Posts with «author_name|mat smith» label

The Morning After: Unraveling Apple's messy Pencil lineup

Earlier this week, Apple introduced a new top-end stylus, the Pencil Pro, but didn’t discontinue any older model. That means there are now four styluses to choose from, channeling the chaotic lineup energy of Apple Watch and iPad families over the years. Because not every Pencil works with every iPad, we explain the best choices.

Apple

Just… don’t buy the first-gen one.

— Mat Smith

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Everything announced at Apple’s Let Loose iPad event

The best budget Android phone

US revokes Intel and Qualcomm’s licenses for chip sales to Huawei

Oh no, I think I want an iPad Pro now

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OpenAI is reportedly working on ChatGPT search

Results could include citations.

OpenAI is reportedly working on a search feature for ChatGPT that could make the chatbot capable of things you’d normally use Google Search for. According to Bloomberg, it’ll be able to scour the web for answers to your queries and spit out results, complete with sourcing. ChatGPT could take information from Wikipedia or blog posts, for instance, and link to their original pages when you ask it questions.

Earlier this month, DataChaz on X, reported that OpenAI had created a new subdomain with the address search.chatgpt.com. It apparently briefly rerouted to the main ChatGPT page over the weekend.

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Marvel’s making an interactive story for Apple Vision Pro

Based on the What If...? sho

Disney

Marvel and Industrial Light & Magic just announced an Apple Vision Pro title based on Marvel’s What If…?, the current Disney+ show that just finished its second season. It’ll be an hour-long experience with interactive story elements where you choose the story’s direction. Imagine that: an alternate cinematic universe where I was a Vision Pro early adopter.

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The best smartphones you can buy

Not just flagships.

Buying a new phone is slightly easier if you’ve already determined you only want an iPhone. (And even then, Apple’s lineup offers more options than ever.) However, if you’re looking for an Android device, there are even more options — and likely more questions. Do you want a camera that can zoom into extremely far-away subjects (Samsung’s Galaxy S series)? Or do you want intuitive AI to screen incoming calls for you? (May I interest you in Google’s Pixel series?) Or maybe it's time to get into foldables...

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-unraveling-apples-messy-pencil-lineup-111540814.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple's new iPad Pro is thinner than an old iPod nano

We kicked off our Tuesday with an early iPad event. And what a beastly iPad we got. Apple shook things up by slotting its brand-new M4 chip into its new highest-end iPad Pro. Apple says the new device delivers 50 percent faster performance than the M2 iPad Pro. It supports dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and hardware-accelerated mesh shading — so, better-looking games and faster graphic processing.

Engadget

But that’s only half the story. The other major upgrade is Tandem OLED, which is a display of two OLED panels on top of each other. Expect richer colors and deeper blacks, but also brightness levels that max out at 1000 nits for standard and HDR and 1600 nits for HDR’s brightest spots. This switch in display tech makes it thinner than previous iPads. Actually, it ensures the new iPad pro is (somehow) thinner than the iPod nano.

The new iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch model and $1,299 for the 13-inch, each with 256GB of storage. And we’ve got our first impressions, already, right here.

We also got new iPad Airs and an Apple Pencil Pro, for you professional scribblers.

— Mat Smith

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Meta is testing cross-posting from Instagram to Threads

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What the heck is going on with Helldivers 2?

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Google announces the $499 Pixel 8a early

Flagship AI and a 120Hz OLED screen.

Engadget

The latest Pixel A-series phone typically gets announced at Google I/O. However, to avoid distractions from all the other news, Google broke cover early. Compared to the standard Pixel 8, which has a 6.2-inch screen, the 8a features a slightly smaller 6.1-inch OLED display with noticeably larger bezels. But aside from that, the Pixel 8 and 8a are almost the exact same size. The 8a uses the same 64-megapixel and 13MP sensors for its main and ultra-wide cameras as its predecessor, but the Pixel 7a was a great camera phone, so no major complaints here. Sales start next week on May 14.

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OpenAI says it can detect images made by its own software… mostly

Until someone tinkers with the images.

OpenAI is trying to get ahead of the problem of these almost-real images circulating the internet by creating a toolset that detects images created by its own DALL-E 3 generator. The company says it can accurately detect pictures whipped up byDALL-E 3 98 percent of the time. While that sounds good, it’s loaded with caveats. The image has to be created by DALL-E, and it only successfully classified five to ten percent of images made by other AI models. It also struggles to spot generated images manually tweaked by a user.

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The M4 iPad Pro is literally lighter than Air

Time for a name change.

Wait, what?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apples-new-ipad-pro-is-thinner-than-an-old-ipod-nano-111533601.html?src=rss

The Morning After: What to expect at Google I/O 2024

Google’s big developer showcase, encompassing software, hardware and all its consumer AI projects, is fast approaching. Google I/O’s opening keynote is on May 14, and we’ve got a good guess on what you can expect.

To begin, Android 15’s first beta is already out. We know there will be enhanced privacy features, partial screen sharing and system-level app archiving. But they’re not the most thrilling updates — hopefully, Google has some spicy features in its back pocket. Redesign something!

AI-wise, lots of stuff. Gemini AI is now firmly established, but what about an AI assistant? Reportedly, Pixie, as it’s currently called, could debut on the Pixel 9. We’re also expecting the company to ramp up its generative AI — but where will it start? More editing features in Google Photos? More text help in Google Docs? Something AI with Google Maps?

What about a new Pixel phone? Traditionally, those appear in the fall, but what about a Pixel 8a? Maybe.

Before all that, we’ve got an iPad event in just a few hours today. Make sure to watch and read along here on Engadget.

— Mat Smith

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How to watch Apple’s iPad launch event on Tuesday

Doctor Who is back, louder and more chaotic than before

Back in theaters, I learned how to appreciate The Phantom Menace

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Hades II is now available in Early Access on PC

It’s on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Supergiant

Hades II is in Early Access for PC players. The roguelike is out now for $30. Hades II builds on the themes and gameplay of the 2020 timesink original. We’re getting a new protagonist, and apparently, there’s no need to have played through Hades. (Confession: I never quite beat Hades…) The game will eventually land on PlayStation and Xbox too.

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Sonos’s long-rumored wireless headphones have leaked

They’re called the Sonos Ace.

Schuurman

Sonos’s long-awaited debut headphones are dropping in June. That’s according to Dutch company Schuurman, which has published information and images of the headphones ahead of time. Schuurman listed the device for €403.58 ($435) with cushion replacements, which is pretty near the $449 pricing Bloomberg reported previously.

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NASA’s first Boeing Starliner crewed flight launch gets scrubbed

More bad news for Boeing.

NASA’s Boeing Starliner crew flight test was meant to blast off to the International Space Station yesterday. Sadly, Boeing scrubbed the first Starliner crew fight test two hours after it was scheduled to launch. The launch control teams detected “anomalous behavior.” Astronauts were already onboard and had to exit the vehicle. The company has yet to announce a new launch schedule. It’s the latest delay of many previous delays.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-what-to-expect-at-google-io-2024-111531002.html?src=rss

The Morning After: The verdict on the Rabbit R1

When I first saw the Rabbit R1, it was more appealing than the Humane AI Pin. The R1 had an actual screen, not a dim projector, and it had a twee scrolling wheel, all wrapped up in a glossy, fiery orange-red shell.

Alas, as our review explains, it doesn’t work as well as promised. It doesn’t do much and is, at launch, riddled with bugs and issues. Devindra Hardawar, who reviewed it, even took issue with the scrolling wheel. Nooooo.

Engadget

The main takeaway might be: If your phone can do all these tasks just as well (or better, in most cases), what’s the point, Rabbit?

The truth might be I just wasn’t into the Rabbit R1. Even if I am into pretty much anything Teenage Engineering designs.

— Mat Smith

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Carbon dioxide removal plans may not be enough to meet Paris treaty goals

There’s a gap between plans and what’s needed.

New research conducted by the University of East Anglia (UEA) suggests current carbon removal plans will not be enough to comply with Paris treaty goals to limit global warming to 1.5C. There’s a gap of up to 3.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) between current global plans to remove carbon from the atmosphere and what’s needed to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. The study says a rapid reduction in emissions is far more important than where to stuff the CO2 already around.

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Google bans ads for deepfake porn apps and services

Or it will on May 30.

Google has updated its Inappropriate Content Policy to expressly prohibit advertisers from promoting websites and services that generate deepfake pornography. There are already restrictions in place for ads that feature some types of sexual content, but this aims squarely at “synthetic content that has been altered or generated to be sexually explicit or contain nudityThe company will start implementing the rule on May 30, giving advertisers the chance to remove any ad in violation of the new policy.

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Nintendo blitzes GitHub with over 8,000 takedown requests

They’re aimed at emulators.

Engadget

Nintendo sent a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice for over 8,000 GitHub repositories hosting code from the Yuzu Switch emulator. You might recall the games maker said Yuzu was enabling “piracy at a colossal scale.” Redacted entities representing Nintendo assert the Yuzu source code “illegally circumvents Nintendo’s technological protection measures and runs illegal copies of Switch games.” This is all happening as game emulators enjoy a resurgence. Last month, Apple loosened its restrictions on retro game players in the App Store. However, the more earnest reasons for emulation (archiving a history of gaming that could otherwise be lost; playing games no longer in circulation) evaporate when you’re doing it for a free copy of Tears of the Kingdom.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-verdict-on-the-rabbit-r1-111538948.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Peloton's grim post-pandemic reality

Peloton had a great pandemic. It’s a weird thing to say, but the company’s premium exercise equipment (expanding from bikes to treadmills and even weight-training tech) were the hot workout-from-home products. That boom made some people (not normal, sensible people) suggest we were never going back to bricks-and-mortar gyms once the world reopened.

But… we went back. Now, Peloton’s latest financial numbers and statements , with further cuts, nips and tucks now on the cards. Its shares have gone from $156 in 2021 to less than $3 today. Peloton is laying off 15 percent of its workforce, shuttering more of its showrooms and getting rid of its CEO, again. It also killed Mr. Big.

The company says it’s planning to expand overseas (it’s gained a foothold in the UK), but it might just be a case of the company resizing to fit the reality of at-home fitness in 2024.

— Mat Smith 

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The biggest stories you might have missed

Engadget Podcast: Kill the Rabbit (R1)

Huawei has been secretly funding research in America after being blacklisted

Over 200 militia groups and users are using Facebook to organize nationwide, according to report

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Microsoft’s latest Windows security updates might break your VPN

Until the company issues a fix, the only workaround is to skip or uninstall it.

Microsoft says the April security updates for Windows may break your VPN. According to its own status update: “Windows devices might face VPN connection failures after installing the April 2024 security update.” It affects Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2008 and later. However, user reports on Reddit are mixed, with some commenters saying their VPNs still work. So you might get lucky.

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Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and other Universal artists return to TikTok

The companies signed a new deal.

Samir Hussein via Getty Images

TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have signed a deal so Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd and other artists can return to the platform. Universal pulled its song back in February. Now, a key part of the deal is artist protection from generative AI. “TikTok and UMG will work together to ensure AI development across the music industry will protect human artistry and the economics that flow to those artists and songwriters,” the companies wrote. Drake, also part of UMG, has had his own recent troubles with AI tools and music.

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X is changing how the block button works

Blocking will no longer hide your replies.

Elon Musk is not a fan of the block button. The button (and feature) persists for now, but X is changing how it works. X is tweaking the visibility of replies in a block. Previously, a user could block someone on X and still reply to their posts. The blocked person wouldn’t be able to view that reply, but other X users could. It’s a black-belt passive-aggressive X move. Now, users see direct replies even if the person posting has blocked them.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-pelotons-grim-post-pandemic-reality-111518934.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership was born from Google AI envy

Emails from the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google revealed how Microsoft executives were alarmed by and even envious of Google’s AI lead.

In an email thread, CTO Kevin Scott wrote he was “very, very worried” about Google’s rapidly growing AI capabilities. He said he initially dismissed the company’s “game-playing stunts,” likely referring to Google’s AlphaGo models. The emails reference Gmail’s autocomplete features, which execs called “scary good.” Microsoft struggled to copy Google’s BERT-large, an AI model that deciphers the meaning and context of words in a sentence. It took the company six hours to replicate the model, while Google inched further ahead on more elaborate, bigger models.

Scott said Microsoft had “very smart” people on its machine-learning teams but their ambitions had been curbed and that their company was “multiple years behind the competition in terms of ML scale.” This all led to a billion-dollar push into OpenAI in 2019. It’s since invested $13 billion.

— Mat Smith

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LinkedIn now has daily Wordle-style games

What connects you with a B2B marketer in West Virginia? Four letters.

LinkedIn, the career-centric social network, is getting into gaming. But the kind of earnest, word-based games your mom would let you play when you were a kid. LinkedIn describes them as “thinking-oriented games,” though the format will likely look familiar to fans of The New York Times Games app. You can only play each game once a day, and you can share your score with friends. And just maybe... strike up a conversation on how you can help each other with targeted SaaS projects. Yes, I have feelings about who hits me up on LinkedIn.

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TikTok might be trying to circumvent Apple’s in-app purchase rules

It appears to be directing users to “avoid in-app service fees.”

TikTok is allegedly violating Apple’s App Store rules, with the app allowing (even recommending) particular users to purchase its coins directly from its website. TikTok has apparently given some iOS users the option to “Try recharging on tiktok.com to avoid in-app service fees” — namely Apple’s 30 percent commission on purchases, which are more likely than not passed onto those users. It’s definitely not available to all users and seems to be there for TikTok users who have previously bought a large number of coins — the TikTok whales, if you will.

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Rabbit denies claims its R1 virtual assistant is a glorified Android app

Someone pulled the APK out and put it on an Android phone.

Rabbit

The Rabbit R1, a pocket-sized AI virtual assistant device, runs Android under the hood. Now early users have been able to tease out the R1 APK, install it on an Android phone and make it work — if not with all the features. If that’s the case, what’s the point in the $200 gadget?

In a statement sent to Android Authority, Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu, said the Rabbit R1 is “not an Android app.” He added the R1 ran on very bespoke AOSP (Android Open Source Project) build and lower-level firmware modifications, so a local bootleg APK won’t be able to access most R1 services. We’re wrapping up our own detailed review — stay tuned.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-microsofts-openai-partnership-was-born-from-google-ai-envy-111555445.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Our verdict on the Beats Solo 4 headphones

Beats today announced the Solo 4, a $200 set of familiar-looking cans with significant upgrades inside, even if they look almost entirely the same as the Solo 3.

At this price, the Solo 4s don’t have any active noise cancellation and, according to Billy Steele, who tested the new headphones, they sound a bit thin. However, sound is generally improved, and the boost to 50 hours of playback (along with USB-C) is a major improvement over the predecessor. They’re available to buy now.

Engadget

Beats also surprised us with new sub-$100 Solo buds, wireless (non-ANC) earbuds with 18 hours of playback. One focus is comfort, with ergonomic acoustic nozzles and vents assisting with audio performance and relieving the pressure on your ears. The Solo Buds will be available in June for $80.

— Mat Smith

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Instagram algorithm overhaul will reward ‘original content’

And penalize low-effort aggregators.

Instagram is overhauling its recommendation algorithm for Reels to support and increase “original content.” It could greatly impact aggregator accounts and other accounts that mostly report other users’ work. The company is also changing how it ranks Reels to boost smaller accounts.

The app’s changes around “original content” could be pretty immediate. Instagram says it will actively replace reposted Reels with the “original” clip in its suggestions when it detects two pieces of identical content. Aggregator accounts that “repeatedly” publish posts from others will be penalized even more harshly. I’ve come across many accounts (often through Reels) that are simply the same viral clip (that isn’t even original) posted and reposted as far as I was willing to scroll. These changes could shrink the chances of coming across lazier content like that.

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FCC fines America’s largest wireless carriers $200 million

It’s for selling customer location data.

The Federal Communications Commission has slapped the largest mobile carriers in the US with a collective fine worth $200 million for selling access to their customers’ location information without consent. AT&T was ordered to pay $57 million, while Verizon has a $47 million fine. Meanwhile, Sprint and T-Mobile are facing a penalty with a combined amount of $92 million, as the companies merged two years ago. Apparently, the carriers sold “real-time location information to data aggregators,” and this data ended up “in the hands of bail-bond companies, bounty hunters and other shady actors.”

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The Instax mini 99 is an instant camera that's cool

But it’s more like a Polaroid.

Engadget

Fujifilm’s Instax cameras have been around for a while, but the new Instax mini 99, which was released this month, looks more like my X-T2 and other Fujifilm models than yet another plasticky Polaroid. From a distance, it looks like a pricey digital camera, but it costs only $200. It also has modes and filters to customize your tiny instant photos. That flexibility, combined with the understated look, makes for an instant camera I might actually buy (and use).

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-our-verdict-on-the-beats-solo-4-headphones-111559935.html?src=rss

The Instax mini 99 could pass for a real Fujifilm camera

Fujifilm’s Instax cameras have been around for a while. They offer instant photo printouts in cute frames, taking over where Polaroid left. Over the years, the company has experimented with pastel colorways, retro styles, hybrid digital and manual photography, and even collaborations with Pokèmon and Taylor Swift.

The new Instax mini 99, which was released this month, comes in black. It looks more like my X-T2 and other Fujifilm models than a Polaroid. From a distance, it looks like a pricey digital camera, although it costs only $200. When you get to handle it though, you might be a little disappointed by the plasticky build. Still, there are parts where Fuji has lavished the camera with machined elements, like a tripod stand converter and some of the controls.

With a matte finish, the Instax mini 99 looks more professional, even cooler, than most of its predecessors. While there are no hybrid digital camera features, it delivers far more versatility than pretty much any other instant camera.

Mat Smith for Engadget

There are a lot of controls here for an instant camera, including three shooting options with different focal lengths. You twist the lens to switch between landscape, macro and standard settings, and each is (fortunately) labeled with a distance marker so you can best eyeball your shot. While there is a viewfinder, it won’t scale based on your shooting mode. Again, let’s not forget this is an instant camera. Having said that, with the mini 99 you do get access to filters and some basic exposure options.

Those filters attempt to strike those nostalgia chords. Normal is your typical shooting mode, and there’s faded green, soft magenta, light blue, warm tone and of course, sepia.

Light leak, meanwhile, sort of messes up your shots with LEDs built inside the camera, adding a burnout effect to your photos as they’re captured. What impressed me further were even more shooting modes, adding the ability to capture double-exposure shots, a manual vignette switch – which was nearly always on when I was shooting – and even fill-in flash, red-eye removal and automatic flash options. There’s also a sports mode that attempts to avoid blur when capturing moving subjects. Photos weren’t pin-sharp, but the mode seemed to capture things a little bit more crisply than in auto mode.

It’s an awful lot for an instant camera, and I found half the fun was in experimenting with modes and shooting effects. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call each shot a risk, it’s been so long since I’ve used film of any kind that each time I reached for the shutter button (of which there are two), I tried extra hard to nail framing and composition – probably more than I would with digital.

A lot of the shots I took (at a family birthday party with constantly moving babies and toddlers) were in ideal sunny outdoor lighting, but when I was indoors or areas with less light in general, I leaned heavily on the flash, which muddied a lot of the photos.

Mat Smith for Engadget

The learning curve is a bit steep if you haven’t owned an Instax over the last decade(or three). Each messed-up shot is roughly a dollar down the drain. But with each attempt, you begin to gauge lighting and focal distances better. An hour and ten photos later, I got nice shots of my nieces’ birthday party, even catching them looking at the camera on a few instances. Some photos I seemed to nail the correct focal distance, but that was the exception rather than the rule. Fortunately, half the appeal is off-focus moments, off-center framing and other happy accidents. I chose to apply a light leak effect – why would I complain if it’s not as pin-sharp as my iPhone 15 Pro?

There are a few things I’d love to see Fujifilm tackle if it attempts to make another premium Instax mini. First, add a small mirror for taking photos of yourself with the lens facing you. Many cameras offer a tiny mirrored surface so you can loosely tell you're pointing in the right direction. One selfie attempt with my niece cropped her almost entirely from the shot. Also, to recharge the Instax mini 99, you must take out the battery and put it into the included charger with a USB cable. That's too much of a hassle, and Fujifilm should offer a simpler method in future. Fortunately, I didn’t ever need to recharge the camera as I captured over 20 shots.

The Instax mini 99 uses the same smallish Instax film as other models, but with more controls, options and effects, it delivers on its attempt to be the premium instant camera. The film is still expensive, yes, and the device feels a little cheap for the price, but ultimately it delivers satisfying instant photo moments.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-instax-mini-99-could-pass-for-a-real-fujifilm-camera-150018817.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Meta is offering popular Threads users thousands of dollars in bonuses

Meta is offering some creators thousands of dollars if they go viral on Threads. The payouts are part of a new invitation-only bonus program that rewards creators who use Meta’s newest app.

An Instagram support page offers some details. It says creators can earn money “based on the performance of your Threads posts” or “the number of posts you create.” So, go for either quality or quantity, it seems. It appears terms of the bonuses are unique to each creator.

According to one post on Threads, at least one creator was offered “up to $5,000” for Threads posts or replies with 10,000 views or more. Unfortunately, we can’t see how many views that screenshot has so far, and whether it's making him money.

While not nearly as high as the $10,000 bonuses Reels creators could earn in the past, it’s still pretty generous, given the lower effort needed to type a Threads missive.

The company refers to it as being in “testing,” but it offers a preview of how Meta may try to boost engagement on the service. It’s the same playbook as Meta used for Reels on Facebook and Instagram.

— Mat Smith

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Peacock is raising its prices again

Just in time for the Olympics.

Peacock just announced it’s raising prices again, less than a year since it did it last. The new price will be $8 per month for Peacock with ads and $14 per month, ad-free. Those prices start on July 18 for new subscribers and August 17 for existing users. The 2024 Summer Olympics is right around the corner, and the streamer will show “every sport and event, including all 329 medal events.” So there’s a reason.

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The EU will force Apple to open up iPadOS

Apple now has six months to allow competing stores on its tablets.

Engadget

Apple’s iPad has been added to the list of tech products that must abide by the EU’s DMA rules. The European Commission has officially designated iPadOS as a gatekeeper under the DMA, alongside Apple’s Safari web browser, iOS and the App Store. To ensure iPadOS compliance, Apple will have to allow third parties to interoperate with iPadOS, so that means third-party app stores for those tablets.

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Walmart−Roblox collaboration offers IRL items to kids

Teens can shop for goods in virtual stores before shipping products to their house.

Walmart’s Discovered experience started out as a way for kids to buy virtual items for Roblox inside the game. But today, that partnership will include a pilot program for teens to buy real-life goods stocked on digital shelves before they’re shipped to your door. Anyone who buys a real-world item will receive a free virtual twin. The first products to benefit from this are a crochet bag from No Boundaries, Onn Bluetooth headphones and a TAL stainless steel tumbler. And we all know: Kids love to show off their stainless steel tumblers.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-meta-is-offering-popular-threads-users-thousands-of-dollars-in-bonuses-111551945.html?src=rss

The DJI Mini 4K is a $299 drone aimed at beginners

DJI’s latest product is another Mini drone. It can capture 4K video at up to 30 fps and 60 fps footage at 2.7K resolution, with increased video bitrates up to 100Mbps, which should ensure higher quality video at both settings. While those specs may not excite, maybe the price will.

Not to be confused with the Mini Pro series, which is several hundred dollars more, the $299 Mini 4K weighs less than 249g, is foldable and requires no FAA registration.

The specifications won’t move the Mini series forward, but they cover all the essentials for beginner drone pilots, including 2x digital zoom while recording in 4K, a 3-axis gimbal and electrical image stabilization. DJI says it can transmit 1080p video up to 10km away. There’s also level-5 wind resistance, once again, and it can fly for up to 31 minutes (or up to 93 minutes with DJI’s $449 Fly More bundle.)

The Mini 4K will also include one-tap movements and features like helix, dronie and panoramic shooting support. If you’re a total rookie, DJI’s companion app has flight tutorials and one-tap takeoff and landing.

A lot of this will sound familiar to anyone following DJI’s ever-growing drone family over the last 10 years, but it’s probably not aimed at you — this is for newcomers. The Mini 4K is priced substantially less than its Mini Pro iterations, and it’s actually less than the rest of the Mini drones from DJI. It’s available to order now for $299 / £269.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-dji-mini-4k-is-a-299-drone-aimed-at-beginners-130045701.html?src=rss