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Sony has laid out more concerns about Microsoft's planned takeover of Activision Blizzard in its latest response to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Sony has opposed the deal from the start. Now, it's suggesting that Microsoft could (perhaps unintentionally) kneecap the performance and quality of Call of Duty on PlayStation, which might result in fans switching to Xbox. 

"Microsoft might release a PlayStation version of Call of Duty where bugs and errors emerge only on the game’s final level or after later updates," the letter (PDF) reads. "Even if such degradations could be swiftly detected, any remedy would likely come too late, by which time the gaming community would have lost confidence in PlayStation as a go-to venue to play Call of Duty. Indeed, as Modern Warfare II attests, Call of Duty is most often purchased in just the first few weeks of release. If it became known that the game’s performance on PlayStation was worse than on Xbox, Call of Duty gamers could decide to switch to Xbox, for fear of playing their favourite game at a second-class or less competitive venue."

Sony claims there wouldn't be a viable way for it or the CMA to assess how "Microsoft chooses to allocate its resources and the quality/quantity of engineers it devotes to the PlayStation version of Call of Duty to ensure that SIE would be treated fairly and equally." Degrading the quality of Call of Duty on PlayStation, intentionally or not, perhaps wouldn't be the wisest course of action, as The Verge points out. A buggy Call of Duty release on PlayStation would probably lead to a bigger backlash against Microsoft and Activision than Sony.

In any case, Microsoft noted in its latest response to the CMA (PDF) that it has offered to "provide Sony with parity on release date, content, features, upgrades, quality and playability with the Xbox platform." That is, if Sony accepts Microsoft's proposed 10-year agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Microsoft would be willing to agree to a third-party assessor to oversee the platform parity.

Sony's letter reiterates its concern that Microsoft would make Call of Duty a Game Pass exclusive and away from PlayStation. Again, that's something Microsoft has refuted. “As we have said all along: it makes zero business sense to take Call of Duty off of PlayStation,” Microsoft Competition Law Group corporate vice president Rima Alaily recently told Axios.

It will be a while yet before we know for sure whether Microsoft will be allowed to buy Activision Blizzard. The CMA is set to make a final ruling on the deal by April 26th. It has millions of Microsoft and Activision documents, and thousands of emails from the public to take into account, according to Sony. The CMA raised concerns about the deal in February, suggesting it could "harm UK gamers" and lead to a "substantial lessening of competition in gaming consoles."

Other major regulators have yet to rubberstamp the takeover, including in the US, where the Federal Trade Commission has attempted to block it. However, reports suggest the European Union is set to give the merger the green light following news that Microsoft will bring Call of Duty and other games to Nintendo and GeForce Now platforms.

In case you're wondering, Microsoft's letter details how Activision would get Call of Duty games to run on Nintendo Switch, which is much less powerful than PlayStation and Xbox consoles. It would do so "by optimizing the display resolution, in-game texture resolution, reducing the rendering speed (i.e., frames per second) and simplifying advanced rendering techniques (e.g., raytracing, shadow, lighting and antialiasing techniques)." In other words, it'd make the game look and run worse than on other systems.

In the meantime, it seems Call of Duty fans have another bizarre crossover coming their way soon. A teaser posted on the series' Twitter account shows Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and a date of March 21st. 

Bowers & Wilkins is on a bit of a roll. The company debuted two stellar-sounding sets of headphones in 2022: the Px7 S2 and the Px8. To kick off 2023, it revealed revamped versions of its true wireless earbuds. The more premium Pi7 S2 sits above the Pi5 S2 in the company’s lineup, offering support for aptX Adaptive and 24-bit/48kHz streaming from compatible devices and services. The retooled Pi7 also packs in adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC) and a case capable audio retransmission to set itself apart from the new Pi5. However, the S2 variants of the company’s high-end model are considerably more expensive than the best wireless earbuds we’ve reviewed and they lack polish in several key areas.

Design

Bowers & Wilkins didn’t reinvent the wheel when it came to the design of the Pi7 S2. The company stuck with the overall look from 2021’s Pi7, but it did change up the colors. Like the previous model, this IP54-rated S2 version comes in black and white options, but the previously copper-hued components are now silver. That change is primarily to the round exterior panel where the company’s branding and touch controls reside. There’s also a new third color – dark blue – which has gold accents. Bowers & Wilkins calls it Midnight Blue, but in person it’s more purple than blue to me.

All told, the Pi7 and Pi7 S2 have a unique shape that’s a flat oval with a circular touch panel on top. They aren’t the most comfortable earbuds to wear for long periods of time, but they stay in place when you move around. In terms of on-board controls, basic playback functions are here and they’re mirrored on both sides. A long press on the right side will summon your voice assistant, while doing the same on the left cycles between ANC and off. The Pi7 S2 does remember if you had the earbuds set to regular noise cancellation or the company’s auto-adjusting option. However, there’s no way to trigger transparency mode on the earbuds themselves and there’s no option for volume controls. Both are pretty big omissions for a $400 set.

Software and features

Billy Steele/Engadget

Like recent Bowers & Wilkins headphones, the Pi7 S2 settings are accessible inside the company’s Music app. Here, you can select your noise cancellation mode (on, auto or off), activate passthrough (transparency mode), manage connections (multipoint available for two devices), disable the wear sensor (automatic pausing) and determine streaming quality. The main view for the Pi7 S2 also displays battery life for the earbuds and the case separately, but you only get one number for the buds – not an individual percentage for each one. The app also lets you connect a handful of music services to use the software as your media player. Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, TuneIn, SoundCloud and NTS are the supported options here.

And that’s really it. There’s no option to adjust EQ to select from presets the company made for the Pi7 S2. Even with its recent headphones, Bowers & Wilkins included treble and bass sliders so you could make adjustments. Sure, the changes from those controls are basic and fairly subtle, but the option is there. You also can’t switch up the on-board controls, like reassigning the long press action. Which means you’re stuck with the left side cycling between ANC on or off, with no quick access to transparency mode.

One feature that sets the Pi7 S2 apart from much of the competition is its wireless transmission case. You can take the included USB-C to 3.5mm cable and use the earbuds with devices where a straight Bluetooth connection isn’t possible – like an in-flight entertainment system. All you have to do is plug the cable into both the case and the other device and the earbuds will automatically connect. The charging/pairing indicator on the outside of the case will slowly blink white when everything is in sync. Bowers & Wilkins isn’t the only company to offer this and it included the tool on the Pi7 too. However, the feature is far from commonplace at this point though it is popping up more frequently on new models.

Sound quality

Billy Steele/Engadget

Bowers & Wilkins’ Px7 S2 headphones were some of the best we reviewed last year in terms of pure sound quality. The company took things a step further with its high-end Px8, continuing its track record of well-balanced tuning with outstanding clarity and detail. While the Pi7 S2 aren’t quite on par with the company’s headphones, the overall audio here is still very good. I wouldn’t put these earbuds ahead of Sennheiser’s premium true wireless option, but Bowers & Wilkins isn’t far off. In fact, when it comes to reproducing subtle details, I’d argue the Pi7 S2 is slightly better than the Momentum 3 – but only on that one specific criteria.

The stunning detail is apparent when you listen to Makaya McCraven’s In These Times and other jazz albums. Ditto for multi-instrumental bluegrass. These genres showcase what the Pi7 S2 is capable of when it comes to clarity and subtlety. In the case of McCraven, it’s not just a kick drum, you can hear the nuance that this is that trademark, kind of muffled bass drum that’s a mainstay of the musical style. Horns float on top of everything else when they’re present, giving the instrumental tracks a vocal cadence even when there isn’t one.

More chaotic genres like hard rock and metal are a mixed bag. Some tracks are open, airy and bombastic while others come across slightly muffled and subdued. There’s ample bass throughout though, which means the kick drum is tight and punchy no matter the rest. When it comes to hip hop and electronic music – anything with a constant, driving bass line – the Pi7 S2 does better. More specifically, these earbuds are among the few that allow you to almost feel the low-end tone in a rap track when it hits that certain frequency. Earl Sweatshirt’s SICK! exhibits this quality well. For synth-heavy styles, like Sylvan Esso’s electro-pop No Rules Sandy, the Pi7 S2 perfectly captures the oscillation in Nick Sanborn’s composition on songs like “Echo Party.” There’s a lot of finer synthesizer work here and the Pi7 S2 doesn’t miss a single detail.

One area where the Pi7 S2 is just OK is canceling out noise. The earbuds do an admirable job in most scenarios, combatting constant annoying sounds that could otherwise hinder productivity. Like many sets of true wireless buds, these aren’t the best with human voices and other sounds will occasionally pierce through. The Auto noise canceling setting does improve ANC performance over the default “on'' option, but the Pi7 S2 is nowhere close to what Sony, Bose and others at the top of the heap can muster. And, again, when you’re evaluating a set of $400 earbuds, adequate just isn’t good enough.

In terms of call quality, the Pi7 S2 is a capable option. They’re not the absolute best, and they don’t handle background noise well, but the earbuds won’t leave you sounding like you’re on speaker phone, which is the case with most of the competition. You’ll definitely want to activate transparency mode here, even though that setting isn’t as natural-sounding as it is on Apple’s AirPods Pro and others. Bowers & Wilkins allows you to hear what’s going on around you, so you won’t feel the need to shout to hear yourself. However, the earbuds don’t feed your voice back through, so it’s not nearly the pristine experience as using the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max for calls.

Battery life

Billy Steele/Engadget

Bowers & Wilkins promises up to five hours of battery life on a charge on the Pi7 S2, up from four hours on the Pi7. You’ll also get an additional 16 hours in the case and the ability to charge wirelessly. During my tests, I was able to hit this mark reliably with ANC on even though the company’s estimate is based on it being turned off. However, unlike recent Bowers & Wilkins headphones I’ve tested, the Pi7 S2 didn’t surpass the stated figures. The company has also included a quick-charge feature that will give you two hours of use in 15 minutes.

Five hours is significantly less than much of the competition. Sony’s WF-1000XM4, for example, clocks in at eight hours with active noise cancellation. For a set of $400 earbuds, I’d expect at least that much or more.

The competition

Despite being nearly two years old, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 are still the best true wireless earbuds you can buy right now. Simply put, no other company comes close to offering the truckload of features Sony has crammed into its premium buds. On top of great sound quality and capable noise cancellation, the M4 can automatically pause when you start talking, is equipped with a quick attention mode and can change sound settings based on your activity or location. Currently $278, they’re a huge savings over the Pi7 S2 and you can typically catch them on sale for even less.

In terms of pure sound performance, the closest competition to the Pi7 S2 is Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3. They’re available for half of what you’ll pay for the latest Bowers & Wilkins premium earbuds, the audio quality is very good and they pack in more battery life than the Pi7 S2 – seven hours on the earbuds with three full charges in the case. If you’re looking for the best noise-canceling chops, Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II should be considered. They’re $100 less than the Pi7 S2 and do a much better job of blocking out distractions.

Wrap-up

Billy Steele/Engadget

Bowers & Wilkins has established itself as one of the best audio companies in terms of pure audio performance. The company’s Px line of headphones are sonically among the best you can buy and that trend continues for its latest high-end earbuds. However, for a set of $400 earbuds, the Pi7 need to be nearly flawless to justify the premium price that’s over $100 more than some of the closest rivals. While the overall sound quality is great, these earbuds fall short in terms of battery life, customization and ANC performance. Bowers & Wilkins’ ability to consistently deliver pristine sound isn’t enough to make up for what the Pi7 S2 lacks, which is unfortunately quite a bit.

The Microsoft-Activision Blizzard saga is still trundling on. As the companies try to push through Microsoft's proposed $68.7 billion takeover, some fascinating details are spilling out of documents that various parties are submitting to regulators. The latest is an intriguing update about the future of Call of Duty on mobile.

In a written response to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which recently suggested that the planned merger could lead to a "substantial lessening of competition in gaming consoles," Microsoft says that "Call of Duty: Mobile is expected to be phased out over time (outside of China) with the launch of Warzone Mobile." The letter (PDF) notes that Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studios developed and owns the current game.

Warzone Mobile is slated for release later this year. As GamesRadar points out, Call of Duty: Mobile has its own distinct seasons and battle pass. Warzone Mobile will hook into the cross-progression system of the PC and console versions of the battle royale game. There won't be cross-play between Warzone Mobile and the other versions.

It makes sense for Activision to want to unify the Call of Duty ecosystem, but it's unclear exactly what phasing out CoD: Mobile will mean for players and all the stuff they unlock in that game. Engadget has contacted Activision Blizzard for comment.

The vertical TikTok-style video feed has invaded a lot of the apps we use on a daily basis and now it's officially coming to one more. After announcing a beta test last year, Spotify will begin rolling a new design for the Home section of its mobile app with a "more visual, dynamic" look. The company says the visual feeds are "built for deeper discovery and more meaningful connections between artists and fans."

Music, Podcasts and Audiobooks sections will also give you the ability to "scroll purposefully" through the new feeds where Spotify will offer audio and video clips for you to preview. If you find something you want to hear in its entirety, there are options to save, share, preview multiple songs (playlists or albums), read episode transcriptions and watch video podcasts. These visual feeds will also be in the Search interface, where you can scroll through clips arranged by genre. Additionally, Spotify says it will put the visual content inside of its curated playlists like Discover Weekly, Release Radar, New Music Friday and Rap Caviar. The company sees this as a way to offer previews for songs in those collections before you hit play. Unlike some of the early tests, Spotify hasn't added a fourth button to the app's navigation bar for these newly scrollable feeds.

For the Music tab, users in the US and Canada will see Spotify's AI DJ just below the collection of eight personalized shortcuts. When you begin to scroll, the app will serve up audio and visual snippets of a song (you can watch muted if you prefer). From here, you can preview up to five different songs from an album or playlist by tapping on the cards — much like you would for Instagram Stories. Spotify will also give you some brief context as to why you're seeing these recommendations. 

Spotify

For the Podcasts section, you'll still see those eight shortcuts up top while the rest of the feed will preview selected shows for you. Each recommendation will have an audio sample and real-time transcription or a video clip if the show was recorded in that format. If you want to continue listening, you'll have the option of picking up at the part you previewed or starting from the beginning. Spotify says the Audiobook feed will function much like the Podcast previews. 

Spotify is also renaming its Enhance tool that debuted in 2021. Now called Smart Shuffle, the feature not only adds suggestions to playlists "that perfectly match the vibe," it also mixes up the order. You can activate it by double tapping on the shuffle icon. When you've done so you'll notice a shuffle icon with a star in the top left and any track that is added by suggestion will be highlighted in the list. You can quickly remove all of the app's recommendations by tapping on the Smart Shuffle button once more, reverting the playlist back to your carefully constructed collection. 

Lastly, the company is adding auto play for podcasts to its app. Just like it does for music, Spotify will give you the ability to automatically begin "another relevant episode" based on what you were listening to. Also like it does for music, the company is giving you the ability to turn auto play off, so when your podcast ends you can enjoy the silence. 

This year's Microsoft Ability Summit is underway and the company has revealed its latest advancements for accessibility and disability inclusion. First, it's bringing an accessibility assistant to Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office). The aim is to help people produce content that's more accessible.

The assistant will offer suggestions on how to prevent and correct accessibility issues, along with what Microsoft calls "better defaults" and "real-time remediation." The assistant follows an accessibility checker in Visual Studio. On a similar note, Microsoft has released a guidebook (PDF) to help people design products with cognitive diversity in mind.

Later this year, there will be 3D-printed attachments for the Surface Pen — they're already available for the Business Pen and Classroom Pen 2. According to Microsoft, the grips can make the pens easier to hold for those with limited mobility so they can use the peripherals on their Surface devices.

Elsewhere, Microsoft detailed more accessibility-minded updates that are built on the Azure platform. The Seeing AI app recently added a feature to help blind users and those with low vision to make their way through a building with the guidance of spatial audio cues. 

Azure Cognitive Services for vision will be employed to automatically add alt-text descriptions and captioning on LinkedIn as well. Microsoft notes that more than 40 percent of LinkedIn posts have at least one image. While automatically generated descriptions won't be perfect, they're better than having no alt text at all.

On top of all that, Microsoft Translator today gained support for an additional 13 African languages, including Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. Additionally, Microsoft says it will delve into some of the ways that Bing AI can bolster accessibility during the summit.

Google has released Android 14 Developer Preview 2, and it's good news if you're worried someone might snoop on your data. DP2 adds a screenshot detection framework to help developers thwart hackers and spies that use screenshots to capture sensitive data. An intruder may have a harder time snooping on private chats or banking details, in other words.

The Android 14 test release also offers an iOS-like ability to limit the photos an app can use. You can restrict access to a temporary set of specific photos. You don't have to worry that a social media app will see the family photos you'd rather keep private. DP2 also refines a programming kit that lets apps use passkey sign-ins instead of less secure (and more hassle-prone) passwords.

Other upgrades are subtler. There are more efforts to boost performance by limiting the resources apps can take while running in the background. And if you've ever been irritated by notifications that refuse to go away, you'll be glad to here there are fewer non-dismissable alerts.

Android 14 is already known to include a number of other improves at this stage. It offers broader support for foldable phones and tablets, greater accessibility and per-app regional personalization. The new OS can also block the installation of 'old' apps, such as malware that targets an ancient Android version to avoid modern security checks.

The software is still very early. The first beta meant for public consumption isn't due until April, and you won't see release candidates until June. You'll need to manually download this for your Pixel (4a or later) or PC-based emulator. Google also isn't likely showing everything you can expect when the finished Android 14 arrives — we'd expect to hear more at Google I/O on May 10th. Like other developer previews, DP2 is aimed at coders who want to get an early start and are willing to live with bugs and compatibility issues. For now, you'll want to stick with Android 13 on a primary phone where reliability and app support are critical.

Google Translate on the web can now convert text from images. It uses the same tech as the AR Translate tool for Google Lens, which performs real-time translations on smartphones.

You’ll find the option on the Google Translate website, where you'll see a new Images tab at the top. After uploading a photo or screenshot from your computer, a translation appears that (in most cases) should look about as seamless as the original text. The web interface includes options to copy the text, download the translated image or clear it. In addition, it lists 113 available source languages (and it can automatically detect them) and 133 destination languages.

“Lens translate” branding below the result indicates that it uses the same generative adversarial networks (GAN) powering AR Translate for Google Lens. Although Lens has been able to translate images on mobile for years, the latest version that debuted last year uses the same tech powering the company’s Magic Eraser, which debuted on the Pixel 6 but is now available on older Pixels and Google One. That helps the translation appear like it’s replacing the original text rather than superimposing it on top.

With a potential US ban on the horizon, TikTok has outlined a new data policy designed to convince European lawmakers it is not a security threat. Dubbed Project Clover, the guidelines will see TikTok introduce “security gateways” governing employee access to European user information and data transfers outside of the continent. “This will add another level of control over data access,” TikTok states. As before, data requests will also need to comply with local data protection laws.

A third-party security firm will be responsible for overseeing TikTok’s new data security controls and conducting audits of the company’s data practices. The third-party will also “monitor data flows” and report incidents. TikTok said it would have more information to share about the partnership soon. The company also plans to partner with other companies to implement technologies that can augment and improve its new data policy.

According to TikTok, an internal team has been working on Project Clover since last year. The company expects to implement the changes it outlined today throughout 2023 and next year. Separately, TikTok today announced plans to open two new data centers in Ireland and Norway. Both will be operated by third parties and powered by renewable energy. The company plans to begin storing European user data locally starting this year, at an annual cost of €1.2 billion.

"We're ahead of the curve on this because we have to be – because we need to earn trust," TikTok vice-president of government relations and public policy in Europe Theo Bertram told BBC News.

The announcement comes after the European Commission, the EU’s executive wing, banned staff from installing and using TikTok on work devices. Whether the company’s new policy will be enough to prevent European lawmakers from imposing additional limits on the platform is hard to say. Project Texas, an agreement TikTok struck with Oracle to route US user traffic through the firm’s cloud infrastructure, has seemingly done little to convince American lawmakers the app is not a national security threat. Whatever course of action the US takes, it’s likely to push its allies in Europe to do the same, much like it did with Huawei.

An Arlo doorbell will work with Alexa, the Google Assistant, Siri, Samsung's SmartThings or IFTTT integrations. Unlike some smart home devices, Arlo plays nice. And right now, you can save $100 on the brand's wire-free version of the Essential Video Doorbell at Amazon. That's half off the usual $200, bringing it down to $100 in either the white or black casing. You can also get the same discount through Arlo's site directly. 

The rechargeable battery inside makes the unit easy to install, particularly if your front entry isn't already wired for a doorbell. It connects directly to your WiFi and delivers a wide, head-to-toe view of who or whatever is at your door to your smartphone or smart display. The view goes all the way to the ground so you can see packages and the built-in mic and speaker lets you both hear and talk to visitors. 

If you'd rather go with wires, the wired Essential Video Doorbell is 47 percent off, bringing that unit down to $80. Not only do you save $20 over the sale price of the wire-free unit, you also never have to recharge the battery. Just be sure your doorbell wiring delivers at least 16V. Our senior ran into that snag when he installed a wired Arlo doorbell in his new house. After upgrading his existing transformer, he appreciated the coverage and peace of mind he got from the doorbell along with a few Arlo Pro 3 security cameras.

The latest model of Arlo's outdoor Pro camera, the Pro 4 Spotlight, is only five percent off right now, for a thin, $10 savings. But you can save 27 percent on a two pack of the outdoor Essential Spotlight Camera. Like the Pro 4s, they offer a spotlight, two-way audio, night vision and direct-to-WiFi connectivity, but with a lower resolution at 1080p and a slightly narrower field of view at 130 degrees. 

Arlo's wired indoor cams are also on sale, with a 20 percent discount bringing those down to $80. That's not as great of a deal as we saw on the cameras last month, but still might ease the cost of entry to creating a home with video coverage inside and out. 

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Google One is expanding its security features. First, Google is making its virtual private network (VPN) available to all subscribers at no extra cost. A VPN for Google One members was first introduced in October 2020, but only for those on plans with at least 2TB of storage. The 2TB plan costs $10 per month or $100 per year, but you now won't need to pay that much to access Google's VPN.

Starting today and over the next few weeks, Google will open up access to the VPN across all plans. That includes the Basic $2 per month option, which gives you 100GB of storage across your Google account. The VPN will be available in 22 countries on Android, iOS, Windows and Mac devices. You'll be able to share it with up to five other people who are on your One plan.

The VPN will hide your internet activity from hackers and network operators. Google says. The company claims it will "never use the VPN connection to track, log, or sell your online activity."

Elsewhere, Google is adding another feature to help One subscribers protect themselves. A dark web report, which the company will start rolling out to members in the US over the next few weeks, can scan the dark web for your personal details to check if your information has been included in a data breach.

You can select which details — such as your name, address, email, phone number and Social Security Number — you'd like Google to look out for on your monitoring profile. Google says it will handle this data according to its privacy policy. You can remove the details from your profile at any time and ask Google to stop monitoring the dark web for your information, if you prefer.

If Google finds your tracked information on the dark web, it'll notify you and offer some suggestions on how to protect yourself. It says that, for instance, if it spots your Social Security number, you might want to report it as stolen and take action to protect your credit. The report will also highlight information potentially related to you beyond the details you add to your monitoring profile.

Google has been adding other features to One beyond security measures and extra storage. It revealed in February that subscribers can access the Magic Eraser feature in Google Photos. Before then, the feature was only available on Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 devices.