Tag Archives: author_name|Kris Holt

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 sales paused in the US due to a patent dispute

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If you're planning to buy an Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2, you may want to act quickly. Apple says it will soon halt sales of both devices in the US due to a International Trade Commission (ITC) ban, which is related to a patent dispute over the wearables' blood oxygen sensor. Sales will be suspended online this week and at Apple retail locations after December 24.

"A Presidential Review Period is in progress regarding an order from the US International Trade Commission on a technical intellectual property dispute pertaining to Apple Watch devices containing the Blood Oxygen feature," Apple told Engadget in a statement. "While the review period will not end until December 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand. This includes pausing sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from Apple.com starting December 21, and from Apple retail locations after December 24."

The Apple Watch SE will remain available for purchase as it doesn't have a blood oxygen sensor. Previously purchased Apple Watch units that include the blood oxygen feature are unaffected (the Apple Watch Series 6 was the company's first device to offer blood-oxygen monitoring). The Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 will still be available to buy outside of the US.

Medical tech company Masimo sued Apple in 2021 over alleged violations of patents related to light-based blood-oxygen monitoring. In October, the ITC upheld a judge's ruling from earlier this year that the Apple Watch did violate Masimo's patents. 

The ITC's order blocks all Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 imports to the US after December 25. Other retailers, such as Amazon and Best Buy, can continue to sell the devices for the time being, as 9to5 Mac first reported.

Following the ITC's decision, the case went to the White House for a 60-day Presidential Review Period. Although President Biden has one more week to decide whether to veto the ITC ruling, Apple has opted to preemptively comply with the commission's decision. 

Apple plans to lodge an appeal with the Federal Circuit. It can also reach a settlement with Masimo or issue software updates that nullify patent infringements (likely by deactivating blood oxygen features). Apple will provide more information on the situation after the Presidential Review Period expires on December 25.

The US Trade Representative will also review the ITC's order. It has the option to disapprove of the ITC’s action due to policy reasons.

"Apple’s teams work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features," the company said. "Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers. Should the order stand, Apple will continue to take all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the US as soon as possible.”

Masimo has released its own smartwatch that Apple claims is an Apple Watch knockoff. Apple filed two patent infringement suits of its own against Masimo in October 2022, asserting that it copied patented Apple Watch features.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-will-pause-watch-series-9-and-ultra-2-sales-in-the-us-due-to-a-patent-dispute-142051903.html?src=rss

Adobe terminates its $20 billion Figma acquisition amid regulatory scrutiny

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Adobe is abandoning its planned $20 billion acquisition of Figma after the companies determined that there was no clear path to obtaining approval from UK and European Union regulators. The two sides have signed an agreement that fully resolves all aspects of the Adobe-Figma merger termination. Adobe will pay the collaborative design platform a previously agreed $1 billion termination fee after failing to overcome regulatory hurdles.

In November, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the European Commission both cited concerns over the proposed acquisition's impact on competition. The CMA said in its provisional findings that that the merger would “eliminate competition between two main competitors.” The watchdog said it was considering either blocking the deal or requiring Adobe to sell Figma's core product, Figma Design, along with Adobe XD.

Earlier on Monday, Adobe claimed that it wouldn't offer the CMA any potential remedies. “It is clear that no realistic remedy would satisfy the concerns the CMA is maintaining,” an Adobe spokesperson told Bloomberg. “We believe that the best path forward is to continue our ongoing engagement with the CMA on the merits.”

Last month, the EC sent Adobe a Statement of Objections, in which it warned the company that its planned purchase of Figma "may reduce competition in the global markets for the supply of interactive product design software and of other creative design software," such as vector editing tools (i.e. Illustrator and its ilk) and Photoshop-style raster editing tools. The EC planned to make a final decision on the merger by February 5. Adobe had indicated it was willing to offer possible remedies to appease European regulators, but it appears that's no longer the case.

“Adobe and Figma strongly disagree with the recent regulatory findings, but we believe it is in our respective best interests to move forward independently,” Shantanu Narayen, Adobe chair and CEO, said in a statement. “While Adobe and Figma shared a vision to jointly redefine the future of creativity and productivity, we continue to be well positioned to capitalize on our massive market opportunity and mission to change the world through personalized digital experiences.”

Adobe also anticipated a potential lawsuit from the US Department of Justice in an attempt to block the deal Stateside. The company and Figma reportedly met with DOJ officials last week to try and secure approval for their merger. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adobe-walks-away-from-its-20-billion-figma-acquisition-amid-regulatory-scrutiny-132203336.html?src=rss

US lawmakers call for DOJ probe into Apple’s blocking of Beeper’s iMessage app

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A bipartisan group of US senators and representatives have urged the Department of Justice to investigate whether Apple violated antitrust laws by attempting to block Beeper Mini's access to iMessage. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), along with Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Ken Buck (R-CO), have asked an assistant attorney general to look into “potentially anticompetitive conduct” by Apple.

There have been a number of efforts in recent months to provide Android users with access to iMessage via workarounds. Earlier this month, Beeper said it was able to reverse engineer the iMessage protocol and support it on Android devices. Within a couple of days, Beeper Mini's iMessage integration was acting up and Apple (without elaborating too much) soon confirmed it had blocked an iMessage exploit.

It didn't take long for Beeper to find yet another way to get iMessage working on Android, though this time it required an Apple ID. Last week, the company said it suspected Apple was "deliberately blocking iMessages from being delivered" to around five percent of Beeper Mini users and that it was working on a solution.

The back and forth between Beeper and Apple caught the attention of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). "Green bubble texts are less secure. So why would Apple block a new app allowing Android users to chat with iPhone users on iMessage? Big Tech executives are protecting profits by squashing competitors," Warren wrote on X. "Chatting between different platforms should be easy and secure." 

Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to a question about improving iOS-Android communication compatibility by telling a journalist to "buy your mom an iPhone." 

"Interoperability and interconnection have long been key drivers of competition and consumer choice in communications services," lawmakers noted in their letter to the DOJ. "But consumers will never benefit from competition if dominant firms are allowed to snuff out that competition at its incipiency."

As such, the officials are "concerned that Apple's recent actions to disable Beeper Mini harm competition, eliminate choices for consumers and will discourage future innovation and investment in interoperable messaging services. We also fear these types of tactics may more broadly chill future investment and innovation from those that seek to compete with existing digital gatekeepers. Thus, we refer this matter to the Antitrust Division to investigate whether this potentially anticompetitive conduct by Apple violated the antitrust laws."

Apple has made at least one commitment to improving messaging interoperability. The company has pledged to support the RCS protocol starting in 2024, after years of Google openly pressuring Apple to do so. Adopting RCS will mean that messaging between iPhone and Android will be more secure than SMS and allow for higher-quality media sharing.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-lawmakers-call-for-doj-probe-into-apples-blocking-of-beepers-imessage-app-122554473.html?src=rss

Amazon’s deal to make Warhammer 40,000 movies and TV shows is done

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Amazon and Games Workshop have confirmed they're working on TV shows and movies based on Warhammer 40,000. The news comes 12 months after the two sides reached an agreement in principle to develop adaptations of the miniature wargame for big and small screens. 

The companies have now inked a full agreement, which gives Amazon the exclusive rights to develop films and TV shows based on the intellectual property. In turn, the adaptations could help Games Workshop attract new Warhammer 40K tabletop players.

Games Workshop says an "elite band" of screenwriters is coming together to create the shows and movies. Assisting them will be Henry Cavill, a long-time Warhammer 40K fan, who will be an executive producer and perhaps star in some of the TV shows and films.

Don't expect to see a Warhammer movie hitting Prime Video anytime soon, though. As Games Workshop notes, it typically takes at least a couple of years for a project to go from the development phase to something you can actually watch. Still, the ball is officially rolling on Amazon's Warhammer adaptations. Games Workshop says it will share some details about what's in store as soon as it's able.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-deal-to-make-warhammer-40000-movies-and-tv-shows-is-done-102509727.html?src=rss

An Apple AirTags four-pack is back on sale for $80

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There are plenty of folks out there who'd prefer a practical gift to an offbeat one this holiday season. Apple's AirTags are handy little devices that could help you find and recover lost items, and so they make for great holiday gifts (as long as your intended recipient is an iPhone user). Now is a good time to pick up a few AirTags as a pack of four is on sale for $80. That's $19 off the regular price and it matches a deal we saw during the Black Friday period.

The AirTag is our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker for iPhones as it taps into Apple's global Find My network. After you pair an AirTag with an iPhone or iPad, you'll be able to find it as long as it's within range of another Apple device. Otherwise, you'll be able to view the AirTag's last known location to give you a starting point.

If you put the AirTag into Lost Mode, you'll receive a notification as soon as the tracker appears on the Find My network. Folks with an iPhone 11 or later will have ultra-wideband support on their device. That means they can harness the Find Nearby feature, which can guide them to the exact location of the AirTag once they're within a certain range without having to set off the device's ringer. As you get close to the tracker, your phone will start to vibrate.

In addition, the AirTag is a robust little thing as it's water- and dust-resistant. You won't have to be too concerned about the battery either, as it only needs to be replaced roughly once a year. Meanwhile, you might want to consider picking up an AirTag accessory such as a case or holder to secure the tracker.

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/an-apple-airtags-four-pack-is-back-on-sale-for-80-163816952.html?src=rss

Instagram rolls out new customizable Story templates

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Instagram is rolling out a feature that could help users have more fun with Stories. Starting today, you’ll have the ability to create Add Yours templates. “People will be able to develop and share their own custom, meme-able Add Yours templates by pinning GIFs, text and gallery images to a Story template,” Instagram says. 

To create an Add Yours template, add GIFs, text and images that you want to include to your story. Then, go to your Sticker Tray and select Add Yours templates. After that, pick the elements (text, images and GIFs) that you want to include in the template. Here's the kicker: once you share an Add Yours template in a Story, anyone else can use it and add their own touches.

If you want to riff on someone else's template, tap on the Add Yours prompt when you see one in their Story. This will take you to the Camera, where you can see all the elements that are part of the template and play around with them, add your own and so on. If you tap the faces that appear on the left side of the sticker, you can see who else has put their own spin on a template.

As for what you can do with the Add Yours templates, it's really your call. You might create an either/or quiz, start a trend of showing followers around your workspace or encourage folks to share the most ridiculous photos they have of their pets. Livening such prompts up with images and GIFs could help them stand out and get your template seen and riffed on by thousands of other users. Instagram rolled out templates for Reels last year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-rolls-out-new-customizable-story-templates-150246935.html?src=rss

A new Pixel mode can protect your data while your device is being repaired

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Google has revealed a new feature for Pixel devices that's designed to keep your data safe when it's at the repair shop. The company says that, by activating this feature, you may be able to prevent technicians from deleting and restoring your data during the repair process while making it easier for them to run diagnostics. It can also protect your data from potentially prying eyes, Google notes.

The mode is available on Pixel devices that are running the latest Android 14 update and that have at least 2GB of spare storage. To activate the feature, go to Settings > System > Repair mode and follow the prompts (follow the same chain to turn off the feature). Google notes that even though repair mode should protect your data, it's always worth backing up your data if possible before any repair service.

Meanwhile, Google has rolled out a new diagnostic app that you can access from your Pixel device's Phone app. It says this should help you get a better sense of any issues your device has before a repair and to check that it's working properly once you get your phone back. To run the diagnostics, enter #*#7287#*# in the keypad in the Phone app.

Along with helping provide any professional repair shop with the parts it needs to fix Pixel devices, Google is looking to make it easier for people to remedy issues with their phones as well. The company started offering legitimate Pixel parts and repair manuals with the help of iFixit last year (and also now through Shyft Global Services). You should be able to find information about how to order the parts you're looking for and view repair manuals through the Google Help site. Repair manuals are available from Google directly in English and French for certain devices. Manuals for more devices and in more languages will be available in the coming months.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-new-pixel-mode-can-protect-your-data-while-your-device-is-being-repaired-195835764.html?src=rss

A24 will help bring the Death Stranding movie to life

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It's been a year since we learned that a movie based on Death Stranding was in the works. Now, Kojima Productions has brought another notable partner on board. A24, the celebrated studio behind movies such as Everything Everywhere All At Once and Uncut Gems, is helping to adapt Death Stranding into a live-action film.

More than 16 million people have explored Hideo Kojima's haunting game so far. Death Stranding tasks a courier named Sam Porter Bridges (played by Norman Reedus) with unifying a fractured America after a cataclysmic event. It's a strange, captivating game. Perhaps most importantly for A24, it's also deeply cinematic.

The adaptation will "delve into the mysteries surrounding the apocalyptic event called the 'Death Stranding,' which blurred the lines between life and death, and brought forth nightmarish creatures into a world on the brink of collapse," according to a press release. Don't expect the film to directly follow the events of the game, though.

"There are a lot of 'game adaptation films' out there but what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game," Kojima, who claims to have taken inspiration from some of A24's work, said. "The intention is that our audience will not only be fans of the games, but our film will be for anyone who loves cinema. We are creating a Death Stranding universe that has never been seen before, achievable only through the medium of film, it will be born.”

Kojima is a renowned movie buff who may very well have been a film director in another life. He may not have enough time to slide into the director's chair on this occasion though, as Kojima Productions has its hands full with two games that are in the works: a Death Stranding sequel and a new project called OD. Still, A24 has a number of high-profile collaborators who'd make a compelling Death Stranding film. I'm curious as to what Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, Sofia Coppola or Alex Garland might be able to do with that source material.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a24-will-help-bring-the-death-stranding-movie-to-life-171735945.html?src=rss

Lenovo’s latest ThinkPad and IdeaPad laptops include new Intel Core Ultra chips

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Lenovo has unveiled its latest productivity-focused ThinkPad and IdeaPad laptops ahead of CES. The systems are equipped with Intel's new Core Ultra chipsets, which include three compute engines — a central processing unit, graphics processing unit and neural processing unit. Those are designed to work together for greater efficiency. Lenovo notes that some compute tasks can be offloaded to the GPU or NPU for better performance and power management. Since they run on Windows 11, all three laptops will support Copilot AI features.

The IdeaPad Pro 5i is the first consumer Intel Evo Edition laptop that runs on an Intel Core Ultra chipset. Lenovo claims this will power faster AI-driven features, such as image and text generation, as well as photo editing. There are also claims of improved performance for traditionally demanding tasks like video editing and exporting, along with multitasking.

You can equip the IdeaPad Pro 5i with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to a 1TB SSD. An expandable SSD slot and SD card reader can help bump up the storage as well.

The laptop is available in 14-inch and 16-inch formats with several display options, including an 16:10 OLED panel with a 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut and 120Hz refresh rate. The IR Full HD camera has a time-of-flight sensor and privacy shutter along with Windows Hello support.

No matter which size of the laptop you opt for, you'll get an 84WHr polymer battery with quick charging support via Thunderbolt 4. You'll get an HDMI 2.1 port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A slots and a 3.5mm audio jack. There's also Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 support. The 14-inch model weighs 3.22 lbs and the larger variant is 4.3 lbs.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is available now. The laptop starts at $1,150.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12
Lenovo

You'll need to wait slightly longer for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12. Some configurations will be available later this month (starting at $2,989) and the full swathe of options to follow in March. The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 will become available in March too. That laptop is expected to start at $2,639.

Lenovo has integrated a major accessibility-focused feature into the new ThinkPads in the form of additional tactile cues on the keyboard to help folks with visual impairments. The company says it worked with Microsoft’s Accessibility Team to help develop new industry standards in keyboard design. For instance, the F2 and F3 keys (often used for volume control) have tactile markings, as does the Insert key to help people tell it apart from the Delete key. Meanwhile, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 has a larger magnetic pen, which is said to deliver a better experience for those who prefer to use a stylus.

The ThinkPad X1 models include a self-explanatory Low Light Enhancer feature for the webcam. Lenovo says this tool runs on the NPU for greater system efficiency when you have video conferencing software such as Zoom running.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 can be configured with up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage. There's no dedicated GPU option as the laptop will support Intel Arc graphics. The 14-inch display can have a resolution of up to 2.8K with a refresh rate of 120Hz on an OLED panel.

As for ports, you'll get two USB-C Thunderbolt 4, two USB-C, an HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm audio jack. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 can be equipped with Wi-Fi 6E or 7 and Bluetooth 5.3. There are several webcam options too, up to an 8MP MIPI Computer Vision camera with privacy shutter. The laptop's weight starts at 2.42 lbs.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 9 has similar specs though it, of course, is a 2-in-1. The other key difference is that the weight starts at 2.92 lbs.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9
Lenovo

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lenovos-latest-thinkpad-and-ideapad-laptops-include-new-intel-core-ultra-chips-150037731.html?src=rss

Xbox Cloud Gaming lands on Meta Quest headsets

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Meta has been promising as much for a while, and now Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro owners can now stream hundreds of games through Xbox Cloud Gaming. You'll need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, compatible controller, solid internet connection and the most recent Quest software update. Then, you'll be able to snag the Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) app and hop into games such as Starfield, Cocoon and Halo Infinite on a large virtual screen.

Meta says you'll be able to choose from four virtual display sizes. You can opt to play games in an Xbox-themed virtual space or make it appear as though the display is floating in mid-air thanks to the Quest 3 and Pro's full-color passthrough features. As for supported controllers, Meta says Xbox gamepads, PlayStation 4 peripherals and the Nintendo Switch Pro all work. Support for the PlayStation 5's DualSense will be available at a later date.

This is the second major cross-platform collaboration that has arrived on Quest in the last couple of weeks. It's now possible to wirelessly play PC VR games on the headsets thanks to Steam Link support. While some folks were already able to access Xbox Cloud Gaming on Quest headsets via workarounds, the arrival of the app will make it much easier for anyone to dive in and play something when, say, they're traveling or someone else is occupying the TV.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xbox-cloud-gaming-lands-on-meta-quest-headsets-204929253.html?src=rss