In a series of messages on his Telegram channel, Pavel Durov has revealed that the instant messaging service is launching its own take on Stories next month. He shared that users have been asking for the feature for years but the company has initially been against it "since Stories are already everywhere." Telegram ultimately decided to listen to its users, though, and has created a version of its own that seems to be more customizable than other platforms'.
The messaging service's Stories feature looks just like Messenger's in that they show up as expandable bubbles at the top of the conversation list. Users will be able to define who sees their posts and can choose to make them viewable to the public, only to their contacts (with exceptions), just a few selected contacts or to list of Close Friends. They can add captions and links to their Stories, and they can tag other people. Users can also share photos and videos captured by the front-facing and the rear cameras simultaneously, similar to posts found on BeReal.
If users don't want to see posts from a certain contact, they can move them to the "Hidden" list in their contacts section. But what's perhaps the best thing about Telegram's take so far is that users will be able to choose when their Stories expire. They can set them to disappear in 24 hours like in other services, but they can also choose to make them disappear within 6, 12 or 48 hours. Users can even permanently display their Stories on their profile page. If they do, they won't be forced to make them viewable to anybody and can still choose the privacy setting for each post.
Durov said Telegram has been testing the feature internally and that it's in the last stages of the testing phase. The company plans to make Stories available on its app sometime in early July.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/telegram-stories-with-customizable-expiration-times-are-coming-next-month-113535087.html?src=rss
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line is the undisputed champion of big flexible phones. But – outside of China – it holds that title by default. With the Pixel Fold, Google has created a foldable challenger that directly addresses some of Samsung's (and foldables’) weaknesses. Google says that over 50 first-party apps have already been optimized for use on devices like the Pixel Fold. Some of the enhancements we've seen before, like tabletop mode in YouTube. But, by virtue of being made by the same company that makes Android, there are more features here. That even includes third-party apps like WhatsApp, where you can share images from Google Photos just by dragging and dropping.
According to Engadget’s Sam Rutherford, the Pixel Fold’s clever hinge and slim chassis make it easy to use and carry, while its wider body makes the phone's exterior screen much more usable. With better cameras and UI tweaks to make multitasking a tiny bit simpler, the Pixel Fold more than holds its own against Samsung's Z Fold 4. The main challenge: that $1,799 price. Check out the full review here.
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Users will have basic with ads, standard or premium tiers available.
Netflix announced its basic plan would no longer be an option for Canadian subscribers. Anyone already on a basic plan doesn't have to worry about being kicked off it, but if they choose to move to another option or close their account, they can't get back on that tier. In Canada, the basic tier is $9.99 (CAD) per month, while the basic tier with ads, launched last year, costs $5.99. Now with the decision to remove its basic option, the streamer is pushing more of its customers towards an ad-filled viewing experience. It’s making the company money: In the first quarter of 2023, Netflix saw its basic with ads tier bring in more money per user than its standard plan.
Your local bodega could bring shipments to your door.
Amazon is launching a new hub delivery system that uses small businesses in 23 states (including California, New York and Washington) to complete customer shipments. Those businesses need secure storage areas and must deliver an average of 30 packages daily outside of major holidays. Amazon debuted an "I Have Space" system in India in 2015, and expanded it to both Japan and Spain. A US pilot program began in late 2020, although it focused on improving delivery for rural customers. This new system covers over 20 major cities, including Boston, New York City and Los Angeles.
Meta is making its own Xbox Game Pass-like subscription service for VR titles. Meta Quest+, grants users access to "the best titles on the platform" for $8 per month or $60 per year. The subscription is available starting today on Quest 2 and Quest Pro. It's also coming to Quest 3 when that headset arrives this fall. The first two are the hit first-person shooter Pistol Whip and Pixel Ripped 1995. Like PlayStation Plus Essential, you'll retain access to the games as long as you remain a member.
An early version is planned for the Lunar Gateway space station.
Has 2001: A Space Odyssey taught us nothing? Yes. NASA is developing an AI chat system allowing astronauts to perform maneuvers, conduct experiments and more using a natural-language ChatGPT-like interface.
NASA aims to deploy the system on its Lunar Gateway, a space station that will orbit the Moon and support NASA's Artemis mission. It would use a natural language interface that allows astronauts to seek advice on experiments or conduct maneuvers without diving into complex manuals.
Vedanta-Foxconn JV Now Resubmitted Applications For a 40 NM Node Fabrication Plant
As of now, Vedanta is leading the JV with 67 percent share. Although previous reports suggested that MeitY wanted Foxconn to lead.
After the Government of India reopened semiconductor and display fabs applications for the second time from Jun 1, 2023, sources at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) told Business Today exclusively that the Vedanta-Foxconn JV has again resubmitted their applications to MeitY for a 40-nanometer (nm) node semiconductor fabrication plant.
Lordstown Motors is having an eventful day, to say the least. The Ohio-based EV startup has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in hopes of finding a buyer and is suing its investment partner, Foxconn Technology, for breach of contract and fraud. In its suit, Lordstown claims Foxconn's actions "had the intended effect of destroying the business of an American startup."
Foxconn, primarily known for assembling Apple's iPhones, bought Lordstown's Ohio factory in late 2021 (around when General Motors jumped ship) and a year later agreed to invest another $170 million through the purchase of common shares and newly created preferred shares. But, in April, Foxconn threatened to terminate the deal, claiming that Lordstown's stock dropping below $1 per share for 30 trading days in a row represented a breach in their agreement. The car manufacturer said the claims had no merit and accused Foxconn of acting in "bad faith" to get control of the factory and its workers without intending to support Endurance, its first pickup EV.
The decision to declare Bankruptcy doesn't exactly come as a surprise — in May, Lordstown said production would likely stop "in the near future" and that the company would file if its deal with Foxconn didn't proceed. Lordstown also reported a $171.1 million loss for 2023's first quarter.
Endurance has also faced continual problems from production to the final product. Even after Foxconn bought the factory, Lordstown failed to meet its forecasted vehicle production numbers for 2022, cutting it from 500 to 50 trucks. Then came an underperformance in miles, with the Environmental Protection Agency recently rating the pickup's range as just 174 miles versus its promised 250. Its competitors, the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T, can go 240 and 289 miles, respectively.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lordstown-motors-sues-foxconn-and-declares-bankruptcy-100549575.html?src=rss
TikTok has recently faced scrutiny over child safety issues in the US and elsewhere due to its youth-skewing userbase and reams of inappropriate content on the platform. Now, the company (owned by China's ByteDance) has announced that it's is giving parents more control over what their teens can see. It's adding new content filtering controls to its "Family Pairing" feature, letting parents filter out videos containing specific words or hashtags — while still keeping kids in the loop.
TikTok introduced Family Pairing back in 2020 as a way to let parents link directly to their kids' accounts then remotely disable direct messages, set screen time limits and enable a "restricted content" mode. And last year, it added a tool that automatically filters out videos with words or hashtags users may not want to see in their For You or Following feeds.
The new controls essentially combine those two features, giving parents the option to remotely filter out videos from their kids accounts in For You or Following with specific words or hashtags. "We're bringing this [content filtering] tool to Family Pairing to empower caregivers to help reduce the likelihood of their teen viewing content they may uniquely find jarring," TikTok wrote.
TikTok
At the same time, kids will be alerted to their parents' selected filters and can choose not to opt-in, the company told Sky News. "By default, teens can view the keywords their caregiver has added and we believe this transparency can also help to prompt conversations about online boundaries and safety," the company wrote. "We also wanted to make sure we respect young people's right to participate."
At the same time, TikTok announced that it will form a global Youth Council later this year. The aim, it said, will be to "listen to the experiences of those who directly use our platform and be better positioned to make changes to create the safest possible experience for our community."
TikTok has been criticized for exposing children to videos showing self-harm, eating disorders and other inappropriate content, often disguised by slightly altered hashtags designed by bypass moderation. The company is facing new content regulations in UK via the Online Safety Bill, and US lawmakers are working on a Kids Online Safety Act that would force social media companies like TikTok to add online safeguards for children. TikTok was recently banned in Montana, but the company is suing the state on the grounds that the ban violates the First Amendment and other laws.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-gives-parents-even-more-control-over-what-their-teens-see-093558339.html?src=rss
Meta has added new tools to its Family Center that will allow parents to see and control how their teenage kids are using Messenger. They'll now be able to view how much time their kid spends on the app, along with their privacy and safety settings. Parents and guardians will be able to see who can message their child and who can see their stories. In addition, they can get notifications for changes to their teen's contact list and for any changes their kid makes to their privacy and safety settings. If their child reports a user to Meta, parents can also get notified if their teen chooses to share the information with them.
The social networking giant said these are but the first batch of parental supervision tools coming to Family Center, and that it plans to add more over the next year. While they're only rolling out for users in the US, UK and Canada at the moment, Meta intends to expand their availability to other regions around the world in the coming months. Take note that Facebook has had parental controls for Messenger Kids for years, and these tools are for the main Messenger app, meant for parents with teens 13 to 18 years old.
Facebook/Meta
Aside from these new parental tools, Meta will now show teens a notification when they've already spent 20 minutes on Facebook to urge them to set daily time limits. For Instagram, it's exploring a new nudge feature that will ask teens to close the app if they've been scrolling Reels at night. Meta has also expanded its parental controls for Instagram to show parents how many friends their teen has in common with accounts they follow and are followed by. Plus, teens will get a new notification after they've blocked someone, encouraging them to add their parents to supervise their account.
Instagram/Meta
The company has a few safety updates that aren't teen-focused, as well. It's rolling out Quiet Mode, which mutes all notifications and changes a user's profile status, on Instagram around the world over the coming weeks. It's also currently testing a couple of new features meant to protect Instagram users from unwanted DMs. Users must now send an invite to connect to someone who doesn't follow them before being able to send a message. Further, they can only send one invite at a time and can't send more until the recipient accepts it. These message request invites are text only, prohibiting users from being able to send photos, videos or voice messages to other users they're not connected to.
Instagram
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/facebook-adds-parental-control-tools-to-messenger-090034344.html?src=rss
Arduino UNO R4 Minima and UNO R4 WiFi: Power-packed Upgrades for Enhanced Development and Connectivity
Arduino has unveiled two updated boards for their popular Uno development platform: the Uno R4 Minima and Uno R4 WiFi. These boards, built on the standard Uno form factor, feature the Renesas RA4M1 microcontroller.
Congress apparently has strict limits on the use of ChatGPT and similar generative AI tools. Axiosclaims to have obtained a memo from House of Representatives administrative chief Catherine Szpindor setting narrow conditions for the use of ChatGPT and similar large language AI models in congressional offices. Staff are only allowed to use the paid ChatGPT Plus service due to its tighter privacy controls, and then only for "research and evaluation," Szpindor says. They can't use the technology as part of their everyday work.
House offices are only allowed to use the chatbot with publicly accessible data even when using Plus, Szpindor adds. The privacy features have to be manually enabled to prevent interactions from feeding data into the AI model. ChatGPT's free tier isn't currently allowed, as are any other large language models.
We've asked the House for comment and will let you know if we hear back. A use policy like this wouldn't be surprising, though. Institutions and companies have warned against using generative AI due to the potential for accidents and misuse. Republicans drew criticism for using an AI-generated attack ad, for instance, while Samsung staff supposedly leaked sensitive data through ChatGPT while using the bot for work. Schools have banned these systems over cheating concerns. House restrictions theoretically prevent similar problems, such as AI-written legislation and speeches.
The House policy might not face much opposition. Both sides of Congress are attempting to regulate and otherwise govern AI. In the House, Representative Ritchie Torries introduced a bill that would require disclaimers for uses of generative AI, while Representative Yvette Clark wants similar disclosures for political ads. Senators have conducted hearings on AI and put forward a bill to hold AI developers accountable for harmful content produced using their platforms.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/congress-is-reportedly-limiting-staff-use-of-ai-models-like-chatgpt-195454777.html?src=rss
If you’re a fan of psychological horror, you should mark August 22nd on your calendar. That’s when an intriguing new game called Fort Solis arrives. Developer Fallen Leaf describes its debut as a psychological sci-fi thriller. The game casts players as Jack Leary, an engineer sent to investigate a remote mining base on Mars. Roger Clark, best known for his role as Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, voices Leary, with Tory Baker (The Last of Us, Death Stranding) and Julia Brown (The Last Kingdom, World on Fire) rounding out the cast.
Watching the trailer for Fort Solis, you might get the sense Fallen Leaf was inspired by Dead Space, but the studio says it was most directly influenced by narrative titles like Firewatch and Until Dawn. Fallen Leaf notes there are no camera cuts or loading screens to break up the game’s story, which “can be binged in one intense session.” If nothing else, Fort Solis should be a technical showcase. Alongside Layers of Fear, it’s one of the first Unreal Engine 5 games to arrive since Epic first teased the tech back in 2020. Fort Solis will be available on PlayStation 5, PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store) and Mac.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sci-fi-thriller-fort-solis-arrives-on-playstation-5-pc-and-mac-on-august-22nd-191021189.html?src=rss
One of the most influential scientists in technology has passed away. The University of Texas at Austin has confirmed that Dr. John Goodenough, widely credited as the creator of the lithium-ion battery, has died at the age of 100. While you might not have heard of him, he's effectively responsible for making cellphones, laptops and electric vehicles practical.
Researchers had been exploring lithium batteries before. Dr. M. Stanley Whittingham, for instance, produced a design combining lithium with titanium disulfide. However, The New York Timesnotes it was Goodenough who achieved a major breakthrough in 1980 while at the University of Oxford. He made a cathode with layers of lithium and cobalt oxide that produced a stronger voltage while greatly improving safety. It had much more capacity than previous batteries, such as lead acid (used in cars) and nickel-cadmium (found in many portable electronics).
The technology didn't flourish until Dr. Akira Yoshino scrapped raw lithium in favor of safer lithium ions. The scientist produced a practical design for Asahi Kasei Corporation, and Sony delivered the first consumer-friendly rechargeable lithium-ion battery in 1991. You know what happened next — the improved performance enabled mobile devices that were either more portable or simply hadn't been an option before. Cellphones and laptops could become sleeker, faster and longer-lasting, while electric cars were finally viable.
Goodenough was responsible for much more, however. During his stint at MIT in the 1950s and 1960s, he helped pioneer the technology that would eventually become the random access memory (RAM) you see in many computing products. He routinely shared patents with colleagues. He was also an active researcher into his 90s, and until a few years ago was developing next-generation battery tech that promised breakthrough performance for renewable energy and EVs.
While relatively unknown in public circles, Goodenough did receive recognition for his work. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 and the US National Medal of science in 2011, among other accolades.
Industries are slowly moving on from lithium-ion batteries. Automakers are planning EVs with solid-state batteries that deliver higher densities, faster charging and lower costs. However, it's safe to say the modern tech landscape wouldn't be what it is without Goodenough's efforts, and his legacy will likely be felt for years to come.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lithium-ion-battery-creator-john-goodenough-dies-at-100-171553322.html?src=rss
