Category: Technology

Netflix has released a trailer for Money Shot, a documentary about Pornhub (arguably one of its biggest competitors for people’s attention). The film features interviews with performers, activists and former employees. It promises to delve into many of the scandals and successes the porn colossus has experienced over the almost 16 years it has been around.

The trailer suggests the film will explore issues such as alleged sexual exploitation and accusations that Pornhub has hosted non-consensual pornography. Pornhub owner MindGeek has faced a lawsuit over its alleged monetization of child porn. In 2020, the site removed all uploads from unverified users.

The documentary seems to go beyond Pornhub to examine other facets of the sex industry. The trailer, for instance, touches on the fact many sex workers and porn performers have lost their accounts on social media platforms. Meanwhile, one interviewee suggests that critics aren’t just attacking porn, but the very idea of self-expression. 

The clip suggests that Money Shot takes a far-reaching look at Pornhub and the broader industry. You’ll be able to find out for yourself just how tactful and measured the documentary’s approach is when it hits Netflix on March 15th.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-pornhub-documentary-trailer-touches-on-sex-trafficking-allegations-203441864.html?src=rss 

Rivian won’t limit its longest-ranged battery pack to the R1T pickup. Founder RJ Scaringe has announced that a configuration with the Max Pack battery and dual-motor all-wheel drive will be available sometime this fall. The company projects a 390-mile range. Crucially, you won’t lose the seven-person seating in the process. You can take the whole family on a road trip without as many charging stops as before.

The EV maker hasn’t mentioned pricing for the Max Pack trim. As Autoblognotes, the option adds $16,000 to the price of the R1T but extends the range to 400 miles. At present, R1S buyers have to be content with a $6,000 upgrade to the not-yet-EPA-rated Large Pack. You can expect a claimed 260 miles with the stock battery.

The wait for the Max option doesn’t come at a great moment for Rivian. The automaker has conducted two rounds of layoffs as part of a broader cost-cutting strategy meant to help the brand survive rough economic conditions. It While Rivian is one of the few EV startups to achieve meaningful production levels, it made just 24,337 cars in 2022, or less than half its originally predicted amount — and roughly half of those (12,700) were just recalled over an airbag deployment issue. The R1S Max model may boost demand, but its late-year arrival may limit its potential to improve Rivian’s fortunes in 2023.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rivians-electric-r1s-suv-will-get-an-extended-range-max-battery-this-fall-175420107.html?src=rss 

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has voted to advance legislation that would give President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok in the US along with other apps owned by Chinese companies. The panel approved the the Deterring America’s Technological Adversaries (DATA) Act in a 24-16 vote. All Republicans on the panel were in favor while every Democrat voted against the bill.

There are several more steps that the bill needs to go through before it becomes law. The full House and the Senate would have to pass it, and Biden would have to sign the bill. Still, it’s a notable step forward for the latest attempt to ban TikTok in the US entirely.

Republican committee chair Michael McCaul introduced the DATA Act (PDF) only last week. McCaul expects the bill to go to a full house vote later this month, according to Reuters.

The legislation would grant the president the power to enact sanctions, including bans, on any company that the Treasury Secretary deems “knowingly provides or may transfer sensitive personal data of persons subject to United States jurisdiction to any foreign person that is subject to the jurisdiction or direction” of China. The same applies to a foreign person or company that “is owned by, directly or indirectly controlled by, or is otherwise subject to the influence of China.”

Democratic members of the Foreign Affairs Committee claimed that the legislation was too broad. It would “damage our allegiances across the globe, bring more companies into China’s sphere, destroy jobs here in the United States and undercut core American values of free speech and free enterprise,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat member, said. He suggested that the legislation as is could lead to sanctions against businesses in Korea and Taiwan that supply semiconductors and other parts to Chinese companies.

“A US ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide,” TikTok wrote on Twitter. “We’re disappointed to see this rushed piece of legislation move forward, despite its considerable negative impact on the free speech rights of millions of Americans who use and love TikTok.”

“Congress must not censor entire platforms and strip Americans of their constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression,” American Civil Liberties Union senior policy counsel Jenna Leventoff said in a statement. “Whether we’re discussing the news of the day, live streaming protests, or ​​even watching cat videos, we have a right to use TikTok and other platforms to exchange our thoughts, ideas, and opinions with people around the country and around the world.” Leventoff called the bill “vague, overbroad and unconstitutional.”

TikTok has faced a growing backlash in recent months over concerns that the Chinese government may obtain user data from the app. Owner ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing, but TikTok claims it doesn’t share data with the Chinese government. By last summer, TikTok was routing all US data to Oracle servers based in the country. It pledged to delete US users’ private data from its own servers.

Nevertheless, the US government has banned the app from federally owned devices, this week giving agencies 30 days to make sure it’s gone from phones and tablets they operate. Most US states, the European Union, Canada and Quebec are also preventing their employees from using TikTok on state-owned devices.

TikTok has been trying for years to convince US officials that it’s not a threat to national security in an attempt to avert a complete ban. The company’s CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify before the Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23rd to discuss privacy, as well as TikTok’s influence on kids and its links to China.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/house-committee-approves-bill-that-could-lead-to-a-tiktok-ban-in-the-us-185632229.html?src=rss 

Jack Dorsey’s new Twitter alternative, Bluesky, is now available in closed beta on the App Store. The invite-only app could soon join a crowded field of budding Twitter competitors, including Mastodon.

Interested users can submit their email addresses to join the waitlist. The Bluesky app reportedly borrows heavily from Twitter. However, it includes minor differences like “What’s up?” in place of “What’s happening?” along with a simplified process of creating a post (which can also include photos) by selecting a plus button. Otherwise, it has familiar features like searching for and following users and viewing their posts on a Home timeline.

Bluesky began in 2019 as a Twitter-funded side project. Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter and was still CEO when the initiative started, saw it as a more open alternative to an increasingly centralized Twitter. Then, Bluesky spun off as its own company in 2021. Dorsey has said he believes social media should be free of corporate or government control and that only authors should have the power to remove their social-media content. Additionally, although he said Twitter’s decision to ban Donald Trump after his role in inciting the January 6th insurrection was “the right decision,” he also worried about its precedent in endangering a “free and open global internet.”

Whether Twitter users will flee to Bluesky (or other platforms) in large enough numbers to make a significant difference is an open question. However, considering many people seeking an alternative are doing so because of current CEO / owner Elon Musk’s headline-grabbing embrace of far-right figures and ideology, it may be illogical to expect them to flock to a brainchild of someone who holds reservations about banning anyone for any reason.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jack-dorseys-twitter-alternative-bluesky-is-now-available-in-closed-beta-190600041.html?src=rss 

Last week, Apple’s new M2 Mac mini saw its first discount on Amazon, but now it’s dropped even further, with a full $50 off the list price at B&H Photo. The discount applies to the the 256GB mini M2 and the 512GB mini M2, both with 8GB of RAM, bringing the tiny but mighty computers down to $549 and $749, respectively. It looks like Amazon is matching the price on both the 256GB model and the larger 512GB configuration. The Mac minis with the M2 Pro chip aren’t seeing the same discount, though Amazon is listing those $10 below Apple’s suggested price. 

If you’re looking for a powerful desktop computer you can pair up with any monitor you have on hand, this is a great, low-cost way to get the power of Apple’s new M2 chip. In our review, we gave the mini a solid score of 86, praising the excellent performance and the still-great, squat aluminum design that disappears into your desk. Around back, you’ve got plenty of ports to handle your accessories, including two Thunderbolt 4 UCB-C ports, an HDMI port with 4K output at 240Hz and 8K at 60Hz, two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a gigabit Ethernet port, which you can upgrade to a 10 gigabit port, but it’ll cost you an extra $150. 

Inside, there’s the namesake M2 chip, which Apple first first offered in 2022. The chip combines computing operations, like CPU, GPU, input/output interfaces and certain memory processes into one “system on a chip,” allowing for faster processing speeds. Apple has put the chip into new iPad Pros, their latest MacBook Pros and now the Mac mini. The chips in the discounted models have eight CPU cores, 10 graphics cores, 8GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. That 8GB of RAM may strain under heavy browser tab loads, but should be suitable for most people’s everyday work flows. The minis also make a good home theater computer, if you want even more customization than you’d get with an Apple TV. 

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-m2-mac-mini-falls-to-a-new-low-of-549-163447890.html?src=rss 

Activision Blizzard’s return-to-office plans are prompting another labor dispute. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) union has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Activision for the allegedly illegal firings of two quality assurance testers who objected to a hybrid plan that required them to be in the office three days a week by April 10th. Management ostensibly fired the pair for using “strong language” in their opposition, the CWA says, but union Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens characterized the move as “retaliation” against staff who joined co-workers in protected labor activity.

Many employees are balking at the office strategy, the CWA claims. They’re reportedly concerned the end to purely remote work will raise the cost of living and force some employees out of their jobs. The NLRB expressly protected the use of harsh language until 2020, when the government loosened standards for firing people over their statements.

In a statement to Engadget, an Activision spokesperson doesn’t address the return-to-office effort and maintains that it fired the testers for violating company policy with their language. The game publisher insists that the CWA is “advocating for this type of behavior.” We’ve asked the NLRB for comment.

There’s no certainty the charge will succeed. However, it comes after successes for the CWA’s fight against Activision. Last May, the NLRB determined there was merit to claims the company illegally threatened staff and stifled social media posts. In October, the board found that Activision withheld raises from testers at Raven Software over their unionization efforts. An in-progress charge asserts the firm surveilled protesters and cut off chat channels used to discuss labor issues. Activision has routinely denied these allegations, arguing that it’s honoring the law and internal policy.

Regardless of the claims’ validity, the pressure has led to changes for some employees. Activision converted all its contract and part-time testers to full-time status last July, granting them improved pay and benefits. Some teams have also managed to unionize.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/activision-accused-of-illegally-firing-game-testers-who-opposed-a-return-to-office-171526812.html?src=rss 

The International Olympics Committee has laid out more details for the upcoming Olympic Esports Series, which will take place in Singapore in June. The lineup features facsimiles of real-world competitive events rather than what many people may think of as traditional esports, such as real-time strategy titles, fighting games and first-person shooters.

The initial batch of nine games connect to disciplines overseen by international sports federations. They include Just Dance and online chess from Chess.com. Some titles that have appeared at previous IOC-sanctioned events are returning, including Gran Turismo and Zwift, which requires participants to physically pedal on a stationary bike. Archery, baseball, sailing, taekwondo and tennis games round out the list. Qualifiers for the various titles, which include mobile games like Tennis Clash, start today.

“The Olympic Movement brings people together in peaceful competition,” David Lappartient, chair of the IOC Esports Liaison Group, said. “The Olympic Esports Series 2023 is a continuation of that, with the ambition of creating more spaces to play for both players and fans of elite competition.”

The Esports Series follows on from the Olympic Virtual Series, which took place in 2021 in the lead up to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. That esports event featured baseball, cycling (on Zwift), rowing, sailing and motorsport. The IOC says the series drew in more than 250,000 participants from 100 countries.

Although the organization is still just warming up to the idea of bringing esports into the Olympic Games proper, the series is part of the IOC’s efforts to engage with younger people and perhaps provide a gateway for them into sport. A strategic plan (PDF) approved by the IOC in 2021 includes a recommendation to “encourage the development of virtual sports and further engage with video gaming communities.” Part of this involves an effort to “strengthen the roles and responsibilities of [international federations] in establishing virtual and simulated forms of sports as a discipline within their regulations and strategies.”

“The idea first is really to make the bridge between the sports and the gaming space,” Vincent Perieira, the IOC’s head of virtual sport and gaming, told the Evening Standard. “We’re not making [an] opposition between sports and gaming. The point is really… how we can encourage people to do both to keep a good balance.”

On one hand, it makes some sense to ground the Esports Series in virtual versions of traditional sporting disciplines. The basic rules of virtual cycling, chess and tennis should be generally easy for participants and viewers to understand.

However, the IOC may be missing a trick by opting not to feature the likes of League of Legends, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, StarCraft II, Minecraft, Fortnite or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Those games (and many others) have significant built-in audiences that may not especially care about the Olympics otherwise. Perhaps one day we’ll see Stardew Valley,Tetris and GeoGuessr as medaled events at the Olympic Games, but not anytime soon.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-olympic-esports-series-will-feature-just-dance-gran-turismo-and-chess-172704742.html?src=rss 

Airbnb is reportedly banning users who, despite having a clear background, were associated with people the company deems a safety risk. Although the short-term rental company faces an impossible balancing act of making owners feel secure without discriminating unfairly against renters, its appeals process — a critical step in catching overreaches — sounds lackluster and confusing while erring on the side of perceived homeowner security.

Airbnb confirmed to Motherboard that it sometimes refuses to rent to users associated with banned individuals “likely to travel” with them. For example, in January, Airbnb informed a user named Amanda that she was prohibited from the platform due to being “closely associated with a person who isn’t allowed to use Airbnb.” Amanda used the credit card of her boyfriend — who has a criminal record — to book the rental. (Amanda doesn’t have a criminal record.) She told Motherboard that her partner’s flagged history was from “a white collar charge” while adding that the two don’t share an address or bank account.

Two days after appealing the ban, Airbnb informed her it was upholding it “after careful consideration” to help “safeguard our community.” Then, it slammed the door shut on the case, adding that it wouldn’t “offer additional support on this case at this time.” Although the company is less than transparent about how long it’s enacted this process or how often it uses it, its procedures require one of two things to appeal successfully: the banned acquaintance causing their prohibition successfully appeals their ban, or the person attempting to rent proves they aren’t “closely associated” with the problematic person. 

Either way, the company’s subliminal message has concerning undertones: Associate with someone with a checkered past — regardless of who they are today — and neither of you can use our platform.

Airbnb is a private business, and Amanda could try booking through a competitor — or simply get a hotel room. Further, we don’t know the precise details about why her boyfriend was banned in the first place. But the company’s approach highlights a more significant issue we may see again as Big Tech’s ability to profile users grows more advanced. (The company already uses “anti-party tech,” and competitor Vrbo used what’s essentially pre-crime for house parties during the Super Bowl.) 

So where do you draw the line? Airbnb’s answer appears to be a cynical calculation that risking negative press about banning acquaintances — perhaps unfairly — is preferable to anything that could make homeowners feel less secure about using the service.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/airbnb-is-banning-people-likely-to-travel-with-prohibited-users-173553947.html?src=rss 

Back at CES, most of the big TV makers like LG and Samsung announced their upcoming high end TVs. But one major company was missing: Sony. Now it’s finally ready to show off its latest flagship sets, and after getting a chance to see them in person, I can say it was worth the wait.

Sony’s 2023 line of Bravia XR TVs, are all powered by the company’s Cognitive Processor XR. That means they share the same underlying tech and processing including support for stuff like Sony’s XR Clear Image tech, which allows for adaptive noise reduction, auto HDR tone mapping and more.

For 2023, Sony is trying to take as much of the guesswork out of setup as possible by making its TVs look great right out of the box in the standard video or cinematic modes. That means you shouldn’t have to fuss around with various settings or need to get your TV professionally calibrated. Granted calibration is still the way to go if you want to get the very best image quality, but for people who don’t have a colorimeter at home or don’t want to pay someone else to do it – which I think is pretty much everyone – this is a welcome upgrade.

Sony has also made a few design tweaks including new tweeters that are built into the frame of select models. While you can’t really see them, they help deliver richer and more expansive audio, particularly when paired with one of the company’s high-end soundbars with center sync audio. Sony is also introducing an updated stand for most of its new sets, which allows for a bit more flexibility when trying to accommodate external speakers and soundbars.

The new Eco dashboard in Sony’s 2023 Bravia XR TVs makes it easy to turn on and adjust power-saving settings like brightness, idle power-off times and more.

Finally, Sony also added new Gaming and Eco dashboards, so it’s easier to find and adjust various settings. For gaming, you have options like VRR, motion blur reduction and more. And for FPS fanatics, there’s even a setting for adding a permanent crosshair to the middle of the screen, complete with various reticle choices. Alternatively, the Eco Dashboard includes a simple walkthrough to help you choose power-saving settings, including a happy little tree that grows when you do things like reduce the brightness or enable shorter idle power-off times.

While Sony hasn’t released exact pricing just yet, the X90L will likely be the most affordable of the bunch, as it’s positioned as the entry-level option in the Bravia XR family. It’s the replacement to last year’s X90K, and sports a full-array LED panel with improved Clear Image upscaling and significantly reduced blooming. And while Sony doesn’t publicly disclose the exact number of dimming zones, the company says the X90L has up to 60 percent more dimming zones while also being up to 30 percent brighter than before.

While it’s a mid-range TV overall, the new X90L is poised to be the entry model in Sony’s high-end Bravia XR TV family. And with the largest model going up to 98 inches, it’s also the biggest.

This model is also getting a new aluminum bezel instead of the plastic one on the X90K, and with the addition of a massive new 98-inch model, the X90L is the biggest TV in Sony’s 2023 Bravia XR lineup.

Next, when it comes to OLEDs, we have the A80L and A95L. Not only do both models boast improved contrast, when viewed side-by-side with rivals like the LG C2, I noticed Sony’s OLEDs definitely did a better job at preserving details in shadows. The A95L was particularly impressive thanks to its QD-OLED panel and Cognitive Processor, with Sony claiming brightness that’s now two times higher than last year’s model. This is big because for a long time, the brightness of OLED TVs has generally lagged behind that of more traditional LED sets. But now, Sony says the A95L is brighter than basically all but the most high-end LED rivals. And as someone who loves the super vibrant colors you get from OLED displays, the A95L might be my favorite of the entire line.

Thanks to a new QD-OLED panel, Sony claims the A95L is two times brighter than last year’s model.

Speaking of high-end, Sony’s X93L and X95L are the company’s two super premium flagship options. Both sets feature Mini LED displays with the main difference being that the X93L doesn’t come with Sony’s XR Clear Image tech. Meanwhile, the X95L offers similar peak brightness with 30 percent more local dimming zones. The downside is that the X95L is only available as an 85-inch model, so if you need something smaller, you’ll have to go with the X93L.

That said, when I compared the X93L and X95L to one of Sony’s super expensive reference monitors in a room with typical lighting, both did a great job of preserving details while also delivering extremely accurate colors. In certain scenes, Sony’s TV’s almost made rivals like Samsung’s QN90B look washed out. Admittedly, things like film grain were a bit more noticeable on the X93L because it doesn’t have Clear Image tech, but for film aficionados who really care about watching movies that look as close as possible to what the director intended, these are the sets to get.

The X95L is the new flagship set for Sony’s entire Bravia XR TV family.

After seeing the new TVs, regardless of what type of panel you prefer, all of Sony’s upcoming Bravia XR sets look fantastic. You get way more local dimming zones on the X90L line, while the two times higher brightness on the A95L is absolutely stunning. And with Sony adding larger screen options to basically all of its models, it should be even easier to find the right-size display for your room.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-2023-bravia-xr-tv-hands-on-bigger-brighter-and-even-better-looking-150030819.html?src=rss 

Netflix has revealed more details about a Stranger Things prequel that you’ll need to get off your couch to experience (at least for the foreseeable future). A stage play called Stranger Things: The First Shadowwill premiere at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End later this year. Netflix announced the production last year.

The play takes place in Hawkins in 1959, over two decades before the beginning of the ’80s-set sci-fi/horror series. It will feature younger versions of key characters, including Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, Bob Newby and Henry Creel (aka Vecna). Netflix says The First Shadow “will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story — and to the beginning of the end.” That suggests the play will tie into the show’s fifth and final season, which doesn’t have a release window as yet.

The First Shadow comes from the minds of series creators Matt and Ross Duffer, Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry and Jack Thorne, the writer of Enola Holmes 2, which features Millie Bobby Brown. Trefry wrote the play, which is being directed by Tony and Emmy winner Stephen Daldry. Tickets will go on sale this spring and Netflix says those who register at the play’s website will jump to the front of the line.

Netflix has already expanded Stranger Things to several other mediums, including games, comics, novels and a drive-thru experience. The First Shadow is the company’s first live stage production. It remains to be seen, however, if a filmed version of the play will hit the streaming service at some point so those who can’t make it to London (or, perhaps, Broadway) can see it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-stranger-things-stage-play-will-debut-later-this-year-152919732.html?src=rss