Tesla has officially launched new versions of the Model S and the Model X in the US. As Electrek notes, however, the upgrades may not be quite as big or compelling as one could hope when the vehicles now cost $5,000 more. The automaker has posted a list of updates for the vehicles on X, including a new Frost Blue paint color option and a range of up to 410 miles for the Model S Long Range version, which is Tesla's longest range yet. Getting the Frost Blue paint will cost buyers $2,500 more, however, and the new range is only 5 miles longer than the previous versions. 

The company said the vehicles are now quieter inside, thanks to a more effective Active Noise Cancellation feature, and that their interiors now come with dynamic ambient lighting with unique animations. They can run more smoothly due to their new bushings and suspension design, and their new wheel designs enable the longer range. In addition, the models now have a new front bumper camera for better visibility, as well as adaptive driving beams. Model S Plaid's new exterior styling was apparently optimized for high-speed stability. Meanwhile, Model X now has more space for third row passengers and cargo. Take note that the base vehicles come with 19-inch wheels, but customers can upgrade with 20-to-22-inch wheels for $4,500 more. 

Tesla only sold approximately 50,000 Model S and X vehicles around the world last year, whereas it delivered over 1.7 million Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Whether these changes can convince people to buy the Models S and X remains to be seen. The Model S will now cost customers at least $84,990, while the Model Y will set them back at least $89,990.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/teslas-new-model-s-and-x-vehicles-are-now-available-in-the-us-133020684.html?src=rss

©

© Tesla

Meta has finalized its $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, which now values the startup that provides other companies with data labeling and model evaluation services for AI training at $29 billion. As part of the deal, Scale AI's founder and CEO Alexandr Wang will be joining Meta. According to The New York Times, Wang will lead Meta's fledgling "Superintelligence lab." A few days ago, several reports came out that Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg has been personally overseeing the recruitment for a team he's assembling to achieve AI superintelligence. 

Zuckerberg, who was reportedly frustrated by the quality of Meta's Llama 4 LLM, has been inviting potential recruits to his home and offering them compensation packages worth seven to nine figures. Wang said in his note to Scale employees that he's taking a few other people from the startup with him to Meta to work on artificial intelligence. Meta has yet to formally announce the team and to reveal what their role will be, but their ultimate goal based on the name "Superintelligence lab" is to develop AI with intellectual powers far beyond any human's.

This investment is Meta's second largest after its $19 billion Whatsapp acquisition. With its $14.3 billion investment, Meta will have a 49 percent stake on Scale but will have little control over its operations. The Times said the companies decided on that structure to avoid being scrutinized by regulators. Both Amazon's $4 billion investment in Anthropic and Microsoft's close ties to OpenAI were probed by regulators, after all. Meta itself is still battling the FTC in an antitrust case over its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. 

In his note to employees, Wang wrote that "opportunities of this magnitude," pertaining to Meta's investment, "come at a cost." That cost, he said, was his departure. Wang will still serve on Scale's Board of Directors, but his position as CEO will be taken over by Jason Droege, the startup's current Chief Strategy Officer. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-invests-148-billion-in-scale-ai-and-recruits-its-ceo-130029612.html?src=rss

©

© Drew Angerer via Getty Images

You don't have to make a huge effort planning Instagram posts anymore so that your profile takes on a certain aesthetic or so that your grid reads or looks a certain way. Instagram will soon (and finally) let you re-order the posts already on your grid. Alessandro Paluzzi, who reverse engineered apps and posted upcoming features online, found an "edit grid" option within Instagram way back in 2022. Instagram didn't say when exactly the feature will be available, but when you do get the edit grid option, tapping it will take you to a screen where you can rearrange your posts in the way you want them to appear on your profile. 

In the post announcement from Instagram head Adam Mosseri, he also revealed that Instagram is "exploring a way" that will allow you to post to your account without broadcasting it to your followers' feeds. The idea is to make posting less intimidating and to allow you to keep your account active without the pressure. Mosseri also didn't say when the feature is rolling out, but take note that his post is about Instagram's investments in creativity for this year. 

Finally, the Instagram head announced that trial Reels are now available to everyone. Trial Reels will allow you to publish Reels that bypass your followers' feeds. Those Reels are then recommended to non-followers instead, since the feature's original purpose was to give creators a way to experiment with new types of content that could alienate their current audience. Mosseri said that the hope is for trial Reels to "give everyone greater freedom to explore their creativity in a low-pressure way."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/instagram-will-soon-let-you-re-arrange-your-grid-160011925.html?src=rss

©

© Instagram

The Solar Orbiter has been observing the sun since 2021, but it recently went on a side trip to Venus which significantly tilted its orbit and gave it a good view of the sun's polar region. That is how it was able to capture images that will historically be known as humankind's first-ever views of the sun's pole. All our galaxy's planets and the other spacecraft we've deployed orbit the sun around an imaginary ecliptic plane along the star's equator. But thanks to the Solar Orbiter's Venus flyby, it now has a view of the sun from below its equator, allowing it to see the star's southern pole clearly. The images you see above were captured from an angle of 15 degrees below the equator on March 16 and 17, but the probe has reached the 17 degree maximum angle it could achieve since then.

Three of the probe's instruments were responsible for the images. The Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) imaged the sun in visible light and mapped its surface magnetic field. Meanwhile, the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) imaged the sun in ultraviolet light, and the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument captured light "coming from different temperatures of charged gas above the sun’s surface, thereby revealing different layers of the sun's atmosphere."

So what exactly was the Solar Orbiter able to observe at the sun's southern pole? Well, the pole's magnetic field, simply put, is a mess at the moment. See, the sun's magnetic field flips roughly every 11 years, and it's about to flip this year if it hasn't yet. Normally, a magnet has a clear north and south pole, but the orbiter's PHI instrument showed that both north and south polarity magnetic fields are present at the sun's south pole right now. "This happens only for a short time during each solar cycle, at solar maximum, when the Sun’s magnetic field flips and is at its most active," ESA explained. 

After the flip, the magnetic field fixes itself so that the poles have single polarities. The process is gradual, however, and it will take five to six years to achieve solar minimum, wherein which the sun's magnetic field is at its most orderly. These solar cycles or regular magnetic field flips aren't fully understood yet, and the orbiter's observations could be the key to unlocking that knowledge. 

In addition, scientists used the orbiter's SPICE instrument to take Doppler measurements, or how fast clumps of solar material are moving. They then took that information to create a velocity map that shows how solar material moves within a specific layer of the sun. These measurements can show how the sun flings out particles into space in the form of solar winds, which is one of the orbiter's key goals. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/solar-orbiter-captures-images-of-the-suns-pole-for-the-first-time-123047746.html?src=rss

©

© ESA & NASA/Solar Orbiter/PHI, EUI and SPICE Teams

The Hitman trilogy, also known as Hitman World of Assassination, will be available on iPhones, iPads, as well as Mac computers, this summer. IO Interactive has announced that it was expanding Hitman's availability during the developer's showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025, where it celebrated the franchise's 25th anniversary. IO Interactive's Chief Development Officer, Veronique Lallier, said the launch on iOS means you can travel the world with Hitman in your pocket. Event attendees were given the chance to experience the game running natively on iOS. 

Lallier also announced that Hitman is coming to table top. IO Interactive has teamed up with board game creator Mood Publishing to make Hitman the board game, which will be available for backing on Kickstarter later this year. The board game will feature the franchise's characters, iconic weapons and backdrops. Up to four players can play as assassins going after a single target, and the one who takes the target out will get the payout in the end. 

In addition, the developer has revealed that Le Chiffre, the villain from the Bond film Casino Royale, will be the World of Assassination's new Elusive Target. Mads Mikkelsen, the actor who played Le Chiffre in the movie, provided the likeness and the voice for the new game character. You'll only have a limited time to go after Mikkelsen's character, as Hitman's Elusive Target missions only appear once, and you cannot attempt them again after they end. To note, IO Interactive recently revealed its James Bond game, 007 First Light, which will be coming out in 2026. If you play the Elusive Target mission with Le Chiffre, you can redeem an exclusive suit in 007 First Light when it becomes available.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hitman-world-of-assassination-is-coming-to-ios-and-table-tops-160036401.html?src=rss

©

© IO Interactive

Wu-Tang Clan has a new game. At Summer Game Fest 2025, Brass Lion Entertainment has introduced its debut game, Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver. In it, you'll have to fight alongside the group's members to defeat the invading forces of the Deceiver and to save your home of Shaolin. The game is an action RPG with "anime-style fighting and afro-surrealist aesthetic." While you can play the game alone, you can also team up with up to two more friends online, and all of you can customize your fighting styles and your fashion. 

According to The Washington Post, the group looked for a studio that can develop a game that can tie in with Ghostface Killah and RZA’s upcoming film, the supernatural thriller Angel of Dust. That's when the members found out that Brass Lion's director of music and culture was American record producer Just Blaze. 

Bryna Dabby Smith, Brass Lion's co-founder and CEO, said Wu-Tang loved the concepts their company presented for the game. "The script is in the horror genre, but it really worked from an interactive perspective," the executive told The Post. Brass Lion was co-founded by Manveer Heir (Wolfenstein and Mass Effect 3), Rashad Redic (Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim) and Smith (The Bourne Conspiracy, Sleeping Dogs). Heir previously said that the studio will focus on telling authentic underrepresented stories not just relating to race, but also to age, religion and sexuality.

Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver will feature classic Wu-Tang tunes alongside new material, as overseen by Just Blaze. It doesn't have a release date yet, but you can watch a teaser below and look at some screenshots on its official Steam page.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/wu-tang-clans-new-game-blends-anime-with-afro-surrealism-140048792.html?src=rss

©

© Brass Lion Entertainment

Milan Kovac, who leads Tesla's Optimus humanoid robotics program, is leaving the automaker. In a post on X, Milan talked about how he joined Tesla as an engineer for the core Autopilot team in 2016 and how he started leading the Optimus group in 2022. He explained that he's leaving his position, because he's "been far away from home for too long and will need to spend more time with family abroad." Kovac stressed that it was the only reason he's leaving and that his support for Elon Musk and the Tesla team was "ironclad," perhaps insinuating that his decision had nothing to do with Musk's politics or recent fallout with the president. 

Tesla first announced that it was working on a humanoid robot in 2021, though it wasn't able to debut an actual prototype until a year a later in 2022. Musk said back then Optimus will be able to move at 5 mph and carry loads up to 45 pounds. He also said that he expects it to sell for $20,000 each when built at volume and claimed that the machines can give the company a $25 trillion market cap. Since then, Tesla has demonstrated Optimus' ability to handle an egg, cook meals, fold the laundry and throw the trash. The robot doesn't have a solid release date yet. Musk said back in April that the robot's production had been affected by China's export restrictions of rare earth magnets, so it's most likely not going to be anytime soon.

Bloomberg, which reported Kovac's departure first, said he's leaving the company immediately. Ashok Elluswamy, who's leading the company's Autopilot group, is taking over his responsibilities. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-head-of-teslas-optimus-humanoid-robot-program-leaves-the-company-120015282.html?src=rss

©

© Tesla

Team Asobi is releasing five new levels for Astro Bot, and you can get all of them for free. The developer has announced that the brand new levels will drop on July 10 at 9AM Eastern time. Like the speedrun levels and the previous levels the developer released at no cost, the new ones will be part of the Vicious Void Galaxy. Four of the new levels are called Twin-Frog Trouble, Suck It Up, Handhold Havoc and High Inflation, but Team Asobi is keeping the last one a secret. Each one will come with its own Special Bot, including a "revengeful newcomer." The developer also hinted that finishing all five levels will lead to "something really cool."

Astro Bot is a 3D platformer, wherein you control a small robot named Astro across levels set in different galaxies and planets. It features unique and creative uses of the DualSense controller, such as having to hold down the analog triggers and physically tilting the device in order to move Astro's spaceship. Team Asobi has released several free levels before these new ones since the game launched in late 2024, and so far, Astro Bot has over 90 levels that you can play. 

In addition to announcing the freebies at PlayStation State of Play, Team Asobi has also revealed that it's launching an updated version of the Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller later this year. The developer promised more details in the future, but for now, you can see that the controller will come with Astro's smiling eyes on its touchpad. 

Team Asobi / Sony

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/astro-bot-is-getting-five-new-and-free-levels-this-july-123008291.html?src=rss

©

© Sony / Team Asobi

Sony has just unveiled the first wireless fight stick designed by the company itself. It doesn't have an official product name yet, but it's currently codenamed Project Defiant. The arcade-style controller uses the PlayStation Link wireless technology to connect to the PS5 and the PC. Sony says the technology provides an ultra-low latency connection that enables "precise in-game response" to every press on its buttons and every movement on its joystick. Players can also plug the device into their PC or their console via a USB-C connection if they want to ensure that there's no lag 

The company said it custom designed its controls and used "toolless interchangeable restrictor gates (square, circle, and octagon)," as well as mechanical switches for its buttons. Sony also used the same touch pad on the fight stick as the one found on the DualSense wireless controller. In addition to being able to control the action on screen, the stick has the ability to wirelessly wake up the PS5 by pressing the PS button in the same way a DualSense controller can. 

The fight stick has a storage compartment for its restrictor gates and the PS Link USB adapter. It also sounds like the device will ship with a sturdy carrying case, so you can take it safely with you when needed. Sony has yet to announce Project Defiant's pricing and release date, but it's planning to make the fight stick available for purchase sometime in 2026, perhaps in time for players to be able to use it to play Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. The tag fighting game, which is also coming out next year, was developed by the studio behind the Guilty Gear franchise.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/project-defiant-is-sonys-first-wireless-fight-stick-for-ps5-and-pc-113009444.html?src=rss

©

© Sony

Volvo has introduced a new seatbelt technology that can customize the protection it provides in real time. The "multi-adaptive safety belt" system, as the automaker is calling it, uses data input from both interior and exterior sensors to change protection settings based on various factors. It can take a person's height, weight, body shape and seating position into account, as well as the direction and speed of the vehicle. The system can communicate all those information to the seatbelt "in the blink of an eye" so that it can optimize protection for the passenger. 

If the passenger is on the larger side, for instance, they will receive a higher belt load setting to reduce the risk of a head injury in the event of a serious crash. For milder crashes, someone with a smaller frame will receive a lower belt load setting to prevent rib injuries. Volvo didn't specifically say if the system also takes the position of a seatbelt on women into account, since it doesn't always fit right over a woman's chest. However, the automaker explained that the system expands the number of load-limiting profiles to 11. Load limiters control how much force a seatbelt applies on the body during a crash. Typically, seatbelts only have three load-limiting profiles, but Volvo expanding them to 11 means the system can better optimize the protection a passenger gets. 

Volvo used information from five decades of safety research and from a database of over 80,000 people involved in real-life accidents to design the new safety belt. The system was also created to incorporate improvements rolled out via over the-air software updates, which the company expects to release as it gets more data and insights. 

"The world first multi-adaptive safety belt is another milestone for automotive safety and a great example of how we leverage real-time data with the ambition to help save millions of more lives," said Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre. "This marks a major upgrade to the modern three-point safety belt, a Volvo invention introduced in 1959, estimated to have saved over a million lives."

Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin designed the modern three-point seatbelt and made its patent available for use by other automakers. The company didn't say whether it'll be as generous with the multi-adaptive safety belt, but the new system will debut in the all-electric Volvo EX60 midsize SUV sometime next year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/volvo-is-introducing-the-first-multi-adaptive-seatbelt-technology-on-the-ex60-ev-070017403.html?src=rss

©

© Volvo

The Voxel Agents has significantly expanded its indie hit game, The Gardens Between, and has remade it for virtual reality. It has debuted the new version of the time-bending puzzler at the Shacknews E4 Indie Showcase, which featured 15 game developers showing off content for their upcoming titles. The new game, now called Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between, still revolves around childhood best friends Arina and Frendt. But now the story begins two decades after the original one when Frendt finds Arina's old diary in the midst of moving. 

Frendt is transported back into the events in the original The Gardens Between, but he's now guided by Arina's diary, which will show her perspective as they traverse the dreamlike landscapes of the game. The new version comes with 40 new puzzles across levels with immersive interactions made specifically for virtual reality. Players will be able to reach out to assemble toy parts, for instance, lift a brush to paint and even craft a friendship bracelet with their hands. 

"We wanted to tap into something relatable, familiar, and nostalgic through the lens of VR. The magic of being a kid is fleeting, but the story of Arina and Frendt captures that enchantment in a beautiful package," said Simon Joslin, co-founder of The Voxel Agents. 

The developer will be releasing a demo of the game at Steam Next Fest, which will take place from June 9 to June 16, 2025. Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between has no release date yet, but it will be available sometime this year for the Meta Quest and SteamVR.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/indie-hit-the-gardens-between-has-been-reworked-for-virtual-reality-193050098.html?src=rss

©

© The Voxel Agents

You can no longer use Google Wallet to pay with your PayPal account in the US. As Android Authority has reported, Google has updated the Wallet Help page to state that the integration will be ending on June 13. Your linked PayPal account can no longer be used to pay for anything, and it will automatically be deleted from the digital wallet application. To be able to continue paying online with the app, including recurring payments for subscriptions, you'd have to add at least one card if you haven't yet. 

While it's no longer possible to link a PayPal account to Wallet, it'll still work as intended if you attach a PayPal-branded debit card to the app, which will also let you spend your Paypal balance. It's just the account integration itself that will no longer work. That said, the change seems to only affect users in the US. In Germany, where the option to link PayPal accounts to Wallet is also available, PayPal will continue supporting the integration. 

Google Wallet lets you store cards for payment online and for tap-to-pay services, as well as documents that include digital passports, state IDs, driver's licenses, virtual car keys and flight information. Last year, Google shut down its standalone Pay app in favor of Wallet in order to simplify its payment options. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-wallets-paypal-integration-is-ending-this-june-133045777.html?src=rss

©

© SOPA Images via Getty Images

Black Voices in Gaming will be at Summer Game Fest 2025, with its showcase taking place on June 9 at 12PM Eastern time. You'll be able to stream it live online on The Game Awards YouTube channel. The non-profit organization focuses on putting a spotlight on titles created by Black game developers and on curating culturally relevant games centered on the lived experiences of Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC). On X, the team said you can expect "world premieres, dope interviews, and bold voices pushing the culture forward" during the event. It didn't list out the games it's going to feature, but you can peek at the kind of titles the organization champions on its website.

Summer Game Fest kicks off on June 6 with its opening livestream, followed by the indie-focused showcase Day of the Devs. On June 7, you can watch a showcase for time-sucking cozy games called Wholesome Direct, as well as the Women-led Games Showcase that will feature 39 titles from women-led and majority women development teams. That will be followed by the Latin American Games Showcase for titles created by Latin American developers and the Green Games Showcase for games that make direct contributions to green initiatives. On June 8, there will be showcase dedicated to Xbox games, featuring reveals and updates from across Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. In addition, Death Stranding 2 will premiere at the event on the evening of June 8. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-black-voices-in-gaming-at-summer-game-fest-2025-125906747.html?src=rss

©

© Black Voices in Gaming

The Women-Led Games Showcase will be returning for its second year at the Summer Game Fest 2025. It will feature 39 titles from women-led and majority women development teams, and viewers can expect to see deep dives, release announcements and information on DLCs during the event. The Showcase will take place on June 7 at 1PM Eastern time and will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube, which is embedded below. You can also watch the stream through various co-streamers' Twitch channels that you can find from the Women-Led Games' X account. Take note that the team will also be running a Steam sale event from June 6 to 13 for women-led titles.

In addition to this showcase, Summer Game Fest 2025 will also feature several other events, such as Day of the Dev for indie titles and Wholesome Direct for cozy games. There will be a showcase for titles created by Latin American developers, a Green Games event for titles that make direct contributions to green initiatives and an Xbox Games Showcase for updates on titles from across Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. You can also watch the live premiere for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach on June 8 at 10PM Eastern time.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-the-women-led-games-showcase-at-summer-game-fest-2025-190005489.html?src=rss

©

© Summer Games Fest

It's no secret that 28 Years Later used iPhones to shoot parts of the film. Now its director, Danny Boyle, has discussed the use of iPhones for the film in more detail with IGN. The first film in the franchise, 28 Days Later, was shot on digital video, giving it a homemade feel. Boyle explained that he and writer Alex Garland got the idea from the fact that home video cameras were common at the time, and people would've shot videos with them if an apocalypse had indeed happened. Those cameras, of course, have since been replaced by smartphones.

The movies used three special rigs for the iPhone sequences: One for eight cameras that one person can carry, another with 10 and another with 20. "I never say this, but there is an incredible shot in the second half [of the film] where we use the 20-rig camera, and you'll know it when you see it," Boyle told IGN. He described the 20-iPhone rig as "basically a poor man’s bullet time," which is a visual effect that uses multiple cameras to freeze or slow down time. Think the scene in The Matrix, wherein Neo dodged bullets in super slow motion. 

Doyle said that the 20-camera rig can be attached to cranes or dollies and give you 180 degrees of vision of an action. In editing, you can choose from any of the footage each iPhone takes to, say, move between perspectives or jump forward and backward. For 28 Years Later, the team used the rig for violent scenes to emphasize their effect. "For a moment the audience is inside the scene, the action, rather than classically observing a picture," Doyle explained.

In addition to the iPhones, the filmmakers also used drones, cameras attached to actors and even farm animals to achieve an immersive feel for its 2.76:1 widescreen aspect ratio. They decided on the aspect ratio to create a sense of unease, since you'd have to keep scanning the screen to see potential threats coming from the sides. 

Sony

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/28-years-later-used-20-iphones-in-tandem-for-some-wild-shots-130043338.html?src=rss

©

© Sony

On June 5, which is also the Switch 2's launch day, Nintendo is rolling out new features for N64 games on Switch Online. If you just want to play to relax and not worry about in-game lives, the ability to rewind will perhaps sound like the most useful among the upcoming features. It will let you, well, rewind the game if you make a mistake so you can try again from that point. Failed to a get a birdie on Mario Golf? No problem. Just access the feature and choose from the panels at the bottom that show up to choose which point you'd like to start from again. That said, the function will only be accessible on the Switch 2. 

Another new feature coming to N64 games is the CRT filter. Yes, it will give your game that old CRT TV look by putting a pixelated texture on top of it. If you've originally played N64 titles on old TVs, it could be a fantastic throwback to your youth. Like the rewind function, though, the option will be exclusively available on the Switch 2. It's not quite clear why it won't be rolling out on Switch consoles, as well. If you're not getting the new console, the only update you're getting on June 5 is the ability to check what each controller button does on the game you're playing. You can then change what each button does to make the controls easier for you. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/switch-2-will-add-a-rewind-function-to-its-online-n64-games-121506171.html?src=rss

©

© Nintendo

The Starship super heavy-lift launch vehicle blasted off from SpaceX's Starbase in Texas for its ninth test flight on Tuesday, 7:37 PM Eastern time. It was the first Starship flight that reused a Super Heavy booster, which was also used for the vehicle's seventh test flight. During the vehicle's seventh and eighth flights, its second stage, or the Starship spacecraft itself, exploded during ascent. This time, the stage (also known as the "Ship") completed its ascent burn and even reached space, but it was one victory in a test flight with mixed results.

SpaceX's Starbase launch tower caught the Super Heavy booster after it flew back with its "chopstick" arms during the two previous flights. For this one, the company conducted tests with the booster it didn't do before, such as making it fly at a higher angle during its descent. Doing so increases the atmospheric drag on the booster, slowing it down as it descends so that it requires less propellant. As such, the company had decided to let the booster splash down into the ocean, as the testing would make it more difficult for the Starbase chopstick arms to catch it. SpaceX lost contact with the Super Heavy shortly after it started its landing burn, however, and it experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" six minutes after launch. 

Meanwhile, the Ship stage was able to take on a suborbital trajectory and was supposed to deploy eight Starlink simulator satellites while it was in space. It was ultimately unable to deploy the simulator satellites, because its payload bay door got stuck and wouldn't open. The Ship also encountered an attitude control error that prevented it from getting into the position it needed to take for reentry. It started to tumble due to a leak that caused loss of main tank pressure, before SpaceX lost contact with it 46 minutes into the flight. While a controlled splashdown was impossible to achieve, the company still expects Ship's debris to fall within the planned hazard area in the Indian Ocean. 

SpaceX will not be getting all the data it was hoping to get from this flight, but Elon Musk said there's still a "lot of good data to review." He also said that the company will be flying the Starship over the next three flights once every three to four weeks. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacexs-ninth-starship-test-flight-reaches-space-but-fails-to-deploy-fake-satellites-120057474.html?src=rss

©

© SpaceX

OnePlus has revealed its artificial intelligence plans for its devices, starting with the introduction of the Plus Key, which will replace the Alert Slider. The Plus Key, like its predecessor, is a physical button that users can customize to launch the camera, to initiate translations or to start recording. More importantly, it launches the new AI Plus Mind feature, which can record and recall information found on screen. When a user wants to take note of important information such as schedules, event details, reservations or listings, for instance, they can press the Plus Key to activate AI Plus Mind and save those details. (Take note that the feature can extract details from both images and texts.) Alternatively, they can swipe up on the screen with three fingers. 

What AI Plus Mind does is save relevant content to a dedicated Mind Space, where users can browse various information that they've saved. Users can then search for the detail they want to find using natural language queries. Both the Plus Key and the AI Plus Mind will debut on the OnePlus 13s in Asia. AI Plus Mind will roll out to the rest of the OnePlus 13 Series devices through a future software update, while all future OnePlus phone will come with the new physical key. Notably, the new button and feature bear similarities to Nothing's physical Essential Key that can also save information inside the Essential Space app. Nothing was founded by Carl Pei who co-founded OnePlus.

The company is also developing several tools for the OnePlus AI, including AI VoiceScribe that enables users to "record, summarize and translate calls and meetings directly within popular messaging, video, and online meeting applications." AI Translation will consolidate the brand's translation capabilities via text, live voice, camera and screen into one app, sort of like Google Translate. AI Search will enable natural language queries to search for local files and notes. Meanwhile, AI Best Face 2.0, which is coming this summer, can correct issues like closed eyes in group photos. 

OnePlus

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/oneplus-is-replacing-its-alert-slider-with-yes-an-ai-button-130026087.html?src=rss

©

© OnePlus

Square Enix is following up last year's release of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake with the remade versions of the first two games in the franchise. In celebration of the original game's release on May 27, 1986, the company has announced that the Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake set is arriving on October 30 on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X|S and the PC via Steam. Chronologically, the first two games in the franchise take place after the events in the third game. It revolves around the hero who went on a journey to complete the quest started by their father, a legendary warrior, to defeat the demon lord Baramos. 

Dragon Quest 1 and 2 revolve around the descendants of that hero, who received the title of "Erdrick" after the events of the third game. Both games are turn-based RPGs, wherein players can control the actions of all the members of a party. They, like the other games in the franchise, feature character designs by Akira Toriyama, who's mostly known for creating Dragon Ball. Players can expect high-definition 2D graphics, brand new major story additions, a refined battle system and other quality-of-life updates with the remake set.

The digital and physical versions of the Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake set are now available for pre-order for $60, except for the digital Switch and Switch 2 games that will be available at a later date. Pre-orders will come with free in-game items, but the Collector’s Edition will also come with digital wallpapers, six characters, a dog and two boss monsters. And for those who didn't get the third game's remake last year, Square Enix is releasing a digital-only Erdrick Trilogy Collection with all three games on the same day. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dragon-quest-1-and-2-hd-2d-remake-arrives-on-october-30-124540701.html?src=rss

©

© Square Enix

The first device OpenAI is putting out with Jony Ive won't be a phone or a wearable and may not even have a screen at all, according to The Wall Street Journal. OpenAI chief Sam Altman reportedly talked about the company's plans to employees after announcing that it has purchased Ive's startup called io. The Journal said Altman told employees that they have "the chance to do the biggest thing [they've] ever done as a company." 

Altman and Ive gave out clues for what the company's first device could be: They said it will be fully aware of its environment and the user's activities, that it will unobtrusive and could either be carried around in one's pocket or placed on a desk. The executives also believe that it's bound to become one of people's "core" devices after a laptop and a phone. According to the Journal, it won't be a phone and that one of Ive's and Altman's goals is to wean people off screens, which means it most likely wouldn't come with a display. Altman reportedly said that it won't be a pair of glasses, and Ive wasn't keen on building a product users can wear in the first place. 

Whatever the device is, they intend on guarding specifics until it's time to release it in order to prevent their competitors from copying it. They're hoping to launch their new AI device late next year and are hoping to ship 100 million units "faster than any company has ever shipped 100 million of something new before." Ive's team, the Journal said, has been talking to vendors that can mass produce the device over the past four months. 

OpenAI apparently started working with Ive's startup a year-and-a-half ago. The original plan was to have Ive's company build a product that uses OpenAI's technology, but they realized that it could become the primary way users will interact with OpenAI's generative AI models. And that is why OpenAI ended up acquiring the startup founded by Apple's former chief design officer for $6.5 billion. We'll have to wait and see whether the combination of Ive's design and OpenAI's tech is compelling enough to convince people to buy yet another device from a new category. A company called Humane, for instance, tried and failed to get people to purchase the Ai Pin, which it marketed "as a tiny replacement for smartphones." In February, the company disconnected all the Pins it had sold, leaving customers without access to all of its features.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-first-device-with-jony-ive-reportedly-wont-be-a-phone-or-a-wearable-130024787.html?src=rss

©

© OpenAI