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Meta and Google are facing delays with long-promised undersea cable projects, according to a report by Bloomberg. A Meta spokesperson blames the delays on a “range of operational factors, regulatory concerns and geopolitical risk.”

Meta’s 2Africa subsea cable system is supposed to wrap around the African continent to deliver fiber internet to the region. It’s also intended to connect Europe with Asia and Africa. The 28,000-mile project was first announced all the way back in 2020.

However, the company has experienced issues when running cable through the southern portion of the Red Sea. A whole section has yet to be built due to regional conflicts and difficulty obtaining certain permits from local governments.

The Google-backed Blue-Raman intercontinental cable system has also been delayed in the region, after first being announced in 2021. This system was originally supposed to go live in 2024, connecting countries like France, Italy, India, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman. The company has not provided an updated timetable.

These are just two examples, as plenty of other fiber internet cables have yet to go live in the Red Sea. Builders have experienced repeated missile attacks, allegedly by the Iran-backed Houthis, which forced them on lengthy detours and disrupted work.

“They are not only unable to monetize their investments by sending data over these cables, but they are forced to purchase capacity on alternative cables to meet their near-term requirements,” said Alan Mauldin, research director at telecommunications firm Telegeography.

It’s worth noting that these delays shouldn’t impact two previously announced undersea fiber projects by Google and Meta. Google is building a cable to connect Togo to Europe, which will wrap around the Atlantic side. Meta is building a gigantic cable system that looks to connect five continents, which isn’t crossing the Red Sea.

Undersea cables are a great way to give the various regions of the world fiber internet, but there are some downsides. We’ve already covered geopolitical concerns when it comes to building, but the installed cables can tear and break. This is typically caused by natural disasters, extreme weather and human activities like fishing.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-and-google-delay-undersea-cables-over-security-concerns-163508037.html?src=rss 

Amazon Autos is offering a wider array of options starting today, as you can buy a pre-owned Ford vehicle through the platform. Folks in Los Angeles, Seattle and Dallas (and more markets in the future) can see what’s available at a local dealer through Amazon’s website, take care of most of the paperwork there and then pick a time to collect the automobile. Financing options are available too.

Certified pre-owned vehicles that Ford dealers sell through Amazon Autos include a money-back guarantee. You can return the vehicle within 14 days or before you’ve driven it for 1,000 miles — whichever of the two you’d reach first.

There’s a certification program for these pre-owned vehicles too. The gold certification process is for Ford vehicles that are less than six years old and have fewer than 80,000 miles on the clock. These are given a 172-point inspection and have a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty. There’s a separate program for Ford EVs with the same benchmarks, though electric vehicles undergo a 127-point inspection.

The blue certified program is for Ford vehicles (and ones from other brands) that are less than a decade old and have driven fewer than 150,000 miles. These undergo a 139-point inspection and have a 90-day/4,000-mile warranty.

Amazon Autos started offering used and certified pre-owned cars in August. The platform has been around for less than a year, as it debuted in December 2024 with Hyundai vehicles.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/amazon-autos-now-sells-pre-owned-ford-vehicles-153410092.html?src=rss 

Sony’s still excellent WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones are down to $250 for Black Friday. That’s $150 off the list price and equal to the all-time low (give or take a single cent) we saw on Prime Day. They may no longer be Sony’s flagship noise-canceling headphones, but if the WH-1000XM6 are out of your price range, these former Engadget favorites are well worth considering at this heavily reduced price.

We awarded the WH-1000XM5 a score of 95 in our 2022 review, praising the supremely comfortable redesign, sound quality and powerful ANC. Battery life is also very respectable at 30 hours. We found the punchy bass an improvement over their predecessors, and the overall sound deeper and more immersive than the M4 headphones. As for noise-canceling, Sony’s decision to double the number of microphones and processors used for ANC means an improvement in blocking higher frequency sounds, such as human voices. They aren’t entirely baby scream-proof, but then few headphones are.

Naturally, the WH-1000XM6 that this year replaced the M5 as Sony’s flagship model offers even better sound quality and noise cancellation, while remaining extremely comfortable throughout long listening sessions. But they’re also a lot more expensive at $450, and if you’re deal-hunting this Black Friday, the WH-1000XM5 headphones are the ones to go for.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sonys-wh-1000xm5-headphones-are-152-off-for-black-friday-124434564.html?src=rss 

Jeff Bezos is spearheading a new AI started called Project Prometheus, focused on his current interests in space and engineering, The New York Times reports. The company, which has yet to be made public, will reportedly have $6.2 billion in funding. Part of that sum will come from Bezos, who will act as co-CEO. 

Project Prometheus will reportedly focus on creating AI systems that gain knowledge from the physical world, rather than just processing digital information, like AI chatbots. In particular, the company will reportedly explore how AI can support engineering and manufacturing in areas such as vehicles and space technology. Bezos founded space technology company Blue Origin more than two decades ago. The company’s New Glenn rocket had a successful second flight last week. 

He is joined by Vik Bajaj as co-founder and co-CEO. Bajaj is a physicist and chemist who worked on projects at Google X including Wing and what became Waymo. In 2018, he co-founded Foresite Labs, which supports entrepreneurs in the fields of AI and data science. Bajaj is still named as CEO of Foresite Labs on the company’s website and his LinkedIn page — the latter of which also shows his new titles at Project Prometheus. Bajaj lists his involvement in the new company as starting this month and puts San Francisco, London and Zurich as its locations. 

On its bare LinkedIn page, Project Prometheus’ overview states only “AI for the physical economy.” It also lists itself as a “Technology, Information and Internet” company with 51-200 employees. According to The New York Times, Project Prometheus has hired nearly 100 people, with some employees coming from fellow AI companies like OpenAI and DeepMind. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/jeff-bezos-will-head-a-new-engineering-focused-ai-startup-called-project-prometheus-122115977.html?src=rss 

Rivian‘s electric mobility spinoff Also announced a $3,500 starting price for its first e-bike called the TM-B. The startup unveiled the shapeshifting e-bike last month, with options for a limited Launch edition, a Performance version or a base model. During the reveal, Also said both the Launch and Performance TM-B models would start at $4,500, but only hinted at the base model’s price tag being less than $4,000.

While the base model TM-B is more than $1,000 cheaper than the other choices, it comes with several compromises, like a lower max range of 60 miles, a weaker 5x power assist, coil fork suspension and only a standard ride mode. In comparison, the higher-end TM-B options have up to a 100-mile range, a 10x power assist, air fork suspension and the choice between sport and standard ride modes. Also is only offering the base model TM-B in all gray, meaning you won’t get the transparent shell that highlights the virtual drivetrain called DreamRide.

While the TM-B’s starting price is more affordable than we first thought, it’s still a premium price tag for an e-bike. The TM-B base model is available for preorder with a $50 refundable deposit and will start shipping in late 2026, according to Also.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/rivian-spinoff-reveals-a-3500-starting-price-for-its-first-e-bike-195949124.html?src=rss