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Waymo has raised another huge chunk of change from investors. The company announced on its blog that it secured an “oversubscribed investment round” of $5.6 billion in funding, the largest of which came from Google’s parent company Alphabet.
The company is working with Uber to expand to Austin and Atlanta by the early part of next year. Waymo says it plans to use this latest infusion of capital for the expansions. This latest round brings Waymo’s total capital fundraising to $11.1 billion, with the $5.5 billion it picked up in two earlier rounds in 2020 and 2021.
Waymo currently operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix with a curbside transport service for Sky Harbor International Airport through its Waymo One driving system for businesses. The company announced it’s also started offering “fully autonomous freeway operations in Phoenix and San Francisco.”
The new funding will also help Waymo advance its Waymo One system, an adaptable autonomous driving system for different businesses. Waymo wrote on its blog it plans to “support a variety of business applications over time” through Waymo One.
Alphabet ponied up $5 billion for Waymo back in July as part of what Alphabet’s chief financial officer Ruth Porat called a “multi-year investment.” The driverless vehicle fleet logged a total of 25 million miles in July outpacing companies like Uber, which sold its self-driving unit four years ago before joining forces with Waymo.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-raises-56-billion-to-fund-austin-and-atlanta-expansion-172031686.html?src=rss

Waymo has raised another huge chunk of change from investors. The company announced on its blog that it secured an “oversubscribed investment round” of $5.6 billion in funding, the largest of which came from Google’s parent company Alphabet.

The company is working with Uber to expand to Austin and Atlanta by the early part of next year. Waymo says it plans to use this latest infusion of capital for the expansions. This latest round brings Waymo’s total capital fundraising to $11.1 billion, with the $5.5 billion it picked up in two earlier rounds in 2020 and 2021.

Waymo currently operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix with a curbside transport service for Sky Harbor International Airport through its Waymo One driving system for businesses. The company announced it’s also started offering “fully autonomous freeway operations in Phoenix and San Francisco.”

The new funding will also help Waymo advance its Waymo One system, an adaptable autonomous driving system for different businesses. Waymo wrote on its blog it plans to “support a variety of business applications over time” through Waymo One.

Alphabet ponied up $5 billion for Waymo back in July as part of what Alphabet’s chief financial officer Ruth Porat called a “multi-year investment.” The driverless vehicle fleet logged a total of 25 million miles in July outpacing companies like Uber, which sold its self-driving unit four years ago before joining forces with Waymo.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-raises-56-billion-to-fund-austin-and-atlanta-expansion-172031686.html?src=rss

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Black Friday/Cyber Monday is more than a month away (Thanksgiving falls on November 28 this year — I looked it up so you don’t have to). So while we wait for all of the best-of-the-year discounts the shopping event usually entails, there are still a few worthy sales out there on the tech we’ve reviewed and recommend. For example, the space gray M2 MacBook Air (our pick for the best budget Apple laptop) is down to $700 with an on-page coupon. For those ready to make (very tasty) ice cream at home, the Ninja Creami has a coupon code for $40 off. There are plenty of Anker batteries and accessories on sale too, plus we found discounts on a few choice video games to round out the savings. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today. 
Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget

Ninja Creami ice cream maker for $160 at Ninja ($40 off): Use the code CREAMI40 to save $40 off the list price directly from Ninja. The 7-in-1 ice cream maker isn’t your average appliance, as we make clear in our Ninja Creami review. It’s based on machines found in restaurants, and creates uniquely high-end frozen treats.
Anker Prime Power Bank 27,650mAh for $130 at Amazon ($50 off): This beefy battery earned a mention in our guide to laptop batteries. It carries a lot of extra charge for laptops, tablets and phones and can even be paired with an optional dock to conveniently recharge the unit itself. This sale price is about $5 more than the all-time low.
Anker 633 Magnetic Battery, 10,000mAh for $40 at Amazon ($40 off): Other Anker batteries are also on sale at Amazon right now, including this MagSafe compatible option for half price. 
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 trackers at Amazon (4-pack) for $64 ($36 off): While this isn’t a record low price — it dropped to $60 over Labor Day — it’s a solid discount on our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker for use with Samsung devices. We like the shape of the fob itself as well as the rather large finding network that calls on other Samsung devices out in the wild to locate your lost things. 
Apple Watch Series 10 for $370 at Amazon ($30 off): Apple released its Series 10 Watch only a month ago and it’s down to its lowest price yet. The wearable earned a 90 in our review thanks to its thinner frame and bigger screens and it’s our favorite smartwatch overall. The 42mm model is down to $370 from $399 in Jet Black and the 46mm model is down to $399 from $429 in Jet Black and Silver Aluminum.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (small band) for $700 at Amazon ($99 off) : If you’ve got a smaller wrist (or plan to swap out the watch band anyway) you can snag the AW Ultra 2 with a titanium case for nearly $100 off. The sale only applies to the small size of the Alpine Loop in indigo or olive. This is still the current model of Apple’s largest smartwatch, as a new one didn’t materialize during Apple’s iPhone 16 event in September.  
Anker Charging Station (100W) for $40 at Amazon ($20 off): On any given day, I’m testing (and thus needing to recharge) between one and four electronic devices — ereaders, smartwatches, portable batteries and more — plus I have my own phones and gadgets. This compact box is the only thing I’ve found with enough ports to handle everything at once. I just wish I’d bought mine on sale.  

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Apple MacBook Air (2022, M2) for $700 at Amazon ($299 off): The M2 MacBook Air is currently $700, which is close to the the lowest price yet. The space gray model requires applying a $149 coupon to the $849 discounted price for the full deal and other colors have been periodically dropping to that low without the coupon over the past couple days. This is the 2022 model which earned high praise from us in our review. It’s also Engadget’s pick for the best budget MacBook.
Samsung S90C OLED TV (65″) for $1,300 at Best Buy ($300 off MSRP): This 2023 model received high marks across the web, and the differences between it and the newer S90D aren’t massive and the newer one is $300 more. This deal is about $20 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked for the 65-inch model. 
Roborock Q5 DuoRoller+ for $300 at Amazon ($150 off): This model made our list of the best budget robot vacuums thanks to its strong suction power, the precision LiDAR mapping and the robust app and voice controls. The 33 percent discount is a record low.
Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) for $300 at Amazon ($49 off): If you sprang for the 13-inch iPad Pro and want the matching keyboard, to make a true computer replacer (in terms of both utility and cost), you can at least take advantage of this sale. The keyboard is well-made, pairs nicely like Apple accessories do. This deal is another new low. 
Anker Prime 67W USB C Charger for $40 at Amazon ($60 off): This is about $2 more than the all-time low from last Black Friday. Anker products often find themselves at the top our lists for chargers, batteries and more. So if you need quick charges for a few of your smaller devices, this should serve you well.  
JLab Go Air Sport for $14 at Amazon ($16 off): The Go Air Sport is the budget pick in our guide to the best running headphones. The hook design stays in place and the water-resistance holds up to sweat and light rain. This is close to the lowest price. Just be sure to click the $6 on-page coupon, and note that it only applies to the teal colorway. 
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max + Xbox Core Wireless Controller (Sky Cipher) + 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $80 at Amazon ($67 off): This bundle is likely here to promote the fact that you can play Xbox games over the cloud using the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. This comes with the streaming stick, the “Sky Cipher” version of the Series X/S pad, which usually costs between $60 and $70, and a month of Game Pass Ultimate. The 4K Max also happens to be a surprisingly decent retro gaming machine.

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for $45 at Woot ($25 off): This discount for one of our favorite Switch games matches the the lowest price we’ve seen yet for Nintendo’s fresh open-world adventure and sequel to Breath of the Wild, which many feel is one of the best games of the decade. This next installment gives you more of Hyrule to explore, and many new challenges. 
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch) for $40 at Woot ($10 off): Woot has a few other Nintendo Switch games on sale, including the lowest price yet on the remake of the popular Game Boy Advance puzzle-platformer. We called it a “solid mix of challenge and depth” in our review. You can also grab Kirby and the Forgotten Land for $40 (33 percent off) and Princess Peach: Showtime! for $45 (25 percent off). 
Resident Evil 4 (PS5) for $20 at Amazon ($10 off): In other video game deals, this is an all-time low for the physical PS5 copy of last year’s Resident Evil 4 remake. That’s the same price as it’s selling for through PSN for the digital copy.The Xbox version is available for $22 at Amazon. 
Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $40 at Amazon ($30 off): We recommend the Basilisk V3 in our gaming mouse buying guide for those who don’t mind using a cable and prefer a more ergonomic, right-handed shape. This deal has been live for a couple of weeks but still matches the device’s all-time low. Note that Razer released an updated version with an improved sensor earlier this month — we’ll test that one soon.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-m2-macbook-air-is-cheaper-than-ever-at-700-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-171031718.html?src=rss

Black Friday/Cyber Monday is more than a month away (Thanksgiving falls on November 28 this year — I looked it up so you don’t have to). So while we wait for all of the best-of-the-year discounts the shopping event usually entails, there are still a few worthy sales out there on the tech we’ve reviewed and recommend. For example, the space gray M2 MacBook Air (our pick for the best budget Apple laptop) is down to $700 with an on-page coupon. For those ready to make (very tasty) ice cream at home, the Ninja Creami has a coupon code for $40 off. There are plenty of Anker batteries and accessories on sale too, plus we found discounts on a few choice video games to round out the savings. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today. 

Ninja Creami ice cream maker for $160 at Ninja ($40 off): Use the code CREAMI40 to save $40 off the list price directly from Ninja. The 7-in-1 ice cream maker isn’t your average appliance, as we make clear in our Ninja Creami review. It’s based on machines found in restaurants, and creates uniquely high-end frozen treats.

Anker Prime Power Bank 27,650mAh for $130 at Amazon ($50 off): This beefy battery earned a mention in our guide to laptop batteries. It carries a lot of extra charge for laptops, tablets and phones and can even be paired with an optional dock to conveniently recharge the unit itself. This sale price is about $5 more than the all-time low.

Anker 633 Magnetic Battery, 10,000mAh for $40 at Amazon ($40 off): Other Anker batteries are also on sale at Amazon right now, including this MagSafe compatible option for half price. 

Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 trackers at Amazon (4-pack) for $64 ($36 off): While this isn’t a record low price — it dropped to $60 over Labor Day — it’s a solid discount on our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker for use with Samsung devices. We like the shape of the fob itself as well as the rather large finding network that calls on other Samsung devices out in the wild to locate your lost things. 

Apple Watch Series 10 for $370 at Amazon ($30 off): Apple released its Series 10 Watch only a month ago and it’s down to its lowest price yet. The wearable earned a 90 in our review thanks to its thinner frame and bigger screens and it’s our favorite smartwatch overall. The 42mm model is down to $370 from $399 in Jet Black and the 46mm model is down to $399 from $429 in Jet Black and Silver Aluminum.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 (small band) for $700 at Amazon ($99 off) : If you’ve got a smaller wrist (or plan to swap out the watch band anyway) you can snag the AW Ultra 2 with a titanium case for nearly $100 off. The sale only applies to the small size of the Alpine Loop in indigo or olive. This is still the current model of Apple’s largest smartwatch, as a new one didn’t materialize during Apple’s iPhone 16 event in September.  

Anker Charging Station (100W) for $40 at Amazon ($20 off): On any given day, I’m testing (and thus needing to recharge) between one and four electronic devices — ereaders, smartwatches, portable batteries and more — plus I have my own phones and gadgets. This compact box is the only thing I’ve found with enough ports to handle everything at once. I just wish I’d bought mine on sale.  

Apple MacBook Air (2022, M2) for $700 at Amazon ($299 off): The M2 MacBook Air is currently $700, which is close to the the lowest price yet. The space gray model requires applying a $149 coupon to the $849 discounted price for the full deal and other colors have been periodically dropping to that low without the coupon over the past couple days. This is the 2022 model which earned high praise from us in our review. It’s also Engadget’s pick for the best budget MacBook.

Samsung S90C OLED TV (65″) for $1,300 at Best Buy ($300 off MSRP): This 2023 model received high marks across the web, and the differences between it and the newer S90D aren’t massive and the newer one is $300 more. This deal is about $20 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked for the 65-inch model. 

Roborock Q5 DuoRoller+ for $300 at Amazon ($150 off): This model made our list of the best budget robot vacuums thanks to its strong suction power, the precision LiDAR mapping and the robust app and voice controls. The 33 percent discount is a record low.

Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) for $300 at Amazon ($49 off): If you sprang for the 13-inch iPad Pro and want the matching keyboard, to make a true computer replacer (in terms of both utility and cost), you can at least take advantage of this sale. The keyboard is well-made, pairs nicely like Apple accessories do. This deal is another new low. 

Anker Prime 67W USB C Charger for $40 at Amazon ($60 off): This is about $2 more than the all-time low from last Black Friday. Anker products often find themselves at the top our lists for chargers, batteries and more. So if you need quick charges for a few of your smaller devices, this should serve you well.  

JLab Go Air Sport for $14 at Amazon ($16 off): The Go Air Sport is the budget pick in our guide to the best running headphones. The hook design stays in place and the water-resistance holds up to sweat and light rain. This is close to the lowest price. Just be sure to click the $6 on-page coupon, and note that it only applies to the teal colorway. 

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max + Xbox Core Wireless Controller (Sky Cipher) + 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $80 at Amazon ($67 off): This bundle is likely here to promote the fact that you can play Xbox games over the cloud using the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. This comes with the streaming stick, the “Sky Cipher” version of the Series X/S pad, which usually costs between $60 and $70, and a month of Game Pass Ultimate. The 4K Max also happens to be a surprisingly decent retro gaming machine.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for $45 at Woot ($25 off): This discount for one of our favorite Switch games matches the the lowest price we’ve seen yet for Nintendo’s fresh open-world adventure and sequel to Breath of the Wild, which many feel is one of the best games of the decade. This next installment gives you more of Hyrule to explore, and many new challenges. 

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch) for $40 at Woot ($10 off): Woot has a few other Nintendo Switch games on sale, including the lowest price yet on the remake of the popular Game Boy Advance puzzle-platformer. We called it a “solid mix of challenge and depth” in our review. You can also grab Kirby and the Forgotten Land for $40 (33 percent off) and Princess Peach: Showtime! for $45 (25 percent off). 

Resident Evil 4 (PS5) for $20 at Amazon ($10 off): In other video game deals, this is an all-time low for the physical PS5 copy of last year’s Resident Evil 4 remake. That’s the same price as it’s selling for through PSN for the digital copy.The Xbox version is available for $22 at Amazon. 

Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $40 at Amazon ($30 off): We recommend the Basilisk V3 in our gaming mouse buying guide for those who don’t mind using a cable and prefer a more ergonomic, right-handed shape. This deal has been live for a couple of weeks but still matches the device’s all-time low. Note that Razer released an updated version with an improved sensor earlier this month — we’ll test that one soon.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-m2-macbook-air-is-cheaper-than-ever-at-700-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-171031718.html?src=rss

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The long-anticipated iPhone iOS 18.1 officially launches next week, bringing with it Apple Intelligence, but we are already on to the next new thing. The company is busy preparing iOS 18.2, which has already entered its beta stage and should be widely released in December. This next operating system will include daily Sudoku puzzles for Apple News+ subscribers, as reported by MacRumors.
Users will be able to choose from three difficulty options each day, ranging from easy to challenging. There’s a scoreboard to track stats, which includes the total number of puzzles solved, speed metrics and more. This is the fourth puzzle game to be included with an Apple News+ subscription, joining Crossword, Crossword Mini, and Quartiles. The New York Times also offers a slew of games with a subscription, including Wordle, so this is becoming an actual trend.
iOS 18.2 Adds Daily Sudoku Puzzles for Apple News+ Subscribers in U.S. https://t.co/b61nAQ3eUA pic.twitter.com/h63oR3KIf5— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) October 25, 2024

Sudoku will also be available for Apple News+ subscribers with the forthcoming launch of iPadOS 18.2, and rumors indicate a similar release for macOS Sequoia 15.2. Apple News+ costs $13 per month on its own but is often available as a bundle, along with Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud storage.
Of course, number-based mobile games aren’t the only feature shipping with iOS 18.2. Apple Intelligence is getting an expansion, including the custom emoji maker Genmoji and ChatGPT/Siri integration. There’s also a child safety feature that can blur nude content and report it to Apple.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/ios-182-will-include-daily-sudoku-puzzles-for-apple-news-subscribers-165115557.html?src=rss

The long-anticipated iPhone iOS 18.1 officially launches next week, bringing with it Apple Intelligence, but we are already on to the next new thing. The company is busy preparing iOS 18.2, which has already entered its beta stage and should be widely released in December. This next operating system will include daily Sudoku puzzles for Apple News+ subscribers, as reported by MacRumors.

Users will be able to choose from three difficulty options each day, ranging from easy to challenging. There’s a scoreboard to track stats, which includes the total number of puzzles solved, speed metrics and more. This is the fourth puzzle game to be included with an Apple News+ subscription, joining Crossword, Crossword Mini, and Quartiles. The New York Times also offers a slew of games with a subscription, including Wordle, so this is becoming an actual trend.

Sudoku will also be available for Apple News+ subscribers with the forthcoming launch of iPadOS 18.2, and rumors indicate a similar release for macOS Sequoia 15.2. Apple News+ costs $13 per month on its own but is often available as a bundle, along with Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud storage.

Of course, number-based mobile games aren’t the only feature shipping with iOS 18.2. Apple Intelligence is getting an expansion, including the custom emoji maker Genmoji and ChatGPT/Siri integration. There’s also a child safety feature that can blur nude content and report it to Apple.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/ios-182-will-include-daily-sudoku-puzzles-for-apple-news-subscribers-165115557.html?src=rss

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It’s easier than ever to avoid finding yourself in a pickle because your phone (or another important device) has run out of juice. There are a ton of great on-the-go charging options now, and Anker is behind some of the best power banks and portable chargers. There’s a sale on Anker gear at Amazon at the minute, with the prices of some devices dropping by as much as 50 percent. For instance, Anker’s 633 10K magnetic power bank is half off at $40.
This MagSafe-enabled charger has a 10,000mAh capacity, meaning it should be able to fully charge a Phone 16 Pro‌ Max (which has a 4,685mAh battery) around twice over. The power bank has a built-in stand and you can position your phone horizontally on the MagSafe connector so you can watch videos or play games while it charges.

While the MagSafe option is convenient, you can hook up your iPhone to the 20W Power Delivery port via a USB-C cable. Anker says this will charge your phone three times faster than you can via MagSafe. This port means you can also charge non-MagSafe devices with the power bank.
If you’re looking for a portable charger with a much larger capacity, the Anker Prime Power Bank could be an option. It’s $50 off at $130.
The soda can-sized power bank has a 27,650mAh capacity and a trifecta of charging ports: two USB-C and one USB-A. As you might imagine, this allows you to charge three devices simultaneously. Anker says the power bank can deliver up to 250W of power. This is said to include the ability to deliver up to 50 percent charge to a 16-inch M2 MacBook Pro in 28 minutes.
There are also some Prime exclusive deals as part of the sale. If you’re a member, you can secure a Prime Power Bank — fittingly enough — with a charging dock for $160 ($75 off). The base itself has dual USB-C charging ports and a USB-A one, and it can be used to top up the power bank’s battery.
In addition, you can get $9 off a convenient 10,000mAh charger with a built-in USB-C cable, a separate USB-C port and a foldable AC plug. It’s available in most colors outright for $36, but oddly, the discount on the black option is only for Prime members.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/anker-charging-gear-is-up-to-50-percent-off-right-now-150554508.html?src=rss

It’s easier than ever to avoid finding yourself in a pickle because your phone (or another important device) has run out of juice. There are a ton of great on-the-go charging options now, and Anker is behind some of the best power banks and portable chargers. There’s a sale on Anker gear at Amazon at the minute, with the prices of some devices dropping by as much as 50 percent. For instance, Anker’s 633 10K magnetic power bank is half off at $40.

This MagSafe-enabled charger has a 10,000mAh capacity, meaning it should be able to fully charge a Phone 16 Pro‌ Max (which has a 4,685mAh battery) around twice over. The power bank has a built-in stand and you can position your phone horizontally on the MagSafe connector so you can watch videos or play games while it charges.

While the MagSafe option is convenient, you can hook up your iPhone to the 20W Power Delivery port via a USB-C cable. Anker says this will charge your phone three times faster than you can via MagSafe. This port means you can also charge non-MagSafe devices with the power bank.

If you’re looking for a portable charger with a much larger capacity, the Anker Prime Power Bank could be an option. It’s $50 off at $130.

The soda can-sized power bank has a 27,650mAh capacity and a trifecta of charging ports: two USB-C and one USB-A. As you might imagine, this allows you to charge three devices simultaneously. Anker says the power bank can deliver up to 250W of power. This is said to include the ability to deliver up to 50 percent charge to a 16-inch M2 MacBook Pro in 28 minutes.

There are also some Prime exclusive deals as part of the sale. If you’re a member, you can secure a Prime Power Bank — fittingly enough — with a charging dock for $160 ($75 off). The base itself has dual USB-C charging ports and a USB-A one, and it can be used to top up the power bank’s battery.

In addition, you can get $9 off a convenient 10,000mAh charger with a built-in USB-C cable, a separate USB-C port and a foldable AC plug. It’s available in most colors outright for $36, but oddly, the discount on the black option is only for Prime members.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/anker-charging-gear-is-up-to-50-percent-off-right-now-150554508.html?src=rss

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Another day, another publication contributes to the rise of AI. First, the likes of Time and Dotdash Meredith partnered with OpenAI to license their property, now Reuters is giving Meta’s AI chatbot access to its news content for responses to current events and news questions, Axios first reported. 
Basically, the multi-year deal allows users in the US to now receive real-time news details from Meta’s AI chatbot tool, with these answers citing and linking out to Reuters’ relevant stories. 
This deal marks Meta’s first AI news deal, but Reuter’s has worked with the company as a fact-checking partner since 2020. “We’re always iterating and working to improve our products, and through Meta’s partnership with Reuters, Meta AI can respond to news-related questions with summaries and links to Reuters content,” a Meta spokesperson said. 
The pair have not disclosed whether Meta will get access to Reuters’ library to train its learning language model, Llama. The exact figures of the deal also aren’t clear, but sources report that Reuters is receiving compensation for this access. Money isn’t the only form of payment companies have made in such deals with the devil — *coughs* AI (Lionsgate receives a custom AI model for production and editing in its agreement with Runway). This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-ai-gains-access-to-reuters-news-content-in-multi-year-deal-142214611.html?src=rss

Another day, another publication contributes to the rise of AI. First, the likes of Time and Dotdash Meredith partnered with OpenAI to license their property, now Reuters is giving Meta’s AI chatbot access to its news content for responses to current events and news questions, Axios first reported. 

Basically, the multi-year deal allows users in the US to now receive real-time news details from Meta’s AI chatbot tool, with these answers citing and linking out to Reuters’ relevant stories. 

This deal marks Meta’s first AI news deal, but Reuter’s has worked with the company as a fact-checking partner since 2020. “We’re always iterating and working to improve our products, and through Meta’s partnership with Reuters, Meta AI can respond to news-related questions with summaries and links to Reuters content,” a Meta spokesperson said. 

The pair have not disclosed whether Meta will get access to Reuters’ library to train its learning language model, Llama. The exact figures of the deal also aren’t clear, but sources report that Reuters is receiving compensation for this access. Money isn’t the only form of payment companies have made in such deals with the devil — *coughs* AI (Lionsgate receives a custom AI model for production and editing in its agreement with Runway). 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-ai-gains-access-to-reuters-news-content-in-multi-year-deal-142214611.html?src=rss

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Blumhouse wasn’t going to publish a game in 2024. The studio, one of the leading names in horror films, announced in February 2023 that it was launching a video game publishing business and executives were scouting projects from independent teams with budgets under $10 million. The goal of Blumhouse Games was to support a few rad horror titles per year, with a tentative plan to start publishing them in 2025.
But then, in September 2023, the Blumhouse folks stumbled across Fear the Spotlight. It was a moody, voxelized horror game about two friends sneaking around their haunted high school and communing with the ghosts of students that died in a fire in the ’90s. Spooky shenanigans and mysterious puzzles ensued, all presented in third-person and with a gritty PS One aesthetic. Fear the Spotlight was a PC game made by Crista Castro and Bryan Singh of Cozy Game Pals, a husband-and-wife team with impressive professional credentials: Castro was an art director at Nickelodeon and the art lead on the Animaniacs reboot, and Singh was a programmer who worked on The Last of Us and Uncharted series and Journey. They left their corporate jobs and founded Cozy Game Pals during the pandemic, and Fear the Spotlight was their first major project together.

Cozy Game Pals

Fear the Spotlight didn’t have a particularly buzzy debut, but a few weeks after it hit Steam, Blumhouse Games president Zach Wood and creative lead Louise Blain happened to spot it on Twitter. Castro told Engadget how it went down:
“Zach found it, and he and Louise Blain sat down and played it together and were like, oh my gosh, this is exactly the kind of game that we want to be publishing, this is really great. Let’s reach out to them and see, do they need any help? Is there something here that we can work together on?”
“Meanwhile, yes, we did need help,” Singh added, laughing. “We had released it, but we had no idea how to get people to know about it. The people that were finding it were saying very positive things, and we’re like, OK, that’s great, but now what do we do? We know how to make things, but we don’t know anything else about marketing.”
Blumhouse signed Cozy Game Pals and asked how they could help improve Fear the Spotlight. At first, Castro and Singh suggested porting it to consoles and adding additional languages, basic things to get the existing game in front of more players.
“They were excited about the idea, but then they also offered more time,” Singh said. “They asked, what would you do if you had an extra year to work on it?”
The opportunity to expand Fear the Spotlight caught Castro and Singh by surprise. It also scared them, at first.

Cozy Game Pals

“We had never really considered a significant addition to the game before that,” Singh said. “And we also had what we thought was a finished game that we were really proud of. So it was really, really difficult to figure out how to add to a thing that we felt was finished; we didn’t want to ruin it. Part of it is our taste and our work, but also part of it feels like black magic. Like, if we mess with it, is it going to come out in a way that we’re proud of?”
Castro and Singh took the chance. On October 26, 2023, about one month after Fear the Spotlight’s debut, they removed it from Steam with the promise that they’d add new gameplay, console versions and localization features. They didn’t mention Blumhouse at the time. Behind the scenes, Blumhouse Games gave Cozy Game Pals one year to create the definitive version of Fear the Spotlight, with no creative restrictions.
The revamped version of Fear the Spotlight came out on Steam, PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X/S on October 22, 2024, developed by Cozy Game Pals and published by Blumhouse Games. It’s the first game in Blumhouse’s publishing roster, which includes future titles from EYES OUT, Half Mermaid, Perfect Garbage, Playmestudio and Vermila Studios.
Cozy Game Pals used the year of extra development time well. Rather than messing with the black magic of the original, Castro and Singh added an entirely new segment, doubling the game’s run time and expanding on their initial ideas in sophisticated, extra-horrific ways. Fear the Spotlight, by the way, is an excellent horror experience. It has low-poly environments, low-res textures and grainy CRT effects, but its animations are smooth and the camera uses friendly third-person controls, nailing the nostalgia without compromising modern conveniences. The story revolves around two teenage friends, Vivian and Amy, and takes them on individual but connected journeys through twisted, spirit-infested versions of reality. Their dialogue and personalities feel authentic, and their emotions are incredibly relatable, whether in the face of unspeakable horrors or just when talking to a crush. It has a few good jump scares, too.

Cozy Game Pals

The first half of Fear the Spotlight is packed with satisfying puzzles, spooky phantoms and tense hide-and-seek mechanics. The second half, created after Blumhouse’s intervention, adds layers of emotional depth and introduces a truly terrifying foe. Vivian is the main playable character in the original version and Amy’s story takes center stage in the expanded content.
“The first Vivian story was really us figuring out how to make this game,” Castro said. “But then by the time we were making Amy’s, we had so many lessons learned. I feel like the monster is better, the puzzles are better, the storytelling is more streamlined. The second half wraps it up really nicely.”
On top of handling the art, Castro was the main writer on Fear the Spotlight, while Singh handled programming. Castro was the diehard horror fan in the relationship — he was a Resident Evil boy, she was a Silent Hill girl (read to the theme of Avril Lavigne’s Sk8er Boi) — and together, they wanted to capture the fun of being scared in video game form. Fear the Spotlight draws from their personal lives and memories of high school, when every emotion felt new, extreme and sometimes silly. From this lens, Fear the Spotlight also deftly handles serious topics like loss, death, prejudice and love.
“It’s just such an impactful time in our, in most people’s lives,” Castro said. “I grew up playing these games in the ’90s or in the early 2000s, like Silent Hill one and two and three. So thinking back to high school and how I felt, writing the story was just like, I can only write from my own personal experience. Having a crush and feeling awkward, and when you actually bond with someone, how special that is.”
Singh continued the thread, saying, “I think the home-life stuff — we bond over a lot of our shared experience, which is also represented in the game. Families are complicated, family structures. Having a father that’s not present in your life, or the loss of a very close family member, it just changes you and affects you. Those are just pulled from our lives.”

Castro and Singh lovingly described Blumhouse Games as a scrappy team of horror fans, with fewer than 10 people supporting a handful of projects at once, and doing so while trying to prove themselves in a new market. On top of handling trailers and press for Fear the Spotlight’s re-release, the Blumhouse crew helped Cozy Game Pals find a contractor to do a logo and key art, a porting company to help get the game on consoles, and a localization team. More than any of that, though, Castro and Singh said the people at Blumhouse Games seem to truly enjoy the projects they’ve signed.
“They’ve just been the ideal partner, incredibly supportive,” Castro said. “They really let us decide everything for our game, the game is completely our vision. We would show them prototypes and level designs and of course, they had feedback and thoughts, but yeah — ”
“They know our game really well,” Singh said. “They’re genuine fans of the original release. They know our game intimately and can talk to us about our ideas from a very informed perspective.”
Castro concluded, “They come from it from a support perspective. Like, how can we help you guys create your vision that you care about, that you’re happy with. It’s been amazing.”
Fear the Spotlight is available now for $20 on Steam, PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X/S.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-fear-the-spotlight-became-blumhouses-first-video-game-140044877.html?src=rss

Blumhouse wasn’t going to publish a game in 2024. The studio, one of the leading names in horror films, announced in February 2023 that it was launching a video game publishing business and executives were scouting projects from independent teams with budgets under $10 million. The goal of Blumhouse Games was to support a few rad horror titles per year, with a tentative plan to start publishing them in 2025.

But then, in September 2023, the Blumhouse folks stumbled across Fear the Spotlight. It was a moody, voxelized horror game about two friends sneaking around their haunted high school and communing with the ghosts of students that died in a fire in the ’90s. Spooky shenanigans and mysterious puzzles ensued, all presented in third-person and with a gritty PS One aesthetic. Fear the Spotlight was a PC game made by Crista Castro and Bryan Singh of Cozy Game Pals, a husband-and-wife team with impressive professional credentials: Castro was an art director at Nickelodeon and the art lead on the Animaniacs reboot, and Singh was a programmer who worked on The Last of Us and Uncharted series and Journey. They left their corporate jobs and founded Cozy Game Pals during the pandemic, and Fear the Spotlight was their first major project together.

Fear the Spotlight didn’t have a particularly buzzy debut, but a few weeks after it hit Steam, Blumhouse Games president Zach Wood and creative lead Louise Blain happened to spot it on Twitter. Castro told Engadget how it went down:

“Zach found it, and he and Louise Blain sat down and played it together and were like, oh my gosh, this is exactly the kind of game that we want to be publishing, this is really great. Let’s reach out to them and see, do they need any help? Is there something here that we can work together on?”

“Meanwhile, yes, we did need help,” Singh added, laughing. “We had released it, but we had no idea how to get people to know about it. The people that were finding it were saying very positive things, and we’re like, OK, that’s great, but now what do we do? We know how to make things, but we don’t know anything else about marketing.”

Blumhouse signed Cozy Game Pals and asked how they could help improve Fear the Spotlight. At first, Castro and Singh suggested porting it to consoles and adding additional languages, basic things to get the existing game in front of more players.

“They were excited about the idea, but then they also offered more time,” Singh said. “They asked, what would you do if you had an extra year to work on it?”

The opportunity to expand Fear the Spotlight caught Castro and Singh by surprise. It also scared them, at first.

“We had never really considered a significant addition to the game before that,” Singh said. “And we also had what we thought was a finished game that we were really proud of. So it was really, really difficult to figure out how to add to a thing that we felt was finished; we didn’t want to ruin it. Part of it is our taste and our work, but also part of it feels like black magic. Like, if we mess with it, is it going to come out in a way that we’re proud of?”

Castro and Singh took the chance. On October 26, 2023, about one month after Fear the Spotlight’s debut, they removed it from Steam with the promise that they’d add new gameplay, console versions and localization features. They didn’t mention Blumhouse at the time. Behind the scenes, Blumhouse Games gave Cozy Game Pals one year to create the definitive version of Fear the Spotlight, with no creative restrictions.

The revamped version of Fear the Spotlight came out on Steam, PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X/S on October 22, 2024, developed by Cozy Game Pals and published by Blumhouse Games. It’s the first game in Blumhouse’s publishing roster, which includes future titles from EYES OUT, Half Mermaid, Perfect Garbage, Playmestudio and Vermila Studios.

Cozy Game Pals used the year of extra development time well. Rather than messing with the black magic of the original, Castro and Singh added an entirely new segment, doubling the game’s run time and expanding on their initial ideas in sophisticated, extra-horrific ways. Fear the Spotlight, by the way, is an excellent horror experience. It has low-poly environments, low-res textures and grainy CRT effects, but its animations are smooth and the camera uses friendly third-person controls, nailing the nostalgia without compromising modern conveniences. The story revolves around two teenage friends, Vivian and Amy, and takes them on individual but connected journeys through twisted, spirit-infested versions of reality. Their dialogue and personalities feel authentic, and their emotions are incredibly relatable, whether in the face of unspeakable horrors or just when talking to a crush. It has a few good jump scares, too.

The first half of Fear the Spotlight is packed with satisfying puzzles, spooky phantoms and tense hide-and-seek mechanics. The second half, created after Blumhouse’s intervention, adds layers of emotional depth and introduces a truly terrifying foe. Vivian is the main playable character in the original version and Amy’s story takes center stage in the expanded content.

“The first Vivian story was really us figuring out how to make this game,” Castro said. “But then by the time we were making Amy’s, we had so many lessons learned. I feel like the monster is better, the puzzles are better, the storytelling is more streamlined. The second half wraps it up really nicely.”

On top of handling the art, Castro was the main writer on Fear the Spotlight, while Singh handled programming. Castro was the diehard horror fan in the relationship — he was a Resident Evil boy, she was a Silent Hill girl (read to the theme of Avril Lavigne’s Sk8er Boi) — and together, they wanted to capture the fun of being scared in video game form. Fear the Spotlight draws from their personal lives and memories of high school, when every emotion felt new, extreme and sometimes silly. From this lens, Fear the Spotlight also deftly handles serious topics like loss, death, prejudice and love.

“It’s just such an impactful time in our, in most people’s lives,” Castro said. “I grew up playing these games in the ’90s or in the early 2000s, like Silent Hill one and two and three. So thinking back to high school and how I felt, writing the story was just like, I can only write from my own personal experience. Having a crush and feeling awkward, and when you actually bond with someone, how special that is.”

Singh continued the thread, saying, “I think the home-life stuff — we bond over a lot of our shared experience, which is also represented in the game. Families are complicated, family structures. Having a father that’s not present in your life, or the loss of a very close family member, it just changes you and affects you. Those are just pulled from our lives.”

Castro and Singh lovingly described Blumhouse Games as a scrappy team of horror fans, with fewer than 10 people supporting a handful of projects at once, and doing so while trying to prove themselves in a new market. On top of handling trailers and press for Fear the Spotlight’s re-release, the Blumhouse crew helped Cozy Game Pals find a contractor to do a logo and key art, a porting company to help get the game on consoles, and a localization team. More than any of that, though, Castro and Singh said the people at Blumhouse Games seem to truly enjoy the projects they’ve signed.

“They’ve just been the ideal partner, incredibly supportive,” Castro said. “They really let us decide everything for our game, the game is completely our vision. We would show them prototypes and level designs and of course, they had feedback and thoughts, but yeah — ”

“They know our game really well,” Singh said. “They’re genuine fans of the original release. They know our game intimately and can talk to us about our ideas from a very informed perspective.”

Castro concluded, “They come from it from a support perspective. Like, how can we help you guys create your vision that you care about, that you’re happy with. It’s been amazing.”

Fear the Spotlight is available now for $20 on Steam, PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X/S.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-fear-the-spotlight-became-blumhouses-first-video-game-140044877.html?src=rss

Read More 

Though it disappeared over 40 years ago, International Harvester is a mythical brand in North America thanks in part to the Scout, one of the world’s first SUVs. Now, Scout Motors is back under Volkswagen as an all-new marque and just revealed its first two models: the Terra pickup and Traveler SUV. Both use a brand-new EV platform and will start at under $60,000 before incentives when production launches in 2027.
Scout motors says its “priority was to honor the spirit of the original Scout,” sold by International from 1961 to 1980 in various forms. Though the Traveler and Terra clearly have modern designs, they use rounded contours and a “black mask” on the front and rear fascias to invoke the older models. They also come with separate bumpers and upward-sweeping side windows, again reminiscent of the classic Scout.
ANDREW TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

Other design elements are fully modern, like a thin LED strip around the “grill” and rectangular headlights bisected by slim daytime running lights. (The models shown here are 85 percent of what we’ll see in final production vehicles, Scout said). 
The original Scout and International 150 pickup were practical and tough (we called it “Inter-smashable” back in the day), and the new models will keep some of those aspects. Both have body-on-frame construction with a solid rear axle, along with front and rear locking hubs for off-road use. They’ll offer 2,000 pounds of payload along with 7,000 pounds of towing capacity for the Traveler and 10,000 pounds for the Terra pickup. Both will come with all-wheel drive via front and rear electric motors. 
ANDREW TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
That should keep working and outdoorsy buyers happy, but the vehicles can also raise your hairs. Both will accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds thanks to an estimated 1,000 pound-feet of torque and four-wheel-drive system, though Scout has yet to provide a top speed.
The base trim package will offer up to 350 miles of range while the extended range version is effectively a hybrid that will go up to 500 miles using a gas-powered range extender. Charging times aren’t mentioned, but they’ll use an 800-volt architecture that supports up to 350 kW speeds. It will also feature bidirectional charging and vehicle-to-home capabilities, along with over-the-air updates and remote diagnostics. 
Scout Motors
The cabin is as far as it can be from the spartan interior on the originals. It looks luxurious and high-tech with a digital cluster and large displays, along with a promised “responsive” infotainment system and high-resolution backup cameras. At the same time, it comes with toggles and dials for climate and other controls. The seats and panels are covered with a mix of brown leather, fabric and a wood-like material. 
Both have a frunk with 120-volt and USB-C outlets and can fit golf clubs, a gym bag and a small cooler, Scout says. The Terra’s 5.5-foot bed will also contain a 120- and 240-volt outlets for tools, compressors and the like. 
The Traveler, meanwhile, will have a split tailgate and come with two roof options. The first is a Cabana top with panels that fold back for open-air motoring, while the second is a glass roof with a powered shade. Both vehicles will be available with a front bench seat to increase passenger capacity. 
ANDREW TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
Much like Tesla, Scout will sell its vehicles directly to consumers without a dealership in the middle. Purchasing one will take “minutes” with the company promising full price transparency and handling sales, delivery and service. You’ll be able to check them out in person at dedicated “Scout Workshop” retail and service locations. 
Both models are designed and engineered in Michigan and will be built at a new factory in Columbia, South Carolina by some 4,000 workers. Production starts in 2027 with vehicles arriving for the 2028 model year. Prices will start under $60,000, according to Scout Motors, and reservations are now open. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/vws-scout-ev-revival-starts-with-an-suv-and-a-pickup-120042790.html?src=rss

Though it disappeared over 40 years ago, International Harvester is a mythical brand in North America thanks in part to the Scout, one of the world’s first SUVs. Now, Scout Motors is back under Volkswagen as an all-new marque and just revealed its first two models: the Terra pickup and Traveler SUV. Both use a brand-new EV platform and will start at under $60,000 before incentives when production launches in 2027.

Scout motors says its “priority was to honor the spirit of the original Scout,” sold by International from 1961 to 1980 in various forms. Though the Traveler and Terra clearly have modern designs, they use rounded contours and a “black mask” on the front and rear fascias to invoke the older models. They also come with separate bumpers and upward-sweeping side windows, again reminiscent of the classic Scout.

Other design elements are fully modern, like a thin LED strip around the “grill” and rectangular headlights bisected by slim daytime running lights. (The models shown here are 85 percent of what we’ll see in final production vehicles, Scout said). 

The original Scout and International 150 pickup were practical and tough (we called it “Inter-smashable” back in the day), and the new models will keep some of those aspects. Both have body-on-frame construction with a solid rear axle, along with front and rear locking hubs for off-road use. They’ll offer 2,000 pounds of payload along with 7,000 pounds of towing capacity for the Traveler and 10,000 pounds for the Terra pickup. Both will come with all-wheel drive via front and rear electric motors. 

That should keep working and outdoorsy buyers happy, but the vehicles can also raise your hairs. Both will accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds thanks to an estimated 1,000 pound-feet of torque and four-wheel-drive system, though Scout has yet to provide a top speed.

The base trim package will offer up to 350 miles of range while the extended range version is effectively a hybrid that will go up to 500 miles using a gas-powered range extender. Charging times aren’t mentioned, but they’ll use an 800-volt architecture that supports up to 350 kW speeds. It will also feature bidirectional charging and vehicle-to-home capabilities, along with over-the-air updates and remote diagnostics. 

The cabin is as far as it can be from the spartan interior on the originals. It looks luxurious and high-tech with a digital cluster and large displays, along with a promised “responsive” infotainment system and high-resolution backup cameras. At the same time, it comes with toggles and dials for climate and other controls. The seats and panels are covered with a mix of brown leather, fabric and a wood-like material. 

Both have a frunk with 120-volt and USB-C outlets and can fit golf clubs, a gym bag and a small cooler, Scout says. The Terra’s 5.5-foot bed will also contain a 120- and 240-volt outlets for tools, compressors and the like. 

The Traveler, meanwhile, will have a split tailgate and come with two roof options. The first is a Cabana top with panels that fold back for open-air motoring, while the second is a glass roof with a powered shade. Both vehicles will be available with a front bench seat to increase passenger capacity. 

Much like Tesla, Scout will sell its vehicles directly to consumers without a dealership in the middle. Purchasing one will take “minutes” with the company promising full price transparency and handling sales, delivery and service. You’ll be able to check them out in person at dedicated “Scout Workshop” retail and service locations. 

Both models are designed and engineered in Michigan and will be built at a new factory in Columbia, South Carolina by some 4,000 workers. Production starts in 2027 with vehicles arriving for the 2028 model year. Prices will start under $60,000, according to Scout Motors, and reservations are now open. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/vws-scout-ev-revival-starts-with-an-suv-and-a-pickup-120042790.html?src=rss

Read More 

We finally got an iPad Mini refresh, and it’s not particularly exciting. But that’s fine! It’s still a useful little tablet, and now thanks to the A17 Pro chip, it’s already ready for upcoming Apple Intelligence features. In this episode, Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham joins to discuss what he liked about the new iPad Mini, and what he hopes Apple will eventually fix in future models. Also, we chat about Netflix abandoning its AAA game studio, and why over 10,500 artists signed a letter against AI training.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!

Subscribe!

iTunes
Spotify
Pocket Casts
Stitcher
Google Podcasts

Topics

The refreshed iPad Mini is playing it safe and that’s totally fine – 0:58
Netflix closes Team Blue, its attempt at a AAA game studio – 24:16
Over 10,000 of the world’s top artists sign a letter protesting AI training using their work – 28:27
X Terms of Service changes on account blocking, AI training spurs a fresh wave of Bluesky signups – 30:07
Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica) chosen to helm Amazon’s God of War series – 38:35
Working on – 42:11
Pop culture picks – 43:17

Livestream

Credits 
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Ben EllmanGuest: Nathan IngrahamProducer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O’BrienThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/engadget-podcast-the-new-ipad-mini-is-boring-and-thats-okay-113045384.html?src=rss

We finally got an iPad Mini refresh, and it’s not particularly exciting. But that’s fine! It’s still a useful little tablet, and now thanks to the A17 Pro chip, it’s already ready for upcoming Apple Intelligence features. In this episode, Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham joins to discuss what he liked about the new iPad Mini, and what he hopes Apple will eventually fix in future models. Also, we chat about Netflix abandoning its AAA game studio, and why over 10,500 artists signed a letter against AI training.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!

Subscribe!

iTunes

Spotify

Pocket Casts

Stitcher

Google Podcasts

Topics

The refreshed iPad Mini is playing it safe and that’s totally fine – 0:58

Netflix closes Team Blue, its attempt at a AAA game studio – 24:16

Over 10,000 of the world’s top artists sign a letter protesting AI training using their work – 28:27

X Terms of Service changes on account blocking, AI training spurs a fresh wave of Bluesky signups – 30:07

Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica) chosen to helm Amazon’s God of War series – 38:35

Working on – 42:11

Pop culture picks – 43:17

Livestream

Credits 

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Ben Ellman
Guest: Nathan Ingraham
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/engadget-podcast-the-new-ipad-mini-is-boring-and-thats-okay-113045384.html?src=rss

Read More 

If you’re fluent with concepts like release schedules and calendars, you may notice Apple hasn’t updated its computers in a while. It’s nearly a full year since the iMac and MacBook Pro got speed bumps, and just over a year for the Mac Pro and Mac Studio. Now, Apple’s head of marketing, Greg Joswiak, has announced an “exciting week of announcements,” from Monday.
It’s easy to assume we’ll see those models getting pushed from variants of the M3 to the M4. Given the M4’s focus on AI, expect plenty of attention on Apple Intelligence, which comes to users as part of iOS 18.1’s update at the same time. That each model is likely to be announced piecemeal across the week, rather than at one glitzy event, suggests we won’t see too many other big changes.
The rumor suggests only the Mac Mini will get a major hardware revision, shrinking its chassis to a far smaller footprint. If I’m honest, I’m secretly hoping the Mac Mini doesn’t become the same size as an Apple TV model, which has been hinted at. Especially if it means saddling us with a beefy power brick to clutter the floor instead.
— Dan Cooper
Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!
News in Brief

iOS 18.2 has a child-safety feature to blur nude content and report it to AppleIt uses on-device machine learning.
Good Omens’ final season will have only one episodeCreator Neil Gaiman has stepped back from the show.
Yooka-Laylee remaster rolling to all consoles, including Nintendo’s next systemIt’s called Yooka Re-Playee.
Your Balatro deck can now feature Binding of Isaac charactersI’m still refusing to learn what Balatro is, sorry.
Google Photos will show when images have been modified with AIIf your friends suddenly developing extra hands wasn’t a big enough clue.
The UK’s antitrust regulator will formally investigate Alphabet’s $2.3 billion Anthropic investmentIt’s also (briefly) looked into Amazon’s investment in the same company.

Latest UN report demands ‘unprecedented’ emissions cuts to salvage climate goals
The longer you shilly-shally, the harder the pain will be.

The UN has published a new report on the climate crisis. It can be best summed up as “are you even listening?” It analyzed the latest round of international commitments and believes we’re on course to hit 2.6 degrees Celsius of warming. If we want to avoid climate events of Biblical proportions, we’re going to need to curb emissions far more aggressively.
Continue Reading.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: A great phone, but I wish it was cheaper
Does Samsung know why it bothers making Fan Edition phones?
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
After each flagship phone launch, Samsung releases a Fan Edition, offering most of the same features in a slightly cheaper package. Engadget’s Igor Bonifacic put the new Galaxy S24 FE through its paces and found, like its predecessors, it’s a bit pointless. After all, you can pick up a no-compromise version of the handset for almost the same price when it goes on sale.
Continue Reading.
President Biden sets up new AI guardrails for military, intelligence agencies
Including a ban on giving AI control over nuclear weapons.

The White House has issued a memorandum outlining where AI should — and shouldn’t — be used in military and intelligence applications. That includes a prohibition on giving AI systems the ability to launch nuclear weapons, profile people and grant asylum. Now all we need to do is make sure the AI doesn’t get smart enough to trick people into making those decisions on its behalf.
Continue Reading.
Bluesky’s upcoming premium plan won’t give paid users special treatment
Good.
Bluesky
Bluesky has revealed its plans to make money without simply handing the platform over to advertisers. It will offer a premium subscription that lets users customize their profiles, upload higher-quality video and generally get a warm and fuzzy feeling. Hopefully, the users who flocked to Bluesky from that place will appreciate it enough to pay to keep the lights on.
Continue Reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111515857.html?src=rss

If you’re fluent with concepts like release schedules and calendars, you may notice Apple hasn’t updated its computers in a while. It’s nearly a full year since the iMac and MacBook Pro got speed bumps, and just over a year for the Mac Pro and Mac Studio. Now, Apple’s head of marketing, Greg Joswiak, has announced an “exciting week of announcements,” from Monday.

It’s easy to assume we’ll see those models getting pushed from variants of the M3 to the M4. Given the M4’s focus on AI, expect plenty of attention on Apple Intelligence, which comes to users as part of iOS 18.1’s update at the same time. That each model is likely to be announced piecemeal across the week, rather than at one glitzy event, suggests we won’t see too many other big changes.

The rumor suggests only the Mac Mini will get a major hardware revision, shrinking its chassis to a far smaller footprint. If I’m honest, I’m secretly hoping the Mac Mini doesn’t become the same size as an Apple TV model, which has been hinted at. Especially if it means saddling us with a beefy power brick to clutter the floor instead.

— Dan Cooper

Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

News in Brief

iOS 18.2 has a child-safety feature to blur nude content and report it to Apple
It uses on-device machine learning.

Good Omens’ final season will have only one episode
Creator Neil Gaiman has stepped back from the show.

Yooka-Laylee remaster rolling to all consoles, including Nintendo’s next system
It’s called Yooka Re-Playee.

Your Balatro deck can now feature Binding of Isaac characters
I’m still refusing to learn what Balatro is, sorry.

Google Photos will show when images have been modified with AI
If your friends suddenly developing extra hands wasn’t a big enough clue.

The UK’s antitrust regulator will formally investigate Alphabet’s $2.3 billion Anthropic investment
It’s also (briefly) looked into Amazon’s investment in the same company.

Latest UN report demands ‘unprecedented’ emissions cuts to salvage climate goals

The longer you shilly-shally, the harder the pain will be.

The UN has published a new report on the climate crisis. It can be best summed up as “are you even listening?” It analyzed the latest round of international commitments and believes we’re on course to hit 2.6 degrees Celsius of warming. If we want to avoid climate events of Biblical proportions, we’re going to need to curb emissions far more aggressively.

Continue Reading.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: A great phone, but I wish it was cheaper

Does Samsung know why it bothers making Fan Edition phones?

After each flagship phone launch, Samsung releases a Fan Edition, offering most of the same features in a slightly cheaper package. Engadget’s Igor Bonifacic put the new Galaxy S24 FE through its paces and found, like its predecessors, it’s a bit pointless. After all, you can pick up a no-compromise version of the handset for almost the same price when it goes on sale.

Continue Reading.

President Biden sets up new AI guardrails for military, intelligence agencies

Including a ban on giving AI control over nuclear weapons.

The White House has issued a memorandum outlining where AI should — and shouldn’t — be used in military and intelligence applications. That includes a prohibition on giving AI systems the ability to launch nuclear weapons, profile people and grant asylum. Now all we need to do is make sure the AI doesn’t get smart enough to trick people into making those decisions on its behalf.

Continue Reading.

Bluesky’s upcoming premium plan won’t give paid users special treatment

Good.

Bluesky has revealed its plans to make money without simply handing the platform over to advertisers. It will offer a premium subscription that lets users customize their profiles, upload higher-quality video and generally get a warm and fuzzy feeling. Hopefully, the users who flocked to Bluesky from that place will appreciate it enough to pay to keep the lights on.

Continue Reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111515857.html?src=rss

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The United Nations’ Environmental Program has released a new report with yet more dire news about our odds of avoiding climate disaster caused by greenhouse gas emissions. According to this assessment, the current trajectory of international commitments will see the planet’s temperature increasing 2.6 degrees Celsius or more over the course of this century. That amount of temperature change would lead to more catastrophic and life-threatening weather events.
UN members are due to submit their latest Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of the COP30 conference in Brazil next year. The NDCs lay out each country’s plan for reduced greenhouse gas emissions. One part of the NDCs are to reach the goal set by the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and one part targets keeping global temperature increases to within a less ideal 2 degrees Celsius. While the report says it is technically possible to reach the Paris Agreement goal, much larger actions will be required to cut emissions by the necessary amount. 
“Increased deployment of solar photovoltaic technologies and wind energy could deliver 27 percent of the total emission reduction potential in 2030 and 38 percent in 2035,” the report gives as an example of what’s still needed. “Action on forests could deliver around 20 percent of the potential in both years.”
“Every fraction of a degree avoided counts in terms of lives saved, economies protected, damages avoided, biodiversity conserved and the ability to rapidly bring down any temperature overshoot,” UN Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen wrote in the report’s forward.
International collaboration, government commitments and financial contributions will also be essential for getting back on track to either the 2-degree or 1.5-degree goals. “G20 nations, particularly the largest-emitting members, would need to do the heavy lifting,” the report reads.
If all of this sounds familiar, that’s probably because the UN has issued the same stark warnings in each of its annual reports on emissions for several years now. And other reports have echoed their calls, such as damning findings earlier this year that just 57 companies are responsible for 80 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/latest-un-report-demands-unprecedented-emissions-cuts-to-salvage-climate-goals-223450262.html?src=rss

The United Nations’ Environmental Program has released a new report with yet more dire news about our odds of avoiding climate disaster caused by greenhouse gas emissions. According to this assessment, the current trajectory of international commitments will see the planet’s temperature increasing 2.6 degrees Celsius or more over the course of this century. That amount of temperature change would lead to more catastrophic and life-threatening weather events.

UN members are due to submit their latest Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of the COP30 conference in Brazil next year. The NDCs lay out each country’s plan for reduced greenhouse gas emissions. One part of the NDCs are to reach the goal set by the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and one part targets keeping global temperature increases to within a less ideal 2 degrees Celsius. While the report says it is technically possible to reach the Paris Agreement goal, much larger actions will be required to cut emissions by the necessary amount. 

“Increased deployment of solar photovoltaic technologies and wind energy could deliver 27 percent of the total emission reduction potential in 2030 and 38 percent in 2035,” the report gives as an example of what’s still needed. “Action on forests could deliver around 20 percent of the potential in both years.”

“Every fraction of a degree avoided counts in terms of lives saved, economies protected, damages avoided, biodiversity conserved and the ability to rapidly bring down any temperature overshoot,” UN Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen wrote in the report’s forward.

International collaboration, government commitments and financial contributions will also be essential for getting back on track to either the 2-degree or 1.5-degree goals. “G20 nations, particularly the largest-emitting members, would need to do the heavy lifting,” the report reads.

If all of this sounds familiar, that’s probably because the UN has issued the same stark warnings in each of its annual reports on emissions for several years now. And other reports have echoed their calls, such as damning findings earlier this year that just 57 companies are responsible for 80 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/latest-un-report-demands-unprecedented-emissions-cuts-to-salvage-climate-goals-223450262.html?src=rss

Read More