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Apple and Goldman Sachs are potentially ending their partnership four years after joining forces on an Apple credit card, The Wall Street Journal reports. The companies recently extended their agreement until 2029, but Apple proposes ending the contract in the next 12 to 15 months.

Although the pair launched a high-yield savings account in April of this year, it’s likely that Goldman won’t be too upset by a possible breakup. Last month, reports suggested the bank was aiming to get out of the consumer lending business. It had gone as far as to tell Apple earlier this year that it would like to get out of the agreement and approached American Express to take over its side of operations. 

Goldman also recently made arrangements to sell home improvement loan company Green Sky and plans to end its other credit card partnership with General Motors. Basically, Goldman tried to diversify outside of corporate and very wealthy clients, potentially writing off billions of dollars before returning to basics. The bank told employees that any layoffs would include one year’s salary.

In a statement to CNBC, an Apple representative said: “Apple and Goldman Sachs are focused on providing an incredible experience for our customers to help them lead healthier financial lives. The award-winning Apple Card has seen a great reception from consumers, and we will continue to innovate and deliver the best tools and services for them.”

Apple and Goldman’s partnership was never a match made in heaven for the companies or consumers. Goldman employees were frustrated with aspects such as the payment schedule and a push for mass application approval. Customers, on the other hand, reported that the bank’s customer service was a nightmare, including delayed transfers and lectures from representatives, according to The Information.

The future of Apple’s credit card and high-yield savings account is uncertain. The pair are part of Apple’s services sector, which is seeing growing revenue compared to reductions in its general sales. Synchrony Financial, which works with Amazon and PayPal, has been exploring the possibility of taking over Goldman’s role. The company originally bid against Goldman for the program.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-reportedly-ending-its-partnership-with-goldman-sachs-104511694.html?src=rss 

Do you have a Google account you haven’t checked for awhile but still want to keep? You’d better log in soon before it gets purged. Starting December 1st, 2023 (Friday), Google will begin deleting accounts that have been inactive for at least two years. The company says it’s doing so for privacy reasons and no doubt to free up quite a bit of space on its servers. 

“If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised,” Google noted in May 2023. “This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven’t had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user.” It added that abandoned accounts are “at least 10 times less likely than active accounts to have 2-step-verification setup.” 

Google will warn users before deletion via emails sent to the inactive account and another email, provided one has been set up. The policy only applies to personal and not business or education accounts, Google said. Some accounts will be exempt from deletion, including those with YouTube videos uploaded, an active paid subscription or holding gift cards. Deletion will start with accounts that have never been used, it said in May. 

To stop deletion, you’ll need to sign into the inactive account and access some of the services (read or send an email, use Google Drive, watch a YouTube video, etc.). If you have anything saved in Google Photos, you’ll want to access that content specifically, as Google has a separate policy for that service. “If you’re inactive in Google Photos for two years or more, all of your content may be deleted,” it states. 

Google isn’t alone with this policy, as since 2019, Microsoft has deleted Outlook (or related Hotmail) accounts that have been inactive for two years. In any case, it’s always a good idea to backup your Google accounts using the company’s Takeout feature and have a backup email for any important accounts. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/psa-your-inactive-google-account-could-be-deleted-on-december-1-100515990.html?src=rss 

HTC released the Vive Ultimate Tracker, which when paired with one of the company’s virtual reality headsets, delivers multi-point body tracking for users for everything from first-person shooter gaming to soccer skills training. The new tracker follows HTC’s Vive Tracker 3.0 line and will cost $199 per unit. HTC is also selling a three-pack that comes with the required wireless dongle and other accessories for a bundle price of $599.

You can use up to five “six degrees of freedom” (6DoF) Ultimate Trackers simultaneously and connect to a single headset to collectively support multi-point full-body tracking. Each tracker relies on two wide field-of-view cameras to precisely locate the wearer’s motions in 3D spaces, which ultimately gives it those self-tracking capabilities. The Global Head of Product at HTC, Shen Ye, said the technology built into the Ultimate tracker will enhance the virtual reality experience, making sessions “a lot more realistic and immersive.” Previous models relied on a base station for its tracking capabilities.

The lightweight positional trackers, weighing in at 94 grams a unit, can be attached to a variety of accessories, like a racket sports set, which expands its usability for things like VR training and dancing in VRChat. For example, the Vive Ultimate Tracker can be used specifically for foot tracking, which can be used to gauge passing skills during drills for soccer players. “From elite athletes to casual gamers, it’s extremely versatile and easy to set up anywhere,” Adam Dickinson, director of Rezzil, a tech company focused on training athletes using VR, says on using the new tracker.

The new Ultimate trackers are flat and are smaller than a smartphone, giving it an entirely different look from its three-pointed predecessor, the Vive Tracker 3.0. The Ultimate Tracker can also be paired with a standard mount and paired with HTC’s Vive XR Elite and Vive Focus 3. The trackers have a battery life of up to 7 hours and need WiFi to operate.

Though the company may be getting ahead of itself, Vive says it would eventually like the Ultimate Tracker to work independently with SteamVR without being paired to an XR headset. The first step in this process should come soon, as HTC plans to release a beta for direct connection to SteamVR “in the coming weeks.” This, the company says, will expand the Ultimate Tracker’s capabilities for industrial use. HTC headsets have been vying for space in the race to deliver the best virtual reality headset and accessories, primarily against the likes of Meta and its Quest headsets. Expanding the capabilities of its trackers may help Vive narrow the competitive gap, as more innovative applications may be key to enticing the niche world of VR gamers and users moving forward.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/htcs-vive-ultimate-trackers-have-cameras-to-improve-full-body-tracking-000008776.html?src=rss 

Hyundai is on a design roll these days. Everything that’s coming out of the brand’s South Korean design studios looks fresh and interesting, and that’s very much the case with the new Santa Fe. Dropping next year, the 2024 Santa Fe looks nothing like the current car. In fact it looks more like a Land Rover, but still has a look all its own.

It has a selection of great tech, too, like dual wireless chargers, dual 12.3-inch displays and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Plus, with three rows of seating, the Santa Fe hauls more folks and more cargo than ever before. Two engines will be on offer: a 2.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder making 277 horsepower and a 1.6-liter hybrid, with 232 ponies.

But what’s it like to drive? And is that third row actually usable? We headed to South Korea to find out. Watch the video below for the full story.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-2024-hyundai-santa-fe-adds-edge-to-a-comfortable-family-cruiser-230146510.html?src=rss