Monthly Archives: June 2023

Sega’s COO says the company is not for sale

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Sega is not for sale, according to company COO Shuji Utsumi. The executive told Bloomberg News that the company isn’t open to acquisition talks at the moment, despite rampant speculation that Microsoft was about to swoop in and force a shotgun wedding between Sonic and Master Chief.

Some of these rumors popped up due to a general consolidation trend in the gaming industry, with big fish gobbling up everything in sight. Microsoft’s one of the biggest fish of all and it’s been many years since Sega sat on top of the gaming throne, despite remaining a solid developer and publisher. Also, a potential merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard led to the FTC filing an antitrust lawsuit, which is ongoing. During the associated trial, it was revealed that Microsoft had many companies on its wishlist, including Sega. So the rumor mill continued unabated.

Utsumi declined to comment as to whether or not Microsoft approached Sega with an acquisition offer, but touted the “great relationship” between the two companies. This relationship has been on full display in recent years, with former Playstation exclusives from the Yakuza series to the Persona series showing up on Xbox consoles. A next-gen refresh of Yakuza: Like a Dragon was even an Xbox Series X/S exclusive for a few months before going multi-platform.

The budding corporate friendship (aww) is extremely important to Microsoft, as Sega titles are popular in Japan and, well, Xbox consoles aren’t. This is another reason the acquisition rumors spread so readily. However, Sega will remain as Sega Sammy Holdings for the time being, even if documents indicate that Microsoft was, at one point, ready to fork over serious cash to buy the house that Sonic built. Speaking of, there’s a new sidescrolling Sonic title launching later this year along with a new sidescrolling Mario. What is this, 1991?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/segas-coo-says-the-company-is-not-for-sale-174334550.html?src=rss

Twitter isn’t showing tweets unless you’re logged in

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For some bizarre reason (OK, manywidelyreportedreasons), Twitter is becoming less useful almost by the day. In its latest misstep, it seems the service is no longer letting people who aren't signed in see any tweets.

Until now, logged-out users were still able to check out tweets and user profiles, but at least for the time being, they'll have to either sign up for an account or plug in their login credentials to see whatever unattributed meme Twitter owner Elon Musk pinched today. The Verge spotted the issue, which Engadget has confirmed on multiple browsers and devices.

Twitter won't confirm whether this was a technical error or an intentional decision, as one of Musk's first moves after he took over the company was to all but wipe out its communications team. In any case, logged-out users haven't been able to use Twitter's search function since April.

It's unclear what kind of impact moves such as this and Twitter's API changes will have on things like Google being able to include tweets in its search results. This could also prove a roadblock to services that scrape data from public-facing platforms like Twitter.

Making tweets visible only to signed-in users won't necessarily prompt people to sign up for an account. If someone wants to share a tweet with a person who doesn't use Twitter, they may now be more inclined to send a screenshot than a link, perhaps making it less likely that the non-user will join the service.

Researchers have found that most US adults are spending less time on Twitter after Musk bought the service. You might think Twitter would be doing whatever it could to get more eyes on tweets and ads, given that its advertising revenue is said to have plummeted. Putting up a barrier between potential new users and content perhaps isn't the wisest way to go about that.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitter-isnt-showing-tweets-unless-youre-logged-in-165254006.html?src=rss

The UK will ramp up its investigation into Adobe’s $20 billion Figma acquisition

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The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) plans to perform an in-depth probe into Adobe’s acquisition of Figma, the agency announced today (viaThe Wall Street Journal). Citing concerns about “a substantial lessening of competition” for screen design software, it plans to move into a “phase two” investigation. However, it’s giving the companies five business days to “offer legally binding proposals” to address the concerns; if their response doesn’t satisfy the CMA, the probe will begin. Adobe announced its plans last year to buy its smaller rival for $20 billion.

“The CMA found that Figma has established a substantial share of the market for screen design software and that Adobe has been continuously investing in and competing in this segment,” the UK agency, which recently rejected Microsoft’s proposed $75 billion purchase of Activision, wrote today. “The CMA found that competition between Figma and Adobe has driven investment in updating and developing screen design software, and this important rivalry could be lost if the deal goes ahead.” It described Figma as “an emerging competitive threat” to the Photoshop maker, expressing concerns about the reduced innovation that could come from Adobe scooping up an upstart competitor. The agency said it’s concerned the acquisition could lead to higher costs and fewer / less innovative products.

Adobe’s purchase of San Francisco-based Figma, founded in 2012, would be the largest-ever acquisition for the 41-year-old design behemoth. In Sigma’s 11 years on the market, it has established itself as a popular tool for vector-based design. The cloud-based software specializes in remote collaboration and is a direct competitor to Adobe’s XD and Illustrator products. At the time of the acquisition, Adobe said it wanted to bring features from its Creative Cloud suite into the collaborative software while incorporating more of Figma’s team-focused features into its core products — predictably framing it as a win-win for customers. The company added it was “deeply committed” to keeping Figma an independent company while insisting there was “no plan” to change its pricing — including its free tier.

“We’re worried this deal could stifle innovation and lead to higher costs for companies that rely on Figma and Adobe’s digital tools — as they cease to compete to provide customers with new and better products,” said Sorcha O’Carroll, the CMA’s Senior Mergers Director. “Unless Adobe can put forward viable solutions to our concerns in the coming days, we will move to a more in-depth investigation.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-uk-will-ramp-up-its-investigation-into-adobes-20-billion-figma-acquisition-163033206.html?src=rss

How to make ice cream while playing with a Sanrio yo-yo

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If you grew up in a household where you were reprimanded for “playing with your food”, the idea of putting together toys and food may be either sacrilege or a fun activity to do with your own kids (or by yourself). There are several toys out there that can turn cooking or making food more interesting and even educational at times. The Japanese in particular have a knack for creating things like this which make you wish you had them when you were a kid.

Designer: Takara Tomy

The Ice Da Yo-Yo is a collaboration between the Japanese toymaker and popular brand Sanrio. From the name itself, you can probably tell that it has something to do with yo-yos and ice cream. It’s basically a portable ice cream maker that teaches kids the science of making no-churn ice cream while also enjoying the classic yo-yo. And the reward at the end of the process is that you get to eat the sweet concoction that you made while you were playing.

The thingamajig is made up of two containers. One is where you place the ingredients like the fruit and the milk and the other is where you place ice, water, and salt, the latter of which causes the ice to become colder and help freeze the other ingredients. Then you spend three minutes bobbing the yo-yo until you’re able to finally create ice cream and eat it afterwards.

The Ice Da Yo-Yo features designs with popular Sanrio characters like Hello Kitty, My Melody, Cinnamoroll and Kuromi. It also comes with a booklet with different ice cream recipes like strawberry, chocolate, mango, cookies and cream, and even an orange sherbet for the lactose intolerant. It’s something I’d add to my shopping cart if I ever make my way to Japan again soon. Or maybe I’ll just buy my own ice cream and leave it to the kids to study how to make it on their own.

The post How to make ice cream while playing with a Sanrio yo-yo first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sony’s Mocopi avatar motion-capture system is coming to the US

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Sony just announced North American availability for its unique Mocopi motion-tracking system. The tools allow you to control digital avatars in real-time using full body movement, thanks to six motion sensors and a proprietary smartphone app. In addition to real-time control, this translated body movement can be used in videos and 3D animations, via an SDK that imports motion data into affiliated software. 

The obvious use for this is VR, particularly social apps like VRChat, though the technology extends to filmmaking and other creative pursuits. In other words, this is a much easier way to create full-body motion capture footage. If only George Lucas had this when creating the galaxy’s favorite Gungan.

The SDK is now available for major 3D development software suites like Unity, MotionBuilder and Unreal Engine, so expect more CGI characters to begin popping up in indie titles with smaller budgets. Sony says it’s currently expanding the number of partners to develop unique services and features linked to the toolset.

The sensors attach to your head, hip, ankles and wrists, with each tiny sensor weighing just 8 grams. Once attached via Velcro straps, connect to the app via Bluetooth and start recording. Each sensor is completely wireless, thanks to Bluetooth receivers, and includes integrated batteries. The system ships with a variety of avatars to pick from, but you can obviously use your own, just cool it with Sonic. There are already too many animated hedgehogs in VRChat as it is.

Sony’s Mocopi system is available for preorder now, at $450, with shipments starting on July 14. The price is $100 more than when the system was originally announced, though Sony provided no details on the increase. The metaverse must also suffer from inflation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-mocopi-avatar-motion-capture-system-is-coming-to-the-us-161543552.html?src=rss

The best AirPod deals you can get for Independence Day

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The July 4th weekend is upon us and, among other things, that means there are deals aplenty to be had. If you’re looking for a set of Apple AirPods (perhaps to help drown out those noisy fireworks), there’s some good news as several models are on sale. Some are available for the lowest prices we've seen for them to date, including the second-gen AirPods Pro. Both the second-gen and third-gen regular AirPods are on sale as well. Meanwhile, folks looking for a more premium experience may be tempted by the AirPods Max, which are currently $99 off the usual price. Here are the best AirPod deals you can get for the Fourth of July.

AirPods Pro

Take, for instance, the AirPods Pro. The second-gen earbuds have big improvements over the first model, including better audio quality, an excellent transparency mode and solid active noise cancellation (ANC). They can be all yours for $199. At $50 off, that's a record low price.

AirPods (third-gen)

As for the latest, standard AirPods, they're on sale for $150, which is only $10 more than their record-low price. We feel that Apple’s third-gen earbuds have much better audio quality than the previous generation, a more comfortable design and a greatly improved battery life. However, they don't have an ANC mode.

AirPods (second-gen)

Those looking for a less expensive, but still very capable set of AirPods can opt for the previous model. They're on sale for $99, which is $30 off the regular price. While the second-gen AirPods are four years old at this point, they're still a good set of true wireless earbuds. That's more true if you're already invested in the Apple ecosystem, given how well AirPods mesh with the company's other devices.

AirPods Max

Last but by no means least, there's a solid deal on Apple's premium AirPods Max as well. The over-ear headphones have dropped by $99 to $450 as part of the sale. That's close to a record-low price. We feel that AirPods Max have excellent audio quality and great ANC, along with a good battery life. These won't be the ideal headphones for most people (you can certainly find more budget-friendly options elsewhere). But folks entrenched in the Apple ecosystem who are looking for over-ear cans may find this deal worth considering.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-airpod-deals-you-can-get-for-independence-day-160045245.html?src=rss

Senators demand answers from Meta over how it handles CSAM on Instagram

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A group of bipartisan senators are said to have asked Meta to explain Instagram's alleged failure to prevent child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from being shared among networks of pedophiles on the platform. Lawmakers from the Senate Judiciary Committee also want to know how Instagram's algorithms brought users who want to share such content together in the first place, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In a letter to the company, 10 senators including committee chair Dick Durbin and Republican ranking member Lindsey Graham reportedly said they were “gravely concerned that lnstagram’s failure to prevent this perverse use of its algorithms is not due to a lack of ability, but instead a lack of initiative and motivation." They are said to to be worried that Meta doesn't seem to have made CSAM one of its main priorities, "especially when its platform directly facilitates and bolsters the black market for child sexual abuse material.”

They demanded answers on why Instagram didn't detect that CSAM was being shared and what the platform is doing to prevent the same thing from happening again. The senators also want to know more about a task force Meta says it has set up to tackle these issues. They asked the company to respond by July 12th. Engadget has requested a copy of the letter.

Earlier this month, the Journal reported that Meta's algorithms helped to "connect and promote a vast network of accounts" that propagated CSAM. The report suggested that pedophiles are buying and selling CSAM on Instagram. Meta says it has set up a task force to address the issue. It pledged to take down CSAM networks and says it's trying to prevent its systems from putting potential abusers in contact with each other.

Meta has declined to comment on the letter, instead reiterating its statement on the Journal's initial report. “Child exploitation is a horrific crime,” it said, “We’re continuously investigating ways to actively defend against this behavior.”

A European Union official has also ordered Meta to address CSAM issues quickly, warning that the company may face heavy sanctions otherwise. From the end of August, Meta and other major tech platforms will have to comply with the bloc's Digital Services Act, which has specific rules on how they have to handle issues like CSAM. If a company doesn't comply with the act, it can face fines of as much as six percent of its annual global turnover.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senators-demand-answers-from-meta-over-how-it-handles-csam-on-instagram-152751882.html?src=rss

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE to have 25W charging

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Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

We have been hearing various rumors about the new Samsung Galaxy S23 FE or Fan Edition, the handset is rumored to launch sometime in Q3 and now it has been revealed that the device will come with 25W charging. The handset recently received certification from China’s 3C agency and this has revealed that the device […]

The post Samsung Galaxy S23 FE to have 25W charging appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

BORING LED modular desk light with fast wireless charging base $89

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BORING LED modular desk light

The BORING light is thankfully nothing like its name and offers a smart LED desk light complete with fast charging wireless charger in its base. The magnetic modular design of the desk lamp allows you to quickly and change its light source from desolate to ambient light, light sword or screen light bar depending on […]

The post BORING LED modular desk light with fast wireless charging base $89 appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.