The latest Pixel Feature Drop has been confirmed, with Google promising fresh safety, convenience, and other features for phones as far back as the Pixel 3a. Previewed, in part, at Google’s big Pixel event in October, there’s the new Snapchat integrations with the Android camera, along with the activation of ultra-wideband on the newest Pixel 6 Pro. In October, Google … Continue reading
If parent company Toyota dabbled in hydrogen, it wouldn’t be amiss if luxury arm Lexus swam in the same pool. It’s no secret Toyota’s working on a conventional internal combustion engine that runs on hydrogen fuel. It even went racing with its hydrogen Corolla hatchback, and the GR Yaris was next to receive the hydrogen treatment. And now, Lexus has … Continue reading
With so many different ways to build a computer, one of the trickiest aspects of PC gaming is knowing whether a game you’re about to install will play well on your machine. Microsoft is testing a feature that could make that easier. As spotted by The Verge, the Xbox app on Windows now includes a label that will tell you if a game will “play great” on your PC.
Since there are some titles where the app says “performance check not available yet,” it doesn’t appear Microsoft is comparing the listed system requirements against the components in your PC. Instead, it would seem the company is building a database where it tests a game against various different machines. If you want to test the labels, you can do so by downloading the Xbox Insider app and opting into the Windows gaming preview.
If the system works well, it could solve a common pain point for PC gamers. In recent years, we’ve seen some developers share more granular system requirements for their games, telling you not just the minimum and recommended spec but also hardware that will deliver the best experience at Full HD, QHD and 4K respectively. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been anything close to standardization across the industry, and that’s even before you consider the fact some developers list overly optimistic requirements for their games.
Google has rolled out a number of updates that will help owners of both older Pixel and the latest Pixel 6 devices. To start with, the Pixel 6 Pro is getting UWB (Ultra-wideband) capability, letting you quickly share photos and other files using the Nearby Share function. As we mentioned earlier, Pixel 6 and 6 Pro users will also get the digital car key function that lets you unlock and start select BMW models.
Other features will appeal to a wider group. The Quick Tap to Snap feature lets Pixel 4a 5G and higher users access Snapchat directly from their lock screens by double tapping the back of the phones, to start with. Until now, the feature has only been available on the Pixel 6.
Pixel 3 or newer smartphones, meanwhile, will now be able to adjust how long they hold the power button to activate Google Assistant. This feature makes it possible to avoid activating the Assistant by mistake when you’re just trying to, say, turn off the phone. Another key feature for Pixel 3 (and up) owners is the Bass Slider that allows you to double the bass range available for Pixel Buds A-series earphones, now from -1 to +4.
Google is expanding car crash detection to Taiwan, Italy and France, letting you automatically send your location and details to emergency responders when a car crash is detected. It’s also added the “Now Playing” feature that lets you detect a song and quickly add it to your favorites. Finally, Google has added new languages, including Japanese, French and German, that can be transcribed in the recorder app. All of these features are now rolling out to Pixel devices.
Google TV is placing a bigger focus on things users can watch for free. The platform has teamed up with Pluto TV to highlight more than 300 ad-supported channels folks in the US can check out through the Live tab. Free live TV recommendations will also appear in the For You tab. The Pluto TV integration is coming to all Google TV devices in the coming weeks.
There are other ways users can find free stuff to watch on Google TV. In the YouTube app’s Movies & Shows tab, for instance, they can find thousands of ad-supported movies to watch. The platform’s Apps tab, meanwhile, includes a row of Free Movies & TV apps to download, including Tubi and Xumo.
What’s more, for a limited time, those who activate a Google TV or Android TV OS device in the US will get six months of access to Peacock Premium at no extra cost. Peacock Premium usually costs $5/month and, along with ad-free viewing, it includes much more content than the free tier, such as Peacock Originals, a ton of live sports and a host of WWE content. Google noted it will offer more ways for TV users to watch shows, movies and other content for free in 2022 as well.
Facebook Gaming is about to become more interactive. Two features are rolling out today that should help creators and their fans seamlessly play games together, and give viewers other ways to get involved with streams.
Play With Streamer is self-explanatory. There will be a button on livestreams that lets viewers play Pac-Man Community (a version of Pac-Man developed in partnership with Genvid and Bandai Namco) with streamers and other community members. Pac-Man Community includes a four-player co-op mode, a mobile-optimized maze creator, rankings and community challenges.
Facebook Interactives, meanwhile, are interactive layers viewers will see on top of livestreams. When Pac-Man Community‘s Watch Mode is enabled, they can help or hamper an AI-controlled Pac-Man or the ghosts through the in-game video player. Facebook says these features form some of the first steps of its vision for the metaverse.
Other platforms have long had ways for players to interact directly with streams. On Twitch, viewers can control Pokémon and other games by entering commands in the chat. There are also extensions that let viewers impact the game the streamer is playing by, for instance, granting them extra items or even instantly killing their character. With Stadia’s Crowd Play feature, viewers can play with a streamer who’s broadcasting their gameplay on YouTube, as long as they also own the game and have a sufficient setup.
Psyonix is bringing a couple more Ford vehicles to Rocket League this week, and whether players are more interested in brand-new cars or classics, there should be something to catch their interest. On December 9th, the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV will land in the Item Shop. Perhaps to underscore that this is an electric vehicle, you’ll see a visual lightning effect when it goes supersonic.
Joining the Mach-E in the store this week is the classic 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R. Each car is part of a bundle that includes themed decals, wheels, a player banner and engine audio. You can buy each bundle for 1,100 Credits or both for 2,000 Credits. The bundles will be available until December 22nd.
The addition of the Mach-E and GT350R builds on the partnership between Psyonix and Ford. The F-150 arrived in the game earlier this year. The automaker is also sponsoring the Rocket League Championship Series Fall Major, an in-person tournament that takes place in Stockholm this week.
YouTube is shedding more light on the tidal wave of copyright claims it receives. The service has released its first copyright transparency report and it notes that of the more than 729 million claims made in the first half of the year, it overturned more than 2.2 million. Around 60 percent of disputed claims were resolved in favor of the uploader, versus just under 1.5 million in the claimant’s favor.
Over 99 percent (722.7 million) of all copyright claims between January and June emerged through Content ID, which automatically monitors YouTube for potential copyright issues. Only 0.5 percent of these were disputed.
Other copyright claims were submitted via webforms and the Copyright Match tool. YouTube says claims that are filed manually are twice as likely to be disputed than automated ones. That indicates creators are perhaps more reluctant to appeal against Content ID claims, even though most disputes are resolved in their favor.
Copyright owners can opt to have a video that’s deemed to violate their rights deleted, track viewership stats and/or receive revenue it generates. Earlier this year, YouTube started offering creators a way to check for potential copyright violations when they upload a video. The platform offers creators a way to remove sections of a video that cause issues.
YouTubers have long criticized how the platform handles copyright claims, as The Verge notes. They can lose money or even face having their channel banned as a result of claims, many of which are evidently incorrect. While the report provides more insight into how big an issue copyright claims are, YouTube acknowledges “no system is perfect” and that it’s “impossible for matching technology to take into account complex legal considerations like fair use or fair dealing.”
Airport police in Colombia thwarted a pair’s attempt to leave the country with hundreds of unauthorized critters. Late last week, government officials reported that the travelers were stopped with over 300 tarantulas, scorpions, and giant cockroaches stuffed into their luggage as they were preparing to fly back to…
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