With Elon Musk set to pull verification from thousands of users who were verified under the company’s previous leadership, one Twitter alternative is hoping to lure some of those “legacy” checkmarks to its platform. T2, an invite-only service led by two former Twitter employees, says it will allow users to carry over their “legacy” Twitter verification to its site

T2 is part of a growing crop of Twitter alternatives that have sprung up in the wake of Musk’s takeover. The platform is smaller than some more established rivals, like Mastodon, but is intent on recreating the “public square” associated with the pre-Musk Twitter. In fact, founder Gabor Cselle has been pretty clear that he intends to create “a pretty straightforward copy of Twitter with some simplifications” rather than an entirely new experience.

So maybe it’s not surprising that the site now known as T2 — the company is eventually planning on taking a new name — is launching a “Get the Checkmark” feature that will rely on Twitter’s legacy verification program. With it, users can fill out a brief form to go through a fast-tracked verification process for T2. The feature will also work for those on T2’s waitlist.

T2

For now, users only have a couple days to take advantage of the program, since legacy verifications are set to disappear from Twitter on April 1st. But the company has a plan to offer verification via other means once Twitter’s legacy checks go away. (T2’s form-based verification won’t work for those who paid for the new, Twitter Blue-enabled check.)

Along with the new verification features, T2 is also announcing a couple other milestones. The company has hired a former Discord exec as its new CTO, and is launching a much-needed redesign that will look familiar to Twitter users.

As with all of the new Twitter rivals, T2 has a long way to go before it reaches anywhere close to the size of the platform it’s trying to emulate. But, as Mastodon founder CEO Eugen Rochko has pointed out, Twitter’s more influential users — like those with legacy verification — are incredibly valuable to any upstart platform. If T2 can snag more of those users, it could make it easier to recreate the public square they’re looking for.

Apple has set the dates for WWDC 2023, which will run between June 5th and June 9th. It's still an online-only affair, but there will be a "special experience" at Apple Park on the 5th for developers and students.

While we expect to see software-centric upgrades, with iOS, macOS and the rest, this could also be when Apple finally debuts its mixed-reality headset. Rumors suggest it could be called Reality Pro or Reality One, and it’s believed to be a standalone device with an M2 chip, dual 4K displays, advanced body tracking and controller-free input. It could be a pricey piece of hardware, even by Apple’s standards, with some reports suggesting it’ll cost $3,000.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

The biggest stories you might have missed

Kia's EV9 electric SUV will offer Level 3 autonomy and a 336-mile range

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Sony's 12-megapixel full-frame ZV-E1 is a low-light vlogging beast

It comes with 5-axis stabilization and AI-based auto-framing.

Engadget

Sony has unveiled its latest, and by far greatest vlogging camera to date: The full-frame ZV-E1. Equipped with the same backside-illuminated (BSI) 12-megapixel sensor as one of the company’s flagship cameras, the A7S III, it promises excellent low-light performance and 4K video at up to 120p. The $2,200 price tag also makes it enticing for vloggers as it offers features found on the $3,500 A7S III, thanks to a full-frame sensor. Crucially, for people like me obsessed with the older ZV-1 vlogging camera, it uses the same Z-batteries as larger Sony models, meaning more video capture without having to keep it plugged in or swapping out batteries. It goes on pre-order tomorrow, with shipping set to start in early April.

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Tech leaders and AI experts demand six-month pause on 'out-of-control' AI experiments

The open letter warns of risks to humans.

An open letter signed by tech leaders and prominent AI researchers has called for AI labs and companies to "immediately pause" their work. Signatories like Steve Wozniak and Elon Musk agree risks warrant a minimum six-month break from producing technology beyond GPT-4 to allow people to adjust and ensure they are benefiting everyone. The letter adds that care and forethought are necessary to ensure the safety of AI systems, and that may not be happening. Companies are racing to build complex chat systems that utilize the technology. Microsoft recently confirmed that its revamped Bing search engine has been powered by the GPT-4 model for over seven weeks, while Google also debuted Bard, its own generative AI system powered by LaMDA.

Continue reading.

Renewable power generation overtook coal in the US last year

Natural gas is still the largest electricity source, however.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has determined that renewable power generation overtook coal in 2022, with 4,090 million megawatt-hours coming from solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass and geothermal technology. The shift came through increased renewable capacity and coal's years-long decline. Wind was the dominant source of clean electricity, with the capacity jumping from 133 gigawatts in 2021 to 141 gigawatts a year later. However, natural gas still remains the top power source, with a 39 percent share.

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Lamborghini's plug-in hybrid supercar runs for only six miles in electric mode

You’re not buying it for fuel economy anyway.

Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Revuelto, which translates to “scrambled,” can reach 6.2 miles from a full charge. That is likely not enough juice to get you to Costco and back, but this is a hybrid vehicle not exactly intended for all-electric usage. With that said, the combustion engine charges the rather minuscule 3.8kWh battery on its own in just six minutes. If you’re waiting on an all-electric Lamborghini, the company still plans to introduce one by 2030.

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Over the past few days, users have reported seeing ads within the Bing chatbot experience. Based on the limited examples we've seen, the GPT-4-powered chatbot embeds relevant ad links in responses to users' actual questions. Ads don't seem to show up for most people (including us) yet, but they'll most likely pop up more frequently and in more places soon. In a new post on the Bing blog, Microsoft Corporate VP for Search and Devices Yusuf Mehdi has admitted that the company is currently exploring putting ads in Bing's chat experience, indicating that the samples we've seen so far are part of its experimentation. He also revealed how the company intends to embed more ads in the new Bing experience. 

So far, the ads that show up for users come in the form of a linked citation, along with additional links in a "Learn More" section below Bing's response to their query. In the future, Microsoft could launch an experience wherein hovering over a link from an advertiser will display more links from its website in hopes of driving more traffic to it. The company is also exploring the idea of adding rich captions from its Start personalized news feed publishers right beside the AI chatbot's responses.

The fact that Microsoft is monetizing its Bing chatbot is an expected development. From the start, the question was never "Will the company do it?" but "How will the company do it?" And now we have an idea of the tech giant's initial plans. As Mehdi said in his post, Bing has amassed more than 100 million daily active users after the chatbot came out. Since one third of those users are new to Bing, they present a new opportunity for advertisers, and Microsoft clearly intends to strike while the iron is hot.

Apple's latest Mac mini remains a hot item, but you can still find some savings. Amazon is once more selling the M2 Pro Mac mini at a best-ever price of $1,249, or $50 off. That's a modest discount, but the tiny-but-powerful desktop has rarely been discounted in any form at Amazon. You can roll the savings into a mouse, keyboard or other must-have peripherals.

The M2 Pro edition of the Mac mini is a great machine that fills a typically vacant spot in Apple's lineup — it's a powerful but relatively affordable "headless" desktop. The system is quick enough to handle serious media editing and multitasking duties, but still gives you the freedom to choose your own monitor. Throw in the abundance of ports and virtually silent operation (even under stress) and this may be the your ideal machine if you want some flexibility in your setup.

This high-end Mac mini is still expensive, and you won't find front-facing ports or an SD card reader like you get on the Mac Studio. And for many, this may be overkill — the standard M2 is often enough for everyday use while costing hundreds of dollars less. If you crave performance or extra ports, though, the M2 Pro version is a fine computer that won't use much space on your desk.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

An open letter signed by tech leaders and prominent AI researchers has called for AI labs and companies to "immediately pause" their work. Signatories like Steve Wozniak and Elon Musk agree risks warrant a minimum six month break from producing technology beyond GPT-4 to enjoy existing AI systems, allow people to adjust and ensure they are benefiting everyone. The letter adds that care and forethought are necessary to ensure the safety of AI systems — but are being ignored.

The reference to GPT-4, a model by OpenAI that can respond with text to written or visual messages, comes as companies race to build complex chat systems that utilize the technology. Microsoft, for example, recently confirmed that its revamped Bing search engine has been powered by the GPT-4 model for over seven weeks, while Google recently debuted Bard, its own generative AI system powered by LaMDA. Uneasiness around AI has long circulated, but the apparent race to deploy the most advanced AI technology first has drawn more urgent concerns.

"Unfortunately, this level of planning and management is not happening, even though recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control," the letter states. 

The concerned letter was published by the Future of Life Institute (FLI), an organization dedicated to minimizing the risks and misuse of new technology. Musk previously donated $10 million to FLI for use in studies about AI safety. In addition to him and Wozniak, signatories include a slew of global AI leaders, such as Center for AI and Digital Policy president Marc Rotenberg, MIT physicist and Future of Life Institute president Max Tegmark, and author Yuval Noah Harari. Harari also co-wrote an op-ed in the New York Times last week warning about AI risks, along with founders of the Center for Humane Technology and fellow signatories, Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin. 

This call out feels like the next step of sorts from a 2022 survey of over 700 machine learning researchers, in which nearly half of participants stated there's a 10 percent chance of an "extremely bad outcome" from AI, including human extinction. When asked about safety in AI research, 68 percent of researchers said more or much more should be done. 

Anyone who shares concerns about the speed and safety of AI production is welcome to add their name to the letter. However, new names are not necessarily verified so any notable additions after the initial publication are potentially fake. 

Microsoft is working on a new “modern” version of Windows with better security and faster updates, according toWindows Central. The initiative, called CorePC, would allow Windows to scale better for different devices while still supporting legacy apps.

CorePC would aim for many of the same goals as the scrapped Windows Core OS (including the also canceled Windows 10X), which Microsoft billed as a modular modernization of its OS. CorePC would use “state separation” and split Windows into multiple partitions, similar to iOS and Android. This could make it harder for malware to infect the system while making updates faster.

“The current version of Windows is not a state-separated platform, meaning the entire system is installed into a single writable partition,” explains Windows Central. “System files, user data, and program files are all stored in the same place. CorePC splits up the OS into multiple partitions, which is key to enabling faster OS updates. State separation also enables faster and more reliable system reset functionality, which is important for Chromebook compete devices in the education sector.”

CorePC would let Microsoft offer various editions of Windows for different hardware, supporting specific features and apps for each. For example, one educationally focused variant could have a light footprint like ChromeOS, running only the Edge browser, web apps, Office and emulated Android apps. Conversely, CorePC could also offer full-fledged versions of Windows that support all the current features and capabilities of the modern Windows 11 desktop. (A “Neon” compatibility layer would let the OS support legacy Windows apps.)

The company is also reportedly working on a version of CorePC to rival Apple Silicon, which the iPhone maker began shipping in new Macs more than two years ago. Microsoft’s “silicon-optimized” variant would enhance the operating system’s performance and capabilities when tied to specific hardware (like, theoretically, Surface devices running a particular class of chips).

Finally, Microsoft is (unsurprisingly) baking AI into the new project. Its plans include using artificial intelligence to analyze on-screen content and provide appropriate contextual cues. It sounds like a system-wide extension of the AI capabilities in upcoming versions of Office.

As for when you can get your hands on it, Microsoft is reportedly aiming to use CorePC for the next major version of Windows (presumably “Windows 12”), scheduled for 2024. But, of course, the company’s alleged plans could change between now and then.

It took nearly a year, but Apple's no-interest payment system is here. The company has launched Apple Pay Later for US customers in a "prerelease" version that requires an invitation. If you're included, you can split your online Apple Pay purchases (made with an iPhone or iPad) into as many as four payments spread over six weeks. You can't apply for loans larger than $1,000 and have to link a debit card, but there are no fees. This also won't hurt your credit score, and Apple says it won't share data with third-party marketers.

Apple Pay Later is part of the Wallet app in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, and includes a calendar to help you track your next instalment. You'll also get app-based and email notifications for looming payments to be sure you're on time.

The feature should reach every eligible user in the "coming months," Apple says. Businesses that use Apple Pay don't need to do anything on their end — if you can use Pay Later, you'll see the option during checkout either on the web or in apps. Apple will report Pay Later loans to American credit bureaus starting in the fall, and hopes they'll "promote responsible lending" for both borrowers and lenders.

Developing...

You might not want to hold on to that vintage gaming PC for much longer. Valve has warned that Steam will no longer support Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 as of January 1st, 2024. The game client's latest features use an embedded version of Google's Chrome browser, which dropped support for those operating systems in February. Incoming versions of Steam for Windows will also require OS updates that are only available in Windows 10 and newer releases, Valve adds.

As PC Gamerpoints out, this won't affect most Steam users. Just under 1.9 percent of the software's audience is using one of the relevant Windows versions, according to Valve's latest survey. That still affects a significant number of people, though, and may leave them no choice but to either upgrade their OS or buy a PC with a supported platform. The end of support could be particularly troublesome if you need an older version of Windows for work or a retro gaming system.

There has been plenty of pressure elsewhere to move on. Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7 in January 2020, and Windows 8.1 at the start of 2023. Epic Games no longer supports those platforms if you want to run Fortnite, for that matter. It's becoming harder and harder to use an ancient Windows machine in general — Steam's compatibility change may just be the tipping point that pushes you toward an upgrade.

In a couple of weeks, all the tweets you see on the For You feed will come from Twitter Blue users. Twitter boss Elon Musk has announced that the website will only display tweets from verified accounts in For You's recommendations starting on April 15th going forward. 

Musk explained that the company is making the move to combat AI bots and that it's the "only realistic way" to prevent "advanced AI bot swarms" from taking over. He also said that Twitter is fighting a "hopeless losing battle" otherwise if it doesn't implement the change. In a follow-up tweet, Musk clarified that AI bots can pay for verification (and presumably be shown in the For You timeline), as long as they don't impersonate a human. 

Twitter's For You interface shows not just tweets from the accounts a user follows, but also content based on previous tweets they've liked or other people in their network have liked. The feature debuted on iOS back in January as an alternative to the Following tab before making its way to other platforms. Not everybody liked it, and Twitter released an update so that its web and mobile apps will default to the timeline tab users last had open after it came out. But displaying only verified users could potentially mean that those who choose to view it would see a lot more promotional tweets. 

After all, pretty soon the only verified accounts on the social media site will be Twitter Blue subscribers. Twitter previously announced that it's killing legacy checkmarks on April 1st, stripping public personalities, companies, government and non-government organizations and the like of their verified status unless they pay for it.

There's a vast gulf between the dreamy notion of glasses-free 3D – extra visual depth without any clunky eye-wear! – and the reality: fuzzy imagery, buggy execution, and headaches. Oh, the headaches. So it goes with Acer's Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition, equipped with the company's glasses-free 3D screen. It's meant to unlock an entirely new dimension of gameplay in titles like God of War and Forza Horizon 5 – and it does, to a degree. But it's also obscenely expensive, starting at $3,499, and its 3D functionality isn't worth losing the higher refresh rates and better quality screens you find on most other gaming laptops.

When I've demoed glasses-free 3D in the past, it's always seemed like a potentially useful feature for deep-pocketed professionals, people who may want to check out their 3D models without slapping on a VR headset. That could very well be true, but the Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition convinced me that it serves practically no purpose in the gaming world, where players are often aiming to inject as many frames in their eyeballs as possible.

That's just not possible with this computer, since it's limited to a 15.6-inch 4K panel (which scales down to 1080p per eye in 3D mode) running at 60Hz. So at best, this gaming laptop is restricted to 60fps at a time when even budget machines can deliver enough power to fill 120Hz and 144Hz screens. The tradeoff for glasses-free 3D, ultimately, is responsiveness while gaming. The higher the refresh rate, the more silky smooth a game can appear. And when it comes to fast-paced shooters, it could make all the difference between a clutch headshot and digital oblivion.

Now if Acer's 3D technology was truly groundbreaking, perhaps that wouldn't matter so much. But while it can look good, it's a mere curiosity. Acer's TrueGame app lets you play a select handful of games in two different modes: 3D+, which shifts depth buffer pixels to deliver a vague depth effect, and 3D Ultra, which uses a virtual second camera to create a far more immersive sense of space. Eye tracking sensors above the screen help to direct two different sets of images to your eyes, a technique that's typical for glasses-free 3D displays, but that also means only one person can actually use the 3D feature. As for game support, there are only 9 games using 3D Ultra at the moment, including God of War, Psychonauts 2 and A Plague Tale: Innocence. Acer says around 65 titles, mostly older games, work with 3D+.

Competitive online shooters aren't supported at all – Acer claims their anti-cheat software prevents its 3D technology from being applied. That's a shame if you were hoping a bit of depth would make your Warzone or Apex Legends matches more rewarding. Honestly, you wouldn't want to play those in 3D either, as the technology generally makes games look less sharp. You can blame the slightly lower resolution for that, as well as the inherent haziness from having your eyes adjust to a 3D screen on the fly.

Playing Forza Horizon 5 in 3D+ was almost like looking at a Magic Eye puzzle – I had to be in just the right spot to detect any depth. And if my eyes shifted a bit, I would sometimes lose the effect entirely. God of War fared better in 3D Ultra Mode, with a convincing sense of immersion similar to what you'd expect from a 3D film. Throwing Kratos's axe had the uncanny effect of going beyond the screen in my office, and at times the Helios 300 SL felt like a portal into another world.

Still, playing God of War in 3D almost instantly made my eyes tired. 3D Ultra relies on your brain constantly making sense of two different camera views. I sometimes felt motion sick while I was walking around the game, especially if I glanced over to my unmoving, clutter-filled desk. It was almost like playing the game in VR, sans the bulky headset. I found myself resting my eyes every 30 minutes or so, just like I do with VR headsets.

You could, of course, play any PC title in 2D on the Helios 300 SL, but why would you buy a $3,500 glass-free 3D laptop for that? Our review unit was equipped with an RTX 3080 and Intel Core i9-12900H CPU (an updated model with a 40-series GPU is coming in a few months). It was certainly beefy enough for any game I threw at it, especially since the display is limited to 60Hz. But playing Halo Infinite or Overwatch 2 just didn't feel nearly as smooth as it did on the Acer Predator Triton 500 SE I reviewed last year. That $2,300 machine featured a gorgeous 240Hz 1,440p screen, which helped me line up sniper shots with ease.

Beyond its unique screen, the Predator Helios 300 SL looks like a typical Acer gaming laptop. Its matte metal case feels sturdy, and aside from a small lightbar up front, and per-key RGB lighting, there's none of the obnoxious bling we've seen on some high-end gaming PC. There's almost every port imaginable spread around the machine: Two USB 3.2 Type-A connections on the right side; with another Type A USB-port on the left side, beside a gigabit Ethernet and a headphone jack. On the rear, there's a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 connection, MiniDisplayport, HDMI and a DC power port.

Acer probably just wanted to keep the Helios 300 SL low-key, but with a unique feature like glasses-free 3D, it would have been nice to set its design apart from the sea of other black gaming laptops out there. It's also clear that the screen was the major priority: Its keyboard feels a bit too mushy for extended typing (though I appreciated the wide layout), and the trackpad isn't very responsive. I often had to click on icons several times before the trackpad responded.

If it had a better keyboard and trackpad, as well as a higher refresh rate screen, the Helios 300 SL could have been a potential option for professionals working with 3D models. Unfortunately, it's focused on gamers, and it's not nearly compelling enough for that crowd. Its mediocre battery life – 6 hours and 15 minutes, according to PCMark 10's office productivity benchmark – didn't help matters much either.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

If, for some reason, glasses-free 3D is still compelling to you, there are few other options. Acer also sells a standalone 15.6-inch SpatialLabs screen for $1,100 – but I don't need to tell you that's a bad idea. The company's ConceptD 7 laptop also had that screen, but it’s no longer available. There's also ASUS's upcoming spin on glasses-free 3D with its ProArt StudioBook 16, which looked compelling during our CES preview.

Barring a miraculous advancement in holographics sometime soon, I'm ready to give up on the entire notion of glasses-free 3D. It just doesn’t make sense to spend $3,500 on the Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition. While there's a chance the technology could eventually help a certain subsection of professionals, those folks would likely be served better with VR headsets, and potentially AR devices like the Magic Leap 2 in the future. Either option would deliver a better dose of 3D without the headaches of glasses-free tech.