Monthly Archives: November 2023

The Overwatch League appears to be over

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The Overwatch League (OWL) appears to be no more after six seasons. A Blizzard spokesperson told Engadget that "We are transitioning from the Overwatch League and evolving competitive Overwatch in a new direction." That's not to say the publisher is pulling out of Overwatch esports altogether. "We are grateful to everyone who made OWL possible and remain focused on building our vision of a revitalized esports program," the statement read. "We are excited to share details with you all in the near future."

In July, Activision Blizzard laid off around 50 esports staff and revealed that, after the 2023 season, OWL team owners would hold a vote to determine whether they'd continue with the league. Activision Blizzard said that if teams opted out, it would pay each of them a termination fee of $6 million. Blizzard has not said whether the vote has taken place and, if so, what the results were.

However, earlier on Wednesday, the owner of OWL team Toronto Defiant confirmed it was leaving the league. OverActive Media said it had ended its team participation agreement, and that it would receive a $6 million termination payment from Activision Blizzard. The company plans to stay involved in Overwatch esports.

"As we transition into the next phase of Overwatch esports, we look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead," Adam Adamou, cofounder and CEO of OverActive Media, said in a statement. "We are eager to share more about our vision for Toronto Defiant and our plans to return to Overwatch esports. We expect more information to come on this front soon.”

The Defiant are the second team to leave OWL. The Chengdu Hunters did not participate in the 2023 season after Overwatch 2 and other Blizzard games were shut down in China. The team confirmed partway through the year that it was departing from OWL.

Several other teams have been releasing players and others have suspended operations entirely amid OWL's uncertain future. All of the Florida Mayhem's players and staff went into free agency just 19 days after winning the 2023 OWL championship. On October 2, the day after the Grand Finals, Blizzard said it was "focusing on building our vision of a revitalized esports program."

The writing has been on the wall for OWL for some time as the original vision of a global home-and-away league format never panned out. The first two seasons of OWL matches were held almost exclusively in a studio in California. Weeks after Blizzard started on its grand plan to run matches in each team's city every week, it was forced to shift to an online-only format due to COVID-19 lockdowns. That prevented teams from pulling in much-sought-after live event revenue.

Viewership struggles, sponsors dropping out and the sexual harassment and discrimination scandal at Activision Blizzard may have contributed to OWL's demise as well. Although OWL broadcasts and matches were polished and entertaining, there were just too many factors playing against it.

Blizzard may opt to keep using Overwatch League branding in its future esports endeavors. But OWL, at least in its original city-based franchise format, is done.

It's unclear what the professional Overwatch scene will look like next year, but reports suggest there'll be a return to a more open format. According to esports reporter Jacob Wolf, Activision Blizzard has been in talks with Saudi Arabian state-owned ESL FACEIT Group for the latter to run the 2024 pro Overwatch season. In the meantime, a Blizzard-backed Overwatch 2 tournament that features regional prize pools of $50,000 and veteran OWL players is getting underway this weekend.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-overwatch-league-appears-to-be-over-210054506.html?src=rss

ESA releases stunning first images from Euclid, its ‘dark universe detective’

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The European Space Agency (ESA) has released the first images from its Euclid space telescope — a spacecraft peering 10 billion years into the past to create the largest 3D map of the universe yet. From the distinctive Horsehead Nebula (pictured above) to a “hidden” spiral galaxy that looks much like the Milky Way, Euclid is giving us the clearest look yet at both known and previously unseen objects speckling enormous swathes of the sky.

Euclid is investigating the “dark” universe, searching for signs of how dark energy and dark matter have influenced the evolution of the cosmos. It’ll observe one-third of the sky over the next six years, studying billions of galaxies with its 4-foot-wide telescope, visible-wavelength camera and near-infrared camera/spectrometer. Euclid launched in July 2023, and while its official science mission doesn't start until early 2024, it’s already blowing scientists away with its early observations.

Perseus cluster of galaxies as seen by the Euclid spacecraft
ESA

Euclid’s observation of the Perseus Cluster (above), which sits 240 million light-years away, is the most detailed ever, showing not just the 1,000 galaxies in the cluster itself, but roughly 100,000 others that lay farther away, according to ESA. The space telescope also caught a look at a Milky-Way-like spiral galaxy dubbed IC 342 (below), or the “Hidden Galaxy,” nicknamed as such because it lies behind our own and is normally hard to see clearly.

Euclid spacecraft's view of the spiral galaxy IC 342
ESA

Euclid is able to observe huge portions of the sky, and it's the only telescope in operation able to image certain objects like globular clusters in their entirety in just one shot, according to ESA. Globular clusters like NGC 6397, pictured below, contain hundreds of thousands of gravity-bound stars. Euclid's observation of the cluster is unmatched in its level of detail, ESA says.

The spacecraft is able to see objects that have been too faint for others to observe. Its detailed observation of the well-known Horsehead Nebula, a stellar nursery in the Orion constellation, for example, could reveal young stars and planets that have previously gone undetected.

Euclid spacecraft's view of the Globular cluster NGC 6397
ESA
Euclid spacecraft's view of the irregular galaxy NGC 6822
ESA

Euclid also observed the dwarf galaxy, NGC 6822 (pictured above), which sits just 1.6 million light years away. This small, ancient galaxy could hold clues on how galaxies like our own came to be. It's only the beginning for Euclid, but it's already helping to unlock more information on the objects in our surrounding universe, both near and far. 

“We have never seen astronomical images like this before, containing so much detail,” said René Laureijs, ESA’s Euclid Project Scientist, of the first batch of images. “They are even more beautiful and sharp than we could have hoped for, showing us many previously unseen features in well-known areas of the nearby universe.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/esa-releases-stunning-first-images-from-euclid-its-dark-universe-detective-203948971.html?src=rss

Microsoft reportedly plans to bring its AI-powered Copilot to Windows 10

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Microsoft allegedly plans to bring Copilot, its generative-AI-powered personal assistant, to late adopters. Windows Central’s Zac Bowden reports the Copilot button and sidebar from Windows 11 will “soon” arrive in Windows 10. The AI assistant for Windows 11 launched in beta in August and officially in September.

Bowden says the Windows 10 Copilot will include plugins that work across both operating systems. “I understand the experience and capabilities of Copilot across Windows 10 and Windows 11 will be roughly the same, including plugin compatibility across both versions of the OS,” the editor reported.

The move would add significant numbers to Copilot’s user base, as Windows 10 still runs on around one billion monthly active devices. Meanwhile, Windows 11, launched over two years ago, has around 400 million monthly active devices. Bowden suspects the move will also help Microsoft nudge developers into making Copilot plugins: “Microsoft will also have an easier time selling developers on the idea that they should build plugins for Copilot when they can say Copilot is available on 1.4 billion devices, compared to just 400 million on Windows 11.”

Engadget contacted Microsoft for comment but didn’t immediately receive a response. We’ll update this article if we hear back.

Bowden’s report also mentions that Microsoft is revisiting its strategy of moving on quickly from Windows 10. The company reportedly plans to add “select new features and services” previously exclusive to Windows 11 to the older OS. Windows 10 support is set to expire in October 2025, but Bowden’s sources say the company is having ongoing internal discussions about possibly extending that.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-reportedly-plans-to-bring-its-ai-powered-copilot-to-windows-10-202010100.html?src=rss

This Tea Machine Makes The Classic Indian Chai Easier To Prepare

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Chai, a beloved staple in Indian households, holds a special place in the hearts of many. It’s more than just a beverage; it’s a symbol of hospitality, warmth, and tradition. A group of three Indian friends living in London, who happened to be accounting and finance experts, recognized the significance of chai in their lives and sought to create a product that would make the preparation of this beloved drink easier and more convenient for working professionals. The result is the Dostea Tea Machine, a groundbreaking innovation that combines technology with tradition to deliver an authentic and hassle-free chai experience. Why not have tea machines just like those for coffee?

Designers: Arun KumarM, Vyasateja Rao, Anil Ramesh (Analogy Design)

Crafting a traditional chai can be a laborious endeavor, often involving the use of various utensils and resulting in a messy process. The Dostea Tea Machine, designed with the UK market in mind, aims to address these challenges. With a simple press of a button, it provides a fresh, home-brewed cup of chai, eliminating the usual hassle and mess associated with the traditional method.

Dostea’s collaboration with Analogy was driven by a shared goal: to capture the authentic experience of homemade chai, including its unique taste, aroma, flavor, and vibrant color. To achieve this, they embarked on an extensive exploration process, conducting multiple rounds of experimentation to uncover the ideal design.

Taking inspiration from both UK and Indian design excellence in industrial design, the team conceptualized a unique body and mechanism for the tea machine. The goal was to craft a visually appealing and functionally efficient device that not only brewed exceptional chai but also provided a delightful aesthetic experience for users.

The Dostea Tea Machine features patent-worthy engineering, blending British and Indian design elements seamlessly. Its sleek curves, elegant lines, and carefully selected materials evoke sophistication and cultural fusion. The machine’s form was meticulously crafted to emulate the warmth of a sunrise, infusing every cup of tea with a touch of magic and the promise of a new day.

The Dostea Tea Machine has reached its prototype stage, undergoing intensive testing to ensure ideal brewing conditions for perfect flavor extraction. Externally, it boasts a user-friendly design, sleek appearance, and strategically placed controls for ease of use. The machine also includes thoughtful accessories such as a removable kettle and milk frother to enhance the homemade chai experience. This prototype embodies the careful balance of art and science in chai brewing, demonstrating the commitment of the Dostea and Analogy teams to delivering an unmatched chai experience worldwide.

The Dostea Tea Machine prioritizes a simple and convenient user experience. From the product’s shape and form to the interface design, it aims to facilitate the creation of that perfect cup of chai, customized to each user’s liking. The intuitive interface empowers users to enjoy their chai just the way they prefer, without the fuss and mess associated with traditional methods.

The Dostea Tea Machine is more than just a kitchen appliance; it’s a testament to the fusion of tradition and technology and an embodiment of the love for chai that transcends borders. For busy professionals who cherish a quick cup of authentic chai, this innovative product is set to revolutionize their daily routines, offering an authentic chai experience without the usual hassles. With its elegant design and engineering, the Dostea Tea Machine ensures that the essence and emotion of a handmade cup of chai remain intact while making chai preparation as simple as the press of a button.

The post This Tea Machine Makes The Classic Indian Chai Easier To Prepare first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Apple Watch Series 9 drops to $349 in an Amazon Black Friday deal

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The Apple Watch Series 9 is only a few months old, but it’s already on sale. You can grab the smartwatch for $349 from Amazon or from Walmart as part of an early Black Friday deal. The standard price is $399, so that’s a savings of $50 or 13 percent. The discount only applies to the 41mm model but includes multiple band and color options. The larger 45mm model is also on sale, but for $379.

We admired the watch in our review, calling out many positive aspects. The newly-launched double tap feature is actually useful, the health and fitness tracking is as good as ever and the voice control options are on-point, thanks to having Siri on-board the actual watch. Previously, the watch interacted with your phone to call up Siri responses, so everything works much quicker now.

This opens up plenty of new use case scenarios for the watch. You can ask it all about various health metrics, fitness goals and even how long you slept. You can raise the watch to your mouth to activate the digital assistant or say “Hey Siri” as usual. We had a bit of trouble with the former, but a software update should patch that right up.

We dinged the battery life a bit, as the Series 9 peters out after around 12 to 18 hours of use, depending on what you’re doing with the watch. This is not a huge issue, but does impact the sleep-tracking features because when else are you supposed to charge it if it doesn’t last an entire day and night? Beyond that, the $400 price tag is a bit difficult to swallow, but this sale certainly puts a bandage on that issue.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-watch-series-9-drops-to-349-in-an-amazon-black-friday-deal-200224064.html?src=rss

Cruise is reportedly planning to lay off employees after weeks of crises

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Cruise, General Motors’ driverless car subsidiary, will soon lay off employees. According to Forbes, the company’s CEO Kyle Vogt told staff of the decision in an all-hands meeting earlier this week. Cruise hasn’t yet decided who or how many people will lose their jobs, Vogt said, but promised to provide more details in the next three weeks. The company will also conduct internal “listening sessions”, and explore building websites detailing collisions Cruise cars are involved in, Forbes said.

The news comes on the heels of multiple crises facing the company since October after a Cruise robotaxi dragged a San Francisco pedestrian thrown into its path more than 20 feet before braking to a halt. That incident caused California’s DMV to revoke Cruise’s operating permit in the state. In a statement, the DMV said that Cruise’s vehicles “are not safe for the public’s operation”, and said that Cruise had “misrepresented” information relating to the safety of its autonomous vehicles.

Weeks after the incident, Cruise, which operated in San Francisco, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Miami, and Phoenix, fully paused its driverless operations. This week, General Motors recalled Cruise’s entire fleet of 950 robotaxis.

Other reports, based on Cruise's internal safety documents, showed that the car’s algorithms had trouble identifying children, something that Cruise employees knew about.

On Wednesday, Cruise published a blog post responding to the recent events. The company said that it was looking to hire a Chief Safety Officer who would report directly to Vogt. Cruise will also hire a third-party law firm to review its response to the October incident. The firm, Quinn Emmanuel, is known for its work for Tesla and Elon Musk, CNBC noted.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cruise-is-reportedly-planning-to-lay-off-employees-after-weeks-of-crises-195546324.html?src=rss

Lego’s 5,200-piece Avengers Tower set ships with 31 minifigures, including Kevin Feige

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Lego just unveiled another set based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and boy is it a doozy. The massive 5,200-piece Avengers Tower set (76269) measures nearly three feet tall and ships with 31 minifigures, including Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige. It also includes several dioramas that let you create many of the important scenes that took place in Avengers Tower, from the Chitauri battle of the original film to the party scene from Age of Ultron and beyond.

The set releases on November 24 and will cost an eye-watering $500. Still, this is the 17th-largest collection the company has ever made and the one with the most minifigures. Beyond Feige, other figures include Captain America, Thor, Loki, some Ultron drones and just about every other major character that appeared in Avengers Tower throughout the films. There’s even an appropriately-scaled Hulk.

In addition to the tower itself, which actually opens to allow for interior sequences, the set ships with a Quinjet and a Chitauri invasion ship. You also get plenty of accessories to help pose the minifigures in a variety of action-packed scenarios. About the only thing missing is the shawarma shop down the street.

As previously mentioned, this isn’t Lego’s first MCU-adjacent set. The company has released a giant Hulkbuster suit from Age of Ultron, a battle scene based on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Iron Man’s armory, among others. It has also shipped some sets based on other Marvel properties, like a Miles Morales figure and a Daily Bugle collection. Beyond superheroes, Lego launched a nifty Pac-Man arcade console set this year and one based on the Xbox 360.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/legos-5200-piece-avengers-tower-set-ships-with-31-minifigures-including-kevin-feige-193359347.html?src=rss

Airbnb will let hosts send you smart lock codes through its app

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Winter is almost upon us and Airbnb has announced a new feature that could help folks avoid fumbling for keys while wearing a bunch of layers. Starting in the US and Canada later this year, Airbnb hosts who are in the invite-only Early Access program will be able to link compatible smart locks to their Airbnb account and automatically generate a unique code for each reservation. The code will be activated at a guest's check-in time and deactivated at checkout. 

Guests will be able to see their smart lock code in the Airbnb app. At the outset, Airbnb will support some models from Schlage, August and Yale.

This could make some Airbnb pain points much easier to deal with. Hosts won't have to worry about bad actors sharing entry codes with other people after they check out, and guests should find it more straightforward to find and enter their code without having to search for their reservation email.

Airbnb is making a string of other changes as part of its winter update. You'll be able to access a collection of the 2 million most-loved homes on the platform. These Guest Favorites all have an average rating of above 4.9 with high marks for things like value, the check in process, cleanliness, listing accuracy, host communication and location. Hosts of Guest Favorites will all have strong track records of reliability and almost two-thirds of the listings are from Superhosts.

You'll soon start seeing a badge denoting a listing as a Guest Favorite on the listing page and in search results. There'll also be an option to filter results by Guest Favorites.

Elsewhere, you'll be able to sort reviews by recency or rating, while a new chart should make the distribution of reviews on the five-star scale easier to grok. When you leave a review, you'll be able to include more details that may be useful for context, such as where you're from, how long you stayed and whether you traveled with family, another group or pets. Airbnb is starting to roll out the reviews and Guest Favorites updates this week.

Since last year, Airbnb has been making its pricing more transparent. To that end, service fees will now be included in the prices that hosts set. According to Airbnb, that will give hosts a better idea of how much guests are paying overall. It should be easier for hosts to compare their prices to similar listings through the calendar too.

Hosts will have access to other new listing tools, such as an AI-powered photo tour. Airbnb says its AI engine can recognize photos and assign them to up to 19 rooms to help guests better understand the layouts of properties. Hosts will be able to edit the photo tour whenever they like and pinpoint amenities in each room.

Correction 11/8 4:15PM ET: A previous version of this story and its headline indicated that guests would be able to open smart locks from the Airbnb app, but that's not the case. We apologize for the error.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/airbnb-will-soon-let-you-open-smart-locks-in-its-app-192753343.html?src=rss

Spotify subscribers in the US now get 15 hours of audiobooks every month

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In addition to music and podcasts, Spotify has recently been working to cement its presence in the audiobook space. Today, the company announced Premium users in the US will be able to stream 15 hours of free audiobook content monthly as a part of their subscription. This offering was previously only available to Premium users in the UK and Australia.

The company says there's no need for users to do anything. Audiobooks that are available to stream will be marked as “Included in Premium” and users can hit play right away. Spotify notes that 15 hours is roughly two average audiobooks per month. If you end up hitting the limit, you can purchase a 10-hour top-up.

The company says its Spotify Premium audiobook catalog now has something for everyone. Users with a Premium subscription can access over 70 percent of today's bestsellers, including Britney Spears’ The Woman in Me and Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend. There are also many classic pieces of literature, like Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Spotify believes its listeners will "love exploring the depths of our 200,000-strong catalog, unearthing genres from 'cozy mystery' to 'historical romance.'"

Books that aren't eligible for free streaming will need to be purchased outright. Those books will have a lock on the play button, which means you'll need to purchase the title. To make a purchase, you'll follow a link to your browser. Once that's completed, you'll be taken back to the app to listen to your new book. All your purchased titles will show up in your library and be available for offline listening. Spotify also gives you the option to control playback speed so you can listen at your own pace.

It makes sense that Spotify has included audiobooks in its app, but there are a few things that may deter users from tapping in. Yes, having a single place to listen to your music, podcasts and books is convenient but unlike with music and podcasts, you have a streaming limit here. Additionally, only a limited number of books are free to stream with your $11 subscription. While Audible also charges a subscription fee, users get one book to own every month, which may make it the more appealing and affordable option for some.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-subscribers-in-the-us-now-get-15-hours-of-audiobooks-every-month-192000398.html?src=rss

GM recalls nearly 1,000 Cruise robotaxis after pedestrian collision

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Cruise, the autonomous vehicle company owned by General Motors, has issued a recall for 950 of its robotaxis following a collision with a pedestrian in San Francisco last month, as originally reported by NBC. This move comes after California revoked the company’s driverless permits, requiring a human on-board at all times.

The collision that started all of this occurred on October 2 when a pedestrian was thrown into the path of a Cruise robotaxi after being hit by a human driver. The robotaxi tried to brake aggressively and pull over to the side of the road, but ended up dragging the pedestrian 20 feet before finally stopping.

This triggered a federal probe and several independent investigations into the company, which dredged up some unsavory data. For instance, reports indicate that Cruise’s algorithm had real trouble identifying children. The data also suggests that Cruise knew about this incredibly dangerous blind spot but still kept its vehicles on the streets.

Internal safety documents acquired by The Intercept state that “Cruise AVs may not exercise additional care around children,” and that the robotaxis may “need the ability to distinguish children from adults so we can display additional caution around.” The company responded by touting its safety features, writing in a statement that it has “the lowest risk tolerance for contact with children.”

All of that’s moot now, as Cruise’s robotaxis are being recalled. GM and Cruise have not issued statements as to when and if the cars would return to the streets. GM did announce, however, that it has already lost $1.9 billion on the venture through September of this year, as reported by CNBC.

Rival companies like Google-owned Waymo are still operating driverless vehicles in California and beyond. As a matter of fact, the company just doubled the service area for its robotaxis in San Francisco and Phoenix.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-recalls-nearly-1000-cruise-robotaxis-after-pedestrian-collision-183049933.html?src=rss