Author Archives: Lawrence Bonk

Images of unannounced Samsung watches and earbuds appear to have leaked

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Samsung has an Unpacked event scheduled for July 10, with plenty of hardware announcements expected. A reliable leaker, however, already has images of many of the big hitters, including the Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. It’s like Christmas for Samsung fans!

First, a caveat. These are leaked images obtained by Evan Blass and published on his Substack and X account. Blass has a very good track record with this kind of thing, but of course, nothing will be certain until Samsung itself confirms it. (Disclosure, Blass was a contributor and editor for Engadget from 2005 until 2008.)

A smartwatch.
Evan Blass

There are glorious images of the forthcoming Galaxy Watch Ultra. The squarish smartwatch looks to feature a gray exterior with orange accents. It also boasts a durable-looking band that recalls the one originally introduced alongside the Apple Watch Ultra. The watch also seems to have eschewed the typical spring pin connector and replaced it with a new system that, once again, recalls Apple’s connector.

A green smartwatch.
Evan Blass

The Galaxy Watch 7 comes in a new olive green colorway, though the design looks almost identical to the Watch 6. There’s the same spring pin band connector and alternative gold and silver colorways. That green exterior sure does pop though. 

Samsung buds.
Evan Blass

Images of the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro were also leaked, though there’s some confusion here. While Blass did publish images of two different pairs of earbuds, there’s no branding so it’s impossible to tell which is which. In any event, both of these are stemmed earbuds, with one featuring an open design just like Apple’s entry-level AirPods. It’s likely, though unconfirmed, that the open design represents the standard Buds 3. That leaves the one with the silicone eartips as the Buds 3 Pro.

Samsung hasn’t revealed any of the specs for the above items, though an additional leak suggests the Watch 7 will be available in a 40-millimeter size, with an unnamed three-nanometer chip powering the whole thing. It'll also allegedly feature a new BioActive Sensor for health metrics and, of course, plenty of AI bells and whistles. 

Additionally, the upcoming event should reveal new foldables and the long-awaited Galaxy Ring fitness device. Samsung will livestream Unpacked on its YouTube channel, main website and Newsroom site at 9AM ET on July 10.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/images-of-unannounced-samsung-watches-and-earbuds-appear-to-have-leaked-171013394.html?src=rss

NASA gives SpaceX the privilege of crashing the ISS into the sea

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SpaceX just won a $843 million contract to, basically, crash the International Space Station (ISS) into the sea. It’s part of a NASA program to safely deorbit the ISS within the next ten years.

The ISS has been continuously operating since 1998 and, like all things, has been aging. The space station is due to end its orbital tenure in or around 2030. However, NASA doesn’t want the whole thing just careening into Earth’s atmosphere, throwing dangerous junk everywhere like season two of Breaking Bad. The agency wants a nice and controlled re-entry. That’s where SpaceX comes in.

According to the terms of the contract, SpaceX will develop a spacecraft called the “US Deorbit Vehicle” to safely bring the ISS back to Earth without any undue risk to population centers. SpaceX’s rocket will guide it into the Pacific Ocean, where it can bother a bunch of fish and not humans.

The ISS isn’t heading to just any part of the Pacific Ocean. It’s going to the spookily-namd “spacecraft cemetery,” which is an uninhabited area between New Zealand and South America that’s absolutely littered with the remains of space stuff. All told, nearly 300 spacefaring vehicles have been laid to rest in this section of the ocean, including capsules, cargo craft, rockets and more. Many of these ships were actually used to reach the ISS, so this will be a homecoming, of a sort.

The project won’t be easy for SpaceX. The ISS is nearly a million pounds and is too massive to burn up upon re-entry. The company’s deorbiting vehicle is expected to take several years to both develop and test. The ISS will undergo a phased disintegration, meaning that the process should unfold in three stages. The rocket will first guide the solar arrays and radiators to the sea, followed by the individual modules and, finally, the primary structure, typically called the truss.

“Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

The ISS is the largest structure ever built in space and was a collaborative effort between the US, Europe, Japan, Canada and Russia. The US and its partners promise to maintain operations right to the end, but Russia’s commitment finishes in 2028. The space station costs around $3.1 billion per year to run. It is hoped that the private space industry will pick up the slack here, constructing orbiting stations that astronauts can use on a pay-per-visit basis.

To that end, plenty of private organizations have previewed their own space stations. Vast and SpaceX plan to launch one in 2025 and Blue Origin has a station called Orbital Reef preparing for launch toward the latter part of the decade. Voyager, Lockheed Martin and Nanoracks don't expect to operate their Starlab facility until at least 2027.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasa-gives-spacex-the-privilege-of-crashing-the-iss-into-the-sea-155755209.html?src=rss

Clickolding, from the I Am Your Beast devs, looks like a clicking nightmare

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There’s about to be a new clicking game in town, and this one looks like an absolute nightmare (in a good way.) Clickolding, which seems to derive its name from cuckolding, is described on Steam as a “dark incremental narrative game about thumbing a tally counter to satisfy the distressing masked man sitting in the corner of your hotel room.” Yikes.

There’s a trailer and it only adds to the whole unsettling feeling surrounding this game. There is indeed a distressing masked man sitting in the corner of a hotel room demanding that you click a tally counter. There’s something… violent and almost sexual about the whole thing. What happens when you click enough? Do you get a bag of money? Does he explode? Do you explode? Does it turn into a new entry in the Saw franchise? I guess we’ll find out on July 16, which is when the game is set to release on PC.

Of course, clickers aren’t exactly high art, but this one is developed by Strange Scaffold, the company behind El Paso, Elsewhere, I Am Your Beast and Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, among others. So we have some hope that the game could turn the simple clicking formula into something unique. It’s also being published by Outersloth, an indie game fund started by the creators of Among Us. With that pedigree, there’s no way Clickolding ends up being a standard clicker. Did we mention the creepy guy in the corner? He also has a gun.

It’s rare that a clicking game becomes a bona-fide phenomenon, but it's not unheard of. Just last week, one called Banana rose to the top of the Steam charts. That one didn’t have a creepy guy in a hotel room, but did offer the potential to make actual money.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/clickolding-from-the-i-am-your-beast-devs-looks-like-a-clicking-nightmare-180504296.html?src=rss

An ID verification service that works with TikTok and X left its credentials wide open for a year

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An ID verification company that works on behalf of TikTok, X and Uber, among others, has left a set of administrative credentials exposed for more than a year, as reported by 404 Media. The Israel-based AU10TIX verifies the identity of users by using pictures of their faces and drivers’ licenses, potentially opening up both to hackers.

“My personal reading of this situation is that an ID Verification service provider was entrusted with people's identities and it failed to implement simple measures to protect people's identities and sensitive ID documents,” Mossab Hussein, the chief security officer at cybersecurity firm spiderSilk who originally noticed the exposed credentials, said.

The set of admin credentials that were left exposed led right to a logging platform, which in turn included links to identity documents. There’s even some reason to suspect that bad actors got ahold of these credentials and actually used them.

They appear to have been scooped up by malware in December 2022 and placed on a Telegram channel in March 2023, according to timestamps and messages acquired by 404 Media. The news organization downloaded the credentials and found a wealth of passwords and authentication tokens linked to someone who lists their role on LinkedIn as a Network Operations Center Manager at AU10TIX.

If hackers got ahold of customer data, it would include a user’s name, date of birth, nationality, ID number and images of uploaded documents. It’s pretty much all an internet gollum would need to steal an identity. All they would have to do is snatch up the credentials, log in and start wreaking havoc. Yikes.

AU10TIX has issued a statement on the matter, writing that the “data was potentially accessible” but that it sees “no evidence that such data has been exploited.” The company said that impacted customers have been notified and that it’s decommissioning the current operating system in favor of a new one that focuses more on security.

Some of its partners switched verification companies before this issue popped up. A spokesperson for Upwork said that it has “been working with a different service provider for some time now.” X, however, just signed up with AU10TIX back in September and it uses government-issued IDs to verify premium users. Others, like Fiverr and Coinbase have said they aren’t aware of any data exposure, though they still work with AU10TIX. 

Dumping customer data on Telegram or on the dark web has become the most popular way for hackers to do their thing. Back in late March, over 73 million AT&T passwords were leaked onto the dark web. LoanDepot experienced a similar issue this year, as did the US Department of Defense.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/an-id-verification-service-that-works-with-tiktok-and-x-left-its-credentials-wide-open-for-a-year-171258438.html?src=rss

Even FromSoftware agrees Elden Ring’s DLC was too difficult

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Elden Ring’s latest DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is a massive expansion. It’s bringing loads of players back to the game like it's the halcyon days of 2022. It features a dancing lion boss that’s really just two dudes in a suit. The whole thing is polished and great. This new content is also very, very hard, in true FromSoftware fashion. It’s so difficult, as a matter of fact, that the developer just issued a patch that (somewhat) alleviates the struggle.

The changes center around the DLC’s new Shadow Realm Blessings mechanics, which buff attack and damage negation — but only within the DLC itself. Scadutree Fragments were previously assumed to buff player-character stats by about five percent and Revered Spirit Ashes would do about the same for companions, like spirit ashes and Torrent. 

The developer has bumped up the stat increases at the front end to make it a bit easier throughout the early parts of the expansion. This means that if you’ve already struggled through the opening hours of the DLC, you get a gold star and will unlikely notice any changes moving forward. This patch is essentially for new players. For PC users, the update also fixes a bug that automatically enables raytracing if you load save data in a particular way.

This patch comes after the difficulty caused players to review bomb the DLC on Steam, as reported by Kotaku. Hey, at least this particular instance of review bombing wasn't over culture war nonsense. 

There is a larger question here regarding the difficulty of our video games. Are some titles simply too hard or are modern players just used to handholding? I don’t have an answer for everyone, but I do have an answer for me. 

I’m busy and I just don’t have time to play the same section of a game over and over. That’s a one-way ticket to me losing interest and moving onto something else. I’m someone who appreciates a patch like this. However, I don’t want to take away someone else’s challenge. We each get something different from our hobbies. The perfect solution, to me, is a tried-and-true difficulty setting. But, devs are already plagued by crunch and that would be just one more thing to worry about. Why can't the world be black and white?! Oh well, I'm gonna go work on my caster build. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/even-fromsoftware-agrees-elden-rings-dlc-was-too-difficult-153725812.html?src=rss

Dead by Daylight’s next survivor is Lara Croft

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Behavior Interactive just announced another Dead by Daylight crossover that brings everyone’s favorite looter/archeologist Lara Croft into the game. The Tomb Raider expansion launches on July 16 and features the younger and grittier version of the character as seen in the newer titles collected in the Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy.

This is technically Croft’s first foray into horror, but she’s definitely no stranger to cold-blooded murder. Throughout the franchise, she’s ended the lives of around 3,000 people. She’s a bigger killer than Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers combined. She even signed up to fight in the Call of Duty franchise. In other words, Croft will be right at home fending off Leatherface, Pinhead and the other horror icons featured in the game.

Dead by Deadlight is currently embroiled in a chapter inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, complete with a murderous Vecna and plenty of new maps. So the addition of a non-horror character like Croft doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. There’s also a Castlevania-inspired chapter coming later in the year, with details to be released in August.

There’s only one problem with this Tomb Raider crossover. The survivors in Dead by Daylight are typically unarmed and, well, Lara Croft loves her pistols, knives and bows. It’ll be weird to control a terrified and unarmed Croft, right? I guess we'll find out on July 16. Also, for those wondering, the devs still haven’t added the long-requested Jason to the lineup of killers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dead-by-daylights-next-survivor-is-lara-croft-184439686.html?src=rss

Tesla’s Cybertruck has been recalled again

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Tesla’s Cybertruck is being recalled yet again, according to reporting by The Verge. The company issued a physical recall that could impact nearly 12,000 owners of the controversial vehicle.

Here’s how it breaks down. The company’s recalling 11,688 Cybertrucks due to a faulty windshield wiper that could significantly reduce visibility while driving. It’s also recalling 11,383 electric pickups because of trim in the bed that could come loose and create a road hazard for other people on the road. Tesla said that it’s “not aware of any injuries or deaths” related to either issue, according to Quartz.

The NHTSA's recall notice for the wiper indicates that Tesla will replace the wiper motor once the owner brings it in for service. As for the potentially loose trim, the company will apply “adhesion promoter and pressure sensitive tape or replace missing applique as necessary.” Both of these fixes will be free of charge.

This follows another significant recall from earlier this year. That one involved a faulty accelerator pedal that could get stuck during use. The accelerator pedal issue impacted nearly 4,000 vehicles.

It’s tough to figure out what percentage of sales these recalls impact, but it could be just about all of them. Back during the accelerator pedal fiasco in April, Tesla revealed it had manufactured and sold 3,878 units to date. The company hasn’t released updated sales figures but these latest recalls account for nearly 12,000 vehicles. How many more could it have sold since April? Maybe people are snatching them up just for the purpose of spray painting anti-Elon graffiti.

The Cybertruck has been plagued by issues since launch, though most of them didn’t reach the level of a recall. Consumers have complained about an overall lack of visibility, difficulty in off-road conditions, costly repairs, an inability to drive on snow, poor mileage and all kinds of other frustrations. It also starts at nearly $82,000.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teslas-cybertruck-has-been-recalled-again-174632424.html?src=rss

ChatGPT is now available in many Volkswagen models

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ChatGPT is now available with many Volkswagen models, including all vehicles in the electric ID family, the new Golf, Tiguan and Passat. This integration is only in Europe, for now, with North America coming soon.

What does this mean exactly? ChatGPT has been integrated into Volkswagen’s own voice assistant IDA to complement the service and add more features, sort of like how Apple is handling its own partnership with OpenAI’s platform. This means that customers can better communicate with the vehicle using natural language, which allows the assistant to “answer questions about various topics.” IDA could already handle voice-controlled climate adjustments and navigation, but the addition of ChatGPT should make everything run a bit smoother.

Volkswagen also says that the updated voice assistant can provide information on tourist attractions, report on football games and help solve math problems. You know, all of the stuff that regular ChatGPT is used for, only in a car. To that end, Volkswagen touts that drivers won’t have to ever take their eyes off the road when using this service.

As for privacy, the company says that a query is only sent to the cloud if IDA can’t handle it, just like how Apple Intelligence works. The query is sent anonymously so ChatGPT doesn’t get any of your vehicle data. It can also be deactivated entirely via the settings area of the Volkswagen app.

We tried this feature a few months back at CES and came away slightly confused but also intrigued. We found that the system didn’t add much to the whole driving experience but could be a great tool for passengers. It told us a cute story about a dinosaur, though struggled with up-to-date queries like basketball scores. In short, it should keep the kids busy during road trips.

ChatGPT integration is heading to the US with 2025 vehicles, with a global release coming shortly after that. It’s also available in languages other than English, which is always a nice surprise. The system can handle Spanish, Czech and German.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chatgpt-is-now-available-in-many-volkswagen-models-161547310.html?src=rss

Atari’s 50th anniversary collection is getting a hefty update with nearly 40 additional games

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Atari pretty much started this whole home console gaming thing with the 2600, a precursor to the NES. That console is 45 years old and Atari itself was formed well over 50 years ago. To originally commemorate its 50th birthday, the company released a robust collection of games called Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. Now, it’s getting a hefty update with nearly 40 additional games, though Atari has yet to release a full list of the new titles.

This brings the total of games available with this collection to almost 130, derived from multiple home and portable consoles. Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition also adds two new timelines to the software. Basically, these timelines are interactive history lessons about the company, complete with video segments and playable games.

One of the timelines is a deep dive into the company’s history, called The Wider World of Atari. This features retrospectives into the classic arcade cabinet Berzerk, Pong creator Al Alcorn and artist Evelyn Seto, who designed the company’s iconic logo. The First Console War timeline gets into the battle between the Atari 2600 and the Intellivision, which was a prelude to Nintendo versus Sega. Incidentally, Atari just bought Intellivision, officially ending the rivalry.

The update rolls out this fall. It’ll also be the definitive version moving forward. For new buyers, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition costs $40, with a Steelbook edition retailing for $50. It’ll be available on just about every platform, including the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X and PC. The physical Steelbook edition, which is just for the Switch and PS5, comes with art cards, arcade marquee signs, replica business cards and more. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ataris-50th-anniversary-collection-is-getting-a-hefty-update-with-nearly-40-additional-games-150827022.html?src=rss

Paramount+ is raising prices again for all of the Tulsa King fans out there

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It’s about to get a bit more expensive to watch Tulsa King, Star Trek shows and that Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff. Paramount Global is once again raising prices for its streaming service, Paramount+, as reported by CNBC. This will bring the price of the Paramount+ with Showtime plan to $13 a month, up from $12, and the bare-bones Paramount+ Essential plan to $8 a month, which is an increase from $6.

The increase takes effect on August 20 for new customers, though pre-existing users will have until around September 20. There is a silver lining. Pre-existing customers who subscribe to the Essential plan will avoid a price increase, for now. So only current Paramount+ with Showtime users and all new subscribers will see the uptick. This follows another fee increase just last year.

Paramount Global has been trying to find a buyer for Paramount+ for months now, with no success. Most recently, a proposed merger with Skydance and National Amusements collapsed. The company, however, recently boasted that the streamer had amassed 71 million paying customers, though it still operates at a loss. As a reference point, Peacock has around 31 million subscribers and Max has just over 97 million.

That puts Paramount+ right in the middle of the pack. It does have a lot going for it in the IP department. Knuckles was well-received and my dad has had Tulsa King on continuous repeat for over a year. I subscribe, though I’m there exclusively for Star Trek. Once that well runs dry, which seems to be happening, I’m out.

Of course, Paramount+ is by no means sitting alone at the streamflation lunch table. Price increases have been running rampant the past year or two, and just about every major platform has been involved. Max raised subscription costs earlier this month and Peacock announced a similar move for later this summer. Disney+, Apple TV+ and Netflix have all recently raised prices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/paramount-is-raising-prices-again-for-all-of-the-tulsa-king-stans-out-there-183720943.html?src=rss