Tuesday, November 23, 2021

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Reddit will shut down Dubsmash on February 22nd

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 12:28 PM PST

Reddit will shut down Dubsmash on February 22nd, 2022. The announcement comes less than a year after Reddit acquired the TikTok-like video platform for an undisclosed sum in December 2020. Following the 22nd, Dubsmash won't be available to download through the App Store or Google Play, nor will the app work after that date.

When Reddit first announced the acquisition, it said Dubsmash would retain its own platform and brand. "Combining forces has been a perfect match. Reddit is where passionate communities come together for timely, interactive and authentic exchanges about topics that matter to them, and video is increasingly core to how people want to connect," the company said in a blog post.

As part of today's announcement, Reddit is also rolling out new video features that come courtesy of the Dubsmash team. The built-in camera now includes options to change recording speeds and set a timer. Additionally, it's now possible to upload clips in landscape, portrait mode and fill, as well as adjust and trim multiple clips at once. A new editing screen allows users to add stickers, doodles, voice-overs and filters to their clips.

The impending shutdown of Dubsmash is likely to affect creators of color most acutely. Where TikTok's best-known stars are white, Dubsmash was particularly popular among Black and Latinx users. At the end of 2020, Reddit noted 25 percent of all Black teens in the US were on the platform. Those users now face a tough decision: they either support a platform that has been seen as a safe harbor for hate speech and misinformation or look elsewhere to find a supportive community.

Apple delays release of digital ID cards to 2022

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 11:50 AM PST

Apple has delayed the release of a feature that will eventually allow you to store your ID in the company's Wallet app. In an update to the official iOS 15 website that was spotted by MacRumors, Apple says that functionality will now arrive sometime in early 2022. The company previously planned to launch in late 2021.

Apple first announced the feature at WWDC 2021. At the time, the company said the tool would allow you to add your driver's license or state ID card to Apple Wallet just like you would a credit or debit card. Among the first locations that will support the feature will be select Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at some US airports.

At those locations, you'll have the option to use your iPhone or Apple Watch to present your ID to the TSA. You'll do so by tapping your device on an identity reader, and you won't need to hand over your iPhone or Apple Watch to a TSA employee.

In September, Apple announced eight states would support the feature at launch, starting with Arizona and Georgia, and Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Utah to follow. Beyond TSA checkpoints, Apple said retailers and venues would add support later.

Outside of early 2022, Apple has not shared a specific release date for the feature. What's clear is that it won't arrive with iOS 15.2. That update is currently in beta testing and does not include support for storing digital IDs.

'Fall Guys' season six features a party theme and a 'Ghost of Tsushima' crossover

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 11:30 AM PST

The next season of Fall Guys starts on November 30th and the beans are getting into the party spirit. Developer Mediatonic took inspiration from festivals, carnivals and the circus for season six. New obstacles include a water balloon cannon, vacuum tubes, a circular version of the infamous seesaw and a platform that flips vertically after a certain length of time. What's more, there are trapezes that players can swing from.

There are more crossover costumes on the way in season six. Between December 1st and 5th, you can complete challenges to earn a Sackboy skin — the adorable PlayStation mascot is a perfect fit for Fall Guys. In addition, the Fame Pass, which players level up during the season, includes two rad costumes depicting Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima.

Meanwhile, cross-progression is coming to the battle royale platformer in season six, building on the cross-play feature that arrived in May. So you'll be able to access all of your costumes and other cosmetics across PlayStation and Steam. In addition, PC players will be able to select custom usernames again instead of whatever moniker Fall Guys generated for them.

As such, you'll soon need an Epic Games account to play Fall Guys. Epic bought Mediatonic earlier this year, and Rocket League and Fortnite use the Epic account system for cross-progression too.

You'll need to select a primary Fall Guys account, which is the first one that you link to an Epic account. Although you won't lose costumes, nameplates and so on from either platform, you'll only retain your season progress, crowns, shards and kudos from your primary account. So, it's probably best to spend your crowns and kudos on your secondary account before the new season starts.

Mediatonic also notes that if players have different costumes and DLC content across both platforms, they should contact the support team after linking to their Epic Games account. The team will transfer over those items, so you won't lose them. In addition, all players will receive a bonus of 10 crowns.

During the season six showcase, Mediatonic didn't mention when the Nintendo Switch and Xbox versions of Fall Guys will be released, even though they're still supposed to arrive by the end of the year. However, the developer did provide a peek at an upcoming round that features invisible beans.

Netflix's 'Cowboy Bebop' is everything wrong with nostalgia reboots

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 11:15 AM PST

Cowboy Bebop was like nothing else when it premiered twenty years ago. It was a neo-Western set in space; a noir thriller alongside the spectacle of martial arts action and John Woo-esque shootouts; an existential vision of a broken future where characters were forced to live with their shattered pasts. And on top of all of that, it was propelled by an iconic soundtrack that easily danced between genres. We didn't have much time in the Bebop-verse — just 26 episodes and a movie — so every second felt like a miracle. How could a live-action Netflix adaptation live up to that?

Simply put, it doesn't. While the original show was a love letter to cinema and pop culture, crafted by a creative dream team (director Shinichiro Watanabe, writer Keiko Nobumoto and composer Yoko Kanno), Netflix's remix is mainly in love with Cowboy Bebop. It wants to remind us of the anime, so much so that it replicates many iconic sequences shot-for-shot, but it doesn't latch onto what made it so special. It hums the melody, but has no soul. It's a hollow tune that's common to nostalgia-focused reboots, like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and it almost always holds them back.

By almost every measure, I should hate Netflix's Cowboy Bebop with a passion. But, it's a testament to the talented actors involved that I don't. John Cho wouldn't be my first choice to play the impossibly cool Spike Spiegel (that would be Sung Kang, Fast and Furious's swagger king Han), but he makes a serious effort to replicate his charm. Mustafa Shakir easily carries Jet Black's irascible yet lovable nature. And Daniella Pineda's Faye Valentine is an absolute scene stealer.

But this talented group is failed by a confounding production, which often looks worse than a cheap Doctor Who episode. Some sets appear to be made out of cardboard and spray paint, nothing conveys the lived-in aesthetic the anime captured so well. There are flashes of visual brilliance, to be clear, but that mainly comes from digital effects that often replicate shots from the original series. At times, Bebop wants to replicate the live-action cartoon aesthetic from the Wachowski's under-rated Speed Racer. Then, at other times, it will just have a bright neon "PORN" sign in the background, as if that's enough to convey the seediness of a neighborhood.

Cowboy Bebop Netflix
Geoffrey Short/Netflix

So where did everything start going wrong? As with most nostalgia reboots, it usually comes down to the writing. Netflix's Cowboy Bebop was developed by Christopher Yost (Thor: Ragnarok, Star Wars Rebels) and includes genre talents like Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost, Charmed). Their combined credits gave me hope that the show would be something more than a copycat of the anime, but instead it's a confusing mishmash of nostalgia worship and superfluous story additions.

Instead of being a mysterious cutthroat assassin, the villain Vicious comes across as a dull Eurotrash gangster. Instead of a haunting past based on the consequences of being overbearingly protective, Jet gets an estranged daughter and a ticked-off ex-wife. And perhaps most damningly, Spike's love interest Julia loses her mystique, and instead becomes another pretty damsel in distress. We've seen all of these storylines before, so instead of feeling like "a new genre unto itself," the bold proclamation the anime made in the middle of every episode, it all just feels like "been there, done that."

Cowboy Bebop Netflix

That's the same vibe I got while watching Ghostbusters: Afterlife. It starts out as an intriguing portrait of a struggling family, but eventually becomes bogged down by replicating almost every plot beat from the first Ghostbusters. It's still a fun and enjoyable film, but it's reverence for the past clearly prevented it from doing anything truly new. Watching that movie and Cowboy Bebop over the weekend made me genuinely worried about the future of pop culture. Are we just doomed to repeat the past, over and over again, to appease the fans?

Now, here's the thing: Despite all of the ways Cowboy Bebop fundamentally misunderstands its source material, it still ends up being a decently enjoyable sci-fi romp. And if you don't know what you're missing, it's easy to overlook the flaws as you soak in the talent of the cast, the strange yet familiar future filled with terraformed moons and planets, and the catchy Yoko Kanno tunes.

My one faint hope is that viewers who enjoy the live-action series will also check out the anime, which is also available on Netflix. I'm all for new viewers finding ways into existing properties. I just wish that didn't involve watering down classics to make them more palatable.

Epic Games buys Harmonix to create 'musical journeys' in 'Fortnite'

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:40 AM PST

Epic Games has acquired Harmonix, the studio behind titles like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Dance Central and more recently Fuser. Financial terms have not been disclosed. Epic's vision for Harmonix involves the metaverse. In the immediate future, the two plan to create "musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite."

Viewed through that lens, Epic's interest in the studio makes a lot of sense. Outside of frequent brand collaborations, Fortnite is at this point best known for its virtual concerts. In the last two years, a handful of major artists like Ariana Grande and Travis Scott have drawn a lot of interest to the game. In the latter case, for example, more than 12.3 people watched Scott's performance concurrently.

In the meantime, Harmonix says it will continue to support its existing slate of games. That means Rock Band players can continue to look forward to new DLC and Fuser players can expect the studio to continue hosting events. Additionally, any game that's currently available through Steam will continue to be sold through Valve's storefront.

The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum will close for at least six months in 2022

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:20 AM PST

The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum hasn't been open much since the pandemic started, but it's already poised to shut its doors again — if for more positive reasons. The Washington Postreports the Smithsonian is closing its flagship National Mall building for at least six months of renovations starting March 28th, 2022. The move will maintain the "continued safety" of visitors while the museum finishes work on its first new west wing galleries.

The closure is part of the first phase of a seven-year renovation poised to cost over $1 billion. The Smithsonian is staggering closures to keep at least some physical museum spaces open during that period, including the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia (which will remain open). Some parts of the collection have relocated to other relevant museums in the meantime, such as the Museum of African American History and Culture, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of the American Indian.

The wait could be worthwhile. Eight west wing exhibits should launch when the main museum reopens, including "One World Connected" (shown above) and spaces touching on the Wright brothers, planetary exploration and the Moon.

Some parts of the renovation are still far from completion. The museum will start "deinstallation" of the east wing in March and won't complete its upgrade until sometime in 2025. If you can live with those limitations, though, the Air and Space Museum may soon be more relevant and engaging than in the past — even if you've visited relatively recently.

Apple sues NSO Group over state-backed spyware

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:13 AM PST

Apple is more than a little angry at NSO Group for developing spyware tools. The iPhone maker has filed a lawsuit against NSO to "hold it accountable" for governments spying on and targeting Apple device users. In addition to punishing NSO, Apple also seeks to ban the surveillance software developer from using Apple products for future research.

Senior VP Craig Federighi acknowledged that NSO Group's Pegasus spyware is only aimed at surveilling a small number of people on multiple platforms, including Android. However, Apple stressed that targets are frequently activists, journalists and other critics of regimes that routinely suppress political dissent. The company further accused NSO of "flagrant violations" of federal- and state-level laws in the US.

The lawsuit also sheds more light on NSO's reported "FORCEDENTRY" exploit. According to Apple, intruders pushed FORCEDENTRY by creating bogus Apple IDs to send malicious code without alerting targets. Apple said its servers weren't compromised in the process, but it clearly wasn't happy that its account system was used for this surveillance.

Alongside the lawsuit, Apple is promising to donate $10 million (plus any lawsuit damages) toward groups advocating against or researching this kind of digital surveillance. It's further promising free engineering, intelligence and technical help for FORCEDENTRY discoverer Citizen Lab and other organizations with similar goals.

We've asked NSO Group for comment. In the past, it has repeatedly maintained that it shuts off access to known abusers. It also denied that Pegasus was used to target murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Israeli firm has even gone on the offensive, hiring a libel attorney that accused investigators of 'misinterpreting' data and otherwise smearing NSO's reputation.

NSO might not have many allies. WhatsApp, for instance, accused NSO of enabling attacks on government officials and rejected the Pegasus creator's denials. The tech industry sees NSO as a threat to the privacy of its users (and thus its reputation), and it won't be surprising if other companies support Apple's case.

Android 12 review: Living in a Material (You) world

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:00 AM PST

Android is forked. There are so many versions of it around: From stock Android to Google's own Pixel-first edition to Samsung's One UI 4 overlay, there are enough variants to overrun the Time Variance Authority (Loki, anyone?). That means that writing a review of Android 12 is a complicated task. With so many branded and device specific tweaks, it can be hard at times to differentiate core Android features from the window dressing.

The land of Android is messy, but we're going to keep this review of Android 12 simple. If you want an idea of the Pixel-only features, head over to our Pixel 6 Pro review where I covered things like Live Translate and Magic Eraser. Features like HDR Net videos and white balance controls are also exclusive to Pixels, though that doesn't mean they won't one day roll out more widely.

Material You everywhere

Functionally, that means there isn't much obviously different for those on other devices upgrading to Android 12. The biggest change will be the new Material You design, and how much of that makes its way to your particular handset will depend on your phone's maker.

On One UI 4, for example, you'll get something similar to Material You by way of Samsung's "whole host of new Color Palettes," which like Google's version will apply to menus, buttons and icons. But these aren't automatically generated by the phone based on your wallpaper, and have a distinct Samsung-y cartoonish style that Galaxy users will find familiar. One UI 4 and Android 12 both also offer new widgets that look much better and offer more customization options than before.

Two screenshots showing the Android 12 Material You theme. The first is the Wallpaper & Style settings page, the second screenshot shows the notifications and quick settings shade in the same color palette.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

So Android 12 is a nice visual change, but it does go beyond aesthetics and affects how you interact with the system. Sliders and buttons are larger than before, which some might find ugly compared to the cleaner, thinner options of Androids past.

After living with this new style for a few months, I've gotten used to the extra chonky navigational elements. In fact, in some apps, like Clock, the bigger targets are easier to see, and I can hit the Snooze slider more easily from bed. They even look pretty thanks to Material You, which beautifully infuses everything from the Settings shade to keyboards and numpads. I also like that the new lock screen clock takes over the whole display when you don't have any notifications.

There's plenty of little things that Google added throughout Android 12, like new animations across the interface and updated limits to toast dialogs. Those are the little boxes that pop up at the bottom of the screen when you copy text to your clipboard, for example. I'll focus on just a few of the more obvious changes, starting with the quick settings panel and notification shade.

Two screenshots showing the Android 12 Settings and Notifications shade. On the left is the quick settings panel with a couple of notifications, on the right is the expanded settings panel showing the display slider and eight toggles.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

In general, Google's been busy decluttering. It removed the redundant "Conversations" and "Notifications" headers from the notifications list that took up extra lines, while using a background color in this area that's close to the cards, making everything blend more smoothly. The Quick Settings area up top has a black background and just four buttons compared to the six from before, which means you'll now need an extra swipe to access things like Battery Saver or Auto Rotate toggles. Of course, you can rearrange these to put your favorites first, but you'll only be able to pick four.

This is a bummer, but at least when you make that extra swipe in Android 12, you'll see eight settings shortcuts as opposed to just six. The net convenience lost or gained here is… kinda zero.

I also don't love that Android 12 will default to summoning the Google Assistant when you long press the power button, but at least you can revert it to show the restart, shut down, lock and emergency buttons.

One of the most common ways I interact with my phone is by tapping the search bar at the bottom and typing either the name of an app I want or the show I'm about to watch. Nothing's changed here since Android 11, you'll still see your recent entries and suggested apps when you hit the text field. But if you use the search bar in the All Apps drawer, which requires a swipe up, you'll get Android 12's universal search. This will let you find things on your phone, including not just apps and contacts, but conversations within supported apps as well.

A pair of screenshots showing Android 12's universal search results. On the left are the results for the letter
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

I randomly hit "D," and was shown a row of suggested apps, like Discord and Discovery+. Below that was a list of people from various apps, like my colleague Devindra on Gmail, as well as conversations with some guys named Dan and Dylan from Hinge. It also showed actions from specific apps, like "Submit a Front Desk instruction" in my building's portal and "Connect with Mat Smith" on Duo. When I typed "the," I got suggestions to order from "The Old Spot" on Uber Eats and quickly hail a ride to "The Westin Grand, Berlin" on Uber. Both are places I'd saved as favorites.

Finally, at the bottom, you'll find an option to submit your query to Google's search engine. Chances that I'll scroll so far down the list are slim, but at least it gets shorter the more letters entered.

More privacy and battery information

Most of the changes in Android 12 I've described so far are in your face, and you'll see them as you interact with the system. Others, like the new Privacy Dashboard, are things you'll have to look for in Settings.

Two screenshots showing the Android 12 Battery and Privacy settings pages.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

That means they'll be less impactful on your daily use, but they are, for the most part, informative. The Privacy Dashboard helped me realize that my camera and mic are activated a ton and showed the apps I most often use that require them. And speaking of, Android 12 also provides new indicators for when your mic and camera are being used (a green dot appears in the top right corner of the screen). This is basically the same as on iOS, except Google requires one more tap on the dot to see which app is accessing the sensor.

While the Battery Usage page isn't new, it's now more prominently featured as the first option in the Battery settings panel — you won't have to tap a separate three-dot button to find it. Google did appear to update the graph showing your power levels for the last 24 hours, with the horizontal axis now poorly labeled with just the numbers 1, 7, 1, 7 and 1 (or 13, 19, 01, 07, 13 on the phone I set to military time) instead of "xx hr ago" and "xx min left". I found myself ignoring this chart most of the time, since it isn't all that helpful.

In the months I've been using Android 12, I've seen more apps ask for permission to access my specific or approximate location. I almost never selected the latter, but it's nice to have the option for things like the weather app. In general, though, I relied on the "Allow this time" or "Allow while using" choices as a way to grant limited permissions to apps. Google will also tell you, after some time, which apps you haven't used in awhile. It'll automatically revoke permissions for those, which is nice. None of these apps were things I used often enough for this to be a problem.

Three screenshots showing apps that make use of the Material You color scheme: Clock, Recorder and Calendar.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

That's… pretty much it for the major new Android 12 features. I'm still waiting to see an app that uses the new audio-coupled haptic feedback, since I enjoy the sensation it adds to games I've played on the iPhone 13 Pro. But there don't appear to be any at the moment. Google is also constantly pushing out security and stability updates for Android 12, so maybe there are still more features to come.

Wrap-up

Ultimately, the biggest things Android 12 brings are Material You design and more privacy tools. That might seem minor on paper, but the visual refresh and faster animations throughout the system make it feel drastically different. Plus, Google continues to drop feature sets every quarter or so, meaning each version of Android doesn't have to be as major of an upgrade. But if you've been looking for a fresh face for your phone, Android 12 is a fun, satisfying update.

Nintendo of America head responds to 'distressing' situation at Activision Blizzard

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 09:29 AM PST

Add Nintendo to the list of major gaming companies that say they're disappointed with Activision Blizzard following last week's bombshell Wall Street Journal report on the publisher and CEO Bobby Kotick. In an internal company email obtained by Fanbyte, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser says he was distressed by the allegations detailed in The Journal's investigation.

"Along with all of you, I've been following the latest developments with Activision Blizzard and the ongoing reports of sexual harassment and toxicity at the company," Bowser says in the message. "I find these accounts distressing and disturbing. They run counter to my values as well as Nintendo's beliefs, values and policies."

According to Fanbyte, Bowser notes in the letter he's been in contact with Activision and is in the process of accessing potential "actions." What those actions may entail, Bowser doesn't say. However, there's no mention of reassessing the relationship with Activision like Xbox chief Phil Spencer said was on the table in his message to Microsoft employees. What he does mention is that Nintendo is working with the Entertainment Software Association, a lobbying group that represents both Nintendo and Activision, to strengthen its stance on harassment and workplace abuse.  

"Every company in the industry must create an environment where everyone is respected and treated as equals, and where all understand the consequences of not doing so," he said in the email.

Bowser reportedly sent the letter on Friday, November 19th, to all levels of the company, including internal development teams like Retro Studios. Nintendo of America later confirmed the authenticity of the email. "We can confirm the content of Doug Bowser's internal email to Nintendo of America staff is accurate," a spokesperson for the company told Fanbyte. "We have nothing further to share on this topic."

According to The Journal, Kotick knew about many of the incidents of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard and, at times, acted to protect abusers at the company. He also allegedly acted as one himself at times. In a statement to Engadget, a spokesperson for the company said the article presented a "misleading view of Activision Blizzard and our CEO." The report drew an outcry from Activision Blizzard employees who staged a walkout on the day it was published. Some of those same employees have also called on Kotick to resign from his position, an action the executive reportedly said he would consider if he can't fix the company's culture "with speed."

"We respect all feedback from our valued partners and are engaging with them further," an Activision Blizzard spokesperson told Engadget after the Microsoft letter surfaced online. "We have detailed important changes we have implemented in recent weeks, and we will continue to do so. We are committed to the work of ensuring our culture and workplace are safe, diverse, and inclusive. We know it will take time, but we will not stop until we have the best workplace for our team."

Animoog Z ushers the landmark iOS synth into the modern age

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 09:00 AM PST

Ten years ago Moog released Animoog — a strange departure for a company best known for its old-school analog synths. The company had dabbled in the app world before with the Filtatron, which was an emulation of the classic Moog ladder filter. But Animoog was a different beast entirely. It was a full-fledged software instrument that used wavetable synthesis, often associated with cold and complex digital sounds that are in many ways the antithesis of what Moog stood for. But, the app turned out to be a huge success. And for its tenth anniversary it's finally getting a proper sequel in Animoog Z.

The core, which Moog calls Anisotropic Synth Engine, is largely the same. Of the dozens of waveforms you choose up to eight at a time from. They range from samples of analog saw waves to decidedly more digital sounds. What makes it relatively unique is the 'orbit' and 'path' modules which shape the timbre. The way they work is hard to describe, but basically notes you play travel along a path drawn in space, and orbit around that path. You control the speed and intensity of distance of the orbit, as well as the speed at which it travels along the path and that determines how the sound of each note evolves, in a relatively opaque way.

Animoog Z
Moog

The big change here from the original app is that Animoog Z adds a third dimension to the path. So instead of just traveling along an X and Y axis, the notes also can move along this Z axis. This gives the new app just a touch more depth and notes a bit more room to evolve. The difference can be subtle at times, but certain presets in Animoog Z take advantage of additional modulation path to create truly wild and complex sounds. (Just check out Downward Spiral and Ball Lightning.)

There's also a new effects section with a looper, delay, filter, an arpeggiator and a "thick" section. Thick was also in the original app and it just offers a variety of ways to beef up your sound, from adding detune, drive and bit crushing effects. While a few of these are holdovers from the original, the way they're grouped together here makes sound design a little more fluid and linear.

The whole app has received a massive face lift that not only makes it feel more modern, but also makes it easier to navigate. While the UI can feel a bit cramped on an iPhone, it's still light years beyond the original. Unfortunately I wasn't able to test it on an iPad or a Mac, so I can't speak to how well the interface scales up when it has space to breathe. But, the general layout is clean, logical and consistent.

Animoog Z
Moog

The LFO, mod and envelope sections are more accessible and more powerful than their counterparts in the original app. In Animoog Z there is an entire tab dedicated to envelopes, with a clearly labeled amp envelope, and you'll find it in the same place you'll find the FX, orbit, filter, path and LFO tabs. There's no need to go searching. In the original some of these features were scattered amongst dropdown menus. There are also just a lot more options for routing modulation in the new app.

Lastly, Moog added MPE support to the app, and even offers a limited version of it through the touchscreen interface. If you expand the keyboard, you can slide your fingers up and down individual notes to add unique modulation to each. You can also bend each note individually by moving your fingers. One of the great ways to add a little character to your playing is to turn down the keyboard correction and turn up the glide which will just by dint of your imperfect and imprecise human fingers add subtle detuning and bends as you play. With the right settings this can simulate everything from subtle analog drift to the tape warbles of a dying Walkman.

Animoog Z
Moog

Animoog Z is available as a free download, but only in an extremely limited version. You can play the built-in presets and manipulate some basic parameters, but if you want full access to all its features you'll need to pay $10. One nice change here is the flat price no matter the platform. Currently the iPhone version Animoog is $10, but it's $20 on the iPad. Animoog Z is $10 no matter where you're using it.

Animoog is definitely starting to look and feel its age. So this sequel couldn't have come at a better time. And Animoog Z is definitely a worthy successor to this groundbreaking app.

Game Boy Advance 'hacked' to run PlayStation games using a Raspberry Pi

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 08:42 AM PST

The Game Boy Advance is useful in the modern era for more than watching Christopher Nolan blockbusters. Gizmodonotes that tinkerer Rodrigo Alfonso has Nintendo's 20-year-old handheld running PlayStation (and Genesis, and SNES) games without special modifications. The trick, as you might imagine revolves around a custom cartridge — you're technically running the game on a separate system.

The cartridge houses a Raspberry Pi 3 mini-computer running the RetroPie emulator and streaming both video and input through the GBA's multiplayer-oriented Link Port. Yes, that's constraining as you think it is — you can't transfer more than 1.6Mbps bi-directionally, and the Pi has to routinely give the "poor" GBA's processor a break for a few microseconds. Alfonso suggests lowering the stream resolution from the console's native 240 x 160 if a high frame rate is important.

Still, the results are mostly impressive. The special cart can handle classics like the Crash Bandicoot series and Spyro the Dragon at smooth frame rates, albeit with some video artifacts that reflect the limited bandwidth. You can overclock the GBA's processor to improve the frame rate and quality.

You'll have to build the cartridge and load code yourself, although Alfonso has helpfully provided both on GitHub. This probably won't replace a PSP if you want the most authentic PlayStation handheld experience you can get. It might, however, give you a reason to dig your GBA out of the closet.

The best deals on subscription services we found for Black Friday

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 08:00 AM PST

If you're anything like us, you probably pay for quite a few subscription services each month. Everything from music and TV streaming to guided meditations to password management has a service that you can pay for to make your life more convenient. These are also things we don't think about buying very often — typically, you sign up once and only revisit the service when you're thinking of changing things up or cancelling. But Black Friday is a good opportunity to check out new subscription services you may have considered in the past because many of them have sales for new (and sometimes returning) customers. Here are the best deals on subscription services you can get this Black Friday.

Adobe CC All Apps plan

Woman editing photo on computer. Software interface is completely made up.
grinvalds via Getty Images

First-time subscribers to Adobe CC can get the All Apps plan for 40 percent off right now, bringing the monthly charge down to $30. If you're a student, it's even cheaper — just $16 per month for first-time customers. These programs are considered standard in most creative fields, so it's worth grabbing this deal if you know you'll be using things like Photoshop or Illustrator in the future.

Subscribe to All Apps plan at Adobe - $30/month

Headspace

Headspace
Headspace

The meditation app Headspace is down to $5 per month for new and returning customers for Black Friday. That's 60 percent off the normal price, and those who want to pay for a year upfront will get 50 percent off and pay only $35 for the year. Headspace has a bunch of guided meditation sessions along with sleep stories, calming ambient music, guided yoga sessions for stress management and more.

Subscribe to Headspace starting at $5/month

Hulu (ad-supported)

Hulu
Hulu

Hulu's Black Friday deal knocks the price of its ad-supported plan down to only $1 per month. That's $6 off its normal price, and those who sign up will get that discount for a full year. While the offer is available to both new and returning subscribers, you cannot claim the deal if you've been a Hulu subscriber within the past month.

Subscribe to Hulu (ad-supported) - $1/month

Audible

Audible
Audible

New subscribers can join Audible right now for 60 percent off, or $6 per month, for the first three months and you'll get a $20 Audible credit along with it. After three months, the subscription price will go back up to the standard $15-per-month rate. Audible Premium Plus gives you access to hundreds of audiobooks, plus one credit per month to use on any title of your choosing. It also gives you access to members-only sales, which often knock titles down to as low as $5 each.

Subscribe to Audible - $6/month

Libro.fm

Libro.fm
Libro.fm

Libro.fm is an audiobook platform that helps you support local bookstores with your purchases and you can get an extra free book credit when you sign up with the code CHOOSEINDIE. That's on top of the standard one credit you get with your first month of membership, so you're getting a total of two credits to use immediately. Libro.fm's prices are in line with Audible's as well — $15 per month for a standard subscription.

Subscribe to Libro.fm - $15/month

Affinity creative programs

Serif Affinity creative apps
Serif

Serif's Adobe CC competitors, the Affinity suite of creative apps, are 30 percent off for Black Friday. That includes Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher programs for all platforms as well as the rest of the company's workbooks and other content. These apps are great options if you're looking for alternatives to things like Photoshop that don't require recurring subscription fees.

Shop Affinity programs

Tidal HiFi

TIDAL Logo. (PRNewsFoto/TIDAL)
PRNewsFoto/TIDAL

For those curious about Tidal's HiFi service, you can take advantage of the company's Black Friday sale and get three months of the music service for just $1. Three months of the HiFi Plus Plan is also on sale for $2, and it gets you everything in the standard HiFi plan along with Master Quality audio with Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio support and other extra perks.

Shop Tidal's Black Friday sale

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone's Black Friday sale discounts the prices of its three-, six- and 12-month programs to $30, $50 and $90, respectively. Your recipient can learn a new language from their smartphone with things like a phrasebook, stories, offline learning and TruAccent, a feature that helps them refine their pronunciation.

Shop Rosetta Stone's Black Friday sale

LastPass

LastPass password manager app
LastPass

If you're still not using a password manager yet, you can subscribe to the premium version of LastPass Families for 25 percent less than usual. With the family plan, you and up to five other users can keep and share passwords and gain access to features like multi-device password sharing, security dashboard, dark web monitoring and and more.

Shop LastPass' Black Friday sale

Parallels

Parallels
Parallels

Parallels is a program that makes it easy to use Windows alongside macOS and now you can grab Parallels Desktop for Mac for 20 percent off through December 1. A piece of software like this bridges the gab between a bunch of different operating systems, so you don't have to be confined to one or another.

Shop Parallels Black Friday sale

Masterclass

MasterClass
MasterClass

Masterclass' Black Friday sale gives new annual subscribers a second yearly membership to gift, so you're getting two subscriptions for $180. Your recipient has up to one year to redeem the offer and then you both can learn from world-class experts at your own pace.

Shop Masterclass Black Friday sale

NordVPN

NordVPN
NordVPN

One of our preferred VPNs, NordVPN, is having a Black Friday sale that knocks 68 percent off the normal price, bringing a 2-year subscription down to $89. We like this service for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.

Subscribe to NordVPN (2 years) - $89

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Activision Blizzard’s latest anti-harassment effort is a ‘responsibility committee’

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 07:19 AM PST

Activision Blizzard is facing increasing scrutiny from the government and the games industry over its handling of the ongoing sexual harassment scandal, and its latest effort might not help. As Kotakureports, the developer has formed a "Workplace Responsibility Committee" to help it implement new anti-harassment and anti-discrimination efforts. While that sounds useful at first, there's a concern the initial committee is more symbolic than functional.

The committee will launch with just two members, both of whom (chair Dawn Ostroff and Reveta Bowers) are existing independent board members. They, in turn, will report to the board and key Activision Blizzard executives — including CEO Bobby Kotick, who some argue is partly to blame for the scandal. The duo will work with an outside coordinator and a consultant following the company's settlement with the EEOC, but there's no mention of involving regular company staff or outsiders who weren't part of that court agreement.

As such, it won't be surprising if the committee does little to satisfy critics. Employees and others have called on Kotick to resign, among other more substantial changes. There's also low confidence in leadership's ability to police itself — Jennifer Oneal, Blizzard's first female leader, allegedly left her position feeling she was the target of discrimination by a seemingly irredeemable company culture. Bloombergnoted that some board members (including Ostroff) are Kotick's longtime friends and connections, for that matter. The committee might need to take aggressive steps if it wants to prove it's more than a superficial gesture.

Samsung's T7 Touch SSD is on sale for as low as $90 right now

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 06:24 AM PST

A portable drive could make a good gift for any tech-obsessed person in your life. Sure, they're not the flashiest gadgets but they're some of the most useful, providing extra space for photos, documents, games and more in a travel-friendly package. One of our favorites, the Samsung T7 Touch, is already on sale for Black Friday — the 500GB model is down to $90, or 18 percent off its normal price and only a few dollars more than its all-time low. You can pick up the 1TB version for 21 percent off now that it's down to $150, or a 2TB model for $300.

Buy T7 Touch at Amazon starting at $90

The "Touch" portion of the drive's name comes from its built-in fingerprint reader that provides an additional defense against prying eyes. The T7 supports optional password protection, but on the Touch, you can choose to use your fingerprint to unlock the device and access saved files. The T7 is physically protected as well with its shock- and drop-resistant body, which is also small enough to fit into nearly any pocket of any bag or backpack.

We also appreciate the use of ePCM technology and Dynamic Thermal Guard to control heat levels, which means that the drive won't overheat even when you're pushing it to its limits. And you may do that a lot depending on how you use the drive. It comes with both a USB-C to C cable and a USB-C to A cable, so it can work with most gadgets — including some game consoles. Overall, the T7 Touch is a versatile SSD that's made better by its extra layer of security.

If you can forgo the fingerprint reader, the standard T7 drives have also been discounted to new record-low prices. At the time of writing this, the 2TB model is sold out and the best remaining deal of the bunch is on the 1TB version, which is $60 off and down to $110.

Buy Samsung T7 (1TB) at Amazon - $110

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Headspace offers up to 60 percent off subscriptions for Black Friday

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 06:00 AM PST

If you've heard good things about Headspace and have been waiting to give it a try, now is a good time to do so. The company has discounted its monthly subscription by 60 percent to $4.99, down from $12.99 per month. And it's not a one-time discount, you can get up to 12 months at that price during the sale. Headspace has also reduced the price of its annual subscription. It currently costs $34.99 instead of $69.99. The promo is available from today until December 6th.

One thing to note about Headspace is that it's more than a meditation app. It has an entire section dedicated to music from artists like Arcade Fire and Hans Zimmer. You'll also find workout videos and tools you can use to fall asleep. If you want to get a feel for what it's all about, Headspace recently released an interactive mindfulness experience within Netflix.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

Blue Origin's next flight will carry Alan Shepard's daughter to space

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 05:54 AM PST

Blue Origin is still eager to grab headlines with spaceflight passengers even as it pushes some boundaries. Jeff Bezos' outfit has revealed that its New Shepard mission on December 9th will be the first to carry a full six passengers into space, including Laura Shepard Churchley — that is, Alan Shepard's daughter. You can also expect a swell of TV coverage with Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan also coming along for the ride.

Other passengers include Voyager Space chief Dylan Taylor, engineer and investor Evan Dick, venture capitalist Lane Bess and his child Cameron Bess (who will also be the first Twitch streamer to go to space). The launch is currently slated for 10AM Eastern on the 9th, with Blue Origin's livestream starting 90 minutes earlier.

This 19th New Shepard flight could be considered a consolation prize following Blue Origin's failed lawsuit disputing NASA's SpaceX lunar lander contract. It should show that New Shepard can handle its full complement without a hitch, though, and takes the company one step closer to fulfilling ambitions that include New Glenn and a planned space station.

The Polestar 5 is a production version of the Precept concept EV

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 05:48 AM PST

Last year, Polestar announced that it's stunning Precept concept EV sedan would become a real production car. Now, the company has shown the first official images of the production version and confirmed that it will arrive in 2024 as the Polestar 5, Roadshow has reported.

Unlike many auto show concepts, the new vehicle strongly resembles the Precept that it's based on. That includes the long wheelbase, "shark" nose, fastback design and geometric creasing. "It makes me very proud to see how much of the concept car's design is making it into the Polestar 5," said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath in a statement. It's likely to use a version of parent Geely's upcoming SPA2 EV platform also earmarked for the Polestar 3 SUV and next-generation Volvo XC90. 

With the Polestar 5, the company has nearly fleshed out its EV lineup that includes the current Polestar 2, upcoming Polestar 3 SUV and the original Polestar 1, a PHEV that will no longer be produced after 2021. A Polestar 4 is also in the offing as a smaller crossover-style SUV that could be the analog of Volvo's C40 Recharge, according to an Autocar report. 

That will give it a product lineup roughly equivalent to Tesla, with a sedan, hatchback, crossover and SUV. Given Polestar's design chops, and the excellent Polestar EV driving characteristics we've seen so far, it should be a formidable rival. 

The Apple Watch Series 7 hits new low of $380 ahead of Black Friday

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 05:38 AM PST

Apple's latest smartwatch came out last month and, while not incredibly different than than Series 6, it impressed us with its larger display and faster charging. Being the newest Apple Watch, we don't expect to see major discounts on the Series 7 this holiday season — but you can get the wearable for $20 less right now on Amazon. The online retailer has a few colors of the Series 7 for $380, which is a record low. Some GPS + Cellular models are also $20 off, if you wanted to spring for the most independent version of the Watch.

Buy Series 7 (GPS) at Amazon - $380Buy Series 7 (GPS + Cellular) at Amazon - $480

The Series 7 retains the same footprint of the Series 6, but Apple enlarged the screen by slimming down the bezels to just 1.7mm. What that means in practice is that you have more screen real estate on your wrist, which makes a noticeably difference in usability. Everything is a bit clearer and less cramped, and more things can fit on the screen — like the on-display QWERTY keyboard that the Series 7 has access to in watchOS 8. That lets you type out iMessages whenever you want, although some may still prefer dictation or quick replies to that method.

This Apple Watch also charges a bit faster than previous versions. In our testing, we got 10 percent juice in just 10 minutes of charging, and the Watch was fully powered in under an hour. This will undoubtably come in handy if you forget to place your Watch in its charger overnight, or if you make use of Apple's sleep tracking feature and want to power up before heading out for the day.

Otherwise, the Series 7 is the most comprehensive Apple Watch to date. You're getting all of the sensors and features possible here including a blood oxygen sensor, an ECG measurement tool, GPS, heart rate monitor, altimeter and more. Also, you're getting an always-on display, which makes it easier to check notifications without raising your wrist. If you've had your eye on the Series 7 since it was announced, this is the best deal we've seen on it since then. However, those who can give up things like an always-on display and bloody oxygen and ECG tracking, the Apple Watch SE may be the better option since it's also on sale for an all-time low of $219.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Spotify unveils a new hub for Netflix soundtracks, playlists and podcasts

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 05:00 AM PST

After doing the same for Disney, Spotify has launched a Netflix hub bringing all of the streaming service's soundtracks, playlists and podcasts into one place. While many of Netflix's soundtracks were already on Spotify, the new feature puts all content related to the service in one place. 

That includes playlists and soundtracks from series and films like La Casa De Papel, Narcos: Mexico, Outer Banks, Squid Game, tick, tick... Boom! and Cowboy Bebop. It also features podcasts around Netflix content like Okay, Now Listen, Netflix Is A Daily Joke, 10/10 Would Recommend and The Crown: The Official Podcast. 

Spotify launched some special material for the hub as well, including an enhanced album for the western movie The Harder They Fall and a refreshed content destination for La Casa De Papel. The latter also features a mobile-only character matching experience putting together La Banda characters and soundtracks. 

Feature-wise, the Netflix hub goes beyond what Spotify offered for Disney, though the latter's content is more iconic thanks to soundtracks from properties like Star Wars and Toy Story 4. In a case of reverse synergy, Netflix will soon release a Spotify drama focusing on co-founders Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, based on the non-fiction book Spotify Untold. 

T-Mobile made a magenta Lite-Brite with help from Hasbro

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 05:00 AM PST

T-Mobile and Hasbro have released a limited edition Lite-Brite that comes with 200 magenta pegs and custom templates related to the carrier, including its 5G logo. You may never have read the words T-Mobile and Lite Brite in the same sentence before this, and even T-Mobile knows the partnership is a bit odd. In its announcement, the carrier said "You may be thinking... 5G... toy from 1967... what the eff? And you wouldn't be wrong." 

As for why you'd want a T-Mobile Lite-Brite, well, some of the kits come with prize packs, and you're not exactly stuck with just magenta pegs and the carrier's templates. The kit has 412 pegs in all — 212 are multicolored — and you can download and upload templates at the product's official website. 

Four of the kits hide a Magenta Ticket, which gives winners two new 5G smartphones with a free year of T-Mobile Magenta Plus service. The prize pack includes an HD flatscreen TV with a free year of the carrier's Home Internet service, as well. In addition, the winners get an all-expense paid trip for two to an event of their choice to any of the three of the company's venues: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, T-Mobile Center in Kansas City and T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

If you want to get the Lite-Brite T-Mobile edition for the magenta pegs or for the chance to win those prizes, you can get one from the carrier's website for $20. It'll ship for free until Cyber Monday and will only be available for a limited time.

Amazon and Apple fined $228 million in Italy for unfairly restricting Beats sales

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 04:33 AM PST

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has fined Apple and Amazon a combined total of €203.2 million (US$228 million) after an antitrust investigation involving the reselling of Beats products. According to the watchdog, the two companies signed an agreement in 2018 that would prohibit both official and unofficial resellers of Apple and Apple-owned Beats products on Amazon's Italian website. That agreement allegedly contained contractual clauses that only allowed Amazon itself and select sellers "chosen individually and in a discriminatory way" to sell those items.

AGCM said in its announcement that those clauses violate article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. In addition, the watchdog said the agreement restricted cross-border sales, ultimately limiting buyers' options and depriving them of the discounts typically offered by third-party sellers. The Italian authority opened the antitrust case against both companies in 2020 and even searched their offices in the country. 

A total of 70 percent of consumer electronics purchases in the country are from Amazon, AGCM explained, and 40 percent were purchases from sellers that use the website as their main platform. That's why it's essential for Amazon to implement Italy's competition rules and ensure a level playing field for all sellers, as well as to ensure that buyers have access to more options.

AGCM imposed a fine of €68.7 million (US$77 million) on Amazon and a fine of €134.5 million (US$151.2 million) on Apple. It also ordered the companies to end the restrictions and allow the sale of Apple and Beats products on Amazon Italy in "non-discriminatory manner." In a statement sent to Reuters, Amazon called the imposed penalty "disproportionate and unjustified." A spokesperson said in a statement:

"We reject the suggestion that Amazon benefits by excluding sellers from our store, since our business model relies on their success. As a result of the agreement, Italian customers can find the latest Apple and Beats products on our store, benefiting from a catalogue that more than doubled, with better deals and faster shipping."

Meanwhile, Apple denied any wrongdoing:

"To ensure our customers purchase genuine products, we work closely with our reseller partners and have dedicated teams of experts around the world who work with law enforcement, customs and merchants to ensure only genuine Apple products are being sold."

According to Reuters, both companies are planning to appeal the watchdog's penalty.

The Morning After: Fitness smartwear that almost looks like normal gym gear

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 04:15 AM PST

The ups and downs of smartwear have continued for at least a decade — longer than I've written for Engadget. For all the progress, innovation and big-player involvement (Levi's, Adidas, Ralph Lauren, Google and the rest), you rarely see a professional athlete — let alone a normal runner or gym-goer — in connected clothing. 

Instead, we've all adopted smartwatches and fitness trackers, from cheap-and-cheerful step counters through to performance-level running watches and the Apple Watch Series. Is that ever going to change?

The Morning After
Engadget

I've been testing out a new generation of smart clothing from Prevayl, a UK-based company looking to strike the middle ground between luxe gymwear brands, like Jacques, Lululemon, Castore and the rest, and tech companies that have tried to insert their sensors and technology into less...style-conscious garments. Prevayl's tiny sensor, which slides into an almost invisible pouch in the tee, tank and crop-tops, has a "clinical-grade" ECG, monitors breathing frequency, motion, body temperature. There's even a bioimpedance sensor. 

You can check out my early impressions here. I'm still intrigued in the future of smartwear, but the pricing (and need for multiple items) remains the big challenge. I don't need to wash my fitness tracker band after every workout session. That can't be said for smartwear.

— Mat Smith 

 

Nintendo's Zelda-themed Game & Watch is a love letter to Link's 8-bit origins

If you loved the oldest Zelda games, this tiny console is worth $50.

The Morning After
Engadget

For the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. last year, Nintendo released a special edition Game & Watch. Nintendo's pulling the same trick this year with a 35th-anniversary Legend of Zelda-themed Game & Watch that just went on sale. And like last year's model, it includes a color screen and full games, but the selection is more generous. It includes the original The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, both originally released on the NES. It also includes The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, which came out on the Game Boy in 1993. It's for die-hard Zelda fans, yes. 

Continue reading.

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Rolls-Royce's all-electric airplane smashes record with 387.4MPH top speed

It also hit altitude and average speed records, the company claims.

The Morning After
John M Dibbs/Rolls Royce

Just two months after its maiden flight, Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Innovation has hit a top speed of 387.4MPH, tentatively smashing the speed record for electric airplanes, Gizmodo has reported. It also claimed the top speed of 345.4MPH over a three-kilometer course and lowest time to a 3,000-meter altitude, doing so in just 202 seconds. The records have yet to be certified, but if the 345.5MPH speed stands, it would beat the current record of 213MPH.

Continue reading.

Ridley Scott says a Blade Runner TV series is in development

A script has been written for the pilot.

Blade Runner director Ridley Scott has confirmed a TV show based on the sci-fi classic is in the works. The filmmaker also mentioned in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today that work is progressing on the Alien series. Scott didn't provide any insight about who's involved with the Blade Runner series — or how it ties into his movie or the sequel.

Continue reading.

Uber Eats users in Ontario can now buy cannabis through the app

But orders are for pickup only.

Uber Eats is moving into the cannabis market. Starting today, users in Ontario can place an order at retailer Tokyo Smoke through the app. Don't expect an Uber driver to drop off joints, though — it's pickup-only for the time being.

Users will need to confirm they're of legal age before they can make their purchase, and orders will be ready for pickup within an hour. At the store, buyers will need to present their ID to Tokyo Smoke staff to prove they're aged 19 or older.

Continue reading. 

 

 

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Tile to be acquired by family location sharing service Life360

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 02:34 AM PST

Tile first arrived by a crowdfunding campaign and popularized the idea of using tags to locate lost items — but recently, it has faced formidable competition from the likes of Apple's AirTags. Now, Tile has been acquired family tracking company Life360 for $205 million in a move that could give it the resources to better contend with rivals. It will continue to operate with the same branding under current Tile CEO CJ Prober, Life360 announced.

Life360 said the acquisition will help it expand beyond family tracking to letting people "locate the people, pets, and things they love." It noted that the addition of Life360's 33 million smartphone users will increase the reach of Tile's Finding Network by around 10x. 

At the same time, Life360 will gain access to consumers in 27,000 retail stores where Tile trackers are sold. Tile's technology is also used in over a million third-party devices, ranging from wireless earphones to dog collars. The company will also acquire Tile's subscribers, boosting its total paid subscriber base by 45 percent to 1.6 million users.

The company emphasized that both Life360 and Tile are "platform agnostic," working on both iOS and Android. The subtext is that Apple's AirTags only work on iOS, though Apple does have plans to introduce Android compatibility by year's end. Last year, Tile filed an EU complaint against Apple for alleged anticompetitive behavior, claiming the iOS 13.5 update made its app harder to use. 

There's certainly synergy between the companies, as Life360 has operated as a multi-platform 'Find My Friends'-style service for years. Parents in the US, especially, have used the devices to keep track of their kids — so adding the ability to track objects and gadgets makes a lot of sense. 

Dodge to phase out its Challenger and Charger muscle cars in shift towards EVs

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 12:58 AM PST

Dodge is phasing out its gas-powered Charger and Challenger muscle cars by 2024 in favor of electric muscle cars, Motor Trend has reported. The company plans to introduce its first concept EV by 2022, followed by a plug-in hybrid and a third type of unknown vehicle. That follows Dodge's announcement in July that it would introduce its first "eMuscle" car by 2024, promising it will "tear up the streets, not the planet." 

At the time, the company and its parent Stellantis didn't say what would happen to its internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, but it has now clarified that. "These cars that you know today will go out of production by the time we get to 2024," Dodge Brand CEO Tim Kuniskis told Motor Trend in an interview.

I'm juggling knives because I've gotta keep two different huge factions happy because at some point those two factions will converge.

The new electric vehicles may use the '60s triangular Fratzog name and logo to differentiate them. The first concept arriving in 2022 will be an electric muscle car, revealed in the next four or five months as a high-performance, drivable vehicle. The next model, a plug-in hybrid, will be a new car but not a Durango as some expected, according to Kuniskis. The third vehicle is unknown, but will be a "very, very, very, significant car at the end of the year," he added. 

Diehard muscle car fans might not take the news well, though they can't deny the superior performance of EVs. Dodge previously advertised the Challenger in "Demon" trim as the quickest 0-100MPH production car in the world, with the rather large caveat that it "excludes non-mass production vehicles [supercars] and hybrids/electric."

Kuniskis acknowledged that the announcement could create friction. "I'm juggling knives because I've gotta keep two different huge factions happy because at some point those two factions will converge," he said. "The problem is no one knows when they will converge. My job is to provide confidence, over the next 24 months, that we're gonna do this."

TikTok's TV app is now out for more TV devices in the US and Canada

Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:57 PM PST

TikTok used Amazon's Fire TV to test its app for big screens last year, so it came as no surprise that it officially launched its application on the platform earlier this month in the US and Canada. Now, the video-focused social network has expanded the app's availability and rolled it out to Google TV, other Android TV devices, LG smart TVs and Samsung smart TVs. 

While the app will still play the bite-size videos in their original vertical form — a given, because TikTok clips are shot with mobile users in mind — the service designed it to provide a big-screen viewing experience for the whole family. The elements you see superimposed on the video itself when you visit TikTok on mobile have been rearranged to take advantage of a TV's bigger display and horizontal orientation. Like its mobile counterpart, the TV app will give you access to the For You and Following feeds if you sign in to your account. You'll also find a Discover page to find more videos and creators you don't already follow. 

TikTok
TikTok

When TikTok announced that it's testing a TV app on the Fire TV last year, Head of Global Marketing Nick Tran said in a statement:

"People are looking for community right now and TikTok is connecting users to content and people that resonate and are meaningful to them. We've been thinking through what the adoption of streaming devices like Fire TV means for connecting with our users and how we can offer them more dynamic experiences, and we feel bringing our content to the TV to some extent is a natural next step."
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