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Friday, June 30, 2023
TikTok-owner ByteDance debuts Ripple music creation app
ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, has debuted a new app designed to make it easier for creators to compose and edit music they could use for their content. The app called Ripple is only available in the US for now, and the company is testing it in a closed beta environment. ByteDance says it can assist creators in the way portable smart digital audio workstations (DAWs) can and is perhaps most useful for beginners and anybody who'd rather not deal with more complex systems. It was also designed to make it easier for creators to add custom soundtracks to their short-form videos for TikTok and other platforms.
Ripple can create songs in various genres based on a melody the user hums. The app prompts them into humming into the phone mic and then generates instrumentals they can use, such as drums, bass and piano. The length of the song output will match the length of the input, though — the app can't generate a full soundtrack from just a few seconds of humming. Also, Ripple can only generate instrumental music, leaving the vocal work to creators.
ByteDance told us that Ripple's model was trained on music it owns and music that was licensed to the company. The company also said that it's committed to respecting the rights of its artists and its rightsholder partners. To note, there have been concerns about the source of data used to train artificial intelligence systems and algorithms. Just recently, a lawsuit seeking class action status was filed against OpenAI, accusing it of violating the copyrights and privacy of countless individuals by using data scraped from the internet to train the model used for ChatGPT.
At the moment, Ripple is invite-only, and ByteDance doesn't have further rollout plans yet. Those who want to check it out before anybody else can visit Ripple.club, where they can find a download link for the app on iOS and from where they can request an invite.
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Four Ways Criminals Could Use AI to Target More Victims
Warnings about artificial intelligence (AI) are ubiquitous right now. They have included fearful messages about AI’s potential to cause the extinction of humans, invoking images of the Terminator movies. The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has even set up a summit to discuss AI safety.
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Twitter's lawsuit over censorship in India has been dismissed
Last year, Twitter sued India over orders to block content within the country, saying the government had applied its 2021 IT laws "arbitrarily and disproportionately." Now, India's Karnataka High Court has dismissed the plea, with a judge saying Twitter had failed to explain why it delayed complying with the new laws in the first place, TechCrunch has reported. The court also imposed a 5 million rupee ($61,000 fine) on the Elon Musk-owned firm.
"Your client (Twitter) was given notices and your client did not comply. Punishment for non-compliance is seven years imprisonment and unlimited fine. That also did not deter your client," the judge told Twitter's legal representation. "So you have not given any reason why you delayed compliance, more than a year of delay… then all of sudden you comply and approach the Court. You are not a farmer but a billon dollar company."
Twitter’s relationship with India was fraught for much of 2021. In February, the government threatened to jail Twitter employees unless the company removed content related to protests by farmers held that year. Shortly after that, India ordered Twitter to pull tweets criticizing the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More recently, the government ordered Twitter to block tweets from Freedom House, a nonprofit organization that claimed India was an example of a country where freedom of the press is on the decline.
Those incidents put Twitter in a compromising situation. It either had to comply with government orders to block content (and face censorship criticism inside and outside the country), or ignore them and risk losing its legal immunity. In August, it complied with the orders and took down content as ordered.
The court order follows recent comments from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, saying that India threatened to raid employees homes if it didn't comply with orders to remove posts and accounts. In a tweet, India's deputy minister for information technique called that "an outright lie" saying Twitter was "in non-compliance with the law."
Twitter filed the suit around the same time that Elon Musk started trying to wiggle out of buying Twitter. Since then, Twitter has often complied with government takedown requests — most recently in Turkey, where it limited access to some tweets ahead of a tightly contested election won by incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
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Apples Vision Pro Head Strap Problem
When I got a chance to try out Apple’s Vision Pro headset several weeks ago, there was one big difference between what I wore and the display models shown off by Apple.
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The Morning After: ASUS attempts the flagship compact smartphone again
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again here: There aren't many options left when it comes to true compact smartphones. (RIP, iPhone mini). But ASUS is willing to offer something. The new Zenfone 10 looks like a carbon copy of its predecessor, and even its 50-megapixel main camera has remained unchanged. Still, the company claims that it’s now powered by a new version of 6-axis gimbal stabilization — a combination of hardware optical stabilization, upgraded electronic stabilization algorithm and fast auto-focus. This apparently lets you capture smoother videos and less blurry photos while on the move. ASUS has extended its "Connex" modular case system once again, which lets you snap either a kickstand or a silicone cardholder into the grid of holes on the back of the case. You can even assign an app — YouTube, by default — to auto-launch whenever the kickstand is flipped out. The Zenfone 10 (all details right here) will be available for pre-order in Europe from June 29, starting from €799 (about $870), with US availability TBC.
– Mat Smith
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Virgin Galactic completes its first commercial spaceflight
The debut is 10 years in the making.
Virgin
Virgin Galactic has completed its first commercial flight. After launching aboard the mothership VMS Eve, the spaceship VSS Unity reached an altitude of around 52 miles, or the edge of space. Itss first client was the Italian government, which had the aim of conducting microgravity research. The company's first fully crewed spaceflight took place in 2021, when Unity hit an altitude of 53.4 miles with founder Richard Branson on board. However, commercial service was delayed multiple times for different reasons, most recently due to issues with upgrading the mothership VMS Eve. From a financial perspective, the launch was crucial for Virgin Galactic. With no paying customers until now, the company has lost money for years, with it burning more than $500 million in 2022 alone.
It’s a good time to be a fighting-game fan
It’s the biggest year for fighting games since the ‘90s.
While fighting games may never have the same mass-market appeal they did in the '90s, 2023 is proving to be a mini-renaissance for the genre. Street Fighter 6 is already on sale, Mortal Kombat 1 is arriving this fall, and there's Tekken 8 still to come. That's without mentioning the upcoming reboot of Dead or Alive or Riot Games' League of Legends spin-off Project L. It's a good time to be a fighting game fan.
Google will pull news links in Canada in response to new law
The search firm is joining Meta in reacting to Bill C-18.
Meta isn't the only internet heavyweight removing news content in response to Canada's newly enacted Bill C-18 (aka the Online News Act), which requires that tech companies negotiate compensation with publishers for linked material. Google now says it will pull links to Canadian news stories from its search, News and Discover services in the country. It will also stop operating its News Showcase in Canada when C-18 takes effect in six months. As with Meta, Google is using the threat of blocking news as a bargaining tool, but there's no guarantee of a compromise. Politicians drafted Bill C-18 after concerns about a steep drop in ad revenue for publications over the past two decades.
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Thursday, June 29, 2023
The European Union Is Getting Nervous About Atmosphere-Altering Geoengineering
The European Union is calling for international talks on a potential worldwide framework on how to treat and regulate deliberately atmosphere-altering tech, aka geoengineering.
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ASUS' Zenfone 10 is yet another compact flagship phone
Unless you count flip foldables, there aren't many options left when it comes to true compact smartphones these days, but somehow, ASUS has remained in this niche market. The freshly announced Zenfone 10 looks like a carbon copy of its predecessor, and even its 50-megapixel main camera has remained unchanged. Still, the company claims that this is now powered by a new version of 6-axis gimbal stabilization — a combination of hardware optical stabilization, upgraded electronic stabilization algorithm and fast auto-focus. This apparently lets you capture smoother videos and less blurry photos while on the move.
As you'd expect, the Zenfone 10 is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and now with faster LPDDR5X ROM of up to 16GB, along with faster UFS 4.0 storage option of up to 512GB — doubling that of the previous gen. While the battery remains at an impressive 4,300mAh, it is now supported by 15W wireless charging in addition to the original 30W wired charging. This does mean a gentle bump in thickness — from the old 9.1mm to 9.4mm, but the footprint remains at 146.5 x 68.1mm. The AMOLED display is again specced at 5.9 inches with a 2,400 x 1,080 resolution, though its top refresh rate has been boosted from 120Hz to 144Hz for slicker gaming.
ASUS
The ultra-wide camera has been swapped out with a 13-megapixel sensor, along with a bump in field of view — from 113 degrees to 120 degrees. The old 12-megapixel front punch-hole camera now uses a 32-megapixel RGBW sensor instead, and this apparently gives an 8-megapixel output with vastly improved low light selfies, thanks to the extra white sub-pixels on the sensor.
Like before, you still get stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack, along with dual microphones with support for Nokia's OZO Audio spatial capture and wind noise reduction. Other familiar goodies include the ZenTouch customizable unlock button (namely for toggling the camera or scrolling in a browser), NFC and IP68 ruggedness for resistance against dust and liquids.
ASUS has extended its "Connex" modular case system to the Zenfone 10, which lets you snap either a kickstand or a silicone cardholder into the grid of holes on the back of the case. You can even assign an app — YouTube, by default — to auto-launch whenever the kickstand is flipped out. If you'd rather go with thicker cases, ASUS has also partnered with Rhinoshield and DevilCase for some more rugged options.
ASUS
The Zenfone 10 will be available for pre-order in Europe from June 29, starting from €799 (about $870), with color options including "Aurora Green," "Midnight Black," "Comet White," "Eclipse Red" and "Starry Blue." As before, US availability to follow later, so stay tuned.
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Meta's Oversight Board urges Facebook to suspend Cambodia's Prime Minister
Meta's Oversight Board has called for a six month ban on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's Facebook and Instagram accounts for inciting violence, it wrote in a news release. It's the second time in the last week that the Board has reversed a high profile Meta review, after a Brazilian user posted a video asking followers to "besiege" government. However, it's the first time the Oversight Board has asked for a head of state to be banned, a decision that may have ramifications for future policy decisions.
Hun Sen, who has led Cambodia since 1985, is facing an election this month. Earlier in the year, he posted a video of a speech telling political opponents he'd "gather CPP (Cambodia People's Party) people to protest and beat you up." Following several user reports and appeals, Meta policy and subject matter experts recommended leaving the post up based on newsworthiness, even though it violated the company's community standards for violence and incitement.
"Given the severity of the violation, Hun Sen’s history of committing human rights violations and intimidating political opponents, as well as his strategic use of social media to amplify such threats, the Board calls on Meta to immediately suspend Hun Sen’s Facebook page and Instagram account for six months," it wrote. The suspension is non-binding, but Meta must take down the contested video within 60 days.
In explaining the decision, the Board said that the "harm caused by allowing the content on the platform outweighs the post's public interest value," particularly given the prime minister's reach on social media. The original moderation decision, it added, "results in Meta's platforms contributing to these harms by amplifying the threats and resulting intimidation."
Such behavior should not be rewarded. Meta should more heavily weigh press freedom when considering newsworthiness so that the allowance is not applied to government speech in situations where that government has made its own content more newsworthy by limiting free press.
On top of Hun Sen's ban, the Board advised Meta to make clear that its moderation policies are not restricted to single incidents of civil unrest or violence. It also recommended removing the newsworthiness allowance policy in cases involving incitement of violence, and prioritize reviews involving heads of state and senior members of government. Finally, it asked Meta to reveal the reasoning behind its decision for Hun Sen "and in all account-level actions against heads of state and senior members of government."
The Board's review could set a bar for moderation of other authoritarian leaders in Asia, Human Rights Watch director Phil Robertson told The Post, while calling the takedown request of Hun Sen "long overdue." Facebook famously banned former US president Donald Trump from the platform (and restored his account earlier this year), but has caved to censorship demands in nations including Vietnam. Twitter owner Elon Musk recently justified censorship in Turkey ahead of an election, saying the company has "no actual choice" but to comply with such requests.
The Cambodian government hasn't responded yet to the board's decision, but previously said that the remarks were "only a confirmation of the legal process" in the nation. Hun Sen, who has 14 million Facebook followers, said today that he would halt any active posting on Facebook and use Telegram instead.
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Its a good time to be a fighting-game fan
Video games have been competitive for as long as people could land their three-character initials on a digital scoreboard. The fighting game genre got its start in the 1970s, but it was when Street Fighter 2 hit the arcades in the '90s that the genre would ascend to a whole new level. Since then, many groundbreaking series have graced the genre, such as Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Super Smash Bros. and much more.
While fighting games may never have the same mass-market appeal they did in the '90s, 2023 is proving to be a mini-rennaisance for the genre. We've already had Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1 is arriving this fall, and there's Tekken 8 still to come. That's without mentioning the upcoming reboot of Dead or Alive or Riot Games' League of Legends spin-off Project L. It's a good time to be a fighting game fan — watch the video below for the full story.
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The best PlayStation 5 games for 2023
Welcome to our first update to Engadget’s best games list for PlayStation 5. As always, we have looked for games that generally offer meaningful improvements over their last-gen counterparts when played on PS5, or are exclusive to the system. Our 2022 update sees two third-party titles – Deathloop and Final Fantasy VII Remake – join the overwhelmingly Sony fray. We'll be updating this periodically, so, if a game's just been released and you don't see it, chances are that the reason for its absence is that we haven't played through it yet. Either that or we hate it.
Stray
Stray a perfectly contained adventure game that has you embodying a cat in a post-apocalyptic world humans have left behind. It has plenty of fresh ideas, each one pared down to its purest form. Plenty of actions in Stray exist simply because they make sense for a cat protagonist (and probably because they’re cute as hell). There’s a discrete button to meow, and the robots the cat shares its world with react with shock and frustration when you cut across their board game, throwing pieces to the floor. It’s possible to curl up and sleep basically any time, anywhere – even directly on top of a robot stranger. When the cat gets pets and cuddles from the robots, it purrs and the DualSense’s haptics fire up in response. The environmental puzzles take advantage of this cat-level perspective, inviting players to look at the world with different, light-reflective eyes.
As well as puzzle-solving, ledge-leaping and blob-dodging, Stray introduces a world of lighthearted dystopia, where robots don’t hate the humans that came before them. Instead, they attempt to cultivate plants that can survive in the dark, just because people would have liked that. Compared with most dystopian cyberpunk games, Stray is downright joyful.
Dead Space
The Dead Space remake feels like a warm, juicy hug from a murderous necromorph, and we mean that in the best way possible. The 2023 version of Dead Space spit-shines the mechanics that made the original game so magically horrific back in 2008, and it doesn’t add any unnecessary, modern bloat. The remake features full voice acting, new puzzles and expanded storylines, and it introduces a zero-gravity ability that allows the protagonist, Isaac Clarke, to fly through sections of the game in an ultra-satisfying way.
None of these additions outshine the game’s core loop: stasis, shoot, stomp. Isaac gains the ability to temporarily freeze enemies and he picks up a variety of weapons, but he never feels overpowered; he’s always in danger. Mutilated corpse monsters appear suddenly in the cramped corridors of the space station, charging at Isaac from the shadows, limbs akimbo and begging to be shot off. The first Dead Space popularized the idea that headshots don’t matter and the remake stays true to this ethos – yet its combat rhythm still feels fresh.
The 2023 version of Dead Space proves that innovative game design is timeless (and so are plasma cutters).
Gran Turismo 7
If you enjoy sim-style racing games, Gran Turismo 7 is the PS5’s only real choice. The main tenets that’ve made Gran Turismo a gaming staple are still here: a handling and physics model that demands precision but isn’t so realistic that you need a wheel or intense skill to play; the intensity of learning how a specific car meshes with a specific track; truly stunning visuals; that odd mix of rock, jazz and orchestral music in the soundtrack. Most of all, there remains a deep love of the automobile, from sexy speed demons to unwieldy boxes from years ago. More than this, Gran Turismo 7 is romantic about cars, not just for how they look, but how they represent years of collective labor and passion. There’s a singular style and voice here that just doesn’t exist in most sports games.
There was lots of anger around Gran Turismo 7’s microtransactions, amount of content and event payouts around launch – just look at that Metacritic user score – and the fact that it’s effectively always-online is still a major detraction. But if you’re starting today, you’ll have hundreds of hours of things to do, and you shouldn’t feel the need to grind for credits until far down the road. And that’s assuming you aren’t interested in racing against other players online, which is where the game should be most lively for years to come.
Elden Ring
Did you think this list would not include Elden Ring? The strengths of FromSoftware’s latest action-RPG are many, but what’s most impressive about the game is how hand-crafted it feels despite its scale. Elden Ring is big, but it never feels like it’s wasting your time. Far from it; FromSoftware has created a rich open world, with something surprising, delightful or utterly terrifying around every corner. I’ll never forget the moment I found a chest that teleported my character to a cave full of Eldritch monsters. Elden Ring is full of those kinds of discoveries.
And if you’re worried about hitting a brick wall with Elden Ring’s difficulty, don’t be. Sure, it can be tough as nails, but it’s also From’s most accessible game to date as well. If you find combat overly punishing, go for a mage build and blast your enemies from afar. And if all else fails, one of the rewards for exploring Elden Ring’s world is experience that you can use to make your character stronger.
God of War: Ragnarök
2018’s God of War was a brilliant reinvention for a franchise that was in desperate need of a reboot. For an encore, all Sony’s Santa Monica Studio did was every single stake they could. God of War Ragnarök is a massive adventure, taking protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus all over the nine Norse realms as they prepare for Ragnarök, a mythical event essentially meant to bring about the end of the world. Along the way, Kratos and Atreus get up close and personal with even more of the Norse gods, including stunning encounters with the drunken but deadly Thor and, of course, Odin himself.
The combat in Ragnarök remains one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I can think of – it’s fluid and extremely customizable. And once you get into a groove and power up Kratos, it’s truly a god-like experience. There’s also a much greater variety of enemies this time out, from the smaller grunts you mow through to bigger and more intense boss battles. There are more realms to visit, more sidequests than ever and an endgame sequence that’s up there with the biggest battles any God of War game has ever put to screen. The backdrop for all this is some of the most beautifully detailed and varied environments you can find, from the swampy confines of Vanaheim and the fiery to the frozen tundra of Midgard. On the PS5, you can choose between native 4K visuals or high frame rates up to 120Hz, provided your TV can handle it.
The Last of Us
The Last of Us and its sequel may have originally come out for the PS3 and PS4, respectively, but they also provide two excellent PS5 experiences. The Last of Us Part I is a complete visual remake for the PS5 of the 2013 original, with massively improved character models and environments, along with native 4K visuals or frame rates up to 120 fps. The Last of Us Part II originally launched for the PS4 in 2020, and developer Naughty Dog released a patch for it last year unlocking 60 fps gameplay on the PS5. There weren’t any other major updates, but the game already looked amazing on the PS4 so there wasn’t a ton to change here. Either way, the PS5 is the best place to experience these two games.
Both games feature a sprawling post-pandemic adventure story, following survivors Joel and Ellie through a gorgeously rendered but terrifying world where zombie-like Infected and regular humans alike are out for your blood. You’ll never really feel like you have enough supplies to survive, so you need to make every shot count – or figure out how to sneak around enemies or craft tools that’ll get you out of tight spots. There’s an ever-present sense of danger in these games, while the stories focus on human connection in all its messy glory; the tone is often extremely grim, but there are moments of levity, humor and hope sprinkled throughout the ruined world. The Last of Us Part I and Part II both put you through an intense, violent and emotional experience, but they remain a journey worth taking.
Rollerdrome
Rollerdrome is lush. It’s incredibly stylish, taking cues from 1970s Hollywood sci-fi but with an attractive cel-shaded filter over every scene. Even better than its stunning visuals, Rollerdrome has smooth, precise mechanics that allow players to fall into a flow in every level. The game is all about gliding through the environments on rollerblades, picking up speed and doing tricks while dodging and shooting enemies, managing weapons and controlling time – and it all comes together in a thrilling dystopian bloodsport.
It’s a joy to dodge, dodge, dodge and then leap into the air, slow down time and take out the people shooting at you, refilling ammo and collecting health in the process. Meanwhile, an unsettling story of corporate greed unfolds naturally beneath the rollerblading bloodshed, keeping the stakes high. Rollerdrome was a sleeper hit of 2022, so if you’ve been napping on this one, now’s the time to wake up and play.
Overwatch 2
Even though Blizzard has improved the onramp for new players this time around, Overwatch 2 still has a steep learning curve. Stick with it, though, and you’ll get to indulge in perhaps the best team shooter around. Overwatch 2 has a deceptively simple goal — stand on or near an objective and keep the other team away long enough to win. It’s much more complex in practice. To the untrained eye, matches may seem like colorful chaos, but Overwatch 2 has a deceptively simple goal — stand on or near an objective and keep the other team away long enough to win.
It’s much more complex in practice. Blizzard reduced the number of players on each team from six to five. That, along with across-the-board character tweaks, has made gameplay faster-paced and more enjoyable compared with the original Overwatch. There's a greater emphasis on individual impact, but you'll still need to work well with your teammates to secure a victory.
Now featuring a cast of more than 30 heroes, each with distinct abilities and playstyles, you’ll surely find a few Overwatch 2 characters that you can connect with. The first batch of new heroes are all a blast to play. There are many great (though often fairly expensive) new skins to kit them out with too. The game looks and sounds terrific too, thanks to Blizzard’s trademark level of polish. At least until you figure out how to play Overwatch 2, you can marvel at how good it looks.
Astro’s Playroom
It’s odd to start a best games list with a title that comes free with the console, but if you’re anything like my son, who swiftly deleted Astro’s Playroom to make space for various Call of Duty titles, I’m here to tell you to give the pack-in title another shot. Astro’s Playroom is a love letter to both 3D platformers and the PlayStation itself. It’s also, to date, the title that makes the best use of Sony’s DualSense controller, with incredible haptic feedback and clever usage of the pad’s adaptive triggers. (Although, eight years on, I’m still not convinced anyone has found a compelling reason for that touch pad.) It’s a game that even completionists can finish within six hours or so, but those six hours were among the most fun I’ve had with the PS5 so far.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade
We thought it would never happen. Final Fantasy VII was an iconic JRPG that’s credited with opening up the genre to the west. It peppered the Top 10 lists of the best games of all-time and introduced the long-running Japanese RPG series to polygons, 3D maps, and countless other innovations of 32-bit consoles. 23 years later, and three PlayStation iterations later, Square Enix dared to remake, not remaster, the game. It would be, contentiously, episodic, expanding out the story of Midgar and the opening part of the game into a single game.
It’s all very different. It’s also gorgeous, with a modern battle system that no longer focuses on static characters and menu choices. Somehow, and we were ready to be underwhelmed, the battle system works. FF7R’s fights are slicker and more enjoyable than those in Final Fantasy XV, the latest entry in the series. Each character, from iconic mercenary Cloud through to eco-terrorist Barret and flower girl Aerith, play in entirely different ways, using the space between themselves and enemies in very different ways. Some sub-missions and distractions feel like they’re there solely to eke some more hours out of your playthrough, but the world of the original has been thoughtfully reimagined, so it’s a minor complaint.
For anyone that bought the PS4 iteration, the upgrade to PS5 is free. However, it costs money to gain access to the PS5-exclusive DLC chapter featuring ninja Yuffie. Offering another battle style to experiment with and master, two new extra chapters run alongside the events of the first installment of this remake. Moments of the game feel like they were built to tease how capable the newest PlayStation is, with Yuffie zipping down poles through vertiginous levels, wall-running and mixing up long-range and short-range attacks in a completely different way to Cloud, Aerith and the rest. It suffers a little from trying to tie in FF7 lore from old spin-off titles, but it’s a satisfying distraction as we wait for the second part – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – to arrive in 2023.
Demon's Souls
Bluepoint’s Demon’s Souls remake won’t be for everyone — no Souls game is. The original Demon’s Souls was a sleeper hit in 2009 on the PS3, establishing the basic formula that would later be cemented with Dark Souls, and then aped by an entire industry to the point where we now essentially have a “Soulslike'' genre. Today, that means challenging difficulty, grinding enemies for souls to level up, the retrieval of your corpse to collect said souls, a labyrinthine map to explore and, if you’re doing Soulslike right, some show-stopping boss fights to contend with. As a progenitor to the genre, Demon’s Souls has most of those in abundance. But rather than a huge sprawling map, it uses a portal system, with mini labyrinths to work through. Its bosses are also not quite on the level of impressiveness or difficulty of a more modern Dark Souls game.
Bluepoint has been faithful to the original, then, but graphically Demon’s Souls is a true showcase of what the PS5 can do, with gorgeous high-resolution visuals, smooth frame rates and swift loading. While the graphics certainly catch your eye, it’s the smoothness and loading times that are the most impactful. The original ran at 720p, and… depending on what you were doing 25 to 30 fps, while the remake lets you pick between a locked 30 or 60 fps at 4K or 1440p. And in a game that will likely kill you hundreds of times, waiting two seconds to respawn instead of thirty is transformative.
God of War
Sony's God of War series had laid dormant for half a decade when its latest incarnation hit stores in early 2018, and for good reason. Antiquated gameplay and troubling themes had made it an ill-fit for the modern gaming landscape. No more. SIE Santa Monica Studio's God of War manages to successfully reboot the series while turning the previous games' narrative weaknesses into its strengths. Kratos is now a dad, the camera is now essentially strapped to his shoulder and Sony has what is sure to become a new series on its hands.
The first outright PS4 game on this collection, God of War has at least been patched for better performance on PS5, allowing it to output at 4K/60. For those subscribed to PS Plus, this one’s available for free as part of the PlayStation Plus Collection on PS5.
Ghost of Tsushima: The Director's Cut
This tale of samurai vengeance is like Japanese cinema come to life. There are multiple betrayals, the sad deaths of several close allies, tense sword fights, villages and castles under siege, and even a ‘Kurosawa mode’ black-and-white filter you employ for the entire game. The world of feudal Japan, with some creative liberties, is gorgeous, with fields of grass and bullrushes to race through on your faithful steed, temple ‘puzzles’ to navigate around and fortresses to assess and attack.
As you make your way through the main story quest, and more than enough side quests and challenges, you unlock more powerful sword techniques and stances, as well as new weapons and forbidden techniques that are neatly woven in the story of a samurai pushed to the edge. It still suffers from one too many fetch quests, artifacts scattered across Japan’s prefectures, but the sheer beauty of Ghost of Tsushima tricks you into believing this is the greatest open-world game on PlayStation. Don’t get me wrong — it’s up there.
With the new Director’s Cut edition on the PS5, you also get dynamic frame-rates up to 60 FPS, ensuring the game looks and feels even more like a tribute to Japanese cinematic auteurs of the past. There are also DualSense tricks, like a bow that tangibly tightens as you pull on trigger buttons, and subtle rumble as you ride across the lands of Tsushima, Director’s Cut adds a new, surprisingly compelling DLC chapter. As you explore the Iki isle, the game adds a few more tricks to Jin’s arsenal, and deepens the relationship and history between the game’s hero and his father.
Without spoiling what happens, the game smartly threads the original story into the DLC, ensuring it feels solidly connected to the main game, despite DLC status.
Deathloop
Deathloop, from the studio that brought you the Dishonored series, is easy enough to explain: You’re trapped in a day that repeats itself. If you die, then you go back to the morning, to repeat the day again. If you last until the end of the day, you still repeat it again. Colt must “break the loop” by efficiently murdering seven main characters, who are inconveniently are never in the same place at the same time. It’s also stylish, accessible and fun.
While you try to figure out your escape from this time anomaly, you’ll also be hunted down by Julianna, another island resident who, like you, is able to remember everything that happens in each loop. She’ll also lock you out of escaping an area, and generally interfere with your plans to escape the time loop. (The online multiplayer is also addictive, flipping the roles around. You play as Julianna, hunting down Colt and foiling his plans for murder. )
As you play through the areas again (and again) you’ll equip yourself with slabs that add supernatural powers, as well as more potent weapons and trinkets to embed into both guns and yourself. It’s through this that you’re able to customize your playstyle or equip yourself in the best way to survive Julianna and nail that assassination. Each time period and area rewards repeat exploration, with secret guns, hidden conversations with NPCs and lots of world-building lore to discover for yourself.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Ultimate Edition
Finally, you don't have to pick up Spider-Man 2 on the GameCube to get your web-slinging fix anymore. For almost 15 years, that game was held as the gold standard for a Spider-Man game, and I'll let you into a secret: It wasn't actually that good. Marvel's Spider-Man, on the other hand, is a tour de force. Featuring the best representation of what it's like to swing through New York City, well, ever, Insomniac's PlayStation exclusive also borrows liberally from the Batman: Arkham series' combat and throws in a story that, although it takes a while to get going, ends up in a jaw-dropping place.
With the launch of the PS5, Insomniac released a Miles Morales spin-off game, which follows the eponymous character as he attempts to protect NYC in Peter Parker’s absence. Both parts are available packaged together as Spider-Man Ultimate Edition— it has a longer name than that but let's not — and benefit from improved framerates, resolution and ray tracing (although not necessarily all at the same time!) With the full graphical package enabled, you’ll be playing at 30 frames per second in 4K, or you can pick between a pair of performance options: 4K/60 with no ray tracing, or 1080p/60 with ray-tracing. Whatever mode you pick, you’ll benefit from loading times that finally make the game’s fast travel system… fast.
Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village is delightful. It’s a gothic fairy tale masquerading as a survival-horror game, and while this represents a fresh vibe for the franchise, it’s not an unwelcome evolution. The characters and enemies in Village are full of life — even when they’re decidedly undead — and Capcom has put a delicious twist on the idea of vampires, werewolves, sea creatures, giants and creepy dolls. The game retains its horror, puzzle and action roots, and it has Umbrella Corporation’s fingerprints all over it. On PS5, the game is gorgeous and it plays nicely with the DualSense controller, adding haptic feedback to weapons and terrifying situations alike. It simply feels like developers had fun with this one, and so will you.
Returnal
Returnal is a third-person action game, a roguelite, a bullet-hell shooter and very hard, perhaps not in that order. The setup is basically that you’re stuck in a death loop, but you’re aware of it, and must learn the patterns and weaknesses of enemies — and master your own — in order to progress. As Devindra Hardwar explains, it leans heavily on the dark sci-fi of Alien, Edge of Tomorrow and Event Horizon but makes something new and unique in the process.
It’s made by the team behind Resogun, Nex Machina and Super Stardust HD, and you can tell, for better or worse. As you’d expect from a team that’s spent the past decades making shooters, the movement, gunplay and enemy attack patterns are incredibly well tuned. But on the flipside, from a studio used to smaller productions, the complexity and ambition of Returnal leads to a lack of polish that some may find unacceptable in a $70 game. If you can look past that, there’s a hell of a game waiting for you here.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice isn't just another Dark Souls game. FromSoftware's samurai adventure is a departure from that well-established formula, replacing slow, weighty combat and gothic despair for stealth, grappling hooks and swift swordplay. Oh, and while it's still a difficult game, it's a lot more accessible than Souls games — you can even pause it! The result of all these changes is something that's still instantly recognizable as a FromSoftware title, but it's its own thing, and it's very good. While the game has yet to receive a proper PS5 upgrade, the extra grunt of Sony’s next-gen console does allow the game to finally run at a locked 60fps — something the PS4 Pro couldn’t handle.
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The Morning After: Google stops plans to build its own augmented reality glasses
With Google Glass, the company was the major player to push augmented reality wearables into the world. After shelving that early hardware, the company moved onto new internal projects, including Iris AR glasses. These were supposed to look like a pair of ordinary glasses, with early versions reportedly resembling a product called "Focals" by North, a Canadian startup that Google acquired in 2020. Google even demoed a newer version in a video showing a real-time AR translation feature.
The company has now reportedly shelved Iris following waves of layoffs and company reshuffles. Another event that factored into Google's decision was the departure of Clay Bavor, the company's former chief of augmented and virtual reality. Now, instead of building its own hardware, Google has apparently chosen to focus on creating an "Android for AR" ecosystem instead. Currently, that includes working on Android XR for Samsung's "extended reality" wearable device.
If we take Google’s approach to Android as a template, add another five years, and maybe we’ll see Pixel XR glasses?
– Mat Smith
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North America’s first hydrogen-powered train debuts in Canada
It’s a three-month loaner designed to encourage adoption across the continent.
Alstom
This summer, North America’s first hydrogen-powered train began traveling across the Canadian countryside. The French passenger train, the Coradia iLint, is a short-term demonstration, running through the end of September, that aims to spark adoption in Canada and the US. The Coradia iLint uses roughly “about 50 kilograms of hydrogen a day,” says Serge Harnois, CEO of Hanois Énergies, the train’s hydrogen fuel supplier. The same journey using a standard engine would burn around 500 liters of diesel fuel. It only emits water vapor along its journey as a byproduct of combining hydrogen with oxygen. Sounds good, right? Well, there are caveats. It requires a diesel-powered truck to transport the hydrogen to the train every time it refuels, and let’s not forget about the emissions made by the train’s trip from Europe to Canada for a mere three-month demo.
'The Password Game' might break you
A game where you have to jump through hoops to make a new password.
Alstom
The goal of the game is to create a password no one hacker could possibly crack, and the experience starts out simple enough. “Your password must be at least 5 characters,” states rule one, while rule four asks that all the digits in your password add up to 25. Then, things start to become progressively more unhinged. Rule seven demands you include a Roman numeral, only for rule nine to demand that a handful of Roman numerals must multiply to make 35. If you want to test your mental resilience, you can try it out here.
Microsoft is already offering a generative AI certification program
It includes free courses from LinkedIn.
Microsoft has announced a new program to train workers on generative AI. Microsoft’s AI Skills Initiative will include free courses created by (Microsoft-owned) LinkedIn, offering learners “the first Professional Certificate on Generative AI in the online learning market.” The company says the courses will cover introductory AI concepts and “responsible AI frameworks,” culminating in certification. Given that generative AI is so simple to use, it’ll be interesting to see what the courses entail. They could still provide tips for composing the most effective prompts – and we all know someone at work that struggles with even basic software functions.
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Meta explains how its AI decides what you see on Facebook and Instagram
Unless you switch to chronological timeline on Facebook, the things you see on your timeline could seem pretty arbitrary at times. Now, Meta has given us pretty comprehensive look at how its AI systems decide on the posts that appear on our Facebook and Instagram feeds. The social networking giant has released 22 card systems for the platforms that explain how its AI systems rank content for its Feed, Stories and Reels. Each card explains how a certain aspect of Meta's platform works — for instance, the company explains that for Facebook Feeds, its AI system starts by gathering all potential posts by friends and Pages you follow.
After that, the system considers various input signals, such as who created the post, how you interacted with them and how many of your friends have liked the post, if any. All those aspects will help the AI rank posts based on which you'll find the most relevant and valuable and then show them on your feed in order of the scores they get. The card systems also show how you can customize what you see on the platforms and link to instructions on, say, how to unfollow a person or a group and how to click "show more" or "show less" on a post to indicate if you like or dislike a particular subject.
In a post announcing the cards' release, Nick Clegg, Meta's President of Global Affairs, listed the tools you can use to personalize your experience on the company's platforms. In addition to the two aforementioned tools, Facebook and Instagram have centralized menus with customization controls, called Feed Preferences and Suggested Content Control Center, respectively. Clegg also said that Meta is testing a new feature on Instagram allows you to indicate whether you're "Interested" in a recommended reel in the Reels tab, so the app can show you more similar content. At the moment, you can only indicate whether you're "Not Interested" in a specific reel. In addition, he said Meta is working on making the "show more" and "show less" feature more prominent.
Meta has lifted the lid on how its algorithms work before the European Union starts enacting the Digital Markets Act in 2024. The new law will require online services like Facebook and Instagram to be more transparent on the technologies behind their recommendation algorithms. It will also require platforms to offer chronological feeds and will ban ads targeting you based on your religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity or political affiliation. Earlier this year, Meta also rolled out a new version of its "Why am I seeing this ad?" tool to provide more transparency on how your activities power its ad-matching software.
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Meta Offers A Glimpse Into the Black Box of AI Ranking
Meta is releasing a series of new tools and insights offering everyday users one of the clearest looks yet into how various AI systems serve and recommend stuff on Facebook and Instagram. Users can now read through 22 different “system cards” which provide more clarity on the types of AI systems used in different…
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Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Peloton expands its gamified exercise experience to treadmills
Peloton is continuing to gamify its hardware lineup with the launch of Lanebreak Tread, a software experience for its beleaguered line of treadmills. The software suite looks similar to pre-existing racing experiences for the company’s exercise bike line, and Lanebreak for Peloton cycles is a well-regarded bit of gamification, so the bona-fides are solid.
Lanebreak Tread is getting a global launch, with availability for all Peloton Tread members. Peloton says the gameplay involves users matching and sustaining a pre-set inclines and speeds to rack up high scores. Animations help the users along and the whole thing is set to a “beat pumping soundtrack.”
The software makes full use of the Tread hardware, as it automatically adjusts the speed and incline to match what is happening in the game. There’s a new mechanic specifically for interval workouts, updated visuals for runners, new avatars and an array of pace-based difficulty options.
Levels vary according to the chosen playlist and workout type, with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to expert. Each game level lasts anywhere from five to 30 minutes, to suit workouts of varying lengths. You also have plenty of music genres to choose from here, including pop, electronic, hip hop, rock, metal, country and, well, just about everything else. There’s no classical music though, as running to Bach would feel weird. Peloton’s new Lanebreak Tread software releases today for the entire line of branded treadmills.
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Google's Nest Learning Thermostat is $70 off right now
If you're always coming home to an overheated house or find your jaw on the floor every time the energy bill arrives, it might be time to consider expanding your smart home. The Google Nest Learning Thermostat third-generation is currently available for $179, down from $279 on Wellbots. All you need to do is enter the code 70THERMGDT at checkout to get $70 off your order. We've only seen the thermostat at a lower price on Wellbots once, and it has never dropped below $193 on Amazon, so this is quite a good deal.
The Google Nest Learning Thermostat gets to know your routine and temperature preferences and creates a schedule based on them. Google designed it to constantly consider energy-saving measures, such as changing the temperature when you're away. The smart thermostat also provides you with a report detailing how you use and can save energy in your heating and cooling systems. It also includes a safety feature for fires, sending you a notification if it detects an unusual change in temperature.
On the device itself, you can get information about the weather, the time or your energy usage. Plus, if you're heading home early or feeling extra cold one day, you can control the Learning Thermostat right from the Nest app on your phone.
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Desperation for a Viral Moment Is Driving Concerts Off the Rails
On June 18, Bebe Rexha was performing a hometown show at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in Manhattan. During the performance, an audience member threw an iPhone at the pop singer-songwriter, which hit her just over the right eye. The impact immediately ended the show, and Rexha required three stitches in the aftermath,…
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DoorDash will start offering couriers an hourly rate while they're fulfilling orders
DoorDash says it will offer couriers a guaranteed hourly rate for "active delivery time" as part of a raft of changes to its platform. The company says that this rate will be in addition to tips — couriers keep 100 percent of tips from customers.
The Earn by Time option will sit alongside the existing model that sees Dashers receiving a payment for each order they carry out. Currently, they receive a base payment that depends on the estimated duration, distance and "desirability" of the order, along with tips and potentially promotional payments. Couriers can choose whether they want to be paid by time or per order for each delivery, and they'll see the minimum payment they'll get for both options before selecting.
The hourly rate will differ depending on the market, and it's prorated. Dashers will only be paid for the time between picking up an order and delivering it, but not while they're on their way to pick up the items. So if the Earn by Time rate is $15 per hour and it takes 20 minutes to carry out a delivery, the dasher will receive $5 plus any tips. Meanwhile, consumers will have the option to add or increase their tip after the delivery. They'll have up to 30 days to do so.
DoorDash
The minimum rate is coming into play ahead of New York City starting to enforce a minimum wage for food delivery workers. By July 12th, delivery apps will need to start paying their couriers in the city a minimum of $17.96 per hour plus tips. Engadget has asked DoorDash for details on how Earn by Time aligns with this minimum wage and the rollout plans for this option.
Elsewhere, a new initiative for Dashers aims to reduce downtime by allowing them to take on orders while they're on the way to the area they prefer to work in. DoorDash is introducing a new safety feature for couriers as well. They'll be able to share their real-time location with trusted contacts.
Along with new features for Dashers and merchants, DoorDash is revamping things for customers with its biggest app update so far. DoorDash will support online SNAP and EBT payments, making it easier for those who are enrolled in those programs to place orders through the app. You'll be able to order from more than 4,000 grocery locations across the US, including participating Aldi, Albertsons, Safeway, Meijer and 7-Eleven stores. DoorDash is also offering SNAP recipients two months of free DashPass access.
DoorDash will roll out the update to all users over the next few months. The new features include universal search, so you can look for a specific item, retailer or restaurant from almost anywhere in the app. There will be new tabs at the bottom of the screen called Browse, Grocery and Retail (the latter of which DoorDash describes as "a modern-day mall directory"). There will also be multiple carts as well. When you get peckish while filling out a grocery order, you can save your progress, order something for dinner and then continue where you left off.
DoorDash
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The Morning After: TikTok is killing off its BeReal clone
TikTok says it's discontinuing TikTok Now, its attempt to replicate last year's social media sensation BeReal. According to screenshots posted by several users, parent ByteDance is "updating the TikTok experience and discontinuing TikTok Now." TikTok Now had a nearly identical approach to viral hit BeReal, requiring users to take front and rear photos simultaneously. It added the ability to take 10-second TikTok-like videos instead of photos, obviously making it completely different. Snapchat and Instagram have both attempted to copy (or tested) their own BeReal-ish features.
The feature was part of the main TikTok app in the US, but is also available as a standalone TikTok Now app in other regions. The message sent to TikTok users in the US indicated that the feature was being killed in the main app, but there's no word on the separate TikTok Now app.
BeReal, meanwhile, might be contending with a drop-off in interest, according to a report from The New York Times in April. BeReal refuted an analytics report behind the story, though, saying it still had 20 million daily active users.
– Mat Smith
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A guide to the best way to connect your home.
A lot of domestic WiFi setups suck for countless reasons. Maybe the hardware your ISP gave you isn’t great, or your walls aren’t friendly to wireless signals. Perhaps the signals from your all-in-one wireless modem and router can’t reach everywhere from its spot in a far corner of your house. It’s these problems that mesh WiFi systems are designed to tackle, with a set of smaller WiFi nodes that are spread around your home, pushing internet into every corner. But which one to pick? And do you really have to spend a fortune? We can answer both of those questions in our new buying guide.
Insta360's latest tiny action cam comes with a detachable display
The Insta360 Go 3 is basically a GoPro with a flip screen.
Insta360
The new Insta360 Go 3 has a larger, more rectangular "Action Pod" detachable body, making it look more like a conventional action cam than its predecessor. The Action Pod body also doubles as a 2.2-inch flip touchscreen. The Go 3's camera itself has some significant upgrades as well. Video resolution has been bumped up from 1440p to 2.7k (2,720 x 1,536), meaning you'll get more out of Insta360's renowned "FlowState" video stabilization trick, while a second microphone has also been added to improve audio. The Insta360 Go 3 is now available via the official online store or Amazon, with prices starting at $379.99 for the 32GB model.
Razer's first in-ear monitor is built for gamers and streamers
The Moray is meant for comfort as much as quality.
In-ear monitors (IEMs) are normally aimed at musicians and audio engineers, but Razer reckons it can tap into the disposable income of gamers and streamers with its first in-ear monitor, the Moray. At $130, it's not meant to compete with higher-end IEMs from the likes of Audio Technica, Sennheiser or Shure, but Razer has paid attention to comfort: the ergonomic design and braided cables are meant to stay snugly in place for hours and it comes with three different ear tip varieties (each with three different sizes) to optimize fit.
The SAE is creating a standardized version of Tesla's EV charging plug
It's another win for the NACS.
Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) is one step closer to becoming the de-facto electric vehicle charging system in the US. On Tuesday, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International, one of the automotive industry’s most important standards bodies, shared it is working to support the plug, a move that will make it easier for manufacturers to add NACS connectors to their vehicles and charging stations.
“Standardizing the NACS connector will provide certainty, expanded choice, reliability and convenience to manufacturers and suppliers and, most of all, increase access to charging for consumers,” the SAE said in a statement. In the last month alone, Ford, General Motors and Rivian announced they plan to adopt NACS.
SoftBank gave $170m to a social app whose users mostly didn't exist
The app, IRL, is shutting down.
SoftBank, major tech investor and Japanese phone carrier, led a little-known social media app called IRL to unicorn status and an overall valuation of $1.17 billion by investing over $170 million. It turned out that the app completely made up its user numbers, admitting that 95 percent of its purported 20 million user base was fake. Employees became suspicious of the company’s claim of 20 million monthly active users. Eventually, the SEC stepped in, issuing a probe as to whether or not IRL misled investors. In April of this year, the company’s board of directors suspended CEO Abraham Shafi and appointed a new acting CEO. Due to those incredibly inflated numbers (and half-baked concept), IRL is shutting down and taking its 19 million bots with it. The company says it’s returning capital to shareholders, but nobody knows how much money is left in the coffers.
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Amazon's latest Echo Buds fall to a new all-time low of $35 in early Prime Day deal
You can grab Amazon's third-generation Echo Buds for $35 right now if you're a Prime member. That's a substantial price drop for a $50 product that launched in May and only started shipping on June 7th. The wireless earbuds are already cheaper than their predecessors, but this makes them an even more attractive option if you're looking for an affordable pair. Amazon gave the new Echo Buds a completely different design from earlier versions and adopted an AirPods-like stickbud aesthetic. The company describes the new earbuds as "semi in-ear," most likely because their silicone buds don't form a tight seal to keep ambient sounds out.
Amazon says the earbuds can reduce outside noise, but they let in enough sounds to keep you connected to your surroundings. They can play up to five hours of music non-stop and can last for up to 20 hours with the charging case before you need to plug them in. If you run out battery and need to use them ASAP, they can last up to two hours with a 15-minute quick charge.
The earbuds can seamlessly switch their connection, so you can quickly move between two different devices. They have customizable tap controls, but they also have Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant support, allowing you to issue voice commands to cue music, listen to audiobooks, make calls and set reminders, among other things. In addition, they feature dual connect, which means you can use just one earbud if you want.
If you'd prefer earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation, Amazon's second-generation Echo Buds are also on sale if you're a Prime member. They're currently selling for $65, down 46 percent from their regular price of $120. Both are merely early Prime Day deals for members paying for the monthly subscription service — the actual event kicks off at July 11th and ends on July 12th.
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