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Character.ai launches guided Stories format after banning teens from its chatbots

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Character.ai has introduced Stories, its first format that was specifically created to “enhance [teens’] experience,” on the same day the company removed their ability to engage with its chatbots. Stories works similarly to choose-your-own-adventure apps that offer interactive visual novels users can play. The company describes Stories as a “visual, narrative-first format.” Players can choose two to three characters, pick a genre and then write their own premise or auto-generate one. From there, users can steer the story with their decisions on every branching path. That means they can keep replaying the game for different outcomes based on the paths they choose.

While the Stories experience is a lot more customizable than the typical visual novel app, it still doesn’t offer the same open-ended, back-and-forth conversations Character.ai’s chatbots do. The narrative will be guided by the AI, though the company promises that players will be asked to make choices frequently.

AI companies are under scrutiny from authorities, who are pushing them to put safeguards in place to protect younger users. Character.ai announced in October that it was going to ban users under 18 from accessing its open-ended bots. The company has also introduced a new age-check tool to ensure users will only be able to access experiences appropriate for them. In addition, the company is facing a wrongful death lawsuit involving the suicide of a teenage girl in Florida. Her family alleged that the girl confided in one of the website’s chatbots about feeling suicidal, but it did not point her towards any resources or report it to authorities.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/characterai-launches-guided-stories-format-after-banning-teens-from-its-chatbots-133000131.html?src=rss

Missing NBC on Fubo? Here’s how to watch Sunday Night Football this week and more

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If you're a Fubo subscriber, you've certainly noticed that NBC and all NBCUniversal-owned channels have gone dark on the platform. For over a week, customers have gone without NBC programming like the Today Show and The Voice, and for the second week in a row, customers will have to find alternate methods of watching this week's Sunday Night Football game, too. It's all because Fubo and NBCUniversal are having a contract dispute, so channels like NBC, USA Network, Telemundo, and Bravo have been unavailable on Fubo since Nov. 21, and as of now, there's no projected date for their return. 

A message released by Fubo to their customers explains, "Fubo believes customers should have the option to choose among multiple distributors to access the content they love. Unfortunately, NBCU has offered terms regarding pricing and packaging that are egregiously above those offered to other distributors." A statement from an NBCU spokesperson adds, "Fubo has chosen to drop NBCUniversal programming despite being offered the same terms agreed to by hundreds of other distributors. Unfortunately, this is par for the course for Fubo — they’ve dropped numerous networks in recent years at the expense of their customers, who continue to lose content.” (Fubo, for instance, cut Warner-owned channels back in 2024.) You can read more about exactly why Fubo is countering NBC's proposed deal here. 

While the companies are continuing discussions to come to an agreement, there is still no resolution. Fubo has already begun issuing $15 credits to subscribers' bills as a gesture of goodwill, but if you're a Fubo customer and are wondering how to watch this week's biggest games and shows, here's everything you need to know about the Fubo-NBC blackout, which channels are missing and your options for where to watch them.

This week's Sunday Night Football matchup between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs airs at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, but you'll also be able to stream it on Peacock, DirecTV, and Hulu + Live TV. 

In addition to this week's Sunday Night Football game, there are loads of sports on NBC, USA, Universo and more that you won't want to miss, including extensive Premiere League coverage, NBA and NHL games, plus dozens of new show premieres this week like Stumble and The Voice. On Bravo, there are new episodes of The Real Housewives of Potomac and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, too.

The following is a list of channels owned or operated by NBC that are not currently available on Fubo:

  • NBC Local Affiliates

  • Telemundo Local/National

  • NBC Sports 4K

  • NBC Sports Bay Area

  • NBC Sports Bay Area Plus

  • NBC Sports Boston

  • NBC Sports California

  • NBC Sports California Plus

  • NBC Sports California Plus 3

  • NBC Sports Philadelphia

  • NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus

  • American Crimes

  • Bravo

  • Bravo Vault

  • Caso Cerrado

  • CNBC

  • CNBC World

  • Cozi

  • Dateline 24/7

  • E! Entertainment Television

  • E! Keeping Up

  • Golf Channel

  • GolfPass

  • LX Home

  • Million Dollar Listing Vault

  • MS NOW (formerly MSNBC)

  • NBC NOW

  • NBC Sports NOW

  • NBC Universo

  • True CRMZ

  • New England Cable News

  • Noticias Telemundo Ahora

  • Oxygen True Crime

  • Oxygen True Crime Archives

  • Real Housewives Vault

  • SNL Vault

  • Syfy

  • Telemundo Accion

  • Telemundo al Dia

  • The Golf Channel

  • Today All Day

  • Universal Movies

  • USA Network

Per Fubo, NBC channels were pulled from the platform because of a disagreement over their long-standing content distribution agreement that has yet to be resolved.

There is no information available as to when NBC's lineup of channels will return. Negotiations between the companies are ongoing.

In a message to subscribers, Fubo stated, "If NBCU programming remains off of Fubo for an extended period, we will directly credit $15 to your Fubo account." At least one Fubo customer on our staff received an email confirming the credit would be automatically applied in the December billing cycle.

Looking to switch from Fubo? You've got plenty of options, including Peacock, DirecTV, and Hulu + Live TV. Here are some of your choices:

Try Hulu + Live TV for free

Fubo does not allow customers to pause their subscriptions, so if you're looking to make a change, you can cancel your plan outright. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/missing-nbc-on-fubo-heres-how-to-watch-sunday-night-football-this-week-and-more-014052821.html?src=rss

Warner Music drops lawsuit against AI music platform Suno in exchange for licensing agreement

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Following its licensing deal with Udio, Warner Music Group (WMG) has also reached an agreement with Suno that will let the platform license its artists' music and likenesses, and end the music company's ongoing litigation. WMG was previously one of several record labels suing Udio and Suno for allegedly infringing on copyrighted works at a "massive scale."

As part of the agreement, "artists and songwriters will have full control over whether and how their names, images, likenesses, voices, and compositions are used in new AI-generated music," WMG explains in its press release for the announcement. WMG doesn't spell out how that will work for musicians impacted by the deal, but it does appear that participation will be opt-in, rather than anything being shared by default. This mirrors the opt-in structure of the company's Udio deal.

"AI becomes pro-artist when it adheres to our principles: committing to licensed models, reflecting the value of music on and off platform, and providing artists and songwriters with an opt-in for the use of their name, image, likeness, voice and compositions in new AI songs," WMG CEO Robert Kyncl says.

Suno will also make adjustments to its AI music platform, possibly as a condition of the new partnership. WMG says Suno is launching "new, more advanced and licensed models" in 2026, after which its current models will be deprecated. The company will also limit music downloads to paid accounts. "In the future, songs made on the free tier will not be downloadable and will instead be playable and shareable. Paid tier users will have limited monthly download caps with the ability to pay for more downloads," WMG says. 

In an odd wrinkle to the partnership, Suno is also acquiring WMG's Songkick concert discovery platform. The company plans to continue running it, and WMG claims that "the combination of Suno and Songkick will create new potential to deepen the artist-fan connection." An app for finding nearby concerts doesn't totally square with Suno's existing music creation tools, but maybe it suggests the company is interested in offering more social features down the road.

Prior to this agreement, Suno openly admitted to using "essentially all music files of reasonable quality that are accessible on the open internet" to train its AI model, under the auspices of fair use. That seems like a pretty blatant admission of copyright infringement, but apparently Warner Music Group is happier with the deals it struck than what it could have won through its lawsuit. The company is reportedly one of several music groups looking to strike a similar deal with YouTube.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/warner-music-drops-lawsuit-against-ai-music-platform-suno-in-exchange-for-licensing-agreement-224619025.html?src=rss

Now you can use ChatGPT Voice without leaving your chat

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OpenAI has announced that it's changing how ChatGPT's Voice mode works on the web and inside the company's app. As part of an update, you can interact with ChatGPT Voice directly within your ongoing chat, letting you see a transcript of your conversation with OpenAI's AI model, along with visuals that demonstrate whatever ChatGPT is talking about.

You can start a voice chat just by tapping or clicking on the "waveform" icon next to ChatGPT's text field. Rather than launching into the original orb-filled interface the feature launched as, voice chats now happen in-line with whatever you were previously discussing. In the demo video OpenAI shared alongside the announcement, ChatGPT was able to display a transcript of the conversation, followed by a map listing popular bakeries and photos of pastries sold at Tartine. OpenAI says that if you prefer the original Voice interface, you can switch back to it by toggling on Separate mode under the Voice Mode section of ChatGPT's Settings.

Combining visuals and voice responses together is a natural extension of the multimodal nature of ChatGPT. You can already prompt OpenAI's model with your voice and an image or video, it makes sense that voice responses from ChatGPT should have the same level of detail. Google has explored similar methods for making Gemini Live more expressive during conversations, including letting the AI highlight specific parts of a live video with overlays. This OpenAI feature isn't quite reactive in the same way, but it could make a voice conversation with ChatGPT more informative.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/now-you-can-use-chatgpt-voice-without-leaving-your-chat-195000538.html?src=rss

You can try Quantic Dream’s upcoming MOBA during a closed beta next week

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The upcoming Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game Spellcasters Chronicles will be available to play as a closed beta starting on December 4 until December 8. This is the first closed beta weekend for the free-to-play game and the first online play test, as it was originally announced just a couple of months back.

Spellcasters Chronicles is being developed by Quantic Dream and looks like the company's attempt to compete with big-time MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota. This is a fairly strange title for Quantic Dream, given that the studio is primarily known for narrative games that rely heavily on player choice. The company has been behind games like Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human.

In other words, the 3 vs. 3 MOBA with a third-person perspective is an odd duck and we have no idea how it'll play. Luckily, we'll know a whole lot more next weekend. The closed beta takes place on Steam and grants access to six player classes, each with unique abilities. These classes "can summon creatures, cast spells and take fight to command the arena." There's a class called "Swamp Witch" that I'd very much like to play as.

The beta will also unveil a new arena called The Mausoleum and introduce the game's deck-building component. The arena battles will last 25 minutes, with teams being tasked to capture altars to gain enemy territory.

This is just the first closed beta for Spellcasters Chronicles. The developer promises a second beta early next year. That next one will introduce new character classes, arenas, spells and summons.

As for Quantic Dream, it's still developing Star Wars: Eclipse. However, we haven't heard a blip about it in years.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/you-can-try-quantic-dreams-upcoming-moba-during-a-closed-beta-next-week-194038411.html?src=rss

The Paramount+ Black Friday deal is still available: Get either the Essential or Premium plan for only $3 per month for two months

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As streaming platforms continue to raise their prices, Paramount+ is offering a more budget-friendly way to catch up on shows and live sports with a Black Friday streaming deal. Thanks to this new deal, you’ll be able to get two months of access for $3 per month, or a total of only $6. The deal applies to both the Essential and Premium plans, letting new users try out the service without committing to a full subscription.

Paramount+ continues to expand its catalog with a mix of current CBS shows, exclusive originals, classic TV and live sports. The service is available in two main tiers: Essential, which includes ads, and Premium, which removes most of them and adds a few key extras like 4K streaming, offline downloads and live CBS access. Both tiers include select Showtime programming, giving subscribers a taste of the premium network’s lineup.

The Essential plan provides access to more than 40,000 episodes and movies, along with live coverage of the NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League matches. It supports up to three simultaneous streams, making it a practical choice for households that share accounts. The Premium plan builds on that by offering ad-free on-demand viewing (with exceptions for live broadcasts), higher-quality playback and the option to watch CBS live in participating regions.

Paramount+’s growing library combines new releases with well-known favorites, offering titles from across CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. Sports fans get live coverage of key events, while movie watchers can find recent cinema releases from Paramount Pictures joining the lineup throughout the year. The inclusion of Showtime series in both plans adds another layer of variety, with dramas and documentaries available alongside the core Paramount+ content.

If you’re keeping an eye on subscription costs, an offer like this is a practical way to test the service without paying full price. It also gives you time to see whether the Essential plan’s ad-supported setup or the Premium tier’s extras are worth the difference.

If you’ve been watching your streaming spend as prices go up elsewhere, this deal from Paramount+ offers a well-balanced opportunity to experience both plan levels at a lower cost. Paramount+ is one of the best streaming services thanks to its vast selection of original shows like Star Trek: Discovery, Ink Master and Frasier. If you’re ready to stream big shows and live events without a heavy commitment this Cyber Monday offer is one to keep in mind.

There are plenty of other Black Friday streaming deals to consider as well. Here are some of the best ones:

  • Disney+ Hulu bundle — $60 for one year: The Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle is on sale for $5 per month for one year (for a total of $60) through December 1. New and eligible returning subscribers can take advantage of this deal, and considering the bundle typically costs $13 per month, this deal represents more than a 50 percent discount on the standard monthly price.

  • Apple TV+ — 6 months for $36: Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

  • HBO Max — one year for $36: HBO Max's Black Friday deal gives subscribers one year streaming for $36 through December 1. This Black Friday streaming deal is on the ad-supported option, which normally goes for $11 per month. With this discount, you're getting it for $3 per month for one year. You can sign up via HBO Max's website or, if you're a Prime Video subscriber already, via that service as an add-on.

  • Sling TV Orange — day pass for only $1: Sling TV launched Day Passes earlier this year, giving users one-day access to a variety of its packages. This deal cuts $4 off the normal price of a day pass for Sling Orange. With that, you get unlimited access for 24 hours to Orange's more than 30 channels that includes ESPN, CNN, TBS and others.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-paramount-black-friday-deal-is-still-available-get-either-the-essential-or-premium-plan-for-only-3-per-month-for-two-months-183036215.html?src=rss

FX orders a Far Cry TV show from Alien: Earth creator Noah Hawley and Rob Mac

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The number of video game franchises not being adapted for TV must surely now be nearing the single-figure mark, and we’ve known for a little while that a Far Cry show is on the way too. Ubisoft has now confirmed previous leaks that Alien: Earth’s Noah Hawley and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator Rob Mac will helm an anthology show based on its long-running FPS series. FX is making it and it will stream on Hulu in the US.

Every Far Cry game is a standalone experience with no obvious narrative links between them (even if a quick Google tells you that hasn’t stopped series devotees from looking for them anyway). Likewise, the plan for the Far Cry TV show is that each season will feature new characters and a new setting.

"What I love about the Far Cry game franchise is it's an anthology. Each game is a variation of a theme, the same way each season of Fargo is a variation on a theme," said Hawley in a press release. "To create a big action show that can change from year to year, while always exploring the nature of humanity through this complex and chaotic lens is a dream come true. I'm excited to partner with Rob and bring our shared irreverent, ambitious sensibility to the screen."

This technically isn’t the first time Far Cry has gotten the TV treatment. The 2013 "Blood Dragon" expansion for Far Cry 3 was the inspiration for Netflix’s 2023 adult animated series, Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. However, while that show featured plenty of enjoyably chaotic action sequences and deep cut Ubisoft cameos that ensure you’ll never look at Rayman the same way again, there wasn’t much that was obviously Far Cry about it.

Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Noah Hawley had signed a multi-year deal with Disney that will see him produce shows for a number of the corporation’s networks, including Hulu. As well as the Far Cry adaption, the Fargo creator will be heading up the second season of Alien: Earth, which will reportedly go into production in London in 2026.

As for Ubisoft, raising the profile of its various franchises — notably even the ones that haven't had a new game for years — through TV seems to be an ongoing strategy for the French publisher. Back in the summer, Netflix finally greenlit an Assassin's Creed show, five years after penning a deal with Ubisoft, while the long-awaited animated Splinter Cell show started streaming in October and was well received by critics.

The most recent Far Cry game was 2021’s Far Cry 6, which starred Giancarlo Esposito as the dictator Aston Castillo.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/fx-orders-a-far-cry-tv-show-from-alien-earth-creator-noah-hawley-and-rob-mac-154654744.html?src=rss

Disney teases an Olaf robot for its parks

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Disney has unveiled a new animatronic in the form of Olaf, the carrot-nosed snowman from the Frozen series of films. The robotic character will roam the streets of the upcoming World of Frozen (coming soon to Adventure World at Disneyland Paris) and make "limited-time special appearances at World of Frozen at the Hong Kong Disneyland resort," Disney wrote on its parks blog. 

Olaf, seen in prototype form in a 30-minute Disney video, can walk on his little snowball legs, emote realistically and speak with visitors. During the video, Disney Imagineering Paris exec Michel Den Dulk removes and replaces the robot's nose and arm, something park visitors will also be able to do. 

To help make Olaf look authentic and toon-like in his movements, the Imagineering team used AI reinforcement learning. That allowed them to teach the robot how to walk and perform "graceful" motions in far less time than it would have taken to program it manually, Disney said. The fact that Olaf has a soft, snow-like exterior also let them "fully articulate his mouth, eyes, and removable carrot nose and arms." 

The timing of the announcement is pretty wild considering that Defunctland, the amusement park history site, just released a four-hour YouTube documentary about the broken promise of Disney's animatronics. The main point was that Disney has announced many such characters but only shows them off at a few special events before shoving them away, Westworld basement-style, never to be seen again. 

A few examples of those are the Wall-E robot in the aughts and, more recently, Groot and Star Wars droids. Those served mainly as marketing pieces for Disney, as they only appeared in the parks for specific tests and then disappeared. Disney even made a robot called Big Dino that was 13 feet tall and weighed 11,000 pounds — though it's probably best that one wasn't roaming around the parks greeting visitors.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/disney-teases-an-olaf-robot-for-its-parks-151017739.html?src=rss

The Disney+ Hulu bundle is still only $5 per month for one year thanks to Black Friday deals

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The Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle is officially on sale for $5 per month for one year (for a total of $60) through December 1, giving new and returning subscribers a full year of both streaming platforms for less than the cost of a few movie tickets. The bundle includes Disney+ and Hulu’s basic plans with ads, so if you’ve been waiting for a sign to catch up on Only Murders in the Building or dive into the Star Wars universe, this is it.

Disney+ and Hulu make one of the most balanced streaming pairs available, blending family-friendly favorites with acclaimed originals and network TV staples. Disney+ brings a vast library of animated classics, blockbuster franchises and exclusive content from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic. It’s the place to stream nearly every Star Wars film and series, plus the full Marvel Cinematic Universe lineup and Disney’s most recent theatrical releases.

For families, it doubles as a reliable destination for animated favorites, from Encanto to Inside Out 2, and its kid-friendly interface makes it simple to hand over the remote without worrying about what’s queued next.

Hulu balances things out with a more adult-oriented lineup of current TV shows, next-day network episodes and a growing roster of award-winning originals. The platform hosts series like The Bear, The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders in the Building, alongside comedies, thrillers and documentaries that regularly feature in awards conversations. It’s also the home for next-day streaming of ABC and FX shows, making it especially useful if you’ve already cut the cable cord but still want to keep up with primetime TV.

The Duo Basic bundle ties these two services together under a single subscription, offering a simple way to expand your library without juggling multiple accounts. This tier includes ads on both platforms, but the trade-off is significant savings compared with paying for each service separately. For many households, that’s an acceptable compromise when it means access to such a wide range of content.

Both platforms also integrate smoothly across devices. Disney+ is available on nearly every smart TV and streaming stick and Hulu’s interface is built around customizable profiles, so everyone in the household can keep separate watch lists. The bundle login works seamlessly between the two, and since they’re both owned by Disney, it’s easy to switch from a Marvel marathon to a new episode of The Great or Abbott Elementary without leaving the ecosystem.

If you prefer a more premium experience, you can upgrade to the Duo Premium bundle for ad-free viewing, but the Basic plan remains the best value for most users. It’s an especially practical pick if you’re looking to consolidate your streaming subscriptions without losing access to major franchises or hit series.

If you’re still comparing options or thinking about how to simplify your lineup, our guide to the best streaming services outlines how Disney+, Hulu and others stack up. But for those already invested in Disney’s worlds or Hulu’s critically acclaimed originals, this annual Duo Basic deal offers one of the easiest and most affordable ways to keep it all in one place.

There are plenty of other Black Friday streaming deals to consider as well. Here are some of the best ones:

  • Apple TV+ — 6 months for $36: Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

  • HBO Max — one year for $36: HBO Max's Black Friday deal gives subscribers one year streaming for $36 through December 1. This Black Friday streaming deal is on the ad-supported option, which normally goes for $11 per month. With this discount, you're getting it for $3 per month for one year. You can sign up via HBO Max's website or, if you're a Prime Video subscriber already, via that service as an add-on.

  • Paramount+ — two months of Essential or Premium for $6: This Black Friday deal brings the monthly price of either Paramount+ tier down to just $6 for two months, or $3 per month. The obvious better deal is on the Premium plan, which typically costs $13 per month.

  • Sling TV Orange — day pass for only $1: Sling TV launched Day Passes earlier this year, giving users one-day access to a variety of its packages. This deal cuts $4 off the normal price of a day pass for Sling Orange. With that, you get unlimited access for 24 hours to Orange's more than 30 channels that includes ESPN, CNN, TBS and others.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-disney-hulu-bundle-is-still-only-5-per-month-for-one-year-thanks-to-black-friday-deals-094131684.html?src=rss

Pocket Casts rolls out playlists, so users can sequence episodes of their favorite shows

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There are millions upon millions of podcast episodes out there and it can be tough to figure out what to listen to and when. The popular podcast service Pocket Casts is rolling out a playlists feature to help users make sense of it all.

This is being advertised as a "new way for listeners to organize, sequence and customize episodes across all their favorite shows." The idea of a playlist isn't new by any stretch, but it's not typically an option on podcast apps. As a matter of fact, Pocket Casts says this was one of its most-requested features.

The platform says this tool is great for "building a morning news lineup, curating interviews to study a topic or creating a queue for a long flight." There's a manual option but also an automatic Smart Playlists feature that gathers episodes together based on pre-determined rules.

The playlists feature.
Pocket Casts

For instance, episodes can be collected and sorted by release date, duration and other factors. This replaces the pre-existing filters tool. I can absolutely see this being useful on a road trip when you don't really wanna fiddle with a phone and would rather just let the podcast episodes flow into one another to create a Conan O'Brien-induced driving zen state.

The playlists tool is available right now. This is just the latest move by Pocket Casts. The service recently added a free tier for accessing its web player and desktop app. We love it when things get cheaper, don't we folks?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/pocket-casts-rolls-out-playlists-so-users-can-sequence-episodes-of-their-favorite-shows-170046666.html?src=rss