Blog

Blue’s Yeti X microphone comes with everything you need to sound like a pro

[ad_1]

Around back, the knob that selects the microphone’s pickup pattern has been replaced with a button. It won’t completely go unnoticed if you have to make a change while you’re recording, but it will be a lot less noticeable than the old dial on previous Yeti models that clicks quite loudly. The overall design has been updated as well, with the new Yeti X looking more like last year’s Yeti Nano than the Yeti or Yeti Pro.

The redesigned microphone is nice, but the real star of today’s news may be the inclusion of Blue’s VO!CE software alongside the hardware. The desktop audio suite offers users a range of effects and presets for “professional on-stream sound quality,” according to Blue. Presets include options for broadcast, radio voice and both male and female voices. The list of effects offers things like crisp and modern, warm and vintage and others. Blue VO!CE also allows you to use handy tools like noise reduction, expander, gate, de-esser, EQ, compression and limiter. You can also customize the color of the Yeti X’s LED lights with the app, if you’re into that sort of thing. All of this is accessible through the Logitech’s G HUB on the desktop, so you aren’t futzing with the microphone hardware mid-stream to make an adjustment.

Blue says the Yeti X will also work with its Sherpa app for easily accessible controls on the desktop. That piece of software debuted with the Yeti Nano, but it also works with the Yeti, Snowball and Snowball iCE microphones. And to fully round out any setup, the Yeti X will also fit on Blue’s Compass boom arm or Radius III shockmount, should you need either of those where you plan to record.

The Blue Yeti X is scheduled to go on sale in October.

[ad_2]

Source link

Uber will restrict NYC drivers’ access to app due to new regulations

[ad_1]

As you can imagine, both Uber and Lyft oppose the new rules and even sued the city in an effort to reverse the cap. “Time and again we’ve seen Mayor (Bill) de Blasio’s TLC (Taxi and Limousine Commission) pass arbitrary and politically-driven rules that have unintended consequences for drivers and riders,” Uber said in a statement.

Uber also argues that there’s no evidence that the rules would ease traffic congestion in Manhattan like local authorities claim. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, however, says the company is merely “spreading fear and disinformation to New York drivers” to convince them that the regulations protecting their livelihoods are to blame for [its] greedy policies.”

In addition to putting a cap on new rideshare vehicles and establishing a minimum wage, the new regulations also limit the amount of time drivers can “cruise,” or drive around to look for passengers. Starting in February, companies will have to reduce their drivers’ cruise rates by 5 percent and then by 10 percent. At the moment, rideshare drivers apparently cruise the city 41 percent of the time.

[ad_2]

Source link

GNU founder Richard Stallman resigns from MIT, Free Software Foundation

[ad_1]

This comes after growing calls for his removal, most recently tied to Stallman’s statements in an MIT email thread about Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, and what he called the “injustice” of claiming she was assaulted by Marvin Minsky. MIT alum Selam Jie Gano posted about the emails on Medium, and shared redacted copies with Motherboard. According to Stallman, the teenager could have been presented as “entirely willing,” while also arguing over the use of terms like rape or sexual assault to describe the situation.

A few days ago Stallman posted on his blog “I’ve learned to understand how sex with a child can harm per psychologically,” followed by another note late Monday evening:

16 September 2019 (Resignation)
To the MIT community,

I am resigning effective immediately from my position in CSAIL at MIT. I am doing this due to pressure on MIT and me over a series of misunderstandings and mischaracterizations.

Richard Stallman

As for the Free Software Foundation, it issued a statement that said: “On September 16, 2019, Richard M. Stallman, founder and president of the Free Software Foundation, resigned as president and from its board of directors. The board will be conducting a search for a new president, beginning immediately. Further details of the search will be published on fsf.org.”



[ad_2]

Source link

FCC approves first commercial use of 3.5GHz band

[ad_1]

More than four years ago, the FCC voted to free up a slice of 3.5GHz spectrum for consumers. But the project has had a later start than anticipated due to testing and disputes among federal agencies. The US government– specifically the US Navy — uses the 3.5GHz band for its naval radar systems. Delays were ongoing as the wireless industry and the government figured out a way to permit commercial use of the band without interfering with federal operations, Light Reading reported.

Companies ranging from Google to Verizon to Facebook have been vying to use 3.5 GHz band for a long time now. After the initial commercial deployment period is over, the FCC will then decide whether to open up commercial use for all other companies. Needless to say, the US is already falling behind on freeing up its spectrum. 5G deployments in Europe, the Middle East and Asia already use the mid-range 3.5GHz band. If you have a new smartphone, you’ll likely be able to take advantage of the new network. The iPhone 11 and the newer Google Pixel and Samsung phones support the band.

[ad_2]

Source link

What’s on TV: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’

[ad_1]

This week Netflix premieres its three-part docuseries about the founder of Microsoft. Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates uses old and new footage to tell the executive’s story, along with interviews by director Davis Guggenheim. Spider-Man: Far From Home may be the last movie featuring the hero with a link to the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this week you can watch it on your TV as it becomes available from all the digital stores.

On TV, Black Jesus will finally air its third season, while NBC prepares viewers for YouTuber-turned-late-night-host Lilly Singh. A slightly odder selection is Zach Galifianakis’ Between Two Ferns: The Movie, which is streaming on Netflix. For gamers, there’s Castle Crashers Remastered, as well as Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch on PC, Switch and PS4. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

[ad_2]

Source link

Russia reportedly breached encrypted FBI comms in 2010

[ad_1]

The Russians could reportedly only crack “moderately encrypted” radio systems like those the FBI used, and not the strongest protections, but that was still worrying — and it wasn’t certain just how Russia compromised the systems. Some officials worried Russia might have a mole, but that wasn’t clear. An anonymous CIA officer speaking to Yahoo News said that Russia had a habit of disguising human sources as technical attacks. They may have simply loitered in areas where they could listen in on conversations.

The FBI clamped down by switching to new, better-encrypted radios. And thankfully, the damage appeared to have been less dangerous than it could have been. American intelligence also found that the breaches had limited effect, according to the sources. To some degree, the Russians were stymied by their own efforts — they couldn’t take some actions lest they reveal that they’d cracked the codes.

Even so, the breach hurt American intelligence after the seriousness of the breaches became clear in 2012. The FBI apparently cut contacts with some of its Russian sources, while other sources broke off communications. The CIA also halted some communications. And numerous government facilities made simple changes to their practices, such as changing encryption codes more frequently and moving chats away from windows.

As to why the White House didn’t act sooner? Supposedly, there was a “reset hangover” where conflicting reports on Russia’s sincerity about cooperation led some administration officials to maintain hope for cooperation even as Russia was stepping up its intelligence efforts. The 2016 election meddling was an acknowledgment that the situation wasn’t going to get better. And between ongoing Russian interference and gradually returning spies, US agencies will have to keep their guard up.

[ad_2]

Source link

Elon Musk insists ‘pedo guy’ tweet wasn’t serious accusation

[ad_1]

“By referring to Mr. Unsworth as ‘pedo guy,’ I did not intend to convey any facts or imply that Mr. Unsworth had engaged in acts of pedophilia,” Musk said in a court filing Monday. “Pedo guy was a common insult used in South Africa when I was growing up. It is synonymous with ‘creepy old man’ and is used to insult a person’s appearance and demeanor, not accuse a person of pedophilia.” Musk followed up his original tweet with another tweet that read, “bet you a signed dollar it’s true.”

Shortly after he sent his tweets, Musk paid a private investigator $50,000 to investigate the British diver in question, Vernon Unsworth. The investigator claimed to unearth a series of salacious details about Unsworth’s life, including telling Musk that he was a regular at Pattaya Beach — a region in Thailand known for sex trafficking — and married his wife when she was a teenager. Unsworth’s 40-year old wife has since disputed the claims, saying that the couple has been married for seven years.

Musk’s lawyers are arguing that that there is no evidence to prove that he genuinely believed Unsworth to be a pedophile. “There is no evidence that Mr Musk intended or believed that his July 15 tweets, that Mr Unsworth was ‘sus’ or ‘pedo guy’, would be interpreted as fact,” the filing said. “To the contrary, the evidence is that Mr Musk believed and intended his statements to be read as what they were: bare insults.”

The complaint was filed in the US District Court of the Central District of California. The first hearing will be on October 28th and the trial will occur on December 2nd; both in Los Angeles. Musk last year asked the judge to toss out the lawsuit, labeling it a “schoolyard spat”.

[ad_2]

Source link

California bill may fill data gaps in the criminal justice system

[ad_1]

The bill is still waiting for the governor’s signature, but it could substantially boost California’s attempts at justice reform. Right now, the state’s approach to data varies widely from region to region. This would ensure that pre-trial decisions and sentencing are based on complete data, and would ensure that an arrest doesn’t stay on a criminal record (and tarnish someone’s career) simply because there’s missing info.

This isn’t the first such reform in the US. Florida enacted a law in March 2018 that set its own standards for data gathering and public reporting, while Colorado is publishing jail capacity data. California’s shift could put additional pressure on other states to follow suit, however. If that happens, you could see fewer people slipping through the cracks and greater transparency that could catch systemic problems.

[ad_2]

Source link

Nintendo’s SNES-style Switch controllers are now available

[ad_1]

There’s not much mystery to the design — it’s a mild modernization of the classic pastel-colored controller with a wireless connection and USB-C charging. That might be enough for some, mind you, and it might be appealing if you’re more interested in faithfully recreating the SNES experience than including present-day bells and whistles.

[ad_2]

Source link