Tesla Director of AI, Andrej Karpathy, is stepping down from his role at the company and from the helm of its Autopilot program. "It’s been a great pleasure to help Tesla towards its goals over the last 5 years and a difficult decision to part ways," Karpathy announced via Twitter on Wednesday, having just returned from a four-month sabbatical.
It’s been a great pleasure to help Tesla towards its goals over the last 5 years and a difficult decision to part ways. In that time, Autopilot graduated from lane keeping to city streets and I look forward to seeing the exceptionally strong Autopilot team continue that momentum.
Before becoming the Senior Director of AI at Tesla, Karpathy was a research scientist with OpenAI's deep learning program focusing on computer vision and generative modeling. Prior to that, he was part of Fei-Fei Li's research team at Stanford for his PhD. Karpathy has "no concrete plans" yet for the future but is looking to "spend more time revisiting my long-term passions around technical work in AI, open source and education," he noted in a subsequent tweet.
If you're missing your weekly dose of Star Trek since the first season of Strange New Worlds wrapped up, you won't have to wait much longer for another fix. Animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks will return on August 25th.
The third season has 10 episodes, with a new one arriving every Thursday. Paramount+ is promising a "shocking resolution" for the cliffhanger that capped off season two last October. The crew of the USS Cerritos will be tested "in (hilarious) ways they could never imagine," which may or may not have something to do with the consequences of stealing the ship.
The imminent return of Lower Decks should come as good news for its fans. Trekkers who prefer the live-action shows will need to remain patient, though, as the likes of Star Trek: Picard and Discovery aren't expected to return until 2023.
Connected fitness equipment maker Tonal is laying off 35 percent of its workforce, according to CNBC. Like Peloton, the company grew its headcount significantly over the last two years as demand for its product, a home weightlifting system, skyrocketed due to pandemic lockdowns. Before the start of 2020, Tonal employed about 110 people. It now has closer to 750 workers, CEO Aly Orday told CNBC. Orday said the move would help put Tonal on track to start making money within the next few months as it looks to go public.
“As we head into a recession — and many of us believe we’re headed into a recession — it’s really important that we become a business that’s here for the long term,” Orday told the outlet. Tonal will provide affected employees at least eight weeks of severance pay and healthcare benefits through to the end of September.
Relative to Peloton, Tonal is coming out of the pandemic mostly unscathed. The connected fitness industry’s best-known player laid off 2,800 employees, or about 20 percent of its total workforce, at the start of 2022. More recently, Peloton announced it would no longer build its own equipment.
Yes, we know it’s still summer, but now is the time to start preparing to go back to school. That’s especially if you’re starting college in a couple of months – you don’t want to leave prep to the last minute. Fortunately, it’s Prime Day and quite a number of discounted items are perfect for students heading back to the classroom. Whether it’s a laptop or just things that will make dorm life a little easier, we recommend picking them up now to save yourself the headache later. Here’s a list of the best back-to-school tech deals we’ve spotted so far.
Razer Blade 15
Razer Blade 15
Will Lipman photography for Engadget
Razer’s sleek Blade 15 is usually pretty expensive, but fortunately this particular version of it is $200 off, making it just $1,900. It features the 8-core 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 144Hz 1080p display. It’s thin and compact, so it won’t break your back if you’re carrying it from class to class, plus it’s powerful enough to use as a gaming machine. The custom backlight RGB colors on the keyboard are pretty cool too.
This particular configuration of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 8 has also dipped in price to $1,188, which is 26 percent off its list price. It runs on Intel’s Evo Platform Core i7, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. We’ve recommended the Surface Pro 8 as an option for those who like their laptops to occasionally double as tablets. It has a thin profile with minimal bezels and the 120Hz display makes scrolling long documents feel a lot faster.
The Soundance laptop stand is currently $24, which is 41 percent off its list price. However, you can save an extra 10 percent if you apply the on-page coupon, which will bring it down to just under $30. A stand like this helps raise your laptop to eye level, which helps promote good posture. It has a detachable design too, so you can break it down and carry it in your bag if you wish.
Anker’s two-pack of USB-C to Lightning Powerline cables is down to just $20, which is 35 percent off the original price. It’s MFI-certified to work with all Apple devices, and it supports fast-charging, which is good news if you need to power up your almost-dead battery in a hurry. Plus, Anker’s cables tend to last a lot longer than the standard Apple one that comes in the box. According to Anker, the Powerline lasts an average of 12 times longer with a 12,000-bend lifespan.
The Chromecast with Google TV is down to $40 right now. It's the best option if you're a heavy Google user, or really like being able to cast from your phone to your TV. We gave it a score of 86 for its handy remote control, good Google Assistant integration and 4K streaming chops with Dolby Vision and Atmos support.
The Roku Streambar is down to $90 right now. It's both a solid streaming device and soundbar, making it a good option for those without a ton of space to spare. We gave it a score of 86 for its solid audio quality, Dolby Audio support and built-in 4K streaming technology. The more advanced Streambar Pro is on sale for $150, too.
Need to charge both your iPhone and your AirPods at the same time? Then consider Belkin’s MagSafe 2-in-1 Wireless Charger, which is just $75 today, making it 25 percent off the normal price. It’ll only work with iPhones that are MagSafe-compatible, which are the iPhone 12 and up. We like it because it has fast-charging up to 15 watts, plus you can rotate the phone to either portrait or landscape mode.
Sony’s excellent noise-canceling WH-CH710N headphones are only $68 today, which is 55 percent off its original price. Noise-canceling headphones are very useful for any student who needs peace and quiet in order to focus on their work. The WH-CH710N delivers plenty of sound-blocking power thanks to the dual noise sensor tech. It also has an ambient-sound toggle in case you want to hear what’s going on around you. A bonus: it has an excellent 35-hour battery life, which is more than enough to last through several study sessions.
If you don’t need noise-canceling, consider Jabra’s Elite 45h, which is only $50 for Prime Day (that’s half off its $100 retail price). They sound great, plus they’ll pair with most TVs or laptops over Bluetooth. It lasts up to 50 hours on a charge, and they’re comfortable to use at home or while walking around campus.
Like with many Amazon products, the Echo Dot is discounted for Prime Day. It’s currently a very enticing $20, which is 60 percent off the list price. We think it’s a great device for students, as it won’t take up much space on their desks. They can use it to play music from Spotify or Apple Music and of course they can ask Alexa to do all manner of things like checking the weather, finding out the day’s appointments, and setting a reminder for deadlines.
Whether it be for coffee, tea, or instant ramen, you’ll love having an electric kettle in your dorm room. This model from Cosori is a very good one, plus it’s just $60 for Prime Day, which is 16 percent off its usual price. It has variable temperature presets so you can dial the water to exactly how hot you want it, which is great for customizing the brew to different varieties of tea. It’s also fantastic for pour-over coffee, as the gooseneck spout allows for a more accurate, gentle pour.
Linenspa's oversized reading pillow is 20 percent off today, making it just $32. We recommend it as it helps change up your seating position so that you're not always sitting on your desk chair, plus it's a lot comfier than slouching on piled up bed pillows. The shredded memory foam provides good posture support, which in turn is super helpful for reading, playing games or just watching TV. We especially like the handle, as it makes it easier to carry around your room.
Apple may have the best smartwatch around, but there are still some areas where it lags the competition, particularly in exercise and sleep tracking. With watchOS 9, the company is bringing a robust slate of Workout updates, alongside new watch faces, redesigned apps and the ability to detect sleep zones. Now that the public beta is here, we can get a first look at whether the company can close those gaps.
To install the watchOS beta, you’ll need to have an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer, as well as an iPhone running the iOS 16 beta. That means if you don’t want to risk losing your data, you might want to wait until an official release before updating.
Hearty changes in Workouts
Some of the most impactful updates are in workouts. Apple added new pages that present more data when you’re logging an activity, so you can easily keep track of things like your segments and splits or elevations. Of these new screens, my favorite is the new Cardio Zones view, while I found the Activity Rings page the least helpful.
It was satisfying to see where my heart rate was during a 45-minute HIIT session, and the Apple Watch displayed that information clearly. There were five zones in different colors on screen, and the one I was in was highlighted. Afterwards, I learned through the Fitness app’s new summary page that I had spent most of the time (about 22 minutes) in Zone 4, and Apple also helpfully displays the heart rate range for each zone.
Screenshots
The Cardio view is supposed to be available for all workouts, but I didn’t see it in activities like Yoga, Dance or Cooldown. They do all support the new custom workout feature, though, which lets you create specific goals to focus on during your session. This is much more useful in distance or endurance-related activities like running, cycling, rowing or HIIT, where Apple offers suggested templates like 8 x 400m repeats, 1 mile repeats or 20 min of 20 sec / 10 sec. You’ll get haptic and audio alerts when you hit your target heart rate, distance, calories or time.
You can scroll all the way down to set up your own, but this experience is pretty inconsistent across different workout types. For some activities, you’ll have plenty of options like Pacer, Distance, Calories or Time. For others, like Open Water Swim or Rower, you’ll only see Calories and Time, along with a Custom option that lets you set specific periods of work and recovery.
Not every activity is going to be compatible with distance or pace, so this inconsistency is understandable. Just don’t expect the custom workouts feature to behave the same way for all your exercises.
Screenshots
Runners will find a lot of the watchOS 9 tools helpful, though. Apple also added new running form metrics like stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation and something it calls Power. That last one measures your responsive energy demand and is displayed as a number of watts. These new metrics are automatically calculated, and are only available during Outdoor Run workouts. You’ll need to be using an Apple Watch Series 6, Watch SE or newer, too.
If you tend to run or bike along the same routes, watchOS 9 can also let you race against yourself in the new Race Route feature. When you complete Outdoor Run, Outdoor Cycle or Wheelchair Run Pace workouts, your iPhone will use on-device processing to group similar routes. The next time you start one of these activities, the Route view will tell you if you’re ahead or behind your typical time, how much distance is left and alert you if you go off your usual path. Apple also added a new Pacer mode that lets you set a target time to complete a distance you specify, and will then guide you to hit the required pace to meet that goal. Garmin and Samsung watches have similar features, so Apple isn’t breaking new ground here, but it’s nice to see come to watchOS.
I don’t usually bike, swim and run within one session, but for triathletes, the new Multisport workout mode makes it easier to switch between the three activities so you don’t have to fiddle with your watch. Apple also added support for Kickboard as a stroke type, and swimmers can see a SWOLF efficiency score on their summaries.
New watch faces and interface
One of the nicer things about each watchOS update is the new faces, which offer a way to refresh your device. This time, Apple not only added the ability to change the background color of existing options like Modular and X-Large, it’s also introducing new Playtime, Metropolitan and Lunar designs. The company also redesigned the Astronomy screen, and it’s similar to the iPhone version, where you can choose between views of the earth, moon or the solar system. Meanwhile, Lunar lets you pick from the Chinese, Hebrew or Islamic calendars to display around the clock.
Screenshots
I never knew how much I’d appreciate having the Chinese Lunar calendar within reach until I added this face. It has Mandarin characters telling me it’s currently the fifteenth day of the sixth month, and I can use this to count how far we are from the next Lunar New Year or my grandmother’s birthday (which my family bases on the Chinese calendar).
Apple also redesigned the calendar app, making it easier to add new events from your wrist. Siri also no longer takes over your whole screen when triggered, instead appearing as an orb floating over the clock.
Because I had set up Medications on my iPhone on the iOS 16 preview, I also received an alert on watchOS 9 when it came time to take my supplement. I could easily log that I had taken my meds, skipped them or snooze the reminder.
Sleep zones and other updates
Speaking of snoozing, Apple also added sleep stage-detection to watchOS 9, using data from the accelerometer and heart rate monitor. It’ll detect when you’re awake, and distinguish between zones like REM, Core or Deep sleep. This feature is way overdue, considering Fitbit has long been able to do this with even its midrange trackers. But while I didn’t get around to testing Apple’s system in time for this preview, I look forward to seeing how it compares when I do a full review.
Screenshot / Engadget
There are some other updates I’d like to spend more time with, too, like the additional metrics when doing a Fitness+ workout. So far, my experience with the watchOS 9 beta has been smooth, and honestly the cardio zones workout view alone has made the installation worthwhile (for a gym fiend like me, anyway). If you’re comfortable with the risk involved in running beta software, and can’t wait till a stable release to get these new features, you’ll likely enjoy what Apple has to offer today.
Netflix has found a partner for its upcoming ad-supported tier. On Wednesday, the company announced it plans to work with Microsoft to expand its subscription offering. In a blog post published by Microsoft, the tech giant said it would provide Netflix with technological and sales expertise.
As recently as last month, The Wall Street Journal suggested Google and Comcast were among the leading candidates to help Netflix build out an ad-supported tier. On Wednesday, Netflix said it selected Microsoft for the tech giant's "proven ability" to support its customers. "Microsoft offered the flexibility to innovate over time on both the technology and sales side, as well as strong privacy protections for our members," said Netflix Chief Operating Officer Greg Peters. Not mentioned is the fact that Microsoft doesn't operate a competing streaming service.
Netflix co-CEO Reed Hasting first revealed the company was exploring cheaper plans this past April. The admission came after Netflix announced that it had lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022. At the time, Hastings said the company planned to finalize the details of its plans "over the next year or two." Netflix is scheduled to announce its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday. According to CNBC, the company recently warned Wall Street it may have lost as many as two million subscribers in the past three months.
Sony has announced the first new batch of games for its higher PlayStation Plus tiers since it revamped the service. Along with the three titles that are available for PS Plus Essential members and those in the current Extra and Premium libraries, subscribers will have access to a bunch more games as of July 19th.
One of those is Stray, a cyberpunk adventure game in which you play as a cat with a drone companion. It's the first time that a third-party title will be available on a higher PS Plus tier on its release date. You'll have access to the PS4 and PS5 versions.
Members will also be able to check out PS5 blockbuster Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. The PS4 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake was previously available to claim through PS Plus. However, for a while, those who snagged it were unable to get Intergrade without paying for the full game. Square Enix eventually relented and offered an upgrade path.
Also on July 19th, Extra and Premium members can play Marvel's Avengerson PS4 and PS5 at no extra cost. Things haven't exactly goneincrediblywell for that but the gameplay is solid. Crystal Dynamics just added the latest playable character, The Mighty Thor (Jane Foster), a few weeks ago.
On top of those, you'll have access to a bunch more Assassin's Creed games, Saints Row entries and some other games:
Assassin’s Creed Unity (PS4)
Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (PS4)
Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered (PS4)
Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry (PS4)
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection (PS4)
Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (PS4)
Saints Row Gat out of Hell (PS4)
Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition (PS5)
Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure (PS4)
Jumanji The Video Game (PS4)
Paw Patrol on a Roll! (PS4)
ReadySet Heroes (PS4)
Premium members will be able to dive into a couple more PlayStation Portable titles in the form of No Heroes Allowed! and LocoRoco Midnight Carnival as well. That's a fairly solid slate of additions overall, with something for just about everyone.
Sony says it will continue to shakeup the PS Plus lineups on a monthly basis. It will refresh the Essential library at the start of each month and add new games to Extra and Essential a couple of weeks later. Bear in mind that games will cycle in and out of the Extra and Essential tiers, but you'll have access to Essential titles you claim as long as you maintain a PS Plus subscription.
Smartwatches and fitness trackers keep track of your activity throughout the day, but they've also become some of the most popular accessories over the past few years. There are more options to choose from now than ever before, and Amazon Prime Day deals have discounted many of our favorites. Our favorite picks for iOS and Android users, the Apple Watch and Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4, are down to the best prices we've seen, plus you can also save on devices from Fitbit, Garmin and others. Here are the best wearable deals we found for Amazon Prime Day 2022.
Apple Watch Series 7
The latest Apple Watch Series 7 has dropped to $279, which is a new all-time low. That's the starting price on the GPS-only models, but you can pick up a GPS + Cellular model for as low as $379, too. It's the most comprehensive wearable Apple makes and it earned a score of 90 from us for its larger screen, faster charging and handy features in watchOS 8.
You can pick up the Apple Watch SE for only $219 right now, or 22 percent off the normal price. If you've never had a wearable before, this is the Apple Watch to get. We gave it a score of 88 for its comfortable design and responsible performance.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 has dropped to $150 for Prime Day, or 40 percent off its usual price. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for Android users right now, and we gave it a score of 85 for its comprehensive health tracking, bright screen and improved third-party app support. Also on sale is the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, which you can pick up for $260.
Fitbit's Charge 5 is 30 percent off and down to $105, which is the best price we've seen it. This is Fitbit's most comprehensive fitness band and it earned a score of 82 from us for its full-color touchscreen, built-in GPS, onboard EDA sensors for stress tracking and multi-day battery life.
Withings' ScanWatch is $90 cheaper than usual and down to $210 right now. It's a hybrid smartwatch with an analog watch face, but a lot of tech under the hood. It has built-in ECG and SpO2 sensors, plus two subdials that show activity data and smart alerts from your phone throughout the day. Also on sale are the Withings Steel HR and HR Sport, which are down to $120 and $140, respectively.
A number of Garmin wearables are on sale for Prime Day, with one of the best deals being the Vivoactive 4S for $188. That's nearly half off the original price and only $3 more than its all-time low. The Vivoactive 4S has an impressive seven-day battery life and it monitors all-day activity, heart rate and sleep, plus it has a build in blood oxygen sensor, too.
Amazon's Halo View fitness band is 44 percent off and down to only $45 right now. You're getting the fitness tracker along with a one-year membership to the accompanying subscription service that includes access to on-demand workouts. In addition to tracking activity, heart rate and sleep, the Halo View can also measure body fat percentage and deliver call and text alerts to your wrist.
Nintendo Japan will provide employees in same-sex domestic partnerships with the same benefits it offers to those in heterosexual unions, even though Japanese law does not currently recognize gay marriages. The company announced the policy in a July 12th update to its corporate social responsibility guidelines that was spotted by Go Nintendo (via Variety).
A new section titled “Introduction of a Partnership System” notes the policy has been in place since March 2021, and that the company has since begun recognizing common-law marriages in the same way as legal marriages. “At Nintendo, we want to create a work environment that supports and empowers each and every one of our unique employees,” the company said.
Additionally, the update notes that Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa sent a note to employees on gender diversity, asking workers to understand that their words and action can cause emotional pain, even if there was no harm intended. Nintendo says it’s also working on implementing new systems and training courses designed to create a more supportive working environment.
Among G7 nations, Japan is the only country that does not recognize same-sex marriage. While LGBT activists have made some breakthroughs in recent years, a court in Osaka upheld the country’s ban this past June. While there’s growing public support for legalizing same-sex marriage, LGBTQ individuals still frequently face discrimination, according to a 2020 survey. Of course, discrimination, particularly the kind that happens in the workplace, is not unique to Japan. You need only look at the all news coming out of Activision Blizzard – and before that Riot Games, Ubisoft and countless other examples – to know that gaming companies frequently fail to protect their most vulnerable employees.
Sega has announced it's bringing the Genesis Mini 2 to North America on October 27th. The company previously said its latest retro console will go on sale in Japan on the same day (though it's called the Mega Drive Mini 2 there).
The system follows the Genesis Mini, which Sega released in 2019. The latest edition has a fresh library of more than 50 games, including Sega CD titles. The lineup features the likes of Sonic CD, Virtua Racing, OutRun, Shining Force CD and Fantasy Zone (a Master System and arcade game that was never released on Genesis). Sega is promising a previously unreleased game as well. More than half of the games have yet to be revealed.
One of our few complaints with the Genesis Mini in our review was that it came with a three-button controller. If the packaging is anything to go by, it seems you'll get a six-button controller this time around.
Pre-orders are open now. At the time of writing, the Amazon listing shows that the console will ship from Japan to the US for $103.80 plus a $22 delivery fee. Engadget has asked for clarification on North American pricing. It's unclear whether the cosmetic Sega CD attachment will be available to buy on this side of the Pacific.
