Posts with «author_name|kris holt» label

Twitter finally starts rolling out the edit button, but US users will have to wait

After years of users begging Twitter for an edit button, they're finally getting their wish. The company is rolling out the long-awaited feature in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but only for Twitter Blue subscribers. The option isn't available in the US just yet, but Twitter says users there will get access soon. It plans to offer the feature in other markets too.

Twitter Blue subscribers who send a tweet and realize they made a typo or two will have 30 minutes to make edits. They can make changes up to five times during that time frame. For the sake of transparency, edited tweets have a modified timestamp that reads "last edited" and the time of the last change. Click the timestamp and you'll see the entire edit history.

test went well, Edit Tweet is now rolling out to Twitter Blue members in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand!

US coming soon pic.twitter.com/7NNPRC0t1I

— Twitter Blue (@TwitterBlue) October 3, 2022

Twitter said in April that it was at long last starting to test an edit button. There were indications early on that the feature could include an edit history screen. At the beginning of September, Twitter said that it had, in fact, created an edit button. It published a test tweet at the end of the month and, a few days later, the edit button is going out into the wild.

The company is still technically testing the feature — it'll be available as part of the Labs section of the $5 per month Twitter Blue service. Moreover, you can only edit original tweets and quote tweets, according to a support page. Many types of tweets cannot be edited, such as threads, replies, retweets, pinned tweets, Super Follow tweets and ones you draft on third-party apps.

Still, it's a start. Twitter's approach to the edit button makes sense in terms of keeping things as transparent as possible. It's easy to imagine news organizations making changes to a breaking news tweet that's going viral as clarifications or more details come in. Maybe if Twitter opens up the edit button to everyone, they'll be able to fix innocuous typos like "sneak peak" without too much strife.

hello

this is a test to make sure the edit button works, we’ll let you know how it goes

— Twitter Blue (@TwitterBlue) September 29, 2022

A data-sharing agreement between the US and UK is now in effect

As of today, a data-sharing pact between the US and the UK is in effect, five years after it was first floated. The two sides claim that the Data Access Agreement, which was authorized by the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act in the US, will help law enforcement to combat serious crimes in both countries. The Department of Justice called the initiative the first of its kind, adding that it would enable investigators "to gain better access to vital data" to fight serious crimes in a manner that's "consistent with privacy and civil liberties standards."

Under the agreement, authorities in one country can request data from ISPs in the other country, as long as it's related to preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting serious crimes including terrorism, transnational organized crime and child exploitation. US officials can't submit data requests targeting people in the UK and vice-versa — presumably the requests can either be used to assist domestic investigations or investigations into foreign nationals. Authorities also need to adhere to certain requirements, limitations and conditions when they access and use data.

The UK Home Office's Investigatory Powers Unit will oversee the Data Access Agreement in the UK, while the DOJ's Office of International Affairs (OIA) will handle matters in the US. The OIA has put together a CLOUD team that will review and certify orders on behalf of federal, state, local and territorial authorities. It will directly submit orders to ISPs in the UK and ensure data is transferred to authorities who requested it.

Privacy advocates have blasted the initiative and the CLOUD Act. In 2018, just after the bill was introduced, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said it "creates a dangerous precedent for other countries who may want to access information stored outside their own borders, including data stored in the United States." Fight for the Future argued that it would threaten user privacy.

The US is looking to forge pacts with other countries under the CLOUD Act. It signed a deal with Australia last December and entered negotiations with Canada earlier this year.

There’s an apparent PS5 jailbreak, but only for old firmware

Almost two years after the PlayStation 5 went on sale, it seems that modders have found a way to jailbreak the console, albeit with some significant limitations. As IGN notes, a modder known as SpecterDev revealed the apparent jailbreak, which is described as an experimental IPV6 kernel exploit that takes advantage of a WebKit vulnerability.

It appears the jailbreak will only work on PS5 systems that run firmware version 4.03 or earlier. If you have updated your PS5 since last October, you're probably not going to be able to try the exploit. Even then, it seems that trying to install the jailbreak only works around a third of the time.

As for what you can actually do with a jailbroken PS5 right now, you'll gain access to the system's debug menu. You might be able to install games from outside of the PlayStation Store as well, but it's not possible to run sideloaded software. 

It's... beautiful.

The PlayStation 5 has been jailbroken. pic.twitter.com/54fvBGoQGw

— Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) October 3, 2022

Modder Lance McDonald tried the jailbreak and was able to install the PS4 demo P.T., Hideo Kojima's famed, delisted teaser for the canceled Silent Hills. (PS4 units with P.T. installed often pop up on eBay.) However, McDonald wasn't able to start playing the game. While the exploit offers read/write access to the PS5, there's currently no way to execute sideloaded files. P.T. isn't backward compatible on PS5 in any case.

As it stands, it doesn't seem likely that this jailbreak will be in widespread use anytime soon, due to its limitations and the fact that Sony could ban modders' accounts. On top of that, there's the risk of bricking the console at a time when it still isn't super easy to buy one. Still, this could give other hackers and modders a foundation on which to build more robust jailbreaking tools.

Kim Kardashian will pay $1.26 million to settle SEC charges over a crypto post

Kim Kardashian will pay $1.26 million to settle charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission over a cryptocurrency ad she posted on Instagram Stories. The socialite and reality TV megastar received $250,000 to post about EthereumMax's EMAX tokens but didn't disclose that she was paid to do so, according to the agency

The SEC determined that Kardashian violated the anti-touting provision of federal securities laws. She didn't admit or deny the charges, though agreed to pay a $1 million penalty and around $260,000 in disgorgement, which the SEC said covers the fee she received for the ad plus prejudgement interest. In addition, Kardashian pledged not to promote cryptocurrency assets for three years.

"This case is a reminder that, when celebrities or influencers endorse investment opportunities, including crypto asset securities, it doesn’t mean that those investment products are right for all investors," SEC chair Gary Gensler said. "We encourage investors to consider an investment’s potential risks and opportunities in light of their own financial goals."

Earlier this year, a class-action suit took aim at Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather for promoting EthereumMax tokens. It accused the defendants of participating in a pump and dump scheme, in which investors promote an asset and sell their interest in it after the value rises. The suit claimed the value of the token soared by 632 percent after Mayweather and former NBA player Paul Pierce (another defendant in the case) promoted it.

According to a survey, 19 percent of people who heard about an Instagram Story from Kardashian that mentioned the cryptocurrency invested in EthereumMax. The lawsuit asserts that the value of the token nosedived by 98 percent the day after Kardashian's post.

This is far from the first time that Kardashian has been accused of publishing sponsored posts without disclosing that they're ads. Federal Trade Commission guidelines suggest that those who are paid to endorse something on social media should include the #Ad hashtag or include terms like "Sponsored," "Promotion" or "Paid ad."

In an incredible case of serendipity, a new podcast narrated by Kardashian, who is studying to become a lawyer, premiered on Spotify on Monday. The System: The Case of Kevin Keith is a true-crime podcast.

Coinbase users were unable to withdraw funds to US bank accounts for six hours

Coinbase users were unable to carry out US bank account transactions for around six hours on Sunday. An issue with the Automated Clearing House Network, which is used for electronic transfers between bank accounts in the country, emerged just before 7AM ET. The company said on its status page that it identified the problem, described as a "major outage," by 8:23AM and resolved it by 12:41PM.

During the outage, users were still able to buy cryptocurrency with a debit card or PayPal account, as Decrypt noted. However, they weren't able to make withdrawals to a US bank account.

We’ve fully resolved this issue and ACH transfers are now processing. We apologize for the inconvenience. https://t.co/dezVgcaagm

— Coinbase Support (@CoinbaseSupport) October 2, 2022

“We’ve fully resolved this issue and ACH transfers are now processing. We apologize for the inconvenience,” Coinbase wrote on Twitter. The company said users' funds were safe during the outage (at least if you don't factor in the volatility of the crypto market).

As Web3 is Going Great points out, Coinbase is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US. It's in seventh place worldwide in terms of trading volume, per CoinCecko. At the time of writing, Coinbase users had traded $572 million over the previous 24 hours.

Tesla built 365,923 electric vehicles in Q3, up 42 percent from Q2

After pandemic-related disruptions in Q2, Tesla ramped up its manufacturing capacity again last quarter, leading the company to make a record number of deliveries between July 1st and September 30th. The company built 365,923 electric vehicles during the period. That marks a year over-year production increase of nearly 54 percent, as Tesla manufactured 237,823 cars in Q3 2021. Production was also up by 41.5 percent from Q2 2022, when the automaker built 258,580 vehicles.

The company produced 19,935 Model S and Model X cars in Q3 and delivered 18,672. For the Model 3 and Model Y, those figures were 345,988 and 345,988, respectively. In total, Tesla says it was able to deliver 343,830 vehicles in Q3, the most it has delivered in any quarter to date. However, that was below expectations, according to Reuters. On average, analysts anticipated that Tesla would deliver 359,162 EVs during the quarter.

Tesla built around 20,000 more vehicles that it was able to deliver during Q3. "As our production volumes continue to grow, it is becoming increasingly challenging to secure vehicle transportation capacity and at a reasonable cost during these peak logistics weeks," Tesla said in a statement.

CEO Elon Musk noted last year that Tesla sees a significant increase in deliveries at the end of every quarter. That's because the Shanghai Gigafactory, which recently built its 1 millionth car, manufactures EVs bound for Europe and other countries in the first half of each quarter, "then cars for far away parts of China, then cars for nearby parts of China," Musk said.

"In Q3, we began transitioning to a more even regional mix of vehicle builds each week, which led to an increase in cars in transit at the end of the quarter," Tesla said. "These cars have been ordered and will be delivered to customers upon arrival at their destination."

The number of cars Tesla manufactured and delivered dropped dramatically in Q2 2022. It was forced to suspend work at the Shanghai factory in March due to a COVID-19 outbreak in China. Production at the plant has resumed, while recently opened Gigafactories in Berlin and Texas have helped the company significantly improve its manufacturing numbers. We'll learn more about what the uptick in production and deliveries means for Tesla's bottom line when the company announces its Q3 financial results on October 19th.

Leaked Pixel Watch images show band designs, watch faces and Fitbit integration

It's only a few days until Google's big Pixel event, where the company will show off the Pixel 7 lineup as well as the first flagship smartwatch it designed in-house (outside of Fitbit, anyway). Leaks and rumors have provided some hints about the Pixel Watch's features and specs. The latest leak might be the biggest one to date. It seems an Amazon listing for the Pixel Watch went live early in Germany — the Pixel Watch is set to go on sale just after Google's October 6th event.

Images and details shared by leaker OnLeaks on the Slashleaks forum (as spotted by 9to5 Google) indicate there will be at least four band designs in a number of colors. They appear to include a silicon design in black, gray, eggshell white and green and silver (the images aren't super high-res), as well as a braided one that comes in orange, green and black. It seems there are two leather designs as well.

@OnLeaks via SlashLeaks

Beyond that, the images offer a look at some of the Pixel Watch faces. These include an analog-style watch face that includes the wearer's heart rate, ones with artistic landscape designs and another that spells out the time in words. Other images offer peeks at the Pixel Watch's Fitbit integration, a step counter, electrocardiogram (ECG) readings, an emergency call function and Fast Pair support.

@OnLeaks via SlashLeaks

In addition, the Amazon listing, which has since been removed, suggested that users will receive six months of free Fitbit Premium access. Fitbit typically gives buyers of its smartwatches the same perk, but it's not yet clear whether Google will do the same with the Pixel Watch in all regions. The listing also indicated that the Pixel Watch will connect to the Google Home app, and have 5ATM water resistance and a Corning Gorilla Glass display. The device is also said to have an Exynos 9110 processor and a day-long battery life.

Screenshots of the listing indicate that a WiFi version of the Pixel Watch costs €356.79 (around $349) in Germany. Previous reports suggested the WiFi model would start at $350 in the US, while the cellular version may start at $400. In any case, we'll get more official details about the smartwatch this Thursday. We'll have full coverage of the Pixel event, including everything you need to know about the Pixel Watch and the Pixel 7 lineup.

Google reportedly canceled a Stadia-exclusive follow-up to 'Death Stranding'

One of the major problems that worked against Stadia from the jump was the fact that Google didn't secure blockbuster exclusives for the cloud gaming service, which it will shut down in January. Sure, people were able to play the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2,Cyberpunk 2077 and Destiny 2 on the platform, but those are all available elsewhere. As it turns out, Google may have spurned the chance to have an exclusive title from one of the biggest names in gaming.

According to 9to5 Google, at one point Hideo Kojima was working on a Stadia-only follow-up to Death Stranding, which debuted on PlayStation in 2019 and later arrived on PC. Death Stranding has some asynchronous multiplayer elements. Other players might be able to use ladders, roads and other items that you place in the world, for instance. However, the planned follow-up was said to be a fully single-player game, which might have been the reason why Google canceled the project.

According to the report, Google canned the game, which was described as an episodic horror title, after seeing the first mockups in 2020. Stadia vice-president and general manager Phil Harrison is said to have made the final decision to kill the project. For what it's worth, in a May 2020 interview, Kojima claimed one of his projects had recently been canceled. 

Stephen Lam / reuters

Google reportedly abandoned the project in the belief that there wasn't a market for single-player games anymore. Of note, CD Projekt Red just announced that Cyberpunk 2077 (which, again, was released on Stadia) has now sold 20 million copies, less than two years after its eventfuldebut. By mid-2021, Death Stranding itself had sold more than 5 million copies.

The lack of big exclusives is far from the only issue that led to Stadia's downfall. A questionable business model and a seemingly rushed rollout didn't help, and nor did Google's reputation for ruthlessly killing off its own products. Even though Stadia has excellent game streaming tech and some passionate fans, it never took off as Google hoped. The company will shut down the platform on January 18th and issue refunds for all hardware and software purchases (except for Pro subscriptions). Ubisoft is working on a way to give people who bought its games on Stadia access to PC versions.

The news of Stadia's demise blindsided developers, from giants like Destiny 2 studio Bungie to indie studios whose titles were supposed to hit the now-closed Stadia store in the coming weeks. As Axios notes, it isn't clear whether Google has a broad plan to reimburse studios for costs they expected to recoup after launching their games on Stadia. There are concerns about what Stadia's closure means for game preservation too. While Google didn't secure AAA exclusives, Stadia has some indie games that aren't available elsewhere.

Future Publishing via Getty Images

Meanwhile, some are calling on Google to unlock the Stadia Controller's Bluetooth functions. The argument is that, if people can more easily use the controller on other platforms, it's less likely that the gamepad will become e-waste. The controller connects directly to WiFi for Stadia games in order to minimize lag. You can also hook it up to devices with a USB-C cable.

As for Kojima, he has a Death Stranding sequel in the works, according to the game's star, Norman Reedus. It also emerged in June that Kojima has teamed up with Xbox Game Studios for his next title. That game will be powered by Microsoft's cloud technology.

ABC, ESPN and other Disney networks go dark on Dish and Sling TV

Disney-owned channels including local ABC stations, ESPN, FX and 17 others are no longer available on Dish Network and Sling TV. Dish says Disney wanted almost $1 billion more to extend their carriage contract, which expired at 3AM ET on October 1st. As a result, Dish had to remove Disney's channels from both platforms for the time being. As is usually the case in these situations, both sides are blaming each other for the blackout.

Dish claimed it offered Disney a contract extension, but said the latter rejected the proposal and walked away from the negotiating table. "We were not able to reach a mutual renewal agreement with Disney and without a contract in place we are legally required to remove their channels from our service," Dish said in a statement.

Dish has accused Disney of holding "viewers hostage for negotiation leverage." It claimed that Disney wanted Dish to insert ESPN and ESPN2 into packages that don't currently include sports channels. In addition, it said Disney wanted to upend a policy that allows Dish subscribers to remove local channels and save money. “Now Disney wants to take this away by forcing most Dish customers in their ABC markets to pay for local channels,” Dish said.

On the flip side, Disney claimed it didn't receive a fair offer to keep the likes of ESPN and National Geographic on Dish and Sling TV. “After months of negotiating in good faith, Dish has declined to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us for continued distribution of our networks," Disney told Variety in a statement. “The rates and terms we are seeking reflect the marketplace and have been the foundation for numerous successful deals with pay-TV providers of all types and sizes across the country. We’re committed to reaching a fair resolution, and we urge Dish to work with us in order to minimize the disruption to their customers.”

The Disney networks that Dish had to remove from its platforms are ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Disney XD, Freeform, FX, FXX, FXM, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, ACC Network, SEC Network, Longhorn Network and Baby TV. Dish also had to jettison local ABC stations in Chicago; Fresno, California; Houston; Los Angeles; New York City; Philadelphia; Raleigh, North Carolina; and San Francisco.

This is the second time in the space of a year that Disney's channels have gone dark on a major live TV streaming service. YouTube TV lost access to them last December over a carriage fee dispute with Disney. The standoff didn't last long, however, as the likes of ESPN and local ABC channels returned the next day.

Dish has also had battles with other media giants. HBO and Cinemax vanished from Dish and Sling TV in 2018. The channels, and HBO Max, became available on Dish again last year after it reached an agreement with WarnerMedia, which is now part of Warner Bros. Discovery. However, the channels and HBO Max still aren't available on Sling TV.

Ubisoft will help jilted Stadia users transfer their purchases to PC

Stadia, Google's ill-fated attempt at a cloud gaming service, will shut down in January. Players will be refunded for all their hardware and software purchases, except for Stadia Pro subscriptions. As it turns out, some folks will be able to keep playing certain games elsewhere. Ubisoft will help people who bought its titles on Stadia to transfer their purchases to PC.

“While Stadia will shut down on January 18th, 2023, we’re happy to share that we’re currently working to bring the games you own on Stadia to PC through Ubisoft Connect,” Ubisoft senior corporate communications manager Jessica Roache told The Verge. “We’ll have more to share regarding specific details as well as the impact for Ubisoft+ subscribers at a later date.” Google has already shut down the Stadia store, so if you were thinking of buying an Ubisoft game, getting a refund, then gaining access to the PC version for free, you're out of luck.

Ubisoft hasn't revealed when it will offer Stadia players access to their games on Ubisoft Connect. It also hasn't confirmed whether Stadians will be able to transfer their save data over to PC. That said, the Ubisoft+ subscription service includes a cloud save feature, so hopefully the company can figure out a way to maintain players' progress if they switch to a PC version.

While this is a nice gesture from Ubisoft, it might come as a small comfort to some of those who've been enjoying the likes of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6 and Rainbow Six Siege on Stadia. One of the big advantages of many cloud gaming services, including Stadia, is that they work on almost any computer, phone or tablet as long as you have a good internet connection. However, folks who don't have a capable gaming PC might not be able to take advantage of this offer.

Ubisoft hasn't been put off the idea of cloud gaming after the collapse of Stadia. Its Ubisoft+ channel is available on Amazon Luna, for one thing. “We believe in the power of streaming and cloud gaming and will continue to push the boundaries on bringing amazing experiences to our players, wherever they are,” Roache said. 

While Google has abandoned Stadia, it will still license the solid game-streaming tech to other companies through an initiative called Immersive Stream for Games. AT&T and Capcom have utilized the white-label version of the tech. Perhaps Ubisoft, whose Assassin's Creed Odyssey was used in the first public test of what would become Stadia, will be interested in taking Google up on the offer too.