Although people globally are torn over whether brands should weigh in on politics more, most say they have made brand choices to express their own personal politics, according to recent research. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Some 80% of people say they're tired of seeing clickbait titles or misleading thumbnails from content creators, and 77% say they unfollow accounts that use those tactics, according to recent research. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Meta had plans to build an AI data center in the US that relies on nuclear power it even already knew where it wanted the facility to be built. According to the Financial Times, though, the company had to scrap its plans, because the a rare bee species was discovered on the land reserved for the project. Company chief Mark Zuckerberg was reportedly ready to close a deal with an existing nuclear power plant operator that would provide emissions-free energy to the plant. The Times said he told staff members at an all-hands last week that pushing through wouldn't have been possible, because the company would encounter numerous regulatory challenges due to the bees' discovery.
Zuckerberg reportedly told his staff that Meta would've had the first nuclear-powered AI if the deal had gone ahead. It still might come true if the company could find a way, but it has to move quickly because its biggest rivals are investing in nuclear energy, as well. In September, Microsoft revealed that it intends to revive the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to provide energy for its AI efforts. Meanwhile, Google teamed up with startup Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the US to power its data centers starting in 2030. And then there's Amazon, which announced three agreements with different companies to build small modular reactors in mid-October.
The Times didn't say whether Meta is looking for a new site one that doesn't have rare bees living in its vicinity. One of its sources only said that Meta is still exploring various deals for emissions-free energy, including nuclear, to power its future AI data centers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/bees-reportedly-stopped-meta-from-building-a-nuclear-powered-ai-data-center-143050114.html?src=rss
Nintendo was prepared to suck it up financially this year as sales of its aging Switch decline, but things are going a bit worse than it hoped. After selling fewer consoles than it expected over the last two quarters (4.72 million compared to 6.84 million last year), the company has downgraded its sales forecast from 13.5 million consoles to 12.5 million a cool one million unit drop. The company also lowered its sales forecast by 5.2 percent to 1.28 trillion yen ($8.41 billion), thought it expects the same net profit as last year.
The company saw decent financials last fiscal year (ending in March 2024) despite the fact that the Switch was first released in 2017. It achieved that largely through the release of the much-anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game and to a lesser extent, the launch of the Super Mario Bros. Movie.
However, "there were no such special factors in the first half of this fiscal year and with Nintendo Switch now in its eighth years since launch, unit sales of both hardware and software decreased significantly year-on-year," the company said in its IR explanatory materials. There were some bright spots, though, like a slight boost in Switch sales over last quarter due to the launch of the Switch Lite: Hyrule Edition and other bundled hardware/software releases.
The Switch is Nintendo's second-best selling console of all time after the DS, but it has definitely run its course. That means the company will be banking heavily on its next-gen Switch 2 console, but it won't be announced until early next year so it's not likely to see improved sales in the near future. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-expects-to-sell-fewer-switches-than-planned-as-new-model-looms-140031461.html?src=rss
If you have an iPhone that can run iOS 18, then you can now download and install the beta version of iOS 18.2 through the Apple Beta Software Program on your device. One of the most useful features included in the experimental OS is the capability to share the location of a lost item connected to Apple's Find My network with a third party. You can already share an item's location with people in your contacts list, but Apple says this could help in instances wherein you have to rely on the help of a stranger. In case your suitcase goes missing, for instance, you can send its location to an airline staff or airport personnel.
When you choose "Share Item Location" in the Find My app, you'll get the option to share a link that shows the location of your missing item. The link's recipient will be able to open it on any device, even if it's not an iPhone or an iPad, and they'll also be able to see your Apple account email and/or phone number so that they can get in touch with you. You'll be able to see how many people visited the link, and they do expire either after you're reunited with your lost belonging or after a week if you haven't found it by then.
Of course, installing beta software does have its downsides. There's a higher chance of running into bugs, and some apps or features might still not work as Apple had intended. If you don't mind and want to test iOS 18.2, you'll have to sign up to Apple's Beta Software Program and then select new Beta Updates under Software Updates in your device's Settings menu. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apples-latest-find-my-update-makes-it-easier-to-find-lost-items-133049512.html?src=rss
Election day 2024 has finally arrived in the US and the race between vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump is so close we're all going to be glued to our screens waiting to see what happens. Apple is making sure you see developments right away (and can't take any breaks from it) with Live Activities, AppleInsider reports. Starting Tuesday night, Apple News will display the ongoing US election results as a Live Activity.
The Live Activity tracker will show up on your lock screen and give you the latest election updates. It's available on iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches. If your device has a Dynamic Island, then you'll also be able to track the electoral college results there.
If you're interested in receiving Live Activity updates about the election, you can turn it on through Apple News. Click "Follow the 2024 election live" banner or open the "Election 2024" tab and you should see a notification about enabling it. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/track-us-election-results-with-apples-live-activity-feature-130032299.html?src=rss
The block button on X has changed. Now, it allows blocked users to see posts of the accounts that blocked them, but they still cant interact with those accounts. You also cant follow or message the user.
X previously said it was making the change because users can already see and interact with blocked accounts by switching to a non-blocked account. X also said blocking the old way could be used to share and hide harmful or private information about those theyve blocked, so the new feature allows greater transparency.
Experts on social-media abuse disagree, noting these changes will help stalkers and trolls. Enabling blocked users to see posts is catering to abusers and stalkers, indulging and facilitating their behaviors, wrote London Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman last month.
While that is unlikely to sway opinion at X, the changes may run afoul of rules on iOS and Google Play app stores. Apple, for one, states in its developer terms of service that any apps with user-generated content must offer the ability to block abusive users from the service. Theres still a block button, of course, but its not really blocking anyone anymore.
Mat Smith
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The biggest tech stories you missed
NLRB accuses Grindr of using a return-to-office mandate to upend a unionization drive
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Over 50 enhanced games will be available for PS5 Pro at launch
Advanced ray tracing, higher frame rates and more.
Sony just published a list of 50-plus games with enhanced versions when the console launches later this week. It includes hits like Baldurs Gate 3, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Marvels Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarök. Expect to see improvements like advanced ray tracing, higher frame rates and Sonys proprietary upscaling system, called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. Gran Turismo 7 is missing, despite an already announced enhanced version. It must not be ready yet. Final Fantasy XVI is also absent from the list, with its own frame rate struggles on the base PS5.
Continue reading.
Netflix is removing much of its interactive content
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch will survive the cull.
Netflix
Netflix is deleting much of its interactive content, according to The Verge. The platform currently lists 24 Interactive Specials, but only four of them will remain after December 1. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls will all live to stream another day. Sadly, specials based on Carmen Sandiego, Boss Baby and Puss in Boots, wont.
Continue reading.
Amazon will tap AI to recap what youre watching
The betas available to Fire TV customers from today.
Amazon just launched a new tool for Prime Video that uses AI to generate personalized recaps. X-Ray Recaps uses generative AI to create brief, easy-to-digest summaries of entire TV seasons, single episodes or even portions of episodes. All personalized. So the recap will go up to the exact minute of where you are watching. There are a lot of limits, however: X-Ray Recaps launches in beta for Fire TV customers and right now, it only works with content made by Amazon MGM Studios, like Upload, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Wheel of Time and The Boys.
Still, it might be a good time for me to finally get into The Boys.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121520786.html?src=rss
Microsoft, Xbox and Halo Studios are celebrating Halo 2's 20th anniversary by releasing recreations of some of the game's most memorable maps on Halo Infinite, as well as its E3 demo that's probably one of the most important moments of the franchise's history. The demo Bungie presented at E3 way back in 2003 showed the future of Halo and demonstrated what the Xbox, as a console, was capable of. It even featured gameplay that never made its way to the finished game. "The response to the demo at E3 was electric," Halo community director Brian Jarrard said.
That demo went public more than a year before the game's actual release date, and it was built on an engine that no longer exists. It only became possible to make it available for fans to play because community modders and the game's community as a whole pitched in to restore it. The "wider Halo community" helped recover its original files and assets, while a team of community modders developed the tools needed to recreate the demo and to improve upon the original.
"Steven Garcia (known to the community as General_101) was vital in getting this scenario stood up and even improved over the original. He was a one-man army and did a significant chunk of the work in developing tools, updating scripts, and even arting the levels. Digsite team members Ludus, Neo Te Aika, Sean T, xScruffyDaSasquatchx, and Killzone then provided finishing touches to replicate the original demo experience and test for bugs. Without them, we would probably have only had a rather unceremonious drop of raw assets and that was it," said Halo Senior Franchise writer Kenneth Peters.
The Halo 2 E3 2003 demo will be available as a free mod on Steam Workshop for the Halo: The Master Chief Collection starting on November 9.
In addition, Halo Studios is adding new maps to Halo Infinite's Delta Playlist that will be a blast to the past for long-time fans of the franchise. They're modern recreations of Halo 2 multiplayer maps that were rebuilt in Forge, Halo's suite of in-game tools, by community "Forgers." Xbox adjusted the gameplay in the Delta Arena, as well, disabling sprint and clamber, enabling friendly collision and higher jumps to recreate the original feel of Halo 2. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/youll-soon-be-able-to-play-halo-2s-iconic-e3-demo-in-honor-of-its-20th-anniversary-120020668.html?src=rss
Proton's latest VPN app will be among the first to work natively on Windows ARM PCs, the company announced. The new app was built in collaboration with Microsoft by the same team that developed the encrypted Proton Mail service and promises "best in class security and privacy" on Windows ARM devices, according to Proton.
The ARM app offers the same functionality as the x86 version and natively supports Proton VPNs core security and privacy features. Normally, native support means it should also load and run a bit quicker than x86 apps running on Windows 11's emulator, but improved security is the main selling point.
As for its claim to be among the first native Windows ARM VPN apps, rival Surfshark launched such an app in August and NordVPN recently said that it's planning to release an ARM-native app "this autumn."
Proton also revealed its upcoming winter 2024 roadmap, promising new apps for iOS and iPadOS. Those will include commonly requested features like sorting servers by load, selecting a server based on its city, hiding free servers and more. Proton also promised IPv6 support in more apps, port forwarding on macOS and Linux plus guest modes for iOS and iPadOS.
Proton's app topped our best VPN services list for 2024, thanks to its overall security, usability and privacy features. It also offers a no-logs policy, an open-source framework and an official vulnerability disclosure program. There's a free version (with access limited to servers in three countries) or a paid version starting at 4.99 euros ($5.44) per month. Proton recently released an Apple TV app that allow customers with a paid plan to stream their media content from any location on Apple's set-top box.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/protons-vpn-app-now-works-natively-on-windows-arm-devices-110054749.html?src=rss
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has filed a complaint against Grindr. According to Bloomberg, the agency alleges that a return-to-office (RTO) mandate that limited remote work and effectively meant a relocation requirement for many workers was an attempt to fend off a unionization drive. Around 80 of Grindr's 178 employees quit as a result of last year's RTO demand, according to the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
The NLRB's general counsel office has accused Grindr of violating labor law by retaliating against workers who were attempting to organize. Per Bloomberg, the agency additionally claims the company refused to recognize the union or to negotiate with it in good faith, which would also be a violation of labor law.
A Grindr spokesperson told the publication that the claims were "meritless." They added that some employees started signing union cards "only after it was known that the transition back to in-office work was underway."
According to the CWA, the company announced on August 4 last year that workers would have to attend its offices at least two days a week. A supermajority of workers announced their unionization in July. The union claims that, by the end of August, around half of the staff had been forced to resign. This, in part, was said to a result of relocation requirements.
Among other issues, having to relocate would have required some of Grindr's trans employees to find alternate healthcare providers, the union has said. "The RTO mandate gave workers two weeks to choose between ending their tenure at Grindr or relocating to their respective teams newly assigned 'hub' city to work in-person twice a week," the CWA said when it filed an Unfair Labor Practice against Grindr in September 2023. As CNN noted, many of the workers who had been hired remotely were suddenly required to report to a Grindr office in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Washington DC.
This is hardly the first time Grindr has been in hot water lately. Earlier this year, the company was sued for allegedly sharing personal information including HIV statuses and test dates, ethnicity and sexual orientation with advertising companies without users' consent.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/nlrb-accuses-grindr-of-using-a-return-to-office-mandate-to-upend-a-unionization-drive-211507122.html?src=rss
