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Comcast is launching a live TV streaming service to rival Sling, FuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and all the rest. It’s called Now TV and it has something competitors lack, an extremely attractive price tag. Now TV includes 60 live channels and a Peacock subscription all for $20 each month.

There’s a slight catch. Now TV will only be available to Comcast Xfinity Internet customers and will operate as an add-on to any pre-existing service plan. A bare-bones Comcast cable plan costs $50 to $60 each month and doesn’t include Internet, so this is still a decent bargain.

The platform gives access to 40 premium cable channels, including standouts like AMC, Discovery, A&E, IFC, The History Channel, TLC, Lifetime and many more. It also comes with 20 hours of DVR storage and allows for three simultaneous streams. You also get 20 free ad-supported television (FAST) channels, like NBC News NOW, Sky News and a slew of genre-based channels. The service has some glaring omissions, however, as it doesn’t feature local broadcast TV or sports channels.

Of course, Now TV also includes a premium, though ad-supported, subscription to Peacock, so you can watch the deliriously bonkers Mrs. Davis, the hangout comedy Grand Crew and nearly 1,000 SNL episodes.

When the service launches in a few weeks, it’ll be accessible through the Xfinity Stream app and supported gadgets like Xfinity flex, Amazon Fire TV, iOS devices and Android devices. As for why Comcast would undercut competitors here on price, the cable arm of the company has been hit particularly hard by cord cutters, losing over 600,000 subscribers in just the first quarter of 2023.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/comcast-launches-20-live-tv-streaming-service-with-60-channels-174058537.html?src=rss 

Universal Music Group (UMG) is partnering with Endel, an “AI sound wellness company” specializing in personalized algorithmic soundscapes, the companies announced today. The partnership aims to let UMG artists create machine-learning-generated sounds for activities like sleep, relaxation and focus. Endel previously partnered with synth-pop artist Grimes on a lullaby app.

The record label “will use Endel’s proprietary AI technology to enable UMG artists to create science-backed soundscapes,” the companies said. The soundscapes can contain new music and updated versions of back-catalog tracks. The companies emphasize that the project “will always respect creators’ rights and put artists at the center of the creative process,” adding that musicians and their teams have the final say on the results. UMG and Endel say they’ll announce “the first wave of soundscapes” from the partnership in the coming months.

Endel uses artist stems to make soundscapes “driven by scientific insights into how music affects our mind-state.” The companies describe the collaboration as a way to “provide artists and rights holders new opportunities to generate additional revenue for their catalogs” while letting performers dip their toes into new areas and “support wellness for the listener.” But it’s hard not to see the irony of UMG quickly stomping out AI-generated music that threatens its business model — like when fake Drake and The Weeknd tracks went viral — while putting out rapturous press releases when it sees a potential profit. (Although, to be fair, cloning artists’ voices without their permission would never fly for long, regardless of UMG’s response.)

“At UMG, we believe in the incredible potential of ethical AI as a tool to support and enhance the creativity of our artists, labels and songwriters, something that Endel has harnessed with impressive ingenuity and scientific innovation,” said Michael Nash, EVP and Chief Digital Officer at UMG. “We are excited to work together and utilize their patented AI technology to create new music soundscapes — anchored in our artist-centric philosophy — that are designed to enhance audience wellness, powered by AI that respects artists’ rights in its development.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/universal-music-group-partners-with-endel-for-ai-generated-wellness-soundscapes-183951335.html?src=rss 

The next big update to your Ford EV might bring some decidedly old technology. Ford chief Jim Farley has revealed that the brand will add AM broadcast radio to its 2023 Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning models through a software update following discussions with politicians about the emergency alert system. It will also be included on all 2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, including the previously announced Mustang coupe.

Ford cut AM radio from its 2023 EVs after data showed that less than 5 percent of customers used it, according to spokesperson Alan Hall. The company was also concerned about interference with the EV system, and was trying to reduce cost and manufacturing challenges. You could still stream AM stations, but conventional broadcasts weren’t available.

The decision comes less than a week after a bipartisan group of senators and House representatives introduced a bill, the AM for Every Vehicle Act, to require the older radio format in new cars without charging a premium. They believe AM is “essential” during emergencies, and that removing it could put public safety at risk. A trade group that includes Ford, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, claimed the measure was unneeded as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can deliver alerts through FM, satellite and streaming.

This isn’t an altruistic gesture, then, and it’s unclear how Ford will address potential interference problems. Even so, this may be good news if you live in an area prone to natural disasters. You can buy EVs from Ford knowing you’ll get potentially life-saving warnings. This also applies pressure to BMW, Tesla and other vendors that have dropped AM radio in newer cars.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ford-will-add-am-radio-to-evs-following-concerns-over-emergency-alerts-164841361.html?src=rss 

Amazon has been accused again of illegal anti-union behavior. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint Monday, saying the company changed its policies to squash union support at its only unionized warehouse in Staten Island, as reported byBloomberg. The complaint says Amazon changed policies to prohibit onsite union meetings while bypassing labor negotiations for providing paid leave for COVID-19 cases, among other violations. The accusations paint a picture of a corporation essentially dismissing the union, which voted to organize in 2022, as illegitimate — an image that lines up with its CEO’s public comments.

The NLRB accuses Amazon of changing a policy to prevent unionized workers from accessing the Staten Island warehouse during their time off. In addition, the agency says the company terminated two employees because of their association with the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) and changed its paid-leave policy for COVID-19 cases unilaterally — without negotiating with the workers’ organization.

The complaint also alleges that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy broke federal labor laws by saying unionized employees would be less empowered and have difficulty enjoying direct relationships with supervisors in an interview at The New York Times DealBook Summit in December. “That has a real chance to end up in federal courts,” Jassy added about the workers’ establishment of “bureaucratic” unions. Amazon has argued that the union’s establishment should be overturned because of “misconduct.”

The NLRB complaint describes Jassy’s comments as “interfering with, restraining and coercing employees,” saying his quotes about losing access to managers were an illegal threat. The NLRB filed a previous complaint in October following similar anti-union comments from Jassy. “All these Succession-style billionaires should be held accountable for unlawful actions, and that’s what we’re doing,” said ALU attorney Seth Goldstein. “[The complaint] is going to send a strong message to the union-busters and to CEOs like Jassy who think that they can say whatever they want to and they won’t be held accountable.”

In cases like this, NLRB prosecutors’ complaints are sent to agency judges, whose rulings can be appealed to labor board members in Washington and, if it stretches beyond that, to federal court. But, unfortunately, although the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) allows the independent agency to make employers reinstate wrongly terminated workers and change policies, it can’t issue fines to them (or individual executives like Jassy). So don’t be shocked if this saga makes its way through the courts as Amazon flexes its muscle to try to avoid meaningful consequences and prevent the lone unionized warehouse from sparking a broader movement within the corporation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-again-accused-of-breaking-labor-laws-at-unionized-warehouse-165523220.html?src=rss 

The popular Backbone One is an excellent accessory that brings a controller-like experience to your iPhone or Android device. It was so successful that the company collaborated with Sony last year to build a PlayStation Edition. This model replaces all of the face buttons with the traditional PlayStation controller layout, with a white finish to match. The PlayStation Edition has been exclusively available for iPhone, until today. Backbone and Sony have collaborated once again to bring the PlayStation Edition variant to Android devices.

As a refresher, the Backbone One PlayStation Edition is an accessory designed in collaboration with Sony that is the closest you’ll get to having a DualSense controller while on the go. Sony says that it will be detected as a DualSense controller within its own PS Remote Play app. That means you’ll be able to play your PS4 or PS5’s catalog of games with something that looks and feels similar to a standard DualSense controller, regardless of whether you have an iPhone or an Android device. Though, you don’t necessarily need this controller specifically to play your games through PS Remote Play. Other controllers will work similarly, just without the special controller detection.

Of course, you’re not exclusively tied to PS Remote Play. The Backbone One will be compatible with other game streaming apps including Xbox Game Pass, Nvidia GeForce Now and Microsoft Luna. The controller accessory will also work with any other games that support standard hardware controllers such as Call of Duty: Mobile. The Backbone One PlayStation Edition for Android will be available starting today for $99.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-backbone-one-playstation-edition-controller-finally-arrives-on-android-170046670.html?src=rss 

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has stated in an advisory that “we cannot conclude social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents.” Murthy argued that the potential harms of social media outweigh the benefits for younger users.

Citing “a substantial review of the available evidence” on the impact of social media, the advisory says “there are ample indicators” it can “have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” It states that, according to Pew Research, as much as 95 percent of US teens aged 13 to 17 use social media while 19 percent said they were on YouTube “almost constantly.”

“Children and adolescents who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media face double the risk of mental health problems including experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety,” the advisory reads. “This is concerning as a recent survey showed that teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media.”

The advisory calls on tech companies to take “immediate action to mitigate unintended negative effects” of online interactions. It also asks lawmakers to “strengthen protections to ensure greater safety for children and adolescents interacting with all social media platforms.”

However, some evidence suggests that social media can be a net benefit for teens. According to a recent Pew Research study, most say they’re more connected to their friends through social media. The study indicated that a majority of 13 to 17-year-olds in the US felt that social media provided them with a space to express their creativity, find support and feel more accepted.

Murthy acknowledged that social media can provide benefits to younger users. However, he has been sounding the alarm bell about youth and teen use of such services for some time.

In January, he told CNN that 13 was “too early” for young people to be on social media (companies in that space typically don’t allow under 13s to use their services without consent from a parent or guardian). “If parents can band together and say you know, as a group, we’re not going to allow our kids to use social media until 16 or 17 or 18 or whatever age they choose, that’s a much more effective strategy in making sure your kids don’t get exposed to harm early,” Murthy told the broadcaster.

There have certainly been well-documented instances of social media negatively impacting teens’ mental health. Still, the advisory is being published at a time when there is a growing appetite among lawmakers for regulating teen use of social media. 

A bill was introduced to the Senate last month that aims to block teens from using social media without parental consent (Utah and Arkansas have both passed statewide legislation on that front). A separate Senate bill called the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) aims to force social media companies to add more protections for younger users. The bill was reintroduced after it failed to reach the Senate floor last year.

Critics say such legislation can infringe on the right to privacy and freedom of speech, among other concerns. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, among others, has argued that social media parental consent laws deprive both young people and adults of their First Amendment rights. As for KOSA, American Civil Liberties Union senior policy counsel Cody Venzke said the bill’s “core approach still threatens the privacy, security and free expression of both minors and adults by deputizing platforms of all stripes to police their users and censor their content under the guise of a ‘duty of care.’” 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-surgeon-general-says-social-media-can-pose-a-profound-risk-to-teens-mental-health-170517411.html?src=rss