Tag Archives: region|US

Meta says the future of Facebook is young adults (again)

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When you think of the 20-year-old social network that is Facebook, its popularity among “young adults” is probably not what comes to mind. Naturally, Meta wants to change that and the company is once again telling the world it intends to reorient its platform in order to appeal to that demographic.

In an update from Tom Alison, who heads up the Facebook app for Meta, he says that the service is shifting to reflect an “increased focus on young adults” compared with other users. “Facebook is still for everyone, but in order to build for the next generation of social media consumers, we’ve made significant changes with young adults in mind,” he wrote.

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because Meta executives have been trying to win over “young adults” for years in an effort to better compete with TikTok. Mark Zuckerberg said almost three years ago that he wanted to make young adults the company’s “North Star.” And Alison and Zuckerberg have both been talking about the Facebook app’s pivot to a discovery-focused feed rather than one based on users’ connections.

That shift is now well underway. Alison said that the company’s AI advancements have already improved recommendations for Reels and feed, and that “advanced recommendations technology will power more products” over the next year. He added that private sharing among users is also on the rise, with more users sharing video (though no word on the once-rumored plan to bring messaging back into the main app).

Notably, Alison’s note makes no mention of the “metaverse,” which Zuckerberg also once saw as a central part of the company’s future. Instead, he says that “leaning into new product capabilities enabled by AI” is a significant goal, along with luring younger users. That’s also not surprising, given that Meta and Zuckerberg have recently tried to rebrand some of the company’s metaverse ambitions as AI advancements.

But it’s also not clear how successful Meta will be in its efforts to win over young adults. Though Alison says Facebook has seen “five quarters of healthy growth in young adult app usage in the US and Canada,” with 40 million young adult daily active users, that’s still a relatively small percentage of the 205 million daily US Facebook users the company reported in February, the last time it would break out user numbers for the app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-says-the-future-of-facebook-is-young-adults-again-203500866.html?src=rss

The Tribeca Film Festival will debut a bunch of short films made by AI

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The Tribeca Film Festival will debut five short films made by AI, as detailed by The Hollywood Reporter. The shorts will use OpenAI’s Sora model, which transforms text inputs into create video clips. This is the first time this type of technology will take center stage at the long-running film festival.

“Tribeca is rooted in the foundational belief that storytelling inspires change. Humans need stories to thrive and make sense of our wonderful and broken world,” said co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises Jane Rosenthal. Who better to chronicle our wonderful and broken world than some lines of code owned by a company that just dissolved its dedicated safety team to let CEO Sam Altman and other board members self-police everything?

The unnamed filmmakers were all given access to the Sora model, which isn’t yet available to the public, though they have to follow the terms of the agreements negotiated during the recent strikes as they pertain to AI. OpenAI’s COO, Brad Lightcap, says the feedback provided by these filmmakers will be used to “make Sora a better tool for all creatives.”

When we last covered Sora, it could only handle 60 seconds of video from a single prompt. If that’s still the case, these short films will make Quibi shows look like a Ken Burns documentary. The software also struggles with cause and effect and, well, that’s basically what a story is. However, all of these limitations come from the ancient days of February, and this tech tends to move quickly. Also, I assume there’s no rule against using prompts to create single scenes, which the filmmaker can string together to make a story.

We don’t have that long to find out if cold technology can accurately peer into our warm human hearts. The shorts will screen on June 15 and there’s a conversation with the various filmmakers immediately following the debut.

This follows a spate of agreements between OpenAI and various media companies. Vox Media, The Atlantic, News Corp, Dotdash Meredith and even Reddit have all struck deals with OpenAI to let the company train its models on their content. Meanwhile, Meta and Google are looking for similar partnerships with Hollywood film studios to train its models. It looks like we are going to get this “AI creates everything” future, whether we want it or not.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-tribeca-film-festival-will-debut-a-bunch-of-short-films-made-by-ai-181534064.html?src=rss

The Tribeca Film Festival will debut a bunch of short films made by AI

Posted on by

The Tribeca Film Festival will debut five short films made by AI, as detailed by The Hollywood Reporter. The shorts will use OpenAI’s Sora model, which transforms text inputs into create video clips. This is the first time this type of technology will take center stage at the long-running film festival.

“Tribeca is rooted in the foundational belief that storytelling inspires change. Humans need stories to thrive and make sense of our wonderful and broken world,” said co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises Jane Rosenthal. Who better to chronicle our wonderful and broken world than some lines of code owned by a company that just dissolved its dedicated safety team to let CEO Sam Altman and other board members self-police everything?

The unnamed filmmakers were all given access to the Sora model, which isn’t yet available to the public, though they have to follow the terms of the agreements negotiated during the recent strikes as they pertain to AI. OpenAI’s COO, Brad Lightcap, says the feedback provided by these filmmakers will be used to “make Sora a better tool for all creatives.”

When we last covered Sora, it could only handle 60 seconds of video from a single prompt. If that’s still the case, these short films will make Quibi shows look like a Ken Burns documentary. The software also struggles with cause and effect and, well, that’s basically what a story is. However, all of these limitations come from the ancient days of February, and this tech tends to move quickly. Also, I assume there’s no rule against using prompts to create single scenes, which the filmmaker can string together to make a story.

We don’t have that long to find out if cold technology can accurately peer into our warm human hearts. The shorts will screen on June 15 and there’s a conversation with the various filmmakers immediately following the debut.

This follows a spate of agreements between OpenAI and various media companies. Vox Media, The Atlantic, News Corp, Dotdash Meredith and even Reddit have all struck deals with OpenAI to let the company train its models on their content. Meanwhile, Meta and Google are looking for similar partnerships with Hollywood film studios to train its models. It looks like we are going to get this “AI creates everything” future, whether we want it or not.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-tribeca-film-festival-will-debut-a-bunch-of-short-films-made-by-ai-181534064.html?src=rss

The 10th-gen Apple iPad hits a low of $300, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals

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It's Friday, which means it's time for another curated roundup of the week's best tech deals. This week's selection is highlighted by a new low on Apple's entry-level iPad, which is down to $300 at Amazon with an on-page coupon. That's about $50 less than buying direct from Apple. Beyond that, a new PlayStation sale has cut $50 off the PlayStation 5 — and if you already subscribe to Sony's PlayStation Plus service, you can get a year of Netflix thrown in on top. We're also seeing discounts on year-long Peacock memberships, various Sonos speakers, the newest MacBook Air and Roku's Streaming Stick 4K, among other gadgets we recommend. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still buy today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-10th-gen-apple-ipad-hits-a-low-of-300-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-170101188.html?src=rss

The 10th-gen Apple iPad hits a low of $300, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals

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It's Friday, which means it's time for another curated roundup of the week's best tech deals. This week's selection is highlighted by a new low on Apple's entry-level iPad, which is down to $300 at Amazon with an on-page coupon. That's about $50 less than buying direct from Apple. Beyond that, a new PlayStation sale has cut $50 off the PlayStation 5 — and if you already subscribe to Sony's PlayStation Plus service, you can get a year of Netflix thrown in on top. We're also seeing discounts on year-long Peacock memberships, various Sonos speakers, the newest MacBook Air and Roku's Streaming Stick 4K, among other gadgets we recommend. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still buy today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-10th-gen-apple-ipad-hits-a-low-of-300-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-170101188.html?src=rss

Former Activision studio Toys for Bob partners with Xbox to publish its first game as an indie

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Former Activision studio Toys for Bob just announced a partnership with Xbox to release its first game after spinning off as an independent entity. The company, which developed recent entries in the Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot franchises, hasn’t released any concrete details about its upcoming release, except to say that it’s early in development and that the team has been working hard.

This is, of course, something of a homecoming for the developer. Activision is owned by Microsoft, making Toys for Bob its… former grandchild? In any event, it’s likely easy to get pitch meetings and the like with a company you’ve worked with in the past. Also, the developer has a fairly stellar pedigree, having created the Skylanders franchise and the well-reviewed Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, among others.

Toys for Bob spun out as an indie back in February after Microsoft instituted sweeping layoffs that impacted 86 employees, which was more than half of the staff. At the time, the company said the transition to an indie would allow it to return to “being a small and nimble studio.” This sentiment harkens back to its early days of the 1980s and 1990s, back when Toys for Bob was cranking out games like Star Control.

The developer also said back in February that Microsoft has “been extremely supportive of our new direction and we’re confident that we will continue to work closely together as part of our future.” It looks like it wasn’t lying about that last part.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/former-activision-studio-toys-for-bob-partners-with-xbox-to-publish-its-first-game-as-an-indie-170033303.html?src=rss

Former Activision studio Toys for Bob partners with Xbox to publish its first game as an indie

Posted on by

Former Activision studio Toys for Bob just announced a partnership with Xbox to release its first game after spinning off as an independent entity. The company, which developed recent entries in the Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot franchises, hasn’t released any concrete details about its upcoming release, except to say that it’s early in development and that the team has been working hard.

This is, of course, something of a homecoming for the developer. Activision is owned by Microsoft, making Toys for Bob its… former grandchild? In any event, it’s likely easy to get pitch meetings and the like with a company you’ve worked with in the past. Also, the developer has a fairly stellar pedigree, having created the Skylanders franchise and the well-reviewed Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, among others.

Toys for Bob spun out as an indie back in February after Microsoft instituted sweeping layoffs that impacted 86 employees, which was more than half of the staff. At the time, the company said the transition to an indie would allow it to return to “being a small and nimble studio.” This sentiment harkens back to its early days of the 1980s and 1990s, back when Toys for Bob was cranking out games like Star Control.

The developer also said back in February that Microsoft has “been extremely supportive of our new direction and we’re confident that we will continue to work closely together as part of our future.” It looks like it wasn’t lying about that last part.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/former-activision-studio-toys-for-bob-partners-with-xbox-to-publish-its-first-game-as-an-indie-170033303.html?src=rss

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is $85 off right now

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If you're on the hunt for an Apple Watch Ultra 2 deal, now is a good time to take the plunge — and not only because the wearable can be used as a dive watch. The device has dropped by $85 to $714 at Amazon. That's a discount of 11 percent, fact fans. The deal only applies to one certain variant, which has a titanium case and green/grey Trail Loop band, and only in a small/medium size (the larger option is $740). Still, that's a record low price for this particular option.

This is our pick for the best Apple Watch for adventurers. As noted, the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2 can be used in the water, where it measures the temperature, dive duration and gauge up to 40 meters of depth. On terra firma, dual-frequency GPS support means that you should see more accurate pace calculations and route tracking than with other Apple wearables. When you're out in the wild, you can set waypoints in the Compass app to help you find your way back to your starting point, while an onboard siren could help others find you if you need help.

Meanwhile, you can set up the action button to carry out more or less any function you want when you push it. The battery should run for around 36 hours before it needs to be recharged and the low-power mode can help extend that timeframe. As with the Apple Watch Series 9, the S9 SiP (system in package) supports on-device Siri processing and the double tap function for hands-free use.

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/the-apple-watch-ultra-2-is-85-off-right-now-162836881.html?src=rss

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is $85 off right now

Posted on by

If you're on the hunt for an Apple Watch Ultra 2 deal, now is a good time to take the plunge — and not only because the wearable can be used as a dive watch. The device has dropped by $85 to $714 at Amazon. That's a discount of 11 percent, fact fans. The deal only applies to one certain variant, which has a titanium case and green/grey Trail Loop band, and only in a small/medium size (the larger option is $740). Still, that's a record low price for this particular option.

This is our pick for the best Apple Watch for adventurers. As noted, the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2 can be used in the water, where it measures the temperature, dive duration and gauge up to 40 meters of depth. On terra firma, dual-frequency GPS support means that you should see more accurate pace calculations and route tracking than with other Apple wearables. When you're out in the wild, you can set waypoints in the Compass app to help you find your way back to your starting point, while an onboard siren could help others find you if you need help.

Meanwhile, you can set up the action button to carry out more or less any function you want when you push it. The battery should run for around 36 hours before it needs to be recharged and the low-power mode can help extend that timeframe. As with the Apple Watch Series 9, the S9 SiP (system in package) supports on-device Siri processing and the double tap function for hands-free use.

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/the-apple-watch-ultra-2-is-85-off-right-now-162836881.html?src=rss

The Spacetop G1 is an AR laptop with no screen

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The Apple Vision Pro is heavy and would most certainly become an annoying anchor on your face if you tried to use it for an entire eight-hour workday. That’s because all of the tech is stuffed into the headset itself. A company called Sightful is addressing this issue with its Spacetop G1 system. It’s a laptop with no screen paired with AR glasses that runs custom OS and not Windows. All of the heavy stuff is inside of the laptop, so the glasses weigh, you know, about as much as a pair of glasses.

The company’s calling it “the laptop for the spatial computing era”, lifting a bit of Apple’s marketing language. It’s basically a pair of customized AR glasses from Xreal connected to something resembling the bottom section of a laptop, complete with a keyboard and trackpad. Sightful says this allows for a 100-inch virtual screen that floats over the real world. The device actually predates the Vision Pro, as it was released one year ago as an early-access product, though now its available for preorder to everyone. 

As for the hardware, it’s not going to be breaking any speed records. The Spacetop G1 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon QCS8550 processor, which is typically found in mobile devices, along with 16GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The specs are fine, more or less, especially when considering the product’s focus on work and not play.

The glasses include a pair of 1920x1080 OLED displays with 90Hz refresh rates, a 50 degree field of view and 42 PPD (pixels per degree), with support for custom prescription lenses. They also include Xreal’s 6W open-ear speaker system. I’ve used Xreal glasses before and they are decent, but that promise of a 100-inch virtual screen is severely hampered by the abysmal field of view.

You can skip the virtual screen entirely. The device has two USB-C ports, which connect to peripherals like standalone monitors. This does call up a unique use-case scenario. You can work with a real monitor while at the office and then continue working with a full setup while on a plane or something. That would be kind of neat for the workaholics out there.

A lady using it on a plane.
Sightful

The wireless connectivity options reinforce this idea, as the G1 supports WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, SIM cards, 5G and 4G. However, the battery will run out after just eight hours, so domestic flights may be the best bet here.

The system also comes with a proprietary OS to take advantage of the AR capabilities. It’s built on top of ChromiumOS and is designed for navigation via a selection of gestures. Testers have dinged the operating system by calling it "Android-like" and, due to being custom software, it doesn't offer support for every app out there. It does, however, work fine with Google's entire suite of productivity software. Finally, the G1 ships with a built-in 5MP camera for video calls.

The Spacetop G1 laptop may lack a physical display, but it’s priced as if it has the best OLED around. It costs $1,900. You can get a fancy new MacBook Air or a Copilot+ PC and a pair of AR glasses for around $1,400. Just something to think about.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-spacetop-g1-is-an-ar-laptop-with-no-screen-153752138.html?src=rss