At its annual Snapdragon Summit on Tuesday, Qualcomm revealed its latest mobile chipset. Perhaps the biggest change in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the introduction of on-device generative AI (akin to Google's Tensor G3). The chipset’s AI Engine supports multi-modal generative AI models and what Qualcomm claims is the world’s fastest Stable Diffusion system with the ability to generate an image in under a second. So, you should be able to whip up backgrounds and images for social media posts in a flash.

Because GAI requests are handled on-device, Qualcomm says they remain private. There’s an AI assistant based on Meta’s Llama 2 language learning model. It can securely use personal data such as your favorite activities, location and fitness level to provide more personalized responses, Qualcomm says. The Qualcomm Sensing Hub (which powers this feature) is said to deliver an AI performance increase of up to 3.5 times that of Qualcomm's previous mobile chipset. The company also claims the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers up to 98 percent faster Hexagon NPU performance and 40 percent better performance per watt.

Qualcomm

The camera and editing systems include support for features such as the ability to remove people and objects from a video with the tap of a finger. Qualcomm is promising voice-activated GAI photo and video editing thanks to its Cognitive ISP, along with the option to optimize different parts of a photo in up to 12 layers, whether you capture it with the front or back camera.

The Photo Expansion feature uses GAI to extend the borders of a photo, akin to Adobe's Generative Fill tool. The Vlogger's View mode allows you to share video from both your rear and front-facing cameras at the same time, so you can feature your face in what you capture as you narrate what you're seeing.

Qualcomm says that Dolby HDR tech allows for image playback and capture with a fuller range of colors, tones and shades. Meanwhile, you can apply a cryptographic seal from Truepic to a photo to indicate that it's the real deal and not something you whipped up with GAI, because that's the world we're living in these days. It's a different approach to applying a label to AI-generated content.

Elsewhere, Qualcomm is promising some gaming upgrades in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. There's support for Unreal Engine 5.2 along with hardware-accelerated ray-tracing with global illumination, which the company says is a first for a mobile chipset. This, Qualcomm says, helps deliver "lifelike, multi-source lighting" in games.

NetEase/Qualcomm

The Adreno Frame Motion Engine 2.0 can double framerates while sustaining the same power consumption as the previous chipset, Qualcomm claims. If you're so inclined to hook up a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered device to an external 240Hz display, you'll be able to play games at up to 240 fps. 

Snapdragon Game Super Resolution, Qualcomm's answer to upscaling tech like NVIDIA's DLSS, will help games to run at up to 8K on supported displays too. The company notes that it's open-sourcing Snapdragon Game Super Resolution.

You can expect gameplay audio to be synced to the millisecond, according to Qualcomm, meaning that you shouldn't experience any lag while using earbuds. It's also promising uninterrupted lossless audio even as you move away from your phone or from one room to another thanks to its Expanded Personal Area Network Technology system. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is said to support 24-bit 96 kHz lossless music over Bluetooth.

On the subject of connectivity, Qualcomm is using AI hardware acceleration in the X75 Modem-RF System. It says this can help to deliver better 5G speeds, coverage, mobility, link robustness and location accuracy. There's Wi-Fi 7 support too.

Compared with the previous chipset, Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3's Kryo CPU delivers 30 percent better performance and 20 percent more power efficiency. As for the GPU, it claims you'll benefit from a 25 percent performance improvement and 25 percent greater power efficiency, along with a 40 percent ray-tracing upgrade. Overall, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is slated to have 10 percent overall power savings compared with last year’s chip.

You won't have to wait long to try out a phone with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 if you really want to. Qualcomm says devices that use the chipset should start to appear in the coming weeks. Among the brands and manufacturers that will use it are Sony, ASUS, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor and ZTE.

Nightdive Studios has revealed when you'll be able to check out its remaster of Star Wars: Dark Forces. The latest version of the first-person shooter is scheduled to hit PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC on February 29, 2024.

The Nightdive team used its KEX engine to revitalize Star Wars: Dark Forces for modern gaming platforms, on which it will be able to run at up to 4K resolution at 120fps. The studio is promising updated lighting and atmospheric effects thanks to advanced 3D rendering. Controller users can take advantage of a weapon wheel and rumble features, along with gyro controls. Of course, you'll be able to earn trophies and achievements too.

LucasArts originally released the first FPS game in the Star Wars franchise in 1995. The game sees you take control of Kyle Katarn, a mercenary who joins the Rebel Alliance after defecting from the Galactic Empire. Katarn discovers that the Empire is developing the Dark Trooper Project, under which it's attempting to amass an army of battle droids and stormtroopers with power armor. As far as gameplay goes, it was one of many titles from around that time that took a page (or 12) out of Doom's playbook.

Nightdive is well known for modernizing old games for new consoles. The studio also has remasters of System Shock 2 and Turok 3 in the pipeline.

The Department of Justice has expanded its investigation into Tesla, the company has confirmed. In an SEC filing, Tesla said the agency has issued subpoenas for information related to "personal benefits, related parties, vehicle range and personnel decisions." In January, Tesla confirmed that the DOJ sought details from the company regarding Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features for its electric vehicles.

According to Reuters and Consumer Reports, Tesla vehicles didn't hit Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) range estimates in road tests. The EPA tests vehicle ranges on rollers in a lab. The New York Times points out that all EVs have a lower range in colder temperatures, but even in warm weather, a Tesla Model Y ran out of juice at least 50 miles below its claimed range in Consumer Reports' tests.

Tesla, which has been penalized in other countries for failing to disclose that its EVs have shorter ranges in low temperatures, reportedly formed a special team that sought to quash complaints about the distance its cars can travel on a single charge. The team is said to have told customers who flagged such issues with their EVs that EPA range figures were merely predictions and that the range would be reduced due to battery degradation.

As the Times notes, when the term "related parties” is used in a regulatory filing, it often refers to senior management, company directors or major shareholders. Earlier this year, it was reported that Tesla opened an internal investigation to determine whether CEO Elon Musk dipped into company coffers to help fund a glass house he was building. The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and SEC are said to have asked the company for information related to the house and other personal benefits afforded to Musk. 

In its filing, Tesla noted that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, the SEC and other local, state, federal and international regulators have also sought information from the company related to a variety of investigations and inquiries. Tesla does not have a PR department that can be reached for comment.

"To our knowledge, no government agency in any ongoing investigation has concluded that any wrongdoing occurred," Tesla said in its SEC filing. "We cannot predict the outcome or impact of any ongoing matters. Should the government decide to pursue an enforcement action, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on our business, results of operation, prospects, cash flows, financial position or brand."

The Venn diagram of HomePod owners and YouTube Music subscribers probably doesn't have a lot of overlap. However, those who use both Apple's speakers and Google's music streaming service may be pleased to learn that the two now play more nicely together. YouTube Music is now available natively on HomePod, meaning that you can ask Siri to play tracks from the service even if your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch aren't close by. 

It's now possible to set YouTube Music as the default music service on HomePod. That means you won't have to add "on YouTube Music" when you bark a command at Siri. If you configure your HomePod in that way, you can still play music from another supported service by saying its name when you make your Siri request (for example "Siri, play Bad Bunny on Deezer" or "Siri, play Taylor Swift on Apple Music").

To change the default music service on HomePod, open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap the More button (the one with the three dots) and then Home Settings. Go to your user profile under People, then select a default service in the Media section.

Having native YouTube Music support is a welcome update. HomePods don't support too many services natively beyond the likes of Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn Radio and iHeartRadio. It's possible to stream audio to a HomePod from an iPhone, iPad or Mac as well.

With iOS 17, you can ask your HomePod to play music from Spotify and it will do so as long as your iPhone is nearby. Siri needs to route the request through your mobile device via AirPlay. While there's no native Spotify support on HomePod as yet, that change should certainly make things a little easier for some folks.

During the TwitchCon Las Vegas Opening Ceremony on Friday, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy made an important announcement regarding the platform's off-service conduct policy. Starting now, Twitch will take action against users who doxx and swat others outside of its own platform.

Doxxing (publishing someone's personal information such as their full name and address) and swatting (making a prank call to dispatch emergency services to someone's home) have long been problems in the livestreaming community. Now, if Twitch catches a streamer or other user doxxing or swatting someone on another platform or even offline, it may suspend or ban their account.

Twitch started enforcing its off-service conduct policy in April 2021. At the time, it said it would respond to serious incidents that "pose a substantial safety risk to the Twitch community" even if those happen away from its own platform. Before it makes any enforcement actions related to off-platform activity, Twitch requires evidence of such incidents taking place.

The policy covers issues such as sexual misconduct, terrorist activity and recruitment, explicit or credible threats of mass violence and being a leader or member of a known hate group. The platform also takes action related to threats against Twitch and its staff, as well as those who share harmful misinformation. Adding doxxing and swatting to the list is a long-overdue move given the serious and occasionally even deadly nature of such actions.

Twitch had some other safety-related announcements to make at TwitchCon. Streamers and mods will soon be able to anonymously send warnings to chatters who step out of line. The chatter in question will need to acknowledge the warning before they can type in the chat box again. Twitch notes that many streamers have an informal three-strike system in place to keep their communities safe, and this channel-level chat warning feature aligns with that.

Earlier this year, Twitch started testing an AutoMod feature called Smart Detection. This tweaks AutoMod (a tool that automatically keeps inappropriate content out of stream chats) based on the moderation actions that streamers and their mods make. Smart Detection is now live on all English-language channels. Twitch plans to roll it out more broadly in the future.

Games Done Quick speedrunning marathons have seen plenty of unusual attempts at beating games as quickly as possible in the name of charity. From races between multiple players to blindfolded runs, there’s often something a little offbeat on the schedule to shake things up. A run that’s earmarked for January's Awesome Games Done Quick event might take the biscuit, though: a Shiba Inu is set to become the first dog to take part in GDQ.

Peanut Butter (who is named after the speedrunning term PB, or personal best) is scheduled to tackle NES game Gyromite alongside his human, JSR. The pooch’s run will take place remotely, which may come as slightly disappointing news to those attending AGDQ in-person in Pittsburgh.

According to a video JSR shared of a previous speedrun of the 1985 game, Peanut Butter uses a custom NES controller with four buttons. Those are mapped to A, B, Select and a fourth button that acts as pressing A and B simultaneously. JSR claims Peanut Butter handled all inputs for the run and that “no assistance, autofire, macros or save states were used.” However, it's worth noting that JSR did guide PB through Gyromite with the help of some tasty incentives.

It took the three-year-old Shina Ibu 25 minutes and 28 seconds to finish the game in that earlier attempt. According to How Long to Beat, that's over an hour faster than it takes the typical player to complete Gyromite. So Peanut Butter is probably better than you at this game.

As expected, the commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission voted along party lines to move forward with a plan to largely restore Obama-era net neutrality protections. All three of the agency's Democratic commissioners voted in favor of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (PDF), with the two Republican commissioners dissenting.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, who has long supported net neutrality rules, last month announced a proposal to reclassify fixed broadband as an essential communications service under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. It also aims to reclassify mobile broadband as a commercial mobile service.

If broadband is reclassified in this way, the FCC would have greater scope to regulate it in a similar way to how water, power and phone services are overseen. As such, it would have more leeway to re-establish net neutrality rules.

Supporters believe that net neutrality protections are fundamental to an open and equitable internet. When such rules are in place, internet service providers have to provide users with access to every site, content and app at the same speeds and conditions. They can't block or give preference to any content and they're not allowed to, for instance, charge video streaming streaming services for faster service.

"The proposed net neutrality rules will ensure that all viewpoints, including those with which I disagree, are heard," Commissioner Anna Gomez, who was sworn in as the panel's third Democratic member in September, said ahead of the vote. "Moreso, these principles protect consumers while also maintaining a healthy, competitive broadband internet ecosystem. Because we know that competition is required for access to a healthy, open internet that is accessible to all."

On the other hand, critics say that net neutrality rules are unnecessary. "Since the FCC’s 2017 decision to return the Internet to the same successful and bipartisan regulatory framework under which it thrived for decades, broadband speeds in the U.S. have increased, prices are down, competition has intensified, and record-breaking new broadband builds have brought millions of Americans across the digital divide," Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the FCC, said in a statement. "The Internet is not broken and the FCC does not need Title II to fix it. I would encourage the agency to reverse course and focus on the important issues that Congress has authorized the FCC to advance."

Restoring previous net neutrality rules (which the Trump administration overturned in 2017) has been part of President Joe Biden's agenda for several years. However, until Gomez was sworn in, the FCC was deadlocked, leaving that goal in limbo until now.

The FCC suggests that reclassification will grant it more authority to "safeguard national security, advance public safety, protect consumers and facilitate broadband deployment." In addition, the agency wants to "reestablish a uniform, national regulatory approach to protect the open internet" and stop ISPs from "engaging in practices harmful to consumers."

The FCC will now seek comment on the proposal with members of the public and stakeholders (such as ISPs) having the chance to weigh in on the agency's plan. After reviewing and possibly implementing feedback, the FCC is then expected to issue a final rule on the reclassification of broadband internet access. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation points out, this means net neutrality protections could be restored as soon as next spring.

It's still not a sure thing that net neutrality protections will return, however. The implementation of revived rules could face legal challenges from the telecom industry. It may also take quite some time for the FCC to carry out the rulemaking process, which may complicate matters given that we're going into a presidental election year. 

Nevertheless, net neutrality is a major priority for the fully staffed commission under Rosenworcel. “We’re laserlike focused on getting this rulemaking process started, then we're going to review the record, and my hope is we'll be able to move to order," the FCC chair told The Washington Post. 

Amazon has some big plans for its drone delivery program, including an international expansion to the UK and Italy in 2024. The company also aims to start drone operations in a third US city next year, following existing efforts in College Station, Texas (where it just started offering prescription medication delivery by drone) and Lockeford, California.

Drone deliveries in the UK and Italy will start at one site each before expanding to more locations over time. Amazon says it will announce the specific locations for the US, UK and Italy expansion in the coming months.

Moreover, Amazon will integrate the Prime Air program into its delivery network. In the US, drones will run out of some Same-Day Delivery sites. By basing drones at those locations and its larger fulfillment centers in the UK and Italy, Amazon says customers can choose from a wider range of items for drone deliveries. Until now, Amazon has been using dedicated delivery centers at its first two Prime Air locations.

When the option is available in their area and they buy an eligible item that weighs under five pounds, Amazon customers can choose to have the product delivered by drone. Thousands of items are eligible for drone delivery, including office and tech supplies, household products and beauty items. The company notes that, for nearly a year, it's been using drones to deliver items to customers in its first two Prime Air locations in an hour or less.

Reports earlier this year suggested that Prime Air got off to a very slow start, delivering to just a handful of homes in its first few weeks of operation in Texas and California (the program is said to have been hit hard by layoffs around that time too). Regulatory red-tape was said to be a key reason for the lackluster debut. To that end, Amazon says it has been "working closely with regulators and governments around the world to expand drone delivery."

Meanwhile, Amazon plans to start making deliveries with the MK30 drone it first showed off last November. This model has a range that's twice as large as previous drones, while it has improved tolerance for higher and lower temperatures. The MK30 can also operate in light rain. It's smaller, lighter and quieter than previous drones too, according to Amazon.

What's more, the MK30 latest model is said to be capable of identifying and avoiding obstacles that are in its delivery area, including objects like moveable cranes that weren't there the previous day. One other intriguing aspect of the MK30 is how it flies. After taking off vertically, it orientates itself for horizontal, wing-borne flight. Add all of that up (and roll in some safety features), and Amazon says the MK30 can deliver packages to folks who live in more densely populated suburban areas and have smaller backyards.

Google is expanding a feature that allows Android users to add their state ID or driver’s license to Wallet. Starting today, folks in Arizona, Colorado and Georgia can store a digital version of their ID in the app. Google first enabled the option in Maryland in June. Apple also allows folks in certain locales to add a digital copy of their ID to Apple Wallet.

For now, you'll be able to use a digital ID stored in Google Wallet at TSA PreCheck lines at select airports. Google plans to enable more ways to use the digital version of your ID later this year, such as for renting a car through an app. The idea is that the app will only gain access to necessary information, such as your name and driving eligibility.

Digital IDs that are added to Google Wallet are encrypted, so no one will have access to personal information stored there unless you choose to share it. Authentication such as a fingerprint unlock is needed to access the ID. You'll also be able to select which information fields you share when you present your digital ID.

To add an ID issued by Arizona, Colorado, Georgia or Maryland to Google Wallet, your device will need to be running Android 8 or newer. First, open the Google Wallet app, tap the Add to Wallet button, select the ID Card option and choose the state that issued the ID. Then you'll need to scan the ID and take a quick selfie video to verify that you're the person to whom the ID belongs. Google will then authenticate your ID with the issuer.

If you lose your phone or someone steals it, you can delete your digital ID remotely via your Google account settings. You can also ask your state's DMV to remove the ID from Google Wallet.

Meanwhile, it's now possible to create a digital pass in Google Wallet by taking a photo or screenshot of any barcode or QR code. The aim is to let you add passes that Wallet doesn't natively support, such as your library card or gym membership, to the app. 

At a time when misinformation is rife on many platforms and is arguably even incentivized in some cases, YouTube is doing more to try and direct users to reliable sources of news. The platform is doing so on two fronts.

First, YouTube is rolling out a dedicated, immersive hub for news. This page will pull together news from “authoritative sources” in several formats: video on demand, live streams, podcasts and Shorts. The aim, according to YouTube, is to help users learn more about a topic or story from several sources and angles and to make it easy for them to explore an issue in depth.

You can access the watch page for a topic or story by clicking on a relevant video that features a newspaper icon on the YouTube home page or in search results. YouTube is starting to roll it out on mobile in around 40 countries. The feature will eventually land on desktop and connected TV apps. "We believe this updated news experience will help viewers access a range of credible and diverse voices when they want to dive into a news topic," Brandon Feldman, YouTube's director of news and civics partnerships, and Geoff Samek, director of product management for news, wrote in a blog post.

In addition, YouTube has established a program to bolster news organizations' ability to create short-form videos. The Shorts Innovation Program for News is designed to help those that already have a strong track record of publishing long-form news videos but perhaps need more resources and expertise to improve their Shorts offerings.

Initially, YouTube will split $1.6 million in funding between more than 20 news organizations in 10 countries. Over the next year, specialists will offer advice on Shorts content strategy and best practices to outlets such as Univision in the US, AFP in France and Mediacorp in Singapore.

"Now more than ever, we remain committed to connecting people to high-quality information they can trust, particularly in times of elections, unrest and natural disasters," Feldman and Samek wrote. "In today’s digital news landscape, viewers are increasingly seeking out many different types of content, and we’re seeing newsrooms and journalists evolve to meet that need."

Some notable platforms, such as Threads, are shying away from promoting news content in feeds. Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) is making it harder to find legitimate news on the platform. Practically anyone can be "verified" these days, not just notable public figures, which arguably makes impersonation more of a problem. Headlines and snippets no longer appear in link cards, while a recent decision to allow more newsworthy content that otherwise breaks the rules to remain on the platform could increase misinformation. On that note, the EU is investigating X over its handling of misinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war. 

YouTube's own record with handling misinformation has been spotty over the years. Along with this news initiative, it's tackling that problem on other fronts, such as with an effort to clamp down on cancer misinformation.