President-elect Donald Trump has named Elon Musk as the leader of a new Department of Government Efficiency," that will dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies. The Tesla CEO and owner of X will spearhead the effort along with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump announced in a statement on Truth Social.
The scope of the role isnt exactly clear. Trumps press release said that the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before. It also stated that their work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026.
pic.twitter.com/Vnk4MCAofY Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2024
Musk shared the news on X, but didnt indicate how the role might impact his obligations at his various other companies. Musk, who poured millions of dollars into Super Pac boosting Trumps campaign, has previously talked about his desire to work with Trump to cut government spending. He did, however, joke about potential "merch" for the operation. "Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of 'DOGE' for a very long time," Trump's statement said. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-will-lead-a-new-department-of-government-efficiency-donald-trump-says-015521217.html?src=rss
Amazon is closing down Freevee, its free ad-supported video on demand service. This platform was home to original programming as well as more than 100 originals from the Prime Video roster. Freevee will be phased out over the coming weeks, and its content will become available as part of Prime Video. The ad-supported tier of Prime Video is included as part of Amazon's Prime membership for $15 a month.
"To deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers, we have decided to phase out Freevee branding," an Amazon spokesperson told Variety. "There will be no change to the content available for Prime members, and a vast offering of free streaming content will still be accessible for non-Prime members, including select originals from Amazon MGM Studios, a variety of licensed movies and series, and a broad library of FAST channels all available on Prime Video."
The free viewing platform went through several rebrands since its original launch as IMDb Freedive in January 2019. It entered its final phase as Freevee in April 2022.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-sunsets-freevee-platform-for-ad-supported-streaming-video-000614080.html?src=rss
This year's action RPG Stellar Blade has been a solid win for Sony as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. Developer Shift Up revealed in a recent quarterly earnings report that sales "have remained steady even as the initial surge has calmed" following its spring launch. But there may be a second boost coming for the game, because the studio is planning a PC port of Stellar Blade some time next year.
"Given recent trends like Steams growing presence in the AAA games market and the global success of Black Myth: Wukong, we are expecting the PC version to perform even better than the console version," the Korean company said when asked about their PC plans during the presentation.
The title referenced, Black Myth: Wukong, was able to set a new record for concurrent players in a single-player game on Steam when it launched on the platform in August. That's a lofty goal for any game to reach, so we'll have to see how successful Shift Up can be in reaching an international audience on PC.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ps5-exclusive-stellar-blade-is-coming-to-pc-231625263.html?src=rss
Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira received a 15-year sentence in federal prison for leaking classified military documents on Discord in a Boston federal court, according to The Washington Post.
Teixeira appeared before the court earlier today and asked the judge for leniency. He also issued a statement apologizing for all of the harm that Ive caused, to my friends, family and those overseas.
Defense attorney Michael Bachrach also claimed that Teixeira was subjected to bullying in high school and his military unit as an adjudicating factor for his actions. Judge Indira Talwani didnt buy the defenses bullying claims stating that the Air Force has already disciplined 15 other members connected to Teixeira for not taking more actions that might have stopped him from doing this.
Teixeira shared classified military documents as far back as late 2022 on a Discord server dedicated to the pixelated sandbox game Minecraft. The leak included information about the Ukrainian and Russian troop movements and military equipment used in the war in Ukraine and Russia's attempts to obtain more weapons from Egypt and Turkey. The documents eventually found their way to other Discord servers as well as 4chan and Telegram.
FBI officials arrested Teixeira at his home in April of last year. Teixeira originally agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors in March that included a 16-year prison sentence for pleading guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information and violating the Espionage Act. If he stuck with his not guilty plea and received a guilty verdict, Teixeira faced a much steeper maximum prison term of 60 years.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/discord-leaker-jack-teixeira-gets-15-year-sentence-for-sharing-classified-documents-231319586.html?src=rss
Apple is rumored to be working on a new smart home product. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reported that the company is developing a wall-mounted display for controlling appliances, interacting with Siri and videoconferencing. The tablet is said to look "like a square iPad" with "a roughly 6-inch screen." It would have a camera at the top as well as internal speakers and a built-in rechargeable battery. His sources said this smart home display could be officially announced as soon as March following three years in development.
This description sounds a lot like the Google Home Hub, which came out in 2018, or the Echo Show, which is already up to its eighth iteration. If Apple wants to be a serious competitor in this smart home space, it'll have to prove to customers that it has something to offer that these more established brands and products don't.
Right now, the only distinguishing feature is likely Apple Intelligence, which finally began rolling out to users in late October, and the upcoming App Intents system for controlling software programs with AI. But Apple may be looking farther ahead toward something more extravagant than just a smart device control panel. Gurman reported that Apple is already working on a version with a robotic arm that could move the tablet around. It should be interesting to see exactly what Apple does formally launch and when.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/apple-could-launch-a-smart-home-control-center-next-year-222136073.html?src=rss
More than 200 employees of 23andMe are being laid off as part of the companys ongoing cost-cutting measures. The layoffs will impact 40 percent of the genetic testing companys workforce.
23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki said in a statement released on Monday that the staff reduction would save the beleaguered company more than $35 million. She called the layoffs difficult but necessary actions as we restructure 23andMe and focus on the long-term success of our core consumer business and research partnerships.
The company also announced it will start to shut down its therapeutics clinical programs that used its genetic database to research and develop new drugs. The therapeutics division housed two immuno-oncology programs that investigated therapeutic antibodies designed to restore the ability of the bodys immune cells to kill cancer cells, according to the divisions website.
The San Francisco-based company has not had an easy year. Hackers hit the genetics giant in April of last year and leaked information of 6.9 million customers. The data breach went unnoticed for a year and a half, leading to a $30 million settlement of a class action lawsuit and resignations from the companys entire board.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/23andme-is-laying-off-40-percent-of-its-staff-221207302.html?src=rss
The initial buzz for Apples mixed-reality headset has died down, but new apps and experiences are still arriving for consumers who plunked down $3,500. The UK broadcaster Channel 4 just dropped a dedicated streaming app for the headset, which lets users watch stuff in ground-breaking cinema-style.
Channel 4 is the first UK broadcaster to take this step. The app leverages the tech inside the headset to overlay streaming content on the real world, which allows for a full-screen viewing experience of stuff like The Great British Bake Off and Taskmaster, in addition to multi-screen view.
Speaking of Taskmaster, the broadcaster also announced an environment based on the comedy game show. Environments on the AVP transform the world around the user, so people can watch Taskmaster while sitting in a room inspired by Taskmaster (cue that Xzibit Yo Dawg meme.) Other streaming apps have their own environments. Paramount+ offers one based on SpongeBob Squarepants and Disney+ now includes one set in Iceland.
This app doesnt feature access to the recently-released Taskmaster VR experience. That ones still tied to Steam VR and Meta Quest. By most accounts, its a pretty bad game, so the Vision Pro isnt missing much.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/channel-4-in-the-uk-now-has-a-dedicated-app-for-apple-vision-pro-200027166.html?src=rss
Apple has a history of eye-popping price tags, but the company is reaching new heights with a product that isn't even a gadget. After Apple Music unveiled a list of the 100 best albums of all time earlier this year, the streaming service is releasing a companion coffee table book. You can grab one of the 1,500 copies for a cool $450.
I find these endeavors to rank and quantify art hilarious, because music is subjective and personal by nature. But people do love to debate their own artistic opinions, so if that's your jam there's plenty to dig into with Apple Music's assessment. (And before you ask, the top spot was claimed by The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.) This particular countdown was assembled by "Apple Musics team of experts alongside an exclusive group of artists including Maren Morris, Pharrell Williams, J Balvin, Charli XCX, Mark Hoppus, Honey Dijon and Nia Archives, as well as songwriters, producers and industry professionals," according to the book listing.
I'm sure this limited-run hardcover will be very beautiful, and maybe the liner notes analyzing each entry are deeply insightful. But I also wonder who would bother to buy it. If you are one of those 1,500 people who wants one, the book is due to start shipping in January.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/the-coffee-table-book-of-apple-musics-best-100-albums-will-set-you-back-450-193018825.html?src=rss
Cadillac is adding to its fleet of EVs with a new luxury SUV. The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq is a three-row, all-electric SUV that will hit showrooms and dealerships sometime next summer with a starting price of $78,790.
The Vistiqs dual-motor, all-wheel drive system runs on a 102 kWh battery pack with a range of 300 miles that produces 615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. The Vistiq also supports vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional charging capabilities: it can charge at home, and also deliver electricity to your house during a power outage. Using the features requires buying the GM Energy V2H bundle though.
The SUVs design borrows aesthetically from other Cadillac EVs. Like the Lyriq, it has flush door handles, and features similar looking lights and side panels. It also matches the Lyriqs 300 mile range. The swept-back windshield and Black Crystal Shield grill evoke the Escalade IQ.
Of course, the Vistiq's power and price are different from its Cadillac EV's. The new Cadillac EV SUV is less expensive than an Escalade IQ ($129,990) but more than a Lyriq ($58,595), and the Escalade IQ has a higher peak battery range at 450 miles.
The Vistiq comes with a 23-speaker AKG7 Studio Audio system with Dolby Atmos. The Android-powered infotainment system is baked into a 33-inch high resolution LED display. The Verge also reported that the new EVs navigation system uses Google Maps and can run other apps from the Google Play Store.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wont be available in Cadillacs newest EV. General Motors is phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its EVs and plans to go with Android Automotive. GMs Executive Director of Digital Cockpit Experience Edward Kummer said in a Reuters interview that the carmaker didnt want any features in its EVs that are dependent on a person having a cellphone.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/cadillac-reveals-the-2026-vistiq-ev-suv-191557412.html?src=rss
Is Fortnite old enough to elicit nostalgia? Last years trial run of bringing back the battle royale games original map, weapons and early seasons would suggest so at least for folks of a certain age. That test led to record-breaking player counts, topping 44.7 million in October 2023. Epic Games said on Tuesday that the OG Fortnite rewind is coming back again, and this time, its for good.
OG Fortnite will let you play the original map, along with the loot and seasons as they were in 2017. In addition to the nostalgia factor, many players appreciate that eras simpler gameplay mechanics, map designs, weapons and items. It was also before expansion updates that added new game modes (it was Battle Royale only) and vehicles like cars, boats and helicopters.
Old-school Fortnite fans have less than a month to wait. The OG version returns to the game on December 6.
Blizzard must have seen something it liked in the 2023 trial. It borrowed a page from Epic and brought back Overwatch in its original form for a three-week event starting today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnite-will-turn-back-the-clock-again-on-december-6-185956191.html?src=rss
