Author Archives: Lawrence Bonk

HP’s Print AI will offer a better way to print websites

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HP just announced HP Print AI, which is being advertised as “the industry’s first intelligent print” experience. Beyond squeezing in tech’s two favorite letters (AI), the software looks to “simplify and enhance printing from setup to support.” There are several tools here, but the most interesting aspect is something called Perfect Output.

This could actually solve the problem of printing from web pages, which typically produces something just a hair above absolute garbage. The company says the embedded algorithms will reduce all of that unnecessary white space and will get rid of ads.

Image size will also be optimized, so printing from a website should look about as good as something that came from a word processor. HP says everything will “fit perfectly on the page for the first time.” Perfect Output isn’t just for websites, as the company says it’ll also make short work of spreadsheets, which are another frustrating thing to print out.

This feature begins rolling out today, but only to select customers as a beta. HP told Engadget that Perfect Output will work with any of the company’s printers, so long as the correct driver is installed and it’s connected to a Windows 10 or Windows 11 machine. Once some customer feedback comes in, it should go into a wider release.

HP Print AI will also use artificial intelligence to customize support for each user, with the company saying that its “intelligent technology anticipates” the needs of consumers. HP says this will be especially useful when it comes to setup and for remembering user preferences. There’s also a chatbot in there that allows for language-based queries, which runs off of a proprietary LLM the company calls a "print language model." So it's technically a, sigh, PLM. 

For now, these tools are tied to driver software. HP says that they’ll be featured prominently in a forthcoming app update scheduled for next year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/hps-print-ai-will-offer-a-better-way-to-print-websites-170523565.html?src=rss

Pokémon Sleep now supports smartwatches for more accurate tracking

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It’s certainly taken a while, but Pokémon Sleep now offers smartwatch support for sleep tracking. This is fantastic news because, look, smartphones are good at many things, but tracking sleep from underneath a pillow isn’t really one of them. Using a smartwatch should make for more accurate tracking which, in turn, will make Snorlax and his friends happy.

The app works with all of the major smartwatch models, including the Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch and Pixel Watch. It also integrates with certain Fitbit devices. The sleep data syncs with Apple Health and the Android Health Connect app, for later perusal.

We don’t know why smartwatch integration took so long, but it’s worth noting that the app itself took four years from the first announcement until an official release. It’s likely Pokémon Sleep has a small team, as it doesn’t have the same cultural footprint as its walking-based cousin Pokémon Go.

Also, Pokémon Sleep is now on Spotify. You read that right. All of the app’s music tracks are available for daytime (or nighttime) listening via a 34-song playlist. These include three songs that have yet to be added to the app, for the real Snorlax-heads out there. Each track includes a matching visual that showcases the sleep styles of a specific Pokémon. Gotta. Catch. Em. All.

The Spotify tracks are available to anyone, even those with a free account. Pokémon Sleep is available for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/pokemon-sleep-now-supports-smartwatches-for-more-accurate-tracking-152113397.html?src=rss

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is now due out in March 2025

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Tales of the Shire, a cozy life sim set in the world of Lord of the Rings, has gotten a new release date and a strange new name. It’s scheduled for release on March 25, 2025 and it’s now called Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, because apparently referencing the Shire wasn’t enough to clue in fans. LOTR diehards are well known for being ignorant about the franchise they love. That was extreme sarcasm.

Anyways, this information was served up during Private Division and Wētā Workshop’s Hobbit Day Showcase, which revealed a lot of new footage and included plenty of interviews with the game’s designers. Wētā Workshop is actually helping to develop the game, after making effects for all of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth films.

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game (that really rolls off the tongue) was supposed to come out in 2024, but it was delayed so the developers could iron out some bugs and present a fully realized version of their original vision. Here’s hoping that translates to a polished gameplay experience in March.

For the uninitiated, this is a cozy sim. There are elements of Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and other games in the genre. There’s farming, fishing and a deep character interaction system. Of course, there’s also a big emphasis placed on cooking huge feasts. We all know how much hobbits love a good feast.

The game looks cute enough and, heck, I’m always down for a new cozy sim. However, the developers have confirmed that there will be no romance, despite the emphasis on cultivating relationships and friendships. The developers say that romance simply doesn’t fit the tone of the game. In any event, Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game will be released for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also coming to Netflix.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/tales-of-the-shire-a-the-lord-of-the-rings-game-is-now-due-out-in-march-2025-180726777.html?src=rss

Biden administration seeks ban on auto software from China

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The Biden administration just announced a comprehensive plan to ban Chinese software and some hardware from internet-connected cars in the US. This is being framed as a national security measure, with the administration stating that this software poses “new threats to our national security, including through our supply chains.”

This is the same reasoning behind a recent ban of telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE. In that case, the claims had teeth, as documents reportedly showed how Huawei was involved in the country’s surveillance efforts. Today’s announcement goes on to say that China “could use critical technologies” from connected vehicles “within our supply chains for surveillance and sabotage to undermine national security.”

The rules announced today go beyond mere software. It would also cover any piece of hardware that connects a vehicle to the outside world, which includes Bluetooth, cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite components. It also includes cameras, sensors and onboard computers. The software ban would go into effect in model year 2027, with the related hardware prohibition starting in model year 2030.

The proposed ban also includes Russian auto software. The country has a fairly robust EV industry, but primarily for domestic use. There’s nothing in Russia that’s globally lusted after like the cheap EVs from Chinese companies like BYD.

This leads us to a major point. While this proposed ban is primarily for internet-connected software, it would effectively block all Chinese auto imports. The software is pretty much baked in, as are the items of hardware that allow for connectivity. It’s already tough to get one of these vehicles stateside, due to the recent tariffs placed on Chinese EVs, but this would make it nearly impossible.

Government officials, however, have held steadfast that this is a move to improve national security, and not to ban cheaper EVs from another market. “Connected vehicles and the technology they use bring new vulnerabilities and threats, especially in the case of vehicles or components developed in the P.R.C. [People's Republic of China] and other countries of concern,” said Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser. These remarks were given to reporters over the weekend and were transcribed by The New York Times. 

Sullivan went on to reference something called Volt Typhoon, which is an alleged Chinese effort to insert malicious code into American power systems, pipelines and other critical infrastructure. US officials fear that this program could be used to cripple American military bases in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan or a similar military excursion.

Peter Harrell, who was previously the National Security Council’s senior director for international economics during the Biden administration, told The New York Times that “this is likely to be opening the door, over a number of years, to a much broader governmental set of actions” that would “likely see a continuation” no matter who wins the presidential election.

It’s worth noting that the BYD Seagull, as an example, sells for around $10,000. This makes it much cheaper than American EVs, even after getting slapped by that fat 100 percent tariff. A full-featured EV for $20,000 sounds pretty nice right about now. Oh well. It was fun to dream.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/biden-administration-seeks-ban-on-auto-software-from-china-154025671.html?src=rss

28 Years Later was partially shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max

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Danny Boyle’s zombie sequel 28 Years Later was shot using several iPhone 15 Pro Max smartphones, according to a report by Wired. This makes it the biggest movie ever made using iPhones, as the budget was around $75 million.

There are some major caveats worth going over. First of all, the sourcing on the story is anonymous, as the film’s staff was required to sign an NDA. Also, the entire film wasn’t shot using last year’s high-end Apple smartphone. Engadget has confirmed that Boyle and his team used a bunch of different cameras, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max being just one tool.

Finally, it’s not like the director just plopped the smartphone on a tripod and called it a day. Each iPhone looks to have been adapted to integrate with full-frame DSLR lenses. Speaking of, those professional-grade lenses cost a small fortune. The phones were also nestled in protective cages.

Even if the phones weren’t exclusively used to make this movie, it’s still something of a full-circle moment for Boyle and his team. The original 28 Days Later was shot primarily on a prosumer-grade camcorder that cost $4,000 at the time. This camcorder recorded footage to MiniDV tapes.

28 Years Later is the third entry in the franchise and is due to hit theaters in June 2025. The film stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes and Cillian Murphy. This will be the first of three new films set in the universe of fast-moving rage zombies. Plot details are non-existent, but all three upcoming movies are being written by Alex Garland. He co-wrote the first one and has since gone on to direct genre fare like Ex Machina, Annihilation and, most recently, Civil War. He also made a truly underrated TV show called Devs.

As for the intersection of smartphones and Hollywood, several films have been shot with iPhones. These include Sean Baker’s Tangerine and Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/28-years-later-was-partially-shot-on-an-iphone-15-pro-max-182036483.html?src=rss

Microsoft plans to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant that narrowly avoided disaster

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Microsoft is in the midst of a deal that would bring the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear power plant back to life, according to reporting by The Washington Post. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the Pennsylvania plant was home to a partial meltdown of one of its reactors back in 1979.

The deal would make Microsoft the plant’s sole customer for 20 years, meaning it’ll hoover up 100 percent of the power all for itself. Why does the company need so much juice? You can guess. It’s for AI, which is notoriously power hungry. Look, if it takes an entire nuclear power plant so we can ask Bing to whip up an image of Steve Urkel in space riding a skateboard, then we gotta do it. It’s the future… or whatever.

Let’s break it down further. If this deal is approved by regulators, Three Mile Island will provide Microsoft with enough energy to power 800,000 homes. Again, no homes will be getting that energy, but don’t worry. Microsoft will be able to hold a live streaming event to show off some ghoulish new AI video generation tools or something.

I know I’m coming off as a real troglodyte here, but there is a silver lining. This could help Microsoft meet its pledge to power AI development with zero emissions electricity. It’s not as if these companies would give up on AI if there wasn’t a decommissioned nuclear power plant sitting around, so this move could help alleviate some of the strain that’s already being placed on our power grid due to ye olde artificial intelligence.

If approved, this would be a first-of-its-kind deal for a couple of reasons. A commercial power plant has never worked exclusively for one client before. It’ll also be the very first time a decommissioned power plant has come back online. It’s worth noting that the plant shut down five years ago for economic reasons, which has nothing to do with the partial meltdown from 1979. The current plan is for it to resume operations by 2028.

“The energy industry cannot be the reason China or Russia beats us in AI,” said Joseph Dominguez, chief executive of Constellation, the company that owns the plant. I’d take his jingoistic language with a grain of salt, however, as Constellation stands to make an absolute boatload of cash from this deal.

Let’s do some math. Yearly profits from a nuclear power plant averages $470 million. Microsoft will be the exclusive buyer of this energy for 20 years, which totals $9.4 billion. Constellation is spending $1.6 billion to get the plant going again, along with federal subsidies and tax breaks provided by the Inflation Recovery Act. This leaves $7.8 billion in sweet, sweet profit. That’s just a guesstimate, but you get the gist. The company does promise $1 million in "philanthropic giving to the region" over the next five years. That's $200,000 a year.  

This isn’t a done deal. There are many regulatory hurdles that Constellation will have to jump over. This includes intensive safety inspections from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has never authorized a plant reopening. There’s also likely to be an inquiry into those aforementioned tax breaks, as all of the energy is going to one private company and not serving entire communities. But come on. Steve Urkel on a skateboard in space.

On the plus side, Constellation will need around 600 employees to run the plant, according to the New York Times. Jobs are good. Also, the company says it won’t be seeking any additional subsidies from Pennsylvania. The Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan is also looking to reopen for business, but it plans on servicing the local grid and not the gaping maw of AI. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-plans-to-restart-the-three-mile-island-nuclear-plant-that-narrowly-avoided-disaster-161256442.html?src=rss

God Of War: Ragnarok’s PC port is out and it fixes one of the game’s most annoying quirks

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The long-awaited PC port of God of War: Ragnarok is out. This comes nearly two years after the game was released for PS4 and PS5 to positive reviews. This is a pretty big deal on its own, but the port has a feature that not even the original console release had. Players can finally tell Kratos’ son Atreus to shut the heck up, as first reported by Kotaku.

In the original release, Atreus was like Ocarina of Time’s Navi on Adderall. He was, in a word, talkative. Even worse? He tended to ruin puzzle solutions by offering up hints unprompted. Many players complained that this happened even when they weren’t attempting a puzzle. 

In any event, the settings tab includes an option to reduce puzzle hints. This applies to the babbling Atreus, but also other companions throughout the game. I’m no game designer, but adding a mute button to some characters doesn’t seem like a difficult fix. In other words, bring this to the console versions Sony. Digital children should be seen and not heard.

The PC port also brings some other features to the table. There are now audio descriptions for the game’s cinematics and a set of streamer gifs to use on Twitch or YouTube. Of course, the port integrates with both NVIDIA and AMD’s upscaling tools, with support for ultrawide monitors. Let’s hear it for playing games as nature intended, with a ridiculous aspect ratio of 32:9.

The port needs a massive amount of hard drive space, anywhere from 175GB to 190GB, so start the install early in the morning for an afternoon play session. It’s available now via Steam and the Epic Games Store. As a bit of bad news, the PC specs required to play this game are on the beefy side, so performance on the Steam Deck will likely be underwhelming. Redditors are saying that it runs, but is only playable in 30FPS on the lowest settings.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/god-of-war-ragnaroks-pc-port-is-out-and-it-fixes-one-of-the-games-most-annoying-quirks-185925455.html?src=rss

PlayStation’s 30th anniversary PS5 and PS5 Pro consoles are so very pretty

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The original PlayStation console, otherwise called the PS1, came out in Japan in late 1994. So we are quickly coming up on the console’s 30th birthday. To commemorate the occasion, Sony just revealed nostalgia-tinged redesigns of both the PS5 and the forthcoming PS5 Pro. They look like the original PlayStation, with that classic gray colorway and the old-school logo. Gamers of a certain age will have a hard time resisting these things. Sony did something similar in 2014 with the PS4 for the console line’s 20th anniversary.

This isn’t a quick and dirty redesign. There was legitimate thought put into this. The updated DualSense controller doesn’t quite match the original design, but does mesh with the overall aesthetic. Sony’s throwing in a retro-looking cable connector housing, PlayStation-shaped cable ties and a themed vertical stand. The box even looks like it came from a Toys "R" Us in the 1990s. 

There are two bundles to choose from. The PS5 bundle ships with the digital version of the console (so no disc drive,) a standard DualSense controller, the aforementioned accessories and additional goodies like a sticker, a poster and, uh, a PlayStation paperclip. 

The PS5 Pro bundle includes everything mentioned above, but includes both a standard controller and the DualSense Edge. It also includes a retro cover for the optional disc drive and the charging stand. It’s easy to dunk on that costly PS5 Pro when it looks basically the same as a regular PS5. It’s much harder to do when it looks like it stepped out of a 1995 fever dream.

A retro redesign.
Sony

Even the bizarre pseudo-portable PlayStation Portal is getting a themed refresh, which features the iconic gray exterior. Sony fans can even pick up redesigned controllers without springing for an entire console.

Preorders start on September 26 at participating retailers and via the company itself. These items will be released on November 21. That’s just a couple of weeks after the PS5 Pro launches. To that end, Sony’s only making 12,300 of the PS5 Pro retro consoles, so we recommend getting that preorder in early. The company hasn’t released pricing information, unfortunately, and it’s likely that the PS5 Pro bundle will absolutely obliterate bank accounts. We reached out to ask about pricing and will update this post when we hear back.

While we wait for the pre-orders to start, Senior reporter Jessica Conditt got a brief glimpse of the 30th anniversary edition PS5 Pro and DualSense controllers, which you can see below:

PlayStation 5 Pro and DualSense controllers — 30th anniversary edition
Photo by Jessica Conditt / Engadget
PlayStation 5 Pro and DualSense controllers — 30th anniversary edition
Photo by Jessica Conditt / Engadget
PlayStation 5 Pro and DualSense controllers — 30th anniversary edition
Photo by Jessica Conditt / Engadget

Update, September 20 2024, 2:00PM ET: This story has been updated with photos of the 30th-anniversary PlayStation 5 Pro console and its controller.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstations-30th-anniversary-ps5-and-ps5-pro-consoles-are-so-very-pretty-170713396.html?src=rss

Google passkeys can now sync across devices on multiple platforms

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Google is rolling out a really useful update for Google Password Manager, allowing users to sync passkeys across their many devices. Up until this point, folks could only save passkeys to Google Password Manager on Android, so the cross-device utility was limited. It was possible to use the passkeys on other devices, but it would require users to scan a QR code. 

The update allows for passkey saving via Google Password Manager on Windows, macOS, Linux and, of course, Android. ChromeOS is currently being beta tested, so that functionality should come sooner rather than later. Google also says that iOS support is “coming soon.”

Once saved, the passkey automatically syncs across other devices using Google Password Manager. The company says this data is end-to-end encrypted, so it’ll be pretty tough for someone to go in and steal credentials. 

For the uninitiated, a passkey is slightly different from a password. A passkey is a digital credential that allows users to sign in to an account without using a password. The company’s been using passkeys across its software suite since last year.

Today’s update also brings another layer of security to passkeys on Google Password Manager. The company has introduced a six-digit PIN that will be required when using passkeys on a new device. This would likely stop nefarious actors from logging into an account even if they've somehow gotten ahold of the digital credentials. Just don’t leave the PIN number laying on a sheet of paper directly next to the computer.

Google passkeys can already be used with the company’s productivity software, of course, but also with Amazon, PayPal and WhatsApp. Google Password Manager is built right into Chrome and Android devices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-passkeys-can-now-sync-across-devices-on-multiple-platforms-160056596.html?src=rss

Sweeping FTC study finds that social media sites engage in ‘vast surveillance’ of its users

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The FTC just published results of a sweeping study of social media sites that has been going on for four years. The organization said that many social media sites and streaming services engage in “vast surveillance of consumers in order to monetize their personal information.” This mass surveillance impacts adult users, but also children and teens.

This isn’t exactly surprising. After all, the old saying goes “if you're not paying for the product, you are the product.” Still, the study suggests a level of surveillance that could shock even the most cynical among us. According to the FTC, these entities collect and “indefinitely retain troves of data.” The companies also engage in “broad data sharing” with “woefully inadequate” security measures.

The report also found that some companies didn’t delete all user data in response to deletion requests. That’s not a good look. Additionally, some companies were found to be using privacy-invasive technologies like tracking pixels to “facilitate advertising to users based on preferences and interests.”

But wait, there’s more. The report found that users (and even non-users) had little or no way to opt out of how their data was used by automated systems, like algorithms, data analytics and AI. The FTC found that these companies employed “different, inconsistent and inadequate approaches to monitoring and testing the use” of these automated systems.

Finally, the report found that “social media and video streaming services didn’t adequately protect children and teens on their sites.” The study goes on to suggest that social media, and digital technology as a whole, contributes to “negative mental health impacts on young users.” This is nothing new, though some social media companies are putting tools in place to protect kids. Instagram just made it mandatory for teen accounts to include parental controls.

The FTC says that all of these issues boil down to the profit models of the big social media and streaming companies. These business models mandate the “mass collection of user data to monetize, especially through targeted advertising.” This is in “tension” with privacy concerns as, well, privacy doesn’t make money.

The study concludes that “self-regulation has been a failure.” To that end, the FTC has issued several recommendations to help solve these problems. It wants Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation to limit surveillance and to offer “baseline protections.” It also wants social media and streaming companies to limit data collection and data sharing with third parties.

The FTC also recommends that these companies actually delete consumer data when it’s no longer needed or upon request and to stop using invasive ad tracking technologies like pixels. It also wants these entities to address the overall lack of transparency regarding their methods. As for kids and teens, the FTC says these organizations should “recognize teens are not adults and provide them greater privacy protections.” Finally, it urges Congress to pass federal privacy legislation for teens over the age of 13.

Again, none of this information is new, but it's pretty damning to see it all laid out this way. You can read the full report right here. The services involved in the study include X, TikTok, Reddit, Discord, Twitch, YouTube, Instagram and several others.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/sweeping-ftc-study-finds-that-social-media-sites-engage-in-vast-surveillance-of-its-users-155846997.html?src=rss