Tag Archives: author_name|Mat Smith

The Morning After: X now lets blocked users see your posts

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The block button on X has changed. Now, it allows blocked users to see posts of the accounts that blocked them, but they still can’t interact with those accounts. You also can’t follow or message the user.

X previously said it was making the change because users can already see and interact with blocked accounts by switching to a non-blocked account. X also said blocking the old way could be used to share and hide harmful or private information about those they’ve blocked, so the new feature allows “greater transparency.”

Experts on social-media abuse disagree, noting these changes will help stalkers and trolls. “Enabling blocked users to see posts is catering to abusers and stalkers, indulging and facilitating their behaviors,” wrote London Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman last month.

While that is unlikely to sway opinion at X, the changes may run afoul of rules on iOS and Google Play app stores. Apple, for one, states in its developer terms of service that any apps with user-generated content must offer “the ability to block abusive users from the service.” There’s still a block button, of course, but it’s not really blocking anyone anymore.

— Mat Smith

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The biggest tech stories you missed

NLRB accuses Grindr of using a return-to-office mandate to upend a unionization drive

Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024) review

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Sony just published a list of 50-plus games with enhanced versions when the console launches later this week. It includes hits like Baldur’s Gate 3, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarök. Expect to see improvements like advanced ray tracing, higher frame rates and Sony’s proprietary upscaling system, called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. Gran Turismo 7 is missing, despite an already announced enhanced version. It must not be ready yet. Final Fantasy XVI is also absent from the list, with its own frame rate struggles on the base PS5.

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Netflix is removing much of its interactive content

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Netflix

Netflix is deleting much of its interactive content, according to The Verge. The platform currently lists 24 Interactive Specials, but only four of them will remain after December 1. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls will all live to stream another day. Sadly, specials based on Carmen Sandiego, Boss Baby and Puss in Boots, won’t.

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Amazon just launched a new tool for Prime Video that uses AI to generate personalized recaps. X-Ray Recaps uses generative AI to create “brief, easy-to-digest summaries” of entire TV seasons, single episodes or even portions of episodes. All personalized. So the recap will go up to the “exact minute of where you are watching.” There are a lot of limits, however: X-Ray Recaps launches in beta for Fire TV customers and right now, it only works with content made by Amazon MGM Studios, like Upload, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Wheel of Time and The Boys.

Still, it might be a good time for me to finally get into The Boys.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121520786.html?src=rss

The Morning After: FBI warns about fake election security videos

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At the start of the weekend, the FBI issued a statement addressing videos “falsely claiming to be from the FBI relating to election security.” That includes one claiming the bureau had “apprehended three linked groups committing ballot fraud,” and one about Kamala Harris’ husband.

Disinformation has seemingly grown substantially in the final few days, with the presidential election kicking off tomorrow. Late last week, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said they’d traced two other videos back to “Russian influence actors,” including one falsely depicting individuals from Haiti voting illegally in multiple counties in Georgia.

Just a couple of days to go, then everything will be fine. Right?

— Mat Smith

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The biggest tech stories you missed

Amazon Prime’s free games for November include Dishonored and Guardians of the Galaxy

Election 2024: What will the candidates do about the digital divide?

Engadget review recap: Amazon’s colorful Kindle, DJI’s latest action cam and more

In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman dive into all of Apple’s new M4 hardware: the new iMac, Mac mini and refreshed MacBook Pros. But seriously, it’s mostly them fanboying over the Mac mini.

Listen here.

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Engadget

If you’re a little curious about the future of augmented reality, Meta’s Orion prototype makes the most compelling case yet. They’re still incredibly chonky, but Orion is about more than finally making AR glasses a reality. It’s also the company’s best shot at becoming less dependent on Apple and Google, their app stores. Karissa Bell goes hands-on.

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Disney recently formed a dedicated emerging technologies unit. Dubbed the Office of Technology Enablement, the group will coordinate the company’s exploration, adoption and use of artificial intelligence, AR and VR tech across all things Disney. A Disney spokesperson told Engadget the Office of Technology Enablement won’t take over any existing AI and XR projects at the company. Instead, it will support Disney’s other teams, many of which are already working on products using those technologies.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121503555.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Nintendo made its own music streaming service

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Addressing the needs of… someone, Nintendo has announced its own music streaming service on a mobile app for both Android and iPhone. Encompassing the music of Nintendo’s own gaming properties, from Mario to Metroid, Nintendo Music has a user interface that pretty much looks like Spotify. It’s a new addition to Switch Online subscribers, so it’s not free, but it’s a convenient extra if you’re already paying. Nintendo Music will even suggest and curate music based on your Switch activity.

One unique feature here is spoiler prevention. If you add a game, the app hides tracks and details that could give away a surprise twist, unexpected final boss or other potential spoilers, like that nihilistic ending of Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.

— Mat Smith

The biggest tech stories you missed

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OpenAI’s latest feature searches the web in response to your natural language queries, delivering “fast, timely answers with links to relevant web sources.” OpenAI says the feature looks for “original, high-quality content from the web,” integrating it into conversational answers. This includes trusted news media sources and data providers, like AccuWeather.

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Engadget

Now iOS 18.1 is available to the masses, Apple’s new hearing aid feature is ready for use. With an up-to-date iPhone and those earbuds, you can employ hearing assistance tools without visiting a doctor or buying pricey dedicated hearing aids. After making sure your iPhone and AirPods Pro 2 are updated, the test itself is a little hidden away inside the Health app. Here’s how to find it.

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After a delay in June and a second in August, Recall now won’t be available to test until December. Microsoft is once more pushing back testing of the feature intended for its Copilot+ PCs, according to The Verge. Pitched as a sort of photographic memory for Windows, it’s meant to improve the search process on PCs. But since that demands a high degree of access to your data, it has been the target of privacy and security concerns.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-nintendo-made-its-own-music-streaming-service-111636065.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Our verdict on the Kindle Colorsoft

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Finally, a color Kindle. Amazon, the dominant force in ereaders, finally brought color eink to its series of devices — and we’ve reviewed it. The Kindle Colorsoft is a solid premium ereader, ideal for readers of comics and graphic novels. The company has upgraded page-turn speed and a handy pinch-to-zoom function makes it easier to fully enjoy detailed images.

But at $280, it’s expensive. More expensive, even, than rival color ereaders. However, it’s hard to argue against the convenience and ubiquity of the Kindle ecosystem. The library is seemingly endless (with regular discounts on books and titles you plan to read), supplemented by Prime Reading and Kindle Unlimited. If you’re tempted, check out our detailed review and comparisons with other ereaders.

— Mat Smith

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The biggest tech stories you missed

Election 2024: How will the candidates regulate AI?

X’s Community Notes feature has one job, and it’s failing to do it

Meta AI has more than 500 million users

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Engadget

With the Action 5 Pro, DJI finally has a worthy rival to GoPro and Insta360 action cam. With excellent battery life and solid image quality, the only drawback is slightly less-sharp video. However, if low-light performance is key, head straight for the Action 5 Pro. DJI’s new action cam costs $350, while the Hero 13 Pro and Insta360’s Ace Pro 2 are $400. The DJI beats both in battery life and is on par with its rivals when it comes to stabilization.

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Following the 24-inch iMac, then the adorable new Mac mini, Apple is also bringing its M4 chips to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro too. And, in addition to the base M4 chip and the M4 Pro, they can also be configured with the newly announced M4 Max. Alongside the internal spec boost, the new MacBook Pros have slightly brighter screens, which can reach up to 1,000 nits of SDR brightness (compared to 600 nits before), and there’s also a nano-texture display option, which drastically reduces glare for people working in very bright environments or direct sunlight.

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Nothing

It doesn’t go bump in the night, but it does glow.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111538190.html?src=rss

The Morning After: How will the next US president deal with big tech?

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Over the last four years, the Biden administration’s antitrust efforts have been notable by their sheer number, with ongoing cases against Apple, Meta, Google and Amazon — as well as sparring with tech-adjacent players like Ticketmaster. Biden’s team has pushed to prevent giant mergers, increase competition and punish companies (however lightly) for unfair business practices.

So how about your next president? We compare Kamala Harris (who seems less aggressive on antitrust than her predecessor) to Donald Trump, whose stint in the White House was also pretty active in the antitrust space. Trump already has strong opinions on some of the biggest players in the tech space too.

— Mat Smith

The biggest tech stories you missed

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Apple

Apple’s refreshed Mac mini is a five-inch by five-inch box, two inches tall, that could be a serious workhorse. Sure, you can equip it with Apple’s M4 chip, but it can also be configured with an even more powerful M4 Pro model, announced alongside the new mini.

So yes, it’s smaller than what came before it (the M2 iteration was a shorter 7.75-inch square). In fact, it’s getting down to almost Apple TV sizes. Apple has also finally given us a few front ports: two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. And if you go for the M4 Pro version, which delivers Thunderbolt 5 connectivity for the first time on a Mac, with up to three times the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3, as well as up to 64GB of RAM.

That bandwidth will cost you, though. The new M4 Mac mini is on pre-order now, starting at $599 ($499 for education customers), and it’ll be available in stores on November 9. The M4 Pro model, meanwhile, starts at $1,399.

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Sony has officially killed off Concord and is shuttering the studio behind the game. Concord's servers were taken down just two weeks after the launch of the competitive team shooter from Firewalk Studios, after poor sales. Sony bought the studio only last spring.

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Netflix

After the success of docuseries Drive to Survive, Netflix is spotlighting a motorsport great. Senna will show the roots, drive and tragic passing of Ayrton Senna (Gabriel Leone) as he goes from racing go-karts in São Paulo, Brazil, to international superstardom and 41-time Grands Prix winner.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-how-will-the-next-us-president-deal-with-big-tech-111712080.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple Intelligence is officially here

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Apple Intelligence, the company’s all-encompassing branding for its AI tools, features and curios, is finally here. Did you think Apple launched this ages ago? It was announced in June, and drip fed to beta testers, first in the developer preview, then the open preview.

It was even a big part of the iPhone 16 sales pitch at launch, but Apple’s newest phones lacked those AI features — until now. Arriving as part of Apple’s updates to iOS, iPadOS and macOS, it’s not everything teased at WWDC (no making your own emojis for now), but it’s a tract of new features showing how the company is tackling AI in its software.

As well as new proofreading and rewriting tools, there’s live transcription for phone calls and Notes’ audio recordings. Apple Intelligence also adds text summaries for websites, emails and all those transcriptions. There’s also my personal favorite: notification summaries.

We’ll be taking a closer look at what Apple Intelligence is capable of, but broadly (and from our experience testing the preview builds), the additions won’t change your smartphone life. Some of them are very useful, while others, like photo editing, fall behind rivals like Google and Samsung.

— Mat Smith

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Apple

In time for those new features, Apple’s new iMac includes new colorways and the latest Apple silicon. The new model has the same display and design as previous models, but there’s a new nano-texture glass screen option for a proper splurge. Apple says the M4 inside the new iMac makes the computer 1.7 times faster for daily productivity and up to 2.1 faster for more demanding tasks (i.e. gaming and photo editing) than the M1-powered iteration. The M4 iMac will be available on November 8, starting at the same $1,299 as its predecessor.

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Netflix is rolling out a new feature called Moments, which lets you save, share and rewatch certain scenes from shows and movies. For now, it’s mobile only, starting on Netflix’s iOS app and coming to Android in the next few weeks. Netflix says episodes and films will start playing from bookmarked scenes when you rewatch them, with an array of share buttons for messaging and social media apps. It’s perfectly timed for my recent binging of Kath and Kim. All four series, done.

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Google is selling refurbished Pixel 6, Pixel 6A and Pixel 7 handsets directly through the Google Store. Discounts are up to 40 percent compared to new models, but we are on Pixel 9 now, so there are no brand new Pixel 6s on sale, at least not from Google. Prices start at $339 for the Pixel 6.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111641713.html?src=rss

The Morning After: YouTube is testing a new subscription option that could remove most ads

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YouTube is testing a new version of its Premium Lite subscription tier in Australia, Germany and Thailand, a Google rep confirmed. It would have limited ads, which the fine print describes as most videos being ad-free, “but you may see video ads on music content and Shorts, and non-interruptive ads when you search and browse.”

The original Premium Lite subscription began testing in Europe in 2021, but it only lasted a few years, being phased out in October 2023. It was very much “lite, lacking the offline or background viewing of the regular Premium subscription.

The pricing model for these early tests in Australia is $9 a month for Premium Lite, compared with $17 a month for full Premium access, roughly in line with the original Lite costs.

— Mat Smith

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After the success of Fallout, Amazon wants its next Prime Video gaming adaptation to match that level — and it’s apparently willing to start afresh to do so. Deadline reported that the God of War showrunner and two executive producers have left the project as it shifts direction. The series is an adaptation of the 2018 franchise reboot.

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Engadget

It looks like the kind of kitchen purchase the antagonist millionaires of Ex Machina or Knives Out would be tempted by. The Moley Robotics’ X-AiR starts at $105,000. So far, Moley hasn’t installed a single robot but expects the process to begin in the next three to six months — people have bought into the arm already.

X-AiR has no built-in vision or sensing technology. Instead, the robot arm moves around its space from memory, knowing where all the ingredients, oils and tools should be. But while it can cook (with pans and everything), it can’t peel a carrot. Is this a robot that only does the fun part of cooking? We made Daniel Cooper eat tofu.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-youtube-is-testing-a-new-subscription-option-that-could-remove-most-ads-110923941.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Amazon finally made a Kindle with a color display

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In a barrage of Kindle hardware, Amazon might have something for anyone looking to upgrade from a basic Kindle. The biggest reveal might be the Kindle Colorsoft, its first reader with a color display. Amazon tried to ensure the reader has a good color and black-and-white experience, with high contrast, high resolution and high clarity whether you're looking at a color image or a black-and-white page. Amazon uses nitride LEDs, which work with the company’s algorithm to enhance color and brightness without washing out images.

Judging by the press images (and the demos we went to), these seem primed for graphic novels and comics. If you’re looking for something to digitally house your comics and manga, the Kindle Colorsoft will cost you $280 and start shipping on October 30.

— Mat Smith

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New Pixel updates include AI-powered theft protection

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Amazon

With the original Scribe, Amazon got a lot of the basics right. It nailed latency and smoothness of the writing experience, but writing notes on your ebooks was a bit janky. Now, when you write on a page, the Scribe will generate a box for your notes. This box is embedded in the text, with the book’s words rearranging and flowing to accommodate it. However, it’s still not a simple ‘draw on the page’ solution. The Kindle Scribe will be available in December, starting at $400.

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Analogue

Analogue says it’s nailed its most complicated project yet: rebuilding the Nintendo 64 from scratch. Once again, the Analogue 3D has an FPGA (field programmable gate array) chip, coded to emulate the original console on a hardware level. We’re promised support for every official N64 cartridge ever released, across all regions, but with some major upgrades. The Analogue 3D supports 4K output, variable refresh rate displays and PAL and NTSC carts. The company is also making Original Display Modes to emulate your CRT TV of yore.

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NASA

Prada and Axiom Space teamed up to design a new spacesuit, and NASA is now ready to reveal the look. This is the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, white with red and gray accents for a bit of color and excitement. The suit is almost finished, having undergone testing and simulations at Axiom Space, SpaceX and NASA facilities. It should enter a final review in 2025.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-amazon-finally-made-a-kindle-with-a-color-display-111533015.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple’s surprise iPad mini

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Apple just announced the seventh-gen iPad mini, three years after its sixth-gen model. It has a faster A17 Pro chip, originally found in the iPhone 15 Pro, which means it’ll be able to handle Apple’s incoming AI features — although it’s not Apple's most powerful mobile chip. There’s more RAM too.

Power aside, it has the same 8.3-inch screen as the previous model and an identical 2,266 x 1,488 resolution at 326 ppi. The refresh rate remains a modest 60Hz, in an era of 90Hz or higher. It’s not any bigger, wider or slimmer than its predecessor either.

It’s been a while since a new iPad mini, so we were overdue an update. However, this is a very mild update with no design changes. Also, while the size is smaller, no M-series chip. The new iPad mini arrives on October 23, starting at $499 for 128GB storage. It’ll arrive in blue, purple, starlight and space gray colors.

– Mat Smith

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Sonos

Don’t mention the disastrous app. Sonos announced the Arc Ultra and Sub 4, with the former replacing the $899 Arc as the company’s flagship home theater product.​​ It’s the first Sonos soundbar to include its new Sound Motion technology, which apparently results in a much smaller product. The Arc Ultra can produce up to twice as much bass as its predecessor, according to Sonos. The new Sub 4 ($799) features more processing power, additional RAM, and a new Wi-Fi radio for improved connectivity. It’s also more efficient, with the company claiming an almost 50 percent reduction in idle power consumption. Both will go on sale October 29, so you can upgrade your sound system just before a Halloween movie marathon, I guess.

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Engadget

DJI’s dual-camera Air 3S drone has some cutting-edge tech in the nose: a LiDAR sensor to provide extra crash protection at night. The Air 3S also has a new main camera with a larger sensor better suited for capturing video in low light. And it now comes with the company’s ActiveTrack 360, which it first introduced in the Mini 4 Pro, allowing the device to zoom all around your subject while tracking and filming them. See how those features fare in our review. (Of course, there’s video too.)

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111632292.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple’s surprise iPad mini

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Apple just announced the seventh-gen iPad mini, three years after its sixth-gen model. It has a faster A17 Pro chip, originally found in the iPhone 15 Pro, which means it’ll be able to handle Apple’s incoming AI features — although it’s not Apple's most powerful mobile chip. There’s more RAM too.

Power aside, it has the same 8.3-inch screen as the previous model and an identical 2,266 x 1,488 resolution at 326 ppi. The refresh rate remains a modest 60Hz, in an era of 90Hz or higher. It’s not any bigger, wider or slimmer than its predecessor either.

It’s been a while since a new iPad mini, so we were overdue an update. However, this is a very mild update with no design changes. Also, while the size is smaller, no M-series chip. The new iPad mini arrives on October 23, starting at $499 for 128GB storage. It’ll arrive in blue, purple, starlight and space gray colors.

– Mat Smith

The biggest tech stories you missed

Creators getting paid to post on Threads don’t understand its algorithm either

The next entry-level Kindle just leaked

Intel and AMD team up to stem the x86 bleeding

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TMA
Sonos

Don’t mention the disastrous app. Sonos announced the Arc Ultra and Sub 4, with the former replacing the $899 Arc as the company’s flagship home theater product.​​ It’s the first Sonos soundbar to include its new Sound Motion technology, which apparently results in a much smaller product. The Arc Ultra can produce up to twice as much bass as its predecessor, according to Sonos. The new Sub 4 ($799) features more processing power, additional RAM, and a new Wi-Fi radio for improved connectivity. It’s also more efficient, with the company claiming an almost 50 percent reduction in idle power consumption. Both will go on sale October 29, so you can upgrade your sound system just before a Halloween movie marathon, I guess.

Continue reading.

TMA
Engadget

DJI’s dual-camera Air 3S drone has some cutting-edge tech in the nose: a LiDAR sensor to provide extra crash protection at night. The Air 3S also has a new main camera with a larger sensor better suited for capturing video in low light. And it now comes with the company’s ActiveTrack 360, which it first introduced in the Mini 4 Pro, allowing the device to zoom all around your subject while tracking and filming them. See how those features fare in our review. (Of course, there’s video too.)

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111632292.html?src=rss