While there's a much bigger title coming to the service later in the month, Xbox has revealed the first five Game Pass additions for October. Among them are some newcomers to the new Game Pass Standard tier.
Baseball sim MLB The Show 24 and the enjoyable narrative game Open Roads were already on Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass for Console (which is no longer available unless you were grandfathered in). They'll join the Standard library on consoles on October 2 alongside Sifu. That captivating brawler is also coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Two other games will hit all versions of the service save for Xbox Game Pass Core in the coming days (have we talked about how needlessly convoluted the Game Pass setup is lately?). Physics-based party brawler Mad Streets will join the lineup on October 7, followed by Inscryption on October 10. That creepy roguelike deck-builder is one of our picks for the best horror games you can play right now.
Inevitably, Xbox will be removing some games from the library in the coming days to make way for the newcomers (and also because various licensing deals will be coming to an end). On October 15, it will yank Dyson Sphere Program, Everspace 2, From Space, F1 Manager 2023 and Scorn.
As ever, Xbox will add more titles to Game Pass in the back half of the month, including a lil' under-the-radar one a few people might have heard of called Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. That one will not be on the Standard tier any time soon, however.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/the-first-new-game-pass-titles-for-october-include-inscryption-and-sifu-165518640.html?src=rss
Apple has been in hot water with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) since 2022 when the company was accused of union-busting. It agreed to review its labor practices last January, but the NLRB determined that Apple had violated workers’ rights soon after. Today, the NLRB strikes again, accusing Apple of anti-union practices, denying employees the right to discuss wages and even signing illegal nondisclosure, noncompete and confidentiality agreements.
Truth be told, this is pretty much the same song and dance covered since 2022. These complaints originate from former Apple employees Cher Scarlett and Ashley Gjøvik. They claimed that Apple prohibited wage discussion and that CEO Tim Cook aimed to punish leakers, respectively. Gjøvik also alleged that it prevented staff from talking to reporters.
Apple provided a statement to Reuters, which first reported on this complaint. The company claims it always honors employees’ rights to discuss wages, hours and working conditions. Should Apple not settle the case, an administrative judge will hear it in January.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/us-labor-board-accuses-apple-of-violating-employees-rights-164643503.html?src=rss
Amazon Prime Day is getting really close now and the deals spigot has been turned on. Case in point? There’s an Echo Pop bundle that includes a TP-Link Tapo smart light bulb for just $18. This is a discount of more than 70 percent.
The Echo Pop is Amazon’s latest entry-level device in the smart speaker category. It typically costs $40 on its own, adding more luster to today’s sale. The semi-spherical speaker is a great fit for small spaces, like dorm rooms and bedrooms. The Echo Pop includes Amazon’s AZ2 Neural Edge processor for on-device machine learning tasks which, of course, allows full access to Alexa.
The speaker also pairs with Eero mesh routers to extend a home network’s range by “up to 1,000 square feet.” This is a decent smart speaker for beginners, with one caveat. The Echo Dot is available in multiple colors, and some are quite fetching, but this deal is only for the standard black/charcoal model.
Of course, this bundle also includes a Tapo smart light bulb. This is another entry-level device, though it’s not exactly bare-bones. The bulb can display 16 million different colors, which makes for unique lighting effects. Once connected, users can ask Alexa to dim the lights, raise the lights or change colors.
A single light bulb doesn’t make for a smart home, per se, but this will allow consumers to experiment with some adjacent features. It’s also a good way to gauge how much energy will be saved by going with smart appliances, as Tapo bulbs use around 60 percent less power when compared to standard bulbs.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-an-echo-pop-bundle-with-a-smart-light-bulb-for-only-18-163317796.html?src=rss
In early 2022, Sony took a gamble on a unique design for open-design earbuds. The company built tiny buds with a circular, donut-shaped speaker that were designed to be worn all day. It then followed those with a more "traditional" set, the LinkBuds S, just a few months later. That second model delivered a lot of the key features from the flagship WF-1000XM5, but at $100 less.
Now Sony is expanding the LinkBuds line once again, adding three new options with very different designs. A second-gen version of the LinkBuds are now called LinkBuds Open (pictured above), with an all-new design debuting alongside them in the LinkBuds Fit. Lastly, there's a LinkBuds Speaker that allows you to automatically switch the audio between it and a set of earbuds as needed.
LinkBuds Open
My key gripe with the original LinkBuds is that they weren't very comfortable. Sony did well to pack in a ton of features, including tapping your face in front of your ear for the onboard controls (Wide Area Tap). However, the rigid casing for the ring driver was too firm and the earbuds overall didn't stay in place that well. To address this, the company redesigned the "fitting supporter" for the LinkBuds Open, opting for a more common fit wing shape off the top edge. Sony also says it reduced the size of the second-gen model to further assist with a more comfortable fit.
Inside, Sony built a new 11mm ring driver that's still open at the center for an inherent transparency mode. Thanks to a carefully selected high-compliance diaphragm and a powerful magnet, the LinkBuds Open can better replicate clear highs and mids along with louder, richer bass, according to Sony. The company also upgraded the earbud chip to its Integrated Processor V2, the same component that's found inside the WF-1000XM5. Sony says this update should provide connectivity that's more stable compared to the LinkBuds.
Sony also extended the battery life on the LinkBuds Open, offering up to eight hours on a charge. That's up from five and a half on the first model. What's more, the quick charge feature now gives you an hour of use in three minutes, as opposed to 90 minutes of playback in 10 minutes on the original version. Sony included a fit check tool in its new app this time, allowing you to have the positioning analyzed with a photo (Sony has done this before with other models). Other key specs include an IPX4 rating and multipoint Bluetooth.
The LinkBuds Open are available for preorder today for $200, $20 more than the 2022 model. They're available in black, white and Olivia Rodrigo-collab purple (purple is US only). There are additional colors of case covers ($20) and additional fitting supporters ($10) to further customize your look. Those are available in blue, green, pink, purple and black.
LinkBuds Fit
Sony
The new LinkBuds Fit are a completely new design and the successor to the LinkBuds S. Based on consumer polling, Sony determined that fit and comfort were the two primary concerns for its customers. So, the company used its analysis of "extensive ear shape data" for the new curves. The earbuds are smaller and shorter, and a new Air Fitting Supporter is hollow to make it more flexible. Plus, a new ear tip is here to further enhance overall comfort.
Inside, a new Dynamic Driver X handles the audio, powered by the WF-1000XM5's Integrated Processor V2 chip that also assists with the active noise cancellation (ANC). That component also enables a new Auto Ambient Sound mode that automatically adjusts transparency audio based on your surroundings and an Auto Noise Canceling Optimizer that tweaks ANC in real time — all aided by dual noise sensor tech and multiple microphones. Sony called the ambient sound quality on the LinkBuds Fit the "best-in-class," which is a lofty claim when you consider the high bar Apple set with the AirPods Pro.
Battery life is slightly shorter than the LinkBuds S at five and a half hours. That's 30 minutes less than that previous model. Other key specs include an IPX4 rating and multipoint Bluetooth. Like the LinkBuds Open, you'll tap on the side of your face by your ear for the onboard controls (Wide Area Tap).
The LinkBuds Open are available for preorder today for $200, the same price as the LinkBuds S was at launch. They're available in black, white, green and Olivia Rodrigo-hued purple (purple is US only). There are additional colors of case covers ($20) and additional fitting supporters ($10) to further customize your look. Those are available in blue, green, pink, purple and black.
LinkBuds Speaker
Sony
The third member of the LinkBuds trio isn't another set of earbuds, it's a speaker. The LinkBuds Speaker is a small, portable Bluetooth speaker with an IPX4 rating and built-in loop for hanging it up. You can expect up to 25 hours of battery life and a 10-minute rest on the charging dock will give you 70 minutes of use. The driver setup includes a woofer, a passive radiator and a tweeter, and Sony says the speaker is tuned for "well-balanced... pleasant and clear sound that does not tire the listener." There's a top-mounted microphone for calls that's flanked by volume and playback controls. A Quick Play button lets you get the music going with a single button press.
The key feature of the LinkBuds Speaker is Auto Switch with compatible Sony earbuds. Those include the new LinkBuds Open and Fit, but the LinkBuds S and WF-1000XM5 are also on the list. The speaker's hand-off tool will work with the WH-1000XM5 headphones, too. Just like it sounds, the feature allows you to quickly swap the audio between headphones or earbuds and the LinkBuds Speaker. You can also use the Sound Connect app to set routines for the speaker so that things happen automatically during the day based on your schedule. You can set Auto Switch to occur daily when you're heading out to the gym or office, for example.
The LinkBuds Speaker is available for preorder today for $180 in black and grey color options. A charging dock is included in the box, but the speaker is only available in the US at this time.
Sound Connect app
During this new LinkBuds series launch, Sony is replacing its Headphones Connect app with a new one called Sound Connect. Starting today, all headphones which were compatible with the old app will now work with this new software. What's more, ULT speakers and the new LinkBuds Speaker will also work with Sound Connect. If you have Headphones Connect installed, you'll automatically change over the next time the app updates.
Sound Connect provides a much-needed redesign and a UI that looks more modern than the aging aesthetic of Headphones Connect. All of the key settings are right on the main screen and the app will provide tips for headphone and earbud use on the Discover tab.
For LinkBuds Open and LinkBuds Fit, the app delivers a few unique features that should make your life easier. First, there's a built-in voice control tool that allows you to control the earbuds with a "Hey Headphones" command. It's just like Bose offers on its new QuietComfort Earbuds. You can use it to control music, adjust volume, enable/disable ANC and check battery life. Taking a page out of Apple's book, Sony will also enable head gestures for accepting or rejecting calls on its two new sets of earbuds. An Auto Battery Save feature will disable things like EQ, DSEE upscaling, Speak to Chat and Voice Control to conserve energy when you hit 20 percent remaining. Lastly, a Background Music Effect can simulate less distracting sound as if it were playing in a bedroom, living room or cafe.
A full review of the LinkBuds Open, LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Speaker is in progress. Stay tuned to that detailed evaluation in the coming days.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sony-expands-its-linkbuds-line-with-new-open-earbuds-anc-earbuds-and-a-speaker-160045247.html?src=rss
Apple’s Find My network and Google’s Find My Device are both smart tracking solutions to help us prevent losing our items, but devices made for one aren’t typically compatible with the other. However, Pebblebee is changing this by introducing its Pebblebee Universal, a trio of rechargeable item trackers that work with both Apple and Google systems.
The Pebblebee Universal line includes three products: the Pebblebee Clip Universal, Pebblebee Card Universal and Pebblebee Tag Universal. The Clip tracker is the standard model and is great for tracking all kinds of bags and keys. The Card tracker fits inside wallets and passports to prevent losing valuables. Finally, the Tag Universal is Pebblebee’s smallest rechargeable tracker, which will fit almost anywhere. We featured the Pebblebee Clip in our best Bluetooth tracker guide. It performed well in our tests and works as an excellent AirTag alternative.
Being able to connect to either the Apple or Google networks makes the Pebblebee Universal line of trackers much more versatile. Founder and CEO Daniel Daoura says these trackers are part of the company’s “mission to create one connected global ecosystem for all.” Note that if you set up your Pebblebee Universal tracker to connect to the Apple Find My network, you’ll have to perform a factory reset to use the other network in the future. All connections to the tracker are end-to-end encrypted, meaning only you get to see where it is. Pebblebee Universal trackers are currently available for $35 per tracker. They’re being sold on Pebblebee’s website, Best Buy stores, and Best Buy's official website.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/pebblebees-new-item-trackers-works-with-both-apple-and-google-find-my-networks-160043182.html?src=rss
As of today, eBay consumer-to-consumer (C2C) sellers in the UK will no longer have to pay selling fees for any domestic purchases. The company had first tested free selling for pre-owned clothes earlier this year. Using the data from this test, eBay decided to open the floodgates.
In addition to the initial test in the UK, eBay also removed seller fees in Germany for domestic sales. In today’s announcement from eBay, CEO and President Jamie Iannone said that doing so can “strengthen our marketplace by lowering the barriers to C2C selling, which improves the breadth and depth of inventory on eBay.” However, Iannone also mentioned that the company will begin implementing a “buyer-facing fee” early next year.
Among the reasons cited for the removal of seller fees was that the UK is home to hundreds of millions of unused items. Iannone believes that sellers would be more inclined to set up shop on eBay if they didn’t have to spend money just to list items and not worry about the company taking a percentage of the money received after a sale. The breadth of items coming from consumers rather than just professional sellers could make the marketplace “more vibrant.”
eBay also faces competition from Vinted and Depop, two newer ecommerce platforms that don’t charge seller fees. Vinted, in particular, is a second-hand marketplace primarily for clothes, and eBay removing seller fees for clothes is a direct answer to the rival company. Depop, owned by Etsy, has also been growing. Thus, it’s not a surprise that eBay is following its competitor’s footsteps.
The announcement also mentioned more changes and improvements, such as a “streamlined listing process,” an improved local pickup process and a better wallet experience through eBay Balance. eBay plans to share more details on its future plans at the next Global All Hands event.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/ebay-will-stop-charging-seller-fees-in-the-uk-155751915.html?src=rss
On September 5, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit against Snap. Torrez claimed that Snapchat has become a platform rife with sexual exploitation, child grooming and other dangerous behaviors. That legal complaint was heavily redacted, but today, Torrez announced in a press release that he has filed an unsealed complaint, which goes into detail on how Snap allegedly knowingly created an environment that exposed children to sexual predators.
The unredacted accusations include how Snap employees encountered 10,000 sextortion cases each month. Still, the company never warned users because it did not want to “strike fear” among them. The statement also mentioned that Snap employees regularly ignored user reports related to grooming and sextortion. An account with 75 separate reports remains active, and Snap refused to touch any of this content, citing “disproportionate admin costs.”
Snapchat’s disappearing messages have long been a draw of the platform, but the suit alleges that they lull users into a false sense of security. Therefore, predators find it easier to solicit explicit images from users before extorting them for money, or these images will be sent to friends and family.
The unredacted complaint also notes that Snapchat’s “Quick Add” feature was suggesting adult strangers to minors, and Snap Map also lets adults find minors’ accounts. Quick Add was even proven to be dangerous as a New Mexico man, Alejandro Marquez, had used it to lure and rape an 11-year-old girl, as mentioned in the complaint.
The complaint also alleges that Snap's upper management routinely ignored former trust and safety employees who pushed for additional and improved safety mechanisms. CEO Evan Spiegel “prioritized design” over safety and even refused to preserve abusive images for review and for law enforcement to use as proof. The company also didn’t keep its child sex abuse images database updated, even rolling back changes and deleting evidence of matches.
Even worse, predators using Snapchat have taken to creating a “Sextortion handbook” to teach others how to target users at schools. Compounded with the fact that 90 percent of all reports are ignored and 30 percent of victims never received any assistance from Snap, predators could essentially roam freely.
That’s not the only issue New Mexico is concerned with. The complaint also accuses Snap of tolerating drug and gun sales. Drug dealers freely used the platform to advertise their wares without repercussions while also gaining “a huge amount of subscribers.” Teens have even died after using drugs they bought after seeing them advertised on Snapchat.
As harmful as these dangers are, Snapchat makes it difficult for parents to monitor their children’s Snapchat use, as only 0.33 percent of teens have joined the Family Center. Snapchat also doesn’t truly verify a user’s age, allowing fake birthdays to pass inspection. This contradicts Snap’s claims that it doesn’t let children under 13 years old use the app.
Based on these accusations, it would be easy to conclude that Snapchat is a dangerous platform for underage users. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s Director of Corporate and Strategic Initiatives, Lina Nealon, said: “In my conversations with law enforcement, child safety experts, lawyers, survivors, and youth, I ask them what the most dangerous app is, and without fail, Snap is in the top two.”
In a statement Snap sent to Engadget last month when the lawsuit was filed, the company claimed to be diligently removing bad actors and working with law enforcement. Today, Snap provided the following statement in regards to the unsealed complaint:
"We designed Snapchat as a place to communicate with a close circle of friends, with built-in safety guardrails, and have made deliberate design choices to make it difficult for strangers to discover minors on our service. We continue to evolve our safety mechanisms and policies, from leveraging advanced technology to detect and block certain activity, to prohibiting friending from suspicious accounts, to working alongside law enforcement and government agencies, among so much more.
We care deeply about our work here and it pains us when bad actors abuse our service. We know that no one person, agency, or company can advance this work alone, which is why we are working collaboratively across the industry, government, and law enforcement to exchange information and concept stronger defenses."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-unsealed-new-mexico-snapchat-lawsuit-alleges-the-company-ignored-child-safety-154235977.html?src=rss
It looks like Microsoft’s AR platform HoloLens is being sent to a nice tech farm upstate. The company just announced that it’s discontinuing production of its HoloLens 2 headset, according to reporting by UploadVR. Microsoft has no plans for a followup device, so this is the end of the road.
The company has told its customers and enterprise partners that this will be the last time to purchase the headset before stock runs out. However, HoloLens 2 headsets will continue to receive "updates to address critical security issues and software regressions" until 2028. That will mark the end of software updates. The original HoloLens headset will stop getting software updates on December 10. That's in two months.
We reached out to Microsoft to ask about its decision to end production of HoloLens headsets and if there’s any chance for a hardware update at some point in the future. We’ll update this post when we hear back.
This move isn’t that surprising, considering Microsoft scrapped plans for a HoloLens 3 headset back in 2022. Alex Kipman, the company’s mixed reality chief, said that same year that the “HoloLens is doing great” and that any rumors regarding the demise of the platform were greatly exaggerated. What a difference two years makes.
The HoloLens 2 first launched in 2019, just three years after the original. It was advertised as a device for enterprise consumers, so it never really entered the mass market. This was before decent passthrough became the norm in the AR/VR industry, so it had a lock on the enterprise market for a few years. It looks like that wasn’t enough. Microsoft nixed its entire mixed reality software suite last year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/microsoft-kills-hololens-2-with-no-plans-for-a-follow-up-device-153319304.html?src=rss
A VTuber called Ironmouse now has the highest number of subscribers on Twitch, breaking the record previously set by Kai Cenat. As of this writing, Ironmouse has over 320,000 current subscribers on the website based on the counter on her profile, almost 14,000 higher than Cenat's record. Twitch subscribers pay either once or on a recurring monthly basis to support a creator's channel unlike ordinary, non-paying followers. Ironmouse, who uses a digital pink-haired anime girl avatar to interact with her fans, has been streaming regularly over the past 30 days as part of a "subathon" event."
Half of what she'll get from subscriptions will go towards charity, according to her profile, specifically the Immune Deficiency Foundation. As Polygon notes, Ironmouse has talked about her struggles with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) in the past. The immune deficiency disease apparently left her bedridden at some points in her life.
Ironmouse mostly streams herself playing games, singing, collaborating with other streamers and Vtubers, and just interacting with her viewers. On her bio page, she describes herself as "your cringe demon queen from VShojo," the talent agency for VTubers which she's a part of. She posted a thank you message to her subscribers on X after breaking Kai Cenat's record, while Twitch posted a message congratulating her for "hitting the all-time sub count record."
Shouting it from the rooftops!!!! Oh my Mousey, she did it. Congrats to @ironmouse for hitting the all-time sub count record and sharing the love and awareness to the @IDFCommunity. She really is THE Demon Queen!!!!! 💜 pic.twitter.com/9cXYiNKVQm
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/vtuber-ironmouse-breaks-all-time-record-for-concurrent-twitch-subscribers-153029423.html?src=rss
Jeep's owner, Stellantis, has recalled about 194,000 plug-in hybrid SUVs from the brand due to a risk of fire. The recall impacts specific Jeep Wrangler 4xe models from 2020 to 2024 and some Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe SUVs from 2022 to 2024 — the company estimates about five percent of the vehicles will have the defect. It discovered the issue after 13 fires were reported, all when the vehicle was parked and off.
Despite the risk, Stellantis is not yet having customers bring their hybrids in for servicing. Instead, the company claims a "remedy is imminent," and owners will get notified when they can come in. For now, Stellantis states, "Vehicle risk is reduced when the battery charge level is depleted. Accordingly, owners are advised to refrain from recharging. Out of an abundance of caution, the company is also advising owners of these vehicles to park away from structures or other vehicles until the remedy is obtained." Basically, good luck if this is your mode of transportation because you really don't want to use it.
The recall has the greatest impact on US-based customers, with 154,032 vehicles recalled across the country. There are just over 14,000 affected vehicles in Canada, 673 in Mexico and 25,502 outside of North America.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/jeep-recalls-194000-plug-in-hybrids-due-to-fire-risks-150059282.html?src=rss