The first look at the Dinkinesh asteroid revealed a surprise: The small space rock had its own moon. Now as the Lucy spacecraft downlinked more images of its first target, it showed not one but two tiny asteroids orbiting around Dinkinesh.
Source: Gizmodo – Another Lucy Bonus: Asteroid’s Surprise Moon Is Actually Two Rocks Stuck Together
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Though negotiators from both the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) met this past weekend in hopes of bringing Hollywood’s ongoing labor strike to an end, contract talks have reportedly stalled once again due to the desire of studios to own performers’ digitally scanned likenesses in perpetuity.
Previously, the AMPTP insisted that its most recent proposed contract was its “best and final” offer. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, SAG-AFTRA refused and walked away from the negotiations over the AMPTP’s insistence on pushing for new rules regarding the use of people’s likenesses that would ultimately leave actors in the lurch. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the AMPTP’s newest contract would allow studios to secure the digitally scanned likenesses of all Schedule F performers — members of the guild making more than the minimum $32,000 / episode rate for series or more than $60,000 for feature films.
The AMPTP has been trying to get SAG-AFTRA on board with the idea of studios paying actors for their likenesses since the strike began earlier this year. Because this most recent proposal would allow studios to use digital scans of dead actors without the consent of their estates or the guild, however, SAG-AFTRA has refused and expressed its desire for changes that would require the studios to pay actors each time their faces are used and receive consent from those actors before doing so. On Monday evening, SAG-AFTRA posted a short message to X (formerly Twitter) stating, “There are several essential items on which we still do not have an agreement, including AI.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – SAG-AFTRA Won’t Budge As Studios Push To Own Actors’ Likenesses In Perpetuity
This afternoon Nintendo of Japan officially confirmed that it is working with Sony Pictures to bring one of its most seminal franchises, The Legend of Zelda, to the big screen in a live action movie adaptation.
Source: Gizmodo – Nintendo Is Officially Making a Live Action Legend of Zelda Movie
Netflix is doing its best to lure its customers into exploring its gaming options, and now another streamer—one that’s perhaps better angled for this purpose—is trying the same: anime hotspot Crunchyroll. Starting today, members of the Mega Fan ($9.99/month) and Ultimate Fan ($14.99/month) tiers can access free games…
Source: Gizmodo – Crunchyroll Comes for Netflix With Expansion Into Mobile Games
If your Apple Watch hasn’t been holding its charge like it used to, it’s time to update to the latest version of watchOS. Earlier this month, several Apple Watch users noticed their batteries draining faster than usual after they installed watchOS 10.1. Of course, users took to social media to voice their observations and to make sure it wasn’t an isolated happening. Later, Apple acknowledged the battery drain issue and promised to release a fix -— which happened today with the latest version of watchOS. 10.1.1. Specifically, Apple says that the update “address an issue that could cause the battery to drain more quickly for some users.”
Apple has come a long way with its software updates over the years. These days, most of Apple’s updates are fairly stable but that doesn’t mean they’re immune to getting hit by the occasional bug that can significantly affect users. The Apple Watch is a wearable device that has become enmeshed in the routines of many. To keep up with the needs of users, good battery life on a smartwatch is essential.
So, this fix could not have come soon enough as the battery drain problem has been affecting quite a few users. One user said “watchOS 10.1 is killing the battery on my Apple Watch,” causing it to drop from 100 to 50 percent in less than an hour. Additionally, the issue has affected Apple Watches across the board, including older ones like the SE and the latest models like the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Apple’s watchOS 10.1.1 also includes unspecified bug fixes, as usual. As usual, this update comes alongside a corresponding iOS one, 17.1.1. This update addresses Apple Pay and NFC features that stop working on iPhone 15 models after wirelessly charging in certain vehicles. It also has a all-important fix for the snowing graphic on the weather widget on the Lock Screen.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-watch-battery-life-bug-is-fixed-with-watchos-1011-215917460.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Apple Watch battery life bug is fixed with watchOS 10.1.1
Twenty years ago today, the sight of a diminutive cartoon Yoda—shrouded in a hooded cloak, his green lightsaber ignited and held high—riding atop a goatlike mount transformed Star Wars as we knew it. A year before at the climax of Attack of the Clones, he’d told us that begun, the Clone Wars had: now they truly had,…
Source: Gizmodo – 20 Years Ago Today, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars Changed Star Wars Forever
It surely says something about the state of the world today that one of the web’s most anodyne and wholesome memes chose to come out of retirement this week to wade into the discussion surrounding one of the most contentious political conflicts in modern history.
Source: Gizmodo – After 12 Years of Silence, Nyan Cat Says ‘Free Palestine’
Viruses are somehow even weirder than we thought. In a recent study published last month, scientists say they’ve discovered two new viruses that hijack the machinery of other bacteria-infecting viruses in order to replicate themselves. One of these vampiric viruses even acts the part, appearing to “bite” and latch…
Source: Gizmodo – Scientists Discover Vampiric Viruses That ‘Bite’ Other Viruses for Survival
A one way trip to the Red Planet would take up to nine months. During that time, astronauts on board the Mars-bound spacecraft could lose their sense of direction and ability to know up from down, making it difficult to orient themselves on the Martian surface. In order to keep astronauts on course, a wearable device…
Source: Gizmodo – New Wearable Helps Astronauts Know Up From Down—Trusting It Is the Hard Part
A UK-based startup is hoping to turn their specialized tampons into a popular test for sexually transmitted infections. The company Daye has launched a new at-home screening service for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other common STIs. The test is currently only available in the UK but will reportedly expand to the U.S.…
Source: Gizmodo – There’s Now a Tampon That Can Test for STIs
Enlarge (credit: da-kuk | E+)
One of the world’s largest mobile data brokers, Kochava, has lost its battle to stop the Federal Trade Commission from revealing what the FTC has alleged is a disturbing, widespread pattern of unfair use and sale of sensitive data without consent from hundreds of millions of people.
US District Judge B. Lynn Winmill recently unsealed a court filing, an amended complaint that perhaps contains the most evidence yet gathered by the FTC in its long-standing mission to crack down on data brokers allegedly “substantially” harming consumers by invading their privacy.
The FTC has accused Kochava of violating the FTC Act by amassing and disclosing “a staggering amount of sensitive and identifying information about consumers,” alleging that Kochava’s database includes products seemingly capable of identifying nearly every person in the United States.
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Source: Ars Technica – Data broker’s “staggering” sale of sensitive info exposed in unsealed FTC filing
It’s been quite some time coming, but Annapurna Interactive has revealed when Mac gamers can get their paws on one of the most adorable titles of the last few years. Stray is coming to macOS on December 5 via the Mac App Store and Steam. You’ll need a fairly recent system, though. Stray will be compatible with Macs that have an Apple Silicon chipset, so if you have an Intel-based machine you’re out of luck (unless you check it out on a cloud service or another platform).
Stray debuted on PC and PlayStation in July 2022 and it arrived on Xbox this August. It’s one of Engadget’s favorite games of last year, and it’s neat that more people will soon get to check out this absorbing cyberpunk adventure on Mac before it’s adapted into a movie.
Apple has been making a slightly bigger push into gaming, and some notable publishers are bringing their titles to Mac (and even iPhone). Resident Evil Village arrived on iPhone 15 Pro and some iPad models last week, while Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Death Stranding and the Resident Evil 4 remake are all coming to the Apple ecosystem in the coming months.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/stray-is-coming-to-macos-on-december-5-204920804.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Stray is coming to macOS on December 5
Over a decade has passed since Christopher Paolini last published a book in The Inheritance Cycle, and he returns to Alagaësia, this time following a fan-favorite character from the original series, Murtagh. Picking up a year after 2011’s Inheritance, Murtagh, alongside his dragon, Thorn, is searching for meaning in a…
Source: Gizmodo – Read an Excerpt from Murtagh, the Newest Book in the Inheritance Cycle
Google is coming for Honey and other deal-finding tools by introducing new features on Search and Chrome to help users find discounts. From a report: The tech giant announced on Tuesday that it’s adding a designated page for deals on Search, while Chrome is getting features that proactively look for discount codes and provide users with price insights. The new deals search results page on Search is designed to help users find products that are on sale from across the web in one designated spot. The page will display deals in categories like apparel, electronics, toys and beauty. You’ll also find deals from different types of merchants, including big box stores, DTC brands, luxury multi-brand retailers, designer labels and local stores.
Users can scroll through deals by category and also see popular stores that have deals on what you’re looking for. If you see something you’re interested in, you can click on the product or visit the merchant site to learn more. Google says that if you’re signed into your Google account, the page will take into account what you usually like to shop. To access the new deals page, you need to search “shop deals.” Or, if you’re looking for something specific, you can search for categories like “shop sneaker deals.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Google Search and Chrome Are Getting New Tools To Help Users Find Discounts
Everyone’s talking about how creepy generative AI is, so Google Photos won’t let you edit pictures of your driver’s license, ID cards, or anything personally identifiable. If you try to use the Magic Editor with a compatible Pixel device, Photos pops up a window to let you know it can’t complete the action since it…
Source: Gizmodo – Google Photos Won’t Let You Use Magic Editor to Make a Fake ID
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood performers, has reportedly responded to studios’ “last, best and final” offer to end the strike, rejecting clauses that would let them re-use AI-created likenesses of high-demand and deceased performers without consent. The union allegedly plans to make a counter-offer that removes the current AI-related language. “They can’t have that loophole to exploit performers,” a union-side source told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. “We could not allow that language to stand.”
THR reports that The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) proposed to “secure AI scans” for Schedule F performers (union members earning more than $32,000 per TV episode or $60,000 per film). The studios’ suggested deal would require them to pay once to scan the likenesses of Schedule F performers without paying for their use or re-use — essentially giving them eternal rights to their likenesses after paying once upfront.
An even more striking detail is that the way the proposal was written appears to advocate for limitless use of dead performers’ AI-created likenesses without proper permission. “The language currently in the AMPTP’s offer would see the studios and streamers secure the right to use scans of deceased performers without the consent of their estate or SAG-AFTRA,” writes THR. SAG-AFTRA reportedly wants to attach a consent requirement and compensation for each time a studio or streamer re-uses performers’ AI scans.
“We think it’s not just reasonable but is absolutely vital to the sustainability of the performance industry,” a source told THR. “[The Schedule F AI language in the AMPTP’s proposal] behooves them to have you dead in that they need consent when you’re alive but not when you’re dead.”
SAG-AFTRA reportedly updated union members about negotiations on Monday, assuring them it won’t agree to a lousy contract. “Please know every member of our TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee is determined to secure the right deal and thereby bring this strike to an end responsibly,” the union wrote to its members. “There are several essential items on which we still do not have an agreement, including AI. We will keep you informed as events unfold.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hollywood-studios-reportedly-want-to-recycle-dead-actors-ai-likenesses-without-family-permission-202227014.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Hollywood studios reportedly want to recycle dead actors’ AI likenesses without family permission
Early last week, Israel’s Arrow 2 missile system successfully intercepted and destroyed a suborbital ballistic missile suspected of launching from Yemen. It’s a notable technological achievement, but one with potentially serious legal and geopolitical implications.
Source: Gizmodo – Humanity Just Witnessed Its First Space Battle
Texas will vote on whether to give the oil and gas industry billions to make its barely-working power grid more reliable while ignoring the benefits of renewable energy. This comes two years after a winter storm shut off power for millions of Texans, and a heat wave this past summer that pushed the power grid to its…
Source: Gizmodo – Texas’ Screwed-Up Power Grid Is on the Ballot
Tech groups have called on ministers to clarify the extent of proposed powers that they fear would allow the UK government to intervene and block the rollout of new privacy features for messaging apps. FT: The Investigatory Powers Amendment Bill, which was set out in the King’s Speech on Tuesday, would oblige companies to inform the Home Office in advance about any security or privacy features they want to add to their platforms, including encryption. At present, the government has the power to force telecoms companies and messaging platforms to supply data on national security grounds and to help with criminal investigations.
The new legislation was designed to “recalibrate” those powers to respond to risks posed to public safety by multinational tech companies rolling out new services that “preclude lawful access to data,” the government said. But Meredith Whittaker, president of private messaging group Signal, urged ministers to provide more clarity on what she described as a “bellicose” proposal amid fears that, if enacted, the new legislation would allow ministers and officials to veto the introduction of new safety features. “We will need to see the details, but what is being described suggests an astonishing level of technically confused government over-reach that will make it nearly impossible for any service, homegrown or foreign, to operate with integrity in the UK,” she told the Financial Times.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Tech Groups Fear New Powers Will Allow UK To Block Encryption
Ubisoft Montreal just laid off 98 people as part of a corporate restructuring and reorganization effort, as reported by Kotaku. The cuts primarily impact workers in business administration services and IT. Ubisoft says it will support “all affected Canadian employees” with severance packages and “career assistance to help them navigate their transition.”
The Montreal office is widely considered to be the most reputable subsidiary of Ubisoft and its largest in-house development team, employing around 4,000 people. Ubisoft Montreal is responsible for many of the company’s big-wig franchises, from Assassin’s Creed to Far Cry and Rainbow Six Siege.
Ubisoft wrote in a statement provided to Kotaku that it feels the “utmost gratitude and respect” for the impacted employees and noted that these cuts do not extend to the various production teams, likely to assuage consumers worried about game delays. In addition to the 98 that have already been let go, Ubisoft Montreal anticipates about two dozen more layoffs in the near future.
Ubisoft has been on a firing spree this past year, laying off over 1,000 people from its various global branches, according to its most recent earnings report. This has led to some game cancellations, like the arena battler Project Q, among others. Despite these layoffs, the company still employs over 19,000 people worldwide.
This is, of course, part of a larger trend that finds multiple game studios laying off people as a cost cutting measure. Epic Games slashed its workforce by 16 percent earlier this year and CD Projekt Red, the company behind Cyberpunk 2077, laid off 100 employees back in July. The same thing has been happening across the entire tech space, as Google, Microsoft, Meta, IBM and many more companies turned 2023 into a bonanza of pink slips.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ubisoft-montreal-lays-off-98-people-as-part-of-a-corporate-restructuring-effort-195616771.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Ubisoft Montreal lays off 98 people as part of a corporate restructuring effort
