Thursday, February 3, 2022

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The Switch is now Nintendo's best-selling home console ever

Posted: 03 Feb 2022 01:05 AM PST

While Sony's holiday console sales were down due to parts shortages, Nintendo managed to have a strong quarter with the Switch. Thanks to what it called a "good start" by the OLED Switch, it sold 10.67 million units in Q3 (October to December), far surpassing the 3.9 million PS5 units sold by Sony. That takes total Switch sales to 103.54 million since it launched in 2017, allowing it to surpass the Wii's lifetime sales of 101.63 million. 

Not all was perfect, though. Switch sales were still down eight percent over last year, and Nintendo revised its yearly forecast down by a million units. It now believes it will sell 23 million units, down from the 24 million it forecast last quarter. Through the first nine months, its sales are 6 percent lower over last year to $11.52 billion. 

As for software, Nintendo said it saw the highest quarterly sell-through (consumer) sales since the launch of the Switch. Pokémon remasters Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are leading Nintendo's game sales with 13.97 million units total over the last nine months. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold 7.96 million units, Mario Party Superstars sold 5.43 million units and Animal Crossing: New Horizons 4.99 million.

Metroid Dread, introduced just last year, has managed 2.74 million units since it went on sale. Nintendo also has a couple of new titles that will count for its next quarter, including Pokémon Legends Arceus that arrived on January 28th. That title got off to a good start in the UK, surpassing Animal Crossing sales in its first week. Nintendo also has Kirby and the Forgotten Land coming on March 25th. 

Microsoft has reportedly killed its plans for the HoloLens 3

Posted: 03 Feb 2022 12:03 AM PST

The future of Microsoft's HoloLens is reportedly uncertain as the company struggles to put together a coherent mixed reality strategy. According to Business Insider, the tech giant has scrapped its plans for what would've been the HoloLens 3 in recent months. At least one of the publication's sources believes it's the end for the headset. In addition, the sources said Microsoft inked a deal to team up with Samsung to develop a brand new mixed reality device, which has caused an internal divide within the mixed reality division. 

Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw denied that the HoloLens is dead, however, calling it a "critical part of [the company's] plans for emerging categories like mixed reality and the metaverse." Shaw added: "We remain committed to HoloLens and future HoloLens development." The company declined to talk to Business Insider about the reported Samsung partnership.

The employees within the mixed reality unit that the publication talked to said different factions within the team are arguing about which area to focus on. Some believe the team should double down on its own hardware, while others think it's better to develop a software platform for the metaverse other companies can use, like the Windows OS. 

There are also people arguing whether Microsoft should continue focusing on creating products for enterprise customers or whether the tech giant should also create products for consumers. Some also argue that Microsoft's mixed reality team should fulfill military contracts. Rubén Caballero, the former Apple executive Microsoft hired to head up device engineering for the HoloLens and other projects back in 2020, reportedly wants to focus on consumers and the metaverse. There's apparently such a confusion on what the team's focus should be that Microsoft lost 25 mixed reality employees to Meta in 2021, including veterans who'd been with the company for over 20 years. 

One thing's clear, though: Microsoft has big plans for the metaverse. When it announced that it's purchasing Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, it said the acquisition will provide building blocks for the metaverse. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said: "Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms.

Two more AI ethics researchers follow Timnit Gebru out of Google

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 03:30 PM PST

Google has two lost prominent members of its Ethical AI research group, reports Bloomberg. On Wednesday, researcher Alex Hanna and software engineer Dylan Baker left the company to join Timnit Gebru's Distributed AI Research Institute. Gebru founded the nonprofit in December following her controversial exit from the tech giant in 2020.

Up until the end of that year, Gebru was one of the co-leads of Google's Ethical AI research group. After publishing a paper the company said didn't meet its bar for publication, Gebru claims Google fired her. The company, however, has maintained she resigned. In February 2021, several employees left the unit in protest of Google's handling of the situation. Later that same month, the company fired Margaret Mitchell, the other co-lead of the Ethical AI research group. Hanna and Baker told Bloomberg the dismissals weighed heavily on them, and that they wanted to work with Gebru again.

"I am quitting because I'm tired," Hanna wrote on Medium after announcing her departure from the company. The post is in many ways a call to action. "In a word, tech has a whiteness problem. Google is not just a tech organization. Google is a white tech organization," Hanna writes. "More specifically, tech organizations are committed to defending whiteness through the 'interrelated practices, processes, actions and meanings,' the techniques of reproducing the organization. In this case, that means defending their policies of recruitment, hierarchization, and monetization."

The post also touches on the paper at the center of Gebru's dismissal from the company. Hanna says the claim Jeff Dean, the head of Google's AI division, made about the robustness of the company's publishing process was "laughable." She points to analysis the group Google Walkout for Real Change published in 2020. "Google management remained silent when an article on the Google Walkout page pointed out that there were many counterexamples, like how nearly half of papers in the system were approved within a day or less of the deadline," Hanna said.

Hanna and Baker told Bloomberg they also believe Google has become less willing to listen to employees in recent years. They specifically pointed to the company's pursuit of potential contracts from the Pentagon over the past and the very public objections of its workers.

"We appreciate Alex and Dylan's contributions — our research on responsible AI is incredibly important, and we're continuing to expand our work in this area in keeping with our AI Principles," A Google spokesperson told Engadget. "We're also committed to building a company where people of different views, backgrounds and experiences can do their best work and show up for one another."

Mark Zuckerberg’s bet on the metaverse is off to an expensive start

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 02:59 PM PST

Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse pivot is off to slow start. The company now known as Meta lost just over $10 billion on its Reality Labs division in 2021, according to its fourth-quarter earnings report.

"This fully realized vision is still a ways off," Zuckerberg said of Meta's metaverse investments. "And although the direction is clear, our path ahead is not yet perfectly defined." Zuckerberg said the company planned to launch a new "high-end" VR headset as well as a mobile version of its Horizon VR experience.

It's the first time the company has shared the financial performance of the AR and VR division that's central to its metaverse ambitions (Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014). That the metaverse isn't yet turning a profit isn't a surprise. The company said last quarter that its AR and VR investments would result in a $10 billion loss. But combined with flat user growth and continued hits to its advertising business, the company's fourth-quarter results sent Meta's stock into a nosedive Wednesday.

Facebook DAUs dipped slightly.
Meta

Among the concerns: Facebook's daily active users (DAUs) declined from 1.93 billion last quarter to 1.92 billion, a change that Zuckerberg attributed in part to increased competition from TikTok. "We're in the middle of a transition on our own services towards short form video like Reels," Zuckerberg said. "Reels is now our fastest growing content format by far." But he added that Reels doesn't yet monetize as well as Stories or feeds. The Facebook founder said last quarter that attracting "young adults" between the ages of 18 and 29 would be one of its top priorities, as Facebook reorients its platform around short form video to better compete with TikTok. But while Reels is showing strong growth, Facebook's overall users growth suggests the feature isn't yet attracting the new users Zuckerberg wants to reach. 

Facebook's revenue growth is also expected to slow in the coming months. Though its ad business is still incredibly profitable — it made $32.6 billion in the last quarter — the company warned that Apple's iOS 14 privacy changes will have a significant impact in the next quarter. "The accuracy of our ads targeting decreased which increased the cost of driving outcomes," COO Sheryl Sandberg said on the call. Zuckerberg said improving the company's ads despite Apple's changes was one of Facebook's top priorities, and that it was "rebuilding a lot of our ads infrastructure."

Until then, though, Apple's ad targeting changes could be as money-sucking as its metaverse investments. "We believe the impact of iOS overall as a headwind on our business in 2022 is on the order of $10 billion," CFO Dave Wehner said. "So it's a pretty significant headwind for our business."

Spotify CEO admits its content policy should've been public before now

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 02:50 PM PST

Spotify reported its Q4 2021 earnings today, and while the numbers showed a strong close to last year, the issue at the front of everyone's mind is Joe Rogan. CEO Daniel Ek began his prepared remarks by broadly addressing the company's "few notable days." Ek explained that Spotify is working to combat misinformation and that there's still work to be done. "The last several weeks have presented a number of learning opportunities," he said. During the Q&A portion of the earnings call, he was directly asked about The Joe Rogan Experience.

"We're trying to balance creative expression with the safety of our users," Ek said. He continued by saying the company doesn't bend its content rules to fit individual creators. "While Joe has a massive audience, he also has to abide by those policies." 

Previously, Spotify has said it reviewed all episodes of JRE and none of them met the criteria for removal, despite several discussions of controversial topics — most notably COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Until this weekend, those policies weren't posted publicly as the company provided details while announcing it would add a "content advisory" to any podcast episodes that discuss COVID-19. When Neil Young pulled his music from the service last week, Spotify said it had pulled "over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic."

Ek admitted that Spotify was late in publishing its content policy and took sole responsibility for not doing so sooner. "We should've done it earlier and that's on me," he explained. He also said he doesn't expect any "churn" or loss of customers due to the current podcast predicament. He was clear it's too early to tell, but that past "controversies" usually play out in "months not days." 

Rogan has issued an apology, pledging to include a wider array of opinions on future episodes. "I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people's perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view," he said. 

A new competitor to AppleCare offers cheaper insurance for smartphones

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 01:58 PM PST

Given the steep costs, it's easy to see why some customers forgo AppleCare+, Preferred Care or similar protection plans. Dropping your phone down a stairwell or spilling liquid on it is no longer the end of the world – the newest devices are more resilient. But accidents still happen, and an out-of-warranty fix can set you back several hundred dollars. As an alternative, Zagg, a smartphone case company, unveiled a plan this week that covers repairs on most mobile devices for $99 a year.

Zagg Protect includes a $49 deductible, which you will need to pay any time you take it in for repairs. It covers both accidents and internal failures, including cracked screens, liquid damage, battery failure, power failures and more. 

But the third-party plan is still much cheaper than other such device protection plans, such as AppleCare+ and Samsung Care Plus. Samsung offers one year of Samsung Care Plus for free after you purchase your device; after that the cost ranges anywhere from $4 to $13 per month. Even with that plan, a cracked screen for any Samsung mobile phone will set you back $249. The free year of AppleCare that comes with any new iPhone is extremely limited and essentially only covers malfunctions that are the manufacturer's fault. Two years of AppleCare+, which offers screen repairs on most iPhones for $29 and other accidents for $99, can still set you back anywhere between $149 to $199 for the latest models.

While Zagg's plan is significantly more extensive than most, it's not unlimited. The coverage only covers two repairs per 12-month period. You can also only use the plan at a list of authorized repair providers. Finally, the plan only covers repairs up to $500 and requires that you use a phone case.

Is a protection plan for phone repairs worth it? Thanks to the right to repair movement, consumers can opt for cheaper options like third-party repair shops and self-repair kits. While it's harder nowadays to completely obliterate your phone (see this video of a still-functioning iPhone X found in the bottom of a river), any eventual mishap can pose a serious annoyance to your daily life. 

That $1,000+ device that most of us carry on our person at all times became our credit card, transportation access and vaccine passport, not to mention our sole means of contacting other humans. All told, whether or not you cough up the extra bucks for AppleCare+ or another protection plan like Zagg largely depends on your lifestyle, as well as how often you plan to upgrade.

Watch the 'Gran Turismo 7' State of Play here at 5PM ET

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 01:13 PM PST

PlayStation has a busy few weeks ahead with both Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7 both set to arrive by the beginning of March. Sony Interactive Entertainment has previewed Horizon Forbidden West extensively over the last several months, and now it's time for a deep dive into Polyphony Digital's racing game in the latest State of Play showcase.

Sony will show off a little over 30 minutes worth of new Gran Turismo 7 PS5 footage and details about the modes and features. Don't expect to learn too much, if anything, about other PlayStation titles in the pipeline (though I'm holding out hope for a teaser for HBO's The Last of Us series).

You can watch the Gran Turismo 7-focused State of Play below at 5PM ET. Gran Turismo 7 is coming to PS4 and PS5 on March 4th.

Purdue University sues Google over mobile power management tech

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 11:36 AM PST

Google is once again facing claims it copied others' code in Android. Purdue University has sued Google over allegations the company is knowingly violating a patent for detecting power management bugs in code. The internet giant purportedly saw an article about Professor Y. Charlie Hu's research on the subject in 2012 and incorporated related infringing code into Android Lint, an error-catching tool in what would become the Android Studio development kit.

The USPTO granted the patent in August 2019. Purdue said it notified Google of the claimed violation in August 2021, but that Google had continued to incorporate the disputed code in Android Studio as recently as this month. The school is asking for unspecified "past and future" damages from Google.

In a statement, Google told Engadget it was still examining the lawsuit, but that it would "vigorously defend" itself and "independently develop[s]" products. We've asked Purdue for comment, but the university already told Reuters it believed Google violated more patents and would add them to the lawsuit if the company didn't negotiate licenses.

School technology patent lawsuits aren't new. Apple, for instance, was asked more than once to pay the University of Wisconsin over claimed infringements. This case may be more serious than some, however. Android Studio is a staple of Android app development — if Purdue can prove a violation in the first place, it could argue that a significant chunk of Android's app ecosystem is built around copied technology.

Update 2/2 5:15PM ET: Purdue has provided its full statement to Engadget. The university contends it spent "weeks" trying to set up a meeting to discuss the patent dispute, but was forced to file a lawsuit when Google "refused reasonable conditions" for the meet-up. The school is still open to a meeting to discuss licensing terms, but will add patents to the case if it doesn't get a response.

You can read Purdue's full statement below.

"Purdue Research Foundation's policy is to protect intellectual property developed and patented by Purdue University's faculty and researchers. Many of the innovations are supported by taxpayer-funded grants and research endowments, and PRF is tasked with protecting those public investments from those who would infringe for private gain.

"The suit against Google was filed after a year-long pre-suit investigation that revealed Google's willful infringement of multiple PRF patents. PRF attempted for weeks to set up a meeting with Google, but when Google refused reasonable conditions for a meeting, Purdue was left with no option but to initiate suit.

"RF is the assignee of multiple additional patents Google infringes. Purdue has again invited Google to meet, see the evidence of infringement, and discuss license terms. If Google continues to refuse to negotiate a license, the suit will be amended to add patents.

"What happens next is completely up to Google."

FCC proposal would prevent spam callers from leaving ringless voicemails on your cellphone

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 11:06 AM PST

The Federal Communications Commission could soon make it more difficult for telemarketers to leave ringless voicemails on your cellphone. On Wednesday, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel shared a proposal that seeks to force callers to obtain your consent before they can leave a message directly in your voicemail box.

The proposal would effectively extend the protections of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to cover ringless voicemails. The 1991 law prohibits telemarketers and other groups from using automated systems to make non-emergency calls to your mobile phone without first obtaining your consent. In March 2017, a company called All About the Message asked the FCC to rule that the TCPA did not cover ringless voicemails. Rosenworcel's proposal would deny that petition.

"Ringless voicemail can be annoying, invasive and can lead to fraud like other robocalls—so it should face the same consumer protection rules," said Rosenworcel. "No one wants to wade through voicemail spam, or miss important messages because their mailbox is full. This FCC action would continue to empower consumers to choose which parties they give permission to contact them."

The FCC didn't say when it plans to hold a full commission vote on the proposal. The agency's next open meeting is scheduled for February 18th, but addressing ringless voicemails isn't listed on the day's agenda. There's no guarantee the FCC will approve the proposal, but compared to a topic like net neutrality, combating spam callers is something most Americans want more action on from the government.

‘Ghostwire: Tokyo’ will arrive on March 25th

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 10:45 AM PST

With Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7 and Sifu on the docket for the next couple of months, PlayStation owners already had a bunch of console exclusives to look forward to in the near future. You can now add another one to your calendar. The delayed Ghostwire: Tokyo at last has a firm release date: March 25th.

The paranormal action-adventure game, which is coming to PS5 and PC, was initially supposed to arrive in late 2021, but publisher Bethesda and developer Tango Gameworks pushed it back until this spring. As spotted by Wario64 on Twitter, PlayStation noted the release date in a YouTube video description.

That video, in case you were wondering, is a Ghostwire: Tokyo showcase, which will premiere at 5PM ET on Thursday (for those keeping tabs, that's 24 hours after a State of Play focused on Gran Turismo 7). We'll soon learn much more about the game, in which you'll team up with a spirit to save a desolate Tokyo from a supernatural threat. Those who pick up the deluxe edition will get three days of early access, as well as some bonus items.

Once it's live, you'll be able to watch the showcase below.

You can now use 'Pokémon Diamond' and 'Pearl' audio in personal projects

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 09:34 AM PST

You can now use music from some Pokémon games without invoking the copyright wrath of Nintendo or The Pokémon Company — in certain circumstances. TPC has launched a Pokémon DP Sound Library that, as the name implies, lets you use audio from the original Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl games in personal projects. You can slip sound effects into a social media video, for instance, or even soundtrack your wedding with a favorite theme. Background music is also allowed for any non-commercial event or personal websites.

You can also download the music for personal consumption. The library website streams music on its own if you're just looking to reminisce with some online radio.

To say there are tight restrictions would be an understatement, however. The Pokémon Company has a strict ban on any commercial uses — you can forget about selling a Pokémon-inspired remix album or game. You can't use the content for broadcast radio or TV, advertising purposes or anything that implies an association with TPC. And did we mention that you can't use the media in anything that makes specific "ideological, religious, or political" claims? Add the requirement for a lengthy copyright notice (163 characters, or more than half the maximum Twitter post length) and you'll probably only be using Diamond and Pearl content very sparingly.

This gesture is a start, though, and it suggests The Pokémon Company is aware personal audio use might help the company's reputation more than it hurts. With that said, we wouldn't expect a dramatic change of heart. TPC's frequent partner Nintendo recently slapped GilvaSunner's YouTube-based soundtrack channel with thousands of copyright blocks, effectively forcing him to shut it down. We wouldn't expect TPC to be more lenient for commercial uses, even with the library in place.

Arturia discounts its software instruments, effects and sound banks by 50 percent

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 09:26 AM PST

Arturia has launched a new promotion to help those who are just starting their musical journey. Until February 17th, the company has discounted individual software instruments, effects and presets by 50 percent.

The highlight of the sale is Arturia's Pigments software. At 50 percent off, you can get the company's original virtual synth for $99, instead of $199. Outside of the fact it's discounted, now is also a great time to pick up Pigments because Arturia recently released an update to add support for Apple's M1 chips. Among other additions, the 3.5 update also added a new cross-modulation feature that makes it possible to dial in results that range from weird to full-out sonic freakouts.

We've used some of Arturia's software in the past. For the most part, the company's instruments, effects and presets are easy to use and surprisingly close to the synths and devices they attempt to emulate. They may not be the real thing, but you'll pay far less for Arturia's software than you would for a Moog synth or Rhodes piano — not to mention the fact tracking down some of those classic instruments can be a challenge and they take up a lot of space. When you add a discount to that software, it makes it an even easier decision for those just starting out in music production. 

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

Bird will expand access to electric scooters for public transit in Nashville

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 09:08 AM PST

Bird is teaming up with Nashville with the aim of filling certain public transit gaps in the community with electric scooters. The company and the city's public transit agency hope to boost adoption of public transportation and eco-friendly transit options.

The two sides will harness WeGo Public Transit's data and expertise about transit usage patterns as well as Bird's know-how to build their pilot program. Folks traveling to and from some areas of the city "will have consistent and reliable access" to e-scooters, according to Bird. The hope is that residents will opt for a scooter for the last-mile section of their journeys, which are often taken by car.

Bird noted in a press release that transit gaps can prevent people from having easy access to public transportation. Scooters can help those without cars get to and from bus stops and train stations. Bird didn't say when the program will ramp up or how much the scooter rides will cost.

The agreement marks Nashville's first private-public partnership based on expanding access to e-scooters. Bird has operated in the city since 2018. Other micromobility companies have a presence there, including Lime and Unagi.

Public-private partnerships aren't exactly novel for Bird, though. Spain, for instance, forged its first public-private micromobility partnership with the company back in 2020.

Google Maps explains how it tackles review bombing

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 07:37 AM PST

Review bombing is a practice in which many people (or a few aggrieved folks with multiple accounts) barrage a product, business or service with negative reviews, usually in bad faith. That can severely damage a small or local business that relies on word of mouth. Google says millions of reviews are posted on Maps every day, and it has laid out some of the measures it employs to stamp out review bombing.

"Our team is dedicated to keeping the user-created content on Maps reliable and based on real-world experience," the Google Maps team said in a video. That work helps to protect businesses from abuse and fraud and ensures reviews are beneficial for users. Its content policies were designed "to keep misleading, false and abusive reviews off our platform."

Machine learning plays an important role in the moderation process, Ian Leader, product lead of user-generated content at Google Maps, wrote in a blog post. The moderation systems, which are Google's "first line of defense because they're good at identifying patterns," examine every review for possible policy violations. They look at, for instance, the content of the review, the history of a user or business account and whether there's been any unusual activity connected to a place (like spikes in one-star or five-star reviews).

Leader noted the machines get rid of the "vast majority of fake and fraudulent content" before any user sees it. The process can take just a few seconds, and if the models don't see any problem with a review, it'll swiftly be available for other users to read.

The systems aren't perfect, though. "For example, sometimes the word 'gay' is used as a derogatory term, and that's not something we tolerate in Google reviews," Leader wrote. "But if we teach our machine learning models that it's only used in hate speech, we might erroneously remove reviews that promote a gay business owner or an LGBTQ+ safe space." As such, the Maps team often runs quality tests and carries out additional training to teach the systems various ways some words and phrases are used to strike the balance between removing harmful content and keeping useful reviews on Maps.

An illustration depicting user reviews on Google Maps.
Google Maps

There's also a team of folks that manually evaluates reviews flagged by businesses and users. Along with removing offending reviews, in some cases, Google suspends user accounts and pursues litigation. In addition, the team "proactively works to identify potential abuse risks." For instance, it might more carefully scrutinize places linked to an election.

Google often updates the policies depending on what's happening in the world. Leader noted that, when companies and governments started asking people for proof they've been vaccinated against COVID-19 before being allowed to enter premises, "we put extra protections in place to remove Google reviews that criticize a business for its health and safety policies or for complying with a vaccine mandate."

Google Maps isn't the only platform that's concerned about review bombing. Yelp prohibits users from slating businesses for requiring customers to be vaccinated and wear a mask. In its 2021 Trust and Safety report, which was released this morning, Yelp said it removed more than 15,500 reviews for violating COVID-19 rules last year.

Before it killed user reviews, Netflix dealt with review bombing issues. Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic have taken steps to address the phenomenon too.

Palmer Luckey's startup bought an underwater drone company

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 06:42 AM PST

Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey's startup Anduril has so far focused on above-ground drones and virtual border walls, but now it's ready to go below the waves. The company has bought Dive Technologies, a startup focusing on autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).

Luckey's firm is already offering Dive's existing DIVE-LD AUV as an option. The customizable drone can handle not only military tasks like anti-submarine warfare and undersea combat zone awareness, but peaceful duties like mapping seabeds and oceanographic sensing. This could be as useful for NOAA and commercial ventures as it might be for the Navy, in other words. Anduril plans to integrate its Lattice OS autonomy software into the "next iteration" of DIVE-LD. 

Part of the allure is the manufacturing process. Dive builds the DIVE-LD using a combination of large-scale 3D printing (Large Format Additive Manufacturing) and unique architecture that dramatically reduces the cost and time to make a given drone. It should be more practical to deploy large fleets of drones to monitor underwater areas. Dive chief Bill Lebo noted the Anduril deal would help his team "rapidly scale" to better serve both military and private customers.

The Dive purchase reflects Anduril's own rapid growth. Luckey founded the company in 2017, just months after his ouster from Facebook (now Meta) following a backlash over political donations. Anduril quickly earned business from the US government for its AI-based virtual border wall tech, and by 2020 had a government deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars to install surveillance towers along the US-Mexico border. The startup just recently landed a $968 million contract with US Special Operations Command for counter-drone systems, too. While Anduril hasn't lined up any immediate customers for Dive's expanded operations, it's clearly betting on those clients coming as quickly as they have for above-ground projects.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review: Good phone, wrong time

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 06:30 AM PST

I've never really understood Samsung's Fan Edition branding. To me, fans are the people who are first in line, first to read all the related news and rumors, and most importantly, the first to check out the latest products from their favorite device makers. So when Samsung announced the $700 Galaxy S21 Fan Edition almost a full year after the original S21 came out, it felt long overdue. What we're looking at here is less of a phone for die-hard enthusiasts and more of a remix featuring some of the S21's best traits for a lower price. Unfortunately, all that doesn't solve the S21 FE's problem of it feeling outdated essentially on day one.

Design

Look, the S21 FE might technically be a new phone, but let's not pretend we haven't seen it before. It's got essentially the same shape and design queues as previous S21s, just with a slightly different size. Featuring a 6.4-inch screen, the S21 FE lands squarely between the 6.2-inch S21 and the 6.7-inch S21+. That said, at around six ounces the S21 FE feels slightly lighter than its siblings thanks to some streamlined design changes.

Review photo for Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE smartphone
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Around back, the S21 FE still features Samsung's Contour Cut design, but instead of having a camera bump with a metal shroud, the phone's back is made from a single piece of matte plastic. (Samsung calls it glastic because it's plastic that kind of feels kind of like glass.) And instead of a two-toned color scheme, the S21 FE is monotone throughout, with a color choice of blue, lavender, bronze, white, red and graphite (shown above).

Elsewhere, the S21 FE essentially has the same design as its forebears, featuring a centrally located selfie cam in front, a power button and volume rocker on the right, and a USB-C port on bottom for data and charging. There's a speaker grille down below that works with the phone's earpiece to provide stereo audio, which sounds fine even if it's a little light on bass for my taste.

Display

Samsung makes the best phone displays in the industry, and even though the screen on the S21 FE isn't quite as big or high-res as the S21 Ultra's, there's not much to complain about. You get strong brightness that tops out at over 700 nits, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,400 x 1,080 screen resolution — the same as what you get on the S21+.

Review photo for Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE smartphone
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

In front, the S21 FE's display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. It also houses a handy fingerprint sensor beneath its screen. And while the S21 FE's optical in-screen fingerprint sensor isn't as sophisticated as the ultrasonic sensors Samsung used in the original S21 models, in my experience, it's fast and dependable.

Android 12

While Samsung (and carriers) continue rolling out Android 12 to older S21 devices, the S21 FE comes with One UI 4.0 (which is based on Android 12) pre-installed. Visually, this doesn't have a big impact on the S21 FE's overall UI and layout, though the extra personalization options do make it easier to customize your home and lock screens. And because Samsung's spin on Android has long included support for features like scrolling screenshots, the most important upgrade in One UI 4.0 is the new Privacy Dashboard. In addition to new notifications that call attention to when apps are accessing the phone's mics or cameras, the Privacy Dashboard provides a simple and easily accessible way of managing things like permissions, data and tracking settings and more. At a time when digital privacy remains a constant concern, more control over your data is definitely a good thing.

Cameras

Review photo for Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE smartphone
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The S21 FE's cameras are another area where Samsung's spec shuffle really comes into effect. The phone has a familiar wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto camera setup on its back, but with a lower-res 8-megapixel sensor compared to the 64MP sensor you get on its predecessors. You still get a 3x optical zoom, but from a camera that produces pictures that just aren't quite as sharp or as detailed as a standard S21.

The wide and ultra-wide cameras take great photos, though the S21 FE still lags behind the Pixel 6. For example, in a shot of some toys taken outside, the Pixel 6 preserved highlights on one toy's face, while keeping the toy sitting in the shade from looking too underexposed. In contrast, the S21 FE blew out the sunlit face and eyes without providing much in the way of extra sharpness or detail. Google's Night Sight also consistently outperformed Samsung's Night Mode for low-light shots, even though the S21 FE often wasn't far behind. That said, the S21 FE's cameras aren't bad; they're just not as good as the Pixel 6. And let's not forget the Pixel 6 only has two rear cameras, lacking any sort of dedicated telephoto option like you get from Samsung.

On the flip side, Samsung actually increased the resolution of S21 FE's front cam to 32-MP (up from 10MP on the S21), which is nice if you like a lot of selfies or videos for social media. But at the same time, I don't really think this one upgrade is enough to change the overall impact of the device, leaving it feeling more like a nice bonus and less like a notable improvement.

Performance

At this point, the Snapdragon 888 chip inside the S21 FE is a pretty well-known quantity. It delivers speedy performance and helps support features like 4K video capture across all of the phone's cameras (at 60 frames per second on the main wide-angle and front selfie cams and 30 fps for the rest). However, because the base S21 FE only comes with 6GB of RAM as opposed to 8GB on a normal S21, I noticed the FE felt slower at times, including when it was processing Night Mode photos.

Review photo for Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE smartphone
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Granted, it's a pretty minor difference, and you might not even notice unless you use the two phones side by side. But for people who do a lot of memory-intensive tasks like gaming or video editing, the FE's lower base RAM is probably the biggest reason to pay $70 to upgrade to the 8GB model or just opt for a standard S21 or S21+.

Battery life

Another bonus of the S21 FE's larger body is that it provides extra room for a bigger battery. So instead of a 4,000 mAh cell like you get in the S21, the S21 FE features a 4,500 mAh power pack, which provides a noticeable improvement in longevity. On our battery test, the S21 FE lasted 16 hours and 55 minutes, or a little more than an hour and a half longer than the S21's time of 15:17. And in the real world, the S21 FE's battery life often feels even more prodigious than that, as I often finished the day with upwards of 40 percent battery still left in the tank.

Review photo for Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE smartphone
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

It's also worth noting that, like the standard model, the S21 FE doesn't come with a power adapter in the box. So if you want to take advantage of the phone's 25-watt wired charging, you'll probably have to shell out for a separate charging brick. It's annoying for sure, but like Apple, Google and others, Samsung says not including a power adapter with its phones should help cut down on e-waste.

Wrap-up

Review photo for Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE smartphone
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

With the supply of standard S21 models starting to dry up, the S21 FE isn't really competing against the originals. It's a replacement that's sadly way past due. It's still a solid phone, but the standard Pixel 6 shoots better photos, has a more attractive design, and if you get the unlocked model directly from Google, it costs $100 less, too. The Pixel 6 is simply the better buy unless you really care about mmWave 5G (which the unlocked Pixel 6 doesn't support) or having access to a telephoto camera.

Hell, the S21 FE is so late Samsung is already planning to release its next big flagship in the coming weeks. So even if you're a huge fan of Samsung's latest FE handset, at the very least, you should wait to see what the S22 has to offer before purchasing what is essentially a year-old phone. Plus, the arrival of a brand new Galaxy S phone often means discounts are coming soon to older devices.

Review photo for Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE smartphone
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Oh, and if Samsung wants to keep this whole Fan Edition thing going, what I'd really like to see is a device that better lives up to the branding. Instead of a repackaged year-old phone, why not make a premium remixed version sporting a microSD card slot and headphone jack? Not only would this be a welcome alternative to a lot of today's flagships with minimal ports, but it'd also be a considerate nod to old-school Galaxy phone fans who may have felt betrayed when Samsung removed those features from the S20 in 2019. That's the kind of customer appreciation I can really get behind.

Key specs

SpecGalaxy S21 FE
Display6.4-inch 2,400 x 1,080 (20:9) OLED. 411ppi, up to 120Hz
Dimensions6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 inches / 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm; 6.24 oz / 177 g
Processor, RAM and StorageQualcomm Snapdragon 888;6GB DDR5 RAM;128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
Rear cameras12MP f/1.8 wide, 1.2-micron pixels, 1/1.31" sensor and f/1.85 aperture12MP ultrawide camera, 1.25-micron pixels, 114-degree FOV and f/2.2
Front camera32MP, 1.22-micron pixels, f/2.2
Battery4,500 mAh, 25-watt fast-charging, fast wireless charging
Sensors and connectivityUnder-display fingerprint sensor, single sim, NFC, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Water resistanceIP68

The best Valentine's Day gifts for gamers

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 06:00 AM PST

I've never been a fan of Valentine's Day. Or rather, I'm not a fan of the traditional gifts given on Valentine's Day, like chocolates and flowers. Flowers die, and you may get sick of yet another box of so-so candy from Russell Stover or Whitman's. And I'm not alone; lots of people would prefer a PlayStation 5 to a parcel of purple pansies. If your loved one is a gamer, why not show them your affection with something that actually makes their hobby more enjoyable (and won't need to be watered)?

8BitDo Pro 2

8Bitdo Pro 2 controller
Mat Smith, Engadget

Maybe you love playing games together on a Nintendo Switch, but you're far less fond about having to split the teeny tiny Joy-Con controllers. Why not upgrade the experience with 8BitDo's Pro 2 controller, shaped to fit comfortably in most hands, highly customizable and available in a few colors to fit a few gamer styles. It also works with PC, macOS and even the Raspberry Pi if your gamer likes to tinker.

Buy 8BitDo Pro 2 at Amazon - $50

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

Microsoft Xbox Elite Series 2 controller
Microsoft

When you really want to pamper your Xbox player, why not upgrade them from the standard gamepad to the Elite Controller? This premium accessory looks classy and feels great in the hand, thanks to its rubberized grips and interchangeable thumbsticks. The paddles on the back add yet another control scheme for your player to take advantage of, and the dual triggers are even adjustable for the type of game being played.

Buy Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 at Microsoft - $140

Scuf Instinct Pro

Scuf Gaming Instinct Pro with map patterned face
Kris Naudus / Engadget

If you're not a fan of the paddle style of the Elite Controller, know that the Scuf Instinct Pro offers a lot of the same features with a different twist. The back features two horizontal paddles that fit nicely under the fingers, and the hex pattern on the grips is great at wicking away sweat. Pro gamers will especially love the Instant Triggers, which can switch to a mouse-like click at the flip of a switch.

Buy Scuf Instinct Pro at Amazon - $230

SteelSeries Arctis 1

SteelSeries Arctis 1
SteelSeries

Wireless headsets are a dime a dozen these days, but one that can work seamlessly with the Nintendo Switch and Android phones are still somewhat rare. Of those, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 is probably still the best. It's sleek, comfortable and highly portable, connecting to devices via the easy USB-C dongle. Even if your loved one already has a wireless gaming headset in their arsenal, this is one that's made to travel and makes a great buy.

Buy SteelSeries Arctis 1 at Amazon - $100

Razer Kraken Kitty

Items for the Engadget 2021 Holiday Gift Guide.
Razer

Not every gamer accessory has to be intimidating and hardcore. Razer makes a great line of products aimed at gamers who don't want all-black everything – or those that really like pink – and they don't compromise on quality. The Kraken Kitty is famous for its kawaii design that looks great and feels great, making it ideal for long hours streaming on Twitch or YouTube. If you're not into the cotton candy look, the headset is also available in black for a grimmer style.

Buy Kraken Kitty at Razer - $150

Logitech Litra Glow

Logitech
Mark Anthony Reyes/Logitech

Streaming is the hot thing for a lot of players right now, whether they do it for fun or profit. But it can take a bit of an investment to get started, so gifting them some of that gear is a great idea. Sure, a camera is an obvious necessity, but good lighting is also key and Logitech's new Litra Glow will create bright, even light that's easy to hook up thanks to the company's expertise and software.

Buy Litra Glow at Amazon - $60

Logitech StreamCam

Logitech Streamcam clipped to a computer monitor with a cork board in the background.
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

If your gamer is in the market for a new webcam, preferably one that can stream for both PC and mobile, the Logitech StreamCam is right up their alley. It's easy to use, sure, but the real appeal is that it can film in either landscape or portrait mode, making it ideal to create content for not just YouTube and Twitch, but also TikTok and Instagram.

Buy Streamcam at Amazon - $150

Elgato Stream Deck Mini

Elgato Stream Deck Mini
Elgato

Beyond a webcam and a mic, one tool that's becoming increasingly common for streamers is an Elgato Stream Deck. The sheer amount of customization options might seem a bit intimidating at first, but the company makes a smaller "mini" version with six buttons for triggering various actions, set up via the incredibly easy software. If your gamer is already streaming with ease, you can step up to the larger and more expensive Stream Deck MK.2 instead, which features more buttons and a customizable faceplate.

Buy Stream Deck Mini at Amazon - $80

Animal Crossing Winter Collector's Box

Animal Crossing Winter Collector’s Box
GameStop

Not every gamer gift has to be one used to play games with — some can just be an expression of style, like this adorable Animal Crossing Collector's Box. For only $40, your player gets an adorable winter-themed tote bag, a heat-reactive mug and coasters for their favorite hot drink and, of course, a fuzzy blanket for curling up on the couch.

Buy Animal Crossing collectors box at GameStop - $40

Danielle Nicole Zelda Wallet

Danielle Nicole Zelda Wallet
Danielle Nicole / GameStop

Forget the expensive jewelry, give your gamer a bit of Zelda bling this Valentine's Day with this new Zelda-themed wallet from Danielle Nicole. The bag features 12 card slots, a coin purse and plenty of room for cash as well. Best of all is how subtle it is in gold and white, so your player can get their geek on even at the fanciest functions.

Buy Zelda wallet at GameStop - $30

Worms NFTs were a great idea for Team17, until they weren't

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 05:25 AM PST

It didn't take long for Team17 to cancel its NFT plans after they were announced. The British video game developer and publisher has released a statement that it's no longer working on the MetaWorms NFT project after listening to "Teamsters, development partners, and [its] games' communities, and the concerns they've expressed." It added that it has "taken the decision to step back from the NFT space." 

As EuroGamer notes, the MetaWorms project was supposed to produce "limited edition" computer-generated collectibles of the company's Worms IP. They were supposed to be sold by the Reality Gaming Group that claims the ability to mint NFTs in an environmentally friendly way. One of the biggest controversies surrounding NFTs is their environmental impact due to the energy needed to sustain their blockchain activity. Team17 said that if it sold 100,000 Worm NFTs, the energy used to register them would equal "the average annual kettle usage of just 11 households."

The backlash against the project came swiftly regardless — because, really, environmental impact is just one of the many issues surrounding non-fungible tokens — and from developers Team17 had worked with in the past. Among the developers that published statements distancing themselves from NFTs are Playtonic, which published Yooka-Laylee titles under Team17, and Overcooked developer Ghost Town Games. Aggro Crab, developer of roguelike game Going Under, released a scathing statement saying it'll never work with Team17 again.

The statement did, however, implore fans not to harass Team17 employees, because they were most likely caught off guard, as well. According to Eurogamer, that's indeed the case. Several teams within the company reportedly didn't know that it had plans to release NFT collectibles, and those who did know voiced their opposition. 

Regulators find Europe’s ad-tech industry acted unlawfully

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 04:57 AM PST

After a years-long process, data protection officials across the European Union have ruled that Europe's ad tech industry has been operating unlawfully. The decision, handed down by Belgium's APD (.PDF) and agreed by regulators across the EU, found that the system underpinning the industry violated a number of principles of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has declared victory in its protracted battle against the authority which administers much of the advertising industry on the continent: IAB Europe.

At the heart of this story is the use of the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), a standardized process to enable publishers to sell ad-space on their websites. This framework, set by IAB Europe, is meant to provide legal cover — in the form of those consent pop-ups which blight websites — enabling a silent, digital auction system known-as Real-Time Bidding (RTB). But both the nature of the consent given when you click a pop-up, and the data collected as part of the RTB process have now been deemed to violate the GDPR, which governs privacy rights in the bloc.

Back in December, I wrote a deep (deep) dive on this situation*, and the potential privacy violations that the RTB process caused. After all, ad-tech companies working across a number of different platforms can collect real data about you, marry that to your browsing habits and create a detailed portrait of your life, which is known as a TC String. Dr. Johnny Ryan, who lead the legal campaign on behalf of the ICCL, called this the "world's biggest data breach," since these Strings are broadcast online to a wide number of recipients without direct oversight.

The APD has ruled that any and all data collected as part of this Real-Time Bidding process must now be deleted. This could have fairly substantial implications for many big tech companies with their own ad businesses, including Google and Facebook, as well as big data companies. It may also have a large impact on many media platforms and publishers on the continent who will now need to address the fallout from the finding.

Regulators have also handed down an initial fine of €250,000 to IAB Europe and ordered the body to effectively rebuild the ad-tech framework it currently uses. This includes making the system GDPR compliant (if such a thing is possible) and appoint a dedicated Data Protection Officer. Until now, IAB Europe has maintained that it did not create any personal data, and said in December that it was a standards setter and trade association, rather than a data processor in its own right.

In its own statement, IAB Europe says that the ruling did not ban the use of Transparency and Consent Frameworks. It added that it is looking to reform the process and "submit the Framework for approval as a GDPR transnational Code of Conduct." It has said, however, that it may launch a legal challenge to fight the accusation that it is a data controller, a decision it says will "have major unintended negative consequences going well beyond the digital advertising industry."

* Honestly, even though the subject is dense, it's very easy to read.

The Morning After: Wordle finds a new home

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 04:16 AM PST

Wordle, the once-a-day word game without ads, subscriptions or even a mobile app, has been purchased by The New York Times. If you haven't played it, you have six chances to guess a five-letter word, with clues offered for correct letter guesses. In an interview with The Times earlier this month, creator Josh Wardle admitted the project was inspired in part by Spelling Bee, one of the paper's subscription games, which Wordle will likely appear alongside shortly.

The Times didn't disclose the exact terms of the Wordle acquisition, though the press release says it paid "in the low seven figures." Play it while you can — or find a workaround like this, spotted by Vice.

—Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

DICE delays 'Battlefield 2042' season one to fix 'Battlefield 2042'

The core game part.

Battlefield 2042 is rough. To address some of those shortcomings, DICE and EA have officially delayed the game's first season to early summer and will use the extra time to fix the core experience. The next BF2042 update will bring a revamped, easier-to-digest scoreboard, while better player profiles and long-awaited voice chat functionality are coming "as soon as possible."

Continue reading.

Google Messages begins displaying iMessage reactions as emoji

But only for beta users.

Google has started rolling out a feature for Messages that translates iMessaging Tapbacks as emoji, according to 9to5Google. The publication first discovered the experimental feature in a deep dive of the Google Messages beta app last year. It's unclear whether the feature will come out for the stable version that most of us use, but if you're using the beta app, you'll get the update that enables it soon enough.

Continue reading.

Peloton's $90 armband offers more comfortable heart rate tracking

It costs a little more though.

Peloton
Peloton

Peloton is once again expanding its fitness equipment range with a new heart rate tracker. Its $90 Heart Rate Band straps to your arm, which could make it more comfortable and easier to use than a chest strap, which normally needs to be placed in a specific location and often needs moistened contacts to work properly. The Heart Rate Band works with Peloton's app and devices, including all Bike and Tread models as well as the Guide camera. The armband should work with other products that recognize common Bluetooth heart rate monitors, but there's no ANT+ support — a standard in many gyms and fitness studios.

Continue reading.

Spotify's 'Science VS' podcast will only fact-check misinformation spread on Spotify

The creators said Spotify's support of Joe Rogan 'felt like a slap in the face.'

The host and editor of Science VS, a podcast owned by Spotify, are no longer making episodes of the show — save for those "intended to counteract misinformation being spread on Spotify." In a letter to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, Wendy Zukerman and Blythe Terrell said their policy would remain in place until "Spotify implements stronger methods to stop the spread of misinformation on the platform."

Continue reading.

Meta is winding down its low-cost Wi-Fi program for developing countries

Express Wi-Fi launched five years ago and is available in 30 countries.

Meta is ending its Express Wi-Fi program designed to provide low-cost internet in developing countries through partnerships with local communities, mobile operators and businesses. Designed to be inexpensive, starting at around 15 cents for 100MB or $5 for 20GB, Facebook partnered with satellite companies, ISPs and others in places like India, South Africa and the Philippines. 

Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported glitches in Meta's free internet services were creating unwanted charges for users in Pakistan. Meta also reportedly favored its own content on its free-data Discover service to the detriment of other sites. Meta said it plans to focus on other projects around internet access.

Continue reading.

The pandemic is bringing out the worst in Yelp reviewers

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 04:00 AM PST

Yelp is sharing new stats on the backlash some businesses have faced due to pandemic safety measures like mask requirements. The company says it took down more than 15,500 reviews for violating the company's COVID-19 guidelines in 2021. That's a 161 percent increase compared with the same period (March through December) in 2020, when the company first implemented new policies regarding COVID-19 related content.

The stats, which the company published in its 2021 Trust and Safety report, offer a glimpse into how the pandemic has affected the review site. Since the start of the pandemic, the company has implemented rules to mitigate COVID misinformation and encourage businesses to follow public health requirements. For example, reviewers are prohibited from criticizing businesses for implementing pandemic safety measures, like mask and vaccine requirements. The company also allows businesses to indicate vaccine requirements and other safety precautions.

At the same time, though, Yelp has had to navigate a big spike in "review bombing" due to pandemic-related restrictions. In all, nearly 25 percent of all "unusual activity alerts" — when a business' page sees a sudden influx of reviews that "appear motivated by a recent news event rather than actual consumer experiences" — in 2021 were related to the pandemic, according to the company.

The pandemic wasn't the only source of review bombing Yelp dealt with over the last year. The report notes the company placed alerts on more than 80 businesses, and removed more than 2,800 reviews, for "incidents related to the Capitol insurrection," after reviewers targeted businesses owned by alleged rioters. The company also placed alerts on 90 businesses due to review bombing stemming from TikTok.

SpaceX reveals $500 monthly 'Premium' Starlink service with speeds up to 500 Mbps

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 03:28 AM PST

SpaceX has revealed a new tier for its Starlink satellite internet service with higher performance but pricing that might make your eyes water, The Verge has reported. Called Starlink Premium, it offers speeds between 150 and 500Mbps with 20 to 40 milliseconds of latency, up from 50 to 250Mbps with the same latency. Upload speeds are also up, from 10 to 20Mbps on the standard plan to 20 to 40Mbps on Premium.

For a performance boost of roughly double, you'll pay five times more, however. Starlink Premium will cost $500 a month compared to $99 per month for the standard plan. You'll also pay $2,500 for the antenna and other hardware, compared to $499 for base plan, and will need to leave a $500 deposit to reserve the Premium dish.

SpaceX said the new service will work better in "extreme weather conditions" and customers will get priority 24/7 support. It's likely to be the only high-speed internet option available in many remote places, where the extra weatherproofing could come in handy. 

SpaceX announced that Starlink would come out of beta last October, and recently unveiled a new rectangular satellite dish that's much smaller and thinner than the original round one. The new Premium antenna is apparently larger than that and it supposedly "helps ensure bandwidth for critical operations even during times of peak network usage," SpaceX said. 

Starlink has launched over 2,000 satellites as of mid-January, with around 1,500 in operational orbit. The current system is authorized for up to 4,408 satellites, around triple the current number. If you're interested in the Premium tier, orders are now open with deliveries set to start in Q2 2022. 

YouTube adds easy-to-access controls to its video player on iOS and Android

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 02:25 AM PST

YouTube has started rolling out a redesigned interface for mobile that includes quick access to Like buttons and other controls. In the past, when you watch full-screen on Android and iOS, you'd have to exit landscape mode to be able to see the thumbs up and down buttons, the option to share the video and the option to add it to your playlist. It was pretty troublesome having minimize what you're watching to see those controls. As The Verge has noticed, though, you can now simply tap on the screen for all those buttons to show up at the bottom of the full-screen video. What you're watching wouldn't stop playing either.

The new controls at the bottom also give you an easy easy way to access the comments section. There's now no need to go back to portrait mode and to scroll down — just tap the comments button and the section will pop up right next to the video in landscape view. You can keep watching while scrolling viewers' comments, as well. 

YouTube
Engadget

Google spokesperson Allison Toh told The Verge that the new user interface started making its way to Android and iOS devices on Monday, so it'll likely hit your phones soon if it hasn't yet.

Sony drops PlayStation 5 sales forecast again due to chip shortage

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 12:55 AM PST

Sony is still struggling to make enough PlayStation 5 consoles to keep up with demand. During its key holiday fiscal quarter, it shipped 3.9 million units for a total of 17.3 million since launch, the company said in its earnings report. That's considerably behind the 20.2 million units the PS4 had managed at the same point in its life cycle.

Because of that, Sony reported 813.3 billion yen ($7.09 billion) in revenue for its gaming division, down from 883.2 billion yen ($7.703 billion) over the same quarter last year. However, operating profit rose 12.1 percent to $810 million, because Sony actually loses money on each PS5 console sold. 

Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki said in an analyst webcast that people want to buy PS5 consoles, but partners can't supply components due to the ongoing chip shortage. Sony expects that situation to continue during the coming year, meaning PS5s may not be any easier to find, particularly in the first half of 2022. 

Sony lowered its forecast for PS5 shipments for the fiscal year to 11.5 million units, down from 14.8 million. As such, it dropped its full year revenue estimate for its Game & Network Services (G&NS) division by 170 million yen ($1.48 billion). At the same time, it expects 6 percent more profit despite lower game sales, thanks to the aforementioned unprofitable consoles.

Sony's gaming division is its biggest money maker, accounting for around a quarter of its overall revenue and profits this quarter. However, its imaging division also fared well in fiscal Q3, with a 22 percent increase in revenue year-over-year, thanks to sales of its premium smartphone image sensors. Its movie division, meanwhile, saw a large jump in revenue to $4.02 billion due in large part to the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Update February 3, 2021 3:18 AM ET: The post originally said that Sony sold 3.3 million PS5s this quarter, but the correct figure is 3.9 million. It has been updated with the correct information. 

Withings buys personalized fitness app 8fit

Posted: 02 Feb 2022 12:00 AM PST

Withings is today announcing that it is buying 8fit, a personalized fitness and nutrition-planning app for an undisclosed fee. The deal will enable Withings, which makes a broad ecosystem of devices, to build a subscription revenue product that ties into its ecosystem. In a statement, the company said that it will now be able to develop "personalized programs" combining data, collected from its hardware, "with actionable insights that empower users to modify behavior." CEO Mathieu Letombe added that it was time for the company to "enter the era of the 'product-service-data', combining personal health data with personalized wellness plans."

It is the second acquisition that Withings has made in recent months, after Impeto Medical, which has built a method for detecting peripheral neuropathies. This technology has already been incorporated into the new Body Scan, with the promise that the device can identify poor nerve function and offer remedial advice. Withings has also pledged to invest more than $30 million over the next three years to develop its ability to offer customized, tailored support to enable users to get healthier and achieve their fitness goals.

The acquisition also reiterates the gravity of the current situation for pretty much every wearables business in the space. Selling single pieces of hardware, or devices on a multi-year cycle, does not provide the revenue necessary to keep the business' operating long term. Apple, Fitbit, Oura, and many others, have pivoted to a device-and-recurring-revenue model, offering a subscription service to unlock the full power of the devices you have bought. It's likely that we'll see many of 8fit's features integrated into Withings' class-leading Health Mate app over time, for a cost. Speaking of which, 8fit presently costs $80 a year after an initial free trial.
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