Category: Technology

Acura, Honda’s luxury and performance vehicle brand, has released a teaser for its first electric vehicle. It doesn’t really show much of the the all-electric 2024 ZDX — it’s just a silhouette of the car with an illuminated grille in the shadows — but it comes with the announcement that the EV is set to debut on August 17th during the Monterey Car Week. 

The 2024 ZDX was designed at the Acura Design Studio in Southern California, and it retains some of the external elements the company used for the Precision EV Concept it showed off during the same event last year. It’s based on GM’s Ultium battery platform and could perhaps be one of the few, or the only, Acura models to use the modular EV architecture. Honda previously said that future EVs will use its in-house e:Architecture platform instead, with the first models based on it slated for release in 2025. 

Acura announced back in June that the ZDX will come with built-in Android Auto and other Google products. Owners will have access to an enhanced version of Google Maps, which can plan optimized routes with charging stations along the way and can estimate the charging time required to reach their destination. They’ll also have access to Google Assistant for hands-free controls, as well as to Google Play, so they can download third-party apps to their infotainment system. Acura revealed last month that the EV will be equipped with a Bang & Olufsen audio system, as well. 

The automaker will exclusively sell the ZDX and ZDX Type S performance EVs online starting early next year. Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales, said the ZDX Type S will be “the most powerful and quickest accelerating SUV in the brand’s history.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/acura-teases-the-zdx-its-first-electric-vehicle-130051990.html?src=rss 

Elon Musk and X, the site formerly known as Twitter, are in more legal trouble. The Agence France-Presse (AFP) is suing X for not engaging in discussions about payment to the French publisher in exchange for its articles appearing on the platform. In 2019, France passed neighboring rights legislation, extending copyright law to content produced by news publishers, such as text and videos, for two years after release. The law requires any sites that share this work to negotiate with the publishers about remuneration instead of sharing it without compensation for its creators. 

In its press release, the AFP stated that it has “expressed its concerns over the clear refusal from Twitter (recently rebranded as ‘X’) to enter into discussions regarding the implementation of neighbouring rights for the press. These rights were established to enable news agencies and publishers to be remunerated by digital platforms which retain most of the monetary value generated by the distribution of news content.”

X isn’t the first tech company AFP has gone up against. In 2020, France’s competition authority ordered Google to enter negotiations with publishers, and, while it reached an agreement in early 2021, the company was fined €500 million ($546 million) later that year for not reaching a fair agreement. In that case, part of the argument was that Google owns 90 percent of the search market, leaving them in a position where they could abuse their power if an equitable deal wasn’t reached. Twitter’s influence in this area of the internet isn’t nearly as strong, so we’ll have to wait and see if it will face the same fight. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-sued-by-afp-over-not-discussing-payments-for-news-content-105501199.html?src=rss 

No matter the level of success a tech company has seen for certain products, at least one device always fails to meet expectations after launch. Amazon experienced this for its quickly discontinued Fire phone, and Meta is seeing it for everything from disinterest in the Metaverse to, reportedly, Ray-Ban Stories, its smart sunglasses. According to an internal Meta document viewed by The Wall Street Journal, less than ten percent of people with Ray-Ban Stories regularly use the product.

Ray-Ban sold about 300,000 of the glasses between their launch in September 2021 and February 2023 — when Meta conducted the report. At that time, there were only 27,000 monthly active users, with the company citing issues such as poor connectivity and issues with battery life. Yes, these people already bought the sunglasses, so that’s something for the companies, but the low retention doesn’t exactly instill confidence in continual sales. Meta’s Reality Labs division, which the Ray-Ban partnership falls under, isn’t doing well either, with an almost $8 million loss over the first half of 2023.

However, Meta is set to release a new generation of Ray-Ban Stories in either the fall or spring. Apparently, the new glasses will have improved battery life and cameras and be available in more than the current three sunglass models. While the first generation is available for $299, there’s no word yet on how the next version of Ray-Ban Stories will be priced.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-memo-admits-its-ray-ban-stories-smart-glasses-arent-getting-much-face-time-094549256.html?src=rss 

IK Multimedia is back with a refresh for its well-regarded Uno Synth Pro flagship keyboard, the Uno Synth Pro X. Just like the original, this is a three-oscillator paraphonic instrument with plenty of bells and whistles, but with some new features to set it apart. The Pro X features an entirely new layout and a unique sound engine. It also ships with some new effects, including true analog overdrive, shimmer reverb and a vibrato/chorus based on the famous Uni-Vibe pedal.

All told, there are over ten “studio-quality” effects and you can stack them for unique sound design options, via three modulation slots. The dual-filter design and three-oscillator sound engine allows for plenty of sonic possibilities, and there’s 256 preset slots to save your creations. Additionally, the Pro X boasts a 64-step paraphonic sequencer, with step and real-time recording options, and a 10-mode arpeggiator with a pattern designer. This arpeggiator allows for your typical legato, mono and paraphonic modes, but even includes a brand-new bassline mode.

One big change over the original Synth Pro is that this version is extremely light, weighing less than a kilogram, and intended for portable use. This is fantastic news for those who like fiddling with synthesizers on airplanes or in the bathroom, but it comes with a cost. There’s no actual keybed here, so you have to use the integrated multi-function buttons or plug it into a MIDI keyboard. There are many more hands-on control options available, however, when compared to the OG model. 

On the topic of connectivity, the Synth Pro X offers much to be excited about. There’s USB-C, 5-pin DIN MIDI, balanced stereo outputs and a dedicated stereo headphone out. These connections make it easy to integrate with other synthesizers, effects processors, DAWs and just about anything else. Once plugged into a computer, the expanded sound editor opens up in your DAW of choice for further adjustments.

IK Multimedia’s Synth Pro X can be powered via USB-C or the included standard PSU. You can order one right now directly from the company for $500.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uno-synth-pro-x-offers-high-end-sound-design-in-a-portable-package-090003950.html?src=rss 

Nintendo just announced its highest first quarter profit ever thanks to sales of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The company earned 185.44 billion yen ($1.3 billion) on sales of 461.34 billion yen ($3.2 billion), easily battering its previous fiscal Q1 record of 144.7 billion set in 2020, the company revealed in its latest earnings report. 

The numbers on those two properties are impressive. Around the world, 168.10 million people watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie, netting the company $1.349 billion as of July 26th — the highest ever for an original film based on a video game, and the second-highest for an animated film. 

Meanwhile, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has sold 18.51 million copies since it launched in May, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold 1.67 million units last quarter. “Sell-through of this one title [Zelda] constitutes approximately half of the first-party software sold this fiscal year,” Nintendo said. 

Switch sales were actually up over the same quarter last year to 3.91 million in the last quarter (compared to 3.43 million units last year), with 2.83 million of those being the more expensive OLED model. That rise might be powered in part by Zelda, as buyers sought either a new or better console to play the game. The company has also continually stated that it’s goal is to put more than one Switch in every household, and could be starting to deliver on that. At the beginning of its fiscal year, Nintendo called its sales forecast of 15 million Switch consoles “a bit of a stretch,” but is on track to achieve that number so far. 

It may be tough for Nintendo to maintain that momentum, though. Upcoming games include the side-scroller Super Mario Bros Wonder (October 20th), Detective Pikachu Returns (October 6th), WarioWare: Move It! (November 3rd) and Super Mario RPG with updated graphics on November 17th. There are no marquee games in that list like Breath of the Wild, though, and sales of that game (and movie profits) are bound to keep dropping off. 

As for the Switch, it’s now six years old, and Nintendo has yet to announce its replacement. Rumors have swirled that a next-gen Switch arrive in 2024, but none have much substance behind them. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-sees-record-first-quarter-profit-thanks-to-zelda-and-the-mario-movie-075718094.html?src=rss 

X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, is now letting users download videos from its website, as long as a couple of criteria are met. First, the creator must explicitly allow downloads for the content they post. Also, the ability to save videos from the website is exclusively available to verified users comprised mostly of people paying for Blue subscription. Elon Musk has announced the new feature on his account and explained that a verified user can download content by tapping the ellipsis (…) menu on the upper right corner of the screen when a video is in full screen mode. Musk also said that X will soon make it easy to download videos on mobile simply by tapping and holding the content on the screen.

Previously, people have had to use to third-party websites and apps to be able to save videos. Of course, non-paying users still have to use those tools if they want to download content from X. That doesn’t come as a surprise, seeing as the company has been releasing new features specifically for paying members while making the website less usable for the rest of its userbase. It announced in July that it will limit the number of DMs non-paying users can send to address its spam issues, and it also previously limited the number of posts non-verified users can see to 600 a day.

Meanwhile, X gave verified users the ability to publish posts with up to 25,000 characters and allowed them to post videos up to three hours in length. More recently, it also gave Blue subscribers the option to hide their blue checkmark in case they don’t want to make it obvious that they’re paying for the service. For those interested to see how X has evolved since Elon Musk took over Twitter, company CEO Linda Yaccarino has just published the list of changes it has implemented right here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-blue-subscribers-can-now-download-videos-from-the-website-065336710.html?src=rss 

Meta has teamed up with UFC to bring live mixed martial arts (MMA) in VR to Horizon Worlds, the company announced in a Quest Blog post seen by The Verge. The experience, launching in November, will let UFC Fight Pass subscribers (via Xtadium and YBVR streaming) watch MMA action at 4K resolution and 180-degree VR capture on Horizon Worlds. “Enjoy the action alone or with friends and switch camera angles throughout the fight to get the best view of every matchup,” Meta wrote. 

Users will also be able to discuss UFC with other Horizon Worlds users, check out a virtual version of the Octagon and compete in single player and multiplayer in-world games to gain unlockable rewards — all with the goal of becoming a UFC “Hall of Famer.” 

The new experience is one of a number of ways Meta is attempting to lure users to Horizon Worlds. Recently, the company added Quests to keep users returning to the site, including mini-games like Giant Paddle Mini Golf,Arena Clash and Bad Roommates. It also recently introduced Rumble World, the first of many next-gen Horizon Worlds games featuring improved graphics and more complex gameplay. 

Meta said it latched onto UFC due to the “engagement and passion of this audience,” noting that fans enjoy not just the fights but also sharing the experience with other fans. “We tested this technology successfully with a handful of MMA events last year, and now we’re going further,” says MMA chief content officer Craig Borsari. “We’re just scratching the surface of how we can use this technology to create greater fan engagement and grow this sport.”

UFC also makes sense on Meta given CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s apparent interest in the sport (though his cage match with Elon Musk seems doubtful at the moment). In any case, live sports may be a potent way to attract new users to the reportedly flagging service, so it’ll be interesting to see if Meta adds others along with UFC. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-launching-a-ufc-themed-vr-experience-in-horizon-worlds-060904144.html?src=rss 

NASA estimates that its Earth science missions will generate around a quarter million terabytes of data in 2024 alone. In order for climate scientists and the research community efficiently dig through these reams of raw satellite data, IBM, HuggingFace and NASA have collaborated to build an open-source geospatial foundation model that will serve as the basis for a new class of climate and Earth science AIs that can track deforestation, predict crop yields and rack greenhouse gas emissions.

For this project, IBM leveraged its recently-released Watsonx.ai to serve as the foundational model using a year’s worth of NASA’s Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 satellite data (HLS). That data is collected by the ESA’s pair of Sentinel-2 satellites, which are built to acquire high resolution optical imagery over land and coastal regions in 13 spectral bands.

For it’s part, HuggingFace is hosting the model on its open-source AI platform. According to IBM, by fine-tuning the model on “labeled data for flood and burn scar mapping,” the team was able to improve the model’s performance 15 percent over the current state of the art using half as much data.

“The essential role of open-source technologies to accelerate critical areas of discovery such as climate change has never been clearer,” Sriram Raghavan, VP of IBM Research AI, said in a press release. “By combining IBM’s foundation model efforts aimed at creating flexible, reusable AI systems with NASA’s repository of Earth-satellite data, and making it available on the leading open-source AI platform, Hugging Face, we can leverage the power of collaboration to implement faster and more impactful solutions that will improve our planet.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ibm-and-nasa-teamed-up-to-build-the-gpt-of-earth-sciences-040116377.html?src=rss 

Now might be your chance if you’ve been in the market for a new gaming computer but haven’t found the right one. Alienware has announced the launch of its Aurora R16 desktop, an updated version of its flagship computer. Though the Aurora R16 is being released less than a year after the Aurora R15, it features a different design and features than its predecessor. 

At a quick glance, you’ll notice that the line’s former triangle shape is gone in favor of the rectangular Legend 3 design Alienware rolled out with its gaming laptops earlier this year. Yet, the Aurora 16 is 40 percent smaller than its predecessor while maintaining the same internal volume and, thus, upgradability. It also debuts the Alienware Command Center for desktops. 

Additional features of Alienware’s Aurora R16 desktop include 20 percent lower acoustics, seven percent lower temperatures and up to ten percent lower CPU than the Aurora R15. It also brings larger air intakes and exhausts, with a 54.5 percent larger open ratio. Plus, the Aurora R16 has two M.2 PCIe slots providing up to 8TB of storage and supports Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5 Gbps ethernet. Alienware’s Aurora R16 desktop is available now for $1,750. It will offer RTX 4070 or RTX 4070 Ti in the US and Canada, while European and Asian markets will also have RTX 3050 and RTX 4080. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alienware-announces-a-new-look-aurora-r16-desktop-070153737.html?src=rss