their thinness and flexibility, they can be applied to almost any surface. This reduces the cost of construction and installation and could increase the number of solar energy farms producing more sustainable energy.This technology, however, is still in the research stage and the university doesn't mention the long-term stability of the newly designed perovskite panels. Going from 6 to 27 percent solar energy efficiency in five years is an impressive feat but stability has always been limited compared to photovoltaic technology, according to the US Department of Energy. A 2016 study in the science journal Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cellsalso noted that perovskite can provide efficient, low-cost energy generation" but it also has poor stability" due its sensitivity to moisture.Solar energy has also become a cheaper power option just over the last decade. The cost of solar photovoltaic technology has dropped by 90 percent in the last 10 years, according to the Global Change Data Lab.New solar energy farms are popping up all over the world. The US Department of Energy announced earlier this month its turning an 8,000-acre piece of land that once housed parts of the nuclear weapons program known as the Manhattan Project into a solar farm. Last month, Google invested in a Taiwanese solar company to build a 1 gigawatt pipeline in the region.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/oxford-scientists-new-light-absorbing-material-can-turn-everyday-objects-into-solar-panels-200410760.html?src=rss
Warner Bros. Discovery has pulled Cartoon Network's entire website from the web, which means that you can no longer access free episodes and other interactive content. Instead, visitors to CartoonNetwork.com are redirected to the channel's section on the subscription streaming network Max, Variety reported.The Cartoon Network website offered full, free episodes and clips of some of its most popular shows including Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, Teen Titans GO! and Steven Universe. Now if you need a quick fix of those shows, you'll have to get on Max, pay for them on another digital streaming service or dig up a copy from your stash of old Blu-Rays and DVDs.A spokesperson for the Cartoon Network told Variety it's refocusing its efforts on shows and social media where we find consumers are the most engaged and there is a meaningful potential for growth." The decision to take down the website will not affect the network's cable TV programming.The demise of Cartoon Network's website comes a week after Warner Bros. Discovery announced the end of its classic cartoon streaming service Boomerang. Warner Bros. Discovery announced that the network for fans of classic cartoons like Tom & Jerry, Wacky Races and the original Looney Tunes shorts will end its operations on September 30. Subscribers will be added to Max's ad-free tier for no additional cost.In June, media giant Paramount, too, pulled down some of its cable channels' old show episodesincluding The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report from the Comedy Central website as well as free content from other channels' websites such as TV Land, CMT and the Paramount Network.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/warner-bros-sends-cartoon-networks-website-to-the-digital-graveyard-174502048.html?src=rss
As we did last Friday and the Friday before that (and shall continue to do until the internet turns itself off), we have rounded up the best deals we spotted this week and put them in one convenient location. These are the tech gadgets we have used, reviewed and recommend that happen to be seeing worthwhile discounts at the moment. This week, a bunch of Apple gear went on sale, some of it new, some of it older, such as the 2024 MacBook Air with the M3 chip for $250 off and the 2021 9th generation iPad for $100 under MSRP. Two of our favorite outdoor pizza ovens, the Frya 12 and the Karu 16, are on sale at Ooni and there's a special Engadget code that'll get you a deal on Roombas at Wellbots. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/save-150-on-our-favorite-ooni-pizza-oven-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-172730247.html?src=rss
Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has blocked X in the country for 10 days after claiming that the platform's owner Elon Musk had incited hatred and "violated" his own social network's rules. "Shame on Dictator Maduro," wrote Musk, who claimed that the incumbent president had committed "major election fraud."Maduro, who also argued that his rivals were using the platform to stoke political unrest, said he greenlit a proposal by the national telecoms authority to "remove the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, from circulation in Venezuela for 10 days." That's according to the Associated Press, which said its reporters in the country were unable to access X after the proclamation. X does not have a public relations department that can be reached for comment.While Musk has arguably fanned the flames of the situation in Venezuela, Maduro could be using him as a scapegoat so he has a pretext to temporarily block X and attempt to quash discussion of election results. The president claimed victory in July's presidential election, but the outcome has been disputed.Independent exit polls and reviews of voting machine data indicated that Maduro's opposition, Edmundo Gonzalez, may have received twice as many votes as the incumbent. The Maduro-controlled national electoral council however claimed that Maduro had a 52 percent share of the vote with Gonzalez taking 43 percent. The council has not yet produced voting tallies as is required by law.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/nicolas-maduro-bans-x-in-venezuela-for-10-days-amid-elon-musk-dispute-163049192.html?src=rss
Security researchers have found a vulnerability in AMD processors that has persisted for decades, according to reporting by Wired. This is a fascinating security flaw because it was found in the firmware of the actual chips and potentially allows malware to deeply infect a computer's memory.The flaw was discovered by researchers from the security firm IOActive, who are calling the AMD-based vulnerability a Sinkclose" flaw. This potentially allows hackers to run their own code in the most privileged mode of an AMD processor, System Management Mode. This is typically a protected portion of the firmware. The researchers have also noted that the flaw dates back to at least 2006 and that it impacts nearly every AMD chip.
On paper, Eli Roth's Borderlands adaptation sounds like a recipe for a solid sci-fi romp: Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett as the wise-cracking gunslinger Lilith; Jack Black, fresh off of voicing Bowser, as the quippy/annoying Claptrap; and freaking Jamie Lee Curtis back in the genre fray after Everything Everywhere, All At Once. And yet the film is a lifeless slog better suited to an episode of Mystery Science Theater, completely squandering the potential of those elements.Like the original game, Borderlands is mostly set on the wild alien planet of Pandora - a name that clearly should have been changed since audiences now associate it mostly with the Avatar films. Roth's adaptation makes significant changes to the game's plot and characters: It begins with Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt) being rescued from a space prison by the former soldier Roland (Kevin Hart [?!]). Inexplicably, they run into the former Psycho, Kriege (Florian Munteanu), and together they all escape to find a legendary vault on Pandora, which holds untold alien treasures.Meanwhile, in a nondescript city on another planet, Lilith gets recruited by the head of the Atlas Corporation (a scenery-chewing Edgar Ramirez) to rescue Tina, who he claims is her daughter. Like a maze hastily created for a kids menu, you can easily predict the path the film will take. Lilith reluctantly heads back to Pandora, she teams up with the other characters, and plot points are checked off with the excitement of a DMV visitThere are obligatory action scenes, as you'd expect, but it all feels routine - CG explosions, half-hearted choreography and minimal stakes.Blanchett is an actress who has proven herself to have an enormous amount of range. She can play an awesome/terrifying Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings, and a pompous conductor in Tar. But while there are some base pleasures in seeing her rolling around with futuristic guns, she just never feels comfortable in the skin of an action heroine. There's none of the ferocity of Charlize Theron's most physical roles, or even Angelina Jolie in a middling thriller like Salt (a movie that, I assure you, is far more fun than Borderlands). Blanchett just seems too cool for this shit.Photo by LionsgateAnd unlike other films featuring a rag-tag group of heroes, like Guardians of the Galaxy or the excellent Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, there's little time spent building up relationships in Borderlands. Roland seems noble, but we never really learn who he is and what's driving him to save Tina. (I also question the wisdom of casting a comedian like Hart in a mostly straight role.) Krieg is a shell of a character who gets only a few lines of stunted dialog and no actual development. Jamie Lee Curtis's role as the xenoarcheologist" Tannis makes no sense at all.What you have, ultimately, is a boring film filled with empty characters and actors who would be better off being in literally anything else. If Cate Blanchett sold out for a corny commercial campaign - if she reenacted Pacino's Dunkaccino song for real - it would still be less embarrassing than starring in this failure. In an era where many game adaptations have been surprisingly watchable, like the Sonic and Super Mario Bros. movies, and a masterpiece of a show like The Last of Us exists, Borderlands feels like a unforced error.Photo by LionsgateInstead of being a big-budget film, it could have been better off as a streaming series like Fallout. Perhaps it didn't need two Oscar winnersand a well-known comedian like Kevin Hart. They probably should have stuck with the screenplay from the Chernobyl and Last of Us showrunnner Craig Mazin, instead of bringing in more writers. (One of the listed screenwriters is "Joe Crombie," a pseudonym for someone who didn't want their name attached to this film.)As it is, though, Borderlands is pure wasted potential. Go replay the games - hell, go watch some of the Borderlands fan films - instead of sitting through this atrocity.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-borderlands-movie-is-an-astounding-waste-of-potential-160032875.html?src=rss
One of the more annoying aspects of TikTok (and Instagram and X) culture is when a user shares a contextless but captivating clip from a movie or a TV show. Oftentimes, they won't state or tag the name of the source upfront, prompting viewers to ask in the comments where the clip is from in an engagement-boosting trick. TikTok is stepping in to do something about that with a new feature called TikTok Spotlight.When the platform's tech detects an applicable clip, it will add an anchor link to a landing page with more details about the show or movie. The page will include a synopsis, cast info and official accounts, as well as other TikToks linked to the same title so you can keep going down the rabbit hole. The landing page will also include details on where to watch the show or movie if it's on a streaming service, or a way to buy tickets if a film is still in theaters. There are benefits for studios that take part in this initiative too. TikTok is now an important part of marketing strategies for movies and TV shows, so having a hub where interested users can go to learn more and possibly buy theater tickets is something Hollywood can take advantage of. TikTok says they'll be able to find creators who are a good match and incentivize them to spread the word about their projects. Studios will also have access to engagement analytics.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-will-make-it-easier-to-identify-movies-and-tv-shows-that-users-are-clipping-143449273.html?src=rss
Amazon has struck new deals that will give people the option to shop without having to leave TikTok or Pinterest, according to The Information. Users will be able to purchase items from the Amazon ads the pop up within either platform. Typically, clicking on an ad would take a buyer to Amazon's interface, but this deal will let them check out from within TikTok or Pinterest using the payment method and shipping address saved on their Amazon account.The Information says it has seen screenshots of the ads, which show more information than usual, including items' prices, their estimated shipping times and whether they're eligible for Prime shipment. Take note that users will have to link their social media accounts to their Amazon profiles first before they're able to seamlessly shop from within their apps. "In-app shopping with Amazon is available for select products advertised on TikTok and sold by Amazon or by independent sellers in Amazon's store," a company spokesperson confirmed to the publication.Amazon's new deals reportedly expand on its previous agreements with Meta and Snap under an initiative that's internally called Project Handshake. Similar to these newer arrangements, those previous deals made it possible for Snapchat and Instagram users to purchase items from within their apps. As The Information notes, though, it's not quite clear why TikTok has entered the agreement when it's been trying to grow its own shopping platform. TikTok brought live shopping to North America in 2022, and it added more relevant features, such as a dedicated shop tab and live stream shop buttons, last year. In addition to the fact that Amazon shopping could undercut sales on its own platform, TikTok could also end up getting banned in the US unless ByteDance, its parent company based in China, agrees to sell it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-and-pinterest-team-up-with-amazon-for-in-app-shopping-140004136.html?src=rss
Despite being one of the first gaming handhelds from a major PC maker, ASUS got a lot right with the original ROG Ally. It offers better performance in a smaller chassis than Valve's Steam Deck, but without a huge increase in price. And because it's based on Windows instead of Linux, it delivers almost universal game compatibility. That said, issues like weak battery life and faulty SD card slots left plenty of room for improvement. So on the new Ally X, ASUS tweaked almost everything aside from its chip and display. But this time, what we're getting is the fully armed and operational battle station that I wanted all along. Design and display From afar, it may appear like all ASUS did was switch the color of the Ally X's chassis from white to black. But the second I picked it up, I noticed a lot of little changes including more pronounced grips, slightly taller face buttons and smaller paddles around back designed so that they're harder to hit by accident. There's also a brand new D-Pad which is a big improvement from the one on the vanilla Ally, though I'd still prefer a traditional cross or one of Sony's pentagon-shaped arrangements. On the inside, ASUS added stiffer springs to Ally X's joysticks, making them tighter and more responsive. However, ASUS stopped short of switching to Hall Effect sensors like the ones on rivals like the Lenovo Legion Go. There's also a third vent and a new fan system that improve cooling and airflow, though at full load, the back of this thing still gets pretty toasty. But the best part is that even with all these changes and a handful of new components on the inside (more on those later), the Ally X isn't much bulkier than its predecessor. The original ROG Ally weighs 1.34 pounds and measures 1.28 inches at its thickest while the Ally X comes in at 1.49 pounds and 1.45 inches. I've even been told by an ASUS representative that the Ally X fits in the original Ally's official case, though I haven't confirmed that myself, because, unlike the Steam Deck, you don't get one bundled with the system. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Finally, there's the Ally X's 1080p display, one of two components that's the same as on its predecessor. It has great brightness with a peak of around 500 nits (our review unit was actually a touch better at around 515 nits) and a variable 120Hz refresh rate. It's pretty much exactly what you want on a system this size and in brighter environments, its black levels are so good that I've mistaken it for an OLED panel. Performance The other major component that hasn't changed is the Ally X's AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip. But that doesn't mean there aren't any performance improvements. That's because ASUS massively upgraded the rest of its components with 24GB of faster LPDDR5X-7500 RAM (up from 16GB) and a larger 1TB M.2 SSD (up from 512GB). This time, ASUS even opted for a full-size 2280 module, so if you want to upgrade your storage down the line, you'll have way more options than the smaller 2230 stick used in the previous model. Plus, and I can't stress this enough, ASUS has also had extra time to polish the Ally X's drivers. As we saw on the original, improved software support can make a big difference in performance, especially in a category that still benefits a ton from better optimization. And depending on the title, we've seen performance increase by as much as 5-10 percent, which is pretty significant considering its chip hasn't changed. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget In Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 720p on high graphics, the Ally X hit 54 fps in performance mode and 64 fps in Turbo mode compared to 54 fps and 60 fps for the original. Meanwhile when playing Cyberpunk 2077, I saw even bigger gains with the Ally X getting up to 78 fps in Turbo mode versus just 69 fps for the vanilla Ally. This improvement seems to be due in large part to the Ally X's increased RAM, which the handheld shares with its GPU. And unlike on a laptop or desktop with discrete graphics, the Z1 Extreme's Radeon 780M doesn't have its own dedicated memory. But regardless of how it's getting there, all these changes make the Ally X one of the most powerful handheld PCs on the market. That's because while the Legion Go uses the same processor, it has 8GB less RAM, so in games, it generally lagged behind by three to five fps. Software Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Windows-based gaming handhelds continue to be a bit clunky when you need to switch between various game launchers and menus, but ASUS has streamlined its Armoury Crate app to be more responsive and easier to use. It's generally less buggy and better equipped to be a one-stop shop for aggregating all different games (and launchers) or quickly tweaking settings. Even with all that, though, it's still less cohesive than Valve's Steam OS. And despite recent improvements, I still ran into things like Armoury Crate interrupting what I was trying to do in Windows when it automatically boots up after a restart (which thankfully you can disable). Battery life and ports One of the biggest issues with the original Ally was its short battery life, which often lasted just an hour or an hour and a half at best. And when you have a system that needs to be plugged into a wall that frequently, it calls into question how good of a gaming handheld it really is. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget But on the Ally X, ASUS doubled battery capacity to 80Wh. Now it can easily game for at least two hours to two and a half hours (or more, if you don't mind fiddling around with settings). And when you remember that the Ally X isn't that much heftier than its predecessor, you have an even greater appreciation for how much extra juice ASUS managed to cram inside. I also appreciate that ASUS replaced the proprietary XG Mobile connector on the original model with a second USB-C port that supports Thunderbolt 4. This means you can still plug in an external graphics dock if you want, while also giving you the flexibility to hook up all sorts of peripherals. This allows the Ally X to better serve as a portable desktop because you can plug in accessories like a mouse and keyboard without the need for external docks or dongles. Wrap-up Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget While the Ally X isn't a true 2.0 version of its predecessor, ASUS has addressed pretty much every complaint I had about the original and then some. Its joysticks feel tighter, its performance is better and battery life has essentially doubled. Even ASUS' Armoury Crate app is easier to use, though it still hasn't fully solved the issue of Windows feeling clunky on PC handhelds. And while it's a touch thicker and heavier than before, those changes don't impact its portability. ASUS also claims it has improved its RMA process to better support people who need servicing or repairs after numerous customer complaints. But it's still too early to say if this has made a difference. Really, the biggest hurdle for the Ally X is its price. At $800, it costs $150 more than the original Ally or the closest equivalent Steam Deck. For those who bought its predecessor, that could still make it a tough sell after only one year. I'd also argue that thanks to Steam OS, Valve's handheld remains the more streamlined and easier-to-use option. But make no mistake, if you're talking about the best PC gaming handhelds on the market, the Ally X sits at the top of the hill right next to the Steam Deck.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/asus-rog-ally-review-a-fully-armed-and-operational-handheld-battle-station-133043986.html?src=rss
Roomba robot vacuums are on sale right now via Wellbots and some of the deals are absolutely fantastic. The biggest discount is for the well-regarded Combo j9+, which is pretty much the company's top-tier robovac. This vacuum and mop hybrid is typically a jaw-dropping $1,400, but this deal brings the price down to $980. Just enter the code ENGT420" at checkout. We loved this unit in our official review, calling it the ideal robot vacuum and mop" and a godsend for tired parents." The vacuuming performance is excellent and mop is a great bonus for mild cleaning duties (it doesn't excel with sticky messes.) The obstacle detection is fantastic. It'll avoid furniture, walls and even pet-related fecal matter. It's a high-end Roomba. You know the drill. The base is designed well and allows the vac to get stuff done on its own. The vacuum will perform its cleaning duties and empty debris right into the base. This base can accommodate 60 days of solid debris and 30 days of liquid mess before having to be manually emptied. It also features an area for storing accessories. About the only bad thing one can say about this vacuum is the exorbitant price. The typical cost of $1,400 is simply outrageous, despite being one heck of a cleaning robot. The discount to $980 makes it a more palatable option, but it's still closing in a grand. If you want a good robot vacuum and don't have an endless supply of money, there are other items on sale. The original Roomba j9+, without the mop, is available for $580 instead of $900. Just enter the code ENGT320" at checkout. The Roomba Combo j7+, which does include a mop, is $680 instead of $1,000 with the code ENGT320" at checkout. Incidentally, this one made our list of the best robot vacuums. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/roomba-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-420-off-right-now-130019914.html?src=rss
Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) is taking Elon Musk's X to court. According to Irish broadcaster RTE, the commission has launched High Court proceedings against Twitter International over concerns on how Europeans' public posts on X are being used to train the company's artificial intelligence tools. The data protection watchdog is especially worried that European users' data is being used to train the next version of Grok that Musk previously said will be released sometime this month.In July, X rolled out a change that automatically activated a setting for all users, allowing the website to use their public posts on the platform to train its AI chatbot further. The commission told TechCrunchthat it was surprised by X's decision, seeing as it has been in contact with the company on the matter for months. X has had a help page instructing users on how to opt out of their data being used for AI training since at least May, but it didn't exactly tell them that it's switching on its access to people's data by default.The DPC has acknowledged that X had given people the mechanism to opt out. However, it reportedly isn't enough for the agency, which argued that there's still a significant number of European-based X users whose data had been processed without being afforded the protection of those mitigation measures. X's use of people's data to train Grok violates its obligations under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), according to the commission. Not offering users an opt-out mechanism in a timely manner also violates the GDPR, it added.As TechCrunch notes, there must be at least one legal basis for a European user's data to be lawfully processed under the GDPR. If a company wants to legally process a user's data, for instance, it must get their express consent, or it must be because the user needs to fulfill contractual obligations. There are other lawful purposes wherein a person's data could be used, but the DPC's complaint indicates that it doesn't believe X has any legal basis for its actions.Twitter International, X's Irish division, also reportedly refused to stop processing users' data and to delay the launch of the next version of Grok as the commission had requested. That's why the DPC has decided to push through with its complaint - so that it can ask the court to suspend or completely prohibit the company from training any AI system with X users' data. If the court determines that X has indeed violated GDPR rules, the company could be fined up to 4 percent of its annual worldwide turnover.After the DPC brought its complaint to court, though, X agreed to stop using some European users' data for training, at least for the moment. In particular, it agreed not to use public posts made by Europe-based users gathered between May 7 and August 1. The "developments will help us to continue protecting the rights and freedoms of X users across the EU and [the European Economic Area]," Data Protection Commissioner Des Hogan said. The agency isn't withdrawing its lawsuit, however, and the DPC will continue investigating whether X's actions had violated the GDPR.Update, August 09, 2024, 9:39AM ET: This posted was updated to reflect new information that X agreed to pause the use of some European users' data for Grok training.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/x-accused-of-using-eu-user-data-to-train-grok-without-consent-133042114.html?src=rss
Intel has unveiled a discrete GPU for cars, the Arc A760A, designed to bring the "triple-A gaming experience" from home over to your car, the company announced. No automotive partners were revealed, but vehicles with the new chips will go on sale as soon as 2025.With car buyers increasingly focused on in-vehicle entertainment above all else, the chips are designed to "unlock a new era of AI-powered cockpit experiences," according to Intel's press release.The GPUs will allow voice, camera and gesture recognition to make it easy to control up to "seven high-definition screens rendering 3D graphics and six-in vehicle cameras and interactive features." At the same time, it can supposedly run demanding triple-A gaming titles, in-vehicle entertainment and AI-powered productivity apps.IntelThe system will also be highly personalized to the driver. It'll include the ability to "execute complex vehicle control commands through natural language processing, answer vehicle-related questions accurately, and even engage in leisurely chat with users, providing a more interactive and enjoyable journey," according to Intel.Intel added that it has created over 500 features and AI apps for automobiles, with over 100 independent software vendors working on in-vehicle experiences. In addition, the A760A will be fully compatible with software developed for its iGPU PC platform, while scaling from entry- and mid-tier vehicles up to higher-end cars.Intel said it wants to be the "go-to partner for automakers." It's clearly looking to diversify its offerings in the wake of quality-control problems with recent PC chips and financial woes that may see it lay off up to 15,000 employees.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/intel-is-bringing-gpus-to-cars-120057738.html?src=rss
Google is officially a monopoly, according to a US court. But what does that really mean? This week, Devindra and Senior Editor Karissa Bell dive into the landmark Google antitrust case to explore how it could affect the future of search. Google claims it's simply delivering the best product, but clearly the court thinks otherwise. Also, we chat about X/Twitter's desperate lawsuit against advertisers who boycotted the social network.Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!Topics
Just in time for summer vacation jealousy baiting, Instagram has doubled the number of photos and videos users can share in a carousel post, from 10 to 20. In a way, this harkens back to the late 2000s era of photo dumps on Facebook, probably involving an SD card from your digital camera. The update is rolling out to all Instagram users worldwide from today.Just remember: Comparison is the thief of joy.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedA robotics company has 3D printed nearly a hundred homes in TexasWhat to expect from Google's Pixel 2024 eventFitbit Ace LTE review: A kids' activity tracker that was fun for me, an adultYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Borderlands' movie arrives with a single-digit Rotten Tomatoes ratingBravely proving we can still get terrible gaming adaptations.BorderlandsThe Borderlands movie, based on the violent treasure-hunting comedy adventure, premiers today. Courtesy of reviews, you may want to steer clear: Rotten Tomatoes rounded up 34 reviews of Eli Roth's adaptation, and so far, it's earned a freshness rating of 3 percent. Despite Cate Blanchett.Cate Blanchett!One of the ad industry groups being sued by X is discontinuing'X has accused the group of conspiring to withhold billions of dollars in ad revenue.An ad industry group named in X's antitrust lawsuit is discontinuing," two days after the social media company filed a lawsuit accusing major advertisers of an illegal boycott" against the company. The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) is discontinuing activities," according to an email seen by Business Insider. Members were told that GARM is a nonprofit with limited resources, but that the groups planned on fighting the lawsuit.Continue reading.Microsoft and Palantir partner to sell AI to government agenciesPalantir's software has reportedly been used to suppress dissent and gather information about immigrants.Microsoft is teaming up with data analytics company Palantir, which has been accused of enabling the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate as a domestic surveillance agency." Bloomberg reports Palantir will integrate its products with Microsoft's government cloud tools, including the Azure OpenAI service, in a bid to sell software" to US defense agencies. Happy Friday, everyone.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-instagram-endorses-the-photo-dump-111504236.html?src=rss
It's taken almost two years but a planned community of homes made with a gigantic 3D printer in Georgetown, Texas is almost complete.Reuters reports that the homes, which are part of a community called Wolf Ranch, are being built with a large 3D printer called the Vulcan that's 45 feet wide and weighs more than 4.75 tons. The project is part of a joint venture with the 3D printing construction developer ICON and the home construction company Lennar. It started in November of 2022 and crews are close to completing its goal of building 100 homes with the Vulcan by the end of the summer. Homeowners have already started moving into some of the completed 3D printed homes that range in price from $450,000 to $600,000. More than a quarter of the homes have been sold.ICONICON's 3D printer uses a mixture of concrete powder, water, sand and other materials to lay out stacks of tube-shaped concrete to construct walls and eventually a whole house. The homes are single-story dwellings with three to four bedrooms that take around three weeks to print. The foundation and metal roofs are made the old-fashioned way with human crews.Once printed, the walls look like giant stretches of corduroy, but they are designed to be resilient and sustainable even in extreme weather. They are also water resistant and energy efficient. The contemporary ranch-style designs for the houses were provided by the architectural firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, according to an ICON press release. The construction process has also been streamlined over the course of the project. ICON senior project manager Conner Jenkins told Reuters that construction started with five different building crews but it's since been whittled down to just one crew and one robot printer.The only downside is the thickness of the walls interferes with WiFi signals. Residents have had to use mesh internet routers with broadcast signals located throughout the home instead of just a single router.ICON isn't just using its large scale 3D printer to make homes on Earth. NASA is reportedly interested in using the technology to build structures on the moon for its Artemis Moon exploration program scheduled to launch its first crew in September 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/a-robotics-company-has-3d-printed-nearly-a-hundred-homes-in-texas-225830931.html?src=rss
Good news, oversharers: Instagram has doubled the number of photos and videos users can share in a carousel post. A representative for the social media network told Engadget that the limit has been increased from 10 to 20 pieces of media. This update will roll out to all Instagram users round the world beginning today.For users of a certain age, this change may harken back to the late 2000s era of photo dumps on Facebook. Long before it became Meta," Facebook was the place to share vast numbers of photos. And since smartphones were only just arriving on the market, most of those photos were from digital cameras that would never fit in your pocket. Ah, memories!The carousel post format first rolled out to all Instagram users back in 2017 but was restricted to 10 items until now. Instagram has explored additional carousel features since that original launch, such as the ability to delete a single photo from the batch and setting the posts to music.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/you-can-now-include-20-images-in-a-single-instagram-post-211516632.html?src=rss
We're less than a day away from the premiere of the Borderlands movie based on the violent, treasure-hunting comedy adventure games from Gearbox Software. Unfortunately, the vast majority of its reviews are wishing it never went beyond its gaming phase.Rotten Tomatoes rounded up 34 reviews of Eli Roth's adaptation of the Borderlands games and so far, it's earned a freshness rating of 3 percent. Only one of the included critics have given the movie a positive review.So what are the rest of the critics actually saying about this movie? Well, their words are unkind and that's being generous.
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed new rules governing the use of AI-generated phone calls and texts. Part of the proposal centers on create a clear definition for AI-generated calls, with the rest focuses on consumer protection by making companies disclose when AI is being used in calls or texts."This provides consumers with an opportunity to identify and avoid those calls or texts that contain an enhanced risk of fraud and other scams," the FCC said. The agency is also looking ensure that legitimate uses of AI to assist people with disabilities to communicate remains protected.Today's proposal is the latest action by the FCC to regulate how AI is used in robocalls and robotexts. The commission has already moved to place a ban on AI-generated voices in robocalls and has called on telecoms to crack down on the practice. Ahead of this year's November election, there has already been one notable use of AI robocalls attempting to spread misinformation to New Hampshire voters.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/fcc-proposes-new-rules-for-ai-generated-robocalls-and-robotexts-200013807.html?src=rss
A new report from the British non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found X owner Elon Musk spread misinformation about the US election and the Democrats' presidential campaign in 50 posts this year alone. His assertions continue to go unchecked on the platform, not even through its own "Community Notes" feature. CCDH's CEO Imran Ahmed says the absence of these grassroots fact-checks show that his business is failing woefully to contain the kind of algorithmically-boosted incitement that we all know can lead to real-world violence, as we experienced on Jan. 6, 2021."The report cites 50 posts made on Musk's X account from January 1 to July 31 that made claims about the election which have been proven false by independent fact-checkers. The posts overwhelmingly involve allegations of the Democratic party importing voters to gain an electoral advantage. He pushed conspiracy theories that The Dem Party goal is to import voters" on March 28 and Dems won't deport, because every illegal is a highly likely vote at some point" on February 26. The fact checking website Politifact rated the latter claim as False" citing the 3.6 million immigrants removed from the US under President Biden's administration between February 2021 to September 2023.
An ad industry group named in X's antitrust lawsuit is discontinuing," two days after the social media company filed a lawsuit accusing major advertisers of an illegal boycott" against the company. The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) is discontinuing activities," according to an email reported by Business Insider.GARM was created in 2019 to help set brand safety guidelines for major advertisers, and is part of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), which was also named in X's lawsuit. According to Business Insider, WFA CEO Stephan Loerke told members that GARM is a nonprofit with limited resources, but that the groups planned on fighting the lawsuit.X CEO Linda Yaccarino said the news was an important acknowledgement and a necessary step in the right direction" in a statement on X. The company's lawsuit, which was filed in Texas, claims that the WFA, GARM and a handful of major advertisers conspired ... to collectively withhold billions of dollars in advertising revenue from Twitter." X faced steep declines in its ad revenue over the last two years as advertisers have pulled back following multiple reports about hate speech and antisemitic content on the platform.GRAM was previously named in a House Judiciary Committee report that alleged the group had an anti-conservative bias" and engaged in "anti-competitive" behavior. It has called those allegations unfounded." In a statement on its website earlier this week, the group pointed out that it was formed in the wake of a mass shooting that was streamed live on Facebook, with the goal of addressing the monetization of harmful content online. Suggestions that GARM practices may impinge on free speech are a deliberate misrepresentation of GARM's work," it wrote. GARM is not a watchdog or lobby. GARM does not participate in or advocate for boycotts of any kind."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/one-of-the-ad-industry-groups-being-sued-by-x-is-discontinuing-192721024.html?src=rss
Annapurna Interactive just revealed that its beloved cyberpunk cat simulator Stray will be released for the Nintendo Switch on November 19. We knew this was coming, and now we have an official date. Also, it's no coincidence that Annapurna made this announcement on International Cat Day.This was one of our favorite games of 2022, and for good reason. It's a charming little adventure in which you control a cute cat as it navigates a cyberpunk dystopia. The game has been a huge hit for Annapurna and, as such, has slowly crawled onto just about every platform out there. The Switch is pretty much the final frontier, as it's already available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and even Mac.There's one feline-shaped elephant (?) in the room. The Nintendo Switch was already pretty much outdated, hardware wise, back when it was released in 2017. Now, it's positively ancient. It remains to be seen how well the game will run on the Switch and what sort of trade-offs the developers had to make in order get it in decent shape. Some devs can strike gold on the Switch and others, well, not so much.Publisher Annapurna hasn't announced a price yet. Stray typically sells for anywhere from $18 to $30, depending on the platform. This being a Switch port, it'll probably fall on the higher end of that spectrum.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/beloved-cat-sim-stray-comes-to-the-switch-on-november-19-184048780.html?src=rss
ChargePoint has released a new EV connector designed to work with "any" EV, regardless of its charging architecture without requiring drivers to have a specialized adapter. In a press release announcing the development, ChargePoint said Omni Port is "designed to support vehicles that are already on the road as well as EVs coming to market."ChargePoint said it will begin rolling out Omni Port to select new models of its AC and DC charging stations at no cost. The technology can also be retrofitted into existing ChargePoint stations at an unspecified, "nominal" cost. To use Omni Port, customers can enter their vehicle model into the ChargePoint app or pick the appropriate connector from the charging station screen if they don't use the app.The United States doesn't have a formal standard for electric vehicle charging, but informally, Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) has become the default for many companies on the manufacturing side. ChargePoint began rolling out support for the NACS connector in 2023.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/chargepoints-new-adapter-claims-to-work-with-all-evs-regardless-of-make-or-model-182107079.html?src=rss
The Mac mini could be in line for a major overhaul when the M4-powered model arrives. It's said to be about the size of an Apple TV box, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. That would make it the smallest desktop computer Apple has built. The M4 Mac mini is expected to emerge later this year and, if the report holds up, this would also mark the first major revamp of the system since 2010 - when it was last redesigned under Steve Jobs.The next Mac mini may be just 3.7 inches wide, which is less than half the size of the M2 existing model. But while its footprint may be smaller, the M4 Mac mini could turn out to be taller than the current 1.4-inch-high system. It's expected to still have an aluminum shell.The report indicates the next Mac mini may be roughly equivalent to an iPad Pro, the latest model of which has an M4 chipset. It could be cheaper for Apple to produce than the current Mac mini but it's unclear whether that would result in the company lowering the retail price, which sits at $599 for the M2-powered model.Apple is said to be testing two versions of the Mac mini, including the iPad Pro equivalent and a more powerful setup with an M4 Pro chipset. According to Gurman, the company has tested builds with three or more USB-C ports, a power socket and an HDMI port. It'll be very interesting to see if the company foregoes USB-A ports with the new Mac mini.Elsewhere, we could see M4-powered iMacs and MacBook Pros this year too. The next-gen MacBook Airs may not arrive until spring, while Gurman suggests that the next Mac Pro and Mac Studio could debut in mid-2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-m4-mac-mini-could-be-apples-smallest-desktop-computer-to-date-180005568.html?src=rss
A good portion of the upcoming season of Netflix's hit animated drama Arcane has leaked online, a and according to reporting and folks on Reddit. A production assistant at Fortiche, the French animation studio behind the series, confirmed the news in a now-deleted post on X, which was captured and published by Mobile Syrup.We just got informed that episodes from Arcane season two have been leaked," the post read. I cannot express how sad we are. We worked very hard on the show. Please, try to avoid the spoilers as much as you can and do not share them. It feels devastating."This is especially noteworthy because Arcane doesn't come back until November, which is three full months from now. There have been leaks for other shows, like Game of Thrones, but those have typically happened days before a premiere and not months.The leak impacts multiple episodes of the forthcoming Arcane season, but it remains unclear as to the exact number. Some Redditors say it's nearly the first half of the season, but note that the episodes are unfinished. This is yet another reason to wait until November. Who wants to watch half-animated storyboards or whatever?The leak doesn't stop with Arcane. Reports indicate that other Netflix animated shows were also put online, including footage from Terminator Zero, Dandadan and Ranma . Wait, there's a reboot of Ramna coming? Cool!As for Arcane, this second season will be its final batch of episodes. The spoilers are likely to be highly impactful and could involve plot elements that involve the end of the series, so browse at your own risk. For the uninitiated, the cartoon delves into the backstories behind some of the champions in Riot Games' League of Legends.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/arcane-second-season-has-leaked-online-so-watch-out-for-spoilers-173527865.html?src=rss
Microsoft is teaming up with secretive data analytics company Palantir, which has been accused of (among other wretched acts) enabling the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate as a domestic surveillance agency." Bloomberg reports that Palantir will integrate its products with Microsoft's government cloud tools, including the Azure OpenAI service, in a bid to sell software" to US defense agencies. Oh, joy.The pair will reportedly focus on products for US defense workers to handle logistics, contracting and action planning. But given the secretive nature of Palantir's work, those generic and seemingly non-threatening terms don't necessarily say much.Palantir's software has been used to track and suppress dissent. The company was founded by Peter Thiel, who supports and funds far-right causes and has a political philosophy his biographer described as bordering on fascism." In Thiel's Stanford classes and his book Zero to One, the Silicon Valley billionaire gushed over how much better companies are run than governmentsbecause they have a single decision-maker. A dictator, basically," Thiel's biographer told Time in 2021.Thiel also wrote the words, I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible."In 2018, Palantir claimed in The New York Times that it doesn't work with ICE's deportation squad, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). This contradicted a report from The Intercept revealing a 2016 Homeland Security disclosure showing ERO used Palantir's software to gather information for both criminal and civil cases against immigrants."In 2020, Amnesty International warned about Palantir, We could close our eyes and pretend that contrary to all the evidence, Palantir is a rights-respecting company or we can call this facade what it is: another company placing profit over people, no matter the human cost."Bloomberg reports that Palantir's newest AI software requires a large language model. Now, in classified government environments, Palantir will combine its powers with those of Microsoft's Azure OpenAI, which includes GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo with Vision, GPT-4, GPT-3.5 and more.What could possibly go wrong?This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-and-palantir-partner-to-sell-ai-to-government-agencies-171748773.html?src=rss
Ooni has dropped the price on two of its most popular pizza ovens. The Fyra 2 is down to $250, from $350, and the high-end Karu 16 is $650 instead of $800. These are great deals that get close to record low prices. The Fyra 12 easily made our list of the best pizza ovens, and for good reason. This outdoor oven features a tried-and-true compact design, so it won't take up that much storage space when not in use. It's also just 22 pounds. It uses wood pellets instead of chunks, which makes tending the fire much easier. It's also easy to refill the unit with pellets, as there's a handy chute up top. This oven excels with high-heat bakes, up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit. With temperatures this high, a pizza will cook in around a minute. The only real downside? The oven maxes out at 12-inch pies, which is indicated in the name. Budding pizzaioli will have to bake multiple pies to feed a hungry family, though the rapid cook time helps with this. The Karu 16 actually topped our list of the best pizza ovens, and we named it best multi-fuel unit. It's the company's largest multi-fuel model, meaning people can choose from wood, charcoal or gas to cook up some pies. However, propane and natural gas burners are sold separately. There's a hinged glass door for taking a look at the pie as it cooks along with a digital thermometer to monitor the indoor temp. The larger size is also a boon, as this oven will accommodate 16-inch pizzas. That's around the size of an extra-large pie from a legit pizza joint. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/two-of-our-favorite-ooni-pizza-ovens-are-deeply-discounted-right-no-163146867.html?src=rss
Those seeking a good deal on a powerhouse MacBook need not look much further. The base M3 14-inch MacBook has dropped to its lowest price to date. Apple's laptop is available for $1,300 from Amazon when you apply a $99 coupon. This was already the most affordable M3 MacBook Pro. But thanks to this deal, you can grab the laptop for $300 less than the regular price. This model comes with the standard M3 chip, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. We typically recommend opting for a configuration with at least 16GB of RAM, especially if you plan to use your MacBook Pro for video editing. But given this deal, there's currently a $600 gap between the base model and one that has 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. However, if you just need more storage, a model with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD will run you $1,500 when you apply a coupon. That's also $300 off. The M3 MacBook Pro is our pick for the best MacBook for creatives, especially if you're able to swing a higher-specced configuration. But the base 14-inch model still has a lot going for it. There's a great MiniLED Liquid Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate, for one thing. While there's a 16-inch M3 MBP available, the 14-inch form factor strikes a nice sweet spot in terms of portability and screen real estate. The six-speaker array and built-in mics do an excellent job of handling the audio side of things. The MacBook Pro also has far more ports than the current MacBook Air as you'll get an SD card slot, headphone jack, HDMI port and two Thunderbolt 4 sockets as well as the MagSafe charging port. The 14-inch MBP's battery, meanwhile, lasted for 20 and a half hours in our video rundown test. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-14-inch-m3-macbook-pro-is-300-off-154142961.html?src=rss
The UK's antitrust regulator is set to carry out an antitrust investigation into Amazon and its ties with AI startup Anthropic. This comes after Amazon completed a $4 billion investment into the company. For the uninitiated, Anthropic is the organization behind the AI chatbot Claude.The investigation will decide whether the aforementioned $4 billion investment qualifies as a merger under current regulations set forth by the country's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA.) If it's officially considered a merger, the investigation will then look into whether or not it will harm competition in the country. The investigators have 40 working days to come to a decision.Amazon has previously stated the investment does not give it a majority stake in Anthropic, according to a report by TechCrunch. The company also told Financial Times that the investment does not raise any competition concerns or meet the CMA's own threshold for review." Anthropic has also dismissed the notion that the investment indicates a merger of any kind.
On more occasions in the last few weeks than I'd like to admit, I found myself doing jumping jacks in my kitchen an hour before going to bed. That's not when I'd usually prefer to do any exercise, but on those nights, I looked down at my watch only to see I was so close to hitting my Move Goal, yet still far enough away that shuffling around doing my nightly routines wouldn't get the job done. And there's no way I'd finish the day without making the elongated blue cat on my watch face vomit up a bunch of ice cream and turn rainbow-colored. Or, in other words, close my movement ring and watch it play a celebratory animation. I guess you could say the Fitbit Ace LTE has been a great motivator. How the Fitbit Ace LTE works The Fitbit Ace LTE is Google's latest kid-focused activity tracker. It offers some smartwatch features, like location-tracking and the ability to call and text parent-approved contacts (who have downloaded the Fitbit Ace companion app). It looks a lot like the company's adult fitness smartwatches from the Sense and Versa lines compared to the original Fitbit Ace, but more fun. The digital clock face, for one, is trimmed with a faint ring that's gradually overtaken by a cartoonish Noodle" design as the wearer's activity points rack up throughout the day. That includes the cat I mentioned, a dog, a tentacle, a robot arm and a deeply unsettling anthropomorphic hotdog that surely only kids in a certain pre-tween age range will get a kick out of. By swapping out the Ace LTE's Cartridge" band with one of the other styles (sold separately), you can add different Noodles and themes to the watch. There are built-in movement-based games as well, including quirky interpretations of a kart racer, golf and fishing. Meet the eejie Then there's the eejie: a customizable humanoid creature that lives in the device, whose happiness is dependent on the completion of daily health goals. Photo by Cheyenne MacDonald/Engadget I'll be honest, I wasn't that drawn to the eejie at first glance. When it comes to virtual companions, I'm typically more interested in weird little critters that in no way look human. But after designing my own eejie, I couldn't help but get attached. It turns out there are a bunch of skin colors, eye shapes, hair types and mouths to choose from, so you can make your eejie as human or nonhuman as you want. Creating a character is always fun, and I could see kids getting really into crafting their virtual friends and switching up their outfits as they unlock more clothing and accessories. My eejie is a freaky-cute Nosferatu-like child with purple skin, sporting a huge pink bow. The watch's Daily Quests and Arcade are really the main stars, as they're what actually entice you to move. Every day, there are four new quests to complete, which feels like a comfortable amount of tasks to be achievable without taking over a kid's life. These include playing a game - the quests will always pick up from the last game you played - and hitting the daily Move Goal, which kids can set in the app. The other two items have less to do with activity. You might be instructed to visit Bit Valley, where the eejies live, and shown a brief tap-to-open fact to learn more about the watch's health features. These more random tasks also sometimes included small mindfulness exercises, which is a thoughtful touch that I'm sure parents would appreciate. Called Community Notes, these challenges asked me to do things like write down the sights and smells around me, or turn off the lights in a room that isn't being used. The watch will sometimes show fun facts to complement your movement goals, like walk 5,000 steps, the length of 33,333 hot dogs." It'll also deliver gentle reminders to complete your quests in the notification section. (Parents have the option to silence these and other notifications during designated School time" so they don't become a distraction). Games on the Fitbit Ace LTE Cheyenne MacDonald/Engadget As I would imagine will also be the case for kids, completing my game quest for the day has been easy. The games are a lot of fun, more so than I was expecting. So far, the Fitbit Ace LTE offers six: Kaiju Golf, Pollo 13, Jelly Jam, Smokey Lake, Galaxy Rangers and Otal's Secret. And Google said that new games will periodically be added to keep things fresh. Two more - Spirit Garden and a virtual pet game, Sproutlings - are already on the way. Games require a bit of patience on startup, though, with slow loading times and a few too many dialogue boxes to tap through before you can actually play, especially the first time. Even I was antsy trying to get through this, so I can only imagine how a kid might be squirming. But once you're in, it's smooth sailing. There's a good amount of variety in the small catalog, too, with options for both relaxed and more active play. Pollo 13, in which you play as a chicken racing through space in an inflatable tub, had me out of my seat, moving around and shouting. On the other hand, Otal's Secret had me solving puzzles, which I did from the comfort of my couch. At first, I was unsure how such seemingly involved games would work on the watch's small screen, but everything was well-sized and laid out nicely. You can only play for limited amounts of time before the game will stop and prompt you to get moving in order to proceed. Only after hitting certain activity milestones will the game be unlocked again. Most of the time, this meant I'd just play in short bursts and return later after I'd naturally racked up more move points over the course of the day. But there were a few moments where I had nothing better to do, so I'd set out to hit those goals right away, taking a brisk walk in the vicinity of my house or, again, launching into some jumping jacks (I'm not very creative). Pollo 13 on the Fitbit Ace LTE. Photo by Cheyenne MacDonald/Engadget After months of using a Fitbit Charge 6 prior to this, I found that the Ace LTE was turning me into a much more active participant in my fitness. I exercise a fair amount in general, and my Charge 6 has basically become a way to passively keep track of my habits. But the visual rewards that came with achieving my goals on the Fitbit Ace LTE felt more like a gratifying pat on the back than the boring notifications on the standard trackers, so I worked to keep earning them. In addition to the silly Noodle animations, I'd be surprised here and there with the appearance of a bouncing pug pinata that I could tap to break open, revealing presents like arcade tickets to buy things for my eejie. Fitbit also slyly uses a dash of guilt as a motivator by tying the eejie's emotional state to the fulfillment of quests. After the first time I saw how dejected she looked when I accidentally neglected my goals for a few days, I never wanted to let her down again. The Fitbit Ace LTE versus Tamagotchi and Digimon All of these things make it a really great health-focused device for kids. Hell, if a software update could bring some of these features to Fitbit's regular fitness trackers, I'd download it in a heartbeat. The Fitbit Ace LTE is essentially a fully realized version of something toymakers have dipped their toes into with wearable virtual pets like recent Tamagotchi and Digimon devices. It straps a little companion to your kid's wrist in hopes that it'll encourage them to get moving, and uses games to make it all go down easier. Bandai's Digimon Vital Bracelet - which was released in Japan in 2021 before coming to the US the following year with the Vital Hero model - took a direct approach to fitness, using metrics like daily steps and heart rate activity to influence the outcome of the monsters' evolution paths. With a companion app, you can also participate in battles, and more monsters can be unlocked by buying and swapping in what are known as DIM cards. The Tamagotchi Uni, the first version of which came out in 2021, expanded on the basic step-counters of earlier models to include a full-fledged walking activity. Rather than simply logging steps, initiating a Tama Walk will send your pet on a 20-minute stroll, during which it can pick up supplies that can later be used to craft special items. How fruitful these outings are depends on how much you moved in real life to fill up the red activity bar. Plus, going on Tama Walks is a good way to boost your pet's happiness. Photo by Cheyenne MacDonald/Engadget As a sophisticated fitness device rather than a toy, Fitbit Ace LTE is able to go so much further. Its game Jelly Jam, for example, almost exactly mirrors a movement-based dancing game found on the Tamagotchi Uni and the Japan-exclusive Tamagotchi Smart. But while the Tamagotchi version is something I stopped playing pretty quickly after the novelty wore off - it's boring and the toy's sensors don't correctly log the motions half the time - Fitbit Ace LTE's spin on an arm-tracking dance game is pretty fun, if only because it actually works as it's meant to. Best of all, it could come with me anywhere. I swam with it, went horseback riding and even put it through a few dance classes. It's lightweight and never felt cumbersome in any of those situations. Still, a part of me wishes there were more ways to get involved with the eejie's care beyond simply dressing it up and keeping it happy, like feeding or playing with it directly. Right now, it doesn't have much depth and mostly feels like a mascot. I wouldn't mind seeing future eejie options that include more animal-like creatures, either. My only real gripe with the watch is its battery life. It'll need to be charged every night, which might be tricky for kids to remember. I woke up to find it dead several times after taking it off and forgetting to pop it on the charger. And it doesn't track sleep. Nonetheless, the watch is also a good peace-of-mind option for parents just as much as it is a solid wellness device. The call/messaging features are as basic as they come, but they work just fine for the intended purpose - giving parents and trusted individuals an easy way to get in touch with their kids, and vice versa. Screenshot by Cheyenne MacDonald/Engadget Calls with the watch sounded decent on both ends, and the location-sharing feature accurately reflected the device's position when I checked it in the app. The Fitbit Ace app itself is easy to set up and navigate, with a simple interface that shouldn't be hard to work with, even for someone who isn't very tech savvy. It's not a full-featured smartwatch with an app library or even a way to communicate outside of the Fitbit Ace app, but its limitations are designed to keep risks to an absolute minimum. Given it's made for kids starting at age 7, I think this is worth the trade-off. At $230 plus the $10/month Fitbit Ace Pass (which allows you to use the LTE connectivity without adding a new line to your existing phone plan), it is pricey. But it should be able to grow with a kid for at least a few years into the early double-digits without coming off as age-inappropriate. Pop off that bright green protective bumper, and it looks like any other smartwatch.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/fitbit-ace-lte-review-a-kids-activity-tracker-that-was-fun-for-me-an-adult-140043586.html?src=rss
As developer Poncle promised, Vampire Survivors is making its way to PlayStation this summer and now there's a firm release date. Many people's pick for the best game of 2022 is coming to PS4 and PS5 on August 29. All of the paid expansions will be available on launch day as well.PlayStation was the last remaining major platform for the all-conquering, vampire-less game to land on. After coming out of early access on PC and Mac in October 2022, it hit Xbox the following month and then mobile that December (an ad-free version arrived on Apple Arcade earlier this month). The Switch port dropped a year ago. The only place that's really left to go now is VR.For the uninitiated, each character in Vampire Survivors has a unique starting perk and weapon, which fires automatically. All you essentially have to do is control your character's movement and make careful choices about weapon and perk additions and upgrades when you level up as you fend off literally thousands of monsters. Runs typically last for up to 30 minutes, if you can survive that long. It's terrifically chaotic and, best of all, the game costs just five bucks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/vampire-survivors-hits-ps4-and-ps5-on-august-29-134602924.html?src=rss
There's a problem with most e-bikes, which is that you'll never find one that does every job perfectly. A city cruiser with no grunt will leave you stranded when you reach an incline while a beefy cargo bike can haul gear, but it's too big for commuting. Tenways' AGO-T has tried to square many of these circles by sticking almost too much power onto a Dutch-style step-thru frame. It's marketed as a bike for city living, but for cities where you're not just dealing with flat, well paved roads. It's got a beefy motor and battery, giving it enough power to tackle the steepest hill with ease, and a decent pannier rack for cargo capacity. But all of that extra power comes with the weight that comes with it, and so while it's meant to be nimble, it's also hefty. Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget The e-bike market is sufficiently homogeneous that I won't look at a unit unless it's got some eye-catching features. The AGO-T's spec-list sold me on a test ride given the sheer volume of stuff bolted onto its frame: A Bafang M420 mid-drive motor with 80 Nm max torque (although you'll get less of that in day-to-day-use); a Gates carbon belt; and Enviolo's stepless shifting hub. You also get hydraulic disc brakes, a Selle Royal seat, an integrated front light and an integrated rear light built into the pannier rack. There's often something a little medicinal about most bikes with a step-through frame. But a combination of paneling to hide away a lot of its mechanisms and the fancy Jungle Green" paint job sets the AGO-T apart. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's a rather stylish way to get around town, even if it's built more for power than maneuverability. You can expect to pay a pretty penny for those sorts of specs, and the AGO-T is priced 2,699 (around $3,500). That's a lot of cash for a bike, but not unreasonable given the gear on show, and the fact it's been packaged so neatly. You can get a cheaper alternative like Gazelle's Paris C7+ for a grand less, but you'll notice compromises, like the weaker motor. Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget The AGO-T has a range of 100km (62 miles) with its motor-assisted top speed limited, as per the law, to 15 miles per hour. Put it this way, I rarely if ever felt like I was going too slow on this thing, and often had to dial down its speed. The last few e-bikes I've tested had basic digital displays offering little more than your speed and how much assist the bike was giving you. By comparison, the AGO-T's full-color LCD display comes across almost as too much, especially given its enormous size. There's a lot of negative space in the UI, too, and it looks more like the instrument cluster on a car. Sometimes less is more. And, yes, a TFT LCD isn't ideal when you're out in really strong sunlight. Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget Up top is the time and battery level, while the middle shows speed in miles or kilometers per hour. The lower third indicates the assist level (from 0-5) and then there are two boxes, which cycle through a number of data points: Average speed, maximum speed, trip time, range, the amount of CO2 you haven't burned and the trees you've commensurately saved. I'm not sure I'd ever need those last two data points available to me all the time, and I'm not sure what the basis for that claim is anyway. Especially when those sorts of metrics are far better suited to the app than the primary display. As for the app, it's like every other e-bike app in that you probably won't ever look at it except to satisfy your curiosity. There is a built-in GPS that you can use by mounting your phone to the handlebars or, even better, with the directions pushed to the bike display. Sadly, the quality of the GPS on offer is well below Google or Apple Maps, with many local landmarks not listed. Similarly, the turn-by-turn directions routed to the bike screen consist only of turn signal and distance, which is a far cry from what a good GPS should offer. This is a feature that could be world class and suffers by merely being adequate, if that. Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget The AGO-T weighs 31kg (68 pounds) and you will feel every gram of that weight when you're holding it. I do not recommend carrying it up and down stairs unless you're built like the worst person you see at the gym. If you live in a poorly-served apartment building I don't think this is the bike for you, but if you can safely store this at ground level, go for it. It's like owning an SUV which is great when you're tooling around town, and awful when you can't fit into a small space in the parking lot. Its heaviness means it's a little stodgier when you're on the road, especially at low speeds where you'll have to work harder to maintain balance. There's an accessibility argument often made about e-bikes that they help empower folks who may not be as physically strong. A bike like this might fall at this hurdle given its heft. But in motion, the AGO-T is tuned to be sedate, gliding around the roads rather than zooming down them. This smoothness makes sense, because you're looking at this to get you from A to B, as well as haul some bags or a kid along with you. Tenways markets the AGO-T on the basis it can take whatever a city can throw at it. I had no doubts, given the power of that Bafang mid-drive motor, that it would be able to tackle the steep hills in my home city of Norwich. When I test e-bikes or scooters, I try to zip up a hill with an incline of 22.4 degrees, which regularly defeats lesser bikes. But with the AGO-T, I actually had to turn the gears down because it felt too easy and weightless with the assist up to the max. Even after I'd tweaked things, I think this is the first time I've ridden up that hill and not broken even the merest hint of a sweat. This does, however, come at the cost of the range, and the estimates quickly started dropping once I'd started tackling hills. That said, you can easily get 30 miles out of this on a charge, which is more than enough for most days, right? Tenways also claims the AGO-T can tackle rough terrain on this bike, so I took it over a few dirt tracks. The adjustable front forks and suspension seat meant that the bike evened out some pretty bumpy areas. Obviously, I wouldn't want to take this off-roading but I was surprised at how well it coped with gravel tracks and dirt pathways riddled with tree branches. Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget As a city cruiser that can eat hills like they're cotton candy, the Tenways' AGO-T is a bit of a fantasy bike. I could easily see myself using this as my primary bike, especially given the variable terrain of my home city. Whether you should buy one becomes less a question of its qualities that your needs in the given moment. Are you in need of a bike that can handle all types of terrain at any gradient that'll also give you cargo space? Are you strong enough to wrestle with its considerable weight? And, of course, do you have enough cash in the bank to buy it and then make sure there's safe places to park it? If the answer to all of those is yes, then this is pretty much a slam dunk.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/tenways-ago-t-is-a-well-equipped-but-heavy-e-bike-133005101.html?src=rss
Google worked with Meta to roll out ads that targeted young teens even if it's against the former's rules, according to the Financial Times. Based on the documents seen by the publication, Google worked on a marketing project designed to advertise Instagram to YouTube users within the 13- to 17-year-old age range. Google had blocked age-based ad targeting for users under 18 years ago, but the company reportedly found and used a loophole.Since they couldn't go for the demographic they wanted to reach, they instead targeted a group of users Google had labeled as "unknown." Google's staff proposed the group to Meta, The Times said, because the company had data points to prove that a large number of users under the label are below 18 years in age. The company even reportedly told Meta that the daily engagement it gets from 13- to 17-year-old users exceeds TikTok's and Instagram's. The Information says using this loophole is against Google's rules, as well, since it has policies against proxy targeting.Meta and Google worked with media agency Spark Foundry to launch the marketing program in Canada between February and April, according to the report. When it did well, they kicked off a trial in the US in May and had made plans to expand it to other regions, as well as to include other Meta apps in the campaign.However, Google had investigated and ultimately cancelled the project after being contacted by the Times. "We prohibit ads being personalized to people under-18, period," the company told the publication. It said that its safeguards worked properly in this case because it didn't directly target registered YouTube users know to be 18. That said, it didn't outright deny using the loophole and only said that it will take "additional action to reinforce with sales representatives that they must not help advertisers or agencies run campaigns" that attempt to work around its policies.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/google-and-meta-reportedly-teamed-up-for-ads-targeting-young-teens-130024683.html?src=rss
Just five days after blocking Instagram, Turkey has banned Roblox over reports of inappropriate sexual content perceived as exploiting children, Turkiye Today reported. An official from the Turkiye Directorate of Communications also cited "promotion of homosexuality" and incentives for children via the game's Robux virtual currency as reasons for the ban.The regulator also said that monitoring content on Roblox is a significant challenge. The countrywide restrictions were imposed following an investigation by the chief public prosecutor's office.Last week, Instagram was blocked in in the country following a dispute over Hamas-related content on the platform. Turkey's head of communications stated in a post on X that Instagram was "actively preventing people from posting messages of condolences" for Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader who was killed earlier this week.Turkish authorities have banned major social media services before. Twitter was briefly blocked in the country last year following an earthquake that killed thousands of people. YouTube and Twitter were also blocked in 2014.Roblox has had its own problems, particularly around complaints of child exploitation. Earlier this year, the company was hit with a lawsuit accusing it of exploiting child labor and deceptive advertising. The company was also sued in 2022 for allowing adult users to sexually prey on a 10-year-old girl. Discord, Snap and Meta were also named in that suit.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/turkey-has-blocked-roblox-over-child-exploitation-reports-120018044.html?src=rss
X has updated its Premium+ subscription tier so that paying users don't have to see any advertisement at all. The website formerly known as Twitter has announced that Premium+, which costs $16 a month in the US, is now fully ad-free. While one of the tier's original perks is having an ad-free For You and Following timelines, subscribers still saw advertisements on other parts of the social network.As Social Media Today points out, the FAQ page for X's subscriptions used to say that the no-ads feature for Premium+ "does not apply to promoted content elsewhere on X, including but not limited to ads on profiles, ads in post replies, ads in Immersive Media Viewer, promoted events in Explore, promoted trends, and promoted accounts to follow."
Humane's universally derided AI Pin (the solution to none of technology's problems") is not exactly flying off store shelves, according to internal sales documents published by The Verge. Worse, returns are apparently outpacing purchases. The company had once hoped to sell 100,000 in the first year - but there are only around 7,000 units out in the wild. In our review, we had issues with reliability, how slow it was to process requests, its price and its poor battery life. Its shelf life may be even worse.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedWhat to expect from Google's Pixel 2024 eventApple's 13-inch M3 MacBook Air is $250 off right now and cheaper than everThe third season of Industry tackles the impact of overhyped techRIP Chromecast: Looking back at 11 years of Google streaming sticksYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Fujifilm X-T50 camera reviewA big improvement (for a lot more money).Fujifilm's X-T50 is a big improvement on the X-T30 II, thanks to its higher resolution sensor, in-body stabilization and upgraded video capabilities. However, the high price - an extra half grand over the X-T30 - makes it harder to recommend. We'll also likely see the X-T30 II heavily discounted in the near future. Read on for the full review.Continue reading.Disney+'s password-sharing crackdown starts in earnest' next monthThe password snap' will have nothing on Thanos.A few months back, Disney promised to further crack down on password sharing. It started targeting account sharing in Canada late last year and, in June, in select other countries. It's about to expand those efforts in the coming weeks. In a fun bit of timing, this expanded password-sharing crackdown is scheduled just before Disney increases its streaming prices yet again.The company will apparently also start rolling out what it's calling continuous playlists." These are effectively cable-style channels that will stream around the clock, which will juice its viewing numbers and possibly keep you glued for longer to whatever reheated Star Wars / Marvel creation is currently doing the rounds.Continue reading.Balatro, the best game you're not yet playing, will get its first gameplay updateIt's sold more than 2 million copies in under 6 months.BalatroBalatro, the surreal card game vaguely related to poker, will get its first major gameplay update in 2025. Developer LocalThunk promises it will bring new ideas and strategies to the game." What's more, it will be a free update as a token of huge appreciation to the game's brilliant and passionate community." This is the first of three Balatro announcements/surprises LocalThunk and publisher Playstack are revealing this summer. Hopefully, one of them will be the mobile version.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-humane-ai-pins-are-being-returned-faster-than-the-company-can-sell-them-111503071.html?src=rss
Proton's password manager is gradually catching up with rivals like 1Password. The company, known initially for its encrypted email and VPN services, added biometric authentication to its Proton Pass app, which came out of beta earlier this year. The feature works with Touch ID on macOS and Windows Hello on Microsoft's desktop OS.Like with many other services, biometric authentication lets Proton Pass users quickly unlock the security app using their fingerprint or face without typing the login password every time. However, it isn't available for free users: Only those on a Pass Plus plan (and above) get access. The minimum plan costs $23.88 annually or $4.99 if you'd rather pay monthly.Proton is also fleshing out its password manager to include identities, meaning it can autofill forms with your contact info in one click. Similar to biometric authentication, this type of feature has been seen countless times in competing products. Still, it (along with the recent addition of dark-web scouring) shows Proton is dedicated to building out its encryption-focused password manager, which initially launched in beta in early 2023.Unlike biometric logins, identities are available for free users - not just those on a paid plan.With the introduction of identities and biometric authentication, Proton Pass is significantly boosting productivity for our users," said Son Nguyen Kim, Proton Pass product lead. These features not only enhance our security offerings but also streamline everyday tasks, allowing users to save time and reduce stress in managing their digital lives."The new features are available today in the Proton Pass app for Windows and Mac.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/proton-pass-now-supports-touch-id-and-windows-hello-biometric-logins-100025225.html?src=rss
YouTube seems to be starting to roll out its community notes feature to a select group of users. Screenshots of YouTube's official invitation to join the pilot program for its new community correction feature are popping up all over social media, according to 9to5Google.
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