Saturday, July 17, 2021

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Amazon convinces Apple to remove review analyzer Fakespot from the App Store

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 08:31 PM PDT

Fakespot, an app that analyzes Amazon reviews to determine which ones are fake, is no longer available for iOS. Amazon has successfully convinced Apple to remove it from the App Store after the company raised concerns that the application provides misleading information and creates potential security vulnerabilities. The e-commerce giant has confirmed to Engadget that it reported Fakespot for investigation. One of its biggest concerns, Amazon told us, was that the redesigned app Fakespot launched in June "wraps" and injects code into its website.

"Wrapping" would make it possible, in theory, for the app to collect data and put customers' sensitive information, including credit card numbers, at risk. The e-commerce titan told us it got in touch with Fakespot directly to address its security concerns and that the app developer didn't take action. 

Amazon said in a statement:

"Amazon works hard to build a shopping experience that delights customers, and a selling experience that empowers brands and sellers to build and grow their business. The app in question provides customers with misleading information about our sellers and their products, harms our sellers' businesses, and creates potential security risks. We appreciate Apple's review of this app against its Appstore guidelines."

Fakespot founder and CEO Saoud Khalifah has admitted to CNBC that his company collects some user data, but he said that it doesn't sell information to third parties. Further, he denies Amazon's claim that the app presents security risks. "We don't steal users' information, we've never done that. They've shown zero proof and Apple acted on this with zero proof," he told the publication. Apparently, Apple didn't give his company adequate warning before the app was taken down and didn't even give it a chance to rectify any issue the tech giant may have. 

While Apple has yet to issue a statement that would clarify why exactly Fakespot was pulled down, Amazon pointed Engadget to two App Store guidelines, in particular. One of those guidelines states that an app that displays content from a third-party service must secure permission from that service. The other prohibits applications from displaying false information. 

Back in early 2020, Amazon went after another add-on used to track prices and discount: Honey, a $4 billion PayPal acquisition. People using Honey saw a warning on Amazon's website that said the extension "tracks [their] private shopping behavior, collects data like [their] order history and items saved, and can read or change any of [their] data on any website [they] visit."

GM warns not to park Chevy Bolt EVs indoors after two recently caught fire

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 02:53 PM PDT

Owners of 2017 to 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs should not park their cars indoors or leave them to charge overnight unattended, according to a safety alert issued by The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA). The warning comes after two Bolt EVs included in GM's 2020 recall of the vehicle caught fire recently. One blaze happened outside the home of a Vermont state legislator at the start of the month, while the other occurred in New Jersey.

"At GM, safety is our highest priority, and we are moving as quickly as we can to investigate this issue," a spokesperson for the automaker told CNBC. According to NHTSA, the batteries in the vehicles included in the safety warning can smoke and catch fire.

In the US, GM recalled nearly 51,000 Bolt EVs. The company pushed an update to those cars that limited their batteries to 90 percent of a full charge. More recently, GM said it would install diagnostic software on those cars to prevent future fires. It also promised to assess and replace batteries that featured any "anomalies." Notably, at the same time, it also removed the charging cap it had implemented when it originally recalled the Bolt.

Part of the reason the ongoing reports of Bolt fires are a cause for concern is due to the fact the 2017 to 2019 models use the same cells at the center of a similar issue with the Hyundai Kona. Both companies sourced the batteries for those vehicles from LG Chem. Last year, Hyundai recalled 25,564 Kona EVs after more than a dozen incidents of fire and then later went on to replace the batteries in 75,680 vehicles.

Virginia will use a $700 million grant to roll out statewide broadband

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 01:45 PM PDT

Virginia will use $700 million in American Rescue Plan funding to expedite broadband buildouts in underserved communities throughout the state, Governor Ralph Northam announced on Friday. With the investment, Virginia says it's on track to become one of the first states in the US to achieve universal broadband access.

An estimated 233,500 homes and businesses throughout the Commonwealth fall under what the Federal Communications Commission would consider an underserved location. They don't have an internet connection that can achieve download speeds of 25Mbps down. The state estimates the additional funding will allow it to connect those places to faster internet by the end of 2024, instead of 2028, as previously planned. What's more, the "majority" of those connections will be completed within the next 18 months.

"It's time to close the digital divide in our Commonwealth and treat internet service like the 21st-century necessity that it is — not just a luxury for some, but an essential utility for all," Governor Northam said.

Across nine provisions, President Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan provides approximately $388 billion in funding for state and local governments to address the digital divide in their communities. Virginia is only one of the states across the country that plans to use that money to build faster internet infrastructure. In May, California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a $7 billion investment in public broadband.

Biden: Facebook and other platforms are ‘killing people’ with vaccine misinformation

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 12:54 PM PDT

Joe Biden said that Facebook and other social media platforms are "killing people" by allowing misinformation about COVID-19 to spread on their platforms.

Biden's comments came in response to a reporter who asked the president what his message to "platforms like Facebook" was regarding misinformation about COVID-19. "They're killing people," Biden said. "I mean they're really — look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they're killing people."

His remarks, one day after the Surgeon general issued an unusual health advisory on the dangers of vaccine misinformation, comes amid mounting pressure for Facebook and other platforms to do more to address misinformation about the coronavirus vaccines. But Facebook has come under particular scrutiny due to its size, and spotty history with countering vaccine falsehoods.

A widely cited reported from the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that much of the vaccine misinformation that spreads online can be linked to just 12 individuals — many of whom remain active on Facebook despite the company's attempts to crack down on vaccine misinformation in recent months. Facebook didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Update 7/16/2021 5:17pm ET: A Facebook spokesperson responded with this statement: "We will not be distracted by accusations which aren't supported by the facts. The fact is that more than 2 billion people have viewed authoritative information about COVID-19 and vaccines on Facebook, which is more than any other place on the internet. More than 3.3 million Americans have also used our vaccine finder tool to find out where and how to get a vaccine. The facts show that Facebook is helping save lives. Period."

US Customs seized $62.6 million worth of fake AirPods and headphones since October

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 12:38 PM PDT

In the nine months to July, US customs officials seized $62.2 million worth of fake AirPods and other counterfeit wireless headphones, according to data obtained by The Information. Around 360,000 units were confiscated during that timeframe. The agency said seizures of counterfeit wireless headphones have increased by 50 percent over the past five years "as products such as Apple AirPods gained popularity."

US Customs and Border Protection impounded 295,000 sets of counterfeit headphones worth $61.7 million during the government's previous fiscal year (which starts in October), so it seems there are more phony headphones flooding into the US market than ever. The value of fake headphones that agents seized in 2019 was comparatively minuscule at $3.3 million.

These figures are likely just a drop in the ocean compared with the number of fakes that sneak past borders. It's nearly impossible to know the exact figures, but estimates made by the US Chamber of Commerce in 2016 suggest officials seize just 2.5 percent of counterfeit goods worldwide.

Given that estimate, The Information suggests counterfeit AirPods could cost Apple billions in lost sales in the US this year alone, assuming that buyers would otherwise scoop up genuine models. Customs agents have seized phony AirPods on at least a dozen occasions across the US in recent years. The products confiscated in four of those seizures would have been worth around $13 million were they genuine Apple products, officials said.

There are, of course, other brands that counterfeiters are copying, and it's not clear what percentage of fake headphones that customs agents confiscate are AirPods knockoffs. Counterfeit headphones aren't exactly new, but having hard numbers on seizures highlight just how pervasive they are. Then again, when even customs agents believe a legitimate Apple competitor's true wireless earbuds are phony AirPods, the extent of the problem might not be too clear after all.

Impossible Foods chicken nuggets are coming this fall

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 12:09 PM PDT

Impossible Foods will debut plant-based chicken nuggets this fall, the company told Bloomberg on Friday. As with its past releases, the startup plans to first sell the food to restaurants, with supermarket availability to follow later. But before all that, it will debut them at a trade show next week.

One thing that will distinguish the nuggets from Impossible's past products is the absence of heme, a molecule the company says is what makes "meat taste like meat." But the problem with Impossible's heme is that the company makes it with genetically engineered yeast. That's something that has prevented Impossible from selling its burgers and sausages in China and throughout Europe. But when it comes to real chicken, there isn't a lot of heme in the white meat of the animal. "We found in a nugget format, which is breaded and has some seasoning, it really wasn't that necessary." Laura Kilman, a flavor scientist with Impossible, told Bloomberg. The formula the company eventually settled on mostly makes use of soy protein and sunflower oil.

Compared to Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods is late to offer a chicken alternative. "We've been busy with other things," Dennis Woodside, the company's president, told Bloomberg. To that point, Impossible introduced a pork substitute at CES 2020

All the same, that might not matter much. Earlier in the week, Popeyes announced it was adding chicken nuggets to its menu in hopes of replicating the success of its chicken sandwich. The latter sparked a "war" between fast food chains as demand for chicken increased in the US and throughout the world. That's something that could help Impossible when its plant-based chicken starts making its way to consumers. 

Apple's AirPods Max hit record low of $449 at Adorama

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 11:49 AM PDT

There's a lot to love about Apple's AirPods Max, but their high price tag isn't one of them. At $550, they're more expensive than even competitors from Bose and Sony, but you can get the cans for $100 less right now at Adorama. The online retailer is having a sale on all available colors of AirPods Max, dropping them to $449. That's the best price we've seen on these headphones and $30 less than the sale going on at Amazon right now.

Buy AirPods Max at Adorama - $449

Despite how expensive they are, AirPods Max earned a spot on our favorite headphones list thanks to their excellent sound quality, comfortable fit and good active noise-cancellation, among other things. They have an eye-catching design, but it doesn't impede their comfort — we liked their breathable mesh fabric and large ear cups. They also have a rotating crown of sorts for onboard controls, and while that may be unfamiliar to some, it's quite reliable and easy to use.

AirPods Max sound more natural than other headphones we've tested, and they have bass that's prominent but not overpowering. While we prefer the ANC quality of Sony's WH-1000XM4, AirPods Max can hold their own, blocking out most environmental noise. And just like other AirPods, the Max have Transparency Mode so you can easily join conversations when you need to and quickly go back to jamming out at your desk with no distractions. While these headphones won't support Apple's lossless audio, they do support Dolby Atmos-powered spatial audio on iPhones, iPads, Macs and soon, Apple TV as well.

The kicker for most people when it comes to AirPods of any kind is the H1 chip, which allows them to quickly pair with and switch between Apple devices. The Max has this chip, so you'll be able to use them to go from taking a call on your iPhone to listening to music from your Mac without any hiccups. While the sale price remains high in comparison to competing headphones, a $100 discount is nothing to scoff at. This sale is a good opportunity to grab the AirPods Max at a much friendlier price if you've had your eye on them since launch.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Rivian delays its electric R1T pickup and R1S SUV to September

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 11:05 AM PDT

Rivian was supposed to start deliveries of its R1T Launch Edition electric pickup truck this month, but that won't be the case. The automaker has delayed the initial shipments to September.

Customers will also have to wait longer to get their hands on the R1S electric SUV, as the first deliveries won't take place until the fall. Rivian said in June that deliveries of both vehicles would commence in July, a month later than previously planned. TechCrunch first reported on the most recent delays.

In a letter to customers that Rivian shared with Engadget, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe pointed to the long-tail impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as a major cause of the setbacks. "Everything from facility construction, to equipment installation, to vehicle component supply (especially semiconductors) has been impacted by the pandemic," Scaringe wrote. "Beyond these unforeseen challenges, launching three new vehicles while setting up a multi-vehicle manufacturing plant is a complex orchestra of coordinated and interlinked activities where small issues can translate into ramp delays."

Scaringe said that Rivian, which now employs more than 7,000 people, has built "hundreds of vehicles as part of our validation process, with many of those spotted out in the wild covered in unique vinyl wraps." He noted that the company hasn't yet delivered those since Rivian believes "it is critical to both our long-term success and your ultimate satisfaction that the quality and robustness of our launch products truly sets the tone for what to expect from us as a brand."

As long as Rivian can stick to its latest timeline, it may still be the first automaker to bring an electric pickup truck to market. GMC's Hummer EV pickup likely won't go into production until later this year, while Ford (a Rivian investor) is eyeing next spring for shipments of the electric F-150 Lightning.

Along with the R1T and R1S, Rivian is building commercial vans on a separate production line at its factory in Normal, Illinois. Amazon has ordered 100,000 of those electric vans and has started to test them.

Ubisoft delays 'Rainbow Six Extraction' to January 2022

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 10:24 AM PDT

Ubisoft has delayed its two big September releases. Both Rainbow Six Extraction and Riders Republic won't make their previously announced release dates, the company shared in separate blog posts on Friday. Originally scheduled to come out on September 16th, Ubisoft now plans to release Extraction in January 2022. Meanwhile, it has pushed Riders Republic from September 2nd to October 28th.

Of the two, Extraction is the more significant delay given the popularity of Rainbow Six Siege and the timeframe involved. "Our ambition with Rainbow Six Extraction is to deliver a full-fledged AAA experience that changes the way you play and think about cooperative games," Ubisoft said. "We are embracing the opportunity to take additional time to bring this vision to life in the way it deserves in January 2022. We are confident this will ensure Rainbow Six Extraction is the immersive, cooperative, and thrilling experience we set out to create, and the one you aspire to play."

As for the latter game, Ubisoft said the delay will "give us more time to fine tune the experience and give you another chance to jump in before launch and provide feedback." At its Ubisoft Forward event in June, the company said players would get a chance to beta test Riders Republic before release.

Neither delay is the first for Rainbow Six Extraction and Riders Republic. The latter was originally supposed to come out at the start of 2021. However, Extraction has had a more complicated development. Ubisoft first announced the game at E3 2019, at which point it was known as Rainbow Six Quarantine. At that point, it was supposed to come out in 2020, but then that didn't happen. Ubisoft then didn't say much about the game until it revealed it was considering a name change. 

Android 12's emoji include a 'universal' pie and a happier mask wearer

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 10:00 AM PDT

It wouldn't be World Emoji Day without an update from Google on its next Android emoji, and there will be plenty of updates to the special characters for Android 12. Google has previewed updates to "hundreds" of characters for the new OS that will also make them more accessible across apps and platforms. In many cases, they're simply more thoughtful — they don't make quite so many presumptions about you or the context of using a given emoji.

To start, there's a more 'universal' pie instead of the pumpkin pie from before (where was this for Android 9?). The bikini emoji doesn't look like it's being worn. Food emoji like the croissant and shrimp look like they've been cooked properly. The camping tent emoji cleverly reflects day or night depending on your OS theme. And the mask emoji no longer looks like a sick person — it's a pandemic-era acknowledgment that wearing a mask shows kindness and respect.

You'll also see emoji that are more functional and easier to read, such as a more realistic motorway character and larger vehicles.

You'll have an easier time using the new emoji, too. From Android 12 onward, apps that support Google's Appcompat will always support the latest emoji without requiring separate updates. Better emoji functionality is also coming to many of Google's platforms, including consistent support in Gmail this July, a new emoji picker in Chrome OS the same month and improved functionality in YouTube chats later in 2021. All told, you won't have to worry so much about missing emoji or other challenges expressing yourself.

Why Facebook’s betting $1 billion on creators

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 10:00 AM PDT

Last month, Instagram held its first-ever Creator Week, a virtual event the company described as "a life-changing three days with new feature news and celeb drop-ins." One of those drop-ins was CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who made a brief appearance to share a message with creators.

"I think that any good vision of the future has to involve a lot more people being able to make a living by expressing their creativity and by doing things they want to do, rather than things they have to — and having the tools and the economy around them to support their work is critical," he said. "Our goal is to be the best platform for creators like you to make a living."

This week, Zuckerberg went even farther, announcing that Facebook plans to invest $1 billion in creators by the end of 2022. The investment will fund bonus programs, creator funds and other monetization programs to boost all stripes of creators on its platform.

That Facebook is funneling so much money and resources toward creators is indicative of not just the opportunity the company sees, but how much ground it has to make up.

For years, Facebook simply didn't do much for creators. While Instagram has long had its own influencer community, the company has at times tried to limit their reach. Instagram's founders were reportedly uncomfortable with the rise of influencers, and introduced an algorithmic feed to ensure users would see more posts from friends and family than brands and businesses.

While YouTube has offered monetization features for more than a decade, Instagram didn't offer any kind of revenue sharing feature until last year. And many creators often felt at odds with Instagram. The company's ever-changing algorithm fueled suspicions that it "shadowbans" or otherwise penalizes users who post too much or about the "wrong" topics.

"Facebook has been late to the game in terms of supporting the creative community in a meaningful way," says Qianna Smith Bruneteau, founder of the American Influencer Council, a trade group representing the creator industry.

But Facebook is now trying to reverse those perceptions. For the past year, the company has been steadily churning out new tools for creators to make money. Since last May alone, the company has introduced a dizzying number of money-making features.

On Instagram, creators can now make money from commercials in IGTV or open their own shops. They can sell badges and products in live streams. On Facebook, they can host paid virtual events, promote fan subscriptions, or sell in-app gifts in live streams or audio rooms. Soon, they'll be able to start paid newsletters, earn affiliate commission from products their followers buy and participate in a branded content marketplace. The company is also launching several new bonus programs that will pay creators for signing up for IGTV ads, creating Reels or meeting live-streaming milestones.

Creators can earn bonuses for meeting certain goals.
Facebook

Zuckerberg and other top executives now regularly speak about creators and the opportunity they represent. The company is so eager to win over the creator community it's promised it won't take a cut of their earnings until 2023.

Li Jin, founder of Atelier Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in the creator economy, says surging interest in creators is because the industry has gotten so big it's no longer something platforms can afford to ignore.

"I think for a long time there was no need to separately think of creators as a distinct segment that was in need of specialized features or funds," Jin says. "I think what changed is the realization that … these creators' content is driving a disproportionate amount of activity and engagement on the platforms."

That Facebook is late to the creator economy also means the company is facing an incredible amount of competition. TikTok, which has a reputation for a creator-friendly algorithm, just passed 3 billion downloads, the first non-Facebook owned app to do so, according to analytics company Sensor Tower. Users of TikTok, and its Chinese counterpart Duoyin, together spent more than a half billion dollars in the app during the second quarter of 2021, alone. In the United States in 2020, TikTok was significantly ahead of Facebook and Instagram in user engagement, according to App Annie.

TikTok is outpacing Facebook in time spent per user.
App Annie

Meanwhile Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest and other platforms are also pouring money into new initiatives for creators. "There's a limited number of creators and everyone is in competition for them," Jin says.

Facebook has offered various explanations for its sudden interest in creators. Zuckerberg has said he wants to help more people "make a living" off Facebook's services. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri recently said the company was responding to "the shift in power from institutions to individuals across industries."

It's also a major opportunity to shift Facebook's business away from ads. Though Facebook has promised it won't take a cut of creators' earnings for more than a year, that will eventually change (the company hasn't said what its cut will be, only that it will be "less" than Apple's 30-percent commission).

Creators could also provide a massive boost to the company's push into shopping. Commerce has also been a major focus for the social network, which has already crammed shopping features into nearly every corner of Instagram, and Zuckerberg has said he intends to create "a full-featured commerce platform" across Facebook's services.

What's less clear is just how much creators will be willing to buy-in to Facebook's vision. While a $1 billion investment will almost certainly fuel more interest in the platform, it's not clear if it will prompt the kind of content Facebook might be hoping for. Instagram's Reels, for example, was meant to be the company's chief TikTok competitor. Yet the company has at times had to push creators to post original content there.

And concerns about Facebook's algorithms remain, says Bruneteau. "The algorithm should be favorable to creators like it is on TikTok," she says. "You have these instant influencers on TikTok, who have been able to grow million-plus followings in less than a year. However those same instant influencers who have those accounts have a tendency to have less followers on Instagram."

There are signs that Facebook might be willing to address these concerns. Mosseri recently raised eyebrows when he said that Instagram is no longer a photo-sharing app, and that the company was working one ways to insert more recommended content in users' feeds in order to compete with TikTok.

But even with a kinder algorithm, both Bruneteau and Jin caution that creators should be cautious in throwing too many resources into Facebook or any one platform.

"When creators are building their processes on top of these like centralized platforms, they're actually creating more value for the underlying platform than they're able to create for themselves," Jin says. "At the end of the day you're strengthening Facebook's dominance because the more content you put there, the more it attracts consumer users and the more that translates into Facebook revenue and Facebook's network effects."

QuakeCon returns as an online-only event on August 19th

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 09:42 AM PDT

The 2021 edition of QuakeCon will take place from August 19th-21st. Bethesda confirmed it will be an all-digital event for the second straight year. It's the first QuakeCon since Microsoft bought the publisher.

The event will feature updates about existing and upcoming games, as well as giveaways and tournaments. QuakeCon Twitch partners will be streaming throughout the event and encouraging viewers to donate to charities including Asian Americans Advancing Justice, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, The Trevor Project and UNICEF. Bethesda gave away a few Quake games last year after virtual attendees smashed donation targets.

The full schedule and more details will be revealed in the next few weeks. Last year's QuakeCon included panels on the likes of Fallout 76, Doom Eternal (which should make an appearance again this year) and The Elder Scrolls Online. It seems a little too soon for another look at Starfield after Bethesda and Xbox showed off a cinematic trailer at E3 last month, but you never know. 

Razer made slippers for World Snake Day

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 09:22 AM PDT

Just in time for World Snake Day, Razer has released a pair of slippers that feature the company's adorable Sneki Snek mascot. For $49.99, they come with slip-resistant soles and plush inner lining that the company says will keep your feet "snug and warm during long gaming sessions. They're also made from recycled materials. Before you dismiss the slippers as just another oddball product from Razer, we'll point out that there's a cool story behind them.

The slippers are part of Razer's growing Sneki Snek lineup. It all started with a doodle one of the company's designers drew for their newborn child. As these things usually go, Razer fans took to the mascot and started using it in memes. Some even got tattoos of Sneki Snek. It all eventually led to where we are today, with Razer releasing one Sneki Snek product after another.

Early in the process, the company decided to work with Conservation International to donate part of the proceeds from each Sneki Snek sale towards saving forests. The company claims each purchase will help save 10 trees in countries like Costa Rica, Madagascar and China. Razer hopes to help save 1 million trees eventually. With each 100,000 milestone, the company has released a new Sneki Snek product. Previous releases include an adorable plushie "optimized for cuddles" and a head pillow that "fits most gaming chairs."

You can buy the Sneki Snek Slippers on Razer's website.

This week's best deals: $40 off Amazon's Fire 7 Kids Pro tablet and more

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 08:30 AM PDT

Amazon kicked off this week with a sale on its kids-focused tablets, speakers and other devices. Parents looking to replace old slabs or gift their kids new ones can still get Fire Kids Pro tablets for less, including the new Fire HD 10 Kids Pro for $130. Also, the base Mac Mini M1 remains discounted to $600 and the well-loved Google Pixel 4 smartphone is still half off at B&H Photo, coming in at $400. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Amazon Kids devices

Fire HD 10 Kids Pro
Amazon

Amazon's latest sale on Fire Kids tablets and other child-friendly gadgets is still ongoing. The new Fire 7 Kids Pro tablet is down to $60, while a bundle that includes an Echo Dot Kids Edition and an Echo Glow smart lamp is only $55. And if you'd rather encourage your child to read more, the Kindle Kids Edition is on sale for $70.

Buy Fire 7 Kids Pro tablet at Amazon - $60Buy Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet at Amazon - $90Buy Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet at Amazon - $130

Buy Echo Glow at Amazon - $20Buy Echo Dot Kids + Echo Glow at Amazon - $55

Buy Echo Show 5 Kids at Amazon - $80Buy Echo Show 5 Kids + Echo Glow at Amazon - $95

Buy Kindle Kids Edition at Amazon - $70

Mac Mini M1

Apple's Mac Mini M1 is down to $600 thanks to an automatically applied coupon that knocks $59 off the sale price. In addition to the M1 chipset, you're also getting 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in this model. If you've wanted to upgrade your aging desktop to something more modern and powerful, this is a good option.

Buy Mac Mini M1 at Amazon - $600

AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max
Engadget

Adorama has Apple's AirPods Max for $449, or $100 off their normal price. We gave these headphones a score of 84 for their excellent sound quality, good ANC, reliable controls and solid battery life.

Buy AirPods Max at Adorama - $449

10.2-inch iPad

Apple's 10.2-inch iPad is still on sale for $299, or $30 off its normal price. It's arguably the best iPad for new tablet owners and we liked its improved performance, familiar design and support for the first-generation Apple Pencil.

Buy 10.2-inch iPad at Amazon - $299

MacBook Air M1

The latest MacBook Air M1 is down to $899 at Amazon, or $100 off its regular price. It's one of the best laptops for most people, and the M1 chipset only makes it a better buy. The Air M1 earned a score of 94 from us for its incredibly fast performance, excellent keyboard and trackpad, good battery life and lack of fan noise.

Buy MacBook Air M1 at Amazon - $899

Acer Chromebook Flip 713

Acer Chromebook Spin 713
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

The new Acer Chromebook Flip 713 is on sale for $619 at Best Buy, which is $80 off its normal price. While still pricey for a Chromebook, this is a high-end model that has enough power to be some people's daily driver. We gave it a score fo 85 for its sold performance, good keyboard and trackpad and excellent display.

Buy Acer Chromebook Spin 713 at Best Buy - $619

Google Pixel 4

Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL smartphones.
Engadget

Those looking for a budget smartphone can grab the Google Pixel 4 for $400, or half off its original price. If you can live with a two-year-old handset, you'll still get a well-powered smartphone with a great camera experience and a smooth display.

Buy Pixel 4 (64GB) at B&H - $400

Jabra Elite 85h

Jabra Elite 85h headphones
Billy Steele / Engadget

Jabra's solid Elite 85h wireless headphones are down to $150 right now, or $100 off their normal price. We gave them a score of 84 for their custom EQ and ANC modes, attractive and comfortable design and insane 36-hour battery life.

Buy Jabra Elite 85h at Amazon - $150

GOG.com French Touch sale

Evoland 2 Deluxe Edition
GOG.com / Shiro Games

GOG.com is offering up to 90 percent off games by French developers through July 19. The sale includes Steel Division 2 for $13.59, Warhammer: Chaosbane for $9, Evoland 2 Deluxe Edition for $6.24 and more. Plus, if you sign up for GOG's newsletter through July 17, you can claim a free copies of Syberia I and II in a new giveaway.

Shop French Touch sale at GOG.com

ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk4

The Thermapen Mk4 has been discounts to $69 as ThermoWorks makes room for the new Thermapen One thermometer. The Mk4 is the best instant-read thermometer we've used so far —the backlit display makes it easy to read in almost any situation and the display rotates depending on how you're holding the pen. Plus, you never have to remember to turn it off because the pen automatically turns on when you pick it up and will shut off after some time of no use.

If you're on a tight budget, an open-box sale on the ThermoPop thermometer just started and it knocks the price of most colors down to $25. It doesn't have as many "smart" features as the Thermapen Mk4, but it's still a solid food thermometer with a splash-proof design and the ability to provide readings in 3 to 4 seconds. 

Buy Thermapen Mk4 at ThermoWorks - $69Buy ThermoPop at ThermoWorks - $25

Eero 6 WiFi system

Eero 6 WiFi router
eero LLC

The Eero 6 three-pack with one router and two extenders has returned to its Prime Day price of $181 — but at Best Buy rather than Amazon. This system supports WiFi speeds up to 500 Mbps and can cover p to 5,000 square feet. Plus, it has a Zigbee smart home home built in, so you can use it as the starting point for the smart home system you want to create.

Buy Eero 6 (3 pack) at Best Buy - $181

Virgin Galactic sweepstakes

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo completes Unity 22 spaceflight
Virgin Galactic

In Omaze's latest giveaway, you can win two seats on one of the first Virgin Galactic flights to space. In addition, you'll go on a tour of Spaceport America in New Mexico with Richard Branson. You don't have to pay to enter, but funds from all paid entries will support Space for Humanity, an organization that hopes to make space more accessible for all.

Enter to win at Omaze

Gaming PC sweepstakes

An african guy talks on a video link with his friends in a computer club.
fpphotobank via Getty Images

Omaze is giving away another $20,000 to build your ultimate gaming PC. This sweepstakes is free to enter, but funds donated with purchased entries will benefit Schools on Wheels, an organization that provides free tutoring and mentoring services to children experiencing homelessness across Southern California.

Enter to win at Omaze

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

New tech deals

HomePod Mini

Through July 19, B&H Photo has Apple's HomePod Mini speaker for $90, or $10 off its normal price. It's not a huge discount, but it's a good one on a gadget that rarely goes on sale. Aside from a few exclusive Costco discounts, this is one of the best prices we've seen on the HomePod Mini. We gave it a score of 84 for its solid audio quality, attractive and compact design, stereo mode when two are paired together and Siri smarts.

Buy HomePod Mini at B&H Photo - $90

Tidal free trial

Through the end of August, new Tidal users can get a three-month free trial of either Premium of HiFi subscription tiers. Premium is Tidal's basic music service that normally costs $10 per month, while the HiFi tier includes high fidelity and master sound quality audio and typically costs $20 per month.

Get Tidal free trial

Fitbit Charge 4

Fitbit's Charge 4 tracker is back down to its record-low price of $100. If the smartwatch life isn't for you, this might be a good fit because it does a good job marrying fitness tracking with handy smart features. We gave it a score of 82 for its accurate built-in GPS, standard Fitbit Pay and multi-day battery life.

Buy Charge 4 at Amazon - $100

Jabra Elite 85t

Jabra's Elite 85t wireless earbuds are down to $180 again, or $50 off their normal price. These are some of our favorite wireless earbuds thanks to their powerful ANC, comfortable size and long battery life. If you can live without the wireless charging case, the Jabra Elite 75t in gold beige are down to $113 right now, too.

Buy Jabra Elite 85t at Amazon - $180Buy Jabra Elite 75t at Amazon - $113

Nest Hub + Nest Audio bundle

A bundle including Google's Nest Hub and the Nest Audio smart speaker is only $139 on eBay, or $60 off what they would be if you purchased them separately. If you already rely on the Google Assistant for all your voice commands, this bundle is an affordable way to expand your smart home with a few solid, Assistant-friendly devices.

Buy Nest Hub + Nest Audio bundle at eBay - $139

Echo Dot + Tile bundle

Amazon has a bundle including the latest Echo Dot plus a four pack of Tile Bluetooth trackers for $80, which is $40 off its normal price. The Echo Dot is a handy smart speaker to have in your home if you use Alexa to control smart home devices, set timers and alarms and more, and Tile's trackers make it easier to keep track of your keys, bags and other belongings.

Buy Echo Dot + Tile bundle at Amazon - $80

NordVPN

One of our recommended VPNs is running a good sale on a two-year subscription. You can sign up for NordVPN for only $89 for the first two years, which comes out to $44.50 per year — and an additional summer promotion adds three free months on top of that. We like NordVPN for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.

Sign up for NordVPN (two years) - $89

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Tumblr's parent company is buying popular podcast app Pocket Casts

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 08:11 AM PDT

Pocket Casts will soon have a new home. Automattic, the parent company of Tumblr and WordPress.com, is buyinh the podcast app from a collective of public radio groups, including NPR and BBC Studios. Automattic didn't disclose how much it will pay for Pocket Casts.

Co-founders Russell Ivanovic and Philip Simpson will remain in charge of the Pocket Casts team. It seems Automattic is already thinking about ways of incorporating the multi-platform app into its blogging tools.

"As part of Automattic, Pocket Casts will continue to provide you with the features needed to enjoy your favorite podcasts (or find something new)," a WordPress.com blog post states. "We will explore building deep integrations with WordPress.com and Pocket Casts, making it easier to distribute and listen to podcasts."

Both blogs and podcasts use RSS feeds for distribution, so integrating the two platforms makes sense. Earlier this year, Spotify-owned Anchor teamed up with WordPress.com to turn written material into podcasts via text-to-speech tech. It'll be interesting to see how the Pocket Casts deal factors into that partnership, if at all.

Xiaomi becomes the world's second-largest phone maker for the first time

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 07:18 AM PDT

Xiaomi is now a true heavyweight in the smartphone arena. Canalys estimates that the Chinese tech giant became the world's second-largest phone brand in the second quarter of 2021, surging 83 percent year-over-yer to claim 17 percent of the market. The company not only overtook Apple (14 percent) to claim the second spot, but blew past its BBK-owned Chinese rivals Oppo and Vivo, both of which held 10 percent. Samsung held on to its lead at 19 percent, but there's clearly not much of a gap.

The key, as you might guess, was price. Xiaomi's average selling prices are well below those of Samsung (40 percent) and Apple (75 percent), and even flagships like the Mi 11 are relatively affordable. That may have helped Xiaomi's strong international expansion, including a 300 percent jump in Latin America, a 150 percent spike in Africa and a 50 percent gain in Western Europe. And unlike its fallen competitor, Huawei, Xiaomi doesn't have a US blacklisting to cloud its future.

It's not certain that Xiaomi will hold on to its position. The second quarter is historically weak for Apple as it reaches the tail end of a given iPhone's release cycle. Canalys also notes that Oppo and Vivo aren't staying still — they have their own dreams of world dominance. And if Xiaomi hopes to escape its low-cost reputation, it needs phones like the Mi 11 Ultra and Mi Mix Fold to resonate with the public.

Even a temporary second-place position would be notable, though. While Xiaomi has long had a major presence in its native China, the company has had a much tougher fight for international recognition. Now, it's large enough to battle with behemoths like Samsung and Apple — it's just a question of whether or not Xiaomi can become the frontrunner.

Engadget Podcast: Billionaires in space, Windows in the cloud

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 07:00 AM PDT

This week, editor-in-chief of Space.com Tariq Malik joins Cherlynn and Devindra to break down what led to the ongoing billionaire space race and what's happening now. Was Richard Branson really in space? What's the difference between Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and Space X's vehicles? Plus, what are these billionaires trying to achieve, and at what cost? Then, our hosts dig into Microsoft's new Windows 365 virtual machine and ask who it's for. Plus, updates across the Android 12, iOS 15 and macOS betas, and our thoughts on a Mario-themed smartwatch

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 podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!


Subscribe!


Topics

  • Space.com editor in chief Tariq Malik explains the new billionaire space race – 1:32

  • Microsoft launches its Windows 365 cloud service – 36:04

  • Notes from the Android 12 Beta 3 release – 43:30

  • President Biden signs executive order on net neutrality, right to repair – 47:11

  • New MacOS Beta release reverts Safari tab design – 51:35

  • Tag Heuer's Super Mario smartwatch exists, costs over $2,000 – 53:31

  • Working on – 57:25

  • Pop culture picks – 59:46


Video livestream

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Tariq Malik
Producer: Ben Ellman
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos, Owen Davidoff, Luke Brooks
Graphics artists: Luke Brooks, Kyle Maack
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien

Facebook’s BlenderBot chat AI no longer has the mental capacity of a goldfish

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 06:30 AM PDT

Last April, Facebook's AI research lab (FAIR) announced and released as open source its BlenderBot social chat app. While the neophyte AI immediately proved far less prone to racist outbursts than previous attempts, BlenderBot was not without its shortcomings. For one, the system had the recollection capacity of a goldfish — any subject or data point the AI wasn't initially trained simply didn't exist in its online reality, as evidenced by the OG BB's continued insistence that Tom Brady still plays for the New England Patriots. For another, due to its limited knowledge of current events, the system had a strong tendency to hallucinate knowledge, like a digital Dunning-Kruger effect. But the advancements BlenderBot 2.0 displays, which FAIR debuted on Friday, should make the AI far more sociable, knowledgeable, and capable.

While BlenderBot 1.0 could only maintain its memory for a single discussion, its successor can remember topics of conversation over the course of multiple talks that can take days, weeks or even months to complete thanks to the implementation of a long-term memory module. What's more, the AI can actively update its knowledge base by searching the internet for the latest news and details on any subject that the user wishes to speak about.

"BlenderBot 2 queries the Bing API for search results based on a generated search query, and conditions its response on the top few results," Kurt Shuster, Research Engineer at Facebook AI, told Engadget. "We rely on Bing to provide high quality search results." As such, BlenderBot 2.0 is now capable of speaking coherently about breaking news and new media, not just the data it was trained upon.

how blenderbot 2.0 works
FAIR

"BlenderBot 2 is limited only by what a powerful search engine can provide," Jason Weston, Research Scientist at Facebook AI, added. So for example, if you are more interested in learning about Tom Yewcic (the Patriot's combo QB/Punter from the 1962 season) than you are about Tom Brady, BB 2.0 has you covered. It's the same with more scholarly subjects, like photosynthesis or redox reactions, Weston continued. So long as the information is available on the web, "there is no reason BlenderBot 2 cannot discuss this."

By actively searching the internet for information, BlenderBot 2.0 can also reduce the instances in which it hallucinates knowledge. "Providing the system with more commonsense reasoning will allow BlenderBot to make sure it does not confuse subtle concepts," Weston explained, "such as a movie director versus a producer or a pitching coach versus a hitting coach."

the crown
FAIR

The only wrinkle really occurs when discussing non-english based media, such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. "It is reasonable to conclude Bing will surface information about it and BlenderBot 2 can use that information accordingly," he said. "We currently focus on english-based search results, so non-english references may not be fully covered." The system will, however, recognize that Demon Slayer is of interest to you and will be more likely to bring up manga-centric subjects in future discussions.

FAIR has taken multiple steps to ensure that BlenderBot does not become the next Tay. "BlenderBot 2 does not learn directly from user input, as Tay did," Shuster said. "We have taken extensive safety steps to ensure that BlenderBot 2 can handle adversarial users. Specifically, we employ both baked-in and two-stage techniques. BlenderBot 2 can detect itself if the incoming context will result in an offensive response, and additional safety layers where a safety classifier can detect if either the user input or the bot's output is offensive. Each handles the response appropriately."

And while the system is currently focused on chewing its way through the English language corpus, FAIR does see BlenderBot does eventually extend to other languages as well. "While not in our immediate plans, the goal of our team is to build a superhuman conversationalist," Shuster said. "This kind of agent requires multilingual understanding."

Recent internal benchmarking processes found that BlenderBot 2.0 outperformed its predecessor by 17 percent in its engagingness score and 55 percent in its use of previous conversation sessions according to human evaluators, per a Friday blog from FAIR. What's more, BlenderBot's rate of knowledge hallucinations dropped from 9 percent (!) in BB 1.0 down to just 3 percent in the current iteration.

Looking ahead, "humans interacting with AI systems via discourse is the future of AI," Weston asserted, "and ensuring that humans have an engaging, informative experience is critical to that future. BlenderBot 2 combines the engagingness of BlenderBot 1.0 with the knowledge capabilities of a system with access to the entire internet, so ostensibly we are on the right track."

The Morning After: Valve made a $399 handheld gaming PC

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 04:15 AM PDT

Valve just surprised us all with a handheld console. The $399 Steam Deck will arrive in December, with availability expanding to more regions later.

Looking like some unholy alliance of Sega's Game Gear and the Nintendo Switch, the hardware includes a seven-inch touchscreen at 1,280 x 800 resolution at 60Hz refresh rate. There is no shortage of control options either, with dual thumbsticks, two pretty large square trackpads, an old-school directional pad, four main face buttons, triggers and a quartet of grip buttons.

Valve Steam Deck
Valve

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's just shy of a foot long. Eesh. Valve has ensured there's enough power inside to tempt PC gamers that already have an expansive Steam library. There's an AMD 2.4-3.5GHz processor and a 1.0 to 1.6GHz GPU with eight RDNA 2 compute units. There's 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM inside, too. Valve promises a battery life of between two and eight hours on a single charge, depending on how much power you need for your games. Given the power many AAA PC games require, you can probably expect a lot of experiences to hover around the lower estimates.

While the Steam Deck might not be as powerful as your gaming PC, Valve is using Proton, a compatibility layer that lets games run without developers having to do any work porting titles across — you'll apparently have access to your full library of games. This price point makes it slightly more expensive than the Switch, and the same price as the digital-only PS5. Due to its Steam hooks, however, it's a very different proposition. How well will PC games play on a seven-inch handheld?

— Mat Smith

Elgato's first webcam has landed

It's good hardware for streamers.

Elgato FaceCam mounted on a monitor
Kris Naudus / Engadget

Elgato's first $200 web camera isn't all that unique. It's a chunky rectangular box you can easily clip on top of a monitor, and it lacks a mic or anything approaching 4K resolution. It shoots 1080p at 60 fps, which should be enough for streamers who use the camera output as picture-in-picture. Continue reading.

The new Anthony Bourdain documentary 'Roadrunner' includes deepfaked audio

The film features three quotes that Bourdain never recorded.

Today, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain opens in US theatres. Like many documentaries, the film pieces together archival footage, including interviews and show outtakes, to tell the story of its subject in their own words. It also includes words Bourdain never spoke to a camera before his suicide in 2018, and yet you'll hear his voice saying them. The film's director, Morgan Neville, explained to The New Yorker that there were three quotes he wanted Bourdain to narrate, and to do so, Neville recreated them with software instead, making an AI model of Bourdain's voice from existing audio. The system was apparently fed about a dozen hours of audio to an AI model. Continue reading.

The next wave of emoji is coming

Emojipedia has shared a list of draft characters

Unicode 14.0 emoji candidates
Emojipedia

Tomorrow is World Emoji Day, and it's the cut-off for new draft emoji options. The list includes a melting smiley face (thanks global warming), a saluting emoji, a disco ball, beans and new pointing fingers, and there are more diverse skin tone options for existing hand emojis. That's notable as, due to technical limitations, it was one of the few characters you couldn't modify with a skin tone in previous versions of Unicode. Continue reading.

Clippy lives

Think paperclip, think Clippy.

Clippy
Microsoft / The Verge

Twenty years after being retired from Microsoft Office, Clippy is back to ruin your day. As part of Microsoft's update to 1,800 emoji, the one-time assistant will replace the paperclip emoji in Office, Teams and Windows. Microsoft is updating its emoji library to make the characters 3D and add animation to around 900 of the icons. The company said it plans to roll out the new characters to Windows and Teams sometime in the upcoming holiday season. Continue reading.

US Surgeon General warns that health misinformation is an 'urgent threat'

And social companies need to do more to stop it.

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has issued an advisory warning of the dangers posed by health misinformation, calling it an "urgent threat" that social media companies and technology platforms need to do more to address. The advisory includes a 22-page report on steps that individuals, health organizations, researchers and journalists can take to help mitigate the spread of misinformation. Continue reading.

But wait, there's more...

Candace Parker is NBA 2K's first female cover athlete

'Resident Evil Re:Verse' gets a last-minute delay to 2022

Elgato's Stream Deck MK.2 supports seven cute faceplates

Millionaire is sending his son into space

Can Richard Branson really call himself an astronaut after Sunday's Virgin Galactic flight?

Aston Martin's Valhalla hybrid supercar hints at its EV future

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