I’ve always been pretty money-conscious, but I didn’t really get into budgeting until I was in my mid-twenties. “Budgeting” is generous — I thought I was budgeting, but really I was using a crude Google Sheet system to track my expenses every month. I didn’t truly understand the difference between those two things until I started looking into ways to upgrade. It had been working fine for me, but as I got older and wanted to grow my savings, save up for a home down payment and a wedding and generally do more “adult” things with my money, I started to scour the internet for alternatives. I settled on You Need a Budget (YNAB) about four years ago and I’ve enjoyed it so much that I keep using it even after achieving some of those milestones.

The YNAB Method is an approach to budgeting that resonated with me then and still does today. I won’t belabor the basics here, but put simply, you’re to give every dollar a “job” as soon as you get paid by taking care of immediate needs first and then accounting for the rest of your true expenses. The way YNAB does this is basically by acting like a digital envelope system where you can customize all of your envelopes (or “categories”) and the amount of money you need for each (“targets”), and dump money into all of them every time you get paid. For example, I know I need $65 each month to pay for internet, so I have an internet category in YNAB with a target of $65 each month that’s due by the 15th, since I’ll need that money to pay the bill on the 20th of every month.

Follow that example for all of the rest of your expenses like rent or mortgage payments, groceries, electricity, insurance premiums and you’ll have a full YNAB budget in place. You can (and should) also do that for “true” expenses, which include things like hair cuts and car maintenance in the YNAB system. You may not need a specific amount of money for things like that every month, but you can plan for them by saving a little every time you get paid — so by the time you need to get that hair cut ahead of a wedding or unexpectedly need a new set of tires, you have at least some, if not all, of the money necessary to pay it.

I was already taking stock of my standard expenses and setting aside money for those first and foremost, but YNAB made the process much easier. It’s worth noting that was already part of my routine. I was privileged enough to get a decent financial education from my parents growing up (mantras like “pay yourself first” come to mind, and I see taking care of your most necessary expenses as a way of accomplishing that).

The game-changer for me was considering my “true expenses,” which added up quickly. The inevitable weekly takeout order, veterinary bills for our cat, train and rideshare fees and the like were all things I knew I needed to pay for but didn’t previously deal with until the time came. In YNAB, you can create categories for all true expenses and plan for them each month (or week, depending on how you budget/get paid) so there’s (hopefully) never a question of how you’re going to pay for any of them.

If you’re able to do this and get your expenses in order, it’s possible that you’ll find you have money left over each paycheck. Then you can expand your budget to think about other true expenses or sinking funds you may want to address. My line between true expenses and sinking funds is blurry at best, but the latter are just allocated monies you set aside for variable expenses that you know are inevitable like home maintenance or insurance premiums.

Holiday gifts were big for me; every year, I have even more people in my life that I need to buy gifts for during the holiday season and I never planned for that in advance before using YNAB. Now, I have a “holiday gifts” category with a generous target that I put money toward every month and set to be “due” every year in early October. As soon as sales start to kick in during the fall, I have a pool of money with which I can buy all of my loved ones’ gifts.

I should say that YNAB appeals to my Type-A, über-organized personality, but you can’t plan for everything. A few years back, I unexpectedly had to spend about $500 for some car repairs and I didn’t have quite that much in my “car maintenance” sinking fund. Instead of panicking, I moved some money over from my “clothing” category to cover the remainder of the costs. It was a bit painful psychologically (I love seeing those little green progress bars in the YNAB app), but it didn’t impact my finances at all. YNAB accounts only for the money you actually have, regardless of which category it’s in, so I wasn’t spending anything that I couldn’t afford. That’s really important to me, as someone who tries to live within their means — and as much as possible, below it — to avoid lifestyle creep.

Getting back to those “adult” priorities I mentioned before: YNAB was one of the key things that helped me and my partner save up a home down payment and the funds we’d need to pay for our wedding simultaneously, without feeling too stretched along the way. We cut down (not cut out, mind you) on all unnecessary expenses and aggressively saved during this five-year period, and YNAB made keeping track of it all easy.

But I would like to stress that the service was just one of the things that helped, and there were other factors that contributed as well. It’s not realistic to suggest budgeting alone is the answer to all of one’s money prayers. But it’s certainly a step in the right direction and a good habit to build over time.

I consider YNAB up there with 1Password as one of the few services I’m happy to pay for every year because of how much it adds to my life. However, it’s worth noting that you don’t have to pay for YNAB to start budgeting using its tenants. The YNAB method, the envelope system and zero-based budgeting are all very similar and you can do them all with less expensive tools, and even manually with physical envelopes and cash. There are plenty of online communities with flourishing examples of how you can get started without paying for yet another subscription. I recommend checking out Taylor Budgets, Budget Treasures and other similar YouTube channels for more inspiration.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-we-bought-how-ynab-gives-me-peace-of-mind-and-keeps-my-money-in-check-140049410.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – What we bought: How YNAB gives me peace of mind and keeps my money in check

Creating stickers from photos is an easily overlooked iPhone feature tucked into iOS 17. Using Apple’s machine learning algorithms that quickly separate a subject from its background, it extracts pictures of you, your friends or pets (or anything else it detects as the picture’s subject), transforming them into digital decals. It even makes animated stickers from Live Photos to slap onto iMessage chats or Markup tools. Here’s how to create your own.

What are iPhone stickers?

In Apple’s ecosystem, stickers are digital versions of their real-world counterparts. They debuted in iOS 10, Apple’s 2016 iPhone operating system, allowing users to place cut-outs of fun images onto iMessage bubbles for more personalized reactions.

Creating iPhone stickers from photos is new to iOS 17, and so is their location. In older versions of iOS, you had to navigate the iMessage App Store (in the Messages app) and app drawer to find them. In the new software’s more streamlined approach, you only have to tap the plus icon next to a message, choose Stickers and pick the one you want. (More on that below.)

How to create stickers from photos in iOS 17

Here’s how to make custom stickers from your photos on Apple’s latest iPhone software:

1. In the Photos app on your iPhone, choose a picture you want to transform into an iPhone sticker. Tap on the photo to open it in a full-screen view.

2. Touch and hold your finger on the photo’s subject. For example, if it’s a picture of your dog making a derpy face, hold your finger down on the pup until you see an animated effect highlighting the subject. (If it doesn’t work on the first try, do it again.)

3. In the popup menu that appears above the subject, choose “Add Sticker.” If you don’t see that text, tap on the arrow (>) at the right end of the options box until you find it. After tapping “Add Sticker,” the decal will appear below in the same drawer you’ll see in the Messages app.

4. Optionally, hold your finger down on it in the stickers drawer and choose “Add Effect” from the menu. You can give it a standard outline, add a comic style, transform it into a puffy sticker or make it shiny.

5. Tap the X button or swipe down to close the Stickers menu at the bottom of the screen.

How to create stickers from Live Photos in iOS 17

Apple’s Live Photo adds (roughly) three-second video clips captured before and after pressing the shutter button. If you took your source picture as a Live Photo, you can turn it into an animated iPhone sticker through the following steps:

1. Open the iOS Photos app, and tap on the Live Photo you want to turn into an animated sticker. It should now take up your phone’s entire screen.

2. Hold your finger down on the photo’s subject. Wait until you see an animated ripple effect protruding and highlighting the subject. (Try again if it doesn’t catch the first time.)

3. In the menu above the subject, choose “Add Sticker.” If you don’t see that option, tap the right arrow at the end of the menu. After tapping “Add Sticker,” you’ll see the subject appear in a drawer below with your custom stickers.

4. You should see a pop-up menu above the sticker. If you don’t, hold your finger down on the sticker in the list. Choose “Add Effect.” A new screen with effects options will appear.

5. In addition to sticker effect options, you’ll see “Off” on the upper left. Tap that until it changes to “Live.” You now have an animated sticker.

6. Press the X button or swipe down to close the sticker drawer.

How to use custom stickers in iMessage

Here’s how to use your new photo sticker in the Messages app:

1. In Messages, open a chat thread.

2. Press the + button to the left of the text box.

3. Choose “Stickers.”

4. If you don’t see your custom sticker in the “recently used” menu below, tap the sticker icon (between the 9:00 clock and smiley face icons, above the stickers but below the text box) to find it.

5. If you want to place the sticker in a reply, tap the one you want. Or, if you’re going to include it as a reaction on top of a chat bubble, hold your finger down on the sticker and drag it onto the message to which you want to react.

How to use custom stickers in Markup

You can also add stickers to photos, screenshots, PDFs, email attachments and other documents:

1. Open an image or file you want to add a sticker to. It could be through the Photos app, Files, Mail, Notes or any other app that supports Markup edits.

2. If you’re in Photos, tap “Edit,” then choose the Markup icon (upward-facing pen on the upper right). If you’re in Files or another app where you already see the icon, skip the “Edit” step and only tap the pen symbol.

3. Once you’ve opened the Markup menu, tap the + sign at the far right of the bottom toolbar (next to the color palette and pencil).

4. Tap “Add Sticker.”

5. Choose the custom sticker you just made.

6. It should appear with a blue bounding box atop the original photo or document. Drag the corners to resize, or slide your finger across the screen to move it.

7. Tap outside the bounding box to place the sticker.

8. Tap “Done” to save the changes.

For more on iOS 17, you can catch up on Engadget’s review of Apple’s 2023 iPhone operating system.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-create-stickers-on-the-iphone-with-your-photos-on-ios-17-133039376.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – How to create stickers on the iPhone with your photos on iOS 17

AI may or may not take people’s jobs in years to come, but in the meantime, there’s one thing they cannot obtain: patents. Dr. Stephen Thaler has spent years trying to get patents for two inventions created by his AI “creativity machine” DABUS. Now, the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court has rejected his appeal to approve these patents when listing DABUS as the inventor, Reuters reports. 

The court’s rationale stems from a provision in UK patent law that states, “an inventor must be a natural person.” The ruling stipulated that the appeal was unconcerned with whether this should change in the future. “The judgment establishes that UK patent law is currently wholly unsuitable for protecting inventions generated autonomously by AI machines,” Thaler’s lawyers said in a statement. 

Thaler first attempt to register the patents — for a food container and a flashing light — was in 2018, as owner of the machine that invented them. However, the UK’s Intellectual Property Office said he must list an actual human being on the application, and when he refused, it withdrew his application. Thaler fought the decision in the High Court and then the Court of Appeal, with Lady Justice Elisabeth Laing stating, “Only a person can have rights. A machine cannot.” 

Thaler, an American, also submitted the two products to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which rejected his application. Plus, he previously sued the US Copyright Office (USCO) for not awarding him the copyright for a piece of art DABUS created. The case reached the US District Court of Columbia, with Judge Beryl Howell’s ruling explaining, “Human authorship is a bedrock requirement of copyright.” Thaler has argued that this provision is unconstitutional, but the US Supreme Court declined to hear his case, ending any further chances to argue his stance. While the UK and US have rejected Thaler’s petitions, he has succeeded in countries such as Australia and South Africa. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uk-supreme-court-rules-ai-cant-be-a-patent-inventor-must-be-a-natural-person-131207359.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – UK Supreme Court rules AI can’t be a patent inventor, ‘must be a natural person’

The European Union says three porn sites are now subject to stricter rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The bloc has designated Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos as “very large online platforms” (VLOPs) after determining that they each have an average of more than 45 million monthly users in the EU. As such, the three sites are subject to the same stringent rules as the likes of Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.

The European Commission (the EU’s executive arm) says VLOPs have until February 17 to comply with the DSA’s general requirements. Those include making it easy for users to flag illegal content, prioritizing reports from “trusted flaggers,” providing a means of appeal for content moderation decisions, publishing an annual transparency report detailing content moderation processes and bolstering their systems to “ensure a high level of privacy, security and safety of minors.”

The three porn sites also have four months to comply with additional obligations. For instance, they’re required to have mitigation measures in place to prevent the spread of illegal content. This, according to the Commission, 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 three sites must also offer researchers publicly available data and be subject to an annual external independent audit. The Commission says these measures will “empower and protect users online, including minors, and duly assess and mitigate any systemic risks stemming from their services.”

The Commission says it will keep a close eye on the three porn sites to make sure they comply with the rules, “especially concerning the measures to protect minors from harmful content and to address the dissemination of illegal content.”

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. The Commission may also issue penalties of up to five percent of average daily worldwide revenue for each delayed day that VLOPs fail to abide by remedies, interim measures or commitments. In extreme cases, the EC can also ask national courts to temporarily block access to a given service.

The Commission, which designated its first 19 Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines under the DSA in April, is already holding some VLOPs to account. Earlier this week, the EU opened formal infringement proceedings into X over potential violations of the DSA. Among other things, investigators are looking into whether the platform is doing enough to mitigate risks to “civic discourse and electoral processes.” They’re also examining the “suspected deceptive design” of features such as paid checkmarks. In October, the EU said it was looking into Meta’s and TikTok’s handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas under the DSA.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pornhub-and-xvideos-will-be-subject-to-the-same-strict-eu-rules-as-social-media-sites-123922469.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Pornhub and XVideos will be subject to the same strict EU rules as social media sites

If they feel brave and technically capable, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 owners can now fix their phones through the company’s self-repair service. The do-it-yourself program is also expanding to the Galaxy S23 series, Tab S9 series and the Galaxy Book2 Pro, all in collaboration with iFixit.

Neither the Flip 5 nor the Fold 5 show on iFixit yet, so we don’t know how much repairs might cost. For the sake of estimates, a repair kit for the Google Pixel Fold’s inner screen costs around $900.  

— Mat Smith

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Teenage Engineering’s stylish new sampler doesn’t cost the earth

It could be the first in a series of more affordable music gear.

Teenage Engineering’s latest reveal (with timer and everything) turned out to be the K.O. II EP-133 sampler. Another lump of music technology, yes, but the real surprise was its (relatively) reasonable price. The K.O. II is an opportunity for Teenage Engineering to create a series of more capable instruments that don’t cost Field-series levels of money. Even if it’s still $299. As a sampler, it’s great for beginners or those who love a more performative style. It’s not nearly as detailed as rival samplers, but it was never going to be. Fadergate aside (many devices have issues with the sliders not working), this is a promising product.

Continue reading.

Apple reportedly scrambles to update Watch software to avoid retail ban

You’ll still be able to buy it from other retailers — just not Apple.

Following yesterday’s news, Apple is scrambling to make software updates to its Apple Watch algorithms to avoid a ban on smartwatch sales in the US. Changing how the Watch measures oxygen saturation, Apple believes, could help keep the Watch on shelves during the crucial holiday season. The blood oxygen sensor, first introduced with the Apple Watch 6 in 2020, is at the heart of a patent dispute between Apple and Masimo, another California-based company that sued Apple in 2021. The tech company previously called the ITC’s ruling “erroneous” and plans to appeal the decision to the Federal Circuit.

Continue reading.

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut for iPhone delayed to early 2024

Hideo Kojima fans will have to wait a bit longer.

505 Games, the publisher behind the iPhone (and Mac) port of Death Stranding, announced on X it needs “a little more time,” and it will have “a new release date in early 2024.” The Mac App Store now lists January 31, 2024, as the expected date. If you’re hoping to play it on iOS, you’re limited to the iPhone 15 Pro line with its A17 Pro chip. Resident Evil 4, however, is available to play, now.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-you-can-now-repair-samsungs-foldables-yourself-121548532.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Morning After: You can now repair Samsung’s foldables yourself

Now’s your chance to avoid paying full price for a Mac desktop that has plenty of processing power. Apple’s Mac Mini M2 256GB model is down to $479 from $600 at Amazon and B&H. The 20 percent discount brings the Mac Mini M2 back down to its all-time low price — compared to the $500 it’s frequently at. The 512GB Mac Mini M2 is also on sale, with a 17 percent price cut, bringing it to $700 from $800.

The Mac Mini 2 is an impressive add-on to any Apple computer and a serious upgrade from the first Mini’s release in the early 2000s. The device builds on 2021’s M1, and merited an 86 in our review thanks to features like 8GB of RAM, eight CPU cores and ten graphic cores. It’s also wild with ports, offering two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, two USB-A, HDMI 2.0, a 3.5mm headphone jack and gigabit Ethernet. Plus, it supports Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E.

Apple’s Mac Mini 2 also offers better airflow than its predecessor, thanks to an elevated base. The device itself is sleek, and with a width and height of 7.75 inches, it won’t take up too much room on your desk. All in all, besides the fact that none of the ports face forward, there’s not much to dislike about the Mac Mini M2. 

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-mac-mini-m2-falls-back-to-a-low-of-479-115548138.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple’s Mac Mini M2 falls back to a low of 9

Volkswagen is the latest automaker to embrace Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) in electric vehicles. Subsidiaries Audi, Porsche and Scout Motors will implement the NACS in their North American EVs starting in 2025 as well.

The VW brands are also looking into providing owners of existing models with adapters so they can tap into Tesla’s Supercharger network. There are more than 15,000 Supercharger stations in North America. VW’s EVs will be able to charge at those in addition to more than 3,800 DC fast charging outlets run by Electrify America and Electrify Canada.

With so many carmakers adopting the NACS, Tesla’s charging solution is becoming a de facto standard. GM, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes, Honda, BMW, Lucid and others have all pledged to support NACS charging within the next couple of years.

On the other hand, ChargePoint started rolling out support for the NACS across its EV charging network in October. Electrify America plans to offer the NACS connector at its stations by 2025 as well.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/volkswagen-finally-confirms-itll-switch-its-evs-to-teslas-charging-standard-101517391.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Volkswagen finally confirms it’ll switch its EVs to Tesla’s charging standard

After laying off nearly a quarter of its staff last year, e-scooter rental company Bird has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company announced. Existing lenders have agreed to purchase the assets and the company is being kept afloat via a $25 million loan from Apollo Global Management (Yahoo and Engadget’s owner) and second-lien lenders, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

The company will continue to operate as normal and “has sufficient liquidity to meet financial obligations to city partners, vendors, suppliers, and employees during and after the restructuring process, and will operate as usual,” the company wrote. The filing doesn’t affect Bird Canada or Bird Europe, which are separate organizations.

Bird aims to sell off its assets for the highest possible price via a “stalking horse” agreement that will set in motion an auction of sorts. Its current lenders will designate a baseline bid before opening the proceedings to other bidders over the next few months.

Bird went public in 2021 via a “SPAC” (special purpose acquisition company) with an implied valuation of $2.3 billion, but its stock cratered less than a year later. Founder Travis VanderZanden stepped away late in 2022, at which point his stake in the company was worth less than his Miami house, according to a Crunchbase report. Bird was forced to delist from the New York Stock Exchange this year due to a valuation that was too low. 

Bird launched in multiple cities in 2017-18 with a fair amount of hype as e-scooters were seen as a sustainable urban mobility solution. It continued to grow 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, with some seeing them now as a potential safety hazard and eyesore. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bird-files-for-bankruptcy-after-going-public-in-2021-092905867.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Bird files for bankruptcy after going public in 2021

Rite Aid will not be able to use any kind of facial recognition security system for next five years as part of its settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which accused it of “reckless use of facial surveillance systems.” The FTC said in its complaint that the drugstore chain deployed an artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition technology from 2012 to 2020 to identify customers who may have previously shoplifted or have engaged in problematic behavior. Apparently, the company had created a database with “tens of thousands” of customer images, along with their names, dates of birth and alleged crimes. Those photos were of poor quality, taken by its security cameras, employees’ phones and even from news stories. As a result, the system generated thousands of false-positive alerts.

Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said the technology’s use left Rite Aid’s customers “facing humiliation and other harms.” Employees would follow flagged customers around the store, the complaint said, would publicly accuse them of wrongdoing in front of friends and family and would sometimes get the police involved. Further, the system was more likely to generate false positives in predominantly Black and Asian communities. A Reuters investigation in 2020 revealed that the company used facial surveillance in “largely lower-income, non-white neighborhoods.” The FTC noted in its complaint that the technology and “Rite Aid’s failures were likely to cause substantial injury to consumers, especially to Black, Asian, Latino and women customers.”

In addition to prohibiting the use of facial surveillance technologies, the order also requires Rite Aid to delete the photos it collected, notify consumers when their information is registered in a database for security purposes and to provide conspicuous notices if it does use facial recognition or other types of biometric surveillance technologies. It also has to implement a proper data security program to protect the information it collects and will need to have a third party assess it. The proposed order will take effect after being approved by the bankruptcy court, since the company is currently going through bankruptcy proceedings.

Rite Aid, however, said that it “fundamentally disagree[s]” with the agency’s allegations and that it stopped using the surveillance technology years ago.

“We are pleased to reach an agreement with the FTC and put this matter behind us,” the drugstore chain said in a statement. “We respect the FTC’s inquiry and are aligned with the agency’s mission to protect consumer privacy. However, we fundamentally disagree with the facial recognition allegations in the agency’s complaint. The allegations relate to a facial recognition technology pilot program the Company deployed in a limited number of stores. Rite Aid stopped using the technology in this small group of stores more than three years ago, before the FTC’s investigation regarding the Company’s use of the technology began.

Rite Aid’s mission has always been and will continue to be to safely and conveniently serve the communities in which we operate. The safety of our associates and customers is paramount. As part of the agreement with the FTC, we will continue to enhance and formalize the practices and policies of our comprehensive information security program.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ftc-bans-rite-aid-from-using-facial-surveillance-systems-for-five-years-053134856.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – FTC bans Rite Aid from using facial surveillance systems for five years

If you were hoping to play Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding: Director’s Cut on a Mac, iPhone or iPad before the year ends, I’m afraid you’ll now have to wait a bit longer. 505 Games, the publisher behind this port, announced on X that it needs “a little more time,” and that it will have “a new release date in early 2024.” Specifically, the Mac App Store now lists January 31, 2024 as the expected date for this post-apocalypse package delivery simulator, which is available for pre-ordering for $40. 

While the game itself is from 2019 (with the director’s cut released in 2021), Apple appears to be keen on leveraging such heavyweight titles to show off its own processors — M1 or later — and 3D graphics capabilities. If you prefer mobile, though, you’re limited to the iPhone 15 Pro line with their A17 Pro chip. Much like the PlayStation versions, this Apple flavor will also feature cross-over content from Cyberpunk 2077 and Half-Life.

Back in June, Kojima said his future games will also be available on the Apple platform, though it’s not clear if that includes Death Stranding 2. More recently, the gaming legend announced that the title will be adapted into a movie, with help from studio A24. “There are a lot of ‘game adaptation films’ out there but what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game,” Kojima promised.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/death-stranding-directors-cut-for-mac-and-iphone-are-delayed-to-early-2024-045956107.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Death Stranding: Director’s Cut for Mac and iPhone delayed to early 2024

Meta has fixed a bug that temporarily prevented some Threads users in Canada from reading and sharing news on the app, a company spokesperson told Engadget. Even though Meta pulled news content from Canadian users’ Facebook and Instagram feeds earlier this year, the block hasn’t carried over to Threads.

But a number of Threads users wondered if that had changed when they began to see alerts that suggested otherwise. “People in Canada can’t view this content,” a notice with Threads branding read. “Content from news publishers can’t be viewed in Canada in response to Canadian government legislation.”

It’s unclear how widespread the bug was or how long it was happening. Reports of the issue seemed to crop up on Monday, with some users still unable to view links as of Tuesday morning. “Well… that sucks. @meta is escalating their news blocking in Canada, previously only on Facebook and Instagram, now on Threads,” Pedro Marques wrote in a post Monday.

A Meta spokesperson told Engadget that the Online News Act’s framework doesn’t apply to Threads, at least for now. Still, the fact that the notice appeared at all has prompted speculation that the company could eventually block news content on Threads as well.

Over the last few years, the world’s largest tech companies have tussled with countries about paying for news. In 2021, for instance, Facebook stopped people in Australia from sharing news links, while Google threatened to stop showcasing content from Australian news publishers on Google News. Both companies, however, eventually reached agreements and agreed to start paying Australian news organizations.

In August, Meta started blocking news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada in response to the country’s Online News Act that requires platforms to pay news organizations to make up for lost advertising revenue. Google, which had earlier pledged to block news links in the country, eventually reached a deal with the country’s government and agreed to pay Canadian publishers around $100 million a year, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Though Meta has downplayed the significance of news on Threads — Instagram head Adam Mosseri said earlier this year the company didn’t want to “amplify news” on the platform — blocking news on Threads could have a more dramatic impact on Threads than it has in Instagram and Facebook. The app has grown to about 100 million users as more people look for Twitter alternatives.

Blocking news, though, could make the app a lot less useful for users and publishers, who have started to see more engagement from the service. “How will Threads replace Twitter when I can’t even click on a news story in Canada without getting blocked by Meta,” a Threads user named dexter wrote after encountering the bug.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-says-a-bug-briefly-blocked-news-for-canadian-users-on-threads-220230063.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Meta says a bug briefly blocked news for Canadian users on Threads

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has found that eBay has violated the rights of unionized workers at TCGPlayer, a trading card marketplace owned by the company. This comes in response to charges filed by the Communications Workers of America back in March of this year. eBay has allegedly refused to recognize TCGPlayer’s worker union and it delayed participating in any bargaining practices and it has also refused to divulge any information with the group that the union is legally entitled to.

As part of its examination of the issue, the NLRB said that because eBay and TCGPlayer broke the law, the company must face legal consequences for its union-busting practices. The union, which officially formed in March following numerous anti-union actions from eBay and TCGPlayer, was denied representation during disciplinary investigations. The NLRB also found that eBay was changing working conditions and benefits without engaging in bargaining with the group. On top of that, eBay is said to have even enforced rules that would punish any workers’ elections to unionize.

While the NLRB lays out evidence of eBay’s union-busting practices, it did not officially issue a decision on the matter. The agency is still waiting on the company’s response to the issue. “Now that the board has come to a decision on eBay’s illegal practices, we hope the company will see the light, obey labor law and engage in good faith bargaining practices so that workers can secure a strong union contract,” Dennis Trainor, Communications Workers of America District 1 Vice-President, said in a statement. eBay could not be reached for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nlrb-finds-that-ebay-and-subsidiary-tcgplayer-engaged-in-union-busting-practices-205337429.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – NLRB finds that eBay and subsidiary TCGPlayer engaged in union-busting practices

Apple is scrambling to make software updates to Apple Watch algorithms that measure blood oxygen levels to avoid an impending ban on the smartwatch in the US over a patent dispute, Bloomberg reported. Changing how the Watch measures oxygen saturation, Apple believes, could help keep the Watch on shelves during the busy holiday shopping season.

The blood oxygen sensor, which was first introduced with the Apple Watch 6 in 2020, is at the heart of a patent dispute between Apple and Masimo, another California-based company that sued Apple in 2021. Masimo claimed that Apple’s sensor violated two patents related to light-based blood-oxygen monitoring that it owned. In October, the International Trade Commission (ITC) upheld a ruling, stating that Apple did, in fact, violate Masimo’s patents.

The case then went to the White House for a 60-day Presidential Review period, which ends next week. If President Biden doesn’t veto the ITC’s decision, Apple will be banned from selling the Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, which include blood oxygen sensing. Apple is complying preemptively with the ban and will stop selling both Apple Watch models on its website on December 21 and in retail stores on December 24 in case the veto doesn’t happen.

One way Apple could keep selling the watch is to settle with Masimo, but the company’s last-minute race to make software changes to the Watch suggests that it doesn’t plan to do so. The company told Bloomberg that it plans to submit its software workaround to the ITC for approval. Masimo’s CEO Joe Kiani, told Bloomberg that he would be open to settling with Apple, but the company hasn’t called him yet. “It takes two to tango,” he said.

He also doesn’t think that a software update to the Apple Watch would resolve the situation. “I don’t think that could work — it shouldn’t — because our patents are not about the software,” Kiani said. “They are about the hardware with the software.”

Overhauling Apple Watch hardware would, of course, be a lot more challenging for Apple than tweaking its software. Even if the ITC approves any potential hardware changes, manufacturing and shipping modified versions of the two Watch models could take upwards of three months, a person familiar with how Apple operates told the publication.

Apple and Masimo have a complicated history. Apple reportedly discussed acquiring the company in 2013 and hiring Kiani to work on the medical features on its smartwatch. That deal never went through. Instead, Kiani claimed that Apple hired more than 20 Masimo engineers, doubled some of their salaries, and made them develop the same kind of medical technology they were working on at Masimo at Apple. “This is not an accidental infringement — this is a deliberate taking of our intellectual property,” Kiani told Bloomberg.

Engadget has reached out to Apple for comment on Kiani’s statements. The company has previously called the ITC’s ruling “erroneous” and plans to appeal the decision to the Federal Circuit.

It’s not clear whether Apple will get immediate relief. The silver lining for the company is that the ban only applies to Apple Watch sales through the company’s own channels — its website and its retail stores — in the US. You should still be able to buy the Apple Watch through other retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and Target.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-reportedly-scrambling-to-update-apple-watch-software-to-avoid-a-potential-ban-202710009.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple is reportedly scrambling to update Apple Watch software to avoid a looming ban

Beeper Mini has a new “fix” coming for its broken iMessage on Android integration. However, the new method requires Mac access to send (and intermittently resend) “registration data” from an Apple-made desktop or laptop, calling into question how far users will stick with the app. The company says you’ll see the new functionality in an update to the Beeper Cloud Mac app on Wednesday, December 19.

Beeper’s current method requires identification info (“registration data”) sent from a physical Mac computer to authenticate iMessage connections on Android. The company’s latest plans now shift the Mac onus to users. “We have, up until now, been using our own fleet of Mac servers to provide this,” a Beeper spokesperson wrote in the app’s Reddit community. “Unfortunately, this has proven to be an easy target for Apple because thousands of Beeper users were using the same registration data.”

Beeper Mini launched to much fanfare, promising — and delivering — seamless iMessage chats on Android with only a phone number. However, in what seemed like an inevitable move, Apple squashed the app’s core functionality, forcing the startup to deploy new workarounds as it entered a cat-and-mouse game with the $3 trillion corporation.

Beeper says tomorrow’s update for Beeper Cloud on Mac will generate unique “1:1” registration data for individuals rather than thousands of accounts drawing on the same validation info on Beeper’s servers. The company says the new approach “makes the connection very reliable.” However, the registered Mac will still need to “periodically regenerate” the data after you’ve connected a Mac to Beeper Cloud, so it can’t just be a one-and-done connection to the computer.

If you don’t have a Mac and want to use Beeper Mini, the company says you can ask a friend to use their Apple computer for validation. “In our testing, 10-20 iMessage users can safely use the same registration data,” the company posted. The spokesperson said the update will restore chatting on iMessage with your Apple ID email if you don’t already have a phone number tied to your account.

Steve Jennings via Getty Images

It remains to be seen if Beeper Mini’s users will stick around for the more cumbersome setup. “At this point, I am willing to wait for Apple to come out with RCS support,” Redditor u/OldSalukiBandDude commented, referring to Apple’s promised support for the standard that will bring more iMessage-like features to chats between iPhones and Android handsets. “‘Fix’ is a strong word,” u/PredatorRanger added. “This is more like half-assing a workaround that requires more on the user’s end.”

Others were more open-minded about Beeper’s persistence in the face of Apple’s moves to squash the service. “Ppl are so whiney,” u/Waders411111 wrote. “This is a great bandaid to stop the bleeding and let ppl use beeper as intended.. as a way to integrate all your message apps in one place.” U/bb147 concurred: “Not the most user friendly fix but I am happy to have stable consolidated chats again even if I have to install something on a Mac, at least for now.”

In addition to the new setup method, Beeper says it’s open-sourcing its full iMessage bridge and the Mac code that generates registration data. The company linked to a Github tool that allows users to self-host the bridge, bypassing the company’s servers for those who want extra assurance.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/beeper-minis-latest-imessage-for-android-setup-requires-a-mac-200322777.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Beeper Mini’s latest iMessage for Android setup requires a Mac

Blue Origin’s 24th mission is officially a success. The New Shepard rocket took off as planned this morning and the booster and crew capsule safely separated mid-flight and landed back on this great blue marble we call Earth.

This was an uncrewed mission, but it carried 33 science payloads into low orbit, more than half of them from NASA. The launch allowed for a few minutes of zero gravity in which researchers conducted remote studies on these payloads. For instance, a payload from Honeybee Robotics studied the strength of planetary soils under differing gravity conditions. The manifest also included 38,000 student postcards from the Club for the Future initiative.

Microsoft Copilot just rolled out a new feature that creates songs via text prompt, thanks to a partnership with AI-based music creation platform Suno. Microsoft says it gives users the ability to craft personalized songs, “regardless of musical background.” Suno has long been working with various algorithms to create an AI that can whip up entire songs and it looks like the company has struck gold.

When you access this tool, all you have to do is enter a prompt and let the algorithm do the rest. The end result should be “fun, clever and personalized” songs, complete with lyrics and singing voices. You can also make an instrumental tune, if that’s your bag. AI use has been ramping up in the music-making space, but most of those tools are intended to help musicians. This is primarily for non-musicians looking to make a tune for a birthday email or something.

To that end, Microsoft gives prompt examples like “create a pop song about adventures with your family” and “make a song that captures the spirit of growing up.” It looks like the Suno add-on will have access to any personal data accrued by Copilot during use, so these songs could, in theory, get pretty specific.

The feature begins rolling out today, but it’s a tiered release. In other words, it could be a few weeks before it reaches your update box. In the meantime, you’ll have to make do with the thousand other things that Copilot can do.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-copilot-can-now-make-cute-little-songs-on-demand-182305372.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Microsoft Copilot can now make cute little songs on demand

The US Department of Justice says it has disrupted the Blackcat ransomware group. Also called ALPHV or Noberus, the hackers have targeted over 1,000 computer networks and extorted millions of dollars from victims. Bloomberg reports its members were known for speaking Russian. “In disrupting the BlackCat ransomware group, the Justice Department has once again hacked the hackers,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco wrote in a DOJ news release.

The FBI says it developed a decryption tool, which it has used to help over 500 Blackcat victims recover their data — saving more than $68 million in ransom payments. The agency adds that it has “gained visibility into the Blackcat ransomware group’s computer network” and seized several of its websites.

“With a decryption tool provided by the FBI to hundreds of ransomware victims worldwide, businesses and schools were able to reopen, and health care and emergency services were able to come back online,” Monaco wrote. “We will continue to prioritize disruptions and place victims at the center of our strategy to dismantle the ecosystem fueling cybercrime.”

REUTERS / Reuters

Blackcat’s developers create and update the ransomware software, which “affiliates” deploy in attacks on high-value targets; the developers and attackers then split the profits. Once an affiliate has infiltrated a network, they typically steal sensitive data before encrypting the victim’s system, incapacitating it. They then ask for a ransom. If the victims pay, the hackers say they’ll decrypt the system and abstain from exposing their confidential information. If the targets refuse to pony up, the hackers leave the victims locked out and publish their spicy documents on the dark web.

Blackcat took credit for infiltrating businesses and other US and European organizations. These included hacks on MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Reddit, US critical infrastructure (government facilities, emergency services, defense industrial base companies, critical manufacturing and healthcare facilities), a large UK hospital group and various attacks across the energy sector.

Its members aren’t afraid to think outside the box, either. Last month, Blackcat affiliates reportedly ratcheted the pressure on a hacked company by snitching to the SEC for not reporting their infiltration.

Although this could only be a fleeting upper hand in a long-running game of cat and mouse, the DOJ warns it’s just getting started. “Criminal actors should be aware that the announcement today is just one part of this ongoing effort,” wrote the DOJ’s Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri. “Going forward, we will continue our investigation and pursue those behind Blackcat until they are brought to justice.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-doj-says-it-disrupted-the-blackcat-ransomware-group-174755936.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The DOJ says it disrupted the Blackcat ransomware group

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 owners can now fix their phones through the company’s self-repair service. The do-it-yourself program is expanding so that more Galaxy products, including foldables and tablets, are included in the iFixit collaboration. 

Samsung said it will add seven more products this month to its list of devices that are eligible for self-repair – from PCs, smartphones and tablets — including the Galaxy S23 series, Tab S9 series and the Galaxy Book2 Pro series. The program provides users with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) device parts and step-by-step guides that allow for things like screen or battery replacements. The price of fix kits will vary depending on the device. For example, a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Screen and Battery set costs $240.

Samsung’s self-repair program, which first launched in the US last year, will also be offered to customers in an additional 30 countries across Europe. The company says expanding the scope of what’s covered by the program is in line with Samsung’s overall strategy to alleviate e-waste.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-adds-foldables-to-its-self-repair-program-for-the-first-time-171120939.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Samsung adds foldables to its self-repair program for the first time

Blue Origin is taking another stab at its first launch in 15 months as New Shepard’s 24th mission is scheduled to take flight on Tuesday. The company had to scrub a planned launch on Monday due to a ground system issue. Today’s launch window opens at 11:37AM ET and the webcast starts 20 minutes beforehand. You can watch the launch below.

The uncrewed science mission has 33 payloads, more than half of which were developed by NASA, Blue Origin says. The other payloads are from K-12 schools, universities and STEAM-centric organizations. The manifest also includes 38,000 student postcards from the Club for the Future initiative.

The Federal Aviation Administration grounded New Shepard after an uncrewed launch attempt in September 2022 didn’t go as planned. The booster failed after takeoff but it was able to separate successfully from the capsule. Although the capsule made a safe parachute landing, the booster was destroyed when it hit the ground in a designated hazard area.

The year had started so well for robotaxis. Cruise and Waymo came into 2023 riding high on fresh investments from General Motors and Google, respectively, as well as rapidly growing interest from the general public and a downright rabid rate of adoption by city governments. Things were looking up, very up, for the burgeoning self-driving vehicle industry! Then a driverless Crusie taxi accidentally dragged a hit-and-run victim down a San Francisco street for a few dozen feet and everything just sort of went to shit from there. So fragile, these Next Big Things. Let’s take a look back through the year that was to see how autonomous taxi tech might recover from this catastrophe.

Cruise (Out of) Control

Cruise came into this year looking like a nigh-on unstoppable force of transportational change as the core of GM’s self-driving efforts. The company received a $1.5 billion investment from the automaker in March 2022 after GM spent $2.1 buying equity ownership for the startup from Softbank Vision Fund. In February the company announced that its test fleet of driverless taxis had traveled a million miles of San Francisco’s streets without a human behind the wheel. The program had only started the previous November.

“When you consider our safety record, the gravity of our team’s achievement comes into sharper focus,” Mo Elshenawy, Cruise’s EVP of engineering, said in February. “To date, riders have taken tens of thousands of rides in Cruise AVs. In the coming years, millions of people will experience this fully driverless future for themselves.”