ArduinoMania

Fall Guys is getting a shot in the arm this week with the introduction of the long-awaited level creator, which players can use to build their own levels (known as rounds). Before season four goes live on May 10th, I had the chance to tinker around with the creative mode on a PC preview build. The mode will be available on all platforms. It's a fairly robust toolkit that Mediatonic plans to build out significantly in the coming years. 

For now, users are restricted to building race rounds and they only have two themes to choose from. Levels need to have a start line and a finish line, and it's up to you to decide what goes in between (probably chaos).

Creative mode is debuting with what Mediatonic describes as a "greatest hits" of Fall Guys platforms and obstacles, including the Door Dash gates, slime floors, a cannon that can launch houses at players and, of course, Yeetus (a big rotating hammer). While the options might not be as extensive as some may have hoped, there's enough here for fiendish level creators to get started with.

Having a limited set of pieces at the outset may not be a bad thing. Constraints can foster creativity, as we've seen in the past with the old 140-character limit on tweets (which can now, regrettably, be up to 10,000 characters long) and short-form video.

The creative mode controls are a little janky, unfortunately, especially on a keyboard. You'll need to use the plus and minus keys (which are on the opposite side of my keyboard from the other buttons) to move pieces vertically. The preview build I was using didn't have the option to rebind the creative mode controls. Hopefully, that's something Mediatonic addresses swiftly.

Aside from that, creating a level is a cinch. It doesn't take long to build a tower with fans, bounce pads and boxing gloves that can send beans off the map and back to the start line if they're not careful. You can't go too off the rails with your rounds, though. There's a limit on how many objects you can include and you'll need to beat your levels yourself before you can publish and share them.

The creative mode had to be robust, since Mediatonic is using the same tools to build its own levels. The toolset has allowed the developers to create 50 new rounds for this season, more than ever before.

Extensive options for creativity have helped Fortnite enshrine itself as one of the biggest games in the world. Mediatonic and Epic will surely be hoping that this update will help do the same for Fall Guys. At the very least, it could bring back some lapsed players.

I probably won't spend too much time building my own rounds. I made one, Marie Kondo-inspired level in Super Mario Maker 2 and then went back to trying out other players' creations. I'll surely dip back into the Fall Guys creative mode as Mediatonic adds more obstacles (I'd like to try building my own version of Slimb Climb), but I'm mainly looking forward to seeing what nonsense other players come up with.

Meta is bringing more ads to Reels on Facebook and Instagram, and changing up how creators can earn money from their content. The change comes two months after Meta “paused” a bonus program that rewarded creators for hitting specific goals.

Now, Meta says it’s “accelerating” its plan to bring ads into Reels on Facebook, with “thousands” of creators now eligible to join the monetization program. The company plans to test a similar program for Reels creators on Instagram in the “coming weeks.”

Notably, Meta is structuring the program a bit differently than typical revenue sharing arrangements. The company says it will pay creators using “a new payout model that pays creators based on the performance of their public reels, not the earnings of ads on their reels” and that “initially, payouts in the test will be determined by the number of plays.” In other words, creators who rack up the highest number of views will earn the most, regardless of other engagement metrics or how much ad revenue their clips generate.

The decision to prioritize views apparently came as a result of the company’s earlier tests, with Meta noting that payments based on ad performance can sometimes negatively impact creators for things out of their control, like the company’s own ad inventory. Those terms are also likely a reflection of the fact that while Reels drive a lot of engagement for Meta, the feature hasn’t proven to be as easily monetized as its feeds and stories features. (The company says in its blog post that it’s continuing to “optimize the ad experience for advertisers,” on Reels.)

It’s also not yet clear just how much creators can expect to make through the new program. Meta had previously promised Reels creators monthly bonuses up to $35,000 a month when it launched the Reels Play bonus program in 2021. But the company reportedly slashed those payments last year, before “pausing” the program entirely in march. According to a Meta spokesperson, the ‘overarching goal” is for creators to be able to earn consistent payouts, but these numbers “will vary widely by creator.”

Meta is bringing more ads to Reels on Facebook and Instagram, and changing up how creators can earn money from their content. The change comes two months after Meta “paused” a bonus program that rewarded creators for hitting specific goals.

Now, Meta says it’s “accelerating” its plan to bring ads into Reels on Facebook, with “thousands” of creators now eligible to join the monetization program. The company plans to test a similar program for Reels creators on Instagram in the “coming weeks.”

Notably, Meta is structuring the program a bit differently than typical revenue sharing arrangements. The company says it will pay creators using “a new payout model that pays creators based on the performance of their public reels, not the earnings of ads on their reels” and that “initially, payouts in the test will be determined by the number of plays.” In other words, creators who rack up the highest number of views will earn the most, regardless of other engagement metrics or how much ad revenue their clips generate.

The decision to prioritize views apparently came as a result of the company’s earlier tests, with Meta noting that payments based on ad performance can sometimes negatively impact creators for things out of their control, like the company’s own ad inventory. Those terms are also likely a reflection of the fact that while Reels drive a lot of engagement for Meta, the feature hasn’t proven to be as easily monetized as its feeds and stories features. (The company says in its blog post that it’s continuing to “optimize the ad experience for advertisers,” on Reels.)

It’s also not yet clear just how much creators can expect to make through the new program. Meta had previously promised Reels creators monthly bonuses up to $35,000 a month when it launched the Reels Play bonus program in 2021. But the company reportedly slashed those payments last year, before “pausing” the program entirely in march. According to a Meta spokesperson, the ‘overarching goal” is for creators to be able to earn consistent payouts, but these numbers “will vary widely by creator.”

LinkedIn is the latest notable tech company to announce a round of mass layoffs. It's letting 716 staff go and shutting down its job search app in China. LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky said in a memo to employees that the cuts were part of a shift in strategy that was driven by changes in customer behavior and slower revenue growth. That's despite the platform seeing record levels of engagement and "making meaningful progress creating economic opportunities for our members and customers."

In 2021, LinkedIn shut down the seven-year-old Chinese version of its service, citing the difficulties of operating in the country. It rolled out a job board app for Chinese users called InCareer that did not have any social networking features. Now, Roslansky says the company will phase out that app by August 9th. While InCareer found some success, Roslansky wrote, "it also encountered fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate."

LinkedIn is shifting its strategy in China toward helping companies based there recruit and train workers from other countries. It will cut its product and engineering teams in China and reduce the headcount of its local corporate, sales and marketing divisions. As The New York Times notes, LinkedIn did not say how many of the layoffs will be in China.

Around 20,000 people work at LinkedIn, so the layoffs account for around 3.5 percent of the overall headcount. However, Roslansky said LinkedIn will open more than 250 positions in other areas starting next week, namely in the operations, new business and account management divisions. 

This is just the latest instance of widespread layoffs in the tech industry over the last several months. LinkedIn parent Microsoft said in January it would cut 10,000 workers. Meta, Alphabet and Amazon have all laid off tens of thousands of workers too.

Samsung's 1TB T7 Shield SSD not only offers solid read/write speeds but has a rugged exterior that helps it withstand drops, water and dust. It's now on sale for a record low price of $75, offering significant savings over the original $160 price tag. It's part of a Samsung storage sale that also feature the 980 Pro SSD 2TB drive down to just $140 ($20 off) and the 256GB EVO Select microSD memory card on sale for $18 ($22 off). 

While there are plenty of portable SSDs out there, the T7 Shield's claim to fame is the durable design. It can survive up to a 9.8-foot drop, and the IP65-rated chassis resists dust and water while offering a rubberized grip to stay in your hands. That makes it a solid choice for content creators and others that are constantly transferring data in the field and throwing drives into their bags.

While it's not the fastest model out there, the T7 Shield drive can hit 1,050MB/s and 1,000MB/s read/write speeds, respectively. That's more than fast enough to back up most memory cards, and the peace of mind from the hardened design could be worth any tradeoffs.

Samsung also has deals on memory cards and NVMe SSDs. A couple of notable deals are the 980 Pro 2TB NVMe Gen 4 SSD priced at $140, for a savings of 13 percent. You can also grab the 256GB EVO Select microSD memory card + adapter for just $18 and save $22. 

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

Apple finally has professional creative software to match the iPad Pro. The company is releasing both Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad on May 23rd. The two tablet apps now feature a touch-friendly interface and other iPad-specific improvements, such as Pencil and Magic Keyboard support (more on those in a moment). At the same time, Apple wants to reassure producers that these are full-featured apps that won't leave Mac users feeling lost.

The apps also represent a change in Apple's pricing strategy. Where Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for Mac are one-time purchases, you'll have to subscribe to the iPad versions for either $5 per month or $49 per year. There's a one-month free trial. The move isn't surprising given Apple's increasing reliance on services for revenue, but it may be disappointing if you were hoping to avoid the industry's subscription trend.

Developing...

Artiphon, the company behind the Orba handheld synth and MIDI controller, launched a new AR music creation app today that you don’t need a musical background to enjoy. Minibeats for iOS uses gestures, dance moves and facial expressions to craft songs played on 12 virtual instruments with colorful visual effects.

You could view the Minibeats app as a phone camera equivalent to Artiphon’s music-creation hardware. Here, instead of tapping touchpads on top of an orb-like device, the app lets you wave your hands, smile, frown and bust a move; the camera will capture your gestures and turn them into corresponding music.

The app is an extension of the company’s mission to make music creation a fun and simple activity that anyone can do. “With an intuitive interface and zero learning curve, Minibeats allows you to make music in innovative ways using simple gestures,” Artiphon’s announcement reads. “Dance to the beat as Minibeats tracks your movements and mixes the music. Wave your hands to draw across the sky with sparkles, lasers, and ripples. And even play music by smiling and frowning as Minibeats detects your emotions and scores it with a mood that matches the moment.”

Artiphon

The app taps into the Snapchat CameraKit SDK, which Artiphon already used in custom lenses it launched earlier this year in collaboration with electronic artists San Holo and LP Giobbi. “The iOS app will take this idea even further with more music to choose from and even more exciting ways to play it,” the launch video below states.

Although the app is tailored for simplicity, it provides hint videos to show you the ropes and learn the subtler details of AR music creation. Additionally, it includes “dozens” of visual effects corresponding to your gestures and sounds. And, of course, the app makes it easy to share your creations, letting you download your makeshift music video to your iOS Photos library or share with friends through text, email or social apps.

Bluesky, the Jack Dorsey-backed decentralized social network, isn’t publicly available yet, but it’s already become one of the hottest Twitter alternatives. Grabbing an invite to the service, which has been in a closed beta for barely two months, has become a digital status symbol, with invite codes selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay. The iOS app has been downloaded more than 375,000 times, according to analytics from data.ai – which is interesting considering the app only has about 65,000 users. Bluesky isn’t the first Twitter alternative to take off and see a surge in interest from former Twitter power users. Read on for a closer look at the latest attempt to replace Twitter in your life.

– Mat Smith

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Bank of Canada asks for public feedback about a national digital currency

Although it says ‘a digital Canadian dollar is not needed’ right now.

The Bank of Canada wants the public’s opinions on a potential digital Canadian dollar. Although the country’s central bank says a national digital currency isn’t yet needed, it wants to remain flexible and ready should that ever change. The bank cites the diminishing use of cash, potential competition with cryptocurrencies and national economic stability as reasons to prepare for the potential shift. “A digital Canadian dollar would ensure Canadians always have an official, safe and stable digital payment option issued by Canada’s central bank,” the bank says. But it also emphasized that, even if it eventually launched a national digital currency, it would still issue bank notes for anyone who wants them. “Cash isn’t going anywhere,” it unequivocally states.

Continue reading.

Watch the first trailer for Chris Nolan's 'Oppenheimer'

The movie focuses on the birth of the atomic bomb.

Universal

Universal has released a trailer for Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's biopic of the physicist who played a key role in developing and testing the first atomic bomb. While the team hopes nuclear weapons will end World War II and usher in a new era of peace, they're also worried about sparking an apocalyptic arms race. The adaptation of Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin's American Prometheus book stars Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) as its namesake scientist, with Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer's wife, Katherine.

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The Ayaneo Air Plus is the next would-be Steam Deck killer

Great hardware can't hide that this isn't a pure console experience.

Ayaneo, a relatively unknown player, has become one of the more prolific names in the handheld gaming PC world. Its newest handheld, the Air Plus, is the third iteration of Ayaneo’s Air series, and it has a choice of either AMD or Intel chipsets. The model we tested is the Ryzen 6800U processor, meaning it’s technically very similar to the Ayaneo 2 we reviewed a few months ago. The Air Plus is a shade smaller than a Nintendo Switch (albeit somewhat thicker), unlike the Ayaneo 2, which has a profile closer to the Steam Deck. While the entry-level 64GB Steam Deck will set you back $400, the base Ayaneo Air Plus costs $790 for early birds before it eventually retails for $979.

Continue reading.

Sony's latest portable party speaker also works with your TV

The SRS-XV800 lasts up to 25 hours and has karaoke features.

Sony

Sony's X-Series party speakers typically have a few tricks up their sleeves to power your gatherings. The company's latest model, the SRS-XV800, packs in a lot, but it also has an additional handy tool. Besides a built-in light show, karaoke mode and more, this speaker can connect to your TV through its optical port. Sony says you can expect up to 25 hours of battery life on the XV800, but that's with the customizable built-in light show turned off. This speaker may be portable, but it's also a beast. Sony added wheels and a handle, so you don't have to carry this behemoth when you need to move it.

Continue reading.

VanMoof’s newest e-bikes, the S4 and X4, are two attempts at a mid-range e-bike. The company is trying to deliver its premium features and build quality, for substantially less money. At $2,498, that’s $1,000 less than the company’s top-of-the-range S5 and X5 bikes, but they're still not exactly cheap.

VanMoof co-founder Ties Carlier said in a press release that this was an attempt at a “more simple, more accessible and more reliable” e-bike. One major simplification is the transition to adaptive motor support and a two-speed gear hub. The SX5 series had a three-speed gear system, and while it had a torque sensor to assist, adaptive motor support is new for these cheaper e-bikes. While the gear system may be different, the company expects the range to be equivalent to both the SA5 and older SX3 e-bikes, 60-150 km, depending on riding conditions and rider. There’s still turbo-boost on board, with a button on each side of the handlebars.

Security-wise (and where VanMoof has excelled in the past) there’s an integrated fourth-generation Kick Lock (SA5 e-bikes have Gen 5 lock), which locks the rear wheel with a tap. It’s still packed with anti-theft tech, including onboard alarms and location tracking, although there’s no integrated support for Apple’s Find My item tracking.

The design hasn’t changed hugely, but there are some differences worth noting. The team has nixed the halo ring lighting and USB-C charging port for the SX4, while the frame itself is closer, both in looks and height, to the older SX3 e-bikes. Possibly the biggest difference is a punchier range of colors: the SX4 will come in Evergreen, Sunbeam Yellow, Purple Fog and Foam Green – a far cry from the mostly monochrome of previous rides – and demonstrating different tastes to rival Cowboy’s latest e-bike colorways.

VanMoof

Both the VanMoof S4 and X4 are available to preorder now, at VanMoof’s official site. In Europe, the Evergreen model is on sale starting today, while it will go on sale in late May in the US, with other color options following after. Stay tuned for impressions once we get to test-ride.

One of the largest apps in the world is coming to Wear OS watches, 9to5Google and WaBetaInfo have reported. WhatsApp is now testing an app for Wear OS 3 on devices like the Galaxy Watch 5, Pixel Watch and others. It offers much of the functionality of the mobile versions, showing recent chats and contacts, while allowing you to send voice and text messages. 

To set up the app, you'll need to have the Beta version of WhatsApp on your phone. After installing the app on your watch, it will display an eight-digit alphanumeric code that you punch in to the mobile app.

WhatsApp

From there, a list of recent conversations will pop up, along with "Settings" and "Open on phone." Clicking any of the conversations will bring up individual or group chats, showing messages, images sent, etc. At the bottom of each chat, you can choose to send a voice or text message, using the system keyboard for the latter. Similarly, you can view or listen to any existing or received messages. 

WhatsApp offers a circular complication that shows unread messages on your watch's home page. There are also two tiles for contacts and voice messages, to let you quickly access people or start a voice message recording. 

It's a significant release for Wear OS 3, offering an ultra-popular app that most people have on their phones — in turn fulfilling Google's aim of getting more developers on the platform. To get the app, you'll need to sign up for the WhatsApp beta and be running version 2.23.10.10+ on both your smartphone and watch.