NASA is once again preparing to launch Artemis 1 after technical issues and hurricanes upended previous attempts. The next launch window for the uncrewed test flight around the Moon will be open for two hours, starting at 1:04AM ET on November 16th. In case NASA has to scrub it once again, the agency has scheduled another backup launch window, which opens at 1:45AM on November 19th.

The agency had penciled in a launch attempt for November 14th, but Hurricane Nicole forced a slight delay to those plans. NASA kept the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the launch pad as the hurricane battered the Kennedy Space Center. They sustained minor damage, but not enough to force a lengthier delay.

NASA first tried to send Artemis 1 into space on August 29th, but engine issues and a hydrogen fuel leak forced the agency to scrub the initial launch attempts. The next stab at a launch in late September didn't work out either. NASA took the SLS and Orion back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to protect them from Hurricane Ian. Here's hoping NASA can finally send them on their way this time.

You can watch a livestream of the latest launch attempt below. Alternatively, you can watch the launch in virtual reality. If you happen to be in Florida or the south east region of Georgia, you may be able to see the SLS and Orion soar into the skies by going outside, if conditions are favorable enough.

Qualcomm has announced its latest flagship mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Along with making it more powerful and efficient than Gen 1 chips, Qualcomm says it has packed more AI smarts into the new platform.

The Snapdragon 8 will tap into the latest Qualcomm AI Engine and upgraded Hexagon processor to offer "faster natural language processing with multi-language translation and advanced AI camera features," the company claims. The processor has architectural upgrades that will enable up to 4.35 times the AI performance of Gen 1 chips, according to Qualcomm. There will be support for an AI precision format called Int4, which the company suggests will lead to a 60 percent performance/watt improvement over the previous-gen chipset for sustained AI inferencing. Meanwhile, the Sensing Hub will have dual AI processors, which can support features such as custom wake words.

Qualcomm notes that the upgrades will enable new camera-focused features as will. It says Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will enhance photos and videos automatically and in real-time using semantic segmentation. This harnesses an AI neural network to make the camera aware of and individually optimize elements such as faces, hair, clothes and skies. Qualcomm has tuned the chipset to support new sensors, such as Samsung's 200-megapixel Isocell HP3. Meanwhile, this is the first Snapdragon model with an AV1 codec that supports 8K HDR playback at up to 60 frames per second.

There's an intriguing feature for mobile gamers: Qualcomm says there will be real-time hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which should improve the visuals on supported games. The company claims the latest Adreno GPU and Kyro CPU deliver over 25 percent faster performance and 40 percent more power efficiency than the Gen 1 chip. Qualcomm adds that it will offer the first mobile-optimized support for the Unreal Engine 5 Metahumans Framework, claiming that this will let players "experience photorealistic human characters in their games."

On the connectivity front, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will use AI to manage 5G download speeds, latency, coverage and power efficiency. There will be support for dual 5G SIMs as well as WiFi 7 (with speeds of up to 5.8 Gbps). In terms of audio, phones that use the chipset will be able to offer spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, 48kHz lossless music streaming and latency as low as 48ms.

Qualcomm notes that the first phones with the Gen 2 chipset should be available by the end of the year. Partners including ASUS Republic of Gamers, Honor, Motorola, OnePlus, Oppo, Sharp, Sony, Xiaomi and ZTE plan to use the chip in their devices. There's likely to be more news from Qualcomm in the coming days, as the company is hosting its Snapdragon Summit this week.

New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) has voted to increase the minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers. Per-minute rates are going up by 7.4 percent and per-mile rates by 24 percent. In practical terms, that means a trip of 7.5 miles that takes 30 minutes will earn a driver at least $27.15 — an increase of more than $2.50 compared with current rates.

The commission also agreed to increase yellow and green cab fares (for the first time since 2012) by 23 percent. The new rates are scheduled to go into effect by the end of the year.

The Uber and Lyft pay bump is in addition to a 5.3 percent increase drivers received earlier this year, the TLC confirmed to Engadget. Drivers sought higher pay amid higher inflation rates and increased operational costs.

Uber and Lyft drivers will receive another rate bump in March. The increase will be "based on inflation comparing December 2022 to September 2022," the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) said in a statement. The union said this was part one of a drive to ensure drivers receive at least $25 per hour in take-home pay, after expenses. "We're going to take the momentum of this driver raise which comes despite company opposition and after a long delay, and use it to power our fight for a job with dignified incomes, job security and retirement," NYTWA executive director Bhairavi Desai said.

“Raising taxi fare rates and minimum pay for high-volume drivers is the right thing to do for our city," TLC commissioner David Do said. "This is the first taxi fare increase in ten years, and these raises will help offset increased operating expenses and the cost of living for TLC-licensed drivers. We are confident that today’s unanimous commission vote will keep our taxi and [For-Hire Vehicle] fleets sustainable and ready to serve New Yorkers.”

Starting today, Netflix users will be able to see all the devices linked to their account and have the option to remotely log out of each one individually. For each device, you'll see the type of hardware (say, a smart TV or Android phone), the profile that was most recently used to watch something on that device, the last time Netflix streamed something to it and the approximate location based on the IP address. The new Manage Access and Devices page will be available on the web, iOS and Android.

Netflix suggests this could be helpful for when you're traveling over the holiday period. Perhaps you might use your account on a hotel's smart TV, but you forget to log out before leaving. From the Manage Access and Devices page on your account settings, you'll be able to sign out from that specific device remotely. Until now, Netflix has only offered the option to log out of all devices.

Netflix

The company has been making moves in recent weeks that will make it easier for you to kick someone out of your account ahead of a crackdown on password sharing. It started rolling out the option to transfer a profile with all data and preferences to a new account. If you're generous enough, you can give your ex, old roommate or kids a chance to keep their watch history, My List, game save data and so on before you give them the boot.

A key reason why this feature is important is the fact that Netflix will start charging extra fees for users who are accessing the service outside of the account holder's immediate household. So, you can more easily get rid of moochers who are using your account before Netflix starts charging you more for them.

Moreover, the Manage Access and Devices feature could help you figure out if someone is accessing your account using a leaked password. In any case, if you remotely log a certain device out, it might be a good idea to change your password to ensure only the people you want to access your Netflix account can do so.

Budding beatmakers (or musicians looking to add to their toolset) might be interested in checking out Ableton's Black Friday deals. The company has slashed the price of its Live packages, the Push controller and sound packs by 20 percent. While that isn't quite as generous as the 25 percent discounts we've seen from Ableton in the past, the company doesn't often run sales. So, if you've been eyeing Live 11, one of the most popular digital workstations (DAWs) around, for a while, now might be the time to take the leap. You'll have some time to think about it, though, as the deals run through January 11th.

The base Live 11 Intro option is down from $99 to $79 for the time being. It has what you need to get started with the DAW, including more than 1,500 sounds, 21 audio effects and 11 MIDI effects.

If you're ready for something more full featured, consider the Live 11 Standard package, the price of which Ableton has lowered from $449 to $359. The bundle includes unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, as well as unlimited scenes and more than 1,800 sounds.

At the top end is the Live 11 Suite, which is down from $749 to $599. You'll get access to more than 5,000 sounds, along with more audio and MIDI effects and extra software instruments. Current Live users can get 20 percent off upgrades too.

Meanwhile, it's rare to see Ableton offering a discount on the Push controller, which has deep integration with Live. In fact, the company confirmed to Engadget this is the first time it has cut the price of the controller since 2016.

You'll be able to use Push to play and tweak samples, step sequence your creative ideas and record your creations. If you don't already own Live 11 but want to pick up Push, you'll need to buy them as a bundle. The Live Intro 11 and Push package costs $639 (down from $898). Live 11 and the controller will set you back $918 (was $1,248). As for the bundle of Live 11 Suite and Push, that will run you $1,118 (down from $1,548). Current Live owners will see their Push price after logging into their account, but based on the bundle prices, it should be around $560.

Ableton allows customers to spread the cost of Live or Push over six months at the discounted rate. Meanwhile, students and teachers can save up to 40 percent off the standard price.

2022 is winding down, which means it's almost time to reward the folks behind some of the year's best games. While many folks tune into The Game Awards primarily for world premieres, trailers and an inevitable Hideo Kojima sighting, there are, in fact, some trophies to dole out as well. The show's host and producer, Geoff Keighley, has revealed the nominees for the ninth edition of the ceremony.

God of War Ragarnok (which hit PS4 and PS5 just last week) leads the pack with 10 nominations, followed by Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West with seven each. The terrific Stray also fared well with six nods. All four of those are among the Game of the Year nominees. They're joined by A Plague Tale: Requiem and Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Unsurprisingly, given the strong showings by God of War Ragarnok and Horizon Forbidden West, Sony Interactive Entertainment had the most nominations of any publisher with 20, followed by Annapurna Interactive and Nintendo with 11 each, Bandai Namco with eight and Riot Games with six. A jury made up of representatives from more than 100 publications and influencer outlets determines the nominees (so don't blame Keighley if your favorite didn't make the cut). Voting is open now on The Game Awards' website and Discord server. Fans in China can vote through Bilibili.

There's a new category this year called Best Adaptation, which is for shows and movies based on games. The nominees are Arcane: League of Legends, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, The Cuphead Show!, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Uncharted. Sorry, Halo. It's not hard to imagine HBO's The Last of Us making the cut next year, though.

A ton of other games, big and small, earned nominations across 31 categories (which also include esports and creator awards). Marvel Snap, Immortality, Scorn, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Splatoon 3, Tunic, Cult of the Lamb, Sifu, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, MultiVersus, Vampire Survivor, Diablo Immortal and Overwatch 2 were among the titles that received nods. Of note, there was no love for Apple Arcade or Netflix in the Best Mobile category.

The ceremony takes place on December 8th. If you're not attending in person or watching at an IMAX theater, you'll be able to catch The Game Awards on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Steam, Instagram Live and dozens of other platforms. 

Google has agreed to pay $391.5 million to settle charges brought forth by 40 attorneys general. They accused the company of misleading users into believing they had turned off location tracking in their settings, but Google continued to collect information about their movements. As part of the settlement, Google has agreed to "significantly improve" its location tracking disclosures and user controls starting next year.

“For years Google has prioritized profit over their users’ privacy,” Oregon attorney general Ellen Rosenblum, who led the case along with Nebraska AG Doug Peterson, said in a statement. “They have been crafty and deceptive. Consumers thought they had turned off their location tracking features on Google, but the company continued to secretly record their movements and use that information for advertisers.”

The AGs opened the investigation in 2018 following an Associated Press report suggesting that Google tracks location data even after users ask it not to. The report indicated that turning off the Location History setting didn't stop Google from knowing where a user was. Some apps, such as Maps and Search, still created a snapshot of their location on their Google account. Although it was possible to remove this data from one's Google account, doing so was "laborious," the AP noted.

The AGs determined that Google violated state consumer protection laws since at least 2014 by misleading consumers about its location tracking practices. They claimed that the company "confused its users about the extent to which they could limit Google’s location tracking by adjusting their account and device settings." They noted that this is the largest-ever consumer privacy settlement by US states (Meta, then known as Facebook, agreed to pay $5 billion to settle FTC charges over the Cambridge Analytica scandal). 

According to a press release from the Oregon AG's office, Google has agreed to:

• Show additional information to users whenever they turn a location-related account setting “on” or “off”;

• Make key information about location tracking unavoidable for users (i.e., not hidden); and

• Give users detailed information about the types of location data Google collects and how it’s used at an enhanced “Location Technologies” webpage.

Last month, Google agreed to pay Arizona $85 million to settle a 2020 lawsuit accusing it of tracking users for targeted ads even after they switched off location data settings. The company is facing other location tracking suits filed by AGs in Washington DC, Texas, Washington and Indiana.

Back at I/O in May, Google announced Health Connect, a platform it worked on with Samsung to enable health and fitness apps to share data more easily with each other while maintaining privacy measures. That initiative is taking another step forward today, as the Health Connect app has moved out of early access and into beta on the Play Store, while several health and fitness apps are rolling out integrations.

Peloton, Oura, WeightWatchers, MyFitnessPal, Flo, Lifesum, Tonal, Outdooractive and Proov Insight have joined Google and Samsung's own services: Fitbit, Google Fit and Samsung Health. The integrations mean that when you take on a workout in one app, you can share your stats across the Health Connect ecosystem. The likes of Oura and WeightWatchers will be able to take into account your Peloton workouts, for instance.

Google and Samsung have made it easier for health and fitness app developers to tap into such information by creating a standardized data schema. This supports more than 40 data types across six categories: activity, body measurement, cycle tracking, nutrition, sleep and vitals. Google notes that it only takes a few lines of code for apps to read and write any of these data types through Health Connect.

One of the key benefits for users is that they'll be able to manage permissions for all these integrations in one place. Health Connect includes granular controls over which types of data each third-party app can access. You can also block all apps from accessing Health Connect data with a couple of taps.

CD Projekt Red has revealed that the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will finally be available on December 14th. The studio hasn't shown off what gameplay looks like on those consoles or many details about what's in store, but it plans to reveal more during a livestream event sometime next week.

The upgrade will be free for those who bought any version of the game, which debuted in 2015, on PS4 or Xbox One, respectively. PC players will benefit from the update too. CD Projekt Red previously said the current-gen version of The Witcher 3 would include ray tracing and faster load times, as well as free downloadable content inspired by the Netflix series The Witcher2015 .

CDPR announced the current-gen version of the game back in September 2020. It planned to release that and the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S edition of Cyberpunk 2077 in 2021, but it delayed both into this year. The publisher released the latter in February. However, it ran into some issues with The Witcher 3. In April, CDPR said it would work on the upgrade in-house after initially outsourcing it to Saber Interactive. 

Cyberpunk 2077 saw a huge surge in interest earlier this year thanks to the (excellent) current-gen update and the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime series on Netflix. Perhaps this upgrade will cause The Witcher 3's player count to spike again. Netflix's upcoming prequel to The Witcher could draw more eyes to the game too.

Amazon has unveiled its latest warehouse robot. It says "Sparrow is the first robotic system in our warehouses that can detect, select, and handle individual products in our inventory." The robotic arm uses AI and computer vision to recognize and handle millions of items, according to Amazon.

The company says that, by employing robots in its warehouses, it can conduct operations more efficiently and safely. "Sparrow will take on repetitive tasks, enabling our employees to focus their time and energy on other things, while also advancing safety," Amazon said. "At the same time, Sparrow will help us drive efficiency by automating a critical part of our fulfillment process so we can continue to deliver for customers." It added that, by employing robots, it has been able to create more than 700 new job categories.

Amazon doesn't exactly have a spotless record when it comes to conditions for warehouse workers, particularly when robots are involved. In 2020, the Center for Investigative Reporting's Reveal publication released a report indicating that, between 2016 and 2019, the rate of serious injuries sustained by Amazon employees at automated warehouses was 50 percent higher than at facilities that don't use robots.

According to the report, the use of robots led Amazon to increase workers' quotas, requiring them to scan as many as 400 items per hour when they previously had to scan 100. "The data back up the accounts of Amazon warehouse workers and former safety professionals who say the company has used the robots to ratchet up production quotas to the point that humans can’t keep up without hurting themselves," the report reads.

This past July, it emerged that the US government was looking into Amazon over alleged unsafe workplace conditions. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration carried out inspections that were "related, among other things, to Amazon's required pace of work for its warehouse employees."

Amazon revealed Sparrow amid a drive by warehouse workers to unionize their workplaces, where robots are taking over duties in some cases. In March, workers at the JFK8 fulfillment center in Staten Island voted to unionize, becoming the first Amazon warehouse to do so. The company has challenged the result of the election. More recently, workers at an Albany, New York warehouse voted against unionization after Amazon conducted an anti-union campaign.