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Links and images are completely busted on Twitter at the minute across the company’s website and mobile apps. Clicking on one brings up an error message that reads “Your current API plan does not include access to this endpoint, please see https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api for more information.” As it happens, that link is broken at the time of writing. On top of that, the same error message is popping up for some users when they try to access TweetDeck. 

Twitter’s last major outage was less than a week ago, just days after the company laid off dozens more employees. Twitter no longer has a communications department that can be contacted for comment. Oddly, enough, its API status page has a message reading “all systems operational.”

“Some parts of Twitter may not be working as expected right now. We made an internal change that had some unintended consequences,” Twitter somehow manage to share on its Support account. “We’re working on this now and will share an update when it’s fixed.” It’s currently not possible to embed the tweet because of the busted API. 

Twitter is in the midst of restricting its APIs, the tools that developers use to hook into the platform. The company said in early February that it would start charging for access to APIs. 

Meanwhile, Twitter CEO Elon Musk has responded to the outage. “This platform is so brittle (sigh),” he wrote. “Will be fixed shortly.”

Many users and insiders feared that, after Musk took over Twitter in October and swiftly fired thousands of employees and contractors, the platform would fall apart. Musk infamously demanded that to commit to an “extremely hardcore” vision where they’d work for “long hours at high intensity” or leave the company. It’s estimated that around 1,200 workers opted not to make the pledge, instead choosing to walk away from Twitter with the promise of three months’ severance pay.

Between Musk assuming control of Twitter and late January, it’s believed that some 80 percent of full-time workers left the company. Shortly after the mass departures started, one former employee told The Washington Post that they knew of six critical systems that “no longer have any engineers.” They added that Twitter would “continue to coast until it runs into something, and then it will stop.” While many expected the World Cup would be the straw the broke the camel’s back, it seems like a regular Monday morning was enough to tip Twitter over the edge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/every-link-on-twitter-is-broken-right-now-165929931.html?src=rss 

Eight years and 12 million sales later, Cities: Skylines is getting a sequel. Cities: Skylines II is due to come out in 2023 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, from original developer Colossal Order and publisher Paradox Interactive. The new simulator will offer expanded toolsets and mechanics, and importantly for the series’ existing community, it’ll support advanced modding capabilities. Cities: Skylines II will allow players to grow small villages into bustling metropolises, and then implement detailed construction, transportation, industry and economic systems.

The original Cities: Skylines came out in 2015 and filled the void left by EA after its disappointing Sim City reboot. Colossal Order has consistently updated its city-builder since launch: In addition to purchasable assets, the sim has received a dozen mainline gameplay expansions that’ve fundamentally rebuilt its systems for industry, education, parks and airports. The Cities: Skylines of today looks completely different from the game that arrived in 2015.

Mods and community assets are a huge part of Cities: Skylines’ success story. There are hundreds of thousands of free, user-created assets available for the game on Steam, and its most popular mods count over 2 million subscribers, improving essential mechanics like road-building and traffic management. A thriving YouTube community has grown around the game, with virtual (and real!) city planners offering tips and showcasing builds across hundreds of episodes. The game attracted more than 5.5 million new players in 2022 alone. 

Colossal Order says Cities: Skylines II has “fully-realized transport and economy systems, a wealth of construction and customization options, and advanced modding capabilities.” The original Cities: Skylines will celebrate its eighth birthday on March 10th and Colossal Order promises more information about the sequel over the coming months.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cities-skylines-ii-heads-to-pc-ps5-and-xbox-series-xs-in-2023-173045914.html?src=rss 

Amazon has kicked off another round of discounts for its Fire tablet lineup, with both standard and Kids models on sale. The highlight of the bunch is a deal that brings the latest Fire HD 8 down to $60. That’s $5 more than the all-time low we saw over the holiday season, but still about $25 off the eight-inch tablet’s typical street price since it arrived last September and $40 off Amazon’s MSRP. 

Fire tablets as a whole have had the same drawbacks for many years now: They don’t come with access to the Google Play Store or official Google apps by default, their hardware is neither as fast nor as nice-feeling as a good iPad, and the non-Kids models come with lock screen ads unless you pay extra. They make up for that, however, by being extremely affordable, and offering just enough performance to get by if all you need is a larger screen for reading, streaming video and casually browsing the web.

The Fire HD 8 is likely the cheapest acceptable tablet for most people. It’s made of plastic, and its 1,280 x 800 resolution display isn’t as sharp as a full 1080p screen. Still, it’s durable, its battery should last more than 10 hours on a charge, it charges over USB-C and you can expand its 32GB of storage up to 1TB with a microSD card. While it won’t feel fast, it’s serviceable if you stick to the basics, and its display gets bright enough. As with all Fire tablets, you’ll get more out of it if you already subscribe to Amazon Prime and use services like Prime Video, Audible or the Kindle app. It’s not a great value at full price, but its shortcomings should be easier to accept at this deal price.

Elsewhere in the sale, the Kids and Kids Pro versions of the Fire HD 8 are each down to $100. That’s $20 more than their all-time lows but still roughly $30 off their average street price. These get you the same hardware as the standard model, but with a large protective case (the Pro’s is a bit slimmer), a more kid-friendly UI activated by default, a two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon’s Kids+ content service. Several Fire HD 10 tablets are also discounted, with the base model down to $120. That’s not a great deal — we’ve seen the device fall under $100 many times before — but the slate itself is faster and offers a bigger 10.1-inch display with a sharper 1,920 x 1,200 resolution.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-tablet-sale-brings-the-fire-hd-8-down-to-60-154654168.html?src=rss 

WhatsApp has come to an agreement with the European Union following the controversy over its early 2021 privacy policy change. After discussions with the European Commission and EU consumer protection regulators, WhatsApp will make it easier for users to reject updates to the terms of service. The Meta-owned brand will also “clearly explain” when rejecting those terms will limit use of services, the Commission says. People can also dismiss notifications about these updates, and delay reviewing those updates.

The company further confirmed that it’s not sharing personal data with other Meta brands, including Facebook, for the sake of advertising. It also isn’t sharing that data with third-parties, the Commission says.

WhatsApp sparked an outcry at the start of 2021 when it asked users to share data like connection info and transactions with sibling brands like Facebook as part of its new privacy policy. While little changed for users, some interpreted this as a sign WhatsApp was sharing messages and calls with Facebook. That prompted a mass exodus to competing secure messaging services like Signal and Telegram. WhatsApp tried to reassure users that it couldn’t access the end-to-end encrypted conversations, but the backlash led the company to pause the policy rollout. When it did reintroduce the new terms, it added clarifications but warned that the service would gradually stop working unless users agreed to the terms.

The European Commission got involved in January last year, when it responded to unfair practice allegations by asking WhatsApp to better explain how it uses people’s data. Last June, it also asked WhatsApp to more clearly explain its business model and whether or not it profited from personal data.

We’ve asked Meta for comment. The Commission’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network plans to “actively monitor” WhatsApp’s application of these promises with future policy updates. Any violations could prompt fines and other penalties. The chat giant also isn’t the only one facing scrutiny. The Commission says it’s continuing to look for “dark patterns,” or attempts to unfairly push users into accepting subscriptions, policy changes or other unwanted features. Don’t be surprised if there are more agreements like WhatsApp’s in the near future.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/whatsapp-will-make-it-easier-to-reject-updates-to-its-terms-of-service-151007438.html?src=rss 

Those who’ve been looking for more details on Nothing’s next earphones won’t have to wait much longer. The company will spill the beans on the Ear 2 on March 22nd. There’s an event scheduled for 10AM ET that day and you’ll be able to watch it on Nothing’s website, which claims that the Ear 2 will have “better sound” and “better clarity.”

The latest Ear 2 teaser suggests that the charging case will cling onto the transparent aesthetic of Nothing’s other products to date. The image shows a beetle pushing what appears to be a charging case outside of the frame. Founder Carl Pei’s companies have a predilection for drip feeding information about products, so we could learn more about the Ear 2 in the run up to the event. 

Nothing released the Ear 1 in summer 2021. It followed up on its first earbuds up with last year’s Ear Stick. The Ear 2 will be Nothing’s fourth product, as it released the Phone 1 in 2022.

Late last year, there were indications that Nothing is set to debut a different set of earbuds under a flanker brand. There were references to Particles by XO earbuds in Nothing Phone 1 firmware at the end of last year. Renders suggested that the earphones could have a peanut-style design. In any case, we’ll find out what’s on the immediate horizon for Nothing in a couple weeks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nothing-will-show-off-the-ear-2-earbuds-on-march-22nd-152839424.html?src=rss 

FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried may be stuck using a feature phone. In a letter seen by Bloomberg, prosecutors said Bankman-Fried’s lawyers had agreed to modify the terms of his bail agreement. Provided the judge overseeing the case agrees to the changes, SBF will be restricted to using a “non-smartphone” without internet connectivity. Unless a lawyer is present, he will also be forbidden from contacting current or former FTX and Alameda Research employees. The proposed restrictions came after Bankman-Fried allegedly attempted to contact the general counsel of FTX’s US subsidiary over Signal at the start of the year. District Judge Lewis Kaplan threatened to revoke Bankman-Fried’s bail and send him to jail before the start of his trial after learning the disgraced entrepreneur may have influenced potential witnesses.

Under the modified bail agreement, SBF would be allowed to use a laptop to surf the web, but his access would be filtered through a VPN that would limit him to two categories of websites. One category would include resources his defense team says are critical to his case. The other has 23 websites SBF could use to order food, read the news and watch streaming content.

– 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.

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Amazon is shutting down some of its cashier-less Go stores

It’s paused construction on its second headquarters, too.

Amazon is closing down two cashierless Go stores in New York City, two in Seattle and four in San Francisco on April 1st, according to multiple reports. Bloomberg noted these are part of Amazon’s latest cost-cutting moves amid slowing sales growth. In January, the company expanded its planned job cuts from 10,000 to 18,000 positions. Company spokesperson Jessica Martin said: “We remain committed to the Amazon Go format, operate more than 20 Amazon Go stores across the US and will continue to learn which locations and features resonate most with customers.”

Continue reading.

Tesla slashes Model S and X US prices by up to $10,000

It’s the second big price cut on those models this year.

Tesla has cut the prices of its high-end Model S and Model X electric cars by $5,000 and $10,000, respectively, according to changes on its website seen by TechCrunch. It’s the second time this year the company has chopped prices, so the Model X has dropped $21,000 from $120,990 at the beginning of the year to just $99,990 currently. The Model S, meanwhile, has fallen from $104,990 to $89,990 since January 1st – a steep $15,000 reduction. However, neither car qualifies for Federal Tax rebates set to expire later this month, as those only apply to SUVs priced below $80,000.

Continue reading.

Amazon offers Mar10 Day sale discounts on popular Nintendo Switch games early

If you don’t already own ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,’ it’s 35 percent off.

Super Mario celebration/sales opportunity, March 10th (Mar10) might not be for another few days, but that’s not stopping retailers like Amazon from offering Mario Day deals early. Ahead of Friday, the company has discounted a handful of Nintendo Switch titles that feature the mustachioed plumber. For instance, Super Mario Odyssey is 33 percent off, making it $40 at the moment. Meanwhile, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is $39 currently, down from $60.

Continue reading.

Razer Edge review

A new breed of gaming handheld.

With the rise of cloud gaming, there’s a newer breed of mobile machines, like the Razer Edge, trying to make things even more travel friendly. Instead of relying solely on local performance, the Edge runs Android for lightweight apps, while services like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud gaming provide the computing power for more demanding titles. But is the Razer Edge something you really need?

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-justice-department-wants-to-keep-sam-bankman-fried-on-a-flip-phone-121649715.html?src=rss 

If you don’t need accessories like extra thumbsticks, D-Pads and more, Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller gives you all the benefits of the regular Elite Series 2 at a significantly lower price. Now, you can get on even cheaper, as it’s on sale at Amazon for just $110, or $20 (15 percent) off the regular price.

Buy Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core (White) at Amazon – $110

As mentioned, the Elite Series 2 Core is the same as the Elite Series 2, aside from the white instead of the black color and lack of accessories. It offers a wrap-around rubberized grip, shorter hair trigger locks and 40 hours of battery life. You get an Xbox wireless connection with the Xbox One and Series S/X consoles, reducing latency and letting you use the headphone jack. You can also connect it to a PC via Bluetooth. The Xbox Accessories app provides customization options like button remapping, sensitivity curve adjustments, dead zones, vibration intensity tweaking and LED colors.

If you decide you want the normal Elite Series 2 accessories after all, that’s no problem — just purchase the $60 Complete Component Pack separately. That gives you everything missing from the Core model, including a carrying case, a thumbstick-adjustment tool, a charging dock, two classic thumbsticks, one tall thumbstick, one dome thumbstick, one cross-shaped D-pad, two medium and two mini paddles, as well as a USB-C cable. Best of all, with the sale, you could buy the component pack and Elite Series 2 Core controller and still save over purchasing the regular Elite Series 2 model.  

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsofts-xbox-elite-wireless-controller-series-2-core-is-15-percent-off-right-now-090227471.html?src=rss 

Anker’s charging accessories are of higher quality than most third-party products, but they also tend to be more costly. Now, you can now grab a number of Anker chargers, cables and more at Amazon with discounts up to 48 percent. Some of the more interesting deals include the 24,000 mAh capacity 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K) priced at $100 (33 percent off), the 47W Nano 3 charger at $30 (25 percent off), the 20,000mAh PowerCore Essential 20K PD battery charger for $48 (20 percent off) and MFi certified USB-C to Lightning cables at a 39 percent discount. 

Shop Anker charging accessories at Amazon

The Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K) offers a lot of battery power for $100. With 24,000mAh of capacity and 140W of output, it can juice up an iPhone 14 almost 5 times or a 2021 iPad Pro 12.9″ 1.3 times. At the same time, it comes with a digital display that shows the output and input power and estimated time for the portable charger to fully recharge. And you can connect multiple devices at once, as it has a pair of USB-C ports along with a USB-A input.

If you don’t need that much power, Anker’s 525 Power Bank (PowerCore Essential 20K PD) comes with 20,000mAh of capacity and 20W of output, enough to get an iPhone 12 to 50 percent in just a half hour. Plus, it has a second 18W port for another device. In terms of capacity, you can charge an iPhone 13 up to five times and an iPad Mini 2.5 times. 

If it’s a small but powerful charger you need, Anker’s compact 47W 523 Nano 3 smartphone/tablet charger is on sale for $30 (25 percent off), giving you a quick charger at an excellent price. And if you need a new cable to connect your iPhone, the company’s 6-foot Powerline+ MFi certified charging cord is available at just $20 in a two-pack, netting you 39 percent in savings. A number of other products are on sale too, so check them all out here. 

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anker-charging-accessories-are-up-to-48-percent-off-in-amazon-sale-104022119.html?src=rss 

Tesla has cut the prices of its high-end Model S and Model X electric cars by $5,000 (5.2 percent) and $10,000 (9.1 percent) respectively, according to changes in its website seen by TechCrunch. 

It’s the second time this year the company has chopped prices, so the Model X has dropped $21,000 from $120,990 at the beginning of the year to just $99,990 currently. The Model S, meanwhile, has fallen from $104,990 to $89,990 since January 1st — a steep $15,000 reduction. 

Neither car qualifies for Federal Tax rebates set to expire later this month, as those only apply to SUVs priced below $80,000 and cars under $55,000. Still, they’re likely to push many fence-sitters over the edge. That tracks with what CEO Elon Musk said on Tesla Investor’s Day, that “the desire for people to own a Tesla is extremely high… [but] the limiting factor is their ability to pay for a Tesla.”

Most Model 3 and Y vehicles do qualify for the rebates, thanks to Tesla’s January price cuts on those EVs. (As a reminder, it’s a “nonrefundable” tax credit, so you’ll only benefit if you have a federal tax liability of at least $7,500.) After mid-March, however, the rules will change and many EVs that currently qualify may become ineligible.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-slashes-model-s-and-x-us-prices-by-up-to-10000-074541439.html?src=rss 

Hydrogen holds promise for zero-emissions aviation, via either fuel-cell electric motors or jet engines that burn H2 directly. Now, Universal Hydrogen has announced that it completed a 15-minute test flight in a 40-seat Dash-8 commuter plane using a fuel-cell hydrogen engine. The company called the flight “historic” and said it is “committed to being North America’s first zero-emission airline.” 

With a fuel cell from Plug Power and electric motor built by magniX, the power plant is the largest ever to take to the sky. However, it was only installed on the left side of the aircraft, while a standard Pratt & Whitney turboprop engine was fitted to the right wing for “safety of flight,” the company said. It supplied the engines with emissions-free “green” hydrogen (made via electrolysis from renewable power sources), connected via its own modules that keep the highly volatile gas in liquid form for up to 100 hours.

The Dash-8 was highly modified to accommodate the engine, 30kg (66 pounds) of liquid hydrogen and two racks of electronics and sensors. While the turbine engine was mainly used for takeoff, pilots were able to cruise mostly on hydrogen power during the second circuit. The flight attained a height of 3,500 feet. 

Though it had some yaw due to the imbalance in power, “the airplane handled beautifully, and the noise and vibrations from the fuel cell powertrain are significantly lower than from the conventional turbine engine,” said chief pilot (and former US Air Force test pilot) Alex Kroll. The company received FAA approval for the flight just weeks ago. 

The British/American firm ZeroAvia flew with a similar configuration on its twin-engine, 19-seat Dornier 228 plane earlier this year. Airbus recently announced that it’s building a fuel cell that could power a 100-seat aircraft around 1,150 miles, and Rolls-Royce recently completed tests of a jet engine converted to run directly on hydrogen fuel. 

Potential problems still abound, though. Hydrogen has about a quarter the energy density of regular jet A fuel, so it’s only good for short hops. And as I’ve detailed in an explainer, there’s very little hydrogen fuel infrastructure, it’s tricky to work with and extremely explosive. Still, Universal Hydrogen is confident it can beat the odds. “Our business model resolves the chicken-and-egg problem between hydrogen airplanes and hydrogen infrastructure by developing both in parallel and with a uniquely low-cost approach,” said CEO and co-founder Paul Eremenko. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-dash-8-commuter-plane-flew-for-15-minutes-with-a-hydrogen-fuel-cell-engine-060607763.html?src=rss