Audeze has revealed its latest wireless gaming headset. The company claims that Maxwell has a battery life of over 80 hours. When you eventually do need to recharge it, Audeze says you can fully top up the completely depleted battery in 2.5 hours via USB-C or by up to 25 percent of the capacity (which should be enough for a day of usage) in 20 minutes. The headset is said to offer improved low-latency wireless range and stability performance over Audeze's Penrose model.

Maxwell, which has 90mm planar magnetic drivers, can deliver high-resolution audio at up to 24-bit 96kHz when you use the included USB dongle or a wired USB connection, Audeze says. There's a 3.5mm jack too.

The headset has a hardware-based AI system that can automatically filter out background noise at the touch of a button when you're speaking. Maxwell has five built-in microphones as well as a Shure-designed detachable boom mic. There are built-in volume controls for the headphones and mic as well.

Along with audio quality, comfort was a key consideration for Audeze. The 490-gram Maxwell has a spring-steel headband with an adjustable suspension strap. Moreover, the earcups feature a dual-chamber design that offer passive noise isolation.

There are two versions of Maxwell, one designed for PlayStation and the other for Xbox. Both work with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch. The PlayStation model costs $299 and supports Tempest 3D Audio on PS5 and PC. The Xbox version (which is licensed by Microsoft) costs $329. It comes with a Dolby Atmos license that will activate automatically for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Pre-orders are open and Audeze expects to start shipping Maxwell in January.

Google is rolling out two new modes for Chrome that are designed to make the browser less of a drain on your system's battery and memory. It says that, with the Memory Saver mode, Chrome will reduce its memory usage by up to 30 percent on desktop. The mode frees up memory from open tabs that you aren't using. Google says this will help to give you a smoother experience on active tabs. Chrome will reload inactive tabs when you switch back to them.

As for Battery Saver mode, Google says that can kick in when you're using the browser and your device's battery level drops to 20 percent. Chrome will then limit background activity and visual effects on tabs with videos and animations to help keep your device up and running for longer.

These features will be available as part of the m108 Chrome for desktop build. Google says all users will have access to them in the coming weeks and that it's starting to roll out the build today. You'll be able to turn off these modes in the settings and make certain sites exempt from Memory Saver.

If you want to keep using Disney+ at the same price you've been paying each month since March last year, you'll need to put up with some ads starting today. The Disney+ Basic plan is now live and it costs $8 per month. To keep using the streaming service without ads, you'll need to pay $11 per month, which marks an increase of $3. That's now called the Premium plan and an annual membership costs $110.

Unlike Netflix's ad-supported plan, Disney+ Basic offers access to the platform's full library as well as high-quality streaming in 4K, Dolby Vision and the IMAX Enhanced format. The Netflix's Basic with Ads plan, which went live last month, costs $7. It limits streams to a resolution of 720p and some titles aren't available. However, neither company's ad-supported plan includes offline viewing. Disney+ Basic currently lacks other features that are available to Premium subscribers, including GroupWatch, SharePlay and Dolby Atmos.

Disney does offer some streaming bundles. For $10 per month, you'll get access to Disney+ Basic and Hulu with Ads. You'll pay $6 less per month than you would by subscribing to them individually. If you want to include ESPN+ in your bundle, there are three options. If you don't mind dealing with ads on all three services, you can subscribe to them for $13 per month. For an extra $2 per month, Disney+ will ditch the ads. For access to ad-free versions of all three streaming services, you'll pay $20 per month.

Disney announced the price changes before it canned former CEO Bob Chapek and brought back Bob Iger, who oversaw the Disney+ launch as well as the takeovers of Fox studios and cable channels, Pixar, Marvel and LucasFilm. Although the total number of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ subscriber numbers rose to 235 million under Chapek's watch, the company has dealing with some business difficulties.

Disney lost $1.5 billion on the streaming side of the business last quarter, more than doubling the operating loss of $630 million from the same quarter in 2021. It attributed the steeper loss to higher production and technology costs, as well as greater marketing expenses. The introduction of the ad-supported plan and Premium price hike could help to make the streaming business profitable, though consumers may have to give the company more of their money or time to do so.

The European Union has set a firm deadline by which time manufacturers will need to adopt USB-C charging for most electronic devices sold in the region. New phones, tablets, headphones, portable speakers and many other types of devices will need to adopt that standard for wired charging as of December 28th, 2024. There’s no impact on devices that only support wireless charging.

EU member states have until December 28th, 2023 to publish regulations to govern the bloc’s directive on USB-C charging. They’ll have to start applying those rules one year later. The EU previously said the rules would come into force by the end of 2024 and it stuck to that timeline when it published the legislation in the Official Journal.

Laptop makers have a bit longer to comply with the rules, as The Verge notes. If they haven’t already done so, they’ll need to switch to USB-C by April 2026. In addition, devices with fast charging support will have the same charging speed, the EU says. As such, users will be able to charge devices at the same speed with any compatible charger.

Although it’s not like the company had much of a choice, Apple has said it will comply with the rules and put USB-C charging ports in iPhones sold in the EU (unless, that is, it were to switch to fully wireless charging). Technically, Apple wouldn’t have to adopt USB-C charging in iPhones until sometime in 2025, but reports suggest the company may make the switch as soon as next year.

Mindfulness app Calm has a couple new audioscapes to help people relax and drift off, and they're both from first-party Xbox games. Starting today, folks with a Calm Premium membership can chill out to the ocean vibes of Sea of Thieves or the ambient alien noise of Zeta Halo from Halo Infinite. It's the first time Calm has added game-themed soundscapes, so let's hope they're not interrupted by yells from pirates or the Covenant.

If you aren't already a Calm Premium member, you'll be able to access the service for free for three months through an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription perk. After that trial ends, if you want to keep using Calm Premium, you can get 50 percent off a subscription for the first year (an annual plan usually costs $70).

Xbox says it teamed up with Calm as part of its efforts to support players' mental health and wellbeing. It also createda collection of Game Pass titles that either address mental health issues or provide players with a sense of escapism, such as Persona 5 Royal, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Unpacking and Stardew Valley.

One of the companies behind text-to-image AI system Stable Diffusion is hosting a film festival exclusively for shorts that were made with AI. Organizers of Runway ML's AI Film Festival are accepting films with a runtime of between one and 10 minutes that either include AI-generated content or were pieced together with AI-powered editing techniques.

According to Fast Company, Runway said creators won't be penalized if they use AI tools from other companies. Along with text-to-image generation, creatives can use techniques such as background removal, frame interpolation and motion tracking to help make their films.

“I think we’re heading to a future where a lot of the content and the entertainment and the media that you see online will be generated,” Runway cofounder and CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela said. While many observers are concerned that content generated by AI might displace human creatives, advocates such as Valenzuela suggest that such tools can level the playing field for budding moviemakers. “What I’m really excited about is how AI is really opening the doors for nontechnical people and creatives at large,” he said.

The AI Film Festival is scheduled to take place in February online and in New York. The submission window is open until January 15th. Ordinarily, that wouldn't give creatives much time to create a piece and submit it, but they may be able to put together a movie much faster with the help of AI.

The judges, who include Valenzuela and Holly Herndon, will assess the films based on originality, narrative cohesion, the quality of composition and the AI techniques that were employed. The folks behind the top five films will receive cash awards, with the grand prize winner taking away $10,000.

Blue Origin has made another attempt to secure a contract to build a lunar lander for NASA's future Artemis missions. It teamed up with several other companies for the proposal, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Draper. Astrobotic and Honeybee Robotics are also involved.

In 2021, NASA gave SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to use a version of Starship as a lunar lander. Blue Origin challenged that move, claiming that NASA's "decision eliminates opportunities for competition, significantly narrows the supply base and not only delays, but also endangers America's return to the Moon."

Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos wrote in an open letter to NASA administrator Bill Nelson in July last year that his company was willing to waive up to $2 billion in payments in exchange for a fixed-price lander contract. Bezos also complained that the decision to award a single contract gave SpaceX "a multiyear, multibillion-dollar head start” and claimed it "broke the mold of NASA’s successful commercial space programs by putting an end to meaningful competition for years to come."

NASA had intended to award two lunar lander contracts, but it opted to only issue one due to funding concerns. In August 2021, Blue Origin filed a lawsuit against NASA over its handling of the Human Landing System program. However, a Federal Court of Claims judge ruled against Blue Origin. The lawsuit held up work on SpaceX's lander and delayed a crewed mission to the Moon until 2025.

Earlier this year, NASA said it would again accept proposals for a second lunar lander project. Now, Blue Origin is taking the agency up on the offer. As The Wall Street Journal notes, Blue Origin will face competition from Northrop Grumman and Leidos Dynetics. Northrop Grumman worked with Blue Origin during the first round of contract bids.

Epic Games is rolling out a new type of account for younger players that will require parental consent before they can do things like make purchases from Fortnite's in-game store with real money or use voice chat. Epic says these so-called "cabined accounts" will provide a "tailored experience that is safe and inclusive for younger players using the store or launcher."

In a blog post, Epic positioned cabined accounts as a "new way for kids to join the metaverse." It wrote that some companies try to provide a safe environment for kids in an online ecosystem by "by creating isolated experiences solely for their younger players, but these experiences are usually restrictive and unappealing when compared to the full game or activity and may encourage false reporting of age. Another approach has been to offer a fulsome experience for younger players, but if kids do not obtain permission from their parents, they are locked out entirely with no alternatives. Neither of these are optimal."

Starting today, players will see a one-time request for their age when they log into the Epic Games Store or the company's games. If someone indicates they are under 13 or a country's age of consent to use digital services, they will now have a cabined account. Although they'll still be able to play Fortnite, Rocket League or Fall Guys with access to previously purchased and earned in-game content, they'll need to provide a parent or guardian's email address and get consent from them to use certain features.

Several other features are disabled in cabined accounts, including any purchases with money, free text chat, making trades in Rocket League, buying or downloading Epic Games Store titles not owned by Epic, custom display names and SMS-based two-factor authentication. Without parental consent, younger players will not be able to link their Epic account to services such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitch. Developers with cabined accounts will also be prevented from accessing some Unreal Engine features.

Epic will lift the restrictions when a parent or guardian provides consent or the player turns 13 or their region's age of digital consent. In the meantime, those with such an account can still use any funds that are already in their Epic wallet to buy things in Fortnite, Rocket League, Fall Guys and other Epic-owned games.

After a parent or guardian has verified a cabined account, they can set up parental controls. Among other things, they'll be able to approve friend requests on the younger player's account, grant access to voice and text chat and track their offspring's Fortnite play time.

Giphy is looking to improve accessibility and help more people understand what the platform's GIFs are depicting with the help of alt text descriptions. It has teamed up with a content accessibility solutions provider called Scribely to add descriptive text to the platform's content. Screen readers will be able to read the alt text aloud, which will help visually impaired folks to know what's happening in a GIF.

The alt text won't be automatically generated. Giphy says Scribely's writers "are well-versed in accessibility guidelines and write effective and engaging descriptions that take the message and the meaning in mind." Giphy's most popular content, based on the top search terms, now includes alt text. The company plans to add alt text to more of its GIFs.

Screen readers can now read aloud alt text from GIFs on Giphy's web and mobile apps. The company is also making alt text available through its APIs. So third-party companies with Giphy integration can let their users access the alt text on other platforms.

In 2020, Twitter enabled users to add alt text to GIFs. However, if the company, which has a partnership with Giphy, employs the latest feature of the latter's APIs, Twitter users would be able to access professionally written alt text in GIFs.

“GIFs are an important part of our daily lives, thanks to their unique ability to convey ideas, emotions, and humor in ways that static images often can’t. These looping videos move us to moments of joy and happiness," Scribely founder and CEO Caroline Desrosiers said. "But without alt text, the moment is lost and excludes millions. That’s why this project with Giphy is so monumental and necessary.”

YouTube is rolling out Twitch-style custom global emotes for comments and live chats. Threeindependentillustrators created the first batch of emotes, which are focused on gaming, though it appears that they work on any type of channel. YouTube plans to develop emotes for other types of communities in the future.

To use the emotes, click on the smiling face icon in comments or a live chat. If you have a membership to a channel that offers its own custom emoji, you'll see YouTube's global emotes below those. As with Twitch's emotes, you can start typing the name of a YouTube emote (such as :cat-orange-whistling: or :text-green-game-over:) in the chat and the autocomplete function will show the emote and emoji options. The first emotes also include a buffering icon and text reading "GG" (i.e. "good game").

Twitch has long offered global emotes in chats. It might take a while before YouTube has emotes with the same level of cultural cachet as PogChamp, Kappa or ResidentSleeper, but it's off to a decent start.