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Chrome for iOS now lets you move the address bar to the bottom

Chrome for iOS now lets you move the address bar to the bottom

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Google's new feature for Chrome on iOS doesn't massively change the browser, but it could be helpful if you find having to stretch your fingers to reach the address bar disruptive to your workflow. The company has rolled out the ability to move the browser's address bar to the bottom of the screen from the top — and to put it back to its original location, if you want. MacRumors' contributing writer Steve Moser spotted the feature in the TestFlight version of Chrome for iOS back in August, but now it's making its way to the public version of the browser for the mobile platform. 

The idea is to make it easier to reach the address bar with your thumbs, like you could on Safari and Opera on mobile, which both allow you to relocate the element on your screen. All you have to do is long press on the URL bar and then choose "Move address bar to bottom" in the options that pop up. You could do the same thing to move it back to the top of the screen, though you could also find the new feature in the Settings menu. 

We asked Google if the feature is also coming to Android devices, and we'll let you know when we hear back. The company tested a Chrome Home interface that had the URL bar at the bottom way back in 2019, but it didn't make its way out of the experimental phase. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/gQsBxK6
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What we got right (and wrong) about Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter

What we got right (and wrong) about Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter

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Exactly one year has passed since Elon Musk, fresh off a months-long legal battle that forced him to buy the company, strolled into Twitter headquarters carrying a sink.

At the time, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. But there were no shortage of predictions — including from us at Engadget — about just how messy and chaotic Twitter might become under Musk’s leadership. I’ve spent the last week revisiting many of those stories, and I’ve been struck by how, for a famously erratic CEO, just how predictable many aspects of his takeover have been.

Before the acquisition closed, Musk spent months talking, tweeting and texting about his plans for the platform. Many of those early statements, like promises to relax moderation rules and to create an edit button, have actually happened.

But as is so often the case with Musk, even the most predictable of his decisions have played out in unexpected ways.

Amnesty for Donald Trump and other banned accounts

Of all of Musk’s plans for Twitter, one that drew the most headlines was his intention to restore Donald Trump’s account. (He went as far as calling the original ban a “morally bad decision.”) While Musk’s biographer claims he had some second thoughts about the matter, he opted to reinstate the former president following the result of a poll from his Twitter account.

What many may not have fully anticipated was just how many former offenders Musk was willing to allow back on the platform. Despite his initial promise that Twitter “cannot become a free-for-all hellscape,” Musk decided to offer “general amnesty” to more than 12,000 previously-banned accounts, including a number of neo-Nazis.

The slow death of content moderation (and Twitter’s ad business)

It was no secret that Musk wanted to loosen Twitter’s content moderation rules. Before his takeover, he suggested that he was in favor of allowing all speech that was legal. While many pundits predicted advertisers could be wary of Musk’s more permissive approach, it’s hard to overstate just how dire the company’s ad business has become over the last year.

A majority of major advertisers have stopped buying ads on the platform, despite CEO Linda Yaccarino’s rosier (and misleading) suggestions otherwise. Musk himself has admitted ad revenue has dropped at least 50 percent. And The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the banks that financed Musk’s Twitter deal are expecting to lose hundreds of millions of dollars as it’s become nearly impossible for them to offload the debt.

More “transparency”

One area that gave even some Musk critics a little bit of optimism was his insistence, prior to the acquisition, that he would bring a new level of transparency to the platform. He vowed to open-source the company’s recommendation algorithm, and pull back the curtain on the dreaded “shadowban.”

In some respects, he’s followed through. Code for the company’s main recommendation algorithm is on Github. X has also previewed alerts that will notify users when their accounts have been restricted from search and other areas of the service.

But those efforts may also be more shallow than what some had hoped for. Publishing “the algorithm” didn’t actually reveal much about the inner workings of the platform, according to those who have studied it. Users still have very little insight into how posts are prioritized or how accounts not belonging to Elon Musk can expand their reach.

At the same time, Musk has taken a number of steps that have dramatically reduced outsiders’ ability to understand how information spreads on X. Musk dismantled the company’s previously open and accessible APIs in favor of tools that now cost tens of thousands of dollars a month for much more limited insights. Paywalling has had a devastating impact on researchers, the vast majority of whom can no longer afford to access the limited data that is available via X’s API.

“But wait,” I can already hear a few people screaming from the comments, “wHaT aBoUt ThE tWiTteR fiLeS? Surely, that is transparency?”

While Musk’s decision to selectively leak the messages of former employees was unprecedented and potentially illegal, the truth is that the so-called “Twitter Files” didn’t actually reveal all that much about how Twitter operated. And the company’s own lawyers have refuted, in court, that the details within them are proof of any kind of government censorship or overreach.

Moreover, the disclosures themselves weren’t all that… transparent. Partial documents were only provided to a couple of writers — handpicked by Musk — who only published snippets of Slack messages, emails and screenshots from Twitter’s internal tools. The underlying documents have still not been released in their entirety, or provided to other media outlets for dissemination. Even Jack Dorsey said it would have been better, and more transparent, to release everything “Wikileaks style” for all to see, rather than selectively tweeting out bits and pieces.

X and the “everything app”

Shortly before his takeover, Musk tweeted that “buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app.” At the time, many people assumed Musk was talking about emulating WeChat, which in China is used for almost all facets of daily life from shopping to messaging to banking.

However, one year later, it’s still not entirely clear what he means or how the service formerly known as Twitter will transform itself into something resembling an “everything app.” There are some signs of change: He and CEO Linda Yaccarino have said they want to add banking and other financial services to X. The platform has also introduced new features like video calling and is planning on adding live shopping.

The WeChat comparison breaks down, however, when you consider that, while WeChat is unquestionably the most dominant app in China, Twitter is, at best, the sixth-most popular social media app in the US. And the app’s usage has been sharply declining for the last year. There may be room to expand the types of features offered on X, but it’s not clear they’ll result in a significant boost in popularity or engagement.

The existential threats to Twitter

If you had told me a year ago that Musk’s decisions would be so unpopular it would lead to a mass exodus from the platform, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Threatening to rage-quit Twitter over even the most minor of changes is a time honored tradition.

But if you had told me that in less than a year, there would be a surge in upstart alternatives that are starting to feel like viable challengers, I would have been less credulous. And if you had told me that, a year later, the strongest-looking challenger was a fediverse-compatible platform created by Meta, I definitely wouldn’t have believed it.

But, with a year of hindsight, it strikes me that perhaps the most significant part of Musk’s legacy so far is not what he’s done to the service previously known as Twitter, but the wave of new platforms inspired by his actions.

Bluesky, previously a backwater Twitter offshoot, has surged to a million users, despite still being an invitation-only network. Mastodon and the fediverse, both of which predate Musk’s takeover, are more popular than ever. And Meta, which has a previously dismal track record at building its own apps (not called Facebook) that people like, has managed to make Threads into a viable (if flawed) alternative.

None of these are perfect replacements for what old Twitter was, at its best. And they may not be able to sustain their momentum for years to come, but Musk’s chaotic takeover of Twitter has ushered in what many believe to be a new era of social media. It feels increasingly possible that we may look back at the end of Twitter and the rise of X as a boon for a better version of social media.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/hj35GTH
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Google's new image verification tool combs metadata to find context and sniff out AI fakes

Google's new image verification tool combs metadata to find context and sniff out AI fakes

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Back in May, Google announced it was working on a feature called “about this image” that gives users verified data regarding any photo on the internet. Well, it just rolled out as part of search, so you won’t be able to get away with passing off somebody else’s photo of a 1988 Burger King Alf plushie as your own.

Here’s how it works. Just use Google Search, select an image and click on the three dots on the right-hand corner to access the tool. You’ll receive a whole gob of useful information, including when the image was originally published, if it’s been published since then and where it’s popped up throughout the years. A veritable cornucopia of metadata.

The tool in action.
Google

The obvious use case scenario for this is verifying whether or not an image used to accompany a news event is legit, or if it’s been taken out of context from something that happened in 2007 to drum up misinformation. To that end, the tool also shows you how other sites use and describe the image, similar to how search already handles factual information via the “perspectives” filter and the “about this result” tab. Google says you can also access the feature by clicking on the “more about this page” link, with more options to come.

Of course, there’s a little thing sweeping the world right now called artificial intelligence. The images generated by AI platforms can be tough to distinguish from the genuine article, so Google’s tool also lets you know if an image has been AI-generated or not. However, this depends on the metadata including this information, so the original image creators would have to opt-in. Google says its own AI-generated images will always feature the appropriate metadata.

That’s not the only tool Google’s rolling out to provide increased nuance for image searches. Fact Check Explorer, a handy app for journalists, will soon expand to include images. As for non-image based searches, the tech giant also announced software that creates AI-generated descriptions of websites, helping users research lesser-known entities.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/ITOuDAa
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Amazon's new AI tool conjures fake backgrounds for real products

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Amazon is rolling out a new beta feature that lets advertisers create AI-generated image backgrounds for products. The company describes it as “a generative AI solution designed to remove creative barriers” while boosting ad performance. “It’s a perfect use for generative AI — less effort and better outcomes,” Colleen Aubrey, senior vice president of Amazon Ads Products and Technology, wrote Wednesday in an announcement blog post.

The company views the feature as an ideal alternative to product shots in front of generic white backgrounds (or bad Photoshop jobs). Amazon says the process is easy and requires no technical expertise. It provides the example of the toaster above. It floats in a grayish-white void on the left, while the AI-generated environment on the right adds some life to the scene. However, as The Verge points out, that “fork” on the lower right looks like it has about six or seven extra tines.

Amazon says data backs up the tool’s effectiveness (funky fork and all). “When that same toaster is placed in a lifestyle context — on a kitchen counter, next to a croissant — in a mobile Sponsored Brands ad, click-through rates can be 40% higher compared to ads with standard product images,” the company wrote.

The online retailer sees the tool as a way for advertisers to create attractive lifestyle images without breaking the bank. “Producing engaging and differentiated creatives can increase cost and often requires introducing additional expertise into the advertising process,” Aubrey wrote. “At Amazon Ads, we are always thinking about ways we can reduce friction for our advertisers, provide them with tools that deliver more impact while minimizing effort, and ultimately, deliver a better advertising experience for our customers.”

To use the tool, advertisers can select their product in the Amazon Ad Console, click “Generate,” and choose from several image options whipped up “in a matter of seconds.” It lets you refine images with short text prompts, and it supposedly spits out multiple versions quickly.

The feature’s launch follows other AI tools from the retailer. Amazon rolled out an AI feature in September that generates text for product listings, and another feature launched this summer creates AI summaries of products reviews. “[Generative AI] is going to be at the heart of what we do,” CEO Andy Jassy said in an August earnings call. “It's a significant investment and focus for us."

Amazon has begun rolling out image generation to “select advertisers,” and it will expand availability over time.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/DXsh5HA
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Ghostrunner 2 is brutally punishing, but it feels too good to give up on

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Time comes for us all. There's no escape from getting older and the inevitability of our bodies and minds slowing down. For many of us, that might mean having to re-examine how we tackle games, especially those that demand quick reactions.

That thought has been at the forefront as I've been playing Ghostrunner 2. Like the original, it's a high-octane, first-person slasher with a big focus on traversal. It feels like a blend of Doom Eternal and a cyberpunk take on Mirror's Edge.

Ghostrunner 2 is an intense, often-tough game that's absolutely kicking my tail. This is a fragile world in which both you and most enemies die in one hit. You will perish often. In the third level, I died (without exaggeration) 164 times.

I don't tend to stick with overly challenging games. I'm sure I could beat the likes of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Cuphead eventually, but there are too many games to play and not enough time for me to master the skills and knowledge needed to conquer some of the tougher titles out there.

That said, there are a few reasons I've kept with Ghostrunner 2, which arrives during an astonishingly busy spell for big game releases. Developer One More Level has generously dotted checkpoints around each stage, which makes the frequent deaths at the hands of enemies and environmental hazards easier to stomach. You can respawn instantly after dying or at any other time with the press of a button.

Most importantly, it's a blast to play. It's immensely satisfying to finally beat a section after dozens of failed attempts and to squeeze protagonist Jack's new motorbike through several narrow gaps. The propulsive, pounding soundtrack keeps driving me forward, even when I'm on the verge of tossing my controller on the couch and giving up for the night. One More Level has crafted a satisfying gameplay loop that's hard to walk away from.

Ghostrunner 2
One More Level/505 Games

I see Ghostrunner 2 mostly as a puzzle game. Sure, there are doors to unlock and objects to move around before you can access certain areas. But every enemy confrontation is a conundrum to overcome.

Whenever you respawn, enemies and obstacles reappear in the same place, so you can adjust your approach to tackling them as necessary. Rather than bolting headfirst into the middle of a combat area, using the mini map and Jack's strafing, wallrunning, air dashing and sliding abilities to get the lay of the land and enemy positions is a smart way to go. But even once I've figured out my plan of attack, it still typically takes me several attempts before I can wipe out all of my opponents and move onto the next area.

You'll need to be on your toes no matter what. Melee-focused enemies can quickly surround you and you'll need to be alert for incoming fire. You can't simply hold down the block button either, as that drains what's effectively a stamina meter. It's important to get used to the parry timing quickly, especially if you use an ability that redirects all deflected shots toward an attacker.

I was able to try Ghostrunner 2 on both PC and PS5. While I prefer the precision of a mouse for first-person games, this absolutely sings on a PS5 (especially compared with my three-year-old mid-range gaming laptop). The high framerate mode lets you play at 120 frames per second on PS5 if you have a compatible display. I felt like I needed every one of those frames to overcome some sections, and I was glad to have that advantage.

Ghostrunner 2
One More Level/505 Games

Trying to take things slow goes against the spirit of the game, but I'm finding it a more satisfying way to play Ghostrunner 2 for the most part. Taking a breather to explore the environment is also a good idea for all players, since it's worth searching for upgrades that can unlock powerful abilities.

Accessibility settings are important for many folks too, including those who are getting older. My reaction times aren't the same in my 30s as they were when I was a teenager, but I can hold my own for the most part. I'd like to keep playing games for as long as I can, though, and there will be a point in my life where I will need certain accessibility functions to navigate whatever challenges that developers throw at me.

One More Level added some useful accessibility features to the original game several months after its debut in late 2020. Those included the ability to slow down time, as well as being able to take an extra hit before perishing. I played much of Ghostrunner before those options arrived. I got stuck at a rotating tower that fires lasers in nearly every direction, with those beams killing me hundreds of times. It was only when One More Level introduced the Assist Mode that I was able to conquer it.

Unfortunately, One More Level hasn’t brought those Assist Mode options to Ghostrunner 2 yet. The only real gameplay modifier as things stand is an aim assist. But despite my many, many deaths as Jack, I haven't hit a true roadblock. So far, I've been able to slowly work my way through the levels. I may eventually need more help to navigate tougher sections, so here's hoping Assist Mode shows up in the sequel soon (and not just for my sake). One thing's for sure, at least: I won't be winning any prizes in the game's $10,000 speedrunning contest.

Ghostrunner 2 will hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 26.

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How to watch Xbox’s third-party games showcase

How to watch Xbox’s third-party games showcase

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Xbox is presenting a showcase on Wednesday to highlight the various third-party titles coming to Microsoft’s gaming consoles, Windows computers and Game Pass. The festivities kick off on Wednesday, October 25 at 1PM EST. You can watch via the official YouTube channel or on Twitch.

The stream promises a “fresh mix of indie games and familiar favorites” from third-party companies like Remedy, Studio Wildcard, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and more, with 20 minutes of trailers and gameplay footage on the docket. Consider this Xbox’s version of those Nintendo Indie World showcase events.

So what should you expect during the stream? Microsoft hasn’t released a list of games that’ll take center stage, but did drop some teases. The company says it’ll reveal the “latest information” about Yakuza-adjacent RPG Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Dungeons of Hinterberg. It also promised a launch trailer for the long-awaited Alan Wake II, which releases at the end of this week, and the first gameplay footage of Ark: Survival Ascended. There should also be some surprises, so can we have a little Hollow Knight: Silksong trailer… as a treat?

The stream will be available in 30 languages, including American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL.) Additionally, Xbox says that YouTube streams will be in 4K at 60fps, which should be a good way to suss out real-world graphical performance.

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Biden administration designates 31 new 'tech hubs' to encourage innovation

Biden administration designates 31 new 'tech hubs' to encourage innovation

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The Biden administration and the US Commerce Department just named 31 regions as "tech hubs", drawn from nearly 400 applicants. These hub areas are spread across the country, in addition to territories like Puerto Rico, and each spot could share in $500 million of funding as originally detailed in the CHIPS and Science Act that was signed into law back in 2022.

The administration hopes to use these hubs to “catalyze investment in technologies critical to economic growth, national security and job creation” with an end goal of helping “communities across the country become centers of innovation critical to American competitiveness.” Additionally, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters that the program seeks to diversify the country’s tech interests, moving away from traditional hubs like Silicon Valley, Seattle and Boston, as reported by Yahoo.

To that end, these hubs will focus on everything under the sun, from artificial intelligence, biotech, clean energy, semiconductors, quantum computing and more. Examples include a hub in Washington state that’s developing new materials for next-gen fuel-efficient aircraft, a Wisconsin program seeking to make advancements in personalized medicine and a New York organization researching new battery technologies, among 28 others. It’s worth noting that many of these hubs are in small or medium-sized cities, with Raimondo saying that “people shouldn't have to move to get a good job.”

There’s one caveat. Snagging one of these coveted hub designations doesn’t guarantee federal funding. The Commerce Department will follow each program throughout the next year, with funding to follow. Raimondo says that five to 10 hubs will receive up to $75 million. With 31 hub areas and just $500 million to disperse, that could leave many locations in the financial cold.

Additionally, the CHIPS and Science Act is a robust piece of legislation that drops more than $280 billion into various sectors, so these hubs represent less than 1/500th of the allocated funding set aside by the bill. There’s $52 billion in tax credits and funding for US chipmakers to expand domestic production, $7 billion for clean hydrogen and $1.5 billion to “boost US leadership in wireless technologies and their supply chains.” The bill also sets aside $10 billion to “invest in regional innovation and technology” which is the exact point of these hubs, so maybe more money is coming down the line.

Biden has asked Congress for an additional $4 billion to fund even more regional tech hubs, but, well, that would be part of the full-year budget and you may have noticed that the House still lacks a speaker with a government shutdown on the horizon.

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The Morning After: North Korean workers got remote IT jobs to help finance weapons programs

The Morning After: North Korean workers got remote IT jobs to help finance weapons programs

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The United States Justice Department says North Korean nationals have been working remotely for US companies, using fake IDs. The money they make is apparently being funneled to fund weapons of mass destruction programs. At a news conference in St. Louis, Missouri, the FBI alleged that thousands of individuals have moved to countries such as Russia and China and posed as freelance IT workers living in the US.

They used false information for emails, payment platforms and websites — sometimes even paying Americans to use their Wi-Fi and setting up proxy computers from those connections. The money being made here was substantial, too. The FBI has apparently collected around $1.5 million in money earned by these workers during previously sealed seizures in October 2022 and January 2023.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Instagram's latest test feature turns users' photos into stickers for Reels and Stories

Twitch will allow simulcasting to competitor streaming platforms

Universal Audio's SC-1 condenser microphone comes with new modeling software

NVIDIA's latest AI model helps robots perform pen spinning tricks as well as humans

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Engadget Podcast: Breaking down Andreessen’s “Techno-Optimist Manifesto”

Also, we discuss why Spider-Man 2 on the PS5 is a worthy sequel.

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen has wrapped up his pro-tech worldview in a massive tome, the Techno-Optimist Manifesto. Andreessen claims, “technology is the glory of human ambition and achievement, the spearhead of progress, and the realization of our potential,” and he goes on to vilify anyone who dares to step in the way of “progress.” To break down this document, we’re joined by tech critic Paris Marx. We also dive into Spider-Man 2 on PS5.

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Super Mario Bros. Wonder review

The joy of pure imagination.

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Nintendo

So Mario has always consumed mushrooms, but in the latest Mario game on Nintendo Switch, it seriously feels like the plumber (and his friends) are dabbling in hallucinogens. This has opened the creative floodgates for level design and gameplay dynamics, twisting the usual 2D platform game in weird and wonderful ways. The game also marks the first Mario title with a new voice actor for the protagonist.

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Jon Stewart's Apple TV+ show reportedly ends following clash over AI and China

The show was abruptly canceled.

The Problem With Jon Stewart isn't returning for a third season at Apple TV+. It was supposed to begin filming for another eight episodes within the next couple of weeks, but Apple and Stewart reportedly decided to part ways before it could start. According to The New York Times, the publications said the parties didn't see eye to eye, with Stewart apparently telling production staff that Apple executives had raised concerns about certain subjects they planned to cover, particularly China and artificial intelligence. Neither party has issued a statement.

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Blizzard plans to raffle off a human-blood-infused PC

Diablo IV players have to donate to make it happen.

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Blizzard

To celebrate the release of Diablo IV’s new season, Season of Blood, Blizzard has launched a month-long blood drive in the US that’ll unlock in-game rewards. Once donations reach 666 quarts altogether, players will be able to enter sweepstakes for “a custom liquid-cooled PC infused with real human blood.” A typical blood donation is 1 pint, so it’ll take a little over 1,300 donations to hit the final goal. Get giving, you creeps.

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Tinder will let your family nag you and play virtual matchmaker

Tinder will let your family nag you and play virtual matchmaker

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Tinder has rolled out a new feature dubbed “Tinder Matchmaker” that will allow users’ family and friends to access the dating app and make recommendations for potential matches. The matchmakers do not need to have a Tinder profile to view or suggest possible pairings. Hypothetically, that means anyone from your grandmother to your ex-boyfriend could help you select a new profile to match with.

A Tinder user will need to launch a “Tinder Matchmaker session” either directly from a profile card or within the app’s settings. If you see a potential match, you can share a unique link with up to 15 individuals in a 24-hour period. Once a matchmaker gets a link, they can log into Tinder or continue as a guest.

A matchmaker will gain access to profiles they can “like” and if they do, it will appear as a recommendation for the original Tinder user to see. The matchmaker’s abilities are limited though. They can't send messages or actually swipe right on the profiles in question – ultimately, the Tinder user will decide whether or not to match with another. 

“For years, singles have asked their friends to help find their next match on Tinder, and now we're making that so easy with Tinder Matchmaker," Melissa Hobley, Tinder's Chief Marketing Officer says on the new feature.

Bumble has a similar offering, where a user can recommend a profile to a friend through a private link that only they can open within the dating app. However, it’s more geared for one-on-one sharing compared to Tinder Matchmaker. Hinge, another key competitor, tried launching a separate Hinge Matchmaker app in 2017. Matchmakers on the Hinge spinoff were supposed to suggest potential pairings based on who the individuals knew personally from Facebook. That secondary app didn't last for Hinge – the app is no longer available.

Tinder’s matchmaker feature is just the latest offering from the company designed to entice more users to engage with the app in new ways. Verification on Tinder got a boost with video selfies, incognito mode finally was introduced earlier this year and the company just started letting Tinder users specify gender pronouns and non-monogamous relationship types.

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Instagram's latest test feature turns users' photos into stickers for Reels and Stories

Instagram's latest test feature turns users' photos into stickers for Reels and Stories

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Instagram is testing a sticker creation feature that will let users make custom stickers from their own photos — and other users’, in some cases — and pop them into Reels or Stories. While Meta has been going all in on prompt-based, AI-generated stickers lately, this tool is something much simpler. It’ll just select the subject of a photo and remove the background, creating a free-floating sticker that can be placed over other content.

A demonstration of Instagram's sticker creation tool showing a French bulldog selected as a sticker
Adam Mosseri/ Instagram

Adam Mosseri gave a brief demonstration of how it’ll work in a video shared to his broadcast channel. He also said that, in addition to creating stickers from photos saved on your phone, users will be able to make them from “eligible images you see on Instagram.” Mosseri didn’t share any further details on that, but it suggests users will be able to opt in to making their pictures stickerable.

It’s still just a test and hasn’t rolled out to all users, so we’ll see what that actually looks like in time. The platform last week started testing a new polling feature, too, which will show up in the comments section under feed posts.

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Blizzard will raffle off a human-blood-infused PC if Diablo IV players donate 666 quarts

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Blizzard hasn’t exactly been subtle in marketing Diablo IV, but its latest PR stunt is especially on the nose. To celebrate the release of the game’s new season, Season of Blood, and the high-payoff Blood Harvest events it introduced, Blizzard has launched a month-long blood drive in the US that’ll unlock in-game rewards as more people participate. Once donations reach 666 quarts altogether, players will be able to enter a sweepstakes for “a custom liquid-cooled PC infused with real human blood.”

The first tier of rewards, a batch of five weapons cosmetics, will unlock once donations hit 33 percent of the goal. At the 66 percent mark, players will also be granted access to the Loch Raeth Maor Barbarian armor cosmetic. When donations reach 100 percent of the goal — a total of 666 quarts of blood — the Vermilion Eye Piebald Mount will become available, and the sweepstakes for the custom PC will open.

Aside from the whole “human blood in the coolant” gimmick, the Seasons of Blood custom PC features NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4090, an Intel Core i9 CPU, 64GB of DDR5 RAM, 3 TB SSD Storage, and the Quantum Vector GPU Waterblock for cooling. And, the sweepstakes won’t just be reserved for those who donated. Once the goal is met, any player in the US over 18 can enter. The blood drive is open from now through November 20, and you don’t need to go anywhere special to get in on it. Players 18+ can donate at their local blood centers, then submit proof on the Diablo Blood Harvest website.

A typical blood donation is 1 pint, so it’ll take a little over 1,300 donations to hit the final goal. Players can keep track of the blood drive’s progress by visiting the above website and its motivational fountain of gushing blood. At the time of writing, it’s already at 15 percent — or almost halfway to the first goal. 

Considering the Red Cross recently announced we’re in the middle of a blood shortage, it’s maybe not the worst idea. All of the rewards will be doled out a few days after the blood drive closes, on November 22. Happy harvest!

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Universal Audio's SC-1 condenser microphone comes with new modeling software

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Mic modeling has come a long way in just a few years, and modern software plugins, to these ears, get quite close to the real deal. Universal Audio has been at the forefront of this technology for a while and now the company’s released a new condenser microphone that integrates with its equally new Hemisphere mic modeling plugin.

The SC-1 is a large diaphragm condenser microphone, operating as part of the company’s Standard Series that also includes the pre-existing SD-1 and SP-1. The SC-1 launches alongside the Hemisphere plugin that gives users digital access to a full range of classic mics from big-time companies like Neumann, Telefunken, AKG, Sony and others. The plugin uses a similar technology to the company’s Sphere line of modeling microphones, but with a drastic reduction in cost, as the SC-1 costs $500 and Sphere microphones range from $800 to $1,400.

The Hemisphere plugin lets you instantly audition different microphones to suit the take, tweak proximity, adjust filters and more. All of these adjustments can be done before recording or afterward, just like with the Sphere line. One benefit the SC-1 boasts over the Sphere line is that it requires just a single XLR input, while Sphere microphones require two to properly capture that stereo field.

The Hemisphere modeling plugin also extends to those other Standard Series mics, like the SP-1 pencil microphone and the SD-1 dynamic microphone. As for the SC-1 itself, it’s a standard no-frills large-diaphragm condenser with an extended dynamic range and a frequency response from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. There’s also an emphasis on low self-noise output, which makes it easier to transform via the numerous modeling options.

Universal Audio’s SC-1 is available for preorder right now and ships later in the fall. The microphone includes the Hemisphere modeling plugin, so your wallet won’t have to double dip. Additionally, the plugin is a free upgrade for existing SD-1 and SP-1 owners.

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Baidu's CEO says its ERNIE AI 'is not inferior in any aspect to GPT-4'

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ERNIE, Baidu’s answer to ChatGPT, has “achieved a full upgrade,” company CEO Robin Li told the assembled crowd at the Baidu World 2023 showcase on Tuesday, “with drastically improved performance in understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory.”

During his keynote address, Li demonstrated improvements to those four core capabilities on-stage by having the AI create a multimodal car commercial in a few minutes based on a short text prompt , solve complex geometry problems and progressively iterate the plot for a short story on the spot. The fourth-gen generative AI system “is not inferior in any aspect to GPT-4,” he continued.

ERNIE 4.0 will offer an “improved” search experience resembling that of Google’s SGE, aggregating and summarizing information pulled from the wider web and distilled into a generated response.The system will be multimodal, providing answers as text, images or animated graphs through an “interactive chat interface for more complex searches, enabling users to iteratively refine their queries until reaching the optimal answer, all in one search interface,” per the company’s press. What’s more, the AI will be able to recommend “highly customized” content streams based on previous interactions with the user.

Similar to ChatGPT Enterprise, ERNIE’s new Generative Business Intelligence will offer a more finely-tuned and secure model trained on each client’s individual data silo. ERNIE 4.0 will also be capable of, “conducting academic research, summarizing key information, creating documents, and generating slideshow presentations” as well as enable users to search and retrieve files using text and voice prompts.

Baidu is following the example set by the rest of the industry and has announced plans to put its generative AI in every app and service it can manage. The company has already integrated some of the AI’s functions into Baidu Maps, including navigation, ride hailing and hotel bookings. It is also offering “ow-threshold access and productivity tools” to help individuals and enterprises develop API plugins for the Baidu Qianfan Foundation Model Platform.

Baidu had already been developing its ERNIE large language model for a number of years prior to the debut of ChatGPT in 2022, though its knowledge-base is focused primarily on the Chinese market. Baidu released ERNIE Bot, it’s answer to ChatGPT, this March with some 550 billion facts packed into its knowledge graph, though it wasn’t until this August that it rolled out to the general public.

Baidu’s partner startups also showed off new product series that will integrate the AI’s functionality during the event, including a domestic robot, an All-in-One learning machine and a smart home speaker.

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Netflix's first live sports event is a golf tournament featuring F1 drivers and PGA Tour pros

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Netflix is getting into live sports streaming, but it's not shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars on NFL games, Formula 1 races or the English Premier League quite yet. The company's first live sports event is a pro-am golf tournament that features athletes from its Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Full Swing docuseries.

The Netflix Cup will see four pairs of Formula 1 drivers and PGA Tour golfers pairing up in a match play tournament that will take place in Las Vegas. You'll be able to watch the event starting at 6PM ET on Tuesday, November 14 — just a few days before F1's inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix.

As things stand, The Netflix Cup is set to feature F1 drivers Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. The golf pros who have lined up to take part are Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas. The tournament will see the pro-am pairs play an eight-hole match. The top two teams will duke it out on a final hole to try and win the Netflix Cup.

“The continued success of Drive to Survive has played a significant role in the growth of Formula 1 in the US, which has ultimately led to the addition of a third American race,” Emily Prazer, chief commercial officer of Las Vegas Grand Prix, Inc, said in a statement. “It’s only fitting that we kick off our inaugural race weekend with a fun event that can be streamed by F1 and PGA Tour fans around the globe.”

This is a logical way for Netflix to dip its toes into live sports streaming. It means that the company doesn't have to immediately snap up expensive rights to high-profile leagues (many of which have deals with rival streaming services anyway) or to showcase lower-tier sports.

It's also another example of Netflix's cross-branding coming to the forefront. The company is placing more focus on its own properties with things like a Squid Game reality competition series and branded retail stores that will feature an obstacle course based on its biggest hit to date. Netflix is also said to be developing more video game adaptations of its shows and movies, such as Extraction and Black Mirror.

Netflix's first livestreamed event was a Chris Rock standup special. However, the company ran into technical problems with its second planned livestream, a Love is Blind cast reunion. The company instead filmed the reunion and uploaded it to the platform as quickly as it could. Netflix will be hoping things go more smoothly this time around.

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Alan Wake brings his flashlight to Fortnite

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Alan Wake is coming to Fortnite in a cross-promotional event ahead of the 2010 game’s long-awaited sequel. Alan Wake: Flashback “reimagines Remedy Entertainment’s iconic story in Fortnite” as Epic Games and Remedy Entertainment introduce younger players to a franchise that faded in and out of public consciousness before some of them were born.

The game within a game appears to provide a quick recap of the events of the first title within Fortnite. “Troubled author Alan Wake embarks on a desperate search for his missing wife, Alice,” Epic’s description reads. “Following her mysterious disappearance from the Pacific Northwest town of Bright Falls, he discovers pages of a horror story he has supposedly written, but has no memory of.”

The surreal pairing becomes more logical when you consider Epic and Alan Wake developer Remedy have a working relationship. Remedy signed a publishing agreement with Epic in 2020 in a program covering up to 100 percent of a title’s development costs, including paying for quality assurance, localization and marketing. Once a game recovers its development costs, the companies split their profits 50/50. So, the Fortnite tie-in is a win-win for both companies’ bottom lines.

Alan Wake will also be a playable character via an Alan Wake Outfit. It will launch in the “Waking Nightmare” set available on the Fortnite shop beginning on October 26. Meanwhile, Alan Wake 2 launches for $50 on October 27 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via the Epic Store.

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Apple's M3 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will likely both be released next year

Apple's M3 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will likely both be released next year

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Apple’s M3 MacBook Pro may arrive in the beginning of 2024, with the M3 MacBook Air to follow a few months later, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Gurman had previously predicted that a MacBook Air featuring the new chip might see an October launch, but he now says it seems to be shaping up for a release between next spring and summer “at the earliest.”

In the latest installment of his Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Airs are now in the engineering verification test (EVT) stage. M3 MacBook Pros, on the other hand, are further along in the process and “nearing mass production.” According to Gurman, “The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips have reached the DVT stage — short for design validation test.” This puts them on track for release “between early and spring 2024,” he notes. Apple released its 2023 MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in January.

Gurman’s report also contradicts rumors from this weekend that Apple will introduce new iPads this week. Supercharged and 9to5Mac reported that the iPad Air and iPad Mini are getting chip upgrades, with the former adopting the M2 chip and the Mini upgrading to A16 Bionic. In his report, Gurman says upgrades along these lines are in development, but writes, “I don’t believe updates of any significance are imminent.”

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The full trailer for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is here, and it brings the heat

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Netflix just dropped the official trailer for its upcoming Scott Pilgrim anime, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. The highly anticipated eight-episode series brings back the original cast from the 2010 movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and counts Bryan Lee O’Malley — creator of the comics it’s all based on — as a co-writer and executive producer. Edgar Wright, who directed the movie, is also on board as an executive producer. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off will be released on November 17.

The show will return to the story of 23-year-old Sex Bob-Omb bass player, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), and his plight to defeat the seven evil exes of his new love interest, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). While Scott Pilgrim Takes Off will build on what we’ve seen in the comics and movie, it won’t be a straight adaptation, according to the show’s creators. In an interview with the Netflix companion site Tudum, Wright said O’Malley’s idea for the show “was way more adventurous” than that. 

Alongside Cera and Winstead, actors including Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Brie Larson, Chris Evans, and Aubrey Plaza will be reprising their roles. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off will also feature music by Anamanaguchi, the band that did the soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game. The action-packed trailer set to the Mortal Kombat theme is doing everything to drum up the hype, and honestly, it's working. 

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US labor board says X illegally fired a worker in retaliation for critical tweet

US labor board says X illegally fired a worker in retaliation for critical tweet

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X’s firing of an employee who pushed back against a return-to-office policy imposed by Elon Musk last year was illegal, the National Labor Relations Board alleges. In what Bloomberg reports is the NLRB’s first formal complaint against X Corp., filed on Friday, the labor board accused the company of retaliating against software engineer Yao Yue for attempting to organize workers in the wake of the new policy. After Musk gave then-Twitter employees an ultimatum in November 2022 to return to the office, Yue urged others not to resign in response but instead “let him fire you.”

Musk at the time had told employees, “If you can physically make it to an office and you don’t show up, resignation accepted.” Yue was fired five days after tweeting about it and writing a similar post on Slack. In terminating her, the complaint filed by a San Francisco branch of the NLRB alleges the company violated federal labor law by “interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees” exercising protected rights, according to CNBC. A hearing is now set for January 30.

The formal NLRB complaint may be a first for X, but accusations of retaliation against employees are nothing new for a Musk-helmed company. In early 2023, Tesla workers in Buffalo, New York accused the company of firing them for unionizing, and eight SpaceX employees filed a complaint with the NLRB in 2022 claiming they were terminated for criticizing Musk.

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CD Projekt Red used AI to include a deceased actor's voice in Cyberpunk 2077 DLC

CD Projekt Red used AI to include a deceased actor's voice in Cyberpunk 2077 DLC

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Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has confirmed it used AI voice cloning software to reconstruct the voice of a deceased actor for its Phantom Liberty DLC. Actor Miłogost Reczek voiced the character Viktor Vektor in the Polish version of the game and would have been tapped to reprise the role for the DLC, which came out last month, but he died in 2021 before its production. The developer told Bloomberg it decided to go this route as a way to “pay tribute to his wonderful performance,” and was given permission to do so by his family.

Instead of replacing Reczek outright, CD Projekt Red worked with Respeecher, the Ukraine-based voice tech company known for deaging Mark Hamill’s voice in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett to create a young Luke Skywalker. Another actor was hired to speak the new lines, and Respeecher’s software reworked them into Reczek’s voice, CD Projekt localization director Mikołaj Szwed told Bloomberg. Reczek, who Szwed described as “one of the best Polish voice talents,” had also voiced major roles in The Witcher series.

AI has become a contentious topic in the entertainment industry, and striking Hollywood actors are currently fighting for more protections around the use of their likenesses, among other things. In September, SAG-AFTRA voted in favor of a strike authorization for video game actors, too, whose jobs could be threatened by studios’ increasing reliance on AI. Zelda Williams — Robin Williams’ daughter — recently slammed the practice of emulating deceased actors using AI, saying that they cannot consent. In this case, CD Projekt Red says Reczek’s family was “very supportive.”

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X tests three paid subscription tiers amid ongoing financial woes

X tests three paid subscription tiers amid ongoing financial woes

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The rumor that X, formerly known as Twitter, is going to integrate more paid services continues to persist, with Bloomberg reporting that the company’s testing a trio of subscription tiers to help solve its financial woes. Details are scant, but it looks like these paid subscription options will impact the number of ads you see when using the platform.

A developer and leaker with the X handle @aaronp613 dived into the source code of the app’s most recent iOS update and discovered some information on these proposed subscription tiers, though the information has been trickling out for the past week. It looks like it’ll break down into Basic, Standard and Plus, as indicated by the Bloomberg report. Basic users will continue to see the regular amount of ads, labeled or not, while standard users will see half of the ads, which is equivalent to a current perk exclusive to the folks who plunk down $8 each month for a blue check. Plus users will see no ads whatsoever, providing them unfettered access to whatever conspiracy theory is snaking around the Internet on any given day. 

We don't have any idea how much these tiers would cost. Meta's reportedly making a similar move in Europe, as it could charge users up to $17 each month for an ad-free experience on Instagram and Facebook. 

Other than the ad stuff, which hasn’t been confirmed by the company, nobody knows what additional perks these subscription tiers would provide paying users. It also remains to be seen if this indicates a push toward mandatory subscriptions to use the service. However, with the paid basic plan reportedly displaying the current level of ads, it’s hard to see what a free account would experience. Twice the ads? Three times the ads? Elon Musk coming to your home to blame the company’s financial decline on the Anti-Defamation League? It’s anybody’s guess, though the rumor that X was going full on pay-to-play comes from an off-hand comment made by Musk during a live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

So it doesn’t look like this is part of any move to force people to pay for the service but it does look like Twitter/X is continuing to throw monetization ideas at the wall to see what sticks as part of its overarching plan to become the “everything app.” It’s hard to imagine that a reduction in the frequency in ads would be enough to entice many users to send a monthly stipend to one of the world’s richest men, so let’s wait and see what other perks the team cooks up for the three proposed subscription tiers.

As for the company’s financials, Bloomberg reports that CEO Linda Yaccarino recently told bank lenders that advertisers have been returning to the platform, albeit with reduced budgets. On the other hand, Reuters just reported that X’s US ad revenue has plummeted each and every month since Musk’s acquisition, with the latest figures showing a 60% year-over-year decline as of August.

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Sourdough starter keepers to keep your sourdough starters in

Sourdough starter keepers to keep your sourdough starters in

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Archaeologists figure we’ve been baking for anywhere from 11,000 to 14,000 years. And while the fundamental chemistry of leavening bread hasn’t much changed over the intervening years, we have developed countless shortcuts to make the bread baking process easier, faster and more convenient through products like baking soda, baking powder, instant dry yeast; and tools like electric ovens, stand mixers and food processors.

With the busy holiday baking season right around the corner and visions of sourdough stocking stuffers for friends and family dancing through my mind, I recently picked up a new starter culture (shout out to MatKat Bakery of Modesto, California). Normally when I maintain a starter it will either live in the fridge or on my kitchen counter. The problem with that is the yeast and bacteria that make sourdough, well, sour, prefer the ambient temperature to be in the mid-70s to low-80s, making my kitchen counter a little too cold — and fridge far too cold — for the starter to expediently rise when I feed it. But you better believe we have gadgets to fix that. Here are three that will maintain an ideal temperature for sourdough starter to live in.

Sourhouse Goldie

That is precisely what the Sourhouse Goldie is designed to do. Growing out of a significantly-overfunded Kickstarter, the Goldie is essentially a small heating pad enclosed by a large glass dome meant to create a tiny, cozy microenvironment for your starter to live in.

An integrated thermometer tracks the temperature under the dome and relays that information via a three-color LED in the base. Blue means it’s too cold, red means it’s too hot and yellow indicates you’ve reached the “goldilocks zone.” If it is too cold, you can turn on the heat which will raise the temperature to the goldilocks zone and then keep it there indefinitely. If your kitchen is too hot, an included “cooling puck” that otherwise lives in your freezer can be set on top of your starter jar to lower the temp.

the sourhouse goldie
Andrew Tarantola / Engadget

The dome is quite tall, able to accommodate my normal quart-sized starter containers, though the included pint-sized graduated cylinder is plenty big enough to hold a few hundred grams of fed starter. Despite its height, the bell sits sturdily atop the heating platform and forms a firm seal at its base — enough that things can get rather steamy under the dome if you trap any moisture in there while feeding your starter. Overall the device has a surprisingly small footprint and a sub-six-inch diameter. I can pick it up, move it around my kitchen as I work, shove it into a corner or onto a pantry shelf when I’m not using it –— the thing fits most anywhere. It runs off a USB plug (and an included wall adapter) giving you added options in potential power sources.

Beyond providing a quick visual reference for how the starter is doing, I also like that the Goldie provides a bit of entertainment as the starter rises. I always get a little tingle of pride as I see the culture that I have raised and cared for flourish and grow under the dome.

Overall it’s ludicrously easy to use — you plug it in, turn it on and put your starter under the dome. From there it can keep indefinitely, assuming you maintain power and keep feeding the culture. This method can get labor and resource intensive given that keeping a starter active at those temperatures will require feeding it every 12 to 24 hours. Think of it like a yeast-based teenager — depending on your feeding ratio (starter vs flour vs water added each time) you can end up running through food for it far faster than you realized possible. I like to keep my starter in the fridge if I’m not planning on using it for a few days (to dramatically slow the culture’s metabolism) and I’ve found that I can bring my starter back to activity far more quickly by putting it in the Goldie rather than my kitchen counter.

I’m not so hot on the Goldie’s price point, however. For as much as I like it, $130 for a hot plate and bell jar feels steep to me (they don't even include the jar for the starter pictured in their marketing), especially when the user has very little direct control, or even understanding of what the starter is currently experiencing. It’s a very vibe-heavy experience for an activity where I’m then expected to calculate hydration percentages out to two decimal places.

Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home

The Sourdough Home, from baking equipment purveyors Brod & Taylor, takes the nearly opposite tack in heating, cooling and maintaining a starter. Where the Goldie is a kitchen gadget, the Home is kitchen equipment.

It’s a mini-mini fridge, one that sits on your countertop to house jars of sourdough starter, and can dial in your desired air temperature to the degree. It’s bigger and boxier than the Goldie; taller, wider and deeper too. The interior is split horizontally by a removable shelf that can hold either a single quart jar or a pair of pints. The front face features an LED touch-sensitive thermostat which ranges from 41 - 122 degrees fahrenheit. It really is a tiny refrigerator that also gets warm on command — or a tiny oven that gets very cold, depending on how you look at it.

a collection of sourdough starter keepers
Andrew Tarantola / Engadget

With the Goldie, I find myself splitting the starter’s time between living in my regular refrigerator and in the device itself, getting ready for use. And that generally works when I’m only baking on the weekends or need to activate the starter for a spur of the moment project. The Home replaces that entire situation with a single countertop device. The starter lives there — I never get it lost in the back of my full-size refrigerator, I never forget to feed it for a week with it hanging out on my counter.

Getting the starter ready is as simple as adjusting the thermostat up a handful of degrees; preparing it for hibernation is the same, in the opposite direction. The Home incorporates a fan into its design, so it does make slightly more noise than the completely silent Goldie, but the whirring is barely audible to me, a middle-aged guy with moderate tinnitus.

I like the Home. It provides a degree of control and precision that the Goldie cannot match at a price point $30 lower, at $99. Interestingly, it appears that both the Goldie and the Home draw the same amount of power (100 - 240V), so don’t worry about electrical efficiency when deciding between them.

The Breadwinner

While both the Goldie and the Home do an excellent job of keeping your starter at its optimal temperature, neither will alert you when the culture is ready for use. That’s where the Breadwinner comes in. This Wi-Fi connected growth sensor screws onto the top of any wide mouth (86mm) mason jar. It measures the starter’s rate of rise after a feeding and until it peaks a few hours later, marking its readiness to use.

Traditionally I use my eyes and a series of rubber bands around the jar measuring its growth at the top of every hour to figure out when my starter’s rise is slowing down (which means its ready to use). The Breadwinner not only does that for me, but also sends me email alerts when it’s ready. It also saves all of that data to an online portal where I can track it in real-time and mine it for historical trends about the culture’s previous performance. I can also plug into a social network / online journal of like-minded bakers, share recipes I’ve used my starter in and generally keep track of everything I’ve used it for.

on a counter
Andrew Tarantola / Engadget

This is a really handy gadget when I’m getting ready for a bake but not necessarily able to hang around my kitchen until it’s ready. I can do other chores or run errands and feel secure in the knowledge that the Breadwinner will shoot me a note when it’s time to get baking. I also like that the device can be tuned to the size of the jar — 16, 24, 32 or 64 oz — for more accurate readings. The Breadwinner runs on four AA batteries, which will last anywhere from two weeks to a couple months, depending on how often you’re feeding your starter and using the device. If you want to get really fancy, you can use the Breadwinner and the Home or Goldie in tandem with each other, rapidly rewarming the starter and knowing precisely when it is ready to use.

The Breadwinner starter feeding screen
Engadget

I do wish the activation button wasn’t quite so easy to, uh, activate. I kept accidentally turning it when I was just moving the jar around between feedings, which required me to log into the portal and delete the blank records from my starter’s profile. I’m also not sold on the price of $125 MSRP, which is a solid chunk of change for a narrowly applicable and entirely optional kitchen tool (though we could see a discount arrive ahead of the holiday shopping season). I also have concerns given that the company behind the Breadwinner is still a small startup. If they go out of business, their servers, where the Breadwinner’s data and utility reside, will go offline as well and you’re left with a hundred-dollar novelty jar lid. If Brod & Taylor or Sourhouse go under, yeah I’ll lose warranty repairs, but the devices themselves will keep working.

Who would find these gadgets most useful?

This is $355 worth of gear altogether — a new, not refurbished, KitchenAid 4.5-quart stand mixer worth of gear. That’s a lot of flour. Still, the prospect of having my starter ready to use “in a few hours” rather than “later this evening,” and of not kicking myself for forgetting to take the jar out of the fridge the night before — that’s worth at least $100 to me. Maybe $225, but I’ve been burned like starter in a hot oven by proprietary kitchen platforms before.

a collection of sourdough starter keepers
Andrew Tarantola / Engadget

Really, the choice of keepers comes down to your personal preference: between the more whimsical vibes of the Goldie and the calculating precision of the Sourdough Home. If you’re only planning on using your starter on one or two bakes a week, splitting its time between your fridge and the Goldie is the way I would go. Conversely, if you’re working with your starter more than half the days in a week and need to keep it perpetually at the ready, a dedicated housing space like the Sourdough Home would likely serve you better. The Breadwinner works equally well with either warmer, or on its own. If you tend to multitask other chores and responsibilities during your recipe’s proofing times, the Breadwinner can help keep you on task and keep your bake from falling flat.

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