Jan 26
The big cat tried to be nonchalant, but a fight erupted anyway.
Jan 26
For years, Samsung laptops reminded me of a kid who was forced by their parents to play sports. They keep showing up, but the obvious lack of effort made you wonder if they even want to be there. Recently, though, Samsung has started to kick the ball in the right direction. Products like the Galaxy Book Pro 360 and …
Jan 26
You can now get Google Assistant to stop talking with just one word: “Stop.” That’s it — you don’t even have to say “Hey, Google” before that. The official Google Twitter account has announced the small but necessary quality-of-life improvement for the company’s speakers and smart displays. It sometimes takes a while (and several repeated attempts) to get Assistant’s attention with a “Hey, Google” if it suddenly goes off without you wanting it to or if you absolutely have to cut it off mid-spiel. This new feature solves that problem.
📣 Helpful new Google Assistant feature alert! Want your smart display or speaker to stop talking? Just say “stop” — no #HeyGoogle needed.
— Google (@Google) January 25, 2022
Google has been testing the capability to issue voice commands without wake words on Android since at least last year. The feature, codenamed “Guacamole,” includes the ability to cancel alarms simply by saying “Stop.” A year before the discovery of that experimental feature, another one codenamed “Blue Steel” was leaked to the public. Blue Steel gives you a way to activate Assistant by proximity alone, with the voice AI’s interface automatically popping up when you move close to a smart display without having to say anything. Google didn’t say whether this new capability is a result of either experiment, though we’re sure all that matters if that you need to stop Assistant from talking is that the feature exists.
Jan 26
The Morning After: Neil Young threatens to pull his music from Spotify over Joe Rogan's podcast
Posted in: Today's ChiliMusician Neil Young has asked his management team and record label to remove his songs from Spotify. “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines — potentially causing death to those who believe [it],” he said. “They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both.” The content of the letter was confirmed by Young’s manager, Frank Gironda, according to The Daily Beast. It’s probably not an empty threat; Young previously removed his music from Spotify due to low audio quality.
The Joe Rogan Experience picks up around 11 million listeners on average, and as you probably already know, some of his guests (and comments) have been controversial. Rogan hosted virologist Dr. Robert Malone, who made baseless claims about COVID-19, saying a “mass formation psychosis” led people to believe the vaccines were effective. This prompted a group of over 1,000 doctors, nurses, scientists and educators to send an open letter to Spotify demanding that it create a misinformation policy.
In an episode that followed, Rogan contended that a rare heart condition had been linked to vaccines when it was actually linked to those that had contracted COVID-19. (You can watch the awkwardness here.) Spotify CEO Daniel Ek previously said he doesn’t believe the platform has editorial responsibility for podcasts. The company hasn’t yet responded to Young’s letter.
— Mat Smith
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Respawn is making three more Star Wars games
A follow up to ‘Jedi: Fallen Order’ is one of them.
Respawn
EA’s Respawn Entertainment is making three more Star Wars games. The studio — best known for Titanfall and Apex Legends — is working on a follow-up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, though it’s not clear if the upcoming game is a direct sequel. There will also be a first-person shooter overseen by a former Star Wars Battlefront producer as well as a strategy game from a studio headed up by Greg Foertsch, who previously worked on the XCOM series. Some Star Wars for everyone.
Samsung built a fingerprint security chip for payment cards, employee IDs and more
It combines a lot of security tech into one chip.
Samsung has announced the “industry’s first” all-in-one fingerprint security chip (IC) for payment cards. It can read biometric information via a fingerprint sensor, store and authenticate data with a tamper-proof secure element (SE) and analyze it with a secure processor. While primarily designed for payment cards, it could also be used for “student or employee identification, membership or building access,” the company said.
We might have enough payment options, thanks to our phones, but that’s not stopping Samsung. Last year, it announced it was collaborating with Mastercard on a biometric scanning payment card with a built-in fingerprint reader.
Sony’s new soundbar offers virtual surround for $300
There’s also a large subwoofer and tight integration with Sony TVs.
Sony has unveiled the HT-S400 soundbar. It has a few tricks while keeping the price down to $300. While it’s a 2.1-channel system, it offers virtual surround sound (S-Force Pro Front Surround, if you wanted to know) to provide more immersive audio for your movies and shows. It’s also a fairly powerful system for the class, with a rather large 130W wireless subwoofer contributing to a total of 330W output. The soundbar is set to launch in April 2022.
Report: NVIDIA is preparing to walk away from its ARM acquisition
ARM may be planning an IPO if the deal falls through.
According to a Bloomberg report, NVIDIA is struggling to gain regulatory approval for its $40 billion purchase of ARM and is privately preparing to abandon the deal. Meanwhile, current ARM owner SoftBank is reportedly planning to take ARM public as an alternative to the acquisition. A backlash began soon after the announcement.
The UK, where ARM is based, launched an antitrust investigation into the acquisition in January 2021 while, in the US, the FTC recently sued to block the purchase over concerns it would “stifle” competition in industries like data centers and car manufacturing.
Google is testing a new replacement for third-party cookies
FLoC seems to have flopped.
With the demise of third-party cookies on the horizon, everyone is scrambling to come up with better ways to get ads in front of our eyes. Google announced FLoC (or Federated Learning of Cohorts) last year. That was then delayed, and the company’s Privacy Sandbox faced regulatory scrutiny. Today, the company announced it’s testing out a new approach called Topics API, leaving FLoC by the wayside.
Simplified, Topics API uses the Chrome browser to determine your top five topics. It’ll figure out what the topics are by comparing known websites (that you visit) against a list of about 350 topics drawn from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Google’s own data. Then, when partner publishers need to know what topics you’re into, they can use Topics API to ping the browser for that data and serve you relevant ads.
Jan 26
One main advantage that Apple’s iPhones have over Android is software support. This is because Apple doesn’t really specify how long they will support a device for, and from what we’ve seen, 5-6 years seems to be about par for the course. This is more than what Android handset makers offer, which is around 2-3 years.
In Google’s case, it looks like this month will be when the Pixel 3 will be officially no longer receiving further software updates. This doesn’t mean that you can no longer use the phone, but rather if you want to use it, keep in mind that the lack of software updates means no more new features or improvements.
Whether or not 3 years is fair for customers is up for debate as some who might upgrade every 2-3 years, it’s not an issue, but for those who hold onto their devices for longer, it might be a problem. However, it appears that as far as Google is concerned, it is a non-issue, according to a statement they made to 9to5Google.
According to Google, “We find that three years of security and OS updates still provides users with a great experience for their device.” The good news is that moving forwards with the Pixel 6, Google is expected to offer at least 5 years of support, so for those still holding onto Google’s older devices, maybe it’s time to consider upgrading.
Support For Google’s Pixel 3 Is Coming To An End
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jan 26
At Least Three Future Call Of Duty Titles Will Continue To Come To The PlayStation
Posted in: Today's Chili
Following Microsoft’s announcement that they will be acquiring Activision Blizzard, many have wondered what this will mean for future Activision Blizzard titles and if they will continue to be available for non-Microsoft platforms.
As far as the Call of Duty franchise is concerned, Xbox boss Phil Spencer had previously stated that they will be keeping Call of Duty on the PlayStation, but it wasn’t clear if this is a temporary thing or if after one title Microsoft will make it an exclusive. Fans of Call of Duty can rest assured that this won’t be the case for the foreseeable future.
NEW: Activision is committed to releasing at least the next three Call of Duty games on PlayStation even after the Xbox acquisition, according to people familiar with the deal. That’s COD2022, COD2023, and Warzone 2 (in 2023). After that, it’s hazier https://t.co/OpWE7Tk9KV
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 25, 2022
This is according to a tweet by Jason Schreier where he claims that at least three future Call of Duty titles will still be released on the PlayStation even after Microsoft closes their acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This will include this year’s Call of Duty, 2023’s release, and Warzone 2 also in 2023.
However, Schreier does note that after that, the future of the franchise’s availability on the PlayStation is a bit hazy. This does not mean that we won’t see anymore Call of Duty titles on the PlayStation after that, it’s just that it might be harder to tell. Keep in mind that this is dependent on Microsoft successfully closing their acquisition of Activision Blizzard which is expected to conclude by the middle of 2023.
At Least Three Future Call Of Duty Titles Will Continue To Come To The PlayStation
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jan 26
Huawei’s P50 Foldable Phone Start Making Its Way To Other Parts Of The World
Posted in: Today's Chili
Back in December 2021, Huawei announced a new foldable smartphone in the form of the Huawei P50 Pocket. The handset was initially announced and launched in China, but for those who are hoping to get their hands on the phone, you’ll be interested to learn that Huawei has started to roll it out to other parts of the world.
This includes the UK and parts of Europe where the handset will be available for purchase. However, keep in mind that due to the fact that Huawei is still facing sanctions in the US, it means that while the phone does run on Android, it lacks Google services such as Gmail, Chrome, and access to the Play Store.
This means that if using Google’s services is absolutely key to your smartphone experience, you might be better off seeking an alternative, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 which is more or less similar in terms of hardware, but has the advantage of being able to use and access Google’s services and products.
The Huawei P50 Pocket will be priced starting at €1,299, which is by no means cheap, especially for a phone that will be “lacking” in features that you might expect from other Android phones. However, if you’re fine with using the Huawei App Gallery to look for apps and don’t mind alternatives to Google’s other products, then perhaps it might be worth considering.
Huawei’s P50 Foldable Phone Start Making Its Way To Other Parts Of The World
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jan 26
Actor Who Voiced Charlie Brown Dies
Posted in: Today's ChiliPeter Robbins played the Peanuts character in cartoon classics, including “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”
Jan 26
The video game industry has more or less settled on a standard design for controllers with a pair of matching analog joysticks, a directional pad, four action buttons, and shoulder triggers on top. It’s a design that the PlayStation DualShock controller popularized, but one that I genuinely feel Nintendo perfectly…
Jan 26
<img width="1280" height="720" src="https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/mercedes-luminar-1280×720.jpg" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="Luminar and Mercedes-Benze Logos" loading="lazy" style="margin: auto;margin-bottom: 5px;max-width: 100%" data-attachment-id="708708" data-permalink="https://www.slashgear.com/mercedes-sees-luminar-eyes-in-its-self-driving-cars-25708705/mercedes-luminar/" data-orig-file="https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/mercedes-luminar.jpg" data-orig-size="1440,810" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="mercedes-luminar" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="
Mercedes-Benz
” data-medium-file=”https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/mercedes-luminar-1280×720.jpg” data-large-file=”https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/mercedes-luminar-1280×720.jpg” />Mercedes-Benz has taken a major step forward in its efforts to produce self-driving cars, partnering with Luminar to include the latter’s Iris lidar technology in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The partnership will give the company a significant technological advantage over some of its rivals while helping it build on the success it has already enjoyed in the self-driving market. Self-driving vehicles are … Continue reading
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