Monday, October 25, 2021

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Apple's new AirPods Pro with MagSafe charging are already down to $220

Posted: 25 Oct 2021 01:31 AM PDT

When Apple rolled out the new AirPods at its October 18th event, it didn't change the AirPods Pro but did introduce a MagSafe charging case. That's not a bad thing, as they already offered clear sound, good active noise cancellation and always-on Siri access. Now, we're already seeing the new Magsafe model on sale for the first time at Amazon for $220, or $29 off the regular $249 price. 

Buy Apple AirPods Pro at Amazon - $220

The AirPods Pro earned an 87 Engadget score for their improved sound quality, better fitting design, IPX4 water resistance, Siri access and easy switching between Apple devices. They also do a good job blocking out surrounding noise, and the latest feature can boost other people's voices during conversations — useful for folks with mild hearing difficulties. 

As part of its new AirPods and MacBook Pro launch, Apple also gave the AirPods Pro a MagSafe charging case for the same $249 price tag. As before, they have a built-in battery that allows you to go up to 24 hours without needing access to a wall plug. The addition of MagSafe makes charging a bit safer, as the cable will just pull out rather than tripping you or breaking if you accidentally catch it when walking by. 

If that feature doesn't matter much to you, the older AirPods Pro model is also on sale for $197, for a 21 percent discount. They have dropped to lower prices before, so you could also wait for a better deal — like on Black Friday coming up next month.

Elon Musk says 'issues' have forced Tesla to pull its latest full self-driving beta

Posted: 24 Oct 2021 11:33 PM PDT

Tesla's latest Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta software 10.3 has been pulled shortly after it was released, with CEO Elon Musk citing "some issues" in a tweet, TechCrunch has reported. Musk said one such issue is "regression" with left turns, while testers have posted about phantom forward collision warnings, autosteer bugs and more. The FSD has supposedly been reverted to version 10.2, but some users said they no longer have access to FSD at all, according to The Verge. 

The latest FSD version 10.3 introduced a number of new features, according to the release notes posted on Reddit. Those include FSD Profiles that allow drivers to change vehicle behavior for rolling stops, lane changes, following distance and more. Others include improved creeping speed, reduced false slowdowns, improved crossing object velocity estimation and more. 

However, testers have noted in several videos that FSD is showing Forward Collision Warnings despite no apparent danger, along with unexpected autobraking. Others have seen traffic aware cruise control (TACC) problems, AutoPilot "panic" and other bugs.

Elon Musk tweeted that such issues are "to be expected with beta software," adding that "it is impossible to test all hardware configs in all conditions with internal QA, hence public tests." The last beta release, FSD 10.2, was delayed due to "last minute concerns" about the update. 

The pullback and Musk's comments about public beta testing are bound to further increase scrutiny of the FSD program. The NHTSA has already requested more data from Tesla around the public beta, saying Tesla needs to address "basic safety issues" before expanding it further. Regulators have also asked Tesla for more information about its "safety score" ratings that make certain drivers eligible for the FSD program. 

Regulators are also concerned that while Tesla drivers can opt into the beta program, drivers and pedestrians in the vicinity cannot. For example, some Tesla vehicles with the 10.3 software auto-braked without reason, which could have caused a collision with a vehicle following behind. 

The name itself is misleading (much like Autopilot), as FSD does not offer full self-driving at all, but simply advanced driver assistance.

Resident Evil's Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine come to 'Fortnite'

Posted: 24 Oct 2021 02:34 PM PDT

Epic Games' fondness for Capcom continues unabated. The game developer has added legendary Resident Evil characters Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine (aka the "master of unlocking") to Fortnite, complete with numerous nods to the zombie-slaying franchise. Chris and Jill have alternate costumes that make nods to their appearances in Village and Nemesis, while the Back Bling offers three shades of Resident Evil's life-sustaining herbs. There are themed pickaxes and even a "brolly stroll" emote making fun of everyone's least-favorite fictional corporation.

The outfits and equipment are available to buy in separate S.T.A.R.S. Team and S.T.A.R.S. Team Gear bundles. The Resident Evil packs are particularly timely drops given Halloween and the hordes of "Cube Monsters" in the current season, and we won't be surprised if they lose some of their early luster. Still, this is a Fortnite gaming crossover that makes sense — Chris and Jill are already well-dressed for a bitter fight for survival.

Facebook leak shows inner turmoil over approach to conservative content

Posted: 24 Oct 2021 01:50 PM PDT

Facebook has long been accused of playing favorites on multiple sides of the political spectrum, and it's now clear just how much of that uproar extends to the company's ranks. A leak to The Wall Street Journal reportedly shows Facebook leaders and staff have clashed numerous times over the social network's approach to conservative content, particularly outlets like Breitbart. Rank-and-file employees have accused Facebook of making "special exceptions" from policies for right-wing outlets, while senior-level staff warned of potential pitfalls.

Workers argued that Facebook kept Breitbart in a second tier of the News Tab, a section meant to focus on reliable news, despite very low trust and quality scores as well as misinformation violations. Facebook was not only making exceptions, one employee said, but "explicitly" endorsing outlets like this by including them as trusted partners. Staff claimed Facebook was "scared of political backlash" if it enforced policies equally, and believed the site let conservative influencers Diamond and Silk lobby fact checkers to avoid punishment for spreading misinformation.

Higher-ups countered with justifications for those decisions. They argued that booting a news outlet for trust scores would risk booting more mainstream outlets like CNN, for instance. When staff asked Facebook to intervene over Breitbart's alleged attempts to dodge sites' advertising blocks, a director said Facebook had to resist the urge and "rely on our principles and policies."

Facebook repeated its familiar stance in a response to the Journal, maintaining that limited access to low-quality material to "improve people's experiences," not due to political leanings. A spokesperson added that Facebook studied the effects of potential changes before implementing them, and that publishers like Breitbart still met requirements for honoring rules against misinformation and hate speech.

The revelations likely won't satisfy people on either side of the American political spectrum. Liberals may be concerned Facebook is knowingly allowing the spread of heavily spun and outright false claims, while the right wing may see it as evidence of a claimed anti-conservative bias. The insights reveal a more conflicted approach to material, though. They also underscore the importance of tools meant to automatically limit the reach of misinformation — they could minimize internal debates by curbing fake news without requiring as much human input.

Astronomers directly observe one of the youngest planets to date

Posted: 24 Oct 2021 11:07 AM PDT

Astronomers have spotted young planets before, but rarely this young — or with such easy observation. As CBS Newssays, a University of Hawaii-led team has discovered 2M0437b, one of the youngest planets ever found at 'just' several million years old. The baby planet was found in the Taurus Cloud "nursery" and young enough that it's still emanating lava-like heat from its birth.

Importantly, this is also a very rare chance at directly observing an infant world. Researchers will still need to use special optics to compensate for Earth's atmosphere, but they won't have to use the host star or other tricks to study the planet. It helps that 2M0437b is about one hundred times further from its star than Earth is from the Sun, reducing the chances for interference.

The scientists first spotted the planet in 2018 using the Subaru Telescope, but spent the next three years using the Keck Observatory and other Hawaii telescopes to track the planet and confirm it was tied to its host.

Future observations could shed more light on planetary formation. It might not take much longer to glean more details, either. The team hoped the imminent James Webb Space Telescope could help detect atmospheric gases and newly forming moons. As significant as 2M0437b might be now, it could be more important going forward.

Hasbro unveils 'ultimate' Nerf version of the Halo Needler gun

Posted: 24 Oct 2021 10:20 AM PDT

Past attempts at a Nerf version of Halo's Needler gun have fallen short, but the latest iteration might just live up to (most of) the promises. The Verge reports Hasbro has introduced a Nerf LMTD Halo Needler that looks and acts more like the iconic Covenant weapon. It still won't shoot homing rounds, unfortunately, but the motorized blaster will shoot 10 darts in a row from a rapid-fire drum. The needles light up when you grab the handle, and they'll dim one at a time as you unleash foam rounds upon your foes.

There's a Halo Infinite tie-in, as you might imagine. Hasbro promises a card in the box with a code for in-game Infinite content. While the toymaker didn't say what you'd get, it won't be surprising if it's linked to the Needler.

The blaster will chew through six AA 1.5V batteries at a time. You might not mind so much, however, when there's a light-up display mode and matching stand to show off your acquisition.

You'll have to be particularly patient if you want to brandish real-world Halo gear. The Nerf LMTD Halo Needler is available to pre-order from Amazon now for $100, but it's not slated to ship until December 1st, 2022. Look at it this way, though: this could easily be the most impressive Halo blaster you can buy for a long, long time.

Grocery chain Tesco suffers two-day outage following hack

Posted: 24 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT

British grocery shoppers have had more than a few headaches this weekend. According to The Guardian, the grocery chain Tesco has grappled with a roughly two-day outage (as of this writing) preventing customers from placing or modifying orders through either the company's website or its mobile app. The company pinned the incident on hacks affecting searches, although it didn't say much beyond noting the intruders tried to "interfere with our systems."

The company didn't have an estimated time frame for a fix, and didn't identify the potential culprits. However, it said there was "no reason to believe" the cyberattack affected customer data.

This isn't the first time Tesco has suffered hacks. A 2014 breach led it to disable accounts after intruders shared more than 2,000 users' login details. In 2016, an attack on Tesco's banking lost about £2.5 million (worth $3.4 million today).

Whoever was responsible, the incident further highlights the vulnerability of food supply chains to cyberattacks. Meat supplier JBS was one of the most prominent victims after it fell prey to ransomware, but grocery stores themselves are also at risk of disruptions that could limit deliveries and otherwise stop meals from reaching your table.

Tesla hikes prices across its EV lineup

Posted: 24 Oct 2021 08:21 AM PDT

Tesla is no stranger to raising prices for its EVs, but its latest round has been more aggressive than most. Electreknotes Tesla has hiked prices for all four of its in-production vehicles in the past two days. The base Model 3 and Model Y variants now cost $2,000 more, and respectively start at $43,990 and $56,990. Spring for the Model S and Model X, meanwhile, and you'll pay $5,000 more at respective prices of $94,990 and $104,990.

You'll have to wait a long time for your order, too. The entry Model 3 arrives in June 2022 with larger wheels, and September in a regular configuration. The Model Y arrives one month earlier in both cases. You'll have to wait until June for a Model S, and the Model X doesn't appear until September.

As is often the case, Tesla hasn't explained the price increases. Production woes might play a significant role, mind you. Tesla idled Model S production for the first half of 2021, and the automaker is grappling with supply shortages that aren't helped by increasing demand. The higher prices could offset the impact of shortages on Tesla's bottom line, amd help Tesla catch up by cooling demand.

Garmin smartwatches are up to 52 percent off at Amazon for today only

Posted: 24 Oct 2021 07:29 AM PDT

Now is a prime opportunity to buy a fitness watch for those cool-weather workouts. Amazon is running a one-day sale on Garmin smartwatches that knocks up to 52 percent off the price of the wearables. The sweetest deals may be in the middle of the pack, though. The athletics-oriented Forerunner 45 is down to an all-time low of $120 (40 percent off), while the general-purpose Vivoactive 4 is at its own record low of $190 (46 percent off).

Buy Forerunner 45 on Amazon - $120Buy Vivoactive 4 on Amazon - $190

The steepest discount is on the higher-end Forerunner 935 ($240, or 52 percent off), while deals also apply to the smaller Forerunner 45S and Venu Sq Music.

The Forerunner 45 remains a solid choice if you're just starting to take your fitness routine seriously. You can track your heart rate and detailed stats (such as max oxygen volume) for activities like running, yoga and beyond. The Vivoactive 4, meanwhile, steps things up with Pulse Ox tracking, local music playback from services like Spotify and even animated workout instructions you can follow on your wrist. Both are longevity champs with seven to eight days in regular smartwatch mode, and six to 14 hours of GPS-based use.

The caveats are more to do with the age of the designs and Garmin's focus. The Forerunner 45 and Vivoactive 4 are both from 2019, for example. They're still well-supported, but they won't pack the features of the company's latest models. There's also little doubt Garmin prioritizes fitness above general smartwatch features. You won't get a rich app ecosystem like you might with an Apple Watch or Wear OS device. Still, you probably won't object if you're more interested in optimizing your workouts than checking the weather — particularly at these prices.

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