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Hulu on Disney+ officially launches, bringing together Mickey Mouse and The Handmaid’s Tale

Disney didn’t waste much absorbing Hulu into its multimedia maw. After taking full ownership of Hulu last November, the company started beta testing integration with Disney+ a month later. Today, Hulu on Disney+ is officially coming out of beta, making it easy for subscribers to access content for both services. Really, though, it’s a way for Disney to push the value of its Hulu bundle, which starts at $9.99 a month with ads. If you want to go ad-free and download content for offline viewing, there’s the Duo Premium bundle for $19.99 a month. And if you don’t have a Hulu subscription, you’ll get a notification that you can join within Disney+ for $2 more a month.

Existing bundle subscribers can hop into Hulu’s shows using a new tab on Disney+, and the company says Hulu content like Shogun and The Handmaid’s Tale will also be highlighted in the main carousel of shows and content recommendations. If you’re old school (like me) and subscribe to Disney+ and Hulu separately, you can also start viewing Hulu content easily (assuming you’re using the same e-mail address for both services).

I didn’t have any trouble launching Shogun on my Disney+ app, but I was disappointed to find that my existing Hulu viewing progress didn’t carry over. That’ll be particularly annoying for people catching up on older multi-season shows, since they’ll have to manually figure out where they left off.

“This marks the most significant technical, operational, and product evolution for Disney+ since its launch – one that reflects a wider technology transformation that we have been undertaking,” said Aaron LaBerge, President & CTO, Disney Entertainment & ESPN, in a statement. “That work is going to drive an enhanced, more engaging user experience with Disney+ and lays the foundation for the innovations and enhancements we are planning for the future.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hulu-on-disney-officially-launches-bringing-together-mickey-mouse-and-the-handmaids-tale-152114434.html?src=rss

Eight years after launch, No Man’s Sky gets computer-generated space stations that are different each time

No Man’s Sky is still getting major updates. Developer Hello Games’ “Orbital” update, due Wednesday, adds procedurally generated space stations (so they’ll be different every time), a ship editor and a Guild system to the nearly eight-year-old space exploration sim.

Up until now, space stations have been one of the few parts of No Man’s Sky that weren’t created and randomized by algorithms as something truly unique. That changes with today’s update, which uses game engine upgrades to “create vast interior spaces and exterior spaces, with improved reflection and metallic surfaces.”

The stations’ broader scale will be evident from the outside, while their interiors will include new shops, gameplay and things to do. Hello Games describes them as being “uniquely customized” based on their virtual inhabitants’ system, race and locale.

Hello Games

Inside the stations, you’ll find the new ship editor. Hello Games says it previously withheld ship customization to maintain the title’s focus on exploration. (If players could build any ship they wanted at any time, it could ruin some of the fun of scouting out existing ones to buy in-game.) In that spirit, you’ll still need to collect, trade and salvage the parts to build yours how you like it.

The game’s upgraded Guild system, also in today’s update, makes factions a bigger part of the experience. You can find new Guild envoys on space stations, where you can join the club, get supplies and precious commodities and donate to boost your status in the group.

Fleets are getting better, too. With today’s update, you can send your frigate fleet on away missions — and if they run into trouble, you can swoop in and save the day. It sounds like a fun nuance to help scratch anyone’s space fantasy itch.

No Man’s Sky owners can install the Orbital update — also including engine improvements, a UI refresh and “much more” — today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/eight-years-after-launch-no-mans-sky-gets-computer-generated-space-stations-that-are-different-each-time-140030734.html?src=rss

The Google Pixel 8 is $230 off and down to a new record-low price

There’s good news for anyone looking to upgrade their phone as the Google Pixel 8 is currently down to a record-low price. Woot is running a 33 percent discount on the new Google Pixel 8 — one of our picks for 2024’s best smartphones — dropping its cost to $470 from $700. The sale is on for the next five days or until the smartphone sells out.

The new Google Pixel 8 launched last October and scored a 90 in our review due to features like its Tensor G3 chip. Google claims the chip allows the Pixel 8 to support more text and natural voice recognition. Plus, the company boasts that the G3 chip has twice the number of machine learning models as the G1 in the Pixel 6. This strength is more important than ever with AI’s growth and the recent launch of Magic Editor, a content-aware fill and lasso hybrid.

Externally, the Google Pixel 8 looks a little different. The screen has shrunk a tad to 6.2 inches from 6.3 inches screen on the Pixel 7 — a small but noticeable change. Also visible on the smartphone are a 50MP primary camera and a 12MP ultra-wide camera.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-google-pixel-8-is-230-off-and-down-to-a-new-record-low-price-131621967.html?src=rss

Apple refutes every claim made in DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit

It never blocked competitors’ apps and services, and it doesn’t employ anticompetitive tactics preventing users from breaking out of its “walled garden,” Apple said in response to the antitrust lawsuit filed against it by the Department of Justice. The company refuted the agency’s claims in statements shared with Apple Insider, expanding upon its earlier response that the lawsuit would hinder its ability to create devices and software that made it one of the most valuable companies in the world.

The DOJ accused Apple of illegally monopolizing the software app market by imposing limitations on iOS that degrade the compatibility of innovative apps and cloud streaming services with the mobile platform. But the company claimed it only selectively restricts the APIs app developers have access to in order to protect user privacy and security. It gave the same reason for why it implements limitations for third-party digital wallets. The company also said that it never blocked “super apps” from its platforms, pointing out that Facebook, WeChat and Line are available for iOS users. Game streaming services, it clarified, have always been welcome in the App Store, as well.

In response to the accusation that it is anticompetitive for the Apple Watch to be capable of deeper integration with the iPhone compared to rival wearables’, the company explained that offering wide support for all smartwatches means having to develop products with every OS and model in mind. Most importantly, Apple denied that it’s making it difficult for users to switch to competing products, whether it’s because of iMessage’s lack of interoperability with Android or any other reason. Users can easily transfer data from iPhone to Android devices, it reportedly said while suggesting that people may not be switching to its competitors because they simply love its products.

Apple previously said that the lawsuit, if successful, would “set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.” It vowed to “vigorously defend against it.” US Attorney General Merrick Garland wrote in a press release, however, that “Apple undermines apps, products, and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone” and that it’s “discouraging innovation” that threatens its monopoly by stifling innovation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-refutes-every-claim-made-in-dojs-antitrust-lawsuit-123223870.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple’s WWDC 2024 kicks off June 10

Apple’s 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is June 10 to 14. WWDC is typically a software-centric event, so it’s highly likely we’ll get our first look at iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, macOS 15 and watchOS 11. It may also be a good chance for Apple to upgrade its visionOS software for Vision Pro.

Engadget

There may be hardware too. Last year’s WWDC included a detailed presentation on the Vision Pro and the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air. This year? Another Vision Pro? A Mac Mini? Place your bets.

— Mat Smith

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PS5’s Game Help feature will source videos from other players

It was pretty useless.

Game Help shared developer-created tips and videos for PS5 games, bubbling up advice depending on where you were in a game. Unfortunately, in my experience, it was rarely useful advice. That might improve soon, as Sony adds videos from other gamers for those tricky bosses and segments. Community tips will be accessible in the same way as Game Help: click the PS button, launch the Control Center and find an Action Card labeled Hints Inside. Any card with gamer videos will have a Community Game Help label and players will be able to rate tips’ usefulness.

Continue reading.

Microsoft merges its Windows and Surface teams under one leader

Pavan Davuluri has been with Microsoft for 23 years.

Engadget

Microsoft is bringing together its Windows experiences and devices teams into one division. Pavan Davuluri, who’s been head of the Surface team since last year, will now also lead Windows experiences after Mikhail Parakhin’s departure. Perhaps interestingly, Parakhin vacated his role a week after Microsoft hired DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman, who apparently asked Parakhin to report to him directly.

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This camera captures 156.3 trillion frames per second

Super super super super slow mo.

Engadget

Scientists have created a scientific camera that shoots images at an encoding rate of 156.3 terahertz (THz) to individual pixels — equivalent to 156.3 trillion frames per second. Dubbed SCARF (swept-coded aperture real-time femtophotography), the research-grade camera could lead to breakthroughs in fields studying micro-events impossible to capture on existing scientific imaging equipment. SCARF could open new frontiers in areas as diverse as shock wave mechanics or the development of more effective medicine.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apples-wwdc-2024-kicks-off-june-10-111519275.html?src=rss

The Grok chatbot will soon be enabled for X Premium users, Elon Musk says

xAI’s Grok chatbot, the Elon Musk-helmed company’s answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, will be available to X’s Premium subscribers later this week. Musk has announced Grok’s expanded availability in a tweet, along with an instructional video on how to post a conversation with the chatbot directly on the X website. Grok has been available to X’s Premium+ subscribers since it exited early beta, but that paid tier on the social network costs $16 a month or $168 for the full year when billed annually. Since the Premium tier costs half that much at $8 a month or $84 a year, this rollout makes Grok a bit more accessible.

Later this week, Grok will be enabled for all premium subscribers (not just premium+) https://t.co/4u9lbLwe23

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 26, 2024

Musk’s xAI open sourced its Grok-1 model, which powers its chatbot, in mid-March. Just a couple of weeks before that, the executive sued OpenAI and Sam Altman, accusing them of chasing profits and abandoning their non-profit mission. Musk was one of OpenAI’s earliest supporters and funded its operations when it was just starting out. In his lawsuit, he claimed that OpenAI was developing generative artificial intelligence “to maximize profits for Microsoft, rather than for the benefit of humanity.” That, he said, was a “stark betrayal of the Founding Agreement.”

But in a rebuttal of his claims, OpenAI said that there “is no Founding Agreement, or any agreement at all with Musk” to open source its technology. The company said that Musk did not only know that it was going to transition into a for-profit entity, he was also involved in its planning and originally wanted majority equity, control of the initial board of directors and the CEO position.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-grok-chatbot-will-soon-be-enabled-for-x-premium-users-elon-musk-says-083931821.html?src=rss

The FTC might sue TikTok over its handling of users’ privacy and security

TikTok, already fighting a proposed law that could lead to a ban of the app in the United States, may soon also find itself in the crosshairs of the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC is close to wrapping up a multiyear investigation into the company, which could result in a lawsuit or major fine, Politico reports.

The investigation is reportedly centered around the app’s privacy and security practices, including its handling of children’s user data. According to Politico, the FTC is looking into potential violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), as well as “allegations that the company misled its users by stating falsely that individuals in China do not have access to U.S. user data.” TikTok could also be penalized for violating the terms of its 2019 settlement with regulators over data privacy.

While it’s not clear if the FTC’s investigation will result in a lawsuit or other action, the investigation is yet another source of pressure for the company as it tries to secure its future in its largest market.. After a quick passage in the House, the Senate is considering a bill that would force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face an outright ban in the US. The Biden Administration, which has also tried to pressure ByteDance to divest TikTok, is backing the measure and US intelligence officials have briefed lawmakers on the alleged national security risks posed by the app.

TikTok didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ftc-might-sue-tiktok-over-its-handling-of-users-privacy-and-security-224911806.html?src=rss

Microsoft is finally bringing keyboard and mouse support to Xbox Cloud Gaming titles

It’s taken much longer than expected but Microsoft is finally bringing keyboard and mouse (KBM) support to certain Xbox Cloud Gaming titles. We first heard that the company planned to do so in March 2022 and it was suggested that the option might be available by that June, but evidently that did not happen. It’s only now that Microsoft is starting to let testers on the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring check out KBM functions on web browsers (Edge and Chrome) and the Xbox PC app. The feature should be available more broadly soon.

To try out the KBM support, you’ll need to be a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber (unless you want to check it out on Fortnite, which is totally free to play via Xbox Cloud Gaming). You’ll also need to enroll in the PC Gaming Preview program. If you’re testing out KBM support on a web browser, there’s one more step — you’ll have to switch on Preview features on your browser. To do that, click on your profile picture at xbox.com/play, select Settings and then turn on “Preview features.”

Some supported games might still show controller elements on screen at first. You might be prompted to press A to start the game or some such. However, the game should switch to the KBM user interface as soon as you move the cursor or press a button. On browsers, KBM will only work when you’re playing in full screen mode and you’ve clicked on the game stream for it to recognize your mouse input. You can exit KBM use by pressing F9 or hold the ESC button to leave full-screen mode.

The first Xbox Cloud Gaming titles to gain KBM support are Fortnite (browsers only), Ark Survival Evolved, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Halo Infinite, Atomic Heart, Sniper Elite 5, Deep Rock Galactic, High on Life, Zombie Army 4 Dead War, Gears Tactics, Pentiment, Doom 64 and Age of Empires 2. There is a known issue for Atomic Heart at the minute. Microsoft notes that there’s some difficulty switching between a controller and KMB while streaming that game.

This is a welcome update, especially for those who want to play first-person shooters with a KBM setup but don’t have a PC with enough oomph to run current games natively. It’s a good step forward for accessibility too. Xbox’s cloud gaming tech is pretty solid, but here’s hoping it can keep up with Fortnite players who can build elaborate structures in nanoseconds.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-is-finally-bringing-keyboard-and-mouse-support-to-xbox-cloud-gaming-titles-200148150.html?src=rss

This camera captures 156.3 trillion frames per second

Scientists have created a blazing-fast scientific camera that shoots images at an encoding rate of 156.3 terahertz (THz) to individual pixels — equivalent to 156.3 trillion frames per second. Dubbed SCARF (swept-coded aperture real-time femtophotography), the research-grade camera could lead to breakthroughs in fields studying micro-events that come and go too quickly for today’s most expensive scientific sensors.

SCARF has successfully captured ultrafast events like absorption in a semiconductor and the demagnetization of a metal alloy. The research could open new frontiers in areas as diverse as shock wave mechanics or developing more effective medicine.

Leading the research team was Professor Jinyang Liang of Canada’s Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). He’s a globally recognized pioneer in ultrafast photography who built on his breakthroughs from a separate study six years ago. The current research was published in Nature, summarized in a press release from INRS and first reported on by Science Daily.

Professor Liang and company tailored their research as a fresh take on ultrafast cameras. Typically, these systems use a sequential approach: capture frames one at a time and piece them together to observe the objects in motion. But that approach has limitations. “For example, phenomena such as femtosecond laser ablation, shock-wave interaction with living cells, and optical chaos cannot be studied this way,” Liang said.

SCARF

Institut national de la recherche scientifique

The new camera builds on Liang’s previous research to upend traditional ultrafast camera logic. “SCARF overcomes these challenges,” INRS communication officer Julie Robert wrote in a statement. “Its imaging modality enables ultrafast sweeping of a static coded aperture while not shearing the ultrafast phenomenon. This provides full-sequence encoding rates of up to 156.3 THz to individual pixels on a camera with a charge-coupled device (CCD). These results can be obtained in a single shot at tunable frame rates and spatial scales in both reflection and transmission modes.”

In extremely simplified terms, that means the camera uses a computational imaging modality to capture spatial information by letting light enter its sensor at slightly different times. Not having to process the spatial data at the moment is part of what frees the camera to capture those extremely quick “chirped” laser pulses at up to 156.3 trillion times per second. The images’ raw data can then be processed by a computer algorithm that decodes the time-staggered inputs, transforming each of the trillions of frames into a complete picture.

Remarkably, it did so “using off-the-shelf and passive optical components,” as the paper describes. The team describes SCARF as low-cost with low power consumption and high measurement quality compared to existing techniques.

Although SCARF is focused more on research than consumers, the team is already working with two companies, Axis Photonique and Few-Cycle, to develop commercial versions, presumably for peers at other higher learning or scientific institutions.

For a more technical explanation of the camera and its potential applications, you can view the full paper in Nature.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-camera-captures-1563-trillion-frames-per-second-184651322.html?src=rss

Apple’s WWDC keynote is scheduled for June 10

Apple just announced that the 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is set to occur from June 10 until June 14. The annual keynote is scheduled for June 10 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The remaining festivities are online and free for developers to attend.

What should we expect at this year’s keynote? WWDC is typically a software-centric event, so reports indicate that Apple will show off a suite of upcoming updates, including iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, macOS 15 and watchOS 11, according to MacRumors. It’s also likely the company will reveal the next operating system for the recently-released Apple Vision Pro headset, visionOS 2.

It’s even possible we’ll get some new hardware announcements. Though typically software-adjacent, last year’s WWDC was chock full of product announcements, from the aforementioned Vision Pro to the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air. The Mac Mini has been missing from recent product refreshes, so maybe the company will announce an M3-based update.

Mark your calendars for #WWDC24, June 10-14. It’s going to be Absolutely Incredible! pic.twitter.com/YIln5972ZD

— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) March 26, 2024

As for the new software, there have been plenty of rumors regarding iOS 18. It has been reported that Apple might integrate Google’s Gemini AI with Siri and various iPhone apps. Check the suspicious capitalization of “Absolutely Incredible” in the above post from Apple’s VP of worldwide marketing Brad Joswiak for a winking acknowledgement of the move. It’s also been suggested that the smartphone software will allow users to place apps anywhere on the home screen grid and will offer RCS support in the Messages app, along with the usual array of design changes.

The keynote event will be available on the Apple Developer app, the Apple website and YouTube. The company is also inviting 50 winners of its annual Swift Student Challenge to attend WWDC in person.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-wwdc-keynote-is-scheduled-for-june-10-180558453.html?src=rss