Oct 29
Elon Musk may not know how to deal with Twitter content moderation yet, but he could well let the axe drop on another little-known feature of the site.
Oct 29
Elon Musk may only have been Twitter’s owner for a matter of days, but the $44 billion deal has already had some huge consequences for users, advertisers & more
Oct 29
After a months-long legal battle that has engulfed Twitter since Elon Musk first offered to buy the company for $44 billion in April, the deal is done, and Musk is already ringing in the changes. Musk, who has criticized Twitter’s leadership, fired CEO Parag Agrawal and Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, as well as several more top executives. He’s also likely to let more staff go, though he has told employees the cuts won’t be as high as 75 percent.
Musk spent time in Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters this week, where he met with employees. Bloomberg reported that he brought in some Tesla engineers to help “assess” Twitter’s code. The new owner wants to loosen moderation rules and even make the social network “open source” so users can better understand what Twitter is recommending. Longer term, Musk has mentioned turning Twitter into “the everything app” akin to WeChat in China, and even the possibility of charging companies for tweet embeds.
– Mat Smith
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The biggest stories you might have missed
DOJ reportedly investigating Tesla’s Autopilot self-driving claims after crashes
Tesla Cyberquad for Kids recalled due to federal safety standard violations
Elon Musk to advertisers: Twitter ‘cannot become a free-for-all hellscape’
The New York Post says racist and sexist posts came from rogue employee
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 5G (SQ3 chip) review
Not this one.
Engadget
The Surface Pro 9 with 5G makes it clear that Microsoft has learned some lessons since its first tablets – the original Surface launched ten years ago. The company’s latest hybrid is impeccably designed and can tap into speedy 5G networks. Unfortunately, it also retreads some errors of the past. These boil down to the custom SQ3 ARM system-on-a-chip, which isn’t as good as the Intel silicon found in the other Surface Pro 9. According to Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar, this custom chip leads to generally slow performance, compatibility issues and disappointment. It’s also more expensive than the faster Intel model.
Samsung posts a 23 percent profit decline due to weak demand
But its mobile business still had a stellar third quarter.
Samsung has reported a record consolidated revenue of 76.78 trillion Korean won ($54 billion) for the third quarter of 2022, but this included a decline in profit from the previous quarter and year-over-year. The tech giant’s operating profit (KRW 10.85 trillion or $7.6 billion) has declined 23 percent from the second quarter. This was due to less demand for its component business, but the company’s phone and networks arm had a great quarter, attributed to sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, both of which showed stronger growth than their foldable predecessors.
Apple pulls gambling ads from App Store product pages following backlash
It’s paused the ads for now.
On October 25th, Apple started displaying more ads in the App Store, particularly in the “Today” tab and at the bottom of app listings. Since then, multiple developers have complained about seeingads for gambling under their listings’ “You Might Also Like” section, when they have nothing to do with their applications. Apple told MacRumors that it has “paused ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages.”
NASA’s InSight lander detected a meteoroid impact on Mars
This may be InSight’s last big accomplishment before it shuts down.
Researchers learned that a quake detected by the lander in Mars’ Amazonis Planitia region on December 24th, 2021 was actually a meteoroid impact — the first time any mission has witnessed a crater forming on the planet. The meteoroid is believed to have been somewhere between 16 and 39 feet long. It would have burned up in Earth’s skies, but it was large enough to survive Mars’ extra-thin atmosphere.
Netflix’s animated Sonic series will arrive on December 15th
And our first look at ‘Sonic Prime’.
Netflix
Almost two years after Netflix tweeted (and deleted) about an animated Sonic the Hedgehog series that’s coming to the streaming service, the show has a release date. Season one of Sonic Prime will hit the platform on December 15th. The first season will have 24 episodes. Netflix has also tweeted a teaser for the series.
UN warns there’s currently ‘no credible pathway’ to keep temperature rise under 1.5C
It says societal and infrastructure overhauls are needed.
The United Nations has issued another stark warning that, under current policies, the planet is falling far short of the Paris Agreement goal of keeping the rise in global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius. That’s the threshold scientists say we have to remain under in order to mitigate extreme, life-threatening weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts and tropical storms. The statement added there was “no credible pathway to 1.5C in place.” The 13th edition of the Emissions Gap Report reiterates that major changes are required. It laid out the necessary actions across electricity supply, industry, transport and buildings, along with food and financial systems. The report noted that we’d need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a further 45 percent by 2030.
Oct 29
Department of Homeland Security officials under then-President Donald Trump compiled intelligence dossiers on people who were arrested at Black Lives Matter protests in Oregon.
Oct 29
This week, Devindra and Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham dive into Apple’s latest iPad and iPad Pro. The new base iPad seemingly justifies its price, but it also leaves out plenty of consumers who were well-served by the old $329 iPad. We hope that model sticks around for a long while. Also, we discuss if anyone needs M2 power in an iPad Pro (why not just get a MacBook?!), and we prepare for Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. (Note: When this episode was recorded, his acquisition wasn’t finalized yet.)
Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Subscribe!
Topics
1:40: iPad and iPad Pro (2022) reviews
25:50: Surface Pro 9 5G review
37:10: Elon Musk is buying Twitter, for real
50:20: Brief thoughts on God of War Ragnarok
52:50: Pop culture picks: Barbarian is on HBO Max, thoughts on Bad Sisters
Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Nathan Ingraham
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Oct 29
Federal Judge Refuses To Block Armed Right-Wing Stakeouts At Arizona Ballot Boxes
Posted in: Today's ChiliA Trump-appointed judge said the self-anointed poll guards’ heavy-handed tactics aren’t enough to curtail their First Amendment rights.
Oct 29
Update 12:48pm ET: This Sony deal on Amazon has expired.
Now’s your chance to get a pair of solid noise-cancelling headphones without the usual high price. Amazon is selling the WH-XB910N with active noise cancellation (ANC) for $123, or a hefty 51 percent off. That’s a better deal than we saw earlier this year, and makes them an easy pick if you’re shopping in the sub-$150 range.
The WH-XB910N headphones may not match the stellar audio fidelity of Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM5 headphones, but they don’t have to at this price. You still get clear mid- and high-range sounds, strong bass and 360 Reality Audio (aka spatial audio) for services like Amazon Music HD, Deezer and Tidal. You’ll also get robust noise cancellation, a healthy 30 hours of claimed battery life and support for voice control through Alexa and Google Assistant.
These are good commuter headphones, too. The WH-XB910N can amplify your voice when you make calls in noisy environments, and an ambient sound mode lets you hear crosswalk traffic or a subway stop announcement. They’re particularly helpful if you want to quickly head out after a long day at work — 10 minutes of charging will deliver 4.5 hours of listening. Throw in the included carrying case and you can easily bring these with you.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Oct 29
Robert De Niro Is A No-Nonsense Sheriff In The New Action-Packed ‘Savage Salvation’ Trailer
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe thriller is set to hit theaters and digital on Dec. 2.
Oct 29
Rocker Jerry Lee Lewis’ 1959 Harley Davidson FLH Duo-Glide Panhead brought in a wild $385,000 at auction.
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