Friday, July 15, 2022

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NFT marketplace Opensea lets go of 20 percent of its staff

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 05:08 PM PDT

The world's largest NFT platform, Opensea, is cutting 20 percent of its workforce. The information comes directly from CEO Devin Finzer, who tweeted a screenshot of a Slack message he'd sent to the entire company staff Thursday. Finzer blamed the economic instability around both crypto specifically and the economy broadly for the layoffs. The cuts, he wrote, would prepare the company in the event of a prolonged downturn.

"The changes we're making today put us in a position to maintain multiple years of runway under various crypto winter scenarios (5 years at the current volume), and give us high confidence that we only have to go through this process once."

Since Opensea doesn't disclose the number of its employees, it's unclear exactly how many people are impacted by the cuts. TechCrunchnoted that the company's LinkedIn page indicates it has 769 employees, which would mean roughly 150 people lost their jobs. In the same Slack message, Finzer states the impacted staffers will get "generous severance" and healthcare coverage into 2023.

In January the company raised $300 million in venture capital funding, which Finzer said it would use to hire 90 new employees and establish a fund for creators. Finzer made no mention of the new investor dollars in his memo to employees.

Opensea joins a growing group of prominent crypto giants who have undergone layoffs this summer. Coinbase cut more than 1,100 jobs last month, also citing the crypto winter and tough economy. Also in June, BlockFi laid off roughly 20 percent of its staff (or around 200 people) and Crypto.com laid off 260 workers — only months after it signed a $700 million deal for naming rights to the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Sure, why not: Wordle is becoming a board game

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 02:55 PM PDT

Wordle players who can't resist posting their scores on social media to show off their verbal smarts can now subject friends to this behavior in-person. Hasbro and New York Times Games announced a physical adaptation of the online word game phenomenon to be called Wordle: The Party Game, designed to be played with multiple players or teams.

Each round of Wordle: The Party Game begins with one player (the so-called "Wordle Host") who writes down a secret word. The rest of the players will be given six tries to guess it, much like the online version. Players who take fewer attempts to guess the secret word will earn less points, and the player with the least points at the end of the game wins. The game comes with three Wordle boards, a secret word board for the host and dry-erase markers There's also a set of physical green and yellow tiles that mimic the ones used in the game.

The board game will cost $19.99, and is available to pre-order today at Amazon, Target and Hasbro's online store. Wordle: The Party Game is expected to hit stores in October, which will also be the one-year anniversary of the online game's release to the public. Since its debut, the strangely addictive word game has been purchased by the New York Times and inspired a number of spin-offs, including Tradle, which has players identify countries by their exports and Heardle, a guessing game for popular songs. Earlier this week, Spotify purchased Heardle for an undisclosed sum.

EA's new 'Skate' is a free-to-play live service game

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 02:00 PM PDT

It's been just over two years since we learned that EA was working on the first entry in the Skate series since 2010's Skate 3. Although the publisher isn't quite ready to announce the release window, it revealed some more details, including the fact the game is just called Skate.

It's a free-to-play live service title with microtransactions, though there will not be any pay-to-win elements or loot boxes. You won't need to fork over cash to unlock areas of the map (the action is set in a new location called San Vansterdam) and there are no paid gameplay advantages. "We are taking inspiration from games like Apex Legends or other popular titles that are free to play, where spending money is totally optional, and it's mostly about cosmetics and convenience," Isabelle Mocquard, head of product management at EA, said in a video update. 

EA plans to support Skate for years to come with additional gameplay features, balance changes, more content and seasonal events. "We're in this for the long haul. That means we're not an iterative title," creative director Chris "Cuz" Parry said. "There won't be a Skate 5 through 10. We won't be pumping them out all the time."

The publisher invited fans to playtest "pre-, pre-, pre-alpha software" and provide feedback to help make the game as good as it possibly can be. It will soon welcome more players to try early versions of the game through an insider program.

EA opened a new studio in Vancouver called Full Circle to take the reins on Skate, though it's a mostly remote team with developers based all over North America. Some veterans of the Skate franchise are on board too, including Parry.

Skate will be available on PlayStation and Xbox (including the last-gen consoles), and the series will make its debut on PC. Full Circle is also working on a mobile version, which is in the early stages of development. There will be cross-play and cross-progression across all platforms as well.

Facebook test lets users have up to five profiles for the same account

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 01:32 PM PDT

Facebook is testing giving users the ability to create up to five profiles on the platform, a major change to its longstanding policy that only allows people to have a single account and identity on the service. The upcoming test was reported byBloomberg, which notes that it's Facebook's latest ploy to stave off declining engagement, particularly among younger users.

A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the test. "To help people tailor their experience based on interests and relationships, we're testing a way for people to have more than one profile tied to a single Facebook account," the spokesperson said. "Anyone who uses Facebook must continue to follow our rules."

It's not clear how big the initial test will be, or if Facebook plans to eventually make it available more widely. If it does, it could significantly alter the dynamics of how people interact on the social network. For one, it would make it easier for people to maintain different personas on the platform, or create separate pages targeted for different friend groups or interests. It's also a major shift from Facebook's longtime policy of requiring "real names." 

Unlike Instagram, which allows users to create multiple accounts and doesn't require them to use their real names, Facebook has had strict — and oftencontroversial — rules about users' identities, regularly suspending users it catches using multiple accounts. In some cases, the service will even ask users to verify the name on their profile by providing a copy of an official I.D.

But users who have access to multiple profiles will now only need to use their real name on their main profile. Additional profiles will be able to use nicknames or other identities as long as they don't break other rules, like those barring impersonation.

That the company is now changing its approach to users' names and identities is a sign of just how important it is for Facebook to reverse recent declines in engagement. Mark Zuckerberg had said the platform will reorient itself to be more appealing to younger users in an effort to better compete with TikTok and other rivals. The app is also planning a significant redesign that will emphasize recommendations more than posts from friends.

GLAAD: Social media platforms don't do enough to protect LGBTQ users

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 01:26 PM PDT

Social networks still aren't doing much to safeguard LGBTQ people against abuse, according to GLAAD. Bloombergnotes the media monitoring organization has published its second-ever Social Media Safety Index, and has given failing scores to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube after examining their LGBTQ-oriented features and policies. While GLAAD found that all the platforms had strong policy commitments and barred hateful ads, their actions generally didn't live up to those goals.

None of the five platforms did enough to restrict anti-LGBTQ content, the watchdog said. They also fell short on offering gender pronoun options, providing adequate moderator training, minimizing takedowns of legitimate content, banning non-consensual ad targeting and protecting the privacy of gender identity and sexual orientation data. Only TikTok and Twitter adequately barred targeted deadnaming and misgendering (maliciously using a trans or non-binary person's pre-transition name or gender), while Facebook and Instagram were the only ones making sufficient promises to shield LGBTQ users from harm.

GLAAD made recommendations in the wake of the findings. It called for more policies against practices like deadnaming and unwanted ad targeting. The organization also wanted Facebook to outline how it enforces its LGBTQ policies, and YouTube to disclose how it minimized wrongful demonetization and content bans. There was also pressure on TikTok to publicly promise to diversify its workforce.

All five social networks defended their current approaches in statements to Bloomberg. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta said it barred dehumanizing and violent anti-LGBTQ material, and will pull misgendering content upon request. Twitter said it already worked with GLAAD and was discussing the new recommendations. YouTube parent Google stressed that it made "significant progress" in pulling harmful videos, while TikTok highlighted both its anti-hate policies and recent tools to promote kinder comments.

As Bloomberg pointed out, though, there are still significant gaps in these protections. GLAAD is hoping the Safety Index will pressure companies to act, and that regulators will step in to demand greater accountability.

A docuseries based on Spotify's RapCaviar playlist is coming to Hulu

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 12:52 PM PDT

Hulu has ordered a docuseries inspired by the influential hip-hop playlist RapCaviar from Spotify and Sony's IPC studio, reportedThe Hollywood Reporter. RapCaviar Presents will feature the perspectives of artists like Tyler, the Creator, Jack Harlow, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and Saweetie. The show has no official release date yet, but is expected to debut on Hulu sometime later this year.

For those who are unfamiliar with RapCaviar, both the 14-million follower strong playlist and companion podcast are known for launching the careers of once unknown artists such as Migos, Lil Uzi Vert and Kyle. For emerging hip-hop artists, getting a track featured on RapCaviar can quickly result in millions of streams and draw the attention of record labels. The creator of the playlist is Tuma Basa, Spotify's global head of hip hop programming, who hand-picks the music himself.

Filmmaker Karam Gill (Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine) will serve as executive producer and creative director of the docuseries. The co-EPs are Av Accius and Marcus A. Clarke. The showrunner is Steve Rivo, the writer of the Showtime film about the world's longest-running music video, You're Watching Video Music Box.

If the appetite for original programming about music is strong enough, we could possibly see even more documentaries and shows in other genres from Spotify in the future. There's even a fictionalized series about Spotify in the works. The Playlist, a scripted series about the music streaming service's origin story, will debut on Netflix later this year.

Razer takes on Elgato's Stream Deck with its Stream Controller

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 11:07 AM PDT

Many creators use a control pad like Elgato's Stream Deck to help them manage livestreams and create art. Razer is looking to make moves in the space with its own control pad, the Stream Controller.

The company is working with Loupedeck on the device, which seems to be a rebadged version of the Loupedeck Live with Razer's marketing muscle behind it. The Stream Controller has 12 haptic switchblade keys, six analog dials and eight physical buttons, all of which you can customize using Loupedeck's software on Windows or macOS. You can use the controls to change all kinds of settings (such as layouts and scenes) on the fly, launch apps and even manage smart home devices.

Razer Stream Controller
Razer

The dials help the Stream Controller stand out from similar devices. They allow for fine adjustment of certain settings, such as lighting and volume, so you might use it as an audio mixer to balance out your microphone, gameplay and background music. You can find plugins, profiles and icon packs on the marketplace and create your own actions and macros.

You'll be able to set up multiple control layouts (called workspaces) for dedicated purposes and map those to the eight physical buttons or swipe between them. Digital artists who stream on Twitch for fun could use the Stream Controller for both work and pleasure, since they can switch to a separate workspace with completely different functions. Or you might use the Stream Controller to control music playback during the day and help you edit YouTube or TikTok videos at night.

You'll pay a premium for the extra utility of the dials and other functions, though. At $270, the Stream Controller is more expensive than the $150 Stream Deck. Razer will start shipping the device this fall.

Meta's first human rights report defends the company's misinformation strategy

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 09:52 AM PDT

Meta has released its first yearly human rights report, and you might not be shocked by the angle the company is taking. As CNBCnotes, the 83-page document outlines the Facebook parent's handling of human rights issues during 2020 and 2021, with a strong focus on justifying the company's strategies for combatting misinformation and harassment. Meta said that its approaches to fighting health misinformation (in light of COVID-19), implicit threats and similar problems reflected a "balance" between freedom of expression and other rights, such as life, security and elections.

The report also outlined Meta's bid to prevent rights abuses with its Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses. The company said studied both the privacy risks and potential harms to vulnerable groups, such as women, children and minorities. Meta touted its privacy protections elsewhere, including end-to-end WhatsApp message encryption that now includes chat backups.

The text won't satisfy critics of Meta's responses to misinformation and violence in India, however. The social media giant only provided a summary of an independent human rights impact assessment for India, noting that law firm Foley Hoag found the "potential" for Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms to be linked to incendiary speech and safety threats. Meta made changes that included stronger local moderation teams and crackdowns against coordinated harm and hate speech. The company didn't provide the full report, though, and didn't commit to implementing Foley Hoag's recommendations.

There are other holes. The India study didn't touch on allegations of biased content moderation. You also won't find any meaningful discussion of the metaverse — Meta didn't announce its pivot until October 2021, leaving little opportunity for AR and VR to make an impact on the human rights report. Any substantial update will have to wait until 2023. Even so, it's notable that Meta is acknowledging rights concerns more directly than it has in the past.

Instagram creators can now lock photos and Reels behind a paywall

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 09:31 AM PDT

Instagram has been building out its creator subscription program this year and now it's slotting a couple of key pieces into place. Creators can now share subscriber-only feed posts. Those Reels and photos will have a purple badge with a crown symbol to make them stand out. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said this was the feature he's had the most requests about from creators in the program.

Also new is a subscriber chat option. Influencers can hop into group DMs with up to 30 subscribers, perhaps in an attempt to persuade them to spend more time chatting on Instagram instead of, say, Discord. The group chats are powered by Messenger and creators can start them from their inbox or a Story. They'll automatically end after 24 hours. Fans will have access to a subscriber home tab on a creator's profile as well. Paywalled content will be centralized there, including photos, Reels and archived Lives.

Mosseri says tens of thousands of creators in the US now have access to the subscription program, which enables them to charge fans up to $100 per month to access exclusive content. Instagram started testing creator subscriptions in January with paywalled Stories and livestreams. Subscribers also get a purple badge that appears next to their usernames on comments and in DMs.

Parent company Meta is offering creators other incentives to build an audience and share content on Facebook and Instagram. Last month, Meta said it won't charge a commission on earnings creators make through the apps until 2024. The company previously stated it wouldn't take a cut of their Facebook and Instagram incomes through the end of this year.

A subscriber-only Instagram feed photo
Instagram

Introducing Engadget’s 2022 back to school gift guide!

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 09:30 AM PDT

It may be too early for you to think about the upcoming school year, but it can't hurt to get a jump-start on planning. We don't mean to take away from the myriad beach days and barbecues you have planned for the rest of the season – we merely want to help you prep for school as efficiently as possible, so you're not scrambling as we get closer to that return date.

Enter our annual back-to-school gift guide, where we curate the best gadgets available to help you write those term papers, ace those exams and study more efficiently. As always, we have a slew of laptop recommendations for all kinds of students, including budding streamers who need a laptop suitable for both work and play. Plus, we have lists of our favorite streaming hardware, dorm room essentials and even free services that will come in clutch for students. We've also collected the best student discounts we were able to find from all over the web, including the likes of Apple, Samsung, Amazon, Microsoft and others.

In addition, this year we dove deeper into students' productivity needs. If you've wanted to clean up your Google Drive files and folders but have no idea where to start, we've got you covered. And if you've ever driven yourself to the brink trying to edit (or even worse, sign) and PDF properly, one of our guides can help you out.

We know returning to school isn't the highlight of everyone's year. You may even feel more anxious about it this time around than before, for a variety of reasons. We hope our product recommendations, how-tos and guides can alleviate some of that stress and help you live your best academic life.

Google's tool to turn old laptops into Chromebooks is now widely available

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 08:27 AM PDT

Earlier this year, Google announced ChromeOS Flex, a tool that lets anyone take an old Windows or Mac laptop and give it new life by installing Chrome OS. After launching ChromeOS Flex in "early access," Google now says that Flex is ready to "scale broadly" to more Macs and PCs. 

The basics remain the same. You can visit the ChromeOS Flex website to make a bootable Chrome OS installation on a USB drive to ensure that your system works properly, and you can then fully replace your old computer's OS with Chrome OS if everything checks out. As for what's new, Google says it has tested compatibility with over 400 different devices. That was part of the intention of the early access program — it let Google gather a ton of user feedback and fix some 600 bugs that were identified over the last few months. 

While anyone can install ChromeOS Flex, Google is mostly positioning this as a tool for businesses or schools to extend the usefulness of older hardware. To that end, IT departments can actually deploy Flex over their networks rather than update every computer with a USB drive. Google also notes that Flex devices can be managed using the Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, which lets departments manage apps and policies across a whole fleet of computers. 

This all comes about a year and a half after Google bought Neverware, a company that first had the idea of letting users take old computers and turn them into Chromebooks. Now that ChromeOS Flex is being deployed widely, Neverware's CloudReady software will be transitioned to Flex in the coming weeks and the standalone CloudReady product will be shut down. That shouldn't be a major issue for anyone, though, as Flex is now stable and has some features that CloudReady didn't, like Google Assistant support. 

A single-player Aliens game is in the works for PC, consoles and VR

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 08:01 AM PDT

Between Alien: Isolation, Aliens: Fireteam Elite and the upcoming Aliens: Dark Descent, fans of Aliens games already have a number of titles to enjoy or look forward to. Now, Survios is adding another one to the mix. 

The studio is working with 20th Century Games on an untitled Aliens game for PC, consoles and virtual reality. It will be a single-player, action-horror game. The developer will reveal more details at a San Diego Comic-Con panel on July 21st.

To date, Survios' games have mostly been for VR, including a racing title called Sprint Vector and a licensed The Walking Dead offering. It has made one non-VR game so far, a boxing title based on the Rocky/Creed franchise. The studio's Aliens game is likely some time away — Survios is still putting together a team to work on it. However, VR is typically a good fit for horror games. Alien: Isolation's VR mode alone might be enough to convince you of that.

The best study-from-home essentials for students

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 07:56 AM PDT

Engadget recommends a variety of laptops every year as part of our back-to-school guide. But that's not quite enough if you want a productive study environment. Whether you're a student staying home this year or you're returning to campus, you'll benefit from a few additional essentials. A laptop stand is useful for preventing neck and arm pain, while a lumbar pillow supports the lower back. A pair of noise-cancelling headphones does wonders for blocking out distractions and a LED lamp helps ease eye fatigue. From an external keyboard to a USB dock, we think all our suggestions below will lead to much-improved setup for those long study sessions.

Soundance Laptop Stand

Soundance Laptop Stand
Engadget

While laptops are more convenient than desktops, using just your notebook for long periods of time is bad for your posture and can lead to neck ache. That's why we strongly recommend getting a laptop stand. You can position your machine so that the screen is at the appropriate height. In general, you want your eye level to be one to two inches below the top of the display.

One of our team's favorites is this one from Soundance, which can support laptops with 10- to 15-inch screens. It's made from a sturdy aluminum alloy and the surface that holds the laptop is rubberized, which prevents it from sliding around. And, thanks to a series of detachable components, it's also one of a few stands that's easily portable. You can take it apart and put it together in minutes, making it great not just for your desk at home, but also for using it in the library.

The Soundance raises your laptop six inches above the desk, which should work well for most people. Also, the elevated design both facilitates better posture and helps ventilate your laptop. There's even enough space underneath for you to store your keyboard and mouse when they're not in use. If you want one with adjustable height, we recommend the Rain Design iLevel 2. It's not quite as portable and it's more expensive than the Soundance, but it's a good option if you need a stand with more flexibility.

Buy Soundance laptop stand at Amazon - $40Buy Rain Design iLevel 2 at Amazon - $65

Logitech K780 multi-device wireless keyboard

Logitech K780 multi-device wireless keyboard
Engadget

If you do get a laptop stand, you'll definitely want an external keyboard to go along with it. (It's not going to be comfortable typing on your laptop while it's docked in the stand.) We recommend a wireless model so you don't have to worry about cords cluttering up your desk. Logitech's line of Bluetooth keyboards is an Engadget favorite, and the K780 is one of the brand's most versatile models. It's a full-size keyboard complete with a numpad, but it still feels slim and compact. The keys are responsive and comfortable as well, and you can pair it with up to three devices. There's even an integrated cradle if you wish to use it with a smartphone or iPad.

Buy Logitech K780 at Amazon - $65

Logitech M525 wireless mouse

Logitech M525 wireless mouse
Engadget

In addition to the external keyboard, you should get a wireless mouse to match. Logitech's M525 is a great option thanks to its ergonomic design and affordable price point. It's small enough that it won't take up much space on your desk and It has an ambidextrous design that'll fit both right and left-handed users. Its precision scroll wheel has a tilt function that allows for side-to-side scrolling as well. We should note, however, that this isn't a Bluetooth mouse; you connect it to your computer via a USB receiver.

If you'd rather have the convenience of Bluetooth, consider the MX Anywhere 3. It has a 4,000-dpi Track Anywhere sensor that works on most surfaces, even glass. However, the MX Anywhere 3 is a lot pricier at $80 and it doesn't include the aforementioned tilt wheel, so bear that in mind.

Buy Logitech M525 at Amazon - $40Buy MX Anywhere 3 at Amazon - $80

Purple Back Cushion

Purple Back Cushion
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Long study sessions often mean sitting for an extended amount of time, which can result in lower back pain. You could get a chair with better back support, but those can be expensive. Plus, if you're living in a dorm, you probably don't have much choice in furniture anyway. The next best option is to get a lumbar support pillow. I personally recommend the Purple Back Cushion because it has a cushy grid that's malleable enough to mold to the contour of my spine. One of the features that sets it apart from other cushions is that it has hundreds of air channels, which means you won't get a sweaty back after sitting in a stuffy dorm room all day long. It comes with a washable cushion cover and an integrated strap that helps you attach it to most chairs.

Buy Purple Back Cushion at Amazon - $59

AFROG Multifunctional LED Desk Lamp with Wireless Charger

AFROG Multifunctional LED Desk Lamp with Wireless Charger
Engadget

Studying into the wee hours of the morning will be more difficult if you have bad lighting. Not only will you strain your eyes to see anything, but you may be more inclined to climb into bed as the sun sets and you get deeper into the night. A versatile desk lamp like this one from AFROG is essential because it will illuminate your whole work space easily, plus this particular model has five color modes and seven brightness levels, so you can customize it to your liking. The color modes will be crucial since they allow you to change the light's temperature, so you don't have to stick with harsh, white light the whole time if you don't want to. We also like the built-in wireless charger on this model, which allows you to keep your phone topped up while you study.

Buy AFROG desk lamp at Amazon - $40

Sony WH-CH710N headphones

Sony WH-CH710N headphones
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

A pair of noise-cancelling headphones is great for blocking out unwanted noise during study sessions, be it from annoying siblings or a raucous roommate. You might be hesitant to get one because you think noise-cancelling headphones are expensive, and for the most part that's correct. Fortunately, there are some budget options that aren't terrible.

Take Sony's WH-CH710N wireless cans, for example. Engadget's Billy Steele noted that it offers decent range and good clarity, adept ANC, plus it has dual noise sensors that can detect environmental noise. You can also switch to ambient sound mode if you need to quickly hear the world around you. They also offer an impressive 35 hours of battery life, plus USB-C quick charging that promises 60 minutes of playback on a 10-minute charge.

These headphones may look a little more basic than the higher-end XM5s, but Sony didn't compromise on comfort here thanks to adjustable sliders and soft oval-shaped earcups. They're also much more affordable at $148 (and we've seen them for less), giving you a lot of bang for your buck.

Buy WH-CH710N at Amazon - $148

Fully Cora standing desk converter

Fully Cora standing desk converter
Fully

A good workspace is key when you're studying at home (or in your dorm room) and chances are you have a desk setup that's not perfect, but merely suitable. One way to upgrade it is by adding a standing desk converter like the Cora from Fully. It sits on top of your desk and allows you to stand and work whenever you want, which is much healthier for your body than sitting all day. The Cora is made from liquid-resistant laminate and it comes with non-skid pads so it won't damage any surface you put it on. Plus at $179, it's much more affordable than buying an actual standing desk.

Buy Cora at Fully - $179

24-inch ViewSonic VA2456-MHD monitor

24-inch ViewSonic VA2456-MHD monitor
Engadget

Sometimes a laptop screen just isn't big enough, and an external monitor is needed for you to do your best work. It's useful for those who need more screen real estate for stats and charts, Excel spreadsheets, editing photos or video, or just looking over copious amounts of code.

However, monitors can be pricey. ViewSonic's 24-inch VA2456-MHD, however, delivers an impressive feature set for the price. Though we haven't reviewed it, it's highly-rated on Amazon and we've liked ViewSonic's other monitors in the past so we know the company has a solid track record for quality. The VA2456-MHD has HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA connections, which makes it pretty versatile for a budget monitor. It also has 1080p resolution and an IPS panel for wide-angle viewing. Its three-sided frameless design is sleek too, an important quality for such a relatively large object. Lastly, it has a blue light filter to help minimize eye strain.

Buy 24-inch ViewSonic monitor at Amazon - $190

Ironflask 32 oz Sports water bottle

Ironflask 32 oz Sports water bottle
Engadget

You have to stay hydrated while you're rushing around campus and trying to get your work done while also trying to fit in a little fun now and then. A water bottle like this one from Iron Flask will make it that much easier for you to keep your favorite drink with you at all times. Its double-walled, vacuum-sealed design keeps cold liquids cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 12 hours, plus it comes with three lids (straw, flip and stainless steel) so you can choose your favorite. We like the 32-ounce model because it's big enough that you can fill it up in the morning and have enough water for a full day of classes and activities. However, the 32-ounce doesn't fit in a standard cup holder, so if you spend a lot of time in the car, opt for the 22-ounce model or smaller.

Buy Iron Flask (32 oz) at Amazon - $24

Amazon promises fairer seller program to avoid EU fines

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 07:34 AM PDT

Amazon is making some significant commitments in an attempt to escape EU fines for allegedly misusing seller data. The European Commission is asking for public feedback on Amazon proposals that theoretically give third-party sellers a better chance of competing with Amazon's direct sales. The company has pledged to avoid using private seller data in situations where there's competition with Marketplace shops, whether it's obtained through automated tools or employee access.

The firm has also promised "non-discriminatory" terms for third parties selling to Prime subscribers, including a choice in delivery and logistics services. Amazon also won't use participants' Prime data to give its own logistics a boost, according to one proposal. In another commitment, Amazon vowed "equal treatment" when ranking sellers in the Buy Box section that lets you quickly purchase goods. Runners-up will also have a better chance at grabbing your attention — you'll see a second offer in the Buy Box if it's substantially different in terms of price or delivery.

Comments on the proposals will remain open until September 9th. Whatever conditions the EU accepts, they'll remain in effect for five years with oversight by a trustee reporting to the Commission. They would also cover all of the European Economic Area, although the Buy Box and Prime changes wouldn't apply to Italy when the country already demanded changes to Amazon's behavior.

In a statement, Amazon told Engadget it still felt the EU was "unfairly" targeting the company with legal efforts like the Digital Markets Act, but that it "engaged constructively" with regulators to address issues. You can read the full response below. It previously denied allegations in an April 2020 Wall Street Journalreport that it misused third-party seller data to launch competing products, and said the practice was against its policies. However, it caught flak from the US' House Judiciary Committee for purportedly withholding documents and obstructing an investigation into its practices. The internet giant maintained that it offered "good-faith cooperation" with the House inquiry.

Should the Commission greenlight the proposals, they could bring an end to a long saga. The EC opened an antitrust investigation in July 2019 over concerns Amazon might have been using sensitive Marketplace info to give itself an unfair advantage, and in November 2020 offered a preliminary stance that Amazon shouldn't rely on those merchants' business data to refine its sales strategy. With that said, Amazon won't avoid further trouble even if the EU deal moves forward. It's still facing a reported SEC investigation in the US, not to mention a Senate bill meant to help third-parties selling through platforms like Amazon.

"While we have serious concerns about the Digital Markets Act unfairly targeting Amazon and a few other U.S. companies, and disagree with several conclusions the European Commission made, we have engaged constructively with the Commission to address their concerns and preserve our ability to serve European customers and the more than 185,000 European small and medium-sized businesses selling through our stores. No company cares more about small businesses or has done more to support them over the past two decades than Amazon."

Sony’s first PlayStation loyalty program rewards you for earning trophies

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 07:28 AM PDT

Sony has announced its first PlayStation loyalty program. PlayStation Stars will be free to join and you can earn points by playing games and making purchases on the PlayStation Store. You'll be able to redeem those points for things like PSN wallet funds and certain products from the store.

There will be a "Monthly Check-in" program that will enable you to earn a reward by playing any game. Sony plans to offer rewards to those who win tournaments and earn certain trophies. The first player to earn a platinum trophy for a certain game in their time zone will earn a reward too.

One aspect of the program ruffled some feathers on social media after the announcement. Sony says it will offer digital collectibles as rewards. These are "digital representations of things that PlayStation fans enjoy, including figurines of beloved and iconic characters from games and other forms of entertainment, as well as cherished devices that tap into Sony's history of innovation." It said fans will always have collectibles to earn and there will be "ultra rare" ones.

Calling them "digital collectibles" certainly makes them sound like NFTs, but that's not the case. "It's definitely not NFTs. Definitely not," Grace Chen, Sony Interactive Entertainment's vice president of network advertising, loyalty and licensed merchandise, told The Washington Post. "You can't trade them or sell them. It is not leveraging any blockchain technologies and definitely not NFTs." If only Sony had clarified that in its own blog post to avoid confusion.

PlayStation Stars follows similar reward offerings from Microsoft and Nintendo. Microsoft's program, which is now called Microsoft Points, has been around for many years. Along with earning points by playing Xbox, users can accrue them by searching on Bing and buying products.

Similarly, folks can snag My Nintendo Gold Points by making purchases from the eShop and performing well in tournaments. They can be used for discounts on Switch games. For completing various tasks, you can also earn platinum points which are redeemable for rewards.

Sony says it will build out PlayStation Stars over time. It's currently testing the program and it's planning a phased rollout later this year. More details will be revealed in the coming months.

The best laptops for gaming and schoolwork

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 06:30 AM PDT

There's never been a better time to be a PC gamer, especially if you're always on the go. Gaming notebooks are lighter, more powerful and cheaper than ever before. They're particularly useful for students because their beefy hardware could be helpful for rendering video and doing any other schoolwork that would make super-thin ultraportables sweat. You can find some general advice on choosing gaming laptops in our guide. But if you want to narrow down the field to a few great options, you've come to the right place.

Are gaming laptops good for school?

As we've mentioned, gaming laptops are especially helpful if you're doing any demanding work. Their big promise is powerful graphics performance, which isn't just limited to games. Video editing and 3D rendering programs can also tap into their GPUs to handle demanding tasks. While you can find decent GPUs on some productivity laptops, like Dell's XPS 15, you can sometimes find better deals on gaming laptops. My general advice for any new workhorse machine: Get at least 16GB of RAM and the largest solid state drive you can find (ideally 1TB or more). Those components are both typically hard to upgrade down the line, so it's worth investing what you can up front.

The one big downside to choosing a gaming notebook is portability. For the most part, we'd recommend 15-inch models to get the best balance of size and price. Those typically weigh in around 4.5 pounds, which is significantly more than a three-pound ultraportables. Today's gaming notebooks are still far lighter than older models, though, so at least you won't be lugging around a 10-pound brick. And if you're looking for something lighter, there are plenty of 14-inch options these days. And if you're not into LED lights and other gamer-centric bling, keep an eye out for more understated models (or make sure you know how to turn those lights off).

Best midrange for most people: ASUS Zephyrus G14

ASUS Zephyrus G14
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

The Zephyrus G14 is a bit more expensive than when it launched a few years ago, but it remains a fantastic 14-inch gaming laptop. This year, it's toting AMD's Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU and Radeon 6700S GPU. That's enough power to play just about any modern game in 1,440p, and they should perform smoothly on the 120Hz or 144Hz QHD screens. Unlike the first G14 model, there's also a built-in webcam with Windows Hello login support. What's most impressive is that the G14 is still pretty portable for a gaming laptop, weighing in between 3.6 and 3.8 pounds.

Buy Zephyrus G14 at Amazon - $2,100

Best high-end option: Razer Blade 15

Razer Blade 15
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

For years, Razer has built a reputation for making gaming laptops that look as good as MacBooks. And that's still true. Razer's Blade 15 features a sleek and sturdy metal case, an understated design (unless you really kick up those RGB keyboard lights), and just about all the power you'd want in a portable gaming powerhouse. If money is no object, you can equip the Blade 15 with Intel's latest 12th-gen processors, NVIDIA's powerful RTX 3080 Ti and your choice of 144Hz 4k, 240Hz QHD or 360Hz HD screens..

While you'll pay a bit more for the Blade 15 compared to some other models, you've still got a few different price points to work with. The entry-level model starts at $1,799 with an RTX 3060 GPU and 144Hz 1080p display. That's certainly enough power for most games and creative apps. If you're looking for something a bit smaller, Razer's new AMD-powered Blade 14 looks compelling as well.

Buy Razer Blade 15 at Amazon - $3,000

A thin 14-inch option: Alienware X14

Alienware X14
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

If you're looking for a thin and light computer that can still handle some gaming and demanding schoolwork, Alienware's X14 is one of the best choices around. It measures at just 0.57 inches thick, which means it can fit into all sorts of slim bags, and weighs a bit more than four pounds. Its gorgeous 1080p screen supports Dolby Vision and NVIDIA G-SYNC, so it'll look great both for movie-watching and gameplay. And, well, it just looks really cool – it's the most portable variation of Alienware's sci-fi aesthetic.

Buy Alienware X14 at Dell - $1,470

Best budget option: Dell G5 15

Dell G5 15 gaming laptop
Engadget

While Alienware has established itself as a solid premium brand, Dell's cheaper G-series notebooks are worth a look for anyone on a budget. In particular, the G5 15 continues the trend of delivering very capable hardware – including Intel's latest 12th-gen CPUs, AMD's Ryzen 6000 chips and NVIDIA's RTX 30-series GPUs – for under $1,000. Sure, the case is mostly plastic, and the screen doesn't offer all of the latest niceties, but for the price it's hard to find anything more powerful.

Buy G5 15 at Dell - $920

Best no-limit gaming laptop: ASUS Zephyrus Duo 16

ASUS Zephyrus Duo 16
ASUS

Taking the idea of a gaming laptop to the absolute extreme, ASUS's latest Zephyrus Duo 16 combines AMD's latest Ryzen mobile processors with all of NVIDIA's great RTX 30-series hardware. And, true to its name, it has two screens: a gorgeous 16-inch main display (with optional Mini-LED backlighting), and a very wide 14-inch secondary panel right below. That opens up a near desktop-level of multitasking, since you can have windows spread across both screens. It could help you to browse the web while keeping an eye on Twitter at the same time. (Or maybe following an online lecture while fitting in a Halo Infinite match on your main screen. We won't tell.)

Buy Zephyrus Duo 16 at Amazon - $4,200

Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro is $250 off right now

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 06:05 AM PDT

If you've already decided you want to go big on your next laptop, consider the 16-inch MacBook Pro. We gave it a score of 92 in our review, and we didn't find too much to knock it for. However, it's pretty pricey with its $2,499 starting price. But right now you can pick it up for $250 less at Amazon as the online retailer has knocked the price of the 512GB version down to $2,249. That's the best price we've seen it, and you can get the discount on their the silver or space gray model.

Buy 16-inch MacBook Pro at Amazon - $2,249

Unlike many of Apple's other notebooks, the 16-inch MacBook Pro was redesigned a bit to make it more of a power user's machine. It has a 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display that's only interrupted by a top notch that houses the 1080p webcam. The TouchBar is gone but Apple's Magic Keyboard remains a dream to type on, and the trackpad is wonderful to use as well. But arguably most importantly, the sides of the MacBook Pro now have a bunch of ports that have been missing from the notebook for a long time. It has three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections, a full-sized HDMI port, and SD card reader, a headphone jack and a MagSafe power connector — all of that's to say that you won't be living as much of the dongle life as you might have been before, although you might still need a USB-A adapter every now and then.

The base model that's on sale runs on Apple's M1 Pro chipset, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, and it comes in at fairly hefty 4.7 pounds. While it's not the most portable machine (we recommend going for the 14-inch version if that's a priority for you), it's certainly a powerhouse when it comes to performance. In our benchmark testing, the Pro blew most comparable Windows machines out of the water and did so while maintaining a strong battery life. The 16-inch Pro lasted about 16.5 hours during our battery tests, and it's worth noting that we didn't see a performance dip while running on battery power alone.

Ultimately, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is best for audio and video producers or others in creative fields who want the maximum amount of screen space possible along with some of the best performance you'll find on a laptop today. Yes, it remains pricey even when on sale, but it's a much better buy when you can grab it for $250 less than usual.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

MacBook Air M2 review (2022): Apple’s near-perfect Mac

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 06:00 AM PDT

The new MacBook Air is one of Apple's most important computers since Steve Jobs pulled the original Air out of an envelope. It shows what's possible when Apple builds an ultraportable entirely around its mobile chips, instead of lazily sticking them in old laptop designs, like with the recent 13-inch MacBook Pro. The Air is impressively thin and light, but it also has a bigger and better screen, a great set of speakers and a nifty MagSafe power adapter. And thanks to Apple's M2 chip, it's also far speedier than the last model, a computer I called "stunningly fast" just a year-and-a-half ago. Once again, Apple has set a new standard for ultraportables.

Before I dive into what's under the hood, I'll just say what we're all thinking: This is a gorgeous computer! The Air's trademark wedge design is gone – now, it's uniformly thin from front to back. Apple basically repeated the PowerBook-esque design of the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro – more rounded edges, a notch for the webcam – but squished it into a case that measures just 11.3 millimeters thin and weighs 2.7 pounds. While it's only a tenth of a pound lighter than the last Air, it's far more balanced, making it easier to hold.

When I picked up the MacBook Air for the first time, it felt more like an iPad with a built-in keyboard than a laptop. What's funny is that it's actually more portable than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which weighs about 3 pounds when combined with its Smart Keyboard. The iPad Pro has always been positioned as a futuristic ideal for truly portable computing, but it turns out it weighs the same as the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Once again, the humble Air wins out.

It's also nice to see Apple offering a wider variety of finishes. In addition to the typical space gray and silver, there's a brighter starlight case and a sleek black midnight option. I've been testing a starlight model, and the way the color pops off of the aluminum always gives me a bit of joy.

MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

To be honest, that sense of delight can be found just about everywhere in the MacBook Air, like its new 13.6-inch Liquid Retina screen. It's only a third of an inch larger than before, but it feels more expansive and engrossing. It helps that Apple shaved off a bit of bezel and also bumped up the brightness to 500 nits, which makes the Air far easier to use outdoors.

For the most part, the Liquid Retina screen is on par with what we saw on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros – the only difference is that it doesn't have ProMotion. I didn't expect to see that high refresh rate tech on a mainstream laptop, especially after it didn't arrive on the 13-inch MacBook Pro. But, at this point, it's one of the only things keeping the Air from being truly perfect. Maybe I'm just being greedy, but my eyes have been spoiled. I need silky smooth scrolling on every machine! I was also a bit disappointed by the new 1080p webcam. It packs in more pixels than the previous 720p cameras, but it still looks pretty drab and grainy.

MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

At least Apple managed to bring over its improved speaker technology from the larger MacBook Pros. The Air features a quad-speaker system with support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. And while I didn't expect much from such a thin system, the new audio setup sounds shockingly great. It's enough to fill a small room with sound at max volume without any distortion. There's also a three-mic array to improve video chat sound quality, as well as a standard 3.5mm jack. (I'm sure there's some fanatical Apple designer who wants to yank out the headphone jack to make the Air's case even thinner, just like they did with the iPad Pro. So enjoy it while you can!)

All of these upgrades would be impressive on their own, but what makes the MacBook Air really shine is Apple's new M2 chip. It doesn't completely reshape the PC world, like the M1 did, but it's a decent sequel. The M2 features 8 CPU cores and up to 10 GPU cores, and Apple says it's around 18 percent faster for multithreaded performance. If you go for the faster GPU model, you can expect graphics speeds about 35 percent faster than the M1. Apple also doubled the M2's memory bandwidth and raised the maximum RAM to 24GB. That's probably overkill for an Air, but it's nice nonetheless. There's also hardware support for ProRes encoding and decoding, but I'd imagine most video editors would opt for more powerful MacBook Pros.

None

Geekbench 5 CPU

Geekbench 5 Compute

Cinebench R23

Apple MacBook Air (Apple M2, 2022)

1,907/8,665

27,083

1,576/7,372

Apple MacBook Air (Apple M1, 2020)

1,619/6,292

16,128

1,494/6,617

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch, (Apple M2, 2022)

1,938/8,984

27,304

1,583/8,719

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (Apple M1 Pro)

1,767/11,777

38,359

1,515/12,118

Dell XPS 15 (Intel i7-12700H, RTX 3050 Ti, 2022)

1,680/11,412

60,205

1,724/13,100

Our review unit was equipped with a 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, the same as our 13-inch MacBook Pro tester. And, just as I expected, the scores between both systems were nearly identical across benchmarks like GeekBench 5 and 3DMark Wild Life Extreme. There was a significant difference in Cinebench R21's multi-threaded test, but that wasn't a huge surprise. The MacBook Air is a fan-less system, so its CPU has to be throttled to keep things cool. The 13-inch MacBook Pro, on the other hand, has fans and a more robust cooling setup, so it can handle longer sustained workloads.

All of my testing made it clear that the MacBook Air is just as fast as the 13-inch Pro for most tasks. It even hit the same 30fps average in Shadow of the Tomb Raider's benchmark, which means the game would actually be playable on a crazy thin ultraportable. But you'll have to live with a bit of slowdown if you're doing more complex work, like video editing or 3D rendering. For most people, I think that's a decent compromise given everything else the MacBook Air has to offer. And if you're an actual media professional, you're still better off with the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro, instead of the aging 13-inch model.

MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Not to knock on that computer too much, but now that I've seen the Air in action, I'm even more baffled by the 13-inch Pro. The Air has the same great keyboard and super smooth trackpad. There's no annoying TouchBar, just trusty function keys. It even has more ports! There are two USB-C ports, but it also features a MagSafe connector for power. That means you can actually charge the MacBook Air without using up one of your precious USB-C connections! Maybe Apple should have just renamed this the MacBook Air Pro.

The 13-inch Pro does have a larger battery, which helped it last 17 hours and five minutes in our benchmark. The Air, meanwhile, reached 16 hours and 30 minutes. Still, that's plenty of time to last you beyond a full day of work, and it's on par with other ultraportables like Dell's XPS 13. Apple also has a variety of power adapters to choose from: one with two USB-C ports (for charging other devices) and a 67-watt adapter for fast charging.

MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The one downside to the MacBook Air's revamp is that it now starts at $1,199, $200 more than the M1 model. That older machine is still a decent option if you find it on sale or refurbished, but otherwise I'd say the M2 model is absolutely worth the extra cost. Just be prepared for the price to rise quickly as you start adding extra hardware. If you wanted to bump up to our review unit's specs, you'd have to pay $1,899. Personally, I'd say prioritize throwing in as much RAM and SSD storage as you can. The M2 chip will still be very capable without the $100 upgrade for the more powerful GPU.

It's remarkable to think how far the MacBook Air has come since 2008. It used to be overpriced and underpowered, a testament to Apple's tendency towards style over substance. Since then, the entire PC industry jumped aboard the ultraportable bandwagon, and Apple found a way to pack a ton of power into a razor-thin case. Now, the MacBook Air is arguably Apple's best laptop yet.

Twitter suffers worldwide outage

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 05:44 AM PDT

Twitter's recent troubles include more than its battle with Elon Musk. The social media giant has suffered a global outage that started shortly after 8AM Eastern. Users reported a variety of glitches, including generic "error" messages and even broken website alerts. The issue affected both Twitter's web version as well as apps, including third-party clients. The service appeared to be recovering as of 9AM ET, but the collapse still put a damper on many morning tweets.

We've asked Twitter for comment. The company's status page made no mention of platform problems during the outage.

This isn't the first significant downtime for Twitter this year. There were two partial outages in February that limited posting and loading tweets for some people. This new failure is considerably more substantial, however, and it brings further attention to Twitter's uncertain future now that Musk is trying to cancel his $44 billion acquisition.

GM is building a 'coast-to-coast' EV fast-charging network

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 05:30 AM PDT

Electric vehicle adoption has reached its tipping point in the US. With more and more EVs appearing on American roadways, automakers and charging networks alike are working to build out increasingly critical power infrastructure to keep those EVs moving. On Thursday, GM announced that it is partnering with Pilot Company and EVGo to construct a coast-to-coast national DC fast charging network.

"The missing piece in the larger picture of public charging is along highway corridors, which connect the east to the west, the north to the south, one metro area to another" Travis Hester, GM's chief EV officer, said during a press call Wednesday. "They form a vital network, which moves vehicles and people throughout the country. Rural areas can also be especially affected by the lack DC fast charging in those areas." 

The network will offer 2,000 charging stalls at 500 stations located every 50 or so miles along America's highways,"connecting urban and rural communities, the East and West Coasts and different metropolitan areas," per a Thursday news release. They'll be co-branded as "Pilot Flying J" and "Ultium Charge 360" stations, based on Pilots existing Flying J travel centers and governed by EVGo's eXtend service. 

GM Pilot charging network
GM

The stations will offer a blistering 350kW maximum charge rate. There aren't many EVs on the market yet that can use the max wattage but the stations will automatically step down the current to whatever the specific vehicle is designed to handle. These locations will be accessible and adaptable to all EV brands, though GM owners will receive some added perks like exclusive reservations and discounts on charging sessions. 

"GM and Pilot Company designed this program to combine private investments alongside intended government grant and utility programs to help reduce range anxiety and significantly close the gap in long-distance EV charger demand," Shameek Konar, CEO of Pilot Company, said in the release. "Our travel centers are well-equipped to accommodate EV charging with 24/7 amenities and convenient proximity to major roadways across the country."

This isn't the first time that GM and EVGo have collaborated. The two worked together last year to put 500 Ultium-compatible fast charging stalls at various EVGo stations and are currently working to install an additional 3,250 fast chargers in cities and suburbs by mid-decade. For its part GM is coordinating with seven separate charging networks — Blink Charging, ChargePoint, EV Connect, EVgo, FLO, Greenlots and SemaConnect — as part of a $750 million investment to expand Ultium Charge 360 access to over 100,000 charge point across North America.   

"GM agrees with the customer need for a robust charging experience that makes the transition to an EV seamless and helps drive mass adoption," Hester said in April. "As we launch 30 EVs globally by the end of 2025, Ultium Charge 360 simplifies and improves the at-home charging experience and the public charging experience – whether it's community-based or road-trip charging." 

The first stations of the new national network are expected to come online by early 2023. There, travelers will have access to a variety of roadside amenities, from WiFi in the lounge areas to onsite restaurants, fresh deli selections, myriad caffeination methods and even secure shower facilities. 

A Chinese Wikipedia editor spent years writing fake Russian medieval history

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 05:20 AM PDT

Chinese Wikipedia had a robust collection of detailed and authoritative articles on medieval Russia, thanks to a user called Zhemao who claimed to be the daughter of a diplomat assigned in the country. Zhemao wrote 206 articles for the website since 2019, the longest of which, according to Vice World News, is almost as long as The Great Gatsby. It detailed Tartar uprisings in 17th century Russia and was supported by a map of the country during that era. In another article, the user shared rare images of ancient Russian coins that were purportedly obtained from archeologists. The articles she contributed were so well-written and well-regarded, until it was revealed that she'd pulled off one of the largest hoaxes ever seen on the platform.

Chinese novelist Yifan was the one who brought the hoax to light in a post on a website similar to Quora. Yifan stumbled upon one of her articles describing a silver mine that provided a source of wealth for Russia in the 14th and 15th centuries while researching for a new book. The article was reportedly so detailed, it included information on the composition of the soil, the structure of the mine and the refining processes used on the silver. But when Yifan tried to fact check Zhemao's references with Russian speakers, it was revealed that the pages or the versions of the books she cited didn't even exist. 

A group of volunteer editors combed through her work as a response and found that her citations didn't add up or that she fabricated information from legitimate sources that were too obscure to be fact-checked by casual users. As a crowd—sourced online encyclopedia, Wikipedia trusts its contributors to self-regulate. In an article about its reliability, Wikipedia said it maintains an inclusion threshold of "verifiability, not truth." 

A volunteer editor who's been helping clean up articles Zhemao contributed to told Vice News that they only typically check articles for blatant plagiarism and to ensure that they're properly cited. That is why vandalism is a common occurrence on the website and why its reputation as a legitimate source of knowledge is frequently challenged. Chinese Wikipedian John Yip told Vice that "Zhemao single-handedly invented a new way to undermine Wikipedia." It's worth noting, however, that she's far from the first person to pretend to be an expert on the website. Back in 2007, an editor who claimed to be a university professor was revealed to be a 24-year-old from Kentucky who had no higher-education credentials.

Zhemao, in a post on her profile, has admitted to making up her whole identity and to fabricating information. She came clean that she's not based in Russia and that her husband is not Russian but Chinese. She also doesn't have a doctoral degree in world history from the Moscow State University like she claimed, but is instead a housewife with a high school diploma. Vice said, based on her post, that she got frustrated about not being able to understand articles in Russian and in English. She apparently used online translators to understand articles available online and then used her imagination to fill in the gaps.

Why she didn't just write a novel set in medieval Russia — and it could've been a hit, based on how Yifan and her fellow editors praised her contributions for being thorough and well-written — is not quite clear. Zhemao and her sock puppets had been banned permanently from the website, though, so she might end up looking for a new outlet for her writing.

Nintendo is buying an animation studio to help create its own 'visual content'

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 04:35 AM PDT

Nintendo has acquired the Japanese CG production company Dynamo Pictures and plans to rebrand it as "Nintendo Pictures," the company announced. Its aim with the new subsidiary is to develop visual content using Nintendo IP and focus on "the planning and production of visual content including CG animation." Dynamo worked with Nintendo before on the Metroid: Other M game also has credits on anime TV series like Evangelion: 2.0. 

Nintendo is gearing up for its Super Mario Bros. movie starring Chris Pratt, which was recently delayed to April 2023. The live adaptation of Detective Pikachu based on the Pokémon franchise was successful enough that a sequel is in the works, but the last major cinema release was way back in 1993 with Super Mario Bros. starring Bob Hoskins. 

Movies and TV series based on gaming IP are a popular trend at the moment, with movies like Sonic based on Sega's popular character seeing impressive success. Sony recently released an Uncharted film and HBO is producing a TV series based on The Last of Us starring Pedro Pascal. With its latest acquisition, Nintendo could be ready to bring more of its content to the small and big screens, which is (hopefully) good news for fans of its games. 

The Morning After: Hasbro can 3D-print your face onto your favorite action figure

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 04:15 AM PDT

The Hasbro Selfie Series is a collaboration between the toy maker and 3D printing specialists Formlabs, can customize an action figure with your own face.

TMA
Hasbro

You can scan your face with a smartphone and get a custom-made, look-a-like action figure with opposable limbs: AKA the dream. At launch, options include Star Wars X-Wing pilots, Ghostbusters, Power Rangers, Snake Eyes from GI Joe and a few more. The idea seems to have come from a comic-con competition that offered custom action figures for five winners.

You'll need to download Hasbro Pulse, the company's dedicated mobile app, and wait for the scan feature to open up closer to the expected ship date in the Fall. The six-inch, "collector-grade" figure will cost $60 (plus taxes). Unfortunately, the offering is only available to customers in the US. I wonder if the majority of figures ordered will have childrens' faces, or their parents'?

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Magic Leap 2 will go on sale in the US on September 30th

The enterprise headset's price will start at $3,299.

Magic Leap's second-generation mixed-reality headset finally has a concrete commercial release date. Magic Leap 2 first made its way to a limited number of users last year as part of the company's early adopter program. Starting on September 30th, though, anybody who wants (and can afford) to get the headset in the US can buy one. It'll launch in three editions, the cheapest of which is the Base headset meant for professionals and developers who just want access to the augmented reality platform. The edition can be used for full commercial deployments and production environments and will cost $3,299 with a one-year warranty.

Continue reading.

Google files a lawsuit that could kick Tinder out of the Play Store

It's counter-suing Match Group over in-app payments.

Earlier this year, Match sued Google alleging antitrust violations over a decision requiring all Android developers to process "digital goods and services" payments through the Play Store billing system.

Following the initial lawsuit in May, Google and Match reached a temporary agreement allowing Match to remain on the Play Store and use its own payments system. However, Google parent Alphabet claims that Match Group now wants to pay "nothing at all" to Google, including its 15 to 30 percent Play Store fees.

Continue reading.

Preview: Apple's watchOS 9 beta

Upgrades for workout and sleep tracking.

TMA
Engadget

With watchOS 9, the company is bringing a robust slate of Workout updates, alongside new watch faces, redesigned apps and the ability to detect sleep zones. Thanks to the public beta, we've been able to take a closer look. We're fascinated by the addition of cardio zones to the workout features. It might even be worth the risk involved in running beta software.

Continue reading.

PS Plus Extra and Premium games for July include 'Stray' and 'Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade'

You'll get access to 'Marvel's Avengers' and a bunch more Assassin's Creed games too.

Sony has announced the first new batch of games for its higher PlayStation Plus tiers since it revamped the service. Extra and Premium subscribers will have access to Stray, a cyberpunk adventure game in which you play as a cat with a drone companion. It's the first time that a third-party title will be available on a higher PS Plus tier on its release date — something that happens on Microsoft's Game Pass a lot.

Continue reading.

Sega's Genesis Mini 2 hits North America on October 27th

With six-button controller innovation.

TMA
Sega

Sega is bringing the Genesis Mini 2 to North America on October 27th. The company previously said its latest retro console will go on sale in Japan on the same day (though it's correctly called the Mega Drive Mini 2 there). It will come with more than 50 games, including Sega CD titles. At the time of writing, the Amazon listing shows that the console will ship from Japan to the US for $103.80 plus a $22 delivery fee.

Continue reading.

Meta's 'Make-A-Scene' AI blends human and computer imagination into algorithmic art

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 04:00 AM PDT

Text-to-image generation is the hot algorithmic process right now, with OpenAI's Craiyon (formerly DALL-E mini) and Google's Imagen AIs unleashing tidal waves of wonderfully weird procedurally generated art synthesized from human and computer imaginations. On Tuesday, Meta revealed that it too has developed an AI image generation engine, one that it hopes will help to build immersive worlds in the Metaverse and create high digital art.

A lot of work into creating an image based on just the phrase, "there's a horse in the hospital," when using a generation AI. First the phrase itself is fed through a transformer model, a neural network that parses the words of the sentence and develops a contextual understanding of their relationship to one another. Once it gets the gist of what the user is describing, the AI will synthesize a new image using a set of GANs (generative adversarial networks).

Thanks to efforts in recent years to train ML models on increasingly expandisve, high-definition image sets with well-curated text descriptions, today's state-of-the-art AIs can create photorealistic images of most whatever nonsense you feed them. The specific creation process differs between AIs.

a bunch of nonsense
Meta AI

For example, Google's Imagen uses a Diffusion model, "which learns to convert a pattern of random dots to images," per a June Keyword blog. "These images first start as low resolution and then progressively increase in resolution." Google's Parti AI, on the other hand, "first converts a collection of images into a sequence of code entries, similar to puzzle pieces. A given text prompt is then translated into these code entries and a new image is created."

While these systems can create most anything described to them, the user doesn't have any control over the specific aspects of the output image. "To realize AI's potential to push creative expression forward," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated in Tuesday's blog, "people should be able to shape and control the content a system generates."

The company's "exploratory AI research concept," dubbed Make-A-Scene, does just that by incorporating user-created sketches to its text-based image generation, outputting a 2,048 x 2,048-pixel image. This combination allows the user to not just describe what they want in the image but also dictate the image's overall composition as well. "It demonstrates how people can use both text and simple drawings to convey their vision with greater specificity, using a variety of elements, forms, arrangements, depth, compositions, and structures," Zuckerberg said.

In testing, a panel of human evaluators overwhelmingly chose the text-and-sketch image over the text-only image as better aligned with the original sketch (99.54 percent of the time) and better aligned with the original text description 66 percent of the time. To further develop the technology, Meta has shared its Make-A-Scene demo with prominent AI artists including Sofia Crespo, Scott Eaton, Alexander Reben, and Refik Anadol, who will use the system and provide feedback. There's no word on when the AI will be made available to the public.

Jury convicts ex-CIA engineer for leaking the agency's hacking toolset

Posted: 14 Jul 2022 03:48 AM PDT

Joshua Schulte, the former CIA engineer arrested for what's being called the biggest theft of classified information in the agency's history, has been convicted by a federal jury. Schulte was arrested in relation to the large cache of documents that Wikileaks had published throughout 2017. That string of CIA leaks known as "Vault 7" contained information on the tools and techniques the agency used to hack into iPhones and Android phones for overseas spying. It also had details on how the CIA broke into computers and how it turned smart TVs into listening devices. A federal jury has found Schulte guilty on nine counts, including illegally gathering national defense information and then transmitting it.

According to The New York Times, Schulte was arrested after investigators traced the leaks to him. The former CIA engineer worked with a team in a secret building protected by armed guards to create tools, like malware, that were used to target the devices of suspected terrorists. In 2018, he was formally charged with 13 counts that included theft of classified information, obstruction of justice, as well as possessing and sending images and videos with child pornography. He's still awaiting trial on charges of possessing child pornography, which he allegedly downloaded from 2009 until March 2017. 

Schulte's original trial back in 2020 was declared a mistrial after jurors couldn't come to an agreement regarding some of hist most serious charges, illegally gathering and transmitting national defense information included. After that event, the former CIA engineer had decided to represent himself. As part of his closing arguments, he told the jurors that the CIA and the FBI made him a scapegoat for their embarrassing failure, repeating what his side had been saying from the time he was arrested.

While the judge, AP said, was impressed with his closing arguments, they weren't enough to get the jury on his side. In court, he argued that the government's case is full of holes and that he didn't even have motive to leak the CIA's hacking tools. Prosecutors, however, accused him of being a disgruntled employee who felt that he was disrespected when the agency ignored his complaints about his work environment. As retaliation, he allegedly tried "to burn [the CIA] to the ground." US Attorney Damian Williams said his actions rendered the "most valuable intelligence-gathering cyber tools used to battle terrorist organizations and other malign influences around the globe" essentially useless. Williams also accused Schulte of trying to leak more classified materials against the government while he was behind bars. 

Schulte will have to face the court again to face charges related to possession of child pornography before a sentencing date can be set. The nine counts he was convicted of, however, are enough to keep him in prison for up to 80 years.
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