Apple says it has begun piloting a new App Store feature called “contingent pricing” that will help developers lure in customers with cheaper subscriptions based on their other purchases. The contingent pricing model will let developers offer discounts to customers who already have subscriptions to other services, be it those developers’ own apps or participating partners’. It’s starting with a select group of participants before rolling it out to more developers “in the coming months.”
“Contingent pricing for subscriptions on the App Store — a new feature that helps you attract and retain subscribers — lets you give customers a discounted subscription price as long as they’re actively subscribed to a different subscription,” Apple wrote in a post on the Apple Developer website. “It can be used for subscriptions from one developer or two different developers.” Per 9to5Mac, Apple further explained that these bundled discounts will be highly visible to customers both on the App Store and “in off-platform marketing channels” so they can easily find and get in on the perks.
It comes at a time of ongoing scrutiny into Apple’s practices with its App Store and how it handles in-app purchases, which came to a head in Apple’s battle with Fortnite owner Epic Games. Just this fall, Apple asked the Supreme Court to reverse its previous ruling that required it to allow developers to circumvent its 30 percent transaction fee by supporting outside payment systems. But it’s still looking for ways to get back in developers’ good graces. The company says it will release more information on the new program next month.
Correction, December 17, 2023, 3:30PM ET: This story originally stated that contingent pricing allowed developers to offer cheaper plans than competitors. It actually only works between participating parties. We apologize for the error.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-app-store-developers-contingent-pricing-for-subscriptions-222205906.html?src=rss
A proposed class action lawsuit has accused Apple of accepting a form of bribe from Visa and Mastercard to ensure their dominance over point-of-sale payment card services for Apple Pay transactions, according to Reuters. As a result, the lawsuit says merchants have been forced to pay higher fees.
The companies are being sued by beverage retailer Mirage Wine & Spirits in Illinois on behalf of “all merchants in the United States that accepted Apple Pay as a method of payment at the physical point-of-sale.” According to the complaint, Apple made an agreement with Visa and Mastercard that did away with any incentive for it to develop its own competing point-of-sale transaction payment network or allow other companies to make use of iPhone’s “tap to pay” NFC functionality with third-party wallet apps. On the iPhone, Apple’s own wallet app is the only option. All of this has led to inflated merchant fees, the suit argues.
“In exchange for agreeing not to compete with Visa and Mastercard in the Relevant Market, the two card networks offered Apple a very large and ongoing cash bribe,” the lawsuit states. This bribe came as a percentage of the two companies’ transaction fees for credit and debit card payments made with Apple Pay. “Even as Apple Pay was in its infancy, the Entrenched Networks and Apple understood that this bribe would amount to hundreds of millions of dollars per year.”
Apple has been accused of anti-competitive behavior with Apple Pay in the past for how it blocks third-party access to its contactless payment technology. But earlier this week, Reuters reported that Apple may open up NFC access in the EU to avoid a fine in a case that has been ongoing since 2020.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-visa-and-mastercard-sued-in-proposed-class-action-antitrust-case-over-apple-pay-card-fees-203445696.html?src=rss
In an interview this fall following his return to Earth from the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio shared a little mission anecdote that had us gripped: after he’d harvested one of the first tomatoes grown in space and bagged it up for a presentation, the bag and its contents went missing. With no trace of the fruit, the other astronauts jokingly accused Rubio of eating it. Then, eight months later at the beginning of December, the lost tomato reappeared. A photo shared by NASA now shows there were actually two tomatoes in the rogue sample — and, all things considered, they don’t look half bad.
While a tomato left to rot on Earth isn’t a pleasant thing to come across, Rubio’s tomatoes just look a bit dried out. “Other than some discoloration, it had no visible microbial or fungal growth,” NASA wrote in a blog post.
One small step for tomatoes, one giant leap for plant-kind. 🍅
Two rogue tomatoes were recovered after roaming on station for nearly a year. NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio accidentally lost the fruit while harvesting for XROOTS, a soil-less plant experiment. https://t.co/ymAP24fxaXpic.twitter.com/AeIV8i6QKR
NASA has for years been experimenting with ways to grow food on the ISS and studying how the space environment affects plant growth. The red dwarf tomatoes were grown as part of a program called the eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System, or XROOTS, which uses a combination of hydroponic and aeroponic techniques instead of soil. Rubio, who was on the ISS for a record-breaking 371 days before his return in September 2023, harvested a batch of the tomatoes in March to be sent back to Earth and examined for the VEG-05 study.
As for the sample Rubio hung onto, which he intended to show to schoolkids in an event a crewmember had planned, the astronaut said the tomatoes simply disappeared. “I was pretty confident that I Velcroed it where I was supposed to Velcro it, and then I came back and it was gone,” he said. Rubio said he spent “eight to 20 hours” looking for it, to no avail. Now that they’ve turned up (and since been thrown away), we’re just dying to know where they were hiding all that time. We’ve reached out to NASA and will update this story if we find out any more information.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/these-tomatoes-were-lost-on-the-international-space-station-for-almost-a-year-182601610.html?src=rss
It’s Saturday morning and I’m still thinking about the end of E3, once the biggest gaming show on earth, and the teenage dream destination for many Gen Z / Millennial gamers, by which I mean: me. Will there be a gaming (or tech) show in 2024 that will match my enthusiasm (in the past) for E3? Probably not.
Apple is also testing out improved anti-theft software for iPhone users — just don’t get your phone stolen before the feature gets out of beta.
Social media account takeovers continue to happen, and with many reliant on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for their income, an attack can derail everything. High-level hackers still tend to seek entities with deep pockets, targeting them with highly complicated attacks. But much of the cyber criminality today is social engineering jobs, aimed at mid-level creators with less experience (and resources). Katie Malone reports on how some victims have lost much to social engineering hacks.
Like email more than video? Subscribe right here for daily reports, direct to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-sad-end-of-e3-140035020.html?src=rss
Meta Quest users will now be able to write reports, edit spreadsheets and create presentations — if they event want to do any of those tasks on a VR headset, that is. Android Central reports that support for the basic Microsoft Office suite has arrived on the original Oculus Quest, the Meta Quest 2, the Meta Quest Pro, and the latest model, the Meta Quest 3. Users can now download Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint from the Meta Quest store for free.
The company first revealed that it was going to launch Microsoft 365 app experiences for its headsets during its Connect 2022 event. It also promised users access to Outlook, Teams and a Windows experience as part of its partnership with Microsoft. To be able to use the basic Office suite apps on their device, users will need to have and log into their Microsoft account. The app files are pretty small because they run on the cloud, so they’re quick to download and can run side by side for the multitaskers out there.
According to The Verge, though, the apps aren’t exactly optimized for virtual reality, so users may have to contend with tiny icons and other elements that don’t work as well in the environment. In addition, it’s not easy typing on the Quest’s onscreen keyboard, so users may have to link Bluetooth accessories if they need to get some serious work done.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-office-apps-arrive-on-meta-quest-vr-headsets-123030297.html?src=rss
California’s Civil Rights Department (CRD) has announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Activision Blizzard for a case it filed in 2021, accusing the company of systemic gender discrimination and fostering a culture that encouraged rampant misogyny and sexual harassment. The agency, which sued the developer when it was still called the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, said Activision Blizzard will have to pay $54 million to settle its allegations. Out of the total, $45.75 million will go towards a fund meant to compensate female employees and contract workers who worked for the company in California from October 12, 2015 until December 31, 2020.
In addition, the developer is expected to retain an independent consultant to evaluate its promotion policies and training materials, as well as to make recommendations based on what they see. If you’ll recall, the agency’s lawsuit alleged that female employees were overlooked for promotions and were paid less than their male colleagues. According to Marketwatch, though, the settlement will also see the agency withdraw its claims that there was widespread sexual harassment at the company. The department will reportedly have to file an amended complaint that only focuses on gender-based pay gap and discrimination.
California’s original lawsuit detailed how Activision Blizzard condoned a “frat boy” culture that encouraged certain unsavory behaviors. Male employees allegedly did “cube crawls,” wherein they routinely groped and sexually harassed their female colleagues at their desks. A spokesperson for the company told Marketwatch that it is “gratified that the CRD has agreed to file an amended complaint that entirely withdraws its 2021 claims alleging widespread and systemic workplace harassment at Activision Blizzard.” They added: “We appreciate the importance of the issues addressed in this agreement and we are dedicated to fully implementing all the new obligations we have assumed as part of it. We are committed to ensuring fair compensation and promotion policies and practices for all our employees, and we will continue our efforts regarding inclusion of qualified candidates from underrepresented communities in outreach, recruitment, and retention.”
Meanwhile, the department told the website that its announcement, which contains no reference to its earlier sexual harassment allegations, “largely speaks for itself with respect to the historic nature of this more than $50 million settlement agreement, which will bring direct relief and compensation to women who were harmed by the company’s discriminatory practices.”
As The Wall Street Journal noted when it reported the settlement, this lawsuit set the stage for Microsoft to acquire the developer. After reports came out that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick kept sexual harassment allegations within the company from reaching its board of directors, the developer’s shares fell, giving Microsoft the opening to offer a deal. The $68.7 billion acquisition was finalized in October after almost two years of contending with regulators trying to block the purchase.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/activision-blizzard-will-pay-54-million-to-settle-californias-gender-discrimination-lawsuit-101149166.html?src=rss
If you used Apple’s Family Sharing feature with at least one other person and bought a subscription to an app through the App Store between 2015 and 2019, you might just get a settlement of up to $50 from the company. MacRumorsreports that Apple will pay $25 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accuses the tech giant of misleading customers over Family Sharing.
The feature lets up to six family members share app subscriptions with each other but allows individual developers to forbid people from sharing a single subscription if they wish to. The lawsuit, which was filed in 2019, accuses Apple of not being transparent about this and misleading customers by making them think they could share a subscription to every app available in the App Store. “[The] vast majority of subscription-based apps” did support Family Sharing, the lawsuit claims.
The complaint also alleges that Apple placed ads on the landing pages of some subscription-based apps that didn’t support Family Sharing. This led “millions of customers” to download subscription-based apps believing they would be able to access them through their Family Sharing subscription, it says, citing YouTube Red and a puzzle game called Brainwell as examples of apps that didn’t support sharing their subscriptions with family members.
Apple has reportedly denied any wrongdoing and has only agreed to settle the case to avoid the potential costs associated with a jury trial. The company did not respond to a request for comment from Engadget.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-settling-a-class-action-lawsuit-over-family-sharing-for-25-million-235208522.html?src=rss
First up, there’s a new effect called Terminal. This is a bit crusher, finally bringing distortion to the synthesizer. The OP-1 Field and its lower-powered sibling have always been known for a stellar effects lineup, but these instruments have never had a bit crusher or any real way to add color via distortion. As an avid player, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to use workarounds to fake overdrive and distortion.
It looks simple enough to operate, with an aesthetic that calls to mind an old PC. You should be able to use this tool for gentle distortion and all-out audio mangling. Like all OP-1 effects, there are four parameters to fiddle with.
The update also brings a much easier way to bounce, or merge, tracks. Teenage Engineering’s calling it “tape merge drop” and the tool includes a shortcut that automatically combines all of the audio from copied tracks into one track, so you can drop it down and continue building out a song. You could always bounce tracks on the OP-1 and Field, but it required some menu diving and a lot more time.
Teenage Engineering has always been good about supporting the OP-1 line. It dropped a vocoder for the Field earlier this year and released multiple system updates for the original OP-1 in the recent past, and that thing came out in 2011. Obama wasn’t even in his second term yet.
The company has had a busy month or so. It set music gear internet ablaze with the surprise launch of the EP-133 sampler and did the exact opposite with whatever this is. The new OP-1 Field update is available now.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teenage-engineerings-op-1-field-just-got-a-nifty-bit-crusher-effect-185232932.html?src=rss
Don’t hold your breath waiting for Baldur’s Gate 3 to show up on Game Pass. It’s not happening, according to Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke in an interview with IGN. The game designer said point blank that “it’s not going to be on Game Pass.” Vincke went on to note that this was always the plan and that the title had never been considered for placement in Microsoft’s subscription gaming platform. These statements occurred just one week after the game officially launched on Xbox Series X/S consoles.
At the root of this decision is perceived value. Vincke says that Baldur’s Gate 3 is a “big game” that’s available for a “fair price.” He also touted the title’s lack of microtransactions and its complete story, saying “you get what you pay for.” To that end, a completionist run in Baldur’s Gate 3 takes more than 140 hours, according to HowLongToBeat.That breaks down to about 40 cents an hour, which seems like a good value to me.
Larian Studios isn’t Microsoft. This is a small company that needs all the money it can get, with Vincke suggesting that players who pay full-price for Baldur’s Gate 3 will allow the developer to “continue making other games.”
This speaks to a larger issue within the gaming community regarding the “all-you-can-eat” nature of streaming subscription platforms like Game Pass. Obviously, paying $10 each month for access to hundreds of games is a great deal for consumers, but it remains to be seen how it impacts developers. Some smaller developers praise the added exposure that comes with launching on Game Pass, while others like Take Two call it a “lost opportunity” for publishers. Sony head Jim Ryan even called the platform “value destructive,” but he’s speaking about a primary competitor so, grain meet salt.
Microsoft has held steady to the idea that Game Pass actually increases sales of included titles, as players fall in love with certain games and want to own them outright. There’s some evidence to support this. Starfield was available on the subscription service since launch day but still managed to be the best-selling title of September, according to figures published by VentureBeat. However, that old adage about cows and free milk must apply to some gamers.
Most importantly, Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t need Game Pass. It’s one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed releases of the year, racking up a boatload of trophies at The Game Awards and selling around 20 million copies on Steam alone. The game’s also available on PS5 and, as mentioned, Xbox Series X/S.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/larian-studios-chief-says-baldurs-gate-3-will-never-come-to-game-pass-175245059.html?src=rss
The holiday shopping season is reaching the home stretch, but we’re here to help if you’re looking for a good deal on a last-minute tech gift. The Xbox Series X, for one, is back on sale at several retailers. Walmart has the game console down to an all-time low of $349, but if stock runs dry there, you can still grab it for $399 at Microsoft, Amazon and other stores. Beyond that, a four-pack of Apple’s AirTag trackers is $19 off, the latest AirPods Pro are $50 off and a number of Sonos devices are discounted as part of a big holiday sale. We’re also seeing price drops on recommended gaming laptops, MacBooks, tablets, microSD cards and more. Here are the best deals from this week that you can still buy today. Just be aware that not everything may ship in time for Christmas.
The Xbox Series X is available for $349 at Walmart at the time of writing, though stock appears to be spotty. If that deal runs out for good, a bundle that pairs the beefy game console with the action-RPG Diablo IV is down to $399 at Microsoft. That’s $160 less than the usual cost of buying each separately. Amazon, GameStop and others have the console alone for $399 as well. While the Series X remains a bit light on must-play exclusives, the Xbox library includes a diverse collection of games we like, from blockbusters like Forza Horizon 5 to quirkier hits like Hi-Fi Rush to smaller-scale gems like Pentiment. The hardware itself is powerful enough to play games at a steady 4K/60 fps, with some titles capable of reaching higher frame rates. Unlike the less powerful Xbox Series S — which is $60 off itself — it also includes a disc drive. There’s at least some chance we see a Series X refresh in 2024, but the current machine is an easier sell when it’s discounted to this extent.
A four-pack of Apple’s AirTags is back down to $80 at Amazon, Walmart and other retailers. That’s about $9 off its usual street price and $19 less than buying from Apple directly. The AirTag is the “best for iPhones” pick in our Bluetooth tracker buying guide, as its ultra-wideband wireless tech and ability to tap into Apple’s Find My device network make it particularly convenient for locating lost items. Its battery is easily replaceable, too, plus it’s water-resistant. It lacks any built-in adhesive or keyring hole, however, so you’ll need to buy an extra accessory if you want to attach it to an item.
The USB-C version of Apple’s AirPods Pro is once again on sale for $200 at Amazon and Best Buy. We saw these noise-canceling earphones fall $10 cheaper during Black Friday, but this is still $20 below their average street price and $49 below Apple’s list price. The AirPods Pro continues to offer effective active noise cancellation, pleasingly warm sound and a host of Apple-device-specific conveniences, which is why they’re the “best for iOS” pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. Note, however, that Apple started selling this model’s USB-C charging case on its own earlier this week, so if you’re sitting on a Lightning-based pair and want to make the conversion, you can now do so without having to buy a whole new set.
You can get a $10 Amazon.com credit for no extra cost when you buy a digital Apple gift card worth $100 or more. Just use the code HOLAPP at checkout. If you’d rather shop at Target, that retailer is offering a $10 Target gift card alongside the same purchase until December 16. As a refresher, you can put an Apple gift card toward services like Apple Music and iCloud, App Store credit and purchases at Apple.com or Apple retail stores. We see promos like this periodically, but any bit of bonus money should be welcome if you often shop at these stores anyway.
Sonos is running a holiday sale that brings many of its smart speakers, soundbars and home theater devices back to the prices we saw on Black Friday. The flagship Sonos Arc soundbar is $180 off at $719, for one, while the mid-range Sonos Beam and budget-level Sonos Ray are down to $399 and $223, respectively. All three are picks in our soundbar buying guide. Beyond that, the Sonos Era 100 is $50 off at $199 — with a two-pack discounted by $120 — while the larger Sonos Five is $110 off at $439. Both of those make our guide to the best smart speakers. Other devices like the Sonos Sub, Sub Mini and Roam are also cheaper than usual.
All Sonos speakers generally provide the same perks: clean sound quality relative to other devices in their price range, easy pairing with other Sonos speakers, uncomplicated setups, AirPlay support and access to various streaming services through the Sonos app. They aren’t cheap, and their connectivity can be limited, but they should suit most people looking to build a multi-room audio system. Just note that new Arc, Roam and other devices could arrive in 2024, according to a recent Bloomberg report.
The Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet is back on sale for $60, which is $5 more than its all-time low but $40 off Amazon’s list price. That price applies to the model with 32GB of storage; if you want more space (and don’t have a microSD card), the 64GB model is available for a low of $70. The Fire HD 8 is far from an iPad in terms of performance and app support, but it may be the cheapest competent tablet for most people. It’s light, it lasts 10 or so hours on a charge and it’s quick enough for basic web browsing and video streaming. Amazon’s Fire OS still includes lock screen ads and heavily pushes the company’s own services, but it’s hard to do better at this price.
The 10.1-inch Fire HD 10 is also $50 off and down to $90, which is a $10 more than its Black Friday price. That one has the same software issues, but it’s faster than the Fire HD 8 and features a sharper 1080p display.
If you’d prefer a more premium Android slate, the Google Pixel Tablet is discounted to $399 at Amazon, Best Buy and others. We’ve seen this deal pop up a few times over the last month, but it matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. The Pixel Tablet earned a score of 85 in our review earlier this year. It’s a perfectly solid 11-inch tablet in its own right, but what sets it apart is its included charging speaker dock. Pop the tablet onto that and it’ll function like a pseudo-smart display. It’s not the exact same as a Nest Hub Max, but you can use it to control smart home devices, stream music, display photos and the like. This discounted model includes 128GB of storage, but the 256GB version is also $100 off and available for $499.
A 6.56-foot strip of the Govee LED Strip Light M1 is on sale for $40, which matches the lowest price we’ve seen. Normally, it retails around $60. We recommend the Strip Light M1 in our smart lights buying guide. It’s simple to set up and delivers impressively bright colors to any area of the house where you’d like to add ambient lighting. You can apply different effects to separate parts of the strip through Govee’s app, plus it’s compatible with the Matter smart home standard. It can be an eyesore when it’s not lit up, however, so you may not want to stick it out in the open.
The 256GB version of Samsung’s Evo Select microSD card is still on sale for $15, which is within 60 cents of the lowest price we’ve seen. Normally, it retails around $18. The Evo Select is the “best value” recommendation in our microSD card buying guide: It’s not as fast as our top picks, but it’s quick enough for most tasks — expanding a Nintendo Switch’s storage, for instance — and it provides a better cost-per-gigabyte ratio than most cards.
If you’re looking to stock up on a few new PC games, the Epic Games Store has kicked off its latest Holiday Sale. The key here is the Epic Coupon, which takes 33 percent off most games in the store as long as your cart totals $14.99 or more. The coupon will renew after each use, and you can apply it to games that are already discounted as part of the sale. This brings several new-ish titles down to the lowest prices we’ve tracked: The acclaimed survival horror game Alan Wake 2 is down to $27 with the coupon, for instance, while the shooter Remnant II and the action game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor can be had for lows of $20 and $23, respectively. Others like The Last of Us Part I, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Mortal Kombat 1 are also down to all-time lows. Epic says the sale will run until January 10.
A version of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a small Olive Alpine Loop is available for $699 at Amazon with a clippable coupon. That ties the lowest price we’ve tracked and takes $100 off Apple’s MSRP. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 puts all the software benefits of the Series 9 in a more rugged design with a bigger and brighter display, twice the rated battery life and a customizable “Action Button” that you can use to quickly start a task. It also offers better waterproofing, more accurate GPS, a depth sensor and a loud siren for emergency SOS purposes. It is entirely too much smartwatch for most people, but this price makes it a little more appealing for endurance athletes with money to burn.
A variant of the 15.3-inch MacBook Air with an Apple M2 chip, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is available for $1,449 at Amazon and Best Buy. That’s $250 off Apple’s list price and the best price we’ve seen outside of a couple of special offers for My Best Buy Plus members. We gave the 15-inch Air a review score of 96 in June and currently recommend it in our laptop buying guide. The M2 chip remains plenty fast for everyday tasks, and the chassis is still supremely well-built, with a crisp display, comfortable keyboard, reliable touchpad, long-lasting battery and lively speakers.
We recommend starting with 16GB of memory, but if you really need to save cash, configs of the 13- and 15-inch Air with less RAM and storage are also $200 to $250 off. You should only buy this if you need a new laptop right now, though; according to a report from reliable Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple plans to roll out updated MacBook Airs with its new M3 chip in a few months, potentially in March.
Best Buy has a configuration of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 with an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU on sale for $1,100. That’s the lowest price we’ve tracked and $100 less than the deal we saw on Black Friday. This model also includes a 14-inch display with a 1440p resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate. The ROG Zephyrus G14 is the top pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops: This config is plenty capable for playing modern AAA games but, at 3.6 pounds, it’s not a complete anchor to carry around. A solid keyboard and trackpad help, too, though the 720p webcam could be sharper and there’s a good bit of bloatware installed by default. The 512GB SSD isn’t especially large either, though you can upgrade the storage if needed.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-xbox-series-x-is-discounted-again-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-172230913.html?src=rss
Twitch has quickly taken back its policy update that permitted users to post sexual content as long as it was labeled. In another update, the company said it is not going to allow any depictions of real or fictional nudity on its streaming platform. After giving users the green light to post “artistic nudity,” Twitch says some streamers created content that violated policy.
The media streamed in response to the initial approval of sexually explicit content on Twitch was “met with community concern,” according to the update. The company said, “We have decided that we went too far with this change.”
While a huge part of the initial decision was to allow for the “digital depiction” of artistic nudity, the company clarified that digital depictions of sexual content is a concern when artificial intelligence can be used to develop realistic images and that it can be difficult to discern between what’s been digitally produced and real photography.
We’re making some additional updates to our Sexual Content Policy. We realize that our earlier update caused confusion and appreciate all the feedback we’ve received. Thanks for always coming together with us to help build the best version of Twitch.
Recently at TwitchCon in Las Vegas, the company introduced new moderation measures meant to keep inappropriate content out of stream chats. The issue of sexual abuse and inconsistent moderation policies through the site has been a recurring problem for the live-streaming platform. The company even dedicated a Safety Advisory Council in 2020 meant to tackle the site’s bad reputation for its moderation practices.
Twitch’s back and forth stance on the issue of sexually explicit content has enraged some users. @Saruei_, a user on X wrote, “I got banned wrongly under your new policy for drawing a nude character without any visible genitalia. This is your own responsibility for not thinking through before establishing a new TOS and it is incredibly unfair to a lot of artists who fell into the same situation as myself.” Another Twitch user @LuxDenizen took to X to complain, “Sucks for the artists who were actually following all of the rules. THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitch-rescinds-policy-that-allowed-artistic-nudity-171140189.html?src=rss
There are plenty of folks out there who’d prefer a practical gift to an offbeat one this holiday season. Apple’s AirTags are handy little devices that could help you find and recover lost items, and so they make for great holiday gifts (as long as your intended recipient is an iPhone user). Now is a good time to pick up a few AirTags as a pack of four is on sale for $80. That’s $19 off the regular price and it matches a deal we saw during the Black Friday period.
The AirTag is our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker for iPhones as it taps into Apple’s global Find My network. After you pair an AirTag with an iPhone or iPad, you’ll be able to find it as long as it’s within range of another Apple device. Otherwise, you’ll be able to view the AirTag’s last known location to give you a starting point.
If you put the AirTag into Lost Mode, you’ll receive a notification as soon as the tracker appears on the Find My network. Folks with an iPhone 11 or later will have ultra-wideband support on their device. That means they can harness the Find Nearby feature, which can guide them to the exact location of the AirTag once they’re within a certain range without having to set off the device’s ringer. As you get close to the tracker, your phone will start to vibrate.
In addition, the AirTag is a robust little thing as it’s water- and dust-resistant. You won’t have to be too concerned about the battery either, as it only needs to be replaced roughly once a year. Meanwhile, you might want to consider picking up an AirTag accessory such as a case or holder to secure the tracker.
The OnePlus 12 has officially launched in China and now the company’s most powerful phone is coming to the rest of the world. OnePlus has announced global availability for January 23, including the US. All told, the company ways the phone will be available in 50 markets worldwide. If you’ve been intrigued by the company’s latest flagship smartphone, you won’t have long to wait until getting your hands on one.
This phone certainly has mouth-watering specs. You can soup it up with up to 24GB of RAM, which is more than I have in my work laptop and the same amount as my music and video-making desktop. The base model ships with 12GB of RAM, which is still plenty. As a comparison, the iPhone 15 boasts just 6GB of RAM.
These phones also offer up to 1TB of storage and come outfitted with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile chipset. Charging speeds are also great on paper, offering support for 100W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging. Incidentally, the OnePlus 11 didn’t have wireless charging at all.
There’s a new Sony LYT-808 sensor for the 50-megapixel main camera and a 64-megapixel periscopic telephoto camera. The 6.82-inch 120Hz AMOLED display is a 2K panel manufactured by China’s BOE Technology Group.
The aesthetics resemble its predecessor, but the camera island’s color now matches the body. In addition to glossy white and classic matte black colorways, you can also purchase a OnePlus 12 in green. There’s no pricing yet, but in China this thing costs the equivalent of $610 for the base model and $820 for the high-end version with 24GB of RAM and 1TGB of storage.
The OnePlus 12 is being released as part of the company’s 10th anniversary. This isn’t the only big news to come out of that celebration. OnePlus has also announced it’ll be selling the OnePlus 12R smartphone in other parts of the world beyond China and India, a first for the “R” series. However, OnePlus hasn’t announced any specs or information about the 12R. The OnePlus 11R was a slightly underpowered and budget-friendly version of the flagship phone, so maybe the 12R will follow suit.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/oneplus-12-with-snapdragon-8-gen-3-will-be-available-globally-january-23-162610102.html?src=rss
Shopping for a home theater setup typically means buying a soundbar, subwoofer and rear speakers separately. Some companies may include a sub with the soundbar, but you don’t always get everything you’ll need for the most immersive sound in the same box with high-end models. Samsung includes all of those additional speakers with the HW-Q990C soundbar ($1,900), though you’re obviously paying a premium. The company offers Dolby Atmos along with a range of audio options and two HDMI inputs, beaming crisp 11.1.4-channel sound into your living room. The Q990C is a significant investment, but it’s also one-stop shopping.
Design
As the Q990C is Samsung’s high-end soundbar in its current lineup, it’s also the biggest. It’s 48.5-inches wide, which is actually about three inches less than the Sony HT-A7000. Of course, companies need the extra space on the flagship models to pack in all of the speakers. In Samsung’s case, the Q990C houses 11 front-facing drivers (including some side-firing), four up-firing drivers and an internal subwoofer. The separate wireless sub is also substantial at 16 x 16 x 8 inches and weighing in at 26 pounds. The wireless rear speakers aren’t huge, but they do have a three-driver setup with front-, side- and up-firing drivers where other companies might only have one.
Samsung opted for a mesh plastic covering for both the soundbar and rear speakers. It’s easier to keep clean than the typical speaker fabric. Samsung also kept things simple on the soundbar itself, putting just four buttons up top. Here, you’ll find a multi-function button that either turns the speaker on or cycles through the input sources. Volume controls and a microphone mute. From the front, a small display on the right side will show you input information, volume level and other settings. Instead all 90-degree angles the Q990C’s side panels follow the position of the side-firing speakers.
Setup
The initial setup for the Q990C is among the easiest I’ve ever completed for a home entertainment bundle. Once you power on the soundbar and connect it to the SmartThings app, the subwoofer and rear speakers are automatically added when you turn them on. There’s no waiting for anything to sync and I didn’t have to connect each thing individually. There are buttons on the sub and rears if you need to manually connect to the soundbar, but I never had to use them. The whole thing was quick and frustration-free, which gets you to the music and movies soon after unboxing.
Like many flagship soundbars, Samsung has included two additional HDMI inputs on top of the HDMI eARC jack you’ll use to connect your TV. Many more affordable, more compact models only have the eARC connection so you have to rely on your TV’s ports, but the pricier models typically offer additional options for connecting directly to the soundbar. Samsung says you can expect 4K/60 and HDR10+ passthrough on the Q990C, but not 4K/120 as the unit doesn’t have HDMI 2.1. That’s a big omission in a $1,900 soundbar being sold in 2023.
There’s also an optical input on the Q990C as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. The latter brings Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and AirPlay to the mix. It also allows you to connect wirelessly to a compatible Samsung TV for audio. This means you can get Dolby Atmos to the soundbar with no cables running from your television, which is handy if you’ve already mounted the display flush with the wall. And if you have a compatible Samsung phone, you can enable Tap Sound which connects to the Q990C via Bluetooth when you gently touch the speaker with the handset. As an iPhone user, I wasn’t able to test this.
SmartThings app and other features
One of the rear speakers
Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget
In addition to helping with setup, the SmartThings app is where you can tweak the Q990C’s settings. The current input and volume controls are the most prominent on the device screen, with sound modes, EQ and woofer level just below. There are also options for SpaceFit Sound, which automatically tunes the audio to the room, and Active Voice Amplifier, which combats room noise by optimizing on-screen dialog. The advanced settings menu offers voice and bass enhancement alongside a Night Mode, but all of these are on or off toggles with no further customization. SmartThings allows you to choose either Bixby or Alexa for the voice assistant you want to employ on the soundbar.
Samsung lets you choose between Standard, Surround, Game Pro and Adaptive Sound modes. The first doesn’t tweak the audio at all and it’s the only mode where the fully adjustable EQ is available (just bass and treble on the rest). For all of the others, the Q990C upscales 2.0, 5.1 and 7.1 audio to the 11.1.4-channel output the soundbar offers. Of course, all Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content is beamed out at 11.1.4, too. Surround mode is self-explanatory while Game Pro creates more immersive audio with 3D-optimized sound specifically for gaming. Adaptive Sound is the option I used most as it analyzes audio in real time to keep dialog sounding clear across a range of volumes for movies, news and sports. I found it the best-sounding preset for music, too.
In addition to selecting a sound mode in the app, you can cycle through them with a dedicated button the included remote. It also gives you access to SpaceFit Sound, Active Voice Amplifier, Voice Enhancement and more with a Sound Control button that’s labeled with the settings/gear icon. A Channel Level button lets you adjust the volume of each speaker, with Center level, Side level, Wide level, Front Top level, Rear level, Rear top level and Rear side level among the choices. There’s also a button for Tone Control, putting bass and treble tweaks just a few button presses away. These are all in addition to the standard power, input, volume (overall and subwoofer only), mute, pairing and playback options soundbar remotes typically have.
Sound quality
Thanks to the Q990C’s upscaling abilities, nearly every movie or TV show sounds more immersive than if you were listening in stereo or even with a 5.1 setup. Netflix’s Drive To Survive, which is offered in Dolby Atmos if you have the priciest Ultra HD plan, is still amazing with this soundbar for those of us on the more affordable monthly rate. The whir of the cars as they zoom past, pitlane noise and crunching crashes make the meticulously-shot series even better. Marvel shows and movies on Disney+ are available with Atmos and they sound amazing.
I can confidently say this is the closest I’ve come to a movie theater-like experience in my living room. The additional drivers in the rear speakers undoubtedly elevate the overhead sensation, contributing significantly more to directional audio than normal single-driver units. Fight scenes like the one that opens The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are loud and chaotic, but they sound more like you’re watching in real life, taking in the thud of each punch, the fire of every gun and the drone of choppers navigating the canyon.
The Q990C is also a great option for music. Crisp, clear highs and powerful, punchy bass compliment nearly every genre. Even at lower volumes, tunes like Sia’s “Everyday Is Christmas” come across layered rather than compressed. Vocals cut through clear and the bassline doesn’t overpower. The same goes for Turnpike Troubadours’ A Cat in the Rain where each member of the band stands on their own, with snare hits and country-rock vocals slicing through the mix. Bass from the large subwoofer is present but restrained, only as bombastic as it needs to be and never muddy or dull.
The full set that comes with the Q990C
Samsung
The sound on those albums was impressive and I wasn’t even streaming them in Dolby Atmos. Tunes in the immersive format sound even more incredible on the Q990C. TesseracT’s prog-metal War Of Being is soaring and atmospheric, with the staccato guitars and slapped bass on tracks like “The Gray” showing off the dimensional quality of Atmos Music. Less intense genres like Tyler Childers’ Rustin’ In The Rain come across more like live performances than streamed albums. The sound is full, crisp and envelopes the room with guitars, piano, steel guitar and perfectly calculated drum hits, all supporting Childers’ trademark eastern Kentucky vocals.
This soundbar system works well in a multi-room setup, too, and you don’t need other Samsung speakers to do it. Thanks to AirPlay, you can easily select the Q990C and other speakers on your Wi-Fi network. I was able to consistently link the soundbar with a HomePod in another room with just a few taps in Apple Music. The audio performed consistently once the two speakers were linked and I never heard any dropouts or clipping when they were used in tandem.
One audio feature that I wasn’t able to test is Q-Symphony. This uses the speakers inside Samsung TVs in addition to the drivers in the soundbar setup. The company promises it “can optimize all the channels” for a “masterfully orchestrated sound experience.” I don’t have a Samsung TV, but the soundbar system sounds great without it. What’s more, this sort of thing isn’t unique to Samsung devices as Sony offers a similar tool called Acoustic Center Sync with its soundbars and TVs.
The competition
Sony’s HT-A7000 is the best alternative to the Q990C. It also does Atmos and music very well, but everything you add to it is an additional purchase. At current prices, the soundbar, the cheapest sub and rear speaker options will cost you $1,600 while soundbar alone is $1,000. There are better choices for both the woofer and rears, but those significantly raise the price.
The A7000 offers a lot of what the Q990C has on its spec sheet. That includes the two HDMI 2.1 inputs with 4K/120 passthrough. Sony includes compatibility with both Hi-Res and 360 Reality Audio alongside various pieces of virtual surround tech and a number of sound modes. The key differences between this and the Q990C is that the A7000 is a 7.1.4-channel setup, versus 11.1.4, and the aforementioned HDMI 2.1 support.
The Q990C is currently on sale for $1,400, but it’s unclear if that price cut is permanent. The $500 savings make the all-inclusive Samsung setup even more attractive, if you can live without HDMI 2.1.
Wrap-up
Samsung’s latest flagship soundbar is a sonic powerhouse. And, perhaps more importantly, it comes with the subwoofer and rear speakers you’ll need to make the most of it in the box. For the cost of what you’d pay for a soundbar alone from some of the company’s main competitors, you get the complete package, and one that’s easy to set up and customize as needed. The sound quality is great and Atmos content is as crisp and immersive as ever, so long as you have space to accommodate the bundle. The lack of HDMI 2.1 hinders performance for gamers, and that’s a glaring omission on a premium soundbar these days. The Q990C isn’t cheap, even at the current discounted price, but at least you’re getting everything you need in one go.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-hw-q990c-soundbar-review-an-all-inclusive-atmos-setup-160049530.html?src=rss
Instagram is rolling out a feature that could help users have more fun with Stories. Starting today, you’ll have the ability to create Add Yours templates. “People will be able to develop and share their own custom, meme-able Add Yours templates by pinning GIFs, text and gallery images to a Story template,” Instagram says.
To create an Add Yours template, add GIFs, text and images that you want to include to your story. Then, go to your Sticker Tray and select Add Yours templates. After that, pick the elements (text, images and GIFs) that you want to include in the template. Here’s the kicker: once you share an Add Yours template in a Story, anyone else can use it and add their own touches.
If you want to riff on someone else’s template, tap on the Add Yours prompt when you see one in their Story. This will take you to the Camera, where you can see all the elements that are part of the template and play around with them, add your own and so on. If you tap the faces that appear on the left side of the sticker, you can see who else has put their own spin on a template.
As for what you can do with the Add Yours templates, it’s really your call. You might create an either/or quiz, start a trend of showing followers around your workspace or encourage folks to share the most ridiculous photos they have of their pets. Livening such prompts up with images and GIFs could help them stand out and get your template seen and riffed on by thousands of other users. Instagram rolled out templates for Reels last year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-rolls-out-new-customizable-story-templates-150246935.html?src=rss
So long E3, we knew you weren’t long for this world. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Engadget Senior Editor Jessica Conditt to talk about the death of E3 and what it means for the gaming industry. We also explore some of the highlights (and low points) of last week’s Game Awards, which couldn’t quite balance celebrating video games and functioning as a marketing tool. We’re particularly excited for Light No Fire, the next ambitious game from the folks behind No Man’s Sky, as well as Arkane Lyon’s Blade.
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!
Topics
We mourn E3 and break down everything announced at the Game Awards with Jess Conditt – 00:40
Beeper Mini, Sunbird, and the endless quest to spoof iMessage – 37:57
Apple ads theft protection in iOS 17.2 beta – 54:12
EU set to hand Apple a huge loss in its legal fight with Spotify – 58:04
Google loses antitrust trial against Epic games – 59:30
Executives fired after Sports Illustrated tries to publish generative AI articles (with fake writers behind them) – 1:06:32
Netflix engagement report reveals its most popular shows and movies of the first half of 2023 – 1:07:23
Space lasers, once a mere futuristic joke, have become a real tool in building technology up there and making improvements for all of us down here. There’s been NASA’s use of space lasers to study plankton, plans to blast space junk and, now, a satellite network courtesy of Amazon. The company has announced that its Project Kuiper has built up its optical inter-satellite links (OISLs) capabilities to create a substantial mesh network of high-speed laser cross-links. This technology could result in faster data transmission to even the most remote places back on earth.
In October, Amazon launched two prototype satellites and reported successful tests one month later, with the pair dispatching and retrieving data at speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second. “These tests demonstrated our ability to establish a single bi-directional link between two satellites, and initial data indicates that our design will be able to maintain cross-links between multiple satellites at once—the critical feature of a next-generation mesh network in space,” the company stated.
To successfully use OISLs, laser links had to maintain contact at a distance up to 1,616 miles while also contending with spacecrafts moving at a speed of 15,534 miles per hour. Plus, Amazon had to minimize light spreading in order to maintain the signal and account for any additional dynamics of all these moving pieces — something it says has been successfully done.
Amazon also claims the mesh network moves data about 30 percent faster than terrestrial fiber optic cables can. “Amazon’s optical mesh network will provide multiple paths to route data through space, creating resiliency and redundancy for customers who need to securely transport information around the world,” Ricky Freeman, vice president of Kuiper Government Solutions, explained in a statement. “This is especially important for those looking to avoid communications architectures that can be intercepted or jammed, and we look to forward to making these capabilities available to public sector customers looking to move and land data from remote locations to their desired destination.” Basically, anyone from a cruise ship passenger to a multi-day hiker should be able to get a connection if this is successful.
Project Kuiper started in 2019 but has seen a real boost in the last few months. With these successful tests completed, Amazon states that Project Kuiper is starting satellite production, with “full-scale deployment” beginning in the first half of 2024. It also predicts that early customer pilots will begin in the second half of the year. Notably, Amazon signed a deal with SpaceX to launch more Project Kuiper satellites at a faster rate.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-boosts-its-satellite-internet-network-with-the-help-of-space-lasers-123535946.html?src=rss
Just a week after AMD revealed its own Ryzen 8040 hardware, Intel has entered its own AI PC era. The company’s new Core Ultra notebook chips, codenamed Meteor Lake, are Intel’s first processors to include an NPU, or neural processing unit, for accelerating AI tasks.
Intel claims the Core Ultra chips use up to 79 percent less power than AMD’s last-gen Ryzen 7840U while idling in Windows, and they’re also up to 11 percent faster than AMD’s hardware for multithreaded tasks. Intel, however, didn’t have the upcoming Ryzen 8040 chips to test against. They use the company’s new Intel 4 (7nm) process and should be “the most efficient x86 processor for ultrathin systems.”
As for AI workloads, Intel says Core Ultra chips can reach up to 34 TeraOPS when combining performance across the NPU, GPU and CPU. The big difference is the NPU: It’ll enable features like Windows 11’s Studio Effects, which can blur backgrounds and improve video lighting without hurting your battery life much. With more creative AI workloads, Intel says the Ultra 7 165H is 70 percent faster than the rival Ryzen 7 7840U in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Check out the rest of the specs and benchmark tests from Intel over here, and expect to hear more “AI PC” bluster in 2024.
Oh, and nothing to do with Intel’s chips, but be ready for everyone to be playing with AI-generated backgrounds on Instagram this week.
Meta finally rolled out searchable tags for all users on Threads, its microblogging Instagram offshoot, and users are taking advantage of a design quirk for a bit of dumb fun. Threads’ “topic tags” are a lot like hashtags, but not entirely the same. For one, there’s no hash (#). It’s pretty basic stuff… which makes the effectiveness of a new prank feel all the more absurd.
Someone can create a Threads post, ideally with a lot of text, then slap a “Show more” tag at the end, seemingly in the middle of a word or sentence. You, the unwitting victim, will then click “Show more” expecting to see the rest of the post, but — surprise! — it’ll direct you to the page for that tag instead.
Ah, pranks. Just in time for Thread’s awaited Europe launch…
Other features, such as audio descriptions, are also delayed.
When Insomniac Games launched Spider-Man 2, it didn’t yet have features like New Game+ and audio descriptions. Community and marketing director, James Stevenson, shared that New Game+ “should” arrive before the end of 2023. But Insomniac has now released a statement explaining it’s targeting the next Spider-Man 2 update for early 2024. Insomniac went on to explain it’s adding more “highly requested features” to the game, such as replaying missions and changing the time of day.
Gaming laptops have been some of the most intriguing portable PCs for the past few years. They’ve gotten thinner and lighter, but also vastly more powerful and efficient, thanks to advanced CPUs and GPUs. Gaming laptops are where PC makers can get adventurous, with things like rotating hinges and near desktop-like customizability. We lay out the specs that matter, the price you can expect to pay and some of our standout favorites.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-intel-unveils-its-first-chips-built-for-ai-work-121504827.html?src=rss
The Hugo Award-winning The Murderbot Diaries books from Martha Wells are becoming a 10-episode Apple TV+ series starring Alexander Skarsgård, Apple announced. It will follow a self-aware “SecUnit” robot that must hide its free will in order to complete a dangerous assignment and comes from About a Boy creators Chris and Paul Weitz.
“Murderbot is an action-packed sci-fi series, based on the award-winning books by Wells, about a self-hacking security android who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable ‘clients,'” Apple wrote. “Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.”
The Weitz brothers will write, direct and produce the series, while Skarsgård will also serve as executive producer. Apple TV+ currently offers other sci-fi series including Silo, For All Mankind, Invasion and others. The streaming service needs to keep the content flowing as it has doubled Apple TV+ prices in just over a year. At the same time, Apple is looking for the right kind of content as it aims to avoid hot-button topics following the cancellation of The Problem with Jon Stewart.
Several Murderbot chapters have made Engadget’s gift guides and recommended reading lists. We called the Fugitive Telemetry novella a “banger” with “space intrigue and robotic mysteries” and recommended the earlier novella series in our 2019 holiday guide.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-adapting-the-hugo-award-winning-sci-fi-book-series-murderbot-115559433.html?src=rss
Gift cards can get a lot of hate as being impersonal, but when it comes down to it, they’re a great option for anyone who is unsure what to give. This is all the more true when they come with an extra incentive — as is currently the case for Apple gift cards purchased on Amazon. Right now, Amazon is offering $10 in-store credit with any Apple gift card purchase of $100 or more. All it requires is entering the code HOLAPP at checkout.
Apple’s gift cards are available for standard amounts like $100 and $250 but can also be customized to any amount. Once purchased, Amazon can send the gift card to its recipient via email or text message with a personalized note attached. However, it doesn’t have to be sent out immediately, with the ability to schedule it for any date. The specific time, though, is in Amazon’s hands with a note stating it will arrive any time that day after 12 AM.
The deal is only available “while supplies last” and is limited to one per customer. The email field offers the ability to send gift cards to a maximum of 999 recipients, so this is an important stipulation. The credit should then arrive within 24 hours of your purchase.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-is-offering-10-credit-when-you-buy-a-100-apple-gift-card-103522609.html?src=rss
