Technology

Last year Apple showed how it could embed Shazam’s music identification features even more deeply within iOS 14, and now it’s taking things another step forward within Apple Music. Apple Music initially introduced DJ mixes and mash-ups in 2016 through a partnership with Dubset Media Holdings to identify and pay for licensed music within mixes. Now Apple says that by building upon the Shazam tech acquired in 2018 and partnering with various labels, Apple Music has the tools to identify and compensate individual creators, event promoters, labels, etc. It also allows subscribers to see the names of individual tracks, skip songs within the mix, listen with lossless audio on “most mixes,” and save them to their library for viewing offline. Apple Music DJ MixImage: Apple So yes, the same fingerp...

Twitter is beginning to roll out labels for automated accounts (or bot accounts), the company announced Thursday. “Examples of automated accounts you might see on Twitter include bots that help you find vaccine appointments and disaster early warning systems,” Twitter said in an FAQ. “When these accounts let you know they’re automated, you get a better understanding of their purpose when you’re interacting with them.” Initially, in what Twitter is calling a test, a small number of developers will be invited to be able to apply the labels to their accounts. For accounts in the test that have activated the labels, an “Automated” label will appear on profile pages and on tweets themselves for accounts. Twitter says all developers will be able to use the labels by the end of the year. WhatR...

Epic Games has asked Apple to reinstate its Fortnite developer account so it can release the game in South Korea, following the passage of a bill that will force Apple and Google to let apps use alternative payment systems. “Epic has asked Apple to restore our Fortnite developer account,” Epic said in a tweet on the official Fortnite account. “Epic intends to re-release Fortnite on iOS in Korea offering both Epic payment and Apple payment side-by-side in compliance with the new Korean law.” Epic has asked Apple to restore our Fortnite developer account. Epic intends to re-release Fortnite on iOS in Korea offering both Epic payment and Apple payment side-by-side in compliance with the new Korean law. — Fortnite (@FortniteGame) September 9, 2021 It’s unclear if Apple will agree to the reques...

Google’s Stadia cloud gaming service appears to have lost another top video game industry veteran — kind of. Jack Buser, Stadia’s Director for Games and a former PlayStation exec, is moving to the company’s Google Cloud division to head up “Gaming Solutions,” according to a ZDNet report. Google confirms Buser is leaving the Stadia group for Google Cloud, providing this statement to The Verge: Gaming is an incredibly important vertical at Google and we’re seeing huge momentum across all products and services. Jack’s new role will allow us to better bring customers the best of Google across our Cloud services, Stadia, YouTube, and more. Stadia continues to be led by its GM Phil Harrison, and Stadia’s business development and partner management teams will continue to be led by Michael Abbatti...

28-year-old Ukrainian national Glib Oleksandr Ivanov-Tolpintsev has been indicted by the Department of Justice for allegedly using a botnet to brute force people’s passwords, and then selling the credentials on a dark web store ominously called The Marketplace. According to the DOJ, Ivanov-Tolpintsev bragged that he was able to get at least 2,000 logins a week, and he allegedly told one of The Marketplace’s admins that he had cracked over 20,000 passwords. The DOJ’s description of the alleged methods and victims serve as a reminder of how much stolen information is out there, and the importance of implementing basic security principles. The indictment, which can be read in full below, alleges that Ivanov-Tolpintsev talked about controlling a botnet, which is essentially a group of computer...

Ray-Ban and Facebook have teamed up to create their first pair of smart glasses titled Ray-Ban Stories. Utilizing Ray-Ban renowned Wayfarer styles, the two entities were able to produce a pair of glasses that upholds style while also being able to capture daily moments. The frames come in three styles which include the Wayfarer, Round and Meteor. Also, the styles come in five colors and additional lens options for a total of 20 possible variations. Regarding its features, the glasses possess instant photo and video capabilities with dual 5MP cameras and LED lights on the front. To utilize the features, all one has to do is press a button or use a simple voice command. The Ray-Ban Stories also features built-in Bluetooth and a 3-microphone audio array, so users can make calls or listen to m...

Radiohead is teaming up with Epic Games for Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition — an interactive experience coming to PlayStation 5, PC, and Mac in November as part of the band’s upcoming Kid A Mnesia release. Kid A Mnesia is a commemorative rerelease of Radiohead’s iconic albums Kid A and Amnesiac, along with a third, new album — Kid Amnesiae — of unreleased material from the two original albums’ recording sessions. According to the announcement, the Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition for PlayStation will be an “upside-down digital / analogue universe created from original artwork and recordings” to accompany the rerelease. Given Epic’s recent taste for interactive musical experiences, it’s likely that Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition will offer some sort of experiential new lens into Radiohead’s music, but we’ll fin...

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill regulating how social media companies moderate content. The new law, passed as HB 20 in early September, controversially prohibits banning (or demonetizing or otherwise restricting) content based on “the viewpoint of the user or another person,” whether or not that viewpoint is expressed on the social media platform itself. HB 20 also requires social media services to disclose how they promote and moderate content and mandates transparency reports similar to those produced by Facebook, Google, and other major web companies. If platforms are notified of illegal content, the law requires them to evaluate it within 48 hours, a policy that mirrors at least one proposal in US Congress. (Unlike Congress, however, a state legislative body can’t overrid...

Sony is the latest video game company to put on a big virtual event, and its PlayStation Showcase 2021 didn’t disappoint. It was a chance to show off some of the biggest games coming to the PS5, and while there were some notable absences — Sony still isn’t talking much about the next generation of PlayStation VR — we were able to catch a glimpse of highly-anticipated titles like God of War: Ragnarok, Spider-Man 2, and a remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. There were even a few surprises, like a new Wolverine game. Here’s everything you need to catch up on the showcase. [embedded content] Knights of the old Republic is getting a next-gen remake Sony opened the show with a reveal that’s been rumored for some time: the classic Star Wars role-playing game Knights of the Old Repub...

After a year-long review of millions of e-cigarette–related products, the Food and Drug Administration says it has rejected 946,000 flavored products, prohibiting them from being marketed or sold. It also said that the applications for 4.5 million products were missing materials that the agency required to make a decision. All of those products must also be removed from the market. The FDA said in a statement Thursday that it has reviewed 93 percent of the applications submitted, which included 6.5 million products. It will continue to review the remaining 7 percent of products. Notably, that group includes e-cigarettes made by Juul, a market leader and the company that drew federal attention for its product’s popularity among kids and teenagers, the Wall Street Journal reported. Juu...

A set of 101 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) depicting cartoon apes from Bored Ape Yacht Club just sold for $24.4 million USD at Sotheby’s on Thursday, according to Reuters. The images are part of Bored Ape’s wide-spanning collection of NFTs, which is comprised of 10,000 computer-generated, animated apes, crafted by US-based company Yuga Labs. While the blockchain-backed assets can be viewed by anyone, the NFTs belong to the official buyer, who also becomes a member of an exclusive online club that provides access to various benefits. (To date, those perks have included exclusive merch drops, bonus NFTs and access to an online graffiti board.) The bundle included 101 iterations of the company’s digitized apes, each fitted in various outfits, accessories and facial expressions for their own uniq...

Segway has just unveiled one of the most advanced robotic lawnmowers for your home — the Navimow. Efficient and safe, your yard can be mapped out via the Narimow’s app for a virtual boundary. This boundary can be changed on the fly for situations where large adjustments have been made to the space, like a new flower bed. With a number of sensors, the Narimow is also children and pet safe and has high cutting accuracy thanks to AHRS and four-module GNSS positioning. The Navimow always plans out the most efficient path for the cleanest-looking lawn. Other features include slope climbing capabilities, BladeHalt technology, auto-adjusting blade height, a 54 dB noise level, and an IPX6 waterproof rating. Depending on your specs and lawn size requirements, the Segway Navimow ranges from $1,425 –...