Meta has decided to not offer its upcoming multimodal AI model and future versions to customers in the European Union citing a lack of clarity from European regulators, according to a report by Axios. The models in question are designed to process not only text but also images and audio, and power AI capabilities in Meta platforms as well as the company’s Ray-Ban smart glasses.

“We will release a multimodal Llama model over the coming months, but not in the EU due to the unpredictable nature of the European regulatory environment,” Meta said in a statement to Axios.

Meta’s move follows a similar decision by Apple, which recently announced it would not release its Apple Intelligence features in Europe due to regulatory concerns. Margrethe Vesteger, the EU’s competition commissioner, had slammed Apple’s move, saying that the company’s decision was a “stunning, open declaration that they know 100 percent that this is another way of disabling competition where they have a stronghold already.” Engadget has reached out to Vesteger for comment on Meta’s decision.

Withholding Meta’s multimodal AI models from the EU could have far-reaching implications — it means that any companies that use them to build their products and services would be unable to offer them in Europe.

Meta told Axios that it still plans to release Llama 3, the company’s upcoming text-only model in the EU. The company’s primary concern stems from the challenges of training AI models using data from European customers while complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU’s existing data protection law. In May, Meta announced that it planned to use publicly available posts from Facebook and Instagram users to train future AI models but was forced to stop doing so in the EU after receiving pushback from data privacy regulators in the region. At the time, Meta defended its actions, saying that being able to train its models on the data of European users was necessary to reflect local culture and terminology. 

“If we don’t train our models on the public content that Europeans share on our services and others, such as public posts or comments, then models and the AI features they power won’t accurately understand important regional languages, cultures or trending topics on social media,” the company said in a blog post. “We believe that Europeans will be ill-served by AI models that are not informed by Europe’s rich cultural, social and historical contributions.”

Despite its reservations about releasing its multimodal models in the EU, Meta still plans to launch them in the UK, which has similar data protection laws to the EU. The company argued that European regulators are taking longer to interpret existing laws compared to their counterparts in other regions.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-will-reportedly-withhold-multimodal-ai-models-from-the-eu-amid-regulatory-uncertainty-215543292.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day 2024 is almost over, but don’t think that all opportunities to save have come and gone. In typical Amazon fashion, most of the best Prime Day deals on day one of the sale remain the best offers now on day two — if they didn’t sell out already, that is.

Thankfully, many of the best tech deals we curated yesterday are still around today. If you didn’t get the chance to shop yesterday, Engadget has you covered. We’ve collected the best Prime Day deals you can still get right now before the shopping event is over tonight. We’ll be updating this post regularly throughout the rest of the Amazon Prime Day sale, so check back to see the latest discounts.

If you’re looking for even more Prime Day deals that are still available, check out Engadget’s Prime Day hub where you’ll find all of the best tech deals you can get for the shopping event this year. In addition to Amazon devices, Prime Day is typically a great time to pick up big-ticket items like tablets, laptops and robot vacuums, and accessories like power banks, streaming devices, Bluetooth speakers and the like.

Best Prime Day deals: Engadget top picks

• Apple 10th-gen iPad for $299, $50 off

• Apple AirTag for $24, $5 off

• Apple MacBook Air (M3, 13-inch) for $850, $250 off

• Apple AirPods Pro for $169, $80 off

• Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $298, $102 off

• Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds for $49, $30 off

• Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2 (four-pack) for $65, $35 off

• iRobot Roomba Combo Essential robot vacuum and mop for $190, $110 off

• Amazon Echo Dot for $25, $25 off

• Amazon Echo Show 8 for $85, $65 off

• Sonos Era 100 for $199, $50 off

• Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E (three pack) for $285, $$115 off

Best Prime Day tech deals

• Apple Watch Series 9 for $280, $120 off: We consider the Series 9 to be the best smartwatch available today, period, and it’s a no-brainer accessory for iPhone owners. If you want to spend less and get most of the code features found here, you should consider the more affordable Apple Watch SE.

• Apple AirTag for $24, $4 off: We think these are the best Bluetooth trackers you can buy if you’re an iPhone user. They rely on Apple’s vast Find My network that calls on every nearby iPhone to anonymously pinpoint an AirTag’s location. We found their locating features to be eerily accurate. The price has gone up and down over the past 48 hours, but you may still be able to get a four-pack of AirTags for a record low of $75, too.

• Apple 10th-gen iPad for $299, $50 off: This is the best iPad for those on a budget thanks to its modern design, USB-C charging, solid battery life and solid performance for the price. It’s even compatible with an optional folio keyboard if you want to turn it into a productivity machine.

• Apple AirPods Pro for $169, $80 off: The Pros are the best pair of wireless earbuds that Apple sells and one of our top picks overall. They’ll be hard to beat if you live in the Apple ecosystem and appreciate the conveniences provided by the built-in H1 chip.

• AirPods Max for $395, $155 off: We gave this pair a review score of 84 when it arrived way back in December 2020. Despite its age, the Max remains one of the more premium sets of wireless headphones you can buy.

• Apple MacBook Air (M3, 13-inch) for $850, $250 off: Apple’s 2024 MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display that can support one billion different colors. We gave it a 90 in our review thanks to offers like a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, three mics and up to 18 hours of battery life.

• Apple MacBook Air (M2, 13-inch) for $799, $200 off: If you’re coming from an older, Intel-based MacBook, any M-series machine will feel like a big upgrade. This M2 laptop excels thanks to its stellar performance, excellent screen and thin-and-light design.

Engadget

• Sony WH-1000XM5 for $298, $102 off: These are our top pick for the best headphones on the market today — it doesn’t get much better than the XM5. If you’re on a tight budget and still want the core features in these cans, consider the previous version, the Sony WH-1000XM4.

• Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $49, $31 off: These buds top our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds due to its impressive ANC, wireless charging and multi-device pairing support, comfy fit and 8-10 hours of battery life.

• Beats Fit Pro for $150, $50 off: These are our top picks for the best headphones for running thanks to their comfortable, IPX4 design, great sound quality with adaptive EQ, good ANC and transparency mode and solid battery life.

• Google Pixel Buds Pro for $120, $80 off: The Pixel Buds Pro made our list of the best wireless earbuds for a number of reasons. First and foremost, we love the sound. These earbuds offer deep and punchy bass, which is a rarity with this class of device. They also have decent ANC, reliable touch controls and wireless charging.

• Sony WF-1000XM5 for $228, $72 off: The XM5 earbuds stand out thanks to their improved design, good sound quality, impressive ANC and special features like adaptive sound and Speak to Chat. These are the best true wireless earbuds to get at the moment.

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds for $229, $70 off: Bose has consistently provided the best wireless earbuds for noise cancellation, and the QC Ultra are the latest and our top pick at the moment.

Engadget

• Samsung The Frame TV with white bezel for $998, $648 off: You’d mainly get a Frame TV for the aesthetic, as the whole thing is designed to mount flush against a wall and hang like a piece of art. You can even use it to display actual artwork and photos when you aren’t watching something. Its image quality is still decent as well, though it’s not on the level of the best LED TVs in this price range.

• LG C3 OLED TV for $1,097, $200 off: This is a 2023 model, but at this price it’s a nice value if you want the deep contrast, wide viewing angles and fast motion response of a quality OLED panel.

• Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $29, $21 off: One of the best streaming devices available today, this model supports 4K HDR content, long-range Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay and private listening through the companion mobile app.

• Sonos Ray for $199, $80 off: In our testing, this soundbar provided good sound quality for both TV audio and music, impressive bass performance for a soundbar of its size and an attractive, compact design.

Engadget

• Google Pixel 8a for $449, $50 off: This is our top pick for the best midrange smartphone you can get right now, as it builds off of the solid foundation found in Google’s Pixel 7a. The 8a boasts a colorful 120Hz OLED touchscreen, excellent cameras, solid performance and a good battery life.

• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for $975, $325 off: This handset is probably overkill for most users, but nevertheless, it’s our top pick for the best premium handset in our best Android phones guide. It stands out for its luxe build quality, speedy performance, excellent cameras and handy new AI tools.

• Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 (four-pack) for $65, $35: Samsung’s tracking tags are extremely reliable and easy to use, and both are reasons why they made our list of the best Bluetooth trackers. This is obviously the best choice for those already tied into the Galaxy ecosystem, but note that they only work with Samsung devices. 

• Anker MagGo Power Bank 10K for $63, $27 off: Anker’s MagGo Power Bank was one of the earliest Qi2-certified devices on the market, and this early 2024 model is impressive, to say the least. The 10,000mAh and 15W capacities provide you with fast wireless charging. The power bank can bring an iPhone 15 from near-dead to half-charged in just 45 minutes.

• Anker Nano iPhone 15 Portable Charger for $17, $13 off: This 5K power bank has a flip-out USB-C connector that makes it easy to power up Android phones (and the latest iPhones) while on the go. For those who feel more secure with a plugged-in charger rather than a magnetic or wireless one, this power bank is a good option.

• Sonos Era 100 for $199, $50 off: In our testing, this speaker impressed with excellent sound quality (along with even better stereo-pair sound), easier TruePlay tuning, Bluetooth and in-line support and a simple yet attractive design. It’s on our list of the best smart speakers you can get thanks to its Alexa compatibility and it’s ability to work with Sonos’ own voice assistant

Dyson / Engadget

• Dyson Airwrap bundle for $550, $125 off: In addition to the Airwrap and its storage case, the bundle includes six attachments: two long barrels, three brushes and the Coanda smoothing dryer, plus a filter cleaning brush, a detangling comb and another storage bag. That’s enough to achieve a bunch of different hairstyles with one tool, and you get a couple of ways to store the machine when you’re not using it or when you need to travel with it.

• Theragun Mini 2.0 for $149, $50 off: The runners on the Engadget staff appreciate this percussion massage gun for its compact size, three speeds and swappable attachments.

• Fitbit Charge 6 for $100, $60 off: The Charge 6 sits at the top of our list of the best fitness trackers you can get precisely because it has such a comprehensive feature set. It also has a seven-day battery life, so you won’t have to worry about recharging it for days on end.

• iRobot Roomba Combo Essentials for $190, $85 off: This model ups the ante a bit by adding in mopping capabilities to the usual robot-vacuum formula. It’s the most affordable vac-and-mop machine that iRobot makes, and it’s an even better buy at this sale price.

• Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum for $295, $305 off: A version of one of our top picks for the best robot vacuums, it supports cleaning schedules and home mapping, plus it comes with a self-emptying base that can hold up to 60 days worth of debris. The base is also bagless, so you don’t have to buy and replace proprietary garbage bags in it over time.

• Google Nest Cam Indoor/Outdoor (two pack) for $250, $80 off: These cams are battery-powered, so you don’t have to worry about cables and you can place them almost anywhere you want inside or outside your home. They support 1080p HDR video and Activity Zones, the latter of which will send you alerts when motion is detected in specific areas.

• Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E (three pack) for $285, $$115 off: This set is one of the top picks on our list of best mesh Wi-Fi systems, primarily because it’s pretty easy to setup and use, even for those who have never attempted to install their our router system.

Amazon

• Amazon Echo Show 8 for $85, $65 off: The smart display has dropped to $85 for Prime Day. This is our current top pick for the best smart display with Amazon’s Alexa thanks in part to its 8-inch touchscreen, 13MP camera that supports auto-framing for better video chats and its built-in Zigbee smart home hub.

• Amazon Echo Dot for $25, $25 off: Amazon’s smallest smart speaker has dropped to $25 for Prime Day. It’s one of the best smart speakers you can get right now thanks to its compact design, physical button controls that compliment voice commands and its solid sound quality for its size. The Kids version is also on sale for $28 for this sale.

• Amazon Kindle for $85, $15 off: The base Kindle is on sale for $85 for Prime Day. It’s our top pick for the best budget ereader out there, and it’s an even better value when you can snag it on discount. In addition to giving you access to Amazon’s vast Kindle ebook library, the entry-level Kindle has a good number of page customization options (for text size, font, margins, etc) and Audible integration, which lets you listen to Audible audiobooks if you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-tech-deals-that-are-worth-shopping-on-day-two–top-picks-from-apple-anker-dyson-and-others-185535339.html?src=rss

Samsung’s 55-inch The Frame with white bezel is down to $998 from $1,646 for Amazon Prime Day. If you’re not keen on staring at a black box when you’re not watching TV, this is the Prime Day TV deal you should seriously consider. While it’s still a high price tag for a TV, the 39 percent discount is the best we’ve seen for this particular bundle.

This Samsung 55-inch The Frame TV model offers a QLED 4K screen with a billion shades in full Color Volume. It also has an anti-reflection and matte display so that you can watch TV without a glare, and your artwork will blend in more alongside other framed pictures. The last thing you want is to spend all this money and it be immediately apparent that the art is on a screen rather than looking like a permanent fixture. You can access over 1,400 new and established works of art with a subscription to Samsung’s Art Store. 

Then there’s the white bezel, which gives your digital artwork an extra degree of authenticity. The same deal is available with a teak or brown bezel — all of which have a Modern design. The bezels are also magnetic, so if you change your mind down the line, you can snap them off. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-samsung-frame-tv-deal-is-still-39-percent-off-for-amazon-prime-day-090511016.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day deals continue today during the second day of the sale, and our Engadget readers have not slept on any of the best tech discounts this year. While our staff can usually anticipate which items will be most popular with our readers during sales like this (looking at you, Apple gear), there are always a few things that surprise us.

Below, we’ve gathered all of the gadgets our readers have bought in droves so far for Amazon Prime Day 2024 — there are the usual suspects here, as well as a few unlikely additions. If you’re even remotely interested in picking up some of the best tech deals for Prime Day while you still can, this is a good place to start.

Unsurprisingly, Engadget readers can spot a good deal on AirPods a mile away. The latest AirPods Pro can still be found at a $169 sale price, which matches the best price we’ve seen. These remain the best wireless earbuds for iPhone users and anyone who lives within the Apple ecosystem, but in general, they also provide excellent active noise cancellation (ANC), equally good transparency mode and a great sound profile.

Their biggest drawbacks are the lack of customization when compared to other buds on a similar caliber, and they have just a decent five- to six-hour battery life on a single charge. Speaking of the latter, this model on sale comes with the USB-C charging case that’s also MagSafe compatible, so you can power them up using wireless charging pads and stands.

This vacuum-mop hybrid Roomba was new as of April 2024 and it’s now discounted to $190 for Prime Day. iRobot claims the Roomba Combo Essential outperforms the Roomba 600 Series and has 20 times more suction power, and for this model in particular, it has a longer battery life as well — up to 120 minutes of run time per cleaning job.

As with all of iRobot’s cleaning machines, the Combo Essential works with the company’s mobile app to let you set cleaning schedules and check on the machine’s status as it’s puttering around your home. It’ll automatically return to its base when it needs a recharge as well, but note that it doesn’t come with a self-emptying base like some more expensive models do.

The Apple AirTag is our pick for a Bluetooth tracker for iPhone users — you can grab one for $24 for Prime Day, or a four-pack for between $75 and $89 (annoyingly, the price has not been consistent over the past 48 hours).

These small disks tap into Apple’s vast Find My network to track down missing items, calling on nearby iPhones to anonymously ping and triangulate the position. That makes them a great option to keep track of luggage on your next trip, or even just your everyday backpack or handbag. Just know that, if you want to attach one to your keys, you’ll have to buy an AirTag case or holder to do so.

In a somewhat surprisingly move, there are a handful of good Lego Prime Day deals to check out this year. Our readers have been partial to this Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter, which is down to $35 from its list price of $50. This Lego kit, which is recommended for builders aged nine and above, has 474 pieces so it should keep you and/or (pun not intended) your kids busy for a while.

The X-Wing has a retractable landing gear and a pair of spring-loaded shooters. You can convert the wings to attack position with the press of a button. The kit also comes with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and General Dodonna minifigures that you can place in the cockpit, while R2-D2 has his very own spot on board.

Anker’s MagGo Power Bank was one of the earliest Qi2-certified devices on the market, and now it’s on sale for only $63. It has a 10,000mAh capacity, and its 15W capacities provide fast wireless charging. It’s on our list of the best power banks thanks in part to the fact that it brought an iPhone 15 from near-dead to half-charged in just 45 minutes — a feat some of our other top contenders have taken twice as long to do. If you’re looking for a portable yet versatile power source for your iPhone, this is a great option.

This Anker GaNPrime 150W USB-C charger is nearly half off for Prime Day and down to $60. Engadget readers likely have a ton of tech they need to keep charged all the time, and this brick lets them do that pretty easily, regardless of what devices they happen to be. It has three USB-C ports and one USB-A connector, and its max 150W of power output means it can refuel larger items like laptops as well as smaller things like wireless earbuds with no problem. Plus, the ability to plug in four devices simultaneous for a power-up can be a game-changer when you’re traveling or working on-location.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is Amazon’s most capable portable streaming device and you can grab one for only $35 for Prime Day. Just plug it into your TV’s HDMI port (or any TV while on vacation), and you’ll instantly have access to all of your favorite streaming apps, like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon’s own Prime Video.

This model supports fast Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and in addition to its 4K resolution, it offers Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG to make your shows and films look their best. It’s just one of many Fire TV devices on sale for Prime Day, with the most affordable being the Fire TV Stick Lite for $15.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-is-still-going-strong-and-this-is-what-our-tech-obsessed-readers-have-bought-so-far-153459702.html?src=rss

Amazon has reinstated a popular feature for the Amazon Fire Stick after it was removed earlier this year due to security concerns. This free tool allows users to control their device similarly to the main remote, which was particularly useful for those who had lost their physical remote and didn’t want to buy a new one. A notable advantage of the tool was the ease of typing usernames and search terms using a virtual keyboard.

In April, Amazon withdrew this feature after security experts highlighted that it could potentially allow hackers to take control of someone else’s Fire TV. Unlike the unaffected app, this tool offered a web-based alternative that could be accessed via a QR code, enabling users to control their device from a web browser without installing additional apps on their phone.

However, this tool’s ability to function outside the same network as the Fire TV device raised concerns about security vulnerabilities, as hackers could exploit it to install malicious apps if they physically accessed the QR code.

After working on a solution, Amazon has relaunched the tool with enhanced security measures. The new setup process includes on-screen prompts that require users to verify connection attempts after scanning the QR code. This is done by using the traditional remote to manually click on a “Yes” button and entering a unique four-digit code displayed on both the TV screen and the mobile device.

While this improved security measure addresses the earlier concerns, it may pose a challenge for those who have lost their physical remote, as it is necessary to confirm the connection. However, users can still utilize the app-based remote control as an alternative.

To use the Amazon Fire TV web remote, users need to first use the physical remote to open the web-based remote, then open the keyboard and scan the QR code that appears and at last, visit keyboard.amazonfiretvapp.com to complete the setup.

Amazon Restores Popular Fire Stick Remote Feature

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.