Ring makes a camera for pretty much every corner of your home but, until now, has never gone near one with a motorized base. That changes today with the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam that, as the name implies, lets you spin the unit around 360 degrees to keep up with what’s going on. The new unit has a tilt range of 169-degrees and offers color HD video no matter the lighting conditions. You’ll get all of the usual features with a standard indoor cam, including motion alerts and two-walk talk, plus the extras that come with a Ring subscription.
Given the tendency for folks running AirBnBs to covertly film their guests, there’s a built-in hardware kill switch. A mechanical shutter can be slid over the front of the camera, and Ring promises that both the video and audio feeds will be disabled until the cover is moved back. The company is also aware its usual range of colors, or lack of, might cramp your style if you’re buying one for the living room. That’s why this unit will be the first to launch in black and white, but also three new colors: Blush (pink), Charcoal (grey) and Starlight (off-ish white). These new colors will also come to Ring’s standard second-generation indoor camera in due time.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rings-new-indoor-camera-lets-you-pan-and-tilt-for-a-better-view-130047398.html?src=rss
The Rabbit R1, a pocket-sized AI virtual assistant device, runs Android under the hood and is powered by a single app, according to Android Authority. Apparently, the publication was able to install the R1 APK on a Pixel 6a and made it run as if it were the $199 gadget, bobbing bunny head on the screen and all. If you already have a phone and aren't quite intrigued by specialized devices or keen on being an early adopter, you probably didn't see merit in getting the R1 (or its competitor, the Humane AI Pin) in the first place. But this information could make you question the device's purpose even more. Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu, however, denied that the company's product could've just been released an Android app.
In a statement sent to Android Authority, Lyu said: "rabbit r1 is not an Android app." He added that the company is aware that there are "unofficial rabbit OS app/website emulators out there" and is discouraging their use. "We understand the passion that people have to get a taste of our AI and LAM instead of waiting for their r1 to arrive," he continued. "That being said, to clear any misunderstanding and set the record straight, rabbit OS and LAM run on the cloud with very bespoke AOSP and lower level firmware modifications, therefore a local bootleg APK without the proper OS and Cloud endpoints won’t be able to access our service. rabbit OS is customized for r1 and we do not support third-party clients. Using a bootlegged APK or webclient carries significant risks; malicious actors are known to publish bootlegged apps that steal your data. For this reason, we recommend that users avoid these bootlegged rabbit OS apps."
Android Authority admitted that Spotify integration and other features probably wouldn't work when the R1 is installed on a phone, because it was created to run on the company's specialized firmware. However, it promised a follow-up story delving deeper into the subject.
The R1 has the capability to book you an Uber, find you titles to songs stuck in your brain or look for recipes that can incorporate ingredients you have in your fridge, among other things a virtual assistant or an AI chatbot can do. When Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu introduced the R1 at CES 2024, he demonstrated how it can be trained to do a variety of other tasks when he taught it to generate an image using Midjourney. Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low found it more fun and accessible than the $700 Humane AI Pin, but she remains skeptical about the usefulness of AI devices overall. It may still be too early to tell whether they have the potential to become a must-have product for your daily life or the high-tech equivalent of single-use kitchen tools. We're already in the midst of testing the R1 and will publish a review soon to help you decide if it's worth giving the product category a chance.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rabbit-denies-claims-that-its-r1-virtual-assistant-is-a-glorified-android-app-123049869.html?src=rss
Beats today announced the Solo 4, a $200 set of familiar-looking cans with significant upgrades inside, even if they look almost entirely the same as the Solo 3.
At this price, the Solo 4s don’t have any active noise cancellation and, according to Billy Steele, who tested the new headphones, they sound a bit thin. However, sound is generally improved, and the boost to 50 hours of playback (along with USB-C) is a major improvement over the predecessor. They’re available to buy now.
Beats also surprised us with new sub-$100 Solo buds, wireless (non-ANC) earbuds with 18 hours of playback. One focus is comfort, with ergonomic acoustic nozzles and vents assisting with audio performance and relieving the pressure on your ears. The Solo Buds will be available in June for $80.
Instagram is overhauling its recommendation algorithm for Reels to support and increase “original content.” It could greatly impact aggregator accounts and other accounts that mostly report other users’ work. The company is also changing how it ranks Reels to boost smaller accounts.
The app’s changes around “original content” could be pretty immediate. Instagram says it will actively replace reposted Reels with the “original” clip in its suggestions when it detects two pieces of identical content. Aggregator accounts that “repeatedly” publish posts from others will be penalized even more harshly. I’ve come across many accounts (often through Reels) that are simply the same viral clip (that isn’t even original) posted and reposted as far as I was willing to scroll. These changes could shrink the chances of coming across lazier content like that.
The Federal Communications Commission has slapped the largest mobile carriers in the US with a collective fine worth $200 million for selling access to their customers’ location information without consent. AT&T was ordered to pay $57 million, while Verizon has a $47 million fine. Meanwhile, Sprint and T-Mobile are facing a penalty with a combined amount of $92 million, as the companies merged two years ago. Apparently, the carriers sold “real-time location information to data aggregators,” and this data ended up “in the hands of bail-bond companies, bounty hunters and other shady actors.”
Fujifilm’s Instax cameras have been around for a while, but the new Instax mini 99, which was released this month, looks more like my X-T2 and other Fujifilm models than yet another plasticky Polaroid. From a distance, it looks like a pricey digital camera, but it costs only $200. It also has modes and filters to customize your tiny instant photos. That flexibility, combined with the understated look, makes for an instant camera I might actually buy (and use).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-our-verdict-on-the-beats-solo-4-headphones-111559935.html?src=rss
Ubisoft says the mobile version of the AAA title offers “the same experience as the console version” but with adapted touchscreen controls. IGNreports that Ubisoft confirmed the mobile game will support MFi hardware controllers like the Backbone One and Razer Kishi Ultra.
Ubisoft says Assassin’s Creed Mirage supports cross-progression and cross-save through Ubisoft Connect, so you can pick up where you left off no matter your platform. The game launched in October for PC, PS5/4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
Ubisoft
Engadget’s Kris Holt found Assassin’s Creed Mirage to be a return to form for the series, trading the RPG elements that had grown prominent in recent years for the series' stealth and action roots. “The deeper I got into Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the more a sense of warm nostalgia washed over me,” Holt wrote. “It felt like a cozy hug from an old friend. A comforting, bloody embrace.”
The game will be free to download, and it has a 90-minute free trial. After that, it’ll be a $50 in-app purchase to continue playing on any compatible iPhone or iPad. You can pre-reserve the game now on the App Store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/assassins-creed-mirage-finally-arrives-on-june-6-for-iphone-and-ipad-190711252.html?src=rss
Ubisoft says the mobile version of the AAA title offers “the same experience as the console version” but with adapted touchscreen controls. IGNreports that Ubisoft confirmed the mobile game will support MFi hardware controllers like the Backbone One and Razer Kishi Ultra.
Ubisoft says Assassin’s Creed Mirage supports cross-progression and cross-save through Ubisoft Connect, so you can pick up where you left off no matter your platform. The game launched in October for PC, PS5/4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
Ubisoft
Engadget’s Kris Holt found Assassin’s Creed Mirage to be a return to form for the series, trading the RPG elements that had grown prominent in recent years for the series' stealth and action roots. “The deeper I got into Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the more a sense of warm nostalgia washed over me,” Holt wrote. “It felt like a cozy hug from an old friend. A comforting, bloody embrace.”
The game will be free to download, and it has a 90-minute free trial. After that, it’ll be a $50 in-app purchase to continue playing on any compatible iPhone or iPad. You can pre-reserve the game now on the App Store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/assassins-creed-mirage-finally-arrives-on-june-6-for-iphone-and-ipad-190711252.html?src=rss
The popular Arc Browser has been wowing macOS and iOS users for years, and now it’s finally available for Windows users. The Windows version of The Browser Company’s software had been in beta since December. The only caveat? The web browser is only available for Windows 11, though a Windows 10 version is on the way.
While a direct competitor to browsers like Chrome and Edge, Arc is actually quite unique. It features a collapsible sidebar with vertical tabs and bookmarks, so there are no tabs up top. This gives users a clean view of the actual website they’re visiting, without any unnecessary clutter. It also lets people build spaces to keep things organized, which kind of works like folders on a desktop. Looking for recipes and applying for jobs at the same time? Just dump tabs and research from the former into one space and the latter into another space.
The Peek feature lets users preview a link before opening it and Little Arc opens up a lightweight browser window for viewing something quickly and with minimal memory usage. There’s a bit of a learning curve with Arc, given we’ve been using browsers in the same exact way for decades, but that’s been worth it for many users.
It’s also ultra-customizable, making for the kind of personalized experience that isn’t available with rival browsers. Arc actually lets users customize the look of any website they visit, so people can take their aggression out on Engadget by turning the site neon green or changing the font to something hideous. Folks can even highlight entire sections and delete them from view. As an added bonus, Chrome plugins work with Arc, making for an easy migration.
Engadget / Nathan Ingraham
Another big thing here is Swift integration. Arc actually runs on Swift, which is a programming language created by Apple for building apps for iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch. So by bringing Arc to Windows, the Browser Company is also bringing Swift to Windows for the first time.
This means that third parties will, eventually, be able to build Windows applications using Swift. This programming language is considered by some to be faster and more efficient than, say, Python and the like. The company’s been working on bringing Swift to Windows computers for six years, with company engineer Saleem Abdulrasool calling it “an effort of love.”
The Browser Company promises this is just the beginning of Arc on Windows. It says there will be regular performance improvements and new features “dropping in the coming weeks and months.” In the meantime, the browser’s free if people want to give it a looksie.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-excellent-and-customizable-arc-browser-is-now-fully-available-on-windows-165707711.html?src=rss
The popular Arc Browser has been wowing macOS and iOS users for years, and now it’s finally available for Windows users. The Windows version of The Browser Company’s software had been in beta since December. The only caveat? The web browser is only available for Windows 11, though a Windows 10 version is on the way.
While a direct competitor to browsers like Chrome and Edge, Arc is actually quite unique. It features a collapsible sidebar with vertical tabs and bookmarks, so there are no tabs up top. This gives users a clean view of the actual website they’re visiting, without any unnecessary clutter. It also lets people build spaces to keep things organized, which kind of works like folders on a desktop. Looking for recipes and applying for jobs at the same time? Just dump tabs and research from the former into one space and the latter into another space.
The Peek feature lets users preview a link before opening it and Little Arc opens up a lightweight browser window for viewing something quickly and with minimal memory usage. There’s a bit of a learning curve with Arc, given we’ve been using browsers in the same exact way for decades, but that’s been worth it for many users.
It’s also ultra-customizable, making for the kind of personalized experience that isn’t available with rival browsers. Arc actually lets users customize the look of any website they visit, so people can take their aggression out on Engadget by turning the site neon green or changing the font to something hideous. Folks can even highlight entire sections and delete them from view. As an added bonus, Chrome plugins work with Arc, making for an easy migration.
Engadget / Nathan Ingraham
Another big thing here is Swift integration. Arc actually runs on Swift, which is a programming language created by Apple for building apps for iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch. So by bringing Arc to Windows, the Browser Company is also bringing Swift to Windows for the first time.
This means that third parties will, eventually, be able to build Windows applications using Swift. This programming language is considered by some to be faster and more efficient than, say, Python and the like. The company’s been working on bringing Swift to Windows computers for six years, with company engineer Saleem Abdulrasool calling it “an effort of love.”
The Browser Company promises this is just the beginning of Arc on Windows. It says there will be regular performance improvements and new features “dropping in the coming weeks and months.” In the meantime, the browser’s free if people want to give it a looksie.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-excellent-and-customizable-arc-browser-is-now-fully-available-on-windows-165707711.html?src=rss
Apple's second-generation Pencil stylus is back on sale for $79, which matches its lowest price to date. We've seen this deal a few times over the course of 2024, but it's still about $35 off the device's usual street price on Amazon outside of those sales. Apple, meanwhile, normally sells the stylus for $129. This offer is available at Amazon, Target, Walmart and Best Buy.
Do note, though: Apple's next product showcase is scheduled for May 7, and it is widely expected to unveil a new Pencil during the event. This next-gen model will include some level of haptic feedback, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, while 9to5Mac has suggested it may include a new "squeeze" gesture and Find My tracking support. If you want the newest Pencil possible, you should hold out for one more week.
However, given the MSRP of this second-gen model, it seems safe to expect any new Pencil to cost a good bit more than $79 out of the gate. If you're on a tighter budget and looking to buy your first iPad stylus for sketching or note-taking, the current Pencil should remain a good value at this price.
For now, the second-gen Pencil is the top stylus pick in our guide to the best iPad accessories. It's still one of the only styluses to offer pressure sensitivity across iPadOS, so the harder you press down, the heavier your lines get. (Last year's USB-C-based Pencil omits this.) Tilt recognition and palm rejection support help it feel natural for drawing beyond that. The pen itself is comfortable to hold, and it can charge and connect to a compatible iPad just by snapping to the tablet's side magnetically, no cables required. We also like its double-tap feature, which makes swapping between a drawing tool and an eraser faster in certain apps. Just make sure you own (and will continue to use) a compatible iPad Air, mini or Pro first.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-second-gen-apple-pencil-falls-back-to-79-ahead-of-next-weeks-ipad-event-152152952.html?src=rss
Apple's second-generation Pencil stylus is back on sale for $79, which matches its lowest price to date. We've seen this deal a few times over the course of 2024, but it's still about $35 off the device's usual street price on Amazon outside of those sales. Apple, meanwhile, normally sells the stylus for $129. This offer is available at Amazon, Target, Walmart and Best Buy.
Do note, though: Apple's next product showcase is scheduled for May 7, and it is widely expected to unveil a new Pencil during the event. This next-gen model will include some level of haptic feedback, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, while 9to5Mac has suggested it may include a new "squeeze" gesture and Find My tracking support. If you want the newest Pencil possible, you should hold out for one more week.
However, given the MSRP of this second-gen model, it seems safe to expect any new Pencil to cost a good bit more than $79 out of the gate. If you're on a tighter budget and looking to buy your first iPad stylus for sketching or note-taking, the current Pencil should remain a good value at this price.
For now, the second-gen Pencil is the top stylus pick in our guide to the best iPad accessories. It's still one of the only styluses to offer pressure sensitivity across iPadOS, so the harder you press down, the heavier your lines get. (Last year's USB-C-based Pencil omits this.) Tilt recognition and palm rejection support help it feel natural for drawing beyond that. The pen itself is comfortable to hold, and it can charge and connect to a compatible iPad just by snapping to the tablet's side magnetically, no cables required. We also like its double-tap feature, which makes swapping between a drawing tool and an eraser faster in certain apps. Just make sure you own (and will continue to use) a compatible iPad Air, mini or Pro first.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-second-gen-apple-pencil-falls-back-to-79-ahead-of-next-weeks-ipad-event-152152952.html?src=rss
It’s only been two weeks since Tesla began reducing its workforce by ten percent, a move that impacted at least 14,000 staffers. Now, even more pink slips are coming. The company let go of two senior executives today and plans to lay off hundreds more employees, as reported by The Information.
These layoffs impact the entire Supercharger team, including senior director Rebecca Tinucci and 500 staffers. Daniel Ho, head of the new vehicles program, was also laid off, along with his team. Tesla’s public policy team is also being dissolved, which was led by former executive Rohan Patel.
CEO Elon Musk sent out a company-wide email that seemed more like a threat than anything else. "Hopefully these actions are making it clear that we need to be absolutely hard core about headcount and cost reduction," Musk wrote. "While some on exec staff are taking this seriously, most are not yet doing so."
This could be just the beginning. Musk also said that any staffers working under executives who “don’t obviously pass the excellent, necessary and trustworthy test” would also get cut. When all of this is said and done, Tesla’s headcount could be reduced by as much as 20 percent, as recently suggested by Bloomberg. This adds up to more than 20,000 employees.
Just how “hard core” is Musk about reducing costs? Well, a judge recently rejected his proposal for a pay package that would grant him $55.8 billion of Tesla’s money, which was referred to in court as “an unfathomable sum” that was unfair to shareholders. Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick went on to call it “the largest potential compensation opportunity ever observed in public markets by multiple orders of magnitude.” Sounds kinda soft core to me.
This is shaping up to be a really crappy year for Tesla, even if its stock price seems to be living in a parallel universe. Profit margins have sunk to a six-year low. The company’s most recent earnings report was abysmal, with profits falling by 55 percent. The Cybertruck continues to be something of a dangerous joke. Tesla’s Autopilot software was recently linked to 14 deaths. It has also reportedly given up on its budget-friendly EV in favor of a robotaxi, because why make a car everyone would want to buy instead of something a few taxi companies will buy? On the plus side, Tesla doesn’t really pay taxes, which is pretty hard core.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-is-reportedly-getting-absolutely-hard-core-about-more-layoffs-according-to-elon-musk-151635645.html?src=rss