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Tech

AI Summary

  • Uber and WeRide have launched a fully driverless robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi, removing safety operators from their vehicles, marking a significant advancement in autonomous transportation.
  • Investors are increasingly turning to “hold forever” strategies, focusing on acquiring distressed startups to revitalize and stabilize them, highlighting a change in venture capital dynamics.
  • YouTube is experimenting with a new feature that allows users to customize their home feed, aiming to improve user experience and engagement on the platform.
  • Warner Music Group has reached a licensing agreement with Suno, enabling AI-generated music using the likenesses and voices of its artists, while ensuring they maintain control over how their identities are used.
  • Various companies, including OpenAI and Perplexity, are launching personalized AI shopping assistants, but there is skepticism from startups about their effectiveness in delivering truly customized shopping experiences.

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Engadget

  • MasterClass subscriptions are up to 50 percent off thanks to Black Friday streaming deals an hour ago by Georgie Peru
    Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Georgie Peru

    If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to try MasterClass, now’s a great time to sign up. The online learning platform is offering 50 percent off all annual plans for a limited time with its Black Friday sale. With hundreds of classes across topics like cooking, writing and music, it’s one of the best deals we’ve seen from MasterClass this year. MasterClass has built a reputation as one of the best streaming platforms for learning new skills and creative hobbies. The service features courses led by industry leaders who share practical insights drawn from their own careers. Whether you want

  • The best wireless earbuds for 2025 2 hours ago by Billy Steele
    truewirelessearbuds, anker, sennheiser, airpodspro, earbuds, thebuyersguide, google, commerce, pixelbuds, soundcore, apple, sony, samsung, wf-1000xm3, elite75t, momentumtruewireless2, feature, jabra, galaxybuds+, truewireless, galaxybudsplus, gear, spiritdot2, Audio Technology, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Billy Steele

    Wireless earbuds have become the go-to choice for listening on the move. Whether you’re at the gym, commuting or relaxing at home, the best wireless earbuds give you comfort, freedom and solid sound quality without tangled cables. They’re lightweight, slip easily into your pocket and connect quickly to your phone, tablet or laptop. The tricky part is choosing the right pair. Some models focus on powerful noise cancellation while others put battery life or affordability first. Then you’ve got features like water resistance for workouts or touch controls for quick track changes. With so many choices, finding the best wireless earbuds

  • Sonos Black Friday deals: The Era 300 speaker is on sale for $100 off, plus more discounts 2 hours ago by Will Shanklin
    Audio Technology, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Will Shanklin

    Black Friday is as good a time as any to upgrade your home audio setup. You can get the Sonos Era 300, the company's only standalone speaker with spatial audio, for $379. That's $100 off what Engadget's Nathan Ingraham called "a great speaker, whether or not it is playing songs in Dolby Atmos." That Dolby reference points to the Era 300's core novelty. It produces spatial audio without requiring additional speakers. (You can use Apple Music or Amazon Music to stream compatible tracks.) Expect those Dolby Atmos tracks to sound better with newer music than older songs remixed for Dolby's tech. Even

  • Get one year of Headspace for $35 with this Black Friday deal 3 hours ago by Georgie Peru
    Fitness, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Georgie Peru

    Headspace’s Black Friday deal is live, offering 50 percent off its annual subscription through December 4. That brings the cost of a full year down to $35, giving you access to guided meditations, courses and stress-management tools that can help you stay balanced heading into the new year. Headspace has become one of the most recognizable names in digital mindfulness. The app blends practical meditation guidance with structured courses and calming soundscapes designed to make everyday stress easier to manage. Its programs cover everything from beginner-friendly introductions to mindfulness to focused content on topics like anxiety, productivity and sleep. Subscribers get access

  • The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is a cut-down version of Qualcomm's flagship Elite chipset 4 hours ago by Lawrence Bonk
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    Qualcomm just revealed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, the appropriately-named second member of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 line. This follows the Gen 5 Elite, which was first revealed back in September. The standard Gen 5 is still a powerful mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC) with a top clock speed of 3.8GHz. That's slightly lower than the Elite's top speed of 4.6GHz, but still nothing to sneeze at. It includes a custom-built Oryon CPU and boasts speed-enhancing features like matrix acceleration. The company says the platform offers a 36 percent performance improvement when compared to Snapdragon 7, along with a 76 percent increase


The Verge

  • Poco partners with Bose to put a subwoofer in its latest phone an hour ago by Dominic Preston
    Bose, Gadgets, Mobile, News, Phones, Tech, Xiaomi

    Poco is at pains to admit that this “denim blue” version of the F8 Ultra includes no actual denim fabric. Xiaomi spin-off brand Poco has partnered with Bose to help its new F8 phones stand out in an increasingly crowded market. Both the F8 Pro and F8 Ultra feature stereo speakers designed collaboratively with the audio company, and the Ultra goes one step further by including a subwoofer too. Both new F8 phones feature the same dual stereo speakers tuned by Bose, though you’ll have to buy the Ultra if you want the benefits of the subwoofer as well, which Poco says

  • Uber’s robotaxi service in UAE now includes fully driverless vehicles 3 hours ago by Andrew J. Hawkins
    Autonomous Cars, News, Ride-sharing, Transportation, Uber

    Uber and WeRide are now deploying fully driverless vehicles as part of its robotaxi service in the United Arab Emarites. Customers in Abu Dhabi who request an UberX or Uber Comfort may be matched with a fully autonomous WeRide vehicle if the route is part of the company’s service area. Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle operator WeRide first launched their robotaxi service with safety drivers back in December 2024. At the time, the companies they anticipated pulling safety drivers out of the vehicles the following year. Initially, the fully autonomous vehicles will only be available in select locations throughout the 12 square

  • Qualcomm reveals its not-so-elite Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 4 hours ago by Dominic Preston
    Chips, Gadgets, Mobile, News, Phones, Tech

    Qualcomm still sees this as a flagship chipset, just not an “Elite” one. When Qualcomm announced its high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset in November, it mentioned that a non-Elite version was on the way, designed to power a more affordable tier of flagship phones. Now, that chip has finally arrived, with some drops in performance but the same core feature set. Qualcomm compares the 8 Gen 5 to 2023’s 8 Gen 3, boasting a 36 percent improvement in CPU performance and 11 percent improvement in GPU performance compared to that chip, along with efficiency improvements. But since the 8 Gen

  • Campbell’s promises its soups are not made with 3D printed meat 11 hours ago by Emma Roth
    Food, News, Science, Tech

    Campbell’s is insisting that its soups aren’t made with 3D-printed chicken, lab-grown chicken, or bioengineered meat. The food giant issued the explanation on its website after leaked audio allegedly captured Campbell’s vice president of information technology saying the company’s meat “came from a 3D printer.” “A recent video contained false comments about our ingredients,” Campbell’s writes. “The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate, they are absurd. We do not use lab-grown chicken or any form of artificial or bioengineered meat in our soups.” It adds that the company only uses chicken from “reputable” suppliers in

  • House overhauls KOSA in a new kids online safety package 11 hours ago by Lauren Feiner
    News, Policy, Politics, Speech

    The House Energy and Commerce Committee released a package of 19 bills aimed at protecting kids on the internet, teeing Congress up for a chance at passing some of the most substantive internet regulations in recent history, alongside a fight over online speech rights. The subcommittee on commerce will consider the bills during a hearing on Tuesday, including the contentious Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). KOSA has been the centerpiece of advocacy from parent survivors whose kids died after suffering from a range of online harms, including cyberbullying, sextortion, and drugs purchased through the internet. But the new version of the


Wired


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