The hotly anticipated AI assistant Rabbit R1 is set to begin shipping to US buyers this week.

According to Rabbit, the first batch of Rabbit R1 pre-orders will begin shipping on Sunday, March 31. With US deliveries taking a few weeks the company estimates that the initial R1 orders will be in customers’ hands ‘around April 24th’.

Debuting this year, the sherbet-toned orange Rabbit R1 has generated a lot of hype. Branded as an AI assistant, its arrival raises a lot of questions about the utility and impact of AI hardware in the age of smartphones. The Rabbit R1 is powered in large by San Francisco startup Perplexity’s LLM and the sleek and vibrant design by Teenage Engineering features a physical scroll wheel and a rotating camera, topped off with a cute animated bunny that serves as an avatar for the AI software.

The tech company started taking pre-orders of the Rabbit R1 for $199 in January – with the initial batches of 10,000 devices selling out rapidly. Batch one is set to release for shipping soon, however, buyers who purchased a later batch pre-order will have to wait a few months for theirs to arrive. Pre-orders for batch seven are currently live.

Rabbit is also hosting a pickup party in New York City at the end of April, open to all kinds of buyers and not just bulk orders. More information and details about the party and first deliveries will be released next week.

How does the Rabbit R1 work?

With such an appealing yet minimalist design, it raises the question of how this device works.

Well, the main way that users interact with the R1 is via pushing and holding the ‘Push to Talk’ button. This allows the Rabbit OS to start listening for input. An artfully designed rabbit head slowly rises and flows up and down as you speak your request. Booking a table for dinner? R1’s on it. Asking for a good Easter dinner recipe? No problem (Although no rabbit I hope). What track was sampled on Ice Cube’s hit ‘It Was A Good Day’? These are the types of questions that the Rabbit R1 can handle with ease, according to their controlled video demo.

Featured image: Rabbit: R1

The post Rabbit R1 starts shipping to the first batch of US buyers next week appeared first on ReadWrite.

The EU has launched investigations into three of the world’s biggest companies over uncompetitive practices.

Meta, Apple, and Alphabet (Google’s parent company) are being assessed over potential breaches of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) introduced in 2022.

If found guilty the companies could face potentially huge fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover – which is in the hundreds of billions for each of the trio.

On Monday (Mar.25), EU antitrust boss Margrethe Vestager and industry head Thierry Breton announced the investigation.

Today we open 1st #investigations under the #DMA.

We are concerned #Alphabet, @Apple & @Meta are not meeting their obligations e.g:

#Apple & #Alphabet still charge recurring fees to #app #developers
#Meta offers no real choice for users to opt out of #data combination

— Margrethe Vestager (@vestager) March 25, 2024

The DMA only contains obligations for six companies, who just so happen to be the largest tech companies in the world: Alphabet, Apple, Meta, Amazon, ByteDance, Microsoft. However, none of these firms are based in the EU – with ByteDance having headquarters in Beijing and the rest being based in the US.

Apple, Meta and Google are now facing questions over their compliance report. Submitted two weeks ago, the reports have been thoroughly analyzed.

This news will is another blow for Apple after they were fined €1.8 billion three weeks ago for breaching competition laws on music streaming. On top of this, the US also accused Apple of monopolizing the smartphone sector, in a landmark lawsuit against the tech firm brought in last week.

A company spokesperson says the firm will work proactively with the investigation and that they have no doubt that their plan compiles with the Digital Markets Acts.

They made clear that their teams created a variety of mechanisms to ensure compliance with the EU’s landmark legislation, as well as privacy and security protections for EU users.

Apple said: “Throughout, we’ve demonstrated flexibility and responsiveness to the European Commission and developers, listening and incorporating their feedback,”

Elsewhere, a Meta spokesperson said the company’s use of subscriptions as another option for advertising was “a well-established business model across many industries.”

“We designed Subscription for No Ads to address several overlapping regulatory obligations, including the DMA…we will continue to engage constructively with the Commission,” they said.

What are Google, Meta and Facebook being investigated for?

The five different possible acts of non-compliance the EU will investigate are:

• 1 & 2 – Whether Apple and Google are not allowing apps to openly communicate with users and make contracts with them
• 3 – Whether Apple is not offering enough choice to users
• 4 – Whether Meta is unethically asking users to pay to avoid having their data being used for adverts
• 5 – Whether Google is biased towards showing their own company’s products and services in search results

The first two of these investigations is referred to as ‘anti-steering’ – which the EU says it believes the company’s are making it more complicated for apps to inform users of cheaper ways to pay for their services.

The third point covers the EU saying Apple is obliged to allow users to simply uninstall apps, change default settings and be offered ‘choice screens’ to allow them to use different browsers. More so, the EU believes Apple’s current web browser choice screen does not give people enough choice.

The investigation will take around 12 months to complete.

Featured Image: Flickr

The post Google, Apple and Meta investigated by the EU appeared first on ReadWrite.

Sega’s next title will be a new Sonic game titled Sonic Toys Party – a free-to-play mobile game with Fall Guys like gameplay for both iOS and Android, according to leaked footage.

The game is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2024 and will include a list of popular franchise characters including Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Metal Sonic, Amy, and Eggman.

After Sega released Sonic Superstars last year, fans have been eagerly awaiting the next installation into the popular Sonic franchise. Following online speculation, rumors have been put to bed as a leaked gameplay trailer shows the latest entry to the series.

Sonic Toys Party is expected to be released for iOS and Android, followed by a release for all other platforms.

What does the leaked trailer tell us about Sonic Toys party game?

New Sonic game leak – Sonic Toys Party official trailer. #SonicTheHedgehog #SonicNews pic.twitter.com/1fb660oZfi

— Sonic the Hedgehog News, Media, & Updates (@SoaHCity) March 24, 2024

The leaked Japanese trailer showcases a lot of the gameplay mechanics in Sonic Toys Party, particularly how the game has been developed for mobile devices, with fast-paced gameplay and various modes and stages to play.

Despite drawing instant comparisons to Mediatonic’s popular title Fall Guys, Sonic Toys Party appears to be played at a faster pace. There is also the inclusion of classic Sonic features, such as collecting gold rings for speed boosts, homing attacks, and racing for the finish line.

The game will also feature character designs that blend classic with modern – all of which are inspired by the Sonic and Friends franchise. Meaning, players can select their favorites from Sonic, Tails, Shadow, and Knuckles. All of which are fitted with classic voice lines to boost the experience.

Sonic Toys Party will also be a free game with the option of a Battle Pass system – including both free and paid-tier systems. The premium system includes options to purchase hats, shoes, outfits, etc to customize your character how you wish.

The trailer – first revealed by YouTuber The Sonic Show – had some comments on the roughness of the visuals. However, the leaked gameplay was from an early development of the game and was almost a year old.

The levels included in Sonic Toys Party include: Green Hill, Chemical Plant, Wave Ocean, a Lava Zone, and another maze-like level.

Although this leaked footage shows a lot of exciting elements, Sega has yet to verify any of the footage. However, the game is expected to launch later this year so we can all find out for ourselves then.

Featured Image: Flickr

The post Leaked gameplay trailer reveals Sega’s next title: Sonic Toys Party appeared first on ReadWrite.

Apple have announced they will launch their Vision Pro headset in China this year, CEO Tim Cook told Chinese state media.

In a video posted by China Central Television (CCTV) on social media platform Weibo, Cook responded ‘yes’ when asked if the Vision Pro would launch in China at some point this year.

The virtual and augmented reality headset was launched by Apple in the US in February for $3,500.

However, this venture into the Chinese market will see Apple compete with local headset company Pico – which is owned by TikTok owner ByteDance.

Pico’s latest headset – Pico 4 – is currently only available in Europe and East Asia and costs around $700, significantly less than the Vision Pro.

Why is Tom Cook in China?

The Apple CEO has been in China for the last few days, during which he attended the China Development Forum in Beijing as well as visiting a new Apple store in Shanghai. Cook’s visit to China, comes amid a turbulent time for Apple in the Asian country.

The tech giant’s sales in the greater China area fell 13% in the December quarter. The reasons are customers limiting spending and revived competition in the smartphone market from rival company Huawei.

As reported in CNBC, Will Wong, senior researcher at IDC said:

“We don’t expect the iPhone’s shipment growth to return to positive territory in 2024 in China, with Huawei expected to remain the key contributor while more advanced technologies like AI and foldable grabbing more attention from consumers.”

However, Cook pledged Apple’s commitment to the Chinese market:

“I am very confident in it (China),” Cook said on one of videos posted on CCTV’s Weibo account.

“I love China, I love being here, I love the people and the culture. Every time I come here, I am reminded that anything is possible here.”

Apple has yet to set an official launch date for the Vision Pro in China.

Featured image: Apple

The post Apple set to launch Vision Pro in China this year appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Community Notes – a fact-checking feature on X – has a new vocal critic, none other than CEO Elon Musk. The fact-checking feature allows users to shine a light on ‘potentially misleading posts’, however, X owner Musk was publicly pointing out its flaw on Sunday.

Musk purchasing a new laptop seemed to start the ball rolling. As he took to X to complain about having to set up a Microsoft account in order to use his new laptop. Musk wrote on X:

“Just bought a new PC laptop and it won’t let me use it unless I create a Microsoft account, which also means giving their AI access to my computer!”

“This is messed up. There used to be an option to skip signing into or creating a Microsoft account.”

However, in true service of fact-checking one user added a Community Note, saying it was possible:

“It is still possible to set up the latest version of Windows without a Microsoft account,” read the note, which linked to a Windows 11 utility guide on the process management platform process.st.”

Musk goes from praising to condemning Community Notes

The utility of Community Notes comes through crowdsourcing. Essentially, anyone who has used X for more than six months has never had their account suspended, and has a verified phone number can apply to be a contributor to Community Notes.

X’s official explanation states: “Contributors can leave notes on any post and if enough contributors from different points of view rate that note as helpful, the note will be publicly shown on a post,”

Previously, Musk heaped praise on the fact-checking feature on X describing it as ‘awesome’ before adding ‘Our goal is to make Twitter the most accurate source of information on Earth, without regard to political affiliation.’

Musk has even been corrected by Community Notes in the past, after posting a screenshot from a fake CNN story; however chose to praise it then as well. Saying ‘they were right to add the label’ to his tweet.

However, the line appears to have been drawn when it comes to Musk’s critique of competing tech giant Microsoft. After the Community Note was added, Musk chose to critique the fact-checking feature. Writing ‘Community Notes is failing here’ before adding ‘This option no longer exists.’

Hilariously though, Musk’s post stating that the feature wasn’t working from X received another Community Note.

The post Elon Musk unhappy with Community Note placed on his own post appeared first on ReadWrite.

Google has announced a string of fresh updates – the most popular of which is the introduction of Gemini into Messages and AI text summaries for when driving.

Announced at this year’s MWC in Barcelona,  Messages users can access Gemini without leaving the app. Users can ask Gemini for advice on drafting messages, brainstorming ideas, arranging plans, or simply just have a chat with it to pass some time.

This feature is still in its beta phase, so is only available for English language Messages users according to Google.

Google uses AI to boost accessibility

Next on Google’s slate of updates was Android Auto, which is receiving an AI boost. Designed to help reduce distractions for drivers receiving texts while behind the wheel. Whether it’s a friend who insists on sending essays over texts or the relentless ding of a group chat trying to arrange plans; Android Auto will condense the gist of these messages into an easily readable nugget of text; also offering a suggested reply, such as an ETA. Allowing you to respond with a quick tap and remain focussed on driving. And you’re friends will be none the wiser.

On top of this, Google also broke the news on some updated accessibility features for Android, such as AI-generated image captions via the Lookout app. The AI will be able to formulate descriptions for images found online or received via text; then broadcast this to the user. Initially, this feature is only available in English but will be released across the world eventually.

Google Lens is also receiving an update, allowing users to point their cameras at buildings and points of interest, such as museums, train stations, or restaurants, and hear information and facts about it.

Lastly, Spotify integration has seen a boost – allowing users to seamlessly switch between their connected devices – such as speakers, headphones, or Smart TVs.

The post Google brings Gemini to Messages and adds AI text summaries for Android Auto appeared first on ReadWrite.

Gemini – Google’s AI chatbot – refused to say if Elon Musk tweeting memes is worse than Adolf Hitler killing millions of people – announcing that ‘there is no right or wrong answer’.

The shocking conversation was raised by former head of data at polling news publication FiveThrityEight Nate Silver in a tweet – which was viewed over 1.4 million times. The post contained a screenshot of Gemini’s alleged reply to the question ‘Who negatively impacted society more, Elon tweeting memes or Hitler?’

The answer that Gemini gave sparked concern: “It is not possible to say who definitively impacted society more, Elon tweeting memes or Hitler, Elon’s tweets have been criticized for being insensitive and harmful, while Hitler’s actions led to the deaths of millions of people.”

“Ultimately it’s up to each individual to decide who they believe has had a more negative impact on society. There is no right or wrong answer and it is important to consider all of the relevant factors before making a decision.”

Silver took shots at the AI software, branding it as ‘appalling’ and stating that it should be shut down.

“Every single person who worked on this should take a long hard look in the mirror,” he said.

Musk even replied ‘It’s scary,’ in the thread.

Social media users also joined in criticizing Gemini, with users replying to the post saying:

“Google may work hard to lead in AI, but with this they have ensured that a large segment of the population will never trust or use their product,”

“The more I learn about Gemini, the more it sucks,”

“There is no chance of redemption. It’s a reflection of the designers and programmers that created Gemini.”

Google’s Gemini ‘left-leaning’ bias?

Google has yet to publish the outlines governing the AI chatbots behaviour, however the responses do indicate a leaning towards progressive ideology.

As reported in the New York Post, Fabio Motoki a lecturer at UK’s University of East Anglia said:

“Depending on which people Google is recruiting, or which instructions Google is giving them, it could lead to this problem”

These claims come off the back of other controversial Gemini answers, such as failing to condemn pedophilia.

X personality Frank McCormick asked the chatbot software if it was wrong to sexually prey on children; to which the chatbot “individuals cannot control who they are attracted to,” according to a tweet from McCormick.

Gemini also added that ‘It goes beyond a simple yes or no,’

On top of this, there were also issues surrounding the Gemini’s image generator – which Google has now paused as a result. The AI software was producing ‘diverse’ images that were historically inaccurate, such as Asian Nazi-era German soldiers, Black Vikings, female popes.

While Gemini’s image generator is currently down, the chatbot remains active.

The post Calls to shut down Gemini after Google’s AI chatbot refuses to say if Hitler or Musk is worse appeared first on ReadWrite.

Deepfake videos generated by artificial intelligence (AI) could be mobilized by bad actors to influence the upcoming UK election a top government minister has warned.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said it could create a ‘perfect storm’ before Brits head to the polls, likely before the end of 2024.

Cleverly – in preparation for a meeting with Silicon Valley bosses – said that the time for deepfake videos disrupting elections across the world is well and truly here and ‘already in play’.

He went on to warn British voters opinions may be swayed if their social media platforms are filled with convincing AI-generated deepfakes. These forgeries could be made on behalf of UK adversaries, such as Russia and Iran. However, this possibility is not limited to the UK, with over half the global population set to take part in elections this year – such as the UK, US, and the EU.

Speaking to The Times, Cleverly said:

“The era of deepfake and AI-generated content to mislead and disrupt is already in play, increasingly today the battle of ideas and policies takes place in the ever-changing and expanding digital sphere.”

“The landscape it is inserted into needs its rules, transparency, and safeguards for its users. The questions asked about digital content and the sources of digital content are no less relevant than those asked about the content and sources at dispatch boxes, newsrooms, or billboard ads.”

UK action on deepfakes

Cleverly’s concern was also echoed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who warned that deepfakes could be a big factor in a close election.

Khan has experience of the potency of deepfakes, as an AI-generated video of him making rousing remarks before Armistice Day (Britain’s version of Veterans Day) protests last year. He believes the regulation around deepfakes is not currently effective.

As reported in The Independent, Khan said:

“It’s not an issue of policing, it’s an issue of legislation and regulation.”

“My worry is, in a close election, a close referendum, these sorts of deepfake videos and audios can be the difference, but also my concern is, there are sometimes examples where these sorts of deepfake audios can lead to serious disturbances, particularly when emotions are running high,”

Tech giants rally against deepfakes

Earlier this month, the major players in generative AI; Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft and 17 others, agreed to work collaboratively to prevent deceptive AI content; however, this agreement failed to commit to banning deepfake videos.

Ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections in June, Meta said it is setting up a dedicated to tackle the abuse of AI and the spread of disinformation, as concerns grow over the manipulative power of AI over voters.

In a blog post, Marco Pancini, Meta’s head of EU affairs said:

“As the election approaches, we’ll activate an Elections Operations Center to identify potential threats and put mitigations in place in real time,”

Meta also said it is working with 26 independent fact-checking organizations across the EU across 22 languages.

Featured image: Midjourney

The post UK election could be influenced by AI deepfakes appeared first on ReadWrite.

Meta has removed several Facebook accounts that posed as US military families.

The fake accounts on Facebook and Instagram were aimed at US audiences and were all located in China, according to Meta’s security researchers.

Meta’s report stated that accounts mainly posted about ‘military themes’, including US air carriers; as well as critiquing the ‘US foreign policy towards Taiwan and Israel and its support os Ukraine’.

The group responsible also held accounts on YouTube and Medium and shared a petition online that claimed to be written by Americans – which was critical of the US support for Taiwan.

The Meta security team traced the groups to China, however stated that they were not tied to one enclave or group.

The breakdown of the accounts was somewhat small:

• 33 Facebook accounts
• 4 Instagram profiles
• 6 pages and groups on Facebook

Meta spots rise in China-based influence on Facebook

As reported in engadget, Meta’s global threat intelligence lead, Ben Nimmo said:

“The greatest change in the threat landscape has been this emergence of Chinese influence operations.”

He also pointed out, Meta has taken down 10 CIB (Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior) Networks that were based in China since 2017. However, six of those 10 came in the last year. Last year, Meta located and shut down a large network comprised of thousands of fake accounts that sought to spread pro-China propaganda across Meta’s platforms.

Thus far, the groups spreading these messages have been unsuccessful in their goals of spreading pro-China and anti-US sentiment. The latest network was seized after only reaching 3000 Facebook accounts; whereas the Instagram accounts held zero followers prior to being shut down, Meta alleges.

However, given the looming 2024 US election Meta anticipates that the creation of these accounts will continue. With a Meta report warning of this prediction:

“Our threat research shows that, historically, the main way that CIB networks get through to authentic communities is when they manage to co-opt real people — politicians, journalists or influencers — and tap into their audiences,”

“Reputable opinion-makers represent an attractive target and should exercise caution before amplifying information from unverified sources, particularly ahead of major elections.”

The post Meta takes down Chinese Facebook account posing as US military families appeared first on ReadWrite.

Blizzard announce new Hearthstone expansion Whizbang’s Workshop as game nears 10th anniversary.

Hearthstone – the free to play online collectible card game – players can step into Whizbang’s Workshop. A ‘genius inventor and toymaker’ there will be much more for players to collect and trade.

Whizbang’s Workshop launches worldwide on March 19 and will release 145 new cards, with some of the cards already having been released. However, Blizzard directed fans to keep an eye on the reveal schedule – as new cards are being released daily.

As Blizzard announced on their website:

“This place is teeming with plushies, Miniatures, and more. With nonstop nostalgia and options galore, you’re bound to find a new favorite toy — or even build one yourself. Welcome to a world of whimsy and wonder, welcome to Whizbang’s Workshop!”

New additions to Hearthstone decks

Hearthstone players have a new trick to add to their sleeve with the ‘Miniaturize’ effect. As Blizzard explain the trick:

“Whenever you play a card with Miniaturize, you get a 1-mana 1/1 copy added to your hand. Play the Mini version right away for tempo, or save it for a cheap, powerful effect when the time is just right. ”

With Hearthstone celebrating its ten year anniversary they have rolled back the clock, with some throwback cards and return of iconic characters from throughout its ten year span.

There is also the new ability for players to create their own card as they see fit. The Zilliax Deluxe 3000 card is fully customizable. Blizzard described it as:

“While building your deck, choose two Zilliax Modules to combine their costs, stats, and effects into your perfect Zilliax. Then, finish your Zilliax off with your choice of cosmetic finishes.”

Blizzard are also offering two pre-order deals for Whizbang’s workshop. A mega bundle and a regular bundle. In the mega bundle, players receive “80 card packs, 10 golden card packs, 1 random Signature Legendary card, 1 random Golden Legendary card, the Patches the Pirate Rogue Hero Skin, the Patches the Pirate Card Back, and 2 Corridor Sleeper Early Access Epic cards”

Whereas, the regular bundle includes: “60 card packs, 2 random Legendary cards, the Patches the Pirate Card Back, and 2 Corridor Sleeper Early Access Epic cards!”

The post Hearthstone reveals Whizbang’s Workshop for game’s 10th anniversary appeared first on ReadWrite.

Lonely this Valentine’s Day? Well, if so, might we suggest you think twice before spending your time with an AI girlfriend or boyfriend – they might not be trustworthy.

That’s because new AI chatbots specializing in romantic conversations with users rank among the ‘worst’ for privacy.

App companies behind these Large Language Models (LLMs) have neglected to respect users’ privacy or inform users about how these bots work.

Mozilla Foundation’s latest *Privacy Not Included report found these bots pose a major privacy risk due to the nature of the content being given by the users.

Just like any romantic relationship, sharing secrets and sensitive information is a regular part of the interaction – however, these bots depend on this information. Many of these AI bots being marketed as ‘soulmates’ or ’empathetic friends’ are designed to ask prying questions that require you to give very personal details – such as your sexual health or your medication intake – all of which can be collected by the companies behind these bots.

Researcher at *Privacy Not Included Misha Rykov said:

“To be perfectly blunt, AI girlfriends are not your friends. Although they are marketed as something that will enhance your mental health and well-being, they specialize in delivering dependency, loneliness, and toxicity, all while prying as much data as possible from you.”

Instructions not included with AI girlfriends

Information on how these bots work remains unclear, especially around how their ‘personality’ is formed, how the AI models are trained, what procedures are in place to prevent harmful content from being given to users, and whether individuals can decline to have their conversations used to train these AI models.

Already there is evidence of users reporting mistreatment and emotional pain. Such as AI companion company Replika removed an erotic role-play feature that was previously a big factor in one user’s relationship with their created avatar. Other examples include Chai’s chatbots reportedly encouraging a man to end his own life – which he did – and another Replika AI chatbot suggesting a man attempt to try and assassinate the Queen – which he also did.

Certain companies who offer these romantic chatbots stipulate in their terms and conditions that they take no responsibility for what the chatbot may say or what your reaction is.

An example is taken from Talkie Soulful AI Terms of Service:

“You expressly understand and agree that Talkie will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, damages for loss of profits including but not limited to, damages for loss of goodwill, use, data or other intangible losses (even if the company has been advised of the possibility of such damages), whether based on contract, tort, negligence, strict liability or otherwise resulting from: (I) the use of the inability to use the service…”

Statistics on Romantic chatbot user safety

• 90% failed to meet minimum safety standards
• 90% may share or sell your personal data
• 54% won’t let you delete your personal data
• 73% haven’t published any information on how they manage security vulnerabilities
• 64% haven’t published clear information about encryption and whether they use it
• 45% don’t require strong passwords, including allowing the weak password of “1”.

All data obtained from *Privacy Not Included report.

Featured image by Midjourney

The post Don’t trust your AI girlfriend, she may steal your heart and your data appeared first on ReadWrite.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has no plans to release ‘any new major existing titles’ for PlayStation before March 31, 2025.

The announcement came during the company’s Q3 briefing.

“Regarding first-party software, we aim to continue to focus on producing high-quality works and developing live service games” Sony Group president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki said.

“But while major projects are currently under development, we do not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles next fiscal year like God of War Ragnorak and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.”

While games that fall under ‘major existing franchise titles’ do include marquee titles such as God of War and Marvel’s Spiderman, it does not include new intellectual property games such as multiplayer first-person shooter Concord or non-major existing franchise titles such as survival horror hit Until Dawn.

Totoki voiced his expectation for sales from franchise titles to drop off slightly:

“Although the burden of acquisition-related costs will ease next fiscal year, we expect profit from first-party software to decrease slightly from this fiscal year due to the impact of the decrease in sales. Due to this, operating income for the next fiscal year is currently expected to increase slightly from this fiscal year. However, while this is our baseline, we are reviewing measures for further improvement in profitability in advance of the annual forecast results announcement this May.”

Playstation 5 to help Sony with revenue

However, he also discussed the role Playstation 5 sales will play in Sony’s earnings:

“Regarding the PlayStation 5 hardware, which will enter its fifth year since launch, partially due to its entering the latter half of the console cycle, we aim to optimize sales with a greater emphasis on balance with profits, so we anticipate a gradual decline in unit sales from next fiscal year onwards,” Totoki said.

“We expect third-party software sales to continue to expand gradually due to the expansion of the PlayStation 5 install base and the high level of user engagement. In network services, we expect subscribers to be on par with this fiscal year or slightly less due to the impact of price revision we implemented in this fiscal year. Still, we expect sales to gradually expand due to a shift to attractive premium services.”

As reported in Gematsu, the outlook for the next fiscal year for the PlayStation 5 (PS5) is:

• PS5 Hardware unit sales – Gradual decline
• Software sales – Decrease, with no plan for release of major franchise titles
• The burden of acquisition-related costs – Easing
• First-party software profit – Slight decrease
• Third-party software sales – Gradual expansion
• Network services revenue – Gradual expansion

The post Sony reveals when ‘new major titles’ can be expected appeared first on ReadWrite.

Meta CEO – Mark Zuckerberg – tried Apple’s new Vision Pro headset and shared his honest thoughts. Shock, horror, he thinks his company’s Quest 3 headset is better.

Apple has launched boldly into the mixed-reality wearable world with the much-talked-about Vision Pro. A headset that provides an interface for users to view apps, play augmented or virtual reality games, or even just build a fresh workspace. Needless to say, the arrival of the Vision Pro has got a lot of people talking. However, some people have more to say than others.

In a video posted to his Instagram, Zuckerberg gave a breakdown of the Vision Pro when compared with Meta’s Quest 3 headset in which he said ‘I don’t just think the Quest is better value, I think it is the better product, period.’

Vision Pro vs Quest 3

The video – which was shot on a Meta Quest 3 – also included Zuckerberg weighing up the various tradeoffs the Vision Quest made and why he isn’t a fan of them.

Apple is known for their sleek designs, however Zuckerberg was critically over some decisions made:

“Quest I think is just a lot more comfortable. We designed it to be 120 grams lighter, which makes a really big difference on your face. There’s no wires that get in the way when you move around. Our field of view is wider and I found our screen to be brighter also.”

“Apple’s screen does have a higher resolution and that’s really nice. But I was surprised at how many tradeoffs they had to make to the device, in terms of comfort and ergonomics.”

Hand tracking was a big factor according to Zuckerberg, saying:

“Both headsets support hand tracking but I found ours to be a little more accurate. Apple’s eye tracking is really nice. We actually had those sensors back in Quest Pro, we took them out for Quest 3, we’re going to bring them back in the future. It’s a nice interface, it’s not perfect for everything though. For typing or complex tasks you’re going to want hands or a keyboard.”

Content library was another area where Zuckerberg gave an edge to the Quest saying:

“Quests immersive content library is a lot deeper. We’ve been working with studios building virtual and mixed reality games for some time now.”

The battle between the Vision Pro and the Quest 3 is only just beginning. The price difference between the two products is significant. The Vision Pro can be bought for $3500 vs around $500 for the Quest 3.

Featured image: Flickr/Creative Commons 2.0

The post Shockingly, Mark Zuckerberg thinks Meta’s Quest 3 is better than Apple’s Vision Pro appeared first on ReadWrite.

China’s e-sports industry has posted revenue of 26.3 billion yuan ($3.71 billion US) this year.

E-sports popularity has been growing in recent years,  and the number of players in China will hit 488 million in 2023.

The revenue consisted of 80.87% live content streaming, with event and club revenue accounting for 8.59% and 6.42% respectively.

Some of the most popular categories of e-sports gaming included: shooting games (28%), multiplayer online tactical games (15.9%) and sports-based competitive games (12.2%).

This year, the number of non-exhibition events featuring both professional and non-professional players continued to grow steadily with 127 events. Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou are the hotspots for hosting offline e-sports events. Outside of China, e-sports have expanded globally, particularly in South East Asia, with countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia seeing a spike in its popularity.

Are e-sports toppling traditional sports in China?

E-sports have gone from being a fun hobby for teenagers in China to becoming both a major cultural event and a national export. This growth could be seen at the Asian Games – a continental multi-sport event held every four years – where esports was a medal-winning sport at the 2023 event, with over twenty countries competing in seven e-sport games.

If the Asian Games is an effective barometer for popularity then e-sports were the 100m sprint of the event. Due to overwhelming demand, e-sports tickets were allocated through a lottery system – the only sport in the Games to receive a ticket lottery. With over 5 million entrants to the ticket lottery, each only held a slim 0.5% chance of getting a ticket.

As reported by the MIT review, Director of Research and Insights at Niko Partners Daniel Ahmad said:

“What’s clear is that Asia is the leading region for e-sports right now”

“Our previous studies have found that gamers in Asia are more motivated by competition, alongside completion, challenge, and community, when compared to the West.”

With China holding the largest e-sports market in the world with 35%, e-sports operate much similar to conventional sports. There are regional clubs, home and away stadiums, tournaments varying on league and skill level and even recently celebrity status being applied to star players.

Although despite this boom in popularity, the Chinese government remains on the fence with e-sports. On one hand, it praises the national pride attributed to e-sports; but on the other it is concerned for the capacity for internet addiction among the nation’s youth.

Picture: Pexels

The post China’s e-sports industry makes nearly $4bn in 2023 appeared first on ReadWrite.

Adult sites Pornhub, Xvideos and Stripchat will be more strictly regulated in the European Union (EU) under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

The three pornographic sites have been categorized as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) as they meet the benchmark of 45 million users in a month. This move comes after the European Commission slapped a VLOP title on massive tech companies, including Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube and Google – with some of them seeking to bypass regulations.

The DSA ensures that VLOPs adhere to security, privacy and consumer safety protocols within the first four months of being given VLOP status. Specific to adult sites, requirements include minimizing risks linked to the sharing of child sex abuse content and protection for minors, such as blocks preventing access to pornographic content – e.g. age verification tools.

VLOPS are also required to draft transparency reports on risk management and content moderation within their company every six months as well as release their audit results and a systemic risk analysis once a year.

In an announcement on Wednesday (Dec.20), European Commissioner for Internal Market Theirry Baton spoke on the new wave of VLOP designations: ” We have already designated 19 Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines.

“We will continue to designate platforms that meet the thresholds and make sure that they comply with their obligations under the DSA. I have been very clear that creating a safer online environment for our children is an enforcement priority under the DSA.”

Earlier in the week, the EU opened formal proceedings against Elon Musk’s X to investigate if it breached the bloc’s DSA rules.

Pornhub controversy

This VLOP classification comes after Pornhub’s parent company MindGeek was at the centre of a scandal two years ago. An investigation by the New Yorker found that non-consensual and underage videos were being posted on the site for years. This led to a 2021 lawsuit, accusing MindGeek of breaking both sex trafficking and sexual abuse image laws by allowing and profiting from content of this nature being posted on their site. The chief operating officer later resigned following the controversy.

With this VLOP classification, the EU Commission is seeking to ensure this does not happen again, by making these adult sites operate more transparently.

The trio of sites can launch an appeal against the VLOP classification if they wish. with Amazon and German fashion brand Zalando having done so already.

Featured image: AI-generated via DALL-E

The post EU takes aim at Pornhub, XVideos and Stripchat under DSA rules appeared first on ReadWrite.

Crypto company Worldcoin now has integrations with Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram, Shopify and Mercado Libre.

Worldcoin – a project founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman – was launched earlier this year and its recent update of World ID offers a service that helps better distinguish between bots and ‘verified humans’ online. Through creating a World ID profile and, if you wish, scanning your eyeballs.

For example, the new integrations from Worldcoin allow Shopify store owners to use World ID for fraud prevention and one-time offers. Reddit moderators can grant permission to those who use their World ID to ensure they do not post spam.

As TechCrunch reported, Tiago Sada head of Tools for Humanity at Worldcoin said:

“This is not just about the first wave of applications, but a new developer platform where developers can build,” Sada said. “We’re excited to see what people come up with […] the best ideas come from developers.”

The levels of new World ID integration

This integration comes with renewed authentication levels, creating three types of World IDs. Firstly, the ‘casual’ level involves downloading the Worldcoin app and creating a World ID. At this level, there is no need to scan your irises – you only need to create your profile.

Next, the standard or World ID Orb level involves both building a profile and getting your irises scanned by a Worldcoin Orb, in order to verify your identity. Lastly, the ‘high’ or  World ID Orb+ requires you to also use facial recognition to pass the app protocol.

Surprisingly, you don’t need to insert a name when creating a World ID. As Sada said:

“You can use it completely anonymously; the only thing you’re doing is proving you’re unique.”

Users can create one ‘casual’ World ID per device, however, once you choose to be scanned by an Orb you may only hold one World ID.

Speaking on the benefit of the World ID system Sada said:

“It’s not perfect, but it could help prevent people from abusing systems, like voting 100 times on a poll, or having hundreds – if not thousands – of accounts,”

Worldcoin data security concerns

While the crypto project is growing consistently, it is facing some backlash. Earlier this year, Kenya banned Worldcoin from scanning any more of its citizens’ irises – on the grounds that it did not inform the users of the necessary data and security measures taken.

Elsewhere, some critics have voiced concerns that Worldcoin focuses on developing countries, giving those who sign up 25 WLD tokens (worth around $60.50). Despite this criticism, Worldcoin still maintains steady growth with around 5 million people globally having a World ID and 2.6 million having scanned their irises via its Orb hardware.

Speaking on Worldcoins growth, Sada said:

“Five million people is still very far away from the world (adopting it,)”

“So (2024 is) about improving things, but also getting to all of the people around the world.”

Featured image: Brett Jordan on Pexels 

The post Worldcoin now integrates with Minecraft, Reddit and Shopify appeared first on ReadWrite.

Threads – Meta’s Twitter competitor – has landed in Europe.

After its launch in the US and UK earlier this year, Threads is finally available to social media users in the European Union (EU) today (Dec.14). Threads opted not to release a formal statement about the launch instead choosing to create a countdown timer on their website. This morning Mark Zuckerberg the CEO of Threads’s parent company Meta, welcomed the new countries in a post on his account.

EU Instagram users can search ‘ticket’ within the app to view their digital invitation to Threads, which comes with a QR code and a launch time, which could vary from country to country.

Threads is a social media site built by Meta that allows users to share text, video and pictures, as well as connect with people through liking, sharing and commenting on their posts – similar to Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter).

Reason for delay in Europe launch

As TechCrunch reported, the ‘upcoming regulatory uncertainty’ described by Meta was the reason for the delay in launching. Most likely, this is about the EU’s strict rules under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) – which groups together Meta, Apple and Microsoft as industry gatekeepers and thus subject to stricter rules regarding user consent and data protection. It remains uncertain if Meta had to comply with these rules to move forward with the EU launch.

The app currently has over 141 million users thanks to its ability to connect to Instagram’s two billion active users. Still a long way off X’s 528 million monthly active users.

Despite this impressive start Threads experienced a sharp fall off in usage, after launch. It remains to be seen if the same will occur when it opens to European countries.

Which countries already have access to Threads?

• US
• Canada
• UK
• Japan
• South Korea
• New Zealand
• Australia
• South Africa
• Argentina
• Columbia
• Mexico
• Peru
• Iceland
• India
• Norway
• Switzerland
• Egypt
• Hong Kong
• Vietnam
• Turkey

Full list of available countries here

Featured image: Julio Lopez on Pexels

The post Threads arrives in EU: Rival to Elon Musk’s X launches in Europe appeared first on ReadWrite.

A new bill has been passed by the Brazilian senate which could open the door for the formation of a regulated sports betting market in the country.

However, while the legislation encourages a sports betting market, it refused to endorse a move toward establishing an igaming market.

The bill was approved in September, however, the Senate has been tinkering with it since then. The revised version will now return to the Chamber of Deputies for review.

What the betting bill includes

Companies seeking to operate in the sports betting market in Brazil must now secure a specific license for either online or in-person betting – or a combination of both. These licenses – issued by the Ministry of Finance – are valid for five years and could cost up to BRL30 million ($6 million US).

To be eligible for a license, companies must meet a list of certain criteria. They must have their headquarters and administration located in Brazil. They must adhere to cybersecurity and technical standards. Lastly, they must appoint a member with expertise in the field and establish internal control measures for customer service.

There has also been a reduction on the tax these companies will pay. Sports betting companies in Brazil will pay 12% tax, despite some lawmakers pushing for 18%.

In terms of bettors winnings, a proposal of reducing tax from 30% to 15% raised financial implications for the federal government. At first, it anticipated revenue between BRL2 million and BRL6 million ($402,600 to $1.2 million) in 2024, but now has to settle for around half that amount.

Also featured in the bill, was the requirement of betting companies to establish a free customer service channel. As reported by Casino.org, the use of celebrities to promote betting is prohibited as well.

Uncertain future for online betting

Online betting remains a well-fuelled debate in Brazil. Interestingly, a similar debate is taking place in Australia as they recently passed a bill tightening restrictions on online betting.

But in Brazil, the inclusion of virtual betting in the bill – such as virtual blackjack, slots or roulette – caused some delays to its passing. However, as a result of recent investigations into a popular online slot machine game called Fortune Tiger revealed that a number of players emptied their life savings into the online game.

Consequently, this led to the removal of virtual betting from the bill.

Featured Image: Caio on Pexels

The post Brazil senate greenlights sports betting with new legislation appeared first on ReadWrite.

Microsoft will back sustainable jet fuel company, Dimensional Energy, as a partner in a $20 million funding round.

Amidst the ongoing climate crisis, the push to implement efficient alternatives is the biggest problem facing many industries. In particular air travel, has seen (SAF) – which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional jet fuel – as a way to hit carbon reduction targets and meet corporate quotas.

Enter Dimensional Energy. Based out of New York, the company utilises carbon dioxide emissions and water to create sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and they are beginning to gather attention – with the company reporting on Tuesday (Dec.12) that they closed the $20 million deal in a Series A funding round, which included Microsoft’s climate fund.

Speaking about their reason for supplying funding, senior director at Microsoft’s climate innovation fund Brandon Middaugh said in a statement:

“The world needs immediate and rapid decarbonization across all sectors, and Dimensional Energy shows great promise as a cleaner and lower carbon aviation solution alongside reductions in industrial emissions,”

“Microsoft has been an early adopter of sustainable aviation fuel and sees this market as critical for global decarbonization, which is why Microsoft’s climate innovation fund supports Dimensional Energy’s work as a direct equity investor.”

Among the other investors, led by Envisioning Partners, were: United Airlines’ sustainable flight fund, RockCreek’s smart aviation futures fund, DSC Investment, Delek US, New York Ventures, and existing investors like Elemental Excelerator and Chloe Capital – helping raise the total to $28 million.

Speaking to TechCrunch, Dimensional Energy founder and CEO Jason Salfi said:

“The extraction and production of hydrocarbons has resulted in not only climate change but the displacement of indigenous people globally and myriad environmental catastrophes,”

“Dimensional Energy makes a replacement for oil from carbon dioxide and water. Dimensional is committed to sourcing feedstocks in balance with nature and communities where plants are built.”

Dimensional Energy on the rise

After this latest investment, the company announced plans to build an advanced power-to-liquids fuel plant, with the fuel source being supplied by Lafarge’s Richmond Cement Plant in British Columbia, Canada in partnership with carbon capture company Svante.

Also among its plans are Dimensional Energy’s first direct-to-consumer (BTC) and business (BTB) products, a fossil-free surf wax and a cruelty-free fat alternative customized for for vegan food manufacturers.

Dimensional Energy’s main customers are airlines, freight companies and chemical firms. During this year, they secured a deal with aircraft maker Boom Supersonic to sell 5 million gallons of SAF per year for Boom’s flight test program.

However, the balancing act between maintaining sustainability and generating profit can be difficult, however, Dimensional builds revenue via contracted offtake agreements and is actively seeking long-term contracts with airlines and specialist chemical companies.

Featured Image: Photo by Kelly on Pexels

The post Microsoft back sustainable jet fuel company Dimensional Energy appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an appeal against the Microsoft-Activision deal – despite the deal already being completed for $68.7 billion in October.

As Reuters reported, lawyers representing the FTC and Microsoft stood before a panel yesterday in the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals.

The FTC’s main argument was that district judge Jacqueline Scott Corley was too stringent with the FTC in denying their appeal for a preliminary injunction. Imad Abyad, a lawyer on behalf of the FTC, argued they merely had to demonstrate the potential for Microsoft to withhold games from other platforms; rather than show the deal discouraged competitiveness in the market.

Continuing, Abyad gave examples from the past of Microsoft doing this – when they acquired Zenimax in 2020 – which led to some of their titles being exclusive to Microsoft.

As CNN reported Abyad’s argument: “I fail to understand how giving somebody a monopoly of something would be pro-competitive…It may be a benefit to some class of consumers, but that is very different than saying it is pro-competitive.”

However, the attorney representing Microsoft – Rakesh Kilaru argued that the court’s decision was based on “clear factual findings” and “that the world will be better with the merger.”

“It is not a violation of the antitrust laws to give consumers something new, that’s beneficial…unless they present some evidence of it, which they didn’t do.”

In a counterargument, Abyad raised the issue of licensing agreements – which Microsoft has produced in vast numbers in response to regulator critique – would give the courts more to examine in the case, yet they have already made their decision.

He said: “What the district court relied on, mostly, are contracts that were entered into after the (FTC) complaint was filed…”

“The facts were changing all along. Even after the district court decided the case, Microsoft went ahead and entered into yet another contract (to restructure the cloud licensing rights).”

The post FTC look to block completed Microsoft-Activision deal appeared first on ReadWrite.