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Microsoft, Xbox and Halo Studios are celebrating Halo 2’s 20th anniversary by releasing recreations of some of the game’s most memorable maps on Halo Infinite, as well as its E3 demo that’s probably one of the most important moments of the franchise’s history. The demo Bungie presented at E3 way back in 2003 showed the future of Halo and demonstrated what the Xbox, as a console, was capable of. It even featured gameplay that never made its way to the finished game. “The response to the demo at E3 was electric,” Halo community director Brian Jarrard said. 
That demo went public more than a year before the game’s actual release date, and it was built on an engine that no longer exists. It only became possible to make it available for fans to play because community modders and the game’s community as a whole pitched in to restore it. The “wider Halo community” helped recover its original files and assets, while a team of community modders developed the tools needed to recreate the demo and to improve upon the original. 
“Steven Garcia (known to the community as General_101) was vital in getting this scenario stood up and even improved over the original. He was a one-man army and did a significant chunk of the work in developing tools, updating scripts, and even arting the levels. Digsite team members Ludus, Neo Te Aika, Sean T, xScruffyDaSasquatchx, and Killzone then provided finishing touches to replicate the original demo experience and test for bugs. Without them, we would probably have only had a rather unceremonious drop of raw assets and that was it,” said Halo Senior Franchise writer Kenneth Peters. 
The Halo 2 E3 2003 demo will be available as a free mod on Steam Workshop for the Halo: The Master Chief Collection starting on November 9.
In addition, Halo Studios is adding new maps to Halo Infinite’s Delta Playlist that will be a blast to the past for long-time fans of the franchise. They’re modern recreations of Halo 2 multiplayer maps that were rebuilt in Forge, Halo’s suite of in-game tools, by community “Forgers.” Xbox adjusted the gameplay in the Delta Arena, as well, disabling sprint and clamber, enabling friendly collision and higher jumps to recreate the original feel of Halo 2. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/youll-soon-be-able-to-play-halo-2s-iconic-e3-demo-in-honor-of-its-20th-anniversary-120020668.html?src=rss

Microsoft, Xbox and Halo Studios are celebrating Halo 2’s 20th anniversary by releasing recreations of some of the game’s most memorable maps on Halo Infinite, as well as its E3 demo that’s probably one of the most important moments of the franchise’s history. The demo Bungie presented at E3 way back in 2003 showed the future of Halo and demonstrated what the Xbox, as a console, was capable of. It even featured gameplay that never made its way to the finished game. “The response to the demo at E3 was electric,” Halo community director Brian Jarrard said. 

That demo went public more than a year before the game’s actual release date, and it was built on an engine that no longer exists. It only became possible to make it available for fans to play because community modders and the game’s community as a whole pitched in to restore it. The “wider Halo community” helped recover its original files and assets, while a team of community modders developed the tools needed to recreate the demo and to improve upon the original. 

“Steven Garcia (known to the community as General_101) was vital in getting this scenario stood up and even improved over the original. He was a one-man army and did a significant chunk of the work in developing tools, updating scripts, and even arting the levels. Digsite team members Ludus, Neo Te Aika, Sean T, xScruffyDaSasquatchx, and Killzone then provided finishing touches to replicate the original demo experience and test for bugs. Without them, we would probably have only had a rather unceremonious drop of raw assets and that was it,” said Halo Senior Franchise writer Kenneth Peters. 

The Halo 2 E3 2003 demo will be available as a free mod on Steam Workshop for the Halo: The Master Chief Collection starting on November 9.

In addition, Halo Studios is adding new maps to Halo Infinite’s Delta Playlist that will be a blast to the past for long-time fans of the franchise. They’re modern recreations of Halo 2 multiplayer maps that were rebuilt in Forge, Halo’s suite of in-game tools, by community “Forgers.” Xbox adjusted the gameplay in the Delta Arena, as well, disabling sprint and clamber, enabling friendly collision and higher jumps to recreate the original feel of Halo 2. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/youll-soon-be-able-to-play-halo-2s-iconic-e3-demo-in-honor-of-its-20th-anniversary-120020668.html?src=rss

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Proton’s latest VPN app will be among the first to work natively on Windows ARM PCs, the company announced. The new app was built in collaboration with Microsoft by the same team that developed the encrypted Proton Mail service and promises “best in class security and privacy” on Windows ARM devices, according to Proton. 
The ARM app offers the same functionality as the x86 version and natively supports Proton VPN’s core security and privacy features. Normally, native support means it should also load and run a bit quicker than x86 apps running on Windows 11’s emulator, but improved security is the main selling point. 
As for its claim to be among the first native Windows ARM VPN apps, rival Surfshark launched such an app in August and NordVPN recently said that it’s planning to release an ARM-native app “this autumn.” 
Proton also revealed its upcoming winter 2024 roadmap, promising new apps for iOS and iPadOS. Those will include commonly requested features like sorting servers by load, selecting a server based on its city, hiding free servers and more. Proton also promised IPv6 support in more apps, port forwarding on macOS and Linux plus guest modes for iOS and iPadOS. 
Proton’s app topped our best VPN services list for 2024, thanks to its overall security, usability and privacy features. It also offers a no-logs policy, an open-source framework and an official vulnerability disclosure program. There’s a free version (with access limited to servers in three countries) or a paid version starting at 4.99 euros ($5.44) per month. Proton recently released an Apple TV app that allow customers with a paid plan to stream their media content from any location on Apple’s set-top box.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/protons-vpn-app-now-works-natively-on-windows-arm-devices-110054749.html?src=rss

Proton’s latest VPN app will be among the first to work natively on Windows ARM PCs, the company announced. The new app was built in collaboration with Microsoft by the same team that developed the encrypted Proton Mail service and promises “best in class security and privacy” on Windows ARM devices, according to Proton. 

The ARM app offers the same functionality as the x86 version and natively supports Proton VPN’s core security and privacy features. Normally, native support means it should also load and run a bit quicker than x86 apps running on Windows 11’s emulator, but improved security is the main selling point. 

As for its claim to be among the first native Windows ARM VPN apps, rival Surfshark launched such an app in August and NordVPN recently said that it’s planning to release an ARM-native app “this autumn.” 

Proton also revealed its upcoming winter 2024 roadmap, promising new apps for iOS and iPadOS. Those will include commonly requested features like sorting servers by load, selecting a server based on its city, hiding free servers and more. Proton also promised IPv6 support in more apps, port forwarding on macOS and Linux plus guest modes for iOS and iPadOS. 

Proton’s app topped our best VPN services list for 2024, thanks to its overall security, usability and privacy features. It also offers a no-logs policy, an open-source framework and an official vulnerability disclosure program. There’s a free version (with access limited to servers in three countries) or a paid version starting at 4.99 euros ($5.44) per month. Proton recently released an Apple TV app that allow customers with a paid plan to stream their media content from any location on Apple’s set-top box.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/protons-vpn-app-now-works-natively-on-windows-arm-devices-110054749.html?src=rss

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The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has filed a complaint against Grindr. According to Bloomberg, the agency alleges that a return-to-office (RTO) mandate that limited remote work and effectively meant a relocation requirement for many workers was an attempt to fend off a unionization drive. Around 80 of Grindr’s 178 employees quit as a result of last year’s RTO demand, according to the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
The NLRB’s general counsel office has accused Grindr of violating labor law by retaliating against workers who were attempting to organize. Per Bloomberg, the agency additionally claims the company refused to recognize the union or to negotiate with it in good faith, which would also be a violation of labor law.
A Grindr spokesperson told the publication that the claims were “meritless.” They added that some employees started signing union cards “only after it was known that the transition back to in-office work was underway.”
According to the CWA, the company announced on August 4 last year that workers would have to attend its offices at least two days a week. A supermajority of workers announced their unionization in July. The union claims that, by the end of August, around half of the staff had been forced to resign. This, in part, was said to a result of relocation requirements. 
Among other issues, having to relocate would have required some of Grindr’s trans employees to find alternate healthcare providers, the union has said. “The RTO mandate gave workers two weeks to choose between ending their tenure at Grindr or relocating to their respective team’s newly assigned ‘hub’ city to work in-person twice a week,” the CWA said when it filed an Unfair Labor Practice against Grindr in September 2023. As CNN noted, many of the workers who had been hired remotely were suddenly required to report to a Grindr office in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Washington DC. 
This is hardly the first time Grindr has been in hot water lately. Earlier this year, the company was sued for allegedly sharing personal information — including HIV statuses and test dates, ethnicity and sexual orientation — with advertising companies without users’ consent.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/nlrb-accuses-grindr-of-using-a-return-to-office-mandate-to-upend-a-unionization-drive-211507122.html?src=rss

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has filed a complaint against Grindr. According to Bloomberg, the agency alleges that a return-to-office (RTO) mandate that limited remote work and effectively meant a relocation requirement for many workers was an attempt to fend off a unionization drive. Around 80 of Grindr’s 178 employees quit as a result of last year’s RTO demand, according to the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

The NLRB’s general counsel office has accused Grindr of violating labor law by retaliating against workers who were attempting to organize. Per Bloomberg, the agency additionally claims the company refused to recognize the union or to negotiate with it in good faith, which would also be a violation of labor law.

A Grindr spokesperson told the publication that the claims were “meritless.” They added that some employees started signing union cards “only after it was known that the transition back to in-office work was underway.”

According to the CWA, the company announced on August 4 last year that workers would have to attend its offices at least two days a week. A supermajority of workers announced their unionization in July. The union claims that, by the end of August, around half of the staff had been forced to resign. This, in part, was said to a result of relocation requirements. 

Among other issues, having to relocate would have required some of Grindr’s trans employees to find alternate healthcare providers, the union has said. “The RTO mandate gave workers two weeks to choose between ending their tenure at Grindr or relocating to their respective team’s newly assigned ‘hub’ city to work in-person twice a week,” the CWA said when it filed an Unfair Labor Practice against Grindr in September 2023. As CNN noted, many of the workers who had been hired remotely were suddenly required to report to a Grindr office in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Washington DC. 

This is hardly the first time Grindr has been in hot water lately. Earlier this year, the company was sued for allegedly sharing personal information — including HIV statuses and test dates, ethnicity and sexual orientation — with advertising companies without users’ consent.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/nlrb-accuses-grindr-of-using-a-return-to-office-mandate-to-upend-a-unionization-drive-211507122.html?src=rss

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Have you ever started a show, stopped mid-season and then struggled to get back into it because you have no idea exactly where you stopped watching or what was going on? Amazon just might have you covered. The company just launched a new tool for Prime Video that uses AI to generate personalized recaps.
X-Ray Recaps uses generative AI to create “brief, easy-to-digest summaries” of entire TV seasons, single episodes or even portions of episodes. All of this is personalized, so the recap will go up to the “exact minute of where you are watching.” The company promises “short textual snippets of key cliffhangers, character-driven plot points” and other details.
Adam Gray, vice president of product at Prime Video, says that this tool will help customers “quickly jump back into what they were watching or rediscover why they fell in love with a series in the first place.” It’s powered by Amazon Bedrock, the company’s proprietary AWS service for building and scaling AI applications. For those worrying about spoilers, the AI has been trained to avoid them at all costs.
Amazon
This is an extension of the pre-existing X-Ray feature, which offers trivia and cast information during the stream. I love this tool and am constantly flabbergasted that other streamers haven’t adopted something like it.
X-Ray Recaps launches today for Fire TV customers, though in a beta format. Additional devices will receive support by the end of the year. Right now, it only works with content made by Amazon MGM Studios, like Upload, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Wheel of Time and The Boys.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-will-now-use-ai-to-recap-what-youre-watching-194551857.html?src=rss

Have you ever started a show, stopped mid-season and then struggled to get back into it because you have no idea exactly where you stopped watching or what was going on? Amazon just might have you covered. The company just launched a new tool for Prime Video that uses AI to generate personalized recaps.

X-Ray Recaps uses generative AI to create “brief, easy-to-digest summaries” of entire TV seasons, single episodes or even portions of episodes. All of this is personalized, so the recap will go up to the “exact minute of where you are watching.” The company promises “short textual snippets of key cliffhangers, character-driven plot points” and other details.

Adam Gray, vice president of product at Prime Video, says that this tool will help customers “quickly jump back into what they were watching or rediscover why they fell in love with a series in the first place.” It’s powered by Amazon Bedrock, the company’s proprietary AWS service for building and scaling AI applications. For those worrying about spoilers, the AI has been trained to avoid them at all costs.

This is an extension of the pre-existing X-Ray feature, which offers trivia and cast information during the stream. I love this tool and am constantly flabbergasted that other streamers haven’t adopted something like it.

X-Ray Recaps launches today for Fire TV customers, though in a beta format. Additional devices will receive support by the end of the year. Right now, it only works with content made by Amazon MGM Studios, like Upload, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Wheel of Time and The Boys.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-will-now-use-ai-to-recap-what-youre-watching-194551857.html?src=rss

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Here’s some bad news for those who thought the future would include streaming versions of Choose Your Own Adventure books. Netflix is deleting much of its interactive content, according to reporting by The Verge.
The platform currently lists 24 “Interactive Specials”, and only four of them will remain after December 1. Luckily, it’s the only four most people have heard about. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls and You vs. Wild will all continue to be available for streaming.
The same cannot be said for specials based on Carmen Sandiego, Boss Baby and Puss in Boots. Incidentally, Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale was the very first Netflix special to feature this interactive technology, which was a couple of years before Black Mirror: Bandersnatch wowed the world.

This is a fairly disappointing end for a technology that Netflix once promised it would be “doubling down” on. Company spokesperson Chrissy Kelleher told The Verge that the feature “served its purpose, but is now limiting as we focus on technological efforts in other areas.” Former Netflix gaming honcho Mike Verdu also told Game File’s Stephen Totilo that it wasn’t making any more of these interactive titles.
Despite putting the kibosh on streaming content with gamified elements, the platform’s still dipping its toes into gaming itself. Netflix has a diverse array of mobile titles available for subscribers, and even some legit bangers. However, the company did just shut down its AAA game studio before it even released a single game.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-is-removing-much-of-its-interactive-content-185557989.html?src=rss

Here’s some bad news for those who thought the future would include streaming versions of Choose Your Own Adventure books. Netflix is deleting much of its interactive content, according to reporting by The Verge.

The platform currently lists 24 “Interactive Specials”, and only four of them will remain after December 1. Luckily, it’s the only four most people have heard about. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls and You vs. Wild will all continue to be available for streaming.

The same cannot be said for specials based on Carmen Sandiego, Boss Baby and Puss in Boots. Incidentally, Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale was the very first Netflix special to feature this interactive technology, which was a couple of years before Black Mirror: Bandersnatch wowed the world.

This is a fairly disappointing end for a technology that Netflix once promised it would be “doubling down” on. Company spokesperson Chrissy Kelleher told The Verge that the feature “served its purpose, but is now limiting as we focus on technological efforts in other areas.” Former Netflix gaming honcho Mike Verdu also told Game File’s Stephen Totilo that it wasn’t making any more of these interactive titles.

Despite putting the kibosh on streaming content with gamified elements, the platform’s still dipping its toes into gaming itself. Netflix has a diverse array of mobile titles available for subscribers, and even some legit bangers. However, the company did just shut down its AAA game studio before it even released a single game.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-is-removing-much-of-its-interactive-content-185557989.html?src=rss

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Portable Bluetooth speakers are always a good option to pick up for a special someone (or yourself) when early Black Friday tech deals start to pop up. One model worth paying attention in the sales is the JBL Clip 5, which has dropped to an all-time-low price of $50. That’s 30 bucks off the regular price.
We often recommend JBL products in our buying guides, such as our ones on the best portable Bluetooth speakers and best travel gifts. They’re by and large durable devices that deliver ample volume for the beach or a cookout, for instance (but maybe don’t use it on public transit if you don’t want to risk the ire of your fellow passengers).

As the name suggests, the JBL Clip 5 has a built-in carabiner, making it a cinch to attach to a backpack or belt loop, to name a couple of options. JBL said it redesigned the carabiner this time around to make the opening wider. As such, it’ll be easier to attach the speaker to a wider range of things.
Although the speaker measures just 1.75 inches, it’s said to deliver solid audio with punchy bass and a maximum output of seven watts. The JBL Clip 5 should be durable as well, since it has a IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating.
It’s claimed that the speaker will run for up to 12 hours on a single charge but there’s a Playtime Boost option that adds up to three extra hours of listening time. In addition, you can pair two Clip 5s for stereo audio or connect the speaker to other Auracast-enabled models from JBL to boost the sound.
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/jbl-early-black-friday-deals-include-the-clip-5-bluetooth-speaker-at-an-all-time-low-price-184135106.html?src=rss

Portable Bluetooth speakers are always a good option to pick up for a special someone (or yourself) when early Black Friday tech deals start to pop up. One model worth paying attention in the sales is the JBL Clip 5, which has dropped to an all-time-low price of $50. That’s 30 bucks off the regular price.

We often recommend JBL products in our buying guides, such as our ones on the best portable Bluetooth speakers and best travel gifts. They’re by and large durable devices that deliver ample volume for the beach or a cookout, for instance (but maybe don’t use it on public transit if you don’t want to risk the ire of your fellow passengers).

As the name suggests, the JBL Clip 5 has a built-in carabiner, making it a cinch to attach to a backpack or belt loop, to name a couple of options. JBL said it redesigned the carabiner this time around to make the opening wider. As such, it’ll be easier to attach the speaker to a wider range of things.

Although the speaker measures just 1.75 inches, it’s said to deliver solid audio with punchy bass and a maximum output of seven watts. The JBL Clip 5 should be durable as well, since it has a IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating.

It’s claimed that the speaker will run for up to 12 hours on a single charge but there’s a Playtime Boost option that adds up to three extra hours of listening time. In addition, you can pair two Clip 5s for stereo audio or connect the speaker to other Auracast-enabled models from JBL to boost the sound.

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/jbl-early-black-friday-deals-include-the-clip-5-bluetooth-speaker-at-an-all-time-low-price-184135106.html?src=rss

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Meta is opening up its Llama AI models to government agencies and contractors working on national security, the company said in an update. The group includes more than a dozen private sector companies that partner with the US government, including Amazon Web Services, Oracle and Microsoft, as well as defense contractors like Palantir and Lockheed Martin.
Mark Zuckerberg hinted at the move last week during Meta’s earnings call, when he said the company was “working with the public sector to adopt Llama across the US government.” Now, Meta is offering more details about the extent of that work.
Oracle, for example, is “building on Llama to synthesize aircraft maintenance documents so technicians can more quickly and accurately diagnose problems, speeding up repair time and getting critical aircraft back in service.” Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, according to Meta, are “using Llama to support governments by hosting our models on their secure cloud solutions for sensitive data.”
Meta is also providing similar access to Llama to governments and contractors in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Bloomberg reported. In a blog post, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, suggested the partnerships will help the US compete with China in the global arms race over artificial intelligence. “We believe it is in both America and the wider democratic world’s interest for American open source models to excel and succeed over models from China and elsewhere,” he wrote. “As an American company, and one that owes its success in no small part to the entrepreneurial spirit and democratic values the United States upholds, Meta wants to play its part to support the safety, security and economic prosperity of America – and of its closest allies too.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-opens-its-llama-ai-models-to-government-agencies-for-national-security-182355077.html?src=rss

Meta is opening up its Llama AI models to government agencies and contractors working on national security, the company said in an update. The group includes more than a dozen private sector companies that partner with the US government, including Amazon Web Services, Oracle and Microsoft, as well as defense contractors like Palantir and Lockheed Martin.

Mark Zuckerberg hinted at the move last week during Meta’s earnings call, when he said the company was “working with the public sector to adopt Llama across the US government.” Now, Meta is offering more details about the extent of that work.

Oracle, for example, is “building on Llama to synthesize aircraft maintenance documents so technicians can more quickly and accurately diagnose problems, speeding up repair time and getting critical aircraft back in service.” Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, according to Meta, are “using Llama to support governments by hosting our models on their secure cloud solutions for sensitive data.”

Meta is also providing similar access to Llama to governments and contractors in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Bloomberg reported. In a blog post, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, suggested the partnerships will help the US compete with China in the global arms race over artificial intelligence. “We believe it is in both America and the wider democratic world’s interest for American open source models to excel and succeed over models from China and elsewhere,” he wrote. “As an American company, and one that owes its success in no small part to the entrepreneurial spirit and democratic values the United States upholds, Meta wants to play its part to support the safety, security and economic prosperity of America – and of its closest allies too.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-opens-its-llama-ai-models-to-government-agencies-for-national-security-182355077.html?src=rss

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The PlayStation 5 Pro is nearly here, as it hits retailers on November 7. If you’ve been on the fence about dropping a cool $700 on a mid-generation refresh, Sony just published a list of more than 50 games that will offer enhanced versions when the console launches later this week.
This list includes modern favorites like Baldur’s Gate 3, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarök. It also features newer games like NBA2K 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. All told, it’s a pretty decent start. The console will unlock all kinds of graphical enhancements, like advanced ray tracing, higher frame rates and Sony’s proprietary upscaling system called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution.
However, it’s also worth pointing out some games that aren’t on the list. Gran Turismo 7 is missing, despite an enhanced version already being announced. It must not be ready yet. Final Fantasy XVI is also absent from the list, and that one has frame rate issues on the PS5. The same goes for both Returnal and Elden Ring. Now, just because these games aren’t on the launch list, doesn’t mean they won’t get enhanced versions down the line. It probably depends on how many consoles Sony sells.

The PS5 Pro offers more than just slight graphical upgrades to pre-existing titles. It boasts faster memory, support for Wi-Fi 7 and ships with a large 2TB SSD. Digital Foundry recently did an unboxing and also found 2GB of additional DDR5 RAM and a user-accessible battery bay. These are all nifty upgrades, though I’m still not sure if all of this adds up to me spending $700.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-announces-more-than-50-enhanced-games-available-for-ps5-pro-at-launch-174020762.html?src=rss

The PlayStation 5 Pro is nearly here, as it hits retailers on November 7. If you’ve been on the fence about dropping a cool $700 on a mid-generation refresh, Sony just published a list of more than 50 games that will offer enhanced versions when the console launches later this week.

This list includes modern favorites like Baldur’s Gate 3, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarök. It also features newer games like NBA2K 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. All told, it’s a pretty decent start. The console will unlock all kinds of graphical enhancements, like advanced ray tracing, higher frame rates and Sony’s proprietary upscaling system called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution.

However, it’s also worth pointing out some games that aren’t on the list. Gran Turismo 7 is missing, despite an enhanced version already being announced. It must not be ready yet. Final Fantasy XVI is also absent from the list, and that one has frame rate issues on the PS5. The same goes for both Returnal and Elden Ring. Now, just because these games aren’t on the launch list, doesn’t mean they won’t get enhanced versions down the line. It probably depends on how many consoles Sony sells.

The PS5 Pro offers more than just slight graphical upgrades to pre-existing titles. It boasts faster memory, support for Wi-Fi 7 and ships with a large 2TB SSD. Digital Foundry recently did an unboxing and also found 2GB of additional DDR5 RAM and a user-accessible battery bay. These are all nifty upgrades, though I’m still not sure if all of this adds up to me spending $700.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-announces-more-than-50-enhanced-games-available-for-ps5-pro-at-launch-174020762.html?src=rss

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By now, you’d think that Apple’s vetting procedures for the App Store are watertight, but think again. As reported by The Verge, this Threads post shows that an app called Univer Note, a productivity app on the outside, is actually an illegal app that grants certain users access to pirated films.
Kris Holt/Engadget
The kicker isn’t only that the app is Apple-approved. Univer Note actually functions as a productivity app, but if you’re in countries like France or Canada, a French menu full of pirated movies and shows will show up. The app’s listing makes it appear like a standard, if generic, app, but it has an incredible rating of 4.9 stars out of 5.
When we downloaded and tested this ourselves, we found movies and shows like Agatha All Along, Breaking Bad, The Office, Deadpool and Wolverine and many other titles, all streaming for free.
Kris Holt/Engadget
The content is divided into sections for various streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Max, Paramount+ and Crunchyroll, as well as a few French-only platforms. Some of the movies have only recently been released in theaters, including Venom: The Last Dance and Terrifier 3.
Apple will likely remove Univer Note from the store soon, and it likely won’t be the last app to slip past the tech giant’s filters. However, the fact that it has plenty of content from large streaming platforms makes it a particularly egregious slip-up. You have to imagine that Netflix and Disney aren’t happy with this.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-just-approved-another-app-that-streams-pirated-movies-and-tv-shows-164549689.html?src=rss

By now, you’d think that Apple’s vetting procedures for the App Store are watertight, but think again. As reported by The Verge, this Threads post shows that an app called Univer Note, a productivity app on the outside, is actually an illegal app that grants certain users access to pirated films.

The kicker isn’t only that the app is Apple-approved. Univer Note actually functions as a productivity app, but if you’re in countries like France or Canada, a French menu full of pirated movies and shows will show up. The app’s listing makes it appear like a standard, if generic, app, but it has an incredible rating of 4.9 stars out of 5.

When we downloaded and tested this ourselves, we found movies and shows like Agatha All Along, Breaking Bad, The Office, Deadpool and Wolverine and many other titles, all streaming for free.

The content is divided into sections for various streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Max, Paramount+ and Crunchyroll, as well as a few French-only platforms. Some of the movies have only recently been released in theaters, including Venom: The Last Dance and Terrifier 3.

Apple will likely remove Univer Note from the store soon, and it likely won’t be the last app to slip past the tech giant’s filters. However, the fact that it has plenty of content from large streaming platforms makes it a particularly egregious slip-up. You have to imagine that Netflix and Disney aren’t happy with this.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-just-approved-another-app-that-streams-pirated-movies-and-tv-shows-164549689.html?src=rss

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Meta has shared more information about how it plans to use AI to catch teens who lie about their age on Instagram. As first reported by Bloomberg, early next year, the company will deploy “adult classifier,” a tool it says will identify users who are younger than 18 and automatically apply Instagram’s more restrictive privacy settings to them. 
According to Allison Hartnett, Meta’s director of product management for youth and social impact, the software will look at indicators like the accounts a user follows and the content they interact with regularly. If the tool suspects someone is under 18, it will move them to a teen account, regardless of what age they claim to be on their profile.
Meta did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. 
Meta first said it would use AI to identify young users who had lied about their age when it began rolling out teen accounts in September. With those accounts, the company automatically applies Instagram’s most stringent privacy settings to kids younger than 16. For instance, the accounts are automatically set to private, and they can’t message strangers. Facing pressure from lawmakers and parents, Meta had already been applying many of those restrictions to underage users before the rollout of teen accounts, but with the official launch of the feature, the company made it so that teens cannot change those settings without approval from a parent.
On Monday, the company didn’t disclose how accurate the adult classifier tool is at determining a person’s age. Meta told Bloomberg it would eventually give people who are wrongly identified by the software the ability to appeal, though the social media giant is still working out what that process will look like.
The company will prompt teens who attempt to manually change the age listed on their account to prove their identity. Users will have the option of either uploading an official government-issued ID or sharing a video selfie to Yoti. Meta previously partnered with Yoti to bring age verification to Facebook dating. The company’s machine learning algorithm estimates a person’s age based on their facial features. Once Yoti shares its estimate with Meta, they both delete the video.
The adult classifier software is part of broader effort by Meta to make it more difficult for people to lie about their age on Instagram. Separately, the company plans to flag teens who attempt to create a new account using an email address that’s already associated with an existing account and a different birthday. It also plans to use device IDs to get a better picture of who is creating a new profile.
Meta, alongside Google and TikTok owner ByteDance, recently failed to convince a US federal judge to dismiss a series of lawsuits alleging the companies failed to adequately protect their young users from the harmful and addictive effects of social media use.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-details-adult-classifier-tool-for-catching-teens-who-lie-about-their-age-on-instagram-164439051.html?src=rss

Meta has shared more information about how it plans to use AI to catch teens who lie about their age on Instagram. As first reported by Bloomberg, early next year, the company will deploy “adult classifier,” a tool it says will identify users who are younger than 18 and automatically apply Instagram’s more restrictive privacy settings to them. 

According to Allison Hartnett, Meta’s director of product management for youth and social impact, the software will look at indicators like the accounts a user follows and the content they interact with regularly. If the tool suspects someone is under 18, it will move them to a teen account, regardless of what age they claim to be on their profile.

Meta did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. 

Meta first said it would use AI to identify young users who had lied about their age when it began rolling out teen accounts in September. With those accounts, the company automatically applies Instagram’s most stringent privacy settings to kids younger than 16. For instance, the accounts are automatically set to private, and they can’t message strangers. Facing pressure from lawmakers and parents, Meta had already been applying many of those restrictions to underage users before the rollout of teen accounts, but with the official launch of the feature, the company made it so that teens cannot change those settings without approval from a parent.

On Monday, the company didn’t disclose how accurate the adult classifier tool is at determining a person’s age. Meta told Bloomberg it would eventually give people who are wrongly identified by the software the ability to appeal, though the social media giant is still working out what that process will look like.

The company will prompt teens who attempt to manually change the age listed on their account to prove their identity. Users will have the option of either uploading an official government-issued ID or sharing a video selfie to Yoti. Meta previously partnered with Yoti to bring age verification to Facebook dating. The company’s machine learning algorithm estimates a person’s age based on their facial features. Once Yoti shares its estimate with Meta, they both delete the video.

The adult classifier software is part of broader effort by Meta to make it more difficult for people to lie about their age on Instagram. Separately, the company plans to flag teens who attempt to create a new account using an email address that’s already associated with an existing account and a different birthday. It also plans to use device IDs to get a better picture of who is creating a new profile.

Meta, alongside Google and TikTok owner ByteDance, recently failed to convince a US federal judge to dismiss a series of lawsuits alleging the companies failed to adequately protect their young users from the harmful and addictive effects of social media use.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-details-adult-classifier-tool-for-catching-teens-who-lie-about-their-age-on-instagram-164439051.html?src=rss

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