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- Xbox controller update makes it easier to pair with and switch between devices
- Amazon complains Elon Musk's companies don't play by the rules
- Leak reveals Facebook and Ray-Ban's upcoming smart glasses
- US-Canadian gets 11 years for laundering money for a North Korean hacking group
- Animation makes Star Trek finally feel like a lived-in universe
- California passes bill that could improve conditions for Amazon's warehouse workers
- iRobot's latest Roomba can detect pet poop (and if it fails, you'll get a new one)
- 'Star Trek: Picard' takes us to an alternate reality in February 2022
- 'Strange New Worlds' shows off more of its cast on Star Trek Day
- 'Star Trek: Discovery' season four lands on Paramount+ November 18th
- 'Star Trek: Prodigy' hits Paramount+ October 28th
- Google settles lawsuit with ex-employee who claimed firing was in retaliation for organizing
- Watch a star-studded cast try to avoid a comet catastrophe in Netflix's 'Don't Look Up'
- The 2022 Winter NAMM Show has been rescheduled for June
- 'MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries' heads to PS5 and PS4 on September 23rd
- Moog's Model 15 app now works with Ableton Live and other DAWs
- Google Photos will deliver as many prints as you like to your home
- National committee will advise the President on AI competition and ethics
- The final Android 12 beta is here
- Twitter starts rolling out Communities, its dedicated space for groups
- Fake pro-China accounts tried to push Americans to attend anti-racism protests
- Sony buys 'Playroom' and 'The Persistence' developer Firesprite
- Eufy’s SpaceView baby monitor is 22 percent off at Amazon
- Senator Warren urges Amazon to tackle COVID-19 misinformation
- NASA will finally launch the James Webb Space Telescope on December 18th
| Xbox controller update makes it easier to pair with and switch between devices Posted: 09 Sep 2021 03:45 AM PDT Xbox is rolling out a controller firmware update to Insiders, with the biggest new feature being the introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy for supported devices. That will make it easier to pair with and switch from Xbox One consoles to different systems including Windows 10, iOS 15 and Android devices, the company announced. Microsoft has also introduced DLI (Dynamic Latency Input) to reduce console input latency on older controllers. Most of Microsoft's existing Xbox One controllers, including the latest low-latency Xbox Series X model, use Bluetooth for PCs or smartphones, and the Xbox Wireless protocol for Xbox consoles. Up to now, switching between them has been clunky, but with the new firmware, controllers will remember your phone or PC and let you quickly switch over to them from a console. To do that, you'll simply need to double tap the "pair" button. Another key update is DLI, designed to cut the input latency on controllers paired with the latest Xbox Series X/S consoles. The new firmware means that older controller will react as quickly as the latest models that ship with consoles, making gaming more responsive. "We believe it's important to maintain backward compatibility with Xbox accessories people already have in their collection and to ensure we deliver the best gaming experience no matter how you choose to play," the Xbox team wrote in a blog post. Microsoft is testing this feature with Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha Xbox Insiders today, but it should come to all users in the coming months. |
| Amazon complains Elon Musk's companies don't play by the rules Posted: 09 Sep 2021 01:45 AM PDT Amazon's response to SpaceX's FCC filing, which accused the e-commerce giant of trying to delay proposals for its Starlink internet service on purpose, is just as scathing. In an FCC filing of its own, Amazon told the regulator that SpaceX chief Elon Musk tends to ignore rules and government-imposed regulations. The company also said that SpaceX often accuses any company "that dares point out its flouting of laws and regulations" as "anticompetitive." Part of Amazon's filing reads:
As Ars Technica notes, Amazon urged the FCC a couple of weeks ago to reject a proposal from SpaceX regarding the future of its Starlink internet service. Back then, Amazon claimed that SpaceX was proposing "two mutually exclusive configurations" with "very different orbital parameters," which goes against regulations. SpaceX responded that it only proposed two possible configurations in case the one it actually prefers doesn't work out. The Elon Musk-led company then told the FCC that the move is "only the latest in [Amazon's] continuing efforts to slow down competition." If you'll recall, Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin also filed a complaint against NASA with the US Court of Federal Claims over the lunar lander contract it awarded to SpaceX. Blue Origin expected the space agency to award two contracts instead of just one and argued that the selection process was unfair, because it wasn't given the opportunity to revise its bid in the face of a smaller budget than expected. The litigation forced the space agency to put the $2.9 billion project on hold for the second time. When Amazon asked the FCC to reject SpaceX's Starlink proposal, the latter suggested that Amazon, "as it falls behind competitors ... is more than willing to use regulatory and legal processes to create obstacles designed to delay those competitors from leaving [it] even further behind." |
| Leak reveals Facebook and Ray-Ban's upcoming smart glasses Posted: 09 Sep 2021 12:42 AM PDT Facebook and Ray-Ban's previously teased smart glasses will officially launch later today, but pictures of them have leaked out ahead of the announcement. Posted by the prolific Evan "Evleaks" Blass, the images show three separate models, called Ray-Ban Stories, complete with the company's classic frames and a pair of cameras on each side and a button on the top right, possibly used to operate the cameras. The leaks show three of Ray-Ban's classic frame styles including Wayfarer and Round (above), along with Meteor (below). They're plastered with Ray-Ban's logo, but there's no sign of any Facebook branding except on the box. Other items shown are a case, protection bag, charging cable, reference guide and warranty. — Ev (@evleaks) September 9, 2021 The look isn't a huge surprise, as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in July that "the glasses have their iconic form factor, and they let you do some pretty neat things." As it stands now, they appear to be merely camera equipped glasses, much like models from Snap — and in the meantime, Snap has moved on to augmented reality (AR) versions. However, Zuckerberg said the Ray-Ban models are part of a "journey towards full augmented reality glasses in the future." There's still no word on the full capabilities of the glasses, however, so there will still be some element of surprise at the upcoming launch taking place later today. |
| US-Canadian gets 11 years for laundering money for a North Korean hacking group Posted: 09 Sep 2021 12:01 AM PDT A dual US-Canadian national has been sentenced to 140 months in prison for laundering tens of millions of dollars, including funds stolen from a bank by a North Korean hacking group. Ghaleb Alaumary from Mississauga, Ontario pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to the US Department of Justice, Alaumary used spoofed emails to trick a university in Canada in the first case. The emails, which looked like they were from a construction company working on a major building project for the university, asked for payment amounting to US$9.4 million. After the university wired the money to accounts controlled by Alaumary and his co-conspirators, he worked with various people across the US and elsewhere to launder the funds through various financial institutions. He also had people impersonating wealthy bankers go to Texas to get personally identifiable information from victims and then use that to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from their accounts. The second case is wider in scope and involves receiving funds from cyber-heists and fraud schemes. Those funds include money from a North Korean-perpetrated cyber-heist on a Maltese bank in 2019. He also received funds stolen from banks in India and Pakistan, companies in the United States and the UK, individuals in the US and a professional soccer club in the UK. Alaumary laundered the funds he received via cash withdrawals, wire transfers and cryptocurrency purchases. Acting US Attorney David H. Estes for the Southern District of Georgia said in a statement:
In addition to being sentenced for more than 11 years in prison, Alaumary was also ordered to pay $30 million in restitution to victims. |
| Animation makes Star Trek finally feel like a lived-in universe Posted: 09 Sep 2021 12:01 AM PDT The following contains spoilers for season two, episode five of 'Star Trek: Lower Decks.' For a franchise that's ostensibly about exploring, Star Trek has always been limited in how much of the galaxy it could actually show. Most of the alien species that Starfleet encountered were "humanoid" (i.e., actors with makeup and prosthetics stuck on their face). Away missions spent a lot of time in small villages that all looked alike because they were the same basic set redressed again and again. But with the franchise's recent push into animation, the creators of Lower Decks and the upcoming Prodigy needn't be limited by technology or budget; they showcase life in a universe we've heard about but only seen the barest glimpses of. CBS This week's Lower Decks is a great example of the power of animation to illustrate the writers' dreams as most of the episode takes place on Starbase 25, where Starfleet is holding a party for some of its top crews. Captain Freeman hopes to attend with her senior staff, but first they have to finish delivering a Doopler delegate with an annoying tendency to duplicate when he's upset. Because this is the USS Cerritos, things get out of control and he ends up overrunning the ship with clones. It's the kind of cartoonish scenario that's easier done in animated form, instead of having to build a phalanx of CG models to interact with live actors. CBS But the real advantage to Lower Decks being an animated show comes in the A-plot of Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler heading down to the station to sneak in the party themselves (thanks to an unclaimed invite sent to Brad's clone William). Most starbases we've seen were rather dark and cramped on the inside, with Deep Space Nine an exception due to the station being the entire setting of its show. Places like Starbase Earheart would get one or two rooms at best, with a handful of actors in makeup and costume milling about in the background. CBS In "An Embarrassment of Dooplers," our first view of Starbase 25's interior is a spacious promenade with large overhead windows and neon signage everywhere. There are plenty of aliens to be seen, including Andorians, Bajorans and Klingons. Boimler's first comment is how it's "like a whole city," and that he's never been on a station "this old," perhaps a bit of lamp shading for the fact that most of the bases we've seen carried much higher numerical designations. As long as it's been around, Starbase 25 has had time to develop into something more than just a lonely outpost manned by a two person crew. CBS It's even developed its own black market, which is how Boimler and Mariner end up on a buggy chase throughout the station, charging through a casino, barber shop and men's clothing store. They pass by rows of shops and dozens of people (including a cameo by executive producer Alex Kurtzman). It feels like an actual lived-in place, down to the angry avian couple sitting at home on their couch. If that wasn't enough, Mariner even adds a bit of local color to a few of the locations, mentioning going on a date there once, and describing the location of a Quark's Bar as a former empty lot where teens used to make bad choices. While a throwaway gag, that line feels like it could be a reference to the upcoming Nickelodeon show Star Trek: Prodigy, which features a bunch of teens piloting an abandoned Starfleet vessel. CBS Science fiction has always been a bit of a sterile place; the original Star Wars films had no human children in them, with places like Cloud City always feeling a bit underpopulated. It took the special editions and the prequels to add a bit of cultural texture to that galaxy far, far away. The Next Generation added children to the ship for a little bit of family drama, but there was still a sense that there wasn't much beyond Starfleet. Even as newer shows like Discovery and Picard can show more thanks to bigger budgets and better CG, everything still feels rather isolated: Picard retired to his vineyard, Riker's family lives in a cabin in the woods and Michael Burnham ends up at an Orion work camp. Contrast that to our view of the Orion home planet in "We'll Always Have Tom Paris," where we get a little tour of the city and learn some things about Tendi in the process. CBS Starbase 25 ends up providing some crucial character development for Mariner and Boimler as well, who end up reconciling in a bar once frequented by Kirk and Spock. It's a nice way to connect the adventures of the Cerritos to the more famous Enterprise, but also a reminder that ultimately all of our heroes are people. Individuals who explore the galaxy and serve on ships and attend diplomatic conferences, but also who, like us, drink and fight and get thrown out of parties. |
| California passes bill that could improve conditions for Amazon's warehouse workers Posted: 08 Sep 2021 10:40 PM PDT California's state senate has passed AB-701 — a bill that aims to regulate warehouse productivity quotas. It will require companies to give government agencies detailed descriptions of the targets workers are expected to meet, along with the repercussions of missing them. If it becomes law, it would also prohibit quotas that force workers to skip safety techniques or anything that prevents them from having state-mandated meal or toilet breaks. While AB-701 covers all warehouse owners, its proponents targeted Amazon, in particular. The bill's author, California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, said that she and the bill's other backers are "absolutely targeting the practices of Amazon that are being picked up... by other retailers. Amazon drew flak after workers spoke out about the enormous productivity expectations they have to meet, forcing them to skip breaks to be able to keep up. Further, because they're expected to move as fast as the machines they're working with, repetitive strain injuries are a huge issue. As Financial Times notes, Amazon's rate of injury is more than double that of the national warehousing industry average, based on figures submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Eric Frumin, director of health and safety for the Strategic Organizing Center, told the publication: "If Amazon complies with the law, workers will now have an unparalleled ability to fight back against abusive workloads." AB-701 passed despite fierce opposition from business and trade groups. Rachel Michelin, the president of the California Retailers Association, warned that consumers will pay the price if it becomes a law, as it would apparently increase manufacturing, storage and distribution costs. Meanwhile, the bill's supporters believe there's more to be done, especially since they had to remove some provisions to get those on the fence to vote for it. One of the provisions they killed would require Cal/OSHA to create a rule aiming to minimize musculoskeletal injuries among workers. The bill is pending final approval this week in the Assembly, which is usually just a formality. After that, it's in the hands of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who can either sign it into law or veto it. |
| iRobot's latest Roomba can detect pet poop (and if it fails, you'll get a new one) Posted: 08 Sep 2021 09:01 PM PDT Over the past two decades, iRobot has steadily evolved its Roombas from being fairly dumb robotic dirt suckers to devices that are smart enough to unload their own bins. Now with the $849 Roomba j7+, the company is ready to take on its greatest challenge yet: Pet poop. It's iRobot's first vacuum that can recognize and avoid obstacles, like cables or a pile of clothes, in real-time. And for pet owners, that could finally be reason to adopt a robot vacuum. After all, you can't exactly trust your bot to clean up while you're away if they could run into surprises from your furry friends. That's a disaster that could lead to poop being spread around your home, not to mention gumming up your expensive bot. To alleviate that concern, iRobot is making a Pet Owner Official Promise (yes, P.O.O.P.): If your j7+ runs into poop within your first year of ownership, the company will replace your vacuum. That should go a long way towards making pet parents feel more comfortable with a Roomba. (It would be nice to see that offer extended beyond just one year, though.) While the j7+ is technically the smartest Roomba yet, it's not the company's most powerful cleaner. That honor still belongs to the $1,299 s9+. This new model is basically the Roomba i7+ with a more powerful camera, better sensors and far more processing power. It can also automatically empty its bin into a redesigned Clean Base, which is shorter and sleeker than the previous models we've seen. Now you should be able tuck it into an inobtrusive corner, or under a table, instead of dedicating floorspace to a tall iRobot monolith. With its "PrecisionVision Navigation" — iRobot's marketing term for AI-driven computer vision — the j7+ can detect specific objects, as well as alert you to obstalces in the iRobot app after a cleaning job. You can label them as permanent or temporary obstructions, which helps the vacuum learn how to deal with similar issues in the future. If there's a pile of cords that will always be in one corner, the j7+ will just stop cleaning around that area for good. But if it's just a headphone cord that you've dropped onto the floor, the robot can give that area another go on future jobs. And since it can actually see and interpret your rooms, the j7+ will also be able to clean more gently along walls and furniture. As it's relying on computer vision, iRobot had to train new models to help the j7+ recognize objects from floor level (there aren't too many other devices with a camera down there). At this point, CEO Colin Angle tells us that it can recognize and a pair of corded headphones on the ground, but eventually it'll handle shoes and socks as well. When it comes to recognizing pet poop, the company captured photos using playdough models, as well as images from employees, to build what's surely one of the most unique machine learning models around. iRobot plans to bring the j7+'s sensors to future models, Angle says, but it wanted to introduce them in something more people could buy. As much as I like the pricey s9+, it's not a wise purchase when there are cheaper self-cleaning Roombas around. iRobot The j7+ is powered by iRobot's new Genius 3.0 software, which will also roll out to the rest of the company's connected vacuums. That builds on the features introduced last year — which includes a better mobile app, smarter scheduling and routine triggers — by adding cleaning time estimates, as well as the ability to automatically clean while you're away. The new OS smarts will also let Roombas automatically suggest room labels as they map out your home. And if you send you intrepid bot to clean one room, it'll be able to move throughout your home quietly until it reaches the work zone. While I haven't tried out the j7+ yet, it's clear that iRobot is targeting a persistent issue with robot vacuums: trust. Early Roombas required plenty of babysitting, otherwise they could easily get stuck or jammed. These days, I habitually clear out my floors before I start a vacuum run, because even newer models can get into trouble. If iRobot can actually develop a vacuum bot that can deal with obstacles on its own, it may finally have the ideal device for people who hate cleaning. At the very least, it'd be nice to have something I can trust to avoid my cat's poop. |
| 'Star Trek: Picard' takes us to an alternate reality in February 2022 Posted: 08 Sep 2021 08:41 PM PDT The first season of Picard picked up many years after the destruction of Romulus with a much darker, more depressing Federation. But just when things were starting to look better, it's about to get a lot worse in season two thanks to the machinations of Q. A fascist regime is now in control of Earth's history and it's up to retired Admiral Picard and the crew of La Sirena to travel back in time to stop this dystopic reality from coming into fruition. This new Picard storyline will premiere in February 2022 on Paramount+ — likely right after Star Trek: Discovery finishes up its fourth season on the service. Picard has also been greenlit for a third season, now in pre-production. |
| 'Strange New Worlds' shows off more of its cast on Star Trek Day Posted: 08 Sep 2021 07:09 PM PDT Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is both a prequel and a spinoff, depicting the adventures of the original USS Enterprise before James Kirk assumed command. It features the return of Anson Mount as Captain Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Spock, all reprising their roles from Discovery. The cast will be filled out by new actors playing other characters from the original series, with Celia Rose Gooding as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel and Babs Olusanmokun as Doctor M'Benga. Unlike Discovery, however, Strange New Worlds is intended to be more episodic, with standalone installments similar to TOS and TNG. New characters also joining the cast include Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-Singh, Melissa Navia as Lieutenant Erica Ortegas and Bruce Horak as Hemmer. No premiere date has been given yet, but it's likely to debut after Prodigy, Discovery and Picard finish their upcoming seasons. You can watch the Star Trek Day panels on YouTube, while you'll need a subscription to Paramount+ to watch Strange New Worlds when it premieres next year. |
| 'Star Trek: Discovery' season four lands on Paramount+ November 18th Posted: 08 Sep 2021 06:44 PM PDT Between fighting a war with the Klingons, traveling to the Mirror Universe and jumping forward in time 900 years, the USS Discovery hasn't done a lot of actual exploring in its first three seasons. That'll hopefully change in its fourth year with Michael Burnham in the captain's chair when the season premiere drops on Paramount+ November 18th. No new footage was shown during tonight's Star Trek Day event, but interviews with some of the cast hinted at an increased role for Hugh Culber, as well as the return of fan-favorite Saru. You can watch the Star Trek Day event on YouTube, while you'll need a subscription to Paramount+ in the US to watch Discovery when it arrives later this fall. |
| 'Star Trek: Prodigy' hits Paramount+ October 28th Posted: 08 Sep 2021 06:14 PM PDT Today marks 55 years since Star Trek debuted on TV way back in 1966, so Paramount+ threw a huge party to celebrate, as well as to reveal a few tidbits about new shows and upcoming seasons. First up was the Nickelodeon Studios cartoon, Prodigy. We got our first full trailer, along with the date it will hit the streaming service next month. The show is about a bunch of wayward teens who find an abandoned Starfleet vessel, the USS Protostar, hidden underground on a distant planet. They don't know how it got there or what to do with it, but luckily a hologram of Voyager's erstwhile captain is there to guide them. Voice actors include Dee Bradley Baker and John Noble, as well as the return of Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway. You can watch the Star Trek Day panels on YouTube, while you'll need a subscription to Paramount+ to watch Prodigy when it drops later this fall. |
| Google settles lawsuit with ex-employee who claimed firing was in retaliation for organizing Posted: 08 Sep 2021 04:13 PM PDT In 2019, Google parent, Alphabet Inc, terminated the employment of two software engineers, Laurence Berland and Rebecca Rivers, in a move that sparked company-wide protests and accusations of retaliation for the pair's efforts to organize their workplace. On Wednesday the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced that it had approved a proposed settlement between the company and Berland. While neither Berland's legal council nor Alphabet could be reached for comment, Bloomberg notes that this agreement does not impact the NLRB's continuing investigation into Alphabet's alleged firing of other employees who protested the company's coordination with US Customs and Border Patrol, which is currently being argued in a San Francisco courtroom. Per previous testimony in Berland's case, Alphabet argued that the firings were due directed at those "who abused their privileged access to internal systems, such as our security tools or colleagues' calendars." Berland, in his defense, countered that "I told them that I accessed the calendars because I was concerned that our rights were being violated."
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| Watch a star-studded cast try to avoid a comet catastrophe in Netflix's 'Don't Look Up' Posted: 08 Sep 2021 02:30 PM PDT Netflix promised a big movie every week in 2021, and it's clearly determined to end the year with its most ostentatious movie yet. The streaming service has posted a teaser trailer for Don't Look Up, a satire where "star-studded cast" is an understatement. The movie stars Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio as a grad student and professor who try desperately to warn the public of a life-ending comet in an era where 24-hour news and social media lead to gnat-like attention spans. Those two are just the start of the headliners, though — seemingly everyone involved is a big name. Meryl Streep is the President and counts Jonah Hill as her son, while Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry host a relentlessly optimistic morning show. The flick also features Ron Perlman, Mark Rylance, Dune's Timothée Chalamet and even two pop stars (Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi), among others. The Big Short's Adam McKay directed and wrote the title. Don't Look Up reaches Netflix on December 24th, but it's arriving in "select" theaters on December 10th. The company is clearly hoping for more Oscars glory given that timing. Not that Netflix will need critical praise. The film-a-week strategy has revolved around enticing viewers with star power, even in "dead" months like January — any statuettes from late-2021 releases are just a bonus. |
| The 2022 Winter NAMM Show has been rescheduled for June Posted: 08 Sep 2021 01:55 PM PDT The National Association of Music Merchants has delayed the 2022 Winter NAMM Show. The annual event, which didn't go forward as an in-person gathering in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, will now take place between June 3rd and 5th, instead of January 20th and 23rd as previously announced. The trade show will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The change in date means there won't be separate NAMM Summer and Winter events. Instead, they'll be the one event, known as The NAMM Show, that will combine the best of both conferences. NAMM says it's postponing Winter NAMM due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to account for new product developments and launches. "As the health and safety of our members remains top of mind, and after carefully listening to companies here in the US and around the world, the new dates will help members maximize their opportunity and accelerate what has arguably been a transformative time both in new products and in how they come to market," Joe Lamond, the CEO and president of NAMM, said. Much like in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has forced many event organizers to change their 2021 plans. In August, for instance, the New York Auto Show was canceled. More recently, Riot Games announced it was moving the 2021 League of Legends World Championship from China to Europe due to travel restrictions. |
| 'MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries' heads to PS5 and PS4 on September 23rd Posted: 08 Sep 2021 12:29 PM PDT Piranha Games is bringing MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries to Sony consoles. The studio will release the game and its Heroes of the Inner Sphere expansion to PlayStation 4 and PS5 on September 23rd, it announced on Wednesday over on the PlayStation Blog. The release marks a significant milestone for the franchise. The last time you could play a BattleTech game on a PlayStation console was back in 1997 when Activision released MechWarrior 2: Arcade Combat Edition on PSone. In addition to a handful of PlayStation-specific features, including support for the adaptive triggers on Sony's DualSense controller, the PS4 and PS5 release will feature all the previously released enhancements for MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. That means you'll be able to play the game with people on other platforms and check out the DLC campaign if you join a co-op match hosted by someone who owns the expansion. |
| Moog's Model 15 app now works with Ableton Live and other DAWs Posted: 08 Sep 2021 11:40 AM PDT Back in January, Moog updated its Model 15 app to support Macs running Big Sur, marking the first time one of the company's soft synths had come to desktop. It was a significant step forward in terms of accessibility. However, the synth ran as an Audio Unit v3 plugin, meaning you couldn't use it in conjunction with non-Apple digital audio workstations like Abelton. That's changing today with the Model 15 app now available within a VST wrapper. Short for Virtual Studio Technology, VST is the most widely supported standard for DAW synthesizer and effect unit plugins. As such, you're no longer limited to GarageBand, Logic and MainStage if you want to dabble with the modular synth. Unfortunately, if you're a Windows user, you still can't install the software on your computer. You will have to look to either Moog's iOS app or one of the many other modular synths you can download online. |
| Google Photos will deliver as many prints as you like to your home Posted: 08 Sep 2021 11:15 AM PDT Google is expanding its printing options for Photos, including more flexibility for ordering prints to your home. Until now, the only way to get prints of your images directly from Google was to use the AI-driven premium print service, which can automatically select 10 of your best images each month and send them to you. Otherwise, you'd have to pick them up from a CVS, Walgreens or Walmart. Now, though, you can order and receive as many prints as you want at your casa. In addition, there are more size options for Google Photos prints and canvases. Along with the previous 4x6-inch, 5x7 and 8x10 formats, Google can now print and send your photos in 11x14, 12x18, 16x20 and 20x30. It will add more canvas sizes in the next few weeks as well. You'll be able to order canvases in 8x10, 16x16, 20x30, 24x36, 30x40 and 36x36. |
| National committee will advise the President on AI competition and ethics Posted: 08 Sep 2021 10:24 AM PDT The Biden administration's focus on science will include a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence. The Commerce Department, National AI Initiative Office and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy are forming a National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC) to advise the President and federal officials on AI-related issues. NAIAC will provide guidance on several AI concerns, including "competitiveness," employment, scientific progress, the viability of national strategy and future initiative revisions. The committee will also address ethical issues ranging from workforce equity to accountability and algorithmic bias. Members will come from a "broad and interdisciplinary" pool including academics, companies, non-profits and federal labs. They'll be accepted on a continuous basis, with any eventual vacancies filled as they pop up. This isn't the first major organization influencing the US government's use of AI. The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence has been urging officials to treat AI as a major concern. Members of Congress have also been pushing for greater adoption of AI in government. However, NAIAC could make AI a frequent consideration in government policy, not to mention shape AI-specific policies. Whether or not the committee satisfies enough people is another matter. Some in Congress want hard limits on the use of AI, including a Democrat call for an outright ban on facial recognition in federal government. It should still lead to more informed decisions on AI — it's just uncertain whether or not those decisions will include all the right voices. |
| The final Android 12 beta is here Posted: 08 Sep 2021 10:00 AM PDT You have one last chance to try Android 12 before its official debut. Google has released the fifth and final beta for Pixel phones (including the Pixel 5a) and several third-party devices, giving you one more look before the finished version arrives. Beta 5 is a release candidate build with the usual last-minute fixes and performance improvements, so don't expect major changes from beta 4 or even beta 3. The completed software is due sometime in the "weeks ahead," Google said. If history is any indication, only Pixel owners will get Android 12 first — you'll have to wait for third parties to customize and deploy their releases in the months to come. The Material You design scheme remains the most conspicuous change in Android 12, including an overall interface refresh, more fluid animations as well as color themes that adapt to your wallpaper. You'll also see more privacy features, including a dedicated Privacy Dashboard as well as toggles and in-use indicators for cameras and microphones. There are subtler under-the-hood improvements, too, such as camera-based auto-rotation and an on-device search engine that helps find content within your apps. This isn't a gigantic leap in some respects, but it could help revitalize Android if you've felt that previous releases were a little stale. |
| Twitter starts rolling out Communities, its dedicated space for groups Posted: 08 Sep 2021 10:00 AM PDT After 15 years, Twitter is getting dedicated features for groups. The company is now starting to test Communities, "a more intimate space for conversations" on the platform. Communities, which the company first teased back in February, are sort of like Twitter's version of a subreddit or a public-facing group on Facebook. Communities are dedicated to specific topics, and members can post tweets to a dedicated group timeline. Each community has its own moderators who set rules for the group, and users must be invited by an existing member or moderator to participate. The feature is meant to address what's been a long-running issue for the platform: that it can be incredibly difficult for new users to wade through the noise and find the corner of Twitter that speaks to their interests. The company has tried to address this with Topics, which injects tweets into your timeline based on your interests, but Communities takes the idea a step further. Twitter Twitter notes that some of its first Communities will focus on popular topics like skincare, astrology, sneakers and dogs, but that over time it expects the groups to reflect the more "niche discussions" that happen on the platform. For now, Twitter is starting with just a handful of Communities, though moderators and members are able to invite anyone to join. The company says it plans to open up the feature for more users to create Communities in the "coming months." Notably, Twitter seems to be trying to avoid some of the issues that have plagued Facebook's Groups. All Communities are publicly accessible and viewable by anyone on the platform —there's no such thing as a private or "secret" Community — though only members can participate in the discussion directly. Like Reddit and Facebook, Twitter will also rely on admins and moderators to steer the day-to-day conversations and keep members in check. The company is also working on new reporting and detection features to weed out "potentially problematic" groups that may spring up. Though the company is calling the feature a test, Twitter seems to be quite serious about its potential. Communities is getting its own tab in the center of Twitter's app, between explore and notifications, which suggests the company plans for Communities to be a prominent feature of its platform for the long term. |
| Fake pro-China accounts tried to push Americans to attend anti-racism protests Posted: 08 Sep 2021 09:40 AM PDT On Wednesday, security researchers from Google and cybersecurity firm Mandiant disclosed that a network of fake pro-China social media accounts tried to mobilize Americans to attend anti-racism protests in response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to a report the two organizations published, the network "did not appear to achieve any success," but in one instance it tried to push Asian-Americans to attend an April 24th protest that sought to "fight back" against claims the virus was engineered in a Chinese lab. They did not directly attribute the campaign to the Chinese government. However, John Hultquist, vice president of analysis at Mandiant, told The Wall Street Journal the operation was "almost certainly supported by a government sponsor, either directly through a government agency or a third-party contractor." Additionally, the scale of the campaign suggests the network had significant resources at its disposal. Researchers say the campaign may suggest an intention to motivate real-world action outside of the borders of China. At the very least, the scope of the activity is far broader than previous efforts this network has conducted. In 2019, it was linked to efforts to discredit the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. This time around, they did not limit their efforts merely to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Instead, they cast a wide net, creating accounts across more than 30 social media platforms and 40 additional websites and "niche" forums, including places like LiveJournal and Vimeo. They also tried to reach a global audience by posting in Russian, German, Spanish, Korean and Japanese, in addition to Chinese and English. "Over the past two years, we have seen this threat actor evolve, from the types of content they publish to the tactics they use to amplify it. However, the most significant features of this network remain its scale and persistence, in spite of low engagement levels," Shane Huntley, the director of Google's Threat Analysis Group, told Engadget. "... We anticipate they will continue to experiment to drive higher engagement and encourage others in the community to continue tracking this actor, shedding light on their operations and taking action against them." |
| Sony buys 'Playroom' and 'The Persistence' developer Firesprite Posted: 08 Sep 2021 08:55 AM PDT Sony has added another developer to its growing stable at PlayStation Studios. Firesprite, which is behind The Playroom and The Playroom VR, has become the company's 14th studio. "Firesprite is a creative and ambitious studio that is exceptional at building incredible experiences that truly showcase the potential of our hardware," PlayStation Studios chief Hermen Hulst wrote in a blog post. "The team's technical and creative capabilities will be paramount to growing our stellar catalogue of exclusive games, and I think you'll be excited for what's to come." Several developers will be returning to Sony as part of the deal. Hulst noted that "quite a few members of Firesprite," including all of the founding team, came from Wipeout developer Studio Liverpool. Sony bought that studio in 1993, when it was known as Psygnosis, but shut it down in 2012. Sony and Firesprite have been working together more or less since the latter was formed that same year. Firssprite teamed up with Team Asobi on The Playroom, a 2013 collection of augmented reality minigames designed to show off the PlayStation Camera's capabilities. Its most recent game is The Persistence, a survival horror title that hit consoles and PC last year after debuting on PlayStation VR. The Firesprite team is working on something new, but it's not entirely clear what. Other than The Playroom and Vita and mobile title Run Sackboy! Run!, all of the studio's games have had a virtual reality aspect. Given Hulst's comments and that Sony's working on a second-gen PS VR headset, it wouldn't be a huge surprise to learn Firesprite's next game is for that platform. |
| Eufy’s SpaceView baby monitor is 22 percent off at Amazon Posted: 08 Sep 2021 08:04 AM PDT If you're in the market for a baby monitor, now would be a good time to snap up a Eufy Spaceview set. The company has discounted its popular single-camera kit to $125 — just clip the on-page coupon for $15 off and use the code eufybbm20 at checkout to get the sale price. Buy Eufy SpaceView baby monitor at Amazon - $125That'll get you the 720p HD camera plus the 5-inch 720p display. The camera has night vision and can pan 330 degrees and tilt 110 degrees so you can see your entire nursery. The default field of view is 50 degrees, but the kit comes with an additional 110-degree lens that you can install when your little one starts exploring. While the SpaceView camera doesn't support WiFi, that's not a bad thing. Instead, it uses a FHSS connection to let you check out your kiddo's activities securely in real-time, regardless of if your home's internet is a bit spotty. The set-up supports a range of up to 1,000 feet so you can check in on them from anywhere in the house, and the 2,900mAh battery runs for 15-hours so the display won't run out of juice overnight. It will also provide you with sound alerts and two way audio, and since it's not connected to WiFi, you don't have to worry about anyone hacking into it. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. |
| Senator Warren urges Amazon to tackle COVID-19 misinformation Posted: 08 Sep 2021 08:00 AM PDT A month before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the West in March 2020, Amazon pledged to remove products that claimed to cure the coronavirus. However, items that promote misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines are still appearing in search results on the Amazon storefront, according to Senator Elizabeth Warren. The senator's staff found that searches for terms including "COVID-19," "COVID," "vaccine," "COVID-19 vaccine" and "pandemic" led to results such as books peddling "falsehoods about COVID-19 vaccines and cures," including at least one that Amazon tagged as a best seller. Engadget was able to replicate some of the search results Warren flagged. In a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, which was spotted by CNBC, Warren urged the company to review Amazon's algorithms. She called on Jassy to, within 14 days, detail a plan to modify the algorithms so they no longer turn up products that include COVID-19 misinformation, and to release a public report on "the extent to which Amazon's algorithms are directing consumers" to such items at the moment. In addition, Warren sought clarification on Amazon's current policies about those products and what the company has done to tackle the spread of false information. She also wants to know more details about the best-seller tag, and why books containing COVID-19 misinformation are being awarded the label. Warren acknowledged that Amazon has provided its users with resources for accurate information about COVID-19, including prominent links to the Food and Drug Administration website. Her staff see any instances of Amazon displaying sponsored search results for pandemic-related terms either. However, she said her team's findings were otherwise "deeply troubling." "As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, Amazon is feeding misinformation loops through its search and 'Best Seller' algorithms, potentially leading countless Americans to risk their health and the health of their neighbors based on misleading and inaccurate information that they discover on Amazon's website," Warren wrote. Engadget has contacted Amazon for comment. Every major online platform has struggled to keep a lid on COVID-19 misinformation. Most have prohibited users from peddling mistruths and suspended or banned many accounts that broke the rules. |
| NASA will finally launch the James Webb Space Telescope on December 18th Posted: 08 Sep 2021 07:51 AM PDT NASA's long-delayed James Webb Space Telescope is close to entering service. The agency now plans to launch the telescope on December 18th, 2021, just a few months after testing completed in late August. The hardware will reach orbit aboard an ESA-supplied Ariane 5 rocket lifting off from French Guiana. NASA still has to ship the telescope to the launchpad, although much of the rocket has already arrived. The JWST was deemed complete in 2016 ahead of an expected 2018 launch, but faced a number of delays due to its elaborate construction. It wasn't assembled until 2019, and factors like the COVID-19 pandemic further hindered NASA's efforts. That's not including earlier setbacks — development started in 1996 with an expected 2007 deployment, but the team scrapped much of its work and redesigned the equipment in 2005. The telescope's importance hasn't changed. It's considered the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It includes a much larger mirror along with a focus on lower-frequency observations (particularly mid-infrared) that will help it detect early galaxies that even Hubble can't find. That priority also helps explain some of its technical challenges. The JWST's instruments will need to stay extremely cold (-370F) to avoid interference with infrared measurements, requiring both a large sunshield and an insertion near a Sun-Earth Lagrange point. The mission will be relatively short. As the JWST needs propellant to maintain orbit, it can't last indefinitely like a telescope circling Earth. NASA would consider a five-year lifespan "nominal," although it's hoping for 10 years. All the effort might just pay off. In addition to shedding more light on the early Universe, the JWST should also help astronomers and astrophysicists fill gaps in studies where Hubble wasn't enough. Infrared waves are more likely to cut through cosmic dust, and they're the primary radiation from cooler celestial bodies like brown dwarfs and planets. There's a very real chance the JWST will help solve a string of cosmic mysteries during its brief lifetime. |
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