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  12.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Cities: Skylines II is free to play until December 9]]></title>
  13.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>If you’ve been on the fence about buying the urban landscape sim <em>Cities: Skyline II</em> (and given the response following its launch, who could blame you?), here’s your chance to take it for a free test run. Paradox Interactive announced on <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://bsky.app/profile/citiesskylines.paradoxinteractive.com/post/3lclaqqr5wk2s"><ins>Bluesky</ins></a> that players can play the city building game for free for a limited time.</p>
  14. <p><em>Cities: Skylines II</em> is available to play from now until December 9. The free version is available to download and play for free on <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/949230/Cities_Skylines_II/"><ins>Steam</ins></a> and <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:NVIDIA;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=f52348f6-2304-415e-b16c-1fb252794066&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=a13750b7-e3cc-46d0-96a6-4ff9e16c37be&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=NVIDIA&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5udmlkaWEuY29tL2VuLXVzL2dlZm9yY2Utbm93L21lbWJlcnNoaXBzLyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYTEzNzUwYjctZTNjYy00NmQwLTk2YTYtNGZmOWUxNmMzN2JlIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5udmlkaWEuY29tL2VuLXVzL2dlZm9yY2Utbm93L21lbWJlcnNoaXBzLyJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAbNg6JmJupi7xWLKU3aFrV1GZt-5PdU8LeUH1EDaSAUd&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nvidia.com%2Fen-us%2Fgeforce-now%2Fmemberships%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/memberships/"><ins>GeForce NOW</ins></a>.</p>
  15. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Colossal Order and Paradox’s sequel to its hit city construction experience got off to a very rocky start more than a year ago. Despite having a dedicated base of fans who provided a lot of insight into the development of <em>Cities: Skylines II</em>, the response to its release was far from positive.</p>
  16. <p>Fans were upset that <em>Cities: Skyline II</em> only launched on PC instead of a simultaneous PC and console release. There was also criticism over the increased spec requirements a month before the game’s launch. Players with powerful PCs experienced problems with the game even months after the initial release. Colossal Order CEO <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/whats-up-with-the-toxicity-around-cities-skylines-ii-213034938.html"><ins>Mariina Hallikainen</ins></a> wrote a blog post the following January describing a “growing tendency of toxicity in our community, something we have not experienced to this extent before.”</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/cities-skylines-ii-is-free-to-play-until-december-9-002023815.html?src=rss]]></description>
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  64.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: Great movie, good game]]></title>
  65.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p><em>Indiana Jones and the Great Circle </em>has no business being as entertaining as it is. Outside of the superhero genre, there aren’t many high-quality licensed games out there, and this one comes with decades of film lore to live up to. And, frankly, it’s a little bit of a mess on Xbox Series S. Some of its scenes are stunning, but it’s also infested with resolution issues, mechanical glitches and silly animation bugs. In most other games, the combination of these problems would make me throw down the controller and uninstall.</p>
  66. <p>And yet, <em>Indiana Jones and the Great Circle</em> is endlessly endearing. The game’s tone is pitch-perfect, it offers moments of earnest beauty and Troy Baker’s Harrison Ford impersonation is a treat to witness, let alone embody. In fact, every actor in the game is fabulous, and its writing, audio and direction feel like classic Spielberg and Lucas fare — but this time it’s all in first-person, interactive form, courtesy of Wolfenstein studio MachineGames.</p> <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span>
  67. <div id="7058d25523fd4188a66104e6bde96465">
  68. <div style="left:0;width:100%;height:0;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;">
  69.  <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sq97d1RkdRM?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe>
  70. </div>
  71. </div>
  72. <p>I can’t speak highly enough of the writing in <em>The Great Circle</em>. Indy feels like an authentic extension of the film character, and his sassy remarks and dad-like frustration spill out in hilarious bursts throughout the game. His companion, Gina, is just as witty, mysterious and independent as Dr. Jones himself, expertly portrayed by actor Alessandra Mastronardi. The main bad boy, a Nazi archaeologist named Emmerich Voss (played by Marios Gavrilis), is supremely unsettling as he manipulates his troops and monologues at his captors, every word dripping with a dark sense of entitlement.&nbsp;</p>
  73. <p>The story is set in 1937 between the events of <em>Raiders of the Lost Ark</em> and <em>The Last Crusade</em>, and it takes players to Rome, Giza, The Himalayas, Shanghai and the ancient kingdom of Sukhothai in north-central Thailand, on a quest to save the world from an old and powerful magic.</p>
  74. <p>Of course, it also involves punching lots of Nazis right in their stupid faces.</p>
  75. <figure>
  76. <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cc261830-b357-11ef-b7b7-ae3d7aae7341" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cc261830-b357-11ef-b7b7-ae3d7aae7341" style="height:2160px;width:3840px;" alt="Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" data-uuid="9216cb95-bf4c-3d8f-a92b-c21950e5a539" data-display-size="large">
  77. <figcaption></figcaption>
  78. <div class="photo-credit">
  79.  Bethesda Softworks
  80. </div>
  81. </figure>
  82. <p>There are moments in <em>The Great Circle </em>where the music, environment, lighting and writing converge to create a memorable vignette, such as Indy’s first real conversation with Gina on a balcony in the Vatican. They banter back and forth as a Nazi airship docks on a domed turret behind them, afternoon sun glinting off gold roofs, and the music reacts to their strategizing and flirting with small trills. For a second, the game feels indistinguishable from a classic Indiana Jones movie, and it’s a real joy. There are a few cutscenes and gameplay bits that feel like this in <em>The Great Circle</em>, though there are just as many that look less polished on Series S, with stilted animations and too-harsh lighting. The writing and tone, however, is consistently top-notch.</p>
  83. <p>It almost feels like two studios made this game, and one of them was much better at taking advantage of the Xbox Series S hardware. The visual disparity is odd, with animation and resolution quality shifting from scene to scene. In between gorgeous set pieces, there are sequences that look like a remake of a game from the Xbox 360 era. It’s strange. However, I imagine playing on Xbox Series X or a capable PC would boost the resolution and stability nicely.</p>
  84. <p>Mechanically, the game is also hit-or-miss. Combat relies mainly on hand-to-hand fights, and while there are guns, they’re generally not the strongest weapon at Indy’s disposal. His whip is useful for stunning, creating distance and pulling enemies closer for a punch, and he’s able to pick up items like shovels, candlesticks, bottles and batons to use as projectiles or melee weapons. Random one-on-one fights against Nazis and fascists play out fine, with solid-sounding punches and sharp whip cracks, but the scripted melee battles tend to feel stagnant. Enemies don’t have a health bar and there’s little indication of how much damage Indy is inflicting at any given time. Dodging is a key element in these fights and it’s not the most responsive or forgiving system; inputs feel laggy or ineffective at times, and enemies are allowed to power up big hits even while they’re being punched.</p>
  85. <figure>
  86. <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cc4957a0-b357-11ef-bf7d-62111f965361" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cc4957a0-b357-11ef-bf7d-62111f965361" style="height:2160px;width:3840px;" alt="Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" data-uuid="29d9fd49-4d65-3d15-a3af-293da6d4345c" data-display-size="large">
  87. <figcaption></figcaption>
  88. <div class="photo-credit">
  89.  Bethesda Softworks
  90. </div>
  91. </figure>
  92. <p>Combat might be sluggish, but I had a great time playing <em>The Great Circle</em> as a stealth experience, crouching to sneak past Nazis and fascist guards like a fedora-wearing ghost. Stealth is a valid option in basically every scenario and it’s a simple, effective mechanic. Stay out of enemies’ sight lines, don’t shine lights in their direction and stay crouched, and you’re good to go. There’s usually enough time to adjust your position if you’re spotted, and guards are quick to move on once you’re properly hidden again. I truly enjoyed mapping out sneaky attack routes and then weaving between guards, throwing bottles every now and then as distractions. It’s kind of absurd when Gina tags along in these missions because she’s so, so awful at being stealthy, but the game never punishes you for the NPC’s missteps. Just enjoy the ridiculousness of your extremely obvious companion and keep slinking along.</p>
  93. <p>Puzzles are a major component of the game and they’re perfectly adequate. None of them stand out as being particularly challenging or innovative, but they’re built on clever ideas and executed well. There are light-reflecting puzzles, matching games, spatial-awareness tests and simple logic riddles, and they’re always finished with a cool item or a dramatic reveal. I may have missed some more advanced puzzles in the sidequests, and now that I’ve finished the main line I’m tempted to go back in and see what I missed, which is surely a sign of a successful game.</p>
  94. <figure>
  95. <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cc6cbe20-b357-11ef-b7f7-9aae418851d4" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cc6cbe20-b357-11ef-b7f7-9aae418851d4" style="height:2160px;width:3840px;" alt="Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" data-uuid="44b23de2-87f5-3fcd-8693-cf088ac95ce4" data-display-size="large">
  96. <figcaption></figcaption>
  97. <div class="photo-credit">
  98.  Bethesda Softworks
  99. </div>
  100. </figure>
  101. <p>Exploration is <em>The Great Circle</em>’s most critical mechanic and thankfully, it feels great. Indy can climb and swing across gaps using his whip, and there are plenty of ledges, boulders, ladders and scaffolding to scale. Secrets, side missions and rewards are secreted around the maps, and curiosity is richly rewarded at every turn. Missions take Indy and Gina to snowy mountain peaks and down to murky, monster-filled waters, and there are moments of real terror and true beauty to be found. The game’s world feels alive, and it makes great use of vertical space. If you ever feel stuck in an area, just look up — that is, if you can.</p>
  102. <p>I encountered one game-breaking bug in <em>The Great Circle</em>. I was about 80 percent through the story, and I boarded a boat in the gunner seat as enemies raced us down the river and shot at us from the shores. I was unable to move the camera up and down, but I figured this was a weird restriction of the gunner mechanic. However, it persisted even after I stepped off the boat and entered the following scenes. I was unable to see climbing opportunities, never mind the problems with combat, sneaking and interacting. I tried restarting the game and the console to no avail, and I finally had to restore an old save and replay about 30 minutes of content. This worked, but the experience made me feel slightly crazy and a little sad (so, not too different from my baseline).</p>
  103. <figure>
  104. <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cc96b450-b357-11ef-bffd-e44e4e8096a4" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cc96b450-b357-11ef-bffd-e44e4e8096a4" style="height:2160px;width:3840px;" alt="Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" data-uuid="4e8dd7ab-54f0-3c3b-ab44-eab1bdc88af4" data-display-size="large">
  105. <figcaption></figcaption>
  106. <div class="photo-credit">
  107.  Bethesda Softworks
  108. </div>
  109. </figure>
  110. <p>The feelings of unease didn’t last long, because I soon found myself trading punches and insults with a Nazi karate master in the middle of a raucous thunderstorm — you know, Indiana Jones shit. This was the cadence of my playthrough: Moments of satisfying climbing, puzzle and stealth gameplay interrupted by supremely silly glitches. What makes these bugs funny, rather than frustrating, is the game’s tone, writing and acting. With <em>The Great Circle</em>, MachineGames leans into the easy charm of Indiana Jones, highlighting his snark and the wild, unbelievable scenarios expected in popcorn action flicks.</p>
  111. <p>This game would make a great movie.</p>
  112. <p>And maybe that’s the thing about <em>The Great Circle</em>. MachineGames made a fabulous, classic-feeling Indiana Jones film, but they could’ve polished the game aspects a little more. So, set your expectations accordingly. Roll with the bugs, soak up the narrative, find all the secrets, and take a moment to laugh at Gina’s ludicrous running animation when she’s dressed as a nun.</p>
  113. <p>
  114. <core-commerce id="c37ff924b75a455592b0570426330aaa" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle/9nfb39x2q8m4"></core-commerce></p>
  115. <p></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle-review-great-movie-good-game-000029449.html?src=rss]]></description>
  116.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle-review-great-movie-good-game-000029449.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  119.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator>
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  166.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[California will require fingerprint screening for Uber drivers to provide rideshares to minors]]></title>
  167.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>California is introducing new requirements aimed at protecting young passengers traveling alone in taxis and rideshares. The California Public Utilities Commission is requiring drivers to pass a fingerprint background check in order to provide a ride to an unaccompanied minor. According to <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/05/uber-will-need-to-fingerprint-drivers-in-california-to-transport-teens/" data-original-link="https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/05/uber-will-need-to-fingerprint-drivers-in-california-to-transport-teens/"><em><ins>TechCrunch</ins></em></a>, transit companies will also be responsible for the cost of these background checks. Companies will have 30 days to comply with this policy.</p>
  168. <p>This ruling will mostly impact Uber, which began rolling out <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/uber-will-start-rolling-out-teen-accounts-with-safety-features-next-week-150018174.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/uber-will-start-rolling-out-teen-accounts-with-safety-features-next-week-150018174.html"><ins>teen accounts</ins></a> last year and added further <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-teen-accounts-20-revealed-with-more-convenience-and-safety-features-142209566.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-teen-accounts-20-revealed-with-more-convenience-and-safety-features-142209566.html"><ins>safety features</ins></a> to the accounts this year. Uber for Teens, which allows minors between the ages of 13 and 17 to hail a ride without their parent or guardian present, although an adult has to provide consent for the teen to use the app.</p>
  169. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Uber has historically pushed back against fingerprinting drivers, arguing that the additional burden would discourage participation in the rideshare service and that its own safety guards are sufficient. In fact, this isn't the first time Uber and California <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/2017-10-06-uber-lyft-may-not-fingerprint-california-drivers.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/2017-10-06-uber-lyft-may-not-fingerprint-california-drivers.html"><ins>have clashed</ins></a> over fingerprinting. In this case, Uber is also objecting that shouldering the cost of fingerprinting background checks will lead to higher fares for unaccompanied minors using the rideshare service.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/california-will-require-fingerprint-screening-for-uber-drivers-to-provide-rideshares-to-minors-234031152.html?src=rss]]></description>
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  211.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Uber logo is seen in Warsaw, Poland on October 4, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)]]></media:description>
  212.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Companies In Warsaw]]></media:title>
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  217.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Nightdive’s ‘The Thing’ remaster is available right now]]></title>
  218.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Nightdive Studios, the developer behind remasters of <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/star-wars-dark-forces-and-turok-3-to-be-remastered-by-nightdive-studios-114002864.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/star-wars-dark-forces-and-turok-3-to-be-remastered-by-nightdive-studios-114002864.html"><em>Star Wars: Dark Forces</em></a> and <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/heres-a-first-look-at-system-shock-2-enhanced-edition-163311981.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/heres-a-first-look-at-system-shock-2-enhanced-edition-163311981.html"><em>System Shock 2</em></a>, have surprise-launched a <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://x.com/NightdiveStudio/status/1864784023903760435" data-original-link="https://x.com/NightdiveStudio/status/1864784023903760435">remaster of 2002 cult-hit The Thing</a>. The upgraded game is available now for PC, Xbox One and Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, and to stream through NVIDIA GeForce Now.</p>
  219. <p>Originally developed by Computer Artworks, <em>The Thing </em>is a third-person shooter that acts a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s 1984 film <em>The Thing</em>, following a United States Special Forces team that’s sent into the film’s arctic base to investigate what happened there. Outside the source material, the game is best known for its trust, fear, and infection systems. How you play can impact whether in-game characters trust you, think you’re The Thing or turn into The Thing themselves.</p>
  220. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><div id="d43d9041ed1544cf9f54c43b89173558"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xmQE_GpB44I?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div>
  221. <p>With <em>The Thing Remastered</em>, Nightdive is carrying over the original’s core mechanics and updating the visuals and engine to run on modern consoles. Now you can play in 4K at up to 120 fps, with improved “character models, textures, and animations,” according to Nightdive’s announcement, and “advanced 3D rendering for updated lighting and atmospheric effects.” The game also includes trophies and achievements on PC, PlayStation and Xbox, if you’re looking for that, too.</p>
  222. <p>A remastered version of <em>The Thing</em> was <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.ign.com/articles/the-thing-remastered-is-the-next-revival-from-nightdive-studios-ign-live-2024" data-original-link="https://www.ign.com/articles/the-thing-remastered-is-the-next-revival-from-nightdive-studios-ign-live-2024">originally announced</a> in June 2024 at IGN Live, the latest in a series of remastered game projects Nightdive Studios has announced in the last few years. The studio was formed in 2012 to make <em>System Shock 2</em> playable on modern PCs, but has worked on everything from the Turok games to <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/2020-03-12-blade-runner-enhanced-edition-announcement.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/2020-03-12-blade-runner-enhanced-edition-announcement.html"><em>Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition</em></a>, since then.<br><br><em>The Thing Remastered </em>is available digitally for $29.99 on Steam (where it’s Steam Deck Verified), GOG, the Microsoft Store, the PlayStation Store and the Nintendo eShop.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nightdives-the-thing-remaster-is-available-right-now-225918511.html?src=rss]]></description>
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  273.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[NASA delays Artemis II moon mission to April 2026]]></title>
  274.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>NASA announced a new schedule for its upcoming Artemis missions to send astronauts to the moon. This is the second delay to these crewed missions after NASA's <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/nasa-delays-its-first-crewed-artemis-mission-until-september-2025-195019383.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/nasa-delays-its-first-crewed-artemis-mission-until-september-2025-195019383.html"><ins>postponed</ins></a> the timeline in January of this year. The agency <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-shares-orion-heat-shield-findings-updates-artemis-moon-missions/" data-original-link="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-shares-orion-heat-shield-findings-updates-artemis-moon-missions/">said</a> it now aims to launch the Artemis 2 mission in April 2026, as well as pushing back the Artemis 3 mission to mid-2027.</p>
  275. <p>The delay was partly caused by issues with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield during the uncrewed Artemis 1 test flight. During that mission, charred material on the heat shield wore away in an unexpected manner. Data from inside the capsule showed that if crew had been present during that flight, the temperatures would still have been safe even though the heat shield performed differently to expectations. But that's the sort of thing you don't want to take chances with once astronauts are aboard.</p>
  276. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>“Victor, Christina, Jeremy and I have been following every aspect of this decision and we are thankful for the openness of NASA to weigh all options and make decisions in the best interest of human spaceflight," said Reid Wiseman, the NASA astronaut who will head the Artemis II mission. "We are excited to fly Artemis 2 and continue paving the way for sustained human exploration of the Moon and Mars." The other three Artemis 2 crew members are Victor Glover and Christina Koch of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.</p>
  277. <p>The Artemis 2 is slated to be a ten-day mission around the moon and back to Earth. Although the team won't land on our most familiar satellite, the test flight is intended to collect more data about the Orion space capsule ahead of the Artemis 3 mission, where a team will touch down on the moon's south pole.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-delays-artemis-ii-moon-mission-to-april-2026-224108612.html?src=rss]]></description>
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  322.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Crew for the Artemis 2 moon mission: NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen.]]></media:description>
  323.                                <media:title><![CDATA[NASA Artemis 2 crew]]></media:title>
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  328.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[New trailer for Revenge of the Savage Planet crash lands on YouTube]]></title>
  329.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>What happens when you combine the satiric spirit of filmmaker Mel Brooks and cram into a parody of the galaxy exploring <em>No Man’s Sky</em>? You get something like <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2020-01-28-journey-to-the-savage-planet-review.html"><em><ins>Journey to the Savage Planet</ins></em></a>, a funny, world conquering blaster fest that proves Ian Malcolm’s chaos theory of colonization while also providing a healthy dose of good, ol’ fashioned fart jokes.</p>
  330. <p>Unfortunately, the game’s original studio Typhoon Studios got swallowed up and spat out when Google closed down its <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-stadia-game-studios-shut-down-montreal-los-angeles-201811811.html"><ins>Stadia Games and Entertainment</ins></a> division and all of its studios in 2019. Fortunately for us, some of those developers got back together, formed a new outfit called Raccoon Logic, raised some investment money from Tencent and took back the rights to their game for a brand new adventure.</p>
  331. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>A sequel called <em>Revenge of the Savage Planet</em> is on its way to PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5 in May of next year and a trailer just popped up during the PC Gaming Show.</p>
  332. <div id="fb9a47d62d3a46f2a43f60ed2ee75286"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7WQ8EEDycDk?si=1EVI7DvN5H4hYC_R" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
  333. <p><em>Revenge of the Savage Planet </em>appears to be sticking to its roots as a comedy adventure game about ruthless corporations battling the forces of nature across the galaxy for more territory it can call its own. The trailer features the return of Martin Tweed, the ruthless CEO of Kindred Technologies. There’s also a new FMV character in the trailer called Gunther Harrison, another ruthless CEO from a rival corporation called Alta Interglobal, who looks like a cross between Megamind and Morbo from <em>Futurama.</em></p>
  334. <p>The new game can be played in solo or co-op mode. There are chances to uncover secrets, battle alien beasts and build your own colony on these worlds. There’s also a lot of flying slime, silly violence and savage attacks on corporate colonization thrown into the mix. If that’s what you liked about the first version, then it looks like there’s plenty more where that came from with <em>Revenge of the Savage Planet</em>.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/new-trailer-for-revenge-of-the-savage-planet-crash-lands-on-youtube-221409561.html?src=rss]]></description>
  335.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/new-trailer-for-revenge-of-the-savage-planet-crash-lands-on-youtube-221409561.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  382.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Play solo or in co-op mode in Revenge of the Savage Planet heading to consoles and PC in May of 2025.]]></media:description>
  383.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Revenge of the Savage Planet]]></media:title>
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  388.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[New Mexico state IDs can now be added to digital wallets]]></title>
  389.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>New Mexico is joining states like <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/california-state-ids-can-now-be-stored-in-apple-wallet-and-google-wallet-200021839.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/apps/california-state-ids-can-now-be-stored-in-apple-wallet-and-google-wallet-200021839.html"><ins>California</ins></a> and <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ohio-becomes-the-fifth-us-state-to-recognize-ids-in-apple-wallet-211807995.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/ohio-becomes-the-fifth-us-state-to-recognize-ids-in-apple-wallet-211807995.html"><ins>Ohio</ins></a> in supporting <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/nm-drivers-licenses-ids/new-mexico-mobile-id/" data-original-link="https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/nm-drivers-licenses-ids/new-mexico-mobile-id/"><ins>digital driver’s licenses and state IDs</ins></a> in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. New Mexico residents are still required by law to carry their physical IDs for law enforcement and age-verification use, but at businesses and TSA checkpoints that have adopted New Mexico’s <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/nm-drivers-licenses-ids/new-mexico-mobile-id/new-mexico-mobile-id-for-businesses/" data-original-link="https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/nm-drivers-licenses-ids/new-mexico-mobile-id/new-mexico-mobile-id-for-businesses/"><ins>NM Verifier app</ins></a>, you’ll be able to tap your smartphone rather than pull out a card.</p>
  390. <p>Digital licenses can be added to Apple and Google’s apps now by scanning the front and back of your physical ID, capturing a scan of your face and submitting your digital application to be verified. Once added, digital IDs can be pulled up and used in the same way you’d pay with a digital payment card. Google has published a video on how to add your card to Google Wallet and Apple has a <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/111803" data-original-link="https://support.apple.com/en-us/111803"><ins>detailed support article</ins></a> on how to add IDs to Apple Wallet, if you’re looking for tips.</p>
  391. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><div id="8745ecb30eb94c35aa5f98d06649bc4c"><div style="left:0;width:100%;height:0;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RVYNbjWrdIc?rel=0&amp;start=52" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div></div>
  392. <p>The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division first <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Digital-drivers-licenses.pdf" data-original-link="https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Digital-drivers-licenses.pdf"><ins>proposed legislation</ins></a> to “offer electronic credentials to customers at no additional cost” in January 2024. The rollout of digital IDs continues to be a complex process, with the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.tsa.gov/digital-id/participating-states" data-original-link="https://www.tsa.gov/digital-id/participating-states"><ins>TSA listing</ins></a> 12 states currently offering some form of digital identification, but only Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and New Mexico currently offering IDs for both Google and Apple’s apps. To make things more confusing, some states like Ohio, Hawaii, and Iowa offer IDs for Apple Wallet but not Google's app.</p>
  393. <p>The shift to an exclusively digital wallet isn’t without potential risks, as well. The American Civil Liberties Union <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:8;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/state-legislatures-need-to-block-creation-of-nightmarish-national-identity-system" data-original-link="https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/state-legislatures-need-to-block-creation-of-nightmarish-national-identity-system"><ins>has criticized states</ins></a>’ quick adoption of digital driver’s licenses without putting in place additional protections for cardholders. Those include things like preventing ID issuers and verifiers from tracking the usage of digital cards and preserving the right to not use a digital card for anyone who doesn’t own or can’t afford a smartphone. Apple and Google’s solutions offer privacy protections in terms of encrypting information and keeping your device locked even after you’ve presented your ID, but they don’t totally account for how state or federal governments could access these new digital systems.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/new-mexico-state-ids-can-now-be-added-to-digital-wallets-211549853.html?src=rss]]></description>
  394.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/apps/new-mexico-state-ids-can-now-be-added-to-digital-wallets-211549853.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  397.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ian Carlos Campbell]]></dc:creator>
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  435.                                <media:description><![CDATA[A hand holding an iPhone displaying a digital New Mexico driver's license next to text that says "Your New Mexico driver's license or state ID. Now in Apple Wallet."]]></media:description>
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  441.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[PUBG creator Brendan Greene just announced a handful of new games]]></title>
  442.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Brendan Greene is <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2019-03-13-playerunknown-leaves-pubg.html">largely credited with making the iconic</a> <em>PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds</em>, also known as <em>PUBG</em>, and inventing the entire battle royale genre. We knew he left PUBG’s publisher <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/pubg-creator-brendan-greene-new-studio-krafton-183054276.html">to form an independent studio</a> back in 2021, but now we know what he’s been working on the past few years.</p>
  443. <p>His studio, PlayerUnknown Productions, is prepping a handful of titles, which it refers to as “an ambitious three-game plan.” First up, there’s <em>Prologue: Go Wayback!</em>, which is described as “a single-player open-world emergent game within the survival genre.” It uses the developer’s “in-house machine-learning-driven terrain generation technology” to create “millions of maps.” These maps are also easy on the eyes, as seen below.</p>
  444. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/02f84eb0-b0c8-11ef-89fd-3a099bba7617" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/02f84eb0-b0c8-11ef-89fd-3a099bba7617" style="height:1394px;width:2488px;" alt="A screenshot showing a forested area." data-uuid="0fbd145d-d00e-390d-9d7e-4d17834376eb"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">PlayerUnknown Productions</div></figure>
  445. <p>We don’t know much about the gameplay, beyond the description and the aforementioned terrain generation technology. However, it’s available <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2943740/Prologue_Go_Wayback/">to wishlist right now on Steam</a>. The company says it’ll launch as an early access title sometime in the first half of next year, following a series of playtests.</p>
  446. <p>There’s also a nifty-looking tech demo <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2820060/Preface_Undiscovered_World/">called Preface: Undiscovered World</a>. It’s free and <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://preface.pp.studio/">available to download right now</a>. This demo is being released to showcase the company’s in-house game engine, called Melba. <em>Preface</em> allows players to explore an “Earth-scale world generated in real-time.”</p>
  447. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/b67b0cc0-b0c8-11ef-9f2f-28372ac54886" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/b67b0cc0-b0c8-11ef-9f2f-28372ac54886" style="height:952px;width:1698px;" alt="A desert area." data-uuid="4dad9aab-e863-3d84-9347-8eea6b12c637"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">PlayerUnknown Productions </div></figure>
  448. <p>Greene says that this “digital planet is still quite empty for now, but every person who enters it and shares their feedback, contributes to its future development.” To that end, the Melba engine will be used to develop other games in the future.</p>
  449. <div id="9b9cd0b3870d4e70b3714555a52bfc5e"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XvK-bQwd03g?si=Wdv7OvphApVBi9nm" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
  450. <p>One such future game is called <em>Artemis</em>, which is described as a “massive multiplayer sandbox experience.” We don’t know a whole lot about the title, except that it’s likely years away. Greene says that his company <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://playerunknownproductions.net/">will be releasing two unannounced games</a> after <em>Prologue: Go Wayback!</em> that will each address “critical technical challenges” that will help with the development of the more ambitious <em>Artemis</em>. In any event, it looks like PlayerUnknown Productions is certainly off to a promising start.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/pubg-creator-brendan-greene-just-announced-a-handful-of-new-games-210053256.html?src=rss]]></description>
  451.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/pubg-creator-brendan-greene-just-announced-a-handful-of-new-games-210053256.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  454.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lawrence Bonk]]></dc:creator>
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  504.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Waymo announces it's expanding to Miami]]></title>
  505.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Get ready to have <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwBS6QGsH_4">that Will Smith song</a> stuck in your head for the rest of the day because the autonomous taxi company Waymo is going to Miami. Yeah, sorry about that.</p>
  506. <p>Waymo announced its plans to Miami on its <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://waymo.com/blog/2024/12/next-stop-miami/">official Waypoint blog</a><em>. </em>The expansion will start early next year as the company gets its fleet of self-driving Jaguar I-PACE EVs familiar with Miami’s streets and intersections. Then in 2026, Waymo plans to start offering rides to customers through the Waymo One app.</p>
  507. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Waymo is also partnering with the African startup Moove as part of its expansion plans. Moove provides vehicles for ride-sharing services. Waymo wants Moove to manage its “fleet operations, facilities and charging infrastructure” first in <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/waymo-phoenix-public-193945960.html">Phoenix</a> and eventually in Miami.</p>
  508. <p>The Waymo One app currently operates in parts of San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Austin, according to <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://support.google.com/waymo/answer/9059119?hl=en">Google support</a>. Waymo secured <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-raises-56-billion-to-fund-austin-and-atlanta-expansion-172031686.html">$5.6 billion in funding</a> in October to expand to Austin and Atlanta by the early part of next year.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-announces-its-expanding-to-miami-204504533.html?src=rss]]></description>
  509.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-announces-its-expanding-to-miami-204504533.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  553.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Waymo plans to start offering rides in Miami in 2026.]]></media:description>
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  559.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Threads is testing post analytics]]></title>
  560.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Threads’ latest test could help creators and others understand more about how their posts are performing on the platform. The company is testing an expanded version of its analytics feature, which will show users stats for specific posts, Adam Mosseri said in <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.threads.net/@mosseri/post/DDNNKv2y3Pz" data-original-link="https://www.threads.net/@mosseri/post/DDNNKv2y3Pz">an update</a>.</p>
  561. <p>Up to now, Threads has had an “insights” feature, but it showed aggregated stats for all posts, so it was hard to discern which posts were performing well. Now, insights will be able to surface detailed metrics around specific posts, including views and interactions. It will also break down performance among followers and non-followers.</p>
  562. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>“Now that your posts will be shown to more people who follow you, it’s especially important to understand what’s resonating with your existing audience,” Mosseri wrote. Threads recently updated its highly criticized “for you” algorithm to surface more posts from accounts <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-prioritize-accounts-you-follow-instead-of-randos-191529420.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-prioritize-accounts-you-follow-instead-of-randos-191529420.html"><ins>you follow</ins></a>, rather than random unconnected accounts.</p>
  563. <p>The change could also address criticism from creators on Threads, who have said they often <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/creators-getting-paid-to-post-on-threads-dont-understand-its-algorithm-either-065736099.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/creators-getting-paid-to-post-on-threads-dont-understand-its-algorithm-either-065736099.html"><ins>don’t understand</ins></a> how the app’s algorithm works. More detailed analytics could also help Meta entice more brands to the app as the company reportedly is gearing up to begin <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-will-reportedly-bring-ads-to-threads-as-soon-as-january-183044211.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-will-reportedly-bring-ads-to-threads-as-soon-as-january-183044211.html"><ins>running ads</ins></a> on the service as soon as next month.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-testing-post-analytics-203548697.html?src=rss]]></description>
  564.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-testing-post-analytics-203548697.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  567.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Karissa Bell]]></dc:creator>
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  571.                                                                <pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2024 20:35:48 +0000</pubDate>
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  605.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Threads is getting better analytics.]]></media:description>
  606.                                <media:title><![CDATA[threads post stats]]></media:title>
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  611.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Google DeepMind's Genie 2 can generate interactive 3D worlds]]></title>
  612.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>World models — AI algorithms capable of generating a simulated environment in real-time — represent one of the more impressive applications of machine learning. In the last year, there’s been a lot of movement in the field, and to that end, Google DeepMind announced <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/genie-2-a-large-scale-foundation-world-model/">Genie 2 on Wednesday</a>. Where its predecessor was limited to generating 2D worlds, the new model can create 3D ones and sustain them for significantly longer.</p>
  613. <p>Genie 2 isn’t a game engine; instead, it’s a diffusion model that generates images as the player (either a human being or another AI agent) moves through the world the software is simulating. As it generates frames, Genie 2 can infer ideas about the environment, giving it the capability to model water, smoke and physics effects — though some of those interactions can be very gamey. The model is also not limited to rendering scenes from a third-person perspective, it can also handle first-person and isometric viewpoints. All it needs to start is a single image prompt, provided either by Google’s own <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-generative-ai-video-model-is-available-in-private-preview-160055983.html">Imagen 3 model</a> or a picture of something from the real world.</p>
  614. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><div id="dc85b25eb7a840cab09e396f1221ded2"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Introducing Genie 2: our AI model that can create an endless variety of playable 3D worlds - all from a single image. 🖼️<br><br>These types of large-scale foundation world models could enable future agents to be trained and evaluated in an endless number of virtual environments. →… <a href="https://t.co/qHCT6jqb1W">pic.twitter.com/qHCT6jqb1W</a></p>— Google DeepMind (@GoogleDeepMind) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoogleDeepMind/status/1864367798132039836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
  616.  
  617. </div>
  618. <p>Notably, Genie 2 can remember parts of a simulated scene even after they leave the player’s field of view and can accurately reconstruct those elements once they become visible again. That’s in contrast to other world models like <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.decart.ai/">Oasis</a>, which, at least in the version Decart showed to the public in October, had trouble remembering the layout of the <em>Minecraft</em> levels it was generating in real time.</p>
  619. <p>However, there are even limitations to what Genie 2 can do in this regard. DeepMind says the model can generate “consistent” worlds for up to 60 seconds, with the majority of the examples the company shared on Wednesday running for significantly less time; in this case, most of the videos are about 10 to 20 seconds long. Moreover, artifacts are introduced and image quality softens the longer Genie 2 needs to maintain the illusion of a consistent world.</p>
  620. <p>DeepMind didn’t detail how it trained Genie 2 other than to state it relied “on a large-scale video dataset.” Don’t expect DeepMind to release Genie 2 to the public anytime soon, either. For the moment, the company primarily sees the model as a tool for training and evaluating other AI agents, including its own <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-deepminds-new-ai-can-follow-commands-inside-3d-games-it-hasnt-seen-before-140341369.html">SIMA algorithm</a>,  and something artists and designers could use to prototype and try out ideas rapidly. In the future, DeepMind suggests world models like Genie 2 are likely to play an important part on the road to artificial general intelligence.</p>
  621. <p>“Training more general embodied agents has been traditionally bottlenecked by the availability of sufficiently rich and diverse training environments,” DeepMind said. “As we show, Genie 2 could enable future agents to be trained and evaluated in a limitless curriculum of novel worlds.”</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-deepminds-genie-2-can-generate-interactive-3d-worlds-200708207.html?src=rss]]></description>
  622.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-deepminds-genie-2-can-generate-interactive-3d-worlds-200708207.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  625.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Igor Bonifacic]]></dc:creator>
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  666.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Google DeepMind's can generate simulated worlds that look and feel like video games.]]></media:description>
  667.                                <media:title><![CDATA[DeepMind Genie 2]]></media:title>
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  672.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Overwatch 2 will test 6v6 role queue matches starting December 17]]></title>
  673.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="487b0a76a2044889aa3120475e3c28ac"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H-NNPY96fIU?si=fJkUHhEQWxkVOT86" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
  674. <p>A new season <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24162755/" data-original-link="https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24162755/"><ins>starts</ins></a> for <em>Overwatch 2</em> next week, but one of the special modes we'll be getting in the near future is a throwback to the past. For a limited time during season 14, there will be a 6v6 role queue mode, bringing back the original game's composition of two tanks, two damage and two support. This mode will be available from December 17 through January 6.</p>
  675. <p>The switch to five players on a team when <em>Overwatch 2</em> launched was one of the more controversial choices at the time, we heard rumblings recently that Blizzard might walk back the decision. The current season included a full-on nostalgia trip mode where you could play 6v6 with only the original heroes as they were designed at launch. Yes, back in the days of self-healing Bastion mowing down everybody and Mercy undoing it all with full-team rez. The season 14 approach to 6v6 will be for the heroes as they exist now, with the current balance design in full effect. Blizzard said in October that they would <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatch-2s-long-awaited-6v6-tests-start-in-december-180100100.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatch-2s-long-awaited-6v6-tests-start-in-december-180100100.html"><ins>explore</ins></a> how the community felt about the increased team size and consider if six-player teams should have more of a presence in the live game based on the player reactions.</p>
  676. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>It's the right time to experiment with different tank playstyles, because that's the role for the newest hero joining the game in season 14. <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatchs-new-hero-is-hazard-the-spiky-scotsman-youve-been-waiting-for-175204343.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatchs-new-hero-is-hazard-the-spiky-scotsman-youve-been-waiting-for-175204343.html"><ins>Hazard</ins></a> is a spiky punk who deals a lot of damage at close range and can crowd control opponents by summoning a thorny wall. Think of him as a cross between Doomfist and Mei, with a Scottish accent.</p>
  677. <div id="3bacf7a4d7f6408dad144572c6c0770e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The world of Avatar: The Last Airbender is coming to Overwatch 2! ⬇️✨<br><br>Join the fun when our latest collaboration arrives in-game on Dec 17 🤩 <a href="https://t.co/Z0HvK17NXv">pic.twitter.com/Z0HvK17NXv</a></p>— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) <a href="https://twitter.com/PlayOverwatch/status/1864720158322794691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2024</a></blockquote> </div>
  678. <p>The <em>Overwatch</em> X account also <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://x.com/PlayOverwatch/status/1864720158322794691" data-original-link="https://x.com/PlayOverwatch/status/1864720158322794691">teased</a> that the coming season will have another anime crossover. After collaborations with <em>Cowboy Bebop</em> and <em>My Hero Academia</em>, the next season will be channeling the elements with skins themed on <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em>. Omnic monk Zenyatta is clearly going to be reimagined as Aang, but the full lineup of cosmetics will also be unveiled on December 17.</p>
  679. <p>And in a final piece of good <em>Overwatch</em> news, Blizzard shared that sales of the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/overwatch-2-resurrects-pink-mercy-cosmetic-for-a-charity-fundraiser-225022341.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/overwatch-2-resurrects-pink-mercy-cosmetic-for-a-charity-fundraiser-225022341.html"><ins>Pink Mercy charity skins</ins></a> earlier this year raised <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24163898/pink-mercy-raises-12-3-million-for-breast-cancer-research-thanks-to-you/" data-original-link="https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24163898/pink-mercy-raises-12-3-million-for-breast-cancer-research-thanks-to-you/"><ins>$12.3 million</ins></a> for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Well played, people.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatch-2-will-test-6v6-role-queue-matches-starting-december-17-194524335.html?src=rss]]></description>
  680.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatch-2-will-test-6v6-role-queue-matches-starting-december-17-194524335.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  683.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Washenko]]></dc:creator>
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  727.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Forza Motorsport on PC is getting an enhanced lighting upgrade]]></title>
  728.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Gearheads, rejoice! <em>Forza Motorsport </em>for PC is getting a graphics update on Monday that adds a new realistic lighting system to the game. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:NVIDIA;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=f52348f6-2304-415e-b16c-1fb252794066&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=6ef34e37-5ae4-44d4-9693-58d5a5132851&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=NVIDIA&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5udmlkaWEuY29tL2VuLXVzL2dlZm9yY2UvbmV3cy9kbHNzLTMtcmF5LXRyYWNpbmctaW5kaWFuYS1qb25lcy1hbmQtdGhlLWdyZWF0LWNpcmNsZS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjZlZjM0ZTM3LTVhZTQtNDRkNC05NjkzLTU4ZDVhNTEzMjg1MSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnZpZGlhLmNvbS9lbi11cy9nZWZvcmNlL25ld3MvZGxzcy0zLXJheS10cmFjaW5nLWluZGlhbmEtam9uZXMtYW5kLXRoZS1ncmVhdC1jaXJjbGUvIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAY0jhAlv9S_lx3SnEt1e2ht5185Ri6f7ThU-IKbl5Zgv&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nvidia.com%2Fen-us%2Fgeforce%2Fnews%2Fdlss-3-ray-tracing-indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/dlss-3-ray-tracing-indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle/">Nvidia</a> announced that Ray-Traced Global Illumination (RTGI) will be part of the PC-only upgrade for Turn 10’s driving simulator.</p>
  729. <p>RTGI simulates how light interacts with surfaces in a virtual environment to create more realistic looking images. The upgrade for <em>Forza Motorsport</em> on PC will be able to create “more accurate indirect lighting and occlusion across tracks and cars in real-time, amping up visual fidelity and realism,” according to Nvidia’s post.</p>
  730. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>The new RTGI lighting will be applied across all modes, cinematics and features in <em>Forza Motorsport </em>for PC. You’ll be able to take super sleek photos of your McLaren 720S Spider executing a perfect power slide in Photo Mode, marvel at your favorite cars in your Homespace and even watch enhanced cinematics with the new enhanced lighting system.</p>
  731. <p>RTGI lighting must be turned on in settings in order to use it once the update is complete. Nvidia recommends setting “Raytracing Quality” to “Full Reflections + RTGI” and choosing a quality level under “RTGI Quality” to enable it.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/forza-motorsport-on-pc-is-getting-an-enhanced-lighting-upgrade-191017416.html?src=rss]]></description>
  732.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/forza-motorsport-on-pc-is-getting-an-enhanced-lighting-upgrade-191017416.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  775.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Turn 10/Nvidia]]></media:credit>
  776.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Ray-Traced Global Illumination is coming to Forza Motorsport for PC in a new update.]]></media:description>
  777.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Forza Motorsport]]></media:title>
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  782.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[OpenAI wants $200 a month for its most advanced features]]></title>
  783.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>OpenAI kicked off its “<a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-may-launch-sora-its-text-to-video-model-very-soon-171434280.html">12 Days of OpenAI</a>” series of livestreams with the announcement of a new, more expensive tier for its flagship chatbot. Starting today, ChatGPT users can pay $200 per month for <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-pro/">ChatGPT Pro</a>. Included in the package is unlimited access to the company’s latest model, o1, which following a <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-new-o1-model-is-slower-on-purpose-185711459.html">limited preview earlier in the year</a>, is now faster and 34 percent less likely to produce a major error when answering difficult real-world questions.</p>
  784. <p>ChatGPT Pro also comes with access to GPT-4o, o1-mini and the company’s Advanced Voice mode, but the reason most power users are likely to splurge is the addition of an o1 “pro mode” that gives the chatbot additional compute power to reason through the most complex problems. “In evaluations from external expert testers, o1 pro mode produces more reliably accurate and comprehensive responses, especially in areas like data science, programming, and case law analysis,” OpenAI says of the feature.</p>
  785. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p></p>
  786. <div id="08d3a8be5a9d44ed9b23218760618fb3"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">OpenAI o1 is more concise in its thinking, resulting in faster response times than o1-preview.<br><br>Our testing shows that o1 outperforms o1-preview, reducing major errors on difficult real-world questions by 34%.</p>— OpenAI (@OpenAI) <a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAI/status/1864735516455010475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
  788.  
  789. </div>
  790. <p>In the future, OpenAI says it will add more “powerful, compute-intensive productivity features” to ChatGPT Pro, with some of those enhancements arriving as early as later this week and into next week as the company continues to show off what it’s been working on over the last 11 months. More broadly, ChatGPT users can expect support for web browsing and file uploads to arrive in the future, though during the company’s livestream, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman didn’t definitively say when those features would arrive.</p>
  791. <p>For the rest of us, OpenAI will continue to offer its existing ChatGPT Pro subscription, which will continue to cost $20 per month and include early access to new features.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-wants-200-a-month-for-its-most-advanced-features-191054506.html?src=rss]]></description>
  792.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-wants-200-a-month-for-its-most-advanced-features-191054506.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  795.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Igor Bonifacic]]></dc:creator>
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  833.                                <media:description><![CDATA[OpenAI's new ChatGPT Pro mode will take additional time to correctly reason through a problem.]]></media:description>
  834.                                <media:title><![CDATA[ChatGPT Pro Mode]]></media:title>
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  839.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Foamstars’ next season will be its last]]></title>
  840.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>The fizzy, hot pink writing appears to be on the wall for <em>Foamstars</em>. Square Enix said on Thursday that the next season of <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/square-enixs-splatoon-like-foamstars-will-debut-on-ps-plus-on-february-6-165837776.html">the 4x4 “party shooter”</a> will be its last. To be fair, all the game’s online services will remain available after the final season’s conclusion, and there will be events for those who hang around. But with development winding down (after <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/foamstars-is-going-free-to-play-starting-today-231750186.html">switching to a free-to-play model</a> in October), it’s hard to imagine the <em>Splatoon</em>-meets-<em>Fortnite</em> shooter will be long for this world.</p>
  841. <p>The final season of <em>Foamstars</em>, the loudly capitalized “PARTY GOES ON!”, will <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.square-enix-games.com/en_US/documents/notice-regarding-foamstars-season-update" data-original-link="https://www.square-enix-games.com/en_US/documents/notice-regarding-foamstars-season-update">run</a> from December 13 to January 17. You’ll be able to customize each character’s shots in the “concluding update” (never an encouraging phrase). After the final season is a wrap, Square Enix will bring back all season passes for you to switch between at any time. This will let you obtain all seasons’ items and rack up the full collection.</p>
  842. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p><em>Foamstars</em> launched this past February <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/februarys-playstation-plus-games-include-foamstars-rollerdrome-and-steelrising-190919961.html">on PlayStation Plus</a>. The game has unique mechanics like spraying bright foam to build terrain, sliding on top of it and… dancing on a duck’s head to push it toward a finish line (as one does). However, after today’s announcement, the bright, loud and full-of-attitude shooter appears to be sliding toward a finish line of its own, with its development team presumably moving to other projects.</p>
  843. <p>You can read more about the final season and changes coming after that on Square Enix’s <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.square-enix-games.com/en_US/documents/notice-regarding-foamstars-season-update" data-original-link="https://www.square-enix-games.com/en_US/documents/notice-regarding-foamstars-season-update">update page</a>.</p>
  844. <div id="3ef3d26a98dd454dbf75d0aeb9969d79"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jla2yb3VbGE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
  845. <p></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/foamstars-next-season-will-be-its-last-185127904.html?src=rss]]></description>
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  849.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Will Shanklin]]></dc:creator>
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  893.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Rivian is now letting other EVs charge at its stations]]></title>
  894.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Over the last year or so, electric vehicle makers have been a little friendlier to each other, at least when it comes to their <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/north-american-polestar-owners-can-now-use-the-tesla-supercharger-network-164046134.html"><ins>charging networks</ins></a>. Many automakers are now supporting Tesla’s North American Charging System (NACS), which is fast becoming the industry standard. Now Rivian's <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://rivian.com/newsroom/article/rivian-adventure-network-opens-its-first-chargers-for-all-evs" data-original-link="https://rivian.com/newsroom/article/rivian-adventure-network-opens-its-first-chargers-for-all-evs">opening its doors</a> to drivers of other brands' EVs.</p>
  895. <p>For the first time, drivers of non-Rivian EVs will be able to top up their batteries at the company's charging locations. This pertains to next-gen Rivian Adventure Network charging locations. The first of these <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://rivian.com/newsroom/article/rivian-adventure-network-opens-its-first-chargers-for-all-evs"><ins>opens today</ins></a> at Joshua Tree Charging Outpost in California. Before the year is out, Rivian plans to open more charging locations in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York.</p>
  896. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>The stations offer rapid charging up to 900 volts and have CCS connectors that work with NACS vehicles that have an adapter. Rivian says support for native NACS connectors will become available later.</p>
  897. <p>This isn't entirely an altruistic step, of course. Rivian sees it as a way to generate revenue from EV drivers who perhaps happen to be closer to one of its charging stations than any other. The chargers have a tap to pay option and the Rivian app isn't required.</p>
  898. <p>Rivian plans to have more than 3,500 DC fast chargers in its Adventure Network. According to <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/12/rivian-opens-its-adventure-charging-network-to-other-evs-today/" data-original-link="https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/12/rivian-opens-its-adventure-charging-network-to-other-evs-today/"><em>Ars Technica</em></a>, the automaker has 91 Adventure Network sites in the US, with plans for 12 more. However, Rivian drivers can use Tesla Superchargers as well.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/rivian-is-now-letting-other-evs-charge-at-its-stations-182702444.html?src=rss]]></description>
  899.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/rivian-is-now-letting-other-evs-charge-at-its-stations-182702444.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  946.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Rivian EV at one of the company's charging stations]]></media:description>
  947.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Rivian EV at one of the company's charging stations]]></media:title>
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  951.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  952.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[EA just made a whole bunch of accessibility patents open-source]]></title>
  953.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>EA has just made 23 accessibility patents open-source, <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/ea-makes-photosensitivity-and-speech-recognition-tech-patents-open-source"><ins>as reported by </ins><em><ins>Game Developer</ins></em></a><em>.</em> This means that other developers throughout the industry can use the technology at no cost. The news comes after <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ea-patents-pledge-accessibility-070041114.html"><ins>EA made a pledge back in 2021</ins></a> not to sue rival companies for co-opting these types of tools.</p>
  954. <p>As of today, third parties <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.ea.com/commitments/positive-play/accessibility-patent-pledge"><ins>can openly use a whole lot of patented tech</ins></a> to improve accessibility for users. This includes new speech recognition tools, simplified speech tech in games and the ability to create personalized speech detection algorithms. EA says other devs can use this technology to &quot;make it possible for those players’ speech to be more effectively recognized and reflected in-game in a way that is representative of their age, emotion, language and speaking style.&quot;</p>
  955. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>There’s also an internal plugin for Unreal Engine 5 that went into the open-source pile. This one incorporates EA’s photosensitivity analysis tech, called IRIS, and should allow developers to quickly catch potential problems that could impact players with certain health issues related to vision or the nervous system.</p>
  956. <p>Kerry Hopkins, EA&#39;s SVP of global affairs, says this new group of open-source patents &quot;encourages the industry to work together to make video games more inclusive by removing unintended barriers to access.&quot; The company also says that this is just the beginning of its efforts to improve accessibility across the industry, as it&#39;s going to start running accessible design workshops and expanding its testing capabilities.</p>
  957. <p>This isn’t the first time EA has made some of its proprietary accessibility technology free for competitors. It has done so for the ping system originally found in the <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apex-legends-100-million-players-193445914.html"><ins>battle royale hit </ins><em><ins>Apex Legends</ins></em></a>, which gives players a way to discuss in-game strategy without having to rely on voice chat. It also makes it easier to relay location data to teammates. The tech has popped up in other games like <em>Call of Duty: Warzone</em> and <em>Fortnite</em>.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ea-just-made-a-whole-bunch-of-accessibility-patents-open-source-181131893.html?src=rss]]></description>
  958.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ea-just-made-a-whole-bunch-of-accessibility-patents-open-source-181131893.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  961.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lawrence Bonk]]></dc:creator>
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  1005.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Meta expands its strike removal feature to Instagram and all Facebook users]]></title>
  1006.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Meta is expanding its feature that helps users avoid “Facebook jail.” Earlier this year, the company began allowing Facebook creators to complete in-app “educational training” for first-time rule violations in order to avoid strikes on their accounts. Now, the company is <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://transparency.meta.com/explaining-our-policies"><ins>expanding the feature</ins></a> to all Facebook users and opening it up to creators on Instagram.</p>
  1007. <p>As Engadget noted back <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/facebook-will-let-creators-remove-account-warnings-if-they-complete-educational-training-181503330.html"><ins>in August</ins></a>, the idea of the feature is a bit like going to traffic school. People who violate one of the company’s rules for the first time will have the option to complete a “a short educational program” in Facebook or Instagram’s app in order to avoid a “strike” on their account and any restrictions that may come with it.</p>
  1008. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Users will be able to take advantage of the process once in a 12-month period for most first-time offenses. The process to “remove the warning” on an account will be available to anyone on Facebook, as well as creators on Instagram (a broader rollout for Instagram is expected “soon,” according to the company.) Meta won’t allow people to remove strikes for more “serious” offenses, including posts about sexual exploitation or drug sales.</p>
  1009. <p>Meta has described the strike-removal feature as part of its effort to reform its penalty system, which has long been frustrating and confusing for users who often get caught up in it unintentionally. In a blog post, Meta said that the in-app education features have already shown some signs of success with Facebook creators. “What we’ve already seen from our initial launch this summer has been promising — those who successfully removed their first strikes for violating a policy were more likely to say they understood Facebook’s policy decisions and became less likely to violate that policy again,” the company said.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-expands-its-strike-removal-feature-to-instagram-and-all-facebook-users-170056830.html?src=rss]]></description>
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  1013.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Karissa Bell]]></dc:creator>
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  1057.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Meta is expanding its feature to avoid account strikes.]]></media:description>
  1058.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Instagram remove warning]]></media:title>
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  1062.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1063.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Microsoft starts testing Copilot Vision in Edge]]></title>
  1064.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Microsoft is rolling out a preview for one of the <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsofts-copilot-ai-gets-a-voice-and-the-ability-to-see-websites-you-browse-140030003.html">experimental AI features it previewed</a> in October. Copilot Vision, which scans your web browsing and has a chat with you about it, is available for testing in Copilot Labs.</p>
  1065. <p>Copilot Vision has strict limits, at least at first. It only works in Microsoft Edge and only on “a select set of websites.” (The company says it will carefully expand that list over time.) Even the trial has restrictions: It’s only available to a limited number of <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-copilot-pro-is-a-20-monthly-subscription-for-advanced-ai-features-234847522.html">Copilot Pro ($20 monthly)</a> subscribers in the US. Like the available websites, Microsoft will expand access to more users over time.</p>
  1066. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Microsoft says Copilot Visions sessions are “opt-in and ephemeral,” so you’ll have to activate it manually, and each session’s data is wiped as soon as you’re done. The company says the feature only interprets text and images from browsed websites and doesn’t process content beyond that or train on web publishers’ data.</p>
  1067. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/a96e8130-b328-11ef-abf9-dd8982bd1ab9" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/a96e8130-b328-11ef-abf9-dd8982bd1ab9" style="height:1080px;width:1920px;" alt="Demo of Copilot Vision, showing overlaid chat bubbles on top of an image of a swanky loft." data-uuid="2879ec41-8299-31cd-8bfb-27653f8c0962"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
  1068. <p>The cautious approach seems to be a course correction from the company’s sloppy Recall launch. That <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/with-recall-microsoft-is-using-ai-to-fix-windows-eternally-broken-search-172510698.html">“photographic memory” feature</a>, which snaps screenshots of everything you do on your PC, drew the ire of security and privacy experts, who called our Microsoft for — in a baffling decision — leaving the feature’s data unencrypted. It’s finally <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/heres-your-first-chance-to-try-microsofts-recall-feature-on-copilot-pcs-180536504.html">available for Windows Insiders</a> to try <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsofts-recall-ai-tool-for-copilot-pcs-faces-a-third-delay-191301031.html">after three delays</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-explains-how-its-tackling-security-and-privacy-for-recall-170059383.html">security adjustments</a>.</p>
  1069. <p>If you’re a Copilot Pro subscriber, you can sign up to request <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/for-individuals/copilot-labs" data-original-link="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/for-individuals/copilot-labs">access to Copilot Vision through Copilot Labs</a> today. You can check out Microsoft’s demo video below.</p>
  1070. <div id="0dd5580f52364a1bae68f75d81b6cb82"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4xKj8ou5WPU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
  1071. <p></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-starts-testing-copilot-vision-in-edge-170033830.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1072.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-starts-testing-copilot-vision-in-edge-170033830.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1075.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Will Shanklin]]></dc:creator>
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  1115.                                                                                                                                                                                                            <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2F80ad4ec0-b328-11ef-97ea-83c4ace03491&amp;resize=1400%2C787&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=842d06511a6ff5fd298810172560cbd4528fb1e1" width="1400" height="787" medium="image">
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  1117.                                <dc:identifier><![CDATA[2]]></dc:identifier>
  1118.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Microsoft]]></media:credit>
  1119.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Demo sequence of Copilot Vision. A website with NYC lofts is visible in the Edge browser. Overlaid chat bubbles show a dialog: "Hey Copilot, I'm looking for a place to stay."]]></media:description>
  1120.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Copilot Vision]]></media:title>
  1121.                                                        </media:content>
  1122.                                                                                        
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  1124.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1125.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Android's latest round of AI features improve accessibility, file sharing and more]]></title>
  1126.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>If you’re an Android user, today is your lucky day; Google has announced a swath of new AI features for the entire ecosystem. Broadly speaking, the features make Android devices more accessible, but there’s something here for everyone.</p>
  1127. <p>For instance, one of the new enhancements, <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://blog.google/products/android/google-android-expressive-captions">Expressive Captions</a>, automatically generates subtitles that attempt to capture the emotion and intensity of what’s being said. So, let’s say you’re video chatting with a friend who groans after you make a lame dad joke. The feature will not only transcribe what they said, but it will also include “[groaning]” in the transcription. This works for other subtleties of human speech, too, such as when someone gasps or whispers something, and is compatible across Android, including streaming and social media apps. Per Google, Expressive Captions are available on Pixel 6 and newer Pixel phones, as well as “other compatible” Android devices.</p>
  1128. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Separately, Google has enhanced Android’s <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.android.com/new-features-on-android/?feature=gemini-for-lookout#gms-filter">Image Q&amp;A in Lookout</a> feature. The latest version of the tool makes use of the company’s Gemini 1.5 Pro model to provide more helpful image descriptions. Image Q&amp;A is primarily designed to assist blind and low-vision users, but in reality, anyone can use the feature to get Android to describe a picture in a natural-sounding voice.</p>
  1129. <p>Speaking of Gemini, Google is supercharging the AI agent with new extensions that provide better integration with some of the most popular Android apps. For instance, a new Spotify plugin allows Gemini to play your favorite songs for you and find playlists that suit your current mood. In the future, the company is promising tighter integration with Google Maps and even smart home devices that are linked to your Google account.</p>
  1130. <p>Additionally, Gemini now features the capability to remember things about you so that it can provide more personalized responses. For example, you can tell Gemini you’re a vegetarian, and the agent will remember that about you the next time you ask it to recommend a new dinner recipe. Google notes it has made it easy to view, edit and delete any personal information you’ve told Gemini to remember.</p>
  1131. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/7d9c5450-b31f-11ef-bafc-97449470426d" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/7d9c5450-b31f-11ef-bafc-97449470426d" style="height:1440px;width:2560px;" alt="Two screenshots showing Android&#39;s new auto-enhancement feature in Google Drive and QR code Quick Share functionality. " data-uuid="32fce553-47ac-3af8-8b69-07b9d9cd0246"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure>
  1132. <p>Another more practical update comes in the form of a Google Drive feature called auto-enhancements. The next time you upload a scanned document to the service, it will automatically edit the image to optimize the contrast and adjust the white balance, as well as remove any shadows and blurring.</p>
  1133. <p>And if you want to share a file with someone, Google has made that easier, too, with an improvement to Android’s <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/android-12-will-force-apps-through-the-official-share-menu-082004255.html">Quick Share</a> functionality. There’s a new feature that allows you to transfer pictures, videos and documents by displaying a QR code on your phone. Using this tool, you don’t need to add the recipient as a contact or fiddle with your Quick Share settings.</p>
  1134. <p>Lastly, if you’re a Pixel user, you can look forward to all of the above features and more. Most notably, there are improvements to the Pixel Screenshots app. For one, now you can save things you find with <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/galaxy-s24-and-pixel-8-owners-can-soon-search-for-anything-by-drawing-a-circle-around-it-180029757.html">Circle to Search</a> directly to the software. Google suggests this feature will be handy for holiday gift ideas. Pixel Screenshots will now also automatically categorize your snaps for you and provide suggestions, such as calendar invites and directions, based on the information you saved.&nbsp;</p>
  1135. <p>As with most Android updates, it can take some time for Google to roll out all the new features it announced today to every user, so be patient if you don’t see them on your device right away.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/androids-latest-round-of-ai-features-improve-accessibility-file-sharing-and-more-170020518.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1136.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/androids-latest-round-of-ai-features-improve-accessibility-file-sharing-and-more-170020518.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1139.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Igor Bonifacic]]></dc:creator>
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  1171.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2Fff26c890-b31d-11ef-8eff-7a40d5d1c686&amp;resize=1400%2C787&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=18454b6f3556eb94e56ab0d9a977f9ce08699ee2" width="1400" height="787" medium="image">
  1172.                                                                    <media:keywords>headline</media:keywords>
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  1179.                                                                                                                                                                                                            <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2Fff26c890-b31d-11ef-8eff-7a40d5d1c686&amp;resize=1400%2C787&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=b274c3a4eae9e47f580953535d4b138898e69e52" width="1400" height="787" medium="image">
  1180.                                                                <media:media_html><![CDATA[]]></media:media_html>
  1181.                                <dc:identifier><![CDATA[2]]></dc:identifier>
  1182.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Google]]></media:credit>
  1183.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Google's new Expressive Captions feature will automatically provide more expressive subtitles across your Android apps.]]></media:description>
  1184.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Google Expressive Captions]]></media:title>
  1185.                                                        </media:content>
  1186.                                                                                        
  1187.                            </item>
  1188.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1189.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Samsung's One UI 7 is out in beta and it's chock full of security features]]></title>
  1190.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Samsung’s One UI 7 operating system <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-one-ui-7-enhances-security-and-privacy-in-the-age-of-ai-giving-users-greater-transparency-and-choice"><ins>is finally out in the wild</ins></a>, albeit in a beta format. The updated UI focuses a lot of its improvements on security and privacy, which is never a bad thing in today’s world.</p>
  1191. <p>There’s further integration with the company’s <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://news.samsung.com/global/introducing-knox-matrix-10-years-of-samsung-knox-security-and-samsungs-vision-for-a-safer-future"><ins>Knox Matrix security protocol</ins></a>, which began popping up in <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/samsung-keynote-ces-2023-6-001836362.html"><ins>Samsung devices back in 2023</ins></a>. Knox Matrix continually monitors devices via a “secure private blockchain” and shows all connected gadgets on a dashboard.</p>
  1192. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>This dashboard lets users instantly see the security status of various Samsung smart devices, including other Galaxy handsets, tablets, TVs and appliances. If a device shows as green in the dashboard, that means that it's “up to date and no risks are detected.” If something is at risk, Knox Matrix will provide actionable recommendations. All Samsung devices will <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/samsungs-one-ui-now-covers-all-of-its-consumer-devices-including-tvs-and-appliances-201850799.html"><ins>soon fall under the One UI umbrella</ins></a>, which should make this integration more seamless.</p>
  1193. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cb55d810-b324-11ef-9abd-b2a73bcedf94" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/cb55d810-b324-11ef-9abd-b2a73bcedf94" style="height:1398px;width:2443px;" alt="The status page." data-uuid="cf9c7081-fcb2-3049-ab5a-131d51e77b43"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Samsung</div></figure>
  1194. <p>There are also new security measures put in place for recovering data from the cloud. Enhanced Data Protection makes sure that all connected devices are synchronized and secure and helps users make a backup plan in the event of data loss. To that end, One UI 7 lets users sign in to a new device by verifying the credentials of their previous device.</p>
  1195. <p>One UI 7 lets people create and use passkeys to log into a Samsung account and gives users more control over network connections. To the latter point, folks can block 2G service, which is not that safe, and make it so phones won’t automatically connect to unknown networks.</p>
  1196. <p>Text messages and photos have even gotten a bit of tough love to improve security. Users can remove location data from photos and block hyperlinks from text messages. Shared photo albums can also be blocked, as can automatic attachment downloads. Users can block USB connections for an added security boost. The port will still work for charging, but not for anything else.</p>
  1197. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/6eea7b30-b324-11ef-bdff-971eab16575c" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/6eea7b30-b324-11ef-bdff-971eab16575c" style="height:1396px;width:2482px;" alt="The USB block feature." data-uuid="37573c2d-e595-3036-acab-1066df747d33"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Samsung</div></figure>
  1198. <p>Finally, there's a new theft protection tool. Samsung devices could already be remote locked, but now there’s a feature called Identity Check. This opt-in software forces users to prove they are who they say they are if a PIN becomes compromised.</p>
  1199. <p>The new UI also brings a simplified design, broader availability of AI tools and a redesigned camera app. The full release will also include something called the Now Bar, which is a new notification system that Samsung promises will "transform the lock screen experience." It sounds a lot like Apple's Dynamic Island and Live Activities feature. Samsung's Now Bar isn't part of the beta, so we have to wait a bit longer to get our hands on it.&nbsp;</p>
  1200. <p>The One UI 7 beta program is available now for Galaxy S24 series devices in a bunch of different countries, including the US, Germany, India, South Korea and Poland. Users have to apply <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Samsung Electronics;elmt:;cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=f85e63cd-e13c-4f9d-991c-9fbaadede3ac&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=c437fbb6-be8a-48ed-a933-826e128cabd8&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Samsung+Electronics&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zYW1zdW5nLmNvbS91cy9zdXBwb3J0L293bmVycy9hcHAvc2Ftc3VuZy1tZW1iZXJzIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJjNDM3ZmJiNi1iZThhLTQ4ZWQtYTkzMy04MjZlMTI4Y2FiZDgiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNhbXN1bmcuY29tL3VzL3N1cHBvcnQvb3duZXJzL2FwcC9zYW1zdW5nLW1lbWJlcnMifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAaSxWEHoNbFTc-imYiSoaR6HJXeuQWqQz5v9yUbqG-6R&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.samsung.com%2Fus%2Fsupport%2Fowners%2Fapp%2Fsamsung-members" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/app/samsung-members"><ins>via the Samsung Members program</ins></a>. The full version of UI 7 drops sometime in the first quarter of 2025.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/samsungs-one-ui-7-is-out-in-beta-and-its-chock-full-of-security-features-163820698.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1201.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/mobile/samsungs-one-ui-7-is-out-in-beta-and-its-chock-full-of-security-features-163820698.html?src=rss]]></link>
  1202.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  1204.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lawrence Bonk]]></dc:creator>
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  1247.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Engadget / Richard Lai]]></media:credit>
  1248.                                <media:description><![CDATA[A pair of phones.]]></media:description>
  1249.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Two Samsung Phones]]></media:title>
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  1253.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1254.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is free on the Epic Games Store]]></title>
  1255.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>It&#39;s Thursday, which means that Epic Games has a fresh pair of PC games on its storefront for folks to claim for free. One of this week&#39;s options is a humdinger. Until 11AM on December 12, you can snap up <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-release-date-crunch-151421921.html"><em>Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga</em></a> for exactly zero dollars.</p>
  1256. <p>This is easily the best Lego game I&#39;ve played, and probably the best Star Wars title. You don&#39;t have to start with <em>The Phantom Menace </em>if that name still causes you anguish 25 years later, though you&#39;ll play through the stories of all nine core Star Wars films. The game has that trademark Lego brand of silly humor with clever (and often very funny) riffs on famous moments from the movies. As you might imagine, <em>Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga </em>is packed with Easter eggs. It looks terrific too. There are a lot of reasons why this was one of my favorite games of 2022.</p>
  1257. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p><em>Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga</em> is not perfect, though. <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.polygon.com/features/22891555/lego-star-wars-the-skywalkersaga-has-led-to-extensive-crunch-at-tt-games">Reports</a> that developers at TT Games were pushed to work long hours to finish the game cast a dark shadow over it. In addition, the collectathon aspects may start to feel like a slog if you plan to reach 100 percent completion. Still, there&#39;s potentially dozens of hours of family fun here, and you&#39;ll be able to hop in gratis.</p>
  1258. <p>There&#39;s one other free title on the Epic Games Store this week in the form of <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/bus-simulator-21"><em>Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop</em></a>. I hope that&#39;s also a fun game for people who check it out, but I&#39;ll never know myself!</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-is-free-on-the-epic-games-store-160712375.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1259.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-is-free-on-the-epic-games-store-160712375.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1262.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Kris Holt]]></dc:creator>
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  1308.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[TT Games/Warner Bros. Games]]></media:credit>
  1309.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Lego versions of Star Wars characters Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul in a lightsaber duel.]]></media:description>
  1310.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Lego versions of Star Wars characters Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul in a lightsaber duel.]]></media:title>
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  1314.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1315.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Oura is rolling out its sickness detection feature to Ring Gen 3 and Ring 4 users]]></title>
  1316.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Oura is moving a respiratory sickness detection feature out of beta and rolling it out to Ring Gen 3 and <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ouras-fourth-generation-smart-ring-gets-smaller-and-smarter-070005477.html">Ring 4</a> wearers. Users with an active subscription should be able to take advantage of <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:;elmt:;cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=580d89c0-10cc-436e-92d8-ca1089066207&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL291cmFyaW5nLmNvbS9ibG9nL3N5bXB0b20tcmFkYXIvIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiI1ODBkODljMC0xMGNjLTQzNmUtOTJkOC1jYTEwODkwNjYyMDciLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vb3VyYXJpbmcuY29tL2Jsb2cvc3ltcHRvbS1yYWRhci8ifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAd0hNbcgO_LDPQWswjEZyDeLJAoiWJ_fr53R1LcbyTL2&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fouraring.com%2Fblog%2Fsymptom-radar%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://ouraring.com/blog/symptom-radar/">Symptom Radar</a> by December 11.</p>
  1317. <p>Oura started publicly testing the feature earlier this year. The idea is that Symptom Radar looks at metrics including resting heart rate, skin temperature, sleep data and breathing rate to see if there are any differences from your baseline stats. If there are, Oura may let you know that it has detected possible common cold- or flu-like symptoms and offer suggestions on how to rest up and recover, such as putting your device into rest mode so you aren't prompted to meet activity goals.</p>
  1318. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Following feedback from beta testers, Oura has added a couple of extra features to Symptom Radar. It now has a history graph showing wellness trends and whether the daily Symptom Radar result has been recorded (this should happen when a ring syncs with the Oura app each morning). There’s also a breakdown of each biometric input for those who want more granular detail on which markers have changed and by how much.</p>
  1319. <p>Like wellness detection features on other wearables, such as <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/garmin-ecg-app-smartwatch-120035781.html">electrocardiogram readings</a> on smart watches, this isn't designed to make any kind of diagnosis. Instead, the aim is notify you of warning signs that a cold or flu may be about to hit so you can take action. Oura claims "Symptom Radar can detect signs of strain accurately and precisely, up to two days before a member selects an illness-related tag" in its tagging feature.</p>
  1320. <p>Symptom Radar <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:;elmt:;cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=580d89c0-10cc-436e-92d8-ca1089066207&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL291cmFyaW5nLmNvbS9ibG9nL2luc2lkZS10aGUtcmluZy1zeW1wdG9tLXJhZGFyLyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiNTgwZDg5YzAtMTBjYy00MzZlLTkyZDgtY2ExMDg5MDY2MjA3Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL291cmFyaW5nLmNvbS9ibG9nL2luc2lkZS10aGUtcmluZy1zeW1wdG9tLXJhZGFyLyJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAbc1yngLHuc1tNZ3KGGlpYhy1JFyxb403jiu7lZYsufU&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fouraring.com%2Fblog%2Finside-the-ring-symptom-radar%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://ouraring.com/blog/inside-the-ring-symptom-radar/">stems from</a> Oura's work on COVID-19 detection, in which researchers found that the company's smart rings were able to predict symptoms of the virus <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/west-virginia-university-oura-ring-covid-19-symptoms-003239603.html">up to three days early</a> with 90 percent accuracy. That led into the creation of Oura's health management platform and then to a refined algorithm "based on a vastly increased data set, inclusive of millions of tags, that has significantly up-leveled accuracy to produce the new Symptom Radar feature."</p>
  1321. <p>While features such as Symptom Radar could be helpful in detecting respiratory sickness, it's still worth listening to your intuition and trusting your knowledge of your own body. After all, Shyamal Patel, Oura’s head of science, told <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/5/24313465/oura-symptom-radar-illness-wearable-smart-ring" data-original-link="https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/5/24313465/oura-symptom-radar-illness-wearable-smart-ring"><em>The Verge</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>that the algorithm isn't 100 percent accurate, and as such false positive and negative readings are possible. The company has yet to disclose accuracy data for Symptom Radar.</p>
  1322. <p><strong>Correction, December 5, 2024, 3:57pm ET:</strong> The availability date was incorrectly stated to be December 9 in a prior version of this story. It has been amended.&nbsp;</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/oura-is-rolling-out-its-sickness-detection-feature-to-ring-gen-3-and-ring-4-users-155820702.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1323.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/wearables/oura-is-rolling-out-its-sickness-detection-feature-to-ring-gen-3-and-ring-4-users-155820702.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1326.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Kris Holt]]></dc:creator>
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  1349.                            <![CDATA[author_name|Kris Holt]]>
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  1351.                                        
  1352.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2F88f52fb0-b320-11ef-9b4f-64857357300f&amp;resize=1400%2C920&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=39851d8bdaf00323331bffab4920a02a1152ea00" width="1400" height="920" medium="image">
  1353.                                                                    <media:keywords>headline</media:keywords>
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  1360.                                                                                                                                                                                                            <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2F88f52fb0-b320-11ef-9b4f-64857357300f&amp;resize=1400%2C920&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=6c3976764fd4a488176a3eedcf6ef17ef001fed4" width="1400" height="920" medium="image">
  1361.                                                                <media:media_html><![CDATA[]]></media:media_html>
  1362.                                <dc:identifier><![CDATA[2]]></dc:identifier>
  1363.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Oura]]></media:credit>
  1364.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Oura Symptom Radar feature on a smartphone, indicating that a user's biometrics are showing major signs of something straining their body, such as a cold or flu.]]></media:description>
  1365.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Oura Symptom Radar feature on a smartphone, indicating that a user's biometrics are showing major signs of something straining their body, such as a cold or flu]]></media:title>
  1366.                                                        </media:content>
  1367.                                                                                        
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  1369.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1370.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Bitcoin price breaks the $100,000 barrier for the first time]]></title>
  1371.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Bitcoin has passed the $100,000 threshold for the first time. At approximately 9:39PM ET this evening, the cryptocurrency’s value <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/BTC-USD/">hit six figures</a>, moving it past the milestone for the first time in its nearly 16-year history. As of the morning of December 5th, the price has stayed well above that $100,000 mark, and Bitcoin's value has generally been steadily increasing over the past month or so. That's no guarantee it'll stay where it is, but it's clearly having a moment.</p>
  1372. <p>That also means the legendary <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.investopedia.com/news/bitcoin-pizza-day-celebrating-20-million-pizza-order/" data-original-link="https://www.investopedia.com/news/bitcoin-pizza-day-celebrating-20-million-pizza-order/">Bitcoin pizza order</a> is now worth $1 billion. For those not in the loop, a Florida man — because, of course it was a Florida man — paid 10,000 BTC for two Papa John’s pizzas over 14 years ago in what’s considered the cryptocurrency’s first commercial transaction.</p>
  1373. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>“I’ll pay 10,000 bitcoins for a couple of pizzas … like maybe 2 large ones so I have some left over for the next day,” Laszlo Hanyecz <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=137.msg1195" data-original-link="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=137.msg1195">posted</a> in a crypto forum on May 18, 2010. Four days later, a British man took him up on the offer. That amount was only worth $45 at the time. (And the UK man only paid Papa John’s $25!) But only nine months later, the transaction’s value had skyrocketed to $10,000.</p>
  1374. <p>Hanyecz <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://archive.nytimes.com/bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/disruptions-betting-on-bitcoin/" data-original-link="https://archive.nytimes.com/bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/disruptions-betting-on-bitcoin/">told</a> <em>The New York Times</em> in 2013 that he had no regrets about the then-$6 million pizza order. “It wasn’t like Bitcoins had any value back then, so the idea of trading them for a pizza was incredibly cool,” he said. “No one knew it was going to get so big.”</p>
  1375. <p>I wonder if Florida Man has any regrets now that his fee for those two Papa John’s pizzas is worth a billion dollars.</p>
  1376. <p>Looking at it another way, Papa John’s <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/PZZA/">current market cap is $1.567 billion</a>. So, had Hanyecz saved his crypto instead of ordering those two pizzas, he could have bought nearly two-thirds of the company that baked his pie today.</p>
  1377. <p>Then, there’s the story of a writer who, in 2017, helped a friend recover (at the time) <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2017-12-05-how-not-to-store-your-bitcoins.html">$200,000 worth of Bitcoin from a broken laptop</a>. Those 40 Bitcoins stuck in a MultiBit wallet for three-and-a-half years are worth more than $4 million today (so long as the cryptocurrency stays above the $100,000 mark).</p>
  1378. <p><strong>Update, 10:35AM ET: </strong>This story has been updated with details about Bitcoin's current value after it hit the $100,000 mark.&nbsp;</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/bitcoin-price-breaks-the-100000-barrier-for-the-first-time-042918884.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1379.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/computing/bitcoin-price-breaks-the-100000-barrier-for-the-first-time-042918884.html?src=rss]]></link>
  1380.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  1382.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Will Shanklin]]></dc:creator>
  1383.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
  1384.                                                                                            <dc:publisher><![CDATA[Engadget]]></dc:publisher>
  1385.                                                                            <dc:rightsHolder><![CDATA[Engadget]]></dc:rightsHolder>
  1386.                                                                <pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2024 15:35:01 +0000</pubDate>
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  1388.                    <modified>2024-12-05T15:35:15+00:00</modified>
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  1405.                            <![CDATA[author_name|Will Shanklin]]>
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  1407.                                        
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  1409.                                                                    <media:keywords>headline</media:keywords>
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  1416.                                                                                                                                                                                                            <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-11%2Fdc7d2fa0-a84b-11ef-befe-c4320bcfc3c5&amp;resize=1400%2C787&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=faa7d3f06cd0a8fc7297dcb831a28f84de665d3d" width="1400" height="787" medium="image">
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  1420.                                <media:description><![CDATA[A Bitcoin logo in an orange circle against a black background.]]></media:description>
  1421.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Bitcoin logo]]></media:title>
  1422.                                                        </media:content>
  1423.                                                                                        
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  1425.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1426.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[One of our favorite Bluetooth speakers is 41 percent off right now]]></title>
  1427.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>You know that feeling when the snow is falling outside but you're inside curled up or cooking something warm as music plays around you? That movie moment is reason enough to invest in a good speaker but, by invest, I mean shop a great deal on one of <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/best-portable-bluetooth-speakers-133004551.html">our favorite Bluetooth speakers for 2024</a>. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=3a1a45ef-54e3-4a18-b375-ff70af0cb770&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAAaphy8RedTShgOg-3xqZFBNT6AyT0dW1tCv6AePS8AM8&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMarshall-Emberton-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker%2Fdp%2FB09XXW54QG%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Emberton-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker/dp/B09XXW54QG/?th=1">Marshall's Emberton II Portable Bluetooth Speaker</a> is currently down to $100 from $170 — a 41 percent discount.&nbsp;</p>
  1428. <p>Marshall's Emberton II Speaker is one of our top picks thanks to its 360-degree sound that provides a good quality listening experience for any small gathering (or solo dance party). It offers 30 hours of battery, charges up in only three hours and is IP67 dust and water resistant so you don't have to be too precious with it.&nbsp;</p> <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span>
  1429. <p>
  1430. <core-commerce id="52fb7952174a4d21ae22dd527c6afa02" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Emberton-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker/dp/B09XXW54QG/?th=1"></core-commerce></p>
  1431. <p>In August, Marshall did release a new version of this speaker, aptly named the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=3a1a45ef-54e3-4a18-b375-ff70af0cb770&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAAetw0VY4N6KtUUiIfjVw1pS8ds5-ZNAZT9BX3rNPrsgu&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMarshall-Emberton-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker%2Fdp%2FB0DDCJMDJC%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Emberton-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker/dp/B0DDCJMDJC/">Emberton III</a>. It has a few upgrades from its predecessor, including an extra two hours of battery life, a built-in microphone and taking only two hours to fully charge. It's normally the same price as the second generation Emberton but, since it's not on sale, we'd say the Emberton II is a much better buy.&nbsp;</p>
  1432. <p><em>Follow </em><a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals"><em>@EngadgetDeals</em></a><em> on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.</em></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-bluetooth-speakers-is-41-percent-off-right-now-150156828.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1433.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-bluetooth-speakers-is-41-percent-off-right-now-150156828.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1436.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Fielding]]></dc:creator>
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  1473.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Marshall]]></media:credit>
  1474.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Marshall Emberton II Speaker]]></media:description>
  1475.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Marshall Emberton II Speaker]]></media:title>
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  1479.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1480.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Amazon is giving away games to promote its Secret Level anthology series]]></title>
  1481.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>We've got a little bit longer to wait until <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/animated-video-game-anthology-show-secret-level-sure-looks-pretty-163009316.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/animated-video-game-anthology-show-secret-level-sure-looks-pretty-163009316.html"><em>Secret Level</em></a>, the gaming-inspired animated anthology series from the <em>Love, Death and Robots</em> team, debuts on Prime Video. But Amazon is ramping up to the launch by <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://primegaming.blog/celebrate-the-upcoming-premiere-of-amazon-original-series-secret-level-with-these-prime-gaming-a91c97732589__;!!Op6eflyXZCqGR5I!Av5dQ8J6B9FaEmqsC-MgHCydyPDiImee8uBzwpJvjYRZs4HPLO9b3kEPVZXkj8vmO-EvU5D7RPTB$" data-original-link="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://primegaming.blog/celebrate-the-upcoming-premiere-of-amazon-original-series-secret-level-with-these-prime-gaming-a91c97732589__;!!Op6eflyXZCqGR5I!Av5dQ8J6B9FaEmqsC-MgHCydyPDiImee8uBzwpJvjYRZs4HPLO9b3kEPVZXkj8vmO-EvU5D7RPTB$">offering</a> some solid freebies for Prime members on many of the games that inspired episodes in <em>Secret Level</em>. Roguelike masterpiece <em>Spelunky</em> and story-laden space adventure <em>The Outer Worlds</em> are must-haves if they aren't already in your library. Here's the full list of free titles:</p>
  1482. <ul>
  1483. <li><p><em>Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition </em>(GOG code)</p></li>
  1484. <li><p><em>Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition </em>(GOG code)</p></li>
  1485. <li><p><em>Necromunda: Hired Gun </em>(Epic Games Store)</p></li>
  1486. <li><p><em>Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition </em>(GOG code)</p></li>
  1487. <li><p><em>The Outer Worlds </em>(GOG code)</p></li>
  1488. <li><p><em>Space Hulk: Deathwing - Enhanced Edition </em>(Amazon Games App)</p></li>
  1489. <li><p><em>Spelunky </em>(GOG code)</p></li>
  1490. <li><p><em>Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine </em>(Amazon Games App)</p></li>
  1491. <li><p><em>Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War </em>(Amazon Games App)</p></li>
  1492. </ul>
  1493. <p>And if that wasn't enough free stuff, a code for <em>Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II</em> in the Amazon Games App will also drop on December 12. Those Prime Gaming members using the Amazon Luna streaming service will also see the addition of <em>Mega Man 11</em>.&nbsp;</p>
  1494. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>The final facet of this announcement is some steep discounts on retail purchases of games through Amazon's platform. Most notably in this batch is up to 65 percent off <em>God of War: Ragnarok</em> for the PlayStation 5 and up to 80 percent off the PC version of <em>Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut</em>. These titles are all in addition to the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amazon-prime-members-can-play-death-stranding-for-free-on-luna-this-month-183907865.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amazon-prime-members-can-play-death-stranding-for-free-on-luna-this-month-183907865.html">previously announced</a> free games lineup Prime Gaming members can add to their collections this month.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amazon-is-giving-away-games-to-promote-its-secret-level-anthology-series-150033246.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1495.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amazon-is-giving-away-games-to-promote-its-secret-level-anthology-series-150033246.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1498.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Washenko]]></dc:creator>
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  1542.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Promo image for Prime Gaming freebies in support of Secret Level series debut]]></media:description>
  1543.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Prime Gaming Secret Level freebies]]></media:title>
  1544.                                                        </media:content>
  1545.                                                                                        
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  1547.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1548.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Telegram finally takes action to remove CSAM from its platform]]></title>
  1549.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Telegram is taking a significant <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/news/telegram-joins-iwf-in-child-sexual-abuse-imagery-crackdown/">step to reduce child sexual abuse material</a> (CSAM), partnering with the International Watch Foundation (IWF) four months after the former&#39;s founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested. The French authorities issued <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/telegram-ceo-charges-include-distributing-csam-and-money-laundering-125336547.html">12 charges against Durov</a> in August, including complicity in &quot;distributing, offering or making available pornographic images of minors, in an organized group&quot; and &quot;possessing pornographic images of minors.&quot;&nbsp;</p>
  1550. <p>The UK-based IWF works with social media platforms, tech companies, governments and more to prevent the spread of CSAM. Telegram&#39;s membership to the IWF grants it access to the organization&#39;s tools that block links to CSAM content and &quot;non-photographic depictions,&quot; including AI-created images. It also provides Telegram with hashes of known CSAM content and any harmful content the organization detects. The IWF reports having found thousands of confirmed instances of CSAM on Telegram since 2022.</p>
  1551. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Telegram has previously refused to join any programs that could help limit CSAM. In a release, Telegram&#39;s Head of Press and Media Relations Remi Vaughn claimed the platform &quot;removes hundreds of thousands of child abuse materials each month&quot; through reports and moderation through AI, hash-matching and more. Though Vaughn conceded IWF&#39;s support will strengthen the company&#39;s ability to delete CSAM before it reaches anyone.</p>
  1552. <p>Telegram has taken other steps since <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-has-been-charged-and-released-from-police-custody-214333241.html">Durov&#39;s arrest</a>, announcing in September that it would hand over IP addresses and phone numbers in legal requests — something it fought in the past. Durov must remain in France for the foreseeable future.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/telegram-finally-takes-action-to-remove-csam-from-its-platform-134514444.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1553.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/social-media/telegram-finally-takes-action-to-remove-csam-from-its-platform-134514444.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1600.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Humane CosmOS kinda turns everything into a Pin]]></title>
  1601.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<div id="04d4da3d85f845efafd6a3b14858ad54"><div style="left:0;width:100%;height:0;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fsnysAHD2CU?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div></div>
  1602. <p>Its <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/people-are-returning-humane-ai-pins-faster-than-the-company-can-sell-them-191523105.html">universally derided</a> AI pin was a <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/humane-is-said-to-be-seeking-a-1-billion-buyout-after-only-10000-orders-of-its-terrible-ai-pin-134147878.html">flop</a>, so Humane now pivoting to software. The company just released a video showing how its CosmOS software could work in other devices like a car, TV and smart speaker as &quot;an AI operating system built for a universe of connected devices.&quot; The only problem is that the software was a big part of what made the AI pin bad, and much of what Humane shows are &quot;simulated experiences&quot; for &quot;illustrative purposes&quot; rather than the AI in actual use.&nbsp;</p>
  1603. <p>The video starts out with a person talking to CosmOS in a car (with the brand blurred out), asking for takeout restaurant suggestions and when guests are coming over, and commanding it to turn up the thermostat. Once at home, the user asks an unknown smart speaker (again, blurred out) for a recipe and a soccer player&#39;s scoring stats from their smart TV. &quot;I didn&#39;t have to specify the player,&quot; the person states. &quot;CosmOS is just using the context of what&#39;s on the screen to answer.&quot;&nbsp;</p>
  1604. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Then, this AI-empowered individual notes that he has CosmOS on his phone, and asks it to read an email and tell him if he needs to follow up with anything. After some to-and-fro, the AI finds space on the user&#39;s calendar and schedules an appointment with an RSVP.&nbsp;</p>
  1605. <p>Humane notes that CosmOS is device and LLM agnostic, so it can work on cars, mobile devices, PCs, wearables and more. &quot;And as we get closer to releasing our SDK to the public, developers and enterprise will easily be able to add and integrate their agents data and services to CosmOS, leveraging the powerful ecosystem to provide even more utility to all types of devices and platforms,&quot; according to the voiceover.&nbsp;</p>
  1606. <p>If Humane is selling its OS as an AI option for third -party devices, it has some stiff competition. As Cherlynn Low noted in our <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/the-humane-ai-pin-is-the-solution-to-none-of-technologys-problems-120002469.html">Engadget review</a>, its AI pin wasn&#39;t much better than a Google search for information and was slower. Though it did have some useful features like context for follow-up questions, that&#39;s the least of things for any AI assistant in 2024. With all that, it seems that any company building the devices it shows (cars, TVs, phones, etc.) are more likely to consider OpenAI, Gemini, or other far more credible players for an AI assistant.&nbsp;</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/humane-cosmos-kinda-turns-everything-into-a-pin-133018127.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1607.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/ai/humane-cosmos-kinda-turns-everything-into-a-pin-133018127.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1649.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1650.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Master & Dynamic updates its decade-old ME05 earphones for the modern world]]></title>
  1651.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>After nearly a decade, Master &amp; Dynamic has updated a classic. The company’s new ME05 wired earphones take the familiar formula from the original, like an elegant brass design with audiophile sound. But the new model is more compatible with today’s (headphone-jack-less) mobile devices with a bundled USB-C adapter (with DAC). Fortunately, the 2024 model costs the same $199 as its <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2016-03-04-master-and-dynamics-me05-review.html">now-discontinued 2015 predecessor</a>.</p>
  1652. <p>The updated ME05 has the same solid brass design and in-line volume remote as the old version. But Master &amp; Dynamic says the new model has an “updated dynamic sound,” thanks to “acoustic refinements.” Some of that comes from a switch from 8mm titanium drivers in the 2015 original to high-excursion 8mm bio-cellulose in the 2024 model.</p> <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span>
  1653. <p>Maybe the most notable change in this generation is the inclusion of a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter with a <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/the-best-dac-for-lossless-high-resolution-music-iphone-android-160056147.html">Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC)</a> for listening on modern mobile devices. The bundled DAC supports up to 32-bit / 384kHz resolution, which — unless you have Daredevil-esque super-hearing — should be <em>way</em> beyond what your ears can perceive.</p>
  1654. <p>The new ME05 comes with two sizes of foam ear tips and five sizes of silicone ones. Master &amp; Dynamic says the tips provide an “impeccable fit and seal for a wide range of ear shapes.”</p>
  1655. <p>Another welcome update for our modern technology is an improved microphone setup. The company also promises clear calls, even in windy environments.</p>
  1656. <p>The 2024 Master &amp; Dynamic ME05 is available to order today in a gold and black version from <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Master &amp; Dynamic;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=d0b7cb3e-39f3-4fd4-96b6-85f0d7a5aa0a&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=75376157-47f4-46d8-b430-661e8ab0a1a9&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Master+%26+Dynamic&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5tYXN0ZXJkeW5hbWljLmNvbSIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiNzUzNzYxNTctNDdmNC00NmQ4LWI0MzAtNjYxZThhYjBhMWE5Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5tYXN0ZXJkeW5hbWljLmNvbSJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAXvTgkrSmsruzVDaUoG8zkaYDHpmGksRN7XdUtwdek_Z&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterdynamic.com" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.masterdynamic.com">the company website</a>. Two more colors (gunmetal / black and palladium / black) are up for pre-order today, too. The wired earphones cost the same $199 / €219 / £169 as their 2015 namesake.</p>
  1657. <p>
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  1659. <p></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/master--dynamic-updates-its-decade-old-me05-earphones-for-the-modern-world-130040878.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1660.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/master--dynamic-updates-its-decade-old-me05-earphones-for-the-modern-world-130040878.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1663.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Will Shanklin]]></dc:creator>
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  1704.                                                                                        
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  1706.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1707.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Uber rebrands its courier service and expands on-demand car seats to five more cities]]></title>
  1708.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Uber is rebranding its local delivery service, formerly <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/uber-connect-person-to-person-delivery-expansion-us-110035677.html">Uber Connect</a>, in time for the holidays. Launched in 2020, it now has a name that better clarifies its purpose: Uber Courier.</p>
  1709. <p>The service launched with support for sending and receiving items to and from local addresses. Since then, it’s <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.uber.com/en-IN/blog/skip-the-trip-with-uber-store-pickups/" data-original-link="https://www.uber.com/en-IN/blog/skip-the-trip-with-uber-store-pickups/">expanded</a> to include pickups of pre-purchased items from local stores. So, if traffic is a nightmare, you’re on a tight schedule and you can spare an extra expense, tap the Courier button in the Uber app and have an Uber delivery person head to, for example, the Best Buy pickup counter to grab something you ordered online and bring it to you (or take it to someone else).</p>
  1710. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Uber Courier can also <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/you-can-have-uber-take-your-packages-to-the-post-office-now-172403100.html">pick up and deliver your packages</a> to the post office. That may be worth the cost to avoid the existential dread of standing in a long line of impatient people under fluorescent lighting, waiting for burned-out and underpaid government employees to weigh your package and ring you up.</p>
  1711. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/2e7baf70-b26a-11ef-83ff-6c3d64114f4f" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/2e7baf70-b26a-11ef-83ff-6c3d64114f4f" style="height:5504px;width:8256px;" alt="A person strapping a child’s car seat into the back of an Uber ride." data-uuid="51be7d55-9771-3531-9d15-26e7d8a5aa17"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Uber</div></figure>
  1712. <p>Those traveling with little ones have more options for Uber rides this holiday season. The rideshare company is expanding its <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.uber.com/us/en/ride/car-seat/" data-original-link="https://www.uber.com/us/en/ride/car-seat/">Uber Car Seat</a> service, which already covered New York City, Los Angeles and Orlando. Starting today, you can also use it in Orlando, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Miami and San Francisco. When you reserve an Uber Car Seat in advance, your driver will come equipped with a Nuna Rava convertible car seat for your baby or toddler.</p>
  1713. <p>Uber is running a promotion for Uber Car Seat until January 2. The code FESTIVESEAT10 lets you save “up to $20” on two Car Seat rides.</p>
  1714. <p>The company is also <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.uber.com/newsroom/holiday-2024" data-original-link="https://www.uber.com/newsroom/holiday-2024">rolling out</a> services that dive into the <em>deep</em> end of holiday traditions. These include the delivery of Christmas trees or Hanukkah bushes, on-demand carolers equipped with booze and... Macaulay Culkin (naturally).</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-rebrands-its-courier-service-and-expands-on-demand-car-seats-to-four-more-cities-130040912.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1715.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-rebrands-its-courier-service-and-expands-on-demand-car-seats-to-four-more-cities-130040912.html?src=rss]]></link>
  1716.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  1718.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Will Shanklin]]></dc:creator>
  1719.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
  1720.                                                                                            <dc:publisher><![CDATA[Engadget]]></dc:publisher>
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  1722.                                                                <pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
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  1724.                    <modified>2024-12-05T18:57:49+00:00</modified>
  1725.                                            <category>
  1726.                            <![CDATA[Transportation]]>
  1727.                        </category>
  1728.                                            <category>
  1729.                            <![CDATA[Professional Services]]>
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  1735.                            <![CDATA[provider_name|Engadget]]>
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  1738.                            <![CDATA[region|US]]>
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  1744.                            <![CDATA[author_name|Will Shanklin]]>
  1745.                        </category>
  1746.                                        
  1747.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2Fa3e966a0-b268-11ef-a2bf-1b9cf16c83d1&amp;resize=1400%2C787&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=f9d40bc0b854a5d28d7190891bd27175508ea93d" width="1400" height="787" medium="image">
  1748.                                                                    <media:keywords>headline</media:keywords>
  1749.                                                                <media:media_html><![CDATA[]]></media:media_html>
  1750.                                <dc:identifier><![CDATA[1]]></dc:identifier>
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  1752.                                <media:description><![CDATA[]]></media:description>
  1753.                                <media:title><![CDATA[]]></media:title>
  1754.                                                        </media:content>
  1755.                                                                                                                                                                                                            <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2Fa3e966a0-b268-11ef-a2bf-1b9cf16c83d1&amp;resize=1400%2C787&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=b597ce042c95cbc7f99081b2bb20a0687caefd8d" width="1400" height="787" medium="image">
  1756.                                                                <media:media_html><![CDATA[]]></media:media_html>
  1757.                                <dc:identifier><![CDATA[2]]></dc:identifier>
  1758.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Uber]]></media:credit>
  1759.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Two phone screenshots showing the Uber app’s Courier section for local deliveries.]]></media:description>
  1760.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Uber Courier]]></media:title>
  1761.                                                        </media:content>
  1762.                                                                                        
  1763.                            </item>
  1764.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1765.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[The Morning After: You can buy a deck of Balatro cards]]></title>
  1766.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>A $16 deck of <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-physical-deck-of-balatro-cards-can-soon-be-yours-for-16-180958044.html">cards</a> based on the Balatro design is up for pre-order on Fangamer, and it’s expected to ship in March. The mockups show subtly pixelated cards that mimic the art style of the game. They have a red design on the rear — the red deck is the default set in the game.</p>
  1767. <p>But what of the jokers, the cards that make Balatro a lot more than a poker spin-off? You only get four: Joker, Juggler, Blueprint and Gros Michel. One of those is the popular banana card, at least. It’s a little frustrating they’re not available to buy now. For other people, I mean, for the holiday. Yes. For me? No.</p>
  1768. <p>— Mat Smith</p>
  1769. <p><em>Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox.</em><a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/about/newsletter/"><em> Subscribe right here!</em></a></p>
  1770. <p><strong>The biggest tech stories you missed</strong></p>
  1771. <ul>
  1772. <li><p><a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstation-vr2-will-get-hand-tracking-support-soon-204155147.html"><ins>PlayStation VR2 will get hand-tracking support soon</ins></a></p></li>
  1773. <li><p><a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-signs-deal-with-palmer-luckeys-anduril-to-develop-military-ai-213356951.html"><ins>OpenAI signs deal with Palmer Luckey’s Anduril to develop military AI</ins></a></p></li>
  1774. <li><p><a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-scribe-2-review-in-progress-is-slightly-useful-ai-worth-the-extra-cash-140018638.html"><ins>Kindle Scribe 2 review in progress: Is slightly useful AI worth the extra cash?</ins></a></p></li>
  1775. </ul>
  1776. <p></p>
  1777. <h2 id="jump-link-the-7-best-white-elephant-gifts-for-2024"><a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/the-7-best-white-elephant-gifts-for-2024-150516584.html">The 7 best white elephant gifts for 2024</a></h2>
  1778. <h3 id="jump-link-not-just-gag-gifts">Not just gag gifts.</h3>
  1779. <h3 id="jump-link-"></h3>
  1780. <p>Picking the right white elephant gift means toeing a fine line: The goal isn’t simply to buy something terrible and make someone take it home. Rather, it should be just useful or amusing enough that it won’t immediately get tossed into the trash. And yes, there’s some Secret Santa gold in this list.</p>
  1781. <p><a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/the-7-best-white-elephant-gifts-for-2024-150516584.html"><strong>Continue reading.</strong></a></p>
  1782. <p></p>
  1783. <h2 id="jump-link-hbos-max-is-the-latest-service-to-try-to-recreate-cable"><a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/streaming-is-just-tv-all-over-again-165115834.html">HBO’s Max is the latest service to try to recreate cable</a></h2>
  1784. <h3 id="jump-link-linear-channels-you-can-stream">Linear channels you can stream.</h3>
  1785. <h3 id="jump-link-"></h3>
  1786. <p>Max is testing streamable channels in the US, with a selection of 24/7 feeds of HBO programming, including HBO and HBO 2 simulcasts. Other channels will showcase prestige drama, comedy and classic shows. Rival streamers have their own linear channels, including Disney+, Paramount+ and Peacock. And if you didn’t think that was dragging us back to the cable era, bundles are back. One gets you Max, Disney+ and Hulu for $30 per month, while Comcast offers a package of Netflix, Peacock and Apple TV+ for $15 per month.</p>
  1787. <p><a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/streaming-is-just-tv-all-over-again-165115834.html"><strong>Continue reading.</strong></a></p>
  1788. <p></p>
  1789. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><h2 id="jump-link-peloton-is-introducing-a-new-audio-focused-strength-training-app"><a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://engadget.com/apps/peloton-is-introducing-a-new-audio-focused-strength-training-app-222145376.html">Peloton is introducing a new audio-focused strength training app</a></h2>
  1790. <h3 id="jump-link-the-companys-latest-pivot-focuses-on-software-and-strength">The company’s latest pivot focuses on software and strength.</h3>
  1791. <a href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/peloton-is-introducing-a-new-audio-focused-strength-training-app-222145376.html"><figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/946e1a30-b2f5-11ef-9fdd-b121ded05f61" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/946e1a30-b2f5-11ef-9fdd-b121ded05f61" style="height:341px;width:640px;" alt="TMA" data-uuid="91f3e8f2-ba05-39ad-a7d4-9afc3c15da5b"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Peloton</div></figure></a>
  1792. <p>The beleaguered fitness company’s new strength-training app is called Peloton Strength+. The iOS-only app will give current and future Peloton subscribers access to audio-guided gym-based strength workouts. It includes a tool for generating new workouts based on how much time you have, your experience level or available equipment. There will also be instructional how-to videos and “in-ear coaching” to keep you on track while you’re working out. Peloton Strength+ will be available for a limited time at $1 per month for the first six months. After that, a Strength+ subscription will cost $9.99 per month. Peloton All Access, Guide and App+ subscribers will get it bundled into their existing service.</p>
  1793. <p><a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="https://engadget.com/apps/peloton-is-introducing-a-new-audio-focused-strength-training-app-222145376.html"><strong>Continue reading.</strong></a></p>
  1794. <p></p>
  1795. <p></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-you-can-buy-a-deck-of-balatro-cards-121523094.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1796.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-you-can-buy-a-deck-of-balatro-cards-121523094.html?src=rss]]></link>
  1797.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  1799.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mat Smith]]></dc:creator>
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  1803.                                                                <pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:15:23 +0000</pubDate>
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  1805.                    <modified>2024-12-05T10:46:42+00:00</modified>
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  1807.                            <![CDATA[Television]]>
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  1825.                            <![CDATA[author_name|Mat Smith]]>
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  1827.                                        
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  1839.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[LocalThunk/Playstack]]></media:credit>
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  1841.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Balatro Playing Cards]]></media:title>
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  1845.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1846.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Three and Vodafone will merge in the UK]]></title>
  1847.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>They (regulators) said it couldn&#39;t be done (originally) but Three is finally approved for a merger. The UK&#39;s <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-clears-vodafone-three-merger-subject-to-legally-binding-commitments">Competition and Markets Authority</a> (CMA) has given the go ahead for a merger between Three and Vodafone, first <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/vodafone-and-three-plan-to-merge-into-the-uks-largest-mobile-network-123642148.html">proposed by the companies</a> in June 2023. The decision follows an independent inquiry group&#39;s <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/uk-regulators-want-to-investigate-three-and-vodafones-blockbuster-merger-120058606.html">investigation</a> into the move&#39;s impact.&nbsp;</p>
  1848. <p>CMA is allowing the deal to proceed as long as &quot;both companies sign binding commitments to invest billions to roll out a combined 5G network across the UK,&quot; a release states. &quot;The network commitment would be supported by shorter term customer protections which would require the merged company to cap certain mobile tariffs and offer preset contractual terms to mobile virtual network operators, for a period of three years.&quot; CMA and UK communication services regulator Ofcom will both oversee these commitments and the merged company must produce an annual implementation report.</p>
  1849. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Chair of the independent inquiry group, Stuart McIntosh, explained, &quot;We believe the merger is likely to boost competition in the UK mobile sector and should be allowed to proceed —&nbsp;but only if Vodafone and Three agree to implement our proposed measures.&quot;</p>
  1850. <p><a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2015-03-24-three-uk-buys-o2.html">Three tried to merge with O2</a> in 2015, but the European Commission (yes, this was pre-Brexit) <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2016-05-11-ec-blocks-three-o2-merger.html">blocked it</a> a year later. Then European Commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager, stated that the concessions Three offered wouldn&#39;t offset the deal&#39;s potential to limit competition and bring higher prices. CMA concurred but, in 2021, allowed <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/virgin-media-o2-liberty-global-telefonica-merger-081409576.html">O2 to merge with Virgin Media</a>, determining that it would not have a &quot;substantial&quot; <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-gives-virgin-and-o2-merger-green-light">impact on competition</a> due to the nature of their combined offerings.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/three-and-vodafone-will-merge-in-the-uk-120007936.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1851.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/three-and-vodafone-will-merge-in-the-uk-120007936.html?src=rss]]></link>
  1852.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  1854.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Fielding]]></dc:creator>
  1855.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
  1856.                                                                                            <dc:publisher><![CDATA[Engadget]]></dc:publisher>
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  1858.                                                                <pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
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  1860.                    <modified>2024-12-05T11:35:26+00:00</modified>
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  1862.                            <![CDATA[Mergers, Acquisitions & Takeovers]]>
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  1865.                            <![CDATA[Investment & Company Information]]>
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  1884.                                                                    <media:keywords>headline</media:keywords>
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  1895.                                <media:description><![CDATA[FILE PHOTO: Different types of 4G, 5G and data radio relay antennas for mobile phone networks are pictured on a relay mast operated by Vodafone in Berlin]]></media:description>
  1896.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Vodafone to reap up to 2.3 billion euros from Frankfurt IPO]]></media:title>
  1897.                                                        </media:content>
  1898.                                                                                        
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  1900.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  1901.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[The best cheap fitness trackers for 2024]]></title>
  1902.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>You don’t need to spend a fortune to stay on top of your health goals while tracking your fitness. These days, even cheap fitness trackers come packed with features that help you monitor your heart rate, track your steps and even analyze your sleep stages. Many budget options now include GPS tracking for those outdoor runs, real-time heart rate tracking to keep you in the right zone during workouts and, thankfully, most work with both iPhone and Android devices.<br><br>Some even go beyond basic metrics, providing insights on daily readiness to help you decide if you’re up for an intense workout or need a lighter day. From simple step counters to more advanced running watches, affordable fitness trackers offer plenty to support your journey toward better health without breaking the bank.</p>
  1903. <h2 id="jump-link-what-to-look-for-in-a-cheap-fitness-tracker">What to look for in a cheap fitness tracker</h2>
  1904. <p>All of the best fitness trackers should have at least three features: a program to track workouts or movement of some sort, the option to monitor and collect sleep stages data and the ability to do things like heart rate tracking and blood oxygen level monitoring (though, the readings might not be super accurate). Don’t set your sights too high and expect metrics like blood pressure monitoring; for that, you’d need to invest in a more expensive wearable like a Samsung Galaxy Watch, which will set you back over $400.</p> <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span>
  1905. <h3 id="jump-link-fitness-features">Fitness features</h3>
  1906. <p>A cheap workout tracker can be great for someone looking to keep tabs on small, achievable goals like 10,000 steps before sundown or 30 minutes of a HIIT workout to get your heart rate peaking. An experienced long-distance runner looking to train for a triathlon might opt for a more expensive device that can measure cadence or ground contact time, and can track more customizable workouts, offer different sports modes or give deeper insights into performance data.</p>
  1907. <p>At the very least, a budget workout tracker should be able to offer fitness tracking features beyond walking and running — otherwise, it would just be a pedometer. The number of activities a device will recognize varies. Some will get funky with it and consider skateboarding a workout, while others won’t be able to track a jumping jack.</p>
  1908. <p>At this price, you can expect a device to measure a mix of cardio, machine workouts and strength training. With each, you might get a numerical or visual breakdown of heart rate activity, overall pace, and calories burned per session. Although some cheap trackers can offer a really good overview of heart rate zone activity during a workout, a more technically advanced device might be able to go a step further and explain what your results mean and coach you on how to keep your heart rate in a specific bracket so that you can burn more fat per workout. I found that the more budget-friendly the device, the more likely it is that a tracker will fall short when it comes to smart counseling or offering predictive insights beyond a given workout. If a budget tracker does happen to offer some semblance of a coaching program, you can expect it to sit behind a paywall.</p>
  1909. <p>Workout tracking and planning your recovery is just as essential to any fitness journey. A sub-$100 device should be able to tell you how long you’ve slept and provide a breakdown of deep, light and REM sleep stages. It's not a guarantee that you will get a sleep “score” or insights on how to get better rest — that data is usually found on more expensive wearables. Also, because these trackers aren’t designed for bedtime specifically — be mindful of comfort. The bands and watch face on a budget fitness tracker may not be ideal for getting some good shut-eye.</p>
  1910. <h3 id="jump-link-connectivity-and-practicality">Connectivity and practicality</h3>
  1911. <p>Not all activity trackers, budget-friendly or not, are designed to seamlessly integrate with a smartphone. The trackers tested for this roundup can’t directly make calls or send texts to contacts on a paired iPhone or Android smartphone. They can, however, display and dismiss incoming calls and notifications via a Bluetooth connection. You can forget about checking your email or paying for a coffee from your wrist using these more affordable devices.</p>
  1912. <p>Most cheap fitness trackers also won't include built-in GPS tracking. Instead, they usually depend on a paired smartphone to gather location data. The drawback of using a fitness tracker without GPS is that it might not provide as precise for tracking distance or pace. You also can't use a budget tracker to get turn-by-turn directions during a walk or while running errands. For the more outdoorsy consumers, having GPS could be a key safety feature if you want this kind of functionality at your fingertips.</p>
  1913. <h3 id="jump-link-design">Design</h3>
  1914. <p>You also might find that an inexpensive fitness tracker is harder to navigate than a more advanced smartwatch. Whether it be a screen size issue or simply not having a smart enough interface, don't expect every feature to be one that you can engage with directly on your wrist. Oftentimes, you will need to pull out your smartphone to log information or access more in-depth health data.</p>
  1915. <p>The quality and build of displays and bands will also vary in this category. Don’t expect the highest resolution OLED displays or the fanciest materials in the bands. But you can expect some level of sweat and water resistance.</p>
  1916. <h2 id="jump-link-best-cheap-fitness-trackers-for-2024">Best cheap fitness trackers for 2024</h2>
  1917. <p>
  1918. <core-commerce id="d80b3a337ebf4d04b05989a1f715b041" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-Bracelet-Bluetooth-Fitness-M2239B1/dp/B0C3B42Q29?"></core-commerce></p>
  1919. <p>
  1920. <core-commerce id="c40183dba6b34b04ab45e4d194102bdb" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Amazfit-Fitness-Tracker-Monitoring-Resistant/dp/B09Z6CRHJ6/ref=asc_df_B09Z6CRHJ6/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=598360176923&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=1564408110863970975&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9012094&amp;hvtargid=pla-1712617509497&amp;psc=1"></core-commerce></p>
  1921. <p>
  1922. <core-commerce id="fa9b74b3ca8f4afaa508a6eee762f79f" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Fitbit-Management-Intensity-Tracking-Midnight/dp/B0B5F9SZW7?th=1"></core-commerce></p>
  1923. <h2 id="jump-link-other-cheap-fitness-trackers-we-tested">Other cheap fitness trackers we tested</h2>
  1924. <h3 id="jump-link-wyze-watch-47c">Wyze Watch 47c</h3>
  1925. <p>I didn't have high expectations of the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=76788acc-b3c9-4c22-8f2f-6e3454c53d79&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAAX5WUAMZLP92044Mx-0CokDRhm3q-JyuzwbycStWJqxU&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWYZE-Aluminum-Smartwatch-Waterproof-Menstrual%2Fdp%2FB0983VR4TD" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/WYZE-Aluminum-Smartwatch-Waterproof-Menstrual/dp/B0983VR4TD?th=1">Wyze Watch 47c</a>, but I was shocked at how little this tracker can do. The 47c can only track walks and runs. It has a dedicated widget, a small logo of a man running, and when you tap it, it begins measuring your pace, heart rate, calories burned and mileage. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts and it doesn't differentiate between a run and walk. Most importantly, this device can’t track any other exercises. It’s basically a glorified pedometer.</p>
  1926. <p>The 47c was also my least favorite to sleep with, mainly because the square watch face is so large and heavy. Even if I did manage to sleep through the night with it on, it only gave me a basic sleep report.</p>
  1927. <h3 id="jump-link-garmin-vivofit-4">Garmin vivofit 4</h3>
  1928. <p>The <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=76788acc-b3c9-4c22-8f2f-6e3454c53d79&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0dhcm1pbi12JTI1MjVDMyUyNTI1QUR2b2ZpdC1hY3Rpdml0eS1kaXNwbGF5LTAxMC0wMTg0Ny0wMC9kcC9CMDc3WDFTUVk5P3RhZz1nZGd0MGMtMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6Ijc2Nzg4YWNjLWIzYzktNGMyMi04ZjJmLTZlMzQ1NGM1M2Q3OSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9HYXJtaW4tdiUyNUMzJTI1QUR2b2ZpdC1hY3Rpdml0eS1kaXNwbGF5LTAxMC0wMTg0Ny0wMC9kcC9CMDc3WDFTUVk5IiwiZHluYW1pY0NlbnRyYWxUcmFja2luZ0lkIjp0cnVlLCJzaXRlSWQiOiJ1cy1lbmdhZGdldCIsInBhZ2VJZCI6IjFwLWF1dG9saW5rIiwiZmVhdHVyZUlkIjoidGV4dC1saW5rIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAbpiyPDo7cyVvY6p8AmgPJMBBs-OmF4-W0DYNWVAGnY1&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FGarmin-v%2525C3%2525ADvofit-activity-display-010-01847-00%2Fdp%2FB077X1SQY9" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-v%C3%ADvofit-activity-display-010-01847-00/dp/B077X1SQY9">Garmin vivofit 4</a> has a tiny display that is not a touchscreen and all navigation happens through one button. The watch face is impossible to read outdoors and the exercise widget is also very finicky. To start tracking a run, you have to hold down the main button and flip through some pages until you get to a moving person icon. Once there, you have to press the bottom right corner of the bar and hold down and if you press for too long or in the wrong spot, it’ll switch to another page, like a stopwatch. It’s incredibly frustrating.</p>
  1929. <p>Once you start a run though, it will start tracking your steps, your distance — and that's pretty much it. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts. It doesn't alert you of any mileage or calorie milestones.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-cheap-fitness-trackers-140054780.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1930.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-cheap-fitness-trackers-140054780.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1933.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Malak Saleh]]></dc:creator>
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  1974.                                <media:description><![CDATA[The best cheap fitness trackers]]></media:description>
  1975.                                <media:title><![CDATA[The best cheap fitness trackers]]></media:title>
  1976.                                                        </media:content>
  1977.                                                                                        
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  1980.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Peloton is introducing a new audio-focused strength training app]]></title>
  1981.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Peloton is continuing to expand into products other than stationary bikes and treadmills with a new strength training app called <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Peloton Apparel;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=ecf5d1d2-96c5-4e68-9dbd-1b1177ad21f0&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=74e5eab0-9ce9-4481-b802-401c4e18d685&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Peloton+Apparel&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5vbmVwZWxvdG9uLmNvbS9wcmVzcy9hcnRpY2xlcy9zdHJlbmd0aC1hcHAtZGVkaWNhdGVkLXRvLXN0cmVuZ3RoLXRyYWluaW5nLWxhdW5jaGVzLW91dC1vZi1iZXRhIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiI3NGU1ZWFiMC05Y2U5LTQ0ODEtYjgwMi00MDFjNGUxOGQ2ODUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm9uZXBlbG90b24uY29tL3ByZXNzL2FydGljbGVzL3N0cmVuZ3RoLWFwcC1kZWRpY2F0ZWQtdG8tc3RyZW5ndGgtdHJhaW5pbmctbGF1bmNoZXMtb3V0LW9mLWJldGEifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAfsdCMWUzLB-VuxU9I2SC2Z6t1THFVdxG2_UK8ZqaT1w&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.onepeloton.com%2Fpress%2Farticles%2Fstrength-app-dedicated-to-strength-training-launches-out-of-beta" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.onepeloton.com/press/articles/strength-app-dedicated-to-strength-training-launches-out-of-beta">Peloton Strength+</a>. The iOS-only app will give current and future Peloton subscribers access to audio-guided strength workouts that can be performed at the gym.</p>
  1982. <p>The fitness company initially started testing a beta version of the app in September, which Peloton says informed features like bookmarking custom workouts and the ability to swap and reorder movements. The final version also includes a tool for generating new workouts based on how much time you have, your experience level, or available equipment, instructional how-to videos and “in-ear coaching” to keep you on track while you’re working out. Like many other fitness apps, Strength+ can also connect to an <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-series-10-review-legacy-and-sequel-in-equal-measure-120021405.html">Apple Watch</a> to display metrics like your heart rate and calories burned and let you log weights and reps from your wrist. None of these features are radically different from what you can get from other popular apps like Fitbod or SmartGym, save for Peloton’s focus on audio and the company’s roster of popular fitness instructors.</p>
  1983. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>In the years following the pandemic, <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/pelotons-pandemic-era-fairy-tale-is-officially-over-153619110.html">Peloton has struggled</a> to adjust to the changing demand for its subscription hardware. Not everyone wanted a Peloton Tread or Bike in their living room when the option to pay less to use one in public became available. Peloton has tried various strategies to recapture its popularity since then, making it possible to access Peloton workouts <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://investor.onepeloton.com/news-releases/news-release-details/peloton-reintroduces-itself-anyone-anywhere">without expensive hardware</a>, launching a fitness-tracking camera called <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/peloton-guide-camera-hands-on-153057753.html">Guide</a> with a strength workout focus similar to Strength and even selling <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/peloton-row-ergometer-rowing-machine-connected-110014923.html">a rowing machine</a>. Nothing has matched the sales highs the company experienced during the pandemic. Selling subscriptions to the Peloton app and Strength+ seems like a viable way to grow in the inevitable future where most people don’t care about Peloton hardware.</p>
  1984. <p>Peloton Strength+ will be available for a limited time at $1 per month for the first six months. Afterward, a subscription to Strength+ will cost $9.99 per month. Current Peloton All Access, Guide, and App+ subscribers can use Strength+ at no additional cost.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/peloton-is-introducing-a-new-audio-focused-strength-training-app-222145376.html?src=rss]]></description>
  1985.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/apps/peloton-is-introducing-a-new-audio-focused-strength-training-app-222145376.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  1988.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ian Carlos Campbell]]></dc:creator>
  1989.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
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  1992.                                                                <pubDate>Wed, 04 Dec 2024 22:21:45 +0000</pubDate>
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  2021.                                                                    <media:keywords>headline</media:keywords>
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  2032.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Four screenshots of the Peloton Strength+ app's main sign-up screen, a workout video, a custom workout, and a weight trend for a specific type of workout.]]></media:description>
  2033.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Peloton-Strength+]]></media:title>
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  2035.                                                                                        
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  2037.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2038.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[OpenAI signs deal with Palmer Luckey’s Anduril to develop military AI]]></title>
  2039.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>OpenAI has <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.anduril.com/article/anduril-partners-with-openai-to-advance-u-s-artificial-intelligence-leadership-and-protect-u-s/" data-original-link="https://www.anduril.com/article/anduril-partners-with-openai-to-advance-u-s-artificial-intelligence-leadership-and-protect-u-s/">partnered</a> with <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/palmer-luckey-anduril-industries-virtual-wall-government-contract-174312975.html">defense startup Anduril Industries</a> to develop AI for the Pentagon. The companies said on Wednesday that they’ll combine OpenAI’s models, including <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/openai-claims-that-its-free-gpt-4o-model-can-talk-laugh-sing-and-see-like-a-human-184249780.html">GPT-4o</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-new-o1-model-is-slower-on-purpose-185711459.html">OpenAI o1</a>, with Anduril’s systems and software to improve the US military’s defenses against unpiloted aerial attacks.</p>
  2040. <p>The deal comes less than a year after OpenAI softened its stance on using its models for military purposes. Although the <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/how-openais-chatgpt-has-changed-the-world-in-just-a-year-140050053.html">ChatGPT</a> maker’s policies still prohibit its models from developing or using weapons, it <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/openais-policy-no-longer-explicitly-bans-the-use-of-its-technology-for-military-and-warfare-123018659.html">deleted a line in January</a> that explicitly banned integrating its tech into “military and warfare” use. The company said at the time it was already working with DARPA on cybersecurity tools. In October, the company <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-quietly-pitching-products-u-145321695.html" data-original-link="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-quietly-pitching-products-u-145321695.html">hired</a> a former <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/palantir-shows-off-an-ai-that-can-go-to-war-180513781.html">Palantir</a> security officer and was reportedly pitching its products to the US military and national security establishment.</p>
  2041. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>An OpenAI spokesperson <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:9;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/04/openai-anduril-military-ai/" data-original-link="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/04/openai-anduril-military-ai/">told</a> <em>The Washington Post</em> that the deal complies with the company’s rules because it focuses on systems that defend against pilotless aerial threats. The company said the partnership doesn’t cover other uses.</p>
  2042. <p>According to <em>The Washington Post</em>, the OpenAI-Anduril partnership will aim to improve the latter’s tech for detecting and shooting down drones threatening the US military and its allies. The Pentagon already buys Anduril’s Roadrunner drone interceptor (pictured above) to help counter the rise of smaller drones on the world’s battlefields. The startup <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:10;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.anduril.com/" data-original-link="https://www.anduril.com/">sells</a> sentry towers, comms jammers, military drones and an autonomous submarine, among other projects.</p>
  2043. <p>The companies framed the partnership as a way to defend US military personnel and counter China’s advancing AI. “Our partnership with OpenAI will allow us to utilize their world-class expertise in artificial intelligence to address urgent Air Defense capability gaps across the world,” Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf wrote in a statement. “Together, we are committed to developing responsible solutions that enable military and intelligence operators to make faster, more accurate decisions in high-pressure situations.”</p>
  2044. <p>Anduril was co-founded by <a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2014-03-28-oculus-rift-from-2-4-million-kickstarter-to-2-billion-sale.html">Oculus Rift</a> inventor (and Oculus VR co-founder) Palmer Luckey. That headset laid the foundation for the <a data-i13n="cpos:12;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/meta-quest-3s-review-impressive-vr-for-300-130013596.html">Meta Quest lineup</a>, which today <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:13;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insight/global-xr-ar-vr-headsets-market-share-quarterly" data-original-link="https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insight/global-xr-ar-vr-headsets-market-share-quarterly">holds</a> the lion’s share of the VR and AR market. Luckey <a data-i13n="cpos:14;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2017-03-30-oculus-co-founder-palmer-luckey-is-leaving-facebook.html">left Meta (then Facebook) in 2017</a>, months after news broke that he <a data-i13n="cpos:15;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2016-09-23-oculus-founder-responds-to-nimble-america-political-controvers.html">donated $10,000 to a group</a> aiming to post 4chan-style anti-Hillary Clinton memes on roadside billboards.</p>
  2045. <p>“OpenAI builds AI to benefit as many people as possible, and supports U.S.-led efforts to ensure the technology upholds democratic values,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a statement. “Our partnership with Anduril will help ensure OpenAI technology protects U.S. military personnel, and will help the national security community understand and responsibly use this technology to keep our citizens safe and free.”</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-signs-deal-with-palmer-luckeys-anduril-to-develop-military-ai-213356951.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2046.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-signs-deal-with-palmer-luckeys-anduril-to-develop-military-ai-213356951.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  2049.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Will Shanklin]]></dc:creator>
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  2080.                                        
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  2093.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Closeup of the Anduril Roadrunner, a drone that intercepts other drones.]]></media:description>
  2094.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Anduril Roadrunner]]></media:title>
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  2098.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2099.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Microsoft confirms the Windows 11 TPM security requirement isn't going anywhere]]></title>
  2100.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>With the end date for Windows 10 less than a year away, people still using that operating system will need to start preparing to enter the Windows 11 era. And Microsoft is placing a hardware requirement on the current OS that could pose a problem for those of us using older machines.</p>
  2101. <p><a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-review-microsoft-mindful-os-200028040-200028741.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-review-microsoft-mindful-os-200028040-200028741.html">Windows 11</a> will require computers to have TPM 2.0. Also known as a Trusted Platform Module, this is a dedicated chip or firmware used for device security, and the 2.0 version offers several useful features for improved cryptography and encryption. A <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/tpm-2-0-%E2%80%93-a-necessity-for-a-secure-and-future-proof-windows-11/4339066" data-original-link="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/tpm-2-0-%E2%80%93-a-necessity-for-a-secure-and-future-proof-windows-11/4339066"><ins>blog post</ins></a> from Microsoft outlines all of the benefits and why it's being made a core part of Windows 11 installations. Notably, the latest TPM can help future-proof the three-year-old operating system "by helping to protect sensitive information as more AI capabilities come to physical, cloud, and server architecture."</p>
  2102. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>That's all well and good, but many older machines don't have TPM 2.0. That version became the hardware standard for Windows computers <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/what-is-tpm-705f241d-025d-4470-80c5-4feeb24fa1ee" data-original-link="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/what-is-tpm-705f241d-025d-4470-80c5-4feeb24fa1ee"><ins>in 2016</ins></a>. Savvy users may have been able to use Windows 11 on incompatible computers with workarounds, but Microsoft's language that "TPM 2.0 is not just a recommendation—it’s a necessity" indicates that the company will likely be getting more stringent about preventing those bypasses. You can check the TPM status of your computer with <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11#pchealthcheck" data-original-link="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11#pchealthcheck">Microsoft's PC Health Check app</a> ahead of the October 14, 2025 end of support date for Windows 10.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-confirms-the-windows-11-tpm-security-requirement-isnt-going-anywhere-211002424.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2103.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-confirms-the-windows-11-tpm-security-requirement-isnt-going-anywhere-211002424.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  2106.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Washenko]]></dc:creator>
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  2153.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Press image for Windows 11]]></media:description>
  2154.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Windows 11]]></media:title>
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  2158.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2159.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[PlayStation VR2 will get hand-tracking support soon]]></title>
  2160.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Just when it seemed like <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/sonys-ps-vr2-adaptor-for-pc-will-arrive-on-august-7-with-a-60-price-tag-155751937.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/sonys-ps-vr2-adaptor-for-pc-will-arrive-on-august-7-with-a-60-price-tag-155751937.html">PC support</a> was Sony’s final word on the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/meta-quest-3-review-mixed-reality-vr-150009788.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/meta-quest-3-review-mixed-reality-vr-150009788.html">PlayStation VR2</a>, the company is showing off hand tracking for the virtual reality headset. As spotted by <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.uploadvr.com/playstation-vr2-controller-free-hand-tracking-siggraph-asia/" data-original-link="https://www.uploadvr.com/playstation-vr2-controller-free-hand-tracking-siggraph-asia/"><em>UploadVR</em></a>, Sony has been demoing controller-free hand-tracking support on the PSVR2 at SIGGRAPH Asia 2024, an academic conference and tradeshow focused on “computer graphics and interactive techniques.”</p>
  2161. <p>Sony hasn’t released any official announcement explaining the new feature, but a<a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/technology/Conference/SIGGRAPHasia2024/" data-original-link="https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/technology/Conference/SIGGRAPHasia2024/"> published description</a> of what it’s presenting at SIGGRAPH does mention that hand-tracking support is “available with the latest development kit of PlayStation 5.” <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://mixed-news.com/en/psvr-2-sony-wants-to-enable-communication-via-hand-tracking/" data-original-link="https://mixed-news.com/en/psvr-2-sony-wants-to-enable-communication-via-hand-tracking/"><em>Mixed noticed</em></a> that Sony had filed a patent for several different hand-tracking features in May 2023, but this is the first instance of that work running on an actual headset.</p>
  2162. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Besides feeling more natural than swinging around a controller, hand-tracking allows for more nuanced movements and controls in apps and games. When you press a virtual button in a game with hand tracking, you might not feel the haptic feedback you’d get from gripping a controller, but what you’re doing with your hand is much more like real life. A <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://x.com/kure_kure_zo/status/1864136088404807757" data-original-link="https://x.com/kure_kure_zo/status/1864136088404807757">video of the demo</a> shared on X shows hand-tracking working on a PSVR2 with a similar level of fidelity and latency to hand-tracking on a <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/meta-quest-3-review-mixed-reality-vr-150009788.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/meta-quest-3-review-mixed-reality-vr-150009788.html">Quest 3</a>, so it seems like Sony’s feature could work well.<br></p>
  2163. <div id="3e0dfb7727114140b6ae454f7a3d5fc5"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ja" dir="ltr">SONYブース<br>PS VR 2のハンドトラッキング<br>指から泡出し<br><br>手をグーパーで水がでる<br><br>カメラの前にある限り<br>外れない<br><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SIGGRAPHAsia2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SIGGRAPHAsia2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/KeNQryHy6Q">pic.twitter.com/KeNQryHy6Q</a></p>— kure (@kure_kure_zo) <a href="https://twitter.com/kure_kure_zo/status/1864136088404807757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
  2165.  
  2166. </div>
  2167. <p>While it’s weird that the company hasn’t turned this into an announcement yet, the fact that hand-tracking support exists is a good sign for headset owners that Sony is still invested. The PSVR 2 was released in 2023 as an impressive, if expensive, piece of VR hardware. Things like headset haptics, eye-tracking and a great first-party game in <em>Horizon VR: Call of the Mountain</em> made it stand out. But since then, the headset hasn’t seen nearly the support it needs to catch on. Major internal studios haven’t developed many VR games, and Sony has <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:8;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/firesprite-lays-off-horizon-director-alex-barnes-in-playstation-layoffs" data-original-link="https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/firesprite-lays-off-horizon-director-alex-barnes-in-playstation-layoffs">laid off developers</a> from studios that have, like the creators of <em>Call of the Mountain</em>, Firesprite. In June, <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:9;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/sony-no-longer-cares-about-the-psvr-2-and-you-shouldnt-either" data-original-link="https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/sony-no-longer-cares-about-the-psvr-2-and-you-shouldnt-either"><em>Android Central </em>reported</a> that Sony had also severely cut its budget for future VR development.</p>
  2168. <p>The release of the PS VR2 PC adaptor in August 2024 seemed like the final nail in the coffin. If Sony wasn’t going to make more games, then at least you could play through the gigantic library of PC VR games on Steam. Hand-tracking support might not mean Sony’s commitment to the VR headset has changed since then, but it is a sign that the PSVR2 can improve even if it’s never a priority.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstation-vr2-will-get-hand-tracking-support-soon-204155147.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2169.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstation-vr2-will-get-hand-tracking-support-soon-204155147.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  2172.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ian Carlos Campbell]]></dc:creator>
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  2218.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Sony Interactive Entertainment]]></media:credit>
  2219.                                <media:description><![CDATA[A PlayStation VR 2 headset and Sense controllers.]]></media:description>
  2220.                                <media:title><![CDATA[PlayStation-VR2-headset-and-controllers]]></media:title>
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  2224.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2225.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Dragon Age: The Veilguard's excellent character creator is now a standalone freebie]]></title>
  2226.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p><em>Dragon Age: The Veilguard</em> is known for having one of the best character creation systems around, and now everyone can experience it without dropping $60. EA just announced that it has <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.ea.com/games/dragon-age/news/da-day-2024">made the tools free for all users</a>, as part of a larger Dragon Age Day celebration.</p>
  2227. <p>It’s available right now for all platforms. There’s no time limit, so have at it. Additionally, the character carries over to the main game, so consider it a demo of sorts. The software also allows players to choose their class and faction, which also transfer to the game. The only caveat here is that the platform you use to create your character must be the same one you play the actual game on. There will be no mixing of PCs and consoles here.</p>
  2228. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><div id="bee32fc560c9450f8eb1e88d3745647e"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f5fYi2R7UWM?si=BlI3s9ga5B6Mhn_o" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
  2229. <p>This character creator is very good, and it actually <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://wccftech.com/dragon-age-the-veilguard-character-creator-might-be-released-ahead-of-launch/">started picking up kudos</a> even before the game was released. As for <em>Dragon Age: The Veilguard</em>, well, it’s also pretty dang good. We called it “beautiful in every way” <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dragon-age-the-veilguard-is-beautiful-in-every-way-193013807.html">in our official review</a>, noting it was one of Bioware’s most-polished titles. If the devs put this kind of love <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.gamesradar.com/mass-effect-5-guide/">into the next Mass Effect</a>, we are in for a treat.</p>
  2230. <p>Dragon Age Day isn’t just about this free character creator. EA and Bioware have also released new artwork for the game and put armor inspired by the protagonist of <em>Dragon Age II</em> into <em>Dragon Age: The Veilguard</em>. There’s <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.ea.com/games/dragon-age/dragon-age-the-veilguard/news/patch-4-release-notes">also a new patch for the game</a> that brings a bunch of quality of life changes and bug fixes.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dragon-age-the-veilguards-excellent-character-creator-is-now-a-standalone-freebie-193834444.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2231.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dragon-age-the-veilguards-excellent-character-creator-is-now-a-standalone-freebie-193834444.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  2234.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lawrence Bonk]]></dc:creator>
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  2284.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Xreal’s new One Series AR glasses use USB-C to connect with nearly any device]]></title>
  2285.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>When we took a look at <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/xreal-air-2-ultra-hands-on-next-gen-ar-glasses-in-need-of-killer-apps-203943588.html"><ins>Xreal’s Air 2 Ultra AR glasses</ins></a> earlier this year at CES in Las Vegas, we had positive first impressions but also noted that its success would “ultimately boil down to the range of apps.” Xreal may have come up with a novel way to address this problem with its new One Series of AR glasses: make them connectable to more devices through USB-C.</p>
  2286. <p>Xreal unveiled its new One Series AR glasses that can create customizable cinematic displays with three degrees-of-freedom (3DoF) rotational tracking and spatial computing. The new AR glasses can also create and control displays from “iPhones, Androids, Steam Deck, PC, MacBooks and just about any device with video-out over USB-C,” according to Xreal’s announcement.</p>
  2287. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Previous Xreal glasses needed an Xreal Beam or Beam Pro adapter to create spatial displays for USB-C devices. The One Series puts its spatial capability in the glasses themselves with a custom silicon chip called the X1 that delivers “incredibly low motion-to-photon (M2P) latency of only ~3ms at 120Hz,” according to the announcement.</p>
  2288. <p>The Xreal One Series also offers a huge display area with 1080p full HD for each eye. The Xreal One uses a triangular birdbath lens design that can produce a 50-degree field-of-view and a 20.7-percent larger display than the Xreal Air 2 series. The Xreal One Pro is the first set of AR glasses with a flat-prism lens design that can create a 57-degree field-of-view. Both the Xreal One and One Pro also can deliver fine-tuned audio with Sound by Bose.</p>
  2289. <p>The glasses themselves are still fairly big, as are most AR spectacles like <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/metas-orion-prototype-offers-a-glimpse-into-our-ar-future-123038066.html"><ins>the Meta Orion AR glasses</ins></a>. The One Series’ 11 mm plane is 40.9 thinner than “traditional birdbath optics,” according to the announcement.</p>
  2290. <p>Xreal is currently taking pre-orders for the Xreal One for $499 (€549) and One Pro glasses for $599 (€649) on <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.xreal.com/"><ins>its website</ins></a>. Shipping begins in mid-December for the Xreal One and early next year for the Xreal One Pro.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/xreals-new-one-series-ar-glasses-use-usb-c-to-connect-with-nearly-any-device-191221387.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2291.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/xreals-new-one-series-ar-glasses-use-usb-c-to-connect-with-nearly-any-device-191221387.html?src=rss]]></link>
  2292.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  2294.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Danny Gallagher]]></dc:creator>
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  2319.                                        
  2320.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2Ffc51f460-b272-11ef-bbfb-63d5e149cd18&amp;resize=1400%2C787&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=b2cfcfc5cbba356292381f391adf3e53d3104e93" width="1400" height="787" medium="image">
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  2332.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Xreal unveiled its new One Series of AR glasses that come with huge, cinematic displays and Sound by Bose.]]></media:description>
  2333.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Xreal One Series]]></media:title>
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  2335.                                                                                        
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  2337.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2338.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[DeepMind's GenCast AI is really good at forecasting the weather]]></title>
  2339.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>When Helene made landfall in Florida earlier this year, 234 people lost their lives to the worst hurricane to strike the US mainland since Katarina in 2005. It’s natural disasters like that, and their growing intensity due to climate change, that have pushed scientists to develop more accurate weather forecasting systems. On Wednesday, Google’s DeepMind division announced what may go down as the most significant advancement in the field in nearly eight decades of work.</p>
  2340. <p>In a post on the <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/gencast-predicts-weather-and-the-risks-of-extreme-conditions-with-sota-accuracy/">Google Keyword blog</a>, DeepMind’s Ilan Price and Matthew Wilson detailed GenCast, the company’s latest AI agent. According to DeepMind, GenCast is not only better at providing daily and extreme weather forecasts than its previous AI weather program, but it also outperforms the best forecasting system in use right now, one that’s maintained by the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). In tests comparing the 15-day forecasts the two systems generated for weather in 2019, GenCast was, on average, more accurate than ECMWF’s ENS system 97.2 percent of the time. With lead times greater than 36 hours, DeepMind’s was an even better 99.8 percent more accurate.</p>
  2341. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>“I’m a little bit reluctant to say it, but it’s like we’ve made decades worth of improvements in one year,” Rémi Lam, the lead scientist on DeepMind’s previous AI weather program, <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/science/google-ai-weather-forecast.html">told <em>The New York Times</em></a>.  “We’re seeing really, really rapid progress.”</p>
  2342. <p>GenCast is a diffusion model, which is the same tech that powers Google’s generative AI tools. DeepMind trained the software on nearly 40 years of high-quality weather data curated by the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The predictions the new model generates are probabilistic, meaning they account for a range of possibilities that are then expressed as percentages. Probabilistic models are considered more nuanced and useful than their deterministic counterparts, which only offer a best guess of what the weather might be like on a given day. The former also harder to create and calculate.</p>
  2343. <p>Indeed, what’s perhaps most striking about GenCast is that it requires significantly less computing power than traditional physics-based ensemble forecasts like ENS. According to Google, a single one of its <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-announces-new-ai-processing-chips-and-a-cloud-hypercomputer-150031454.html">TPU v5 tensor processing units</a> can produce a 15-day GenCast forecast in eight minutes. By contrast, it can take a supercomputer with tens of thousands of processors hours to produce a physics-based forecast.</p>
  2344. <p>Of course, GenCast isn’t perfect. One area the software could provide better predictions on is hurricane intensity, though the DeepMind team told <em>The Times</em> it was confident it could find solutions for the agent’s current shortcomings. In the meantime, Google is making GenCast an open model, with example code for the tool <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://github.com/google-deepmind/graphcast">available on GitHub</a>. GenCast predictions will also soon make their way to Google Earth.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/deepminds-gencast-ai-is-really-good-at-forecasting-the-weather-184751414.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2345.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/ai/deepminds-gencast-ai-is-really-good-at-forecasting-the-weather-184751414.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  2348.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Igor Bonifacic]]></dc:creator>
  2349.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
  2350.                                                                                            <dc:publisher><![CDATA[Engadget]]></dc:publisher>
  2351.                                                                            <dc:rightsHolder><![CDATA[Engadget]]></dc:rightsHolder>
  2352.                                                                <pubDate>Wed, 04 Dec 2024 18:47:52 +0000</pubDate>
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  2354.                    <modified>2024-12-04T18:48:20+00:00</modified>
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  2388.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Google]]></media:credit>
  2389.                                <media:description><![CDATA[DeepMind's new GenCast AI agent can accurately predict the weather up to 15 days in advance.]]></media:description>
  2390.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Google GenCast]]></media:title>
  2391.                                                        </media:content>
  2392.                                                                                        
  2393.                            </item>
  2394.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2395.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Threads now allows users to follow fediverse accounts directly in its app]]></title>
  2396.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Meta is taking another important step toward making Threads interoperable with the fediverse. The app now allows users to follow accounts from Mastodon and other fediverse apps directly from Threads, Mark Zuckerberg said in <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.threads.net/@zuck/post/DDKf6uTPWSg"><ins>an update</ins></a>.</p>
  2397. <p>Since the <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/all-the-questions-we-still-have-about-threads-153059430.html"><ins>early days</ins></a> of Threads, Meta has promised to bake-in support for ActivityPub, the open-source protocol that powers Mastodon and other <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/is-decentralization-the-future-of-social-media-194554192.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/is-decentralization-the-future-of-social-media-194554192.html"><ins>decentralized services</ins></a> that make up “the fediverse.” Eventually, the goal is for Threads users to be able to seamlessly interact with other users on Mastodon or other sites that use ActivityPub.</p>
  2398. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>With the latest change, Threads users who have previously opted into <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/a-threads-beta-lets-you-share-to-mastodon-and-other-fediverse-services-194732036.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/a-threads-beta-lets-you-share-to-mastodon-and-other-fediverse-services-194732036.html"><ins>fediverse sharing</ins></a> in the app will now be able to view profiles and follow accounts from Mastodon and other services directly in Threads. The update is a significant move toward making Threads compatible with the wider Activity Pub ecosystem.</p>
  2399. <p>That said, there are still some significant limitations to Threads’ fediverse support. There’s currently no way to search for users on other servers, so the only way to find those accounts is to look for fediverse accounts that have <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-show-how-many-followers-you-have-in-the-fediverse-215441432.html" data-original-link="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-show-how-many-followers-you-have-in-the-fediverse-215441432.html"><ins>followed you already</ins></a> or otherwise <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-making-fediverse-replies-more-visible-in-its-app-194543494.html" data-original-link="https://engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-making-fediverse-replies-more-visible-in-its-app-194543494.html"><ins>interacted with</ins></a> one of your posts.</p>
  2400. <p>Users are also still unable to reply to posts that originate on Mastodon or other ActivityPub services, so the interactions are still one way — at least for now. And an in-app disclaimer from Meta notes that fediverse sharing is still a beta feature and that some posts from other servers “may not be visible” in Threads. Adam Mosseri, however, <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.threads.net/@mosseri/post/DDKjIdtv0OR" data-original-link="https://www.threads.net/@mosseri/post/DDKjIdtv0OR"><ins>said</ins></a> that “more interop features are on the way,” so hopefully fediverse enthusiasts won’t have long to wait to see deeper integrations.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-now-allows-users-to-follow-fediverse-accounts-directly-in-its-app-183517197.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2401.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-now-allows-users-to-follow-fediverse-accounts-directly-in-its-app-183517197.html?src=rss]]></link>
  2402.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  2404.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Karissa Bell]]></dc:creator>
  2405.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
  2406.                                                                                            <dc:publisher><![CDATA[Engadget]]></dc:publisher>
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  2408.                                                                <pubDate>Wed, 04 Dec 2024 18:35:17 +0000</pubDate>
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  2410.                    <modified>2024-12-04T18:35:26+00:00</modified>
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  2430.                            <![CDATA[author_name|Karissa Bell]]>
  2431.                        </category>
  2432.                                        
  2433.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2Fee894b20-b269-11ef-a7f2-94bd63188de6&amp;resize=1400%2C913&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=795e965c73b28e5f26577538671caed5bf366cb8" width="1400" height="913" medium="image">
  2434.                                                                    <media:keywords>headline</media:keywords>
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  2441.                                                                                                                                                                                                            <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2Fee894b20-b269-11ef-a7f2-94bd63188de6&amp;resize=1400%2C913&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=7cc537b4a653f833e6516e1af512d225a8a1f1c5" width="1400" height="913" medium="image">
  2442.                                                                <media:media_html><![CDATA[]]></media:media_html>
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  2444.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Meta]]></media:credit>
  2445.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Meta is allowing Threads users to follow accounts from Mastodon and other fediverse services.]]></media:description>
  2446.                                <media:title><![CDATA[threads fediverse follows]]></media:title>
  2447.                                                        </media:content>
  2448.                                                                                        
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  2450.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2451.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[A physical deck of Balatro cards can soon be yours for $16]]></title>
  2452.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>If your group chat is anything like Engadget's Slack, <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/your-balatro-deck-can-now-feature-binding-of-isaac-characters-191009810.html"><em>Balatro</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>probably comes up several times a week. The indie poker-style title is one of the most talked-about <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/astro-bot-and-final-fantasy-7-rebirth-lead-the-2024-game-awards-nominees-175942582.html">games of the year</a> for good reason: it's endlessly compelling. But what if you don't have a laptop, <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/balatro-is-coming-to-mobile-and-its-going-to-ruin-my-life-173039968.html">phone</a>, Steam Deck, Switch or other console nearby and you need your fix, goshdarnit? That's where a physical deck of <em>Balatro </em>playing cards may come in handy.</p>
  2453. <p>A $16 deck is up for preorder on <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.fangamer.com/collections/balatro/products/balatro-playing-cards">Fangamer</a> and it's expected to ship in March. The mockups show subtly pixellated cards that ape the game's art style. They have a red design on the rear — <em>Balatro </em>players will know that the red deck is the default set in the game.&nbsp;</p> <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span>
  2454. <p>But what of the game-changing jokers? I'm afraid you only get four of those: Joker, Juggler, Blueprint and Gros Michel. Plus, they're just regular ol' jokers here. That's a little disappointing, given how important jokers are in <em>Balatro</em>, but at least my personal favorite banana card is here. The same goes for the apparent lack of tarot, planet and spectral cards, which greatly modify each run.</p>
  2455. <p>It's fun that there's a physical <em>Balatro </em>deck on the way, but it's a bit of a bummer that it's a standard set of cards that doesn't really play into the convention-breaking ethos of the video game. Perhaps a board game along those lines is in the works. But for now I might have to pick up several of these decks. I'm probably going to ruin at least one set by using a Sharpie to have 52 diamond cards.</p>
  2456. <p>
  2457. <core-commerce id="e0580753c072408f9f8697535f2b21f2" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.fangamer.com/collections/balatro/products/balatro-playing-cards"></core-commerce></p>
  2458. <p></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-physical-deck-of-balatro-cards-can-soon-be-yours-for-16-180958044.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2459.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-physical-deck-of-balatro-cards-can-soon-be-yours-for-16-180958044.html?src=rss]]></link>
  2460.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  2462.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Kris Holt]]></dc:creator>
  2463.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
  2464.                                                                                            <dc:publisher><![CDATA[Engadget]]></dc:publisher>
  2465.                                                                            <dc:rightsHolder><![CDATA[Engadget]]></dc:rightsHolder>
  2466.                                                                <pubDate>Wed, 04 Dec 2024 18:09:58 +0000</pubDate>
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  2468.                    <modified>2024-12-05T21:40:21+00:00</modified>
  2469.                                            <category>
  2470.                            <![CDATA[Video Games]]>
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  2472.                                            <category>
  2473.                            <![CDATA[Consumer Discretionary]]>
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  2490.                                        
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  2504.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Balatro Playing Cards]]></media:title>
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  2506.                                                                                        
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  2508.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2509.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[The free-to-play My First Gran Turismo comes to PS4 and PS5 on December 6]]></title>
  2510.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>There’s a huge gap between serious racers like Gran Turismo and arcade-style stuff like Mario Kart. That’s where the <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://blog.playstation.com/2024/12/04/my-first-gran-turismo-launches-on-ps5-and-ps4-december-6/"><ins>soon-to-be-released </ins><em><ins>My First Gran Turismo</ins></em></a> comes in. This is a streamlined version of the iconic Sony racing game that’s intended “for those who have yet to experience Gran Turismo.” The free-to-play title launches for both PS4 and PS5 on December 6.</p>
  2511. <p>Sony promises that the game is perfect for anyone aged “7 to 77.” I’m not sure what my 78-year-old dad would say about that, but whatever. There’s a trailer to help folks get the gist, which shows off a selection of real-world vehicles and graphics that don’t stray too far from the mainline games. It looks pretty fun.</p>
  2512. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><div id="7f737dc1d58145e1b0ed9df6f36829b8"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9xXXU7LlrfQ?si=-nHQlkbYOlUvVpOL" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
  2513. <p>All told, there are 18 cars to choose from and three tracks to race around. For comparison, the <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gran-turismo-7-state-of-play-how-to-watch-211328268.html"><ins>most-recent entry </ins><em><ins>Gran Turismo 7</ins></em></a> includes more than 400 vehicles and around 40 dedicated tracks. It’s also a full-priced game, though likely on sale for the holidays, whereas <em>My First Gran Turismo</em> is free as a bird.</p>
  2514. <p>The cars in this kid-friendly version have Mario Kart-style charts to show off various specs and there’s a nifty game mode called Music Rally. This makes players race along to the beat of a song. Other modes include time trials and license tests.</p>
  2515. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/28c33120-b260-11ef-b9ff-3e9b1e7a16de" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/28c33120-b260-11ef-b9ff-3e9b1e7a16de" style="height:528px;width:947px;" alt="An in-cockpit shot." data-uuid="725eeacc-005b-3add-b30c-798dc18463ea"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Sony</div></figure>
  2516. <p>Finally, there’s PSVR 2 support for PS5, bringing the whole experience into virtual reality. Racing in VR is super fun, but remember to take copious breaks to avoid the dreaded nausea fairy.</p>
  2517. <p>This launch is part of PlayStation&#39;s wider 30th anniversary celebration. The company <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/youll-get-another-chance-to-pre-order-the-retro-themed-ps5-on-tuesday-202504921.html">released some retro-looking hardware</a>, which sold out in no time, and <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ps5-anniversary-update-adds-themes-for-each-generation-of-the-playstation-184623315.html">digital themes from past console iterations</a>.&nbsp;</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-free-to-play-my-first-gran-turismo-comes-to-ps4-and-ps5-on-december-6-172344125.html?src=rss]]></description>
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  2521.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lawrence Bonk]]></dc:creator>
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  2564.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Sony]]></media:credit>
  2565.                                <media:description><![CDATA[A title screen with a car.]]></media:description>
  2566.                                <media:title><![CDATA[My First Gran Turismo]]></media:title>
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  2568.                                                                                        
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  2570.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2571.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[OpenAI may launch Sora, its text-to-video model, very soon]]></title>
  2572.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>OpenAI will start announcing new features and demos tomorrow for 12 days through livestreams. Sources familiar with the matter told <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/4/24312352/openai-sora-o1-reasoning-12-days-shipmas"><em><ins>The Verge</ins></em></a> that these new products will allegedly include OpenAI’s long-awaited text-to-video tool, Sora, and a new reasoning model.</p>
  2573. <p>The announcement for &quot;12 Days of OpenAI”, as the company puts it, was made public on <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://x.com/OpenAI/status/1864328928267259941"><ins>X</ins></a> yesterday. The first livestream will broadcast tomorrow, but the announcements themselves remain unconfirmed That said, in addition to the sources that spoke more recently with <em>The Verge</em>, the <em>Wall Street Journal </em>previously reported Sora was likely to come out before the end of 2024.</p>
  2574. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Sora was <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/openais-new-sora-model-can-generate-minute-long-videos-from-text-prompts-195717694.html"><ins>revealed</ins></a> early this year, and shared with a small group of testers. But 20 or so of those <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-suspends-access-to-sora-video-generation-tool-after-artists-protest-133015289.html"><ins>artists leaked</ins></a> the model to the public in protest of “unpaid labor,” <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/11/26/openai-sora-ai-video-model-artists-protest/"><em><ins>The Washington Post</ins></em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>reported. OpenAI has broadly been the subject of criticism regarding the provenance of data supporting its language models, and Sora has been no different. The company <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://9to5google.com/2024/05/10/openai-youtube-sora-non-answer/"><ins>has yet to directly address</ins></a> if Sora has scraped public YouTube videos — something that YouTube&#39;s CEO has <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-04/youtube-says-openai-training-sora-with-its-videos-would-break-the-rules"><ins>said</ins></a> would be a breach of the platform&#39;s terms of service.</p>
  2575. <p>OpenAI isn’t the only company working on text-to-video models. Google’s <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-generative-ai-video-model-is-available-in-private-preview-160055983.html"><ins>Veo</ins></a> is now available to Google Vertex AI users via private review. It was announced three months after Sora’s February unveiling.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-may-launch-sora-its-text-to-video-model-very-soon-171434280.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2576.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-may-launch-sora-its-text-to-video-model-very-soon-171434280.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  2579.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Gan]]></dc:creator>
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  2622.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2623.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Amazon sued for alleged Prime delivery disparities in two majority-Black DC neighborhoods]]></title>
  2624.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Washington, DC’s Attorney General Brian Schwalb is suing Amazon for allegedly excluding certain ZIP codes from enjoying Amazon Prime’s speedy delivery. Schwalb claims that, beginning in 2022, Amazon stopped using its in-house delivery systems for Wards 7 and 8 while still charging those customers the same amount for a Prime subscription. According to <em>Census Reporter</em>, <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://censusreporter.org/profiles/61000US11007-ward-7-dc/">Ward 7</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://censusreporter.org/profiles/61000US11008-ward-8-dc/">Ward 8</a> are 83 percent and 82 percent Black, respectively.</p>
  2625. <p>According to the suit, instead of using its own trucks, Amazon relied on UPS and USPS carriers to make deliveries — a decision that resulted in longer delivery times. Only 24 percent of packages to these Wards were delivered within two days. Schwalb also alleged that Amazon didn’t notify any Ward 7 and Ward 8 residents about these changes.</p>
  2626. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>Worryingly, this isn’t the first time Amazon has been called out for excluding majority-Black neighborhoods from the full benefits of a Prime membership. A damning 2016 <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2016-amazon-same-day/">report</a> in <em>Bloomberg</em> indicated the practice was common across several metro areas. Amazon has since provided Prime Free Same-Day Delivery to Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, Chicago&#39;s South Side and the Bronx in New York City.</p>
  2627. <p><strong>Update, December 4 2024, 12:03PM ET: </strong>Amazon provided the following statement to Engadget:&nbsp;</p>
  2628. <blockquote><p>The claims made by the Attorney General, that our business practices are somehow discriminatory or deceptive, are categorically false. We want to be able to deliver as fast as we possibly can to every zip code across the country, however, at the same time we must put the safety of delivery drivers first. In the zip codes in question, there have been specific and targeted acts against drivers delivering Amazon packages. We made the deliberate choice to adjust our operations, including delivery routes and times, for the sole reason of protecting the safety of drivers. And we’re always transparent with customers during the shopping journey and checkout process about when, exactly, they can expect their orders to arrive. What we’d like to do, and have offered, is to work together with the Attorney General and their office in an effort to reduce crime and improve safety in these areas. Nevertheless, we will proceed in the process and demonstrate that providing fast and accurate delivery times and prioritizing the safety of customers and delivery partners are not mutually exclusive.</p></blockquote>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-sued-for-alleged-prime-delivery-disparities-in-two-majority-black-dc-neighborhoods-150049496.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2629.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-sued-for-alleged-prime-delivery-disparities-in-two-majority-black-dc-neighborhoods-150049496.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  2632.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Gan]]></dc:creator>
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  2657.                                        
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  2669.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Reuters / Reuters]]></media:credit>
  2670.                                <media:description><![CDATA[FILE PHOTO: Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of Amazon logo in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo]]></media:description>
  2671.                                <media:title><![CDATA[FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows Amazon logo]]></media:title>
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  2675.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2676.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Streaming is just TV all over again]]></title>
  2677.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>As Rust Cohle famously put it in HBO&#39;s <em>True Detective</em>, &quot;Time is a flat circle.&quot; So it&#39;s maybe not a huge surprise that <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/max-is-about-to-crack-down-on-password-sharing-174549440.html">Max</a> is the latest service to bring cable-style linear channels to a premium streaming service.</p>
  2678. <p>It&#39;s starting to test such channels in the US. Some ad-free subscribers will see a Channels option on the homepage of adult profiles. This will take you to a selection of 24/7 feeds of HBO programming, including HBO and HBO 2 simulcasts. Other channels will showcase prestige drama, comedy and classic HBO shows, movies and documentaries.</p>
  2679. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>The channels work pretty much like any linear TV network in the modern age. You can restart shows, rewind and fast-forward. On select devices, you’ll be able to switch between channels directly in the player, without having to go back to the channels hub.</p>
  2680. <p>This initial rollout lays the groundwork for more themed channels, which will start arriving next year. According to <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/4/24312385/max-always-on-live-hbo-channels"><em><ins>The Verge</ins></em></a>, Max may even offer personalized streaming channels down the road.</p>
  2681. <p>These channels could help you avoid wasting time instead of scrolling through Max while figuring out what to watch. If you’re in the mood to laugh, maybe just turn on HBO Comedy. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will surely be hoping that channels increase engagement and keep people using the streaming service. After all, lots of folks simply switch on the likes of CBS because they want to watch <em>something</em> and they trust the network’s brand enough to deliver a show that suits them.</p>
  2682. <p>Max already offers linear channels in Europe. Crave, a Canadian streaming service that has exclusive rights to the HBO library in that market, offers HBO and HBO 2 simulcasts as well. WBD notably <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/westworld-the-nevers-to-leave-hbo-max-101455395.html"><ins>pulled shows</ins></a> including <em>Westworld </em>and <em>The Nevers</em> from Max a couple of years ago. Roku and Tubi <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/westworld-roku-tubi-warner-bros-discovery-ad-supported-channels-183905525.html"><ins>now offer free, ad-supported channels</ins></a> featuring HBO shows and other WBD programming.</p>
  2683. <p>Rivals also have their own linear channels, including Disney+, <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/paramount-plus-live-channels-star-trek-survivor-spongebob-squarepants-163257829.html"><ins>Paramount+</ins></a> and Peacock. Amazon, meanwhile, is <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-sunsets-freevee-platform-for-ad-supported-streaming-video-000614080.html"><ins>shutting down Freevee</ins></a> and moving its programming to Prime Video.</p>
  2684. <p>As if it weren&#39;t already evident enough that media conglomerates are trying to bring back the heady success that cable saw for decades, they&#39;re teaming up with each other through streaming bundles. One gets you <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/that-disney-hulu-and-max-streaming-bundle-is-now-available-152015788.html"><ins>Max, Disney+ and Hulu</ins></a> for $30 per month, while Comcast offers a package of <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/comcasts-bundle-of-netflix-apple-tv-and-peacock-premium-costs-15-per-month-164833844.html"><ins>Netflix, Peacock and Apple TV+</ins></a> for $15 per month.</p>
  2685. <p>Saving you money (compared with subscribing to these services separately) while dumping a ton of programming you don&#39;t care about into your lap? This is all really just cable 2.0.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/streaming-is-just-tv-all-over-again-165115834.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2686.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/streaming-is-just-tv-all-over-again-165115834.html?src=rss]]></link>
  2687.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  2689.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Kris Holt]]></dc:creator>
  2690.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
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  2730.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Screenshot of a Warner Bros. Discovery press conference showing CEO David Zaslav and a logo for new streaming service Max.]]></media:description>
  2731.                                <media:title><![CDATA[HBO Max]]></media:title>
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  2736.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Google's generative AI video model is available in private preview]]></title>
  2737.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Google has begun <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=9ff69962-fcdc-4d13-92f9-cfc97f9498d3&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL2Nsb3VkLmdvb2dsZS5jb20vYmxvZy9wcm9kdWN0cy9haS1tYWNoaW5lLWxlYXJuaW5nL2ludHJvZHVjaW5nLXZlby1hbmQtaW1hZ2VuLTMtb24tdmVydGV4LWFpIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiI5ZmY2OTk2Mi1mY2RjLTRkMTMtOTJmOS1jZmM5N2Y5NDk4ZDMiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY2xvdWQuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS9ibG9nL3Byb2R1Y3RzL2FpLW1hY2hpbmUtbGVhcm5pbmcvaW50cm9kdWNpbmctdmVvLWFuZC1pbWFnZW4tMy1vbi12ZXJ0ZXgtYWkifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAa0VX9bG1VjNjVSLzCjzUccjNKV_aWJmimgjYNPWmm7k&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fcloud.google.com%2Fblog%2Fproducts%2Fai-machine-learning%2Fintroducing-veo-and-imagen-3-on-vertex-ai" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/ai-machine-learning/introducing-veo-and-imagen-3-on-vertex-ai">rolling out private access</a> to its Veo and Imagen 3 generative AI models. Starting today, customers of the company’s Vertex AI Google Cloud package can begin using <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-unveils-veo-and-imagen-3-its-latest-ai-media-creation-models-173617373.html">Veo</a> to generate videos from text prompts and images. Then, as of next week, Google will make Imagen 3, its latest text-to-image framework, available to those same users.</p>
  2738. <p>With Veo’s rollout, Google says it’s the first hyperscale cloud provider to offer an image-to-video model. To that point, OpenAI’s <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/openais-new-sora-model-can-generate-minute-long-videos-from-text-prompts-195717694.html">Sora</a> model is still only available to select artists, academics and researchers — though that could change quickly with the company <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://x.com/OpenAI/status/1864328928267259941">teasing 12 days of product demos</a> starting December 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  2739. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/ee72d790-b256-11ef-9ed1-44d7756359f7" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/ee72d790-b256-11ef-9ed1-44d7756359f7" style="height:480px;width:1200px;" alt="Example footage of Google's Veo video model. " data-uuid="16c443d4-47ca-3118-8d3b-d403a5d9c019"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
  2740. <p>Of Veo, Google says the model creates 1080p footage “that’s consistent and coherent” and can run “beyond a minute.” The tool is also capable of working with both text prompts and images. In the latter case, it’s possible to use either AI-generated or human-made pictures as the starting point for a video.</p>
  2741. <p>Looking at the sample footage Google shared, it’s evident Veo, like all AI models, can struggle with cause and effect. For example, in the clip of the roasting marshmallows, the treats don’t yellow and char as they’re exposed to the heat of a campfire flame. Artifacting is also an issue, as is apparent if you look closely at the hands in the concert footage.</p>
  2742. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/0515d330-b257-11ef-b7f7-8b38050e1894" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/0515d330-b257-11ef-b7f7-8b38050e1894" style="height:840px;width:1400px;" alt="Example outputs from Google's Imagen tool" data-uuid="3f7b4cf5-a839-3b06-824b-e2b702cfc994"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure>
  2743. <p>As for Imagen 3, Google says the model generates “the most realistic and highest quality images from simple text prompts, surpassing previous versions of Imagen in detail, lighting, and artifact reduction.” Here again, however, you don’t have to look too closely to see Google has more work to do.&nbsp;</p>
  2744. <p>In the first example of a group of friends sitting on the trunk of a car, the original prompt includes mention of “flash photography,” but the subjects are clearly backlit. One could argue that a flash was used to create intense backlighting, but if the idea behind the prompt was to create something representative of flash photography from the 1960s, this image isn’t it.</p>
  2745. <p>Still, Google is keen to get more of its enterprise customers using generative AI. <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://inthecloud.withgoogle.com/roi-of-generative-ai/dl-cd.html">Citing its own research</a>, the tech giant says among companies using generative AI in production, 86 percent report an increase in revenue. However, a <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.eweek.com/news/ai-roi-decline-appen-report-highlights/">recent Appen survey</a> found return on investment from AI projects fell by 4.6 percentage points from 2023 to 2024.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-generative-ai-video-model-is-available-in-private-preview-160055983.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2746.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-generative-ai-video-model-is-available-in-private-preview-160055983.html?src=rss]]></link>
  2747.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  2749.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Igor Bonifacic]]></dc:creator>
  2750.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
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  2779.                                                                    <media:keywords>headline</media:keywords>
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  2786.                                                                                                                                                                                                            <media:content url="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-12%2F6a99d4e0-b257-11ef-9ff5-fd2d39bc2acd&amp;resize=1400%2C787&amp;client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&amp;signature=604a062b27aa14c1ad5c36652a95d8a7010fbfad" width="1400" height="787" medium="image">
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  2789.                                <media:credit><![CDATA[Google]]></media:credit>
  2790.                                <media:description><![CDATA[Google's Veo model turns an image of Alpacas into a video]]></media:description>
  2791.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Google Veo]]></media:title>
  2792.                                                        </media:content>
  2793.                                                                                        
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  2795.                                                                                                                                                        <item>
  2796.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is on sale for $29 right now]]></title>
  2797.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>I don't know about you but I plan to spend the next three months tucked away watching movies, reading books and playing games under a warm blanket. Black Friday and Cyber Monday might have come and gone, but there are still plenty of worthwhile deals out there that I will be perusing in pursuit of my gaming goals.</p>
  2798. <p>If you have the same idea then let me point you toward a great sale currently on: The <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Woot;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=8bcb408b-26bf-4ed1-b788-e3719aeef347&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=7e10d913-f53c-4377-8b13-22fc5946e5b1&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Woot&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL2VsZWN0cm9uaWNzLndvb3QuY29tL29mZmVycy94Ym94LWdhbWUtcGFzcy11bHRpbWF0ZS1kaWdpdGFsLWNvZGUtMj8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjdlMTBkOTEzLWY1M2MtNDM3Ny04YjEzLTIyZmM1OTQ2ZTViMSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9lbGVjdHJvbmljcy53b290LmNvbS9vZmZlcnMveGJveC1nYW1lLXBhc3MtdWx0aW1hdGUtZGlnaXRhbC1jb2RlLTI_In0&amp;signature=AQAAAYBffKiuvCaDMkdYf0BJ4l5nBVMFFyrNUhjz3w2X_HXC&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Felectronics.woot.com%2Foffers%2Fxbox-game-pass-ultimate-digital-code-2%3F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://electronics.woot.com/offers/xbox-game-pass-ultimate-digital-code-2?">three month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate</a> is down to $29 from $50 on Woot. The deal comes courtesy of a 32 percent discount and an additional $5 off at checkout with the code <strong>GAMEPASS</strong>. The Xbox Game Pass is one of <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/best-xbox-series-x-series-s-accessories-140035165.html">our favorite Xbox accessories</a> and comes as a digital code.&nbsp;</p> <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span>
  2799. <p>
  2800. <core-commerce id="c93d388f666a438e928d2750cfd04812" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://electronics.woot.com/offers/xbox-game-pass-ultimate-digital-code-2?"></core-commerce></p>
  2801. <p>The <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-deals-include-three-months-of-xbox-game-pass-ultimate-for-only-30-145739491.html">Xbox Game Pass</a> is a good deal with or without a sale (though we'll take the discount happily). It gives you access to hundreds of Xbox and PC games. You can play games the day they come out and play online multiplayer through your PC, Xbox or the cloud. The sale is on for ten days or until Woot runs out of stock.&nbsp;</p>
  2802. <p><em>Follow </em><a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals"><em>@EngadgetDeals</em></a><em> on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.</em></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/three-months-of-xbox-game-pass-ultimate-is-on-sale-for-29-right-now-143059157.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2803.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/deals/three-months-of-xbox-game-pass-ultimate-is-on-sale-for-29-right-now-143059157.html?src=rss]]></link>
  2804.                                        <source_id>engadget_479</source_id>
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  2806.                                                                                        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Fielding]]></dc:creator>
  2807.                                                                <source><![CDATA[Engadget]]></source>
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  2810.                                                                <pubDate>Wed, 04 Dec 2024 14:30:59 +0000</pubDate>
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  2814.                            <![CDATA[Game Consoles]]>
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  2851.                                <media:title><![CDATA[Xbox Game Pass three months]]></media:title>
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  2856.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Fantasian, an Apple Arcade RPG, is now coming to consoles and PC]]></title>
  2857.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>RPG fans who love <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/final-fantasy-hironobu-sakaguchi-fantasian-interview-apple-arcade-150022942.html"><ins>Hironobu Sakaguchi&#39;s</ins></a> work may be familiar with <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/fantasian-rpg-final-fantasy-creator-apple-arcade-120524518.html"><em><ins>Fantasian</ins></em></a>, a 2021 Apple Arcade exclusive. Now, <em>Fantasian</em> is coming to Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC on December 5.</p>
  2858. <p>As <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.theverge.com/24312363/fantasian-xbox-ps5-switch-pc-launch-hironobu-sakaguchi"><em><ins>The Verge</ins></em></a> puts it, <em>Fantasian</em> is <em>Final Fantasy</em> in all but name. The port to these platforms is called <em>Fantasian Neo Dimension</em> and doesn’t differ much from the original apart from added voice acting. The addition of voices will elevate the experience, and you’d be pleased to know that Square Enix is publishing this port, which ensures it gets the best treatment before release.</p>
  2859. <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>One unique mechanic <em>Fantasian</em> has is the Dimengeon, a portmanteau of dimension and dungeon. If you activate this device in-game, the random battles will be stored and waiting for you to fight. The Dimengeon has a limit, which means you’ll have to face your foes eventually.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fantasian-an-apple-arcade-rpg-is-now-coming-to-consoles-and-pc-141543706.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2860.                                                                                         <link><![CDATA[https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fantasian-an-apple-arcade-rpg-is-now-coming-to-consoles-and-pc-141543706.html?src=rss]]></link>
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  2910.                                                                                                    <title><![CDATA[Kindle Scribe 2 review in progress: Is slightly useful AI worth the extra cash?]]></title>
  2911.                                        <description type="html"><![CDATA[<p>My hand is cramping. It’s not carpal tunnel or some other dubious reason that’s causing the pain. It’s an analog ache that is oddly satisfying in a nostalgic way. In the last few days, I’ve held a pen and written more words for a much longer time than I have ever done in years. As I pushed myself to handwrite large parts of this review to spend more time with <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=03f92b90-32dd-4e7b-821d-72cf75d7e466&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FtYXpvbi1LaW5kbGUtU2NyaWJlL2RwL0IwQ1o5VkZRMlAvP3RhZz1nZGd0MGMtMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjAzZjkyYjkwLTMyZGQtNGU3Yi04MjFkLTcyY2Y3NWQ3ZTQ2NiIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9BbWF6b24tS2luZGxlLVNjcmliZS9kcC9CMENaOVZGUTJQLyIsImR5bmFtaWNDZW50cmFsVHJhY2tpbmdJZCI6dHJ1ZSwic2l0ZUlkIjoidXMtZW5nYWRnZXQiLCJwYWdlSWQiOiIxcC1hdXRvbGluayIsImZlYXR1cmVJZCI6InRleHQtbGluayJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAevPoOPoRzed4Qz2RVswdGBJ-OM1IL5TI1QNdl5vF9X2&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAmazon-Kindle-Scribe%2Fdp%2FB0CZ9VFQ2P%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Kindle-Scribe/dp/B0CZ9VFQ2P/">the 2024 Kindle Scribe’s</a> stylus and note-taking tools, I started to feel a sensation I hadn’t remembered since my teens.</p>
  2912. <p>I often feel the urge to jot down thoughts and lists, but I never really wanted to spend longer than 15 minutes writing. And yet, Amazon’s <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-scribe-hands-on-you-can-scribble-on-your-books-130043335.html">new AI features for the Kindle Scribe</a> seem to cater more to those who labor over essays or missives that they ultimately need to share with others. The Summarize and Refine tools for your notebooks, for example, can shorten and neaten up your scrawl so, I guess, you can send it to another person to read. That’s it, really. The other improvements to the Scribe’s writing experience are for scribbling on books, which I’ll get to in a bit.</p> <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span>
  2913. <p><em>Editor’s note: Due to the Thanksgiving holidays in the US, we haven't had the time to test every element of the Kindle Scribe 2, so we won't be assigning a review score. With that said, the product is already on sale, so we wanted to give our initial impressions and are publishing a review in progress. We will update the story with a score and more impressions once we're satisfied that we've understood all of its strengths and weaknesses</em>.</p>
  2914. <p>
  2915. <core-commerce id="0de50144d70a4898b832798b66a1c6f6" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Kindle-Scribe/dp/B0CZ9VFQ2P/"></core-commerce></p>
  2916. <h2 id="jump-link-whats-changed-on-the-new-kindle-scribe">What’s changed on the new Kindle Scribe</h2>
  2917. <p>As I said earlier, most of what’s new on the Kindle Scribe is internal. On the outside, Amazon did tweak the bezels not in actual size but in colors, so that there’s a white rectangle surrounding the screen, within a teal green column on the side. If you opted for the “tungsten” version, then instead of teal green you’ll see dark gray. I love the new color, but it’s a bit confusing and makes me think the grippable area is narrower than before when in fact, it’s about the same. Still, this is a small complaint, if that, and one that is mostly mitigated by how fresh the new version looks.</p>
  2918. <p>The other main change is on the Premium Pen, which now has a rubberized top for its faux eraser. I’ve always appreciated how easy this was to use on <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/amazon-kindle-scribe-review-e-ink-reader-tablet-pen-drawing-price-battery-life-140019784.html">the original Kindle Scribe</a>, and I’m happy to report that the updated texture doesn’t get in the way of responsiveness. It certainly feels enough like erasers of my youth that every now and then I find myself subconsciously swiping away phantom dust. I will point out, though, that I had to remind myself to use the eraser on a few occasions, since I was more accustomed to simply striking out a mistake with the pen. The new Premium Pen also has a customizable shortcut button so long-pressing it can activate the highlighter, pen, marker, pencil, eraser, canvas or sticky note.</p>
  2919. <h2 id="jump-link-drawing-on-books-on-the-new-kindle-scribe">Drawing on books on the new Kindle Scribe</h2>
  2920. <p>Finally, in addition to the two AI-related tools I already mentioned, Amazon also updated how you can write on ebooks. As I described in my <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-scribe-hands-on-you-can-scribble-on-your-books-130043335.html">hands-on in October</a>, the new Active Canvas feature makes it so that once you put your pen on the page, a box will appear to contain your writing. Compared to the clunky implementation on the older model, which required you to first go to the floating toolbar on the left of every page, select the sticky note feature and then write in it, this seemed a huge improvement.</p>
  2921. <p>In my testing so far, though, this was less impressive. The software was buggy in my experience. On one occasion, I drew a spiral over the words “We had a good yarn about old times” in an Agatha Christie novel. A translucent box appeared, containing my drawing in a layer above the text, with a check mark and cross at the top. You’re supposed to tap the check, which will cause the box to fully solidify and the rest of the page’s words will rearrange themselves to make room. However, when I hit X by accident, the box didn’t go away, and I was able to continue to add doodles all over the screen. When I flipped to a different part of the book and came back, though, it disappeared, only to reappear later when I was trying to underline something.</p>
  2922. <p>That’s clearly just a bug, and when executed as intended, Active Canvas does work. You can resize the box, and lines will continue to reflow to make room or snap back into place. The boxes will stay where you left them, instead of disappearing under a little tag the way they did with the original Scribe. It’s a slight improvement, and though I can’t yet imagine how I’d use it in real life, it’s nice to know it’s there.</p>
  2923. <p>I do have to point out a couple of caveats, though. This doesn’t work on samples — you can tell whether the Active Canvas is supported by checking if the floating toolbox is present. The other issue, which is a bigger one, is that Active Canvas can sometimes be triggered even when you’re just trying to underline something. Drawing lines under or on text will generate underlines, which will be indexed by Amazon the same way highlights are, so you can easily find them again later on.</p>
  2924. <figure>
  2925. <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/2b365770-b1c5-11ef-a94b-3f79924679c5" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/2b365770-b1c5-11ef-a94b-3f79924679c5" style="height:3024px;width:4032px;" alt="An Amazon Kindle Scribe 2 in teal and an original Kindle Scribe in gray laid side by side with their short edges touching. " data-uuid="6c935555-58c7-3252-a2ec-98ef87391515">
  2926. <figcaption></figcaption>
  2927. <div class="photo-credit">
  2928.  Cherlynn Low for Engadget
  2929. </div>
  2930. </figure>
  2931. <p>It’s pretty annoying when you’re trying to underline some text and the words jump away to make room for a box you never wanted to appear. It gets even more frustrating when, due to the lag, you have to wait for seconds for the box to go away after you tap the X on top of it. Worse, that bug I mentioned earlier caused the spiral and other doodles I had drawn to show up where I was trying to underline words. Thankfully, I was able to delete that when it reappeared and had no more phantom boxes.</p>
  2932. <p>These little hiccups would be less of a problem if Amazon weren’t already behind its competitors. <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-e-ink-tablet-130037939.html">Similar products</a> from companies like <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/kobos-new-ereaders-include-its-first-with-color-displays-040153210.htmlhttps://www.engadget.com/kobos-new-ereaders-include-its-first-with-color-displays-040153210.html">Kobo</a> already offer better support for writing on books, where you can circle specific words and the drawing will stay in place (though this is wonky if you resize the text afterwards). I understand that Amazon has to manage the resizability of its content, to support people who often change up font sizes while reading. There needs to be a better way.</p>
  2933. <p>One might be coming. At the Kindle’s launch event, the company did preview a collapsible margins feature, which lets you scribble in the column on either side of every book. Importantly, you’ll be able to resize these columns and the space in them can scroll vertically, giving you plenty of room to cram in your musings. Sadly, this feature is only going to be available in early 2025, so I wasn’t able to test it out. It’s also worth noting that the original Kindle Scribe, which continues to retail for $340, will be getting the Active Canvas and generative AI features, as well as the collapsible margin when that arrives.</p>
  2934. <h2 id="jump-link-generative-ai-features-on-the-new-kindle-scribe">Generative AI features on the new Kindle Scribe</h2>
  2935. <p>Where things feel more finished is in Notebooks, where Amazon has had to contend with fewer limitations. This section contains your lists, jotpads and works of art. Like you could on the original, you can select from a variety of backgrounds like lines, a dot grid or even planner or calendar views.</p>
  2936. <p>It’s here that you’ll find the new Summarize and Refine tools, by tapping on the sparkles icon on the top menu bar. Selecting either “Summarize” or “Refine writing” will bring up the option to work Amazon’s magic on the page you’re on or the entire notebook. After you decide, the Kindle will get to work, using cloud-based processing to generate either a summary of your words or a tidied up version of your chicken scratch. This usually took about 10 to 15 seconds, depending on the length of the source material. Once a result is returned, you’ll also get the option to customize the font and line spacing, as well as the ability to add it to the end or beginning of your notebook.</p>
  2937. <figure>
  2938. <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/ee6d5bc0-b1c6-11ef-bdbe-de1ec6602177" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/ee6d5bc0-b1c6-11ef-bdbe-de1ec6602177" style="height:1289px;width:1125px;" alt="A composite image showing Amazon's generative AI refine tool, with a handwritten note on the bottom and a floating overlay showing the AI-generated results." data-uuid="a72f0a42-bb22-37ff-b2a7-04ccd6ec3fea">
  2939. <figcaption></figcaption>
  2940. <div class="photo-credit">
  2941.  Screenshots / Engadget
  2942. </div>
  2943. </figure>
  2944. <p>I was surprised to see the Scribe make sense of a disorganized plan I made for reviews coverage that involved some lists with three in a row up top, two at the bottom and three lining the right side. The Refine tool accurately laid them out in sequential order, giving me a list of lists starting with the one I had in the top left position and ending with the tiny one titled “OSes” that I had squeezed in below “iPads” at the bottom right.</p>
  2945. <p>The summary it returned for this example was also decent, and in all the other notes I tested I saw largely accurate results. Any mistake the system made felt reasonable, since I have horrible handwriting. It’s not really the Scribe’s fault that it thought I wrote “Addly” when really I just had an extremely malformed “n” and a barely legible “g” at the end of “Adding.”</p>
  2946. <p>When I did make an effort to write more neatly, the Scribe was more accurate, but that almost feels like it defeats the purpose. If I’m going to try to write better for the AI so it can make my handwriting neater for others to read, then how is that different from making a greater effort for humans?</p>
  2947. <p>As competent as the generative AI features here have been, I still remain hesitant to call them useful. I’m not the sort of person that likes writing long enough to need AI summarization (to that end, you’ll need to have at least 25 words on a page to qualify for Summarize). I also don’t generally share my handwritten thoughts with other people, though on the extremely rare occasion that I do, I could see Refine being a good start.</p>
  2948. <figure>
  2949. <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/4944d230-b1c7-11ef-a3fb-a955b5bd4693" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/4944d230-b1c7-11ef-a3fb-a955b5bd4693" style="height:889px;width:1200px;" alt="A composite image of two screenshots. The left one features handwritten words saying " data-uuid="ba3cf43e-52be-3479-a88f-f6f1c37da3da">
  2950. <figcaption></figcaption>
  2951. <div class="photo-credit">
  2952.  Screenshots / Engadget
  2953. </div>
  2954. </figure>
  2955. <p>The problem is that Refine isn’t always accurate, and its generated result isn’t editable. If I could go in and correct “Addly,” then I might not mind sending that document to my team. Or if that were the only mistake in the refined writing, I could share the note and tell my friends to ignore the one error. But I’d have to write a whole new appendix just to clarify the mistakes, at which point I might as well type up my original thoughts.</p>
  2956. <p>Neither Refine nor Summarize are groundbreaking new features in generative AI or even note-taking, either. Apple offers <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ipados-18s-smart-script-uses-machine-learning-to-make-your-handwriting-less-horrible-175306533.html">a version of Refine on the new iPadOS</a>, while Summarize is something we’ve seen all over products from Google, Apple, OpenAI, Samsung and more. While I respect that Amazon has largely avoided chasing hype with its adoption of generative AI on the Kindle Scribe, I need more time and testing to better understand how useful it might be in the long run.</p>
  2957. <h2 id="jump-link-what-i-like-about-the-kindle-scribe-2-so-far">What I like about the Kindle Scribe 2 so far</h2>
  2958. <p>As I did with the original, I do like the Scribe a lot. It offers a smooth, convenient writing experience in a svelte, relatively light package that’s just 0.22 inches thick and weighs 433 grams (0.95 pounds). None of those dimensions have changed in the second-gen model, though the 10.2-inch screen somehow seemed sharper to me, despite having the same brightness and pixel density.</p>
  2959. <p>Reading on such a roomy canvas is a joy, although I prefer to take the Paperwhite on the go since it’s a lot easier on my wrist. That expanse can be helpful for those with visual impairments that might need a much larger font, for example.</p>
  2960. <p>I’ve also liked doodling on PDFs and “write-on books.” The latter is a category of titles in the Kindle store that are formatted so you can doodle directly on them. I borrowed a couple of these through my Kindle Unlimited subscription, and had a blast solving cryptography and Sudoku puzzles. I did see some promising books in this category, like interactive or hyperlinked planners, but the customer reviews for those put me off.</p>
  2961. <p>There is a lot of potential in that space, though, that could make the Kindle Scribe far more useful. I just wish Amazon would invest more in the format and make a notebook you can write on that would also work with your phone’s calendar or reminders app and seamlessly integrate what you write on your planner into your digital universe.</p>
  2962. <h2 id="jump-link-what-i-dont-like-about-the-kindle-scribe-2">What I don’t like about the Kindle Scribe 2</h2>
  2963. <p>Alas, that is not a reality. And the reality is that there are quite a lot of things Amazon could stand to improve. While I can understand that finding a way to keep a loose stylus attached to a tablet is challenging, the magnetic edge that the Premium Pen can latch onto is just a precarious approach. I was walking into my apartment with the Kindle Scribe in my hand and jostled the door by accident. Two seconds later, I was wondering where the stylus had gone. It was on the floor, and when I picked it up, I noticed the nib was slanted.</p>
  2964. <p>I didn’t know if I had damaged it, and though it still worked well, I eventually saw some scratches on the Scribe’s screen that I suspect might not have been there had the pen not dropped due to a light knock against a doorframe. The company does include some replacement nibs in the box, so fixing this is fairly easy.</p>
  2965. <figure>
  2966. <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/d1e16250-b1c4-11ef-b3ff-016a4c2a72a5" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-12/d1e16250-b1c4-11ef-b3ff-016a4c2a72a5" style="height:3024px;width:4032px;" alt="The teal Amazon Kindle Scribe 2 on a wooden table, with a Premium Pen attached to its right edge." data-uuid="03efb157-61a0-3453-a5f8-3a765f8f601c">
  2967. <figcaption></figcaption>
  2968. <div class="photo-credit">
  2969.  Cherlynn Low for Engadget
  2970. </div>
  2971. </figure>
  2972. <p>I also really wish Amazon’s Notebooks were more versatile. They’re better than they were with the original Scribe, but you still can’t edit them in the mobile Kindle app. You can view your Notebooks there, which is nice, but it’s slightly annoying that they’re listed in alphabetical order instead of based on what’s recently been opened like they are on the Kindle.</p>
  2973. <p>Amazon rates the new and original Scribes as having the same battery life — that is, up to three weeks if you write for about half an hour a day, and up to 12 weeks if you read for that same amount of time. In my review of the older model, I saw battery numbers drop 35 percent in about a week with lots of writing and testing. With the new Kindle Scribe, the power level is currently at 21 percent after coming out of the box at 50 percent just a couple of days ago. I have been testing its AI, writing and annotating features pretty relentlessly in that time, and usually see the percentage fall one or two points whenever I generate an AI summary or refinement, too.</p>
  2974. <p>I’ll need much more time to get a better sense of how the new Kindle Scribe’s battery holds up under more normalized use, but if it behaves like its predecessor, I shouldn’t need to charge it more than once every couple of months.</p>
  2975. <h2 id="jump-link-wrap-up">Wrap-up</h2>
  2976. <p>Amazon’s new Kindle Scribe has a lot of competition from companies like Kobo, Boox and <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/remarkable-paper-pro-review-writing-in-color-is-nice-but-itll-cost-you-173024590.html">reMarkable</a>. And with a price of $399, the new Scribe is a whopping $60 costlier than its predecessor, which will also get a lot of the new software updates. To be fair, the new Scribe comes with a Premium Pen for the price, while the cheaper model only includes a Basic Pen, so you’re partially paying more for a better stylus.</p>
  2977. <p>While I do like the new color option and slightly improved annotation capabilities, I’m not sure Amazon has done enough to justify the additional cost here. I’d much rather see the company focus its efforts on improving its Notebook syncing and mobile editing software, as well as investing in innovating on the write-on book format, than chase the generative AI trend. No matter how much restraint it’s exercised in doing so. Still, Kindles, the Scribe 2 included, remain some of <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-ereader-130013808.html">the best ereaders around</a>, and are pretty much the most obvious choice for anyone already invested in Amazon's ecosystem.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-scribe-2-review-in-progress-is-slightly-useful-ai-worth-the-extra-cash-140018638.html?src=rss]]></description>
  2978.