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31.10.2024 18:33 Now that iOS 18.1 is available to the masses, Apple’s new hearing aid feature is ready for use. The tool is one of three hearing health items the company announced alongside the iPhone 16 in September. Another one of those, the “clinically-validated” hearing test, is an essential part of being able to use the AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid. With an up-to-date iPhone and those earbuds, you can employ hearing assistance tools without visiting a doctor or buying off-putting hearing aids. Simply take a five-minute test, and if the software determines you have mild to moderate hearing loss, you can immediately enable Apple’s FDA-approved hearing aid. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use it. Update your iPhone and AirPods Pro 2 Billy Steele for Engadget Before you can access Apple’s hearing aid, you’ll need to make sure your iPhone is updated to iOS 18.1 and your AirPods Pro 2 have the latest firmware . None of the new hearing health features will show up in the AirPods settings or in the Apple Health app if you don’t have both of those updates. What’s more, you won’t be able to run the hearing test or use the hearing aid feature on the first-gen AirPods Pro. You can check your current iOS version from the iPhone Settings menu. Scroll down to General and tap Software Update. From here, you can see which version of iOS you’re running and if you’ve got a pending update that’s ready to download and install. Once again, you’re looking for iOS 18.1 here since this is the software version that delivers the suite of hearing health features. To check the firmware on your AirPods Pro 2, connect the earbuds to your iPhone and navigate to the Settings menu. Here, your AirPods Pro 2 should appear near the top of the list and tapping that option will take you into the settings. You can also access AirPods Pro 2 details from the Bluetooth menu by tapping the “i” icon next to the device name. Once you’re in the AirPods settings menu, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the main screen. One of the last things you’ll see is a bunch of firmware info, including the current version for the AirPods Pro 2. If you see 7B19, you’re good to go. If not, your earbuds haven’t updated yet, but you can try to force them to do so instead of waiting for the over-the-air process to take place on its own. To do this, connect the AirPods Pro 2 to your iPhone for at least 30 seconds and play music to confirm the connection is stable. Then put the earbuds back on in the charging case and close the lid, keeping the AirPods Pro 2 in range of the iPhone. Now check Bluetooth settings, and if you see the AirPods Pro 2 stay connected for more than 10 seconds while in the charging case with the lid closed, then that should indicate that the update is in progress. Take Apple’s hearing test Billy Steele for Engadget After you’ve confirmed that you have the necessary updates for your phone and earbuds, you’ll have to take Apple’s hearing test before the hearing aid features will show up. The only way around this is to upload an audiogram from your doctor in the Apple Health app. Either way, you’ll need to exhibit mild to moderate hearing loss for the Hearing Assistance section of the AirPods Pro 2 menu to be available to you. Apple gives you two places to access its hearing test, and both of them are easy to find. The first is in the AirPods menu, which you can get to from the main Settings menu or from the Bluetooth menu. The Hearing Health section is prominently displayed on the main screen, just under the Noise Control options. In Hearing Health, Take a Hearing Test will be the third item after Hearing Protection and Hearing Assistance, and it will appear in blue. In the Health app, the fastest way to get to the hearing test is to tap Browse on the menu on the main Summary screen. From there, select Hearing with the blue ear icon and scroll down to Get More From Health. Here, you’ll see the option to take the hearing test with the AirPods Pro 2. Using the hearing aid feature Billy Steele for Engadget After you take Apple’s hearing test, or upload your results from your doctor in the Health app, you’ll be able to access the Hearing Assistance section of the Hearing Health features in the AirPods settings. The hearing aid feature resides here, where you can turn it on or off as needed. It’s worth noting that Apple will ask if you want to set up Hearing Assistance immediately if your hearing test results meet the criteria for mild to moderate hearing loss. On the main Hearing Assistance screen, you’ll see options for enabling/disabling the hearing aid and Media Assist. There are options for adjusting the hearing aid feature and choosing how the system applies Media Assist. The later tool uses your hearing profile to improve the sound for music, videos and calls. You can choose to have it only apply the personalization to either music and videos or calls and FaceTime. By default, it will re-tune the audio for all of them. Under Adjustments beneath the hearing aid toggle, you’ll have the ability to tweak amplification, balance, tone and ambient noise reduction via individual sliders. You can also enable/disable the swipe gesture on AirPods Pro 2 that will adjust amplification when hearing aid mode is active . At the bottom of this menu, you can enable/disable Conversation Boost, the tool that specifically targets human voices that Apple debuted in 2021. When the hearing aid is enabled, you’ll see a second slider in the Control Center with an ear icon where you can adjust amplification and you can also tweak this setting on an Apple Watch. Hearing aid will only be enabled when Noise Control is set to transparency, but Media Assist will still work in Adaptive, ANC and off modes. What’s more, the hearing aid and hearing protection features can be used simultaneously in transparency mode, with the later being active by default. And once again, you can turn the hearing aid tool off entirely at any time in the Hearing Assistance menu from the AirPods settings. It could take a few days, or even a few weeks, for you to acclimate to the hearing aid feature. You can use the AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids for up to six hours on a charge, and you’ll want to wear them as much as possible when you first start using them for this purpose. Once your hearing profile is enabled on the AirPods Pro 2, you shouldn’t share the earbuds with anyone else. This is due to the fact that adjustments have been made to compensate for the specific frequencies you have trouble hearing. That personalization would lead to weird tuning for someone else.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/how-to-use-apples-airpods-pro-2-as-a-hearing-aid-173049967.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 ChatGPT Search is here to try to combine the best of chatbots and web searches. OpenAI’s latest feature searches the web in response to your natural language queries, delivering “fast, timely answers with links to relevant web sources.” When using ChatGPT, the bot will search the web depending on what you ask. Or, if you want to manually override its decision-making, you can tap a new web search icon below the input bar. OpenAI says the feature looks for “original, high-quality content from the web,” integrating it into conversational answers. This includes trusted news media sources and data providers like AccuWeather. Under each ChatGPT Search reply, you’ll see a Sources button. Click that, and a sidebar with references and links will open. OpenAI OpenAI says ChatGPT Search uses a fine-tuned version of GPT-4o, post-trained “using novel synthetic data generation techniques.” This included distilling outputs from the company’s OpenAI o1-preview. That model is much slower than GPT-4o, so perhaps training on it will help the new feature to pinch some of its reasoning skills without laboring as long over answers. The company used feedback from its SearchGPT test run to help tune the feature. “We brought the best of the SearchGPT experience into ChatGPT,” the company wrote. The feature will be available today for ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers. It will be available in the ChatGPT mobile and desktop apps and on the web. OpenAI says Enterprise and Edu users will get access in the next few weeks and trickle down to free users in the coming months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-search-will-do-the-legwork-for-you-171912610.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 Temu is the latest platform the European Commission has fixed its regulatory gaze upon. Europe’s top consumer enforcement authority said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into the online retailer for enabling the sale of illegal products, including limiting the reappearance of previously suspended “rogue traders” with a history of hawking prohibited goods. In addition to the illegal product allegation, the EC is also investigating Temu’s potentially addictive design, the platform’s systems that recommend products and data access for researchers. The alleged violations fall under the Digital Services Act , which empowers the EC to levy fines of up to six percent of Temu’s annual revenue. In a statement to Engadget, a company spokesperson said it plans to cooperate fully. “Temu takes its obligations under the DSA seriously, continuously investing to strengthen our compliance system and safeguard consumer interests on our platform,” the Temu spokesperson wrote. “We will cooperate fully with regulators to support our shared goal of a safe, trusted marketplace for consumers.” Temu added that it’s in discussions to join the “Memorandum of Understanding on the sale of counterfeit goods on the internet,” a collective of online retailers that collaborates to prevent fake product sales in Europe. “We can confirm that we are in discussions to join the initiative,” the Temu spokesperson told Engadget. “Counterfeiting is an industrywide challenge, and we believe that collaborative efforts are essential to advancing our shared goals of protecting consumers and rights holders.” The EC’s formal proceedings follow a preliminary risk assessment report Temu provided the EU at the end of September, its replies to the Commission’s formal requests in June and October and info shared by third parties. As Bloomberg notes, Meta, X, AliExpress and TikTok are also facing DSA investigations. The US, which typically lags far behind the EU in reining in Big Tech, said in September it may investigate Temu, too. Leaders of The Consumer Product Safety Commission ordered staff to evaluate concerns about “deadly baby and toddler products” on the platform. Among the EC’s concerns are whether Temu’s systems are designed to prevent the reappearance of previously suspended traders and non-compliant products. It will also look at the platform’s potentially addictive gamified reward programs and its systems to mitigate the risks from addictive design choices that could harm customers’ mental well-being. It will investigate Temu’s parameters used to recommend goods and whether the company complies with the DSA’s requirement to provide researchers with publicly accessible data. The EC doesn’t set legal deadline for completing DSA investigations. Once concluded, the Commission will decide whether to bring the hammer down, accept voluntary commitments to remedy the problems or drop the case.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/european-commission-sets-its-regulatory-crosshairs-on-temu-for-illegal-product-sales-164541327.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 Here’s a spot of bad news for those looking to upgrade to the forthcoming PS5 Pro. The console isn’t compatible with pre-existing PlayStation 5 faceplates, as reported by IGN and confirmed by Sony. This is not entirely unexpected, given that the PS5 Pro is slightly thinner when compared to the original PS5. A Reddit user named Zrorro tried out some Cobalt blue plates on the PS5 Pro and concluded that the top plates don’t match because “while they're physically the same size, the teeth that connect to the system are slightly different places. So you can't connect the top part.” Sony confirmed the story, telling IGN that "PS5 console covers are not compatible with PS5 Pro." However, it’s not all bad news. The company is currently working on faceplates specifically for the expensive new console. It’s also highly likely that third-party accessory makers will come to the rescue sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you’ll just have to make do with a plain-looking PS5 Pro. The console costs $700, so you probably won’t even have the money for any accessories immediately after making that purchase. The PS5 Pro will be available on November 7.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstation-5-faceplates-arent-compatible-with-the-ps5-pro-163046554.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025, which is less than a year from now. This means that the operating system won’t be getting anymore crucial security updates past that date. However, Microsoft just announced an Extended Security Updates program for regular users that will let people purchase a one-year extension for $30. ESU programs have long been in place for commercial entities, but this is the first one intended for personal use. For $30, Windows 10 diehards will get a full year of security updates, bug fixes and technical support. Enrollment doesn’t start until next year, as we get closer to that end of support date. It’s worth noting that this is only a one-year option. Commercial ESU users can purchase up to three years of support, which brings them all the way to 2028. However, commercial licenses are more expensive and double in price every year until 2028. Personal users just get the year, but that $30 price is right. Microsoft isn’t entirely heartless. Windows 10 will continue to receive security intelligence updates for Defender Antivirus until “at least” October 2028. More than anything, though, the company wants people to give up on the relatively antiquated Windows 10 and move onto Windows 11. “With the Windows 10 End of Support moment, now is the time to move to Windows 11 with confidence. We understand change is never easy, but we are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible. Thank you for your passion and loyalty for Windows,” the company wrote in a blog post. Once upon a time, Microsoft called Windows 10 the "last version of Windows." Things didn't exactly work out that way. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-offers-windows-10-users-a-year-of-security-updates-for-30-160036244.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 We're racing toward the giving time of year and what better way to treat a loved one than with the gift of time and convenience. Robot mops and vacuums can all but wipe out the time you spend on a chore that often has to be taken care of. An entry-level Roomba has dropped to a price that may make that proposition even more enticing for newcomers to the robot-cleaner world. The Y011 Roomba Combo Robot Vacuum and Mop from iRobot has dropped to $160. That’s 42 percent off the regular price of $275 and a new record low. This unit doesn’t have some of the funkier features of pricier models, such as self-emptying or advanced object detection. But it should do a solid job of keeping your floors clean. The Y011 cleans your space in neat rows, vacuuming and mopping in one pass. It has a low-profile design to help it slink under beds and sofas, while an edge-sweeping brush helps it pick up debris from corners and edges. The Roomba uses sensors to move around furniture and avoid tumbling down stairs. If there's a particularly dirty spot that needs extra attention, the spot cleaning feature enables the device to spin in place and keep cleaning that area for up to two minutes. On top of that, you can start an ad-hoc cleaning using Alexa or Google Assistant. According to iRobot, this model will run for up to 120 minutes on a single charge and automatically return to its charging station when it needs more juice. The washable microfiber mop pad can be reused up to 30 times. Meanwhile, an entry-level vacuum-only Roomba has dropped to $140, down from $250. That’s a decent deal as well, but plunking down an extra $20 for iRobot to take care of mopping as well may be a more compelling option. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/irobots-entry-level-roomba-vacuum-and-mop-combo-hits-a-new-record-low-151054307.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 Be prepared, you might never read another article using the word "shorts" so many times again. Ready? A UK high court has ruled Google is free to use the word shorts for YouTube's platform Shorts. A British short films television channel called Shorts International, sued Google last year, arguing the name Shorts infringed on its existing trademark for the word, you guessed it, shorts. The court disagreed. "None of Google’s uses of signs including the word “shorts” gives rise to a likelihood of confusion as to origin," Judge Michael Tappin stated in his ruling. "While the similarities between Google’s signs and SIL’s trade marks will give rise to a link in the minds of the limited group of UK consumers amongst whom SIL’s trade marks have a reputation, Google’s uses of signs including the word “shorts” will not cause damage to the distinctive character or repute of SIL’s trade marks." YouTube Shorts launched in 2020 in response to the popularity of other short video platforms like TikTok. It reached over 1.5 billion monthly users two years later and can now show videos up to three minutes long — still pretty short for you).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-name-youtube-shorts-isnt-a-trademark-infringement-uk-court-rules-150258393.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 China has sanctioned Skydio, America’s largest drone maker, for providing unmanned aerial vehicles to Taiwan’s national fire service. Skydio CEO Adam Bry publicly acknowledged the sanctions on Wednesday. “A few weeks ago, China announced sanctions on Skydio for selling drones to Taiwan, where our only customer today is the National Fire Agency,” Bry wrote in a blog post. As first reported by the Financial Times, the ban has sent Skydio racing to find alternative battery suppliers. Although the company manufactures its drones in the US and sources many of the components that go inside of them from outside of China, Skydio had been wholly dependent on a single Chinese provider for batteries before October 11, when the country’s government imposed the embargo. According to Bry, the company has a “substantial stock” of power cells on hand, but those supplies won’t be enough to prevent near-term rationing, and the alternate suppliers Skydio is working to engage won’t “come online until the spring of next year.” Subsequently, future shipments of the company’s flagship X10 drone will only come with one battery for the time being. Among the customers Skydio has been contracted to provide X10 drones to was Ukraine’s military, which planned to use the UAV for reconnaissance missions. Before the sanctions, Ukraine had requested thousands of X10 units, according to the Financial Times. Skydio’s relationship with Taiwan may have only been a pretext for the sanctions. “We suspect Skydio was targeted by Beijing because it is likely seen as a competitor to DJI,” a US official told the Financial Times. “If there is a silver lining, we can use this episode to accelerate our work to diversify drone supply chains away from … China.” DJI, it should be mentioned, has long been in the crosshairs of the US government. In mid-October, the Chinese drone maker filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense over a decision the Pentagon made to designate it as a “Chinese military company.” Earlier in the year, DJI narrowly avoided a national ban when the US Senate released its version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/china-sanctions-us-drone-maker-skydio-in-ongoing-trade-war-144507154.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 Music streamer Tidal will have its second big layoff in a year, and it might dwarf the last one, Fortune reports. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block announced the organization will return to the style of a start-up, with fewer employees. "So we're going to part ways with a number of folks on our team,” Dorsey told staff in a note. Block also owns Cash App, After Pay and BitKey, among others. “We're going to lead with engineering and design, and remove the product management and product marketing functions entirely," Dorsey's note to Tidal employees continued. "We're reducing the size of our design team and foundational roles supporting Tidal, and we will consider reducing engineering over the next few weeks as we have more clarity around leadership going forward." Tidal previously laid off about 40 people across multiple departments in December 2023. Dorsey didn't announce the exact number of staff getting laid off, but sources within the company speculate it might be 100 individuals — one-fourth of the company's employees. "We have made some internal changes to our Tidal team to focus on serving artists in the most meaningful way," a Tidal spokesperson said in a statement. "This involved the elimination of some roles across our business and design teams. We are going to be smaller, focus on fewer things, and move with a relentless approach to product development." Tidal notably removed its free tier for users in March. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/tidal-which-is-in-dire-need-of-some-good-marketing-lays-off-its-entire-product-marketing-team-143045120.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 Google is bringing its Gemini AI assistant into more of its software suite, announcing several new features for Google Maps. Users looking for ideas about places to go in Maps can now ask conversational questions about the type of location they want and receive answers from Gemini. Maps can also use AI to respond to deeper queries about a specific locale. When you're looking at a location on Maps, Gemini can also provide a summary of reviews. These AI-powered features will roll out to the Maps app on Android and iOS beginning this week. The Immersive View Maps feature introduced last year is growing. Google can now apply AI to show what locations will look like at the date and time a person will be present. Immersive View will be available in 150 cities internationally, including Brussels, Kyoto and Frankfurt. New place categories, such as college campuses, are also being added. Driving directions are getting an update too. A button to add stops to driving directions will let users explore notable landmarks or stops along their route. Navigation has also been improved to show more exact details about potentially complicated areas of a route, such as clearer directions about what lane to be in or when to merge. The enhanced driving experience will be available on both Android and iOS, the rollout starts next month in more than 30 metro areas. Waze is also receiving the Gemini treatment in today's announcements. Conversational Reporting that will allow drivers to use natural language to alert the app to road hazards or delays. And why limit AI to Maps when it can be on the whole planet? Google Earth is also getting generative AI tools specifically targeting urban planners with fast access to data.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-adding-gemini-ai-powered-tools-to-maps-140045971.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 The US presidential election is in its final stretch. Before election day on November 5, Engadget is looking at where the candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, stand on the most consequential tech issues of our day. While the environment and climate change are standard fare for elections, the 2024 campaign has put a surprising amount of focus on EVs. Cars and trucks are some of the biggest contributors to global warming, spewing millions of tons of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere every year. So it’s no shock many believe transitioning from traditional combustion engine vehicles to electric will be key to reining in climate change. Of course, an electric car is only as clean as the energy used to charge its batteries, so the Biden administration has also put a lot of effort into expanding clean-energy initiatives in the US. Kamala Harris is widely expected to continue Biden’s work promoting EV adoption and clean energy technology. While Donald Trump has, unsurprisingly, run on a promise to undo it all. Kamala Harris On the campaign trail, Harris hasn’t announced any new major policy initiatives regarding EVs or clean energy. Mostly her comments on the matter have been broad but seek to build on the work done by the Biden administration. Between the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act , the government invested hundreds of billions of dollars in charging stations, EV tax credits, EV manufacturing, wind and solar. Earlier in her career, as a senator from California and as a candidate in 2020’s presidential primary, Harris staked out a particularly aggressive stance on EVs and clean energy and made them a core part of her political identity. She supported the Green New Deal and was a cosponsor of the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019, which would have required all passenger vehicles sold in the US to be zero emissions by 2040. Harris has since backed off many of those stronger proposals but remains a staunch proponent of using federal resources to build out EV and clean-energy infrastructure. She was the tie-breaking vote for the IRA, which included directives to reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and included $370 billion for wind, solar, battery and EV production. Much of the $1.1 trillion IRA money remains unspent, but the administration has sped up efforts to use those funds ahead of the election. That money has been used to expand charging station infrastructure, begin transitioning the USPS to electric delivery vehicles and increase the amount of electricity produced by wind and solar. Through investments and tax breaks, IRA funds have been used to encourage companies to manufacture more EVs, solar panels, batteries and related components in the US. That includes $100 million announced in May for small- and medium-sized car companies to upgrade their factories for EV production. Harris and Biden have also talked up the fact that the IRA has created 170,000 clean-energy jobs in just one year. The administration also placed stiff tariffs on EVs and solar cells imported from China. Another key component of the legislation are consumer tax credits for the purchase of electric heat pumps, rooftop solar, batteries and EVs. The EV tax credit also comes with specific requirements regarding vehicle eligibility to encourage US manufacturing throughout the supply chain. Buyers can only claim the credit if the car was assembled in the US, has a certain percentage of battery components built in North America and a minimum amount of minerals extracted either in the United States or a country it has a free trade agreement with, or that have been recycled in North America. And each year those requirements increase, ultimately reaching 100 percent of battery components in 2029 and 80 percent of critical minerals in 2027. Donald Trump It might seem glib, but Trump’s policies regarding EVs and clean energy can essentially be boiled down to lifting regulations and “drill, baby, drill.” The former president has said repeatedly he would repeal almost all of the Biden administration’s rules regarding emissions, fuel standards and the environment. He also suggested he might get rid of the EV tax credit, which he tried and failed to do during his first term, claiming it unfairly influenced the market, primarily benefited the rich and increased our reliance on China. Considering the price cap on eligible vehicles and requirements regarding component and mineral sourcing, that argument seems on shaky ground. Since securing Elon Musk’s endorsement, Trump has softened some of his anti-EV rhetoric. However, he’s given no indication he’s actually reversed any of his positions. Trump has also said he will immediately rescind new fuel efficiency and emissions standards established by the Biden administration. He has argued the efficiency requirements are simply impossible for gasoline-powered cars to meet and effectively create a mandate that 67 percent of auto sales in the US be EVs by 2032. Trump has been even more hostile to clean-energy initiatives. Neither his platform nor the Republican Party’s official platform document mention solar energy at all. And wind energy is only mentioned on the Trump site to deride the Biden administration’s “insane wind subsidies” and generally dismiss windmills as dangerous and inefficient. The bulk of the Trump campaign’s energy policies are focused on expanding oil and natural-gas drilling and investing in nuclear power plants. But he is unlikely to try to end all the IRA’s clean energy and EV initiatives as they often lead to job creation in red states. In general, Donald Trump is skeptical of climate change and efforts to limit humans’ impact on the environment. He has pledged to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord and called for building hundreds of new power plants, including coal, hydro and nuclear, but wind and solar farms are noticeably absent from his plan for American energy independence.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/election-2024-what-are-the-candidates-policies-on-evs-and-clean-energy-133030889.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 TikTok currently faces lawsuits from 14 states alleging the platform damages young users' mental health and they're not the only ones who think it. It turns out that Apple apparently privately pressed TikTok to raise its age recommendations from 12 and over to 17 and over, The Washington Post reports. The comments from Apple showed up in South Carolina's compliant against TikTok and were supposed to be redacted but, oops, they were accidentally made public. Let's dive into what was said, shall we? In 2022, Apple had a team review TikTok's age rating and found the platform had "frequent or intense mature or suggestive content." Apple added, "We hope you will consider making the necessary changes to follow the App Store Review Guidelines and will resubmit." We don't know all the details of what Apple requested as only some of the redacted content was made public. Yet, there's plenty of evidence in these momentarily not-redacted documents about TikTok being not so age appropriate. In fact, outsiders and TikTok's own employees found issue with what the company did to reduce content like profanity and eating disorders. The former was found in one out of every 50 pop-up alerts that minors in the US and UK received within a month's time. Advocacy group Accountable Tech found the inadvertently public information and shared it with The Post. The accidentally public bits of South Carolina's complaint further claimed TikTok sought to "leverage goodwill in lobbying efforts" by donating to organizations like parent-teacher associations. The company also sponsored events for politicians, like an event for the foundation of South Carolina Democratic Representative James E. Clyburn, the former House majority whip. For the record, Clyburn joined the minority in voting against TikTok being sold or banned in the US. Unsurprisingly, TikTok wasn't so happy about having this information made public . TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek called publishing the redacted information irresponsible, claimed "many of these issues have already been addressed" and stated that the company “has always enforced strict policies against nudity, sexually explicit content, and solicitation." South Carolina isn't the only state that's lawsuit had a revealing redaction mistake. Kentucky's accidentally public documents revealed that TikTok had reportedly found "compulsive usage correlates with a slew of negative mental health effects like loss of analytical skills, memory formation, contextual thinking, conversational depth, empathy, and increased anxiety." TikTok also reportedly knew its time limit tool wouldn't be effective for minors . Then there was another document which allegedly said "across most engagement metrics, the younger the user, the better the performance." Don't you just love when companies have its users' best interests in mind? This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-urged-tiktok-to-increase-its-age-recommendations-redacted-documents-show-131501139.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 Nintendo has launched its own music streaming service that caters to fans of its games, including Mario and Animal Crossing. Fans will be able to listen to their favorite game tracks on their phones through the new Nintendo Music app, which has a user interface that pretty much looks like Spotify. The tracks are organized by game, so people can play the whole OST for specific titles if they want, but they can also listen to character playlists like a selection of songs performed by Animal Crossing's K.K. Slider. If they're in the mood for certain songs, they can hit up one of the pre-made themed playlists, which put together tracks for themes like "boss battle" and "victory." The app offers mood playlists, as well, that groups tracks with similar vibes, such as soft, relaxing songs for bedtime listening. One feature that's probably unique to the service is spoiler prevention. If the listener adds a certain game to the setting, the app will hide the soundtracks that could give away a surprise ending or an unexpected final boss, among other potential spoilers. They can also extend a single track and keep it playing on repeat for up to an hour if that's all they want to listen to. Fans can access the new Nintendo Music service with a Switch Online membership, though they can start listening to game tracks even if they're still on free trial. Every member on a Switch Online Family membership can also access it, so they don't need to pay for an individual subscription. Nintendo Music, a new smart-device app exclusively for #NintendoSwitchOnline members, lets you stream or download music from Nintendo’s library of soundtracks! Nintendo Music will be released later today! Learn more: https://t.co/X5uL1ThupO pic.twitter.com/2NOu7k22zf— Nintendo of America October 30, 2024 This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/nintendo-music-is-a-streaming-service-for-switch-online-subscribers-130035796.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 Ford will start shipping its new Tesla Supercharger NACS adapter to customers today after recalling the previous model, the company told Engadget in an email. The new adapters were co-developed with Lectron, a major manufacturer of EV chargers, adapters and cables for Tesla and others. Ford drivers gained access to Tesla Superchargers earlier this year, but the CCS charging port on Ford EVs isn't compatible with Tesla's NACS port. To fix that, the automaker offered a free NACS adapter to owners of its Mach E, F-150 Lightning and other vehicles, with a deadline of June 2024. Earlier this month, however, Ford sent a service bulletin to customers telling them to stop using the adapter. The reason cited was a "potential issue" that could reduce charging speeds and even cause charging port damage. Ford extended its deadline and promised a replacement adapter in the coming weeks. Ford In a letter announcing the new complimentary adapters, Ford didn't mention the problem with the older ones it recalled. "To continue accelerating access to the Tesla Supercharger Network for Ford electric vehicle customers, Ford will start shipping a new Ford-branded complimentary adapter to customers as of October 31," a company spokesperson wrote. "Customers who are awaiting a complimentary adapter may receive the new Ford-branded Fast Charging Adapter or the existing approved adapter." Other automakers including Nissan, GM and Subaru have also signed pacts with Tesla to use its Superchargers. Tesla's network represents a large majority of DC fast chargers in the US, with 19,000 installed compared to 15,000 from all other operators. Globally, Tesla has installed over 62,000 supercharger connectors as of Q3 2024, up 23 percent over last year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/fords-free-replacement-for-its-telsa-supercharger-adapter-starts-shipping-today-130010480.html?src=rss

31.10.2024 18:33 It sounds like Samsung is hoping to launch its extended reality wearable device sometime next year. The company has revealed its outlook for 2025 in its new earnings report, wherein it said that it's looking to "improve connectivity among products, including upcoming XR devices, to further elevate user experiences in the Galaxy ecosystem." Samsung first revealed that it was working on a wearable device with augmented, mixed and virtual reality capabilities at the Galaxy S23 Unpacked event last year. It will run a Google-designed version of Android specifically made for wearable displays, and it will be powered by a Qualcomm chip. As 9to5Google notes, previous reports claimed that Samsung will release a developer version of the wearable in October 2024, but that clearly didn't happen. Samsung didn't share more concrete details about the device's launch in its earnings report either, so there's no guarantee that the wearable will be available by next year. During the company's earnings conference call, Samsung EVP Jaejune Kim also alluded to the possibility of developing a more affordable foldable phone. Kim said that because its foldable devices "have high levels of product satisfaction," the company is "considering ways to ease purchase barriers" so that more people can afford one. A Samsung official previously denied rumors that a cheaper Galaxy Z Fold was in the works, so it's not quite clear if the company changed its mind or if it's only working on a cheaper version of the Z Flip. In addition, Kim revealed that Samsung is "preparing a new form factor" for those "seeking an even more powerful and innovative mobile experience," though he may also be pertaining to the company's extended reality wearable device. Of course, Samsung has confirmed that it will be launching the S25 series of phones next year. It reiterated plans to focus on AI features, as well as to improve AI offerings designed specifically for foldable phones. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/samsung-could-launch-its-extended-reality-wearable-device-next-year-123008566.html?src=rss