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Modern gaming controllers are expensive, costing anywhere from $60 to $180, depending on the feature set. So it’s a huge bummer when one breaks and you have to shell out money for a replacement. Microsoft is taking a huge leap into the world of self-repair by offering replacement parts for Xbox gamepads, along with downloadable instructions and step-by-step tutorial videos, which should save gamers some cash in the long run. This program impacts standard Xbox Wireless Controller models and the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller.

The Microsoft store offers replacement boards, sticks, buttons, covers and more, handling issues from stick drifting to stuck shoulder buttons and beyond. In the past, you’d have to replace the gamepad entirely or rely on risky third-party fixes. Prices range from $24 for button sets to $60 for a circuit board and motor assembly unit. You can even replace the vibration motor for $35. Additionally, replacement cases are available, but only in black and white.

The program is already live, according to product lead Brad Rossetti, so if you have any broken Xbox controllers laying about, now is the time to see about fixing them up. It also looks like Microsoft is allowing other retailers to sell these replacement parts, like self-repair gurus iFixit.

Microsoft isn’t the only gaming giant to recently allow DIY fixes. Sony’s DualSense Edge controller actually ships with replacement control stick modules, though the company doesn’t sell other parts via an online store. Nintendo doesn’t sell repair components for its controllers, but it’ll repair Joy-Cons for free when suffering from a case of dreaded Joy-Con drift.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-starts-selling-replacement-parts-for-xbox-gamepads-174023573.html?src=rss 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Tesla following a dozen reports about 2023 model year Model 3 and Model Y vehicles encountering steering issues. The agency opened a preliminary evaluation (PE) after drivers claimed they were either unable to steer their vehicle or that they suffered a loss of power steering.

“Five reports indicate an inability to steer the vehicle. Seven additional reports cite loss of power steering resulting in increased effort to control the vehicle,” the NHTSA said. “A PE has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, manufacturing processes and severity associated with this condition.”

No deaths or injuries were reported in connection with these incidents, as Electrek notes, but one led to a crash or fire. Some 280,000 vehicles are included in the scope of the investigation, which could result in a recall. Tesla doesn’t have a communications department that can be reached for comment.

This is hardly the first time that the NHTSA has looked into Tesla safety issues. In March, the agency opened a separate investigation following reports of steering wheels falling off while Model Y vehicles were on the road. The company has also caught the attention of the Department of Justice. In January, Tesla confirmed that the DOJ requested documents related to Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features.

Meanwhile, last month, Tesla issued a voluntary recall for more than 1,300 Model S, X and Y vehicles it built this year due to misaligned cameras. The company said the issue “may cause certain active safety features to be unavailable, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning and lane keeping assist, without alerting the driver to their unavailability.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-regulators-are-investigating-tesla-over-model-3-and-model-y-steering-issues-154015361.html?src=rss 

YouTube has released several creation tools for Shorts, such as ones that give users the ability to remix most videos and add voiceovers, ever since it was launched in an effort to make it a more veritable TikTok rival. Now, the video-hosting platform is in the process of expanding its arsenal of creation tools even further. The first addition is Collab, which lets users record short-form videos in a split screen format with other Shorts or regular clips. 

All users have to do to create a Collab video from an eligible Short or YouTube content is to hit Remix and then choose the new format. TikTok, of course has long had a split-screen effect that lets people divide the screen into multiple frames. Well, YouTube’s Collab is rolling out today and will continue making its way to users coming weeks to challenge TikTok’s version. iOS users are getting the format first, but Android users will follow. 

The platform is also adding a tool that lets users quickly build off of and remix existing Shorts. They only have to tap the Remix button and select “use sound” in the Shorts player to automatically surface the audio and effect used in the clip they just watched. Users can then apply both sound and effect to their own post. In addition, YouTube will start testing a new recomposition tool in the coming weeks designed to simplify transforming horizontal videos into vertical Shorts. The tool will give creators a way to adjust the layout, zoom and crop of the segment they want to use after they’ve chosen a video to remix, giving them an easy way to reshare old footage in a new format. They can also choose to use the new split screen effect for the video they’re recomposing. 

Aside from these new creator tools, YouTube is testing a new mobile-first vertical live experience for viewers, as well. Audiences will be able to see previews of vertical live videos in the Shorts feed with this new experience, and if they tap to expand it, they’ll find a scrollable feed of more live videos. YouTube is hoping this could boost discoverability for creators and calls it is a great opportunity to make money for those who recently joined its Partner Program. The new mobile-first experience will make its way to more and more viewers over the coming months.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-is-adding-more-creator-tools-to-shorts-to-help-it-take-on-tiktok-160023789.html?src=rss 

The official Fitbit app is getting a major redesign with an emphasis on simplicity, personalization and motivation. The refresh splits everything into three tabs, to reduce visual clutter and make it easier to use. There’s the Today tab, the Coach tab and the You tab, each offering access to unique metrics and activities.

The Today tab collects all of your preferred stats and metrics so you can check everything out at a glance. This is fully customizable, so change up the displayed stats to suit your personal goals. Though called “Today”, you also get a bird’s eye view into health trends over the past month or year, via charts, graphics and icons.

The Coach tab is all about motivation, with curated lists of workouts and mindfulness sessions. You can filter these workouts based on your availability, owned equipment and overall fitness and health goals. Fitbit Premium subscribers can access more content than free subscribers, such as dance cardio classes.

Finally, there’s the You tab. This is where you access your achievement badges and various progress metrics, in addition to connecting with other Fitbit users and changing up personal information. The company says everything here is kept private and won’t even be leveraged for Google ads data.

It’s worth noting that the refresh will not change which features are free and which are only for premium subscribers. The redesign is already going out to select Fitbit users as a beta product before the global launch this fall. There are more changes coming to the platform in the future. Starting next year, users will have to login to Fitbit apps with Google credentials, as the Fitbit brand is being phased out.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fitbit-app-gets-a-major-redesign-with-an-emphasis-on-simplicity-161412464.html?src=rss 

The next internet video summary you see might not have been written by a human. YouTube is testing AI-generated video summaries that appear on search and watch pages. The text is meant to provide a “quick overview” of a clip to help you decide if it’s worth watching. The company is quick to stress that these don’t replace creators’ own video descriptions.

The test will only be visible with a “limited number” of English-language videos, and only for some viewers. YouTube hasn’t said which countries, platforms or video types will get the AI-produced summaries. We’ve asked the company for comment and will let you know if we hear back.

YouTube has given users a few preview features in recent weeks, as Android Policeexplains. Premium subscribers could lock the screen during playback to prevent accidental commands. You’ve also had the option to turn Shorts comments into entirely new short-form clips.

The experiment comes nearly three years after YouTube started testing AI-produced video chapters, but it’s part of a larger generative AI push at Google. The tech giant has introduced its Bard chatbot and is using the technology to produce everything from spreadsheet templates to whole news articles, if not always for public consumption.

The YouTube summary feature may be one of the more logical extensions, however. The service says over 500 hours of content are uploaded every minute — it would be impossible for humans to keep up. The question is whether or not the AI summaries are accurate enough. Google has warned that generative systems like Bard may be prone to inaccuracies and misinformation, and it’s not yet clear how well the YouTube experiment works in practice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-tests-ai-generated-video-summaries-140259921.html?src=rss