Like Apple recently did with its second-gen AirPods Pro, Google is pushing a substantial firmware update to its 2022 earbuds, the company announced during its Made by Google event on Wednesday. Google has already updated the Pixel Buds Pro since they launched last year, adding spatial audio and a full five-band EQ for tuning adjustments. This fall, Google has another robust upgrade planned, including five new features that will expand the abilities of the company’s flagship earbuds. 

Apple and Sony already have tools that automatically pause audio when you begin to speak, which allow you to have quick chats without reaching for the earbuds or your phone. Google is preparing to offer something similar called conversation detection. The company says AI on the Pixel Buds Pro detects your voice, pauses music and activates transparency mode. As on competing earbuds, everything returns to its previous state when the buds no longer pick up your voice, including going back to active noise cancellation (ANC) if it had been enabled. 

Google says it’s also improved call quality, which was a key complaint in the review we published last year. More specifically, the company claims the Pixel Buds Pro now support Bluetooth Super Wideband, which it says “doubles the bandwidth for voices.” Google promises you’ll sound “fuller and clearer” compared to a set of the earbuds running the previous software. In addition, the Pixel Buds Pro now support Clear Calling on Pixel, which combats background noise on the other end of your calls.

Hearing health has become a focus for earbud makers in recent years and Google will offer more info on your listening habits to help you keep levels in check. The Pixel Buds app will tell you how loud you’ve been listening over time and alert you to when you might want to lower the volume to protect your hearing. For mobile gamers, a new low-latency mode on the Pixel Buds Pro is automatically activated when you open a compatible title on a Pixel phone. Google says it has cut latency in half compare to Pixel Buds Pro running the old software. Lastly, the company now offers the Pixel Buds app for these earbuds on Chromebooks, giving you easy access to settings, noise control modes and firmware updates from those devices. 

Since Google is all about color coordination, the company is adding Bay (light blue) and Porcelain (let’s call it “cream”) colorways for the Pixel Buds Pro to match the new Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2. Those options join the existing four colors on the $200 set of wireless earbuds. The Pixel Buds Pro software update will start rolling out today for new and existing users. 

Follow all of the news live from Google’s 2023 Pixel event right here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pixel-buds-pro-update-adds-conversation-detection-and-several-other-new-features-143008298.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Pixel Buds Pro update adds conversation detection and several other new features

French police have arrested five former Ubisoft executives after an investigation into claims of abuse, harassment and discrimination at the company, according to the newspaper Libération. Ex-Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët and Tommy François, a former vice president of editorial and creative services, were among those taken into custody. Both men left Ubisoft in 2020 following accusations against them.

When asked about the arrests, Ubisoft told GamesIndustry.biz that it didn’t have “knowledge of what has been shared and therefore can’t comment.”

In 2021, a French workers union and two ex-Ubisoft employees sued the publisher for allegedly enabling a culture of “institutional sexual harassment.” Solidaires Informatiques claimed that, rather than addressing the issues head on, Ubisoft found it easier to tolerate alleged misconduct. Francois and Hascoët were among those named in the suit.

According to Libération, police spent more than a year investigating the case. They collected testimonies from approximately 50 staffers and former employees. A lawyer for the plaintiffs claimed (according to a translation) that “beyond simple individual behavior, [the case] reveals systemic sexual violence” in an environment where a “‘schoolboy atmosphere’ was tolerated.”

Several senior employees resigned or were fired in 2020 after reports emerged of widespread misconduct at the company, including at Ubisoft studios in Montreal and Toronto. That summer, CEO Yves Guillemot laid out a plan to address such issues and clean up a culture of toxicity within the ranks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/five-former-ubisoft-execs-arrested-following-sexual-harassment-investigation-135636454.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Five former Ubisoft execs arrested following sexual harassment investigation

With Roku facing increased competition from rivals, especially Google, the company has just unveiled its latest OS 12.5 update with a raft of new features. Those include expanded sports content with favoriting and highlights, enhancements to the live TV channel guide, music playlists, expert picture settings and more. 

A feature that’ll be high on the list for videophiles is “Expert Picture Setting.” That lets users customize key pictures settings like color temperature, color space, gamma correction and noise reduction, adding to the current, more basic picture settings already available. This feature is already available on the mobile app, but it’s now debuting for TVs. 

Roku is also expanding what you can do with sports. It’ll offer expanded content including motorsports coming in early 2024 and new content from Max “in the coming weeks.” It’s also introducing favoriting, letting users track live and upcoming events by adding teams to a curated “My Favorites” row by clicking the favorite button on the game page. It’s also launching highlights, letting users catch key moments they may have missed or want to relive. 

The OS update is making it easier to find live TV shows among the 400+ channels as well, letting you personalize the order of channels in the Guide and remove channel numbers. It’s also introducing “What to Watch Categories” that let you browse by TV Shows, Movies, New & Popular, Free and more, along with “Experiences” related to a genre or topic like food or home. The update will also bring Visual Search to the Roku mobile app, “in a more visual and immersive way.” The company is also launching Music Playlists, adding more than 250 video playlists from partners including Stingray, Vevo and Warner Music Group.

Away from the entertainment side, Roku is also introduce smart home features, including “Event History” that shows Camera subscription users a history of who was at their front door, along with Notifications that will tell you if a package has arrived, for example. Finally, the new app now supports Google Photos, making it easier to do slideshows for friends more easily. Roku OS 12.5 will roll out to customers in the coming weeks, but some of the features may take awhile to arrive after that. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rokus-latest-update-adds-expert-picture-tuning-sports-favoriting-and-more-130035253.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Roku’s latest update adds expert picture tuning, sports favoriting and more

With Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and Amazon already having had their fall announcement events this year, Google’s hardware keynote is ostensibly the last major launch of 2023. The company has more or less told us what it’s going to be unveiling today, teasing us with trailers of the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2. If the keynotes of the other tech giants told us anything, it’s that we should expect Google to also pile on with a ton of updates about its developments in generative AI, in addition to the new phones and smartwatch. We’ll also probably learn more about features coming to Android 14, and it’s highly likely the Assistant gains some new skills as well. 

The show kicked off on October 4 at 10AM ET, and so far we’ve covered the release of the Pixel 8 series, including the Pro, Pixel Watch 2, Pixel Buds Pro, and new AI features. Stay tuned as we update this liveblog with even more news coming out of the keynote.

News

Google’s Pixel Watch 2 refines last year’s template

Google’s Pixel 8 is a smaller 6.2-inch flagship with a bigger battery

Google’s $999 Pixel 8 Pro leans into high-end camera features

Pixel Buds Pro update adds conversation detection and several other new features

Android 14 is now available to download on Pixel devices

Google extends software support for Pixel phones to a full seven years

Google’s Tensor G3 chip is focused on speeding up AI for the Pixel 8 phones

Google Pixel 8 lineup has a bevy of generative AI features

The Google Pixel Fold’s dual-screen interpreter begins rolling out

Hands-on

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro hands-on: Generative AI and a temperature sensor on your phone

Google Pixel Watch 2 hands on: New biometric sensors in a slightly lighter package

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-2023-liveblog-live-updates-on-the-pixel-8-reveal-130029820.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Google Pixel event liveblog: Live updates on the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Watch 2 reveal