Wednesday, July 14, 2021

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Netflix extends exclusive rights to Universal's animated films in the US

Posted: 14 Jul 2021 03:54 AM PDT

A few days ago, Universal signed a deal with Amazon to give Prime Video exclusive streaming rights for its live-action releases. This time, Universal has struck a deal with Netflix, specifically for its animated films. The companies have signed a multi-year licensing agreement that gives the streaming service exclusive access to animated movies from Universal-owned Illumination, such as Minions: The Rise of Gru, which comes out in 2022. They've also expanded their partnership to include films from DreamWorks Animation, including the upcoming The Bad Guys and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish.

Similar to Universal's pact with Amazon, though, the Netflix deal is a bit complex. Yes, Netflix will have exclusive rights to animated films from Illumination and Dreamworks in the US, but only for a chunk of the 18-month period after the movies' theatrical run. Within the first four months, all Universal films will only be available for streaming on Peacock, the streaming service also owned by its parent company Comcast. Netflix will then have exclusive streaming rights for 10 months after that before the movies go back to Peacock for another four months. 

Once that 18-month period is done, Universal's animated films will also be available on Amazon Prime Video. Meanwhile, under their new deal, Netflix will license Universal's full animated and live-action slate four years after their release and will also secure streaming rights to select titles from the studio's library. While the deal can be a bit confusing, it all boils down to the fact that Netflix will continue having exclusive access to some of what could become the most-watched films on the platform. As Variety noted, Illumination's The Secret Life of Pets 2 is the most-watch Netflix movie in 2021 so far, according to a Forbes analysis. Last year, that distinction belonged to another film by Illumination: Despicable Me.

'Loki' will return for a second season on Disney+

Posted: 14 Jul 2021 03:20 AM PDT

The God of Mischief will chase his glorious purpose in another season. If that sounds like complete gibberish, you probably haven't been watching Loki. Today, Disney revealed that the Marvel Studios series will return for a second season on Disney+. The media giant used the show's finale to announce the news. Mid-way through the sixth episode's end credits, Loki's case file can be seen with a stamp that reads "Loki will return in season 2." 

The decision was likely a no-brainer: Loki had the streaming service's most-watched premiere back in June when Disney+ shifted its release days for originals from Friday to Wednesday. Now, it has become the first Disney+ Marvel show to get a second season renewal. Meanwhile, the fate of WandaVision and The Falcon and Winter Soldier remains a lot less certain, despite the originals garnering 23 and five Emmy nominations, respectively.

Loki helped to establish some of the major narrative elements that will percolate through phase four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the multiple universes set to be explored in the upcoming movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

It's a good time to be a Marvel fan in general. Last week saw the release of Black Widow on Disney+ Premier Access and theaters, ending a two-year drought for Marvel movies. The action film raked in $60 million on the streaming service and over $215 million globally. Just days ago, Disney also revealed that Marvel's animated show What If...? would debut on Disney+ on August 11th.

Microsoft says Chinese hackers used a SolarWinds exploit to conduct attacks

Posted: 14 Jul 2021 02:25 AM PDT

SolarWinds vulnerabilities continue to be targeted by overseas hackers months after the US information technology company suffered a widespread cyberattack. On Tuesday, Microsoft said that a group operating out of China was using a zero-day remote code execution to attack SolarWinds software. If successfully exploited, the flaw in the IT company's Serv-U software allows hackers to perform actions like install and run malicious payloads or view and change data, Microsoft noted in a blog post. 

As part of its investigation, Microsoft said it had observed the hacking group targeting organizations in the US military research and development and software sectors. The company has designated the actor as DEV-0322 in reference to its status as an unidentified "development group." Microsoft explained that it uses the label prior to reaching high confidence about the origin or identity of a hacker. The group operating out of China is using commercial VPN solutions and compromised consumer routers to carry out their attacks, Microsoft said. Those affected have been notified and assisted in their response, the company noted. 

SolarWinds confirmed on the weekend that it was notified by Microsoft of a security vulnerability in its Serv-U software. The flaw was related to the product's managed file transfer and secured FTP, which it has since patched.

SolarWinds gained overnight notoriety in December after it became the subject of a supply chain cyberattack that impacted 18,000 of its customers, including nine US government agencies. US intelligence released a joint statement in January naming Russia as the most likely source of the hack. The following month, Reuters reported that suspected Chinese hackers had exploited a separate flaw in SolarWinds' software to to help breach US government computers last year. The latest vulnerability is not related to the so-called Sunburst supply chain attack, SolarWinds said.

Amazon launches its mobile-first Kindle Vella serialized story platform

Posted: 14 Jul 2021 01:50 AM PDT

As it promised last month, Amazon has launched its serialized fiction Kindle Vella store that lets you unlock episodic, self-published stories via in-app purchases. The new platform is a way for readers to discover new fiction and a new way for authors to generate revenue from the Kindle Direct Publishing service. 

While the name might suggest otherwise, Kindle Vella isn't available on Amazon's Kindle e-readers. Rather, you'll only find it on Amazon.com or the Kindle iOS app (no Android for now). To start with, the service will be limited to US-based authors who publish stories in English. 

The serialized stories will run from 600 to 5,000 words per episode, with the first three offered for free. To see subsequent episodes, you'll need to pay for "tokens," with prices ranging from $2 for 200 tokens up to $15 for 1,700 tokens. The latter will give you about 34 episodes, though prices per episode depend on the word count — the more words, the more you'll have to spend. 

Authors, meanwhile, will receive 50 percent of the revenue along with bonuses based on engagement with the app's social media-style features. To that end, readers can follow stories to be notified of new episodes, leave a thumbs up for episodes they like, apply a "Fave" for their favorite story of the week (provided they purchase tokens), and share on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. To boost engagement, authors can speak directly to readers at the end of episodes to "share story insights and behind-the-scenes content," Amazon wrote. 

Since Amazon opened Vella to authors three months ago, "thousands of authors" have published "tens of thousands of Kindle Vella episodes across dozens of genres and microgenre," Amazon said. Authors appear to be interested as well. "I've published close to 30 novels, and I'm enjoying the adventure of writing The Marriage Auction in this new format," said bestselling author Audrey Carlan in a statement. Whether or not the format takes off now depends on readers — to try it out, you can access Vella here. 

Ransomware group REvil disappears from the internet

Posted: 14 Jul 2021 01:12 AM PDT

The Russia-linked ransomware group behind some of the biggest recent cyberattacks has disappeared from the internet. According to CNBC, Reuters and The Washington Post, the websites operated by the group REvil went down in the early hours of Tuesday. Dmitri Alperovitch, former chief technology officer of the cyber firm CrowdStrike, told The Post that the group's blog in the dark web is still reachable. However, its critical sites victims use to negotiate with the group and to receive decryption tools if they pay up are no longer available. Visitors to those websites now see a message that says "A server with the specified hostname could not be found."

REvil took responsibility for a recent string of ransomware attacks that affected around 800 to 1,500 businesses worldwide, including schools. It demanded $70 million to restore the data it stole and encrypted. Before that, experts linked the group to the ransomware attacks on IT management software giant Kaseya and beef supplier JBS, which chose to pay US$11 million to get its data back. 

It's unclear why REvil's websites aren't accessible anymore. As Reuters mentioned, ransomware gangs tend to vanish and rebrand in case they attract too much attention. President Biden recently revealed that he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he expects his government to act on ransomware attacks coming from his country. When asked if the US would attack the servers Russian cybercriminals use to hijack American networks, Biden answered with a resounding "Yes."

Alperovitch told The Post that it doesn't look like REvil's servers were attacked, which means it's unlikely a an offensive cyber operation launched by US authorities. Kurtis Minder, the founder of threat intelligence firm GroupSense, told Reuters that if REvil's sites going down truly was the result of an offensive operation mounted by the US government, he hopes that "collateral damage was a consideration." Bad actors hold the key to the data they take ransom, and victims would have a tough time recovering theirs if that key gets destroyed or lost.

Twitter now lets you change who can reply to your tweets

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 09:02 PM PDT

Over the past year, Twitter introduced some changes that made it easier to choose how to reply to tweets and to manage who can reply to your tweets. Now, it's adding a new feature that gives you a way to make sure your reply section is clean and friendly. The social network now lets you change who can reply to your tweets even after you've already sent it out. All you need to do is tap on the ellipsis button at the top right corner of your post and choose the option that says "Change who can reply."

In August last year, the company took its reply-limiting feature out of the experimental phase and gave all uses access to it. That rollout gave you the ability to choose who can reply to you — everyone, people you follow or people you mention — before you send out your tweet. This addition gives you even more control over the discussion going on in your replies section. 

The new feature is likely part of the platform's efforts to "increase the health of public conversation," which Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey previously said is his company's singular objective. As you can guess, the ability to choose who can reply to you has been controversial among some users, but it could also limit the toxic behavior you encounter on the platform.

Verizon partners with Mastercard to work on 5G contactless payment tech

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 06:05 PM PDT

Mastercard and Verizon (Engadget's parent company) say they plan to work together on "transformational" financial technologies. The companies told CNBC they hope their new partnership starts producing results by 2023. One of the main areas they plan to work on is contactless payments. Specifically, they want to push Mastercard's Tap on Phone platform, which allows compatible mobile devices to double as point of sale terminals that can process NFC payments. Among other things the two plan to explore are technologies that will make it easier for businesses to add touchless payment systems to their stores.

Naturally, 5G will play a significant role in all the solutions Verizon and Mastercard have in mind. "5G will enable the small and medium business to handle transactions more quickly and focus on what they are really delivering to customers," Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg told CNBC. Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach went on to tell the outlet the company expects small- and medium-sized businesses will represent the biggest area of growth for 5G contactless payments.

As for Verizon's stake in all this, the company has a lot riding on the success of its 5G rollout. It spent $45.4 billion, more than AT&T and T-Mobile combined, in the recent Federal Communications Commission's C-band auction to secure as mid-band spectrum as possible. Incidentally, 2023 is when the carrier expects its 5G network to provide coverage to 175 million people across the US.

Cuba blocks access to Facebook and Telegram in response to protests

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 03:06 PM PDT

As protests continue in Cuba over the country's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the surrounding economic fallout, the Cuban government has moved to restrict access to social media and messaging platforms. According to NetBlocks, an organization that tracks internet access, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram have all been at least partially blocked on the Caribbean island since Monday. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, it appears the restrictions are still in place, with Reuters reporting that people in Havana don't have access to mobile data at the moment. We've reached out to Facebook and Telegram for confirmation on the outages, and we'll update this article when we hear back from the companies.

Mobile internet access is relatively new to Cuba. It was only in late 2018 that the country's socialist government started rolling service out across the island. At the time, President Miguel Diaz-Canel, the politician protestors are demanding resign, said greater internet access would help Cubans "defend their revolution." However, Cuba's approach to dissent is not new. We've seen governments in countries like Myanmar and Iran use similar strategies when they faced protests in the past.

Apple is reportedly working on a pay later feature for Apple Pay

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 01:53 PM PDT

If you've done any online shopping in the last little while, there's a good chance you've run into services like Affirm and PayPal's Pay in 4. They allow you to purchase something and pay for it later by splitting up the total cost of the item into several installments. By the looks of things, Apple could soon offer a similar option to Apple Pay users. According to Bloomberg, the company is working with Goldman Sachs on a service called "Apple Pay Later" that will allow those with its devices to settle purchases over time, including ones they make at physical shops.

When using the service, the outlet says you'll have two ways of paying for your purchase. If you pick the "Apple Pay in 4" option, you'll need to make four interest-free payments across two months. The other option is to extend the payment period over multiple months, though in that case interest comes into play. Bloomberg says it wasn't able to determine how much interest Apple plans to charge or when the company will roll out the service. 

We've reached out to Apple for comment on the report, and we'll update this article when we hear back from the company. But in many ways, Apple Pay Later sounds like a logical extension of what the company is already doing with Apple Card, where one of the perks it offers is installment plans for Mac and iPad purchases.

'Company of Heroes 3' will take the classic RTS series to the Mediterranean in 2022

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 01:40 PM PDT

Eight years after its second entry, a new Company of Heroes game is in development at Relic Entertainment. Announced today by publisher Sega, Company of Heroes 3 will take the World War II real-time strategy series to the Mediterranean theatre. As before, the emphasis is on commanding squads of infantry and individual tanks, but new to this game is a strategic map that will allow you to decide how to approach the Allied invasion of Italy. How you plan your moves there will determine the forces you have at your disposal in the real-time battles that follow.

Relic is also introducing a pause button that will allow players to stop the action and queue up commands to all their units. In practice, it looks like the single-player campaign will play out a lot like one of Creative Assembly's Total War games, which isn't too surprising given that Sega owns both studios.

Company of Heroes 3 is due in late 2022. In the meantime, fans can sign up to play an early build of the game by linking their Steam and Relic accounts. Additionally, the entire franchise is on sale on Valve's storefront, allowing you to get the second game for a mere $1.10.

Facebook Groups can now have dedicated topic 'experts'

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 01:04 PM PDT

Facebook is working on a new way to highlight authoritative information within Groups. The platform is starting to roll out a new "expert" label for group members who have expertise in an area related to the group's interests.

With the change, which Facebook says is available to "select" Groups, an admin can invite a group member to be a group "expert." If the person accepts, then they'll get a badge next to their name similar to the way group moderators and admins are identified.

Notably, being a group "expert" doesn't grant you extra control of group features, or higher visibility within a group. Instead, Facebook is billing it as a way for group admins to highlight members who are likely to have helpful insights to share with the rest of the group. Experts can also host question and answer sessions or live audio rooms. 

Separately, Facebook is also testing a feature that would allow group admins to proactively find expert voices for their group. That test, which is starting with groups related to fitness and gaming, allows individuals to identify themselves as experts in a particular topic. In these cases, group admins will be able to search for experts who aren't already members of their group and invite them to join. The experts will also have the ability to automatically invite "recently engaged Page followers" to join any group in which they join as an expert.

Experts is the latest of several changes to Facebook Groups in recent months. The company has also taken steps to get moderators to shoulder more responsibility in ensuring group members follow Facebook's rules, and introduced new tools to limit toxic conversations. While dedicated "experts" won't directly impact these efforts, the addition of more knowledgeable voices could free up time for group admins.

Gogo in-flight internet has been renamed Intelsat

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 12:30 PM PDT

The next time you're on a plane, searching for a Wi-Fi connection while soaring thousands of feet above the ground, don't look for the Gogo name. The longstanding standard of in-flight internet, Gogo Commercial Aviation, has been rebranded to Intelsat.

Intelsat, an international satellite communications provider, purchased Gogo Commercial Aviation in December 2020. It was a cash deal valued at $400 million. Gogo still exists and focuses on business aviation services.

Gogo has been a staple of in-flight entertainment for the past decade, partnering with 17 major airlines. The service is as impressive as it is frustrating, though it's improved with time. In 2019, Gogo announced plans to roll out 5G in-flight services this year, and it began testing those antennas in June. As Intelsat, 5G is still the goal.

"This name change is happening while Intelsat is leveraging its unparalleled global orbital and spectrum rights, scale and partnerships to build the world's first global 5G satellite-based software-defined network of networks," Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler said in a press release.

Stadia will give developers and publishers a bigger cut of sales

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 11:59 AM PDT

Google is looking to make Stadia more attractive to developers and publishers, and it's bringing in a more generous revenue sharing split. Those behind games released on Stadia after October 1st will receive 85 percent of sales revenue, with Google taking a 15 percent cut. The split applies to the first $3 million of sales and will only be in place until the end of 2023. Stadia will return to the current revenue split after that point.

Starting this month, new titles that join the Stadia Pro lineup (the library of games that's included with a membership) under updated terms will receive a cut of the $10/month subscriptions. Google will share 70 percent of that revenue with publishers and the pool will be divided based on player engagement. Google is using something called "session days" as the key metric. Each separate day that a user hops into a Stadia Pro game counts as a session day — if someone plays a title twice in 24 hours, it still counts as one session day.

Google made these announcements during a Stadia keynote at the Google for Games Summit. It will also introduce a Stadia Pro affiliate program. Developers and/or publishers will receive $10 for every user who accesses Stadia through their Click to Play link and goes on to become a paid Stadia Pro subscriber after their one-month trial. The idea is to give developers and publishers an incentive to promote their Stadia Pro games wherever users can click on a link. This program will get underway early next year.

Although all of these changes will benefit developers and publishers, it's perhaps the 85/15 revenue split that will be most enticing. As with the lower revenue cut Apple takes from the first $1 million per year of App Store sales, the move could mostly beneficial for indie studios and publishers, though those who've already published games on Stadia will miss out on the deal.

Still, this approach might work for Stadia. The Epic Games Store and the Xbox PC store take a 12 percent slice of sales, while Steam and consoles' digital storefronts typically siphon off 30 percent.

It's been a turbulent few months for Stadia. Google shut down its internal game studios in February, turning Stadia into a game streaming platform for third-party titles only. Meanwhile, Stadia product chief John Justice left the company in May. Perhaps strengthening relationships with publishers and developers through better financial terms can help Google steady the ship.

Apple's latest MagSafe accessory is a $99 iPhone 12 battery pack

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 10:56 AM PDT

Apple has quietly started selling a MagSafe Battery Pack for its iPhone 12 lineup. Spotted by 9to5Mac, the new accessory costs $99, with deliveries beginning early next week. Instead of a case you put on your iPhone, this latest battery pack attaches to the back of your device. 

The accessory is available in a single size that features a 1,460mAh battery, meaning it can't change any model in the iPhone 12 family to full. When using the battery pack on the go, it will charge your phone at about 5 watts. Plugging it into a power adapter while it's still attached to your iPhone will increase that speed to about 15 watts. Either way, it's not the fastest way to top up an iPhone 12, but it should still help in a pinch.

MagSafe Battery Pack
Apple

According to an official support document, you need iOS 14.7 to use the battery pack. Apple has yet to release that update. The company also recommends using a 20 watt or higher USB-C power adapter and USB-C to Lightning cable for charging the device.

When it's attached to your iPhone, you'll see how much power it has left to give on the battery widget you can add to your Home Screen and Today View. Interestingly, Apple also notes you may get a notification from your device that the accessory won't charge it past 90 percent. You can bypass that limit enabling by low power mode through the Control Center.

Apple isn't the first company to offer a battery pack that attaches magnetically to the iPhone 12 and its siblings. However, after Amazon removed many of the most popular brands on its marketplace earlier in the year, those have been harder to find. And if you visit the website now, you'll find that many of the battery packs listed don't have an estimated availability.

Apple TV+ and HBO Max earn their first best comedy Emmy nominations

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 10:23 AM PDT

Apple TV+ and HBO Max have picked up their first nominations in the top two Primetime Emmy categories. HBO Max's Hacks and The Flight Attendant, and Apple's excellent Ted Lasso all received nods for Best Comedy Series. All but one of the nominees in that category are streaming shows, with the exception of ABC's Black-ish. Netflix picked up a trio of nods for Emily in Paris, Cobra Kai and The Kominsky Method, while Hulu earned one for Pen15.

Netflix led the way in the Best Drama Series category, with The Crown and Bridgerton among the nominees. Disney+ returned to the fold with a second successive nomination for The Mandalorian in that category. Amazon Prime Video's The Boys and Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale (which won the award in its first season) made the cut, along with HBO's Lovecraft Country, FX's Pose and NBC's This Is Us.

The Crown and The Mandalorian are the shows with the joint-most nominations this year with 24 each. Another Disney+ show, WandaVision, is right behind with 23 nods, including Best Limited Series and best actor (Paul Bettany) and actress (Elizabeth Olsen) in a limited series or movie. Other big streaming winners include The Handmaid's Tale (21 nominations), Ted Lasso (20) and The Queen's Gambit (18).

Other notable streaming nominees include The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (Disney+, five nominations), the Star Wars/Simpsons crossover Maggie Simpson In: The Force Awakens From Its Nap (Disney+, one), The Umbrella Academy (Netflix, four), Love, Death + Robots (Netflix, two) and the fantastic documentary Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry (Apple TV+, four).

Friends: The Reunion (HBO Max) scored four nominations, the filmed Hamilton performance (Disney+) scooped up 12 and Bo Burnham's terrific Inside (Netflix) received six. All of those were nominated for Best Variety Special (Filmed) alongside Dave Chappelle's 8:46 (Netflix, but it streamed on YouTube), David Byrne's American Utopia (HBO) and HBO Max's West Wing reunion.

Between them, HBO and HBO Max have the most nominations overall with 130. Netflix is right behind them with 129. In only its second year of Emmy eligibility, Disney+ is in third place with 71 nominations.

Apple got 35 nominations in total, including one for Apple TV's Carpool Karaoke: The Series. Apple Watch Series 6 and Beats by Dre ads are among the nominees. Hulu received 25 nods this year and Prime Video scooped up 18.

Quibi (yes, you read that correctly) landed Emmy nominations for the second straight year with eight overall. The defunct streaming platform's shows are now branded as Roku Originals after Roku picked up the library of short-form series.

Paramount+ has six nominations, YouTube received five and Facebook landed three: two for Oculus and one for Facebook Watch. Peacock scooped up two nods, while AMC+, Pluto and Discovery+ each received a single nomination.

Instagram's Security Checkup will help users secure their accounts after a hack

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 09:57 AM PDT

Starting today, Instagram is introducing a new feature to help people secure their accounts following instances where they may have been hacked. Dubbed "Security Checkup," the tool will prompt you to do things like check recent login activity, review your profile information and update your contact information in case you need to recover your account.

Instagram WhatsApp 2FA
Instagram

Notably, one thing it appears the tool won't recommend is adding two-factor authentication (2FA) to your account, but that's something Instagram says it "strongly" recommends. On that front, the company notes sometime in the next few weeks it will start allowing people in some countries to use their WhatsApp number to authenticate their accounts. The WhatsApp integration is similar to Instagram's existing SMS authentication feature. Anytime you attempt to log into your account, you'll need to input the six-digit code that's set to you over WhatsApp.

Later in the same blog post, Instagram notes its seen an increase in recent months of malicious actors trying to phish sensitive information from people like their account passwords. "They may tell you that your account is at risk of being banned, that you are violating our policies around intellectual property, or that your photos are being shared elsewhere," the company said. "These messages are often scams and violate our policies." Instagram points out if it ever needs to contact you about your account, it won't send you a direct message. Instead, you'll find any communication from the company in the "Emails from Instagram" tab found in the app's settings menu.

Zero's FXE offers electric motorcycle fun in a slightly new package

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 09:20 AM PDT

Zero Motorcycles has been around for over a decade and in that time it's consistently improved its fleet of electric bikes. With the new FXE, the northern California company has taken the thoroughly enjoyable FXS supermoto and transformed it into something a bit more futuristic looking with a new easier-to-parse display.

The FXE likely isn't a great pick for two-wheeled beginners or for folks that want a weekend cruiser, but for the experienced rider who needs a daily commuter that packs agility and power into a fun package, the 100-mile range FXE might be the best way to get to and from work. Watch our first ride video for the full story.

I flew, ever so briefly, with a jet suit

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 09:00 AM PDT

There were some rules before I even arrived to test out Gravity Industries' jetpack: Don't wear sportswear fabrics as they could set alight, come with "robust footwear" and ensure your ankles are covered. No loose jewelry. Sign this waiver form. Don't weigh more than 210 pounds. I was close to failing that last requirement after a year of pandemic and not much moving.

But I passed and after a brief series of elbow-bump greetings, I was soon being strapped into a hefty backpack that housed the main jet thruster and gasoline. Two engineers slipped two hefty jet outlets, also connected to the gear on my back, onto my wrists. It all felt heavy and I was now a little scared.

They guided me up onto the stage, and the crew, most of which pull double-duty as both test pilots and engineers, set up a stand to rest the arm jets on, before explaining how to control the jetpack. While the rear rocket seems tasked chiefly with getting your body off the ground, controlling the arm rockets —and keeping your own arms rigid — is what moves you, stabilizes you and generally stops you from spiraling out of control in front of a crowd of intrigued onlookers.

Gravity Industries at the Festival of Speed 2021
Mat Smith/ Engadget

As part of BP's Future Lab at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a long-running car show held in one of the leafier parts of southern England, Gravity Industries was showing off its latest jetpack to spectators and letting the occasional journalist and VIP, including Olympic athletes, influencers and musicians take to the air.. for a few seconds.

While we've written about Gravity Industries and its founder Richard Browning a few times, covering world record attempts and other experiments. All of these demanded the same miniature jet engines Browning's been refining for years. And gasoline.

Stood on stage, with the two arm jets resting on a frame in front of me, the team finishes teaching me the fundamentals of movement: Use your right-hand trigger to adjust thrust, spread uniformly across the three jets; raise your hands to go back, bring them behind you to go forward; raise just one to rotate in that direction. Someone tapped my back and I realized I was now attached to a safety wire that ran across the very top of the stage.

And that was it. An engineer put a pair of ear protectors on me — I had a big heavy engine on each wrist — and withdrew to a safe distance. Then the engines kicked in, and I immediately realized why I had ear protectors.

These engines can roar. Collectively, they have enough power to lift up to 210 pounds, but the Gravity Industries team gently increased the engine power, meaning I could literally find my feet, moonhopping from side to side, feeling the effects of different angles on the arm thrusters.

Gravity Industries jetpack
Mat Smith/ Engadget

Keeping my arms straight not only kept these roaring engines away from me, but made it easy to stay rigid and adjust the shape of my body. Finally, my brief dalliance with gymnastic rings was paying off. As the power was stepped up, Browning (who was apparently commentating on my efforts to a crowd of spectators — I couldn't hear him) flagged me and I powered down the motors. I hadn't quite got off the ground for more than a few seconds at a time. He explained that I could guide where I went by looking (and turning my head) in that direction, like how you control the direction of your snowboard. I followed his hand as he walked from one side of the stage to the other, and the jetsuit was doing what I wanted it to.

Gravity Industries' jetsuit is designed so that intuition kicks in pretty soon. We naturally raise our hands when we fall. Feel like you're falling here, and the same gesture will keep you upright. At the same time, intuition can also mess you up. With a powerful engine strapped to your back, pointing at the floor, you should not kick your legs back. Or flail them when you panic. The stream isn't going to flambé your legs, but you'll feel a wave of heat that doesn't exactly help to calm you down.

After the flailing, I'd run out of fuel, and it was time for a refill. Once topped up, and with a little more confidence, I stepped onto the stage. The engineers cranked up the power a little bit more, and I tried to hold my nerve. The engines were roaring louder than ever, and I managed to, finally, lift myself off the stage. I turned, I wobbled, I moved backwards, forwards and landed when I felt like landing. Did I feel like I was six feet off the ground? Yes. Was it really only a foot and change? Yes.

Earlier this month, on Independence Day, Mark Zuckerberg published a video of him atop an electric surfboard — if not jetpack — holding the United States flag as he was propelled across the water's surface. The very, very weird clip raises the question with a lot of these bleeding-edge transport concepts: are they simply play-things of the rich-and-famous?

Gravity Industries, as well as US rivals like Jetpack Aviation offer "experience days" for groups that include training with the jetsuit and a tour of the company's research facilities. These cost a few thousand dollars. You can also register for dedicated flight training, which is even more money. Tapping into enthusiastic early adopters does offer the funding needed to evolve these projects, and fuel is expensive — so are these jetsuits. But beyond day trips for the rich and showing off the suit to Tom Cruise, what are they for?

The immediate example might be military uses. The military is often the first to adopt new technologies, willingly funding many innovations that have dripped down to civilian life. Browning mentions how helicopters once subverted military strategy when first introduced, with the ability to drop off fully-equipped soldiers into packed jungles changing the assumptions of modern warfare.

Jetpacks are, for now, noisy, fuel-hungry and vulnerable, however. But the posit is that they could offer an entirely different paradigm in warfare — one not yet imagined (or perhaps affordable) just yet.

The British Royal Marines have already tested out Gravity Industries' suit as an alternative to rappelling from helicopters. In the test, one soldier launched from a boat, landed on a larger vessel and lowered the ladder to the rest of his squadron, cutting out the need for a bigger helicopter.

It's not all warfare, however. In a recent experiment with the UK's Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), Browning flew to a simulated casualty in a mountainous area in just 90 seconds, far faster than the 25 minutes it took air ambulance medics to make it on foot. The time reduction could literally save lives, if a solution to the high-cost and learning curve can be found. The suit is also limited by how far it can fly before needing more fuel. It can typically run for around 5-10 minutes, depending on the pilot's weight and other factors. Like drone deliveries, for now, jetsuits can only offer last-mile movement — and it has to be less than a mile.

Before the pandemic locked down travel pretty much everywhere, Gravity Industries was also mere weeks away from holding its first race event in Bermuda. It would involve two racers flying around a circuit mixed with an obstacle course built over water, competing for the fastest time. It sounds like something out of The Running Man.

I've watched most of the clips of Gravity Industries' YouTube channel, and Browning's other appearances on TV shows. But seeing someone with skill put the jetsuit through its paces, that's when I got the appeal of someone flying around that wasn't me.

Gravity Industries jetpack
Mat Smith/ Engadget

He finishes addressing the crowd at Goodwood and drops his mic behind a couple of loudspeakers. He steps to the middle of the stage, no safety line, and blasts upwards about three feet. He glides off the stage to the grass between it and the crowd. He punches the thrust harder, going even higher, and takes a tour around the perimeter of the stage. Blades of grass fly around, the engines roaring so loud that it's hard for the audience to choose between Instagramming this spectacle or plugging their ears with their fingers. He makes another loop, then gingerly lands, center stage. 

Everyone around claps, passersby ask Gravity Industries staff if there's any chance of them trying the jetsuit at the show. They're politely told that the slots are fully booked, and nudged towards the test flight sessions they offer online.

At the event, Gravity Industries also revealed what could be the future of something that's already a near-future concept: a prototype electric jetpack. It was a surprise, given that Future Lab is sponsored by BP, the multinational oil and gas company, or perhaps that's exactly why there was a non-fossil fuel project to show off.

This bigger model, with rougher edges, is more prototype than the gasoline models. Following the reveal, Richard Browning tells me that it was really to prove that "we can get someone off the ground."

The challenges of an electric jetpack make gasoline versions seem easy. Gravity Industries' electric proof-of-concept weighs twice that of the fuel iteration, yet it can only last for 10 to 15 seconds of "getting one of the lightest team members off the ground," notes Browning.

Gravity Industries jetpack

The big challenge is the same faced by electric cars, or even smartphones: the limits of lithium batteries. Fortunately, this small company isn't the only one chasing smaller, lighter, more potent batteries. With electric vehicles now mainstream, the progress in high-capacity batteries will almost certainly continue, if not accelerate.

There's the design of the electric jetsuit itself, with almost oversized arm funnels in comparison to the gasoline originals. Browning explains that the electric version is effectively "blowing with fans" and so to get the thrust necessary, you need more air expelled and bigger fans to do so.

Browning explains that with fuel-powered engines, you benefit from explosively expanding gases — it's easier to get the thrust needed. With electrics, you have to make all of that thrust yourself. "The bigger the fan you get, the less power needed." It's why helicopters have those huge rotor blades. "The smaller you make it, the more work it needs to do and the less efficient it gets," he added. Still, even at this early stage, an electric setup could work well for training future jetsuit pilots. First-timers like myself were attached to a safety wire above ourselves — this could also be a power tether. For now, though, it's a glimpse at a possible future for jetpacks — one that doesn't demand fossil fuels.

Gravity Industries jetpack
Mat Smith/ Engadget

Gravity Industries' jetsuits are exciting, whether you're in one or watching someone pilot one. They're also real, with several paths that could offer a more significant impact. It's hard to tell which one though, which may be why, for now, the company is letting journalists flail in the air rather than signing deals with the US Army. 

Bethesda PS5 exclusive 'Ghostwire: Tokyo' is delayed until early 2022

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 08:42 AM PDT

Ghostwire: Tokyo, the upcoming PlayStation 5 and PC game from Bethesda studio Tango Gameworks, has been delayed to early 2022. It was expected to arrive in the coming months.

The studio says it's "focused on protecting the health of everyone at Tango." It's based in Tokyo, where a fourth state of emergency just came into effect amid a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases.

"We want to get the game in your hands as soon as possible so you can experience the unforgettable version of a haunted Tokyo that we've been hard at work building," Tango, which also made The Evil Within, wrote in a tweet. "Our new release window will give us time to bring the world of Ghostwire to life as we've always envisioned it."

Although a specific release date hadn't been set, Sony suggested in a CES 2021 presentation that the spooky Ghostwire: Tokyo would arrive in October. The company later took down the video and replaced it with a version that dropped release windows for several third-party games.

Bethesda announced Ghostwire: Tokyo in 2019 and Tango plans to show off more of the paranormal adventure in the coming months. Ghostwire will be a timed console exclusive on PS5. It's highly likely Ghostwire will eventually come to Xbox, though — Microsoft owns Bethesda, after all.

While the Ghostwire delay may have been unavoidable, pushing back the release date to early next year may give Deathloop, another PS5 console exclusive from fellow Bethesda studio Arkane, more room to breathe. Following delays of its own, Deathloop is scheduled to arrive on September 14th.

VW expects EVs to represent half of its vehicle sales by 2030

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 08:32 AM PDT

Volkswagen hasn't been shy about wanting to switch to electric cars, but it's now setting more tangible goals for that transition. CNBCreports that VW has unveiled a "New Auto" strategy where EVs should represent half of all the company's vehicle sales by 2030. "Nearly" all sales in major markets will be EVs by 2040, the automaker said.

The approach would not only include an expanded EV range, but a "leading" car software platform. Early models like the ID.4 have struggled with rough software that struggles to compete with rivals like the Tesla interface or Android Automotive. VW's development firm Cariad aims to fix that with updates that will include a unified infotainment system in 2023 and a "brand new" platform in 2025.

New Auto will also introduce a more Tesla-like "controlled" battery supply chain, complete with a harmonized battery format and six European gigafactories by 2030. The first, in Skellefteå, Sweden, will be run by a partner (Northvolt) when it starts production in 2023. Another factory is due in Salzgitter, Germany by 2035.

The goal is a significant one for car brand on the scale of VW, which owns brands like Audi, Porsche, Seat and Skoda. However, there are questions as to whether or not those goals are ambitious enough to meet both VW's other targets as well as those of key countries and states. The company wants to stop selling combustion engine cars in Europe by 2035, while the UK, Canada and US states like California all plan to ban sales of those passenger vehicles by the same year. Smaller rivals like Volvo plan to go all-electric by 2030. VW won't have much time to finish electrifying its lineup in some places, and it may seem slow in comparison to a few brands.

Razer’s Barracuda X wireless headset is geared toward Switch and Android players

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 08:00 AM PDT

Between the enduring popularity of the Nintendo Switch, the increasing power of flagship phones and new services like Apple Arcade, portable gaming has finally moved to the forefront. However, the disappearance of 3.5mm ports on mobile devices has left many players bereft of premium audio — Bluetooth earbuds don't quite cut it when you need your audio synced perfectly. If you want a rock-solid connection your best bet is an RF dongle, which usually uses USB-A in a world steadily being overtaken by USB-C ports. Razer has finally stepped up with a mobile-first headset that can connect to your Switch, Android phone or thin-and-light laptop, the $100 Barracuda X.

The Barracuda X is far from the first headset geared toward Nintendo Switch players; we're big fans of SteelSeries' Arctis 1 Wireless thanks to its comfort and superb audio quality, and have even included it in a few of our gift guides. It's fair to say that this headset is the Barracuda's primary competitor. Even the RF adapters look the same.

Razer Barracuda X in black on a field of comic images
Kris Naudus / Engadget

However, while the Arctis 1 Wireless maintains the standard look of the line (as it should — it's a great design), the Barracuda is a change of pace for Razer. Instead of the Kraken brand's circular, grated look, the new headset resembles last year's Opus headphones, which got a refresh last month. It's not totally identical, with different joints on the cups, and cloth ear padding instead of fake leather. Here in New York, it's 90 degrees as of this writing, and I can report that I haven't felt the need to take off the Barracuda even after wearing it for a few hours. It's still a bit warm, and I definitely feel cooler when I take the headset off, but it's bearable.

The Barracuda X also weighs a very scant 250 grams, one of the lightest headsets I've tested. (I think it might be lighter than its own packaging.) In direct comparison it feels about the same in hand as similar models from Turtle Beach and Logitech, but there's a balance in the Barracuda's plastic build that makes it feel more ethereal. It's not something I would mind keeping on my head for several hours or throwing it in my backpack so I can game on the train. Which is precisely the point: You shouldn't feel that carrying this thing around is a burden.

Razer Barracuda X in black on a field of comic images
Kris Naudus / Engadget

While I wouldn't go tossing this thing around casually in a rage, it does feel solidly built, capable of taking a few dings in your bag. I have mixed feelings about the detachable mic; being able to take it off means a more compact headset design, but it's also another fiddly bit that I might lose. Then again, it's unlikely you need voice functions while out and about. (Heck, the Switch console doesn't even have real voice chat; it asks you to connect via the app on your phone.)

The Barracuda X excites me, mostly because of its USB-C compatibility. But that's also where it falls short for me. The adapter is small, for sure, but it's very wide. That means that if you happen to have a laptop with two USB-C ports next to each other like my 2017 MacBook, the Barracuda dongle will block the other completely. This is a hassle in my office setup, where I have an external monitor and USB hub connected on the other side. So while working I get to choose between the power cord and the headset. I've opted out of using the Barracuda with my laptop at all, preferring instead to listen to podcasts on my phone. However, that's my unique situation, and on the go you might only need two ports: one for the headset and the other for power.

Razer Barracuda X in black on a field of comic images
Kris Naudus / Engadget

It's exciting to see companies finally start to take mobile gaming seriously, and address the specific needs those gamers have. Mobile-friendly controllers are great, but many popular mobile games don't really need them. Better audio, though? Almost everyone can appreciate that. The $100 price tag might seem a bit steep for some, but the Barracuda X seems versatile enough that you'll more than get your money's worth.

France fines Google $590 million in latest antitrust action

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 07:30 AM PDT

France has fined Google €500 million ($590 million) in the latest antitrust ruling against the company. Authorities say Google did not reach a fair agreement with publishers to use snippets of their content on Google News, despite a 2020 order for the company to do so.

Google said last September it would not pay French publishers for search results and that it would only show basic news results ahead of the country bringing in new rules based on the European Union's copyright framework. Google and French newspaper group Alliance de la presse d'information générale agreed on a payment framework for news previews in January, and it has been in discussions with Agence France-Presse and magazine publishers. However, regulators said Google's payment offers were "negligible," as Bloomberg reports.

Isabelle de Silva, head of competition regulator Autorité de la concurrence, said Google offered to pay less for news than it does for weather data or dictionary definitions. She said the level of the fine "takes into account the exceptional seriousness of the breaches observed."

Regulators also gave Google two months to enter talks with publishers within two months of them making new requests for discussions. Otherwise, the company faces daily fines of up to €900,000 ($1.33 million). A ruling on the substance of the case, which the regulator is expected to issue later this year, may lead to further fines against Google.

The company can appeal the decision. Google believes it "acted in good faith throughout the entire process," a spokesperson told Bloomberg.

This marks the second-largest antitrust fine that France has dished out to a single company, and it's far from the first time the country has penalized Google. Just last month, Google said it would change its advertising rules in France and pay a €220 million ($267 million) fine amid claims the company abused its online ad power.

In 2019, Google agreed to pay nearly €1 billion ($1.10 billion) after failing to fully disclose its taxable activities in France. The same year, French regulators fined Google $167 million over allegedly unclear ad rules and $57 million following claims of General Data Protection Regulation violations.

Following last year's announcement of the Google News Showcase initiative, Google has reached deals with publishers in other countries to pay for their content, including in the UK, Canada and Australia, which required digital platforms to make such agreements. The company is facing antitrust issues in other jurisdictions, including severallawsuitsin the US.

Electrify America plans to 'more than double' its EV charger network by late 2025

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 07:16 AM PDT

Electrify America's EV charger network still pales in comparison to Tesla's Supercharger grid, but that gap might narrow over the next few years. The Volkswagen-owned company has unveiled a Boost Plan that aims to "more than double" Electrify America's charging infrastructure in the US and Canada by the end of 2025. When the plan is complete, there should be over 1,800 fast charging stations and 10,000 individual chargers — many of them 150kW or 350kW chargers to support newer EVs like the Porsche Taycan and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Electrify America Boost Plan 2025 EV charger map
Electrify America

The company didn't provide much detail for its expanded coverage, but the expansion will bring Electrify America to the Dakotas, Hawaii, West Virginia, Wyoming and Vermont for the first time, not to mention the Canadian prairies and Maritimes. There's also denser coverage in a few southern states (including new cities like Austin) as well as upgrades to densely-packed regions. If all goes well, you'll have more cross-country routes in addition to more capacity along existing routes.

The expansion could put pressure on Tesla for the first time in a while. The company had 1,101 Superchargers in North America as of February 2021. While that number is likely to grow significantly by 2025, it now needs to build aggressively if it's going to stay ahead of Electrify America. Not that prospective EV owners will mind. The competition should go a long way toward making EVs more practical, particularly for drivers who can't always charge at home.

Omaze is giving away two seats on a Virgin Galactic spaceflight

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 07:00 AM PDT

On the heels of Virgin Galactic completing its first fully crewed spaceflight, Omaze launched a sweepstakes that offers the chance for anyone to win a spot on one of its first trips to space. Through September 1, you can enter to win two seats on one of Virgin Galactic's first commercial spaceflights, which are estimated to take place in early 2022. The prize also includes a tour of Spaceport America in New Mexico with Richard Branson, plus paid lodgings. While the giveaway doesn't guarantee you'll share a rocket with Elon Musk, it remains a unique opportunity to be one of the first people to go on a tourist's trip to space.

Enter to win at Omaze

As with most Omaze giveaways, there's no cost to enter. But you will increase your chances of winning if you pay for extra entries (you can get 50 entries for $5). Funds donated in Omaze sweepstakes go to charity, and in this case they benefit Space for Humanity, an organization that hopes to make space more accessible for all and hosts the Citizen Astronaut Program, which gives leaders from various walks of life the opportunity to apply to go to space.

If you're unfamiliar with Omaze, it's a site that raises money for charities through giveaways and experiences. You can read more about how the allocation of funds works by reading the "Funding Transparency" section at the bottom of the giveaway page.

Pricing and availability is subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes.See official rules on Omaze.

Ring's end-to-end encryption rolls out globally

Posted: 13 Jul 2021 06:30 AM PDT

Ring has today announced that end-to-end encryption (E2E) has exited technical preview stage and is now available for many Ring users across the globe. Once activated, the footage captured by those doorbells is only viewable on the user's enrolled mobile device, reducing the ability for third parties to see the clips. The news follows the rollout of a US-only technical preview from the start of the year, although it remains limited to the more premium versions of Ring's connected doorbells.

At the same time, the company is rolling out support for third-party authentication apps for two-step verification. Similarly, users will now be greeted by CAPTCHAs when logging in to both the Ring app and Neighbors in order to further deter malicious types from trying to gain access. Plus, Ring is making it easier for you to sell your doorbell on by automating the system to transfer hardware within the app. 

The move comes shortly after the company announced a shift in how it dealt with requests for footage from law enforcement agencies. Rather than the previous system, officials now have to ask users in the vicinity of an incident to submit footage via a public feed. It comes in the wake of news that the company has partnerships with more than 2,000 fire and police departments, and that its Neighbors app was briefly publishing precise locations of people's homes.
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