ArduinoMania

After nearly a decade in development, the second iteration of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the DoE's Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) is nearly ready to start throwing photons harder than ever before. Dubbed the LCLS-II, this billion-dollar superconducting particle accelerator upgrade will produce X-rays 10,000 times brighter than those of its predecessor at a world record rate of 1 million pulses per second — all while working at a frosty negative 456 degrees Fahrenheit.

"In just a few hours, LCLS-II will produce more X-ray pulses than the current laser has generated in its entire lifetime," Mike Dunne, director of LCLS, said. "Data that once might have taken months to collect could be produced in minutes. It will take X-ray science to the next level, paving the way for a whole new range of studies and advancing our ability to develop revolutionary technologies to address some of the most profound challenges facing our society."

The original LCLS came online in 2009, shining a billion times brighter than the accelerator it replaced, but was limited to 120 pulses per second because the laws of physics limit the number of electrons that could be pushed simultaneously through the accelerator's labyrinth of room-temperature copper pipes. But by replacing those pipes with more than three dozen cryogenic accelerator modules — interconnected strings of hollow niobium — cooled down to 2 Kelvin (4 degrees F above absolute zero), SLAC researchers can massively improve the accelerator's output. 

"To reach this temperature, the linac is equipped with two world-class helium cryoplants, making SLAC one of the significant cryogenic landmarks in the U.S. and on the globe," Eric Fauve, director of the Cryogenic Division at SLAC, said. "The SLAC Cryogenics team has worked on site throughout the pandemic to install and commission the cryogenic system and cool down the accelerator in record time."

Once the electrons have passed through all 37 cryo modules and been sufficiently cooled, they're energized and accelerated by a megawatt microwave to nearly the speed of light and fed through a string of undulator magnets that force the electron beam into a zig-zag pattern, generating X-rays. What's more, the undulators can influence the type of X-ray that's produced — either hard X-rays for material imaging, or soft X-rays primarily used to document energy flows and real-time chemical reactions.

The LCLS-II first hit the 2 Kelvin mark in mid-April and with Tuesday's announcement is now ready to begin conducting research. That's expected to happen later this year and could help us examine cutting-edge materials and biological processes in greater resolution than ever before, advance the state of the art in clean energy technology and even unlock the secrets of the quantum realm by imaging individual atoms.

Although it's supposed to be restricted by surveillance rules at local, state and federal levels, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has built up a mass surveillance system that includes details on almost all US residents, according to a report from a major think tank. Researchers from Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology said ICE "now operates as a domestic surveillance agency" and that it was able to bypass regulations in part by purchasing databases from private companies. 

"Since its founding in 2003, ICE has not only been building its own capacity to use surveillance to carry out deportations but has also played a key role in the federal government’s larger push to amass as much information as possible about all of our lives," the report's authors state. "By reaching into the digital records of state and local governments and buying databases with billions of data points from private companies, ICE has created a surveillance infrastructure that enables it to pull detailed dossiers on nearly anyone, seemingly at any time."

The researchers spent two years looking into ICE to put together the extensive report, which is called "American Dragnet: Data-Driven Deportation in the 21st Century." They obtained information by filing hundreds of freedom of information requests and scouring more than 100,000 contracts and procurement records.

The agency is said to be using data from the Department of Motor Vehicles and utility companies, along with the likes of call records, child welfare records, phone location data, healthcare records and social media posts. ICE is now said to hold driver’s license data for 74 percent of adults and can track the movement of cars in cities that are home to 70 percent of the adult population in the US.

The study shows that ICE, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has already used facial recognition technology to search through driver’s license photos of a third of adults in the US. In 2020, the agency signed a deal with Clearview AI to use that company's controversial technology. In addition, the report states that when 74 percent of adults hook up gas, electricity, phone or internet utilities in a new residence, ICE was able to automatically find out their updated address.

The authors wrote that ICE is able to carry out these actions in secret and without warrants. Along with the data it acquired from other government departments, utilities, private companies and third-party data brokers, "the power of algorithmic tools for sorting, matching, searching and analysis has dramatically expanded the scope and regularity of ICE surveillance," the report states.

Spending transactions reviewed by the researchers showed that, between 2008 and last year, ICE spent around $2.8 billion on "new surveillance, data collection and data-sharing initiatives." It spent approximately $569 million on data analysis, including $186.6 million in contracts with Palantir Technologies to help it make sense of its vast troves of data. Records showed that ICE also spent more than $1.3 billion on geolocation tech during that timeframe and $389 million on telecom interception, which includes tech that helps the agency track someone's phone calls, emails, social media activity and real-time internet use.

In addition, the findings suggest the agency started engaging in certain surveillance activities much earlier than previously believed. The researchers found a contract from 2008 that granted ICE access to the Rhode Island motor vehicle department’s facial recognition database. Prior to that, it was understood that ICE started conducting facial recognition searches on state and local data sets in 2013.

The authors claim that ICE has been able to sidestep congressional oversight and bypass attempts at state level to curtain its surveillance capabilities. They included a list of recommendations that may help rein in the agency's surveillance dragnet, such as Congress reforming immigration laws to "undercut ICE surveillance authority" and blocking ICE's use of DMV data. The recommended measures also include protecting people who trust federal, state and local authorities with their data and blocking the use of utility records for immigration enforcement.

Engadget has contacted ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

YouTube TV is adding two new Spanish-language plans, Google announced today. The first of those, the aptly named Spanish Plan, will offer customers access to more than 28 Spanish-language channels, including Univision and ESPN Deportes. Google has priced the package at $25 per month for the first six months, and $35 per month thereafter. New YouTube TV customers can subscribe to the plan without paying for the platform’s base $65 per month package.

For those who want to add to their existing subscription, Google has also introduced a Spanish Plus add-on. Priced at $10 per month for the first six months and then $15 thereafter, the package comes with access to more than 25 Spanish-language channels, including Cine Latino and Discovery en Español.

Google has increasingly looked to Hispanic customers to grow YouTube TV’s subscriber base. Last year, the company made Univison, UniMás and Galavisión available to subscribers at “no extra cost.” Like many other streaming TV platforms, YouTube TV has repeatedly increased the price of its service to offset the cost of rising content deals.

Elon Musk has finally confirmed what many have long suspected: that he would allow Donald Trump back on Twitter.

In an interview with The Financial Times, Musk said that he would reinstate Trump when his deal to acquire Twitter closes. “I guess the answer is that I would reverse the perma ban,” Musk said in response to a question about whether he would allow the former president back on the platform. “Obviously, I don't own Twitter yet. So this is not a thing that will definitely happen because what if I don't own Twitter.”

Though Musk has long made it clear he disagrees with Twitter’s decision to ban Trump, it’s the first time he has explicitly said he would “reverse” it. “I think bans just fundamentally undermine trust in Twitter as a town square where everyone can voice their opinion,” Musk said. He added that permanent bans should be reserved for “accounts that are bots or spam scam accounts.”

Whether Musk would bring back Trump has been a major question and the company’s own executives have told employees they don’t know what direction Musk will take the company. Employees have been concerned that Musk could reverse many of the company’s policies around trust and safety and reverse progress they have made in combatting online abuse and misinformation.

Musk said that accounts that break the company’s rules could still be punished with temporary suspensions or having individual tweets deleted. But he said that he and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey believe that permanent bans “should be extremely rare.”

Twitter didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Razer's original Viper was one of the better-known ultra-light gaming mice when it arrived in 2019, and now it's finally getting a sequel to keep up with rivals. The brand has introduced a Viper V2 Pro wireless mouse that trims the weight even further, from 69g to 58g, while improving the fundamentals — this is meant for esports players and enthusiasts who need precise, flick-friendly input to thrive.

The design revolves around an equally new Focus Pro 30K optical sensor that, as the name implies, promises 30,000 dots per inch resolution. It's reportedly 99.8 percent accurate, and uses AI to guide tracking. You even have 26 levels of customization for height (to determine when tracking starts or stops) versus 'just' three for the first Viper.

The Viper V2 Pro also introduces third-generation optical mouse switches that supposedly end accidental double-clicks and debounce delay (the wait to filter out unintended input signals). Their lifecycle is about 25 percent longer, too, so you might not chew through mice quite so quickly if you're a pro gamer. You can recharge through USB-C, and a dedicated DPI button lets you tweak sensitivity without using software.

Razer is now selling black and white versions of the Viper V2 Pro for $150 with grip tape, a charging cable and a USB dongle extender in the box. That puts its price in line with competing ultra-lightweight mice from the likes of Logitech and SteelSeries, and could make it a viable option whether or not you're loyal to the Razer brand.

Electronic Arts is calling it quits with FIFA after nearly 30 years of using the soccer governing body's name in the titles of its games. FIFA 23 will be the last EA game with that branding when it arrives later this year. Starting in 2023, the annual soccer games will use the moniker "EA Sports FC" instead. More info about the first title in the revamped series will be revealed in July 2023.

Other than the rebranding, the EA Sports FC games may not be vastly different from what fans are used to in the long run. EA still holds licenses for more than 300 soccer partners and has exclusive agreements with the likes of the Premier League, MLS, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A.

You can expect next year's title to still have more than 19,000 players, 700+ teams, north of 100 stadiums and 30 leagues. Features such as career mode, Ultimate Team and VOLTA Football will still be present too. It's unclear, however, what the move will mean for the inclusion of FIFA-operated competitions such as the World Cup and Women’s World Cup in future titles.

In the meantime, EA Sports and Racing executive vice-president Cam Weber said his team and FIFA "are excited to deliver the greatest, most expansive EA Sports FIFA ever later this fall." He said there will be more teams, players, competitions, leagues and game modes than in any previous games. These updates will not only be present in FIFA 23, but also in FIFA Mobile, FIFA Online 4 and esports.

“We’re thankful for our many years of great partnership with FIFA," EA CEO Andrew Wilson said in a statement. "The future of global football is very bright, and fandom around the world has never been stronger. We have an incredible opportunity to put EA Sports FC at the heart of the sport, and to bring even more innovative and authentic experiences to the growing football audience.”

The end of the partnership isn't too surprising. FIFA expressed concern last fall about one entity (i.e. EA) having too much of the soccer gaming pie. It was talking with developers and other parties about how to "widen" the scope of its gaming and esports offerings. EA, on the other hand, said soon after the launch of FIFA 22 that it was "reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA" ahead of a possible rebranding. It filed a trademark application for "EA Sports FC" around the same time.

There are, of course, financial considerations at play. The New York Times reported in October that FIFA makes around $150 million per year through its licensing agreement with EA. In negotiations with the publisher, FIFA is said to have asked for a payment of over $1 billion for each World Cup cycle of four years. The two sides were also reportedly at odds over the scope of the partnership as well, including aspects like exclusivity.

For at least the third time this year, Tesla is recalling some of its cars over a software issue. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a notice on its website notifying owners of 2021 and 2022 Tesla Model S and X vehicles, as well as 2022 Model 3 and Y vehicles of an overheating issue affecting the infotainment system in their cars.

According to the agency, a software bug can cause the CPUs in those systems to overheat either when you’re about to fast charge the affected models or already in the process of doing so. Subsequently, the processor can slow down or restart when it gets too hot. “A lagging or restarting CPU may prevent the center screen from displaying the rearview camera image, gear selection, windshield visibility control settings, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash,” the NHTSA says in its notice.

The recall covers approximately 130,000 cars, Reutersreported on Tuesday. Tesla will issue an over-the-air update to address the issue. In a timeline Tesla shared on May 4th, the company said it wasn’t aware of any crashes, injuries or deaths related to the bug. Tesla has so far issued 11 recalls this year, tying it with Dodge parent company Stellantis for fourth-most in 2022. Earlier in the year, the company recalled more than 817,000 cars over faulty seat belt chimes, putting this latest action among the smaller recalls Tesla has carried out recently.

Apple just marked the end to one of the most important product lines in its history. The company has discontinued the iPod touch, which will only be available in stores "while supplies last." Not surprisingly, the company maintained that the "spirit of iPod" continues in other products, including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

Developing...

Although Netflix had long said its service wouldn't include ads, it revealed last month that it will actually roll out a cheaper, ad-supported plan. Co-CEO Reed Hastings said on an earnings call that plans for that tier would be firmed up "over the next year or two." However, it seems the company is looking to offer the option even sooner. It reportedly suggested in an internal memo that an ad-supported version of the streaming service will emerge later this year.

Executives told staff in the note that they want to introduce an ad-supported plan in the last three months of 2022, according to The New York Times. What's more, the note suggested the tier will be introduced around the same time as an extra fee for subscribers who share their passwords with people living at different addresses.

In the memo, Netflix is said to have noted that, outside of Apple TV+, every major streaming platform offers a lower-cost, ad-supported plan. Those include Hulu, HBO Max and Peacock. The company reportedly said that some of its competitors have still been able to “maintain strong brands" while showing commercials.

Meanwhile, Netflix recently said that more than 222 million households are paid subscribers. However, it claimed more than 100 million households are watching Netflix on someone else's account without paying for access. On the earnings call, chief operating officer Greg Peters said that while the company is “not trying to shut down that sharing," it is "going to ask you to pay a bit more to be able to share.” Netflix started testing an extra fee for account sharers in Peru, Chile and Costa Rica in March.

After years of impressive growth, Netflix suddenly has a big issue when it comes to subscriber numbers, which fell for the first time last quarter. It lost 200,000 members (largely due to shutting down its service in Russia) and it thinks it may lose as many as another two million this quarter. With its stock nosediving by over 50 percent in the last month, the company is hoping an ad-supported tier and extra charges for password sharing will help increase revenue.

You can forget about playing Gotham Knights on previous-gen consoles. Alongside a 13-minute gameplay demo (below), WB Games Montreal has revealed that its Batman-adjacent open world game will no longer be released for PS4 or Xbox One. You'll need a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S to save Gotham City from your living room. The studio said it was cutting the older machines to offer the "best possible gaming experience," although we wouldn't be surprised if this helped WB make the game's October 25th release date.

WB unveiled Gotham Knights in summer 2020, but delayed the game to 2022 less than a year later. The company settled on the October launch this March.

The gameplay demo, meanwhile, offers a good look at the variety you can expect. Each of the four superheroes plays very differently. You might pick Nightwing for acrobatic, melee-focused combat, while Red Hood thrives on his (non-lethal) guns. Crime-solving may rely on anything from straight-up brawling to motorcycle chases and augmented reality sleuthing. Crafting and skill advancement will be useful like they are in so many recent titles. In many ways, this is the DC Comics/WB response to Insomniac's Spider-Man games — it's a bid to combine free-roaming action with a meaningful narrative.