Month: August 2024
Satellite SOS comes to Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro users in the US
The Pixel 9 family are the first Android phones to make use of this feature outside of China
Satellite SOS is coming to the Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, allowing users to contact emergency services without needing a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.
Screenshots from Reddit user winner00 show a notification and info page detailing the new feature. The images were shared to X (formerly Twitter) by Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman.
As promised, Google is now rolling out Satellite SOS to Google Pixel 9 users in the U.S.Satellite SOS is free for the first two years after activation.The satellite provider is Skylo and the emergency response is handled by Garmin.Thanks to winner00 for the screenshots! pic.twitter.com/92lBbGCjbhAugust 22, 2024
Satellite SOS allows Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro users to communicate with emergency services via non-terrestrial networks such as satellites. The service is currently limited to the US.
The Pixel 9 family’s satellite connectivity comes courtesy of the Exynos 5400 modem in the new Tensor G4 chip. This allows users to connect to non-terrestrial networks via the Release 17 cellular standard.
As Rahman notes, satellite connectivity is provided by SkyLo and the emergency response is handled by Garmin.
Like Apple’s Emergency SOS feature, which also uses satellites, Pixel 9 users will be able to use Google’s version of the service for free for two years. Following this, users will need to pay a subscription fee.
The Google Pixel 9 family launched on August 13 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Google has not yet announced which other countries Satellite SOS will become available in, nor the cost of the subscription once the two free years are used up. For reference, Apple’s satellite connectivity service is available in 16 countries, most of which are in Europe and North America.
According to Garmin, Garmin Response provides emergency response services in 150 countries and all of the world’s oceans, though Google is unlikely to provide this level of coverage.
The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are the first Android phones to have satellite connectivity outside of China, where some manufacturers offer the ability to make satellite phone calls directly. As Android Authority notes, the Huawei Mate 60 family has this capability.
For now, both Google and Apple’s satellite services are for emergencies only – but we hope to see these services develop over time.
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Feds charge alleged negotiator for Russian ransomware group
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The US government has charged a member of a Russian ransomware group known as Karakurt, as reported earlier by BleepingComputer. In a press release on Tuesday, the Department of Justice claims 33-year-old Deniss Zolotarjovs of Moscow, Russia, conspired to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion.
As outlined in the criminal complaint, the FBI alleges Karakurt stole and threatened to auction sensitive data from several companies throughout the US. The complaint pins Zolotarjovs as the hacking group’s negotiator of “cold case extortions,” in which victims don’t respond with a ransom following an attack, according to BleepingComputer.
Karakurt, which has been linked to the prolific Russian ransomware group Conti, carried out a cyberattack on an Oklahoma hospital, where it threatened to auction off patient data, and also targeted a hospital in Texas. Last year, the group claimed to have stolen the social security numbers of 150 million people from a company called Officeworks.
A bulletin from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency says Karakurt has been known to contact victims’ employees, business partners, and clients “with harassing emails and phone calls to pressure the victims to cooperate.” It also operated a leaks and auction website.
Law enforcement in the Eastern European country of Georgia arrested Zolotarjovs last December and extradited him to the US earlier this month. The DOJ says Zolotarjovs is the first alleged Karakurt member to be arrested and extradited to the US.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The US government has charged a member of a Russian ransomware group known as Karakurt, as reported earlier by BleepingComputer. In a press release on Tuesday, the Department of Justice claims 33-year-old Deniss Zolotarjovs of Moscow, Russia, conspired to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion.
As outlined in the criminal complaint, the FBI alleges Karakurt stole and threatened to auction sensitive data from several companies throughout the US. The complaint pins Zolotarjovs as the hacking group’s negotiator of “cold case extortions,” in which victims don’t respond with a ransom following an attack, according to BleepingComputer.
Karakurt, which has been linked to the prolific Russian ransomware group Conti, carried out a cyberattack on an Oklahoma hospital, where it threatened to auction off patient data, and also targeted a hospital in Texas. Last year, the group claimed to have stolen the social security numbers of 150 million people from a company called Officeworks.
A bulletin from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency says Karakurt has been known to contact victims’ employees, business partners, and clients “with harassing emails and phone calls to pressure the victims to cooperate.” It also operated a leaks and auction website.
Law enforcement in the Eastern European country of Georgia arrested Zolotarjovs last December and extradited him to the US earlier this month. The DOJ says Zolotarjovs is the first alleged Karakurt member to be arrested and extradited to the US.
Civilization 7’s narrator revealed as Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie
Sid Mier’s Civilization 7’s narrator has been revealed to be the actor behind a fan-favorite Game of Thrones character.
Sid Mier’s Civilization 7‘s narrator has been revealed to be the actor behind a fan-favorite Game of Thrones character.
The next installment in the popular strategy series is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on February 11, 2025, and as with every Civilization game, there must be a narrator along for the journey.
In a new live-action reveal trailer shared during Gamescom 2024, developer Firaxis confirmed that actor Gwendoline Christie will narrate Sid Meier’s Civilization 7.
Best known for her role as Brienne of Tarth in the hit HBO television series Game of Thrones, and more recently Netflix’s Sandman, Christie’s role as narrator was teased alongside a new glimpse into what to expect in the upcoming sequel. You can check it out below:
This isn’t the first time a Game of Thrones star has played a narrator in the Civilization franchise. Actor Sean Bean, known for his role as Ned Stark in the fantasy series, served as the voice in Civilization 6.
Previously, Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy narrated Civilization 4, followed by William Morgan Sheppard in Civilization 5.
Pre-orders for Civilization 7 are currently available on Steam alongside the digital-only Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 Founder’s Edition, which is only available until February 28, 2025, as well as the Deluxe Edition.
Each edition comes with its own unique extras, like additional content packs, civilizations, and cosmetics, but pre-purchasing either version will offer advanced early access on February 6.
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Zoom calls aren’t going anywhere yet – and could soon get even more AI
Pandemic success and staying on trend when it comes to AI has kept Zoom’s revenue heading upward.
Remember when workers were sent home as the severity of the pandemic began to reveal itself, leaving employees with little more than Zoom through which to communication and collaborate?
Several years later, the video conferencing platform is continuing to grow, with the working world showing no signs of ever returning to the office entirely.
What’s more, Zoom is jumping on the AI bandwagon, and by staying on top of the emerging trend, revenues are continuing to climb.
Zoom is going from success to success
The company recently announced its quarterly earnings, citing strong demand for its AI-powered collaboration tools designed to cater to hybrid work models. In the most recent three-month period, Zoom reported a revenue of $1.16 billion, up a steady 2.1% year-over-year.
Since hitting all-time highs throughout the pandemic, Zoom has turned its attentions to integrating artificial intelligence into its products, including its Contact Center platform. The company is already starting to reap the rewards, with shares rising 3% in after-hours trading following the earnings announcement.
“Zoom Contact Center racked up several marquee customers, including its largest single order deal to-date, highlighting our ability to win competitive deals for full scale, customer-facing deployments with our higher-end packages that utilize advanced AI features to enhance agent performance,” noted Zoom CEO Eric S. Yuan.
However, some have suggested that the company has been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time twice in a row, indicating that Zoom must continue to expand its product offerings to maintain its momentum and prove it’s more than just a one-hit pandemic wonder.
The company now expects fiscal 2025 revenue between $4.63 billion and $4.64 billion, up around $20 million from its earlier projections.
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Former Expedia exec’s startup uses AI to help smaller companies book travel
Small businesses and startups often lack a dedicated travel desk, forcing executives and founders to rely on human assistants or consuming and cumbersome travel apps. Expedia’s former SVP of consumer product, Michael Gulmann, is betting on AI to bridge the gap. His company, Otto, emerges from stealth Thursday, with plans to launch an alpha version
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Small businesses and startups often lack a dedicated travel desk, forcing executives and founders to rely on human assistants or consuming and cumbersome travel apps. Expedia’s former SVP of consumer product, Michael Gulmann, is betting on AI to bridge the gap. His company, Otto, emerges from stealth Thursday, with plans to launch an alpha version […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Final 48 hours to secure your discounted tickets for TechCrunch Disrupt 2024
We’re down to the last 2 days to save up to $600 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 tickets! Prices will rise after August 23 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Don’t miss your chance to save big on one of the most epic tech events of the year, happening October 28-30 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Why
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
We’re down to the last 2 days to save up to $600 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 tickets! Prices will rise after August 23 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Don’t miss your chance to save big on one of the most epic tech events of the year, happening October 28-30 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Why […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
JD Vance’s ‘Never Trump Guy’ Comment Becomes a Viral TikTok Remix
A mash-up of years-old comments by the Ohio senator with a hip-hop track is finding a broad audience. It’s part of a new genre of videos on the app.
A mash-up of years-old comments by the Ohio senator with a hip-hop track is finding a broad audience. It’s part of a new genre of videos on the app.
Peloton To Start Charging Subscribers With Used Equipment $95 Activation Fee
Peloton on Thursday said it will start charging new subscribers a one-time $95 activation fee if they bought their hardware on the secondary market as more consumers snag lightly used equipment for a fraction of the typical retail price. From a report: The used equipment activation fee for subscribers in the U.S. and Canada comes as Peloton starts to see a meaningful increase in new members who bought used Bikes or Treads from peer-to-peer markets such as Facebook Marketplace. During its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended June 30, Peloton said it saw a “steady stream of paid connected fitness subscribers” who bought hardware on the secondary market. The company said the segment grew 16% year over year.
“We believe a meaningful share of these subscribers are incremental, and they exhibit lower net churn rates than rental subscribers,” the company said in a letter to shareholders. “It’s also worth highlighting that this activation fee will be a source of incremental revenue and gross profit for us, helping to support our investments in improving the fitness experience for our members,” interim co-CEO Christopher Bruzzo later added on a call with analysts.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Peloton on Thursday said it will start charging new subscribers a one-time $95 activation fee if they bought their hardware on the secondary market as more consumers snag lightly used equipment for a fraction of the typical retail price. From a report: The used equipment activation fee for subscribers in the U.S. and Canada comes as Peloton starts to see a meaningful increase in new members who bought used Bikes or Treads from peer-to-peer markets such as Facebook Marketplace. During its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended June 30, Peloton said it saw a “steady stream of paid connected fitness subscribers” who bought hardware on the secondary market. The company said the segment grew 16% year over year.
“We believe a meaningful share of these subscribers are incremental, and they exhibit lower net churn rates than rental subscribers,” the company said in a letter to shareholders. “It’s also worth highlighting that this activation fee will be a source of incremental revenue and gross profit for us, helping to support our investments in improving the fitness experience for our members,” interim co-CEO Christopher Bruzzo later added on a call with analysts.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.