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You won’t have to visit a specific website to use DALL-E 2 for much longer. OpenAI has publicly released a beta framework that lets apps and other products use the AI art generator. This includes the natural language descriptions that define DALL-E as well as moderation to filter out hate, gore and similar extreme content. 

A handful of customers are already using the technology. Microsoft’s new Designer app uses DALL-E to create artwork for social media, documents and invitations. The AI image tool is coming to Bing and Edge to help you make art when you can’t find what you need. Cala, meanwhile, is a “fashion and lifestyle operating system” that uses the tool to produce new designs. Mixtiles can use the system to produce one-of-a-kind wall art.

OpenAI is using this launch to further expand your control over your art. You now have full ownership rights to the images you make, not just usage rights — the company is more comfortable handing over control now that its technology minimizes the potential for content policy violations. Whatever you build, you can now organize it into public and private collections. If you make a lot of space-themed pieces, for instance, you won’t have to sift through the rest of your gallery to find them.

The toolkit and increased rights won’t settle the question of whether or not AI-generated art is borrowed or stolen. They may even lead to more friction as DALL-E is used in more places. While companies like Shutterstock are working with OpenAI to sell AI-generated images, others are banning the technology over fears of copyright disputes. It may be a while before app developers can use offerings like DALL-E without some ethical or legal concerns.

 

Sony’s latest flagship noise-canceling headphones and their predecessors, along with their earbud counterparts, are on sale right now on Amazon. Some of them are even back to their old Prime Day pricing, while others are down to a new all-time low. The WH-1000XM5, which we think are the best headphones you can buy right now, are probably the crowning glory of this sale. They’re back to their Prime Day and all-time low pricing of $348, or $52 less than their retail price. We gave the headphones a score of 95 in our review and praised Sony for giving their exterior a big redesign that massively increased their comfort. 

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Sony has upgraded sound quality for the new flagship headphones and made bass punchier, gave it more depth and more clarity. Everything seemed more immersive as a result. The company has doubled the number of processors and the number of microphones for noise canceling, as well, making the model better at blocking higher frequency sounds, such as voices. 

If you’re looking for something a little more affordable, Sony’s previous flagship headphones are also on sale for $228. That’s how much the WH-1000XM4 went for during Amazon’s Prime Day sale in July, and that represents 35 percent or $122 in savings. While we believe the WH-1000XM5 are the best headphones you can get at the moment, the WH-1000XM4 were our top pick before their successor came out. We praised them for having powerful ANC, immersive sound, automatic pausing when you speak and multi-device connectivity. 

Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds are also on sale, in case you’re looking for in-ear headphones instead. They’re down to a new low of $178 or 36 percent lower than their retail price. The earbuds come with Sony’s Noise Isolation Earbud Tips made of spongy foam instead of silicone, which never felt quite comfortable for us. That said, we found the earbuds to have great sound clarity and praised them for having wireless charging and support for high-res audio. 

Outside of Sony’s high-end models, Amazon is also selling Sony’s WH-XB910N ANC headphones for $123 or 51 percent off their retail price of $250. They’re not quite as advanced as the company’s flagship models, but they’re a solid noise-cancelling headset with extra bass. Need something even cheaper? The WHCH710N wireless noise-canceling headphones are now available for only $68, as well. That 55 percent lower than their typical price. Finally, the LinkBuds S are now being sold for $128, which is a new low for the mid-range ANC earbuds that typically go for $200.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

 

Board games are great gifts for anyone who wants to spend time with friends and family and disconnect from technology. They’re interactive, fun, and you get to tell everyone to put away their phones for a while. But instead of pulling out the same old classics like Monopoly and Scrabble, we recommend giving some new titles a try. Here, we’ve compiled a list of games that you might not have heard of, but will still make excellent gifts this holiday season. From games with swashbuckling pirates to those with haunted mansions, we’re sure at least one of these will be a hit with friends and family.

Trekking Through History

Whether your gift recipient is a serious history buff or a more casual one, they’ll find something to like in Trekking Through History. In this game, players go on a three-day tour of human history in a time machine, visiting historical settings and trying to witness momentous events before the clock runs out. There, they’ll check off items on their itinerary to earn points and, importantly, Time Crystals that they can use to bend the space-time continuum on future turns. As a bonus, they’ll score additional points if they visit these historical events in chronological order. With colorful illustrations and easy-to-understand instructions, this game is perfect for gamers and non-gamers alike.

Buy Trekking Through History at Amazon – $50

Betrayal at House on the Hill (3rd Edition)

Fans of horror stories will adore Betrayal at House on the Hill, where three to six players explore a haunted mansion, uncovering its secrets and hidden rooms. At first they’ll work together, but midway through the game, someone will reveal themselves as a – gasp! – traitor! The turncoat will join the dark side while the rest of the team has to figure out how to beat their former ally. The third edition of the game comes with 50 different haunting scenarios, which is more than enough to keep your loved ones entertained for several fun and spooky evenings.

Buy Betrayal at House on the Hill at Amazon – $56

Clank! Catacombs

In Clank! Catacombs, you and your loved ones take on the role of treasure hunters exploring the catacombs of the skeletal dragon Umbrok Vessna. As you plumb the dungeon’s depths, you’ll uncover portals, shrines, ghosts, prisoners pleading you to free them, and, of course, treasure. You can grab the first prize you see and try to make it out alive, or you can go deeper for even more riches, but risk the wrath of the dreaded dragon.

Buy Clank! Catacombs at Direwolf – $60

Ark Nova

Remember that movie (and book) We Bought A Zoo? Whether you do or not, here’s a game that helps your loved ones live out that fantasy. In Ark Nova, up to four players will compete against each other to plan and design the most successful zoo. They’ll have to build enclosures, acquire animal attractions from around the world, and support conservation projects to ensure the survival of animal habitats. With over 125 unique animal cards, your loved ones will almost never play the same game twice.

Buy Ark Nova at Amazon – $75

Marvel Dice Throne

Marvel fans are sure to enjoy Marvel Dice Throne, a game where each player gets to be one of eight famous characters (Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Loki, Thor, Doctor Strange and Miles Morales’ Spider-Man). They then compete in a 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 2v2v2 or free-for-all battle where they play cards and roll dice in order to thwart the other players. In addition to attack moves, players can also activate unique abilities and upgrade their characters over time. Gameplay is relatively quick – just 20 to 40 minutes.

Buy Marvel Dice Throne at Amazon – $48

Planted

If your giftee likes gardening, Planted is the ideal game for them. In it, two to four players compete against each other to grow the best collection of houseplants. Not only will they need to acquire the right plants, but they’ll also need to feed and nurture them with the right combination of light, water and plant food. The game comes with 42 varieties of popular and exotic houseplants, each with their own requirements to grow. The plant parent that ends up scoring the most points wins. Planted was designed from the ground up to be beginner friendly and easy to learn, so even those who are new to board games will pick this up fairly quickly.

Buy Planted at Target – $30

Star Wars: Villainous

Jedi Knights and the Rebel Alliance are the heroes in Star Wars, but sometimes it’s fun to play the bad guy. In Star Wars: Villainous, each player takes control of one of five Star Wars villains: Darth Vader, Asajj Ventress, Kylo Ren, Moff Gideon, or General Grievous. Their goal is to see who can accomplish their evil plans first. Each villain has their own unique goal; for example, Darth Vader wins if he defeats Luke Skywalker, while Gideon must capture Baby Yoda. This game is perfect for the Star Wars fan in your life, especially if they’re intrigued by the dark side.

Buy Star Wars: Villainous at Amazon – $40

Forgotten Waters

Sail the open seas as swashbuckling pirates in Forgotten Waters, a story-filled board game that’s essentially a choose-your-own-adventure tale but a lot more fun. Three to seven players get to be pirates sailing together on a ship, each with their own goals and attributes. Your loved one will have a variety of missions to choose from, be it discovering a sunken treasure or hunting a legendary sea monster. The game comes with five scenarios already, but there’s a DLC you can get online that adds a new scenario and over 100 new events, which bodes well for the game’s replayability.

Buy Forgotten Waters at Amazon – $60

The Chameleon

The Chameleon is a party game for three to eight players where one person is given the role of the Chameleon, while the rest tries to figure out who they are. A Secret Word is then revealed to everyone, except the Chameleon, who must play along so that they don’t get discovered. Each player will have to say a word relating to the Secret Word, while the Chameleon has to make an educated guess based on the available clues. This bluffing-deduction game only takes 15 minutes per round, which makes it ideal for parties or family gatherings.

Buy The Chameleon at Amazon – $20

Azul

Named after the Moorish decorative tiles of the Alhambra palace in Spain, Azul is a game where players compete against each other to create beautiful tiled mosaics. Two to four players take turns drafting colored tiles to their player boards with the goal of scoring as many points as possible while also preventing their opponents from doing the same. Extra points will be given to those who create particular patterns or collect sets of the same color. Easy to learn but tough to master, Azul is a great gift for those who are new to gaming or just anyone who enjoys strategic puzzles.

Buy Azul at Amazon – $40

Wingspan

Perhaps you have a loved one who wouldn’t mind playing tabletop games, but isn’t into nerdy themes like fighting monsters or defeating zombies? Or maybe he or she is simply a fan of nature? Then Wingspan could very well be the gateway board game for them. This game has been on our list in the past, but we still recommend it as it’s a long-time favorite. In it, players are bird enthusiasts looking to discover and attract the best birds to their wildlife preserve. It comes with a super helpful quick start guide to help new players start playing without having to go through the whole rulebook (which, itself is pretty easy to understand).

The game is one of the most gorgeous we’ve seen, with beautiful pastel-colored egg miniatures, a dice tower that looks like a bird house, and thoughtfully arranged components; it even comes with a bird-decorated card holder. Plus, the game can be educational, as players learn a thing or two in the process about bird species, from the burrowing owl to the scissor-tailed flycatcher.

Buy Wingspan at Amazon – $65

 

Well, it finally happened: Elon Musk has officially taken over Twitter. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Engadget’s Karissa Bell to discuss how Musk is reshaping the social network. Are all the changes bad, or is there some method to his madness? (Spoiler: It looks more like desperation than anything else.) Also, we dive into some recent Google AI news, and Devindra explains why the new Apple TV 4K is genuinely great.

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

Elon Musk’s Twitter fiasco – 1:26

Thinking of leaving Twitter? Here are some platforms to check out – 21:49

Google announces package tracking in Gmail – 29:55

Texas AG sues Google over facial recognition data collection – 35:23

The PS VR2 will cost $550, arrives February 22, 2023 – 38:07

Xiaomi’s 12S Ultra concept phone has a massive camera with interchangeable lenses – 40:35

Working on – 43:42

Pop culture picks – 48:57

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Karissa Bell
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

 

Cherry is releasing the MX Black Clear-Top (aka the “Nixie”) a new version of a keyboard switch from the ’80s prized for its typing feel and acoustics. It was manufactured for a German company called Nixdorf (hence the nickname) that mainly built keyboards for terminals, servers and mini computers. Because the Nixie was only built for a few years, used switches are rare and command high prices — a fact that no doubt inspired Cherry to start building an updated version.

The original Nixie switch was a variant of Cherry’s MX Black switch with very specific modifications. Namely, the actuating force was bumped slightly from 60 to 63.5 centinewtons, and a diode was integrated into the switch for n-key rollover (NKRO) which allows the keyboard to register every key press, even if done simultaneously. 

The new version carries the same specs and looks, including “the familiar milky top housing, black bottom housing, and a black stem,” Cherry wrote in a press release. It has the same actuation force of 63.5 centinewtons, a pre-travel of 2 mm, and a total travel of 4 mm. The company also retained the same vintage design for the spring. 

At the same time, though, it’s being built using the company’s latest production systems so it’s up to the quality of its latest MX switches. Cherry will offer the MX Black Clear-Top both with or without grease works, with the latter being for enthusiasts who want to do any lubrication themselves. The switches arrive at the beginning of 2023, but Cherry has yet to announce the price. 

 

Twitter is facing a class action lawsuit over its ongoing mass layoffs, which could potentially cut its workforce in half. According to Bloomberg, employees filed a class action lawsuit against the company in San Francisco federal court, arguing that Twitter’s actions run afoul of the US Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. Under the labor law, companies with 100 or more employees are required to notify them of mass layoffs 60 days in advance.

The New York Times reported earlier that Twitter would begin layoffs and that around half of the company’s staff members would be affected. In an email seen by The Washington Post, Twitter said that the layoffs are “unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward.” The company also told employees to stay at home today and to wait for an email. If they get one in their Twitter-owned email inbox, their job is safe. But if they receive the email in their personal account, that means they’re being let go. Some people are reporting on the social network that they have already been locked out of their work emails and had been removed from the company’s central Slack account. 

The plaintiffs are asking the court to issue an order forcing Twitter to obey the WARN Act. They also want the court to prohibit the company from soliciting employees to sign away their right to litigate. Shannon Liss-Riordan, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said they filed the complaint “in an attempt to make sure that employees are aware that they should not sign away their rights and that they have an avenue for pursuing their rights.”

Liss-Riordan was also the lawyer who handled the lawsuit against Tesla in June over layoffs that cut 10 percent of the automaker’s workforce. Similar to this complaint, the plaintiffs back then argued that Tesla violated the WARN Act. Company chief Elon Musk, who took over Twitter a week ago, called the lawsuit “trivial” in a talk with Bloomberg Editor-In-Chief John Micklethwait. The court had also sided with the company and ruled that employees should negotiate with Tesla in a closed-door arbitration instead.

 

I’ve always wanted an Apple TV, but the high price and locked-down features made me opt for Roku’s ecosystem instead. And while I appreciate the freedom Roku offers, Devindra Hardawar’s review of the new TV 4K almost turned my head.

The 2022 model is cheaper, smaller and runs more efficiently than its predecessor, and it still packs that fancy Siri remote as standard. The box’s speed is its greatest strength, letting you leap between video streaming apps in the time it takes for your cable box to wake up.

Of course, there’s always a fly or two in the ointment, like the $129, 64GB model has a compromise or two. If you, for instance, want a built-in Ethernet port, or Thread IoT integration, you’ll need the $149, 128GB model. Never change, Apple.

– Dan Cooper

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Astronauts will 3D print part of a human knee in space

It’s part of a test of a battlefield bioprinter.

It would be great if we could simply 3D-print parts of our bodies that we’ve damaged or worn out through overuse. It’s something NASA will try out with a bioprinter designed to do just that, in the hope of using it for soldiers. During its stay in the heavens, the printer will craft a human meniscus for study, to treat – without the use of inorganic implants – one of the most common knee injuries.

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‘Symbiogenesis’ is some NFT garbage from Square Enix, not a ‘Parasite Eve’ revival

The worst kind of switcheroo.

When Square Enix registered Symbiogenesis as a trademark, a small legion of fans got very excited. They, not unreasonably, believed the company was working on a follow-up to Parasite Eve, a beloved horror RPG from 1998. Imagine their dismay when the project turned out to be little more than an NFT grift from a games giant who should know better.

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AMD’s first RDNA 3 GPUs are the Radeon RX 7900 XTX and 7900 XT

The launch came with plenty of sass for NVIDIA.

When NVIDIA launched the teeth-meltingly powerful RTX 4090, everyone waited to see what AMD would offer in return. The company has now shown off a pair of Radeon RX cards, the 7900 and 7900 XTX, powered by its new RDNA 3 architecture. AMD says these cards won’t melt your power supply (unlike its rival) and, at $999, won’t hollow-out your wallet (unlike… you get the idea).

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WiFi security flaw lets a drone track devices through walls

This isn’t ideal.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a system to track WiFi-enabled devices through walls. The technique relies on the protocol’s automatic contact response and can pinpoint equipment to within three feet of its location. To demonstrate the need for better WiFi security, the team equipped an off-the-shelf drone with a WiFi scanner that cost just $15 to make. They flew it around the outside of a house, pinpointing the home’s occupants and WiFi-enabled hardware, such as security cameras. There are several worrying uses for such technology, including looking for unguarded areas of a home for burglary or unauthorized surveillance, none of which are particularly good.

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Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) recently announced plans to combine HBO Max and Discovery+ into one streaming service set to debut in the summer of 2023. Now in the company’s latest earnings call, WBD President and CEO David Zaslav said the combined service will arrive in the US earlier than expected in spring of 2023.

The streaming services combined now have 94.9 million subscribers, with the large majority of those from HBO and HBO Max, according to Fierce Wireless. That includes 2.8 million new subscribers, with most of those (2.3 million) coming from overseas markets. 

Along with the combined streaming service, WBD plans to launch its own free ad-support streaming TV service (FAST) in 2023. “As the company with the largest TV and film library in the industry… that allows us to distribute our content in multiple ways,” said Zaslav. The company also said its investing in content at historic levels, citing the hiring of James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-chairmen and CEOs of DC studios.

It’s still not clear what form the combined streaming service will take or what it will be called. However, WBD recently started transferring Discovery+ content to HBO Max like Fixer Upper: The Castle, and it’s became a top five show in just a few days, Zaslav said. 

 

PayPal has revealed in its latest earnings report (PDF) that merchant users in the US will be able to accept payments using their iPhones in the near future without the need for dongles and card readers. The payment solution will be integrating Apple’s Tay to Pay technology “soon.” That means businesses and sellers will easily be able to receive payments made via contactless debit or credit cards, as well as via mobile wallets including Apple Pay, through the PayPal or Venmo app. They simply have to make sure that they’re using an iPhone XS or a newer model. 

Apple first announced the Tap to Pay feature on iPhone in February this year. A few months later, staff members at the Apple Park visitor center in Cupertino were seen testing the the feature. Since it makes payments as easy as bumping phones together, it seemed like it could be a threat to payment companies like Square. However, Square quickly got on board and launched Tap to Pay integration in September after running an early access program. 

In addition to its Tap to Pay news, PayPal has also revealed that it’s adding Apple Pay as a payment option to its checkout solution for merchant platforms. And starting next year, customers in the US will be able to add their PayPal and Venmo credit and debit cards to their Apple Wallets. In a statement sent to Bloomberg, PayPal Chief Executive Officer Dan Schulman said the company is “very pleased to be working with Apple to enhance [its] offerings for… PayPal and Venmo merchants and consumers.” It’s also worth noting that PayPal briefly touched on making Venmo available as a checkout option for some Amazon users in the US in its earnings report. The company reiterated that the feature will roll out to everyone in the country this coming holiday season. 

 

Like many other streaming services over the past year, Hulu raised its subscription prices in October from $7 to $8 per month for its ad-supported tier. Now, the Disney-owned streaming service is also raising the prices for its Hulu + Live TV bundle. In an email sent to an Engadget editor, it said that the Hulu + Live TV (with ads), Disney+ (no ads) and ESPN+ (with ads) bundle will cost $75 per month on their first billing cycle after December 8th. That’s $5 more than the current monthly price of $70. 

Our editor also got a note that they can switch or cancel their subscription. But the legacy plan they’re subscribed to will no longer be available after December 8th, so they won’t be able to switch back afterward. To note, according to Apple Insider, those paying for a bundle wherein Hulu has no ads will have to pony up $83 a month starting on December 8th instead of $76 like what they’re currently paying. 

Seeing as Disney announced in August that Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ are all raising their prices, perhaps it doesn’t come as a surprise that the Live TV bundle is getting a price hike, as well. Back then, Disney revealed that it incurred operating losses worth nearly $1.1 billion from running its streaming services. It also said that the third quarter of the year added 14.4 million subscribers to Disney+ alone, and the company is clearly hoping to earn some of the money it lost but charging its viewers more.