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It’s been over a year since Peter Parker and Miles Morales joined forces for their epic crossover adventure game on the Sony PlayStation 5. Now they are swinging their way to PCs early next year.
Sony announced at New York Comic Con today that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is getting a PC release on January 30, 2025 on Steam and the Epic Games Store. The fans who got to hear the news first also witnessed the new trailer for the game’s PC remake.

The new release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will come in two different versions and both have plenty of extra features and perks for those very patient PC players. The “Standard Edition” comes with the full game and all the PS5 updates such as 14 new suits, “Ultimate Levels,” new styles of symbiote suits and an action figure mode in photo mode. The “Digital Deluxe Edition” also comes with five exclusive new suits for Peter and Miles each, early unlocks for Peter’s Arachknight suit, Miles, Shadow-Spirit suit and the web grabber gadget and additional items for photo mode.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 features the two most famous names from the Spider-Verse (not counting Stan Lee) in an expanded version of the Big Apple taking on one of the longest lists of villains in just about any comic book based game. The two take on bad guys like Kraven, Black Cat and Scorpion without giving away too many appearances. Of course, the one most of the fans looked forward to seeing is that deep voiced, slimy symbiote Venom.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/spider-man-2-will-crawl-onto-pcs-in-january-223143137.html?src=rss

It’s been over a year since Peter Parker and Miles Morales joined forces for their epic crossover adventure game on the Sony PlayStation 5. Now they are swinging their way to PCs early next year.

Sony announced at New York Comic Con today that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is getting a PC release on January 30, 2025 on Steam and the Epic Games Store. The fans who got to hear the news first also witnessed the new trailer for the game’s PC remake.

The new release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will come in two different versions and both have plenty of extra features and perks for those very patient PC players. The “Standard Edition” comes with the full game and all the PS5 updates such as 14 new suits, “Ultimate Levels,” new styles of symbiote suits and an action figure mode in photo mode. The “Digital Deluxe Edition” also comes with five exclusive new suits for Peter and Miles each, early unlocks for Peter’s Arachknight suit, Miles, Shadow-Spirit suit and the web grabber gadget and additional items for photo mode.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 features the two most famous names from the Spider-Verse (not counting Stan Lee) in an expanded version of the Big Apple taking on one of the longest lists of villains in just about any comic book based game. The two take on bad guys like Kraven, Black Cat and Scorpion without giving away too many appearances. Of course, the one most of the fans looked forward to seeing is that deep voiced, slimy symbiote Venom.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/spider-man-2-will-crawl-onto-pcs-in-january-223143137.html?src=rss

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Artificial intelligence makers have faced a mountain of criticism for borrowing from the work of others to train its models. Now the world’s largest publishing house is taking steps to ensure its authors don’t have their work plagiarized in the name of progress.
The Bookseller reports that Penguin Random House Publishing changed the copyright page at the front of its books to address using any of its titles as a source for AI training. Now the wording states: “No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems.”
The new wording also protects against data absorption by noting the publisher “expressly reserves [the titles] from the text and data mining exception.” This part of the amended text comes from a recent European Parliament directive regarding text and data mining exceptions and ownership.
Penguin Random House is the latest publishing company to take action against encroaching AI models. Earlier this week, The New York Times issued a cease and desist letter to the AI startup Perplexity to spot using its articles and stories to help its AI model create answers for users.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/penguin-random-house-amends-its-copyright-rules-to-protect-authors-from-ai-210436839.html?src=rss

Artificial intelligence makers have faced a mountain of criticism for borrowing from the work of others to train its models. Now the world’s largest publishing house is taking steps to ensure its authors don’t have their work plagiarized in the name of progress.

The Bookseller reports that Penguin Random House Publishing changed the copyright page at the front of its books to address using any of its titles as a source for AI training. Now the wording states: “No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems.”

The new wording also protects against data absorption by noting the publisher “expressly reserves [the titles] from the text and data mining exception.” This part of the amended text comes from a recent European Parliament directive regarding text and data mining exceptions and ownership.

Penguin Random House is the latest publishing company to take action against encroaching AI models. Earlier this week, The New York Times issued a cease and desist letter to the AI startup Perplexity to spot using its articles and stories to help its AI model create answers for users.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/penguin-random-house-amends-its-copyright-rules-to-protect-authors-from-ai-210436839.html?src=rss

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It’s only been three months since the implosion of Redbox, but the company’s familiar red kiosks could become a security nightmare as they’re sold to the highest bidders.
Gizmodo reports at least one owner of a defunct DVD and Blu-ray dispenser found a way to obtain customers’ private information from an encrypted file on the machine, which contained more than just one person’s penchant for the Trolls franchise. The database also contained sensitive data like personal emails and home addresses.
On Mastodon, programmer Foone Turing, a self-described collector of weird things, said she cracked the encrypted files from a Redbox machine and matched the information she found to a real person.
The file she obtained came from a Redbox machine that had operated in Morganton, North Carolina. The information she pulled from the file showed a customer’s name, ZIP code and usage history. If you’re curious, they rented a copy of The Giver and The Maze Runner. I’ll bet that person is thankful they decided not to take out a copy of Disney’s Lone Ranger reboot.
Turing told Lowpass she was even able to obtain part of some customers’ credit card information. Even though there wasn’t an entire log, she noticed it still had “the first six and the last 4 [digits] of each credit card used, plus some lower-level transaction details.”
It also didn’t take a lot of hacking know-how to crack the machines. The code Redbox used to program the machines is “the kind of code you get when hire 20 new grads who technically know C# but none of them has [sic] written any software before,” Turing wrote on Mastodon.
Now here’s the kicker. It’s clear that Redbox’s parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul, didn’t do a great job of wiping the machines before selling them off like old shoes at a garage sale. There are over 24,000 kiosks and some people are even buying them from the store and taking the things home. Suddenly, paying a couple of extra bucks for Netflix doesn’t sound as bad right now.
We’ve reached out to Chicken Soup for the Soul for comment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/turns-out-redboxs-derelict-kiosks-are-a-big-red-security-risk-192246034.html?src=rss

It’s only been three months since the implosion of Redbox, but the company’s familiar red kiosks could become a security nightmare as they’re sold to the highest bidders.

Gizmodo reports at least one owner of a defunct DVD and Blu-ray dispenser found a way to obtain customers’ private information from an encrypted file on the machine, which contained more than just one person’s penchant for the Trolls franchise. The database also contained sensitive data like personal emails and home addresses.

On Mastodon, programmer Foone Turing, a self-described collector of weird things, said she cracked the encrypted files from a Redbox machine and matched the information she found to a real person.

The file she obtained came from a Redbox machine that had operated in Morganton, North Carolina. The information she pulled from the file showed a customer’s name, ZIP code and usage history. If you’re curious, they rented a copy of The Giver and The Maze Runner. I’ll bet that person is thankful they decided not to take out a copy of Disney’s Lone Ranger reboot.

Turing told Lowpass she was even able to obtain part of some customers’ credit card information. Even though there wasn’t an entire log, she noticed it still had “the first six and the last 4 [digits] of each credit card used, plus some lower-level transaction details.”

It also didn’t take a lot of hacking know-how to crack the machines. The code Redbox used to program the machines is “the kind of code you get when hire 20 new grads who technically know C# but none of them has [sic] written any software before,” Turing wrote on Mastodon.

Now here’s the kicker. It’s clear that Redbox’s parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul, didn’t do a great job of wiping the machines before selling them off like old shoes at a garage sale. There are over 24,000 kiosks and some people are even buying them from the store and taking the things home. Suddenly, paying a couple of extra bucks for Netflix doesn’t sound as bad right now.

We’ve reached out to Chicken Soup for the Soul for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/turns-out-redboxs-derelict-kiosks-are-a-big-red-security-risk-192246034.html?src=rss

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Nightdive Studios has reimagined another cult classic game for modern audiences. Killing Time: Resurrected is a refresh of the 1996 3DO and PC original. For the uninitiated, the game was notable at the time for attempting to blend full-motion video (FMV) with a first-person shooter. It truly looked like nothing else when it was released during the heyday of Bill Clinton’s first term as president.
Like most Nightdive remakes, Killing Time: Resurrected isn’t just a simple remaster. This title boasts 4K visuals, a 144Hz frame cap and other modern graphical goodies like anti-aliasing. The menu art and 2D screens have also been redone.

As for gameplay, fans will now have access to all of the weapons from both the 3DO and PC versions of the game. Back in the 1990s, several weapons were exclusive to each platform. There’s also plenty of newly-unearthed content that was cut from the original, including a pool house stage and a shipwreck.
The 50 live-action FMV sequences have been fully remastered, and they really pop in this remake. Players can toggle between the original sprites and the updated visuals, which is always a nice touch. Nightdive promises “upscaled environmental texturing, smoother gameplay, more responsive controls.”
The load times between areas have also been completely eliminated. Those load times were pretty brutal back in the 1990s, if memory serves. Killing Time: Resurrected is available right now for PC via Steam. There’s a launch sale going on, dropping the title down to $20 from $25.
Nightdive Studios has been pumping out all kinds of high-quality remakes and remasters lately. It handled the critically-acclaimed remaster of Star Wars: Dark Forces and a complete remake of System Shock. The company was recently purchased by Atari.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nightdive-studios-revives-a-cult-classic-3do-game-from-1996-185413750.html?src=rss

Nightdive Studios has reimagined another cult classic game for modern audiences. Killing Time: Resurrected is a refresh of the 1996 3DO and PC original. For the uninitiated, the game was notable at the time for attempting to blend full-motion video (FMV) with a first-person shooter. It truly looked like nothing else when it was released during the heyday of Bill Clinton’s first term as president.

Like most Nightdive remakes, Killing Time: Resurrected isn’t just a simple remaster. This title boasts 4K visuals, a 144Hz frame cap and other modern graphical goodies like anti-aliasing. The menu art and 2D screens have also been redone.

As for gameplay, fans will now have access to all of the weapons from both the 3DO and PC versions of the game. Back in the 1990s, several weapons were exclusive to each platform. There’s also plenty of newly-unearthed content that was cut from the original, including a pool house stage and a shipwreck.

The 50 live-action FMV sequences have been fully remastered, and they really pop in this remake. Players can toggle between the original sprites and the updated visuals, which is always a nice touch. Nightdive promises “upscaled environmental texturing, smoother gameplay, more responsive controls.”

The load times between areas have also been completely eliminated. Those load times were pretty brutal back in the 1990s, if memory serves. Killing Time: Resurrected is available right now for PC via Steam. There’s a launch sale going on, dropping the title down to $20 from $25.

Nightdive Studios has been pumping out all kinds of high-quality remakes and remasters lately. It handled the critically-acclaimed remaster of Star Wars: Dark Forces and a complete remake of System Shock. The company was recently purchased by Atari.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nightdive-studios-revives-a-cult-classic-3do-game-from-1996-185413750.html?src=rss

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Google’s NotebookLM software just got some cool new features that primarily impact audio overviews. For the uninitiated, the platform’s Audio Overview tool uses AI to whip up an audio summary of a piece of content. It started with written content, but has since expanded to YouTube videos.
So what’s new? Users can now input specific instructions before generating a “Deep Dive” overview. Google gives examples of tasking the software to focus on a single topic or adjusting the expertise level to suit a particular audience. The company says it’s like “slipping the AI hosts a quick note right before they go on the air.”
There’s also a new background listening feature, which is just what it sounds like. People can listen to audio overviews as they do other stuff within NotebookLM. Google says users can query sources, get citations and explore relevant quotes “without interrupting the audio.”

It’s also worth noting that the company has removed NotebookLM’s “experimental” label, so I guess the experiment has been a resounding success. In any event, the software became available to the general public back in December.
The company even announced a forthcoming expansion that’s primarily intended for commercial use, called NotebookLM Business. This will include “enhanced features for businesses, universities and organizations.” Businesses can apply today to get early access to the pilot program.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-notebooklm-adds-improved-audio-overviews-and-background-listening-feature-174804128.html?src=rss

Google’s NotebookLM software just got some cool new features that primarily impact audio overviews. For the uninitiated, the platform’s Audio Overview tool uses AI to whip up an audio summary of a piece of content. It started with written content, but has since expanded to YouTube videos.

So what’s new? Users can now input specific instructions before generating a “Deep Dive” overview. Google gives examples of tasking the software to focus on a single topic or adjusting the expertise level to suit a particular audience. The company says it’s like “slipping the AI hosts a quick note right before they go on the air.”

There’s also a new background listening feature, which is just what it sounds like. People can listen to audio overviews as they do other stuff within NotebookLM. Google says users can query sources, get citations and explore relevant quotes “without interrupting the audio.”

It’s also worth noting that the company has removed NotebookLM’s “experimental” label, so I guess the experiment has been a resounding success. In any event, the software became available to the general public back in December.

The company even announced a forthcoming expansion that’s primarily intended for commercial use, called NotebookLM Business. This will include “enhanced features for businesses, universities and organizations.” Businesses can apply today to get early access to the pilot program.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-notebooklm-adds-improved-audio-overviews-and-background-listening-feature-174804128.html?src=rss

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We’re in the awkward stretch between Amazon’s October Prime Day event and next month’s Black Friday sales, so it’s admittedly a slow week for tech deals. Nevertheless, we’ve found a few steep discounts on premium OLED TVs from Samsung and LG, the entry-level Apple Pencil, our favorite cheap running earbuds, recommended power banks, Sony headphones and more. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still buy today.

Samsung S90C OLED TV (65″) for $1,300 at Best Buy ($300 off MSRP): The S90C’s QD-OLED panel mixes the typical advantages of an OLED TV — excellent contrast with deep black tones, clear motion, wide viewing angles and so on — with a layer of quantum dots. The latter helps it deliver a wider gamut of more vibrant colors and generally improved brightness compared to traditional OLED sets. This model is from 2023, but it received high marks across the web, and the differences between it and the newer S90D aren’t massive. For reference, that updated set costs $300 more as of this writing. We may see further discounts as we get closer to Black Friday, of course, but for now this deal is only about $20 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked for the 65-inch model. It’s also available at Amazon, albeit from a third-party seller.
LG C3 OLED TV (65″) for $1,297 at Amazon ($203 off): The LG C3 is another well-regarded premium TV from last year. Its WOLED panel isn’t quite as bright or color-rich as a good QD-OLED set, but it offers top-notch contrast, motion response and viewing angles. Like the S90C, it has four HDMI 2.1 ports and can play in 4K at 120Hz, the maximum refresh rate supported by the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Unlike the S90C, it supports the popular Dolby Vision HDR format. Its webOS software is generally easier to navigate than Samsung’s Tizen platform, too. Outside of select in-store deals and a very brief dip to $1,245 earlier this year, this is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 65-inch variant. Again, there’s a newer model available, but most reviews suggest that it’s not a huge upgrade, and it costs $300 extra right now.

The Sony ULT Wear.

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Sony ULT Wear for $148 at Amazon ($52 off): While the ULT Wear aren’t a top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones, they’re worth considering at this price if you prefer a (very) bass-heavy sound profile. Decent active noise cancellation, a refined design, above-average call quality and a solid 40-ish hours of battery life add to the appeal, though again, you really need to be a “basshead” to enjoy them. We gave the pair a score of 78 in our review. This deal marks an all-time low, and it’s also available at Walmart.
Apple Pencil (USB-C) for $65 at Walmart ($14 off): Here’s a new low for Apple’s entry-level iPad stylus. This model doesn’t support pressure sensitivity or wireless charging, so those who can afford to step up to one of Apple’s more expensive Pencils should do so. But if you just want a pen for casual doodling or note-taking — or if you own a 10th-gen iPad, which doesn’t support those better options — this one should do the job at a more palatable price.
Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) for $300 at Amazon ($49 off): Yes, the 13-inch iPad Pro is more iPad than most people need, so dropping another $300 to pair it with a keyboard is definitely overkill. But if you’re dead-set on making the Pro your main computer, the keyboard itself is extremely well-made, and this deal does let you save some cash compared to buying from Apple directly. It’s another new low. 
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. They aren’t the cleanest-sounding set of wireless earbuds around, but their hook-style design stays in place while you’re on the move, they have an IP55 water-resistance rating and, most importantly, they’re very affordable. This deal is among the lowest prices we’ve tracked; just clip the $6 on-page coupon, and note that it only applies to the teal colorway. Other colors are also on sale for $20, which is still a decent value.  

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max + Xbox Core Wireless Controller (Sky Cipher) + 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $80 at Amazon ($67 off): If you happen to be in the market for a streaming stick and a new Xbox controller, Amazon is bundling its top-end Fire TV Stick with said gamepad at a discount. This is mainly a deal because it includes the “Sky Cipher” version of the Series X/S pad, which usually costs between $60 and $70 on its own. (If you don’t care about the color, you’ll likely be able to save more by getting the Max and a standard Xbox controller separately around Black Friday.) Amazon is selling this bundle to push the streamer’s ability to play Xbox games over the cloud, so it’s also throwing in a month of Game Pass Ultimate. The 4K Max still tends to promote Prime Video and other Amazon services above all else, but it’s fast, and it supports all the major apps. We’ve also found it to be a surprisingly decent retro gaming machine. 
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch) for $40 at Woot ($10 off): Amazon subsidiary Woot is running a few discounts on first-party Nintendo Switch games, including this remake of the popular Game Boy Advance puzzle-platformer Mario vs. Donkey Kong. It may not be as good as its predecessor (few games are), but we still called it a “solid mix of challenge and depth” in our review. This is its lowest price to date. Other Nintendo-published games such as Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Princess Peach: Showtime! are at or near all-time lows as well.
Resident Evil 4 (PS5) for $22 at Amazon ($8 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. The Xbox version is available for the same price. Just note that you can save a couple bucks through PSN if you don’t mind buying digital.
Doom Eternal (PC) for free at Amazon ($40 off, Prime only): This offer has been live for a week now, but it’s still worth a PSA: Amazon Prime subscribers can grab the PC version of the wonderfully chaotic FPS Doom Eternal for no extra cost. You’ll have to claim it through the Microsoft Store instead of Steam or GOG, but free is free. BioShock Remastered, another classic FPS, is available for the same price.

The Razer Basilisk V3.

Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Anker Prime Power Bank for $90 at Amazon ($40 off): The Anker Prime is the premium pick in our guide to the best power banks. It might be overkill for most, but its hefty 20,000mAh capacity and pair of 100W USB-C ports allow it to recharge multiple laptops, let alone smartphones and tablets, at full speed. There’s a 65W USB-A port on top of that, plus a handy display that keeps you updated on the battery’s status. We’ve seen this discount a few times before, but it matches an all-time low. The deal is also available at Anker.com with the code WS7DV2DWW6CW.
Samsung Bar Plus USB flash drive (128GB) for $13 at Amazon ($8 off): The Bar Plus is a basic but dependable thumb drive if all you need is a simple stick to hold and transfer files. We saw this discount during Amazon’s October Prime Day sale earlier in the month, but it comes within a dollar of the drive’s all-time low all the same. The 128GB model has usually sold between $15 and $20 over the past year.
Lexar Professional 1066x microSD card (1TB) for $75 at Amazon ($15 off): The Professional 1066x is a serviceable (if unspectacular) microSD card we’ve recommended in the past. This is another leftover Prime Day deal, but it takes about $15 off the street price we’ve typically seen for the 1TB model over the past few months. 
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, but the upgrades appear to be fairly minor in practice.

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/samsung-and-lg-oled-tvs-are-close-to-all-time-lows-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-171803519.html?src=rss

We’re in the awkward stretch between Amazon’s October Prime Day event and next month’s Black Friday sales, so it’s admittedly a slow week for tech deals. Nevertheless, we’ve found a few steep discounts on premium OLED TVs from Samsung and LG, the entry-level Apple Pencil, our favorite cheap running earbuds, recommended power banks, Sony headphones and more. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still buy today.

Samsung S90C OLED TV (65″) for $1,300 at Best Buy ($300 off MSRP): The S90C’s QD-OLED panel mixes the typical advantages of an OLED TV — excellent contrast with deep black tones, clear motion, wide viewing angles and so on — with a layer of quantum dots. The latter helps it deliver a wider gamut of more vibrant colors and generally improved brightness compared to traditional OLED sets. This model is from 2023, but it received high marks across the web, and the differences between it and the newer S90D aren’t massive. For reference, that updated set costs $300 more as of this writing. We may see further discounts as we get closer to Black Friday, of course, but for now this deal is only about $20 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked for the 65-inch model. It’s also available at Amazon, albeit from a third-party seller.

LG C3 OLED TV (65″) for $1,297 at Amazon ($203 off): The LG C3 is another well-regarded premium TV from last year. Its WOLED panel isn’t quite as bright or color-rich as a good QD-OLED set, but it offers top-notch contrast, motion response and viewing angles. Like the S90C, it has four HDMI 2.1 ports and can play in 4K at 120Hz, the maximum refresh rate supported by the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Unlike the S90C, it supports the popular Dolby Vision HDR format. Its webOS software is generally easier to navigate than Samsung’s Tizen platform, too. Outside of select in-store deals and a very brief dip to $1,245 earlier this year, this is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 65-inch variant. Again, there’s a newer model available, but most reviews suggest that it’s not a huge upgrade, and it costs $300 extra right now.

The Sony ULT Wear.

Sony ULT Wear for $148 at Amazon ($52 off): While the ULT Wear aren’t a top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones, they’re worth considering at this price if you prefer a (very) bass-heavy sound profile. Decent active noise cancellation, a refined design, above-average call quality and a solid 40-ish hours of battery life add to the appeal, though again, you really need to be a “basshead” to enjoy them. We gave the pair a score of 78 in our review. This deal marks an all-time low, and it’s also available at Walmart.

Apple Pencil (USB-C) for $65 at Walmart ($14 off): Here’s a new low for Apple’s entry-level iPad stylus. This model doesn’t support pressure sensitivity or wireless charging, so those who can afford to step up to one of Apple’s more expensive Pencils should do so. But if you just want a pen for casual doodling or note-taking — or if you own a 10th-gen iPad, which doesn’t support those better options — this one should do the job at a more palatable price.

Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) for $300 at Amazon ($49 off): Yes, the 13-inch iPad Pro is more iPad than most people need, so dropping another $300 to pair it with a keyboard is definitely overkill. But if you’re dead-set on making the Pro your main computer, the keyboard itself is extremely well-made, and this deal does let you save some cash compared to buying from Apple directly. It’s another new low. 

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. They aren’t the cleanest-sounding set of wireless earbuds around, but their hook-style design stays in place while you’re on the move, they have an IP55 water-resistance rating and, most importantly, they’re very affordable. This deal is among the lowest prices we’ve tracked; just clip the $6 on-page coupon, and note that it only applies to the teal colorway. Other colors are also on sale for $20, which is still a decent value.  

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max + Xbox Core Wireless Controller (Sky Cipher) + 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $80 at Amazon ($67 off): If you happen to be in the market for a streaming stick and a new Xbox controller, Amazon is bundling its top-end Fire TV Stick with said gamepad at a discount. This is mainly a deal because it includes the “Sky Cipher” version of the Series X/S pad, which usually costs between $60 and $70 on its own. (If you don’t care about the color, you’ll likely be able to save more by getting the Max and a standard Xbox controller separately around Black Friday.) Amazon is selling this bundle to push the streamer’s ability to play Xbox games over the cloud, so it’s also throwing in a month of Game Pass Ultimate. The 4K Max still tends to promote Prime Video and other Amazon services above all else, but it’s fast, and it supports all the major apps. We’ve also found it to be a surprisingly decent retro gaming machine. 

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch) for $40 at Woot ($10 off): Amazon subsidiary Woot is running a few discounts on first-party Nintendo Switch games, including this remake of the popular Game Boy Advance puzzle-platformer Mario vs. Donkey Kong. It may not be as good as its predecessor (few games are), but we still called it a “solid mix of challenge and depth” in our review. This is its lowest price to date. Other Nintendo-published games such as Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Princess Peach: Showtime! are at or near all-time lows as well.

Resident Evil 4 (PS5) for $22 at Amazon ($8 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. The Xbox version is available for the same price. Just note that you can save a couple bucks through PSN if you don’t mind buying digital.

Doom Eternal (PC) for free at Amazon ($40 off, Prime only): This offer has been live for a week now, but it’s still worth a PSA: Amazon Prime subscribers can grab the PC version of the wonderfully chaotic FPS Doom Eternal for no extra cost. You’ll have to claim it through the Microsoft Store instead of Steam or GOG, but free is free. BioShock Remastered, another classic FPS, is available for the same price.

The Razer Basilisk V3.

Anker Prime Power Bank for $90 at Amazon ($40 off): The Anker Prime is the premium pick in our guide to the best power banks. It might be overkill for most, but its hefty 20,000mAh capacity and pair of 100W USB-C ports allow it to recharge multiple laptops, let alone smartphones and tablets, at full speed. There’s a 65W USB-A port on top of that, plus a handy display that keeps you updated on the battery’s status. We’ve seen this discount a few times before, but it matches an all-time low. The deal is also available at Anker.com with the code WS7DV2DWW6CW.

Samsung Bar Plus USB flash drive (128GB) for $13 at Amazon ($8 off): The Bar Plus is a basic but dependable thumb drive if all you need is a simple stick to hold and transfer files. We saw this discount during Amazon’s October Prime Day sale earlier in the month, but it comes within a dollar of the drive’s all-time low all the same. The 128GB model has usually sold between $15 and $20 over the past year.

Lexar Professional 1066x microSD card (1TB) for $75 at Amazon ($15 off): The Professional 1066x is a serviceable (if unspectacular) microSD card we’ve recommended in the past. This is another leftover Prime Day deal, but it takes about $15 off the street price we’ve typically seen for the 1TB model over the past few months. 

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, but the upgrades appear to be fairly minor in practice.

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/samsung-and-lg-oled-tvs-are-close-to-all-time-lows-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-171803519.html?src=rss

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Move over Sony, Canon is trying to take the lead in bleeding-edge tech for mirrorless cameras. The company’s new $4,300, 45-megapixel EOS R5 II offers advanced features like eye-tracking autofocus (AF) that can’t be found on any recent Sony model. The new camera is also pushing Sony’s A1 and other models in the key areas of speed, video and autofocus. And it’s arguably more desirable than Canon’s own upcoming flagship R1 as it has nearly double the resolution.
I’ve had the R5 II for a few weeks, evaluating not only its practicality and speed for both professionals and serious amateurs, but also how it stacks up against Sony’s A1, the gold standard for high-resolution mirrorless cameras. And frankly, I’m impressed.

Design and handling
I love the handling of Canon’s mirrorless cameras and the EOS R5 II may be its sweetest design yet.
The body and controls are very similar to the R5, apart from a couple of changes. Canon moved the power switch to the top right where it’s easier to access, and added a dedicated photo/video switch on the left. The company gave photo and video modes their own settings, making it much easier to jump from one to the other. Canon also made a rare change to its menu system, adding a new olive green tab for control customization. This new tab also contains the settings for eye control AF tracking.
Otherwise, the R5 II’s layout is similar to its predecessor. That’s a good thing, as the control placement is the most natural of any camera I’ve used, from the comfortable grip that provides a secure place to hold, to the nicely tactile controls that fall perfectly to hand.
Moving to the displays, the R5’s 2.1-million-dot fully articulating rear touch screen was already sharp and easy to use, so Canon didn’t mess with that. The R5 II has the same sharp 5.76-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder as before, but the company boosted the brightness and redesigned the optics to accommodate the new eye control autofocus.

Steve Dent for Engadget

The R5 II supports CFexpress Type B cards for capturing 8K RAW video, along with SD UHS II if you’re okay with cheaper and slower media. Other key features include headphone and microphone ports, a full-sized HDMI input and a USB-C port for charging and transfers. Canon also released three new battery grips, including one with a cooling fan that extends video shooting times, as I’ll discuss soon.
I’m a big fan of the R5 II’s design, and my pro photographer friend agreed, saying that like most Canon products, the R5 II’s ergonomics are so good the device is comfortable to hold for long periods of time. He also said he slightly preferred the R5 II’s handling to his Sony A9 III and A1 cameras, thanks to how easy it is to use with one hand.
Performance

Steve Dent for Engadget

The EOS R5 II offers a blend of speed and resolution that rivals and sometimes even surpasses the Nikon Z8 and Sony A1. That’s mostly due to the new stacked 45-megapixel sensor and updated Digic X processor to crunch all those pixels.
The R5 II can shoot bursts at up to 30 fps in electronic shutter mode with a blackout-free view. That’s slower than the R1, but I’ll trade a small hit in performance in exchange for the extra resolution. I was able to capture about 100 RAW frames before the buffer filled. Speeds drop to 12 fps with the mechanical shutter, but there’s rarely any need to use it because there’s no issue with rolling shutter distortion – thanks to the stacked sensor. The R5 II’s new pre-capture mode can record up to 15 photos when you half-press the shutter. That’s great for photojournalists or wildlife photographers who may otherwise miss a shot by a fraction of a second.
Canon’s “Dual Pixel” autofocus has always been good, but on the R5 II it’s the best I’ve ever seen. When shooting bursts with a subject biking toward the camera, 80 percent of my shots were in focus. And the EOS R5 II now tracks animals, birds and vehicles, on top of faces, eyes and bodies of people.

Steve Dent for Engadget

The camera also has a couple of new autofocus tricks, including one called action priority. That keeps the AF focused around the ball in three specific sports: volleyball, basketball and soccer. I didn’t notice any particular AF improvement, as my hit rate seemed to be about the same without it, but dedicated sports photographers might see the difference.
Another new function keeps the tracking point on your subject even if someone crosses in front of them. That did seem to work well most of the time, but it would occasionally wander off and lock onto someone else.
When Canon launched the R5 II and R1 in July, it introduced pre-registered person priority AF that lets your camera memorize up to ten specific people, like star athletes for instance. This feature functioned as advertised, switching AF to a registered person and tracking them instead of other people in the scene.
Finally, I tested Canon’s famous eye control AF that detects where the photographer is looking and moves the subject tracking point there. This is an undeniably cool feature and has improved compared to the first implementation on the EOS R3, but is still too unreliable for professional use.

Steve Dent for Engadget

In fact, the pro photographer friend I mentioned pointed out that though eye control feels futuristic, it’s still a bit too flakey for paid gigs where focus reliability is paramount.
On the R5 II, in-body stabilization is the best I’ve seen on any Canon camera, keeping the sensor rock-steady for handheld shooting, with up to 8.5 stops of shake reduction. It was so reliable that I never felt the need to carry a tripod when using slow shutter speeds.
I’ve always found Sony cameras to be slightly superior to Canon when it comes to autofocus and speed. I can no longer say that, as the EOS R5 II is very even with Sony’s latest models. My Sony-using photographer friend agreed, saying he couldn’t see any real difference between the R5 II his A1 or A9 III.
Image quality
Image quality on the R5 II is largely the same as the R5, and that’s a good thing. The 45-megapixel sensor produces photos as good as or better than the Sony A1 at a much cheaper price, and compares favorably to Nikon’s similarly priced Z8.
When shooting in RAW mode at lower ISOs, the R5 II offers good dynamic range in high contrast bright and dark scenes. Like other stacked sensor cameras, though, there’s a bit more noise than with regular CMOS sensors. Quality also drops slightly in electronic shutter mode, so it’s better to use the mechanical shutter in tricky lighting conditions.
High ISO performance isn’t too bad for such a high-resolution camera either, with noise staying under control up to ISO 12,800. After that, the R5 II doesn’t quite measure up to models like the Nikon Z7 II or Sony A7R V, as both of those offer cleaner images with less grain.

Steve Dent for Engadget

If you don’t want the hassle of processing RAW, JPEG rendering is excellent straight out of the camera, with well balanced sharpening and noise reduction. For low-light shooting, skin tones are flattering at all ISO settings, and the best among all cameras in this price range.
One new notable feature on the R5 II is the AI-powered upscaling applied after the photo is taken. The result isn’t quite as good as a dedicated app like Topaz, but it’s not bad considering it’s in-camera processing.
Video
The original EOS R5 would have been a darn near perfect video camera if not for its pesky overheating issues. Canon has improved this to a degree with a new passive cooling design and $400 fan grip. With those updates, heat is only really an issue at the highest resolutions (8K 60p and 4K 120p). However, these limitations are less severe on the rival Nikon Z8. 

Steve Dent for Engadget

Aside from the heating issue, the EOS R5 II has impressive specs. It can shoot up to 8K 60p and 4K 120p video, but does so with far less rolling shutter than the R5, again thanks to the new stacked sensor. The camera now has Canon Log 2 (CLog 2) capability that allows for higher dynamic range capture than the R5.
Video autofocus is outstanding at all resolutions, with rapid acquisition of the subject and reliable tracking. Face- and eye-detection work very well, and I only occasionally noticed AF lag with fast-moving subjects.
As for stabilization, I could shoot smooth footage while handheld in optical mode with no crop, provided I didn’t move the camera too much. Digital stabilization allowed for more movement while only cropping in a touch, and the enhanced setting let me shoot smoothly while walking with a 1.5x crop. Panasonic’s S5 II is still the best in this regard, but the R5 II is close behind.
As for quality, video on the EOS R5 II is extremely sharp, particularly with supersampled 4K HQ. Other 4K modes are subsampled, but nearly as sharp. Rolling shutter is well managed, so you won’t really notice it unless you do whip pans or jostle the camera while shooting.
Canon’s excellent color science delivers warm skin tones and accurate colors. RAW video allows lots of room for adjustments in post, while the CLog 2 brings dynamic range up to 14 stops to enable shooting in contrasty conditions. With all this, the Canon R5 II is now my go-to camera for shooting video — even over Sony and Panasonic models.
Wrap-up

Steve Dent for Engadget

The $4,300 EOS R5 II is Canon’s best camera in years, thanks to improvements in key areas like autofocus, video, shooting speeds and overall feel. Newly introduced tech like eye control AF is less useful, but it’s still nice to see Canon try to innovate, and the feature should improve in subsequent models.
The R5 II is up against some great competition in this price range, especially the $4,000 Nikon Z8 that holds its own against this camera in most situations. However, Canon’s autofocus is slightly faster and more reliable, and I greatly prefer the R5 II’s handling. The only other full-frame option with a stacked sensor and similar resolution is the Sony A1, which costs $2,200 more.
The main issues with the R5 II are overheating, the wonkiness of action priority and unreliable eye control autofocus. However, it now stacks up extremely well against Sony’s A1 in terms of speed and autofocus, while offering superior stabilization and handling. Which one you choose may simply come down to brand preference or existing lens collection. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/canon-eos-r5-ii-review-canons-most-powerful-camera-yet-puts-sony-on-notice-160013865.html?src=rss

Move over Sony, Canon is trying to take the lead in bleeding-edge tech for mirrorless cameras. The company’s new $4,300, 45-megapixel EOS R5 II offers advanced features like eye-tracking autofocus (AF) that can’t be found on any recent Sony model. The new camera is also pushing Sony’s A1 and other models in the key areas of speed, video and autofocus. And it’s arguably more desirable than Canon’s own upcoming flagship R1 as it has nearly double the resolution.

I’ve had the R5 II for a few weeks, evaluating not only its practicality and speed for both professionals and serious amateurs, but also how it stacks up against Sony’s A1, the gold standard for high-resolution mirrorless cameras. And frankly, I’m impressed.

Design and handling

I love the handling of Canon’s mirrorless cameras and the EOS R5 II may be its sweetest design yet.

The body and controls are very similar to the R5, apart from a couple of changes. Canon moved the power switch to the top right where it’s easier to access, and added a dedicated photo/video switch on the left. The company gave photo and video modes their own settings, making it much easier to jump from one to the other. Canon also made a rare change to its menu system, adding a new olive green tab for control customization. This new tab also contains the settings for eye control AF tracking.

Otherwise, the R5 II’s layout is similar to its predecessor. That’s a good thing, as the control placement is the most natural of any camera I’ve used, from the comfortable grip that provides a secure place to hold, to the nicely tactile controls that fall perfectly to hand.

Moving to the displays, the R5’s 2.1-million-dot fully articulating rear touch screen was already sharp and easy to use, so Canon didn’t mess with that. The R5 II has the same sharp 5.76-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder as before, but the company boosted the brightness and redesigned the optics to accommodate the new eye control autofocus.

The R5 II supports CFexpress Type B cards for capturing 8K RAW video, along with SD UHS II if you’re okay with cheaper and slower media. Other key features include headphone and microphone ports, a full-sized HDMI input and a USB-C port for charging and transfers. Canon also released three new battery grips, including one with a cooling fan that extends video shooting times, as I’ll discuss soon.

I’m a big fan of the R5 II’s design, and my pro photographer friend agreed, saying that like most Canon products, the R5 II’s ergonomics are so good the device is comfortable to hold for long periods of time. He also said he slightly preferred the R5 II’s handling to his Sony A9 III and A1 cameras, thanks to how easy it is to use with one hand.

Performance

The EOS R5 II offers a blend of speed and resolution that rivals and sometimes even surpasses the Nikon Z8 and Sony A1. That’s mostly due to the new stacked 45-megapixel sensor and updated Digic X processor to crunch all those pixels.

The R5 II can shoot bursts at up to 30 fps in electronic shutter mode with a blackout-free view. That’s slower than the R1, but I’ll trade a small hit in performance in exchange for the extra resolution. I was able to capture about 100 RAW frames before the buffer filled. Speeds drop to 12 fps with the mechanical shutter, but there’s rarely any need to use it because there’s no issue with rolling shutter distortion – thanks to the stacked sensor. The R5 II’s new pre-capture mode can record up to 15 photos when you half-press the shutter. That’s great for photojournalists or wildlife photographers who may otherwise miss a shot by a fraction of a second.

Canon’s “Dual Pixel” autofocus has always been good, but on the R5 II it’s the best I’ve ever seen. When shooting bursts with a subject biking toward the camera, 80 percent of my shots were in focus. And the EOS R5 II now tracks animals, birds and vehicles, on top of faces, eyes and bodies of people.

The camera also has a couple of new autofocus tricks, including one called action priority. That keeps the AF focused around the ball in three specific sports: volleyball, basketball and soccer. I didn’t notice any particular AF improvement, as my hit rate seemed to be about the same without it, but dedicated sports photographers might see the difference.

Another new function keeps the tracking point on your subject even if someone crosses in front of them. That did seem to work well most of the time, but it would occasionally wander off and lock onto someone else.

When Canon launched the R5 II and R1 in July, it introduced pre-registered person priority AF that lets your camera memorize up to ten specific people, like star athletes for instance. This feature functioned as advertised, switching AF to a registered person and tracking them instead of other people in the scene.

Finally, I tested Canon’s famous eye control AF that detects where the photographer is looking and moves the subject tracking point there. This is an undeniably cool feature and has improved compared to the first implementation on the EOS R3, but is still too unreliable for professional use.

In fact, the pro photographer friend I mentioned pointed out that though eye control feels futuristic, it’s still a bit too flakey for paid gigs where focus reliability is paramount.

On the R5 II, in-body stabilization is the best I’ve seen on any Canon camera, keeping the sensor rock-steady for handheld shooting, with up to 8.5 stops of shake reduction. It was so reliable that I never felt the need to carry a tripod when using slow shutter speeds.

I’ve always found Sony cameras to be slightly superior to Canon when it comes to autofocus and speed. I can no longer say that, as the EOS R5 II is very even with Sony’s latest models. My Sony-using photographer friend agreed, saying he couldn’t see any real difference between the R5 II his A1 or A9 III.

Image quality

Image quality on the R5 II is largely the same as the R5, and that’s a good thing. The 45-megapixel sensor produces photos as good as or better than the Sony A1 at a much cheaper price, and compares favorably to Nikon’s similarly priced Z8.

When shooting in RAW mode at lower ISOs, the R5 II offers good dynamic range in high contrast bright and dark scenes. Like other stacked sensor cameras, though, there’s a bit more noise than with regular CMOS sensors. Quality also drops slightly in electronic shutter mode, so it’s better to use the mechanical shutter in tricky lighting conditions.

High ISO performance isn’t too bad for such a high-resolution camera either, with noise staying under control up to ISO 12,800. After that, the R5 II doesn’t quite measure up to models like the Nikon Z7 II or Sony A7R V, as both of those offer cleaner images with less grain.

If you don’t want the hassle of processing RAW, JPEG rendering is excellent straight out of the camera, with well balanced sharpening and noise reduction. For low-light shooting, skin tones are flattering at all ISO settings, and the best among all cameras in this price range.

One new notable feature on the R5 II is the AI-powered upscaling applied after the photo is taken. The result isn’t quite as good as a dedicated app like Topaz, but it’s not bad considering it’s in-camera processing.

Video

The original EOS R5 would have been a darn near perfect video camera if not for its pesky overheating issues. Canon has improved this to a degree with a new passive cooling design and $400 fan grip. With those updates, heat is only really an issue at the highest resolutions (8K 60p and 4K 120p). However, these limitations are less severe on the rival Nikon Z8. 

Aside from the heating issue, the EOS R5 II has impressive specs. It can shoot up to 8K 60p and 4K 120p video, but does so with far less rolling shutter than the R5, again thanks to the new stacked sensor. The camera now has Canon Log 2 (CLog 2) capability that allows for higher dynamic range capture than the R5.

Video autofocus is outstanding at all resolutions, with rapid acquisition of the subject and reliable tracking. Face- and eye-detection work very well, and I only occasionally noticed AF lag with fast-moving subjects.

As for stabilization, I could shoot smooth footage while handheld in optical mode with no crop, provided I didn’t move the camera too much. Digital stabilization allowed for more movement while only cropping in a touch, and the enhanced setting let me shoot smoothly while walking with a 1.5x crop. Panasonic’s S5 II is still the best in this regard, but the R5 II is close behind.

As for quality, video on the EOS R5 II is extremely sharp, particularly with supersampled 4K HQ. Other 4K modes are subsampled, but nearly as sharp. Rolling shutter is well managed, so you won’t really notice it unless you do whip pans or jostle the camera while shooting.

Canon’s excellent color science delivers warm skin tones and accurate colors. RAW video allows lots of room for adjustments in post, while the CLog 2 brings dynamic range up to 14 stops to enable shooting in contrasty conditions. With all this, the Canon R5 II is now my go-to camera for shooting video — even over Sony and Panasonic models.

Wrap-up

The $4,300 EOS R5 II is Canon’s best camera in years, thanks to improvements in key areas like autofocus, video, shooting speeds and overall feel. Newly introduced tech like eye control AF is less useful, but it’s still nice to see Canon try to innovate, and the feature should improve in subsequent models.

The R5 II is up against some great competition in this price range, especially the $4,000 Nikon Z8 that holds its own against this camera in most situations. However, Canon’s autofocus is slightly faster and more reliable, and I greatly prefer the R5 II’s handling. The only other full-frame option with a stacked sensor and similar resolution is the Sony A1, which costs $2,200 more.

The main issues with the R5 II are overheating, the wonkiness of action priority and unreliable eye control autofocus. However, it now stacks up extremely well against Sony’s A1 in terms of speed and autofocus, while offering superior stabilization and handling. Which one you choose may simply come down to brand preference or existing lens collection. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/canon-eos-r5-ii-review-canons-most-powerful-camera-yet-puts-sony-on-notice-160013865.html?src=rss

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Qualcomm has canceled its Windows on ARM PC dev kit, otherwise called the Snapdragon X Elite Developer Kit. Refunds are going out, sales have ceased and support for the kit has stopped, according to reporting by The Verge. It was originally supposed to ship in June before being delayed.
In an email to customers, Qualcomm chalked the whole thing up to quality control. It said the mini PC “comprehensively has not met our usual standards of excellence” and “we have made the decision to pause this product and the support of it, indefinitely.” Interestingly, some kits had already been mailed out to consumers. It remains to be seen if those who have received the unit would also be refunded.
As previously mentioned, it was originally supposed to launch back in June alongside the chips that powered those first Copilot Plus PCs. Qualcomm hasn’t given a reason as to why it took months to make the decision to cancel the product.
Developer Jeff Geerling received the kit and gave it a teardown and review. He said it landed “with a thud” and called out the lack of Linux support and resale restrictions. Geerling also found that the unit was missing an HDMI port, despite having all of the chips in place for an internal DisplayPort to HDMI conversion.

Some have speculated that this HDMI port issue caused the production delays and even led to the eventual cancellation. To that end, Qualcomm emailed customers last month to alert them they were planning on shipping the dev kit with a USB-C to HDMI dongle instead of a traditional HDMI port.
Whatever the reason for the cancellation, this kit was supposed to be a crucial item of hardware to help devs port apps to Windows on Arm. Microsoft and Qualcomm have been urging developers to ready their apps for Snapdragon X Elite laptops.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/qualcomm-axes-its-windows-on-arm-pc-dev-kit-153303185.html?src=rss

Qualcomm has canceled its Windows on ARM PC dev kit, otherwise called the Snapdragon X Elite Developer Kit. Refunds are going out, sales have ceased and support for the kit has stopped, according to reporting by The Verge. It was originally supposed to ship in June before being delayed.

In an email to customers, Qualcomm chalked the whole thing up to quality control. It said the mini PC “comprehensively has not met our usual standards of excellence” and “we have made the decision to pause this product and the support of it, indefinitely.” Interestingly, some kits had already been mailed out to consumers. It remains to be seen if those who have received the unit would also be refunded.

As previously mentioned, it was originally supposed to launch back in June alongside the chips that powered those first Copilot Plus PCs. Qualcomm hasn’t given a reason as to why it took months to make the decision to cancel the product.

Developer Jeff Geerling received the kit and gave it a teardown and review. He said it landed “with a thud” and called out the lack of Linux support and resale restrictions. Geerling also found that the unit was missing an HDMI port, despite having all of the chips in place for an internal DisplayPort to HDMI conversion.

Some have speculated that this HDMI port issue caused the production delays and even led to the eventual cancellation. To that end, Qualcomm emailed customers last month to alert them they were planning on shipping the dev kit with a USB-C to HDMI dongle instead of a traditional HDMI port.

Whatever the reason for the cancellation, this kit was supposed to be a crucial item of hardware to help devs port apps to Windows on Arm. Microsoft and Qualcomm have been urging developers to ready their apps for Snapdragon X Elite laptops.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/qualcomm-axes-its-windows-on-arm-pc-dev-kit-153303185.html?src=rss

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in relation to four crashes. The collisions took place in reduced-visibility conditions with either the beta or supervised versions of FSD enabled. In a November 2023 incident in Arizona, a Model Y fatally hit a pedestrian, as TechCrunch notes. An injury was sustained in one of the other three collisions, which occurred between March and May this year and all involved Model 3 EVs.
The NHTSA says conditions such as sun glare, fog and airborne dust lowered visibility in these incidents. The agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is looking into FSD’s ability to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.” It will also try to determine if there have been other crashes in similar circumstances with FSD enabled. The ODI will also probe any changes by Tesla to the system “that may affect the performance of FSD in reduced roadway visibility conditions. In particular, this review will assess the timing, purpose and capabilities of any such updates, as well as Tesla’s assessment of their safety impact.”
In April, the NHTSA closed an investigation into hundreds of crashes in which Tesla’s Autopilot system was engaged. It said 13 of those crashes were fatal. The agency determined that, in many of the crashes, the drivers “were not sufficiently engaged” and that “the warnings provided by Autopilot when Autosteer was engaged did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the driving task.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk just last week claimed that the Model 3 and Model Y SUV will be able to operate without supervision in California and Texas starting next year. At the same event, Musk unveiled the Cybercab, a two-seater robocab with no steering wheel or pedals that the company intends to start producing by 2027.
Tesla does not have a media relations department that can be reached for comment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/teslas-fsd-is-under-federal-investigation-after-four-reduced-visibility-crashes-140248063.html?src=rss

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in relation to four crashes. The collisions took place in reduced-visibility conditions with either the beta or supervised versions of FSD enabled. In a November 2023 incident in Arizona, a Model Y fatally hit a pedestrian, as TechCrunch notes. An injury was sustained in one of the other three collisions, which occurred between March and May this year and all involved Model 3 EVs.

The NHTSA says conditions such as sun glare, fog and airborne dust lowered visibility in these incidents. The agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is looking into FSD’s ability to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.” It will also try to determine if there have been other crashes in similar circumstances with FSD enabled. The ODI will also probe any changes by Tesla to the system “that may affect the performance of FSD in reduced roadway visibility conditions. In particular, this review will assess the timing, purpose and capabilities of any such updates, as well as Tesla’s assessment of their safety impact.”

In April, the NHTSA closed an investigation into hundreds of crashes in which Tesla’s Autopilot system was engaged. It said 13 of those crashes were fatal. The agency determined that, in many of the crashes, the drivers “were not sufficiently engaged” and that “the warnings provided by Autopilot when Autosteer was engaged did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the driving task.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk just last week claimed that the Model 3 and Model Y SUV will be able to operate without supervision in California and Texas starting next year. At the same event, Musk unveiled the Cybercab, a two-seater robocab with no steering wheel or pedals that the company intends to start producing by 2027.

Tesla does not have a media relations department that can be reached for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/teslas-fsd-is-under-federal-investigation-after-four-reduced-visibility-crashes-140248063.html?src=rss

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AI has been used to defraud people through everything from calling voters to faking celebrity giveaways. Now, the US Treasury Department claims machine learning AI has played a critical part in its enhanced fraud detection processes over the past year — if a broken clock can be right twice a day, maybe AI can do something good one time? 
In a new release, the Treasury states it prevented and recovered “fraud and improper payments” worth over $4 billion over the last fiscal year (October 2023 to September 2024). This number represents a tremendous increase from the previous year, which reached just $652.7 million. One-fourth of the $4 billion apparently comes from recovery by “expediting the identification of Treasury check fraud with machine learning AI.” Again, does it feel a bit like making a deal with the devil? Yes. But, such is 2024. 
The $1 billion comes alongside $2.5 billion in prevention from “identifying and prioritizing high-risk transactions” and another $680 million toward additional prevention techniques. 
The Treasury plans to share the technology with other federal agencies, though some have already implemented their own. The IRS, for example, has taken steps to use AI to find tax evaders, automate services and conduct audits. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-us-treasury-is-using-ai-a-vehicle-for-fraud-to-detect-fraud-123845481.html?src=rss

AI has been used to defraud people through everything from calling voters to faking celebrity giveaways. Now, the US Treasury Department claims machine learning AI has played a critical part in its enhanced fraud detection processes over the past year — if a broken clock can be right twice a day, maybe AI can do something good one time? 

In a new release, the Treasury states it prevented and recovered “fraud and improper payments” worth over $4 billion over the last fiscal year (October 2023 to September 2024). This number represents a tremendous increase from the previous year, which reached just $652.7 million. One-fourth of the $4 billion apparently comes from recovery by “expediting the identification of Treasury check fraud with machine learning AI.” Again, does it feel a bit like making a deal with the devil? Yes. But, such is 2024. 

The $1 billion comes alongside $2.5 billion in prevention from “identifying and prioritizing high-risk transactions” and another $680 million toward additional prevention techniques. 

The Treasury plans to share the technology with other federal agencies, though some have already implemented their own. The IRS, for example, has taken steps to use AI to find tax evaders, automate services and conduct audits. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-us-treasury-is-using-ai-a-vehicle-for-fraud-to-detect-fraud-123845481.html?src=rss

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