There’s another country music baby on the way! ‘American Idol’ star Gabby Barrett revealed she is pregnant with her third child.
There’s another country music baby on the way! ‘American Idol’ star Gabby Barrett revealed she is pregnant with her third child.
HP’s Pavilion Plus lineup offers some of the best mid-range laptop models out there, thanks to features like 16:10 displays with slim bezels, good keyboards/touchpads and solid specs. Now, the company has released its first 16-inch model, the HP Pavilion Plus 16, offering a 16.5-inch 120Hz 2.5K display, along with the latest Intel Core i7 processors — and starting at $1,000. HP also refreshed the Pavilion Plus 14 with the latest AMD and Intel processors and, as before, an OLED display option.
The Pavilion Plus 16 is targeted to serious business and education users, but is available with up to a 13th-gen Intel Core i7-13700H (14 cores, 20 threads) and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU. That, along with the 2,560 x 1,600, 120Hz VRR display, means the high end model is good for content creation and gaming as well — though it will obviously cost a lot more than the $1,000 base model.
Other specs include 16 GB LPDDR5x-5200 MHz RAM, a 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe TLC M.2 SSD, a wide array of ports (Thunderbolt 4 with USB power delivery, USB 3.2 Type-C, two USB Type A), a headphone/mic port, and HDMI 2.1). You also get WiFi 6E, B&O audio, and a 68Wh battery that provides up to 11:45 hours of life in mixed usage, or 15:45 for video playback. HP’s Pavilion Plus 16 arrives in October starting at $1,000, in natural silver or warm gold. It’ll be available at hp.com, Costco and Amazon.
As for the HP Pavilion Plus 14, the 2023 model will be available with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 7840H 8-core processor, along with Radeon Premium Pro or 780M graphics. (It’ll also have Intel options but HP hasn’t specified those yet). The displays on option include a 14-inch 16:10 2,880 x 1,800 OLED 48-120HZ HDR model (up to 500 peak nits, IMAX enhanced certified), a 2,560 x 1,600 IPS panel or a 1,920 x 1,200 version. The latter makes it an excellent option for serious entertainment and content creation users
The Pavilion Plus 14 come with 16GB LPDDR5x-6400 MHz RAM (up to 32GB) and up to a PCIe Gen4 NVMe TLC M.2 SSD. It lacks the Thunderbolt 4 port of the 16-inch model, but does offer HDMI 2.1, along with a pair of USB 3.2 Type-C ports (10Gbps), two USB-A ports and a headphone/microphone jack. Two battery options are available (51Wh and 68Wh), with the latter delivering up to 12:30 hours of mixed usage or 13:30 with FHD video playback.
The Pavilion Plus 14 arrives to hp.com in September starting at $850 in natural silver, moonlight blue, and tranquil pink. You’ll also be able to get one Amazon (Intel and AMD), along with Costco.com and BestBuy.com (AMD model only). HP also announced the new 420/425 Programmable Bluetooth Mouse, now available for $30 at hp.com and Amazon.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hps-first-16-inch-pavilion-plus-laptop-offers-nvidia-rtx-graphics-120056916.html?src=rss
Anker charging accessories are popular for good reason. They mirror many of the features found in first-party products and they’re often cheaper too. That goes for the company’s wireless MagGo lineup, which has been refreshed to include support for the Wireless Power Consortium’s (WPC) new Qi2 charging standard.
There are seven products in Anker’s new Qi2 MagGo range, including a 6,600mAh power bank that attaches to your phone and a compressible 3-in-1 fast-charging station for your AirPods, Apple Watch and 15-watt Qi2 phone charging. A new generation of Anker’s 8-in-1 charging station will also be available, with a pair of USB-A ports, another pair of USB-C ports, three plugs and a Qi2 phone charger.
Before now, Anker’s MagGo accessories were MagSafe compatible, rather than MagSafe certified, which meant they could only deliver 7.5-watt magnetic wireless charging instead of the full 15-watt output. Anker claims that its Qi2 MagGo product lineup is one of the first to be given a mark of full compliance through the Wireless Power Consortium’s (WPC) most recent Qi2 official certification, which builds on top of Apple’s tech.
Anker says that the effectiveness of each accessory is equal to Apple’s 15W MagSafe technology and should work with any Apple MagSafe iPhone products. However, it’s possible — though not confirmed — that Apple’s iPhone 15 offerings will feature Qi2 support, removing the need for MagSafe certification.
Anker’s new MagGo products are set to arrive in the fall, possibly around the same time Qi2-compatible phones will begin to hit the market.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ankers-new-maggo-lineup-supports-magnetic-qi2-charging-121530053.html?src=rss
Meta’s Oversight Board has put a new case, which it believes is relevant to its strategic priorities, under the spotlight. In a post, the board has announced that over the next few weeks, it’s reviewing and accepting public comments for a case appealing Meta’s non-removal of content that denies the Holocaust on its platforms. Specifically, this case pertains to a post going around on Instagram that puts a speech bubble on an image with Squidward, a character from SpongeBob SquarePants, denying that the Holocaust had happened. Its caption and hashtags also targeted “specific geographical audiences.”
The post was originally published by an account with 9,000 followers in September 2020, and it was viewed around 1,000 times. A few weeks after that, Meta revised its content policies to prohibit Holocaust denial. Despite the new rules and multiple users reporting it, the post wasn’t quickly removed. Some of the reports were auto-closed due to the company’s “COVID-19-related automation policies,” which were put in place so that Meta’s limited number of human reviewers can prioritize reports considered to be “high-risk.” Other reporters were automatically told that the content does not violate Meta’s policies.
One of the users who reported the post chose to appeal the case to the Board, which has determined that it falls in line with its efforts to prioritize “hate speech against marginalized groups.” The Board is now seeking comments on several relevant issues, such as the use of automation to accurately take enforcement action against hate speech and the usefulness of Meta’s transparency reporting.
In a post on Meta’s transparency page, the company has admitted that it left the content up after initial review. However, it eventually determined that it was left up by mistake and that it did violate its hate speech policy. The company has since removed the content from its platforms, but it promised to implement the Board’s decision. Meta’s Oversight Board can issue policy recommendations based on its investigation, but they’re not binding, and the company isn’t compelled to follow them. Based on the questions the Board wants the public to answer, it could conjure recommendations that would change the way Meta uses automation to police Instagram and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-oversight-board-escalates-holocaust-denial-report-122625970.html?src=rss
The social network X plans to compete with LinkedIn by offering job listings and more, CEO Elon Musk said in a new post. To aid in that, it has started gathering information about users’ jobs and education histories, along with biometric data for “safety, security and identification purposes,” according to a new policy spotted by Bloomberg. The company previously created an official @TwitterHiring account, TechCrunch reported last month.
“People send me LinkedIn links sometimes, but the cringe level is so high that I just can’t bring myself to use it, so I ask for the resume or bio to be emailed,” said Musk (who is often mocked for his own cringe-worthy posts). “We will make sure that the X competitor to LinkedIn is cool.”
On top of work history and education, X is collecting biometric information, though it didn’t say what kind. “Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes,” the updated privacy policy states. Twitter confirmed the update to Bloomberg, without elaborating more.
Some verified organizations including Workweek have been able to post job listings in the form of scrolling cards under their bios, as TechCrunch noted. According to a screenshot posted by user Nima Owji last month, “Twitter [X] will let verified organizations import all of their jobs to Twitter by connecting a supported ATS or XML feed.” Those listings may only work in the US for now, as they don’t appear for myself in Europe.
Elon Musk previously hinted at the feature in May, and X purchased a job-matching tech startup called Laski in May — the company’s first acquisition under Musk. Workweek CEO Adam Ryan said the job posting feature was included in X’s $1,000 per month “verified for organizations” package.
The job listings might eventually connect with the work history and education data gathered. “We may collect and use your personal information (such as your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, and so on) to recommend potential jobs for you [and] to enable employers to find potential candidates,” the policy states. However, it may also be used “to show you more relevant advertising.”
Biometric data is also relevant to Elon Musk’s stated goal of ridding the site of inauthentic accounts. Gathering that data may draw attention from regulators, though. X is already facing a proposed class action suit for biometric data captured without consent, reportedly from every photograph containing a face that is uploaded to X, according to a suit seen by Bloomberg.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-sets-its-sights-on-linkedin-with-a-job-listing-feature-104525893.html?src=rss
Google (accidentally?) published a photo of the Pixel 8 Pro before it unveiled the device, within 24 hours of rival Apple announcing the iPhone 15 launch. X (Twitter) user Android Setting spotted a photo of a beige phone on Google Store.
It’s since been pulled from the page that promotes Google’s subscriptions and services, but its alt text reportedly read: “A person takes a call on a Pixel 8 Pro phone in Porcelain.”
It broadly looks like another Pixel ‘pro’ phone, with the same camera array across the back. Google hasn’t announced a launch date yet, but we have an event date: October 4th. Timing is everything, though.
– Mat Smith
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Garmin’s new Venu 3 smartwatch knows when you’ve been napping
Samsung debuts its own ‘AI-powered’ smart recipe app
Late-night TV’s biggest hosts start a ‘Strike Force Five’ podcast to support striking staff
Google Chat now plays nice with Slack and Microsoft Teams
‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’ will use AI to clamp down on toxic voice chats
Google’s Duet AI can generate emails and documents in different tones
Sony’s two new A7C series cameras offer premium features for less money
A few months after Microsoft revealed plans to increase Game Pass subscription prices, Sony is getting in on the act. An annual Essential subscription will soon cost $80 per year, up from $60. The Extra plan is going up by $35 to $135 per year, while an annual Premium plan will soon cost $40 more at $160. The price changes won’t take effect for current PS Plus users on an annual plan until their next renewal date, which is on or after November 6th.
PS Plus is generally less expensive than the equivalent Game Pass tiers. An annual PS Plus Essential plan is $52 less than a year of Xbox Game Pass, while a 12-month PS Plus Premium membership is $44 less than Game Pass Ultimate over the same timeframe. That said, Microsoft offers all of its first-party games via Game Pass upon their release.
The Fairphone 5 doesn’t stray far from the template laid down by its predecessor. It has the same hefty chassis, the same camera housing, the same fingerprint-sensing power button and the same easily removable backplate. The changes include a bigger battery, a bigger display and better cameras. Thanks to Fairphone’s efforts to improve its product, and the general stagnation in smartphones, the gulf between cutting-edge and midrange has closed by a lot.
The contactless payment system for New York City’s subways has a security hole. Anyone with access to someone’s credit card number can see when and where they entered the city’s underground transit in the last seven days. The problem lies in a feature on the website for OMNY, the tap-to-pay system for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which allows you to view your recent ride history using only credit card info. The MTA’s loose implementation could allow stalkers, abusive exes or anyone who hacks into or purchases a person’s credit card information online to find out when and where they typically enter the subway. The MTA, in an email to Engadget, said it will consider security changes as it improves its system.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-google-didnt-mean-to-leak-the-pixel-8-pro-on-its-own-website-111557008.html?src=rss
The Apple Watch Series 8 is on sale at Amazon again, and it has even reached a new low for certain colors. You can get the 41mm Series 8 with Midnight or Starlight aluminum cases and bands for $310, which is the lowest we’ve seen them go for at Amazon. The model with a Red case and band is on sale for the same price — it went for as low as $280 on Prime Day, but you can at least get one today at 22 percent lower than retail if you missed your chance last time.
Buy Apple Watch Series 8 at Amazon – $310
We called the Apple Watch Series 8 the best smartwatch at the time it was released last year and praised it for having “excellent health and fitness tools.” It can track your body temperature, and if it’s relevant to you, it can use that information to determine if and when you had ovulated. The watch also has the capability to measure your blood oxygen and can tell you the quality of the sleep you’ve been having. Plus, it comes with ECG capabilities.
It comes with an enhanced Workout app that can suggest new ways to train. You can use it to text, make calls and listed to music without having to take out your iPhone. And, like other Apple Watches, you can use it to unlock your Mac, find your other Apple devices and pay with Apple Pay. The tech giant is selling the devices at a discounted price less than a couple of weeks before we could potentially find out what’s next for the wearable. Apple recently announced that the iPhone 15 event is taking place on September 12th, and it’s very much possible that the company will also unveil the next Watch model at the same time.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-watch-series-8-falls-to-310-at-amazon-113545052.html?src=rss
Microsoft is finally making good on a promise it made back in April, with the company announcing that it will finally unbundle Teams from Office 365 and Microsoft 365 productivity suites across the European Union. The move follows a three-year saga that began when Slack filed an antitrust complaint against its competitor, claiming that including Teams in these bundles was illegal and that Microsoft was blocking some people from getting rid of the program.
The tech giant finally agreed to separate Teams from its productivity suites earlier this year but said it was “unclear” how it would happen. Then, in July, the European Commission appeared to get tired of waiting and launched a probe into whether bundling Teams into productivity suites was in defiance of EU competition rules.
Now, it seems Microsoft is trying to play nice and get the European Commission off its back. “We recognize our responsibility as a major technology provider to support a healthy competitive environment. We appreciate the clarity that has emerged on several of the concerns from extensive and constructive discussions with the European Commission,” Microsoft’s vice president of European Government Affairs, Nanna-Louise Linde, said in the blog post announcing the decision. “With the benefit of this clarity, we believe it is important that we start to take meaningful steps to address those concerns. We do this not with the sense that this will necessarily resolve all concerns, whether from the Commission or our competitors, but we believe this is a constructive step that can start to lead to immediate and meaningful changes in the market.”
Well, now there’s a when and a how. Starting October 1st, Microsoft 365 and Office 365 should each be available for €2 less per month or €24 across the whole year for customers in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. Teams should also be available on its own for €5 per month or €60 for the year. Anyone who previously bought a productivity suite can keep paying for the entire bundle or remove Teams switch plans. However, Microsoft claims that any frontline workers or small business owners in the region will still have the option to include Teams in their purchase.
Microsoft also says it will create additional support resources to direct developers to public APIs and address questions from users, such as how their data is being transferred from Teams. Plus, Microsoft “will develop a new method” for using its programs in competing apps.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-to-unbundle-teams-in-europe-in-bid-to-avoid-eu-antitrust-fine-090825495.html?src=rss
Signify, the Philips spinoff known for its Hue lighting products, has announced a new category for the brand that puts it in direct competition with companies like Ring and Nest. Yes, the company has launched new security products, most of which will be available this fall. They include Philips Hue Secure cameras in wired and wireless (or battery) versions that feature a 1080p HD video feed with night vision.
You can use the cameras to talk to a visitor or delivery person outside your door, and you can program them to work in tandem with your Hue lights and sound alarms to help deter intruders. The devices can notify you of movements, but it has the capability to differentiate between pets, packages or people. Signify also says that end-to-end encryption is enabled by default, so your footage remains private. The new Hue Secure cameras can be used indoors or outdoors, and you can prop up the wired version with its companion desktop stand. Both will be available this autumn, though the wired camera will be a bit cheaper at $218 (€200) than the $273 (€250) battery variant.
If you want something specifically for outdoor use, though, you can also get the Philips Hue Secure floodlight camera. When you trigger a light alarm from the Hue app, it instantly illuminates a large area in any color you want to help ward off potential intruders. This one is coming out later, in the first quarter of 2024, and will sell for $382 (€350).
Aside from the aforementioned security cameras, the new Philips Hue lineup also includes contact sensors. You can stick them on doors, windows and other places, so you can get notified if somebody opens them. Plus, you can program them to work with Hue lights so that they’d switch on or off if the sensors detect doors being opened or closed. The sensors will be available this autumn in black and white for $44 (€40) each or $76 (€70) for a two-pack.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/philips-hue-gets-into-home-surveillance-with-its-new-secure-cameras-063036218.html?src=rss
At least two government agencies are looking into Tesla’s secret glass house project dubbed “Project 42,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Back in July, the publication reported that the automaker’s board launched an investigation over concerns that its CEO, Elon Musk, was using company funds for the project. Now, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has reportedly asked for information on how much Tesla spent on the project and on personal benefits Musk enjoys. Likewise, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also opened a civil probe, the Journal said, and has sought the same information.
The plans for Project 42 involved building a glass structure that appeared to be a living space with bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen near Tesla’s facilities in Austin, Texas. A couple of concepts envisioned it as a “twisted hexagon” or a glass cube similar to Apple’s 5th Avenue store. The Journal previously said that the board launched an investigation after employees raised concerns regarding the special glass ordered for the project, which they believe would cost the company millions of dollars. It’s unclear if that investigation is finished and if the company’s order for the special glass pushed through.
As the publication notes, SEC requires transactions over $120,000 when an executive has a material interest in them. Any personal benefits paid to executives that amount to over $10,000 must also be disclosed to investors. Authorities have only just started looking into the initiative, however, and these probes might not lead to any formal charges.
In addition to investigations regarding Project 42, Tesla is also reportedly facing inquiries from federal prosecutors over the driving range of its vehicles. The company is being questioned after Reuters reported last month that its EVs frequently don’t meet their range estimates and that the company set up a team specifically to cancel service appointments related to driving range complaints.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-reportedly-faces-investigation-over-its-mysterious-glass-house-project-051518583.html?src=rss
