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Facial recognition linked to a second wrongful arrest by Detroit police

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The perpetrator, who was recorded in footage captured on a phone, doesn’t look like Oliver. For one thing, he has tattoos on his arms, and there aren’t any visible on the person in the video. When Oliver’s attorney took photos of him to the victim and an assistant prosecutor, they agreed Oliver had been misidentified. A judge later dismissed the case.

Facial recognition tech was used in Oliver’s case before new rules came into force. Detroit police can now only use it to investigate violent felonies. Wayne County’s top persecutor will also review all facial recognition cases when an assistant prosecuting attorney and supervisor agree that charges should be laid.

This is not the only time officers in the city have wrongfully arrested someone following a false match. In a high-profile case earlier this year, they arrested and detained Robert Williams for almost 30 hours for a crime he didn’t commit. These are the first two known cases of wrongful arrests to stem from false facial recognition matches.

Late last month, Detroit Police Chief James Craig suggested the technology the department uses, which was created by DataWorks Plus, isn’t always reliable. “If we were just to use the technology by itself, to identify someone, I would say 96 percent of the time it would misidentify,” he said in a public meeting, according to Motherboard. From the start of the year through June 22nd, the force used the software 70 times per the department’s public data. In all but two of those cases, the person whose image the technology analyzed was Black.

Oliver and Williams are both Black men. Various studies have suggested there are elements of racial bias in facial recognition tech.

“Detroit police’s new policy is a fig leaf that provides little to no protection against a dangerous technology subjecting an untold number of people to the disasters that Robert Williams and Michael Oliver have already experienced,” American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan legal director Dan Korobkin told Engadget in a statement.

“Lawmakers must take urgent action to stop law enforcement use of this technology until it can be determined what policy, if any, can effectively prevent this technology’s harms. At the same time, police and prosecutors nationwide should review all cases involving the use of this technology and should notify all individuals charged as a result of it. This technology is dangerous when wrong and dangerous when right.”

There have been calls at varying levels of government to ban police use of facial recognition tech, including from Black Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives. Several cities, including Boston and San Francisco, have banned or limited the use of facial recognition. Members of Congress filed a bill last month that seeks to “prohibit biometric surveillance by the federal government without explicit statutory authorization.”

Some tech companies that have worked on facial recognition have reassessed their positions on the tech. IBM says it’ll no longer develop “general purpose” facial recognition due to human rights concerns. Amazon has paused police use of Rekognition, while Microsoft won’t sell its facial recognition tech to police departments until there are federal rules “grounded in human rights.”

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Amazon’s ‘New World’ MMO is delayed again

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When Amazon first announced New World, it initially planned to release the MMO in May 2020. Earlier this year, the company delayed the game to August 25th due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a kind of apology for the latest delay, people who signed up for New World‘s open beta, pre-ordered the game or took part in its alpha test will be able to play the RPG in its current state for “a limited period” starting on August 25th.  

The delay comes a week-and-a-half after Amazon took the unusual step of rolling back the availability of its hero-based shooter Crucible following a rough launch. As of July 1st, the game is once again in closed beta so that developer Relentless can polish its gameplay. Amazon Games has been working on New World for more than four years. With how much massively online games cost to develop, it’s understandable that the studio would want to take more time to give the project a chance at success.      

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Ask Engadget: How do I get help while ‘schooling from home’?

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Getting help on your school work can be tough under normal circumstances and it won’t be any easier if you’re attending Zoom classes. If you need assistance on an assignment or a general topic you’re studying, reach out to your teacher or professor as soon as you think you might need help.

“I would advise students looking for additional help from their instructors to reach out as early as possible,” Andrew J. McClurg, IT Analyst at Syracuse University’s Online Learning Services center, told Engadget in an email. “The class is a partnership between the two, with both wanting the student outcome to be positive. By contacting instructors when they first realize they need help, students can avoid becoming too overwhelmed with the material as the class progresses.”

McClurg also recommends using the method of contact that your instructor prefers. “As a best practice instructors will have communication policy on how they prefer to be contacted, whether that be email, telephone, or another method,” he says. “Additionally, instructors will state how long they typically take to respond to student communications. The usual timeframe is 24 to 48 hours, if not sooner.” If that information isn’t clear to you on day one of classes, you can always reach out to your professor and ask how they wish to be contacted before you bombard them on all fronts with your questions.

You should also consider using your instructor’s office hours (if they still have them). According to McClurg, office hours have often gone underutilized even when students were physically on campus — but they’re a great time in which you can seek one-on-one help. “Office hours are a great resource for students and instructors to connect …. We have had great success with online office hours using Blackboard Collaborate and Zoom, even before the move to online instruction the past spring.”

And if you end up needing more help than your professor can provide, ask them if they know of any reputable tutors that you can contact. They may be able to direct you to resources your college or university has available to all students, or outside tutoring sources you can consider.

—Valentina Palladino, Commerce Editor

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Facebook may pause political ads prior to the 2020 election

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Facebook could make a major change to its advertising policies in an effort to fight election-related misinformation. The social network is considering a ban on political advertising in the U.S. in the days before the 2020 election, Bloomberg reports. 

Unlike Twitter, which banned political ads entirely last year, Facebook’s plan would only limit ads for a few days. The proposed policy would create a “blackout” period that would bar political ads from the platform in the lead-up to Election Day, according to Bloomberg. It’s not clear how long this period could last, but there is some precedent for such a policy. Many countries, including the U.K, have laws that bar political ads on election day or in the days immediately before.

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Google will prohibit ads for ‘intimate partner surveillance’ tech

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Starting August 11th, Google is banning advertisements for “stalkerware” apps and hardware, which enable someone to track the phone activity or movement of another person. These apps and hardware tend to be used for “intimate partner surveillance,” according to an update on Google’s advertising policies change log. The apps are already banned in Google and Apple’s app stores, however some still slip through while others are available directly on developers’ websites.

The update further specifies that affected products include, “spyware/malware that can be used to monitor texts, phone calls, or browsing history; GPS trackers specifically marketed to spy or track someone without their consent; promotion of surveillance equipment (cameras, audio recorders, dash cams, nanny cams) marketed with the express purpose of spying.” Accounts that violate the policy will be suspended, according to the update.

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HBO Max plans spin-off series based on upcoming ‘The Batman’ movie

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HBO Max already has a number of DC-related projects with others in the works, but it could do with some more major original programming. Tapping into the most popular DC character and building on an upcoming blockbuster movie seems like a solid choice. It’s unclear whether Pattinson will make any appearances in the show, but if he does, that might persuade some of his fans to sign up to HBO Max. In any case, it’s a fairly safe bet that a show set in the world of The Batman will pull in some subscribers.

There’s no word as yet on when you can expect to start streaming this show. However, given that it’s in development, and most TV and movie productions are on hold amid the pandemic, we’re probably in for quite a wait. The Batman, meanwhile, will be released on October 1st, 2021.

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Instagram expands policy banning promotion of conversion therapy

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A company spokesperson confirmed the new rules to Engadget, and said that while the company won’t be banning specific organizations, it will remove posts that break its rules and that repeat offenders could have their accounts disabled. 

“We don’t allow attacks against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity and are updating our policies to ban the promotion of conversion therapy services,” an Instagram spokesperson said in a statement. “We are always reviewing our policies and will continue to consult with experts and people with personal experiences to inform our approach.”

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Amazon email banning TikTok on employee phones was an ‘error’ (updated)

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TikTok itself also pulled out of the Hong Kong market on Monday, citing a new Chinese national security law that would make it impossible to use. Despite TikTok being based in China, the country itself does not have access to the app. The company has even decided to stop employing Chinese moderators and claimed that none of its data is stored in China. TikTok has also taken pains to say that a lot of its business and data decisions are made outside China, a move which the company hopes will alleviate any concern that it’s controlled by the Chinese government.

Amazon has reportedly said in the email that employees can still check TikTok on their laptop browsers.

Update (5 PM ET): In a statement to Engadget, an Amazon spokesperson said “This morning’s email to some of our employees was sent in error. There is no change to our policies right now with regard to TikTok.” What was the error? Amazon did not specify, but for now at least, employees are not required to remove the app from their phones.

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This week’s best deals: AirPods, Nintendo Switch game sale and more

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Buy AirPods with wireless charging case at Amazon – $150

GameStop Nintendo Switch game sale

Nintendo

Nintendo

GameStop’s latest sale remains ongoing, so you can grab some first-party Nintendo Switch games for less. Some of the discounts are even better than those we saw in Nintendo’s own start of summer sale a few weeks ago. Notable titles on sale include Super Mario Bros U Deluxe for $40, Splatoon 2 for $40 and Yoshi’s Crafted World for $40.

Shop the sale at GameStop

Buy New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe at GameStop – $40

Buy Splatoon 2 at GameStop – $40

Buy Yoshi’s Crafted World at Gamestop – $40

Apple Watch Series 3

Apple Watch Series 3

Chris Velazco / Engadget

The Apple Watch Series 3 remains at $169 at Amazon, the lowest price ever for the smartwatch. While not the newest Apple Watch, the Series 3 has most of the features you’d expect a solid wearable to have including all-day activity and exercise tracking, built-in heart rate monitor and GPS, and on-watch apps and smartphone alerts. We gave it a score of 82 when we first reviewed it thanks to all of the features previously listed as well as its solid performance and good battery life.

Buy Apple Watch Series 3 at Amazon – $169

Macbook Air

Apple MacBook Air

Engadget

The base model of the latest MacBook Air is still on sale for $899 at Amazon, which is $100 off its normal price (just be sure to clip the $50 coupon on the page before adding it to your cart). It has a Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, plus the much improved Magic Keyboard that replaced Apple’s butterfly mechanism recently. It’s one of the reasons why we gave the new MacBook Air a score of 87, in addition to its sharp Retina display, smooth trackpad and accurate TouchID sensor.

Buy MacBook Air at Amazon starting at $899

Amazon Echo Plus

Amazon Echo Plus smart speaker

Amazon

Amazon’s smart speaker turned home hub is down to its lowest price ever, only $80, and that includes a free Philips Hue smart light bulb. The Echo Plus normally costs $150, so this is a great deal if you’ve wanted a smart speaker that pulls double-duty as a smart home hub. Any Zigbee-compatible device, like the Hue bulb included in the bundle, can be connected directly to the Echo Plus — no other hubs required. We gave the Echo Plus a score of 86 for its much improved audio quality, more attractive design and its new stereo audio ability that let’s you connect two devices at once.

Buy Echo Plus bundle at Amazon – $80

Weber SmokeFire connected grills

Weber SmokeFire grills

Billy Steele / Engadget

Now’s a good time to upgrade your grill while Weber has its SmokeFire series on sale. You can get $200 off both fo the grills in the lineup, bringing the SmokeFire EX4 down to $799 and the SmokeFire EX6 down to $999. We originally gave these grills a score of 71 but recently bumped it up to 80 thanks to the updates Weber has made to its connected platform. Both grills now feature remote temperature adjustment and shutdown, better push notifications and more efficient handling of temperature fluctuations.

Buy SmokeFire EX4 from Weber – $799

Buy SmokeFire EX6 from Weber – $999

New deal additions

Aukey USB-C portable charger

Engadget readers can get Aukey’s 30,000mAh USB-C power bank for $42 by using the code ENGADGETY3 at checkout. That’s $18 off its normal price and the lowest price we’ve seen it. this high-capacity power bank can charge any USB device you throw at it including the newest iPhones and Android devices as well as the Nintendo Switch. It also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 to power up compatible devices quickly and safely.

Buy Aukey 30,000 power bank at Amazon – $42

Amazon Echo Show 5 and Show 8

Both Amazon’s Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8 are on sale right now — the Show 5 is down to $60 and the Show 8 is down to $90. This is a decent sale, even if they’re not the lowest ever prices we’ve seen for the two smart displays (that’s $50 and $80, respectively). We gave the Echo Show 5 a score of 85 for its sunrise alarm feature, good sound quality and its compact design that makes it a good nightstand device. The Echo Show 8 is much better as a communal device thanks to its larger display. If you plan on using it as a cooking guide for recipe instructions and videos, you should consider the deal Amazon has that includes one free year of Food Network Kitchen (which typically costs $40) when you buy the Echo Show 8.

The Echo Flex is also on sale for $17.49. This is the lowest price we’ve seen on the handy little adapter — it plugs into a wall outlet, allowing you to put Alexa in rooms that maybe don’t have room for a standalone smart speaker.

Buy Echo Show 5 at Amazon – $60

Buy Echo Show 8 at Amazon – $90

Buy Echo Flex at Amazon – $17.49

SteelSeries Arctis 1 gaming headset (PS4)

The SteelSeries Arctis 1 is one of our favorite wireless gaming headsets and now the PS4 model is on sale for $80 at Amazon. That’s $20 off its normal price and close to the lowest we’ve seen it. We like the Arctis 1 for its clear, consistent wireless connection and its detachable microphone. Also, SteelSeries makes some of the most attractive gaming headsets you can get.

Buy Arctis 1 (PS4) at Amazon – $80

Amazon Music Unlimited (3 months)

Prime members can try out Amazon Music Unlimited for free for three months with this offer. Aside from being an Amazon Prime subscriber, you also have to be new to Music Unlimited (so you can’t have paid for it or tried it out before). If you meet those requirements, you can snag this offer and try out Amazon’s Spotify competitor. It offers most of the same features as other music subscription services: unlimited music listening, an ad-free experience, unlimited offline listening and convenient voice control with Alexa. Just keep track of time — your subscription will renew at the standard $10-per-month price after the trial is up.

Get Amazon Music Unlimited (3 months)

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Ubisoft posts ‘Far Cry 6’ teaser starring Giancarlo Esposito

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Based on the screenshots, it appears Esposito’s character, Anton Castillo, is the dictator of Yara, “a tropical paradise frozen in time.” Castillo’s “ruthless oppression” ignites a revolution, and players will assume the role of Dani Rojas, a guerilla fighter battling Castillo’s military.

It’s not clear if Ubisoft originally planned to announce Far Cry 6 at its Ubisoft Forward showcase this Sunday, but thanks to this leak, we can expect more details from the digital event. The leaked screenshots list the release data as February 18th, 2021.



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