Robert Triggs / Android Authority
⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority publication that breaks down the highest Android and tech information from the week. The 220th version right here, with Google Pixel 8 leaks, persevering with Twitter drama, incoming Stadia refunds, and extra…
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Well-liked information this week
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
Social media:
- About flip: After shedding virtually 50% of the corporate, Twitter asks fired employees to please come again.
- Elon Musk has mentioned concepts similar to placing the whole lot of Twitter behind a paywall, or permitting everybody to make use of the location for a restricted time every month, after which a subscription could be required.
- Earlier this week, we reported that Twitter will quickly have two checkmarks. Hours after rollout, Elon Musk nixed the brand new function, however some accounts are nonetheless exhibiting the checkmark regardless.
- Wow: Some Twitter customers say their blocks on Musk’s account had been lifted with out their consent.
- The top of distant work, subscriptions, and extra: Learn Musk’s first e mail to all Twitter staff.
- Meta confirms 11,000 layoffs, amounting to 13% of its workforce.
Films/TV:
- HBO has canceled Westworld after 4 seasons, citing wanting viewership and excessive manufacturing prices.
- November 6 was Stranger Issues day, and Netflix announced the official title for season 5, episode one: The Crawl, sparking hypothesis.
- We’ve obtained one of the best new TV exhibits to stream this week, together with Amazon Prime’s UK dramedy Mammals.
- And if you happen to’re pondering of signing as much as Apple TV Plus, we’ve picked the 23 Apple TV Plus exhibits you must watch first.
- We’ve additionally obtained one of the best new streaming motion pictures, like sci-fi horror Slash/Again and Netflix unique Falling for Christmas.
- Talking of films, if you happen to’re searching for free titles to look at, try our roundup of one of the best web sites to legally watch free motion pictures on-line.
- John Wick: Chapter 4 is coming quickly, and the trailer sees Keanu Reeves combating Donnie Yen.
- Disney Plus declares value hikes, ad-supported plan coming subsequent month.
- And 40 % of US Disney Plus subscribers picked the bundle with ESPN Plus and Hulu.
Gaming:
- Woop! Google has began rolling out refunds for Stadia, although no refunds on Stadia Professional subscription charges or Google’s Energy Assist Claw.
- Microsoft admits Xbox vs PlayStation warfare is over.
- In the meantime, European Union opens “in-depth” investigation into Microsoft’s buy of Activision Blizzard.
- The Xbox Sequence X may very well be getting new graphics modes that may prevent cash: decrease your in-game framerates and resolutions to avoid wasting in your power invoice.
- God of Struggle Ragnarok launched Wednesday, and Kotaku’s obtained 23 suggestions earlier than you play. Plus, right here’s how the sport made accessibility a core a part of its design.
- A Gears of Struggle live-action film and animated sequence are within the works at Netflix.
- Talking of, Netflix confirms a Stranger Issues VR recreation is coming in late 2023, the place you may play as Season 4’s villain, Vecna.
- Diablo 4 will allegedly launch in April 2023, with pre-orders reportedly opening subsequent month.
- Seems like sci-fi: Oculus creator makes digital actuality headset that deliberately kills folks.
- Rogue Legacy 2, Venba, and extra: Right here’s every little thing you missed in Nintendo’s newest Indie World Showcase.
Opinions
Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
Options
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
Weekly Marvel
We’re all used to accessibility options on our smartphones and computer systems, such because the Android Accessibility Suite — and there are many accessibility apps for Android too. However a prepare station in Japan has carried out one of the enjoyable accessibility options ever.
- Ueno Station in Tokyo might be, like most stations within the metropolis, a packed, chaotic place.
- Commuting by the station might be daunting, significantly for differently-abled folks similar to members of the deaf and hearing-impaired group.
- A workforce of AI-experienced builders at Fujitsu got here up with a enjoyable visible manner to assist hearing-impaired and deaf folks navigate the station and really feel safer: Ekimatopeia.
- The phrase comes from the Japanese phrase for station, “Eki,” and syllables from the English language phrase, “onomatopeia,” that means “a phrase that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes.”
What’s Ekimatopeia?
This video — in Japanese with English subtitles — explains precisely how Ekimatopeia works.
- A big display screen show is posted on the boarding platform, and manga-style onomatopoeic sounds are displayed.
- These sounds really characterize what an AI picks up by a mic and are translated in actual time.
- Totally different fonts are used to convey particular feelings.
- For instance, ambient seems like a prepare approaching the platform and slowing to a cease, a prepare dashing by the station, or the sound of an alarm or horn would all be represented visually by phrases on the display screen.
- When a prepare approaches the platform, its clanking “gachan-gachan-gachan” sound could be displayed, together with visuals symbolizing a prepare.
- The concept for the mission got here from college students at a college for deaf individuals who talked concerning the difficulties they confronted commuting to highschool by prepare, with some commenting that it may very well be scary, as they didn’t at all times discover the prepare approaching.
- Ekimatopeia helps folks to sense these sounds, with totally different fonts and colours making the station chaos a visible expertise for deaf and hearing-impaired commuters.
Tech Calendar
- November 15-17: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit
- November 18: The Darkish Footage: The Satan in Me launches on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Sequence S/X, and PC
- November 22: Evil West releases on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Sequence S/X, and PC
- November 25-28: Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) gross sales
- November 28-December 2: Amazon Reinvent
- December 2: The Callisto Protocol launches on PS4, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Sequence S/X, and PC (not in Japan)
- January 5-8, 2023: CES 2023 (Las Vegas)
Tech Tweet of the Week
placing the “no” in november by declining each assembly invite
Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.