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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas expects to vote yes when he heads to the polls on April 2 to vote on the 3/8-cent stadium sales tax extension. But with many questions still up in the air about how a downtown ballpark would impact small businesses and more, the mayor wants answers sooner rather than later.

Enlarge / The Google Gemini logo. (credit: Google)

Like many of us, Google Gemini is tired of politics. Reuters reports that Google has restricted the chatbot from answering questions about the upcoming US election, and instead, it will direct users to Google Search.

Google had planned to do this back when the Gemini chatbot was still called "Bard." In December, the company said, "Beginning early next year, in preparation for the 2024 elections and out of an abundance of caution on such an important topic, we’ll restrict the types of election-related queries for which Bard and [Google Search's Bard integration] will return responses." Tuesday, Google confirmed to Reuters that those restrictions have kicked in. Election queries now tend to come back with the refusal: "I'm still learning how to answer this question. In the meantime, try Google Search."

Google's original plan in December was likely to disable election info so Gemini could avoid any political firestorms. Boy, did that not work out! When asked to generate images of people, Gemini quietly tacked diversity requirements onto the image request; this practice led to offensive and historically inaccurate images along with a general refusal to generate images of white people. Last month that earned Google wall-to-wall coverage in conservative news spheres along the lines of "Google's woke AI hates white people!" Google CEO Sundar Pichai called the AI's "biased" responses "completely unacceptable," and for now, creating images of people is disabled while Google works on it.

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Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | BeeBright)

The European Parliament today voted to approve the Artificial Intelligence Act, which will ban uses of AI "that pose unacceptable risks" and impose regulations on less risky types of AI.

"The new rules ban certain AI applications that threaten citizens' rights, including biometric categorisation systems based on sensitive characteristics and untargeted scraping of facial images from the Internet or CCTV footage to create facial recognition databases," a European Parliament announcement today said. "Emotion recognition in the workplace and schools, social scoring, predictive policing (when it is based solely on profiling a person or assessing their characteristics), and AI that manipulates human behavior or exploits people's vulnerabilities will also be forbidden."

The ban on certain AI applications provides for penalties of up to 35 million euros or 7 percent of a firm's "total worldwide annual turnover for the preceding financial year, whichever is higher." Violations of other provisions have lower penalties.

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(credit: Velo AI)

Whether or not autonomous vehicles ever work out, the effort put into using small cameras and machine-learning algorithms to detect cars could pay off big for an unexpected group: cyclists.

Velo AI is a firm cofounded by Clark Haynes and Micol Marchetti-Bowick, both PhDs with backgrounds in robotics, movement prediction, and Uber's (since sold-off) autonomous vehicle work. Copilot, which started as a "pandemic passion project" for Haynes, is essentially car-focused artificial intelligence and machine learning stuffed into a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and boxed up in a bike-friendly size and shape.

Copilot demonstration and promotion video.

While car-detecting devices exist for bikes, including the Garmin Varia, they're largely radar-based. That means they can't distinguish between vehicles of different sizes and only know that something is approaching you, not, for example, how much space it will allow when passing.

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Sony is rolling out a new PlayStation 5 system update that makes your controller sound better, your screen sharing more immersive and your power indicator adjustable. System Update 9.00 entered beta over a month ago and is available in the public software pushed to PS5 owners on Wednesday.

PS5 system software version 24.02-09.00.00 enhances DualSense and DualSense Edge controller audio. The controller speakers are now louder, making the speakers sound clearer when broadcasting in-game sounds and voice chat. The controller’s microphone is also improved. Sony says a new “AI machine-learning model” suppresses background noises from button presses and game audio, leading to an improved voice chat experience.”

The update also adds brightness adjustments for the PS5 power indicator. You can change its levels by heading to Settings > System > Beep and Light > Brightness. You can choose from three settings: dim, medium and bright (default).

PS5 Share Screen pointersSony

Share Screen, which lets you broadcast your gameplay straight from the console, adds pointers and emoji reactions. Your live audience can now use a pointer to show you locations on the screen. They can also send emoji reactions highlighting your gameplay triumphs and tragedies from the Share Screen. The features are toggled on by default, but hosts can turn them off from the Share Screen settings.

The 9.00 update also adds Unicode 15.1 emojis to messages. Less specifically detailed changes include performance and stability improvements for the system software, DualSense gamepads, PlayStation VR2 headset and controllers and Access controller.

If you aren’t automatically prompted to update, you can trigger the software download by heading to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings, and choosing “Update System Software” under “Update Available.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ps5-system-update-that-makes-your-controller-sound-better-is-rolling-out-today-162511840.html?src=rss

Enlarge (credit: Reinhard Dirscherl)

Coral reefs, some of the most stunningly beautiful marine ecosystems on Earth, are dying. Ninety percent of them will likely be gone by 2050 due to rising ocean temperatures and pollution. “But it’s not that when they are gone, they are gone forever. We can rebuild them,” said Dr. Timothy Lamont, a marine biologist working at Lancaster University.

Lamont’s team evaluated coral reef restoration efforts done through the MARS Coral Reef Restoration Program on the coast of Indonesia and found that planting corals on a network of sand-coated steel frames brought a completely dead reef back to life in just four years. It seems like we can fix something for once.

Growing up in rubble

The restored reef examined by Lamont’s team was damaged by blast fishing done 30–40 years ago. “People were using dynamite to blow up the reef. It kills all the fish, the fish float to the surface, and you can scoop them all up. Obviously, this is very damaging to the habitat and leaves behind loose rubble fields with lots of coral skeletons,” said Lamont.

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Enlarge (credit: AerialPerspective Images)

There’s a puppy on the road. The car is going too fast to stop in time, but swerving means the car will hit an old man on the sidewalk instead.

What choice would you make? Perhaps more importantly, what choice would ChatGPT make?

Autonomous driving startups are now experimenting with AI chatbot assistants, including one self-driving system that will use one to explain its driving decisions. Beyond announcing red lights and turn signals, the large language models (LLMs) powering these chatbots may ultimately need to make moral decisions, like prioritizing passengers’ or pedestrian’s safety. In November, one startup called Ghost Autonomy announced experiments with ChatGPT to help its software navigate its environment.

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One of the best things about the Android ecosystem is the availability of truly affordable phones for as little as $150. By comparison, the cheapest iPhone is based on a dated design and starts at $429. However, picking the right one can be a bit tricky, as reducing the price of a phone can sometimes result in too many trade-offs. So to give you a hand, we tested a bunch of the most popular options and put together a list of our favorite cheap Android phones.

How low should you go?

We tend to define a budget phone as costing between $150 and $350. Any lower and the device runs the risk of suffering from too many compromises, and above that, you cross over to pricier midrange handsets (if you're open to spending more, we shouted out a couple of our favorites at the very end of this guide).

But for those with a little wiggle room, there are some things to consider. For example, a child may be better off with a cheaper device, especially if it’s intended mainly for emergencies or texting parents (and not social media). On the higher end of this price spectrum, sub-$350 phones have come a long way thanks to improved performance, better cameras and nicer displays. This makes them a viable alternative to premium flagships, even if you have the freedom to spend more.

What to look for in a budget Android phone

When it comes to affordable devices, you get what you pay for. Most phones in this price range are made out of plastic, though the fit and finish of a specific model can vary a lot based on price. A bright screen is also important. Typically you’ll get LCD panels with a 60Hz or 90Hz refresh rate, but some phones may have OLED screens with increased color saturation. Long battery life is critical as well, so we tend to favor devices with larger power cells of around 5,000 mAh. In this price range, performance can vary a lot, so look for devices with at least 8GB of RAM and processors that can deliver stutter-free visuals. It’s also important to consider support length, as periodic operating system and security updates can extend the longevity of your device, which will save you money in the long run.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-budget-android-phone-160029327.html?src=rss

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 is on sale for $680 via Amazon, which is a discount of $120. This is a record low price for the well-regarded tablet. The S9 is the most recent iteration and there likely won't be a refresh on the horizon until at least September.

Now onto some specs. The standard S9 boasts an 11-inch AMOLED screen, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and 12GB of RAM. It also comes with the company’s S Pen stylus, which is something I wish Apple did for its tablets. The $680 price tag gets you a device with 128GB of internal storage, but 256GB and 512GB models are also on sale. 

The Galaxy Tab S9 easily made our list of the best tablets, and for good reason. We loved the gorgeous AMOLED screen, the powerful speakers and the tablet’s surprisingly useful Dex multitasking mode. For the uninitiated, this mode basically turns the tablet into a PC, complete with standard windows, folders and a taskbar, with the ability to drag and drop files.

The 11-inch screen is a joy to behold and probably the best fit for most people. The S9+, which is also on sale, boasts a particularly large 12.4-inch AMOLED display. Those with small hands should probably demo that unit before making the splurge. 

This is part of a larger Amazon sale on a bunch of Samsung tablets. There’s the aforementioned S9 tablets with more hard drive space, but also discounts on the entire A9+ line and the S9 FE+. There are no deals, however, for the top-of-the-line S9 Ultra.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-galaxy-tab-s9-is-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-155536182.html?src=rss

In case you need another reason to shout "tax the rich" from the rooftops, it's here, and it's going to make you angry. A study found that 35 major US companies paid their top five executives more than they paid in federal income taxes between 2018 and 2022, the Guardian reports. The findings, which come from The Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness, are even less shocking when you learn the worst offender: Tesla.

Elon Musk's company earned $4.4 billion during those five years and gave its executives $2.5 billion. Despite that, Tesla not only didn't pay any federal taxes, but it received $1 million in refunds from the government. Musk himself is the second richest person in the world, with Forbes reporting he had a net worth of $207.9 billion at the start of March.

Tesla is one of 35 companies that paid less federal income tax than they paid their top five executives during that period. In total, the well-deserving and not-at-all greedy execs of these companies raked in $9.5 billion over these years, while cumulatively those same companies received $1.8 billion back from the government. Eighteen of these businesses reported net profits over the five years but didn't pay a cent of federal income tax. (All but one got refunds).

The study lists other notable companies like T-Mobile, Netflix, Ford Motor and Match Group alongside Tesla. T-Mobile made $17.9 billion, paid executives $675 million and received $80 million in refunds. The mobile provider has spent an incredible amount of money on lobbying Congress for tax breaks, spending $9 million in 2022 alone. Netflix actually did pay some taxes, but the $236 million was just 1.6 percent of its $15.1 billion in earnings — and just over a third of what it paid those top five executives. The statutory rate for federal income tax is 21 percent, so yeah, feel free to scream.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-paid-no-federal-income-taxes-while-paying-executives-25-billion-over-five-years-154529907.html?src=rss

“When you think about the history of Bluetooth, and specifically about audio, you really have to go back to the mid-to-late ’90s.”

Chuck Sabin is a Bluetooth expert. As a senior director at Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), he oversees market research and planning as well as business development. He’s also leading the charge for emerging uses of Bluetooth, like Auracast broadcast audio. In other words, he’s an excellent person to speak to about how far Bluetooth has come — from the days of mono headsets solely used for voice communication to today’s devices capable of streaming lossless-quality music.

In the mid ’90s, mobile phones were starting to become a thing, and of course so were regulations about hands-free use of them in cars. Sabin previously worked in the cellular industry, and he remembers how costly and intrusive the early hand-free systems were in vehicles. Bluetooth originated from cell phone companies working together to cut the cord to headphones since using those not-yet-wireless audio accessories in the car was cumbersome. One of the first mobile phones with Bluetooth was from Ericsson in the late ’90s, although an updated model didn’t make it to consumers until 2001. That same year, the IBM ThinkPad A30 became the first laptop with Bluetooth built in. At that time, the primary intent of the short-range radio technology was for voice calls.

The Bose Bluetooth Headset Series 2Bose

“You had a lot of people who ended up with these mono headsets and boom mics,” he explained. You know, the people we all probably made fun of — at least once. Most of these things were massive, and some had obnoxious blinking lights. They’re definitely a far cry from the increasingly inconspicuous wireless earbuds available now.

Bluetooth as a specification continued to evolve, with companies leveraging it for music and streaming audio. To facilitate music listening, there had to be faster communication between headphones and the connected device. Compared with voice calling, continuous streaming required Bluetooth to support higher data speeds along with reduced latency. Where Bluetooth 1.0 was call specific, version 2.0 began to achieve the speeds needed for audio streaming at over 2 Mb/s. However, Sabin says, the 2.1 specification adopted by Bluetooth SIG in 2007 was when all streaming audio capabilities were implemented in automobiles, phones, headphones, headsets and more.

Of course, it would still be a few years before wireless headphones were mainstream. In the early 2000s, headphones were still directly connected to a mobile phone or other source device. Once Bluetooth became a standard feature in all new phone models, as well as its inclusion in laptops and PCs, consumers could count on wireless connectivity being available to them. Even then, music had to be loaded onto a memory card to get it on a phone, as dedicated apps and streaming services wouldn’t be a thing until the 2010s.

“The utility of the device that you carried around with you all the time was evolving,” Sabin said. “Bluetooth was ultimately riding that continued wave of utility, by providing the opportunity to use that phone as a wireless streaming device for audio.”

Bragi Dash true wireless earbudsPhoto by James Trew/Engadget

About the time wireless headphones had become popular, a few companies arrived with a new proposition in 2015: true wireless earbuds. Bluetooth improvements meant reduced power requirements leading to much smaller devices with smaller batteries — and still provide the performance needed for true wireless devices. Bragi made a big splash at consecutive CESs with its Dash earbuds. The ambitious product had built-in music storage, fitness tracking and touch controls, all paired with a woefully short three-hour battery life. Perhaps the company was a bit overzealous, in hindsight, but it did set the bar high, and eventually similar technologies would make it into other true wireless products.

“Companies that were building products were really starting to stretch the specification to its limits,” Sabin explained. “There was a certain amount of innovation that was happening [beyond that] on how to manage the demands of two wireless earbuds.” Bluetooth’s role, he said, was more about improving performance of the protocol as a means of inspiring advances in wireless audio devices themselves.

He was quick to point out that, for the first few years, true wireless buds accepted the Bluetooth signal to only one ear and then sent it to the other. That’s why the battery in one would always drain faster than the other. In January 2020, Bluetooth SIG announced LE Audio at CES as part of version 5.2. LE Audio delivered lower battery consumption, standardized audio transmission and the ability to transmit to multiple receivers — or multiple earbuds. LE Audio wouldn’t be completed until July 2022, but it offers a lower minimum latency of 20 to 30 milliseconds versus 100 to 200 milliseconds with Bluetooth Classic.

“All of the processing is now done back on the phone itself and then streamed independently to each of the individual earbuds,” Sabin continued. “That will continue to deliver better performance, better form factors, better battery life and so on because the processing is being done at the source level versus [on] the individual earbuds.”

The increased speed and efficiency of Bluetooth has led to improvements in overall sound quality too. Responding to market demands for better audio, Qualcomm and others have developed various codecs, like aptX, that expand what Bluetooth can do. More specifically, aptX HD provides 48kHz/24-bit audio for wireless high-resolution listening.

“One of the elements that came into the specification, even on the classic side, was the ability for companies to sideload different codecs,” Sabin explained. “Companies could then market their codec to be available on phones and headphones to provide enhanced audio capabilities.”

LE Audio standardizes Bluetooth connectivity for hearing aids, leading to a larger number of supported devices and interoperability. The use cases range from tuning earbuds to a user’s specific hearing or general hearing assistance needs, with or without the help of active noise cancellation or transparency mode, to simply being able to hear valuable info in public spaces via their earbuds or hearing aid.

“Bluetooth is becoming integral for people with hearing loss,” he explained. “Not only for medical-grade hearing aids, but you’re seeing hearing capabilities built into consumer devices as well.”

Sony's CRE-E10 OTC hearing aidsSony

Sabin also noted how the development of true wireless earbuds have been key for people with hearing loss and helped reduce the stigma around traditional hearing aids. Indeed, companies like Sennheiser and Sony have introduced assistance-focused earbuds that look no different from the devices they make for listening to music or taking calls. Of course, those devices do that too, it’s just their primary aim is to help with hearing loss. The boom, which has been going on for years, was further facilitated by a 2022 FDA policy change that allowed over-the-counter sale of hearing aids.

One of the major recent developments for Bluetooth is broadcast audio, better known as Auracast. Sabin described the technology as “unmuting your world,” which is exactly what happens when you’re able to hear otherwise silent TVs in public spaces. You simply select an available broadcast audio channel on your phone, like you would a Wi-Fi network, to hear the news or game on the TV during your layover. Auracast can also be used for things like PA and gate announcements in airports, better hearing at conferences and sharing a secure audio stream with a friend. Companies like JBL are building it into their Bluetooth speakers so you can link unlimited additional devices to share the sound at the press of a button.

“You’re seeing it in speakers, you’ll see it in surround sound systems and full home or party-in-a-box type scenarios,” he said. Sabin also noted that applications beyond the home could simplify logistics for events, since Auracast audio comes from the same source before it’s sent to a PA system or connected earbuds and headphones with no latency. Sabin said the near-term goal is for Bluetooth audio to be as common in public spaces as Wi-Fi connectivity, thanks to things like Auracast and the standard’s constant evolution.

Even after 20 years, we’re still relying on Bluetooth to take calls on the go, but both the voice and audio quality have dramatically improved since the days of the headset. Smaller, more comfortable designs can be worn all day, giving us constant access to music, podcasts, calls and voice assistants. As consumer preferences have changed to having earbuds in at all times, the desire to tune into our surroundings rather than block them out has increased. “Unmuting your world” is now of utmost importance, and the advancement of Bluetooth technology, from the late ’90s through LE Audio, continues to adapt to our sonic preferences.

To celebrate Engadget's 20th anniversary, we're taking a look back at the products and services that have changed the industry since March 2, 2004.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/from-mono-to-mainstream-20-years-of-bluetooth-audio-153031600.html?src=rss

Enlarge (credit: Anadolu / Contributor | Anadolu)

On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed a bill with a vote of 352–65 that could block TikTok in the US. Fifteen Republicans and 50 Democrats voted in opposition, and one Democrat voted present, CNN reported.

TikTok is not happy. A spokesperson told Ars, "This process was secret and the bill was jammed through for one reason: it's a ban. We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service."

Lawmakers insist that the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is not a ban. Instead, they claim the law gives TikTok a choice: either divest from ByteDance's China-based owners or face the consequences of TikTok being cut off in the US.

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There aren't enough films that put movie stars in mechs and task them with saving the world. But that's just what Netflix flick Atlas is doing with Jennifer Lopez.

She plays Atlas Shepherd, "a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence," who joins a team that's aiming to secure a renegade robot. As it happens, Atlas and said machine share "a mysterious past," according to Netflix. Inevitably, things don't go as planned. Atlas finds herself stuck on a distant planet (a long way from any block), inside a robot she has to trust to help her protect life back home.

The first trailer doesn't shed much more light on the plot, but it does have plenty of explosive visuals. Titanfall springs to mind here, especially since it shows a mech dropping from the sky to the surface. Sadly, it's probably the closest we'll ever get to a proper Titanfall film.

Atlas also stars Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown. The film is directed by Brad Peyton (San Andreas, Rampage). It'll hit Netflix on May 24. In the meantime, Team Engadget couldn't help but come up with some alternative titles:

• Mech In Manhattan

• Jenny from the Bot

• This is Mech... now

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/new-netflix-movie-atlas-puts-j-lo-in-a-giant-mech-150742144.html?src=rss

Whatever challenges come your way in a day, you’ll be better prepared to deal with them if you’ve had a restful night. According to the NIH, sleep experts recommend no fewer than seven hours of sleep each night, but some tech, like scrolling through social media or obsessively checking your email, can actually impair your down time — so take advantage of the bedtime modes for iPhone and Android. Other technology, however, can actually help maximize shut eye. Sleep apps and devices like fitness trackers, sleep machines, blue light glasses and smart light bulbs can help you fall asleep and stay there. We’ve tried out a number of gadgets that have worked for us, and we gathered them here so you can see if they’ll work for you, too. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-sleep-apps-gadgets-140013059.html?src=rss

Enlarge (credit: Olga Eremeeva via Getty)

In the summer of 2017, when communication professor Jeffery Gentry moved from Oklahoma to accept a position at Eastern New Mexico University, he was pleasantly surprised to find it easier to get up in the morning. The difference, he realized, was early morning light. On September mornings in Portales, New Mexico, Gentry rose with the sun at around 6:30 am, but at that time of day in Oklahoma, it was still dark.

As the Earth rotates, the sun reaches the eastern edge of a time zone first, with sunrise and sunset occurring progressively later as you move west. Gentry’s move had taken him from the western side of Central Time in Oklahoma to the eastern edge of Mountain Time. Following his curiosity into the scientific literature, he discovered the field of chronobiology, the study of biological rhythms, such as how cycles of daylight and dark affect living things. “I really just stumbled upon it from being a guinea pig in my own experiment,” he said.

In 2022, Gentry and an interdisciplinary team of colleagues added to that body of research, publishing a study in the journal Time & Society that showed the rate of fatal motor-vehicle accidents was highest for people living in the far west of a time zone, where the sun rises and sets at least an hour later than on the eastern side. Chronobiology research shows that longer evening light can keep people up later and that, as Gentry found, morning darkness can make it harder to get going for work or school. Western-edge folks may suffer more deadly car wrecks, the team theorized, because they are commuting in the dark while sleep deprived and not fully alert.

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A bill that could force a sale or outright ban on TikTok passed the House just days after it was first introduced. The House of Representatives approved the measure Wednesday, in a vote of 352 - 65, in a rare showing of bipartisan support. It now goes to the Senate.

If passed into law, the legislation would give parent company ByteDance a six-month window to sell TikTok or face a ban from US app stores and web hosting services. While the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” is far from the first effort to force a ban or sale of TikTok, it’s been able to draw more support far more quickly than previous bills.

The measure cleared its first procedural vote in the House last week, just two days after it was introduced. The bill will now move onto the Senate, where its future is less certain. Senator Rand Paul has said he would block the bill, while other lawmakers have also been hesitant to publicly back the bill.

TikTok has called the bill unconstitutional and said it would hurt creators and businesses that rely on the service. "This process was secret and the bill was jammed through for one reason: it's a ban," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement following the House vote. "We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service."

Last week, the company sent a wave of push notifications to users, urging them to ask their representatives to oppose the bill. Congressional staffers reported that offices were overwhelmed with calls, many of which came from confused teenagers. Lawmakers later accused the company of trying to “interfere” with the legislative process.

Free speech and digital rights groups also oppose the bill, with many noting that comprehensive privacy laws would be more effective at protecting Americans’ user data rather than a measure that primarily targets one app. Former President Donald Trump, who once also tried to force ByteDance to sell TikTok, has also said he is against the bill, claiming it would strengthen Meta.

In a letter to lawmakers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Fight for the Future and the Center for Democracy and Technology argued that the bill would “set an alarming global precedent for excessive government control over social media platforms” and would likely “invite copycat measures by other countries … with significant consequences for free expression globally.”

If the bill were to muster enough votes to pass the Senate, President Joe Biden says he would sign the bill into law. His administration has previously pressured ByteDance to sell TikTok. Officials maintain the app poses a national security risk due to its ties to ByteDance, a Chinese company. TikTok has repeatedly refuted these claims.

If the law was passed, the company would likely mount a legal challenge like it did in Montana, which passed a statewide ban last year. A federal judge temporarily blocked the ban in November before it could go into effect.

Update March 13, 2024, 12:32PM ET: This story has been updated to add a statement from a TikTok spokesperson.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/house-passes-bill-that-could-ban-tiktok-144805114.html?src=rss

Google DeepMind has unveiled new research highlighting an AI agent that's able to carry out a swath of tasks in 3D games it hasn't seen before. The team has long been experimenting with AI models that can win in the likes of Go and chess, and even learn games without being told their rules. Now, for the first time, according to DeepMind, an AI agent has shown it's able to understand a wide range of gaming worlds and carry out tasks within them based on natural-language instructions.

The researchers teamed up with studios and publishers such as Hello Games (No Man's Sky), Tuxedo Labs (Teardown) and Coffee Stain (Valheim and Goat Simulator 3) to train the Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent (SIMA) on nine games. The team also used four research environments, including one built in Unity in which agents are instructed to form sculptures using building blocks. This gave SIMA, described as "a generalist AI agent for 3D virtual settings," a range of environments and settings to learn from, with a variety of graphics styles and perspectives (first- and third-person). 

"Each game in SIMA’s portfolio opens up a new interactive world, including a range of skills to learn, from simple navigation and menu use, to mining resources, flying a spaceship or crafting a helmet," the researchers wrote in a blog post. Learning to follow directions for such tasks in video game worlds could lead to more useful AI agents in any environment, they noted.

Google DeepMind

The researchers recorded humans playing the games and noted the keyboard and mouse inputs used to carry out actions. They used this information to train SIMA, which has "precise image-language mapping and a video model that predicts what will happen next on-screen." The AI is able to comprehend a range of environments and carry out tasks to accomplish a certain goal.

The researchers say SIMA doesn't need a game's source code or API access — it works on commercial versions of a game. It also needs just two inputs: what's shown on screen and directions from the user. Since it uses the same keyboard and mouse input method as a human, DeepMind claims SIMA can operate in nearly any virtual environment.

The agent is evaluated on hundreds of basic skills that can be carried out within 10 seconds or so across several categories, including navigation ("turn right"), object interaction ("pick up mushrooms") and menu-based tasks, such as opening a map or crafting an item. Eventually, DeepMind hopes to be able to order agents to carry out more complex and multi-stage tasks based on natural-language prompts, such as "find resources and build a camp."

In terms of performance, SIMA fared well based on a number of training criteria. The researchers trained the agent in one game (let's say Goat Simulator 3, for the sake of clarity) and got it to play that same title, using that as a baseline for performance. A SIMA agent that was trained on all nine games performed far better than an agent that trained on just Goat Simulator 3.

Google DeepMind

What's especially interesting is that a version of SIMA that was trained in the eight other games then played the other one performed nearly as well on average as an agent that trained just on the latter. "This ability to function in brand new environments highlights SIMA’s ability to generalize beyond its training," DeepMind said. "This is a promising initial result, however more research is required for SIMA to perform at human levels in both seen and unseen games."

For SIMA to be truly successful, though, language input is required. In tests where an agent wasn't provided with language training or instructions, it (for instance) carried out the common action of gathering resources instead of walking where it was told to. In such cases, SIMA "behaves in an appropriate but aimless manner," the researchers said. So, it's not just us mere mortals. Artificial intelligence models sometimes need a little nudge to get a job done properly too.

DeepMind notes that this is early-stage research and that the results "show the potential to develop a new wave of generalist, language-driven AI agents." The team expects the AI to become more versatile and generalizable as it's exposed to more training environments. The researchers hope future versions of the agent will improve on SIMA's understanding and its ability to carry out more complex tasks. "Ultimately, our research is building towards more general AI systems and agents that can understand and safely carry out a wide range of tasks in a way that is helpful to people online and in the real world," DeepMind said.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-deepminds-new-ai-can-follow-commands-inside-3d-games-it-hasnt-seen-before-140341369.html?src=rss

Enlarge / That's no spice harvester. It's an extractor pulling helium-3 from the lunar surface. (credit: Interlune)

Two of Blue Origin's earliest employees, former President Rob Meyerson and Chief Architect Gary Lai, have started a company that seeks to extract helium-3 from the lunar surface, return it to Earth, and sell it for applications here.

The company has been operating in stealth since its founding in 2022, but it emerged on Wednesday by announcing it has raised $15 million, adding to previous rounds of angel investments.

This is a notable announcement because, while the funding is small, the implications are potentially large. Lately, there has been a lot of discussion of a 'lunar economy' in spaceflight but precious little clarity on what that means. Most firms that have announced business plans to launch rockets to the Moon, land on the Moon, or perform other activities there have been doing so with the intent of selling services or lunar water to NASA or other parties fulfilling government contracts. Put another way, there has been no wealth creation, and ultimately, NASA is the customer.

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Spring is so close now that it's almost in our grasp. Say goodbye to wearing a huge coat to go to the gym and hello to outdoor activities. With that in mind, there many great GPS running watches out there to track your time in the sun, including the on sale Garmin's Forerunner 55. The smartwatch is down to $150 from $200 — a 25 percent discount that brings the device to its record-low price.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is a slightly upgraded version of the company's 45S (which we rave about here). It comes with features such as a heart rate monitor, respiration rate, menstrual tracking, pacing strategies, and more. It also has a GPS that helps track distance, speed, and location and creates pacing strategies for a selected course.

While it's billed as a running watch, the Garmin Forerunner 55 also works for activities such as pilates, cycling, breathwork and swimming. As a smartwatch, the battery can last 20 days, while being in GPS mode gives the watch 20 hours — way more time than it takes to go for a run, stop for a snack and run back.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-garmin-forerunner-55-gps-running-watch-drops-to-a-record-low-of-150-133443716.html?src=rss

I miss having clean floors. I've been using a variety of Roombas over the years to help out with vacuuming, but ever since my wife and I had our second child in 2022, mopping has become an afterthought. And really, vacuuming can only clean your floor so much. I missed the shimmer of a mopped hardwood floor and the smell of Murphy Oil cleaner lingering in the air. Instead, I've been living with even more toys, crumbs and an assortment of bodily waste (which three cats contribute to) on my flooring and carpets. Don't judge me (or any parent!), I'm tired.

When Engadget's own Daniel Cooper extolled the virtues of iRobot's first combination robot vacuum and mop, I was intrigued. I'd already grown to love my Roombas, especially after they gained the ability to dump their own waste into their charging docks. But for them to mop as well? That just sounded like an impossible dream. So when iRobot announced its second combination flagship, the Roomba Combo j9+, I leapt at the chance to test it. (Sorry, Dan.)

I've tested iRobot's Braava Jet m6 mopping robot, which was announced in 2019 and was notable for being able to work alongside the Roomba s9+. But it would have cost me $499 and required clunky setup and maintenance. Plus, it was yet another device that needed to live somewhere in my home. It was ultimately easier for me to just run the Roomba and mop by hand whenever I needed to.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The Roomba Combo j9+ (and the j7+ before it) promises a far smoother experience: It can simultaneously vacuum and mop without much additional effort on your part. All you need to do is add some water and cleaning solution to its large reservoir (stored neatly in the redesigned Clean Base) and attach a mop pad. The company developed a unique mop arm that can automatically move up and down when needed, which helps to avoid leaving your carpets wet with residue.

Maintenance is fairly simple too: Wash the mop pads after a few runs, add more water when necessary, and make sure the Roomba's bristles aren't getting tangled with hair. Once the Clean Base is full, swapping its custom waste bags takes only a few seconds.

While we liked the Roomba Combo j7+ well enough, the new model solves some of the issues we encountered. It can automatically refill its water tank from the Clean Base, whereas the j7+ required you to manually add liquid to the robot. The Combo j9+ also offers stronger vacuum suctioning, which allows it to pick up smaller debris and complete jobs with fewer cleaning passes. Its new Clean Base also looks like a piece of furniture, with a wood top that you can use like a regular table. Its door swings open from the front and offers space for additional waste bags, accessories and a large reservoir for cleaning liquid.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

iRobot claims the j9+ Clean Base allows for 30 days of hands-free mopping and 60-days of hands-free vacuuming, figures that seem exceedingly ambitious for most users. In my testing, I needed to look at the Roomba's bristles at least once a week to deal with extraneous hair and random toys. And I definitely had to change the mop pad after two or three runs — after all, there's no such thing as clean floors with a dirty mop.

Like the Roomba j7+ and s9 before it, as well as just about every Roomba ever made, you'll want to clear your floors of small debris and potential hazards before starting a run. As a Roomba user since 2005, I've grown to accept that they're not magical cleaning devices. You will need to put in a bit of work to help them run best. But the key is it's still easier than manually vacuuming and sweeping your floors and it's significantly cheaper than a cleaning service.

Thanks to iRobot’s OS 7, along with its camera and wide array of sensors, the Roomba Combo j9+ is far better at automatically mapping your home than previous models. After two runs, it tagged my kitchen, dining area and living room correctly, though I had to hop into the iRobot app to differentiate between my living room and family room. The mapping might seem unnecessary if you're using a Roomba for the first time (you can also disable it entirely), but it is the heart of the vacuum's routines. Instead of cleaning your entire home, you can program it to just clean the kitchen and dining room. If you connect your app to Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant, you can also use voice commands to direct your robot to specific locations.

After getting in hot water over its earlier plans to sell home mapping data, iRobot made an about face, gave up on that idea and started emphasizing privacy. The company says your mapping data is stored in the iRobot Cloud for processing (something you can also disable), which is a "secure" environment with "strict access controls, data encryption at rest and in transit, and periodic audits to ensure access is only given to those who require it."

In 2020, MIT Technology Review reported that development versions of the Roomba J7 captured images of a woman sitting on a toilet and a child playing on the floor, which made their way to a library used by the labeling service Scale AI. iRobot said that the people using those devices had agreed to have their data captured — they weren't regular consumers. One downside of using any cloud-connected device, especially one that aims to learn about your home, is that it'll require sharing some data. It's up to you to determine if that's a worthwhile tradeoff for more convenience.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

When it comes to cleaning, the Roomba Combo j9+ practically mesmerized me as it balanced vacuuming and mopping duties. At the start of every mopping job, the robot emerged from the Clean Base, turned around and studiously refilled its liquid tank. It's like watching R2D2 go to the bathroom in reverse. Since it was starting every job on my wood floor, the Roomba then lowered its mopping pad from its top (it has a 'lil mop hat!) and spun up its vacuum. Then, it proceeded to move forward, sucking up dirt while the scrubbing pad cleaned right behind, a virtuoso show of autonomous cleaning acrobatics.

If you don't need a full cleaning, you could also use the iRobot app to have the j9+ just vacuum or mop (useful if you've just gone to town on your floors with a manual vac). The iRobot app lets you control the number of cleaning passes per job (one, two or "room-size", which tackles large rooms once and smaller spaces two to three times), as well as the amount of water for every mopping job (eco, standard or ultra). You can also choose between low, medium and high suction options (which get progressively louder, as you'd expect).

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The iRobot app also lets you turn the Roomba's obstacle detection on and off, though you'll likely never want to disable it. In my testing, the Roomba Combo j9+ managed to avoid shoes, toys and other objects in its path. It also quietly came to a halt whenever my kids or cats stepped in front of it. iRobot's promise to avoid pet poop (the aptly named Pet Owner Official Promise) also applies to the j9+. If the company's poop-optimized computer vision algorithms somehow miss a dog or cat mess in your home, iRobot says it will send you a new Roomba at no charge within the first year of purchase. The company will only send out one replacement, though, and the guarantee doesn't apply to non-solid waste (including diarrhea) or poop from another animal.

Before you ask, yes, I tested this. I placed a bit of cat poop in front of the j9+ and watched with worry as it approached the stinker. Thankfully, it stopped about six inches away and immediately backed off, as if it was terrified of the horrors it was about to inflict on itself. My floors were grateful, as was I.

The Roomba Combo j9+ performed admirably as a mop. It wasn't always perfect, and I could occasionally make out streaks, but it still looked a lot better than when relying on mere vacuuming. After my first cleaning session, my floors beamed in the sunlight with a glow I hadn't seen in months. And best of all, it required very little effort on my part, aside from a bit of tidying up. Even my notoriously picky mom noticed my floors sparkled more when they visited right after the Roomba worked its magic.

According to iRobot, the j9+ features twice the scrubbing performance of the j7+. While I couldn't test the difference directly, I can confirm it's a stubborn little bot when it comes to tough situations like dried litter paw prints and caked-in dirt. It managed to fully clean up those messes, but I'd be wary of letting it tackle anything worse, at least not without changing the mopping pad right afterwards. The j9+ may be able to avoid streaking poop around your house, but having your floors painted with a muddy mop can also be awful.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

A rogue j9+ could do plenty of damage around your home, since its battery life has also been improved. It typically cleared my first floor in around two hours without needing a charging break. At one point, it ran for two and a half hours without a sweat. That should make this Roomba pretty capable even if you have a large home. A full floor cleaning took between 30 minutes and an hour longer than the j7+, but that makes sense since it’s also mopping and being more diligent about vacuuming.

At $1,400, the Roomba Combo J9+ is too expensive for most people looking to buy their first robovac. Even when iRobot is running a sale (we've seen it drop the price down to $999), the Combo j9+ is pretty pricey, but that cut does make the j9+ more palatable for longtime Roomba owners who've learned how to fit the bot into their cleaning routines. iRobot isn't completely out of line with its pricing: The competing Roborock S7 Max Ultra offers similar vacuum and mopping features and typically sells for $1,299 (it's also on sale for $999 at the moment).

There's still no robot vacuum equivalent to the Jetson's Rosie the Robot, but the Roomba Combo j9+ is the closest we've got so far. iRobot has built upon its excellent robot vacuum platform to deliver something that can finally mop your floors without a sweat. And while it may seem a tad exorbitant, the cost may be worth it for parents who, like me, forgot what truly clean floors looked like.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/roomba-combo-j9-review-the-ideal-robot-vacuum-and-mop-130017400.html?src=rss