Friday, January 7, 2022

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US regulator rules that Google infringed on Sonos speaker patents

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 10:24 PM PST

The US International Trade Commission has agreed with Sonos' claims that Google had infringed on its speaker and cast patents. It issued its initial decision back in August, and this finalizes its ruling, which prohibits Google from importing products found to have violated Sonos' intellectual properties. Since Google manufactures its products in China, that means it won't be able to gets them shipped to the US when the import ban takes effect in 60 days.

Sonos sued Google in 2020 over five patents, which include one that details a technology allowing wireless speakers to sync with one another. As The New York Times notes, the products affected include Google's Home smart speakers, Pixel phones and computers, as well as Chromecast devices. While Google is facing an import ban, a spokesperson said that the tech giant doesn't expect the ruling to interrupt its ability to import and sell devices. 

"While we disagree with today's decision, we appreciate that the International Trade Commission has approved our modified designs," the spokesperson told Protocol. "We will seek further review and continue to defend ourselves against Sonos' frivolous claims about our partnership and intellectual property." The commission didn't challenge those alternative designs in its final decision, which means Google can implement them. 

In fact, the Nest team has recently announced some changes to speaker groups, which it says is "due to a recent legal ruling." The most notable change is that, going forward, users will no longer be able to adjust the volume of all speakers in a group all at once. They'd have to adjust each speaker individually instead.

In a statement, Sonos Chief Legal Officer Eddie Lazarus admitted that there's a possibility that "Google will be able to degrade or eliminate product features in a way that circumvents the importation ban that the ITC has imposed." However, he said the tech giant's products will still "infringe many dozens of Sonos patents" — that is, unless Google pays Sonos royalties for its technologies. 

His whole statement reads:

"We appreciate that the ITC has definitively validated the five Sonos patents at issue in this case and ruled unequivocally that Google infringes all five. That is an across the board win that is surpassingly rare in patent cases and underscores the strength of Sonos's extensive patent portfolio and the hollowness of Google's denials of copying. These Sonos patents cover Sonos' groundbreaking invention of extremely popular home audio features, including the set up for controlling home audio systems, the synchronization of multiple speakers, the independent volume control of different speakers, and the stereo pairing of speakers. 

There is a possibility that Google will be able to degrade or eliminate product features in a way that circumvents the importation ban that the ITC has imposed. But while Google may sacrifice consumer experience in an attempt to circumvent this importation ban, its products will still infringe many dozens of Sonos patents, its wrongdoing will persist, and the damages owed Sonos will continue to accrue. Alternatively, Google can —as other companies have already done — pay a fair royalty for the technologies it has misappropriated."

Meta sued for alleged role in extremist-linked murder of federal guard

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 05:47 PM PST

The surviving sister of Dave Patrick Underwood, a federal security guard who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2020, has filed a lawsuit against Meta, the parent organization of Facebook. The suit seeks to hold the company accountable for connecting the two men charged in the murder plot and giving them a space online to plan the attack.

Underwood was shot outside a federal building in Oakland, California in May of 2020. The two men charged inn the case were later linked to so-called "boogaloo" anti-government movement, which Facebook banned from its platform in June of 2020 citing the group's history of "actively promoting violence against civilians, law enforcement and government officials and institutions." 

"The shooting was not a random act of violence," the lawsuit states. "It was the culmination of an extremist plot hatched and planned on Facebook by two men who Meta connected through Facebook's groups infrastructure and its use of algorithms designed and intended to increase user engagement and, correspondingly, Meta's profits." The lawsuit alleges the two men would never have met if not for Facebook's recommendations, which pushed them both to join groups that "openly advocated for violence."

A spokesperson for Meta said in a statement to The New York Times that the "claims are without legal basis," and pointed to the company's work to ban "militarized social movements."

The lawsuit is hardly the first time Meta has been implicated over its role in fueling extremism and violence. Facebook's own researchers warned that group recommendations were pushing users toward extremism in 2016, according to internal company documents first reported by The Wall Street Journal. And documents from whistleblower Frances Haugen have raised questions about Facebook's role in inciting violence around the world. Meta was also recently sued by a group of Rohingya refugees over Facebook's role in amplifying hate speech that incited a genocide in the country.

In a statement to ABC, Ted Leopold, who is representing Underwood's sister, referenced Haugen's disclosures about Facebook. "We believe and intend to show that Facebook's conduct has led to a rise in extremism throughout the world and acts of real-world violence, including the murder of Officer Underwood," Leopold said.

Clubhouse finally adds support for web listening

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 02:52 PM PST

Since its debut in 2020, joining a conversation on Clubhouse has involved opening the app. But that's no longer the case. Starting today, if you live in the US, you can listen to replays and live rooms with replays enabled using a web browser. What's more, you don't need to log in to use Clubhouse in this way.

Clubhouse notes the feature is experimental, so expect bugs. However, the company says it will roll out to more countries if people find it "useful." Similarly, it will consider supporting more room types and other parts of the Clubhouse experience over time.

Separately, the company is updating its share sheet. When you're in a guest room, you can tap the Share button, located at the bottom of the interface, to post a link to a session through Clubhouse, a social network or messaging app. When you pick the first option, you can add a comment to describe the room. If it's a live room, your followers will get notification so that they can join.

Notably, both updates see Clubhouse making its app more widely accessible. When the app first launched, you had to obtain an invite to join. But as companies like Facebook and Twitter have moved to add live audio to their platforms, it has been forced to adapt in a bid to stay relevant.

Twitter is testing TikTok-style reaction videos

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 02:31 PM PST

It's only been a few months since Twitter killed Fleets, but the company is already experimenting with a new video format. The company is testing a new "Tweet Take" feature that allows users to share reaction videos alongside a Quote Tweet.

With the test, Twitter users can opt to send a "Quote Tweet with reaction" instead of the typical retweet or Quote Tweet. These "Tweet Takes" as the company is calling them can be either a photo or a video, and the original tweet will be embedded as a card overtop.

The concept is similar to a feature in Twitter's short-lived Fleets feature, which enabled users to share tweets with their own commentary in a full-screen format. Fleets, of course, never really gained traction and the company pulled the feature less than a month after its launch.

Unlike Fleets, these reaction videos will appear in the main timeline just like any other tweet, though the videos will look noticeably different than the typical retweet. (While users can record a reaction in full-screen, it's not clear what format they appear in the timeline. We've reached out to Twitter for more info.)

But these "takes" are perhaps even more similar to TikTok-style reaction videos, which often feature a comment or another users' clip as the source. While Twitter hasn't necessarily encouraged these types of interaction in the past, the company has been taking steps to build more creator-friendly features so it's not necessarily surprising to see this kind of experiment.

Of course, just as Twitter users raised concerns about whether Fleets could be used to target people for harassment, tailored reaction videos also feels like the kind of feature that could be ripe for abuse. Quote Tweets are already a major source of dunking and bullying — which Twitter has at times tried to discourage — so it's not difficult to imagine that these "Tweet Takes" could also become problematic. It's also not clear just how big the initial experiment will be — Twitter often previews new ideas and features in early stages, but not all make it past the testing phase.

Samsung's Home Hub is a tablet for controlling SmartThings devices

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 02:11 PM PST

One of the products Samsung showed off at its CES 2022 presentation was the Home Hub, an 8.4-inch tablet for controlling all the connected home devices in your household. The company has now shared more information about it. At launch, the Home Hub will have the ability to connect to every product in the SmartThings ecosystem, including Samsung appliances.

Samsung Home Hub
Samsung

In that way, it can tell you how much power your appliances use and if one needs cleaning. Home cooks will find a recipe hub for creating shopping lists and meal plans. Those are just some of the use cases Samsung outlines for the Home Hub. The company says the device's AI software will anticipate what you need and put that information in front of you exactly when you need it.

Samsung has also pledged to support the upcoming Matter standard, which should open the door for the hub to connect to devices from other manufacturers. Based on the photos shared by Samsung, the Home Hub runs Android, suggesting it may also be possible to use it as a standard tablet. The device also comes with two speakers and two microphones, as well as the company's Bixby assistant. The tablet will come with the charging dock you see pictured in the photos, and you're free to take it out of that stand.

At first glance, it's hard to see the appeal of the Home Hub. After all, it's essentially a tablet that comes with the company's SmartThings app preinstalled. You can download that same software on your phone. So it's not like it's offering something that isn't already out there. However, framed another way, it's a different approach to a smart display. Samsung hasn't tried to create a device like the Echo Show 15 that wants to be the center of your home. The focus here is narrow, and that's something that could appeal to people.

Samsung will release the Home Hub in Korea sometime in March, with global availability to follow later. No word yet on US pricing.

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!

E3 will be online-only again this year

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 01:02 PM PST

For the third straight year, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted E3. The event will once again be an online-only affair amid the Omicron surge.

"Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022," the Entertainment Software Association told GamesBeat. "We are nonetheless excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon."

The ESA canceled the 2020 edition of E3 shortly after the pandemic took hold in the US. A virtual version of the event took place last year.

Earlier this week, the Sundance Film Festival scuttled plans for a hybrid format as it moved the entire event online for the second year running. The Grammy Awards, which were also due to take place this month, have been postponed indefinitely. Although CES is taking place this week with an in-person component in Las Vegas, the CSA decided to end the show one day early.

AMC buys the owner of the anime streaming service Hidive

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 12:12 PM PST

AMC Networks has acquired anime distributor Sentai. Financial terms of the deal haven't been disclosed, but the purchase includes Sentai's Hidive streaming service. It will join AMC's stable of "targeted" streaming platforms, which already includes services like Shudder, IFC and SundanceTV. As part of the deal, AMC has also picked up Sentai Studios, the Anime Network and the company's extensive catalog of anime titles. Some of the projects Sentai holds the license to include K-On! from Kyoto Animation and Haikyu!! from Production IG.

The acquisition comes less than a year since Sony completed a $1.175 billion deal to buy Crunchyroll from AT&T. At the time, the company said it would work quickly to create a unified anime subscription service that would feature content from both Funimation, which Sony has owned since 2017, and Crunchyroll. If nothing else, today's deal shows just how big of a business anime has become in the west. 

Snap sues US Patent Office to claim a trademark for ‘Spectacles’

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 11:05 AM PST

Snapchat creator Snap has sued the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for rejecting an application the company had filed to trademark the word "spectacles" in relation to its wearable of the same name. In a complaint spotted by The Verge, Snap claims its usage of the term "evokes an incongruity between an 18th-century term for corrective eyewear and Snap's high-tech 21st-century smart glasses."

The complaint stems from an ongoing disagreement between Snap and the USPTO over whether "spectacles" is a term that can be applied to any pair of smart glasses. In an opinion the agency's Trademark Trial and Appeal Board published in November, the USPTO said Snap's use of Spectacles had failed to acquire the "distinctiveness" necessary for a trademark. "Spectacles is so commonly used to describe the nature of the product or competing products, rather than any particular source of the product(s)," the USPTO said at the time. In suing the USPTO, Snap hopes to overturn the appeal board's decision.

Snap first filed for a Spectacles trademark in 2016, the same year it released the first-generation model. Despite a clever marketing campaign involving Minion-like vending machines, the wearable was a bust for the company. At one point, Snap reportedly had thousands of unsold pairs collecting dust in Chinese warehouses. However, even after losing $40 million on the first version, it went on to release two new models and recently debuted a pair of augmented reality Spectacles.

To that end, Snap claims, thanks to social media marketing, word of mouth and media coverage, consumers have come to associate the word "spectacles" with its brand, a claim the USPTO disputes. In the same November opinion, the agency wrote Spectacles' "social media accounts have an underwhelming number of followers, and the number of followers is surprisingly small."

The first edition of the Chevy Silverado EV sold out in 12 minutes

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 10:52 AM PST

Soon after GM formally revealed the Chevrolet Silverado EV at CES, it emerged that the $105,000 RST First Edition has already sold out. In fact, according to GM CEO Mary Barra, all of those vehicles were snapped up in just 12 minutes.

Barra told Bloomberg that the work truck variant is expected to be available in spring 2023, and GM plans to start delivering the RST First Edition that fall. The regular RST starts at $39,900, though that won't arrive until summer 2024.

It's not clear how many RST First Edition Silverados were available for pre-order, but the swift sell out isn't super surprising, given the popularity of the combustion engine Silverado. There's clearly a widespread appetite for electric pickups. Ford had to halt reservations of the F-150 Lightning due to overwhelming demand, and this week the automaker announced plans to double its production capacity to 150,000 vehicles per year.

LinkedIn will add Clubhouse-style audio events this month

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 10:12 AM PST

LinkedIn has been working on a Clubhouse-style live audio room feature since at least last March. It's now set to roll that out this month as part of a new events platform.

The plan is to let organizers host virtual round tables, fireside chats and other kinds of discussions as they see fit, LinkedIn told TechCrunch. Hosts will be able to moderate discussions, while attendees will be able to speak with each other during events and afterward. Events will run on in-house tools that LinkedIn has built.

At the outset, LinkedIn is hoping members of its thriving creator community (those who develop and share content on topics like career development) will host events. Down the line, LinkedIn is aiming to get larger organizations involved in running events.

A screenshot showing how LinkedIn Audio Events will look, with hosts given prominence and attendees listed below.
LinkedIn

A video version of the feature will be available in the spring. Organizers ostensibly won't be able to charge for access for the time being, as LinkedIn doesn't currently have plans for ticketed events.

Clubhouse exploded in popularity when it debuted during the onset on the COVID-19 pandemic and people who were stuck at home were looking for ways to connect with each other remotely (the invite-only approach created an air of exclusivity too). Other major tech companies created their own versions of live audio rooms, including Facebook, Twitter and Discord. LinkedIn might be slightly late to the party, but its take on the format might prove a success in the long run, with many of its users eager to learn from those who are willing to share their knowledge, experience and insights.

VW will reveal its production ID.Buzz microbus EV on March 9th

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 09:34 AM PST

You won't have to wait much longer to see an honest-to-goodness production version of Volkswagen's ID.Buzz minivan. VW Group chief Herbert Diess has announced that his company will debut the reincarnated microbus on March 9th. He didn't share more beyond a sketch, but VW's testing of a self-driving prototype suggests the finished van won't lose many of the design cues from the nostalgia-inspired concept.

The ID.Buzz is expected to launch in Europe later in 2022, and reach American shores in 2023. You'll have to 'settle' for the passenger-focused long-wheelbase model in the US where Europeans will get short-wheelbase and commercial models. Europe is also more likely to get a self-driving variant, too. Entry models could start with rear wheel drive models that offer up to 200HP, while the range-topper could include AWD and 300HP. You may see up to three battery capacities.

The Buzz might not be as mass market-friendly as the ID.4 and other more conventional models, but it could still be one of VW's most important EVs. Like the Beetle, VW's microbus design remains iconic. The Buzz could serve as a halo vehicle whose cachet attracts buyers to the brand's overall EV lineup, even if they ultimately settle for another model.

The New York Times is buying subscription-based sports site The Athletic

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 09:05 AM PST

The Athletic, which quickly came to prominence for publishing exclusive reporting and high-quality sports journalism, is getting a new owner. As first reported by The Information, The New York Times has agreed to buy the subscription-based digital media company for $550 million. The deal is expected to close by the end of March.

"Acquiring The Athletic puts us in a position to be a global leader in sports journalism and offer English speakers around the world another reason to turn to the Times Company to meet their daily news and life needs," The New York Times Company CEO Meredith Kopit Levien said in a statement. "The Times already provides distinctive sports coverage for a general interest audience as part of our core report. As a standalone product, The Athletic will enable us to offer much more — extensive coverage for fans who seek a deep connection to and understanding of their favorite teams, leagues and players."

The Times has set a goal of reaching 10 million subscribers by 2025 and it's well on the way. It had 8.3 million subscribers as of September 30th. Along with its digital and print publications, the Times has separate plans for its cooking and games (which includes crosswords) products. It bolstered its offerings in recent years by acquiring Wirecutter and placing the popular product review site behind a paywall.

The Athletic previously said it didn't expect to turn a profit until next year. It has 1.2 million subscribers, though its growth was reportedly slowing as of November. The Times held talks with the company last summer about a deal, according to reports, but it backed out before returning to the negotiating table last month.

The Athletic has a roster of talented, big-name sportswriters, many of whom it poached from publications across North America and the UK by offering competitive salaries. Back in 2017, co-founder Alex Mather told The Times (oddly enough) that his company "will wait every local paper out and let them continuously bleed until we are the last ones standing" and "suck them dry of their best talent at every moment." Mather later apologized for those remarks.

Update 1/6 6:55PM ET: Added confirmation of the agreement.

David Bowie's later albums have been remixed in 360 Reality Audio

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 08:40 AM PST

The late David Bowie's music is already immersive on many levels, but that's now reflected in the mixes themselves. All of Bowie's post-2000 studio albums (Heathen, Reality, The Next Day and Blackstar) plus a live album (A Reality Tour) have been remixed in Sony's 360 Reality Audio for release on Amazon Music Unlimited, Deezer and Tidal on January 21st. You can also listen to four of the A Reality Tour songs today (January 6th) at 7PM Eastern through Sony Square and YouTube, and through the Artist Connection mobile app afterward.

Importantly, longtime Bowie producer Tony Visconti was responsible for the mixes. This is as close as you'll get to a Bowie-approved mix in 2022, in other words, and it's a fitting tribute for the rock legend's imminent 75th birthday. You can use any headphones to listen in 360 Reality Audio, although Sony would clearly prefer you use its products.

This won't satisfy fans who want 360-degree mixes of full classic albums like Hunky Dory or Low (really, the album with "Sound and Vision" didn't get a rework?). You likewise won't be thrilled if you prefer services like Apple Music or Spotify. Only a handful of Bowie songs have received the spatial audio treatment to date, though — this is still a treat for enthusiasts eager for some audio bliss.

Sleep Number says its latest smart bed will adapt to your needs as you get older

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 08:20 AM PST

Sleep Number is back at CES this year with the latest version of its 360 smart bed. The company has packed more features into the product, such as the ability to monitor body temperature. The graphite-infused foam mattress can cool or heat each side of the bed to maintain each person's preferred temperature throughout the night. The Climate360 mattress also has such a feature. The smart bed can warm your feet to help you drift off too.

As with the current model, there's a snoring detection function. That can prompt the bed to raise your head to mitigate moderate snoring. In addition, the bed can tilt entirely to open your airway and help you breathe more easily while keeping your spine properly aligned.

One of the core ideas behind the latest model is that it's designed to adapt to your changing needs. For instance, it can be raised or lowered to help those who are pregnant, have an injury or are simply getting a little older to get in and out of bed.

A graphic showing a SleepIQ score as measured by Sleep Number 360 smart bed. It monitors metrics such as heart rate and breathing rate, and whether the person had a restful sleep.
Sleep Number

The 360 smart bed offers sleep tracking, and will provide details on things like how long and well you slept. Eventually, it may be able to monitor for signs of insomnia, sleep apnea or cardiac events and alert the sleeper about possible conditions. Software updates should add more features and insights over time.

The revamped 360 smart bed will be available in 2023. Pricing is expected to start at $1,099.

Sleep Number also announced some smart furniture that's designed to complement the bed. Features include mobility aids, individual noise reduction tech, ambient lighting and a built-in charging and storage pocket. The company will start shipping the furniture next year too.

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!

Spotify will show clickable in-app ads when they're mentioned on a podcast

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 08:00 AM PST

In 2020, Spotify revealed that it was testing an ad setup that would make promo codes and special URLs during podcast ads a thing of the past. Starting today, those in-app advertisements are starting to roll out. The company says its call-to-action (CTA) cards will begin showing up on its original and exclusive shows when the corresponding ad or offer is mentioned during an episode. 

The new CTA cards will show up in the Spotify app as soon as the ad plays during a podcast on the player interface as well as on the show and episode pages. If you leave any of those places to do something else — like stream music, for example — the ads will display when you return back to that podcast in those three locations. Essentially, Spotify sees this as a way to not only relieve you have having to remember a promo code or specific URL, but it also argues you'll be able to interact with ads or brands you're interested in when you have the time to do so. There's no doubt a simple tap, if you're interested in what you've just heard, is much more convenient than manually typing in the usual info. Of course, the downside is you'll now see ads in the app when listening to certain podcasts — even if you're a paid subscriber. 

Spotify doesn't see this as a potential issue, since even paid users hear ads on podcasts when listening to shows through its app. The advertisements keep podcasts afloat after all, and have turned the medium into a lucrative tool for businesses to promote goods and services. However, some might argue seeing an ad in the app and listening to one during a show are two very different things. Brands will probably be willing to jump on board quickly though since Spotify says the clickable ads have generated twice as many site visits during the early adoption phase than the "traditional" ad reads for companies like Ulta Beauty, Athletic Greens and Squarespace.

The CTA cards are powered by Spotify's Streaming Ad Insertion, a powerful analytics platform for podcast ads that automatically slots in pre-recorded promotional reads in the ideal spot for each listener. This is how the app knows when to begin showing the corresponding card for the ad when you hear it during a show. Of course, Spotify is promoting the CTA method as the first "interactive" podcast ads, and there's no doubt brands will be excited to have a more visible and, most importantly, clickable way to reach audiences. But it will be interesting to see how listeners respond to visual ads in their streaming app, especially those who pay a monthly premium so they don't have to hear them on non-podcast content. 

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!

Apple's AirPods Max are just $400 at Woot for Amazon Prime members

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 06:35 AM PST

Apple's AirPods Max might finally be within reach if you were waiting for them to reach a price threshhold. Woot is selling the over-ear headphones in pink for just $400 to Amazon Prime members, or a steep $149 below their official sticker. That's the lowest price we've seen yet, and even the $460 for gray (the only other color option at Woot right now) is a solid deal. Just remember that Woot's return policy isn't the same as Amazon's.

Buy AirPods Max at Woot - $400

The AirPods Max represent a considerably better value at this price. They pack a superb balanced sound, quality active noise cancellation and clever controls. In the Apple ecosystem, you'll also get perks like simple pairing and spatial audio. Throw in solid battery life and you'll likely be happy.

The caveats are familiar. Some of the advantages disappear if you use Android or Windows, and you may be better off with more universal alternatives like Sony's WH-1000XM4. Apple's included case offers little protection, too — you'll really want to buy a third-party shell if you routinely stuff the AirPods Max into your bag. If those aren't obstacles, though, you'll have few reasons to complain.

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

'Prodigy' is becoming a headache for Star Trek's chronology

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 06:00 AM PST

The following contains minor spoilers for episode six of 'Star Trek: Prodigy.'

Star Trek: Discovery may have gone on an unexpected hiatus, but the new year does mean the return of its franchise stablemate Prodigy. When we last left the young crew of the USS Protostar, they had just left the Murder Planet and successfully fled the Diviner's ship thanks to the activation of the ship's secret experimental engine. Episode six, Kobayashi, picks up this thread, pushing the story… and possibly the timeline forward in some significant ways this week.

The title is a dead giveaway to one of the threads running through the episode, at least: "Kobayashi" is the name of the ship from the infamous "Kobayashi Maru" test ("Maru" means ship in Japanese). It's basically a no-win scenario that cadets at Starfleet Academy are run through to test their readiness for command, except this time it's self-proclaimed captain Dal in the big chair via a holodeck simulation.

STAR TREK: PRODIGY: Ep#106 -- Brett Gray as Dal in STAR TREK: PRODIGY streaming on Paramount+ Photo: Nickelodeon/Paramount+ ©2021 VIACOM INTERNATIONAL. All Rights Reserved.
Nickelodeon

That plot in itself is a fairly predictable set of circumstances, as Dal refuses to accept failure and tackles the holographic test again and again… and again. Aside from the absolute hilarity as Dal's frustration mounts, it's a pretty standard character study, designed to flesh out Dal and craft him more into the leader he wants to be.

There's also some fan service here thanks to cameos from some favorite characters brought to life thanks to the wonders of CGI and well-chosen sound clips. As with Janeway, the show being animated keeps the older characters from having that creepy Rogue One Princess Leia look, but the audio samples could have used a lot more processing to have them match up. And why a show designed for newcomers needed this much fan service, I don't know, but at least it's not Rise of Skywalker bad.

STAR TREK: PRODIGY: Ep#106 -- Ella Purnell as Gwyn and Angus Imrie as Zero in STAR TREK: PRODIGY streaming on Paramount+ Photo: Nickelodeon/Paramount+ ©2021 VIACOM INTERNATIONAL. All Rights Reserved.
Nickelodeon

The real progress in the episode occurs in the B-plot, where Gwyn is sulking after her father's betrayal and she and Zero try to learn more about the protostar engine at the heart of their ship. Janeway has the files, except they're classified and it's up to Gwyn and Zero to try to open them up. And, though the initial reveal from them is a bit of a shocker (to be delved into next week), it's the flashback sequence early in the episode that yielded the juiciest info for now.

We're shown the Diviner 17 years earlier, in horrible health and already looking for the USS Protostar. He decides to create a "progeny," in the hopes of continuing his race, even though it is against the rules. (Whose rules? That's another unanswered question.) But the interesting reveal here is that the Diviner was already looking for the Protostar 17 years ago, suggesting that this series may not occupy the 2383 time frame we were given in press materials (though never mentioned on-screen).

STAR TREK: PRODIGY: Ep#106 -- Jason Mantzoukas as Jankom Pog, Rylee Alazraqui as Rok-Tahk, Brett Gray as Dal, Ella Purnell as Gwyn Kate Mulgrew as Janeway, and Angus Imrie as Zero in STAR TREK: PRODIGY streaming on Paramount+ Photo: Nickelodeon/Paramount+ ©2021 VIACOM INTERNATIONAL. All Rights Reserved.
Nickelodeon

Star Trek: Voyager returned from its Delta Quadrant trip in 2378, meaning that in order for a holographic recreation of Kathryn Janeway to exist (and the captain of the Protostar to be who it is) the earliest the Protostar could have disappeared is 2379. Even assuming the Protostar is built and launched in a year (which I doubt), Prodigy can't take place any earlier than 2396, placing it firmly around the time of Picard, which is set in 2399. It's possible that Prodigy is actually a few years later, however, making it the first Star Trek series set in the 25th century. Or the Protostar traveled through time, complicating things even further.

But assuming the time period is, in fact, the 25th century, this isn't the first time we've seen the future of the Federation or Starfleet: Discovery is now set in the 32nd century, after all. But being much closer to the time period of earlier shows like The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and, of course, Voyager makes Prodigy more of a direct continuation of that era. The inclusion of Janeway as a training hologram already gave us a peek as the vaunted status the Voyager crew holds after their Delta Quadrant sojourn, but now the advanced tech seen in episode three "Starstruck" suddenly makes a lot more sense knowing it might be a few years… or decades since Voyager.

With the exception of Picard, the live-action shows have largely stayed away from the immediate future of the TNG-DS9-Voyager era, choosing instead to retread the 23rd century or even jump forward nearly a thousand years. It's certainly odd given the popularity of those shows, but in leaving it be Paramount+ has left a lot of room for Prodigy and Lower Decks to do something interesting there, experimenting with new genres while still appeasing hard-core fans. This may be the future we've been waiting to see on Star Trek.

Apple's iPad Air is back on sale for $539

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 05:51 AM PST

If the base iPad doesn't have all of the power or bells and whistles you're looking for, your next best bet is the 2020 iPad Air. We gave the tablet a score of 90 when it first came out thanks in part to its speedy performance, healthy battery life and fun colors. Normally $599, the iPad Air is back on sale at Amazon right now for $539, or $60 off its normal price. Only the silver model has been discounted at the time of writing this, but if you don't mind skipping out on one of the more unique color options, this sale price is one of the best we've seen in months.

Buy iPad Air at Amazon - $539

The Air sits in between the 10.2-inch iPad and the iPad Pros as Apple's mid-tier option. It runs on an A14 Bionic chipset with a six-core CPU and a four-core GPU, and this particular model on sale has 64GB of storage and WiFi 6 capabilities. Apple refreshed the tablet's design to make it look more like the Pros, complete with flat edges, a USB-C port for charging and a lovely 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display. You won't get FaceID on this machine, but you will get TouchID thanks to the fingerprint reader on the device's power button.

Overall, we found the Air to be zippy both in performance and WiFi speeds, and its battery lasted up to 12.5 hours in our testing. While the latest iPad Pros are better if you're looking for a laptop replacement, you could use the Air as a 2-in-1 while on the go thanks to its compatibility with Apple's Magic Keyboard. It also supports the second-generation Apple Pencil, allowing it to be a digital notebook for those that prefer writing things out by hand.

A discount like this is a good one to consider if you want an all-purpose tablet that's one step up from the base iPad. However, there are a few noteworthy discounts on the 10.2-inch tablet right now, too. The 256GB WiFi model is $30 off and down to $449, while the 256GB, WiFi + Cellular model has hit a record low fo $580.

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

The Morning After: ASUS made a 17-inch foldable OLED tablet

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 05:00 AM PST

Dual-screens, foldable OLED tablets, curved vertical screens and more. This year's CES might be a quieter, more divisive affair, but pretty much everyone had some weird displays to show off.

Samsung's epic 55-inch Odyssey gaming monitor is curved for a more immersive play experience. However, it can also rotate 90 degrees for more… spreadsheets and Slack channels? It can pivot and tilt via the height adjustable stand, so you can set it to the optimal angle — surprisingly important when you have a very tall, curved screen.

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ASUS

Then there's ASUS' ZenBook 17 Fold, an OLED tablet that can disguise itself like a 12.5-inch laptop thanks to a keyboard on top of the lower half of the screen. If you want to use the entire 17-inch display, you can stand the tablet up and use the keyboard separately. The images look like heady concept products from a few years ago – ASUS demoed this form-factor as Project Precog back in 2018 — but this is a genuine device headed to stores. Hopefully, ASUS learned lessons from Lenovo and Microsoft's attempts at foldables.

— Mat Smith

BMW's color-changing car concept tech works just like an e-reader

The wrap is embedded with millions of microcapsules.

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BMW

BMW unveiled an e-ink vehicle exterior that can change color depending on weather and traffic conditions or just your mood. Alas no, this futuristic feature is nowhere near production-ready despite appearing at the show on a live demonstration vehicle. The current iteration can only swap between a pair of colors, thus the monochromatic e-readerish appearance you see here. However, the palette could eventually expand to display a rainbow of shades.

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TMA Newsletter - Verizon January Sponsorship

GM officially reveals its Chevrolet Silverado electric truck

The company is aiming for a 400-mile range on both editions.

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GM

Finally, during its CES 2022 keynote address on Wednesday, GM officially unveiled its new 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, GM's second fully electric model built on the Ultium battery platform.

The fully electric full-size pickup will be available in two versions when it arrives late next year: the RST First Edition and a WT model designed for fleet usage. Both will have an estimated 400-mile range.

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Razer's $150 Zephyr Pro smart mask adds voice amplification

Needs a vocoder.

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Razer

Razer's first smart face mask, the Zephyr, went on sale in October for $100 and promptly sold out. Two years since it first revealed its debut mask, the company now plans to release a Pro version of the mask in 2022. It will have all the features of the standard model, including the dual-fan active filtration system with N95 filters and RGB lighting, but add voice amplification in the mix.

It will amplify your voice by 60 decibels up to one meter away. A button on the side will allow you to toggle the feature on and off. Sadly, funny voices are not included.

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Razer made a smartwatch, too

Only 1,337 units will be available. Sigh.

In addition to new laptops, masks and concepts galore, Razer also teamed up with Fossil to launch a special edition smartwatch. The Razer x Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch at CES 2022 is basically what you might expect: a pretty standard Wear OS device with straps and faces that are unequivocally lime green and Razery.

Continue reading.

 

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Illegal movie streaming service Popcorn Time shuts down

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 03:55 AM PST

Popcorn Time, the app that was once popular for making pirating movies as easy as watching Netflix, has shut down. Its original developers took the service down and abandoned the project merely a few days after it launched in 2014. But since the project was open source, other developers were able pick up where they left off, and it's been killed and revived a few more times ever since. It remains to be seen whether Popcorn Time is now gone for good, but it looks like the biggest contributor to its most recent demise is the dwindling interest in the app.

On its website, the developers posted a graph of "popcorn time" searches over the past seven years. While the app enjoyed a ton of searches in the months after its launch in 2015, the graph shows a sharp decline in interest by 2016. Its popularity continued to wane, and it never really recovered after that, at least based on Google Trends. 

According to Bloomberg, the group behind Popcorn Time announced its closure in an email. While they didn't say whether law enforcement action was a factor behind their decision to shut down the app this time around, Popcorn Time has had brushes with the law in the past. The original version may have closed after authorities got involved, and Hollywood studios even sued individual users who allegedly downloaded and shared copies of movies illegally. 

Developers associated with Popcorn Time previously talked about how they're not responsible for piracy themselves, because the service doesn't actually host any content. Instead, it relied on a peer-to-peer sharing system and only provided a way for users to access content hosted on other people's computers.

French regulator fines Google and Facebook a combined $238 million over cookies

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 03:25 AM PST

France's data regulator CNIL has fined Google €150 million ($170 million) and Meta/Facebook €60 million ($68 million) for violating EU privacy rules. Both companies failed to allow French users to easily reject cookie tracking technology as required by EU privacy rules, according to CNIL's news release.  

The fines were specifically levied against Google's US and Irish operations (€90 million and €60 million respectively) and against Facebook's Irish arm. Both companies face daily fines of €100,000 if they don't change their practices within three months of CNIL's official decision. 

In addition to the fines, the restricted committee ordered the companies to provide Internet users located in France with a means of refusing cookies as simple as the existing means of accepting them, in order to guarantee their freedom of consent, within three months. If they fail to do so, the companies will have to pay a penalty of 100,000 euros per day of delay.

"​​We are reviewing the authority's decision and remain committed to working with relevant authorities," a Meta spokesperson told Politico. "Our cookie consent controls provide people with greater control over their data, including a new settings menu on Facebook and Instagram where people can revisit and manage their decisions at any time, and we continue to develop and improve these controls."

"People trust us to respect their right to privacy and keep them safe. We understand our responsibility to protect that trust and are committing to further changes and active work with the CNIL in light of this decision under the ePrivacy Directive," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

CNIL said it has issued 100 orders and sanctions related to non-compliance with cookie legislation since it went into force on March 31, 2021. The regulator previously fined Google €100 million for cookie violations under European e-Privacy rules and €50 million for GDPR violations. 

Google is still fighting the €100 million fine before France's highest court. It's expected to fight the latest sanction as well, according Politico. At the same time, the fines against Google and Meta's Irish operations point to major tension between the EU and Ireland. Europe sees Ireland's actions as too friendly toward tech giants headquartered there, and hostile toward user privacy. 

Nikola Motors drops its $2 billion lawsuit against Tesla

Posted: 06 Jan 2022 02:13 AM PST

Nikola Tesla may have been pleased that both of his names were employed by electric car companies, but perhaps less so that Nikola sued Tesla, and vice-versa. Now, Nikola Corp. is reportedly dropping its $2 billion patent infringement lawsuit against Tesla Inc. as Nikola company founder Trevor Milton faces a criminal indictment on fraud charges, Bloomberg has reported. 

According to a filing in a San Francisco court, both companies have agreed to withdraw all claims and counter-claims against each other. Nikola accused Tesla of copying several patented designs for a windshield design, fuselage and side door. Tesla denied all the claims and countersued. 

Nikola unveiled the hydrogen-powered Nikola One semi-truck in 2016 with the promise of an 800-1,200 mile range with no pollution. However, it was accused by the SEC of deceiving investors, in one instance via a video that appeared to show the truck moving under power when it was simply rolling down a hill. CEO Trevor Milton was subsequently charged with two counts of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud by a federal grand jury. He has denied the claims.
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