Author Archives: Anna Washenko

Peacock Premium is only $5 for four months for a limited time

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NBC is offering a discount on its Peacock Premium streaming service. Until September 6, you can get four months of access to the ad-supported tier of the streaming platform for $5 per month. This deal nets you more than 30 percent off the list price for the plan during that time frame; the Peacock Premium access tier normally costs $8 a month.

To take advantage of the reduced price, customers can sign in to the Peacock platform and use the code TGIF. Once you've signed up, the plan can be canceled at any time. The TGIF offer can't be combined with any other deal, and it does not extend to current subscribers on the Peacock Premium and Premium Plus plans. As mentioned, the deal is only available for a limited window, through September 6.

Now is a good time for football fans to try out Peacock. The NFL season begins this weekend and Peacock will have exclusive access to the Packers v. Eagles game being played in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 6. The network's exclusive stream of the AFC Wild Card game in January set records as the most streamed live event in history, reaching 27.6 million viewers.

On top of the seasonal sports content, Peacock is also home to several fan favorite TV sitcoms including The Office, Parks and Recreation, and New Girl. It also hosts original programming such as Poker Face.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/peacock-premium-is-only-5-for-four-months-for-a-limited-time-225157876.html?src=rss

Did Sony just reveal the PS5 Pro design in its 30th Anniversary announcement?

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Today, Sony shared a first glimpse at what it has planned to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the PlayStation and it seems likely that a PS5 Pro will be a part of the party. Hidden in the marketing material is what may be an image of the rumored upgrade to the current-gen PS5 console. Zoom in between the "S" of the PlayStation logo and the "3" of 30th and you'll see a console similar to a PS5 that doesn't quite match the look of any past or present PlayStation product.

This is obviously not an official announcement or confirmation about the PS5 Pro, so we're really no closer to definitive news about the new hardware launch. But it's hard to ignore just how much the silhouette of that beefy console looks like the possible PS5 Pro rendering that was leaked in late August. The larger size and the three lines across the body seem pretty dang similar between the two images.

And if you want to go really far down the rabbit hole, the actual 30th anniversary of PlayStation is December 3. Sounds like the perfect day to start selling a powerful new console to me. That date would also align neatly with rumors circulating earlier this year that the PS5 Pro version would arrive in time for holiday shopping.

Besides the speculation around the PS5 Pro, Sony did formally share some news about how it plans to mark the big three-oh. Between October and January, the company is making some digital soundtracks from its games available for the first time on Spotify: God of War, God of War II, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Twisted Metal, Starhawk and Unit 13. There will also be a special event aimed at getting first-time players introduced to the Gran Turismo franchise and a pretty darling collection of toys called Shapes of Play inspired by the colors and shapes of PlayStation consoles. And there's a little stage for a 30th anniversary photo op in the hub area of upcoming release Astro Bot, which looks just wonderful.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/did-sony-just-reveal-the-ps5-pro-design-in-its-30th-anniversary-announcement-212322835.html?src=rss

Microsoft joins coalition to scrub revenge and deepfake porn from Bing

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Microsoft announced it has partnered with StopNCII to help remove non-consensual intimate images — including deepfakes — from its Bing search engine.

When a victim opens a "case" with StopNCII, the database creates a digital fingerprint, also called a "hash," of an intimate image or video stored on that individual's device without their needing to upload the file. The hash is then sent to participating industry partners, who can seek out matches for the original and remove them from their platform if it breaks their content policies. The process also applies to AI-generated deepfakes of a real person.

Several other tech companies have agreed to work with StopNCII to scrub intimate images shared without permission. Meta helped build the tool, and uses it on its Facebook, Instagram and Threads platforms; other services that have partnered with the effort include TikTok, Bumble, Reddit, Snap, Niantic, OnlyFans, PornHub, Playhouse and Redgifs.

Absent from that list is, strangely, Google. The tech giant has its own set of tools for reporting non-consensual images, including AI-generated deepfakes. However, failing to participate in one of the few centralized places for scrubbing revenge porn and other private images arguably places an additional burden on victims to take a piecemeal approach to recovering their privacy.

In addition to efforts like StopNCII, the US government has taken some steps this year to specifically address the harms done by the deepfake side of non-consensual images. The US Copyright Office called for new legislation on the subject, and a group of Senators moved to protect victims with the NO FAKES Act, introduced in July.

If you believe you've been the victim of non-consensual intimate image-sharing, you can open a case with StopNCII here and Google here; if you're below the age of 18, you can file a report with NCMEC here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-joins-coalition-to-scrub-revenge-and-deepfake-porn-from-bing-195316677.html?src=rss

Starlink competitor AST SpaceMobile plans orbital launch for next week

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AST SpaceMobile is taking another step toward its goal of providing a space-based mobile communications network — one that would turn any standard smartphone into a satellite phone, no additional hardware required. The company announced that its network of five commercial satellites is scheduled to launch into low-Earth orbit on September 12 from Florida's Cape Canaveral.

The company's five BlueBird satellites are equipped with communications arrays that aim to provide standard off-the-shelf smartphones with the same voice, data and video speeds as a broadband tower. Once in orbit, AST's satellites will provide "non-continuous cellular broadband service across the United States and in select markets globally." The network can allow unmodified mobile phones to act as satellite phones, which would provide an option for cell users to communicate even in areas with limited broadband tower coverage, such as rural communities or national parks.

At the start, this BlueBird network will be focused on servicing beta test customers from the AT&T and Verizon networks. AST landed a deal with AT&T in May to offer satellite communication to its customers. The company also worked with AT&T to complete its first successful two-way voice call over its satellites in April 2023, followed by a successful 4G data download test in June 2023.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/starlink-competitor-ast-spacemobile-plans-orbital-launch-for-next-week-184506804.html?src=rss

Netflix is working on an animated Twilight TV show based on Midnight Sun

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In case the many books and films from the Twilight universe haven't provided enough fodder for your fandom, there's a new TV project in the works about the love-em-or-hate-em sparkly vampires of the Pacific Northwest. An animated series adaptation of Midnight Sun is currently in development at Netflix. Published in 2020, Midnight Sun is a companion to the original Twilight novel, telling the same events of that book from the perspective of Edward Cullen. Yes, the sick, masochistic lion gets to share his side of the story of how he falls for the stupid lamb known as Bella Swan.

The announcement from Netflix doesn't share much beyond the show's existence and the production team. Author Stephanie Meyer will be an executive producer for the series, as she has been for most other projects in the Twilight realm. The only other notable behind-the-scenes news is that Sinead Daly will be the series' writer as well as an executive producer. Daly's past writing credits include Tell Me Lies, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Get Down.

The art team can make or break an animated show's success, so I'm very curious to find out what studio will be brave enough to try recapturing the classic image of Robert Pattinson nearly losing his lunch at his first contact with Kristen Stewart and her intoxicating blood. That and other details about cast and release date will be revealed closer to the show's debut.

Netflix has been putting a lot of resources into its animated programming slate. The streaming service has picked up several series inspired by video game franchises, such as Arcane, Tomb Raider and Minecraft.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflix-is-working-on-an-animated-twilight-tv-show-based-on-midnight-sun-204052491.html?src=rss

ASUS introduces six new Copilot+ PC laptops

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ASUS unveiled a large collection of new Copilot+ PC laptops at IFA 2024, bringing AI power to several of its product lines. The company is splitting this portfolio into two branches, each powered by a different brand's processors. Some of them will have the entry-level Snapdragon X Plus from Qualcomm and others will run on the codenamed Lunar Lake models from Intel, including the new Core Ultra 200V.

The Zenbook S14 is the lightweight option at 2.7 pounds and less than half an inch thick. The 14-inch machine runs on an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor that can provide up to 47 TOPS in its neural processing unit (NPU) for AI performance. Its screen is a 3K 120Hz OLED display. The Zenbook S14 will retail for $1,400. It is available now from the ASUS online store and will be available for pre-order at Best Buy beginning September 6.

Next is the Vivobook S14, another 14-inch laptop running the same Intel processor. This machine has a 16:10 OLED screen and a Dolby Atmos audio system. It's also designed for portability, weighing 2.87 pounds and measuring 0.55 inches thick. The first configuration will be available for pre-order starting September 5, and other versions will be available some time in Q4. It is priced at $1,000. ASUS also added two machines to its Vivobook line of convertible laptops. The Vivobook 14 Flip and Vivobook 16 Flip are due out in Q4, and no pricing is available yet. The 14-inch version has similar specs to its standard laptop counterpart, and offers support for the ASUS Pen 2.0. The 16 Flip also offers the same innards, but with a larger 16-inch OLED screen.

ASUS Vivobook S14
Vivobook S14
ASUS

The other additions to the Intel-powered lineup are the 14-inch Expertbook P5 laptop and the NUC 14 Pro AI mini PC. The Expertbook runs on the same processors as the other laptops, while the mini-PC boasts the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor with up to 48 TOPS for AI performance. Pricing has not been revealed for either machine.

On the Qualcomm side of the announcements are the Vivobook S15 and the ProArt PZ13. The Vivobook S15 has a 15.6-inch 3K 120 Hz OLED display and Dolby Atmos audio. The laptop promises "up to 19+ hours of use" on the battery. It is available now for $900.

The ProArt PZ13 is a detachable laptop with "up to 21 hours of FHD video playback" for battery life. It has a 16:10 3K OLED touchscreen that also supports stylus use and is available now for $1,100.

Microsoft introduced the Copilot+ PC program in May 2024. These machines are built to handle AI processes locally instead of in the cloud, and ASUS had a Vivobook S15 with the Snapdragon X Elite as part of the first wave of Copilot+ PC releases in June. To be branded a Copilot+ PC, computers require an NPU with at least 40 TOPS to manage those tasks. Now that Qualcomm is no longer the exclusive processor provider for Microsoft’s program, we can expect to see more brands potentially following in ASUS' steps.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/asus-introduces-six-new-copilot-pc-laptops-160014998.html?src=rss

Dell brings Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus to Inspiron and Latitude laptops

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Dell revealed details for new models in its Inspiron and Latitude laptop lines at IFA 2024. The company announced in May that it would be powering several of its new devices with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus, and now we have more information about how those processors will work in Dell's collection of Copilot+ PCs.

The Inspiron 14 and the Latitude 5455 can have either the 8-core or 10-core Snapdragon X Plus processors. The 10-core option has clock speeds up to 3.4GHz while the newly announced 8-core goes up to 3.24 GHz. Both versions have the same NPU for AI tasks, which offers up to 45 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) in machine learning performance in support of Microsoft's Copilot AI platform.

Dell Inspiron 14
Inspiron 14
Dell

Both 14-inch laptops are equipped with Qualcomm's Adreno GPUs. The machines have 16:10 FHD+ displays with a 1920x1200 resolution. Dell also highlighted "up to 27 hours" of battery life for the Latitude 5455, which will be available starting September 24, although it hasn't shared pricing information yet. The Inspiron 14 will also be available on September 24 and will retail for $899 in the US.

Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon X Plus line earlier this year. It's a lower-end series than the Snapdragon X Elite, but it still promises enough power to handle the increasing number of AI tasks being asked of modern computers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/dell-brings-qualcomms-snapdragon-x-plus-to-inspiron-and-latitude-laptops-110009714.html?src=rss

Instagram Stories are getting comments

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Instagram is rolling out comments for Stories. Previously, the short-lived Stories could only be replied to in direct messages. This new feature offers a more visible way for users to interact with their friends' posts. The original poster will not receive the comments in a DM; a rep from Meta said that "comments live only on your Story."

Story comments can be turned on or off for any individual post. If enabled, comments can be seen by anyone following an account, but only mutuals can leave comments. As with the Story post type, the comments will disappear after 24 hours. Small profile images of the commenters will appear at the bottom of a person's Story icon, so you'll know there are comments attached before you tap to view the post.

People can still choose to respond to Stories with a DM if the user has their account set to accept those messages. There's also an option to send a DM in response to a Story comment, which you can do by swiping left on the text and tapping the DM icon.

Instagram has been giving users more ways to snazz up their Stories. The posts can be created with customizable templates, get an AI-generated background or use a growing number of interactive stickers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-stories-are-getting-comments-183051677.html?src=rss

ChatGPT has doubled its weekly active users to 200 million

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ChatGPT now has 200 million weekly active users, according to OpenAI. That represents a doubling of the weekly audience of 100 million the company announced last November. A representative from the company told Engadget that API usage has also doubled since the July release of GPT-4o mini.

User numbers aren't the only big growth OpenAI has seen over the past year. CEO Sam Altman reportedly told employees this summer that the company's annualized revenue — which takes a monthly revenue figure and stretches it out over a whole year — had reached $3.4 billion, up from $1.6 billion at the end of 2023.

Separately from today's usercount announcement, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple, Nvidia and Microsoft are in talks to invest in a new fundraising round for OpenAI. The only detail the report had about the scale of this funding round was that it would push OpenAI's valuation above $100 billion.

Microsoft has invested $13 billion into the AI business since 2019, while Apple revealed that ChatGPT will form a large part of its upcoming Apple Intelligence push. Both Microsoft and Apple gave up their seats on OpenAI's board of directors this summer after the European Commission raised antitrust concerns about the businesses' close relationships.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-has-doubled-its-weekly-active-users-to-200-million-233037951.html?src=rss

Nintendo can’t repair your New 3DS because it ran out of parts

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Nintendo has stopped offering repairs for the New Nintendo 3DS. While it's unsurprising for a company to end support for hardware that's a decade old, the reason in this case is that Nintendo has simply run out of parts. The news circulated in a translated social media post from the company's Japanese support team.

Time is also running out for official repairs of the Nintendo 2DS and New Nintendo 3DS LL (known as the XL model in the US). Nintendo said it will stop offering repairs on those handhelds when they likewise deplete their stock of replacement parts.

Nintendo stopped manufacturing the entire 3DS line in 2020. The handhelds had a long and impactful run as the game company's leading handheld. The New 3DS and New 3DS XL shipped 9.94 million units globally at the close of 2016, while the entire 3DS family's sales reached 75.94 million by 2020.

For the time being, US customers can still take advantage of Nintendo's repair service for late-model 3DS XLs. New 3DS owners can still attempt the DIY approach if their handhelds break. Third-party repair platform iFixit currently has a stock of replacement parts and guides for the handheld in its online catalog. But as with any piece of hardware that's getting along in years, it might be wise to exercise a little extra care when you use it. Just like the 3DS eShop, nothing lasts forever.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-cant-repair-your-new-3ds-because-it-ran-out-of-parts-192615658.html?src=rss