If you’re planning to buy an Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2, you may want to act quickly. Apple says it will soon halt sales of both devices in the US due to a International Trade Commission (ITC) ban, which is related to a patent dispute over the wearables’ blood oxygen sensor. Sales will be suspended online this week and at Apple retail locations after December 24.

“A Presidential Review Period is in progress regarding an order from the US International Trade Commission on a technical intellectual property dispute pertaining to Apple Watch devices containing the Blood Oxygen feature,” Apple told Engadget in a statement. “While the review period will not end until December 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand. This includes pausing sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from Apple.com starting December 21, and from Apple retail locations after December 24.”

The Apple Watch SE will remain available for purchase as it doesn’t have a blood oxygen sensor. Previously purchased Apple Watch units that include the blood oxygen feature are unaffected (the Apple Watch Series 6 was the company’s first device to offer blood-oxygen monitoring). The Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 will still be available to buy outside of the US.

Medical tech company Masimo sued Apple in 2021 over alleged violations of patents related to light-based blood-oxygen monitoring. In October, the ITC upheld a judge’s ruling from earlier this year that the Apple Watch did violate Masimo’s patents. 

The ITC’s order blocks all Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 imports to the US after December 25. Other retailers, such as Amazon and Best Buy, can continue to sell the devices for the time being, as 9to5 Mac first reported.

Following the ITC’s decision, the case went to the White House for a 60-day Presidential Review Period. Although President Biden has one more week to decide whether to veto the ITC ruling, Apple has opted to preemptively comply with the commission’s decision. 

Apple plans to lodge an appeal with the Federal Circuit. It can also reach a settlement with Masimo or issue software updates that nullify patent infringements (likely by deactivating blood oxygen features). Apple will provide more information on the situation after the Presidential Review Period expires on December 25.

The US Trade Representative will also review the ITC’s order. It has the option to disapprove of the ITC’s action due to policy reasons.

“Apple’s teams work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features,” the company said. “Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers. Should the order stand, Apple will continue to take all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the US as soon as possible.”

Masimo has released its own smartwatch that Apple claims is an Apple Watch knockoff. Apple filed two patent infringement suits of its own against Masimo in October 2022, asserting that it copied patented Apple Watch features.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-will-pause-watch-series-9-and-ultra-2-sales-in-the-us-due-to-a-patent-dispute-142051903.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 sales paused in the US due to a patent dispute

Engadget staffers test and review tons of gadgets every year, and we also buy a lot of things for ourselves. In 2023, some of us upgraded our at-home coffee-making setup, splurged on fancy keyboards and digital pianos and even made our homes a bit smarter with things like app-controlled litter boxes. But there are plenty of other things we’ve bought and loved this year that have yet to make it on the site. Here, our staff takes a look back at the things they’ve personally purchased this year that they want to gush about a bit more before 2023 is up.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-we-bought-our-favorite-gadgets-of-2023-140016145.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – What we bought: Our favorite gadgets of 2023

Adobe is abandoning its planned $20 billion acquisition of Figma after the companies determined that there was no clear path to obtaining approval from UK and European Union regulators. The two sides have signed an agreement that fully resolves all aspects of the Adobe-Figma merger termination. Adobe will pay the collaborative design platform a previously agreed $1 billion termination fee after failing to overcome regulatory hurdles.

In November, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the European Commission both cited concerns over the proposed acquisition’s impact on competition. The CMA said in its provisional findings that that the merger would “eliminate competition between two main competitors.” The watchdog said it was considering either blocking the deal or requiring Adobe to sell Figma’s core product, Figma Design, along with Adobe XD.

Earlier on Monday, Adobe claimed that it wouldn’t offer the CMA any potential remedies. “It is clear that no realistic remedy would satisfy the concerns the CMA is maintaining,” an Adobe spokesperson told Bloomberg. “We believe that the best path forward is to continue our ongoing engagement with the CMA on the merits.”

Last month, the EC sent Adobe a Statement of Objections, in which it warned the company that its planned purchase of Figma “may reduce competition in the global markets for the supply of interactive product design software and of other creative design software,” such as vector editing tools (i.e. Illustrator and its ilk) and Photoshop-style raster editing tools. The EC planned to make a final decision on the merger by February 5. Adobe had indicated it was willing to offer possible remedies to appease European regulators, but it appears that’s no longer the case.

“Adobe and Figma strongly disagree with the recent regulatory findings, but we believe it is in our respective best interests to move forward independently,” Shantanu Narayen, Adobe chair and CEO, said in a statement. “While Adobe and Figma shared a vision to jointly redefine the future of creativity and productivity, we continue to be well positioned to capitalize on our massive market opportunity and mission to change the world through personalized digital experiences.”

Adobe also anticipated a potential lawsuit from the US Department of Justice in an attempt to block the deal Stateside. The company and Figma reportedly met with DOJ officials last week to try and secure approval for their merger. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adobe-walks-away-from-its-20-billion-figma-acquisition-amid-regulatory-scrutiny-132203336.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Adobe terminates its billion Figma acquisition amid regulatory scrutiny

It might be ending 2023 with a new name, but X (formerly Twitter) is also capping off a year of criticism and legal action with even more condemnation. The European Commission has announced it’s opening formal infringement proceedings into X’s operation and potential violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Thierry Breton, the European commissioner for internal market ironically shared the news on X, detailing the platform’s suspected breach of obligations to be transparent and to counter illegal content. X’s potentially “deceptive design” is also being investigated. 

In its press release, the European Commission states that it will look to X’s Community Notes feature to determine whether it’s effective enough in “mitigating risks” to “civic discourse and electoral processes.” It’ll also address “suspected shortcomings” in X’s decision to limit access to its data firehose, which could negatively affect researchers and other public bodies. The company’s advertising platform is in the Commission’s crosshairs, too, as is the “suspected deceptive design” of features like paid checkmarks.

In February 2023, all online services operating in the EU had to declare their size to determine if they were a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP). A VLOP is any platform with over 45 million users across the EU. Any company designated as a VLOP had four months to comply with the DSA. These measures include establishing a specific point of contact, transparency in advertising and content moderation and clear, user-friendly terms and conditions. It also requires identifying and mitigating risks such as illegal content, gender-based violence and protecting minors. Other logistical stipulations include permitting vetted researchers to access data that informs about systemic risks in the EU, sharing data with the Commission and having an independent audit annually.

The Commission’s actions follow a risk assessment report X submitted in September, a transparency report the platform published in November and ongoing concerns about how X is handling — or mishandling, for that matter — content about the Israel-Hamas War. Breton sent a letter to Elon Musk about the platform’s responsibility to moderate posts in line with the DSA. The European Union opened an investigation into X’s handling shortly after.  

In a statement, Breton explained that the newly announced proceedings show “the time of big online platforms behaving like they are ‘too big to care’ has come to an end.” He continued: “We now have clear rules, ex ante obligations, strong oversight, speedy enforcement, and deterrent sanctions and we will make full use of our toolbox to protect our citizens and democracies.” This instance marks the first time the Commission has opened formal proceedings to enforce these EU regulations. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/eu-opens-an-official-probe-into-x-over-illegal-content-and-disinformation-124139507.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – EU takes action against X over illegal content and disinformation

A bipartisan group of US senators and representatives have urged the Department of Justice to investigate whether Apple violated antitrust laws by attempting to block Beeper Mini’s access to iMessage. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), along with Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Ken Buck (R-CO), have asked an assistant attorney general to look into “potentially anticompetitive conduct” by Apple.

There have been a number of efforts in recent months to provide Android users with access to iMessage via workarounds. Earlier this month, Beeper said it was able to reverse engineer the iMessage protocol and support it on Android devices. Within a couple of days, Beeper Mini’s iMessage integration was acting up and Apple (without elaborating too much) soon confirmed it had blocked an iMessage exploit.

It didn’t take long for Beeper to find yet another way to get iMessage working on Android, though this time it required an Apple ID. Last week, the company said it suspected Apple was “deliberately blocking iMessages from being delivered” to around five percent of Beeper Mini users and that it was working on a solution.

The back and forth between Beeper and Apple caught the attention of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). “Green bubble texts are less secure. So why would Apple block a new app allowing Android users to chat with iPhone users on iMessage? Big Tech executives are protecting profits by squashing competitors,” Warren wrote on X. “Chatting between different platforms should be easy and secure.” 

Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to a question about improving iOS-Android communication compatibility by telling a journalist to “buy your mom an iPhone.” 

“Interoperability and interconnection have long been key drivers of competition and consumer choice in communications services,” lawmakers noted in their letter to the DOJ. “But consumers will never benefit from competition if dominant firms are allowed to snuff out that competition at its incipiency.”

As such, the officials are “concerned that Apple’s recent actions to disable Beeper Mini harm competition, eliminate choices for consumers and will discourage future innovation and investment in interoperable messaging services. We also fear these types of tactics may more broadly chill future investment and innovation from those that seek to compete with existing digital gatekeepers. Thus, we refer this matter to the Antitrust Division to investigate whether this potentially anticompetitive conduct by Apple violated the antitrust laws.”

Apple has made at least one commitment to improving messaging interoperability. The company has pledged to support the RCS protocol starting in 2024, after years of Google openly pressuring Apple to do so. Adopting RCS will mean that messaging between iPhone and Android will be more secure than SMS and allow for higher-quality media sharing.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-lawmakers-call-for-doj-probe-into-apples-blocking-of-beepers-imessage-app-122554473.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – US lawmakers call for DOJ probe into Apple’s blocking of Beeper’s iMessage app

Apple says it’s testing a new App Store feature called contingent pricing to lure customers into cheaper subscriptions based on their other purchases. This contingent pricing model will let developers offer discounts to customers who already have subscriptions to other services, be it those developers’ own apps or connected partner apps.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple says these bundled discounts will be highly visible to customers both on the App Store and “in off-platform marketing channels” — so elsewhere too. It’s starting with a select group of participants before rolling out to more developers “in the coming months.”

It’s been a year of increased scrutiny into Apple’s App Store and how it handles in-app purchases. Just this fall, Apple asked the Supreme Court to reverse the previous ruling that required it to allow developers to use outside payment systems, circumventing Apple’s 30 percent transaction fee. This is a way, of sorts, to get back in developers’ good graces.

— Mat Smith

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Baldur’s Gate 3 will never come to Xbox Game Pass

So says developer Larian Studios.

According to Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke in an interview with IGN, Game of the Year, Baldur’s Gate 3, won’t come to Microsoft’s Game Pass. Vincke also noted this was always the plan, and the title had never been considered for Microsoft’s subscription gaming platform. Vincke says Baldur’s Gate 3 is a “big game” available for a “fair price.” He also touted the title’s lack of microtransactions and its complete story, saying “you get what you pay for.”

Continue reading.

Meta Quest headsets join the exciting world of Microsoft Office apps

Mmm, virtual Word.

Meta Quest users can now write reports, edit spreadsheets and create presentations — if they even want to do any of those tasks on a VR headset. Support for the basic Microsoft Office suite has arrived on the original Oculus Quest, the Meta Quest 2, the Quest Pro and the Quest 3. Users can now download Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint from the Meta Quest store for free. That said, typing on the Quest’s onscreen keyboard is not particularly easy, so you might want to bring your Bluetooth keyboard along for virtual office hours.

Continue reading.

Engadget Podcast: RIP E3

And diving into The Game Awards.

This week, Engadget Senior Editor Jessica Conditt joins Cherlynn and Devindra to talk about the death of E3 and what it means for the gaming industry. They also explore some of the highlights (and low points) of last week’s Game Awards, which couldn’t quite balance celebrating video games and functioning as a marketing tool. We’re particularly excited for Light No Fire, the next ambitious game from the folks behind No Man’s Sky. (Oh, you should check out Jessica’s video on the subject.)

Listen here.

The Chinese EV with 650 miles of range

From a 150kWh battery.

Chinese manufacturer Nio is about to start selling an EV with a “semi-solid state” 150kWh battery (140kWh usable). That’s the biggest battery of any passenger EV so far. Nio CEO William Li drove a prototype version of the ET7 1,044km (650 miles) in 14 hours, a distance surpassing many gas-powered vehicles. The ET7’s 150kWh battery will only be available on a lease separate from the car, much as we’ve seen with some cars sold in Europe. We’re unlikely to see this specific battery pack in the US, however. With the Biden administration’s latest rules, some US cars, like Tesla’s Model 3 Long Range, that use specific Chinese battery components will no longer receive the full $7,500 tax credit.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-tests-app-store-discounts-121517653.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Morning After: Apple tests App Store discounts

The winter months are ripe with long journeys — whether through a road trip to a relative’s house or a flight somewhere warm — and require good quality music to get through them. Achieving this is quite a bit cheaper right now, with the Beats Studio Buds dropping to an all-time low of $80 from $150. The 47 percent discount is available on every color, from Black to Sunset Pink. 

Beats Studio Buds are a solid option for noise-canceling earbuds and — even more so now — are much more affordable than competitors like AirPods. They have IPX4 sweat and water resistance, three soft ear tip sizes and eight hours of battery life or 24 hours with the charging case. Android users can download the Beats app to see stats and updates, while this technology is built in for iOS users. 

The Studio Buds aren’t Beats’ only good deal to check out right now. The Beats Fit Pro is 20 percent off, dropping to $160 from $200 in every color except Moon. The secure wing-tipped earbuds can last six hours on a single charge or 24 hours with the case and add adaptive EQ to the list of listening modes. Plus, they’re also IPX4 sweat and water-resistant. 

Then there’s the Beats Studio Pro headphones, available for $180, down from $350 — a 49 percent discount. The sale price increases to $205 when adding in two years of AppleCare+. The Studio Pro headphones have 40 hours of battery life and can get another four hours with just a 10-minute charge. The on-ear buttons can activate Siri, accept calls or control the music. The Beats Fit Pro and Studio Pro are both only $10 off their all-time low prices. 

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/beats-headphones-and-earbuds-are-up-to-49-percent-off-right-now-112029335.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Beats headphones and earbuds are up to 49 percent off right now

Amazon and Games Workshop have confirmed they’re working on TV shows and movies based on Warhammer 40,000. The news comes 12 months after the two sides reached an agreement in principle to develop adaptations of the miniature wargame for big and small screens. 

The companies have now inked a full agreement, which gives Amazon the exclusive rights to develop films and TV shows based on the intellectual property. In turn, the adaptations could help Games Workshop attract new Warhammer 40K tabletop players.

Games Workshop says an “elite band” of screenwriters is coming together to create the shows and movies. Assisting them will be Henry Cavill, a long-time Warhammer 40K fan, who will be an executive producer and perhaps star in some of the TV shows and films.

Don’t expect to see a Warhammer movie hitting Prime Video anytime soon, though. As Games Workshop notes, it typically takes at least a couple of years for a project to go from the development phase to something you can actually watch. Still, the ball is officially rolling on Amazon’s Warhammer adaptations. Games Workshop says it will share some details about what’s in store as soon as it’s able.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-deal-to-make-warhammer-40000-movies-and-tv-shows-is-done-102509727.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Amazon’s deal to make Warhammer 40,000 movies and TV shows is done

An EV from Chinese manufacturer Nio will soon go on sale with a “semi-solid state” 150kWh battery (140kWh usable) that’s the largest in any passenger car, Car News China reported. To show much range that will deliver, Nio CEO William Li drove a prototype version of the ET7 1,044km (650 miles) in 14 hours, a distance surpassing many gas-powered vehicles. 

The test was run in relatively cool temperatures (between 28 – 54 F) and livestreamed. Driving was done mainly in semi-autonomous (or Navigate-on-Pilot+, as Nio calls it), and speed-limited to 90 km/h (56 MPH). The average speed was 83.9 km/h (a respectable 52.4 MPH), with a travel time of 12.4 hours excluding stops.

“The completion of this endurance challenge proves the product power of the 150kWh ultra-long endurance battery pack,” said Li in a Weibo post (Google translation). “More importantly, all models on sale can be flexibly upgraded to 150kWh batteries through the Nio battery swap system.”

In fact, the ET7’s 150kWh battery will only be available on a lease separate from the car, much as we’ve seen with some cars sold in Europe. Previously, the company said that the battery alone would cost as much as an entire car (the company’s entry-level ET5 EV), or around $42,000. 

Manufactured by WeLion New Energy Technology, the battery has a single-cell energy density of 360 Wh/kg or 260 Wh/kg for the entire pack (Tesla’s latest cells are under 300 Wh/kg). Semi-solid state batteries use gel, clay or resin electrolytes, offering greater energy density and fire-resistance than current batteries. However, they’re still far from the promised land of full solid-state batteries, which could feasibly double energy density. 

We likely won’t see the 150kWh battery pack stateside, though. With the Biden administration’s latest rules, some US cars like Tesla’s Model 3 Long Range that use specific Chinese battery components will no longer receive the full $7,500 tax credit. 

Nio is a luxury EV manufacturer in China that offers vehicles without a battery, letting you sign up to a battery-as-a-service (BAAS) monthly subscription. That service also allows you to swap out your battery at any time for a larger one. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-chinese-ev-squeezed-650-miles-of-range-from-its-150-kwh-battery-092427301.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – A Chinese EV squeezed 650 miles of range from its 150 kWh battery

Earlier today, Scottish adventurers Chris and Julie Ramsey were finally able to announce their completion of the nine-month, 17,000-mile “Pole To Pole EV” expedition, the world’s first drive from the 1823 Magnetic North Pole to South Pole — on an electric car, no less. The couple actually reached their destination on December 15 (Friday), but they could only share the news after re-establishing satellite connection later. This feat was achieved using a Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE electric vehicle, which was modified by Icelandic specialist Arctic Trucks — mainly with larger 39-inch tires plus matching wheel arches, along with some ice-friendly gear and body reinforcement work. The powertrain and suspension were mostly stock — just with a lifted height, according to Electrek.

All that extra load on the electric vehicle meant it had to make do with a reduced range of just 150 to 200 miles — a drop from the original 272-mile mark. During the Arctic and Antarctic parts of the trip, the Ramseys picked up tricks on keeping the car battery warm for improved efficiency. Most notably, they would pile up a snow wall to shield the car’s underside and front radiator from the cold wind, or they would even use a dedicated tent to cover up the entire car, when it wasn’t not too windy. 

Depending on the weather, the duo would use either a 5kW wind turbine or a prototype solar hybrid charging solution to juice up their Ariya. Failing that, there were moments when they had to fall back to their petrol generator — a mandatory equipment for traversing the Arctic regions. Likewise with their diesel support vehicles, as no electric version of those exist. Chris explained to Expedition Portal that the purpose of “Pole To Pole EV” is to prove that electric vehicles make a viable replacement for existing diesel-powered expedition vehicles in the polar regions.

In between the poles, the Ramseys traveled through the Americas, with the northern part being relatively easy thanks to the readily-available chargers along the way. It was a different story down south, but “Pole To Pole EV” collaborated with EV charging solutions provider, Enel X Way, to install chargers along their route through Central and South America — especially the Peru leg of the expedition. Better yet, Enel X Way has promised to keep these new chargers available to the public afterwards, thus extending its electric Pan-American charging corridor.

This isn’t the first time Chris and Julie Ramsey made headlines involving electric vehicles. Back in 2017, the Scottish couple became the first to enter and complete the Mongol Rally in an electric car — a modified Nissan Leaf Acenta. Charging was relatively easy between the UK and Turkey, but from there onwards, they had to rely on domestic plug sockets and would end up with many memorable encounters with locals. The two drove 10,000 miles in 56 days — quite a challenge given the modified Leaf’s 90-mile range. “But we are pleased that a huge charging network has sprung up across the route since we completed the rally in 2017,” Chris added, in case anyone else is up for the EV challenge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/an-electric-car-completed-the-worlds-first-ever-drive-from-the-north-to-the-south-pole-073155506.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – An electric car completed the world’s first-ever drive from the North to the South Pole