The European Union says three porn sites are now subject to stricter rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA). It has designated Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos as “very large online platforms” (VLOPs) after determining they each have an average of more than 45 million monthly users in the EU. This means they will face the same rules as Facebook, X, and TikTok. (Is the discourse in comments really worse than parts of X? Yes. Probably.)

The three porn sites have four months to comply with additional obligations. That includes measures to prevent the spread of illegal content, which includes “child sexual abuse material and content affecting fundamental rights, such as the right to human dignity and private life in case of non-consensual sharing of intimate material online or deepfake pornography.”

The penalties for failing to comply with the DSA’s requirements are severe. Platform holders can be fined up to six percent of their annual global revenue.

— Mat Smith

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E-scooter rental company Bird files for bankruptcy

It will continue to operate as usual, for now.

After laying off nearly a quarter of its staff last year, e-scooter rental company Bird has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Bird launched in multiple cities in 2017, amid a lot of hype framing e-scooters as a sustainable urban mobility solution. The company continued to expand despite a lack of profitability (following the Uber model), but the COVID pandemic forced the company to halt operations in multiple locations around the world. Since then, cities have also become more hostile to e-scooter rentals. This filing doesn’t affect Bird Canada or Bird Europe, which are separate organizations. Unfortunately. So, I can expect to keep tripping over the e-scooters dotted around London in 2024.

Continue reading.

Watch an AI robot learn to demolish humans at a marble maze game

CyberRunner beat Labyrinth faster than any previously recorded time.

ResearSo I can expect to keep tripping over e-scooters dotted around London in 2024.chers have developed an AI-powered robot they claim can beat Labyrinth, the physical marble game, faster than humans. The aim of these games is to guide a marble through a maze without falling into any holes, using two dials to angle the board. Thomas Bi and Raffaello D’Andrea of ETH Zurich created CyberRunner, which combines model-based reinforcement with the dexterity needed to beat the game. The joke is on AI, though — marble mazes are boring.

Continue reading.

Sony has sold 50 million PS5 consoles so far

It’s estimated to have outsold the Xbox Series X and S by three to one this year.

The PlayStation 5 has officially hit the 50 million sales milestone, despite all the supply chain issues that kept PS5s in limited supply. Oh, and a pandemic. Fun fact: It took the PS5 a week longer than PlayStation 4 to reach 50 million sales. According to the Financial Times, Sony has also outsold the Xbox Series X and S by almost three to one this year, based on data from Ampere Analysis. While Microsoft doesn’t release official Xbox sales numbers (I wonder why…), Ampere estimated Microsoft sold 7.6 million next-gen systems this year, while Sony’s sales reached 22.5 million units.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-pornhub-faces-the-same-strict-eu-rules-as-social-media-platforms-121520156.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Morning After: Pornhub faces the same strict EU rules as social media platforms

If you’ve been holding out on buying a new MacBook, congrats, your delay has been rewarded. Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air has dropped to a new all-time low price of $999, down from $1,299. That’s right, the 23 percent discount saves you $300, far from chump change. The deal is available for the 256GB 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chipset in either Midnight or Starlight. Keep in mind, though, that Amazon estimates these will ship in early to mid-January, so don’t plan on picking one up as a last-minute Christmas gift. 

Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip came on the scene in June of this year. It garnered a 96 in our review thanks to its ability to offer a large size and great performance without mirroring the Pro’s exorbitant $2,000+ price tag. Despite being over a year old, the M2 chip functions great — in line with the 13-inch model. The battery life is also impressive, lasting over 18 hours on video playback alone and 12 hours during everyday use for work.

Its screen is also high-quality, with the extra two inches making a surprisingly significant difference. The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display has a 2,880 x 1,864 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, a 60Hz refresh rate and support for the P3 wide color gamut. No, it doesn’t measure up to the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip in terms of display or performance quality, but it’s hard to care that much for half the price. 

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/apples-15-inch-macbook-air-m2-falls-to-a-new-low-of-999-104522693.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air M2 falls to a new low of 9

Just ahead of CES (as usual), LG has unveiled one of the most interesting gaming monitors we’ve seen yet as part of its 2024 UltraGear OLED lineup. The 32-inch 32GS95UE UltraGear OLED not only offers a stellar 240Hz 4K option, but also lets you crank the refresh up 480Hz at 1080p with a “simple click.” The company also unveiled new and updated 27-, 34- and 39- and 45-inch UltraGear OLED widescreen curved models, expanding its OLED gaming monitor family considerably. 

The 32-inch UltraGear OLED is the first model in that family to use LG’s new “Dual-Hz” feature that lets you quickly switch between 4K (3,840 x 2,160) at 240HZ, to Full-HD 1,920 x 1,080 at a stellar 480Hz. Very few monitors have the refresh rates that high, let alone the ability to choose between the two highest refresh rates available at their respective resolutions. 

LG says you can switch between these modes “via a hotkey or joystick’s directional switch” to best suit the genre of game you’re playing. “For fast-paced action titles and shooting games, users can select FHD 480Hz, while visually rich story-driven games can be enjoyed in 4K 240Hz,” the company said. 

Along with that trick, the 32-inch UltraGear OLED offers a .03-millisecond GtG response time — something that’s important for a high refresh rate monitor to avoid motion blur and other artifacts. Other features include high-end HDR picture quality (DCI-P3 98.5 percent at 400 nits), a “virtually borderless design,” built-in speakers with DTS Virtual:X tech, G-Sync compatibility and more. 

Aside from that Model, LG introduce the 34-inch 34GS95QE and the 39GS95QE, it’s first 39-inch OLED monitor. Both are ultra-wide models with a 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio, aggressive 800R curve, 3,440 x 1,440 resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. These are significant because they’re LG’s first ultrawide OLED monitors, and the first such ultrawide curved OLED models with a 240Hz refresh rate. Both support G-Sync, FreeSync Premium Pro and DisplayHDR True Black 400 (the OLED standard). 

LG has also refreshed its UltraGear OLED 27 and the UltraGear OLED 45. Both versions of the 45-inch model offer 3,440 x 1,440 resolution and 240Hz refresh rates, but the 45GS96QB version includes speakers and a USB-C PD (power deliver) connection rated up to 65 watts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lgs-new-480hz-hd-gaming-monitor-can-switch-to-4k-240hz-with-a-click-101738300.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – LG unveils new 480Hz HD gaming monitor ahead of CES that can switch to 4K 240Hz with a click

When Apple introduced the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, it had no clear release schedule and only said that the device will be available sometime early next year. According to a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, “early next year” means as soon as February. Apple reportedly ramped up production of the headset in China over the past several weeks with the intention of getting the devices ready for consumers by the end of January. The plan is to make the Vision Pro available the month after that. 

In addition to ramping up production, Apple has reportedly sent developers an email, notifying them to test their apps for the headset with the latest tools and to send their software to the company for feedback. Gurman says that’s another sign of the device’s impending release. In his report, Gurman also detailed the steps Apple is taking to launch a completely new product category. The last time the company introduced a brand new product was in 2015 when it started selling the Apple Watch, but the Vision Pro is a different beast that requires meticulous planning for its release.

Since the headset has multiple possible configurations and could be customized to meet each customers’ needs, Apple is apparently sending at least two staffers from each retail store to its headquarters for training in January. There, they’ll be taught how to attach the device’s headband and light seals, as well as how to fit prescription lenses. The Vision Pro will set customers back $3,499 when it goes on sale, but Gurman previously reported that Apple is working on a more affordable (and less powerful) version that will cost between $1,500 and $2,500.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-vision-pro-mixed-reality-headset-could-be-available-by-february-2024-060156965.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple’s Vision Pro mixed-reality headset could be available by February 2024

Following the patent dispute over the blood oxygen sensor on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, the International Trade Commission (ITC) sided with medical technology company Masimo, and ordered to halt all sales of said wearables in the US — conveniently just in time for the holidays. Apple has since filed a motion to pause this ban until its appeal is done, but earlier today, the ITC denied this request, meaning the Apple Watch ban is going ahead, unless the President decides to veto.

“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 an earlier statement. “While the review period will not end until December 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand.”

The Apple Watch models affected will stop being sold on Apple.com on December 21, then on December 24 at Apple’s retail stores, and then until stocks run out for third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy — which could be pretty fast given the import ban on December 26. Other models like the Apple Watch SE that don’t contain a blood oxygen sensor will continue to be sold.

Masimo filed its lawsuit against Apple in 2021 over alleged violations of patents related to light-based blood-oxygen monitoring. The case originally targeted the Apple Watch Series 6, but despite the sales ban, you can continue to use the blood oxygen feature on that and other previously purchased Apple Watch models. In retaliation, Apple filed two patent infringement suits against Masimo in October 2022, claiming that the latter’s own smartwatch copied Apple Watch features.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/itc-denies-motion-to-pause-us-apple-watch-ban-until-appeal-is-over-041608763.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple denied request to pause Apple Watch sales ban amid patent dispute

A “Compliance Car” is a vehicle designed not to be sold in large quantities but to satisfy rules around range-wide consumption. For instance, makers of enormous, gas-belching trucks may have to offer a thrifty, gas-sipping ride to balance out the emissions numbers. One infamous example is Aston Martin’s Cygnet, a rebadged Toyota iQ with a luxury interior that sold for three times the iQ’s price. Now, imagine a company chose to make one of those vehicles intentionally. That’s the best way to describe Lexus’ new LBX, a small but luxurious, Europe-exclusive city car that you’ll love sitting in while waiting in traffic.

The LBX is a subcompact car based on the same underlying platform (GA-B) as Toyota’s Yaris Cross, its tiny crossover SUV. The Yaris Cross is a city runaround pretending to be an SUV, complete with flared wheel arches, high ride height and optional All Wheel Drive. Lexus is keen to point out that this isn’t a rebadge, and that the luxury automaker has refined every facet of its design. The wheelbase is longer and wider, the powertrain smaller and faster, with luxury kit everywhere you look. You can call this many things, but it’s not a lazy cash-grab, especially given how much of the early chatter around this car talked about it diluting Lexus’ brand.

Inside, you’ll find a 1.5 liter, three-cylinder VVT-iE engine with a bi-polar Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery. That composition offers higher power density and faster response with a smaller footprint than Toyota’s own-brand hybrids, with a lighter weight which is key in such a small car. The combined total output is a restrained 136 DIN hp, which is fitting for a car designed to sit in traffic. But Lexus piqued my interest in this car by claiming that its new hybrid system offered “powerful acceleration like that of a battery electric vehicle.” Given the stately manner in which most small hybrids move, I was curious to put that claim to the test.

If you’re only accelerating to get off the line when the lights change, then you’ll find plenty to like here. It’s too much of a stretch to compare it to an EV but if you’re looking for a performant city car, it’s no slouch. It thrives in the cities, where its small-ish size, speed and driveability let you dart around corners and dive into tight spaces. But this power doesn’t run too far beyond the lights, and putting your foot down on the highway exposes this engine. No amount of sound dampening tech — and there’s a lot of it in this car — can mask the LBX’s anguished screams when you try to accelerate or put the power down going up hills.

Up front, it’s roomy with a comfortable driving position, while the rear bench seat is higher to offer the passengers a better view. I’m 5’ 11” and had enough headroom, but I doubt anyone taller than me would fancy riding in here for long. There’s not a huge amount of rear legroom either, so you wouldn’t want to do a long trip in one of these.

The Lexus LBX is a lot of car, too much for the role in your life that it’s intended to play, with a lot of frou-frou. Given this is a car designed for short journeys, I’m not sure it needs to have as much technology on board as it actually does. The model I tested had a digital instrument binnacle, a big central console and a heads-up display. Plus, flappy paddles so you can control your braking level and three USB-C ports in the central console. Oh, and a suite of safety tools that were so sensitive it’d erupt in a chorus of pings and bongs if I so much as glanced at the accelerator before the way in front of me was clear.

Lexus says the LBX is targeted at “younger, city-smart Europeans” rather than the company’s traditional, older base. The marketing is full of youths in red vinyl overcoats and Vitaly jewelry but I’m not sure that’s the demographic who’ll be interested. I’m not sure too many young, city smart Europeans could afford a car like this, or even know how to drive in the first place. Some of the recent stats have been skewed by COVID but the general trend of young people learning to drive has pointed down for a while. The company’s representatives did mention they thought another potential demographic would be empty nesters looking to downsize.

And then there’s the price, with the base model costing £29,995 (around $37,700) on the road in the UK while the fully-specced model is £40,545 (around $50,870). Nobody needs to be told if that’s a lot or not, especially given the various ways people buy new cars these days. But Lexus, knowing that it’s not going to undercut similarly high-spec city cars in the space, say that while the up-front price is higher, it’ll save drivers plenty with its fuel economy. I’m not sure how many people buy a luxury car because they’re keeping their eye on the dollars and cents.

Fundamentally, as much as I like the LBX, I’m unable to square its inherent contradictions as they pile up on top of one another. There are very few faults that I can pick at which are tied to just this vehicle, rather than the quirks inherent in the company’s range. But I just can’t see a world in which people would line up to buy a car that’s this over-equipped and over-specced given the environment in which it thrives.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lexus-lbx-is-the-luxury-city-car-you-never-knew-you-didnt-need-230153698.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Lexus’ LBX is the luxury city car you never knew you didn’t need

The next generation of Apple’s CarPlay interface has been previewed in luxury cars made by Porsche and Aston Martin. The interface, which was first announced more than a year ago at Apple’s WWDC in 2022, is expected to be released next year in select models from the luxury automakers. It builds on previous versions of CarPlay, but will notably connect with all displays in a vehicle instead of just the central infotainment screen, according to Car and Driver.

With each manufacturer partnership, there will be some matching and customization options throughout the screens. For example, the background wallpapers and knobs can mimic a car brand’s style or look. Users will be able to personalize the widgets and apps that appear on the screen, mirroring the form and functions on Apple devices. The CarPlay display will show other key elements like the speed of the car, fuel and temperature on the instrument cluster.

While Porsche and Aston Martin are the first luxury carmakers to tease their collaborations with Apple for branded CarPlay systems, there are no timing specifics regarding the launch of the tool in any specific Porsche models. Aston Martin did share that it will debut CarPlay displays on the DB12 coupe and DB12 convertible in 2024 when they go on sale. Considering Porsche is owned by VW Group, we might see a trickle-down of the latest CarPlay features into VW and Audi models down the road.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/aston-martin-and-porsche-showed-off-next-generation-apple-carplay-coming-to-their-cars-in-2024-220130805.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Aston Martin and Porsche showed off next generation Apple CarPlay coming to their cars in 2024

Amazon will no longer sell donkey-skin gelatin to California residents. A report published Wednesday by Wired states the online retailer settled with a nonprofit that filed a complaint, alleging the products violated state animal welfare laws protecting horses. Amazon denied any wrongdoing and disputed the allegations. Still, it agreed to block sales of ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine made from donkey hide, in the Golden State.

The Center for Contemporary Equine Studies, an organization devoted to protecting horses, filed the complaint in February. It accused Amazon of violating California’s Prohibition of Horse Slaughter and Sale of Horsemeat for Human Consumption Act. The nonprofit argued donkey products should be classified as horsemeat based on the law’s language.

Ejiao is a gelatin made from soaked and stewed donkey hides. Devotees believe it treats conditions related to blood circulation, insomnia and dry cough. However, apart from one published study — funded by an ejiao maker — suggesting it can be used successfully to treat anemia, scientific research doesn’t appear to support these claims.

According to the Animal Welfare Institute, ejiao’s popularity is annihilating donkey populations. “Donkeys are being stolen, transported long distances without food or water, and killed under inhumane and unsanitary conditions” to fulfill ejiao’s demand, the organization wrote. Meanwhile, a report by the Donkey Sanctuary, an advocacy group, claims workers in Tanzania battered the animals with hammers to meet quotas.

The plaintiff’s attorney believes Amazon’s settlement sets a precedent for other retailers to cease ejiao sales in California. “Amazon doesn’t settle cases it thinks it can win,” Corey Page, an attorney with the firm that represented The Center for Contemporary Equine Studies, told Wired. “This is a signal that if anyone is doing this, they are doing something illegal. If a company like Amazon decides it needs to stop sending products and promoting products that violate California law, then all other retailers should do the same.”

Amazon’s settlement language reportedly agrees to “undertake reasonable best efforts” to enact “internal measures” blocking ejiao products “so that such products will not be available for sale to California addresses.”

Amazon

When I attempted to use an old (but still active, according to USPS) Los Angeles address of mine to buy an ejiao product called “Ass Hide Glue Lumps” (highlighted in a previous Wired report from earlier this year that drew attention to the issue), it thwarted the attempt. “Sorry, this item can’t be shipped to your selected address,” the error message read in red type. “You may either change the shipping address or delete the item from your order.”

If you’re surprised Amazon sold donkey meat in the first place (and still does outside California), consider some other “exotic” meats the retailer offers. These include whole-skinned alligator (only $195!), foie gras (duck or goose liver), kangaroo jerky and boneless snapping turtle meat.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-will-stop-selling-donkey-skin-gelatin-but-only-in-california-212555337.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Amazon will stop selling donkey skin gelatin, but only in California

We knew it was coming, but now we have a date: Bobby Kotick will officially step down as CEO of Activision Blizzard on December 29, 2023. Blizzard and King vice chairman Humam Sakhnini will also leave at the end of December, Activision Blizzard chief communications officer Lulu Meservey is out in January, and a handful of other executives will leave in March, according to an internal memo from Xbox head Phil Spencer published by The Verge.

Activision Blizzard vice chairman Thomas Tippl, Blizzard president Mike Ybarra and King president Tjodolf Sommestad will remain at the studio and report to Matt Booty, Microsoft’s president of gaming content and studios. Otherwise, leadership teams across Activision, Blizzard and King will stay the same, according to the memo.

Kotick has been the head of Activision since 1991. At Activision Blizzard, he oversaw massively popular franchises including Call of Duty, Diablo, Starcraft and World of Warcraft, and once the company acquired mobile studio King in 2016, he added Candy Crush to that list. The company is a AAA powerhouse and it generated $7.5 billion in revenue in 2022.

Activision Blizzard was sued by California’s Civil Rights Department in 2021 over allegations of systemic sexism, discrimination and harassment at the studio, and executives were accused of fostering a frat-house style culture. At the time, all top leadership roles at Activision Blizzard were filled by white men. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a separate, related lawsuit against the studio a few months later. In November 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported Kotick had long ignored and helped cover up instances of sexual harassment at the studio. In response, workers at Activision Blizzard held walk-outs and demanded Kotick’s resignation, but a shareholder vote in 2022 kept him in place.

Activision Blizzard settled the SEC lawsuit for $35 million in February, and it settled the California CRD suit for $54 million just days ago.

Microsoft announced its intent to purchase Activision Blizzard in early 2022, lawsuits and all. The deal was valued at $69 billion, and considering the scale of both companies involved, it faced intense scrutiny from regulators in the US and the UK. The acquisition was approved in October, after 21 months of legal arguments and concessions. Microsoft is now the third-largest video game studio in the world by revenue and it’s the face of the ongoing consolidation craze tearing through the industry.

Once Microsoft’s purchase went through, Kotick said he’d stay on through the end of 2023. According to Bloomberg, Kotick is set to make $375 million from the acquisition, and he’s expecting a golden parachute of $14.6 million.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bobby-koticks-reign-at-activision-blizzard-ends-december-29-2023-194225817.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Bobby Kotick’s reign at Activision Blizzard ends December 29, 2023

Reuters published an explosive investigative report Wednesday chronicling Tesla’s alleged patterns of deliberate neglect and shifting blame onto customers for parts failures. The damning exposé accounts the Elon Musk-led company’s alleged long-running tendency to claim vehicle owners had engaged in “driver abuse,” charging them for repairs over failures caused by parts the company discussed internally as being flawed. The issues are often related to suspension and steering. Externally, Tesla’s portrayal of the problems has ranged from flat-out denial to partial acknowledgment.

Several accounts in the story document Tesla owners who were told their car’s issues stemmed from prior damage or driver abuse. In some cases, they had just bought the vehicles:

One of the drivers Reuters interviewed, Shreyansh Jain, suffered a suspension collapse in a 2023 Tesla Model Y he had owned for less than 24 hours. When the automaker told him a lower control arm separating from the steering knuckle caused the failure, he expected Tesla to cover the repairs. A service rep who inspected the car said they found “no evidence of any external damage,” as revealed in a text message. 

About a week later, Tesla sent a letter to Jain, skirting blame and citing “a prior external influenced damage to the front-right suspension” as the cause.

Jain said he was the only person to have driven the car on its first day of ownership, and he hadn’t had an accident before the suspension failed. “I was like, ‘Bloody hell, how can metal just snap like that when I know for sure the car has not hit anything?’” he said to Reuters. Three months later, the repairs were complete, and Jain paid a $1,250 deductible (with his insurance covering the rest). He says his rates then spiked dramatically on another car he owned.

Tesla

Cincinnati surgeon Trace Curry paid $110,000 for a 2016 Tesla Model X. He replaced the SUV’s control arms twice, once covered by warranty and a second time at his expense. After the warranty ran out, Reuters reviewed invoices showing Curry paid around $10,000 for failed suspension and drive-axle parts. Then, in 2018, he replaced the front half shafts (under warranty); he replaced them again (at his own cost) for $1,500.

Reuters’ investigation suggests Tesla knew that many of the parts that required replacing in Curry’s Model X — control arms, suspension and front half shafts — had high failure rates.

Andrew Lundeen was driving his wife’s 2018 Model 3 in August when the car’s power steering failed while driving over a speed bump. The Santa Rosa, California, resident told Reuters a Tesla service manager told him a power steering connector had corroded — and attributed it to a car wash, which the employee cited as a known problem.

Lundeed paid $4,400 out of pocket to replace the steering rack and a wiring harness, allegedly thanks to his bold decision to visit a car wash. “This is the only car I’ve ever heard of where a car wash can damage the wiring,” he told the Tesla manager. Lundeed described the employee as saying, “All I can tell you is we’re not a 100-year-old company like GM and Ford. We haven’t worked all the bugs out yet.”

Photo by Roberto Baldwin / Engadget

The investigation also documents Tesla’s can-kicking and inconsistent responses to part recalls in different regions. For example, the company’s engineers identified the aft link, part of the suspension, as having snapped in several incidents while owners drove at low speeds (similar to Jain’s account). A former Tesla employee “with direct knowledge of the matter” told Reuters that between 2016 and 2020, Tesla “resolved” around 400 aft link complaints in China — either through in-warranty repairs or through “goodwill repairs” if they were out-of-warranty.

The Musk-led automaker delayed a recall for four years, only agreeing to one after Chinese regulators applied pressure. The country’s State Administration for Market Regulation described a “risk of accidents” as part of the rationalization.

However, despite global reports of failures, Tesla never recalled the part in the US and Europe. The company told US regulators the problems resulted from “driver abuse.” Reuters also viewed a 2019 “talking points” memo urging service centers to blame “vehicle misuse,” like “hitting a curb or other excessive strong impact,” as the culprit. “Abuse” and “misuse” are conditions in the Musk-led company’s contract, giving the automaker leeway to reject in-warranty repairs for incidents it labels as such.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been investigating Tesla since 2020 for the fore link (a suspension part) in Model S and X, and it began looking into power steering failures in the 2023 Model 3 and Model Y in July. Reuters’ nearly 5,000-word report is worth a read, especially if you’re a Tesla owner who has paid for repairs out of pocket. The NHTSA will likely find it an equally compelling read.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-knew-some-of-its-parts-had-high-failure-rates-but-reportedly-blamed-drivers-anyway-184957494.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Tesla knew some of its parts had high failure rates but reportedly blamed drivers anyway

Samsung has added a new medication tracking feature to its Health app and it’s expected to launch in the US when the app updates later this week. Using the new feature, you can set up alerts to remind yourself when to take medications and get reminders for when to request refills from your doctor.

When you enter a new medication into the app, you can log the shape and color of the pill, information about your prescribed dosage and the time you are scheduled to take the medication. The tool, which competes with the likes of GoodRx and Apple’s Medication app, will give you an overview of a drug’s use and possible side effects, including warnings about potential contraindications. Samsung says the information found within the app is backed by evidence-based content licensed from Elsevier, a publishing company that specializes in medical content.

To start using the new medication tracking tool when it launches, you need a smartphone with at least Android 8.0 and your Samsung Health app version needs to be updated to version 6.26 or later. The feature’s availability also might vary by device.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-adds-medication-tracking-to-its-health-app-174053413.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Samsung adds medication tracking to its Health app

Vizio has released a software update for its Home platform across all current models in its lineup, which makes the new interface respond faster than before. The company says TV sets that receive the update will power up twice as fast, while apps will now load instantly. This improvement in speed also leads to quicker switching between apps so that moving from one streaming service to another doesn’t affect people’s viewing experience.

In addition, the latest version of the OS is meant to surface recommendations and return search results in both voice and text formats much faster than its predecessor. The hope is that users would benefit from the upgrade by spending less time looking for content and more time actually watching them. The updated Home platform also comes with a new left-side navigation menu, as well as hierarchy sorting, to make it easier to browse for new shows and movies.

When Vizio rolled out its redesigned Home interface in June, it already had features created to make it easier and faster for viewers to find new things to watch. They included new navigation tools, recommendations and a reworked onscreen keyboard. According to a Vizio representative, the new update will roll out in the coming weeks and will include “all 2021 and newer model year VIZIO Smart TVs and select TVs from the 2020 model year.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/vizios-latest-smart-tv-update-enables-faster-startups-and-app-switching-170043935.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Vizio’s latest smart TV update enables faster startups and app switching

Welcome back to our weekly gaming news roundup. As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back on 12 months of massive change for the video game industry, driven by acquisitions, layoffs and unionization. You can read my story on consolidation for more on gaming’s tough year.

This week’s stories

No Game Pass for Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 is officially the Game of the Year and after months as a PlayStation console exclusive, it’s finally available on Xbox. However, if you’re waiting for it to become available on Game Pass, stop. Baldur’s Gate 3 is never coming to Xbox or PC Game Pass, according to Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke. It’s a fantastic, big and lengthy game sold at a standard price of $70 — take it or leave it.

The Last of Us Online is dead

Naughty Dog has canceled The Last of Us Online, its multiplayer spinoff that’s been in the works for years. This isn’t too surprising, considering the lack of updates about the game, but it is now official. Naughty Dog said it didn’t have the resources to support a live-service game and also create new single-player narrative experiences, which are historically its thing. The studio has more than one of these games in development right now.

2023 was a pivotal year in games

2023 was a year of upheaval in video games. There were three main factors molding the industry: consolidation, layoffs and unionization.

In terms of consolidation, the biggest story of the year was the approval of Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard King for $69 billion. Microsoft is now the third-largest video game business in the world by revenue, right behind Sony and Tencent. Today, the Xbox umbrella covers nearly 40 studios, including Arkane, Bethesda, id Software, Infinity Ward, Mojang, Ninja Theory, Playground Games, 343 industries, and Turn 10.

Sony is more subtle than Microsoft about its attempts at total domination, but it owns 21 development teams, including Bungie, Guerrilla Games, Haven Studios, Insomniac, Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch Productions. It’s made a lot of purchases in the past three years, and invested heavily in studios like Epic Games and FromSoftware.

And then there’s Tencent, which has thousands of tentacles spread across the industry. Tencent owns a portion of Bloober Team, Paradox Interactive, PlatinumGames, Remedy, Roblox and Ubisoft, among others. It has a majority stake in Supercell, Tequila Works, Techland and others. It fully owns Riot Games, Funcom and, of course, others. It also runs multiple internal development companies and publishing labels.

Tencent also owns a 40 percent stake in Epic Games. This alone means any time you buy a game built on Unreal Engine, Tencent is getting a cut. If you played something this year, Tencent was probably involved.

There are clear short-term benefits of being bought by a larger company, but there are downsides to relinquishing independence. Acquired studios are held accountable by people outside of the actual development of a game, and the bigger the company, the further away its bosses are from the creative process.

The most extreme negative outcomes for an acquired indie studio are, of course, layoffs and closures. We saw a lot of these in 2023.

An estimated 9,000 people lost their jobs in the video game industry this year, up from about 1,000 in 2022. This is a crisis level of loss, and it was spurred by over-eager acquisition sprees by the companies at the top. Embracer Group, which owns more than 100 video game studios, laid off more than 900 people and it completely shut down multiple studios.

Unity laid off about 900 people this year. In November, the company reported a yearly revenue increase of 69 percent and executives told investors, “We continued to manage costs well.”

Epic Games fired about 830 people in 2023, including a chunk of the team at Fall Guys studio Mediatonic, which it purchased in 2021. EA dropped more than 1,000 employees this year, including significant cuts at Codemasters, a studio it purchased in 2021. CD Projekt RED, Sega, Ubisoft, and Microsoft’s 343 Industries also laid off at least 100 people each.

Looking back on the carnage this year, it feels like a warning — as consolidation efforts increase, more studios will be controlled by just a handful of companies, and they’ll be vulnerable to moves like mass layoffs and closures. We’re laying the foundation for the future of video games right now, and consolidation only makes the industry smaller and more generic. What will rampant consolidation mean for all of these acquired studios in five years’ time? What will it mean when these teams aren’t shiny, new investments any longer, and the people at the top are ready to get lean again?

Unionization is one approach that can help protect the livelihoods of people in the video game industry, and there was progress on this front in 2023. Developers at multiple studios now have union support, from small indies to AAA powerhouses. Microsoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media.

Other companies with unions established in the past two years include Avalanche Studios, Anemone Hug, CD Projekt RED, Experis Game Solutions, Keywords Studios, Sega of America, Tender Claws and Workinman Interactive. We love to see it — and for the industry to remain stable, we need to see more of it.

Now playing

I’ve been unable to get The Talos Principle II out of my head since I previewed it and interviewed the developers a few months ago, and I’m finally, happily playing the game in its totality. I’m playing on a Steam Deck OLED, and I’m having a great time solving laser puzzles and talking about the meaning of life with a bunch of robots. I highly recommend you try the same.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/2023-was-a-year-of-layoffs-and-acquisitions-this-weeks-gaming-news-163028348.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – 2023 was a year of layoffs and acquisitions | This week’s gaming news

Researchers have developed an AI-powered robot they claim can beat the physical marble game Labyrinth faster than humans are capable of. Thomas Bi and Raffaello D’Andrea of ETH Zurich created CyberRunner, which combines model-based reinforcement with the dexterity required to beat a game that requires physical skill, coordination and precision.

For the uninitiated, the aim of the game is to guide a marble through a maze without falling into any holes. The player controls the movement of the ball by rotating two dials, which tilt the board.

CyberRunner learns through experience. A camera observes the game and an algorithm learns more about it from each attempt. “Based on its understanding of the game it recognizes which strategies and behaviors are more promising,” the researchers say. As such, the robot kept getting better at the game.

2023 was an important year for patients with sickle cell disease. Prior to CRISPR, the only cure for the life-long ailment was a bone marrow transplant, which is notoriously dangerous and costly. This month, the FDA approved Vertex’s “Casgevy,” a CRISPR-based therapy for the treatment of sickle cell disease in patients 12 and older. The landmark approval made the therapeutic the first genetically edited therapy to reach the general market.

Casgevy, which also received the greenlight from regulators in the UK for another blood disorder called beta thalassemia, works by being administered in a single-infusion of genetically modified stem cells to a patient. Clinical study participants that took Casgevy were free from symptoms associated with sickle cell disease, like periodic episodes of extreme pain due to blocked blood flow through vessels, for up to a year.

CRISPR, which modifies precise regions of a human’s DNA strands, was once thought to be a far off scientific innovation. Human cells were first modified using CRISPR in clinical trials in China back in 2016. Less than a decade later, these landmark approvals have set the stage for future nods by regulators for other CRISPR-based therapies that can treat things like HIV, cancers and high blood pressure. “Gene therapy holds the promise of delivering more targeted and effective treatments,” Nicole Verdun, director of the Office of Therapeutic Products within the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research said in a recent press release.

CRISPR-based gene editing can be designed as a therapeutic for a number of diseases. A scientist can either delete, disrupt or insert segments of DNA to treat conditions by either targeting specific genes or engineering new cell therapies. The editing process can occur ex vivo (outside the body), in the same way Casgevy does, or in vivo (inside the body). Using CRISPR, sickle cell patients’ blood stem cells are modified in a lab before they are re-infused via a single-dose infusion as part of a hematopoietic transplant.

Neville Sanjana, a core faculty member at the New York Genome Center and associate professor in the Department of Biology at New York University, runs the Sanjana lab, which develops gene therapies for complex diseases like autism and cancer. “One of the really fundamental characteristics of CRISPR is its programmability,” Sanjana told Engadget. While working at the Zhang lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Sanjana says he helped design the “guide RNA” that became the blueprint for Vertex’s Casgevy. “CRISPR screens can be powerful tools for understanding any disease or genetic trait,” Sanjana said. Right now, he said biomedical folks are focused on applying CRISPR-based therapies for really serious inheritable diseases.

While it does “set a precedent” to have these first CRISPR-based gene therapies out there, it could also mean that regulators and the general public will regard future innovations in the space as “less novel,” Katie Hasson, a researcher with the Center for Genetics and Society (CGS) told Engadget. The CGS is a public interest and social justice organization that is focused on making sure gene editing is developed and distributed for good. Hasson explained, it doesn’t mean that because one got approved that all other innovative therapies to come after it will not get as much scrutiny.

Beyond therapeutics, gene editing has very broad applications for the discovery and understanding of diseases. Scientists can use CRISPR to explore the origins of things like cancer and pave paths for therapeutics and incurable diagnoses, but that’s not all there is to it. Scientists still need to conduct “considerable experimental research” when it comes to bringing an actual therapeutic to fruition, Sanjana said. “When we focus on therapeutic activity at a particular site in the genome, we need to make sure that there will not be any unintended consequences in other parts of the genome.”

Still, the spotlight will always shine a brighter light on the flashy developments of CRISPR from a therapeutic standpoint. Currently, a new gene editing method is being developed to target specific cells in a process called “cancer shredding“ for difficult-to-treat brain cancer. Scientists have even discovered a pathway to engineer bacteria to discover tumorous cells. However, there are barriers to using CRISPR in clinical practice due to the lack of “safe delivery systems to target the tissues and cells.”

“Maybe by curing one disease, you might give them a different disease — especially if you think of cancer. We call that a secondary malignancy,” Sanjana said. While there is strong reason for concern, one cure creating a pathway for other diseases or cancers is not unique to CRISPR. For example, CAR T cell therapy, which uses an entirely different approach to cell-based gene therapy and is not reflective of CRISPR, is a lifesaving cancer treatment that the FDA discovered can, in certain situations, cause cancer.

“We definitely don’t want any unintended consequences. There are bits of the genome that if you edit them by mistake, it’s probably no big deal but then there are other genes that are vitally important,” Sanjana said. Direct assessment of “off-target effects” or events in which a gene edit incorrectly edits another point on a DNA strand in vivo is challenging.

The FDA recommends that after a clinical trials’ period of investigatory study looking at the efficacy of a gene editing-based therapy, there needs to be a 15-year long term follow up after product administration. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said that the agency’s approval of Casgevy follows “rigorous evaluations of the scientific and clinical data.” Right now, researchers are focused on improving the precision and accuracy of gene editing and having the proper follow up is absolutely well merited, Sanjana explained. “The process right now is a careful one.”

Hasson believes that the 15-year recommendation is a good start. “I know that there is a big problem overall with pharmaceutical companies actually following through and doing those long term post-market studies.”

That’s where new approaches come into play. Base editing, a CRISPR-derived genome editing method that makes targeted changes to DNA sequences, has been around since 2016. Drugs that use base editing have already made headway in the scientific community. Verve Therapeutics developed a gene edited therapy that can lower cholesterol in patients with a single infusion. At higher doses, Verve said the treatment has the potential to reduce proteins associated with bad cholesterol for 2.5 years. Base editing, like CRISPR, has many potential applications for treatment and discovery. For example, base editing could repair a gene mutation that causes childhood blindness. Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine also found base editing could help understand what genetic changes influence a patient’s response to cancer therapies.

Base editors use CRISPR to bring another functional element to a specific place in the genome. “But it doesn’t matter whether it’s CRISPR cutting or base editing… any time you’re modifying DNA…you would want to know what the off target effects are and you can bet that the FDA wants to know that too. You’re going to need to collect data using standard models like cell culture, or animal models to show there are zero or near zero off-target impacts,” Sanjana said.

CRISPR-based therapies already show high therapeutic potential for conditions beyond sickle cell disease. From blood based treatments, to edited allogeneic immune cells for cancers, there are a number of human clinical trials underway or expected to start next year. Trials for gene-edited therapies that target certain cells for cancer and autoimmune diseases are expected to begin in 2024.

It won’t be until 2025 before we get a better understanding of how Excision BioTherapeutics’ CRISPR-based therapy works to treat HIV. The application of gene editing as a therapeutic for Alzhiemer’s is still in the early stages, with mice at the forefront of research. Similarly, University College London researchers proved that CRISPR has promise as a potential therapeutic for treatment-resistant forms of childhood epilepsy. In a recent study, a gene edited therapy developed in the lab was shown to reduce seizures in mice.

But the clinical process of getting CRISPR to safely and effectively work as it’s intended isn’t the only hurdle. The pricing of CRISPR and related therapies in general will be a huge barrier to access. The Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), a research group that hopes to advance ethical use of these gene editing in medicine, estimates that the average CRISPR-based therapy can cost between $500,000 and $2 million per patient. The IGI has built out an “Affordability Task Force” to tackle the issue of expanding access to these novel therapies. Vertex’s sickle cell treatment costs a cool $2.2 million per treatment, before hospital costs. David Altshuler, the chief scientific officer at Vertex, told MIT Tech Review that wants to innovate the delivery of the therapeutic and make it more accessible to patients. “I think the goal will be achieved sooner by finding another modality, like a pill that can be distributed much more effectively,” Altshuler said.

“Access is a huge issue and it’s a huge equity issue,” the CGS’ Hasson told Engadget. “I think we would also like to look at equity here even more broadly. It’s not just about who gets access to the medication once it comes on the market but really how can we prioritize equity in the research that’s leading to these treatments.” The US already does a poor job of providing equitable healthcare access as it is, Hasson explained, which is why it’s important for organizations like CGS to pose roundtable discussions about implementing guardrails that value ethical considerations. “If you support people having access to healthcare, it should encompass these cutting edge treatments as well.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/2023-was-a-big-year-for-crispr-based-gene-editing-but-challenges-remain-160009074.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – 2023 was a big year for CRISPR-based gene editing but challenges remain

Researchers from the Stanford Internet Observatory say that a dataset used to train AI image generation tools contains at least 1,008 validated instances of child sexual abuse material. The Stanford researchers note that the presence of CSAM in the dataset could allow AI models that were trained on the data to generate new and even realistic instances of CSAM.

LAION, the non-profit that created the dataset, told 404 Media that it “has a zero tolerance policy for illegal content and in an abundance of caution, we are temporarily taking down the LAION datasets to ensure they are safe before republishing them.” The organization added that, before publishing its datasets in the first place, it created filters to detect and remove illegal content from them. However, 404 points out that LAION leaders have been aware since at least 2021 that there was a possibility of their systems picking up CSAM as they vacuumed up billions of images from the internet. 

According to previous reports, the LAION-5B dataset in question contains “millions of images of pornography, violence, child nudity, racist memes, hate symbols, copyrighted art and works scraped from private company websites.” Overall, it includes more than 5 billion images and associated descriptive captions. LAION founder Christoph Schuhmann said earlier this year that while he was not aware of any CSAM in the dataset, he hadn’t examined the data in great depth.

It’s illegal for most institutions in the US to view CSAM for verification purposes. As such, the Stanford researchers used several techniques to look for potential CSAM. According to their paper, they employed “perceptual hash‐based detection, cryptographic hash‐based detection, and nearest‐neighbors analysis leveraging the image embeddings in the dataset itself.” They found 3,226 entries that contained suspected CSAM. Many of those images were confirmed as CSAM by third parties such as PhotoDNA and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

Stability AI founder Emad Mostaque trained Stable Diffusion using a subset of LAION-5B data. Google’s Imagen text-to-image model was trained on a subset of LAION-5B as well as internal datasets. A Stability AI spokesperson told Bloomberg that it prohibits the use of its test-to-image systems for illegal purposes, such as creating or editing CSAM.“This report focuses on the LAION-5B dataset as a whole,” the spokesperson said. “Stability AI models were trained on a filtered subset of that dataset. In addition, we fine-tuned these models to mitigate residual behaviors.”

Stable Diffusion 2 (a more recent version of Stability AI’s image generation tool) was trained on data that substantially filtered out ‘unsafe’ materials from the dataset. That, Bloomberg notes, makes it more difficult for users to generate explicit images. However, it’s claimed that Stable Diffusion 1.5, which is still available on the internet, does not have the same protections. “Models based on Stable Diffusion 1.5 that have not had safety measures applied to them should be deprecated and distribution ceased where feasible,” the Stanford paper’s authors wrote.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-found-child-abuse-material-in-the-largest-ai-image-generation-dataset-154006002.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Researchers found child abuse material in the largest AI image generation dataset

QR code-based phishing attacks appear to be on the rise. For this “new” hacking vector, someone gets a phishing email asking them to scan a QR code, that code redirects to a malicious link (usually to steal credentials) and an account takeover occurs. Local news organizations have warned the public to watch out, security leadership publications tell executives to be careful and security companies really, really want you to call it quishing.

To be fair, there have been some notable headlines about it lately. A large-scale version of this against an unnamed “major” US energy company went after Microsoft logins, according to a Cofense report in August. Security researchers have unanimously reported some level of uptick or spike in the attack vector this year. Even the Federal Trade Commission warned consumers of the dangers.

The fanfare around these attacks, however, mostly outweighs the threat of using QR codes in your daily life. Phishing has been, and will likely always be, a prevalent way to trap victims, and what we’re seeing when people talk about QR code attacks is just another way to do that. That’s why despite how the reports may generalize the dangers of QR codes as a whole, some common sense security practices that you already use to avoid phishing can help you avoid this tactic, too. Other, advanced QR-based attack vectors outside of phishing are likely too technically complicated and low reward for bad actors to attempt, or for you to worry about.

Phishing attacks that work by pointing a victim to a malicious link are incredibly common, and QR codes are essentially just another way to execute them. QR codes are “jumping into a security gap,” said Randy Pargman, director of threat detection at security firm Proofpoint. It forces a victim away from their computer and onto a cell phone or another device, adding a level of distraction. Plus, people are more likely to fall for a phishing link on a mobile device, according to Pargman.

The smaller scale makes it harder to tell what’s legit, for example you can’t easily see a full link to point out discrepancies, and we generally tend to feel safer in our handheld world. Scanning a QR code on a phone takes a victim away from their computer. That could mean it has fewer security plugins installed on its browser that would warn you to stay away from suspicious sites, although more browsers have automatic protections against both. Or, if it’s taking you from a work device to a personal device, a security team probably supports the computer, but not your cell phone, with extra protections in place to stop you from falling victim. But on the flip side, this is a lot less efficient for scammers to set up. It assumes the victim has access to two devices, rather than just clicking a link.

Plus, people tend to scan the QR codes, even if they’re from an unfamiliar source, because we’re so used to it, according to Fae Carlisle, principal security engineer at VMware Carbon Black. “People are regularly told to scan a QR code to show them a map of a place, to vote in a competition, to visit Instagram, etc,” Carlisle said. “Because of inherent trust, people go along with it.” Hackers seemingly saw this trend and figured out they could exploit it.

While the application of QR codes to phishing attacks is fairly straightforward, the hype around their use in other malicious vectors mostly ends there. Security professionals advise against scanning unknown QR codes, in the same way you shouldn’t plug a random thumb drive into your device. But, while you should always be on guard to protect against phishing attacks, you don’t really have to worry about using QR codes in your daily life because it’s still rare to see them used as a hacking tactic.

This matters because when we think of QR codes, we don’t usually think of getting them in emails. You’re probably more familiar with them from real world interactions, like a call to action on a flier or a scan-to-order menu at a restaurant. Looking at my own inbox and desktop, the instances of getting a QR code are few and far between, with maybe the exception of some multifactor authentication apps and cross-login for VPNs. Basically, for a hacker going after everyday targets, the less effort the better, and plastering a poisoned QR code all over physical space in the hopes someone will scan it is a whole lot of work, according to Pargman. Bulk sending phishing emails is just a heck of a lot more efficient.

While it’s also possible to imagine a link takeover situation, where the destination of legitimate QR codes is redirected to a malicious URL, that really hasn’t been seen yet. Not only is it a lot of effort, but it would require an attacker to identify a widely-used QR code. That would mean sourcing the code information, and then hoping it was worth the work. “Quishing” may be legit, but avoiding QR codes at all costs probably goes a step too far.

If something seems off about scanning a QR code, pause before proceeding. “If you’re scanning a menu of the restaurant’s and it’s asking you to login to your Gmail account to access the menu, that’s a highly unexpected step,” said Olesia Klevchuk, product marketing director at security company Barracuda Networks. “Those are the kinds of things we want to be on the lookout for.” But if you just want to learn more about an exhibit at a museum or have a contactless check-in at the gym, you probably have nothing to worry about.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/qr-code-attacks-probably-arent-coming-for-your-scan-to-order-menus-153006742.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – QR code attacks probably aren’t coming for your scan-to-order menus

Apple’s financial services, including Apple Pay, Apple Cash, Apple Card and Wallet, have been experiencing service disruptions for some users since 6:15AM this morning, the company reports. As of 10:04AM ET, those services still have outage notices on Apple’s System Status page. As AppleInsider notes, it’s unclear how widespread the issues are, but the company has experienced intermittent Apple Pay issues earlier this year. 

On a personal note, I was able to use Apple Pay without issue around 9AM ET to make a pick-up order at Starbucks. After launching in 2014, it took a while for Apple Pay (and other contactless payments options) to reach widespread support in the US. These days you can tap your phone or Apple Watch to pay at most major retailers (except for Home Depot, for some reason). Depending on how long this outage lasts, Apple may end up losing some consumer trust as users have to dig out their credit cards, or, God forbid, cash to grab their morning lattes. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-pay-apple-card-and-wallet-are-facing-outages-151139333.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple Pay, Apple Card and Wallet are down for some users

The PlayStation 5 has officially hit the 50 million sales milestone, Sony confirmed in a blog post. That’s an impressive figure, considering the litany of supply chain issues that kept PS5s in limited supply after its November 2020 launch. And notably, the PS5 manage to reach 50 million sales just a week longer than it took the PlayStation 4, which wasn’t bogged down by as many supply chain issues or a worldwide pandemic. 

Sony has also outsold the Xbox Series X and S by almost three to one this year, the Financial Times reports, based on data from Ampere Analysis. While Microsoft doesn’t release official Xbox sales numbers (you can take a wild guess as to why), Ampere estimated that Microsoft sold 7.6 million next-gen systems this year (a 15 percent drop from 2022), while Sony’s sales exploded by 65 percent to reach 22.5 million units sold. 

It’s not hard to see why the PS5 is in more demand: Sony has pumped out far more must-have games this generation (including the recent Spider-Man 2, as well as anticipated sequels like God of War Ragnarok), while Microsoft has stumbled with its more high profile releases, like Halo Infinite and Redfall. But it could just be that Microsoft has a different goal. It’s far more focused on pushing subscriptions to Xbox Game Pass, which also allows players to stream titles over the cloud and play on PC with its ultimate tier.   

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-has-sold-50-million-ps5-consoles-over-three-years-145835145.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Sony has sold 50 million PS5 consoles over three years

When Elon Musk first took over Twitter, those of us in the tech media had all kinds of theories about how the acquisition might bring about the death of the 17-year-old platform.

Some posited that his inept attempts at cost-cutting would cause irreparable damage to Twitter’s infrastructure or that mass resignations would lead to catastrophic instability. But as is so often the case with Musk, predictions were in vain. Twitter did die this year, but the way it played out was both more boring and more stupid than anyone could have possibly imagined.

Musk killed Twitter by slowly making it useless for those who relied on it for real-time information, by choking off conversations from those not willing to pay, by flooding users’ timelines with spammy blue-check sycophants and renaming the company X. He killed it by re-platforming actual Nazis and far-right trolls and Alex Jones and boosting anti-semitism so loudly the site’s largest remaining advertisers and most prominent users abandoned the platform in droves. Though you can still go to www.twitter.com and see a website that vaguely resembles the thing we used to call Twitter, it’s only a dull echo of what it once was.

The beginning of the end

While you could argue the death spiral began the second Musk walked into Twitter HQ carrying a sink 14 months ago, the platform we all knew began to die three months later, when Musk abruptly decided to ban third-party client apps from its platform and put the rest of its API behind an outrageously expensive paywall.

Twitter had long been an outlier among its social media peers for having a relatively open platform. It gave researchers tools to access the full history of all public conversations on Twitter. It allowed developers to build their own apps on top of its platform, which fostered a small but robust ecosystem of third-party Twitter clients.

Third-party apps like Tweetbot and Twitterific had a relatively small (but devoted) following, but they also played a significant role in defining the culture of Twitter. In the early days of Twitter, the company didn’t have its own mobile app, so it was third-party developers that set the standard of how the service should look and feel. Third-party apps were often the first to adopt now-expected features like in-line photos and video, and the pull-to-refresh gesture. The apps are also responsible for popularizing the word “tweet” and Twitter’s bird logo.

And while many of these apps had become less prominent in recent years, they were emblematic of the way that Twitter, at its best, empowered its users to shape the platform.

Likewise, having an open and readily-available API meant that Twitter, while not the largest social platform, could play an outsize role in shaping online culture. Because its firehose of data was easily accessible to researchers, the public conversations that happened there fueled studies into everything from global elections to public health.

By closing its API to developers and the research community, Musk made it clear he was not interested in using Twitter for anything that couldn’t make him a buck in the process. Twitter’s data was simply another part of the platform to commodify. Nearly a year later, making Twitter’s API inaccessible to all but those with the deepest pockets may not seem like even the tenth-most consequential change to happen under Musk, but it showed just how willing he was to alienate influential communities on Twitter. It was also a major warning sign of what was to come.

The blue check fiasco

If killing Twitter’s API was a quiet warning sign, the complete destruction of Twitter “verification” was a five-alarm fire. Twitter’s verification system was always flawed, but it hinged on the basic premise that the company had some evidence the accounts it verified belonged to the actual people claiming them and that those were people or organizations of some importance. When Musk rolled out his poorly thought out paid verification scheme last year, it went horribly and predictably wrong almost immediately because he failed to uphold any kind of identity check.

Despite the chaotic initial rollout, verification’s now-meaningless status did not become fully apparent until this year. After a wave of thousands of spammers, scammers and Musk sycophants signed up for verification, Twitter began removing “legacy” verification from thousands of accounts.

The algorithmic boost provided to the new paid-for wave of blue checks, combined with the promise of a potential share of ad revenue, has drastically altered the dynamics of conversation on Twitter. Verified accounts are given priority ranking in replies and search results, regardless of the size of their following or their engagement — which has made Twitter even less relevant and useful. And the promise of potential ad revenue has incentivized the worst kind of engagement bait.

The result is that even the most carefully curated timelines have become filled with useless spam. And fraudsters are increasingly using pay-to-play verification to carry out scams targeting people trying to reach legitimate customer service channels.

X marks… the death of Twitter

If you were to look for a singular moment when Twitter died, however, it happened in July, when Musk announced that the company would now be known as X. The company changed its name, logo and everything formerly associated with the bird app.

This was more than an ill-considered rebrand. X, a letter with which Musk has long been fascinated, represented, literally, the end of Twitter. For as much as Musk has said it’s about creating an “everything app,” it’s also about fully severing any ties to the expectations and norms associated with Twitter. Want to break verification? Want to charge new users for the privilege of posting? Want to make news stories unreadable? Want to maliciously slow down links to competitors’ websites? Want to re-platform the most heinous peddlers of hate and conspiracy theories? Those actions may have been at odds with Twitter’s mission, but at X, it’s all just another Tuesday. As CEO Linda Yaccarino told CNBC “the rebrand represented really a liberation from Twitter.”

It’s unclear if Musk will ever succeed at creating anything resembling an “everything app” where users will be able to use X to run their “entire financial world.” So far, users seem to have little interest in the somewhat random assortment of new features that have been introduced, like live shopping and aggregating job listings. What Musk has succeeded at, however, is reshaping the platform in his own image.

But if there was any doubt remaining about whether the platform had a chance, Musk has almost single handedly wiped out what remained of Twitter’s ad business. After boosting an antisemitic conspiracy theory and repeatedly failing to prevent ads from appearing near pro-Nazi content, many of the company’s largest remaining advertisers have halted their spending on the platform.

Musk, naturally, responded by telling advertisers “go fuck yourself,” while speculating that the loss of ad dollars could “kill the company.”

But it’s not just advertisers who have fled an increasingly toxic platform. Many of the biggest and most-followed accounts have stopped posting in recent weeks. X’s infrastructure continues to slowly crumble, with random features constantly breaking. Meanwhile, all this has only strengthened the growing number of X competitors, and especially the Meta-owned Threads app. Threads is surging, landing at number four on Apple’s list of most-downloaded apps of the year, despite a late summer launch. X, which has seen steady declines in traffic and engagement, did not make the list.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-twitter-died-in-2023-and-why-x-may-not-be-far-behind-143033036.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – How Twitter died in 2023 and why X may not be far behind