When Valve released the Steam Deck last year, it completely reinvigorated the market for handheld gaming PCs. In just the last six months we’ve seen a fresh wave of rivals like the GPD Win 4 and the Ayaneo 2. But now it’s ASUS’ turn with the ROG Ally and thanks to potent specs, a speedy screen and a slick design, we might be looking at the most powerful PC gaming handheld yet.

Now before we get in too deep, it’s important to mention that ASUS hasn’t provided official pricing or availability for ROG Ally’s just yet, and we’re still waiting for clarity regarding some of its more detailed specs. That’s expected to happen on May 11th at its official launch. But from what I’ve gotten a chance to play around with so far, there’s a lot to get excited about.

Perhaps the most tantalizing thing about the Ally is its components. Not only does it feature a new Ryzen Z1 chip – which is a customized Zen 4/RDNA 3 APU designed specifically for handheld gaming PCs – it also has a 7-inch 1080p screen with 500 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. That alone represents some very premium upgrades compared to the Steam Deck. And with ASUS claiming that the ROG Ally is between 50 and 100 percent more powerful than Valve’s portable (depending on the power settings), it might have the performance necessary to make that screen really shine. With ASUS rounding out the ROG Ally’s kit with up to 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a microSD card slot, there’s very little to complain about in terms of hardware.

Then there’s the screen, which might be the best looking display in this category. Colors were bright and rich and didn’t look washed out on any game I played, which sometimes happens on the Steam Deck. And even though the panel is the same size as what you get on Valve’s machine, the added resolution and that 120Hz refresh rate made games look both sharper and more fluid.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Another notable difference is that unlike the Steam Deck, the ROG Ally runs Windows 11 which ASUS says was a deliberate move to make sure gamers could play all their favorite titles from any of the major stores (Steam, Epic Game Store, Battle.net, etc.). On top of that, ASUS added a few thoughtful software tweaks including a customized version of its Armoury Crate app along with a helpful button for quickly toggling between hardware settings for stuff like power draw, performance modes and more. And even on the preview devices I used, ASUS’ software felt more responsive than similar apps on competitors like the Ayaneo 2.

As for its design, while ASUS isn’t really innovating a ton compared to other devices in the category, there are a number of small touches I appreciate. You get a familiar assortment of shoulder and face buttons, with two macro buttons in back (one on each side). At 608 grams, the Ally is a bit lighter than the Steam Deck (669 grams) and it's significantly thinner and less bulky too. It doesn’t have big beefy grips like some rivals, but ASUS says the angled contours on the side were designed specifically to make the device sit in your hand just right when you're resting your arms on a desk or table. My favorite nod toward general usability are the Ally’s quiet fans. I noticed that while the system can get a bit toasty under load, even then it never got close to sounding like my Steam Deck, which emits a small whine pretty much anytime the fans are spinning.

For those who want even beefier performance, ASUS included an XG Mobile port so you can hook the ROG Ally up to one of the company’s portable GPU docks. Admittedly, I’m not sure I see the need to take a handheld PC and tether it to a big dock (even if it does provide better performance). And with the cheapest XG Mobile dock going for about $1000 (for an older 30-series card), it’s a pricey way to upgrade Ally’s performance. But for people who might already have one of ASUS’ Flow-series gaming laptops, it’s a nice bit of extra value.

All told, the only things you don’t really get on the Ally are built-in touchpads like on the Steam Deck or a second USB-C jack like on the Ayaneo 2. And while ASUS has opted for standard analog control sticks instead of ones based on more sophisticated magnetic hall effect sensors, the company teased that it may be possible to swap in third-party joysticks in the future.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Even though the ROG Ally naturally draws a lot of comparisons between it and the Steam Deck, I don’t think they’re actually direct competitors. That’s because while ASUS has yet to reveal official pricing, I’m expecting the Ally to cost at least $800, which is twice the price of a base Steam Deck. Instead, it seems like the Ally is a better version of the Ayaneo 2. Not only is it more powerful, its software feels more polished and with ASUS being a significantly larger company I’m hoping the Ally will come with better customer support too.

For people out there who are looking for a premium gaming handheld, the ROG Ally may have just leaped to the head of the pack. It has pretty much the fastest components you can fit in a system this size. My one concern at this point is if its 40Wh battery can deliver decent longevity while still pumping out strong performance. But more importantly, when I think about the category as a whole, it’s really encouraging to see more big names enter the space and put their spin on a rapidly growing class of gadgets.

It took several months, but Slack's "canvas" collaboration feature is finally rolling out across its apps. Effectively, it's a way to organize and access all the resources that would normally be scattered across a chat channel. You can store apps, files, links, people, raw text and even in-app functions like service requests. It can help you track must-do items, share handy tools or even serve as an FAQ for newcomers.

You can bring canvases into huddle audio and video chats to discuss them with colleagues. Much like a cloud document app, you can add comments, see the change history and limit sharing to specific people. This isn't a full-fledged creative tool like Google Docs, as Slack tellsThe Verge, but it can help you coordinate more quickly than you would through separate apps.

This is, to some extent, an improvement on the bookmarks and pins that Slack currently offers to help you find vital documents and notes. Those features will remain for now, but it won't be surprising if canvases become the dominant (if not exclusive) way to share resources in a given channel.

Canvases promise to be more convenient, but they might also give Slack a competitive edge. The more likely you are to stay in Slack while sharing documents and performing tasks, the less temptation there is to use competing apps. This might be the decisive factor if you're weighing the merits of Slack versus rivals like Microsoft Teams.

Lucid is already late on its plan to open reservations for the three-row Gravity SUV in early 2023. However, the company announced today that the EV is making some progress, saying it's entering a "new phase of development, now testing on public roads throughout the US." That's a sign that it might be ready to go on sale in the US soon.

As we learned before, the Gravity shares design language with the Lucid Air but offers up to three rows of seats that can accommodate seven people. It will also have Lucid's "new Glass Cockpit high-resolution displays, powered by the next generation of Lucid UX," the company said. It's also promising "the driving dynamics of a sports car, and greater electric range than any SUV on the market today." 

Lucid

Other details have yet to be released, like the exact range and performance figures or battery size. Previously, Lucid released a couple interior and exterior shots showing a massive panoramic roof, and today it gave a glimpse of the Gravity's rear and front. 

Lucid recently launched its first EV, the Air sedan, generally receiving good reviews for its driving dynamics, looks and more. While the initial model went on sale at an astronomical $179,000 price, the company has been working to get its less expensive Air and Pure models out to the market. The company struggled to design and build its first EV, and recently announced that it's laying off 1,300 workers to reduce expenses. The company did manage to deliver more units than it expected in 2022, however. 

Since March, NVIDIA has offered AI Foundations, a service that allows businesses to train large language models (LLMs) on their own proprietary data. Today the company is introducing NeMo Guardrails, a tool designed to help developers ensure their generative AI apps are accurate, appropriate and safe.

NeMo Guardrails allows software engineers to enforce three different kinds of limits on their in-house LLMs. Specifically, firms can set “topical guardrails” that will prevent their apps from addressing subjects they weren’t trained to tackle. For instance, NVIDIA suggests a customer service chatbot would, with the help of its software, decline to answer a question about the weather. Companies can also set safety and security limits that are designed to ensure their LLMs pull accurate information and connect to apps that are known to be safe.

According to NVIDIA, NeMo Guardrails works with all LLMs, including ChatGPT. What’s more, the company claims nearly any software developer can use the software. “No need to be a machine learning expert or data scientist,” it says. Since NeMo Guardrails is open source, NVIDIA notes it will also work with all the tools enterprise developers already use.

NVIDIA is incorporating NeMo Guardrails into its existing NeMo framework for building generative AI models. Business customers can gain access to NeMo through the company’s AI Enterprise software platform. NVIDIA also offers the framework through its AI Foundations service. The release of NeMo Guardrails comes after some of the most high-profile generative AIs, including Microsoft Bing and Google Bard, have come under the microscope for their tendency to “hallucination” information. In fact, Google’s chatbot made a factual error during its first public demo.

“NVIDIA made NeMo Guardrails — the product of several years’ research — open source to contribute to the developer community’s tremendous energy and work AI safety,” NVIDIA said. “Together, our efforts on guardrails will help companies keep their smart services aligned with safety, privacy and security requirements so these engines of innovation stay on track.”

If you want to read a deep dive into how NeMo Guardrails works, NVIDIA has published a blog post on the subject that also shares information on how to get started with the software.

DJI has unveiled its new flagship consumer drone, the Mavic 3 Pro, with a triple-camera setup that includes a new 70mm lens designed for "powerful subject framing." It also includes a new 10-bit D-Log M color mode, improvements in the tele cameras, and ProRes capture on the Mavic 3 Pro Cine option. It's the company's fourth Mavic 3 drone, joining the Mavic 3, the Mavic 3 Classic and the Mavic 3 Enterprise models. 

Like the Mavic 3, it's available in regular and Cine models, with the latter having advanced features for filmmakers like Apple ProRes capture (ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes 422, and ProRes 422 LT), a 1TB SSD drive and a 10Gbps lightspeed data cable. However, you'll pay a premium of nearly $1,000 to get those.

DJI

The new 70mm camera has a 1/1.3-inch sensor that's the same size as on the Mini 3 Pro. Though considerably smaller than the 4/3 chip on the main Hasselblad camera, DJI says the camera is designed for a "range of different scenarios from framing intriguing buildings to cars in commercial shoots." That comment indicates that the quality should be better than the 7x tele camera. It can handle 48-megapixel (MP) high-res or 12MP low light photos, along with 4K/60fps video. 

Like the main camera, it supports a new log format called D-log M along with DJI's original D-Log. D-Log M is designed to deliver "natural color gradations with delicate details" even in high-contrast situations like sunsets, the company says. At the same time, it's easier to grade than typical log footage, according to DJI. It can shoot up to 10-bit 4:2:2 ProRes video on the Mavic 3 Pro Cine model and 10-bit 4:2:0 (H.264/H.265) on the regular model. 

DJI

DJI has also improved the 7x (166mm equivalent) tele camera, boosting the aperture from f4.4 to f3.4, which should make it considerably better in low light. It also offers boosted video specs, up from 4K at 30p on the Mavic 3 to 4K/60fps.

Aside from those improvements, it's much the same as the Mavic 3. The main 4/3 Hasselblad camera can shoot video at up to 5.1K at 50fps or DCI 4K at 120fps, with the new D-Log M mode, along with D-Log and HLG options. As before, it can capture 10-bit 4:2:2 ProRes (Mavic 3 Pro Cine) and 10-bit 4:2:0 H.264/H.265 video on the Mavic 3 Pro. 

DJI

It allows up to 43 minutes of flight time, roughly the same as before. You'll also get DJI's omnidirectional sensing and APAS 5.0 obstacle protection, with eight wide-angle vision sensors and a high-performance vision computing to engine "to precisely sense obstacles in all directions and plan a safe flight to avoid them," DJI says. Its DJI O3+ transmission system can transmit a 1080p/60fps HD live feed at high frame rates at a distance of up to 15 km (10 miles), though considerably less in Europe. 

The Mavic 3 Pro also offers key AI features seen on the Mavic 3 and other models. Among those is ActiveTrack 5.0 designed to track a subject while avoiding obstacles, Spotlight (moving the drone around the subject), and Point of Interest (allows the drone to circle around the subject while keeping it centered in the frame). 

DJI

In addition, it includes features designed for creators like MasterShots 4, QuickShots 5 with diverse camera movements like Dronie, Rocket, Circle and Helix, and Panorama 6, designed to take a 100 MP photo. It also comes with a time lapse mode. 

As for the price, the Mavic 3 Pro is only a bit more expensive than the Mavic 3's current $2,049 starting price. The Mavic 3 Pro with a DJI RC starts at $2,199, while the Fly More combo with the DJI RC, three intelligent flight batteries, a charging hub, carrying bag and one ND filter set is $2,999. The same thing with the DJI RC Pro remote (the high-end one with a screen) is $3,889, and the Mavic 3 Pro Cine Premium Combo (with the latter accessories) is $4,799. It's now available to order with shipping starting in May. 

BMW has announced Android smartphone owners can now use hands-free technology that opens your car with your phone. The feature, known as the Digital Key Plus, will be available on the Samsung Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Google Pixel 7 Pro and a range of other newer Samsung devices. Prior to this, it was only available for anyone with an iPhone or Apple Watch.

The Digital Key Plus uses ultra wideband (UWB) digital radio technology to function the same way any traditional key fob would: When your phone goes near your car — from inside your pocket, bag or so on — it unlocks and then locks back up again when you leave. You can also access controls directly on the My BMW app to lock and unlock the car, open your trunk and control the temperature. The homepage lets you know the status of each feature, such as if your car is actually locked. 

BMW previously released its Digital Key for the Samsung Galaxy S21 and Google Pixel 6 phones, but that feature required drivers to hold their phone up to the door handle. The hands-free option is a small upgrade, but saves digging for your phone at least. BMW also claims the UWB technology's precision almost entirely removes the risk of anyone jamming or intercepting the radio signals. 

The expansion follows BMW's December announcement that you can share a Digital Key between Apple and Google devices. Basically, if you're nice enough to let a friend borrow your car for the weekend, they can use their phone to control it. 

At the moment, you need a pretty new car to make use of this new feature. Only BMW cars built since November 2022 with Digital Key Plus technology are compatible with Androids. The company plans to use remote software updates to eventually expand access to older models. 

AT&T, helped by satellite communications specialist AST SpaceMobile, has announced the first two-way audio call using satellites with a standard smartphone. The initial call came from AT&T in Midland, Texas, to mobile carrier Ratuken in Japan on an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone using AST SpaceMobile's BlueWalker 3 satellite.

The use of satellites could be a significant step toward increasing cellular access not only in the US, where large areas of the country struggle with service, but in developing countries too. Typically a mobile phone call requires nearby cell towers to provide service. Many areas across the United States, such as rural communities and national parks, are "dead zones" — yes, just like the eerie early 2000s Verizon commercials warned. The same technology could be a great solution to the same issues in developing countries. Instead, satellites could act as a sort of space-based network of cell towers — with AST SpaceMobile claiming it's "building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network."

AT&T aims to use satellites to provide global cellular broadband from 2G to 5G. "Achieving what many once considered impossible, we have reached the most significant milestone to date in our quest to deliver global cellular broadband from space," Abel Avellan, CEO and chairman of AST SpaceMobile, said in a release. "While we take a moment to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment, we remain focused on the path ahead and pivotal next steps that get us closer to our goal of transforming the way the world connects." 

It's unclear whether satellite access would come at an extra cost. In AT&T's original AST SpaceMobile partnership annoucement, the company couldn't say whether existing plans would include satellite coverage. 

AT&T is one of a few carriers looking to expand its satellite access. Verizon teamed up with Amazon's Project Kuiper satellite network in 2021 with the intention of connecting underserved communities and industries. Amazon is in the midst of launching its satellites into space, with its FCC license requiring at least half of the 3,236 they plan to deploy to be operational by July 2026. 

T-Mobile has also partnered with SpaceX, a major competitor of Project Kuiper, with plans to "start getting into testing" its satellite mobile coverage this year. There are currently over 4,000 Starlink V2 satellites in orbit, though some have experienced issues requiring them to be removed from orbit or tested further. T-Mobile has claimed customers should have satellite access through most existing plans and, like AT&T, that existing phones should work with the satellite offerings. 

While satellite offerings aren't available for consumers yet, this successful test brings widespread access one step closer to becoming a reality. 

The long-running legal tussle between Apple and Epic Games picked up another ruling, in the former’s favor, although the three-judge panel also upheld a part of the original ruling in Epic's favor. The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling, which rejected most of Epic's claims that Apple violated federal competition law by prohibiting other app stores on its devices.

“There is a lively and important debate about the role played in our economy and democracy by online transaction platforms with market power,” the panel wrote in the decision. “Our job as a federal court of appeals, however, is not to resolve that debate — nor could we even attempt to do so. Instead, in this decision, we faithfully applied existing precedent to the facts.” In short, the ruling maintains the status quo – unless further appeals move the case to a higher court.

– 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.

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Grimes invites AI artists to use her voice, promising 50 percent royalty split

“Feel free to use my voice without penalty,” the artist tweeted.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Canadian musician Grimes says AI artists can use her voice without worrying about copyright or legal enforcement. “I’ll split 50% royalties on any successful AI-generated song that uses my voice. Same deal as I would with any artist I collab with,” she tweeted on Sunday.

It comes after streaming platforms removed an AI-generated song using simulated voices of Drake and The Weeknd. Universal Music Group (UMG), which represents both artists, called for the purge after “Heart on My Sleeve” garnered over 15 million listens on TikTok and 600,000 on Spotify. UMG argued that publishing a song trained on its artists’ voices was “a breach of our agreements and a violation of copyright law.”

Continue reading.

Microsoft will reportedly unbundle Teams from Office to avoid antitrust concerns

It hopes to head off an EU investigation, but ‘a deal is not certain.’

Microsoft has agreed to stop bundling its Teams remote collaboration software with its Office productivity suite, according to the Financial Times. The company’s move attempts to head off an official EU antitrust investigation as it deals with its most significant regulatory concerns in over a decade. The FT’s sources say companies will eventually be able to buy Office with or without Teams installed, “but the mechanism on how to do this remains unclear.” Microsoft is facing its first regulatory issues in a decade. The company agreed to a settlement with the European Commission in 2009, offering European customers a choice of web browsers; it was fined €561 million in 2013 for failing to adhere consistently to that ruling.

Continue reading.

Kindle Scribe update lets you send documents directly from Microsoft Word

There are also annotation improvements and a two-column layout.

The Kindle Scribe will soon be able to send documents directly from Microsoft Word to the e-reader with just a few clicks. This means you can read documents on the go or physically annotate them using the touchscreen and a Scribe pen. There’s also a new multi-column layout for reading two pages at once.

Continue reading.

Like it or not, a Call of Duty board game is coming in 2024

Pre-orders will open on Kickstarter this fall.

Activision has teamed up with board game publisher Arcane Wonders, along with Genuine Entertainment and Evolution to make the game. Call of Duty: The Board Game is said to be a fast-paced blend of combat, strategy and tactical planning. However, what that means in the context of a board game is unclear. Also, does multibillion-dollar publisher Activision really need to be selling its wares on Kickstarter?

Continue reading.

Yelp has announced a bunch of updates across its site and apps, including a light lean into the AI trend. New features include providing a consumer guarantee, expanded review options and password-free logins. 

Yelp is utilizing AI and natural language models to further improve its search features. When you search for a specific place, like a tennis court, Yelp will suggest options and add a review with helpful information about going there — such as being able to book in advance. Further updates include showing you relevant businesses across the country and clickable tags like "Breakfast and Brunch."

If you're unsure what you're craving, their new "Surprise Me" button will suggest a well-rated restaurant in your area. It's available right on your search page and you can keep clicking it until something gets your taste buds excited.

Yelp Guaranteed is a new protection available for people looking to hire anyone from a plumber to a contractor. Customers who use Yelp's Request A Quote service can find businesses that are "Backed by Yelp Guaranteed" — it will display it right on their information page. If anything goes wrong after you hire one of them, Yelp says it will reimburse you up to to $2,500.

Currently, it's only available in select major cities like San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle, with just iOS users able to filter for it. According to Yelp, it should roll out nationwide and extend to Android and web users this summer. 

Yelp

Yelp is encouraging users to cover food, service and ambiance in their reviews, with each topic appearing at the top of the page. If you mention anything in one of the categories, it will light up green and have a checkmark next to it. You can also now add videos up to 12 seconds along with your review. 

The final set of Yelp's updates focus on the site's look and logistics. Just like with reviews, Yelp Connect — the paid option for business owners to share updates — now offers a video option. Yelp's home and navigation pages have also been refreshed to include easier access to restaurants' menus and ratings. 

This should all be a little quicker to access with Yelp finally offering automatic logins. You'll be sent a secure email the next time you sign in and, from then on, you don't have to worry about remembering your password. A lot of these are small changes but, overall, could make Yelp a bit more comprehensive moving forward. 

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has introduced a new bill that would give it the power slap the biggest tech companies with a fine worth billions if they don't comply with its rules. It's a multi-faceted bill that's aimed at protecting consumers and encouraging competition, and it will allow the CMA to directly enforce the law instead of having to go through the court. 

If the bill passes, the agency's Digital Markets Unit (DMU) will be able to enforce a set of rules on how companies it deems to have "strategic market status" in key digital services have to operate. The CMA didn't name any specific company in its announcement, but the DMU will most likely identify Google, Apple and Amazon as organizations with strategic market status. 

The DMU could require them to be more transparent on how their app store review systems work or to open up their data to rivals — in Google's case, it could be a rival search engine. If these companies fail to abide by the new rules, the DMU could fine them up to 10 percent of their global turnover. Apple, for example, earned around $283 billion in revenue for 2022, so that could translate to a massive fine worth $28.3 billion. 

In addition to giving CMA the ability to set rules for tech giants, the new bill will also address the problem with "subscription traps," which is costing UK consumers £1.6 billion (US$2 billion) a year. Its new rules will require businesses, not just the biggest tech companies, to provide customers with clearer information before they start a subscription. Companies will also be required to send customers notifications if their free or low-cost trial is coming to an end and before their subscription auto-renews. Plus, companies will have to provide customers an easy way to unsubscribe. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission proposed a similar rule back in March that would make it as easy to cancel subscriptions as it is to sign up. The proposal is also still waiting for approval before it can be implemented. 

Another concern the bill will address is fake reviews. The new rules are expected to prohibit companies from commissioning the composition and submission of fake reviews and from posting reviews without taking steps to ensure that they're genuine. Further, the rules would make it illegal to offer or to advertise submitting, commissioning and facilitating fake reviews.

Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said in a statement:

"The new powers in this bill help the CMA take swift, decisive action to tackle rip offs, protecting consumers whether they are shopping online or on the high street. The new fining powers will provide an important deterrent to businesses seeking to take advantage of people while also ensuring fair dealing businesses can thrive. 

The bill will also strengthen the Digital Markets Unit, helping to ensure digital markets remain competitive and continue to benefit people, business, and the UK economy. We welcome its introduction to parliament and look forward to it progressing."