Maestro (2024), the VR rhythm game that lets you conduct an orchestra, is getting an official Star Wars DLC next month, which includes an epic track from Star Wars: Episode 1 (1999) as well as your very own Yoda-sized lightsaber baton.
Previously available on Quest, SteamVR and Pico headsets, VR’s most cultured rhythm game is finally coming to PSVR 2 on June 20th.
Launching the same day, developer Double Jack announced a new premium DLC pack that includes a track from Star Wars: Episode 1 — ‘Duel of the Fates’ by John Williams.
Get ready to conduct with a new in-game cosmetic too, as the DLC is bringing a pint-sized lightsaber baton too.
Also coming June 20th, the studio is launching a ‘Complete Collection Bundle’ across all supported platforms, letting you nab all past DLC in one go, PSVR 2 included.
Meanwhile, Maestro is getting a fresh bump of free content too, seen below:
“Fields of Fate” stage: a rain-soaked, apocalyptic arena where Heaven and Hell collide.
“Angels and Demons” orchestra split: split into two armies—angels and demons—reflecting the eternal struggle of Good versus Evil.
Sergei Prokofiev’s “Battle on the Ice” (from Alexander Nevsky): added to the base tracklist.
The game’s Star Wars Pack will be its third DLC drop following the ‘Doombound Pack’ DLC released last month, which included tracks from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and HBO’s Game of Thrones, in addition to other classical favorites.
‘Secret Sorcery’, its first paid DLC released shortly after its October 2024 launch, included:
Williams — Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter
Dukas — ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ from Fantasia
Grieg — ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’
Berlioz — ‘La symphonie fantastique de Falla — El Amor Brujo’
You may be forgiven for not knowing about Diamant. Even though the German brand was founded in 1885, Diamant bikes are rarely seen outside of mainland Europe.
Diamant was acquired by Trek Bikes in 2002 and it now has a range of affordable urban bikes, including ebikes.
Catching my attention from the new 2025 range is this Diamant 140, launched today and named in celebration of Diamant’s 140th anniversary.
It’s described as “A tool to go out and play, ride the way you always wanted, ride where you always wanted, and for as long as your fun lasts”. We’re invited to “Escape your boundaries. Escape this planet – why not ride the moon?”.
Urban cool
The 1x 12 GRX mechanical groupset is good to see on a bike at this price. Scott Windsor / Ourmedia
While Lunar bikepacking is somewhat ambitious, I like the Diamant’s retro-inspired paintjob, gold bolts and Brooks saddle, which give the 140 a splash of urban cool.
With huge tyres, suspension and a well-appointed frame, the Diamant 140 looks bang on trend alongside cutting-edge gravel bikes such as the Lee Cougan Innova Super Gravel and Ridley’s new Ignite GTX. However, unlike those premium gravel race bikes, the Diamant is a modestly priced machine at £1,700 / €1,800.
The Brooks Cambium C17 saddle is a classy addition to the spec. Scott Windsor / Ourmedia
The chunky aluminium frameset is paired with a SunTour NX32, 75mm-travel gravel suspension fork.
The 140 rolls on 650b Bontrager/Shimano wheels with fat 2.1in tubeless Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres. It’s driven by a 1x 12 Shimano GRX mechanical groupset.
Completing the bike is a Bontrager gravel bar, a mini-porter rack and a classy Brooks C17 Cambium saddle.
The Racktime Viewit rack is minimalist and practical.
Smart price
The dropouts show a versatile frame; it’s ready for hub gears. The split seatstay makes it belt-drive compatible, too. Scott Windsor / Ourmedia
Diamant explains: “We’ve stripped this adventure gravel bike down to the essentials, but fear not. It can be fitted with anything you need or want.”
The £1,700 / €1,800 price tag looks like good value, especially for a rugged commuter bike that could be a lot of fun at the weekend.
I’m certainly looking forward to getting off-grid on my next ride home, although probably not via the Sea of Tranquility.
SAG-AFTRA has filed a labor complaint against Fortnite developer Epic Games, alleging the game improperly used AI to replicate James Earl Jones’ Darth Vader voice without bargaining with the union, despite the estate’s approval. Gizmodo reports: The union has now filed an unfair labor practice charge (link to the PDF is on the SAG-AFTRA website) that calls out “Fortnite’s signatory company, Llama Productions” for “[replacing] the work of human performers with AI technology” without “providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms.”
The union notes that it’s not against the general idea here: “We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles.” The problem is that the AI being used here makes human voice actors obsolete, and “we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games.”
So far there’s been no response from Epic Games on the filing. The Hollywood Reporter notes that despite the SAG-AFTRA’s still-ongoing Interactive Media Agreement strike, which has been stuck for months on negotiating “AI protections for voice actors in video games,” actors can actually work on Fortnite without violating the strike, since the game falls under an exception for titles that were in production before August 2023.
ASUS is updating both its ProArt laptop and its Chromebooks with the latest internals for Computex 2025, and giving both families of laptops a more premium look, with new colors and tasteful finishes.
The ASUS ProArt A16 stands out as the most premium pick, with a black aluminum body, “stealth” hinge that bring the top half of the laptop nearly flush with the bottom and a smudge-resistant finish that should hopefully avoid fingerprints. Inside, ASUS is offering an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX processor and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, both of which qualify the new ProArt as a Copilot+ PC. That means you’ll get access to Windows’ growing list of AI features, and ASUS is also including to apps — StoryCube and MuseTree — that can run generative AI models entirely locally. All packed into a laptop that’s around half-an-inch thick and has a 16-inch 4K OLED.
Asus
In terms of Chromebooks, ASUS is offering both normal models and Chromebook Plus versions that support Google’s AI tools. The ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 has a 14-inch display that can fold flat and a 1080p webcam, alongside up to an Intel Core i5 and 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM. That’s enough to offer Gemini features locally, and you’ll get priority access to Gemini Advanced. The only real disadvantage is the giant ASUS logo that still looks awkward next to the similarly prominent Chromebook logo, and the limited color options: You can only pick between white or grey.
Asus
The ASUS Chromebook CX14 and CX15 come with up to an Intel Core N355 processor, put to 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of storage. If you’re curious about Google’s AI features, you can also purchase a Plus version of the CX14. Whether you get the 14-inch or 15-inch model, both come with a respectable selection of ports, including HDMI for connecting to external displays. Either size also gets a variety of color options: blue, and a sliver-y grey or a greenish-grey in a either a matte or textured finish.
Asus
The ASUS Chromebook CX34 is available now starting at $400 from both Walmart and Best Buy. Meanwhile, the rest of the above laptops won’t be available until Q2 2025. The ProArt A16 starts at $2,500 from ASUS’ online store and Best Buy. The Chromebook CX14 starts at $279 from Best Buy or Costco. The Chromebook Plus CX14 will be available for $429 from Best Buy. And finally the Chromebook CX15 starts at $220 and will be able to be purchased from Best Buy and Amazon.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-asus-proart-a16-laptop-gets-you-the-latest-from-amd-and-a-giant-screen-013037587.html?src=rss
The first rally against the computer in Ping Pong Club feels enough like the real thing with hand tracking that you’ll be satisfied with its price.
Ping Pong Club is free, $3500 Apple Vision Pro not included.
Soon after that first successful rally of a ping pong ball back-and-forth across the virtual table you’ll want to grab a physical paddle. Unfortunately, at writing time, that simply doesn’t make sense with Vision Pro. I grabbed a real paddle and couldn’t get it aligned with the virtual handle in the game.
Technically, I could strap a Quest 3 headset on top of the Vision Pro while holding a Quest 3 controller in my hand to get a haptic-capable paddle visible inside Apple’s headset. Unfortunately, the doubled visual latency would likely make me hate having hands.
On Vision Pro, I met up with a friend who downloaded the game on his headset. We couldn’t get direct invites to work so we ended up using the quick match feature to find one another. The headsets found each other online instantly, suggesting we were the only Vision Pro owners globally playing what seems to be the best table tennis game available on Apple devices in May 2025.
On Quest 3 and other headsets, holding a single tracked controller in ElevenVR provides precision tracking at high speeds. This is key for things like serves or any fast-moving shots and the robust fan-base for the game makes it one of the world’s largest clubs for table tennis. It’s so well-loved that real-world locations and tournaments incorporate ElevenVR in various ways. The game even allows for a step further in immersion by fitting the controller into any number of 3-D printed accessories made in the shape of a ping pong paddle. In the past, I’ve been directed to a plastic accessory that turns a AAA battery into a AA battery in order to shave a few grams off the inside of a Quest controller, coming as close to 1:1 simulation as you can get with consumer-grade VR over the last half decade. Key to the feel of ElevenVR, in addition to precise high-speed controller tracking, is a paired haptic effect felt in the grip of your hand indicating collision with the ball. ElevenVR’s simulation is so well-loved that it stands as one of the medium’s best games. People who compete competitively in ElevenVR at the highest levels are good at the game outside headsets too.
In Table Tennis Club on Apple Vision Pro, the table appears at a reasonable distance and the seemingly correct height from the floor. Play is in passthrough mixed reality by default but you can set it to a custom environment for full VR. The table rolls over to a new location with a pinch. There’s no on-screen text to explain why standing over the table turns the ball slightly red. The ball also floats like a magic orb above the off-hand, meaning you’re just supposed to slap through it with the paddle shown floating inside your dominant hand’s grip. Only when the ball is white, not red. Again, none of this is explained.
Still, I vibed with my Apple Music playlist and rallied from my couch.
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Yes, Apple Vision Pro is missing low latency high speed tracked objects. Rallying a ball solo with hand tracking is still fun here.
Yes, Meta Quest 3S for $300 with tracked controller in ElevenVR takes this experience to the next level and makes competitive ping pong with satisfying haptics available to orders of magnitude more people.
For games like mini golf or table tennis, though, when hand tracking is done well, I believe it can be good enough for at least solo play. Only when you get really competitive, either with yourself or others, do you really need or want the precision of tracked controllers.
I was already in my Vision Pro, sitting on the couch, when I realized I wanted to play ping pong. So I opened the app and played it there solo against the computer for some time before realizing I wasn’t playing as well as I would if I had a greater range of motion than just relaxing back on the couch. This is obvious, of course, but sometimes you just want to smack a ball and have it come back. Table Tennis Club meets me there immediately.
In the same scenario with Quest 3, I’d be directed to go grab my controller the moment I tried to launch ElevenVR. Vision Pro owners readily accept that their headset needs low latency tracked objects to match or exceed the experience Quest owners get out of the box in simulations of games like table tennis. Can ElevenVR owners accept the idea that solo play against the computer might be fine in their game with hand tracking only? And that ElevenVR’s community would likely be better off for the influx of players who get drawn in by the nice physical simulation on display, who then go grab their controllers for multiplayer and a better solo experience?
Table Tennis Club is available from Vitali Ampilogov on the Apple App Store. I reached out to the developer over email to ask for more information about the project, and the dev shared video of their first prototype from December, made in three hours.
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Over three weeks 3D models for the table and paddles were integrated, as well as AI. The first version was released by year end.
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Ampilogov originally launched the game with a subscription model limiting players to 150 balls per day.
“To say this was unpopular would be an understatement,” the developer wrote of the release. “The strong negative feedback led me to quickly pivot, removing the subscription and prioritizing positive App Store reviews.”
Enthusiasm built, though, “especially given the limited selection of fun games on the platform,” and players reached out to contribute.
“This organic enthusiasm led me to form a small, passionate volunteer team of VisionOS enthusiasts: two engineers, a data analyst, and a UX designer. I still handle most of the engineering, UX design, 3D modeling, and product management, but the team’s input has been invaluable.”
Apple held a developer event in Cupertino in early 2025 and “we received actionable feedback on VisionOS best practices.” The developer says they’re still evaluating monetization options with a roadmap of plans for the game.
“With a modest user base (50 daily, 300 weekly, 1,000 monthly active players), generating significant revenue is challenging, so we’re comfortable keeping the game free for now to grow our community,” the developer wrote.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (paywalled), Apple has big plans to turn Siri into a true ChatGPT competitor. “A next-generation, chatbot version of Siri has reportedly made significant progress during testing over the past six months; some executives allegedly now see it as ‘on par’ with recent versions of ChatGPT,” reports MacRumors. “Apple is also apparently discussing giving Siri the ability to access the internet to gather and synthesize data from multiple sources, just like ChatGPT.” From the report: The report added that Apple now has artificial intelligence offices in Zurich, where employees are working on an all-new software architecture for Siri. This “monolithic model” is entirely built on an LLM engine that will eventually replace Siri’s current “hybrid” architecture that has been incoherently layered up with different functionality over many years. The new model will make Siri more conversational and better at synthesizing information.
Google’s Gemini is expected to be added to iOS 19 as an alternative to ChatGPT in Siri, but Apple is also apparently in talks with Perplexity to add their AI service as another option in the future, for both Siri and Safari search.
Following the release earlier this year of the big APT 3.0 package manager tool release, APT 3.1 was tagged today as another step forward to this key tool on Debian-based Linux distributions…
Sony has begun mass suspensions of PlayStation accounts linked to Russian users, including those registered in other countries like Turkiye and Kazakhstan, in an effort to crack down on circumvention of regional restrictions like PS Plus access. This move follows Sony’s 2022 exit from the Russian market due to the war in Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda reports: Russians are trying to bypass the blocks and are contacting PlayStation support, but these attempts are to no avail. Users with purchased accounts encounter the most problems — Sony checks IP addresses for verification. There are already many similar reports. In some cases, accounts with thousands of roubles worth of games purchased have been blocked. Russian media outlets like RT are reporting the news.
Qualcomm announced plans to re-enter the data center market with custom CPUs designed to integrate with Nvidia GPUs and software. As CNBC reports, the move supports Qualcomm’s broader strategy to diversify beyond smartphones and into high-growth areas like data centers, PCs, and automotive chips. From the report: “I think we see a lot of growth happening in this space for decades to come, and we have some technology that can add real value added,” Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, told CNBC in an interview on Monday. “So I think we have a very disruptive CPU.” Amon said the company will make an announcement about the CPU roadmap and the timing of its release “very soon,” without offering specifics. The data center CPU market remains highly competitive. Big cloud computing players like Amazon and Microsoft already design and deploy their own custom CPUs. AMD and Intel also have a strong presence.
Addressing the competition, Amon said that there will be a place for Qualcomm in the data center CPU space. “As long as … we can build a great product, we can bring innovation, and we can add value with some disruptive technology, there’s going to be room for Qualcomm, especially in the data center,” Amon said. “[It] is a very large addressable market that will that will see a lot of investment for decades to come.” Last week, Qualcomm signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi-based AI frim Humain to develop data centers, joining a slew of U.S. tech companies making deals in the region. Humain will operate under Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Boardcon has recently introduced the Idea3576, a compact single-board computer built around the Rockchip RK3576. Key features include CAN, RS485, 4G connectivity, and support for Debian 12. The SoC features an octa-core configuration with four Cortex-A72 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.8GHz, enabling a hybrid big.LITTLE setup. It also integrates a […]
Spotify is continuing to add more ways for listeners to directly make purchases within its iOS app. Following on the streaming service‘s changes to make purchasing subscriptions easier earlier this month, there’s now an an option for users to buy audiobooks in Spotify.
“Spotify submitted a new app update that Apple has approved: Spotify users in the United States can now see pricing, buy individual audiobooks and purchase additional ‘Top Up’ hours for audiobook listening beyond the 15 hours included in Premium each month,” the company said in its updated blog post.
The wave of changes stem from the ongoing court case between Apple and Epic Games surrounding fees for purchases made outside the App Store. While things appear to be swinging in favor of app and service providers, Apple is likely to continue challenging the rulings even as it makes changes to allow for external payment options.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/spotify-ios-users-can-now-buy-audiobooks-directly-from-the-app-230304105.html?src=rss
The Elgato Stream Deck is expanding into a hardware-agnostic platform. On Monday, the company unveiled a software version of the programmable shortcut device. Also on tap are a module for integration in third-party products and DIY projects, an Ethernet dock and an updated Stream Deck MK.2 with scissor-switch keys.
Stream Deck MK.2 Scissor Keys
There’s a new version of the popular Stream Deck MK.2. The only difference is that this version ditches membrane keys in favor of scissor-switch ones. Scissor keys (found on many laptops, like modern MacBooks) have a shorter travel distance and sharper actuation than the mushy-feeling ones on the (still available) legacy MK.2.
The Stream Deck MK.2 Scissor Keys costs $150. Shipments begin around the beginning of June.
Virtual Stream Deck
Virtual Stream Deck (VSD) is a software-only counterpart of the classic devices. Like the hardware versions, the VSD includes a familiar grid of programmable shortcut buttons. Anything you’d configure for a device like the Stream Deck MK.2 or XL, you can also do for the VSD. Place the interface anywhere on your desktop, pin it for quick access or trigger it with a mouse click or hotkey.
Elgato
Presumably to avoid cannibalizing its hardware business, Elgato is limiting the VSD to owners of its devices. Initially, it will only be available to people who have Stream Deck hardware or select Corsair peripherals (the Xeneon Edge and Scimitar Elite WE SE Mouse). The company says the VSD will soon be rolled out to owners of additional devices.
The VSD has one frustrating requirement. It only works when one of those compatible accessories is connected to your computer. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use it as a virtual Stream Deck replacement, mirroring your shortcuts while you and your laptop are on the go. That seems like a missed opportunity.
Instead, it’s more like a complement to Stream Deck hardware while it’s connected — a way to get more shortcuts than the accessory supports. It’s also a method for Corsair accessory owners to get Stream Deck functionality without buying one.
Regardless, Virtual Stream Deck launches with the Stream Deck 7.0 beta software.
Stream Deck Modules
Elgato
Stream Deck Modules can be built into hardware not made by Elgato. So, hobbyists, startups and manufacturers can incorporate the OLED shortcut buttons into their DIY projects or products. The only difference is their more flexible nature. Otherwise, they function the same as legacy Stream Deck products.
Stream Deck Modules have an aluminum chassis that’s “ready to drop straight into a custom mount, machine or product.” They’re available in six-, 15- and 32-key variants.
The modules begin shipping today. You’ll pay $50 for the six-key version, $130 for the 15-key one and $200 for the 32-key variant. (If you’re providing them for an organization, Elgato offers volume discounts.)
Elgato Network Dock
Elgato
The Elgato Network Dock gives Stream Deck devices their own Ethernet connections. This untethers the shortcuts from the desktop, allowing for “custom installations, remote stations and more.”
The Network Dock supports both Power over Ethernet (PoE) and non-PoE networks. You can set up its IP configuration on-device.
The dock costs $80 and ships in August.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/elgatos-stream-deck-breaks-free-from-the-companys-hardware-230052921.html?src=rss
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: While using website data to build a Google Search topped with artificial intelligence-generated answers, an Alphabet executive acknowledged in an internal document that there was an alternative way to do things: They could ask web publishers for permission, or let them directly opt out of being included. But giving publishers a choice would make training AI models in search too complicated, the company concludes in the document, which was unearthed in the company’s search antitrust trial.
It said Google had a “hard red line” and would require all publishers who wanted their content to show up in the search page to also be used to feed AI features. Instead of giving options, Google decided to “silently update,” with “no public announcement” about how they were using publishers’ data, according to the document, written by Chetna Bindra, a product management executive at Google Search. “Do what we say, say what we do, but carefully.” “It’s a little bit damning,” said Paul Bannister, the chief strategy officer at Raptive, which represents online creators. “It pretty clearly shows that they knew there was a range of options and they pretty much chose the most conservative, most protective of them — the option that didn’t give publishers any controls at all.”
For its part, Google said in a statement to Bloomberg: “Publishers have always controlled how their content is made available to Google as AI models have been built into Search for many years, helping surface relevant sites and driving traffic to them. This document is an early-stage list of options in an evolving space and doesn’t reflect feasibility or actual decisions.” They added that Google continually updates its product documentation for search online.
New Orleans’ police force secretly used constant facial recognition to seek out suspects for two years. An investigation by The Washington Post discovered that the city’s police department was using facial recognition technology on a privately owned camera network to continually look for suspects. This application seems to violate a city ordinance passed in 2022 that required facial recognition only be used by the NOLA police to search for specific suspects of violent crimes and then to provide details about the scans’ use to the city council. However, WaPo found that officers did not reveal their reliance on the technology in the paperwork for several arrests where facial recognition was used, and none of those cases were included in mandatory city council reports.
“This is the facial recognition technology nightmare scenario that we have been worried about,” said Nathan Freed Wessler, an ACLU deputy director. “This is the government giving itself the power to track anyone — for that matter, everyone — as we go about our lives walking around in public.” Wessler added that the is the first known case in a major US city where police used AI-powered automated facial recognition to identify people in live camera feeds for the purpose of making immediate arrests.
Police use and misuse of surveillance technology has been thoroughly documented over the years. Although several US citiesandstates have placed restrictions on how law enforcement can use facial recognition, those limits won’t do anything to protect privacy if they’re routinely ignored by officers.
Read the full story on the New Orleans PD’s surveillance program at The Washington Post.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/new-orleans-police-secretly-used-facial-recognition-on-over-200-live-camera-feeds-223723331.html?src=rss
Google has launched the NotebookLM app for Android and iOS, offering a native mobile experience with offline support, audio overviews, and integration into the system share sheet for adding sources like PDFs and YouTube videos. 9to5Google reports: This native experience starts on a homepage of your notebooks with filters at the top for Recent, Shared, Title, and Downloaded. The app features a light and dark mode based on your device’s system theme with no manual toggle. Each colorful card features the notebook name, emoji, number of sources, and date, as well as a play button for Audio Overviews. There’s background playback and offline support for the podcast-style experience (the fullscreen player has a nice glow), while you can “Join” the AI hosts (in beta) to ask follow-up questions.
You get a “Create new” button at the bottom of the list to add PDFs, websites, YouTube videos, and text. Notably, the NotebookLM app will appear in the Android and iOS share sheet to quickly add sources. When you open a notebook, there’s a bottom bar for the list of Sources, Chat Q&A, and Studio. It’s similar to the current mobile website, with the native client letting users ditch the Progressive Web App. Out of the gate, there are phone and (straightforward) tablet interfaces. You can download the app for iOS and Android using their respective links.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is acquiring most of 23andMe’s assets for $256 million. The sale includes 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service, Total Health and Research Services business lines. What’s not included is 23andMe’s telehealth unit, Lemonaid Health, which the company acquired for around $400 million in 2021. It’ll be shut down, but all staffers will remain employed. CNBC reports: The deal is still subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Pending approval, it’s expected to close in the third quarter of this year, according to the release. In its bankruptcy proceedings, 23andMe required all bidders to comply with its privacy policies, and a court-appointed, independent “Consumer Privacy Ombudsman” will assess the deal, the companies said.
Several lawmakers and officials, including the Federal Trade Commission, had expressed concerns about the safety of consumers’ genetic data through 23andMe’s sale process. The privacy ombudsman will present a report on the acquisition to the court by June 10. “We are pleased to have reached a transaction that maximizes the value of the business and enables the mission of 23andMe to live on, while maintaining critical protections around customer privacy, choice and consent with respect to their genetic data,” Mark Jensen, 23andMe’s board chair, said in a statement. “At its peak, 23andMe was valued at around $6 billion,” notes the report.
Biotechnology company Regeneron will acquire 23andMe out of bankruptcy for $256 million, with a plan to keep the DNA-testing company running without interruption and uphold its privacy protection promises.
In its announcement of the acquisition, Regeneron assured 23andMe’s 15 million customers that their data—including genetic and health information, genealogy, and other sensitive personal information—would be safe and in good hands. Regeneron aims to use the large trove of genetic data to further its own work using genetics to develop medical advances—something 23andMe tried and failed to do.
“As a world leader in human genetics, Regeneron Genetics Center is committed to and has a proven track record of safeguarding the genetic data of people across the globe, and, with their consent, using this data to pursue discoveries that benefit science and society,” Aris Baras, senior vice president and head of the Regeneron Genetics Center, said in a statement. “We assure 23andMe customers that we are committed to protecting the 23andMe dataset with our high standards of data privacy, security, and ethical oversight and will advance its full potential to improve human health.”
SAG-AFTRA, the massive actors and media union with over 160,000 members, has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Epic Games over its inclusion of an AI-powered Darth Vader in a recent Fortnite update.
