Month: August 2024
Forget watching TV in the gym – Peloton now pairs with your Kindle library
A new update will mean users can read books from their Amazon library while working out.
If you’ve run out of fitness inspiration on your video streaming app of choice to use with your favorite cardio machine, then the new Peloton update might be well worth a look.
The company has announced a partnership with Amazon’s Kindle library to let users read through their books while they exercise. If you’re using the Peloton Bike, Bike+, Tread or Tread+, you’ll have access to the new feature.
Peloton Guide users, and those who exercise without connected kit using the Peloton app are unable to access or make use of their Kindle libraries, and will have to switch between apps.
In a new Amazon blog post, the announcement says “No more awkwardly holding a book or Kindle e-reader while trying to maintain proper form. No more rushing through a workout to get back to your cozy reading corner.”
“With the Kindle reading experience on Peloton, members can simply tap to turn the page, fully immersing themselves in their favorite stories while enjoying their favorite workout.”
(Image credit: Peloton)
How to read eBooks on your Peloton
You can log in here to see your full Amazon Kindle library, and then accessing them is as simple as heading into the navigation bar on your Peloton device and logging into your Amazon account on Peloton’s platform.
Books will open to where you last left off for seamless switching from your best Kindle to your Peloton machine, and you’ll find Kindle features like adjusting font sizes, bookmarking, and more.
At the time of writing, the feature is only available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Austria, and Germany.
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UK Antitrust Watchdog Closes Apple App Store Investigation, Case to Be Reconsidered Under New Digital Rules Regime
The UK’s Competition and Market Authority (CMA) today announced it had closed an investigation into Apple’s App Store policies, as it expects to consider the concerns under a new digital markets competition regime which is expected to come into force later this year.
Originally initiated in March 2021, the CMA’s investigation set out to determine whether or not Apple has a dominant position in connection with the distribution of apps on Apple devices in the UK – and, if so, whether Apple imposes unfair or anti-competitive terms on developers using the App Store, such as by charging a 30% commission on transactions.
The watchdog opened a similar probe into Google, which it believed breached UK competition law by making app developers use its own billing system for in-app purchases. The CMA now says it has closed the Competition Act cases into Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store on the grounds of administrative priorities and has not taken any decisions as to whether the Competition Act 1998 has been infringed.
Despite both investigations being closed, the competition regulator says it may use new powers given to it via the UK’s new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act to address its concerns “more holistically” with a view to boosting competition in the app market. From the CMA’s press release:
In light of recent developments, in particular the passing in May of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA), the CMA has assessed its existing Competition Act investigation into Google’s Play Store and its parallel case into Apple’s App Store rules against its administrative priorities and decided to close these cases at this point. Should Apple or Google each or both be designated as having ‘strategic market status’ in connection with any digital activities in the mobile sector, the CMA will be able to use its new powers to consider the range of issues raised by parties more holistically than it otherwise could under these specific Competition Act investigations. This will also enable the CMA to consider what, if any, interventions may be needed following any designation.Published in January 2024, the new digital markets competition regime paper gives the CMA the ability to impose requirements on the conduct of firms in digital markets where those firms have been designated as having Strategic Market Status (SMS) – and to impose significant fines against firms if those requirements are breached.
In that paper, the CMA also confirmed it expects to launch around three to four SMS investigations within the first year of the new digital markets competition regime coming into force, which is expected later this year. Tags: App Store, Apple Antitrust, United KingdomThis article, “UK Antitrust Watchdog Closes Apple App Store Investigation, Case to Be Reconsidered Under New Digital Rules Regime” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
The UK’s Competition and Market Authority (CMA) today announced it had closed an investigation into Apple’s App Store policies, as it expects to consider the concerns under a new digital markets competition regime which is expected to come into force later this year.
Originally initiated in March 2021, the CMA’s investigation set out to determine whether or not Apple has a dominant position in connection with the distribution of apps on Apple devices in the UK – and, if so, whether Apple imposes unfair or anti-competitive terms on developers using the App Store, such as by charging a 30% commission on transactions.
The watchdog opened a similar probe into Google, which it believed breached UK competition law by making app developers use its own billing system for in-app purchases. The CMA now says it has closed the Competition Act cases into Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store on the grounds of administrative priorities and has not taken any decisions as to whether the Competition Act 1998 has been infringed.
Despite both investigations being closed, the competition regulator says it may use new powers given to it via the UK’s new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act to address its concerns “more holistically” with a view to boosting competition in the app market. From the CMA’s press release:
In light of recent developments, in particular the passing in May of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA), the CMA has assessed its existing Competition Act investigation into Google’s Play Store and its parallel case into Apple’s App Store rules against its administrative priorities and decided to close these cases at this point. Should Apple or Google each or both be designated as having ‘strategic market status’ in connection with any digital activities in the mobile sector, the CMA will be able to use its new powers to consider the range of issues raised by parties more holistically than it otherwise could under these specific Competition Act investigations. This will also enable the CMA to consider what, if any, interventions may be needed following any designation.Published in January 2024, the new digital markets competition regime paper gives the CMA the ability to impose requirements on the conduct of firms in digital markets where those firms have been designated as having Strategic Market Status (SMS) – and to impose significant fines against firms if those requirements are breached.
In that paper, the CMA also confirmed it expects to launch around three to four SMS investigations within the first year of the new digital markets competition regime coming into force, which is expected later this year.
This article, “UK Antitrust Watchdog Closes Apple App Store Investigation, Case to Be Reconsidered Under New Digital Rules Regime” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Good news file fans – WeTransfer links will no longer expire
WeTransfer users can extend link expiration dates by up to 30 days by using the app-exclusive ‘Save for Later’ feature.
Cloud-based file transfer platform WeTransfer has unveiled a new ‘Save for Later’ feature on its mobile app in a bid to address one of the platform’s biggest user frustrations – expired download links.
By using ‘Save for Later’, users can extend the expiration date of their links by up to 30 days by saving their transfers directly within the mobile app.
By extending the time frame, users will have more time to preview or download files on their devices, or forward them to their desktop for later use. Saved transfers will be organized within the mobile app for ease of access.
WeTransfer expiring links
The update represents a handy enhancement for customers, especially professionals in the creative industry who often deal with large files. Previously, it was common for customers to miss a download window due to expired links.
Product Marketing staffer Jasmine Whitaker noted: “You gain full control over how long you can access your files, cutting out the need for awkward follow-ups.”
The news comes hot on the heels of Bending Spoons’ acquisition of WeTransfer, indicating a new direction and refreshed focus on the platform. The Italian developer snapped up Evernote last year.
Despite the news, with ‘Save for Later’ marking the beginning of a new chapter for the file transfer platform, the future remains uncertain. Bending Spoons has a history of restructuring companies following acquisitions, and the effects of its ownership on both the workforce and pricing for customers remains unclear.
The company declined to comment on these points when TechRadar Pro got in touch following news of the acquisition.
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Samsung’s new Odyssey monitor lets you play games in glasses-free 3D
Image: Samsung
Samsung has announced a new Odyssey gaming monitor lineup at gamescom that uses eye-tracking technology to convert 2D visuals into glasses-free 3D. The Odyssey 3D is set for a global release “within this year” according to Samsung, and will allow users to “seamlessly switch between 2D and 3D modes” based on preference — which may tempt folks who are curious about 3D gaming, but apprehensive to commit.
The Odyssey 3D is Samsung’s first 3D gaming monitor, having first teased a concept display at CES earlier this year. It’ll be available in 27- or 37-inch sizes and features a 4K QLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, alongside a 1-millisecond response time and support for AMD FreeSync. Both monitors also include a single DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 ports for connectivity, and a tilting, height-adjustable stand to ensure you can best position it to experience 3D content.
The glasses-free 3D is achieved by combining a lenticular lens — specialized hardware that can direct different images to each eye — with a built-in eye tracking camera, and view mapping to continuously adjust for depth perception. Acer uses a similar system in its own SpatialLabs laptops and monitors. The resulting Stereoscopic 3D can only be viewed by one person at a time, but that’s hardly an issue for gamers, and my own experiences with the technology have left a good impression: it’s really fun to see things jumping out at you without having to wear special glasses.
One thing that’s missing is the price. We’ve reached out to Samsung to see if pricing information is available, but if Acer’s products (and the historical pricing on Samsung’s Odyssey lineup) are any indication, the Odyssey 3D offerings won’t come cheap.
Image: Samsung
Samsung has announced a new Odyssey gaming monitor lineup at gamescom that uses eye-tracking technology to convert 2D visuals into glasses-free 3D. The Odyssey 3D is set for a global release “within this year” according to Samsung, and will allow users to “seamlessly switch between 2D and 3D modes” based on preference — which may tempt folks who are curious about 3D gaming, but apprehensive to commit.
The Odyssey 3D is Samsung’s first 3D gaming monitor, having first teased a concept display at CES earlier this year. It’ll be available in 27- or 37-inch sizes and features a 4K QLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, alongside a 1-millisecond response time and support for AMD FreeSync. Both monitors also include a single DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 ports for connectivity, and a tilting, height-adjustable stand to ensure you can best position it to experience 3D content.
The glasses-free 3D is achieved by combining a lenticular lens — specialized hardware that can direct different images to each eye — with a built-in eye tracking camera, and view mapping to continuously adjust for depth perception. Acer uses a similar system in its own SpatialLabs laptops and monitors. The resulting Stereoscopic 3D can only be viewed by one person at a time, but that’s hardly an issue for gamers, and my own experiences with the technology have left a good impression: it’s really fun to see things jumping out at you without having to wear special glasses.
One thing that’s missing is the price. We’ve reached out to Samsung to see if pricing information is available, but if Acer’s products (and the historical pricing on Samsung’s Odyssey lineup) are any indication, the Odyssey 3D offerings won’t come cheap.
Waymo’s robotaxis just hit an impressive new milestone for trips – and can now rescue you in the snow
Waymo says it has hit 100,000 paid trips per week in the USA, with an upcoming sixth-generation vehicle set to expand those numbers further.
Waymo’s fully-autonomous robotaxis have just hit the landmark figure of 100,000 paid trips per week, according to the company’s co-CEO – and a next-gen vehicle should soon boost that figure thanks to its new sensor system.
A recent post on X by Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana revealed that the company had hit the major milestone for paid trips per week with its autonomous ride-hailing service.
The Google-owned company, which started testing its self-driving technology in earnest back in 2016, has slowly but surely been gaining territory in a market that the likes of Tesla and automotive giant GM consider the next big battleground.
Operating in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, Waymo regularly adds new regions to those locations and plans to expand to Austin, Texas in the near future. This will likely see its 100,000 per week number grow rapidly in the coming months.
According to a recent blog post by the company, it saw demand for its service skyrocket after it removed a waitlist for its San Francisco service in June of this year.
It says that users making the most of the 55 square miles that are covered in the Bay Area of San Fran include parents that have entrusted the robotaxi to take their kids to school, as well as vulnerable groups and senior citizens that have “regained their independence” thanks to the autonomous service.
Trip to the top
(Image credit: Waymo)
Waymo is on course to become a leader in autonomous ride hailing, which Forbes says that some estimate becoming a $5 trillion market by 2029.
But the road to success isn’t exactly paved with gold. Tesla says it will unveil its vision of a driverless taxi service later this year, but it has already delayed the official reveal several times.
GM has also faced numerous road blocks with its Cruise operations, while the Hyundai Motor Group’s Motional autonomous ride-hailing business recently required a $1 billion investment to keep the lights on.
In order to remain at the top, Waymo has just unveiled its sixth-generation vehicle, which comes complete with an all-new sensor system.
Consisting of 13 cameras, four lidars, six radars, and an array of external audio receivers (EARs), the company says the sensor suite is “optimized for greater performance at a significantly reduced cost, without compromising safety”.
The suite has actually slimmed down on the number of sensors it uses, hence the reducing cost part, but the cameras now employed all operate at a higher resolution, meaning they can apparently ‘see’ at a greater distance.
Improved machine learning and a more powerful suite of Lidars also help, while new sensor-cleaning capabilities mean Waymo can even operate in extreme weather conditions.
Snow joke
(Image credit: Hyundai)
While the company is quick to point out that rain, San Fran fog and hail currently won’t stop play, snow has previously been a potential issue without manual intervention.
The new ‘preventative’ measures ensure the autonomous vehicle can safely operate in freezing conditions, or even when a swarm of Texan bugs decide to clog up the camera lens.
In spite of these major technological advances, Waymo continues to get smarter with every journey, vacuuming up driving data and feeding it back to the fleet in order for all of its autonomous vehicles to benefit from daily learnings.
In particularly complex situations, such as impromptu road or lane closure, Waymo has a fleet response system that sees a real human in a command centre select the most sensible course action. But even these scenarios are becoming less frequent, as the ‘Waymo Driver’ becomes more intelligent over time.
With the introduction of its more powerful sixth-generation vehicle, the company says it is on track to begin operating without a human behind the wheel in about half the time that it has previously taken when introducing its service to new territories and regions.
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