Author Archives: Igor Bonifacic

The Fitbit Charge 6 drops to a record low of $100 in this Black Friday deal

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Thanksgiving might not be here yet, but that’s not stopping retailers from offering early Black Friday promotions. Amazon, for instance, is selling the Fitbit Charge 6 for $60 off its regular $159.95 price. For those wondering, that’s a record low for the fitness tracker. And if you’re looking for a device to record your steps and workouts, it’s hard to go wrong with the Charge 6. In fact, it’s one of our favorite fitness trackers.

The Charge 6 has a few things going for it. With the new model, Fitbit added a more accurate heart rate sensor, the ability to pair with exercise machines over Bluetooth and a physical side button to aid with menu navigation. If you’re a YouTube Music Premium subscriber, you can also use the device to control YouTube Music playback.

Carrying over from older iterations, the Charge 6 offers comprehensive tracking for 20 discrete exercises, with built-in GPS for activities like running and cycling. It also retains the design of the Charge 5, which in this case, is a good thing. The fact it’s not a smartwatch means the Charge 6 is comfortable to wear and offers a battery that will last you for several days instead of just one at most. The full-color AMOLED display is easy to read and looks great, even outdoors. Other notable features include support for contactless payments through Fitbit Pay and Google Wallet.

The only downsides to the Charge 6 are that Fitbit doesn’t offer Apple Health integration and that some data and features are locked behind the company’s premium subscription. However, if you’re looking for a fitness tracker that can basically do it all, the Charge 6 is one of the best options right now.

For those looking to spend less on a fitness tracker, I'll mention that Amazon has also discounted the Inspire 3. It's currently $69.95, down from $99.95. Fitbit's entry-level fitness tracker is a good option for those who don't mind bringing their phone to their bike rides and runs as the device lacks built-in GPS tracking.   

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-fitbit-charge-6-drops-to-a-record-low-of-100-in-this-black-friday-deal-171919452.html?src=rss

NVIDIA will add a monthly playtime cap to GeForce Now starting next year

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Some big changes are coming to NVIDIA’s GeForce Now streaming service. In a blog post published Thursday, the company said it would introduce a monthly playtime allowance. Starting January 1st, 2025, new GeForce Now subscribers will be able to play for up to 100 hours every month before they’ll need to pay for additional playtime. Provided they signed up for the service before December 31, 2024, existing customers won’t see their usage capped until the start of 2026.

NVIDIA is also renaming GeForce Now’s Priority tier. As of today, the new Performance membership offers 1440p streaming, up from 1080p previously, with support for ultrawide resolutions and the ability for users to carry over their graphical settings between sessions. If you’re already paying for the Priority service, you’ll be automatically moved over to the Performance tier. Pricing remains at $10 per month.

A chart showing the different GeForce Now memberships, including the newly announced Performance tier.
NVIDIA

NVIDIA told The Verge the new playtime cap will allow it to avoid raising the price of GeForce Now for “the foreseeable future.” Additionally, the company says 100 hours of monthly usage should “comfortably” accommodate 94 percent of its customers, who typically use the service less. Subscribers can also carry up to 15 hours of unused playtime over to the next month. People who hit the limit and want to continue playing can pay to get an additional 15 hours of access. Performance members will need to shell out $3 for that upgrade, while NVIDIA will charge Ultimate subscribers, who can play games at 4K and 120 frames per second, $6 for the privilege.

If you want to try GeForce Now, NVIDIA is currently offering a 25 percent discount on Performance and Ultimate day passes. Once again, if you decide to subscribe before the end of the year, your playtime won’t be limited until the start of 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidia-will-add-a-monthly-playtime-cap-to-geforce-now-starting-next-year-160739646.html?src=rss

NVIDIA will add a monthly playtime cap to GeForce Now starting next year

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Some big changes are coming to NVIDIA’s GeForce Now streaming service. In a blog post published Thursday, the company said it would introduce a monthly playtime allowance. Starting January 1st, 2025, new GeForce Now subscribers will be able to play for up to 100 hours every month before they’ll need to pay for additional playtime. Provided they signed up for the service before December 31, 2024, existing customers won’t see their usage capped until the start of 2026.

NVIDIA is also renaming GeForce Now’s Priority tier. As of today, the new Performance membership offers 1440p streaming, up from 1080p previously, with support for ultrawide resolutions and the ability for users to carry over their graphical settings between sessions. If you’re already paying for the Priority service, you’ll be automatically moved over to the Performance tier. Pricing remains at $10 per month.

A chart showing the different GeForce Now memberships, including the newly announced Performance tier.
NVIDIA

NVIDIA told The Verge the new playtime cap will allow it to avoid raising the price of GeForce Now for “the foreseeable future.” Additionally, the company says 100 hours of monthly usage should “comfortably” accommodate 94 percent of its customers, who typically use the service less. Subscribers can also carry up to 15 hours of unused playtime over to the next month. People who hit the limit and want to continue playing can pay to get an additional 15 hours of access. Performance members will need to shell out $3 for that upgrade, while NVIDIA will charge Ultimate subscribers, who can play games at 4K and 120 frames per second, $6 for the privilege.

If you want to try GeForce Now, NVIDIA is currently offering a 25 percent discount on Performance and Ultimate day passes. Once again, if you decide to subscribe before the end of the year, your playtime won’t be limited until the start of 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidia-will-add-a-monthly-playtime-cap-to-geforce-now-starting-next-year-160739646.html?src=rss

Black Friday Samsung deals include the Music Frame Speaker for $150 off

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Black Friday may still be a week and a half away, but if you were hoping to score a deal on Samsung’s Music Frame, there’s no need to wait until Thanksgiving. Ahead of next week, both Amazon and Samsung are selling the speaker for under $250. At $150 off its regular price, that’s an all-time low for the Music Frame, which will usually set you back $400. Considering Samsung only released the device earlier this year, this is a great opportunity to pick up one (or even two) for your home theater.

For the uninitiated, think of the Music Frame as the speaker equivalent to Samsung’s popular Frame TV. Like its television counterpart, the Music Frame doubles as a piece of home decor. While it doesn't have a display that will automatically cycle through digital artwork, you can manually insert prints and photos. Moreover, while pairing two Music Frames with a Frame TV is possible, it’s not limited to home theater use. The Music Frame works just fine as a standalone Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker. You can even use it as a smart home hub. It’s possible to mount the Music Frame on a wall or on a table, thanks to the included stand.

As for sound quality, Engadget senior reporter and resident audio geek Billy Steele was surprised by how good the Music Frame sounded when he got to demo it at CES earlier this year. “I was shocked by how robust and clear the overall sound quality is coming from the speaker,” he wrote at the time. “Highs and mids are adequately represented with great detail, while the bass is more restrained.“ If you’re curious, the Music Frame features two rear-facing woofers complemented by a set of two tweeters and two mid-range drivers, all four of which fire from the front of the speaker. It also offers Dolby Atmos support, and Samsung has included its SpaceFit tech, which assists with room calibration.

All told, the Music Frame is a great option for those looking for a speaker that will disappear into their home decor, but its high price can make it unappealing. At $150 off, however, it’s much easier to recommend, even if you’re on a budget.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/black-friday-samsung-deals-include-the-music-frame-speaker-for-150-off-160759262.html?src=rss

The Samsung Music Frame speaker is $150 off ahead of Black Friday

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Black Friday may still be weeks away, but if you were hoping to score a deal on Samsung’s Music Frame, there’s no need to wait until Thanksgiving. Both Amazon and Samsung are currently selling the speaker for under $250. At $150 off its regular price, that’s an all-time low for the Music Frame, which will usually set you back $400. Considering Samsung only released the device earlier this year, this is a great opportunity to pick up one (or even two) for your home theater.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Music Frame, think of it as the speaker equivalent to Samsung’s popular Frame TV. Like its television counterpart, the Music Frame doubles as a piece of home decor. And while there’s no display that will automatically cycle through digital artwork, you can manually insert prints and photos. Moreover, while it’s certainly possible to pair two Music Frames with a Frame TV, it’s not limited to home theater use. The Music Frame works just fine as a standalone Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker. You can even use it as a smart home hub. It’s possible to mount the Music Frame on a wall or on a table, with the help of a built-in stand, if you prefer.

As for sound quality, Engadget senior reporter and resident audio geek Billy Steele was surprised by how good the Music Frame sounded when he got to demo it at CES earlier this year. “I was shocked by how robust and clear the overall sound quality is coming from the speaker,” he wrote at the time. “Highs and mids are adequately represented with great detail, while the bass is more restrained.“ If you’re curious, the Music Frame features two rear-facing woofers complemented by a set of two tweeters and two mid-range drivers, all four of which fire from the front of the speaker. It also offers Dolby Atmos support, and Samsung has included its SpaceFit tech, which assists with room calibration.

All told, the Music Frame is a great option for those looking for a speaker that will disappear into their home decor, but its high price can make it unappealing, especially if you want a stereo pair. At $150 off, however, it’s much easier to recommend, even if you’re on a budget.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/the-samsung-music-frame-speaker-is-150-off-ahead-of-black-friday-160759732.html?src=rss

Meta details ‘adult classifier’ tool for catching teens who lie about their age on Instagram

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Meta has shared more information about how it plans to use AI to catch teens who lie about their age on Instagram. As first reported by Bloomberg, early next year, the company will deploy “adult classifier,” a tool it says will identify users who are younger than 18 and automatically apply Instagram’s more restrictive privacy settings to them. 

According to Allison Hartnett, Meta’s director of product management for youth and social impact, the software will look at indicators like the accounts a user follows and the content they interact with regularly. If the tool suspects someone is under 18, it will move them to a teen account, regardless of what age they claim to be on their profile.

Meta did not immediately respond to Engadget's request for comment. 

Meta first said it would use AI to identify young users who had lied about their age when it began rolling out teen accounts in September. With those accounts, the company automatically applies Instagram’s most stringent privacy settings to kids younger than 16. For instance, the accounts are automatically set to private, and they can’t message strangers. Facing pressure from lawmakers and parents, Meta had already been applying many of those restrictions to underage users before the rollout of teen accounts, but with the official launch of the feature, the company made it so that teens cannot change those settings without approval from a parent.

On Monday, the company didn’t disclose how accurate the adult classifier tool is at determining a person’s age. Meta told Bloomberg it would eventually give people who are wrongly identified by the software the ability to appeal, though the social media giant is still working out what that process will look like.

The company will prompt teens who attempt to manually change the age listed on their account to prove their identity. Users will have the option of either uploading an official government-issued ID or sharing a video selfie to Yoti. Meta previously partnered with Yoti to bring age verification to Facebook dating. The company’s machine learning algorithm estimates a person’s age based on their facial features. Once Yoti shares its estimate with Meta, they both delete the video.

The adult classifier software is part of broader effort by Meta to make it more difficult for people to lie about their age on Instagram. Separately, the company plans to flag teens who attempt to create a new account using an email address that’s already associated with an existing account and a different birthday. It also plans to use device IDs to get a better picture of who is creating a new profile.

Meta, alongside Google and TikTok owner ByteDance, recently failed to convince a US federal judge to dismiss a series of lawsuits alleging the companies failed to adequately protect their young users from the harmful and addictive effects of social media use.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-details-adult-classifier-tool-for-catching-teens-who-lie-about-their-age-on-instagram-164439051.html?src=rss

Disney forms dedicated AI and XR group to coordinate company-wide use and adoption

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Disney is adding another layer to its AI and extended reality strategies. As first reported by Reuters, the company recently formed a dedicated emerging technologies unit. Dubbed the Office of Technology Enablement, the group will coordinate the company’s exploration, adoption and use of artificial intelligence, AR and VR tech.

It has tapped Jamie Voris, previously the CTO of its Studios Technology division, to oversee the effort. Before joining Disney in 2010, Voris was the chief technology officer at the National Football League. More recently, he led the development of the company’s Apple Vision Pro app. Voris will report to Alan Bergman, the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. Reuters reports the company eventually plans to grow the group to about 100 employees.

“The pace and scope of advances in AI and XR are profound and will continue to impact consumer experiences, creative endeavors, and our business for years to come — making it critical that Disney explore the exciting opportunities and navigate the potential risks,” Bergman wrote in an email Disney shared with Engadget. “The creation of this new group underscores our dedication to doing that and to being a positive force in shaping responsible use and best practices.”

A Disney spokesperson told Engadget the Office of Technology Enablement won’t take over any existing AI and XR projects at the company. Instead, it will support Disney’s other teams, many of which are already working on products that involve those technologies, to ensure their work fits into the company’s broader strategic goals.

“It is about bringing added focus, alignment, and velocity to those efforts, and about reinforcing our commitment being a positive force in shaping responsible use and best practices,” the spokesperson said. 

It’s safe to say Disney has probably navigated the last two decades of technological change better than most of Hollywood. For instance, the company’s use of the Unreal Engine in conjunction with a digital set known as The Volume has streamlined the production of VFX-heavy shows like The Mandalorian. With extended reality and AI in particular promising tidal changes to how humans work and play, it makes sense to add some additional oversight to how those technologies are used at the company.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/disney-forms-dedicated-ai-and-xr-group-to-coordinate-company-wide-use-and-adoption-205011787.html?src=rss

Security researchers found a serious zero-click bug in Synology’s Photos app

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If you own a Synology NAS drive, you’ll want to update your device as soon as possible. As first reported by Wired, a group of Dutch security researchers recently identified a zero-click vulnerability within the Synology Photos app. For the uninitiated, such bugs allow hackers to compromise a system without a user needing to click something first. To make matters worse, the app comes pre-installed and enabled by default on Synology’s consumer line of Bee network storage devices. It’s also a popular download among those who use the company’s DiskStation systems.

Midnight Blue, the cybersecurity firm that discovered the vulnerability, estimates that millions of Synology users may be at risk. Although the company released a security patch to address the bug, its NAS devices do not automatically download updates. “It’s not trivial to find [the vulnerability] on your own, independently,” Carlo Meijer, one of the researchers, told Wired. “But it is pretty easy to figure out and connect the dots when the patch is actually released, and you reverse-engineer the patch.”

According to Midnight Blue, the zero-click is found in a part of the Synology Photos app that does not require authentication. As a result, attackers can exploit the bug directly over the internet and without needing to bypass a gateway first. They can then gain root access and install malicious code on the compromised device. At that point, there’s not much a malicious individual couldn’t do, with the firm noting it would even be possible to turn the infected device into a botnet. The possibility a ransomware gang could target Synology devices isn’t just theoretical either. Earlier this year, DiskStation users reported that they were the target of a ransomware attack.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/security-researchers-found-a-serious-zero-click-bug-in-synologys-photos-app-145147159.html?src=rss

Security researchers found a serious zero-click bug in Synology’s Photos app

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If you own a Synology NAS drive, you’ll want to update your device as soon as possible. As first reported by Wired, a group of Dutch security researchers recently identified a zero-click vulnerability within the Synology Photos app. For the uninitiated, such bugs allow hackers to compromise a system without a user needing to click something first. To make matters worse, the app comes pre-installed and enabled by default on Synology’s consumer line of Bee network storage devices. It’s also a popular download among those who use the company’s DiskStation systems.

Midnight Blue, the cybersecurity firm that discovered the vulnerability, estimates that millions of Synology users may be at risk. Although the company released a security patch to address the bug, its NAS devices do not automatically download updates. “It’s not trivial to find [the vulnerability] on your own, independently,” Carlo Meijer, one of the researchers, told Wired. “But it is pretty easy to figure out and connect the dots when the patch is actually released, and you reverse-engineer the patch.”

According to Midnight Blue, the zero-click is found in a part of the Synology Photos app that does not require authentication. As a result, attackers can exploit the bug directly over the internet and without needing to bypass a gateway first. They can then gain root access and install malicious code on the compromised device. At that point, there’s not much a malicious individual couldn’t do, with the firm noting it would even be possible to turn the infected device into a botnet. The possibility a ransomware gang could target Synology devices isn’t just theoretical either. Earlier this year, DiskStation users reported that they were the target of a ransomware attack.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/security-researchers-found-a-serious-zero-click-bug-in-synologys-photos-app-145147159.html?src=rss

China sanctions US drone maker Skydio in ongoing trade war

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China has sanctioned Skydio, America’s largest drone maker, for providing unmanned aerial vehicles to Taiwan’s national fire service. Skydio CEO Adam Bry publicly acknowledged the sanctions on Wednesday. “A few weeks ago, China announced sanctions on Skydio for selling drones to Taiwan, where our only customer today is the National Fire Agency,” Bry wrote in a blog post.

As first reported by the Financial Times, the ban has sent Skydio racing to find alternative battery suppliers. Although the company manufactures its drones in the US and sources many of the components that go inside of them from outside of China, Skydio had been wholly dependent on a single Chinese provider for batteries before October 11, when the country’s government imposed the embargo.

According to Bry, the company has a “substantial stock” of power cells on hand, but those supplies won’t be enough to prevent near-term rationing, and the alternate suppliers Skydio is working to engage won’t “come online until the spring of next year.” Subsequently, future shipments of the company’s flagship X10 drone (pictured above) will only come with one battery for the time being.

Among the customers Skydio has been contracted to provide X10 drones to was Ukraine’s military, which planned to use the UAV for reconnaissance missions. Before the sanctions, Ukraine had requested thousands of X10 units, according to the Financial Times.

Skydio’s relationship with Taiwan may have only been a pretext for the sanctions. “We suspect Skydio was targeted by Beijing because it is likely seen as a competitor to DJI,” a US official told the Financial Times. “If there is a silver lining, we can use this episode to accelerate our work to diversify drone supply chains away from … China.”

DJI, it should be mentioned, has long been in the crosshairs of the US government. In mid-October, the Chinese drone maker filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense over a decision the Pentagon made to designate it as a “Chinese military company.” Earlier in the year, DJI narrowly avoided a national ban when the US Senate released its version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/china-sanctions-us-drone-maker-skydio-in-ongoing-trade-war-144507154.html?src=rss