Category: Technology

Cameo, the app that allows people to buy short videos from celebrities, has won an important victory in its legal battle against OpenAI. On Monday, a federal judge granted the company a temporary restraining order against OpenAI, CNBC reports. Until December 22, the startup is not allowed to use the word “cameo” in relation to any features inside of Sora, its TikTok-like app for creating AI-generated videos. The order covers similar words like “Kameo” and “CameoVideo.”

“We are gratified by the court’s decision, which recognizes the need to protect consumers from the confusion that OpenAI has created by using the Cameo trademark,” Cameo CEO Steven Galanis told CNBC. “While the court’s order is temporary, we hope that OpenAI will agree to stop using our mark permanently to avoid any further harm to the public or Cameo.”

OpenAI did not immediately respond to Engadget’s comment request.

Cameo sued OpenAI in October, claiming the company’s use of the term was likely to confuse consumers and dilute its brand. Before filing the suit, Galanis said Cameo tried to resolve the dispute “amicably,” but claims OpenAI refused to stop using the name. Sora’s cameo feature allows users to upload their likeness to the app, which other people can then use in their own videos. US District Judge Eumi K. Lee, who granted Cameo the temporary junction, has scheduled a hearing for December 19 to determine if the order should be made permanent.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-cant-use-the-term-cameo-in-sora-following-temporary-injunction-213431626.html?src=rss 

It’s been a long road to get here, but the surreal skateboarding sim Skate Story will actually be available to play on December 8. The title will also be a day-one Game Catalog release for PlayStation Plus subscribers, which is a great perk for Sony fans. It’ll be available on other platforms, like Steam and Nintendo Switch, but those versions cost $20. The PS5 version is free for PS Plus subscribers and it’s not currently coming to Xbox.

For the uninitiated, Skate Story can only be described as a Lynchian take on skateboarding. Players control a glass avatar and they perform tricks to, well, swallow the moon and defeat the devil. It was announced all the way back in 2020. We got to play it last year and came away impressed. The game was made by Sam Eng, who was behind the indie shooter Zarvot.

It’s also being published by Devolver Digital, a company that knows its way around unique gameplay concepts. It published the utterly sublime Cult of the Lamb and one of our recent favorites, Ball x Pit. The former lets you feed poop to cult followers, which makes performing kickflips as a glass-bodied demon seem downright normal.

Looking to see what all of the fuss is about? There’s a demo right now on Steam. The game’s also available for purchase on the PS5, for those who don’t wanna pony up for a PS Plus subscription.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/skate-story-grinds-its-way-to-playstation-plus-on-december-8-193034939.html?src=rss 

Apple updated its flagship earbuds this year with the new AirPods Pro 3, but the AirPods Pro 2 were our top picks for the best wireless earbuds for Apple users for many years before that. They’re a bit hard to find at this point, but Walmart Black Friday deals have come for them (in addition to a bunch of other Apple products). Walmart has the AirPods Pro 2 for $139, which is the lowest price we’ve ever seen them and more than $100 off their standard $249 price tag. During Black Friday last year, they dropped to around $155.

At this price, the AirPods Pro 2 are a good option for anyone who wants most of the conveniences and features of the Pro 3s without spending nearly $100 more. They have excellent active noise cancellation and great sound quality, and thanks to a firmware update, they do support Apple’s new Live Translation feature. Using the buds in tandem with the Translate app on iPhones running iOS 26 or later, you can translate foreign languages in conversation in real time, hearing other languages being spoken to you in your preferred language.

Sound quality remains great on the Pro 2 and battery life hits at around six hours of use on a single charge with ANC enabled. The wireless charging case that comes with the Pro 2 actually offers more total hours of listening time than the Pro 3 — 30 hours in total, in comparison to the Pro 3’s 24 hours. You also get most of Apple’s health tracking capabilities along with all the conveniences of the H2 chipset, which includes quick pairing and switching, plus hands-free Siri. What you won’t get here is built-in heart rate tracking and improved sound quality and ANC, all of which are stand-out features of the new Pro 3.

In addition to the AirPods Pro 2, other AirPods are on sale for Black Friday. AirPods 4, both with and without ANC, are down to record-low or near-record low prices. Plus, the new AirPods Pro 3 are on sale for their best price since their launch in September. We’ll update this post as more Walmart Black Friday tech deals come in.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/walmart-black-friday-deals-include-the-airpods-pro-2-for-their-lowest-price-yet-170032969.html?src=rss 

HBO Max has launched its latest offer, giving new subscribers one year of streaming for $36 through December 1. This Black Friday streaming deal is on the ad-supported option, which normally goes for $11 per month. With this discount, you’re getting it for $3 per month for one year. It’s a rare opportunity to explore HBO Max’s mix of originals, Warner Bros. films and live sports while paying less than usual. You can sign up via HBO Max’s website or, if you’re a Prime Video subscriber already, via that service as an add-on.

HBO Max has one of the best libraries of content in the streaming market, combining HBO’s acclaimed originals with Warner Bros. theatrical releases, Discovery content and live sports. The service now runs across three main plans. The Basic With Ads plan, the one included in this deal, allows streaming on two devices in full HD and costs $11 a month at full price. The Standard plan adds offline downloads, more live sports coverage and better device flexibility for $18.49 per month. The Premium plan increases quality to 4K with Dolby Atmos sound (where available), four simultaneous streams and up to 100 downloadable titles for $23 monthly.

While the feature differences matter, the real appeal of HBO Max is its library. Subscribers get access to the full catalog of HBO originals, including House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, The Last of Us and Euphoria, alongside recent Warner Bros. theatrical hits like Dune: Part Two and Barbie. The addition of Discovery content brings in reality favorites such as Fixer Upper: The Hotel and 90 Day Fiancé, while sports coverage through TNT and TBS channels includes NHL, NASCAR, college football and more.

It’s worth noting that live sports are still limited to certain tiers and regions and 4K availability varies by title. But compared with other premium services that have recently raised prices or limited simultaneous streams, HBO Max’s current setup offers strong flexibility across its plans.

If you’re considering which streaming platform gives the best range of new shows, live events and cinema releases, our guide to the best streaming services compares HBO Max with other major options. For now, this one-year subscription offer provides a straightforward way to explore HBO’s latest hits and a wide catalog of content at a lower upfront cost.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-streaming-deals-include-one-year-of-hbo-max-for-36-163017424.html?src=rss 

Meta allegedly suspended internal research into the mental health effects of its products after it showed that people who stopped using Facebook experienced less depression, anxiety and loneliness. This comes from unredacted court filings in a lawsuit filed by multiple US school districts against major social media companies, as reported by Reuters. The suit alleges that these companies had knowledge of the health risks posed by these platforms but intentionally hid this from users.

Meta started the research project, dubbed “Project Mercury,” in 2020. The company’s scientists worked with survey firm Nielsen to investigate what effect, if any, “deactivating” Facebook had on its users. The suit alleges that when this research showed mental health benefits to quitting Facebook, Meta shut down the project, chose not to publish the results and decreed the findings tainted by “existing media narrative” surrounding the company.

According to Reuters, the filings also showed internal research staffers clearly expressing that the findings had merit, writing “the Nielsen study does show causal impact on social comparison.” Another compared the findings to the tobacco industry “doing research and knowing cigs were bad and then keeping that info to themselves.” The allegations call to mind the now well-known decisions by Shell and Exxon to bury internal research connecting fossil fuels with catastrophic climate change as far back as the 1980s.

In a statement obtained by Reuters, a Meta spokesperson said, “the full record will show that for over a decade, we have listened to parents, researched issues that matter most, and made real changes to protect teens.” The statement touted the company’s Instagram Teen Accounts and said, “We strongly disagree with these allegations, which rely on cherry-picked quotes and misinformed opinions.”

Meta is arguing to strike the documents underlying these allegations, which are not yet public, claiming the nature of what plaintiffs want to unseal is overly broad. These lawsuits, filed by hundreds of school districts, are being consolidated and handled in the Northern District of California, with a hearing regarding this particular filing set for January 26.  

This isn’t even the first time the company has been accused of burying research that yielded inconvenient results. In 2023 Meta also faced a massive lawsuit from 41 states as well as the District of Columbia over allegations that its platforms harm and addict young users. A judge in that case ruled that Meta’s lawyers tried blocking internal research showing its social media platforms were harmful to teen mental health.

There is growing concern surrounding the effects of social media on mental health, particularly for children. Today Malaysia joined a growing list of countries including Denmark and Australia in a plan to ban social media for underage users.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-allegedly-buried-research-showing-its-products-are-harming-users-152236073.html?src=rss