Tag Archives: author_name|Sarah Fielding

New PS5 update makes it easier to join multiplayer games

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Anyone with a PlayStation 5 should now have a smoother option for connecting with other gamers. Sony has officially rolled out a system software update, allowing you to create shareable links inviting others to a multiplayer game. The company first announced the feature in early May.

The new PS5 update works by providing you with a link in the app that can be shared with anyone, even if you aren't friends on the Playstation Network. A QR code pops up alongside the link, though Sony warns you might have to update a few of your games for the new feature to work. One of the best things about this tool is the invite isn't immediately time-sensitive, so the link will still drop the recipient into your game 10 or 30 minutes from when its sent as long as you're still playing. If you send the link on Discord, a widget should appear to say if people are still playing or have dropped off. 

Alongside the new share method is another update that lets you open Game Help action cards through Voice Command. All you need to do is say "Show Game Help," and it should pop up. However, Voice Command (Preview) is currently available only in English for gamers in the US and UK with PlayStation Network accounts. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/new-ps5-update-makes-it-easier-to-join-multiplayer-games-123730301.html?src=rss

Meta AI is now available in Spanish, Portugese, French and more

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Meta AI launched in September 2023 using the Llama 2 learning language model. Nearly a year later, Meta has announced a new round of features for its AI assistant and a fresh LLM to support it: Llama 3.1. 

These updates include an expansion of who can access Meta AI. Thanks to the addition of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Cameroon, the assistant is now available in 22 countries. It's also accessible in new languages: French, German, Hindi, Hindi-Romanized Script, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. However, some of the new features are location or language-specific for the time being. 

Meta is rolling out a beta tool called "Imagine me" throughout the US. It allows for prompts such as "Imagine me surfing" or "Imagine me as a surrealist painting," and the AI assistant will create it using a photo of the individual. Meta is also adding new ways to tinker with an image, such as removing, changing or editing its content. This feature allows for creating an image, such as a duck, with the "Imagine me" tool and then instructing Meta AI to "Change the duck to a cat." Next month there will also be an "Edit with AI" button for further fine-tuning of images. The company is also rolling out the ability to create an image with Meta AI in a feed, comment, story or message across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. It should roll out this week, though just in English for now.

Then there's the launch of Llama 3.1 405B — Meta's new open-source AI model. You can use it on WhatsApp or meta.ai for tasks such as answering math problems and coding. Meta claims it will update its AI technology every two weeks and that new features and languages are on the way. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-ai-is-now-available-in-spanish-portugese-french-and-more-150051715.html?src=rss

It’s your last chance for a $300 Amazon gift card when you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

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The new Samsung Galaxy devices drop tomorrow which means today is your last chance to take advantage of pre-order promotions. One of the best deals we've seen comes from Amazon, which is offering a $300 gift card to anyone who pre-orders the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. The bundle is available for $1,900 thanks to a six percent discount on the 512GB model (originally $2,020). You can pick it up in Silver, Navy or Pink.

Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 6 earlier this month, and we've had the chance to test it out. We gave it an 86 in our review due to welcome features like native stylus support and an even lighter chassis. It also uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and has a larger vapor chamber, so there's basically no lag, and it's less likely to overheat. The screen is brighter, with a colorful display, and the device lasted over 20 hours during our video rundown test on the main screen and 25 hours and 19 minutes on the exterior screen.

If you're in the market for something cheaper, check out the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 — a smaller device with some of the same perks. The smartphone is also available for pre-order, with the 512GB model and a $200 Amazon gift card on sale for $1,100. The 512GB Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 starts at $1,220 on its own (though both Amazon and Samsung are running pre-order sales on just the phone). Like the Galaxy Z Fold 6, it comes out tomorrow so today is the last day to snag a pre-order deal. 

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/its-your-last-chance-for-a-300-amazon-gift-card-when-you-pre-order-the-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-6-141053944.html?src=rss

Prime Day is over, but Apple’s AirPods Pro are still cheaper than ever

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Amazon Prime Day 2024 has come and gone, but thankfully, some sales still linger. One of the best deals to shop right now is an all-time low price on Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro. The earbuds first dropped to $169 from $249 in an early Prime Day deal, and you can still grab them for 32 percent off. 

Apple released its second-gen AirPods Pro in 2022, but they're still the newest model on the market. At the time, we gave them an 88 in our review thanks to solid noise cancellation and stellar transparency mode — courtesy of their H2 chip. They're also our choice of 2024's best wireless earbuds for an iPhone, with simple touch controls, hands-free Siri and easy switching between Apple devices. Plus, they offer up to six hours of battery life with ANC on and up to 30 hours with the charging case.  

Externally, the AirPods Pro also have some perks worth mentioning. Each purchase comes with four silicone tips, ranging from extra small to large. The earbuds and the charging case are IP54 dust, sweat and water resistant, so you can use them while exercising outdoors all summer. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-is-over-but-apples-airpods-pro-are-still-cheaper-than-ever-124025085.html?src=rss

TikTok will still be a ‘gatekeeper’ under the Digital Markets Act, EU rules

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As far as the EU is concerned, TikTok requires strong, ongoing regulations. The EU's General Court dismissed an action brought by TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, which argued that the platform shouldn't be considered a "gatekeeper" under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The designation came in September 2023, and ByteDance filed to undo it just two months later. 

ByteDance had painted TikTok has an up and comer EU market, citing pushback through the development of Reels and Shorts — the General Court disagrees: "Although in 2018 TikTok was indeed a challenger seeking to contest the position of established operators such as Meta and Alphabet, it had rapidly consolidated its position, and even strengthened that position over the following years, despite the launch of competing services such as Reels and Shorts, to the point of reaching, in a short time, half the size, in terms of number of users within the European Union, of Facebook and of Instagram."

ByteDance had argued that TikTok was not dominant in the EU market, citing Instagram's Reels and YouTube's Shorts as meaningful competition. The General Court disagreed, writing that "although in 2018 TikTok was indeed a challenger seeking to contest the position of established operators such as Meta and Alphabet, it had rapidly consolidated its position ... to the point of reaching, in a short time, half the size ... of Facebook and of Instagram."

The General Court added that TikTok meets the qualifications set out to be a gatekeeper: a €75 million ($82 million) global market value, over 45 million monthly active end users and over 10,000 yearly active business users across the EU over the last three years. 

The DMA went into effect in March and prohibits gatekeepers — including Alphabet, Meta, Amazon and more — from favoring their own platforms or forcing users to stay inside their company's ecosystem. ByteDance has just over two months to launch an appeal with the Court of Justice, the EU's highest court. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-will-still-be-a-gatekeeper-under-the-digital-markets-act-eu-rules-131534890.html?src=rss

The European Space Agency will follow a skyscraper-sized asteroid as it flies past Earth

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At about 1,230 feet across, the Apophis asteroid is slightly smaller than the Empire State Building. On April 13, 2029, that skyscraper-sized space rock will approach Earth, and the European Space Agency plans (ESA) to shadow it. The ESA has announced the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses), a planetary defense mission. The plan is to have a spacecraft reach Apophis in early 2029 and follow it during the flyby — though this would require quick action for an April 2028 launch.

Scientists discovered Apophis in 2004, and it wasn't until 2021 that NASA confirmed it shouldn't smash into Earth for at least 100 years, despite the upcoming close encounter. Instead, it will come within 20,000 miles of Earth — less than one-tenth the Moon's proximity. According to the ESA, objects of this size only get as close as Apophis will about every 5,000 to 10,000 years, providing a rare opportunity to study an asteroid and how to avoid one colliding with Earth without needing to travel deep into space. 

"Ramses will demonstrate that humankind can deploy a reconnaissance mission to rendezvous with an incoming asteroid in just a few years. This type of mission is a cornerstone of humankind's response to a hazardous asteroid," Richard Moissl, head of ESA's Planetary Defence Office, said in a statement. "A reconnaissance mission would be launched first to analyse the incoming asteroid's orbit and structure. The results would be used to determine how best to redirect the asteroid or to rule out non-impacts before an expensive deflector mission is developed." The ESA will decide whether to proceed with the mission in late 2025, but preparatory work will begin imminently.

NASA, in turn, will follow the aftermath of Apophis' flyby. The space agency is using the spacecraft from last year's Osiris-Rex mission, which collected samples from the Bennu asteroid, for a new mission, Osiris-Apex. The spacecraft should reach Apophis about one month after the asteroid reaches its closest distance to Earth. The Osiris-Apex mission is meant to study any physical changes that Apophis undergoes due to Earth's gravitational pull, such as quakes or landslides. The hope is to get a look at what exists beneath its surface. Individuals in parts of Europe, Africa and Asia should also be able to see Apophis with the naked eye. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-european-space-agency-will-follow-a-skyscraper-sized-asteroid-as-it-flies-past-earth-130030777.html?src=rss

Apple’s AirPods Max at are their lowest price ever for Prime Day

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While earbuds are convenient, there's something about over the ear headphones that's just irreplaceable — though they can be quite costly. However, Apple's AirPods Max wireless headphones are currently down to $395 from $549 — a record-low price — and one of many great Prime Day deals. The 28 percent discount is available on all five colorways but doesn't include AppleCare+.  

Apple released the AirPods Max in 2020 and have yet to produce a next generation model. At the time we gave the headphones an 84 in our review due to a great range of features like solid active noise cancellation and their easy to use controls. We were also impressed with their audio quality which provides a great balanced sound. 

There were a few aspects of Apple's AirPods Max that we were less impressed with. The price was one of our biggest points of contention, though the sale certainly helps with that. The headphones weigh almost 385 grams, much more than one of our favorites, Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones — though a wider headband means we barely noticed it. The earbuds were where we had a bigger issue, as we could feel the rings through the foam after just a few minutes. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-airpods-max-at-are-their-lowest-price-ever-for-prime-day-125050936.html?src=rss

Our favorite Anker MagSafe power bank is 30 percent off for Prime Day

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After weeks of sporadic deals, Amazon Prime Day is finally here, and there are great savings across categories. Take Anker's MagGo Power Bank, our choice for the best MagSafe-compatible power bank on the market. Right now, the device is down to $63 from $90 — a 30 percent deal that brings it to just a few dollars off its all-time low price.

Anker's MagGo Power Bank was one of the earliest Qi2-certified devices on the market, and this early 2024 model is impressive, to say the least. The 10,000mAh and 15W capacities provide you with fast wireless charging. The power bank can bring an iPhone 15 from near-dead to half-charged in just 45 minutes — a feat some of our other top contenders have taken twice as long to do.

The MagGo power bank is also good for one full charge and then another to about 70 percent. The device charges with a USB-C port and includes a USB-C to USB-C cable with purchase. Other perks of this Anker power bank include a kickstand, which allows you to watch videos or play games while the phone charges. It also has a digital display that shows its remaining battery percentage, both when you're charging it and when it's charging your phone.

The Anker MagGo Power Bank works with iOS and Android phones, but the latter's lack of Qi2-compatibility means Android devices will charge slower than an iPhone 12 or above. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/our-favorite-anker-magsafe-power-bank-is-30-percent-off-for-prime-day-111016323.html?src=rss

This Prime Day TV deal still offers 39 percent off the Samsung Frame TV

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Amazon's Prime Day sale is officially over and done with, but a handful of the event's better discounts remain available. If you're in the market for a new TV, here's one standout: Samsung's 55-inch Frame TV is still on sale for $998. While that's not the absolute lowest price we've ever seen, it's roughly $400 off the set's average street price. This Prime Day TV deal also comes bundled with your choice of a colored bezel cover, which you can attach to the edges of the set to make it look more like a piece of art. 

This Samsung 55-inch The Frame TV model offers a QLED 4K screen with an anti-reflective, matte finish that reduces glare and helps artwork blend in with other framed pictures you may have nearby. (The last thing you want is to spend all this money and have it be immediately apparent that the art is on a screen rather than looking like a permanent fixture.) Its picture quality can't match the best TVs in this price range — there's no local dimming or mini-LED backlight to boost contrast — but it's still decently bright and colorful, and you'd buy it for its design first anyway. You can access over 1,400 new and established works of art with a subscription to Samsung's Art Store, though a few pieces come bundled with the set for free. It also supports a fast 120Hz refresh rate, so it's not bad for gaming.

Then there's the bezel, which gives your digital artwork an extra degree of authenticity. This deal is available with a white, "teak" or brown bezel — all of which have a modern design. The bezels are also magnetic, so if you change your mind down the line, you can snap them off. 

Note that this price applies to the 2022 version of the Frame TV. Samsung has released updated models for 2024 that reportedly offer better brightness but don't appear to be vastly different overall. Those sets are similarly discounted on Amazon right now, but since they cost a couple hundred dollars extra, the older variant should be a better value while it's still in stock. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-prime-day-tv-deal-still-offers-39-percent-off-the-samsung-frame-tv-090511791.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day deals on laptops include $200 off the M3 MacBook Air

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No matter how you swing it, Apple's computers are expensive, making sales crucial in the pursuit of taking one home. Fortunately, Amazon Prime Day is basically here and one of the best Prime Day laptop deals we found is on Apple's 13-inch 2024 MacBook Air with an M3 chip.

Our top pick for the best MacBook overall is down to $899 from $1,099 — an 18 percent discount. You'll get this sale price on the model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it doesn't come with AppleCare+ (which isn't surprising). Historically, Prime Day deals on laptops can be hit or miss, but this is a great one to consider right now if you've been eyeing a new MacBook to replace your aging laptop.

Apple's 2024 MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display that can support one billion different colors. We gave it a 90 in our review thanks to offers like a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, three mics and up to 18 hours of battery life. The M3 chip makes it a faster device, with an 8-core CPU and up to 10-core GPU. It also supports dual external displays — though the MacBook must be closed.

If you're in the market for a larger screen, check out the sale on the 15-inch version of Apple's M3-equipped 2024 MacBook Air. This model is also on sale, dropping to $1,099 from $1,299 — a 15 percent discount. It weighs an extra half a pound, but with a 15.2-inch screen, the additional space might be worth some weight. Plus, it offers six speakers, compared to the 13-inch's four.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-deals-on-laptops-include-200-off-the-m3-macbook-air-134232077.html?src=rss