Tag Archives: Technology & Electronics

Comcast agrees to kill 10G branding after advertising watchdogs said it was misleading

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Comcast is discontinuing its its “Xfinity 10G Network” branding to describe its internet service after a National Advertising Review Board (NARB) panel found that the term could mislead consumers into thinking that Comcast’s cellular and broadband services would offer much faster speeds than current-generation networks. Comcast rivals T-Mobile and Verizon had challenged the branding with the National Advertising Division (NAD), an ad industry watchdog, which had recommended that Comcast get rid of it in October 2023. Comcast’s confusing branding is at the heart of this challenge: “5G” refers to mobile internet, while “10G” refers to 10-gigabit broadband speeds typically delivered to homes through physical infrastructure.

On Wednesday, the NARB said that it agreed with the NAD’s decision and recommended that Comcast “discontinue use of the term 10G in the product service name ‘Xfinity 10G Network’ and when 10G is used descriptively to describe the Xfinity network.” The NARB found that the branding could mislead consumers into thinking that “10G” offered significantly faster speeds than current-generation 5G networks

The NARB also decided that using “10G” to refer to home broadband, as Comcast did, was misleading because consumers would assume that they would get 10-gigabit internet speeds on every Xfinity connection. In reality, as Ars Technica pointed out, getting those speeds requires getting Xfinity’s fiber-to-the-home connection, which typically costs hundreds of dollars more in monthly fees, installation, and activation over Xifnity’s regular cable broadband plans.

In a statement that Comcast provided to the NARB, the company agreed to stop using the misleading branding in its marketing. "Although Comcast strongly disagrees with NARB's analysis and approach, Comcast will discontinue use of the brand name 'Xfinity 10G Network' and will not use the term '10G' in a manner that misleadingly describes the Xfinity network itself," Comcast said. 

The company said, however, that it still “reserves the right” to use both “10G” and “Xifnity 10G” in ways that do “not misleadingly describe the Xfinity network itself”, so expect both terms to still show up in Xfinity marketing, just, hopefully, in less misleading ways.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/comcast-agrees-to-kill-10g-branding-after-advertising-watchdogs-said-it-was-misleading-185550194.html?src=rss

Niantic is bringing an AR skateboarding game to Apple Vision Pro

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Pokémon Go creator Niantic is bringing an AR skateboarding game to the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. The company teamed up with Reality Crisis, another player in the AR gaming space, to create Rodney Mullen’s SKATRIX. For the uninitiated, Mullen is a professional skateboarder who is credited with creating a number of iconic tricks, including the ollie and the kickflip.

This is the first augmented-reality skateboard game ever, unless you count using an actual skateboard to speed around town catching pocket monsters in Pokémon Go. Niantic says the gameplay will involve players navigating the real world to “explore and collect skatepark elements.” The game will use the same AR precision elements as the company’s other titles to “turn the world into an endless skatepark.” A gameplay demo shows an avatar skating in real-world locations like parking lots and inside of washing machines. However, there’s one really expensive elephant in the room.

The Apple Vision Pro costs $3,500 and isn’t exactly suited to removing from the living room, let alone the home. You’ll also look pretty stupid wearing Apple’s bulky ski goggles while out and about, not to mention it’d be mighty easy to snag it from your head and race away, perhaps on a real-life skateboard. 

To that end, Niantic and Reality Labs are also bringing the game to standard mobile devices, including iOS and Android smartphones. Much of the gameplay is still under wraps, but Niantic promises that players will be able to share custom-made skateparks with other users on both mobile devices and mixed-reality headsets.

Rodney Mullen’s SKATRIX will be released sometime this year. As for the Apple Vision Pro, the device looks to be getting all kinds of apps. The headset will have access to Microsoft’s entire 365 productivity suite at launch, along with a Zoom app. All told, Apple says there will be 600 apps available for tomorrow’s release.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/niantic-is-bringing-an-ar-skateboarding-game-to-apple-vision-pro-183740925.html?src=rss

Elgato introduces its first-ever HDMI 2.1 capture cards

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Elgato’s going all-in on HDMI 2.1. The company just announced a pair of capture cards that support the latest display technology specification. The 4K X and 4K Pro offer true HDR10 support, USB 3.2 connectivity, VRR and can capture 4K gameplay at 144fps.

Also, this card actually works with newer USB-C iPad models. This is the first time a capture card has ever offered native support for iPads, according to Elgato and parent company Corsair. The 4K X is compatible with both Windows and Mac computers and captures 4K gameplay at 144fps, you need a native display that supports these metrics. Otherwise, you’ll capture 4K at 120fps. You shouldn’t get any screen tearing with this device, due to the magic of HDMI 2.1.

The 4K Pro goes even further. This is a capture card in the traditional sense, as it resides inside of your PC. You get all of the features provided by the 4K X, but the passthrough spec bumps up to 8K and 60fps. Elgato claims this card will transform “your high-end single or dual-PC setup into a live-streaming powerhouse.”

To that end, the 4K Pro offers low-latency passthrough support up to 240fps in 4K, all while capturing 4K content at 1080p and 240fps. As you can see, this card boasts a wide range of specs, so you can adjust to find the best fit for your live-streaming needs. The card also integrates with the company’s Multi App tool, allowing you to send capture feeds to multiple apps at the same time. Elgato gives an example of recording raw gameplay while streaming simultaneously in OBS, Discord and Zoom. The 4K Pro is only compatible with Windows machines via a PCIe 2.0 x4 connection.

The cards work with most popular broadcast apps, including OBS Studio, Twitch Studio, Streamlabs Desktop, vMix and others. You also get access to the company’s capture management app, which exports content as AAF files for editing in Adobe Premiere, Vegas Pro and related software.

Both of these capture cards are available now. The portable 4K X costs $230, while the PCIe-adjacent 4K Pro costs $280. In related news, Samsung just inserted HDMI 2.1 support into its Q990D soundbar.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/elgato-introduces-its-first-ever-hdmi-21-capture-cards-174046239.html?src=rss

Snap is recalling its Pixy drone after battery fire

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Snap is recalling all of its Pixy drones after four reports of its batteries overheating, according to the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The company says it will issue refunds to all drone owners who return the device.

“Snap, in cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling the battery that comes with the Pixy Flying Camera because the battery can overheat, posing a fire hazard,” the company writes on its website. According to the CPSC, battery issues have caused one “minor” fire and one “minor” injury.

The company has detailed instructions for returning the flying camera — without their batteries — on its website, and says all Pixy owners are eligible for a refund of the purchase price, even if they received it as a gift or no longer have a receipt. Snap says that anyone with a Pixy drone should participate in the recall even if their device appears to be working properly.

The Snapchat maker introduced the mini drone in April 2022, but abandoned the project just four months later as Snap shifted resources away from hardware projects. The company never shared how many drones sold, but the CPSC says the recall affects about 71,000 devices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/snap-is-recalling-its-pixy-drone-after-battery-fire-173731938.html?src=rss

Apple’s M1 iPad Air is $150 off and down to a record low

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While not quite Apple’s most powerful tablet, the iPad Air is still the best choice for most customers. Its blend of nearly iPad Pro-level specs and features with more accessible pricing made it one of Engadget’s top iPad picks for 2024. If you’ve been eyeing a new model and don’t want to spend a fortune, you can snag the latest iPad Air at Best Buy for a record-low $450 (usually $600).

The 2022 iPad Air has a 10.9-inch screen with True Tone (auto-adjusting display warmth), P3 wide color (for a vivid and accurate color presentation), and an anti-reflective coating. Powering it is the M1 chip, which places it a generation behind the more expensive ($750 and up) 11-inch iPad Pro. However, the M1 is still more than zippy enough for nearly anyone’s everyday tablet use.

The $450 price gets you the base model with 64GB of storage. If that isn’t enough, Best Buy also has the 256GB model discounted to $600 (usually $750). Both storage tiers ship in five color options: space gray, starlight, blue, purple and pink.

The iPad Air works with Apple’s best tablet accessories, including the second-generation Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard, which transform it into a laptop-like portable workstation. It also includes a USB-C port for universal charging and connecting external drives or cameras.

Apple is rumored to launch a new iPad Air model in the coming months, so you may consider holding off if saving money isn’t your highest priority. But on the other hand, this is almost certainly the most bang for your buck you’ll get from a $450 iPad anytime soon.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-m1-ipad-air-is-150-off-and-down-to-a-record-low-173006634.html?src=rss

Google starts a limited test of generative AI tools in Maps

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Google is adding generative AI to Maps. The feature's in early access and only available for certain areas and for select Local Guides members, but it looks to be an interesting use of the technology. Basically, the tool allows you to speak to the app using natural language to discover new places in your hometown or when traveling throughout this great country of ours.

Here’s how it works. Ask the app what you’re looking for, like a restaurant to meet the needs of your friend group with various dietary restrictions. The company’s large-language models will analyze information about more than 250 million places along with insights provided by community members as part of its Local Guides program. It should be able to spit out the perfect spot.

Google says the system will work “no matter how specific, niche or broad your needs might be.” The company gives a far-reaching example involving thrifting in San Francisco. It describes a scenario in which a person asks the app for vintage thrifting spots in the city. The AI models analyzed nearby places, along with photos, ratings and community reviews. The app spit out a range of options, complete with photo carousels and review summaries.

Because this is a generative AI, you can go even further. If you ask the app to find a good lunch spot, it’ll automatically look for something that matches the retro vibe of the aforementioned vintage shop. In other words, it remembers the stuff you like, within reason. 

This feature can also be used on the fly, with Google giving an example of asking the AI for activities in the case of a sudden rainstorm. You can further refine search results by asking followup questions. This all seems pretty neat, but the feature is certainly limited for now, as it's just for US users and only in select areas. Once early access users give enough feedback, it should start popping up in more places.

Of course, this isn’t Google’s first AI rodeo. The company recently added generative AI features to the Chrome browser and made its AI-powered note-taking app available to everyone in the US. It’s also continuing to refine its Bard chatbot and stuffing Pixel phones with all kinds of AI tools.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-starts-a-limited-test-of-generative-ai-tools-in-maps-170012672.html?src=rss

Google reveals another text-to-image generative AI tool, ImageFX

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Google is rolling out a swathe of updates on the generative AI front, including a new text-to-image tool. What’s different about ImageFX is that it has an interface that features “expressive chips.” The idea here is that these will help you “quickly experiment with adjacent dimensions of your creation and ideas.”

Alongside the debut of ImageFX, Google says it has improved MusicFX and TextFX. The company’s claims that it’s made upgrades to the MusicLM model that include faster generation of music and higher-quality audio, along with new features. Generated songs can now last up to 70 seconds. As for TextFX, Google has rolled out usability updates in the aim of improving navigation and the overall user experience.

ImageFX-generated images and audio made with MusicFX are tagged by SynthID, a digital watermark that aims to make it clear that these are forged using AI, especially when they appear in Search or Chrome. ImageFX creations will also include IPTC metadata. This, according to Google, will offer “people more information whenever they encounter our AI-generated images”

Folks in the US, Kenya, New Zealand and Australia can try out these new and revamped tools in the AI Test Kitchen starting today. They’re only available in English for now.

The Imagen 2 model is powering the new image generation features of ImageFX. It’s also the tech that’s driving new generative AI options in Bard, Search, Ads, Duet AI in Workspace and Vertex AI. Google says that Imagen 2 helps to deliver its highest-quality AI-generated images yet. The company notes that the model helps keep images clear of artifacts and improves on areas of image generation that such tools have struggled with until now.

In addition, Google says it has made "significant investments" in Imagen 2 training data safety while adding guardrails to "limit problematic outputs like violent, offensive or sexually explicit content as well as applying filters to reduce the risk of generating images of named individuals." This is due to the model's upgraded ability to generate photorealistic images. The company claims it also carries out "extensive adversarial testing" to detect and clamp down on potentially problematic and harmful content.

Elsewhere, Gemini Pro in Bard is more broadly available starting today. It's now accessible in more than 40 languages and north of 230 countries and territories. Also as of today, Google says people in most countries can generate images in Bard in English for free. These images will include SynthID watermarks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-reveals-another-text-to-image-generative-ai-tool-imagefx-150659065.html?src=rss

Apple’s Vision Pro will have Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel and other 365 apps at launch

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Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro AR/VR headset will have a bunch of dedicated Microsoft 365 apps at launch on February 2, including Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Loop. Apple has long described the Vision Pro as primarily a productivity device, so the addition of Microsoft products should make users, well, more productive.

These aren’t just slapdash remakes of correlating iPads apps, as many have built-in tools that take advantage of the headset. For instance, PowerPoint features a custom immersive environment that allows users to practice delivering a presentation to an actual audience. Excel will let users quickly move documents to other apps by using the headset’s pinch and drag functionality.

An image of Excel on Vision Pro.
Microsoft

Microsoft Word will include a focus mode that blocks distractions so you can actually finish that novel you’ve been talking about for 15 years. Teams will take advantage of the headset’s persona feature, so your digital avatar can attend work meetings and creep everyone else out via the magic of the uncanny valley. The Zoom app on Apple Vision Pro will also include this feature.

Headset owners will also be able to access Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot service. In other words, you’ll be able to use natural conversation to instruct the digital assistant to create drafts, summarize documents and even generate PowerPoint presentations.

Each of these apps will be available via the official App Store as soon as you unbox your expensive new gadget. There has been plenty of chatter about what software won’t be available at launch, like Netflix and YouTube, so it’s good to see that early adopters won’t be forced to exclusively use Apple-branded apps.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-vision-pro-will-have-microsoft-teams-word-excel-and-other-365-apps-at-launch-195237957.html?src=rss

The latest Xbox controllers feature a nifty bowling ball aesthetic

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The Xbox Design Lab is neat in that you can customize the colors of your controller pretty much however you like. Microsoft is offering players more customization options for their Xbox controller with the Vapor series. These six top case options have swirling color patterns that will provide your peripheral with your ideal look if you're aiming for that bowling ball aesthetic.

The variants include Nocturnal Vapor, which blends dark green and grey; the bold pink and purple Cyber Vapor; and the red and orange Fire Vapor. You'll still be able to customize the button colors and swap in metallic triggers and D-pads, and rubberized side and back grips. Players can add a personalized engraving to the case too.

Xbox Dream Vapor controller with pink and purple swirls and buttons.
Xbox

Those who don't feel like fiddling around in the Design Lab but still want a controller with this kind of vibe can pick up the latest Xbox special edition controller, the Dream Vapor. While it uses the pink and purple top case from the Vapor collection, Xbox has included unique, matching purple rubberized side grips and soft pink ABXY buttons with purple accents. Snap up the $70 controller and you'll also get an exclusive dynamic background for your Xbox Series X/S.

It's not exactly the first time Xbox has embraced this vibe. The Stormcloud Vapor controller has been around for a while. But the fact Microsoft is wading further into these swirly waters has us suspecting there's perhaps a really big Pete Weber fan on the Xbox team.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-latest-xbox-controllers-feature-a-nifty-bowling-ball-aesthetic-194233908.html?src=rss

Shark robot vacuums are up to 46 percent off right now

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There are a few go-to names when it comes to robot vacuums and Shark is right up there. The company makes some of the best robot vacuums on the market, and several models are currently on sale. The Shark AI robot vacuum with a self-emptying base is currently available for $350. That's $300 off the regular price, albeit $50 more than the record low. That said, it was only available for $300 for a short time during the holiday season. You'd be hard pressed to find a better deal on the device at the minute.

This model will run for up to 120 minutes before it needs to recharge, and it will return to its dock to top up the battery when need be. It uses LiDAR to map your home and a matrix grid approach to cleaning the floors, making multiple passes over dirt. The vacuum has a HEPA filtration system to help it capture pet hair, dust and allergens. You can set a cleaning schedule or ask the vacuum to spot clean using your voice thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant support. Best of all, the self-emptying base holds up to 60 days of debris and dirt, so you won't have to pay too much attention to the machine.

Elsewhere, you can score a notable discount on Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop. That device has dropped to $430, which is $130 off the regular price, but $70 more than the record low we saw during the holiday shopping period. AS the name suggests, this adds a mop on top of vacuum functions. The mopping function can tackle stubborn stains by scrubbing hard floors 100 times per minute. A Matrix Mop feature can improve stain cleaning in targeted zones by 50 percent, Shark claims.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/shark-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-46-percent-off-right-now-170020151.html?src=rss