TechCrunch reported that a group of researchers from the university KU Leuven in Belgium identified six popular dating apps that malicious users can use to pinpoint the near-exact location of other users. Dating apps including Hinge, Happn, Bumble, Grindr, Badoo and Hily all exhibited some form of trilateration" that could expose users' approximate locations, which prompted some of the apps to take action and tighten their security, according to the published paper.The term trilateration" refers to a three-point measurement used in GPS to determine the relative distance to a target. The six named apps fell into one of three categories of trilateration" including exact distance trilateration" in which a target is accurate to at least a 111m by 111m square (at the equator)," round distance trilateration" or oracle trilateration" in which distance filters are used to approximate a rounded area much like a Venn diagram.Grindr is susceptible to exact distance trilateration" while Happn falls under rounded distance trilateration." The remaining four fall under oracle trilateration" despite the fact that Hinge and Hily hide the distances of its users, according to the paper.Karel Dhondt, one of the researchers involved in the study, told TechCrunch that a user with malicious intent could locate another user up to 2 meters" away using oracle trilateration. This method involves the malicious user going to a rough estimate of the victim's location based on their profile and moving in increments until the victim is no longer in proximity along three different positions and triangulating the data to one spot.Bumble's vice president of global communication Gabrielle Ferree told the website that they swiftly resolved the issues outlined" with its distance filter last year. Hily co-founder and chief technology officer Dmytro Kononov said in a statement that an investigation revealed a potential possibility for trilateration" but exploiting this for attacks was impossible."Happn chief executive officer and president Karima Ben Adelmalek told TechCrunch they discussed trilateration with the Belgian researchers. He says that an additional layer of protection designed to prevent trilateration was not taken into account in their analysis."Grindr's chief privacy officer Kelly Peterson Miranda noted that users can disable their distance display from their profile. She also noted that Grindr users are in control of what location information they provide." Hinge did not respond with a comment.Other dating apps have taken extra steps to ensure its users are speaking to actual people and not spam bots or fake accounts. Tinder started requiring users in February in the US, UK, Brazil and Mexico to upload a copy of an official driver's license or passport along with a video selfie as part of a new advanced ID verification system.Update, July 31, 7:55PM ET: The story was updated to remove the statement that Badoo did not respond to a request for comment. As Badoo is owned by Bumble, Bumble VP Gabrielle Ferree's statement covers both brands.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/belgian-researchers-found-a-huge-privacy-hole-in-six-dating-apps-223227855.html?src=rss
The US Copyright Office has published a report recommending new and improved protections against digital replicas. "We have concluded that a new law is needed," the department's report states. "The speed, precision, and scale of AI-created digital replicas calls for prompt federal action. Without a robust nationwide remedy, their unauthorized publication and distribution threaten substantial harm not only in the entertainment and political arenas, but also for private individuals."The Copyright Office's assessment reveals several areas where current laws fall short of addressing digital replicas. It describes the state level as "a patchwork of protections, with the availability of a remedy dependent on where the affected individual lives or where the unauthorized use occurred." Likewise, "existing federal laws are too narrowly drawn to fully address the harm from today's sophisticated digital replicas."Among the report's recommendations are safe harbor provisions to encourage online service providers to quickly remove unauthorized digital replicas. It also notes that "everyone has a legitimate interest in controlling the use of their likenesses, and harms such as blackmail, bullying, defamation, and use in pornography are not suffered only by celebrities," meaning laws should cover all individuals and not just the famous ones.The timing of this publication is fitting, considering that the Senate has been making notable moves this month to enact new legal structures around the use of digital replications and AI-generated copycats. Last week, the legislators passed the DEFIANCE Act to offer recourse for victims of sexual deepfakes. Today saw the introduction of the NO FAKES Act to more broadly allow any individual to sue for damages for unauthorized use of their voice or likeness.Today's analysis is the first in several parts of the Copyright Office's investigation into AI. With plenty more questions to explore around the use of AI in art and communication, the agency's ongoing findings should prove insightful. Hopefully legislators and courts alike will continue to take them seriously.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-copyright-office-calls-for-better-legal-protections-against-ai-generated-deepfakes-215259727.html?src=rss
Reddit's chief executive officer Steve Huffman didn't pull any punches with Microsoft in an interview with The Verge. He called out Microsoft and other AI search engines like Anthropic and Perplexity for not paying for the information they take from Reddit, some of which have already been blocked from Huffman's website.Reddit has deals in places with companies like Google and OpenAI to receive compensation for using its posts and information. The Verge paraphrased Huffman as saying Microsoft was one of several companies "refusing to negotiate," but a Reddit spokesperson disputed this characterization. The spokesperson told Engadget that Reddit and Microsoft did attempt to negotiate a solution, but didn't reach a deal they both agreed on.Without these agreements, we don't have any say or knowledge of how our data is displayed and what it's used for, which has put us in a position now of blocking folks who haven't been willing to come to terms with how we'd like our data to be used or not used," Huffman told The Verge's deputy editor Alex Heath.Huffman says if Microsoft and other AI search sites continue to use Reddit's information without proper compensation, they'll have to be blocked. He doesn't want to do that because it's a real pain in the ass to block these companies."Reddit has started cracking down on search engines that expunge information from its various forms and communities. The website vowed to block unauthorized data scraping in June by updating its Robots Exclusion Protocol (robots.txt) and it's already prevented Bing from accessing data from Reddit, a fact confirmed by Microsoft's head of search Jordi Ribas on X.Earlier this month, a source confirmed to Engadget'sWill Shanklin that Microsoft's refusal to work with Reddit's terms of service led to the blocking of Bing. A spokesperson from Reddit also said, Anyone accessing Reddit content must abide by our policies, including those in place to protect redditors. We are selective about who we work with and trust with large-scale access to Reddit content."Update, July 31, 7:40PM ET: This story was updated to include more detail on the talks between Reddit and Microsoft over scraping. A spokesperson for the site claimed that Microsoft and Reddit attempted to make a deal, but their negotiations ended without agreement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reddit-ceo-wants-microsoft-to-pay-for-its-content-212320245.html?src=rss
Today, a group of senators introduced the NO FAKES Act, a law that would make it illegal to create digital recreations of a person's voice or likeness without that individual's consent. It's a bipartisan effort from Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), fully titled the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act of 2024.If it passes, the NO FAKES Act would create an option for people to seek damages when their voice, face or body are recreated by AI. Both individuals and companies would be held liable for producing, hosting or sharing unauthorized digital replicas, including ones made by generative AI.We've already seen many instances of celebrities finding their imitations of themselves out in the world. "Taylor Swift'' was used to scam people with a fake Le Creuset cookware giveaway. A voice that sounded a lot like Scarlet Johannson's showed up in a ChatGPT voice demo. AI can also be used to make political candidates appear to make false statements, with Kamala Harris the most recent example. And it's not only celebrities who can be victims of deepfakes."Everyone deserves the right to own and protect their voice and likeness, no matter if you're Taylor Swift or anyone else," Senator Coons said. "Generative AI can be used as a tool to foster creativity, but that can't come at the expense of the unauthorized exploitation of anyone's voice or likeness."The speed of new legislation notoriously flags behind the speed of new tech development, so it's encouraging to see lawmakers taking AI regulation seriously. Today's proposed act follows the Senate's recent passage of the DEFIANCE Act, which would allow victims of sexual deepfakes to sue for damages.Several entertainment organizations have lent their support to the NO FAKES Act, including SAG-AFTRA, the RIAA, the Motion Picture Association, and the Recording Academy. Many of these groups have been pursuing their own actions to get protection against unauthorized AI recreations. SAG-AFTRA recently went on strike against several game publishers to try and secure a union agreement for likenesses in video games.Even OpenAI is listed among the act's backers. "OpenAI is pleased to support the NO FAKES Act, which would protect creators and artists from unauthorized digital replicas of their voices and likenesses," said Anna Makanju, OpenAI's vice president of global affairs. "Creators and artists should be protected from improper impersonation, and thoughtful legislation at the federal level can make a difference."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senators-introduce-bill-to-protect-individuals-against-ai-generated-deepfakes-202809816.html?src=rss
The gaming industry has been plagued with rounds of layoffs and studio closures and it's not showing any signs of stopping anytime soon. The latest round of layoffs comes from Sony-owned Bungie, best known at this point for Destiny 2.Pete Parsons, the chief executive officer for Bungie, announced on its official website that it will eliminate 220 roles representing roughly 17 percent of its workforce." Executive and senior leader roles are the ones most affected by this round of layoffs but he also noted these actions will affect every level of the company."Parsons blamed the need for layoffs on several factors including the rising costs of development," industry shifts" and enduring economic conditions." He also noted the studio will focus its development efforts entirely on Destiny and Marathon."Bungie and Sony seem to have been butting heads over economic concerns. Sony Interactive Entertainment chairman Hiroki Totoki noted during a February earnings call that he wanted to see more accountability" with budgets and schedules from Bungie's leaders. Destiny 2 alone has seen a noticeable dip in player numbers and revenues that fell 45 percent below its projections, according to PC Gamer.Last year in October, Bloombergreported that Bungie had to lay off an undetermined number of staffers that caused noticeable delays for its next game Marathon and an expansion for Destiny 2. A month later, Bungie announced it had to push back the release date for The Final Shape expansion for Destiny 2 from February to June.Sony's various game studios have also seen scores of layoffs in the last few months. Sony announced in February it had to eliminate around 900 positions from its PlayStation division as well as its Technology, Creative and Support teams. The cuts also affected studios like Insomniac, Naughty Dog and Guerilla that produced some of the PlayStation 5's biggest titles like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us and Horizon Forbidden West. Sony also shut down its London studio after more than 20 years in operation that was right in the middle of working on a new fantasy co-op multiplayer game for the PS5.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bungie-is-laying-off-220-employees-200242815.html?src=rss
Ayaneo's Pocket MICRO, a tangible tribute to Nintendo's GameBoy Micro, is now available for pre-order on Indiegogo. The portable console maker started its crowdfunding campaign for the tiny, rectangular gaming device this morning and it's already raised more than $50,000 in its opening day.Ayaneo first announced its new line of portable game players back in May. The lineup included the Pocket MICRO and the Pocket DMG, a GameBoy-esque console with a left thumbstick and touchpad.The Pocket MICRO may be smaller than the DMG but it offers some features its bigger brother doesn't have like dual thumbsticks and a 960 x 640 borderless IPS screen. The pocket console's frame is made from a premium CNC aluminum alloy and runs on a Helio G99 processor and 2,600mAH battery that can power up to 6 hours of play, according to the company's website.The Pocket MICRO is available for pre-order with early bird prices" during the first week of the campaign. You can purchase your Pocket MICRO in one of three tiers: the 6G+128G Pocket Micro in Magic Black" or Soul Red" for $190, the 8GB+256GB Pocket Micro in black or red for $220 and the 8G+256GB in Retro Grey" for $250. Shipping is $30 for each item and 400 orders will be taken for the first two tiers and 200 orders for the third tier.The early bird" orders also come with a special gift box that includes a coffee mug, a portable storage bag, a portable stand, tempered film for the screen, a joystick cap and a pack of Ayaneo stickers. The prices increase by $30 once the weeklong early bird" promotion ends.Ayaneo is known for its premium portable consoles and Steam Deck competitors, and this GameBoy Advance variant is competing with a ton of other devices that are over $100 cheaper. However, this new portable Android gaming device could feasibly create some real competition with its dual analogs that could play games from all sorts of consoles and streaming services.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ayaneos-take-on-the-game-boy-micro-is-available-to-order-starting-at-190-192714568.html?src=rss
Etsy just announced an upcoming loyalty program for buyers called Etsy Insider. This is the first-ever program of its type on the platform and the company begins testing in September. Select customers will receive an invite for the service as it gets closer to launch.So what do you get? It's sort of like Amazon Prime, but without the streaming video and all of that other stuff. Etsy Insider offers free shipping and access to discounts. Pricing has yet to be announced, but COO Raina Moskowitz says the monthly fee will be close to the cost of a latte. So, anywhere from $3 to $9, I guess.The company hasn't decided if this program will go beyond the testing phase, as it all depends on how users respond to it. Etsy says this is part of a larger effort to change how consumers think of the platform.We want people to start their shopping journey on Etsy rather than come to Etsy when they're just looking for something very specific," Moskowitz said in an interview with AP. This is a very good point, as I've never, ever thought of heading to Etsy unless I had something very specific in mind, like a Depeche Mode drink coaster or something.The company has also been plagued with sluggish sales of late, which forced massive layoffs that impacted 11 percent of employees. Etsy has reported merchandise sales are down over five percent this year when compared to the same period last year. The stock price has also dipped, losing nearly 78 percent of its value since late 2021. To be fair, the stock price rose significantly throughout the early days of COVID-19, as new customers flocked to the service. The bubble burst just as people started going outside more.Etsy has also been facing tons of new competition. This includes Amazon Handmade, the retail giant's take on the crafting space, and Temu.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/etsy-just-announced-a-loyalty-program-thats-sort-of-similar-to-amazon-prime-173842311.html?src=rss
A deadly accident in Washington that took the life of a motorcyclist earlier this year was caused by a Tesla vehicle while it was in Full Self Driving" mode. The Associated Press reported that investigators from the Washington State Patrol confirmed that a 2022 Tesla Model S involved in the fatality accident in April was in self-driving mode from the car's event-data recorder.The accident occurred on April 19 on the eastbound side of State Route 522 approximately 15 miles northeast of Seattle. The unidentified driver told police he had his Tesla's self-driving mode on and was looking at his phone at the time of the crash. The vehicle crashed into the back of the motorcycle pinning Jeffrey Nissen, 28, underneath the vehicle. Paramedics pronounced Nissen dead at the scene of the accident, according to Seattle-based KIRO 7 News.Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk has been making promises for autonomous cars for years now. Musk's promises coupled with vehicle safety concerns prompted Sen. Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal to issue a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging them to open an investigation into Tesla's misleading advertising and marketing" practices for its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving modes. Last year, the NHTSA recalled over 2 million Tesla vehicles due to concerns about driver inattention during Autopilot mode.Musk also promised one million robo-taxis" in 2019 by the end of the following year. Four years later, the car company is still delaying the unveiling of its robotaxi initiative due to design changes.The Washington accident happened just a few days before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded a review that linked 14 deaths caused by 13 accidents to Tesla vehicles operating in Autopilot mode. The NHTSA's report concluded that Tesla's weak driver engagement system was not appropriate for Autopilot's permissive operating capabilities" and the Full Self-Driving mode did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the driving task."The Wall Street Journalconducted its own investigation into Tesla's Autopilot mode using data obtained from cars involved in accidents and published its findings on Monday. The video report found that Tesla reported over 1,000 crashes to the NHTSA since 2016. The data the WSJ obtained from 222 of those crashes determined that 44 were in Autopilot mode.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-involved-in-fatal-washington-crash-was-using-self-driving-mode-170706606.html?src=rss
Sony has revealed the three games that all PlayStation Plus members can claim at no extra cost in August, and the headliner is a real treat. Starting on August 6, you'll be able to add the fantastic Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga to your collection.The game takes you through the entire nine-film arc of the main Star Wars series, from The Phantom Menace to, appropriately enough, The Rise of Skywalker. Studio TT Games did a stellar job of distilling an enormous cinematic experience into a single game - but the developers endured some tough working conditions to make that happen, according to a report. The Skywalker Saga is arguably a little too big, in fact. It's packed full of Easter eggs, side quests, references and the silly humor that fans of Lego games have come to expect. It looks splendid too.
The Washington DC Superior Court has filed a lawsuit against ticket-seller StubHub that accuses the company of hiding all kinds of fees from consumers until the very last moment. The suit calls out the deceptive practice of charging hidden junk fees" and refers to it as a classic bait-and-switch scheme."Anyone who has purchased a ticket via StubHub, or many of its rivals, are probably intimately familiar with the sticker shock that arrives at check out. The added fees can boost the total cost of a ticket by up to 40 percent, the lawsuit alleges. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb says this is due to a series of deceptive, manipulative, and unfair practices."
There are many devices out there that no-one really needs, but have a specific purpose that can help to improve one's quality of life a bit. Twelve South's AirFly Duo is one such product. It's a dongle that lets you connect Bluetooth earbuds and headphones to in-flight entertainment systems. The device is currently on sale for $30, which is a record low. The AirFly Duo usually costs $45. This is one of our favorite pieces of travel gear. It plugs into any 3.5mm audio jack, actually, so you can use it with the likes of gym equipment, gaming systems or even TVs. Musicians can use it to listen to audio from amplifiers too. What's more, you can connect two sets of earbuds or headphones at once, so two people can watch a movie on the same iPad while traveling. Twelve South says the device uses aptX Low Latency Codecs to minimize audio lag. The AirFly Duo is said to have a battery life of over 22 hours, so it should last for even the lengthiest of long-haul flights. But, if you need to, you can charge the device while it's in use. Again, the AirFly isn't a product that anyone truly needs - you can buy a set of wired earbuds that'll work in a pinch for a few bucks. But you'll be able to use any Bluetooth earbuds or headphones of your choice with this device. Best of all, you'll avoid the awkwardness of a trailing wire draping over (and perhaps into) your in-flight meal. 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/twelve-souths-airfly-duo-bluetooth-dongle-drops-to-a-record-low-of-30-144231948.html?src=rss
Skype is going ad-free, as indicated in a blog post by Microsoft. The latest update removes all ads from the entire platform, including Skype channels and the main chat interface. Microsoft said this move was a response to feedback and an attempt to make the Skype experience cleaner and more user-friendly." This is certainly welcome news, considering every other company seems newly obsessed with ads.The today" section of Skype will remain, along with the pre-existing newsfeed. There just won't be any ads to accompany that feed. Users can also delete the newsfeed tab by heading to the settings menu.This update also includes a little something for all of the AI-heads out there. Skype will offer a revamped AI image creation system on the desktop app. This lets people access the image creator from the chat window or the top bar. There's a more intuitive and visually appealing" interface and pictures now expand when clicked on. Otherwise, it's just your standard image creator.MicrosoftFinally, the latest update brings integration with the authenticator OneAuth to the iOS app. This already existed on Android. OneAuth replaces the old sign-in system, so users will login automatically if they're already signed into other Microsoft apps like Teams. It's pretty handy because there are already way too many passwords floating around our craniums. Who among us can remember exactly how many numbers or exclamation marks to put after the same word we've been using as a password since 2002?The update is available to everyone enrolled in the Skype Insider Program, so sign up if you aren't. It begins rolling out today but will take a few days to reach every user. Microsoft urges consumers to keep checking if it doesn't show up right away.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-is-dropping-ads-from-skype-143155507.html?src=rss
Streaming services are expensive, especially with many companies cracking down on sharing passwords. Gift cards are a great way to help someone save some money, especially when you don't even have to pay full price. For today only, Best Buy is running a 15 percent off sale on Disney+ gift cards.That's right: currently, you can get a Disney+ gift card worth $25 for $21.25, $50 for 42.50, and $100 for $85. The gift cards are only good for monthly subscriptions to Disney+ in the United States that are billed by Disney (rather than a third party). They also applies to the Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.A typical Disney+ subscription's price varies by tier. Disney+ Basic (with ads) is $8 per month, while an ad-free viewing experience is $14 per month. Disney+ bundles range in price from $10 monthly for the Disney Bundle Duo Basic (Disney+ and Hulu with ads) to $24 monthly for the Disney Bundle Trio Premium (Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ with no ads).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/save-15-percent-on-disney-streaming-gift-cards-today-only-133245598.html?src=rss
Google has rolled out updates for Search with the intention of making explicit deepfakes as hard to find as possible. As part of its long-standing and ongoing fight against realistic-looking manipulated images, the company is making it easier for people to get non-consensual fake imagery that features them removed from Search.It has long been possible for users to request for the removal of those kinds of images under Google's policies. Now, whenever it grants someone's removal request, Google will also filter all explicit results on similar searches about them. The company's systems will scan for any duplicates of the offending image and remove them, as well. This update could help alleviate some of the victim's fears if they're worried about the same image popping up again on other websites.In addition, Google has updated its ranking systems so that if a user specifically searches for explicit deepfakes with a person's name, the results will surface "high-quality, non-explicit content" instead. If there are news articles about that person, for instance, then the results will feature those. Based on Google's announcement, it seems it also has plans to school the user looking for deepfakes by showing them results that discuss their impact on society.Google doesn't want to wipe out results for legitimate content, like an actor's nude scene, in its bid to banish deepfakes from its results page, though. It admits it still has a lot of work to do when it comes to separating legitimate from fake explicit images. While that's still a work in progress, one of the solutions it has implemented is to demote sites that have received a high volume of removals for manipulated images in Search. That's "a pretty strong signal that it's not a high-quality site," Google explains, adding that the approach has worked well for other types of harmful content in the past.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-makes-it-easier-to-remove-explicit-deepfakes-from-its-search-results-130058499.html?src=rss
If you're a dedicated Google Maps user like me, then you know its not perfect. But, Google is now announcing some improvements with a range of new features for Maps and Waze. One of the things I find most exciting is the additional guidance on entering buildings and where to park. In the coming weeks, Maps will start lighting up the destination and entrance to it as you approach, so you (hopefully!) don't have to circle it three times in the dark.Google is also now making it easier to report incidents while using Maps, increasing the size of these icons so you can share quickly - and safely -while on the go. You can also tap to confirm a previously reported incident after approaching it.Waze is getting three updates, including new camera alerts. Now, Waze will be able to alert you if a camera is approaching and tell you what it's monitoring, whether it be speed, seat belts or accurate carpool lane use. Waze will also notify you if there's a traffic event nearby or close to one of your starred locations. You can then send an alert to a friend or family member. Both of these updates are rolling out now on iOS and Android. Rounding out Waze's updates is the ability to get navigation guidance even when your phone is locked. This feature will launch globally on Android soon, while it will arrive on iOS in the fall.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-maps-will-show-you-where-to-enter-your-destination-130021496.html?src=rss
Meta has explained why its AI chatbot didn't want to respond to inquiries about the assassination attempt on Trump and then, in some cases, denied that the event took place. The company said it programmed Meta AI to not answer questions about an event right after it happens, because there's typically "an enormous amount of confusion, conflicting information, or outright conspiracy theories in the public domain." As for why Meta AI eventually started asserting that the attempt didn't happen "in a small number of cases," it was apparently due to hallucinations.An AI "hallucinates" when it generates false or misleading responses to questions that require factual replies due to various factors like inaccurate training data and AI models struggling to parse multiple sources of information. Meta says it has updated its AI's responses and admits that it should have done so sooner. It's still working to address its hallucination issue, though, so its chatbot could still be telling people that there was no attempt on the former president's life.In addition, Meta has also explained why its social media platforms had been incorrectly applying the fact check label to the photo of Trump with his fist in the air taken right after the assassination attempt. A doctored version of that image made it look like his Secret Service agents were smiling, and the company applied a fact check label to it. Because the original and doctored photos were almost identical, Meta's systems applied the label to the real image, as well. The company has since corrected the mistake.Trump's supporters have been crying foul over Meta AI's actions and have been accusing the company of suppressing the story. Google had to issue a response of its own after Elon Musk claimed that the company's search engine imposed a "search ban" on the former president. Musk shared an image that showed Google's autocomplete suggesting "president donald duck" when someone types in "president donald." Google explained that it was due to a bug affecting its autocomplete feature and said that users can search for whatever they want anytime.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-explains-why-its-ai-claimed-trumps-assassination-attempt-didnt-happen-120002196.html?src=rss
Google has responded to allegations it censored" searches about Donald Trump after Elon Musk baselessly claimed the company had imposed a search ban" on the former president. Google explained the bugs in its autocomplete feature caused the issues. But Musk's tweet, viewed more than 118 million times, has forced the search giant to publicly explain one of its most basic features.Google added that the strange suggestions for president donald" were due to a bug that spanned the political spectrum." It also affected searches related to former President Barack Obama and other political figures.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedThe Senate just passed two landmark bills to protect minors onlineI really want to like Star Wars OutlawsThe best soundbars in 2024You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Perplexity will put ads in its AI search engineAnd share revenue with publishers.Perplexity will start sharing revenue with some publishers as part of an advertising platform it plans to launch around the end of September. The Perplexity Publishers' Program comes less than two months after the startup, valued at $3 billion, came under fire from Forbes, Wired and Conde Nast for allegedly scraping content without permission.Continue reading.Samsung tests its Galaxy Z Flip phones as police bodycamsA pilot scheme is expanding to 25 metro police departments across five states.SamsungA new blog post from Samsung highlights how law enforcement is adopting its Galaxy Z Flip series devices. The line of foldable mobile devices was part of a pilot program, two years ago, in Kimberling City Police and Indian Point Police in Missouri, to test how the phones might improve daily operations. According to Samsung, the program was the first time police used a foldable device as a bodycam. The foldables were customized in collaboration with Visual Labs, a company that repurposes mobile devices as body and dash cameras.Continue reading.This robot dog has a vacuum to clean up trashIt uses AI to pick cigarette butts up from Italy's beaches.IITItalian scientists have built a quadruped robot that can identify litter and pick up the smaller bits with its leg-mounted vacuums. The group published a paper in April's Journal of Field Robotics on VERO's development. Discarded butts release toxic chemicals and microplastics into the ocean as they break down. It's also the second most common undisposed waste worldwide" in areas that are hard to reach for most robots. VERO picked up 90 percent of the cigarette butts identified in testing.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-google-dismisses-elon-musks-claim-that-autocomplete-interfered-in-the-election-111558485.html?src=rss
Nothing just announced a relatively surprising hardware update for its Phone 2a smartphone. The Phone 2a Plus is a modest upgrade, but still significant, being as how the original 2a was just released back in March.Most notably, the 2a Plus has a faster chip than the OG 2a. The original's Mediatek Dimensity 7200 Pro maxed out with a clock speed of 2.8GHz. The 2a Plus boasts a Mediatek Dimensity 7350 Pro that can hit 3.0GHz. Beyond that, the new model features a slightly quicker wired charging speed, at 50W instead of 45W.NothingThat's about it. Every other aspect is nearly identical to the 2a. It has the same camera system, the same battery, the same display and similar aesthetics. This isn't a bad thing. We loved the Phone 2a in our official review, calling it a budget phone that's packed with personality."Now onto the bad news. This phone will technically be available to US customers via the company's beta program, though there are some caveats. American customers can only buy the gray version and not the black one. Even more important, the 2a Plus doesn't offer true 5G connectivity with many of the major US carriers. This includes both AT&T and Verizon.The Nothing Phone 2a Plus costs $400 and that gets you 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Nothing Beta members will be able to order the phone on August 3. UK residents can scoop it up directly from the company on the same day. Nothing says we'll have to wait until September to find out more details regarding global availability.NothingThe company also released a few tidbits about the upcoming Nothing OS 2.6. There will be an updated Game Dashboard with new features and the ability to block third-party app notifications.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nothing-just-announced-the-phone-2a-plus-a-minor-refresh-of-a-pre-existing-model-093049030.html?src=rss
A new blog post from Samsung highlights how its Galaxy Z Flip series devices are being adopted by law enforcement. The line of foldable mobile devices was part of a pilot program at the Kimberling City Police and the Indian Point Police in Missouri two years ago to test how the electronics could improve the forces' daily operations. According to Samsung, the program was the first time a foldable device was used by police as a bodycam. After the end of the pilot program, two more police departments signed on to use the Flip devices as bodycams. The solutions from those pilot tests are also being extended to 25 metro police departments in five states.The Flip devices used for the police testing were customized in a collaboration with Visual Labs, a company that repurposes mobile devices for use as body and dash cameras. The modifications, like remapping the volume button to start the camera, were intended to make it easier and faster to begin recording in the field, according to Samsung.It's a surprising use case for Samsung to emphasize for its US audience. The Verge picked up on the blog post and was also quick to cite an investigation from ProPublica and The New York Times that demonstrated how local policies can negate the positive value of bodycams, either delaying or preventing footage from being released.That said, Samsung is hardly the only tech company that has gotten involved with making its products part of law enforcement. Amazon-owned smart doorbell company Ring had (and reversed) policies of how and what footage it would share with officers. There are also broader stories still unfolding around how law enforcement are using technologies such as facial recognition and drones.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-is-marketing-galaxy-z-flip-phones-as-police-bodycams-233310531.html?src=rss
The next Made by Google is just around the corner (Aug. 13, to be exact) but you may not have to wait to find out about the Google Pixel Watch 3. A leak from a Google source to the website Android Headlines reveals some new details about the new smartwatch.The website received a bunch of promotional material from its Google source showing the specs of the Google Pixel Watch 3 and its improvements from its predecessor the Google Pixel Watch 2. The biggest difference is the size offerings in that you don't have to settle for just one. Instead of just the standard 41mm size, the Google Pixel Watch 3 will be available in 41 and 45 mm.Google is also replacing the Watch 2's AMOLED display for an Actua display in the Google Pixel Watch 3 that's 1,000 nits higher at its peak than the previous model. The battery can also charge 20 percent faster if you have the 41mm model. Battery life has long been an issue for the Pixel Watch line, and the improvements there are mixed: Google is still quoting the same 24 hours with the Always On display, but touts a new battery saver mode that extends battery life to up to 36 hours.Android HeadlinesThe Google Pixel Watch 3 will also have a bunch of new functions. It can provide live video views from Nest Cam or Nest Doorbell devices with voice support and quick access to apps like Maps and Wallet. The new watch's features have a big focus on fitness with workout tracking, haptic cues for jogging at certain paces and a detailed step tracker that can measure your average pace during a walk or a run. It also works with Fitbit Premium to provide a morning briefing of your daily fitness metrics, access to virtual trainers and ideas for recommended workouts.Of course, none of this is official or confirmed yet. We won't know all of the Google Pixel Watch 3's features and capabilities until its big reveal on Aug. 13.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fresh-leak-shows-the-google-pixel-watch-3-comes-in-two-sizes-instead-of-one-222109082.html?src=rss
Google has responded to allegations that it censored" searches about Donald Trump after Elon Musk baselessly claimed the company had imposed a search ban" on the former president. The issues, Google explained, were due to bugs in its autocomplete feature. But Musk's tweet, which was viewed more than 118 million times, nonetheless forced the search giant to publicly explain one of its most basic features.Over the past few days, some people on X have posted claims that Search is censoring' or banning' particular terms," Google wrote in a series of posts on X. That's not happening."Though Google didn't name Musk specifically, over the weekend the X owner said that Google has a search ban on President Donald Trump." The claim appeared to be based on a single screenshot of a search that showed Google suggested president donald duck" and president donald regan" when president donald" was typed into the search box.The same day, Donald Trump Jr. shared a similar image that showed no autocomplete results relating to Donald Trump for the search assassination attempt on." Both Trump Jr. and Musk accused the company of election interference."
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined that Amazon is responsible for hazardous or defective products sold by third-party retailers through its platform. The CPSC unanimously decided that more than 400,000 products sold through the Fulfilled by Amazon program represent a "substantial product hazard," and that the tech giant is legally responsible for their recall. It also said that Amazon failed to properly notify buyers about the faulty products and did not encourage buyers to return or destroy those items.Today's decision is several years in the making, with the CPSC initially suing Amazon in July 2021. This investigation centered on carbon monoxide detectors that did not function correctly, hair dryers that did not have electrocution safeguards and children's sleepwear that did not meet federal flammability standards. Under the decision and order issued by the agency, Amazon must submit plans to notify customers about these faulty products and take steps for getting them returned or destroyed.We've reached out to Amazon for comment and will update this post if we hear from the retailer.The Department of Justice took similar actions against eBay in recent months. In September 2023, the department sued eBay after environmentally unsafe materials were put up for sale on the retailer, and in January 2024, the company paid $59 million for a DoJ settlement over pill press machines.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cpsc-says-amazon-is-responsible-for-hazardous-items-from-third-party-sellers-213334907.html?src=rss
Cigarette butts pose a huge risk to the world's oceans and can be a pain to clean up by hand especially on public spaces like beaches. A group of Italian scientists have built a quadruped robot that can identify litter and pick up the smaller bits with its leg mounted vacuums.VERO, the vacuum equipped quadruped robot, is a four-legged device designed to look for and clean up litter on a variety of terrains. VERO was designed and built by a team of researchers from the Dynamic Legged Systems lab at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, according to USA Today.The group published a paper back in April on VERO's development and effectiveness in the Journal of Field Robotics. The research paper states that cigarette butts are a serious concern. Discarded butts release toxic chemicals and microplastics into the ocean as they break down. It's also the second most common undisposed waste worldwide, in terrains that are hard to reach for wheeled and tracked robots."VERO is designed for picking up this common type of small litter. An operator sets up a field target for the robot to traverse. Then it slowly walks the entire length of the target while identifying litter with a special neural network and onboard cameras. The quadruped robot has a convolutional neural network for litter detection" that can target litter and pick it up with one of four leg mounted vacuums, according to IEEE Spectrum.Cleaning up beaches also can be a challenge because the sand makes it hard to lug wheeled trash bins or heavy receptacles over the terrain. The researchers conducted tests on six different outdoor" scenarios to show VERO's proficiency at navigating difficult terrain. It can steady itself while picking up trash with an Intel RealSense depth camera mounted on its chin.The robot didn't get every piece of trash in its initial test but it still picked up 90 percent of the cigarette butts identified in testing. That's 90 percent less waste that ends up in the ocean.There don't seem to be any plans to implement VERO just yet. The researchers say VERO's design could be programmed and engineered to do other tasks like spraying crops, looking for weaknesses in infrastructure and helping with construction projects.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-vacuum-robot-dog-can-find-and-suck-up-trash-with-its-feet-203952526.html?src=rss
OpenAI has started rolling out its advanced Voice Mode feature. Starting today, a small number of paying ChatGPT users will be able to have a tete-a-tete with the AI chatbot. All ChatGPT Plus members should receive access to the expanded toolset by the fall of this year.In an announcement on X, the company said this advanced version of its Voice Mode "offers more natural, real-time conversations, allows you to interrupt anytime, and senses and responds to your emotions."
Spotify users who don't pay for a subscription can once again see lyrics for any song they listen to on the service. Back in May, the company began a wider rollout of a test that it initiated last fall, requiring a paid subscription to see lyrics to any track. Free users could still follow along with the words, but only for three songs a month. Now, Spotify is removing the restriction so free users can see all the lyrics they need to with no cap on viewing them.At Spotify, we're always testing and iterating. This means availability of our features can vary across tiers and between markets and devices," a Spotify spokesperson told Engadget. "Over the coming weeks, we'll be expanding Lyrics availability for Spotify Free users so more people can enjoy viewing more lyrics, globally."As you might expect, the initial move to cap access to lyrics for free users drew backlash earlier this year. Perhaps Spotify thought doing so was a way to push people to its revised subscription tiers that start at $11 a month for music streaming. CEO Daniel Ek explained during the company's most recent earnings call this month that plans were in motion to improve what's offered to free users. It seems that list of updates included bringing back full access to lyrics."We are prioritizing enhancements in our free product pipeline that based on existing performance in certain markets," Ek said on the call. "Further additional improvements will be integrated into our free experience in the coming months."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-lyrics-are-back-for-free-users-175200293.html?src=rss
The Senate has passed two major online safety bills amid years of debate over social media's impact on teen mental health. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, also known as COPPA 2.0, passed the Senate in a vote of 91 - T3.The bills will next head to the House, though it's unclear if the measures will have enough support to pass. If passed into law, the bills would be the most significant pieces of legislation regulating tech companies in years.KOSA requires social media companies like Meta to offer controls to disable algorithmic feeds and other addictive" features for children under the age of 16. It also requires companies to provide parental supervision features and safeguard minors from content that promotes eating disorders, self harm, sexual exploitation and other harmful content.One of the most controversial provisions in the bill creates what's known as a duty of care." This means platforms are required to prevent or mitigate certain harmful effects of their products, like addictive" features or algorithms that promote dangerous content. The Federal Trade Commission would be in charge of enforcing the standard.The bill was originally introduced in 2022 but stalled amid pushback from digital rights and other advocacy groups who said the legislation would force platforms to spy on teens. A revised version, meant to address some of those concerns, was introduced last year, though the ACLU, EFF and other free speech groups still oppose the bill. In a statement last week, the ACLU said that KOSA would encourage social media companies to censor protected speech" and incentivize the removal of anonymous browsing on wide swaths of the internet."COPPA 2.0, on the other hand, has been less controversial among privacy advocates. An expansion of the 1998 Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, it aims to revise the nearly 30-year-old law to better reflect the modern internet and social media landscape. If passed, the law would prohibit companies from targeting advertising to children and collecting personal data on teens between 13 and 16 without consent. It also requires companies to offer an eraser button" for personal data to delete children and teens' personal information from a platform when technologically feasible."The vote underscores how online safety has become a rare source of bipartisan agreement in the Senate, which has hosted numerous hearings on teen safety issues in recent years. The CEOs of Meta, Snap, Discord, X and TikTok testified at one such hearing earlier this year, during which South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham accused the executives of having blood on their hands" for numerous safety lapses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-senate-just-passed-two-landmark-bills-aimed-at-protecting-minors-online-170935128.html?src=rss
Meta has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to the state of Texas in order to resolve a lawsuit that accused the company of illegally using facial recognition technology. The suit alleges that Meta used this tech to collect the biometric data of millions of Texans without consent. The agreement marks the largest financial settlement ever paid out to a single state.The lawsuit was originally filed in 2022 and was the first big case brought under the state's Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act, which was put into place back in 2009. A provision of this law mandates up to $25,000 per violation and Texas accused Meta of violating the statute billions of times" via photos and videos that users uploaded to Facebook that were tagged without consent.Additionally, the original suit could have led to an additional $10,000 per alleged violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. In other words, Meta just saved itself a bunch of money, considering the sheer number of alleged violations and a maximum financial penalty of $35,000 each.
When I attended the first hands-off briefing for Star Wars Outlaws at Summer Game Fest 2023, I left Ubisoft's demo room on a high, thinking this could be the piece of media that finally pulls me into the Star Wars universe. I loved the focus on a solo protagonist, Kay Vess, and her cute merqaal pet, Nix. I adored the fact that developers said the game would tell a cohesive, linear story, rather than throwing players into an unfocused open world and calling it AAA. I was eager to get my hands on it.Since then, I've been fortunate enough to access two different previews of Star Wars Outlaws, and my initial excitement has been tempered. It's not completely extinguished, but the slices that I've played have reinforced a bloaty vibe underpinned by unclear navigation and generic combat. I still think Star Wars Outlaws is a pretty game with interesting character designs and environments, but I'm now less hopeful about everything else it's offering - you know, the elements that haven't been plucked directly out of the existing Star Wars universe.UbisoftThe sections I've played of Star Wars Outlaws span cosmic dogfights, parkour levels in metal-lined space stations and military bases, and stealth missions against roaming Stormtroopers and interstellar criminal factions. I also hopped on a speeder and had a great time flying over the dunes of Toshara with Nix on the back of my bike; one thing I'm definitely looking forward to in the full game is entering hovercraft races.As for the bits I actually played, I would describe the overall theme as confusing. I encountered a head-scratching moment in the first minutes of my initial preview at Summer Game Fest 2024 in June: I crawled through a busted, rocky base and found myself at the mouth of a cliffside cave, the mountain too steep to climb down and the ground too far away for a leap of faith. I stood there and searched for an indication of where to go next, scanning the scenery from side to side and top to bottom, but nothing jumped out. So, I jumped.This was the incorrect move, and I died and reset. After searching the edge of the cave for a few more minutes and second-guessing whether I was in the proper location, a Ubisoft spokesperson pointed out a strip of coiled metal high above my head - literally as far up as Kay's field of view would go and blended in with the foliage. An inconspicuous white label identified it as an interactable object, but the entire thing was incredibly easy to miss. I pushed R3 on the controller and hooked onto it with my grappling gun, feeling incredibly dumb. Unfortunately, this was a repeated experience (and feeling) throughout the preview levels.EngadgetOne of the selling points of Star Wars Outlaws is its parkour-style mechanics, where Kay climbs metal grids, slides along shallow ledges by her fingertips and uses her grappling hook to swing across gaps. However, these mechanics are hit-or-miss, draining the flow from any attempted parkour action. The climbable grids are highlighted in a dull yellow that doesn't exactly stand out against rusted metal walls, and even when Kay jumps directly to them, she sometimes fails to connect. This happened to me during both previews, in different sections of the game, and the second instance led me to think the grid wasn't actually climbable at all. I wasted a good chunk of time farting around the affected area before considering another jump to the grid. It worked, but the loop left me frustrated.I don't mind some enmeshed, not-obvious traversal points in my games, but Star Wars Outlaws seems to take this idea too far.Navigating the environments was also weirdly challenging. I got lost in multiple areas in my previews, even with a responsive HUD and highlighted objective markers on the screen the whole time. The little yellow indicator was difficult to follow through maze-like settlements filled with similar-looking stalls, stairwells and hallways, and tracking objectives only got harder once blaster fights broke out. I never want to wonder where the hell I'm supposed to be going in the middle of intense combat, but Star Wars Outlaws served up this situation multiple times.UbisoftI enjoyed some sections of the game just fine, particularly the final mission that I played. On the icy planet Kijimi, I snuck into a protected, two-story ballroom on a mission to steal an object in the center of the space. Nix is always by Kay's side and he can be instructed to collect shinies, flip switches, and distract or attack enemies, and I made him do all of these things during this mission. The stealth mechanics in Star Wars Outlaws are straightforward - crouch to be sneaky - and enemies are generally oblivious unless you're directly in their line of sight. In rooms with two enemies, it's best to send Nix after one guard while silently taking down the other, and then finish off the attacked, disoriented foe as Nix scurries away. I employed this tactic to great success, and even once a blaster battle broke out anyway, I had a good time lobbing grenades and landing headshots in this level.My time on Kijimi gives me hope that maybe I just need a few uninterrupted hours with Star Wars Outlaws for the game to really click. I'm intrigued by its reputation system, where players can track their standing with various interstellar criminal networks, altering the level of access Kay will have with the associated areas and characters. Hacking doors and safes involves a screwdriver and a little rhythm game, and the process is satisfying every time. The speeder controls well and I'm stoked to try out some actual races once I practice a little more. Space battles are dizzying and perfectly serviceable. Nix is adorable in every situation. There's plenty to look forward to here, but I can't forget the frustration that's seemingly built into the climbing mechanics, grappling hook and nav system.UbisoftI'm concerned that Star Wars Outlaws has fallen victim to classic AAA bloat, offering a big universe of mediocre experiences, some of them half-functional and the rest lacking depth or innovation. In the game's previews, there are hints that this is the case. As always though, I'm prepared to be surprised.If I had advice for anyone interested in Star Wars Outlaws - and this still includes me, just barely - it would be this: Look up. Like way up.Star Wars Outlaws will hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on August 30.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/i-really-want-to-like-star-wars-outlaws-160032476.html?src=rss
Apple's AirPods Pro high-end earbuds are on sale via Amazon for just $180. That's a discount of nearly 30 percent and nearly matches a record-low price. This deal is for the most-recent second-generation device. There's a reason why these earbuds are the crown jewel of Apple's lineup. They are just that good. The AirPods Pro easily made our list of the best wireless earbuds. We called them a huge improvement over the previous models" and called out the stellar sound quality and active noise cancellation. The transparency mode is more natural-sounding than rival products and the new swipe gesture works better than one would think. We also heaped praise in our official review on the included charging case. We loved the built-in speaker, which helps locate the earbuds and alerts users to a low battery. The battery life is on-point, with six hours for the earbuds and 30 hours with repeated trips to the charging case. There's multipoint connectivity, IPX4 water-resistance and a simulated spatial audio. Did we mention they also sound fantastic, particularly for earbuds? On the downside, Apple loves money. The case features a lanyard loop, for instance, but it'll cost you $13 to get an official lanyard. The original price is also extremely high, at $250, though this deal alleviates some of that frustration. These aren't the only Apple earbuds currently on sale via Amazon. The regular third-gen AirPods are available for $130, instead of $170. Also, the second-gen OG AirPods are available for just $70, which is one heck of a deal. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-airpods-pro-are-on-sale-for-180-right-now-150952950.html?src=rss
It's the middle of summer for those of us in the northern hemisphere, which means many of us are getting out and about to make the most of the warm weather. But there's little worse than finding yourself mid-hike or with several more acts to go at a festival only to find your phone is out of juice. To help you stay in touch with friends and share envy-inducing photos on Instagram, you might need a portable charger, and a solid Anker options is currently on sale. The Anker 334 MagGo Battery with a 10,000mAh capacity is 21 percent off at $31.49. It typically costs $40. This model is a strong choice for iPhone users as it's MagSafe-compatible. According to Anker, you'll be able to charge an iPhone 15 Pro 1.7 times over and an iPhone 15 Pro Max 1.2 times thanks to its decently sized battery. The company also suggests that the power bank could add up to 22 hours of video playback time to an iPhone 14. The power bank delivers 7.5W of wireless charging. It's unlikely to easily budge from the back of your iPhone as it has 10N of magnetic force, which is more than Apple's own MagSafe charger. On the downside, you'll need a compatible device to use this. The Anker 334 MagGo Battery only works with the iPhone 12 and later models. If you have a case that isn't MagSafe-compatible, you'll need to remove that first too. In addition, wireless charging is slower than simply plugging your phone in, but that's perhaps less of a concern when you're off camping for a weekend. 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/you-can-snag-an-anker-10k-magsafe-power-bank-now-for-32-143426995.html?src=rss
If you're having a little trouble with Microsoft Office or Teams today, you're not alone. The company has reported some Azure-related issues that are preventing some users from accessing certain services. The problems started at around 8AM on Tuesday.Microsoft reported on a status page that "a subset of customers may experience issues connecting to Microsoft services globally." The company deployed several engineering teams to try and resolve the problem as swiftly as possible. "We've identified multiple workstreams and are working to mitigate impacted workstreams by performing failover operations," it said in a statement. "More details will be provided as they become available."For what it's worth, there was a significant spike in outage reports made to Down Detector on Tuesday morning for both Microsoft and Microsoft 365. Here's hoping the issue is resolved soon so you can rejoin Teams calls you never wanted to be on in the first place.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/some-microsoft-services-including-office-are-suffering-from-an-outage-142757596.html?src=rss
Our pick for the best budget MacBook is back at its all-time low price. Right now, you can get the 13-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip for its Prime Day price of $799, down from $999. The deal is available on the 256GB models in Silver, Space Gray or Starlight, but doesn't include AppleCare+. We dubbed this MacBook Air a "near-perfect Mac" when it debuted in 2022, giving it a 96 in our review. Some of the features that stood out to us included the M2 chip, which has eight CPU cores and up to 10 GPU cores. Apple might be up to the M4 chip now, but if you're looking for a device that can do all the basics without struggling, then an M2 is plenty strong enough. Apple's 2022 MacBook Air also offers a Liquid Retina Display with a 60Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. The entire device is also slimmer and sleeker than its predecessor. Plus, it has a quad-speaker system, compatibility with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio and a three-mic array. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-m2-macbook-air-drops-back-down-to-a-record-low-of-799-135526109.html?src=rss
When people type a question into Perplexity, the two-year-old search engine scours the internet and uses information from multiple sources, including online publishers, to synthesize an answer using AI. Soon, Perplexity will start sharing revenue with some publishers as part of an advertising platform it plans to launch around the end of September, the company announced on Tuesday.The initiative, known as the Perplexity Publishers' Program, comes less than two months after the San Francisco-based startup backed by investors like Jeff Bezos and NVIDIA, and valued at $3 billion, came under fire from Forbes, Wired, and Conde Nast for allegedly scraping content without permission and ignoring robots.txt, a type of file that websites use to block page-crawling bots.Perplexity's initial partners include TIME, Fortune, The Texas Tribune, Der Spiegel and Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. It's not clear exactly how much revenue Perplexity will share with publishers. Dmitry Shevelenko, the company's chief business officer, declined to reveal numbers but told Engadget that it would be a meaningful double-digit percentage shared back with the publishers that contributed source input to the answer." He also said that the partnership would extend across multiple years without specifying how many. What this wasn't, Shevelenko insisted repeatedly, was a response to the critical press coverage in the last few months. We've been talking to publishers since January," he claimed. No aspect of this program is reactive to these recent accusations."For months, publishers around the world have been concerned about the potential of AI-powered search engines and chatbots to decimate traffic by simply sucking up their content and using it to provide people with answers directly instead of having to actually visit their websites. Google has followed suit too - the company now sources answers from search results and displays AI-generated versions at the top of the page. But so far, it doesn't compensate publishers.[Our revenue share] is certainly a lot more than Google's revenue share with publishers, which is zero," Shevelenko said. The idea here is that we're making a long-term commitment. If we're successful, publishers will also be able to generate this ancillary revenue stream." Perplexity, he pointed out, was the first AI-powered search engine to include citations to sources when it launched in August 2022, although the company reportedly redesigned its user interface to show them more prominently after being called out by Forbes in June.AI companies like OpenAI have struck deals with major publishers including TIME, News Corp, Vox, Axel Springer, the Financial Times and others to use their content to train AI models, writing checks ranging from $5 million to $250 million. Perplexity's revenue-sharing program, however, is different: instead of writing publishers large checks, Perplexity plans to share revenue each time the search engine uses their content in one of its AI-generated answers. The search engine has a Related" section at the bottom of each answer that currently shows follow-up questions that users can ask the engine. When the program rolls out, Perplexity plans to let brands pay to show specific follow-up questions in this section. Shevelenko told Engadget that the company is also exploring more ad formats such as showing a video unit at the top of the page. The core idea is that we run ads for brands that are targeted to certain categories of query," he said.PerplexityThis makes sense for Perplexity because it does not train its own AI models. Instead, it lets users choose from leading AI models like OpenAI's GPT-4o, Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Meta's Llama 3.1 to summarize answers from the web. It's very simple," Shelevenko said, if we're making money and a publisher's content was used on that ad impression, the publisher will get a cut of that revenue."But without knowing how much percentage of ad revenue Perplexity plans to split with publishers, it's unclear whether the move will help publishers make up for any revenue lost due to declining traffic as AI-generated search engines and chatbots become more popular. And breaking into an online advertising business dominated by Google and Meta isn't easy. Setting up an ads business takes time," Toshit Panigrahi, founder of Tollbit, a startup that lets publishers monetize content by offering it to AI companies for a fee they can set themselves, told Engadget. Publishers are expected to hand over content today in the hopes that Perplexity sets up a successful ads business and cuts them in."Shevelenko refused to comment on the recent controversies that Perplexity has been involved in with publishers but acknowledged that onboarding them had become harder in the last few months. Some [of our conversations] were in a great place," he said, and then the bad press hit and then they kind of, you know raised more questions."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/perplexity-will-put-ads-in-its-ai-search-engine-and-share-revenue-with-publishers-130052289.html?src=rss
Tesla has issued a recall on 1.8 million vehicles across the United States, Reuters reports, a sizeable number even for a company that is no stranger to this turn of events. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the recall due to a risk of software failure to notify individuals of a detached hood.A hood that isn't properly secured could detach while a person is driving and block their view. Tesla has issued an over-the-air software update that should fix the issue. The recall is on select Model 3, Model S and Model X vehicles from 2021 to 2024. It also impacts Model Y vehicles from 2020-2024.This year has already seen a range of Tesla recalls. In January, 200,000 cars were recalled because of a malfunctioning backup camera, and in February, the number beat even this recall, with two million vehicles flagged for too small warning light text. May saw 125,000 vehicles with seatbelt issues, and June brought faulty windshield wipers and trim for 12,000 of Tesla's Cybertrucks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-recalls-18-million-vehicles-over-risk-of-detached-hoods-140049560.html?src=rss
NASA TV is shutting down in August. The space agency is saying goodbye to its cable channel, which is available on Dish, DirecTV and similar services, as well as on local television providers. Going forward, it will put all its focus on NASA+, its on-demand streaming service that will serve as home to all its documentaries and live event coverage.NASA+ has apparently gained four times more viewership than the agency's traditional cable channel since it was launched in November last year. "In a universe where the way we consume information is rapidly changing, NASA+ is helping us inspire and connect with our current generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation," said Marc Etkind from NASA's Office of CommunicationThe agency's streaming service is completely free and doesn't have ads. Viewers can access it via the official NASA app for iOS and Android when they're on mobile devices, but they can also get the agency's app for Roku, Apple TV or Fire TV if they want to watch on a bigger screen. To watch NASA's coverage and shows on a computer, users can visit the official NASA+ website on their browsers.In addition to announcing its cable channel's closure, NASA has also revealed its upcoming lineup for new shows, episodes and live event coverage. One of the upcoming documentaries entitled Planetary Defenders tackles humanity's efforts at asteroid detection and planetary defense, while Our Alien Earth will show NASA scientists' field work in the most extreme environments all over the world to aid in the discovery of extraterrestrial life in the universe.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasa-will-shut-down-nasa-tv-on-cable-to-focus-on-nasa-120015334.html?src=rss
In a fireside chat on Monday between NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the SIGGRAPH 2024, the latter dropped the f-bomb. After exchanging leather jackets (apparently two billionaires can't get custom-made jackets that fit), the two talked about the future of AI, chatbots and open large language models. Zuckerberg launched into a lengthy rant about his frustrations with closed" ecosystems, like Apple's App Store. None of that is new - the Meta founder has been feuding with Apple for years.Zuckerberg, decked out in the aforementioned leather jacket and chain, said: There have been too many things that I've tried to build and have been told nah, you can't really build that' by the platform provider that, at some level, I'm just like, nah, fuck that.'"It's the latest public step along his rebrand/ midlife crisis/bit of both. MMA training, Carthage must die" tees and rebellious banter all have more than a whiff of Succession's Kendall Roy.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedBorder agents can't search cellphones of NYC visitors without a warrant, court rulesInstagram creators can now make AI doppelgangers to chat with their followersGoogle's first cross-device sharing features for Android now rolling outYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Apple Intelligence is here, as part of the iOS 18.1 developer betaBut not all the features.It's always fun to do a 180 on a newsletter from the day before. Apple's long-awaited take on artificial intelligence is, well, rolling out. Whoops.The developer betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 just dropped, and they include some of the first Apple Intelligence features. If you have Apple developer accounts, you can update software and go into settings to see a new option for Apple Intelligence. There, you'll have to join a waitlist, but it shouldn't take longer than a few hours.The update includes writing tools for proofreading, rewriting or summarizing text. You'll also gain the ability to create Memories in the redesigned Photos app, as well as transcribe live calls in the Phone app. Features not yet available are Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration, Cleanup in Photos and upgraded Siri.Continue reading.Samsung Galaxy Flip 6 reviewA slightly better foldable for everyoneEngadgetNow there's more foldable competition than ever, how does Samsung's latest flip-phone fare? While Z Flip 6's design has remained largely the same, Samsung made several under-the-hood upgrades this year, with improved battery life and cameras. It makes the best case yet for mainstream foldables, but the company could do more, especially in using the secondary front screen. That said, the new AI features are a lot of fun.Continue reading.Sony made an adorable Astro Bot PS5 controllerThe touchpad has eyes.SonySony announced a themed PS5 DualSense controller to coincide with its incoming Astro Bot game. The game, like the VR title before it, taps into all the tricks and features of the DualSense controller, so the collab is a no-brainer in a lot of ways. It costs $80 and ships September 6, the same day as the game.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-mark-zuckerberg-is-surprisingly-angry-about-closed-platforms-115711926.html?src=rss
There's nothing quite like getting into the zone during a run, and for many of us, the right soundtrack is a requirement. Whether you need classic rock, reggaeton or an immersive audiobook to properly settle into your morning jog, you'll get the best listening experience if you have the best running headphones that suit your style and needs. But not all wireless workout headphones are created equally, and runners need to consider specific needs before investing in a pair like how long your runs are, what type of music or other audio you prefer listening to and how much you want to block out the world during a session. If you're just getting into a new running routine and need a pair of headphones that can keep up, or you're a seasoned pro looking for an upgrade, you've come to the right place. We've tested more than a dozen pairs to come up with our top picks for the best headphones for running and help you decide which is right for you.
In his two decades running the company now known as Meta, Mark Zuckerberg has gone through many transformations. More recently, he's been showing off a seemingly less filtered version of himself. But during a live streamed conversation with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, the Meta CEO seemed to veer a little more off script than he intended.The conversation began normally enough, with the two billionaire executives congratulating each other on their AI dominance. Zuckerberg made sure to talk up the company's recent AI Studio announcement before settling into his usual talking points, which recently have included pointed criticism of Apple.Zuckerberg then launched into a lengthy rant about his frustrations with closed" ecosystems like Apple's App Store. None of that is particularly new, as the Meta founder has been feuding with Apple for years. But then Zuckerberg, who is usually quite controlled in his public appearances, revealed just how frustrated he is, telling Huang that his reaction to being told no" is fuck that."I mean, this is sort of selfish, but, you know, after building this company for awhile, one of my things for the next 10 or 15 years is like, I just want to make sure that we can build the fundamental technology that we're going to be building social experiences on, because there just have been too many things that I've tried to build and then have just been told nah you can't really build that by the platform provider,' that at some level I'm just like, nah, fuck that,'" Zuckerberg said.There goes our broadcast opportunity," Huang said. Sorry," Zuckerberg said. Get me talking about closed platforms, and I get angry."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mark-zuckerberg-says-fck-that-to-closed-platforms-235700788.html?src=rss
The next time you DM a creator on Instagram, you might get a reply from their AI. Meta is starting to roll out its AI Studio, a set of tools that will allow Instagram creators to make an AI persona that can answer questions and chat with their followers and fans on their behalf.The company first introduced AI Studio at its Connect event last fall but it only recently began to test creator-made AIs with a handful of prominent Instagrammers. Now, Meta is making the tools available to more US-based creators and giving the rest of its users the chance to experiment with specialized AI characters."According to Meta, the new creator AIs are meant to address a long-running issue for Instagram users with large followings: it can be nearly impossible for the service's most popular users to keep up with the flood of messages they receive every day. Now, though, they'll be able to make an AI that functions as an extension of themselves," says Connor Hayes, who is VP of Product for AI Studio at Meta.These creators can actually use the comments that they've made, the captions that they've made, the transcripts of the Reels that they've posted, as well as any custom instructions or links that they want to provide ... so that the AI can answer on their behalf," Hayes tells Engadget.Mark Zuckerberg has suggested he has big ambitions for such chatbots. In a recent interview with Bloomberg he said he expects there will eventually be hundreds of millions" of creator-made AIs on Meta's apps. However, it's unclear if Instagram users will be as interested in engaging with AI versions of their favorite creators. Meta previously experimented with AI chatbots that took on the personalities of celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Kendall Jenner, but those characters" proved to be largely underwhelming.One thing that ended up being somewhat confusing for people was, am I talking to the celebrity that is embodying this AI, or am I talking to an AI and they're playing the character,'" Meta's Hayes says about the celebrity-branded chatbots. We think that going in this direction where the public figures can represent themselves, or an AI that's an extension of themselves, will be a lot clearer."MetaAI Studio isn't just for creators, though. Meta will also allow any user to create custom AI characters" that can chat about specific topics, make memes or offer advice. Like the creator-focused characters, these chatbots will be powered by Meta's new Llama 3.1 model. Users can share their chatbot creations and track how many people are using them, though they won't be able to view other users' interactions with them.The new chatbots are the latest way Meta has pushed its users to spend more time with its AI as it crams Meta AI into more and more places in its apps. But Meta AI has also at times struggled to relay accurate information In a blog post, Meta notes that it has policies and protections in place to keep people safe and help ensure AIs are used responsibly."Screenshots provided by the company show that chats with the new AI characters will also have a familiar disclaimer: Some messages generated by AI may be inaccurate or inappropriate."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-creators-can-now-make-ai-doppelgangers-to-chat-with-their-followers-220052768.html?src=rss
Don't call it AI, but Apple's long-awaited take on artificial intelligence is finally rolling out today. Well, in limited form, anyway. The developer betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 just dropped, and they include some of the first Apple Intelligence features available to a broader, public group of testers. To be clear, this isn't the full release that was rumored to be delayed till October. These updates are part of an early preview for developers to test.How to get the new Apple Intelligence featuresStarting today, those with Apple developer accounts will be able to update their software and go into their settings to see a new option for Apple Intelligence. There, you'll have to join a waitlist, though it shouldn't take longer than a few hours for you to gain access to the new features.It's important to note that you have to have either an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max to use the new Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18.1 developer beta, or an iPad or Mac with an M1 chip or newer for the iPadOS 18.1 preview. If your device and Siri's languages are not set to US English, you'll have to change them both to that before you can access the Apple Intelligence setting.You'll also be running software that might be unstable or buggy, so be sure to back up your device before installing the developer beta.What Apple Intelligence features are available now?Once you've been granted access, Apple will deliver a notification to your device. The new stuff you'll be able to play with in this version of the beta include writing tools for proofreading, rewriting or summarizing text. You'll also gain the ability to create Memories in the redesigned Photos app, as well as transcribe live calls in the Phone app (or audio in Notes). Apple Intelligence can produce summaries of those clips.Part of the redesigned Siri is also available, including the new glowing borders, the ability to type to the assistant and it being able to understand requests even if you've stuttered or interrupted yourself mid-speech.Features that aren't yet available are Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration, Cleanup in Photos and the personal context and in-app actions for Siri. More should arrive in future betas, and as a reminder the full, general release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia is expected later this year. Apple Intelligence features are slated to roll out in 2024 and over the course of the next year.Update, July 29 2024, 5:15PM ET: This story has been updated to include more details around what Apple Intelligence features are available in the developer beta, as well as required language settings.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-intelligence-is-here-as-part-of-the-ios-181-developer-beta-170836131.html?src=rss
Sony's currently prepping a Mario-like adventure game for PS5 that's inspired by its cute little Astro Bot mascot character. That title arrives on September 6 and looks like an absolute blast. Taking a page from Nintendo, the company also just announced a themed DualSense controller to commemorate the release. It's pretty dang adorable.The Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller is an homage to the titular bucket of bolts, who made his first appearance in a collection of VR minigames released back in 2013. Sony calls the controller a true work of art" and it's easy to see why. This thing is certainly purdy. There are a pair of robotic peepers right on the touchpad. The handles and buttons feature Astro Bot's signature blue accent.The company has also explained how the upcoming 3D platformer takes advantage of the DualSense controller's many features. The developer has increased the number of textures that players can feel through the controller via haptic feedback. The adaptive trigger response has been refined to take advantage of the protagonist's new powers. Sony describes being able to feel the thruster rattling" when using a jetpack, as an example.It says that every new power up in the game has been given that same special treatment." This includes the Dual Speeder gadget, which quite literally turns the controller into a motion-controlled spaceship. These new features are for all DualSense gamepads, and not just the one that looks like a robot.The themed controller costs $80 and ships the very same day as the game, on September 6. We played a demo of Astro Bot back in June and came away impressed. We said it feels fantastic" and that the whole thing is infused with childlike joy." Mario had better look out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-new-astro-bot-ps5-controller-is-pretty-dang-adorable-152727280.html?src=rss
Prime Day might be in the rearview mirror but July isn't done with sales on Apple products just yet. Amazon is running deals on different iPads, including Apple's 10th-generation iPad with 64GB. The device is back down to its all-time low price of $300, dropping from $349 - a 14 percent discount. The sale is available in every color option. Apple released the 10th-gen iPad in 2022, but it's still our favorite budget iPad on the market. We gave it an 85 in our review thanks to perks like its 10.9-inch screen and liquid retina display with a 2360p x 1640p resolution. Unlike many of Apple's more recent products, this iPad comes with an A14 chip rather than a M1 or higher. However, if you're only going to use it for things like watching videos or scrolling the web, then it should be more than enough power. The 10th-generation iPad isn't the only model discounted, with a range of iPads on sale. You can opt for the 2022 version's predecessor, the ninth-gen iPad, which is down to $249 from $329 - a 24 percent discount. Then there's Apple's 11-inch iPad Air with an M2 chip, $559 from $599. If you want to drop a lot of money on an iPad (and get a high-quality product in return), check out the 16 percent discount on Apple's 11-inch iPad Pro with an M4 chip. The top-of-the-line iPad is available for $1,350, down from $1,599. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-10th-gen-ipad-is-back-on-sale-for-300-151024717.html?src=rss
PlayStation 5 owners who have been on the fence about picking up the PlayStation VR2 now might be a little more tempted to do so. The virtual reality headset is on sale for $345, which is $205 off and the lowest price we've seen to date. The PS VR2, which debuted in early 2023, is one of the best headsets we've tested. We gave it a score of 84 in our review. The dual 2K OLED HDR displays are terrific and they deliver an effective resolution of 4K. It's comfortable to wear for extended periods, while the likes of eye tracking and haptic feedback are welcome inclusions. There are some significant drawbacks though. Games from the original PS VR aren't supported on the headset unless the developer has ported them over. The current library of PS VR2 titles is small too, and Sony has not announced any future first-party titles for the headset. That said, the company has started offering PS Plus users some PS VR2 games at no extra cost. And there's now another reason why the headset is starting to look more appealing, especially at this price. In August, Sony will enable PC support for the headset. That will open up a far wider range of experiences for PS VR2 owners who also have a capable gaming PC. The PC adapter will cost $60 and some features, such as haptic feedback and HDR, won't work. However, if you can stomach the trade offs, thousands of Steam VR games (including Half-Life: Alyx) await. 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/sonys-playstation-vr2-is-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-144941354.html?src=rss
A federal court has ruled that United States border agents cannot search cellphones without warrants in the Eastern District of New York. The decision applies to both US citizens and international visitors entering the region, which includes New York City, the most-visited site by overseas travelers.The case stems from a 2022 incident in which border agents manually searched the phone of a man named Kurbonali Sultanov at JFK Airport in New York. He initially refused and then handed over the device once agents said he had no choice. The phone was later searched more thoroughly with a warrant, but Sultanov moved to suppress evidence obtained during the initial search, claiming it violated his rights.Civil liberties groups backed the motion. "As the court recognizes, warrantless searches of electronic devices at the border are an unjustified intrusion into travelers' private expressions, personal associations, and journalistic endeavors - activities the First and Fourth Amendments were designed to protect," said Scott Wilkens, senior counsel at the Knight First Amendment Institute. The court didn't dismiss the evidence, however, claiming the border agents acted in good faith.The debate over whether border control agents can search electronic devices has raged for years. In 2017, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of 11 individuals who had their phones searched at the border.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/border-agents-cant-search-cellphones-of-nyc-visitors-without-a-warrant-court-rules-130231682.html?src=rss
Google is rolling out the two handy features first announced at I/O in May: Call casting and internet sharing. They're the first wave of the company's new "Cross-device services" that make it easier to hop between Android devices, 9to5Google reported.According to Google's help page, Call casting lets you switch video calls "from your device to another device with the same Google Account... for example, a video calling app may let you cast your call to another device and the app will show a list of your nearby devices that you can cast to." At the moment, this only works for Google Meet; to use it, you select the Cast button that looks exactly like the existing Cast/Chromecast icon).GoogleInternet sharing, meanwhile, lets you "automatically share hotspot access with your own devices," Google wrote. It works with Chromebooks and Android devices signed into your Google Account, provided you have Bluetooth and device location enabled. It doesn't work with Samsung devices, though, so Google suggests using the auto-hotspot feature instead.The new feature is currently on Android 11+ running Google Play services version 24.28.34. That's currently in beta, so we should see a wider rollout soon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-first-cross-device-sharing-features-for-android-now-rolling-out-123019094.html?src=rss
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip series has always tempted me more than the Z Fold. Maybe it's the flip-phone nostalgia taking hold; maybe it's the fact that I don't want to watch video inside a square; maybe it's simply the Z Flip's more palatable price. The Z Flip series has launched in tandem with the Z Fold for several years, but often with specifications that put it around the bottom of each flagship family, including the traditionally shaped Galaxy S family. That changes this year, with Samsung addressing some of the Z Flip 5's biggest shortcomings: battery life and middling cameras. It's a good thing too. As we mentioned in our Z Fold 6 review, there's more foldable competition than ever. In fact, in the face of Motorola's most recent foldables, while Samsung is doing something, is it enough? Design and display Image by Mat Smith/Engadget You'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference, visually, between the Z Flip 6 and last year's Z Flip 5, with only some minor design changes. The upgraded camera array now has a metal edge around each lens, and the sides are flatter this year, in line with the design of other 2024 Galaxy devices. There's alo a largely imperceptible reduction in thickness when the device is closed too, likely down to a newer hinge design. Compared to my year-old Z Flip 5, the crease seems once again even less visible this year. While and display sizes and resolutions remain the same, the main screen on the Z Flip 6 tops out at 2,600 nits, compared to the 1,750 nits of the Z Flip 5's display. Samsung claims this is its brightest foldable display yet, and it's more than enough to handle temperamental summer weather here in the UK. It's another crisp, smooth, beautiful flexible AMOLED. Image by Mat Smith/Engadget The Z Flip 6's cover display is the same size, brightness and resolution as its predecessor. Does it look as good as the Moto Razr 50 Ultra? In my opinion, no, but there's enough screen space to read notifications, frame your photos and even watch videos. Also, if you're worried about screen toughness on your new foldable, Samsung's new Z Assurance program is worth noting. It offers a free one-time replacement of Samsung's factory-installed screen protector on the Z Flip 6 and even a one-time discount on screen replacement if the very worst should happen. When it comes to utility, despite more widget support (and space for more of them), the Z Flip 6's Flex Window doesn't do enough. Notifications are still a swipe away, and the expansive screen (introduced last year) offers enough space to take selfies with the device without unfolding it. Samsung's software innovations, like AI-powered translation, take advantage of the dual-screen Z Flip 6, showing both parties what's being said. It's generally pretty accurate, and combining audio and text should help reduce misunderstandings and mistranslations. Galaxy AI powers new photography features tied to the cover display, too. AutoZoom takes at least some of the guesswork out of framing when setting up the Z Flip to take a timed photo or record video without direct supervision, and it works well, cramming in friends or cropping your surroundings to focus in on your group. Editing and modifying the Flex Window is still unnecessarily complicated. Other features are buried away in the Labs section of settings, and there are not enough widgets for a device on its fifth iteration. (Samsung never launched a Z Flip 2.) But, when other flip foldables offer a truncated version of your home screen, and can (with mixed success) run most apps, some new widgets aren't enough. Fortunately, Samsung's Labs settings can run a handful of apps on the cover screen, including YouTube, Netflix, WhatsApp, and Google Maps. It's a start, but if the cover display can handle streaming video, surely I could get a Kindle reading app, or a stripped-down version of Chrome. I wish Samsung had pushed it further. (There are some tools and apps to work around this, many Galaxy Z Flip users swear by Good Lock, but I don't want to have to work around this constraint.) The Z Flip 6 also gets a RAM upgrade this year, up to 12 gigs from 8GB last year. Like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and S24, it has a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and I didn't notice any performance issues during testing. Cameras Image by Mat Smith/Engadget The primary camera sensor on this year's Z Flip has finally been upgraded to 50 megapixels, putting it on par with this year's Galaxy S24. It's better, sure, but doesn't quite match the capabilities of leading camera phones like the Pixel 8 Pro, S24 Ultra, or iPhone 15 Pro. Pitting the Z Flip 6 against the Z Flip 5, I was surprised how often the images pretty much matched each other. Predictably, if I chose to shoot on the Z Flip 6 in full 50-megapixel stills, that offered more fidelity than the Z Flip 5. If I shot in 12MP on the Z Flip 6, there often was little difference between the two foldables. The newer phone was less prone to blowing out an entire image when everything was brightly lit. At the same time, it's more reliable in low-light situations, especially when you choose the 12MP setting, letting the phone process those extra pixels for a more detailed shot. The Z Flip 6 seemed more capable of pulling out finer detail, whether that was blades of grass or the soft outline of this patient dog. A bigger benefit of that bigger sensor is that the Z Flip 6 can zoom in by cropping the 50MP image to a 12MP one. You can capture a nice image at 2x and even 4x zoom, without a dedicated telephoto lens. Unsurprisingly, thanks to Samsung's processing, the higher-resolution sensors in the Z Flip 6 perform better in low light than last year's model. Samsung's imaging processing occasionally got a little too aggressive, with clothing and skylines often marred by crinkly lines and artifacts. It's not really a leap beyond the Z Flip 5's cameras, but it wasn't a terrible imaging setup in the first place. This form factor ensures that you're using these high-resolution cameras for any selfies or video calls, meaning nothing else comes close in quality. Galaxy AI features come to foldables Samsung's Galaxy AI software lands on its foldables this year, and the company continues adding and refining. Alongside Chat Assist for writing texts and emails, the fantastic Google Circle to Search is here, making it easier to investigate practically anything you're looking at on your phone. It's the camera features I've been most impressed with - and were pretty much the only Galaxy AI tricks I used with any regularity. Samsung's improved AI photo editing tools are easy to use and right where you need them to be. Once you open a photo, you tap on Samsung's AI sparkle icon, and select objects by circling them. You can then delete your selection or move it into a better position and, with another tap of the AI button, let Samsung's AI fill in the gaps. In complete contrast to the laborious widget menus and settings for the front display, it's so easy to use and does what you want it to. After your AI nips and tucks, there's a view original' button to compare your images. Then there's Sketch to image, a delightful distraction. Making a few cursory lines, or attempt to draw something specific, and Galaxy AI will generate an object and apply it to your photo, often in a photo-realistic way. Sometimes, it even nails it. Image by Mat Smith/Engadget Galaxy phones will add an AI-generated content" watermark, but the bigger signs of AI objects and editing were scale (hi, giant goose), blurry outlines or the rules of physics. I was surprised at how capable Sasmung's image generation was. Sketching a ghost (successfully!) behind a mesh barrier generated my spook behind the barrier. It would also apply appropriate light shading and shadows for some uncannily accurate results. That dog picture earlier? There was no ball there. Also: multiple photorealistic white hats. It was a shame I couldn't change the color of these items, or offer some text-based guidance to recognize my scribbles. It's a gimmick, sure, but it's a good one. I'm still using it a lot, days later. It's a lot of fun. Not all the AI features are that successful: Portrait Studio will automatically detect images of people and offer multiple AI-generated drawings/ sketches and 3D renders, all of which make me look like all the other white male tech journalists who wear glasses. Which is harsh, but fair. Battery life: Better, not great The Z Flip 6 packs a bigger 4,000mAh battery, and the Z Flip series' biggest weakness has been lasting an entire day, especially under heavy use. The Z Flip 6 scrapes through here. Using it as my main phone, it always lasted through a day of heavy use, with around 10 percent left at around 10PM. I would still keep a charger on me, anxious that I might not make it through an evening. On our video rundown test, it lasted over 13 hours of playback on the main screen. Sadly, the frustratingly slow charge speed is still here. The Z Flip 6 can charge up to 25W, and after years of higher charge rates, I felt it took its time to recharge. From empty, it took two hours to top up fully. For comparison, the S24 Ultra can charge at up to 45W, and the Pixel 8 Pro can charge at up to 40W. I think this would also be less of an issue if I weren't worried about the Z Flip 6's battery going the distance. Foldables have typically taken lower power input over the years, likely due to how battery cells are arranged inside a foldable device. However, if the 2024 Motorola Razr+ can handle 45W, why can't the Z Flip 6? Wrap-up Image by Mat Smith/Engadget Samsung's Z Flip series remains the most realistic flagship option when pitted against the smartphone slab status quo. The latest model is satisfying to use and satisfying to fold away and slip into a pocket. The Z Flip 6 also has better cameras, improved battery life and comes with all the Galaxy AI features that are shaping up to be Samsung's smartphone USP. Perhaps this focus on AI meant that the cover display has barely evolved since last year's Z Flip - especially frustrating when the Z Flip 6 costs $100 more than its predecessor. While you can tap into experimental features to enable YouTube playback and Google Maps access, it's a little underwhelming, especially when rivals like Motorola have proved that more is possible on a foldable's secondary screen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-flip-6-review-a-slightly-better-foldable-aimed-at-everyone-120041523.html?src=rss
There are so many songs and trends floating around on TikTok that it can be hard to keep track of them. If you're open to singing - or at least humming - a little tune, that might change. TikTok has started rolling out a new feature called "Sound Search" that allows you to hum, sing or play a song, and the platform will show you the tune and videos that use it, TechCrunch reports.That last point sets it apart from YouTube, which lets you search for a song in the same way but doesn't pull up videos that have it. It's also ahead of the long-standing Shazam, which requires you to play the real song rather than hum a few bars to identify it.TikTok's Sound Search, however, does seem to work better when a song is more popular on the app. In some instances, singing lyrics might show, instead, a video about a topic or word mentioned instead of the actual song. The new feature is accessible by going to the search bar, clicking the microphone and picking Sound Search. Currently, Sound Search is only available to a small group of users in select areas.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktoks-sound-search-lets-you-find-videos-by-humming-or-singing-120029367.html?src=rss
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple Intelligence may not be part of September's public releases of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.According to Gurman, Apple is planning to introduce Apple Intelligence with iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, out by October. It's not all bad news: The betas for these - with some of the AI features - will reportedly be ready for developers as soon as this week.It's a bit of a disappointment, though - just like my experience with the early beta of iOS 18. A lot of the most exciting software features teased seem to require the might of Apple Intelligence.When the company's take on AI does finally arrive, it may not offer everything teased at WWDC: An AI-powered Siri should arrive later.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedElon Musk shared a doctored Harris campaign video on X You can date everything in Date Everything!Amazon drops the first teaser for its upcoming Yakuza video game adaptationSome sex toy businesses might not survive Etsy's new seller policiesYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Samsung Galaxy Ring reviewA bit basic, a bit pricey.EngadgetSamsung's new product category has arrived: Lightweight, comfortable and with a surprisingly rich trove of health metrics and data, it's an impressive debut. No subscription also puts it ahead of the existing competition. It's still a little pricey, however. Read on for our full review.Continue reading.ISPs are fighting to raise the price of low-income broadbandCompanies argue $30 broadband is impossible.A new government program is distributing federal funds through states to encourage internet service providers (ISPs) to offer lower rates for lower-income customers.However, a letter sent to US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo signed by more than 30 broadband industry trade groups, such as ACA Connects and the Fiber Broadband Association, raises both a sense of alarm and urgency" about their ability to participate in the program. It claims a fixed rate of $30 per month for high-speed internet access is completely unmoored from the economic realities of deploying and operating networks in the highest-cost, hardest-to-reach areas."Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-intelligence-may-not-arrive-with-ios-18-112000779.html?src=rss
Finding the right computer monitor is already hard enough, but as soon as you decide to go for one that's designed for gaming, a whole host of new considerations come into the equation. Should you go for an LCD or OLED monitor? What about the differences between NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync? How about refresh rates? Those are just some of the questions this guide aims to answer. In the process, my hope is to help you find the best gaming monitor for your budget. Best gaming monitors for 2024 How we test gaming monitors While I've not used every product recommended in our list, I have extensively tested dozens of gaming monitors in the past, including models with WOLED and QD-OLED panels. In the case of the Alienware monitor highlighted above, I bought one for myself with my own money. Separately, I spent dozens of hours over a two-year period researching gaming monitors to write the current version of this guide. Factors to consider before buying a gaming monitor LCD vs OLED When shopping for a gaming monitor, you first need to decide if you want to go with a screen that has an LCD or OLED panel. For most people, that choice will come down to price: OLED gaming monitors are more expensive than their LCD counterparts. Even if money isn't a concern, the choice might not be as straightforward as you think; both LCD and OLED panels come in a few different flavors and knowing the differences between each type is important to making an informed decision. To start, LCD monitors come in three different varieties: twisted nematic (TN), vertical alignment (VA) or in-plane switching (IPS). For the most part, you want to avoid TN monitors unless you're strapped for cash or want a monitor with the fastest possible refresh rate. TN screens feature the worst viewing angles, contrast ratios and colors of the group. The differences between VA and IPS panels are more subtle. Historically, VA gaming monitors featured slower pixel response times than their TN and IPS counterparts, leading to unsightly image smearing. However, that's improved in recent years. VA panels also frequently sport better contrast ratios than both TN and IPS screens. They're not dramatically better than their IPS siblings on that front, but when contrast ratios aren't an inherent strength of LCDs, every bit helps. On the other hand, IPS panels excel at color accuracy and many offer refresh rates and response times that are as fast as the fastest TN panels. The majority of LCD gaming monitors on the market today feature IPS panels, though you will frequently find VA screens on ultrawide monitors. All about OLED If you can afford one, OLED screens make for the best gaming monitors. The ability of organic light-emitting diodes to produce true blacks is transformational; every game looks better when there isn't a backlight to wash out shadow detail. What's more, with an OLED screen, you can experience true HDR, something that LCDs aren't known for. In 2024, OLED screens come in two different flavors: WOLED and QD-OLED, with LG producing the former and Samsung the latter. I won't bore you with the technical details of how the two panel types differ from one another other than to note both technologies broadly offer the same set of shortcomings. Most notably, OLED monitors don't get very bright. At best, the most capable models peak at around 250 nits when measuring brightness across the entire screen. In my testing, I didn't find this was an issue, but your experience may vary depending on the ambient light in your gaming room. If brightness is important to you, note that due to manufacturer tunings, different models can perform better than others, even if they feature the same panel from LG or Samsung. So it's worth comparing monitors in the same class to find the model that's right for you. Separately, almost all OLED screens feature sub-pixel layouts that produce text fringing in Windows. The latest generation of OLED panels from both LG and Samsung are much better in this regard, to the point where I would say modern OLEDs are good enough for reading and image editing. However, it's still worth going to your local Micro Center or Best Buy to see the model you want in person, as the text fringing issue is hard to capture in photos and videos. Another (potentially more serious) issue is burn-in. Organic light-emitting diodes can get stuck" if they display the same image for long periods of time. Every OLED gaming monitor you can buy in 2024 comes with features designed to prevent burn-in and other image retention issues. Provided you don't use your new OLED monitor for eight hours of daily productivity work, you likely won't need to worry about burn-in too much. Screen size, resolution and aspect ratio After deciding where you fall on the LCD vs OLED debate, you can start thinking about the size of your future gaming monitor. Personal preference and the limitations of your gaming space will play a big part here, but there are also a few technical considerations. You should think about size in conjunction with resolution and aspect ratio. A 1440p monitor has 78 percent more pixels than a 1080p screen, and a 4K display has more than twice as many pixels as a QHD panel. As the size of a monitor increases, pixel density decreases unless you also increase resolution. For that reason, there tend to be sweet spots between size and resolution. For instance, I wouldn't recommend buying a FHD monitor that is larger than 24-inches or a QHD one bigger than 27 inches. Conversely, text and interface elements on a 4K monitor can look tiny without scaling on panels smaller than 32 inches. You also need to consider the performance costs of running games at higher resolutions. The latest entry-level GPUs can comfortably run most modern games at 1080p and 60 frames per second. They can even render some competitive titles at 120 frames per second and higher - but push them to run those same games at 1440p and beyond, and you're bound to run into problems. And as you'll see in a moment, a consistently high frame rate is vital to getting the most out of the latest gaming monitors. If your budget allows for it, 1440p offers the best balance between visual clarity and gaming performance. As for 1080p and 4K, I would only consider the former if you're on a tight budget or you exclusively play competitive shooters like Valorant and Overwatch 2. For most people, the user experience and productivity benefits of QHD far outweigh the performance gains you get from going with a lower resolution screen. Previously, I would have said 4K was not a viable resolution for PC gaming, but then NVIDIA came out with its 40 series GPUs. With those video cards offering the company's DLSS 3 frame generation technology, there's a case to be made that the technology is finally there to play 4K games at a reasonable frame rate, particularly if you exclusively play big, AAA single-player games like Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077, or enjoy strategy games like the Total War series. However, even with frame generation, you will need a GPU like the $999 RTX 4080 Super or $1,599 RTX 4090 to drive a 4K display. Plus, 4K gaming monitors tend to cost more than their 1440p counterparts. If you want an ultrawide, note that not every game supports the 21:9 aspect ratio and fewer still support 32:9. When shopping for a curved monitor, a lower Radius, or R' number, indicates a more aggressive curve. So, a 1000R monitor is more curved than an 1800R one. Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget Refresh rates and response times And now for the fun stuff. The entire reason to buy a gaming monitor is for their ability to draw more images than a traditional PC display. As you shop for a new screen, you will see models advertising refresh rates like 120Hz, 240Hz and 360Hz. The higher the refresh rate of a monitor, the more times it can update the image it displays on screen every second, thereby producing a smoother moving image. When it comes to games like Overwatch, Valorant and League of Legends, a faster refresh rate can give you a competitive edge, but even immersive single-player games can benefit. A monitor with a 360Hz refresh rate will look better in motion than one with a 240Hz or 120Hz refresh rate, but there are diminishing returns. At 60Hz, the image you see on your monitor is updated every 16.67ms. At 120Hz, 240Hz and 360Hz, the gap between new frames shortens to 8.33ms, 4.17ms and 2.78ms, respectively. Put another way, although a 360Hz monitor can display 50 percent more frames than a 240Hz screen in a given time period, you will only see a speedup of 1.14ms between frame intervals. And all that depends on your GPU's ability to render a consistent 360 frames per second. Ultimately, a fast monitor will do you no good if you don't have a graphics card that can keep up. For example, with a 1440p 360Hz monitor, you realistically need a GPU like the RTX 4070 Super or RTX 4080 Super to saturate that display while playing competitive games like Overwatch 2 and Valorant. There's also more to motion clarity than refresh rates alone. Just as important are response times, or the amount of time it takes for pixels to transition from one color to another and then back again. Monitors with slow response times tend to produce smearing that is distracting no matter what kind of game you're playing. Unfortunately, response times are also one of the more opaque aspects of picking the best gaming monitor for your needs. Many LCD monitor manufacturers claim their products feature 1ms gray-to-gray (GtG) response times, yet they don't handle motion blur to the same standard. One of the reasons for that is that many companies tend to cherry pick GtG results that make their monitors look better on paper. In 2022, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) created a new certification program to address that problem, but the grading system is unwieldy and, as far as I can tell, hasn't had a lot of pickup from manufacturers. For now, your best bet is to turn to resources like Rtings and Monitors Unboxed when shopping for a new gaming monitor. Both outlets conduct extensive testing of every screen they review, and present their findings and recommendations in a way that's easy to understand. FreeSync vs G-Sync No matter how powerful your system, it will sometimes fail to maintain a consistent framerate. In fact, you should expect frame rate fluctuations when playing graphically-intensive games like Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077. For those moments, you want a gaming display with adaptive sync. Otherwise, you can run into screen tearing. Adaptive sync technologies come in a few flavors. The two you're most likely to encounter are AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync, and each has its own set of performance tiers. With G-Sync, for instance, they are - from lowest to highest - G-Sync Compatible, G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate. The good news is that you don't need to think too much about which adaptive sync technology a display supports. In the early days of the tech, it was rare to see a gaming monitor that offered both FreeSync and G-Sync, since including the latter meant a manufacturer had to equip their display with a dedicated processor from NVIDIA. That changed in 2019 when the company introduced its G-Sync Compatible certification. In 2023, if a monitor supports FreeSync, it is almost certainly G-Sync Compatible too, meaning you can enjoy tear-free gaming whether you're using an AMD or NVIDIA GPU. In fact, I would go so far as to say you shouldn't make your purchasing decision based on the level of adaptive sync performance a monitor offers. As of the writing of this guide, the list of G-Sync Ultimate-certified displays is less than two dozen models long, and some are a few years old now. Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget Inputs Almost every gaming display on the market right now comes with at least one DisplayPort 1.4 connection, and that's the port you will want to use to connect your new monitor to your graphics card. If you own a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, it's also worth looking out for monitors that come with HDMI 2.1 ports, as those will allow you to get the most out of your current generation console. A word about HDR As fast and responsive gaming monitors have become in recent years, there's one area where progress has been frustratingly slow: HDR performance. The majority of gaming monitors currently on sale, including most high-end models, only meet VESA's DisplayHDR 400 certification. As someone who has owned one such monitor, let me tell you right now it's not even worth turning on HDR on those screens. You will only be disappointed. The good news is that things are getting better, albeit slowly. The release of Windows 11 did a lot to improve the state of HDR on PC, and more games are shipping with competent HDR modes, not just ones that increase the brightness of highlights. Unfortunately, if you want a proper HDR experience on PC, you will likely need to shell out for an OLED monitor. Gaming monitor FAQs Are curved monitors better for gaming? It depends on personal preference. Many manufactures claim curved monitors offer a more immersive gaming experience due to the way the display wraps around your field of vision. However, I find the edge distortion distracting, particularly when you increase the field of view in a game. Try one for yourself to see if you like the effect. What aspect ratio should I look for in a gaming monitor? The short answer is either 16:9 or 21:9. The long answer is that the vast majority of 24-, 27- and 32-inch gaming monitors feature 16:9 aspect ratio panels, and that's been the case for many years. In fact, nearly every game made in the last two decades supports 16:9 resolutions such as 1,920 x 1,080 and 2,560 x 1,440. And if you buy a standard sized monitor, you won't need to worry about letterboxing. In the case of ultrawides, 21:9 is the most common aspect ratio, with some very wide models sporting 32:9 panels. Among games, support for 21:9 and 32:9 resolutions is far from universal, so don't be surprised if a game doesn't fill the entirety of your screen. Still, if you're set on an ultrawide, it's a small price to pay for the extra screen real estate. Is OLED good for gaming? Yes, OLED monitors are excellent for gaming. Not only do they offer excellent motion clarity and input latency, but they're also easily the best displays for HDR gaming. If money is no object, and you primarily use your PC for gaming, you can't go wrong with an OLED monitor. How much does a good gaming monitor cost? While you could easily spend more than $1,000 to obtain the best gaming monitor on the market now, the reality is that the budget and midrange categories have never been more competitive. In 2015, I spent $500 CAD to buy a 1080p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and TN panel. The $110 AOC model I highlight above is not only cheaper than my first gaming monitor, it features a faster 180 Hz refresh rate and a higher contrast VA panel.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-gaming-monitor-140008940.html?src=rss
Simply Elegant Glass has been selling hand-crafted sex toys on Etsy for nearly a decade. In that time, the shop has made over 7,000 sales and racked up more than 1,500 mostly five-star reviews. The Etsy shop - which offers glass dildos, anal plugs and other insertable items - drives the majority of the small business' overall sales. But as of Monday July 29, the bulk of the shop's catalog won't be allowed on the marketplace anymore under Etsy's new restrictions around sex toys.The Adult Nudity and Sexual Content policy, which was quietly published at the end of June to the platform's House Rules," states that Etsy prohibits the sale of adult toys that are: inserted into the body; applied to the genitalia; designed for genitals to be inserted into them." Among other things, it specifically forbids vendors from selling dildos, vibrators, anal plugs, sex dolls and fleshlights." The policy update, spotted first by Mashable, came in tandem with a community forum post by Etsy's head of Trust & Safety, Alice Wu Paulus, who wrote that it was designed to reflect evolving industry standards and best practices so that we can continue to keep our users safe."The note about the impending change said Etsy would, in the coming weeks, communicate directly with sellers who may need to update their listing images to be compliant." Enforcement would begin on July 29, it said, and non-compliant listings would be removed. But up to three weeks after the new policy was published online, sellers that spoke to Engadget said they were never contacted directly by Etsy. All of them found out about the ban through social media or other means.Etsy did not answer specific questions about the reasons behind its decision when contacted by Engadget, but a spokesperson said the change will only affect a very small percentage of the platform's overall seller community. The only explanation stated in the policy change itself notes that the site wants to ensure content is appropriate for a wide audience."It's been received as the final nail in the coffin for many adult-oriented businesses on Etsy. Multiple sellers described the preceding years to Engadget as a fight to exist and succeed on the platform. And with no alternative marketplace for handmade products currently operating at Etsy's scale, it feels as though the only venue for finding such items has been essentially deleted off the internet," said Andy, a glassblower for Simply Elegant Glass who chose to share only their first name.If I want to find products that are handmade - unless I knew of their existence beforehand through Etsy - finding them is incredibly difficult," Andy said. They said they found advertising on Google to be prohibitively expensive," and products from small businesses are often buried in search results. If a person were just searching by product type, I don't think you would be able to find [Simply Elegant Glass] on Google," Andy said.Simply Elegant Glass launched its own website a few years ago and recently migrated to Shopify in an effort to shift away from its reliance on Etsy, but said in a recent post on X that even still, most of our traffic originates from Etsy searches."As they see it, Andy said the platform has trended toward allowing more dubious sellers, people who do not actually make the toys, dropshippers" and shops that would otherwise seem to fly in the face of [Etsy's] policies." Dropshipping is an increasingly common practice in which businesses sell products they don't actually make or even keep in stock themselves - instead, they source these items from a third-party supplier once they've received the orders, and the suppliers will ship them to the customers. Etsy has said that dropshipping is not allowed on the platform under most circumstances, but dropshippers have still found a way.In addition to sex toys, Etsy's new policy prohibits the sale of all pornography, including vintage Playboy magazines and any photographs or photo-realistic depictions of sex acts and genitalia. Non-realistic artworks featuring sex acts or genitalia may be permitted, but only under certain conditions: if sex acts are shown, there can be no visible genitalia; if genitalia are shown, there can't be any sexual context." Any materials that feature a combination of familial and sexual terms, e.g., slogans such as Daddy's slut' or Choke me Mommy,'" are out, too. Etsy will, however, continue to allow certain sexual accessories, like some BDSM gear and sex furniture.Sellers that spoke to Engadget questioned why Etsy couldn't solve issues of safety with methods other than a ban, like creating a designated adult-only section to keep these materials from popping up in inappropriate places.The marketplace is one that sellers and shoppers alike have come to rely on for bespoke sex products. Etsy is really the only place you can go that I know of to support small business/makers in the alternative product world," Alissa Milano, an Etsy patron who has purchased sex and kink products on the platform, told Engadget in a DM.On top of discoverability, the intuitive user interface makes it easy for shops to create listings and offer customization options, and it gives potential buyers a way to get in touch with a seller if they have any questions before placing an order. I talk to most of the customers," said Daniel Tyler, who runs the UK-based adult site Secret Kink, and sells on Etsy under the name of SecretLatex. Often, he says, they want little changes here and there. If you're buying on Amazon, you won't get that." And because it costs so little to list products on Etsy - $.20 per listing - it's probably the most accessible place to sell something," said Chelsea Downs, founder of New York Toy Collective. Emerging indie marketplaces like Spicerack that are trying to provide a better option for sellers in the adult space are a promising development, but they don't yet have the reach or name recognition of Etsy.Even before the ban, though, adult product sellers say they've grappled with account suspensions and seemingly arbitrary listings removals, despite their best efforts to comply with Etsy's existing rules around mature items. Or, their shops would plummet in the search ranks and be unable to climb back up. It just gets worse and worse and worse," said Downs, who notes that her shop's sales on the platform are not nearly what they once were.Tyler says his Etsy shop was banned about six or seven years back for unknown reasons. I couldn't get the shop open, no one would respond," he said. He rebranded and returned to the platform a few years later, and has so far been safe," but says, I get various warnings about policy violations every other week." The current Etsy shop sells latex and rubber kinkwear as well as dildos, silicone penis sleeves and gender expression products such as packers - prosthetics meant to mimic the bulge of a penis and testicles that can be worn under clothing. Some of his listings won't be allowed under the new rules.Etsy sales accounted for 50 percent of Secret Kink's turnover last year, and 30 percent the year before that, Tyler said. I always said to my partner that I'm worried that any day... they're just going to close my store down," he said. Amid the economic struggles small businesses are already dealing with, Tyler says the platform's latest move is just another kick in the teeth."Both Tyler and Downs also expressed concerns about how the changes could affect shoppers' access to gender affirming products. Downs' shop, which has made over 12,000 sales in its seven years on Etsy, also sells a mix of pleasure and gender expression products. According to an Etsy spokesperson, items like packers that would be classified as prosthetics and not toys (i.e. not intended for sexual acts) are still permitted, along with some sexual wellness products.The overhaul at Etsy comes on the heels of age verification laws that have begun to gain traction in the US, with the stated intent of shielding minors from adult content on the internet. In recent weeks, Pornhub has pulled out of several states that have enacted or are trying to push forward with such legislation, rather than comply with verification methods that could pose a privacy risk to the site's users. And sex was already a tough sell for online businesses prior to this movement. Payment processors, like PayPal and Stripe, have historically taken a harsh stance on the sale of sex-related products and sexual content (remember when OnlyFans tried to ban porn to appease the banks?).Whatever Etsy's reasoning, affected sellers say they're bracing for industry-wide impacts. Matt Rowe, one of the owners of the fantasy sex toy shop Odyssey Toys said in an email that it's going to be a devastating blow for so many" artisan makers. There's some extremely talented people driving innovation and creating some incredible work through their designs, and for many of them their business may have the rug pulled out from underneath them almost overnight."Rowe said he considers Odyssey one of the lucky ones" because Etsy currently accounts for only about 20-25 percent of the business' sales - but the potential impact on the team of owners and workers, plus their families, is still really worrying." Odyssey moved into a bigger office earlier this year, and brought on new staff members, Rowe said.With no word from Etsy in the aftermath of its decision, many sellers said their future right now feels uncertain. We're left wondering if our account will be deactivated? Restricted? Or will they just remove our products? Who knows!" Rowe said.Selling sex toys may have put a target on their backs, but the affected sellers warned that there are broader issues plaguing Etsy that will continue to affect even the small businesses that don't carry mature products. Their gripes include being dinged" in search rankings for not offering free shipping, and having to navigate a playing field that's changed immensely with an influx of dropshippers, mass-produced products and AI art. This idea of a handmade marketplace no longer exists," said Downs.In July, Etsy updated its seller handbook with new categories to reflect what it says belongs on the platform, loosening its grip on the handmade," vintage" or craft supply" categories that listings were once required to fit into. Now, shops can choose to label their products as made by a seller," designed by a seller," sourced by a seller" or handpicked by a seller."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/artisanal-sex-toy-businesses-might-not-survive-etsys-new-seller-policies-230014133.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics