Tesla is having more seat belt problems. The company is recalling more than 125,000 Models S, X, 3, and Y because their seat belt warnings aren’t lighting up and chiming like they’re supposed to, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
Zack Snyder may be going from “This is Sparta!” to “This is streaming!” The popular filmmakeris reportedly in talks to executive producer and direct a new series set before the events of his first blockbuster, 300.
Former Activision studio Toys for Bob just announced a partnership with Xbox to release its first game after spinning off as an independent entity. The company, which developed recent entries in the Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot franchises, hasn’t released any concrete details about its upcoming release, except to say that it’s early in development and that the team has been working hard.
This is, of course, something of a homecoming for the developer. Activision is owned by Microsoft, making Toys for Bob its… former grandchild? In any event, it’s likely easy to get pitch meetings and the like with a company you’ve worked with in the past. Also, the developer has a fairly stellar pedigree, having created the Skylanders franchise and the well-reviewed Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, among others.
Toys for Bob spun out as an indie back in February after Microsoft instituted sweeping layoffs that impacted 86 employees, which was more than half of the staff. At the time, the company said the transition to an indie would allow it to return to “being a small and nimble studio.” This sentiment harkens back to its early days of the 1980s and 1990s, back when Toys for Bob was cranking out games like Star Control.
The developer also said back in February that Microsoft has “been extremely supportive of our new direction and we’re confident that we will continue to work closely together as part of our future.” It looks like it wasn’t lying about that last part.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/former-activision-studio-toys-for-bob-partners-with-xbox-to-publish-its-first-game-as-an-indie-170033303.html?src=rss
Figure AI has achieved remarkable progress in developing a humanoid robot within a year, earning a spot in the 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards announced on April 9. This award, which has been recognizing innovation in robotics for 12 years, was celebrated at the inaugural RBR50 Gala during the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston. Each RBR50 winner will be highlighted throughout the year by The Robot Report.
Founded by seasoned entrepreneur Brett Adcock in January 2023, Figure AI swiftly moved from stealth mode to the commercialization phase. The company, based in Sunnyvale, California, has assembled a team of industry veterans, including CTO Jerry Pratt from IHMC, with over 20 years of humanoid development experience. The team also includes talent from Apple, Auris, Boston Dynamics, Nimble Robotics, Rivian, Tesla, and other leading tech firms.
Figure AI’s rapid development of the Figure 01 humanoid, capable of dynamic bipedal walking, marks one of the fastest turnarounds in humanoid robotics history. Figure 01 features dexterous manipulation capabilities and is being designed for logistics tasks, such as moving totes.
During an October 2023 visit, The Robot Report observed Figure AI’s meticulous product prototyping and sophisticated development infrastructure. The team’s expertise in iterative design, debugging, and integration of fully dissected robots for software development and electrical troubleshooting was evident. These capabilities highlight the company’s maturity and advanced development processes.
Since October, Figure AI has made significant progress, achieving key milestones such as manipulation tasks, untethered walking, and real-world demonstrations.
Figure AI Develops Humanoid Robot In Record Time
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A female stingray that was discovered to be pregnant, despite not sharing space with a male stingray in at least eight years, has a reproductive disease according to the Aquarium and Shark Lab in Henderson, North Carolina.
May showers bring June flowers and also, lots of streaming content. Welcome to io9’s latest edition of the Nerd’s Watch, where we pare down the enormous lists of new films and television shows arriving on all your favorite streaming services into the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror titles we think you’ll like most. (And…
It’s Friday, which means it’s time for another curated roundup of the week’s best tech deals. This week’s selection is highlighted by a new low on Apple’s entry-level iPad, which is down to $300 at Amazon with an on-page coupon. That’s about $50 less than buying direct from Apple. Beyond that, a new PlayStation sale has cut $50 off the PlayStation 5 — and if you already subscribe to Sony’s PlayStation Plus service, you can get a year of Netflix thrown in on top. We’re also seeing discounts on year-long Peacock memberships, various Sonos speakers, the newest MacBook Air and Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K, among other gadgets we recommend. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still buy today.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-10th-gen-apple-ipad-hits-a-low-of-300-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-170101188.html?src=rss
When Amazon gave us our first glimpse at the second season of Rings of Power, it was easy to note that one character in particular was oddly absent. But now, it turns out she won’t be in the new season at all.
The United States notoriously makes tax filing stressful and expensive thanks to greed, the tax lobby and the idea that basically nothing should be free (fun stuff!). However, there’s a little glimmer of hope, as the IRS is making Direct File, its free digital tool announced in late 2023, permanent. According to the US Department of the Treasury, a Direct File pilot program saved 140,000 individuals an estimated $5.6 million in filing costs for the 2024 tax session.
Not only is the program here to stay (with the current government, at least), but its access is expanding. Taxpayers in 12 states could use Direct File this year, but the tool will be available in all 50 states and Washington DC starting with the 2025 filing season. The Treasury reports that Direct File users approved of the tool, with 90 percent of the 11,000 taxpayers surveyed rating the system “excellent” or “above average.”
Right now, the free TurboTax alternative only works for taxpayers with simple filings like a W-2 or standard deduction. However, the Treasury plans to “expand the reach and tax scope” it offers in the coming years. Despite this expansion, it will be up to states whether they want to participate in the program.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-irs-is-making-its-free-turbo-tax-alternative-permanent-142055378.html?src=rss
The Watcher stood tall in my family room, bald and berobed, nestled amongst my kids’ toys, sleeping cats and TV. I was being asked to help save the multiverse! So began Marvel and ILM Interactive’s What If…? on the Apple Vision Pro. Like the Disney+ series and comics of the same name, this interactive experience recontextualizes Marvel’s characters in a variety of intriguing ways — what if the Allies never won World War 2 and the Captain America experiment was a failure, for example.
What If…? has always been a fun concept, but can it actually be transformed into a worthwhile augmented reality showpiece? Well, yes and no — at least, based on the hour I spent with it on the Apple Vision Pro.
Before I dive into major criticisms, I’ll say up front that What If…? is clearly an experiment, so rough edges are to be expected. I give Marvel and ILM Interactive credit for making it completely free for Vision Pro users and for taking a sizable swing at a platform without many users. The entire experience also looks wonderfully detailed, thanks to the combination of Marvel and ILM’s immersive environments and character animation, as well as the sheer power of the Vision Pro’s M2 processor. It’s the closest you’ll get to living inside of a comic.
Marvel has already dabbled in virtual reality with Iron Man for the PSVR and Quest, as well as Marvel Powers United VR, but What If…? is an attempt to accomplish something even more immersive: What if you could interact with superheroes right in your home? Mostly, though, I found myself asking “What if this experience was actually fun to play?”
You’re placed in the role of a mystical apprentice, wielding powers similar to Doctor Strange. Initially you can hold up a fist to manifest a shield, or look towards objects to use telekinesis. But you eventually gain the ability to shoot mystical blasts and trap enemies. It all sounds incredibly cool in theory, but in practice it felt worse than the first-gen VR games I played a decade ago.
Mostly, that’s because What If…? relies on your hands for everything. The Vision Pro doesn’t have a dedicated VR controller like the Oculus Quest or HTC Vive, which offer instant button inputs and could be tracked through IR sensors. Instead, you have to wait a fraction of a second for Apple’s headset to recognize your hands and determine what you’re trying to do. Consequently, What If…? feels more like you’re sitting through a Marvel theme park ride, moving from one scenario to the next without much active participation. It’s a poor way to make you feel like a multiverse-hopping adventurer.
At the very least, What If…? shows off what Marvel could do if it focused more on the Vision Pro and whatever Oculus has cooking next. Like a campy 3D film, the game wastes no time trying to blow you away with its core gimmick. It kicks off with a remixed Marvel intro montage in 2D, floating in front of you in augmented reality. As Michael Giacchino’s iconic score crescendoes, you’re suddenly surrounded by clips of the series drifting in from outside your field of view. It’s a brief moment, but it’s the sort of thing that wouldn’t be as impactful in a traditional VR headset, where you’re immersed in an alternate reality from the start.
The experience truly begins with the aforementioned Watcher — one of Marvel’s cosmic beings who observe its many universes — roping you in for an adventure. You know the drill: Find all of the Infinity Stones and stop whoever is trying to destroy all known creation. Kids’ stuff. Along the way, you’ll run into alternate-universe versions of familiar characters: Thor’s sister Hela, who only wants to save her beloved giant wolf Fenris; a version of Steve Rogers who looks eerily like the Red Skull; and a more sympathetic Thanos.
What If…? moves between virtual environments that fully immerse you in the action and augmented reality scenarios, where The Watcher and a few companions putter around your room. You can do the same, sometimes, but within the VR segments, the game expects you to stay still. You’ll also have to click through Vision Pro pop-ups about being mindful of your surroundings before every VR scene — a necessary evil for people unfamiliar with VR, but also something that kills immersion since it’s not integrated into the game.
Despite my issues with the gameplay, I ultimately had a decently entertaining hour with What If…? It was a quick Marvel fix in a time where I’ve grown tired of the onslaught of Disney+ MCU shows. I just can’t help but wish it were more fun to play. I’m hoping this release helps Marvel and ILM Interactive get better at building AR and VR experiences. And for Apple, it’s a clear sign that some sort of Vision Pro controller would be helpful down the line.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/marvels-what-if-for-apple-vision-pro-looks-incredible-but-plays-terribly-143028639.html?src=rss
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