Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered the nation’s internet service providers to block the social media platform X. The New York Times reports that the order stems from owner Elon Musk’s refusal to appoint a legal representative for his case and comply with Moraes’ order to shut down X accounts he deemed as harmful to the democratic process. The order has been published online by Brazilian news site Poder 360.
The justice issued a deadline to telecom companies and tech giants to remove the X from its app stores and platforms. Apple and Google have five days to take down the social media app from its app stores. Brazil’s telecommunication’s agency Anatel has confirmed it has received the order, and ISPs in the country have just 24 hours to comply with the order.
Justice Moraes’ order doesn’t just block the country’s access to X. It also makes it a crime to use the app through a virtual private network (VPN). Anyone caught accessing X with a VPN could face a daily fine of 50,000 Brazilian Real (around $8,900).
Justice Moraes also froze the Brazillian bank accounts of SpaceX’s Starlink internet service provider on Thursday to further pressure Musk to comply with the court’s order. SpaceX, like X, is a private company majority owned by Musk, and X has $3 million in unpaid fines related to its case in the country. The day before, Justice Moraes issued a threat to ban the X platform entirely across Brazil if the social media company did not appoint a legal representative in the country. The deadline passed without any change to the court’s docket so the judge followed through on his promise.
Starlink expressed its disapproval with the order, vowing to fight the ruling. It even threatened to make its services free to customers to subvert the justice’s order.
The legal fight between Justice Moraes and Musk has been fuming for months. The Supreme Court Judge is also Brazil’s electoral authority and has been monitoring and issuing orders to candidates to steer clear of spreading false information through internet and social media channels.
Brazil’s 2022 presidential election between infamous incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and challenger and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was reportedly filled with attempts to present voters with false information. Justice Moraes was, until recently, president of the nation's Superior Electoral Court, which gave him the power to order takedowns of content that violated previous court orders. The judge issued a similar block of the messaging app Telegram for failing to freeze offending accounts, which was lifted after compliance.
Musk characterized Moraes’ directives to take down or freeze similar misinformation accounts from X as “censorship orders.” Earlier this month, Musk expressed his continued refusal to comply with the court by closing X’s Brazilian office in order “to protect the safety of our staff.” X’s Global Governments Affairs team also promised to publish all of “Judge de Moraes’ illegal demands and all related court filings.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/brazil-bans-x-for-refusing-to-comply-with-supreme-court-order-230247980.html?src=rss
A Texas judge denied Media Matters for America’s request for a dismissal on Thursday allowing X’s lawsuit over alleged anti-semitic and racist content. The Verge reported that Northern District of Texas Judge Reed O’Connor dismissed the request for a dismissal paving the way for X’s lawsuit against Media Matters to continue.
Media Matters submitted its dismissal request in early March on the grounds that X’s case lacked “personal jurisdiction,” an “improper venue” and the “failure to state a claim.” O’Connor dismissed all of those claims, according to court records.
The lawsuit filed last year in federal court seeks damages from the media watchdog group over “maliciously manufactured” images reporting that X’s platform placed Neo-Nazi and white-nationlist content next to advertisers’ images causing advertisers to flee the site. The images Media Matters used weren’t manufactured but X’s claim is that its dogged pursuit of ads’ placement with racist content by using certain accounts to bypass ad filters caused irreparable harm to the social media giant.
X owner Elon Musk’s other companies are located in Texas but aren’t directly connected to the Media Matters lawsuit. X closed its San Francisco offices earlier this month and owner Elon Musk announced in July that X’s headquarters will move to Austin. Tesla moved its headquarters from California to the Lone Star State in 2021 and SpaceX from Delaware earlier this year when a judge threw out a $56 billion pay package from the state.
However, in dismissing the personal jurisdiction argument, O’Connor noted that two of X’s “blue-chip” advertisers like AT&T and Oracle included in Media Matters’ coverage are based in Texas. He cited the landmark 2002 Internet defamation case Revell v. Lidov quoting the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ assertion that “if you are going to pick a fight in Texas, it is reasonable to expect that it be settled there.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/judge-denies-media-matters-motion-to-dismiss-xs-not-libel-lawsuit-204732720.html?src=rss
As the US speeds toward one of the most consequential elections in its 248-year history, Google is rolling out safeguards to ensure users get reliable information. In addition to the measures it announced late last year, the company said on Friday that it’s adding election-related guardrails to YouTube, Search, Google Play and AI products.
YouTube will add information panels above the search results for at least some federal election candidates. The modules, likely similar to those you see when searching the web for prominent figures, will include the candidates’ basic details like their political party and a link to Google Search for more info. The company says the panels may also include a link to the person’s official website (or other channel). As Election Day (November 5) approaches, YouTube’s homepage will also show reminders on where and how to vote.
Google Search will include aggregated voter registration resources from state election offices for all users. Google is sourcing that data through a partnership with Democracy Works, a nonpartisan nonprofit that works with various companies and organizations “to help voters whenever and wherever they need it.”
Meanwhile, the Google Play Store will add a new badge that indicates an app is from an official government agency. The company outlines its requirements for apps that “communicate government information” in a developer help document. Approved applications that have submitted the required forms are eligible for the “official endorsement signified by a clear visual treatment on the Play Store.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-rolling-out-more-election-related-safeguards-in-youtube-search-and-ai-190422568.html?src=rss
If you have an account with Comcast Xfinity, then you also have a year-long subscription to the Perplexity Pro AI answer engine. Perplexity announced the special deal on Threads. Perplexity Pro differs from the company's free option by allowing unlimited quick answers from a choice of AI models, including GPT-4o, Claude-3 and Sonar Large. Engadget hasn’t reviewed the service, but if you’re already paying for Xfinity, free seems like a good price for you to make up your own mind on its value.
All you have to do to get your free year of Perplexity is to log into your Xfinity Rewards account and obtain a promo code. You’ll punch in your code on Perplexity’s website and you can start using the AI to explore life’s most puzzling mysteries like “Who was that guy who played that squirrely dude in Office Space?” (For the record, that was Stephen Root and his character was Milton).
A Perplexity Pro subscription normally costs $20 but if you take advantage of Comcast Xfinity’s perk, you’ll get a whole year for nothing. You still might want to take Perplexity’s answers with a big grain of salt. The media company Condé Nast has accused the company of plagiarism, and the online retail giant Amazon, which hosts some of Perplexity's infrastructure, has investigated whether the AI company's actions are within its terms of service. So this isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for Perplexity Pro but again, it’s free so you could do worse. A lot worse.
Update, August 30, 4PM ET: A previous version of this article used imprecise wording that suggested Amazon, rather than just Condé Nast, had accused Perplexity of plagiarism. The article has been updated to correctly indicate that Amazon separately investigated claims made by Wired, one of Condé Nast's publications, and has made no allegations of wrongdoing. We regret the error.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/comcast-xfinity-customers-can-get-a-year-of-perplexity-pro-ai-for-free-183727093.html?src=rss
You can own a piece of electric vehicle history from one of the saddest stories in the industry to date. The British electric van maker Arrival was once valued in the billions and had a sweet deal to turn UPS’ fleet of iconic brown vans into electric vehicles. Within a couple of years, Arrival’s warehouse became an empty shell and its sleek electric vehicles and remaining parts were sold off to whoever could afford the highest bid. Now, one of the first Arrival prototypes sold at auction after the company’s downfall has found its way to eBay.
The seller says they worked for Arrival before the company went under earlier this year. They write in the description that the Arrival pre-production van is “the only known running and fully operational Arrival Gamma Van available,” and was purchased in June from Arrival’s liquidation auction for an undisclosed sum.
The Arrival Gamma van appears to be in good working order. It has sliding electric doors and a touchscreen interface on the dashboard. The shelving is still intact and the owner suggests it could be used as a “campervan.” The highest bid as of Friday is £5,600 or approximately $7,368.
Arrival aimed to do for delivery vehicles what the Tesla Model S did for automobiles. The company was founded in 2015 and built 25 vans in 2021 for testing. Arrival committed to building a fleet of 10,000 vehicles for UPS to deliver packages across the US and Europe. The company’s coffers dwindled to $205 million by the end of January of 2023. Its focus was shortened to just the US delivery market and plans were scrapped to expand its electric vehicle fleet to buses and cars for rideshare services. The company continued making cutbacks until Arrival finally closed up shop the following year.
Arrival’s attempt to make delivery vehicles more energy efficient was a noble idea and it wasn’t the only company to do so. Amazon tapped electric van maker Rivian to build 100,000 vehicles for its delivery fleet by 2030. Ford has also designed and released a fully electric E-Transit van for consumers and businesses like Walmart.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/an-arrival-electric-van-prototype-goes-up-for-sale-on-ebay-171045360.html?src=rss
Apple on Monday released its new iOS 18 for all compatible iPhones to install — here's how download and install the new update. iOS 18 will already come installed on the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models (see our iPhone 16 Pro review), which will hit shelves on September 20. But not every iPhone will be able to run iOS 18, and even the ones that can won't have all the bells and whistles of the new Apple Intelligence features.
That update stratification is nothing new. Generally each year, some older iPhone models are removed from Apple's iOS eligibility list. Last year, for instance, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X were left off the compatibility list. That meant those iPhone owners couldn't update to iOS 17 and missed out on some notable features. On the flip side, some older hardware will get major new features: Consider the upcoming software update that effectively turns existing AirPods Pro headphones into a hearing aid, complete with a built-in hearing test. (Apple just received FDA authorization to release that feature later this year.)
We have good news: If you had an eligible phone last year when you updated to iOS 17, that device should still be compatible with iOS 18, according to Apple. That means you won't have to buy a new phone to check out most of the new software features.
iPhone SE (second generation or later)
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Put another way, if you have an iPhone from the 2017 model year or earlier (iPhone 8 or iPhone X), you can't upgrade to the latest iOS, but your phone should continue to work — albeit without the latest and greatest features.
Is your iPhone compatible with Apple Intelligence?
While your older device will still be able to support the latest iOS, chances are that you won't get to try the Apple Intelligence beta yet next month. Unless you have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max — the top-end 2023 models — or one of the new iPhone 16 models, your iPhone isn't eligible.
When will Apple Intelligence features be available?
If your device is compatible with Apple Intelligence, you can start playing with some of those features in October, when they begin to hit those newer iPhones in subsequent updates.
The first round of Apple Intelligence features will be available in English in the US this October. In December, it'll become available in localized English to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Additional language support, including Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish, will be available sometime next year, Apple says.
As previously reported, Apple Intelligence will not be making its way to EU countries anytime soon. The American tech giant remains locked in a battle with European regulators over enforcement details of the EU's Digital Markets Act.
The biggest new iOS 18 features
While Apple Intelligence is by far the biggest update coming with iOS 18, its features are going to be released more piecemeal over the subsequent few months. And the more advanced features won't be available on older iPhone models aside from the iPhone 15 Pro series. But the rest of the iOS 18 features are available now. Here are just some of the highlights you can expect when you download Apple's new software.
Passwords app: Securely store all your credentials in one place, including passwords and security alerts that you can access directly in the app. (While this functionality currently exists in Settings, moving it to a new app should make it easier to locate and access.)
Improved Messages app: A new iMessages experience is bringing the option to bold, italicize, underline and strikethrough your text. You'll also be able to add animations to your text messages. The update is also bringing RCS to iPhones to better support Android compatibility.
An organized photos library: The Photos app is getting a redesign, which allows you to create and pin your own collections in the app — think "wedding photos" or "trip to Aruba." It removes the current tabbed bottom and leans into a grid layout. The updated carousel view that was touted at WWDC was removed during the beta process.
Personalized home screen layout: You'll finally get the option to rearrange your apps — for instance, you can leave the middle space open to display your home screen photo, and instead have your apps alone the border of the screen. You can also change the appearance of the apps by tinting them with any color, as well as making the apps larger.
There are plenty of other tweaks and improvements to keystone apps like Maps, Calendar, Safari and more. Check out Cherlynn Low's choices for the best hidden features of iOS 18 and its sibling Apple operating system updates, based on the betas released earlier this year.
Are MacOS Sequoia, iPadOS 18, WatchOS 11 and tvOS 18 available now?
Here's when you can download the newest software updates on your other Apple devices (most are today as well).
MacOS Sequoia: September 16
iPadOS 18: September 16
WatchOS 11: September 16
tvOS 18: Apple hasn't announced an official date for its latest tvOS software update. It's still in public beta testing at this time, though it's close to the final stages, per MacRumors.
visionOS 2: September 16
As for AirPods, Apple has reportedly pushed new firmware to AirPods Pro earbuds to prep for the added features coming to that device with iOS 18. (Just note that hearing aid functionality mentioned above may not hit with the first wave of updates, despite its recent FDA clearance.)
Update, September 16, 1:55PM ET: Confirmed iOS 18 availability.
Update, September 12, 3:28PM ET: Added details about the FDA authorizing the hearing aid functionality for AirPods Pro.
Update, September 11, 12:13PM ET: New information added about new firmware pushed to AirPods Pro earbuds.
Update, September 10, 9:54AM ET: Added release dates for additional Apple OS software updates.
Update, September 9, 5:00PM ET: Added details regarding the lack of Apple Intelligence availability in EU countries.
Update, September 9, 3:37PM ET: This story has been updated with the announced release dates for iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-has-released-ios-18-to-install-but-is-your-iphone-compatible-here-are-the-eligible-devices-and-new-features-155304539.html?src=rss
The Labor Day discounts continue to roll in. You can scoop up a four-pack of Apple AirTags for just $75 via Amazon. That’s a drop of around 25 percent, as the typical cost is $99. It also breaks down to $18 per AirTag, which is a great deal and much cheaper than buying them piecemeal.
For the uninitiated, AirTags are tracking devices that use Bluetooth to send location data to the Find My app on an iPhone or iPad. They have built-in speakers for when something is lost underneath a couch cushion and it’s been driving you mad for weeks. Newer iPhone models also allow for more precise location tracking via Ultra Wideband technology.
In other words, these things are useful. They are so useful, as a matter of fact, that an entire cottage industry of related accessories has popped up. We searched for the best AirTag accessories and came up with all kinds of stuff. There are keychain attachments and wire holders for luggage, as a start. If you have an object you want to track with an AirTag, there’s likely a way to get it done.
We’ve enjoyed using AirTags since they were first released back in 2021. They are smaller than a quarter and get the job done. No muss and no fuss. The only downside is we wish they were slightly flatter, for wallets and the like.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/labor-day-sale-discounts-a-four-pack-of-airtags-to-75-150721797.html?src=rss
Nintendo has provided a fresh look at The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the upcoming Switch game that makes the titular princess the playable protagonist for the very first time. Like many folks, I've been looking forward to this one, but one key question remained unanswered until this preview: where the heck is Zelda's sword? Earlier gameplay videos focused on her ability to create "echoes" — i.e. copy objects and enemies — to use in combat.
Fret not, fans of adorable murder: Zelda will have a sword after all. The latest video revealed her swordfighter form, meaning that, yes, she can battle her foes head on. There is a bit of a catch, though. The swordfighter form is on a meter, so you can only use it for a little while each time. That makes it just one of several weapons at Zelda's disposal, meaning you'll need to be strategic in combat.
Zelda can use the sword she finds in the trailer to pull off the classic charge-up spin attack. You'll refill the gauge by finding a resource simply called energy. For what it's worth, it looks like the meter can be leveled up, so perhaps you'll get to stay in the swordfighter form for longer later in the game. Still, I have to wonder if you'll eventually obtain a Master Sword that you can use as much as you like.
The video reveals more details about gameplay and combat. Zelda will be able to enter the dimensional rifts like the ones that Link and the King of Hyrule were sucked into as she attempts to find them. On the other side is something called The Still World, in which people, objects and parts of the landscape that were swallowed up float in a void. It's not yet clear why this void doesn't seem to affect Zelda. You'll need to traverse floating platforms and create echoes to help you do so.
There are also dungeons for Zelda to battle through in The Still World. These, of course, include boss fights where you can put your sword to use. Alternatively, as the video shows, you can create an echo of a bed and simply take a nap (this would be my approach tbh).
Automatons are another type of weapon you'll have at your disposal. These are wind-up mechanical devices that can "release powerful effects," so they should complement your sword and echoes. The automatons are created for you by an engineer named Dampé. They're one of several friendly NPCs you'll encounter, alongside a cat and a Zelda staple, the Great Fairy.
The latest gameplay video should help to drive up anticipation for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom even more. Thankfully, it's less than a month away. It will land on the Switch on September 26.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/zelda-can-wield-a-sword-in-echoes-of-wisdom-after-all-143049937.html?src=rss
The Sonos app is broken, and it's been causing not just customers, but also dealers and installers so many problems over the past few months. Now, it's documenting the app issues it has already fixed in a public Trello board that you can view and browse yourself. The company's Social & Community manager, Keith Nieves, has announced the Trello board on Reddit, describing it as a way for people to keep updated about its "progress on the path to a normal core app." While this is the first time Sonos has taken this approach, this isn't a new idea for the tech industry: Fortnite maintains a Trello board packed with information on bugs plaguing different aspects of the game.
Issues with the Sonos app started popping up after the company pushed a major app redesign back in April. The refreshed app was supposed to make it easier to play different kinds of content and was supposed to introduce more new features. Instead, users discovered that the application was lacking basic features like the ability to set alarms. It was also riddled with performance and reliability issues, such as those that prevented them from rearranging speakers, kept speakers from working altogether and made it difficult for them to add new devices to their home setup.
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence acknowledged that people were experiencing "significant problems" with the company's new app in a post published in July. He said that Sonos had released updates that improved the app's performance since May and laid out a timeline for other fixes, including improving alarm consistency and restoring edit mode for playlists, which are rolling out in the next couple of months.
Nieves is maintaining the Trello board by himself for now, and so far, it contains release notes from previous fixes, as well as a list of patches coming out soon. He said that the cards in the board were sourced from various posts and release notes communications, and he admitted that the board is "not an exhaustive list of every item on [Sonos'] internal roadmap, nor is it a complete view of all known issues." He seemed to be open to collaboration with users, though, and is asking users to PM him if they are experiencing issues not noted on a card.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/sonos-made-a-public-trello-board-to-track-its-broken-app-fixes-140013331.html?src=rss
A couple of years ago Hyundai introduced a wild EV supercar concept called the N Vision 74 designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiario. Now, it looks like that vehicle will go into production in some form, according to several slides in the company's investor day presentation.
In a slideshow released with the presentation, Hyundai showed off its full EV lineup including 21 models to be released by 2030. Along with the affordable Casper, mass-market Hyundai and luxury Genesis brands, it revealed a "Hyundai N (vision 74") high-performance EV that also carries the "Genesis Magma" branding.
Hyundai
The next slide states that the "N Inherits Motorsports Heritage," adding that it's a "high-performance EV delivering consistent driving pleasure and experience." The luxury Genesis brand will soon include "high-end EVs" as well, with both the N and Genesis models building on the current Ioniq EV lineup.
Late last year, Motor1 reported that Hundai would build the N Vision 74 in very limited numbers, with 70 road and 30 racing models for just a 100 in total, though Hyundai refuted the rumor.
The original N Vision 74 concept promised a 62.4-kWh battery pack along with an 85kWh hydrogen-powered fuel-cell stack with a 10-pound fuel tank, for a range around 373 miles. It featured two rear electric motors outputting 670 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Hyundai appears to have dropped the hydrogen part of the concept that, as the Hundai N (vision 74) is described only as a high-performance EV.
If you're think N-model looks like a DeLorean, you're onto something as Giugiario designed that legendary '80s supercar as well. Other notables from the Italian designer include the Lotus Esprit, Maserati Quattroporte and Nikon's F3 SLR camera.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/hyundai-is-planning-to-build-its-wild-n-vision-74-concept-ev-130032327.html?src=rss