In addition to the new login and password protection measures, Twitter says it will take additional steps to protect accounts internally. These include:
-More sophisticated detections and alerts to help us, and account holders, respond rapidly to suspicious activity
-Increased login defenses to prevent malicious account takeover attempts
-Expedited account recovery support to ensure account security issues are resolved quickly
The new measures will apply to politicians at the federal and state level, as well as people associated with political parties, campaigns, and candidates in US House, Senate or gubernatorial races. The requirements will also apply to “major US news outlets and political journalists.”
Lawmakers have previously criticized Twitter for not doing enough to protect high-profile accounts after hackers gained control of several prominent accounts, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk and Bill Gates. A Florida teenager and two others were later arrested for their alleged roles in the hack.
The update is the latest in a series of changes Twitter has implemented to strengthen its policies and security ahead of the election. The company also introduced a new misinformation policy and added a hub for election news to promote information from “reputable” sources.
“In the intervening period, as we weighed the cost of our overall portfolio and strategic focus, we made the decision not to relaunch the service,” Mozilla said. Since Send is already offline, there’s nothing you have to do to prepare for its decommissioning.
The other tool Mozilla is sunsetting is Firefox Notes. Like Send, Notes grew out of the company’s defunct Test Pilot program. It was initially a way for Mozilla to try out new ways to sync encrypted data. Once the experiment ran its course, the company kept Notes around as a tool you could use in Firefox and Firefox for Android.
In early November, Mozilla says it will discontinue support for the Firefox Notes app and syncing service. If you have the extension already installed on your desktop computer, you’ll get the chance to export all your notes. However, after November, it won’t be possible to install the extension again.
It’s never easy to see a company discontinue a product, particularly if you depended on that app for its utility. In its defense, Mozilla says parting ways with Firefox Send and Notes will allow it to focus on products like its recently launched VPN service.
Have you crafted a useful Alexa Routine that helps you get out of bed, remember to finish certain tasks or have a more effective workout? Have you wanted to share that Routine with a friend? Or maybe you’re less-than-organized and want to discover a Routine that could get you closer to your goals. Amazon has made both sharing and discovering Routines easier with shareable URL links for customers in the US, the company announced today.
You can share a Routine you’ve created by accessing the Alexa app, selecting the Routine you want to share, then choosing whether you want the routine sent via text, email or social media. If you’ve been sent a Routine and want to set it up on your Alexa device, clicking the Routine’s URL takes you to your Alexa app. Follow the on-screen instructions and customize the Routine to fit your needs.
Mophie has unveiled its latest slate of wireless charging devices, which are primarily designed for Apple products. The $140 portable Powerstation all-in-one could come in handy while you’re on the move. It has an 8,000mAh battery that can charge four devices at once. You can power up your gizmos via a wireless charging surface, USB-A and USB-C ports and a flip-out magnetic charger for your (possibly brand new) Apple Watch.
Mophie
You’ll be able to charge your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at the same time on the $140 3-in-1 wireless charging stand with a dedicated spot for each item. If your iPhone case is less than 3mm thick, you might not have to take it off to charge your phone wirelessly on the stand. The $100 2-in-1 wireless charging stand loses the space for AirPods, but it can still charge up to three devices simultaneously as it has a USB-A port.
Facebook groups, especially ones that dabble in health-related topics, have long been problematic for the company. Groups dedicated to anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, for example, have also been linked to QAnon and COVID-19 disinformation — often by the company’s own algorithmic suggestions. Mark Zuckerberg recently said the company won’t take down anti-vaccine posts the way it does with COVID-19 misinformation.
Speaking of QAnon, Facebook says it’s taking an additional step to keep groups associated with the conspiracy theory from spreading by “reducing their content in News Feed.” The company previously removed hundreds of groups associated with the movement, but hasn’t rooted out its presence entirely.
Facebook
Finally, Facebook will now archive groups that no longer have an active admin. “In the coming weeks, we’ll begin archiving groups that have been without an admin for some time,” Facebook writes. In the future, the company will recommend admin roles to members of groups without one before archiving.
Facebook notes that it penalizes groups that repeatedly share false claims that are debunked by its fact checkers and that it’s removed more than a million groups in the last year for repeat offenses or otherwise breaking its rules.
But critics have long said that Facebook doesn’t do enough to police groups on its platform, which have been linked to disinformation, harassment and threats of violence. The company came under fire last month after it failed to remove a Wisconsin militia group that organized an armed response to protests in Kenosha until the day after a deadly shooting. And a number of Facebook groups have been credited with hampering the emergency response to devastating wildfires in Oregon after spreading baseless conspiracy theories about how the fires were started. Facebook eventually began removing these claims after emergency responders begged people to stop sharing the rumors.
The regular PlayStation 5 will cost $499, and comes with the console, a DualSense controller, all the cables you need and a pre-loaded copy of ASTRO’s PLAYROOM, a platformer designed to teach new users about the features of the PS5’s gamepad.
At launch, there is only one storage option available, and that’s an ultra-high speed 825GB SSD. We expect PlayStation 5 games to be, in general, the same size or smaller than PS4 games, as the more capable hardware will allow developers to compress files more, and only unpack them when the game needs them.
There’s no getting around it — the PS5’s $499 asking price is quite high. Both the PS4 and the PS4 Pro launched at $399, and the $100 hike for the “full fat” console this time around might put some users off. If this asking price bothers you, it’s worth considering the cheaper Digital Edition.
At present, there are no bundles worth talking about, so your choice of retailer comes down to your preference. If you absolutely have to own a PS5 on launch day, it’s worth getting in a pre-order at a trusted retailer like Amazon soon.
If you’re looking for the best deal, though, there are likely to be more competitive bundles available closer to launch, especially around Thanksgiving. If you choose a retailer like Amazon that doesn’t charge until shipping, there’s nothing to stop you from placing a pre-order now and canceling it if you find a better deal later. Of course, we’ll be updating this guide periodically and highlighting the best deals on PS5s as and when they appear on our site and the Engadget Deals Twitter account.
Update (9/17 8 PM ET): Walmart.com has indicated it will restock PS5 pre-orders for the standard console and digital edition at 9 PM ET tonight.
The PS5 Digital Edition is exactly the same as the regular PlayStation 5, but it doesn’t have a disc drive, and costs $100 less. With every game requiring installs and hefty patches to be downloaded, nowadays a disc is essentially a “key” that allows you to play a game on your console. That means the value of buying a game on disc is almost entirely monetary these days.
And so, the main downside of the Digital Edition is that you’ll almost certainly be paying more for your games. Even new physical media is typically discounted faster after a game launches, and the second-hand market brings the price down even further. With the Digital Edition, you’ll be entirely reliant on Sony’s store. Sales are fairly common, but rarely hit the lows of discs.
Gaming aside, the PlayStation 5 is the first console from Sony that plays UHD Blu Rays. (Microsoft’s consoles have had the feature since the Xbox One S launched.) While basically every streaming service at this point offers 4K movies and shows, none of them get close to the quality of physical media, thanks to the reduced bitrates required to send digital media from the cloud to your home. If this is something that bothers you, paying the extra $100 might be worth it.
Our advice when choosing which option to go for is to look at your current habits. If you don’t ever buy discs for your PS4 or Xbox One, and also don’t watch Blu Rays, then this is a no-brainer. Save yourself $100 and get the Digital Edition. If you’re buying a console for your kid, though, the reduced cost of games could save you a lot of money in the long run, and they’ll have the benefit of being able to borrow games from friends.
Just as with the regular PS5, we expect bundles to appear closer to launch, so pre-ordering is more about ensuring you get a shiny console on November 12th, rather than deal hunting. As we said before, though, you should choose a retailer that doesn’t charge until shipping, which will allow you to jump ship if you find a better deal closer to launch.
Update (9/17 8 PM ET): Walmart.com has indicated it will restock PS5 pre-orders for the standard console and digital edition at 9 PM ET tonight.
With the PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro, users can either upgrade their internal storage, or add a secondary harddrive over USB. Both options are technically available for the PS5, but with some caveats.
While the internal SSD is upgradable, the specs of Sony’s option are so high that very few SSDs on the market will meet Sony’s specification at launch, and those that seem likely to match it will be incredibly expensive. For example, a solid 2TB Gen4 PCIe SSD currently goes for around $380. Sony has pledged to release a list of SSDs that are compatible with the PS5 at some point, but the pricing of Gen4 SSDs means that none of them are going to be a realistic option for most gamers in 2020.
When it comes to USB storage, this generation that’s only really an option for your PlayStation 4 library. Sony says the “overwhelming majority” of PS4 games will be playable on PS5, and if you plan on taking advantage of that feature then it’s probably worth adding some storage. The last thing you need is a bunch of old games taking up space on a high-end SSD they can’t take advantage of.
Luckily, there are plenty of external drives for you to choose from, and none of them are particularly pricey. A decent USB HDD should set you back around $80 for 2TB. SSDs, which are silent and will load games faster, start at around $75 for 500GB or $140 for 1TB. Here are a couple of our top picks:
If you’re really strapped for cash after ordering a PlayStation 5, and you happen to have a 2.5- or 3.5-inch internal drive laying around, you could always buy a USB 3.0 enclosure for it. This shouldn’t set you back more than $10 for the smaller drives, and given there are so many options out there, we’d recommend looking for a brand you recognize and reading user reviews to choose between them. Here are a couple to get you started:
A PlayStation Plus membership is almost a necessity these days. While there are a couple of games — such as Fortnite — that can be played without the subscription, virtually every online game requires it. If you’re already a member, your PS Plus membership will carry over to your PS5. If you’re not, you’ll be able to sign up directly on your PlayStation 5, but you’ll find the best prices available online, with retailers regularly running deals on 12-month memberships.
The DualSense is Sony’s replacement for the DualShock. It does a bunch of new stuff that the DualShock doesn’t, but the only thing you need to know is that it’s the controller you need to play games on PS5. And if you’re coming from an Xbox, you don’t need to worry about batteries — like the PS4’s controller, the battery is internal and non-replaceable. The DualSense will set you back $70, which is a helluva lot of money for a controller. Given there’s a controller in the box, you don’t need a second gamepad unless you’re planning on playing local multiplayer games.
If you’re serious about your gaming, “pro” controllers from brands like Scuf, Nacon, Hori and Razer will be launching soon enough. We’ll be taking a closer look at all of these options once they launch.
This is a very cute controller cradle produced by Sony, but it doesn’t do anything beyond reducing the number of cables you need to have laying around. If that’s important to you, the Charging Station costs $30. And if that’s too rich, you can be sure Amazon will be filled with dozens of cheaper third-party options that do the exact same thing soon.
Sony is pushing 3D Audio hard with the PlayStation 5, and you can be sure that its in-house PULSE 3D headset will do an optimal job with that. However, Sony has said it’s already working on bringing 3D audio to all headphones, and even regular TV speakers. Additionally, the PS5 controller has a regular headset port, so if you already have a headset you’re happy with, there’s no need to rush to upgrade just yet.
As the name suggests, the Media Remote is a basic remote control for when you’re watching Netflix or playing a Blu Ray. This accessory is purely for convenience: there’s nothing the Media Remote can do that you won’t be able to do with your gamepad.
Sony has been producing cameras for its systems since the PlayStation 3, and the PS5 is no exception. The primary use case Sony gives for this new option is game streaming. Where the PlayStation 4’s camera topped out at 800p, the new one can handle 1080p. Just like the old camera, it will also track your PlayStation VR headset, which is compatible with PS5. If you already own a PS4 camera, we’d recommend holding off until reviewers are able to judge how much better the HD version is and whether it’s worth the upgrade.
Hades, an action RPG from Bastion and Transistor studio Supergiant Games, is out now on Nintendo Switch. The studio had already confirmed it would land on Switch sometime this fall, and Nintendo announced a sudden, surprise release date for it during…
Google is rolling out a Pixel Buds firmware patch that should fix an audio glitch some users experienced. The patch, part of firmware update v552, resolves an issue where audio cuts out every minute and 50 seconds.
When the latest Pixel Buds arrived in April, we were impressed by their solid audio, reliable touch controls, fit and price. But shortly after the earbuds launched, users began reporting issues with audio cutting out. Google acknowledged the problems in June and said it would begin rolling out software fixes.
There’s a certain kind of joy that can only be achieved when you wallop a virtual dragon in the face with a Great Sword, and Nintendo Switch owners are getting another chance to feel it. Capcom confirmed today in a partner-focused Nintendo Direct that Monster Hunter Rise will launch on the Switch on March 26, 2021.
The “Rise” in the title refers partially to the games heightened sense of verticality — you’ll be able to run up cliff faces and zip through the air like a ninja, thanks to helpful new creatures called Wirebugs. (Players will able to carry multiple Wirebugs, so it seems likely they’ll be slowly meted out over the course of the game.) This time, your Palico is joined by a much bigger Palamute — it’s a big, Zacian-looking dog that can do damage on its own and serve as a much-needed mount. The extra movement speed it offers should come in especially handy since different areas of the game’s world are “seamlessly” connected, not broken into distinct zones that players have to watch load. And maybe best of all, Capcom is touting the return of full-on four-player co-op with multiple Switches.
At $400, the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition offers everything the regular PlayStation 5 does, except the disc drive. With AAA games looking likely to cost around $70, the price you pay for this one is locking yourself into the often-more-expensive digital versions of games you want for an entire generation.
At $500, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X go toe to toe. The Xbox looks to be more powerful, and also has an additional 175GB of listed storage, although neither manufacturer has confirmed how much space will be available for game installs on their console yet. On the other hand, the PS5 seems to have the stronger set of exclusive titles right now.
If you have any doubts about which console is right for you, perhaps the answer right now is that none of them are.
The Xbox Series S and X currently have no truly exclusive titles scheduled for launch. Apart from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, every confirmed game so far will be available the same day on another console. And even Like a Dragon will only be an Xbox Series S and X exclusive in the US for three days, as the Xbox One and PS4 version arrives on November 13th. (The title is already available in Japan on PlayStation 4, and a PlayStation 5 release will arrive at some point.) There are, of course, a huge number of exclusive titles which will be available via backward compatibility, so if you skipped Xbox this generation there’ll be plenty to play on Game Pass.
Looking further down the line, Forza Motorsport, Fable and Avowed are among the confirmed Xbox Series S and X “console exclusives,” but none of these titles are anticipated to arrive any time soon. The console port of Microsoft Flight Simulator also seems likely to be exclusive to Microsoft’s next-gen machines, given how difficult it is to run smoothly on a gaming PC.
Then there’s PlayStation 5. Twenty-four hours ago, the best reason to get the console in the short term was Spider-Man Miles Morales. That was, until it was confirmed for a same-day (November 12th) launch on PlayStation 4. That leaves two confirmed launch exclusives for PlayStation 5. Demon’s Souls, the Bluepoint remake of the title that started the Souls franchise, is the big hitter, while Destruction AllStars is also a video game. Sackboy: A Big Adventure similarly arrives on launch day, but will be available on PS4 as well.
Looking forward to 2021, Horizon Forbidden West was probably the most anticipated PlayStation 5 release, although it’s yet another title that’s now confirmed for PS4. Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo are probably the biggest PS5 console exclusives confirmed for next year. Final Fantasy XVI and Gran Turismo 7 are also on the way, but given Square Enix and Polyphony’s respective track records for timely releases it’s probably safer to put them to the back of your mind for now.
One selling point for PlayStation 5, much like Xbox Series S and X, is that you can play last-gen titles on it, so if you skipped PlayStation 4 you’ll have plenty to dig into. These last-gen titles should play just as well, if not better, than they do on PlayStation 4 Pro. Sony also announced a perk for PS Plus that effectively makes many of the best PS4 exclusives free, with confirmed titles including God of War, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Ratchet & Clank, Days Gone, Until Dawn, Detroit: Become Human, The Last Guardian,The Last of Us Remastered and Persona 5. Notably missing are more recent exclusives like The Last of Us Part II, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Ghosts of Tsushima.
The common theme between both consoles is that, right now, the best reason for buying one is if you don’t own its predecessor. There are of course, benefits to jumping in now. Ambitious games like Cyberpunk 2077 are going to look and/or run better on next-gen, while competitive titles like Rainbow Six Siege will support 120 frames-per-second gameplay, if your TV can handle it.
There will be truly compelling reasons to buy in. We’ll start to see cross-platform titles like Resident Evil Village coming exclusively to next-gen consoles next year, and at the same time it’s likely the 2021 editions of popular series such as Call of Duty, FIFA and Assassin’s Creed will offer a cut-down or otherwise hampered version of the game for PS4 and Xbox One. Until that happens, until you have your reason for joining the next-gen, the best thing you can do is wait.
Disclaimer: The author of this article has already ordered three next-gen consoles.
Hades, an action RPG from Bastion and Transistor studio Supergiant Games, is out now on Nintendo Switch. The studio had already confirmed it would land on Switch sometime this fall, and Nintendo announced a sudden, surprise release date for it during…