Honda and Nissan have officially confirmed rumors that they're pursuing a merger, the companies wrote in a joint press release. Each would continue to operate under its own brand, but with a new joint holding company as parent. If Nissan-controlled Mitsubishi also came on board, the combined group would become the world's third largest automaker by sales volume and have a net worth of up to $50 billion.
"Today marks a pivotal moment as we begin discussions on business integration that has the potential to shape our future," said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida.
Integration talks are still preliminary, but the companies are pressing forward. "We are still at the stage of starting our review and we have not decided on a business integration yet," said Honda director Toshihiro Mibe. However, he added that the companies aim "to find a direction for the possibility of business integration by the end of January 2025." After that, they hope to have a "definitive agreement" concerning business integration by June 2025. Approval must come from each company's shareholders and is subject to Nissan executing a turnaround.
Nissan and Honda previously announced plans to work together on EV components and software development, but the joint company would be far more integrated. According to the press release, the plan includes: standardizing vehicle platforms; unifying research and development teams; and optimizing manufacturing systems and facilities. All of that is usually designed to cut costs, so it could spell significant layoffs in Japan and elsewhere.
Nissan's Titan pickup lineup
Nissan
Though the two companies sell comparable vehicles like Nissan's Rogue and the Honda CR-V, some synergy seems possible. Nissan sells large pickup trucks and SUVs in the US that Honda doesn't offer and also has more experience in EVs and plug-in electric vehicles. On the other side, Honda has relatively stable financials while Nissan has been struggling in the market, particularly at home.
Of course, Nissan is already in the Renault-Nissan-Misubishi Alliance. Nissan and Renault hold a 15 percent voting stake in the other, and all three sold a combined 10.6 million vehicles worldwide in 2017, more than any other light vehicle manufacturer at the time. The Alliance is also one of the largest EV makers in the world, with over 1 million units sold since 2009. If Nissan and Honda merged, it's not clear what would become of the Alliance.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/nissan-and-honda-officially-announce-plans-to-merge-143834962.html?src=rss
TOKYO, JAPAN - DECEMBER 23: Nissan Motor CEO Makoto Uchida (L) and Honda Motor CEO Toshihiro Mibe (R) attend a joint press conference on December 23, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. Nissan and Honda announced they have begun merger negotiations, aiming to create the world's third-largest automotive group to compete with rival EV manufacturers such as China's BYD and the US-based Tesla. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
Elon Musk's X has hiked prices for its ad-free Premium+ subscription service to $22 a month, up from $16 before ($168 to $229 annually), TechCrunch reported. That represents a 37.5 percent increase, the largest since Elon Musk purchased the platform previously known as Twitter back in 2022.
One stated reason for the hike is that Premium+ is now "completely ads-free," with X claiming that it's a "significant enhancement" to the previous ad-free experience. It also promised a few other features. "Premium+ subscribers will enjoy higher priority support from @Premium, access to new features such as [X's advanced search tool] Radar, and higher limits on our most cutting-edge Grok AI models," the company wrote in a help page article. X also promised that more subscription revenue would be shared with creators.
Premium+ prices are also rising by a similar amount in Europe, the UK, Canada and Australia. Existing users on monthly subscriptions will keep their current rates until January 20th, and price for other tiers (Basic and Premium) remain unchanged.
X first introduced the Premium+ subscription tier in October 2023, promising an ad-free experience your "for you" and following timelines, along with existing Premium perks like a blue checkmark. However, users quickly noticed that ads appeared elsewhere on X (profiles, replies, Explore and elsewhere). A further update in August 2024 promised to eliminate those too, but X said that users would still see "occasional branded content in less common areas." Now, it seems, those will be vanquished too.
X has reportedly lost 2.7 million active users in the last two months, with rival Bluesky gaining nearly the same number over that period. That has likely led to some loss in advertising revenue, which the platform may be hoping to recoup by raising subscription prices.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-hikes-ad-free-premium-subscription-price-from-16-to-22-133016526.html?src=rss
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) spending bill has just been release and it grants DJI a year's grace before it's potentially banned in the US, The Verge reported. It was expected that DJI and rival Autel could be banned by the end of 2024 because of the Countering CCP Drones Act provision. However, the bill gives DJI an extra year to prove to an "appropriate national security agency" that its products don't pose a national security risk in the US.
Failing that, the bill authorizes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to place DJI's drones on its covered list for 2026, meaning retailers would no longer be able to import them. It also means that the products (including drones and cameras like the Osmo Pocket 3) would be prohibited from connecting to US networks, and their internal radios would no longer be authorized by the FCC. That would technically prohibit the use of DJI products already owned by consumers, though the US wouldn't likely stop consumers from doing so.
In a reply on its Viewpoints blog, DJI said it's "good news" that the ban wasn't included in this year's budget. However, it pointed out that "drones manufactured in China are singled out for scrutiny and the legislation does not designate a specific agency to undertake the required study." The latter point could cause the company harm "simply because no agency chose to take on the work of studying our product," it wrote.
The main reason DJI is still alive is through the support of drone enthusiasts and content creators, along with law enforcement and search and rescue organizations. "In the event that a bill like this would go fully through and would potentially ban the use of Chinese drones for public safety, it'd be catastrophic for the public safety drone industry," said Law Enforcement Drone Association spokesperson Brendan Karr in a letter to Congress.
However, US representatives believe they're a risk. "DJI drones pose the national security threat of TikTok, but with wings. This Chinese-controlled company cannot be allowed to continue to operate in the US," said Republican Representative Elise Stefanik. "These Chinese-manufactured drones allow for the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, to access data in a backdoor manner and ultimately surveil Americans," added Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-evades-us-ban-but-has-one-year-to-prove-its-products-arent-a-national-security-threat-133042749.html?src=rss
After unveiling Exodus just over a year ago at The Game Awards, developer Archetype Entertainment has shown off the first gameplay for the sci-fi RPG. The trailer features a troupe of space mercenaries called Travelers, a lot of battle action and a particularly angry boss bear. It looks a lot like Mass Effect, which isn't a surprise given that the studio employs former Bioware devs, along with ex-employees from 343 and Naughty Dog.
During a livestream, the team revealed that Exodus is set in a post-Earth scenario at a time when humanity has ventured into faraway star systems and created new civilizations. That doesn't mean everything is kumbaya, though, as characters create alliances and compete for resources to make a profit. The game involves genetically modified creatures like the aforementioned bear, along with a valuable element called Livestone created by "Celestials." It also uses time dilation, so when the Travelers make a short jaunt to a star system, much more time may have passed on their homeworld.
Exodus stars Matthew McConaughey in his first video game role and will be published by Wizards of the Coast, Archetype's parent company. There's still no release date, and we don't yet know which character will be played by McConaughey.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/watch-the-first-exodus-gameplay-trailer-134504291.html?src=rss
YouTube is teaming up with one of the world's largest talent agencies, CAA, to help its high-profile actors and athletes monitor their AI likenesses. "Through this collaboration, several of the world’s most influential figures will have access to early-stage technology designed to identify and manage AI-generated content that features their likeness, including their face, on YouTube at scale," YouTube wrote on its official blog.
The video platform plans to begin testing its "likeness management technology" with unnamed award-winning actors and top NBA and NFL athletes, all clients of CAA (Creative Artists Agency). The system will surface AI-generated content that depicts their likeness and provide easy access to submit requests for removal through its privacy-complaint process.
Through CAA and its influential client list, YouTube says it will gain insight before releasing it more widely to other creators and artists. Down the road, it will announce further testing for top YouTube creators, creative professionals and other talent agencies.
CAA is an ideal first partner to test its likeness management tech, YouTube wrote. The agency has been on the forefront of AI and digital rights, via its CAAvault talent-focused serivce that scans, captures and securely stores clients' digital likeness including face, body and voice.
Technology platforms like YouTube have been at odds with creators over the use of AI, particularly when it comes to training large language models (LLMs) on copyrighted text, artworks and the likenesses of famous people. The issue is particularly contentious in Hollywood; some stars have agreed to let AI replicate their voices under license, but many have railed against its use.
Last week in a podcast interview with Armchair Expert, Friends actor Lisa Kudrow called the use of digital versions of Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in the film Here an "endorsement" of AI. "What will there be left for, forget actors, but what about up-and-coming actors? They’ll just be licensing and recycling. What work will there be for human beings?”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtube-is-helping-high-profile-actors-and-athletes-monetize-their-ai-likenesses-133029330.html?src=rss
CHINA - 2023/11/03: In this photo illustration, the American video-sharing website platform owned by Google, YouTube, logo seen displayed on a smartphone with an Artificial intelligence (AI) chip and symbol in the background. (Photo Illustration by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The stench of Cambridge Analytica is still hovering over Facebook, as parent Meta just agreed to pay 311,000 Australian users AUD $50 million ($31.7 million) over the scandal. The settlement with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) comes after a four-year dispute with Meta and follows a $725 million award in the US, along with payouts in the UK and elsewhere.
"It represents a substantive resolution of privacy concerns raised by the Cambridge Analytica matter; gives potentially affected Australians an opportunity to seek redress through Meta’s payment program; and brings to an end a lengthy court process," said Australian information commissioner, Elizabeth Tydd.
Cambridge Analytica, now defunct, accessed the personal data Australian users by an app (This is Your Digital Life) and used the information gathered to target individuals with personally tailored messages. The scandal was exposed by The New York Times and The Guardian in 2018, thanks in large part to whistleblower Christopher Wylie. Though the app was only downloaded by a small number of users, it also accessed the data of their friends, affecting 311,127 people overall.
Meta will be required to set up a payment system run by a third-party administrator starting in early 2025. Lesser payments will be issued to people who've experienced "generalized concern or embarrassment," with higher sums meted out to those who can demonstrate that they suffered loss or damage. Anyone affected should be able to apply in Q2 2025.
In a statement, Meta displayed no contrition and said the settlement was more or less a business decision. "We settled as it is in the best interest of our community and shareholders that we close this chapter on allegations that relate to past practices no longer relevant to how Meta’s products or systems work today," a spokesperson told The Guardian. The case took four years to resolve largely because Meta claimed it wasn't technically doing business in Australia, but that argument was finally slapped aside by the nation's highest court.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/cambridge-analytica-scandal-still-lingering-on-as-meta-settles-with-australian-users-130016215.html?src=rss
A Meta logo is seen at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
If you're looking for a holiday gift, Masterclass has something that may catch your attention. As part of a special holiday offer, you can get two MasterClass annual memberships — one for yourself and one to give away as a gift — for the price of one. Memberships start at $120 per year, which lets you watch on one device at a time, $180 grants access to two devices simultaneously and allows for downloads, and a Family membership covers six devices. Your giftee will get the same level of membership you buy for yourself.
If you have a loved one interested in filmmaking, cooking, business, writing or just generally improving themselves, MasterClass is the ideal gift. A membership includes access to 180 different big name instructors teaching on topics they know a lot about. Classes on offer sound like an A-list roll call: Martin Scorsese and Jodie Foster teach lessons on filmmaking, Mark Cubain lays out his business knowledge, Questlove shows you how to DJ and Margaret Atwood gives a seminar on writing.
Classes range from around two to six hours and are broken up into shorter lessens, usually between 10 and 20 minutes. There are even exercises and community forums to get you actually doing the things the teachers teach. Recently, MasterClass added series as part of its lineup, such as GOAT, which are 20 minute episodes covering a single topic (such as making a grilled cheese or playing pickleball) that feel more like a mini documentary than a lesson. The mobile app also offers series of short, swipeable videos, for a highly polished TikTok feel.
Engadget has tried out the service and found it to be like a really smart streaming service, where you get to watch masters talk about how they go about their craft. Even if you bought it to mostly learn about filmmaking, for instance, you can also about peripheral elements like comedy from Steve Martin, Kevin Hart and Judd Apataow.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-subscriptions-are-buy-one-get-one-free-in-this-last-minute-gift-deal-140039669.html?src=rss
Formovie’s Theater took the projector world by storm when it first arrived, offering a triple laser, 150-inch ultra short throw (UST) image and Dolby Vision for $3,000. That was a relatively unheard of price for such a feature set, especially from a brand that hardly anyone knew about.
That model helped make Formovie’s name, but $3,000 is still pretty expensive for a projector. To appeal to more buyers, the company recently unveiled the $1,800 Cinema Edge, a far more affordable option that still offers a laser light engine, sharp 4K image, Google TV for streaming and 15-watt stereo speakers.
There are some fairly serious trade offs, though, particularly the absence of a triple laser engine and Dolby Vision, plus mediocre color accuracy and brightness. The new model also has some heavy competition from the likes of Hisense, Epson and Optoma. All of that adds up to a projector that’s not quite as exciting as Formovie’s first attempt.
The Formovie Cinema Edge's main features
As a reminder, Formovie is a joint venture between Xiaomi and Appotronics (the latter makes laser engines for high-end brands like Barco). Formovie now offers three projector models: the Cinema Edge, $2,400 Theater and $3,000 Theater Premium. It also sells the cheap and cheerful $199 Episode One Google TV projector, a 120-inch floor rising screen and a 100-inch wall-mounted ALR screen.
The Cinema Edge is more compact than the Theater in all dimensions and has a square design and subtle, dark grey exterior. You can project to a wall, or preferably a dedicated glare-reducing ALR screen, at a distance of about 13 inches for a 120-inch picture. All of that makes it discreet and lets you install it in relatively tight spaces.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Cinema Edge comes with a pair of 15W speakers, but projector purists will no doubt want a 5.1 audio system to best use the built-in Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD. The Google TV system includes Netflix (unlike the Theater at launch) but the processor is a bit laggy. That can make navigation and settings adjustments a chore, though it’s par for the course on other projectors I’ve seen, particularly Optoma and HiSense models. As a result, some users may still prefer to use a Google TV or other streaming device.
Similar to the Theater, the Cinema Edge sits on three rubber feet rather than four, which can make it tricky to level when setting up. While it supports digital keystone fine-tuning to square the image, that should be used as little as possible, as it reduces picture resolution slightly and increases latency for gaming. Because of that, along with the configuration for various apps, setup took longer than I expected.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Fortunately, there are plenty of inputs to add accessories like Blu-Ray players, including three HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eArc for a high-quality return to your audio system), 3.5mm and optical audio connectors, two USB-C ports for media/streaming stick power and an ethernet port (plus Wi-FI support, of course).
The included remote is required to change most settings, control playback and more, plus it uses standard batteries with no charging port. Like most ultra short throw projectors, the Cinema Edge has a sensor that detects if someone gets too close and automatically dims the output so you don’t get a laser blast in your eyeballs.
Picture quality
Steve Dent for Engadget
Like most modern projectors (Epson aside), the Formovie Cinema Edge uses Texas Instruments’ DLP tech that projects a 1080p image twice to create a sharp 4K image using so-called fast-switch pixel shifting. It combines that with an RGB+ single color laser to keep the price down compared to triple laser setups like the Formovie Theater or Hisense’s $3,500 PX3-Pro.
The Cinema Edge delivers sharp 4K video at up to 2,100 lumens, which is decent, but falls short of rivals like the 2,400-lumen Hisense PX2-Pro or Epson’s EpiQVision Ultra LS650. That latter model pumps out 3,600 lumens. Still, the Cinema Edge’s level of brightness was just enough to watch some content in daylight, like Netflix’s Drive to Survive or live sports on Amazon Prime.
The 4K detail is excellent, and something I appreciated when watching sci-fi series like Silo, The Expanse and 3 Body Problem. Contrast is also strong, allowing for better viewing of films with dimly lit scenes like those in Joker and The Batman.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Where the Formovie Cinema Edge struggles compared to the Theater model is in color rendering. With its single laser light source, it lacks the incredible 100-percent-plus BT.2020 color gamut found on the Formovie Theater or Hisense PX2-Pro. It’s also limited to HDR10 support, rather than superior modes like Dolby Vision found on the slightly more expensive Hisense PX2-Pro.
As a result, visuals are a bit more drab in films like Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Air, with primary colors failing to pop off the screen as I’ve seen on those other models. That said, colors are accurate by default, and there are extensive picture quality settings if you want to fine-tune everything. I noticed other issues related to the lack of good HDR performance, namely blown out highlights and some artifacts in the shadows or dark parts of images, particularly in The Batman.
Motion smoothing (called MJC on the Cinema Edge) is enabled by default, unfortunately, but it’s relatively easy to disable. Without it, though, the projector occasionally suffers from some motion artifacts during fast action sequences, something that’s common on DLP projectors. For those types of films, I found the low motion smoothing setting to be a good compromise, limiting the soap opera effect while removing any choppiness from energetic action scenes.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Cinema Edge isn’t bad for light gaming, but with a refresh rate limited to 60Hz and input latency around 40 milliseconds, you can’t play anything too demanding like fast-moving FPS shooters. For instance, I played Resident Evil Village from my Mac through the projector, and the lag, tearing and artifacting made gameplay a challenge.
The speakers offer decent audio quality, with clear voices, music and sound effects. However, the bass is a bit thin and there’s little to no soundstage to add realism. Given the projector’s Dolby Atmos and HDMI 2.1 eArc support, anyone serious about audio would want to add external speakers or at least a soundbar.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent for Engadget
Considering how good Formovie’s Theater is, the Cinema Edge is a disappointment. Performance is only so-so for the price, with relatively low brightness and mediocre color rendering. The built-in Google TV is a bit laggy, and setup is more difficult than it needs to be due to the lack of a fourth foot. The speaker setup is also just okay, with better sound quality available on some Optoma and LG projectors.
The Cinema Edge is still a decent mid-range UST projector, but the problem for Formovie is that there’s a lot of competition in this price range. For just $200 more, you can get the Hisense PX2-Pro triple laser UST projector, which offers higher brightness (2,400 lumens), along with Dolby Vision and over 100 percent BT.2020 coverage. Another option for the same $1,800 price is the Epson LS650, which offers similar specs but nearly double the brightness at 3600 lumens. The Cinema Edge is a good choice if you want a versatile projector with a small and subtle design, but if brightness and picture quality are paramount, look elsewhere.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/formovie-cinema-edge-review-a-midrange-ust-projector-that-lags-behind-its-rivals-150025407.html?src=rss
Capcom has announced Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the first new Onimusha game since the original 2001 PS2 version was remastered in 2019. Revealed at The Game Awards 2024, it reveals a modern take on the classic dark action game, minus the fixed perspectives as before.
The trailer for the single player, Wordplay action game shows an unnamed Samanosuke-like hero as he takes on samurai zombies in bloody combat, collecting golden orbs as before. "A lone samurai steps forth — his blade sharpened, soul anew. The Onimusha series by Capcom reawakens with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, a brand new title coming in 2026," states the official description.
Onimusha fans hoping against hope for a new game will be thrilled, but they'll need to wait a bit longer, as Way of the Sword isn't due to arrive until 2026 — a full quarter century after the original. It'll be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. See the new trailer (age restricted) right here.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/onimushas-back-143004810.html?src=rss
One of the highlights from The Game Awards last night was the moment Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul and voice actor Laura Bailey took the stage to reveal Dispatch. Set to arrive in 2025, the narrative game is from AdHoc Studio, founded by former Telltale Games developers, and features a stacked cast including Paul, Bailey, Jeffrey Wright, Erin Yvette, Jacksepticeye and others — a mix of A-list Hollywood talent and top-tier game voice actors.
The toon-style Dispatch offers narrative, dialogue-driven gameplay in the same vein as Telltale. According to the Steam page, you play as "Robert Robertson, AKA Mecha Man, whose mech-suit is destroyed in a battle against his nemesis, forcing him to take a job at a superhero dispatch center: not as a hero, but a dispatcher."
There's more in the official synopsis, which explains that Dispatch is "a superhero workplace comedy where choices matter. Manage a dysfunctional team of misfit heroes and strategize who to send to emergencies around the city, all while balancing office politics, personal relationships, and your own quest to become a hero."
AdHoc sprung up in 2019, when former Telltale devs joined forces to continue Telltale's adventure game legacy, after the Walking Dead studio laid off most of its staff in 2018. A rebooted Telltale worked with AdHoc on The Wolf Among Us 2, but last year, the developer announced that it had laid off most of its team. However, it recently said that The Wolf Among Us 2 has not been cancelled.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dispatch-is-a-new-narrative-game-from-ex-telltale-developers-133031972.html?src=rss
As has been rumored for a while (and in line with Sony's promise to share exclusive titles in a timely fashion) PlayStation's The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is coming to PC on April 3, 2025, developer Naughty Dog announced. "We're all thrilled to bring The Last of Us Part 2 to the PC audience, including all the great new features we added in the Remastered version for PS5," said game Director Matthew Gallant.
The PC version was made with Naughty Dog's development partners Nixxes Software and Iron Galaxy Studios. It will contain the same Remastered features added for PS5, like the No Return roguelike mode, the Lost Levels featuring developer commentary, a Guitar free Play mode and more. At the same time, it'll be "newly optimized and enhanced for PC," with PC-specific features to be revealed closer to launch.
The PC release will come less than a year after the Remastered version came to PlayStation 5, following the launch of the original on PS4 in 2020. The release has reportedly been finished for awhile, but may have been delayed to coincide with The Last of Us Part 2 on HBO, which is also scheduled to arrive in the first half of 2025.
In reviewing the Remastered version for PS5, Engadget's Nathan Ingraham highlighted the No Return mode and said "there's a lot of bang for your buck here." As before, it offers a thrilling but brutal adventure, with a bond between its broken survivors, Joel and Ellie, at the core.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-last-of-us-part-ii-remastered-comes-to-pc-on-april-3-2025-130036421.html?src=rss
Toyota just introduced a new compact electric SUV and dug into the past for inspiration. The new Urban Cruiser EV borrows its name for a car that first came along in the early 2000s and is based on the company's Urban SUV Concept unveiled last year. It looks like it's designed to compete with Volvo's EX30 and much like that vehicle, will come with a number of battery and drive options.
To give you an idea of size, the Urban Cruiser will be slightly larger than Toyota's hybrid compact SUV, the Yaris Cross. It'll be built on a new battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform that frees up extra space for the battery and occupants.
It'll come with two battery pack options, 49kWh and 61kWh, a bit smaller than the EX30's offerings (51kWh and 69kWh). The smaller pack supports up to 144 HP and 140 pound feet, while the larger pack option ups that to 174 HP and the same torque. If you upgrade to the dual-motor system, you'll see 184 HP and 221 pound feet of torque. Those power levels are far less than the EX30, which offers 268 HP as standard and a wild 422 HP on the twin-motor performance version.
Toyota
The Urban Cruiser will offer active safety features like adaptive cruise, active collision avoidance and lane-departure warning, along with a 360 degree camera. Inside, you'll get a 10.1-inch infotainment display along with a 10.25-inch driver's display, all in one unit. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard.
Toyota
Price and range have yet to be revealed, but Toyota will be in tough against the much more powerful Volvo EX30 if the sticker isn't substantially lower. The Urban Cruiser is also arguably less attractive as well. It's set to arrive in the UK and elsewhere in Europe in the third quarter next year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/toyota-takes-on-volvos-ex30-with-the-urban-cruiser-compact-electric-suv-143041000.html?src=rss
The American Civil Liberties Association (ACLU) is sounding a warning about the use of AI in creating police reports, saying the tech could produce errors that affect evidence and court cases. The nonprofit highlighted the dangers of the tech in a white paper, following news that police departments in California are using a program called Draft One from Axon to transcribe body camera recording and create a first draft of police reports.
One police department in Fresno said that it's using Draft One under a pilot program, but only for misdemeanor reports. "It's nothing more than a template," deputy chief Rob Beckwith told Industry Insider. "It’s not designed to have an officer push a button and generate a report." He said that the department has seen any errors with transcriptions and that it consulted with the Fresno County DA's office in training the force,
However, the ACLU noted four issues with the use of AI. First off, it said that AI is "quirky and unreliable and prone to making up fact... [and] is also biased." Secondly, it said that an officer's memories of an incident should be memorialized "before they are contaminated by an AI's body camera based storytelling." It added that if a police report is just an AI rehash of body camera video, certain facts might be omitted and it may even allow officers to lie if they did something illegal that wasn't captured on camera.
The third point was around transparency, as the public needs to understand exactly how it works based on analysis by independent experts, according to the ACLU. Defendants in criminal cases also need to be able to interrogate the evidence, "yet much of the operation of these systems remains mysterious." Finally, the group noted that the use of AI transcriptions might remove accountability around the use of discretionary power. "For these reasons, the ACLU does not believe police departments should allow officers to use AI to generate draft police reports," it said.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/aclu-highlights-the-rise-of-ai-generated-police-reports--what-could-go-wrong-133030452.html?src=rss
Donald Trump has named current commissioner Andrew Ferguson as the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair, the president-elect posted on Truth Social. Ferguson has previously decried what he called censorship by big tech and worked as an antitrust enforcer for the FTC and Department of Justice.
"At the FTC, we will end Big Tech’s vendetta against competition and free speech," Ferguson wrote on X. "We will make sure that America is the world’s technological leader and the best place for innovators to bring new ideas to life."
Ferguson will take over from Linda Khan, who drew the ire of big tech by launching antitrust cases against Apple and Google, while also blocking a number of multi-billion-dollar corporate mergers. Under her hand, the FTC has gone after large companies of all stripes over concerns that large mergers would undermine competition and harm consumers with higher prices.
Ferguson's pitch for the job reportedly included plans to "reverse Lina Khan's anti-business agenda" and "hold big tech accountable and stop censorship," according to Punchbowl News. However, he stated that the agency should continue its strong scrutiny of the dominance of large tech firms, according to The New York Times' sources.
With Khan leaving her post as FTC chair, Trump also appointed Mark Meador as commissioner, which will result in a Republican majority on the five-person commission. Trump previously named commission member Brendan Carr as FCC chairman.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/donald-trump-names-andrew-ferguson-as-new-ftc-chair-143009879.html?src=rss
A US bankruptcy court has blocked the sale of Infowars to parody news site The Onion, ruling that the auction didn't yield the best potential bids. At the same time, judge Christopher Lopez rejected claims by Infowars' owner, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, that any "collusion" was involved in the case.
The Onion reportedly outbid competitor First American United Companies, affiliated with a Jones business, for the rights to the site. Though its cash offer was lower, The Onion valued it at $7 million because Sandy Hook families would allow some of the proceeds to be distributed to other creditors.
However, the appeals judge said that the court-appointed bankruptcy trustee made a "good-faith error" by requesting final offers instead of allowing back-and-forth bidding between The Onion and First American. "This should have been opened back up, and it should have been opened back up for everybody," Lopez said. "It’s clear the trustee left the potential for a lot of money on the table."
Now, the trustee must work to resolve some of the disputes between creditors before making another attempt to sell Infowars. The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that First American only complained about the process after losing the bid.
Alex Jones was found liable in 2022 for nearly $1.5 billion in damages for spreading conspiracy theories about the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six adult staffers. One of the assets put up for sale was Jones' Infowars site, and The Onion said it received the blessing of the families of the victims to acquire the site. It reportedly planned to transform the site into one with "noticeably less hateful disinformation," and a gun safety nonprofit reportedly planned to advertise on the rebooted site. Last week, X said that The Onion wouldn't be given Alex Jones' Infowars X accounts, opening up a new can of worms about who owns social media handles.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/judge-rejects-the-onions-bid-for-infowars-133046520.html?src=rss
A judge has issued an injunction ordering WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and his company Automattic to restore access to the WP Engine web hosting service, according to legal documents seen by The Verge. Automattic must also restore WP Engine's control of its popular ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) plugin. It also removes a checkbox implemented by Automattic that made people say they had no relationship with WP Engine.
The ruling follows a major dispute between WP Engine and Automattic and its CEO Matt Mullenweg, a co-founder of WordPress. Last September, Mullenweg accused WP Engine of misusing the WordPress trademark and said it "never once" donated to the open-source arm of the foundation. The WordPress foundation then banned WP Engine from accessing resources like plug-ins and themes, breaking many of WP Engine's over 200,000 websites. It also took control of the company's ACF plugin, forking and renaming it to Secure Custom Fields.
WP Engine then sued Automattic and Mullenweg, accusing them of extortion and abuse of power. The company said that Automattic demanded eight percent of its gross revenues (or donated employee time) in exchange for restoring its access. Mullenweg admitted that "a good chunk of my Automattic colleagues disagreed with my actions," and said that 159 employees resigned and took him up on a buyout offer of at least $30,000.
Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin said that WP Engine's claims that Automattic's actions harmed its business had merit. Without the injunction, WP Engine will suffer "irreparable harm" because it has "suffered loss of existing and potential customers," adding that those customers and the larger WordPress community also sustained harm.
In a post on X, WP Engine said it's "grateful that the court has granted our motion for a preliminary junction that restores access to and functionality of wordpressdotorg for WP Engine, its customers and its users." Automattic, meanwhile, said that it planned to file counterclaims "shortly" and "looks forward to prevailing in trial." It should be noted that while providing temporary relief to WP Engine, the injunction is certainly not the end of the legal actions.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/wp-engine-wins-preliminary-injunction-in-wordpress-legal-battle-131527285.html?src=rss
Croteam and Devolver Digital have announcedThe Talos Principle: Reawakened, a "radically overhauled" remake of the puzzle/story game The Talos Principle. The update will be rebuilt with Unreal Engine 5, with the developer promising "vastly improved visuals, quality-of-life improvements [and] an all-new chapter that delves deeper into the game's award-winning narrative," according to Devolver.
The Talos Principle originally released in 2015 as a combination puzzle and story game with a decidedly philosophical bent. In a Joystiq review at the time, Engadget's Jessica Conditt described as a "wise" game that "peers deeply at people as an idea, including the players, and it tests their humanity and intelligence in a series of beautiful riddles and spatial-awareness tests."
The remake keeps that vision, while "breathing new life into every corner of the game," the developer wrote. Unreal Engine 5 adds enhanced lighting, textures and environmental design, making it more detailed and atmospheric. The remake also adds quality-of-life features like a hint system and the ability to rewind during gameplay. It also gains the Road to Gehenna expansion, plus a new chapter called In the Beginning that explores the origins of the Simulation. The other main new feature is a new puzzle editor that lets players and the modding community "build their own unique worlds and challenges."
The Talos Principle: Reawakened is set to arrive sometime in 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It's not to be confused with The Talos Principle 2, an all-new update to the original that launched last year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-talos-principle-reawakened-is-a-ground-up-remake-built-in-unreal-engine-5-130012395.html?src=rss
Apple TV+ has unveiled the intense official trailer for season 2 of Severance, picking up where the first one left off while adding new characters (and mystery).
(Light spoilers for season one are ahead)
As you may recall, Severance is centered around a group of people who undertook a brain procedure to entirely separate their work (innie) and home (outie) selves. Our four main characters eventually carry out an escape plan by finding a way to blur the lines between the two sets of memories. In the season finale, three of them make some world-shattering discoveries about their outie lives.
In the new trailer, our four heroes Mark (Adam Scott), Dylan (Zach Cherry), Helly (Britt Lower), and Irving (John Turturro) are reluctantly back at work and seemingly not in trouble for their actions in the cliffhanger final season one episode that streamed back in 2022. "Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe," Apple says in the description.
The trailer teases potential answers to vexing questions, like what exactly it is that Lumon does. Bizarre incidents in the corporation's basement (involving goats somehow) "will be remembered as one of the greatest moments on this planet," says an unknown corporate character.
The teaser also introduces some new mysteries, including a child that's somehow going to be an office manager (Sarah Bock). Other new cast members include Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Merrit Weaver (Nurse Jackie) and Bob Balaban (The French Dispatch).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-the-full-severance-season-2-official-trailer-133028801.html?src=rss
As part of a deal it struck with Microsoft last year, iFixit has started selling genuine Xbox parts and offering repair guides, according to changes on its Microsoft Repair Hub spotted by The Verge. It now offers parts for Xbox Series S and X (digital and disk drive) models ranging from cases to power supplies to motherboards, along with toolkits, thermal paste and more.
iFixit announced its partnership with Microsoft in 2023 when it began offering official replacement parts for Microsoft Surface laptops. As part of that, it offered disassembly videos and step-by-step guides to help simplify relatively complex repairs.
It's doing the same with Xbox, showing guides on replace motherboards for each console, detailing each step and providing a list of parts and tools required. Motherboard repair, for instance, requires 29 steps for installation along with additional steps to reassemble everything. However, so far, the company hasn't released any videos as it did for Surface devices.
iFixit has similar agreements with other tech giants, offering replacement parts for Google Pixel tablets and Google Pixel Fold devices. If also works with accessory manufacturer Logitech, offering repair parts for two of its most popular mouse models. The main holdout is Apple, though iFixit recently gave the iPhone 16 a decent repairability score after dinging the previous model due to software-restricted "parts pairing" requirements. Last month the company tore the PS5 Pro apart and found it to be decently repairable, though it doesn't sell any parts for Sony's console.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/ifixit-now-carries-official-xbox-replacement-parts-140054294.html?src=rss
Last week, Brazil's antitrust regulator CADE ordered Apple to allow users to download apps and make purchases from outside its App Store, with a 20-day deadline and fines for not complying. Now, a Brazilian federal court has overturned that injunction, ruling that it was "disproportionate and unnecessary," 9to5Mac reported.
Cade ordered Apple to allow third-party developers to tell users about alternative ways to make in-app purchases (subscriptions, etc.) so developers wouldn't be forced to pay Apple a commission. It also demanded that Apple open up its ecosystem to other stores or allow sideloading. If Apple didn't comply within 20 days, it faced a fine of 250,000 Real (around $43,000) per day.
Apple appealed that ruling on the grounds that the changes would be too difficult to implement within that time frame and the court agreed. "[The] technical complexity of the changes and the global regulatory impacts in similar decision in other regions, such as the European union, reinforce the need for such changes to be discussed in greater depth," a judge ruled.
CADE began investigation following a complaint by local e-commerce company Mercado Libre, which accused Apple of anticompetitive behavior. The regulator can appeal the ruling and still force Apple to comply.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/brazilian-judge-overturns-ruling-that-forced-apple-to-open-up-its-store-130039766.html?src=rss
App Store icon displayed on a phone screen is seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on November 22, 2023. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
