Tag Archives: region|US

FromSoftware’s parent company has acquired Acquire, the studio behind Octopath Traveler

Posted on by

Octopath Traveler developer Acquire has been purchased by FromSoftware’s parent company, the Kadokawa Corporation, for an undisclosed sum. The Japanese conglomerate announced the acquisition in a quarterly earnings report published today, as revealed by Gamesindustry.biz.

The purchase makes Acquire a sister company to FromSoftware and Spike Chunsoft, among others. For the uninitiated, FromSoftware is the developer behind little known games like Dark Souls, Elden Ring and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Spike Chunsoft is also no slouch, as it's behind the Danganronpa and AI: The Somnium Files franchises.

Acquire has made many games beyond Octopath Traveler and its sequel, including No Heroes Allowed VR, Akiba's Beat and Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed. Kadokawa said the purchase should help the company “generate synergies” with its “existing game-related subsidiaries.” We don’t know what that means, but hopefully it refers to a bizarre Octopath Traveler and Elden Ring crossover title.

Kadokawa also says the move will enhance its “line-up of console games.” This is true, as the original Octopath Traveler sold over three million copies and the sequel sold a million copies in just three months. Those are big numbers for JRPGs with old-school mechanics. The company hasn’t announced whether it’ll still rely on Square Enix for publishing future entries in the Octopath franchise, but with those sales numbers it’s a fairly safe bet.

Last year’s Octopath Traveler 2 arrived to mostly positive reviews, though we dinged it for the same reason many people took umbrage with the original. The eight storylines don’t intersect enough, making the whole thing seem kind of random and disconnected. Still, the games are gorgeous and manage to capitalize on nostalgia for retro gameplay mechanics. They “feel” like classic Square Enix RPGs, even if they struggle with some of the execution.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fromsoftwares-parent-company-has-acquired-acquire-the-studio-behind-octopath-traveler-175648777.html?src=rss

Sonic spin-off series Knuckles will hit Paramount+ on April 26

Posted on by

Paramount+ has revealed a new trailer for Sonic spin-off series Knuckles. The six-episode show is set between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and its sequel, which will hit theaters this December.

Idris Elba once again voices the titular Echidna. This time around, Knuckles will be training human companion Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) to become a warrior, all the while fending off those who want to use his power for nefarious means.

The trailer is entertaining enough. There's a decent gag about a dog's mortal enemy and it sets up the premise of the show neatly. All episodes of Knuckles will hit Paramount+ in the US and Canada on April 26. The show will arrive on Paramount+ elsewhere the following day. Folks in Japan will need to wait until later this year to catch the show.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonic-spin-off-series-knuckles-will-hit-paramount-on-april-26-170506646.html?src=rss

Google, Apple, Meta and other huge tech companies join US consortium to advance responsible AI

Posted on by

A whole bunch of big tech companies, 200 in all, have joined a US-based effort to advance responsible AI practices. The US AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) will count Meta, Google, Microsoft and Apple as members. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo just announced the group's numerous new members and said that they'll be tasked with carrying out actions indicated by President Biden’s sweeping executive order on artificial intelligence.

"The U.S. government has a significant role to play in setting the standards and developing the tools we need to mitigate the risks and harness the immense potential of artificial intelligence," Raimondo said in a statement.

Biden’s October executive order was far-reaching, so this consortium will focus on developing guidelines for “red-teaming, capability evaluations, risk management, safety and security, and watermarking synthetic content.”

Red-teaming is a cybersecurity term that dates back to the Cold War. It refers to simulations in which the enemy was called the “red team.” In this case, the enemy would be an AI hellbent on behaving badly. Those engaged in this practice will try to trick the AI into doing bad things, like exposing credit card numbers, via prompt hacking. Once people know how to break the system, they can build better protections.

Watermarking synthetic content is another important aspect of Biden’s original order. Consortium members will develop guidelines and actions to ensure that users can easily identify AI-generated materials. This will hopefully decrease deepfake trickery and AI-enhanced misinformation. Digital watermarking has yet to be widely adopted, though this program will “facilitate and help standardize” underlying technical specifications behind the practice.

The consortium’s work is just beginning, though the Commerce Department says it represents the largest collection of testing and evaluation teams in the world. Biden’s executive order and this affiliated consortium are pretty much all we’ve got for now. Congress keeps failing to pass meaningful AI legislation of any kind.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-apple-meta-and-other-huge-tech-companies-join-us-consortium-to-advance-responsible-ai-164352301.html?src=rss

The Google Pixel Fold is $400 off right now

Posted on by

Most people do not need to pay the premium for a foldable smartphone. But if you've got some cash to burn and have been looking to take the plunge, the Google Pixel Fold is one of our favorites, and a recent deal has dropped it down to $1,399. That's still far from "affordable," but it ties the largest discount we've seen for the unlocked 256GB model, taking $400 off Google's list price. The offer is available at several retailers, including Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Google's online store. If you need more storage space, Google has the 512GB model for $1,519, another $400 discount. The company says this deal will run through February 24.

The Pixel Fold is the runner-up pick in our guide to the best foldable phones, and Engadget Senior Writer Sam Rutherford gave it a score of 85 in his review last June. Similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5, our top pick, it's a "book-style" foldable, one that works like a traditional 5.8-inch smartphone when folded in half but offers a larger 7.6-inch display when unfurled. Next to Samsung's phone (and the OnePlus Open), though, the Pixel's displays are shorter and wider, which generally makes the device easier to use like a traditional phone. Your fingers have more room to breathe while texting when the phone is folded, while apps and videos will look more natural on the cover display. Samsung's screens are brighter and more vibrant overall, but the 120Hz OLED panels here are still far from poor. You can see a crease in the middle of the internal display, however.

Beyond that, we've found the Pixel Fold's cameras and image processing to deliver more accurate and dynamic photos than either the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or the OnePlus Open, especially in low-light conditions. It's thinner than Samsung's phone as well, though it's slightly thicker than the Open. Like other Pixel phones, the Fold runs on a relatively clean and streamlined version of Android. A decent number of Google's own apps are tweaked to better fit the larger screen, and you can run two phone apps side-by-side. Google says it'll provide OS updates through June 2026, with two additional years of security updates. That said, the Z Fold 5's UI has more powerful tools for multitasking. And as with most Android tablets, it won't take too long to find apps that aren't optimized for large displays.

There are other caveats. The Pixel Fold is by no means slow, but its Tensor G2 chip is now a bit dated, so the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Open provide better raw performance. Battery life is worse by a few hours, too, plus it has larger bezels around the display. Then there's the elephant in the room: All foldable phones carry a higher durability risk. The Fold has more ways to break despite costing more than the best "normal" phones, so you'll have to be particularly careful with it. It's also worth noting that Google is likely working on a Pixel Fold 2, though that isn't expected anytime soon. All that said, the current Fold has plenty to like if you dead set on a foldable phone today, and this deal makes it at least a little more accessible.

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-google-pixel-fold-is-400-off-right-now-163809557.html?src=rss

The FCC says robocalls that use AI-generated voices are illegal

Posted on by

The Federal Communication Commission is moving forward with its plan to ban AI robocalls. Commissioners voted unanimously on Wednesday in favor of a Declaratory Ruling that was proposed in late January. Under the measure, the FCC deems robocalls made using AI-generated voices to be "artificial" voices per the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). That makes the practice illegal. The ruling takes effect immediately.

“Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities and misinform voters. We’re putting the fraudsters behind these robocalls on notice,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “State Attorneys General will now have new tools to crack down on these scams and ensure the public is protected from fraud and misinformation.”

The TCPA is a 1991 law that bans artificial or recorded voices being used to call residences without the receivers' consent. It's up to the FCC to create rules to enforce that legislation, as Ars Technica notes. As the FCC pointed out last month, under the TCPA, telemarketers need "to obtain prior express written consent from consumers before robocalling them. If successfully enacted, this Declaratory Ruling would ensure AI-generated voice calls are also held to those same standards."

The FCC vote in favor of the ban comes at somewhat of an inflection point for AI. Not only have such technologies become vastly more widespread over the last year or so, an AI-generated version of President Joe Biden's voice was used in a recent robocall that urged Democrats not to vote in New Hampshire's Presidential primary. A criminal investigation into that incident is underway.

Given that we're in an election year and the volume of misinformation and disinformation is already likely to rise, clamping down on AI robocalls now seems like a wise move. While stage AGs can take action against robocallers, the FCC also has the ability to fine them under the TCPA. Last year, the agency issued its largest ever fine of $300 million last year against a company that made more than 5 billion robocalls in a three-month period.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-fcc-says-robocalls-that-use-ai-generated-voices-are-illegal-162132319.html?src=rss

Google rebrands its Bard AI chatbot as Gemini, which now has its own Android app

Posted on by

Just as Microsoft renamed Bing Chat to Copilot to unify its generative AI branding, Google is doing the same thing with Bard and Duet AI. The services now bear the name Gemini, after Google's multimodal AI model. The name change leaked earlier this month. Google has also debuted a dedicated Gemini Android app alongside a paid version of the chatbot that has more enhanced capabilities.

"Bard has been the best way for people to directly experience our most capable models," Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a blog post. "To reflect the advanced tech at its core, Bard will now simply be called Gemini. It’s available in 40 languages on the web and is coming to a new Gemini app on Android and on the Google app on iOS."

Those who download the Gemini Android app can actually replace Google Assistant as the default assistant on their device. So, when you long press the home button or utter "Hey Google," your phone or tablet can fire up Gemini instead of Assistant. You can also make this switch by opting in through Assistant.

Doing so will enable a new conversational overlay on your display. Along with swift access to Gemini, the overlay will offer contextual suggestions, such as the ability to generate a description for a photo you just took or ask for more information about an article that's on your screen.

You'll also be able to access commonly used Assistant features through the Gemini app, from making calls and setting timers to controlling smart home devices. Google said it will bring more Assistant functions to Gemini in the future. That certainly makes it sound as though Google is phasing out Assistant in favor of Gemini. The app also includes access to Gemini Advanced (more on that in a moment).

As for iOS, there won't be a separate Gemini app for now. Instead, you can access it through the Google app by tapping the Gemini toggle.

Gemini is available on Android and iOS in English in the US starting today. Next week, Google will start offering access to the chatbot in more locales in English, as well as in Japanese and Korean. As you might expect, Gemini is coming to more countries and languages down the line.

In addition, Google is opening up access to what it says is its largest and most capable AI model, Ultra 1.0, through Gemini Advanced. The company claims this is able to have longer and more in-depth conversations with the ability to recall context from previous chats. It says Gemini Advanced "is far more capable at highly complex tasks like coding, logical reasoning, following nuanced instructions and collaborating on creative projects."

Gemini Advanced is available now in English in 150 countries and territories. To access it, you'll need to sign up for the new Google One AI Premium Plan. This costs $20 per month — the same price as Copilot Pro — after a two-month free trial. Along with Gemini Advanced, this subscription includes everything from the Google One Premium Plan, including 2TB of storage and a VPN. Subscribers will also be able to use Gemini in apps such as Gmail, Docs, Slides and Sheets in the near future (this is replacing Duet AI).

Of note, Google says it sought to mitigate concerns such as bias and unsafe content while building Gemini Advanced and other AI products. The company says it carried out "extensive trust and safety checks, including external red-teaming" (i.e. testing by third-party ethical hackers) on Gemini Advanced before refining the model with reinforcement learning and fine tuning.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-rebrands-its-bard-ai-chatbot-as-gemini-which-now-has-its-own-android-app-151303210.html?src=rss

Funimation will stream its last anime on April 2

Posted on by

Sony's Funimation purchased Crunchyroll from WarnerMedia for $1.175 billion in 2020, and they kicked off their transformation into a unified anime subscription service under the latter's name a year after the deal was announced. By 2022, Crunchyroll has already added more than 50 shows that were either exclusive to Funimation and weren't available with dubs to its library. Now, it sounds like they're almost done unifying their services: Funimation has revealed that it's going to shut down its old app and website on April 2. 

In Funimation's End of Services' page, it said most of its content has already been migrated to Crunchyroll. Those who've yet to leave Funimation, will automatically be transferred — all they need to do is use their existing credentials to log into Crunchyroll's website. After they do log in, they'll get a prompt telling them that their Watch and History lists are being migrated, as well. 

Viewers who have a Funimation and a Crunchyroll account will be prompted to merge their data from both services or to choose to use their data from one of them. And after April 2, their billing will go through Crunchyroll's and will follow its pricing, which starts at $8 a month. Unfortunately, Funimation customers who own digital copies complementing the DVDs or Blu-rays they purchased will lose access to them because Crunchyroll does not support them. "[W]e are continuously working to enhance our content offerings and provide you with an exceptional anime streaming experience," Funimation said. "We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to explore the extensive anime library available on Crunchyroll."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/funimation-will-stream-its-last-anime-on-april-2-131526671.html?src=rss

Meta and TikTok sue over paying the EU’s fee for policing content

Posted on by

Meta and TikTok owner ByteDance are not keen on the idea of paying the European Union to regulate them. The companies have challenged a supervisory fee set forth by EU moderators, who are now required to monitor Meta, TikTok, and other major platforms under the Digital Services Act (DSA), Politico reports. Meta first announced its action, with ByteDance following suit a day later.

Under the current arrangement, all designated companies must split the €45.2 million ($48.7 million) that EU's regulators argue is necessary to properly supervise the 20 Very Large Online Platforms and two Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs). Each regulated platform has 45 million or more users with its financial contribution based on the size of that number. They also can't owe more than 0.05 percent of its 2022 net profits. However, companies like Amazon and Pinterest that reported little to no profits won't owe anything. Meta, on the other hand, got a €11 million ($11.9 million) bill under the current arrangement. ByteDance has not publicly announced how much it owes.

Meta takes issue with the European Union regulators' methodology for choosing each company's fees. "Currently, companies that record a loss don't have to pay, even if they have a large user base or represent a greater regulatory burden, which means some companies pay nothing, leaving others to pay a disproportionate amount of the total," a Meta spokesperson remarked. Failure to comply with the fee could lead to a fine of up to six percent of a company's global revenue.

The DSA went into effect in 2023, with Meta's and ByteDance's VLOP designations came alongside other major sites, like Google and X, formerly known as Twitter. Along with the fee, VLOPs must comply with specific regulations like transparent advertising and content moderation, sharing data with the European Commission and cooperating with an annual independent audit.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-and-tiktok-sue-to-get-out-of-paying-the-eus-fee-for-policing-content-123511827.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple has reportedly made multiple foldable iPhone prototypes

Posted on by

According to The Information, Apple has created two clamshell-style foldable iPhone prototypes, though they’re all in the early stages of development. If Apple were to move forward with foldable iPhones, they likely wouldn’t come to market until at least 2026.

Companies have so far been unable to address the technical issues of foldables. The first Samsung Galaxy Fold notoriously had a gap between the two halves of the screen, which debris fell into. Second, Apple’s designers have found it tough to create a foldable iPhone compelling enough to exist beyond the iPhone’s current form factor. On top of those challenges, engineers wanted to make each side half as thin as a regular iPhone, so it would be roughly the same thickness when folded. But the tech isn’t there yet, given battery sizes and display constraints.

It seems more likely that Apple’s first foldable device may be an iPad, which it’s reportedly been working on since 2020. The company is trying to avoid the crease that emerges in the center of foldable displays after repeated folds. Apple is also apparently trying to make sure the screen is totally flat when it’s opened, with no bump in the middle.

— Mat Smith

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

​​

The biggest stories you might have missed

Apple Vision Pro teardown reveals pixels the size of red blood cells

Ring announces a new battery-powered doorbell with 3D motion detection and improved visuals

Layoffs are sucking the joy out of video games

Bluesky has added almost a million users one day after opening to the public

YouTube TV adds enhanced 1080p option

The company says it’s the ‘highest video quality’ it can offer.

Google is rolling out a new setting called 1080p Enhanced, for YouTube TV and Primetime Channels subscribers. The 1080p Enhanced setting improves on the existing 1080p60 resolution with its upgraded bitrate. While it’s the same resolution, the better bitrate will give better images.

Google confirmed the update after a Reddit user posted about it on the platform. The 1080p Enhanced setting “delivers our highest video quality,” said the response. Reddit users who already have access to 1080p Enhanced report the resolution is available for all of the same channels as 1080p60, such as Paramount and Syfy.

Continue reading.

OnePlus 12 review

A no-nonsense flagship for a great price.

TMA
Engadget

The OnePlus 12 has the same speedy performance and better battery life than the Galaxy S24+, along with solid cameras and a great screen for $200 less. There are few if any AI tricks, but that doesn’t detract much from great battery life, high-res cameras and that $800 price. Check out our full review.

Continue reading.

ChatGPT will digitally tag images generated by DALL-E 3

To battle misinformation.

OpenAI is now including provenance metadata in images generated with ChatGPT on the web and DALL-E 3 API. The metadata follows the C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) open standard, so when an image is uploaded to the Content Credentials Verify tool, you can trace its source. Unfortunately, it’s all rather easily bypassed: It only works when the metadata is intact. It doesn’t work if you upload an AI-generated image sans metadata — like any screenshot or images pulled from social media.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-has-reportedly-made-multiple-foldable-iphone-prototypes-121520008.html?src=rss

Homeworld 3 delayed again until May

Posted on by

Homeworld 3, the much-anticipated sequel to 20-year-old real-time strategy game Homeworld 2, has been delayed once again, Gearbox Publishing and Blackbird Interactive announced. It's now set to come out on May 13, 2024, a couple of months after the previously announced March 8 debut.

The decision to delay was made following a playthrough by users from outside the company. "This resulted in additional insights and perspective the will be incorporated to make Homeworld 3 the best experience possible," the team wrote. A public demo also likely weighed on the decision, showing some issues like balky camera and other controls.

Homeworld 3 delayed again until May
Gearbox Publishing/Blackbird Interactive

Homeworld 3 was originally pegged for a 2022 release, but it was postponed until 2023 and later February 2024, then again slightly until March 8. Though public beta users found some elements balky, the game generated positive comments as well, so the new May 13 date may be realistic. 

Homeworld 3 is an ambitious sequel to its popular predecessor, attempting to capture the vibe that people loved while introducing new modes including PvP and co-op. The latter (War Games) has a roguelike aspect emphasizing coordination with fellow players and may be the new title's ace in the hole. In any case, May is a generally a quiet month for game releases, so if the latest date works out, it would be a fine time to get into a complex RTS. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/homeworld-3-delayed-again-until-may-113515101.html?src=rss