Saturday, August 21, 2021

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California judge finds Prop 22 gig worker measure unconstitutional

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 09:38 PM PDT

A California judge has ruled that Proposition 22, the measure that allows companies like Uber and Lyft to keep classifying app-based drivers in the state as independent contractors, is unenforceable and unconstitutional. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Alameda County Superior Court judge Frank Roesch found that Prop 22 illegally "limits the power of a future legislature to define app-based drivers as workers subject to workers' compensation law."

Proposition 22 passed by a wide margin in the state when most people voted in favor of it in last year's November elections. Companies were legally obligated to classify gig workers as full-time employees under Assembly Bill 5 A (AB5), which was passed in 2019, but some (like the aforementioned ride-sharing firms) continued to treat them as contractors. Uber, Lyft, Instacart and DoorDash poured over $220 million into campaigning for Prop 22 in order to overturn AB5, and the move clearly worked. 

The measure requires gig companies to provide their contractors with healthcare subsidies and a wage floor, but it also exempts them from having to classify their workers as employees with appropriate benefits and protections. While those in favor of the proposition argue that it would allow workers to keep their independence while enjoying benefits they didn't have before, not everyone's happy with the development. A group that includes the Service Employees International Union and the SEIU California State Council sued California earlier this year to overturn the proposition. 

In his ruling, Roesch specifically singled out Section 7451 of the measure, which states that any future law related to collective bargaining for app drivers must comply with the rest of the proposition. "It appears only to protect the economic interest of the network companies in having a divided, ununionized workforce, which is not a stated goal of the legislation," he wrote in his decision. He also found it unconstitutional that any amendment to the measure requires a seven-eighths vote of approval to pass in the state Legislature.

If the ruling stands, gig companies like Uber and Lyft may have to spend hundreds of millions paying for healthcare and other additional benefits for their drivers. At the moment, though, Prop 22 is still in effect, and gig companies are already planning to appeal. An Uber spokesperson told The Chronicle:

"This ruling ignores the will of the overwhelming majority of California voters and defies both logic and the law. We will appeal and we expect to win. Meanwhile, Prop. 22 remains in effect, including all of the protections and benefits it provides independent workers across the state."

Rhythm game 'Tetris Beat' is now available on Apple Arcade

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 03:53 PM PDT

In the nearly 40 years since Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris, the game has inspired many permutations. The latest example is Tetris Beat, an Apple Arcade exclusive that adds rhythm elements to the title's classic line-clearing formula. In the game's beat mode, the more you keep to the rhythm of a song, the more points you'll earn. However, if you want a more traditional Tetris experience, the included Marathon mode offers that. As with all Apple Arcade titles, Tetris Beat does not include any in-app ads or purchases.

With today's launch, the game features 18 exclusive songs, with more to come every month. Some of the current contributors include well-known artists like Alison Wonderland, Hannah Diamond, and my personal favorite among the group, Dauwd. What's more, if you own a pair of AirPods Pro or Max, the game supports Apple's Spatial Audio technology, so you can look forward to a more immersive experience.

You can download Tetris Beat on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV starting today. An Apple Arcade subscription costs $5 per month. It's also included in the company's Apple One membership.

Peacock's 'Frogger' looks equal parts 'Wipeout' and 'The Floor is Lava' in first trailer

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 01:29 PM PDT

NBC has shared the first trailer for Frogger. As expected, the show is a mix of Takeshi's Castle and Wipeout. The clip offers a look at some of the whimsical sets contestants will need to traverse in order to claim a grand prize of $100,000. 

When NBC announced it was adapting Konami's seminal 1981 video game into a Peacock series, it said the initial season would feature 13 hour long episodes and 12 different obstacle courses. One unexpected treat is that Damon Wayans Jr. of Happy Endings is on co-hosting duties.

Frogger will debut on September 9th, with new episodes to follow every Thursday. While we wait, you can play Frogger in Toy Town, the latest game in the series, on Apple Arcade.

Duolingo is adding a family plan and five more languages

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 01:04 PM PDT

At its annual Duocon conference on Friday, Duolingo announced several updates for the language-learning app. Among them is a family plan, which gives up to six people access to Duolingo Plus with a single subscription.

The plan includes benefits like unlimited hearts (so you can keep learning for longer after making mistakes) and an option to keep your lesson streak going if you happen to miss a day. Subscribers won't see any ads in the app either. New features include a hub where you can review all of your mistakes and a more advanced Legendary Level to put your language skills to the test.

The family plan costs around $120 per year, but there's no monthly payment option. The standard plan is $80 per year or $13/month. You can add accounts on shared devices with ease and follow your family members to see their progress. 

In addition, Duolingo is hoping to make it easier for users to learn languages with non-Latin based alphabets, such as Japanese, Korean, Russian, Greek, Arabic and Hindi. The company says it has built new kinds of exercises to help folks get to grips with the character-based languages.

Meanwhile, five more languages are coming to the app soon: Haitian Creole, Zulu, Xhosa, Tagalog and Maori. Duolingo worked with South African organization Nal'ibali on the Zulu and Xhosa courses. 

"For years, we've been working to elevate the status of South African languages by creating and distributing high-quality stories for children," Nal'ibali COO Katie Huston said in a statement. "Partnering with Duolingo to create these courses is another step towards elevating and protecting our local languages, and sharing them with new audiences around the world."

Duolingo is also working on an app that teaches elementary-level math. The app will harness the same tech the company uses for language learning and it should emerge next year. On top of that, Duolingo is upgrading the BirdBrain AI learning system. It says the AI will create personalized lessons at the correct difficulty level.

Peloton's Android app hints at long-rumored rowing machine

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 12:32 PM PDT

Conducting an APK teardown of the latest version of the Peloton Android app, 9to5Google found evidence the company is preparing the software to support a rowing machine in the near future. The outlet found various code snippets that mentioned a device codenamed "Caesar" and "Mazu." The latter is a reference to a Chinese sea goddess. Like the company's stationary bike, it appears the rowing machine will include a "scenic rides" feature that will showcase waterways from around the globe. And if you want to just row, that will be an option too.

Another set of snippets reference the four positions of a proper rowing technique. "This is the drive position of your stroke," the app explains. "Sit tall on the rower with your arms straight and your back upright. Your knees should be just above the ankles." Digging deeper into the updated software, 9to5 also found code suggesting the app will track metrics like your average and max stroke rates.

A rowing machine is something Peloton has been rumored to be working for a while now, with a recent job listing mentioning the device. We've reached out to Pelton for confirmation, but we'll note here what we say with all APK teardowns: the fact there's code pointing to a new hardware release doesn't mean a company will follow through on that work or that a launch is imminent. 

'Halo Infinite' won't have campaign co-op or Forge modes at launch

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 12:02 PM PDT

Halo Infinite is on track to hit Xbox consoles, PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming sometime this holiday season, but some key modes will be missing at the outset. In a development update, 343 Industries said campaign co-op and Forge won't be available at launch, as the studio is focusing on the single-player campaign and multiplayer modes.

"Unfortunately, as we focused the team for shutdown and really focused on a quality experience for launch, we made the really tough decision to delay shipping campaign co-op for launch," Halo Infinite head of creative Joseph Staten said in the video. "We also made the tough call to delay shipping Forge past launch as well."

343 Industries will roll out the modes next year as part of its seasonal roadmap. Right now, the plan is to release campaign co-op in season two (around three months after the game debuts) and Forge in season three (approximately six months after launch). Those plans may change though.

"Our number one priority is making sure that whatever we ship, whenever we ship it, it meets the right quality bar across all platforms," Staten said. "When we looked at these two experiences, campaign co-op and Forge, we made the determination they're just not ready." 

Campaign co-op has long been a staple of the Halo series, with up to four people being able to tackle the main campaign together. In Forge, players can create custom game modes with modified maps and unique rules. 

The delays will likely come as a disappointment to fans, who've already had to wait longer than expected for the next game in the flagship Xbox franchise. Halo Infinite wasn't ready in time for the Xbox Series X/S launch last November. As such, Microsoft delayed the game until a year after it was initially supposed to arrive.

As for the specific Halo Infinite release date, Staten said 343 Industries plans to announce that soon. Along with the single-player campaign, there's a free-to-play multiplayer mode. You'll just have to remain patient a bit longer if you want to play through the campaign with your buddies.

China's new user data protection law goes into effect on November 1st

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 11:23 AM PDT

China has passed a new data protection law, according to the country's Xinhua state media outlet. The newly enacted Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) lays out a comprehensive set of rules around how companies collect, process and protect user data. Like GDPR, the law enshrines data minimization, the practice of limiting data collection to only the information needed for a specific purpose. It also mandates companies give users control over how their personal information is used. For instance, they're allowed to opt out of targeted advertising.

Per Reuters, another requirement put forward by PIPL is that companies designate someone who is personally responsible for user data protection. Platforms must also submit themselves to periodic audits to ensure compliance. Any foreign company operating in the country that handles the data of Chinese citizens must comply with those same rules, making the law extraterritorial in much the same way that GDPR is.

PIPL comes as China has worked to rein in its tech giants. The company recently sued Tencent over WeChat's "youth mode," alleging the feature violates laws protecting children. What's more, the country recently implemented new anti-monopoly measures aimed at companies like Alibaba, Didi and Tencent. PIPL is slated to go into effect on November 1st.

Spotify and WWE are tag-teaming on podcasts

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 11:02 AM PDT

It's a big weekend in the world of pro wrestling. WWE has two major shows lined up, including one of its marquee events, SummerSlam, which takes place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday. The company is making some strides elsewhere, thanks to a new audio content partnership with Spotify.

WWE and The Ringer (which Spotify bought last year for around $200 million to bolster its sports lineup) are building a podcast network together. The Ringer podcast The Masked Man Show has been rebranded as The Ringer Wrestling Show. More podcasts are on the way, including a narrative series produced by Bill Simmons (a self-professed lifelong WWE fan) and additional shows from WWE talent. WWE's current podcasts, including The New Day: Feel the Power and WWE After the Bell with Corey Graves, are becoming Spotify exclusives too.

Along with the podcasts, there'll be live audio discussions on Spotify Greenroom after every big WWE pay-per-view event. The Ringer is recording some podcast episodes and hosting Greenroom conversations live in Las Vegas this weekend.

WWE is a solid get for Spotify, given the brand's popularity and global reach. Although SummerSlam might become overshadowed by events elsewhere in the pro wrestling sphere this weekend, it seems as good a time as any to kick off the partnership.

Earlier this year, the WWE Network moved to Peacock. So, if you're a Peacock Premium member, you can watch SummerSlam and Sunday's NXT TakeOver 36 at no extra cost.

OnlyFans’ policy switch is the latest victory in Big Banking’s war on sex

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 10:40 AM PDT

OnlyFans, the platform that allows creators to sell material directly to customers, will soon implement new restrictions on the publication of adult content. Starting in October, the company will ban the sale of sexually explicit content and depictions of sexual acts. The move does not cover all nudity, but says that specific rules will be outlined in an as-yet unpublished acceptable use policy. In a statement, OnlyFans said that the changes were prompted by "requests" made by its "banking partners and payout providers." In short, the company's arm has been twisted by the same big banks that have waged war on online sex work for years.

Big Business

The business can certainly attribute much of its success to enabling sex work and helping sex workers to get paid. Over the last two years, OnlyFans has grown from relative obscurity into a brand that is synonymous with adult content. Earlier this year, it boasted that its creators had earned more than $3 billion, and the platform was name-checked in a Beyoncé remix. It's believed that the company, which had around 7 million users in 2019, has seen that figure reach closer to 130 million in recent months. And, on June 16th, Bloomberg reported that the site was looking to attract investors in order to raise more funding at a valuation of more than $1 billion.

It is clear, however, that a number of people who both create content for, and use, the site feel that the impending adult content ban is a betrayal. In a statement shared with Engadget, Isaac Hayes III, founder of Fanbase — a social media site that lets users sell their content — summed up the general sentiment rather neatly. Hayes said that the move was "disgraceful," and that OnlyFans had "made billions off that user base." He added that dumping sex workers after becoming a household name was "exactly what these platforms do. Discard the users who make it popular once they get what they want." And in this case, it does seem as if the twin aims of securing more money from investors and retaining access to banking is what prompted the move. It's a story that we've heard several times before.

Deja Vu

The most recent example, and one that we covered extensively at the time, was the cultivation and subsequent dumping of a sex work community on Patreon. Before 2017, the site had passionately and publicly courted sex workers, encouraging them to use its platform. In 2016, it loudly defied PayPal's longstanding ban on payments to sex workers, allowing users to support content creators through its platform. At the time, Patreon even criticized PayPal's lack of transparency, saying that its opaque policy "impacts the lives of Adult Content creators."

This attitude did not, however, last very long. On September 15th, 2017, Patreon raised $60 million from investors, and updated its content policy a month later, seeming to repudiate the sex workers it had previously courted. In subsequent interviews, the updated policy was described as not a big deal, with the company pledging to work with creators to ensure compliance. The general notion was that Patreon would crack down on content that was illegal or otherwise nonconsensual.

A year later, however, and the site would further toughen its rules, saying that any and all adult content — including the famous erotic art project Four Chambers — was no longer permitted. (Four Chambers, the name of a British art-erotica collective led by artist Vex Ashley, was long held as the canary in the Patreon coal mine.) Patreon said that it had stepped up "proactive review of content [...] due to requirements from our payment partners." In short, the same banks that Patreon had battled so loudly the year before had tied the site in knots, demanding it hunt out any and all content that could be considered adult.

It's worth noting that swerving away from sex work doesn't ensure the future prosperity of a business. In 2019, Patreon CEO Jack Conte told CNBC that its business model was not sustainable, and in April 2021, the Wall Street Journal said the site was still not profitable. Tumblr meanwhile, which under Engadget's parent company mass-purged adult content from its site in 2018 but left a wide variety of neo Nazi content on its platform, saw its valuation fall from $1.1 billion in 2013 to just $3 million in 2019.

Tangled up in Paperwork

Back in April, MasterCard announced that it would further toughen the reporting requirements around adult content. John Verdeschi, Senior Vice President, wrote that banks using its network would need to "certify that the seller of adult content has effective controls in place to monitor, block and, where necessary, take down all illegal content." This includes rules requiring platforms to keep a record of the identity of every performer shown, as well as who uploads the content. In addition, all content would need to be reviewed prior to release, and all platforms need to run a beefed-up complaints resolution process to take down illegal or non-consensual material within seven days.

As TechDirt wrote back then, as reasonable as these policies sound, they seem intentionally designed to block all adult content, not just the illegal stuff. As it explains, "the new policy [...] makes it impossible for streaming platforms to comply with the new rules. Since they're not able to prescreen streamed content, they're [sic] just going to start blocking anything that seems like it might lead to MasterCard pulling the plug." Mary Moody tweeted, upon announcement of the policy change, that "OnlyFans, MyFreeCams & more are in danger." As with Patreon, MasterCard's reporting requirements appear to be such a burden that companies would rather avoid the issue altogether than attempt to comply.

This isn't a new story, however, and in 2015 Engadget laid out in detail how banks were systematically withdrawing access for adult content platforms. This isn't just prohibitions on working with select adult content sites, but a blanket-ban that impacted individuals beyond their life in the sex industry. JPMorgan Chase shut down a number of bank accounts owned by adult performers, and refused banking services to a company that makes condoms. This crackdown had an disproportionate impact on individual accounts held by women and LGBTQ people.

The Right

This crackdown is part of a broader alliance between banks, lawmakers, right-wing pressure groups and religious extremists. As The New Republic explained late last year, these groups have been able to use the cover of sex trafficking to push an anti-porn, anti-sex agenda. The movement's most successful victory was the passing of FOSTA-SESTA, a US law designed to tackle human trafficking by neutering the safe harbor provisions of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act 1996. Despite contravening the first amendment, the move has not shut down many groups of human traffickers, but has closed safety services created for, and used by, sex workers, and even forced Barnes & Noble to purge its ebook store of erotica.

Naturally, OnlyFans became a clear target of those campaigners both because of its success and because it contradicted their narrative. By enabling individuals to sell their material to consumers without intermediaries, it was allowing people to make a living. You can also argue that sites like OnlyFans have enabled people otherwise excluded from the workforce — this report from Arousability explains that a person with chronic pain who can't work a 9-to-5 job found that sex work offered them financial independence they couldn't have found otherwise.

Alternatives

While creators wait for OnlyFans to detail just what content will be allowed, in its brave new world, many may wish to take their business elsewhere. There are a number of platforms that occupy a similar space in the market, including AVN Stars, FanCentro, Unlockd and AdultNode. Just For Fans, for instance, says that it is a sex worker owned-and-operated platform, and that it will welcome any and all creators that OnlyFans has "abandoned." Similarly, a number of in-progress projects to build more sex-worker owned and operated platforms are currently underway.

It's likely that this will be seen as another reason to switch to a blockchain and cryptocurrency-based system as a way of escaping the reach of big banking. There are several, including SpankCoin and Nafty, that offer sex workers the ability to sell content through their systems. And as more major platforms are picked off by a combination of payment processors and regulators, this space is going to grow. 

But there are inherent risks to switching, including currency fluctuations and the risk that a sex work-specific currency can still be excluded from mainstream exchanges. And then there's the fact that if a platform gets big enough, it gets noticed — and targeted — by anti-sex advocates. Crypto can shore up the finances, but pressure can always be exerted on providers, hosts and platform owners wherever they may be. 

And that often forces creators to leap from platform to platform to keep one jump ahead of the people who want to strip them of their ability to make money. But every time they do so, they risk losing their user bases, and have to expend time and energy to recover the fans that they already had. Either way, until there is better political and corporate leadership who can handle the nuanced situation of online sex work, individuals will often be left with no choice but to keep moving, or sink.

Researchers say they built a CSAM detection system like Apple's and discovered flaws

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 09:20 AM PDT

Since Apple announced it was working on a technology for detecting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), the system has been a lightning rod for controversy. Now, two Princeton University academics say they know the tool Apple built is open to abuse because they spent years developing almost precisely the same system. "We wrote the only peer-reviewed publication on how to build a system like Apple's — and we concluded the technology was dangerous," assistant professor Jonathan Mayer and graduate researcher Anunay Kulshrestha wrote in an op-ed The Washington Post published this week.

The two worked together on a system for identifying CSAM in end-to-end encrypted online services. Like Apple, they wanted to find a way to limit the proliferation of CSAM while maintaining user privacy. Part of their motivation was to encourage more online services to adopt end-to-end encryption. "We worry online services are reluctant to use encryption without additional tools to combat CSAM," the researchers said.

The two spent years working on the idea, eventually creating a working prototype. However, they quickly determined there was a "glaring problem" with their tech. "Our system could be easily repurposed for surveillance and censorship," Mayer and Kulshrestha wrote. "The design wasn't restricted to a specific category of content; a service could simply swap in any content-matching database, and the person using that service would be none the wiser."

That's not a hypothetical worry either, they warn. The two researchers point to examples like WeChat, which the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab found uses content-matching algorithms to detect dissident material. "China is Apple's second-largest market, with probably hundreds of millions of devices. What stops the Chinese government from demanding Apple scan those devices for pro-democracy materials?" Mayer and Kulshrestha ask, pointing to several instances where Apple acquiesced to demands from the Chinese government. For example, there's the time the company gave local control of customer data over to the country.

"We spotted other shortcomings," Mayer and Kulshrestha continue. "The content-matching process could have false positives, and malicious users could game the system to subject innocent users to scrutiny." Those are concerns privacy advocates have also raised about Apple's system.

For the most part, Apple has attempted to downplay many of the concerns Mayer and Kulshrestha iterate in their opinion piece. Senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi recently attributed the controversy to poor messaging. He rejected the idea the system could be used for scanning for other material, noting the database of images comes from various child safety groups. And on the subject of false positives, he said the system only triggers a manual review after someone uploads 30 images to iCloud. We've reached out to Apple for comment on the op-ed. 

Despite those statements, Mayer and Kulshrestha note their reservations don't come from a lack of understanding. They said they had planned to discuss the pitfalls of their system at an academic conference but never got a chance because Apple announced its tech a week before the presentation. "Apple's motivation, like ours, was to protect children. And its system was technically more efficient and capable than ours," they said. "But we were baffled to see that Apple had few answers for the hard questions we'd surfaced."

T-Mobile says data for 6 million additional customers was compromised in breach

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 09:03 AM PDT

T-Mobile says millions more people have been impacted by its recent data breach than initially believed. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the company said an additional 6 million or so accounts were affected, taking the total to more than 54 million.

On Wednesday, T-Mobile disclosed that data from around 40 million former or potential customers had been compromised in a cyberattack. The data included names, birth dates, social security numbers, driver's licenses and information from other types of identification. The company now says another 667,000 accounts of former customers were accessed, with attackers obtaining some personal data from those, but no SSNs or ID details.

In the previous disclosure, T-Mobile said approximately 7.8 million current holders of T-Mobile postpaid accounts were impacted, with attackers gaining at least some customers' personal data. The company now says phone numbers and IMEI and IMSI details (identifiers for mobile devices and SIM cards respectively) were compromised as well.

On top of that, T-Mobile has identified another 5.3 million affected postpaid accounts. No SSNs or driver's license/identification details were compromised from those, the company said, but the attackers accessed other identifiable information.

Around 850,000 active T-Mobile prepaid customers have been impacted as well. The attackers may have garnered up to 52,000 names connected to current Metro by T-Mobile accounts too. Accounts of former Sprint prepaid and Boost Mobile customers are unaffected.

Other data was stolen in the cyberattack, including additional phone numbers and IMEI and IMSI numbers, but the company claims there was no personally identifiable information in those files. Meanwhile, T-Mobile still has "no indication" that customer financial details, such as credit card data, were affected.

A member of an underground forum claimed over the weekend to have data for more than 100 million T-Mobile customers. They reportedly attempted to sell information of around 30 million of those for about $270,000 worth of Bitcoin.

T-Mobile's investigation into the breach is ongoing and it will provide more details if it finds more affected accounts. The company says it's "confident that we have closed off the access and egress points the bad actor used in the attack" and that it has taken steps to mitigate the impact on customers. For instance, it has offered two years of identity protection service to anyone who thinks they might have been affected.

Apple's AirPods Pro fall to $180, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 08:50 AM PDT

The internet was awash with tech deals this week, with some of the best coming from Apple and Amazon. Apple's AirPods Pro dropped to $180 while the MacBook Pro M1 received at $200 discount. Amazon kicked off its "off to college" sale by reducing the prices of its Echo speakers, including the Echo Dot, Kindle e-readers and a handful of Fire tablets. And those looking for a new streaming gadget can get the Roku Streambar or the NVIDIA Shield TV for less. Here are the best tech deals we found this week that you can still get today.

AirPods Pro

Apple AirPods Pro
Billy Steele / Engadget

Apple's AirPods Pro are down to $180 right now, or $70 off their normal price. These are the best sounding earbuds you can get from Apple, and we gave them a score of 87 for their better, more secure fit, IPX4 water resistance and solid audio quality.

Buy AirPods Pro at Amazon - $180

MacBook Pro M1

Apple's latest MacBook Pro with an M1 chip.
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

The MacBook Pro M1 is $200 off at Amazon thanks to a sale price and an automatically applied coupon on top of that. That means you can get the model with 256GB of storage for $1,099 and the 512GB version for $1,299. We gave the Pro M1 a score of 84 for its powerful performance, solid keyboard and trackpad and healthy battery life.

Buy MacBook Pro M1 (256GB) at Amazon - $1,099Buy MacBook Pro M1 (512GB) at Amazon - $1,299

iPad Pro

2021 Apple iPad Pro
Apple

Those looking to invest in an iPad Pro as a laptop alternative need look no further than Amazon's most recent sales on the 1TB models. The WiFi version of the latest 11-inch iPad Pro is down to $1,399 while the WiFi + Cellular version is down to $1,599. These iPad Pros run on Apple's M1 chipset, so you're getting the latest processor technology and formidable performance in these slabs.

Buy iPad Pro (1TB, WiFi) at Amazon - $1,399Buy iPad Pro (1TB, WiFi + Cellular) - $1,599

Echo smart speakers

Amazon Echo 2020
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

The Echo Dot has been discounted to $35 while the regular Echo smart speaker is down to $80 as part of Amazon's "off to college" sale. While not all-time lows, these sale prices are great for those that want to save a bit and add an Echo device to their home, or college students who want a convenience speaker for their new dorm room.

Buy Echo Dot at Amazon - $35Buy Echo at Amazon - $80

Kindle devices

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Engadget

Both Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite and regular Kindle are on sale right now for $80 and $65, respectively. These are some of the best prices we've seen on both e-readers since Prime Day back in June. We recommend the Paperwhite to those that can afford it, but the standard Kindle is an even better buy now than it was a couple of years ago thanks to its new front light and higher-contrast display.

Buy Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon - $80Buy Kindle at Amazon - $65

Fire tablets

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020)
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

A number of Amazon Fire tablets are on sale this week, including the new Fire HD 10, which is down to a record low of $100. The Fire HD 8 has been discounted to $60, which is a great price for a basic tablet that we praised for its long battery life, USB-C charging and hands-free Alexa capabilities. And if you've been eyeing a Fire tablet for your child, the Fire 7 Kids Pro and the Fire 8 Kids Pro are both on sale for $60 and $90, respectively.

Buy Fire HD 10 at Amazon - $100Buy Fire HD 8 at Amazon - $60

Fire TV Cube

Amazon Fire TV Cube streaming device.
Nicole Lee / Engadget

Amazon knocked $20 off its Fire TV Cube, bringing it down to $100. It's been around for a while, but the Fire TV Cube remains the most powerful streaming device in Amazon's lineup. It has solid performance and supports 4K HDR output as well as voice commands via Alexa for both your TV and other smart home devices.

Buy Fire TV Cube at Amazon - $100

NVIDIA Shield TV

The NVIDIA Shield TV is $20 off right now, bringing it down to $130. We like it for its Tegra X1+ processor and its support for Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos audio, Chromecast 4K and AI-powered HD-to-4K upscaling.

Buy NVIDIA Shield TV at Amazon - $130Buy NVIDIA Shield TV at Best Buy - $130Buy NVIDIA Shield TV at B&H - $130

Roku Streambar

Roku Streambar soundbar on a white table.
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

The Roku Streambar is down to $99 right now, or $30 off its normal price. It's a relatively affordable device to get to upgrade an old TV in your home, or up the audio chops on your main set. We gave it a score of 86 for its compact size, good sound quality and 4K HDR streaming chops.

Buy Streambar at Amazon - $99

Galaxy Buds Pro

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review
Billy Steele/Engadget

Samsung's premium Galaxy Buds Pro are on sale for $127 at B&H Photo right now. That's 37 percent off their normal price and close to a record low. We gave them a score of 85 for their comfy fit, good sound quality and wireless charging case.

Buy Galaxy Buds Por at B&H - $127

Virgin Galactic sweepstakes

In this Omaze 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. The sweepstakes is open through September 1, so you still have time to enter.

Enter to win at Omaze

Gaming PC sweepstakes

Through September 18, 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

Comic-Con 2022 sweepstakes

Through December 8, you can enter to win four-day passes to San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Along with the passes, you'll get access to a special preview night, reserved seating in Hall H, a personal concierge, a private tour of the Comic-Con Museum, dinner in Balboa Park and tickets to the "Night at the Comic-Con Museum" event. It's free to enter, but funds from this sweepstakes will go to the San Diego Comic Convention.

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

GOG.com Games Festival

The Games Festival at GOG.com runs through September 2 and it features a bunch of discounted games. Currently you can get Mortal Shell for $27, Dishonored: Complete Collection for $20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for $10 and more.

Shop Games Festival sales at GOG.com

Logitech C922x Pro webcam

Logitech's C922x Pro webcam is on sale for $75, or $25 off its normal price. While not a record low, it's a good sale price on a solid webcam that you'll actually be able to get relatively soon — Amazon estimates orders will ship in the first few weeks of September. This version of the C922 webcam is optimized for streaming, so it could be your Zoom-meeting webcam as well as your main game streaming camera.

Buy C922x Pro webcam at Amazon - $75

NordVPN

One of our recommended VPNs is running a decent sale on a two-year subscription. You can sign up for NordVPN for $99 for the first two years, which comes out to $49.50 per year, and get three additional months of access for free. 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.

Buy NordVPN (2 years) - $99

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

The best SSD for your PlayStation 5

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 08:00 AM PDT

Sony, arguably nine months too late, is finally unlocking the 10 million PlayStation 5s around the world to accept expandable SSD storage. At launch, the next-gen console offered only 667GB of space for storing your PS5 games, with no way to expand that. While that's been fine for some (like me), others (like my son) have been performing a near-daily juggling act, having to frequently delete and re-download games due to the restrictive storage size and the apparent need to have constant access to every Call of Duty game.

With the upcoming system software update — currently in beta testing — you'll be able to increase your storage by slotting in a standard PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD. If that mess of acronyms has you recoiling, don't worry, you'll see that it's not all that complicated, and if you want to know which drives we recommend, you can skip to the end.

How much storage do I need?

Sony PlayStation 5 gaming console.
Aaron Souppouris / Engadget

The PS5 will accept drives between 250GB and 4TB in capacity. If you already have a PlayStation 5, chances are you have a reasonable idea of how much storage you want. If you're buying an SSD with a new PS5, or buying for someone else, though, it's difficult to tell.

PS5 games are a little smaller on average than their PS4 equivalents, typically ranging between 30GB and 100GB, with some notable (and very popular) exceptions. If you're a fan of the Call of Duty series, just having Cold War multiplayer and Modern Warfare/Warzone installed will require 307GB of space. A full Warzone-Modern Warfare-Cold War install will take up almost two thirds of the PS5's internal storage. If you're not a CoD fan, though, chances are you'll be good to store between six to 10 games on your PS5 internally before running into problems.

One additional thing to consider is your internet speed. If you live in an area with slow broadband, the "you can just download it again" rationale doesn't really work out. A 100GB download takes me around eight hours, during which time it's difficult to simultaneously watch Twitch or, say, publish articles about upgrading PS5 SSDs. Keeping games around on the off-chance you'll want to play them at some point make sense, at least for my household.

Off the bat, there's basically no point in going for a 250GB drive. Economically, 250GB drives aren't that much cheaper than 500GB, and practically, that really isn't a lot of space for modern games to live on. 500GB drives, coming in at around $90 to $150, are a decent bet, but the sweet spot for most is to opt for a 1TB drive, which should run you between $160 and $250. That will more than double the space you have available for games without breaking the bank. (Seagate's official 1TB Xbox Series expansion card, for comparison, sells for $220.)

If you have the money, 2TB drives sometimes offer marginal savings per gigabyte, and can often be found when other models are out of stock. Unless you're rolling in cash and want to flex, 4TB models should mostly be avoided, as you'll end up paying more per gigabyte than you would with a 1TB or 2TB drive.

One final note: While the 825GB PS5 only provides 667GB of storage, that's largely due to storage being reserved for the operating system and caching. If you install a 1TB SSD, you'll have, within margin of error, 1TB of storage available for games.

What about external SSDs?

Samsung T5 SSD
Samsung

These are dramatically cheaper than the high-end internal SSDs, but there are restrictions on what you can do with them. An external SSD connects to your PS5 via USB, and is only suitable for playing PS4 games, or storing PS5 titles. This is useful if you have anything but the best internet — it's faster to move a PS5 game out of "cold storage" on an external drive than it is to re-download it — or just want a large number of PS4 games to hand.

Due to the limitations here, you don't need the highest performing model, although you should opt for SSDs over HDDs for improved transfer speeds. Any basic portable drive from a reputable brand will do, with the Crucial X6 and Samsung T5 being options we've tried and can recommend.

What SSDs are compatible with PS5?

The official answer to this question is an "M.2 Socket 3 (Key M) Gen4 x4 NVME SSD." But even within that seemingly specific description, there are still more things to consider. The main requirements Sony has laid out for compatibility come down to speed, cooling and physical dimensions.

For speed, Sony says drives should be able to handle sequential reads at 5,500MB/s. Early testing has shown that drives as slow as 4,800MB/s are accepted by the PS5, and using them to play a game that taps into the SSD regularly — such as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart — causes no issues. Pretty much the only thing the PS5 will outright reject is one that doesn't match the Gen4 x4 spec. 

In our opinion, though, using a drive slower than the specification is a risk that, if you don't already have that drive lying around, is not worth taking. Just because we haven't found issues now, that doesn't mean there won't be games that will be problematic down the line. The price difference between these marginally slower Gen4 drives and the ones that meet Sony's spec is not huge, and you may as well cover all your bases.

Slightly more complicated than speed is cooling and size. Most bare SSDs are going to be just fine; the PS5 can fit 22mm-wide SSDs of virtually any length (30mm, 42mm, 60mm, 80mm or 110mm, to be precise). The vast majority of drives you find will be 22mm wide and 80mm long, so no problem there.

It should be noted that the system can fit a 25mm-wide drive, but that width must include the cooling solution. Speaking of, Sony says SSDs require "effective heat dissipation with a cooling structure, such as a heatsink," which is where most of the complications arise.

The maximum height supported by Sony's slot is 11.25mm, of which only 2.45mm can be "below" the drive. This is intensely specific, and rules out some popular heatsinked Gen4 SSDs such as Corsair's MP600 Pro and Sabrent's Rocket 4 Plus. With time, it's likely that manufacturers will want in on this new avenue for high-end SSD sales, and these heatsink size limits are going to become the de facto standard for the industry. In the meantime, however, only a couple of heatsinked drives fit out of the box.

If you're looking to save some money, bare drives are often much cheaper and prevalent than their heatsinked alternatives, and it's trivial to find a cooling solution that will work for the PS5.

The only component in an NVMe SSD that really requires cooling is the controller, which without a heatsink will happily sear a (very small) steak. Most SSDs have chips on only one side, but even on double-sided SSDs, the controller is likely to be on top, as manufacturers know it needs to be positioned there to better dissipate heat. So, head to your PC component seller of choice, and pick up basically anything that meets the recommended dimensions. A good search term is "laptop NVME heatsink," as these will be designed to fit in the confines of gaming laptops, which are even more restrictive than a PS5. They're also typically cheaper than the ones popping up now that are labelled as "PS5 heatsinks."

One recommendation is this $7 copper heatsink, which attaches to the SSD with sticky thermal interface material. It works just fine, and really, performing stress tests on a PC, we couldn't find anything metal that didn't keep temperatures under control. When you're searching, just make sure the solution you go for measures no more than 25mm wide or 8mm tall including the thermal interface material and has a simple method of installation that's not going to cause any headaches.

Now, if all of that was very boring, here are some ready-to-go recommendations:

Best PS5 SSD: Patriot Viper VP4300

Patriot Viper VP4300
Patriot

Patriot may not be the biggest name in components, but it has a long history in the PC market, and the Viper VP4300 is a solid drive for the PS5. With a sequential read rating of 7,400MB/s and a slim heatsink preinstalled, it meets all the necessary requirements for a simple upgrade. The reason it tops our list is the cost. It comes in 1TB and 2TB varieties, both of which are competitively priced. Expect to pay around $210 for the 1TB version or $430 for the 2TB.

Buy Viper VP4300 at Amazon - $210

Best cheap PS5 SSD: PNY XLR8 CS3040

PNY XLR8 CS3040
PNY

If you're not a PC user, PNY is another company you probably haven't heard of. Again, though, it has a good track record, operating for three decades out of the US. The XLR8 CS3040 is a fantastic value option, though it will require you to add your own cooling solution, as the one PNY sells won't fit in the PS5.

While that may sound like a hassle, maybe the pricing will convince you: The $90 500GB option is great, but the $160 1TB drive is a steal, and the $307 2TB model is also outrageously cheap. As mentioned, we don't really recommend 4TB drives but, among the typically four-figure options on the market, PNY's $700 CS3040 is the only one that makes any sense.

Buy PNY XLR8 CS3040 at Amazon - $160

Other compatible drives

WD Black SN850

WD_Black SN850
Western Digital

The SN850 is a plug-and-play option for the PS5, with a sequential read rating well above the necessary numbers and a 6.5mm-high heatsink preinstalled. It comes in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB varieties, all of which are priced fairly competitively, though the price-per-GB of the 1TB and 2TB is significantly lower than the 500GB.

Expect to pay around $140 for the 500GB drive, $250 for the 1TB version or $430 for the 2TB. If you're willing to go it alone on the heatsink, those prices drop to around $120, $200 and $400, respectively.

Buy WD Black SN850 at Amazon - $230

Seagate FireCuda 530

Seagate FireCuda 530
Seagate

We haven't been able to test this one ourselves, as it starts shipping "this summer," but given Seagate is a trusted brand and has outright said its heatsinked drive supports PS5, we're happy to include it on this list. Unfortunately, the list pricing on the 530s is high, at $160 for 500GB, $260 for 1TB, $540 for 2TB and $1,000 for 4TB. The non-heatsink version will retail at $140, $240 and $490, for the 500GB, 1TB and 2TB versions. These aren't a million miles away from the RRP on other drives on this list that have a lower real-world price now, so we'd expect that you'll be able to find some deals at similar rates down the line.

Buy Seagate FireCuda 530 at Amazon - $260

Samsung 980 Pro

Samsung 980 Pro
Samsung

Samsung does not sell a 980 Pro with a heatsink attached, but it does have a fantastic reputation for reliability, and prices that are competitive with WD, Seagate and others on this list. Expect to pay around $130 for 500GB, $190 for 1TB, or $370 for 2TB.

Buy Samsung 980 Pro at Amazon - $190

Crucial P5 Plus

Crucial P5 Plus
Crucial

Crucial's P5 Plus is another budget model, which missed out on the "best cheap SSD" spot thanks to PNY's marginally lower prices. Again, this one has no heatsink, so you'll need to supply your own. The 1TB drive is the sweet-spot option, coming in at $180, while the 500GB and 2TB drives will set you back $108 and $368, respectively.

Buy Crucial P5 Plus at Amazon - $180

Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus

Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus
Sabrent

Sabrent sells a bunch of Rocket drives, but only the Plus model actually meets Sony's requirements, so be sure you're looking at the correct model before you buy. The Rocket 4 Plus' heatsink is too chunky to fit in the PS5, so you'll again have to fit your own cooling solution. Sabrent typically has aggressive pricing, but as of writing the Plus hasn't seen any major discounts. The 1TB model can be found at around $180, the 2TB $360 and the 4TB for $900.

Buy Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus at Amazon - $180

How to install an SSD in a PS5

As of writing, the first thing you'll need to install an SSD is access to the semi-closed system software beta. From an admittedly small sample, I've yet to hear of people being denied access to this; everyone I know who's applied was accepted within a week. You can enroll here if you're in the US, or you can google "PlayStation 5 System Software Beta Program sign-up" to find your local sign-up link.

Once you have the beta on your PS5, installation of a PS5 SSD is fairly straightforward. Sony recommends a #1 Phillips or crosshead screwdriver, but this isn't rocket science. Any crossed screwdriver of similar size will do fine.

Begin by powering down your PS5, unplugging everything, removing the stand and flipping it over to its underside. If you have the regular PS5, that's the side with the disc drive, if you have the Digital Edition, it's the side without the PlayStation logo cutout.

Sony has a video guide to popping off the outside cover here, but the gist is you gently lift up the opposing corners and slide the panel towards the flat end of the console. There's a knack to this, and it requires very little effort or strength. If you're not getting it, rather than force it just readjust your grip and try again. A member of our video team managed to break one of the tabs on our review unit doing this last November so… yeah, don't force it.

Sony PlayStation 5 SSD slot
Engadget

Once you've got everything open, you'll see a rectangular piece of metal with a screw holding it in place. Remove that screw, and you'll be able to access the drive bay.

You'll see five holes inside, each numbered corresponding to the standard SSD drive lengths I mentioned earlier. The one numbered 110 will have a metal insert and screw inside. You need to unscrew the screw with a screwdriver, and then unscrew the insert with your fingers and move it to the relevant hole. Your eyes should tell you which is the right one for your drive, but it's most likely going to be 80.

PlayStation 5 SSD slot
Aaron Souppouris/Engadget

Then take your SSD — mine is a 980 Pro I bought on Prime Day with a $2 piece of aluminum attached to the top — and slot it in. The slot is at the edge closest to the number "30," and SSDs are keyed to only fit in one way, so again, no force is required. If it's not sliding in, don't force it. You'll notice the SSD doesn't sit flat — that's fine, and is as intended.

Sony PlayStation 5 SSD upgrade
Engadget

Once the SSD is seated, take the screw you removed from the insert, line it up with the little notch at the end of your SSD, and push down so it meets the insert. Give the screw it a few turns — it doesn't need to be very tight — and you're done.

Sony PlayStation 5 SSD upgrade
Engadget

Replace the metal cover and screw it down, and then slide the plastic outer shell back on. When you first turn on the PS5, it'll prompt you to format the drive. Do that! You have now successfully expanded your console's storage, and can set about downloading and moving games to it. Personally, I moved all of the PS4 games I had to the new drive, along with all of my clips and screenshots. The PS5's built-in SSD is always going to be the most compliant, so I'm keeping my important stuff there. 

We'll be updating this guide as more SSDs come to market and onto our test bench, so feel free to bookmark it for when you need it.

Stunning 'Black Myth: Wukong' trailer shows off Unreal Engine 5 gameplay with DLSS on

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 07:45 AM PDT

A year after it wowed many with its first gameplay video, Chinese developer Game Science Studio is back with an even more impressive look at Black Myth: Wukong. The studio has switched from Unreal Engine 4 to UE5 for the action RPG. According to NVIDIA, it's the first peek at a UE5 game that uses Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), the company's AI-powered upscaling tech.

The 12-minute preview, which you can watch in 4K at 60 frames per second, shows off much more action from the game. It features a couple of stunning boss fights, including one with an electric dragon on a frozen lake. The visuals here are eye-popping: expect buttery-smooth animations, gorgeous environments and dazzling snow and ice effects.

Black Myth: Wukong is based on the story of the Monkey King and the Journey to the West. Game Science Studio seems to have taken inspiration from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice here, but that's hardly a bad thing. The gameplay and creature design certainly draw from the Souls-like approach popularized by From Software — for instance, you see the protagonist evading the terrible beasts' attacks while looking for an opportunity to leap in with their staff. 

The studio was formed by a group of former Tencent Games employees, according to prominent games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad. There's no confirmed release window as yet for Black Myth: Wukong. Game Science Studio said last year it was aiming to bring the game to PC (which is a sure bet given the DLSS support) and consoles by 2023.

Apple has a new app for collecting feedback on Siri

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 07:20 AM PDT

While Apple may have released Siri before Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, in many ways its voice-activated assistant is the least advanced of the three. A lot of that has to do with the amount of data and training digital assistants need to understand different languages, dialects and speech patterns. In an effort to improve its digital assistant, Apple recently launched a study to collect speech data and feedback with the help of an app called Siri Speech Study.

"The Siri Speech Study app allows participants to send certain data to Apple for product improvement, as detailed in the informed consent form," the company says in a listing spotted by TechCrunch. The software is available in the US, Canada, Germany, France, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Taiwan. According to data from analytics firm Sensor Tower, Apple uploaded Siri Speech Study to the App Store on August 9th, and recently updated the software on August 18th.

Apple isn't being exactly secretive about the app, but nor is it advertising its existence either. You can't find the software by searching for it, nor is it listed as one of the apps published by Apple. Similarly, you can't join the study simply by installing the software on your phone; you need an invite from Apple to participate. We've reached out to Apple for more information on the app. 

Notably, the app allows those involved to choose what Siri requests they send to the company. That's an important point. In 2019, The Guardian published a report that detailed an Apple program where third-party contractors listened to anonymized Siri recordings to analyze the assistant's responses. A whistleblower told the outlet there had been "countless instances" where graders listened to private conversations, including some that involved criminal dealings and sexual encounters. Apple subsequently moved the program in-house, and switched to opt-in transcripts.

Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro are 37 percent off at B&H Photo

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 05:41 AM PDT

While Samsung redesigned the latest Galaxy Buds 2 with the budget-conscious in mind, the Galaxy Buds Pro are its complete-package wireless earbuds. They debuted in January and we found them to be Samsung's best wireless earbuds to date — but they're also the company's most expensive at $200. But B&H Photo has a limited-time sale going on right now that knocks 37 percent off the buds, bringing them down to $127. That's close to an all-time low and a great price on the most premium Samsung earbuds.

Buy Galaxy Buds Pro at B&H - $127

Samsung had many iterations of its earbuds before the Galaxy Buds Pro came along, and it took all previous criticism to hear when designing the Pros. They have a compact, comfortable design with an IPX7 waterproof rating, so you could use them while working out. Active noise-cancellation is solid, blocking out sounds from things like running dishwashers well, and Android users can download the companion mobile app to change noise-cancellation settings.

The mobile app also lets you do things like enable hands-free Bixby and disable voice detection, which will automatically lower the volume and switch to ambient sound mode when you're speaking. We were also impressed by the buds' sound quality — the 11mm woofer handles the low-end well and highs are crisp and punchy. The Galaxy Buds Pro also support 360 Audio, which is Samsung's equivalent to Apple's Spatial Audio on AirPods Pro.

As far as battery life goes, it's decent but nothing to write home about. You'll get roughly 18 hours of listening time out of the buds, and that includes the extra charges carried by its case. We do like that the case supports wireless charging, though, so you can sit them on any Qi pad in your home to get extra juice. These remains the most premium earbuds you can get from Samsung, and considering B&H's sale makes them more affordable than even the new Galaxy Buds 2, it's a solid buy if you want the best Samsung has to offer.

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

Engadget Podcast: Reviewing Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3, Fold 3 and the Pixel 5a

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 05:30 AM PDT

This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Washington Post Staff Writer (and former Engadget colleague) Chris Velazco to dive into all of the latest phone reviews. What's up with Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Fold 3? Who needs the Pixel 5a? And why did Qualcomm try to make a phone of its own? Tune in for our discussion, as well as to find out what you should be looking for in your next phone upgrade.

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!


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

NASA puts SpaceX's lunar lander contract on hold following Blue Origin's lawsuit

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 05:05 AM PDT

SpaceX won't be working on its $2.9 billion lunar lander contract for a while after NASA agreed to put the project on hold. The space agency told Reuters that it temporarily ceased all work on the project after Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin filed a complaint against it with the US Court of Federal Claims. "In exchange for this temporary stay of work, all parties agreed to an expedited litigation schedule that concludes on November 1st," the space agency said in a statement. 

Blue Origin sued NASA over its decision to award a lunar lander contract to SpaceX alone when it originally planned to award two contracts. The agency historically works with more than one contractor for each mission to ensure that it can launch in time. However, it only received a fraction of the budget it requested for the Artemis lunar lander, which will be designed to carry human astronauts to the surface of the moon from the Orion spacecraft, and chose to forgo awarding a second contract. 

Bezos' company first challenged the decision back in April and filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office. As The Verge notes, that complaint put the SpaceX contract on hold for 95 days, so this is the second time NASA and Elon Musk's company have to temporarily halt the project. Blue Origin argued that the selection process was unfair, because it wasn't given the opportunity to revise its bid like SpaceX was able to. 

GAO ultimately dismissed the case, concluding that NASA's evaluation of all the proposals for the mission "was reasonable and consistent with applicable procurement law, regulation, and the announcement's terms." Before GAO revealed its decision, though, Jeff Bezos wrote an open letter to NASA, telling the agency that Blue Origin is willing to waive up to $2 billion in payments in return for a fixed-price lander contract. 

In both of the lawsuits it filed, Blue Origin said it's making "an attempt to remedy the flaws in the acquisition process found in NASA's Human Landing System." For its more recent complaint, the company explained that it "stand[s] firm in [its] belief that there were fundamental issues with NASA's decision, but the GAO wasn't able to address them due to their limited jurisdiction." We'll know soon enough which side the court will pick: A judge has set a hearing for the case on October 14th.

‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ is coming to Blu-ray in the US for the first time

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 04:45 AM PDT

If streaming the Neon Genesis Evangelion saga on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video has made you an acolyte of the hit anime, then we have good news. The original series is coming to Blu-Ray for the first time in North America. 

But, this isn't just a regular physical release. Billed as "Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ultimate Edition," the box set is spread across 11 discs, contains over 7 hours of bonus features, along with extras that span a 156 page book, art boards and limited edition artwork, a Sachiel resin paperweight and a NERV ID Card with lanyard. 

The release includes the official and classic dubs and subtitled versions, plus the follow-up films, Evangelion: Death (True)² and The End of Evangelion. All of that will cost you $275 during the current pre-order period, which ends December 7th. Afterwards, you'll have to fork out $350 for the special release. As of now, the Blu-Ray is listed as sold out in the US, probably because fans quickly snapped up the 5,000 copies that were available. Though it still appears to be in stock in the UK, where it's limited to just 2,500 copies.

GKIDS Films
GKIDS Films

Despite all the riches on offer, what you won't get here is the series' "Fly me to the Moon" ending theme, likely due to licensing issues. As fans will know, the song was also missing from Neon Genesis Evangelion on Netflix. The streamer opted to replace it with "Hostility Restrained" from the show's score. Those feeling wistful can listen to it in the video below. 

The Morning After: OnlyFans announces ban on sexually explicit content

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 04:15 AM PDT

In a surprising twist, OnlyFans, a video site best known for its adult videos and images from independent creators, is banning, well, explicit videos and images. The site has exploded in popularity over the last few years, with more than two million creators offering content to their paid subscribers. Many of the top creators on the platform share adult content.

In a statement, OnlyFans said the move was "to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform." The company said it was due to pressure from banking and payment partners, but a damning BBC investigation revealed that OnlyFans had let a lot of illegal content from creators make it on to the site.

The BBC tested whether OF would allow users to promote themselves as young teenage creators with photos. It apparently did, until the BBC asked the video-sharing site about these accounts. The report makes this sudden direction shift seem less, well, sudden.

OF will ban users from uploading photos and videos of "sexually explicit conduct" as of October 1st. Nudity will apparently still be allowed, as long as creators stick by OnlyFans' Acceptable Use Policy.

Could the site suffer a similar fate to Tumblr? When that social network instituted a ban on adult content, it saw popularity plummet. OnlyFans is a little different in a few ways. The major difference is how it offers a way for creators to directly make money from its audience.

After the company's 20 percent cut, that is.

— Mat Smith

Tesla is working on a humanoid robot

Of course it is!

Tesla
Tesla

While Tesla's AI Day was a relatively dry tour through the company's AI tools and ambitions, there had to be One More Thing. That thing was the Tesla Bot.

Tesla boss Elon Musk said it would be a "friendly" humanoid robot, slow and weak enough for you to outrun and overpower it — just in case the robot uprising.

Musk said the company plans to have a prototype of the Tesla Bot ready by next year. I'm taking bets on which year we'll actually see it.

Continue reading.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 review

The best foldable yet is still a tough sell.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 half folded and set up on a table.
David Imel for Engadget

Ready for a foldable? The Z Flip 3 is a satisfying upgrade from the original, thanks to water resistance and a larger, more useful Cover Display. According to Reviews Editor Cherlynn Low, its $1,000 starting price puts it in the same class as flagships from Apple, Google and Samsung itself, too. However, the Flip 3 is held back by battery life and potential durability issues.

Continue reading.

Watch Apple's latest 'Foundation' trailer, with a giant space elevator

The blockbuster sci-fi series premieres on September 24th.

Apple has offered another look at its latest sci-fi saga, Foundation. The latest trailer doesn't reveal too much about the story — based on a series of Isaac Asimov novels — but it has some impressive visuals, including an elevator that, according to showrunner David S. Goyer, stretches around 26 miles into space.

Continue reading.

'Quake' 4K remaster is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC

Only ten bucks.

QuakeCon may not have happened last year due to the pandemic, but id Software is hoping a Quake remaster might help distract its fans. Out now for $10 on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, the game now has support for widescreen resolutions up to 4K, dynamic lighting and anti-aliasing. Regardless, it still looks like Quake to me.

Continue reading.

'Call of Duty: Vanguard' first look

Taking the series back to WWII

Call of Duty: Vanguard
Sledgehammer Games / Activision

Call of Duty: Vanguard, the next entry in Activision's long-running first-person shooter series, arrives November 5th. Like 2017's Call of Duty: WWII, the studio's previous project as lead developer on the franchise, Vanguard takes the series back to where it all started: the Second World War. According to the game's creators, the game is pitched as a "filmic blockbuster," with characters, set pieces and everything you might expect from a war movie. 

Continue reading.

All the big news you might have missed

'Lower Decks' is an indictment of Abrams and Kurtzman-era Star Trek

Twitter's latest round of updates are about to hit your DMs

Dell's new monitor lineup includes a $350 portable second screen

Facebook took hours to remove livestream of Library of Congress bomb threat suspect

Microsoft announces a $60 wired Xbox Stereo Headset

Cricket customers will get free HBO Max, if they don't mind ads
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