The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) has come back online nearly a decade after shutting down. But the once venerable source of Apple news appears to have been transformed by its new owners into an AI-generated content farm.
The site, which ceased operations in 2015, began publishing “new” articles, many of which appear to be nearly identical to content published by MacRumors and other publications, over the past week. But those posts bear the bylines of writers who last worked for TUAW more than a decade ago. The site also has an author page featuring the names of former writers along with photos that appear to be AI-generated.
Christina Warren, who last wrote for TUAW in 2009, flagged the sketchy tactic in a post on Threads. “Someone bought the TUAW domain, populated it with AI-generated slop, and then reused my name from a job I had when I was 21 years old to try to pull some SEO scam that won’t even work in 2024 because Google changed its algo,” she wrote.
Originally started in 2004, TUAW was shut down by AOL in 2015. Much of the site’s original archive can still be found on Engadget. Yahoo, which owns Engadget, sold the TUAW domain in 2024 to an entity called “Web Orange Limited” in 2024, according to a statement on TUAW’s website.
The sale, notably, did not include the TUAW archive. But, it seems that Web Orange Limited found a convenient (if legally dubious) way around that. “With a commitment to revitalize its legacy, the new team at Web Orange Limited meticulously rewrote the content from archived versions available on archive.org, ensuring the preservation of TUAW’s rich history while updating it to meet modern standards and relevance,” the site’s about page states.
TUAW doesn’t say if AI was used in those “rewrites,” but a comparison between the original archive on Engadget and the “rewritten” content on TUAW suggests that Web Orange Limited put little effort into the task. “The article ‘rewrites’ aren’t even assigned to the correct names,” Warren tells Engadget, “It has stuff for me going back to 2004. I didn’t start writing for the site until 2007.”
TUAW didn’t immediately respond to emailed questions about its use of AI or why it was using the bylines of former writers with AI-generated profile photos. Yahoo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-blog-tuaw-returns-as-an-ai-content-farm-225326136.html?src=rss
A lot of school districts have instituted smartphone bans for students during the school day but a British boarding school has taken it one step further. Wait, scratch that. They’ve taken it one step back.
Eton College, the historic and elite British boarding school with famous alumni such as Prince William and Harry, Ian Fleming and Tom Hiddleston, has instituted a new mobile phone policy for its first-year students starting in September. Those students will have to leave their smartphones at home but bring their SIM card to school and put it in an old school, offline Nokia cell phone with a simple number pad that can only make phone calls and send text messages, according to CBS News.
The British boarding school’s policy is based on guidelines from the UK government that allows principals to enact smartphone bans on students during the school day.
Let’s hope nobody tells school officials about Snake or those poor kids may have to actually pay attention and learn something.
Smartphone bans and guidelines are starting to seep into American school districts as well. According to data from Govspend, 41 states have at least one school district that instituted a rule requiring students to place their smartphones in magnetically sealed Yondr pouches when they go to school.
The Los Angeles Unified School District passed a district-wide school phone ban for students in June that prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom to call for a similar law on the state level.
Meanwhile in New York City, the city’s chancellor of public schools David Banks said he plans to institute a phone ban in the coming weeks. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is working with the state’s legislature to pass two new bills that would only allow students to carry phones that don’t have access internet access
Even Florida (yes, that Florida, the one that’s home to 10 million Florida Mans) has a statewide smartphone in schools ban that also requires schools to block students from accessing social media on its Wifi networks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-british-boarding-school-will-make-students-use-boring-old-nokia-phones-215048983.html?src=rss
The Echo Spot’s outer shell comes in Black, Glacier White and Ocean Blue, and the display can be customized with six hues: magenta, violet, orange, lime, teal or blue, which can be mixed- and-matched with various clock faces. The new Echo Spot costs $80, which is $50 cheaper than the original model — but if you’re a Prime member, you can get it for $45 through Prime Day.
Amazon says the new model comes with better sound and a sharper display. Time will tell if the reboot suffers from the same screen flicker issues as its predecessor. Otherwise, the conceit is more or less identical: it’s a bare-bones smart alarm clock that, via Alexa integration, can manage a few simple tasks like providing the weather forecast or showing song titles when playing music from your streaming app of choice.
Arguably, the best part about the new Echo Spot is that it doesn’t have a camera. The original model had one baked in, which was useful for video chats, but not everyone was enthused about having a camera sitting on their bedside.
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-revives-the-echo-spot-smart-alarm-clock-and-swiftly-discounts-it-by-44-percent-160304634.html?src=rss
Google Maps is rolling out a speedometer as well as speed limit indicators for iOS and CarPlay, TechCrunch reported. Android has had both features since 2019, while Waze has had them since 2016. Now, iPhone users can use them to gauge how fast they’re driving while using Google Maps.
To enable it, tap your profile picture on Google Maps and go to Settings > Navigation. Scroll down to the Map display section, and you’ll see the switches for the speedometer and speed limit features. When enabled, the speedometer will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. If you drive over the speed limit the speedometer will change colors to remind you to slow down.
Google said on its support page that the speedometer is for “informational use only” and should not be used as a substitute for your car’s actual speedometer. This is because your actual driving speed may differ from the speed shown on Google Maps. Just something to bear in mind for your own safety.
The new speeding features were spotted being used by iPhone owners in India, and Google will roll them out worldwide in the coming weeks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-maps-speedometer-finally-comes-to-ios-and-carplay-185946210.html?src=rss
Amazon Prime Day will officially arrive next week on July 16, but we’re already starting to see good deals pop up. Amazon’s Fire Max 11 tablet has fallen back down to $140 as part of the company’s Prime Day deals. Normally $230, the large slate is now $90 off — precisely what you’d need to spend for Amazon’s Fire Max 11 Keyboard Case.
The Fire Max 11 features, you guessed it, an 11-inch screen with a sharp 2,000 by 1,200 pixel resolution. Its octa-core CPU should be plenty for streaming media and browsing maps, and it also features 4GB of RAM. The Fire Max 11 ships with either 64GB or 128GB of storage, and you can expand that to 1TB using an additional microSD card. It sports 8MP cameras on the front and back for video calls, as well as 1080p video recording. With an estimated 14 hours of battery life, the Fire Max 11 should make for a great road trip companion for the summer.
In our hands-on with the Fire Max 11, we found it to feel more like a premium tablet, compared to Amazon’s cheaper and kid-friendly Fire line. “With slimmer bezels, a more-premium aluminum build and weighing just over a pound, it’s designed for those who also want to do some work and multi-tasking,” Engadget’s Cherlynn Low wrote.
With this new low price, it makes sense to pair the Fire Max 11 with Amazon’s $90 keyboard case. It has a kickstand for propping up the tablet, and it delivers a decent typing and touchpad experience. You can also add on Amazon’s $35 Stylus Pen for doodling and jotting down notes. With all of those accessories, the Fire Max 11 could be nearly as productive as an iPad or Surface decked out with similar hardware.
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/early-prime-day-deals-bring-the-fire-max-11-tablet-down-to-140-173040242.html?src=rss
Apple’s Time Bandits remake has been floating around since 2018, which is actually more than a year before Apple TV+ started pumping out content, but we haven’t had much by way of actual details. That changed today with a trailer, release date and a whole lot more. The upcoming adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s classic 1981 film will be a ten-episode series that premieres on July 24.
The creative team is top-notch and just about perfect for a reimagining of Gilliam’s dark and hilarious time-twisting fairy tale. It’s being helmed by the dynamic duo behind the film What We Do in the Shadows, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi. The latter also made a couple of Marvel movies, to varying degrees of success.
The cast looks to be sufficiently stacked and led by the, and I can’t believe I’m saying this about someone so famous and rich, under-appreciated Lisa Kudrow. The rest of the titular bandits are portrayed by Charlyne Yi, Rune Temte, Tadhg Murphy and Roger Jean Nsengiyumva. Jemaine Clement replaces David Warner as the primary antagonist, which are some mighty big shoes to fill, and Waititi replaces Ralph Richardson as the Supreme Being. Interestingly, there are no original cast members here. This is an absolute reimagining and not a “pass the torch” type deal.
To that point, the plot looks to follow the original. It’s about a lonely British child who discovers a time portal in his bedroom and gets involved in all manner of hijinks involving a lost time map. The film used to both amuse and terrify me to no end when it would turn up on TV when I was a kid. Here’s hoping the remake keeps that formula intact.
The trailer certainly indicates it’ll be doing just that and also shows several iconic sequences from the movie, including romps through Ancient Greece and the creation of Stonehenge. Being as how the movie had plenty of guest stars as the gang traveled through time, the show could do the same. Sean Connery played Agamemnon in the film and John Cleese played Robin Hood. Neither character pops up in the trailer, so there could be some casting surprises in store. Waititi loves that kind of thing.
The press release also mentions the Harlem Renaissance, which was not in the movie, so we’ll likely see a bunch of new time periods. Ten episodes of TV is a lot longer than a two-hour movie.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-tvs-new-time-bandits-show-just-got-a-glorious-trailer-and-a-july-release-date-165950320.html?src=rss
The company released its Galaxy S24 devices earlier this year after its first Unpacked of 2024, so it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see new versions of the traditional smartphone format here (perhaps save for Olympics-branded models given Samsung’s sponsorship of that event). However, there’s a decent chance that Samsung will show off its latest set of foldables. Rumors are suggesting that it’s ready to reveal a new smartwatch too. And then there’s the small matter of the smart ring that Samsung has been teasing this year.
What we expect from Samsung Unpacked July 2024
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Samsung’s smart ring is its most intriguing upcoming device. It’s a brand-new product category for the company, though Samsung has been preparing for it by refining its health and wellness tech in its other devices over the last few years.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring is slated to arrive “in or around August,” according to the company itself, so it would be more of a surprise if the device didn’t appear at Unpacked. After first teasing the wearable during January’s Unpacked, Samsung revealed more details about it in February. The Galaxy Ring will be available in three colors — platinum silver, gold and ceramic black — and multiple sizes.
The ring will measure heart rate, movement and breathing to help track your sleep. It’s expected to support fertility tracking too. The Galaxy Ring will also be able to pair with a Galaxy Watch, so if you wear both, you’re likely to get more accurate health data.
Samsung
Naturally, the Galaxy Ring will be compatible with Galaxy phones but Samsung is aiming to make it work with other Android handsets. As of February, iOS compatibility was to be determined, so perhaps rival device Oura will remain the go-to choice for many iPhone users. For what it’s worth, some of the company’s smartwatches are compatible with certain iPhones and non-Samsung Android phones.
Samsung has yet to reveal the exact release date and pricing for the Galaxy Ring. However, that information is almost certainly going to be announced at Unpacked.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6
It’s probably the right time for Samsung to roll out new foldables as we move into the back half of the year and (don’t say it out loud because summer has just started in the northern hemisphere) the holiday shopping season. We may very well see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and and Galaxy Z Flip 6 at Unpacked.
The updates are expected to be relatively minor. Rumors suggest the Z Flip 6 will get a modest battery capacity increase to 4,000 mAh, an option to increase the RAM to 12GB and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Camera upgrades also seem likely, with Samsung said to be bringing the same 50MP camera seen in the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 to the Z Flip 6.
As for the flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, that’s expected to have the same size screen and thickness as last year’s model. The cover screen may adopt Corning Gorilla Armor for improved durability along with anti-reflective tech.
It doesn’t seem that the cameras will be upgraded, while there may only be a very small increase to battery capacity. It’s a safe bet that there will be a chipset upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, though.
Meanwhile, one leak has suggested that both devices are getting a $100 increase compared with last year’s models. We’ll need to wait until Unpacked to find out for sure whether that’s the case.
There has also been some chatter around a more premium Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, as well as slim versions of both foldable formats. However, these may arrive alongside the Galaxy S25 lineup in early 2025. If they appear at the July Unpacked event, it’s likely to be a tease at most.
Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Ultra
Galaxy Watch 7 listings popped up early on some online stores, so we’ll probably see that wearable show up at Unpacked too. It’s expected to have a 3nm chipset that could improve power efficiency and performance. The health sensors are likely to get an upgrade too.
This being 2024, there will naturally be some AI-powered features. A listing detailed AI-powered sleep, exercise and communications features, including a smart reply function for the latter.
That’s not all, though, as there are indications that a Galaxy Watch Ultra is on the way too. A number of leaked images suggest it’ll be chunkier than standard Galaxy Watch models. The device is expected to have a rectangular design with a round watch face. Most intriguingly, the Galaxy Watch Ultra could have a digital crown-style dial and button combination on the side instead of a rotating bezel for navigation.
Rumors peg the price at $700, which would be far more expensive than other Galaxy Watch devices. Here’s hoping Samsung has packed enough features in there to make it worthwhile.
Official Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra & Galaxy Ring Charger renders
Literally, almost all things about the Samsung Unpacked have been leaked as always pic.twitter.com/EXFZOnWRV1
It’s been a couple of years since the last Galaxy Buds models (not counting last year’s FE variant), so those are due for an upgrade. It’s likely that we’ll see both Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro at Unpacked on July 10.
The two models will be available in silver and white colorways and have an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, along with SmartThings Find support, according to Android Headlines.
As with the Buds 2 Pro, it’s expected that the Buds 3 Pro will have a two-way speaker designed to deliver richer audio, while the regular Buds 3 will have a one-way speaker. The higher-end model is also said to offer adaptive noise control, blade lights and ambient sound. Buds 3 Pro are also expected to deliver longer battery life than the more budget-friendly model, though both are believed to have active noise cancellation.
There’s one other big anticipated change as word on the street indicates Samsung is set to mimic Apple’s AirPods by adopting a stem design. Whether you’re a fan of that format or not, there’s one clear advantage of the stem: it places the microphone a little closer to your mouth, which should improve call quality. For what it’s worth, when Samsung revealed the Galaxy Buds Live in 2020, it said those lacked an “awkward stem.”
Galaxy Reserve pre-order deals
Like it’s been doing in recent years, Samsung has already made it possible to reserve “one of the next generation of Galaxy devices on Samsung.com.” That’ll make you eligible for “instant Samsung Credit” of $50 and “up to $1,500 in savings when they pre-order.” Of course, this doesn’t tell us much about what to officially expect from the company, but it’s a sign there’ll be at least something to reserve, right?
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-we-expect-from-samsung-unpacked-2024-including-galaxy-hardware-143014067.html?src=rss
Prime Day is approaching as quickly as lunchtime hunger pangs and, as ever, there are some early deals to be had. One of the tastiest we’ve seen so far is a significant discount on Apple’s AirPods Max. The over-ear headphones have dropped to $399. They’ve been hovering at around $449 for quite some time (after debuting at $549) and now they have dropped to a new record low price.
The AirPods Max have been around since 2020 (and are perhaps overdue for a USB-C flavored upgrade), but they’re still a great option for those looking for over-ear headphones — especially if you’re already heavily entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. We gave them a score of 84 in our review, with the audio quality, active noise cancellation (ANC) performance and battery life proving to be positives.
You can control the AirPods Max with an Apple Watch-style rotating crown and there’s a separate button for switching between ANC and transparency modes. You’ll need to use a Lightning cable to charge the headset, which will quickly pair to your iPhone and other devices that are signed into the same iCloud account.
Unfortunately, AirPods Max do not support lossless audio from Apple Music due to a Bluetooth limitation, though spatial audio does work. It’s also worth bearing in mind that there’s likely a new AirPods Max model coming relatively soon, perhaps by the end of the year.
Elsewhere, Apple’s AirPods Pro are also on sale. You can snap up a pair for $169, which is 32 percent off the regular price of $249. That’s not a bad deal at all if you prefer an in-ear format for your audio needs. AirPods Pro also have some features that the AirPods Max lack, including an adaptive mode that brings together ANC and transparency.
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/early-prime-day-deals-see-apples-airpods-max-drop-to-a-new-record-low-150058492.html?src=rss
Prime Day is approaching as quickly as lunchtime hunger pangs and, as ever, there are some early deals to be had. One of the tastiest we’ve seen so far is a significant discount on Apple’s AirPods Max. The over-ear headphones have dropped to $399. They’ve been hovering at around $449 for quite some time (after debuting at $549) and now they have dropped to a new record low price.
The AirPods Max have been around since 2020 (and are perhaps overdue for a USB-C flavored upgrade), but they’re still a great option for those looking for over-ear headphones — especially if you’re already heavily entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. We gave them a score of 84 in our review, with the audio quality, active noise cancellation (ANC) performance and battery life proving to be positives.
You can control the AirPods Max with an Apple Watch-style rotating crown and there’s a separate button for switching between ANC and transparency modes. You’ll need to use a Lightning cable to charge the headset, which will quickly pair to your iPhone and other devices that are signed into the same iCloud account.
Unfortunately, AirPods Max do not support lossless audio from Apple Music due to a Bluetooth limitation, though spatial audio does work. It’s also worth bearing in mind that there’s likely a new AirPods Max model coming relatively soon, perhaps by the end of the year.
Elsewhere, Apple’s AirPods Pro are also on sale. You can snap up a pair for $169, which is 32 percent off the regular price of $249. That’s not a bad deal at all if you prefer an in-ear format for your audio needs. AirPods Pro also have some features that the AirPods Max lack, including an adaptive mode that brings together ANC and transparency.
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/early-prime-day-deals-see-apples-airpods-max-drop-to-a-new-record-low-150058492.html?src=rss
Today, July 9, marks the final opportunity for customers to reserve the upcoming devices in Samsung’s Galaxy portfolio. By reserving today, customers will be among the first to receive the latest devices and can take advantage of exclusive perks — These perks include up to $50 in Samsung Credit and savings of up to $1,500 on preordered devices.
Additionally, those who reserve through Samsung.com have the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win $5,000 in Samsung Credit. For more information and detailed terms and conditions, customers can visit Samsung.com.
Samsung Unpacked 2024 begins on Wednesday at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET, aligning with a 1 p.m. CET start time in Paris; This event, coinciding with Samsung’s sponsorship of the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris, will spotlight new Galaxy devices. Foldables are expected to be the main focus, continuing Samsung’s established release cycle of Galaxy S devices in January/February and Galaxy Z Folds and Flips in the summer.
The event will likely feature updates on Galaxy AI, building on previous announcements and its Circle to Search partnership with Google. Concrete details on the Galaxy Ring, including its release date and price, are anticipated, with a $300 price range suggested. This wearable enters a market largely dominated by brands like Oura.
Leaked details hint at key design changes for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, including a thinner and lighter build, a new aspect ratio, a brighter screen, and an upgraded battery. Both new foldable models will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.
Additionally, Samsung is expected to reveal new Galaxy Buds with an altered design featuring stems and an oblong charging case, as well as the Galaxy Watch 7, which boasts a new BioActive sensor for improved health insights.
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