Kalakshar US

Tesla has added another brazenly stupid new entry to its dubious safety record. The latest update to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving System adds a mode called Mad Max, “which comes with higher speeds and more frequent lane changes” than the system’s Hurry mode. This feature isn’t new; it was part of the Autopilot mode in 2018 that pre-dated FSD. According to Electrek, the re-introduction of Mad Max mode is going exactly as well as you’d expect: “It hasn’t been out for 24 hours, and it has already been spotted rolling stop signs and driving more than 15 mph (24 km/h) over the speed limit.”

Everything about this is a comically bad idea, or it would be comic if it wasn’t so downright dangerous. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just opened an investigation into the company’s FSD system last week after receiving more than 50 reports of traffic safety violations in addition to numerous crashes. And this is just the most recent time the regulator has put FSD in its crosshairs. Choosing this moment to reintroduce an automated driving mode based on a post-apocalyptic wasteland where life is meaningless is a level of arrogance that does feel on brand for Tesla.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-reintroduces-mad-max-full-self-driving-mode-that-breaks-speed-limits-190659583.html?src=rss 

EA has had quite the month, and the numbers tell its story. A few weeks ago, the company confirmed an agreement to go private in a $55 billion sale. And now we know that Battlefield 6 sold over 7 million copies in its first three days. The game also had over 172 million online matches played during the holiday weekend. On top of that, it logged 15 million hours watched on streaming services.

Battlefield 6‘s sales numbers make it the biggest opening yet for the franchise. By comparison, 2021’s Battlefield 2042 reportedly sold a relatively paltry 4.2 million copies in its first week.

The quotes in EA’s blog post read like awards ceremony acceptance speeches. “First and foremost, we want to thank our players,” franchise General Manager Byron Beede said. “We never take moments like this for granted, so I want to express our sincere gratitude to our global Battlefield Studios and passionate community that has helped get us to this point,” Executive VP Vince Zampella added.

The game’s launch came weeks after the company’s announcement that it will go private. The gaming giant will be owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. On Wednesday, unionized EA staffers spoke out against the acquisition, warning that “every time private equity or billionaire investors take a studio private, workers lose visibility, transparency and power.”

Battlefield 6 launched on October 10. It’s available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Its Season 1 content is just around the corner, arriving on October 28.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/battlefield-6-sold-over-7-million-copies-in-three-days-181826351.html?src=rss 

There’s a new streaming bundle in town. Apple TV and Peacock are teaming up to offer a combined subscription that starts at $15 per month. This will allow access to all original programming from both platforms, in addition to Peacock’s stable of network and cable shows.

This is a mighty fine deal, given that Apple TV recently changed both its name and price. The platform costs $13 per month now on its own. Peacock starts at $11 per month. In other words, this is a discount of around $9 each month. In this economy, we’ll take any savings we can get.

There’s one caveat here. The $15 price tag is for Peacock with ads. The subscription shoots up to $20 per month for an ad-free version. However, a standalone subscription to ad-free Peacock is $17 on its own. This bundle becomes available on October 20. Additionally, Apple One subscribers will get a 35 percent discount on Peacock Premium Plus plans. It’s always nice when two lonely corporations find friendship, isn’t it?

For the uninitiated, Apple TV is the company’s big-wig streaming platform. It’s primarily known for sci-fi like Severance, For All Mankind and the upcoming Pluribus. The platform is also host to plenty of comedy, like The Studio, Shrinking and Ted Lasso.

Peacock is NBC’s streaming service. It streams old-school network programming like The Office, Grimm and Superstore. The service features a stable of original programming like Poker Face, Twisted Metal and the underrated Mrs. Davis. The platform also recently premiered a little show called The Paper, which is a spinoff of The Office. Against all odds, this is actually a great little sitcom and a worthy successor to the original.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/apple-tv-and-peacock-team-up-on-a-bundle-that-costs-15-per-month-170403406.html?src=rss 

The FCC is moving to expel Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) from US telecom networks, citing national security concerns. The agency sent HKT an “Order to Show Cause,” which directs the company to explain why the FCC should not begin revocation proceedings against it.

The 30-page order outlines the agency’s reasoning, including a focus on applying new certification and disclosure requirements to entities “owned by, controlled by or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary.”

“Today’s Order continues the FCC’s work of ensuring that CCP-controlled entities that pose national security risks to our country cannot connect to our telecom networks,” said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr in a statement announcing the move. HKT is one of the largest telecommunications companies in Hong Kong and is a subsidiary of communications giant PCCW. Roughly 18 percent of PCCW is owned by China Unicom, a state-owned telecommunications company.

HKT is not the only target of the agency’s ongoing effort to root out potential vulnerabilities. On October 28, the FCC will be voting on steps to further strengthen guardrails under its equipment authorization program to protect US networks and the communications supply chain against national security threats.

The past month has seen ramped-up regulatory activity from both China and the United States aimed at companies that operate in or generate revenues from one another’s markets. Chinese regulators have been investigating large tech acquisitions, telling local companies not to buy American AI chips and tightening export controls on rare earth minerals. Much of this comes against the backdrop of trade negotiations between the two countries.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-fcc-wants-to-expel-one-of-hong-kongs-biggest-telecom-operators-from-us-networks-155204605.html?src=rss 

EA employees involved with the Communications Workers of America union have issued a sternly-worded statement against the recently-proposed private acquisition of the company by Saudi-backed investors, according to a report by Eurogamer. The complaints don’t involve Saudi Arabia’s long history of human rights violations, but rather that workers weren’t represented in any negotiations for the $55 billion deal.

The employees worry that any jobs lost as a result of the purchase would “be a choice, not a necessity, made to pad investors’ pockets.” In addition to this formal response, unionized workers have issued a petition that urges regulators to scrutinize the deal.

“EA is not a struggling company,” the statement reads, going on to note that the company’s success has been driven by workers. “Yet we, the very people who will be jeopardized as a result of this deal, were not represented at all when this buyout was negotiated or discussed.”

The statement calls out the huge number of layoffs that have impacted the industry in recent years. Unionized staffers note that “every time private equity or billionaire investors take a studio private, workers lose visibility, transparency and power.”

“We are calling on regulators and elected officials to scrutinize this deal and ensure that any path forward protects jobs, preserves creative freedom and keeps decision-making accountable to the workers who make EA successful,” the statement reads. “The value of video games is in their workers. As a unified voice, we, the members of the industry-wide video game workers’ union UVW-CWA, are standing together and refusing to let corporate greed decide the future of our industry.”

Eurogamer reached out to the FTC to inquire about the status of the proposed acquisition but the agency refused to comment on the grounds that it doesn’t speak about “pending mergers or acquisitions.” It’s worth noting that President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is involved with the purchase. The Financial Times recently suggested that the deal won’t face any real opposition, as “what regulator is going to say no to the president’s son-in-law?”

As previously noted, the proposed deal is valued at $55 billion. This would take the company private for the first time in its 35-year history. Various entities have partnered to make this deal, including the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Kushner’s Affinity Partners. US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have also voiced concerns about this acquisition. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/unionized-ea-staffers-are-not-happy-about-that-proposed-saudi-backed-acquisition-155559256.html?src=rss