Author Archives: Sarah Fielding

China claims to have already reached its 2030 clean energy goal

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In some good news for the environment, China has reached a clean energy goal six years sooner than expected. In 2020, President Xi Jinping set a goal to have at least 1,200 gigawatts of clean energy sources by 2030. In a new statement, China's National Energy Administration claims the country has reached 1,206 gigawatts, thanks to 25 gigawatts of turbines and panels added last month, Bloomberg reports.

This milestone is critical for China, the world's biggest polluter, which produces about 12.7 metric tons of emissions produced annually as of 2023, The New York Times reports. For context, the United States is second with 5.9 billion tons. However, China is spending more on clean energy than every other country, but it still has a long way to go. So far, solar and wind have generated 14 percent of the country's energy in 2024.

China is working to expand this number with a range of projects that include renewable energy. In June, it was announced that state-owned China Three Gorges Renewables Group will invest 80 billion yuan ($11 billion) in a base using solar, wind and coal to generate electricity. The plant will be built in Inner Mongolia and get 135 gigawatts of the 435 gigawatts China has devoted to desert projects by 2030. We'll have to see how much of a negative offset the coal aspect will cause as the plan progresses.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/china-claims-to-have-already-reached-its-2030-clean-energy-goal-122012187.html?src=rss

Ring’s new pan-and-tilt security camera drops to $60 in its first discount

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Home security devices can give us peace of mind, but they don't always come cheaply. That's why we're excited to see Ring's Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera finally go on sale. The device, which launched at the end of May, is down to $60 from $80 — a 25 percent discount. The only catch: the sale is just available on the black and white models, leaving the Blush, Charcoal and Starlight options at full price. 

Ring's Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera offers all the basics with two-way talk and motion alerts but is also the company's first foray into a motorized base, with the device providing a 360-degree look at what's happening inside your home. Plus, it has a tilt range of 169 degrees and displays its view in color HD video. If you're staying in a home with one in it or have visitors, you can activate the built-in hardware kill switch and slide a shutter over the camera — this should also disable any audio. 

Right now, you can also get the Ring Video Doorbell for 40 percent off, down to $60 from $100 — just shy of its record low. The doorbell lets you hear, see, and speak with anyone at your front door, with the camera displaying a 1080p HD visual on your computer or phone. It comes with a rechargeable battery and is available in Satin Nickel or Venetian Bronze.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/rings-new-pan-and-tilt-security-camera-drops-to-60-in-its-first-discount-141551723.html?src=rss

Instagram copies… Myspace?

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If there's one thing that's guaranteed in the world of social media, it's that platforms are going to copy each other's features. However, the newest iteration of this is still surprising, to say the least. Instagram has announced a new music feature that allows you to attach a song to your profile a la Myspace. 

Instagram has copied MySpace, a platform that peaked long before Instagram ever existed, and arguably was thrown into decline by the rise of Instagram's parent company.

So, how does this new feature work? You can choose a song by going to edit profile and clicking "Add music to your profile." You can then choose a song or search in the For You section. From there, pick the 30 seconds of the song you want to feature and it will remain on your profile until you pick a new one or decide Myspace features are better left in the past. Don't worry if you're scrolling in public as songs won't start playing now the second you go on someone's profile — click the play button to hear it. 

Instagram's new music feature on phone screen.
Instagram

Instagram teamed up with singer Sabrina Carpenter to promote the feature, with fans able to hear a clip of her new song "Taste." exclusively on her profile (though the album comes out tomorrow). Earlier this year, Instagram's parent company, Meta, teamed up with another pop star, Taylor Swift. She created a Threads account alongside the release of her new album, The Tortured Poet Society, in April. The first group of people to share her post received a customized badge on their profile.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-copiesmyspace-140049134.html?src=rss

British tech billionaire Mike Lynch confirmed dead after yacht sinking

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UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, 59, has been confirmed dead after multiple days of search and rescue efforts, multiple news agencies report. The 183-foot super-yacht, Bayesian, capsized off the coast of Sicily around 5 AM local time on Monday morning during a violent storm. Lynch was one of 22 individuals on board, including passengers and crew, with 15 individuals rescued and one body found immediately following the events. Five more bodies, including Lynch's, have since been recovered. At this time, his daughter is the only person still missing, Reuters reports, citing sources close to the rescue operation. 

Lynch co-founded tech companies Autonomy and Darktrace and founded venture capital firm Invoke Capital. Following the $11 billion sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard, Lynch has spent the past decade-plus engulfed in a legal battle over allegations of inflating sales and misleading HP. A San Francisco jury acquitted him in June of all 15 counts of fraud. 

The yacht excursion was meant to celebrate Lynch's recent victory, with family, friends, and business associates joining him. Other members of the deceased include the yacht's chef, Neda and Chris Morvillo, a Clifford Chance lawyer who represented Lynch and Judy and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International. Angela Bacares, Lynch's wife, escaped the wreckage and is safe. 

Lynch's co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, 52, also faced tragedy this week. The BBC reports he was hit by a car on Saturday, August 17, while out running in Cambridgeshire, England, and died from his injuries. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/british-tech-billionaire-mike-lynch-confirmed-dead-after-yacht-sinking-121856262.html?src=rss

FCC fines telecoms operator $1 million for transmitting Biden deepfake

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In January, calls using an AI-generated voice imitating President Biden instructed voters not to take part in the New Hampshire Primary. Now, as the 2024 election nears, the Federal Communications Commission is sending a message by further cracking down on those responsible for the Biden deepfake. Lingo Telecom, which transmitted the fraudulent calls, will pay the FCC a $1 million civil penalty and must demonstrate and implement a compliance plan. 

In response to the settlement, The Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal stated, "..the potential combination of the misuse of generative AI voice-cloning technology and caller ID spoofing over the U.S. communications network presents a significant threat. This settlement sends a strong message that communications service providers are the first line of defense against these threats and will be held accountable to ensure they do their part to protect the American public."

This step follows the FCC's proposed $6 million fine for Steven Kramer, the political consultant who directed the calls. The FCC alleges he also violated the Truth in Caller ID Act by spoofing a local politician's phone number. The enforcement action in Kramer's case is still pending. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fcc-fines-telecoms-operator-1-million-for-transmitting-biden-deepfake-120010234.html?src=rss

Tesla issues an in-person recall for its Model X SUV

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Tesla has recalled over two million vehicles in 2024 alone, so close to 10,000 more cars shouldn't be very noteworthy at this point. But Tesla's latest recall is a bit fussier in that technicians must review each car in person rather than just issuing an over-the-air update. Tesla's latest recall will see 9,136 Model X SUVs tended to manually due to concerns of a trim on the roof separating which could increase the risk of a crash, Reuters reports.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated, "The front and center roof cosmetic trim pieces may be adhered to the vehicle without primer. As a result, one or both pieces of trim may separate from the vehicle." Tesla will test the attachment of each vehicle's roof trim and join the pieces back together if necessary.

This year has seen previous recalls on Model X vehicles, along with the Model Y, Model 3, Model S and its Cybertruck. The issues responsible have ranged from the backup camera not working in reverse to a potential for the hood to detach.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-issues-an-in-person-recall-for-its-model-x-suv-150039573.html?src=rss

Apple’s M2 MacBook Air drops to a record low of $799

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As usual, summer has sped by in the blink of an eye, which means it's already back-to-school season. Thankfully, there are some great tech deals for college students (and lucky high school ones), including a record-low price on Apple's 2022 MacBook Air with an M2 chip. Right now, you can get the 256GB laptop in any color for its Prime Day price of $799, down from $999 — a 20 percent discount. 

The 2022 MacBook Air is our choice for best budget MacBook thanks to a range of features that hold up two years later. It's a "near-perfect Mac," as we called it while giving it a 96 in our review, offering a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with up to 500 nits of brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate.  

This MacBook also has an M2 chip with eight CPU cores and up to 10 GPU cores. Apple has recently introduced the M4 chip, but the M2 should give you plenty of power for any run-of-the-mill programs. Speaking of power, you should get some excellent, vibrant sound quality with the MacBook Air's quad-speaker system — plus, it's compatible with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio. 

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-m2-macbook-air-drops-to-a-record-low-of-799-140005153.html?src=rss

The Pixel Watch 3 comes in a bigger size and tells you when you should rest

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It's time — pun not intended — for some new Google Pixel products. The company's launch event, Made By Google, is showcasing the new Google Pixel Watch 3 and the next generation of Pixel phones and earbuds. This third-generation smartwatch is all about performance and adds a range of new capabilities to help you track your progress, plan and take care of yourself. 

Before we get into each of those features, it's worth pointing out one of the most obvious changes Google has introduced: adding a 45mm model. The first two generations of the Google Pixel Watch only offered a 41mm option, and this addition puts the Pixel Watch 3 in line with the Apple Watch's options. Samsung's Galaxy Watch 7 also has two options: the 40mm and 44mm. 

Compared to the second-gen model, Google also shrank the smartwatch's bezel by 16 percent, giving the 41mm an extra 10 percent of active screen area. The display is also two times brighter, offering up to 2000 nits of brightness. Plus, the watch lasts for 24 hours with the always-on display or 36 hours in battery-saver mode (it automatically switches to this when you're down to 15 percent). Google also claims the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 charges 20 percent faster than its predecessor. 

Now for the fun bits. The Google Pixel Watch 3 will have a new readiness and cardio load tracking guide. It should let you know how hard your heart is working, indicating if you should slow down on a workout. Google also says it will let you know when to recover and when to dive into a challenging workout. The readiness score is more personalized, making a recommendation based on factors like your sleep and resting heart rate. If you get Fitbit Premium, the watch will provide AI-powered recommendations on achieving your fitness goals. 

It also brings a new “loss of pulse detection” feature that Google says is the first of its kind.Despite being slightly awkwardly worded, “loss of pulse detection” does basically what it describes. Using the Pixel Watch 3’s heart rate and other sensors, it’ll notice if the wearer has a pulse. Since the device is sampling your pulse at the rate of once every second, which is one of the most frequent in the mainstream smartwatch space, it’ll notice quite quickly if your heart’s stopped. Then, it’ll look for other signs like whether you’re still moving, and whether it’s still on your wrist. 

With all this data, the Pixel Watch will determine whether you’re having a “loss of pulse event” like cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose or poisoning. When it identifies loss of pulse, it will check in with you and call emergency services if you don’t respond. At launch, Google said this will be available in various countries in Europe and that it’s “working with regulatory bodies to make the feature available in more countries."

The Google Pixel Watch 3 also has some home-based features, providing Nest Cam and Doorbell notifications, access to live view, and two-way talk. The watch can also act as a remote, letting you pause, change the volume or flip to a new channel on Google TV. If you have a Pixel phone, then your watch can control its camera, record a memo and access Google Maps.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-pixel-watch-3-comes-in-a-bigger-size-and-tells-you-when-you-should-rest-170058534.html?src=rss

Patreon will have to use Apple’s in-app purchase system or be removed from the App Store

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Apple takes a lot of strong positions, but their ultimate hill to die on might just be requiring apps to make purchases through the tech giant. The latest example comes from Patreon, which announced that Apple is requiring it to switch over to the iOS in-app purchase system or risk expulsion. Patreon's entire purpose is to allow creators to offer "patrons" memberships in exchange for content. While some tiers are unpaid, creators offer paid options to make money — something this shift could impact. 

Patreon users need to know about two main changes. By this November, all creators can only offer a subscription-based plan on iOS as the app store doesn't support other formats, such as first-of-the-month or per-creation plans. As a result, Patreon is rolling out a 16-month-long migration process that will shift all memberships to subscriptions by November 2025. At that point, subscription-based plans will be the only option available, unfortunately proving Apple's far-reaching power. 

Apple will also be taking a 30 percent cut on all subscriptions made on the Patreon iOS app after November of this year — something its done for Patreon in-app commerce purchases since early 2024. Patreon has designed a tool that allows creators to increase their prices on the iOS app and leave them as is on the browser site and Android devices. However, creators can turn it off if they'd rather leave their rates as is. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/patreon-will-have-to-use-apples-in-app-purchase-system-or-be-removed-from-the-app-store-192631471.html?src=rss

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones drop to a new low of $198

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High-quality active noise cancellation headphones are always going to cost a pretty penny. But, a new sale has dropped Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones to a record-low price. A 43 percent discount brings the M4s down to $198, from $348. 

Sony released the WH-1000XM4 headphones in 2020, further improving on a model that was already our top pick. Our review gave the M4 a 94, thanks to a more premium finish — tactile matte coating versus slick plastic — and a better overall fit. The device also offers powerful ANC, a punchy bass and automatic pausing if you start talking. These headphones provide comfort without compromising on sound or ANC quality. 

Our choice for the best wireless headphones on the market are also on sale for $328, down from $400 — an 18 percent discount. Sony released the WH-1000XM5 model two years after its predecessor came out and took its place as our top pick. Improvements compared to the M4 include increased comfort and better noise cancellation, thanks to the addition of a V1 chip and eight ANC mics — double that of the M4. I will say that I own the M5, and on a recent transatlantic flight, I was one of the only people unbothered by the wailing baby. 

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sonys-wh-1000xm4-headphones-drop-to-a-new-low-of-198-145024912.html?src=rss