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Engadget

'Super Mario Bros.' movie delayed to April 2023

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 09:56 PM PDT

You won't be able to see the long-awaited Super Mario Bros. movie in theatres for the holidays this year: Nintendo has pushed back the animated film's release date to April 2023 from December 2022. Acclaimed video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto has announced the delay on Twitter, along with film's the new premiere dates of April 28th in Japan and April 7th in North America.

Miyamoto didn't reveal the reason behind the delay or say if the COVID-19 pandemic had anything to do with it. He only said that he and Chris Meledandri, the CEO of Illumination animation studio, have decided to move the film's global release date. The Nintendo exec also apologized and promised that "it will be well worth the wait." Illumination, known for the Despicable Me and Minions franchise, is animating the movie, while Universal is co-financing and distributing it in North America. 

The Super Mario Bros. movie has been in the works since 2017 and has been in "priority development" at Illumination over the past few years. It will feature the voices of Chris Pratt at Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. Jack Black will voice the legendary bad guy Bowser, while Seth Rogen will voice Donkey Kong. Charles Martinet, the actor who portrayed Mario in various games across the franchise, will also voice various cameos throughout the film.

Jack Dorsey on Musk’s Twitter takeover: ‘Elon is the singular solution I trust’

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 08:44 PM PDT

Twitter co-founder and Block Head Jack Dorsey has made it clear that Elon Musk has his support as the new owner of Twitter. In his first public comments since Twitter and Musk announced the $44 billion deal, Dorsey said that "Elon is the singular solution I trust."

Dorsey wrote that Musk and current CEO Parag Agrawal were "getting the company out of an impossible situation," and that the company was on "the right path." Dorsey also alluded to his own regrets regarding how Twitter is structured.

"The idea and service is all that matters to me, and I will do whatever it takes to protect both," he wrote. "Twitter as a company has always been my sole issue and my biggest regret. It has been owned by Wall Street and the ad model. Taking it back from Wall Street is the correct first step.

"In principle, I don't believe anyone should own or run Twitter. It wants to be a public good at a protocol level, not a company. Solving for the problem of it being a company however, Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness."

Though not the first time Dorsey has endorsed Musk's involvement with the company, his latest comments come at a moment of uncertainty for the company when many employees are anxious about the direction of Twitter.

Apple hired the same anti-union law firm as Starbucks: report

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 06:20 PM PDT

Apple hired Littler Mendelson — an anti-union law firm known for high-profile clients such as Starbucks, McDonald's and Nissan — reportedThe Verge. The decision to retain the firm comes shortly after 100 workers at Apple's retail location in Atlanta's Cumberland Mall petitioned the National Labor Relations Board last week to hold a union election. The tech giant has yet to formally respond to the petition. 

Apple workers at the Atlanta retail store are hoping to join the Communications Workers of America. The CWA has played a significant role in organizing tech industry workers in recent months, including its involvement in organizing drives Activision Blizzard subsidiary Raven Software and Verizon Wireless. 

The Cumberland Mall location is the first Apple Store in the US to file to unionize. But it likely won't be the last. Earlier this month workers at Apple's Grand Central location began collecting signatures to start a union. A worker at a New York store told The Verge the company had already begun holding captive audience meetings, a hallmark of union avoidance strategies. 

Hourly workers at Apple retail stores nationwide have complained of low pay, difficult working conditions and few opportunities for advancement. Many Apple employees were asked to work long hours or overtime during the pandemic, often at risk to their own health. Despite its steady ascent to becoming one of the world's most profitable companies, the wages of its retail employees have not kept pace with either Apple's growth or the country's ballooning inflation, according to workers. 

"We are fortunate to have incredible retail team members and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple. We are pleased to offer very strong compensation and benefits for full time and part time employees, including health care, tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants and many other benefits," Apple spokesperson Nick Leahy told The Verge, in a statement that did not in any capacity touch on the company's relationship with Littler Mendelson. 

"By retaining the notorious union busting firm Littler Mendelson, Apple's management is showing that they intend to try to prevent their employees from exercising their right to join a union by running the same playbook as other large corporations," said CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens. "The workers at Starbucks, another Littler client, aren't falling for it and neither will the workers at Apple."

Are an Apple Store worker thinking about or starting to organize your location? We'd like to hear from you. Download Signal messenger for iOS or Android and send a text confidentially to 646 983 9846.

No one knows what Musk's Twitter takeover means for the company

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 06:00 PM PDT

Even Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal doesn't know what Elon Musk's acquisition of the company means for the service or its employees. That's the biggest takeaway from accounts of the company's first all-hands meeting following news of the $44 billion deal.

Will Musk unban Donald Trump? Will there be layoffs? What about employees' stock grants? For now, all those questions seem to be up in the air. Agrawal reportedly told employees there were no layoffs planned "at this time," but acknowledged that he was also uncertain about the future. "Once the deal closes, we don't know what direction this company will go in," he said according toThe New York Times.

Meanwhile, Twitter chairman Bret Taylor confirmed that the board will dissolve once the acquisition is finalized. The whole process could take another six months, Bloombergreported. The deal has left many Twitter employees unsettled, and the company has reportedly "locked down changes to its platform through Friday," in an effort to guard against "rogue" employees.

In announcing the deal, Musk outlined a number of changes he wanted to make, including ridding Twitter of spam bots and "authenticating all humans." One person who hasn't publicly weighed in yet is Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who has previously endorsed Musk's involvement with the company. In its statement, Twitter's board of directors confirmed that its decision to accept Musk's offer was unanimous, meaning Dorsey had also approved the deal.

Update 4/25 11:45pm ET: Jack Dorsey has weighed in on the deal, saying that "Elon is the singular solution I trust." 

How messy might Twitter get under Musk?

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 05:27 PM PDT

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk added Twitter to his stable of companies on Monday, purchasing the social media platform for $44 billion dollars. Whether he made this purchase to finally realize his aspirations as a "free speech absolutist" or just did it to put an end to his nemesis, @ElonJet, once and for all remains to be seen, but changes are abound for the internet's third-favorite hellsite. Engadget's reporters have some thoughts on what those might be.

There are only two predictions I feel confident making: Twitter will get an edit button, and employees are going to head for the door. Even under the best of circumstances, big acquisitions tend to result in a fair amount of employee turnover and executive shakeup. And for many tweeps, Musk taking over is very far from the best of circumstances. Musk rankled the Twitter rank and file before the deal was even official, with tweets about whether Twitter was "dying" and whether the company's HQ should be converted into a homeless shelter.

But now they have much more to worry about than his usual trolling. Musk's bid has already negatively impacted recruiting efforts, according toThe New York Times. And current employees still don't have clear answers on how Musk's acquisition will affect their stock packages, a significant portion of their total compensation. There are also real, existential questions about how Musk's questionable views on content moderation will affect the company and the direction of the service. As CEO Parag Agrawal reportedly told employees following the news, "once the deal closes, we don't know what direction the platform will go."

- Karissa Bell, Senior Reporter

It can't get much worse, right?

While I'm sure Twitter's moderation policy will get watered down, it's hard to imagine the doomsday scenarios where it turns into some kind of 4Chan/Stormfront cesspool.

Twitter is an international company, with international advertisers and international users. It's broadly bound to ensure its content is in line with the laws of the countries in which it operates, which severely limits the ability to create the "free speech" oasis of Musk's dreams, at least if he also would like it to be a functional, broadly breakeven company at the same time. The company's moderation of its platform is already terrible, and people either make do by going private/blocking people, or (hi) give up on the whole tweeting thing altogether. So I'm expecting more of the same, which is to say, I'm expecting it to be mostly awful.

- Aaron Souppouris, Executive Editor

I've covered Elon Musk in his roles as both head of Tesla and SpaceX for a few years now, witnessing his sneering contempt for journalism, transparency, basic ethics and accountability up close and in person. I've sat through his easily-disproved boasts, his myriad empty promises and publicity stunts. This is a man who belittles society's most vulnerable members to gain the panting adoration of 4Chan trolls, who demonizes the helpers to boost his own fragile ego, a man who would declare himself God-Emperor of Mars before paying his income taxes. Is this your king?

I dread the effects this sale will have, not just for Twitter itself, but the internet writ large. The destabilizing effects social media amplification has on societal and democratic norms have been well studied since the 2016 elections. What is not yet fully understood is what happens when we hand control over that mechanism to the world's wealthiest contrarian. As such, my advice to you are the same wise words Samuel L Jackson had for us in Jurassic Park: Hold onto your butts.

- Andrew Tarantola, Senior Reporter

I think the biggest challenge about trying to predict an Elon Musk-led Twitter is separating the guy's online persona from his business practices. Musk catches a lot of flak (often deservedly) for dumb or insensitive tweets, something most other CEOs know or have been trained to avoid. But at the same time, Elon is a rather shrewd businessman, separately helming what has become the world's biggest EV carmaker alongside the most successful private space aerospace company.

With Tesla and SpaceX there's a clear pattern of high-risk, high-reward behavior, which, due to a combination of luck and smarts, has worked out so far. Musk gives the impression of being a move fast and break stuff type, and his latest disruption looks to be bringing free speech (or his version of it) to Twitter, regardless of how that might impact others. This potentially greenlights every tweet that's not explicitly inciting violence or distributing sensitive info (like the plans for a nuclear bomb or whatever).

In the short term, Must will look to help boost Twitter's bottom line, which the company desperately needs after losing more than $200 million in 2021. Engagement (both good and bad) sells, and turning Twitter into an even bigger battleground would almost certainly result in a quick spike in users. Musk might even do something silly like raise the limit on tweets to 420 characters. Down the line, Musk's plan to authenticate all humans sounds a lot like a different flavor of Sam Altman's troubled Worldcoin endeavor, and I'd bet there's way more crypto integration coming to the platform in general.

The big concern is that some of Twitter's issues regarding harassment and abuse will continue to go unaddressed. Though that actually might be a feature. Moderation costs money, and by pushing Twitter down the free speech path, Elon conveniently might be able to absolve the company of having to protect its users while simultaneously reducing operating costs. Sure, there's a chance that eliminating anonymity and linking every tweet to a specific person could stop people from spouting nonsense they wouldn't dare say in real life. But I wouldn't count on it. So unless better safeguards are coming too, Twitter could devolve into the most chaotic social media platform around.

- Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

Yes, Musk is divisive, a puerile troll that at age 50 seems to have finished his emotional growth decades prior; a loudmouth who is almost constantly spouting off easily disprovable nonsense. His ideas on a "free speech" haven are an echo of the wrong-headed thinking that was a north star for social media founders a decade or more ago, and which they have spent the time since regretfully paddling away from. Musk is also, by accounts, a capricious and vindictive boss whose alleged love of free speech is forever subservient to his hatred of dissent.

And all of this is, more than some outward-facing exodus of users, likely to lead Twitter employees to rethink if it's all worth the agita. Who wants to develop for product categories (moderation in particular) that have effectively been marked for death? Who wants to go to a job that feels more like the What Did My Boss Fuck Up Today sitcom?

But that this sale went through at all is indication enough that, whether led by Musk or literally anyone else, Twitter probably is headed for the great dustbin of history. The people whose job it is to do nothing but turn money into more money ran the numbers and determined no one was or would ever bring a better offer, nor was the company — which almost always posts a loss— was ever going to stabilize into a recurring source of profit.

Musk, the PT Barnum of techno-magic bullshit solutions, would probably gleefully categorize himself as an accelerationist: Accelerating the accumulation of space junk; the eventual drowning of pedestrians in underground tunnels; the mass adoption of combusting non-combustion cars. And in this instance my sense is he will accelerate the demise of Twitter by a few degrees too, but don't give him too much credit, it was headed that way anyhow.

– Bryan Menegus, Senior News Editor

Reality often sits in between our greatest hopes and worst fears, and I'd expect the same for Twitter under Elon Musk. It's easy to see his laissez-faire content moderation leading to the revival of some hate speech and harassment that Twitter previously removed. At the same time, I don't think a Musk-era Twitter will be a full-fledged calamity. Not everyone who was banned will be eager to come back, and Musk may have to rethink his stance if there are any truly toxic elements that resurface.

I say there's a one-in-three chance that Twitter goes sideways within two years of the deal closing — that is, the content moderation and the company's overall direction lead to serious trouble. Those are very distinct possibilities, but they aren't guaranteed and may take years to unfold. They may hinge as much on users' desires as they do on Musk's decisions. I'd expect many of Twitter's anti-toxicity tools to survive, such as downvoting replies.

With that said, I'm fully prepared to be wrong. Musk is legendary for heading in unexpected directions. This is the man who launched a tunnel company after complaining about LA traffic, after all. I just don't see Twitter facing imminent disaster, and it won't be surprising if the company reins in some of Musk's impulses.

- Jon Fingas, Reporter

Reddit launches $1 million fund to support user-driven projects

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 04:21 PM PDT

You'll finally have a chance to host that r/legaladvice happy hour, or take your friends from r/animalpics to the zoo. Reddit is investing $1 million in its Community Funds program, which aims to help users get their projects and ideas off the ground. 

The program will officially open for applications in June, at which point Reddit's entire community will be invited to apply. The platform will award anywhere between $1,000 and $50,000 to help users launch their projects, events and other ideas. The only conditions are that the projects benefit a certain Reddit community and don't promote an outside company, product or project. Other than that, the sky appears to be the limit. Reddit lists several example projects, including online conferences, talks, outdoor festivals, concerts, workshops, magazines and short films.

Reddit first tested out the Community Funds concept last October, with a pilot run that funded 13 different projects, including a community billboard contest, a digital conference for historians, Christmas gifts for families undergoing financial difficulties and a comic book contest.

"Community Funds aligns with our mission of bringing community, belonging, and empowerment to everyone in the world. We believe that empowering communities to do more by awarding funds to support their best ideas is one way we can accomplish this," said Reddit in its blog post announcing the program.

Projects will be selected based on their "creativity, feasibility, and community impact", according to Reddit. Interested applicants should look out for more submission details and guidelines from Reddit, which it plans to release in the upcoming weeks. 

Bored Ape Yacht Club's Instagram compromised in $2.4 million NFT phishing scam

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 03:20 PM PDT

Bored Ape Yacht Club creator Yuga Labs is investigating a phishing attack after a hacker stole nearly $2.5 million worth of NFTs through the official Bored Ape Instagram account. The company disclosed the hack on Monday morning in a tweet warning followers not to click on links or mint new tokens.

Per a screenshot shared by The Block, the hacker behind the attack stole 133 NFTs after using BAYC's Instagram account to promote a fake "airdrop." Essentially, the scam promised people free tokens if they connected their MetaMask wallets to the site linked through the post. It's unclear how the hacker accessed BAYC's Instagram account, and Yuga Labs has yet to announce whether it will compensate those affected by the scam.

"At the time of the hack, two-factor authentication was enabled and security surrounding the IG account followed best practices," the company said. "We've regained control of the account, and are investigating how the hacker gained access with IG's team."

Among the stolen NFTs are four Bored Apes. As noted by The Verge, the most expensive token in the trove, Bored Ape 6623 (pictured above), recently sold for 123 Ethereum, making it worth approximately $354,500 at the current exchange rate. The four apes together are worth more than $1 million. One estimate by Molly White, the creator of Web3 is Going Great, puts the value of the entire theft at approximately $2.4 million.

Monday's incident is the latest NFT theft to involve a high-profile phishing attack. More than two dozen OpenSea users lost access to about 250 tokens worth an estimated $1.4 million in February. As The Verge points out, what likely made this most recent scam particularly effective is that it not only came from the official Bored Ape Instagram account but that MetaMask currently only allows users to visually see their NFTs within its mobile app.

Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 3 packs adaptive ANC for $250

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 03:00 PM PDT

True to its word, Sennheiser is debuting the latest Momentum True Wireless earbuds in April. Today, the company is officially unveiling the Momentum True Wireless 3 after an initial tease during an event last month. The third-gen version of the company's flagship earbuds pairs much of what made the previous model so great with a retooled design and was Sennheiser calls Adaptive Noise Cancellation. These buds are also $50 cheaper than the Momentum True Wireless 2 when they first debuted. 

The key change for MTW3 is the tweak Sennheiser made to its active noise cancellation (ANC). The company says its news "adaptive" setup "continuously observes ambient noise to suppress it in real time." In other words, the earbuds automatically adjust ANC based on any environmental rumble without you having to manually change any settings. Other earbuds and headphones do this, but that doesn't make it any less handy. Noise cancellation was one area where Sennheiser had room to improve, so it will be interesting to see how much of a difference the new system makes. 

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
Sennheiser

The other difference between the second- and third-gen models is design. Where the previous two Momentum True Wireless products had a more circular touch panel, Sennheiser has given the MTW3 a more square shape — like its more affordable CX earbuds. 

According to Sennheiser, one thing that hasn't changed is the excellent sound quality. The company says its True Response transducer is paired with 7mm dynamic drivers for "immersive" sound with "deep bass, natural mids and detailed highs." The Momentum True Wireless line has been consistently the best-sounding earbuds in our buyer's guide for a long time, so if what Sennheiser says holds true, this third-gen model should offer similar high-quality audio. As it has before, the company's Smart Control app offers the ability to tweak the EQ and a Sound Personalization feature provides a hearing test to cater the audio profile to your ears. 

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
Sennheiser

The Momentum True Wireless 3 supports AAC, SBC and aptX Adaptive codecs with reduced latency for things like gaming and streaming video. Sennheiser says it now uses a three-microphone setup on each earbud to improve call quality and customizable touch controls for easy access to audio and voice assistants. The MTW3 retains the MTW2's IPX4 splash resistant rating, so while you're not going to want to submerge these, getting them a bit sweaty during a workout should be okay. Lastly, the same seven-hour battery life from the second-gen model returns, with three additional charges in the case for 28 total hours of listening time. The case also supports wireless charging, so you won't have to reach for a USB-C cable unless you really want to. 

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 is available for pre-order now with general availability coming May 10th. The earbuds are $249.95 and you'll have the choice of black, white and graphite color options. 

The Pentagon's new AI chief is a former Lyft executive

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 12:46 PM PDT

The Pentagon is still new to wielding artificial intelligence, and it's looking to an outsider for help. Breaking Defense has learned Lyft machine learning head Craig Martell is joining the Defense Department as its Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO). He'll lead the American military's strategies for AI, analytics and data, and should play a key part in a Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiative to improve multi-force combat awareness through technology.

Martell is a partial outsider. While he directed the Naval Postgraduate School's AI-driven Natural Language Processing Lab for 11 years, he hasn't served in military leadership. Outside of Lyft, he's best-known for heading up AI work at Dropbox and LinkedIn. As CDAO, Martell said he expected to spend to spend the first three to six months identifying "marquee customers" and the systems his office will need to improve. He'll have a $600 million budget for fiscal 2023.

The office itself was only created months earlier, though. Martell also told Breaking Defense he believed someone with his private background could be "very agile" in a way an established military leader might not. The Defense Department "really needs" someone who can quickly shift strategies in AI and analytics, the new CDAO said.

The US military is relatively new to AI use as it is. The Defense Department only published its draft AI ethics guidelines in late 2019, and its use of the technology initially focused more on experiments rather than autonomy on the frontlines. Martell may play a significant role in defining the Pentagon's approach to AI for years to come, if just because many areas remain relatively unexplored.

PS5 update will add variable refresh rate support this week

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 12:32 PM PDT

PlayStation 5 owners will gain access to the long-awaited variable refresh rate (VRR) feature in the coming days. Sony will this week start rolling out a system update that will enable VRR support.

VRR (a feature that's been available on Xbox Series X/S since those consoles launched) improves visual performance by mitigating visual artifacts like screen tearing. It does so by dynamically matching the refresh rate of your TV or monitor to the PS5's output. Sony says VRR can help render scenes faster and reduce input lag.

If your PS5 is connected to a HDMI 2.1 port on a compatible display, VRR will be switched on automatically for supported games. Several titles will receive VRR optimization updates, including Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, Astro's Playroom, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Resident Evil Village, Call of Duty: Vanguard, DIRT 5 and Destiny 2.

VRR optimization patches may be released for other games in the future. However, Sony says you'll be able to switch on VRR for any other game. This might cause some issues, depending on the specific title, your TV and the game's graphics settings. You can toggle VRR on or off through the Screen and Video section of the system settings.

Elon Musk to buy Twitter for $44 billion

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 11:53 AM PDT

Twitter has accepted Elon Musk's buyout offer. Musk is purchasing the social media giant for $54.20 per share, or about $44 billion. The Tesla chief will take the company private, and also said he planned to upgrade Twitter by protecting free speech, open-sourcing algorithms, fighting spam bots and "authenticating all humans."

Twitter's board unanimously approved the acquisition. The deal is expected to close sometime in 2022, although that will hinge on approvals from both regulators and shareholders.

The decision comes after a flurry of activity from Musk. The Tesla CEO bought a 9.2 percent share of Twitter in early April following criticism of the social media firm's free speech policies. He argued Twitter was falling short of its duties as a "de facto public town square." Twitter quickly said Musk would join its board of directors, but the tech executive decided against the move days later. While he didn't say why he had second thoughts, the board appointment would have prevented him from owning more than 14.9 percent of the company — he couldn't have taken control during his term.

Twitter was initially cautious and adopted a "poison pill" share strategy to prevent a hostile takeover. However, it reportedly gave Musk's final offer a second look this weekend. The two sides are believed to have hashed out finer details at the last minute, such as financial guarantees if the purchase falls apart. In the announcement, Twitter's independent board chair Bret Taylor said the company agreed to the buyout after a review process that concentrated on "value, certainty and financing."

Musk still faces problems following this decision, including the SEC's insider trading investigation and a class action lawsuit accusing him of stiffing shareholders through the timing of his Twitter investment disclosure. The Twitter buyout won't help him escape that scrutiny. It won't be surprising if there's a significant change of direction at the social network, though, and this still means that Musk is now competing with Meta, Snap, TikTok (that is, ByteDance) and other social networking heavyweights.

We'd add that Twitter's employees might also be less than thrilled. Sources for The New York Times said staff were largely left in the dark regarding the deal and throw their stock compensation plans into disarray. They were also worried Musk might undo years of efforts to fight "toxic" material. Some are excited, according to the insiders, but there is a chance some Twitter workers might balk at any significant changes in direction.

E Ink's latest color ePaper panel is faster, denser and features pen support

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 11:28 AM PDT

E Ink has just announced its next-generation color ePaper panel, and it's a major update for the nascent technology. Most significantly, the company has improved update times significantly. Its new E Ink Gallery 3 panel offers three color modes, including a "fast" one that can refresh the panel at 500 milliseconds.

For the best possible colors, it needs 1.5 seconds to update. Black and white update times are likewise improved, with the Gallery 3 capable of transitioning between monochrome pages in 350 milliseconds. Resolution is also improved, with the Gallery 3 offering a pixel density of 300ppi, up from 150ppi on the previous model.

The panel also supports stylus input at up to 30 milliseconds for black and white, as well as some colors. E Ink has also equipped the panel with its new ComfortGaze front light, which the company claims "offers a blue-light safe viewing experience." Lastly, the panel can operate at temperatures up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

We don't know yet when devices with the new panel will start making their way to consumers. We also don't know if companies like Amazon and Kobo plan to use it for their next-generation e-readers. That said, E Ink's Gallery 3 is an important step for the color ePaper. The technology needs to continue improving before it makes its way to mainstream devices. In the meantime, E Ink plans to demo Gallery 3 at California Display Week, which begins on May 10th.

Sony's next wireless earbuds may offer 'automatic playback'

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 10:56 AM PDT

If you thought Sony's LinkBuds let in too much of the outside world, don't worry — there may be a follow-up that helps you tune things out. As The Walkman Blognotes, established leak poster SnoopyTech recently shared purported images of WF-LSN900 wireless earbuds, possibly called the LinkBuds S. Unlike the open LinkBuds, this model would let you "seamlessly shift" from allowing ambient sounds to enabling "advanced" noise cancellation. You would also have "automatic playback" based on your habits, although it's not clear what that would entail — Sony already has some location-based audio settings.

The design appears to be a blend of the WF-1000XM4 and WF-C500, and would include an XM4-style proximity sensor as well as an outer mesh that might be used for noise cancellation features. The buds would be available in black, gold and white colors, and you could expect the obligatory charging case.

It's not certain when Sony might ship these earbuds, or how much they would cost. We also wouldn't count on the LinkBuds S naming scheme given the different design. You might not have to wait long to learn the truth, at least. Some FCC confidentiality for the WF-LSN900 is poised to expire on June 21st, suggesting Sony will formally unveil the earbuds by that date.

Apple Music and the App Store are experiencing issues (updated)

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

If Apple Music and the App Store aren't quite working as normal for you right now, you're not alone. Apple's status page notes that both services are dealing with issues that are impacting all users.

It states that Apple Music users may be experiencing some intermittent issues, which seemingly include song lyrics not being accessible. As for the App Store, Apple simply says users "may be experiencing a problem." The company hasn't provided more details, though Down Detector users started reporting App Store problems at around 9 AM ET.

The Apple Music and App Store problems follow an issue with Apple Pay on Sunday. For just over 40 minutes, Interac card holders were unable to make purchases with Apple Pay. Nor could they add, suspend or remove a card.

Update 4/25 5:05PM ET: Apple now says the Music and the App Store issues have been resolved, although it didn't outline what occurred.

The first all-civilian space crew has safely returned to Earth

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 10:08 AM PDT

Seventeen days after they left Earth, the first fully private space crew has safely returned to terra firma. A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the four AX-1 astronauts splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida at around 1:06 PM ET.

The capsule undocked from the ISS at 9:10PM ET on Sunday to begin a 16-hour return journey. Axiom Space, NASA and SpaceX agreed to an adjusted return plan based on the weather forecast at the landing site. The mission ultimately lasted almost twice as long as initially planned. Despite the delay, the return trip went smoothly.

The crew — commander and former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría and businessmen Larry Connor, Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy — conducted some experiments during their time on the International Space Station. They brought back more than 200 pounds of supplies and scientific materials, including some samples for NASA.

Axiom Space, which operated the AX-1 mission, is expected to launch more private flights to the ISS in the coming years. It will also build the first commercial module at the ISS as well as a connected module containing a film studio and sports arena. Axiom Station is expected to split from the ISS in 2028. It will then operate independently. NASA plans to deorbit the ISS in January 2031 and direct it to a capture trajectory over the Pacific Ocean.

Vive's Mars CamTrack promises virtual set technology on an indie budget

Posted: 25 Apr 2022 10:00 AM PDT

HTC Vive has unveiled the Mars CamTrack, a system designed to put real-world actors into virtual environments Mandalorian-style, at a relatively affordable price. It'll let producers film actors against a projected background that moves in sync with the camera so it looks like they're in a real environment.

The system uses existing hardware along with a new box called Mars that processes all the signals. It also includes a pair of Vive Trackers (3.0) to track camera, light or prop movement, three Rovers to send the signal from a Vive Tracker to Mars and a pair of Base Stations (2) that determine the exact location of each Vive Tracker and Rover module. 

The idea is to use Unreal Engine to create virtual 3D environments (space ships, planets, etc.) that can be manipulated in real-time on a computer and projected onto a screen. You then track up to three cameras and feed the signal into Unreal Engine via a system called LiveLink. When the camera follows the actor, the background moves in real time based on tracker data so that it looks like the actor is really in the scene.

There are some big advantages to this technique. Everything can be done in one place with no need for expensive location shoots, and sets can be changed on the fly. It also makes performing easier, as actors can see their environment rather than needing to pretend it's there. Plus, it saves on post-production costs — according to ILM, the technique was used in 50 percent of The Mandalorian's shots. The technique also works for greenscreen shooting, as a video linked by HTC Vive shows. 

HTC Vive aims to make virtual production affordable with the Mars CamTrack system
HTC Vive

Setting up such systems can be complicated, but HTC Vive promises features like automatic calibration for camera offset and lens distortion. It also has plug and play compatibility, letting you sync Unreal Engine's LiveLink system "with no additional software required." 

Mars CamTrack is being sold in package with the Trackers, Rovers, Base Stations, Mars unit, cables, a calibration kit and more. The early bird price is $5,000, which isn't cheap (and doesn't include a projector and other things you may need), but it is a bargain compared to what it would cost you to try to build one yourself. If you're interested, you can now register to buy a Mars CamTrack kit. 
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