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With America's long-term (and even short-term) economic prospects shifting on Eric Cartman-like whims, some internet providers have begun offering multi-year price guarantees to provide a little stability amid the chaos. A couple of weeks after Verizon introduced a three-year price lock, Comcast has followed suit with a five-year pricing guarantee for new Xfinity residential customers.

On the bright side, the deal isn't linked to an annual contract requirement. But, as you might expect from a massive broadband company, there's plenty of fine print.

First, the offer only applies to 400 Mbps home internet plans with one year of Xfinity Mobile Unlimited (one line) — a package that starts at $55 monthly (before taxes and fees). Then, if you want unlimited data, you'll need to use an Xfinity Gateway, which requires a monthly rental payment, or pay an extra $30 monthly to enjoy it with your own modem.

The locked-in price doesn't cover installation, taxes, fees or other charges, which Comcast notes are subject to change during and after the promo. So, at least in theory, the company has some wiggle room to raise the price without technically raising it. Finally, if you don't enroll in and maintain paperless billing and automatic payments, you'll pay an extra $10 each month (or an extra $8 if you pay by credit or debit card).

After reading those two paragraphs of fine print, you may find it amusing that Comcast's press release frames the price guarantee as being about simplicity. "Our new price guarantee removes complexity," Comcast COO Steve Croney wrote. Still, with Americans increasingly being forced to check their 401(k)s and stock portfolios like gamblers check a high-stakes sports score, any small oasis of financial stability is at least something.

Comcast's offer ends on June 23.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/comcast-rolls-out-a-five-year-price-guarantee-with-plenty-of-fine-print-173421738.html?src=rss

It looks like OpenAI is building its own X-like social media network, according to a report by The Verge. We don’t have many specifics, but we do know there’s an internal prototype that adds a social feed to ChatGPT’s image generation tool.

It remains unclear if OpenAI will launch this social network as a standalone app or if it will be integrated within the ChatGPT app, which is what the prototype indicates. The report does suggest that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been asking for feedback about the social network from people outside of the company.

One potential reason for this step is that the app would allow OpenAI to gather real-time data from users to train its AI models. It’s also a potentially diversifying move for the company.

Although it’s uncertain if this project will ever see the light of day, one thing is probable — it’ll likely get under the skin of Elon Musk, who owns X. Altman and OpenAI have been at odds with Musk for some time. The company rejected his offer to buy OpenAI, instead offering to "buy Twitter" for just $9.7 billion dollars. It’s worth noting that the offer is four times lower than what Musk paid for the platform and that Altman purposefully used the word Twitter and not X.

no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want— Sam Altman (@sama) February 10, 2025

OpenAI has also recently countersued Musk, accusing the billionaire of staging press attacks and malicious campaigns against the company on X. The suit also accuses Musk of making "harassing legal claims," referring to his initial suit, and a "sham bid for OpenAI's assets."

The company also published an email from Musk’s time at OpenAI in which he suggested merging with Tesla. Altman and his crew have stated that Musk was present during talks about OpenAI going for-profit and that he suggested he be given majority equity, control of the board and the CEO position. Musk left OpenAI in 2018 and founded xAI, which somehow just bought X in some kind of shady ouroboros of corporate tomfoolery.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is-apparently-making-a-social-network-175842370.html?src=rss

Anthropic announced that its Claude AI can integrate with Google Workspace. This tie-in allows the AI assistant to access any information in Gmail, Google Documents and Google Calendar. Enterprise-level customers even get a special cataloguing option for Documents that aims to offer even better speed and accuracy when retrieving information.

This update could make Claude more helpful when it comes to using the chatbot for scheduling or accessing information within the Google ecosystem. The blog post with the announcement specified that the Enterprise option comes with special security controls for confidentiality, but doesn't detail if or how other users might be able to keep Claude from accessing sensitive information that might be stored in an email or document. Google Workspace integration is available in beta now for all paid Anthropic customers.

Anthropic is also adding a Research feature. Queries in this mode are intended to offer thorough answers to queries that "explores different angles of your question automatically and works through open questions systematically." Claude's responses in Research will include citations for fact-checking. Anthropic says this feature can be combined with the Google integration for analyzing information stored across multiple different locations, such as notes about complicated work or school projects. Research is available in the US, Japan and Brazil as an early beta for users on the Max, Team and Enterprise plans.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/antrhopics-claude-can-now-read-your-emails-181511890.html?src=rss

Nvidia confirms it will fully manufacture its AI supercomputers in the United StatesArizona and Texas to host chip and supercomputer production facilitiesTrump-backed push for onshore tech drives trillions in new investment

Nvidia has announced it will manufacture its AI supercomputers entirely in the United States.The company revealed plans to produce $500 billion worth of AI infrastructure in the US over the next four years, building and testing chips in Arizona and assembling AI supercomputers in Texas.More than a million square feet of new manufacturing space is being developed to support this expansion.

The Trump effect?

Production of Nvidia’s Blackwell AI chips has begun at TSMC’s facilities in Phoenix. In Texas, Foxconn and Wistron will handle supercomputer manufacturing in Houston and Dallas, with mass production expected to scale up within 12 to 15 months.Nvidia is also working with Amkor and SPIL in Arizona to package and test its chips. Together, these facilities form a new supply chain based entirely in the US, something the company has never done before. Will this make a huge difference? Probably not.According to the The White House, this move is part of a broader trend driven by efforts to bring key tech manufacturing back to American soil.“It’s the Trump Effect in action,” a White House statement said. “President Donald J. Trump has made U.S.-based chips manufacturing a priority as part of his relentless pursuit of an American manufacturing renaissance, and it’s paying off - with trillions of dollars in new investments secured in the tech sector alone.”Earlier in 2025, President Trump announced a $500 billion private investment in AI infrastructure led by OpenAI, Oracle, and Softbank, called Stargate.Apple also announced a $500 billion investment, while TSMC committed $100 billion toward domestic chipmaking. The White House noted that onshoring these industries supports American workers, strengthens the economy, and improves national security.“The engines of the world’s AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time," Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said."Adding American manufacturing helps us better meet the incredible and growing demand for AI chips and supercomputers, strengthens our supply chain and boosts our resiliency.”

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Anthropic announced that its Claude AI can integrate with Google Workspace. This tie-in allows the AI assistant to access any information in Gmail, Google Documents and Google Calendar. Enterprise-level customers even get a special cataloguing option for Documents that aims to offer even better speed and accuracy when retrieving information.

This update could make Claude more helpful when it comes to using the chatbot for scheduling or accessing information within the Google ecosystem. The blog post with the announcement specified that the Enterprise option comes with special security controls for confidentiality, but doesn't detail if or how other users might be able to keep Claude from accessing sensitive information that might be stored in an email or document. Google Workspace integration is available in beta now for all paid Anthropic customers.

Anthropic is also adding a Research feature. Queries in this mode are intended to offer thorough answers to queries that "explores different angles of your question automatically and works through open questions systematically." Claude's responses in Research will include citations for fact-checking. Anthropic says this feature can be combined with the Google integration for analyzing information stored across multiple different locations, such as notes about complicated work or school projects. Research is available in the US, Japan and Brazil as an early beta for users on the Max, Team and Enterprise plans.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-claude-can-now-read-your-emails-181511019.html?src=rss

In what we can only assume is a potential thumb in the eye of Elon Musk, Sam Altman's Open AI is reportedly considering building a social network, possibly inside ChatGPT.This comes via a new report from The Verge, which claims this week that the social network possibly being built on top of OpenAI's AI services is only in the "early stages." Still, it could set up ChatGPT and other OpenAI platforms for a head-to-head battle with Grok, a generative AI platform built on top of Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter).There are essentially no details about what this social platform might look like, and OpenAI has little experience with shareable content outside of what its models can generate and what you can see in Sora (the video generation system) of other people's creations.

Take that, X

The fact that this rumor is out there might have little to do with behind-the-scenes development and more to do with Altman's ongoing battle with former partner Musk.The pair founded OpenAI together before Musk walked away in 2018. He has since criticized and sued OpenAI for, among other things, becoming, in part at least, a for-profit entity (see OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft and the rise of Copilot).Let's assume for a moment, though, that this is real. Why would OpenAI want to build a social network? In a word: data.If millions flock to the platform and then start, I guess, sharing AI-generated memes on it, they'll be dropping a ton of rich data into the OpenAI system. If users allow it, future versions of the GPT model could be trained on it. Real data and activities that show how real people think, talk, act, create, etc, can be invaluable to a young generative model.

Social timing is everything

I wonder if this might've made more sense a year or two ago when Musk took over Twitter, transformed it into X, removed many of the protective content guardrails, and turned it into a social media hellscape. It was in that moment that Meta's Threads first rushed in. It was followed in notoriety by Bluesky. Both of them are distributed social networks, meaning no one owns your identity or your data.Their growth has been remarkable, and it stands in contrast to X's fortunes. Depending on who you talk to, active user growth is stagnant or shrinking. But that doesn't mean the public's appetite for more alternative platforms is growing. Threads' growth has slowed, and Bluesky is relatively small compared to X and Threads.The action is mostly on image and video-based social platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. The Verge report does not mention video, which leads us to assume this could be another micro-blogging-style network – something no one necessarily needs or, perhaps, wants.Even so, as an opportunity to cause Elon Musk a little more agita, it's probably a worthy trial balloon from Altman.

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With America's long-term (and even short-term) economic prospects shifting on Eric Cartman-like whims, some internet providers have begun offering multi-year price guarantees to provide a little stability amid the chaos. A couple of weeks after Verizon introduced a three-year price lock, Comcast has followed suit with a five-year pricing guarantee for new Xfinity residential customers.

On the bright side, the deal isn't linked to an annual contract requirement. Comcast says that the following plans are available to be used with the five-year guarantee (speeds listed are download speeds):

400Mbps – $55/month

600Mbps – $70/month

1.1Gbps – $85/month

2.1Gbps – $105/month

This plan includes unlimited data and a free rental of the Xfinity Gateway router — but if you want to bring your own hardware, unlimited data will cost an extra $30 per month. And despite the fact that the Xfinity shopping page says these deals run through June 23, a Comcast spokesperson let us know they'll extend beyond that date.

The locked-in price doesn't cover installation, taxes, fees or other charges, which Comcast notes are subject to change during and after the promo. Finally, if you don't enroll in and maintain paperless billing and automatic payments, you'll pay an extra $10 each month (or an extra $8 if you pay by credit or debit card).

After reading the fine print, you may find it amusing that Comcast's press release frames the price guarantee as being about simplicity. "Our new price guarantee removes complexity," Comcast COO Steve Croney wrote. Still, with Americans increasingly being forced to check their 401(k)s and stock portfolios like gamblers check a high-stakes sports score, any small oasis of financial stability is at least something.

Update, April 15, 2025, 3:08PM ET: This story was updated to provide additional details about the different plans and availability of Comcast's five-year guaranteed rates.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/comcast-rolls-out-a-five-year-price-guarantee-for-new-internet-customers-173421830.html?src=rss

No, it’s not quite May the 4th. We’re still 19 days away from May 4, 2025, which is known to us in the galaxy and those far, far away as Star Wars Day. Even so, that’s not stopping Lego from ushering in nine – yes, nine – new Star Wars sets.You’ll soon use Lego Bricks to build everything from the loveable droid Chopper – as seen in Star Wars: Ahsoka and Star Wars Rebels – to a new Ultimate Collector Series that will please any bounty hunter, a fresh ship and, of course, a few sets to thrill those on the dark side.In addition to loving all sorts of technology and breaking it down for you, I’m a pretty huge Star Wars and Lego fan, so I’ve done the hard work of deciphering Lego’s May 4th, 2025 drop and am sharing my favorite three out of the nine.Plus, a look at some of the deals you can score when these go up for order in just a few days. And trust me, signing up for the free Lego Insiders rewards program makes a lot of sense – it’ll bring you closer to the force –err, deals.

You can finally build Chopper

(Image credit: Lego)

Kicking things off is the C1-10P Droid, better known as Chopper. This droid will be instantly familiar with its orange top and tan, grey main body, as well as its two main roller wheels. Fans of the Ghost Crew from Star Wars Rebels will know Chopper could have a bit of an attitude. You’ll get to build all of that and even show those emotions with the Lego Star Wars™ Chopper (C1-10P)™ Astromech Droid set.You’ll build the iconic droid out of 1,039 pieces, and once built, Chopper will be over eight inches tall. This should be a fun one to build, especially while rewatching Star War Rebels on Disney+, one of the best streaming services, and the Chopper Droid set will launch on May 1, 2025, with preorders available right now at $99.99 / £99.99.

The Lego Star Wars Chopper – C1-10P – Astromech Droid set can be ordered now and will ship on May 1, 2025. For $99.99 / £99.99, you'll build the iconic robot out of 1,039 bricks.View Deal

The latest Ultimate Collector Series is a fun one

(Image credit: Lego)

The newest Ultimate Collector Series might not be massive like huge AT-AT or the Millennium Falcon, but this one still looks sharp. Meet the Lego Star Wars Jango Fett’s Firespray-Class Starship, which, like other UCS sets, comes with a display launch and a stand that lets you set the ship upright as if it were in flight or in a landing position. This set is made from 2,970 pieces and arrives on May 1, 2025, for $299.99 / £299.99.As seen in share photos, you’ll build the interior including the cockpit and there are a lot of moveable details. You also get two minifigures here – Jango Fett and Boba Fett.

The latest ultimate collector series from Lego is an iconic ship that fans of Jango Fett will instantly recognize. It will be up for order on May 1, 2025 for $299.99 / £299.99. View Deal

You could build a U-Wing Starfighter while watching 'Andor'

If you are getting excited for Andor to return to Disney+ or simply a Rebel starship, this one is for you. The new LEGO Star Wars Rebel U-Wing Starfighter is not just a fresh take on the ship, but you also get several Minifigures: Deedra Meero, Cassian Andor, K-2SO, and an ISB Tactical Agent.This one arrives at 395 pieces for $69.99 / £59.99 and lands on May 1, 2025.

The Star Wars Rebel U-Wing Starfighter will soon be available for preorder from Lego for $69.99 / £59.99.View Deal

Now, if you opt to preorder or order, you will be eligible for a few gifts with purchases if you’re a Lego Insiders member and if you order from Lego directly. If you go for the new Ultimate Collector Series, you’ll score a LEGO Star Wars Jango Fett Starship Keychain if you preorder between May 1 to May 5.Additionally, during that same period you’ll get a LEGO Star Wars Kamino Training Facility mini set for spending over $160 / £145. Those who spend over $40 / £35 will get a mini build of the iconic Millenium Falcon, and yes this stacks with the more expensive freebie if you get them before supplies run out.Now, the above three are my favorite, but here’s a look at the other six sets. And if you’re sold on any of these, you can sign up for preorder or in some cases order it right now from Lego’s online store.Either way, sign up for the Insiders Program to earn points and score freebies.

The rest of the new Lego's Star Wars Day 2025 set

The opening crawl to any Star Wars film might be one of the most iconic starts of any film franchise. And now, you can finally build the iconic Star Wars logo out of Lego bricks, and the design team hid in some fun details. This fantastic set is up for preorder now at $59.99 / £59.99 from Lego directly.View Deal

Along with the new Ultimate Collector Series set, you can also build Jango Fett's iconic helmet in this set that's built from 616 pieces. It's up for preorder now from Lego.View Deal

Is your allegiance to the dark side? Well, you'll likely want to build Kylo Ren's Helmet. View Deal

Similar to the set the above, Lego's Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle is an excellent one to display. You'll build Ren's iconic ship out of 386 pieces, and it comes with a stand.View Deal

With this set of five BrickHeadz, you'll build Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, General Grievous, Emperor Palpatine, and Mace Windu.View Deal

This is a cool entry into the BrickHeadz lineup. You can build Luke Skywalker as a Rebel Pilot, and it's only $9.99.View Deal

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Whether in Ancient Greek parodies, Shakespeare's subtle jabs at the haughty upper class or Jon Stewart's takedowns of the latest Washington absurdities, humor can be a razor-edged weapon that shapes public opinion. Last weekend, we were reminded again of comedy's ability to strike at the rich and powerful when someone hacked Silicon Valley crosswalks to play synthetic voice impersonations of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

"Hi, this is Elon Musk," the voice impersonating the Trump ally and federal government dismantler said. "Welcome to Palo Alto, the home of Tesla Engineering. You know, they say money can't buy happiness. And… yeah, okay… I guess that's true. God knows I've tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck, and that's pretty sick, right? …Right?? Fuck, I'm so alone."

The jabs weren't limited to Musk. "Hi, this is Mark Zuckerberg, but real ones call me the Zuck," the synthetic voice of Meta's CEO said over one crosswalk speaker. "It's normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience. And I just want to assure you, you don't need to worry because there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Anyway, see ya."

The videos have accumulated over 100,000 likes on TikTok and nearly 400,000 views on X (ironically). Palo Alto Online reports (via TechCrunch) that they could be heard in downtown intersections in Redwood City, Menlo Park and Palo Alto but had been removed beginning on Saturday.

"Hi, this is Elon Musk," another crosswalk speaker emitted. "And I'd like to personally welcome you to Palo Alto. People keep saying cancer is bad, but have you tried being a cancer? It's fucking awesome."

"Hey, it's Zuck here," another voice said. "I just wanted to tell you how very proud I am of everything we've been building together. From undermining democracy to cooking our grandparents' brains with AI slop to making the world less safe for trans people, nobody does it better than us. And I think that's pretty neat. Zuck out!"

Finally, a Palo Alto speaker conducted armchair psychology on the Tesla CEO. "Hi, I'm Elon. Can we be friends? Will you be my friend? I'll give you a Cybertruck, I promise. Okay, look, you don't know the level of depravity I would stoop to just for a crumb of approval. I mean, let's be real. It's not like I had any moral convictions to begin with, right?"

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/someone-hacked-silicon-valley-crosswalks-to-spoof-mark-zuckerberg-and-elon-musk-191822645.html?src=rss

Whether in Ancient Greek parodies, Shakespeare's subtle jabs at the haughty upper class or Jon Stewart's takedowns of the latest Washington absurdities, humor can be a razor-edged weapon that shapes public opinion. Last weekend, we were reminded again of comedy's ability to strike at the rich and powerful when someone hacked Silicon Valley crosswalks to play synthetic voice impersonations of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

"Hi, this is Elon Musk," the voice impersonating the Trump ally and federal government dismantler said. "Welcome to Palo Alto, the home of Tesla Engineering. You know, they say money can't buy happiness. And… yeah, okay… I guess that's true. God knows I've tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck, and that's pretty sick, right? …Right?? Fuck, I'm so alone."

"Hi, this is Mark Zuckerberg, but real ones call me the Zuck," the synthetic voice of Meta's CEO said over one crosswalk speaker. "It's normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience. And I just want to assure you, you don't need to worry because there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Anyway, see ya."

The videos have accumulated over 100,000 likes on TikTok and nearly 400,000 views on X (ironically). Palo Alto Online reports (via TechCrunch) that they could be heard in downtown intersections in Redwood City, Menlo Park and Palo Alto but had been removed beginning on Saturday.

"Hi, this is Elon Musk," another crosswalk speaker emitted. "And I'd like to personally welcome you to Palo Alto. People keep saying cancer is bad, but have you tried being a cancer? It's fucking awesome."

"Hey, it's Zuck here," another voice said. "I just wanted to tell you how very proud I am of everything we've been building together. From undermining democracy to cooking our grandparents' brains with AI slop to making the world less safe for trans people, nobody does it better than us. And I think that's pretty neat. Zuck out!"

Finally, a Palo Alto speaker conducted armchair psychology on the Tesla CEO. "Hi, I'm Elon. Can we be friends? Will you be my friend? I'll give you a Cybertruck, I promise. Okay, look, you don't know the level of depravity I would stoop to just for a crumb of approval. I mean, let's be real. It's not like I had any moral convictions to begin with, right?"

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/someone-hacked-silicon-valley-crosswalks-to-spoof-mark-zuckerberg-and-elon-musk-191822645.html?src=rss

Kia has teased that it will have a trio of announcements at the 2025 New York International Auto Show. The car company's presentation is scheduled for 10AM ET on April 16. Luckily for those gearheads who want to know what's next for the brand, Kia will have a livestream of its showcase. The reveal will be hosted live on YouTube, and it's also embedded below.

The presentation will feature three debuts, according to the company, including two that are fully electric. Kia unveiled its EV4 hatchback sedan in February, but didn't share info about North American manufacturing at that time. That's a likely announcement during this week's New York event

While the stage presentation will get livestreamed, we don't yet have tech to remotely test the Kia EV9 and EV6 models that will be at the live show. Maybe one day…This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/how-to-watch-kias-new-york-international-auto-show-presentation-on-april-16-195259387.html?src=rss

Intel sells 51% of Altera to Silver Lake for $4.46bn, valuing business at $8.75bn Altera gains independence as largest pure-play FPGA semiconductor company Raghib Hussain named new CEO as Intel shifts its strategic focus

Intel, now under the leadership of new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, has been facing a number of challenges in recent years, to the point where it was rumored the tech giant could sell off its chip-design and marketing business or spin off its chip plants.Whether that will happen in the future remains to be seen, but Intel says it has signed a definitive agreement to sell 51% of its Altera business to Silver Lake for $4.46 billion.This values the company at $8.75 billion, which is quite a drop from nearly $17 billion Intel paid for it in 2015.

Once-in-a-generation opportunity

Altera has been active in FPGA (field programmable gate array) development for over four decades, providing programmable semiconductor solutions for use in industries like communications, aerospace, government, data centers, and industrial automation.The sale gives Altera operational independence and establishes it as the largest pure-play FPGA semiconductor company in the world. Intel will keep a 49% stake, allowing it to remain involved while shifting its focus more squarely to its core operations.The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025, pending customary closing conditions.Once finalized, Intel plans to deconsolidate Altera’s financials. In 2024, Altera reported $1.54 billion in revenue, a GAAP operating loss of $615 million, and non-GAAP operating income of $35 million.Raghib Hussain, previously president of Products and Technologies at Marvell, will succeed Sandra Rivera as CEO of Altera on May 5, 2025.“This investment represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in a scale leader in advanced semiconductors,” said Kenneth Hao, chairman and managing partner of Silver Lake.“Together with Raghib, we will be focused on strengthening Altera’s technology leadership position and investing in emerging AI-driven markets such as edge computing and robotics. We look forward to working closely with Intel as a strategic partner who will continue to provide U.S.-based foundry services and complementary engagement with customers.”Lip-Bu Tan described the agreement as a strategic step forward. “Today’s announcement reflects our commitment to sharpening our focus, lowering our expense structure and strengthening our balance sheet,” he said.“Altera continues to make progress repositioning its product portfolio to participate in the fastest growing and most profitable segments of the FPGA market. We are grateful for Sandra’s strong leadership and lasting impact throughout her 25-year Intel career and wish her continued success as she begins a new chapter. Raghib is a superb executive we selected to lead the business forward based on his vast industry experience and proven track record of success. We look forward to partnering with Silver Lake upon closing of the transaction, as their industry expertise will help to accelerate Altera's efforts and unlock additional economic value for Intel.”

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In 2018, Mark Zuckerberg floated the idea of spinning out Instagram, one of the remedies the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will likely seek in Meta's antitrust trial that began this week. CNBC reported on Tuesday that the comments from an email thread with executives came to light in Washington, DC.

"I'm beginning to wonder whether spinning Instagram out is the only structure that will accomplish a number of important goals," Zuckerberg wrote in the email. "As calls to break up the big tech companies grow, there is a non-trivial chance that we will be forced to spin out Instagram and perhaps WhatsApp in the next 5-10 years anyway." His estimate, made six years ago, ended up being spot-on.

"On the flip side, while most companies resist breakups, the corporate history is that most companies actually perform better after they've been split up," Zuckerberg added in the same email, according to The New York Times.

It's Zuckerberg's second day of testimony in the trial, which stemmed from a 2020 government lawsuit against Meta (then still known as Facebook). The FTC argues that the company's purchases of Instagram (for $1 billion in 2012) and WhatsApp (for $19 billion in 2014) hurt competition. If the trial goes the FTC's way, it will likely ask the judge to break up Meta by selling off one or both of the apps.

Last April, Meta moved to dismiss the case, but US District Judge James Boasberg allowed it to proceed with a narrower scope.

On the stand on Tuesday, the Meta CEO reportedly defended the company's Instagram purchase as the result of a standard cost-benefit examination. "We were doing a build-vs.-buy analysis," Zuckerberg said. "I thought that Instagram was better at that [than Facebook's Camera app], so I thought it was better to buy them."

"Building a new app is hard," he said when asked on the stand why he was intent on buying Instagram. "We’ve probably tried building dozens of apps over the history of the company, and the majority of them don’t go anywhere."

Other details that came to light on Tuesday include a 2013 email in which Zuckerberg told executives to block Asian competitors Kakao and WeChat from advertising on Facebook. "Those companies are trying to build social networks and replace us," he wrote. "The revenue is immaterial to us compared to any risk."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/mark-zuckerberg-predicted-metas-antitrust-trial-in-a-2018-email-205719635.html?src=rss

Google announced today that it will no longer be using country code top level domains for searches. Instead, all search services will happen on the google.com URL and local results will be delivered automatically. For example, that means users in the UK will no longer see google.co.uk in their browser's address bar. Google URLs with those country-specific domain endings will now redirect to the main google.com address.

Google started using location information to automatically provide search results based on geography in 2017. With that change, it didn't matter whether you entered a query into a local country code URL or into google.com; you'd always see the results version for the place you were physically located. Today's announcement seems to take that initial action to its conclusion by sunsetting those ccTLDs.

"It’s important to note that while this update will change what people see in their browser address bar, it won’t affect the way Search works, nor will it change how we handle obligations under national laws," Google noted in its announcement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-retiring-country-specific-domains-for-search-212157490.html?src=rss

Google and the Wild Dolphin Project have developed an AI model trained to understand dolphin vocalizationsDolphinGemma can run directly on Pixel smartphonesIt will be open-sourced this summer

For most of human history, our relationship with dolphins has been a one-sided conversation: we talk, they squeak, and we nod like we understand each other before tossing them a fish. But now, Google has a plan to use AI to bridge that divide. Working with Georgia Tech and the Wild Dolphin Project (WDP), Google has created DolphinGemma, a new AI model trained to understand and even generate dolphin chatter.The WDP has been collecting data on a specific group of wild Atlantic spotted dolphins since 1985. The Bahamas-based pod has provided huge amounts of audio, video, and behavioral notes as the researchers have observed them, documenting every squawk and buzz and trying to piece together what it all means. This treasure trove of audio is now being fed into DolphinGemma, which is based on Google’s open Gemma family of models. DolphinGemma takes dolphin sounds as input, processes them using audio tokenizers like SoundStream, and predicts what vocalization might come next. Imagine autocomplete, but for dolphins.The model is very slim and can run on a Google Pixel. WDP is already deploying DolphinGemma in the field this summer, using Pixel 9s in waterproof rigs. These models will be listening in, identifying vocal patterns, and helping researchers flag meaningful sequences in real time.

Flipper speaks

But the ultimate goal here isn’t just passive listening. WDP and Georgia Tech are also working on a system called CHAT (short for Cetacean Hearing Augmentation Telemetry), which is essentially a two-way communication system for humans and dolphins. CHAT lets researchers assign synthetic whistles to objects dolphins like, including seagrass and floating scarves, and then waits to see if the dolphins mimic those sounds to request them. It’s kind of like inventing a shared language, except with underwater microphones instead of flashcards.DolphinGemma doesn’t just analyze dolphin sounds after the fact; it helps anticipate what sounds might be coming, enabling faster response times and smoother interactions. In essence, it’s like a predictive keyboard for dolphins. The whole project is still in an early stage, but Google plans to open-source DolphinGemma later this year to accelerate progress.The initial model is trained on the vocalizations of Atlantic spotted dolphins, but it could theoretically be adapted to other species with some tuning. The idea is to hand other researchers the keys to the AI so they can apply it to their own acoustic datasets. Of course, this is still a long way from chatting with dolphins about philosophy or their favorite snacks. There’s no guarantee that dolphin vocalizations map neatly to human-like language. But DolphinGemma will help sift through years of audio for meaningful patterns.Dolphins aren't the only animals humans may use AI to communicate with. Another group of scientists developed an AI algorithm to decode pigs' emotions based on their grunts, squeals, and snuffles to help farmers understand their emotional and physical health. Dolphins are undeniably more charismatic, though. Who knows, maybe someday you'll be able to ask a dolphin for directions while you're sailing, at least if you don't drop your phone in the water.

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According to an SEC filing from NVIDIA, the US government now requires companies to obtain a license to export H20 integrated circuits and any other products that achieve the same performance benchmarks. The filing states that "the license requirement addresses the risk that the covered products may be used in, or diverted to, a supercomputer in China." Mainland China is not the only place targeted by this license; NVIDIA will also require permission to sell the H20 to the territories of Hong Kong and Macau as well as to nations with the D:5 designation as US Arms Embargo Countries.

The H20 chips are currently the most advanced chips that can be sold to select international markets under present laws and they are powerful enough to be used for artificial intelligence applications. NVIDIA has wanted the ability to retain Chinese customers for these products and last week, it seemed like the company may have gotten a reprieve on new restrictions. However, it appears that the new license requirement "will be in effect for the indefinite future."

NVIDIA said in the SEC filing that it now expects to report about $5.5 billion in charges related to "inventory, purchase commitments and related reserves" associated with the H20 circuits in the results for its current fiscal quarter.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/nvidia-says-the-us-has-put-export-restrictions-on-h20-ai-chips-224822930.html?src=rss

Skullcandy Method 360 ANC are wireless earbuds with Bose sound9 hrs battery in the buds with ANC on, Bose-style ergonomic fitAvailable now for $99 / £99 (about AU$200) – US price will rise to $119

Skullcandy has just unveiled its latest earbuds, and they're a mashup with Bose that I think looks like incredibly good value for their $99 / £99 launch price – though in the US, that's just an initial introductory price, and will rise to $119 officially.The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC buds are true wireless buds that come in a really cool slide-out case with an O-ring to connect to your backpack or cool skate clothes (the press images seem to emphasize the skating vibe).The design of the buds themselves bears more than a passing resemblance to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but with Skullcandy-like funky color options. They have fins for a super-secure fit, and apparently this is "licensed technology from Bose [to] help ensure a perfect fit and block out unwanted sound". There are different-sized fins and eartips to help get the most secure fit for your ear shape.Speaking of blocking out the sound, they have active noise cancellation, with adjustable modes via Skullcandy's app and a 'Stay-Aware' passthrough mode. Four mics power the ANC, and given the tech involved, it seems that Bose has had its hand in here as well – these could rank among the best noise-canceling earbuds on a budget.Impressively, the battery life with ANC turned on is nine hours from the earbuds, with another 23 hours from the case. That's way above most of the competition from even the best earbuds. With the ANC off, you get 11 hours from the buds and a further 29 from the case.

(Image credit: Skullcandy)

Now, you might assume (as I did) from the '360' name that there's some kind of spatial audio here. Well, there isn't.Which is fine given the budget, I have no complaint about that – but it feels like Skullcandy already blew the perfectly good name it could've given the next-gen version where it did add this feature.There's multi-point pairing, Google Fast Pair support, and Bluetooth 5.3 including Bluetooth LE Audio support, so they're somewhat future-proof. There's no mention of Bluetooth Auracast support, but the version of Bluetooth here supports it, so it might be possible in the future.It's also a shame there's no Find My support, but I can live without that. There's very little to complain about otherwise – even little things that are often left out of budget buds are here, including IPX4 sweat resistance and auto-pausing wear detection when you take them off.

Left to right: Plasma, Primer, Black, Bone, Leopard (Image credit: Skullcandy)

The color options are especially good. They are, in order of how awesome they sound: Plasma, Leopard, Bone, Primer, and Black. They are, in order of how cool they look: Leopard, Plasma, Primer, Black, and Bone.If these have sound quality and ANC to match the Bose partnership, and the comfort we expect from Skullcandy, these look like they've hit a real value sweet spot, and may rank among the best budget earbuds.We've already had our hands on them, and will bring you some first impressions once we've had a chance to make some early judgments. They're available to buy from today.

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Skullcandy just revealed a new pair of wireless earbuds, the Method 360 ANC. Interestingly, the company has teamed up with rival headphone-maker Bose for this product. The earbuds have been tuned by Bose and use eartips similar to the ones found with the company’s QuietComfort line.

This is part of the pre-existing Sound by Bose platform, in which the company helps rivals with tuning and sound quality. The Motorola Moto Buds+ earbuds also include this feature.

Otherwise, the Method 360 ANC earbuds seem like a solid entry in a crowded field. They offer ANC, multipoint connections, custom EQ options, wear detection and other bells and whistles. The battery lasts around 10 hours per charge, which increases to 40 hours when considering the charging case. However, this metric is with ANC turned off. There is a quick-charge feature that advertises two hours of use on just ten minutes of charging. This charging case includes an O-ring, so it can be clipped to stuff, and is available in several colors.

Skullcandy

The earbuds ship with multiple sets of eartips that also use technology by Bose to ensure a “secure, ultra-comfortable fit and superior noise isolation.” They integrate with the Skull-iQ app, for making EQ adjustments, reconfiguring buttons and changing ANC modes. The Method 360 ANC earbuds are available right now at an introductory price of $100. The cost will go up to $130 later on.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/skullcandys-new-method-360-anc-earbuds-have-been-tuned-by-bose-230053911.html?src=rss