Disney-owned channels including local ABC stations, ESPN, FX and 17 others are no longer available on Dish Network and Sling TV. Dish says Disney wanted almost $1 billion more to extend their carriage contract, which expired at 3AM ET on October 1st. As a result, Dish had to remove Disney's channels from both platforms for the time being. As is usually the case in these situations, both sides are blaming each other for the blackout.
Dish claimed it offered Disney a contract extension, but said the latter rejected the proposal and walked away from the negotiating table. "We were not able to reach a mutual renewal agreement with Disney and without a contract in place we are legally required to remove their channels from our service," Dish said in a statement.
Dish has accused Disney of holding "viewers hostage for negotiation leverage." It claimed that Disney wanted Dish to insert ESPN and ESPN2 into packages that don't currently include sports channels. In addition, it said Disney wanted to upend a policy that allows Dish subscribers to remove local channels and save money. “Now Disney wants to take this away by forcing most Dish customers in their ABC markets to pay for local channels,” Dish said.
On the flip side, Disney claimed it didn't receive a fair offer to keep the likes of ESPN and National Geographic on Dish and Sling TV. “After months of negotiating in good faith, Dish has declined to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us for continued distribution of our networks," Disney told Variety in a statement. “The rates and terms we are seeking reflect the marketplace and have been the foundation for numerous successful deals with pay-TV providers of all types and sizes across the country. We’re committed to reaching a fair resolution, and we urge Dish to work with us in order to minimize the disruption to their customers.”
The Disney networks that Dish had to remove from its platforms are ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Disney XD, Freeform, FX, FXX, FXM, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, ACC Network, SEC Network, Longhorn Network and Baby TV. Dish also had to jettison local ABC stations in Chicago; Fresno, California; Houston; Los Angeles; New York City; Philadelphia; Raleigh, North Carolina; and San Francisco.
This is the second time in the space of a year that Disney's channels have gone dark on a major live TV streaming service. YouTube TV lost access to them last December over a carriage fee dispute with Disney. The standoff didn't last long, however, as the likes of ESPN and local ABC channels returned the next day.
Dish has also had battles with other media giants. HBO and Cinemax vanished from Dish and Sling TV in 2018. The channels, and HBO Max, became available on Dish again last year after it reached an agreement with WarnerMedia, which is now part of Warner Bros. Discovery. However, the channels and HBO Max still aren't available on Sling TV.
Sheryl Sandberg officially stepped down from her post as Meta COO in August, but the company will continue to pay for her personal security into 2023, Reuters reports. The board, citing "continuing threats to her safety," agreed to pay for security services from October 1st through June 30th, 2023, with protection available to Sandberg at her residences and while she is traveling.
It is unclear what threats Sandberg has been receiving that would warrant the company paying for continuing protection after she has resigned. We have asked Meta for comment and will update this story if the company chooses to elaborate.
Sheryl Sandberg joined Meta in 2008, and her last official day as an employee was September 30th. Going forward, she will continue to serve on Meta's board and receive compensation as a non-employee director. Although Sandberg apparently resigned of her own volition, her final chapter at the company was marred by personal scandal. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journalreported that Sandberg used company resources to help kill negative reporting about Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who she was said to be dating at the time.
Two months later, the Journal also reported that Meta had launched an internal investigation into Sandberg's use of company resources, and that the inquiry actually extended back "several years." In addition to the allegations about protecting Kotick from negative press, Sandberg was also reportedly being investigated for possibly using company funds to pay for her 2022 wedding. Meta lawyers were also reportedly looking into whether and how Facebook staff helped Sandberg and her foundation, Lean In, promote her latest book, Option B.
Sandberg's final years on the job were also marked by a series of company crises, including the 2019 Cambridge Analytica scandal; allegations of enabling genocide in Myanmar; shrinking revenue earlier this year; and a change last year in iOS's approach to third-party app tracking that undercut the core of Meta's business model.
It is not unusual for Facebook to invest heavily on personal security for its top executives. In 2020, the company reportedly spent $23.4 million in 2020 to protect CEO Mark Zuckerberg. However, the board's announcement on Friday comes days after Meta was reported to have suspended all hiring, with a warning of possible layoffs on the way, making for some potentially awkward optics.
While the Fire HD 10 is the older of the two devices, the deal on that tablet is still the highlight here. For the money, you get a 10.1-inch display with full HD resolution, an eight-core 2GHz processor, 3GB of RAM, 12 hours of rated battery life and up to 64GB of internal storage (expandable to as much a 1TB via a microSD card).
As for the Fire 7, we need to caution you that it earned a lackluster score from us when we reviewed it last summer. Although we acknowledged the then-$60 tablet got some basics right, including battery life, USB-C charging and, well, the affordable price, we dinged it for its unimpressive display quality and sluggish performance. If we were to review it fresh today with a $45 list price, perhaps we'd be a little more generous in our rating.
It's unclear when Amazon will refresh either its 10- or 7-inch tablet line. At its hardware launch last month, Amazon only mentioned a new $100 8-inch model, which promises 30 percent faster performance, slightly improved 13-hour battery life and a new Tap to Alexa feature that allows you to summon the voice assistant without speaking.
Amazon's most powerful streaming stick is on sale yet again for Amazon's second Prime Day sale in 2022. You can grab the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $35, or $20 off its regular price. That's how much it went for at this year's first Prime Day event back in July, and it's also the lowest price we've seen for the device on the website. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10+ content, as well as Dolby Atmos audio. It can also join WiFi 6 networks, and Amazon says it can start apps faster and has more fluid navigation than the basic Fire TV Stick 4K.
Like other models, this one comes with a remote control that has preset buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Hulu. Said remote is also powered by Alexa and can search content and launch them with just voice commands. You can even ask Alexa through the remote to dim your connected lights or check the weather. And if you have a compatible doorbell or security camera around your home, you can use its picture-in-picture capability to view its live feed on your screen without having to pause or remove whatever it is you're watching.
Out of all the Fire TV streaming devices, only the Cube set-top box is more powerful than the 4K Max. The Fire TV Cube is also on sale for $60 at the moment, or half off its original price. But if you want something cheaper, you can also get the non-Max Fire TV Stick 4K for $25 or the base Fire TV Stick for $20.
Days after hosting a major hardware launch, Amazon is apparently having a sale on its older Echo devices. Among the deals, we noticed that both the Echo Show 5 and the larger Echo Show 8 have hit new record lows. The Echo Show 5, which went on sale last year for $85, is now down to $35, a 59 percent discount. The 8-inch model, meanwhile, is down to $70 after having debuted at $100.
Both devices, but especially the Echo Show 8, were designed to be used as a possible alarm clock, with a sunrise alarm feature that gently wakes you up by slowly brightening the display. And, as you might expect, both devices offer the same suite of Alexa voice commands and integration with Ring smart home devices. Where the two devices differ most, obviously, is in size — and what rooms of the house where they were meant to live.
The Echo Show 5 is primarily pitched as a bedside device, and in our review last year we praised its surprisingly decent audio quality (beyond just the ability to scare you awake). With the Echo Show 8, you get a modest 2-megapixel camera and 960 x 480 display, which we praised in our review for its overall quality and in particular the video calling experience. You might use it in the bedroom, sure, but we can also see it working in the kitchen or living room.
In the case of both devices, we said in our review that competing devices from the likes of Google offered an easier-to-navigate user interface. That might still be true, but it might be even less of a dealbreaker at such bargain-basement prices.
Apple's Watch Ultra, with its 2000-nit digital display and GPS capabilities, is a far cry from its Revolutionary War-era self-winding forebears. What sorts of wondrous body-mounted technologies might we see another hundred years hence? In his new book, The Skeptic's Guide to the Future, Dr. Steven Novella (with assists from his brothers, Bob and Jay Novella) examines the history of wearables and the technologies that enable them to extrapolate where further advances in flexible circuitry, wireless connectivity and thermoelectric power generation might lead.
As the name implies, wearable technology is simply technology designed to be worn, so it will advance as technology in general advances. For example, as timekeeping technology progressed, so did the wristwatch, leading to the smartwatches of today. There are certain advances that lend themselves particularly to wearable technology. One such development is miniaturization.
The ability to make technology smaller is a general trend that benefits wearables by extending the number of technologies that are small enough to be conveniently and comfortably worn. We are all familiar by now with the incredible miniaturization in the electronics industry, and especially in computer chip technology. Postage-stamp-sized chips are now more powerful than computers that would have filled entire rooms in prior decades.
As is evidenced by the high-quality cameras on a typical smartphone, optical technology has already significantly miniaturized. There is ongoing research into tinier optics still, using metamaterials to produce telephoto and zoom lenses without the need for bulky glass.
“Nanotechnology” is now a collective buzzword for machines that are built at the microscopic scale (although technically it is much smaller still), and of course, nanotech will have incredible implications for wearables.
We are also at the dawn of flexible electronics, also called “flex circuits” and more collectively “flex tech.” This involves printing circuits onto a flexible plastic substrate, allowing for softer technology that moves as we move. Flexible technology can more easily be incorporated into clothing, even woven into its fabric. The advent of two-dimensional materials, like carbon nanotubes, which can form the basis of electronics and circuits, are also highly flexible. Organic circuits are yet another technology that allows for the circuits to be made of flexible material, rather than just printed on flexible material.
Circuits can also be directly printed onto the skin, as a tattoo, using conductive inks that can act as sensors. One company, Tech Tats, already offers one such tattoo for medical monitoring purposes. The ink is printed in the upper layers of the skin, so they are not permanent. They can monitor things like heart rate and communicate this information wirelessly to a smartphone.
Wearable electronics have to be powered. Small watch batteries already exist, but they have finite energy. Luckily there are a host of technologies being developed that can harvest small amounts of energy from the environment to power wearables (in addition to implantable devices and other small electronics). Perhaps the earliest example of this was the self-winding watch, the first evidence of which comes from 1776. Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Perrelet developed a pocket watch with a pendulum that would wind the watch from the movement of normal walking. Reportedly it took about fifteen minutes of walking to be fully wound.
There are also ways to generate electric power that are not just mechanical power. Four types of ambient energy exist in the environment—mechanical, thermal, radiant (e.g., sunlight), and chemical. Piezoelectric technology, for example, converts applied mechanical strain into electrical current. The mechanical force can come from the impact of your foot hitting the ground, or just from moving your limbs or even breathing. Quartz and bone are piezoelectric materials, but it can also be manufactured as barium titanate and lead zirconate titanate. Electrostatic and electromagnetic devices harvest mechanical energy in the form of vibrations.
There are thermoelectric generators that can produce electricity from differences in temperature. As humans are warm-blooded mammals, a significant amount of electricity can be created from the waste heat we constantly shed. There are also thermoelectric generators that are made from flexible material, combining flex tech with energy harvesting. This technology is mostly in the prototype phase right now. For example, in 2021, engineers published the development of a flexible thermoelectric generator made from an aerogel-silicone composite with embedded liquid metal conductors resulting in a flexible that could be worn on the wrist and could generate enough electricity to power a small device.
Ambient radiant energy in the form of sunlight can be converted to electricity through the photoelectric effect. This is the basis of solar panels, but small and flexible solar panels can be incorporated into wearable devices as well.
All of these energy-harvesting technologies can also double as sensing technology—they can sense heat, light, vibration, or mechanical strain and produce a signal in response. Tiny self-powered sensors can therefore be ubiquitous in our technology.
The Future of Wearable Tech
The technology already exists, or is on the cusp, to have small, flexible, self-powered, and durable electronic devices and sensors, incorporated with wireless technology and advanced miniaturized digital technology. We therefore can convert existing tools and devices into wearable versions, or use them to explore new options for wearable tech. We also can increasingly incorporate digital technology into our clothing, jewelry, and wearable equipment. This means that wearable tech will likely increasingly shift from passive objects to active technology integrated into the rest of our digital lives.
There are some obvious applications here, even though it is difficult to predict what people will find useful versus annoying or simply useless. Smartphones have already become smartwatches, or they can pair together for extended functionality. Google Glass is an early attempt at incorporating computer technology into wearable glasses, and we know how it has been received.
If we extrapolate this technology, one manifestation is that the clothing and gear we already wear can be converted into electronic devices we already use, or they can be enhanced with new functionality that replaces or supports existing devices.
We may, for example, continue to use a smartphone as the hub of our portable electronics. Perhaps that smartphone will be connected not only to wireless earbuds as they are now, but also to a wireless monitor built into glasses, or sensors that monitor health vitals or daily activity. Potentially, the phone could communicate with any device on the planet, so it could automatically contact your doctor’s office regarding any concerning changes, or contact emergency services if appropriate.
Portable cameras could also monitor and record the environment, not just for documenting purposes but also to direct people to desired locations or services, or contact the police if a crime or disaster is in progress.
As our appliances increasingly become part of the “internet of things,” we too will become part of that internet through what we wear, or what’s printed on or implanted beneath our skin. We might, in a very real sense, become part of our home, office, workplace, or car, as one integrated technological whole.
We’ve mostly been considering day-to-day life, but there will also be wearable tech for special occupations and situations. An extreme version of this is exosuits for industrial or military applications. Think Iron Man, although that level of tech is currently fantasy. There is no portable power source that can match Iron Man’s arc reactor, and there doesn’t appear to be any place to store the massive amounts of propellant necessary to fly as he does.
More realistic versions of industrial exosuits are already a reality and will only get better. A better sci-fi analogy might be the loader exo-suit worn by Ripley in Aliens. Powered metal exosuits for construction workers have been in development for decades. The earliest example is the Hardiman, developed by General Electric between 1965 and 1971. That project essentially failed and the Hardiman was never used, but since then development has continued. Applications have mostly been medical, such as helping people with paralysis walk. Industrial uses are still minimal and do not yet include whole-body suits. However, such suits can theoretically greatly enhance the strength of workers, allowing them to carry heavy loads. They could also incorporate tools they would normally use, such as rivet guns and welders.
Military applications for powered exosuits would likely include armor, visual aids such as infrared or night-vision goggles, weapons and targeting systems, and communications. Such exosuits could turn a single soldier into not just enhanced infantry, but also a tank, artillery, communications, medic, and mule for supplies.
Military development might also push technology for built-in emergency medical protocols. A suit could automatically apply pressure to a wound to reduce bleeding. There are already pressure pants that prevent shock by helping to maintain blood pressure. More ambitious tech could automatically inject drugs to counteract chemical warfare, increase blood pressure, reduce pain, or prevent infection. These could be controlled by either onboard AI or remotely by a battlefield medic who is monitoring the soldiers under their watch and taking actions remotely through their suits.
Once this kind of technology matures, it can then trickle down to civilian applications. Someone with life-threatening allergies could carry epinephrine on them to be injected, or they could wear an autoinjector that will dose them as necessary, or be remotely triggered by an emergency medical responder.
Everything discussed so far is an extrapolation from existing technology, and these more mature applications are feasible within fifty years or so. What about the far future? This is likely where nanotechnology comes in. Imagine wearing a nanosuit that fits like a second skin but that is made from programmable and reconfigurable material. It can form any mundane physical object you might need, on command. Essentially, the suit would be every tool ever made.
You could also change your fashion on demand. Go from casual in the morning to business casual for a meeting and then formal for a dinner party without ever changing your clothes. Beyond mere fashion, this could be programmable cosplay—do you want to be a pirate, or a werewolf? More practically, such a nanoskin could be well ventilated when it’s warm and then puff out for good insulation when it’s cold. In fact, it could automatically adjust your skin temperature for maximal comfort.
Such material can be soft and comfortable, but bunch up and become hard when it encounters force, essentially functioning as highly effective armor. If you are injured, it could stem bleeding, maintain pressure, even do chest compressions if necessary. In fact, once such a second skin becomes widely adopted, life without it may quickly become unimaginable and scary.
Wearable technology may become the ultimate in small or portable technology because of the convenience and effectiveness of being able to carry it around with us. As shown, many of the technologies we are discussing might converge on wearable technology, which is a good reminder that when we try to imagine the future, we cannot simply extrapolate one technology but must consider how all technology will interact. We may be making our wearables out of 2D materials, powered by AI and robotic technology, with a brain-machine interface that we use for virtual reality. We may also be creating customized wearables with additive manufacturing, using our home 3D printer.
Our colleagues at Autoblog have some in-depth analysis of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV via Snyder's first drive experience. While it's similar to the EQS sedan, Snyder argues the SUV variant will likely be more popular.
A recent study found that smart thermostats don't really save you money because you're more likely to use the convenience of quick adjustments on your phone. So why are energy providers subsidizing them for customers? They're gathering that sweet data and maybe even throttling your power consumption (with permission). Bogost argues that convenience is still worth it, especially when you don't have to get out of bed to make yourself comfy.
This in-depth report examines how the US intelligence failed its informants in Iran while it fought a covert war with Tehran. "A faulty CIA covert communications system" made it easy for Iranian officials to find sources, even if they had been otherwise careful about their work.
It seems like just yesterday that Elon Musk ushered a gig worker in a spandex suit onto the Tesla AI Day 2021 stage and told us it was an robot — or at least probably would be one eventually. In the intervening 13 months, the company has apparently been hard at work, replacing the squishy bits from what crowd saw on stage with proper electronics and mechanizations. At this year's AI Day on Friday, Tesla unveiled the next iteration of its Optimus robotics platform and, well, at least there isn't still a person on the inside?
Tesla
Tesla CEO Elon Musk debuted the "first" Optimus (again, skinny guy in a leotard, not an actual machine) in August of last year and, true to his nature, and proceeded to set out a series of increasingly incredible claims about the platform's future capabilities — just like how the Cybertruck will have unbreakable windows. As Musk explained at the time, the Optimus will operate an AI similar to the company's Autopilot system (the one that keeps chasing stationary ambulances) and be capable of working safely around humans without extensive prior training.
Additionally, the Tesla Bot would understand complex verbal commands, Musk assured the assembled crowd, it would have "human-level hands," be able to both move at 5 MPH and carry up to 45 pounds despite standing under 6-feet tall and weighing 125 pounds. And, most incredibly, Tesla would have a working prototype for all of that by 2022, which brings us to today.
Kicking off the event, CEO Elon Musk was quickly joined on stage by an early development platform prototype of the robot — the very first time one of the test units had walked unassisted by an umbilical tether. Lacking any exterior panelling to reveal the Tesla-designed actuators inside, the robot moved at a halting and ponderous pace, not unlike early Asimos and certainly a far cry from the deft acrobatics that Boston Robotics Atlas exhibits. Musk estimates that they could cost under $20,000 when built at volume.
Tesla is holding another AI Day, and it'll be particularly easy to tune in. The automaker is streaming its 2022 event tonight at 9:15PM Eastern on YouTube (below) as well as its website. Elon Musk has warned the presentation will be "highly technical" and could last six hours, but you may have multiple reasons to watch even if you're not fond of diagrams and in-depth explanations.
Notably, Musk said in June that Tesla pushed AI Day to September 30th in hopes of having a functional Optimus humanoid robot. It would just be a prototype, but it would show that the company's vision of an autonomous helper exists beyond pretty 3D renders. The machine is meant to handle dangerous or monotonous tasks without requiring step-by-step instructions.
You could also see improvements to Tesla's vehicle technology. The company's Full Self-Driving feature is still rough, and Tesla might explain how it plans to refine the system. You could also see upgrades to Autopilot driver assistance. Behind the scenes, the company may expand the capabilities of the Dojo supercomputer it uses to train vision-based AI systems.
Bruce Willis may have retired from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia, but a version of him will live on in future projects. Last year, the actor's "digital twin" appeared in an ad for a Russian telecom created by a company called Deepcake. Now, it's being reported that he sold his rights for future film, advertising and other projects to Deepcake, according to the company's website and The Telegraph.
Engineers created the digital double drawing from content in Die Hard and Fifth Element, when Willis was 32 and 42, respectively. With his likeness now on the company's AI platform, it can graft his likeness onto another actor's face in a relatively short amount of time. However, Willis's estate has final approval on any projects.
In the ad for Megafon, Willis's face was swapped onto actor Konstantin Solovyov. "I liked the precision of my character. It's a great opportunity for me to go back in time," Willis said in a statement on Deepcake. "With the advent of the modern technology, I could communicate, work and participate in filming, even being on another continent. It's a brand new and interesting experience for me, and I grateful to our team."
In March, Willis's family announced that he was retiring from acting to due a diagnosis of aphasia, which impairs communication and comprehension. In the last few years, the 67-year-old has appeared in a series of projects amid concern about his cognitive state.
Actors have already appeared as digital versions of themselves, notably in The Book of Boba Fett with a young Mark Hamill. Digital versions of Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing also appeared in Star Wars: Rogue One, despite the fact that both are deceased. James Earl Jones recently sold Disney the right to recreate his voice using AI, so he could retire.
The practice has stoked controversy. Deepfakes vary widely in quality, but many approach the "uncanny valley" where characters don't look quite right because of stiff movements, dead eyes and other issues. There's also the question of rights, as deceased actors can't turn down posthumous film roles, even if the family or estate approves.
