Author Archives: Jon Fingas

Tesla sued for false advertising after allegedly exaggerating EV ranges

Posted on by

Tesla is already facing the fallout from a report that it exaggerated EV ranges and tried to muffle complaints. Three owners in California have launched a proposed class action lawsuit accusing Tesla of false advertising. The trio claims their cars fell well short of their estimated ranges, and that they've had no success lodging complaints. The customers either wouldn't have bought their cars or would have paid considerably less for them, according to the suit.

The owners allege Tesla committed fraud, violated warranties and conducted unfair competition. If the lawsuit gets class action status, it would cover all people in California who bought a Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model X or Model Y. The plaintiffs are hoping for unspecified damages. Tesla has disbanded its communications team and isn't available for comment.

The lawsuit follows a Reuters report that Tesla began modifying EV ranges about a decade ago. Its cars would supposedly show inflated figures when fully charged, and would only start showing accurate numbers under a 50 percent charge. To head off complaints, the automaker is said to have created a "Diversion Team" that would persuade users to drop range-related support calls.

It's not certain that Tesla still uses these purported exaggerations. The Environmental Protection Agency did ask the company to trim its range estimates from the 2020 model year forward, and South Korea recently issued a $2.2 million fine over an alleged failure to adequately inform customers that EV ranges would drop in cold weather.

Tesla isn't alone in boasting EV range estimates that don't hold up in real conditions. An SAE International study found that electric cars tend to fall about 12.5 percent short of their advertised ranges. The report and lawsuit suggest Tesla's figures are less accurate than for other brands, however, and that the company may have tried to silence unhappy customers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-sued-for-false-advertising-after-allegedly-exaggerating-ev-ranges-151034923.html?src=rss

Waymo is bringing its driverless ride-hailing service to Austin

Posted on by

Waymo only just reached Los Angeles earlier this year, but that isn't stopping it from expanding further. The company is expanding its Waymo One ride-hailing service to Austin. The first phase starts this fall, with completely driverless operations and public rides coming in the months ahead. The coverage will be "truly useful," Waymo claims — it should cover major stretches of the Texas capital, including the downtown core as well as well-known areas like Barton Hills and Hyde Park. You can join a waitlist today.

The deployment is a homecoming of sorts, as Waymo chose Austin to conduct some of its first self-driving tests beyond its hometown of Mountain View. The company also made history by offering the first completely autonomous ride on public streets in 2015. The Alphabet-owned brand has been testing its self-driving SUVs in the city since the spring.

Austin will represent the fourth city to get Waymo One following Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The firm also briefly mapped New York City, although it hasn't announced plans to offer commercial service in the region. While rides have typically only been available in limited sections of these cities, Waymo recently doubled its operational area to include larger swaths of the Phoenix area and San Francisco.

The announcement reflects Waymo's strengthened focus on ride-hailing. The company recently pushed back its autonomous trucking plans to help it concentrate on passenger service. Waymo wants One to be a commercial hit first, and that means expanding operations as well as securing permission to take paying customers. There's pressure to move quickly when competitors like Cruise and Aurora are testing in Texas.

There are some obstacles to overall growth. Officials want to stop or slow robotaxi deployments in San Francisco over safety concerns, for instance. Vehicles from Waymo and GM's Cruise have blocked traffic, interfered with first responders and otherwise created issues. Other cities and states haven't greenlit self-driving cars, either. Texas' openness to the technology may help, though, and Waymo notes that Austin's rapidly growing economy (the second-fastest for a major US city) could help its chances.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/waymo-is-bringing-its-driverless-ride-hailing-service-to-austin-133949180.html?src=rss

Keychron’s first gaming keyboard is the customizable Lemokey L3

Posted on by

Keychron is one of the better-known names in the customizable keyboard space, but it hasn't directly targeted gamers — until now, that is. The company has launched a gaming division, Lemokey, whose first product is the crowdfunded L3 keyboard. The full-length peripheral supports a 2.4GHz wireless connection with a responsive 1,000Hz polling rate, but the real attraction is a tough, customizable aluminum body that can reportedly survive the rigors of competitive gaming.

You can choose from three different keycap color schemes, remap any key and create macros for both any key command layer as well as a dedicated macro column. You can easily remove and replace components to tailor them to your liking. The Lemokey L3 can pair with up to three devices over Bluetooth 5.1, but there's also a wired option if low latency is your main priority.

The company currently expects to deliver the Lemokey L3 in October. You need to pledge at least $189 for the barebones kit (no caps or switches), but you'll more realistically want to commit $209 for a fully assembled version. The project has already met its funding goals.

The L3 won't be appealing if you prefer 60 percent keyboards or are otherwise more interested in space saving than a compact footprint. This won't necessarily appeal to top-tier esports players, either, as they may insist on a wired link or use a favorite design. For many other gamers, though, Lemokey's offering might strike a balance between personalization and performance.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/keychrons-first-gaming-keyboard-is-the-customizable-lemokey-l3-204239893.html?src=rss

The Sonos Move 2 will reportedly offer stereo audio and 24-hour battery life

Posted on by

The original Sonos Move stood out as one of the few fully connected portable speakers when it debuted in 2019, but technology has moved on since then — and so, apparently, has Sonos. The Vergeclaims to have leaked details of a Move 2 speaker that promises major upgrades to the outdoor-friendly device. Most notably, it should upgrade from mono to stereo sound. If you thought the first version didn't sound as good as conventional speakers, you may be happier this time.

The new speaker's battery life reportedly leaps from 10 hours on the Move to a full 24 hours of playback You could easily host an all-day party without plugging in. The power pack is said to still be replaceable, and reduced idle power consumption could make it easier to use the speaker over the course of a weekend.

There will reportedly be smaller but still useful upgrades. Like the Roam, the Move 2 will let you share Bluetooth audio across the home. Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 6 support will also help the speaker keep up with modern devices. You'll need a USB-C adapter (as with the Era 100) for line-in audio, but the same port can also charge your phone during a camping trip. The IP56 dust and water resistance hasn't changed, but that's still good enough to survive the rain or a windy day.

Other touches may include revised controls, a mic cutoff switch and a detachable power adapter on the base station. You can't use Google Assistant for obvious reasons, but Alexa and Sonos' own voice controls would be available.

Sonos is said to be launching the Move 2 at the end of September for $449, or $50 more than its predecessor. That makes it as expensive as the spatial audio-capable Era 300. As before, though, the portability might justify the premium. You're buying a speaker that can be useful in both your living room and the backyard, saving you the trouble of getting two devices as long as you're willing to haul a speaker around. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-sonos-move-2-will-reportedly-offer-stereo-audio-and-24-hour-battery-life-181950125.html?src=rss

Nintendo brings ‘Mario Kart 8’ and ‘Splatoon’ for Wii U back online August 3rd

Posted on by

It took several months, but you can finally play the Wii U versions of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon online. Nintendo has confirmed that both titles will once again be available for multiplayer as of August 3rd. The company has fixed the security vulnerability that prompted the shutdown of online service in March.

Nintendo still hasn't detailed the flaw. However, enthusiast and tinkerer OatmealDome claims the last-gen console is vulnerable to an "ENLBufferPwn" attack that lets intruders take over the console when it goes online. The company reportedly fixed the bug last year for affected Switch titles well as Mario Kart 7, but didn't make a similar effort for the Wii U versions until now.

You'll need to update both games to resume online play. The months-long wait isn't completely surprising when the Switch has been Nintendo's current system for several years, and is clearly more popular. Still, this is good news if you're not in a rush to replace your Wii U — you won't have to stop using the older system if you still enjoy the affected titles.

With that said, there's little doubt that Nintendo wants to wean gamers off the earlier console. The company shut down the Wii U eShop this spring, limiting users to re-downloading existing purchases. Unless you grab physical copies, your game library is frozen in time unless you move to the Switch.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-brings-mario-kart-8-and-splatoon-for-wii-u-back-online-august-3rd-165434085.html?src=rss

Meta releases an open source AI kit that creates audio from text prompts

Posted on by

Meta is making it easier for artists and sound designers to produce audio using only AI. The Facebook owner has released an open source AudioCraft kit that bundles three existing generative AI models for creating sounds from text descriptions. AudioGen and MusicGen respectively produce sound effects and music, while EnCodec compresses sounds to produce higher-quality results. A musician or sound designer might have everything they need to compose pieces.

The release includes pre-trained AudioGen models for those who want to start quickly, and tinkerers will have access to the entire AudioCraft code and model weighting. The open source debut gives pros and researchers a chance to train the models using their own data, Meta says. All the pre-trained models use either public or Meta-owned material, so there's no chance of copyright disputes.

The tech firm characterizes AudioCraft as a way to make generative AI audio simpler and more accessible. Where AI-produced images and text have been popular, Meta believes sound has lagged "a bit behind." Existing projects tend to be complicated and frequently closed off. In theory, the new kit gives creators the opportunity to shape their own models and otherwise stretch what's possible.

This isn't the only open text-to-audio AI on the market. Google opened up its MusicLM model in May. Meta's system also isn't designed for everyday users — you'll still need to be technically inclined to use AudioCraft properly. This is more for research, the company says. The developers are also trying to improve the performance and control methods for these models, expanding their potential.

Even in its current state, though, AudioCraft may hint at the future of AI's role in music. While you won't necessarily see artists using AI to completely replace their own creativity (even experimenters like Holly Herndon are still highly involved), they're getting more tools that let them create backing tracks, samples and other elements with relatively little effort.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-releases-an-open-source-ai-kit-that-creates-audio-from-text-prompts-152026368.html?src=rss

China considers limiting kids’ smartphone time to two hours per day

Posted on by

China might put further limits on kids' smartphone use. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has proposed draft rules that would cap the phone time of children under 18 to a maximum of two hours per day. That's only for 16- and 17-year-olds, too. Youth between eight and 15 would be limited to one hour per day, while those under eight would have 40 minutes.

The draft would also bar any use between 10PM and 6AM. Phones would need to have an easy-to-access mode that lets parents restrict what kids see and permit internet providers to show age-appropriate content. Children under three would be limited to songs and other forms of audio, while those 12 and up can see educational and news material. There would be exceptions for regulated educational content and emergency services.

As with previous measures, the proposal is meant to curb addictive behaviour in children. The Chinese government is concerned prolonged use of mobile devices, games and services may be detrimental to kids' development. The country already limits young people to three hours of online video game time per week, and then only on weekends and public holidays. 

The draft is still open to public consultation and isn't guaranteed to pass. There are also questions about implementation. CNBCnotes it isn't clear whether hardware manufacturers or operating system developers are responsible for implementing the kids mode. While Apple would have to change the iPhone's parental controls in China regardless of this distinction, involving the OS developer might require that Google make changes, not just vendors like Oppo or Xiaomi.

The rules would also have a significant effect for Chinese app developers like ByteDance (responsible for TikTok and its China-native counterpart Douyin) and Tencent (the maker of WeChat and many games). They may have to design apps and tailor content around these time limits.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/china-considers-limiting-kids-smartphone-time-to-two-hours-per-day-134708060.html?src=rss

Zen moving game ‘Unpacking’ comes to Android and iOS on August 24th

Posted on by

If your idea of relaxation involves opening cardboard boxes, you're in for a good time. Humble Games and Witch Beam have confirmed that Unpacking is coming to iOS and Android on August 24th. You can pre-order the iOS version for $10 today. This has been a long time in coming given that the game first arrived on consoles and PCs in 2021, but it may be worthwhile if you're new to the concept.

Unpacking is, at its heart, a hybrid puzzle and home decoration game. You have to find space for items as an unseen person moves into a new abode. There's no time limit or other pressure, and it can be very soothing as you set up a child's bedroom or the family kitchen. However, it's particularly clever for the way it tells its story. You're learning about a woman's life by seeing where she goes and what she brings with her, rather than dialog. As the title is almost entirely wordless, it's accessible to a wide range of people.

The game isn't changing significantly with the move to mobile. However, the developers argue Unpacking is "perfect" for touch as you can drag objects with your finger and sense the world through haptic feedback. Whether or not that's true, the portability may be appealing. This may be the most appropriate game to play when you've just moved to a new place — you can fire it up while your usual gaming hardware is still packed away.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/zen-moving-game-unpacking-comes-to-android-and-ios-on-august-24th-214513079.html?src=rss

MrBeast sues his fast food chain for selling ‘inedible’ MrBeast burgers

Posted on by

YouTube star MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) may be as well known for his collaborations as he is his videos, but one of those partnerships is souring quickly. Bloombergreports the creator is suing Virtual Dining Concepts, the "ghost kitchen" (a food service that operates from other restaurants) that runs his delivery-only MrBeast Burger fast food chain, for allegedly tarnishing his brand. VDC was supposedly more interested in rapid expansion than maintaining quality, leading to subpar food that reflected badly on its namesake. He wants a judge to terminate the licensing agreement and shut down the business.

The YouTuber points to numerous MrBeast Burger reviews that call the food "inedible" and "revolting," among similarly unflattering descriptions. "Thousands" of customers have reportedly complained about raw meat, cold fries, missing ingredients and items that never showed. Some locations couldn't get the branding right, delivering orders in generic containers or even 7-11 bags.

MrBeast's lawsuit claims that VDC either refused or was incapable of fixing quality issues when he got in touch. He adds that he hasn't received "a dime" from MrBeast Burger despite being owed royalties, and that the virtual chain frequently uses branding and registers trademarks without consent. VDC has allegedly been reluctant to support fledgling brick-and-mortar restaurants as they'd cut into its profits. It's using the MrBeast name to attract other celebrities, according to the lawsuit.

We've asked VDC for comment. MrBeast formed the partnership in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many people to switch to delivery food. It was a way to help (and capitalize on) fans while giving restaurants more business at a time when in-person dining wasn't an option. MrBeast Burger would share its revenues with hosts, rather than competing directly with those brands.

Ghost kitchens will carry on regardless of the lawsuit's outcome. They let entrepreneurs launch restaurants with only a small physical footprint, and lean on services like DoorDash and Uber Eats for delivery. However, the legal action illustrates what can go wrong with these outlets — without a retail presence, they aren't always subject to the same scrutiny as their conventional counterparts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mrbeast-sues-his-fast-food-chain-for-selling-inedible-burgers-203055288.html?src=rss

Amazon’s virtual healthcare service is now available in every state

Posted on by

Amazon's approach to digital healthcare is now available nationwide. The company has expanded Clinic to all 50 states as well as Washington, DC. You can also have clinician video visits across the country in addition to text-only conversations in 34 states. Both avenues are available through Amazon's website and mobile app.

As launched in November, Clinic is meant to provide treatment for over 30 commonplace health issues such as birth control prescriptions, migraines and pink eye. You choose a telehealth provider, fill out an intake form and get in touch with a clinician. You don't need an appointment or insurance, and the cost is visible before you reach out. Amazon hopes you'll fill any necessary prescriptions through its in-house Pharmacy service, but any third-party pharmacy is an option. Help with more conditions is due in the "coming months," the company adds.

Clinic is part of a long-running effort on Amazon's part to cover many aspects of healthcare. It bought PillPack (the basis of Pharmacy) in 2018, and between 2019 and 2022 provided a Care telehealth service to its own employees as well as other companies. Amazon more recently closed its $3.9 billion purchase of One Medical, turning it into a primary healthcare provider with a physical presence, virtual options and lab testing. In the right circumstances, you might only have to interact with Amazon businesses.

These moves have drawn scrutiny from regulators. Although the Federal Trade Commission said it wouldn't challenge the One Medical acquisition in February, it warned that it was still investigating the merger for possible anti-competition and privacy issues that come from access to health data. The Commission said it might challenge the deal later if it found concerns. For now, though, Amazon's healthcare ambitions aren't facing major resistance — it's now an alternative to conventional clinics, at least for everyday problems.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-virtual-healthcare-service-is-now-available-in-every-state-171827351.html?src=rss