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2025-02-12 15:19:10| Engadget

Google Pixel fans who dont wish to break the bank often look to the more affordable A series of Pixel smartphones. The successor model of this series, the Pixel 9a, hasnt been released yet, but at this point nearly everything important about the handset has been leaked. Here's everything we know so far. The Pixel 9a will come with a slightly modified Google Tensor G4 chip with the Exynos Modem 5300 found on the Pixel 8 series instead of the newer Modem 5400 on the other Pixel 9 smartphones, according to Android Authority. Android Headlines reported that other specs include 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage space, dimensions measuring 6.1x2.9x0.4 inches (154.7x73.3x8.9mm) and a weight of 6.6 ounces (185.9 grams). Itll also get the largest battery on a Pixel device ever so far, with a capacity of 5,100mAh, which is 40mAh more than the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The Pixel 9a will also reportedly have a 48-megapixel main sensor, 13MP ultrawide sensor and 13MP front camera. Theres a new pill-shaped camera housing instead of the familiar camera bump. It fits flush with the back of the phone, a welcome departure from previous models. The Pixel 9a is expected to come in four colorways, the names of which are not finalized: Iris (purple), Obsidian (black), Peony (hot pink) and Porcelain (white). It's believed the handset will cost $499 for the 128GB version and $599 for the 256GB upgrade. A Verizon mWave model will reportedly tack on an extra $50 charge as well. According to a source who spoke to Android Headlines, the smartphone will launch on March 26, but Google will start accepting pre-orders on March 19.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/everything-we-know-about-the-rumored-google-pixel-9a-so-far-141908754.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2025-02-12 15:00:31| Engadget

Think you might have met someone attractive, single and successful on Facebook or Instagram? You might want to think again, Meta says. Ahead of Valentines Day, the company is once again warning users not to fall for romance scams. These kinds of schemes, in which scammers create fictitious identities to form online relationships with unsuspecting victims, arent exactly new. (The FTC says that people lost more than a half billion dollars to romance scams in 2021.) But the people behind these scams are apparently persistent. Meta says that already in 2025 its taken down more than 116,000 accounts and pages across Facebook and Instagram that were linked to romance scams. In 2024, it removed more than 408,000 such accounts. According to Meta, these scam accounts often originate in West African countries with scammers impersonating members of the US military or famous celebrities. In both cases, theyll claim to be looking for love and will strike up conversations with people on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp as well as other messaging platforms. Eventually, the scammer will request gift cards, crypto, or other types of payments. Meta has taken steps to fight these types of schemes. The company said last year it would bring back facial recognition tech to address celebrity impersonation. It also works with other companies to shut down organized groups of scammers. Still, David Agranovich, director of threat disruption at Meta, noted that "scammers evolve consistently." Researchers also say that AI has made it even easier for scammers to assume convincing fictitious identities. In the last three or four months, there's a couple of different tools that have come out where they're free, they're accessible, they're easy to use, and they allow the attacker to transform their face dynamically within the video call, Rachel Tobac CEO of SocialProof Security said during a call with reporters. They can also use these deepfake bots that allow you to build a persona, place phone calls, use a voice clone and a human actually doesn't even need to be involved.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-warns-users-not-to-fall-for-romance-scammers-posing-as-celebrities-or-military-140031858.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2025-02-12 15:00:30| Engadget

Adobes Firefly Video Model is in public beta as of today, meaning the days of praying you had a chance to test it are over. The company claims that its the first commercially safe generative AI video model in the market. Previously, it was only available in the Adobe Premiere Pro video editor with Generative Extend, but you can also access a standalone Firefly web app now. For those unaware, Adobes Firefly Video Model powers the Generate Video feature, which can generate video clips from a text prompt or image. It can also edit images, turn them into videos, create 3D worlds and more. The content is safe for commercial use too, since the AI applies watermarks signifying which parts have AI assistance, and that can be checked with the Adobe Content Authenticity web apps Inspect tool. In other words, its safe because people can check if AI was used in the content due to embedded data. The Firefly web app integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud apps such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Express and more. Three new features available on the app today include video generation and scene-to-image generation with the ability to fine-tune footage, allowing users to make images from 3D sketches, plus audio and video translation into supported languages. Currently, there are two pricing plans: Firefly Standard and Firefly Pro. The former grants access to 2,000 video/audio credits a month and 20 five-second 1080p video generations, while the latter increases the number of credits to 7,000 and video generations to 70. A Firefly Premium plan for professionals is coming soon. You can now purchase a Firefly Standard subscription for $10 a month, while a Firefly Pro subscription costs $30 a month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/adobes-firefly-generative-ai-video-app-is-now-in-public-beta-140030134.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2025-02-12 15:00:05| Engadget

Qualcomm is bringing AI to its mid-range mobile chip lineup with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 Mobile Platform, the company announced. The new chips also promise improved CPU and GPU performance, lower power requirements and faster Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity compared to the previous chip.  The new AI features are made possible with support for Qualcom's on-device Gen AI support, allowing voice-activated assistants, background noise reduction during calls and more. It's also the first 6-series Snapdragon processor with support for INT4 that allows generative AI to run more efficiently on small devices.  Qualcomm Qualcomm is also promising 11 percent improved CPU performance via its latest Kryo CPU and a 29 percent boost in GPU performance. Neither of those gains will stress your battery, thanks to a 12 percent savings in power. Qualcomm is also debuted its 5G Modem-RF systems that promises to improve 5G speeds and compatibility, while introducing Wi-Fi 6E connectivity via its FastConnect system. Other. new features include lossless audio and a triple ISP that will allow phones to take photos and record videos simultaneously. All of that means that Android users won't need to break the bank on flagship devices to get the latest AI features and decent speed. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 Mobile Platform will soon appear on Oppo, Honor and other devices, the company said. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/qualcomms-snapdragon-6-gen-4-is-its-first-mid-range-chip-with-ai-support-140005612.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2025-02-12 14:45:46| Engadget

Samsung is making a play to, well, repair its repairability image. The new Galaxy S25 UItra offers a slew of helpful features, including an accessible, easy to remove battery. Instead of Samsung's adhesives of the past, the S25 Ultra's battery can just pop right out, iFixit reports. This time around Samsung has included four sticky tabs that wrap around the battery. All you need to do is lift up these tabs and the battery comes out in a matter of seconds. This shift aligns with Europe's right-to-repair laws, which push companies to make repairs more accessible for device owners. iFixit We gave the Galaxy 25 Ultra an 89 in our review, thanks to its nearly 30 hours of battery life, anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2 panels and slimmer bezels. It also offers a new 50MP ultra-wide sensor on its ultra-wide lens (rather than the previous 12MP) and an excellent screen. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/with-the-galaxy-s25-samsung-finally-nailed-a-truly-repairable-battery-134546580.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2025-02-12 14:45:35| Engadget

In surprising news, Apple has actually done something that could save you money. The company is now allowing users to migrate purchases from one Apple Account to another. Transfers can include items such as movies, books, music apps and more.  The only catch: You can only move purchases from your secondary account, the one you use for Media and Purchases, to your primary account, the one signed in to iCloud and most other features.  Before starting a migration, check that you are signed in to both accounts on your device and that the secondary account isn't part of Family Sharing or Purchase Sharing. Then, make sure you have two-factor authentication on for both accounts and that they are both linked to the same country and region. You'll also need to spend any remaining balance and not have any rentals or pre-orders.  Then, transfer your things by going to the Media and Purchases tab and scrolling to Migrate Purchases. Follow the steps on your screen and then, once the migration is complete, log out of your secondary account on all devices. As a heads up, you'll no longer be able to use that other account for purchases. Users based in the US can now migrate their purchases. However, the new feature isn't available globally yet, as users in the European Union, UK and India can't access it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-finally-lets-you-move-your-digital-purchases-to-another-account-134535401.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2025-02-12 14:30:08| Engadget

US District Judge John D. Bates has ordered (PDF) the Center for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration to restore the web pages and resources they had previously removed to comply with President Trump's executive order related to gender ideology. Bates gave the agencies until February 11, 11:59 PM Eastern time, to comply. As of this writing, the CDC website on "Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons" is already back online with a note up top that says the CDC's website "is being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders." The judge's decision is part of a temporary restraining order that he has granted as requested by the Doctors for America. Represented by Public Citizen, the non-profit organization sued the CDC (PDF), the FDA and the Department of Health in February. It also sued the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which issued the memo for the pages' removal. As The Washington Post notes, the memo ordered agency heads to "end all agency programs that use taxpayer money to promote or reflect gender ideology."  In response, the CDC and FDA removed a number of web pages covering a wide variety of topics. In its lawsuit, Doctors for America said the pages that were removed provided healthcare workers with treatment guidance and important datasets necessary for research and for formulating appropriate public health responses. The pages contained resources for HIV monitoring, contraception, assisted reproductive technologies like IVF, health risks for youths, social vulnerability and environmental justice. In addition, the organization pointed out that the agency didn't provide any notice before removing those pages.  The non-profit organization gave some specific examples in its lawsuit. Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, who has a research program at Yale School of Medicine, said that the CDC's removal of its resources about contraceptives and STIs caused delays in her "patients' access to appropriate contraception." Meanwhile, a Dr. Stephanie Liou said the the pages' removal impeded her ability to formulate a quick and appropriate response to a chlamydia outbreak in her high school, as her employers didn't have access to "many expensive clinical resources." Doctors of America accused the CDC and the FDA of violating the Paperwork Reduction Act that requires officials to "ensure that the public has timely and equitable access to the agencys public information." In addition to bringing back the pages that were removed, the agencies were also ordered to restore any resources that were modified to their original state by February 14. The resources that were brought back online will remain available while the non-profit org's lawsuit is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/court-orders-the-cdc-and-fda-to-restore-deleted-web-pages-related-to-gender-identity-133008251.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2025-02-12 14:10:17| TRENDWATCHING.COM

Located less than a mile from the Joshua Tree Visitor Center, Rivian's new charging station goes well beyond basic infrastructure. While drivers wait for their vehicles to charge, they can lounge in hammocks, let their children explore a climbing wall, or stroll around an outdoor museum to learn about the local desert landscape. The site also includes a zero-waste food initiative and a gear repair station, aligning with the outdoor lifestyle Rivian champions. Unlike its other fast-charging sites, the Joshua Tree Charging Outpost is Rivian's first to be compatible with other EV brands, too, with connectors available for vehicles using the North American Charging Standard. While charging and complimentary coffee are available to all, Rivian drivers are entitled to extra perks. For example, restrooms are open to the public from 7 am7 pm, but Rivian owners get after-hours access with a code found in the brand's app.The strategic placement near national parks earlier in 2024, Rivian opened an outpost in Yosemite makes sense. This isn't just about serving Rivian's own adventure-seeking customer base. Memorable charging stations are fast becoming an essential investment for electric vehicle manufacturers as competition in the market heats up. After all, charging time is a prime opportunity to showcase your brand and its values to a broader audience of EV drivers, including those eager to shift away from other, less purpose-driven makers ;-)

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2025-02-12 14:00:43| Engadget

$449 is a lot to pay for earbuds. When you consider the quality of the options at $100 and below, it may seem exorbitant. However, Noble Audio hasnt just crafted another set of high-end wireless earbuds. The company is offering something unique on the FoKus Rex5: five drivers. Most earbuds have one or two, but Noble has put its in-ear monitor (IEM) expertise to work here, packing in a 10mm dynamic driver, a 6mm planar driver and three balanced armature drivers. The result is absolutely incredible sound quality for a set of wireless earbuds. A wide, immersive soundstage surpasses every other set Ive tested, and Ive tested a lot of them. However, audio performance alone doesnt make a complete product. Theres still battery life, active noise cancellation (ANC), customization and other features for Noble to contend with. And the company needs to check all the boxes to justify that price. Design of the FoKus Rex5 The FoKus Rex5 earbuds are very green. From the charging case to the aluminum and acrylic housing, the company is dedicated to that hue on this model. Its gold accents wont be for everyone either. The styling is akin to a set of IEMs, which Noble also makes in spades. If youre looking for other colors from the company, the pricier FoKus Prestige ($599) will be available in black and blue when theyre back in stock. Other than the color scheme and marbled acrylic shell, the FoKus Rex5 looks like standard earbuds at least in terms of its shape. The rounded, triangular frame mimics a set of generic in-ear monitors and it fits well in the ear. Weight is nicely balanced too, with nothing sticking too far out from your head. This all leads to a secure, comfy fit that never becomes a burden, even after hours of constant use. Additionally, Noble includes nine sets of extra ear tips across three shapes in the box. One of those is foam instead of silicone, if youre into that, and the diversity of the pack should help you find an ideal fit for your ears. Software and features All of the settings and features for the FoKus Rex5 reside in the Noble FoKus app. Here youll find battery percentages for each earbud, quick access to the personalized EQ, media controls and noise-cancellation toggles up front. On the right side, an expandable menu offers a 10-band EQ, EQ curve, personalized EQ and touch control settings. Noble opted for Audiodos customizable sound software to power its Personal EQ feature. Like some of the competition, this tech takes you through a setup process to calibrate the audio to your hearing. The FoKus Rex5 has a Qualcomm QCC3091 chip inside that stores these custom profiles on the earbuds. This means that the audio tweaks stay with you on any device you pair to without having to download the app multiple times. Noble says Personal EQ works well for people with uneven hearing, offering balanced sound at the appropriate levels. For me, the test determined that I needed a boost in the high frequency range, which raised the volume for vocals and guitars. I dont love it. The stock tuning is a better blend of all the instruments and I prefer the balance of that mix. This doesnt mean the feature wont help you, it just means that you might want to keep the default settings rather than opt for Personal EQ. The FoKus Rex5 is equipped with multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, which adds convenience to daily use. The earbuds seamlessly switched between my MacBook Pro and my iPhone whenever I got a call or started playing audio there. What you wont find on the Rex5 is automatic pausing as the earbuds dont have a proximity or wear sensor on the back side. Perhaps the company needed every millimeter for all of those drivers, but this is a handy feature that would have been great to have. FoKus Rex5 sound quality Billy Steele for Engadget Its amazing how much nuance five drivers will allow you to hear when listening to music. Noble says its driver array effortlessly delivers rich, full bass, detailed mid-tones and crystal-clear highs, and I found that to be true across a range of genres. Where most earbuds have a frequency range of 20Hz-20kHz, which is in line with the capabilities of the human ear, the FoKus Rex5 extends that a bit to 20Hz-40kHz. Am I confident that I can hear that extra high frequency? No. Does that impact my rating of the sound quality? Not at all. Im well aware that artists, producers and recording engineers make the decisions on how to split instruments on the left and right channels. But for the first time, I could clearly hear the separation in the guitars on songs like L.S. Dunes I Can See It Now and across the entirety of Jason Isbell and the 400 Units latest live album. Theres a sonic division on these earbuds thats more segmented, yet everything still blends well for a great immersive sensation. Its like youre standing in the middle of the studio. You can hear that the lead guitar is situated to the right while the rhythm player is on the left. A lot of earbuds would smash them together. Theres also minute detail in guitars, drums, vocals and more with the FoKus Rex5. You can hear the texture in the vocals on Julien Baker & TORRES Sugar in the Tank, and it sounds like youre almost inside the acoustic guitar on that track. There are a number of flagship-quality earbuds that deliver fine details well, but Ive never heard the level of subtlety that the FoKus Rex5 provides song after song. And the earbuds do so with a robust soundstage that, once again, envelops you like youre standing in the middle of a performance rather than simply streaming tunes. Noble offers support for aptX Adaptive and Sonys LDAC codecs on the FoKus Rex5, in addition to SBC and AAC. I tested primarily with Apple Music, including a lot of albums in either lossless or Dolby Atmos. All of the songs from the service sounded incredible with these earbuds, although the crunchy, layered guitars on that L.S. Dunes record sounded particularly stunning (that album is Dolby Atmos, Lossless and Apple Digital Master). ANC performance Billy Steele for Engadget Noble doesnt go into too much detail about the ANC setup on the FoKus Rex5, other than saying the sophisticated tech effectively minimizes external noise. Unfortunately, that effectiveness is just averae. The earbuds only dampen constant noise sources like fans and noise machines. And while they slightly lower the volume of human voices nearby, they suffer the same inefficacy as much of the competition there. Simply put, youre not buying the FoKus Rex5 for the ANC performance, its the sound quality thats the primary draw. But Id argue you should have both if youre spending $449. Call quality on the FoKus Rex5 Call quality is another area Noble could improve. The FoKus Rex5 is usable for calls, but the audio performance is average at best. If youre looking for something to use for virtual meetings, or any situation where you need to sound crystal clear, these earbuds arent a great option. Whats more, the ambient mode doesnt beam your voice back through the buds on calls. I kept feeling like I was shouting just to hear myself during those chats. Battery life Noble promises up to five hours of listening time with ANC on, or up to seven hours without. Whats more, the company packed an extra 35-40 hours of use in the wireless charging case, which is longer than most of the competition can muster. Theres a 15-minute quick charge feature that will give you two hours of use as well. During my tests, the FoKus Rex5 easily met the stated figures, and even went beyond them by about 30 minutes. Five hours of noise-canceling use is standard these days, but its nice to see that Noble delivered on this, even with the additional drivers and codec support. The competition In terms of sound quality, only Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 comes close to the pristine audio performance of the FoKus Rex5. Unfortunately, those earbuds dont offer a complete package either. And at $399, theyre still a bigger investment compared to the likes of Bose, Sony and Sennheiser. Youll get excellent sound on the Pi8, though the level of detail and separation isnt on the level of the five-driver Rex5. ANC performance is slightly better, but still not robust, and theres a lack of advanced features that are offered by much of the competition on products that cost less. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/noble-fokus-rex5-review-incredible-sound-if-youre-willing-to-pay-for-it-130043824.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

2025-02-12 05:22:45| Engadget

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, along with multiple federal employee unions, have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team to block their access to sensitive and identifying information on millions of Americans. Specifically, the plaintiffs are looking to block them from being able to access data stored by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and to delete any information they've collected so far. The lawsuit also names OPM and Acting Director Charles Ezell as defendants.  In early February, Reuters reported that Musk's aides locked OPM employees out of the agency's systems. "We have no visibility into what they are doing with the computer and data systems," one of its sources said back then. The OPM has the largest collection of employee data in the US and contains sensitive information on both past and current federal employees, as well as on job applicants for federal positions who applied through USAJobs.gov. As the EFF notes, the agency's records contain federal employees' names, birthdates, home addresses, social security numbers, work experience, union activities, salaries, performance reviews, demotions, life insurance, death benefits as well as classified information NDAs. The list even includes the first names and last name initials of CIA employees in highly sensitive roles.  In its announcement, the EFF explained that the mishandling of information in OPM's systems could lead to "significant and varied abuses," and that DOGE's "unchecked access" on its own puts federal employees at risk of privacy violations and even political pressure and blackmail. The foundation also emphasized the risk federal employees are facing with DOGE's access to unrestricted information and Musk's ownership of X. It cited Musk's old tweets naming specific government personnels whose jobs he would cut even before he had access to OPM's database.  OPM violated the Privacy Act of 1974 when it gave DOGE "unrestricted, wholesale access" to its systems, the EFF said. Under the Privacy Act, the written consent of the individual whose data is being shared is required if government records are to be disclosed. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs are accusing Musk and his DOGE agents of exceeding "the scope of their legal authority" by controlling OPM's systems, because it has resulted in the the unlawful disclosure of the their contents. "Our case is fairly simple: OPMs data is extraordinarily sensitive, OPM gave it to DOGE, and this violates the Privacy Act," the EFF wrote. "We are asking the court to block any further data sharing and to demand that DOGE immediately destroy any and all copies of downloaded material." Last week, a federal judge blocked Musk and DOGE from accessing Treasury Department information and ordered them to destroy any data they've already collected. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/eff-sues-elon-musk-and-doge-to-block-their-access-to-federal-employee-data-042245323.html?src=rss

Category: Marketing and Advertising
 

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