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Big tech firms have been releasing AI tools all over their software offerings over the past year. But as it becomes ever easier to manipulate images and video with generative AI, there’s been a second wave of launching companion policies to better inform people when that technology has been applied to content. Google is the latest to follow the trend.
After debuting tools like the Magic Editor last spring and incorporating AI into its video editor last month, Google Photos will begin labeling visual content that has been modified with AI. Google was already tagging AI-modified images with corresponding metadata, but now a plain language statement will accompany edited photos. In the example the company shared in its blog post, there is a section at the bottom of the image details screen titled “AI Info.” This then lists a credit of the AI tool used to adapt the image. It will also state when an image has been modified with generative AI or when an image is a composite of several photos without the use of generative AI, such as with the Best Take feature. The new language will appear in Google Photos beginning next week.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-photos-will-show-when-images-have-been-modified-with-ai-180007494.html?src=rss

Big tech firms have been releasing AI tools all over their software offerings over the past year. But as it becomes ever easier to manipulate images and video with generative AI, there’s been a second wave of launching companion policies to better inform people when that technology has been applied to content. Google is the latest to follow the trend.

After debuting tools like the Magic Editor last spring and incorporating AI into its video editor last month, Google Photos will begin labeling visual content that has been modified with AI. Google was already tagging AI-modified images with corresponding metadata, but now a plain language statement will accompany edited photos. In the example the company shared in its blog post, there is a section at the bottom of the image details screen titled “AI Info.” This then lists a credit of the AI tool used to adapt the image. It will also state when an image has been modified with generative AI or when an image is a composite of several photos without the use of generative AI, such as with the Best Take feature. The new language will appear in Google Photos beginning next week.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-photos-will-show-when-images-have-been-modified-with-ai-180007494.html?src=rss

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It’s finally happening, Overwatch 2 fans: as Blizzard indicated back in July, it will test out a return to six-player teams. When the transition from the original game took place just over two years ago, Blizzard switched to a 5v5 format, dropping one tank from each side. But after countless requests from the community, the team is ready to trial new spins on the old format with different approaches to team compositions.
Two 6v6 tests will take place in the next season of Overwatch 2. The first of these will get under way a week into season 14. Based on when the current season is expected to end (December 10, given the battle pass countdown), that means the first 6v6 test should start around December 17.
Blizzard is looking to avoid some of the pain points that persisted with the 2-2-2 setup of two tanks, two supports and two damage (or DPS) heroes in the original Overwatch. The first test will offer something in between that rigid role queue format and letting players have whatever combination of heroes they want without duplicating the same character (the current open queue option).
Each team of six will have between one and three heroes from each role. So you could opt to run with three tanks, two supports and one DPS in a set up that’s similar to the infamous GOATS meta. But since this is a spin on the open queue format, teams will also be able to switch up their composition mid-match.
Blizzard Entertainment
“There are a few different combinations here that you will be able to try, but this opens up many different team compositions that we haven’t seen before in Overwatch 2,” game director Aaron Keller wrote in a blog post. “Besides experimenting with a format that could be seen as a middle ground to Role Queue and Open Queue, this will also give us a look at how Overwatch 2 heroes, abilities and updates work in a 6v6 environment before we expand to other types of tests.”
The second test will take place at some point later in season 14 (which is also slated to introduce a new Scottish hero). This will be a step back in time of sorts to 2-2-2. However, it will “incorporate some new principles we introduced with Overwatch 2,” such as hero reworks and fewer crowd control abilities. 
Blizzard will make significant balance changes just for these two tests. For instance, tanks will have reduced power and survivability. Many passive abilities, such as self-healing over time for all heroes, may be tuned down or ditched.
“These format tests are all about understanding if we can make the core game even stronger,” Keller wrote. “Every day, millions of players jump into the core 5v5 format and the last thing we want is to negatively impact that experience. The exciting thing about these tests is the potential to introduce something that could appeal to another group of players, ones that might have felt uncertain about the move to 5v5 when Overwatch 2 launched. Part of this series of tests is to not only judge our player’s appetite for larger team sizes, but for us to explore different ways that we might implement a change without running into the same problems we had previously.”
Before the big 6v6 tests, Blizzard will try out a couple of composition-based experiments in season 13. The first will allow players to run with any spin on 2-2-1 that they like, but tanks will have reduced health, just like in open queue modes. You won’t be locked to a given role here, either — for instance, you can switch from support to damage as long as your team doesn’t have two DPS heroes already. The second 5v5 test — dubbed “Kingmaker” — will be a spin on that, but the player who is flying solo in their given role will receive some kind of bonus.
Blizzard Entertainment
“We’re exploring more freedom in 5v5 while enabling more types of compositions to succeed,” Keller noted. These two tests are set to “provide an excellent benchmark and framework for us going into the 6v6 tests,” and Blizzard is hoping that players will provide feedback on them.
The future of 6v6 really depends on how much enthusiasm there is. “In the world where a surge of players join this mode and continuously play it, then we have the signal we need to do more with it,” Keller wrote. The game’s director notes that as recently as a few months ago, it was hard for him to foresee a situation in which 5v5 and 6v6 coexisted for the long term, but if the latter is a hit among fans, “we know our players can want more than one experience, and it would be something we’d need to consider.”
So, there you have it. If you’re yearning for a return of 6v6, you’ll probably want to spend quite a bit of time playing these tests. These experiments seem like a smart way to go about things and could mark a return to the days when it was easier to swap between roles, giving players much more flexibility to pull off great plays.
Any permanent return of 6v6 is likely to be a while away, though. Overwatch 2 has been tuned entirely for 5v5 in terms of hero abilities, reworks and balance changes. The maps have been designed with 5v5 in mind as well, with the team updating many maps from the original Overwatch to add more cover. As such, it may take some time to tweak things to make 6v6 happen, but its return is no longer a pipe dream for players.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatch-2s-long-awaited-6v6-tests-start-in-december-180100100.html?src=rss

It’s finally happening, Overwatch 2 fans: as Blizzard indicated back in July, it will test out a return to six-player teams. When the transition from the original game took place just over two years ago, Blizzard switched to a 5v5 format, dropping one tank from each side. But after countless requests from the community, the team is ready to trial new spins on the old format with different approaches to team compositions.

Two 6v6 tests will take place in the next season of Overwatch 2. The first of these will get under way a week into season 14. Based on when the current season is expected to end (December 10, given the battle pass countdown), that means the first 6v6 test should start around December 17.

Blizzard is looking to avoid some of the pain points that persisted with the 2-2-2 setup of two tanks, two supports and two damage (or DPS) heroes in the original Overwatch. The first test will offer something in between that rigid role queue format and letting players have whatever combination of heroes they want without duplicating the same character (the current open queue option).

Each team of six will have between one and three heroes from each role. So you could opt to run with three tanks, two supports and one DPS in a set up that’s similar to the infamous GOATS meta. But since this is a spin on the open queue format, teams will also be able to switch up their composition mid-match.

“There are a few different combinations here that you will be able to try, but this opens up many different team compositions that we haven’t seen before in Overwatch 2,” game director Aaron Keller wrote in a blog post. “Besides experimenting with a format that could be seen as a middle ground to Role Queue and Open Queue, this will also give us a look at how Overwatch 2 heroes, abilities and updates work in a 6v6 environment before we expand to other types of tests.”

The second test will take place at some point later in season 14 (which is also slated to introduce a new Scottish hero). This will be a step back in time of sorts to 2-2-2. However, it will “incorporate some new principles we introduced with Overwatch 2,” such as hero reworks and fewer crowd control abilities. 

Blizzard will make significant balance changes just for these two tests. For instance, tanks will have reduced power and survivability. Many passive abilities, such as self-healing over time for all heroes, may be tuned down or ditched.

“These format tests are all about understanding if we can make the core game even stronger,” Keller wrote. “Every day, millions of players jump into the core 5v5 format and the last thing we want is to negatively impact that experience. The exciting thing about these tests is the potential to introduce something that could appeal to another group of players, ones that might have felt uncertain about the move to 5v5 when Overwatch 2 launched. Part of this series of tests is to not only judge our player’s appetite for larger team sizes, but for us to explore different ways that we might implement a change without running into the same problems we had previously.”

Before the big 6v6 tests, Blizzard will try out a couple of composition-based experiments in season 13. The first will allow players to run with any spin on 2-2-1 that they like, but tanks will have reduced health, just like in open queue modes. You won’t be locked to a given role here, either — for instance, you can switch from support to damage as long as your team doesn’t have two DPS heroes already. The second 5v5 test — dubbed “Kingmaker” — will be a spin on that, but the player who is flying solo in their given role will receive some kind of bonus.

“We’re exploring more freedom in 5v5 while enabling more types of compositions to succeed,” Keller noted. These two tests are set to “provide an excellent benchmark and framework for us going into the 6v6 tests,” and Blizzard is hoping that players will provide feedback on them.

The future of 6v6 really depends on how much enthusiasm there is. “In the world where a surge of players join this mode and continuously play it, then we have the signal we need to do more with it,” Keller wrote. The game’s director notes that as recently as a few months ago, it was hard for him to foresee a situation in which 5v5 and 6v6 coexisted for the long term, but if the latter is a hit among fans, “we know our players can want more than one experience, and it would be something we’d need to consider.”

So, there you have it. If you’re yearning for a return of 6v6, you’ll probably want to spend quite a bit of time playing these tests. These experiments seem like a smart way to go about things and could mark a return to the days when it was easier to swap between roles, giving players much more flexibility to pull off great plays.

Any permanent return of 6v6 is likely to be a while away, though. Overwatch 2 has been tuned entirely for 5v5 in terms of hero abilities, reworks and balance changes. The maps have been designed with 5v5 in mind as well, with the team updating many maps from the original Overwatch to add more cover. As such, it may take some time to tweak things to make 6v6 happen, but its return is no longer a pipe dream for players.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatch-2s-long-awaited-6v6-tests-start-in-december-180100100.html?src=rss

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Google Calendar’s web client just got a fairly significant refresh, all of which should bring the app more in line with Google Material Design 3. There are updated buttons, dialogs and sidebars to make the whole thing “more modern and accessible.”
The interface typography got a custom-designed refresh that adds “highly-legible typefaces” to ensure a “fresh feel” while remaining “legible and crisp.” Google Calendar now also lets users toggle between light mode and dark mode, to help reduce both battery usage and eye strain.

Google
These updates apply to the “entire calendar web experience.” This includes the task list view, which is nice. However, Google has warned that the update could impact the experience of installed Chrome extensions that are active when using Calendar. The company recommends “contacting the developers of those extensions to report any potential issues.”
The redesign begins rolling out today, but could take 15 days or longer to reach every user. You know the drill. It’s available to all Google Workspace customers and personal account holders.
This is just the latest update to the Google Calendar experience. The company recently released an app for WearOS. It also launched something called Google Essentials, which is an all-in-one Windows app that bundles up the company’s entire suite of services (including Calendar.)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-calendars-web-client-finally-gets-a-dark-mode-174055306.html?src=rss

Google Calendar’s web client just got a fairly significant refresh, all of which should bring the app more in line with Google Material Design 3. There are updated buttons, dialogs and sidebars to make the whole thing “more modern and accessible.”

The interface typography got a custom-designed refresh that adds “highly-legible typefaces” to ensure a “fresh feel” while remaining “legible and crisp.” Google Calendar now also lets users toggle between light mode and dark mode, to help reduce both battery usage and eye strain.

These updates apply to the “entire calendar web experience.” This includes the task list view, which is nice. However, Google has warned that the update could impact the experience of installed Chrome extensions that are active when using Calendar. The company recommends “contacting the developers of those extensions to report any potential issues.”

The redesign begins rolling out today, but could take 15 days or longer to reach every user. You know the drill. It’s available to all Google Workspace customers and personal account holders.

This is just the latest update to the Google Calendar experience. The company recently released an app for WearOS. It also launched something called Google Essentials, which is an all-in-one Windows app that bundles up the company’s entire suite of services (including Calendar.)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-calendars-web-client-finally-gets-a-dark-mode-174055306.html?src=rss

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The UK’s competition regulator is probing Alphabet’s investment in AI startup Anthropic. After opening public comments this summer, the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) said on Thursday it has “sufficient information” to begin an initial investigation into whether Alphabet’s reported $2.3 billion investment in the Claude AI chatbot maker harms competition in UK markets.
The CMA breaks its merger probes into two stages: a preliminary scan to determine whether there’s enough evidence to dig deeper and an optional second phase where the government gathers as much evidence as possible. After the second stage, it ultimately decides on a regulatory outcome.
The probe will formally kick off on Friday. By December 19, the CMA will choose whether to move to a phase 2 investigation.
Engadget reached out to Google and the CMA. We’ll update this story if we hear back.
TechCrunch notes that Alphabet reportedly invested $300 million in Anthropic in early 2023. Later that year, it was said to back the AI startup with an additional $2 billion. Situations like this can be classified as a “quasi-merger,” where deep-pocketed tech companies essentially take control of emerging startups through strategic investments and hiring founders and technical workers.
Amazon has invested even more in Anthropic: a whopping $4 billion. After an initial public comment period, the CMA declined to investigate that investment last month. The CMA said Amazon avoided Alphabet’s fate at least in part because of its current rules: Anthropic’s UK turnover didn’t exceed £70 million, and the two parties didn’t combine to account for 25 percent or more of the region’s supply (in this case, AI LLMs and chatbots).
Although the CMA hasn’t specified, something in Alphabet’s $2.3 billion Anthropic investment constituted a deeper dive. Of course, Google’s Gemini competes with Claude, and both companies make large language models they provide to small businesses and enterprise customers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-uks-antitrust-regulator-will-formally-investigate-alphabets-23-billion-anthropic-investment-171043846.html?src=rss

The UK’s competition regulator is probing Alphabet’s investment in AI startup Anthropic. After opening public comments this summer, the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) said on Thursday it has “sufficient information” to begin an initial investigation into whether Alphabet’s reported $2.3 billion investment in the Claude AI chatbot maker harms competition in UK markets.

The CMA breaks its merger probes into two stages: a preliminary scan to determine whether there’s enough evidence to dig deeper and an optional second phase where the government gathers as much evidence as possible. After the second stage, it ultimately decides on a regulatory outcome.

The probe will formally kick off on Friday. By December 19, the CMA will choose whether to move to a phase 2 investigation.

Engadget reached out to Google and the CMA. We’ll update this story if we hear back.

TechCrunch notes that Alphabet reportedly invested $300 million in Anthropic in early 2023. Later that year, it was said to back the AI startup with an additional $2 billion. Situations like this can be classified as a “quasi-merger,” where deep-pocketed tech companies essentially take control of emerging startups through strategic investments and hiring founders and technical workers.

Amazon has invested even more in Anthropic: a whopping $4 billion. After an initial public comment period, the CMA declined to investigate that investment last month. The CMA said Amazon avoided Alphabet’s fate at least in part because of its current rules: Anthropic’s UK turnover didn’t exceed £70 million, and the two parties didn’t combine to account for 25 percent or more of the region’s supply (in this case, AI LLMs and chatbots).

Although the CMA hasn’t specified, something in Alphabet’s $2.3 billion Anthropic investment constituted a deeper dive. Of course, Google’s Gemini competes with Claude, and both companies make large language models they provide to small businesses and enterprise customers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-uks-antitrust-regulator-will-formally-investigate-alphabets-23-billion-anthropic-investment-171043846.html?src=rss

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Apple is planning a “week of announcements” starting next Monday, October 28, that’s all but guaranteed to include the reveal of new Macs. The company’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak said to “Mac (😉) your calendars!” in a post on X, letting the cat out of the bag.
“We have an exciting week of announcements ahead, starting on Monday morning,” Josiwak wrote. “Stay tuned…”
Mac (😉) your calendars! We have an exciting week of announcements ahead, starting on Monday morning. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/YnoCYkZq6c— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) October 24, 2024

It was widely expected that Apple would reveal desktop Macs and MacBooks that run on M4 chipsets next week, a year after the company unveiled its first M3-powered laptops. The M4 debuted in an iPad Pro earlier this year, but Apple has yet to refresh its Macs with the chipset. It had long been rumored that Apple would release M4-powered iMacs, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and a redesigned Mac mini by early 2025, and now it appears to be doing so ahead of the peak holiday shopping season.
New hardware isn’t the only thing Apple has lined up for next week. On Monday, the company will release iPhone, iPad and Mac firmware updates that will give the masses their first taste of Apple Intelligence features. Meanwhile, Apple just released its latest iPad Mini.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apple-teases-new-macs-in-a-week-of-announcements-that-starts-monday-165121897.html?src=rss

Apple is planning a “week of announcements” starting next Monday, October 28, that’s all but guaranteed to include the reveal of new Macs. The company’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak said to “Mac (😉) your calendars!” in a post on X, letting the cat out of the bag.

“We have an exciting week of announcements ahead, starting on Monday morning,” Josiwak wrote. “Stay tuned…”

It was widely expected that Apple would reveal desktop Macs and MacBooks that run on M4 chipsets next week, a year after the company unveiled its first M3-powered laptops. The M4 debuted in an iPad Pro earlier this year, but Apple has yet to refresh its Macs with the chipset. It had long been rumored that Apple would release M4-powered iMacs, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and a redesigned Mac mini by early 2025, and now it appears to be doing so ahead of the peak holiday shopping season.

New hardware isn’t the only thing Apple has lined up for next week. On Monday, the company will release iPhone, iPad and Mac firmware updates that will give the masses their first taste of Apple Intelligence features. Meanwhile, Apple just released its latest iPad Mini.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apple-teases-new-macs-in-a-week-of-announcements-that-starts-monday-165121897.html?src=rss

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Attaching Bluetooth trackers to important items can help you keep tabs on your important stuff. If you have a Samsung Galaxy device, you may wish to consider the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2, not least because you can pick up a four-pack at a discount. The bundle has dropped to $64 at Amazon. That’s $36 off the list price.
It’s not quite a record low price for this pack — it dropped to $60 over Labor Day. Still, its a solid discount on our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker designed for use with Samsung devices.

The trackers are oblong-shaped and have a metal ring at one end. This is said to provide improved durability over the first-gen SmartTag while making it easy to attach the tracker to things like a set of keys. Apple AirTag owners, on the other hand, may need to buy a case to attach that tracker to their precious belongings. There is a silicone case you can buy for the SmartTag2 for extra protection, though the tracker is already IP67-rated for dust and water resistance.
Samsung says the SmartTag2 can run for up to 500 days in Normal Mode or 700 days in Power Saving Mode on its CR2032 watch battery. A Compass View that shows the direction and distance of a tag from your phone can help you track down a misplaced item that’s nearby. The Lost Mode allows anyone to tap an NFC-enabled phone against the tracker to scan it and see your contact details, as long as you choose to share that info. You can include a personalized message if you wish too.
One major downside of the SmartTag2 is that it only works with Samsung phones and tablets running at least Android 8.0. Other trackers can connect to broader networks of Apple and Android devices, perhaps making missing items they’re attached to easier to pinpoint.
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/get-a-four-pack-of-samsung-galaxy-smarttag2-trackers-for-just-64-164101334.html?src=rss

Attaching Bluetooth trackers to important items can help you keep tabs on your important stuff. If you have a Samsung Galaxy device, you may wish to consider the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2, not least because you can pick up a four-pack at a discount. The bundle has dropped to $64 at Amazon. That’s $36 off the list price.

It’s not quite a record low price for this pack — it dropped to $60 over Labor Day. Still, its a solid discount on our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker designed for use with Samsung devices.

The trackers are oblong-shaped and have a metal ring at one end. This is said to provide improved durability over the first-gen SmartTag while making it easy to attach the tracker to things like a set of keys. Apple AirTag owners, on the other hand, may need to buy a case to attach that tracker to their precious belongings. There is a silicone case you can buy for the SmartTag2 for extra protection, though the tracker is already IP67-rated for dust and water resistance.

Samsung says the SmartTag2 can run for up to 500 days in Normal Mode or 700 days in Power Saving Mode on its CR2032 watch battery. A Compass View that shows the direction and distance of a tag from your phone can help you track down a misplaced item that’s nearby. The Lost Mode allows anyone to tap an NFC-enabled phone against the tracker to scan it and see your contact details, as long as you choose to share that info. You can include a personalized message if you wish too.

One major downside of the SmartTag2 is that it only works with Samsung phones and tablets running at least Android 8.0. Other trackers can connect to broader networks of Apple and Android devices, perhaps making missing items they’re attached to easier to pinpoint.

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/get-a-four-pack-of-samsung-galaxy-smarttag2-trackers-for-just-64-164101334.html?src=rss

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An industry group representing telecom providers like Comcast and Charter has sued the FTC to block the recently-ratified “click-to-cancel” rule, as reported by Reuters. The NCTA, formerly known as the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, filed the suit with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on the grounds that the rule oversteps the FTC’s authority.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau, which represents the online advertising industry, and the Electronic Security Association, which represents the home security industry, are also involved in the lawsuit. The groups call the FTC ruling “arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion.” There’s also language in the suit that suggests that jumping through annoying hoops to cancel a subscription is actually helpful to consumers, according to USA Today. So this little mom and pop trade organization is just looking out for us, the little guy. I’m practically glowing with appreciation.
For news junkies, the lawsuit’s venue may have raised some eyebrows. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is widely considered to be the nation’s most right-leaning appeals court, so it’s where giant corporations and political entities like to drop suits like this.
Judges from this court temporarily banned the White House, FBI and the Surgeon General from urging social media companies to take down posts filled with misinformation. The court also invalidated a ban on bump stocks, limited access to the abortion pill mifepristone and made it difficult to fund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB.)
Several of these decisions were reversed by the Supreme Court, so the 5th Circuit is actually markedly more conservative than even SCOTUS. To that end, 12 of the 17 judges on the court were appointed by Republican presidents, with six being appointed by former President Trump. The NCTA and its industry partners have been accused by consumer advocacy groups of “venue shopping” by selecting a federal appeals court that would likely look favorably on the suit.
“The big businesses that deploy deceptive subscription models to trap customers are trying to sue their way out of this regulation to lower costs for millions of consumers,” Liz Zelnick, director for the watchdog group Accountable.US said in a statement published by USA Today. “We’ve seen this movie before, with big industry players venue shopping in a corporate-friendly jurisdiction regardless of the impact on Americans.”
No American should have to worry about being tricked into buying subscriptions and memberships – or staying in either against their will.Today, my Administration is taking action to ensure folks don’t have to jump through hoops to cancel them. https://t.co/3TJFi362vh— President Biden (@POTUS) October 16, 2024

The FTC ratified the “click-to-cancel” rule on October 16 in a vote that went down along party lines. Simply put, this ruling requires providers to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one. It prohibits companies from misrepresenting their recurring services and memberships.
“Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription,” said Chair Lina Khan. “The FTC’s rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/of-course-telecom-companies-are-suing-the-ftc-to-block-the-new-click-to-cancel-rule-153728158.html?src=rss

An industry group representing telecom providers like Comcast and Charter has sued the FTC to block the recently-ratified “click-to-cancel” rule, as reported by Reuters. The NCTA, formerly known as the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, filed the suit with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on the grounds that the rule oversteps the FTC’s authority.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau, which represents the online advertising industry, and the Electronic Security Association, which represents the home security industry, are also involved in the lawsuit. The groups call the FTC ruling “arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion.” There’s also language in the suit that suggests that jumping through annoying hoops to cancel a subscription is actually helpful to consumers, according to USA Today. So this little mom and pop trade organization is just looking out for us, the little guy. I’m practically glowing with appreciation.

For news junkies, the lawsuit’s venue may have raised some eyebrows. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is widely considered to be the nation’s most right-leaning appeals court, so it’s where giant corporations and political entities like to drop suits like this.

Judges from this court temporarily banned the White House, FBI and the Surgeon General from urging social media companies to take down posts filled with misinformation. The court also invalidated a ban on bump stocks, limited access to the abortion pill mifepristone and made it difficult to fund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB.)

Several of these decisions were reversed by the Supreme Court, so the 5th Circuit is actually markedly more conservative than even SCOTUS. To that end, 12 of the 17 judges on the court were appointed by Republican presidents, with six being appointed by former President Trump. The NCTA and its industry partners have been accused by consumer advocacy groups of “venue shopping” by selecting a federal appeals court that would likely look favorably on the suit.

“The big businesses that deploy deceptive subscription models to trap customers are trying to sue their way out of this regulation to lower costs for millions of consumers,” Liz Zelnick, director for the watchdog group Accountable.US said in a statement published by USA Today. “We’ve seen this movie before, with big industry players venue shopping in a corporate-friendly jurisdiction regardless of the impact on Americans.”

The FTC ratified the “click-to-cancel” rule on October 16 in a vote that went down along party lines. Simply put, this ruling requires providers to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one. It prohibits companies from misrepresenting their recurring services and memberships.

“Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription,” said Chair Lina Khan. “The FTC’s rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/of-course-telecom-companies-are-suing-the-ftc-to-block-the-new-click-to-cancel-rule-153728158.html?src=rss

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Intel just won an epic battle with the European Union over a €1.06 billion ($1.1 billion) fine levied way back in 2009, Bloomberg reported. In a final decision, the EU Court of Justice overturned the original judgement, ruling that regulators didn’t provide sufficient proof that Intel gave illegal rebates to PC makers. Intel’s European misadventures aren’t quite finished yet, though, as it’s still battling a €376 million fine ($406 million) imposed by the Commission last year.
Back in 2009, the EU ruled that Intel illegally used hidden rebates to squeeze rivals out of the marketplace for CPUs. It also found that Intel paid manufacturers to delay or completely cease the launch of products powered by AMD’s CPUs, calling those actions “naked restrictions.” The legal process went back and forth for years after that, but in 2017, Europe’s highest court ordered the fine to be re-examined as the EU didn’t conduct an economic assessment on how Intel’s actions impacted rivals. 
Europe’s second highest court confirmed that the Commission carried out an incomplete analysis and overturned the €1.06 billion fine back in 2022. At the time, it said that the EU couldn’t establish if Intel’s rebates were “capable of having, or were likely to have, anticompetitive effects” due to the incomplete analysis. 
The Commission launched an appeal to that ruling, but the EU Court of Justice has now upheld it. Still, Intel never appealed the “naked restrictions” part of past decisions, so last year the Commission imposed a new €376 million fine on that basis. Intel is also fighting that penalty too, though, and has sued the EU to recoup interest on the original, larger fine.
The processor landscape has changed drastically since the original 2009 ruling, of course. Back then, Intel ruled the PC roost with an 81 percent CPU market share, compared to 12 percent for AMD. Today, Intel’s share is down to 63 percent and the company has struggled in the area of chip production next to rival TSMC, which manufacturers the bulk of AMD and NVIDIA’s CPUs, GPUs and AI processors. Ironically, Intel has outsourced a large chunk of its production to TSMC and other foundries, to the tune of around 30 percent. Luckily, despite its manufacturing problems, it does appear to have excellent legal counsel.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/intel-wins-latest-antitrust-battle-with-eu-court-133040762.html?src=rss

Intel just won an epic battle with the European Union over a €1.06 billion ($1.1 billion) fine levied way back in 2009, Bloomberg reported. In a final decision, the EU Court of Justice overturned the original judgement, ruling that regulators didn’t provide sufficient proof that Intel gave illegal rebates to PC makers. Intel’s European misadventures aren’t quite finished yet, though, as it’s still battling a €376 million fine ($406 million) imposed by the Commission last year.

Back in 2009, the EU ruled that Intel illegally used hidden rebates to squeeze rivals out of the marketplace for CPUs. It also found that Intel paid manufacturers to delay or completely cease the launch of products powered by AMD’s CPUs, calling those actions “naked restrictions.” The legal process went back and forth for years after that, but in 2017, Europe’s highest court ordered the fine to be re-examined as the EU didn’t conduct an economic assessment on how Intel’s actions impacted rivals. 

Europe’s second highest court confirmed that the Commission carried out an incomplete analysis and overturned the €1.06 billion fine back in 2022. At the time, it said that the EU couldn’t establish if Intel’s rebates were “capable of having, or were likely to have, anticompetitive effects” due to the incomplete analysis. 

The Commission launched an appeal to that ruling, but the EU Court of Justice has now upheld it. Still, Intel never appealed the “naked restrictions” part of past decisions, so last year the Commission imposed a new €376 million fine on that basis. Intel is also fighting that penalty too, though, and has sued the EU to recoup interest on the original, larger fine.

The processor landscape has changed drastically since the original 2009 ruling, of course. Back then, Intel ruled the PC roost with an 81 percent CPU market share, compared to 12 percent for AMD. Today, Intel’s share is down to 63 percent and the company has struggled in the area of chip production next to rival TSMC, which manufacturers the bulk of AMD and NVIDIA’s CPUs, GPUs and AI processors. Ironically, Intel has outsourced a large chunk of its production to TSMC and other foundries, to the tune of around 30 percent. Luckily, despite its manufacturing problems, it does appear to have excellent legal counsel.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/intel-wins-latest-antitrust-battle-with-eu-court-133040762.html?src=rss

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If you’ve been looking to upgrade your smartwatch, now might be the right time. Our favorite smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 10, is currently on sale with the 42mm model down to $370 from $399 in Jet Black. The 46mm model is down to $399 from $429 and available in Jet Black and Silver Aluminum.
Apple released its Series 10 Watch only a month ago, alongside new products like the AirPods 4 and the iPhone 16. We gave it a 90 in our review features like its thinner frame and bigger screens — from 41mm to 42mm and 45mm to 46mm. The watch also offers music and podcast listening through its onboard speaker, which worked alright for a quick listen in a quiet space. Its battery also lasts slightly longer than its predecessor’s. 

Health-wise, the Apple Watch Series 10 brings sleep apnea monitoring, tracking your sleeping patterns for 30 days to see if its worth going to a doctor. Notably, the Series 10 Watch doesn’t include a Blood Oxygen app as Apple faces ongoing copyright litigation arguing the tech giant infringed on a patent owned by health tech company, Massimo. 
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-apple-watch-series-10-is-30-off-right-now-133026681.html?src=rss

If you’ve been looking to upgrade your smartwatch, now might be the right time. Our favorite smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 10, is currently on sale with the 42mm model down to $370 from $399 in Jet Black. The 46mm model is down to $399 from $429 and available in Jet Black and Silver Aluminum.

Apple released its Series 10 Watch only a month ago, alongside new products like the AirPods 4 and the iPhone 16. We gave it a 90 in our review features like its thinner frame and bigger screens — from 41mm to 42mm and 45mm to 46mm. The watch also offers music and podcast listening through its onboard speaker, which worked alright for a quick listen in a quiet space. Its battery also lasts slightly longer than its predecessor’s. 

Health-wise, the Apple Watch Series 10 brings sleep apnea monitoring, tracking your sleeping patterns for 30 days to see if its worth going to a doctor. Notably, the Series 10 Watch doesn’t include a Blood Oxygen app as Apple faces ongoing copyright litigation arguing the tech giant infringed on a patent owned by health tech company, Massimo. 

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-apple-watch-series-10-is-30-off-right-now-133026681.html?src=rss

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Snapchat users will soon be able to launch the app’s camera directly from the iPhone lock screen, thanks to an app update and the magic of iOS 18. The latest iPhone operating system update allows people to swap out the flashlight and camera on the lock screen for a diverse array of other useful tools. These tools will now include the Snapchat camera.
Tapping the button will launch Snapchat’s “Camera Only” mode. This will, technically, let you create a Snap, but there’s a major caveat. The lock screen allows users to take photos, but not add filters or post anything. For that, you’ll have to unlock the phone with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode and open the actual app.
This unique feature will be available via an app update sometime this week. Of course, it also requires an update to iOS 18.0 or the forthcoming iOS 18.1. To get started, tap and hold the Lock Screen and tap Customize. Follow the prompts to remove the default options and add the Snapchat camera.
Phones running iOS 18 offer another little update for Snapchat users. The volume buttons can now be used to capture a Snap while the app is open. Just press either volume button to take a photo or hold one down to record a video.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/snapchats-camera-is-getting-a-shortcut-on-the-iphone-lock-screen-130039644.html?src=rss

Snapchat users will soon be able to launch the app’s camera directly from the iPhone lock screen, thanks to an app update and the magic of iOS 18. The latest iPhone operating system update allows people to swap out the flashlight and camera on the lock screen for a diverse array of other useful tools. These tools will now include the Snapchat camera.

Tapping the button will launch Snapchat’s “Camera Only” mode. This will, technically, let you create a Snap, but there’s a major caveat. The lock screen allows users to take photos, but not add filters or post anything. For that, you’ll have to unlock the phone with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode and open the actual app.

This unique feature will be available via an app update sometime this week. Of course, it also requires an update to iOS 18.0 or the forthcoming iOS 18.1. To get started, tap and hold the Lock Screen and tap Customize. Follow the prompts to remove the default options and add the Snapchat camera.

Phones running iOS 18 offer another little update for Snapchat users. The volume buttons can now be used to capture a Snap while the app is open. Just press either volume button to take a photo or hold one down to record a video.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/snapchats-camera-is-getting-a-shortcut-on-the-iphone-lock-screen-130039644.html?src=rss

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