Tag Archives: region|US

Ooni flash sale includes 20 percent off Karu and Koda pizza ovens

Posted on by

Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner so summer deal season is in full swing, including on some manufacturers' own storefronts. Ooni is running a flash sale at the minute and the company has slashed 20 percent off the price of some of its pizza ovens, including the Karu 12 and Koda 12. The Karu 12 has dropped to $239, which is $60 off the regular price. The Koda 12, meanwhile, is $80 off at $319. The sale runs until July 17.

Ooni makes some of our picks for the best pizza ovens. While we generally recommend larger models, there's no harm in going for the Karu 12 or Koda 12 if you prefer to make smaller pies or want a more compact model for camping trips .

The Karu is a multi-fuel oven that uses your choice of wood, charcoal or gas to cook pizzas. Bear in mind that you'll need to purchase a gas burner separately if you prefer that fuel. The Karu 12 doesn't come with a peel either, unfortunately.

Ooni says the Karu 12 can reach temperatures of up to 950°F or 500°C and that it can hit the optimal baking temperature of 850°F or 450°C in just 15 minutes. From there, it'll take just 60 seconds to cook a pie. Along with baking pizzas, you can bake, roast and sear in the Karu 12. You can control the temperature by adjusting the airflow on the chimney. The oven weighs 26.lbs (12kg).

As for the Koda 12, that's a gas-powered model that comes with a regulator and hose to hook up to your propane tank (you'll still need to buy a peel separately though). It's also more compact than the Karu 12, as it weighs 20.4lbs (9.25kg).

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/ooni-flash-sale-includes-20-percent-off-karu-and-koda-pizza-ovens-180029123.html?src=rss

A new spacesuit design can recycle astronauts’ urine into purified, drinkable water

Posted on by

The life of an astronaut may sound like a glamorous career but it requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice. They have to spend weeks or even months at a time away from Earth, their loved ones and the warm embrace of gravity. They have to endure an endless stream of “Tang” jokes. Sometimes they even have to drink recycled wastewater.

We say “sometimes” because not every drop of astronaut urine is recycled into palatable water. The urine they expel into their spacesuits is simply flushed away or discarded when they return to the spacecraft. A new space suit designed by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University inspired by Frank Herbert’s Dune novels could make spacewalks longer and less disgusting by recycling their expelled urine in a special filtration backpack. The research and design teams from both schools published a paper of their findings in the scientific journal Frontiers.

These suits are referred to as “stillsuits” in the Dune universe and can capture moisture to recycle it into drinkable water as soldiers trek and battle across the barren desert world of Arrakis. The real-life, proposed stillsuits do roughly the same thing. The new stillsuits have a “vacuum-based external catheter leading to a combined forward-reverse osmosis unit” that astronauts carry on their back, says the study’s lead author and research staff member Sofia Etlin in a press release.

stillsuit
Karen Morales

The suits were designed with future NASA space missions in mind including the Artemis II and Artemis III missions that will orbit the moon and touch down on its south pole in the next two years. NASA and Axiom Space have already approved a spacesuit design for its moon missions but it looks like this new filtration system could be added to them. The stillsuits can also be used for the manned Mars space mission in the early 2030s.

The stillsuits will not only quench the astronauts’ thirst during spacewalks but it will also make them more hygienic. The traditional NASA spacesuit design that’s been in circulation since the 1970s only comes with a superabsorbent polymer to catch astronauts’ urine. That means pretty much every astronaut who’s gone on a space or moon walk has peed in their space pants.

This outdated waste system has also led to hygiene and medical issues for astronauts like urinary tract infections (UTIs) and gastrointestinal problems. That’s why you’ve never seen Paul Atreides struggling with diverticulitis.

NASA hasn’t officially adopted Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University’s new spacesuit design for any of its upcoming space missions. We imagine that we’d urge NASA to fasttrack it if we had been on the International Space Station and ever had to endure a long spacewalk after drinking too much Tang.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-new-spacesuit-design-can-recycle-astronauts-urine-into-purified-drinkable-water-175235587.html?src=rss

Analogue’s latest limited-edition Pocket consoles are made out of aluminum

Posted on by

Analogue just announced a forthcoming limited edition of its popular retro Pocket console. This one boasts an exterior made entirely out of attractive machined aluminum. It looks pretty dang cool. It also costs $500, which is almost $300 more than the non-aluminum Analogue Pocket.

Analogue promises that “every single piece” is “entirely CNC’d from aluminum.” The company also says it will be available in “highly limited quantities'' with orders going live on July 15 at 11AM ET. Past as prologue, these limited editions sell out quickly. If you want one, make sure to set a reminder or an alarm to join the queue, as Analogue says these consoles will never be sold again. They will be available in four anodized colors, including natural metal, indigo and black.

Other than the aluminum exterior, which does look great, this is the exact same console that’s been around since 2021. It allows people to play actual Game Boy cartridges and other carts, with the right adapters, on a handheld console with some modern flourishes. It typically costs $220, so you are paying a whole lot for aluminum.

It’s worth noting that rival companies like Retroid have also made metal versions of its consoles, but the markup has been minimal. It’s also worth noting that these other metal consoles don’t look nearly as cool as the aluminum Analogue Pocket. You get what you pay for, I guess.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/analogues-latest-limited-edition-pocket-consoles-are-made-out-of-aluminum-165808136.html?src=rss

Massive AT&T data breach impacted nearly every single customer

Posted on by

AT&T just confirmed a massive data breach in 2022 that impacted “nearly all” of its customers, according to a statement provided by TechCrunch. The company had over 110 million wireless subscribers in 2022 so, yeah, this is kind of a big deal.

The data breach allowed hackers to steal phone numbers, text data and phone records from these people which, once again, comprises nearly the entire customer base, myself included. AT&T says it will begin notifying consumers about the breach in the near future, committing to informing the 110 impacted million customers. The breach occurred during a six-month period from May 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022, though it looks like some data kept getting stolen up until January 2, 2023. This latter breach impacts a smaller, though unspecified, number of consumers.

Now, before you start worrying about that embarrassing text you sent an ex back in 2022, AT&T says the breach “does not contain the content of calls or texts.” However, it does include the phone numbers that an account interacted with, as well as a complete count of a customer’s calls, texts and call durations, otherwise known as metadata. The time and date of the calls or texts were not included in the hack, according to AT&T.

However, the breach did include cell site identification numbers, which could “potentially allow for the triangulation of users' locations,” wrote Javvad Malik, a representative from cybersecurity awareness firm KnowBe4, in a statement to Engadget. Malik also painted a grim picture of what could be done with the stolen metadata, writing that it “can paint a detailed picture of an individual's daily life, habits, and associations, making it a valuable asset for those with malicious intent.”

AT&T has published a website with information for customers about the breach and has disclosed the hack in a regulatory filing issued before the market opened on Friday, July 12. The company says it learned of the issue on April 19 and that it has nothing to do with a previous security incident from March, in which customer data was published on the dark web.

So how did this happen? AT&T places the blame on its cloud data partner Snowflake, saying that the compromise occurred after hacks targeted its business customers. Snowflake allows corporate customers to store large amounts of customer data in the cloud for the purpose of analysis. AT&T hasn’t stated any reason as to why it would want to analyze massive amounts of customer data or why it would store this data with Snowflake. A company representative declined to provide further information to TechCrunch.

One thing is certain. AT&T isn’t the only company recently burned by a Snowflake hack. Other impacted companies include Ticketmaster and QuoteWizard, among more than 160 others. Snowflake, for its part, has shifted the blame back to AT&T and the others, saying that each organization didn’t use multi-factor authentication to secure their accounts. So, all 160+ companies forgot to turn on multi-factor authentication? You’d think something like that would be mandatory when dealing with massive amounts of customer data but, well, I guess not.

The breach has been tracked back to an uncategorized cybercriminal group known only as UNC5537, according to cybersecurity incident response firm Mandiant. That company suggests financial motivations behind the hack.

Despite the breach, AT&T says that the stolen data isn’t publicly available at this time. It’s currently working with law enforcement and says that “at least one person has been apprehended.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/massive-att-data-breach-impacted-nearly-every-single-customer-155346341.html?src=rss

The first Olympic Esports Games will take place in Saudi Arabia in 2025

Posted on by

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that the inaugural edition of the Olympic Esports Games will take place in Saudi Arabia in 2025 as part of a 12-year partnership with the country's National Olympic Committee. The host city, venue(s) and dates are yet to be determined as are the games that will be included and the qualification process for each.

The IOC says that international federations and national Olympic committees that are already involved in a digital version of their sport and esports in general will be its first options for partners. The organization took a similar approach to a trial event that took place last year, which saw players compete in the likes of Gran Turismo, Fortnite, Just Dance, Zwift and even mobile games barely anyone had ever heard of.

That said, the IOC may be looking to bring other legitimately popular esports into the fold. According to L'Equipe, the organization is in talks with the publishers of Rocket League, Street Fighter and the biggest esport of all, League of Legends, to include those games. The Olympic Esports Games may take place every two years, with South Korea and the US said to be in discussions to host future installments.

The IOC had been mulling for years whether to run an official esports event under its banner, and the organization is finally going for it. However, opting for Saudi Arabia as the inaugural Olympic Esports Games host is a contentious choice given the country's dismal human rights record. 

The nation has been using entertainment, sports and esports in an attempt to clean up its image. It's been plowing billions of dollars into esports and gaming companies, forging partnerships with publishers to run the pro circuits for certain games and hosting the Esports World Cup, which is currently taking place with a $60 million prize pool. A state-funded company now owns 40 percent of the esports market, according to a New York Times report.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-first-olympic-esports-games-will-take-place-in-saudi-arabia-in-2025-154637804.html?src=rss

X is in hot water in the EU over blue checkmarks and ads

Posted on by

X is the latest notable tech company to land in trouble with the European Union. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, has revealed the preliminary findings of an investigation. It claims that X has violated the Digital Services Act (DSA) in a number of ways.

The platform’s approach to paid verification has come into the EU’s crosshairs. Officials say that the practice “does not correspond to industry practice and deceives users.” It added that, since anyone can pay to get a blue checkmark, it’s difficult for folks to determine the authenticity of accounts (a browser extension can tell you which accounts are verified because of notability and which paid for a checkmark). The EU also said there’s evidence of bad actors using checkmarks to hoodwink people.

X's problems with verification stem back several years. But at least when it was known as Twitter, the blue check was a (reasonably) reliable form of assurance that an account was the real deal. Paid checkmarks, and the increase in visibility that Premium users get, seems to have led to an increase in scams and spam — just as many predicted.

Next up, the EU took issue with X’s alleged lack of advertising transparency. It claimed the company doesn’t have a reliable, searchable ad repository that enables researchers to look into “emerging risks brought about by the distribution of advertising online.”

In addition, the EU said X is violating the DSA by failing to give researchers sufficient access to public data. “In particular, X prohibits eligible researchers from independently accessing its public data, such as by scraping, as stated in its terms of service,” the bloc argued in a statement. In the EU’s view, researchers are either dissuaded from carrying out projects or forced to pay “disproportionately high fees” to do so given the way that X has set up its application programming interfaces (APIs).

"Back in the day, Blue Checks used to mean trustworthy sources of information. Now with X, our preliminary view is that they deceive users and infringe the DSA," Thierry Breton, the EU's internal market commissioner, said in a statement. "We also consider that X’s ads repository and conditions for data access by researchers are not in line with the DSA transparency requirements. X has now the right of defense — but if our view is confirmed we will impose fines and require significant changes."

If X is found guilty, it will face fines of up to six percent of its global annual revenue — so we may get a sense of just how much money the now privately held company is making these days. The EU may also direct X to take steps to ensure compliance with the DSA and impose further periodic fines if the company does not do so.

The EU hasn't been shy in taking tech companies to task under the DSA and its sibling legislation, the Digital Markets Act. Meta and Apple could both be on the hook for multibillion-dollar fines if preliminary findings of investigations hold up.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-is-in-hot-water-in-the-eu-over-blue-checkmarks-and-ads-145003468.html?src=rss

The Double Dragon series returns yet again with an ultra-modern tribute to the original game

Posted on by

I first started hitting arcades in the late '80s, and one of the first games I remember playing was the seminal 1987 beat-em-up Double Dragon. Probably not the most appropriate thing for a seven-year-old, but I pumped plenty of quarters into it and subsequently spent tons of time playing the NES port. After its late '80s / early '90s heyday, though, the Double Dragon series has gone through a number of weird iterations and revamps, and a new one based on the original game is set to arrive in 2025.

Double Dragon Revive is produced by Japanese developer / publisher Arc System Works, who acquired the rights to Double Dragon back in 2015 after the original developer Technōs went out of business. Unlike Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, which was released in 2023 and featured a very distinctive cartoonish style, Revive is leaning into an ultra-modern and more realistic vibe, relatively speaking. 

It reminds me a bit of recent Street Fighter games; similarly, the characters look like they have a greatly expanded set of moves to bash through the waves of bad guys. There isn't much detail on the game out there yet, though Arc System Works does note that this game isn't a pure button-masher, saying that it "requires adaptation and variety." 

Visual style isn't the only thing differentiating Revive from Rise of the Dragons. The 2023 game had ropuelike elements, 13 playable characters and a tag-team ability to let you swap between those characters. Revive, as the name suggests, will likely stick more to the tried-and-true Double Dragon formula. How much that'll resonate with players in 2025 remains to be seen, but there are surely enough nostalgic kids from the '80s out there who will give this one a shot. It'll be available for the PS4 and PS5, Xbox One and Series X/S and on Steam.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-double-dragon-series-returns-yet-again-with-an-ultra-modern-tribute-to-the-original-game-142722631.html?src=rss

The EU will start enforcing its new AI regulations on August 1

Posted on by

The European Union has published the full and final text for the EU AI Act in its Official Journal, as reported by TechCrunch. Since the new law will come into force 20 days after its publication, that means it will be enforceable starting on August 1. All its provisions will be fully applicable in two years' time, but some of them will be implemented much earlier than that. 

Six months from now, the bloc will start implementing bans on prohibited applications for AI, such as the use of social credit ranking systems, the collection and compilation of facial recognition information for databases, as well the use of real time emotion recognition systems in schools and workplaces. 

In nine months, the EU will start implementing codes of practice on AI developers. The EU AI Office established by the European Commission will work with consultancy firms to draft those codes. It also plans to work with companies that provide general-purpose models deemed to carry systemic risks. As TechCrunch notes, though, that raises concerns that the industry's biggest players will be able to shape the rules that are supposed to keep them in check.

After a year, makers of general purpose AI models, such as ChatGPT, will have to comply with new transparency requirements and have to be able to demonstrate that their systems are safe and easily explainable to users. In addition to all those, the EU AI Act includes rules that apply to generative AI and manipulated media, such as making sure deepfakes and other AI-generated images, videos and audio are clearly labeled. 

Companies training their AI models will have to respect copyright laws, as well, unless their model is created purely for research and development. "Rightsholders may choose to reserve their rights over their works or other subject matter to prevent text and data mining, unless this is done for the purposes of scientific research," the AI Act's text reads. "Where the rights to opt out has been expressly reserved in an appropriate manner, providers of general-purpose AI models need to obtain an authorization from rightsholders if they want to carry out text and data mining over such works."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-eu-will-start-enforcing-its-new-ai-regulations-on-august-1-140037756.html?src=rss

The designer of Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride is back with a Lovecraftian roguelike

Posted on by

Luke Muscat, the lead designer for Halfbrick Studios' Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, has announced a new game called Feed the Deep. This time, he's not backed by a studio and supported by colleagues: Feed the Deep is his first solo project after quitting his job. He calls the game a "Lovecraftian deep sea roguelike," because you take on the role of a diver who literally has to feed the eldritch horror lurking in the darkness of the ocean's depths. 

In the game, humanity built floating cities on the surface of the ocean without knowing about the threat living below. Your job is to feed whatever's living in the deep so that it doesn't destroy the cities. In its Steam page, Muscat said the game was "inspired by the likes of Dome Keeper and Spelunky." You'll have to collect resources in the darkness to be able to get upgrades and items, all while managing your oxygen to make sure you survive the dive. The caves you have to explore are procedurally generated so they will look different every time you play. You can also choose your play style, whether to go fast and aggressive, or to go slower and more relaxed. 

It's unclear if Feed the Deep will be available on non-PC platforms, but Muscat has only shared a Steam page for it so far. He's planning to release the game sometime this third quarter. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-designer-of-fruit-ninja-and-jetpack-joyride-is-back-with-a-lovecraftian-roguelike-130002746.html?src=rss

Apple Vision Pro goes on sale in the UK, Canada and Australia

Posted on by

The Apple Vision Pro is now available for purchase in Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Apple first expanded its availability in Asia by releasing it in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore back on June 28, which is also when it started taking pre-orders for Europe, Canada and Australia. Now if you're from those regions, you can can easily purchase the $3,500 headset from Apple anytime you want.

Since the Vision Pro became available in the US in February, Apple has released more and more games on the App Store and Arcade for it, as well as new 3D films that you can access with an Apple TV+ subscription. The company also introduced Spatial Persona avatars, which takes your collaborators' avatars out of their restricted windows and places them right next to you in virtual space. It may sound creepy, but it's Apple's solution to making it feel more natural to work together and hang out on the Vision Pro. 

At WWDC this year, Apple debuted visionOS 2 for the headset, which will introduce spatial photos that provide depth to 2D images. What that means is, when you move your head while looking at a photo, you'll be able to see more details to the left and right of the original image. It will bring updated gesture controls to the headset, as well, letting you open the home view by holding you hand up then tapping and to bring up the time and battery details by flipping your hand over. Apple has already been beta testing the updated OS to prepare for its release, which is scheduled to take place sometime later this year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-goes-on-sale-in-the-uk-canada-and-australia-123052740.html?src=rss