by Mariella Moon on (#6JDMZ)
The latest beta update for the PlayStation 5 will make it easier to hear what's going on in your game. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has announced the software update, which will enable DualSense and DualSense Edge wireless controllers to produce louder audio so that you can hear in-game sounds and audio chats more clearly.In addition to giving controllers the ability to produce louder sounds, the update also gives their noise cancellation feature a boost. Sony's announcement says the controllers now have better mic input, thanks to a new AI machine learning model. It'll give PS5's system the ability to suppress background noises, such as the game audio itself, allowing your voice to go through clearly and improving the quality of voice chats as a whole.The update brings non-sound-related improvements to the PS5, as well, including the option to adjust the console's power indicator under "Beep and Light" in System Settings. Plus, it will give you access to Share Screen tools that you can use as a viewer to interact with the host's gameplay. Want to catch the host's attention and make them notice a certain element in the game? There's a pointer you can move around or use to draw a line on the display and highlight objects in game. You'll also be able to send the host's screen emoji reactions. These new interactive tools for the Share Screen are enabled by default, but you can always switch them off in settings. Take note that they will only work if both you and the host already have access to the beta features. At the moment, the upgrades are only rolling out to select users in certain countries, but SIE plans to release them to all PS5 gamers around the world in the coming months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-latest-ps5-beta-update-gives-dualsense-controllers-better-audio-113529372.html?src=rss
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Updated | 2024-11-24 02:02 |
by Steve Dent on (#6JDJX)
Apple's latest Pencil with a USB-C charging port, which has only been available since November, is currently on sale for the lowest price we've seen yet. You can grab it at Amazon for $69, saving you $10 (13 percent) off the regular $79 price.The USB-C model is Apple's most budget-friendly pencil to date, priced at $20 less than the original model and $40 cheaper than the second-gen Apple pencil. Despite the lower price, it offers the same accuracy as those models, along with low latency and tilt sensitivity. It even includes support for a hover feature for M2 iPads, letting you preview any lines before applying them to your sketch or notes. You can also magnetically attach the USB-C Apple Pencil to the side of supported iPads.It doesn't have pressure sensitivity, so serious artists may want to stick with the 2nd-generation model. It also lacks wireless charging and you can't double tap it to change drawing tools. Still, it's Apple's first all-USB-C Pencil and has plenty on offer for most users - particularly at the $69 price.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-latest-apple-pencil-with-usb-c-charging-falls-to-a-new-low-price-103005962.html?src=rss
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by Sarah Fielding on (#6JDJY)
At almost seven years old, the Nintendo Switch still has life left in it - so much so that Nintendo has upped its predicted sales figures for its current fiscal year. In its third-quarter earnings release, the company announced that it was increasing Switch's projected sales from 15 million to 15.5 million. The boost follows overall third-quarter net sales that were 29.9 billion Japanese yen ($201.1 million) higher and net profits of 6.4 billion Japanese yen ($43.1 million) higher than Nintendo's projections. However, it's worth noting that despite better than expected third-quarter net sales, the figure was still six percent lower than in the same period in 2022.A few long-standing favorites and new games are likely fuelling additional Switch sales. Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Wonder game came out in October and hit 11.96 million units sold. Then there was The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which had an April release in theaters and piqued interest in older titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and 2023 launches like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the company reported.The Switch's improved sales forecast comes as gamers eagerly await the Switch's successor. While Nintendo hasn't released any substantial information yet, the gaming system will reportedly launch sometime this year (and will face a much more crowded market than its predecessor when it does). Developers allegedly got a peek at the Switch 2 (for lack of a concrete name) behind closed doors at Gamescom in August 2023. They were said to view a version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwith a higher frame rate and resolution than the original Switch offers. The demo also reportedly showcased the Unreal Engine 5 for the upcoming Switch, ray-tracing, NVIDIA's DLSS upscaling tech, and visual quality similar to that of the PS5 and Series X.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-believes-itll-sell-more-switch-consoles-than-first-thought-095017928.html?src=rss
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by Mariella Moon on (#6JDFW)
Can you imagine having to mail in a $3,499 gadget because you forgot the passcode you nominated to be able to use it? Customers who purchased the Apple Vision Pro may have to do just that if they forget their device's passcode. According to Bloomberg, the company has been telling buyers that the only way to reset their codes is to go to an Apple Store or to mail their mixed reality headset to AppleCare customer support. Apple will then reset their codes so they could use their device again.As Bloomberg notes, if a user enters an incorrect code too many times, their device will be disabled and they'll have to sit through a waiting period to be able to try again. They'll have to get Apple to reset their code if they still can't recall it after that waiting period, and getting the company to do will erase all the content on their headset.It's worth noting that some users on the Apple discussion forum still got locked out even though they entered the correct passcode - it's unclear if it's a bug affecting some units - so the issue could happen to anyone. Based on some other posts, Apple's Genius Bar personnel use an accessory called the Developer Strap that the company is selling to developers for $299 to connect the headset to iPads or laptops to be able to reset it. In at least one instance, Apple Geniuses reportedly failed to reset the user's headset and had to replace it altogether.The process to change the headset's passcode could still change in the future - the recently released Vision Pro, after all, is the first iteration of a brand new product category. For the sake of those who've already purchased one, we hope it's introduced through a software update instead of as an improvement in the next version.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-users-will-have-to-go-to-a-store-to-reset-forgotten-passcodes-070101287.html?src=rss
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by Richard Lai on (#6JDFX)
Currently serving over 70 million daily active users, Roblox is still going strong since its September 2006 launch - almost 18 years ago. The development team is now taking one step further to boost the platform's massive community, by way of providing real-time AI chat translation to connect gamers around the world. According to CTO Daniel Sturman, his team needed to build their own "unified, transformer-based translation LLM (large language model)" in order to seamlessly handle all 16 languages supported on Roblox, as well as to recognize Roblox-specific slangs and abbreviations (this writer just learned that "obby" refers to an obstacle course in the game).As a result, the chat window always displays the conversation in the user's own tongue - with a small latency of around 100 milliseconds, so it's pretty much real time. You can also click on the translation icon on the left of each line to see it in its original language. Sturman claims that thanks to the language model's efficient architecture and iterative training, it "outperforms commercial translation APIs on Roblox content." The development team will later roll out a feedback tool to help improve translation quality, in addition to its ongoing updates with whatever new catchphrases it picks up on the platform.RobloxRoblox's translation efforts don't stop there. Sturman adds that his team is already looking into automatically translating "text on images, textures, 3D models" and more. As Roblox supports voice chat, the exec also teases the possibility of automatic voice chat translations, so gamers from around the world can seamlessly talk to one another in their own tongue on the platform. Given that Samsung already offers a similar feature via Galaxy AI, it probably won't be long before we hear another update from Roblox on this end.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/roblox-adds-real-time-ai-chat-translation-using-its-own-language-model-061929902.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6JD5W)
Google reportedly plans to develop a YouTube app for the Apple Vision Pro. The Verge says a YouTube spokesperson confirmed the company's plans to make a native Vision Pro app, while it optimizes YouTube for Safari as a stopgap. The U-turn comes after developer Christian Selig (creator of the popular Apollo app that Reddit killed in 2023) launched an unofficial YouTube app for Apple's $3,500 headset.We're excited to see Vision Pro launch and we're supporting it by ensuring YouTube users have a great experience in Safari," YouTube spokesperson Jessica Gibby reportedly wrote in an email to The Verge's Nilay Patel. We do not have any specific plans to share at this time, but can confirm that a Vision Pro app is on our roadmap."Despite Vision Pro launching with over 600 native apps, YouTube said as recently as January 19 that it had no plans for a Vision Pro app. (Netflix is another high-profile holdout.) In addition, a YouTube company spokesperson told Engadget at the time it also had no plans to make its iPad app available on the visionOS App Store. Porting iPad apps is the (relatively) quick and easy way for developers to get their software onto Apple's spatial computing" device.Juno, developer Christian Selig's unofficial YouTube app for Vision ProChristian Selig / JunoSomething changed the company's mind in the last two-and-a-half weeks. One theory is, despite its staggering $3,500 price, Apple's mixed reality headset appears to be off to a strong start as the company's most loyal and deep-pocketed fans quickly scooped up pre-orders. Well-sourced analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimated Apple sold somewhere between 160,000 and 180,000 headsets during its opening weekend.Another theory is that YouTube noticed an independent developer picking up its slack. Christian Selig, the maker of the now-defunct Apollo for Reddit app, launched an unofficial third-party YouTube app called Juno that was available at launch. Selig has significant trust and stature among Apple device users: He's a former Apple developer and creator of one of iOS users' favorite Reddit apps (before the company's controversial API rules effectively killed most third-party Reddit apps).YouTube is probably one of the parts of the internet I consume the most, so I was more than a little sad when YouTube announced that they don't have plans to build a visionOS app, and disabled the option to load the iPad app," Selig explained last week in a blog post. This leaves you with Safari, and the website is okay, but definitely doesn't feel like a visionOS app."YouTube supports 3D and 360-degree videos, but neither currently works on Vision Pro. It isn't yet clear if the company plans to incorporate those into its app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-reportedly-has-an-apple-vision-pro-app-on-its-roadmap-210710272.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6JD5X)
The popular MMO game Final Fantasy 14 is finally heading to Xbox Series X/S consoles, but there's a major caveat. The full release will require an Xbox Game Pass Core or Ultimate subscription, according to publisher Square Enix. This will be in addition to the monthly fee to actually play the game.Let's break down the cost. A 30-day subscription to the game will set you back $15, while 90 days costs $42 and 180 days comes out to $78. Xbox Game Pass Core costs $10 per month or $60 for a year. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $17 per month. So Xbox players will have to shell out a minimum of $18 each month and a maximum of $32 per month to travel the magical world of Eorzea. The download itself is free, for whatever that's worth.This is slightly unusual for a couple of reasons. Back in April of 2021, Microsoft removed subscription requirements for free-to-play multiplayer games. Final Fantasy 14, however, is not quite free-to-play, though it's free-to-download. Also, PlayStation players have long been able to adventure through the game without having to purchase a PlayStation Plus Subscription. To Sony, the game falls into the free-to-play category, but not for Microsoft.It's worth noting that the subscription requirement has been lifted for beta players. The open beta test for the Xbox Series X|S version of Final Fantasy 14 starts on February 21 at 12AM PT.The full game will be released when the beta finishes up, but there's no concrete information yet. It should be available by the time this summer's Dawntrail expansion hits. The open beta's reserved for new players, so you won't be able to participate if you've already had access to a free trial or a license registered to your Square Enix account.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/final-fantasy-14-will-require-two-subscriptions-on-xbox-200108998.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6JD02)
Rivian will reveal the R2 on March 7. The company confirmed on Monday in a post on X (Twitter) that customers should get ready to meet R2 on March 7th." Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe previously said the next-generation platform would be smaller and cheaper than the R1 lineup.The automaker hasn't yet said where the event will take place, but it will all but certainly be in Laguna Beach, CA. Last month, its city council publicly posted an approved request in its minutes for a Rivian R2 Launch," part of a worldwide product launch event at the Rivian Theater" on the same date. If that wasn't enough of a clue, Rivian's X teaser included audio of waves crashing, beachgoers playing and seagulls squawking.Rivian representatives reportedly plan to hold the event at the Rivian South Coast Theater in Laguna Beach. The automaker bought the cinema (which opened in 1937 and closed in 2015) in 2021 before renovating and reopening it this past December. The company asked the council for permission to display six vehicles on a grassy public area near the theater, which sounds ideal for a media hands-on area after a formal presentation inside.
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by Jeff Dunn on (#6JD03)
The Google Chromecast with Google TV is the top pick in our guide to the best streaming devices, as it provides an attractive, detailed interface for navigating apps at an affordable price. If you find the smart platform built into your TV slow or unwieldy and are looking to make a switch, Google has kicked off a new sale that brings the 4K streamer back down to $40.Google has run this discount several times in the past: It's a few bucks more than the lowest price we've ever seen, but it's still $10 off the device's typical going rate. It's also the first major discount the Chromecast has received in the new year. The offer is available at several retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, B&H and the Google Store. According to Google's listing, it'll last through February 11.The 4K Chromecast was released way back in 2020 and doesn't support Wi-Fi 6 (or 6E), so we wouldn't be surprised to see a refresh at some point. That said, the existing model is still snappy enough to navigate apps and load up content. It supports all the major streaming services and the most-used HDR formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+), as well as Dolby Atmos audio via HDMI passthrough. The dongle itself plugs directly to a TV's HDMI port, and it comes with a simple remote that can also control volume and power for your TV (though it lacks a dedicated play/pause button).But you'd mainly buy the Chromecast for its UI. Instead of presenting a grid of apps like a Roku device, Google TV takes a more content-centric approach, proactively recommending shows and movies you may like based on your viewing history. This works well: Recommendations are pulled from a wide range of services, and series you've been watching recently are usually placed toward the top, so it's easy to jump into the next episode. It can also integrate with certain live TV services like YouTube TV and Sling TV to show what's on right from the menu. You can create separate personalized profiles for different people, and contextual searches through the Google Assistant typically work great. You'll still see sponsored content, as with most streamers, but the advertising here generally isn't egregious as it is on, say, Amazon's Fire TV Sticks.The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is another affordable option that we recommend in our buying guide; it's currently available for $39 as well, though that deal has been around for most of the last two months. Its app-based interface is more basic than Google TV, and it's generally not as precise as the Chromecast when searching for content. But if you want a streamer that just shows you apps and gets out of the way, it might be a better fit. Roku's streamer also supports Apple AirPlay, so you can beam content to it right from an iPhone. If you've got much more cash to burn, meanwhile, the $129 Apple TV 4K is faster and less ad-filled than either device, but that one isn't significantly discounted right now.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-4k-google-chromecast-is-back-on-sale-for-40-162511339.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6JCWY)
Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, is laying off 10 percent of its workforce, according to an SEC filingand confirmed by a company spokesperson. The company reported a total number of 5,367 employees at the end of 2023's third quarter, so the layoffs should impact around 540 people.Snap discussed the decision in the SEC filing, saying the layoffs would best position our business to execute our highest priorities" and ensure it has the capacity to invest incrementally" over time. The company told us the layoffs were necessary to reduce hierarchy and promote in-person collaboration." None of those sentences really mean anything, so let's just go with "corporate restructuring."Snap said in the filing that it would be issuing severance packages to the impacted employees, but there's no specific information regarding package details. A Snap spokesperson confirmed to Engadget that it's focused on supporting our departing team members."These layoffs are happening just one day before Snap is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings for 2023. The company actually did pretty well in Q3, beating out Wall Street expectations by about five percent, according to Variety.If tomorrow's earnings report is bad, it'll show why these layoffs are necessary. On the other hand, if it's better than expected, Snap may be announcing these layoffs now to avoid doing so after a quarter of financial gains. Nobody likes to see a big company massively reduce its headcount after bragging about earnings. Snap told us the company's in a quiet period" until tomorrow's Q4 financial report drops.This follows another round of layoffs in November, in which Snap let go of 20 product managers. However, both of these news items pale in comparison to Snap's massive culling in 2022, which eliminated over 1,300 employees.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/snap-is-laying-off-10-percent-of-its-workforce-161146546.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6JCWZ)
Microsoft's gaming division appears to be considering a significant shift in its strategy when it comes to major exclusives. Rumors have been swirling for a while that the company is bringing Hi-Fi Rush, a well-received game from last year, and Sea of Thieves to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. But the company is said to be bringing some of its blockbuster Xbox exclusives to PS5 as well, which would mark a monumental change in policy.Over the weekend, XboxEra reported that Microsoft will bring Bethesda's Starfield(its tentpole game for 2023) to PS5 later this year, sometime after the release of the Shattered Space expansion. The report suggests that Microsoft has acquired more PS5 dev kits to help port its games to Sony's console.MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could be bound for PlayStation 5 as well. According to The Verge, the action-adventure game is slated to hit Sony's platform just a few months after it debuts on PC, Xbox and Game Pass later this year.Amid the Federal Trade Commission's failed attempt to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, then-Bethesda vice president Pete Hines confirmed in court last year that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was initially going to be released on multiple consoles. However, after Microsoft purchased Bethesda parent ZeniMax Media, it changed the agreement to make the game an Xbox console exclusive. The FTC was also under the belief that fellow Bethesda titles Starfield and Redfall were at one point bound for PS5 before those versions of the games were canned.Hi-Fi Rush is reportedly coming to Switch and PlayStation as soon as this quarter. The Gears of War series could be on the way to PS5 too, according to GamesBeat's Jeff Grubb (via Video Games Chronicle).There's really only one reason why Microsoft would even begin to consider bringing more of its exclusives to PlayStation: money. It may be the case that the Game Pass model can't really sustain multiple games with nine-figure budgets and Microsoft could feel as though it's leaving money on the table by not having certain titles on PS5, as XboxEra put it.It's clear that Microsoft is looking to make its gaming division more profitable. It recently laid off around 1,900 workers in that unit, just a few months after closing the $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard takeover.When Microsoft bought ZeniMax, Microsoft Gaming CEO Spencer said his team would decide platform availability on a case-by-case basis. However, he said that Starfield would only be available on Xbox, PC and Game Pass.Some Xbox games are already available on PlayStation and Switch, such as Minecraft Dungeons. As part of its 10-year deal to release Call of Duty titles on Nintendo consoles, Microsoft suggested it would bring other Xbox games to Switch and/or its successor.The change in strategy could call into question Xbox's place in the games industry. While console wars are by and large nonsense, some players may feel aggrieved that Starfield and the Indy game are seemingly bound for PS5, especially if they decided to make Xbox Series X/S their sole console. Certain gamers who might only be able to afford one of the flagship consoles and tend to trade in games may feel that they're missing out if they plumped for an Xbox but Microsoft's titles are hitting PS5 alongside the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok.It might not be too long until we learn more details about Microsoft's possible shift in multi-platform strategy. "We're listening and we hear you," Spencer wrote on X. "We've been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned."Update 2/5 12:31PM ET: Added a note about the rumor of Gears of War coming to PlayStation.Update 2/5 3:28PM ET: Added Spencer's statement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-may-bring-bethesdas-starfield-and-indiana-jones-games-to-the-ps5-after-all-154823503.html?src=rss
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by Sarah Fielding on (#6JCT1)
Yandex, often described as Russia's Google, has sold its domestic businesses at a knock-down price. Bloomberg reports the search and services giant, now headquartered in the Netherlands, has handed off its Russian operations for 475 billion rubles ($5.2 billion) in cash and shares. The new owners include the management group, as well as Russia's biggest domestic energy company, Lukoil, and Russian businessman and a former executive at Gazprom, Alexander Ryazanov, among others. Now that Yandex has cut ties with Russia, it will be able to grow and partner more freely given the sanctions affecting businesses with Russian ties following the invasion of Ukraine.Since the war, Yandex has faced repercussions such as removal from Nasdaq. Its founder, Arkady Volozh, faced European Union sanctions in the summer of 2022 due to the company reportedly supporting Russian propaganda. The company soon sold its news aggregation service, and Volozh openly condemned the war.Reports that Yandex would cut ties with Russia first emerged in late 2022. At the time, the company was facing sanction repercussions and was rumored to have no path forward to grow projects without Western technology. However, it took a year and a half of negotiations between Yandex and the Kremlin (a necessary step) for Yandex NV to be allowed to separate from its Russian businesses. The final deal came with at least a 50 percent discount, a customary practice when the Kremlin deems the registered country - in this case, the Netherlands - unfriendly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/yandex-sells-its-russian-operations-to-local-executives-for-52-billion-131554719.html?src=rss
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by Steve Dent on (#6JCQH)
Microsoft is teaming up with media website Semafor on a new project that uses ChatGPT to aid in the creation of news stories, The Financial Times has reported. It's one of several journalistic collaborations Microsoft is set to announce today, and follows a New York Times lawsuit filed against the software giant and its partner, OpenAI, for copyright infringement.Semafor, co-founded by former Buzzfeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith, will create a feed called "Signals" that will be sponsored by Microsoft for an undisclosed but "substantial" sum, the report states. It will highlight breaking news and analysis, offering a dozen or so posts per day. All stories will be written entirely by journalists, with the AI effectively acting as a research tool.
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by Mat Smith on (#6JCQJ)
The biggest podcast in the world makes many people furious, but it's still the biggest podcast in the world. Now, Joe Rogan has signed another deal with Spotify for his eponymous The Joe Rogan Experience show, this one worth an estimated $250 million. The deal allows the streamer to distribute Rogan's podcasts on additional platforms, including a video version for YouTube, but it also includes a revenue-sharing agreement based on ad sales, in case Rogan burns through those hundreds of millions too quickly.Rogan has been a regular source of controversy since signing up, in particular with uninformed COVID opinions, which prompted doctors and scientists to demand Spotify update its misinformation policy. Spotify claimed it wasn't responsible for Rogan, that it was a platform, not a publisher. Now Spotify will be publishing Rogan's projects elsewhere, what will be its defense next time?- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedYou won't be able to use a Bluetooth mouse with Apple Vision ProSamsung Galaxy S24 and S24+ review: A taste of generative AI in everyday use20 years later, Facebook is a supporting character in the Mark Zuckerberg universeYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!iFixit tears down the Apple Vision ProIts lenticular optics make ghostly 3D avatars.iFixitApple uses a stereoscopic 3D effect to make your virtual eyes look more lifelike on the Vision Pro's EyeSight outer display. It has a widening optical layer and a lenticular lens layer over the OLED screen, so exposing the panel shows some very oddly pinched eyes." The optical nature of the added layers also explains the EyeSight display's dim output. iFixit is unraveling the headset to figure out how Apple does it all.Continue reading.Google might rename its chatbot, alreadyAnd there may be a dedicated app soon.According to a leak, Google may change the name of its AI chatbot from Bard to Gemini. It would make sense for Google to do so - the company introduced its new multimodal AI model, Gemini, at the end of 2023. The changelog, shared by Android app developer Dylan Roussel and dated February 7, notes a paid Gemini Advanced tier will be available. It also mentions a Gemini app for Android.Continue reading.Japan's Moon lander took this eerie photo before being enveloped by lunar nightThe SLIM lander has since gone dormant.JAXAJapan's SLIM lander managed to turn back on more than a week after it plopped upside down onto the surface of the Moon - but now, it's gone dormant for the duration of the lunar night, and it may not wake up again. Lunar night lasts the equivalent of two Earth weeks and can get colder than -200 degrees Fahrenheit. Its chances of resuming operations aren't great, but then again, it's already surprised us once.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-joe-rogans-new-spotify-deal-121541070.html?src=rss
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by Steve Dent on (#6JCQK)
Samsung chairman Jay Y. Lee's legal troubles may be in the rearview mirror as a Korean court acquitted him of stock manipulation and accounting fraud charges over a 2015 merger, The Financial Times has reported. The ruling allows Lee to continue leading Samsung, which saw a sharp decline in revenue last year.Seeking a five year jail term, prosecutors accused Lee of manipulating the share price of two Samsung subsidiaries to smooth the way for a merger that allowed him to consolidate his power. However, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that the prosecutors failed to prove that. "It is hard to say that Lee Jae-yong [aka Jay Y. Lee]... spearheaded the merger, and that the merger was done just for the sake of Lee's succession," the judge stated in the ruling.The verdict will allow Lee and Samsung to focus on its declining smartphone and memory chip businesses. Samsung recently lost its smartphone sales crown to Apple, and is now behind SK Hynix in the new and hot market of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used by NVIDIA and others to create artificial intelligence (AI) models.The decision was heralded by business groups including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, but not everyone in the country agreed. "The ruling will free Lee of legal risks, but I am at a loss for words in terms of the country's economic justice," Park Ju-geun, head of corporate thinktank Leaders Index, told the FT. "This goes totally against all previous court rulings on the merger."Lee was originally sentenced to five years in prison in 2017 after being found guilty of bribing public officials over the same merger. He walked free after a year in detention, but the South Korean Supreme Court overturned that decision and ordered the case to be retried.While Lee was sentenced with two-and-a-half years of prison time in early 2021 in that retrial, he was paroled half a year later in a development that civic groups had described as another example of the justice system being lenient towards the country's elite. (Korea's former president Park Geun-hye also went to jail for her role in the same affair.)In 2022, Lee was given a pardon by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, ostensibly so he could help the country overcome its economic crisis. Ironically, Yoon is the country's former chief prosecutor and oversaw the original convictions of Lee and Park.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-chair-acquitted-in-korean-stock-manipulation-case-114530368.html?src=rss
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by Karissa Bell on (#6JCNG)
The Oversight Board is urging Meta to update its manipulated media policy, calling the current rules incoherent." The admonishment comes in a closely watched decision about a misleadingly edited video of President Joe Biden.The board ultimately sided with Meta regarding its decision to not remove the clip at the center of the case. The video featured footage from October 2022, when the president accompanied his granddaughter who was voting in person for the first time. News footage shows that after voting, he placed an I voted" sticker on her shirt. A Facebook user later shared an edited version that looped the moment so it appeared as if he repeatedly touched her chest. The caption accompanying the clip called him a sick pedophile," and said those who voted for him were mentally unwell."In its decision, the Oversight Board said that the video was not a violation of Meta's narrowly-written manipulated media policy because it was not edited with AI tools, and because the edits were obvious and therefore unlikely to mislead" most users. Nevertheless, the Board is concerned about the Manipulated media policy in its current form, finding it to be incoherent, lacking in persuasive justification and inappropriately focused on how content has been created rather than on which specific harms it aims to prevent (for example, to electoral processes)," the board wrote. Meta should reconsider this policy quickly , given the number of elections in 2024."The company's current rules only apply to videos that are edited with AI, but don't cover other types of editing that could be misleading. In its policy recommendations to Meta, the Oversight Board says it should write new rules that cover audio and video content. The policy should apply not just to misleading speech but content showing people doing things they did not do." The board says these rules should apply regardless of the method of creation." Furthermore, the board recommends that Meta should no longer remove posts with manipulated media if the content itself isn't breaking any other rules. Instead, the board suggests Meta apply a label indicating the content is significantly layered and may mislead."The recommendations underscore mounting concern among researchers and civil society groups about how the surge in AI tools could enable a new wave of viral election misinformation. In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said the company is reviewing the Oversight Board's guidance and will respond publicly" within the next 60 days. While that response would come well before the 2024 presidential election, it's unclear when, or if, any policy changes may come. The Oversight Board writes in its decision that Meta representatives indicated the company plans to update the Manipulated Media policy to respond to the evolution of new and increasingly realistic AI."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/maliciously-edited-joe-biden-video-can-stay-on-facebook-metas-oversight-board-says-110042024.html?src=rss
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by Sarah Fielding on (#6JCNH)
Bad actors keep using deepfakes for everything from impersonating celebrities to scamming people out of money. The latest instance is out of Hong Kong, where a finance worker for an undisclosed multinational company was tricked into remitting $200 million Hong Kong dollars ($25.6 million).According to Hong Kong police, scammers contacted the employee posing as the company's United Kingdom-based chief financial officer. He was initially suspicious, as the email called for secret transactions, but that's where the deepfakes came in. The worker attended a video call with the "CFO" and other recognizable members of the company. In reality, each "person" he interacted with was a deepfake - likely created using public video clips of the actual individuals.The deepfakes asked the employee to introduce himself and then quickly instructed him to make 15 transfers comprising the $25.6 million to five local bank accounts. They created a sense of urgency for the task, and then the call abruptly ended. A week later, the employee checked up on the request within the company, discovering the truth.Hong Kong police have arrested six people so far in connection with the scam. The individuals involved stole eight identification cards and had filed 54 bank account registrations and 90 loan applications in 2023. They had also used deepfakes to trick facial recognition software in at least 20 cases.The widespread use of deepfakes is one of the growing concerns of evolving AI technology. In January, Taylor Swift and President Joe Biden were among those whose identities were forged with deepfakes. In Swift's case, it was nonconsensual pornographic images of her and a financial scam targeting potential Le Creuset shoppers. President Biden's voice could be heard in some robocalls to New Hampshire constituents, imploring them not to vote in their state's primary.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/scammers-use-deepfakes-to-steal-256-million-from-a-multinational-firm-034033977.html?src=rss
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by Richard Lai on (#6JCKH)
One of Vision Pro's most intriguing features is undoubtedly the EyeSight display, which projects a visual feed of your own eyes to better connect with people in the real world - because eye contact matters, be it real or virtual. As iFixit discovered in its teardown, it turns out that Apple leveraged stereoscopic 3D effect as an attempt to make your virtual eyes look more life-like, as opposed to a conventional "flat" output on the curved OLED panel. This is achieved by stacking a widening optical layer and a lenticular lens layer over the OLED screen, which is why exposing the panel will show "some very oddly pinched eyes." The optical nature of the added layers also explain the EyeSight display's dim output. Feel free to check out the scientific details in the article.While iFixit has yet to do more analysis before it can give the Vision Pro a repairability score, so far we already know that the front glass panel "took a lot of heat and time" to detach from the main body. That said, the overall modular design - especially the speakers and the external battery - should win some points. As always, head over to iFixit for some lovely close-up shots of the teardown process.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-teardown-deconstructs-the-weird-looking-eyesight-display-083426548.html?src=rss
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by Cheyenne MacDonald on (#6JCAQ)
Apple's new plan to give a higher cut of royalties to artists who offer spatial audio has pissed off some indie labels, who argue it will take potential earnings away from them in favor of companies with more resources at their disposal, according to a report from the Financial Times. Apple last month started offering 10 percent higher royalties to artists who release spatial audio tracks on Apple Music. But, this comes out of the same fixed pool of money also used to pay artists who do not offer the format.Spatial audio is produced using Dolby Atmos technology and, according to executives who spoke with FT, costs roughly $1,000 more per song. A whole album would cost about 10 times as much - now multiply that to account for the hundreds or thousands of albums a label may have in its back catalog. The Financial Times spoke with executives from Beggars Group, Secretly and Partisan Records, which house labels representing artists including Vampire Weekend, Phoebe Bridgers and others.One executive told FT, If [this policy] takes between 5 and 10 percent off of your global revenues, and not even because the songs aren't performing but because you lose that money and it goes to Universal, the biggest player in the market, we're definitely concerned. It's hard enough to make money off of streaming." They plan to take it up with Apple in hopes of working out a better deal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/indie-labels-say-apple-musics-spatial-audio-royalties-only-benefit-the-biggest-player-211730447.html?src=rss
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by Cheyenne MacDonald on (#6JC6Z)
Thanks to a sale on Amazon right now, you can pick up a few extra Apple AirTags at a discount. A four-pack of the Bluetooth trackers is $20 off the normal price of $99, dropping them down to just $79. It's the best price for a pack of AirTags we've seen yet this year. For iPhone owners, there's no better option than AirTags for keeping track of your things, as they're able to make use of Apple's massive Find My network to help pinpoint lost objects.AirTags' ability to use crowd-sourced location information from the millions of Apple devices currently in operation means you have a really good shot at tracking whatever it is that's gone missing. But we often lose items somewhere within our own homes, too, and Find My has a Precision Finding feature on compatible iPhones for those instances where the object is somewhere close by. Using the Find My app, you can ping the tracker so it plays a sound, and the app will lead you to the lost item with directional arrows, even showing you about how many feet away it is.The battery in the tracker lasts roughly a year, so you generally don't need to worry about it running out. Once it is ready to be changed, it only takes one CR2032 coin battery. There is one downside to the AirTags design, though - there's no built-in key loop or method of attaching to another item, so if you want to clip it onto something, you'll need to buy an accessory. And there are plenty of great AirTags accessories out there.AirTags are IP67 rated for dust and water resistance, and you can use them to track as many as 32 items in the Find My app. You just need to have an Apple device to make use of their tracking capabilities.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-four-pack-of-apple-airtags-is-back-on-sale-for-79-155353925.html?src=rss
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by Karissa Bell on (#6JC5Q)
It's been 20 years since Mark Zuckerberg first brought thefacebook.com online from his dorm room. What happened next has been endlessly documented: the Harvard-only social network took over college campuses and, eventually, the world.The social network occupies an increasingly awkward space in Meta's family" of apps. A majority of American adults still use the service, but three out of four believe Facebook - perhaps because it fueled a global misinformation crises and promoted genocidal hate speech - is making society worse." Facebook still generates billions of dollars in ad revenue for Meta, but user growth has slowed to the point where the company just announced it will no longer share how many people use it.Amen spam" regularly appears in Facebook's list of most-viewed posts. The most prolific users on its game-streaming service are spammers. Faced with increased pressure from TikTok, Meta rejiggered its feed, yet again, to emphasize recommendations over posts from people you know. But the shift hasn't made Facebook feel like TikTok as much as a strange window into what Meta's algorithms deem most engaging and least offensive.My own Facebook feed is inundated with posts from groups I don't belong to dedicated to anodyne topics like home remodeling, cast iron pan enthusiasts and something called the Dull Men's Club." I haven't shared anything to my own page in more than a year, despite logging in almost daily. I'm hardly an outlier. A majority of adults now say they are pickier" than they used to be about what they post on social media.Unsurprisingly, teens have almost no interest in the social network of their parents and grandparents. Just 33 percent of US teens report ever" using the service, compared with 71 percent in 2015. These dynamics, in which Facebook's user base is aging faster than its product, has led some academics to conclude that the social network will one day have more profiles for dead people than alive.Today, Facebook has more than 3 billion users and remains the workhorse of the Mark Zuckerberg cinematic universe, even if it's no longer the title character. Instead, it's just one of his company's family" of apps. In 2021, it was formally demoted when Zuckerberg rebranded the company as Meta. "Our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future," Zuckerberg said of Facebook. "From now on, we're going to be metaverse-first, not Facebook-first."Whether Meta has succeeded in becoming a metaverse-first" company is, at best, debatable. But few would argue it's anything close to Facebook-first." More recently, Zuckerberg has tried to pitch Meta as a metaverse company and an AI company, joining the race to create human-level superintelligence.At the same time, the only reason Zuckerberg's ambitions are even possible is because of Facebook's success. Meta has lost tens of billions of dollars on its metaverse investments, and expects to lose even more for the foreseeable future. The company also plans to spend billions more on AI infrastructure (AGI doesn't come cheap).These investments will determine whether Zuckerberg's bet on the future of social media is correct. And if he realizes his vision for an AI chatbot, metaverse-enabled future, it will have been possible largely because of the unparalleled financial success of the oldest and dullest part of his empire.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/20-years-later-facebook-is-a-supporting-character-in-the-mark-zuckerberg-universe-140044870.html?src=rss
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by Cheyenne MacDonald on (#6JBY6)
Against all odds, Japan's SLIM lander managed to turn back on more than a week after it plopped upside down onto the surface of the moon - but now, it's gone dormant for the duration of the lunar night, and it may not be able to wake up again. The SLIM team from the Japanese space agency, JAXA, on Thursday shared the last image the lander captured at the moon's Shioli crater before dusk, as night encroached. Lunar night lasts the equivalent of two Earth weeks and can get colder than -200 degrees Fahrenheit.
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by Cheyenne MacDonald on (#6JBWZ)
According to a document leaked on X, Google is planning to introduce some major changes to its Bard AI tool as soon as this coming week. The plans, which have not been publicly confirmed, reportedly include changing the Bard name to Gemini. It would make sense for Google to do so, if only for simplicity's sake - the company introduced its new multimodal AI model, Gemini, at the end of 2023 and has begun integrating it into some of its products, including Bard.The changelog shared by Android app developer Dylan Roussel is dated February 7, and also notes that the paid Gemini Advanced tier will become available at this time. It mentions a Gemini app for Android is coming soon," as well.
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by Cheyenne MacDonald on (#6JBVS)
Apple released a new support document for the Vision Pro on Friday night, and it clarifies which accessories will - and won't - work with the headset. While Apple says it is compatible with most" Bluetooth keyboards, including its own and other manufacturers', the Vision Pro doesn't support Bluetooth mice. Vision Pro owners will be to use Apple's Magic Trackpad, though.Apple Vision Pro officially hit shelves yesterday, and there are hundreds of apps for productivity and entertainment available at launch. With eye and hand tracking for precision navigation and controls, there isn't necessarily a need for a mouse, but some people probably would have liked to use one for certain tasks. However, it is compatible with plenty of other accessories that are critical for certain experiences, like gaming controllers. According to Apple, All controllers with MFi (Made for iPhone) designation work with Apple Vision Pro. This includes controllers by Xbox, PlayStation, and any controller that works with iPadOS."And, while it supports Bluetooth keyboards, you may need to upgrade if you use an older Apple keyboard. According to Apple, its older models that use removable batteries will not work with the Vision Pro.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-wont-be-able-to-use-a-bluetooth-mouse-with-apple-vision-pro-183137646.html?src=rss
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by Cheyenne MacDonald on (#6JBTN)
Apple's latest smartwatch, the Series 9, is back down to its record-low price in a one-day-only sale at Best Buy. The 41mm Apple Watch Series 9, which normally goes for $399, is just $299 today for the GPS model. The larger version, 45mm, is on sale for $100 off as well, bringing it down to $329. For both sizes, the deal applies to multiple colors, so you can get the watch in Silver, Light Pink, Starlight, Midnight or (Product)Red with either the sport band or the nylon sport loop.The Apple Watch Series 9 added some new features for more convenient interactions with your smartwatch. That includes Double Tap, a control option that doesn't require you to touch the screen at all - you just need to squeeze your thumb and index finger together two times using the hand on the same arm as your watch, and it'll carry out a designated action. You could use it, for example, to pause or unpause your music.The Series 9 scored a 92 in our review, excelling as usual at health and fitness tracking, among other tasks. It also tops our list of the best smartwatches you can get this year. Apple also introduced on-device Siri for the Apple Watch with the Series 9, which means the assistant can function when you're offline or don't have your phone with you. Apple also said it improved the Raise to Speak" feature with the Series 9 to wake Siri more efficiently without voice commands. All of this is made possible by its new S9 system-in-package (SiP).You won't get blood oxygen monitoring with the Series 9, though, despite the feature initially being among its offerings. Apple removed the feature last month following a patent dispute. But even without that, the Series 9 is a solid device that offers pretty much everything you'd need or want in a smartwatch.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-apple-watch-series-9-is-on-sale-for-299-today-only-155051471.html?src=rss
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by Mat Smith on (#6JBQG)
Following failed negotiations with TikTok, Universal music has come good on its threat to pull music from the social media platform. That means no more TayTay, no more Drake and no more... all the other artists that fall under its corporate umbrella. Elsewhere, the CEOs of the world's most influential social media platforms got an (at times) genuine grilling from the US Senate. While a few senators managed to come across as, once again, out of touch and out of their depth. X boss Linda Yaccarino might have said the most bizarre thing, stating that the once-Twitter social network was a "brand new company," and that it was looking into parental controls. Twitter was founded in 2006, Linda.This week:Neuralink's brain chip has been implanted in a human, Elon Musk saysUniversal Music threatens to pull songs from TikTok over payment termsGalaxy S24 Ultra review: Samsung's AI reinforcements have arrivedRead this:As mentioned, the CEOs of Meta, Snap, Discord, X and TikTok testified at a high-stakes Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on child exploitation online. Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, Jason Citron, Linda Yaccarino, and Shou Chew spent nearly four hours being grilled by lawmakers, but we've managed to condense the main points and the social media executives' responses to them.The hearing was the first time Spiegel, Citron and Yaccarino testified to Congress. Notably, according to lawmakers, all three were subpoenaed by the committee after refusing to appear voluntarily. Judiciary Committee Chair Senator Dick Durbin noted that Citron only accepted services of his subpoena after US Marshals were sent to Discord's headquarters at taxpayers' expense."Like email more than video? Subscribe right here for daily reports, direct to your inbox.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-tiktok-loses-taylor-swifts-songs-and-the-verdict-on-the-galaxy-s24-ultra-140001783.html?src=rss
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by Malak Saleh on (#6JBQH)
Sometimes you just need a break from Instagram. If you're ready to delete your Instagram account, you can deactivate or delete it from either a computer or mobile device. In this guide, we'll walk through the steps involved and also break down the difference between deactivation and deletion.Malak SalehDeactivating vs. deleting InstagramDeletion is for people who want to permanently remove their account from Instagram. Deletion will not only make your account vanish from the platform, but it means all your likes, photos and videos will be permanently stripped. So if you had a photo where you tagged other accounts , that photo will no longer show up under your friends' tagged tabs, for example. It's important to note that deleting your account is irreversible.In contrast, when you deactivate your account your likes, photos and videos will temporarily be hidden until you reactivate your account. While reactivating your account is as simple as logging back into the app, if you delete your account and decide to return to the app, you will have to create a new account entirely. You can only deactivate your account once a week, meaning if you deactivate your account then decide to relog in within that window, you won't be able to hide your profile again.How to permanently delete InstagramIn Instagram's iOS and Android apps, deleting your account is all done through the Settings page. To start, go to your account's page and tap the icon with three horizontal lines at the top right corner of the screen. Tap the Settings and privacy icon in the dropdown menu at the top of the list. Once you select that icon, you will navigate to a new page with a full list of tools. At the very top of the new Settings page, tap Accounts Center, then select Personal details under Accounts settings. A new page will appear showing your contact information and birthday. Tap Account ownership and control"' and then a new tab that reads Deactivation or Deletion" will appear.Malak SalehIf you have more than one Meta account registered to your Instagram, you will have to choose which account you want to deactivate or delete. After you select the profile you want to manage, a new page will open showing you your options. Instagram lets you choose between deactivating or deleting at this point. The page you're looking at here includes an explanation of the difference between permanently deleting or deactivating your account.To wit, Instagram will remind you that deleting your account is permanent and that your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers will be permanently removed from the app. Once you tap Delete account," a drop-down will appear asking you why you are removing your account. You can select which reason applies to you, such as Too many ads" or Too busy/too distracting." If you do select certain options, such as Privacy concerns," Instagram will share articles available through its Help Center designed to address your concerns and persuade you to keep your account active.Malak SalehHow to delete or deactivate your Instagram account from a web browserIf you prefer using Instagram on your computer (who does that?!), deleting or deactivating your account from a web browser might be easier for you.To delete your Instagram account from a computer, the instructions are pretty much the same as when you take action on your mobile device, but some of the drop-downs are in different places. If you're on the Feeds page, select that same icon with three horizontal lines in the bottom left corner of your page. You can also take the same initial step from your profile page and tap the Settings icon in the top right corner of your profile. Either way, you will automatically end up on the Settings page or you can tap to select it from a drop-down after selecting the More button.Malak SalehTap Account Center and a menu will appear showing you the singular or multiple profiles you manage and all the tools on one page. Instead of selecting Personal details" as you would on a mobile device, tap Your information and permissions," which will open up three drop-down menus, one of which reads Deactivation or deletion." Tap and then select the profile you want to deactivate or delete, then select which action you want to proceed with.Either way, you will be prompted to write your password for that profile if you select to deactivate or delete the account. Finally, you will need to select a reason for deleting or deactivating the account, and then you're done. Once you select the reason, for a second time, Instagram will ask you to confirm deletion and give you a date that your account details will be permanently deleted off of the platform.Again, after your request goes through, it can take Meta up to 30 days to delete the account and affiliated information permanently. Meta does warn that during the 30 days pass, your content will remain subject to Instagram's privacy policy, but your information and profile will not be accessible to other people using Instagram. It also is worth noting that it can take up to 90 days for the deletion process to finish after it gets initiated. So if you're really trying to disappear, it could take a while.Malak SalehThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-delete-your-instagram-account-130017501.html?src=rss
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by Mariella Moon on (#6JBPE)
New Yorkers can say goodbye - for now - to the robot the New York Police Department (NYPD) used to patrol the Times Square subway station. The Knightscope K5, which is a 400-pound machine that looks like it could be R2-D2's massive sibling, was one of Mayor Eric Adams' high-tech experiments for New York City. It was deployed in a pilot last year ostensibly to help keep commuters safe, but it had no actual capabilities that could be useful in situations that had to be addressed on site. "The K5 Knightscope has completed its pilot in the NYC subway system," a spokesperson for the department told The New York Times.The K5 has cameras that can record video and a button that people can press to get in touch with a live agent. It patrolled the station from midnight until 6AM throughout its trial run that lasted for two months, though "patrolled" might be a generous way of putting it. The machine has no arms and can't go up or down the stairs. Commuters told The Times that it usually has a couple of cops with it and that it almost always seemed to be plugged in.New York leased the K5 for around $9 an hour during its trial phase that ended in December. "This is below minimum wage," Adams said when he announced the robot's deployment at the Times Square station. "No bathroom breaks, no meal breaks." At the time, privacy advocates had been concerned that the machine could eventually be equipped with facial recognition and other surveillance tools. They no longer have to worry about the K5 being used for surveillance in NYC, unless, of course, city officials decide to keep on leasing it for other purposes. A Knightscope spokesperson told The Times that the company is "not authorized to speak about certain clients," which presumably includes the NYC government.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nyc-ends-trial-run-of-times-square-subways-security-robot-105528275.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6JBFH)
Apple's Vision Pro is here - along with a solid collection of third-party launch apps. Although there are some big-name omissions (Netflix, YouTube and Spotify), the headset already supports over a million compatible App Store apps, Apple's first-party offerings and over 600 apps developed specifically for the spatial computing" device. Here are the notable third-party Vision Pro apps you can install on day one.Microsoft 365MicrosoftMicrosoft didn't skimp on its entry into the Vision Pro era. Seven of the company's Office apps are available to install on launch day. These include Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Loop.The Windows maker added several tools unique to the mixed-reality headset. For example, Word has a focus mode to block out distractions, PowerPoint includes an immersive environment for practicing presentations in front of a virtual audience and Excel lets you quickly move documents to other apps using Vision Pro's pinch-to-drag gesture.Microsoft Teams uses Vision Pro's Persona" feature, which gives you a digital avatar. Persona matches your digital representation's facial expressions to yours; this may give off uncanny valley vibes to your colleagues, but it could also make your virtual self appear more lifelike. In addition, Microsoft's VisionOS apps include Copilot, the company's generative AI assistant that can draft text, create summaries and generate PowerPoint presentations.Disney+DisneyGiven Disney's longstanding collaboration with Apple (Steve Jobs sat on the company's board, and Bob Iger sat on Apple's until 2019), perhaps it isn't surprising Disney went all-out with its Vision Pro app.The app lets you stream Disney+ content in one of four 3D virtual environments: the Disney+ Theater (inspired by Hollywood's historic El Capitan), the Scare Floor from Monsters Inc., Tony Stark's Avengers Tower and Luke Skywalker's land speeder on Tatooine. Although we've seen virtual environments in countless Meta Quest (and other VR) streaming apps, Vision Pro's higher resolution should make them feel more immersive.Disney's VisionOS app also includes a selection of supported 3D films. The library consists of dozens of popular movies," including Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Elemental and Encanto. (Disney promises the list will expand over time.) You can also buy or rent more 3D movies from the Apple TV apps' Store tab.ZoomZoomZoom is also an early Vision Pro supporter. Like Microsoft Teams, Zoom's VisionOS app will use Apple's Personas, displaying you in calls as a 3D virtual avatar that matches your facial expressions and hand movements. The company says you can scale the app's spatial setup to the perfect size," ensuring you feel like you're in the same room as your colleagues.A future update to the Zoom app will add support for 3D object sharing, letting designers share and collaborate on 3D models in their virtual space. The app will also eventually include Zoom Team Chat and the ability to pin your fellow meeting participants in space around you. Zoom says the latter will help you feel more connected to the people in the meeting."MLB and NBAMLBAmerica's second and third most popular sports leagues are represented on Vision Pro. The NBA app lets you stream up to five live broadcasts in multi-view while glancing at other game scores and stats off to the side. Meanwhile, the MLB app offers fully immersive environments, including a ballpark with a view from home plate and stats for each pitch. A future update (scheduled for around Opening Day) will add access to additional MLB.TV content" for subscribers.The world's premier baseball league shared its enthusiasm for the app. If there is an opportunity for a baseball fan to enjoy our sport on any given platform, then we need to have a presence where we can deliver unique storytelling experiences," wrote MLB Deputy Commissioner Noah Garden.MaxWarner Bros. DiscoveryWarner Bros. Discovery's Max is available on Vision Pro, offering access to the streaming service's movies, series, news and sports. The company says select titles will be available in 4K and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.Like other VisionOS apps, Max will offer at least one virtual environment in which you can stream content: the Iron Throne room from Game Of Thrones and House of the Dragon. The intricate Targaryen-era adornments will make fans feel like they're watching the programming available on Max in Westeros during the height of their reign," wrote HBO / Max Content Chair Casey Bloys.Lowe's Style StudioLowe'sLowe's will use the Vision Pro to make it easier to imagine ways to spend money in its stores. The Lowe's Style Studio app lets headset owners step into an immersive, interactive 3D kitchen scene," allowing you to experiment in ways that weren't possible until now." The idea is to inspire you by stepping into a virtual space curated by Lowe's professional designers" with hundreds of customizable real-world materials.Game RoomResolution GamesStockholm-based studio Resolution Games launched the Game Room app, which lets you play tabletop classics in mixed reality or fully virtual environments. Games include chess, solitaire, hearts, yacht and (the Battleship-like) Sea Battle.It supports one to four players in online play against foes using different Apple devices (not just fellow Vision Pro owners). It also supports single-player against AI opponents.Other confirmed apps and gamesHere are more highlights from Vision Pro's collection of over 600 launch apps:
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6JBBC)
Everyone's favorite former Fear Factor host Joe Rogan has signed a new deal with Spotify that's likely to be worth $250 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. That's even more money than his first deal back in 2020, which was estimated to give the comedian $200 million. There's no information as to the length of Rogan's new contract, but it has been defined as a multiyear" continuation of his various podcast ventures.Even better for Rogan's bottom line? The deal allows Spotify to distribute Rogan's podcasts on additional platforms, including a video version for YouTube. The contract stipulates a revenue-sharing agreement based on ad sales, so this will likely put a lot more money into the comedian's pocket. There's also an upfront minimum guarantee for the world's preeminent expert on all things Covid, but the financial amount remains undisclosed.Spotify is reportedly angling to renegotiate expiring contracts with existing content creator to offer lower minimum guarantees, but that may not apply to Rogan. The company's also planning on revising these contract terms to allow for publication on other platforms, like YouTube, which is exactly what it's doing with Rogan here.There's also likely an audience number target threshold, as was the case with his 2020 deal. He'll sail right past that, however, as The Joe Rogan Experience continues to be Spotify's most popular podcast, even beating Travis Kelce talking about Taylor Swift and, sigh, The Tucker Carlson Podcast. That's the current top three.Despite bringing in a metric ton of ears to Spotify, Rogan has been a regular source of controversy. He's pushed a whole lot of ill-informed Covid nonsense throughout the years, which prompted doctors and scientists to call for an update to Spotify's misinformation policy. This led to boycotts from both users and creators. Most famously, Neil Young pulled his songs from the streamer in protest.Spotify has long excused this stuff by calling itself a platform and not a publisher. However, this new deal quite literally has the company publishing Joe Rogan's podcasts on other platforms. It's also, of course, been publishing Rogan on its own platform for years.There's also the ever-present issue of how Spotify pays artists. The company is notorious for paying musicians very little, or even nothing at all. This leads one to dream of a world where musicians get a tiny piece of that Rogan pie, but, alas, that's not in the cards. Spotify did set aside $100 million to foster diversity in podcasts and music, but ended up not really spending any of it. Hey, it's the thought that counts.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/joe-rogan-reportedly-nabs-another-250-million-from-spotify-to-share-his-big-brained-ideas-192007040.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6JB8H)
Let's be honest: you deserve better than simply sticking with your TV's built-in speakers. Sure, modern TVs can pump out decent audio (and you can find good deals on some at the minute), but most folks would be far better served with a proper home theater setup. And, with the Super Bowl right around the corner, Sonos has picked a good time to run a sale on many of its devices. One discount in particular that stands out is a price cut for the Sonos Arc. The company's top-end soundbar has dropped by $180 to $719. That matches Black Friday pricing.The Sonos Arc is one of our favorite premium soundbars. It has a sleek design and delivers great audio quality. There are some downsides, unfortunately. The Arc only has one HDMI input, so your TV is the only device you can connect to it directly. While the soundbar ties into the rest of the Sonos ecosystem, giving you the option to add some of the company's other speakers as surrounds, expanding the setup can get expensive pretty quickly.That said, Sonos subwoofers are on sale too, including the Sub Gen 3. That has dropped from $799 to $639. The Sub Gen 3 will pair seamlessly with the Arc or several other Sonos products to help you build out a complete home theater system with more low end. Meanwhile, it's worth taking a look through the rest of the sale as Sonos has slashed prices on other speakers as well as some bundles.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/sonoss-arc-soundbars-are-180-off-just-ahead-of-the-super-bowl-184521821.html?src=rss
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by Devindra Hardawar on (#6JB8J)
For the discerning gamer who didn't rush out to grab NVIDIA's RTX 40-series GPUs over the last few years, the company's new Super cards are genuinely compelling. They all deliver far more power than before - so much so that the $599 RTX 4070 Super is actually a decent 4K gaming card. But the $999 RTX 4080 Super is also a solid deal for power-hungry gamers, since it's $200 less than the original 4080. Between those two cards, NVIDIA now has desirable upgrade options for mid-range and high-end gamers.But what of the new RTX 4070 Ti? It's stuck right between its two siblings, with no clear audience. After all, if you're ready to spend $799 on a video card, stretching a bit more for the 4080 Super might make more sense for the additional power. Otherwise, you might as well just get the 4070 Super, overclock it a bit, and spend the extra $200 on another SSD or more RAM. It's a conundrum entirely of NVIDIA's making, one that might have been solved by giving the 4070 Ti Super a slight $50 discount. (And it's even more confusing when some cards, like the ASUS model we reviewed, are priced above MSRP.)Just like the 4070 Super, the 4070 Ti Super and 4080 Super feature more CUDA cores than the original models, as well as slightly higher clock speeds. The 4070 Ti Super packs in 8,448 CUDA cores compared to 7,680 on the 4070 Ti, while the 4080 Super has 10,240 CUDA cores instead of 9,728. The 4070 Ti Super also has 4GB more VRAM, bringing it up to 16GB of GDD6X memory, while the 4080 Super sticks with 16GB. (NVIDIA likely doesn't want to edge much closer to the beastly RTX 4090, which is now selling for hundreds more than its original $1,599 launch price.)Given the RAM bump, I expected the RTX 4070 Ti Super to be far faster than the 4070 Ti, but it ended up scoring only 742 points higher in the 3DMark TimeSpy Extreme benchmark. It fares better on games, scoring 15fps higher in both Halo Infinite (104fps)and Cyberpunk 2077 (93fps)while playing in 4K with maxed out graphics and ray tracing settings. The 4080 Super's results were similarly muted: It hit 289 more points than the 4080 in TimeSpy Extreme, and it was 10fps higher in Cyberpunk (103fps) while playing in 4K with ray tracing.None3DMark TimeSpy ExtremePort Royal (Ray Tracing)CyberpunkBlenderNVIDIA RTX 4080 Super13,16818,435/85fps1440p RT Overdrive DLSS 180fps4K RT Overdrive DLSS 105fps8,867NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti Super11,36615,586/72fps1440p RT Overdrive DLSS 165fps4K RT Overdrive DLSS 93fps7,342NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super9,83012,938/60fps1440p RT Overdrive DLSS: 1576,177NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti10,62414,163/66 fps1440p RT DLSS: 135 fps7,247Content creators will also appreciate the additional horsepower. The 4070 Ti Super scored 87,707 points in the Luxmark HDR benchmark and 7,424 points in Blender's test, compared to 75,997 and 7,247 on the 4070 Ti super. The 4080 Super hit 99,515 points in Luxmark HDR compared to 94,832 points from before.These are the results you'd expect by simply throwing more CUDA cores into these cards, so I'm not exactly disappointed. But after benchmarking both GPUs and comparing their results to the 4070 Super, I'm more underwhelmed by the 4070 Ti Super. I can understand NVIDIA not wanting to make it much faster, but it seriously needs to be cheaper than the original 4070 Ti. Otherwise, like I said, the 4070 Super is far more compelling, and I wouldn't be surprised if cheaper 4070 Ti cards pop up.We reviewed the ASUS TUF Gaming 4070 Ti Super (which is currently selling for $850), as well as NVIDIA's Founders Edition 4080 Super. The ASUS GPU sports three fans and a typical heatsink design, whereas NVIDIA's card once again uses its unique (and very effective) vapor chamber cooling setup. Both cards hovered around 75 Celsius under load, but the ASUS GPU was noticeably louder thanks to those three large fans. I could still hear the 4080 Super spin up under pressure, but it wasn't nearly as loud.If you can't tell by now, the biggest selling point of the 4080 Super is that it's $200 less than the original. Not only is it a better deal on its own, but its lower price should (hopefully) help to reduce the cost of older 4080 cards eventually too. And if you're not ready to shell out $999 for a video card, then the $599 4070 Super is no slouch either.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidia-rtx-4070-ti-super-and-4080-super-review-183034039.html?src=rss
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by Jeff Dunn on (#6JB8K)
The Super Bowl is set, and we're already seeing a handful of deals on well-reviewed TVs in advance of the big game. Sonos has rolled out a sale on some of its home theater equipment as well. If you're not looking for a living room upgrade, the top recommendation in our microSD card buying guide, the Samsung Pro Plus, is down to a low of $11 for a 128GB model. And for those in search of new headphones, Anker's Soundcore Space A40 is top pick in our guide to the best budget earbuds, and it's now $20 off at $59. A few Apple gadgets are also down to all-time lows, including the iPad Air, Apple Watch SE and 15-inch MacBook Air. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/our-favorite-microsd-card-drops-to-11-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-175130807.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6JB5P)
Apple's 10th-gen iPad is on sale via Amazon as part of a bundle that includes two years of AppleCare+ warranty coverage. The discount brings the price of the 64GB model down to $409 from $518, which is a savings of more than $100. Apple sells the basic iPad for $449, so it's like getting two years of warranty coverage for free, plus a little bit of walking around money.If the 64GB model doesn't do anything for you, the sale extends to just about every SKU available for Apple's entry-level tablet. You have your pick of multiple 256GB models and a range of tablets with cellular connectivity. All of the discounts are in the $110 range, just like with the 64GB model.As for the tablet itself, the iPad doesn't exactly need an introduction. This is considered the most basic" of Apple's tablet lineup, but it's still a fantastic choice for streaming content, checking on the dumpster fire that is social media, playing games and doing all kinds of other stuff. This is the 10th-gen version, so you get some features that were formerly reserved for its higher-priced cousins. There's USB-C, a large display with thin bezels and a front-facing camera on the landscape edge.This tablet is powered by Apple's A14 Bionic chip, which is surprisingly speedy, considering it's not one of the newer M-class chips. The battery life is solid, lasting anywhere from ten to 12 hours per charge, depending on what you're using it for. Otherwise, it's an iPad. You know what to expect.Of course, this isn't a perfect tablet. It doesn't come with any accessories, like the Apple Pencil, and the display isn't the sharpest on the block. It's also usually on the expensive side, given the internal specifications, but this discount assuages that a bit. The other major caveat is that new iPad models are expected later this year, but this one is still plenty capable.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/save-over-100-on-the-10th-gen-ipad-with-two-years-of-applecare-162654321.html?src=rss
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by Katie Malone on (#6JB5Q)
Key systems in Fulton County, Georgia have been offline since last week when a 'cyber incident' hit government systems. While the county has tried its best to continue operations as normal, phone lines, court systems, property records and more all went down. The county has not yet confirmed details of the cyber incident, such as what group could be behind it or motivations for the attack. As of Tuesday, there did not appear to be a data breach, according to Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts.Fulton County made headlines in August as the place where prosecutors chose to bring election interference charges against former president Donald Trump. But don't worry, officials assured the public that the case had not been impacted by the attack. All material related to the election case is kept in a separate, highly secure system that was not hacked and is designed to make any unauthorized access extremely difficult if not impossible," said Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.Despite this, Fulton County election systems did not appear to be the target of the attack. While Fulton County's Department of Registration and Elections went down, there is no indication that this event is related to the election process," Fulton County said in a statement. In an abundance of caution, Fulton County and the (Georgia) Secretary of State's respective technology systems were isolated from one another as part of the response efforts."So far, the impact of the attack ranges widely from delays getting marriage certificates to disrupted court hearings. On Wednesday, a miscommunication during the outage even let a murder suspect out of custody. A manhunt continues after officials mistakenly released the suspect while being transferred between Clayton County and Fulton County for a hearing.The county has not released information on when it expects systems to be fully restored, but it is working with law enforcement on recovery efforts. In the meantime, while constituents have trouble reaching certain government services, Fulton County put out a list of contact information for impacted departments. Fulton County also released a full list of impacted systems.While the government IT outages occurred, a local student also hacked into Fulton County Schools systems, according to StateScoop on Friday. The school system is still determining if any personal information may have been breached, but most services came back online by Monday.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fallout-from-the-fulton-county-cyberattack-continues-key-systems-still-down-161505036.html?src=rss
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by Richard Lai on (#6JB5R)
For its first phones of 2024, Samsung focused so much on its Galaxy AI" features that, physically, the Galaxy S24 series doesn't appear to be much different than the S23. Once again, the company's phones aren't different enough to justify upgrading from their predecessors, especially knowing that the S23 series, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5 and Tab S9 will be getting at least some of these AI features later this year. There's also competition from the Google Pixel 8 series, which offer many of the same new features from a more established AI company.Still, that doesn't mean we should dismiss the Galaxy S24 series altogether. Samsung's AI efforts may be an indicator of smartphone features to come. Even when compared to the Pixel 8s, Samsung's Galaxy AI has its perks, particularly with real-time translation in voice calls and the option to change the tone of your writing. In places where Google's Pixel is not available, Samsung has an opportunity to capture an audience that's curious about generative AI on phones. The question is: has Samsung done a good job at integrating these AI tools into its smartphone line?Design and displayCompared to last year's S23 series, this year's flagships are basically the same, save for some new colors - I received the S24 in Marble Gray" and the S24+ in Cobalt Violet." With the S24 and S24+ side by side, you'll notice the lowered LED flash on the back, along with the frame's cleaner layout with a new matte finish, but the lack of changes isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, as someone who is accustomed to various Chinese smartphones, I find Samsung's minimalist design to be refreshing, especially with the uniformly sized individual rear cameras.Aside from screen size, display resolution and battery capacity, the S24 and S24+ share identical specs. The S24 packs a 6.2-inch Full HD+ screen, weighs 167g and comes in at 7.6mm thick. The larger S24+ sports a 6.7-inch Quad HD+ panel, and it's 29g heavier with an extra 0.1mm in thickness.It's worth noting that both models use the same AMOLED 2X panel, with an adaptive refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz, as well as a 2,600-nit peak brightness. I've had no problem reading things on either screen while out and about, though I haven't experienced strong sunlight over the past few unusually cold days here in Hong Kong.CamerasPhoto by Richard Lai / EngadgetThis is probably the most boring aspect on the S24 and S24+, because there is no change here from last year's phones. On the rear is a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12 MP ultra-wide shooter and a 10 MP 3x telephoto camera, while a 12 MP camera sits up front. Samsung does point out that these cameras benefit from the new generative AI editing tools, which allow you to reframe shots, shift (or delete) subjects and create slow-mo clips from existing videos.If you're looking for better low-light performance and improved zoom, you might prefer the S24 Ultra (which my colleague Sam Rutherford reviewed). Still, the S24 and S24+ should be sufficient for your daily snaps, and for me, the results were usually consistent across the three rear cameras. Indoor shots tended to be a little on the dark side and noisier than the results I got on my main phone, the OnePlus Open (which has newer and larger sensors). The difference became more apparent as the environment got darker, especially the faded reds (like on taxis and traffic lights) and the aggressive sharpening on shrubs.On a more positive note, I'd like to echo my colleague Cherlynn Low's praise of the S23+'s selfie camera in her review last year. The S24 and S24+ inherited the same setup. In fact, it captured so much detail on my face - pores, dried skin, facial hair, et cetera - that I started to miss the beautification options offered by Chinese phones. I was also impressed by the video recording capabilities, as a 4K clip I shot at 60 fps during a bus ride home came out silky smooth. The relatively low light didn't seem to affect video stabilization that much.Software: Making a strong case for practical generative AIPhoto by Richard Lai / EngadgetI spent most of my time with my S24+ testing its Galaxy AI," which is touted as a privacy-first AI suite powered by the neural processing unit inside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. In other words, these phones can run some of their advanced intelligence" tasks on device, and there's an option to go completely offline for added privacy, but the results may not be as good or as up to date. On a related note, Samsung promises to never use your data for machine learning or for targeting ads," and that your data is immediately deleted from our servers or our partner's servers as soon as generation is complete."Samsung's Galaxy AI can be broken down into six functions: live translate" for voice calls, live interpreter (for in-person conversations), writing assist from the keyboard (for quick translations and changing the tone of your drafts), note assist (for auto summarization and formatting), transcript assist (with translations of your recordings) and generative edit in the gallery app. The translation features rely on Samsung's own language packs, which currently include English (US and UK), Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish (Mexico, Spain and US), Thai and Vietnamese. The company promised that more will be added later.Photo by Richard Lai / EngadgetBefore we go further, I'd like to point out that it wasn't immediately clear where I could enable these AI features. They are disabled by default, and there's no single switch to enable them all in one go. It took me a while before I dug up the advanced intelligence" hub in system settings. Even for Google's self-explanatory Circle to Search," I had to go through multiple settings pages to enable it.The most prominent Galaxy AI feature is perhaps the real-time two-way translation for voice calls, which Samsung has been pitching since November. I had to first enable live translate in the dialer app's settings, where I had to set the languages of myself and the receiver (it's easier if you install the necessary language packs in the advanced intelligence" hub beforehand). Then when you eventually make the phone call, you'll also need to tap on the call assist" button, and then tap the live translate" button to start.This took me a few runs before I realized I had to hit both buttons to get this thing going, at which point the live translate tool would broadcast a prompt declaring that the call is being translated and live-captioned. Speaking of, be warned that the phone app doesn't save these transcripts afterwards (I found out the hard way), so be sure to take screenshots or jot down important info before you hang up.Photo by Richard Lai / EngadgetI enlisted my Ghanaian friend, Paul, who speaks French (and better Mandarin than me!). It took a few runs to let Paul get used to the delay (again, likely not a privilege to be had in the real world), and then we concluded that Samsung's French language pack struggled to pick up some names and culinary terms, which was likely because it didn't play well with Paul's regional accent. Other than that, Paul and I were able to understand each other's translated speech.Paul and I also tried the split-screen interpreter tool during a face-to-face conversation. The tool was hard to find - it's on the second page of the system's pull-down menu; there is no app shortcut. Once we got the hang of the timing (especially with the pauses required to let the AI start processing), most translations were accurate, so long as Paul's accent didn't confuse the software.Photo by Richard Lai / EngadgetSamsung's system performed better in Korean, which should come as no surprise. I brought my S24+ to lunch at a Korean restaurant, and after paying the bill, I used the interpreter to compliment the establishment in two or three lines. The manager's eyes lit up upon seeing the Korean translation, which came out fast and exact. He then introduced some of his restaurant's top dishes to me via the interpreter, but as I went to dig up the dish names the next day, I found out that the system only stores conversations for 24 hours. I lost all my earlier call transcripts. A disclaimer about transcript history would have helped.Samsung's system performed better in Korean, which should come as no surprise. I brought my S24+ to lunch at a Korean restaurant, and after paying the bill, I used the interpreter to compliment the establishment in two or three lines. The manager's eyes lit up upon seeing the Korean translation, which came out fast and exact. He then introduced some of his restaurant's top dishes to me via the interpreter, but as I went to dig up the dish names the next day, I found out that the system only stores conversations for 24 hours. I lost all my earlier call transcripts. A disclaimer about transcript history would have helped.The writing assist AI tools were more conveniently located - right above the Samsung keyboard. I could quickly translate short phrases while typing into a field - I just needed to give it a second or two before it automatically swapped my typing to its translation. However, I noticed that the Chinese for Korean barbecue" (") didn't translate properly to Korean - it became " which is Korean yaki" (which led me to okonomiyaki pancakes instead on Google), when it should be " as Google correctly deduced. I'm sure Galaxy AI's accuracy will improve over time, but be prepared to come across such silly mistakes every now and then.Photo by Richard Lai / EngadgetAs a reporter, I look forward to trying the AI transcription feature in Samsung's Voice Recorder app in future interview opportunities. There's no setting required, and like Google's Recorder, it can recognize multiple speakers. But unlike the Pixel version, you can only transcribe (using any downloaded language pack) once you've finished recording, rather than seeing it live. This is a little odd considering Samsung has a live interpreter tool; maybe it had to rush out this unpolished Galaxy AI bundle in time for the launch.Samsung's other text-based AI tools will also come in handy, especially as I occasionally switch between English and Chinese. I've been able to play around with both the writing style" and spelling and grammar" tools in Samsung's keyboard. In Samsung's Notes app, you can also tap into Galaxy AI for auto summarization and formatting, which can be useful after jotting down notes from press events and interviews.Sure, you can already perform similar tasks using ChatGPT, but it's nice to have these functions just a couple of clicks away on our phones. I wouldn't trust all of the grammar suggestions, though, as some didn't make sense. Not all of the writing styles listed will suit your needs, either, but they do provide some amusement - like how to write to your love interest in the style of a professional letter.Performance and battery lifePhoto by Richard Lai / EngadgetLike the S24 Ultra, the S24 and S24+ are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor - but only in the US, South Korea and China. If you're buying one in the UK, then you'll have to make do with the Samsung Exynos 2400, though benchmarks have indicated that its performance isn't far off from Qualcomm's counterpart and, on paper, it actually has a faster 5G modem. As for options, the S24 starts with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for its $800 base model, whereas the S24+ starts with 12GB of RAM and twice the storage at $1,000.I've yet to run into any hiccups on either device, and the slick Android 14 animations made switching from one app to another feel effortless. On Geekbench 6, the S24 and S24+ saw notable improvements in CPU multi-core performance scores, reaching 7,049 and 6,641, respectively. Both models saw a bigger boost in GPU scores, up to 15,082 and 14,982, respectively.The S23+ already impressed us with its 25-hour result on our video rundown battery test last year. This time, the S24+ lasted for 25 hours and 50 minutes, beating its predecessor by almost an hour. The smaller S24 didn't disappoint, either, clocking in at about 24.5 hours, so battery life isn't an issue if single-handed operation matters to you. The S24+'s battery life is even more generous in the real world: With the occasional Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube and camera testing throughout the day, I still often ended up with 50 to 60 percent of power by the time I got home in the evening. If I forgot to charge the phone overnight, it could still last another day.Wrap-upPhoto by Richard Lai / EngadgetI began my review of the S24 and S24+ with low expectations. After all, they weren't very different (visibly) than their predecessors. But as I spent more time with these devices, their minimalist design and slick UX grew on me. Then came the built-in generative AI features, which are more convenient and intuitive than most other third-party bots. There's even greater potential with the live translation tools, especially with international travel basically back to pre-pandemic levels. The new software aids, combined with subtle design tweaks, help the S24 and S24+ make a more compelling case for upgrading from an S22 or earlier models. Or switching over from other brands, for that matter.Even though OpenAI and Google are already well ahead in the generative AI game, Samsung still deserves some credit for simplifying these functions - at least while it keeps offering Galaxy AI for free until the end of 2025. For now, though, Samsung needs to find a way to polish the whole package, and make some of the AI features more easily accessible. More importantly, users should be offered an option to save the transcripts after each translated phone call or in-person chat. I'm sure Samsung would rather not have Galaxy AI be reduced to a channel for venting.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-s24-and-s24-review-a-taste-of-generative-ai-in-everyday-use-160041639.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6JB2Z)
Tesla is having to conduct another mass-scale recall of its electric vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the font size on several instrument panel warning lights is too small per federal guidelines. As such, the company is recalling nearly 2.2 million EVs - almost every car it has sold in the US - to resolve the issue.Thankfully, for both Tesla and its customers, the automaker won't require drivers to bring their EV to a dealer or repair shop. It will issue a fix via an over-the-air update.The NHTSA discovered the problem during a routine safety compliance audit last month. It found that the text on the brake, park and antilock brake warning lights is smaller than required under federal rules. The agency noted that can make it hard to read the information, which could increase the likelihood of a crash.Affected EVs are the Model S (model years 2012-2023), Model X (2016-2023), Model 3 (2017-2023), Model Y (2019-2024) and the Cybertruck. Tesla has not received any reports of injuries or crashes related to the issued, though it has found three potentially linked warranty claims.In December, Tesla issued a similarly large-scale recall due to an Autopilot issue. It was also able to resolve that with an OTA update. Since then, it has issued other recalls connected to door safety and backup camera issues, each of which affected more than 120,000 vehicles.Meanwhile, as the Associated Press reports, the NHTSA has upgraded an investigation into steering issues. The agency is conducting an engineering analysis. That brings the probe, which covers more than 334,000 vehicles, closer to a recall.The NHTSA opened the investigation last July after receiving 12 reports of steering control loss in 2023 Model Y and Model 3 EVs. Since then, the agency has received 115 complaints related to the issue, which it has obtained another 2,176 from Tesla after seeking information from the automaker. One of the complaints is linked to a crash.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-recalls-over-2-million-evs-because-the-warning-light-text-is-too-small-152134761.html?src=rss
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by Lawrence Bonk on (#6JB30)
You can grab a pair of the well-reviewed Google Pixel Buds Pro earbuds for $140 via Wellbots. Just enter the code 60ENGDGT" at checkout to get that sweet discount of $60, which is 30 percent off the MSRP. This isn't the lowest price ever for these earbuds, but it's close.Google's Pixel Buds Pro made our list of the best wireless earbuds, and for good reason. These are likely the best choice for Android and Pixel phone users. To that end, you'll get access to Google Translate's conversation mode, which translates conversations in near-real-time. These transcriptions are read in the language of your choice and piped right into the earbuds. We also noted that the audio drivers are much-improved over its predecessor, delivering deep and punchy bass.In our official review of the earbuds, we called out the impressive active noise cancellation (ANC) performance, which was missing from the previous generation. We also liked the Bluetooth multipoint connection option and the reliable touch controls, which is something that earbud manufacturers often struggle to get right.Not everything's rosy in Pixel Buds Pro land, however, as the spatial audio feature still needs some work. Another major complaint was the price, an issue that this limited-time sale pretty much solves. As for other specs, the Google Pixel Buds Pro earbuds last up to 11 hours per charge, with up to 31 hours when including the charging case. These earbuds offer IPX4 water-resistance and wireless charging.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-buds-pro-are-on-sale-for-140-right-now-140007113.html?src=rss
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by Devindra Hardawar on (#6JB08)
Samsung's Galaxy S24 phones are all about AI, but how do they compare against Google's AI tech? This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss what works and doesn't about Samsung's ambitious new smartphones, and why it may be a good thing for the Korean giant to directly compete with Google. Also, Senior Editor Karissa Bell joins to discuss the social media CEO Senate hearing, which, unsurprisingly, doesn't really amount to much.Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!Topics
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by Mat Smith on (#6JB09)
AI-generated voices mimicking celebrities and politicians are making it harder for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fight robocalls. FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel wants the commission to recognize calls that use AI-generated voices as artificial, making the use of voice cloning technologies in robocalls illegal.Under the FCC's Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), artificial voice or recording calls to residences are against the law. If AI-generated voice calls are recognized as illegal under the existing law, it'll give state attorneys general offices nationwide new tools" to crack down on scammers.The FCC's proposal comes shortly after some New Hampshire residents received a call impersonating President Joe Biden, telling them not to vote in their state's primary. A security firm performed a thorough analysis of the call and determined it was created using AI tools by a startup called ElevenLabs. The company subsequently banned the account responsible for the message.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedSnap is recalling its Pixy drone after battery fireGoogle reveals another text-to-image generative AI tool, ImageFXNiantic is bringing an AR skateboarding game to Apple Vision ProMeta Quest headsets get spatial video playback, just in time for the Apple Vision Pro launchHulu is the latest streaming service to crack down on password sharingElgato introduces its first-ever HDMI 2.1 capture cardsComcast agrees to kill misleading 10G brandingBecause Comcast's internet isn't that much faster than rivals.Comcast is discontinuing its Xfinity 10G Network branding to describe its internet service after a National Advertising Review Board (NARB) panel found the term could mislead consumers into thinking that Comcast's cellular and broadband services would offer much faster speeds than current-generation networks.Continue reading.Google tests generative AI tools in MapsBots to help you get there.Google is adding generative AI to Maps. The feature's in early access and only available in certain areas and for select Local Guides members. It allows you to speak to the app using natural language to discover new places. Ask the app what you're looking for, like a specific kind of restaurant, and the company's large-language models will analyze information from all of its listings, along with insights from community members.The recommendation engine will also recall what you've asked in the past, hopefully honing future suggestions.Continue reading.Taylor Swift and other Universal Music tracks are disappearing from TikTokThe company made good on its promise following a breakdown in negotiations.Evan AgostiniAfter threatening to do so earlier this week, Universal Music Group (UMG) is pulling the catalogs of performers it represents, including Taylor Swift, Drake, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and others. There are no longer tracks listed in the profiles of some of the world's most notable artists, and any UMG music featured in TikTok videos will be muted going forward. Universal had previously said TikTok wanted to pay a fraction" of the rate paid by other social media sites.Continue reading.Meta's Reality Labs had its best quarter ever, making a $4 billion lossYou read that right.JOSH EDELSON via Getty ImagesThis is the perfect picture for this story. Reality Labs, Meta's division for AR, VR and the metaverse, generated more than $1 billion in revenue during the final quarter of 2023, thanks to its Quest headsets and the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The division, however, still lost $4.6 billion in the quarter and more than $16 billion in 2023. Legs are expensive.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-fcc-wants-to-make-ai-voiced-robocalls-illegal-121559520.html?src=rss
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by Steve Dent on (#6JAXN)
One of Google Search's oldest and best-known features, cache links, are being retired, Google's search liaison said in an X post seen by The Verge. Best known by the "Cached" button, those are a snapshot of a web page the last time Google indexed it. However, according to Google, they're no longer required."It was meant for helping people access pages when way back, you often couldn't depend on a page loading," Google's Danny Sullivan wrote in the post. These days, things have greatly improved. So, it was decided to retire it.
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by Mariella Moon on (#6JAXP)
DoorDash customers in NYC will notice a new fee tacked onto their bill when they purchase food for delivery through the app. The company has started charging users $2 more for deliveries in NYC as a response to the city's new minimum wage law, a spokesperson has confirmed to Business Insider. It warned users back in December that the new minimum pay rate, which it called "ill-conceived" and "extreme," will have "significant consequences for everyone" who uses its platform and will "force [it] to raise fees for orders." Other major cities implementing a minimum pay rate for app-based deliveries will also be affected. Seattle customers, for instance, were recently hit with new fees worth 10 cents to $3.40 order.Under the new regulations, services like Uber, DoorDash and Grubhub will have to pay workers at least $18 an hour. DoorDash has chosen to pay drivers $29.93 for every active hour only, which means they're unpaid for the time they spend waiting for orders to come in. When the company published its response to Seattle's new rules, it said it was going to reduce the suggested tip amount for each purchase "in order to better balance the impact of these new costs and provide the best experience for consumers."Customers can still tip any amount they want, but they may be less inclined to tip as much as before due to the added fees. That's one possible direct impact to drivers, since as DoorDash notes in its announcement, they get 100 percent of customers' tips. That hasn't always been the case. Back in 2019, news reports exposed the company's practice of pocketing tips and using that money to pay for drivers' guaranteed fees, which should've come from DoorDash itself. The food delivery service only introduced a new earnings and tipping policy that ensures drivers are getting their tips shortly after those reports came out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/doordash-increases-nyc-delivery-fees-following-new-minimum-wage-rules-105051707.html?src=rss
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by Steve Dent on (#6JAVV)
If you're in the market for a Fire TV device it's a good time to buy, as Amazon is having an early Valentine's Day event. The Fire TV Stick 4K is on sale for $35, for a savings of $15 (30 percent) off the regular price. You can also grab the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40, netting you 33 percent ($20 off). And finally, the Fire TV Cube is priced at $115, near its lowest price ever.The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is Amazon's most powerful streaming stick, thanks to a faster processor that delivers 40 percent more power than the one in the Fire TV Stick 4K. That translates to faster app start times and more fluid menu navigation, for a better overall experience. The Fire TV Sitck 4K Max also comes with WiFi 6 connectivity, as well as support for Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos audio, along with Alexa commands via the Alexa Voice Remote.While not quite as zippy, the Fire TV Stick 4K is slightly cheaper at $35. It's a great option if you want a low-profile streaming device that can handle 4K content. It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR, and comes with the Alexa Voice Remote, which lets you search for and launch content with voice commands. Frankly though, for the extra $2, I'd grab the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.The Fire TV Cube is Amazon's most powerful streaming device with a hexa-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It supports 4K, HDR content with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and it has picture-in-picture live view as well. You're also getting hands-free Alexa controls, too, letting you turn off your lights or check the weather, even with your TV off.Finally, don't forget about Amazon's Fire TV soundbar that's back on sale for $100, for a savings of nearly 20 percent. It can enhance your TV audio via dual speakers, with access to 3D surround sound, while offering DTS Virtual X and Dolby Audio support.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/amazon-fire-tv-streaming-devices-are-up-to-33-percent-off-101521171.html?src=rss
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by Mariella Moon on (#6JATN)
Tesla and the 25 California counties that sued the automaker for mishandling hazardous waste at its facilities around the state have already reached an agreement just a few days after the lawsuit was filed. The court has ordered the automaker to pay $1.5 million as part of the settlement, which also includes hiring a third party to conduct annual waste audits of its trash containers for five years. These auditors will be taking a close look at the company's trash containers to check for hazardous materials.The counties that sued Tesla, which include Los Angeles and San Francisco, accused the company of dumping improperly labeled materials at transfer centers and landfills that were "not permitted to accept hazardous waste." Based on the complaint filed in San Joaquin County, Tesla was illegally disposing the waste it generated manufacturing and servicing its vehicles.Undercover investigators from the environmental division at the San Francisco District Attorney's Office were the first to find evidence of Tesla's illegal activities back in 2018. They found trash containers at the company's service centers containing materials, such as aerosols, antifreeze, lubricating oils, brake cleaners, lead acid batteries, aerosols, antifreeze, waste solvents, electronic waste and waste paint when they weren't supposed to. Investigators from other California counties' District Attorney's offices conducted their own investigations and found similar unlawful disposals. The Alameda country authorities who looked into its Fremont factory activities, for instance, discovered illegal disposal of waste containing copper and primer-contaminated debris.Tesla reached a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency over its handling of hazardous materials back in 2019 and had to agree to properly manage waste at its Fremont plant in addition to paying a $31,000 fine. The automaker had also taken steps to screen its trash containers for hazardous waste before taking them to the landfill after being notified of the issue. But as District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said, "today's settlement against [the company] serves to provide a cleaner environment for citizens throughout the state by preventing the contamination of [their] precious natural resources when hazardous waste is mismanaged and unlawfully disposed." By having a third party regularly check whether Tesla continues to comply with the agreement, authorities can ensure that the company isn't illegally dumping harmful materials across the state over the next few years.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-settles-california-hazardous-waste-lawsuit-for-15-million-070513014.html?src=rss
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by Karissa Bell on (#6JAJC)
Reality Labs, Meta's division for AR, VR and the metaverse, just had its best quarter yet despite continuing its multibillion-dollar losing streak. Reality Labs generated more than $1 billion in revenue during the final quarter of 2023 thanks to its Quest headsets and the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.While crossing $1 billion in revenue is a new milestone for the company's metaverse group, it's still expected to continue racking up massive losses for the foreseeable future. Reality Labs lost $4.6 billion in the quarter, and more than $16 billion in 2023. Meta CFO Susan Li said that these losses are expected to increase meaningfully year-over-year due to our ongoing product development efforts in augmented reality/virtual reality and our investments to further scale our ecosystem."The fourth-quarter, which encompasses the holiday shopping season, has typically been when reality does the best. During a call with analysts, Mark Zuckerberg suggested that the company's smart glasses had done particularly well, saying that Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica was planning on making more [smart glasses] than we'd both expected due to high demand." He added that both Quest 2 and Quest 3 were performing well," calling Quest 3 the most popular mixed reality device."Reality Labs aside, Meta had a strong quarter, reporting $40.1 billion to close out 2023, bringing its total revenue for the year to just under $135 billion. Facebook's user base also grew to 2.1 billion daily active users (DAUs). Meta CFO Susan Li said that the company was transitioning away" from sharing the metric and would no longer report on Facebook's daily or monthly active users or its family monthly active people."The company had shared that it would eventually stop reporting user numbers back in 2019 as Facebook's growth began to slow. But the change shows how Facebook's position in the company's family of apps" has changed in recent years. A report from Pew Research earlier this week found that Instagram is continuing to grow in the US while Facebook use remains flat.Meta's newest app, Threads, is still growing, however. Zuckerberg said the service has 130 million monthly users, up from just under" 100 million last fall. Threads now has more people actively using it today than it did during its initial launch peak," Zuckerberg said, referring to the app's initial, but short-lived, surge in growth.Zuckerberg also talked more about his newly-stated ambition to create artificial general intelligence, or AGI at Meta, saying it would be the theme" of the company's product work going forward. This next generation of services requires building full general intelligence," he said. It's clear that we're going to need our models to be able to reason, plan, code, remember and many other cognitive abilities in order to provide the best versions of the services that we envision."The Meta CEO also indicated the company would be unlikely to offer any of its apps in alternative app stores in Europe, following Apple's controversial new developer policies. "The way that they've implemented it, I would be very surprised if any developer chose to go into the alternative app stores," he said. "They've made it so onerous, and I think so at odds with the intent of what the EU regulation was, that I think it's just going to be very difficult for anyone, including ourselves, to really seriously entertain."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-reality-labs-had-its-best-quarter-but-still-lost-4-billion-231135719.html?src=rss
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by Cherlynn Low on (#6JAJD)
After four consecutive quarters of revenue decline, Apple broke the trend and reported its first period of revenue growth today. In its earnings report for the first quarter of the financial year of 2024, the company announced a quarterly revenue of $119.6 billion, which is an increase of 2 percent from the same period last year.In addition, Apple CEO Tim Cook said its "installed base of active devices has now surpassed 2.2 billion, reaching an all-time high across all products and geographic segments." This quarter includes money brought in from the sales of the iPhone 15 line introduced in September 2023, which had an obvious impact on performance."Today Apple is reporting revenue growth for the December quarter fueled by iPhone sales, and an all-time revenue record in Services," Cook said. He noted the company hitting "all-time revenue records across advertising, Cloud services, payment services and video as well as December quarter records in App Store and Apple Care." Cook recapped some updates made to the Apple TV app, as well as TV+ content earning nominations and awards.Cook went on to remind us during the company's earnings call that tomorrow is the launch day for the Vision Pro headset, calling it historic. After saying that Apple is dedicated to investing in new technologies, Cook added that the company will be sharing more about its developments in AI later this year.Products in the wearables, home and accessories categories didn't fare well in this quarter, though sales in the Mac department did increase year over year. iPad sales in particular dropped 25 percent over the same period last year, though Cook attributed that to a "difficult compare" to the big numbers recorded in the first quarter of 2023 due to new models with refreshed Apple Silicon. Considering the company did not release a new iPad model in 2023 at all, this is not surprising.Cook continued by highlighting developments like Apple opening its 100th retail location in Asia Pacific and updates on its sustainability efforts. He wrapped up by saying "Apple is a company that has never shied away from big challenges," adding "so we're optimistic about the future, confident in the long term and as excited as we've ever been to deliver for our users."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-sold-enough-iphones-and-services-last-quarter-to-reverse-a-downward-revenue-trend-223109289.html?src=rss
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by Nathan Ingraham on (#6JAFV)
Earlier this week, the team behind the Arc browser for Mac (and recently Windows) released a brand-new iPhone app called Arc Search. As you might expect, it's infused with AI to power an experience where the app "browses for you"-pulling together a variety of sources of info across the internet to make a custom webpage to answer whatever questions you throw at it. That's just one part of what The Browser Company is calling Act 2 of Arc, and the company gave details on three other major new features its bringing to the browser over the coming weeks and months.The connective tissue of all these updates is that Arc is trying to blur the lines between a browser, search engine and website - the company wants to combine them all to make the internet a bit more useful to end users. In a promo video released today, various people from The Browser Company excitedly discuss a browser that can browse for you (an admittedly handy idea).The Arc Search app showed off one implementation of that idea, and the next is a feature that arrives today called Instant Links. When you search for something, pressing shift and enter will tell Arc to search and automatically open the top result. This won't have a 100 percent success rate, but there are definitely times when it comes in handy. One example Arc showed off was searching for "True Detective season 4 trailer" - pressing shift + enter automatically opened the trailer from YouTube in a new tab and started playing it.You can easily get multiple results with this tool, too. I told it to "show me a folder of five different soup recipes" and Arc created a folder with five different tabs in for me to review. I also asked for the forecasts in Rome, Paris and Athens and got three pages with the details for each city. It's handy, but I'm looking forward to Arc infusing it with more smarts than just simply pulling the "top" search result. (Side note: after testing this feature, my browser sidebar is awash with all kinds of nonsense. I'm glad Arc auto-closes things every day so I don't have to sort it out.)In a similar vein, the upcoming Live Folders feature will collect updates from sites you want to follow, like a sort of RSS feed. The idea is anticipating what sites someone is going to browse to and bring updated results into that folder. One example involved getting tagged in things on GitHub - each time that happened, a tab would be added to the folder with the new item. The demo on this feature was brief, but it should be available in beta on February 15th for further testing.I got the sense from the video that developers would need to enable their sites to be updated via Live Folders, so it doesn't seem like you can just add anything you want and expect it to work. In that way, it reminds me of some other Arc features like the one that lets you hover over a Gmail or Google Calendar tab to get a preview of your most recent messages or next appointment. Hopefully it'll have the smarts to do things like drop new posts from your favorite site into the folder or open a new video from a YouTube channel you subscribe to, but we'll have to wait to find out. (I also reached out to Arc for more details on how this might work and will update this story if I hear back.)Finally, the last new feature here is also the most ambitious, and the one that most embodies that "browser that browses for you" vibe. Arc Explore, which the company says should be ready for testing in the next couple of months, uses LLMs to try and collapse the browser, search engine and site into a singular experience. In practice, this feels similar to what Arc is already doing with its new browser, but more advanced. One example the company gave involved making a restaurant reservation - starting with a query of wanting to make a reservation at one of a couple different restaurants, the Arc Explore interface brought back a bunch of details on each location alongside direct links to the Resy pages to book a table for two at exactly the time specified.Another demo showed off how using Arc Explore can be better than just searching and clicking on results. It centered around soup, as all good demos do. Having Arc Explore bring up details on a certain kind of soup immediately provided details like ingredient lists, direct recipe steps and of course related videos. Compared to the pain of browsing a lot of sites that get loaded down with autoplaying ads, videos, unrelated text and more distractions, the Arc Explore experience does feel pretty serene. Of course, that's only when it brings back the results relevant to you. But using a LLM, you can converse with Arc to get closer to what you're looking for.After using Arc Search on my iPhone, I can appreciate what The Browser Company is going for here - at the same time, though, breaking my old habits on how I browse the internet is no small thing. That means these tools are going to need to work pretty well when they launch if they're going to supplant the years I've spent putting things into a Google box and finding the results I want. But that sums up the whole philosophy and the point behind Arc: to shake up these habits in an effort to make a better browsing experience. Not all these experiments will stick, and others will probably mutate a lot from these initial ideas, but I'm definitely interested in seeing how things evolve from here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-arc-browser-is-getting-new-ai-powered-features-that-try-to-browse-the-web-for-you-211739679.html?src=rss
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by Kris Holt on (#6JAFW)
YouTube has hit a new milestone with its Music and Premium offerings. The paid services have more than 100 million users between them as of January, including those who were on a free trial. That's an increase of 20 million members in just over a year, and the figure has doubled since September 2021. YouTube has successfully grown the figures despite a $2 per month increase for Premium that came into force last summer.It's unclear how many people are actually using YouTube Music (Premium includes access to that service). However you slice it, the music streaming service has significantly fewer paid users than Spotify, which had 220 million Premium members as of September 30. Spotify will reveal its latest membership numbers in an earnings report next week. Apple no longer breaks out its number of Apple Music subscribers. The last firm number the company gave for the service was 60 million subscribers back in 2019.Regardless, the comparison between YouTube's paid service and Apple Music and Spotify Premium is hardly like-for-like. YouTube Premium is its own thing with its own benefits. It can be tough to go back to the lousier ad-strewn free version of the service after having Premium. The option to download videos for offline viewing without having to resort to workarounds and background playback feature are both very useful. YouTube Music is just an extra perk on top of that for many members.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtubes-paid-music-and-premium-services-now-have-more-than-100-million-subscribers-210008040.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6JAFX)
Amazon launched a new generative AI shopping assistant, Rufus, on Thursday. The chatbot is trained on Amazon's product catalog, customer reviews, community Q&As and information from across the web." It's only available to a limited set of Amazon customers for now but will expand in the coming weeks.The company views the assistant as customers' one-stop shop for all their shopping needs. Rufus can answer questions like, What to consider when buying running shoes?" and display comparisons for things such as, What are the differences between trail and road running shoes?" It can also respond to follow-up questions like, Are these durable?"Amazon suggests asking Rufus for general advice about product categories, such as things to look for when shopping for headphones. It can provide contextual advice as well, lending insight into products based on specific activities (like hiking) or events (holidays or celebrations). Other examples include asking it to compare product categories (What's the difference between lip gloss and lip oil?" or Compare drip to pour-over coffee makers"). In addition, it can recommend gifts for people with particular tastes or shopping recommendations for holidays.Rufus can also answer more fine-tuned questions about a specific product page you're viewing. Amazon provides the examples, Is this pickleball paddle good for beginners?" or Is this jacket machine-washable?"Amazon said in 2023 every division in its company was working on generative AI. It's since launched AI-powered review summaries, and it began encouraging sellers to make AI listings and image backgrounds for their products. Rival Walmart teased a similar feature for its shoppers at CES 2024.It's still early days for generative AI, and the technology won't always get it exactly right," wrote Amazon executive Rajiv Mehta. We will keep improving our AI models and fine-tune responses to continuously make Rufus more helpful over time. Customers are encouraged to leave feedback by rating their answers with a thumbs up or thumbs down, and they have the option to provide freeform feedback as well."Rufus is launching in beta today to only a small subset of customers," and it will appear (for those in the beta) after updating the Amazon mobile app. The assistant will continue rolling out to US customers in the coming weeks." Once you're allowed into the beta, you can summon Rufus by typing or speaking your questions into the search bar. A Rufus chat box will appear at the bottom of the screen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-launches-rufus-an-ai-powered-shopping-assistant-204811837.html?src=rss
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by Will Shanklin on (#6JACY)
If you've considered splurging on a premium monitor, Samsung has some deals worth investigating. The company's offerings, including the 55-inch Odyssey Ark (available for a record-low $2,000), 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9 ($500 off) and 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 ($400 off) are among the models discounted in a wide-ranging monitor sale on Amazon and Samsung's website.The 55-inch Odyssey Ark is a 4K behemoth with a 1000R curvature to ensure all sides of the screen face you at a roughly equal distance. It supports 165Hz refresh rates, making for fairly smooth gaming and other tasks, and it has a 1ms response time. You can even rotate its screen into portrait orientation, although that's more of a niche bonus than an essential feature for most people.Samsung fixed one of our biggest gripes about the first-generation version, adding the DisplayPort compatibility and multi-input split view that were perplexingly missing from that inaugural model. The one on sale is the latest variant, launched in 2023.Usually $3,000, you can cut that in third on Amazon and Samsung, taking the 55-inch Odyssey Ark home for $2,000.SamsungThe 57-inch Odyssey G9 Neo has a more elongated (32:9) aspect ratio. This lets you squeeze more apps onto your desktop multitasking setup while supplying a wider field of view for gaming. Despite its different size and shape, it has the same tight 1000R curve as the Ark.The monitor has 8K resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. Its mini LED technology uses 2,392 local dimming zones and the highest 12-bit black levels." Ports include DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1 and a USB hub.Usually $2,500, you can shave $500 off the 57-inch Neo G9 monitor, taking it home for $2,000. That pricing is available on Amazon and Samsung.SamsungThe 49-inch Odyssey G9 OLED also has a 32:9 aspect ratio. Its OLED / Quantum Dot screen produces rich colors and deep blacks to make your games pop more, and its solid-black text can help your workspace lettering jump out more.This model's curve (1800R) is less pronounced than the 55-inch Ark and 57-inch G9 Neo's, but it still supplies a gentle curve inward. It includes built-in speakers, and it has a 240Hz refresh rate with a near-instant" (0.03ms) response time. It includes connections for HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort.The 49-inch G9 OLED retails for $1,600, but you can get it for $1,200 on Amazon. (It's $1,300 on Samsung's site.)We only highlighted some of the standout monitors, but you can browse through the full sale on Amazon and Samsung.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/samsung-odyssey-monitors-are-up-to-1000-off-right-now-200039299.html?src=rss
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