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The Federal Trade Commission will get a chance to argue its case for Meta’s breakup in court. On Wednesday, US District Judge James Boasberg allowed the FTC’s lawsuit against the social media giant to move forward (PDF link). The FTC first sued Meta in 2020 in an attempt to force the company, then known as Facebook, to divest itself of Instagram and WhatsApp. Alongside dozens of attorneys general, the agency alleged Meta acquired the platforms in 2012 and 2014 to stifle growing competition in the social media market.
This past April, Meta asked Judge Boasberg to dismiss the case. In addition to noting that the FTC had previously approved both acquisitions, Meta argued that the agency had failed to show that the company held monopoly power in the social networking services market, and that, in buying Instagram and WhatsApp, it had harmed consumers. Additionally, the company claimed that it had invested billions of dollars in both platforms and made them better as a result, to the benefit of social media users everywhere.
While he did not entirely dismiss the lawsuit, Boasberg did force the FTC to narrow its case, dismissing an allegation that Facebook had provided preferential access to developers who agreed not to compete with it.
“We are confident that the evidence at trial will show that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp have been good for competition and consumers. More than 10 years after the FTC reviewed and cleared these deals, and despite the overwhelming evidence that our services compete with YouTube, TikTok, X, Apple’s iMessage, and many others, the Commission is wrongly continuing to assert that no deal is ever truly final, and businesses can be punished for innovating,” a Meta spokesperson told Engadget. “We will review the opinion when it’s filed.”
Judge Boasberg will meet with the two sides on November 25 to schedule the trial. The FTC lawsuit, it should be noted, was filed under the previous Trump administration, though whether it moves forward and in what form will depend on who President-elect Trump appoints to lead the agency.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-will-have-to-defend-itself-from-antitrust-claims-after-all-155730259.html?src=rss

The Federal Trade Commission will get a chance to argue its case for Meta’s breakup in court. On Wednesday, US District Judge James Boasberg allowed the FTC’s lawsuit against the social media giant to move forward (PDF link). The FTC first sued Meta in 2020 in an attempt to force the company, then known as Facebook, to divest itself of Instagram and WhatsApp. Alongside dozens of attorneys general, the agency alleged Meta acquired the platforms in 2012 and 2014 to stifle growing competition in the social media market.

This past April, Meta asked Judge Boasberg to dismiss the case. In addition to noting that the FTC had previously approved both acquisitions, Meta argued that the agency had failed to show that the company held monopoly power in the social networking services market, and that, in buying Instagram and WhatsApp, it had harmed consumers. Additionally, the company claimed that it had invested billions of dollars in both platforms and made them better as a result, to the benefit of social media users everywhere.

While he did not entirely dismiss the lawsuit, Boasberg did force the FTC to narrow its case, dismissing an allegation that Facebook had provided preferential access to developers who agreed not to compete with it.

“We are confident that the evidence at trial will show that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp have been good for competition and consumers. More than 10 years after the FTC reviewed and cleared these deals, and despite the overwhelming evidence that our services compete with YouTube, TikTok, X, Apple’s iMessage, and many others, the Commission is wrongly continuing to assert that no deal is ever truly final, and businesses can be punished for innovating,” a Meta spokesperson told Engadget. “We will review the opinion when it’s filed.”

Judge Boasberg will meet with the two sides on November 25 to schedule the trial. The FTC lawsuit, it should be noted, was filed under the previous Trump administration, though whether it moves forward and in what form will depend on who President-elect Trump appoints to lead the agency.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-will-have-to-defend-itself-from-antitrust-claims-after-all-155730259.html?src=rss

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This is Lightfoot, a solar scooter conceived by San Francisco-based R&D outfit Otherlab that, it claims, will be available to buy in the US from January. The most eye-catching feature are the two side panels covered in solar cells that will hopefully keep you from needing a charger. In the gap between the two, however, is a fairly capacious cargo compartment with almost 1.6 cubic feet of space. That should be more than enough to haul your gear to and from work, or to pick up some groceries when you’re out and about. The padded seat and footplates, too, are designed to carry the rider and an additional passenger when required, too. 
Specs-wise, there’s a pair of 750W brushless DC motors with a top speed of 20 miles per hour, generating 90Nm of peak torque, which should hopefully be enough to scale the hills around SF (and wherever you are). They’re wired up to a 1.1kWh battery that the company promises will deliver a range of 37 miles on a single charge. The two 120W panels on either side will trickle charge the battery when on the road or parked up outdoors. Otherlab claims this idle solar charging will add three miles of charge per hour, or 18 miles if you leave it for a whole day.
Lightfoot / Otherlab
Aside from the solar hardware, Otherlab claims that you — or a qualified technician — will be able to keep this running without any outside assistance. It said most of the components are off-the-shelf motorcycle parts and that they can be repaired or replaced just as easily. There’s also a one-year whole-bike and two-year mechanical guarantee, as well as a no-question buy back policy. We’ll reserve judgment on every facet of this until we’re able to test it for ourselves, but we’re looking forward to doing so just to see what this thing feels like to ride.
Pre-orders for the Lightfoot are opening today for $4,995, with Otherlab pledging to make the first deliveries in January 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/im-kinda-in-awe-of-this-goofy-solar-scooter-150041980.html?src=rss

This is Lightfoot, a solar scooter conceived by San Francisco-based R&D outfit Otherlab that, it claims, will be available to buy in the US from January. The most eye-catching feature are the two side panels covered in solar cells that will hopefully keep you from needing a charger. In the gap between the two, however, is a fairly capacious cargo compartment with almost 1.6 cubic feet of space. That should be more than enough to haul your gear to and from work, or to pick up some groceries when you’re out and about. The padded seat and footplates, too, are designed to carry the rider and an additional passenger when required, too. 

Specs-wise, there’s a pair of 750W brushless DC motors with a top speed of 20 miles per hour, generating 90Nm of peak torque, which should hopefully be enough to scale the hills around SF (and wherever you are). They’re wired up to a 1.1kWh battery that the company promises will deliver a range of 37 miles on a single charge. The two 120W panels on either side will trickle charge the battery when on the road or parked up outdoors. Otherlab claims this idle solar charging will add three miles of charge per hour, or 18 miles if you leave it for a whole day.

Aside from the solar hardware, Otherlab claims that you — or a qualified technician — will be able to keep this running without any outside assistance. It said most of the components are off-the-shelf motorcycle parts and that they can be repaired or replaced just as easily. There’s also a one-year whole-bike and two-year mechanical guarantee, as well as a no-question buy back policy. We’ll reserve judgment on every facet of this until we’re able to test it for ourselves, but we’re looking forward to doing so just to see what this thing feels like to ride.

Pre-orders for the Lightfoot are opening today for $4,995, with Otherlab pledging to make the first deliveries in January 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/im-kinda-in-awe-of-this-goofy-solar-scooter-150041980.html?src=rss

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The Guardian announced it will no longer be active on X (formerly Twitter) — all its editorial accounts will stop posting on the platform. Users can, of course, still share the outlet’s articles on X, and journalists working for The Guardian may link to or embed X posts in their articles or continue using the platform to gather news.
According to the statement, X has become rife with “far-right conspiracy theories and racism” and is simply not worth sinking more resources into. The newspaper would rather spend its time and energy on less “toxic” platforms. Additionally, The Guardian cites Elon Musk as a major reason for moving away, since the results of the recent US presidential election have allegedly shown how Musk “has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.” Essentially, the concern appears to be that continuing to post would be adding fuel to a propaganda machine.
The Guardian isn’t the only news outlet to ditch X: NPR and PBS both left in 2023. Corporations like Apple, IBM, Disney and others still post, but no longer advertise on X. These companies have historically been the social media platform’s biggest source of ad income, as reported by Axios.
The Guardian claims it’s able to make this decision because it doesn’t rely on advertising as its main business model. But Twitter was always more about influence than driving traffic, and the returns on investment for publishers have only gotten worse with time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-guardian-is-leaving-x-144549755.html?src=rss

The Guardian announced it will no longer be active on X (formerly Twitter) — all its editorial accounts will stop posting on the platform. Users can, of course, still share the outlet’s articles on X, and journalists working for The Guardian may link to or embed X posts in their articles or continue using the platform to gather news.

According to the statement, X has become rife with “far-right conspiracy theories and racism” and is simply not worth sinking more resources into. The newspaper would rather spend its time and energy on less “toxic” platforms. Additionally, The Guardian cites Elon Musk as a major reason for moving away, since the results of the recent US presidential election have allegedly shown how Musk “has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.” Essentially, the concern appears to be that continuing to post would be adding fuel to a propaganda machine.

The Guardian isn’t the only news outlet to ditch X: NPR and PBS both left in 2023. Corporations like Apple, IBM, Disney and others still post, but no longer advertise on X. These companies have historically been the social media platform’s biggest source of ad income, as reported by Axios.

The Guardian claims it’s able to make this decision because it doesn’t rely on advertising as its main business model. But Twitter was always more about influence than driving traffic, and the returns on investment for publishers have only gotten worse with time.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-guardian-is-leaving-x-144549755.html?src=rss

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Select YouTube creators can now produce their own remixes of existing songs. YouTube has announced a new feature for its AI-powered Dream Track tool that allows individuals to “restyle” a song and create a 30-second tune to use in a Short. 
Creators in the experiment group for this feature can choose from eligible songs and then give an explanation to AI about how they want to remix it. These changes could focus on giving the song a different genre or mood — whatever twist they’re imagining. From there a new song gets produced “that reimagines the music while maintaining the essence of the original song’s vocals and lyrics,” YouTube’s announcement states. “These restyled soundtracks will have clear attribution to the original song through the Short itself and the Shorts audio pivot page, and will also clearly indicate that the track was restyled with AI.”
YouTube rolled out Dream Track in November 2023, powered by Google DeepMind’s Lyria model. It allowed a select group of US creators to make songs using the AI-generated voices of participating artists. The feature included a deal with Universal Music Group and partnerships with a slew of musicians, including John Legend, Charli XCX and Troye Sivan. It has expanded its availability to all US creators in the year since. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtube-creators-can-now-make-ai-song-remixes-for-shorts-143015775.html?src=rss

Select YouTube creators can now produce their own remixes of existing songs. YouTube has announced a new feature for its AI-powered Dream Track tool that allows individuals to “restyle” a song and create a 30-second tune to use in a Short. 

Creators in the experiment group for this feature can choose from eligible songs and then give an explanation to AI about how they want to remix it. These changes could focus on giving the song a different genre or mood — whatever twist they’re imagining. From there a new song gets produced “that reimagines the music while maintaining the essence of the original song’s vocals and lyrics,” YouTube’s announcement states. “These restyled soundtracks will have clear attribution to the original song through the Short itself and the Shorts audio pivot page, and will also clearly indicate that the track was restyled with AI.”

YouTube rolled out Dream Track in November 2023, powered by Google DeepMind’s Lyria model. It allowed a select group of US creators to make songs using the AI-generated voices of participating artists. The feature included a deal with Universal Music Group and partnerships with a slew of musicians, including John Legend, Charli XCX and Troye Sivan. It has expanded its availability to all US creators in the year since. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtube-creators-can-now-make-ai-song-remixes-for-shorts-143015775.html?src=rss

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Amazon is marking down a slew of its products for Black Friday and that includes its streaming devices. Currently, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is down to $33 from $60 — a 45 percent discount that brings it to a new all-time low price. This device is Amazon’s most powerful streaming stick, supporting a 4K Ultra HD display, with an enhanced Alexa Voice Remote and Wi-Fi 6E support. You can, of course, use it to access Amazon Prime Video, along with Netflix, Disney+ and all your favorite streamers. 
While the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a good option for streaming, we also use it for something a bit different: playing retro games. Our senior reporter Jeff Dunn bought one to play games from the PS1, Game Boy, Genesis, old arcade games and more. He finds it works much better than having to lug around any bigger devices. However, using your Fire TV Stick 4K Max to play old games requires a bit of setup so, if you’re interested in trying it, may I direct you to Dunn’s helpful guide here. 

Amazon’s Fire TV Cube is also discounted as part of a larger sale on Fire TV devices for Black Friday. Right now, you can pick up the streaming device for 29 percent off, dropping to $100 from $140. The Cube is your pick if you want access to ethernet and hands-free use with Alexa. It’s more powerful than the 4K Max, but, for the price difference, it’s a tough call if it’s worth it. 
Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-drops-to-a-record-low-of-33-for-black-friday-140334461.html?src=rss

Amazon is marking down a slew of its products for Black Friday and that includes its streaming devices. Currently, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is down to $33 from $60 — a 45 percent discount that brings it to a new all-time low price. This device is Amazon’s most powerful streaming stick, supporting a 4K Ultra HD display, with an enhanced Alexa Voice Remote and Wi-Fi 6E support. You can, of course, use it to access Amazon Prime Video, along with Netflix, Disney+ and all your favorite streamers. 

While the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a good option for streaming, we also use it for something a bit different: playing retro games. Our senior reporter Jeff Dunn bought one to play games from the PS1, Game Boy, Genesis, old arcade games and more. He finds it works much better than having to lug around any bigger devices. However, using your Fire TV Stick 4K Max to play old games requires a bit of setup so, if you’re interested in trying it, may I direct you to Dunn’s helpful guide here. 

Amazon’s Fire TV Cube is also discounted as part of a larger sale on Fire TV devices for Black Friday. Right now, you can pick up the streaming device for 29 percent off, dropping to $100 from $140. The Cube is your pick if you want access to ethernet and hands-free use with Alexa. It’s more powerful than the 4K Max, but, for the price difference, it’s a tough call if it’s worth it. 

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-drops-to-a-record-low-of-33-for-black-friday-140334461.html?src=rss

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Hydrow, a company that makes smart rowing machines, just announced the Core, a new model that eschews monthly subscription fees. The Hydrow Core Rower features the “same award-winning design” as the original Pro Rower, which we said was positioning itself to be “the Peloton of smart rowing machines.”
Obviously, the hook here is that the Core is a one-and-done purchase with no recurring subscription costs. It still comes with an attached display, which lets users “row through stunning destinations.” All told, this machine offers access to 30 self-paced rows through these exotic locales.

Hydrow

The Core Rower supports unlimited users, which is nice, but there is one major caveat. There’s no subscription, so there’s no access to instructor-led workouts, badges, milestones and other premium features. However, customers can add a membership later for all of that stuff. Hydrow charges $44 per month for a subscription. It could be useful to try it out for a month to see if all of those additional bells and whistles are worth it.
The Hydrow Core Rower is available for preorder right now and costs $2,195. This is the exact same price as the flagship Pro Rower. The company also recently released a trimmed down version called the Hydrow Wave. This one is smaller and cheaper, clocking in at around $1,700.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/hydrow-just-announced-a-new-smart-rowing-machine-with-no-subscription-required-140026785.html?src=rss

Hydrow, a company that makes smart rowing machines, just announced the Core, a new model that eschews monthly subscription fees. The Hydrow Core Rower features the “same award-winning design” as the original Pro Rower, which we said was positioning itself to be “the Peloton of smart rowing machines.”

Obviously, the hook here is that the Core is a one-and-done purchase with no recurring subscription costs. It still comes with an attached display, which lets users “row through stunning destinations.” All told, this machine offers access to 30 self-paced rows through these exotic locales.

The Core Rower supports unlimited users, which is nice, but there is one major caveat. There’s no subscription, so there’s no access to instructor-led workouts, badges, milestones and other premium features. However, customers can add a membership later for all of that stuff. Hydrow charges $44 per month for a subscription. It could be useful to try it out for a month to see if all of those additional bells and whistles are worth it.

The Hydrow Core Rower is available for preorder right now and costs $2,195. This is the exact same price as the flagship Pro Rower. The company also recently released a trimmed down version called the Hydrow Wave. This one is smaller and cheaper, clocking in at around $1,700.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/hydrow-just-announced-a-new-smart-rowing-machine-with-no-subscription-required-140026785.html?src=rss

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Wouldn’t it be nice if you could go out for a run without fear of being harmed? Technology has a way of making us both safer and at greater risk while out and about, but a new tool from Strava might help with the former. Strava has announced Night Heatmaps, a feature that shows which areas have more activity — or “heat” — between sunset and sunrise. Yes, Heatmaps is the feature that accidentally revealed the location of US military bases. 
The update is a welcome one with sunset getting very early in some areas of the world, while night seems to last late into the morning. It also comes alongside a new Weekly Heatmap, which shows heat levels in an area over the last seven days. Again, this can help you know which paths will have the most people, but at all times of the day. While this added awareness is great for knowing where to go, some people might also purposely choose to avoid the busiest times, for fear of unwanted attention (there’s no winning here). 
In either case, the Night and Weekly Heatmaps are only available on subscriber accounts (a membership will cost you $12 monthly or $80 annually). It’s also worth noting that Heatmaps pull solely from public activities on Strava, so you’re not getting the full story of how many people go where. 
Night and Weekly Heatmaps join the Global Heatmaps (also subscriber exclusive) and your Personal Heatmap. You can access any of them through the Map tab and filter the Heatmap by activity type. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/stravas-new-night-heatmaps-look-to-make-subscribers-safer-after-dark-140011174.html?src=rss

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could go out for a run without fear of being harmed? Technology has a way of making us both safer and at greater risk while out and about, but a new tool from Strava might help with the former. Strava has announced Night Heatmaps, a feature that shows which areas have more activity — or “heat” — between sunset and sunrise. Yes, Heatmaps is the feature that accidentally revealed the location of US military bases. 

The update is a welcome one with sunset getting very early in some areas of the world, while night seems to last late into the morning. It also comes alongside a new Weekly Heatmap, which shows heat levels in an area over the last seven days. Again, this can help you know which paths will have the most people, but at all times of the day. While this added awareness is great for knowing where to go, some people might also purposely choose to avoid the busiest times, for fear of unwanted attention (there’s no winning here). 

In either case, the Night and Weekly Heatmaps are only available on subscriber accounts (a membership will cost you $12 monthly or $80 annually). It’s also worth noting that Heatmaps pull solely from public activities on Strava, so you’re not getting the full story of how many people go where. 

Night and Weekly Heatmaps join the Global Heatmaps (also subscriber exclusive) and your Personal Heatmap. You can access any of them through the Map tab and filter the Heatmap by activity type. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/stravas-new-night-heatmaps-look-to-make-subscribers-safer-after-dark-140011174.html?src=rss

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Apple and art house film company A24 are in early development on a film about convicted crypto scammer Sam Bankman-Fried with a script written by Lena Dunham, Variety reported. The project will be based on the Michael Lewis book Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon that many critics found overly deferential to Bankman-Fried. 
The book describes the dizzying rise and equally vertiginous fall of Bankman-Fried and his FTX crypto exchange and Alameda hedge fund. However, it paints the FTX founder as a benevolent prodigy and glosses over the fact that he embezzled billions of dollars from customers and spent it on things like celebrity endorsements, political donations and high-end real-estate purchases.  
FTX was worth billions at its peak, but the exchange eventually collapsed and Bankman-Fried was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Most FTX customers will get their original investments back, plus interest, but that’s based on a bitcoin price of around $17,000 — and the current price is nearly five times that.
Basing the film on Lewis’s fawning hagiography isn’t a promising start. Hopefully, Dunham or other writers will also draw on far better books (like Numbers Go Up by Zeke Faux) that show the dark, scammy side of crypto promoters like Bankman-Fried and the entire industry in general.
Apple Original Films and A24 have announced other collaborations recently, including the Spike Lee and Denzel Washington film High and Low. Other scripted FTX projects are also in the works, including a limited Amazon Prime series from the Russo brothers based on the 2022 FTX collapse. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-and-a24-are-developing-a-sam-bankman-fried-movie-written-by-lena-dunham-133022680.html?src=rss

Apple and art house film company A24 are in early development on a film about convicted crypto scammer Sam Bankman-Fried with a script written by Lena Dunham, Variety reported. The project will be based on the Michael Lewis book Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon that many critics found overly deferential to Bankman-Fried. 

The book describes the dizzying rise and equally vertiginous fall of Bankman-Fried and his FTX crypto exchange and Alameda hedge fund. However, it paints the FTX founder as a benevolent prodigy and glosses over the fact that he embezzled billions of dollars from customers and spent it on things like celebrity endorsements, political donations and high-end real-estate purchases.  

FTX was worth billions at its peak, but the exchange eventually collapsed and Bankman-Fried was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Most FTX customers will get their original investments back, plus interest, but that’s based on a bitcoin price of around $17,000 — and the current price is nearly five times that.

Basing the film on Lewis’s fawning hagiography isn’t a promising start. Hopefully, Dunham or other writers will also draw on far better books (like Numbers Go Up by Zeke Faux) that show the dark, scammy side of crypto promoters like Bankman-Fried and the entire industry in general.

Apple Original Films and A24 have announced other collaborations recently, including the Spike Lee and Denzel Washington film High and Low. Other scripted FTX projects are also in the works, including a limited Amazon Prime series from the Russo brothers based on the 2022 FTX collapse. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-and-a24-are-developing-a-sam-bankman-fried-movie-written-by-lena-dunham-133022680.html?src=rss

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The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA’s research center responsible for robotic space missions, will lay off more workers before the year ends due to budget constraints. JPL Director Laurie Leshin has announced in a memo addressed to employees that the reduction will affect 325 people, or about five percent of its whole workforce. Leshin explained that the lab took various measures to meet its budget allocation for the 2025 fiscal year and to minimize the adverse effects of a limited budget on its workers. In the end, though, JPL “reached the difficult decision” to make “one further workforce reduction.”
The lab already cut 530 employees and cut over 100 contractors from its roster earlier this year because of uncertainty over the final budget that the Congress will give NASA for 2024. It also froze hiring in response to the dilemma. The main reason why the lab had to implement those measures was because the Mars Sample Return Program was allocated a much smaller budget than it needed. NASA had requested $950 million for the mission, but only $300 million was allocated for it. 
NASA’s original plan was to bring home the samples collected by the mission in 2040. But its budget ballooned from $7 billion to $11 billion, and as The Washington Post notes, the government found the return date “unacceptable.” For the 2025 fiscal year, NASA only requested $200 million for the project that could go through significant changes. The agency is now looking for ways to alter the mission and is even considering proposals from private companies. 
Leshin said that the layoffs will affect all areas of the lab, including its technical, business and support divisions. “[W]e had to tighten our belts across the board, and you will see that reflected in the layoff impacts,” she said. JPL’s director also said that the US presidential election results have nothing to do with the reduction that the “action would be happening regardless” of its outcome. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-jet-propulsion-laboratory-is-laying-off-325-more-workers-130001669.html?src=rss

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA’s research center responsible for robotic space missions, will lay off more workers before the year ends due to budget constraints. JPL Director Laurie Leshin has announced in a memo addressed to employees that the reduction will affect 325 people, or about five percent of its whole workforce. Leshin explained that the lab took various measures to meet its budget allocation for the 2025 fiscal year and to minimize the adverse effects of a limited budget on its workers. In the end, though, JPL “reached the difficult decision” to make “one further workforce reduction.”

The lab already cut 530 employees and cut over 100 contractors from its roster earlier this year because of uncertainty over the final budget that the Congress will give NASA for 2024. It also froze hiring in response to the dilemma. The main reason why the lab had to implement those measures was because the Mars Sample Return Program was allocated a much smaller budget than it needed. NASA had requested $950 million for the mission, but only $300 million was allocated for it. 

NASA’s original plan was to bring home the samples collected by the mission in 2040. But its budget ballooned from $7 billion to $11 billion, and as The Washington Post notes, the government found the return date “unacceptable.” For the 2025 fiscal year, NASA only requested $200 million for the project that could go through significant changes. The agency is now looking for ways to alter the mission and is even considering proposals from private companies. 

Leshin said that the layoffs will affect all areas of the lab, including its technical, business and support divisions. “[W]e had to tighten our belts across the board, and you will see that reflected in the layoff impacts,” she said. JPL’s director also said that the US presidential election results have nothing to do with the reduction that the “action would be happening regardless” of its outcome. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-jet-propulsion-laboratory-is-laying-off-325-more-workers-130001669.html?src=rss

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LG Display’s new free-form screen technology can expand from 12 to 18 inches, with a resolution of 100ppi. The display also uses a micro-LED light source smaller than 40 micrometers, so it can apparently be stretched over 10,000 times. While this probably isn’t your next smartphone, we could see the tech in clothing, car panels and more.
LG Display has pushed the boundaries of screen tech for a while, revealing folding screens before foldable phones appeared, roll-up TVS before roll-up TVs went on sale and transparent displays before they appeared in fancy stores, theme parks and elsewhere. So expect to see this Bop-it of displays somewhere, eventually.
— Mat Smith
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Netflix’s ad tier has attracted more than 70 million subscribers
However, many have probably downgraded from a premium tier.

Netflix is crowing that its ad-supported tier now boasts 70 million global users. Amy Reinhard, president of advertising at Netflix, says the company continues “to see steady progress across all countries’ member bases.” But there isn’t any information about existing customers. It’s very possible a lot of people downgraded from a premium tier to an ad-supported tier.
Continue reading.

Fujifilm is developing a 102MP medium format cinema camera
With a new sensor 1.7 times larger than full frame.
Fujifilm
Fujifilm is developing a medium-format, 102-megapixel cinema camera, the company said in a surprise announcement. Due next year, the GFX Eterna will carry a boxy, modular design reminiscent of Sony’s FX6. The new camera will have a medium format GFX 102-megapixel (MP) CMOS II HS sensor, the same one used on the GFX100 II. That sensor is 43.8mm x 32.9 mm in size — that’s 1.7 times larger than the full-frame sensor on the FX.
The benefits will be extra dynamic range, potentially high resolution and a very shallow depth of field, which should enable cinematic shots with the right lens. Having said that, Fujifilm currently has no GFX glass designed specifically for film production. It’s working on it, though.
Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-lgs-new-twisty-display-tech-can-stretch-up-to-50-percent-121552798.html?src=rss

LG Display’s new free-form screen technology can expand from 12 to 18 inches, with a resolution of 100ppi. The display also uses a micro-LED light source smaller than 40 micrometers, so it can apparently be stretched over 10,000 times. While this probably isn’t your next smartphone, we could see the tech in clothing, car panels and more.

LG Display has pushed the boundaries of screen tech for a while, revealing folding screens before foldable phones appeared, roll-up TVS before roll-up TVs went on sale and transparent displays before they appeared in fancy stores, theme parks and elsewhere. So expect to see this Bop-it of displays somewhere, eventually.

— Mat Smith

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Netflix’s ad tier has attracted more than 70 million subscribers

However, many have probably downgraded from a premium tier.

Netflix is crowing that its ad-supported tier now boasts 70 million global users. Amy Reinhard, president of advertising at Netflix, says the company continues “to see steady progress across all countries’ member bases.” But there isn’t any information about existing customers. It’s very possible a lot of people downgraded from a premium tier to an ad-supported tier.

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Fujifilm is developing a 102MP medium format cinema camera

With a new sensor 1.7 times larger than full frame.

Fujifilm is developing a medium-format, 102-megapixel cinema camera, the company said in a surprise announcement. Due next year, the GFX Eterna will carry a boxy, modular design reminiscent of Sony’s FX6. The new camera will have a medium format GFX 102-megapixel (MP) CMOS II HS sensor, the same one used on the GFX100 II. That sensor is 43.8mm x 32.9 mm in size — that’s 1.7 times larger than the full-frame sensor on the FX.

The benefits will be extra dynamic range, potentially high resolution and a very shallow depth of field, which should enable cinematic shots with the right lens. Having said that, Fujifilm currently has no GFX glass designed specifically for film production. It’s working on it, though.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-lgs-new-twisty-display-tech-can-stretch-up-to-50-percent-121552798.html?src=rss

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