Amazon and PBS have entered a partnership that will bring content from the public media operation to Prime Video. More than 150 local PBS channels and the PBS Kids Channel will launch as a free ad-supported TV (or FAST) offering on Prime Video over the coming months. The press release from PBS noted that this is the first time this collection of programming will be available on a major streaming service for free.PBS Distribution is also launching two new FAST channels that will be available exclusively on Prime Video for a limited time beginning November 26. These channels are PBS Drama and PBS Documentaries. It seems Amazon is looking to focus on a lineup of FAST channels within Prime Video for free viewing, since the company announced that it is closing Freevee.Having yet another place to watch public media content is a happy development for PBS fans. The broadcaster recently launched a FAST channel with Roku called PBS Retro, specifically with shows from the 1980s and 1990s for those of us who want to dive into a little nostalgic escapism.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/pbs-programming-is-coming-to-prime-video-190443155.html?src=rss
Did you think Teenage Engineering would go another entire year without dropping something both absurdly cool and outrageously expensive? Think again. The company just announced the long-rumored OP-XY groovebox. It looks like an OP-1 Field, but plays like the relatively-ancient OP-Z. It also costs $2,300. The OP-XY is described by the company as an "all-in-one powerful synthesizer and composer with deep, direct sequencing capabilities." That sounds about right. The primary workflow here is sequencing, as opposed to the faux tape recording found with its OP-1 siblings. The groovebox features a shrunken-down keyboard and a strip of 16 LED-equipped buttons to control the sequencer. There's a multisampler inside the box, in addition to some great-sounding synth engines, drum kits and a bevy of useful effects, including the punch-in effects from the original OP-Z. As for specs, this little beast ships with 512GB of RAM, a dual CPU system that's "capable of ultrafast processing power and efficiency" and 8GB of internal storage. Teenage Engineering boasts about the groovebox's "brain chord progression." This lets players program chord sequences by letting your hands do the talking." We don't exactly know what that means, as hands are typically involved when programming any chord sequence. We'll have to wait for a hands-on experience to get the gist. It does allow for live recording, which is nice. Just like the OP-Z, there's a built-in gyroscope that allows players to adjust parameters by simply moving the device around. As for connectivity, there's a USB-C port, a 3.5mm stereo input, MIDI in, MIDI sync and a new multi-output port that can send MIDI, CV, gate or sync data. It even has Bluetooth MIDI. Teenage Engineering It's also an absolute head-turner in the looks department. This thing is a stunner, dropping the toy-like OP-Z aesthetic for something that eerily resembles the OP-1 Field, albeit with a color swap to matte black. There's a bright OLED display and many of the same multi-function buttons and knobs found with the original OP-1 and the Field. It looks very cool and I want it. As previously mentioned, there's a rub. The OP-XY costs $2,300. You read that right. That's $300 more than the OP-1 Field. Heck. You could buy a brand new standard OP-1 and an OP-Z and still have some money leftover to buy cables and other accessories. Despite the price, I'm cautiously optimistic about this one. I absolutely love the OP-1 Field and I don't care who knows it. This is really the first ultra-expensive instrument the company has released since the aforementioned OP-1 Field. Last year's EP-133 and its medieval-flavored follow-up both cost $300. The OP-XY is available right now. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/teenage-engineering-is-back-with-another-droolworthy-and-expensive-groovebox-183918448.html?src=rss
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has started the process of placing Google under federal supervision, an action which could create new standards for how the federal government can oversee big tech if the effort is successful. Falling under the CFPB's supervision would subject Google to regular inspections and scrutiny, although the exact aims of the department's efforts have not been fully disclosed. However, it has been an ongoing project for some time, as sources told The Washington Post that Google has been fighting against this move by the CFPB for months.This department was created in 2008 in response to the financial crisis that year, and its objective is to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive financial practices. The CFPB primarily focuses on businesses such as banks and credit unions, but Director Rahit Chopra has voiced an interest over recent years in subjecting tech companies that offer financial products to similar oversight. For instance, the bureau began an investigation into app store payments systems from Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, PayPal and Square back in 2021.The preliminary moves by the CFPB to oversee Google, and the agency's entire scope of operation, will likely be impacted by Donald Trump's return to the presidency in early 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-being-targeted-for-oversight-by-the-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-181032853.html?src=rss
Amazon just unveiled a new line of Fire TVs, just ahead of Thanksgiving and, more importantly, Black Friday. The Fire TV Omni Mini-LED series is being advertised as the most powerful and innovative Amazon-built TV yet." Let's take a look at some specs. These TVs all include QLED Mini-LED panels that deliver up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness and up to 1,344 dimming zones. They offer support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, which should result in more vibrant colors, deeper blacks, and richer contrast." Amazon says these sets include AI-assisted Intelligent Picture technology, which automatically enhances image quality to optimize scenes in real-time." The TV's light and color sensor take the living space into account, making the appropriate brightness and color temperature settings as needed. Amazon They also allow access to Amazon's Fire TV Ambient Experience, which turns the TVs into a display for art. It's sort of like the well-regarded Samsung Frame series only, well, without the whole frame part. This software doesn't just display static pieces of art, as it can also handle custom animations and various widgets. This is the first Amazon-built TV with an AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certification, for my beautiful gamers out there. This software suite combines a variable refresh rate, an automatic low latency mode and a new 144Hz refresh rate in gaming mode. It also offers support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, for some nice future-proofing. They all ship with two speakers, complete with two subwoofers, and allow access to Dolby Atmos audio. These are Amazon TVs so, of course, they play nice with Alexa. The company says that users can discover shows and movies, manage playback and control the Fire TV Ambient Experience hands-free" via voice control. The Fire TV Omni Mini-LED boxes are available right now. Prices range from $820 to $2,100, with size options ranging from 55-inches all the way up to 85-inches. Amazon These aren't the only entertainment products that Amazon released today. The company also dropped a new line of soundbars and a refresh for the pre-existing Fire TV 4 series. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/amazon-dropped-a-new-fire-tv-line-just-before-thanksgiving-174510455.html?src=rss
Black Friday is set to soak the world in glorious deals, but why wait until later in the month? Some of these deals are already live. For instance, the M2 MacBook Air is available via Amazon for just $749. The regular price is $1,000, so this is a discount of 25 percent. It even boasts 16GB of RAM. This model easily made our list of the best MacBooks, even with the presence of the newer M3 MacBook Air. Here are the takeaways. This laptop, obviously, includes Apple's proprietary M2 8-core CPU, which is more than fast enough for basic tasks and fine for even many advanced tasks, like music-making. We called it "Apple's near-perfect Mac" in our official review. This is not the bare-bones standard model, as it comes with 16GB of RAM. Most versions ship with 8GB of RAM. The multitasking bona-fides are strong with this one. The M2 MacBook Air also ships with a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and support for the P3 wide color gamut. It's thin and light. It's a MacBook Air. This thing weighs around 2.7 pounds. The battery life is solid, at around 18 hours of use per charge. The four-speaker sound system can get surprisingly loud, so headphones are not a requirement when watching random YouTube videos or listening to music. So what's the downside? There isn't one. Not really. This isn't the M3 MacBook Air, so those looking for the latest and greatest model may be let down. The model does only ship with a 256GB solid state drive, but it's easy enough to plug in an external. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-m2-macbook-air-with-16gb-of-ram-drops-to-749-ahead-of-black-friday-161500053.html?src=rss
Google now offers a dedicated Gemini AI app on iPhone. First spotted by MacRumors, the free software is available to download in Australia, India, the US and the UK following a soft launch in the Philippines earlier this week.Before today, iPhone users could access Gemini through the Google app, though there were some notable limitations. For instance, the dedicated app includes Google's Gemini Live feature, which allows users to interact with the AI agent from their iPhone's Dynamic Island and Lock Screen. As a result, you don't need to have the app open on your phone's screen to use Gemini. The software is free to download - though a Gemini Advanced subscription is necessary to use every available feature. Gemini Advanced is included in Google's One AI Premium plan, which starts at $19 per month.The app is compatible with iPhones running iOS 16 and later, meaning people with older devices such as the iPhone 8 and iPhone X can use the AI agent. I'll note here that the oldest iPhone that can run Apple Intelligence is the iPhone 15 Pro. Of course, that's not exactly a fair comparison; Apple designed its suite of AI features to rely primarily on on-device processing, and when a query requires more computational horsepower, it goes through the company's Private Cloud Compute framework.Either way, it's not surprising to see Google bring a dedicated Gemini app to iPhone. Ahead of WWDC 2024, Apple had reportedly been in talks with the company to integrate the AI agent directly into its devices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-now-offers-a-standalone-gemini-app-on-iphone-160025513.html?src=rss
The executive arm of the European Union isn't shying away from slapping major tech companies with hefty fines. The European Commission has fined Meta 797.12 million ($842 million) for violating antitrust regulations.The EC says that by tying Facebook Marketplace to Facebook and imposing unfair trading conditions on other online classified ads service providers," Meta abused its dominant positions" in the social networking space. Regulators determined that all Facebook users are regularly exposed" to Marketplace, even if they don't want to be. To that end, the link between the two services gives Meta a substantial distribution advantage which competitors cannot match."In addition, the EC found that third-party classified ads services that advertised on the likes of Facebook and Instagram were subject to unfair trading conditions. This allows Meta to use ads-related data generated by other advertisers for the sole benefit of Facebook Marketplace," regulators contended.The fine was determined based on the duration and extent of the infringement, as well as Meta's revenue. The Commission also told Meta to end the practice and avoid repeating such conduct or trying something similar.Meta said it will appeal the ruling. This decision ignores the realities of the thriving European market for online classified listing services and shields large incumbent companies from a new entrant, Facebook Marketplace, that meets consumer demand in innovative and convenient new ways," it claimed.The company is trying to appease European regulators on other fronts. The EC said in the preliminary findings of an ongoing investigation that Meta violated the Digital Markets Act with its approach to an ad-free subscription, as it required EU users to consent to highly targeted advertising or pay to avoid it. This week, Meta lowered the monthly subscription fee and said it would offer an advertising option that won't use as much of a user's data, though this will include some unskippable ads.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/eu-fines-meta-842-million-in-a-facebook-marketplace-antitrust-case-154111594.html?src=rss
One of the Gemini AI-powered features Google introduced at I/O this year was a solution for never-ending scam calls. It has the capability to detect whether a call is suspicious while it's still ongoing and can alert you so that you could drop the call as soon as possible. That live scam detection feature for phone calls is now available for Pixel 6 and newer devices, as long as you're part of the Phone by Google public beta program in the English language."[S]cam calls are evolving, becoming increasingly more sophisticated, damaging and harder to identify," the company said in its announcement. Scam Detection uses on-device AI to determine whether a call is a potential scam in real time. For instance, if the caller tells you it's your bank and asks you to transfer funds to another account because yours had allegedly been breached - a common scam tactic - you'll get an audio and a haptic alert. When you look at your phone, you'll see a visual warning, along with a button to easily end the call. If the AI ends up making a mistake, you can tap on the "Not a scam" button instead.GoogleScam Detection is off by default, and it's up to you whether you want to activate it. Google says it doesn't send your calls or their transcripts to a remote server, because the feature processes phone calls on-device. On the Pixel 9 series, it's powered by Gemini Nano, which Google describes as its "most efficient model for on-device tasks." On Pixel devices older than the Pixel 9, it's powered by the company's other machine learning models.Google didn't say when live scam detection will make it out of beta, but it promised that it's coming soon to more Android devices. In October, the company also rolled out enhanced scam detection for Messages, which also uses on-device machine learning models to identify scam texts.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/googles-live-scam-detection-for-phone-calls-is-now-out-for-pixel-devices-143017096.html?src=rss
With its biggest update to Final Cut Pro (FCP) in years, Apple may be re-embracing the professional video creator crowd it has neglected since the launch of FCP X in 2011. The company finally unveiled its successor, Final Cut Pro 11 (FCP 11), an update that leans heavily on AI tools. At the same time, it introduced spatial video editing to produce content for the Vision Pro headset.The key AI feature is Magnetic Mask, which lets you cut out people and other moving subjects, then stylize them or put them in another location altogether. "This powerful and precise automatic analysis provides additional flexibility to customize backgrounds and environments," Apple wrote. "Editors can also combine Magnetic Mask with color correction and video effects, allowing them to precisely control and stylize each project."AppleThe other key new AI feature is Transcribe to Captions, which automatically analyzes interviews and other timeline audio, transcribes it and places the captions directly on the timeline - effectively automating the entire process. That feature uses an Apple-trained large language model (LLM) designed to transcribe spoken audio, the company said.Final Cut Pro 11 also joins other pro editing apps like Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve in offering VR/AR video editing. "Spatial video editing" allows users to import and edit AR/VR video directly in the app, while adding effects, color correction and more. Footage can be captured from an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 models, along with Canon's R7 mirrorless camera paired with the new RF-S 7.8mm F/4 lens. Users can choose from different viewing modes to preview left- and right-eye angles, or bring their edit directly in to Apple Vision Pro to get a 3D preview.Apple also unveiled Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.1, further optimizing it for Apple silicon. The app also offers enhancements to the "light and color" feature that let you quickly improve the color, contrast and overall look of your video. And finally, the company released a new version of Final Cut Camera, which includes the ability to shoot in compact but high-quality HEVC files with Apple Log, rather than using storage-gobbling ProRes.As a professional tool, Final Cut Pro 11 is still missing features found in Resolve and Premiere Pro like text-based editing and certain advanced color correction tools. Still, the new version and features will no doubt be welcomed by FCP diehards. It's now available to download for $299 for new users (following a free 90-day trial) and is free to existing Final Cut Pro owners.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apples-ai-infused-final-cut-pro-11-is-now-available-140030992.html?src=rss
Snapchat is adding new location tracking abilities to its parental control features. The changes will give parents new visibility into their children's Snap Map settings and allow them to keep tabs on their whereabouts.The new features, which will be available over the coming weeks," will be added to Snapchat's Family Center, the app's portal for parental control features. With the updates, parents will be able to request to view their child's location or share their own. Parents can also opt to receive travel notifications" when their child leaves specific places, like their school or home.Separately, Family Center, which already allows parents to keep tabs on who their children are chatting with, will also allow them to see who their teen has shared their location with in the app's Snap Map.That feature could help address some criticism the company has faced about the role its app's location sharing abilities has played in crucial safety issues. Snapchat's location sharing has come under particular scrutiny by safety advocates who have alleged it had enabled teens to connect with strangers, including drug dealers and potential predators. The feature was called out in a lawsuit brought by New Mexico's Attorney General earlier this year over alleged safety lapses at the company.In its latest update, Snap notes that it bars all users from sharing their location info with users who aren't already their friends. And the company says it plans to push additional reminders to users about their Snap Map settings prompting them to be extra thoughtful about their" choices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/snapchat-will-let-parents-track-their-kids-through-family-center-130004215.html?src=rss
Xbox is thinking about future hardware, and it might not just be another box attached to your TV. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer told Bloomberg the team is considering its own gaming handheld - but it's years away.In an earlier interview with IGN, Spencer had mentioned a hypothetical Xbox gaming handheld PC device," which now appears to be in the early research and prototyping stage. The Xbox boss said local play would be important to include if Xbox were to design a handheld console. Compared to existing devices, like the Steam Deck, ROG Ally and Legion Go, it's unclear what unique features an Xbox handheld might offer.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed
Google is adding a handful of new features to Maps in time for the holidays, including the ability to search for specific products within the app itself. If you need a sweater for your annual ugly sweater party, new clothes or some last-minute gifts, for instance, you can type the item in Maps' search bar to bring up nearby stores where you may be able to find what you're looking for. From the results that pop up, you can select one of the options and then look up directions. Google says you can search for a wide variety of items from Maps, such as electronics, home goods and even grocery items.The company has also updated Maps to allow you to report and see delays impacting your transit lines, as well as to show more details, such as alternate transit routes and subway station entrances. Maps will show reports for weather disruptions like unplowed or flooded roads and low visibility areas, as well. In addition, Google is adding the ability enter your vehicle's dimensions in its built-in Maps app to show routes that don't have bridges or tunnels you can't clear. For now, though, those routes are only available on the 2024 Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon. The company says it will expand the feature's capability to more vehicle models in the future.If you're driving an EV and look up routes with charging stops on your phone, you can now send the route you've decided on to your car with built-in Google Maps. Finally, if you want to avoid crowds when you go out, you can look at Maps' Popular Times info to see traffic trends at specific times.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/you-can-now-search-for-products-inside-google-maps-120033602.html?src=rss
Now you'll be able to play one of the greatest zombie survival games of all time on your iPhone or iPad. Capcom's Resident Evil 2 remake is headed to the Apple and Mac App Store on December 10.The game won't be available on every Apple device. You'll need any iPhone 16 model, an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPad or Mac with the M1 chip or later. You'll also be able to try a small portion of the game before purchasing the full experience. The game comes with universal purchase" and cross-progression" for all your eligible devices, according to a Capcom statement.The Resident Evil 2 remake will offer advanced controls for touchscreens and the Mac version. Both Leon and Claire will also have a new Auto Fire feature" so you can unload your clip into whatever's shuffling towards you.This is just one of four Resident Evil games available for Apple devices and computers. Capcom and Apple have released versions of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil 4 on the App Store and Resident Evil: Village on the App and Mac App Store.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-resident-evil-2-remake-will-shuffle-its-way-to-apple-devices-in-december-234511380.html?src=rss
GOG is launching an effort to help make older video games playable on modern hardware. The GOG Preservation Program will label the classic titles that the platform has taken steps to adapt in order to make them compatible with contemporary computer systems, controllers and screen resolutions, all while adhering to its DRM-free policy. The move could bring new life to games of decades past, just as GOG did two years ago with a refresh of the 1999 title Wheel of Time. So far, 92 games have received the preservation treatment."Our guarantee is that they work and they will keep working," the company says in the video announcing the initiative.Preservation has been a hot topic as more games go digital only. Not only are some platforms eliminating disk drives by default, but ownership over your library is more ephemeral than it seems. After all, most game purchases are just a license, and licenses can be revoked (as The Crew players know all too well).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/gogs-preservation-label-highlights-classic-games-its-maintaining-for-modern-hardware-231606454.html?src=rss
Bluesky may still be the underdog in the race for alternatives to X, but the once Twitter-affiliated service is gaining momentum. The app just passed the 15 million user mark after adding more than a million new users over the last week, the company said in an update.While Bluesky is still considerably smaller than Threads, which with 275 million users is its biggest rival, there are signs that Threads users have been increasingly curious about the upstart. Bluesky" has been a trending topic on Threads in recent days and an in-app search suggestion shows there are more than 19,000 posts about Bluesky." Bluesky itself has also made a push to win over Threads users in recent weeks by posting regularly on the Meta-owned service.That effort seems to be working. A month ago, Engadget noted, the service had just under 9 million users. Its mobile app also has the top spot in Apple's App Store, followed by Threads and ChatGPT. Its recent success also seems to be driven, at least in part, by frustration with Elon Musk and X following the US presidential election.A recent report from web analytics company SimilarWeb found that more than 115,000 US web visitors deactivated their accounts," on November 7, more than on any previous day of Elon Musk's tenure." The report also noted that web traffic and daily active users for Bluesky increased dramatically in the week before the election, and then again after election day," with Bluesky at points seeing more web traffic than Threads. (Threads' mobile usage, however, is still far ahead" of Bluesky.)SimilarWebIn the US, Bluesky got more web visits than Threads in the immediate aftermath of the election," the report notes. For context, it's important to note that both services are app centric, even though they support a web user interface."On its part, Bluesky seems intent on distinguishing itself from its larger, billionaire-controlled rivals. The company, which began as an internal project at Twitter before it spun off into an independent entity, has experimented with novel features like custom feeds, user-created moderation services and starter packs" for new users.You're probably used to being trapped in a single algorithm controlled by a small group of people, that's no longer the case," Bluesky's COO Rose Wang shared in a video aimed at new users Tuesday. On Bluesky, there are about 50,000 different feeds ... these feeds provide a cozy corner for you to meet people with similar interests. And you can actually make friends again, because you're no longer tied to a dominant algorithm that promotes either the most polarizing posts and or the biggest brands, and that's the mandate of Bluesky."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/bluesky-surges-to-15-million-users-after-getting-a-million-sign-ups-in-one-week-224213573.html?src=rss
NHL 25 is slated to get a sizable content update at the end of the year. EA announced that the six teams of the Professional Women's Hockey League will be added to the game in an update this December. The Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge and Toronto Sceptres will be available to choose in the game's Play Now, Online Versus, Shootout and Season modes.This EA sports franchise has been putting more women's leagues and female players into the spotlight in recent installments. Women's teams first appeared in NHL 22 back in 2022, and last year NHL 23 showcased Olympic gold medalist Sarah Nurse of Team Canada on its cover alongside Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks.In addition to the December update with the PWHL partnership, NHL 25 is adding an NHL Arcade mode this Friday. In early 2025, the game will also see new content tied to the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off event.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-professional-womens-hockey-league-will-join-eas-nhl-25-this-year-224023998.html?src=rss
Spotify is aiming to give YouTube some competition with its new partner program for video creators and content that goes viral. The music and podcast app announced a new Partner Program" that monetizes audio and video beyond income from advertising starting on January 2, 2025.The new monetization program pays Spotify creators in two ways. Creators can earn a share of ad revenue from their content on all platforms through its Partner Program. They can also earn money through monthly podcast subscriptions that allow listeners to support creators directly in return for exclusive bonus content and perks."Both tiers also come with eligibility requirements. The Spotify Partner Program requires participants to host and upload their content through its Spotify for Creators platform, have streamed 10,000 hours and at least 2,000 unique views in a 30-day period and published at least 12 episodes. Subscriptions will be open to content creators who have at least two published episodes and at least 100 unique Spotify listeners in a 60-day period. The new programs will be available for subscribers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia next January.Spotify has taken other steps to make its video and music content more accessible and mainstream. The music and video streamer integrated with TikTok and Instagram so users can post tracks on the social media sites.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-unveils-a-new-payout-model-for-creators-with-popular-videos-221706698.html?src=rss
After a lengthy consideration, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Amazon's captive-audience meetings" are a violation of the National Labor Relations Act. These are mandatory meetings where an employer shares its stance on unionization.Ensuring that workers can make a truly free choice about whether they want union representation is one of the fundamental goals of the National Labor Relations Act. Captive audience meetings-which give employers near-unfettered freedom to force their message about unionization on workers under threat of discipline or discharge-undermine this important goal," Chairman Lauren McFerran said of the ruling. Today's decision better protects workers' freedom to make their own choices in exercising their rights under the Act, while ensuring that employers can convey their views about unionization in a noncoercive manner."The decision noted that employers may hold meetings about unionization as long as workers receive advanced notice about the topic, are told that attendance is voluntary and without consequences for opting not to participate, and that attendance records are not kept.Today's ruling centers on Amazon, which has a rocky history with its employees' efforts to organize and with the NLRB. However, the decision could impact other big tech firms that have followed similar practices around unionization.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-cant-force-employees-into-anti-unionization-meetings-214438177.html?src=rss
A startup called Wonder is now the new owner of Grubhub. The food delivery app announced its acceptance of the deal on its website earlier today.Wonder acquired Grubhub from the Dutch food company Just Eat Takeaway for $650 million. Pending regulatory approval, the deal will close early next year. Wonder also announced it has raised an additional $250 million in venture capital funding to further its mission and growth."Chicago software engineers Matt Maloney and Mike Evens founded Grubhub in 2004 as an online restaurant ordering service and an alternative to those paper menus that showed up on doorsteps and in junk mailings. The company merged with the automated food ordering and delivery company Seamless in 2013. Just Eat Takeaway bought Grubhub in 2020 for $7.3 billion at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.The numbers for restaurant delivery apps started to drop once the pandemic became part of history and people started going out again. Legal troubles started in 2021 when Chicago took Grubhub and some of its competitors to court for alleged unfair business practices and fees. Companies like DoorDash eventually settled but Grubhub's legal battle with Chicago is still raging in court, according to the Chicago Business Journal.The District of Columbia won a similar lawsuit against Grubhub in 2021 that ended with a $3.5 million settlement. The following year, Grubhub announced it would lay off 15 percent of its corporate staff.Wonder is a new fooddelivery company started by Marc Lore, a former Walmart executive who owns two professional basketball teams. Lowe previously founded Diapers.com and Jet.com. The New York Times published a profile on Lore and his newest venture Wonder, which he said could be the Amazon of food and beverage."Wonder's original focus was to get its own restaurants up and running" and create a delivery service that offers cheaper, quicker build-outs." Maybe that's because third-party food delivery services like Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber have seen their prices jump in the last couple of years, according to CNBC.Just in New York City, food delivery prices increased by 58 percent in just under a year, according to Bloomberg. A new law that went into effect at the end of last year raised the minimum wage for New York delivery drivers to $17.96 an hour. The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection reported that food delivery workers saw their wages increase by 64 percent and their tips decreased by 60 percent in just eight months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/grubhub-just-sold-for-a-tenth-of-what-it-was-worth-during-the-pandemic-204555195.html?src=rss
Blizzard pulled off a rare surprise today by shadow launching remasters of the original Warcraft and its sequel to commemorate the franchise's 30th anniversary. These updates of the hit RTS games are available right now and look to merge retro goodness with some modern sensibilities.The remasters feature brand new, hand-drawn visuals that capture the original art style from each game." Players will be able to swap between the original graphics and the remastered versions in real time. If the trailer is anything to go by, the games look purdy. The simple animations match the vibe of the two games nicely.The original Warcraft is getting some serious quality-of-life changes to make the game more appealing to modern audiences. The update includes 16:9 resolution support and modern control options. For instance, players can now right-click to move units instead of having to rely on hotkeys.Both remasters have also received "various UI and UX improvements such as tooltips and health bars, mission select screens, and increased unit selection." The original games placed strict limitations on how many units could be selected at once, so that last one is a nice improvement.Warcraft 2 will even be available for multiplayer sessions. Franchise manager Brad Chan said during today's 30th anniversary livestream that all legacy custom maps will still be fully compatible and playable." These remasters are available right now. Warcraft 1 is $10 and Warcraft 2 is $15.Today's 30th anniversary stream also dropped all kinds of other nuggets beyond the remasters. Warcraft 3: Reforged got a major update today that fixes many long-standing issues. Blizzard also announced that the affiliated mobile title Warcraft Arclight Rumble will be playable on PC starting on December 10, albeit as a beta.The developer is relaunching WoW: Classic, complete with all-new, fresh realms." WoW: Classic 20th Anniversary Edition will be available on November 21 and will include PvE and PvP servers, in addition to Hardcore realms.WoW Classic is even getting a new (old) expansion. Mists of Pandora Classic will be available next year. Check the trailer above for proof.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/warcraft-1-and-2-remastered-are-available-right-now-for-some-retro-rts-goodness-194335478.html?src=rss
Google is conducting a test" that will omit results from EU-based news publishers. The company says the time-limited trial will only affect a small portion of users in nine EU countries and will help assess how results from EU news publishers impact the search experience for our users and traffic to publishers." But given the fragile state of the news media - and the company's history of threatening to pull its services in the face of news-related regulations - it's tempting to view it as the equivalent of a mob boss conducting a little test" to see how the corner laundromat fares without its protection.Google describes the experiment (via The Verge) as a small, time-limited test" to omit EU results from search, Google News and the personalized Discover feed. It will only affect one percent of users in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. Those users will still see results from other websites, including non-EU news publications.The company says news results will reappear as usual once the test concludes. (It didn't list a specific timeframe.) Google stresses that the experiment won't impact the publisher payments it makes under the European Copyright Directive (EUCD), under which the company has inked deals with over 4,000 EU publishers.Google does have a history of using the potential withdrawal of its visibility as a negotiating stick in similar situations. In some cases, the tactic has helped it draw concessions.Last year, Google pulled its news links from Canada in response to Bill C-18 (the Online News Act), which required tech companies to negotiate compensation with online publishers for linked content. After months of negotiations, Google said Canada had addressed its concerns and given it a path to an exemption. Canada said it granted one to Google last month, with the company agreeing to pay $100 million annually to news organizations.In April of this year, Google briefly removed links to California news outlets in response to the proposed California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), which would require Google to pay news publishers in exchange for continuing to link to their websites. Although the bill's fate is still up in the air, Google struck a deal with state lawmakers this summer, committing tens of millions of dollars to a fund supporting local news.In 2021, the company threatened to remove its entire search engine from Australia in response to a then-proposed law requiring tech companies to share royalties with news publishers. The nation's then-Prime Minister stood firm. Let me be clear. Australia makes our rules for things you can do in Australia," Scott Morrison said. After the bill was passed and enacted, Google struck deals with Australian media companies to license content.Google says it hopes the data analysis tools it provides publishers will help them use the EU test to understand traffic patterns."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/a-google-test-will-omit-eu-publishers-from-news-links-184536615.html?src=rss
Threads could start getting ads much sooner than Meta has let on. The company is now planning to bring ads to its newest app early next year" with the first ads arriving in January of 2025, according to a new report in The Information.That suggests Meta is looking to start making money on the rapidly growing service far sooner than Meta executives have previously suggested. In August, when the app reached 200 million users, Mark Zuckerberg said Threads could become the company's next billion-user service. He said making money off the app would be a "multi-year" effort.All these new products, we ship them, and then there's a multi-year time horizon between scaling them and then scaling them into not just consumer experiences but very large businesses," Zuckerberg said. In the company's most recent earnings call, Meta CFO Susan Li said the company doesn't expect Threads to be a meaningful driver of 2025 revenue at this time."According to The Information, Meta is planning a slow rollout for ads on Threads. The company will start with a small number" of advertisers in January. It's unclear how quickly the effort may expand. "Since our priority is to build consumer value first and foremost, there are no ads or monetization features currently on Threads," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.Meta's reported plans highlight just how quickly the service has grown in recent months. Threads has 275 million monthly users and is seeing more than 1 million new sign-ups a day, according to Zuckerberg. That makes it by far the largest of the X alternatives that have sprung up over the last couple years.Bluesky, another popular Twitter-like service, has also seen significant growth recently, adding a million new users in the last week, the company said Tuesday. It is still much smaller than Threads with 15 million users. Like Threads, it also currently has no advertising and the company has said it plans to experiment with subscription-based features.Update November 13, 2024, 2 PM ET: Added a statement from a Meta spokesperson.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-will-reportedly-bring-ads-to-threads-as-soon-as-january-183044211.html?src=rss
AMD has confirmed it's laying off roughly four percent of its global workforce, according to reports by TechCrunch and others. It's not entirely clear how many people will be impacted by this move, or which divisions the laid off employees will be pulled from.We can, however, do some math. The company had around 26,000 employees last year, according to an annual filing by AMD. Four percent of 26,000 comes out to just over 1,000 people. That's a lot.So that leads us to why. You already know the answer. It's a bunch of corporate gobbledygook. As a part of aligning our resources with our largest growth opportunities, we are taking a number of targeted steps," an AMD spokesperson told CRN.Don't worry. The company also said it's committed to treating impacted employees with respect and helping them through this transition." Engadget reached out to AMD for more information as to what that respect and help will look like. We'll update this story if we find out anything.This news comes after a fairly mixed Q3 earnings report. The company grew revenue and profit, but the gaming division saw a massive year-over-year decline of 69 percent, according to Wccftech. The company has also struggled to compete with NVIDIA in the world of AI chips.Experts still predict that AMD will make nearly $33 billion in 2025, thanks to forthcoming next-gen GPUs. This isn't enough for investors, however, as it's just" an increase of around $7 billion when compared to 2024. The company's stock is down around four percent this year, and dropped further today. Capitalism demands massive and endless growth.Rival (and occasional bestie) Intel has faced similar headwinds. The company announced over 15,000 layoffs earlier this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amd-lays-off-4-percent-of-its-global-workforce-182534044.html?src=rss
Amazon Haul will be the ecommerce titan's new discount storefront designed to compete against Temu and Shein, CNBCreports. This new corner of Bezos's empire is mobile-only and promises items at crazy low prices."Unlike Amazon Prime's fast speeds, Amazon promises its Haul orders orders will arrive in less than two weeks. Previously, CNBC mentioned in a previous report that Amazon was exploring a storefront where goods would be sold to US customers directly from China, though now it seems the company itself is doing the importing and acting as an intermediary.Speed isn't the only alteration to the typical Amazon arrangement customers will have to get used to. It seems, regardless of if they subscribe to Prime or not, buyers will have to purchase $25 of goods per order with Haul to get free shipping. For lesser orders, the shipping fee will be $3.99. Amazon also won't accept Haul returns if the value of the items is $3 or under.If customers take to Haul, the new storefront could put Amazon in a favorable position in a seemingly crowded market. Both the US and EU have set their regulatory sights on Temu.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-haul-wants-to-be-the-new-temu-161344035.html?src=rss
The Federal Trade Commission will get a chance to argue its case for Meta's breakup in court. On Wednesday, US District Judge James Boasberg allowed the FTC's lawsuit against the social media giant to move forward (PDF link). The FTC first sued Meta in 2020 in an attempt to force the company, then known as Facebook, to divest itself of Instagram and WhatsApp. Alongside dozens of attorneys general, the agency alleged Meta acquired the platforms in 2012 and 2014 to stifle growing competition in the social media market.This past April, Meta asked Judge Boasberg to dismiss the case. In addition to noting that the FTC had previously approved both acquisitions, Meta argued that the agency had failed to show that the company held monopoly power in the social networking services market, and that, in buying Instagram and WhatsApp, it had harmed consumers. Additionally, the company claimed that it had invested billions of dollars in both platforms and made them better as a result, to the benefit of social media users everywhere.While he did not entirely dismiss the lawsuit, Boasberg did force the FTC to narrow its case, dismissing an allegation that Facebook had provided preferential access to developers who agreed not to compete with it.We are confident that the evidence at trial will show that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp have been good for competition and consumers. More than 10 years after the FTC reviewed and cleared these deals, and despite the overwhelming evidence that our services compete with YouTube, TikTok, X, Apple's iMessage, and many others, the Commission is wrongly continuing to assert that no deal is ever truly final, and businesses can be punished for innovating," a Meta spokesperson told Engadget. We will review the opinion when it's filed."Judge Boasberg will meet with the two sides on November 25 to schedule the trial. The FTC lawsuit, it should be noted, was filed under the previous Trump administration, though whether it moves forward and in what form will depend on who President-elect Trump appoints to lead the agency.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-will-have-to-defend-itself-from-antitrust-claims-after-all-155730259.html?src=rss
This is Lightfoot, a solar scooter conceived by San Francisco-based R&D outfit Otherlab that, it claims, will be available to buy in the US from January. The most eye-catching feature are the two side panels covered in solar cells that will hopefully keep you from needing a charger. In the gap between the two, however, is a fairly capacious cargo compartment with almost 1.6 cubic feet of space. That should be more than enough to haul your gear to and from work, or to pick up some groceries when you're out and about. The padded seat and footplates, too, are designed to carry the rider and an additional passenger when required, too.Specs-wise, there's a pair of 750W brushless DC motors with a top speed of 20 miles per hour, generating 90Nm of peak torque, which should hopefully be enough to scale the hills around SF (and wherever you are). They're wired up to a 1.1kWh battery that the company promises will deliver a range of 37 miles on a single charge. The two 120W panels on either side will trickle charge the battery when on the road or parked up outdoors. Otherlab claims this idle solar charging will add three miles of charge per hour, or 18 miles if you leave it for a whole day.Lightfoot / OtherlabAside from the solar hardware, Otherlab claims that you - or a qualified technician - will be able to keep this running without any outside assistance. It said most of the components are off-the-shelf motorcycle parts and that they can be repaired or replaced just as easily. There's also a one-year whole-bike and two-year mechanical guarantee, as well as a no-question buy back policy. We'll reserve judgment on every facet of this until we're able to test it for ourselves, but we're looking forward to doing so just to see what this thing feels like to ride.Pre-orders for the Lightfoot are opening today for $4,995, with Otherlab pledging to make the first deliveries in January 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/im-kinda-in-awe-of-this-goofy-solar-scooter-150041980.html?src=rss
The Guardian announced it will no longer be active on X (formerly Twitter) - all its editorial accounts will stop posting on the platform. Users can, of course, still share the outlet's articles on X, and journalists working for The Guardian may link to or embed X posts in their articles or continue using the platform to gather news.According to the statement, X has become rife with far-right conspiracy theories and racism" and is simply not worth sinking more resources into. The newspaper would rather spend its time and energy on less "toxic" platforms. Additionally, The Guardian cites Elon Musk as a major reason for moving away, since the results of the recent US presidential election have allegedly shown how Musk "has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse." Essentially, the concern appears to be that continuing to post would be adding fuel to a propaganda machine.The Guardian isn't the only news outlet to ditch X: NPR and PBS both left in 2023. Corporations like Apple, IBM, Disney and others still post, but no longer advertise on X. These companies have historically been the social media platform's biggest source of ad income, as reported by Axios.The Guardian claims it's able to make this decision because it doesn't rely on advertising as its main business model. But Twitter was always more about influence than driving traffic, and the returns on investment for publishers have only gotten worse with time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-guardian-is-leaving-x-144549755.html?src=rss
Select YouTube creators can now produce their own remixes of existing songs. YouTube has announced a new feature for its AI-powered Dream Track tool that allows individuals to "restyle" a song and create a 30-second tune to use in a Short.Creators in the experiment group for this feature can choose from eligible songs and then give an explanation to AI about how they want to remix it. These changes could focus on giving the song a different genre or mood - whatever twist they're imagining. From there a new song gets produced "that reimagines the music while maintaining the essence of the original song's vocals and lyrics," YouTube's announcement states. "These restyled soundtracks will have clear attribution to the original song through the Short itself and the Shorts audio pivot page, and will also clearly indicate that the track was restyled with AI."YouTube rolled out Dream Track in November 2023, powered by Google DeepMind's Lyria model. It allowed a select group of US creators to make songs using the AI-generated voices of participating artists. The feature included a deal with Universal Music Group and partnerships with a slew of musicians, including John Legend, Charli XCX and Troye Sivan. It has expanded its availability to all US creators in the year since.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtube-creators-can-now-make-ai-song-remixes-for-shorts-143015775.html?src=rss
Hydrow, a company that makes smart rowing machines, just announced the Core, a new model that eschews monthly subscription fees. The Hydrow Core Rower features the same award-winning design" as the original Pro Rower, which we said was positioning itself to be the Peloton of smart rowing machines." Obviously, the hook here is that the Core is a one-and-done purchase with no recurring subscription costs. It still comes with an attached display, which lets users row through stunning destinations." All told, this machine offers access to 30 self-paced rows through these exotic locales. Hydrow The Core Rower supports unlimited users, which is nice, but there is one major caveat. There's no subscription, so there's no access to instructor-led workouts, badges, milestones and other premium features. However, customers can add a membership later for all of that stuff. Hydrow charges $44 per month for a subscription. It could be useful to try it out for a month to see if all of those additional bells and whistles are worth it. The Hydrow Core Rower is available right now and costs $1,995. This is the exact same price as the flagship Pro Rower. The company also recently released a trimmed down version called the Hydrow Wave. This one is smaller and cheaper, clocking in at around $1,700. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/hydrow-just-announced-a-new-smart-rowing-machine-with-no-subscription-required-140026785.html?src=rss
Wouldn't it be nice if you could go out for a run without fear of being harmed? Technology has a way of making us both safer and at greater risk while out and about, but a new tool from Strava might help with the former. Strava has announced Night Heatmaps, a feature that shows which areas have more activity - or "heat" - between sunset and sunrise. Yes, Heatmaps is the feature that accidentally revealed the location of US military bases.The update is a welcome one with sunset getting very early in some areas of the world, while night seems to last late into the morning. It also comes alongside a new Weekly Heatmap, which shows heat levels in an area over the last seven days. Again, this can help you know which paths will have the most people, but at all times of the day. While this added awareness is great for knowing where to go, some people might also purposely choose to avoid the busiest times, for fear of unwanted attention (there's no winning here).In either case, the Night and Weekly Heatmaps are only available on subscriber accounts (a membership will cost you $12 monthly or $80 annually). It's also worth noting that Heatmaps pull solely from public activities on Strava, so you're not getting the full story of how many people go where.Night and Weekly Heatmaps join the Global Heatmaps (also subscriber exclusive) and your Personal Heatmap. You can access any of them through the Map tab and filter the Heatmap by activity type.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/stravas-new-night-heatmaps-look-to-make-subscribers-safer-after-dark-140011174.html?src=rss
Apple and art house film company A24 are in early development on a film about convicted crypto scammer Sam Bankman-Fried with a script written by Lena Dunham, Variety reported. The project will be based on the Michael Lewis book Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon that many critics found overly deferential to Bankman-Fried.The book describes the dizzying rise and equally vertiginous fall of Bankman-Fried and his FTX crypto exchange and Alameda hedge fund. However, it paints the FTX founder as a benevolent prodigy and glosses over the fact that he embezzled billions of dollars from customers and spent it on things like celebrity endorsements, political donations and high-end real-estate purchases.FTX was worth billions at its peak, but the exchange eventually collapsed and Bankman-Fried was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Most FTX customers will get their original investments back, plus interest, but that's based on a bitcoin price of around $17,000 - and the current price is nearly five times that.Basing the film on Lewis's fawning hagiography isn't a promising start. Hopefully, Dunham or other writers will also draw on far better books (like Numbers Go Up by Zeke Faux) that show the dark, scammy side of crypto promoters like Bankman-Fried and the entire industry in general.Apple Original Films and A24 have announced other collaborations recently, including the Spike Lee and Denzel Washington film High and Low. Other scripted FTX projects are also in the works, including a limited Amazon Prime series from the Russo brothers based on the 2022 FTX collapse.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-and-a24-are-developing-a-sam-bankman-fried-movie-written-by-lena-dunham-133022680.html?src=rss
It's 2024, and chances are you know at least one person who works remotely in some fashion. While the WFH life has its perks - nobody likes a long commute - it certainly comes with its own set of challenges, from lacking pro-level equipment to dealing with household disturbances. If you're looking to give a gift to someone who spends much of their time in their home office, we've rounded up a few techy gift ideas that should make their days a little more delightful, or at least easier to manage. Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-work-from-home-gifts-wfh-140037231.html?src=rss
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA's research center responsible for robotic space missions, will lay off more workers before the year ends due to budget constraints. JPL Director Laurie Leshin has announced in a memo addressed to employees that the reduction will affect 325 people, or about five percent of its whole workforce. Leshin explained that the lab took various measures to meet its budget allocation for the 2025 fiscal year and to minimize the adverse effects of a limited budget on its workers. In the end, though, JPL "reached the difficult decision" to make "one further workforce reduction."The lab already cut 530 employees and cut over 100 contractors from its roster earlier this year because of uncertainty over the final budget that the Congress will give NASA for 2024. It also froze hiring in response to the dilemma. The main reason why the lab had to implement those measures was because the Mars Sample Return Program was allocated a much smaller budget than it needed. NASA had requested $950 million for the mission, but only $300 million was allocated for it.NASA's original plan was to bring home the samples collected by the mission in 2040. But its budget ballooned from $7 billion to $11 billion, and as The Washington Post notes, the government found the return date "unacceptable." For the 2025 fiscal year, NASA only requested $200 million for the project that could go through significant changes. The agency is now looking for ways to alter the mission and is even considering proposals from private companies.Leshin said that the layoffs will affect all areas of the lab, including its technical, business and support divisions. "[W]e had to tighten our belts across the board, and you will see that reflected in the layoff impacts," she said. JPL's director also said that the US presidential election results have nothing to do with the reduction that the "action would be happening regardless" of its outcome.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-jet-propulsion-laboratory-is-laying-off-325-more-workers-130001669.html?src=rss
LG Display's new free-form screen technology can expand from 12 to 18 inches, with a resolution of 100ppi. The display also uses a micro-LED light source smaller than 40 micrometers, so it can apparently be stretched over 10,000 times. While this probably isn't your next smartphone, we could see the tech in clothing, car panels and more.LG Display has pushed the boundaries of screen tech for a while, revealing folding screens before foldable phones appeared, roll-up TVS before roll-up TVs went on sale and transparent displays before they appeared in fancy stores, theme parks and elsewhere. So expect to see this Bop-it of displays somewhere, eventually.- Mat SmithThe biggest tech stories you missedThe coffee-table book of Apple Music's Best 100 Albums will set you back $450The best travel giftsElon Musk will lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, Donald Trump saysThe best MacBook for 2024: Which Apple laptop should you buy?Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Netflix's ad tier has attracted more than 70 million subscribersHowever, many have probably downgraded from a premium tier.Netflix is crowing that its ad-supported tier now boasts 70 million global users. Amy Reinhard, president of advertising at Netflix, says the company continues to see steady progress across all countries' member bases." But there isn't any information about existing customers. It's very possible a lot of people downgraded from a premium tier to an ad-supported tier.Continue reading.Fujifilm is developing a 102MP medium format cinema cameraWith a new sensor 1.7 times larger than full frame.FujifilmFujifilm is developing a medium-format, 102-megapixel cinema camera, the company said in a surprise announcement. Due next year, the GFX Eterna will carry a boxy, modular design reminiscent of Sony's FX6. The new camera will have a medium format GFX 102-megapixel (MP) CMOS II HS sensor, the same one used on the GFX100 II. That sensor is 43.8mm x 32.9 mm in size - that's 1.7 times larger than the full-frame sensor on the FX.The benefits will be extra dynamic range, potentially high resolution and a very shallow depth of field, which should enable cinematic shots with the right lens. Having said that, Fujifilm currently has no GFX glass designed specifically for film production. It's working on it, though.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-lgs-new-twisty-display-tech-can-stretch-up-to-50-percent-121552798.html?src=rss
President-elect Donald Trump has named Elon Musk as the leader of a new Department of Government Efficiency," that will dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies." The Tesla CEO and owner of X will spearhead the effort along with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump announced in a statement on Truth Social.The scope of the role isn't exactly clear. Trump's press release said that the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before." It also stated that their work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026."
Amazon is closing down Freevee, its free ad-supported video on demand service. This platform was home to original programming as well as more than 100 originals from the Prime Video roster. Freevee will be phased out over the coming weeks, and its content will become available as part of Prime Video. The ad-supported tier of Prime Video is included as part of Amazon's Prime membership for $15 a month."To deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers, we have decided to phase out Freevee branding," an Amazon spokesperson told Variety. "There will be no change to the content available for Prime members, and a vast offering of free streaming content will still be accessible for non-Prime members, including select originals from Amazon MGM Studios, a variety of licensed movies and series, and a broad library of FAST channels - all available on Prime Video."The free viewing platform went through several rebrands since its original launch as IMDb Freedive in January 2019. It entered its final phase as Freevee in April 2022.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-sunsets-freevee-platform-for-ad-supported-streaming-video-000614080.html?src=rss
This year's action RPG Stellar Blade has been a solid win for Sony as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. Developer Shift Up revealed in a recent quarterly earnings report that sales "have remained steady even as the initial surge has calmed" following its spring launch. But there may be a second boost coming for the game, because the studio is planning a PC port of Stellar Blade some time next year."Given recent trends like Steam's growing presence in the AAA games market and the global success of Black Myth: Wukong, we are expecting the PC version to perform even better than the console version," the Korean company said when asked about their PC plans during the presentation.The title referenced, Black Myth: Wukong, was able to set a new record for concurrent players in a single-player game on Steam when it launched on the platform in August. That's a lofty goal for any game to reach, so we'll have to see how successful Shift Up can be in reaching an international audience on PC.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ps5-exclusive-stellar-blade-is-coming-to-pc-231625263.html?src=rss
Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira received a 15-year sentence in federal prison for leaking classified military documents on Discord in a Boston federal court, according to The Washington Post.Teixeira appeared before the court earlier today and asked the judge for leniency. He also issued a statement apologizing for all of the harm that I've caused, to my friends, family and those overseas."Defense attorney Michael Bachrach also claimed that Teixeira was subjected to bullying in high school and his military unit as an adjudicating factor for his actions. Judge Indira Talwani didn't buy the defense's bullying claims stating that the Air Force has already disciplined 15 other members connected to Teixeira for not taking more actions that might have stopped him from doing this."Teixeira shared classified military documents as far back as late 2022 on a Discord server dedicated to the pixelated sandbox game Minecraft. The leak included information about the Ukrainian and Russian troop movements and military equipment used in the war in Ukraine and Russia's attempts to obtain more weapons from Egypt and Turkey. The documents eventually found their way to other Discord servers as well as 4chan and Telegram.FBI officials arrested Teixeira at his home in April of last year. Teixeira originally agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors in March that included a 16-year prison sentence for pleading guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information and violating the Espionage Act. If he stuck with his not guilty plea and received a guilty verdict, Teixeira faced a much steeper maximum prison term of 60 years.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/discord-leaker-jack-teixeira-gets-15-year-sentence-for-sharing-classified-documents-231319586.html?src=rss
Apple is rumored to be working on a new smart home product. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reported that the company is developing a wall-mounted display for controlling appliances, interacting with Siri and videoconferencing. The tablet is said to look "like a square iPad" with "a roughly 6-inch screen." It would have a camera at the top as well as internal speakers and a built-in rechargeable battery. His sources said this smart home display could be officially announced as soon as March following three years in development.This description sounds a lot like the Google Home Hub, which came out in 2018, or the Echo Show, which is already up to its eighth iteration. If Apple wants to be a serious competitor in this smart home space, it'll have to prove to customers that it has something to offer that these more established brands and products don't.Right now, the only distinguishing feature is likely Apple Intelligence, which finally began rolling out to users in late October, and the upcoming App Intents system for controlling software programs with AI. But Apple may be looking farther ahead toward something more extravagant than just a smart device control panel. Gurman reported that Apple is already working on a version with a robotic arm that could move the tablet around. It should be interesting to see exactly what Apple does formally launch and when.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/apple-could-launch-a-smart-home-control-center-next-year-222136073.html?src=rss
More than 200 employees of 23andMe are being laid off as part of the company's ongoing cost-cutting measures. The layoffs will impact 40 percent of the genetic testing company's workforce.23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki said in a statement released on Monday that the staff reduction would save the beleaguered company more than $35 million. She called the layoffs difficult but necessary actions as we restructure 23andMe and focus on the long-term success of our core consumer business and research partnerships."The company also announced it will start to shut down its therapeutics clinical programs that used its genetic database to research and develop new drugs. The therapeutics division housed two immuno-oncology programs" that investigated therapeutic antibodies designed to restore the ability of the body's immune cells to kill cancer cells," according to the division's website.The San Francisco-based company has not had an easy year. Hackers hit the genetics giant in April of last year and leaked information of 6.9 million customers. The data breach went unnoticed for a year and a half, leading to a $30 million settlement of a class action lawsuit and resignations from the company's entire board.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/23andme-is-laying-off-40-percent-of-its-staff-221207302.html?src=rss
The initial buzz for Apple's mixed-reality headset has died down, but new apps and experiences are still arriving for consumers who plunked down $3,500. The UK broadcaster Channel 4 just dropped a dedicated streaming app for the headset, which lets users watch stuff in ground-breaking cinema-style."Channel 4 is the first UK broadcaster to take this step. The app leverages the tech inside the headset to overlay streaming content on the real world, which allows for a full-screen viewing experience" of stuff like The Great British Bake Off and Taskmaster, in addition to multi-screen view.Speaking of Taskmaster, the broadcaster also announced an environment based on the comedy game show. Environments on the AVP transform the world around the user, so people can watch Taskmaster while sitting in a room inspired by Taskmaster (cue that Xzibit Yo Dawg meme.) Other streaming apps have their own environments. Paramount+ offers one based on SpongeBob Squarepants and Disney+ now includes one set in Iceland.This app doesn't feature access to the recently-released Taskmaster VR experience. That one's still tied to Steam VR and Meta Quest. By most accounts, it's a pretty bad game, so the Vision Pro isn't missing much.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/channel-4-in-the-uk-now-has-a-dedicated-app-for-apple-vision-pro-200027166.html?src=rss
Apple has a history of eye-popping price tags, but the company is reaching new heights with a product that isn't even a gadget. After Apple Music unveiled a list of the 100 best albums of all time earlier this year, the streaming service is releasing a companion coffee table book. You can grab one of the 1,500 copies for a cool $450. I find these endeavors to rank and quantify art hilarious, because music is subjective and personal by nature. But people do love to debate their own artistic opinions, so if that's your jam there's plenty to dig into with Apple Music's assessment. (And before you ask, the top spot was claimed by The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.) This particular countdown was assembled by "Apple Music's team of experts alongside an exclusive group of artists including Maren Morris, Pharrell Williams, J Balvin, Charli XCX, Mark Hoppus, Honey Dijon and Nia Archives, as well as songwriters, producers and industry professionals," according to the book listing. I'm sure this limited-run hardcover will be very beautiful, and maybe the liner notes analyzing each entry are deeply insightful. But I also wonder who would bother to buy it. If you are one of those 1,500 people who wants one, the book is due to start shipping in January. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/the-coffee-table-book-of-apple-musics-best-100-albums-will-set-you-back-450-193018825.html?src=rss
Cadillac is adding to its fleet of EVs with a new luxury SUV. The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq is a three-row, all-electric SUV that will hit showrooms and dealerships sometime next summer with a starting price of $78,790.The Vistiq's dual-motor, all-wheel drive system runs on a 102 kWh battery pack with a range of 300 miles that produces 615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. The Vistiq also supports vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional charging capabilities: it can charge at home, and also deliver electricity to your house during a power outage. Using the features requires buying the GM Energy V2H bundle though.The SUV's design borrows aesthetically from other Cadillac EVs. Like the Lyriq, it has flush door handles, and features similar looking lights and side panels. It also matches the Lyriq's 300 mile range. The swept-back windshield" and Black Crystal Shield grill" evoke the Escalade IQ.Of course, the Vistiq's power and price are different from its Cadillac EV's. The new Cadillac EV SUV is less expensive than an Escalade IQ ($129,990) but more than a Lyriq ($58,595), and the Escalade IQ has a higher peak battery range at 450 miles.The Vistiq comes with a 23-speaker AKG7 Studio Audio system with Dolby Atmos. The Android-powered infotainment system is baked into a 33-inch high resolution LED display. The Verge also reported that the new EV's navigation system uses Google Maps and can run other apps from the Google Play Store.Apple CarPlay and Android Auto won't be available in Cadillac's newest EV. General Motors is phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its EVs and plans to go with Android Automotive. GM's Executive Director of Digital Cockpit Experience Edward Kummer said in a Reuters interview that the carmaker didn't want any features in its EVs that are dependent on a person having a cellphone."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/cadillac-reveals-the-2026-vistiq-ev-suv-191557412.html?src=rss
Is Fortnite old enough to elicit nostalgia? Last year's trial run of bringing back the battle royale game's original map, weapons and early seasons would suggest so - at least for folks of a certain age. That test led to record-breaking player counts, topping 44.7 million in October 2023. Epic Games said on Tuesday that the OG Fortnite rewind is coming back again, and this time, it's for good.OG Fortnite will let you play the original map, along with the loot and seasons as they were in 2017. In addition to the nostalgia factor, many players appreciate that era's simpler gameplay mechanics, map designs, weapons and items. It was also before expansion updates that added new game modes (it was Battle Royale only) and vehicles like cars, boats and helicopters.Old-school Fortnite fans have less than a month to wait. The OG version returns to the game on December 6.Blizzard must have seen something it liked in the 2023 trial. It borrowed a page from Epic and brought back Overwatch in its original form for a three-week event starting today.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnite-will-turn-back-the-clock-again-on-december-6-185956191.html?src=rss
The blackest of Fridays is nearly upon us and companies have already begun rolling out the deals to separate consumers from their bank accounts. Here's one for a well-regarded and budget-friendly robovac. The iRobot Roomba Essential Vac is on sale for just $140, which is a discount of 44 percent. The regular price is $250. The Essential Vac features a similar design to the iRobot Roomba 694, which topped our list of the best budget robot vacuums. This one includes a three-stage cleaning system that works on both carpet and hard floors. It features the same smart navigation system as other iRoomba vacuums, so it'll avoid stairs and work its way around items of furniture. Despite being a budget-friendly robovac, there are some modern flourishes. The vacuum will automatically return to the charging station when the battery runs low, which is always nice. It also integrates with the Roomba app for setting cleaning schedules and for building a custom map of the home. The battery life sits at around two hours, which is a decent metric for the price. That should be more than enough time to thoroughly clean a medium-sized home. The major caveat here is that this is a budget robovac, so it doesn't mop and it doesn't ship with a large debris canister. Still, the price is right for those curious about eliminating sweeping from that to-do list. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-budget-roomba-robot-vacuum-is-nearly-half-off-ahead-of-black-friday-184426408.html?src=rss
Meta has long been at loggerheads with European Union officials over its approach to targeted Facebook and Instagram ads. The company is hoping to placate regulators with some changes to its ad model in the bloc, which includes lowering the price of its ad-free subscription. Starting November 13, the plan will cost 40 percent less - 6 ($6.36) per month for signups via the web and 8 ($8.48) for those who subscribe on an iOS or Android device. The fee for each additional Facebook and Instagram account is 4 per month on the web and 5 via mobile.The company will automatically drop current subscribers down to the lower pricing. It says that it will once again ask users in the bloc if they'd like to sign up.When they see this prompt (which can only be ignored for a certain period of time), there will be a third option for EU Facebook and Instagram users to choose from. Those who don't want to pay for a subscription can instead opt to only view ads that are based on what they see in a given session in the apps. Meta will also factor in a few key data markers such as "a person's age, location, gender and how a person engages with ads."These less-personalized ads naturally won't be as tailored to a given user's interests, the company notes. As such, people are perhaps less likely to click on such ads. To make up for that (and make sure this option doesn't hit Meta in the pocket too hard), folks who choose the less-personalized ads option will sometimes encounter unskippable ads. According to The Wall Street Journal, these will be displayed full screen."Such ad breaks are common across other services, and are already offered by many of our competitors," Meta argues. "This change will help us continue to provide value to advertisers which ensures we can offer people a less personalized ads experience at no charge."Targeted ads are Meta's biggest revenue driver, but EU officials have reportedly been pressuring the company to offer a free, less-personalized option in its apps. Meta has argued that would negatively impact its bottom line. Although it has seemingly caved to officials' requests, the unskippable ad aspect may be construed as malicious compliance, as it worsens the user experience.Meta claims that these changes to its ad model "meet EU regulator demands and go beyond what's required" by the bloc's laws. The company introduced its ad-free subscription a year ago to comply with laws such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as well as stricter interpretations of the General Data Protection Regulation. It was previously ordered to seek permission from users in the bloc before showing them personalized ads.The EU didn't take too kindly to the paid ad-free approach, however. An investigation into the "consent or pay" model is ongoing. In July, the EU said that in its preliminary findings, Meta was violating the DMA with this plan.These latest changes are said to be Meta's attempt to settle the case, but according to the Journal, the EU's discussions with the company haven't concluded. The bloc's regulatory body has until late March to finish its investigation and make a final decision. If it determines that Meta has indeed violated the DMA, the company could be on the hook for a fine of up to 10 percent of its annual global revenue. Based on its total revenue for 2023, it could have to pay up as much as $13 billion or so.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-cuts-the-price-of-its-ad-free-plan-by-40-percent-in-a-bid-to-sate-eu-regulators-174926790.html?src=rss
Waymo has announced expanded availability of its driverless rideshare service throughout Los Angeles. That's right. Waymo One is now available to all customers anywhere in LA county, which is 80 square miles. The company has dropped the waitlist for area residents. Now LA residents will get to experience sitting in endless traffic with a series of cameras and navigational algos leading the way instead of a person.This expanded service starts today and it offers fully autonomous rides" at any time of the day or night. Let's hear it for some drunken late night bonding with an algorithm. Waymo also says it'll further expand the service area in the future. After all, Los Angeles comprises five counties.It's been offering driverless rides to LA customers for a while now, but with a mandatory waitlist. Waymo One also started small in San Francisco and Phoenix before announcing similar expansions. The service will be coming to Austin and Atlanta in the near future.All told, the company says over 300,000 Los Angeles residents have joined the waitlist for the service and Waymo One has completed hundreds of thousands of paid trips across the city." Waymo says these driverless rides are also highly rated, with an average rating of 4.7 stars out of five. A recent survey indicated that 98 percent of customers are satisfied with the service.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymos-driverless-cars-in-la-county-are-now-available-to-everyone-173237519.html?src=rss
If you use Chrome on your iPhone, you're about to see some features sliding over from the Android version. Google Lens will let you add text to your image searches, and you can save files and pictures directly to Google Drive and Photos. You can get Shopping Insights" for products you're browsing.Chrome for iOS now lets you add words to your Google Lens visual searches, allowing you to add nuance to your query or perform more complex and specific searches," as Chrome Product Manager Katia Muradyan wrote in a blog post. After activating Lens by tapping the camera icon in the Chrome search bar, you can ask questions about the object you're snapping a pic of, and it will produce corresponding results. Google says AI Overviews will also appear for some of these search results.The feature shares some common ground with an Apple Intelligence feature for iPhone 16 owners in iOS 18.2, which is currently in beta. Visual Intelligence lets you point your camera at something and get info about it, including asking ChatGPT questions about it or searching for it on Google.Chrome for iPhone now has a feature that lets you save a file directly to Google Drive or Google Photos, sparing you from using your phone's internal storage. When saving files from Chrome, you'll see a new option to save the file to Drive. Similarly, when browsing a photo you want to save, long-press on it, and you'll see a new Save in Google Photos" option in the context menu. Of course, the feature requires you to be signed into a Google account.Chrome for iOS also adds a feature that pops up a mini-map when you click on an address. Look for an underlined link to specific addresses; clicking on it will take you to the mini-map without leaving the browser.Finally, Google is adding Shopping Insights for US users. The company frames it as a way to help you find great prices on items you're shopping for, but it's hard to imagine this feature exists strictly from the kindness of Google's heart. Regardless, you'll soon see a Good Deal Now" alert in Chrome's address bar when browsing for products for which it's available. You'll see details like price history / tracking and buying options if you tap it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/chrome-for-ios-now-lets-you-add-text-to-google-lens-visual-searches-170920556.html?src=rss
Climate activists won against Shell in 2021 when a Dutch court commanded the oil giant to reduce its carbon emissions by 45 percent by the end of 2030. Three years later, Shell managed to win its appeal against this ruling. In the court's view, Shell doesn't have a social standard of care" to curtail emissions, the BBC reports.The 2021 ruling was noteworthy, as it was the first time a court made a private company obey the 2015 Paris Agreement in addition to Dutch law. However, the appeals court judge said that while Shell had an obligation to reduce emissions, a 45 percent cut could not be established as there is no universally accepted amount. Shell's statement says it's planning to reduce its products' carbon intensity by a comparatively paltry 15 to 20 percent by 2030 compared to a 2016 baseline.The 2021 ruling would only be effective in the Netherlands as well. Shell wouldn't have been legally obligated to follow the lower court's ruling for its operations outside Dutch territory. Now even that small gain is off the table for now.The activists, who are largely associated with Milieudefensie (the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth), issued a statement promising to continue the fight against climate change. Large polluters are powerful. But united, we as people have the power to change them," said Donald Pols, Director of Milieudefensie. They're now trying to take the case to the Supreme Court, but getting a final verdict will likely take years.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/shell-wins-appeal-in-dutch-court-after-three-year-battle-against-green-groups-165543894.html?src=rss
Netflix is crowing that its ad-supported tier now boasts 70 million users throughout the globe, as reported by Variety. The company announced 40 million users back in May, so this is some real growth. The streamer has been slowly ramping up its ad tier, going all the way back to 2022.Amy Reinhard, president of advertising at Netflix, says that the company continues to see steady progress across all countries' member bases." She also noted that over 50 percent of new Netflix sign-ups are for these ad-supported plans. The transformation of streaming into regular TV is nearly complete.There's one major potential caveat. The company released the aforementioned data regarding new sign-ups, which is impressive, but there isn't any information regarding pre-existing customers. It's highly possible a whole lot of people downgraded from a premium tier to an ad-supported tier.I'm one of them. I don't mind watching an ad or two as I mindlessly stuff food down my gullet while pseudo-watching an episode of The Diplomat or The Circle. In other words, there's an argument to be made that the ad-supported tier could be eating into the more expensive offerings.There's also an argument to be made that this year's growth spurt for the ad-supported tier could attract companies with deeper ad-spending budgets, thus making up the difference. Netflix is airing live NFL broadcasts on Christmas Day, and it says it has already sold out all available commercial inventory. The streamer is actually betting big on live streams, with wrestling events, cooking shows and talk shows all airing in the near future. The company's recent forays into audience measurement and the ad-tech space should help entice sponsors for these events.Netflix even has plans for themed" advertisements with certain shows. The next season of Squid Game will include a three-part linked commercial by Kia. Nothing makes me want to buy a car more than a deadly dystopian bloodsport that seems closer and closer to the real world by the day.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflixs-ad-tier-has-attracted-more-than-70-million-subscribers-162011582.html?src=rss
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