Category: Technology

The days of the leap second creating headaches for software engineers are coming to an end. On Friday, government representatives at the General Conference on Weights and Measures in Paris, France voted nearly unanimously to retire the practice of occasionally adding one second to official clocks (via The New York Times).

Introduced in 1972 as a way to adjust Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to reconcile discrepancies that can come up between atomic time and observed solar time, the leap second has been the bane of tech companies for decades. In 2012, for instance, Reddit was down for about 40 minutes when the addition of a leap second that year confused the company’s servers. More recently, Cloudflare saw part of its DNS services affected due to a time change in 2016.

Companies like Facebook parent Meta employ a technique called “smearing” to avoid outages whenever the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service adjusts UTC to add a leap second. Earlier this year, the social media giant published a blog post calling for an end to the practice. “Every leap second is a major source of pain for people who manage hardware infrastructures,” Meta said at the time. Part of the push to eliminate the leap second has come as a way to preserve UTC as the world’s official international time.

With this week’s vote, dignitaries from the US, Canada and France called for the practice to end before 2035. Russia voted against the proposal. In the past, the country has sought to delay the demise of the leap second because GLONASS, its global positioning system, incorporates the adjustment – the Global Position System (GPS) operated by the US does not. Felicitas Arias, the former director of the Time Department at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures told Nature the decision may force Russia to launch new satellites.

There’s still another organization that needs to weigh in on the matter before software engineers can breathe a sigh of relief. The International Telecommunications Union, the group responsible for transmitting universal time, will vote on the issue next year. If it moves forward with “Resolution D,” metrologists and astronomers will have until at least 2135 to figure out how to reconcile the atomic and astronomical time scales.

 

The Orion crew vehicle is exceeding expectations on its way to the Moon. NASA provided an update on Artemis 1 following the mission’s successful launch early Wednesday morning. “Orion has been performing great so far,” Vehicle Integration Manager Jim Geffre said during a press briefing NASA held on Friday. “All of the systems are exceeding expectations from a performance standpoint.”

Artemis 1 seeks to confirm the crew vehicle can safely carry human astronauts to Earth’s natural satellite. The journey marks Orion’s first trip beyond our planet’s orbit. In 2014, the spacecraft completed a two-orbit test flight around Earth. A successful flight would pave the way for a manned mission to the Moon and eventually NASA’s first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The agency expects Artemis 1 to reach the Moon on November 21st. At that point, the spacecraft will perform the first of four main engine burns NASA has planned for the mission. At times, Orion will fly little more than 81 miles (130 kilometers) above the lunar surface. “We will be passing over some of the Apollo landing sites,” Flight Director Jeff Radigan said. Four days later, NASA plans to conduct a second burn to put Orion in a distant orbit around the Moon before finally setting the spacecraft on a return trajectory toward the Earth. If all goes according to plan, Orion will land in the Pacific Ocean on December 11th.

Orion’s early successes are a welcome development after the troubles NASA encountered with its Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket. The space agency was forced to delay the launch of Artemis 1 multiple times due to engine problems, hydrogen fuel leaks and hurricane-force winds. Early Wednesday morning, it appeared that the agency would be forced to delay the mission again after the SLS ground team discovered a leak in one of the fuel lines on the rocket’s launch tower. However, after NASA personnel tightened some bolts, the SLS lifted off, creating a dazzling nighttime display.

 

Google paid Activision Blizzard approximately $360 million to prevent the troubled publisher from competing directly against the Play Store. The deal was one among at least 24 agreements the search giant signed as part of its Project Hug initiative, according to court documents seen by Reuters.

The financial details of Project Hug – later known as the Apps and Games Velocity Program – are at the center of the ongoing antitrust lawsuit between Epic Games and Google. In 2021, the studio alleged Google had spent millions of dollars in incentives to keep big app developers on the Play Store. This week, a newly unredacted version of Epic’s complaint was made public, providing previously unknown details about the scope of the Apps and Games Velocity Program.

According to the court documents, Google also signed deals with Nintendo, Ubisoft and Riot Games. In the case of Riot, Google paid about $30 million to “stop” the League of Legends studio from pushing forward with its own “in-house ‘app store’ efforts,” Epic alleges. Riot Games did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment.

The lawsuit alleges Google knew signing with Activision would prompt the publisher to “abandon its plans to launch a competing app store,” a claim Activision disputes. “Google never asked us, pressured us, or made us agree not to compete with Google Play,” an Activision spokesperson told Reuters. “Epic’s allegations are nonsense.”

Google accused Epic of “mischaracterizing” the intent of the Apps and Games Velocity Program. “Programs like Project Hug provide incentives for developers to give benefits and early access to Google Play users when they release new or updated content; it does not prevent developers from creating competing app stores, as Epic falsely alleges,” a Google spokesperson told Engadget. “In fact, the program is proof that Google Play competes fairly with numerous rivals for developers, who have a number of choices for distributing their apps and digital content.”

Update 1:03PM ET: Added comment from Google. 

 

While you may have a big list of gifts to get for others over the next couple of weeks, now is a good time to pick up things for yourself as well. There’s arguably no better time of the year to pick up expensive gadgets like robot vacuums since most of them will be on sale. Wellbots is kicking things off early this year in the smart home space by discounting both the iRobot j7 and j7+ vacuums, bringing them down to $349 and $599, respectively, when you use the codes ENG250 and ENG200 at checkout.

Buy Roomba j7 at Wellbots – $349Buy Roomba j7+ at Wellbots – $599

These are essentially the same robot vacuum, but the “plus” variant comes with a clean base. If you’re unfamiliar, clean bases are basically garbage cans attached to the robot’s charging base, and the vacuum will automatically empty its bin into the base after each job. If vacuuming is one of your least favorite chores, getting a robo-vac with a clean base makes it so you only have to interact with your cleaning robot once a month or so when you need to change out the base’s bag.

The Roomba j7 series came out last year and it features upgraded AI-driven computer vision that gives it improved obstacle avoidance. It’ll maneuver its way around chairs, table legs and more with ease, plus that enhanced technology should help it avoid an instances of a robo-vac’s worst enemy: pet poop. The j7 earned a spot in our best robot vacuum guide for its solid obstacle avoidance, plus its strong suction power, accurate home mapping and the ease of use of its companion app. iRobot’s mobile app will be easy for even novices to learn, and it lets you set cleaning schedules, remotely control the vacuum and more from anywhere.

In this sale, the $600 Roomba j7+ is the same price as the j7 usually is without the clean base, which makes the higher-end configuration even more compelling. However, if you’re on a tighter budget, you can skip the clean base and get all of the same cleaning technology for only $350.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

 

It’s a good time to buy a TV that doubles as an art installation. Amazon is selling Samsung’s 2022 Frame TVs at their best prices to date for Black Friday. All models are on sale, but the highlights are a 55-inch model for $998 (normally $1,498) and a 65-inch variant for $1,533 (regularly $1,998). Samsung is matching these prices if you’d prefer to buy directly. You’ll need to pay extra if you want a fancier bezel, but the savings could make that easier to justify.

The 2022 version of the Frame is, in some ways, the set you were expecting when Samsung introduced the lineup. Thanks to a matte screen finish, the always-on art mode is more convincing than with previous models — it almost looks like a canvas painting that just happens to be a TV. This is also a fully up-to-date device with 4K, HDR and creature comforts like voice assistant support (both Alexa and Google Assistant) and a game mode. You won’t sacrifice much just to have a conversation piece in your living room.

There are a few considerations. You won’t get Samsung’s absolute best image quality, so you may want to look to high-end conventional TVs like the mini LED-based QN85B if you don’t need the artwork. Also, you’ll typically need to pay for either an Art Store subscription or individual works if you want masterpieces from the likes of Da Vinci, Van Gogh and Vermeer. The Frame is a strong value at these prices, though, and makes plenty of sense if you were already planning to wall-mount your screen.

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When it comes to smart locks, August’s 4th-gen WiFi model is one of our favorites. The device typically costs $230, but you can snag it for a solid discount ahead of Black Friday. Use the code ENGLOCK when you check out at Wellbots, and you’ll get $55 off. That means you’ll get the August WiFi smart lock for $174. While that’s not the best deal we’ve seen for the product, it’s still a good price.

Buy August WiFi smart lock (4th-gen) at Wellbots – $174

We gave the smart lock, which is available in black or silver, a score of 80 in our review. We liked the fact that it’s easy to install (it should fit over most existing deadbolts) and that it won’t take up too much real estate on your door. It’s slimmer than previous versions. Another big plus is that it’s WiFi-connected and doesn’t require a bridge to operate it. On the downside, the smart lock only works with 2.4GHz WiFi networks, so you’ll need to make sure your router is set up for that.

You’ll be able to lock and unlock the door remotely, which could come in handy if a friend is stopping by to check on your home and water the plants while you’re on vacation. There’s the option to provide folks with timed-entry keys, meaning that they’ll be able to enter a home on their own without having to wait for the resident to unlock the door manually. Because the August smart lock fits over an existing deadbolt, you’ll still be able to use your same physical keys to open your door — so don’t worry too much about the power going out when you’re away from home.

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Tesla has issued a recall for 29,348 Model X vehicles, because their airbag might deploy incorrectly in some situations. This recall affects 2021 to 2023 Model X cars manufactured for customers in the US. According to the recall notice (PDF) published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the restraint control module calibration on those specific vehicles could cause the frontal passenger airbag to deploy “in an unintended configuration during certain low-speed collision events.”

While the notice didn’t illustrate the airbag’s “unintended configuration,” it said that it would result in noncompliance of the law when a child around three to six years old is seating in the front passenger seat without a seatbelt and out of position. Reuters notes Tesla’s shares fell by 3 percent after the recall was published, leading to its lowest in nearly two years, but it’s worth noting that the company says it’s not aware of any “warranty claims, field reports, crashes, injuries, or deaths related to this condition.”

Earlier this month, Tesla also recalled 40,168 Model S and Model X vehicles over a software defect that could potentially cut power steering assistance due to potholes and other bumps on the road. And in September, it issued a recall for over a million vehicles because their window automatic reversal system could malfunction and pinch the driver or passenger. 

Like those other recalls, though, owners don’t have to turn their vehicles in or go anywhere for a fix at all. The issue can be fixed by an over-the-air firmware update, which the automaker will roll out to all affected vehicles. 

 

Waymo is one step closer to charging passengers for fully driverless rides in San Francisco. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has granted the company a Driverless Pilot permit, which allows it to pick up passengers in a test vehicle without a driver behind the wheel. It’s only the second participant in the CPUC’s Driverless Permit program, with Cruise being the first. 

By securing the permit, Waymo now has the authority to offer driverless rides throughout San Francisco, portions of Daly City, as well as in portions of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto and Sunnyvale. Its vehicles are allowed to go as fast as 65 miles per hour and can operate 24/7, but the company can’t charge for the rides just yet. Waymo told Engadget that it will begin offering free rides without a driver to select members of the public in the coming weeks. To note, the company has been offering free driverless rides to the public in Phoenix since 2020. 

The California Department of Motor Vehicles recently authorized Waymo to charge for fully autonomous rides. However, the company still has to secure a Driverless Deployment permit — the next step after this one — from the CPUC to be able to start doing so. The agency gave Cruise a deployment permit for robotaxis in June, almost a year after it was allowed to offer free rides to the public. 

Like Cruise, Waymo likely won’t be allowed to operate its vehicles during times of heavy fog and rain when it gets its deployment permit. Robotaxi companies have to find a way to overcome autonomous vehicles’ performance issues in bad weather, however, if they want to be able to service more places and more people. Waymo is taking steps to address the problem and recently announced that it’s using its latest car sensor arrays to create real-time weather maps of Phoenix and San Francisco. The Alphabet-owned company will use the data it gathers to improve its Driver AI’s ability to handle rough weather and to better understand the limits of its vehicles. 

 

Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO and founder of Theranos, has been sentenced to just over 11 years in prison for defrauding the investors of her blood testing startup. The sentence comes almost a year after Holmes was found guilty on four counts of fraud following a months-long trial.

In total, Holmes was sentenced to 135 months in prison, as well as three years of supervised release. A surrender date was set for April 27th. She will also be ordered to pay restitution, though Judge Ed Davila said that amount will be determined at a separate hearing. Prosecutors had asked for more than $800 million in restitution, accounting for 29 investors, but at the sentencing hearing, Davila said restitution would be based on $121 million in losses to 10 investors, according to The New York Times. 

Ahead of her sentencing, prosecutors had pushed for a 15-year sentence, while Holmes’ attorneys argued she should get no more than 18 months of house arrest. Her probation officer had recommended nine years, The New York Times reported.

Throughout the trial, Holmes’ lawyers tried to portray the Theranos founder as a young and inexperienced entrepreneur who hadn’t intended to deceive investors or the public. During her testimony, Holmes blamed many of Theranos’ problems on others at the company, including her former partner Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani.

She also testified that Balwani was abusive during their romantic relationship, and that he had misled her about what was happening in Theranos’ lab. Balwani, who as COO also oversaw day-to-day operations of the company’s lab, was found guilty on 12 counts of fraud in a separate trial earlier this year. His sentencing is scheduled for December.

Even at her sentencing, Holmes proved she still has influential allies to defend her. Several Silicon Valley investors, including early Theranos backer Tim Draper, wrote letters of support urging the judge for a lighter sentence. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker also wrote in her support, asking the judge for “a fair and just sentence.”

Holmes delivered a brief statement at her sentencing hearing. “I regret my failings with every cell of my body,” she said, according to Law360’s Dorothy Atkins. Holmes was crying throughout her statement, according to multiple reporters in the courtroom.

 

We’ve been keeping an eye on Samsung to see when their Black Friday deals would hit, and it looks like today’s the day. As of right now, all of the latest Galaxy phones are on sale, with the biggest discount going to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. At $300 off the list price, Samsung’s most premium (non-folding) Galaxy phone is down to $900. We saw the S22 Ultra drop to this price for a few days earlier this month as a sort of Black Friday preview, but then it jumped back to its usual price. For anyone who missed that window, you can once again grab our current favorite Android phone while it’s this low. 

We gave the S22 Ultra an 89 in our review, calling it “the best premium Android flagship you can buy.” It’s got a lot in common with Samsung’s discontinued-for-now Note series, especially with its inclusion of the on-board S Pen and the return to a more rectangular shape, but the S22 Ultra is not just a Galaxy Note rehash. It’s got a “sumptuous” screen that keeps things looking smooth with a 120Hz refresh rate and bright 6.8-inch Super AMOLED panel. The cameras are also updated, with a 108-megapixel main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a pair of 10MP telephoto lenses in back. There’s a 40MP camera in front, along with new customized video calling software for using Google’s Duo (now called Google Meet). 

The S22 Ultra uses Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processors, which handled fairly intensive multitasking in our tests without getting bogged down or even heating up significantly. While the battery didn’t last as long as we were hoping, it gave 17 hours and 16 minutes in our video rundown test. 

If you don’t need the S Pen, or quite so many cameras, you might try the Galaxy S22+. It’s also on sale for Black Friday, with $250 off the MSRP bringing it down to $800. We gave it an 87 in our review, particularly impressed by the extra bright display and ability to take rich low-light photos. 

The base model Galaxy S22 also earned an 87 from us. Even at the list price of $800, we said the S22 gives you more “phone for the money than anything you can buy from Apple or Google.” Now that it’s down to $700, that statement is truer than ever.

Buy Samsung Galaxy S22+ at Amazon $800Buy Samsung Galaxy S22 at Amazon – $700

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