The inevitable has happened and Disney+ has once again announced that prices will be going up for its streaming service. Whether it’s because of the ever-increasing costs or because of the company’s recent teetering toward censorship or because you simply aren’t using it, you may decide it’s time to take a break. Here’s everything you need to know about canceling your Disney+ subscription.

How to cancel via web or mobile

The simplest way to end your Disney+ service is if you’re being billed directly by the mouse. You can follow the same steps in a web or mobile browser, or within the Disney+ mobile app. 

1. Log in to your Disney+ account. 

2. Select your Profile.

3. Select Account.

4. Select your Disney+ subscription under Subscription.

5. Select Cancel Subscription.

Easy peasy. But things can get a little more convoluted if you’re not in a direct-billing situation. 

How to cancel via third-party provider

Like many entertainment services, Disney+ offers the option to access its streaming service from a third-party provider. Most often, these are the companies running mobile app stores, like Apple and Google, or through wireless service brands, like Spectrum or Verizon. Since those companies are the ones that handle the money, you need to start the cancellation process with them rather than with Disney. 

The exact details might vary, but the general approach is to sign into your account with the third party, then find the place to manage either billing or subscriptions, and pick the Disney+ option. Here are the specific steps for a few of the most common providers.

Cancel via Apple

1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. 

2. Tap on your name at the top of the screen and tap Subscriptions. 

3. Select your Disney+ subscription to manage and make changes. 

Cancel via Google

1. Go to the Google Play store using a web browser.

2. Confirm that you’re signed in to your Google account.

3. On the top right, click your Google account icon and select Payment & subscriptions.

4. Click the Subscriptions tab and select your Disney+ subscription.

5. Click Manage and select Cancel subscription.

Cancel via Amazon

1. Go to Amazon Memberships and Subscriptions using a web browser. 

2. Sign in to your Amazon account.

3. Navigate to your Disney+ subscription and select Cancel Subscription.

How to cancel a bundle subscription

Because Disney owns everything, at some point you may have upgraded to a bundle plan that includes Hulu, ESPN or HBO Max as well as Disney+. If you originally had a subscription for one of those services that you upgraded to include Disney+, canceling the Disney service will only end that part of the package deal. You will continue getting billed for the original plan you bought under the terms at the time you signed up. Ending the entire bundle means you’ll also need to separately cancel your streaming service with Hulu, ESPN or HBO Max. 

How to pause your Disney+ service

If you want to simply take a break because you won’t be using a Disney+ subscription for a few months, the company does offer a pause option. It’s not available for the Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle subscription, but for any other plans, you can pause your subscription as long as your Disney+ account is active and you have no outstanding payments to the company. And once again, if a third party handles your billing, you’ll need to contact them to initiate a pause. For direct-billing customers, here’s how to pause your Disney+ service:

1. Log in to your Disney+ account.

2. Select your Profile.

3. Select Account.

4. Select your Disney+ subscription under Subscription.

5. Select Pause Subscription.

6. Choose the duration of the pause.

7. Select Pause Subscription.

What happens after you cancel

Clicking the final button doesn’t immediately end your service. Since Disney doesn’t offer any refunds on partially-used subscriptions, you’ll still have access to the service until the end of the current billing period after canceling. That means that if you change your mind and decide to keep the service, it’s pretty easy to resume your previous plan before the billing period ends. There will be a “Restart Subscription” option under the Account tab. If you decide to resume Disney+ use after the end of your final billing period, you’ll have to start up a new subscription with the platform.  

Cancellation also doesn’t erase your data with Disney. The company will hold onto your name, email address and other info unless you choose to delete your Disney+ account. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/how-to-cancel-your-disney-subscription-183643669.html?src=rss

Sony is introducing a new rewards program for PlayStation owners that lets you purchase exclusive physical merchandise if you’ve unlocked certain in-game trophies. The company is starting with rewards for two trophies from Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima (rewards for Ghost of Yotei are in the works), and Sony will presumably offer something similar for all of its most popular game franchises.

The “Ghost Rewards” you might have earned playing Ghost of Tsushima include a $25 commemorative pin shaped like a mask (unlocked for earning the game’s “Living Legend” Platinum trophy) or a $30 custom t-shirt with what looks like a gold woodblock print design (unlocked for earning the “Mono No Aware” Gold trophy). In order to claim either reward you have to login to your PlayStation account on a dedicated website before December 31, 2025, and despite what the term “reward” might suggest, pay for either item to actually receive it. The reward, in this case, is access, not the merch itself.

Sony’s last attempt at some kind of loyalty or rewards program was the short-lived and entirely digital PlayStation Stars program. While it was running, it let you earn “Stars” for playing specific games or doing activities on your console, and then spend those Stars on what amounted to digital models of characters or items. The program always felt a bit like an NFT feature that the company had quickly reworked when blockchain tech fell out of style, and it made sense when it abandoned it.

Rather than PlayStation Stars, Franchise Rewards is most similar to Bungie Rewards, the program and online store the Destiny 2 developer has run since 2018. Via Bungie Rewards you can unlock commemorative shirts, jackets and more for completing in-game activities in Destiny and Destiny 2, including the series’ multi-hour raids.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstations-franchise-rewards-program-gates-merch-behind-in-game-trophies-182001158.html?src=rss

Nearly a quarter of workers aged 18-34 fear they’ll lose their jobs to AI within two years, according to a Deutsche Bank survey of 10,000 people across the US and major European economies. The survey, conducted from June through August, found 24% of younger respondents scored their concern at 8 or above on a 10-point scale, compared to just 10% among workers 55 and older. Workers anticipate growing AI risk over time. 22% expressed high concern over a five-year horizon versus 18% for the two-year timeframe, the bank wrote in a report, reviewed by Slashdot.

Americans show greater concern than Europeans across all time periods, scoring roughly five percentage points higher. The survey also revealed major differences in AI adoption patterns. The US leads workplace adoption at 56%, while Spain shows the highest home adoption at 68% over three months. Germany and the UK demonstrate contrasting behaviors — both countries report similar home usage above 50%, but workplace adoption differs significantly at 41% for Germany versus 5% for the UK. Training gaps persist across regions. Only one in four European respondents has received AI training at work compared to nearly one in three Americans, though 52% of Europeans and 54% of Americans want employer-led AI training.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Walmart has jumped on the October Prime Day bandwagon in an attempt to sway you away from the biggest online sale of the fall. The main event is Amazon’s two-day Prime Big Deal Days promotion, aka October Prime Day. This week, Walmart officially announced its own “Prime Day”-esque promotion, and there’s some good news for those of you who balk at the idea of paying for a membership to take advantage of a sale—it’s free to everyone.

What is Walmart Deals?

Walmart Deals is meant to be the answer to Amazon’s Prime Day sales. It is both an in-store and online sale with deals on most things that Walmart sells (food being arguably the biggest omission). The sale happens every year around spring, summer, fall, and winter, revolving around Prime Day sales.

When does Walmart Deals start?

Walmart Deals kicks off Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET for Walmart+ members (a five-hour head start) and Oct. 7 for everyone else. It runs until Oct. 12, both online and in stores at local opening times.

Do you need to be a Walmart+ member to shop during Walmart Deals?

No. But, if you are a Walmart+ member, you’ll get early access to the sales beginning Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET, the evening before the event opens to the public. You can sign up for a free 30-day Walmart+ subscription or get the annual plan for $98 ($8.17/month).

What you can expect from Walmart Deals

Walmart says its sale will include many different categories, including deals on electronics, home, toys, travel, and many other categories—similar to the deals we found last year. The sale will be on Walmart.com, the Walmart app, and in stores. You can already see the landing page, even though the sale hasn’t started. Here are some deals Walmart says will be available:

Electronics

• ASUS 16” R7 4050 16/512 Gaming Laptop – $400 (Walmart exclusive)

• Proscan Elite, 14.1” Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame – $25 Savings

• VIZIO 50″ Class Quantum 4K QLED HDR Smart TV – $100 Savings

Home

• Better Homes & Gardens Farm Apple Pumpkin Scented 1-Wick 16.1oz Ribbed Jar Candle – $7 Savings (Walmart exclusive)

• Dyson Ball Animal Origin Upright Vacuum – $80 Savings

• Lasko Oscillating 1500W Electric Motion Heat Whole Room Ceramic Heater with Remote Control – $30 Savings

• HART 215-piece Mechanics Tool Set, Chrome finish – $52 Savings (Walmart exclusive)

Seasonal Decor

• 5Ft Halloween Inflatable Pumpkin Ghost with 360° Rotating Colorful LED Lights – $102 Savings

• 4′ Pre-Lit Starburst Gold Artificial Christmas Tree – $42.97 (Walmart exclusive)

• Govee Christmas LED Net Lights – $30 Savings

• Mr. Christmas Santa’s Magical Telephone – $59.88 (Walmart exclusive) 

Toys

• Hot Wheels Mario Kart Bowser’s Castle Track Set – $36.42 Savings

• LEGO Harry Potter Buckbeak  – $24.99 Savings

• Monster High Frankie Stein Make-A-Monser Pet Doll  – $20 Savings

• Pokemon Scarlet & Violet – Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box – $60 Savings 

Fashion

• Free Assembly Women’s and Women’s Plus Cozy Yarn Welt Pocket Cable Cardigan Sweater – $11 Savings (Walmart exclusive)

• Chaps Men’s Stretch Regular-Fit Denim Jeans, Sizes 30-42 – $10 savings

• Madden Girl Women’s Bells Slide-on Strappy Heeled Mule – $25 savings

 Beauty

• Calvin Klein Eternity, Eau de Parfum, 3.4 oz – $55.02 Savings

• Oral-B iO Series 2 Rechargeable Electric Powered Toothbrush, Peach – $15.03 Savings

Food

• Frito Lay Flamin’ Hot Mix 6 Flavor Variety Pack 40 Ct – $6.73 Savings

• Sanpellegrino CIAO Lime Sparkling Flavored Water – $2.88 Savings

• Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino 13.7oz 12ct – $30.40 Savings

You can choose between in-store pickup and different delivery options, including early-morning delivery, late-night express delivery, and next- and two-day shipping.

All of the other competing sales for October Prime Day

You can always expect major retailers to have their own competitive sales, the big ones being Best Buy, Target, and, of course, Amazon. Target has been the only other retailer to officially announce their October competition sale. Like in previous years, the dates for these sales will start earlier, overlap, and run longer than October Prime Day. There are usually a couple of deals that are better than Amazon’s Prime Day from each of the retailers, but the majority of the good deals will be on Amazon. I will be updating this post with details on those offerings as soon as they’ve been announced.

Abstract of a paper on pre-print server Arxiv: Elites disproportionately influence policymaking, yet little is known about their fairness and efficiency preferences — key determinants of support for redistributive policies. We investigate these preferences in an incentivized lab experiment with a group of future elites — Ivy League MBA students. We find that MBA students implement substantially more unequal earnings distributions than the average American, regardless of whether inequality stems from luck or merit. Their redistributive choices are also highly responsive to efficiency costs, with an effect that is an order of magnitude larger than that found in representative U.S. samples. Analyzing fairness ideals, we find that MBA students are less likely to be strict meritocrats than the broader population. These findings provide novel insights into how elites’ redistributive preferences may shape high levels of inequality in the U.S.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Disney might be trying to put the Jimmy Kimmel Live fiasco to bed by bringing the show back on Tuesday night (good luck with that). But the company isn’t exactly putting itself back in customers’ good graces. Once again, it’s hiking the prices of Disney+ subscriptions in the US.

Several standalone plans and bundles are getting price increases. The changes come into effect on October 21.

After that date, subscribers will be paying $2 extra for the standard Disney+ plan (the one with ads) at $12 per month. The ad-free Disney+ Premium option will soon cost $19 per month, an increase of $3. For those playing along at home, that means the monthly ad-free Disney+ plan will have nearly tripled in price in the six years that the service has been around.

Bundle price increases are as follows:

• Disney+ and Hulu with ads: currently $11 per month, going up by $2 to $13

• Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select with ads: currently $17 per month, going up by $3 to $20

• Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select Premium (ad-free): currently $27 per month, going up by $3 to $30

• Disney+ Premium (ad-free), Hulu and ESPN Select (both with ads): currently $22 per month, going up by $3 to $25 — note that this is a legacy plan for existing subscribers, and it’s not possible to switch to it

• Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max Basic with ads: currently $17 per month, going up by $3 to $20

• Disney+ Premium, Hulu Premium and HBO Max (No Ads): currently $30 per month, going up by $3 to $33

Ad-free Hulu Premium ($19 per month) and the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu Premium bundle ($20 per month) are not changing in price for now. The Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited bundles are remaining the same too, at $36 with ads on all three services and $45 with ad-free Disney+ Premium and Hulu Premium. The company will combine Disney+ and Hulu into the same app next year, but there will still be standalone plans for each service.

Disney is following Apple and Peacock in raising prices of their streaming services over the last couple of months. But the timing of the Disney+ increase is an especially ill-judged one.

The announcement comes amid many subscribers canceling their plans in protest against Disney’s decision to temporarily remove Jimmy Kimmel from its airwaves. A price hike isn’t exactly likely to entice them to sign back up as Kimmel’s show returns to ABC.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-prices-are-increasing-in-october-yes-again-171830091.html?src=rss

It’s a rare occurrence for scientists to witness sharks mating in the wild. It’s even rarer to catch three leopard sharks—two males and one female—engaging in what amounts to a threesome in the wild on camera, particularly since they are considered an endangered species. But that’s just what one enterprising marine biology team achieved, describing the mating sequence in careful, clinical detail in a paper published in the Journal of Ethology.

It’s not like scientists don’t know anything about leopard shark mating behavior; rather, most of that knowledge comes from studying the sharks in captivity. Whether the behavior is identical in the wild is an open question because there hadn’t been any documented observations of leopard shark mating practices in the wild—until now.

Hugo Lassauce, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) in Australia, was working with the Aquarium des Lagons in Nouméa, New Caledonia, to monitor sharks off the coast of that South Pacific territory. Lassauce has been snorkeling daily with sharks for a year as part of that program—always with an accompanying boat for safety purposes—and had seen bits of the leopard shark mating behavior before, but never the entire sequence. Then he spotted a female shark on the sand below with two males hanging onto her pectoral fins—classic pre-copulation (courtship) behavior observed in captive leopard sharks.

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alternative_right shares a report from ScienceDaily: Scientists have developed a new multi-layered metalens design that could revolutionize portable optics in devices like phones, drones, and satellites. By stacking metamaterial layers instead of relying on a single one, the team overcame fundamental limits in focusing multiple wavelengths of light. Their algorithm-driven approach produced intricate nanostructures shaped like clovers, propellers, and squares, enabling improved performance, scalability, and polarization independence. […] Mr Joshua Jordaan, from the Research School of Physics at the Australian National University and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS), said the ability to make metalenses to collect a lot of light will be a boon for future portable imaging systems. “The metalenses we have designed would be ideal for drones or earth-observation satellites, as we’ve tried to make them as small and light as possible,” he said. The findings have been published in the journal Optics Express.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

NASA has unveiled 10 new astronaut candidates drawn from over 8,000 applicants. The diverse group includes four men and six women — pilots, scientists, and medical professionals — who will train for future missions to the ISS, the moon, and eventually Mars. CBS News reports: This is NASA’s first astronaut class with more women than men. It includes six pilots with experience in high-performance aircraft, a biomedical engineer, an anesthesiologist, a geologist and a former SpaceX launch director. Among the new astronaut candidates is 39-year-old Anna Menon, a mother of two who flew to orbit in 2024 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon as a private astronaut on a commercial, non-NASA flight. […]

The other members of the 2025 astronaut class are:
– Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ben Bailey, 38, a graduate of the Naval Test Pilot School with more than 2,000 hours flying more than 30 different aircraft, including recent work with UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47F Chinook helicopters.
– Lauren Edgar, 40, who holds a Ph.D. in geology from the California Institute of Technology, with experience supporting NASA’s Mars exploration rovers and, more recently, serving as a deputy principal investigator with NASA’s Artemis 3 moon landing mission.
– Air Force Maj. Adam Fuhrmann, 35, an Air Force Test Pilot School graduate with more than 2,100 hours flying F-16 and F-35 jets. He holds a master’s degree in flight test engineering.
– Air Force Maj. Cameron Jones, 35, another graduate of Air Force Test Pilot School as well as the Air Force Weapons School with more than 1,600 hours flying high-performance aircraft, spending most of his time flying the F-22 Raptor.
– Yuri Kubo, 40, a former SpaceX launch director with a master’s in electrical and computer engineering who also competed in ultimate frisbee contests.
– Rebecca Lawler, 38, a former Navy P-3 Orion pilot and experimental test pilot with more than 2,800 hours of flight time, including stints flying a NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft. She was a Naval Academy graduate and was a test pilot for United Airlines at the time of her selection.
– Imelda Muller, 34, a former undersea medical officer for the Navy with a medical degree from the University of Vermont’s Robert Larner College of Medicine; she was completing her residency in anesthesia at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore at the time of her astronaut selection.
– Navy Lt. Cmdr. Erin Overcash, 34, a Naval Test Pilot School graduate and an experienced F/A-18 and F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot with 249 aircraft carrier landings. She also trained with the USA Rugby Women’s National Team.
– Katherine Spies, 43, a former Marine Corps AH-1 attack helicopter pilot and a graduate of the Naval Test Pilot School with more than 2,000 hours flying time. She was director of flight test engineering for Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. at the time of her astronaut selection.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: A new dark web portal to recruit spies for the UK was launched last Friday (19th September), as the UK steps up its commitment to national security. Harnessing the anonymity of the dark web for the first time, MI6’s new secure messaging platform — Silent Courier — enables anyone, anywhere in the world with access to sensitive information relating to terrorism or hostile intelligence activity to securely contact the UK and offer their services. Instructions on how to access the portal will be publicly available on MI6’s verified YouTube channel as the UK reaches out to potential new agents in Russia and around the world. MI6 advises individuals accessing its portal to use trustworthy VPNs and devices not linked to themselves, to mitigate risks which exist in some countries.

The announcement was made by the outgoing Chief of MI6, Sir Richard Moore, in Istanbul where he stated that the platform will make it easier for MI6 to recruit agents online. As MI6 establishes its official presence on the dark web to reach new recruits and tackle hostile actors seeking to undermine UK security, Sir Richard said that the UK’s intelligence services are “critical to calibrating risk and informing decisions” in navigating threats from hostile actors — making platforms like these even more important in keeping our country safe. Sir Richard said: “Today we’re asking those with sensitive information on global instability, international terrorism or hostile state intelligence activity to contact MI6 securely online. Our virtual door is open to you.” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “National security is the first duty of any government and the bedrock of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change. As the world changes, and the threats we’re facing multiply, we must ensure the UK is always one step ahead of our adversaries. Our world class intelligence agencies are at the coalface of this challenge, working behind the scenes to keep British people safe. Now we’re bolstering their efforts with cutting-edge tech so MI6 can recruit new spies for the UK – in Russia and around the world.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

You know how annoying it is to click multiple edits on a photo? What’s that? It’s actually pretty easy to do. Well, Google says otherwise and has a solution for you: conversational editing, a feature that lets you tell Google your requested edits, rather than have to make them yourself. 

Google first introduced conversational editing to Pixel 10 phones, but the company is now rolling it out to Android users in the US. It should be available for any adults who have their Google account set to English, have Face Groups turned on and location estimates enabled. 

To use conversational editing, first click “help me edit” in the editor. Then you can say exactly what edits you want either using your voice or text. The feature uses “advanced Gemini capabilities” to make the changes. You can do things like edit strangers out of the background, lighten the colors or get rid of a glare. It will show you the original and updated photos side-by-side to compare. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-photos-conversational-editing-is-rolling-out-to-android-users-170057906.html?src=rss