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The United States notoriously makes tax filing stressful and expensive thanks to greed, the tax lobby and the idea that basically nothing should be free (fun stuff!). However, there's a little glimmer of hope, as the IRS is making Direct File, its free digital tool announced in late 2023, permanent. According to the US Department of the Treasury, a Direct File pilot program saved 140,000 individuals an estimated $5.6 million in filing costs for the 2024 tax session.Not only is the program here to stay (with the current government, at least), but its access is expanding. Taxpayers in 12 states could use Direct File this year, but the tool will be available in all 50 states and Washington DC starting with the 2025 filing season. The Treasury reports that Direct File users approved of the tool, with 90 percent of the 11,000 taxpayers surveyed rating the system "excellent" or "above average."Right now, the free TurboTax alternative only works for taxpayers with simple filings like a W-2 or standard deduction. However, the Treasury plans to "expand the reach and tax scope" it offers in the coming years. Despite this expansion, it will be up to states whether they want to participate in the program.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-irs-is-making-its-free-turbo-tax-alternative-permanent-142055378.html?src=rss

The Google Pixel Watch 2 is on sale for $285 via Wellbots, which is its lowest price ever. That's $65 off the usual price of $350, though you have to enter a promo code to get it. Just enter ENGWATCH65" at checkout and you'll be good to go. The sale covers all available colors, from that stunning matte black model to polished silver and beyond.The Pixel Watch 2 is Google's latest and greatest smartwatch and was originally released back in October. It's a much better device than the original Pixel Watch, with longer battery life and some truly unique features. We loved the suite of sensors, including the updated heart rate sensor and the new skin-temperature sensor.The watch also features something called a body-response measurement system, which refers to how your body reacts to stress. The watch is constantly looking for physical signs of stress and will prompt you to log your mood or take a walk when detected. This is done by tracking heart rate variability and sudden changes in sweat levels. We experienced mixed results with this system, but it does accurately predict stress levels a fair amount of the time.The updated Snapdragon processor is powerful and Wear OS 4 is easy to get the hang of, particularly if you're already in Google's ecosystem. The display maxes out at 1,000 nits, which is much dimmer than the Apple Watch Series 9, but we never struggled to read anything on the screen.There's one major downside, but this is true of many modern smartwatches. The device wants to be worn while you sleep, to develop more accurate tracking metrics, but the battery doesn't last 24 hours. So, you'll have to charge it for a bit in the middle of the day. Beyond that, this is a good all-around smartwatch for Android users, made even better by today's discount.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-google-pixel-watch-2-is-65-off-and-cheaper-than-ever-140030240.html?src=rss

Twitch signed up cyberbullying experts, web researchers and community members back in 2020 to form the Safety Advisory Council. The review board was formed to help it draft new policies, develop products that improve safety and protect the interests of marginalized groups. Now, CNBC reports that the streaming website has terminated all the members of the council. Twitch reportedly called the nine members into a meeting on May 6 to let them know that their existing contracts would end on May 31 and that they would not be getting paid for the second half of 2024.The Safety Advisory Council's members include Dr. Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyber Bullying Research Center, and Dr. T.L. Taylor, the co-founder and director of AnyKey, an organization that advocates for inclusion and diversity in video games and esports. There's also Emma Llanso, the director of the Free Expression Project for the Center for Democracy and Technology.In an email sent to the members, Twitch reportedly told them that going forward, "the Safety Advisory Council will primarily be made up of individuals who serve as Twitch Ambassadors." The Amazon subsidiary didn't mention any names, but it describes its Ambassadors as people who "positively contribute to the Twitch community - from being role models for their community, to establishing new content genres, to having inspirational stories that empower those around them."In a statement sent to The Verge, Twitch trust and safety communications manager Elizabeth Busby said that the new council members will "offer [the website] fresh, diverse perspectives" after working with the same core members for years. "We're excited to work with our global Twitch Ambassadors, all of whom are active on Twitch, know our safety work first hand, and have a range of experiences to pull from," Busby added.It's unclear if the Ambassadors taking the current council members' place will get paid or if they're expected to lend their help to the company for free. If it's the latter, then this development could be a cost-cutting measure: The outgoing members were paid between $10,000 and $20,000 a year, CNBC says. Back in January, Twitch also laid off 35 percent of its workforce to "cut costs" and to "build a more sustainable business." In the same month, it reduced how much streamers make from every Twitch Prime subscription they generate, as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitch-removes-every-member-of-its-safety-advisory-council-131501219.html?src=rss

Dyson helped pioneer the cordless vacuum space, and now it's testing the waters of the robot vacuum arena. The Dyson 360 Vis Nav has been available in other parts of the world for a little while, but it recently came stateside to the tune of $1,200. The company claims a 360-degree vision system, complete with cameras and LED lights, along with suction power akin to that of its stick vacuums sets the 360 Vis Nav apart from competitors. But even if that's true, Dyson is undeniably late to the party. Robot vacuums have gotten a lot better in the past three to five years, and there are dozens on the market - including some that offer much more in the way of features for a similarly exorbitant price. That said, did Dyson pull an Apple and shake up a product category despite its late entry to the stage? I spent some time with the 360 Vis Nav to find out.Setup and designUnboxing and setting up the 360 Vis Nav is similar to any other robot vacuum. In addition to the device, the box contains a charging cable and the vacuum's base, a rectangular, purple unit with two black-and-white checkered spots at either corner. While it's refreshing to see a gadget that doesn't wear the typical black or gray uniform, the 360 Vis Nav and its dock stick out like sore thumbs among the other items and furniture in my home. There's no semblance of blending into the decor" with this robo-vac.Once docked for the first time, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav's small onboard display prompts you to choose a preferred language and get connected via the mobile app. The screen doubles as a button, too, so you can press fully down on it to select options and move forward in the setup process. As I learned while using the machine, the display also shows helpful maintenance tips and accompanying graphics when you need to clean the robot's sensors. The My Dyson app (on iOS and Android) provides all of the same information and more, and will guide you to connect the machine to your home's Wi-Fi network, update the firmware if necessary and finish the prerequisites before you get to cleaning. Aside from waiting a few minutes for my review unit to update its firmware, the entire process took me only about 15 minutes.To get the lay of the land, let's revisit the few things Dyson claims set the 360 Vis Nav apart from other robot vacuums. The D-shaped design isn't one of them, but it certainly helps the machine's side-edge actuator when cleaning room corners. Dyson claims the actuator only opens up when cleaning corners like this, and it uses suction (rather than sweepers like other robo-vacs do) to capture debris from these hard-to-reach places. Along with that, the machine has a 360-degree vision system that helps it map our your home and clean around furniture and other objects, plus a sensor that detects the amount of dust present so it can kick up the suction when necessary and create a heat map of the dirtiest parts of your home. Those are the main differentiators, along with the claim that the 360 Vis Nav essentially has a similar level of suction power as one of Dyson's cordless stick vacuums.PerformanceSo how did all of that come together in practice? Pretty well, as it turns out. For the initial go-around, I had the Dyson 360 Vis Nav clean the main floor of my home, rather than map it out first. I did this mainly because I like chaos, but also because I wanted to see how the machine would navigate around coffee tables, couches and other furniture, plus small things like cat toys left in its path. Dyson states very clearly in the setup process that you should remove all small obstacles out of the way of the 360 Vis Nav before it cleans - I picked up a couple of reusable bags languishing from our last grocery run and the smaller cat toys, but I left some charging cables snaking on the ground because, let's be real, most people aren't going to clean before sending the robot they bought to clean for them out to do its job.I was quickly struck by how many times the Dyson 360 Vis Nav came to a complete stop, looked" around and kept moving during the first cleaning. It did a decent job avoiding large pieces of furniture like chairs and couches because - when it did get close to pieces like that - it seemed to sense it a few inches before hitting it, so it could then stop and redirect itself. It was most confused by a coffee table with a supporting beam that runs on the floor in between two legs. The 360 Vis Nav has adjustable wheels that allow it to climb" on top of things like thicker rugs when it's cleaning, and I think it confused this roughly 0.5-inch supporting beam for a piece of decor. The robo-vac tried so hard to climb over it; it was borderline concerning, but I was rooting for it the whole way. It actually did manage to climb over the beam, get back down onto the floor and keep cleaning, so kudos to the little guy for never giving up.After that thrilling show, I left the 360 Vis Nav to its own devices. It proceeded to clean the main floor of my home for almost an hour, audibly notching up the suction when it detected a messier area. Notably, it seemed better at avoiding furniture than other robot vacuum cleaners I'ved tried. Yes, it did knock into a few things, but the number of times that happened was slim to none. The first run I did was in Auto mode, the default cleaning setting and one of four you have to choose from, and while the machine was a tad loud, it's nothing that will drive pets or young children from a room. It's loudest when the machine automatically kicks the motor into high gear upon detecting a high-dust area, which it did a few times in the highest trafficked areas of my kitchen and on top of a few area rugs. Like any other robot vacuum worth its salt, the 360 Vis Nav automatically returned to its dock to recharge when the battery got low.I deemed that first cleaning job a success, and the case was the same when I did the first mapping run. The 360 Vis Nav is much quieter when it's puttering around your home not sucking up dirt, but rather just using its vision system to create a map of your home and all its furniture and obstacles. The map it created of my main floor was accurate, and the Dyson app makes it simple to add boundaries and create rooms that you can label. Once you do this, you can create no-go zones and other restrictions like cleaning without the brush bar. And like most other vacuums with smart mapping, you can tell the 360 Vis Nav to only clean certain rooms with each job if you please.Like most other robot vacuums, the companion app experience focuses on home maps, schedules and basic on-off controls. Dyson lets you choose from Auto, Quick, Quiet and Boost cleaning modes before you start a job, and if you have rooms designated on your map, you can customize cleaning modes for each room every time. For example, I could tell the machine to clean my kitchen in Auto mode and then the den in Quiet mode. The app presents a heat map of your home after every job that highlights the areas with the most dust, which is interesting to look at but didn't provide me with a ton of groundbreaking information. I was not surprised that the dirtiest spots on my main floor were almost always next to the front door and my deck door.Ultimately, the two things that impressed me the most about the Dyson 360 Vis Nav were its suction power and its obstacle avoidance capabilities. I live in a one-cat household, but if you saw how much cat hair my cordless stick vacuum sucks up every time I use it, you'd think I live with a few more felines. There's always more fur in the bin after I clean the upper floor of my home, since it's carpeted. After leaving the 360 Vis Nav on my upper floor to clean for almost an hour, I was surprised to see that the contents of its bin looked nearly identical to that of my cordless stick vac after cleaning up there. Even the best robot vacuum cleaners I've used in the past never sucked up this much pet fur in one go-around on carpeted floors - it's impressive.As for obstacle avoidance, I didn't expect much from the 360 Vis Nav in this department because the instructions tell you, more than once, to clear your floors of any obstructions before cleaning. Most of the time, I had at least a few pairs of shoes, a couple of charging cables and other small objects on the floor while the machine was cleaning, but I never once got an alert that it was stuck. Some robot vacuums I've tested have sent me close to a half dozen alerts during a cleaning job, and I'd have to remove an object they were choking on before they could start up again. That never happened with Dyson's machine.The competitionWith the Dyson 360 Vis Nav coming in at an eye-watering $1,200, the competition squarely within that price range is pretty slim. The $1,400 iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ is arguably its most direct competitor and it offers quite a bit more for that extra $200. (We've seen the Combo j9+ drop to as low as $1,000 in the past, so you might be able to pick it up for even less than Dyon's machine.) As a combo" device, the j9+ vacuums and mops without the help of a human (mostly) and it's smart enough to know when it needs to switch from sucking up dirt to mopping floors using its built-in scrubbing pad and water reservoir. It also comes with a self-emptying base that can hold up to 60 days worth of dry debris and refill the water reservoir with clean supply. While auto-mopping is more of a nice-to-have than a requirement on a robot vacuum, it's painful that Dyon's $1,000+ machine doesn't come with a clean base - a piece of hardware included in some models half of its price.Wrap-upWhen you understand the lay of the robot-vacuum landscape, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav seems almost quaint - and a bit confusing. Robot vacuums aren't new, they've been around for a long time - long enough where you can get a pretty decent one for less than $300. For Dyson's machine, spending $1,200 gets you a damn good robot vacuum with possibly the best suction power I've experienced on one, impressive obstacle avoidance, good home mapping and a clean app experience. But none of those features are unique to the 360 Vis Nav. Its suction power and obstacle avoidance may be superior, but is that enough to justify the cost? If you're already willing to spend $1,000 or more on a robot vacuum, you have other options that will give you similar features and more, including mopping and self-emptying capabilities. That said, there are two groups of people who I'd recommend the 360 Vis Nav to: those who are willing to give up advanced features in exchange for the most suction power possible (and have cash to burn), and Dyson diehards.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dyson-360-vis-nav-review-superior-suction-at-a-steep-price-130010791.html?src=rss

A misdelivered order, theft and a hasty return: those are the three acts comprising Playdate's recent real-life adventure. According to the handheld gaming system's account on X (formerly Twitter), FedEx dropped off $400,000 worth of Playdates to a construction site near their actual warehouse destination. Then, poof, it was all gone - but that wasn't the last of it. Suddenly, the shipment reappeared, not at the warehouse door but in front of a random restaurant. The return was seemingly quick, with some packages toppled over and entering the street.We don't know who was behind the theft and eventual return, though no one seems too bothered, as a follow-up post says the necessary detective work was "enjoyed." Plus, the account (jokingly?) pitched selling these devices as a limited edition run called Playdate Hot. Playdate promised further details in the future - possibly on the Playdate Podcast. One user on X asked about getting their hands on any devices they don't need, to which Playdate responded, "Check the streets of North Las Vegas."The Playdate came out in April 2022 as a cute, monochromatic alternative to high-level gaming systems that features a crank on its side. Panic, which owns Playdate, sold about 70,000 units in the first two years and offers more than 100 titles in its built-in library. These black-and-white games are relatively simple but include everything from first-person shooters to puzzles.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-400000-delivery-of-playdates-were-briefly-stolen-124519551.html?src=rss

The Google Pixel Buds Pro are one of our favorite wireless earbuds on the market, but they don't come cheap. However, they're currently down to $130 from $200 - the best deal we've seen all year. You can access the discount on Wellbots with the checkout code ENGPIX70.The Google Pixel Buds Pro came out in the summer of 2022, but they're still one of the best earbuds on the market. We gave them an 87 in our review thanks to features like their excellent active noise cancellation (ANC) and a powerful, punchy bass. You can use ANC and transparency mode or turn both off completely. That bass is part of an overall impressive sound quality that extends across musical genres. Plus, they last about 11 hours without ANC or seven hours with it and their case offers wireless charging.The earbuds are also a great option if you have an Android phone. They allow you to switch easily between paired devices, use Google Assistant without touching any buttons and access a "conversation detection" mode that turns off ANC and your music if you start talking. All of these functions work natively on Google's Pixel phones but are available on other Android devices with the Pixel Buds app.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/googles-pixel-buds-pro-are-on-sale-for-130-right-now-130025253.html?src=rss

Tesla is no stranger to safety issue recalls, and now there's another to add to its list. The company is recalling 125,227 vehicles due to a problem with the seat belt warning system, Reuters reports. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the driver could be unbuckled, and the warning light and chime still might not activate. This malfunction violates federal safety requirements and could increase a person's injury risk.The affected models span the last decade, comprising some of the 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. To fix the issue, Tesla will change the sensor from depending on seat weight to whether the buckle is plugged in and the car is turned on. An over-the-air update should begin in June.Tesla notably recalled over two million vehicles in December following Autopilot safety issues and a two-year NHTSA investigation. More recalls followed earlier this year: In January, Tesla recalled 200,000 Model S, X and Y vehicles from 2023 due to a software issue that prevented the backup camera from working when the car is in reverse (so the exact time it's needed). The included vehicles comprised over 10 percent of the company's 2023 output. Tesla also recalled 3,878 Cybertrucks in April after discovering that an accelerator pad could get loose.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-recalls-over-125000-vehicles-to-fix-seat-belt-issues-121546942.html?src=rss

Apple is working on a version of its Siri voice assistant that will use advanced AI powered by large language models (LLMs), Bloomberg has reported. The technology will allow users to perform specific app functions with their voices, such as opening documents, sending emails and more.The new version of Siri will only work on Apple's own apps to start with. It won't arrive with iOS 18 but may be released subsequently as an update early next year, the report states.The assistant will be able to analyze your phone's activity and automatically enable Siri-controlled features. It'll support "hundreds" of commands but will only be able to process one at a time at first, according to the article. Later, Siri will support multiple tasks in a single request.At first, supported commands would include sending or deleting emails, opening a specific site in Apple News, emailing a web link or asking for an article summary. Once multiple commands are enabled, it'll be able to summarize a recorded meeting then text it to a colleague, all in one request. "Or, an iPhone could theoretically be asked to crop a picture and then email it to a friend," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman wrote.It's unclear which LLM Apple will use to power this version of Siri, but the company reportedly just reached a deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iOS 18. At the same time, Apple may also be negotiating with Google to integrate Gemini AI into search on iPhones. Apple will reportedly handle many AI requests on-device, while using the cloud for more complex commands.Apple is expected to focus on AI for its WWDC 2024 conference that runs from June 10 to June 14. At that point, it may reveal that it reached a deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iOS 18. We may also see AI-powered features like voice memo transcriptions and summaries, website recaps, automated message replies and more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-reportedly-overhauling-siri-with-ai-for-improved-voice-controls-120033411.html?src=rss

Liz Reid, head of Google Search, has admitted the company's search engine has returned some odd, inaccurate or unhelpful AI Overviews" after the feature rolled out to everyone in the US.The executive's explanation outlined some new safeguards to help the new feature return more accurate (and less funny) results. Some of the worst AI Overview results doing the rounds were apparently faked, but the glue-on-pizza example was real, as was the viral answer to how many rocks you should be eating. Also real. Reid said Google came up with an answer because it had tapped into a comedy satire site.The issue for Google is this could erode trust in the search engine's results and accuracy. Reid said the company tested the feature extensively before launch, but there's nothing quite like having millions of people using the feature with many novel searches." Maybe it needed a little more testing first.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedSilent Hill 2 remake hits PS5 and PC on October 8OpenAI says it stopped multiple covert influence operations that abused its AI modelsUntil Dawn remaster is coming to PS5 and PC this fallYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Sony's Overwatch-esque Concord is coming to PS5 and PC on August 23Overwatch of the Galaxy.Firewalk StudiosIt's been a long time since we had a first-person shooter from a PlayStation studio. Finally, Firewalk Studios' Concord has broken cover. Firewalk says it focused on tight movement, precise gunplay and a range of abilities - just as you might expect from a studio led by former Destiny developers. It's a five vs. five hero shooter, suggesting comparisons to Overwatch 2 - now a Microsoft-owned title. Expect 16 heroes, six game modes and some cinematic scenes between all the fighting. It's coming to PS5 and PC on August 23, with a beta in July.Continue reading.What to expect from Apple WWDC 2024iOS 18, AI and more.Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is right around the corner. Expect the company to reveal some of the main features of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, as well as what's ahead for the likes of watchOS, macOS and visionOS at WWDC 2024. Expect all kinds of generative AI tricks - hopefully even some compelling ones. I'd appreciate more photo-fill features to match Google's efforts on Android. It seems unlikely we'll get any major hardware announcements at the event, but you never truly know until Tim Cook wraps things up - maybe we'll get a next-gen Vision Pro VR headset.Continue reading.The TweetDeck clone for Threads is finally hereThreadsDeck' makes Threads on the web much more usable.Meta is rolling out a new TweetDeck-like column view to all Threads users after it started testing the feature earlier this month. The new look, which some Threads users have nicknamed ThreadsDeck, allows you to pin up to 100 feeds to the Threads home page. Each column can also be set to auto-update. Yeah, it's TweetDeck but Threads. And you can more easily hide Threads' trashy for-you feed. At least, mine is particularly trashy. Perhaps I'm the problem.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-google-tightens-up-its-ai-overview-feature-after-suggesting-glue-on-a-pizza-111502061.html?src=rss

Acer has unveiled the new SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo Camera specifically for those who want to take 3D photos and videos. Users can not only use it to capture 3D content, but also to livestream in 3D on YouTube and other platforms, as well as to make 3D video calls on Teams, Zoom and Google Meet. The company describes the camera as "compact" and "pocket-sized," with dimensions measuring 4 x 2.6 x 0.9 inches.It has a resolution of 8 megapixels per eye and a built-in selfie mirror encased in a weather-proof shell. The more casual users can take advantage of its Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) feature, along with its auto and touch focus capabilities. But experienced photographers can customize their output as much as they want to in manual mode, which will allow them to adjust the camera's ISO, white balance and shutter speed settings.The camera's 3D livestreaming feature will be enabled by version 3.0 of Acer's SpatialLabs Player, while high-resolution 3D video conferencing will be made possible through the company's SpatialLabs video call widget. It will, of course, be compatible with Acer's range of SpatialLabs devices, including laptops with glasses-free 3D screens. But you can view 3D content captured by the device even on other companies' AR or VR headsets and 3D projectors.The Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo Camera will be available in the third quarter of the year with prices starting at $549 or 549 in the US and in Europe, respectively.AcerThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/acer-launches-a-compact-spatiallabs-camera-for-3d-photos-and-videos-060035723.html?src=rss

Acer has added three new gaming monitors to its Predator lineup, all of which have OLED displays and speedy refresh rates. The models - Predator X27U F3, Predator X34 X5 and Predator X32 X3 - work with NVIDIA's G-SYNC and AMD's FreeSync Premium Pro technologies to prevent tearing, stuttering, ghosting and input lags while you're gaming. They also feature true 10-bit color depth enhanced by a 99 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, which means more color depths, higher contrasts and deeper blacks. The models come with stands with adjustable height that can tilt and swivel, and they're all equipped with two 5-watt speakers.The Predator X27U F3 is a 27-inch monitor with a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution and a 480 Hz refresh rate. It's outfitted with a USB-C and two HDMI 2.1 ports, and its stand has a tripod mount socket that can support streaming accessories like lights and cameras. The model will be available in the third quarter with prices starting at $1,200.Meanwhile, the Predator X32 X3 monitor is a 4K UHD OLED display with a refresh rate of 240 Hz, though you can get that up to 480 Hz if you don't mind gaming in Full HD resolution only. The 31.5-inch monitor also comes with one Type-C and two HDMI 2.1 ports, and it will be available in the fourth quarter of the year for $1,200 and above.Finally, the Predator X34 X5 has a 34-inch curved OLED screen with a 1800R curvature and a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440 pixels. It also has a 240 Hz refresh and a 0.03 ms response rate like the Predator X32 X3 model, though it doesn't seem like you can get a speedier refresh rate in exchange for lower resolution. The monitor has two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort and USB Type-C port, and it will be available in the fourth quarter for at least $1,100.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/acers-new-batch-of-predator-gaming-monitors-feature-faster-oled-screens-060033834.html?src=rss

Liz Reid, the Head of Google Search, has admitted that the company's search engine has returned some "odd, inaccurate or unhelpful AI Overviews" after they rolled out to everyone in the US. The executive published an explanation for Google's more peculiar AI-generated responses in a blog post, where it also announced that the company has implemented safeguards that will help the new feature return more accurate and less meme-worthy results.Reid defended Google and pointed out that some of the more egregious AI Overview responses going around, such as claims that it's safe to leave dogs in cars, are fake. The viral screenshot showing the answer to "How many rocks should I eat?" is real, but she said that Google came up with an answer because a website published a satirical content tackling the topic. "Prior to these screenshots going viral, practically no one asked Google that question," she explained, so the company's AI linked to that website.The Google VP also confirmed that AI Overview told people to use glue to get cheese to stick to pizza based on content taken from a forum. She said forums typically provide "authentic, first-hand information," but they could also lead to "less-than-helpful advice." The executive didn't mention the other viral AI Overview answers going around, but as The Washington Post reports, the technology also told users that Barack Obama was Muslim and that people should drink plenty of urine to help them pass a kidney stone.Reid said the company tested the feature extensively before launch, but "there's nothing quite like having millions of people using the feature with many novel searches." Google was apparently able to determine patterns wherein its AI technology didn't get things right by looking at examples of its responses over the past couple of weeks. It has then put protections in place based on its observations, starting by tweaking its AI to be able to better detect humor and satire content. It has also updated its systems to limit the addition of user-generated replies in Overviews, such as social media and forum posts, which could give people misleading or even harmful advice. In addition, it has also "added triggering restrictions for queries where AI Overviews were not proving to be as helpful" and has stopped showing AI-generated replies for certain health topics.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-is-putting-more-restrictions-on-ai-overviews-after-it-told-people-to-put-glue-on-pizza-011316780.html?src=rss

Bloober Team's remake of Silent Hill 2 is due to hit PlayStation 5 and PC on October 8, and it's looking nice and spooky. It's available to pre-order on the PlayStation Store and Steam.It's been less than two years since Konami and Bloober Team announced the Silent Hill 2 remake, though news of its existence leaked a few months beforehand, giving fans plenty of time to catastrophize the situation. Today we got the first gameplay trailer for the remake, showcasing familiar hallways lined with bloody nurses, low-light environments crawling with bugs, and other nasty surprises that have always been lurking in the sleepy town of Silent Hill. With modern visuals, lighting and sensibilities, it all looks eerily beautiful.The release date trailer dropped during today's PlayStation State of Play showcase. Right after that, Konami held a separate event just for its numerous Silent Hill projects, including an extended look at the Silent Hill 2 remake.Bloober Team is the studio behind the Layers of Fear franchise, Observer, Blair Witch and The Medium - all perfectly serviceable psychological horror experiences. Still, there's a lot to live up to here: Silent Hill 2 is a beloved, classic horror game. It hit the PlayStation 2 in 2001 and, more than 20 years on, plenty of fans are anxious to see how the remake will hold up. Bloober Team has completely rebuilt the game, including full performance capture and swapping a semi-fixed camera for a modern third-person perspective.Bloober Team co-founder Piotr Babieno told Engadget in June 2023 that the studio shifted its entire game-making ethos for the Silent Hill 2 remake. Instead of leading with mood and set dressing, they made mechanics the foundation of the on-screen terror, using player input to generate disquiet. The Layers of Fear collection that came out last summer marked the end of Bloober Team's psychological-horror era. As Babieno said last June:This year is like closing the era of making psychological horror games. Right now we are going into Bloober Team 3.0, making mass-market horror.... We decided that our next titles should be much more mass-market oriented. We'd like to talk with more people. We'd like to deliver our ideas, with our DNA, not by environment or storytelling, but by action. So all of our future titles will have a lot of gameplay mechanics. They will be much bigger."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/silent-hill-2-remake-hits-ps5-and-pc-on-october-8-230731258.html?src=rss

Sony's lovable robo-mascot is getting a new game. During its PlayStation State of Play on Thursday, Sony dropped a trailer for the upcoming PS5 title Astro Bot. The 3D Mario-esque title, a sequel to the beloved pack-in, Astro's Playroom, arrives on September 6.The trailer sees our pal Astro wading through puddles full of pink flamingos, grappling across platforms like Bionic Commando and summoning a PS5 console to help fight a giant green alien in a UFO (as one tends to do). In a nod to old-school PlayStation, the trailer even includes a cameo from PaRappa the Rapper.Sony describes Astro Bot as a supersized adventure" that spans over six galaxies and 80 levels as you search for your lost crew. You'll have over 15 new abilities, and, like in its predecessor, it will serve as a showcase for the various sensors and haptics in the DualSense controller.Astro Bot will be available for pre-order on June 7 ahead of its September 6 release date.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-astro-bot-is-getting-the-mario-like-adventure-it-deserves-225716801.html?src=rss

OpenAI said that it stopped five covert influence operations that used its AI models for deceptive activities across the internet. These operations, which OpenAI shutdown between 2023 and 2024, originated from Russia, China, Iran and Israel and attempted to manipulate public opinion and influence political outcomes without revealing their true identities or intentions, the company said on Thursday. As of May 2024, these campaigns do not appear to have meaningfully increased their audience engagement or reach as a result of our services," OpenAI said in a report about the operation, and added that it worked with people across the tech industry, civil society and governments to cut off these bad actors.OpenAI's report comes amidst concerns about the impact of generative AI on multiple elections around the world slated for this year including in the US. In its findings, OpenAI revealed how networks of people engaged in influence operations have used generative AI to generate text and images at much higher volumes than before, and fake engagement by using AI to generate fake comments on social media posts.Over the last year and a half there have been a lot of questions around what might happen if influence operations use generative AI," Ben Nimmo, principal investigator on OpenAI's Intelligence and Investigations team, told members of the media in a press briefing, according to Bloomberg. With this report, we really want to start filling in some of the blanks."OpenAI said that the Russian operation called Doppelganger", used the company's models to generate headlines, convert news articles to Facebook posts, and create comments in multiple languages to undermine support for Ukraine. Another Russian group used used OpenAI's models to debug code for a Telegram bot that posted short political comments in English and Russian, targeting Ukraine, Moldova, the US, and Baltic States. The Chinese network "Spamouflage," known for its influence efforts across Facebook and Instagram, utilized OpenAI's models to research social media activity and generate text-based content in multiple languages across various platforms. The Iranian "International Union of Virtual Media" also used AI to generate content in multiple languages.OpenAI's disclosure is similar to the ones that other tech companies make from time to time. On Wednesday, for instance, Meta released its latest report on coordinated inauthentic behavior detailing how an Israeli marketing firm had used fake Facebook accounts to run an influence campaign on its platform that targeted people in the US and Canada.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-says-it-stopped-multiple-covert-influence-operations-that-abused-its-ai-models-225115466.html?src=rss

Save for Destiny 2, it's been a long time since there's been a first-person shooter from a PlayStation studio. As such, there's been quite a bit of interest in Firewalk Studios' Concord since it was announced a year ago.We learned more details about the sci-fi game during Sony's State of Play showcase, including a release date and the first look at gameplay. It's coming to PS5 and PC on August 23, and there will be a beta in July. (Heads up: You will need a PlayStation Network account to play on PC.)Firewalk says it focused on making sure Concord has tight movement, precise gunplay and a range of abilities - just as you might expect from a studio led by former Destiny developers. Given that it's a five vs. five hero shooter, there are plenty of similarities with Overwatch 2 as well (Microsoft now owns that game, for what it's worth).As you might imagine, there are several roles to choose from, while each of the initial 16 characters, who are dubbed Freegunners, has unique abilities. Firewalk aimed to make Concord approachable for a wide range of players, no matter their preferred play style or skill level. There should be at least one or two Freegunners whose abilities you can get to grips with relatively quickly.You might throw exploding knives, deploy spores that grant speed boosts, drop a healing pad, cast a wall of fire or block an entire lane with a wall. Some of these abilities will persist on the map between rounds and respawns, and others are designed for more spontaneous use.There will be six different game modes at launch. Firewalk plans to add more modes, Freegunners, maps and cinematic vignettes as free post-launch updates.There's a lot of competition in this genre and in the live-service market overall. But Sony already has a hit shooter this year in Helldivers 2. Concord has made a solid impression to date, so it has a fair chance of being successful too.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-overwatch-esque-concord-is-coming-to-ps5-and-pc-on-august-23-224046362.html?src=rss

The Until Dawn remaster is heading to PS5 and PC this fall. Sony gave the announcement at its State of Play event after teasing the game earlier this year. The company also dropped a new trailer, and it certainly looks like a spooky delight. In other words, that fall release date is starting to make sense from a themed holiday perspective.The Until Dawn remake was built in Unreal Engine 5 and boasts several new features that were missing from the original PS4 title. You'll be able to experience the action from a third-person perspective for the first time, which is pretty neat. Developer Ballistic Moon, taking the reins from original dev Supermassive Games, has also said it has expanded the color palette to make it more cinematic and to allow for contextual character movement animations.We don't have an exact release date other than fall, but I'll put money on October. In related news, Sony's prepping an Until Dawn movie which should release sometime in the nearish future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/until-dawn-is-coming-to-ps5-and-pc-this-fall-223945702.html?src=rss

Sony has ported lots of its biggest games to PC recently, and the next one will be God of War Ragnarok. As part of the State of Play presentation, Sony showed off a trailer for the most recent adventure of Kratos and his son Atreus, and it looks as good as ever. It'll have unlocked frame rates, ultra widescreen monitor support and plenty more visual trickery for PC players, and it'll also include the recently-released Valhalla DLC. It's not a huge surprise, given that the 2018 revival God of War also came to PC a few years ago, but it'll be welcomed by those who want to continue the journey.As far as visual upgrades go, Sony confirmed in its blog that it'll support NVIDIA RTX DLSS, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution and Intel XeSS for upscaling the whole thing to whatever screen you're using. And Sony wasn't kidding about the widescreen support - it'll work with 32:9 monitors.God of War Ragnarok (and its 2018 predecessor) are classic entries in the series, with the engrossing single-player narrative-driven vibe of many of Sony's recent first-party studio games. But the combat is just as good, and Ragnarok adds a lot of new twists to the God of War universe. It's one of my favorite games of the last few years, and it should look positively excellent on high-powered PCs. It'll be available on September 19, and you can pre-order it now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/god-of-war-ragnarok-comes-to-pc-on-september-19-222235889.html?src=rss

Spotify says it has quietly begun offering refunds for its soon-to-be-bricked Car Thing. The company told Engadget on Thursday that, as of last Friday, customers with proof of purchase (like an emailed invoice) can contact customer service and get their money back for the vehicle streaming device.Spotify has taken some heat for its announcement last week that it will brick every Car Thing device on December 9, 2024. The company described its decision as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline our product offerings" (read: cut costs) and that it lets Spotify focus on developing new features and enhancements that will ultimately provide a better experience to all Spotify users."TechCrunch reports that Gen Z users on TikTok have expressed their frustration in videos, while others have complained directed toward Spotify in DMs on X (Twitter) and directly through customer support. Some users claimed Spotify's customer service agents only offered several months of free Premium access, while others were told nobody was receiving refunds. It isn't clear if any of them contacted them after last Friday when it shifted gears on refunds.Others went much further. Billboard first reported on a class-action lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on May 28. The suit accuses Spotify of misleading Car Thing customers by selling a $90 product that would soon be obsolete without offering refunds, which sounds like a fair enough point.It's worth noting that, according to Spotify, it began offering the refunds last week, while the lawsuit was only filed on Tuesday. If the company's statement about refunds starting on May 24 is accurate, the refunds aren't a direct response to the legal action. (Although it's possible the company began offering them in anticipation of lawsuits.)Regardless, anyone reaching out to customer service with a valid receipt should be offered a refund. If you have tried since then and have been denied, we recommend you contact them again.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-now-says-it-will-refund-car-thing-purchases-193001487.html?src=rss

OpenAI is bringing ChatGPT to college campuses across the country. On Thursday, the company announced ChatGPT Edu, a version of ChatGPT built specifically for students, academics, faculty. ChatGPT Edu is designed for schools that want to deploy AI more broadly to students and their campus communities," the company said in a blog post.ChatGPT Edu includes access to GPT-4o, OpenAI's latest large language model that the company revealed earlier this month. OpenAI claims that the model is much better than its previous versions at interpreting text, coding, and mathematics, analyzing data sets, and being able to access the web. ChatGPT Edu will also have significantly higher message limits than the free version of ChatGPT and allow universities to build custom versions of ChatGPT trained on their own data - confusingly called GPTs - and share them within university workspaces. OpenAI claims that conversations and data from ChatGPT Edu won't be used to train OpenAI's models.Although the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022 initially raised concerns about academic integrity and potential misuse in educational environments, universities have increasingly been experimenting with using generative AI for both teaching as well as research. OpenAI said that it built ChatGPT Edu after it saw Wharton, Arizona State University and Columbia among others using ChatGPT Enterprise.MBA undergrads at Wharton, for instance, completed their final reflection assignments by training a GPT trained on course materials have having discussions with the chatbot, while Arizona State University is experimenting with its own GPTs that engage German conversations with students learning the language.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-has-a-has-a-new-version-of-chatgpt-just-for-universities-191350708.html?src=rss

The web version of Threads just got a whole lot more usable. Meta is rolling out the new Tweetdeck-like column view to all users, after it started testing the feature earlier this month.The new look, which some Threads users have nicknamed ThreadsDeck," allows you to pin up to 100 different feeds to the Threads home page. Each column can also be set to auto-update so you can follow new posts as they come in.While Tweetdeck fans will appreciate the familiarity, the new view also addresses some of the headaches of Threads' for you" algorithm. While the new column layout won't let you eliminate the for you" feed entirely, you can more easily hide it in the column view and put your following" feed and any others side-by-side. It also vastly increases the number of posts you can view at any one time, making it a much more practical view for finding real-time information.Threads' for you" feed has been a long-running source of complaints from many users, who question why the feed often seems to surface days-old posts and random stories from unconnected strangers instead of more timely updates. Meta's controversial decision to automatically limit political" content in its recommendations is also often criticized.At the same time, the company does seem to recognize that users want to be able to find news and other timely updates. Threads has also recently gotten a recent" filter for search results, and has a limited version of trending topics." Threads' column view also makes both of these features more visible since you can set dedicated columns for specific search topics to track at-a-glance.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-tweetdeck-clone-for-threads-is-finally-here-191132892.html?src=rss

The hits keep on coming with NASA'S James Webb Space Telescope. According to the space agency, the JWST just found the most distant known galaxy ever. The catchily-named JADES-GS-z14-0 galaxy is said to have formed just 290 million years after the big bang, but it features some unique properties that are at odds with that notion.The galaxy is incredibly large, at 1,600 light years across. It's also very bright and features an unusual amount of starlight, given how soon it formed after the big bang. This has led researchers Stefano Carniani and Kevin Hainline to ask how can nature make such a bright, massive, and large galaxy in less than 300 million years?" In cosmic time, that's barely a blip.The wavelengths of light emitted from JADES-GS-z14-0, as spotted by the JWST's MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), indicate the presence of strong ionized gas emissions, likely from an abundance of hydrogen and oxygen. This is also weird, as oxygen is not typically present early in the life of a galaxy. This suggests that multiple generations of very massive stars had already lived their lives before we observed the galaxy."NASAAs always with distant space stuff, we are actually looking at the past, due to the speed of light, so that means that the galaxy spawned those multiple generations of massive stars in under 290 million years. Stars only" take around ten million years to form, but can take up to 20 billion years to die. However, ultra-massive stars typically have decreased lifespans. So this finding doesn't exactly rewrite our understanding of the cosmos, but does certainly call into question the nature of star formation in the early life of the universe.All of these observations, together, tell us that JADES-GS-z14-0 is not like the types of galaxies that have been predicted by theoretical models and computer simulations to exist in the very early universe," the researchers told NASA. It is likely that astronomers will find many such luminous galaxies, possibly at even earlier times, over the next decade with Webb."The Webb telescope has made a habit out of redefining our understanding of the cosmos. It has shown us stars being born in the Virgo constellation, found water for the first time orbiting a comet and discovered carbon dioxide on a distant exoplanet, which was a first. All of this has been done in under two years of operation, so who knows what the future will bring.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasas-james-webb-space-telescope-has-found-the-most-distant-galaxy-ever-observed-185833121.html?src=rss

I remember being a kid and seeing my grandmother without her dentures for the first time. It was a harrowing experience. Now my dad has dentures so, genetically speaking, I'm several decades out from needing some myself. However, it's possible that modern medicine will solve the issue of lost teeth by then, thanks to a new drug that's about to enter human trials.The medicine quite literally regrows teeth and was developed by a team of Japanese researchers, as reported by New Atlas. The research has been led by Katsu Takahashi, head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital. The intravenous drug deactivates the uterine sensitization-associated gene-1 (USAG-1) protein that suppresses tooth growth. Blocking USAG-1 from interacting with other proteins triggers bone growth and, voila, you got yourself some brand-new chompers. Pretty cool, right?

Instagram launched Notes in December 2022 as a way for people to share statuses (not so dissimilar to Facebook) on the platform. Now, the Meta-owned app is taking inspiration from its sister site for more features, with the addition of Note Prompts.Instagram first experimented with Note Prompts earlier this year, and the feature allows users to share questions such as "What should I eat?" or "Who is going to be in X city this weekend?" Friends can then respond with tips, suggestions and random thoughts on the subject. It feels very Facebook circa 2012, as does another new feature, Mentions, in which users can tag a friend directly in their Notes. The example Instagram gives, "Hanging with @user later," would be right out of the early 2010s with just adding "Text! :)" Instagram also announced Note Likes, which works similarly to how likes function everywhere else on Instagram - all users need to do is double tap a note or click the heart.Notes have only emerged on Instagram in the past couple of years. They mirror stories in many ways, lasting only 24 hours and with controls as to who can see them (such as just mutual followers). Notes are visible in a user's inbox and on profiles.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-makes-its-status-update-feature-more-interactive-160057778.html?src=rss

Android's RCS message capabilities are inching closer to iMessage's. Google said today that you can now edit RCS messages, bringing parity with the iMessage editing feature Apple added two years ago.The new editing feature gives you 15 minutes (the same as iMessage) to edit a message in the Google Messages app. Hold down on the message to bring up a text box to fix your typos or add extra clarity.RCS messages will soon whittle down the divide between green and blue bubbles on iOS. Apple said it would support RCS in the Messages app starting in 2024, giving iPhone owners typing indicators, read receipts and high-resolution media sharing when chatting with their Android phone-toting friends. Although Apple hasn't provided a specific timeline, the assumption is RCS will arrive in iOS 18, which we'll learn about in its June 10 WWDC keynote ahead of a fall launch.Google had a few other new features to roll out. Android users with a Chromebook or Android tablet will soon get Instant Hotspot, similar to another feature Apple rolled out years ago (way back in 2014 in iOS 8 and macOS Yosemite). Coming soon, with instant hotspot, you'll be able to connect your Android tablet or Chromebook to your phone's hotspot with one tap - without needing to go through the extra step of typing in your password," Google product director Jan Jedrzejowicz wrote in the company's blog post announcing the new features.Along similar lines, Google Meet will soon let you quickly move devices mid-call. You can tap the Cast icon in the app to switch between an Android phone, tablet or web browser, which is handy when you want to switch locations during a video chat.GoogleAndroid is also getting easier smart home controls. A new Google Home Favorites widget gives you access to room temperatures or lighting controls with one tap. This seems like a more intuitive placement than the lock screen shortcut for smart home controls that Google introduced in Android 13. You can sign up for a public preview to try the widget.In addition, Wear OS will get a Google Home Favorites tile and complication for smart-home control from your wrist.Google is also adding new Emoji Kitchen combinations. If you aren't familiar with it, the clever feature lets you blend two emoji in Gboard to send franken-moji stickers to friends. The company didn't provide a complete list of new options, but it said a disco ball and headphones combo was one example.Other Android updates include using PayPal on Google Wallet from Wear OS watches. Android's digital car keys are now available with some Mini models and will soon be available for select Mercedes-Benz and Polestar vehicles."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-now-edit-rcs-chats-in-android-messages-160010553.html?src=rss

The prices of streaming services have been rising across the board over the last few years. One way to keep the costs down is by opting for a bundle. But there are other deals to be found, such as one that can save you $40 on an annual Peacock Premium plan ahead of a planned price hike. A year of the ad-supported tier can be yours for just $20 when you sign up using the code STREAMTHEDEAL. This deal is only available to folks in the US who aren't already Peacock Premium subscribers. You have until June 30 to take advantage of it.While it might not get the same attention as the likes of Netflix or Disney+, Peacock is a solid streaming service with some notable original shows, such as Poker Face, Mrs. Davis, Ted and We Are Lady Parts. Fans of back-stabbing reality shows should enjoy The Traitors too.What makes Peacock one of the best streaming services for many though is its sports offerings. Premier League soccer has been a staple of the platform since its debut and now many games stream there exclusively. If you take up this deal, your year of access will cover the entire 2024-25 season. Peacock is also home to major WWE events, US Open tennis and some NFL games as well.There's also the small matter of the Olympic Games. Peacock will stream all of this summer's Olympic action live from Paris, including the opening and closing ceremonies and every medal event. Some events will be exclusive to Peacock. The platform is also introducing some new multiview features this time around to help you stay on top of things as much as possible.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/a-year-of-peacock-premium-can-be-yours-for-just-20-143706555.html?src=rss

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given Amazon permission to fly its delivery drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). With that hurdle cleared, the company claims it can fly farther and expand drone service, providing customers faster delivery and a larger selection of items, Amazon announced in a blog post.Until now, the FAA has only allowed Amazon to fly drones as far as someone could see them from the ground. That way, spotters or pilots could ensure that drones weren't interfering with aircraft. However, the constraint seriously limited how far the drones could travel.To move beyond that, Amazon said it spent years developing "onboard detect-and-avoid technology." It submitted engineering information to the FAA including operation, maintenance and performance details. Flight tests were then conducted in the presence of FAA inspectors around airplanes, helicopters and a hot air balloon to "demonstrate how the drone safely navigated away from each one of them," Amazon said.With BVLOS approval in hand, the company plans to expand its delivery area around its drone facility at College Station, Texas. Later in 2024, drone deliveries will be integrated into its broader delivery network.Last month, Amazon announced that it was halting drone deliveries at one of its first test sites in Lockeford, California, without providing a specific reason. At the same time, it said it would launch drone deliveries in the West Valley, Phoenix metro area.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-has-permission-to-fly-its-drones-over-longer-distances-133602573.html?src=rss

Folks who have been on the fence about buying a Sonos soundbar or speaker for the first time or those who want to expand their existing home audio setup may be pleased to learn that the company is running a sale. (Its new Ace headphones aren't included, unfortunately.) You can save up to 25 percent on many Sonos products until June 16. The Era 300 speaker, for instance, has dropped from $449 to $359. That's 90 bucks off, and the deal is also being matched at Amazon.The Era 300 is the first Sonos speaker with spatial audio support. While we had some reservations about just how well the spatial audio actually works, in general we reckon the Era 300 delivers excellent sound. We gave it a score of 80 in our review, in part because it's expensive, but the current deal certainly offsets that. The unusual appearance and lack of Google Assistant support were also negatives in our book.On the plus side, though, the Era 300 is very easy to set up and the Trueplay tuning system no longer requires you to walk around the room while waving an iPhone (though the latter might give you better results). The speaker works with pretty much any music streaming service, while Bluetooth and line-in options are very welcome.You can also find good deals on some of the best soundbars. The second-gen Sonos Beam is $399 ($100 off) and it checks almost all the boxes - it delivers good audio for its size and has Dolby Atmos support. The main negative is that it has just one HDMI port. On the high end of the price spectrum, the Arc is $180 off and down to $719. Most of these Sonos deals are being matched at Amazon as well.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-latest-sonos-sale-slices-90-off-the-flagship-era-300-133043027.html?src=rss

Sony's next PlayStation State of Play livestream event kicks off this evening at 6PM ET and it's extremely easy to watch. The stream will be available on the company's YouTube page, seen above, on Twitch and even TikTok. Sony says the event should last around 30 minutes.So what's on the agenda? The company promises the stream will spotlight 14 games coming to the PS5 and PS VR2. Sony hasn't announced many first-party titles for the months and years ahead, so this should finally give us a glimpse into the future of both the PS5 and its VR headset accessory. Wait, 14 games in 30 minutes? You had better not take a break to make popcorn.Sony remains mum as to which 14 games will get some TLC during the stream, but we have some likely guesses. It's been nearly three years since the teaser trailer for Insomniac's Wolverine game dropped, and the near-indestructible mutant has been all over the pop culture landscape lately. It's highly likely we'll get an actual gameplay trailer and maybe, just maybe, a release date.Rumors have suggested that the long-awaited Silent Hill 2 remake will get another trailer, but Konami is holding its own event immediately following State of Play. Konami's event is called Silent Hill Transmission, so we're definitely getting something about the neglected horror franchise. We just don't know if it'll be at 6PM ET or sometime after 7PM ET.KonamiIt'd be really nice if Sony finally announces Ghost of Tsushima 2, particularly after the release of that stellar PC port of the original game. Haven's Fairgame$ and Firewalk's Concord are likely to show up. Also, Bungie is getting ready to release a Destiny 2 expansion called The Final Shape. That'll likely get a shoutout. Reports suggest a new Astro game from Team Asobi is currently in development.Now onto hopes. We know Guerilla is working on more games in the Horizon universe, so it'd be nice to get some information about that. Sony owns a bunch of studios and they all have to be working on something. Just one surprise from Naughty Dog or Media Molecule could set the internet on fire. In any event, we don't have that long to wait.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-watch-sonys-playstation-state-of-play-event-this-evening-130041039.html?src=rss

GeForce Now subscribers will be able to stream and play World of Warcraft (WoW) through the service if they want to. NVIDIA's cloud gaming service is adding World of Warcraft Classic, Dragonflight and even Cataclysm Classic, which launched just a few days ago, to its library of games. WoW and its extensions will be available starting this week, along with a bunch of other titles such as the newly released Rogue Prince of Persia. In June, NVIDIA is also adding Resident Evil Village and Street Fighter 6, among other games, to the service.The service gives members a way to access games across platforms, including Android and iOS devices, PCs and Macs. It's worth noting that WoW does not support controllers for consoles, and players typically need a keyboard and a mouse to be as accurate and as fast as possible, so it may not be easy to play on certain devices. The game's addition to GeForce Now means subscribers can play it on Chromebooks, though, eliminating the need for players to jump through hoops just to be able to install the game on their computers.In addition to announcing new titles for GeForce Now, NVIDIA also revealed that the service will release a new members reward for Elder Scrolls Online as part of the game's 10th year anniversary celebrations. Subscribers have to opt into the service's rewards program in order to claim the new in-game mount for free.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/world-of-warcraft-is-coming-to-geforce-now-130032850.html?src=rss

While Minecraft was officially released in 2011, it was first introduced to the public back in 2009. This year, Minecraft is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and as part of the festivities surrounding that milestone, Netflix and Mojang Studios have announced that they're making an animated series based on the iconic sandbox game. It's a computer graphic-animated show that's being developed by Canadian studio WildBrain, which was also behind the animated Netflix shows Carmen Sandiego and Sonic Prime.The companies said the series will feature an original story based on new characters that show "the world of Minecraft in a new light." We'll most likely find out what that means exactly before the series launches when they start releasing previews and trailers. The video Netflix and Mojang have published only announces their collaboration - we'll just have to wait for more information on whether the show will still include characters we all know from the game, like Steve, creepers and zombies, or if it will truly only feature characters we've never seen before. If the long-delayed Minecraft movie ever gets made, we'll still see Steve in an adaptation anyway. Earlier this year, Deadline reported that Jack Black is set to star as the game's blocky protagonist alongside Jason Momoa.Over the past couple of weeks, Minecraft has also released special items to celebrate its 15th anniversary, including free party add-ons, a free map, a cape and wallpapers. You can see all of Mojang's anniversary items and announcements on the Minecraft website.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-is-developing-a-minecraft-animated-series-130023691.html?src=rss

Last week, Sony published a seemingly innocuous round of interviews that centered the company's nebulous creative entertainment vision". Neil Druckmann, head of the Sony-owned game studio Naughty Dog, was one of those - but his interview wasn't quite what it seemed.Druckmann, who headed the team behind The Last of Us series, was apparently wildly misquoted by his own employers. A few days after the interviews were published, he took to X and said, This is not quite what I said." He even posted a section of the original interview transcript, which was hugely different.Sony has since pulled the interview and issued an apology on the old page, saying the article had significant errors and inaccuracies, encompassing animation, writing, technology, AI and future projects." So, if all that was inaccurate, what was accurate?- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedThe best VPN service for 2024Fitbit's new wearable for kids has a digital pet insideSony's next PlayStation State of Play takes place May 30Samsung's largest union calls its first-ever strikeYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Punirunes is a Tamagotchi-esque digital pet with a squishy buttonThe hit gadget is coming to the US.Takara TomyJapan's hit virtual pet, Punirunes, comes to the US this summer. A play on puni-puni, which means squishy' in Japanese, it's a slightly different kind of digital pet. There's a doughy button at the center of the device that simulates physical contact with your Punirunes. When you pet it, your finger even appears on the device's screen. Punirunes makes its US debut in August for $40.Continue reading.Free GrubHub+ delivery is coming to Amazon Prime customersOn eligible orders over $12Amazon is permanently offering free Grubhub+ restaurant delivery as part of its Prime subscription. If you pay $139 per year for a Prime subscription and are up for spending more to eat, you'll pay no fee for eligible GrubHub orders over $12. You'll also see lower service fees, 5 percent credit back on pickup orders and, apparently, exclusive offers. Unlimited grocery delivery from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh still costs an additional $10 per month.Continue reading.The Internet Archive has been fending off cyberattacks for daysThe attacks have knocked the site offline a few times.If you couldn't access the Internet Archive and its Wayback Machine over the past few days, it's because the website has been under attack. The nonprofit organization has announced it's in its third day of warding off an intermittent DDoS cyber-attack."The Internet Archive has yet to identify the source of the attacks, but it did talk about how libraries and similar institutions are being targeted more frequently these days. One institution it mentioned was the British Library, whose online information system was held hostage for ransom by a hacker group last year.Continue reading.Sony is working on a PC adapter for the PlayStation VR2The headset is slated to gain PC support this year.After teasing PC compatibility earlier this year, Sony has apparently created a PC adapter for the PS VR2, according to a Korean filing unearthed by VR and mixed-reality enthusiast Brad Lynch. There are no details on how the adapter works, what it looks like or how much it will cost, but it lends credence to previous evidence that the headset would have a wired PC connection. The company will be hoping that PC support will drive sales of its headset, which hasn't exactly set the world alight.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-sony-apologizes-for-fabricated-interview-with-last-of-us-studio-head-111549333.html?src=rss

Instagram is expanding two of its safety features in an effort to ramp up its bullying protections for teens. The company is changing how limiting and restricting work in its app to give teens ways to deal with potential bullies that it claims are less likely to lead to further retaliation.With the changes, Instagram users will have the ability to limit" their post interactions to close friends" only. That means that users will only see comments, direct messages, tags and mentions from people on their close friends list. Other followers will still be able to interact with their posts, but those comments and messages won't be visible to others.The company previously introduced comment limiting as a creator-focused anti-bullying feature in 2021 with the goal of preventing the kind of sudden flood of harassment experienced by several UK football players. The latest changes, according to Instagram, are geared more toward teens who are dealing with bullies, but may be hesitant to use the app's block feature due to fears of escalating potential conflicts,For cases when people may be dealing with one particular bully, Instagram is making similar changes to its restrict" feature. Users will be able to prevent restricted individuals from tagging or mentioning them. Comments from those on the restricted list will also be automatically hidden from others.The updates comes as Meta is facing scrutiny over its handling of teen safety and other issues. The company was sued by dozens of states last year for allegedly failing to protect its youngest users from harmful aspects of its service.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-is-expanding-its-anti-bullying-features-for-teens-100037418.html?src=rss

Amazon is permanently offering free restaurant delivery via Grubhub+ as part of its Prime subscription, the company announced. If you live in the US and pay $139 per year for a Prime subscription, you'll pay no fee for eligible GrubHub orders over $12. You'll also see lower service fees, 5 percent credit back on pickup orders and exclusive offers.That works out to a value of $120 per year, according to Amazon. The retail giant had previously offered Prime clients a free one-year subscription to GrubHub+, but once it auto-renewed, you had to pay $129 per year on top of your Prime subscription. Now, it appears to be a permanent Prime inclusion.Amazon's US customers can access GrubHub on Amazon.com and in the Amazon Shopping app with an "identical" ordering experience and prices to Grubhub.com or Grubhub's app, according to Amazon. To activate the offer, go to Amazon.com/grubhub. On top of the free delivery, Prime members can get $5 off GrubHub orders of $25 or more through June 2nd.Though widely used, restaurant delivery services have been controversial. Both restaurants and customers complain about high delivery fees, and drivers are often receive low pay while shouldering heavy workloads. Most fees don't go to the driver, so many customers feel the need to add a tip onto the already high fees. In Europe, a deal was recently struck to reclassify millions of food delivery app workers as employees.Amazon's Prime membership includes other perks like Prime Video and free same-day delivery. However, it recently added an additional $3 per month fee to get Prime Video without ads (except for sporting events), and unlimited grocery delivery from Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh costs an additional $10 per month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-customers-in-the-us-now-get-free-grubhub-delivery-075319082.html?src=rss

Sometimes, having to open a link from within another app on mobile could be disruptive and take you away from the task you were trying to accomplish. Now an update for Chrome could help keep you focused with the task at hand. When you click on a link within Gmail, for instance, and open a Chrome tab within the app, you can tap on the chevron icon in the toolbar right next to the "x" or the close button to minimize the browser. That turns the open tab into a compact, floating picture-in-picture window that you can drag anywhere on the screen.You can keep it minimized while you use the original app, and the moment you're ready to look at its contents, you only have to tap the floating window to restore the tab to its original size. We were already able to use the new feature on Android within Gmail. You'll also be able to take advantage of it soon if you don't have it yet, as long as your default browser is Chrome and you keep it updated. The feature is even enabled by default, so you don't have to do anything to switch it on. Of course, you can always send an in-app tab to the Chrome browser if keeping different tasks open in separate windows makes you more productive.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-makes-it-easier-to-multi-task-with-minimized-in-app-chrome-tabs-060209780.html?src=rss

Newly proposed Congressional legislation would require the US to conduct security reviews for connected vehicles built by automakers from China and other countries of concern." Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a former CIA analyst and Pentagon official who has championed the issue, introduced the bill on Wednesday.If passed by Congress (a tall order these days), the Connected Vehicle National Security Review Act would establish a formal review process for connected autos from Chinese companies. It would also allow the Department of Commerce to limit or ban these cars and other vehicles before they reach US consumers.Today's vehicles are more sophisticated than ever, carrying cameras, radars and other sophisticated sensors, plus the ability to process, transmit and store the data they gather from the United States," said Slotkin. If allowed into our markets, Chinese connected vehicles offer the Chinese government a treasure trove of valuable intelligence on the United States, including the potential to collect information on our military bases, critical infrastructure like the power grid and traffic systems, and even locate specific U.S leaders should they so choose."Rep. Elissa SlotkinIn a speech on the House floor earlier this month, Slotkin noted that Chinese EVs, often sold much cheaper than their US and European counterparts, could quickly gain a significant share of the American market. She cited how Chinese vehicles, first sold in Europe in 2019, now make up almost a quarter of its market. The representative also recently pushed Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the security gap.Alternatively (and perhaps ideally), legislators could pass a comprehensive data privacy law rather than dealing with these issues piecemeal.The bill's introduction follows the Biden Administration's quadrupling of import tariffs on Chinese EVs. The White House's new EV levies grew from 25 percent to 100 percent, following China's EV exports rising 70 percent between 2022 and 2023.In February, the White House also ordered the Department of Commerce to investigate the risks of connected vehicles from China and other adversaries. However, that action was conducted through an executive order and could be undone by future administrations. Slotkin's legislation would close those loopholes if it makes it through Congress - rarely a safe bet in today's highly obstructed and contentious political environment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-house-bill-would-require-national-security-reviews-on-connected-vehicles-from-china-211505179.html?src=rss

Last week, Sony published a seemingly innocuous bit of fluff, touting its long-term "creative entertainment vision" in broad terms, along with some interviews of key employees. Neil Druckmann, studio head of Sony's Naughty Dog, was one of those - and his interview made waves in the game world. According to the interview, Druckmann said AI could "create nuanced dialogues and characters" and also said that the new game Naughty Dog was developing (but hasn't officially announced) "could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming." Some mighty strong and potentially controversial statements from the head of a studio beloved for its The Last of Us and Uncharted franchises.Problem is, Druckmann was wildly misquoted by his own employers. A few days after Sony published its interview, Druckmann took to X and said "this is not quite what I said." He then went full Ellie-in-revenge-mode on Sony, posting a section of the original interview transcript. (He was actually pretty polite if we're being honest - even the powerful can only bite the hand that feeds so hard.) Regardless, things here do not add up.

Google is crossing genres with its latest wearable for kids, combining a gaming system and an activity tracker in the Fitbit Ace LTE. The company is pitching this as a first-of-its-kind connected smartwatch that transforms exercise into play and safely helps kids lead more active, independent lives." Basically, think of it as a Nintendo Switch pared down into an activity tracker for children aged 7 and up, with a few safety and connectivity features built in.The main idea here is to get kids up and moving, in exchange for progress on the Ace LTE's onboard games. But there are also basic tools that let parents (and trusted contacts) stay in touch with the wearer. Through the new Fitbit Ace app (that adults can install on iOS or Android), guardians can set play time, monitor activity progress and send calls or messages. On the watch itself, kids can also use the onscreen keyboard or microphone to type or dictate texts or choose an emoji.The Fitbit Ace LTE's hardware: Basically a Pixel Watch 2Since the Fitbit Ace LTE uses a simplified version of the hardware on the Pixel Watch 2, it's pretty responsive. One major difference, though, is that the kid-friendly tracker uses Gorilla Glass 3 on its cover, in addition to the 5 ATMs of water-resistance that both models share. Google does include a protective case with each Ace LTE, and it doesn't add much weight.There are also other obvious differences because the Pixel Watch 2 has a circular face while the Fitbit Ace LTE has a squircle" (square with rounded corners) OLED with two large buttons on the right side. The latter's band is also a lot narrower, and it comes with technology built in," according to Google's vice president of product management Anil Sabharwal. That's just a fancy way to say that the Ace LTE recognizes when you swap in a new strap and each accessory comes with unique content.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetThe company is calling these straps Cartridges" - another reminder of how the Fitbit Ace LTE is a gaming console wannabe. When you snap a new one on, you'll see an animation of all the bonus material you just got. They include new backgrounds and items for your Tamagotchi-esque pet called eejie." Separate bands also add unique cartoony strips, called Noodles, that make their way around the edges of the watch's display every day which chart the wearer's progress towards daily goals, similar to Apple's activity rings.I'm dancing around the main part of the Fitbit Ace LTE's proposition, because I wanted to get the hardware out of the way. The most interesting concept here is the idea of a wearable gaming system. The Ace LTE's home screen looks fairly typical. It shows you the time and the Noodle activity ring around it, as well as some small font at the very bottom showing the number of points collected.To the left of this page is what Sabharwal called a playlist" - a collection of daily quests. Like on other iOS or Android games, this is a bunch of targets to hit within a dictated time frame to ensure you're engaged, and achieving these goals leads to rewards.Eejie: Like Tamagotchi but less cuteMost of these rewards are things you can use to jazz up your digital pet's home over on the right of the home screen. Google calls these things eejies" - that name doesn't actually mean anything. Some engineers in a room looked at the letters I" J" and I" and sounded them out and thought sure, why not. (No, those letters don't actually stand for anything, either.)Cherlynn Low for EngadgetAccording to Google, Eejies are customizable creatures that feed off daily activity - the more kids reach their movement goals, the more healthy and happy their eejie gets." When daily activities are completed and each child earns arcade tickets (or when a new watch strap is attached), they can exchange them for new outfit or furniture items for their eejies.Even though they're supposed to be customizable creatures," the eejies are anthropomorphic and look like... well, kids. Depending on how you style them, they sort of look like sullen teenagers, even. Don't expect a cute Pikachu or Digimon to play with, these eejie are two-legged beings with heads, arms and necks. I'd prefer something cuter, but perhaps the target demographic likes feeding and playing with a strange avatar of themselves.When multiple Ace LTE wearers meet up, their eejie can visit each other and leave emoji messages. Of course, how fun that is depends on how many of your (kid's) friends have Ace LTEs.Gaming on the Fitbit Ace LTEEven without that social component though, the Ace LTE can be quite a lot of fun. It is the home of Fitbit Arcade, a new library of games built specifically for this wearable. So far, I've only seen about six games in the collection, including a room escape game, a fishing simulator and a Mario Kart-like racer.The first game I tried at Google's briefing was Smoky Lake, the fishing game. After a quick intro, I tapped on a shadow of a fish in the water, and flung my arm out. I waited till the Ace LTE buzzed, then pulled my wrist in. I was told that I had caught a puffer fish, and swiped through to see more information about past catches. I earned five arcade tickets with this catch.I gleefully tried again and caught what I was told was the biggest pineapple gillfish" acquired that day. Other hauls the Ace LTE I was wearing had acquired included a ramen squid" and a blob fish," and tapping an icon on the upper left brought up my library of things that had been caught.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetI then played a round of Pollo 13, a racing game where I played as a chicken in a bathtub competing in an intergalactic space match against my arch nemesis. There, I tilted my wrist in all directions to steer, keeping my vehicle on track or swerving to collect items that sped me up. Just as I expected based on my prior Mario Kart experience (and also my general lack of skill at driving in real life), I sucked at this game and came in last. Sabharwal gently informed me that this was the poorest result they had seen all day.I didn't get to check out other titles installed, like Galaxy Rangers, Jelly Jam or Sproutlings but I was most intrigued by a room escape game, which is my favorite genre.Google doesn't want to encourage obsession or addiction to the Ace LTE's games, though. We don't want kids to overexercise. We don't want kids to feel like they have a streak and if they miss a day, Oh my God, the world is over!'" Sabharwal said.To that end, progress in each game is built around encouraging the wearer to meet movement goals to advance to new stages. Every two to three minutes, you'll be prompted to get up and move. In Smokey Lake, for instance, you'll be told that you've run out of bait and have to walk a few hundred steps to go to the bait shop. This can be achieved by walking a number of steps or doing any activity that meets similar requirements. Google is calling this interval-based gaming," playing on the idea of interval-based training." After about five to 10 sessions, the company thinks each wearer will hit the 60 to 90 minutes of daily required activity recommended by the World Health Organization.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetThe idea of activity as currency for games isn't exactly novel, but Google's being quite careful in its approach. Not only is it trying to avoid addiction, which for the target age group is a real concern, but the company also says it built the Ace LTE responsibly from the ground up" by working with experts in child psychology, public health, privacy and digital wellbeing." It added that the device was built with privacy in mind, front and center," and that only parents will ever be shown a child's location or activity data in their apps. Location data is deleted after 24 hours, while activity data is deleted after a maximum of 35 days. Google also said there are no third-party apps or ads on the device."While activity is the main goal at launch, there is potential for the Ace LTE to track sleep and other aspects of health to count towards goals. Parts of the Ace LTE interface appeared similar to other Fitbit trackers, with movement reminders and a Today-esque dashboard. But from my brief hands-on, it was hard to fully explore and compare.Though I like the idea of the Ace LTE and was definitely entertained by some of the games, I still have some reservations. I was concerned that the device I tried on felt warm, although Sabharwal explained it was likely because the demo units had been charging on and off all day. I also didn't care for the thick bezels around the screen, though that didn't really adversely impact my experience. What did seem more of a problem was the occasional lag I encountered waiting for games to load or to go to the home screen. I'm not sure if that was a product of early software or if the final retail units will have similar delays, and will likely need to run a full review to find out.The Fitbit Ace LTE is available for pre-order today for $230 on the Google Store or Amazon and it arrives on June 5. You'll need to pay an extra $10 a month for the Ace Pass plan, which includes LTE service (on Google's Fi) and access to Fitbit Arcade and regular content updates. If you spring for an annual subscription, you'll get a collectable Ace Band (six are available at launch) and from now till August 31, the yearly fee is discounted at 50 percent off, making it about $5 a month.Update, May 29, 3:15PM ET: This story has been edited to clarify that the Fitbit Ace LTE's hardware is a simplified version of the Pixel Watch 2. It is not capable of sleep or stress tracking.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fitbit-ace-lte-hands-on-wearable-gaming-to-make-exercise-fun-but-not-too-fun-140059054.html?src=rss

Framework, the company known for making unique modular laptops, just announced the latest iteration of its Laptop 13. The big news here is that these computers now come equipped with Intel Core Ultra Series 1 processors, which should offer a serious boost in power along with improved efficiency and battery life. These processors also support up to 96GB of DDR5 RAM, so you can make sure your model is relatively future-proof.A laptop isn't just a processor, however, so the Laptop 13 features all kinds of iterative improvements over previous models. There are multiple display options, and the best one features a resolution of 2880x1920 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. That'll certainly be quite handy for gaming.There's a new 9.2MP webcam that steals a bit of tech from modern smartphone cameras to deliver amazing 1080p performance, especially in low-light conditions." Framework has also moved to lower-noise microphones for audio clarity.Of course, this is Framework, so the Laptop 13 is modular. The company offers an array of customization options, including new expansion cards and system modules. There are some new multi-colored USB-C expansion cards and a forthcoming SD expansion card for easy flash storage. It also offers pre-configured models to suit different consumers. For instance, there's a business version that comes with a 3-year warranty and pre-installed Windows 11 Pro with Autopilot support.Preorders are available right now, with deliveries starting next month. The Laptop 13 starts at $1,100.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-new-framework-13-laptops-includee-intel-core-ultra-series-1-processors-190323014.html?src=rss

In the last few months, news organizations have leapt into bed with OpenAI, hatching Faustian bargains where the cash-strapped media industry exchanges a monetary pittance for OpenAI's right to scrape and integrate their content into things like ChatGPT. Those that have signed in blood include News Corp (publisher of the Wall Street Journal), the Financial Times, People magazine publisher Dotdash Meredith, the AP, and now, The Atlantic and Vox Media.The Atlantic and Vox Media quickly confirmed these new deals shortly after Axios first published the news.The Atlantic says that it'll be a "premium news source" in OpenAI and that all its citations will be clearly attributed to The Atlantic with links back to the original content. There are concerns from publishers that users of AI chatbots don't actually need to go to the original sources; perhaps the calculus is that, for an industry in the twilight of its lifespan, some inbound link traffic is better than none. Then again, by agreeing to be scraped at all, perhaps The Atlantic is effectively wading directly into the tarpit of its own extinction (and of media as a whole). There will also be an experimental "microsite" called Atlantic Labs that'll showcase "new products and features to better serve its journalism and readers."Vox Media (publisher of its flagship news site Vox, tech site The Verge, the network of sports blogs under the SB Nation banner and many more) says it'll have a similar style of attribution and linking out to its content.Vox Media will also use OpenAI data both internally and in public-facing content. Specifically, it'll "enhance" Vox's The Strategist Gift Scout tool that helps visitors find stuff to buy (and helps Vox Media earn affiliate revenue). It'll also be built into the publisher's in-house advertising platform, so expect ads that are even better at following you around the internet and learning about what you want to buy.There's no indication yet that that either company will publish anything created directly by AI, as sites like CNET and Sports Illustrated have tried with disastrous results, though neither company said anything about keeping AI out of its content either. Over at The Atlantic, it seems likely that any such experiments will be kept to the new Atlantic Labs section, at least for starters.While a number of publishers have been quick to embrace AI, not everyone is so enthused. The New York Times sued both OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement in December, saying that both companies use its material without permission to train their models. More recently, eight publications owned by the Alden Capital Group, including the Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News, sued both companies with a similar complaint. At this point, it seems like it's either spend time and money in a lawsuit to go after OpenAI's rampant intellectual theft or cut a deal that'll make you some spending cash in a dire media market.It was only last week The Atlantic published its own screed decrying media organizations which had taken petty cash from AI interlopers in exchange for something of significantly greater value. The odds unfortunately suggest this story (and my moral high ground) will age just as poorly in the near future.Update, May 29, 2024, 12:20 PM ET: This story has been updated to include details from Vox Media's official statement on the deal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-atlantic-and-vox-media-made-their-own-deal-with-the-ai-devil-161017636.html?src=rss

Sony promised earlier this year that it would free the PlayStation VR2 from the shackles of the PS5 by letting folks use it with their PC. We're starting to get a fuller picture of what that might look like, as the company appears to be working on a PC adapter for the headset.A Korean filing recently unearthed by VR and mixed-reality enthusiast Brad Lynch (as noted by The Verge) indicates that the company has created such a peripheral. There are no details on how the adapter works, what it looks like or how much it will cost, but it lends credence to previous evidence that the headset would have a wired PC connection.

Meta caught an Israeli marketing firm using fake Facebook accounts to run an influence campaign on its platform, the company said in its latest report on coordinated inauthentic behavior. The scheme targeted people in the US and Canada and posted about the Israel-Hamas war.In all, Meta's researchers uncovered 510 Facebook accounts, 11 pages, 32 Instagram accounts and one group that were tied to the effort, including fake and previously hacked accounts. The accounts posed as Jewish students, African Americans and concerned' citizens" and shared posts that praised Israel's military actions and criticized the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and college protests. They also shared Islamaophobic comments in Canada, saying that radical Islam poses a threat to liberal values in Canada."Meta's researchers said the campaign was linked to STOIC, a a political marketing and business intelligence firm" based in Israel, though they didn't speculate on the motives behind it. STOIC was also active on X and YouTube and ran websites focused on the Israel-Hamas war and Middle Eastern politics."According to Meta, the campaign was discovered before it could build up a large audience and many of the fake accounts were disabled by the company's automated systems. The accounts reached about 500 followers on Facebook and about 2,000 on Instagram.The report also notes that the people behind the accounts seemed to use generative AI tools to write many of their comments on the pages of politicians, media organizations and other public figures.These comments generally linked to the operations' websites, but they were often met with critical responses from authentic users calling them propaganda," Meta's policy director for threat disruption, David Agranovich, said during a briefing with reporters So far, we have not seen novel Gen AI driven tactics that would impede our ability to disrupt the adversarial networks behind them."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-caught-an-israeli-marketing-firm-running-hundreds-of-fake-facebook-accounts-150021954.html?src=rss

We're inching toward that early June window previously occupied by E3 that will feature a ton of games showcases, including Summer Game Fest, an Xbox event, an Ubisoft Forward and a Nintendo Direct. Sony is getting a headstart on all of those though, as a PlayStation State of Play is set for Thursday, May 30. It starts at 6PM ET and you'll be able to watch it on YouTube, Twitch and TikTok.Interestingly, Sony is opting not to use the PlayStation Showcase branding it usually opts for with its now-annual late-May stream. The company hasn't announced much in the way of first-party PlayStation games for the months and years ahead, and it will start padding out the slate here.The stream will run for over 30 minutes and feature 14 titles that are coming to PS5 and PS VR2. It will include some PlayStation Studios games that will arrive later this year.

My phone always dies on long days out and about, but I'm not a fan of carrying heavy power banks or having cords twist in my bag. The Anker Nano portable charger is the only option I've found that I'll actually use, and I'm excited to report (though with a bit of jealousy) that it's currently on sale for just $12. The charger is typically $26, but a 31 percent discount and a $6 coupon bring the white and black models to a record-low price.I personally vouch for Anker's Nano portable charger thanks to features like its lightweight, small build, and, like I mentioned above, its built-in lightning plug. You can juice it up through its USB-C port, with the device typically holding one and a half charges for my iPhone 12 Pro (Anker also makes a model for Android, which is our favorite portable option for a partial charge). Plus, the device has four clear dots on its front to indicate how much charge is left.There are a few downsides to Anker's Nano portable charger, but none that are too much of a hindrance. You need to be careful if using inside a bag as the lightning charger can sometimes move out of the upright position it needs to work. It also isn't great if you're looking to boost multiple batteries at a time or use it for days on end, as it does seem to die before I can get two charges out of it. Overall, though, its convenience is amazing when I know I'll be out all day or traveling.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/this-anker-nano-portable-charger-for-iphone-is-on-sale-for-only-12-132752711.html?src=rss

Samsung's largest workers' organization, the National Samsung Electronics Union, has announced that it's planning to stage a walkout next week as part of its fight for fair compensation. Members are threatening to skip work for a day, on June 7, in hopes that the company would listen to their demands after their wage negotiations over the past months had come to a standstill. If it pushes through, BNN Bloombergsays it'll be the first strike ever by the company's employees since Samsung was founded. As Reuters reports, Samsung agreed to a 5.1 percent increase in wages this year, but the union is also negotiating to add one more day to workers' annual leaves and for more transparency when it comes to performance bonuses."What we want is not a 1-2 percent wage increase. What we want is to be paid fairly for the amount of work done," union leaders said in front of Samsung's offices in Seoul. "We want to be compensated for our labor fairly and transparently."The National Samsung Electronics Union has 28,000 members, which represent over a fifth of the company's workforce. Union leaders aren't expecting the strike to have a significant impact on Samsung's production since most of its manufacturing processes are automated anyway, but they're still hoping that their walkout could compel the company to take them seriously. The union certainly has more power to negotiate now - apparently, its membership grew four-fold over the past couple of years after the company pledged to stop its union-busting schemes.Samsung used to be notorious for suppressing organized labor activities. In 2018, board chairman Lee Sang-hoon was indicted for sabotaging legitimate labor activities by threatening to lower wages of employees who join them, deliberately stalling negotiations between management and laborers and digging up dirt on key union personnel to persuade them to cease their activities. Lee stepped down as chairman of the board in 2020, the same year Samsung's Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee promised to end the company's union-busting practices.The union said, however, that there's "no change in the management's attitude" despite Lee's promise to eliminate non-union management. "We can no longer stand by the company's lack of will to negotiate," it added. If the company refuses to engage in meaningful talks, the union is planning to stage more walkouts in the future. A Samsung spokesperson told BNN Bloomberg, however, that "the company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the unions, and is making every sincere effort to an agreement."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-largest-union-calls-its-first-ever-strike-123035998.html?src=rss

Samsung will add new AI-based health and fitness features to the Galaxy Watch later this year. The company announced on-device AI features on Wednesday, including personalized health scores, tips, sleep indicators and suggested workout routines.One of the Galaxy Watch's big AI upgrades is a new Energy Score, which learns from various personal metrics to provide comprehensive health insights." The model draws on a variety of sleep data, including when the wearer went to bed, how long and how well they slept and their heart's rate and variability during sleep. Physical activity during waking hours is also taken into account.Along similar lines, the Galaxy Watch will also add Wellness Tips, which take that data analysis a step further with insights, motivational tips, and guidance" relative to your personal fitness goals.Malak Saleh for EngadgetSleep features are also getting AI-enhanced upgrades, offering extra insight into your nightly habits. New sleep algorithms can analyze sleep movement, latency, heart rate and respiratory rate. They'll join existing tracking features like snoring hours, blood-oxygen level and sleep cycle.For hardcore runners, the Galaxy Watch is getting new aerobic threshold (AT) and anaerobic threshold (AnT) heart rate zone metrics to help you stay within your optimal training windows. High-intensity cyclists get some love, too, with Functional Threshold Power (FTP) metrics. Samsung says calculating the latter will only take 10 minutes of consistent cycling (at 4km/h or faster).A new Workout Routine feature will let you string together different types of exercises for a personalized regimen, letting you transition from one to the next without stopping. Meanwhile, a new Race feature will task you with trying to beat your previous times on a set route.Samsung teased that the Galaxy Watch may not be the only device receiving new AI-based health features. The introduction of Galaxy AI to Galaxy Watch is just the beginning of this process and we're excited to showcase even more integrations across our Galaxy portfolio very soon," the company said. Samsung may officially launch its Galaxy Ring wearable (initially announced in January without details) at its next Unpacked event in July. The Oura-like device will track sleep based on heart rate, movement and breathing, offering personalized advice.The new Galaxy Watch features will arrive in the One UI 6 Watch update later this year. Samsung says a limited number" of Watch owners will be able to try them in a beta program starting in June.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-will-stuff-the-galaxy-watch-with-new-ai-health-tracking-features-120057305.html?src=rss

Ahead of Microsoft finishing up its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it said bringing that publisher's titles to Xbox Game Pass might take some time. We've only seen one so far(Diablo IV), but the company now has added a notable one. In fact, it's a game that isn't even here yet. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on Game Pass on its release day, later this year.In Black Ops style, it's a tactical play. Almost every year in recent memory, the latest Call of Duty release has been the best-selling game. Microsoft is relying on the debut of a new Call of Duty game to draw players to its Game Pass. $10 a month is cheaper than the price of the game, but it's also a subscription. And the company is banking on Xbox gamers continuing that sub.If you do pick up Xbox Game Pass, you'll get to play the game on the day of release, as well as access to the ever-increasing Game Pass game library, including recent addition Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2.Check out the teaser trailer here.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedThe best VPN service for 2024OpenAI's new safety team is led by board members, including CEO Sam AltmanT-Mobile is acquiring the majority of US CellularVR classics Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator come to Apple Vision ProYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Lego announced its first-ever Zelda playsetWith a Great Deku Tree.LegoMario, done. Sonic, done. Finally, Zelda is the latest video game to transition to official Lego kits. The Great Deku Tree set includes 2,500 pieces and is two sets in one. Both include a giant tree. The Ocarina of Time set includes a section inspired by the game's first dungeon as well as a replica of Link's house in Kokiri Village. The Breath of the Wild build includes plenty of hidden Koroks. And a Master Sword!Continue reading.The TikTok ban law heads to court this SeptemberA group of creators is also challenging the law.Oh, you thought it was over? You. Thought. It. Was. Over? It hasn't even started. TikTok will face off with the Justice Department this fall to attempt to stop a law that could lead to a ban of the app in the United States. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia set a September date for arguments.Continue reading.Apple's WWDC 2024 keynote kicks off June 10 at 1PM ETWhat AI tricks are up its sleeve?It's coming. What should we expect at Apple's keynote this year? WWDC is typically a software-centric event, so we're expecting new AI tricks as well as updates, like iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, macOS 15 and watchOS 11. There are even rumors Apple might integrate Google's Gemini AI with Siri and various iPhone apps. We'll have to wait for June 10 to learn the truth.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-xboxs-call-of-duty-black-ops-6-gamble-111524996.html?src=rss