Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Workers at two of Amazon's warehouses in New York City are set to go on strike after the company failed to come to the bargaining table by a December 15 deadline. Unionized workers at the JFK8 facility on Staten Island and DBK4 depot in Queens voted "overwhelmingly" to authorize strikes in protest against "Amazon's illegal refusal to recognize their union and negotiate a contract addressing the company's low wages and dangerous working conditions," according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). Engadget has contacted the Teamsters and Amazon Labor Union (ALU) for more details about the strikes.The workers at JFK8 were the first in the US to unionize at an Amazon warehouse. They organized under the ALU, which this June partnered with the Teamsters. The union now known as ALU-IBT Local 1 represents around 5,500 warehouse workers at JFK8.Our members are ready to do whatever it takes to get a contract," Connor Spence, president of ALU-IBT Local 1, said in a statement. While Amazon continues to disrespect us by refusing to listen to our concerns, our movement is only growing stronger."As for DBK4 - which the Teamsters say is Amazon's biggest delivery station in NYC - workers there voted almost unanimously for strike authorization. Meanwhile, workers at the DIL7 delivery depot in Skokie, Illinois, also voted "overwhelmingly" to approve a strike. The Teamsters represent hundreds of workers at that station as well. Amazon is one of the biggest companies on Earth, but we are struggling to pay our bills," Riley Holzworth, a DIL7 worker, said in a statement.Amazon has lodged legal challenges against the union election win at JFK8, but it has been unsuccessful in its efforts to overturn results thus far. The company has appealed a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board that certified the union. As ABC News reports, workers claim that Amazon is using the challenges as a tactic to illegally delay union contract talks."For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public - claiming that they represent 'thousands of Amazon employees and drivers'. They don't, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative," Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards told ABC News. "The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges."News of the impending strike comes just after a Senate committee released a report regarding an investigation into safety at Amazon facilities. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions claimed the company ignored internal research indicating that there was a high level of injury rates at its warehouses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-workers-at-two-nyc-warehouses-are-set-to-go-on-strike-175236558.html?src=rss

Many of us will be taking to the skies in the coming days as we travel to see loved ones for the holidays. Flying can be stressful at times but once you're in your seat, there's nothing for it but to snooze or find a way to keep yourself occupied. In-flight entertaInment systems are one way to do that but having an earphone wire dangling into your meal isn't ideal. So Twelve South's AirFly SE Bluetooth dongle can come in handy. It's on sale for $30, which is $5 off and a record low. This is a small Bluetooth transmitter that you can plug into an in-flight entertainment system's 3.5mm audio jack. As such, you can watch movies using your wireless earphones or headphones. The SE model allows you to connect one pair of headphones and it'll certainly do the trick for long-haul flights. It has a promised battery life of over 20 hours (you can use it while charging via USB-C too). It's not just for flights of course, as it'll works with any device that has a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Pro model is also on sale. It has dropped by $11 to $44. You can connect two sets of earphones to this dongle simultaneously, which is handy if you want to watch a show on a tablet with your seatmate. Twelve South claims it has a battery life of over 25 hours. Most significantly, the AirFly Pro can receive audio wirelessly as well. So you can transmit Bluetooth audio from the likes of your phone, laptop or handheld gaming system to a car without a modern infotainment system, wired speakers and so on. Meanwhile, both models have aptX Low Latency tech to minimize audio lag. 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/twelve-souths-airfly-se-bluetooth-dongle-drops-to-only-30-172911330.html?src=rss

OnePlus will launch its new flagship series, the OnePlus 13, on January 7, 2025. The first phone in the series to be revealed will be the aptly-named OnePlus 13, and the company will also show off the new OnePlus Buds Pro 3.The OnePlus 13 will come in three colorways: Arctic Dawn, Black Eclipse and Midnight Ocean. The Midnight Ocean colorway will also be the first phone to use micro-fiber vegan leather. In contrast, the Arctic Dawn edition has a new glass coating, which is another first in the industry, as claimed by OnePlus.The firsts don't end there. All models of the OnePlus 13 will have IP68 and IP69 ratings. IP68 certification shows that the device is protected against submerging and dust, but the IP69 rating takes water resistance a step further, promising that the device can withstand high-pressure jets of water. The OnePlus 13 might be the first mainstream smartphone to get IP69 certification.The screen will have a 2K120FPS resolution and a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. OnePlus says the display will redefine clarity, brightness, and color vibrancy."The OnePlus 13 will use OxygenOS 15, the newest version of the company's proprietary operating system. This OS will integrate many AI features, with AI-powered searches standing out. The feature, called Intelligent Search, is supposed to help users locate files using natural prompts instead of manually searching for them. To ensure smooth performance, there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset onboard, a newly-released chipset.As for the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, they will have AI translation powered by the OnePlus 13. The earbuds will come in a Sapphire Blue colorway, but no other information about them is available. Other phones in the series will be announced soon, as well, but as for now we don't have any specifics on prices or release dates for the first phone and buds. Hopefully we'll get those in January.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/oneplus-will-launch-its-new-flagship-the-oneplus-13-series-on-january-7-165616811.html?src=rss

I can't remember a recent instance in which the final amount I owed, whether it be for a hotel reservation or a concert ticket, didn't make my eyes bug out in shock. Now, a new rule from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should limit these bait-and-switch pricing tactics. The FTC has announced the Junk Fees Rule, requiring live-event ticketing and short-term lodging businesses to be transparent about the total price owed. Other companies will continue to be monitored on a case-by-case basis for deceptive pricing.The new rule, first proposed in 2023, should get rid of all those extra "resort" and "service" fees tacked on at checkout that often feel arbitrary. Companies can still technically include them, but they must be factored into the initial price shown. The required disclosure means the first amount you see on displays, advertisements and the like should also be the total amount you pay.The Junk Fees Rule also requires businesses to display that final amount "more prominently" than any other information. So, it can't say it will cost one thing in big font and then in really small print add that there's a lot of fees on top of it. People deserve to know up-front what they're being asked to pay - without worrying that they'll later be saddled with mysterious fees that they haven't budgeted for and can't avoid," said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. "I urge enforcers to continue cracking down on these unlawful fees and encourage state and federal policymakers to build on this success with legislation that bans unfair and deceptive junk fees across the economy."The FTC claims the Junk Fee Rule will save individuals up to an estimated 53 million hours each year and more than $11 billion over the next decade. The rule will go into effect 120 days after it's published in the Federal Registrar.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftc-bans-hidden-junk-fees-on-tickets-and-short-term-lodging-purchases-160702790.html?src=rss

The holidays haven't even kicked off, but we're already looking to next year when, almost immediately, some of the Engadget team will head to Las Vegas for tech's biggest annual conference. The pitches from companies, both legit and unhinged, are already filling our inboxes and spam tabs, so what are we excited about?Getty ImagesExcited might not be the word, but we expect AI to become even more pervasive in good and overhyped ways. There will also be the usual slew of new processors and subsequent laptops. We expect NVIDIA to debut its long-awaited RTX 5000 video cards at CES, while AMD CEO Lisa Su has confirmed we'll see next-generation RDNA 4 GPUs early next year. While 2024 was a year of endless AI PC hype, 2025 might be a year of reckoning. Microsoft's long-delayed Recall feature is slowly trickling out to more users, for example, but is still facing struggles. PC makers in 2025 will have to actually prove their new AI-laced devices can live up to their claims.There are also audio products, EVs, flying EVs (!) and more. Check out the full CES 2025 preview.- Mat SmithThe biggest tech stories you missed

Apple TV+ has renewed its hit sci-fi show Silo for two more seasons. However, the show will end at that point after telling the full story of the Hugh Howey novels on which it's based.Excited to share that Silo will return for a third AND fourth season! We're thrilled to support the imagination and inspiration out of the UK as they continue to create world-class films and series," Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote on X, perhaps in an attempt to butter up the creative industry in the UK.Apple doesn't tend to share viewership data for its shows and movies. However, Nielsen said soon after the show premiered last year that Silo was a breakout hit. The series debuted as the platform's number-one drama, per Nielsen data. Viewership is said to have grown in the following weeks. (We dug it early on too.)The second season of the dystopian drama is streaming on Apple TV+ now with new episodes arriving each Friday until January 17. Silo depicts a future in which there are only 10,000 people left on the planet and they're housed in a mile-deep bunker to protect them from a seemingly toxic surface. Anyone who tries to find out when or why this silo was constructed tends to meet their demise, so clearly there's more going on than might first meet the eye.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/apple-tv-series-silo-will-run-for-two-more-seasons-153830028.html?src=rss

NVIDIA has just revealed the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit, which is the successor to its Jetson Orin Nano kit from 2022. This new compact generative AI supercomputer can fit into the palm of your hand. Included in the developer kit is an 8GB Jetson Orin Nano system-on-module and a reference carrier board.In terms of performance, the Jetson Orin Nano Super can reach 68 trillion operations per second (TOPS), a 70 percent increase from its predecessor. NVIDIA also claims a 1.7 times improvement in generative AI inference performance and a 50 percent bandwidth increase to 102GB per second. As for CPU frequency, it's now 1.7GHz, a modest bump compared to its predecessor's 1.5GHz.NVIDIA also claims that it delivers gains" for all popular generative AI models. These include large language models (LLMs), vision language models and vision transformers.The Jetson Orin Nano Super's software updates can also boost its predecessor, which is great news if you have the original Jetson Orin Nano. All you need to do is to download the software and install the update. That said, NVIDIA didn't give any specifics on how the older device's performance would change.The Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit is currently available from NVIDIA-approved resellers. It's currently just $249, down from its predecessor's $499, making it the most affordable product of its kind right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidias-latest-compact-generative-ai-supercomputer-is-also-its-cheapest-153128086.html?src=rss

It's an expensive day for Meta. First, Australia announced a $50 million AUD ($31.7 million USD) settlement with the company over the Cambridge Analytica scandal and now the Irish Data Protection Committee (IDPC) has issued Meta a 251 million ($263 million) fine. The IRDC's fine stems from a personal data breach on Facebook in 2018.Hackers had exploited a "vulnerability in Facebook's code," related to the View As feature, the company said at the time. It allowed them to get hold of users' access tokens and take over those accounts. The bad actors were able to log on to about 29 million global users' Facebook accounts, including three million users in the European Union and European Economic Area. They gained access to information such as a user's full name, email address, phone number, location, date of birth, religion and children's personal data.The IDPC holds Meta responsible for not having proper data protection when designing its processing systems, not processing personal data only when specifically necessary and not disclosing all the information about the breach."This enforcement action highlights how the failure to build in data protection requirements throughout the design and development cycle can expose individuals to very serious risks and harms, including a risk to the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals," DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle stated. "By allowing unauthorised exposure of profile information, the vulnerabilities behind this breach caused a grave risk of misuse of these types of data."In response to the fine, a Meta spokesperson told Engadget, "This decision relates to an incident from 2018. We took immediate action to fix the problem as soon as it was identified, and we proactively informed people impacted as well as the Irish Data Protection Commission. We have a wide range of industry-leading measures in place to protect people across our platforms."Down under, the Cambridge Analytica scandal settlement stems from a whistleblower who revealed in 2018 that the company had "exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people's profiles." Facebook had found out about it three years earlier. Cambridge Analytica took this information to influence US voters for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and the Pro-Brexit campaign. The company was previously led by Steve Bannon, who recently served time in jail for his refusal to cooperate in the January 6 investigation.The settlement should provide payment to an estimated 311,127 people. Eligible parties must have had a Facebook account from November 2015 to December 2015, spent more than 30 days in Australia during that period and personally or had a Facebook friend who installed the This is Your Digital Life app. Meta previously agreed to pay $725 million to users in the US.Update, December 17 2024, 10:19AM ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from a Meta spokesperson.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ireland-fines-meta-263-million-for-2018-view-as-data-breach-133042475.html?src=rss

I'm really not sure how but suddenly Christmas is only eight days away and the window to order presents online is getting really small. So, if, like me, you've procrastinated a bit this year (ok, every year) then it's time to take action and buy those amazing holiday presents. Fortunately, there are great deals on devices that will not only make great gifts, but will arrive before Santa takes off from the North Pole. These sales include the new 16GB Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, which is down to $135 from $160 - a 16 percent discount. However, it's only guaranteed to arrive in time if you're a Prime member. The markdown brings this 2024 model to just $5 more than it cost during Black Friday. It offers a 7-inch screen and the highest contrast of any Kindle. The Paperwhite model is also waterproof and, Amazon claims, has 25 percent faster page turns. It should last up to 12 weeks on a single charge. This deal is available on the version without Kindle unlimited and is ad-supported. Amazon also released a new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, a luxe version of the base Paperwhite model. We gave it an 85 in our review thanks to its excellent touch response, auto-adjusting warm front light and overall premium feel. However, we didn't think any of its perks were essential and, for $200, it's a significant jump in price. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-2024-kindle-paperwhite-is-25-off-right-now-143813447.html?src=rss

True wireless earbuds are all the rage right now, as they can provide an excellent listening experience without the hassle of wires. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds are a solid option that are now almost 30 percent off, dropping from $270 to $190. That's a record-low price for these buds, and, Amazon is also including a $20 gift card to make it into a bundle. Besides delivering some nice, creamy bass combined with plenty of detail, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds have an adaptive equalizer function that lets you tune the sound to your liking. The EQ is AI-powered and makes adjustments depending on your environment. Similarly, the adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) works well and kicks in when the earbuds detect you're in a loud environment. Another standout feature is the AI interpreter function, which can hear what another person is saying and translate it for you in real-time. However, the interpretation feature requires a compatible Samsung device to work. According to our review, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds have no issue hitting its advertised battery life. With ANC on, they can last six hours, and the charging case provides an additional 20 hours of ANC-on usage. We also counted it among the best wireless earbuds in 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-a-free-20-amazon-gift-card-when-you-buy-the-samsung-galaxy-buds-3-pro-141310758.html?src=rss

Tim Stevens for EngadgetI've been on a bit of a quest to replace all the LCD panels in my life with OLED. I recently swapped an aging (and shattered) iPad Pro with a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, which is much easier on the eyes when watching late-night, trans-Atlantic movies. I've been a Galaxy S user for many years now, and I also switched to a Lenovo X1 Carbon laptop with an OLED display this year. I guess you could say I'm quite drawn to the rich color reproduction and stellar contrast, especially in low-light situations.Given that, I was intrigued by Audi's new Q6 E-Tron, which has the most expansive suite of OLED displays I've ever seen in a car. Not only did Audi's engineers splay a series of curved panels across the dashboard, reaching practically from the left door to the right, they even embedded them into the taillights out back. It's an OLED smorgasbord, but it'd be a big waste of electroluminescence if the car weren't any good.Thankfully, it is.The Q6 E-Tron is Audi's new crossover SUV, a five-passenger model that pairs nicely with the current Q5. The new Q6, though, is slightly larger in most dimensions and - more significantly - battery-powered. This is in keeping with the brand's current mission to differentiate its EV line from its ICE offerings by assigning even-numbered designations to electric models and odd numerals to the gas-powered ones.Tim Stevens for EngadgetAt first, I thought this numerical nomenclature was just that - odd. But with the market increasingly skeptical about electrification, this gives Audi the ability to position its battery-powered and internal-combustion (ICE) cars in the market in parallel while also differentiating them, catering to buyers who are happy to plug in as well as anyone who still sees filling up at a gas station as preferable.No judgments, you do you, but for those ready for an electric lifestyle, the Q6 E-Tron is Audi's most compelling offering yet.It starts with a fresh look. This SUV carries enough familiar styling cues, like the brand's four rings, to make it immediately identifiable as an Audi. Despite that, it looks thoroughly fresh and clean. From the big, aggressive front fascia and lighting on the nose to the evocatively curved fender flares on the side (a nod to the E-Tron GT), it looks great at any angle, up to and including the pert and clean lighting at the rear.That continues on the inside. Overlapping shapes and contours create an interesting space, while a selection of mostly quality materials make for surfaces as nice to touch as they are to admire.Tim Stevens for EngadgetAs you step from the Q6 to the sportier SQ6, that just improves, with a slash of racy microsuede material across the dashboard paired with a bit of carbon fiber. The SQ6 delivers a healthy 509 horsepower to all four wheels in launch mode (483 without) thanks to a dual-motor configuration. The lesser Q6 Quattro still impresses with 456 hp from the same dual motors (422 not in launch mode). There's also a rear-drive, single-motor Q6 with 322 hp in launch mode (302 without), but I don't think many folks will choose that one, for reasons I'll delve into a bit later.At Audi's US launch of the Q6, I sampled both the Q6 Quattro and sportier SQ6 and was really impressed by their disparate driving characters. The Q6 is comfortable and quiet, with generally good ride quality when outfitted with the optional air suspension and engaging handling. As you cycle through the various drive modes, there isn't a radical change, but switch to Dynamic mode, and it does get a fair bit more exciting.Those who want a more vigorous experience, though, will want to step up to the SQ6. The extra power is nice, yes, but the combination of larger wheels with sportier tires and a more aggressive suspension tune makes for a car that feels substantially more engaging. It handles nicely for a small SUV and actually delivers good feedback through the steering, making for something that wants to be pushed through the corners.Tim Stevens for EngadgetBut that extra helping of aggression does come at a cost. The SQ6 has a noticeably harsher ride quality, even when its air suspension is at its most comfortable mode. There's also a good bit more road noise from the tires, too.That noise is still quite scant compared to a typical, internal-combustion car, making the Q6 a great venue for the 20-speaker, 830-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system. It's optional, but it's a worthy upgrade if only thanks to the extra speakers mounted into the headrest.Many cars have stuck speakers behind your head in the past, but Audi's doing some interesting things here, like directing voice navigation prompts and even call audio directly to the driver's ears. Initially, the effect is a little unnerving. It almost feels like bone conduction, as if the nav system were announcing the next turn directly inside your head, but that direct connection means it's far less distracting for anyone else in the car.I always turn off voice prompts in my cars because they disrupt the flow of music, but with this, I could see myself actually leaving them on.Tim Stevens for EngadgetAs good as the sound is, the visuals are much better. The hallmark of the interior are those aforementioned OLED displays, three of them, measuring 11.9 inches on the left behind the steering wheel, 14.5 in the center for the primary, curved infotainment display and an optional third, 10.9-inch screen for the passenger on the far right.These three aren't as tidily integrated as Mercedes-Benz's mighty Hyperscreen, but the quality of the displays seems higher, and the capability is impressive, too. The passenger can cue up YouTube videos and watch them if they like, while a dynamic privacy filter keeps the driver from snooping.There are plenty of other apps, too. I installed The Weather Channel to get an update on the forecast while I was in the passenger seat to see whether there was any sunshine ahead for the next photo stop (there wasn't), but familiar media apps like Audible and Spotify were primed for download, too.AudiThe revised MMI interface is busy, and I occasionally struggled to find settings in various submenus, but it is at least responsive. And, with both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on offer, you can bring your own experience. My biggest interface problem was actually with the steering wheel. The controls on the spokes are capacitive touch, and during a half-day behind the wheel, I accidentally hit the volume up button a half-dozen times. What's wrong with actual buttons, again?If all those displays aren't enough, the Q6 also offers an optional, augmented reality HUD that sits right in your field of view. This means it can do things like project hovering blue arrows to tell you exactly when to turn but also identify on the road where the speed limits change and even paint warning arrows over cars that you're following too closely.The sweeping and flashing graphics in the HUD are distracting at first but effective. If you're the sort who's never quite sure which turn to take when your nav tells you to take the third exit from the next roundabout, this HUD is for you.So, the tech and the drive are quite compelling. How much are you going to pay for this privilege? It is, predictably, not cheap - but also not outrageous in the grand scheme of today's luxury SUV EV offerings.Tim Stevens for EngadgetThe base, rear-drive 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron starts at $63,800 and will do 321 miles on a charge from a 100 kWh (94.4 net) battery pack. Stepping up to the dual-motor Quattro edition costs just $2,000 more and only loses 14 miles of range, an EPA rating of 307. This is why I think few people will opt for the RWD flavor.The RWD car also charges more slowly: A 260 kW max charge rate compared to 270 kW for the Quattro cars.The SQ6 Quattro does 275 miles on a charge and starts at $72,900, while the version I drove with all the displays and toys was $83,840. Yes, that's a lot, but if you don't need all that performance, the loaded Q6 Quattro I drove was $76,790. Still not cheap, but a bit less than the $77,295 starting price of the electric Porsche Macan, which shares virtually the entire drivetrain and platform.The problem? That's a huge premium over the starting price of Audi's most comparable gas-powered machine, the Q5, which can be had for as little as $45,400. Is the Q6 worth the extra cost? I wouldn't necessarily spring for the sportier SQ6, but even the base Q6 offers far more power and tech than the Q5, plus lower running costs and a lack of maintenance. Despite the similar name, it's in a different class. Sure, it's a bit of a splurge, but I'd rather have the even-numbered one in my garage.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/the-audi-q6-e-tron-is-an-oled-dream-machine-140018286.html?src=rss

The stench of Cambridge Analytica is still hovering over Facebook, as parent Meta just agreed to pay 311,000 Australian users AUD $50 million ($31.7 million) over the scandal. The settlement with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) comes after a four-year dispute with Meta and follows a $725 million award in the US, along with payouts in the UK and elsewhere."It represents a substantive resolution of privacy concerns raised by the Cambridge Analytica matter; gives potentially affected Australians an opportunity to seek redress through Meta's payment program; and brings to an end a lengthy court process," said Australian information commissioner, Elizabeth Tydd.Cambridge Analytica, now defunct, accessed the personal data Australian users by an app (This is Your Digital Life) and used the information gathered to target individuals with personally tailored messages. The scandal was exposed by The New York Times and The Guardian in 2018, thanks in large part to whistleblower Christopher Wylie. Though the app was only downloaded by a small number of users, it also accessed the data of their friends, affecting 311,127 people overall.Meta will be required to set up a payment system run by a third-party administrator starting in early 2025. Lesser payments will be issued to people who've experienced "generalized concern or embarrassment," with higher sums meted out to those who can demonstrate that they suffered loss or damage. Anyone affected should be able to apply in Q2 2025.In a statement, Meta displayed no contrition and said the settlement was more or less a business decision. "We settled as it is in the best interest of our community and shareholders that we close this chapter on allegations that relate to past practices no longer relevant to how Meta's products or systems work today," a spokesperson told The Guardian. The case took four years to resolve largely because Meta claimed it wasn't technically doing business in Australia, but that argument was finally slapped aside by the nation's highest court.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/cambridge-analytica-scandal-still-lingering-on-as-meta-settles-with-australian-users-130016215.html?src=rss

There's a good chance you own a couple of gadgets that support wireless charging now, be it your iPhone or Android phone, wireless earbuds or smartwatch. Multi-device wireless chargers can help power them all up in one place, without the need for a bunch of cords messing up your space. There are dozens of these accessories out there today, and we've tested a bunch of the most popular models. You'll find out top picks below for the best wireless charging stations, plus some advice on how to choose the right one for your needs.Table of contents

Waymo will deploy its driverless cars in Japan and will test its technology in another country for the first time. According to CNBC, the company will begin testing its Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Tokyo in early 2025 and expects to remain in the country for an "extended period." During the vehicles' experimental phase, which will last for several quarters, human drivers from the Japanese taxi company Nihon Kotsu will operate Waymo's cars so that its technology can map the city. Particularly, they're driving Waymo's Jaguar I-PACEs through the streets of Shinjuku, Shibuya and Tokyo's other key areas.The data gathered from those tests will then be used to train the company's self-driving system. Waymo will also be recreating Tokyo's driving conditions in a closed course in the US, where it will put more of its robotaxis to the test, and will be using data collected from that effort for training. The company has yet to announce when it will open rides to the public, but it has already formed a partnership with Japan's "GO" taxi app, which will presumably offer driverless rides to users in the future. As CNBC notes, Japan is keen to introduce driverless rides as a transportation option despite its efficient train system due to its aging population. Last year, it amended its laws to allow level 4 autonomous driving on its roads.In the US, Waymo operates its driverless cars in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It announced several plans to introduce its vehicles to more locations over the past months, however, and raised $5.6 billion to fund its expansion to Austin and Atlanta next year. Waymo will also be deploying its Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Miami in early 2025 and will offer rides to the public in the city sometime in 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-will-start-testing-its-driverless-cars-in-tokyo-next-year-051729407.html?src=rss

Watching videos on the Apple Vision Pro is one of the few use-cases early adopters have found for the VR headset, but Apple's produced only a handful of immersive videos to watch on it. Blackmagic's new camera could change that. The Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive is the first camera that can shoot in Apple's Immersive Video format, and it's available to pre-order now for $29,995 and shipping in late Q1 2025."Blackmagic first announced it was working on hardware and software for producing content for the Vision Pro at WWDC 2024. As promised then, the camera is capable of capturing 3D footage at 90 fps, with a resolution of 8160 x 7200 per eye. Blackmagic says the URSA Cine Immersive uses custom lenses that are designed for URSA Cine's large format image sensor with extremely accurate positional data." It also has 8TB of network storage built-in, which the company says records directly to the included Blackmagic Media Module" and can be synced live to a DaVinci Resolve media bin for editors to access footage remotely.Blackmagic DesignAlong with the URSA Cine Immersive, Blackmagic is also updating DaVinci Resolve Studio to work with Apple's Immersive Video format, and including new tools so editors can pan, tilt, and roll footage while they edit on a 2D monitor or in a Vision Pro.The whole package sounds expensive at nearly $30,000, but you're getting a lot more out of the box than you normally would with one of Blackmagic's cameras. A normal 12K URSA Cine camera costs around $15,000, but doesn't include lenses or built-in storage. Those come standard on the URSA Cine Immersive.Apple filmed several short documentaries, sports clips, and at least one short film in its Immersive Video format, but hasn't released a camera of its own for third-party production companies to produce content. And while any iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 can capture 3D spatial videos, they can't produce Immersive Video, which has a 180-degree field of view. Blackmagic's camera should make it possible for a lot more immersive content to be created for the Vision Pro and other VR headsets. Now Apple just needs to make a Vision product more people are willing to pay for.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/blackmagics-vision-pro-camera-is-available-for-pre-order-and-costs-30000-000053495.html?src=rss

Meta's Threads app has now grown to 300 million users, with more than 100 million people using the service each day. Mark Zuckerberg announced the new milestone in a post on Threads, saying Threads strong momentum continues."Zuckerberg has repeatedly speculated that Threads has a good chance" of becoming the company's next billion-user app. Though it's still pretty far off of that goal, its growth seems to be accelerating. The app hit 100 million users last fall, and reached 275 million in early November. Elsewhere, Apple revealed that Threads was the second-most downloaded app in 2024, behind shopping app Temu, which took the top spot in Apple's rankings.The coming weeks could see some major changes for Threads as Meta looks to capitalize on that growth. The company reportedly has plans to begin experimenting with the first ads for threads in early 2025, according to a recent report in The Information.Threads isn't the only app trying to reclaim the public square" as some longtime users depart the platform now known as X. Bluesky has also seen significant growth of late. The decentralized service nearly doubled its users base in November, and currently has just over 25 million users. (The company has never revealed how many of its users visit the site daily.) Though still much smaller than Threads, Meta seems to have taken inspiration from some of Bluesky's signature features in recent weeks, including its take on starter packs and custom feeds.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/metas-threads-has-grown-to-300-million-users-234138108.html?src=rss

NASA says it was able to use the James Webb telescope to capture images of planet-forming disks around ancient stars that challenge theoretical models of how planets can form. The images support earlier findings from the Hubble telescope that haven't been able to be confirmed until now.The new Webb highly detailed images were captured from the Small Magellanic Cloud," a neighboring dwarf galaxy to our home, the Milky Way. The Webb telescope was specifically focused on a cluster called NGC 346, which NASA says is a good proxy for similar conditions in the early, distant universe," and which lacks the heavier elements that have traditionally been connected to planet formation. Webb was able to capture a spectra of light which suggests protoplanetary disks are still hanging out around those stars, going against previous expectations that they would have blown away in a few million years.ASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Olivia C. Jones (UK ATC), Guido De Marchi (ESTEC), Margaret Meixner (USRA)Hubble observations of NGC 346 from the mid 2000s revealed many stars about 20 to 30 million years old that seemed to still have planet-forming disks," NASA writes. Without more detailed evidence, that idea was controversial. The Webb telescope was able to fill in those details, suggesting the disks in our neighboring galaxies have a much longer period of time to collect the dust and gas that forms the basis of a new planet.As to why those disks are able to persist in the first place, NASA says researchers have two possible theories. One is that the radiation pressure" expelled from stars in NGC 346 just takes longer to dissipate planet-forming disks. The other is that the larger gas cloud that's necessary to form a Sun-like star" in an environment with fewer heavy elements would naturally produce larger disks that take longer to fade away. Whichever theory proves correct, the new images are beautiful evidence that we still don't have a full grasp of how planets are formed.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-new-webb-telescope-images-support-previously-controversial-findings-about-how-planets-form-213312055.html?src=rss

After a federal court last week denied TikTok's request to delay a law that could ban the app in the United States, the company is now turning to the Supreme Court in an effort to buy time. The social media company has asked the court to temporarily block the law, currently set to take effect January 19, 2025, it said in a brief statement.The Supreme Court has an established record of upholding Americans' right to free speech," TikTok wrote in a post on X. Today, we are asking the Court to do what it has traditionally done in free speech cases: apply the most rigorous scrutiny to speech bans and conclude that it violates the First Amendment."The company, which has argued that the law is unconstitutional, lost its initial legal challenge of the law earlier this month. The company then requested a delay of the law's implementation, saying that President-elect Donal Trump had said he would save" TikTok. That request was denied on Friday.In its filing with the Supreme Court, TikTok again referenced Trump's comments. "It would not be in the interest of anyone-not the parties, the public, or the courts-for the Act's ban on TikTok to take effect only for the new Administration to halt its enforcement hours, days, or even weeks later," it wrote. Trump's inauguration is one day after a ban of the app would take effect.TikTok is now hoping the Supreme Court will intervene to suspend the law in order to give the company time to make its final legal appeal. Otherwise, app stores and Internet service providers will be forced to begin blocking TikTok next month, making the app inaccessible to its 170 million US users.Update December 16, 2024, 1:30 PM PT: Updated with details from TikTok's court filing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-asks-the-supreme-court-to-delay-upcoming-ban-211510659.html?src=rss

Google has yet another AI tool to add to the pile. Whisk is a Google Labs image generator that lets you use an existing image as your prompt. But its output only captures your starter image's essence" rather than recreating it with new details. So, it's better for brainstorming and rapid-fire visualizations than edits of the source image.The company describes Whisk as a new type of creative tool." The input screen starts with a bare-bones interface with inputs for style and subject. This simple introductory interface only lets you choose from three predefined styles: sticker, enamel pin and plushie. I suspect Google found those three allowed for the kind of rough-outline outputs the experimental tool is most ideal for in its current form.As you can see in the image above, it produced a solid image of a Wilford Brimley plushie. (Google's terms forbid pictures of celebrities, but Wilford slipped through the gates, Quaker Oats in tow, without alerting the guards.)Whisk also includes a more advanced editor (found by clicking Start from scratch" from the main screen). In this mode, you can use text or a source image in three categories: subject, scene and style. There's also an input bar to add more text for finishing touches. However, in its current form, the advanced controls didn't produce results that looked anything like my queries.For example, check out my attempt to generate the late Mr. Brimley in a lightbox scene in the style of a walrus plushie image I found online:Google / Screenshot by Will Shanklin for EngadgetWhisk spit out what looks like a vaguely Wilford Brimley-esque actor eating oatmeal inside a lightbox frame. As far as I can tell, that dude is not a plushie. So, it's clear why Google recommends using the tool more for rapid visual exploration" and less for production-ready content.Google acknowledges that Whisk will only draw from a few key characteristics" of your source image. For example, the generated subject might have a different height, weight, hairstyle or skin tone," the company warns.To understand why, look no further than Google's description of how Whisk works under the hood. It uses the Gemini language model to write a detailed caption of the source image you upload. It then feeds that description into the Imagen 3 image generator. So, the result is an image based on Gemini's words about your image - not the source image itself.Whisk is only available in the US, at least for now. You can try it at the project's Google Labs site.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-ai-tool-whisk-uses-images-as-prompts-210105371.html?src=rss

Instagram is adding an option to schedule DMs. Social media expert Lindsey Gamble unearthed the feature, and Instagram confirmed to TechCrunchthat it's rolling out scheduled DMs to all users.When you type a message, simply hold down the send button and you can select a date and time. It seems messages can be scheduled up to 29 days in advance. Until all timed-up messages are sent, you'll see a banner reading something like "x scheduled messages."This will be handy for folks who want to schedule birthday messages for a bunch of friends at once or, for instance, to remind someone to pick them up from the airport on a certain day. It'll also be useful for people who tend to take care of correspondence at night and don't want everyone to know how late they're staying awake. That's definitely not something I ever do with emails.It's worth noting that Instagram is rolling out this DM scheduling feature before all users are able to time up posts and Reels in advance. For now, that feature is limited to folks who have set up a professional account.Meanwhile, Instagram is rolling out several limited-time, end-of-year features to help you celebrate the holidays and your 2024 memories. For one thing, there's a collage tool for Stories that has an end-of-year theme. Based on images Instagram shared, it appears that you can go with a Happy New Year overlay.There are multiple Add Yours templates based around New Year's as well, such as one you can use to prompt friends to share photos in the how 2024 started/how 2024 ended format. If you hit the like button on end-of-year Stories, you'll see a custom effect. There's a New Year font and Countdown text effect for Stories, Reels and feed posts as well.Festive chat themes for the holidays include New Year's, one called "chill" and, of course, another based on Mariah Carey. Last but not least, if you use certain emoji based around celebrations or phrases like "Happy New Year" or "hello 2025" in DMs or notes before the end of the year, you'll see a little Easter egg of some kind.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-is-adding-a-dm-scheduling-feature-before-everyone-can-schedule-posts-203957229.html?src=rss

Snap is changing up its program that allows creators to make money from shortform videos. The company announced a new monetization program that will allow the app's influencers to make money from Spotlight videos that are one minute or longer by earning a share of their content's ad revenue.The change will streamline Snap's monetization features across Spotlight, its in-app TikTok competitor, and Stories, where Snap first launched its revenue sharing feature. It also means the company will end its Spotlight Reward Program, the creator fund-like arrangement that paid creators directly. That program will be discontinued January 30, 2025, with the new monetization arrangement taking effect February 1.Snap announced the update as TikTok moves closer to an outright ban in the United States. The ByteDance-owned service is currently facing a January 19, 2025, deadline to sell or be banned f the Supreme Court doesn't intervene. In its announcement, Snap notes that Spotlight viewership is up 25% year-over-year" and that there is a unique and growing opportunity for creators to monetize this format in the same way they do with Stories."Under the new unified" program, creators are eligible to earn money from Spotlight videos or Stories if they meet the following requirements:

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses already worked well as a head-mounted camera and pair of open-ear headphones, but now Meta is updating the glasses with access to live AI without the need for a wake word, live translation between several different languages, and access to Shazam for identifying music.Meta first demoed most of these features at Meta Connect 2024 in September. Live AI lets you start a live session" with Meta AI that gives the assistant access to whatever you're seeing and lets you ask questions without having to say Hey Meta." If you need your hands-free to cook or fix something, Live AI is supposed to keep your smart glasses useful even if you need to concentrate on whatever you're doing. Live translation lets your smart glasses translate between English and either French, Italian, or Spanish. If live translation is enabled and someone speaks to you in one of the selected languages, you'll hear whatever they're saying in English through the smart glasses' speakers or as a typed transcript in the Meta View app. You'll have to download specific models to translate between each language, and live translation needs to be enabled before it'll actually act as an interpreter, but it does seem more natural than holding out your phone to translate something.With Shazam integration, your Meta smart glasses will also be able to identify whatever song you hear playing around you. A simple Meta, what is this song" will get the smart glasses' microphones to figure out whatever you're listening to, just like using Shazam on your smartphone.All three updates baby-step the wearable towards Meta's end goal of a true pair of augmented reality glasses that can replace your smartphone, an idea its experimental Orion hardware is a real-life preview of. Pairing AI and either VR and AR seems to be an idea multiple tech giants are circling, too. Google's newest XR platform, Android XR, is built around the idea that a generative AI like Gemini could be the glue that makes VR or AR compelling. We're still years away from any company being willing to actually alter your field of view with holographic images, but in the meantime smart glasses seem like a moderately useful stopgap.All Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses owners will be able to enjoy Shazam integration as part of Meta's v11 update. For live translation and live AI, you'll need to be a part of Meta's Early Access Program, which you can join right now at the company's website.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/meta-is-rolling-out-live-ai-and-shazam-integration-to-its-smart-glasses-192602898.html?src=rss

If you've been waiting patiently to try ChatGPT Search, you won't have to wait much longer. After rolling out to paid subscribers this fall, OpenAI announced Monday it would make the tool available to everyone, no Plus or Pro membership necessary, "over the coming months."At that point, all you need before you can start using ChatGPT Search is an OpenAI account. Once you're logged in, and if your query calls for it, ChatGPT will automatically search the web for the latest information to answer your question. You can also force it to search the web, thanks to a handy new icon located right in the prompt bar. OpenAI has also added the option to make ChatGPT Search your browser's default search engine.At the same time, OpenAI is integrating ChatGPT Search and Advanced Voice mode together. As you might have guessed, the former allows ChatGPT's audio persona to search the web for answers to your questions and answer them in a natural, conversational way. For example, say you're traveling to a different city for vacation. You could ask ChatGPT what the weather will be like once you arrive, with the Search functionality built-in, the chatbot can answer that question with the most up-to-date information.To facilitate this functionality, OpenAI says it has partnered with leading news and data providers. As a result, you'll also see widgets for stocks, sports scores, the weather and more. Basically, ChatGPT Search is becoming a full-fledged Google competitor before our eyes.OpenAI announced the expanded availability during its most recent "12 Days of OpenAI" livestream. In previous live streams, the company announced the general availability of Sora and ChatGPT Pro, a new $200 subscription for its chatbot. With four more days to go, it's hard to see the company topping that announcement, but at this point, OpenAI likely has a surprise or two up its sleeve.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-is-getting-ready-to-roll-its-search-tool-out-to-everyone-184442971.html?src=rss

In perhaps the least surprising news of the past six weeks, President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to roll back President Biden's electric vehicle and emissions policies. Reuters reports that the incoming president's transition team has recommended cutting off support for EVs and charging stations while boosting measures to block cars, components and battery materials from China.The transition team's other reported plans include new tariffs on all battery materials globally, boosting US production of battery materials and negotiations with allies for exemptions. They're also said to plan on taking money allocated for building charging stations and making EVs more affordable and redirecting them to sourcing batteries and their required minerals from places other than China. In addition, they reportedly want to axe the Biden administration's $7,500 tax credit for consumer EV purchases.The plans would let automakers produce more gas-powered vehicles by reversing emissions and fuel economy standards, pushing them back to 2019 levels. Reuters says that would lead to around 25 percent more emissions per vehicle mile than the current limits. It would also lower the average car fuel economy by about 15 percent.Climate scientists have stressed the importance of transitioning from gas-powered cars to EVs in reducing carbon emissions and fending off the most ravaging scenarios for the planet. Greenhouse gases, including those from vehicle emissions, build up in the atmosphere and warm the climate. That leads to a cascade of effects in the atmosphere, on land and in oceans - some of which we're already seeing.As for tariffs, economists have said Trump's plans would likely spur multiple trade wars as countries retaliate with tariffs on American goods, disrupt supply chains and pierce the heart of America's post-World War II alliances. If we go down the tariff war path, we're going down a very dark path for the economy," Mark Zandi, the chief economist of Moody's Analytics, told The New York Times in October.The Biden administration has championed climate legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $369 billion for green initiatives, and EPA rules that require automakers to ramp up EV sales.Meanwhile, Trump has called climate change a hoax." In May, he reportedly told a group of oil executives that he would immediately reverse dozens of Biden's environmental rules while blocking new ones from being enacted. His asking price for such deregulation was that they raise $1 billion for his campaign. (Thanks, Citizens United!) So, while the reports about his transition team's plans are still a gut punch to those who care about leaving the planet in a habitable state for future generations (and slowing the effects we're already seeing), they aren't exactly shocking to anyone paying attention.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/trump-reportedly-plans-to-reverse-bidens-ev-policies-182206662.html?src=rss

T-Mobile and Starlink are marching forward with their plan to offer cell service via the latter's satellites. The companies received FCC approval for the project last month, and now the provider is opening up registrations for anyone who wants to beta test the creatively dubbed T-Mobile Starlink direct-to-cell satellite service.The first beta test is slated for 2025. It will focus on text messaging at the outset. Voice and data connectivity is slated to become available at a later date. Any T-Mobile postpaid voice customers with a compatible device can sign up for the free beta. There are limited spots available, however, and the provider says it's prioritizing first responder agencies and individuals for the program.T-Mobile Starlink was previously granted emergency approval for a temporary activation to bolster communications during hurricanes Helene and Milton. "Even without the full constellation in place, customers with capable devices were able to receive critical emergency alerts and send and receive messages when satellites were overhead," T-Mobile said. "The system proved helpful for many that lost mobile and/or broadband access and provided critical data that will help further refine service."With the help of Starlink, T-Mobile is planning to provide coverage to the 500,000 square miles of US land that's not covered by terrestrial cell towers. The direct-to-cell satellite constellation is designed to integrate into T-Mobile's existing network with the idea that it'll work like regular cell service. Eventually, the provider says, T-Mobile Starlink will be "available in most outdoor areas where you can see the sky."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/t-mobile-opens-beta-test-signups-for-its-starlink-satellite-cell-service-175926913.html?src=rss

The 2024 version of the Beats Pill is currently down to a record-low price of $100 from $150. This is part of a larger Beats promotion, which includes other Beats Pill models, Beats Solo 4 headphones and Beats Fit Pro true wireless earbuds. The 2024 Beats Pill has a maximum speaker output of 100 watts, which is enough for outdoor listening. To help with the bass levels, the woofer can now displace 90 percent more air volume to deliver a fuller bass compared to the previous model. Beats doesn't ignore the higher frequencies either, as the Pill has great highs and mids without much distortion even at higher volumes. The 2024 Beats Pill has an IP67 rating against water and dust, making it suitable for outdoor use. The battery lasts a maximum of 24 hours, depending on how loud you're playing your music. To prevent you from accidentally dropping it, the speaker comes with a removable lanyard. The Beats Pill can be paired with another unit to produce a stereo effect, separating the left and right channels out to separate Pills. Besides Stereo mode, there's Amplify mode, which plays the same audio through both speakers at the same volume. Also, we listed the Beats Pill as one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers. It's even capable of playing lossless audio through a USB-C connection. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-latest-beats-pill-is-50-off-right-now-171539806.html?src=rss

Google may have only recently begun rolling out its Veo generative AI to enterprise customers, but the company is not wasting any time getting a new version of the video tool out to early testers. On Monday, Google announced a preview of Veo 2. According to the company, Veo 2 understands the language of cinematography." In practice, that means you can reference a specific genre of film, cinematic effect or lens when prompting the model.Additionally, Google says the new model has a better understanding of real-world physics and human movement. Correctly modeling humans in motion is something all generative models struggle to do. So the company's claim that Veo 2 is better when it comes to both of those trouble points is notable. Of course, the samples the company provided aren't enough to know for sure; the true test of Veo 2's capabilities will come when someone prompts it to generate a video of a gymnast's routine. Oh, and speaking of things video models struggle with, Google says Veo will produce artifacts like extra fingers less frequently."GoogleSeparately, Google is rolling out improvements to Imagen 3. Of its text-to-image model, the company says the latest version generates brighter and better-composed images. Additionally, it can render more diverse art styles with greater accuracy. At the same time, it's also better at following prompts more faithfully. Prompt adherence was an issue I highlighted when the company made Imagen 3 available to Google Cloud customers earlier this month, so if nothing else, Google is aware of the areas where its AI models need work.Veo 2 will gradually roll out to Google Labs users in the US. For now, Google will limit testers to generating up to eight seconds of footage at 720p. For context, Sora can generate up to 20 seconds of 1080p footage, though doing so requires a $200 per month ChatGPT Pro subscription. As for the latest enhancements to Imagen 3, those are available to Google Labs users in more than 100 countries through ImageFX.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-ai-video-model-sucks-less-at-physics-170041204.html?src=rss

The European Space Agency (ESA) has just signed a 10.6 ($11.1) billion contract to build the IRIS constellation. It's the EU's most ambitious space program in a decade and is designed to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink network. The contract will last 12 years, and the first launch is expected in 2029.IRIS, which stands for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite, will consist of almost 300 satellites launched by European rockets. It's built on top of two other EU satellite constellations, Copernicus and Galileo, the largest Earth-observation program and most accurate GPS system, respectively. Though most of the satellites' work capacity will be used to provide commercial broadband services, a significant part is dedicated to security and crisis management. Most of the satellites are planned for a low earth orbit, but some will be in a medium earth orbit.Of the 10.6 billion, 6 billion comes from the EU, while the ESA is forking over 550 million. The remaining 4 billion will come from the private sector.The ESA is partnering with the European Commission through SpaceRISE, an industrial consortium led by European satellite operators SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat. Other members include Deutsche Telekom, Airbus and Thales, according to the Financial Times.Since IRIS is many years away, Starlink will likely dominate the current satellite internet market. Recently, SpaceX completed the first direct-to-cell satellite constellation, which will allow phones to be connected even in remote areas.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/europe-will-build-its-own-secure-satellite-network-161115164.html?src=rss

Are you ready for the holiday travels and the long hours on your phone that accompany them? Whether you're using your device for directions or entertainment, it's a pain when you're phone just dies. Try to avoid this by picking up one of our choices for best power banks and portable chargers, like Anker's 200W Prime Power Bank - our favorite premium power bank. Anker's Prime Power Bank with a 100W charging base is currently available for $110, down from $185. This 41 percent off deal brings the power bank and charging base back down to a record-low price. To start from the bottom, its charging base has a USB port and two USB-C ports. You can use them while the base is plugged in and juicing up the power bank. As for the power bank, it can charge a MacBook Air once and an iPhone 14 or Galaxy S23 3.4 times. The power bank's sleek screen shows how much battery the Anker device still holds. If you're only really interested in the power bank then you can get it for a lot cheaper. The Anker Prime Power Bank is available on its own for just $78 -a 40 percent discount. This deal is also a record-low price for the device and offers all the same perks just sans-base. 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/ankers-prime-power-bank-with-charging-base-is-back-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-150600518.html?src=rss

For years, reporting has claimed employees and contractors at Amazon's warehouses are injured at unusually high rates, often attributed to a high pace of work. On Sunday, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions published an investigation that claims Amazon's own internal research reached similar conclusions - and then ignored them, The New York Timesreported.The Senate Committee, chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders, published its 160-page report, which among other things, details the results of two internal Amazon initiatives meant to study worker injuries: Project Elderwand and Project Soteria. The former identified an upper bound of repetitive motions workers could perform before substantial risk of injury would occur, and noted that current quotes were above that rate. The latter indicated a link between work speed and injury. Both studies recommended relaxing the pace of work, but executives chose not to do so.Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said that Sanders' report used what she called "out-of-date documents" (the studies were conducted in 2020 and 2021). She continued saying that Amazon's work environment has improved recently, and that a Washington State judge had rejected allegations that Amazon required its employees to work in an unsafe environment.Amazon was cited last year by OSHA at half a dozen warehouses for "failing to keep workers safe." An investigation by the Washington Post in 2021 found Amazon warehouse workers are seriously injured at a rate nearly twice that of the warehousing industry at large; it echoed similar findings by Reveal from 2019.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-ignored-internal-studies-on-injuries-senate-investigation-claims-144611988.html?src=rss

If you're looking for a holiday gift, Masterclass has something that may catch your attention. As part of a special holiday offer, you can get two MasterClass annual memberships - one for yourself and one to give away as a gift - for the price of one. Memberships start at $120 per year, which lets you watch on one device at a time, $180 grants access to two devices simultaneously and allows for downloads, and a Family membership covers six devices. Your giftee will get the same level of membership you buy for yourself. If you have a loved one interested in filmmaking, cooking, business, writing or just generally improving themselves, MasterClass is the ideal gift. A membership includes access to 180 different big name instructors teaching on topics they know a lot about. Classes on offer sound like an A-list roll call: Martin Scorsese and Jodie Foster teach lessons on filmmaking, Mark Cubain lays out his business knowledge, Questlove shows you how to DJ and Margaret Atwood gives a seminar on writing. Classes range from around two to six hours and are broken up into shorter lessens, usually between 10 and 20 minutes. There are even exercises and community forums to get you actually doing the things the teachers teach. Recently, MasterClass added series as part of its lineup, such as GOAT, which are 20 minute episodes covering a single topic (such as making a grilled cheese or playing pickleball) that feel more like a mini documentary than a lesson. The mobile app also offers series of short, swipeable videos, for a highly polished TikTok feel. Engadget has tried out the service and found it to be like a really smart streaming service, where you get to watch masters talk about how they go about their craft. Even if you bought it to mostly learn about filmmaking, for instance, you can also about peripheral elements like comedy from Steve Martin, Kevin Hart and Judd Apataow. 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/masterclass-subscriptions-are-buy-one-get-one-free-in-this-last-minute-gift-deal-140039669.html?src=rss

Social media platforms and other online services operating in the UK are facing new regulations. Ofcom, the UK's communication services regulator, has released over 40 safety measures that applicable organizations must carry out by mid-March 2025. The new guidance follows last year's passage of the Online Safety Act, which implements new protections for children and adults online. Ofcom's role includes providing compliance codes and guidance for relevant companies.Ofcom introduced new measures tackling areas such as fraud, moderation and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Online services must take steps like nominating a senior person who is accountable for complying to its duties for illegal content, complaints and reporting. Moderating teams must be "appropriately" trained and have enough resources to quickly remove illegal content. Plus, relevant companies, such as social media platforms, should improve their algorithms to limit the spread of illegal content.The regulator's required anti-CSAM safety practices include hiding children's profiles and locations, not allowing random accounts to message children and using hash-matching and URL detection to quickly find and shut down CSAM.Ofcom consulted with the tech industry, charities and parents, among other entities. It also heard from children about their horrifying experiences of receiving predatory messages online and opinions on new regulations. "As an evidence-based regulator, every response has been carefully considered, alongside cutting-edge research and analysis, and we have strengthened some areas of the codes since our initial consultation," Ofcom stated in its release. "The result is a set of measures - many of which are not currently being used by the largest and riskiest platforms - that will significantly improve safety for all users, especially children."The Online Safety Act includes "organizations big and small, from large and well-resourced companies to very small 'micro-businesses.' They also apply to individuals who run an online service," Ofcom states. It gets a bit vague, though, with Ofcom adding the business must have a "significant number" of UK users or have the UK as a target market. The Act covers "user-to-user services," such as social media, online gaming and dating sites. It also impacts "search services" and online businesses that show pornographic content.Ofcom has the power to fine non-compliant sites 18 million ($22.7 million) or 10 percent of their qualifying global revenue, if a higher number. In "very serious cases" Ofcom can seek a court order to block a site's UK presence. Ofcom plans to release further guidance across the first half of 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/uk-internet-watchdog-gives-social-media-companies-three-months-to-improve-safety-or-face-huge-fines-130018908.html?src=rss

The current generation of consoles landed in roughly the same week in November 2020. At launch, the PS5 had seven new exclusive games to the Xbox Series' two. Sony had a better showing too, with the likes of Demon Souls (sure, a remake) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.Four years on, the difference between the two consoles remains. We returned to the PlayStation 5 (in its slim iteration) and the Xbox Series X to see how the two approaches have fared. If you've been paying attention, you know the conclusion: estimates put PS5 console sales around double the latest Xboxes'.Microsoft had two consoles, the entry-level Series S and the powerful Series X, while Sony went for largely the same power PS5, but with a disc-less iteration.EngadgetThe Xbox Series X is a solid way to play Microsoft titles, popular third-party games and everything Microsoft has available on Game Pass. But if you had to choose between buying the Series X or PlayStation 5, the latter has better exclusive games, a bigger base of gamers and a better controller. (Editor: Mat's opinion, there.)The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, God of War Ragnarok, Spider-Man 2, and Astro Bot have all been platform exclusives, while long-running series like Final Fantasy appear first on Sony consoles.The strongest weapon in Xbox's arsenal, Game Pass, has been neutered over time too. The Game Pass Ultimate plan also feels less, well, ultimate. The company increased the monthly price of its top plan to $20, including day-one access to new titles and a large library of games for Xbox and PC. The new $15 a month Standard plan doesn't give day-one access but does include a library of hundreds of games.Things could change, however. Sony is now drip-feeding its games to PC, diminishing the draw of console exclusives, while Microsoft's game developer spending spree has to bear fruit eventually. Right? Right?!That might be a discussion for the next wave of consoles.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed

Making a good digital picture frame should be easy. All you need is a good screen and an uncomplicated way to get your favorite photos onto the device. Combine that with an inoffensive, frame-like design and you're good to go.

CD Projekt Red took us by surprise when it dropped a cinematic trailer for The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards, revealing Ciri as the new protagonist. Amidst all the excitement, some observant fans also noticed that Geralt of Rivia's adopted daughter seems to sound pretty different than before, and not just in a several years have passed' kind of way. In a statement to TheGamer, CD Projekt Red confirmed that Ciri has been recast. While she was previously voiced by Jo Wyatt, Ciara Berkeley has taken over the role.Ciara Berkeley was cast as Ciri for The Witcher 4 Cinematic Reveal Trailer," a spokesperson for CD Projekt Red told TheGamer, and later added that Berkeley voices Ciri in the full game too. Ciara is a talented actress who impressed us with her enthusiasm and vocal acting skills, and in this trailer we believe she truly brought Ciri to life in a way that is both faithful to the character and exciting for fans of the series." So there it is.The Game Awards brought a ton of announcements last week in addition to our first look at The Witcher 4. You can catch up on all the biggest news here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/cd-projekt-red-confirms-it-recast-ciris-voice-actor-for-the-witcher-4-001144689.html?src=rss

With iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 now available, iPhone and iPad users have access to a slew of new features that make use of Apple Intelligence. That includes Genmoji, a new type of AI-generated emoji that was first introduced at WWDC 2024.What are Genmoji?Genmoji are custom emojis you can create if you've installed the iOS 18.2 or iPadOS 18.2 update. They are the emojis of your imagination, made real with help from Apple Intelligence - you describe what emoji you want to see, like a sad cowboy or an octopus DJ, and Apple's AI will do its best to generate it. You can even create custom emojis of people you know if you have a photo of them in your library. Once you've made Genmoji, they'll be stored in your keyboard so you can use them in Apple apps that support emojis. They can be sent as part of messages, as standalone stickers or as Tapback reactions.How to create GenmojiTo create a Genmoji, you'll need a device that is up to date with iOS 18.2/iPadOS 18.2 or later and compatible with Apple Intelligence. That includes every iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as iPad models with the M1 chip or later, and iPad mini (A17 Pro). At the moment, you can only create Genmoji on iPhone and iPad, though Apple says the feature will be coming to Mac down the line. The steps to create a Genmoji are the same for iPhone and iPad.AppleFirst, open a conversation and tap the text field to bring up the keyboard. Then tap either the smiley icon or the globe icon, depending on which you have. After doing that, you should now see a multicolored smiley icon with a plus sign on it at the top right of the keyboard. Tap that and a text bar will appear prompting you to describe the emoji you'd like to create. Enter the description, then tap Done."If you're making a Genmoji of a specific person, make sure you've already labeled them in your Photos app. Then, enter your description and tap the Choose a Person" option above the text field. You'll be shown who it has identified from your photos, and a few style options as a starting point. Click the one you like, and it'll create the Genmoji using that character.AppleThe results might not be to your liking the first try, and if that's the case, just try tweaking your description until you get better results. Once you've made Genmoji, you'll be able to find them in your keyboard either by swiping right through all the emoji options or by tapping the sticker icon. You can also add them to Tapback by pressing and holding a message, and clicking the smiley with a plus sign icon to search the emoji keyboard.How to delete GenmojiIf you made a Genmoji and later decide you aren't into it anymore, you can always delete it after the fact. To do this, head back into the emoji keyboard and either swipe right through all the pages or just tap the sticker icon. From there, find the Genmoji you want to get rid of, press and hold it, then tap Remove once the option pops up.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/how-to-use-genmoji-to-make-your-own-custom-emojis-225907928.html?src=rss

Hackers behind a cyberattack that targeted Rhode Island's public benefits system were able to get the sensitive data - including Social Security numbers and some banking information - of hundreds of thousands of people, and they have threatened to release it as soon as this week if they aren't paid a ransom, Rhode Island governor Dan McKee said in a press conference on Saturday night. The Rhode Island government opened a toll-free hotline on Sunday (833-918-6603) to provide information on the breach and how residents can protect themselves, but you won't be able to find out for sure if your data was stolen by calling in. People who may have been affected will be notified by mail.The attack targeted the RIBridges system, maintained by Deloitte, which is used to apply for Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), HealthSource RI healthcare coverage and other public benefits available to Rhode Islanders. A press release from McKee's office notes that any individual who has received or applied for health coverage and/or health and human services programs or benefits could be impacted by this leak."It's thought the hackers were able to get information including names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and certain banking information." Deloitte first detected the breach and notified state officials on December 5, and determined on the 11th that there was a high probability that the implicated folders contain personal identifiable data from RIBridges." It confirmed the presence of malicious code on December 13 and subsequently shut the system down, before officials announced the attack to the public the same day.The system is now offline while Deloitte works to secure it, which means that anyone who needs to apply for one of the affected programs will have to do so by mail, and people who are currently enrolled won't be able to access the online portal or app. The state said it so far hasn't detected any identity theft or fraud relating to the attack, but it will be offering free credit monitoring to anyone affected by the breach.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/hackers-may-have-accessed-hundreds-of-thousands-of-rhode-islanders-sensitive-info-in-ribridges-cyberattack-194621262.html?src=rss

The Magic Mouse has gone a long time without any major changes to its design beyond things like dropping the AA batteries and gaining a USB-C port, but Apple is now reportedly planning an overhaul. In the Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reports that Apple has started working on prototypes for a more modern version of the Magic Mouse, which was first released way back in 2009.While some users have loved the Magic Mouse for its gesture controls, other aspects like its nonergonomic design and its underside charging port have been the subject of complaints for years. We don't know what exactly the redesign will bring, but it'd be great to see those things finally addressed. And it sounds like we will. According to Gurman, Apple is looking to create something that's more relevant, while also fixing longstanding complaints - yes, including the charging port issue." It could still be a while before we see the new Magic Mouse, though. Gurman notes that it could take another year to 18 months to get it ready for market.The newsletter also gives us a bit more info on the rumored new AirTag that Apple reportedly has in the works for release next year. Building on his previous reports about a next-gen AirTag with a better chip and more tamperproof design, Gurman now reports that the new tracker will have a new ultrawide band chip on par with the one introduced in the iPhone 15," which he says could triple its detectable range with Precision Finding.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/apples-magic-mouse-may-be-getting-a-big-makeover-in-the-next-year-or-so-174255032.html?src=rss

We've been hearing rumors about the foldables Apple may or may not be making for years, from clamshell iPhone prototypes to plans for a foldable iPad, but the latest suggests we may also be in for something much bigger. According to Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter this weekend, Apple is developing a foldable device with a display that opens up to be nearly 20 inches. The plan is for something akin to a giant iPad that unfolds into the size of two iPad Pros side-by-side," with elements of both iPad and Mac functionality, according to Gurman. The company is reportedly targeting a 2028 release.Not only will the device be enormous, but Apple is also working to make it creaseless when opened, Gurman reports, which other companies have failed to do in their own foldables. Apple's prototypes have a nearly invisible crease," he writes, but it's not completely gone. The report comes about a week after a leak that described a similar device with an 18.8-inch display that's allegedly due to be released between 2028 and 2030. Gurman predicts the foldable will run on iPadOS or a variant of it.".This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/apple-is-reportedly-trying-to-make-a-giant-ipad-like-foldable-with-no-crease-160821177.html?src=rss

We may see the next HDMI standard, HDMI 2.2, in only a matter of weeks. According to an email from the HDMI Forum sent around to press including Engadget this weekend, a new HDMI specification will be announced on Monday, January 6 in Las Vegas ahead of the official start to CES 2025. The details at this point are pretty scant - all we're told is that the new spec enables a wide range of higher resolutions and refresh rates and will be supported with a new HDMI Cable."It's been seven years since the introduction of HDMI 2.1. It was most recently updated to version 2.1b in 2023, to support bandwidths of up to 48Gbps and resolutions up to 10K. The new specification with the next gen HDMI technology will bring higher bandwidth, according to the email. That's about all we know now, but we'll have a team on the ground at CES keeping you up to speed on this and all the other announcements as they come.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/hdmi-22-could-make-its-debut-at-ces-next-month-233627519.html?src=rss

According to a report from Reuters, president-elect Donald Trump's transition team is trying to kill a rule set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that requires automakers to report crashes if advanced driver assistance technology or automated driving systems were in use within 30 seconds of the crash. The NHTSA issued the Standing General Order in 2021, stating that its goal is to gather data that could help it identify potential safety issues.The data has been used in investigations into crashes involving six companies so far, including Tesla and GM's Cruise (which is shutting down its robotaxi program as of this week). Tesla despises" the reporting requirement and believes the data could be misleading to consumers, Reuters reports, citing sources close to Tesla executives. In a document seen by Reuters, the transition team in charge of making a 100-day strategy for automotive policy reportedly recommended that the incoming administration repeal the requirement, saying it calls for excessive" data collection.It's unknown whether Elon Musk - who donated over $250 million to help Trump get elected and was chosen to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency" alongside Vivek Ramaswamy - had any hand in the recommendation. Tesla has reported over 1,500 crashes, and accounted for 40 out of 45 fatal crashes reported to the NHTSA, Reuters reports. But, according to University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith, who spoke to Reuters, Tesla has more cars on the road with advanced driver assistance technology and collects more real-time crash data than other companies, which could make for a disproportionate number of incidents reported.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/trumps-team-reportedly-wants-to-end-nhtsa-reporting-requirement-for-car-crashes-involving-automated-systems-213720835.html?src=rss

Meta sent a letter to California's attorney general on Thursday urging him to stop OpenAI from converting to a for-profit company, a move that Meta says would be wrong" and could lead to a proliferation of similar start-up ventures that are notionally charitable until they are potentially profitable." The letter from Meta Platforms to Attorney General Rob Bonta, first reported on byThe Wall Street Journal, comes on the heels of an injunction filed by Elon Musk at the end of November that also asked for OpenAI's conversion to be blocked.Meta argues in its letter, which The Verge has published in full, that OpenAI was able to raise billions of dollars from investors under its original nonprofit mission and now wants to change its status while retaining all of the benefits that enabled it to reach the point it has today." It goes on to say, OpenAI should not be allowed to flout the law by taking and reappropriating assets it built as a charity and using them for potentially enormous private gains." The letter also calls upon the attorney general to look into OpenAI's past practices as a nonprofit. Engadget has reached out to OpenAI for comment.Meta's letter also voices support for Elon Musk and Shivon Zilis to represent public interests in Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, which was revived in August. On Friday, OpenAI published a timeline citing emails and other communications from Elon Musk to show how he previously pushed for OpenAI to become a for-profit with him at the helm.In a statement shared with The Verge in response to Meta's letter, OpenAI board chair Bret Taylor said, While our work remains ongoing as we continue to consult independent financial and legal advisors, any potential restructuring would ensure the nonprofit continues to exist and thrive, and receives full value for its current stake in the OpenAI for-profit with an enhanced ability to pursue its mission."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/now-meta-is-trying-to-stop-openais-for-profit-conversion-too-181623327.html?src=rss

The annual Game Awards came and went this week, bringing a ton of announcements and trailers for upcoming games, and crowning 2024's game of the year: Astro Bot. Riding the excitement, The Game Awards has already announced the date for next year's event. It'll take place on December 11, 2025 at LA's Peacock Theater.

A federal court has denied TikTok's request for a temporary pause of a law that could result in a ban of the app next month. The ruling, which came in response to an emergency injunction filed by TikTok earlier this week, is the latest legal setback for the company as it tries to avoid a total ban of its app in the United States.In its request for a delay in the law taking effect, TikTok indicated that it planned to appeal to the Supreme Court. The company's lawyers also cited the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump may want to take a different approach given some of Trump's past comments about the app. But in a brief order, a panel of three judges denied that request, writing that such a pause was unwarranted."TikTok's future now depends on the Supreme Court, though there's no guarantee the court will agree to hear the case. "As we have previously stated, we plan on taking this case to the Supreme Court, which has an established historical record of protecting Americans' right to free speech," the company said in a statement. The voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world will be silenced on January 19th, 2025 unless the TikTok ban is halted."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-loses-its-bid-to-pause-the-law-that-could-ban-it-next-month-004200884.html?src=rss

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has seen an alarming rise in gamified job scams over the past year. The FTC says that reports of job scams have quadrupled each year since 2022 topping out at 20,000 reports at a cost of $41 million in total during the first six months of the year.Job or task scams often involve the scammer asking someone to do a relatively simple task online such as liking videos or rating product images in assigned sets using terms like product boosting" or app optimization," according to the FTC. People are promised higher payments for completing a certain amount of sets that may pay out small amounts at first but they end up costing more than they pay out in the long run.Scammers will reach out to people via text messages or communication apps like Whatsapp offering them a task job. The most common type of this scam usually involves some kind of cryptocurrency. Then the scammer may ask their target to deposit some money or charge up" their account through an app in order to start working on new and bigger sets of tasks. They may even try to convince their victims by hearing testimonials from fake recipients about how much money they made for completing relatively simple tasks.The victim will charge up" their accounts with their own money in order to avoid losing what the app shows they've earned in the hopes they'll get their deposited money and the fee they are owed. Instead, the money they've been paid isn't real and any money they've deposited to charge up" their account is lost for good.The FTC recommends ignoring offers from unknown text or WhatsApp messages and never paying someone for the promise of being paid at a later time or date. The commission also recommends steering clear of any job offers that involve rating or liking things online, a practice the FTC says is illegal and no honest company will do it."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/the-ftc-warns-gamified-job-scams-are-on-the-rise-233029615.html?src=rss

OpenAI published receipts, in the form of a long timeline of emails, texts and legal filings, illustrating that Elon Musk's injunction to prevent OpenAI from converting into a for-profit company runs counter to what he wanted in 2017. Essentially, OpenAI is providing even more evidence to the fact that its former co-founder wanted the AI startup to become a for-profit company and make him CEO.You should read the whole blog to get all of the details (and get a sense for how billionaires email) but the gist is that in 2017, Musk and OpenAI came to an understanding that the then non-profit needed to become a for-profit to advance its mission" and seemingly capitalize on the public interest earned from its AI beating professional Dota 2 players in one-on-one matches. According to OpenAI, Musk proposed a new board structure where he would unequivocally have initial control of the company," which OpenAI was opposed to. That led to the disagreements between Musk and OpenAI leadership, and him ultimately leaving the nonprofit's board in 2018. xAI, Musk's AI startup that's a direct competitor to OpenAI, was started in 2023.It's pretty clear what OpenAI is trying to do here. Musk first sued OpenAI in March 2024 over the company's dealings with Microsoft and the belief they violated its non-profit status. He dropped the suit not long after OpenAI published a blog with emails that suggested Musk wanted OpenAI to either merge with Tesla or make him CEO. OpenAI's new blog expands on all those details with new material and seems set up to achieve a similar effect.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-published-more-of-elon-musks-emails-if-thats-something-you-want-to-read-225614986.html?src=rss

Bosch is the latest recipient of (preliminary) CHIPS and Science Act funding. The company signed a non-binding agreement with the US Commerce Department and could receive up to $225 million in funding.Lest you think Amazon's gruff crime solver somehow got a piece of the action, Bosch is also a German multinational corporation that makes... just about everything under the sun. (That even includes a stink-removal machine!) The company recently accelerated its silicon development, buying TSI Semiconductors in 2023 and finalizing the deal early this year. But instead of focusing on cutting-edge silicon for computers, phones and AI, Bosch specializes in chips for the auto industry.The company plans to use the funds on the Roseville, CA facility it acquired in the TSI deal. The company will invest up to $1.9 billion to convert the plant into one that spits out silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors, which are used to boost the efficiency of EV driving and charging. Bosch expects the first 200mm wafers to come off the line there in 2026.The Roseville investment enables Bosch to locally produce silicon carbide semiconductors, supporting US consumers on the path to electrification," Paul Thomas, president of Bosch in North America and Bosch Mobility Americas, wrote in a statement.Bosch's Roseville, CA silicon plantBoschIn addition to boosting America's primacy in the chip industry, the CHIPS Act's other goal is job creation. The White House says the proposed funding would create up to 1,700 jobs, including 1,000 in construction and 700 in manufacturing, engineering and R&D.Today's agreement catalyzes nearly $2 billion of private investment and the creation of over 1,700 jobs, while investing in a critical technology relied upon on by our defense and auto industry," wrote Natalie Quillian, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.In November, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's leading advanced chip maker, was the first to have its CHIPS Act grants (to the tune of $6.6 billion) finalized. Other recipients include Intel (although its funding was recently cut), HP, Samsung, GlobalFoundries, Texas Instruments and Rocket Lab.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/bosch-signs-agreement-for-up-to-225-million-in-chips-act-funding-211031263.html?src=rss

Google's NotebookLM made a pretty big splash with its AI-generated podcast feature Audio Overviews, and before the year is out the app is getting another upgrade. As part of a larger redesign of Google's AI notebook tool, Audio Overviews are now interactive.After generating an Audio Overview based on the sources you've uploaded, Google says you'll be able to play the recording in a new Interactive mode (BETA)." Clicking Join" at any point in that new playback screen will get the AI hosts to call on you to ask a question, which they'll answer live while you're listening back. Google cautions that the feature is still experimental and that hosts might pause awkwardly or introduce new inaccuracies while answering questions, but it seemed to work well in a brief test. I was able to create a NotebookLM project trained on articles about NotebookLM, and while asking a question did seem to slow the whole Overview down, the AI hosts were able to smoothly incorporate an answer into the rest of the show.Alongside these new expanded features, NotebookLM is getting a bit of a visual overhaul. The interface is now split into three sections, a Studio" panel where AI-generated content like Audio Overviews, study guides, and FAQs live, a central Chat" panel for asking questions about your sources to Google's AI, and a Sources" panel on the left for managing what sources NotebookLM pulls from. It's a pretty clean setup, and being able to collapse a panel when you're not using it keeps things from getting cluttered.Google is also using these updates as a way to introduce its first pass at monetizing NotebookLM. A new NotebookLM Plus premium subscription is available to Google Workspace and Cloud customers as a Gemini add-on, and will give you the ability to generate up to 20 Audio Overviews per day, create up to 500 AI notebooks, and add up to 300 sources per notebook. That translates to an additional $20 per user per month for Workspace subscribers. Starting next year, NotebookLM Plus benefits will also be rolled into the Google One AI Premium subscription.GoogleNotebookLM started as an internal Google experiment called Project Tailwind, but quickly blossomed into one of the more reasonable applications of Google's Gemini AI model thanks to its grounding in sources you upload, rather than the web and whatever scraped material Gemini was originally trained on. It's capable of working with anything from web articles to YouTube videos, but its Audio Overviews have proven to be one of its most popular features.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-notebooklm-audio-overviews-will-now-let-you-call-in-with-a-question-210700150.html?src=rss

There are some things you just don't do in certain parts of the US. You don't use inferior salsa during a cattle drive in Texas. You don't eat pizza with a knife and fork in New York City. You don't yell Belichick is a big, fat cheater!" in a crowded Boston bar (even if it happens to be true).And if you're in New Jersey or just America in general, you NEVER take the holy name of Bruce Springsteen in vain in ANY manner. So it's bewildering why one New Jersey representative would even think about faking his listening habits when it comes to The Boss.9to5Mac spotted a curious looking post on X from US Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). The congressman shared what appeared to be his Spotify Wrapped playlist for the year, with one list consisting of Springsteen's classic tracks like Glory Days" and Thunder Road" and the other filled with tracks from various hip hop stars. He tried to cement his esteem for Springsteen in his post by saying his first ever concert was at Meadowlands to see The Boss!" Well, it didn't take long for the internet and anyone who's ever used Spotify to figure out that he faked the whole list just to kiss up to his constituents.

The Xbox Series X was the perfect opportunity for Microsoft to run far away from its tumultuous Xbox One years and towards an era of genuine 4K gaming, ray tracing and Game Pass abundance. But it was not meant to be. The PlayStation 5 has outsold Microsoft's new consoles by two to one, according to a VGChartz sales comparison, a replay of the battle between the PS4 and Xbox One. Now, Microsoft simply seems to be running down the clock of this console generation. When I initially reviewed the Xbox Series X, I found it to be a powerful console that surpassed the PlayStation 5 in some ways. But it was clear that Microsoft had a major problem at launch: Games. Four years later, not much has changed, despite spending nearly $69 billion acquiring Activision Blizzard. While Sony and Nintendo consistently delivered exclusive system-selling games - even on the aging Switch! - Microsoft has stumbled. It's no wonder Microsoft wants to call so many other devices Xboxes. If you look too hard at its flagship console, you can't help but be disappointed. Should you buy an Xbox Series X? Normally, I'd tackle the question of buying a device towards the end of a review, but this is a re-review so it's worth asking up front: Who is the Xbox Series X for? It's been around for four years, and, aside from the $450 version without a disc drive, there haven't been any major hardware changes. Beyond the Xbox faithful, I'd wager most gamers would be better off putting $500 towards anything else. For anyone dipping their toes into modern console gaming for the first time - a parent grabbing something for their kid, or a former gamer trying to reclaim their hobby - it makes more sense to go for a PlayStation 5 instead of the Xbox Series X. Sony's console has a wider array of noteworthy exclusives, more innovative haptics with its DualSense controller and its digital edition is typically cheaper than the disc-less Series X. Of course, if you're a Halo fan the Xbox Series X is pretty much your only choice for a premium console (though the $300 Series S is a solid option for secondary TVs, especially when it's on sale). Microsoft also released a special $600 2TB "Galaxy Black" model this year, but I'm still half-convinced that's some sort of sick Tim Robinson-esque joke. It has to be when the more powerful and desirable PlayStation 5 Pro is only $100 more, right? Hardware: The pinnacle of 2020 The Xbox Series X is still powered by an 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU and an RDNA 2 GPU, similar to what's inside the PlayStation 5. It also has 16GB of GDDR6 RAM, 10GB of which runs at a higher bandwidth than the PS5's memory. The Series X's larger GPU gave it a slight edge over Sony's console early on, but in practice that didn't amount to much. Occasionally some third-party titles would run a bit more smoothly on the Xbox, but both consoles still had trouble balancing the demands of visual fidelity and performance. Instead of being the generation of no-compromise consoles, the Xbox Series X and PS5 frequently forced gamers to choose between playing games with ray tracing and graphical upgrades at 30fps, or forgoing them to reach a smooth PC-like 60fps. That's the main reason Sony threw a more powerful GPU into the PlayStation 5 Pro - the standard PS5 hardware just couldn't cut it. The Xbox sales slump made it clear why Microsoft didn't try to compete with its own mid-cycle refresh, but it's still sad to see the company shy away from any sort of innovation, like the leaked hardware that never arrived. The redesigned 2TB all-digital "Brooklin" Series X would have been a useful replacement for the base model. It also would have included a revamped controller, codenamed "Sebile," with improved haptics (likely similar to Sony's DualSense) and a direct cloud connection for playing streamed games. Microsoft even floated the idea of bringing 1TB of storage to the $300 Series S. Instead of those functional upgrades, though, we got a slightly cheaper all-digital $450 Series X, that overpriced 2TB model nobody will buy and a $350 1TB version of the Series S. Those prices are all at least $50 too high if Microsoft genuinely wanted to move consoles. I'd argue the company would benefit from going even cheaper to undercut Sony, but that would also dig into the company's already slim profit margin. I'm sure Microsoft isn't eager to lose more money on Xbox. In use: A good enough console Even with its aging hardware, the Xbox Series X can still make modern games look great. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, for example, looks solid on the Series X, with smooth 60fps gameplay and ray tracing features. While it's running at around 1800p instead of 4K, it's still pretty sharp on both my 4K OLED and 4K Formovie ultra short throw projector. Sure, the game performs noticeably better on my RTX 4090-powered PC, but I can't easily play that in my home theater. (According to Digital Foundry, even the Xbox Series S can run The Great Circle at 60fps, albeit at just 1080p with variable-rate shading.) It's still disappointing that Microsoft stuck with its classic Xbox controller design for the Series X, though. When I reviewed the PlayStation 5, its DualSense haptics felt transformative. It made playing Astro Bot or Returnal feel unlike any console gaming experience I had before. Controller-wise, playing anything on the Xbox Series X doesn't feel much different from the Xbox One or even the Xbox 360. Microsoft poured all of its innovation experience into delivering a slightly faster machine than the PS5, but it turns out that didn't matter much in the long run. In addition to having more noteworthy games, Sony's console feels like a genuine upgrade from the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation VR 2, flawed as it was, also demonstrated that Sony wasn't afraid to take some risks this generation. Where are the exclusive games? After striking out with middling exclusives like Redfalland Starfield, the new Indiana Jones game is a rare feather in Microsoft's dusty fedora. But even that advantage will disappear eventually - the company already plans to bring it to the PlayStation 5 next spring, alongside other former Xbox exclusives like Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves. Given the sheer amount of development talent at Microsoft from its many acquisitions (and despite an obscene number of layoffs), the company has now become one of the most important publishers in the gaming world. But owning a popular multi-platform series like Call of Duty hasn't translated directly into Xbox sales. Beyond exclusives, Microsoft's Game Pass subscription is the strongest argument for owning an Xbox. But even that has gone through its own form of enshittification this year. The company increased the monthly price of the "Ultimate" plan to $20, which includes day-one access to new titles and a large library of games for Xbox and PC. The new $15 a month "Standard" plan doesn't get day-one access, but does include a library of hundreds of games, while the $10 a month "Core" option offers a limited library of 25 titles alongside multiplayer support. The Game Pass Ultimate plan also feels less, well, ultimate these days thanks to opportunistic early-access pricing for new titles. For example, subscribers could have paid an additional $35 for the "Digital Premium" edition of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to play it three days early. That timing included the weekend before the game's December 9 launch, so I'm sure many impatient Game Pass subscribers upgraded just to clock some uninterrupted playtime. It feels like a backhanded way for Microsoft to treat its most loyal players, despite not being overtly evil. Sony's competing PlayStation Plus subscription isn't as robust as Game Pass (there aren't any launch day titles), but it still offers a large array of older games and cloud streaming support. While I wasn't a huge fan of the PlayStation Portal handheld initially, it's certainly a compelling accessory for PS Plus customers now that it can access cloud titles. Oddly enough, Microsoft hasn't promoted Game Pass cloud streaming much over the past few years. It recently started testing the ability to stream a handful of games that you own, outside of the Game Pass library, yet that's also a feature that should have been implemented years ago. The cringey "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign is a rare attempt at making mainstream players aware of Xbox cloud streaming, but even that feels like it's coming way too late. Aaron Souppouris/Engadget Where does Microsoft go next? It's not as if Microsoft has an empty gaming plate ahead. The company showed off a bit of its Perfect Dark and Fable reboots this summer, alongside a tease of a new Gears of War. We just saw a trailer for The Outer Worlds 2 at The Game Awards, the Dishonored fan in me is hyped for Arkane Lyon's Blade, and I'm eager to learn more about Hideo Kojima's OD. But all of those games will likely be available on Windows PCs, and many will also head to other consoles. There's no doubt 2025 is going to be a busy year for Xbox - it's just a shame that it likely won't help Microsoft catch up to the PS5's sales lead. But who cares, right? Everything can be an Xbox if you believe hard enough (or have a browser to access Game Pass cloud streaming). Back in February, when Microsoft confirmed it would be bringing Xbox titles to other consoles, Engadget Executive Editor Aaron Souppouris argued that the company should exit the console business entirely. While that makes a certain amount of sense for Microsoft, a software company that has often struggled with hardware outside of the Xbox 360 (and even that had its issues), I'm not convinced the company needs to go that far. For one, it would leave Sony and Nintendo as the only remaining console makers. Sony would also effectively have a monopoly on powerful console hardware and graphically intense games, at least based on what we're hearing about the Switch 2. Less competition potentially also means less innovation down the line - Sony could easily coast if it was the only powerful console maker around. Aaron Souppouris/Engadget Much like it did with the original Xbox, Microsoft could potentially cut its losses and try to jump-start the next console generation earlier than Sony. If Microsoft could produce hardware that's more powerful than a PS5 Pro and deliver it at a relatively affordable price, it has a chance at peeling away Sony loyalists. That's particularly true if it can ensure desirable exclusives are actually available for launch. Microsoft should also work towards making its recent Xbox marketing campaign more of a reality, instead of placing its bets mostly on expensive consoles. Make cloud streaming faster, sharper and easier to access. Make people aware that they can game on their phones, tablets and just about any computer. Revive the streaming dongle accessory and make it cheap so you can turn any TV into an Xbox, and also keep working on bringing Game Pass apps to all TVs. Hell, produce that genuine Xbox portable system and make sure Windows is better optimized for third-party portables. You should be able to spin up your Xbox games from practically wherever you're sitting, no matter the device in front of you. (And while I'm on this soap box, why not let people turn the Xbox Series X and S into Windows PCs? These systems are all basically PCs already, and they would make lovely mini desktops or servers down the line.) The console wars of the future won't be fought like those of the past. Microsoft should plan accordingly. Aaron Souppouris/Engadget Wrap-up If you already have an Xbox Series X, or find one obscenely cheap somewhere, it's still a solid way to play Microsoft's titles, popular third-party games and everything Microsoft has available on Game Pass. But if you had to choose between buying the Series X or PlayStation 5, it's hard to deny that Sony's console is a smarter purchase. Perhaps the next console generation could be an Xbox 360-esque revival for Microsoft, but the company needs to look closely at what Sony and Nintendo are doing right. And really, it just comes down to having more games people want to play. Now that it's flush with so many notable developers, Microsoft may finally be able to solve that problem. There's no doubt that staying in the console business would be risky and expensive, but if there's one company that can justify sticking around, it's the one printing money from the cloud.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-series-x-review-2024-unfulfilled-potential-203025192.html?src=rss