Technology - Kalakshar US

Netflix says that game engagement tripled in 2023

Netflix said that user engagement with games on the service tripled in 2023. “[Despite] games still being small, and certainly not yet material relative to our film and series business, we’re pleased with this progress,” the company said in its earnings report on Tuesday. As an example, the company pointed to the addition of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy to the service last year, although it isn’t clear how much the trilogy, which only arrived on Netflix on December 14, helped drive engagement in the final two weeks of the year.

Netflix said that Grand Theft Auto has become its “most successful launch to date” in terms of installs and engagement. It didn’t say how many people had downloaded the trilogy since it was released on the platform, however. Some customers had signed up for Netflix just to play the Grand Theft Auto games, the company said.

That’s a big change from 2022, when and analysis from Apptopia and CNBC revealed that less than one percent of Netflix’s customers were playing games, which the company had made available to anyone with a Netflix subscription a year earlier. Despite the slow uptake, Netflix continued adding games to the platform. It’s growing gaming library includes popular titles like Hades, Dead Cells, Braid, Death’s Door and Katana Zero, as well as games such as Oxenfree II: Lost Signal, which it developed on its own after buying indie developer Night School. The platform also includes games based on its own popular original shows like Money Heist and The Dragon Prince.

Beyond gaming, Netflix said that it added 13.1 million subscribers in the last three months of 2023, the highest number of subscribers it has added since the explosive growth it experienced during the pandemic. The total number of Netflix subscribers around the world is now 260 million.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-says-that-game-engagement-tripled-in-2023-224130242.html?src=rss

X now supports passkeys on iOS in the US

Slowly but surely, some platforms are embracing passkeys to provide an easy and more secure login alternative to passwords. The latest notable company to enable passkeys is X (formerly Twitter), though only for US-based users on iOS for now.

When you set up passkeys for an account, your device generates one public key and one private key. The private key stays on your device, while the shared public key is stored on the platform you want to sign into (in this case, X). Once you’re all set up, you can choose a passkey option instead of a password to log in to an X account. Your device will authenticate your identity using the public key. The same passkey will work across all devices that are signed into the same iCloud account.

Logging into a supported account is akin to unlocking your phone — you’ll simply use a PIN, fingerprint or face scan for authentication. You wont need to remember any passkeys and they’re broadly secure. For one thing, passkeys make phishing attacks far more difficult to pull off.

Today we’re excited to launch Passkeys as a login option for our US-based users on iOS!

A passkey is a new, easy to use, and secure way to log in to your account – all from your device. Passkeys are more secure than traditional passwords since they’re individually generated by…

— Safety (@Safety) January 23, 2024

To set up a passkey in X, log into the iOS app with the account you’d like to use it on. Navigate to Your account > Settings and privacy > Security and account access > Security > Additional password protection. In this menu, select Passkey. You’ll then need to enter your password and follow the prompts.

If you change your mind and wish to delete your passkey, follow the same steps. After you enter your password, you’ll see the option to Delete a passkey.

X says it won’t require users to sign up for passkeys, but it’s not a bad idea to do so if you find other multi-factor authentication methods (such as inputting a code from an authenticator app cumbersome). Passkeys also effectively nullify X’s SMS-based two-factor authentication method, which the company has paywalled behind X Premium.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-now-supports-passkeys-on-ios-in-the-us-211233864.html?src=rss

Netflix’s full Avatar: The Last Airbender trailer nails the vibe of the cartoon

Hold onto your cabbages. Netflix just dropped a full trailer for its forthcoming live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. It actually looks pretty cool, surprising fans who have been dreading a repeat of the disastrous 2010 film adaptation. The vibe is on point, calling to mind the source material, and the casting department looks to have done a fantastic job. Just look at Sokka, as portrayed by Ian Ousley.

This is the second trailer for the show, but the first was more of a teaser. The new trailer features two and a half minutes of footage, complete with jokes, action set-pieces and plenty of appearances by the franchise’s resident cutie-pies, the air bison Appa and winged lemur Momo. They are both CGI, but look pretty good to me.

You also get a deeper glimpse into both the world itself and the show’s primary characters. Gordon Courmier and Kiawentiio Tarbell look great as Aang and Katara, respectively. The trailer also boasts a shirtless Firelord Ozai, as played by Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim. Of course, it wouldn’t be Avatar without Prince Zuko and General Iroh, both of whom are featured prominently. Iroh is played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, fresh off his stint in a galaxy far, far away (he’s in a bunch of Star Wars shows.)

Netflix’s version of Avatar: The Last Airbender premieres with all episodes on February 22. Original series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko aren’t involved with this adaptation, but are making an animated movie to further the adventures of Aang and the gang, in addition to more projects set in the Avatar universe.

As for Netflix, this is just the latest live-action adaptation of a pre-existing cartoon. The anime One Piece got a show earlier this year, preceded by Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist and several more.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-full-avatar-the-last-airbender-trailer-nails-the-vibe-of-the-cartoon-195539387.html?src=rss

Arturia Pigments 5 adds generative sequencing and external audio processing

It’s hard to believe that Artruria has anything left to add to Pigments at this point, but here we are. NAMM 2024 is just about ready to kick off, and Arturia is rolling out version five of its home-grown super synth. In the grand scheme of Pigments updates, this is a relatively minor one. But that’s not to say there aren’t new features worth getting excited about.

Perhaps the most important new feature is also the most invisible. Pigments finally supports multi-core processing, dramatically improving performance. It was never the biggest resource hog in the virtual synth space (the current champion in my experience is Moog’s Mariana), but it could be demanding depending on the patch. Now CPU usage in the standalone version sits at about 4 percent when idle on my M1 MacBook Pro. And I rarely see it climb above 20 percent.

Arturia

There are also changes to the stripped down Play view. It’s more consistent and a bit prettier now, with a new spectral visualizer. It doesn’t really change things in any practical way, and while I’ll admit that the main UI can seem a little busy to a newcomer, I never found it particularly difficult to navigate. Play view might be a welcome improvement for those who use Pigments in performance settings and rarely do deep sound design, but its not something I ever find myself switching over to.

If you’re not one for sound design and rely more on presets you’ll probably appreciate the 150 new ones that are included, not to mention the three new sound banks of 150 patches each, all of which are designed with MPE in mind. Pigments is one of a handful of high-profile soft synths out there with extensive MPE support, but its presets often don’t take full advantage. But now that MPE controllers are becoming more common, Arturia is making an effort to remedy that. Heck, maybe Arturia will announce an MPE controller of its own in the not too distant future.

Arturia

One of the more exciting upgrades is a new option in the utility engine (only on the second source) for audio input. That means you can process other instruments, or even your voice using Pigments’ effects. Chances are you already have access to a rich suite of effects in your DAW, but being able to seamlessly combine external audio with Pigments’ synth engines and process them through the same effects to help them meld together more seamlessly is a nice new source of timbres. I tested it out by running an Elektron Digitone through Pigments and was pretty happy with the results, but I definitely have a lot more exploring to do. If you’d rather stick to the built-in engines, there’s a selection of new samples and wavetables for you to explore as well.

The sequencer has also gotten some pretty significant upgrades. There’s a new dice icon for generating a random sequence which can be locked to a specific scale. And sequences can now be saved separately as their own presets, which you can lock to try the same sequence with multiple different sound presets. You can even feed the MIDI from the Pigments’ sequencer to other instruments. So if your DAW or synth of choice lacks generative features you can now just let Pigments do the work.

As usual, Pigments 5 is available as a free upgrade for current owners. If you haven’t taken the plunge yet, this is a pretty good time to do so. For a limited time you can get Pigments, plus the three new sound banks for $99. That’s quite a steal since Pigments is normally $199, and each of the sound banks (Beats Exploration, Expressive Explorations and Liquid Explorations) will be $30 at full price.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/arturia-pigments-5-adds-generative-sequencing-and-external-audio-processing-201014331.html?src=rss

The Apple car apparently still exists, could debut in 2028 with reduced autonomy

Apple has reportedly scaled back its automotive aspirations, at least for now. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the company’s decade-old vehicle project has pivoted from planning a fully self-driving car to an EV more like Tesla’s. The so-called “Apple Car” is now projected to launch no earlier than 2028 — two years after the company’s last reported target date.

The car’s autonomous features have reportedly been downgraded from a Level 5 system (full automation) to a Level 4 system (full automation in some circumstances) — and now to a Level 2+ one (partial automation). That would mean it offers limited self-driving features like lane centering and braking / accelerating support — while still requiring the driver’s full attention.

Tesla’s Autopilot is categorized as Level 2. Level 2+ isn’t an official designation, but it’s sometimes used informally to describe a more advanced version of Level 2.

What Apple once envisioned as a car without a steering wheel or pedals — and perhaps having a remote command center ready to take over for a driver — now looks more like a Tesla-like market entrance.

Tesla’s Model 3

Photo by Roberto Baldwin / Engadget

Bloomberg says Apple views the project’s downscaling internally as “a pivotal moment.” People familiar with Apple’s plans allegedly believe delivering the pared-down Apple Car with reduced expectations could make or break the entire project. “Either the company is finally able to deliver this product with reduced expectations or top executives may seriously reconsider the project’s existence,” Gurman wrote.

Apple has reportedly talked with potential manufacturing partners in Europe about the updated strategy. Bloomberg says the company still wants to offer a Level 4 autonomous system at some point, even as its debut is on track for something more grounded.

Bloomberg describes the meetings leading up to Apple’s decision as “frenzied,” involving CEO Tim Cook, the Apple board and project head Kevin Lynch. The latter took over after former leader Doug Field left in 2021. (Field was a former Tesla engineering head who now leads Ford’s EV wing.) The board reportedly pushed leadership about the car plan throughout 2023.

After starting well out of the blocks, self-driving cars didn’t have a great 2023. Cruise, GM’s robotaxi division, laid off 24 percent of its workforce in December. That came after one of the company’s vehicles pinned and dragged a pedestrian who had been hit by another car. The aftermath was swift, as the California DMV suspended Cruise’s driverless permits over safety concerns. On the brighter side, Waymo seems to be doing well. But government standards are the wild card in this equation, and perhaps Apple saw the wind blowing in a direction that warranted caution.

Apple’s Project Titan has been the subject of rumors since at least the mid-2010s. The company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the initiative. It’s worked on “powertrains, self-driving hardware and software, car interiors and exteriors, and other key components,” according to Gurman. Given how many times the expensive project’s details have changed, don’t be surprised if they do so again.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-car-apparently-still-exists-could-debut-in-2028-with-reduced-autonomy-203458008.html?src=rss

Nintendo honors Princess Peach with a pair of pastel pink Joy-Cons

Nintendo is honoring Princess Peach with a set of appropriately colored Joy-Cons. On Tuesday, the company posted on X (Twitter) that a set of pastel pink Joy-Con controllers will launch alongside Princess Peach: Showtime! on March 22.

The pair will be sold for a limited time at the Nintendo Store and “select retailers.” Although the company hasn’t specified how much they’ll cost, $80 — the standard Joy-Con pair going rate— is likely a safe bet.

Nintendo already sells a pastel pink left Joy-Con, paired with a pastel yellow one as part of a batch launched last summer. So, if we’re being technical, the wholly original part of Peach’s long-overdue tribute appears to be half a controller. Engadget reached out to Nintendo to ask if the shade of pastel pink in Peach’s set is identical to the one in the pink / yellow pairing as it appears to be in the promotional images below. We’ll update this article if we hear back.

The pastel pink left Joy-Con (second from the right), launched last summer, looks an awful lot like Peach’s tribute set.

Nintendo

Of course, the themed Joy-Cons are merely the undercard to the main event of Princess Peach: Showtime! The pseudo-platformer, announced during the September Nintendo Direct, has the perpetual damsel in distress taking heroic center stage in a story about saving a theater (the Hamlet kind, not the Barbenheimer kind) from the villainous Grape and the Sour Bunch.

Peach can wield a ribbon as a whip-like weapon, lent to her by the theater’s guardian, a floating star named Stella. (She may play a similar role to Cappy in Super Mario Odyssey and Prince Florian in Super Mario Wonder). Peach can also draw on her theatrical quick-change abilities to transform into a ninja, swashbuckler, detective, patisserie, cowgirl and Kung-Fu artist — giving the frequent McGuffin in Mario’s stories fun power-ups to counter those of her mustachioed beau.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is available for pre-order now from Nintendo and Amazon. It and the pair of pastel pink Joy-Cons arrive on March 22. You can watch the game’s latest trailer below.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-honors-princess-peach-with-a-pair-of-pastel-pink-joy-cons-174854757.html?src=rss

Samsung expands self-repair program to include home entertainment devices

Samsung just announced that its self-repair program will now include certain home entertainment devices. The company has developed a range of step-by-step repair guides for various products in the category, in addition to providing genuine replacement parts and repair tools.

This program covers Samsung 2023 TVs, along with their remotes, and monitors released throughout the past year or so. Additionally, the self-repair program now includes the second-generation Freestyle projector and select soundbars. You can pick up replacement parts directly from the company.

Of course, the program doesn’t cover every repair issue. For TVs and monitors, the program only handles issues related to the picture, power, WiFi connection, sound and remote control. For soundbars, the program covers problems related to HDMI and optical connections, power, sound and wireless communication. According to Samsung, most of these issues can be fixed with common tools like a Phillips-head screwdriver.

The company’s been on something of a self-repair spree in recent months. Back in December, Samsung opened up the program to foldable devices, like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5. In the first part of 2023, the company added S22 and Galaxy Book devices to the program, joining pre-existing Galaxy products.

To that end, Samsung just announced a broader assortment of self-repair parts for devices already included in the program. This includes speakers, SIM trays, side keys, volume keys, display assemblies, back glass and charging ports for phones and tablets. Galaxy Book owners can also now conduct DIY repairs to fix the speakers and fan. Meanwhile, rival Apple doesn’t exactly have the best track record in the self-repair movement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-expands-self-repair-program-to-include-home-entertainment-devices-182215562.html?src=rss

Netflix will be the new home of WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw, in 2025

It’s a mighty fine time to be a pro wrestling fan. The industry is going through a bit of a boom period, with multiple companies churning out quality content on the regular. Barely a week goes by without fans enjoying at least two or three excellent displays of scripted athleticism and jacked human beings slapping each other in the chest really, really hard.

It’s an even better time to be a pro wrestling fan if you have a Netflix subscription, since the streaming service will soon be the new home of WWE’s flagship show in the US and pretty much all of its programming in other territories. Starting in January 2025, Netflix will livestream Monday Night Raw every week in the US, Canada, UK, Latin America and some other countries, with more to follow.

The deal is even sweeter for those outside of the US, as Netflix will stream WWE’s other two main weekly shows — NXT and SmackDown — along with its major events like the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. WWE documentaries, other original series and future projects will hit Netflix internationally starting next year.

It seems that Peacock will remain the home of WWE’s library and major live events in the US for the foreseeable future. Peacock’s parent NBCUniversal also owns Raw‘s current broadcaster, USA Network (it’s unclear where the show will air between the expiry of those broadcasting rights in the fall and the Netflix partnership starting in January). USA Network will be the home of SmackDown starting this fall when the show moves over from Fox. NXT, which also currently airs on USA, is moving to The CW.

NBCUniversal and USA Network are said to be paying $1.4 billion for SmackDown rights over five years, while The CW will reportedly pay between $100 million and $125 million for NXT over the same timespan.

It seems the Netflix deal far outstrips those, however. According to multiple reports, the company is paying WWE north of $5 billion over 10 years. That’s said to be around double what NBCUniversal currently pays WWE for Raw rights. Amazon was also said to be in talks to become Raw‘s new home.

This marks a mammoth change for both WWE and Netflix. It will be the first time in the 31-year history of Raw that the show doesn’t air on a linear TV network. But, just as the wrestling company took a big risk with shifting from a pay-per-view model to its own streaming service a decade ago, this could very well pay off for WWE at it seeks to grow its already-large fanbase.

“This deal is transformative,” Mark Shapiro, president and COO of WWE parent company TKO said in a statement. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.”

Meanwhile, it’s a major first for Netflix. The company only started dabbling in live content last March with a Chris Rock stand-up show. Since then, it has aired live award shows and a few one-off sports events, though it was forced to cancel its second attempt at a livestream due to technical issues. Raw marks Netflix’s first major push into live sports (or sports entertainment if you want to get sniffy about it) and it’s set to become the company’s first live weekly streaming show.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-will-be-the-new-home-of-wwes-flagship-show-monday-night-raw-in-2025-165434172.html?src=rss

Google’s next Chrome update adds three new generative AI features

With today’s release of Chrome M121, Google announced it will introduce new generative AI features that will make the browser easier to use. The new additions will include a tab organizer, a writing assistant that helps draft text and the option to customize the artwork and themes throughout the browser. The “Experimental AI” toggle must be flipped on in the Settings page — found in the three-dot dropdown menu — to enable these new features.

The Tab Organizer will do pretty much what it says: The built-in AI will automatically suggest ways to classify any open tabs in your Chrome windows and suggest the option to create groups. This might be helpful if you have a lot of recurring tabs open. When you click ‘Organize Similar Tabs,’ the AI will aggregate open pages together based on topics. For example, tabs related to shopping might all cluster together and the AI could suggest a name like ‘Ski-trip shopping gear.

Chrome’s new text assist too might also have some practical applications. It will launch as an experimental tool that will help users draft text — including Google reviews or social media posts. To enable this when it launches, you need to select “Help me write” to let the tool finish your sentences or suggest options for continuing the text.

Google

Customization is not new to most Google tools like Mail or Docs and now on Chrome web browsers, you can personalize the browser’s visuals — something the company considers an extension of the AI wallpapers it built out for Pixel phones recently. To do so, you need to select the ‘Customize Chrome’ button on the side panel and instruct the AI to generate a theme for you. You can search for a description, such as ‘small beach town’ or ‘Blade Runner vibes,’ and preview the AI-generated theme options before selection.

Introducing these new tools will naturally rival Microsoft’s AI-infused Bing engine, which introduced AI-powered tab grouping and a text composition helper back in September. Chrome, however, still dominates the US browser market share by a wide margin, which Bing is usually lumped into the “others” category, well below competitors like Firefox and Opera.

Google

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-next-chrome-update-adds-three-new-generative-ai-features-170032292.html?src=rss

Blizzard partners with ESL for an open Overwatch 2 esports circuit

Blizzard has revealed the next evolution of top-level Overwatch 2 esports after the demise of the Overwatch League. The publisher has teamed up with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) to run the new Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) under an exclusive multi-year agreement.

OWCS is an open-format circuit in which teams from North America; Europe, Middle East, North Africa (EMEA); and Asia can compete without having to pay multi-million-dollar franchise fees. EFG will operate the Overwatch Champions Series in North America and EMEA, while Korean esports tournament organizer WDG will oversee the Asia circuit.

There will be regional qualifiers and tournaments held in the lead up to two in-person events later this year at DreamHack Dallas (May 31-June 2) and DreamHack Stockholm (November 22-24). Eight teams will compete at each event, with those qualifying for DreamHack Stockholm duking it out to become the first OWCS champions. That tournament will also mark the first top-level Overwatch competition in Europe in over five years.

Qualifiers will start in Feburary. Additional details about the tournaments, including formats, ticket sales and prize pools, will be announced later.

Today, we are excited to introduce the new Overwatch Esports program and the Overwatch Champions Series!

🔗 Read our Blog https://t.co/rZ3FeYR6aL pic.twitter.com/0MKtSv3Fuf

— Overwatch Esports (@OW_Esports) January 23, 2024

“A thriving esports scene is important to a game as competitive as Overwatch 2, and we’re very excited to be entering this next era for the franchise with EFG,” the game’s executive producer Jared Neuss said in a statement.

Blizzard notes that any player who is interested in getting involved can use FACEIT’s community tools to find teammates and events to compete in, while an ongoing schedule of events “creates a clear path to pro play for aspiring OWCS stars.” In addition, Blizzard says that by making the most of EFG’s tools and capabilities, it will be able to create an open, inclusive and sustainable competitive scene. FACEIT will also support those looking to run third-party tournaments and community experiences.

The Overwatch League, Blizzard’s ambitious pro circuit, came to an end in 2023 after six seasons. The day after the 2023 Grand Finals in October, Blizzard said it was “focusing on building our vision of a revitalized esports program.” Weeks later, a majority of teams voted to end their participation in the league, triggering a $6 million payment to each from Activision Blizzard, and hammering the final nail into OWL’s coffin.

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick’s grand vision for a franchised, city-based Overwatch esports league never quite worked out. Factors such as COVID-19, viewership struggles, Blizzard games shutting down in China, the sexual harassment and discrimination scandal at the publisher and the fact many of the teams were running at a loss all contributed to OWL’s demise.

EFG, whose parent is the Saudi Arabia government-funded Savvy Games Group, is arguably well-placed to run Overwatch esports as a more sustainable endeavor. The company operates pro circuits for many other games, including other Blizzard titles such as StarCraft II.

Hosting several esports events at large-scale festivals like DreamHack (which has held Overwatch tournaments in the past) helps to minimize costs. The OWCS may not end up selling out arenas by itself as the Overwatch League used to, but it at least seems like a viable, open future for Overwatch 2 esports.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blizzard-partners-with-esl-for-an-open-overwatch-2-esports-circuit-170033793.html?src=rss