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The idea of growing organs or tissues for medical use still sounds like science fiction — and indeed, it’s an incredibly difficult thing to do. 3D-printing technology has shown some promise in the field of biofabrication, but the process is too slow, and often damages the tissue it’s working with. Researchers in Germany may have a solution: using holograms and sound fields to rapidly assemble matter in 3D.

The process uses acoustic pressure to mold silica gel microspheres and other materials into complex 3D shapes. Pulling that off isn’t easy. The team first had to learn how to create complex, layered holographic shapes that were formed from sound, rather than light — and that takes an incredible amount of computational power. “The digitization of an entire 3D object into ultrasound hologram fields is computationally very demanding and required us to come up with a new computation routine,” one of the team’s researchers told FastCompany.

Once the hologram is complete, however, it can be used to mold various materials. The shapes the team has made so far aren’t very large — measuring less than an inch at the largest — but they are fairly complex. Even more impressive, the fabrication process happens quite quickly: One video included with the published study shows a clear cube with a cloudy liquid made of silica gel microspheres. Moments later, that cloud condenses into the shape of a helix.

Other experiments formed shapes using mouse myoblast cells, and the study’s lead author, Kai Melde, told FastCompany that the technology had potential to be used for bioprinting in the future. “Ultrasound is gentle and non-toxic to the cells,” Melde explained. “And the remote assembly without contact helps keep things sterile and the cells happy.” The study also explores the idea of using the technology for targeted drug delivery and rapid prototyping. For now though, the research stands as an interesting proof of concept for rapid-one-step assembly of 3D objects, and a potential, much faster alternative to 3D printing in the future.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-are-using-sound-waves-and-holograms-to-instantly-mold-tiny-3d-shapes-214040047.html?src=rss 

Hate sitting in rush hour traffic? Ford knows you do — and the company is doubling down on developing automated driving technology to help make traffic a little more tolerable. Today, Ford announced the creation of Latitude AI, a wholly owned subsidiary that aims to make driving less stressful, specifically in “bumper-to-bumper traffic or on long stretches of highway.”

The idea seems to be to develop a more advanced version of Ford BlueCruise — but without sensors that warn drivers to pay attention if their eyes wander from the road. Ford’s announcement instead imagines the system giving drivers an “eyes-off-the-road” experience that can give them “some of their day back.”

This isn’t the first time Ford has spun off part of its company to focus on automation. Back in 2018, it founded Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC to focus on developing self-driving car technology. Later, that group was placed under the umbrella of Ford Next, a unit formed in 2021 to help Ford manage startups, new mobility services and manage the company’s stake in Argo AI. This new company seems to be a way to continue Argo AI’s work following its closure last year: Ford says 550 of Latitude AI’s new employees are former Argo AI workers.

Ford previously promised to invest $29 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles by 2025. Forming Latitude AI shows that the company is still serious about the investment, despite Argo AI’s closure in 2022. “We believe automated driving technology will help improve safety while unlocking all-new customer experiences that reduce stress and in the future will help free up a driver’s time to focus on what they choose,” Latitude AI CEO Sammy Omari said in a company statement. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fords-new-ai-subsidiary-wants-to-create-hands-free-eyes-off-driver-assist-systems-195058321.html?src=rss 

Ford says it’s aiming to restart production of the F-150 Lightning on March 13th, several weeks after it put the EV on hold. It paused production and sent a stop-shipment order to dealers after a battery issue caused one of the trucks to catch fire in a holding lot on February 4th. It’s unclear what exactly led to the fire or how Ford has resolved the problem, though the company has said there’s no indication a charging fault was to blame.

The automaker told CNBC that setting a March 13th target gives supplier SK On more time to ramp up battery production at its Georgia factory and deliver the packs to the F-150 Lightning plant in Michigan. “In the weeks ahead, we will continue to apply our learnings and work with SK On’s team to ensure we continue delivering high-quality battery packs – down to the battery cells,” Ford said. “As REVC [Rouge Electric Vehicle Center] ramps up production, we will continue holding already-produced vehicles while we work through engineering and parts updates.”

Since it initially started F-150 Lightning production last April, Ford has sold fewer than 20,000 of the EVs. Still, the F-150 Lightning is very much in demand. Ford initially capped reservations at 200,000 in 2021 before reopening them last August. The early popularity of the truck is hardly a surprise, though — the F-Series has been America’s best-selling vehicle for 41 years.

Ford had hoped to scale up F-150 Lightning production to 150,000 trucks per annum this year. Last year, the company said that new battery tech would help it hit a global production rate of 600,000 EVs per year by the end of 2023. However, it’s unclear how much the downtime has affected those plans.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ford-will-restart-f-150-lightning-production-on-march-13th-200550043.html?src=rss 

Spoilers for The Mandalorian seasons 1-3 and The Book of Boba Fett below.

Somehow, Grogu has returned. At least, that’s what many people will assume when they tune into the first episode of The Mandalorian’s third season. When last we left our lone bounty hunter and cub, Grogu was heading off to Jedi training with a creepy de-aged Luke Skywalker. Mando took off his helmet and braced for solitude. We all shed a tear. (How did a show manage to make us care so much for a monosyllabic man in armor and a green puppet? Bless you, executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni.)

But at the start of this season, Mando (AKA Din Djarin) and Grogu are paired up once again, saving people from gigantic monsters, fighting space pirates and generally being adorable. To a casual viewer, it’s like that dramatic season two finale was Jedi mind-tricked away. It turns out if you wanted to get the full story – which also explains why Din is flying a Phantom Menace-era ship, or why Grogu is becoming a more adept force user — you had to watch the final few episodes of The Book of Boba Fett.

If I wasn’t already a hopeless Star Wars fan, I’d be pretty confused and annoyed. How are normal people supposed to know that The Book of Boba Fett basically served as a stop-gap between Mandalorian seasons? Disney didn’t promote the connection between the shows much, so if you weren’t reading geeky news sites, or talking to nerdy friends, it was easy to miss.

The first few episodes of Boba Fett made it seem like a far less ambitious series – did we really need to learn the specifics of how he survived the Sarlacc pit? And who cares about his future as Jabba the Hutt replacement? I’ve talked to several Star Wars fans who tapped out early on, only to catch up once they heard Mando and Grogu popped up. (Honestly, it almost seemed like Favreau and crew got tired of the Boba Fett story – so did we.)

It’s not like I’m against the idea of narratives shifting between different shows and films. Everything Marvel’s done since Iron Man has practically trained us to consume pop culture this way, with the rise of the Avengers initiative to the ultimate smackdown with Thanos in Endgame. The geeky side of me is overjoyed when I discover connections between films I love. (You should have seen me in the theater at the end of M. Night Shyamalan’s Split.) But the idea that viewers have to keep tabs on everything is beginning to feel like homework, and it’s particularly frustrating when one piece of media is inexplicably crucial to something that comes later.

It doesn’t help that The Mandalorian barely referenced The Book of Boba Fett during its introductory episode. Even a bit of a nudge during the “previously on” opening section would help. Instead, the premiere episode just wants to get us back to normal, with Mando on a video game-like quest and Grogu having fun along the way. It’s a shame, since the end of season 2 made it seem like The Mandalorian would actually change things up moving forward.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, creator and executive producer Favreau said he appreciated being able to check in on characters between shows.  “I knew that I didn’t want to dedicate a lot of screen time within The Mandalorian to a period of time where there wasn’t a lot of character progression,” he said. “Both [Din and Grogu] were kind of stuck, as far as character progression goes, until they were reunited. So, my feeling was that it would allow me to do both of those things and freed me up now two years later to have a whole new context for these two characters to have a relationship and move forward.”

But what Favreau saw as a problem, I see as an opportunity. In Book of Boba Fett, Din and Grogu’s time apart is handled briskly. Neither can fully let each other go. That stalls Grogu’s Jedi training, as that’s mostly focused on detaching yourself from the world and emotional connections. (Did that really work so well for Anakin Skywalker? Come on, Luke.) Din, meanwhile, acts like an empty nester who’s lost his life’s purpose. This is all good material for drama, but Favreau cuts through it as quickly as possible on a spinoff show. What a waste.

I may be particularly annoyed by The Mandalorian’s disjointed narrative after seeing how Marvel handled its latest big bad, Kang the Conqueror, in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. In that film, Kang is introduced as a castaway, someone banished to the Quantum Realm because of his penchant for, well, conquering. But we never got a sense of his true motivation, his powers or what he’s actually trying to accomplish.Perhaps that’s because the folks behind Quantumania assumed you saw Kang’s brief introduction at the end of the Loki streaming series, where he’s presented as more of a trickster and vague threat.

If you didn’t watch Loki and were confused by Quantumania, it’s almost like Marvel is saying that’s your own fault. To me, that’s simply irresponsible storytelling.

Coming off of Andor, Tony Gilroy’s self-contained and trenchant exploration of the Star Wars universe, the simplistic and confusing nature of The Mandalorian feels like a letdown. The show was always a pulpy and almost video game-like romp. But after the end of season two, there was potential for something much greater. Instead, Favreau took the easy way out to deliver more of the same.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dont-make-me-watch-boba-fett-to-understand-the-mandalorian-season-three-203004802.html?src=rss 

The Federal Trade Commission has moved to block online counseling company BetterHelp from sharing health data, including mental health information, with the likes of Facebook and Snapchat for advertising. As part of a proposed order, BetterHelp has agreed to pay $7.8 million to consumers to settle charges that it shared sensitive data for advertising purposes after promising to keep the information private.

This marks the first time the agency has reached an agreement with a company to return money to consumers after their health data was allegedly compromised. The order will be subject to public comment for 30 days before the agency decides whether to finalize it.

If the order comes into effect, it will ban BetterHelp from sharing data from users (including those who accessed the company’s website or app without signing up for its services) with select third parties for ad targeting. The FTC alleges that BetterHelp shared users’ email addresses, IPs and health questionnaire responses with Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo and Pinterest. The agency said this allowed Facebook, for instance, to target similar users with BetterHelp ads, which helped to drive tens of thousands of paid users and millions of dollars in revenue to the counseling company.

The FTC claims BetterHelp didn’t receive explicit consent from users before sharing their health data, which it pledged to keep private except for limited uses, such as counseling purposes. In its complaint (PDF), the agency also accused BetterHelp of not limiting the scope of how third-party companies could use the health data it shared with them.

“When a person struggling with mental health issues reaches out for help, they do so in a moment of vulnerability and with an expectation that professional counseling services will protect their privacy,” FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection director Samuel Levine said in a statement. “Instead, BetterHelp betrayed consumers’ most personal health information for profit. Let this proposed order be a stout reminder that the FTC will prioritize defending Americans’ sensitive data from illegal exploitation.”

The proposed order, which FTC commissioners approved unanimously, will require BetterHelp to, among other things, obtain explicit consent from users before sharing their data with some third parties for any reason. The company will need to establish privacy protocols to protect user data and delete personal and health information after a certain period of time. Moreover, BetterHelp will have to instruct the companies it allegedly shared user health and personal data with to wipe such information from their servers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ftc-moves-to-ban-betterhelp-from-sharing-mental-health-data-for-ad-targeting-184605314.html?src=rss 

A Dead by Daylight movie is on the way. Production studios Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are teaming up with gaming studio Behaviour Interactive to oversee the film adaptation of the multiplayer horror title. In addition, the companies are beginning their search for a director and screenwriter as Hollywood (perhaps naively) hopes HBO’s excellentThe Last of Us ushers in a new era of video game adaptations worth watching.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with Jason Blum and James Wan, two giants of the horror film industry, to further expand the Dead by Daylight universe,” said Stephen Mulrooney, Behaviour Interactive’s executive vice president. “At Behaviour, our motto is to create unique moments, together, forever. Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are the ideal partners to craft Dead by Daylight’s killer entrance onto the big screen.”

The game has been a horror / survival staple since its 2016 launch. The one vs. four multiplayer title splits teams into either survivors or the killer; the survivors aim to activate generators and escape while the killer seeks to hunt them down. It’s added DLC monsters through the years, including Freddy Kreuger, Pinhead, Leatherface, Evil Dead’s Ash Williams and a surveillance-happy tech executive. Strangely, it even has a dating-sim spinoff arriving later this year.

Mulrooney will co-produce with Atomic Monster CEO James Wan (who also directed The Conjuring and Insidious) and Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum. Blumhouse, which made Paranormal Activity and The Black Phone, is set to merge with Atomic Monster; the deal was announced last year and is expected close this summer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dead-by-daylight-film-adaptation-in-the-works-193426871.html?src=rss 

Even 3D modelling software is using AI art generators. Stability AI has introduced a Stability for Blender tool that, as the name implies, brings Stable Diffusion’s image creation tech to the open-source 3D tool. You can create AI-based textures, effects and animations, whether using source material from your renders or nothing more than a text description. You may not need to be (or hire) a skilled 2D artist to put the finishing touches on a project.

Stability for Blender requires an API (programming interface) key and an internet connection, but it’s free to use. It doesn’t require any software dependencies or a dedicated GPU. This might help if you need to complete some texture or video work on a laptop that isn’t as robust as your main workstation.

The addition theoretically saves time and money, and might help streamline your work. It can also help you make truly custom content, Stability says. It’s safe to say this may be useful if you were already planning to use AI-generated art, as it could save you jumping between apps and services.

This isn’t likely to give Stable Diffusion a major advantage over rivals like OpenAI’s DALL-E. It also won’t create 3D objects from scratch. You’ll need a tool like POINT-E for that. However, it does hint at a way AI image generation can help creatives without as much risk of copyright issues. Stability for Blender can rely on your own content for source material — you shouldn’t have to worry about legal trouble.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blender-can-now-use-ai-to-create-images-and-effects-from-text-descriptions-175001548.html?src=rss 

Movies Anywhere announced Wednesday that it’s soon shutting down Screen Pass, its movie-sharing feature launched during COVID-19 lockdowns. The Disney-owned platform didn’t provide a reason for the closure.

“As the experience continues to evolve, we want to notify you that effective May 1 users will no longer be able to use the Screen Pass feature to send a Screen Pass,” the announcement reads. “For Screen Passes sent prior to May 1, recipients will still be able to accept and finish watching the movie before their passes expire. As of June 1, the Screen Pass feature will no longer be supported.”

Screen Pass lets users send three movie passes monthly to friends or family without sharing login info. As long as you’ve redeemed a code with the service in the past six months, it lets you send a link through text, email or instant message that gives the recipient seven days to accept and 14 days to begin watching; once the movie starts, they have 72 hours to finish.

Movies Anywhere, launched in 2014, syncs digital film and television purchases across platforms like the Apple TV app, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu and Microsoft. Fortunately, the platform’s core service remains intact, but sharing your purchases with friends will soon require you to be in the same space (or explore alternate methods).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/movies-anywhere-will-soon-shut-down-its-screen-pass-content-sharing-feature-181855250.html?src=rss 

Nintendo has pulled back the curtain on the next batch of Booster Course Pass tracks for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The fourth slate of added courses will arrive on March 9th — 24 hours before Mario Day (i.e. Mar10).

Along with remastered courses from other Mario Kart games, there’s another brand new track this time around. Yoshi’s Island takes inspiration from the SNES classic Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. It will be part of the Fruit Cup along with the windmill- and tulip-laden Tour Amsterdam Drift (from Mario Kart Tour), GBA Riverside Park (Mario Kart: Super Circuit) and Wii DK Summit (Mario Kart Wii). Coming to the Boomerang Cup are Mario Kart Tour tracks Tour Bangkok Rush and Tour Singapore Speedway, along with DS Mario Circuit (Mario Kart DS) and GCN Waluigi Stadium (Mario Kart: Double-Dash!).

Meanwhile, there are a bunch more playable characters coming to the game. Birdo is the first of them and will return to the series when Mario Kart 8 Deluxe gains the next wave of tracks.

There are two more bundles of eight courses on the way to the Booster Course Pass. You can buy the DLC outright for $25. It’s also available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service, which is $50 per year or $80 per year for the family plan. You’ll need to own Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to access the DLC, of course. If you’re one of the 20 people who don’t already have the game on Switch, you’ll be able to pick it up at a discount when it goes on sale at some retailers between March 5th and 11th.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-next-batch-of-mario-kart-8-deluxe-tracks-arrives-on-march-9th-171713387.html?src=rss 

If you’ve been looking to pick up a new docking station for your computer or a multi-device charger for your mobile gear, a new Amazon sale has brought a few noteworthy accessories from Satechi and Plugable down to the lowest prices we’ve seen. 

Among the highlights, Satechi’s Dock 5 Charging Station is down to $48, which is a $12 discount and matches the device’s all-time low. We’ve recommended this charger in past gift guides; it includes two 20W USB-C ports, two 12W USB-A ports and an integrated 10W Qi charging pad, allowing it to charge five devices at once. While those speeds aren’t enough to charge various iPhones, iPads and Android devices at their maximum rates, this should still be an elegant solution for folks who often need to refill several devices at once on a given day. Just note that there are no charging cables in the box.

If you’re looking to add more ports to your laptop, meanwhile, a handful of docking stations are also on sale. Satechi’s Thunderbolt 4 Dock, for instance, is down to a new low of $200, which is a $100 discount. This gets you three Thunderbolt 4 ports that can supply data transfer speeds up to 40Gbps, 15W of charging and dual 4K video output for external monitors (at 60Hz total), plus three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a slower USB-A 2.0 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an SD card slot and a combo mic/headphone jack. It can supply a 96W charge to keep your laptop topped up, though there’s no HDMI or DisplayPort connectors. Something like CalDigit’s TS4 Dock is a more versatile option, but this still adds a fair amount of inputs at a lower cost.

For those who just want to hook up a bunch of USB-A peripherals, Plugable’s Dual Display Docking Station might work, as it adds five USB 3.0 ports alongside SD and microSD slots, multiple DisplayPort and HDMI connectors (albeit HDMI 1.4) for 4K/60Hz video and a 100W Power Delivery port. It’s down to $159, which is a $40 discount and ties the dock’s all-time low. Elsewhere, a similar 10-in-1 Plugable dock is about $30 off at $119, though that one can’t supply a charge to your laptop. 

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/satechi-and-plugable-accessories-are-up-to-42-percent-off-right-now-172559543.html?src=rss