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Elon Musk said he could've sold his SpaceX shares to take Tesla private when he took the witness stand again to defend his 2018 "funding secured" tweets in a lawsuit filed by the automaker's shareholders. According to CNBC, Musk proclaimed: "SpaceX stock alone meant 'funding secured' by itself. It's not that I want to sell SpaceX stock but I could have, and if you look at the Twitter transaction — that is what I did. I sold Tesla stock to complete the Twitter transaction. And I would have done the same here." He didn't say how many of his shares he'd have to sell, however, to be able to fund the transaction. 

The plaintiffs' lawsuit is based on Musk's infamous 2018 tweets in which he said he was "considering taking Tesla private at $420." He even said that he already had "[f]unding secured." Musk first took the stand for this particular case last week to defend himself against the plaintiffs' accusations that the tweets he made cost them significant financial losses. Tesla's shares temporarily stopped trading after those tweets and remained volatile in the weeks that followed. He said at the time that just because he tweets something "does not mean people believe it or will act accordingly."

This time, Musk reiterated his previous claim that he had an agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to take Tesla private. He told the court that the country was "unequivocal" in its support of the transaction, which ultimately didn't go through. According to Bloomberg, the court discussed his communication and eventual falling out with Saudi fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan regarding the deal. A text exchange was reportedly presented to the jury, wherein Musk accused Al-Rumayyan of backing out of their handshake agreement. The Saudi official responded that he didn't have sufficient information to be able to commit to the buyout and called Musk's public announcement of their discussions "ill advised."

The plaintiffs' lawyer also asked Musk what many of us were probably wondering: If the $420 share price in his tweets was made as a joke in reference to marijuana. Apparently, it wasn't a joke, and he chose it "because it reflected about a 20 percent premium on Tesla's stock price." Musk is expected to testify again on Tuesday, so we'll likely hear more details about his failed bid to convert Tesla into a private entity. 

As Bloomberg notes, the judge in this case had already determined that his tweets were "objectively false and reckless." However, the plaintiffs still have to prove that Musk knew his tweets were misleading and that his tweets caused their losses to win the case. Musk and Tesla previously had to pay the Securities and Exchange Commission $20 million each to settle a separate lawsuit over the same tweets, accusing him of making "false and misleading statements" that could be constituted as fraud. The CEO said on the stand that he told the SEC about SpaceX and that the plaintiffs' lawyer "deliberately exclud[ed] that from jurors."

Apple is expected to reveal its long-anticipated mixed reality headset in the coming months. The device has been in the works for several years and it'll be Apple's first new product category since Apple Watch, which debuted in 2015. Many details about the device have emerged through the rumor mill. Although much of the information in his latest piece on the headset has already been reported, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has revealed some more details about what to expect from the product, which may be called Reality Pro.

It's said to be a standalone device with an interface similar to that of iPhone and iPad and the option to pin widgets to the home screen. Alternatively, it may be used as an external display for a connected Mac. Along with Siri voice commands, there'll be the option to use a Mac, iPhone or iPad keyboard to enter text on the so-called "xrOS" operating system, according to the report. Apple is believed to be working on a way for users to type with their hands in midair, like in many sci-fi movies, but that option likely won't be available when the headset debuts.

It's expected that there will be health-tracking features and the option to install third-party apps. Virtual reality video is said to be a focus, with the company adding support for Apple TV+ content. It's believed that Apple has held talks with Disney, Dolby and other media partners regarding VR content, and that there will be the option to watch video on virtual screens in environments like space or a desert. Users might need to wear AirPods or other supported headphones for spatial audio if they want to be fully immersed. Gaming may be an important aspect of the device as well. 

The key selling point for the headset could be Apple's approach to hand and eye tracking. It's believed that the device will have sensors that can follow wearers' eyes and several external cameras that can monitor hand movements. The idea, according to the report, is that users would be able to select an item (such as an app icon or button) by looking at it and then squeezing their thumb and index finger to carry out that action. If this approach works as expected, wearers wouldn't need to use hand controllers — rival headsets typically require those. Meanwhile, the headset may have a screen on the front that can display the wearer's eyes, which might be a little offputting for some.

The device is expected to support virtual reality and augmented reality, with the ability to switch between the two modes using a Watch-like digital crown. Meta's latest headset, the Quest Pro, offers full-color passthrough for AR use and it's expected that Apple will offer a similar function.

Apple may be keeping users who need prescription glasses in mind. Many glasses wearers have found it uncomfortable to wear VR and AR headsets. However, it's claimed that Apple will offer custom lenses that sit within the headset's enclosure, which could make it more comfortable to use.

One intriguing aspect of the headset that doesn't seem to have been reported before is how it will handle one-on-one FaceTime calls. It was previously believed that other people on a call will be displayed as an icon or Memoji. That's still likely to be the case for group calls. For one-on-one chats in which both participants are wearing a Reality Pro, the report suggests that FaceTime will render realistic versions of their face and body. Processing limitations seemingly prevent this feature from being available for group calls. Other companies, such as Meta, typically render users in a more cartoonish fashion (and don't yet include legs).

Any of these features may still yet change as the headset is months away from coming to market. However, it's believed that Reality Pro will be powered by an M2 chipset. A second chip called the "Reality Processor" is expected to handle graphics and mixed-reality experiences.

While other headset makers typically opt for a plastic body, Apple is believed to be constructing Reality Pro using aluminum, glass and cushions with a similar look to the AirPods Max headphones. However, the battery is not expected to be built into the device. According to Gurman, the battery will be in an external pack that connects to the headset via a cable and is placed in a user's pocket. That, and a cooling fan, could help avoid the headset from overheating, but it could lead to a weight imbalance. The battery life is said to be around two hours.

Apple may reveal the device this spring — before this year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June — and release it this fall. The price, though, may put off many who might otherwise be interested in Reality Pro. It's long been expected that the headset will retail for around $3,000. That's twice as much as the Quest Pro.

This is a gamble for Apple as it moves into a new market that hasn't yet seen mass adoption. The report suggests that Apple expects to sell around 1 million units in the first year and the company even anticipates that the first version of Reality Pro won't turn a profit. Another version that will cost around $1,500 is said to be in the pipeline, though that may not arrive until late 2024 or early 2025. The cheaper model may eschew the Reality Pro's 4K displays for ones with lower resolution to reduce the cost.

Apple boosted iOS security today with the release of its 16.3 software update. For the first time, iOS users can use physical security keys for two-factor authentication (2FA) of their Apple ID. This new measure, announced by the company last year, adds a layer of protection for those facing unusual security threats — people like celebrities, journalists and government employees.

Physical key support should help prevent phishing scams, which can trick users into allowing an intruder access through 2FA. Using a device like the YubiKey means only those with access to the physical key can get into your account. Although some security keys plug into the iPhone’s Lightning port, most use USB. However, NFC and Bluetooth keys should work with the iPhone, and you can plug a USB one into Apple’s Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.

iOS 16.3 also includes updates to Emergency SOS controls. You’ll still be able to call emergency services by holding down the power and volume-up buttons, but now, it won't call 911 until you release them. This allows you to cancel before emergency services are notified.

The update also adds bug fixes for issues like strokes not appearing on shared boards in the Freeform app, horizontal lines appearing on the iPhone 14 Pro Max after waking and a bug that prevented the Home lock screen widget from showing the Home app's status. Finally, it adds support for the new second-generation HomePod.

If you own a compatible device, you can install the update by heading to Settings > General > Software Update.

The native iOS and macOS versions of Fortnite are about to become even more limited. Since the start of its legal feud with Apple back in the summer of 2020, Epic Games has allowed players who had Fortnite installed on their devices prior to the game's removal from the App Store to continue playing. However, due to the removal, Epic hasn’t updated those versions of the game, meaning they’ve been stuck on Fortnite’s 13.40 release for more than two years. Effectively, that meant they’ve existed in a sort of limbo. All of the gameplay changes Epic has made to Fortnite since then (and there have been many), as well as all new cosmetics and seasonal passes the company has introduced, haven’t made their way over to the native iOS and macOS releases. Now those versions are about to become even more restrictive.

Starting on January 30th, Epic won’t allow you to spend Fortnite’s V-Bucks currency within the game’s iOS, Mac and Google Play versions. You’ll also need to be over the age of 18 to play. “We want all versions of our games to use the current suite of Epic Online Services including parental controls, purchasing defaults, and parental verification features,” Epic said on Twitter. “We are not able to update the app on these platforms given Apple and Google’s restrictions on Fortnite.”

In December, the company introduced new accounts designed specifically for younger players. They prevent kids from spending money in Fortnite’s in-game store and using voice chat without a parent’s consent. That same month, the Federal Trade Commission announced Epic had agreed to pay $520 million to settle allegations it had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and “tricked millions of players into making unintentional purchases."

Most players won’t be affected by the restriction since there are ways to access Fortnite without going through the App Store or Google Play Store. On iOS and macOS, for instance, you can play the game through GeForce Now. On Android, meanwhile, it’s possible to download the native version of Fortnite directly from Epic’s website.

You no longer have to give up the privacy of end-to-end encryption in Facebook Messenger just to get the creature comforts you take for granted. Meta is bringing several common features to encrypted chats. You can now choose themes, set profiles for group conversations and use custom emoji as well as reactions. Active status and web link previews now work in this more secure mode, while the Android crowd can take advantage of floating Bubbles to talk while they're using other apps.

You're more likely to use encrypted chats, too. Meta is expanding tests that make encryption the default for Facebook Messenger. You'll see the changes to some conversation threads in the "next few months," the company says. If you're part of the test, you'll get a notification in a relevant thread.

Meta started testing default encryption last August. At the time, it said it hoped to roll out the Facebook Messenger upgrade sometime in 2023. The social media firm didn't provide an updated timeline, but the feature expansion takes Meta considerably closer to that goal — there's considerably more parity with unencrypted chats. Encrypted Messenger caught up on some features at the start of 2022, but was still well behind its less secure counterpart.

Not everyone will be happy. Officials in the US, UK and elsewhere have attacked end-to-end encryption. They're concerned criminals could use encrypted chats to discuss plans beyond the reach of law enforcement and surveillance agencies. Politicians, such as former US Attorney General Bill Barr, have called on Meta to weaken encryption by creating "backdoors." Meta has refused to back down, though, and it's evident that the company is determined to bolster privacy across its products.

Microsoft is once again pouring money into OpenAI as part of an expanded partnership. The tech giant is making a "multibillion dollar" investment that will lead to wider uses of OpenAI's technology, as well as stronger behind-the-scenes support. While the two companies are short on specifics, Microsoft says you can expect "new categories of digital experiences" that include both consumer-facing and business products. The developer-focused Azure OpenAI Service will play a role.

The continued union will also see Microsoft boost its investments in supercomputers that accelerate OpenAI's research. Azure will remain OpenAI's sole cloud provider for products, research and services. The exact size of the financial contribution isn't known, but a Bloombergsource claims Microsoft is investing $10 billion over "multiple years."

Microsoft first backed OpenAI in 2019, and returned in 2021. The New York Times notes it "quietly" invested an extra $2 billion since that initial round. The companies have grown closer since their collaboration began. On top of the Azure service, Microsoft has launched OpenAI-powered features that include natural language programming and a DALL-E 2 graphic design tool. OpenAI uses Microsoft's infrastructure to train its best-known systems, including DALL-E 2 and the popular ChatGPT bot. ChatGPT is coming to Azure soon.

There's no mention of some rumored developments, such as building ChatGPT into Bing. However, this expansion may help Microsoft seize a competitive advantage. Google reportedly sees ChatGPT as a threat to its search business, and is believed to be devoting much of its attention to a search chatbot and other AI products despite a reluctance to fully embrace the technology over concerns about copyright. Even if the deeper OpenAI partnership doesn't improve Bing, Microsoft may benefit by forcing rivals like Google to change course.

With its last batch of MacBook Pros, Apple gave its more demanding fans everything they wanted: Tons of ports, lots of power, and genuinely great screens. As usual, the company is following up that major redesign with a straightforward chip upgrade, featuring the new M2 Pro and M2 Max. They're faster, as you'd expect, but they also deliver a few features power users may appreciate, like 8K video output and support for WiFi 6E.

Once Apple locks in a redesign, it typically doesn't mess with a good thing (save for complete disasters like the trashcan Mac Pro). So it's no surprise to see that this year's MacBook Pro 14 doesn't look any different than the 2021 model. It still boasts a gorgeous 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion support and a prominent notch housing a 1080p webcam. It has all of the ports you'd actually want, including a MagSafe power connection, three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, HDMI, a headphone jack and a full-sized SD card slot. And the overall shape of the computer remains relatively flat, an evolution of the long-lived unibody MacBook Pro design.

Under the hood, though, the MacBook Pro 14 has been dramatically upgraded. It can be equipped with Apple's new M2 Pro chip, which offers up to a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU, or the M2 Max, which squeezes in a 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU. Much like Intel's new hybrid processors, as well as mobile chips from Qualcomm, Apple relies on a combination of core speeds for its CPUs (the 12-core chips, for example, have eight performance cores and four efficiency cores). The previous M1 Pro and M1 Max topped out with 10 CPU cores and 16 or 32 GPU cores, respectively.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Apple claims the M2 Pro is around 20 percent faster than its predecessor in CPU speeds, and up to 30 percent faster when it comes to graphics. The M2 Max, meanwhile, is up to 30 percent faster than the M1 Max in terms of graphics. We tested the fully-upgraded $3,299 MacBook Pro, which was equipped with the M2 Max chip with 38 GPU cores and 64GB of RAM. It scored around 2,600 points (19 percent) faster in the GeekBench 5 multitasking CPU benchmark, compared to the M1 Max-equipped MacBook Pro 16. It was also 18 percent faster in the GPU-powered GeekBench 5 Compute test and a whopping 60 percent faster than the M1 Max Mac Studio in the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme benchmark.

These are phenomenal results if you're planning to use the MacBook Pro to its full potential. But I'll admit, during everyday usage, I didn't notice any major performance benefits over the previous models. That's not really a knock against the new computer, it's more a testament to how much Apple got right last time. Unlike PCs, you probably won't be gaming too much with your Mac, either, so there's less of a reason to chase frequent upgrades. On that note, it's nice to see some modern games with native Mac support. Resident Evil Village easily hits 60fps on the MacBook Pro at full resolution, but I wouldn't be surprised if the same was true for the M1 models.

If you're among the folks dealing with large video encoding or high compute jobs daily, though, it may be worth moving up from the last MacBook Pro. It took me 31 seconds to transcode a minute-long 4K clip into 1080p using Handbrake — but the M1 Max MacBook Pro 16 took a full 10 seconds longer. Extrapolate that to longer jobs and you could be saving yourself some serious time. And if you've managed to hold out with an Intel MBP until now, it's definitely time to upgrade — you'll easily see a night and day difference in speed.

Aside from its performance, the MacBook Pro 14 remains a wonderful workhorse to live with. The MiniLED Liquid Retina display looks fantastically bright, especially when viewing HDR content. Mostly, though, I appreciated the smooth scrolling thanks to Apple's 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. The six speaker sound system remains excellent, with crisp and punchy audio that's leagues ahead of most other laptops. And I remain impressed with the MacBook Pro's built-in three-mic array. It's no replacement for a dedicated USB microphone, but it sounds great during video calls.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The MacBook Pro's keyboard is certainly better than the old butterfly models, but I wish Apple was able to deliver more key travel. It's still great to type on, to be clear, I'm just feeling a bit spoiled from the mechanical keyboards I've seen in some gaming laptops. The Pro's trackpad remains best in class though, with a large surface area and responsive performance. After testing the XPS 13 Plus last year, which featured an attractive yet hard to use trackpad hidden in the wrist rest, I'm even more appreciative of Apple's clean design. It turns out that being able to feel the difference between the trackpad and the wrist rest is pretty helpful!

Apple is touting better battery life as another major benefit of the M2 Pro and Max chips, and I definitely noticed an improvement. The previous MacBook Pro lasted 12 hours and 36 minutes during our testing, but the new model made it to 15 hours and 10 minutes. That's a healthy step up, especially if you find yourself stuck on a long flight without any working outlets. Apple says that the new MacBook Pros can reach up to 22 hours of battery life, but take note that figure only refers to the 16-inch model.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Just like last time, the 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 — a huge leap from the $1,299 13-inch model. I'm still a bit baffled by that MacBook Pro, though. Most mainstream shoppers would be better off with the revamped M2 MacBook Air, while power users might as well bump up to this more powerful 14-inch model. If you're aiming for something bigger, the 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499. New gear also means the old models will inevitably go on sale, so it's worth keeping an eye on the M1 Pro and Max machines if you're aiming to save some money. Sure, they're a bit slower, but you could put that extra money towards buying more RAM or storage.

It's no wonder Apple announced the new MacBook Pros without much fanfare. It's just a simple spec bump, not the sort of thing most buyers would get too excited about. But for the creative professionals who need the most power possible, it's another reason to stick with Apple instead of jumping to a PC.

As part of an effort to wind down support of Windows 10 Home and Pro, Microsoft is stopping sales of downloads on January 31st, according to a product page spotted by The Verge. That date "will be the last day this Windows 10 download [and all-important license keys] are offered for sale," according to Microsoft. However, it will continue to support Windows 10 with security updates until it's discontinued for good in October 2025. 

"Customers have until January 31, 2023 to purchase Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro from this site," a Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge, while advising customers to purchase Windows 11 instead. However, Windows 10 may still be offered elsewhere from other retailers and OEMs, until Microsoft confirms otherwise. 

Windows 10 was first launched in 2015, and so will be discontinued exactly 10 years later. The company announced the end date in June of 2021 as part of its "modern lifecycle policy," just prior to the launch of Windows 11. The OS received generally good reviews and met with success when it arrived — in part because it replaced Windows 8, which wasn't, er, as warmly received. 

Meanwhile, Windows 11 launched to decent acclaim, with applause for the polish and boos for the weird upgrade restrictions. The minimum system requirements were relaxed soon after launch, but migration from Windows 10 has still been slow, according to recent reports. 

Spotify is laying off 6 percent of its workforce as part of a company-wide restructuring, CEO Daniel Ek wrote in a message to employees. The precise number of people who will lose their jobs wasn't provided, but the company employs around 9,800 people, according to its last earnings report. In addition, chief content officer Dawn Ostroff is stepping down as part of the changes, Ek said. 

Much like Google's Sundar Pichai, Ek said he takes "full accountability for the moves that got us here today." The company will provide 5 months of severance to employees on average, along with acrued and unused vacation time, healthcare during the severance period, immigration support and career support. The majority of Spotify's employees are based in the US, followed by Sweden and the UK.

The company is "fundamentally changing how we operate at the top," delegating its engineering and product work to the new chief product and chief business officers, Ek said. "These changes will allow me to get back to the part where I do my best work—spending more time working on the future of Spotify."

Like other tech firms, Spotify has expanded rapidly over the past couple of years, particularly in the area of podcasting. It spent over a billion dollars on podcast networks, hosting services and shows like The Joe Rogan Experience. Much of that effort was driven by chief content officer Dawn Ostroff, who grew podcast content by 40 times, according to Ek. As part of the changes, however, she'll be leaving the company.

Spotify joins other tech giants in making mass layoffs, partially due to a downturn in the economy and partially due to hiring sprees. Over the past few weeks, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Google laid off 51,000 employees combined. From 2020 to 2022, however, those companies hired many more employees than they let go. Spotify itself had 6,617 employees in 2021 and 9,800 a year later, prior to the layoffs. 

The FAA paused all domestic departures in the US on the morning of January 11th because its NOTAM or Notice to Air Missions system failed. Now we know why: deleted files. Contractors working on the Federal Aviation Administration's NOTAM system, it seems, deleted some crucial files by accident. This resulted in delays and cancellations of thousands of US flights. The issue even impacted military flights that partly relied on FAA NOTAMs: Pilots reportedly had to call around to ask for potential flight hazards.

Apparently, its contractors were synchronizing a main and a back-up database when they "unintentionally deleted files" that turned out to be necessary to keep the alert system running. The FAA reiterated it has "so far found no evidence of a cyberattack or malicious intent." We’ve all accidentally deleted a file, sure. It’s just never grounded the flights of an entire country.

– Mat Smith

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‘CNET’ pauses publication of AI-written stories amid controversy

Errors and a lack of disclosure created an uproar.

Tech publication CNET is halting its use of AI-written articles for the time being. "For now," leadership has paused experiments with AI stories, telling staff during a question-and-answer call. Editor-in-chief Connie Guglielmo reportedly said future AI-related stories would include a disclosure that the publication uses automated technologies. There are a few reasons. Last week, Futurism noticed dozens of financial explainer articles on CNET appeared to have been written using "automation technology." The disclosure was effectively hidden when you had to click the byline to see it. CNET claims humans "thoroughly" edited and fact-checked the work, but there appear to be multiple (and sometimes major) errors in stories.

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Twitter is working on an ad-free subscription tier

Musk announced the offering on Saturday.

Twitter is working on a new, more expensive Blue subscription tier for users to browse the platform without seeing ads. “Ads are too frequent on Twitter and too big. Taking steps to address both in coming weeks,” Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted on Saturday afternoon. “Also, there will be a higher priced subscription that allows zero ads.” The existing Twitter Blue subscription costs up to $11 per month, but the ability to see fewer ads is still listed as “coming soon.” At the same time, Twitter’s ad revenue has apparently plummeted. The Information reported that a senior Twitter manager told employees last Tuesday daily revenue was down 40 percent from the same day a year ago.

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‘Marvel’s Avengers’ official support ends September 30th

Avengers: End of Game.

Square Enix

Following a report of Marvel’s Avengers’ imminent demise, the studio published a blog post on Friday announcing plans to stop supporting the live-service title after September 30th. Crystal Dynamics will release one final balance patch and shut down the game’s in-game cosmetics store on March 31st. The developer says cosmetics previously only obtainable through the marketplace will be free for all players who own a copy of the game.

On that same day, players will see their remaining credit balance converted to in-game collectibles and resources. The swift end of Marvel’s Avengers won’t come as a surprise to fans. In November 2020, two months after the game went on sale, publisher Square Enix said it had failed to recoup the cost of making the title. Then, last May, Square sold Crystal Dynamics to Embracer Group.

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FDA clears Wandercraft's exoskeleton for stroke patient rehab

Atalante could help patients recover their walking gait.

Engadget

The Food and Drug Administration has cleared Wandercraft's Atalante exoskeleton for use in stroke rehabilitation. The machine can help with intensive gait training, particularly for people with limited upper body mobility that might prevent using other methods. The current-generation Atalante is a self-balancing, battery-powered device with an adjustable gait that can help with early steps through to more natural walking later in therapy. While the hardware still needs to be used in a clinical setting with help from a therapist, its hands-free use helps patients re-establish their gait, with or without arms. Wandercraft plans to deliver its first exoskeletons to the US during the first quarter.

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