Monthly Archives: August 2024

Yelp files antitrust lawsuit against Google

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Yelp has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google. As CNN reports, the move caps off years of animosity between the two companies, with Yelp alleging that Google has leveraged its control over online searching to dominate local queries and prioritize its own reviews. 

"Google abuses its monopoly power in general search to keep users within Google’s owned ecosystem and prevents them from going to rival sites," Yelp Co-founder and CEO Jeremy Stoppelman said in a blog post announcing the suit. "This anticompetitive conduct siphons traffic and advertising revenue from vertical search services, like Yelp, that provide objectively higher quality local business content for consumers."

The US lawsuit could carry extra weight following a Department of Justice case where the judge deemed Google a monopolist over search. The August ruling did not place any sanctions on Google, but it's likely that Yelp's case will be the first of many brought by the tech company's competitors.

In response to a request for comment, a Google spokesperson told Engadget:

“Yelp’s claims are not new. Similar claims were thrown out years ago by the FTC, and recently by the judge in the DOJ’s case. On the other aspects of the decision to which Yelp refers, we are appealing. Google will vigorously defend against Yelp’s meritless claims.”

While this lawsuit centers on the US, Yelp has also been sounding off about Google's practices overseas. The European Digital Markets Act was meant to loosen some of the company's stranglehold over search results with rules to prevent massive tech businesses from favoring their own services. But Yelp argued that Google's attempt at DMA compliance actually made users less likely to leave the Google ecosystem.

In a statement regarding the suit, Yelp’s General Counsel Aaron Schur said:

"Yelp’s antitrust lawsuit against Google addresses how Google abuses its illegal monopoly in general search to engage in anticompetitive conduct, including self-preferencing its own inferior local product, to dominate the local search and local search advertising markets. For years, Google has leveraged its monopoly in general search to pad its own bottom line at the expense of what’s best for consumers, innovation, and fair competition. By willfully engaging in exclusionary, anticompetitive conduct, Google has driven traffic and revenue away from competitors, made it harder for them to scale, and increased their costs, while degrading consumer choice, to grow its own market power.

Judge Amit Mehta’s recent ruling in the government’s antitrust case against Google, finding Google illegally maintained its monopoly in general search, is a watershed moment in antitrust law, and provides a strong foundation for Yelp’s case against Google. In addition to injunctive relief, Yelp seeks a remedy that ensures Google can no longer self-preference in local search. The harms caused by Google’s self-preferencing are not unique to Yelp, and we look forward to telling our story in court."

Update, August 28, 8:15PM ET: This story was updated after publish to include a comment from a Google spokesperson and an additional comment from Yelp's General Counsel.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/yelp-files-antitrust-lawsuit-against-google-230228737.html?src=rss

Did you notice something different about this Nail Clipper? A small design change makes it 2x efficient

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If you’re here reading this, chances are you didn’t figure out what makes this clipper different from other nail clippers… but don’t worry, I’m here to tell you.

Most nail clippers are class 1 levers, given that you apply pressure at one end, and the nails get clipped at the other end. It’s simple, it’s effective, and for the most part, nobody really thinks there’s anything wrong with this format… but the folks at Klhip discovered a way to upgrade this system – simply by changing the type of lever.

Designer: Klhip

The Klhip comes with a fairly stand-out design that feels striking given its all-metal construction. However, the area where it differs from every other nail clipper is in the fact that it switches from a class 1 lever to a class 3 lever. With class 1 levers, the force you apply is on the opposite side of your nail-cutting area. With the Klhip, however, the force applied is right near where your nail is being cut, which makes the overall experience much more ergonomic and efficient, resulting in less force needing to be applied. Imagine using a large pair of scissors to cut a wooden branch versus just swinging an axe. The latter feels intuitively effortless because the point of force is closer to the load area.

The Klhip comes made from 440C surgical-grade stainless steel, with radial blades designed to be sharp enough to provide a clean cut so that you don’t need to file down your nails afterward. If you do, an abrasive surface on the on the Klhip lets you file down any sharp edges, leaving you with the cleanest set of nails. Magnets embedded in the Klhip let you fold down your nail clipper once you’re done, and the Klhip comes with its own metal travel case, with the option to upgrade to a leather pouch too.

The post Did you notice something different about this Nail Clipper? A small design change makes it 2x efficient first appeared on Yanko Design.

ESPN’s Where to Watch offers a TV and streaming guide to sports viewing

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ESPN launched a feature called Where to Watch in its app and website. This guide is a list of all the sporting events happening on a given day and, fittingly, where you can watch them. The resource covers not just ESPN's own channels, but also broadcast, cable and regional sports networks and streaming services. Users can prioritize their favorite leagues and teams to make details about those games front and center. People who are authenticated pay TV customers or ESPN+ subscribers can click through to watch the live events if they are an ESPN network stream or a select partner network.

ESPN is hardly the first to come up with this idea. In fact, you can already see a comprehensive list of all kinds of athletic events on the Sports page of Just Watch. But the fact that it's such a useful tool is a sign of just how convoluted it can be to watch a specific game. Sports leagues are fragmented across a host of rights deals that mean your team might play on one media platform one night and a totally different one the next. For instance, NBA and WNBA matches will predominantly be on ESPN in the coming years. Except for when the games are on NBC and Peacock. And when they're on Prime Video. Resources like Just Watch or ESPN's Where to Watch might give you the information, but they don't reduce the costs of being a loyal viewer.

If that wasn't enough, there are also new sports-centric streaming options on the horizon from ESPN. The Disney-owned company is planning to offer a standalone streaming subscription next year and it's also a partner in the proposed Venu sports streaming package (although that's hit some hurdles).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/espns-where-to-watch-offers-a-tv-and-streaming-guide-to-sports-viewing-221350244.html?src=rss

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has been charged and released from police custody

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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has been formally charged by French prosecutors and is barred from leaving the country amid their investigation into the Russian billionaire. Durov was officially charged Wednesday with “complicity in distributing child pornography, illegal drugs and hacking software” on the messaging app he founded, as well as “refusing to cooperate with investigations into illegal activity on the Telegram,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

Durov, who was arrested outside of Paris on Saturday, was released from police custody after paying €5 million in bail. He is required to stay in France “under court monitoring” and check in at a police station twice a week while the investigation plays out. That could take months or possibly years, as The WSJ points out.

That means Durov, who is known for frequently moving around and working from other countries, will be stuck in France for the foreseeable future unless the charges against him are dropped. In an earlier statement, Telegram called the charges against its founder “absurd” and said that he should not be responsible for the actions of his app’s users.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-has-been-charged-and-released-from-police-custody-214333241.html?src=rss

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland crawls out of its playpen on September 10

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There are a ton of Rugrats games from early CD-ROM games to the Nintendo 64 but there’s never really been one that truly stood out on its own. The MIX Games, Wallride and Limited Run Games may have given us the definitive Rugrats game with Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland set for release on September 10 on Steam and both current and previous-gen consoles.

The new throwback Rugrats game was announced last year almost to the date. Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland looks like it was inspired by those classic NES platformers that fueled your childhood fun and frustration (funstration?). The game comes in two modes: HD mode featuring graphics that look just like the Nicktoon and a special 8-bit mode that looks like it came out on a throwback console.

You’ll be able to play as Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil as you traverse the Pickles house. The babies are pretending that their homestead has transformed into their own video game, which may just be the most adorably meta thing ever.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland can be played in solo or two-player co-op mode. Limited Run Games is also releasing the game on orange and classic gray NES cartridges but you missed your chance to buy one because they’ve already sold out.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/rugrats-adventures-in-gameland-crawls-out-of-its-playpen-on-september-10-212021343.html?src=rss

Reddit is back up after a 30-minute outage

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Reddit is back up after an outage took the site out for half an hour this afternoon. The site appears to have been down across the board, apart from a blank homepage that didn’t contain or point to any content. “We encountered an error,” the website reads. Attempting to navigate to any specific subreddit brought up the error you see above: “We were unable to load the content for this page.” However, as of 4:45PM ET, we began to see seeing subreddits and comments loading again as usual.

The Reddit status update page lists the problem as “Degraded Performance for reddit.com,” and was initially flagged as “Investigating.” At 4:32PM ET, the status was updated as “Identified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.”

At 4:45PM ET, it was updated again as “Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results.” However, the site's performance still labeled as “Degraded.”

Of course, the jokes on social media didn’t take long to start rolling in:

Reddit and Google signed a high-profile deal for the search giant to train its AI on Reddit user data, and search results have been increasingly Reddit-leaning over the past year. Reddit had another major outage earlier this year when it went down for nearly an hour. We’ll keep an eye on the status and update this story accordingly.

Update, August 28, 5PM ET: This story was a published as a developing news artcle about Reddit being down. It was modified after publish with more details about the breadth and length of the outage, and the headline has been changed to reflect the site's current status.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/reddit-is-back-up-after-a-30-minute-outage-203615473.html?src=rss

Get the Pixel 9’s “Add Me” Camera Feature on Any iPhone or Android Device: Here’s How…

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Were you hyped when Google announced the Add Me feature for the Pixel 9 series camera? I’ll be honest, my wave of excitement died down as fast as it hit me. Truth be told, the Add Me feature is pretty impressive – it allows you to click group photos while also including yourself IN the group. The way the Pixel does this is by scanning your surroundings and the subjects in the frame, and once you click the photo, hand the phone (in the same position) to someone else and walk into the frame. The Pixel 9 will ‘add you’ to the existing photo using AI. Sounds truly remarkable, doesn’t it? Well, given how much 3D scanning and AI computation is done in advance to make this possible, this truly is a feat of technology. There’s a problem, however… You can easily achieve nearly similar results using the Panorama setting on any phone camera.

Before we break down how to do this, it’s worth noting that the way the Pixel 9’s Add Me feature and your camera’s Panorama feature work very differently. Which means there are different things to worry about, and a few potential caveats for both methods. The takeaway, however, is that you DON’T need to be excluded from your group photos. You can simply rely on an existing feature on your phone to add yourself into images… without splurging on a fancy $799-$1099 phone, or without using a whole lot of AI.

Start the panorama process, then hand the phone to someone else while you enter the panorama from the right. The small preview window should help you compose a perfectly stitched panorama that includes you!

As far as Pixel 9’s Add Me feature goes, it’s fairly state-of-the-art and does a job most people would be pretty impressed with. You’ve got the phone quite literally scanning the room, separating the subjects from the background, and then adding an extra subject in. This way, you can truly be a part of a photo even if you’re the one clicking it. Just start the clicking process, hand the camera to someone else, and go stand in the frame you composed. You can stand near people, behind them, pretend to touch their shoulder, and the AI does the rest of the work, crunching multiple data points together to seamlessly integrate you into the frame. It’s great, but it has a few cons – aside from the general stitching issues, you need to ensure the phone’s position doesn’t change too much while clicking the image. You also need a Pixel 9 (or higher) to perform this feature, which is the biggest disadvantage of them all. There is, however, the simple solution of just clicking using the panorama mode. The panorama method is ridiculously simple and works on any smartphone (Android or iOS) without any updates. Here’s how you do it.

The final result looks just as good as the ones from Pixel’s Add Me feature… except without using any AI!

Start the panorama process, but deliberately leave the part out where you plan on inserting yourself. Then, hand the phone to someone else and have them continue the panorama, but now with you in it. Hit the shutter button after the panorama’s composed and voila! You’re effectively IN the photo that you started taking! No AI, no fancy camera features, just a genius solution to a simple problem. The Panorama method works 9 times out of 10, making it a solid alternative to Pixel’s Add Me feature. However, it has a few limitations too. Again, aside from the potential stitching issues, the photos you take ALWAYS have to be landscape (because that’s how panoramas are recorded). People in the frame cannot move too much, which could affect the stitching – this means you can’t use this feature in a crowd; your background almost always has to be static. The Panorama Method also works only from left to right, which means the photographer can only be to the right of people. Not the left, and not even behind them. Personally, these limitations feel pretty small when compared to the idea of spending $799 for a new phone. I also give it a year before someone develops a camera app or filter (I’m looking at you, Snapchat) that does this exact same thing as Pixel’s ‘Add Me’. Until then, just go ahead and use the Panorama Method. I promise nobody will know the difference.

The post Get the Pixel 9’s “Add Me” Camera Feature on Any iPhone or Android Device: Here’s How… first appeared on Yanko Design.

Threads is making fediverse replies more visible in its app

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Over the last six months, Meta has slowly begun to make good on its promise to make Threads compatible with the fediverse. The app allows users to share their posts to Mastodon and other Activity Pub-enabled services and began showing replies originating on those services earlier this summer.

Now, Threads is making those replies even more visible by allowing users who have opted in to fediverse sharing to see replies on other people’s posts. With the change, a new “fediverse replies” section will appear underneath posts that have drawn replies from Mastodon servers and other federated accounts.

How replies from Mastodon will appear on threads.
Threads

Practically, this means that a lot more fediverse content will be visible within Threads. Up until now, most users probably weren’t seeing that many replies from Mastodon and other sites unless they had a particularly large following or a post that was widely shared. But now, you’ll be able to see all those replies just by browsing Threads.

As with previous updates, Threads’ support for other Activity Pub content is still limited. Users need to opt-in to fediverse sharing in order to view replies from other apps. The feature, which is still labeled as being in “beta,” notes that some replies may not be visible on the Meta-owned service. And Threads still doesn’t support replies to those replies, which drastically limits the ability to engage with other fediverse users. (In a follow-up, Meta engineer Peter Cottle said adding that functionality is “top of mind.”) But the update might help incentivize more users to open their accounts to the fediverse, which is an important step for anyone hoping to bring decentralized social media into the mainstream.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-making-fediverse-replies-more-visible-in-its-app-194543494.html?src=rss

The New Ford Nugget Camper-Van boasts a Wardrobe, Bathroom, L-Shaped Kitchen, and a Hybrid Powertrain

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The Ford Nugget camper van lineup just got a significant upgrade, perfect for those embracing the #VanLife trend or looking to dip their toes into the nomadic lifestyle. Building on last year’s redesign at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, Ford introduces new models to the Nugget family, including a long-wheelbase version with more kitchen and storage space and an Active trim that’s sportier and offers all-wheel drive. The long-wheelbase version stretches the camper from 505 cm to 545 cm, making room for a larger wardrobe and an L-shaped kitchen, ideal for those who love to cook more elaborate meals on the road. Additionally, the much-anticipated plug-in hybrid version arrives with 56 km of all-electric range, combining eco-friendliness with practicality for European roads. With options for both diesel and hybrid powertrains, the Nugget series caters to different travel styles while ensuring you have the space and features needed to make van life enjoyable and stress-free.

Designer: Ford

The new long-wheelbase Nugget model expands the van’s functionality by increasing its overall length from 505 to 545 cm. This added space is put to practical use, enhancing storage options with a larger wardrobe and a more expansive L-shaped kitchen. The extended countertop is ideal for those who like to prepare meals with more complexity or simply need extra room for their cooking essentials. Storage is a critical factor in the success of any camper van setup, and Ford’s design ensures that the additional space serves both convenience and comfort. The larger kitchen area is designed to house more cookware and utensils, ensuring that everything remains within easy reach while traveling.

Beyond just extra storage, the long-wheelbase version is also set to feature a bathroom in future iterations. While details on the layout remain under wraps, the bathroom will likely be a significant draw for those who prioritize a fully self-contained living space on the road. In earlier models like the Nugget Plus, Ford offered a compact bathroom solution in the tailgate area, complete with a privacy screen and foldaway sink. Whether or not this layout remains unchanged, it’s clear that the addition of a bathroom reflects Ford’s understanding of customer needs in this growing market segment.

The Active trim introduces a more rugged design to the Nugget lineup. It features SUV-inspired styling and durable materials suitable for more challenging environments. With water-resistant seat fabric and advanced driver assistance systems like adaptive cruise control and pre-collision assist, the Active trim blends comfort with safety. The inclusion of AWD further broadens the van’s capabilities, making it more versatile for trips that involve uneven terrain or inclement weather. The powertrain options for this model include a 168-hp EcoBlue diesel engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, offering reliable performance for both highway cruising and countryside exploration.

Perhaps the most significant update is the introduction of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant. Ford delivers on its promise from last year, launching the PHEV just in time for the 2024 season. The hybrid powertrain combines a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle petrol engine with an electric motor, providing a combined output of 230 hp. The 11.8 kWh battery enables up to 56 km of all-electric driving, a feature particularly appealing for eco-conscious travelers or those navigating emission-restricted urban areas. This hybrid setup strikes a balance between efficiency and range, allowing users to enjoy quieter, cleaner drives without sacrificing the practicality of traditional fuel options.

Ford has also integrated the Smart Camper Touchscreen system, allowing centralized control of the van’s features like lighting, heating, and even leveling with the built-in inclinometer. This feature is particularly useful for ensuring a stable and comfortable setup at campsites. The van’s three-room layout—comprising a dining area, kitchen, and pop-up bedroom—remains consistent with previous models but benefits from the increased length and added storage, making longer trips more feasible.

With a base price of €73,126 in Germany, the updated Nugget series remains a premium option within the camper van market. However, the expanded features, enhanced powertrain options, and thoughtful design refinements make it a strong contender for anyone serious about the van life experience. As Ford continues to innovate in this space, the Nugget series evolves from a compact camper into a more comprehensive travel solution, meeting the needs of today’s increasingly diverse group of road adventurers.

 

The post The New Ford Nugget Camper-Van boasts a Wardrobe, Bathroom, L-Shaped Kitchen, and a Hybrid Powertrain first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple’s latest iOS and iPadOS developer betas include an AI object removal tool for Photos

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Apple's latest iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 developer betas are here, and they include a few new Apple Intelligence features. The most notable is a Clean Up tool in the Photos app, which sounds very much like Google's Magic Eraser. The idea is that you'll be able to remove background objects from your snaps without modifying the subject — even if the undesirable item overlaps the person you're focusing on. According to Apple, the tool can remove the shadow and the reflection of an unwanted object too.

The company notes that the Photos app will identify distracting background elements for you, so you should be able to remove them with a tap. Otherwise, you can circle or brush over an object you want to nix. Clean Up works for finer details when you zoom in too. The tool is compatible with every image on your camera roll, including those you took with an earlier iPhone or iPad, or even a DSLR.

There's one other smaller Apple Intelligence update in the latest beta. Those who have been checking out previous builds have been able to receive summaries of multiple Mail and Messages notifications. This feature will now work for other apps.

There are several other Apple Intelligence features that the company has announced but is yet to start testing in developer betas, including image and emoji generation, priority notifications, in-app actions and personal context updates for Siri, availability for other languages and platforms and, of course, ChatGPT integration.

The only devices that support Apple Intelligence features at the minute are the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and Macs and iPads with an M1 chip or newer. Anyone with a compatible iPhone or iPad can install the latest iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 developer betas, but it's always worth bearing in mind that betas can have bugs. So be sure to at least back up your data first if you don't have a secondary device for testing and you don't want to run the risk of having any major issues on the phone you use all the time.

Apple Intelligence features are unlikely to be included in the first retail versions of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, which should be available soon after next month's iPhone 16 event. They'll probably start to roll out in iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, which are expected to be available to everyone in October.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apples-latest-ios-and-ipados-developer-betas-include-an-ai-object-removal-tool-for-photos-185215465.html?src=rss