Kalakshar US

Pizza ovens are all the rage in outdoor tech, and one of the biggest names in the game is Ooni. The company has a full line of models that use wood, charcoal or gas to give you the hot-and-fast pizzeria experience in minutes. Ooni promises high-heat cooking for Neapolitan-style pizza, plus the ability to bake other styles, bread and even sear steaks with its ovens. Until now, all of the company’s products have been made for outdoor use, but today it’s debuting its first indoor model: the Volt 12.

Taking design cues from the high-end Karu 16, the Volt 12 is also Ooni’s first all-electric pizza oven. The company says you can use it indoors or outside thanks to a powder-coated carbon steel exterior and “advanced” insulation that retain heat and withstand the weather. A front-mounted control panel offers temperature, time and balance controls to help you dial-in your cooks. That balance dial allows you to adjust the Volt 12 for different styles, according to Ooni. What’s more, an optional boost function returns the baking stone to ideal temp between pies so you’re not waiting to launch the next one. 

Interior lighting for the 13-inch surface and an insulated glass door let you keep an eye on things. The company explains that the oven can get hot enough for Neapolitan-style pizza in 90 seconds and is capable of hitting 850 degrees Fahrenheit in 20 minutes. Compare that to the multi-fuel Karu 16 which takes 15 minutes to hit 950 degrees. Ooni says the Volt 12 will turn off after 45 minutes if it detects that nothing is being cooked. The company also touts built-in handles for portability, but the oven does weigh nearly 40 pounds, so it’s not so easily tossed in the back of the car on a whim. The Volt 12 also costs $999, on par with Breville’s Pizzaiolo, which that company says was the first countertop oven capable of hitting 750 degrees and offers a variety of presets for different styles. 

Ooni Karu 12G

In addition to the Volt 12, Ooni is also revealing the outdoor Karu 12G. A more compact version of the Karu 16, this 12-inch model also offers the ability to use wood or gas to bake pizzas (gas burner sold separately). Design wise, it looks a lot like its predecessor, with the key difference being an analog thermometer on the 12G replacing the digital temperature gauge on the 16. The new 12G also keeps the wide-leg design from the Karu 16 with a locking rear leg for extra stability. 

Ooni says the Karu 12G stays hotter for longer versus the Karu 12 thanks to better heat retention and insulation. There’s also a hinged door that helps keep the heat inside, and it’s built with a glass panel for baking views. The company explains that better airflow on the Karu 12G leads to more even cooking on the oven that’s capable of hitting 950 degrees Fahrenheit. Ooni says this model can hit 850 degrees 29-percent faster than its previous models and it uses 46-percent less gas. The Karu 12G will be available for $429, which is more expensive than the $300 Karu 12, but a little more than half the cost of the $799 Karu 16.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/oonis-volt-12-is-the-companys-first-indoor-pizza-oven-173011466.html?src=rss 

Microsoft has reportedly cleared a major regulatory hurdle as it tries to move toward finalizing its Activision Blizzard purchase. The company’s licensing offers to competitors are expected to appease European Union (EU) antitrust concerns about the $69 billion acquisition, according to Reuters. The EU previously said it believed the deal could “significantly reduce competition” in PC, console and cloud gaming.

The EU isn’t expected to demand asset sales to approve the deal. However, the potential sale of Call of Duty has been a point of contention; Microsoft wants to hang onto the property while using the licensing agreements to quell regulators. The company has pledged to keep the franchise on competing platforms for at least 10 years if the purchase closes; it’s even bringing Call of Duty to Nintendo’s consoles.

Microsoft says it’s “committed to offering effective  and  easily  enforceable solutions  that address the European Commission’s concerns.” “Our commitment to grant long-term 100% equal access to  Call of Duty to Sony, Steam,  NVIDIA and others preserves the deal’s benefits to gamers and developers and increases competition in the market,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters.

The company announced the deal in January 2022 to help it compete against industry leaders Tencent and Sony while developing its take on the metaverse. “Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said at the time.

Microsoft will still need to appease the US Federal Trade Commission and UK regulators before the deal can be finalized. The company only has until July to sort out the antitrust concerns, or it will need to renegotiate or abandon the purchase (which would mean paying a breakup fee of up to $3 billion).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsofts-activision-blizzard-purchase-will-reportedly-be-approved-by-the-eu-174012371.html?src=rss 

Microsoft has quickly acted on its promise to give you more control over the Bing AI’s personality. Web services chief Mikhail Parakhin has revealed that 90 percent of Bing preview testers should see a toggle that changes the chatbot’s responses. A Creative option allows for more “original and imaginative” (read: fun) answers, while a Precise switch emphasizes shorter, to-the-point replies. There’s also a Balanced setting that aims to strike a middle ground.

The company reined in the Bing AI’s responses after early users noticed strange behavior during long chats and ‘entertainment’ sessions. As The Vergeobserves, the restrictions irked some users as the chatbot would simply decline to answer some questions. Microsoft has been gradually lifting limits since then, and just this week updated the AI to reduce both the unresponsiveness and “hallucinations.” The bot may not be as wonderfully weird, but it should also be more willing to indulge your curiosity.

The toggle arrives as Microsoft is expanding access to the Bing AI. It brought the technology to its mobile apps and Skype in late February, and days ago made the feature available through the Windows 11 taskbar. The flexibility could make the AI more useful in these more varied environments, and adds a level of safety as more everyday users give the system a try. If you choose Creative, you likely know not to explicitly trust the results.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-gives-bings-ai-chatbot-personality-options-155521297.html?src=rss 

Two senators have urged Mark Zuckerberg not to open up Meta’s Horizon Worlds to younger teenagers. In early February, reports suggested the company could allow those aged 13 to 17 to use the app as soon as this month in a bid to bolster the userbase and perhaps help justify the billions of dollars Meta has plowed into its metaverse efforts. Horizon Worlds is currently only officially available to adults.

Democratic Sens. Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal urged Zuckerberg to halt plans to bring the app to under-18s. “In light of your company’s record of failure to protect children and teens and a growing body of evidence pointing to threats to young users in the metaverse, we urge you to halt this plan immediately,” their letter reads, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The senators are said to have highlighted a number of concerns regarding Meta’s track record on protecting younger users, as well as research on possible dangers of the metaverse. They noted previous issues such as a Messenger Kids bug that allowed children aged between six and 12 to bypass age restrictions and talk to strangers in some cases.

The duo cited reports from 2021 regarding Meta’s internal research, which indicated that Instagram was a harmful platform for many teens, especially girls. Meta responded to the reports by claiming the research also showed that some girls felt positive effects of using Instagram and that the app’s team had done a lot of work on issues like bullying and self-harm to make it a safer space. Nevertheless, Meta put plans for an Instagram Kids app on hold following a backlash.

The senators additionally cited research from Common Sense Media in noting that using virtual reality headsets to access metaverse experiences can induce nausea and eye strain, and also impact users’ privacy. The letter pointed to Center for Countering Digital Hate research suggesting that users of VRChat, a popular social platform available on Quest headsets, can expose users to abusive behavior every seven minutes.

Following the reports about it bringing Horizon Worlds to younger users, Meta noted that its Quest headsets are designed for users aged 13 and older. As such, a spokesperson indicated that it made sense to offer Horizon Worlds experiences to younger teens with “age-appropriate tools and protections in place.”

Horizon’s monthly active user figures are said to have hovered just north of 200,000 as of January. Meta reportedly hopes to increase that number to half a million by the end of June and a million by the end of the year. An internal memo indicated that the company sees younger users as the key to helping it reach those goals. Meta also plans to release mobile and web versions of Horizon soon.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senators-urge-meta-not-to-open-horizon-worlds-up-to-younger-teens-161159421.html?src=rss 

The White House is relying on more than an executive order to bolster online security. The Biden administration has issued a National Cybersecurity Strategy meant to “rebalance” responsibilities toward the larger companies and organizations best-equipped to handle threats. The initiative will most notably expand the use of minimum security standards for critical infrastructure, and establish a common set of regulations to make it easier to comply with that baseline. 

Accordingly, the administration also wants improved public-private alliances that can more effectively defend infrastructure. The federal government would also modernize its networks and response policies to safeguard against threats.

Companies may also be on the hook for sloppy behavior. The strategy would shift some liability for software and services to developers that ignore recommended cybersecurity practices or ship products with known vulnerabilities. The White House hopes to work with Congress and companies on legislation that bars total liability and sets tougher standards for “specific high-risk scenarios.” A safe harbor provision would protect companies that make a sincere effort to develop secure products.

The plan would also invest more in cybersecurity research and workforces. The administration hopes to cut back on “systemic” vulnerabilities at the internet’s core, and to adapt to emerging technologies such as postquantum encryption (that is, protection against quantum-based hacks) and digital IDs. Some policies will be largely unchanged. The government will proactively “disrupt and dismantle” threats, including international cooperation on fighting ransomware.

The implementation has already begun, the administration says. As Cyberscooppoints out, though, there’s no certainty the strategy will work as promised. The outline largely delegates responsibilities to individual agencies, Congress and in some cases state regulators. The result may not be as harmonious as hoped. It’s also unclear if developers will welcome laws that make them liable for security holes. Still, the approach sets expectations for how federal officials will tackle digital threats going forward.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bidens-cybersecurity-plan-expands-requirements-for-critical-infrastructure-145019627.html?src=rss 

Jamie Siminoff, who founded Ring and created the video doorbell that started it all, is stepping down as the company’s CEO. In a blog post, Siminoff explained that invention is his true passion and that he’s focusing on creating new products for the company as its Chief Inventor instead. 

Apparently, the rest of the Ring team has known about his transition plans and his search for a new chief since June last year. From March 22nd, the company will be led by former Discord COO Elizabeth Hamren. The new CEO will also head up the Blink, Amazon Key and Amazon Sidewalk divisions. 

Siminoff shared how Ring’s first video doorbell was created in his garage and how it grew into a company that offers products across several categories, like cameras, alarms and even security drones. In 2018, Amazon acquired the company in a bid to take Nest head on, allowing Ring to scale up its production and reach customers it wasn’t able to before. 

Over the past few years, though, Siminoff also had to deal with the fallout over Ring’s close relationship with law enforcement. The company came under fire from lawmakers and privacy advocates after it was revealed that it had formed partnerships with over 600 police forces across the US. To be specific, it allowed authorities to keep homeowners’ videos indefinitely and to share them with anyone they want. Ring ultimately changed the way it handled video requests from law enforcement agencies in 2021, when it required them to make public requests within 12 hours of an incident if they want a copy of users’ surveillance videos. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ring-founder-jamie-siminoff-is-stepping-down-as-ceo-114056547.html?src=rss 

Garmin announced two new GPS running smartwatches with AMOLED displays today: the Forerunner 965 and 265 series. The new watches provide “advanced training metrics” for runners and health stats like heart-rate variability (HRV), overall sleep quality and training load.

The Forerunner 265 Series come in two sizes (the 42mm Forerunner 265S and the 46mm Forerunner 265). The 265S offers up to 24 hours of battery life in GPS mode and up to 15 days in smartwatch mode; the 265 offers up to 20 hours of GPS use and 13 days of smartwatch use. Both watches have Pulse Ox sensors, “Body Battery” energy monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, menstrual cycle monitoring and pregnancy tracking. Additionally, they monitor V02 max (the maximum oxygen you can consume per minute based on your weight), performance condition and other metrics. Finally, it offers two adaptive training options: daily suggested workouts by entering upcoming race info and following a video series from your favorite Garmin coaches.

Meanwhile, the Forerunner 965 is the higher-end model with a 1.4-inch AMOLED display, up to 31 hours of battery life (in GPS mode) and up to 23 days in smartwatch mode. In addition to carrying over all of the cheaper model’s features, it logs additional performance metrics like load ratio (the relationship between an athlete’s training load and what they can handle), real-time stamina info to manage exertion levels and detailed climbing metrics (including gradient, distance and elevation gains). The watch also includes built-in mapping and more storage for music.

The Forerunner 965 will cost $600 when it launches in “late March.” The Forerunner 265 is available today for $450.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/garmin-unveils-its-first-dedicated-running-watches-with-amoled-displays-120030944.html?src=rss 

Space agencies and private companies around the world have been scheduling their own lunar missions over the next few years, and that could be quite complicated to coordinate when they all use different time zones. During a meeting at the European Space Agency’s ESTEC technology center in the Netherlands last year, space organizations discussed the “importance and urgency of defining a common lunar reference time.”

In a new announcement, ESA navigation system engineer Pietro Giordano said a “joint international effort is now being launched towards achieving this.” There are a few challenges: They will have to decide whether to keep lunar time synchronized with Earth’s or not because clocks on the Moon run faster based on the satellite’s position. Each day on the Moon is, in Earth terms, 29.5 days long.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

The biggest stories you might have missed

Netflix is making a Pornhub documentary

14 relaxing video games to help you destress

VW unveils second-gen ID.3 EV and an app store for its cars

Apple Watch Series 8 is back down to a record low of $329

Rivian’s electric R1S SUV will get an extended range ‘Max’ battery this fall

US intelligence agencies say Havana Syndrome probably wasn’t caused by “energy weapons”

Jack Dorsey launches his Twitter alternative, Bluesky

It’s out now in closed beta.

Jack Dorsey’s new Twitter alternative, Bluesky, is available in closed beta on the App Store. The invite-only app joins the list of Twitter substitutes, including Mastodon, as Twitter clings on through staff attrition and precarious stability. Bluesky began in 2019 as a Twitter-funded side project. Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter and was still CEO when the initiative started, saw it as a more open alternative to an increasingly centralized Twitter. Then, Bluesky spun off as its own company in 2021.

You’ll have to enter your email address to join the waitlist. The Bluesky app reportedly borrows heavily from Twitter. However, it includes minor differences like “What’s up?” in place of “What’s happening?” along with a simplified process of creating a post (which can also include photos) by selecting a plus button. So… yeah. It’s all pretty Twitter-esque.

Continue reading.

Sony 2023 Bravia XR TVs hands-on

Bigger, brighter and even more better looking.

One major company was missing from this year’s CES barrage of TVs: Sony. Now it’s finally ready to show off its latest flagship sets. Its 2023 line of Bravia XR TVs are all powered by the company’s Cognitive Processor XR, so they all include support for stuff like Sony’s XR Clear Image tech, which allows for adaptive noise reduction, auto HDR tone mapping and more. Sony is also trying to take as much of the guesswork out of setup as possible by making its TVs in the standard video or cinematic modes look great right out of the box. Read on for the full round-up of both the LED and OLED families.

Continue reading.

Meta apparently plans to launch its first true AR glasses in 2027

The company reportedly shared its AR/VR roadmap with employees.

Meta has shared its latest augmented and virtual reality hardware roadmap with employees, and according to The Verge, it’s planning to launch its first full-fledged AR glasses in 2027. While the company intends to release other AR glasses before then, the device it’s launching in four years is the same one Mark Zuckerberg believes could become Meta’s “iPhone moment.” The glasses, which will reportedly project avatars as high-quality holograms superimposed on the real world, are expected to be quite expensive.

Continue reading.

Airbnb is banning people ‘likely to travel’ with prohibited users

The company’s policies lean heavily on the side of homeowners.

Airbnb is banning users who may be associated with people the company deems a safety risk. Although the short-term rental company faces an impossible balancing act of making owners feel secure without discriminating unfairly against renters, its appeals process – a critical step in catching overreaches – appears to err on the side of perceived homeowner security.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-moon-needs-its-own-time-zone-121559989.html?src=rss 

A lot of users were obsessed with keeping up Snapstreaks after they launched, even maintaining streaks in the hundreds with several friends. Their popularity may have waned a little, because life can get in the way, but Snap has launched an experimental feature that could make it easier to keep things on track if you miss a day. Now, you can simply tap Restore to pretend that painful experience never happened. 

The catch is that, users will only get one free Snap Restore. As TechCrunch notes, if they want to prevent more Snapstreaks from going to waste, they’d have to buy more Restores from the app for $1 each in the US. In its announcement, the company also said that it’s introducing a new way for Snapchat+ subscribers to freeze their Streaks for long periods “soon.” While it didn’t expound on how the feature will work, Snap said it will allow users to put “things on pause when they know they’re going off the grid.”

These feature announcements come shortly after Snap added an OpenAI chatbot similar to ChatGPT to its app. The chatbot shows up as a regular user profile, probably to make it look more like a virtual friend, though Snap admits it could “be tricked into saying just about anything” and has even apologized for its “many deficiencies” in advance. At the moment, the chatbot is exclusively available to Snapchat+ users paying $4 a month for the service, but the company has plans to make it more widely available. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/snapchat-streak-restore-095639485.html?src=rss 

Dozens of Google Japan employees have organized under the Tokyo Managers’ Union. It’s the first labor union at Google Japan, according to Meiji University Assistant Professor Ken Yamazaki, who also posted a copy of the group’s statements from a press conference. Apparently, the employees chose to organize out of fear that they could be abruptly laid off, especially since some of them are in Japan on work visas. 

Their concerns stemmed from the tech giant’s announcement back in January that it’s cutting 12,000 jobs — that’s six percent of the company’s overall workforce — around the world. They said their counterparts in the US were terminated with just an email sent in the middle of the night, and that the Japanese office’s employees were left anxiously awaiting for the ax to fall over the past few weeks. The workers said they joined a labor union in response to that announcement and to news about the fate of the company’s employees in other countries. 

For a dismissal to be legal in Japan, a company has to prove that it has reasonable grounds to terminate an employee. However, some companies terminate employees without good reason by claiming to have problems with the worker. The group is hoping that joining a union would protect them from sudden termination. In the US, one of the divisions most affected by the job cuts was the company’s Area 120 in-house incubator, which works on experimental apps and products. The division used to develop 20 projects simultaneously, but that’s now down to three after most people in the team lost their jobs.

When Google announced it was going to let 12,000 workers go, Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said he was “deeply sorry” and that he takes “full responsibility for the decisions that led [the company] here.” He admitted that the tech giant went on a hiring spree over the last few years, but that Google “hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today.” According to the company’s latest earnings report, its revenue for the fourth quarter of 2022 grew one percent from the year before, but its quarterly net income was down 34 percent year-over-year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-workers-in-japan-joined-labor-union-064417794.html?src=rss