Sony’s latest PS5 beta update gives DualSense controllers better audio

The latest beta update for the PlayStation 5 will make it easier to hear what's going on in your game. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has announced the software update, which will enable DualSense and DualSense Edge wireless controllers to produce louder audio so that you can hear in-game sounds and audio chats more clearly. 

In addition to giving controllers the ability to produce louder sounds, the update also gives their noise cancellation feature a boost. Sony's announcement says the controllers now have better mic input, thanks to a new AI machine learning model. It'll give PS5's system the ability to suppress background noises, such as the game audio itself, allowing your voice to go through clearly and improving the quality of voice chats as a whole. 

The update brings non-sound-related improvements to the PS5, as well, including the option to adjust the console's power indicator under "Beep and Light" in System Settings. Plus, it will give you access to Share Screen tools that you can use as a viewer to interact with the host's gameplay. Want to catch the host's attention and make them notice a certain element in the game? There's a pointer you can move around or use to draw a line on the display and highlight objects in game. You'll also be able to send the host's screen emoji reactions. These new interactive tools for the Share Screen are enabled by default, but you can always switch them off in settings. Take note that they will only work if both you and the host already have access to the beta features. At the moment, the upgrades are only rolling out to select users in certain countries, but SIE plans to release them to all PS5 gamers around the world in the coming months. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-latest-ps5-beta-update-gives-dualsense-controllers-better-audio-113529372.html?src=rss

Apple Vision Pro users will have to go to a store to reset forgotten passcodes

Can you imagine having to mail in a $3,499 gadget because you forgot the passcode you nominated to be able to use it? Customers who purchased the Apple Vision Pro may have to do just that if they forget their device's passcode. According to Bloomberg, the company has been telling buyers that the only way to reset their codes is to go to an Apple Store or to mail their mixed reality headset to AppleCare customer support. Apple will then reset their codes so they could use their device again. 

As Bloomberg notes, if a user enters an incorrect code too many times, their device will be disabled and they'll have to sit through a waiting period to be able to try again. They'll have to get Apple to reset their code if they still can't recall it after that waiting period, and getting the company to do will erase all the content on their headset. 

It's worth noting that some users on the Apple discussion forum still got locked out even though they entered the correct passcode — it's unclear if it's a bug affecting some units — so the issue could happen to anyone. Based on some other posts, Apple's Genius Bar personnel use an accessory called the Developer Strap that the company is selling to developers for $299 to connect the headset to iPads or laptops to be able to reset it. In at least one instance, Apple Geniuses reportedly failed to reset the user's headset and had to replace it altogether. 

The process to change the headset's passcode could still change in the future — the recently released Vision Pro, after all, is the first iteration of a brand new product category. For the sake of those who've already purchased one, we hope it's introduced through a software update instead of as an improvement in the next version. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-users-will-have-to-go-to-a-store-to-reset-forgotten-passcodes-070101287.html?src=rss

New York has ended its trial of a 400-pound security robot in the Times Square subway station

New Yorkers can say goodbye — for now — to the robot the New York Police Department (NYPD) used to patrol the Times Square subway station. The Knightscope K5, which is a 400-pound machine that looks like it could be R2-D2's massive sibling, was one of Mayor Eric Adams' high-tech experiments for New York City. It was deployed in a pilot last year ostensibly to help keep commuters safe, but it had no actual capabilities that could be useful in situations that had to be addressed on site. "The K5 Knightscope has completed its pilot in the NYC subway system," a spokesperson for the department told The New York Times in an email. 

The K5 has cameras that can record video and a button that people can press to get in touch with a live agent. It patrolled the station from midnight until 6AM throughout its trial run that lasted for two months, though "patrolled" might be a generous way of putting it. The machine has no arms and can't go up or down the stairs. Commuters told The Times that it usually has a couple of cops with it and that it almost always seemed to be plugged in. 

New York leased the K5 for around $9 an hour during its trial phase that ended in December. "This is below minimum wage," Adams said when he announced the robot's deployment at the Times Square station. "No bathroom breaks, no meal breaks." At the time, privacy advocates had been concerned that the machine could eventually be equipped with facial recognition and other surveillance tools. They no longer have to worry about the K5 being used for surveillance in NYC, unless, of course, city officials decide to keep on leasing it for other purposes. A Knightscope spokesperson told The Times that the company is "not authorized to speak about certain clients," which presumably includes the NYC government. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nyc-ends-trial-run-of-times-square-subways-security-robot-105528275.html?src=rss

DoorDash increases NYC delivery fees following new minimum wage rules

DoorDash customers in NYC will notice a new fee tacked onto their bill when they purchase food for delivery through the app. The company has started charging users $2 more for deliveries in NYC as a response to the city's new minimum wage law, a spokesperson has confirmed to Business Insider. It warned users back in December that the new minimum pay rate, which it called "ill-conceived" and "extreme," will have "significant consequences for everyone" who uses its platform and will "force [it] to raise fees for orders." Other major cities implementing a minimum pay rate for app-based deliveries will also be affected. Seattle customers, for instance, were recently hit with new fees worth 10 cents to $3.40 order. 

Under the new regulations, services like Uber, DoorDash and Grubhub will have to pay workers at least $18 an hour. DoorDash has chosen to pay drivers $29.93 for every active hour only, which means they're unpaid for the time they spend waiting for orders to come in. When the company published its response to Seattle's new rules, it said it was going to reduce the suggested tip amount for each purchase "in order to better balance the impact of these new costs and provide the best experience for consumers." 

Customers can still tip any amount they want, but they may be less inclined to tip as much as before due to the added fees. That's one possible direct impact to drivers, since as DoorDash notes in its announcement, they get 100 percent of customers' tips. That hasn't always been the case. Back in 2019, news reports exposed the company's practice of pocketing tips and using that money to pay for drivers' guaranteed fees, which should've come from DoorDash itself. The food delivery service only introduced a new earnings and tipping policy that ensures drivers are getting their tips shortly after those reports came out. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/doordash-increases-nyc-delivery-fees-following-new-minimum-wage-rules-105051707.html?src=rss

Tesla settles California hazardous waste lawsuit for $1.5 million

Tesla and the 25 California counties that sued the automaker for mishandling hazardous waste at its facilities around the state have already reached an agreement just a few days after the lawsuit was filed. The court has ordered the automaker to pay $1.5 million as part of the settlement, which also includes hiring a third party to conduct annual waste audits of its trash containers for five years. These auditors will be taking a close look at the company's trash containers to check for hazardous materials. 

The counties that sued Tesla, which include Los Angeles and San Francisco, accused the company of dumping improperly labeled materials at transfer centers and landfills that were "not permitted to accept hazardous waste." Based on the complaint filed in San Joaquin County, Tesla was illegally disposing the waste it generated manufacturing and servicing its vehicles. 

Undercover investigators from the environmental division at the San Francisco District Attorney's Office were the first to find evidence of Tesla's illegal activities back in 2018. They found trash containers at the company's service centers containing materials, such as aerosols, antifreeze, lubricating oils, brake cleaners, lead acid batteries, aerosols, antifreeze, waste solvents, electronic waste and waste paint when they weren't supposed to. Investigators from other California counties' District Attorney's offices conducted their own investigations and found similar unlawful disposals. The Alameda country authorities who looked into its Fremont factory activities, for instance, discovered illegal disposal of waste containing copper and primer-contaminated debris. 

Tesla reached a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency over its handling of hazardous materials back in 2019 and had to agree to properly manage waste at its Fremont plant in addition to paying a $31,000 fine. The automaker had also taken steps to screen its trash containers for hazardous waste before taking them to the landfill after being notified of the issue. But as District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said, "today's settlement against [the company] serves to provide a cleaner environment for citizens throughout the state by preventing the contamination of [their] precious natural resources when hazardous waste is mismanaged and unlawfully disposed." By having a third party regularly check whether Tesla continues to comply with the agreement, authorities can ensure that the company isn't illegally dumping harmful materials across the state over the next few years. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-settles-california-hazardous-waste-lawsuit-for-15-million-070513014.html?src=rss

The FCC wants to make robocalls that use AI-generated voices illegal

The rise of AI-generated voices mimicking celebrities and politicians could make it even harder for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fight robocalls and prevent people from getting spammed and scammed. That's why FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wants the commission to officially recognize calls that use AI-generated voices as "artificial," which would make the use of voice cloning technologies in robocalls illegal. Under the FCC's Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), solicitations to residences that use an artificial voice or a recording are against the law. As TechCrunch notes, the FCC's proposal will make it easier to go after and charge bad actors. 

"AI-generated voice cloning and images are already sowing confusion by tricking consumers into thinking scams and frauds are legitimate," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. "No matter what celebrity or politician you favor, or what your relationship is with your kin when they call for help, it is possible we could all be a target of these faked calls." If the FCC recognizes AI-generated voice calls as illegal under existing law, the agency can give State Attorneys General offices across the country "new tools they can use to crack down on... scams and protect consumers."

The FCC's proposal comes shortly after some New Hampshire residents received a call impersonating President Joe Biden, telling them not to vote in their state's primary. A security firm performed a thorough analysis of the call and determined that it was created using AI tools by a startup called ElevenLabs. The company had reportedly banned the account responsible for the message mimicking the president, but the incident could end up being just one of the many attempts to disrupt the upcoming US elections using AI-generated content. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-fcc-wants-to-make-robocalls-that-use-ai-generated-voices-illegal-105628839.html?src=rss

Sony’s next State of Play showcase will revolve around Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Final Fantasy fans may want to carve some time out for Sony's next State of Play. Before its latest showcase ended, the company announced that it will share new gameplay details and "exciting news [fans] won't wanna miss" about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth at its next event. It also promised an extended look at the upcoming sequel to FFVII Remake, which is arriving on the PS5 on February 29, 2024. 

The action role-playing game will pick up from where the first title in the planned trilogy has left off, and players will still primarily be controlling Cloud Strife who has joined the eco-terrorist group Avalanche in the first game's events. Zack Fair, who was only featured in a flashback scene in the first title, is expected to play a bigger role this time around. While the new games are based on the old Final Fantasy VII, they feature reimagined elements, new concepts and expansions (maybe even changes) to the original title's storyline and character development. 

Sony has been giving fans glimpses of Rebirth through trailers for a while now, but it sounds like the showcase will give them a much better idea of what they can expect. The company's next State of Play event will take place on February 6 at 6:30PM ET. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-next-state-of-play-showcase-will-revolve-around-final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-070020430.html?src=rss

Samsung is betting on AI and the Galaxy S24 to turn around declining profits

Samsung has failed to recover from the sharp decline in profit it experienced in 2022. In its latest earnings report, the Korean company has reported KRW 258.94 trillion ($194 billion) in annual revenue and KRW 6.57 trillion ($4.9 billion) in operating profit for the fiscal year of 2023. Those are markedly smaller numbers than the previous fiscal year's, especially the latter's — Samsung posted an operating profit of KRW 43.38 trillion ($35 billion) for 2022, which was already $6.9 billion smaller than the year before due to the weak demand for its chips and smartphones. According to The Wall Street Journal, these numbers represent Samsung's weakest earnings in over a decade. 

The company says its memory business showed signs of recovery, but not enough to stop it from incurring KRW 2.18 trillion ($1.63 billion) in operating losses for the fourth quarter of 2023. According to Nikkei, this is the semiconductor division's first annual loss in 15 years since the 2008 global financial crisis, and it's the biggest one yet. Samsung's visual display and digital appliances division also posted KRW 0.05 trillion ($37.5 million) in operating losses despite TV sales doing well in the fourth quarter due to the holiday season. Samsung's mobile business showed a a decline in sales and profit quarter-on-quarter, as well, due to lower smartphone sales and "the fading of new-product effects" from previous flagship models. 

For the first quarter of 2024, Samsung's game plan is to improve its profits "by increasing sales of high value-added products," such as components meant for generative AI products. It expects stronger demand for its chips in the PC and mobile sectors this year, but it admits that its earnings may not significantly recover soon because its customers are still downsizing their inventories. Samsung has high hopes for the Galaxy S24 series, though, and believes the devices' AI capabilities can help its mobile business achieve a a double-digit growth in 2024. The Galaxy S24 phones have already started shipping with prices starting at $800 for the most basic version and at $1,300 for the S24 Ultra

Update, January 31, 2024, 6:44AM ET: Added information about the semiconductor division's historic losses.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-annual-profits-continued-to-decline-in-2023-090500640.html?src=rss

Elon Musk’s $56 billion Tesla pay package has been tossed out by the court

In 2018, Tesla awarded Elon Musk a $56 billion pay package that helped propel him to the top of world's richest lists. Now, a judge in Delaware has rendered the deal between the company and the CEO to be invalid and called the compensation an "unfathomable sum" that's unfair to shareholders. As initially seen and reported by Chancery Daily on Threads, the court of Chancery in Delaware has released its decision on the lawsuit filed by Richard Tornetta. The Tesla shareholder accused the automaker of breaching its fiduciary duty by approving a package that unjustly enriches its chief executive.

Judge Kathaleen McCormick wrote in the decision that Musk "enjoyed thick ties" with the directors who were in charge of negotiating his pay package on behalf of Tesla, which means there "was no meaningful negotiation over any of the terms of the plan." The judge also talked about how Musk owned 21.9 percent of the automaker when the package was negotiated. That gave him "every incentive to push Tesla to levels of transformative growth," because he stood to gain $10 billion for every $50 billion in market capitalization increase. 

"Swept up by the rhetoric of 'all upside,' or perhaps starry eyed by Musk’s superstar appeal, the board never asked the $55.8 billion question: Was the plan even necessary for Tesla to retain Musk and achieve its goals?" the judge wrote in the court document. As The Washington Post notes, she ruled that Tornetta is entitled to a "rescission" and has ordered Tesla and its shareholders to carry out her decision and undo the deal. Musk's camp, however, can still appeal her ruling. 

Musk has sold some of his Tesla stocks to help pay for his acquisition of Twitter, now X, from the time his pay package was approved. At the moment, he owns around 13 percent of Tesla, though he recently said that he wants 25 percent control over the company before he's comfortable growing it to be a leader in AI and robotics. 

In response to the court's decision, Musk tweeted: "Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware." He also posted a poll asking followers whether Tesla should change its state of incorporation to Texas, where its physical headquarters are located. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/elon-musks-56-billion-tesla-pay-package-has-been-tossed-out-by-the-court-074235803.html?src=rss

Xbox president thinks Apple’s EU App Store plan is ‘a step in the wrong direction’

Apple recently announced the changes it's making to the App Store in order to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) that goes into full effect on March 7. The company's critics quickly denounced its plans and requirements for alternative app stores, with Spotify calling the changes a "total farce." Microsoft's Xbox is one of the latest companies to call out Apple's compliance plans. In response to a post on X by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek talking about the changes at Apple, Xbox president Sarah Bond said the company's new policy is "a step in the wrong direction" and that she hopes it listens to feedback to create a "more inclusive future for all."

Under DMA rules, platform owners like Apple and Google have to open up their systems to competing app stores. Apple, however, requires these alternative app stores to have stringent rules and moderation tools comparable to its own. Their operators will also need to be able to prove that they have access to a minimum amount of around $1.1 million in credit that they can use to pay developers. Apple has a new rule for developers, as well, requiring them to pay a Core Technology Fee of €0.50 (around 54 cents) per install after an app reaches a 1 million download threshold for the year. That rule applies whether the app is distributed through Apple's App Store or through an alternative marketplace. 

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said Apple's plan "is a devious new instance of Malicious Compliance." He added that Apple is essentially forcing developers to choose between App Store exclusivity and a new "also-illegal anticompetitive scheme rife with new Junk Fees on downloads," as well as new taxes on payments the company doesn't process itself. The App Store is a massive business for Apple, which takes a 15 to 30 percent commission from developers' earnings. For the fiscal year of 2022, for instance, Apple said the App Store ecosystem "facilitated $1.1 trillion in developer billings and sales." 

Epic pulled Fortnite from the App Store in 2020 after violating its rules on purpose and offering discounts to players making purchases outside of Apple's ecosystem. The developer recently announced that it's bringing Fortnite back to the iPhone and iPad in Europe this year after the DMA takes effect and that it's launching its own store for iOS. Spotify, which has also been a vocal critic of Apple, plans to launch its own in-app payment system for iOS users in Europe, as well. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xbox-president-thinks-apples-eu-app-store-plan-is-a-step-in-the-wrong-direction-130551604.html?src=rss