Speech recognition company Voiceitt has announced it's integrating its technology into Webex Meetings. Building on Webex's existing live translations, Voiceitt's AI establishes and transcribes what people with non-standard speech are saying on calls. Its machine learning technology works by familiarizing itself with a person's speech patterns to better understand what they want to communicate, predicting phrases and elaborating on user-chosen shortcuts. 

Voiceitt is available as a standalone app, but the new partnership means Webex Meetings will have a chat bar pop up with live transcriptions. "The integration with Webex is game-changing because it creates more independence for users with disabilities, while increasing the potential for more collaborative, inclusive work environments," Sara Smolley, co-founder and vice president of strategic partnerships at Voiceitt, said in a statement. "True collaboration means everyone at the table has a voice."

This partnership is one of many interactions between Voiceitt and Cisco, Webex's parent company. Cisco Investments provided capital in Voiceitt's latest round of funding. The pattern follows Amazon's investment in Voiceitt and subsequent integration of the technology into its smart home assistant, Alexa.

Cisco says Voiceitt should be available to download from the Webex App Hub for meetings starting in June and plans to make it available across the entire Webex platform by the end of the year.

With Global Accessibility Awareness Day just days away, Apple is previewing a raft of new iOS features for cognitive accessibility, along with Live Speech, Personal Voice and more. The company said it worked in "deep collaboration" with community groups representing users with disabilities, and drew on "advances in hardware and software, including on-device machine learning" to make them work. 

The biggest update is "Assistive Access" designed to support users with cognitive disabilities. Essentially, it provides a custom, simplified experience for the phone, FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music apps. That includes a "distinct interface with high contrast buttons and large text labels" along with tools that can be customized by trusted supporters for each individual. 

Apple

"For example, for users who prefer communicating visually, Messages includes an emoji-only keyboard and the option to record a video message to share with loved ones. Users and trusted supporters can also choose between a more visual, grid-based layout for their Home Screen and apps, or a row-based layout for users who prefer text," Apple wrote. 

The aim is to break down technological barriers for people with cognitive disabilities. "The intellectual and developmental disability community is bursting with creativity, but technology often poses physical, visual, or knowledge barriers for these individuals," said The Arc's Katy Schmid in a statement. "To have a feature that provides a cognitively accessible experience on iPhone or iPad — that means more open doors to education, employment, safety, and autonomy. It means broadening worlds and expanding potential." 

Another important new feature is Live Speech and Personal Voice for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Live Speech lets users type what they want to say and have it spoken out loud during phone and FaceTime calls or for in-person conversations. For users who can still speak but are at risk of losing their ability to do so due to a diagnosis of ALS or other conditions, there's the Personal Voice feature.

Apple

It lets them create a voice that sounds like their own by reading along with a randomized set of text prompts to record 15 minutes of audio on iPhone or iPad. It then uses on-device machine learning to keep user information private, and works with Live Speech so users can effectively speak with others using a version of their own voices. "If you can tell [your friends and family] you love them, in a voice that sounds like you, it makes all the difference in the world," said Team Gleason board member and ALS advocate Philip Green, who has had his own voice impacted by ALS. 

Finally, Apple has introduced a Point and Speak function in the Magnifier to help users with vision disabilities interact with physical objects. "For example, while using a household appliance — such as a microwave — Point and Speak combines input from the Camera app, the LiDAR Scanner, and on-device machine learning to announce the text on each button as users move their finger across the keypad," it wrote. The feature is built into the Magnifier app on iPhone and iPad, and can be used with other Magnifier features like People Detection, Door Detection and others. 

Along with the new functions, Apple is introducing new features, curated collections and more for Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Those include a SignTime launch in Germany, Italy, Spain and South Korea to connect Apple Store and Support customers with on-demand sign language interpreters, along with accessibility informative sessions at select Apple Store locations around the world. It's also offering podcasts, movies and more around the impact of accessible tech. The new Assistive Access and other features are set to roll out later this year, Apple said — for more, check out its press release. 

Startup Telly is now taking US reservations for free 55-inch 4K TVs that continuously display ads on part of a secondary screen. So long as you're willing to accept those ads (or tune them out) and share data, you won't have to pay for the TV.

As Telly explains, the smaller display also shows news, sports scores and other useful data. You won't have to interrupt a show just to stay in the know. The set has its own camera, microphone array, sensors and voice assistant, enabling video calls and motion-captured fitness apps. According to the image, this secondary screen would be a long, slender display that would live underneath the TV. The reservations cover the first 500,000 TVs, which are expected to ship in the summer. I’m not sold on the idea – I’m getting stressful flashbacks of struggling to turn off those screens in the back of New York taxis, addled by jetlag.

– 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

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Amazon is making a 'Lord of the Rings' MMO game

The creators of 'New World' are behind the project.

Amazon

Amazon has struck a deal with Embracer Group to release a massively multiplayer online (MMO) title based on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. Development is in the "early stages" at New World studio Amazon Games Orange County, which will ship the game for PCs and consoles at an unspecified date.

Continue reading.

Google will pay Texas $8 million to settle claims of 'deceptive' Pixel 4 ads

The payout comes after a deal with the federal government.

Google is still taking a financial hit over allegations it misled customers with Pixel 4 ads. The company has agreed to pay Texas $8 million to settle claims it paid radio hosts for "deceptive" testimonials about the Pixel 4 even though the DJs couldn't use the phone beforehand. The ads continued even though Google was aware it was breaking the law.

Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state settlement was important as Google has "significant influence," and no large company should expect "special treatment." The tech giant already reached a $9 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and six other states.

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The EU approves Microsoft's $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard takeover

The deal still faces an uphill battle in the US and the UK.

As expected, the European Union has rubberstamped Microsoft’s bid to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. The European Commission (the EU's executive arm) said Microsoft will have to ensure full compliance with the commitments it has made to offer its games on other platforms, particularly cloud gaming services. Activision does not yet offer its titles on cloud gaming services. If Microsoft offered Activision games exclusively on its own cloud service, that could have impaired competition, the EU warned.

Continue reading.

Elon Musk loses appeal to tweet whatever he wants about Tesla

The SEC still wants a lawyer to approve some company-related posts.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

A federal appeals court in Manhattan has rebuffed Elon Musk's claim that the 2018 consent decree with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an unfair "prior restraint" on his speech through Tesla tweets. The CEO has fought with the SEC in the years since settling back in 2018, and more recently has been calling for courts to undo the settlement. Musk claims the Commission pressured him to strike a deal and overstepped its authority. The pact violated free speech rights, Musk's side claimed. A judge denied a request to cancel the deal last April, prompting the appeal.

Continue reading.

The Mac Mini M2 is the cheapest way to get Apple's latest processors, and now Amazon is has dropped them back to the lowest prices we've ever seen. You can buy the 256GB version for just $500 ($100 off the regular price), the 512GB model for $690 ($110 off) and the Mac Mini M2 Pro for $1,100 — all the best deals we've seen.

In our Engadget review, we gave the Mac Mini a solid score of 86, lauding the performance and classic aluminum design. It's tiny but mighty, with the M2 processor easily powerful enough for productivity chores and multitasking. The chip combines computing operations, like CPU, GPU, input/output interfaces and certain memory processes into one "system on a chip," allowing for faster processing speeds.

On top of that, you get killer connectivity, with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections, HDMI 2.0 (with 4K 240Hz and 8K 60Hz output), two USB-A ports, a headphone jack and gigabit Ethernet (upgradeable to 10 gigabit). The M2 Pro model adds two additional USB-C ports, making it even more useful for creatives with a ton of accessories.

The Mac Mini M2 won't replace your gaming machine, but it can handle nearly everything else you throw at it. The Mac Mini M2 Pro, however, is powerful enough for just about any task including content creation, if you can afford it. We wouldn't recommend the overpriced storage or RAM upgrades, as the M2 is much more efficient with RAM than typical PCs. Still, if you're looking for a cheap but powerful Mac, this is the way to go.

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

You may have to get a Peacock subscription if you want to watch every single game in the NFL playoffs. The streaming service will serve as home to the first-ever exclusive livestreamed NFL playoff game, NBCUniversal and the league have announced. It's a wild card game that's scheduled to take place on January 13th, 2024, which is the first playoff weekend. And by "exclusive," they meant it will not be aired on national TV or even on cable. Only the local markets for the two competing teams will have access to the game outside Peacock, through a local TV channel that'll most likely be an NBC affiliate. 

As The Wall Street Journal notes, the NFL made postseason games available for streaming in the past. However, this marks the first time one can only be accessed on a streaming service by most viewers. NFL chief operating officer Hans Schroeder has acknowledged that the decision could upset some fans who'll have to get Peacock to watch that one game, but he believes it "will be transformative for sports on digital."

In fact, Schroeder said the NFL will likely continue making one of its wild card games exclusively accessible via streaming going forward. Whether Peacock will carry the game again in 2025 will probably depend on how the 2024 game performs for the service: Peacock and the NFL only signed a one-year deal, which The Journal says cost around $110 million. 

The James Webb Space Telescope just made its second breakthrough observation in as many weeks. Researchers have used the observatory's near-infrared camera to detect the first known instance of water vapor around a comet in the main asteroid belt, also known as a main belt comet. Scientists had thought comets could preserve water ice so relatively close to the Sun, but didn't have firm evidence until now. They generally expected comets to sit in the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud, both of which are far enough away from the Sun that ice could last.

The findings have created a new riddle, however. While carbon dioxide normally represents 10 percent of the potentially vaporized material in a comet, Webb's instruments didn't detect any in Read. The research group speculates that the CO2 either dissipated over billions of years, or that Read formed in a comparatively balmy part of the Solar System that didn't have CO2.

Read was one of the first bodies used to establish the main belt comet category. The Webb telescope is the first equipment powerful enough to study these comets in detail.

More observations will be needed to understand if Read's lack of CO2 is a fluke or shared by other main belt comets. Whether it is or not, team member Stefanie Milam suggests a sample collection mission might be helpful in learning more about comets like this. It would certainly be more practical than other missions — the Kuiper Belt starts roughly at the edge of Neptune's orbit, while the Oort Cloud is roughly two light-years away.

Microsoft says iPhone support for its Phone Link app is now available for all Windows 11 users. Announced in February, Microsoft’s feature allows syncing calls, contacts and messages — including limited iMessage support — between an iPhone and PC.

Phone Link has been around (under various names) for Android-synced desktop features since 2015, but this is the first time it’s supported iPhones. Microsoft has deployed a phased launch, starting with select Windows Insider preview testers in late February. Then, the company began rolling out general availability last month, promising to support all Windows 11 users by mid-May. So, right on cue, it said today that everyone with a Windows PC and iPhone can now use the new feature.

Phone Link for iPhone has several limitations that Android phones don’t. First, although it supports iMessage syncing, it doesn’t work with group chats or sending images and videos. In addition, voice messages and iMessage apps won’t work. Still, it could serve as a handy built-in service to save you from switching between your computer and phone.

To get started, you’ll want to search for “Phone Link” in the Windows taskbar. After opening the app, you’ll still need to set up a few things on both devices. First, select iPhone as your device type, and use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code in the Phone Link app. The devices will pair over Bluetooth, and you’ll need to confirm several permissions on both iPhone and PC. It supports any iPhone running iOS 14.0 or later.

Horror collection ‘Layers of Fear’ has a concrete release date of June 15th, which is just around the corner. This news follows the official launch of a Steam demo that went live today. The forthcoming title includes remakes of the original Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2, including various DLC content and a brand-new chapter to provide a new perspective on the first game’s narrative. It launches on PC via Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

These are not simple upscales, as each game was completely recreated in Unreal Engine 5, so they include all kinds of modern graphical touches like ray-tracing, HDR and volumetric lighting. In other words, this collection is pretty easy on the eyes, though the eerie atmosphere may not be good for the old ticker.

Developer Bloober Team is also busy crafting a Silent Hill 2 remake, so there’s that to look forward to. The original Layers of Fearcame out back in 2016 and is widely considered one of the better horror titles of recent years, thanks to an expertly crafted narrative and psychedelic thrills and chills. The sequel was equally revered, though it shifted locations from a creepy Victorian mansion to a, well, creepy ocean liner.

Elon Musk has failed in his latest attempt to challenge a ruling that requires a lawyer's approval for some Tesla-related tweets. A federal appeals court in Manhattan has rebuffed Musk's claim that the 2018 consent decree with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an unfair "prior restraint" on his speech. The CEO could have defended himself against the charges or negotiated a different deal if he'd wanted to tweet without a legal monitor, the court panel says.

Musk reached a settlement with the SEC in 2018 after the regulator claimed that he lied when he had "funding secured" for taking Tesla private. On top of requiring approval, the deal also had Musk step down as Tesla chairman. He and his company paid separate $20 million fines. The SEC wanted to find Musk in contempt when he claimed that Tesla would make 500,000 cars one year, but a judge pushed the parties involved to negotiate a 2019 arrangement that gave Musk more freedom in return for requiring legal team approval for finance-related tweets.

The tech leader has fought with the SEC in the years since, and more recently has been calling for courts to undo the settlement. Musk claims the Commission pressured him to strike a deal and overstepped its authority. The pact violated free speech rights, Musk's side claimed. A judge denied a request to cancel the deal last April, prompting the appeal.

It's not certain how Musk and Tesla will respond. Tesla disbanded its communications team years ago. If this latest decision stands, though, Musk won't have much choice but to either have his tweets screened or risk a regulatory crackdown.

Doing your taxes in the United States can be famously convoluted. It can also be expensive: on top of paying their tax bills, Americans who have more complicated finances often have to pay for software to help them navigate the US tax code. That might change soon: a report from the Washington Post says that the Internal Revenue Services is preparing to roll out a free direct filing system that will allow Americans to complete their taxes digitally.

The first version of the direct filing system could be available as soon as next year, according to the report, with a pilot program launching for a small group of taxpayers in January of 2024. That would arrive just a year after the IRS publicly started exploring the option, when the tax agency tapped the New America think tank to help explore the feasibility of an agency-run filing program. That effort was kicked off in February of this year, after the Inflation Reduction Act earmarked $15 million to the IRS to research a "multi-lingual and mobile-friendly" free direct e-file system.

That focus on a user-friendly system might be the point. The IRS already offers a Free File Online tool, but according to the Government Accountability Offices, it's used by less than 3% of eligible taxpayers. If the program is a success, it could make filing taxes easier and more affordable for millions of Americans. If not? Well, TurboTax and H&R Block probably aren't going anywhere. After all, the US tax prep and filing industry is still worth about $14 billion.