Kalakshar US

The next former PS5 exclusive that Sony is bringing to PC is Returnal, as the bullet hell roguelike will hit Steam and the Epic Games Store on February 15th. That’s just a couple weeks before The Last of Us Part I lands on PC on March 3rd. 

Alongside the release date, Sony-owned Housemarque revealed more details about the PC version. There’s support for NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR upscaling, as well as NVIDIA’s image-scaling tech. Climax Studios, which supported development of Returnal, added support for ray-traced reflections to go along with the existing RT shadows.

Returnal has two new wide-resolution formats on PC, Ultrawide 21:9 and Super Ultrawide 32:9. On the audio side, you can expect Dolby Atmos, two 3D audio options and 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. You can plug in a DualSense controller for haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support, or you might prefer to try and survive the deadly alien planet of Atropos using a mouse and keyboard.

To play Returnal on PC, you’ll need at least an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB) GPU, Intel Core i5-6400 (four-core 2.7GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (four-core 3.5GHz) processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory and 60GB of storage. Naturally, you’ll need a more powerful rig to get the full impact of Returnal‘s impressive visuals and neon bullets. The PlayStation Blog has more details on the specs.

The rumors of massive layoffs at Microsoft were true. In a publicly posted memo from CEO Satya Nadella, the company says it plans to cut 10,000 jobs through its third fiscal quarter, which ends in March. The move is meant to “align [Microsoft’s] cost structure” with demand and revenue, according to Nadella — that is, to slash expenses as sales shrink. Customers boosted their digital spending during the height of the pandemic, Nadella says, but they’re now scaling back. Numerous countries are either in the midst of recessions or expecting them, the executive adds.

Microsoft will continue to hire in “key strategic areas,” Nadella says. The company is taking on a $1.2 billion restructuring charge for the severance costs, consolidating building leases and unspecified changes to its hardware lineup. Nadella notes that US staff will get “above-market” severance pay as well as six months of continued healthcare coverage and stock awards.

As GeekWireexplains, this is the second-largest round of layoffs in Microsoft’s history. The company cut 18,000 jobs in 2014 as a newly-promoted Nadella scaled back Nokia’s hardware business. Microsoft hired aggressively during the pandemic, recruiting 40,000 workers in fiscal 2022. Some of those came through buyouts, such as speech tech heavyweight Nuance (6,500 employees) and AT&T’s former ad tech wing Xandr (1,500 people). Microsoft’s headcount is still larger than it was before the pandemic began, but this is still a sharp direction change.

The company isn’t alone in shedding jobs. Meta laid off more than 11,000 employees last fall as a bet on continued pandemic-era growth didn’t pay off. Amazon, meanwhile, expects to drop over 18,000 jobs located primarily in its retail and recruiting divisions. Salesforce recently axed 10 percent of employees. The tech industry is grappling with a tougher economic reality, and Microsoft isn’t immune to those problems.

Oil and gas company Shell is buying electric vehicle charging operator Volta for $169 million through a subsidiary. The deal, which the companies expect to close in the first half of this year, amounts to 86 cents per share, around 18 percent more than Volta’s closing price on Tuesday.

Volta’s board of directors approved the deal unanimously, though it still requires the green light from shareholders. It’s subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions too. Shell will provide loans to Volta to give it a hand through the closing of the transaction. On September 30th, Volta had $15.6 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared with $262.2 million at the end of 2021.

“While the EV infrastructure market opportunity is potentially enormous, Volta’s ability to capture it independently, in challenging market conditions and with ongoing capital constraints, was limited,” Volta interim CEO Vince Cubbage said in a statement. “Both Volta and Shell have a demonstrated ability to meet the changing needs of customers, and this acquisition will bring that experience together to provide the options that are needed as more drivers choose electric.”

The company has more than 3,000 charging stations across the US and a handful in Europe, typically at grocery stores and malls. For a few years, its DC fast charging stations were free to use for up to 30 minutes, with advertising and sponsorships helping to cover the costs. However, it shifted its DC fast chargers to a paid model last year. Volta’s more than 2,000 L2 chargers are still free to use. After the deal closes, “there will be no immediate change in driver experience,” the companies said.

Odd as it may seem that an oil company is buying an EV charging network, it isn’t the first time Shell has done so. It snapped up UK network Ubitricity in 2021 for an undisclosed sum. Last year, Hertz and BP announced plans to set up a charging network in the US.

The “official” start of grilling season may be a few months away, but Weber is unveiling its 2023 lineup with plenty of time to spare. Today, the company revealed a trio of new models covering smart pellet grills, griddles and a compact electric unit. Weber also has new options when it comes to accessories it hopes will help you expand the utility of a grill you may already own.

First, the company has a new version of its SmokeFire smart pellet grill. Dubbed the Sear+, this model carries all of the features of last year’s Stealth edition. That includes an all-black exterior with interior lighting. The key difference here is the Sear+ is better equipped for — you guessed it — searing. A two-sided porcelain enamel searing grate gives you the ability to cook both larger cuts and more delicate items. Also inside, a removable, folding top cooking grate adds more capacity. When you don’t need it, Weber has added grate hooks for storage outside. There’s also an additional side shelf on the left which should give you more room to prep foods before they go on the grill.

Of course, the versatility that’s been constant since the SmokeFire line was introduced in 2020 is still here. Like most pellet grills, these can handle low-and-slow barbecue, high-heat searing and everything in between with a temperature range of 200-600 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the key piece of Weber’s pellet grills is its Connect smart cooking tech. The system works with an app on your phone to give you step-by-step guidance for a massive library of recipes. It will even tell you when to wrap a pork butt or flip your steaks. The tech also calculates estimated completion times on top giving you the ability to monitor food and grill temps from afar. You can even adjust the cooking temperature from your couch if needed.

The SmokeFire Sear+ will be available in 24- and 36-inch sizes (ELX4 and ELX6 model names) from Weber and other retailers this spring for $1,399 and $1,599 respectively. 

When it comes to the Weber Connect smart cooking tech, the company is planning a big overhaul for 2023. In addition to more content and optimization for the app, the company plans to add recipes for flat top or griddle cooking. That’s because Weber is debuting griddle inserts for its Genesis and Spirit gas grills ($199, $249 and $299), some of which have Weber Connect built in. Existing Connect programs will still work even if you’re using the flat top, but more fine-tuned cook profiles are coming. The company also revealed a standalone gas griddle that comes in 3- and 4-burner options (28- and 36-inch cooking surfaces) starting at $449. Weber Connect doesn’t come on that unit though, but you can use the standalone Smart Grilling Hub if you’re looking for some guidance or remote monitoring. Both the griddle insert and the new Weber Griddle will be available this spring. 

The third piece of news from Weber to begin 2023 is a compact electric grill it calls Lumin. Designed to be used in places like porches and balconies where open flames aren’t allowed, this model can hit temperatures of over 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Weber says Lumin can be ready for high-heat searing in 15 minutes. Grill controls are simplified to four modes — grill, smoke, steam and warm — with accessories available to help with each cooking method. Unlike a lot of electric grills, Weber has left the heating element exposed, so when juices drip they will help flavor your food like they would on a charcoal or gas grill. 

The Weber Lumin is available today in six color options and in two sizes. The “compact” model is $429 for black and $459 for additional colors while the “full-size” version is $479 in black and $519 in other hues.

Apple discontinued its original HomePod smart speaker in 2021, choosing instead to focus on the cheaper mini version of the device. Today, the company has resurrected the bigger unit with several notable upgrades along the way, including upgraded audio, an S7 chip, more smart home abilities and a lower price. The overall design, however, is mostly unchanged from the first speaker that debuted in 2018.

Apple says the retooled HomePod audio delivers “rich, deep bass and stunning high frequencies.” More specifically, a custom-made woofer, diaphragm motor, bass EQ mic and a group of five tweeters are all part of the sonic setup. An S7 chip and software combine for computational audio that the company says “maximizes the full potential” of the unit. HomePod is equipped with room sensing tech, so it can read sound reflections to determine its position (near a wall or in free space) and adjust the audio in real time. And of course, Spatial Audio via Apple Music is available on the new device.

HomePod can be arranged with another unit or a HomePod mini for a multiroom setup via AirPlay. You can either play the same song on all of them, a different song on each or use the entire group as an intercom. With Apple’s Ultra Wideband tech, you can hand off the audio playing on your iPhone (even a call) to a HomePod with ease. And you can still use two HomePod speakers as a stereo pair — with an Apple TV, for example. Once synced, the two units separate audio in to left and right channels for a wider soundstage in a home theater setup. Thanks to the eARC connection on the Apple TV 4K, a pair of connected HomePod units can function as the audio setup for all devices hooked up to your TV. 

Perhaps the most interesting updates to the HomePod are its smart home tools. First, a feature called Sound Recognition can monitor for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send an alert to your iPhone if it hears one. Unfortunately, this tool won’t be available until a software update delivers it “later this spring.” Apple is also clear it shouldn’t be relied on for emergencies. There’s also a new built-in temperature and humidity sensor that keeps tabs on the environment. Apple says this enables HomePod to close blinds or turn on a fan to achieve your preset temp. 

Via Siri, you can control individual devices or create scenes to employ several at once. That isn’t new, but HomePod will now play a new confirmation tone so that even though a connected device may not show a change, you’ll know your request was granted. And of course, since Matter is all the rage these days, the new HomePod can connect two and control gadgets compatible with that smart home standard. 

The new HomePod is available for pre-order now from Apple and ships February 3rd.

Developing…

A few big names in the smart home space, iRobot and Shark in particular, have jumped on the robot-vacuum-and-mop bandwagon as of late. The two companies recently came out with their first 2-in-1 devices, and now you can pick up Shark’s at its best price yet. The Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum and mop is 36 percent off at Amazon right now, bringing it down to $450, which is less than it was during the holiday shopping season last year. If you’re an iRobot fan, the Combo j7+ is also on sale, but it’s much more expensive at $899.

It’s important to note that we at Engadget have not had the chance to test Shark’s new machine yet, but we have had great experiences with all of the Shark robo-vacs we’ve tried to this point. Shark devices make appearances in both of our robot vacuum guides, with the standard AI Ultra vacuum taking one of the top spots on our list of overall favorites. The new 2-in-1 device seems to take a lot of notes from the standard model: you’re getting a disk-like robot vacuum along with a bagless, self-emptying base into which the machine will dump the contents of its dustbin after every job.

The big difference here is the included water reservoir and the washable, reusable mopping pads that come with the 2-in-1 machine. It’ll employ those when cleaning hardwood floors using a sonic mopping technique that supposedly scrubs floors up to 100 times per minute. If you have a mix of carpet, hardwood, tile and other flooring in your home, a 2-in-1 device like Shark’s will make it more convenient to clean all of those surfaces in one go.

In addition to that new feature, this Shark robot vacuum has improved suction power, flexible silicon “fins” on its underside that help pick up more dirt and debris, obstacle avoidance and smart home mapping. Like most other robot vacuums, you can set cleaning schedules within Shark’s companion app, which we think will be easy to use for both the tech-savvy and newbies alike. And we especially like that its base is bagless — that means you don’t have to buy proprietary trash bags to fill it with like you do with some competitors.

Shark’s device joins a number of other robo-vacs on sale right now. As we mentioned previously, iRobot’s Combo j7+ is $200 off right now, plus you can get the Roomba s9+ for $200 off as well or the much more affordable Roomba 694 for only $179.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Ayaneo’s ever-expanding range of handheld gaming PCs is about to get more form factors. As part of its 2023 strategy event, the company introduced an Air Plus that boasts a larger screen than the base Air (6 inches versus 5.5) and, crucially, a much larger 46.2Whr battery (versus 28Whr). We still wouldn’t expect the new version to last long with more demanding titles, but it might be better-suited to extended casual game sessions.

The Windows-based Air Plus will be available in two lower-end Intel configurations (Celeron and Core i3) as well as speedier AMD models (Ryzen 5 7520U and Ryzen 7 6800U). Performance should scale the more you’re willing to spend, then. Final pricing isn’t available, but Ayaneo expects to start pre-orders after Lunar New Year celebrations end on February 5th.

The company is also expanding into sliders with (what else?) the Ayaneo Slide. To some degree, it’s an answer to the GPD Win 4 — you can pop the screen up when you need a keyboard for text input or simply navigating games that aren’t gamepad-friendly. Ayaneo said little else about the Slide during its event, but did confirm the system would be based on AMD’s recently-launched Ryzen 7000 mobile APUs and ship sometime in the second quarter of the year.

It’s too soon to say how well Ayaneo’s latest offerings fare against its biggest rival, Valve’s Steam Deck. The company has promised an updated front end (Ayaspace 2), but it’s not clear if this will be enough to overcome the limitations of running Windows on a handheld. With that said, it’s clear Ayaneo isn’t sitting still in the face of stiffer competition.

TikTok is expanding its use of labels for state-run media accounts, the company announced. The app is now bringing the tags, which identify “accounts run by organizations whose editorial output or decision-making process is subject to control or influence by a government,” to dozens of markets.

The company is relatively late to adopt such labels compared with most of its counterparts. YouTube added similar labels in 2018, while Meta and Twitter adopted them in 2020. TikTok only began labeling state-run media accounts last March, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the labels, which the company described as a “pilot,” only applied to accounts from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Now, TikTok says it has formalized its policy and “will begin applying our state-controlled media label in a phased approach, starting immediately with over 40 markets across multiple regions.” And while the company’s announcement doesn’t name specific countries, a TikTok spokesperson confirmed the labels will appear on accounts run by Chinese state media outlets.

That’s notable as TikTok has long been viewed with suspicion by lawmakers and government officials over concerns about the company’s perceived ties to the Chinese government. Though TikTok has long pushed back on claims that its service could be a national security threat, the issue has proved to be a rare source of bipartisan agreement, and the app has recently been banned on federal government devices and some college campuses. Congress has also introduced bills for more sweeping bans, though their future is uncertain.

But by finally expanding its state-run media labels, TikTok can now claim it’s treating accounts affiliated with Chinese government entities the same as other state-controlled media organizations. Of course, the labels alone are unlikely to dispel critics’ suspicions of the company. TikTok has partnered with Oracle to review its recommendation and content moderation systems. Oracle has also partnered with the company on a broader effort, known as Project Texas, to restrict employees’ access to US user data.

If you visit any of CNET’s AI-written articles, you’ll now see an editor’s note at the top that says: “We are currently reviewing this story for accuracy. If we find errors, we will update and issue corrections.” The publication has added the note after being notified of major errors in at least one of the machine-written financial explainers it had published. 

If you’ll recall, CNET editor-in-chief Connie Guglielmo recently admitted that the publication had put out around 75 articles about basic financial topics since November last year. Guglielmo said the website decided to do an experiment to see if AI can truly be used in newsrooms and other information-based services in the coming months and years. Based on Futurism’s report, it looks like the answer is: Sure, but the pieces it generates need to thoroughly fact-checked by a human editor. 

Futurism combed through one of the articles Guglielmo highlighted in the post, namely the piece entitled “What Is Compound Interest?”, and found a handful of serious errors. While the article has since been corrected, the original version said that “you’ll earn $10,300 at the end of the first year” — instead of just $300 — if you deposit $10,000 into an account that earns 3 percent interest compounding annually. The AI also made errors in explaining loan interest rate payments and certificates of deposit or CDs. 

You’ll find a huge difference in quality when comparing CNET’s articles with machine-written pieces in previous years, which read more like a bunch of facts thrown together rather than coherent stories. As Futurism notes, the errors it found highlight the biggest issue with the current generation of AI text generators: They may be capable of responding in a human-like manner, but they still struggle with sifting out inaccuracies. 

“Models like ChatGPT have a notorious tendency to spew biased, harmful, and factually incorrect content,” MIT’s Tech Review wrote in a piece examining how Microsoft could use OpenAI’s ChatGPT tech with Bing. “They are great at generating slick language that reads as if a human wrote it. But they have no real understanding of what they are generating, and they state both facts and falsehoods with the same high level of confidence.” That said, OpenAI recently rolled out an update to ChatGPT meant to “improve accuracy and factuality.” 

As for CNET, a spokesperson told Futurism in a statement: “We are actively reviewing all our AI-assisted pieces to make sure no further inaccuracies made it through the editing process, as humans make mistakes, too. We will continue to issue any necessary corrections according to CNET’s correction policy.”

Twitter is now offering a yearly discount on its Blue subscription service, according to a new support page spotted by The Verge. Web users can now sign up for $84 per year ($7 per month) and save a buck over the monthly $8 price. Similar discounts are available in other countries that offer Twitter Blue, including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. 

Until now, Twitter Blue users only had the option of an $8 per month subscription via the web, or $11 month on iOS (passing Apple’s 30 percent fee onto the user). However, iOS users can still sign up on the web to save the extra $3. In that case, the new yearly subscription would save them 36 percent compared to signing up directly on iOS. 

A Twitter Blue subscription offers a number of perks, including a blue “verified” checkmark, higher ranking replies, 60-minute video uploads and more. Users can also undo and edit tweets, customize app icons, themes and navigations, bookmark tweets and more. You’ll need a phone number to sign up, and Twitter is supposed to verify your account to assure it’s not fraudulent or fake — something it failed at recently. 

The Elon Musk-owned social media network seems to need as many subscriptions as possible. According to a recent report on The Information, more than 500 of Twitter’s advertisers have paused spending on the site, and daily revenue on January 17th was down 40 percent compared to last year. 

In the first quarter of 2022 before Musk’s acquisition was finalized, Twitter reported sales of $1.2 billion, with $1.1 billion of that in advertising, and subscriptions (plus other revenue) making up the rest.