Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks now include freebies from an erstwhile rival. The company now offers Ultimate subscribers three-month free trials of Apple Music and Apple TV+ to newcomers for either media service. You can stream tunes in the background while you're playing Halo Infinite, or catch up on Ted Lasso in between cloud gaming sessions.

You can claim either or both Apple trials until March 31st, 2023. They're available on consoles and the Xbox app for Windows. You can use the promos everywhere Apple Music and Apple TV+ is available except for Russia and (for Apple TV+) Turkey.

The bonuses come weeks after Apple Music launched on Xbox consoles. In that light, the trials represent Microsoft's chance to spread the word about availability. The company was relatively late to Apple Music, which came to the PS5 a year earlier — this makes clear that you don't need a PlayStation to have console games and Apple streaming on the same machine.

It also comes as Apple and Microsoft have bolstered interoperability. You can now access iCloud Photos libraries in Windows 11's native Photos app, for instance. While the tech companies still compete against each other (see Apple's reluctance to support Game Pass streaming), they're now willing to cooperate when it serves their mutual interests.

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

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

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

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

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

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

NASA and University of Michigan researchers have found a security flaw that could pose a threat to spacecraft in the right (or rather, wrong) conditions. The team has discovered that time-triggered Ethernet (TTE), a feature that lets critical systems sit alongside minor ones on the same networking hardware, is vulnerable to a spoofing attack. An intruder can send fake sync messages by conducting electromagnetic interference through copper Ethernet cables into network switches, creating a "gap" in a switch's activity that lets bogus data slide through. Over time, the TTE device will lose sync and behave erratically.

The attack requires placing a small device on the network, so remote breaches are unlikely. However, the consequences could be serious. The scientists tested the vulnerability using real NASA machinery to recreate a planned asteroid redirection test. In a simulation, the TTE exploit produced a knock-on effect severe enough that the crew capsule strayed from its course and missed a crucial docking procedure.

There are simple safeguards, if not necessarily problem-free. Vehicle designers could replace copper Ethernet with fiber optic cables or place optical isolators between switches and devices, so long as they're willing to accept sacrifices in cost and performance. Engineers could also change the network layout to prevent fake sync messages from taking the same path as legitimate ones, although that will clearly take time.

NASA and the university stress that there's no "current" known threat. However, the method could also be used to compromise aircraft, power plants and industrial control systems that rely on TTE. Theoretically, a saboteur with physical access could disrupt critical infrastructure in a way that might not be immediately obvious.

In YouTube’s latest move to woo TikTok creators onto YouTube Shorts, the streaming giant announced today that short-term video creators would soon be allowed up to a minute of copyrighted music in their Shorts. The change is a significant boost from the previous 15-second limit for any licensed song.

YouTube says its short-form creators will be able to use between 30 and 60 seconds of licensed music “for most tracks.” However, some songs will remain on the previous 15-second limit, with licensing agreements determining which tracks fall in which window. Creators can quickly see how much time each song allows in the YouTube app’s audio picker. The new song-length options begin rolling out today and will continue “over the next few weeks” on iOS and Android.

As user-created videos have exploded during the past decade, aggressive DMCA takedown notices have become a headache for streamers on all platforms. Record labels often automate their copyright enforcement, leading to overzealous claims. For example, creators have seen their videos flagged for accidentally including a few seconds of copyrighted audio from a passing car’s stereo. Some police officers have even exploited the DMCA to their advantage, blasting Taylor Swift songs to prevent bystanders from sharing their legally recorded videos.

The song-limit boost is YouTube’s latest attempt to woo TikTok creators (and therefore viewers and ad dollars) onto Shorts. In September, the company announced an ad-revenue sharing program to give qualified creators a 45 percent cut of ad revenue, regardless of whether they use music. TikTok launched a similar sharing program earlier this year following widespread complaints about its previous “static pool of money” approach.

YouTube’s aggressive approach appears to be paying off, with Shorts tallying views from over 1.5 billion logged-in users per month. As of September 2021, TikTok had racked up 1 billion monthly users. However, given YouTube’s overall dominance in the video space, those numbers likely include people who were already on YouTube watching other content. TikTok’s numbers, on the other hand, more clearly include people looking for its distinctive short-form videos — an audience that YouTube and other media giants like Meta are continuing to chase.

One of the most noteworthy updates Apple brought to the iPhone 14 series this year is Emergency SOS via satellite. It lets you send text messages to emergency services over satellite if you're in need of help and outside of cellular coverage. The company hopes you don't need to use the service, but in case you find yourself hurt and needing rescue in the wilderness, it can be frustrating if you're unfamiliar with a tool you were expecting to be helpful. Today, Apple is rolling out a demo mode of Emergency SOS via Satellite so members of the public can see how it works.

After updating your iPhone 14 (or 14 Plus or 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max), you'll need to navigate to the Emergency SOS section of Settings to find the Demo. It's worth checking this out since not many people will know what to expect nor that the first step is to dial 911, instead of looking for an app. If you're using demo mode, you won't be connected to a real emergency services agent or relay center — the company's system will navigate demo users to a server that sends canned responses. This prevents people from overloading actual call centers.

In addition to a controlled preview at Apple's campus earlier this year, I also tried the satellite communications feature for myself at a special demo last week in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Using iPhones that Apple tweaked to disable cellular services, I was able to locate and connect to passing satellites and experience how long it would take to have a text conversation with an agent. Not only was it insightful to get a sense for how much slower satellite transmissions took compared to cellular, I also learned how best to concisely convey information about my situation in as few words as possible.

Apple doesn't recommend that you try this yourself (i.e. find a place without any cellular coverage just to see what the experience is like). Instead, if you're curious about the interface and how this works, that's what this demo mode is for.

Emergency SOS via Satellite and the demo mode both roll out today in the US and Canada. Apple is also announcing that it's expanding the service to France, Germany, Ireland and the UK in December. 

Opera's fondness for building social networks into its browser now extends to what's arguably the hottest platform at the moment. The company has updated its desktop browser with quick access to TikTok through the sidebar. You're ultimately accessing the web version anyone can use, of course, but this is still helpful if you want to quickly check your feed at work (especially longer clips) or upload edited videos from your computer.

The addition joins fast access to Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. You also have access to a media player sidebar with access to services like Apple Music and Spotify. These are again web apps, but Opera is clearly hoping to reel in users who'd rather not run separate native apps or switch browser tabs.

The TikTok feature is ultimately an extension of a familiar strategy. As with its gaming and crypto browsers, Opera is hoping to draw you away from the likes of Chrome and Safari by integrating useful (or at least trendy) services into its client. When all modern browsers tend to perform well, Opera effectively argues, why not use one that might be more convenient?

It's not certain how well that approach is working for the company's bottom line. Opera has gained share in the past few years, climbing from just under 2.3 percent in Statcounter's October 2019 rankings to nearly 3.6 percent three years later. However, it remains a distant fifth and is competing more with Firefox (just over 7 percent share) than Chrome (66.5 percent). If anything, Opera is establishing itself more as the go-to option for those tired of what Apple, Google and Microsoft have to offer.

At just $349, this is the lowest price we've seen on the Apple Watch Series 8. It's gone this low before, but it never stays on sale for long. If you've been thinking about upgrading or getting your first Apple Watch, now might be a good time to move on it. 

Both the 45mm and 41mm sizes are $50 off, and the deal applies to the midnight, red and silver case colors. The starlight case is still regular price as of this writing. This is the GPS model, without cellular connectivity, so you'll need your phone around to make calls and texts, but with its built-in capabilities, the watch can still track runs, play music and check your heart rate if you leave your phone behind. 

The Apple Watch is our current favorite smartwach overall, as it's a robust wearable that balances activity and health tracking with plenty of lifestyle and connectivity features, such as keeping up with podcasts or staying on top of your calendar. And of course, if you're an iPhone user, adding an Apple Watch to the mix is a no-brainer. 

When we tested out the Series 8 upon its debut, we liked the extended battery life, quick charging and a low power mode that squeezed out an extra two hours of use after the watch ran down to 20 percent. New for the Series 8 are temperature readings (which can help track ovulation) as well as crash detection. While the look is pretty unchanged from the Series 7, that's not necessarily a bad thing, particularly if you want that iconic, square Apple Watch look. 

In the end, we named the Apple Watch Series 8 the "new best smartwatch," with our reviewer deciding to use it as her primary smartwatch. But like we said, this $50-off deal doesn't tend to stick around long, so you might want to grab it now.  

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If you've had to deal with a rash of fake Xbox Live accounts in recent times, you're far from alone. Microsoft has published its first-ever Xbox transparency report, and it's now clear the company is banning or otherwise cracking down on bots. The company says it issued over 4.33 million "proactive enforcements" (that is, taking action without user reports) against fake and compromised accounts in the first half of 2022. That represented 57 percent of the enforcement actions over the six-month span, and a ninefold surge in the amount of proactive efforts versus the same period a year ago.

Microsoft was previously pouring most of its energy into "reactive" enforcement (responses to gamer reports), and taking fewer actions as a whole. The company issued 2.24 million reactive enforcements in the second half of 2021, and just 461,000 proactive measures. Other violations were relatively few and far between. "Adult" content led to just 199,000 proactive enforcements, while fraud, harassment and other abuses each had fewer than 100,000 actions.

It won't surprise you to hear that most of Microsoft's 33.08 million user-prompted crackdowns focused on toxic players. Enforcement was equally dominated by reports of cheating and other poor conduct (43 percent) and abusive communication (46 percent). Just 11 percent of enforcements were tied to user-made content like offensive nicknames and screenshots. Thankfully, there appear to be fewer overall incidents — Microsoft received 59.65 million reports in the last half of 2020.

Don't count on winning an appeal if you think Microsoft made a mistake. Out of more than 151,000 case appeals during the period, just six percent (about 9,250) led to reinstatements.

You can expect a new Xbox transparency report every six months from now onward. There doesn't appear to be equivalent reports for the equivalent Nintendo and Sony online services. Still, this may be good news if you've wondered about Xbox Live's problem areas, and whether or not Microsoft is taking bots seriously.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you've been waiting on a sale for Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro, that patience has paid off. Amazon is offering them at the lowest price we've seen yet, $230 or $19 (8 percent) off the regular $249 price tag. While not an enormous price cut, it's a great deal on Apple's best wireless ANC buds, considering they only came out in September. 

While they don't look too different from the original AirPods Pro, the new models have some notable improvements that helped them garner a solid 88 score in our Engadget review. The biggest change is the new H2 chip that delivers improved noise cancellation and longer battery life. Audio quality is also improved, as is integration with Apple products, letting you switch seamlessly between an iPhone and MacBook, for example. They also come with new touch controls for easier operation.

They're not perfect, as battery life could still be better despite the improvements from before, and the touch controls take a while to master. Also, they're really designed for Apple products, so Android users might need to look elsewhere. Still, the 2022 AirPods Pro are some highly desirable wireless ANC earbuds and this is the best price we've seen to date. 

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