This is one of your best chances to set up a smart home on a budget, or expand the one you have. Amazon is bundling the latest-generation Echo Dot with a Kasa Smart Plug Mini for only $28, or a whopping $45 off. That's less than the smart speaker by itself, and even undercuts the price of the brand new Echo Pop.
The 2022 Echo Dot is our favorite budget smart speaker for a good reason: it sounds better than you'd expect at its regular price, let alone on sale. It's loud enough to fill a large room, and clear enough to do justice to your music. The Alexa ecosystem is also robust, so you won't have problems finding services and smart home devices (including the smart plug, of course) you can control with your voice. Toss in a temperature sensor and an Eero network extender and you might not feel the need to buy much more, at least if you're committed to Amazon's ecosystem.
We're also fond of Kasa smart plugs. They offer broad compatibility (you won't be locked into Amazon's world) and are generally easy to set up. That makes the Echo Dot bundle a good choice for turning on household devices (especially on schedules) without reaching for a switch. You might appreciate that if you need to run a light or appliance while you're on summer vacation.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-echo-dot-comes-with-a-smart-plug-for-less-than-the-speaker-on-its-own-142920470.html?src=rss
Armored Core, one of the longest-running mech battle series ever, hasn’t been seen in over a decade. Now, developer FromSoftware, flying high from Elden Ring and Dark Souls glory, is returning to mechs, with what it says is a remastered, reimagined take on robot combat. The last time I extensively played a mech game was Konami’s Zone Of The Enders space opera – and that was back in 2003. I think it’s time for a true mech gaming boom.
In a hands-off demo at Summer Game Fest, I saw roughly 15 minutes of Armored Core VI gameplay, set in an early icy stage filled with vertiginous factory structures and tightly-packed warehouses. These dense environments immediately demonstrate how modern consoles can elevate FromSoftware’s newest mech game.
Since mechs can move around in all three planes, expect to see plenty of levels and architecture that take advantage of that. ACVI producer, Yasunori Ogura, noted that you’d be able to go anywhere in a level, flying “as far as your boost system allows”. He teased that several missions offer multiple paths and ways to achieve your objectives. In the snowy level I saw, he said the player could fly to the top of a structure to make their way into a base, or (and what I saw) you can just rush in, guns blazing, to the main entrance.
At the heart of Armored Core VI is your mech loadout. Alongside components affecting energy levels, defense and speed, you can attach weapons to four slots: one in each arm and two on the back, like multi-lock missiles. Arm weapons can range from rifles and machine guns through to light-saber-esque blades and more.
As anyone who’s played an AC game can attest to, your mech design choices will be crucial. You’ll be able to create a lighter, agile mech that can float in the air longer, dodge attacks and probably not take a lot of damage. Or, you could go heavy-duty, making a slower-moving robot with an array of long-range attacks and powerful melee weaponry. You’ll also need to balance out the energy demands of your mech against the power generator component.
Bandai Namco
While you can expect a degree of exploration as you fly around these huge environments, the game will be mission-based, just like its predecessors. Each stage begins with a briefing about your mission, some backstory and an outline of what you need to accomplish. If you’re here for the story, Armored Core VI is set on a distant planet of Rubicon 3. The planet is the home of a new energy source, one that’s so powerful and volatile that it caused a cataclysmic event in the past that “engulfed the entire star system in flames”.
If you were expecting a more Souls-style approach to the Armored Core series, you’d likely be disappointed, going off both the hands-off demo I saw and comments from FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki. In an interview with IGN, he said the studio would stick to what makes the Armored Core series "special", which he believes is the breadth and depth of mech customization. But like Dark Souls et al., major fights against more capable mechs could prove to be a highlight.
During the hands-off demo, the player dodged around a powerful molten steel-flinging mech, boosting above it to reveal a weak spot. You’ll be able to stagger enemies to deal bigger damage, another dynamic you’ll need to pay attention to when selecting your mech’s composition.
The fiery mech soon bested the player in the demo, but this meant they could make some adjustments and changes to their mech, retooling it specifically to take down this boss. In this instance, they swapped in more agile legs and a rifle capable of doing more substantial stun damage. A new Armored Core game is long overdue. Hopefully, it’ll be worth the wait.
Armored Core VI will be released on August 25th on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One and PC .
Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/armored-core-vi-fires-of-rubicon-first-look-140011240.html?src=rss
Europe has accused Google of "abusive practices in online advertising technology" that could lead to its ad business being split up, the EU Commission wrote in a statement of objections. It found preliminarily that since Google is unlikely to change its behavior, only the "mandatory divestment" of part of its services would address competition concerns.
"Google is present at almost all levels of the so-called adtech supply chain," executive VP Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. "Our preliminary concern is that Google may have used its market position to favor its own intermediation services. Not only did this possibly harm Google’s competitors but also publishers’ interests, while also increasing advertisers’ costs."
Google's ad business is now under attack on several fronts. Earlier this year, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) sued Google to break up its ad business, accusing it of illegally monopolizing the market. That in turn forced key ad tech rivals to abandon the market, dissuade new ones from joining and left the few remaining competitors "marginalized and unfairly disadvantaged," the regulator said.
There is nothing wrong with being dominant as such. What our investigation has shown though, is that Google appears to have abused its market position. It did so by ensuring that both its intermediation tools on the buy- side and on the sell-side would favour AdX in the “matching” auctions.
The EU Commission said Google is dominant in virtually all parts of adtech via services for both advertisers and publishers, along with an ad exchange called AdX. That would be fine by itself, but it accused Google of abusing its market position by making sure both its buy- and sell-side intermediation tools would favor its own exchange. "In other words, we are concerned about two potentially anticompetitive conducts by Google, which are both about favoring AdX," the Commission wrote.
In one case, AdX was able to bid after all other bidders had done so, and in another, it was informed in advance of the value of the best bids from rivals. On the supply side, Google Ads placed bids nearly exclusively on its own exchange, giving it a significant advantage over competitor's exchanges, according to the EU.
The Commission said that any remedy demanding Google change its behavior would be ineffective. "The Commission's preliminary view is therefore that only the mandatory divestment by Google of part of its services would address its competition concerns," according to the statement of objections.
Google will now be able to respond to the complaint before any judgement is issued. On top of being split up, the company could face a fine of up to 10 percent of its yearly global turnover, pending any appeal. It's unusual for the EU to suggest any remedy ahead of a guilty judgement, The Wall Street Journal noted. Engadget has reached out for a statement from Google.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/eu-could-breakup-googles-ad-business-over-antitrust-violations-124549344.html?src=rss
Vodafone has announced its intentions to merge with Three, pulling together the UK’s two remaining standalone mobile networks. The move comes in a market that has seen major consolidations in recent years between Virgin Media's merger with O2 and BT Group's purchase of EE. If regulators approve the deal, Vodafone and Three's new company will become the largest mobile phone operator in the UK, with an estimated 27 million customers.
"Three UK and Vodafone UK currently lack the necessary scale on their own to earn their cost of capital. This has long been a challenge for Three UK's ability to invest and compete," (Three Owner) CK Hutchinson Group Co-Managing Director Canning Fok said in a statement. "Together, we will have the scale needed to deliver a best-in-class 5G network for the UK, transforming mobile services for our customers and opening up new opportunities for businesses across the length and breadth of the UK." Vodafone will own 51 percent of the company, while CK Hutchinson controls the rest.
The merger with Vodafone isn't the first time Three has tried to couple up with a competitor. In 2015, its parent company announced plans to buy O2 for £10.25 billion ($12.96 billion), but the European Commission and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the purchase over concerns of "reduced competition" and "higher prices." However, O2 was able to merge with Virgin Media in 2021 after the CMA determined that similar concerns were unfounded. Vodafone and Three are attempting to sweeten the latest deal with a promise to invest £11 billion ($13.9 billion) across ten years in the UK's 5G infrastructure, in line with the government's targets.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/vodafone-and-three-plan-to-merge-into-the-uks-largest-mobile-network-123642148.html?src=rss
If you've been looking at Shark's self-emptying robot vacuums, now's your chance to get one for almost half the price. The Shark AV2501S model, which comes with a base that has a 30-day capacity, is currently 45 percent off at Amazon: It usually sells for $550, but you can get it right now for $300. That's only a dollar off its all-time low from Black Friday last year. Shark's AV2501S is a cheaper version of the AV2501AE model that comes with a base that can hold 60 days' worth of dirt.
The vacuum uses 360-degree LiDAR vision to accurately map your home and be able to effectively clean it while avoiding objects in its path. It can even adapt to the changes that happen in your house, which are most likely plentiful if you spend any amount of time in it. Once it has a layout of the floor, the vacuum cleans it in a precise matrix grid and takes multiple passes to ensure that it sucks up all the dust, pet hair, dander and debris that it can.
This particular model can clean for two full hours before it needs to return to its dock and recharge. It has the capability to pick up from where it left off once it's done charging, and it can automatically empty the dirt it collected into its base, which you only have to empty once a month. In addition, the vacuum supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to set cleaning schedules and initiate on-demand cleaning simply by issuing voice commands. Of course, you can also do those via Shark's mobile app, which we found easy to use when we tested it out.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sharks-self-emptying-robot-vacuum-with-a-30-day-capacity-base-is-45-percent-off-113146728.html?src=rss
Microsoft may own almost half of OpenAI, but a recent expose hints the pair aren’t the happiest of bedfellows. The Wall Street Journal claims the AI company warned Microsoft not to incorporate GPT-4 into Bing search without further training, but it did so anyway. It resulted in several high-profile examples of odd behavior, including bots arguing with users, and at least one instance of a user being urged to dissolve their marriage and elope with Bing instead.
There’s resentment, too, on Microsoft’s side, finding its own internal AI projects overlooked in favor of OpenAI. Which, despite the close financial ties, is very much free to work with Microsoft’s rivals in plenty of fields. It’s led to a situation where the pair are working together, and yet against one another. And that’s never a recipe for success.
– Dan Cooper
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There’s almost nothing in the human spirit as indomitable as the phrase, “You sure about that, pal?” It’s something Reddit CEO Steve Huffman seems unable to stop milking in his user base after sending a memo to staffers saying the API protests would “pass.” His internal missive added that, despite tens of thousands of communities going dark, there was no “significant revenue impact.” Consequently, those in charge of the communities have pledged to keep their protests running indefinitely, with one user inviting Reddit’s leadership to “f- around and find out.”
Toyota has announced its next-generation EV battery will have a range of 621 miles, or 1,000 kilometers. It’s part of a long series of announcements from the company that kickstarted the EV revolution finally embracing the technology. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Toyota announcement without plenty of sweet words about hydrogen, but we all know the writing’s on the wall for that one, at least for small and mid-size vehicles.
Sir Paul McCartney has announced he’ll release one last song from The Beatles, which was recorded with the help of AI. It comes from the same trove of John Lennon demos used to make “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” in the mid ‘90s. A third song, “Now and Then,” was on the same tapes, but electrical interference rendered Lennon’s vocals unusable. McCartney was inspired to go back to the material after watching Peter Jackson’s Get Back, which used AI to extract clean dialog audio from the studio noise. The song will be released later this year, but be warned – George Harrison didn’t think much of it when they tried to re-record it in the ‘90s.
It could have implications for some mid-tier game revivals in the works.
You’d be forgiven for not knowing the name Embracer, a publisher that has spent big to pick up a roster of big, if not blockbuster, games franchises. It’s the name behind the names behind series like Borderlands, Homeworld, TimeSplitters, Tomb Raider and The Lord of the Rings. Sadly, it also managed to tie itself in financial knots after an unnamed deal, reportedly worth $2 billion, fell apart back in May. Consequently, it’s announced it’ll need to restructure to survive, with several as-yet unannounced games on the chopping block and the potential for mass layoffs in the near future.
Google released its redesigned Home app last month, adding routines to give users more control over smart home automations. Now, it's introducing a new script editor, the company announced in a Google Nest blog post. It gives users even more granular control over automations, letting them do things like "dim lights and lower blinds when the living room TV is on after dark," to cite one Google example. It does require some basic programming abilities, though, as it uses the YAML data serialization language.
Building an automation requires three elements: starters, conditions and actions. A starter triggers the automation, for example flipping on the TV in the above example. Conditions, meanwhile, are prerequisites to be met before the script will run; for example the time must be between sunset and sunrise. Finally, actions specify which devices will then be triggered, i.e., lowering the blinds and turning off the lights.
Google
While Google already offers a decent level of control with routines, you can't do things like program multiple starters in an automation or set conditions. The script editor, in comparison, allows the use of nearly 100 starters, conditions and actions that can be used for creating custom automations.
The script editor is available in a public preview build of the Google Home app or on the web, along with a variety of sample scripted automations. Google has provided a step-by-step guide as well. It works across Google Home and third-party smart home devices, and automations work with popular sensors including Matter-supported sensors. For more, check out the Google Nest blog.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-homes-new-script-editor-can-make-smart-device-automations-even-more-powerful-103019126.html?src=rss
You probably wouldn't think of McDonald's if you're asked to guess which company would release a retro game this year. But yes, the fast food giant did indeed launch a 2D retro game seemingly in the style of Game Boy Color, and it's all in celebration of Grimace's 52nd birthday. The company teamed up with Krool Toys to develop the platformer that you can play on a modern PC or a mobile device. In it, you control Grimace on a skateboard as he searches for his missing friends — and collect enough milkshake for all his guests — before his birthday party begins.
While I fumbled a bit trying to control the purple mascot as he jumped over obstacles and slid across hand rails, I could only blame my own clumsy handling of the game's controls. The game worked smoothly on a computer, and you can even expand the screen if you don't mind getting blurry graphics, which truly do look like they were created for Nintendo's old handheld. The game was most likely created using a drag-and-drop tool for Nintendo handheld games called GB Studio. Indie developers like Krool have been using the program to create retro games, because doing so from scratch is typically very time- and resource-consuming. As a nice nostalgia-inducing bonus, even the website for the game is a throwback to the era marked by colorful and busy Angelfire, Lycos and Geocities web pages.
McDonald's only officially released Grimace's Birthday as a fun little game you can play on PC and mobile, but people were quickly able to find and share a copy you can download. While it's not an official release, it will allow you to play the game on a Game Boy emulator in case have one.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mcdonalds-just-released-a-grimace-game-boy-color-game-093540230.html?src=rss
Device charging company Anker is moving into Tesla's territory with the launch of the Solix line of home energy products, including a modular Powerwall-like battery storage system, the company announced at an event in New York City. It also introduced a smaller battery aimed at folks living in condos and apartments that can be used with its existing balcony-mounted solar panels.
The modular battery system, set to arrive globally in 2024, will be scalable from 5kWh of power (enough to run an average-sized house for a few hours) up to 180kWh, which could feasibly power a house for nearly a week. It's designed to deliver backup power to both existing and new solar installation, and Anker promises it will "provide high levels of safety and durability, seamlessly transfer to off-grid power and be compatible with home energy equipment such as heat pumps, oil- and gas-powered generators." It will also work with a "forthcoming EV charging solution," the company wrote.
The system will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and operate at temperatures ranging from -20C to 55C (-4F to 131F). It's controlled by Anker's power management system and available with an app. Anker has yet to provide the all-important pricing, but said more information will be available "later this year."
By comparison, Tesla's Powerwall 2 units have nearly triple the power (13.5kWh each), cost $11,500 each installed and can be scaled up to 135kWh. Standalone Powerwall installations qualify for a 30 percent residential federal investment tax credit, along with any state incentives.
Anker
Along with the modular battery, Anker unveiled the Solarbank E1600 battery pack as part of an energy storage system for apartments and condos. Set to be sold in Europe, it follows the company's recently launched Solix RS40 balcony solar panel system, and is compatible with "99 percent of the balcony PV products on the market," the company said.
It's modular, available in sizes from 1.6kWh to 3.2kWh (enough for a few hours of power), and works with most micro-inverters including the ones bundled with the RS40 solar panels. Once plugged it into a standard home power socket, it'll absorb any excess energy from the solar panels and feed it back to the home if the grid goes down. Anker promises a "five minute DIY installation," and said it can support 6,000 charging cycles or double the industry average. It can also be controlled via an app.
The new storage products join Anker's existing lineup of batteries (now branded Solix as well), like the 767 PowerHouse 2.05kWh designed for campers and outdoor use, and charged with an optional 200W solar panel. Anker now joins companies like Ecoflow (with its modular 3.6kWh-25kWh Delta Pro battery) and others in the burgeoning home energy storage market.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ankers-new-solix-home-energy-storage-includes-a-modular-solar-battery-system-085432144.html?src=rss
The FTC has notched a win, albeit a temporary one, in its bid to prevent Microsoft from closing its deal with Activision Blizzard. According to The Financial Times and Bloomberg, a US federal judge has issued an order that temporarily blocks the companies from finalizing their $68.7 billion deal while waiting for the court to decide on the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction. If you'll recall, the agency has filed for an injunction in response to news reports that the companies were closing the deal "imminently" and that they had set July 18th as the target deadline for the acquisition.
Judge Edward J. Davila has ruled that the merger can't take place until five days after the court has decided on whether or not to issue an injunction against it. To note, the court is scheduled to hear the FTC's request for an injunction on June 22nd and 23rd, so the earliest the companies can proceed with their plans is the end of this month — if the court doesn't ultimately side with the agency. The commission said in its filing:
"With control of Activision's content, Microsoft would have the ability and increased incentive to withhold or degrade Activision’s content in ways that substantially lessen competition — including competition on product quality, price, and innovation."
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, however, seem to be unperturbed by the FTC's lawsuit. In a statement, Microsoft told us that the injunction request is "accelerating the legal process" that will help the merger move forward sooner. "A temporary restraining order makes sense until we can receive a decision from the court, which is moving swiftly," a spokesperson also told The Times.
In May, the European Union approved the acquisition, as long as Microsoft agreed to release popular Activision Blizzard games on competing cloud gaming services. But the companies still have to convince US and UK authorities to allow the merger to push through. The FTC filed an antitrust complaint in December 2022 to block the deal over worries that it "would enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business." That particular lawsuit was filed at the agency's in-house court, and the commission's administrative law judge is scheduled to hear the case in August.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-activision-blizzard-merger-temporarily-blocked-by-us-judge-061933491.html?src=rss
