The Who are hitting the road one last time. Here’s what to know about tickets, cities, and dates for their ‘Song Is Over’ tour.
The Who are hitting the road one last time. Here’s what to know about tickets, cities, and dates for their ‘Song Is Over’ tour.
Fitness tech company Whoop has announced a pair of new wearables, four years since its last product launch. The devices in question are the Whoop 5.0 and the Whoop MG, both of which require you to take up a subscription when you purchase. For those not aware, Whoop bands aren’t available as standalone devices. A membership unlocks their features.
Both new products are screenless, no-nonsense wearables with an estimated 14-day battery life and 10 times the power efficiency of their predecessor, the Whoop 4.0. The new devices are smaller than the 4.0 too, and both are designed to be worn 24/7 thanks to always-on sensors. The main difference between the Whoop 5.0 and the MG is the latter’s medical-grade ECG capabilities (hence the “MG” in the name) and daily blood pressure readings.
How much functionality you get from your Whoop wearable depends not only on the model you choose, but the membership plan you take up with it. The entry level $199-per-year “One” tier will provide “professional-grade fitness insights” that include the fitness tracker fundamentals, like sleep tracking, step count, heart rate zones and hormonal insights for women. With this plan you get the Whoop 5.0 and a basic charger, as well as a CoreKnit band.
Stepping up to the $239 “Peak” tier nets you everything on Whoop One, as well as real-time stress monitoring and the new Healthspan metric, which assesses your long-term health prospects by measuring your Whoop Age and Pace of Aging, and offers “guided insights and actionable recommendations” accordingly.
The premium tier is called “Life” and is exclusive to Whoop MG users and costs $359 a year. With this you can expect daily blood pressure insights, ECG readings and irregular heart rhythm notifications. Life members also receive a SuperKnit Luxe band and a waterproof wireless charger.
Whoop offers a one-month free trial of its previous Whoop 4.0 membership. You can then choose between the three new membership tiers and the devices attached to them after or before your trial ends. Current members can also choose to upgrade from today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/whoops-latest-wearables-are-smaller-and-offer-14-day-battery-life-170525375.html?src=rss
If you’ve ever taken a wrong turn at the Sea of Tranquility and ended up lost in the Ocean of Storms, then you’re in luck, because the Moon is getting GPS, sort of. GMV, a Spanish capital business group with extensive experience in the space sector, has announced a navigation system for the Moon akin to GPS.
The ambitious project, dubbed LUPIN, aims to help astronauts, industrialists and even future settlers navigate more easily across the lunar surface. In a press release for LUPIN, GMV explains part of the problem with current navigation systems on the Moon. “Existing communications also depend upon direct visibility with the Earth, or on the use of relay satellites in lunar orbit. These factors generate communication shadow zones and lag times, and this makes it harder to make immediate decisions,” the company said.
GMV is developing LUPIN together with the European Space Agency, a working partnership that goes back to GMV’s first government contract in 1984. The technology leverages existing Moon-orbiting satellites and signals similar to GPS to help rovers and astronauts find their real-time exact location on the Moon’s surface.
“These are satellite signals that will be used in the same way as GPS signals are used on Earth, although in this case the satellites will be in orbit around the Moon. This system will also be adapted to particular areas of interest (for example, the lunar south pole, the far side of the moon, and permanently shadowed regions),” the company adds.
In a statement to Reuters, the project’s director, Steven Kay, said, “With this software, we bring Europe closer to establishing a presence of humans on the Moon and, potentially, this would be a stepping stone towards Mars exploration or human presence on Mars.”
Engadget has reached out to GMV with questions about LUPIN’s accuracy, underlying technology, and deployment roadmap. We’ll update this article when we hear back.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spanish-company-gmv-is-bringing-gps-to-the-moon-172005577.html?src=rss
San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system experienced an outage. Get updates on the situation and learn how it happened.
San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system experienced an outage. Get updates on the situation and learn how it happened.
The AI-generated deepfake of a deceased road rage victim gave his own impact statement in court at the sentencing hearing of the defendent, as reported by NBC News. This is likely the first time the technology has been used in this way.
The idea of using an AI version of the victim, Christopher Pelkey, came from his family, according to a Maricopa County Attorney’s Office spokesperson. Pelkey’s sister said she had been writing the impact statement for two years but found that what she had to say “did not seem like it would do justice” to his memory. Pelkey was shot and killed in 2021 during a road rage incident.
So the idea of bringing in a deepfake avatar was born. Pelkey’s sister wrote the script, telling CNN that she was sure “it’s what he would think.” Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Todd Lang approved the idea and the family played a video of the AI-generated Pelkey in court. In the video, the avatar actually seemed to ask for leniency when sentencing his killer. The defendant was convicted of manslaughter and endangerment earlier this year.
“To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me: It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,” the artificial version of Pelkey said. “In another life, we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness.”
However, the judge issued the maximum sentence of over 10 years in prison. “I heard the forgiveness,” he said about the AI-generated avatar. “I feel like that was genuine, that his obvious forgiveness of Mr. Horcasitas reflects the character I heard about [Pelkey] today.”
The defense has stated that the AI presentation creates a strong issue for appeal. “While judges certainly have latitude as to what to hear, particularly from victims, an appellate court will have to decide if this was error,” defense lawyer Jason Lamm said. The case has already been retried for procedural issues.
Arizona State University law professor Gary Marchant, who specializes in ethics and emerging technologies, is worried about the legal precedent set here.
“You see that person in the courtroom actually speaking, and in reality, they’re dead and they’re not speaking,” he told NBC News. “So this is an extra jump that I feel is going to get us into dangerous grounds.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/deepfake-of-deceased-man-gives-his-own-impact-statement-in-court-161138506.html?src=rss
If you sent something you regret in a Google Messages RCS group chat, it looks like you’ll soon be able to delete it for everyone, not just yourself. On Thursday, a Reddit user posted (via 9to5Google) a screenshot of the option in a public beta for Android’s messaging app.
The image from u/seeareeff shows a pop-up menu asking if they want to “Delete for everyone” or “Delete for me.” Until now, the latter has been the app’s only deletion option.
The delete for everyone feature aligns with the RCS’s Universal Profile v2.7. The GSMA finalized that update in June 2024, but it takes time for RCS-enabled apps like Google’s to implement it. In February, a Messages app teardown from 9to5Google showed the change was in the pipeline for Android users.
There are some caveats. First, not everyone using the public beta has seen the option. In addition, the Reddit user who spotted it only saw it in a group chat with 12 people; it wasn’t yet in their one-on-one threads. Finally, 9to5Google‘s app sleuthing from February revealed a limitation you’ll want to remember: Deleted messages “may still be seen by others on older app versions.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/delete-for-everyone-appears-in-the-google-messages-beta-161920211.html?src=rss
Get to know Jeanine Pirro, the Fox News host and former judge recently appointed by Donald Trump as interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C.
Get to know Jeanine Pirro, the Fox News host and former judge recently appointed by Donald Trump as interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C.
Panasonic is cutting 10,000 jobs globally in an effort to boost efficiency. Citing slowdown in EV growth and deteriorating profits in the air-conditioning sector as two of the challenges it is currently facing, the Japanese company will make the staff cuts in the current financial year, which ends in March 2026.
In a statement released today, it was revealed that the structural reform will target 5,000 employees in Panasonic’s native country and 5,000 overseas. The company says it expects to incur costs of 130 billion yen (around $900 million) as a consequence of the cuts. Panasonic said it will “thoroughly review operational efficiency at each Group company, mainly in sales and indirect departments, and reevaluate the numbers of organizations and personnel actually needed.”
As a result of the shrinking its workforce and revamping its consumer electronics business, Panasonic aims to achieve an adjusted operating profit of at least 600 billion yen ($4 billion) in the financial year ending March 31 2027, but that doesn’t take into consideration any potential impact from the Trump tariffs.
Panasonic makes a variety of products, from EV batteries it supplies to Tesla, to its consumer-focused cameras and TVs. Panasonic TVs made a return to the US last year after a 10-year absence, but the company has reportedly indicated that it would be willing to leave the sector altogether if it continues to underperform.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/panasonic-will-slash-its-global-workforce-by-10000-151746678.html?src=rss
Jordon and Bill’s relationship has made headlines several times due to their age difference, and now, a report surfaced claiming that she was banned from her boyfriend’s team.
Jordon and Bill’s relationship has made headlines several times due to their age difference, and now, a report surfaced claiming that she was banned from her boyfriend’s team.
Doom: The Dark Ages is a very different game than Doom Eternal, the most recent mainline entry in id Software’s demon-splattering series. While the Slayer in Eternal was a high-jumping, rail-swinging parkour machine, the Slayer in Doom: The Dark Ages moves like a bull on ice skates, heavy and meaty but incredibly agile. It feels good, and maybe more importantly, it feels right.
The developers have made it clear that their goal with The Dark Ages is to emulate the original Doom more than its recent iterations, with the focus on building a concise combat loop and making the Slayer feel like a living monster truck, rather than a Ferrari. After 12 hours with the game, I can say they’ve done precisely that, plus they’ve made everything around the Slayer about 666 percent more metal than ever before. Doom: The Dark Ages is an exciting return to form and a phenomenal evolution of a genre-defining series.
Doom: The Dark Ages feels like an old-school Doom game in terms of combat, soundtrack and the Slayer’s overall vibe, but it introduces fresh elements, including a razor-lined Shield Saw, a playable mech and dragon, detailed difficulty sliders, and expansive sandbox maps. I’m currently on chapter 12 of 22 and I’ve completely filled up my weapon wheel, maxed out multiple stats, solved a handful of puzzles, unlocked shield runes, played as a titan twice and ridden a dragon once. At this point I can feel the game’s rhythm in my bones and, even with the modern touches, it’s a familiar, catchy beat.
The shield is the most obvious addition to the combat loop and it’s a core element of every encounter, allowing the Slayer to block, parry, rush forward and throw it out as a giant spinning sawblade. There are dozens of demon types, each with its own moveset and vulnerabilities, and the Shield Saw reacts to them in unique ways. Some enemies shoot out glowing red or green projectiles, and parrying a green one with the shield sends it back at the attacker, dealing heaps of damage. Throwing the Shield Saw like a boomerang sends it slicing through hordes of basic ghouls, catching them on the way there and back. Or, it just embeds and spins in the flesh of mid-size monsters, interrupting their attacks until you recall it. It can also shatter bullet-heated armor and vaporize whole groups of infantry imps hiding behind their own red-hot shields. You can lock on to most enemies with the shield and then press the attack button to rush forward, stunning or exploding the targeted demon and its nearby buddies. On top of functioning as a cross-map dash move, the Shield Slam is critical in taking down midbosses that favor ranged weapons, forcing them to put away their guns and make parryable melee attacks.
The Shield Saw, heavy and dangerous, quickly becomes the Slayer’s natural companion, and in combination with the gauntlet or flail, your melee weapons, it’s a twitchy, deadly force. There are 10 main guns to unlock, each more hellish than the last, and they support a range of playstyles, from spray-and-pray to precision headshots and elemental damage. Based on early footage of The Dark Ages, I thought the Pulverizer was going to be my favorite gun because it looked like a powerful crowd-control tool and it had an actual human skull in the middle of it — but as it turns out, the Chainshot is my weapon of choice. It shoots out a heavy metal ball on a chain and deals significant damage with each hit, and I love that it can also kill demons as it’s retracting. There are upgrade trees for each weapon, plus a range of Shield Runes to unlock. Let me put it this way: None of the guns in The Dark Ages are underpowered. Feel free to pick your favorite and go all in.
The Slayer’s weapons and attacks work symbiotically, building a complex rhythm of parrying, repositioning, shield throws and gunfire. The battlefields are littered with glowing piles of ammo, health and overshields, and the sounds that accompany their pick-up are charmingly familiar. These items pop out of demons as they take damage, keeping you alive, just barely, even when surrounded by enemies. There are entire levels built out of relentless combat, with large-scale fights around every corner and the sound of guttural, demonic groans constantly echoing across the wastelands. The Slayer feels like a tank made out of pure muscle, but he runs, dodges and attacks like an athlete a quarter of his size, and the combination of heft and responsiveness is just right. The Slayer is a bleeding, breathing weapon and in The Dark Ages, he really feels like it.
But, if he ever feels less than godlike, you can fix that. The Dark Ages introduces a detailed difficulty slider that allows you to fine-tune the action straight from the pause menu. There are four difficulty settings — Aspiring Slayer, Hurt Me Plenty, Ultra-Violence and Nightmare — and from there, 10 elements to adjust, like enemy aggression, parry window size, enemy projectile speed and daze duration.
I started on the Hurt Me Plenty setting and quickly found it to be too easy, so I bumped my experience up to Ultra-Violence. I eventually hit a wall with one battle that I couldn’t seem to beat, and I was deflated, on the verge of acute frustration. I didn’t want to lose the tension that I was enjoying so much until that moment, so I left the main difficulty setting alone, and slightly increased my damage and the effectiveness of resources. This was just enough to push me over the edge, and I slid right back into a demon-slaughtering flow, feeling like a badass again. With The Dark Ages, id Software has built a thoughtful and rich customization system, and it’s a quality-of-life feature that I can see being replicated in other similar games. And, remember, it works both ways — on top of making fights easier, it can also turn any battle into an overwhelming hellscape. You know, for fun.
The Dark Ages is the largest Doom game id has ever made, and it’s also the most gorgeous. In the first 12 hours alone, I’ve encountered battle-worn medieval castles overlooking ravaged kingdoms, mazelike underwater regions, floating ships made out of giant bones, and, of course, the wastelands of Hell, covered in juicy, intestinal growths, gothic fortresses and rivers of fire. There are a handful of secrets hidden in every level, and exploring the terrain is just as much a part of the gameplay as demon-slaying, a feature that I enjoy immensely. The character designs are also luscious: There’s a marshmallow-like corpo alien and its floating, tentacled workforce; King Novik wearing heavy armor everywhere except over his rippling pecs and abs; and Prince Ahzrak, an ambitious demon with a pale face, slender horns and high-collared blood-red robes (a look that I would love to see replicated on Dragula, in fact). The classic enemies, updated but grotesque as ever, are a delight to both see and kill.
As far as I’ve seen it, the story is appropriately epic and surprisingly coherent, with plenty of high-stakes missions and a clear Ultimate Villain. I’m already anxious for our final encounter, which I’ll take as a good sign.
There are two new elements in The Dark Ages that I haven’t discussed yet, even though they’re both literally huge: the titan and the dragon. In certain levels only, you’re able to control a mech-sized Slayer to fight giant demons, and you’re separately able to hop on top of a vicious, armor-plated dragon and fly it through the sky. These moments are fun and they offer a brief break from the standard horde-hunting action, but largely, I don’t think they’re necessary. When I think about my time with The Dark Ages so far, I tend to forget about the titan and the dragon. They’re simply overshadowed by the satisfaction and strategy built into the moment-to-moment gameplay, plus the layers of customization and all of the Satanic beauty on display. I’m not mad that I can pilot a mech and ride a dragon in the newest Doom game, but I am kind of meh about it.
The Dark Ages is blood-soaked and beautiful. Even though some of its largest new elements are actually its least relevant, the game’s focus on crisp combat, customization and twitchy shield play makes it a well-rounded romp through the bowels hell. The Dark Ages is a bright spot in Doom history.
Doom: The Dark Ages will hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on May 15.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/doom-the-dark-ages-review-goodbye-parkour-hello-shield-saw-140014377.html?src=rss
