Back in May, AT&T spun off its WarnerMedia division and merged it with Discovery in a $43 billion agreement. The deal is on track to close by mid-2022, after which we may see its streaming services become a combined offering to subscribers. According to Gizmodo, president and CEO of Discovery Streaming and International JB Perrette has discussed the steps the company may take to reach that goal. Initially, Warner Bros. Discovery (as the merged company will be called) may offer HBO Max and Discovery+ as a bundle. In the next phase of the plan, the company may merge the two streaming services into one platform.

FierceVideo said Perette described both streaming services as an "incredibly attractive tech buffet." He expects the new company to take the best parts from both to create a new platform, as there will be "meaningful cost savings" and "meaningful consumer benefits" from combining the two services,

Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav also revealed during the earnings call that less than half of Discovery+ subscribers in the US are also subscribed to HBO Max. He said that with the right packaging, the fact that the overlap in subscribers isn't too big "provides a real opportunity to broaden the base of [the] combined offering."

When and where the joint HBO Max and Discovery+ service will initially be available remains to be seen. Discovery said it might be easier for the company to combine its streaming service with HBO Max in regions where Discovery+ isn't available yet. At the moment, it's being very selective when it comes to rolling out Discovery+ to new markets to minimize the need to re-platform two streaming services in the future. 

Three years after its involvement with the military’s controversial Project Maven program led to employee strife within its walls, Google reportedly hopes to once again work with the Pentagon. According to The New York Times, the company is “aggressively” pursuing the Defense Department’s Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability cloud contract. A Google spokesperson confirmed to Engadget it was pursuing a bid.

Announced at the start of July, the program is a replacement for the military’s cancelled $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure initiative. With JEDI, the Pentagon had planned to modernize its IT infrastructure with help from Microsoft. However, the contract stalled after Amazon challenged it in court, in part over allegations former President Donald Trump had interfered with the evaluation process.

Unlike JEDI, JWCC is a multi-vendor contract that will see the military eventually working with more than one company. When the Pentagon announced the program, it said it would collect proposals from both Amazon and Microsoft. At the time, it said they were the two vendors best suited to meet its needs, but noted it was also open to working with other companies. Google did not bid on JEDI in part because of what happened with Project Maven.

The program, with help from Google, saw the military use machine learning to interpret drone footage. When the company confirmed its involvement in Maven, it said its technology was involved in “non-offensive uses only,” and that it was flagging material for “human review.” Outrage within the company quickly grew. Approximately 4,000 employees petitioned Google CEO Sundar Pichai to pull the company out of the project. Some workers even left Google over the episode. In the aftermath of the protest, the company did not renew its contract with the Pentagon.

It also established a set of ethical principles to guide its military AI work. Those guidelines prohibit the company from using machine learning in relation to “weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people.” When Google established the principles, Pichai reportedly told workers his hope was they would stand “the test of time.”

In spite of those guidelines, Google is pursuing the JWCC contract. According to The Times, the company has “raced” to prepare a proposal to present to Pentagon officials on why it should be involved in the project. The contract is reportedly a priority for the company, with the outlet reporting that Google pulled employees off other assignments to work on its bid. 

“We strongly believe a multi-cloud strategy offers the department the best solution today and in the future,” a spokesperson for the company said. “We are firmly committed to serving our public sector customers, including the DoD, Department of Energy, NIH, and many other government agencies, and we will evaluate any future bid opportunities accordingly."

Google will reportedly find out if it qualifies to make a bid sometime in the next few weeks. The question then becomes if the contract is compatible with its AI guidelines, and what effect that will have on its employees. Those principles leave room for it to work with the military on projects that involve things like cybersecurity, and it already has contracts in place to help the Defense Department with pilot training and Navy ship maintenance. 

If it obtains the contract, Engadget has learned the company anticipates it will help the Defense Department with cloud services like hosting, storage and networking, in addition to artificial intelligence and machine learning. Specifically, the Pentagon could use Google's data analytics capabilities to predict and monitor forces like climate change and the current pandemic. Any custom AI work the job involves will need to be vetted through the company's guidelines. It also expects it will work with the Pentagon on more prosaic issues like security, employee travel and finance. 

Tesla is preparing for a world where your driver profile can follow you across different cars, be it your personal EV or a rental. The car maker has added a Cloud Profiles section in its latest software release, which points to an "Enable Vehicle Sync" option for backing up driver profiles, Tesla Software Updates reports. The news isn't a huge surprise, as Elon Musk previously said cloud-synced profiles were on the way. 

For a tech-focused car company like Tesla, giving its customers a simple way to bring their settings to multiple vehicles simply makes sense. That's particularly true after Hertz announced it would be buying 100,000 Teslas for its rental fleet. Though Musk was quick to point out that order hasn't been placed yet, it's not hard to imagine a world where anyone can easily rent a Tesla. They'd be easier to maintain than gas-powered cars, and the Model 3 is already cheaper than many luxury vehicles. 

And sure, for the truly privileged, cloud profiles could also make it easier to synchronize settings across multiple vehicles. According to Tesla Software Updates, synced settings include your display brightness, Autopilot and navigation options. It'd also be helpful to have your Stopping Mode synchronized, as that seriously changes how Tesla's braking functions.

Boeing is edging closer to competing with satellite internet providers like SpaceX and (eventually) Amazon. The FCC has authorized Boeing's application to launch a satellite broadband constellation. The network would serve home, business and government customers in the US and worldwide. The satellites would sit talk to each other as well as the ground, although the FCC rejected Boeing's bid to use certain frequencies for satellite-to-satellite chatter.

The company hasn't said when its satellite network would launch or what capabilities it would offer. Boeing would operate at much higher altitudes than SpaceX's Starlink, however. The majority of the constellation, 132 low Earth orbit satellites would fly at an altitude of 656 miles. A batch of 15 non-geostationary orbit satellites, meanwhile, would operate between 17,000 and 27,500 miles. Starlink operates at altitudes between 215 and 350 miles. That might increase lag, although real-world performance might vary.

The project has been in development for a long time. Reutersnotes Boeing first asked for approval back in 2017. It has also faced some pushback — in 2019, SpaceX called on the FCC to either limit or completely dismiss Boeing's plans over the potential for "harmful interference."

It may take a while before any satellite service is ready. All the same, it's easy to see Boeing remaining patient. Satellite broadband could help the transportation giant make the most of its space unit and mitigate the impact of delays or other problems with its businesses. There's also the simple matter of jumping into the satellite internet field before it's too late. Amazon, SpaceX, OneWeb and others are either launching satellites or have clear plans. If Boeing waits much longer, it could miss out on important customers.

First announced at the end of September, the Ring Alarm Pro is now available to order online. In an email to Engadget, Amazon said it began shipping the device to customers this morning. It combines an Eero WiFi 6 with a home security system.

As with most of its security devices, you can buy the system as part of several bundles. That said, if you want the router on its own, it’s $250. Another option is to buy it as part of a $300 eight-piece kit that comes with a keypad and multiple sensors. Keep in mind you’ll need a Ring Protect subscription to take advantage of many of its more features. The Pro tier will set you back $20 a month or $200 per year upfront. It comes with features like cloud video storage, professional monitoring and Alexa Guard Plus.

You no longer have to tap an Instagram link in Twitter to see what you'll get. Twitter has started rolling out preview cards for Instagram links in its official apps and the web. If someone shares an Insta post, you'll see a thumbnail of the imagery you can expect when you tap that link. You may know if a photo is like-worthy without leaving your Twitter timeline.

The move puts an end to a long-running feud. Instagram's Twitter photo integration vanished in 2012, and neither social network has had a strong incentive to use preview cards in the years since. Twitter would rather you post photos directly on its service, while Instagram clearly has motivations to keep you using its platform whenever possible. Those issues apparently aren't much of a problem at this stage.

It's not clear what prompted the decision. We've asked Instagram for comment. Either way, it's good news if you're a social media fan — there should be less guesswork and more attention for your posts.

Facebook is rolling out another bonus program as it tries to bring more creators into its platform. This time, the company is focusing on subscriptions, which it says will help creators avoid Apple’s 30 percent commission on in-app purchases.

The social network is launching a web form for subscriptions, so individual creators can direct fans to subscribe outside of the app using Facebook Pay rather than Apple’s in-app purchases. “When people subscribe using this link, creators will keep all the money they earn (minus taxes),” Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post.

Additionally, the company is introducing a bonus program that will pay creators between $5 and $20 for each new subscriber who signs up between now and the end of the year. Creators can earn up to $10,000 in bonuses, Facebook wrote in a blog post. The new bonus program is “invite-only in all 27 markets where the subscriptions feature is available to creators,” Facebook said, noting it wants to expand the program to more people “in the coming months.”

Facebook

Zuckerberg, who has had a long-running feud with Apple, has made the so-called “App Store tax” one of his top talking points about the iPhone maker. The company already created a workaround for businesses to circumvent in-app purchases for paid events, and has told creators Facebook won’t take a cut of their earnings until 2023. On Wednesday, Zuckerberg said creators would also be able to download their subscriber lists in order to have “more ownership of their audience.”

Winning over creators has become an increasingly important priority for Facebook, which already announced plans to funnel $1 billion into creator programs by the end of next year. The company sees creators as key to fending off rivals like TikTok and YouTube, and winning back the “young adult” demographic. Newly disclosed documents show that Facebook and Instagram are facing increasing declines in the number of younger users on its platform. The trend has worried executives and stumped researchers, who have so far been unable to turn the numbers around.

Do you bristle at the thought of using a large pants pocket to hold your equally huge phone? No? Samsung has a solution for you regardless. As Techspot reports, Samsung Australia and Dr Denim have unveiled a pair of limited edition blue jeans, the Z Flip Pocket Denim, that ditches the usual pockets (they're stitched shut with a big "Z") in favor of one designed to hold a Galaxy Z Flip 3. It's really a promo for the foldable phone, but Samsung insists this minimalism could be the "next big trend." That conspicuous blank space on your thighs helps "frame the legs," if you believe the marketing spin.

Only 450 pairs are available, but they come in men's and women's styles. You also won't be paying much of a premium, either. Pay AUD $1,499 (about $1,112 US) and you'll get both the Flip 3 and the jeans to match.

Whether or not you find the jeans chic or gauche... they're probably not the wisest investment. Never mind that you're buying jeans that are only intended to hold one phone — what happens if you need keys or a wallet in your front pocket? We'd add that the pocket you do get leaves your phone partially exposed, which screams "steal my phone" in a way no ordinary pocket would. If you're really determined to leave your mark on the fashion world, you're probably better off buying a Flip 3 Bespoke Edition and flashing it around whenever you make a phone call.

Indiegogo has announced some big changes for its crowdfunding platform. The biggest move is that it's transitioning from an open platform to a closed one, with the goal of eventually vetting every campaign before it goes live. In a blog post, Indiegogo's vice president of product and customer trust Will Haines noted that when the company started in 2008, the idea was to let anyone raise money for just about any purpose with few restrictions.

"However, I’ve learned that 'open' is not what our community wants," Haines wrote. "Crowdfunding is not shopping — people generally understand that now — but it also shouldn’t be a leap in the dark. And it certainly can’t be scamming. Our community of backers is the reason that anything happens on Indiegogo, and they are counting on the platform to be a safe, trusted space to engage with innovation."

As such, Indiegogo will scrutinize projects more closely before those seeking funding can push their campaigns live. Under what the company is calling The Guidepost Program, Indiegogo will do more to ensure that projects have a viable plan to follow through and fulfill their rewards.

Haines stressed that Indiegogo can't guarantee every campaign will deliver on its promises, but it "can protect backers from unfeasible projects and outright scams. We now have the resources and expertise to apply this level of scrutiny to all of our largest campaigns and will expand it to every campaign moving forward."

Indiegogo has expanded its trust and safety team to help it screen campaigns, and it formed a review board to oversee the riskiest campaigns and the "most impactful" decisions made by the trust team. In addition, the company has teamed up with GoFundMe to create the Crowdfunding Trust Alliance. The group's goal is to share best practices and discuss industry trends, and it aims to enlist other reputable crowdfunding platforms.

One feature that's on the way to Indiegogo is the Trust Loyalty Program. This will highlight campaigns from creators who have run successful projects in the past. Haines wrote that Indiegogo will "tailor our vetting to match the historical risk level of these entrepreneurs."

There have been many crowdfunding-related scams and allegationsof fraud over the years, as well as campaigns for products that don't seem to pass the smell test. It's likely a net positive that Indiegogo is getting more serious about screening campaigns, even if some legitimate projects might fall through the cracks. In any case, it's still wise to exercise caution whenever you consider contributing to a campaign, since there's always going to be at least a little risk.

Yes, you read that correctly: Microsoft has officially released a web browser for Linux. Ars Technicareports the software behemoth has finally released its first stable version of Edge for Linux. The Chromium-based browser is available either through Microsoft's website (in .deb and .rpm formats) or through the command line using a Linux package manager.

The Linux version has been a long time in coming. Microsoft was testing the Edge variant in its Dev and Beta channels for about a year, and it's arriving more than two years after the Mac and Windows versions. It's not clear what prompted the wait, although Linux has historically had little consumer PC market share.

The feature parity is largely intact, at least. You unsurprisingly won't find an Internet Explorer compatibility mode (only Windows has that), but you can sync tabs, bookmarks, passwords and extensions. This may be your browser of choice if you use Linux on a personal system but want the browser setup from your Windows PC at work.

The release is symbolic of how Microsoft's relationship with Linux has changed over the years. The company was notoriously antagonistic in the early 2000s, when CEO Steve Ballmer called Linux "a cancer" on intellectual property and otherwise treated it as a threat to Windows. Internet Explorer effectively served as a deterrent to would-be Linux switchers as many IE-optimized sites wouldn't run properly on Linux browsers without significant effort, if they ran at all.

Flash forward two decades and it's a different story. The company is now much more focused on services than Windows, and that means making offerings like Microsoft 365 and Windows 365 as accessible as possible. Microsoft needs to be friendly to Linux users to keep them from using rivals like Google Workspace — Edge for Linux could be worthwhile if it leads to years of subscription fees, even if users have no plans to switch to Windows.