Technology - Kalakshar US

X CEO calls article that led to latest brand exodus ‘misleading and manipulated’

X CEO Linda Yaccarino called a report from a watchdog group that led to a large-scale advertiser pullout “misleading and manipulated” in a note she sent to X employees on Sunday night.

“While some advertisers may have temporarily paused investments because of a misleading article, the data will tell the real story,” Yaccarino wrote in the note, which was first published by The Hollywood Reporter, and which Engadget has seen a copy of. “Because for all of us who work at X, we’ve been extremely clear about our efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination, as there’s no place for it anywhere in the world.” Yaccarino’s note was titled “Our Work is Meaningful”.

She also framed the situation as a free speech issue, writing that “no critic will ever deter us from our mission to protect free speech.” In doing so, she aligned herself with X owner Elon Musk’s repeated claims that free speech on the platform is paramount. Musk has repeatedly dismissed concerns of hate speech increasing on X ever since he bought the service last year.

Major advertisers including IBM, Apple, Disney, Lionsgate, Warner Brothers Discovery, Paramount Global, and NBCUniversal, whose advertising division Yaccarino previously headed, pulled their ads from X last week after a report from watchdog group Media Matters for America found that ads from some of these brands ran next to pro-Nazi content on the website. The move also came days after Musk publicly endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory as a response to a far-right X user. Musk’s comment drew widespread criticism, including a statement from the White House, which called his post an “abhorrent promotion of Antisemitic and racist hate” that “runs against our core values as Americans.”

On Friday, Musk said that the company would file “a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company” when court opens on Monday. As of Monday afternoon, there was no sign of a lawsuit.

Yaccarino was already under pressure to resign as X CEO from advertisers who are questioning her decision to risk her reputation to protect Musk, Forbes reported. In a post on X on Monday morning, Yaccarino doubled down on her criticism of Media Matters. “When you’re this consequential, there will be detractors and fabricated distractions, but we’re unwavering in our mission,” she wrote. “Thank you for standing with us!”

An X spokesperson sent a link to Yaccarino’s X post in response to Engadget’s request for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-ceo-calls-article-that-led-to-latest-brand-exodus-misleading-and-manipulated-204025411.html?src=rss

Polyend’s $799 Play+ has a shot a being the ultimate groovebox

In 2022 Polyend announced the Play, a fascinating sample-based groovebox and MIDI sequencer that was pretty much universally beloved by anyone who could get their hands on one. The pandemic fueled chip shortage made them pretty hard to come by, at least initially. But my, how things have changed in a little over a year. In just around 18 months, the company has managed to bring the cost of the Play down from $799 to just $499. More exciting though, is the availability of the Polyend Play+.

The updated version is dramatically more powerful than the original. It still has eight tracks of sample playback and eight tracks of polyphonic MIDI sequencing. But, it now supports stereo sample playback and there are four built-in synth engines that can be controlled by the dedicated MIDI tracks. There’s also support for audio over USB-C. And impressively, it’s multitrack with 14 individual stereo tracks available for each of the eight sample channels, the three synth slots, the reverb and delay sends, plus a master audio out.

The synths are limited to eight voices collectively, but you can divide them up over three tracks however you see fit. So you can have a monophonic bass, a duophonic lead and then have a five note polyphonic track for chords. The four different engines are ACD, FAT, VAP and WTFM. The first three are different flavors of virtual analog synths, with ACD delivering simple single oscillator not unlike Roland’s famed SH-101. While FAT and VAP are more complicated, with the former delivering thick three-oscillator tones, and the latter having a pretty extensive modulation matrix for evolving pads. WTFM, is a two operator FM synth that, at least based on the samples posted on Polyend’s site, is far more capable and versatile than you’d expect.

While you can do some menu diving and customize the synth patches to your liking. There are plenty of presets, each with macro controls for quickly dialing in something pleasing. That is the big selling point of the Play in general, its immediacy. There’s still the semi-generative pattern filling options, and that includes being able to auto-generate bass and chord progressions using the synth engines.

One of the more intriguing things, however, is that Polyend is allowing owners of the original Play to trade theirs in for the Play+ for $399. This gives people who shelled out for a unit an upgrade path to the new more powerful hardware, but also reduces waste (and potentially saves Polyend some money) by allowing it to sell those returned units as refurbished down the road.

The Polyend Play+ is available now for $799.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/polyends-799-play-has-a-shot-a-being-the-ultimate-groovebox-210001667.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday deals include the Dyson Airwrap for its lowest price yet

Amazon has the Dyson Airwrap on sale for a record low. The innovative styling tool uses air rather than extreme heat to dry and shape hair — potentially boosting your hair’s long-term health when used regularly. Typically $599, a clickable coupon on its product page drops the price to $480.

The Dyson Airwrap utilizes the Coanda effect, a phenomenon describing airflow’s tendency to follow the path of a curved surface. Here, the air jet flows around the tool’s barrel or brush attachment, wrapping, drying and styling your hair. It does so without extreme heat, which could cause hair damage if used long-term. Dyson says the device measures the airflow’s temperature over 40 times per second, maintaining a safe temperature for your hair.

The styling tool has a rotating cool tip, three airflow speeds, three heat settings and a cold shot feature that immediately turns off the heating element, setting your style with a blast of cool air. Its seven bundled accessories include a 1.2-inch long barrel, a 1.6-inch long barrel, separate brushes for soft or firm smoothing, a Coanda smoothing dryer, a round volumizing brush and a detangling comb. In addition, you’ll get a filter cleaning brush and storage case.

Dyson

The blue blush holiday gift set and a complete set for straight-to-wavy hair are covered in the sale. Note that a third model on the product page, “Complete Diffuse for Curly to Coily Hair,” isn’t eligible for the $119 coupon.

The Dyson Airwrap has been a hot item on social media that’s regularly gone in and out of stock. So, if you’ve been considering one, you may not want to wait long before snagging Amazon’s record deal.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-the-dyson-airwrap-for-its-lowest-price-yet-203322271.html?src=rss

Ember Smart Mugs are at record-low prices in Amazon’s Black Friday sale

Amazon has cut Ember smart mug prices to record lows for Black Friday. The high-tech mugs have built-in heating that can keep your coffee, tea or other hot drink at your ideal preset temperature, allowing you to take your time sipping it without worrying about a lukewarm beverage. Usually $130, you can pick up the 10 oz Ember Smart Mug 2 starting at $90.

One of Engadget’s recommended gifts for teachers, the Ember Smart Mug 2 can keep your mug heated to anywhere between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you find your perfect temp, you can set the mug’s companion app (available for iOS and Android) to it and forget about it. The mug will remember your setting, automatically heat when it detects liquid and stop when it’s empty. The mug lasts up to 80 minutes on a full charge, and if you leave it on its bundled charging coaster (except, of course, when picking it up to sip), it essentially lasts all day.

At the time of publication, the white, black and red variants of the 10 oz. Mug 2 are available and marked down on Amazon. However, the black and red options cost a (still heavily discounted) $100, requiring an extra $10 over the white model.

Amazon also has the standard 14 oz. Ember Smart Mug 2 for $40 off. The larger model includes the same features, temperature controls and estimated battery life as the 10 oz. one. This variant ships in white and black for $109.46 (usually $150) and you can grab the copper version for $130 (typically $180).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ember-smart-mugs-are-at-record-low-prices-in-amazons-black-friday-sale-185030627.html?src=rss

Webb telescope images show an unprecedented and ‘chaotic’ view of the center of our galaxy

The James Webb telescope is back with some more gorgeous images. This time, the telescope eyed the center of the Milky Way galaxy, shining a light on the densest part of our surrounding environs in “unprecedented detail.” Specifically, the images are sourced from a star-forming region called Sagittarius C, or Sgr C for short.

This area is about 300 light-years from the galaxy’s supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A, and over 25,000 light-years from a little blue rock called Earth. All told, the region boasts over 500,000 stars and various clusters of protostars, which are stars that are still forming and gaining mass. The end result? A stunning cloud of chaos, especially when compared to our region of space, which is decidedly sparse in comparison.

As a matter of fact, the galactic center is “the most extreme environment” in the Milky Way, as stated by University of Virginia professor Jonathan Tan, who assisted the observation team. There has never been any data on this region with this “level of resolution and sensitivity”, until now, thanks to the power of the Webb telescope.

At the center of everything is a massive protostar that weighs more than 30 times our sun. This actually makes the area seem less populated than it actually is, as this solar object blocks light from behind it, so not even Webb can see all of the stars in the region. So what you’re looking at is a conservative estimate of just how crowded the area is. It’s like the Times Square of space, only without a Guy Fieri restaurant (for now.)

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and S. Crowe (University of Virginia).

The data provided by these images will allow researchers to put current theories of star formation to “their most rigorous test.” To that end, Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument captured large-scale emission imagery from ionized hydrogen, the blue on the lower side of the image. This is likely the result of young and massive stars releasing energetic photons, but the vast size of the region came as a surprise to researchers, warranting further study.

The observation team’s principal investigator, Samuel Crowe, said that the research enabled by these and forthcoming images will allow scientists to understand the nature of massive stars which is akin to “learning the origin story of much of the universe.”

This is obviously not the first interesting image produced by the James Webb telescope. We’ve seen stars born in the Virgo constellation, water around a comet in the main asteroid belt and a fairly offputting view of the Pillars of Creation, among others. It’s seen things you people wouldn’t believe and, luckily, it won’t all be gone like tears in the rain because of the internet and because Webb’s still out there.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/webb-telescope-images-show-an-unprecedented-and-chaotic-view-of-the-center-of-our-galaxy-185912370.html?src=rss

CyberGhost Black Friday deal includes four extra months with two-year plans

If you’re looking for a VPN with robust cross-platform software support, CyberGhost’s Black Friday sale gives you four extra months when you buy a two-year plan. Combined with the typical savings from committing to two years, it adds up to 84 percent off the security company’s standard monthly pricing over the same period.

When you buy two years of CyberGhost access for $56.94, the VPN provider will throw in four months for free. The deal is live now and runs through Black Friday and Cyber Monday, wrapping up on December 7.

CyberGhost is Engadget’s pick for the best VPN for cross-platform access. It offers simultaneous connections on up to seven devices while supporting devices like computers, phones, routers, smart TVs and more. CyberGhost has Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux apps, and it even offers browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. Ensuring its status as our favorite cross-platform VPN is the company’s detailed instructions on setting up its various apps, helping to enhance its all-around user-friendliness.

The company recently expanded its server network from 91 to 100 countries, adding Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to its available locations. CyberGhost committed to an independent audit with Deloitte earlier this year. It also runs a vulnerability disclosure program and recently published an updated transparency report.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cyberghost-black-friday-deal-includes-four-extra-months-with-two-year-plans-174248901.html?src=rss

Tech CEOs are set to testify in a Senate online child sexual exploitation hearing in December

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on online child sexual exploitation on December 6 and the CEOs of major tech companies are set to testify. The committee expects Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his counterpart at TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, to testify voluntarily. It also wants to hear from the CEOs of X (formerly Twitter), Discord and Snap, and it has issued subpoenas to them.

“Big Tech’s failure to police itself at the expense of our kids cannot go unanswered,” committee chair Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and ranking member Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said in a joint statement, as Reuters reports. “I’m hauling in Big Tech CEOs before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify on their failure to protect kids online,” Durbin wrote on X.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Senate Judiciary Committee will press Big Tech CEOs on their failures to protect kids at hearing on Dec 6.

Subpoenas issued to CEOs of Discord, Snap, & X. Committee remains in discussion w/ Meta, TikTok—expects their CEOs will agree to testify voluntarily.

— Senate Judiciary Committee (@JudiciaryDems) November 20, 2023

According to the committee, X and Discord refused to accept service of the subpoenas on their CEO’s behalf, “requiring the committee to enlist the assistance of the US Marshals Service” to serve them personally. “We have been working in good faith to participate in the Judiciary committee’s hearing on child protection online as safety is our top priority at X,” Wifredo Fernandez, head of US and Canada government affairs at X, told Engadget in a statement. “Today we are communicating our updated availability to participate in a hearing on this important issue.” Engadget has also contacted Discord for comment.

The issue of tech platforms allegedly facilitating harms against kids has become an increasingly pressing issue. Earlier this month, former Meta executive Arturo Béjar testified that Zuckerberg failed to respond to his email detailing concerns about harms facing children on the company’s platforms. Senators then demanded documents from the company’s CEO “related to senior executives’ knowledge of the mental and physical health harms associated with its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tech-ceos-are-set-to-testify-in-a-senate-online-child-sexual-exploitation-hearing-in-december-180206072.html?src=rss

This Shark robot vacuum and mop combo machine is $300 off in an Amazon Black Friday deal

The Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum and mop combo machine is on sale for $400 via Amazon as part of a Black Friday deal. This is a discount of $300, or 43 percent, and is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this particular model. This is a well-regarded midrange unit with plenty of functionality, including the ability to both vacuum and mop.

As a matter of fact, the Shark AI Ultra topped our list of the best robot vacuums in 2023. We admired its reliable cleaning performance, the intuitive mobile app that produces accurate home maps and the inclusion of Alexa/Google Assistant voice control options. We took a look at a slightly older model that didn’t yet include the sonic mop feature, so this refresh is likely even better than the one that topped that list.

It’s got all of the features you expect from a decent robovac, including obstacle avoidance, LiDAR navigation and, of course, a self-emptying base. The base is also bagless, so you won’t have to constantly dole out cash for new bags every few months. As a matter of fact, the only bad thing you can say about this thing is that it’s too expensive at its original price of $700. Well, that’s definitely been handled.

This is the week of Black Friday, so Shark’s combination unit isn’t the only robovac on sale. You can spend even less on a combo machine, as the TP-Link Tapo vacuum/mop hybrid device is on sale for $250 instead of $400. This is another fantastic unit and tops our list of the best budget robot vacuums.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-shark-robot-vacuum-and-mop-combo-machine-is-300-off-in-an-amazon-black-friday-deal-180041559.html?src=rss

A $50 Xbox gift card is $5 off in this Black Friday deal

These days, it’s perhaps more difficult than ever to buy someone a video game as a gift. Not only are there thousands of options, your intended recipient may already have access to a given game on another platform or it may already be included in a subscription service they pay for. A gift card is likely a safer bet. To that end, you can save 10 percent on Xbox and PlayStation gift cards for Black Friday. At both Amazon and Target, you can snap up a $50 Xbox gift card for $45.

That’s almost enough to cover three months of access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which now costs $17 per month. Alternatively, that’s enough to pay for four months of Xbox Game Pass access (at $11 per month) or five months of PC Game Pass ($10 per month). Should your recipient choose to pay for Game Pass with their gift card, they’ll have access to a library of hundreds of games. They could always just buy games outright, of course.

PlayStation Plus gift cards are also 10 percent off at Amazon. A $70 gift card is down to $63, while a $30 option is on sale for $27. The former will cover five months of PlayStation Plus Extra access. Similar to Game Pass, that tier of Sony’s subscription service includes access to hundreds of PS4 and PS5 games. PS Plus Extra costs $15 per month, $40 per quarter or $135 per year.

Last but not least, a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online Family membership is available for $32 (usually $35) at Amazon. This is a solid gift for a household that has at least two Nintendo Switches — a family membership lets up to eight people use Nintendo Switch Online. The service includes access to online multiplayer, as well as a library of NES and SNES classics and a few battle royale-type exclusives from Nintendo, such as Tetris 99 and F-Zero 99.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-50-xbox-gift-card-is-5-off-in-this-black-friday-deal-164130270.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday deals include $100 off our favorite Wi-Fi 6 mesh router system

The TP-Link Deco AXE5400 Wi-Fi 6 mesh router system is on sale for $200 as part of Amazon’s Black Friday commercial festivities. That’s a discount of $100 and matches a record-low price for the device. This deal is for the two-pack, so you get both the actual router and an extender to place somewhere else in the home.

This is a fantastic mesh router setup for most consumers at $300, so that absolutely remains true at $200. There’s a reason, after all, why TP-Link’s device topped our collection of the best mesh Wi-Fi router systems of 2023. We ended up calling it the “best for most people” in that list, citing the budget-friendly price tag and the powerful range, which is more than enough to offer coverage to every nook and cranny within the home.

In our official review of the router system, we admired the “blisteringly-fast speed” and decent reliability. We also liked that the security and parental control features are free, nestled within a proprietary app. The app itself is a bit bare-bones when compared to competing software, but it’s still useful.

On the downside, if you can call it that, the hardware itself isn’t quite as attractive as some rival units, like those cute ‘lil Google Nest ovals, but routers typically get stuffed somewhere out of the way, so this isn’t a huge deal. In other words, we are nitpicking. This is a great mesh router system for just about anyone.

Amazon’s primary Black Friday deal is for the two-pack, as mentioned, but the single pack and the three-pack also get some love. You can snag the single-pack system for $120 instead of $170 and a three-pack, which covers up to 7,200 square feet, for $360 instead of $450.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-100-off-our-favorite-wi-fi-6-mesh-router-system-155618201.html?src=rss