ArduinoMania

It seems like Marc Andreessen had a lot of free time this week, as the VC wrapped up his entire pro-tech worldview in a massive tome, the Techno-Optimist Manifesto. Andreessen claims “technology is the glory of human ambition and achievement, the spearhead of progress, and the realization of our potential,” and he goes on to vilify anyone who dares to step in the way of “progress.” To break down this document, we’re joined by tech critic Paris Marx, host of the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast, and the author of the Disconnect newsletter, as well as the book Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong About the Future of Transportation.

Also, Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham discusses why he loves Spider-Man 2 on the PlayStation 5, and we try to make sense of Apple’s new $79 Pencil.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!

Subscribe!

• iTunes

• Spotify

• Pocket Casts

• Stitcher

• Google Podcasts

Topics

• Nate Ingraham’s Spider-Man 2 review: The rare game that’s both bigger and better – 0:55

• We break down Mark Andreessen’s dangerously optimistic manifesto on AI – 11:39

• Microsoft now officially owns Activision/Blizzard – 35:44

• X (fka Twitter) tests $1 “Not a bot” program for new users – 38:53

• There’s a new, cheaper Apple Pencil with USB-C but what generation is it? – 41:03

• YouTube debuts ‘news hub’ to direct users to reliable sources – 46:46

• Working on – 51:20

• Pop culture picks – 52:20

Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Nathan Ingraham
Guest: Paris Marx
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien

Compared to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5, not only does OnePlus’ first foldable pack two larger displays, it’s also thinner and lighter — as long as you don’t count the hulking camera module. The most impressive thing the Open is doing is putting pressure on the price of big foldables. 

Engadget

Starting at $1,700, it costs $100 less than the Z Fold 5 and Google’s Pixel Fold — and that’s before you factor in the launch deal that knocks another $200 off with the trade-in of any phone. We put it through its paces in our full review.

And if you’re more interested in Oppo’s new foldable… well, they’re pretty much the same device.

— Mat Smith

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!​​

The biggest stories you might have missed

India wants to build its own space station

Jon Stewart’s Apple TV+ show reportedly ends following clash over AI and China

Hulu’s $2-per-month student deal for its ad-supported plan is back

Adobe adds plenty of AI wizardry to Photoshop and Premiere

Elements 2024 can upscale JPEGs and replace visual elements with just a click.

Adobe

Adobe’s latest iterations of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements feature plenty of new AI-powered tools, using Adobe’s Sensei AI. On the Photoshop side of things, there’s a new tool that automatically selects objects and backgrounds for removal, editing or replacement. Adobe’s Sensei AI also lets you upscale JPEGs to remove artifacts, creating a “smooth, natural look.” As for Premiere, the popular video-editing software suite now uses AI to automatically create highlight Reels culled from uploaded footage. The company says these AI-created clips will “draw people in by focusing on motion, close-ups and your highest quality footage.”

Continue reading.

Crypto company owned by Winklevoss twins hit by lawsuit

The lawsuit alleges it defrauded investors of $1 billion.

Gemini Trust Company, a cryptocurrency exchange helmed by the infamous Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, just got hit with a lawsuit alleging it defrauded investors. The suit was brought forth by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the same AG currently prosecuting former president Donald Trump on sweeping charges of fraud. The suit is directed at two other companies, alongside Gemini Trust, which the civil lawsuit alleges collectively defrauded 230,000 investors of more than $1 billion.

Continue reading.

FCC’s restoration of Obama-era net neutrality protections progresses

It’ll reclassify broadband as an essential communications service.

The Federal Communications Commission voted along party lines to move forward with a plan to largely restore Obama-era net neutrality protections. All three of the agency’s Democratic commissioners voted in favor, with the two Republican commissioners dissenting. Reclassifying fixed broadband as an essential communications service would give the FCC greater scope to regulate it and more leeway to re-establish net neutrality rules. These rules would mean internet service providers have to give users access to every site, content and app at the same speeds and conditions.

Continue reading.

Watch a Shiba Inu speedrun video games for charity

A new challenger appears.

JSR / YouTube

Games Done Quick speedrunning marathons have seen plenty of unusual attempts at beating games as quickly as possible in the name of charity. This time, they’re doing it with a dog called Peanut Butter. Any questions?

Continue reading.

The United States Justice Department reports that North Korean nationals have been using fake identities to work remotely for US companies as IT professionals in a scheme to fund weapons of mass destruction programs. At a news conference in St. Louis, Missouri, the FBI alleged that thousands of individuals have moved to countries such as Russia and China and posed as freelance IT workers living in the US. Companies in St. Louis and around the US were targeted in this plot.

The bad actors used false information for emails, payment platforms and websites — sometimes paying Americans to use their Wi-Fi and setting up proxy computers. Along with funneling their income to North Korea's weapons programs, some workers also hacked their employers' computer networks to take private information and leave the possibility for other schemes, such as extortion.

Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division went so far as to say that any company that employs freelance IT workers "more than likely" hired one of these bad actors. "This scheme is so prevalent that companies must be vigilant to verify whom they're hiring," Greenberg stated. "At a minimum, the FBI recommends that employers take additional proactive steps with remote IT workers to make it harder for bad actors to hide their identities. Without due diligence, companies risk losing money or being compromised by insider threats they unknowingly invited inside their systems."

The FBI didn't disclose when they first learned of the plot or which businesses were impacted. However, the bureau first released a warning to the IT industry-focused scheme in May 2022. The FBI also collected about $1.5 million in money earned by these workers during previously sealed seizures in October 2022 and January 2023. 

The Problem With Jon Stewart isn't coming back for a third season at Apple TV+, according to The New York Times. It was already supposed to begin filming for another eight episodes within the next couple of weeks, but Apple and Stewart reportedly decided to part ways before it can start. While neither party has issued a statement yet, the publications said the parties didn't see eye to eye when it came to hot button topics. The host apparently told production staff that Apple executives had raised concerns about certain subject matters he's potentially covering in the show, particularly China and artificial intelligence. 

Based on The Hollywood Reporter's confirmation of the news, Apple talked to Stewart about the need to be "aligned" when it comes to show topics and even threatened to cancel the series. Wanting full creative control of The Problem, Stewart chose to walk away instead. 

The Problem debuted on Apple TV+ in 2021, with episodes coming out every other week, six years after Stewart left The Daily Show. Its second season started streaming in 2022 and had four more episodes — for a total of 12 — than the first. It also streamed every week with a break of a few months after its sixth episode. The newer season covered controversial topics, as well, including gender identity and the indictment of former president Donald Trump. Although those episodes went out for streaming, The Hollywood Reporter's sources said there had already been tension between the parties before the third season production kicked off due to the previous themes Stewart had covered on the show. As The Times said, Apple may have been worried about being dragged into political controversies that the series could bring and had agreed to end their partnership. 

• Read more about Samsung Unveils Its Advanced and Wide Ranging Automotive Process Solutions
• Log in or register to post comments

One by one, automakers have started adopting the North American Charging Standard (NACS) used by Tesla's Superchargers as they move towards their goal of replacing their fleet with electric vehicles. Toyota is the latest company to join the growing list. The automaker has announced that it has reached an agreement with Tesla to incorporate NACS ports into certain Toyota-branded vehicles starting in 2025. Some EVs under its luxury brand, Lexus, will come with the standard's charging ports, as well. 

By using NACS ports on its electric vehicles, Toyota is effectively giving its customers the power to access more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across North America. While the company won't be implementing the standard over the next year, its timeline matches its rival automakers'. To note, customers who already have Toyota and Lexus vehicles equipped with the Combined Charging System (CCS) will be offered access to NACS adapters starting in 2025, as well.

BMW also recently announced that it was adopting the standard for all its EVs in the United States and Canada. A few months ago, GM and Ford revealed they were making the switch starting in 2025, but owners will already be able to access Tesla Superchargers next year with an adopter. Hyundai will adopt the port for its EVs in the US in 2024, with EVs in Canada to follow in 2025. Honda, Toyota's fellow Japanese automaker, announced its transition to NACS in September and its plans to sell vehicles with the port in two years' time. It also said, however, that it's developing an adapter to allow pre-2025 Hondas to charge using Tesla's system. 

On the surface, a programmable logic controller (PLC) might seem like nothing more than a generic microcontroller, perhaps outfitted to operate in industrial settings with things like high temperatures or harsh vibrations. While this is true to some extent, PLCs also have an international standard for their architecture and programming languages. This standard is maintained by the International Electrotechnical Commission, making it so that any device built under these specifications will be recognizable to control engineers and maintenance personnel worldwide. And, if you use this standard when working with certain Arduinos, this common platform can become a standard-compliant PLC as well.

The IDE itself supports programming ladder diagrams, functional block diagrams, and other programming systems covered under the IEC 61131-3 standard. Not only that, it allows the combination of these types of PLC programming with Arduino sketches. The system offers many of the perks of PLC programming alongside the familiar Arduino platform, and supports a number of protocols as well including CANOpen, Modbus RTU, and Modbus TCP. It can also be used for monitoring a PLC system, essentially adding IoT capabilities to existing systems, enabling continuous monitoring, debugging, and program updates.

While not every Arduino is a great platform to build a PLC around, there are a few available for those looking for a system a little less proprietary and a little more user-friendly than typical PLC systems tend to be. There’s a reason that PLCs are built around an international standard and generally have certain hardware in mind to run it, though, and this comparison of a Raspberry Pi with an off-the-shelf PLC goes into detail about why certain components aren’t good choices for PLCs.

The EPA is inching closer toward regulating the use of leaded fuel often used in smaller planes. In a statement, it highlighted some of the environmental and public health risks associated with lead emissions. EPA administrator Michael Regan said that the White House should “move forward” and propose new standards to limit the use of leaded gasoline in aviation.

Planes that operate on lead fuel are typically smaller piston-engine aircrafts, which are usually flying in and out of smaller airports and exposing nearby residents. Lead pollution can cause “irreversible and life-long health effects” but this is especially true for children. Average levels of lead exposure in the US has gone down dramatically since the 1980s thanks to the heavy regulation of products in homes and schools. However, the risk for exposure is higher if you live near these smaller airports that operate aircraft that rely on leaded gasoline.

Now that the EPA has formally declared what it already knew — that leaded gasoline is bad — it can work with the FAA to iron out regulations limiting its use. Although the FAA does not have direct regulatory authority over what fuels airplanes use, the aviation agency has committed to transition all piston-engine aircrafts away from lead-filled aviation fuels before the end of 2030.

Instagram has started allowing some users to create polls in the comments on their posts, giving creators yet another way to milk their content for more engagement. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced the test to his broadcast channel, noting that polls can be added to the comments on both regular feed posts and Reels. It’s just a small test for now, but Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in his own update that it will be “rolling out to everyone soon.”

Polls in the comments section will look much like they do in Stories, where they’ve already been available to users for years in the form of a sticker. Per the screenshot shared by Mosseri, other users will be able to see how many people voted on a given poll. It’s unclear right now how long polls will remain open after they’re posted, or if users will have the option to choose from different time frames to continue receiving votes, like users on Twitter can.

Instagram has been working on making its comment section more of an interactive space, and this past spring finally added the ability for users to post GIFs in the comments. The platform is also testing options for a more tailored Stories experience that builds on what it started with Close Friends, letting users create multiple lists to reserve certain content for specific groups of people.

Students can get Hulu for a mere $2 per month. The streaming service is offering US college students the discounted price on its ad-supported tier, usually $8 monthly. You can keep paying the lower amount as long as your enrollment status remains verified.

The offer applies to new customers, but existing subscribers can also use it if their current plan is billed directly through Hulu. The company will verify with SheerID to ensure you’re enrolled at a US Title IV accredited college or university.

Disney owns a majority stake in Hulu, which offers current-season episodes of broadcast popular television series, films and older TV. It also includes original programming, like Only Murders in the Building, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Bear. The discounted price only applies to the version with advertisements, and you also can’t download content for offline viewing with this tier. The company offers a “Hulu (No Ads)” plan for $18 monthly.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.