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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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With short-form videos becoming extremely common these days, it’s not unusual to discover new songs and artists from apps like TikTok and Instagram. Now, Instagram has started rolling out a Spotify integration that will let you add songs you hear from posts and Reels straight to the audio streaming app, 9to5Mac has reported. If an Instagram post uses a song, and it’s linked at the bottom of the screen, tap on the song name to go to its audio preview page. There, you’ll find a new button that says “Add” with the Spotify logo right next to the audio scrubber. 
When you tap that Add button, the song will get added to the “Liked Songs” in your Spotify library. You’ll have to link your Spotify account with your Instagram the first time you do it, but it becomes a one-tap process after that. The feature is now making its way to all users around the world. Back in August, mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi found another type of integration between the two apps in development. That feature would allow Instagram users to continuously share what they’re listening to on Spotify, which would appear as notes on top of your profile picture. 
TikTok has had the ability to add songs heard from videos to your music streaming library since last year. Its version of the feature works not just with Spotify, but also with Apple Music and Amazon Music. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/you-can-now-add-songs-to-spotify-straight-from-instagram-posts-120046609.html?src=rss

With short-form videos becoming extremely common these days, it’s not unusual to discover new songs and artists from apps like TikTok and Instagram. Now, Instagram has started rolling out a Spotify integration that will let you add songs you hear from posts and Reels straight to the audio streaming app, 9to5Mac has reported. If an Instagram post uses a song, and it’s linked at the bottom of the screen, tap on the song name to go to its audio preview page. There, you’ll find a new button that says “Add” with the Spotify logo right next to the audio scrubber. 

When you tap that Add button, the song will get added to the “Liked Songs” in your Spotify library. You’ll have to link your Spotify account with your Instagram the first time you do it, but it becomes a one-tap process after that. The feature is now making its way to all users around the world. Back in August, mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi found another type of integration between the two apps in development. That feature would allow Instagram users to continuously share what they’re listening to on Spotify, which would appear as notes on top of your profile picture. 

TikTok has had the ability to add songs heard from videos to your music streaming library since last year. Its version of the feature works not just with Spotify, but also with Apple Music and Amazon Music. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/you-can-now-add-songs-to-spotify-straight-from-instagram-posts-120046609.html?src=rss

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Amazon finally did it: This week the company announced the Kindle Colorsoft, its first color E Ink e-reader. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss where this device sits in a world of cheap tablets, and they dive into the updated Kindle Paperwhite and the writable Kindle Scribe. Also, we’ve got final thoughts on the Meta Quest 3S, the updated iPad Mini and tons of news.

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

Subscribe!

iTunes
Spotify
Pocket Casts
Stitcher
Google Podcasts

Topics

Amazon announces new Kindle Colorsoft, updated Kindle Scribe and Paperwhite – 0:51
Devindra’s Meta Quest 3S review: impressive VR for a fair price – 38:14
Apple quietly drops new iPad Minis – 45:25
Tesla’s Robotaxi event: lots of big promises that will be hard to fulfill – 51:38
Amazon and Google go nuclear (power) – 54:44
Android 15 starts to hit Pixel devices – 55:51
Analogue 3D will give you 4K N64 games, just don’t call it an emulator – 57:14
Working on – 1:00:48
Pop culture picks – 1:04:38

Livestream

Credits 
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn LowProducer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O’BrienThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/engadget-podcast-why-were-intrigued-by-the-kindle-colorsoft-113050334.html?src=rss

Amazon finally did it: This week the company announced the Kindle Colorsoft, its first color E Ink e-reader. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss where this device sits in a world of cheap tablets, and they dive into the updated Kindle Paperwhite and the writable Kindle Scribe. Also, we’ve got final thoughts on the Meta Quest 3S, the updated iPad Mini and tons of news.

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

Subscribe!

iTunes

Spotify

Pocket Casts

Stitcher

Google Podcasts

Topics

Amazon announces new Kindle Colorsoft, updated Kindle Scribe and Paperwhite – 0:51

Devindra’s Meta Quest 3S review: impressive VR for a fair price – 38:14

Apple quietly drops new iPad Minis – 45:25

Tesla’s Robotaxi event: lots of big promises that will be hard to fulfill – 51:38

Amazon and Google go nuclear (power) – 54:44

Android 15 starts to hit Pixel devices – 55:51

Analogue 3D will give you 4K N64 games, just don’t call it an emulator – 57:14

Working on – 1:00:48

Pop culture picks – 1:04:38

Livestream

Credits 

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/engadget-podcast-why-were-intrigued-by-the-kindle-colorsoft-113050334.html?src=rss

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YouTube is testing a new version of its Premium Lite subscription tier in Australia, Germany and Thailand, a Google rep confirmed. It would have limited ads, which the fine print describes as most videos being ad-free, “but you may see video ads on music content and Shorts, and non-interruptive ads when you search and browse.”
The original Premium Lite subscription began testing in Europe in 2021, but it only lasted a few years, being phased out in October 2023. It was very much “lite, lacking the offline or background viewing of the regular Premium subscription.
The pricing model for these early tests in Australia is $9 a month for Premium Lite, compared with $17 a month for full Premium access, roughly in line with the original Lite costs.
— Mat Smith
Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!
The biggest tech stories you missed
The 10 best sleep apps and gadgets for a better night’s sleep
A new trailer for the Dune: Prophecy series just dropped
How to stream via a VPN on Roku

Amazon is rebooting its live-action adaptation of God of War
Amazon Studios wants another gaming hit.

After the success of Fallout, Amazon wants its next Prime Video gaming adaptation to match that level — and it’s apparently willing to start afresh to do so. Deadline reported that the God of War showrunner and two executive producers have left the project as it shifts direction. The series is an adaptation of the 2018 franchise reboot.
Continue reading.

A $105,000 robot arm nobody needs can cook a delicious lunch
Moley Robotics wants to bring robots into the kitchen.
Engadget
It looks like the kind of kitchen purchase the antagonist millionaires of Ex Machina or Knives Out would be tempted by. The Moley Robotics’ X-AiR starts at $105,000. So far, Moley hasn’t installed a single robot but expects the process to begin in the next three to six months — people have bought into the arm already.
X-AiR has no built-in vision or sensing technology. Instead, the robot arm moves around its space from memory, knowing where all the ingredients, oils and tools should be. But while it can cook (with pans and everything), it can’t peel a carrot. Is this a robot that only does the fun part of cooking? We made Daniel Cooper eat tofu.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-youtube-is-testing-a-new-subscription-option-that-could-remove-most-ads-110923941.html?src=rss

YouTube is testing a new version of its Premium Lite subscription tier in Australia, Germany and Thailand, a Google rep confirmed. It would have limited ads, which the fine print describes as most videos being ad-free, “but you may see video ads on music content and Shorts, and non-interruptive ads when you search and browse.”

The original Premium Lite subscription began testing in Europe in 2021, but it only lasted a few years, being phased out in October 2023. It was very much “lite, lacking the offline or background viewing of the regular Premium subscription.

The pricing model for these early tests in Australia is $9 a month for Premium Lite, compared with $17 a month for full Premium access, roughly in line with the original Lite costs.

— Mat Smith

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

The biggest tech stories you missed

The 10 best sleep apps and gadgets for a better night’s sleep

A new trailer for the Dune: Prophecy series just dropped

How to stream via a VPN on Roku

Amazon is rebooting its live-action adaptation of God of War

Amazon Studios wants another gaming hit.

After the success of Fallout, Amazon wants its next Prime Video gaming adaptation to match that level — and it’s apparently willing to start afresh to do so. Deadline reported that the God of War showrunner and two executive producers have left the project as it shifts direction. The series is an adaptation of the 2018 franchise reboot.

Continue reading.

A $105,000 robot arm nobody needs can cook a delicious lunch

Moley Robotics wants to bring robots into the kitchen.

It looks like the kind of kitchen purchase the antagonist millionaires of Ex Machina or Knives Out would be tempted by. The Moley Robotics’ X-AiR starts at $105,000. So far, Moley hasn’t installed a single robot but expects the process to begin in the next three to six months — people have bought into the arm already.

X-AiR has no built-in vision or sensing technology. Instead, the robot arm moves around its space from memory, knowing where all the ingredients, oils and tools should be. But while it can cook (with pans and everything), it can’t peel a carrot. Is this a robot that only does the fun part of cooking? We made Daniel Cooper eat tofu.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-youtube-is-testing-a-new-subscription-option-that-could-remove-most-ads-110923941.html?src=rss

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Amazon has given its basic Fire TV Stick what seems to be a rebranding and has even shaved off a few dollars from its pricing. When you visit its old listing on the website, you’ll see a note that says “There’s a newer model of this product,” which links to the new Fire TV Stick HD. We call it a “rebranding,” since its specs seem pretty much identical to the company’s old basic streamer. It can stream in full HD resolution, comes with HDR support and ships with an Alexa-powered remote control. You can press the Alexa button on its remote to search for shows and launch apps with just a voice command. 

The device can run the most popular streaming apps, like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Peacock, and its remote comes with special buttons for Netflix and Prime Video. Unlike the old version that set you back $40, though, the new Fire TV Stick HD has a base price of $35. That’s only $5 more than the version that ships with a “lite” remote that has few buttons for control. If you want a streamer that’s capable of handing 4K shows and movies, though, this isn’t the model to go for. Amazon has several options to choose from, namely the Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K Max with 16GB of storage and the Fire TV Cube that offers hands-free streaming with its built-in mic and speakers.  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazons-new-basic-streamer-is-the-35-fire-tv-stick-hd-110011285.html?src=rss

Amazon has given its basic Fire TV Stick what seems to be a rebranding and has even shaved off a few dollars from its pricing. When you visit its old listing on the website, you’ll see a note that says “There’s a newer model of this product,” which links to the new Fire TV Stick HD. We call it a “rebranding,” since its specs seem pretty much identical to the company’s old basic streamer. It can stream in full HD resolution, comes with HDR support and ships with an Alexa-powered remote control. You can press the Alexa button on its remote to search for shows and launch apps with just a voice command. 

The device can run the most popular streaming apps, like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Peacock, and its remote comes with special buttons for Netflix and Prime Video. Unlike the old version that set you back $40, though, the new Fire TV Stick HD has a base price of $35. That’s only $5 more than the version that ships with a “lite” remote that has few buttons for control. If you want a streamer that’s capable of handing 4K shows and movies, though, this isn’t the model to go for. Amazon has several options to choose from, namely the Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K Max with 16GB of storage and the Fire TV Cube that offers hands-free streaming with its built-in mic and speakers. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazons-new-basic-streamer-is-the-35-fire-tv-stick-hd-110011285.html?src=rss

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Amazon
If you’ve got a Fire TV video streamer, you already know how great it can be to access all of the major streaming platforms and thousands of shows and movies in one centralized hub. And seeing all your favorites on a big-screen TV is way better than watching it on a smaller laptop or smartphone screen.
But what if you wanted to watch a show or movie and discovered it was unavailable in your country? Or what if you wanted to watch an award-winning BBC documentary but it was only available on the BBC’s iPlayer — and you don’t happen to live in the United Kingdom?
That’s where a VPN (virtual private network) comes in. Using a VPN can let you unlock geo-blocked content for streaming even if you’re outside of a given area. And here’s the best part: Unlike archrival Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV system offers VPN apps straight through its built-in app store. We’ll explain the details and tell you how it works.
Choose the right VPN for your Fire TV
For starters, we’re going to assume you have a Fire TV device. If you don’t, we have good news: If your TV doesn’t already have Fire TV streaming built-in, the add-on devices are frequently on sale at Amazon for as little as $25 or less. Grab the Fire Stick 4K Max if you want a good balance of price versus performance — just make sure it’s on sale for $40 or less. (See how the Fire TV streamers compare to rivals from Roku, Google, Apple and more by checking out our list of best streaming devices.)
Once you have your Fire TV hardware set up, it’s time to choose a VPN — and that’s where the Fire TV operating system shines. A long list of VPNs, including all of our current top picks for the best VPNs, are available on the platform and they’re as easy to download and install as any of the video apps.
The Engadget-approved VPNs currently available on Fire TV include:

ProtonVPN
Windscribe
ExpressVPN
CyberGhost
Surfshark

We’ll leave it to you to research which VPN offers the best combination of features and value for you, but a word of warning: With the exception of the first two listed above, we don’t recommend using a free VPN, as they’re notorious for collecting and selling your data to advertising networks to fund shoddily-protected servers. Note you can install as many VPNs as you’d like on Fire TV, if you’d like to cross-test them at your leisure.
Installing the VPN
Installing it is easy once you know which Fire TV VPN you want to use. Head to Find > on the main menu and simply search the name of your preferred VPN – just type “VPN” if you’d like to scroll through all of the options available. There, you can find the service you want (or are already subscribed to) and start installing. The process shouldn’t take too long. Once it’s completed, you’re ready to start using it.
Using your Fire TV VPN
Once you’ve downloaded the app, navigate to it on your Fire TV dashboard. You’ll have to enter your username and password or sign up to create an account. Some VPNs might require you to create an account on your smartphone or computer beforehand.
Once logged in, you can either click the “Connect” button on your VPN or browse the server list to choose which country you want to tunnel to. Once connected, return to the Fire TV home screen and reload your streaming platform of choice to verify if the content is different. If it is, your VPN is working and you’re ready to stream. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-to-use-a-vpn-on-fire-tv-for-streaming-101822653.html?src=rss

If you’ve got a Fire TV video streamer, you already know how great it can be to access all of the major streaming platforms and thousands of shows and movies in one centralized hub. And seeing all your favorites on a big-screen TV is way better than watching it on a smaller laptop or smartphone screen.

But what if you wanted to watch a show or movie and discovered it was unavailable in your country? Or what if you wanted to watch an award-winning BBC documentary but it was only available on the BBC’s iPlayer — and you don’t happen to live in the United Kingdom?

That’s where a VPN (virtual private network) comes in. Using a VPN can let you unlock geo-blocked content for streaming even if you’re outside of a given area. And here’s the best part: Unlike archrival Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV system offers VPN apps straight through its built-in app store. We’ll explain the details and tell you how it works.

Choose the right VPN for your Fire TV

For starters, we’re going to assume you have a Fire TV device. If you don’t, we have good news: If your TV doesn’t already have Fire TV streaming built-in, the add-on devices are frequently on sale at Amazon for as little as $25 or less. Grab the Fire Stick 4K Max if you want a good balance of price versus performance — just make sure it’s on sale for $40 or less. (See how the Fire TV streamers compare to rivals from Roku, Google, Apple and more by checking out our list of best streaming devices.)

Once you have your Fire TV hardware set up, it’s time to choose a VPN — and that’s where the Fire TV operating system shines. A long list of VPNs, including all of our current top picks for the best VPNs, are available on the platform and they’re as easy to download and install as any of the video apps.

The Engadget-approved VPNs currently available on Fire TV include:

ProtonVPN

Windscribe

ExpressVPN

CyberGhost

Surfshark

We’ll leave it to you to research which VPN offers the best combination of features and value for you, but a word of warning: With the exception of the first two listed above, we don’t recommend using a free VPN, as they’re notorious for collecting and selling your data to advertising networks to fund shoddily-protected servers. Note you can install as many VPNs as you’d like on Fire TV, if you’d like to cross-test them at your leisure.

Installing the VPN

Installing it is easy once you know which Fire TV VPN you want to use. Head to Find > on the main menu and simply search the name of your preferred VPN – just type “VPN” if you’d like to scroll through all of the options available. There, you can find the service you want (or are already subscribed to) and start installing. The process shouldn’t take too long. Once it’s completed, you’re ready to start using it.

Using your Fire TV VPN

Once you’ve downloaded the app, navigate to it on your Fire TV dashboard. You’ll have to enter your username and password or sign up to create an account. Some VPNs might require you to create an account on your smartphone or computer beforehand.

Once logged in, you can either click the “Connect” button on your VPN or browse the server list to choose which country you want to tunnel to. Once connected, return to the Fire TV home screen and reload your streaming platform of choice to verify if the content is different. If it is, your VPN is working and you’re ready to stream. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-to-use-a-vpn-on-fire-tv-for-streaming-101822653.html?src=rss

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X is updating its privacy policy with new language that allows it to provide users’ data to third-party “collaborators” in order to train AI models. The new policy, which takes effect November 15, 2024, would seem to open the door to Reddit-like arrangements in which outside companies can pay to license data from X.
The updated policy shared by X includes a new section titled “third-party collaborators.”
Depending on your settings, or if you decide to share your data, we may share or disclose your information with third parties. If you do not opt out, in some instances the recipients of the information may use it for their own independent purposes in addition to those stated in X’s Privacy Policy, including, for example, to train their artificial intelligence models, whether generative or otherwise.
While the policy mentions the ability to opt out, it’s not clear how users would actually do so. As TechCrunch notes, the policy points to users’ settings menu, but there’ doesn’t appear to be an control for opting out of data sharing. The policy doesn’t go into effect until next month, though, so there’s still a chance that could change. X didn’t respond to a request for comment.
If X were to begin licensing its data to other companies, it could open up a significant new revenue stream for the social media company, which has seen waning interest from major advertisers.
In addition to the privacy policy, X is also updating its terms of service with stricter penalties for entities that are caught “scraping” large numbers of tweets. In a section titled “liquidated damages” the company states anyone viewing or accessing more than a million posts a day will be subject to a penalty of $15,000.
Protecting our users’ data and our system resources is important to us. You further agree that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, if you violate the Terms, or you induce or facilitate others to do so, in addition to all other legal remedies available to us, you will be jointly and severally liable to us for liquidated damages as follows for requesting, viewing, or accessing more than 1,000,000 posts (including reply posts, video posts, image posts, and any other posts) in any 24-hour period – $15,000 USD per 1,000,000 posts.
X owner Elon Musk has previously railed against “scraping.” Last year, the company temporarily blocked people from viewing tweets while logged out, in a move Musk attributed to fending off scrapers. He also moved X’s API behind a paywall, which has drastically hindered researchers’ ability to study what’s happening on the platform. He’s also used allegations of “scraping” to justify lawsuits against organizations that have attempted to study hate speech and other issues on the platform.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-updates-its-privacy-policy-to-allow-third-parties-to-train-ai-models-with-its-data-234207599.html?src=rss

X is updating its privacy policy with new language that allows it to provide users’ data to third-party “collaborators” in order to train AI models. The new policy, which takes effect November 15, 2024, would seem to open the door to Reddit-like arrangements in which outside companies can pay to license data from X.

The updated policy shared by X includes a new section titled “third-party collaborators.”

Depending on your settings, or if you decide to share your data, we may share or disclose your information with third parties. If you do not opt out, in some instances the recipients of the information may use it for their own independent purposes in addition to those stated in X’s Privacy Policy, including, for example, to train their artificial intelligence models, whether generative or otherwise.

While the policy mentions the ability to opt out, it’s not clear how users would actually do so. As TechCrunch notes, the policy points to users’ settings menu, but there’ doesn’t appear to be an control for opting out of data sharing. The policy doesn’t go into effect until next month, though, so there’s still a chance that could change. X didn’t respond to a request for comment.

If X were to begin licensing its data to other companies, it could open up a significant new revenue stream for the social media company, which has seen waning interest from major advertisers.

In addition to the privacy policy, X is also updating its terms of service with stricter penalties for entities that are caught “scraping” large numbers of tweets. In a section titled “liquidated damages” the company states anyone viewing or accessing more than a million posts a day will be subject to a penalty of $15,000.

Protecting our users’ data and our system resources is important to us. You further agree that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, if you violate the Terms, or you induce or facilitate others to do so, in addition to all other legal remedies available to us, you will be jointly and severally liable to us for liquidated damages as follows for requesting, viewing, or accessing more than 1,000,000 posts (including reply posts, video posts, image posts, and any other posts) in any 24-hour period – $15,000 USD per 1,000,000 posts.

X owner Elon Musk has previously railed against “scraping.” Last year, the company temporarily blocked people from viewing tweets while logged out, in a move Musk attributed to fending off scrapers. He also moved X’s API behind a paywall, which has drastically hindered researchers’ ability to study what’s happening on the platform. He’s also used allegations of “scraping” to justify lawsuits against organizations that have attempted to study hate speech and other issues on the platform.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-updates-its-privacy-policy-to-allow-third-parties-to-train-ai-models-with-its-data-234207599.html?src=rss

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Sam Altman’s Worldcoin is going to need some new business cards printed up because it’s dropping the “coin” in its name. The OpenAI CEO’s startup is shifting from cryptocurrency to focus more on its identification technology and it just unveiled a new version of its signature gadget.
Bloomberg reported that the new company called (wait for it) World will focus its eye scanning tech on confirming identities, something that could come in handy in a world of deep fake videos popping up all over the internet.
Co-founder and CEO Alex Blania introduced the World’s newest device called Orb, a biometric eye scanner used to confirm human identities through an identity service called Deep Face.
The latest model of the Orb, which uses NVIDIA’s Jetson chipset, will roll out to customers as the need arises. Chief Device Officer Rich Heley said at the San Francisco event that access to the Orb will be on demand and delivered the same way that people order pizza. A company statement says, “These advancements make it possible to offer new ways of providing World ID’s proof of human verification in more places around the world.”
According to the company’s website, almost 7 million people have been scanned by World Orbs to date. Everyone in attendance at the San Francisco launch event received a free Orb for their human identifying needs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/sam-altmans-worldcoin-startup-is-dropping-the-coin-and-doubling-down-on-orbs-232105287.html?src=rss

Sam Altman’s Worldcoin is going to need some new business cards printed up because it’s dropping the “coin” in its name. The OpenAI CEO’s startup is shifting from cryptocurrency to focus more on its identification technology and it just unveiled a new version of its signature gadget.

Bloomberg reported that the new company called (wait for it) World will focus its eye scanning tech on confirming identities, something that could come in handy in a world of deep fake videos popping up all over the internet.

Co-founder and CEO Alex Blania introduced the World’s newest device called Orb, a biometric eye scanner used to confirm human identities through an identity service called Deep Face.

The latest model of the Orb, which uses NVIDIA’s Jetson chipset, will roll out to customers as the need arises. Chief Device Officer Rich Heley said at the San Francisco event that access to the Orb will be on demand and delivered the same way that people order pizza. A company statement says, “These advancements make it possible to offer new ways of providing World ID’s proof of human verification in more places around the world.”

According to the company’s website, almost 7 million people have been scanned by World Orbs to date. Everyone in attendance at the San Francisco launch event received a free Orb for their human identifying needs.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/sam-altmans-worldcoin-startup-is-dropping-the-coin-and-doubling-down-on-orbs-232105287.html?src=rss

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