Author Archives: Lawrence Bonk

Rivian goes all in on ‘universal hands-free’ driving at its first Autonomy and AI day

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EV automaker Rivian just held its inaugural Autonomy and AI day which, unsurprisingly, focused extensively on hands-free driving. An upcoming software update promises the introduction of "universal hands-free" driving. The company says its vehicles will be able to autonomously navigate more than 3.5 million miles of roads in North America, "covering the vast majority of marked roads in the US."

This is coming to the R2 line of EVs, but also Gen 2 R1 vehicles like the recently-released Rivian R1S. The service will be locked behind a subscription for something called Autonomy+ that includes self-driving, but also offers access to forthcoming and unannounced autonomous features. Rivian customers can pay $2,500 for lifetime access to the platform or $50 per month.

The R2 is getting LiDAR sensors, which will presumably help enable some of those upcoming autonomous features, in addition to a new chip called the Rivian Autonomy Processor. The processor has been designed for multimodal applications and runs the company's proprietary neural net engine. Both of these features are expected "to ship on R2 models starting at the end of 2026."

Today's event wasn't just about hands-free driving. Many of the company's vehicles will soon be given access to the AI-powered Rivian Assistant, which uses LLMs and can connect to apps like Google Calendar. This assistant will be model-agnostic, as it will "orchestrate different models and choose the best one for the task."

In addition to the upcoming R2, the company is prepping the R3 and R3X. A Rivian offshoot just introduced an extremely expensive, but modular, electric bike called the TM-B.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/rivian-goes-all-in-on-universal-hands-free-driving-at-its-first-autonomy-and-ai-day-172004733.html?src=rss

PS Plus Game Catalog additions for December include Assassin’s Creed Mirage

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Sony just announced December's Game Catalog additions for PS Plus subscribers and it's a pretty decent lineup. All of these titles will be ready to play on December 16, except Skate Story which is already available.

Speaking of Skate Story, it's a really weird skateboarding sim that's set in a glass-covered world. The reviews have been positive, with many people praising the outlandish story, surreal locations and the satisfying trick mechanics. It's made by Sam Eng, who was behind the indie shooter Zarvot. This new game is only available for PS5 subscribers.

Assassin's Creed Mirage will be available for both PS4 and PS5 players. This is the mainline entry from 2023 and it's actually really fun. It boasts a "back to basics" design that old-school fans of the franchise should appreciate.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a 3D action RPG that started its life as a mobile game. However, this particular RPG features music compositions from Nobuo Uematsu and art direction from Hideo Minaba. Both worked together on some games in a mom-and-pop franchise called Final Fantasy. This console port will be playable on PS4 and PS5

Cat Quest III is a simple action RPG starring, well, cats (and dogs.) This one brings open world tomfoolery to a land teeming with islands, so expect plenty of pirate puns. I enjoyed the first two, as the gameplay loop is pretty addictive and the quests are fun. It'll be available on PS4 and PS5.

Other forthcoming games include Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Lego Horizon Adventures, Paw Patrol: Grand Prix and Planet Coaster 2. Sony is also offering a holiday promotion in which new annual PS Plus subscribers receive download credits for movies.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ps-plus-game-catalog-additions-for-december-include-assassins-creed-mirage-193731745.html?src=rss

Amazon brings same-day deliveries of perishable food items to 1,300 new areas

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Amazon is introducing same-day delivery of perishable food items to 1,300 new cities and towns throughout the country, upping the total service area to more than 2,300 locations. This expansion covers cities like Boise, Salt Lake City, Fort Collins, Omaha, Des Moines and many more.

Check the link to see if it has expanded to where you live. The commerce giant says it will be bringing the service to even more cities in 2026, making the platform a real rival to stuff like Instacart and Walmart+.

Amazon introduced this feature earlier this year and it has proven to be quite the success, given today's move. It lets people order perishable food items like fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat alongside other more traditional items like electronics and books.

Amazon uses a "specialized temperature-controlled fulfillment network” to ensure that perishables remain in tip-top shape and they are delivered in insulated bags. The deliveries are free for Prime members, as long as the order exceeds $25. Everyone else has to pay $13 per order.

Some items.
Amazon

The company says that fresh groceries already make up nine of the top ten most-ordered items for quick delivery, which is a fairly astounding metric. People want their avocados. Amazon has been steadily increasing the number of items available via this method by incorporating Whole Foods products.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-brings-same-day-deliveries-of-perishable-food-items-to-1300-new-areas-175746531.html?src=rss

Petco accidentally exposed heaps of customer information

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Petco has accidentally exposed a whole lot of customer data and personal information, according to a report by TechCrunch. This is thanks to a security lapse involving its Vetco clinics website, forcing the company to take a portion of that site offline.

Petco has confirmed the leak and TechCrunch noted that the security lapse allowed anyone to download customer records without login information. The exposed data includes customer names, driver's license numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and even financial information. It also includes customer records from visits to Vetco, like medical histories, pet names, vaccination records and other stuff like that.

This was due to an incorrect software setting that made a number of files accessible online, according to a notice filed by California’s attorney general and reported on by Mashable. The company has since corrected the setting, removed the exposed files and implemented security measures.

However, Petco hasn't said if any data was actually extracted during the security lapse or if it even has the means to suss out that kind of thing. Vetco customers should probably perform some due diligence to shore up personal security. The company is offering credit and identity monitoring services to impacted customers, but only in some states. We recommend giving Petco a call to discuss options. 

Data breaches of this sort are becoming an unfortunate part of modern life. Recent security breaches have impacted entities like AT&T, Discord, the social network Tea and the human resources company Workday, among others.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/petco-accidentally-exposed-heaps-of-customer-information-163825302.html?src=rss

PlayStation’s 2025 Wrap-Up is here, so you can see how many hours you’ve sunk into Death Stranding 2

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Sony's 2025 PlayStation Wrap-Up is now available. The recap, which is similar to those from music streaming services, sums up gaming habits from throughout the year. It shows players how many hours they used their PS4 or PS5, what games they played the most, preferred genres, trophy counts and more.

These digital cards are shareable on social media, which is kind of the whole point. Nothing says "bragging rights" more than offering definitive proof of how long you spent on a couch grinding in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 or wandering the wasteland in Death Stranding 2.

An example.
Sony

This year, the recap provides insight into how much players interacted with accessories like the PlayStation Portal and PS VR2. It also details the "most used DualSense wireless controller design."

The 2025 Wrap-Up will be available until January 8. Once completed, players also get a "unique glass-themed avatar." It's only available for adults.

The PlayStation Wrap-Up has been around since 2017, though it ran into some issues with accessibility in 2024. Spotify introduced the basic idea with Wrapped back in 2015. Since then, the concept of a shareable year-end streaming list has spread like a virus. Just about everyone does it now, from Apple Music to Nintendo and even YouTube. We love to reflect on things we recently experienced, don't we folks?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstations-2025-wrap-up-is-here-so-you-can-see-how-many-hours-youve-sunk-into-death-stranding-2-191508693.html?src=rss

Microsoft Flight Sim 2024 now has a Stranger Things expansion

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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 just got a fairly bizarre expansion inspired by the Netflix show Stranger Things. If you've ever wanted to fly over a fictional Indiana town in the 1980s, this is the update for you.

That's right. The game now lets folks fly over Hawkins, Indiana and check out more than 40 iconic locations from the series, including Starcourt Mall, the junkyard, the government lab and, of course, the upside down.

Inexplicably, this isn't just a joyride. There's an actual game here, with five helicopter-based missions that have players arranging supply drops, rescuing characters and chasing bad guys. Murray Bauman, portrayed by Brett Gelman, is on hand to assign missions and engage in banter.

This is a free update and it's available right now, so get out there and blast that one Kate Bush song over and over (and over.) As for Stranger Things, the second part of season five drops on December 25, followed by the series finale on January 1. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, which first came out last year, recently launched for PS5.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/microsoft-flight-sim-2024-now-has-a-stranger-things-expansion-173944325.html?src=rss

Pebble is making a weird little smart ring for recording thoughts

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Pebble just announced the Index 01, a smart ring for recording thoughts. It's a little ring with a built-in microphone and that's about it. The Index 01 is almost anti-tech in its simplicity. There's no needless AI component shoehorned in, aside from speech-to-text. It's a ring with a microphone that you whisper ideas into and I want one.

Here's how it works. You get an idea while walking down the street, so you quietly whisper it into the ring. The ring sends the idea to a notes app or saves it for later review. Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky calls this an "external memory" for the brain, but I call it a nice way to avoid having to dig the phone out of a pocket or bag just to utter something like "pizza, but for cats."

The ring doesn't record unless a button is pushed, so it won't be listening in on private conversations, and it doesn't require a paid subscription of any kind. It's on the smaller side, about the size of a wedding band, and is water-resistant.

The battery also lasts for "years" and never needs to be charged. The ring is designed to be worn at all times, so users develop the muscle memory of holding down the little button when they have something to share. See what I mean? I want one, and I've quite literally never worn a ring in my life.

A ring.
Pebble

Migicovsky says this is an open source product and that Pebble is "leaving the side door open for folks to customize." He envisions people will integrate AI voice agents and that the ring will eventually work with stuff like ChatGPT, Beeper, Google and other services.

The Pebble Index 01 works with iPhone and Android and is available for preorder right now. It costs $75 during this preorder period, but the price jacks up to $99 when shipments start going out in March.

This is just the latest product by Migicovsky and Pebble. The company unveiled the Core 2 Duo and the Core Time 2 smartwatches earlier this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/pebble-is-making-a-weird-little-smart-ring-for-recording-thoughts-161723645.html?src=rss

TikTok announces shared feed and collections features

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TikTok just announced a couple of updates that that should make the app a bit more social. There's something called Shared Feed, which is exactly what it sounds like. It's a feed that friends and family can watch together, though at different times. 

This feed is shared via direct messaging and pulls up relevant content to everyone involved in the chat. TikTok says this is a "new way to discover content together." It consists of a daily curated selection of 15 videos that are generated by TikTok activity.

These feeds are shared via invitation and the participants can leave the chat at any time. There's also a new dashboard that lets viewers check out their Shared Like history and other metrics. The Shared Feed tool rolls out globally in the coming months. It sounds similar to something Instagram began offering earlier this year. Instagram is typically the one copying TikTok, so this is a nice change of pace.

The tool.
TikTok

TikTok has also announced something called Shared Collections. This is like the aforementioned Shared Feed, but for saved content. The tool lets users collect, organize and share groups of videos, with TikTok citing that people could use it to share reading lists, local restaurants to try and, of course, products to buy.

All you have to do is save a video, create a Shared Collection and send that list to someone else via direct message. Users must follow one another to access one of these lists. The tool is available globally right now to folks over the age of 16.

Finally, TikTok is rolling out themed holiday cards that can be sent in direct messages. They will be available globally later this month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-announces-shared-feed-and-collections-features-193857725.html?src=rss

Analogue is weaponizing your nostalgia with these translucent versions of its 3D console

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Analogue just announced new colorways for its recently-launched Analogue 3D console. The appropriately-named Funtastic limited-edition consoles are heavily inspired by Nintendo's translucent N64 models from the late 1990s. Analogue even borrowed the Funtastic branding.

In other words, these are going for the nostalgic jugular for gamers of a certain age. There's even a see-through green colorway that calls to mind the Nintendo 64 variant that shipped as a bundle with Donkey Kong 64. Just imagine booting up that bad boy as you roam around the house spouting the lyrics of the DK rap song.

There are eight translucent colors to choose from and accompanying 8BitDo controllers available as a separate purchase. The consoles cost $300 and the controllers are priced out at $45.

The Analogue 3D Funtastic consoles go on sale on December 10 at 11AM ET, with the company promising they'll ship within 48 hours to ensure delivery by Christmas. The company is also restocking the traditional colors, which will be available for purchase at the same time but won't ship until January.

Two consoles.
Tim Stevens for Engadget

We praised the Analogue 3D in our official review. It's a fantastic way to play N64 cartridges, even if the original games don't always hold up. The 4K CRT emulation is top-notch and the overall hardware design is solid.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/analogue-is-weaponizing-your-nostalgia-with-these-translucent-versions-of-its-3d-console-181105740.html?src=rss

Uber will let marketers target ads based on users’ trip and takeout data

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Uber will begin offering customer data to marketers through a new insights platform called Uber Intelligence. The data will technically be anonymous, via the use of a platform called LiveRamp. This will "let advertisers securely combine their customer data with Uber's to help surface insights about their audiences, based on what they eat and where they travel."

Basically, it'll provide a broad view of local consumer trends based on collected data. Uber gives an example of a hotel brand using the technology to identify which restaurants or venues to partner with according to rideshare information.

Companies will also be able to use the Intelligence platform's insights to directly advertise to consumers. Business Insider reports it could be used to identify customers who are "heavy business travelers" and then plague them with ads in the app or in vehicles during their next trip to the airport. Fun times.

"That seamlessness is why we're so excited," Edwin Wong, global head of measurement at Uber Advertising, told Business Insider. Uber has stated that its ad business is already on track to generate $1.5 billion in revenue this year, and that's before implementing these changes.

As for Uber in totality, the company made $44 billion in 2024, which was a jump from $37 billion in 2023. It's also notorious for raising fares. Uber has raised prices for consumers by around 18 percent each year since 2018, which has outpaced inflation by up to four times in some markets.

Update, December 8, 7:25PM ET: This article previously stated that Uber was "selling customer data," but that was not accurate. Companies do not pay to access the Intellience platform. We regret the error. The article and its headline have been changed since publish to more accurately reflect the news.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/uber-will-let-marketers-target-ads-based-on-users-trip-and-takeout-data-171011841.html?src=rss