Thursday, October 21, 2021

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The Morning After: Will Facebook change its name?

Posted: 21 Oct 2021 04:15 AM PDT

So, will Facebook pull the trigger and change its name? Maybe it's an attempt to dominate the conversation around the, ugh, metaverse, which has been around for years, perhaps to follow Google's own reorganization around Alphabet or to simply create some distance from all the negative publicity, sentiment and impressions that Facebook is now associated with.

If the change is metaverse related, it could be very important to the company's unreleased social virtual reality world called Horizon Worlds.

The funniest take I've seen, from Time's Alex Fitzpatrick, is that Facebook is doing it just to meddle with people that write about the company, like how we remind readers that Google is now just a facet of the bigger Alphabet entity, a bullet point that we sometimes have to mention.

— Mat Smith

Is Apple's M1 Max really the fastest laptop chip ever?

Apple is making some big promises with its new Macbook Pro chips

The Morning After
Apple

This week's Upscaled show is all about Apple's promises with its newest chips. The new M1 Pro and M1 Max bump the core count to eight high-performance and two low-power cores and add 16, 24 or 32 GPU cores. With twice the high-performance CPUs and up to four times the GPU cores as the original M1, these chips should be incredibly fast. Could Apple offer a compelling laptop option for gamers?

Continue reading.

Netflix CEO says he 'screwed up' on Dave Chappelle as employees stage walk out

But Ed Sarandos continues to stand by the Chappelle special.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said he "screwed up" communication with employees following backlash over Dave Chappelle's The Closer, according to a report from Variety.

He also stood by the show, saying the company heavily values "artistic expression." His comments come just ahead of a planned walkout today organized by LGBTQ+ staffers, creatives and allies.

As part of the walkout, employees will reportedly have a list of demands for Netflix, and Sarandos has been meeting them to hear their views. He said that while the company is "deeply committed to inclusion," it's equally committed to "supporting artistic freedom with the creators who work at Netflix."

Continue reading.

Some Windows 11 users can start testing Android apps

Only a handful of apps will be available at first.

The Morning After
Engadget

Microsoft has released an Insider Preview beta that enables the Amazon Appstore and support for running Android apps within Windows. Only 50 apps are available as part of the initial test (such as the Kindle app, Lords Mobile and Lego Duplo World), but Microsoft is promising more in the "coming months."

The aim, as before, is to make Android apps feel like they belong in Windows 11. You can multitask, check notifications and use Windows accessibility features. Mouse and keyboard input is available, but many apps will predictably benefit from a touchscreen.

Continue reading.

DJI's new cinema camera has a built-in gimbal and LiDAR focus system

The LiDAR should offer 'sharper, faster and more reliable focusing.'

DJI
DJI

DJI has revealed the Ronin 4D, a new cinema camera system with a built-in 4-axis gimbal, 8K resolution and LiDAR rangefinder that promises "sharper, faster and more reliable focusing." With a price starting at $7,199, it's clearly aimed at the professionals, but we can all dream, right?

The Zenmuse X9 camera is exclusively for the Ronin 4D. It's available either in a 6K model that can handle 6K at 60 fps and 4K at 120 fps, and there's the 8K 75 fps version. It can capture files in RAW, ProRes or H.264, allowing maximum flexibility in production. DJI claims 14 stops of dynamic range, and it should be good in low-light thanks to the dual-native 800/5000 ISO.

Continue reading.

'Cyberpunk 2077' PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrades delayed until 2022

CDPR also postponed its upgraded version of 'The Witcher 3.'

Despite CD Projekt Red insisting at the beginning of September it was still on track to release the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Cyberpunk 2077 by the end of the year, that's no longer the case. The developer now plans to ship the console and PC upgrades for the same game in the first quarter of 2022 (i.e. by the end of March).

In its financial report for the first half of 2021, CDPR included a chart suggesting that around a third of its development staff was working on Cyberpunk 2077 support and the current-gen version as of June 30th.

Continue reading.

The biggest news stories you might have missed

Netflix says 142 million households watched Korean series 'Squid Game'

'God of War' heads to PC on January 14th

Razer reveals new mics for pro and casual streamers

PayPal might buy Pinterest

The Talli Baby tracker is a one-touch system for logging kids' activities

Engadget Deals: The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is $200 off at Amazon right now

Amazon adds 60 more stations to its Fire TV local news app

Apple will require unvaccinated employees to test for COVID-19 daily

Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:33 AM PDT

Apple has yet to issue a mandate similar to Google's that would require all employees to be vaccinated, but it's tightening its COVID-19 protocols nonetheless. According to Bloomberg, the tech giant will start requiring all unvaccinated corporate employees to be tested for COVID-19 every time they have to work in the office instead of working from home. Back in September, Bloombergreported that Apple asked employees to share their vaccination status voluntarily. Those who refuse to share their vaccine status will also have to undergo daily testing, while vaccinated office workers will only have to do rapid testing once a week. 

The company's retail store employees, however, won't be subjected to daily tests despite having consumer-facing jobs. Unvaccinated staff members are required to be tested twice a week. Like Apple's office workers, vaccinated staff will only have to undergo weekly rapid testing. It's unclear if the tech giant will ever issue a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, but the Biden administration previously gave all federal contractors a December 8th deadline to require all their employees to be inoculated against the virus. As Bloomberg notes, Apple sells products to the US government.

For now, Apple has reportedly given employees an October 24th deadline to report and show proof of their vaccination status, so it could implement the new rules starting on November 1st. Unvaccinated employees will have to pick-up at-home rapid tests from Apple offices and stores, do the test themselves and then report their results through an internal app.

Trump plans to launch his own social media platform in early 2022

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 11:14 PM PDT

Former President Donald Trump has officially revealed that he's launching his own social media in 2022, a few months after his aide toldFox News about his plans. He's calling it TRUTH Social, and the platform is apparently part of his camp's efforts to fight back against "the Big Tech companies of Silicon Valley, which have used their unilateral power to silence opposing voices in America."

Some of Trump's supporters believe that social networks are biased against conservative voices — in 2018, a group even sued Twitter, Facebook and Google, accusing them of breaking antitrust laws and violating their First Amendment rights by conspiring to suppress conservative viewpoints. The case was tossed out of court a few times. According to a New York University research published earlier this year, there's no evidence of conservative bias on the world's most popular social networks. There was even an Instagram bug in the months leading to the US Presidential Elections that favored Trump content over Biden's.

It is true, however, that Facebook and Twitter banned Trump from their platforms following the January 6th US Capitol riots. Twitter determined that his tweets at that time violated its policies. According to the website, his tweets (which you can view in an archive) "must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President's statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence..."

Earlier this month, Trump sued to get his Twitter account back, arguing that the ban violates his First Amendment rights. Indeed, his ban on the website gets a special mention in TRUTH Social's announcement. He said in a statement: "We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced."

TRUTH Social will have a beta launch in November for invited guests. Trump and his team are expecting to roll it out nationwide in the first quarter of 2022.

The Boring Company gets approval for Las Vegas public transportation system

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 03:32 PM PDT

On Wednesday, Clark County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve plans for The Boring Company's Vegas Loop system. With the decision, the Elon Musk venture moves one step closer to the day when it can start digging the 29 miles of tunnel that will make up the project. Once complete, the 51-station network will connect various hotels and other destinations between Allegiant Stadium and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The company now needs to obtain the necessary permits before it can start excavating.

Boring President Steve Davis Told the Las Vegas Review the company will build the system in phases. Once it completes work on an individual station, it will open immediately. Boring hopes to build five to 10 stations within the first six months of the project, and then between 15 and 20 every year thereafter. The goal is to finish construction within three years.

The Boring Company is making some ambitious claims about how efficient the Vegas Loop will be once it's complete. Davis said the network will move approximately 57,000 riders per hour. He also said it will be a point-to-point system, meaning passengers won't have to stop at every station on the way to their destination. The LVCC, the company's first loop, has thus far not lived up to claims made by Elon Musk. When it was first pitched, the system was supposed to move up to 4,400 passengers every hour. But as of earlier this year, it was only capable of moving about 576 passengers per hour.

Google Calendar's 'focus time' can auto-block meeting requests

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 02:38 PM PDT

Excessive meetings were already a problem before the pandemic, and they're even more of a problem as remote work enters the mainstream. How do you set aside time for your own projects? As The Vergereports, Google has a simple answer: make it clear you should be left alone. It's rolling out a "focus time" feature in Google Calendar that not only indicates your status, but can optionally auto-block meeting requests for that time slot.

You can choose a special color for focus time. Those moments will also be included in your Time Insights to help you improve your meeting-to-work ratio. The feature will take up to 15 days to reach Google Workspace users on the rapid track, and those offices on scheduled releases will see their change starting November 3rd.

Google is ultimately hopping on a trend. Microsoft included a Focus Sessions feature in Windows 11 to help people work in shorter but more effective spurts. With that said, you probably won't complain about another tool. This could make the difference between a last-minute delay and meeting a deadline.

Tesla posts a wildly profitable Q3 despite difficult car market

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 02:09 PM PDT

Despite a global pandemic and ongoing chip shortage, Tesla continues to make money hand over fist. The company reported on Wednesday that it had a net income of $1.62 billion — five times more than it did this time last year. What's more, Tesla's operating income grew some 54 percent over the past quarter to $2 billion.

Company executives pointed to record-setting sales of both the Model 3 and Model Y — a combined 232,102 units delivered during Q3 2021 — for the explosive earnings growth, though only 9,289 Models X and S were shipped during the same period, a nearly 40 percent drop from Q2 2021 rates. Overall, deliveries increased in Q3 by 20 percent compared to the previous quarter and increased by roughly 70 percent over Q3 2020. Tesla executives credit increased production of the Model Y at the Shanghai Gigafactory for the boost in deliveries. 

On the technology front, Tesla continues its FSD City Streets beta rollout and plans to "continue to monitor fleet data closely to help facilitate a smooth rollout," per its quarterly update. 

The company also released a more streamlined iteration of its car companion app that "enables phone key for multiple vehicles simultaneously, allows commands to be sent to the vehicle immediately upon opening the app and integrates the purchase of upgrades, subscriptions and accessories." New features include Disney+ streaming, a scrolling arcade shooter dubbed Sky Force Reloaded, a "car wash mode," and various tweaks to improve the vehicle's cold weather performance. 

Looking ahead, the company expects to achieve a 50 percent average annual growth in vehicle deliveries "over a multi-year horizon" and eventually reach "industry-leading" operating margins. In the short term, however, "Q4 production will depend heavily on availability of parts, but we are driving for continued growth," Tesla CFO Zachary Kirkhorn said during the call.

"Tesla continues to break molds in these [existing] vehicle segments and we hope to do so with each new product," Martin Viega, Tesla's Senior Director of Investor Relations, noted. "As we've said publicly, we'll eventually expand the vehicle lineup to get to larger volumes. We believe that we will need to be in all major segments across small and mid-size sedans, SUVs and trucks to do so along with, of course, the massive space of Robo taxi."

Egyptian authorities 'detain' robotic artist for 10 days over espionage fears

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 01:43 PM PDT

The robotic artist known as Ai-Da was scheduled to display her artwork alongside the great pyramids of Egypt on Thursday, though the show was nearly called off after both the robot and her human sculptor, Aidan Meller, were detained by Egyptian authorities for a week and a half until they could confirm that the artist was actually a spy.

The incident began when border guards objected over Ai-da's camera eyes, which it uses in its creative process, and its on-board modem. "I can ditch the modems, but I can't really gouge her eyes out," Meller told The Guardian. The robot artist, which was built in 2019, typically travels via specialized cargo case and was held at the border until clearing customs on Wednesday evening, hours before the exhibit was scheduled to begin.

"The British ambassador has been working through the night to get Ai-Da released, but we're right up to the wire now," Meller said, just before Ai-Da was sprung from robo-jail. "It's really stressful."

Ai-Da is slated to participate in the Forever is Now exhibit, which is slated to run through November 7th and features a number of leading Egyptian and international artists, is being presented by Art D'Égypte in conjunction with the Egyptian ministry of antiquities and tourism and the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs.

"She is an artist robot, let's be really clear about this. She is not a spy," Meller declared. "People fear robots, I understand that. But the whole situation is ironic, because the goal of Ai-Da was to highlight and warn of the abuse of technological development, and she's being held because she is technology. Ai-Da would appreciate that irony, I think."

  

Sen. Blumenthal says Zuckerberg needs to testify about Instagram and kids

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 12:48 PM PDT

Senator Richard Blumenthal is again calling on Mark Zuckerberg to testify about Facebook's research into Instagram and child safety. "It is urgent and necessary for you or Mr. Adam Mosseri to testify to set the record straight and provide members of Congress and parents with a plan on how you are going to protect our kids," the Connecticut lawmaker wrote in a letter addressed to Zuckerberg.

Blumenthal is the chair of the Senate subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security that's been holding hearings on social media and child safety in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Blumenthal said that a series of whistleblower disclosures about Facebook was the company's "big tobacco moment."

Since then, pressure has mounted on Facebook to address internal research that shows Instagram can have a negative impact on some teens' mental health. The company has already "paused" work on a forthcoming Instagram Kids app, but lawmakers have said the company should end the project altogether.

In his letter, Blumenthal said that Facebook's head of safety, Antigone Davis, who testified at a previous hearing, "appears to have provided false or inaccurate testimony to me regarding attempts to internally conceal its research." He also said that Facebook "has continued to demean impactful and independent investigative reporting" and "downplayed its own research."

Facebook didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

NASA contest asks K-12 students to create Moon-digging robots

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 12:42 PM PDT

NASA doesn't just want adults learning how to work with lunar soil. The space agency has launched a Lunabotics Junior contest that tasks K-12 students in the US with designing (but not manufacturing) a Moon-digging robot. They have to envision a compact (3.5ft by 2ft by 2ft) automaton that can dig and move lunar regolith while dealing with the stickiness of that soil.

Kids have until January 25th, 2022 to submit both an image of the robot and a summary of how it's meant to operate. The two winners for the K-5 and 6-12 categories will each get a virtual classroom chat with Kennedy Space Center director Janet Petro, while four finalists in each group will have virtual sessions with a NASA expert. Ten semifinalists will get an unspecified prize pack. NASA will announce the semifinalists on March 8th, the finalists on March 22nd and the winners on March 29th.

No, NASA isn't trying to crowdsource Artemis program ideas from children. This is more about inspiring a new wave of engineers who could one day lead Moon colonization efforts. It's a relatively modest investment that could pay dividends for NASA's long-term plans.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is $200 off at Amazon right now

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 11:49 AM PDT

We saw the 11-inch iPad Pro go on sale last week, and now Amazon has an even bigger discount on the 12.9-inch model. The 256GB WiFi version is $200 off right now, bringing it down to an all-time low of $999. That's also the same price as the 128GB model, so you're essentially getting double the storage at no extra cost.

Buy 12.9-inch iPad Pro (256GB) at Amazon - $999

This year's iPad Pros are all about the M1 chipset inside. The upgraded processor makes the tablets run just as smoothly as Apple's MacBook Air M1 — apps open nearly instantly, multitasking is seamless, and we were impressed by the tablet's ability to easily play laborious games and piece together 4K video. You're also getting the new Center Stage camera here, so you'll always be in the middle of the frame when you're on FaceTime calls.

The 12.9-inch model has the added perk of a Liquid Retina XDR display, which will make a difference when you're watching movies. You may not notice a big jump in quality when editing Google Docs or browsing the web, but the improved backlighting system helps make dark things darker and bright things even brighter in videos. Also, it's screen size makes it more similar to a device like the MacBook Air — with the proper accessories, it makes a powerful, flexible laptop replacement.

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

PayPal might buy Pinterest

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 11:45 AM PDT

PayPal is reportedly in late-stage talks to acquire Pinterest. According to Reuters, the payments company made a $45 billion offer on Wednesday to buy the social network. News of the potential sale was first reported by Bloomberg earlier in the day. The outlet put the value of the deal at approximately $39 billion, noting PayPal planned to finance it mostly through stock.

At first glance, PayPal's interest in Pinterest may seem like a head-scratcher, but an acquisition could help the company gain a foothold in the growing social commerce space. That's an area where Pinterest has been an active player since 2015. In a way, Pinterest is also a safe purchase. It has managed to avoid many of the problems with misinformation that have plagued Facebook and Twitter.

It's also worth pointing out PayPal has spent much of the past year and a half expanding outside of its traditional wheelhouse. For instance, it recently spent $2.7 billion to solidify its presence in the buy-now-pay-later space and has gotten into cryptocurrency trading in a big way.

We've reached out to Pinterest and PayPal for comment.

Epic Games Publishing picks up indie studios Eyes Out and Spry Fox

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 11:34 AM PDT

Epic Games Publishing is throwing its full weight behind two more indie studios, and really, they couldn't be more different — which is precisely the point. Epic has signed Eyes Out, the brand-spanking-new studio founded by Spec Ops: The Line director Cory Davis and Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck, and also Spry Fox, a veteran, award-winning indie developer known for heartwarming games such as Cozy Grove, Alphabear and Road Not Taken. 

As a publisher, Epic offers to cover 100 percent of all development costs, and once a game comes out and breaks even in sales, the signed studio receives at least 50 percent of all profits. Epic doesn't exert creative control over its partnered games, and the developers retain the intellectual property rights to their work. Epic signed Remedy Entertainment, Playdead and genDESIGN in March 2020, and today's announcement marks the second batch of contracted studios.

"We're open to publishing many types of games from the most talented developers, and the studios we're partnering with are making some of the coolest, experimental and ambitious stuff out there," head of Epic Games Publishing Hector Sanchez told Engadget. "They have our full support – including Epic's publishing and promotional services, resources, and experience – which means they can focus solely on making the best games possible."

Eyes Out is staffed with enormous creative energy, but it's unproven as a team. Davis, Finck and their collaborators are working on their debut title, a mysterious arthouse horror game with an emphasis on experimental audio and cosmic terror. The studio's teasers are filled with moody desert landscapes and unsettling layers of sound. In a chat with Engadget in September, Davis said he wants to "create mind-bending experiences that cause you to question reality."

The publisher relationship goes even deeper for Eyes Out, too — the studio received an Epic MegaGrant in 2019, which gave them the runway to build their first proof-of-concept. Epic further funded the studio's prototype, allowing them to expand their team in the process. And now, Eyes Out is officially part of Epic Games Publishing.

"From the very beginning, Robin and I knew that Eyes Out was going to require a unique publishing partner willing to empower our vision of the strange, ambitious worlds we would create together, and one capable of fueling it," Davis said about today's news. He continued, "Our collaboration with Epic continued to bear fruit. Working with Epic is really the first time I've felt entirely unleashed as a director, both technically and creatively. Together we're aimed to create the thing that's closest to my heart."

Spry Fox, meanwhile, is working on its most ambitious project to date, which it describes as a "non-violent multiplayer game designed to encourage friendship and reduce loneliness in the world." It'll come to multiple platforms, and support cross-play and cross-progression. The first bit of concept art from Spry Fox's new game depicts a pastel, Atlantis-esque world with a massive yellow whale floating across the sky.

"This is the first time in our history that we at Spry Fox have chosen to work with a publisher in this manner," studio co-founder and CEO David Edery said. "Up until now, we have only worked with publishers for much more limited regional publishing and porting arrangements. But we felt for a project as ambitious as this one, we needed more support than usual, and Epic seemed like the right company to provide that support."

Epic has positioned itself as the developer's publisher, with a goal of having "the most developer-friendly terms in the industry," emphasizing creative control and financial support for its studios. Outside of direct publishing deals, Epic also offers free access to Unreal Engine, a powerful game-development toolset, and it throws money at artists through programs like Epic MegaGrants, a $100 million fund for burgeoning creatives. The Epic Games Store went live in 2018 as a direct competitor to Steam, offering better financial terms for developers and challenging Valve to implement the same deal (spoiler: Valve didn't). 

More recently, Epic waged a very public legal battle against Apple, arguing the iPhone-maker enjoyed monopolistic control over the App Store and offered unfair terms to developers. In the end, the lawsuit played out like any other fight between multibillion-dollar corporations, resulting in little change and lots of press.

Throughout the lawsuit, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney attacked Apple for engaging in greedy, anti-consumer and anti-developer practices. This is kind of his thing — since founding Epic more than 30 years ago, Sweeney has been consistent in his mantra that game development should be accessible to as many people as possible. Even his first game, ZZT, included an editor so everyone who played it could build their own levels.

"It was in those early days that Epic's kind of core philosophy was set," Sweeney told Engadget in 2019. "We both build games ourselves and we share all the results of our work with the world to build their own games. We're the both a game developer and a service company that works with partners throughout the whole industry. Everything we're doing now is this much larger version of that."

Including, it seems, Epic Games Publishing.

Commerce Department limits sale of hacking tools to Russia and China

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 10:09 AM PDT

The US Commerce Department has announced new rules related to the export and resale of cyber intrusion software. Once the limits come into effect in 90 days, companies that want to sell their hacking tools to countries "of national security or weapons of mass destruction concern" will need to obtain a license from the department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). The policy also covers nations that are under a US arms embargo.

Per The Washington Post, the rule is complicated. There are already many limitations on the export of intrusion software. Similarly, there are opportunities for companies to obtain exceptions. The main point is that the policy would cover the sale of software to countries like China and Russia. It would also limit the sale of programs like NSO's Pegasus spyware, which some governments have used to target dissidents and journalists.

"The United States Government opposes the misuse of technology to abuse human rights or conduct other malicious cyber activities, and these new rules will help ensure that US companies are not fueling authoritarian practices," the Commerce Department said.

Among the 42 countries involved in the Wassenaar Arrangement, a pact that sets voluntary export controls on military and dual-use technologies, the US is one of the last to impose limits on the sale of hacking software. Part of the reason for that is that the country has spent years working on the rules to ensure they don't prevent cybersecurity researchers across the globe from working together to discover new flaws.

DJI's Ronin 4D cinema camera has a built-in gimbal and LiDAR focus system

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 09:57 AM PDT

DJI has revealed the Ronin 4D, a cinema camera system with a built-in 4-axis gimbal, 8K resolution and LiDAR rangefinder that promises "sharper, faster and more reliable focusing." With a price starting at $7,199, it's aimed at professionals, but shows DJI's technological prowess both with gimbals and camera technology. 

The "Zenmuse X9" camera is designed exclusively for the Ronin 4D and should give dedicated camera manufacturers pause. It's a full-frame interchangeable model that can use either DJI's DL or Leica M lenses (along with other mirrorless lenses via adapters) and comes with no less than nine built-in neutral-density (ND) filters for controlling exposure.

DJI's Ronin 4D cinema camera has a built-in gimbal and LiDAR focus system
DJI

It's available either in a 6K model that can handle 6K at 60fps and 4K at 120fps, or an 8K 75 fps version. It can capture files in RAW, ProRes or H.264, allowing maximum flexibility in production. DJI claims 14 stops of dynamic range, and it should be good in low-light thanks to the dual-native 800/5000 ISO. 

The gimbal itself is one of the first to offer Z-axis stabilization, DJI said. The aim is to reduce vertical jarring when a camera operator walks or runs, a trick that usually requires considerable skill. Helping in that regard is the Ronin 4D's relatively small size and 4.67 kg (10.3 pounds) heft, excluding the lens and storage card. It uses data from downward time of flight (ToF) sensors, forward and downward dual-visual sensors, a built-in IMU and a barometer. It also comes with DJI's ActiveTrack Pro (similar to that found on its consumer gimbals and drones), which uses AI to power framing and tracking. 

DJI's Ronin 4D cinema camera has a built-in gimbal and LiDAR focus system
tomgo.tang/DJI

As for the LiDAR focusing system, it offers "43,200 ranging points reaching as far as 10 meters, locating subjects quickly and accurately, even in low-light environments," DJI said in a press release. It didn't mention any other autofocus technology used by the camera, though it "supports human face/body recognition and framing of any subject." It also noted that the system "measures the distance to the subject without relying on surface textures or hunting for edges," implying it doesn't employ contrast-detect AF. 

The system supports full autofocus, manual focus and "Automated Manual Focus" (AMF) that allows camera operators to "pull focus with extreme precision." The general idea with AMF is that the autofocus handles most AF chores, but allows the operate to intervene manually at any point. 

DJI's Ronin 4D cinema camera has a built-in gimbal and LiDAR focus system
DJI

Other features including a long range (20,000 feet) video transmitter that outputs a 1080/60p feed to remote monitors, three storage methods (USB SSD, CFexpress Type-B and DJI's proprietary PROSSD 1TB), built-in microphones along with 3.5mm mic ports and XLR ports via an expansion plate, and a battery with up to 2.5 hours of shooting time. 

The Ronin 4D with a 6K camera costs $7,199, while the 8K model is $11,499. Both come with the gimbal, camera, LiDAR range finder, a monitor, hand grips, top handle, a carrying case and a battery. That's a lot, of course, but less than some cinema camera systems by themselves — and DJI's Ronin 2 cinema stabilizer runs $8,000-plus without any camera at all. 

Windows 11 beta users can start testing Android apps

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 09:25 AM PDT

You finally have a chance to try Android apps in Windows 11 — provided you're willing to live on the bleeding edge for a while. Microsoft has released an Insider Preview beta that enables the Amazon Appstore and support for running Android apps within Windows. Only 50 curated apps are available as part of the initial test (such as the Kindle app, Lords Mobile and Lego Duplo World), but Microsoft is promising more in the "coming months."

The aim, as before, is to make Android apps feel like they belong in Windows 11. You can multitask, check notifications and use Windows accessibility features. Mouse and keyboard input is available, although many apps will unsurprisingly benefit from a touchscreen.

The beta is only available in the US for compatible devices using AMD, Intel and Qualcomm chips. This won't do much to satisfy those frustrated that Android apps weren't available on launch. You'll still have to wait a while before an official release, let alone an Amazon catalog large enough to make a meaningful difference. It's a start, though, and it suggests the delay won't be as long as you might have feared.

'Cyberpunk 2077' PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrades delayed until 2022

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 09:22 AM PDT

Despite CD Projekt Red insisting at the beginning of September it was still on track to release the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt by the end of the year, that's no longer the case. The developer now plans to ship the console and PC upgrades for Cyberpunk 2077 in the first quarter of 2022 (i.e by the end of March), and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in Q2 (between March and June).

"Based on recommendations supplied by teams supervising the development of both games, we decided to postpone their releases until 2022," CDPR wrote on Twitter. "Apologies for the extended wait, but we wanted to make it right."

In a Cyberpunk 2077 roadmap it published in January after the game's disastrous debut last December, CDPR said the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions would drop in the second half of 2021. The studio revealed at WitcherCon in July that the current-gen update for The Witcher 3 was scheduled to arrive this year too.

In its financial report for the first half of 2021, CDPR included a chart suggesting that around a third of its development staff was working on Cyberpunk 2077 support and the current-gen version as of June 30th, though it's gradually transitioning the team to new projects. Developers are still working on the game's first expansion too, following the lackluster first DLC in August that really only added a few cosmetic items and a car.

Facebook will punish rule breakers by down-ranking their posts in groups

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 09:00 AM PDT

Facebook is taking new steps to crack down on groups users who break its rules, even when they have done so in other parts of the app.

Under the new policy, Facebook will downrank content posted in groups by users who have broken its rules even if they have done so elsewhere on the company's platform. The new rule will apply to any group member who has had a post removed for violating one of Facebook's Community Standards in the previous 90 days. Those who have had multiple posts removed will have "more severe" demotions.

"This measure will help reduce the ability of members who break our rules from reaching others in their communities, and builds on the existing restrictions placed upon members who violate Community Standards," Facebook wrote in a statement. The company notes that it already has policies that restrict activity from people who repeatedly break rules within.

But the latest changes go a step further because they will impose restrictions on users' reach within groups even if they haven't broken the rules of that specific community. A Facebook spokesperson says that these punishments will escalate "in both demotion strength and duration" as violations pile up.

The
Facebook

The change comes as Facebook faces increased scrutiny over its ability to police groups on its platform. While the social network has long touted groups as one of the more important parts of its platform, the feature has also been credited with fueling extremism and divisiveness on the platform. The company permanently ended recommendations for civic and health-related groups earlier this year.

Facebook has also looked to group admins and moderators to take more responsibility for toxic behavior that happens with groups. On that front, the company is also introducing a new tool called "Flagged by Facebook." The feature will allow group admins to review rule-breaking content posted in their group before it's removed by the company in order to help group members avoid receiving a "strike." The admins can also appeal to Facebook or ask them to explain why the post breaks its rules.

'God of War' heads to PC on January 14th

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 08:39 AM PDT

Nearly four years after debuting on PlayStation 4, God of War is heading to PC. Sony will release its 2018 exclusive on Steam and the Epic Games Store on January 14th, the company announced on Wednesday. 

Provided you have the necessary hardware, the PC port will allow you to play God of War at an unlocked framerate and true 4K. Additionally, the port will support both DualShock 4 and DualSense controllers natively, as well as NVIDIA's DLSS and Reflex technologies. If you would rather play with a mouse and keyboard, the game will also allow you to fully customize your keybindings. 

In recent years, Sony has slowly started to bring its PlayStation exclusives to PC, with plans to port more titles down the line. God of War will join Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone among the list of games that have made the jump to Windows. The timing of the release should also help Sony build excitement for God of War Ragnarök, which is expected to come out sometime in 2022.

Amazon adds 60 more stations to its Fire TV local news app

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 08:36 AM PDT

The free news app on Amazon Fire TV now offers local channels in another 60 cities, including Charleston, Wichita, Tucson, Reno, Raleigh-Durham and Honolulu. That means live and on-demand local news coverage is now available for 158 cities. Amazon has also almost doubled the total number of channels from 126 to 259.

Amazon launched the app in late 2020 with channels in a dozen cities, and it expanded to 88 cities in March. The app includes news coverage from regional divisions of ABC, CBSN, TEGNA, Cox, The EW Scripps Company and Altice USA. While the app doesn't yet offer coverage from quite as many stations as NewsON (which has more than 275 channels), it's baked into Fire TV — you don't need to download another app.

When you visit the Local News tab in Amazon's app, Fire TV will automatically add stations from the closest metro area. Viewers can also access live and on-demand coverage by asking Alexa to "play local news."

Square Enix opens a new studio dedicated to mobile games

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 07:41 AM PDT

Square Enix is ramping up its mobile game efforts by opening a studio devoted to phone titles. The publisher has launched a Square Enix London Mobile location that will focus on free-to-play games. It's relying on both Square Enix's own brands as well as other big-name licenses.

The first projects reflect that strategy. The already-announced Tomb Raider Reloaded is a top-down puzzle solver coming to Android and iOS in 2022. A new, as-yet untitled game based on Avatar: The Last Airbender is also in the works from Canada-based Navigator games.

This won't be thrilling if you were hoping for more console and PC games, but it's expected given the shifting gaming landscape. While console and PC titles are still important, the mobile market is huge. Titles like Honor of Kingsdominate China, and Square Enix itself has been interested enough to port 'full-size' games like Final Fantasy VIII Remastered to phones. The London Mobile studio lets Square Enix tap into that burgeoning market without drawing resources away from its other development teams.

Razer reveals new mics for pro and casual streamers

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 07:25 AM PDT

Razer has refreshed its lineup of microphones aimed at streamers with new versions of two Seiren models. The Seiren V2 Pro and Seiren V2 X are both plug and play mics with a high pass filter to mitigate unwanted low frequencies and an analog gain limiter to tackle voice distortion.

The mics each have a gain dial and mute button as well as a headphone jack, while the V2 Pro also has a volume dial. They're both said to be fully customizable for mixing and sound profiles, and there's integration with audio mixing software via Razer Synapse.

The V2 Pro is a dynamic microphone with 20 Hz frequency response to pick up a full range of audio, according to Razer. The company says it's an improvement on its Elite offering and it delivers "rich and powerful vocals" with "superior clarity and noise dampening."

Meanwhile, the V2 X is a new version of the Seiren X, which emerged in 2017. It's a 25mm condenser mic with a supercaridoid pickup pattern, which Razer suggests bolsters the device's voice isolation capabilities. The company is promising "crisp and natural vocals" with the V2 X as well.

Razer recently introduced a webcam and capture card for streaming newbies and an entry-level headset for console gamers. However, the latest mics are aimed at professional and casual streamers who might want to improve the sound quality of their streams. The V2 Pro costs $150, while the V2 X is $100. Both are available now, as is the Seiren Mini, which Razer debuted a year ago.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition offers 49 possible color combinations

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 07:00 AM PDT

On Wednesday, Samsung held its last Unpacked presentation of the year. The company headlined the event with the announcement of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition, a version of its clamshell foldable you can customize in a variety of colors. Specifically, you can choose between two frame tones (black or silver) and five front and back panel hues (blue, yellow, pink, white or black), for a total of 49 possible combinations. Each Bespoke Edition Galaxy Z Flip 3 also comes with matching wallpaper and cover screen.

If you ever want to update the look of your phone, Samsung will offer an Upgrade Care service where you can send it in for a palette swap. That should come in handy if you ever feel like you went overboard on your first design attempt and made something completely garish. Outside of the additional customization options, the Bespoke Edition Galaxy Z Flip 3 is identical to the model Samsung released in August. So expect the company's best foldable yet.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition
Samsung

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition is available to order today from Samsung's website in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Korea and UK. It starts at $1,100 and comes with 12 months of Samsung Care+ protection. As each device is made to order, delivery times will vary.

Alongside the Bespoke Edition Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung announced a software update for the Galaxy Watch 4. Available to download today, it comes with four new watch faces, including one called Info Brick that you can customize to display the fitness and health stats you want to see most. If you're a fan of the existing Animals watch face, it's now possible to add up to four complications to the interface.

Galaxy Watch 4 update
Samsung

As part of the My Photo+ watch face, you can now choose to use a GIF instead of a still image. In the same vein, Samsung has redone the animations that are part of the step challenge to make them more playful. There's now a cute bear there to encourage you to walk your 10,000 steps.

The update also adds a new knock-knock gesture you can assign to launch your favorite app or feature. For instance, you can bind the gesture to create a new reminder or open a list of workouts. Lastly, you can tweak the sensitivity of the fall detection feature to trigger even if you fall after standing still. With the update, Watch 4 owners can also get a free 60-day subscription to Strava.

Maison Kitsune Galaxy Watch 4
Samsung

Rounding out the event, Samsung announced two Maison Kitsuné special edition Galaxy Buds 2 and Galaxy Watch 4 models. Set to cost $250 and $400 when they go on sale later today, the devices come in a new "Moonrock Biege" color and feature the usual design flourishes that the fashion house is known for.

Maison Kitsune Galaxy Buds 2
Samsung

The watch comes with two straps. One in the aforementioned Moonrock Beige color and the other in a tone called "Stardust Gray." The leather case the earbuds come is made from that same color. If you buy one of the wearables, you'll get access to a playlist curated by the Kitsuné Musique music label. Both devices will be available in limited quantities in select markets across the world.

Is Apple’s M1 Max really the fastest laptop chip ever?

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 06:15 AM PDT

After months of rumors, Apple has revealed not one but two new processors, along with a pair of new Macbook Pro laptops. The original M1 processor paired four high-performance and four low-power cores with a 7- or 8-core GPU, and with that set up it delivered impressive results. The M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro bested a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an 8-core Intel i9 CPU and dedicated GPU when we tested it last year, and did so while staying impressively cool and quiet.  

The new M1 Pro and M1 Max bump the core count to eight high-performance and two low-power cores, and add 16, 24, or 32 GPU cores. With twice the high-performance CPUs, and up to four times the GPU cores as the original M1, these chips should be incredibly fast, but expect it to come at the cost of more heat and noise.

Despite a shortage of compatible games, the original M1 proved to be a remarkably adept processor for gaming, and these new chips should be even better, outpacing most Intel CPUs and maybe even besting a mobile NVIDIA RTX 3080 GPU's performance. The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks also come with a 120Hz display with HDR, and improved speakers. Add that all together, and suddenly the new MacBook Pro looks like a pretty capable gaming machine, compatibility issues aside. If only Apple still supported Bootcamp.

For all the details on these new chips, check out the video above.

The new Assassin's Creed educational tour lets you explore the Viking Age

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 06:15 AM PDT

Assassin's Creed Discovery Tours can offer valuable educational insights into historical periods, and that may be particularly true for the latest instalment. Ubisoft has released a Discovery Tour: Viking Age update for Assassin's Creed Valhalla that gives you the chance to explore Viking-era England and Norway without the usual conflicts. There's a new format, however. Rather than go on guided tours and visit exhibits, you assume the roles of four Anglo-Saxon and Viking characters (such as Anglo-Saxon king Alfred the Great and a Viking merchant) as they undertake eight quests that illustrate their daily lives.

You can also study period artifacts from museums in the UK, France and Denmark. And yes, there are rewards to unlock in the main Valhalla game for Eivor and his longship.

The Discovery Tour update is free for Valhalla players on all platforms, and you can buy the $20 stand-alone version for PCs through either Ubisoft's store or the Epic Games Store. Console and streaming players will have to wait until 2022 for a stand-alone release. However you get a copy, it could be a worthwhile experience if you've wanted to dispel the myths surrounding Vikings and their conquests.

WhatsApp users can now shop for items by category using 'Collections'

Posted: 20 Oct 2021 06:00 AM PDT

Facebook, ever on the search for ways to monetize its apps, recently introduced Catalogs and a basic cart to WhatsApp so users could shop directly from their chats. Now, the company is refining that process with the addition of Collections, essentially categorized lists that make it easier for WhatsApp users to find products. 

With the new feature, businesses can now "organize items in their catalogs by category so customers no longer have to scroll through long lists of items to find what they're looking for," WhatsApp said. From a user perspective, you'll now see categories for "men's clothes, women's clothes, shirts, pants" and more rather than just a list of products. As before, you can access a company's catalog through a sent link or shopping button in their header. 

WhatsApp noted that the app has become more popular for shopping in Brazil and India since COVID-19 started. Facebook and WhatsApp have a mixed record in developing countries, however — Brazil, for example, suspended WhatsApp's fledgling mobile payment system late last year.

The new feature is now live in time for the holiday season. Businesses interested in using it can learn how to do it using the video supplied by WhatsApp, above. 
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