You won't have to visit a specific website to use DALL-E 2 for much longer. OpenAI has publicly released a beta framework that lets apps and other products use the AI art generator. This includes the natural language descriptions that define DALL-E as well as moderation to filter out hate, gore and similar extreme content. 

A handful of customers are already using the technology. Microsoft's new Designer app uses DALL-E to create artwork for social media, documents and invitations. The AI image tool is coming to Bing and Edge to help you make art when you can't find what you need. Cala, meanwhile, is a "fashion and lifestyle operating system" that uses the tool to produce new designs. Mixtiles can use the system to produce one-of-a-kind wall art.

OpenAI is using this launch to further expand your control over your art. You now have full ownership rights to the images you make, not just usage rights — the company is more comfortable handing over control now that its technology minimizes the potential for content policy violations. Whatever you build, you can now organize it into public and private collections. If you make a lot of space-themed pieces, for instance, you won't have to sift through the rest of your gallery to find them.

The toolkit and increased rights won't settle the question of whether or not AI-generated art is borrowed or stolen. They may even lead to more friction as DALL-E is used in more places. While companies like Shutterstock are working with OpenAI to sell AI-generated images, others are banning the technology over fears of copyright disputes. It may be a while before app developers can use offerings like DALL-E without some ethical or legal concerns.

Now that AMD has unveiled Radeon RX 7900 GPUs that can output 8K video at high refresh rates, gamers will need displays that can handle them — and Samsung is happy to oblige. The company has teased a new generation of its Odyssey Neo G9 that will supposedly be the first 8K ultrawide gaming monitor. You won't see a full launch until CES in January, but you'll need a DisplayPort 2.1-capable video card to help that screen reach its potential. We'd also add that AMD bills the 8K as "horizontal only," so you may not get as many vertical pixels as you might like.

Other high-res DisplayPort 2.1 monitors are coming from Acer, ASUS, Dell and LG starting in early 2023. AMD unfortunately didn't share more details.

This will likely be an expensive monitor when the previous-gen Odyssey Neo G9 currently sells for $2,200 with 'just' a 5,120 x 1,440 resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. However, the bigger cost may be the PC attached to that 8K panel. On top of one of the new Radeons, you'll need a CPU that won't create a bottleneck for the graphics hardware.

There's also the question of content. Even many recent games can struggle at 8K, and older titles won't benefit much. Do you really need to play CS:GO at that resolution? AMD has promised that some games will run well on its cards with the help of upscaling, such as Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Death Stranding, Modern Warfare 2 and Uncharted, but it's not clear how well native 8K will perform just yet. Samsung's monitor may be more of an investment in the future than instant gratification.

Amazon is joining the ranks of tech companies freezing their recruitment plans. Engadget has obtained a memo from Senior VP Beth Galetti (since published) revealing that the company will "pause" hiring at its corporate offices for a few months. The internet giant will still replace departing employees and hire new people in "targeted places," Galetti wrote but there won't be any significant expansion in the near future.

As with other companies, Amazon attributed its freeze decision to an "unusual macro-economic environment." The firm doesn't want to spend too much money growing its workforce in difficult financial conditions, to put it another way. Galetti added that Amazon still wants to hire a "meaningful number" of corporate workers in 2023, but that the online shopping giant will track the economy and adjust as it "makes sense."

Amazon had no further comment. It hired aggressively during the height of the pandemic to keep up with a spike in online sales, but ran into trouble this year due to both a return to in-person shopping and mounting costs. The company posted a $2 billion loss during its second quarter (April through June) and cut 99,000 jobs, many of them warehouse workers. It also cancelled the launch of some facilities. In early October, it temporarily halted corporate hires for its retail business.

The pause comes weeks after Meta reportedly suspended all hiring, and months after big names like Apple, Google and NVIDIA have slowed their pursuits. Some companies are making additional cuts — Lyft just confirmed that it's laying off 700 workers, or about 13 percent of its workforce, after cutting 60 positions in July.

Have you ever wanted to use your luggage as a workstation? No? Don't tell T-Mobile that, then. The provider and Samsara have unveiled a smart carry-on suitcase, the "Un-carrier On" (sorry about the pun), whose stand-out feature is the ability to double as a desk. Like a handful of other bag makers, T-Mobile thinks you'll rest your laptop on your baggage while you finish a must-send work email. That strikes us as potentially uncomfortable if the case sits on your lap, especially if you have to stare at T-Mobile's eye-searing magenta — did we mention that's the only color option?

There are some practical features. T-Mobile claims this is the only carry-on suitcase with wireless charging for your phone, and there's USB-C charging if you prefer cables. You can track the case when it invariably gets sent to the wrong airport, and an eight-bag packing set (with conspicuous T-Mobile branding, of course) keeps your toothpaste safely away from your shirts.

The limited edition Un-carrier On will ship later in November, or just in time for that Thanksgiving family visit you may or may not be dreading. However, the scariest part is the price — T-Mobile is asking $325. That's a lot to pay for a carrier promo on wheels, even if the functionality might come in handy at the gate. You might want to slip an item tracker into a conventional carry-on instead.

Bioprinted body parts could prove vital to future medical treatments, and scientists are going to great lengths to test it — in a very literal sense. NASA, Redwire and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Center for Biotechnology (4DBio3) are sending a new 3D printer to the International Space Station, Redwire's BioFabrication Facility, to bioprint a human knee meniscus in orbit and study the result on Earth. Ideally, this will lead to treatments for the meniscal injuries that US soldiers all-too-frequently face.

Redwire hopes to 3D print whole organs in space, although it characterizes this as a "long-term" goal. The company is also using NASA's Advanced Plant Habitat for a project to identify genes for space-friendly plants. Another investigation will use a NASA furnace to create and demo passive cooling for electronics in low gravity.

The BFF printer will fly to the ISS aboard a supply rocket launching as soon as November 6th from NASA's Wallops Island spaceport. The mission will carry three extra payloads.

This isn't NASA's first spaceborne 3D printer. Last year, NASA carried a Redwire printer to the ISS to demonstrate printing lunar soil. That technology could one day help Moon colonists build habitats without carrying an abundance of supplies from Earth. The bioprinter is more immediately practical, of course. If the research pans out, doctors could replace damaged body parts without resorting to donations or inorganic implants.

WiFi's friendliness to other devices might pose a significant threat in the wrong circumstances. University of Waterloo researchers have discovered a security flaw in the networking standard that lets attackers track devices through walls. The technique identifies the location of a device within 3.3ft just by exploiting WiFi devices' automatic contact responses (even on password-protected networks) and measuring the response times. You can identify all the connected hardware in a room, and even track people's movements if they have a phone or smartwatch.

The scientists tested the exploit by modifying an off-the-shelf drone to create a flying scanning device, the Wi-Peep. The robotic aircraft sends several messages to each device as it flies around, establishing the positions of devices in each room. A thief using the drone could find vulnerable areas in a home or office by checking for the absence of security cameras and other signs that a room is monitored or occupied. It could also be used to follow a security guard, or even to help rival hotels spy on each other by gauging the number of rooms in use.

There have been attempts to exploit similar WiFi problems before, but the team says these typically require bulky and costly devices that would give away attempts. Wi-Peep only requires a small drone and about $15 US in equipment that includes two WiFi modules and a voltage regulator. An intruder could quickly scan a building without revealing their presence.

Research lead Dr. Ali Abedi is calling for changes to the WiFi standard to prevent devices from responding to "strangers." That may take years, however, and Abedi suggests that hardware makers address the issue in the meantime by introducing randomized response times. The chances of burglars using drones to map your home devices aren't high at this stage (they'd still need the know-how), but there are things developers can do to thwart these aerial spying efforts.

Amazon was quick to pledge support for the Matter smart home standard, and now it's clear just when (and if) you can expect the technology to reach your household. The company has confirmed that 17 Echo devices, plugs, switches and bulbs will support Matter over WiFi in December, with 30 Echo and Eero products offering support by early next year. You'll initially need Android to set this up (Apple only released the Matter-friendly iOS 16.1 days ago), and the focus will be on lighting. However, support for iOS, Thread and more smart home tech is also due in early 2023.

The support will extend to years-old Echo products. While we don't yet have a full compatibility list as of this writing (we've asked for details), older speakers like the second-generation Echo Plus (shown here) will be included. You might not have to replace your equipment just to be sure you're ready for Matter.

You won't have to be too picky about which phones and apps you use. Amazon is partnering with Samsung to let you use Alexa or SmartThings to set up Matter hardware. An upcoming Alexa framework will create a simple, unified Thread network that allows control through either company's platforms.

Accordingly, Amazon is tweaking its Works with Alexa (WWA) certifications to add Matter support. A new device that receives the WWA badge will have to support Matter. Existing hardware that gets a Matter update won't need to go through the program again, although it will need to pass Matter certification and will still have to meet Amazon's WWA requirements.

This still leaves you with the prospect of replacing particularly old Echo gear, and there's a chance some of your connected home components won't support Matter at all. However, Amazon's compatibility plans suggest you won't have to overhaul your entire setup.

One of the most recognizable police forces is joining Ring's Neighbors app. The New York Police Department has announced that it will participate in Ring's neighborhood watch tool. Officers won't look for posts "around the clock," but they will respond to users' crime and safety concerns, post notices and ask for help with "active police matters."

The move potentially gives the NYPD another way to interact with the community. It may also obtain footage of criminal activity that it wouldn't otherwise have, with maps and timelines that could help pinpoint crime sprees and trends.

There's already opposition to the NYPD's participation, however. The New York-based Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) is concerned support for Neighbors will lead to more police violence, racial profiling and vigilantes. The technology "isn't keeping people safe" and even puts people in danger, Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn claims. He cites an incident in October where a father and son shot at a woman in response to a Ring doorbell notification. The woman delivered a package sent to the wrong address.

Ring has previously stressed that device users aren't required to share footage, and it has addressed some worries about enabling police surveillance by requiring public, narrowly focused requests within 12 hours of incidents. There are still fears Ring cameras and doorbells are collecting footage of innocent passers-by, though, and that Neighbors users may be racially biased when reporting suspicious behavior. The company has also grappled with a number of security flaws, including a bug that exposed precise locations.

New Yorkers are used to ads dotting the landscape, but now they can't even look to the skies for refuge. As Gothamistreports, mobile developer King and show organizer Pixis are flying a swarm of at least 500 LED-equipped drones over New York City's skyline on November 3rd to advertise Candy Crush. They'll take off from and remain in New Jersey for the 10-minute presentation, but you'll spot them if you're within a one-mile radius of Battery Park.

This isn't the first drone light show aimed at NYC. In June, Pixis orchestrated a swarm that promoted the NBA draft by flying over the Hudson River. Company general manager Jeff Kaplan characterizes the Candy Crush promo as the "next wave," however, and it's safe to say this will be hard to avoid if you're in the area. The largest drone show to date came from Hyundai's Genesis brand, which flew 3,281 drones over Shanghai in March 2021.

Pixis is jumping over multiple legal hurdles to make the campaign happen. New York City's Avigation Law bans drone flights altogether, so any aerial sales pitches have to remain within New Jersey's borders. The company also had to obtain both a Federal Aviation Administration waiver (to fly in federal airspace) and a special permit from New Jersey (to operate from Liberty State Park).

The planned flight is already angering critics. New York State Senator Brad Hoylman, for instance, says it's "outrageous" to fill the sky with drones and is considering legislation to ban such ads. New York City's Audubon is also concerned the drones might interfere with bird flight patterns. There is a history of crackdowns on this kind of behavior — both the state and city kicked out a billboard-carrying boat in 2019.

Unless that happens, though, the drones will become harder to escape. A future robotic flier will be viewable within 3 miles, potentially covering a large swath of Manhattan and even significant parts of western Brooklyn. Like it or not, these tech-driven marketing spiels may soon be difficult for NYC residents to escape.

You might not have to jump between your email client and a web browser just to find out if a holiday gift will arrive on time. Google is updating the Gmail app with simple package tracking. If your order email has a supported tracking number (more on that in a moment), you'll see the shipping status at the top of the message. If your must-have item arrives tomorrow, you may know without having to plug digits into a web link or dedicated app.

The feature will be available in the US in the "coming weeks," and will support most large shipping providers. It's strictly opt-in, so Google won't look up your tracking numbers unless you want it to. In the months ahead, Gmail will also watch for delays and surface the order email with a label indicating the problem. You may know about a delivery setback before you've even received an official notification.

Google

The timing is convenient, of course. Google is hoping to get ahead of the holiday shopping rush and make Gmail your go-to app for tracking packages. That could help keep you in the company's ecosystem. All the same, it should be a genuinely useful feature — particularly if you shop smaller stores that don't always have their own apps.